Need a Major European Sporting or Public Event, September 1997

[ffutures]

For my story I need a sporting event (or some other sort of big event) that would take a lot of supporters from France to Britain, or from Britain to France, in the second or third week of September 1997. There don't appear to have been any relevant football games (at least in the European League), and it's too early for Rugby so far as I can tell

Comments

[elfbert]

U2 played Paris on Sept. 6th 1997, I believe? Popmart tour.

[ffutures]

The Paris gig is a bit too early, since the last couple of chapters have been set on the same day and the characters are only just getting ready to return to Britain. Having said that, there's really no reason why they can't return with fans from a later gig - the characters have no problems moving around in Europe, it's only the return to Britain that's going to be difficult, so they could come back with fans from the Spanish or Portuguese gigs, or the Montpellier one on the 15th though the timing for that would be a little tight. This definitely has possibilities, many thanks!

[mayanas]

September 1997 appears to have been a particularly boring month when it comes to sports. I can't find anything significant.

Other thing might be this concert sep 15 (lots of big names):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_Montserrat

Or maybe something tied into Princess Diana's death and funeral or memorials?

[ffutures]

Princess Diana is not ideal for various reasons - I've already used events surrounding that a fair bit in earlier chapters, which are now up to 7th September, and want to move on.

The Montserrat thing is a definite possibility - certainly gives a reason to travel to London at the right time, I'm just not sure that the mass movement of fans I want really applies, but I can work around that. Many thanks!

[germankitty]

Not exactly the date(s) you're looking for, but close:

On 16 September, 1997, RC Strasbourg Alsace played Glasgow Rangers in the first leg of the 1st round of the 97/98 UEFA Cup (football).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997%E2%80%9398_UEFA_Cup#First_leg_3

(Strasbourg won that game, if it's relevant.)

Also, U2 played a gig in Paris on September 6, 1997: http://www.u2gigs.com/show672.html

They would've drawn fans from the UK and Ireland.

ETA: Sorry, hadn't seen the earlier comment!

[ffutures]

Sorry, did that take place in Strasbourg or Alsace? If it's Glasgow that might be possible, fans would be arriving for a day or so before the match.

[germankitty]

It was an away game in Strasbourg; Alsace is just part of the club's name. The 2nd leg in Glasgow was on Sept. 30.

And actually, football fans within Europe usually go there ON THE DAY, unless they have money and time to burn -- it's a working man's sport, after all. :-) International games on the club level are on Tuesday/Wednesday evenings; some people will even return home directly after the game. (One of our neighbors is a fan, so I'm pretty familiar with how they handle the trips.)

[ffutures]

Thanks, that's very helpful. Unfortunately it pretty much rules out that game, since people would definitely not be heading back to the UK at the right time.

I think it'll have to be U2 or a fictional rock group.