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News Archive
2001-07 |
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As the end nears on a varied (and
expensive) year in the life of a Scotland fan, with
good victories in Vienna, Toftir and Paris book-ended
by 2-0 defeats in Bari and Tbilisi, we can look back
on our successful climb up the rankings and our reward
of a manageble qualifying group for 2010.
This update sees over three hundred
Georgia photos online, along with my own look back
at the highlights of the year. Another installment
of our popular Look-alikes makes it online with no
less than thirteen new likenesses, and topping it
all off is a trio of German Christmas Market galleries
(there's three football games lurking in there as
well).
I'm aware we're lagging behind a
wee bit on the diary front, but the lack of planned
games (and manager) should provide the necessary lull
for me to rediscover my creative flow and put pen
to paper (or finger to keyboard) once more. For now,
have a great Christmas and good Hogmanay, and see
you next year!
And remember, we'll always have
Paris...
Merry Christmas, Paul
Bit of a big one, this! 12 gallery pages with no
less than 335 photos from the Tbilisi trip ...more
Hot on the heels of last month's Look-alikes gallery,
here's the next installment featuring 13 more victims
...more
If there's a man you can count on for a good list,
it's our web-daddy Paul. Here's the obsessive-compulsive's
run-down of 2007's highlights, from the best beers
to the best games ...more
Two long weekends in Germany, and three galleries
of photos, if anyone's interested... Weekend #1 in
Wiesbaden,
Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, plus Paul
and Helen's
photos of Weekend #2 in Dortmund and Düsseldorf. |
It wasn't to be for Euro 2008, but
as Big Eck himself said, it's not about "glorious
failure"; the campaign was a success and moved
us up two qualifying pots. And it was out of the second
seeding pot that we've been drawn for WC2010 qualifying.
In this update, we bring you the
gallery from the emotional roller-coaster that was
the Italy home game, plus a handful of new quotes.
On the comedy front, the fifteenth installment of
the Look-alikes Gallery is now ready to be revealed
to an expectant public, with the promise of more to
come. Finally, we have confirmation of the World Cup
Draw, but no travel information as yet.
Next month will see the Georgia
gallery (over 300 photos, hence the delay!), some
initial travel info for the WC2010 opponents plus
Look-alikes #16 (seriously, it's waiting in the wings!).
Until then, good luck with the Christmas shopping
and the inevitable parties!
Cheers, Paul
Forty-eight photos from the so-near-yet-so-far game
against Italy, including many of the ovation at the
end of the game ...more
Back by popular demand, after a wait of nine months,
it's Number 15 in the series of NATA Look-alike galleries
...more
Just three new quotes from the Italy game, but plenty
were added last month following the Georgia trip ...more
We've been drawn in Group 9 with Netherlands, Norway,
Iceland and Macedonia standing between us and South
Africa. More info to come soon, but the (empty) dates
are on the Travel page ...more |
Due to a little something called
"MiFID" (it's an EU Directive about easing
cross-border investment business, and related to what
I do for a living...), not to mention a week in Georgia,
I've been a bit on the busy side of late.
So, in effort to maintain the run
of monthly updates stretching back 34 consecutive
months (to November 2004), we can bring you the latest
quote instalment, plus over 100 photos from the storming
3-1 home win against Ukraine.
There's a whole shed-load of stuff
we will (eventually...) be putting online, including
questionnaires, look-alikes galore, some more travel
info plus the obvious omissions (Georgia photos, diary
accounts stretching back to the Faroes), it's just
a case of finding time. Helen does have to apply for
a passport in her new name shortly, so that will one
silver lining on a cloudy, travel-free month.
Anyway, for now, enjoy the anticipation
of the forthcoming make-or-break clash with Italy
and keep the faith!
Cheers, Paul
118 photos from the recent 3-1 win against the WC
quarter finalists, although I have to admit that 50
of them are from inside Hampden ...more
Fourteen new quotes, including two late entries from
Paris, as well as loads from Georgia and a couple
from Glasgow ...more |
Three games to go and we're sitting
on top of the table! Hard to believe, but we've still
got a long way to go, with home matches against two
of the World Cup quarter-finalists and a tricky away
trip to the very edge of Europe. Still, it can be
done...
This update is one of the those
bumper photo ones, with galleries from both games
in the recent double-header, plus some holiday snaps
from Magdeburg (check out the mental pink Hundertwasserhaus
building!). We've also added a lighter than normal
load to the quotes page - I think everyone must have
been so stunned to come out with the normal level
of wit.
Looking to the future, we'll be
back in late October with photos from the next round
of games and hopefully getting the diary accounts
back on track (given both France and the Faroes were
flying visits, they really shouldn't take too long
to write...). For now, take care, enjoy our rareified
position as kings of the castle, and KEEP THE FAITH!
Cheers, Paul
A treasure trove of photos from a truly memorable
match in Paris. Remember, if we beat France again
we get to keep them! ...more
And let's not forget the sterling performance at
home to the Lithuanians a few days before, with what
we all thought at the time was McFadden's best goal
for Scotland ...more
Not the most fruitful double-header for quotes, there
are nonetheless seven new gems for you delectation
...more
And finally, still giddy from Paris, Helen and Paul
flew to Dresden the Friday after to take in Fortuna's
defeat to FC Magdeburg ...more
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W.H. Davies may have been stretched
for time to stand and stare, and Mr Kipling may have
made exceedingly good cakes, but here at NATA Towers
it's the website we struggle to squeeze in to our
hectic schedule.
Nonetheless, we've yet again kept
up our run of monthly updates (that's now 33 consecutive
months we've somehow chalked up, since November 2004).
It may not be big, it may not be clever, but at least
it's here...
On the Tartan Army front, we can
bring you a concise diary account of the trip to Vienna,
as well as a look back at some previous experiences
of next month's away game venue, Paris. Travel-wise,
there's a whole host of new pubs added to our Berlin
guide, and finally, one of our "sister"
websites has been updated (giving a clue as why the
webmaster hasn't been around at weekends to do his
job on here properly, perhaps!).
Anyways, September brings a crucial
double-header at home to Lithuania and away to France,
and after the next round of results, we should have
a much clearer picture as to whether we'll be going
back to Austria next summer.
Cheers, Paul
Shorter and sweeter (but with no added sugar!), here's
the diary from Vienna. It means nothing to me... more.
Three trips to Belin in the past 5 months have turned
up no less than 8 excellent pubs added to our mini-guide...
Prost!
Paul's fledgling Fortuna Düsseldorf fan-site
continues to grow, with pictures from the first three
away games (all 1-0 wins!) now online, if anyone likes
that kind of thing... more.
Here's a few wee nuggets to get you in the mood,
from past NATA trips to the city of rudeness and slow
service...
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Another picture special this month,
I'm afraid! But there's some good ones - a full gallery
from the Faroes courtesy of Ally and Susan, including
some stunning scenery (if you like that kind of thing...)
The Loony Alba boat trip was a roaring
success, and with plenty of help from Bruce and Chris
Houston, nearly 100 photos ended up on the NATA camera,
including some weird and wonderful effects courtesy
of Chris.
