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Turkey lost but we were heroes
Danny Brierley26 Jun 2008
German and Turkish football fans partied until dawn today after their dramatic European Championship 2008 semi-final - making it almost impossible to tell who had won.
In Vauxhall, German fans danced in the streets outside the Jolly Gardener pub as they secured their place in Sunday's final with a 3-2 victory.
But across the river in Haringey's Green Lanes, hundreds of Turkish supporters who had descended on the Black Sea Club to watch the game partied long after their team's defeat.
Fans had spilled out of almost every restaurant, pub, kebab shop and taxi office in the road as they huddled around televisions to watch their team defeated in the 90th minute with a German goal.
But despite their loss, Turkish fans remained proud of their team. Murat Karayah, 33, from Bromley, said: "I remember the Eighties when England beat us 8-0 twice. I had lots of stick for that at school, but last night we were a team of heroes."
Serkan Osman, 29, from Lewisham, said: "I was gutted, but still proud of the team. Everyone was upset at the end of the game, but the mood didn't stay down for long." His friend Cetin Cebeci, a businessman from Hertfordshire, said: "We played with a lot of spirit but not a full squad. You don't need a full team when you have that much heart."
In south London the talk centred on the power cut which left TV screens blank and led to fans missing a crucial goal. An investigation is under way by European football officials into the cause of the blackout. Anna Matt, 20, from Camden, said: "The power cut was terrible. We were watching on German TV when the screen went dead. We shouted for the BBC to be put on but that was dead too. Everyone was trying to hush the crowd because they wanted to hear the commentary. It didn't matter though, because we're all so happy Germany won."
Lisa Splitter, an au pair living in West Hampstead, said: "We had been in a different pub first, then Turkey scored and everyone started booing us because they hate the Germans, so we moved pubs. But when the picture went people were chanting 'bloody BBC' and joked they did it on purpose because they don't like Germans. We will celebrate long into the morning after this result."
Teacher Katja Schaefer, 28, and her friend, psychologist Christian Muller, 34, on holiday from Cologne, said: "Even when the Turkey goal went in I knew Germany would win. They can go all the way now." Mr Muller added: "Jens Lehmann made a bad mistake, but it's fine as we are through to the final now."
Reader views (2)
More goals = victory that's the name of the game, no would or should! And who said that football needs to be played nicely?
- Daniel T, London, 27/06/2008 10:01
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I think Turkey should have won! They were so clearly the better side. The Turks proved to the world that they are not only a world class team but have the spirit, hope and faith to go the full distance.
The only reason Turkey lost was because they were 9 men short of their full squad and the 9 missing were mainly starters.
So hats off to the Turks for such a brilliant match not just tonight but all their matches. They're truly are the Come Back Kings of Football.
- Mike Williams, United Kingdom, 26/06/2008 11:51
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