EXTRA TIME

🇬🇧 Best Place to Spend Christmas?

Fraser Nelson writes in The Telegraph that Britain is perhaps the best place in Europe to spend this Christmas. Bavaria’s winter markets have closed, France’s bistros won’t let anyone in without a pass sanitaire, Belgium has banned private parties and Ireland’s pubs are all under curfew. But in Britain, the vaccinated and the unvaccinated can walk, work, eat and drink where they like. At least until now…

Unless the omicron variant changes everything, we may well see in the New Year having overcome the virus and upheld the basic values of liberty. Britain is starting to look like the new Sweden: keeping calm and carrying on.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has flatly ruled out compulsory vaccination, seeing it as not just illiberal but counterproductive: “If you make the vaccine attractive, people will want it,” says one senior official. “If we start to threaten people, it all changes very quickly.” Right now, Britain has face masks on public transport. And non-binding advice from one minister to go easy on “snogging under the mistletoe”. And, so far, not much else.

Last time around, Britain locked down longer and harder than anyone else in Europe. This time, Javid’s instinct is the opposite: not to jump too soon, trust the boosters and see what happens. Quite a gamble. But this time, it’s one the Government is willing to take.

December 4, 2021 at 1:14 am 1 comment

Let the Bubbles Fly Against Bogey Team Brighton

West Ham have never beaten tonight‘s opponents Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, and for the first time since April the Hammers have lost two Premier League outings in a row. Therefore it‘s time to get counted tonight at 20:30 (MET) when the Hammers take on their “PL bogey team” in an attempt to get back to winning ways and start well into the most busy footballing period of the year. A win would be a welcome sign showing that the metamorphosis of West Ham under David Moyes will not “fade and die”.

West Ham’s win in the Europa League over Rapid Vienna has been sandwiched by two Premier League defeats. The Hammers have lost two league games in a row for the first time since April. Despite those setbacks, West Ham sit fourth after 13 matches with 23 points and are one of just four Premier League clubs with a positive goal difference.

Brighton has become something like a bogey team for West Ham since the Seagulls’ promotion to the Premier League. West Ham have lost the first three meetings before drawing five in a row, including both games last season: 2-2 at London Stadium in December and 1-1 at Brighton’s Amex Stadium in May.

The Sussex side had a very good start into the current season. They even broke into the top four, but have been on a bad run of results for some time now, having failed to win any of their previous eight Premier League matches, drawing six and losing two. However, courtesy to their good form at the beginning of the season, Graham Potter’s team still are in the upper half of the table in ninth with 18 points.

It would be very much the “West Ham way” in its worse sense of the word, if the Hammers tonight gifted a win to the Seagulls, a team which desperately is looking to end a bad run. It really happened much too often in past years that West Ham were the first team that helped their respective opponents gain new confidence in situations like these by losing despite having been tipped to win against an out-of-form team.

Therefore David Moyes said, shortly after his return to West Ham in December 2019, that the Hammers were known as an “inconsistent, flaky side” and that he was out to change that. Tonight he and his team have the perfect opportunity to show how far they have come! With a win against the Irons’ bogey, they would not only be back to winning ways and remain fourth in the Premier League (regardless of Arsenal’s result against Manchester United tomorrow), they would show what a big transformation has happened under the second reign of David Moyes.

When the Hammers played very well for some time under Moyes’s successor and predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini (1 July 2018 – 28 December 2019), I thought that with this high calibre manager at the helm the Hammers had become a team with a “winning mentality” and spoke of a “Pellegrini Revolution” – until in autumn 2019 the train went off the rails. “Hammer of the year” Lukasz Fabianski had got injured early into Pellegrini’s second season in charge, and the manager had not provided for appropriate cover.

Pellegrini’s signing, Spanish goalkeeper Roberto, conceded four goals in the first game after Fab’s injury against minnows Oxford United (West Ham tumbled out of the League Cup with this 0-4), and in the consecutive matches he was a permanent factor of concern and uncertainty in defence. With Roberto in goal West Ham mustered only one clean sheet (in his first game in charge against Newport in the League Cup) and didn’t win a single game. Following Fabianski’s injury West Ham won only two games from 14 matches until Pellegrini was sacked, and in these ties against Chelsea (1-0) and Southampton (1-0) the Irons’ third keeper David Martin played in goal.

