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EDITORIAL: Friday 29th December 2006

Well, we’ve made it by the skin of our teeth this time! Nonetheless, this update brings a veritable feast of photos, some new travel info and the long-awaited part 2 of the Japan Diary. I can also promise to have the Lithuania and Ukraine diaries online between now and the end of February, so by the time Italy comes around we’ll have been fully up to date for at least, oh, 4 weeks!

Speaking of Italy, they have to confirm the venue by 27th January. Some speculation in the Italian press has been pointing towards Bari (an isolated city on the tip of the heel), but as always, NATA encourages patience and nerves of steel to avoid rushing into non-cancellable bookings before things are confirmed. There’s always the package operators…

We will back in the next few weeks with January’s thrilling instalment; expect some more pictures, the Lithuania Diary and maybe even a new Lookalikes gallery. The Loony Alba St Andrews Night was a happy hunting ground: we spotted Cruella de Ville, Harry Hill and Frodo; see for yourself in the gallery.

Have a happy Hogmanay, Paul

NEW: Japan Diary Part 2

The truth finally emerges, more than 6 months after our historic Kirin Cup victory ...more

NEW: LA St Andrews Night 2006

See the photographic evidence from Loony Alba's ever popular St Andrews Night ...more

NEW: Salzburg Mini Guide

A recent whirlwind visit to Salzburg has provided the material for this very brief Mini Guide ...more

NEW: Düsseldorf Galleries: November & December

Not one but two Düsseldorf galleries, from November and December (on Paul's own site)

NEW: Hamburg Gallery

And another visit to Hamburg (for a Fortuna game) has led to these photos ...more

NEW: Ahlen & Dortmund Gallery

Not to mention a brief trip to Ahlen, via Dortmund, for yet another match ...more

 


MINI-UPDATE: Sunday 26th November 2006

Well, as warned there's been a hiatus in service caused by the house move (and more pertinently, by the complete ineptitude of Tiscali to move my broadband connection). Living out in the wilds of East Surrey means even a simple dial-up connection can take half-an-hour to get connected! If you're reading this, then at least it's worked this time!

Anyway, enough moaning. What I can bring you is a very brief update with a clutch of new quotes and a few new bars on the Hamburg mini-guide. What I can't (and will hopefully follow in December once a reputable broadband provider has stepped into the fray) is photos from Hamburg, Düsseldorf and the Loony Alba St Andrews Night, along with the pick of Ally's Ukraine photos.

So, for now, why not see what else the site has to offer? Normal service will hopefully be resumed shortly.

Cheers, Paul

UPDATED: Hamburg Guide

It may not be my favourite German city, but at least I've found another few decent bars to at least numb the pain of being there! ...more

UPDATED: TA Quotes Page

Just the eight this time, from a recent Düsseldorf trip and the Loony Alba St Andrews night (photos to follow...) ...more

 


EDITORIAL: Sunday 29th October 2006

Yet another photo-centric update for now, as I'm still commuting to and from my new job (20 hours a week!). I'm also about to move, meaning NATA's media HQ is moving even further from Netley and setting up shop in East Surrey. Several anticpated weeks of PC downtime will have a knock-on effect to next month's update as well.

Anyway, aside from all the excuses, we can bring you the photos from the famous win against France and the 2-0 defeat in Ukraine. Kiev was a fertile ground for quotes, and a bumper number have been added to the Quotes page. The Toilets of the World page has also continued to expand, and will need to be split into two pages for the next update, particularly in light of the sheer volume of Ukrainian toilet photos I took (and have been sent).

On the football front, there's a B game in Dublin in mid-November (that we won't be at), and another one rumoured for February. We probably won't hear about a venue for Italy until January, however France have been good enough to confirm for the Parc des Princes.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Ukraine Gallery

235 photos of Kiev, Chernobyl and the ghost-town of Pripyat await in the Ukraine Gallery (with more to come from Ally next month) ...more

NEW: France Gallery

And a further 38 from the amazing, historic victory at home to France, including a shot of Sharon's now famous pig tails ...more

UPDATED: TA Quotes Page

No less than 34 gems, mostly from Kiev but with a fair smattering from the France home game and a cracking late entry from Lithuania ...more

UPDATED: Toilets of the World

A couple of cheeky numbers from Arran and a Japan special have been added to the TOTW page- Ukraine is still to come, when I can stomach looking at some of the photos! ...more

 


EDITORIAL: Sunday 24th September 2006

Just like the Tremeloes, words don't come easy to me at the moment, which is why you've got another photo-tastic update to be getting on with. In all seriousness, having just started a new job, being in the process of buying a house and arranging a wedding are all factors likely to inhibit my ability to update the site as fully as I'd like over the coming months.

