“I was feeling ‘Hungary’ both this morning and last night”
– I was a teenage armchair Honved fan
So… what do we know about Hungary?
The A to Z of HMHB
The A to Z of HMHB
“I was feeling ‘Hungary’ both this morning and last night”
– I was a teenage armchair Honved fan
So… what do we know about Hungary?
this leaden paul
They gave the world Biros, Rubik’s Cube, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian Notation and Hungary Hungary Hippos.
9 April 2015
brumbiscuit
But they also gave us Viktor Orbán
and they also gave us Béla Kun
and they also gave us Jimmy Zámbo
9 April 2015
peter mcornithologist
@ Brumbiscuit. Did you ever see Jimmy Zambo in concert ?
9 April 2015
BrumbiscUit
No, I’m afraid he shuffled himself off this mortal coil before I had the chance. Having seen some footage of him performing, I’m afraid to say I don’t feel cheated by fate…
9 April 2015
third rate les
Would recommend Simon Winders’ book “Danubia” for a good summary of the history and culture of the region (apologies if I repeat myself).
9 April 2015
BrumbiscUit
Jobbik make UKIP seem sane, centrist and a smart choice: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32248965
11 April 2015
Dirk Hofman
My first visit to Buda and Pest was in 1990 when I managed to drive the motor home out there and party at the Hungaro-Carrot festival, ‘democratic’ elections were about to happen. Generally people were v friendly, there was a macing incident though, and a lovely ‘that’s not how I would spell pepperami’ episode, should have read ‘pepper’s only’, fortunately I had ordered ‘ham and pineapple’, some suffered the day after. Lake Balaton offered good camping and fishing on the way home…
15 April 2015
EXXO
TNS not exactly mob-handed in the Sóstói tonight, according to what one hears, but they did give Viktor Orbán’s boys a helluva scare.
22 July 2015
peter mcornithologist
Hungary have qualified for a major football final tournament for the first time since 1986. Goalscorer Priskin, ex Ipswich goal machine.
15 November 2015
Brumbsicuit
Hamarabb otthon leszel mint a kepeslapjaid!
(You’ll be home before the postcards!)
16 November 2015
Dickhead in quicksand
In 1949 or 1950, an online friend (then a toddler), her elder brother, and their parents walked from Budapest though Hungary and the Soviet zone of Austria to Vienna. That’s 150 miles, by the good road. Her father had been secretary of a political party, and had been tipped off that the secret police (not then very efficient) were after him.
She told me that her father gave her a small piece of chocolate to still her crying when, near the border, they were hiding from the soldiers; of how surprised she was to hear Austrian children speaking German, which she’d thought was a language only for grown-ups; and of how they were welcomed and helped by Austrian villagers.
In Vienna, her parents worked for the Gehlen Organisation – a somewhat dodgy intelligence agency set up by the Americans after WWII to spy on eastern Europe. They were given two tasks to prove their value and credentials: (1) to ascertain the maiden name of the Hungarian prime minister’s wife, and (2) to acquire a copy of some bureaucratic form recently issued by the Hungarian Communist government. As her father had known the PM’s wife before the marriage, (1) wasn’t taxing. As for (2), he phoned a friend in Budapest, asking him to send a packet of newly-made blank paper to Vienna. Her mother had spent much of the war years forging documents for Jews, so (2) was no real problem either.
Her father later returned to Hungary, as a private citizen. The other three emigrated to Australia.
I met her online less than three years ago: she was funny, wise, knowledgeable, and utterly indomitable. She then weighed under seven stone, and was on pretty much pure oxygen because of emphysema. She had been inactive in recent months. As is the way of these things, we only got confirmation a month or so ago of what we’d feared. Her brother found a contact name on her mobile phone.
Aludj jól, KK. Hiányzol.
17 November 2015
Peter mcornithologist
500-1 at William Hills to win Euro 2016. Less fancied than Albania !
18 February 2016
EXXO
Peter if Slovakia play like they have in the first half against Germany just now they could offer real value, especially given the money there will be for some of their opponents in the group.
They know they’re stronger going forward, they take risks, so could be entertaining games to punt on too.
29 May 2016
EXXO
Just hoping this match in Augsburg won’t be abandoned at h/t, due to torrential rain, as I had a punt on Slovakia when they were 1-0 down – 19/1 draw no bet, and they immediately scored 2. The H/T interval has last about 30 mins already with the stadium DJ playing ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘It’s Raining Men’, etc.
29 May 2016
EXXO
I’m now beginning to doubt whether it was this website where someone asked for a Euro outsider punt? Cos it certainly wasn’t this thread. I might have dreamed it.
Anyway, I’ve stuck me winnings of last night & tonight on Slovakia to win the group and Slovakia to qualify, and any winnings from that will go in the “flights for HAHB” fund. There’s no rule saying a tribute band has to pay tribute to the travel issues of the originals. Is there?
