ANKARAGUCU v ankaraspor - IS POLITICS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GENUINE SUPPORTERS ???

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

First up, the result of yesterday’s match…………

Ankaraspor 1 ANKARAGUCU 0

However, apart from the result, this match will not be remembered with affection by the ANKARAGUCU supporters, or for that matter, the players. This was all about the black side of politics and not about footie !!

According to my understanding of the situation, it all started last week when the Chairman of Ankaraspor, the now infamous Melih Gokcek, suggested that the match take place in one of Ankara’s smaller stadiums rather that 19 Mayis Stadium. This was rejected by Cemal Aydin much to the annoyance of Mr Gokcek.

So, the `nice` Mr Gokcek decided (as an act of revenge) to hike up the price of tickets for the match from the normal YTL 5 -20 to YTL 150 -250 ! A wonderful act of sportsmanship and a truly wonderful way to reward all the punters who turned up on a cold day in Ankara to see a footie match !!

The ANKARAGUCU supporters protested outside the Stadium but all in vain. Only a very few paid these extortionate prices and so the ANKARAGUCU tribunes in the Stadium were almost empty.

Atilla Turker of Hurriyet Newspaper was scathing in his criticism of Gokcek when he asked the question…………. Who is the elephant and who is the bush ?! The elephants are fighting and the bushes are being mashed !!

I suppose that is one way of putting it ??!!

He went on to say that it seemed as if Gokcek was saying……….. don’t come to the match – stay away !

It seems to me that Gokcek should attend the next ANKARAGUCU v Bursa match so that he can learn a thing or two about sportsmanship and the importance of supporters. Doesn’t he understand the basics of the sport ?? The life-blood of every successful team are the supporters and if a person in his exaulted position doesn’t know this then I throw my arms up in despair !!

The fact that Gokcek went into the ANKARAGUCU dressing room after the match to shake the players hands was, in my opinion, too little too late !!

I am sure that we have not heard the end of this !!

Back to the important subject ……… the match.

The record book will show that Ankaraspor won the match and there can be no argument about that. A goal is a goal and 3 points are 3 points. However, apart from the goal from Hurriyet in the 24th minute (assisted by a rare error from Serkan), it was all ANKARAGUCU. The undisputed man of the match was the Ankaraspor goalkeeper Hakan. No doubt he will be in Hurriyet’s Team of the Weekend in tomorrow’s newspaper ?!!

ANKARAGUCU totally dominated the match, the 2nd half in particular, and Aytekin and Tita were the worst offenders by scorning good opportunities to score. Only heroics by Hakan kept the score down. I suppose he will be next on Trabzon’s shopping list ??!!!

I was unable to attend the match due to work commitments, but acknowledgement is made to the Hurriyet newspaper for the above brief report.

No doubt ANKARAGUCU missed the midfield guile and leadership of Ceyhun, and where was he I can hear you ask ? He was sitting on the Trabzonspor bench !!! His replacement, Yordanov from Bulgaria, came on for ANKARAGUCU for the last 15 minutes, but with all due respect to his ability, I doubt if he can take over from where Ceyhun left off. He has been around quite a few Turkish teams over the past few years, and at 33 years old, is no spring chicken !!! Time will tell !

ANKARAGUCU have now slipped down to 12th position in the league, but they are only 6 points behind 4th placed Manisa. So, still all to play for.

Looking forward to next weekend……..

Saturday 10 February – ANKARAGUCU v Kayseri – KO 2pm
Sunday 11 February – Genclerbirligi v Bursaspor – KO 2pm

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim