Logistical and Technical Study Portugal Tour 2009

Logistical and Technical Study Sassco.co.
uk Portugal Tour 2009 16th 19th October 2009
Author: Davinder Sangha | 28th January 2010 | www.sassco.co.uk
Logistical and Technical Study

Table of Contents
Sassco.co.uk Portugal Tour 2009
Origins of the tour. ............................................................................................................................ 3 Costs (deposits and flight ticket purchasing). ................................................................................... 3 Essential planning............................................................................................................................. 4 Insurance. ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Team wear. ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Marketing. ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Travel from UK to Portugal. .............................................................................................................. 5 In Portugal and the hotel................................................................................................................... 5 Estadio Municipal 3G training pitch................................................................................................... 6 16th October 8:30pm Sassco.co.uk v Juventude Sport Campinenese............................................. 6 Estadio Da Nora 3G training pitch. ................................................................................................... 6 17th October 5:00pm Sassco.co.uk v FC Ferreiras.......................................................................... 6 Hotel Alfamar grass pitch.................................................................................................................. 6 18th October 11:00am Sassco.co.uk v Destination Football FC. ..................................................... 6 Match presentations.......................................................................................................................... 7 The return flights to Newcastle. ........................................................................................................ 7 Tour footage...................................................................................................................................... 7 DVD production................................................................................................................................. 7 Final costs of the Portugal Tour 2009. .............................................................................................. 8 Tour success..................................................................................................................................... 9 Overseas Tour 2010. ........................................................................................................................ 9
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Origins of the tour. The Malta Tour in 2008 was a tremendous success in terms of the logistics of getting a full team, all who self-financed the tour, from the UK to Malta, within a very tight time frame. Additional problems were to ensure the opponents were reliable, the venue was confirmed, the hotel was arranged and that the transport was confirmed. In the event, everything ran smoothly. Being a first tour, there was no major criticism, but the negative aspects noted were that the hotel wasnt perfect and that the tour squad itself was quite small (only 12 players). Also, the problem of lack of flights from Newcastle to Malta caused a concern. Initially, the flights were available, but due to late deposits, nothing was booked and the flight timetable changed; resulting in the need to book two flights separately and hoping that neither one was cancelled. All these issues were rectified for the second tour. The plans for Portugal in 2009 were initiated prior to the Malta Tour and more in earnest afterwards. Low cost flights from Newcastle were available, which was the driving force behind it. The initial contact was made with a few tour operators sourced from Internet searches. Gary Thomas, an ex-pat living in Portugal, was the most reliable one. He was a Portugal based football team manager, similar to Davinder Sangha. Gary Thomas also organised similar non-official tours in the past. The Sassco Portugal Tour was his first official tour under the company, Algarve Football Tours. The weekend from 16th October 2009 (Friday) to 19th October 2009 (Monday) was chosen, based on the flight timetable from Newcastle to Faro, in Portugal. The opponents were confirmed well in advance, but the venues were undecided. It was hoped to play in the main stadiums, but unfortunately, they were not available as the tour approached. However, the games were to take place on excellent 3G training venues used by the professional teams (next to the main stadiums). Contact was made with the opponents, via Gary Thomas, and opponent team badge graphics were provided to keep the website updated with fixtures. The key points in getting the groundwork done after choosing the country were as follows: Chose a good and reliable operator based in the host country that would have all the contacts. Make some detailed searches on the Internet about the venues and the local contacts. Designing an official logo of the tour. The Portugal Tour 2009 logo was adapted from an existing design and was instantly recognisable.
Tour members. Additions to the squad were William Harper and Simon Mulvaney. Missing was Marc McDermont. Wayne Greenwell was a late addition to the squad and paid for his flight and hotel separately (the full squad list is shown later in this document). Costs (deposits and flight ticket purchasing). The total cost for the flight and hotel for 13* persons was 1,937.60. This worked out at 149.04 per person. The hotel rooms were purchased within the same flights so to ensure a low cost, as well as cover in case the flights were delayed or cancelled. A deposit of 150.00 was secured from all tour members. The actual cost for the games (transportation, venue, referee, etc.) was 1,015.00. Divided between 13 persons it was 78.00 each at the exchange rate, which worked out at 66.00 per person.
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Payment was made by VISA card (not debit card). This was because VISA covers in case of anyone going out of business. There was a percentage surcharge, but for peace of mind, it was the correct way to pay. All major payments were made by VISA card. Deposits were specifically requested in order to ensure early booking. Also, the tickets were non-refundable, so it made sure that anyone paying was committed. *Wayne Greenwell paid for his own flight and hotel separately. Key points to be aware of would be: Strictly adhering to the deposit dates. Always paying any large amount (over 100) by genuine VISA card. Recommend purchasing flights as early as possible to get the best price and the best routes. Purchasing hotels at the same time as the flights for combined insurance purposes.