What we can bring you in this update is even more photos from the Lithuania trip (thanks to Ally M for sending these through and filling in some of the gaps I missed!). The critically-acclaimed (by the Scottish Sun, no less) Toilets Of The World section has had a bumper update thanks to the festering trenches of Lithuania, as well as some quirkiness from neighbours Austria and Slovakia.

On the travel front, there's a German vibe to the rest of the update. My last week of freedom before starting my new job was spent following Fortuna Düsseldorf to the outpost of Emden and taking in a few other sights. You can see the photos, and read the Travel Tips for four more German cities.

The next update should hopefully see at least one diary account making it online - once I settle into the commute, I might even be able to write these things whilst on the train! For now, keep well.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Lithuania Extra Photos

Thanks to Ally, we can now bring you an extra set of Lithuanuia photos, including shots from downtown Kaunas and the trip to the Statue Museum at Grutas Park, as well as some excellent action shots from the game ...more

UPDATED: Toilets of the World

The world-famous Toilets of the World section (as featured in the national press!) has been expanded. Austria, Slovakia and a job(by) lot from Lithuania now line up with the other latrines ...more

UPDATED: Germany mini-guide

All of my gallavanting around Germany does have some benefit - the NATA Mini Guide has now been supplemented with some tidbits on Emden, Essen and Leipzig. The less said about Dresden, the better ...more

NEW: Emden, Essen & Düsseldorf Photos

And speaking of Germany, photos from Helen and Paul's most recent trip, taking in Emden, Essen and Düsseldorf (and 3 matches, featuring 13 goals, in 4 days!) ...more


EDITORIAL: Tuesday 12th September 2006

A bit of a rushed update, as following a week in Lithuania I now found myself with just one week of freedom before starting a new job in a new town. This will also mean a new home for NATA's multimedia empire, and will no doubt mean less time for web updates, but in the meantime, we bring you...

Photo's galore, with over 350 from our recent victorious double header (and more to come too - watch this space!). There's also a large photo gallery on my own site from my trip to the former GDR to see Fortuna take on fallen giants Dynamo Dresden (and also grab a 4th Division game in the Leipzig World Cup stadium).

The Quotes page has also taken a battering, with no less than 17 new gems making the cut. However, the big news this month has to be NATA making national news - The Scottish Sun ran an article on our Toilets, Drunks and Women of the World sections.

Speaking of which, you can expect updates on these sections in the coming months, along with the Lithuania Diary and Part Two of the Japan trip. We'll also be bringing you some extra pics of the Lithuania trip and an updated Vilnius guide. And that's not even mentioing our next double header that's just a few weeks away! Remember, the best way to make sure you don't miss any updates is to sign up for our free Newsletter below.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Lithuania Photos

In record time too! A total of 303 photos, charting dodgy Vilnius pubs (and their toilets!), the game, a trip to Trakai, the TV tower AND the Vilnius derby on the Sunday after the game. It's all here (well, it's not, but Ally's photos will shed light on the bits I missed) ...more

UPDATED: NATA Quotes

Seventeen new quotes have now been captured for posterity - some from the Faroes game, some from Worthing and the vast majority from Lithuania ...more

NEW: Faroes Home Gallery

53 photos from our 6-0 thrashing of the islanders are now online ...more

NEW: Dresden & Leipzig Photos

And finally, and still on a photo theme, there's a stack of pics from Paul and Helen's trip to see Fortuna away in Dresden ...more

As featured in The Sun...

No sooner was the Toilets of the World section on the site last month, than the press had picked up on it! See a scan of the article of here.

