Monday, October 18, 2010

A rollercoaster day for Genclerbirligi fans

I handed out the season tickets and we were just about to go into the cage, ie a few metres before the turnstyle, when Flying Dutchman Kanka Carlo noticed how similiar the cards were to last season's. It was then we realised that they were last season's cards and so we got out of the line. Fortunately we managed to scam three season tickets on the spot and only Oguz had to actually buy a ticket. Got to love Gencler fans.

Genclerbirligi 2 - 3 Antalyaspor

After weeks of crap weather we finally had a nice sunny Sunday. Excellent Efes-drinking weather. Not too bad for football either. Spine and Flying Dutchman joined myself and Little Oz Kanka for the pre-match ritual. Little Oz Kanka had earlier decided that he didn't want to go to the football as he had a sore throat. "It will be very hard for me to shout," he said. "I think I will have to stay at home and play Civilization V". A minute later Mrs Oz Kanka told me that I had to have Burger King for lunch. "Where's my Gencler shirt Daddy?" Kids are so easy to bribe nowadays.

Despite the season ticket kerfuffle we managed to get in just before the national anthems and sat back and watched what was both a very enjoyable and extremely frustrating match.

Antalya came out attacking but it was us who went ahead early on when someone or other was brought down in the box. The ref made one of his few correct decisions and pointed at the spot. Billy Mehmet put it away.

Again Antalya attacked but we almost went 2-0 up after a wonderful pass from Zec up front to Billy whose shot on goal was stopped by the outstretched leg of Omer Catkic.

The real start of the crap refereeing started at this point with a very dodgy penalty given to Antalya. Serdar made a wonderful reflexive save and we began to wonder if this could be our day. Zec was making real inroads and we were counterattacking with ease. Surely another goal would come soon.

Indeed it did, but to Antalya. Serdar buggered up badly by not covering the angles and the first half finished at 1-1.

Flying Dutchman Kanka and Oz Kanka at haltime. Photo by Spine

Second half and both teams put on some nice football. Although Billy Mehmet seemed to have some trouble with his first touch he was attracting defenders and leaving space for others. Then came one of the weirder goals you will see. Someone sent the ball across the Antalya goal. It was innocous stuff and Omer should have moved off his line and taken it straight away. Instead he stayed rooted for a fraction too long and then ran after the ball as it headed towards the edge of the box near the goal line. He realised his momentum was going to send him out of the box so he placed the ball inside the box and tryed to scramble back to get it. Zec grabbed the ball and fired from an almost impossible angle. In! Huge cheers all round.

Everything was going well and then Alparslan, who had come on for Harbuzi, was handed a straight red in the 67th minute. An extremely harsh decision and Alparslan stormed off kicking rubbish bins and nearby kiddies. The card pretty much handed the match to Antalya. They launched wave after wave of attacks and the body language of the Gencler players showed they downhearted. The equaliser came from a free kick. I'm not sure who was to blame. Was the wall set correctly? I have no idea. Then a few minutes later some extremely slack defending saw Tita score a nice solo effort.

Gencler finally got themselves into gear but the ref again came through with an atrocious decision to award another penalty to Antalya. This time it was the post which saved us. Dying minutes of the match and we just couldn't get the ball in, despite some all out attacks with our keeper in their box.

Match over and we called the Gencler players over. Gave them a cheer for a good effort undermined by the ref. Back to the Beer Bus to join up with the Ankaragucu crowd and news came in that Thomas Doll had been sacked. Quite depressing news. He was a good bloke coaching with his hands tied behind his back. Not only have we been hit hard this year with injuries and strange referee decisions but the club refused to allow him any say in the transfers we made at the end of the season. What sort of club does that? A club that needs change, at the top.

The supporters yesterday knew why we lost and it nothing to do with our players or tactics. That was why we called the players over at the end of the match. Didn't anyone in management see this? As I said. All quite depressing but at least all of us Gencler fans got to cheer on Ankaragucu's success. Quite a rollercoaster day.

News just in from Spine

Gencer trained without Doll this morning and the players looked "oldukca uzgun" (pretty upset), Anatolia reports.

Cavcav met Doll for an hour. A final decision and settlement awaits arrival of Doll's manager, Wolfgang Voge from Germany, AA says.

Alparslan apologises for his red-card tantrum: "My world has collapsed," he says.

