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sunshine1875
09-09-2009, 02:46 PM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

Andy74
09-09-2009, 02:58 PM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

Firstly I remember watching 9/11 play out on the TV in my office and having the entirely selfish thought that I might not be flying anywhere the next morning.

Then, with game being played that night and no word of cancellations I sat in the airport at Edinburgh reading all the papers with the pictures from New York.

We even got on the plane, easyjet to London to ge the connection to Athens and when we got to London all the mobiles went off with messgaes telling us the game was off.

We managed to persuade easyjet to swap our flights for the Athens leg of the journey to the next again week and we managed to get the hotel to change as well, so with only the additional cost of Edinburgh to London flights we went back the next week.

Mon Dieu4
09-09-2009, 03:06 PM
We went to Greece for the week, we had been there 2 days or so when 9/11 happened, We were staying in a place that can only be described as the Portobello of Greece.

There was nothing to do except drink, which we did in abundance, the locals were a bit tonto as well :grr:

One morning I was recovering after a big session & my mate comes in and goes 2 planes have flown into the World Trade Centres, I thought he was kidding so we went down to the pub & watched all the reports on CNN.

The game was cancelled & we still had 4 days left in the worlds most boring town, we sat in the pub for 4 days solid just getting drunk watching the news.

The main things I got out thing are

1) When bad things like this happen you just want to be in your own house, doesnt matter where you are.

2) Going on a plane 4 days after that happened is one of the scariest moments of my life

3) In some was having witnessed the Greek fans in action Im quite glad I didnt have to make the 200 mile trip from where we were staying & go to Athens for the game as they are proper mental

Baldy Foghorn
09-09-2009, 03:07 PM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

Got to Athens Airport to a barrage of texts saying the game was cancelled. Gutted and stayed for a couple of days as scheduled. Went back out the following week on a day trip to see the game, but turned out to be an expensive match.

Purely selfish on my part, as the New York Disaster was horrifying for those involved.....

HibbyDave
09-09-2009, 03:09 PM
Vene, Vidi, got pissed:agree:

Kerrplunk
09-09-2009, 03:11 PM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

Group of us had made a holiday out of it and went to Zante for a week with flights booked to get to Athens on day of game. Watched it all unfold in boozer then got a call the next day (i think) to say game was off.....thought it was a wind up as Arsenal had went ahead with a champions league game on the actual day.

Anyway,still had a decent holiday but couldn't afford to go back the following week.

Andy74
09-09-2009, 03:14 PM
We went to Greece for the week, we had been there 2 days or so when 9/11 happened, We were staying in a place that can only be described as the Portobello of Greece.

There was nothing to do except drink, which we did in abundance, the locals were a bit tonto as well :grr:

One morning I was recovering after a big session & my mate comes in and goes 2 planes have flown into the World Trade Centres, I thought he was kidding so we went down to the pub & watched all the reports on CNN.

The game was cancelled & we still had 4 days left in the worlds most boring town, we sat in the pub for 4 days solid just getting drunk watching the news.

The main things I got out thing are

1) When bad things like this happen you just want to be in your own house, doesnt matter where you are.

2) Going on a plane 4 days after that happened is one of the scariest moments of my life

3) In some was having witnessed the Greek fans in action Im quite glad I didnt have to make the 200 mile trip from where we were staying & go to Athens for the game as they are proper mental

You are right about 3.

The worst thing about the return trip was that there was less of us and they also changed where we were standing so we got dropped of by taxi at the wrong end and had to walk through them. not so bad before the game but once we got in i wondered how we were allowed to walk through them!

On the way out after the offical party left we were turfed out into the AEK fans with no protection. We got a bit of a chasing and it was one of the scaries positions i've been in. We ende up running into a pizza hut and asked them to call ploce or something to help us get oot bu they just laughed.

We did get back into Athens eventually and it was fine once in there but it wasn't a pleasant experience for the hour after the game.

Mon Dieu4
09-09-2009, 03:23 PM
You are right about 3.

The worst thing about the return trip was that there was less of us and they also changed where we were standing so we got dropped of by taxi at the wrong end and had to walk through them. not so bad before the game but once we got in i wondered how we were allowed to walk through them!

