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Posts from the ‘Fans’ Category

Jun 25

Football Fans Girls
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Football blog directory

Recently, discovered the Football Blog Directory.  It does exactly as it says on the tin. 

It has listed “S’PORT” (this blog) under the category of Stockport County – which of course, I support, but regular browsers will appreciate we are even more besides. For any passionate football people generally interested in the musings of other fans, mainly with allegiances from around the UK, though opinions related to football worldwide, in the words of good old Nike (not in favour with County at the moment) ‘just do it!’.

To pick on a few for no rationale reason, the following have caught my eye:
 
Rochdale fan’s blog “Girl on a Terrace” particularly liked the ‘my top ten worst football shirts’.  Was that Mexican goalkeeper sponsored by Johnstone’s Paints?

Fellow “County” supporter’s “Bin bag full of rubbish”.  Are you a football mongrel?

“The hand of blog” (connotation of Maradona in case you needed it pointing out?  Not to be confused with the ‘In bed with Maradona blog’). Interesting that Forest Green are likened to ‘Harry Houdini’.

and finally “Jumpers for goalposts” and “Two footed tackle” with its strapline “Going studs up into the world of football”.

Especially like the Football Blog Directory as it lists Stockport County as a League Two team when apparently not even the BSP has formally accepted us yet.

Jun 19

Brad Friedel

Stereotypes

Not looking to antagonise anyone but time to ponder a few likes and dislikes from my time as a football supporter. 

Likes: 

Of course, ignoring in the main the obvious “Stockport County”; 

  1. Behaviour and attitude of Northern Ireland fans in welcoming Turkish team and its’ supporters immediately post the 1999 earthquake in Izmit, Turkey.
  2. Found friendliest away grounds, in terms of courtesy of staff to be Rochdale AFC and Huddersfield Town AFC.
  3. Nicest player met, David Ginola (ex-Tottenham etc) or Brad Friedel (ex-Galatasaray).
  4. Success of our first Conference in Turkey this Year.
  5. “County’s” Argentina kit 1979-1980.
  6. Going to Stockport fixtures with my Grandad, Bill and Grandma, Marion (R.I.P).
  7. Away games.
  8. The hymn “Scarf my father wore”.
  9. Rapport with Alex Kotler, CEO of Football Partnerships.
  10. The Events related to my Book “B&B: Friendship and Football beyond frontiers”. 

Dislikes: 

  1. Admission price paid for me and 4 years old son, Kaya, to visit Elland Road and watch a League One match.
  2. Aggression by Millwall fan – the only time received a ‘blow’ at any game.
  3. Losing so often at Wembley.
  4. When “Vernon Bear” was replaced by “Harry the Hatter” as mascot.
  5. Fearing loss of life when uncontrolled surge of fans after Kocaelispor versus Erzurumspor match.
  6. Waiting for England winning the World Cup again.
  7. Chorus of “Delilah” from Stoke City AFC supporters.
  8. Sticking out like a sore thumb as the only Englishman in a hardcore area of Fenerbache terracing.
  9. Challenge by a fellow ‘County’ fan for my assisting saving Oldham Athletic AFC (2004).  That’s my job and what I do for a living!
  10. Fan who sang for 90 minutes at Chesterfield (away) “I’ve got a song that’ll get on your nerves” (repeated over and over and over again).

Jun 15

Stockport Fans S'PORT
2 Comments

Supporters’ Directive

An ultimatum and directive have resulted from a perceived mis-use of social media by the then Chief Executive of Supporters’ Direct (SD). It is the overseeing organisation formed by the Government (with cross-party agreement) to provide support to ‘supporters’ trusts (fans) to secure a greater level of accountability and democracy within football clubs and more recently in other sports.  

The alleged remarks, reported in The Guardian, made his position untenable and has resulted in his, only this week, using the hashtag on the same platform, Twitter, #gizzajob.

£1.2M funding has been pulled (SD’s enabling fund for the next three years).  This decision courtesy of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), a grant-giving body the Premier League wholly finances. The FSIF board stated the withdrawal of funds was in response to insulting comments, including swearing, by the Chief Executive after AFC Wimbledon won promotion to the Football League.  Naturally some of our clients are pro-greater supporters’ involvement as was much of our recent Turkish conference.  I have only worked on projects in consultation with former SD employees Brian Lomax (earlier Managing Director) and Simon Binns who conducted themselves professionally (others less so) – and a former Director, Sean Hamil now at Birkbeck College, who was credible as a guest speaker at our aforementioned conference also.

May 28

Turkish Fan S'PORT

Gobble gobble

It’s for precise this reason my friends say it’s not ‘Turkey’ its ‘Turkiye’ in their native tongues. But “why Turkey”? Ouch, that question pains me. This because, Steve Bellis (ex-“County” Marketing Manager) utters these same words in a not so professional video that we jointly made for a ‘no-star’ hotel which we managed to save in that Country. We actually received a nomination from the Chartered Institute of Marketing for this venture under the theming of “Marketing on a shoestring”. The video even featured in my English wedding (as opposed to the Turkish one – to the same wife!) courtesy of Martin Bellis (ex-“County” Commercial Department and the original Vernon Bear) who had it broadcast with humorous dubbing to boot. 

The story is well-known about being taken to Turkey by Steve many years ago. Later came my adoption of a Turkish footballer and then marriage to a Turk. I now own a business in that Country advising football clubs such as Galatasaray, Fenerbache and Besiktas. My father in law, Necati, cherishes his visits to Edgeley Park and fondly recalls the warmth of welcome and singing to the Turkish party on their first ever visit. Bilen, my brother-in-law, has caught the bug and shares my infection for “County”. Even when we had Premier League tickets he would turn them down in preference for attending the heady heights of the likes of Spotland etc (away games). Maybe there should be an extended family version of our hymn to “The scarf my brother-in-law wore”? Some might say his ailment is now contagious, it’s certainly incurable, as he’s started a Stockport County-branded blog in Turkey, in Turkish – which can now boast, after a recent airing, ‘as seen on TV’. County fans get everywhere.

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