Burgers Cause Change of venue for U21 Uefa 2009

Swedish fast food restaurant chain Max has decided to follow the will of the people and refuse to close during the U21 European Championships 2009. Uefa will now move the matches from Borås to another venue.


The battle which has pitted Swedish family-owned burger chain Max against the might of US giant McDonald's, and European football body Uefa, has been going all spring. A final offer from Max offering a compromise was rejected by Uefa last week. Max then decided to let the people decide in an internet vote.


"Max does not really want to close at all, but wants the local people of Borås to decide the fate of the football festival. That is why you can vote on whether Max should stand its ground or bow to Uefa's demands. Who will win? The ball is in your court!"

The people delivered a resounding verdict with 93 percent of the 22,000 readers of national newspaper gt.se stating that Max should keep its doors open.













But not everyone welcomed Max's refusal to back down.
"If Max's decision is final then they have cheated Borås residents out of this football festival," said Karl-Erik Nilsson at the Swedish football association.

Uefa will now look for another venue to hold the matches scheduled for Borås. The other host cities in the tournament are Malmö, Helsinborg and Gothenburg.


"The organising committee will come up with another alternative, which we will present for the board. We meet next Thursday," Nilsson said.

The Swedish football association has until August 22nd to come up with a suitable alternative for Uefa.

Under pressure from US burger giant McDonald's, who is one of the European football body's main sponsors, Uefa has been threatening all spring to move the matches if Max refused to close its outlet in the Borås Arena on match days.

Uefa also demanded that Max cover up their restaurant signs to minimise their presence.

Following a meeting with Borås council officials, Max agreed a compromise - to close its Borås Arena restaurant from three hours before kick off until an hour after the end of matches. Max planned to instead locate a couple of mobile kitchens some distance from the arena.

Uefa swiftly rejected this offer and demanded that Max close completely on match days. Hans Forsman, head of tourism at Borås council, considers the whole episode to be regrettable.

"We have done a great deal of planning with the other cities and were expecting a fantastic tournament. This would have meant a great deal for the city," Forsman said to news agency TT.

Wales 4 - 2 France, U21 Football

Manchester City FC striker Ched Evans scored a memorable hat-trick as Wales came from behind to edge a thrilling UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Group 10 favourites France in Cardiff.

France comeback
After a start delayed by floodlight problems at Ninian Park, Evans lit the way for the home side as he set them on course for an unlikely victory just before half-time, capitalising on a weak back-pass from Younes Kaboul, rounding the goalkeeper and tapping in. France were unlucky to go into the interval behind and more than redressed the balance with two goals in five minutes midway through the second half, a Yoann Gourcuff penalty followed by a Dimitri Payet effort. Yet Wales hit back with a quickfire double of their own as Evans kept his cool with a spot-kick before Mark Bradley made it 3-2. Evans made the points safe in added time, sliding in the third penalty of the night.

Wales qualifying group for 2009 U21 Football Championship.

Wales are in qualifying group 10 for the 2009 Under 21 Football Championship.

Group 10

France
Romania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wales
Malta

The ten group winners and four best runners-up from the group stage will meet in a play-off to determine the seven qualifying nations. The play-off matches will be held in October 2008.

The final tournament will be held in Sweden in June 2009. The UEFA Under 21 Football Championship Final will be played in Malmö. The tournament will be from 15th June - 29th June.

More information on the venues and this bizzare story about burgers causing a change of venue!

Wales on course for Sweden U21 finals

Match report and reaction from The Western Mail

WALES U21 manager Brian Flynn admitted his team needed every ounce of their resilience to chisel a vital and darmatic European Championship victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo.

Reading striker Simon Church came off the bench to equalise four minutes from time and Manchester City forward Ched Evans rifled home the winner two minutes later.

The amazing finish denied a gutsy Bosnia-Herzegovina outfit, who had led through Boubacar Dialiba Diabang's second-half strike.

The result means Wales remain firmly on track for the finals in Sweden next summer.

Having previously beaten France 4-2 at Ninian Park, Wales now require one victory over Romania from a double header in August and September to make October's play-offs.

Wales have not reached the final stages of a major tournament since the World Cup in Sweden in 1958, and a triumphant Flynn could not hide his delight.

"Make no mistake, this was a huge result for us," said Flynn after Wales had completed a Group 10 double over Bosnia.

"I told the boys that we needed to come here and win and this is what we have done.

"No victory is easy away in Europe and we certainly made things difficult for ourselves.

"We didn't perform to the standard that I know that we are capable of. But Bosnia made it hard for us.

"They restricted us to three scoring chances and fortunately two of our efforts went into the net."

Flynn admitted he was anxious with the clock running down and his young Welsh players in danger of blowing their qualification hopes.

"I feared the worst at one point," he said. "But Simon Church did very well when he came on.

"We operate an 18-man squad and everyone has played their part in taking us to the top of our qualification group.

"We now play Romania at Wrexham next and I can't wait for that. The pity of it is that this game falls into next season."

Former Wrexham and Swansea boss Flynn expected a new-look Bosnia team to push his charges hard in Sarajevo.

"We have scored late goals throughout our qualification campaign - we were forced to do this in the away match in Malta and the home game against Bosnia," he added.

"You sometimes have to win ugly and that's what happened here.

"We made things difficult for ourselves at times but in the end, my side came through for me. I'm absolutely delighted."

Flynn brought in Tottenham youngster Chris Gunter - released from the senior squad in Luxembourg to play here - at right-back for Darcy Blake in the only change from last month's 4-0 win in Malta.

Wales had hammered Bosnia 4-0 in the reverse fixture at the Racecourse Ground last November, but the hosts' pacy attack was a major threat early on.

Wrexham's Mike Williams had a first-half "goal" ruled out for shoving at a Joe Jacobson corner as the opening period ended goalless. That looked a costly decision as, after a first half of few chances, Wales' fifth straight group win appeared a world away when Diabang struck in the 58th minute.

Welsh goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams should have done better with Diabang's low 20-yard shot - but it somehow squirted from his grasp and into the net.

The keeper's embarrassment was eased when Wales desperately poured forward in the final stages.

With time fast running out, Church drilled home the equaliser to give Wales what looked a share of the spoils.

But, incredibly two minutes later, Evans - who has spent most of the season on loan at Championship club Norwich - struck his seventh goal of the campaign to put Wales four points ahead of Romania ahead of the two nations' double-header.

The Romanians have a game in hand but Wales' qualification destiny remains very much in their hands.