On the way out after the offical party left we were turfed out into the AEK fans with no protection. We got a bit of a chasing and it was one of the scaries positions i've been in. We ende up running into a pizza hut and asked them to call ploce or something to help us get oot bu they just laughed.

We did get back into Athens eventually and it was fine once in there but it wasn't a pleasant experience for the hour after the game.

Aye the people in the place we were staying were mental enough, some of the decent ones told us as we were making our own way there under no circumstances to wear colours as the AEK fans are blade merchants :bitchy:

Not that wearing civvies would have made me blend in with the Greeks with my pasty Scottish complection :faf:

TheSouthMoroccan
09-09-2009, 03:24 PM
On the chartered jumbo from Edinburgh. We landed and within 5 mins it was all over the plane that the game was off, so that left us with two days in Athens. Would not be my number one choice for a city break but we made the best of it.

Saw the sights, nearly got ripped off in a strip club but noticed the barman serving the "champagne" out of the water tap and then ended up being outside a pub in a narrow street singing the night away with loads of other Hibees.

For some reason it sticks in my memory about seeing ex player Des Bremmer there that night. Dashing Bob would not have been impressed with his dress choice, smart shirt, dress shorts but white socks and trainers finishing off the Brits abroad look. Odd thing to remember given what was going on elsewhere in the world !

Bob1875
09-09-2009, 03:27 PM
I was only around 12/13 year old at the time, I was on the plane chartered by Hibs. Spent a few pointless nights in Athens, watching grown men get pished then came home. We then got our ticket money back when my dad had paid £1000 in total for the 2 of us to go.


Out of interest does everyone think it was the right decision to call off all the games? Im not so sure.

Dashing Bob S
09-09-2009, 03:31 PM
I have to admit that I was angry when I learned that the match wasn't taking place. I felt that it was purely a domestic dispute between the Yankee imperialists and the flat Earther Islam fanatics of the Middle-East, and I didn't see why King Football in Europe should be compromised.

I felt that if towers in London or Paris had been destroyed in such a manner, then the last thing in the world that would happen would be the cancelation of the Major League Baseball card in the USA. In fact i'd doubt they'd have even have bothered with a minutes silence.

Incidentally, my views haven't changed that much over the years.

blackpoolhibs
09-09-2009, 03:33 PM
We booked a trip from luton to Athens and back, leaving on the Monday and flying back on the Friday. I remember booking it all separately, the flights and hotel was something like £350, and the club were charging something like £400 for a 2 day trip.

We flew out, had a great trip, and arrived at the hotel to be met with a lovely hotel over looking the acropolis. The hotel bar was on the roof, it was a superb setting for a midweek break to watch the footy.

The first night (Monday) we went to the roof top bar, and met lots of hibby who had done the same as us. We had a right good session, and the plan was to try and get tickets for the Man United game on the Wednesday.

We woke up on the Tuesday and did a little sunbathing at the rooftop pool. Someone said there been a bomb gone off in new york. Then it was a planes flown into a building. News was a little sketchy, but we went back to our room to get changed, then go and try for the tickets for man united. While getting changed, i put the telly on, and although it was all Greek, very soon i realized what had happened.

Man u tickets were quickly forgotten about, and we watched the tv for a while. We eventually went back to the pool, and everyone was talking about what had happened. The talk was all about will the game go ahead, not realy about how terrible it was.

We went into town that night with a few hibbys, we had a meal and a few drinks, but the atmosphere was a little muted. I cant remember when we found out the game was off, but i do remember i was not surprised. The rest of the holiday was ok, we made the most of it, i don't think the enormity of it fully hit me until i got home, although i did feel scared ****less at Athens airport on the way back. Security was 100 times more tighter, and the tension got even more highly charged when over the tannoy a request for a Mr S Hussein was announced.