Then David Moyes started his second spell with West Ham with a 4-0 victory at London Stadium against Bournemouth. He saved the Hammers from the drop when he came back to east London by the end of December 2019, and has overseen an unbelievable metamorphosis of our beloved club with qualifying for the Europa League group stage for the first time, finishing sixth in the Premier League 2020/21 (after having been in the running for a Champions League spot for a long time, with only one win missing in the end). So far he has even been exceeding this success in the current season with winning and winning and winning … (only four losses and 12 wins from 20 games so far!). West Ham have gained 23 points from 13 Premier League matches and are one of just four clubs with a positive goal difference (also a huge improvement compared to previous seasons).

Now let’s hope that we keep going this term when the most challenging part of the season starts (including the busy Christmas season with matches on 26 and 28 of December). Until the end of the year the Hammers will play a game every three or four days and must hope that no long term injuries will be added to the one that Angelo Ogbonna suffered in the famous victory over Liverpool.

First of all, tonight it’s time to beat the bogey team from east Sussex in east London. There should be a “Sussexit” (as Megxit has to be called now!) out of West Ham’s bad record with the “east Sussexes”: a first win over Brighton in the ninth Premier League outing of these two teams would end the winless streak against the Seagulls and keep West Ham in fourth place in the Premier League. Prior to the visit of Chelsea at London Stadium next Saturday, that would be a clear sign that the “Moyes Metamorphosis” is remaining on track! And, contrary to the “Pellegrini Revolution”, that this metamorphosis could be one that lasts for longer.

Come on you Irons!

December 1, 2021 at 12:25 pm 1 comment

Happy Advent!

New Covid restricitions to last until March in UK (The Telegraph)

December 1, 2021 at 8:57 am Leave a comment

Servas, Ferdl! Griass enk, Steirer!

Der neue Rapid-Coach steht fest. Es ist Ferdinand Feldhofer, der schon ab Montag das Training bei den Grün-Weißen leitet, wie der SK Rapid auf seiner Homepage mitteilt. Der gebürtige Steirer und langjährige Sturm-Spieler bringt Matthias Urlesberger als Co-Trainer mit. Damit kommen nun nach dem Bier (Wechsel von Ottakringer zu Gösser zu Beginn dieser Saison) auch Chef– und neuer Co-Trainer beim SK Rapid aus der “grünen Mark”.

Geschäftsführer Sport Zoran Barišić erzählte, dass er viele Gespräche mit potenziellen Nachfolgern aus dem In- und Ausland geführt hat. Einige aus dem großen Kandidatenkreis hätten in Hearings überzeugt – darunter wohl auch der bis vor Kurzem bei Barnsley in England tätige Markus Schopp. Aber in Summe habe ihn Ferdinand Feldhofer „am meisten überzeugt“.

Wobei Schopp wohl zu teuer gewesen wäre, denn er bezieht sicherlich nach der Beurlaubung beim Tabellen-Vorletzten der Championship, dem FC Burnley, noch ein hohes Managergehalt, auf das er im Fall der Annahme eines neuen Jobs wohl hätte verzichten müssen.

Feldhofer zählt – so Barisic – zu einer neuen, modernen Trainergeneration, setzt auf innovative Arbeitsmethoden und habe bereits bei seinen bisherigen Stationen bei Lafnitz und WAC bewiesen, dass er auf attraktiven Fußball mit einer konkreten Idee setzt und mit seinem Konzept auch Erfolg haben kann. Ganz wichtig war für Barisic auch, “dass er sich mit unserer Spielphilosophie, die sich künftig durch den ganzen Verein ziehen soll, voll identifiziert und diese auch umsetzen will“. 

Ferdinand Feldhofer (42) war – im Gegensatz zu seinem Konkurrenten Schopp (47) – bereits als aktiver Spieler mit dem SK Rapid erfolgreich und zählte als Innenverteidiger von 2002 bis 2005 zu jener Mannschaft, die unter dem damaligen Cheftrainer Josef Hickersberger den Meistertitel 2004/05 holte.

Auf der Rapid-Homepage wird auch die erfolgreiche Qualifikation für die Gruppenphase der UEFA Champions League 2005/06 im selben Atemzug erwähnt. Allerdings wechselte Feldhofer schon zu Beginn der Saison 2005/06 zu Wacker Innsbruck: als Rapid am 23. August 2005 durch das Kopfballtor von Valachovic auswärts Lok Moskau besiegte und es damit in die Gruppenphase mit Spielen gegen Bayern, Juventus und Brügge schaffte, stand Feldhofer schon bei Wacker Innsbruck unter Vertrag. Bereits im Juli 2005 spielte er mit den Tirolern gegen Rapid.

