Reds in the burgh – Liverpool Fans in Edinburgh

I know it has been a while already, but having finally recovered (sort of) from the CL final, and having read Topboy’s masterful account of Athens and the chaos, I thought we should see what was going on in the Park bar. Attached is proof that Pelo Rojo and I made it to the Park, even if certain Sand based members were missing. We are actually looking quite cheerful giving the situation, but I put that down to the copious beers involved. Needless to say, my travel home was slightly easier than JC and Topboy’s. I think the reason I was able to put such a brave face on it, is that unlike certain clubs (like the mancs) the ‘pool will almost certainly be back with another chance in the next few years, and will win. Roll on Moscow!  

All the questions before we arrived in Athens…

Would we get a ticket?

Would we be allowed near the ground?

Would we be allowed in the country and turn Athens airport into a Greek Sangatte for Scouse assylum seekers?

And most importantly would Jamie be able to find a cash machine or bureau exchange to get some euros before we took off from Speke?

By now you will have read all the match reports, so I am not going to give you a full blown account of how we cocked up big style. Like I said to a Milan fan on the train after the match back to the airport, its 1-1 now. I suppose Milan got their own back, we should never have come back from 3-0 down in the Attaturk, and we should have been 3-0 up before the porky Inzaghi goal just before half-time. We weren’t even playing well, and we should have had it sewn up.

 
We arrived in Syntagna Square, just outside the Hotel Grande Britagne, where all the Uefa delegates where staying (Wankers), Platini et al. Got ripped off in the first bar we went into, 48 euros for 12 small cans of Heineken, and there was a queue at the bar. This area was a uefa organised fan area (utter bloody chaos) should have known, set the scene for the rest of the day, no proper toilet facilities, unless you were a dog, and had a choice of trees. But as we met people we knew who had been there longer, we found small offies and shops selling at a lot more amenable prices, 30 euros for a case of 24 large cans of Heineken. Kept our selves amused by playing games such as spot the Milan fan, or who had any spare tickets, and offering them 5 euros extra (sic).

As the day wore on we realised going to the stadium just wasn’t an option. So JC and I decided to make for Stanley Park. No we didn’t have our own personal helicopter to fly us back to L4 where they were going to hold a private screening for us. It was a park nestled in the foothills under the Acropolis. It cost us 10 euros each to get in, but it was worth it. JC got two fantastic Greek hotdogs, 4 euros each, a lot better and cheaper than I believe they were offering at Wembley for the 3 and 4th CL place play off. We paid our 10 euros hung up the flag in front of the screen, and found 2 comfy patio chairs, (comfy patio chairs, now there’s an oximoron). I mentioned the match at the beginning of this report. So enough said, accept for, dare I say it, Rafa got it wrong, Crouch should have been given a lot longer, I genuinely feel that if Crouchy had been on longer they would have been worried and unsettled, but never mind. Rafa will get it right, when he gets some decent pocket money to spend.

 
We were gagging for a drink when we came out of the ground, and JC came up trumps, he hid a couple of tinnies behind a bench before the game, so on the way back to the train station he picked them up. Like finding water in the desert. We elected to jump the train all the way back to the airport. We had red wrist bands for buses, not blue ones for trains. But nobody said anything to us. We finally got to the airport about 1.30 am, only being told to get on a bus to our part of the airport. Then meeting up with the rest of the lads in our party we all started to flag and wait for our call to get on the plane. The Greek announcer nearly put us into fits of hysteria stating our flight would be delayed by about 10 hours, fortunately she got it wrong.

  
Unfortunately, everything else they said from then on was completely wrong. We finally get through passport control, I felt more like a contestant on One Man And His Dog! Given the option to go through gates GE3 to GE7, finding on the other side that all lead to the same area. We were then told to follow this Greek lady through a mass of people around the corner to where our coaches would be waiting to take us to our flight. Wrong! She got into a full argument with one of her male compatriots. We stood back and watched in amazement at such Greek “organisation”. We thought, like all buses, there will be another along in a minute, surely, there was, and yes, you’ve guessed it, it wasn’t ours either. Finally, we got onto a coach after electing not wanting to be treated like cattle. When we got to the plane, they decided to let us cook for a few minutes longer, and not le
t us off the bus.