29 May 2016
Peter Mcornithologist
It was me Exxo. God knows where it is. If it was dangerous vodka night then maybe Arthur Askey.
29 May 2016
Peter Mcornithologist
Anyone else but a bet on Hungary ? 500-1 bring it on. The Leicester of Europe.
14 June 2016
Brumbiscuit
Magyarország v Island. 2:0 is my guess.
The BBC have obviously been coached on the pronunciation of the Hungarian names; e.g. Nagy (pr. Nodge). They are rather mangling the Icelandic ones thobut.
Funny how a nation that eschews watching football these days can suddenly muster such a noisy crowd…
18 June 2016
Brumbiscuit
And that result folks, is why gambling and I are best kept apart!
18 June 2016
Peter mcornotholgist
Just after the failed revolution of 1956 ,the Melbourne Olympics took place . The Hungarian masters of water polo overwhelmed Russia but the violence within the pool was possibly the first time brutality was captured on film of a sporting event ?
30 November 2016
Peter Mcornithologist
Brumbuiscuit .Do you have much knowledge of Turul .
9 January 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
I only know if you see one on a t-shirt it’s short odds-on they’re bad fash.
9 January 2018
Brumbiscuit
There’s a BFO one high over the motorway from Vienna about 40 miles from Budapest. Let’s you know you’re nearly home.
http://kirandulastippek.hu/images/news/article/zoom/p84-0.jpg
A mythical, nationalistic representation of Hungary that, as Mr Exford rightly says, has been hijacked by the right. Although a mythical place, not an animal, Ultima Thule plays a similar role for the right in Sweden. Mind you, it wasn’t mythical when a member of the Swedish band Ultima Thule beat up a mate for having the audacity to be English and to go out with his ex!
9 January 2018
johnnyoutofpipkins
‘All you fascists are bound to lose
You fascists are bound to lose’
9 January 2018
brumbiscuit
More caring & sharing fom Viktor Orban: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45860488
17 October 2018
EXXO
Article in the paper yesterday about Orban now appointing the directors of cultural institutions, to esure nobody puts on anything ‘liberal’ and ‘un-Hungarian’ like for example that nadir of cultural decadence Billy Elliot.
By chance some Hungarian military types popped up in Hereforshire yesterday … and don’t they look just the part for a good old crack-down on unheroic, un-Hungarian activities?
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18096992.hungarys-special-thanks-herefordshire-village/
12 December 2019
brumbiscuit
The Treaty of Trianon (dismembering Hungary/reassigning territory more equitably, depending on your point of view) was signed 100 years ago tomorrow. Expect much hand wringing and bleating from the Magyars. I suspect the Slovakians, Romanians and other neighbouring nationalities won’t be quite as glum.
3 June 2020
dr desperate
As the BBC World Service news had it this morning, “The occasion will be marked differently in Budapest (q v) and Bucharest”.
4 June 2020
brumbiscuit
They were bad masters whilst they held sway (First Among Equals!). I sympathise with the many Magyars who found themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the borders, but the overwhelming majority of the territory lost at Trianon was never Magyar, despite the Hungarian Governments best efforts through Magyarisation. The Transylvanian Magyars found themselves in an enclave far removed from their compatriots, in a vast swathe of Romanian-dominated land, so it’s hard to see how their needs could have been accommodated. The Allies could have insisted on some sort of autonomy for the Szekely Magyars, but the Americans had abandoned the Trianon conference and the British and French were in no mood to be fair. We all know what such intransigence caused less than twenty years later, don’t we?
4 June 2020
peter mcornithologist
Travelling northward from Budapest one will arrive at the small town of God .( Q V ) .
18 August 2020
dr desperate
And 11km further up Route 2 from Göd is Vác, twinned with the Transylvanian Hungarian enclave of Szék.
18 August 2020
IDIOT SAUL
Mád is on Route 39, in northeastern Hungary, though I am unable to confirm if Mád men have got Mád sideys.
18 August 2020
Brumbiscuit
Pronounced ‘gird’, ‘varts’, ‘sake’ and ‘mard’, respectively.
Váci ut is a Pest street along which lie many touristy shops and the notorious ‘konszumlányok’; attractive, young women who snare tourists into thinking pretty 20-year-olds are interested in sweaty, middle-aged men and take them to a bar where a beer will cost £100. Something they only find out when the bill arrives. Burly bouncers intervene when a refusal to pay is encountered.
18 August 2020
dr desperate
Excellent Magyar tips there, @Brumi, though I suspect that in day-to-day conversation I’ll still pronounce the towns as Mad, God, Shake’n’Vac.
