What sports teams do you support?

[Heid the Ba]

He Ho Ha Herta!

England are looking very ordinary against the Netherlands but I think they'll win it.

[Arneb]

Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit!

Hertha 2 - 2 Cottbus

I tell you, they'll manage to fuck up in the end. They could slide to third next weekend. I hope Markus Babbel knows what he's doing.

Oh, by the way, it's Hah-hoh-heh, Hertha B - S - C. That is a rhyme in German, C being pronounced "Tseh".

[Мастер]

Warm-up matches:

Code: Select all

Australia      0-2
Bangladesh     1-1
Canada         0-2
England        2-0
India          2-0
Ireland        1-1
Kenya          0-2
Netherlands    1-1
New Zealand    1-1
Pakistan       1-1
South Africa   2-0
Sri Lanka      2-0
West Indies    1-1
Zimbabwe       0-2


Group A:

Code: Select all

Australia      1-0
Canada         0-1
Kenya          0-1
New Zealand    1-0
Pakistan       0-0
Sri Lanka      1-0
Zimbabwe       0-1


Group B:

Code: Select all

Bangladesh     0-1
England        0-0
India          1-0
Ireland        0-0
Netherlands    0-0
South Africa   0-0
West Indies    0-0


[Heid the Ba]

Oh, by the way, it's Hah-hoh-heh, Hertha B - S - C. That is a rhyme in German, C being pronounced "Tseh".

I should never rely on my memory. I would reassure you, but it is Hertha we're talking about.

[Arneb]

I should never rely on my memory. I would reassure you, but it is Hertha we're talking about.[/quote]

Well, I am relying on my memory as well...the memories of many a cold, soggy afternoon in a windy, empty, oversized stadium ...

[Heid the Ba]

But at least now you and your son will have many memories of cold, soggy afternoons in a windy, empty, refurbished, oversized stadium with a Smurf coloured running track . . .

[Lianachan]

Warm-up matches:

I don't even know what sport that is. But I didn't see "Scotland" listed, so I don't care either.

Of course, if Scotland aren't playing it, or aren't good enough to qualify for it, then it must be a rubbish sport anyway.

:)

[Мастер]

Warm-up matches:

I don't even know what sport that is. But I didn't see "Scotland" listed, so I don't care either.

Of course, if Scotland aren't playing it, or aren't good enough to qualify for it, then it must be a rubbish sport anyway.

:)

Nah, just a rubbish team :)

[Lianachan]

Warm-up matches:

I don't even know what sport that is. But I didn't see "Scotland" listed, so I don't care either.

Of course, if Scotland aren't playing it, or aren't good enough to qualify for it, then it must be a rubbish sport anyway.

:)

Nah, just a rubbish team :)

That's certainly not unprecedented.

[Heid the Ba]

We made it to the last World Cup and did badly, we didn't qualify for this one.

[Arneb]

But at least now you and your son will have many memories of cold, soggy afternoons in a windy, empty, refurbished, oversized stadium with a Smurf coloured running track . . .

Yeah, smurf blue and white being Hertha's coulours...

I watched a World Cup match there in 2006. It wasn't even a big match (Sweden 1 - 0 Paraguay, first round), but the thing was packed, you had confetti-throwing fans, big bearded guys with blue and yellow Viking horns, the works. It was a very nice atmosphere, even though the spectators' seats were far from the action.

Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen with Hertha anytime soon. I doubt I will drive my son into this hopelessly frustrating relationship. Being a Bayern fan is MUCH healthier for your soul.

[Heid the Ba]

Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen with Hertha anytime soon. I doubt I will drive my son into this hopelessly frustrating relationship. Being a Bayern fan is MUCH healthier for your soul.

*splutters* I would disown any relative of mine who turned to the dark side. Fürth I could forgive, or 1860, but not Bayern.

[Arneb]

No, no, no. 1860 is totally, outrageously beyond the pale. No dispute about Fürth.

Re. Bayern, I am a proud member of the ABB (Anyone But Bayern) fanclub - nationally. However, since they ususally DO win, they are our only hope in CL football, and that's why I support them internationally. Kind of a German club football national team. The others always fuck up. Sound schizophrenic? Well, maybe I am. Also, consider the fact that it would be the logical thing for a son to support any club that his father hates.

Can we settle on Dortmund, mabe?

[Heid the Ba]

I think we can probably agree on Dortmund. :D

I need another lesson on the Bundesliga, what have 1860 done wrong? I thought they were the local club while Bayern were the big money side that bought success?

[Arneb]

No, not quite like that. 1860 are a club horribly tormented with overbearing, stupid, greedy, incompetent management. The image of the loser gang sticks with them whereever they go. they are, to a degree, the club of the locals. Originally, their roles were reversed: 1860 was the proud club of the city, while Beyern were the club of the students, the Bohème and the ill-reputed.