Finally, completing the picture
round-up, snaps of Helen and my trips to Amsterdam
and Stockholm make up the rest of this update, along
with some tweaks to the Stockholm guide to explain
where to find cheaper pear cider!
We can but hope to bring you a new
diary update in August, along with a new Lookalikes
gallery, a look back at previous French adventures
(ahead of September's qualifier) and anything else
that occurs to us in the meantime. Until then, enjoy
the anticipation that comes with the start of a new
football season...
Cheers, Paul
One man's poison is another's passion and all that.
Whilst Paul spent just a day in the Faroes, Ally and
Susan spent a week, and have 179 photos to show for
their endeavours ...more
The owl and the pussycat may have gone to sea, but
for Loony Alba's Tartan Navy, they've simply gone
to seed. Almost 100 photos from July's riverboat swally
...more
Paul and Helen's second summer jaunt to Stockholm
brought more fantastic weather and the first competitive
football of the new season (Hammarby v Cork City in
the Intertoto Cup). The pics
are on Paul's own site, and the guide
has been updated too.
And finally, some pictures of another summer trip
(to Amsterdam) are also on Paul's own site. I know
this can come across as a little "what I did
on my summer holidays...", but if someone else
wants to try their hand at writing some material ...more
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Well, yesterday
was a landmark for NATA, with a birthday meaning 90%
of the membership are now over the age of 30 (and
the youngest seemingly having hung up his kilt for
now!). We're not letting age slow us down though,
oh no...
The recent double header brought two wins, three
goals and none conceded, and bizarrely, a drop in
the all-but-meaningless FIFA rankings!? The win in
Toftir may have excorcised some ghosts, but in qualification
terms, it's only allowed us to keep pace as the top
teams keep winning according to form. Nonetheless,
the more points we can get now, the better chance
we stand of jumping pots for the WC2010 draw in November.
This update brings Austria and Faroes galleries,
a (short) Bari diary and 17 spanking new quotes from
Vienna, with the promise of more to come from the
Faroes in our next update. And that's not to mention
Ally's Faroes Gallery and a new set of Lookalikes,
which should be in our next update in the next 2-3
weeks. Until then, enjoy the summer...
Cheers, Paul
Only a day-trip, but still 90 photos in the NATA
Gallery (plus a shed load more in Bruce's
own collection) ...more
And a whole load more pictures from the Vienna friendly,
bookended by weekends in Germany - 170 to be precise
...more
Not much longer than a day trip for Bari either,
but at least that means for a shorter diary account!
A tale of red wine, pizza and passports ...more
The Austria and Faroes trips yet again proved to
be a fertile bedding for quotes - the first part (17
quotes from Vienna) is now online ...more
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After a stop-gap update in April,
normal service is now resumed! Ally's excellent Bari
photo gallery makes up for the whirlwind stop by Paul
and Helen (the equally concise diary account should
be available come June's website update!), and also
on the photo-front are some snaps from Paul and Helen's
wedding.
On the travel side, we've finally
updated the Glasgow Pub Guide, despite there not being
a home match until September, as well as bringing
a first look at the new Wembley, with a comprehensive
travel guide/diary account based on the FA Trophy
Final, plus over 200 photos (especially for those
of you who like looking at car park photos!).
Still on the travel front, we've
got links to the historic Austria and Faroes info,
including the diary accounts and photo galleries.
For anyone still umming and ahhing, I can really recommend
Vienna as one of Europe's truly great cities, with
lots to and see (and drink, of course!). Did you know
that it has more vineyards than any other European
city... ?
Expect a new update in June, following
the double-header away trip. As well as photos from
both games (or from Glasgow Airport if the Faroes
flight is fogbound!) and the long-awaited Italy diary,
you can also expect James' questionnaire and maybe
even some new look-alikes. Until then, whether you're
heading to the games, watching on the telly or following
on the web, hope you enjoy them and we get the results
befitting the 14th best team in the world...
Cheers, Paul
With Paul's photographic
opportunities hamstrung by his short visit (less than
20 hours in central Bari), it's fallen to Ally to
come up with a more comprehensive record of the recent
defeat to Italy ...more
It's been due an update for a wee while, and although
there's no home games for another few months, the
Glasgow Pub Guide has now had an overhaul with a few
new pubs added and a few closed ones removed ...more
The day before the Georgia home match (not a coincidence)
saw NATA stalwarts Paul and Helen tie the knot in
a small ceremony after a 10 year courtship ...more
Thanks to ScottK, Paul and Helen managed to get along
to the first competitive game at the new Wembley -
Kidderminster against Stevenage in the FA Trophy.
A travel guide and some photos
are the net result ...more |
Unfortunately, a combination of
lack of spare time, writer's block, tiredness and
a minor software failure have conspired to ensure
that there is no proper NATA Online update this month.
Rather than leave the website sitting dormant (remember,
only 8 months since January 2001 have gone by without
at least a minor update!), I've turned my attention
to the upcoming double header...
Late May sees a friendly visit to
Vienna - a game that would ordinarily attract a few
hundred travelling Tartan Army footsoldiers. However,
couple this with our fourth visit to the North Altantic
outpost of Toftir in the Faroe Islands in the last
12 years, and you can start to see why this trip is
attracting more interest than usual. From my own perspective,
I'm over the moon, as Vienna is one of my truly favourite
cities and can offer a whole host of things to do
and see - some of which are covered in the NATA Guide.
The Faroes? Well that offers distinctly less possibilities...
Cheers, Paul
Looking towards next month's friendly
in Vienna, we can bring you a Vienna
Guide along with a diary
account and photos
of the Mattersburg B game (for which we stayed in
Vienna). And we've even a guide to Bratislava
if you're going that way...
If you're braving the rocky North
Atlantic wilds to see Scotland play at the top of
a mountain (seriously!), then forewarned is definitely
forearmed! Here's our guide,
plus 2002's diary
and gallery. Happy reading...
Not all of Paul's websites have
stalled - here's his Fortuna Düsseldorf fan site,
in case anyone is interested in the adventures of
a Third Division North game ...more |
Well, talk about the skin of our
teeth!? You think I'm talking about Craig Beattie's
shinned winner last week against Georgia? No - I'm
talking about my pledge to keep this site refreshed
with monthly updates...
Anyway, here we are, and it's a
photo special for this photo finish: three Scotland
galleries, plus a host of Fortuna photos for anyone
who's interested. The Italy Gallery may seem a little
more sparse than usual, but then a shorter trip does
make for fewer photo opportunities. On the other hand,
the Georgia game may have been on the shortest day
of the year (with the clock's moving), but a bumper
NATA crowd were in attendance.
As well as the usual quotes that
inevitably spill over the sides of the frothing pint
glass that is a Scotland double-header, we also take
a step back to the future with a return to the "Meet
NATA" questionnaires we last had back in 2001-02.
