Ankaragucu Dirilis 2013/14 !

Ankaragucu President Mehmet Yiginer last night revealed the name of the 2013/14 season for the club will be called Ankaragucu Dirilis, which translates Ankaragucu reborn ! The new name went down a storm on social media pages Facebook and Twitter with Yiginer pleading with the City of Ankara to get behind the club. Other clubs such as Sivasspor, Trabzonspor, Denizlispor, Kocaliespor, Genclerbirligi and Yozgatspor all joined in sending their best wishes to the club as did the Ankaragucu first team squad.

This coming seasons fixtures will be announced tomorrow meaning the Kanka group can start planning for an away day. The club also announced the season ticket prices which are listed below:

Kalearkasi - 75 TL
Maraton - 100 TL
Kapali - 200 TL

I spoke with Damon who was rightly saying the prices are similar to what they were when in the Turkish Super Lig not that Damon minds the new prices. As i said to him, i understand where he is coming from, but remember in the Super Lig the club had the revenue from TV money and Sponsorship.  This is one of the few sources of income for the club this season. If you compare it for example to a match day ticket for an Arsenal game which is about £80 it really is great value for money getting to watch football for as little as £40 for a season.

Lets back the team yet again Kankas and see our team back in the PTT Lig! Ankaragucu Dirilis !!

Ankaragucu news roundup !

After much uncertainty over where Ankaragucu would play their home games this season, it was announced that the club will continue to play at the 19 Mayis stadium. President Mehmet Yiginer has come to an agreement on paying the rent fees and has also announced the return of Season tickets.

Rumours on Facebook and Twitter say season tickets will be available for as little as 40 Turkish lira. In other news former Ankaragucu defender Koray Colgacen this week signed for Alanyaspor who also play in Lig 2.

It looks like the transfer of Timur Ozgoz to Antalyaspor has been canceled due to the worries about a valve in the players Heart and also panic attacks which Timur is believed to suffer from. Its unlikely that Timur will return to Ankara as his father has claimed he doesn't want his son to play for Ankaragucu.

Bozuykspor team profile !

One of the more unknown teams that Ankaragucu will come up against is Bozuykspor. Only 40km from the city of Eskisehir they are the brother team of Eskisehirspor which will no doubt stir tensions with Ankaragucu.

The teams biggest achievement to date is playing in the PTT Lig in the 1991/92 season. They play at the Bozuyk Sehir Stai which holds just over 4000 people. A mid table finish last season saw them show some form toward the end of the season with a 10 match unbeaten run. They will be looking to take that form into the start of this coming season.

The one thing Bozuyk will have to their advantage is the experience of playing in these lower leagues. This will be another tough opponent for Ankaragucu this coming season.

Altay SK team profile !

Another of the Izmir sides in Lig 2 are Altay who are the last team from the city to have played in the Turkish Super Lig. The club have played in Europe numerous times and even managed a famous win over Benfica in the 1981 season. They have also won the Turkish Cup on 2 occasions and their highest finish in the Super Lig was third in 1969/70 and 1976/77 seasons.

Founded in 1941 and known as Buyuk Altay they play their games at the 15,000 seated Alsancak stadium. This would be a game the Kanka group should have no problems with getting tickets for. The club have found themselves in the lower leagues of Turkish football for the last few years having run into money problems.

They finished 7th in Lig 2 last season and will be one of the favourites for promotion this season. Altay have a a good following like all Izmir sides and this will mark one of the most interesting games of the season when they meet Ankaragucu.

Some former players to have played with the club include Necati Ates, Fatih Tekke and N'dayie Kalenga the later 2 bother former Ankaragucu players.

Timurs message for Ankaragucu taraftar !

As mentioned on the Round ball in Ankara facebook page, i spoke with Timur last night and he advised me that he is set to sign a contract with Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor. Timur who has been out of contract since May received many offers including one from Ankaragucu to remain at the club. However at the age of 26 playing in Lig 2 was a big factor in the players decision.

Timur had this message for the Ankaragucu fans, " I was really lucky in Ankaragucu, and i love the club which gave me so much, I want to thank the fans and the team. I will follow the team wherever i go, that side helps me in the hard times. Thank you and all the best" Timur.

