Pre-Season Friendlies

[yuddie 1,244]

On 16/06/2024 at 11:36, Gonzo79 said:

Named after the hill, Spion Kop, in South Africa (due to soldiers having returned from the Boer War).    

 

Other clubs with 'Kop' stands are Blackpool, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End and Birmingham City, which ties in nicely with our friendly at St Andrews, the Wednesday before we visit Berlin.  

Interesting to note that the Kop at St Andrews runs parallel to the pitch, i.e the main stand.

 

One of the only stadiums I can think of in British football where the home ends on the sidelines!

[yuddie 1,244]

The lads are back in tomorrow, a silver lining of us having 0 sellable assets and decent performers last season is the complete and utter lack of internationals we have which means the whole squad will be in pretty much. Bar signings.

 

Here's the key dates for Pre Season:

 

Rangers Men’s First-Team Key Dates

• 24 June – Return to training

• 7 July – Travel to Netherlands

• 13 July – Ajax (N)

• 20 July – Manchester United (N – Edinburgh)

• 24 July – Birmingham City (A)

• 27 July – Union Berlin (A)

Not sure if the travelling from Edinburgh to Brum and then Berlin makes too much sense but hopefully we get it right this summer.

 

 

[Gonzo79 14,136]

On 16/06/2024 at 23:12, Idisi said:

Very well. Just keep any comments on Putin to yourself for a few hours 

May be a bit off topic but I'm keen to see stuff off the usual tourist routes when I'm in Berlin, particularly in the former Eastern part of the city - any recommendations welcome (bear in mind, I'll have my 13 year old son with me).  I am a fan of brutalist architecture.  

[Idisi 390]

On 29/06/2024 at 01:28, Gonzo79 said:

May be a bit off topic but I'm keen to see stuff off the usual tourist routes when I'm in Berlin, particularly in the former Eastern part of the city - any recommendations welcome (bear in mind, I'll have my 13 year old son with me).  I am a fan of brutalist architecture.  

Okay. You will find all the usual bash-the-GDR tours and trips in each Berlin Tourist guide. They will lead you to any stereotyped trash the modern day Westerner "needs" to see. Not that you need this, since you know it all anyway 😝

 

On your way to the Alte Försterei, you will drive through a large part of former East Berlin. 90 % of the houses and buildings you will spot there are from those days, some feature a new facade. A large chunk of the East and South East is made up of one-family houses, indeed this part north of Köpenick has the largest area of one-family houses in all of Germany. And that was the case before the re-unification. On the map in the link, the area to the east of No. 6, stretching beyond the city limits. Not that interesting for a short-term visit, though.

 

I will give you a few of links below, one from the local city service (the English version does not feature the sight-seeing). It features a number of places that might be of interest.

 

https://sbahn.berlin/was-hast-du-vor/neues-entdecken/artikel/ddr-in-berlin-7-orte-an-denen-die-mauer-nie-gefallen-scheint/

 

If you want to get the hardcore DDR treatment, try the Ostel (i.e. Ost + Hotel = East + Hotel) to stay in a sort of GDR hotel. It is No. 1

https://www.ostel.eu/en/rooms

 

Much of the rest there is standard fare, but No. 4 would give you an impression of the first (and last) big GDR parade street, i.e. the Stalin Allee (in the mid 1950s), nowadays the Frankfurter Allee. Have a walk from the Strausberger Platz to the Frankfurter Tor. The U5 subway goes right beneath it, leading back to the city centre and to the government's HQ. The cinema Kosmos is nearby too.

(all on the map)

 

Last, or first, would be the Alexanderplatz, where many buildings are still old GDR ones (new facade), aside from a few easily recognizable shopping centres. Top of the list is the TV tower, GDR build. If you go up there, you'd get a fine view over much of former East Berlin and a few bits and pieces of the western "island of freedom". Do pre-order tickets, or you end up in a pretty long queue with these irritating tourists!

 

https://tv-turm.de/en/tickets-and-bundles/

 

I hope this helps.

[Gonzo79 14,136]

4 minutes ago, Idisi said:

I hope this helps.

Thanks - I appreciate it.  

[der Berliner 3,423]

If you want to see a bit of East German Ultra "culture", Dresden is a place to be. Here some of the Dynamo Dresden band on a day out in Hamburg a few years back, chanting "East, East East Germany" ... in small and large

 

 

 

[Scott7 5,509]

On 29/06/2024 at 00:28, Gonzo79 said:

May be a bit off topic but I'm keen to see stuff off the usual tourist routes when I'm in Berlin,

If you haven’t read them already try “The Berlin Exchange” or “Leaving Berlin” by Joseph Kanon. Some of the locations mentioned by Idisi are featured. Our Berlin residents may disagree (and natives always know best, no argument) but Kanon seems to portray the city as I imagined it might be at the time of the stories. The author is neither sympathetic to the West nor over critical of the East.

 

To Berlin never have I been but Frau7 has. She’s keen on history and architecture and says Berlin is a great place to visit. Her history teacher was a Marxist.

[compo 6,461]

Friendlies are best left alone a waste of time and money 

[Gonzo79 14,136]

1 hour ago, compo said:

Friendlies are best left alone a waste of time and money 

Home ones, I agree but I've had some cracking trips following Rangers for friendlies (Hillsborough, Highbury, Goodison, Craven Cottage and Pride Park all immediately spring to mind). 

 

Only £15 for a Union Berlin ticket, so not expensive. 

[alexscottislegend 2,157]

On 20/06/2024 at 16:57, ian1964 said:

 

I hate people who say "Ah-yax". I know the Dutch do but if local pronunciation is the key, why don't they also say "Par-ee San German"? Or Bayern Munchen?