You could see everyone nervously laughing, but not quite being comfortable with the announcement. Never was i as glad at landing at luton airport after the flight, than i was that morning. Yet when we got home, i booked up on the clubs official party for the week after. Must have been mad.:wink:

Two good trips, although its a real shame the 2nd one was needed.:boo hoo:

Bob1875
09-09-2009, 03:37 PM
I have to admit that I was angry when I learned that the match wasn't taking place. I felt that it was purely a domestic dispute between the Yankee imperialists and the flat Earther Islam fanatics of the Middle-East, and I didn't see why King Football in Europe should be compromised.

I felt that if towers in London or Paris had been destroyed in such a manner, then the last thing in the world that would happen would be the cancelation of the Major League Baseball card in the USA. In fact i'd doubt they'd have even have bothered with a minutes silence.

Incidentally, my views haven't changed that much over the years.

Exactly, I just asked myself the same question. AEK Athens Vs Hibernian is totally irelevant to USA and there is no chance that a Baseball/basketball/football game would be sacrificed if an atrocity was to occur here. Im not dis-respecting what happened as Ive been very interested in it over the years and understand the pain it has caused but im just not sure that cancelling all our football matches was the right thing to do.

blackpoolhibs
09-09-2009, 03:40 PM
I have to admit that I was angry when I learned that the match wasn't taking place. I felt that it was purely a domestic dispute between the Yankee imperialists and the flat Earther Islam fanatics of the Middle-East, and I didn't see why King Football in Europe should be compromised.

I felt that if towers in London or Paris had been destroyed in such a manner, then the last thing in the world that would happen would be the cancelation of the Major League Baseball card in the USA. In fact i'd doubt they'd have even have bothered with a minutes silence.

Incidentally, my views haven't changed that much over the years.

I might be wrong, but i seem to remember the american baseball league actually played that night, or the night after. I'm sure they said we cant be seen to be letting them win. :confused:

jgl07
09-09-2009, 03:42 PM
My main recollection was in the home leg at Easter Road, the AEK fans booed through the minutes 'silence'!

Andy74
09-09-2009, 03:45 PM
I might be wrong, but i seem to remember the american baseball league actually played that night, or the night after. I'm sure they said we cant be seen to be letting them win. :confused:

I recall something similar. I was mighty hacked off that we'd gone further than they had in the name of showing respect. Sure it was a terrible thing but cancelling football games wasn't going to change it. Instead of respect it just created a bad feeling.

If i ever meet my end in a similar fashion the last thing I want to happen is for people anywhere to have their own plans impacted and to be hit financially without recompense in order to pay some respects. Everyone else should just be allowed to get on with their own business.

Andy74
09-09-2009, 03:46 PM
My main recollection was in the home leg at Easter Road, the AEK fans booed through the minutes 'silence'!

That was nothing compared to the minutes silence over there! US and UK flags being burned, people scaling the fences with flares and their fans chanting 'Bin Laden' over and over again. Mental!

blackpoolhibs
09-09-2009, 03:58 PM
That was nothing compared to the minutes silence over there! US and UK flags being burned, people scaling the fences with flares and their fans chanting 'Bin Laden' over and over again. Mental!

Yes they were mental, I'm not really sure why the football authorities seem to crack down on british football, and its fans, when this lot and the turkish seem to be a lot worse. The disrespect shown that night from the AEK fans should have resulted in an immediate ban imho.

Wembley67
09-09-2009, 04:04 PM
Can somebody confirm if the plane we flew out on was a 747? I'm convinced it was but a mate says that 747's are to big to fly from Edinburgh :confused:

Recollection wise...had a cracking hotel with a rooftop pool bar overlooking the acropolis and a race course and that's about it!


Most expensive bed and breakfast ever - saying that didn't even see breakfast :rolleyes:

Ringothedog
09-09-2009, 04:06 PM
That was nothing compared to the minutes silence over there! US and UK flags being burned, people scaling the fences with flares and their fans chanting 'Bin Laden' over and over again. Mental!

Christ your trip sounds indentical to mine(but flew from Glasgow to Luton). We got pissed in London. I remember their lot burning the flags. That was when I started the USA chant.........made them go even nuttier if that was possible

half.time.draw.
09-09-2009, 04:34 PM
My main recollection was in the home leg at Easter Road, the AEK fans booed through the minutes 'silence'!