Im sure most Ankaragucu fans will understand the decision made by Timur, he scored 10 goals and made many more last season with his unselfish play, from the Round ball in Ankara we would like to wish Timur all the best in his future. Maybe one day when the club is back in the PTT Lig or Super Lig we will see Timur back home in Ankara.

Altinordu SK team profile !

One of the oldest opponents that Ankaragucu will come up against this season is Altinordu who were founded in 1923 after they formed a breakaway from Altay. From the city of Izmir and a club who have lived in the shadows of Goztepe, Karsiyaka and Altay the club won promotion last season from Lig 3 as champions.

Altinordu play in Red and Blue have played in the Turkish Super Lig from 1959-1965 and 1966-1970. They will play their home games at the Buca arena which should give the Kanka group a great day out with the stadium holding just over 6000 fans.

As Jim said on a previous article, its astonishing that the City of Izmir doesn't have 1 single club in the Turkish Super Lig. Karsiyaka and Buca are in Lig 1, whilst Altay, Altinordu and Goztepe are all down in Lig 2. Altinordu will be hoping to restore some pride for the city of Izmir this season. Any team who has just won promotion should be respected.

In other news, Mehmet Yiginer confirmed the club have offered Timur Ozgoz a salary of 400,000 Turkish Lira per season and are waiting on Timur getting back to them. Yiginer said they offered that kind of money to keep the fans happy. The club will also be bringing back season tickets this season but its unclear where the money will go at the moment due to the clubs debt.

Ankaragucu are also set to receive 150,000 lira if Umut Bulut completes his move to Galatasaray with the club having a sell on fee.

Diyarbakir Buyuksehir Belediyespor team profile !

For the first time Diyarbakir Buyuksehir Belediyespor will be playing in a higher tier of Turkish football than Diyarbakirspor who are the cities biggest club and the team of the Kurds. Founded in 1990 they play at the Serantepe ground which holds only 1000 people. Hopefully when Ankaragucu come to town the match will be moved to Diyarbakirspors stadium.

The club won promotion from the Third Division last season and as usual any team that won promotion will deserve respect. They play in Red and Yellow as you can see from the picture above. A bit of an unknown quantity but as Jim said for many of these clubs playing against a name like Ankaragucu can make or break these teams.

Ankaragucu last met Diyarbakir Buyuksehir in the 2007/08 season winning 3-1 with goals from Jaba who scored 2 and Giani Kirita scoring the other.

Ante Bakmaz unveils new Genclerbirligi strip !

Our friend Ante Bakmaz sent me an email on Sunday telling me how his brother is a Gencler fanatic, but found it difficult or impossible to find a Gencler strip outside Ankara. Therefor they decided to design their own top. As you can see from the picture above and below what a fantastic job they have done :-)

Oktay Delibalta was the chosen player due to being his brothers favourite player, im sure all at the round ball in Ankara will agree a career ahead in designing football shirts is on the cards for the Bakmaz brothers :-)

Bandirmaspor team profile !

From the North West of Turkey Bandirmaspor were promoted to the Turkish Lig 2 after winning Lig 3 in the 2009/10 season. Founded in 1965 they have won Lig 3 on 3 occasions. Nicknamed the Ban Ban they finished 7th last season and again will look to build on that.

They play at the 17 Eylul Stadi which holds 5400 which is situated in the Sea of Marmara which is another nice away day for the Kanka Group to think about. They play in Red strips and will be a tough team to beat. Like last season their will be no easy games this season for this young Ankaragucu side.

Nazilli Belediyespor team profile !

From the Aydin province of Turkey, Nazilli Belediyespor missed out on the playoffs last season on goal difference. Only founded in 1984 the club have spent their history in the lower leagues of Turkey. They will be looking to build on last season by challenging for promotion and have the experience required for the assault.

The play in Black and White stripes and their stadium Nazilli Sehir Stadi holds about 8000 fans. Without knowing to much about Nazilli i would say they are going to be one of the clubs who will be thereabouts at the end of the season.

Alanyaspor Team Profile !

The first team up on the Team profiles for the Turkish Lig 2 is Alanyaspor who are situated in the stunning Antalya province. Founded in 1948 they play their games at the Milli Egemenlik Stadyumu which holds 3750 fans.