 


EDITORIAL: Friday 18th August 2006

As we stand on the brink of another qualifying campaign, 10 years on from the start of last successful one, it's a time for hope, faith and a little trepidation. What's certain is that this is the toughest test Scotland has faced in a long time, however with confidence at a high following the Kirin Cup win and the U19's sterling performance at the European Championships (not to mention the U20 World Cup to look forward to in Canada next year), can we really scrape it?

Following Walter's successful rebuilding, NATA are also on the campaign trail with a stronger squad. Membership is up to 10 (with a strong WAG contingent), and you can view our ugly mugs in our brand new "sticker album".

The first part of the Japan diary is now online, and it's already bulging at the seams. Trust me, it's a good 'un! There's also the long-awaited, tongue firmly in cheek guide to Toilets of the World, to go with similarly offensive sections on Women and Drunks.

Finally, we've also taken the opportunity to overhaul some of the older pages of the site to make some more room in the navigation menu. Postcards and the Joy of Talc have been pensioned off for now, but don't worry: you can still find them in the Web Archive section.

So for now, have a great time if you're heading for the Faroes home match or planning for the Lithuania trip, and we'll be back next month.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: NATA announce squad for EURO 2008

As the Tartan Army counts down to the start of a new campaign, it's time for that long-awaited new. NATA announces the squad to take us down the long path to qualification. Swapsies?...more

NEW: Japan Diary Part 1

It's been a long time coming, and it'll take a long time reading! The first installment of the Japan diary, covering the 5-1 mauling of Bulgaria, is now online ...more

NEW: Toilets of the World

It's the one you've all been waiting for: you've gasped over our Women of the World pages, you've chuckled over our Drunks of the World section, now writhe with discomfort at... Toilets of the World. Carefully selected examples of the world's WC's for your viewing pleasure. And what's more, there's plenty where they came from ...more

Lithuania Resources

If you're heading over to Lithuania next month, why not cast your eye over what we have to offer:

 


EDITORIAL: Saturday 22nd July 2006

Here's a bumper July update to keep you going for another few weeks. There's a little of everything, from pictures to comedy to travel tips to diary accounts to pictures again.

The first weekend of July saw the hugely successful inaugural Tartan Army "Gathering of the Clans" in Aviemore. NATA were proudly represented by Ally, Susan, James and Lynne, and you can now see the photos (including James' brave stint as WESTA's goalkeeper).

There's also another episode of our popular Look-alike Gallery, with a Loony Alba theme. If you have any more suggestions for look-alikes, please keep 'em coming!

Travel-wise, there's a spanking new Stockholm mini-guide, to go with photos from Helen and my recent weekend there, and the latest In Your Sporran Guide covering Slovenia.

Finally, flush from being featured in the Sunday Times' Ecosse supplement, read the full story of NATA's visit to the World Cup last month.

We'll be back in a few weeks; I'm not exactly sure when or what with, so as Shaw Taylor usedto say, "Keep 'em peeled!"

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Aviemore Gallery

Thanks to new NATA member James McCulloch, we can bring you five gallery pages of photos from the recent Gathering of the Clans in Aviemore ...more

NEW: Look-alikes Gallery #12

A definite Loony Alba theme to our latest gallery, with almost half of our fifteen victims belonging to the English capital's very own Tartan Army ...more

NEW: Stockholm Mini Guide

We've only been back a week (see the photos below), but we can already bring you the lowdown on Scandinavia's biggest and prettiest city ...more

NEW: Slovenia In Your Sporran

And that's not all on the travel front, as our Mini Guide to Slovenia is now available in downloadable "In Your Sporran" format ...more

NEW: NATA @ The World Cup: The Diary

I know you're still waiting for the Japan diary (it is being worked on, honest!), but to keep you going here's a wee update on what Helen and Paul got up to in Germany over the first two weekends...more

NEW: Stockholm Photos

And finally, more photographs to keep you amused! A full gallery of midsummer Stockholm from Paul and Helen's romantic (and non-football) weekend away is now on Paul's own site ...more


EDITORIAL: Saturday 24th June 2006

Adding to our Stop Press update of two weeks ago, we can now bring you the full World Cup galleries from our two weekends over in Germany. Whilst it's heart-breaking for us to be there without Scotland, I can confirm it's a superbly hosted tournament, and every German we met is playing their part.