I sat above them in the away stand and their fav chant was 'Osama Bin Laden' repeated.

Hated them after that..

Bunter
09-09-2009, 04:42 PM
Can somebody confirm if the plane we flew out on was a 747? I'm convinced it was but a mate says that 747's are to big to fly from Edinburgh :confused:

Recollection wise...had a cracking hotel with a rooftop pool bar overlooking the acropolis and a race course and that's about it!


Most expensive bed and breakfast ever - saying that didn't even see breakfast :rolleyes:
It was indeed a 747. IIRC it was an Icelandair jumbo. Edinburgh doesn't/didn't have the facilities for housing 747s on a regular basis.
I'm sure when the Commonwealth conference was in Edinburgh, the Sultan of Brunei flew in on one jumbo & his wives flew in on another. Edinburgh couldn't refuel and house two jumbos so one had to go to Glasgow airport for the duration.

Albanian Hibs
09-09-2009, 05:27 PM
Can somebody confirm if the plane we flew out on was a 747? I'm convinced it was but a mate says that 747's are to big to fly from Edinburgh :confused:

Recollection wise...had a cracking hotel with a rooftop pool bar overlooking the acropolis and a race course and that's about it!


Most expensive bed and breakfast ever - saying that didn't even see breakfast :rolleyes:


It was indeed a 747. IIRC it was an Icelandair jumbo. Edinburgh doesn't/didn't have the facilities for housing 747s on a regular basis.
I'm sure when the Commonwealth conference was in Edinburgh, the Sultan of Brunei flew in on one jumbo & his wives flew in on another. Edinburgh couldn't refuel and house two jumbos so one had to go to Glasgow airport for the duration.

:agree: it was a 747, but was not icelandair, it was an Atlantic Airways (Faroe Island company). Edinburgh Airport runway is big enough for 747s to land and take off but the facilities in the airport are not big enough yet. I remember coming in to land in Athens and someone had mentioned that 2 fighter jets were escorting us in. Security was mega tight in that airport. We also stayed in that fancy hotel with the rooftop pool and bar overlooking the acropolis. I remember a meeting point in a wee street and the Hibs flags hanging out of windows above us. Went back home the following day after I had vomited out a taxi window (classy!):jamboak:What a way to spend over £400 :boo hoo:

lucky
09-09-2009, 05:40 PM
Got the train down to Manchester on the 12Th and to fly to Kos the following day. we were then flying Athens for the game. We made a family holiday out of it. We were on the wee bus that took you out to the plane when I got a call from my mother in law saying the game was off. My daughter burst into tears as I was taking for her birthday. How do explain the game was off cos of a terrorist strike in the US to a ten year old. Kos its self was great. I even got my hotel and flight money back from the travel agent at the top ER.

But coming back their was a 6 hour delay due to enhanced security. But will never forget the owner of the hotel in Kos showing me a Greek paper with all the Hibees in Athens. Man Utd played the day before and Greeks could not believe there was more Hibs fans in Athens than Man Utd.

PS Great thread and good stories cant wait till next season Europa Cup:greengrin.

Dashing Bob S
09-09-2009, 05:42 PM
I have to admit, I was far more disappointed with the shabby attire of the Greek fans than anything else. With a few exceptions, it seems like Med style is limited to Italy and the South of France and some parts of Spain.

There's no excuse to dress badly in favourable weather.

Woody1985
09-09-2009, 05:43 PM
Exactly, I just asked myself the same question. AEK Athens Vs Hibernian is totally irelevant to USA and there is no chance that a Baseball/basketball/football game would be sacrificed if an atrocity was to occur here. Im not dis-respecting what happened as Ive been very interested in it over the years and understand the pain it has caused but im just not sure that cancelling all our football matches was the right thing to do.

It may be irrelevant but do the greeks not hate the americans?

And was there not flags etc on fire inside the stadium. If the match went ahead the following day it might have been worse, especially for American sympathisers in their eyes.

hibsdaft
09-09-2009, 06:03 PM
It may be irrelevant but do the greeks not hate the americans?