Then Bayern struck gold in the 60s hiring five exceptional local boys as players: Uli Hoeness, Franz Beckenbauer, Paul Breitner, Katsche Schwarzenbeck and, of course, Gerd Müller. That, and an exeptional string of coaches, propelled them to world fame, three (!) consecutive victories in the Champions Cup and a European and World Champion title for the gang. Hoeness became their financial manger in the 70s (his career ended early due to injury), and the rest is history.

The prejudice of Bayern as the money bags that buy goals was never quite true. Bayern never had gulf sheiks, an Abramovitch or the guts to go into massive debt. On the contrary, they are sitting on a hill of money, all of which they earned themselves: They are probably just the best-managed club in the world, with Hoeness' talent to hire the right players and coaches: and acquire only the best-paying German premium brands for promotion: Audi, Deutsche Telekom, MAN, etc. Bayern never had (and never had to pay for) a Ronaldinho or a Messi. They won the Champions League with people like Kahn, Effenberg, and Elber. They dug into their well-filled pockets in the last decade, but still they hired stars from row 1 1/2: Ribéry, Robben, Toni. And did very well with them.

[Heid the Ba]

No, not quite like that. 1860 are a club horribly tormented with overbearing, stupid, greedy, incompetent management. The image of the loser gang sticks with them whereever they go. they are, to a degree, the club of the locals. Originally, their roles were reversed: 1860 was the proud club of the city, while Beyern were the club of the students, the Bohème and the ill-reputed.

Manchster City, but without the money. :D

Franz Beckenbauer,

Der Kaiser grew up an 1860 fan didn't he? Or is that urban myth?

I still can't like Bayern though. If it weren't for my support by proxy of Hertha I'd probably support Eintracht or Schalke, having met and liked fans of both.

[Arneb]

Manchster City, but without the money. :D

I'd say, Hertha before the 90s, but even worse. Even the coulours are the same, 1860's blue being a bit paler.

Der Kaiser grew up an 1860 fan didn't he? Or is that urban myth?

No, it's true. He wanted to join 1860, then the larger club, in 1958, age 13. He changed his plans after he had had a fight with an 1860 player during training. Dumb idiots even then.

I still can't like Bayern though. If it weren't for my support by proxy of Hertha I'd probably support Eintracht or Schalke, having met and liked fans of both.

Schalke?
EINTRACHT? Please don't

[Heid the Ba]

Fortunately it won't come to that as I'm a Hertha fan. :D

[Heid the Ba]

Another draw, another better team dispatched. On to Eindhoven!

My father used to tell an amusing tale of his visit to Eindhoven in 1944 which involved him, his tank, alcohol, locals, more alcohol and the large Germanic looking eagle on top of the Phillips factory.

[Arneb]

Alemannia Aachen 0 - 5 Hertha.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!

Incidentally, I learned today that Aachen shot Hertha into the Third (then amateur) league on the last day of 1986.

OK, that means no more Mr. Nice Guy for Aachen from me.

[Arneb]

(ETA: it should have been "on the last day of play in the 1985/1986 season". Anyway)

Bayern 1 - 3 Dortmund

One of those rare days of pure joy in German club football.

[Heid the Ba]

(ETA: it should have been "on the last day of play in the 1985/1986 season". Anyway)

What is this "calendar year"? Doesn't everyone tell time by football seasons? Until you posted the correction it hadn't occured to me that in that context "the last day of 1986" wasn't in late May. :D

Ranger won, Celtic lost, the title race is back on. We play Celtic in a cup replay on wednesday, in the League Cup a week on saturday and then the games against PSV. It is all or nothing games for the next couple of weeks.

[Arneb]

You can be VERY happy that Rangers aren't Hertha then.

I have that nagging suspicion SOME here do indeed not live by the Holy Football Year, as terricble as that may sound. Just pretend I never wrote the correction.

[Lianachan]

You guys are lucky. My team, Scottish Cup runners-up last season despite not playing in the Premier League, have not won a match since November. In any competition. They are the lowest scoring team in Scotland, and have only scored one goal since the start of February (5 matches). Another 0-0 draw tonight, against a team we beat 9-1 last season. Definite relegation candidates, and deserve no better. Pathetic. One cannot help but wonder where all the money from the cup run, and TV money, went. Not onto the pitch, that's where.

[Arneb]

Ah, the cycle. I went through that last year. it seems every fan except the we-love-ManU-Real-Bayern-Milan-because-they-always-win crowd seems to get that once in a while.

And except Heid, of course, who can at least be dure that Rangers will always be at least second in the Scottish Premier League.