19 August 2020
Brumbiscuit
One thing the Hungarians greatly lack is any interpretive imagination when non-natives attempt to speak their language. Take the letter ‘a’, for example; used in the very common nam, ‘Kati’ (abbreviated Katalin). We would say ‘Katey’ or ‘Catty’, when the nearest pronunciation would be ‘Cotty’. Any mangling of their words is met with quizzical looks. Oh my, the fun I used to have!
19 August 2020
Brumbiscuit
Name!
And I’ve just noticed that Serbia is missing from the map above.
19 August 2020
Phyllis Triggs
“My hovercraft is full of eels”
19 August 2020
EXXO
Ferencváros back in the group stage draw for the first time in 25 years, after coming through 4 qualifying rounds, all against clubs from higher-rated leagues (this must surely be a record but I can’t see it confirmed anywhere). First Magyar team in group stage for 11 years. Orbán of course has been milking their success (new stadium built for them, summer friendly arranged v. his mate Abramovic’s Chelsea to open it at which he gave a speech milking past glories, etc, etc), just as he’s been milking football increasingly lately. He even tweeted pic of himself putting a bet on the team before the match this week (which he lost, cos they qualified without winning the match).
1 October 2020
paul F
First team from the ‘nent to win at Anfield.
1 October 2020
FerenCváRos fan
We have indeed punched well above our weight to reach the group stage of the Champions League. Manager Serhiy Rebrov deserves a lot of credit. First 3 qualifiers were sudden death, and included a win against Celtic at Parkhead. Watched the bore draw against Molde on Tuesday. Not often I get the chance to watch Ferencváros live. In pot 4 for the draw of course. Hope we don’t finish up being cannon fodder for the bigger sides.
Big day Sunday when we host OTP Bank Liga leaders Puskás Akadémia, who were formed 15 years ago in honour of the great man. Only 2 sleeps left now. Final score to follow idc.
2 October 2020
paul F
The draw was yesterday – your manager has pulled the team where he made his name, alongside the Messi and Ronaldo circuses.
2 October 2020
FerencvÁros faN
@Paul F: thanks for the update. Nostalgic return to Kiev for Rebrov then. To clutch at straws, we have at least avoided Bayern.
2 October 2020
EXXo
I’ll be quite surpised if Fradi don’t replace one of the following in the bottom 3 of the champions league’s twenty odd nul points records:
Levski Sofia, 2006/07. In a group with Chelsea, Barcelona and Werder:
0 points, Goal Ratio 1:17
Spartak Moscow, 2002/03. In a group with Valencia, Basel and Liverpool: 0 points Goal Ratio 1:18
Dinamo Zagreb, 2011/12. In a group with Real Madrid, Lyon and Ajax:
0 points Goal Ratio 3:22
2 October 2020
Bad loser
As someone who travels to watch Barcelona play (16 different countries so far), it was almost inevitable that the COVID related ban on attending football would see a draw that would differ from the usual tedious fare of games in Milan, Lyon or PSG.
It is hugely disappointing not to be able to make what might’ve been my only chance to see a game in the beautiful city of Budapest. Kiev would’ve been good too.
3 October 2020
Ferencváros fan
Super Sunday final score 2-1 to Ferencváros. Conceded in first 5 minutes but goals either side of half time sealed the win, allowing us to leapfrog Puskás Akadémia into top spot.
Újpest, another Hungarian team that featured on my childhood radar, lie in 6th place. Honved won the early kick off 4-2 away from home to climb off bottom spot.
Early days of course, no prizes handed out in October, marathon not a sprint, I’ll get my coat.
4 October 2020
dr desperate
See post 565 in the ‘More HMHB in the Media’ thread for more on Újpest(i), a Hungarian team that obviously featured on Nigel’s childhood radar too.
4 October 2020
Ferencváros fan
Thanks, John. I’d forgotten that piece. I completely get the air of mystery surrounding these teams. The difficulty in finding out info about them only added to their allure.
Thanks to mis-reading the name as Upjest, aged about 8, I never stood a chance for years with the spelling or pronunciation. You really wanted these sides to have a ‘danger man,’ and I remember their 1960s star man was striker Ferenc Bene who, in tandem with Flórián Albert for the national side, helped ensure that Hungary remained a force to be reckoned with at world level for most of the decade.
The other Hungarian outfit from my childhood list of European teams was Vasas Budapest. I think they peaked in the late 50s though, and, disappointingly for me, I never did identify their danger man. Heard nothing about them in years. A quick search of the net tells me they are currently 13th out of 20 in tier 2.
5 October 2020
peter mcornothologist
@ Ferenvaros Fan .Janos Farkas was a prolific goalscorer for Vasas throughout this period. Scored a magnificent goal for Hungary against Brazil during the 1966 World Cup.
5 October 2020
Ferencvárosfan
Thanks Peter. Janos Farkas would have fitted the bill perfectly.