And was there not flags etc on fire inside the stadium. If the match went ahead the following day it might have been worse, especially for American sympathisers in their eyes.

the Americans propped up the very unpopular military dictatorship of Greece in the late 60s, early 70s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_military_junta_of_1967%E2%80%931974

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Polytechnic_Uprising

Greeks are not Muslims and certainly not Islamic extremists so when they sang "Bin Laden" it wasn't in support of Bin Laden and his aims, but simply anyone sticking it to the US.

tbh i'd be interested to know what these people would have said in the cold light of day outside of a football stadium on this. imho this stuff was mere rabblerousing/ provocation than actual beliefs in any sense.

not sure they really cared on who we were particularly either - though thats coming from someone who wasn't actually at the Athens tie btw, maybe others can say to what extent this stuff was aimed at us.

i suppose to understand where they're coming from, imagine Scotland had voted "yes" to independence in 1977, but Thatcher, supported by the US, had refused to accept the result, and sent the army in to control the reaction against her, who then kill dozens protesting against her. i don't think many Scots would be too much of a fan of the US after that here either !!

Ceebs
09-09-2009, 06:08 PM
Remember it very well, it would have been the first time I had watched Hibs in an away European tie, just my luck. Also on the the 747 and stayed at The Olympian Hotel? Still enjoyed the couple of days.

PS Still never seen Hibs in an away tie yet.

johnbc70
09-09-2009, 06:17 PM
I remember getting the 7am flight to London on the 10th September, what would usually be a full flight with businessmen/women was empty. I remember getting 2 breakfasts from the stewardess as there was so many spare.

Got my flight from London to Athens and then I think I was walking around the Acropolis when I heard a fellow hibee talking about the game being off.

Never made it back for the game the following week. So I am still waiting to see Hibs away in Europe.

Moulin Yarns
09-09-2009, 06:46 PM
Vene, Vidi, got pissed:agree:


Why did you go to Italy? :greengrin

Gala Foxes
09-09-2009, 07:35 PM
Landing at Athens Airport, mobiles getting switched on whilst on the tarmac, bad news coming through .....................but then what a superb piss up in that wee lane on the Wednesday night - Hey Hey Baby, Ooh Aaah !!!!!!
Up the Acropolis the next day in the Hibs tops - then back again the next week

Lix
09-09-2009, 08:43 PM
Came out of a meeting at work to hear that a plane had gone into the world trade centre.... thought it would just be some small light aircraft and a nothing story..... WRONG!

My demob happy mood given we were flying out to Athens the next day, soon evaporated...

Got to departures at Edinburgh airport the next day to hear the game was off.

Booked thru to the Tues anyway, so thought we might as well go for a long weekend...

Bags got lost at Brussels due to increased security, so eventually made our hotel in Athens at 1am!

Fire alarm woke us at 6am - never been so scared in my life!! Ran down the stairs out of the hotel... had no idea what was happening...

False alarm, but after what had been happening, it wasn't what you needed!

Managed to lose my mobile in the rush to exit the hotel, so spend half the next day at the police station ...

Decided to stay for the game (thanks to an understanding boss!) but had to pay a heap for an easyjet flight home first thing after the game (had to get to work for Fri pm)

Surreal being in Athens with about 5 other Hibbies we met for the days in between .... but good fun!:thumbsup:

Day of the game was on the roof of a posh hotel as Grant Stott did his radio show ... with Dougray Scott and Jackie McNamara - and hibs.net's own Johnnyboy! - amongst those present! :partyhibb

But scary stuff for the game itself...

as others have mentioned, independent travellers were just left outside the ground after the game, in the dark, to run the gauntlet of fans who'd been burning US flags, chucking all sorts at us all game and with the police who found our fear funny and were as much use as a chocolate teapot:grr:

add in taxi's that wouldn't stop for us, and it wasn't exactly the best experience I've ever had.

Still wouldn't have missed it for the world!

And return leg atmosphere was the best I've known at ER! :agree:

tooley
09-09-2009, 08:49 PM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

Beer and Sunburn

Ringothedog
09-09-2009, 09:15 PM
I remember getting the 7am flight to London on the 10th September, what would usually be a full flight with businessmen/women was empty. I remember getting 2 breakfasts from the stewardess as there was so many spare.