We met a number of fellow Scots on our travels, and did our utmost to remember names, so if you're one of the guys we met and I've messed up, please let me know.

And never mind that mickey mouse Jules Rimet Trophy, re-live Scotland's victory in the Only Cup That Matters (to us, anyway!) with Ally's Japan Extra Gallery, as well as links to another couple of Loony Alba members' sites.

Continuing with the rolling out of our In Your Sporran guides, it's the turn of that beer drinker's paradise, Brussels, to get the NATA treatment. Ljubljana is next up in July.

Until then, keep well, and finally, a very happy 50th birthday to Singing Phil, a true gentleman of the Tartan Army!

Cheers, Paul

NEW: NATA @ WC2006 (Part 2)

The second weekend of our World Cup adventure saw us take in Ghana's stunning win over the fancied Czechs. Why not Czech out these 89 photos to get a taste of Germany ...more

NEW: Brussels In Your Sporran

So you've heard Brussels is boring? After five beer-fuelled trips over the years, putting in extensive research into the best places to sample the best beers, here's the long awaited NATA In Your Sporran Guide to Brussels ...more


STOP PRESS: Monday 12th June 2006

Just pictures, no words, but with this festival of football upon us (and unfortunately without Scotland's involvement), we can at least bring you two new galleries: NATA @ WC2006 (well, for a few days at least!) and, courtesy of Ally and his big camera, a Japan Extra Gallery.

STOP PRESS: NATA @ WC2006 (Part 1)

Helen and Paul were lucky enough to get two pairs of tickets to the World Cup. First up was Poland v Ecuador in Gelsenkirchen on Friday 9th June, followed by matchdays (without tickets) in Dortmund and Cologne. View the photos here

STOP PRESS: Japan Extra Gallery

And that's not all on the photo front - thanks to Ally & Susan we've got another 160-plus photos of the victorious Kirin Cup trip to Japan ...more


EDITORIAL: Sunday 4th June 2006

Usually, we struggle to get NATA Online updated for when we say we will. Sometimes, very rarely, we surprise ourselves and manage a bumper update in double-quick time. And that's not all... we're already planning for another one before June's up.

But for now, feast your eyes on what we have in store for you. Having lived on the South Coast for 19 years, I had never held out much hope for Scotland playing an international just 5 minutes walk from my front door at my home team's ground. So it might have been non league, but it happened in May when Worthing FC hosted Scotland's victory against Ireland. We have the photos, along with those from the defeat to eventual winners Wales and my very camp photo-shoot in between, for your viewing pleasure.

We didn't make the final game (a narrow defeat to England in Eastbourne) as we were celebrating Fortuna Düsseldorf's 3-0 end of season romp - you can see the photos on my own website.

And that's not all - the big news is the return of our ever-popular Look-alikes gallery, with 17 victims in our 11th gallery. If you're suffering from wanderlust, check out the In Your Sporran guide to Bratislava.

Until next time, Paul

NEW: Look-alikes Gallery 11

Back by popular demand, it's our legendary Look-alikes Gallery. Oft imitated, never bettered; check out the latest 17 look-alikes in our eleventh gallery ...more

NEW: Non-League Internationals Gallery

The Sussex coast hosted the 2006 Semi Pro International Home Nations trophy. Check out our gallery from the games at Bognor and Worthing, along with Paul's photo-shoot (there was a free T&T shirt at stake!) ...more

NEW: Slovakia In Your Sporran

Moving on with our In Your Sporran versions of our popular mini-guides, we can now bring you one for Bratislava. Emerging stag party destination and possibly the 19th or 20th city to be labelled the "new Prague" ... more

NEW: Düsseldorf Gallery (again!)

I know there's loads of Düsseldorf photos already, but there's a reason I keep going back! Anyway, our latest visit was for Fortuna's last game of the season and co-incided with a group of Ipswich Town fans. See the photographic evidence on Paul's own site ...more


EDITORIAL: Sunday 21st May 2006

What a trip Japan was! Aside from two fantastic performances (a swashbuckling, and well-deserved 5-1 mauling of Bulgaria, and a determined 0-0 draw against the hosts, and the odds) and a rare chance to see Scotland lift a trophy, those of us lucky enough to go were treated to fantastic hospitality, great beer, weird food and plenty of culture shocks. There's a wee taste of what we got up to in the Japan Gallery, but you'll have to wait a few weeks for the diary guide.