5 October 2020
EXXO
The spread tonight for the Magyars’ more-than-likely mauling seems to be set at Barca -2.85, which does seem rather low, even despite the fact that ‘s about 9 goals better than Barca did in their last match in this competition. So Asian handicap -3 (money back if Barca win by three) is odds against …
20 October 2020
FerencvÁros fan
Grateful to Gerard Piqué for preventing an absolute shellacking. Onwards and upwards…
20 October 2020
FERENCVáROS FAN
Relieved that we will not finish up pointless in the group phase of the Champions League after clawing back a 2-0 half time deficit to draw at home to Dynamo Kyiv last night. There were some elements of good fortune though. Kyiv fielded a weakened side following 2 positive C-19 tests, and, if their captain had not been sent off with 5 minutes of normal time remaining whilst 2-1 ahead, I believe they would have held on for the win. The equaliser came in the 90th minute and also seemed a shade lucky, since we appeared to divert an off target effort into the net. After that, Kyiv needed the final whistle, and we so nearly won it with the last kick of the match with a strike that rippled the net after just clearing the bar. Exciting stuff then and, now that the dust has settled, pleased that we took what was probably our only opportunity to get a point on the board.
29 October 2020
EXXO
Seems like a very fair-minded summary FF! My attention was pricked by the at-first-generous-looking odds available on Dinamo pre-match and so I investigated and found out about the selection issues. Thus, fortunately, I was able to include Kyiv not to lose, rather than to win, in my evening’s wagers. As you say, probably your only point, but it also means that the chances are that on 8th December you go to Kyiv with something to play for.
29 October 2020
EXXO
So, FF, blimey what a time for Hungarian football since we last wiffled in this thread.
Incredible late comeback v. Iceland to secure place at the Euro final (for which they are a host city).
Then the Mighty Magyars win a Nations League group that they were 100/1 to win when it started to get promoted to the top level (and piss off the Russians big time).
Then the mighty Fradi play bloody brilliantly at Juve and only lose in the 92nd minute.
Now golden boy of Hungarian football Dominik Szoboszlai apparently set to sign for Arsenal in January and be undoubtedly a massive star of the Prem in coming seasons…
27 November 2020
FerencvároS fan
@EXXO:
Looks like Hungarian football is indeed on the up, with the recent achievements of the national side truly commendable. My lot far from disgracing themselves in the Champions League also, and so close to returning from Turin with a point on Tuesday, only 3 days after a 1-0 win away to old adversaries Honved to go further clear at the top of the domestic league.
I didn’t know that the golden boy of Hungarian football is being linked with Arsenal. I’ll keep an eye on that one. Cheers.
27 November 2020
FERENCVáROS FAN
When Barcelona went 3-0 up away to Ferencváros after 27 mins last night I feared the worst, so was hugely relieved that there were no further goals. Only behind Kyiv by one goal on GD at the foot of the table. Means we have to win there next Tuesday to qualify for the Europa League, since our head-to-head record is level. Cannot see us getting the win, but having something to play for with one game remaining is more than I expected at the outset. With the benefit of hindsight, I would say we got lucky with our pot C opponent.
3 December 2020
EXXO
A 3-3, 4-4 (etc) draw also qualifies you on the h2h
Sok szerencsét!
3 December 2020
FERencvÁros fan
@EXXO:
Thanks yes forgot that away goals will trump GD in the event of 2 draws in the h2h.
3 December 2020
Brumbiscuit
Boldog Karácsonyt!
As in most European countries, festivities will take place this afternoon/evening, so fry that carp and put on the wine soup…
Presents arrive via the angels, not Santa, although beware of the Krampusz if you’ve been naughty: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus
24 December 2020
Brumbiscuit
BUÉK!
(Boldog Uj Évet, Kivánok)
It never, ever crossed my mind that my first New Year’s Eve in Budapest in 1999 as an EU citizen in a non-EU country, would be a complete reversal all these years later. Nem jó…
31 December 2020
EXXO
I notice one of the Attilas got a goal tonight for the very much underestimated Huns. Orban would approve, and I’m sure the latter will feel at home in Qatar if they do win through.
The showdown for Qatar later this year will not be that far off the 40th anniversary of the last time the two nations went head-to-head for a place at the WC finals – many of us will recall Paul Mariner’s stumbling, tumbling, scuffed finish in late 1981 that took Ingerlund to Spain.
31 March 2021
Ferencváros fan
Remember the England v Hungary 1981 match well. Luck was definitely on England’s side then. Firstly Romania had unexpectedly dropped points to open the door to qualification, and secondly it was a nothing game to an ageing Hungarian side which, with one exception, pretty well went through the motions. They had a fella called Sallai playing for them who was the youngest in the team by several years, and he practically took on England single-handedly. I also recollect that after the match he commented that it was all he could do to share a changing room with his team mates following their lack of commitment.