Got my flight from London to Athens and then I think I was walking around the Acropolis when I heard a fellow hibee talking about the game being off.

Never made it back for the game the following week. So I am still waiting to see Hibs away in Europe.

the 10th ? I know its my birthday but!!!......anyway i presume you mean the 12th

hibbie02
09-09-2009, 09:19 PM
I was in Frankfurt that day, just about to head off early to the airport for a flight home in preparation for the plane to Athens for the AEK game the next day. Just before I left the office, someone shouted out that a "light aircraft" had hit the WTC. I was in the taxi when the driver told me another plane had hit and it was large passenger jets not light aircraft. I got to the airport to find the Gatwick flight was cancelled, and I used my BA Gold Card (I knew they were useful!) to secure a seat on the Heathrow flight at 6pm. No one at the airport was saying anything about why flights were cancelled or about any planes crashing.

In the Lounge the TVs were off and the place was buzzing, with everyone on their mobile phone. By this time the third plane hat hit the Pentagon and there was rumours of another plane heading for Washington DC. It felt like Armagheddon was upon us and the toilets were doing a brisk trade. No one from BA would comment and we eventually got on the plane. I was sitting in a seat opposite where one of the Stewardesses sat for take off. I tried to ask about what was going on but she said she couldn't tell me anything. I told her I was off to Athens the next day and she told me it was unlikely.....

When we landed Heathrow was eerily quiet and I had to go find a bus to Gatwick to pick up my car. I finally got in the car about 9:45 and turned the radio on and was stunned to heard the details at last. I got home just in time for the 11pm news and saw the pictures for the first time and I was nearly sick. I can see now why they turned the TVs off in the airport.

I never did get to Athens the next day. Yes the flight did actually take off but I never had the stomach to catch it. I flew back to Frankfurt the next week but it was not a comfortable experience.

I did get to Ground Zero in 2005 and the hairs on my neck and arms stood on end as I appraoched the site. Very moving, particularly standing outside the firestation next to the hole in the ground. I think they lost about 8 men.

magpie1892
09-09-2009, 09:20 PM
Can somebody confirm if the plane we flew out on was a 747? I'm convinced it was but a mate says that 747's are to big to fly from Edinburgh :confused:

It was a 747 and, as you might imagine, Edinburgh Airport can handle that size of aircraft (and has been able to do so for about 15 years, so your mate was right - at one time).

stantonhibby
09-09-2009, 09:28 PM
:agree: it was a 747, but was not icelandair, it was an Atlantic Airways (Faroe Island company). Edinburgh Airport runway is big enough for 747s to land and take off but the facilities in the airport are not big enough yet. I remember coming in to land in Athens and someone had mentioned that 2 fighter jets were escorting us in. Security was mega tight in that airport. We also stayed in that fancy hotel with the rooftop pool and bar overlooking the acropolis. I remember a meeting point in a wee street and the Hibs flags hanging out of windows above us. Went back home the following day after I had vomited out a taxi window (classy!):jamboak:What a way to spend over £400 :boo hoo:

Yeah - stayed in that hotel too

I vaguely recall sitting at the bar of the hotel at about 1am in the company of my all time hibs hero Pat Stanton . I was so pissed though that i can't remember a thing about it :boo hoo:

SON OF PADDY
09-09-2009, 10:00 PM
Landing at Athens Airport, mobiles getting switched on whilst on the tarmac, bad news coming through .....................but then what a superb piss up in that wee lane on the Wednesday night - Hey Hey Baby, Ooh Aaah !!!!!!
Up the Acropolis the next day in the Hibs tops - then back again the next week

Never made the return game !! skint !! :boo hoo:But have never drunk as much in my life :rolleyes: can remember Big Frank with his safari hat and extra long shorts !!! :greengrin The legend that is Bobby Smith :top markslapping up the chanting of name thoughout the day :wink: Great trip all in :agree: GGTTH

The Crippler
09-09-2009, 10:19 PM
Me and my pal were on the package trip as well, thought it was Icelandair but will stand to be corrected. Just remember some dodgy incidents where the steward got punched and drink nicked on the way home and threats were made to land in Paris.