Although there's been much beer under the bridge for
all of us since then, we're starting with someone
who hadn't previously filled one in, hence you being
treated to Bruce's fresh, and slightly askew, perspective
on matters.
April should bring another update
with an Italy diary account (again, a short trip means
a short diary account!), some travel info and hopefully
some more photos.
Cheers, Paul
Is this the fastest ever photo gallery on NATA? Possibly,
but when you're in Bari for around 20 hours, there's
less photos to worry about! ...more
Resurrecting a very old tradition, here's NATA's
own hot-pants wearing Oliver Hardy impersonator Bruce
Cairns on what makes him tick ...more
No less than nineteen new gems, including 13 from
the recent double header, now grace the Quotes page
...more
Four gallery pages of pics from the recent last gasp
win against the Georgians are also online for your
viewing pleasure ...more
And from 3 days in getting the Italy gallery online,
here's Ally's photos from the Ukraine five months
after the event! Blame Paul moving house and losing
the CD ...more
And if anyone still wants to see yet more photos,
there's galleries from Fortuna Düsseldorf's home
games against Dynamo
Dresden and Wuppertal,
and their trip to Magdeburg
on Paul's own site |
It's been a few weeks, but to make
up for it here's six morsels of NATA-ness to keep
you all going for a month. Like a total lunar eclipse,
the puclication of the Ukraine diary brings NATA Online
fully up-to-date on the diary front. Enjoy it while
it lasts...
And on a Ukraine front, next month
we can bring you an extra photo gallery courtesy of
Ally. He did give me the CD months ago, but I only
just found it yesterday going through some of the
boxes from my recent move.
Anyways, this month also brings
a new set of Look-alikes, a Loony Alba gallery and,
following Paul and Helen's recent stag/hen do, no
less than 14 new quotes and the accompanying photographic
evidence.
Finally, for all those of you who
want to know how we're getting to places and what
we'll be doing when we're there, the Travel Details
page has been updated to boot.
In addition to the Ukraine Extra
gallery, next month should also see the resurrection
of the Meet NATA Questionnaires and a new downloadable
travel guide. Until then, we've got two tricky qualifiers
to negotiate with our new manager at the helm. Here's
hoping for a repeat of the majestic France performance.
Cheers, Paul
Just five months after the event,
but still well worth a read to whet your appetite
for the next away game, here's the Ukraine diary ...more
From the usual suspects to a smattering
of new faces, here's yet another thirteen look-alike
victims ...more
Paul and Helen's recent joint stag
and hen do to Düsseldorf in the company of all
but one of NATA netted no less than 14 new quotes
...more
Okay, it's another Düsseldorf
gallery, however given nine members of NATA (plus
another 5 TA regulars) were in attendance, it's been
given the full NATA treatment ...more
It was a terribly drunken night,
and most of the NATA photos have already been donated
to the excellent Loony
Alba website, but here they are in their natural
home ...more
With the two big games now in confirmed
venues (Italy in Bari, France in Paris) and the Austria
friendly being announced, some firmer plans have been
laid in place ...more
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Happy New Year from all at the Netley
Abbey Tartan Army!
This month's bumper update brings
something for everyone: words, pictures, controversy
(well, my own opinions on what was best about the
year past) and, hopefully, some laughs from our newest
look-alikes gallery.
This update comes at a time of upheaval
for the national team following Walter Smith's departure.
There's not much I can really add to this rather than
try and encourage everyone to look forward and not
back - we are top of our group, after all!
And speaking of looking forwards,
already guaranteed for your viewing pleasure in February's
update is the Ukraine diary and the next installment
of the Look-alikes Gallery. Why not sign up for our
free update news email to make sure you don't miss
out?
Cheers, Paul
We can now bring you the drink-by-drink account of
NATA's week in Lithuania - only one more account to
go (Ukraine), and that's only a month away ...more
Twelve new sets of look-alikes, ranging from established
NATA members to Sideshow Bob and a Madchester flashback
...more
Following on from the "Best of 2005", here's
list-obsessed Paul's own highlights of the year just
gone ...more
And finally, some more of Paul's holiday photos:
Salzburg,
Prague
and Accrington
Stanley (away at Bristol Rovers ...on paulallison.co.uk
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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
The truth finally emerges, more
than 6 months after our historic Kirin Cup victory
...more
See the photographic evidence from
Loony Alba's ever popular St Andrews Night ...more
A recent whirlwind visit to Salzburg
has provided the material for this very brief Mini
Guide ...more
Not one but two Düsseldorf
galleries, from November
and December
(on Paul's own site)
And another visit to Hamburg (for
a Fortuna game) has led to these photos ...more
Not to mention a brief trip to Ahlen,
via Dortmund, for yet another match ...more
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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
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
Just the eight this time, from a recent Düsseldorf
trip and the Loony Alba St Andrews night (photos to
follow...) ...more
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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
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
And a further 38 from the amazing,
historic victory at home to France, including a shot
of Sharon's now famous pig tails ...more
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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 |
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
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
Seventeen new quotes have now been captured for posterity
- some from the Faroes game, some from Worthing and
the vast majority from Lithuania ...more
53 photos from our 6-0 thrashing of the islanders
are now online ...more
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
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.
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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
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
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
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
If you're heading over to Lithuania next month, why
not cast your eye over what we have to offer:
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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 |
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
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
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
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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.
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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
And here's a new In Your Sporran guide, just in case
anyone fancies a trip to romantic Romania... more
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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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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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
Twenty-five snapshots of our Swiss shaming are now
online. If you weren't there, don't worry, you didn't
miss anything! ...more
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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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
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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
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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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
Seeing as NATA Onlone was offline
for a week, here's what you may have missed from our
last update:
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Sometimes things happen completely
out of the blue and out of one's contril that change
all plans beyond all recognition. December has been
one of those months, and has seen all bets off, all
Christmas market travel plans change, and ultimately,
the website update shrink from what had been planned.
Rest assured, the Austria Diary
has been half-written and WILL be ready in January,
to be followed quickly by the Slovenia trip account!
For now, it's more of a graphic and beer-flavoured
update to get your festive chops around.
A recent visit to the winter wonderland
of Brussels has resulted in a personal photo gallery
and a juicy update to our pretty comprehensive mini-guide.
This was followed a few weeks later by a flying visit
to Osnabrück to watch Fortuna's demise.
Finally, people often ask how I
always manage to track down weird and wonderful places
to drink - I'm now sharing my best-kept secrets by
adding all my beer websites to the Travel Links page.
So that's your lot for now. Enjoy
the bunting and frolics, and hopefully see you next
year!
Have a great Christmas!