Agree that Hungarian football is currently on the up, and I would not be surprised to see England dropping points against them this time around.
1 April 2021
EXXO
Thanks, FF – not for the first time you show a very elegant way of pointing out that I was wrong without saying I was wrong – England needed just a point against Hungary to get the place off Romania. I hope I’m not also wrong in recalling that I watched that match in a 14th Century timbered room and was drinking Tolly’s – the firm that owned Ipswich Town and so paid Paul Mariner’s wages.
1 April 2021
Ferencváros fan
Don’t think you were really wrong about anything, Exxo, as the win did ensure qualification.
For my part, I should have pointed out that Hungarian disinterest on the night probably stemmed from the fact that they had already qualified for Spain ‘82 as group winners. I’ll stick to my guns in asserting that, as a squad, they were past their best though. They were eliminated in the group phase in Spain.
1 April 2021
Paul f
Other than the goal, my main memory of the game was the run up where Dave Watson’s injury seemed to have left the whole country in a state of panic whilst debating who should replace him, until Alvin Martin got the nod.
1 April 2021
Ferencváros faN
Now I’ve gone and researched the whole thing. The qualifying group, whilst not a group of death, was potentially wide open. Hungary, England, Romania, Switzerland and Norway. No whipping boys. Well we thought Norway were until they beat England in Oslo. Can you hear me, we have beaten them all etc.
In the group phase in Spain Hungary did shellack whipping boys El Salvador 10-1, but lost 4-1 to Argentina and were held to a 1-1 draw by Belgium. Despite having the best gd in the group, Belgium’s unlikely 1-0 win against Argentina saw both sides progress at Hungary’s expense. No suggestion of complicity. That was (allegedly) in one of the other groups ofc…
1 April 2021
EXXO
I see that Ferencváros have eschewed sealing the title for the second Saturday in a row… can’t help wondering if they’ve been trying to set it up to clinch the deal at home to arch rivals Újpest on Tuesday? Ah well they’ll have it well wrapped up by the time they next play Honvéd, and hopefully the latter will be mathematically safe by then.
17 April 2021
EXXO
Blimey. Football has for several years been a key player in Fidesz’s populism, but this one takes the Biscuit so far – a diplomatic incident in which they accuse Germany of intolerance!
https://hungarytoday.hu/foreign-ministry-summon-german-diplomat-hungarian-coach-petry-dismissal/
https://hungarytoday.hu/coach-petry-claims-press-misrepresented-his-comments/
The sacked coach made the remarks about the more tolerant views of the current Hungarian national (and RB Leipzig) keeper, who incidentally played 17 games for Tranmere Rovers in 2010.
17 April 2021
Brumbsicuit
Bearing in mind the great lengths Orban has gone to to suppress press & broadcast media freedom over the last decade, that is a breathtaking act of hypocrisy.
17 April 2021
Ferencváros fan
It’s good to see I’m not the only person keeping a close eye on the OTP Bank Liga. We could have won title without kicking a ball this afternoon. Anything but a win for nearest challengers and emerging force Puskás Akadémia would have meant we were out of reach. However they beat 5th placed side MTK Budapest 3-0 to close the gap to 11 points with 4 matches remaining.
Despite the 11 point cushion there have been some stumbles since the winter break, most notably a 1-0 reverse at home to bottom side DVTK. I’m not sure we’ll have it all our own way next season.
Incidentally Vasas, who some of us will remember as a crack outfit from the late 50s and early 60s, currently sit top of the Hungarian second tier. It would be good to see them back in the big time next season.
18 April 2021
Ferencváros fan
The big 5, and Spurs, will be disappointed if they were hoping last night that their ESL climbdown would play second fiddle in the media to Ferencváros being crowned Hungarian champions once again…
21 April 2021
Brumbiscuit
Err, it does in Magyar Hirlap: https://www.magyarhirlap.hu/sport
21 April 2021
EXXO
Think Orban’s helped give our lot a few ideas on using football in populist politics.
On Today this morning, Sunak actually dodged a difficult question on a completely different topic by saying that he’d been too busy with football matters yesterday to know the answer (he must have heard whatever kind of imaginary kerrching his imaginary vote-grabbing machine makes, and then remembered he was on Radio 4).
Anyway yeah, my football brain is utterly shellshocked at the moment, feel like I haven’t slept for 3 days with all the kerfuffle, but happy for you FF, and hope Fradi might just have fewer qualifying rounds in the CL next year.
21 April 2021
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
So I understand there was some sort of mild disturbance in the world of European football recently. Glad to hear that it’s all been ironed out satisfactorily.
Seriously, my hat is well and truly doffed. If that happened stateside in, say, the world of college football*, as it very well could, and 15 or 20 of the most elite programs got together and formed a super league, we would probably just shrug and say, “Figured that might happen. Oh, well. It’s about the money. Whaddya gonna do?”
