Kahramanmarasspor 1-2 Ankaragucu match report !

I sometimes wonder what was going through my head when i chose Ankaragucu as my team. As im currently on holiday in Belek i look around the hotel with young Turks wearing the shirts of the Istanbul 3, Real Madrid, Barcelona etc while i walk around with my Ankaragucu shirt on, even the locals think im nuts. Tonight i followed our match on twitter and celebrated our victory at full time reminding me why i love the club so much :-)

Team - Gokhan Akkan, Orhan Evci, Gurkan Alver, Volkan Geyik, Mehmet Tasci, Serhat Gulpinar, Selim Teber, Harun Aydin, Gokhan Erdogan, Mehmet Erdem, Umut Nayir

Subs - Turgut Kirveli, Metin Aydin, Muhammed Gonulacar, Levent Kale, Orhan Evci, Teoman Erkan

New coach Muammer Ozdemir raised a few eyebrowes by lewving Levent Kale out of the starting line up and instead playing 5 in midfield. His decisiom would be justified after 90 minutes.

Ankaragucu looked to have got off to a great start when Selim Teber put them in front, but the referee ruled it out for offside. Instead Volkan scored a 30 yard screamer for the home side to put Kahramanmarasspor 1-0 up.

Ankaragucu have a poor record on the opening day of the season and it looked to be an uphill task after the goal. However the team dug in and goals from Umut Nayir and Aytac Oden put Ankaragucu 2-1 up at half time.

Into the second half both Erdem and Umut Nayir had chances to extemd the lead for Ankaragucu but for good goalkeeping. A great start to the season for Ankaragucu and new coach Muammer Ozdemir. Next up is a home match next weekend, lets hope their is a good crowd at the 19 Mayis stadium.

Thanks Passolig

PassoLig sağolsun. via @fckarakizil pic.twitter.com/R15Y3UqY4e
— Umut (@sayinumut) August 30, 2014

Genclerbirligi kick off slightly better than last year!

It is pretty much obligatory for me to start each report of the first match of the league with the statement, "Aren't we supposed to be playing cricket at this time of year?"

I didn't last year as I was on holiday, but I did state it in the first line a couple of years ago... which makes it sort of traditional.

So this Friday evening I found myself giving a "recharge" talk to Turkish cricket umpires. I really admire our Turkish umpires. They are becoming as pedantic as any 70-year-old with an MCC Law book watching Middlesex versus Somerset.

"Hoçam*. The batsman hits the ball and it hits a bird in the air, flying west, or possibly south-west, and is then caught by a fielder who is falling over the boundary but he/she manages to throw it back to another fielder, while the first fielder has not made contact with the ground outside of the boundary, and the ball then lodges in the pocket of the second fielder... Is the batsman out? If not how many runs should be awarded. What signal should be given?"**

I then reply.

"That's an interesting question Ayşe, and one I'd love to address, bur we don't have quite enough time at the moment. Keep that question in your head and I shall address it after our session this evening. At the same time though, please note that we all junior umpire candidates and so can we get back to the idea that if a batsman hits the ball, and the ball is caught, the batsman is out? Any questions? No? Good! Lets get onto to the much more important point of how to umpire sledging."

But this is a football blog and occasionally we talk about football here. Well, the Ankaragucu lot on this blog talk a lot about it.

Rizespor 1 - 1 Genclerbirligi

So I missed the first half completely thanks to the time it took to explain what and why are the restrictions on leg side fielding (thanks Douglas Jardine). I then showed up at Su'dem Pub to find that no one was there. I rang Orcan to find that he was watching the match on a dodgy webstream and that various people were down at the Beer Bus. Good news was that Gencler were winning 0-1.

A 15-minute walk down to the Beer Bus and it was great to see the old faces of Maksut, Halil, Erdem, Cengiz, Bulent etc etc. It was the usual small crowd of Alkaralar fans and it was great to see them all again.

"So how are we playing?", I asked.

"Better than we expected," was the reply and with that reassurance it was time to order beer.

Neden hep Genclerbirligi futbolcularinin ismi Billy Mehmet, Jimmy Durmaz, Guido Koçer falan? Sadece Genclerbirligi'nde var bu. Hahaaha
— İlhan Şeşen (@ilhansesen) August 29, 2014

We should have gone two ahead but a header from ????? hit the post... and then hit the other post... EVIL

Arr... We seemed to be okay. We were definitely attacking but Rize seemed to be pretty crap. We had a goal disallowed for absolutely NO REASON!!!!!!. And then we gave away the easiest of goals. Hakan Aslantaş must be having nightmares tonight after making the world's worst ever pass back to a teammate.

