A drab Ankara derby but Gencler take the points

A freezing evening in Ankara saw a football match played on a crap pitch with some pretty rubbish football. Gencler scored in the 19th minute after a nice move that left Hursut in front of the goal with no-one but the keeper to beat. The rest of the match... er... rubbish. Ankaragucu almost equalised towards the end but Ramazan in goal saved our blushes. For those of you who weren't there - count your blessings, as for those of you who were there - count your toes as you may have left a few frozen ones behind at the stadium.

More tomorrow.

I think we should be told

Has anyone else noticed the similarity between Douglas Reynholm, son of a meglomaniac Denholm Reynhom who according to Wikipedia was "always ready with new and often ridiculous initiatives", and Ahmet Gokcek, former Ankaragucu chairman and son of I. Melih Gocek whose new and often brilliant initiatives have included recreating Hollywood in Ankara, a Disneyland for the city and the really radical idea that a metro system would be good for the capital. Are they in anyway related? I think we should be told.

                Douglas Reynholm                  Ahmet Gokcek

(You can blame Spine for the idea behind this post)

You never know what file photos the papers have

Hurriyet today were reporting on how Gencler fans have been voicing their dismay with the Ankaragucu management and expressing their sympathies with the Ankaragucu fans. An eagle-eyed Spine spotted this interesting little group of Gencler fans in the accompanying photo. Dan the Man in the M-Oil jersey next to Oz Kanka with the Gencler scarf, and who is that Gencler fan in front of them? None other than Sir Eski Kanka!

Click on the photo for a larger version.

The Ankara Derby Match Preview !

Ankaragucu host Genclerbirligi in the Derby on Sunday at the 19 Mayis Stadium.

Genclerbirligi will go into the match as heavy favourites, and another tough game for Ankaragucu. Gencler are currently sitting in the Europa League places while Ankaragucu are rooted to the bottom with only two wins all season.

The last time the two sides met ended in a 1-1 draw. Sahin Aydogdu gave Gencler the lead before a late equaliser from Jan Rajnoch. The Ankaragucu side are unrecognisable from the last game where only Aydin Toscali and Ergin Keles are still with the club.

Faut Capa has done an excellent job at Gencler, they have only lost 1 in there last 7 games and the fans are already talking about European Football returning to Ankara. Last weekend Gencler defeated Euro Rivals Eskisehirspor 2-1 at home.

Key players for the away side will be Hursut Meric who is full of running, Yasin Oztekin who is capable of scoring some wonderful goals and the powerful Herve Tum. Gencler have a fantastic scouting system where year after year they loose top players, but still manage to fine players just as good to replace them. Its a credit to the club that they are run in profit.

Where Gencler have exceeded, Ankaragucu have failed miserably. To many players over the years on big wages who haven't earned the wages given to them, then the players who have given there all to the club but not been paid. The club are in a financial mess at the moment and couldn't even afford a change of strip at the weekend against Sivas. This week the Ankaragucu fans took Water and Food to the training ground due to the club not been able to pay there own chef.

The one thing the club can be proud of is there fans, through these tough times they have shown incredible loyalty and we can only hope for good times to return. Turgut Dogan Sahin has almost certainly played his last game for the club with reports tonight claiming he will sign for Gaziantepspor.

Ankaragucu will now look to there young A2 team to get them through this game. Players like Ishak Dogan, Umut Kurt, Bilal Gulden are now the future of the club and need to step up and show what they can do.

As Oz Kanka and Spine reported yesterday, the Genclerbirligi fans have shown there support to Ankaragucu in the last couple of days, we would like to take the opportunity to thank our Gencler brothers for there support.

Good luck to Ankaragucu on sunday but Gencler will need to have an off day if we are to take anything from them.

Gencler fans in two minds ahead of the derby

I'm not one to do match previews, I'll leave that to Bellshill Kanka, but I have been surprised to see the comments and discussion threads on the Genclerbirligi fan forums and on facebook ahead of the Ankara derby on Sunday.

The normal talk on these sorts of forums is about stuff like "who would make up our best 11". Much lamenting would be had over the fact that Harbuzi and Aykut are out through injury.

But not for this match. The talk on the forums early in the week is all about how we should play our A2 takim, ie the youth team. Why? To help Ankaragucu.

I'm really amazed at how the Gencler fans are feeling the pain that Ankaragucu are going through at the moment.

I don't agree at all with the idea of sending out a second-rate team but I am quite touched that so many hard-core Gencler fans are prepared to possibly lose our place in Europe next season for the across town team.

I'm pretty sure Gencler won't send out their second team, but it is great to see that many of our fans are in real sympathy for the shit that Ankaragucu fans are in at the moment.

One Gencler fan noted, having said that he hoped Ankaragucu will win on Sunday: "I'm sure that if the situation was reversed the Ankaragucu fans wouldn't care at all, but that doesn't matter, we should do the right thing".

I don't agree with that idea, we could be up for massive fines, point reductions etc. if we play an understrength side, but I agree with the sentiment.

All I can do is to wish good luck to both sides.

My sympathies are with all Ankaragucu fans, but this weekend is the derby. Derbies are for the winning. And the winners will surely be Genclerbirligi. See you all at the Beer Bus before the match.

ANKARAGUCU - BLOWN AWAY IN A SIVAS BLIZZARD

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

It was an unbelievable sight when the TV cameras showed up the 4 Eylul Stadium prior to KO. It was a total whiteout with the white stuff pissing down, one tractor trying to clear the lines and groundsmen putting some 'black stuff' down on the lines. My question ..... why was this left to the last minute ?! The referee did well to allow the match to proceed, or was it a Digiturk decision (Eski the Cynic !) ??!!

Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I were joined by some of Eski's students and friends in The Chopin - Abby (from 'upstate' New York !), Gaia (from Michigan - it's in Canada ..... right ??!!), Cody (no relation to Buffalo Bill !) and Max (can't say what he is doing here .... it's very secretive !!).

Team -

Bora
Mehmet, Aydin, Bilal and Ishak
Kaan, Gokhan, Umit and Muhammed
Keles and Turgut

Substitutes - Serkan, Atilla and Mert

Sivasspor 3 Ankaragucu 0

Ankaragucu had their only serious chance of the match in the 10th minute when Atilla (Sivas goalkeeper) made a hash of clearing the ball in the slippery snowy goal area and Keles latched onto it and hit an angled goalbound shot which was cleared off the line by a covering defender.

From that point on it was all Sivas who mastered the atrocious conditions much better than Ankaragucu.

Ankaragucu was blown away in the space of 2 first half minutes. First, in the 14th minute from a Sivas corner, Eneramo was allowed a free header despite the fact that he was surrounded by FOUR Ankaragucu defenders ! 2 minutes later a classic goal. The break on the left, then the cut-back for the impressive Grosicki to score an easy goal.

Bora saved further blushes in the 37th minute when he got down bravely to smother the ball with Grosicki on a one-on-one with Bora.

Ankaragucu was a disorganised rabble with passes going astray, pumping high balls out of defence anywhere and no cohesion in their play. On the other hand, Sivas players were first into the tackle and spreading the ball around - usually down the left wing where most of the damage was done.

Half time came as a relief !

The blizzard relented and after the groundstaff had worked on the pitch, we were able to see green grass for the first time.

I think Digiturk summed-up the way the match was going in the 55th minute ................ 209 passes made by Sivas and ........... 58 by Ankaragucu !

10 minutes later it was all over when from a right wing attack came the inevitable cut-back for Cihan to shoot under Bora's diving body to put the match beyond Ankaragucu.

I don't think Ankaragucu can play as badly as this again, but if they do next Sunday, it will be a punishing afternoon against high flying Gencler.

The bottom 3 Clubs are gradually losing touch with the pack and nothing less than a winning streak will help Ankaragucu's cause now.

I'll be watching Hibs climb up the table next weekend in Edinburgh, so your reporter for the Ankaragucu v Gencler match will be Battle Damaged Kanka Damon.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Yeah! A win for Gencler Whooo Hoooooo*

Civil disobedience Spine-style

Going into this one I wasn't all that confident. Since the half-season break We had drawn against Samsun. Samsunspor! Then we lost away to Karabuk. Karabukspor! Then earlier this week we were knocked out of the Turkish Cup by Boluspor. Boluspor! What chance did we have against a half decent team such as Eskisehirspor who have been sitting in the top five or so for most of the season? I assumed bugger all.

Genclerbirligi 2 - 1 Eskisehirspor

I didn't realise but I put in the wrong bar for our meeting point and so today the Chopin got our custom. Admittedly it wasn't much custom as it was just Spine, Little Oz Kanka and myself who showed up for pre-match drinks. Have to admit though the kofte was very yummy.

Made it in just in time for the national anthem.

Kick off and it was a bit of this, a bit of that. Neither team was outstanding but Gencler were looking okay. A few scary moments but ultimately no real shots on goal from either side except for one shot from former Gencler player Burhan. I think it hit the post and then out but I'm not sure.

Then in the 23rd Cem Can had the ball on the right and sent in a perfect cross right onto the head of Herve Tum who is becoming a real header specialist. The keeper had no chance. According to a tweet by @sayinumit this was Tum's ninth goal this season, eight of them coming from headers.

All joy in the stands and then almost immediately we threw it away with some crap defence, especially in the midfield/final third. Argh.

1-1 at half time and actually I wasn't too upset. We had played okay, not brilliantly, but we were still in it.

Second half and Gencler again played well. I particularly liked Ergun at the back. He was not just good at some last minute tackles but also got himself forward and almost got an assist for his troubles.

The winning goal finally came from a corner.

It was played short and (I have to look up a report of the match here) Ergun sent it in to the box and Oktay Delibalta headed it in. --- so I guess Ergun did get his assist.

Great stuff. plenty of time left in the match though and Eskisehir went all out for the equaliser. They played like mad but couldn't really set up many good chances. Those they did set up they sent them miles wide.

Then .... drama!!!!

87th minute, a scramble of sorts in the box and my hero of the match, Ergun, made a schoolboy mistake by holding on to the arm of an attacker. There was absolutely no need for it and the referee pulled out a yellow card and pointed to the spot.

Fingers were crossed, Little Oz Kanka's legs and arms were crossed as well. Damn lucky they were as the Eskisehir player sent the penalty wide.

Cue celebrations in the stadium.

Oz and Little Oz Kanka post match.

And that was it really. We had a few more chances in the last minutes but didn't take them. I don't care. This was a huge win for Genclerbirligi and for the briefest of moments we go into fourth spot (this may change before the end of the weekend).

All up, Gencler are looking okay, not brilliant, but winning ugly is better than losing beautifully.

* Headline provided by Little Oz Kanka

EDIT: I forgot to add the very last seconds of the match. Ermin Zec was fouled within millimetres of the box. The decision was a free kick outside the box. For my mind it should have been a penalty. In any case, we had the shot and then the referee blew it up.