Paul
A snow-covered accident waiting to happen! Savour
the atmosphere of ungritted, ice-clad sloping cobbled
streets with these 20 photos from my birthday trip
...more
At last, the truth is out. Learn all about the joys
of "scooping" and find out where all those
pesky foreign micro-breweries are hiding! The rest
of the Travel Links have also been reviewed ...more
Unable to safely walk the streets for fear of taking
a header, we had no choice but to seek shelter from
the blizzards in a number of local hostelries, purely
for the sake of keeping intrepid NATA travellers genned
up! ...more
Finally, here's 32 photos from one day in Osnabrück,
with a little bit of Christmas Market and a lot of
humiliation for Fortuna, who went down 5-0. But hey,
we got to see someone burn a scarf! ...more
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See, I promised that the last one
was just a quick update, and I was right! Yet again
there's more eye-candy and less to read, but that's
just representative of the shortening attention spans
of today's discerning internet user. Or possibly because
I'm still suffering writer's block! Anyway, put all
thoughts of Austria and Slovenia diaries from your
minds for now and focus on...
A bumper gallery of photos from
our credible draw with the USA, as well as a real
Look-alikes frenzy - marvel as Campbell "Ming"
Burton makes a bid to become the most photographed
man in the Tartan Army as he grooms his Lenin beard!
Finishing off this update's quartet of tidbits is
a brief description of Warsaw in the travel section.
December promises to be a hectic
month with lots of travel lined up, so any update
is likely to be brief again, but please do stay tuned!
Cheers, Paul
Sixty photos of the trip to Glasgow (by car, for
a change) have been added to our ever expanding gallery
...more
Seventeen new faces meet their match on the latest
Look-alike gallery, including several well kent faces
from the Tartan Army at large ...more
And a normal Look-alike Gallery is not enough to
hold the man of many faces (and no forenames), Campbell
Burton ...more
And last, and at last, here's a wee update to the
Eastern European Travel Guide following a short trip
through Warsaw in June this year ...more
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Just a quick update to keep things
ticking over, with over 250 photos from Slovenia (and
a separate trip to Berlin) now online.
Coming soon (maybe even later this
month, maybe not...) will be the diary accounts of
Slovenia and Austria (remember that?). There's also
loads of new and updated travel info that I'll be
adding to over the bleak winter months, so keep coming
back for more!
In the meantime, there's rather
a lot of travel planned (I blame Helen's addiction
to Christmas markets), so planning a full update is
proving tricky. Fear not though, we will still keep
coming up with the goods!
Cheers, Paul
Here they are - 181
photos from an incredible week in Slovenia
(and a stop-over in Munich). The diary will follow
soon, but for now, feast your eyes on these ...more
And from a weekend watching Fortuna in Berlin (my
first ever visit), there are now 85 photos on my own
website ...more
Okay, so there's not an away trip for a loooonnnnggg
while, but why not cast your eye over the NATA Guide
on what to take on tour? ...more
And in other Tartan Army website news, the West of
Scotland Tartan Army have relaunched their website
with a rather fetching tartan trim ...WESTA's
site
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I know I said early October, but...
I've been very busy, and not just gallavanting around
Europe. I've been helping several pals with a number
of other web projects and that's meant less time for
NATA Online, but only for a while!
What we can bring you now is a bevvy
of new quotes, a decent helping of home game pictures
and some new t-shirt designs in the NATA Shop. On
a non-Tartan Army tip, we've got some extra travel
gen on Düsseldorf and Munich as well as some
new photos of the former (on my personal site).
There's a lot still to come online
in the near future, not least of which are the Austria
and Slovenia diaries and Slovenia photos (and there's
a lot of those!). Travel-wise, there's new or revised
guides on the way for Graz, Brno, Vilnius, Ljubljana
and Berlin. So, with all this still to come, why not
sign up for our Newsletter to make sure you don't
miss a thing!
And finally, look out for our adverts
on the Tartan Army Message Board. There may only be
the one right now (and that's on here as well), but
there's more to come soon!
Cheers, Paul
Forty photos from the debacle at home to Belarus
have been added to the NATA Gallery ...more
A storming 17 new quotes from the Belarus/Slovenia
double header have found their way onto the quotes
page ...more
Lot's more info on Düsseldorf, and a wee bit
on Munich, have been added to the Germany mini-guide
...more
Two new designs ("Here for the Beer" and
the "No Pants" picture) have been added
to the NATA Shop ...more
Added to my personal website, 22 new photos from
my recent Düsseldorf trip, with an emphasis on
the Mediahafen's architecture ...more
One of the many websites that's been keeping me busy
is the Sussex Beer Festival site, a CAMRA festival
due to be held in March next year ...visit
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A mere fortnight after the last
update, and here's our biggest one of the year! The
Norway Diary and Photos are online already - the Austria
Diary will follow, but seeing as that trip was four
times longer, so shall the diary be longer.
We've also got a bumper gallery
of snaps from the Italy home game and associated festivities
- if you were in The Iron Horse, The Shed, Baby Blue
or The Sports Cafe, you may even be able to pick yourself
out. And the photos don't end here either - check
out Bruce's snaps on his own Fotopix site.
Both trips have been rich in humour,
and 12 more quotes have been added to the ever-expanding
Quotes page. The T-Shirts and Travel pages have also
been updated, giving you plenty more to chew over.
Still to come are the Austria Diary,
which we hope to bring you with the next update (either
late September or early October, before the Belarus
home game) - remember to sign up for the Newsletter
to get notified of when we update the site.
So in the meantime, enjoy the fact
that we're not out of the World Cup yet, and remember
to check back soon.
Cheers, Paul
It's only days since the historic victory (which
was 1,061 days since the last one!), and the NATA
Diary is already online. Read all about it ...more
Not the avalanche of photos you may be used to, but
50 photos from the historic win are now online. Still
not bad for less than 48 hours in the country! ...more
Don't fear, 17 hours of hardened Tartan Army partying
has kept up the photo average, bringing another 44
from our encouraging Italian job ...more
Another twelve pearls of wisdom have made their way
onto the Quotes Page ...more
Check out NATA's member Bruce's Graz
and Oslo
photos on his Fotopix Gallery (opens new window)
...more
And to round off this bumper update, the Travel
Details page has been updated with the 2006 international
dates, and the T-Shirt Gallery
has been updated with the Italy and Graz t-shirts.
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A photo-tastic update with all the
evidence from Austria (and surrounding countries)
and even a few from Vilnius. The Austria diary is
"in production" but may be an update or
two away from seeing the light of day.
We can also bring you a whole 11
new quotes, which at least gives you something to
read! Seriously, if it's meaty morsels of text that
you're after, you could do a lot worse than cast your
eyes over the Norway 2003 Diary. Would you settle
for 0-0 this time around?
Thanks to many people for the kind
comments on the travel information and the "In
Your Sporran" phenomenon - I know they're not
all-encompassing, but I will be working on them throughout
the autumn. Updates are already planned for the Czech
(Brno), Bratislava, Austria (Vienna & Graz) and
Vilnius guides - I just need to find the time!
And speaking of finding time, I
have several other commitments that will be keeping
me busy, so expect the next update in mid to late
September (sign up for the Newsletter to make sure
you don't miss out).
In the meantime, why not check out
the new NATA Shop?
