Bloody Gulay!

A forward note: Sir Eski Kanka Jim went a bit too far with posting updates to tonight's match and so I deleted them. Sir Eski may be the inspiration for this blog but only I know how to delete posts. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything.

There was no gathering point tonight so it was just myself and Little Oz Kanka at home watching Galatasaray taking on Genclerbirligi. Mrs. Oz Kanka decided that the start of the match was as good time as ever to shave her legs (not where we were watching the football, mind you, but well out of sight in the bathroom).

My hopes were high considering our results in the last couple of matches and Gencler seemed to have sensed that as well. Well... for the first five minutes, because after that it was all Galatasaray. My God I don't know how many shots they had but they should have been up 3-0 after about 30 minutes.

We weren't playing too badly up front, at least our shots were on goal, but by God we were slow. How often were Galatasaray allowed to get the ball to someone completely unmarked just outside, or at times, inside the box?

I'd also point out how slow we were in attack. It seemed like it was slow motion at times. We had our chances, and an unlucky call for offside when Okan was ready to send the ball back in, but we really must speed up our play.

The first half though was bloody lucky. Galatasaray seemed intent on hitting the ball into the heavens and while we were getting shots on goal they were all going into the hands of Mondragon.

If the Galatasaray attack was on target I reckon it could have been 3-0 at this stage.

Half time and I had to go... An old colleague was having a dinner party and as such I couldn't watch the rest of the match.

So all I can say is that in the 69th minute Hakan (last name not reported by the Anatolian news agency - idiots) headed in a ball sent in by Hasan Sas (last name reported by the Anatolian news agency - thanks for the consistency - wankers).

That's it.

I had a great dinner party but how bloody annoying that Galatasaray ruined my evening. Arrrrggggghhh.

Well done Galatasaray (my God I hate to say that) and congrats to our old foe Gulay whom I see from this post is already gloating away.

Just wait Gulay, it may take until the second half of the season, it may even take until the second half of the next decade, but when we beat your boys you will never underestimate the meaning of the phrase "I think they are slightly happy" ever again.

GENCLERBIRLIGI - HOT OFF THE PRESS

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

It is 8.15pm on Saturday night in Ankara and the score in Istanbul is -

Galata....spit...saray 0 GENCLERBIRLIGI 0

Here is the update.............

C'mon Gencler .............. C'mon Gencler !!!

Shame on me... I'm watching Charlton Athletic hold fast against The Toon Army and Oz Kanka is out somewhere in Ankara sipping his `maximum 3 beers` (yeah sure !!!).

So........ into the 2nd half in a few minutes and............

C'mon Gencler ............ C'mon Gencler !!

Look forward to Oz Kanka's report tomorra !!!

Don't forget....... meeting 12 noon at The Chopin Bar tomorra.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

The end of summer

Sir Eski Kanka gets most his news from Hurriyet and we all know just how reliable they are when it comes to fact checking. After all, they completely stuffed up their list of foreigners playing in Turkey as Zagreb Kanka proved so well here (check the comments section for the detective work).

Anyway, the above picture is of an article in today's Hurriyet in which in the written report it urges everyone to remember to put their clocks back one hour tonight.

As I know Sir Eski Kanka at times gets his "back" and "forward" mixed up I'd just ask him not to use Hurriyet's helpful grafic in figuring out what to do tonight.

Calculators out

According to an oldish survey I found here (a couple of months old) in the UK it costs an average punter 1,310 pounds a season on average to follow a top flight team, get the latest kit but not follow the team to European matches.

This seems quite pricey to me (I think it includes away match tickets as well) but it made me think of figuring out how much it costs to be a Gencler fan. Obviously this little survey can't be directly compared to the English one but anyway.

Season ticket for Maraton: 105 tl
Bus to Chopin bar (1 tl times 17 home matches): 17 tl
Three beers at Chopin (2.50 tl each times 17 home matches): 127.50 tl
Kofte lunch at Chopin (5 tl per match): 85 tl
Shared taxi to the stadium (average of about 2tl per match): 34 tl
Average amount of money lost after coins and or lighters are confiscated by police (1 tl per match): 17 tl
shared taxi back to bar (same as above): 34 tl
Three more beers post match times 17 matches: 127.50 tl
Taxi back home (5tl times per match): 85 tl

Brings us to a grand total of: 632 tl (or around 232 pounds, 346 euros)

All up, money well spent I'd say.

A FIRST FOR THE ROUND BALL IN ANKARA

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

This will be a first for The Round Ball in Ankara and an historic moment in its existence.

As a firm supporter of The Anti-X Group of ANKARAGUCU supporters and a fanatical opponent of the `Big 3` Istanbul teams, you have never ever heard me say anything positive about any of them. However, I have to break my golden rule today and say something positive about the Besiktas supporters.

You will recall that Besiktas played hosts to Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) on 19 October at the Inonu Stadium in Istanbul. I watched the 2nd half of that match on TV, and along with everyone else, was impressed by the standard of footie served up by Spurs. I was even more impressed at the end of the match when the Besiktas supporters applauded the Spurs players off the pitch. Remember, Spurs won 2-0.

In this morning's Hurriyet there was a letter from Willie McDougall (UEFA Security Officer) to Besiktas Football Club expressing his thanks and appreciation for the behaviour and attitude of the Besiktas fans.

Praise of this nature from UEFA officials is rare and Besiktas have certainly earned lots of credit for the future.

It is not often supporters receive praise from the Footie Authorities, press, and even this blog, so this is a refreshing turn of events.

So, well done from me Besiktas supporters and I hope other teams in Turkey and Europe will copy you. Stranger things have happened !!

Let's hope that the Spurs supporters are equally sporting when Besiktas visit White Hart Lane in the future.

Before closing, I can recall one other similar occasion back in 1987/88 when Hibernian played Aberdeen in the League Cup Final. Aberdeen played very well that day and won the match 3-0, however, Hibs never gave up and chased everything for 90 minutes, even though they knew Aberdeen were the better team. At the end of the match, the Hibs fans applauded both teams and wouldn't let the players go down the tunnel until they had finished. I was proud of the Hibs supporters that day.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim (in sporting mood !!)

A different view

While it may be a bit late Aussie Joe, a bloke who lives in Mersin, went to the Galatasaray - Ankaragucu match a few weeks ago and has finally posted a report on his own blog ( http://taheny.com/ ).

It is quite a nice read as this was Joe's first time at a football match in Turkey and it is funny to see his reactions to all sorts of things that all of us used to find so strange about Turkish football (well, quite a few of them are still strange to me).

For example:
After the final whistle went, to show their disgust at a mediocre performance, a few of the Galatasaray's immature supporters threw objects, including water bottles onto the pitch. I really don't know why some Turkish supporters are so pathetic. To those guys: sucked in! On a slightly related issue: if we had to get rid of our coins prior to entering the stadium (so they could not be used as missiles) why was change given when buying food and drink when inside?

By the way Joe, you should have bought tickets for the away end. Then you could have shouted your heart out and the Ankaragucu supporters would have been blown away.

HIBERNIAN LADIES - SILVERWARE IN SIGHT

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

A quick update on news from one of our other favourite team's - Hibernian Ladies !

Last weekend they defeated Newburgh Ladies 4-0 in the semi-final of the Ladies Premier League Cup to set up a final against Edinburgh Ladies next month.

2 goals from top goalscorer Kim Little was enough to take the steam out of a battling Newburgh side.

Hibernian Ladies last won this trophy 2 seasons ago and are determined to regain the League Cup and bring it back to Hibernian.

Watch this space for more news. All the best from Eski Kanka Jim