Just found out that season tickets to watch Toulouse next season are 149 euros for the equivalent of the Town End. Even with the current crap exchange rate that makes it much less than half the price to watch France's top clubs than it is to watch Pools play the cream of the third division.

I know it isn't really a practical choice- your petrol to Toulouse would be at least £150 and it would make a trip to Torquay look quick- but it does make me think that the game in the UK is too expensive at all levels. Attendances must start dropping for lots of clubs soon unless most fans are MPs and it's all going on expenses.

Had some sell outs this year- for Bordeaux who won the league but got hammered by the mighty Violets, PSG, Marseille etc but there were also a couple of matches with 8,000 there. Still, they manage to have Gignac the league's top scorer on the books, at least for now, and some other quality players too. You're right, the stadium is good, sausages and beer are fairly cheap and they even gave away flags at one match! (Plus the bring your woman free offer for Valentines Day- didn't appeal to the smooth talking French lovers though, crowd was down).

I don't get as excited, or depressed, as I do watching Pools but it is a very good, cheap substitute.

I went to a Rennes v Monaco match many moons ago - I think Monaco ended up winning the league that season. I know Monaco have never had big crowds, but I was appalled that there were no more than 30 away fans there.

I must admit though, this weekend in Brittany was the first that I've seen more people wearing French footy shirts than British or Spanish ones (even though most were OM).

Any of you french footy lot actually know what Rennes' mascot is supposed to be? As far as I can work out its some sort of kangaroo ferret.

It definitely looks like a kangaroo ferret, in fact it clearly is a kangaroo ferret, but having taken my sons class on a trip to the neighbourhood foret my guess is that it is meant to be a fox. Rennard(or something very similar)is french for a fox.

Foxiness didn't do them any good against Guincamp though- they beat Rennes in the cup final having stuffed Toulouse, in Toulouse, in the semis. Guincamp are a second division team from a town with a population of 8,000 but they can afford a quality Brazilian forward? Pools bid for Eduardo now, Hartlepool would be like a debauched Copa Cabana type paradise to a lithe limbed striker like him. Must admit that he was a key reason for me and mate Neil changing sides and supporting Guincamp for the last twenty minutes of the semi (you can't do that when it's Pools).

Finally,spot on on away travel Elvis, only good away followings this season were PSG, Bordeaux and Marseille but most PSG and OM fans actually live nearby or even in Toulouse. OM are the Manure of France but, to be fair, they are the only club to have welcomed a North African following so that wins them friends all over and they had about 15,000 in the ground. PSG do a similar trick with neo-nazi loons all over France, much less friendly and stoned though. Bordeaux brought a good following from Bordeaux but at a three hour trip it's a derby- this place is huge!

The whole ultra thing is a different kettle of fish that I just can't face up to now.