I am sure not many here will have noticed but a team from my home nation has acheived the quite remarkable feat of reaching the final of the second largest football tournament in Europe, the UEFA Cup.
Glasgow Rangers managed to hold Italian club Fiorentina to 0-0 across 2 games of 90 minutes plus 30 minutes extra time. Granted they spent most of the 210 minutes standing on their own goal-line rather than trying to score themselves but they did it. Rangers then won on penalties, a concept that will be entirely unfamiliar to the English contingent here.
Now, before I officially congratulate them on this acheivement I should declare that I am in fact a supporter of their arch rivals Glasgow Celtic. The sporting rivalry {or is it sporting hatred} between Celtic and Rangers can be likened to that of:
Man Utd and Liverpool
Chelsea and Arsenal
Scotland and England
Germany and England
Australia and England
India and England
Norway and England
Argentina and England
France and England
Iran and USA
So, with that in mind, well done The Gers - you have done your country proud
Derek
Last edited by DRT on 13:03 Sun 04 May 2008, edited 1 time in total.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Derek T. wrote:
Now, before I officially congratulate them on this acheivement I should declare that I am in fact a supporter of their arch rivals Glasgow Celtic. The sporting rivalry {or is it sporting hatred} between Celtic and Rangers can be likened to that of:
Man Utd and Liverpool
Chelsea and Arsenal
Scotland and England
Germany and England
Australia and England
India and England
Norway and England
Argentina and England
France and England
Iran and USA
Derek
Like no other actually. Even more unpleasant than these:
Derek T. wrote:...The sporting rivalry {or is it sporting hatred} between Celtic and Rangers can be likened to that of:
India and England...
Err, which sport was this? If cricket, that should probably more correctly be India and Pakistan.
Oh yes, I forgot, the Indian's just love England, don't they?
Yes.
Don't they?
Are you saying they don't? Is that why I was nearly poisoned with Goan Port?
OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
Must be something wrong with my keyboard
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
The US now seems to think kindly of the UK. The Baltic states now like Germany a lot (perhaps because they fear their large neighbour). In Berwick-upon-Tweed they don’t hate the Scots. Luxembourg and the French.
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
The US now seems to think kindly of the UK. The Baltic states now like Germany a lot (perhaps because they fear their large neighbour). In Berwick-upon-Tweed they don’t hate the Scots. Luxembourg and the French.
I claim my free bottle of vintage port.
The US now thinks kindly of the UK (note, not the same as England) because all 260 million of them seem to have convinced themselves that they are either Scottish or Irish, despite the fact that those two countries couldn't produce 10 million people between them.
You are correct about the reason behiond the Baltic states apparent like of Germany.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is currently occupied by an oppressor. The natives are rebelling by sending their footie team to play in their home nation.
Luxembourg and the French - seems like a mainland Europe version of B-U-T
You can have a bottle of Cockburn Special Reserve for making an effort.
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
Must be something wrong with my keyboard
Err (again). England. We just love the Italians.
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
Must be something wrong with my keyboard
Err (again). England. We just love the Italians.
You don't really, you just like the fact that they make traditional English food - like pizza and garlic bread.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
Must be something wrong with my keyboard
Err (again). England. We just love the Italians.
You don't really, you just like the fact that they make traditional English food - like pizza and garlic bread.
True, I've had Lasagnes and Spag Bols in Italy that are nearly as good as traditional English ones.
Actually the Indians do like us and they also make very good versions of traditional English food: particularly impressed by their biryanis; but they can't make a Chicken Tikka Masala to save their lives, at least in Goa they can't.
That can be excused by three pints of good english real ale at a beer festival this afternoon! Just trying to decide if i would appreciate a port tonight and whether the pregnant wife would object to not being able to join me if I do!
Ben
-------
Vintage 1970 and now proud owner of my first ever 'half-century'!
Derek T. wrote:OK. Let's list the countries of the world who have been invaded and oppressed by a tyranical war-mongering nation intent on having an Empire to feed it's own greed and then learned to love them:
Must be something wrong with my keyboard
Err (again). England. We just love the Italians.
You don't really, you just like the fact that they make traditional English food - like pizza and garlic bread.
Derek would, I think, be proud of his countrymen in Manchester today. The city has been a sea of blue. The invasion began yesterday afternoon, and they have more or less drank the place dry. If Rangers win tonight, I wonder if there will be city to return to tomorow. If they lose, I wonder....
Being a football ignoramus, I wore a green and white shirt today (it's better than it sounds) and was worried to be told these are Celtic's colours. Nevertheless, I made it out safely.
Sadly, although many fans were carrying crates of beer to sustain, I have seen no port being consumed.
Not so good that a Russian fan was stabbed after the game.
I've been offered numerous £125 tickets for Moscow (Face Value), but it'd cost at least at least £1000 for travel, bed, etc. (hence loads of tickets on offer).
The thought of the average Russian Football Thug seeking revenge is a tad off-putting as well. They probably dont understand the difference between English and Scottish.
I missed the whole thing due to work stuff going mad this week. What a disgraceful mess. I had hoped we had seen the last of that sort of thing in this country but it seems not.
Proud? No.
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
DRT wrote:I missed the whole thing due to work stuff going mad this week. What a disgraceful mess. I had hoped we had seen the last of that sort of thing in this country but it seems not.
Proud? No.
Derek
Sure that Rangers fans will not be doing that sort of thing on European nights for a few years! I'm considering what to open to celebrate if Celtic can win league at Ibrox before the SPL splits.
It is a strange time for Scottish football. A very large part of the country will be in a state of abject depression while the others are either mildly p1ssing themselves or overcome with joy at the plight of the Mighty Gers. I'm in the "mildly p1ssing themselves" camp.
But, if this results in the complete disappearance or near fatal destruction of Rangers the long term impact on Celtic could be quite destructive. There's not much incentive for rich owners to plough money into buying good players and good facilities when the team doesn't have any serious competition. The only likely outcome is that Celtic would sink into the mediocrity of the others in the league.
That said, it is quite funny to watch now
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Am definately in the mildly p1ssing camp but Old firm games win or lose have always been hiinghlights of season. Scottish football would not be the same without them.
Martin
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