And for anyone not able to make it but looking forward to the next Tartan Army trip, we've updated our downloadable Vilnius guide.

I'm off to the World Cup for the first two weekends, complete with tickets to see Poland v Ecuador and Czech Republic v Ghana, so that will severely curtail update opportunities until the end of June. But fear not, aside from (yet more) galleries of Düsseldorf we have plenty lined up to let those boring summer months fly by! Remember, the best way to keep abreast of updates is through signing up for our Mailing List.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Japan Gallery

Our second largest gallery ever (219 photos) has now been uploaded in record time. In case you're wondering, the mammoth Graz (plus Brno, Vienna and Bratislava) gallery holds first place by a mere 10 photos... more

NEW: TA Quotes

Japan proved a fertile hunting ground for classic Tartan Army quotes, especially with Chris Houston and Tam Coyle jousting for quote supremacy. Check out no less than 22 new jems from the mouths of jakies... more

UPDATED: Vilnius In Your Sporran

Keeping our feet on the ground, and looking to our next real competitive game, we've taken the chance to update our downloadable Vilnius In Your Sporran guide in light of the August 2005 updates. Not a patch on the In Your Pocket guides, but still worth a look... more

NEW: Bucharest In Your Sporran

And here's a new In Your Sporran guide, just in case anyone fancies a trip to romantic Romania... more


EDITORIAL: Sunday 7th May 2006

As ever, things have been hectic here at NATA HQ, but as promised here's a mini update to keep you going for the next few weeks. We will be back with at least one more update before the World Cup kicks off on 9th June (and 2 members of NATA will be at one of the games that day - Poland v Ecuador in Gelsenkirchen).

The online Tartan Army community continues to grow with some excellent sites out there in terms of both content and design. Our links page tries to capture everything out there in cyberspace, so why not check out the latest additions?

We've also been revisiting our Mini Travel Guides and converting them for the In Your Sporran series. The latest to get the treatment is Belarus, but look our for a few more over the coming months, including both Slovenia and Brussels.

Finally, only the pictures front, there's yet another set of Düsseldorf photos - if you haven't sampled the delights of that fine city's Altstadt, I really do recommend taking it in.

We're off to Japan for a flying trip for the Kirin Cup (as shown on BBC Scotland!), so keep well in the meantime, and sayonara!

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Belarus In Your Sporran

After a wee hiatus, we're now back on track with "Sporran-ifying" our web travel guides to make them easier to print off and take with you on your travels. First up is Belarus ...more

NEW: Düsseldorf Gallery

I know there seems to be a lot of Düsseldorf galleries, but that's because it's such a fantastic place! Our latest trip was at Easter with NATA founding member The Wee Man (and Liz) - see the photos on my own website ...more

UPDATED: Links

Our links page has seen a flurry of activity, with new websites from the 1320 TA, the Tartan Army in Norway, Tartan Army Travels, and McMaradona, as well as the recently revamped and fast-growing Geez The Bounce site ...more


EDITORIAL: Sunday 9th April 2006

A wee bit later than planned, but blame the Japanese FA for knocking off schedule! After over three months or rumour-mongering, gossip and false start confirmations, and much to the relief of several dozen early birds who had already booked, Scotland's participation in the Kirin Cup was confirmed early last week. This is the second time we will have competed in Japan's triangular tournament (we played Ecuador and the hosts in 1995), and NATA's travel plans are now in place.

Since our last update in early March, UEFA have stepped in and sorted out the qualifying game schedule. Apart from the inconvenience of missing out on the last round of fixtures, we've ended up with a more favourable fixture list than before, with all of our home matches falling on Saturdays. The other side of the coin means that every away game is midweek, so a nuisance from a holiday perspective!

We hope to fit in a small update between now and the Japan tour, but remember - the best way to keep your ear to the ground is to sign up for our free newsletter.