Der in Vorau am 23.10.1979 geborene Steirer begann in seinem Heimatort mit dem Kicken. 1998 kam er zu Sturm, wo er zeitweise in derselben Mannschaft mit Franco Foda, dem heutigen österreichischen Teamtrainer, spielte. 2001 legte er sich mit dem damaligen Sturm-Präsidenten Hannes Kartnig an, als er seinen Vertrag nicht vorzeitig verlängern wollte. Er klagte daraufhin bei Gericht gegen seine Versetzung in die Amateurmannschaft des SK Sturm und kündigte seinen Vertrag. Er bekam schließlich im Jänner 2002 die Spielerlaubnis für seinen ablösefreien Wechsel zum SK Rapid, wurde aber von Sturm ebenfalls geklagt.

Bei Rapid war der größte Erfolg der schon genannte (31.) Meistertitel 2004/05, bei dem Feldhofer ua gegen Admira ein entscheidendes Tor zum 1:0 in der Südstadt in der Nachspielzeit erzielte (22. Runde). Insgesamt erzielte der Defensivmann Feldhofer für Rapid sechs Tore in 91 Pflichtspielen, davon vier in seiner letzten Saison. Nach dieser Spielzeit wechselte er im Sommer 2005 zu Wacker Innsbruck und kehrte in der Folge nochmals zu Sturm zurück, wo er bis 2013 spielte. Mit Sturm wurde Feldhofer drei Mal Meister und gewann zwei Mal den österreichischen Cup. Auch dreizehn Einsätze im österreichischen Nationalteam mit einem Tor hat er zu verzeichnen.

Auf der Trainerbank sitzt der Inhaber eine UEFA Pro Lizenz seit 2015. Vier Jahre lang coachte er den SV Lafnitz aus der 1500-Seelen-Gemeinde im Bezirk Fürstenfeld und führte den Provinzklub in die zweite österreichische Liga. Ebenfalls erfolgreich war Feldhofer auf seinem zweiten Trainerposten beim Kärntner Wolfsberger AC: er kam mit dem WAC 2019/20 auf Platz 3 der Bundesliga hinter Rapid und Salzburg und überstand in der Folgesaison die Europa League-Gruppenphase. Gegen Tottenham schied der WAC dann aber mit einem Gesamtscore von 1:8 aus und in der Liga waren die Leistungen in der Saison 2020/21, wohl wegen der Doppelbelastung durch den Europacup, weniger toll. Dazu hatte Feldhofer auch mit WAC-Kapitän Michael Liendl (damals 35) immer wieder Differenzen. Als diese eskalierten, berücksichtigte er Liendl und zwei weitere Führungsspieler des WAC Anfang März dieses Jahres nicht im Cupspiel gegen den LASK. Das Match ging verloren und Feldhofer trat am nächsten Tag zurück, ihm folgte der Deutsche Robin Dutt. Bei Rapid sind die ältesten Spieler derzeit 31 und sicher pflegeleichter als Liendl … Da sollte es also hoffentlich keine „Autoritätsprobleme“ geben.

„Dass Feldhofer eine grün-weiße Vergangenheit als Spieler hat und dadurch auch sehr gut weiß, wie unser doch spezieller Verein tickt, ist ein schöner Nebenaspekt, war aber für die Entscheidung kein ausschlaggebendes Kriterium“, erklärt Barišić und ergänzt: „Ich bin überzeugt, dass wir mit Ferdinand Feldhofer die bestmögliche Wahl getroffen haben und freue mich auf die Zusammenarbeit, die möglichst langfristig sein soll, obwohl mir bewusst ist, dass er auch jetzt schon Alternativen im europäischen Ausland gehabt hätte. Umso schöner ist es, dass wir nun gemeinsam an die kommenden Herausforderungen herangehen können.“ 

Feldhofer wird künftig wie bereits bei seinen Tätigkeiten beim SV Lafnitz und beim WAC mit Matthias Urlesberger zusammenarbeiten. Der 35-jährige, derzeit Cheftrainer bei der U16 des GAK, wird als zusätzlicher Co-Trainer an Bord kommen und somit Manfred Nastl nachfolgen. Der weitere Trainerstab bleibt mit Thomas Hickersberger (Co-Trainer), Jürgen Macho (Tormanntrainer), Alexander Steinbichler (Athletiktrainer), Tony Prünster (Reha- und Individualtrainer) und Daniel Seper (Videoanalyst und zudem Assistenztrainer) unverändert.  