Cheers, Paul
Over 230 (two-hundred and thirty!) photos from the
epic trip across three countries, with a superb Scotland
performance (for 75 minutes at least!) in the middle
of it ...more
Bruce Cairns is trying hard to be a one-man quote
machine - see the evidence as he contributes 4 of
the 11 new quotes added to the legendary Quotes Page
...more
A handful of photos from a swift Bank Holiday break
to Vilnius (booked before we knew about the Austria
game!). What a transformation - highly recommended
and expect an updated guide in the near future ...more
A sound Scotland performance saw us secure a very
respectable 0-0 draw. Relive the trip, the crowded
bars and the £7 pints ...more
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| Hot on the heels of
our last update, we can now bring you another of our
trademark Look-alike galleries (our biggest yet!),
as well as some timely travel info for Austria and
Germany.
The links page has had a few new sites added, and
we welcome our fellow Tartan Army webmasters to the
expanding network of TA sites - good luck with them,
and the more the merrier!
And the fun never ends... we're already preparing
the next update, but it may be a good few weeks until
it sees the light of day! Our route to Graz takes
us in via Brno and out from Bratislava on an 8-day
extravaganza, and factor in the English bank holiday
weekend the following weekend before the September
double-header, and you can see how it's going to be
a push to get anything online in the meantime!
Anyways, enjoy our latest update for now, and remember
to let us know if there's anything else you'd like
to see on NATA online!
Cheers, Paul
18 more innocent bystanders get the look-alike treatment
in our biggest Look-alikes gallery to date, from the
sublime to the ridiculous. Remember to send us your
suggestions (with photos)! ...more
Just in time for the Austria friendly, here's a comprehensive
NATA Mini Guide to Vienna. Make sure you try the Heuriger
wine taverns in the suburbs! And because we're nice,
we're even going to get an In Your Sporran guide online
for you in a week or two! ...more
Our most comprehensive "Mini Guide" has
just got bigger. Some brief details on Hannover have
been added from scratch, Düssefdorf has some
improved pub information and the Munich section has
been updated to include the Allianz Arena and the
excellent Unionsbrau. The real jewel in the crown
of this update is the Cologne info - grab your cheap
Easyjet flight and away you go! ...more
Our comprehensive Links page has been brought up-to-date
with a few new Tartan Army sites, and new addresses
for a few old ones. Check out: Saltire Fashions, Castlemilk
TA, KELTA, Longforgan TA, Monkton TA, Rampant Lions,
SADTA and Vancouver TA for starters.
If you want your own TA Club website listed, please
drop me a line. Reciprocal links are always appreciated!
...more
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This update brings together almost
all the popular elements of NATA Online - stories,
photos and travel tips. "Where's the irreverent
yet entertaining humour?", I hear you ask...
Fear not, a new Lookalikes page is just around the
corner.
The Belarus diary account is a monster
- almost 5,000 words covering an epic five-country
trip. And they're not all short words either! There's
also a raft of more recent photos on my own "scrapbook"
site from a surreal trip to Liechtenstein to cheer
on Moldova's FC Dacia in the UEFA Cup.
The travel front sees updates to
the Brussels guide, with some cracking pubs to play
chess in, and a timely update to the Austria guide
giving the low-down on Vienna. Let me guess - it means
nothing to you!?
A mini update is planned in early
August with a Sporran guide for Vienna, and we will
try to get the Graz photos online by the end of the
month, although I'm sure by now it will shock few
of you to hear that due to a lot of upcoming travel
things may get a little tight once more!
Take care, Paul
Are you sitting comfortably? You better be - this
is a mammoth account of a mammoth trip. Rest assured
though, it will take you less time to read it than
it did for me to write it ...more
Just in time for the Austria friendly, here's a comprehensive
NATA Mini Guide to Vienna. Make sure you try the Heuriger
wine taverns in the suburbs! And because we're nice,
we're even going to get an In Your Sporran guide online
for you in a week or two! ...more
Brussels is one of Europe's top drinking cities,
yet still relatively free of the stag party crowds.
Newly added to the Brussels section of the Low Countries
mini guide are details on the excellent Cantillon
brewery and some superb bars in which to enjoy the
local brews ...more
Yes, I know I get too much holiday! Anyway, keeping
a promise to Andrew (Dacia's press officer and friend
to the Tartan Army) following our visit to a league
match in October, Helen and I represented the Tartan
Army on tour in Liechtenstein with Dacia. We even
went to Switzerland, for 5 minutes ...more
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Well, we've managed to keep up our
run of an update each calendar month, but only just!
What we do bring you is a photo-tastic extravanganza,
with over 340 photos in this update alone, all from
one incredible two-week period!
Starting slowly with a score of
snaps from the Moldova home match, we have over 200
from the Eastern European leg, followed up by 100+
from the Confederations Cup. Why the Confed Cup? Well,
I have to take a 2-week break from work once a year,
and with cheap flights to Germany...
Anyways, another hectic month awaits
in July, but we will be back, and with more words
this time - expect to see a Minsk Diary and Guide,
and a Vienna Guide appearing in the next update or
two.
Cheers, Paul
A staggering 217 (two-hundred-and-seventeen)
photos from Riga, Minsk, Brest and Warsaw are crammed
onto 8 gallery pages. None of the legendary 50p border
crossing exist, as it really wasn't the time or the
place to brandish the camera, but the rest are all
here ...more
Paling into insignificance are the
20 photos I managed to take at the Moldova home game
the weekend before the Belaris trip. See if you can
spot Christian Dailly making a guest appearance in
The Shed! ...more
11 sparkling new quotes have been
added to the legendary TA Quotes page, including a
healthy smattering from Belarus ...more
And finally, 105 photos from Paul's
trip to the Confederations Cup to see three games
in Cologne and Hanover ...more
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| First things first,
after a whole rush of complaints (well, moaning from
Rich really), I've changed the page header font to
a more business-like one. Please let me know if you
don't like it!
This is going to be the last full update for a wee
while, as I've got lots and lots of travelling in
the next few weeks - right through to the end of June,
in fact. There's an off-chance I may be able to stick
a quick update on in the meantime, but don't wait
up. (In fact, sign up for the newsletter to make sure
you don't miss out!)
In the meantime, however, this update mixes a diary
account with some German photos, and travel advice
for Nuremberg and Belarus.
Finally, and on a personally sad note, many commiserations
to Netley's local team, Southampton FC, who were relegated
this weekend after 27 years in the top division. Less
than 2 years ago I was cheering them on to the pitch
in the FA Cup Final! Here's hoping for a quick return
to the top flight for the Saints.
Cheers, Paul
The much-awaited (well, by the 19 that were there
anyway!) diary account of the trip to Mattersburg
for what could be Scotland's final ever Future Cup
away game... more
The early May Bank Holiday allowed for a relaxing
break to World Cup venue Nuremberg. The photos, including
some taken from the running track of the WC Stadium,
are now on my personal website... more
A whole load of information about Nuremburg has gone
on to the Germany Mini Guide page, so you'll now know
where to go for some brewery pub action in Bavaria's
second city... more
In response to public demand, the information I originally
posted on the TAMB has been added to the WC2006 Qualifiers
Travel page... more
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It's a very pictorial update for
you this time around, with lots to look at and not
so much to read (unless you want to go back to Chisinau
in a hurry?), but the Austria photos do bring things
bang up to date again - expect the diary account,
and maybe even the Vienna guide, to follow within
a month.