Anyway, that, the disappointment of the cancellation and the obvious tragedy of the whole 9/11 aside...we had a great time getting pished. Remember ending up in the narrow street as well where a tiny pub stayed open and supplied drink to the Hibs fans. Drink may have got the better of me but i'm sure Pat Stanton appeared which started a few Stanton songs and it was great seeing the Hibs flags hanging from the flats above. It was song after song and one of my favourite memories as a Hibby. A few more hours passed and I remember a crowd back at the hotel bar later on having to be thrown out or they'd have been there all night. That said they were up early...bizarre sight seeing all these blokes in sitting on sun loungers in Hibs tops ordering cocktails for breakfast. Bloody expensive trip for one night out on the town mind you and we never saw the Acropolis.

Wembley67
09-09-2009, 10:41 PM
Me and my pal were on the package trip as well, thought it was Icelandair but will stand to be corrected. Just remember some dodgy incidents where the steward got punched and drink nicked on the way home and threats were made to land in Paris.

Anyway, that, the disappointment of the cancellation and the obvious tragedy of the whole 9/11 aside...we had a great time getting pished. Remember ending up in the narrow street as well where a tiny pub stayed open and supplied drink to the Hibs fans. Drink may have got the better of me but i'm sure Pat Stanton appeared which started a few Stanton songs and it was great seeing the Hibs flags hanging from the flats above. It was song after song and one of my favourite memories as a Hibby. A few more hours passed and I remember a crowd back at the hotel bar later on having to be thrown out or they'd have been there all night. That said they were up early...bizarre sight seeing all these blokes in sitting on sun loungers in Hibs tops ordering cocktails for breakfast. Bloody expensive trip for one night out on the town mind you and we never saw the Acropolis.

I think the flight was going to be terminate in Manchester because someone smacked the steward for telling them to stop smoking in the toilets.....the man of the moment? DJ Ozi....HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY BABBBBBBBYYYYYYYYY :greengrin:hnet:

The Crippler
09-09-2009, 10:45 PM
Haha, right enough I forgot about that DJ Ozi song, horrible horrible song!!:greengrin

FansViews
09-09-2009, 11:09 PM
We went to Greece for the week, we had been there 2 days or so when 9/11 happened, We were staying in a place that can only be described as the Portobello of Greece.


You weren't in Aegina too were you?!

Septimus
10-09-2009, 03:33 AM
My main recollection is of trawling the streets round the ground trying to find transportation back to Athens city centre after the game. I eventually found a delapidated Merc taxi who charged me peanuts for the ride.

KiddA
10-09-2009, 05:08 AM
For those that travelled across to the AEK Athen's game that was postponed due to 9/11, what are your recollections of the trip?

The first trip I remember landing in Greece and everyones phone going off saying the game was canceled. Still stayed for three days and had a great time and got pissed.

The second time I went I done the same and traveled on the team flight I remember sitting just over from Duggary Scott and having a beer with him later that night at the hotel bar. After that I just got pissed again and remember having a class time and partying with Irvine Welsh and a few of my mates. It was a very good time and loved it :thumbsup: I hope I can do it again some day but might be hard as I live in Florida now but fingers crossed we qualify for Europe again soon. :wink:

Newhaven
10-09-2009, 06:27 AM
One things certain in this thread. We need back in europe very,very soon for more trips :agree:

Graham Law
10-09-2009, 06:59 AM
You weren't in Aegina too were you?!

I was.. great wee place.. we flew from London to Athens then over to the athens harbour and onto the smallest ferry ever over to the island of Aegina..

Great wee main street and was having a blast until that terrible morning when the planes hit...

poolman
10-09-2009, 07:19 AM
Was in a crowd from the Iona bar and we stayed in Poros for a week

Watched everything unfold in the Robin Hood bar :greengrin

Lots of drink and merriment for seven days but was peed off that the game was cancelled

deano6-2
10-09-2009, 09:18 PM
Was in a crowd from the Iona bar and we stayed in Poros for a week

Watched everything unfold in the Robin Hood bar :greengrin

Lots of drink and merriment for seven days but was peed off that the game was cancelled

I must have been with you. Nothing to do in poros except bevy! Great trip apart from the game being cancelled. The tug boat from Athens to Poros was hilarious!