Essential planning. Planning for the tour was not as intense as the opening tour in 2008. As normal, every tour member was given everybody elses telephone number as a back up. However as all were flying from Newcastle, the transportation was not a major worry. Parking in Newcastle Airport was approximately 25. Key points were: Ensuring names on passports matched the names on the flight list. Ensuring that the passport had not expired. Providing checklists for items such as shorts, socks and shin pads.
Players were asked to provide their own shorts, socks and shin pads. The team shirts were given out the week before the tour and reminders were sent out the nights before to make sure everything was in order and packed. So to sum up: Origin country chosen, combined with local tour operator or football organiser. Dates confirmed and hotels chosen along with venues. Mass publicity and a costing of the tour including a deposit due date. Use of Facebook in combination with the website to publicise the tour. A comprehensive checklist to be formed. Passports to be checked first. Travel details to be strictly adhered to.
Insurance. Insurance was recommended mainly to cater for the possibilities of the flights being cancelled, however, as flights were booked with the hotels, the tour members would have been reimbursed if this occurred. The team was not playing in a competition and only in friendly games so match insurance requirements was vague. Recommended insurer was http://www.worldwideinsure.com/ and the option chosen was Rate 2, which covered individuals for playing football. Extra insurance was not needed for those carrying extra equipment. Team wear. Sponsorship of 200 was received from Red Fox Hosting Limited, who also sponsored the Malta Tour. This helped to cover the costs of the shirts and printing, etc. A new Adidas short sleeve shirt was used and badged with the Portugal Tour logo text as well as Red Fox logo and player names
Author: Davinder Sangha | 28th January 2010 | www.sassco.co.uk Page 4
on the reverse. The shirts were supplied by Soccerkings (Sasscos regular team shirt supplier), while Aztec Print printed the shirts (both links available on the Sassco.co.uk website links page). The shirts were given to the 13 playing members to keep after the tour. The squad list was as follows. The numbering was based purely on alphabetical order and the sizing was as per each players requirements: 01 Dave Smith 02 Mark Cresswell 03 Chris Dixon 04 Tim Gillespie 05 Dave Gourlay 06 Wayne Greenwell 07 William Harper 08 Scott Hembrough 09 Paul McConville 10 Mark Middlemiss 11 Mark Muers 12 Simon Mulvaney 13 Davinder Sangha Existing burgundy polo shirts and the new Adidas style three stripe track tops were also provided. There was a strict understanding that the official team wear should be worn when travelling to Portugal, as Tim Gillespie and Dave Gourlay failed to do so in Malta in 2008. For the 2010 tour, black t-shirts will be used with full badges and printing. All players will be required to purchase their own black, three stripe track suit bottoms. Metal pin badges provided to be worn when out for meals or in the evening.
Marketing. Gary Thomas used his contacts in the local Portuguese media (press, radio and television) to heavily publicise the tour in Portugal itself. Sassco.co.uk were featured on Radio Kiss FM in Portugal, who announced the fixtures and also the results (www.kissfmalgarve.com). The local paper (Algarve Resident www.algarveresident.com) had a small article and a photo. Travel from UK to Portugal. The logistics of getting the 14 players to Portugal was easily worked out. The lead-time to Portugal was comfortable, and the squad arrived on schedule, as well as having the complete day free before the late 8:00pm kick off In Portugal and the hotel. Once in Portugal, luggage was easily collected and the tour liaison was ready to collect the squad from the airport. Transportation and timings were perfect throughout the trip. The hotel was of a very high standard in comparison to Malta. The Paraiso Albufeira (located at Municipio Lote 31, Albufeira 8200-161) was built in 2001. It offered a total of 414 apartments spread over 8 floors. More importantly, it featured a 2,000 m garden and large outdoor pool complex. The weather was perfect throughout the tour. The hotel also had a public Internet terminal and a WLAN Internet connection available for use. Rooming was arranged as follows:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bellizzi, Middlemiss Sangha, Harper Cresswell, Smith Mulvaney, Gillespie, Hembrough McConville, Gourlay, Dixon Muers, Greenwell
Breakfast was not included as most wouldnt be able to guarantee waking up early. With players enjoying the nightlife meant that some would not be awake until the scheduled time for breakfast was over. Everyone tended to go to a local bar / caf for a hot breakfast. A supermarket was next door, which provided everything the players needed. The squad refreshed in the hotel and were ready for the opening game. The squad walked to the venue, which was just up the road, and arrived at least one hour prior to kick off. Estadio Municipal 3G training pitch. The venue was excellent. The 3G training pitch was of the highest possible standard for the opening game against Juventude Sport Campinense. 16th October 8:30pm Sassco.co.uk v Juventude Sport Campinenese. A more detailed report as well as several photographs and a full video of the days events is available on the website: http://www.sassco.co.uk/portugal2009. Sassco opened the scoring with Scott Hembrough looping a shot over the opponents goalkeeper in the first half. Juventude equalised in the second half, but Mark Muers struck the post in the dying seconds, but failed to add to the scoresheet. A 1-1 draw was a fair result. The main stadium was located next to the training venue. After the game, we spent the evening in the club house where Juventude provided the squad with a buffet style meal. Estadio Da Nora 3G training pitch. For the second game, the venue was again excellent. The training pitch was located next to the main stadium, and the squad spent pre-match watching Ferreiras first team in a lower division league game. 17th October 5:00pm Sassco.co.uk v FC Ferreiras. A more detailed report as well as several photographs and a full video of the days events is available on the website: http://www.sassco.co.uk/portugal2009. Sassco opened the scoring again with another goal from Scott Hembrough and followed this with a free-kick from Wayne Greenwell. The opponents walked off and forfeited the game early in the second half due to an altercation between Dave Gourlay and one of the Ferreiras players. More details are on the web link. Post-match, the team had some minor refreshments in the club bar before being picked up. Hotel Alfamar grass pitch. The final venue on Sunday was a grass pitch and again, the facilities were superb. The changing facilities were of the highest quality. 18th October 11:00am Sassco.co.uk v Destination Football FC. A more detailed report as well as several photographs and a full video of the days events is available on the website: http://www.sassco.co.uk/portugal2009. The final game was played on Sunday morning, with the majority of the player suffering from drink as well as having to play three games in three days. The opponents were DFFC, Gary Thomas team. Sassco conceded before the half and were 5-1 down before Hembrough scored three superb goals and Mark Cresswell scored one. The eventual loss was 6-4. Dave Smith also saved a penalty.
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Post match saw the team spend the majority of the sunny afternoon eating and drinking at the Bar Solar Da Palanicie, near the Alfamar pitch. A marathon set of three games in three days with a small squad passed with injuries to William Harper (non-footballing injury) and Mark Muers, who suffered from blisters after the second game. Match presentations. In Malta, presentations were made of pennants and other items such as wooden plaques to Sassco before the games against Kirkop and Mdina Knights. It was aware that this could happen, but the lead-time to produce Sasscos items (pennants) was too long. For the Portugal Tour, several pennants were produced by the WEI SHIN company in China (link available on the Sassco.co.uk website links page) showing the Portugal Tour logo and the Sassco badge, as well as the dates. The study on the previous tour also recommended producing a flag, which was done so by Britannia Banners in Wallsend. This was displayed prominently in the second game and on the hotel balcony. The return flights to Newcastle. The option was available to leave Portugal on Sunday evening, but costings were the same if the squad left on Monday. This gave everyone an extra day and a reasonably early morning flight back. However, two players, Mark Muers and Wayne Greenwell delayed things and the squad were stuck in a long easyJet queue for check-in. Nevertheless, the squad arrived back in Newcastle in the early afternoon, fully on schedule. Tour footage. To log and record the whole event on camcorder and also camera was an essential part of the tour, as the Malta videos and photos received massive publicity when they were published on Facebook. The same widescreen Canon camcorder was used, with a new high capacity battery pack, along with the same Konica photo camera. Davinder Sangha and Bianca Bellizzi shared video camera duties in the first two games (Bianca Bellizzi exclusively for the last game). Davinder Sangha photographed the second game and Bianca Bellizzi and Mark Muers provided the majority of the excellent photographs in the final game played in the daylight hours. It was specifically requested to have one game in daylight, just as in Malta, to make sure that we could take photographs, as night time photography was poor using the Konica camera. A back up video camera was not added this time, as any camera would be purchased within Portugal if any damage occurred. The majority of the photographs were uploaded to Facebook using the hotels wireless connection. DVD production. The Portugal footage, like the Malta one, was separated into the three football days. Filming took place during the travel on Day 1 as well as pre and post match travel and events in Day 2 and Day 3. Bonus material included items such as photos from the team members camera phones. Back in the UK, the video was processed on an iMac using iMovie HD to import the footage and to edit it with cuts and fade-outs. The processed video was then exported into Final Cut Express, where titling and music was added, along with slow motion replays. The titles included the line-ups, goal scorers, etc. During match footage, the sponsor logo and current score was permanently shown on the top of the screen. Finally, the finished and processed video was exported to iDVD where the menus were added and the DVD produced. The music was sourced from BunkerUK.com; the current 6-a-side sponsor. The title music, played on the credits on Day 1, was "Always on the run" by the Flytes. The DVD menu music and the slide show music on all three discs was Marching on by The Flytes.
