Friendly Birmingham '22

[Levin]

Wow, it was the British Commonwealth Games until 74.

I'm only starting this thread as I've noticed that the track cycling is in London and there are tickets still available. Are they going to to have a decent field though?

[Ray de Galles]

It was the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950 and the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966.

I have some tickets for the Track Cycling in London and Athletics, Rugby Sevens, Road Cycling and Boxing in Birmingham.

I'm not entirely sure how many of the latter set I'm going to actually get to though.

[Jon]

There's a woman's T20 tournament at Edgbaston.

I have tickets for Pakistan v Barbados so i have just purchased this.



Also tickets for the bronze medal match.

(I hope it involves Pakistan so I can get more wear out of the cap).

[Janik]

Got tickets for Squash, Netball and Badminton. All in Brum - the Squash is at the University of Birmingham, the other two at the NEC. All early round stuff/early in the Games.
Train strikes would make life much more difficult getting to the venues...

[Jon]

The hockey is also at the university of Birmingham. My sister is doing that in the morning and then heading to edgbaston for the cricket in the afternoon. anyone got swimming/diving tickets? I'm eager to find out what this new pool is like in Smethwick.

Yes, train strikes would cause a great deal of problem. Also, there have had lots of mechanical failures with the trams in the last six months or so. hopefully neither will be an issue though. I think each ticket includes free travel on transport in the West Midlands on that day which I'm quite excited about.

My son is more excited about the mascot, Perry the bull, who visited his school the other day.

[Satchmo Distel]

The Commonwealth Winter Games (1958-66) and Commonwealth Paraplegic Games (1962-74) interestingly were never preceded by the word British.

[Jon]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...m-62093213.amp

The above link is a good guide to what events are free at the commonwealth games next month.

In other news, I've now secured diving tickets.

[Duncan Gardner]

Thanks for the link Jon

A colleague of mine won't be able to drive to work when they close the roads through Sedgley* for one of the cycling events. He'll have to pushbike himself

* between Wolverhampton and Dudley

[Janik]

RMT strike announced for 27th July, Aslef for 30th July (including West Midlands trains, which sounds impactful). Hmm.

[Ray de Galles]

I've got the following tickets spare for the Athletics at the Birmingham Commonwealths. Open to offers, to be honest ;

Athletics	02/08/2022	18:00	B	£80/25	6	4 Adults 2 u16
Athletics	02/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	3	2 x adult, 1 x u16
Athletics	04/08/2022	10:00	B	£50/20	3	2 Adults 1u16
Athletics	04/08/2022	18:00	B	£80/25	3	2 Adults 1 u16
Athletics	05/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	6	4 x adult 2 x u16
Athletics	07/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	3	2 x adult, 1 x u16

[Ray de Galles]

And the following free for this weekend's Rugby Sevens Finals Session

Rugby Sevens 31/07/2022 18:00 B £55/15 3 2 Adults 1 u16

[Etienne]

I've got 2 adult tickets and one child available for NZ vs South Africa cricket on Saturday. We're going on Tuesday 2nd for England vs South Africa though.

[Benjm]

I was in Birmingham at the weekend and visited the big Games merch shop on Centenary Square, as well as admiring this fine statue of Perry the mascot nearby.

[Jon]

We were also in Birmingham last weekend. We went to the smaller merch shop below the Rotunda. No Perry there but we did see him outside Snow Hill station. (Also bought a six inch version of him at the shop).

[Logan Mountstuart]

Blimey.

Malala was very impressive as ever though.

[Levin]

The whole baton thing is a bit embarrassing. It's just a torch knock off

[Janik]

I've got the following tickets spare for the Athletics at the Birmingham Commonwealths. Open to offers, to be honest ;

Athletics	02/08/2022	18:00	B	£80/25	6	4 Adults 2 u16
Athletics	02/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	3	2 x adult, 1 x u16
Athletics	04/08/2022	10:00	B	£50/20	3	2 Adults 1u16
Athletics	04/08/2022	18:00	B	£80/25	3	2 Adults 1 u16
Athletics	05/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	6	4 x adult 2 x u16
Athletics	07/08/2022	18:30	B	£80/25	3	2 x adult, 1 x u16

Do you mean 10:00 rather than 18:00 for the Athletics on 2/8? If so, that is vaguely possible (2 adults)... but depends on how easy it is to get between the stadium and the NEC.

[Ray de Galles]

Ah, sorry that's a typo by the chap on our group who did the spreadsheet. All my tickets for that day's Athletics are for the evening.

[ad hoc]

Nadine Dorries (who, lest we have tried to pretend it isn't true, actually is the sports minister) went on TV to say that the UK hadn't had a sporting event or sense of occasion like this since the London Olympics. Forgetting of course that the UK has actually already hosted the commonwealth games since 2012

Does she not have anybody on staff who can tell her stuff that she should at least pretend to know?

[Lang Spoon]

Yeah but that was in smelly Scotland so doesn't count.

[Sporting]

Yeah but that was in smelly Scotland so doesn't count.

Scotland is smelly, but it smells of wonderful things like whisky and haggis and cranachan.

[Lang Spoon]

The first I ever heard of cranachan was on Masterchef about ten years back. It's more than possible every other gaff in the central belt was getting off on it, but definitely not my family.

[Guy Profumo]

Hat tip to Joe Lycett - I'm going to do something the government refuse to do, welcome foreigners to the UK

[Levin]

Fijiana look very good in the sevens beating Scotland.

I like the Sri Lanka kit. Hooped socks really set the whole thing off.

[Nesta]

It's a Brum ting/ it's a Brum ting
'Cept for the cycling / for the cycling