As this is my first official contribution to Leeds United World, I hope you'll all bear with me if I jump about a bit. I guess the information I'm about to drop on you will be of less use to the Official Party than to those of you who are making your own way to the Olympic City.

If you're with the official party, you can certainly count on the following:

1) Police escort from the Airport to the Stadium

2) Being kept in the Stadium for up to an hour after the game.

3) Police escort back to the Airport.

None of the above will spoil the ultimate thrill of just being in a full-house Camp Nou, nor the footballing spectacle that we will surely all witness. "If you can't play football on this pitch (dimensions and quality), then you can't play" (Johann Cruyff). I know a couple of thousand of us have already been there in '92 but an empty stadium is never the same.

Now before we start, I'd just like to make a few points, and give a few hints and tips to help ensure everyone has a great time....before, during, and after the game.

I live in Barcelona, and will do for some time to come. I have many friends here, of all nationalities, and they all know that I am a true WHITE (Leeds fan, no racist connotation). My reputation is on the line and will be badly affected if there is any trouble at all.

With the current exchange rate you'll find that food and booze, except in the Irish Pubs, is cheap and you'll be able to get copious amounts of it, whenever you like.

The Spaniards and Catalans, in general, don't mind noise, they don't have any problem with Brits having a good drink, singing etc. However, all English football fans are labelled "Hooligans". The National press will start stirring up the situation during next week and by the week of the game the population of Barcelona should be well and truly terrified of the Leeds "Hordes". With our old reputation and events in Istanbul fresh in everyone's minds, it is vital to British football, and Leeds United in particular, that there is no "real" trouble.

Anybody who can't have a good drink without becoming threatening or violent in any way, please stay away! Apart from the damage to Leeds United's name, the Spanish Police will react very strongly. There is very little history of "over-reaction" by the Police in Spain. They will stay in the background and will only get involved if there's a real need. The Barcelona fans, even their "so-called" radicals, known as the "Boixes Nois" (the Mad Boys), are all bark and absolutely no bite. They will cause no incidents.

General hints

Couple of hints while you are putting away your share of the amber nectar:

1. Some bars will ask for you to pay immediately: others will let you run up a tab - but they will be wary of any "runners" so pay for your drinks. You can afford it.

2. It's not customary to buy the bar staff drinks so "Have one yourself, love!" will neither be understood nor accepted. If you are enjoying yourselves, leave a "Tip". Much appreciated. Catalans are notoriously bad tippers so owt decent will be good for the reputation.

3. Nearly forgot......theft has multiplied in Barcelona over the last couple of years, so, particularly in the tourist areas, girls, keep an eye on the handbags, and be wary of anybody asking you for things. It may be a distraction while his mate is doing a bit of "Dipping".

My 'Rough Guide'

For those who are spending several days in Barcelona, something that everybody should do in their lifetimes, the following information may, or may not, be useful, nay vital, to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment out of your stay. I'm not gonna list a whole heap of Hotels, Bars, Restaurants, etc., nor provide maps of where to go and how to get there, because all of these can be found in a variety of ways:

The best web-site on Barcelona itself is www.barcelona-on-line.es, has an English version, and gives info on many things about the City, including: Accommodation, Restaurants, Transport, Tourist Information etc. The navigation can be a bit clumsy, but it is the best there is. This site also includes maps of the main tourist areas, so you don't get lost.

The official, and at times problematic, site for F.C. Barcelona is www.fcbarcelona.es. Good luck if you wish to find out how to get to the stadium for instance. Might as well tell you myself, I suppose....

How to get to the stadium

By Metro:

Linea 3, that's the green line, to MARIA CRISTINA. Out of the station, turn right, walk a couple of hundred yards, turn left after the Hotel Princesa Sofia, which is on the left just after you've managed to pass 3 bars in a little parade of, well, bars mainly. You will see the magnificent stadium right in front of you.....this is the North end of the ground, Tribuna (Main stand to right), Lateral (East Stand to left), and away supporters are normally up in the God's at the South end these days, hence:

Linea 5, Blue line, to BADAL. Turn right out of the station, then first right, and just keep walking for 10 minutes and you'll arrive at the South end of the ground.

By Bus:

Never take em myself. Too complicated with all the other options available.

By Taxi:

Just ask for Hotel Princesa Sofia, or the Camp Nou if you wanna go straight there.

Eating and DRINKING

Now down to serious matters....where in God's name can you get a decent drink and a bite to eat? Short answer is everywhere. There are more bars and restaurants in Barcelona than you can "shake a stick at"..oops, drifted into a bit of Yank jargon there for a sec. Much depends on your tastes so I'll divide it a bit: firstly into City area, and then into Spanish flavour, and Irish/Brit influence.... these are nearly all personal choices. Other people may disagree.

Those of you who have been to Barcelona, or not, will know about Las Ramblas (The Ramblas), where all visitors congregate sooner or later. At the top you'll find the main square, Plaza Catalunya, with tons of shopping, Hard Rock Café, M&S, Burger King, McDonalds, and Chichi's Tex-Mex.