Albanian Hibs
11-09-2009, 08:39 AM
One things certain in this thread. We need back in europe very,very soon for more trips :agree:

:agree: :top marks

HUTCHYHIBBY
11-09-2009, 01:34 PM
Group of us had made a holiday out of it and went to Zante for a week with flights booked to get to Athens on day of game. Watched it all unfold in boozer then got a call the next day (i think) to say game was off.....thought it was a wind up as Arsenal had went ahead with a champions league game on the actual day.

Anyway,still had a decent holiday but couldn't afford to go back the following week.

I think myself & my bro (The Bairn) were in your party! :greengrin

"Castles in the sky" and all that!

poolman
11-09-2009, 01:37 PM
I must have been with you. Nothing to do in poros except bevy! Great trip apart from the game being cancelled. The tug boat from Athens to Poros was hilarious!


If thats you Dean, Hi Its Davy :bye:

As for the bit in bold , aye, Carry on Sailing right enough :thumbsup:

Badge
11-09-2009, 06:01 PM
It was indeed a 747. IIRC it was an Icelandair jumbo. Edinburgh doesn't/didn't have the facilities for housing 747s on a regular basis.
I'm sure when the Commonwealth conference was in Edinburgh, the Sultan of Brunei flew in on one jumbo & his wives flew in on another. Edinburgh couldn't refuel and house two jumbos so one had to go to Glasgow airport for the duration.

It was Icelandair. Great party in that wee street. Remember speaking to some Man Utd fans who couldn't believe that we were all enjoying ourselves. They said that if it had been Man U fans they would have been fighting among themselves after about 20 mins.

Spender
11-09-2009, 07:11 PM
there were two charters one was sphere travel (i think) and the 747 was an icelandic air jumbo.


Can somebody confirm if the plane we flew out on was a 747? I'm convinced it was but a mate says that 747's are to big to fly from Edinburgh :confused:

Recollection wise...had a cracking hotel with a rooftop pool bar overlooking the acropolis and a race course and that's about it!


Most expensive bed and breakfast ever - saying that didn't even see breakfast :rolleyes:

deano6-2
11-09-2009, 07:19 PM
I must have been with you. Nothing to do in poros except bevy! Great trip apart from the game being cancelled. The tug boat from Athens to Poros was hilarious!


If thats you Dean, Hi Its Davy :bye:

As for the bit in bold , aye, Carry on Sailing right enough :thumbsup:
It certainly is!:greengrin

_hucks_
12-09-2009, 02:11 AM
the Americans propped up the very unpopular military dictatorship of Greece in the late 60s, early 70s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_military_junta_of_1967%E2%80%931974

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Polytechnic_Uprising

Greeks are not Muslims and certainly not Islamic extremists so when they sang "Bin Laden" it wasn't in support of Bin Laden and his aims, but simply anyone sticking it to the US.

tbh i'd be interested to know what these people would have said in the cold light of day outside of a football stadium on this. imho this stuff was mere rabblerousing/ provocation than actual beliefs in any sense.

not sure they really cared on who we were particularly either - though thats coming from someone who wasn't actually at the Athens tie btw, maybe others can say to what extent this stuff was aimed at us.

i suppose to understand where they're coming from, imagine Scotland had voted "yes" to independence in 1977, but Thatcher, supported by the US, had refused to accept the result, and sent the army in to control the reaction against her, who then kill dozens protesting against her. i don't think many Scots would be too much of a fan of the US after that here either !!

That is as well as Greece having a fair old chunk of support for the far left, with the KKE (the greek communist party) consistently polling at 10+%. They're probably the most stalinist of the communist parties in europe still in operation. AEK athens is a workers team, so im guessing a large amount would be lefties who would not be pro-USA as it is the bastion of free market capitalism.