We can also bring you the next installment
of Tartan Army Look-alikes, our seventh to date, and
even if I say so myself, one of the best yet.
With an incredibly busy six weeks
ahead of us (right through until after the Belarus
trip), it's going to be tight to get the next update
out in time, so please do be patient with us. In the
meantime, enjoy!
Cheers, Paul
A grand total of 149 photos from the recent Austrian
trip, and one hilarious video
(courtesy of Tartan Par) of Ludo bugling away on the
pitch at half-time... more
By public demand, here's another 15 photos (courtesy
of Ally & Susan, Bruce and Irene) and 10 video
clips... more
Sixteen new additions to our ever-popular look-alikes
gallery, with a total of 46 new photos in our 7th
Look-alikes Gallery. And keep 'em coming - we've already
started putting Gallery 8 together! ...more
The In Your Sporran series contiunes apace with the
addition of Moldova, in case you're in a rush to go
back... more
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This is now a danger of becoming
a habit! In what must be a new NATA Online record,
we can bring you not only photos but the diary account
of the most recent trip at
the same time! And not only that, but barely
a week after the event! People will start taking this
for granted...
And we're not finished either -
as the ink is drying on this update, we're already
starting to receive a few extra photos and video clips
that will grace the next update. An update you can
expect before the month is up to boot! Just don't
get too used to this level of service!
Anyway, for the time being (ahead
of reality kicking in again in early June), lets all
bask in the shared optimism that Walter Smith has
steered around a corner towards a new era of Scottish
international football.
Take care, Paul
A shorter trip should have made for a shorter diary,
right? Well, the two nights we spent in Milan still
runs to over 3,000 words! See for yourself here
with our first blow-by-blow account of 2005 ...more
The photos from Paul's camera are now available for
your persual in the Italy
Gallery. A more comprehensive collection can be
found on Bruce's
Fotopic pages, and we will bring you some video
clips with our next update ...more
Our series of downloadable "In Your Sporran"
guides continues with a Faroes Guide - feel free to
pass this on to any Ireland fans you know who may
be heading there in the summer ...more
Six new quotes have found their way into Tartan Army
folklore through being captured for eternity on the
TA Quotes page ...more
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It is a rare and monumental occasion,
and it gives me a warm glow when it happens, but for
only the second time in the 4+ years the website has
been running it is completely
up-to-date! The inclusion of the Germany diary
(and believe me, it was touch and go!) means that
every single trip now has a diary account and photo
gallery online. How long will it last? Well, six days
I suppose...
So here we are on the advent of
a new era in Scottish football. Can Walter Smith turn
things around and do what Herr Vogts proved in no
uncertain terms was beyond him - namely to take a
middling bunch of Scotland players and make the sum
of the whole greater than the constituent parts. Well,
only time will tell and it's unlikely we'll be any
the wiser this time next week, but we can hope.
Anyway, we're off again to Austria
in April (for the Future Cup - see the Travel Details
page for, ahem, travel details) so it's anyone's guess
as to whether I'll be able to fit in another update.
Make sure you don't miss out - sign up for the Newsletter
at the foot of the front page.
Ciao,
Paul
Four months after the event, having been delicately
matured in smoked oak casks, the sausage-by-sausage
NATA guide to December's B game defeat is now available
for your delight and delectation... more
Joining the other two Baltic capitals, Tallinn can
now boast its own In Your Sporran guide - right click
here
and "Save Target As" to download to your
own PC... more
And not wanting to be left out, the centre of the
beer-drinking universe has also muscled into the In
Your Sporran range - download the Prague area and
detailed pub crawl guide here...
more
Not one, but two trips to Düsseldorf - one in
February
and one in March,
including some cheeky video footage from Bruce's new
phone... more
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Well, here we are again, bouncing
back to cheer you all up again following the abject
depression of Valentines Day that's no doubt afflicted
most of us!
A bumper update brings you the long-awaited
Moldova Diary, five new countries to both the updated
Women and Drunks of the World section and a Travel
Special. Not only is the Travel Details section updated
with our plans for all five scheduled first team away
games this year (the qualifying games and a friendly
in Austria in August), but the Travel Top Fives have
also had a long overdue revamp, with many more pubs
for all the list fanatics out there.
However, the most exciting news
is that we have branched out into downloadable "In
Your Sporran" mini guides, making our popular
Mini Guides even more portable. To get you started,
and to help with anyone planning the Belarus trip,
we've got both Riga and Vilnius covered.
So, with all this to keep you going,
what can you expect from us in March? Well, there's
the Germany Diary for one, as well as another couple
of downloadable guides (expect Prague and one other).
Until then, keep well!
Cheers,
Paul
Okay, so it's been a long time coming, but at least
it's finally here! Read all about our Moldovan misadventures,
and the trip back via Budapest ...more
The Travel Details page
has been overhauled to show our plans for Italy, Belarus,
Austria, Norway and Slovenia ...more
After the runaway success of our popular Mini-Guides,
we've decided to give the established competition
a run for their money with our new downloadable "In
Your Sporran" guides ...more
A fully re-vamped look at Paul's Top
5 travel recommendations, with lots of additional
pubs coming highly recommended ....more
Five new entries have been added to NATA's essential
guide to where the burdz are, taking the total to
28. Denmark & Hungary have been added to WOTW
1, whilst Moldova, Romania and Spain go onto WOTW
2
And on a similar theme, the Drunks of the World section
has also been updated with the same five countries
- see DOTW 1 and DOTW
2 for details.
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Well, I know I promised diary accounts,
but they don't write themselves, and I have been suffering
writers block... anyway, I will try and apply myself
to the task in hand in time for our next update in
around a month's time.
As well as our new look (well, different
font style at least!), we can bring you a whole new
load of Look-alikes (with the seventh gallery already
in production! Keep the nominations coming!), a fully
updated guide to Germany and a new load of Prague
photos from yet another drinking binge.
In the meantime, good luck and have
fun to anyone still going to Northern Ireland for
the aborted friendly match.
Cheers,
Paul
11 new reprobates get to seek fame and glory by basking
in the vaguely similar reflection of others more fortunate
than themselves ...more
An update for the whole Germany guide, including
brand new sections on Heidelberg, Köln and Mannheim
...more
Another New Year, another drinking session to somewhere
in Europe... Prague had the privilege of our patronage
for the second year running, along with Bruce and
Sharon (and their far better photographs).
See Paul's photos here
Although not as far-reaching as previous re-vamps,
we do bring you - brand new for 2005 - an updated
menu bar (complete with natty NATA badge), a new font
style (which should be easier to read), and bigger
text on the "away" version (which is definitely
easier to read).
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Okay, it's taken a while, but what
can I say? It's been a busy few weeks, but at least
all this travel eventually makes it on here as part
of our popular mini-guides (Moldova this month, an
update to the Germany one next month).