But you blokes took to the streets and stopped it. I can’t even imagine. Kudos, all.
*(Please don’t ask me to explain why we watch collegiate sports with the fervor we do – it just happened that way, okay?)
22 April 2021
EXXO
It’s good that the romantic narrative of ‘fan power’ has spread around the world, and hopefully that was a major part of it, Steve. But we’d hardly got started (trust me, we were gonna go full-on Portland on their greedy asses) and the speed with which they caved in and gave matching apologies makes me think it was all just a pre-planned negotiating ploy, on the part of the “English” 6 in particular.
I ‘took to the streets’ and my banner went viral. All I did was peel off the letters protesting against the last lot of f*ckwitted American owners and daub the new ones in with paint. My only regret is that this time I didn’t use the same kind of iron-on lettering, so next time (with the next, probably even worse, owners) I’ll have to make a new flag from scratch.
Blimey. Someone’s just told me my banner has just appeared on an advert for a major bookmaker on YouTube or something. Hope the photographer’s made a few quid cos it’s been on every media outlet, everywhere.
23 April 2021
dr desperate
Not one of these, was it?
https://twitter.com/i/status/1385345163862675456
23 April 2021
EXXO
Haha no, but I deserved to be on that one – they could and should have got me on my centering of my letters. I would have much preferred being on that one rather than the one they did include me in, which is this very poor man’s attempt at a Charlie Brooker-style “review of the entire history of the Super League in fans’ tweets.”
https://twitter.com/paddypower/status/1385253325654970371
23 April 2021
EXXO
One montage I was happier to be in was at the start of the other night’s MOTD (1 minute 10 seconds, IIRC)
23 April 2021
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
“(trust me, we were gonna go full-on Portland on their greedy asses)”
Wow. I mean, just….wow. I have…no idea…how to feel about this.
Has my fair city and beloved home become short-hand for violent, riotous anarchy? Has its angry youth subculture stained its reputation, even internationally?
Or has it become a beacon of hope for progress through popular rebellion in a increasingly authoritarian world?
Or is Exxo just trolling me?
The mind reels.
24 April 2021
FERENCVáROS FAN
I worked briefly with someone about 15 years ago. He loved his football and spent most of his weekends watching the Prem, La Liga, and Serie A on TV. Whilst it’s each to their own, I always found conversations with him somewhat disconcerting, as he had no club allegiance whatsoever. So on a Monday morning, instead of ‘good win for your lot, do you think they might avoid the drop now?,’ or discussing the form of our local non-league side Solihull Moors, it was all Lionel’s volley against Real Betis, AC Milan’s defence, and Roy’s latest red (yes he was also on first name terms with the top footballers). I don’t know what he’s up to these days but I believe he would have salivating at the prospect of a closed shop league consisting of most of the clubs that he watched on TV.
I did hear the odd voice expressing qualified support for the ESL, but for the remaining 99.9% of us, there was nothing but condemnation. It’s quite an achievement when you can get Liverpool fans giving Gary Neville a big shout out; and politicians, ministers of religion, royalty, football pundits, coaches, players and fans all united against the idea. Maximum respect to you, Exxo, for taking to the streets. I stayed up late on Tuesday to watch the whole thing unravel, although I’d be surprised if that was the final act of the imbroglio. Seriously thinking right now of returning to the non-league fold. Rant over!
24 April 2021
Brumbiscuit
I wasn’t aware you’re a Silhillian, FF. Oltonian, myself, though now residing in wildest Warwickshire. I still make trips there to see folks fairly regularly. Small world…
25 April 2021
dr desperate
Indeed it is: I was at school with FF in Preston. I was his PL at Scouts.
25 April 2021
Ferencváros fan
Solihull-based since 1993, Brumbiscuit. Sounds like I didn’t mention it when we met at Northampton last Feb. Seem to remember you are close to Warwick town centre.
And yes in 1972 I was the subject of a disciplinary transfer from Foxes patrol to Dr D’s Swifts, largely on the basis that he would not put up with any rubbish from me…
25 April 2021
Brumbiscuit
@FF: You may well have mentioned being Solihull-based in Northampton, however my recollective powers tend to escape me after even moderate alcohol intake these days. I’ve since moved to wildest Warwickshire from Warwick, thus rendering an HMHB return to The Leamington Assembly out of walking distance.
19 May 2021
FeRencváros fan
All set for the match of the day then. Ferencváros about to try to emulate last season’s Champions League exploits. Their campaign to reach the group phase begins at home to Prishtina of Kosovo in the first qualifying round, kick off 5pm GMT.
6 July 2021
EXXO
Quite impressed by the Kosovans’ pressing there, thought they might hold out but they’re falling to pieces now. Fradi’s first two scored by a product of Strømsgodset and a product of Standard Liege. Shame the Slovenian chap had to spoil the HMHB-reference party for the third.
