(Recognise the bus ? It’s the one from The Italian Job)

…Because at one point it looked like the volcanic ash was going to ground flights again and it could have been another road trip to Hamburg for Roy’s boys, but things have cleared now.

Mini Rant: It still bloody annoys me that they renamed this competition. The winner will still be given the UEFA Cup Trophy, they didn’t change the name of that.

We can (hopefully) look forward to watching an entertaining hey-let’s-go-for-it match between Atlético Madrid and Fulham Football Club because both teams deserve to be there.

Both are in the shadows of bigger club in their cities and Atlético have only won one major trophy (the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961/92) before this. Fulham on the other hand haven’t won…anything. Oh the Intertoto Cup in 2002. I stand corrected. So you know that whoever lifts the trophy, this will mean so much to them.

Atlético though are lucky to be in the final after literally stumbling through the earlier rounds:
In the knockout phases it went to extra time against Club Brugge, then it was the away goal rule for the round of 16, quarter and semi-finals.

Meanwhile at Fulham they had the hard slog of driving to Germany (to play Hamburg), but before that had the momentous occasion and highlight of the season when they beat Juventus.

…And because of their previous efforts in my opin I really do this this a match too far for them.
But then again and once again I remind myself that this is football and…

Because of some injury concerns they might have to park that above bus in front of the goal, but they might clear up in time. Hopefully we’ll see Row Zed no more Zamora being rewarded with his efforts by being called up afterwards by Fabio into the 30 man squad (but still no final 23), but more hopeful that this will be an entertaining and memorable match. Because in 30 days time it will be forgotten.

- Some music to send them off then and sadly I have to report that the tunes associated with them are all pretty, pretty bad. The two below could be considered the “best” of the bunch.

Download audio file (The%20Haynes%20Boys%20-%20One%20F%20in%20Fulham.mp3) » They Haynes Boys – One F In Fulham Download audio file (Fulham%20Flurries%20-%20These%20Boots%20Are%20Made%20For%20Walking.mp3) » Fulham Flurries – These Boots Are Made For Walking

And that’s another thing I keep doing. Again it’s just a gentle ribbing, the footie banter. I use it every time I refer to Scotland or Aberdeen.

But… is the Groundskeeper Willie an Aberdeen fan ? Where does he actually come from ?

We know he comes from Scotia land. That is obvious. But in the show sometimes he’s from Glasgea, sometimes from Edinburrrrrr (North Kilttown). In fact there was one time where Monty Burns took Homer, Professor Frink and Willie up to Loch Ness to find the monster. When they get there Willie meets up with his family who according to him, own a pub in the village where he was conceived, born, and educated.

In the episode Frinky drains Loch Ness and there is a what they think is Nessie at the bottom of the lake but is in fact a high school float with a less that complimentary message about The Dons which Homer reads and says: “No way ! Aberdeen rules !”
So it’s Homer Simpson who’s the Aberdeen fan and Willie is in fact from Drumnadrochit then ?

The Scottish Executive are actually dismayed after finding out after a study, that Groundskeeper Wille is the world’s most famous Scotsman. Even more well known than Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor and the big Yin. They are worried that people in the USA are getting the wrong impression of Scotland because of him.   They shouldn’t be. Remember that Homer was voted in a BBC poll to be the greatest American. Both countries have a sense of humo(u)r, they can differentiate.

Anyway enough of all that. To the music and a couple of songs dedicated to the AB23 postcode residents…

First one is from the musician and Aberdeen fan Graham Stephen. A few years back he wrote & recorded a very accurate description of spending another frustrating season which ends in another midtable position. A very poignant song which anybody can identify with:

» Graham Stephen – It’s Half Past Four And We’re Two Nil Down

One of the greatest titles for a song by the way. Wasn’t it also used as a title for a fanzine once..? Somebody help me out with that.

Aberdeen have actually contradicted the song by finishing high enough last season to qualify for the UEFA Cup. But last Thursday (Nov 29th) they had a bit of a ‘mare away to Athletico Madrid and now need results from other games in their group to go their way in order to keep their hopes alive.

Na it’s not going to happen.

But here’s something to support them and remind them of past glories: It was released in 1983 when a certain Knight of the British Empire, now living down the swamp, was their Manager and the team got to – and won – the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final.
- Some of the players singing on this include Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Gordon Strachan, Eric Black and Mark McGhee. All who have become bosses in their own right.

As DaveC wrote himself about the track:

Where’s the feature on Aberdeen’s 1983 European Song? It was written for their subsequent 1983 ECWC final victory. To celebrate them qualifying for the group stages of the UEFA cup, (I’d) like to share some of the lyrics with you:

“We’ve taken our team into Europe.
Yes we have, oh oh oh yes we ha-ave.
All the way, every night and day
Singing our European Song.”

So here as requested…»

» Aberdeen 1983 Squad – European Song

Couldn’t find the entire lyrics, so if you could oblige…?

EXTRA TIME:

» Have a play with Willie’s Soundboard

» Listen to some of Willie’s audio clips