Sayonara, Paul

NEW: The plan for Japan

NATA's Nippon adventure is all scoped out, and you can read about here, along with a list of very useful links. You can even download a useful list of Japanese Words (courtesy of Cammy The Ref) ...more

UPDATED: Euro 2008 Preview

Following the delayed UEFA draw to sort out our fixture card, you can now view previews of all our forthcoming trips by date order ...more

UPDATED: Travel Details

And now the dates are sorted, plans can be made. NATA are already booked up for Lithuania and Ukraine. Read all about our travel plans, as well as some general info that may help ...more


EDITORIAL: Saturday 4th March 2006

First things first, the Euro 2008 Qualifiers are still waiting to be set - UEFA have set Thursday 9th March as the date for negotiating, else they will pull out a random draw (and open up all kinds of Faroes/Georgia away double-header scenarios!). Whilst not a fan of the original set of fixtures, I'd now be over the moon if they were agreed. However, for now, in the words of Sydney Youngblood, "all we can do is sit is wait..."

The Kirin Cup rumours continue to gather pace, with the BBC website suggesting that Bulgaria are confirmed for games on 9th and 11th May, coupled with an article in last Wednesday's programme suggesting Scotland may accept an invite for games on 11th and 13th suggests an announcement could be imminent. Personally, I'm not booking until this is signed and sealed!

The reason for only one update in February, despite the to-ing and fro-ing over Euro 2008 qualification fixtures, was spending three of the four weekends (and one of the weeks in between) in Germany

As a result, the NATA Mini Guide to Germany has been updated (a little bit of Cologne and Dusseldorf, and a lot of Hamburg), as well as two galleries (covering North Rhine Westphalia and Hamburg) on my own website.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Switzerland Home Gallery

Twenty-five snapshots of our Swiss shaming are now online. If you weren't there, don't worry, you didn't miss anything! ...more

UPDATED: Hamburg Guide

Fresh from a Fortuna trip to St Pauli, we've brought the Hamburg guide up to date. There's now a bar list (including a St Pauli fans' bar and a brewpub) to whet your appetite ...more

NEW: North Rhein Westphalia Photos

A mixed bag of photos on Paul's personal site featuring Essen (Fortuna away game!), Cologne and Düsseldorf across a 10-day period in early February ...more

NEW: Hamburg Photos

And a gallery devoted to a weekend in Hamburg (St Pauli 1, Fortuna 1) - now do you see why there was only the one update in February? ...more


EDITORIAL: Wednesday 1st February 2006

Well, after much gnashing of teeth, we finally know what stands in the way of qualifying for our first finals in 10 years. There's two ways to look at a qualifying draw: "can we qualify" from a football perspective, and "have I got nice places to go on my holidays". Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, the answer is pretty much "unlikely" on both counts.

On a personal level, Ukraine and Georgia offer pastures new (and another chance to practice my basic Russian!), whilst the others are familiar in one degree or another.

In any case, there's nothing we can do about it now... except plan for the trips if that's your bag, and it certainly is ours. Our Euro 2008 Travel Preview should give you a few early pointers, but the real fun planning fun begins when the fixtures have been agreed (rumours suggest this could be next week).

Unfortunately, this is very likely to be our only update for the month, as I've another busy one ahead of me. However, it's a beauty - there's loads of travel info (Austria, Slovenia and Czech Republic) and some photos from a recent trip to Prague to keep you busy.

We'll be back in early March with more info on how the Euro 2008 fixture list is shaping up, along with what travel plans NATA members are weighing up. Until then, keep well.

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Euro 2008 Qualifiers Travel Preview

The draw's been made, and it's not the kindest. Trips to France, Italy, Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia and the Faroes await - get some advance information now with the NATA Travel Preview... more

UPDATED: Austria Guide

And on a related note, the NATA Mini Guide to Austria has now been updated. Read about the sights and bars of Austria's second city, Graz, along with Euro 2008 Finals venues Innsbruck and Vienna... more

NEW: Slovenia Guide

Is Ljubljana the "new Prague"? It's a strong contender, but you can judge for yourself with the aid of our newest mini travel guide ...more

UPDATED: Prague Guide & NEW: Brno Guide

And if you'd rather think about the "old Prague" before worrying about a new one, the travel guide to the Czech Republic has been updated with some brand new, bang up-to-date info... more

NEW: Prague Photos

Still on a Prague tip, here's 84 photos of our latest visit in January 2006. If you've not been, go now before it gets even more westernised! ...more


EURO 2008 DRAW STOP PRESS: Friday 27th January 2006

Well, it could have been worse. But it could have been much, much better...