6 July 2021
Ferencváros fan
@EXXO:
Good on you for watching the match. Was starting to get a bit concerned when it was goalless after 70 mins. Had to make do with app notifications whilst cooking tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s. Decks clear for THAT match then.
6 July 2021
Brumbiscuit
Looking like my two eldest offspring are going to be studying in Budapest. My eldest is already there at med school; my son now wants to switch to a nuclear engineering course there. It’s 2 years since I was able to visit. Even longer than my last HMHB gig at The Roadmender.
21 July 2021
FERENCVÁROS fan
Hoping for some distraction tonight from Preston North End’s abysmal start to the season (played 3 lost 3, all against unfancied sides) by watching Ferencváros away to Young Boys in the final qualifying round for the group phase of the Champions League at the Wankdorf Stadium, Bern. My boys have already won 3 ties over 2 legs to get this far, most recently as underdogs against Slavia Prague. Young Boys are favourites to progress from this tie, but hoping there is still all to play for in Budapest next week when the final whistle goes tonight. Bring it on!
18 August 2021
dr desperate
Could have been worse.
Hard to understand why they changed the name of the stadium.
http://m.espn.com/soccer/story?storyId=337901&src=desktop
19 August 2021
Ferencváros fan
Agree that the late goal to make it 3-2 to Young Boys allows the pundits to describe the tie as finely poised, but a real opportunity to be in the box seat has been missed by Ferencváros. At 1-1 one of the Young Boys saw red after conceding a penalty. The pen was missed, and although the ball was subsequently put in the net, the goal was disallowed for encroachment. In seemingly no time at all, the 10 men had gone 3-1 ahead. A frustrating night then, although, as the commentary team pointed out, a great match for the neutrals. With away goals counting for nothing this year, I suspect that the missed pen will prove to be the key moment over the 2 legs.
I couldn’t think of anything clever to write about the stadium’s name yesterday, but it has an appeal far beyond smutty football-loving young kids. Thanks to Dr D for the article then. Great headline.
19 August 2021
EXXO
Looking forward to the return leg tonight. One notes that the match officials are Russian, and wonders if Orban has had a word with Putin. We’ll see. The VARs are German, so scope for dodgy dealings will not be endless.
One noteworthy point for old-age armchair Honved fans is that the sheer national importance of Fradi’s qualification led to the postponement of their league match at the weekend, and so we’re above you in the table for the longest period in ages.
24 August 2021
EXXO
Guessed that Uzuni is on pens tonight, and given the Russian ref gone for him anytime at 2/1 and first at 7/1.
Ten nationalities playing for Fradi tonight including the one Hungarian in goal.
24 August 2021
EXXO
Oh dear. First corner rarely leads to a goal …
24 August 2021
EXXO
2-1 after less than half an hour. This should be a cracker now that away goals don’t count extra.*
*They never counted double and they’ll never count for nothing.
24 August 2021
FerencvÁros fan
2-2 on the night at the mo and you can’t take your eyes off it. At least I hope I can continue to keep my eyes on it. I walked along the Grand Union Canal from Lapworth to Warwick earlier in the day, and I’ve taken drink since. Oblivion is threatening.
My money would still be on Young Boys if I bet on football. Guessing we are in the Europa League if we fail to progress. As for the domestic league, as well as having the game in hand, we managed to lose our opening fixture at home, so ground to be made up there for sure.
We’ve just seen red. Christ on a bike.
24 August 2021
dr desperate
That does it.
24 August 2021
EXXO
Well I have to say that Mr. Karasev’s officiation was beyond suspicion on the night so I take it all back. Indeed, true to form I’d have asked Chris to delete my previous 4 posts if it had just been me, 4 or 5 comments in a row, but at least Ferencvaros are giving the Stranraer afficionadoes something to keep them on their toes.
24 August 2021
Ferencváros fan
Just made it to the final whistle. Was fast asleep 10 mins later though. Thoroughly entertaining tie, and the better side has progressed. Good luck to Young Boys in the group phase. Suspect they will incur at least one heavy defeat, but on their day I believe they are capable of giving a fancied side a bloody nose, and in David Wagner they’ve definitely got a manager who knows the time of day.
25 August 2021
EXXO
Another shameful night in the Puskás Aréna earlier this month meant that I actually started cheering for Ingerlund goals – something I haven’t been bothered about since I was a kid – and I guess many of us are hoping the Magyars will get spanked by Albania later this week.
In a uefa.com match report which totally ignored the racist chants that were widespread in the stadium, we were instead informed that “Hungary started with Attila Szalai, Roland Sallai and Ádám Szalai tonight, and now they have Dániel Sallói on. For the uninitiated, their names are pronounced: “Saw-law-ee”, “Shawl-law-ee” (think of Luke Shaw), “Saw-law-ee” – and now “Shawl-low-ee” is on the pitch.” Thanks for that, Uefa.