The club have spent most of their years in the Turkish lower leagues and finished 9th last season in Lig 2. The play in Orange and White stripes and will be looking to push towards the promotion places this season.

This would be an excellent trip for the Kanka group with the only problem being getting tickets with Ankaragucu taking such a large travelling support. Hopefully this season our fans are better behaved and the club don't suffer these ridiculous stadium bans.

Ankaragucu Lig 2 opponents announced !

The players pictured above watched as their opponents were announced for the coming season in the Turkish Lig 2. Some interesting trips away for the Kanka group to consider once the fixtures are announced. Over the coming days and weeks i will give a run down on each individual team that Ankaragucu will come up against this season.

Teams :

MKE Ankaragucu
Alanyaspor
Nazilli Belediyespor
Badirmaspor
Diyarbakir Buyuksehir Belediyespor
Altinordu
Altay
Bozuyukspor
Iskenderun Demir Celikspor
Bugsasspor
Kizilikahamamspor
Ofspor
Pazarspor
Eyupspor
Korfez
Tepecikspor
Bayrampasa
Istanbul Gungorenspor

Hasan Ayaroglu signs new contract !

More great news from Ankaragucu today as Hasan Ayaroglu agreed a new 3 year contract with the club. Hasan who has been a regular for the Turkey youth national side broke into the first team 2 years ago, last season he found it difficult to get into the starting 11 due to inconsistency. One of the clubs most promising youngsters who has attracted attention from Super Lig teams, he will be hoping to cement his place in the starting line up this season.

Technically Hasan is a very good player, but needs to work on the physical side of his game and decision making. It will be hoped that he can help the club back to the PTT Lig this coming season. In other news Timur is still in discussions over his future at the club, and this coming seasons fixtures will be announced tomorrow. More to follow.....

Mert Erdogan agrees new deal !

Mert Erdogan today agreed a new 1 year deal with Ankaragucu to hand the club a massive boost as they look to bounce back into the PTT Lig at the first time of asking. When the season ended many believed it would be another season of fighting relegation for Ankaragucu as it would be difficult to keep the talented players at the club.

So far only Enes Kubat and Bilal Guden have departed. Mert shunned offers from Adana Demirspor and Ankaraspor to stay with the club. It is now hoped the club can keep Timur at the club and if the German striker agrees to a new contract it will give the club a big chance of promotion with his goals.

The Round Ball in Ankara would like to thank all the young players of have agreed to stay on at the club this season and fight for the clubs future !

Kaan Kanak and Bayram Olgun sign new contracts !

Ankaragucu were handed a massive boost when two of their star players Kaan Kanak and Bayram Olgun agreed new 2 year contracts with the club. It is also expected that Mert Erdogan will sign a new contract tomorrow with the club.

Kaan was believed to have attracted attention from Bursaspor and Antalyaspor but he has opted to stay at the club he loves. He stated that the management team believe in the team and all his family are Ankaragucu fans and made his decision to stay easier. The midfielder was a key play for the club last season scoring some wonderful goals and creating as well. If he can just work on his fitness there is no doubt that he has the potential to be a Super Lig player.

Bayram who lost his place to Gokhan Akkan has also signed on at the club stating that he owed it to Arif Pecenek and Yilmaz Bal and that he wanted to help the club get back to the Super Lig.

In other news, Hasan Ayaroglu is believed to have an offer from an unnamed club, its hoped the youngster will reject any offers and stay with the club. Timur Ozgoz is yet to make his decision on his future but things should become clearer in the next couple of days.

Ankaragucu trio pen new deals !

Ankaragucu trio Orhan Evci, Aytac Oden and Volkan Geyik have given the club a massive boost by signing new contracts until 2016. Pictured above with President Mehmet Yiginer the club will now push on in trying to keep Timur Ozgoz and Mert Erdogan.

After shaky starts with their Ankaragucu career Aytac and Orhan became important players for the club. Both can play at right back or midfield with Aytac also able to play at central defence. Volkan has formed a good partnership with Gurkan Alver who also signed a new contract last week.

The club now have a squad that are capable of fighting for promotion next season, if Timur and Mert stay then anything will be possible.