Ferdinand Feldhofer auf der Rapid-Hompage zu seiner neuen Aufgabe: „Es fühlt sich richtig gut an, es ist eine Rückkehr in eine vertraute Umgebung. Nach intensiven Gesprächen mit den Rapid-Führungskräften war für mich sehr rasch klar, dass wir im Fußball-Denken total auf einer Wellenlänge sind. Ich kann es kaum erwarten meine Spieler persönlich kennenzulernen und mit ihnen am Platz und darüber hinaus zu arbeiten.“

November 29, 2021 at 1:36 pm 1 comment

Snow in the City

It has started snowing on Sunday afternoon in Manchester where Man City hosts West Ham in a match between the third and the fourth placed teams of the Premier League.

The match of Claret and Blue vs. Light Blue can go ahead despite of the snowfall, while in Burnley – situated only one hour north of Manchester – the Clarets’ game against Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor had to be postponed because of heavy snow. Referee Peter Bankes said that Burnley “worked as hard as they could but within 10 minutes the pitch was covered again.”

In snowy Manchester the hosts have taken the lead against the Hammers in the 33rd minute, then Johnson saves on the line… but also West Ham tries its luck on the break, and the pitch in Manchester becomes white as more and more snow falls in Manchester.

1-0 at the interval – and a bunch of groundsmen rush onto the pitch with their snow shovels!

After having a walk with the dog in the Vienna snow, I’m back with 58 minutes on the clock. But it takes until the 78th minute until I can take note of West Ham’s first attempt on goal in the second half: a shot from Declan Rice from outside the box is saved by City keeper Ederson.

Then I’m able to watch two more goals: unfortunately it’s 2-0 first and, much too late with the very last kick of the game, Lanzini scores the 1-2. Only a consolation for David Moyes’s men and the travelling fans, but really a beauty of a goal, that’s for sure!

Two defeats in the last two Premier League games for West Ham on the road. For the first time since April the east Londoners suffer successive defeats in the league, but the Hammers remain fourth, though with Arsenal now level on points. Now a home game is coming up in midweek and another one on the Saturday after three away matches: Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea FC will be the visitors at London Stadium.

November 28, 2021 at 3:39 pm Leave a comment

Erste Bundesliga-Niederlage für RBS

Peter Pacult, letzter Rapid-Meistertrainer 2008 und danach eine Zeitlang selbst im Dosen-Imperium von Red Bull in Leipzig tätig, hat mit Austria Klagenfurt geschafft, was vorher in dieser Saison in Österreich noch nicht gelungen ist: die Bullen vlg. Dosen aus Sbg zu schlagen. 2:1 gewann die Klagenfurter Austria im schönsten Stadium Österreichs, am Wörthersee, leider Lockdown-bedingt ohne Zuschauer.

Matchbericht: https://www.skaustriaklagenfurt.at/news/21-pacult-team-biegt-meister-salzburg-1853

Hier die Pressekonferenz: Pezi Pacult, wie er leibt und lebt („kein Grund zum Herzumtanzen, nur drei Punkte…“):

🎦 https://fb.watch/9yVwNzz_Xb/

November 28, 2021 at 8:21 am Leave a comment

Wales vs Austria in World Cup Play-offs

Wales will host Austria on March 24th next year in the play-off semi-final for the 2022 World Cup, while Scotland have been drawn at home to Ukraine.

The winning sides of these matches will face each other in a final for a spot in Qatar with the winner of Wales v Austria playing at home.

Wales are bidding to reach their first World Cup in 64 years, while Scotland and Austria have waited 24 years to play in one. Austria are in the play-offs courtesy of winning their Nations League group ahead of Norway, Romania and Northern Ireland.

There are three different one leg play-offs, that will determine the three teams to take the final spots. The semis include Italy v North Macedonia and Portugal at home to Turkey. That draw means either European champions Italy or Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will not be at the World Cup, with the winners of their semis meeting in a final.

The third final will be played between the winners of Russia v Poland and Sweden v Czech Republic.

The semifinals and the finals, both played over one leg, will take place over the course of five days from 24-29 March.

