football rambles

.... and at the end there are a few more homages to PSG heroes and obviously being the current Champions of Europe - the Champion's League Trophy.

 The next part of the tour takes you through the back rooms of what goes on at PSG including the places where the TV commentators hang out; the medical room; the changing room and the media room. You also get to go down the tunnel and experience what it is like to come out on to the pitch at Parc De Princes.

 Part 3 is when you go through and see the numerous domestic honours and Cup Winners Cup that PSG won along with pennants from important matches and shirts and other memorabilia from important players.

 One of the issues with the tour is that apart from it not being guided, it feels a bit like being kettled through the experience. Don't get me wrong, it's a good tour and worth it,but it's very busy and there isn't much time to stop and examine everything unlike say the Borussia Dortmund tour. For me the best part of the tour is when you are pitch side and can have a look around at what the stadium looks like.

 Last weekend we were in Paris and obviously as we were unable to get to a game we went on the PSG stadium tour. Our tickets said 11am on them, but we got there really early, so we had a look around. We eventually went in at 10:30 and probably could have gone in at 9 when we had originally arrived. Anyway, here are a few photographs from outside before we joined the tour.

On the previous day PSG had lost 1-0 to New York Redbulls and Boca had drawn 2-2 with Arsenal. Arsenal had been criticised in the media for poor defending, judging by their performance in this match the Gunners defending must have been very suspect and how Red Bulls beat PSG is a mystery. PSG played some really impressive stuff and new signing Kevin Gameiro looked worth every penny they paid Lorient and 19 year old Neeskens Kebano, who had only played three times before for PSG definitely has a big future ahead of him. Jean-Eudes Maurice was first to get on the score sheet after meeting a cross from Kebano on 8 minutes and it was surprising that they weren't ahead even earlier on. PSG dominated for long periods of the first half and on 38 minutes Guillaume Horau headed them into a 2-0 lead. Boca also had their chances but were quite wasteful in front of goal. In the second half an Arsenal fan behind me commented that Boca played like Arsenal, which I think he thought was a complime...

Paris Saint-Germain put the pressure on the Boca Junior's defence.

PSG are one of the richest, most prestigious and well supported teams in France despite only being formed in 1970. They were formed from a merger between Paris FC and Stade Saint Germain with the original idea being for Paris to once again have a top team that could challenge at the top of French football. The idea certainly worked as PSG reached League 1 in 1974 and have been there ever since. They are now the second most supported team in France after Marseilles and like L'OM have unlike any other French club won a European trophy - the Cup Winner's Cup in 1996. Over the years the dislike between Marseilles and PSG has grown and grown and now the fixture between the two clubs is French Classic. PSG's golden era was the 1990s when they had a massive cash injection from television company Canal+. This coincided with success after success at home and in Europe including two appearances in the Cup Winner's Cup Final and a semi-final appearance in the Champions League. How...

Paris Saint-Germain were created in 1970 when 20,000 subscribers who wanted to see a top flight club in Paris after the demise of RC Paris, Red Star Paris and Stade Francais came together with Saint Germain, who had been formed in 1904. In 1970 the newly named club played in the second division, but gained promotion. However after a dissapointing season in the first and with mounting pressure from the city council to drop the Saint Germain reference the club found themselves in the 3rd division. Ironically in 1973 the new FC Paris and Paris Saint Germain swapped places and PSG were welcomed to the new Parc De Princes where they have competed in the top flight since. Apart from a period when Canal + had control of the club the crest has always been a cradle and Eiffel Tower symbol (oh, and a strange badge for the Olympics in 1992). The reference to Paris comes through the eiffel Tower, but Saint-Germain-en-Laye is known as the 'burceau royale' or 'royal cradle'. The fleu...