ANKARAGUCU/GENCLERBIRLIGI - FIXTURE DETAILS

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Tonight is the 1st Round of the Ankara Sportswriters Cup matches and the 'big one', Ankaragcu v Gencler, kicks off at 8pm at The Stadium from Hell in Yenikent. I'm definitely going with Marash Kanka Hakan, so you can expect a report of the match tomorrow sometime (the time depends on hangover !!).

The final is tomorrow night in the 19 Mayis Stadium and the KO time has sensibly been moved from 10pm to 8pm.

The details of the first two League fixtures are as follows -

Saturday 8 August KO 9pm - Diyabakir v Ankaragucu
Sunday 9 August KO 9pm - Gencler v Kayseri

Saturday 15 August KO 9pm - Ankaragucu v Manisa
Sunday 16 August KO 9pm - Ankaraspor v Gencler

On the subject of the Ankaragucu Season Tickets. The details have been released and I have got mine. The cost of a Maraton Kombine Ticket is 150YTL and it can be purchased from Biletix in Kavaklidere or Kizilay. The gate numbers are open from 7 to 12 and I have C Block, Row I and seat number 28. Biletix will give you a receipt and we have to take it to 19 Mayis Stadium between 5 and 15 August to collect our actual ticket. Go to it !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU - CONFUSION IN THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.


As Bellshill Kanka Nadeem mentioned in the comments section of the previous post, Ankaragucu is in the process of signing Ghana stopper Godwin Antwi from Liverpool. If they can't sign him on a fixed contract they will attempt to bring him here on loan.


Antwi was loaned out by Liverpool to Hereford United last season, is 21 years old, and from his photo in this morning's Hurriyet he looks 'a big strong boy' !!


It was also reported in the Hurriyet that Ankaragucu is attempting to sign two 'names' from Galatasaray. Nonda the striker and Aykut the goalkeeper. Certainly the signing of Aykut makes sense with the possible move of Serkan to Ankaraspor later this year. As for Nonda, obviously the more strikers we have the better chance of scoring goals, and after last season abysmal goal scoring statistics that is no bad thing.

So, yes, good moves by the management to bring some 'names' in to strengthen the team which the new Chairman, Yildirim, promised a month or so ago.

However, on the other hand, also in the Hurriyet this morning, we had Captain Ceyhun complaining again about payments which should have been made to players from last season's campaign which still haven't been paid ! He also goes on to remind management that the players are 'professionals' and should be treated as such. A good point !

So, confusion ? Perhaps. With money being splashed out on Vassel et al, the management must not lose sight of last season' 'heroes' and heed Ceyhun's words. Let's hope this is all settled before the season begins in earnest.

In the meantime, we have The Ankara Sportwriters Cup matches to think about tomorrow evening when will hopefully have the chance of seeing Vassel in action.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU AND THE VASSEL SAGA

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

As reported in The Posta today, Vassel is coming back to Ankara tomorrow and will undergo a medical. I am assuming therefore that the financial transfer details have been settled.

So, when (or if !) he passes his medical tomorrow, he will join the team in the summer camp in Austria. Whether he will be fit enough to play for 90 minutes in the Ankara Sportswriters Cup on 31 July remains to be seen, but at least he can come on in the 2nd half and score the winning goal yessssssssssssssssss !!!

Good news is hard to come by these days. Let's hope this is not the only good news we can report on this season ?!

All the best from Eski Kanka in Side Antalya

PS ...... It's Hell here ........... the sea is too warm and the Efes is too cold !!!

ANKARAGUCU - PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

As most of you know, Ankaragucu is currently in Austria at their summer camp.

Their pre-season friendlies programme was announced today, and here are the details -

11 July - Axams of Austria
13 July - Slovan Liberec
16 July - Slavia Prague
18 July - Freiburg
24 July - AEK Athens
26 July - Brescia

Hopefully the financial wrangle between the Club and Ceyhun, Santos and Iglesias has (or can be) been resolved. There is also a contractual problem with Vassel's transfer which will hopefully be resolved. We obviously need those 4 key players available to play !!

Also, if our two Austrian Kankas, Wolfgang and Christoph, are on holiday in Austria perhaps they can give us a report if they hear any news in the Austrian press.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

A KANKA AND KANKIE ANNOUNCEMENT

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

I'm sure you will all be delighted to hear that Braaat Kankie Laura and Paddy Kanka Paul announced their engagement last week in Bodrum on the steps of Bodrum Castle.

