Athenian Memories - 20 years on

***Jamesie*** · 27-07-2021 12:47 PM

I was thinking earlier that for many of us it’s not far off 20 years to the day since we were making plans for the great Athens adventure that commenced on Friday 24 August 2001, when the hand of fate drew AEK Athens against Hibernian.

That was literally half a lifetime ago for me - and as a relatively untravelled 20 year old student at the time who had just finished some paid work experience over the course of that summer, I had the means, and was keen, to visit Greece for the first time for the match.

Whilst budget airlines were in existence, this was long before the breadth of routes that were on offer to us until relatively recently, and therefore a visit with a school pal to a travel agent on Great Junction Street was in order to book a package trip from Manchester to the island of Aegina, which nobody had ever heard of, about two hours from Athens by ferry. Planes, trains, automobiles and ferries indeed - from memory we set off from Edinburgh by train at about 10am on a Friday morning and got to our hotel at about 5am on the Saturday!

The world had changed significantly by the time we took the return journey, and I’ll always remember our mild curiosity as to why no music was playing on the usually bustling Aegina main strip as we walked off the beach on the afternoon of 11 September 2001 - a power cut was our initial reaction. Little did we know the events that were about to upend both our trip and the wider geopolitical world order.

Some great memories - falling asleep on the beach shortly after check in to the hotel and being burnt to a crisp; the incessant playing and singing of “Hey Baby” all week in almost every bar and club; and some longstanding friendships forged - that’s where I first met @frazerbob, next to whom I now sit at Easter Road, and I’m facebook friends with a number of people who we met that week, as well as Godfather to the child of one of them!

A momentous trip for many reasons - what are your memories?

***Mon Dieu4*** · 27-07-2021 12:56 PM

I went with one of my pals, the place we were staying was effectively the mussleburgh of Greece but not as good, there was only really one bar and it was 70p for a litre bottle of Amstel, there were about 15 or so Hibs fans in the same place

Think it was day 2 or 3 in when my mate walks in the room and tells me what's just happened in New York

Memory is a bit hazy from the that point on but as soon as the game was cancelled we just wanted to get home, we had days left with nothing much to do, we just sat in the bar getting drunk and watching the news, there were also running battles with the locals, Man U fans who were in Greece at the same time if I remember correctly, police extortion and mental taxi drivers to contend with

The airport and plane journey home was one of the weirdest experiences I've had

What a trip!!

**~~Hector Mudflap~~** · 27-07-2021 01:25 PM

I never made the initial trip but managed to bag a deal to get to Athens for the rearranged fixture.I pulled a sicky at work (who would know?) and planned a "there and back" trip. I was big into snow boarding at the time and as a show of support to our American friends I wore my "Stars and Stripes" wooly ski-hat complete with red and white dreadlocks.

That "hey baby- ooh ah" song was still being sung continually and everywhere we went a massive Hibs flag with a camel on it seemed to appear ("South Morocco" Hibs?) It was all a bit of a drunken haze mixed with the utter chaos of being herded everywhere and the bullish attitude of the local police. The police took everything from us at the ground that could be conceived as a missile- only for the vast majority of it to come raining back down on us throughout the game from the "generous" local fans.
At one point we started chanting USA USA and the locals started booing - no idea why but it was a bizarre moment. I think we started chanting Panathinaikos which they didn't appreciate much either.

My best memory though was meeting Sauzee in the airport on the way back and him signing my shirt.

All great fun for me until the following day at work where I could hardly speak from my sore throat and I was completely shattered. To cap it all the Evening News had my picture on the back page in my 72 Hibs shirt and bobble hat with "One fan shows his respect" along the bottom of the picture.

Result 2-0
Plus a final written warning.

Great day out but the attitude of the Greeks and the local police resulted in my vowing never to go back to that country. Something that I have stuck to ever since.

**Stanton Spence** · 27-07-2021 01:42 PM

Me 3 mates and my old man went but we stayed in corfu and had a great lads trip apart from the game getting called off and my old man getting run over with a scooter on his way back to digs reekin
I could write a book with what went on that week lol and it's brutal this Croatia trip coming up is basically a non starter.
I'm still dying to get to the Rijecka game but there's just too many obsticales in the way

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**Andy74** · 27-07-2021 01:49 PM

Had done the first Edinburgh to London flight before game was called off but did manage to go back for the rearranged date.

The stadium was mental - apart from getting pelted with missiles the guys scaling the fencing and burning the US flags was all a bit crazy after 9/11. Think they were chanting Bin Laden's name which is where the USA response came from.

It was a bit mad after the game, just getting let out into the streets surrounded by them, which happened if you weren't on the official trip. A few dodgy moments before getting back to town.

***Ringothedog*** · 27-07-2021 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Andy74

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Had done the first Edinburgh to London flight before game was called off but did manage to go back for the rearranged date.

The stadium was mental - apart from getting pelted with missiles the guys scaling the fencing and burning the US flags was all a bit crazy after 9/11. Think they were chanting Bin Laden's name which is where the USA response came from.

It was a bit mad after the game, just getting let out into the streets surrounded by them, which happened if you weren't on the official trip. A few dodgy moments before getting back to town.