About 2-3 minutes later as we alighted the bus, we saw one of the French air stewardesses come down the steps frantically waving her arms saying “No More”. What! Seemingly some scallies had decided to put into operation part two of Operation Trojan that had worked for them in getting into the Olympic Stadium by taking our seats on the plane. The Greek airport authorities and French cabin crew, hadn’t heard of all the new security regulations since 9/11 and decided to let anybody on the plane.

Now me being an ex shop-steward, and erstwhile gobby bastard, decided to take matters into my own hands. I set a new european record for airplane step jumping, and landed on the steps behind the Greek airport security staff. Then proceeded to tell them that they do their jobs properly, or this plane isn’t moving, until they get all the ones who bunked on the flight off.

 
This just sums up professionalism of the airport authorities

JC meanwhile is stood on the runway with all the rest of the castaways, ready to disown me. After about half an hour, they decided to make some effort and get some of the stowaways off, of which I think about a dozen owned up, ‘cos none of the crew did their jobs and asked for boarding passes. I finally negotiated to get JC on the plane, and give the airport security staff a 10% deduction in wages and recommended that they be kicked out of the EU at the earliest possible moment.

Finally on our way home

On a serious note, what we couldn’t help but mention, is the total ineptitude of UEFA and the Greek Airport authorities. If we had been playing the Mancs, there would have been very, very serious consequences. Alright, I think that some of the Liverpool fans have to take responsibility. But if UEFA had done their jobs properly, then nothing like this would have happened.

Anyway roll on Moscow next year.
TOP BOY

Finally got around to writing up our about page. Needs more input lads?

About Reds In The Burgh

Okay if anyone is interested here is my experience of Athens

http://www.jamieclague.co.uk/blog/2007/05/25/my-athens-experience/

Summary: Greeks Officials Clueless, UEFA wankers, Liverpool Fans YNWA

Thanks to…

Take my hand, give me strength

For those who have been wondering who pelirocco is, its me!! I have finally
made it.

I decided to make my grand entrance to blogging with a fanfare after the
champions league final, in the afterglow of a sixth european cup win.

Sadly, it wasn’t to be! Firstly, as we all know Milan won and secondly, it
took me two attempts to pass my gcse english, so this is hardly going to be
journalistic fried gold, and i was a fool to think it would be.

But i’m here now, so i’ll just get on with it!

Most of Wednesday was spent in anticipation of the main event, and in
jealousy of JC (the lucky b@st@rd being in Athens), but i was comforted in
the knowledge that the rest of the reds in the burgh team would be at the
park bar.

By the start of the match it was just Hansen McCock and myself there, San
miguel got held up at work, but did the honourable thing of hitting the
nearest pub for the match. However the same cannot be said for The Sandman,
who made the excuse “i only got in 15 minutes before the match” despite
living 15 minutes away , so he sat at home watching it.

I wont describe the game, we all watched it. we should have won, but thats
football,In the post match analysis it was decided that the blame for
liverpool losing should be placed squarly at the feet of the absent sandman.

we lost but it did leave me believing it wouldn’t be long before we would
win the champions league again, amongst other things.

i wont leave it so long to blog next time.

hasta llego

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Well that’s if Rafa wanted to sign snoop.

“If Rafa said he wanted to buy ‘Snoogy Doogy’ we would back him,” added Gillett.

Benitez offered cash to lure Owen

Couple of local girls…

Some home grown ones…

More at…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redsintheburgh/sets/72157600262024461/with/512634492/

Various photo’s of banners from Athens. YNWA

Our very own, Top Boys!

http://evild.blogspot.com/2007/05/dubai-reds.html

More at…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redsintheburgh/sets/72157600262276564/