Just another night at the Red Lion

A couple of Aussie journos were in town last week doing some work on Australian players in the league. They first went to Istanbul to check out Galatasaray's Harry Kewell and then came to Ankara to see Genclerbirligi's Bruce Djite, James Troisi, and Mile Jedinak. Anyway, I asked them down to the Red Lion for a beer. Little did I know that they almost created a security "incident".

Below is an extract from Matthew Hall's blog on the SBS TV website.

The man at the British Embassy gate was not too happy to see me. Or, maybe he actually was because the dumb question I asked of him went some way to alleviate his fear that the taxi I'd just climbed out of was not a mobile bomb.

It was raining in Ankara last Tuesday night, which didn't help. Neither did the fact our taxi driver was unsure exactly where the British Embassy was...

The big building behind concrete barriers and a barbed wire fence kind of gave it away a bit but the security control booth, like the bridge of big ship looking out over all approaches, gave this place a stamp of seriousness.

Our taxi stopped with a skid right in front. This was not the greatest idea in a place where bombs and attacks on foreign banks and embassies is a reality. So I got out and, in my best Australian accent, asked how I could get into the Red Lion, a bar attached to the embassy.

Red alert to amber alert.

This potential intruder was just an Aussie after a cheap beer.

As it turned out, Tuesday night is darts night at the Red Lion as locals – expats, foreign embassy staff, and actual real live Turks – compete in a local league. Darts in Ankara? Who knew?

Thanks for the link Matthew and nice to meet you and Anita.