On the corner opposite the Ramblas is Café Zurich, a famed meeting-point for many, before undertaking the pleasant stroll down towards the sea. Just before you get tp Plaza Catalunya, on the left there is a bar called La Cerveceria. One Leeds fan, who was in Barcelona in '92 once told me they found this great bar that they called "The Beer Bar". Good thinking "Batman"......that's the direct translation. Does good tapas, restaurant inside serves good food at a medium type price.

On the opposite side of the Square, heading away from the sea, is one of the popular wide streets in Barcelona, Paseig de Gracia, popular shopping street, some Gaudi architecture to admire, and lots of trendy tapas bars, and Italian style coffee shops. Off this street, on the right, in Conseil de Ciento, you will find an English pub, the GEORGE & DRAGON, right next to a superb, if pricey, Thai restaurant.

Returning to Las Ramblas, in the middle, on the left walking down towards the Port, there is another meeting point for foreigners with local knowledge, opposite the Opera House, called CAFÉ OPERA, interesting inside and terrace outside where you can watch the World go by whilst having a drink or three. All the way down the Ramblas are bars with terraces, serving enormous jugs of beer at inflated prices, and if you do "hang out" there be very wary of bag-snatchers and pick-pockets. A bit further down, on the left, you will find the nearest thing to Taksim in Barcelona, Plaza Reial. Great square with lots of bars and restaurants and normally a great atmosphere. No, it's nothing like Taksim, no-one is gonna get ambushed by a bunch of local nutters. Off the Plaza there are a number of streets with loads of lively bars.

Lot of life on both sides of La Rambla, towards the bottom, including music bars, restaurants, "Peep Shows", Prostitutes, Transvestites, etc. before you reach the Columbus statue, and across a wooden walkway you come to MareMagnum, a World in itself, not finished in '92........a place I rarely go to but it's full of bars, disco's, restaurants of all types, and shops??. Even has an Irish Pub on the top level, IRISH WINDS, and all-night Crazy Golf (whoever thought of that is a right dipstick).

Instead of crossing to MareMagnum at the bottom of las Ramblas, you could turn left and walk along the Old Port. A few hundred yards and you can take two directions. On your right you have Barceloneta, and on your left, two more options; divided by Via Layetana..

Barceloneta

Everybody who has been here should know it. Pg. De Borbon, with direct views onto the port, has tons of restaurants, most of em very good, and halfway down we find another Irish bar, the FASTNET, good food and better Guinness. My other favourite places there are; El Vaso de Oro (tapas and great atmosphere), El Cheriff (best Paella in the World), Can Ramonet (great seafood), and Merendero de la Mari, in the big new warehouse type building just before you reach the main drag. None of these are cheap, but at the current exchange rate, they may seem like it.

If you want more choice of Seafood, a 15 minute walk from Barceloneta takes you to the Olympic Port....all types of bars and restaurants including Planet Hollywood, and Beach Club Baja, run by some weird Dutch blokes, where the waiters and waitresses are all in some type of swimwear (a young peoples place to eat, drink and dance). The best of the restaurants is Tinglado Moncho's, just bellow Pizza Hut, fantastic seafood.

Gothic Quarter

Via Layetana splits the Gothic Quarter in two. On your left, you have a myriad of narrow streets, great tapas bars, some classy restaurants like AGUT (calle Ample), and if you keep walking you'll either get back to the Ramblas, or reach the Cathedral and then into more, less narrow streets.

To the right of Via Layetana you have the area known as La Ribera, including El Borne, up-market and chic these days, but caters for all tastes. There are some great late night music bars in this "Zona". In the area you could come across the City's main Scottish Pub, the CLANSMAN, good selection of Scottish and Irish beers, satellite TV etc., and Barcelona's best English Pub, the BLACK HORSE, which has the best selection of English beers in the city, does food now, and sponsors my Football Team in a local league, so they are worth a visit.

Gracia

Another very popular area, heading away from the sea, catering to all tastes, some great little squares like Plaza del Sol, Rius y Taulet, where you can drink, dance and even eat kebab's (not Turkish but Moroccan).

Sagrada Familia

Apart from hosting Gaudi's famous Cathedral, the area has lots of bars and restaurants and is home to the best (IMO) Irish Bar in Barcelona, the MICHAEL COLLINS (calle Sicilia, behind and opposite the Cathedral). It's big, can accommodate fairly large groups, is noisy, or at least allows noise, will stay open later than any other pub, and the Manager Niall Lynch has Leeds United connections, thru the Kelly family. His sister is a big mate of Gary's it seems, goes to Elland Road a lot, and is certain to be over with a good few mates.

Other places worth a mention

FLANN O'BRIENS....Irish and very popular. (Casanovas, just above Diagonal).

THE QUIET MAN.....popular late night drinkery (Off the Ramblas on the right going down in Calle Unio).

