Oh Dear Israel, Will You Please Help Us?

[TheStinger]

Croatia are clearly a very good side.

We are clearly not

[SmartFart]

Originally posted by Cort Haus

As you will no doubt be aware, Douglas lived here in Islington, where he set many (earth-based) scenes from his books. Dirk Gently and Richard MacDuff lived here. If you ever visit London, I can show you where Douglas used to live, and where Fenchurch's flat was. I might even be able to get you a ticket for a game, budget-permitting, and should you be interested.

What did you think of Tudjman's attempt to rename Dynamo Zagreb as Croatia Zagreb? I gather the Bad Blue Boys weren't very impressed.

Thanks for the offer. I hope I'll take it someday.
My friend and I prepared to go see Arsenal - Tottenham 5 or 6 years ago, but my wedding ruined that part. No chance to see Highbury anymore

As for president attempt to rename Dinamo...it lasted longer than I expected. Much longer. In fact, that was the time I stopped visit Dinamo game. Home and away.
And about that time Wenger took over Arsenal and breaked ManU's domination.

Only time I saw Arsenal game on stadium was 2 years ago when we beated Dinamo 3:0 in Zagreb.

Hope that will change someday.

Regards

SF

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
OneFoot... a few points.

First, if I may be permitted to comment on a linguistic subtlety - if you'd said "best day since Goran" that would have definitely implied a chronological theme. Saying "best day after" tends to override the time-line (despite the temporal meaning of 'after') to imply "the best day apart-from". This explains my interpretation.

As regards to Ingerlund, it's only fair to say that not all football fans in this country are arrogant, mindless xenophobes who regard all foreigners as inferior, although the problem is unfortunately quite widespread. Us Arsenal fans in particular tend to be highly appreciative of the fact that English footballers tend to be deficient in technique, as well as over-hyped, over-rated and over-priced.

Thankfully, the failings in this Euro tournament are prompting a wider audience to understand that the coaching of kids at a young age and the traditional, physical 'virtues' of the English game are not helping the prospects of English players to compete at the highest level in either club or international football.

As Arsenal fans, our club and manager get constantly blamed by the media and rival fans for England's failings, because all of our first choice players are foreign, so we are more fed up than anyone of the backward attitudes and prejudices behind these complaints. So please don't be too hasty to condemn all of "you English" when comparing us unfavourably with our Welsh and Scottish neighbours.

Aren't Hadjuk Split and Dynamo Zagreb fierce rivals? Is there any chance of you and SmartFart exchanging some vitriolic banter (in English) for the entertainment of a wider audience here?

Finally, where in the UK are you living?

tx... despite of me living here for so long I still think in Croatian terms ... yes, I was thinking "since"...

This is true that not all football fans in England are "arrogant, mindless xenophobes " but the vocal (minority/majority) really overshadows the normal ones, and especially in the press, so this is really annoying to just about anyone else. Think US in politics currently, even though this is only sport ... so yes... not all English, but almost 200% of "English" statements in the media etc... I do not count normal people, and quite a few I know myself, but this "normal" a bit down to earth, point of view is virtually absent from the media (or buried deep by the overzealous xenophobe ignoramuses) & let's hope that this failure will prompt a different attitude and response on the ground level, but somehow I doubt it.

And yes, Hajduk and Dinamo are fierce rivals, but I will skip on vitriol as Hajduk is in "never seen before" troubles on and off the pitch for the last two years, that there is really no point in me stirring up anything right now

btw I am in Bracknell.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Anyway, which sides do all you guys support in Croatia?

Since you asked: I guess I'd be a supporter of Hajduk Split. It's a bit tricky. I don't know how it is in England, but I know that in the US you pick any team you want to support. Here it is more tribal. You don't pick, you support your hometown's team (or the team most of your family and neighbours support). In a sense you are "born into" being a fan of some team. I was born and raised in Zagreb, but since my family is entirely from Dalmatia I have divided loyalties
I always supported Hajduk, but I never felt (nor feel) bad when Dinamo is winning. When they play against each other I slightly favor Hajduk, but only slightly. As I said, I'm not a football fanatic, I enjoy a good game but I'm not part of the fan subculture. When forced to take sides (and often I am) I say "Hajduk" but I lack the temper to "hate" Dinamo.

Good football

As for English teams I slightly favor Chelsea. It's the Dinamo connection - Dinamo's Bad Blue Boys were originally inspired by Chelsea's fans. It's the first English team I heard of and took interest in, so I keep tabs on how they're doing.

[Cort Haus]

I have some first-hand experience of Chelsea hooligans. As a youngster I was with a friend watching his local team Shrewsbury at home to Chelsea in the lower divisions in the 80's when some Chelsea fans (many of them skinheads) stormed one of the Shrewsbury terraces and started attacking people. Not being partial to violence myself I remember climbing up the corrugated-iron wall at the back to escape the fighting. When someone started pulling my leg I though I was in trouble but it was only another kid wanting a hand up to safety, which I was happy to offer him.

Violence in the 80's almost killed off football in this country, and the behaviour of Liverpool fans did lead to a lot of deaths. Some like to glamourise it, but I don't see the appeal of a broken nose, knocked-out teeth and a broken bottle in the face personally.

As for support, it is traditional in England to support your local team, or your family team. There is an element, though, of 'glory hunting', which is why Liverpool and Man Utd are unpopular with a lot of people, as many adopt them to bask in the relected glory of their success.

[VetLegion]

Violence in the 80's almost killed off football in this country, and the behaviour of Liverpool fans did lead to a lot of deaths. Some like to glamourise it, but I don't see the appeal of a broken nose, knocked-out teeth and a broken bottle in the face personally.

Like every male on the planet I dig violence - as long as I don't have to experience it firsthand

[SmartFart]

Originally posted by VetLegion
As for English teams I slightly favor Chelsea. It's the Dinamo connection - Dinamo's Bad Blue Boys were originally inspired by Chelsea's fans. It's the first English team I heard of and took interest in, so I keep tabs on how they're doing.

BOO...I'll say.

Bad Blue Boys were never inspired by Chelsea fans. Myself, for instance, always supported Arsenal. And I was there back in 1986 when Sandro suggested we should call ourselves Bad Blue Boys. And that event occured in Kalnik bar, not on some **** away game in Split what offical BBB site moderated by some novice fan says.
Late Buba from New Zagreb supported Chelsea. And occasionally you could hear some Chelsea songs on some games, but also Arsenal and HSV and Inter and dozen more.

Only team I despise more than Chelsea and ManU is Tottenham. And I can call myself truly BBB back from 1986.

Again...inspired by Chelsea fans???

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by SmartFart


BOO...I'll say.

Bad Blue Boys were never inspired by Chelsea fans. Myself, for instance, always supported Arsenal. And I was there back in 1986 when Sandro suggested we should call ourselves Bad Blue Boys. And that event occured in Kalnik bar, not on some **** away game in Split what offical BBB site moderated by some novice fan says.
Late Buba from New Zagreb supported Chelsea. And occasionally you could hear some Chelsea songs on some games, but also Arsenal and HSV and Inter and dozen more.

Only team I despise more than Chelsea and ManU is Tottenham. And I can call myself truly BBB back from 1986.

Again...inspired by Chelsea fans???

You're a part of history then. I don't know these things firsthand, I was five years old in 1986. I can say what I heard from my buddies who are BBB (which I never was in the least). They told me it was Chelsea and I remember that from when I was a kid. There are books about BBB out now in which this could all be verified but I don't care enough to read them