You’ve not made it as a city until a pop song has been written for you. New York. Paris. Amsterdam. Bangkok. Erm, Amarillo. This tradition exists among songwriters in other languages also. In German, the ballads are usually dedicated to the romance, excitement and hedonism of Berlin. It lends itself far better to poetry than, for example, Bremerhaven. But one unlikely German city has found itself subject of a modern smash-hit.
Rostock. The song Continue reading
You know the story. One of East Germany’s biggest “start-ups” now looks a challenger for the Bundesliga title, at time of writing. The story has drawn a different kind of foreign attention to the Bundesliga. Outsiders frequently acknowledge the excellency of the German Football experience, but now they are hearing more about the stark mainstream rejection of this story on behalf of fans. Why do Germans hate RB Leipzig so much? German society and culture play a big part. Continue reading
This time last year 1. FC Union Berlin hosted SV Austria Salzburg in a ‘charity match’ friendly with proceeds going to everyone’s favourite fan-owned club in the Mozart-Stadt. We were there for the game in the away end with the Salzbürger for what was a momentous occasion and a rowdy atmosphere during the customary January Bundesliga hiatus that makes every German Football loon twitchy. Some, so fed up of the lack Continue reading
It can be easy to forget Iraq’s diversity. Shia, Sunnis, Christians, Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Working Class and Middle Class in a country that has suffered more than possibly any other in the past 40 years. Lines in the sand drawn by British officers around a century ago cut through historic communities and forced together ethnicities and peoples that Continue reading
So after only 78 days in charge of Hull City, Mike Phelan, former assistant manager to Mr Bruce before he quit in the summer, found his tenure of the club cut short yesterday evening. A press conference was called and we the exhiled Black and Amber Faithful woke to learn of the club’s search for a new manager this morning. I know what you’re thinking. Exactly what you want to happen when you’re at the foot of the table in the transfer window.
We are not going to question whether or not it was warranted. We are not going to Continue reading
Luis Suarez first really came to my attention at the 2010 World Cup. Prior to then he was just another name to me, but his conduct during the Quarter Final fixture of Uruguay vs Ghana added character to that name for the first time. That character during the game was consistent with a lot of the stories and scandals around the man thereafter in his career, both at club and international level. The Shameless Striker; no player makes the papers quite like Luis Suarez.
The game itself was truly enthralling. Ghana Continue reading
The Football fan who prefers to go down the pub with his freshly washed Spurs shirt and chat all friendly with peers wearing Arsenal, Man City and Villa merch will maybe not know Union Berlin. The Football fan who is more invested in the politics of the sport and knows which fans suck and which fans are boss will definitely know Union. Berlin’s 2nd club playing at the infamous Stadion an der alten Försterei, a stadium partially built by the fans when the club needed to upgrade the facility but couldn’t afford to, 1. FC Union Berlin have a lot of sympathy from fans worldwide. Read up on our visit of a friendly when SV Austria Salzburg came to town.
From Boothferry To Germany 