Keeper Serdar says: "No one would want Doll to go. It's the management decision and we have to respect it."

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:09 pm

    Sorry to hear about Doll.He seemed like a nice guy.Gencler seem to be taking on Ankaragucu's mantle this season for exhibiting the potential to implode.

    Dublin Neil.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous9:14 pm

    poor doll, as neil said seemed a nice guy, but maybe its time for a change for Gencler


    nadeem

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  3. Anonymous1:43 pm

    I just gave Herr Doll a one-man round of applause from my office balcony as he climbed into a red punto to drive off who knows where.

    Spine

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  4. hope you are getting better… sore throat is not a lot of fun its just uncomfortable and difficult to swallow.

    usually, i would take the Nim Jiom Cough Syrup (www.geocities.jp/ninjiom_hong_kong/index_e.htm ) which has a thick consistency formulation. it coats the throat and includes herbs that are particularly good for that application.

    i hope it works on you as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous9:12 am

    It's getting more interesting. Cavcav says it's SILL DOLL. Claims earlier reports were wrong. Here's the Anatolia report:

    ANKARA (A.A) - 18.10.2010 - Gençlerbirliği Kulübü Yönetim Kurulu
    toplantısı sona ererken, kulüp başkanı İlhan Cavcav, teknik direktör Thomas
    Doll'un görevinin başında olduğunu söyledi.
    Yönetim kurulu toplantısının ardından basın mensuplarına açıklama yapan
    Cavcav, üyelerle görüş birliği içinde olduklarını belirterek, ''Tüm yönetim
    kurulu olarak teknik direktörümüzün işine son verilmediği ve görevinin başında
    olduğu konusunda hemfikiriz. Ben bu sabah Doll'e de bunu ifade ettim.
    Galatasaray ile aynı kulvarda birleştik. Aynı durumdayız'' dedi.
    Medical Park Antalyaspor maçı sonrasındaki gelişmelerden Doll'un rahatsız
    olduğunu anlatan başkan Cavcav, ''Thomas Doll bana basında çıkan haberlerden
    sonra görev yapamayacağını ve bir kariyeri olduğunu söyledi. Biz kendisine
    işine son vermediğimizi ifade ettik. Çarşamba günü Doll'un menajeri gelecek ve
    durum o zaman netleşecek. Üyelere bunu arz ettim. Hiçbir teknik direktörle
    görüşmemiz olmadı ama beni arayanlar oldu. Doll bizim teknik direktörümüz'' diye konuştu.

    -ALPARSLAN'A PARA CEZASI-

    İlhan Cavcav, Medical Park Antalyaspor maçında kırmızı kart görerek oyun
    dışında kalan Alparslan Erdem'e asgari 10 bin avro para cezası vereceklerini,
    ayrıca Profesyonel Futbol Disiplin Kurulu'na sevk edilen Orhan Şam hakkında da
    kuruldan çıkacak karar sonrasında bir ceza belirleyeceklerini söyledi.

    -2 OCAK'TA GENEL KURUL YAPILACAK-

    Gençlerbirliği Kulübü Başkanı İlhan Cavcav, 2 Ocak 2011 tarihinde tüzük
    tadilatı amacıyla genel kurul yapacaklarını kaydederek, ''Gençlerbirliği 1923
    senesinden bu yana eski tüzükle yönlendiriliyor. Tüzük tadilatı yapmak için
    genel kurul kararı aldık'' diyerek sözlerini tamamladı.
    (KİB-GKH)

    Spine

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:14 am

    My first guess is that Doll's contract means it's too expensive to fire him.

    Spine

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:37 am

    Still, good news, right? a) continuity b) a kick up the arse for all concerned.

    Spine

    P.S. is it true he wasn't involved in transfers? didn't Suphi tell us otherwise?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous1:14 pm

    ...AND HE'S GONE, DEFINITELY (mis)

    ... after Gencler beat him down on his payoff.