November 26, 2021 at 10:32 pm Leave a comment

West Ham Waltz A Déjà-vu-Defeat For Rapid Vienna

In a match played “in camera” due to lockdown in Austria, West Ham comfortably waltzed into the Europa League round of last 16. Beating Rapid Vienna in their Weststadion with exactly the same result as in London eight weeks ago, and the result of Dinamo vs Genk going our way, the Irons secured top spot in their group.

— Weiterlesen: www.westhamtillidie.com/posts/west-ham-waltz-a-dj-vu-defeat-for-rapid-vienna

🎦 Behind the scenes: https://fb.watch/9yVdt3VlNh/

November 26, 2021 at 1:04 pm Leave a comment

West Ham in the Town, But Nobody Can Watch Them

It was too good to be true! Rapid Vienna and West Ham United in the same Europa League group: two really special games for Vienna based RapidHammer… He now can only look back on his trip to the first leg (Post from blog “West Ham Till I Die”)

When back in late August the result of the Europa League group draw was West Ham United and Rapid Vienna playing in the same group, my phone was brimming over with messages that “congratulated” and asked me who I was going to support in the the games between Rapid and the Hammers, and if I would travel to London. My answer to the latter question was “of course”, that’s a “no brainer”. Who I would support and how I’d feel when one of my teams scored against the other one, was a more difficult question: “I don’t know yet how that will feel,” was my reply. I would find out later – subject to the conditions of getting tickets and being able to make the trip to London without having to quarantine in the UK.

An other task on hand was to find out who was going to accompany me to London Stadium and if the best wife of all would also be part of our West Ham Tour Group. We ended up being five: my friend Alfred who supports Rapid and Aston Villa (but also has a soft spot for West Ham), his son (also supporting Rapid and not having a soft spot for West Ham), our pastor from the ICF (that’s really the name of the church I’m going to in Vienna!) and Mrs. RapidHammer who never goes to footy in Vienna but likes to accompany me to West Ham games in London – or even Reading some years ago.

Once the number of the travelling fans was known, we had to get tickets and to find out how to travel to London in times of Covid.

And there were also various messages coming in from the UK to be answered in September, when friends based in London started asking if I could help them with getting tickets for the Vienna game in November.

Tickets for London and for Vienna could be bought, the flights and hotels in London were booked and then, as the day of the trip was drawing near, the task of filling in the UK Passenger Locator Form and booking a so-called “Day 2 Test” in advance took some hours of my precious time (prior to a trip/holiday, it seems there is always such a lot of work to do in the office!).

It was our first flight within almost two years and it was a great feeling to be back to London after such a long time. I really had missed these nice chats with the migration officers at Stansted. I was asked the reason for my trip and in the following conversation I told the officer I was a travelling football fan and supported West Ham. He looked at the “LL.M.” in my passport and said: “I see you’re a clever man, so why are you supporting West Ham?” Well … what would you have answered?

“Well, everybody makes a mistake at one point or another,” I smiled, “and this one cannot be undone”.

However, though the main reason for the trip was of course the Europa League game, the RapidHammer couple would not be leaving immediately after the game and stay until the Sunday. Therefore we had not booked an accomodation in east London, but stayed in a hotel near Westminster Bridge with a wonderful view over the River Thames and the Houses of Parliament.

On matchday with the kick-off at 8 p.m. BST, we had plenty of time to explore what had changed with Covid and Brexit since our last visit to the British capital. We noticed that there were slightly more closed shops on high streets and also the petrol station near our hotel was closed. But the streets are full of people and London seems to be a brimming and lively city as it has always been. Only two thirds of passengers are wearing masks on the tube, something that would not be possible in Austria. Last time when I forgot to put on my face covering when I got on a bus in Vienna, two old ladies immediately shouted: “Sie haben keine Maske auf!”

Our match day started with the “Day 2 Test” according to the appointment we had made before flying off to the UK. Our friends who travelled with us had booked a test that was brought to their hotel and even was cheaper than ours, but we had opted for a test facility near London Bridge, nearby Borough Market. I had told a friend that we would be there in the morning, and really I got a call by him and we met up and had a coffee together. Great to hear that he was doing well after having had Covid some weeks ago; being vaccinated twice he had not been severely ill.

We then learned that the Indian restaurant we had loved to go to on previous stays had not survived, but of course it wasn’t difficult to find something else, and then, in the afternoon, we had to get ready for the football and travel from Westminster to the fairly distant London Stadium. Sitting in the home end I dressed in West Ham colours (as I always do, of course, when I watch West Ham), but I have to confess that I wore a green and white shirt underneath.