This month sees a photographic extravaganza
- no less than four new galleries await for your viewing
pleasure. This is in part due to my writers block,
but the Moldova and Germany diaries will follow, hopefully
in time for the next update.
What I can promise you is yet another
look-alikes gallery, as the nominations have been
coming in thick and fast! Keep 'em coming - there's
plenty of room!
Finally, and on a serious note,
NATA wishes Walter Smith every success as Scotland's
new manager. Whilst not a universally popular choice
for many fans, it's time to give the man a chance
to rescue our faltering World Cup bid. Having just
returned from a trip to Germany, I really don't want
to miss out in the summer of 2006!
I wish it could be Christmas
every day...
Paul
The dawn of a new era? Just as embarrassing as the
last one! NATA followed the "Future Team"
to Mannheim to witness a 3-0 defeat... more
A comprehensive, tried and tested pub (and sight-seeing
guide) to Moldova's fine capital, Chisinau, along
with some general trips... more
Photographic evidence from NATA's six days in Chisinau
are now here... more
Hosted on Paul's own site, a photo journey through
the roller-coaster ride that was the Loony Alba annual
St Andrews Dinner... more
The journey continued... hot on the heels of Chisinau,
NATA stayed in Budapest for three nights "re-acclimatisation"...
more
Six new quotes, four from Germany and two courtesy
of Gary Macdonald, have been added to the infamous
quotes page... more
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Happy St Andrews Day! Sorry, but
the next update is still a few weeks away. In the
meantime, the strong rumours suggest that Walter Smith
will be confirmed as manager in the next day or two,
and that he is unlikely to want a friendly in February.
We'll be back before Christmas (promise!).
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Okay, so this is much earlier than
anticipated, but we have BIG plans, so needed to get
a move on.
And yes, I know there's nothing
on Moldova! Patience, young padawans, patience. The
next update, hopefully in mid-November, should boast
not just the photos and diary, but an in-depth guide
to the place, should you be hurrying back.
Anyway, live for the moment! What
we have brought should be enough to be getting on
with - some storming quotes, an in-depth update to
our travel plans, and some stunning new Look-alikes.
Finally, watch this space for a
unique opportunity to be immortalised in Tartan Army
folklore.
Is there too much love
in the room?
Paul
It's back, with 15 new victims, many courtesy of
helpful suggestions (and denhaagdavid's extensive
"specialist" collection) ...more
Only 5 photos, but nonetheless, here is the Norway
home game gallery ...more
A thorough update of our travel plans for the known
games, and some speculation about the February friendly
...more
No less than twelve stunning quotes, fresh from the
mouths of drunkards, now adorn the Quotes Page...
more.
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A photo frenzy awaits in this update
of NATA Online. And not someone else's this time either,
oh no!
Feel free to tell us what you think
of it - but look! - our email addresses have changed
due to the mountain of spam that engulfed NATA HQ
every day.
Also fresh for your surfing pleasure,
we have the Spain diary account. To the best of my
knowledge, this is the first time the website has
been 100% up-to-date with all away games covered by
both diary accounts and photos! Shame it will only
last a week or so, then!
Our Moldova trip involves no less
than 6 days in Chisinau (a man's got to practice his
Russian!), and then a further 3 days "re-acclimitisation"
in Budapest... bragging? No (well, maybe), just warning
everyone not to hold their breath for the next update.
Cheers, Paul
A month on from the rain in Spain, and the camera
has dried out sufficiently for the photos to be uploaded
to the Spain gallery ...more
And if that's not enough, you can see more photos
of Strasbourg
and Brussels
(on the way to Spain).
And that's not all! The diary account of our time
in Spain (and in transit) is now also online - it's
a big one! ...more
And in a departure from the norm, I even managed
to remember to take photos at the last couple of home
mactches against Hungary
and Slovenia
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I don't know what all the fuss is about - everyone
moaning I'm getting behind with the website, when
I updated less then a month ago! Anyway, we're back
in business, complete with the Estonia Diary, loads
of new quotes and someone else's holiday snaps.
And what's more, we hope to have the Spain Diary,
the Spain photos and a few snaps from the last two
home matches up and online in the next few weeks and
in time for the Norway/Moldova double-header.
Until then... Paul
At last! The long-awaited diary of the 8 day long
Estonia trip has
finally made it online... more
Cheating a wee bit here, but there is a signfiicant
NATA presence in some of fellow Loony Alba member
Bruce Cairns'
Spain photos. Our own will be here soon - promise!
13 new quotes, from the
both of the last two homes games and the Valencia
trip, with a focus on sangria and bidets... more
Photos of two consecutive weekends in July are now
on my personal site - photos from the Innsbruck
weekend and the day in London
on the London Eye.
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Here we are again. This is where I need to make a
wee confession - of the four new articles on the right,
two have sprung from external contributors (big thanks
to Neil and Donny), and one is no less than six years
old! A big spare room clear out turned up my disks
from my Uni days, and my dissertation on Scottish
National Identity has resurfaced and has been stored
on my own site for posterity.
So what is new? Certainly not the Hong Kong photos
- Donny sent them to me in March 2003, but I managed
to lose the email! Anyway, here they are now - witness
the chicken and re-live the story that promises to
pass into TA urban legend!
Lots and lots of travel has been piling up the pressure
for fresh material, but has at least led to the creation
of an Innsbruck guide.
Lots of forthcoming Scotland-related travel (taking
up the next 4 weekends) will mean that a new update
is a good few weeks off, but you never know, we should
actually have the Estonia diary ready by then!? Until
then, enjoy the start of the new season...
Keep well, Paul
The controversial Women of the World section has
had some new comments added by Tartan Army Lothario
"Sexpest"... more
Had trouble believing the infamous Chicken
Story? Here's some photographic evidence, courtesy
of Britney Spears... more
Innsbruck is a surprising treasure-trove of top notch
bars in an Alpine Valley setting. Gen up on them now,
before we're eliminated from Euro 2008... more
Back in 1998, right before the World Cup, I knocked
out this 8,000 word dissertation for my Politics degree.
It's pretty meaty, and some of the argument is fundamentally
flawed, but nonetheless, here it is on my own site
for your reading pleasure... more
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We're all off to Sunny Spain... well, hopefully at
least! The long-rumoured friendly has been un-officially
confirmed by the SFA, so has been duly added to the
Travel section.
The other big change here in NATA-land is the launch
of our new club crest - after 5 years without an actual
badge, we've spent the last 6 months making the dream
a reality. Well, designing a badge, at least. You
can now see a preview of the fruits of our labour
- expect it to take more of a starring role as time
goes by.
The other theme of this update is Estonia - a camera
disaster had led to a delay in getting thephotos online,
however they're now up with the guide. The diary should
follow in the next update.
Speaking of which, we expect to have flowered anew
in around a month's time. Feel free to have a look
at my own site (www.paulallison.co.uk)
in the meantime, as a few odds and end are beginning
to surface there.
