Winter break - team’s Dubai training under threat?

[LoughboroBlade]

Tucked away in Prince Abdullah’s interview with the club last week was mention that we’d be using the winter break to get the players away for warm weather training in Dubai.

This is obviously something plenty of clubs will do this time of year, and Man United went there last year, and were planning to do so again this year. They’ve now cancelled that plan because of the recent escalation in the Middle East. I thought that might have led to CW being asked about it at his press conference yesterday, but it didn’t come up.

Anyone know if it’s still planned?

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

Probably book a weekend in Benidorm, 5 a side on beach and two neets in tiki beach

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

As an aside, do the majority of people feel better under the current Middle Eastern stewardship? I feel the Prince is more legitimate and will be more outward looking than the previous incumbent!

I had no ill feeling towards McCabe, but I feel the new regime may be a little more progressive?

 

[BLADES1988]

As an aside, do the majority of people feel better under the current Middle Eastern stewardship? I feel the Prince is more legitimate and will be more outward looking than the previous incumbent!

I had no ill feeling towards McCabe, but I feel the new regime may be a little more progressive?

I agree. I always felt McCabe was holding back. To be fair to him he has done a good job with us over the years the club is in a fantastic state compared to others. Time for a new man to take the helm and i think the Prince will hopefully have the ambition and a solid plan to take us forward.

 

[Snake]

I think the Prince is saying all the right things, but more importantly, doing all the right things atm. Wilder is obviously happy, otherwise he wouldn't have signed such a long contract. I'm very pleased with the way the Prince seems to be handling things.

 

[CrookesBlade]

As an aside, do the majority of people feel better under the current Middle Eastern stewardship? I feel the Prince is more legitimate and will be more outward looking than the previous incumbent!

I had no ill feeling towards McCabe, but I feel the new regime may be a little more progressive?

The Prince seems to have a professional and ambitious vision of what SUFC should be and what they can become l based on his experience with his team in Saudi Arabia and the San Francisco 49ers whereas McCabe tried to be ambitious, got burned and ended up running the club like a corner shop.

 

[dingledog]

The Prince seems to have a professional and ambitious vision of what SUFC should be and what they can become l based on his experience with his team in Saudi Arabia and the San Francisco 49ers whereas McCabe tried to be ambitious, got burned and ended up running the club like a corner shop.

A bankrupt one at that.

 

[Sean Thornton]

The Prince seems to have a professional and ambitious vision of what SUFC should be and what they can become l based on his experience with his team in Saudi Arabia and the San Francisco 49ers whereas McCabe tried to be ambitious, got burned and ended up running the club like a corner shop.

Apart from being a fan, his experience with the 49ers is actually limited to fantasy NFL games.

 

[Houston_Blade]

You'd think Man Utd were flying out for a training camp in Tehran from what they said. Brugge, Munich and Ajax were in Doha last week and I've not heard of any missiles taking their planes out of the sky on the way home. Dubai normally has Celtic and a few German clubs over so I don't see it being a risk.

I'm not sure when we've got a break in fixtures though unless it's the non-internationals at the next international break?

 

[Broomhall Blade]

9th to the 22nd of February between the Bournemouth and Brighton games.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

You'd think Man Utd were flying out for a training camp in Tehran from what they said. Brugge, Munich and Ajax were in Doha last week and I've not heard of any missiles taking their planes out of the sky on the way home. Dubai normally has Celtic and a few German clubs over so I don't see it being a risk.

Yeah I was surprised. Having done a bit of travel for work last year to conflict-adjacent areas, the advice you’d get on whether to travel is usually what the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice is, as from an insurance point of view you’d not be in a great position if something happened when the advice had been for British nationals not to travel. But that’s not what they’ve advised here for the current situation, so I was surprised Man United took the step now. They perhaps don’t want to risk the situation worsening and then having to organise something last-min.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Yeah I was surprised. Having done a bit of travel for work last year to conflict-adjacent areas, the advice you’d get on whether to travel is usually what the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice is, as from an insurance point of view you’d not be in a great position if something happened when the advice had been for British nationals not to travel. But that’s not what they’ve advised here for the current situation, so I was surprised Man United took the step now. They perhaps don’t want to risk the situation worsening and then having to organise something last-min.

If you looked at the home office website you wouldn't leave your house in a morning!

 

[CrookesBlade]

Apart from being a fan, his experience with the 49ers is actually limited to fantasy NFL games.