But following Honvéd’s defeat of early pace-setters V on Friday, I was wondering how the latter, representing a market town near the Ukrainian border with less than 17,000 population, with a stadium holding 3,000 (only ever achieving that attendance once), had maintained a top-flight presence for the last decade. Could they be backed by a multinational industrial adhesives conglomerate like the surprisingly sexy Sassuolo in Serie A (town population 41,000)? Or accounting software billions like the Bundeliga’s much-hated Hoffenheim (village population 3,000)?
No – Kisvárda’s financial backers turn out to be chickens. Hundreds of millions of fat chicks in vast, high tech chicken sheds. Supplying most of the supermarkets and fast-food joints in Hungary. Rather like the Venky’s who own Blackburn Rovers in fact. The Bárány family claim a tradition in poultry farming going back to the 19th century. But interrupted by war, Stalin’s mass deportations and communism, their present company ‘Master Good’ was only founded in 1994 and they have owned the football club since 2013.
It was the grandfather of the current directors who was deported in 1944-45 for 3 years of slave labour and torture in Siberia along with an estimated 600,000 compatriots, about a third of whom are estimated died before they made it home.
So Honvéd help Ferencváros back to the top, where the latter will presumably stay all season, and the Hungary thread becomes only the second to reach its century.
4 October 2021
EXXO
Grr, didn’t notice I’d pasted V instead of using Control+V to paste “Kisvárda.”
4 October 2021
Brumbiscuit
‘Szalai’ would be more like ‘so-lo-ee’ pronouncing the ‘o’ as in ‘sod’.
‘Sallai’ = ‘sho-lo-ee’, further complicated by vowels preceding two identical consonants being doubled in length with added stress.
‘Sallói’ = ‘sho-low-ee’
Stress, as always, on the first syllable. The ‘i’ denotes possession/derivation, so the preceding words are probably place names or family names.
It’s a bugger to learn – I merely scratched the surface – but once you learn the rules, pronunciation is straightforward.
4 October 2021
EXXO
@FF this is a very impressive performance in Slovakia. Easily best Fradi side I can remember, especially in spirit.
27 July 2022
Ferencváros fan
Thanks @Exxo. Watched Germany v France last night, but did see the score, and I understand there were some cracking goals too. The new coach has a good track record, including 5 years as manager of Europe, so fingers crossed for a place in the group phase.
28 July 2022
FErencvÁros fan
For Europe read Russia, sorry. Note to self. Flaming well read before submitting.
28 July 2022
EXXO
Watching the two potential play-off opponents here FF, and as far as I’m concerned the winner of your game tonight is very likely to be in the group stage. And if it’s FTC they could surprise some big names this time…
9 August 2022
FerencvároS fan
I wasn’t lulled by the 1-1 draw in Azerbaijan. Our away form over the last 6 months has been so much better than our home form that I feared the worst when we couldn’t win. Didn’t find any live coverage tonight but have seen the match report, and it sounds like we got what we deserved. No complaints then.
9 August 2022
EXXO
@FF I knew that having witnessed that outstanding Fradi performance in Bratislava in July might just earn me some cash at some point, and it came in tonight with the win in Monaco.
15 September 2022
Ferencváros fan
Well-punted @Exxo. Maybe the bookies failed to take our strong away record into account. Hope you got good odds. Haven’t seen the winning goal but I understand it took a series of deflections before finding the net. They all count though. Our first ever win against French opposition. A good night.
15 September 2022
EXXO
My wife reckons the Israeli women’s team seemed to really lack energy during the later stages of their defeat this evening.
To Hungary women?
Well, yes, hey do have a couple of Muslim players who were fasting. But she said the whole team lacked the vim.
11 April 2023
EXXO
Sztranraer you’d better not reszt on your laurelsz cosz this thread (and the “Hungariansz” thread, for that matter), is coming for you.
5 July 2023
EXXO
isz
5 July 2023
EXXO
The mighty Ferencvarosi 0, a fishing village in the Faroe Islands 3
(Aggregate 0-3).
Cherchesov out!
Orban out!
19 July 2023
Ferencváros fan
Shocker. My boys took one hell of a beating. Not really au fait with the permutations, but guessing they won’t be joining me in the Europa League next season after all.
19 July 2023
EXXO
Just asked Hungarian fella across the road how to pronounce Szobozlai, and we’ve agrees “So-BOSS-lie” will do for now.
19 July 2023
Brumbiscuit
‘Sob-oss-loy-ee is closer.
19 July 2023
MULDOON LIVES!
A great Anfield debut from the young man.
22 August 2023
EXXO
Made me dream of a love affair in far-off Székesfehérvár, the sort of thing that sugars every sending-off.
22 August 2023