Okay. We looked okay in the second half and the referee was completely stupid in not allowing us a second goal. At the same time though we were not penetrating properly. Our first half goal only came because our new guy Guido Koçer hadn't heard that Gencler players are by law not allowed to shoot from outside the box. He will learn.


A point away. Last year we lost the first match of the season, again away to Rizespor. So I guess this year couldv'e benn worse.

Hakemi kötü, tribünü boş, yayıncı kuruluşu beş para etmez... Bu ligin nesi süper cidden?
— Hakan (@hknkrkc) August 29, 2014

There is no "top flight" football next week, probably due to Turkish cricket matches, but we will be back the week after with a home match against Bursaspor. The circumstances around the match could be interesting. Many people are boycotting the new Passolig system (me included).

During the week I had better post an explanation as to why I won't be getting a Passolig Card and therefore won't be going to Gencler matches this season... My old post here pretty much sums it up though

My guess is that this year is going to be pretty bad for atmosphere at football games. Maybe not for Ankaragucu though... the new rules don't apply for them.

* It is bloody cool to be called "hoçam".

** Not out. The fielding side didn't appeal. No signal needed. The batting team scores as many runs as they ran. (or something like that... I think!) 

Gencler come home with a point... should've been more

Rizespor 1 - 1 Genclerbirligi

We should have won. But we didn't... and going by tonight's performance I reckon no one come stop us from coming ninth yet again. I'll be back tomorrow with a more comprehensive summing up of a match that I saw bits of...

Ankaragucu 3-1 Cankirspor

Ankaragucu maintained their unbeaten pre season run with a 3-1 win over Cankirspor at Bestepe facilities today. Goals from Gokhan Erdogan, Selim Teber and Levent Kale were enough to give Ankaragucu a good win going into the new season.

With the news yesterday than Kaan Kanak singed for Eskisehirspor the victory gives the Ankaragucu some hope that the team still have enough to put up a title challenge this season. The big concern is that if the team get a few injuries to key players there isn't enough quality to replace them.

Next sunday the season begins with a tough away match at Kahramanmarasspor, can Ankaragucu take all 3 points?

Kaan Kanak signs with Eskisehirspor !

Ankaragucu were dealt another blow with the news that long serving midfielder Kaan Kanak today signed a 4 year deal with Eskisehirspor. Kaan has been with the club through the youth academy then winning promotion to the first team. Although he has never really found consistency there is no doubting his technical ability. A fantastic left foot and always dangerous at set pieces.

The news has been met with the anger of the Ankaragucu fans with Gecekondu leader Ali Imdat releasing a statement slamming the Ankaragucu board for allowing another key player leave. The fee is believed to be in the region of 200,000 TL. After loosing Bayram last week for 140,000 TL and Emre Tasdemir for 1.5Million TL the fans believe Ankaragucu are allowing their players to leave on the cheap.

In other news it is also believed that Gokhan Akkan is in talks with Gaziantepspor which would be an even bigger blow. Having lost number 1 Bayram Olgun to Manisaspor, if Gokhan left it would leave Cihan Bal and Turgut Kirveli to fight it our for the number 1 spot with both players having little experience.

There was some good news as youngster Altay Bayindir was called up to the Turkish U17 national team. The young goalkeeper has caught the eye with his performances for the youth team.

Ankaragucu vs Kahramanmarasspor match preview !

Its a bit early for the match preview but I'm off to Belek next week so I'm going to be pretty busy in the run up to my annual trip to Turkey. The season eagerly awaited kick off is nearly upon us with Ankaragucu travelling to Kahramanmarasspor on the 30th August with a 2000 kick off. The home side were relegated from the PTT Lig last season and will be looking to go straight back up at first time of asking.

You have to go back to 14th December since the last time Kahramanmarasspor won a game after finishing bottom of the PTT Lig last season. They won promotion the previous season so are fully aware of what is required to get out to the Turkish Lig 2. A lot has changed since then with players leaving and new players coming in as they look set for a title challenge this season.

Former Ankaragucu duo Veli Torun and Sinan Kurumus are both on the books of Kahramanmarass. Its difficult to tell which teams will be challenging and who will be fighting for survival. The first couple of weeks of the season will be about who has had the best pre season preparations and some teams will take a while to get going. Last season Ankaragucu lost 1-0 against Gungorenspor on the opening day before going on an excellent winning run.

The Ankaragucu team has weakened since last season. Bayram Olgun has signed for Manisaspor, Emre Tasdemir to Bursasspor, Mehmet Cakir to Elazigspor while the likes of Aydin Toscali, Ibrahim Sahin, Volkan Yilmaz, Artun Kutucku, Omer Yalcin, Serhat Aykuz, Erhan Guven and Mert Pamukkaya have all been released.