You must have been with me at some stage, it was myself that started the USA chant, after the game was fun. We got a taxi to the game and were let off a fair bit from the ground and decided to just sing all the way, seemed the safest thing to do

***hibbie02*** · 27-07-2021 03:39 PM

I had a ticket for the game. I flew to Frankfurt on the Monday from Gatwick for work. Was due to fly back on the Tuesday but we all know what happened that day. Gatwick return cancelled and only got on the Heathrow flight by flashing a BA gold card. Flew to Heathrow and had to bus it to Gatwick to pick up my car. Got home at 11pm to see what happened (oddly enough the TVs in the airport were off).

Woke up next day to travel back to Heathrow (not enthusiastic) and heard the game was off. Lost the flight fare and hotel in Athens and then UEFA stitched us on the tickets. Never got to the replay!

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**Gala Foxes** · 27-07-2021 04:59 PM

Athens memory - after 2 trips in a week in 2001 my main memory is the pain of Mythos endured hangovers

***tamig*** · 27-07-2021 05:15 PM

I couldn't make the second trip. Was over for the game that never happened and had a fantastic night in Athens at a non-touristy restaurant courtesy of my Corfu bar-owning Hibs mate and his Athens bar-owning West Ham mate. They took us to a great place and the hospitality was superb as they didn't get many "tourists." None of the locals there had any time for AEK so the welcome was all the more warming.

**SON OF PADDY** · 27-07-2021 09:47 PM

Travelled with sphere travel, on their chartered flight to Athens.
Brilliant trip even though the first game was cancelled, remember that we stayed in a brilliant hotel👌
While we where waiting to check into the hotel the Man Utd team where checking out.
Met some great guys on that trip, what happened in Athens stayed in Athens! 😉

**Gloucester Hibs** · 27-07-2021 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by SON OF PADDY

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Travelled with sphere travel, on their chartered flight to Athens.
Brilliant trip even though the first game was cancelled, remember that we stayed in a brilliant hotel👌
While we where waiting to check into the hotel the Man Utd team where checking out.
Met some great guys on that trip, what happened in Athens stayed in Athens! 😉

I was on that flight too. Cracking hotel with a rooftop poolside bar. “Hey Baby” was indeed getting sung in every bar, also a rendition of Doe a Deer with alternate “Eck’s the Boss, wi ginger hair” lyrics 😂

**SON OF PADDY** · 27-07-2021 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Gloucester Hibs

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I was on that flight too. Cracking hotel with a rooftop poolside bar. “Hey Baby” was indeed getting sung in every bar, also a rendition of Doe a Deer with alternate “Eck’s the Boss, wi ginger hair” lyrics 😂

If I remember correctly ?
The hotel cocktail bar, experienced it's most unusual evening ever?
😉🍾 🥂🍷🍸🍹🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

***lucky*** · 28-07-2021 06:46 AM

We were meant to go Manchester to Kos to Athens but as the game was called off we just spent an extra few days in Kos. It was galling to watch Manchester United play in Athens on the Wednesday but Hibs game was off on the Thursday

**HUTCHYHIBBY** · 28-07-2021 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by lucky

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We were meant to go Manchester to Kos to Athens but as the game was called off we just spent an extra few days in Kos. It was galling to watch Manchester United play in Athens on the Wednesday but Hibs game was off on the Thursday

We were meant to be Newcastle - Zante - Athens but, never bothered heading to Athens. All in all, still a magic trip.

***blackpoolhibs*** · 28-07-2021 12:31 PM

Hibs wanted something daft like £400 for one night if i remember rightly, we booked 4 nights in a hotel plus flights for £300. The hotel had a rooftop swimming pool just off Omonea square (sp)

Bit of a red light area, and a street market that sold live anything you liked.

Spent a couple of days and nights in that little road with all the bars, where all the hibs fans seemed to be. The 4 nights were superb, apart from when we came back, it was a bit frightening with all the security.

Didn't put us off though, we went back the week after with the official flight.

Coming out will live with me for ever, marched onto a bit of wasteland, then put the light out and left in the dark until the busses arrived.

***basehibby*** · 29-07-2021 12:09 PM

I could not believe my bad luck with that tie. My wife's family is Greek and so I have loads of in-laws in Athens. But on the night of the tie I was on a flight bound for Australia!

***Spike Mandela*** · 29-07-2021 12:27 PM

A very special memory for me in that my youngest daughter was born on 20th Sept 2001 and I remember sitting beside my wife in Yorkhill hospital beside our hours old newborn watching the first leg live on tv. Well at least I was

Great memories of the second leg at ER and the great Luna hat trick that could have been.

Nice that 15 years after that occasion I got to take my youngest to the Scottish cup final in 2016 and share the day with her.

***London Hibs FC*** · 29-07-2021 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Andy74

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Had done the first Edinburgh to London flight before game was called off but did manage to go back for the rearranged date.

The stadium was mental - apart from getting pelted with missiles the guys scaling the fencing and burning the US flags was all a bit crazy after 9/11. Think they were chanting Bin Laden's name which is where the USA response came from.

It was a bit mad after the game, just getting let out into the streets surrounded by them, which happened if you weren't on the official trip. A few dodgy moments before getting back to town.

They were singing Oooooooooooooooo beeeeeen Laaaadin with their arms out like airplanes which resulted in us giving them the finger and the US, USA response. Managed to get out the ground through some back way with a Greek friend who told me to cover my colours, put my head down and say nothing as we walked through the AEK fans. Was a bit hairy.