For those of you who know the lovely couple, this will not be a surprising announcement but from the look in Laura's eyes I can see she likes diamonds ! Something for Paddy to be wary of me thinks !!

Braaat Kankie arrives in Ankara next Thursday for a couple of weeks. Ample opportunity for kankas to admire her diamond and wish them happiness for the future.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim who is going to lose a daughter soon, but ...... gain a fine son !!

THE ANKARA SPORTSWRITERS CUP - 2009

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Details of the Ankara Sportswriters Cup matches were released in the press this morning.

The bad news is that all the matches, with the exception of the final, will be played in The Stadium from Hell in Yenikent. After 3 then ............ 1 ....... 2 ......... 3 ............

SHIT !

OK, so the final will be held in the 19 Mayis Stadium, but it will not be an Ankaragucu v Genclerbirligi final !

Here are the details -

Friday 31 July KO 6pm - Ankaraspor v Eskisehirspor
Friday 31 July KO 8pm - Ankaragucu v Genclerbirligi

Saturday 1 August KO 6pm - 3rd/4th Place Playoff

Saturday 1 August KO 10pm - Final

We will work out the logistics for Friday nearer the time. Getting into Yenikent for an 8pm KO is no prob, but getting out of there late at night will be a nightmare scenario, especially if there is a penalty shoot out at the end of the match. A subject for discussion in the coming weeks me thinks !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU - LEAGUE FIXTURES 2009/2010

Greetings Kankas and Kankies

For your diaries, here are the Ankaragucu fixtures for the first half of the 2009/2010 season.

7/9 August Diyarbakır Away

14/16 August Manisa Home

21/23 August Bursa Away

28/30 August Istanbul BBS Home

11/13 September Antalya Away

18/20 September Gencler Home

25/27 September Gaziantep Away

2/4 October Galatasaray Home

16/18 October Kayseri Away

23/25 October Ankaraspor Home

30/1 November Besiktas Away

6/8 November Kasımpasa Home

20/22 November Eskisehir Away

27/29 November Denizli Home

4/6 December Trabzon Away

11/13 December Fenerbahce Away

18/20 December Sivas Home

Points of note ….. unfortunately, The Mountaineering Kankas will be unable to watch their beloved team on weekend of 7/9 August when they pay us a visit. I somehow doubt that a trip to Diyarbakır is on their itinerary !!

Also, it is interesting to note that we are travelling to Bursa on 21/23 August ! Are we up for another trip to this great city ?? To be discussed.

There is another interesting fixture in Antalya 11/13 September, however, with it being right in the middle of Ramadan that may not be an option. To be discussed.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANOTHER FIRST FOR ANKARAGUCU !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

As promised, here are the photos of Fife Kanka Mike and Eski Kanka strutting their stuff on the Aegean Sea around Bodrum in their Ankaragucu gear.

In the background you can see Kara Ada (The Dark Island), and the long-term guardian of the caves on the island told me that it was the first time he had ever seen an Ankaragucu top on his island.

Okay, so not quite in the Mountaineering Kankas league, but a first nevertheless !

I'm sure Fife Kanka will wear his Ankaragucu top with pride around Edinburgh and ..... Inshallah ..... pay a visit to The 19 Mayis Stadium in Ankara in the future to support his new team ??!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

NEW KANKAS ON THE BLOCK

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

It is my pleasure to welcome two new kankas to the Kanka Group (albeit that they are residents from afar, ie, Edinburgh !).

Brat Kankie's two friends are in Bodrum and have been encouraged (brainwashed ?!) to support Ankaragucu !

Mike Freeman is another kanka from Kirkcaldy (no surprises for guessing he supports The Mighty Raith Rovers !!). I ran the name Martyn Maguire past him, but ...... suprise surprise ... he doesn't know him. Must be a first me thinks !!

His luvvlie girlfriend Lisa Black comes from Pitfukinlochry ..... a quaint wee toon in Scotland. She knows something about football because she has heard of Hibs and she lives near Easter Road Stadium. That's a plus me thinks !!

Mike's kanka name is Fife Kanka - there is only ONE Kirkcaldy Kanka !! Lisa is stuck with Pitfukinlochry Kankie I'm afraid !!!

Watch out for a photo of Fife Kanka and Eski Kanka in the next week or so sailing the seas around Bodrum with their Ankaragucu tops on. Great attention getters and we had lottsa freebie Efes when the barman realised they were not Fener tops !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka in Bodrum