In the London Stadium we managed to meet up with friends who planned to come to Vienna later, had a beer with them and handed over the Rapid tickets for the reverse fixture in November that I had brought with me.

West Ham’s game against Rapid in front of an almost sold-out crowd of 55,000 under the lights with a pre-match light show to mark West Ham’s first ever Europa League group stage game at home was really a win-win-situation for me. A very good first half of West Ham, with a goal from Declan Rice and two shots rattling the woodwork of Rapid’s goal, was followed by a welcome not-so-bad second half from Rapid. I did really enjoy every good move of both teams, and the match was highly entertaining for me.

Somewhere deep in my heart I would have fancied a shock result in Rapid’s favour (which could have been possible if the VAR had not ruled that it wasn’t a foul when Rapid winger Marco Gruell was tripped inside the box in the second half). West Ham’s second goal was much deserved though and I happily tuned in when “Bubbles” and “West Ham are massive” were sung during as well as after the game, alongside “Twist and Shout” and “Sweet Caroline” which were played when we left the East Stand to have an other beer with our friends to celebrate a memorable evening – only the second match of West Ham vs Rapid in history. But a third one would follow suit and we would meet again in Vienna within less than two months, we said.

I had bought one of those controversial split-scarfs prior to the game, paying almost double of the price that it was sold after the match, but in case of Mr. RapidHammer that was a “must” and I thought I would proudly sport it again in Rapid’s Weststadion for the return leg in November.

But that wasn’t to be as we all know since the Austrian government has decreed an other “lockdown” – the fourth now for Austria as a whole and the fifth for the Vienna region since the outbreak of Covid in 2020, though rumour goes that this directive was not issued because of rising infections but because of “West Ham being so massive that Austria had to close the whole country”. Well, since the measures have not been revoked after West Ham’s defeat on Saturday this theory might have got a little implausible now…

In his recent post “Irons1959” tells us about the trials and tribulations prior to his cancelled trip to Vienna. I could also tell you about all the messages and calls I had with various friends who wanted to come to Vienna, all the information I provided about hotels, always changing Covid measures, test facilities in Vienna, kosher restaurants, getting tickets despite of the UEFA ban for the away end, and much more, and all the anticipation and looking forward to meeting up in Vienna’s West Ham Pub, “The Tube Station“. But all to no end …

On Thursday I will wear the split scarf only in front of my TV, no friends will come to Vienna, but at least Rapid has confirmed that there will be a refund for the tickets we have bought for the game that will be played behind closed doors now. A weak consolation though for the West Ham fans who will not experience the atmosphere in Rapid’s ground. It would have been brilliant in this sold-out match under the lights.

Is a shock result on the cards in this fixture now with David Moyes rotating his squad and Rapid having got a new (caretaker) manager in Steffen Hofmann, Rapid’s so-called “football god” being the green and whites’ record player with a total of 540 appearances for Rapid, after Didi Kuehbauer had to resign due to a bad run of results in the Austrian Bundesliga? Or will West Ham, as I also hope, already secure their place in the knockout stages in Vienna? We will know on Thursday evening, though unfortunately we will not be eye-witnesses of this event and cannot cheer on the teams in the Allianz Stadion aka Weststadion in Huetteldorf.

All I can do now is comfort me with saying:

At least we have been to the first leg in London.

November 24, 2021 at 7:54 pm Leave a comment

Rapid Confirm Refund

Two days ahead of their Europa League game against West Ham which has to be played behind closed doors due to the recent “lockdown” in Austria, Rapid Vienna have confirmed that the cost of all tickets purchased for this match will be refunded. Rapid will provide further information in due time.

As soon as these informations are published on Rapid’s website, RapidHammer will pass on all details which are necessary to claim the refund for tickets sold by SK Rapid.

Tickets in the away end though which were allocated to West Ham have to be dealt with by the Hammers. Supporters who have purchased their tickets through West Ham have already been told that they will receive their refund automatically by Wednesday, 24 November.

The majority of fans who have bought tickets for this sold out fixture however need to be patient until further notice…

Link ➡️ http://www.skrapid.at/de/startseite/news/news/aktuelles/2021/11/rapid-vs-west-ham-infos-zur-rueckerstattung-folgen

November 23, 2021 at 11:49 pm 1 comment