4-1 And Still Nervous


By Dave Thomas
October 3 2011

We were away in Turkey for a week. Some friends have a villa there. Sometimes you just have to accept an offer to jet out to Kalkan. It would have been churlish to refuse especially as we had never been before. Alas it meant we had to miss the M K Dons Carling game and the Southampton game.  I couldn’t decide if this was a bad or a good thing the way things had been going, although sausage and mash at the Tuesday game would have been tempting had we stayed. However, the thought of another Middlesbroughesque performance against Southampton might have had me investing in a blindfold.

       As it turned out there was a win in the Carling and a very creditable draw against Southampton and the news on these games kept coming in texts from chums at the games. When the text came that said that Amougou had scored in the 89th minute to win the game against MK Dons I nearly fell off the chair and spilt my forkful of Arnavut Cigeri (tender pieces of lamb liver, breaded and deep fried, then tossed with seasonings) all over my new Turkish shirt. Actually when we got home I discovered the shirt was made in India.
 
     The Sultan Rolls were good too (grilled chicken breast wrapped with sauteed mushrooms, green peppers and melted Turkish Kashar cheese) and a rung up the ladder from anything you can get at Greggs. We were at a place called The Aubergine on the Carling night, down by the harbour. When the first text came and said we were 1 – 0 down we feared the worst.  But then there was a certain poetic justice to Amougou/Bikey’s late, late winner. In my ‘umble opinion I’ll be forever convinced that had he played more during the second half of the Prem season, we’d have had a far better chance of staying up. Then in comes young Master Eddie and ignores him. So when along came the spectacular winner from The Big Man, it was almost as if to say, huh, that’s for you gaffer.

     What a frustrating player he is though. On his game at his best the guy is awesome. His passing skills can be fabulous and his strength and power stupendous. But with all that comes the downside; the lapses, switching off, and the casual dawdling; but then I suppose if he was perfect he’d be at Arsenal. He reminds me of two sorts of electric light bulbs. The first sort were the ones we all liked but can’t get any more, immediately switched on,bright, dazzling and powerful; the second are the ones that the ghastly EU insist we use; the ones that take an age to warm up, are a bit on the dim side, and have you tearing your hair out.
 
     The place for a breakfast in Kalkan is a place called Fenners, right by the water at the end of the harbour. It’s just past the waffle bar. What a place to sit under a blue sky and warm sun and have a Full English with the papers and read up on the football. Just about every voice is English and at this time of year in the 65+ bracket. After the Southampton game we sat there with the Sundays. You can almost touch the boats as they glide in and out. Burnley  were still just out of the bottom three, but when I looked at the Prem tables I was delighted to see two particular names down there at the bottom – Bolton and Blackburn.........

 

To read on click the link below

http://www.thelongside.info/content/view/1233/255/

 

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4-1 And Still Nervous
Discussion started by TheLongside.co.uk , 03/10/2011 07:32
TheLongside.co.uk
03/10/2011 07:32
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altobelli
03/10/2011 13:57
Nice read Dave.

I also go to Kalkan every year with the kindness of my friend (A Millwall fan) letting me use his extra large villa, nice place Kalkan, not yet discovered by the lager louts and the locals still resist putting a Queen Vic on every corner with a chip shop every 100 yards, but its changed over the years so I fear it wont be long.

Very frustrating listening to Burnley via the internet over there, it costs an arm and a leg, plus I always find it strange being in a Country miles away with the sun frying you whilst listening to a below par display, Liverpool away in the Prem comes to mind with me listening to the world service that time by the swimming pool, I remember thinking, what a nice place to commit suicide !

Yes the restaurants, the barbers and the locals with their easy paced life are truly friendly, also briefly met a couple of Burnley fans who spend 6 months of the year out there and say there are a handful more, would have talked to them for longer but she who must be obeyed pulled me away.

I would sell up and move over there in a jot, but the other half would miss the Grand children and wont budge, so it looks like many harsh winters lay ahead of me in this sinking ship we call England.

Dave Thomas
03/10/2011 15:49
yes a delightful place and with Greece being such an uncertain place, and with such an uncertain future, we suspect our regular holidays over there face the axe maybe...

so the object of the Kalkan trip was to suss it out, see if we liked it and would it be a nice alternative place... it answered yes every time...

I suspect we shall be booking for next year before this year is out

And plenty of bars showed all the big games.

jjames82
03/10/2011 18:50
Kalkan is a beautiful place and my family have a villa out there that they rent out so if anyone wants info just let me know! grinning smiley

bordeauxclaret
03/10/2011 21:33
Quote:
jj-hill82
Kalkan is a beautiful place and my family have a villa out there that they rent out so if anyone wants info just let me know! grinning smiley

I'd be interested JJ, could you PM me the details. We were thinking of Dalyan, is that far away ? Never been to Turkey before.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

bordeauxclaret
03/10/2011 21:38
Quote:
altobelli

I always find it strange being in a Country miles away with the sun frying you whilst listening to a below par display,

Had a similar feeling last Tuesday. At 2pm I was in the bar at Argostoli airport on Kefalonia. At 7pm I was in the JHU eating a pie with holiday gear still on. It felt very strange.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Dave Thomas
03/10/2011 21:45
Kalkan... highly recommended Bordeaux... by the way are you Frenchclaret on the other channel

taxis are cheap if you don't want to bother with a car

easy taxi ride from the airport at Dalaman... about 1 and a half hours... and they don't drive at 90 as per legend

great restaurants... not overly expensive... fantastic market... lots of boat excursions...quaint little streets and alleys... loved it

bordeauxclaret
03/10/2011 21:54
Quote:
Dave Thomas
Kalkan... highly recommended Bordeaux... by the way are you Frenchclaret on the other channel
taxis are cheap if you don't want to bother with a car

easy taxi ride from the airport at Dalaman... about 1 and a half hours... and they don't drive at 90 as per legend

great restaurants... not overly expensive... fantastic market... lots of boat excursions...quaint little streets and alleys... loved it

Cheers Dave, it's taken me a long time to persuade Mrs BC to consider Turkey, but she's just coming round to it. I'll show her this thread.

Not Frenchclaret, I only post on CM very rarely under the name I've always used on there, no connection with France though. I believe there is/was a bordeauxclaret on there. No idea who it was but that wasn't me either.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Brian O'Neil
04/10/2011 01:25
Any more mention of pies and your alias is gonna be Sweeney Claret.

Dave Thomas
04/10/2011 07:42
Bordeaux I have never seen a pie with holiday gear on

bordeauxclaret
04/10/2011 10:23
I don't go to Turf Moor for the football, why would I ? I go for the pies.

You've never seen a pie with sunglasses on Dave ? Give over.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Dave Thomas
04/10/2011 10:27
will you be shopping in Leeds again this Christmas Bordeaux

bordeauxclaret
04/10/2011 10:31
Not sure just when yet Dave, might be late November but the shopping trip will take place sometime. Fancy another coffee, I can't trail around with Mrs BC all day.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

Dave Thomas
06/10/2011 19:48
yep lets meet in Waterstones again

soapylily
06/10/2011 19:54
They still have bookshops in the UK? Has no one ever heard of a Kindle? (Sm156)

bordeauxclaret
06/10/2011 20:03
Quote:
soapylily
They still have bookshops in the UK?

Of course they do soapy, but they sell more coffee and cakes in them than books these days.

I'll be in touch Dave, as soon as Mrs BC decides the date of the Xmas spending spree.

BC
Prediction League Champion 2006/7
Fantasy League Winner 2007/8

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