Although the team has lost a lot of players the only ones who will be missed will be Emre Tasdemir, Mehmet Cakir and Bayram Olgun. Emre was the outstanding player last season and it was no surprise he won himself a move to the Super Lig with Bursaspor. Mehmet Cakir had a good season with his goals and assists, while Bayram has been a fantastic servant to the club.

The club do however have one of Turkeys best young Goalkeepers in Gokhan Akkan who didn't have the best of seasons last year. He will be hoping to make the number 1 jersey his own and find more consistency. Both Mehmet Tasci and Onur Atasayer are capable replacements for Emre although don't posses the same attacking strengths. Hasan Ayaroglu could provide that spark but their are again questions over his fitness, he has been working with the fitness coaches but has missed a lot of pre season which is a big blow.

The key to Ankaragucu success this season will be the defence and attack. Gurkan Alver and Volkan Geyik are set to partner each other again at the heart of defence. Both were dropped last season for Serhat and Erhan and many argued that it was a big mistake. In attack the Ankaragucu fans will be hoping that Levent Kale and Umut Nayir can both stay fit and fire Ankaragucu to the PTT Lig.

The coach Muammer Ozdemir stated he was delighted with the Ankaragucu defence during pre season and its something they really worked on. Its something that has haunted Ankaragucu for many years is the inability to defend. Ozdemir said the team will now work on the attack in the coming weeks as he looks to make Ankaragucu a solid all round team.

Kaan Kanak spoke today claiming he is happy with how pre season went and believes that the team are in better shape than they were last season. Lets hope he is right.

The team also knocked back a bid from Adana Demirspor for Umut Nayir, the big forward is wanted by a host of clubs including Kayserispor. If Ankaragucu were to lose him it could have serious implications towards their promotion hopes.

The game is impossible to predicts, so lets just hope for an Ankaragucu win and that i am celebrating in Belek next Sunday with some Turkish Tea !

Ankaragucu 1-0 Adana Demirspor !

Before we discuss todays friendly against Adana Demirspor, i would like to wish Bayram Olgun all the best with his move to Manisaspor. The 24 year old Ankaragucu completed his move to Manisa yesterday after 7 years with the club.

Ankaragucu took on Adana Demirspor today at Bestepe and put in a good performance with a solid 1-0 win. The goal game in the 87th minute through Serhat Gulpinar. The Turkish FA today announced the first game of the season at Kahramanmarasspor will kick off at 2000 on the 31st August.

Team - Gokhan Akkan, Aytac Oden, Gurkan Alver, Volkan Geyik, Mehmet Tasci, Serhat Gulpinar, Selim Teber, Gokhan Erdogan, Mehmet Erdem Ugurlu, Bilal Gundogdu, Umut Nayir

The club have yet to lift the current transfer ban and it looks like they will go with the players remaining at the club. In pre season the team have remained unbeaten looking solid enough at the back but not scoring many goals.

Its evident that the club needs to bring in another couple of forward players. With Levent Kale injured and Umut Nayir the only other fit striker, it would leave only Emir Ozbey who hasn't featured much for the first team.

Remember Kankas you can get your season tickets from Tandogan as they are now on sale.

Ankaragucu news roundup !

With only two weeks until the 2014/15 season kicks off Ankaragucu continue their preparations in order to be ready for the season opener against Kahramanmaras. The team drew 0-0 with Manisaspor midweek in a behind closed doors match at Tandogan. New coach Muammer Ozdemir was happy with how the team played and said the team will make do with what they have due to the current transfer ban.

Ankaragucu fans will be able to buy their season tickets from Tandogan on the 18th August. The Kankas will be able to pick up their season ticket for 200 Turkish Lira which is a rise from last season but still a great price when you consider football prices in other nations. Mehmet Yiginer has already stated that the club need the money from season tickets and that is the reason the prices have went up. Fans will also be able to buy their new strips from the club shop.

It looks like one more player is set to leave the club. Long serving Bayram Olgun is in talks with Manisaspor over a move to the PTT Lig side. Bayram has been an excellent servant for the club and no one would blame him if he decided to move to Manisa. With Gokhan Akkan, Cihan Bal and Turgut Kirveli all capable Goalkeepers the club will look to cash in on Bayram.

The club have however handed a 1 year professional contract to youth team player Ozcan Akkaya. The club have already stated that they will use the youth team to bring players through due to the financial problems.

Ankaragucu 2-1 Karagumurk Match Report!