I was sure he had a stake in them at some point or was that somebody else he brought on board when he first got involved?

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

If you looked at the home office website you wouldn't leave your house in a morning!

I don’t. There are advantages to being retired!

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Just seen this. Shameless holiday plug but straight from Sunday’s game I’m off to airport to also head there for my mid season break !.

wonder if the players could sort an upgrade out for us if they happen to be on same flight

 

[TCsLoveChild]

I’ve spoken to the players and they all said no. Sorry UTB

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

I’ve spoken to the players and they all said no. Sorry UTB

Chris will sort it with his magic touch

 

[steve26272]

As an aside, do the majority of people feel better under the current Middle Eastern stewardship? I feel the Prince is more legitimate and will be more outward looking than the previous incumbent!

I had no ill feeling towards McCabe, but I feel the new regime may be a little more progressive?

regime - probably not your finest choice of words given the politic landscape in Saudi, unless public execution is your thing......

 

[Sean Thornton]

I was sure he had a stake in them at some point or was that somebody else he brought on board when he first got involved?

Pretty sure he’s had no business/ownership involvement with the 49rs

 

[Maidenhead]

I don’t. There are advantages to being retired!

Beat me to it

 

[blade too long]

Believe they might be visiting campoamor golf complex half a mile from my house. All the top german clubs train there

 

[Wandsworth Blade]

You'd think Man Utd were flying out for a training camp in Tehran from what they said. Brugge, Munich and Ajax were in Doha last week and I've not heard of any missiles taking their planes out of the sky on the way home. Dubai normally has Celtic and a few German clubs over so I don't see it being a risk.

I'm not sure when we've got a break in fixtures though unless it's the non-internationals at the next international break?

I had to change my flights a couple of weeks ago for a business trip. I was connecting in Doha and all airspace above Iran/ Iraq is off limits. I've also been warned that my trip to Dubai in mid Feb might need to be postponed for the same reason. Looks like a lot of corporates are using the same security assessment firm.

 

[SwissBlade]

I had to change my flights a couple of weeks ago for a business trip. I was connecting in Doha and all airspace above Iran/ Iraq is off limits. I've also been warned that my trip to Dubai in mid Feb might need to be postponed for the same reason. Looks like a lot of corporates are using the same security assessment firm.

I was in iraq during the issue with Iran v USA and we didn’t have any problems in the south of the country. I flew back via Dubai 11 days ago and the duration of the flight was the same, the flight path back to Manchester was the same and it looks like the flight path Over the mountains between Iran/ Iraq is back in use.

Dubai doesn’t seem to be affected anymore now that things have died down and saw on sky sports earlier that about half the premier league clubs are off to Dubai for their break including ourselves.

Dubai ironman is going ahead on Saturday as planned.

 

[SwissBlade]

I had to change my flights a couple of weeks ago for a business trip. I was connecting in Doha and all airspace above Iran/ Iraq is off limits. I've also been warned that my trip to Dubai in mid Feb might need to be postponed for the same reason. Looks like a lot of corporates are using the same security assessment firm.

We use Gardaworld btw perhaps If your company has American ties it might be seeing a higher risk

 

[Houston_Blade]

I had to change my flights a couple of weeks ago for a business trip. I was connecting in Doha and all airspace above Iran/ Iraq is off limits. I've also been warned that my trip to Dubai in mid Feb might need to be postponed for the same reason. Looks like a lot of corporates are using the same security assessment firm.

Bizarre because Qatar and Iran are best mates, when the blockade kicked in a couple of years ago all flights were diverted via Iran instead of flying straight over Saudi. Added an hour to most trips west as a result. I flew to Beirut the other year from Doha, it was a code share between QA and MEA, got a QA plane going and it took 4 hours, MEA plane back and it took 2.5 hours, stupidity.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Looks like it’s still happening.

Sheffield United: The Blades will be visiting Dubai during their break, which begins after Sunday's game against Bournemouth.

Premier League winter break: What is your club doing in their fortnight off?

Expect sun, sea and warm-weather training camps as Premier League clubs take a two-week winter break for the first time.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Couple of views from Dubai

 

[VictoriaBlade]

I used to go to that school in the late 80's early 90's. It was sand pitches in those days...football was always followed by emptying the sand out of your shoes. Looks like it's changed a bit!

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

And another view from Dubai