    ANKARA (A.A) - 20.10.2010 - Gençlerbirliği Kulübü, Alman teknik direktör
    Thomas Doll ile yollarını resmen ayırdı.
    Alınan bilgiye göre, bugün Ankara'ya gelmesi beklenen, ancak son anda
    kararından vazgeçen Doll'ün menajeri Wolfgang Vöge ile telefonda tazminat
    konusu görüşüldü. Yaklaşık 3-4 saat süren görüşme sonrasında Vöge, Doll'e
    ödenmesi gereken 500 bin avroluk tazminatta indirime gitti. Bunun üzerine
    Doll'ün sözleşmesi feshedildi. Doll'e ne kadar tazminat ödeneceği ise
    açıklanmadı.
    Öte yandan Doll'ün yardımcısı Ralf Zumdick'in sözleşmesi ise henüz
    feshedilemedi. Zumdick'in sözleşmesinde 140 bin avroluk tazminat maddesi yer
    aldığı, ancak Başkan İlhan Cavcav'ın bu parayı ödemeye sıcak bakmadığı
    öğrenildi.
    Konuyla ilgili yarın saat 11.00'de Doll'ün de katılacağı basın toplantısı
    düzenlenecek.

    Spine

    with apologies for any confusion.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous1:19 pm

    * Rulf Zumdick (awesome name) will take over. He was previously Doll's assistant.

    * Doll gets 410,000 euro payoff.

    * Zumdick's card already marked. Giray Bulak waits in wings.

    ANKARA (A.A) - 21.10.2010 - Spor Toto Süper Lig takımlarından
    Gençlerbirliği'nde yönetim kurulu, teknik direktör Thomas Doll'ün yerine
    yardımcısı Rulf Zumdick ile devam etme kararı aldı.
    Beştepe İlhan Cavcav tesislerinde düzenlenen basın toplantısına, kulüp
    Başkanı İlhan Cavcav, yöneticiler ve Thomas Doll katıldı. Cavcav'ın toplantı
    öncesi Doll'ün katılmayacağını açıklamasına rağmen Alman teknik adamın,
    tercümanlığını da yapan yardımcısı Serdar Dayat'ın yerine başka bir tercümanla
    toplantıya katılması dikkati çekti. Cavcav, toplantıda yaptığı açıklamada, Thomas Doll ile karşılıklı
    anlaşarak yolların ayrıldığını söyledi. Doll ile 1.5 yıl beraber çalıştıklarını hatırlatan Cavcav, ''Bazı nedenlerle aldığımız sonuçlar neticesinde Doll ile
    yollarımızı ayırmamız gerekti. İkili görüşmelerimizde mutabakata vardık.
    Kendisine 410 bin avro tazminat ödeyerek mukaveleyi feshettik'' dedi.
    Doll'e kulübe hizmetleri nedeniyle teşekkür eden Cavcav, ''Kulüplerde her
    şey istendiği gibi olmuyor. Kendisine bundan sonraki hayatında başarılar
    diliyorum. Dostça başladık, dostça ayrılıyoruz. Aramızda bir ihtilaf söz konusu
    değil'' diye konuştu.
    Yönetim kurulu olarak yaptıkları değerlendirmede Doll'den sonra takımı
    yardımcısı Rulf Zumdick'e emanet etme kararı aldıklarını ifade eden Cavcav,
    Doll'ün de kendilerine bu yönde tavsiyede bulunduğunu ifade etti.
    Bu arada, Doll'ün yardımcısı Rulf ile tazminatı konusunda uzlaşmaya
    varılamadığı, bunun üzerine kendisiyle devam edilmesine karar verildiği öne
    sürüldü. Rulf ile tazminat sorunun aşılmasının ardından yolların ayrılacağı ve
    teknik direktörlüğe Giray Bulak'ın getirileceği iddia edildi. Kırmızı
    siyahlıların bir süredir Bulak ile görüştüğü basında yer almıştı.


    spine

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the updates Spine. Making a quick Wikipedia search on the new candidate waiting in the wings Mr. Giray Bulak made me laugh out loud today.

    The Wikipedia entry starts by saying that Giray Bulak is a Turkish football coach and under the Coaching history section ends with: 'He was a jerk.' :-D

    The question that arises is: Was he really? And if so, why? Answers on a postcard.

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  11. Quite a find Flying Dutchman! The statement has been there for only three days. I'm wondering if Spine was responsible.

    By the way, Giray Bulak is a cousin of Ahmet Turgut, whose website "Turkish Soccer" (linked to on the right-hand side of the page was how this blog got many many of its first hits way back in ancient history ie 2005-06.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous12:17 pm

    The wiki edit was made from Ankara. But I deny responsibility.

    Spine

    ReplyDelete