If you want a cheap meal, remember that almost every restaurant offers a menu at lunchtime, with prices varying between 800 and 1500 ptas.

Closer to the Stadium

Now, a lot of you will want to be up near the stadium early to start "soaking" up the atmosphere and a few more "Ales". No problem he says. There's even an Irish Pub within 15 minutes stagger. It was the first Irish pub in Barcelona, and is KITTY O'SHEAS (Nou Santa Maria, opposite L'Illa shopping "Mall". Everybody in Barcelona knows where that is).

This pub does good lunches, a drink thrown in for 1200 pesetas, and could be a good place to go before and after the game. It's close but not that close, if you know what I mean.

Even nearer, just before the Hotel Princesa Sofia, there is a parade of, well, bars really. The best one, and the one I will certainly be in both before and after the game, is called BUGUI (has a picture of a beach buggy as its logo), and is the first one on the parade. Even when packed the service is quick, and serves some very good food, (both tapas and full meals). There'll be fair few Barcelona supporters there but I've been there tons of times (Leeds, Newcastle, Manure, Arsenal, even Chelsea), and never have I seen any bother. Let's not make an exception this time.

The other bars in the block are MANGO, which I don't like at all, and the service is crap, and BAR BERLIN, run by the grumpiest old biddy you could ever expect to find, but I like her, and she loves me, so we get on great. There's also a bar round the corner, opposite the hotel, can't even remember it's name cause it's crap, and more expensive than the other places.

Hotels / Accommodation

Either the Travel Company will be arranging your hotels in the package or you could go to the Barcelona Web-site for details of all categories, prices, and areas of the Cit, but below are a few suggestions, with an attempt to cross all price ranges.

The prices, where quoted, are approximate and based on a double or twin room, not per person. Not bad when you think for 8.000 ptas (around 32 pounds sterling at current rate), two of you can stay the night in a reasonable hotel. Where in London would you find somewhere for 16 pounds a head, or Edinburgh for the Festival?

HOTEL ARTS. 5***** in the Olympic Village. Great views, very pricey, you'll need some "spondoolick's" to stay there, probably only affordable by Chelsea fans.

PRINCESA SOFIA, Avda Diagonal 681. 15,000 ptas. Now part of InterContinental chain, used to be part of HUSA, Barcelona's new President's chain, but badly managed. Probably now a 3*** hotel and very popular for Sportswriters and where the Leeds team may well stay. It's 5 minutes from the ground.

HOTEL COLON. 4**** Plaza de la Catedral. 15,000 ptas. Directly opposite the Cathedral, "oldy worldy" hotel. My favourite in Barcelona.

HOSTAL JARDÍ 2** Pl. Sant Josep Oriol, 1 Barri Gòtic Tel: 93 301 59 00. 8000 ptes. Great place to stay in a lovely square right in the heart of the Githic quarter. Probably booked solid.

HOSTAL FERNANDO 2** C. Ferran, 31 Barri Gòtic. Tel: 93 301 79 93. 6000 ptes.

HOSTAL PARIS 2** Just off the Ramblas on the left. 4500 ptes.

HOSTAL FORNOS: 2 ** La Rambla, 44. Tel: 93 318 20 24 // 93 318 20 16. 8500 ptes.

All of these hotels and hostals can be found on the Barcelona Web-site, which may give further information.

Sightseeing ??????

Now, just in case there are a few of you are thinking of coming for anything other than Football and getting "bevvied", here's a very short list of other things you might consider: I'll leave out the "Sex" industry, although it's big business, for the obvious reasons. Apart from the great ranges of architecture that you will see just strolling around Barcelona, you might, or might not, want to see:

Montjuic: basically a mountain to the south of the city, hosting the major Olympic Stadiums, the Miró art museum, a Fun-fare, and with magnificent views over the city. You can get there by bus, metro and walking, moving escalators, cable car or funicular railway and is worth a visit, mainly to take a few pictures and say you've seen the Olympic Stadium.

Tibidabo: Another Fun-fare, Church with magnificent views over the city, restaurants and bars on the way up and another funicular railway to get there. Either that or Taxi.

Parque Gueill: Gaudi's famous Park, and a must for admirers of his work.

Sagrada Familia: Gaudi's unfinished Cathedral. You love it or hate it...most people think it's fabulous.

There is also a large array of Museum's and Art Galleries, including the Picasso Museum, that you can get information on from the Barcelona web-site, or any of the Hotels you may be staying at.

Beaches: From Barceloneta to the Olympic Port and beyond it's basically one long beach, and it's the perfect time of year to "get wet". It'll probably be raining. More adventurous people can travel South (half hour by train) to Sitges, or North to the Costa Brava. A good few of you will probably be staying in Lloret anyway, I guess, and travelling down for the game.

I could go on, and on, and on....I am Barcelona's biggest fan - the city not the football team - but I won't! Just like to say that for all you WHITES who are making the trip, you will have a great time, even greater when we get the result we are looking for - settling for nothing less than the Draw.

WHITES FOREVER!

Words: Steve Varley