The processing time was less than a year before. The DVD disc label and cover was produced using a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator and printed on glossy stock. The triple DVD cases were purchased from Amazon to make it a presentable box set. Days 1, 2 and 3 contained bonus material such as all the photos and also the videos taken by players on their mobile phones. The high quality exported footage was reduced to 640 x 360 size video for use on Facebook and also Blip TV (http://blip.tv), who also host dozens of Sassco videos, including all the Malta Tour videos. The full days are shown in reasonably good quality without any breaks. The plan to produce the footage and post it in public domain has instantly generated vast interest in the next tour as everyone saw the well organised teams, the venue and general enjoyment had by everyone. Final costs of the Portugal Tour 2009. The costs were calculated as follows (some are approximate figures): 66.00 per13 persons for the hotel, games and transportation. 149.04 per flight for 13 persons. Wayne Greenwell paid for his own flight and hotel separately. The recommended procedures, as mentioned in this document, are summed up below: Choose a location country, ideally with good flight links from the nearest airport. Find out about low cost flights to the destination. Buying in bulk will get a discount. Search extensively on the Internet for country based tour guides and operators. Also check the local football association's details. Use networking sites such as Facebook to identify contacts. Choose a date for the tour, but make sure that everybody (players, tour operator, hotel manager) is aware that the dates will be flexible and based around the available flights. Identify nearby hotels and drive the price down as much as possible, but best to purchase the hotel combined with the flight. Once the flights have been identified, set a date for a deposit of around 50%. This will be classed as non-returnable. Make sure you always remind those interested not to be vague about coming. Ask for a straight yes or no answer and ask if they are able to pay the deposit by that date. ALWAYS PAY BY CREDIT CARD (not debit card or cheque). There will be an extra 1 or 2 percent added to the total, but this covers the payer in case anything gets cancelled, etc. Once deposit is in, purchase the flights and hotel. Advise the tour op and hotel. Try and arrange flight seating together. Prepare a detailed checklist. Main things to look at are: o Passport details to match the flight ticket name. o Passports to be valid and not expired. Some countries demand passports that have no less than six months before they expire. o Arrange basics such as shorts, socks, football boots, shin pads. Always recommend two pairs of each. Provide pennants and presentation items before each game for the opponents. These can be sourced by looking on the Internet for custom pennants. Ensure cameras and camcorders have back up batteries, extra tapes/discs. Some countries require power plug adaptors. Make email contact with potential opponents. Realistically, opponents would not be confirmed until around a month before the tour. Contact other teams in the area as potential back ups. On the day of the flight, make sure that everyone is reminded about passports and kits, etc.
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In the destination country, make sure that you have a good supply of water for all the games. If recording using a camcorder, make sure every full tape is stored separately after use. Use the safe at reception if required. Use the hotel's Internet connection or local internet cafe to upload photos to Facebook or into your space. This is to ensure that if anything is lost, at least the imagery will be available. On the return journey, ensure that seating is arranged together.
Tour success. It was safe to say that Portugal Tour 2009 was a resounding success. The opponents were evenly matched, the hotel was perfect and the venues were excellent. Transportation to and from was always on schedule and that combined with a larger squad meant that Sassco were able to compete in a gruelling schedule. All the match reports, detailed photos as well as full footage in good quality of all three days of the tour are available on the website http://www.sassco.co.uk/portugal2009. All the relevant companies and suppliers web links are also on the site. Overseas Tour 2010. The next tour has been provisionally scheduled Spain in October 2010. Italy, Cyprus and France were earmarked, but Gary Thomas, who arranged Portugal, is looking into Spain, and as the Portugal Tour was a resounding success, it seems likely that Sassco will be choosing Spain. The points made in this document and the previous Malta Tour study have been looked at in detail and will be adapted for the next tour. For further information, please contact: Davinder Sangha | 07780 972630 | davinder.sangha@sassco.co.uk Also, visit the website: www.sassco.co.uk where you will find information on Sassco.co.uk and the forthcoming Overseas Tour in 2010.
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Logistical and Technical Study Portugal Tour 2009

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Logistical and Technical Study Sassco.co.

uk Portugal Tour 2009 16th 19th October 2009

Author: Davinder Sangha | 28th January 2010 | www.sassco.co.uk