Before we talk about todays match against Karagumurk, some news regarding the rest of this seasons pre season matches for Ankaragucu. The club have announced they will play Manisaspor on the 13th August and Adana Demirspor on 19th August with both games played at the 19 Mayis Stadium in Ankara. Some welcome news as the fans will get to see their team before the season starts at the end of the month. 

Team - Gokhan Akkan, Aytac Oden, Gurkan Alver, Volkan Geyik, Mehmet Tasci, Serhat Gulpinar, Selim Teber, Harun Aydin, Mehmet Erdem, Levent Kale, Umut Nayir

I expect Ankaragucu to line up similar to this at the start of the season. Three solon hard working midfielders in Selim, Serhat and Harun with three attackers in Mehmet, Levent and Umut up top. The goals today came from Mehmet Erdem and substitute Gokhan Erdogan which maintains Ankaragucu's unbeaten form in pre season. 

Next up Manisaspor on the 13th August at home, hopefully there will be a good turn out and the team can give the fans something to cheer about. 

In other news, Mehmet Cakir has signed for Elazigspor, Ishak Dogan has signed for Trabzonspor and Marek Sapara has signed for Ankaraspor. Mustafa Kaplan has also taken charge at Genclerbirligi. 

Ankaragucu 1-1 Giresunspor !

Ankaragucu continued their pre season schedule today as they drew 1-1 against Giresunspor. It was Giresun who took the lead, but Emir Ozbey continued his good form with yet another goal as he looks to break into the first team this coming season.

With Emre Tasdemir and Mehmet Cakir both departed the club, the likes of Emir Ozbey, Gokhan Erdogan and Teoman Erkan will be fighting it out to challenge Levent Kale and Umut Nayir for starter positions up front.

Ankaragucu will take on Saudi Arabian Giants Al Nassr on Thursday which will be a big test and the toughest match of their pre season schedule so far.

Mehmet Yiginer wins Ankaragucu elections!

As was expected Mehmet Yiginer was successful in his bid to serve a second term as Ankaragucu president. It was expected that Yiginer would go head to head with former Ankaragucu president Bent Ahlat, however the later decided to withdraw his candidacy late last night.

Unfortunately there was no big announcements of lifting the transfer ban or positive news on the clubs debts. Instead Yiginer spoke of his plans to carry on and continue to try and reduce the clubs huge debts. Yiginer said he would be raising the price of season tickets and that the club would need to make do with the squad they have at their disposal.

The clubs youth team was praised and Yiginer claimed it was one of the best in Turkey. Due to the clubs circumstances new coach Muammer Ozdemir will need to rely on the facility for new players as apposed to the transfer window.

Ankaragucu travel to Kahramanmarasspor on the opening day of the season and will be looking to use upcoming friendlies such as tomorrows match against Giresunspor to get their match fitness back. Selim Teber has rejoined the squad after talk that he would move to Germany. Also returning to the squad is Teoman Erkan and Gokhan Erdogan who both had loan spells in the PTT Lig last season. Bilal Gundogdu also returns from injury and will be a boost to the coaches plans.

More tomorrow night on the friendly with Giresunspor....

THE TSYD (ANKARA SPORTSWRITERS) CUP - 2014

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

With all the recent focus on Ankaragucu and their trials and tribulations, on and off the pitch (Club Congress takes place today), it hasn't gone un-noticed that Genclerbirligi has been quietly preparing for the new season.

Gencler finished last season strongly and I'll be looking for them to start this season the way they finished last season, ie, on the front foot !

They will be in serious action for the Sportswriters Cup Competition on 23 and 24 of August.

The other 3 teams taking part will be Gaziantep, Erciyes and Konya.

The draw and KO times will be posted here nearer the time and I'm sure the Ankaragucu Kankas will turn out on the 24th to hopefully cheer on Gencler in the final.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Mehmet Yiginer vs Bent Ahlat battle for control of Ankaragucu!

Another important day tomorrow for Ankaragucu as current president Mehmet Yiginer goes head to head with former president Bent Ahlat in the clubs latest elections. President Yiginer has done a fantastic job at the club since becoming president last year. He was responsible for the dirilis campaign which saw 18,000 season ticket holders while building a decent team on the pitch. Unfortunately the team fell short of promotion resulting in some more financial worries for the club.

Bent Ahlat has put his name in the ring again after an unsuccessful time at the club 3 years ago. His reasons will be that there were to many problems off field and too many outside influences that didn't allow him to do his job. He has promised to lift the transfer ban, while hiring respected coach Giray Bulak and giving the team a 6.5 million budget if he wins.

My vote will be going to Mehmet Yiginer, he has already received the backing of Melih Gokcek which is alarming but no one can deny the club need his money to clear the mess he already left while he was at the club.

More to follow tomorrow...