Scotland have been drawn in Group B for the European Championship 2008 Qualifiers. The fixtures will be decided in the coming months, and are expected to start in September 2006. The teams standing in our way (in seeding order) are:

  • France
  • Italy
  • Ukraine
  • Lithuania
  • Georgia
  • Faroe Islands

Stay tuned to NATA Online for next week's bumper update, including a preview for each of our opponents.

(This mini update also included a NATA "South Park" spoof as a banner - see it here)

Cheers, Paul


EDITORIAL: Sunday 15th January 2006

Happy Birthday to us! Five years after first hitting the internet, NATA Online is still here and bigger and better than ever before! I hope you liked our retro-style homepage, but rest assured we'll not be going back to that style. In fact, you can sneak an exclusive look at how we almost redesigned in mid-2005 by looking through our Five Years of NATA Online.

This update's not all about patting ourselves on the back! The 2005 Diary has been brought bang up to date with the inclusion of Slovenia, and a brand new Belarus Mini Guide is now online, in case you fancy a quick return to Minsk? Bringing up the rear is an amended Vilnuis Guide.

And there's lots more planned through the Spring as wait for our first Scotland game of the year - there'll be more Travel Guides, including some new In Your Sporran guides, but most pressingly, we'll be bringing a review of the Euro 2008 Qualifying Draw that is now only two weeks away.

In the meantime, enjoy the updates.

Cheers, Paul

Five Years of NATA Online

Did you know NATA Online has been updated every 21 days on average? Or that there's over 3,500 pages on the site? Here's a look back at some of the quirks and curiosities of the past five years... more

NEW: Slovenia Diary

The missing link from last year has now been added - cast your mind back to our impressive, but ultimately hollow, hammering of the Slovenians in October. The NATA Diary covers a full 8 days, including probably the best brewery tour in the world... more

NEW: Belarus Guide

Thinking of Minsk? Then check out our new Belarus Mini Guide, complete with our Raving Reporter, Richard Ross, giving his lowdown on the club scene... more

UPDATED: Lithuania Guide

Vilnius is fast becoming stag central, however we braved it in August last year and came away with four new pubs to tell you about. These have been added to the Vilnius section of the Baltic mini guide... more


EDITORIAL: Sunday 1st January 2006

Welcome to 2006 - I hope you had a good hogmanay and wish everyone a good New Year!

First things first, many apologies for the unavailability of NATA Online for a few days over the Christmas period. Unfortunately, our webhosting company was unable to sort this out until after the bank holiday period. In case you missed anything, I've left the links on the front page.

At long last, the blow-by-blow account of our trip to Graz back in August (yes, it really was that long ago) has finally been published. Which is just as well, as Graz features in our list of 2005 Highlights. Recent visits to Berlin (in October) and Osnabrück (in December) have been reflected by updates to the ever-expanding Germany Mini Guide.

Lined up for the very near future are the Slovenia diary, new Travel Guides to Slovenia and Belarus, plus amendments to the Austria, Czech and Lithuania guides. Rest assured, if we're lucky enough to draw any of these countries in the Euro 2008 Qualifiers, NATA Online is the place to come for all your inside travel information!

In the meantime, enjoy the New Year, good luck in keeping your resolutions and remember to check back later in the month (or sign up for the NATA Newsletter) for another update.

Happy New Year! Paul

NEW: Highlights of 2005

Whilst we wait for the Euro 2008 Qualifying draw at the end of the month, why not look back on Paul's nominations for the highlights of 2005 ...more

NEW: Austria Diary

It's been a wee while coming, but now, a mere five months after the trip to Graz, we can bring you the NATA write-up of the Austria excursion ...more

UPDATED: Germany Mini Guide

The Germany Mini Guide continues to grow apace, with two new additions to the NATA Travel tome. An autumnal visit to Berlin along with a brief winter trip to the Weihnachtsmarkts of Osnabrück have taken the number of German cities reviewed to fifteen... more

And just in case you missed it...

Seeing as NATA Onlone was offline for a week, here's what you may have missed from our last update:


Last year's updates are detailed on the News Archive 2005

 

 

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