Laters, Paul
Almost 200 photos of the week in Estonia are now
online! Just think yourself lucky my camera battery
gave up on the Tuesday, or there could have been far
more! ...more
It's been over six months in the making, but the
new NATA crest is finally ready to be unveiled to
an adoring public, no doubt moist with anticipation
...more
Okay, so it's not been fully confirmed, but safe
in the knowledge that we won't be the only idiots
in kilts in Valencia for no discernable reason, we've
gone and booked for the Spain game ...more
After such a superb time in Pärnu and Tallinn,
Estonia has now been promoted from a mere footnote
of the Baltics guide to it's very own page of travel
tips ...more
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A long-awaited, and much delayed, update is finally
here. Frustratingly, almost everything was ready to
go until I came back from Estonia with a swollen tongue
and an unspecified virus! Anyway, now it’s here,
there’s a bumper update to get your teeth into,
with no less then eight different things to float
your boat!
From the stories of Hong Kong, including the infamous
chicken episode (that have been no less than 2 years
in the making!), through to a travel guide to one
of Europe’s undiscovered gems. There’s
also some non-TA related galleries with photos of
Washington and Clydebank, and pictures of our two
sponsor boards (don’t go asking us for any money,
mind!). However, this is just the side dish…
the main course is our completely revamped and resized
look-alikes galleries – enjoy.
I’ve also updated the Links page with some
new entries, including the Sons of Scotland website.
If your site is Tartan Army related, and is missing,
please drop me a line. Remember if you do drop in
here, and there hasn’t been an update, you can
always follow some of the links on here to other TA
websites. The CODTA website (www.crackofdawn.co.uk)
is always worth a visit for original and humorous
material.
The next Scotland game is at home to Hungary in August,
a warm-up for the home fixture against their neighbours
from Slovenia the following month. It’s not
yet certain if there will be a travelling NATA presence
at the Hungary game (Ally will be there, but that
doesn’t count!), but you can rest assured we
will bounce back well before the WC2006 Qualifying
campaign kicks off in earnest.
Expect a new, Estonia-themed update within the next
couple of weeks. We hope to bring you a diary update,
a couple of photo galleries, and a comprehensive pub
guide to both Parnu and Tallinn.
Getting the Hong Kong report done has pretty much
brought us right back to the present (save for Estonia)…
who knows, I may even get a chance to finish that
game I’ve been designing for the past 2 years?
In the meantime, have a great summer!
I make that Pimms O’Clock!
Paul
Another long-awaited update – the NATA Look-alike
Galleries are back, with all-new (well, some, anyway)
larger photos, and many more victims. Now across four
(count ‘em) galleries, these will amaze, will
shock, will stupefy… more
As promised, here’s the lowdown on this great
wee capital in Central Europe. Go now, before word
gets out! And make sure you spend some quality drinking
time in KGB whilst you’re there! … more
Well, it’s only taken two years, but we can
now finally bring you the long-awaited NATA saga of
Hong Kong in 2002. Unfortunately, it’s a sad
tale of a fat man struggling with the heat and humidity
and repeatedly failing to get drunk… more
What do you mean “the diary wasn’t that
interesting”? Well, it’s a good job that
there are footsoliders out there determined to take
depravity to new lows. Check out The Hong Kong Chicken
& Other Stories… more
Photos from Paul and Helen’s trip to DC for
Dave & Ellen’s wedding are now online on
Paul’s own site. They’re a pleasing mixture
of famous sites and random American drunks…
more
9 new quotes - 6 from Estonia alone - have been added
to the Quotes page... more
Netley Abbey Tartan Army have been the proud sponsors
of advertising hoardings at two well-supported non-league
clubs this season –
Worthing FC and Clydebank
FC… more
Not only that, but Paul actually went up to Clydebank
for the last home game of the season, and watched
the Bankies win 5-0 to clinch the Abercorn Division
Two title. The photos from the day are now online
on Paul’s own site… more
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Many of us left the game in Copenhagen
with renewed optimism - despite the 1-0 defeat, several
players who would previously have been considered
"stand-ins" played superbly. A defeat, nonetheless,
but far more encourgaing than our last two away games.
The photos and diary account for this trip are online
already, in what must be record time!
Straight after the Denmark game,
we were off to the States for Dave and Ellen's wedding
(congratulatons!), and hot off the press we can bring
you a mini-guide to DC. There's also a very short
list of top Barcelona pubs as well.
So, only a few weeks until the end
of our international season, with a trip to Estonia
and a bizarre friendly against Trinidad & Tobago
in Edinburgh. Our next update should be (relatively!)
hot on the heels of our return from the Baltics.
Cheers, Paul
Well, that was quick! A short trip means a short
diary, and you can read it here.
There's also 60 photos of the trip, starting here.
Straight after Copenhagen, it was off to Washington
DC for Dave & Ellen's wedding - here's the guide
whilst it's still fresh in our minds... more
I've been asked many a time to nominate good pubs
in Barcelona, and fresh from adding these to the TAMB
earlier this week, thought I best capture them here
for posterity too... more.
Only two quotes emerged from Denmark, but nonetheless
they've been added to the list... more.
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Another mixed-bag of an update,
feauturing some new material, and some updates of
older pages - check out the revamped Meet NATA page
for a more in-depth look at the misfits that make
up the Netley Abbey Tartan Army.
We can also bring you a look at
the Slovakian capital Bratislava, a truly great place
for a city break. Although the photos are on the paulallison.co.uk
site (being non-TA), consider them a pre-cursor to
the Mini Travel Guide that will follow shortly.
So why no Romania home match photos?
Well, I was there, and I did have my camera with me,
but for some reason I just forgot to take any photos!
Expect a new update in Mid May,
a few weeks after this week's Denmark trip and ahead
of the Estonia game. As well as Danish photos and
reaction, we hope to resurrect the Look-alikes section
as well.
Cheers, Paul
It's been a long time coming, but finally the re-vamped
profiles are here. Get to grips with the people behind
the t-shirts... more.
We now know the USA tour is off, but at least we
have the delights of Tallinn as ample compensation.
Check out the NATA Travel
Details page to see what we're up to...
An Easter break to the Slovakian capital Bratislava
has led to over 130 photos being published on my paulallison.co.uk
mini-site. Feel free to cast your eye over them -
a Travel Guide will follow suit in due course... more.
The fact-finding mission to Bratislava has also led
to the corresponding entries on the Drunks
and Women of the
World guides.
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Two updates in a month... NATA are
back! With a few trips on the horizon (Scotland for
the Romania game, Denmark at the end of April, and
Bratislava for a cheeky city break at Easter weekend),
normal service will be resumed next month, however,
in the meantime...
In addition to new material in the
shape of the Wales diary and the relevant additions
to the Drunks and Women of the World pages, we've
also started turning our attention to bringing other
sections of the site into line. Check that you're
packing the right pieces with our Joy of Talc page,
and see what you're missing on the Solent coast with
our Netley Guide.
Our next update is due shortly after
Easter, when you can expect the usual mix of morsels,
including (we hope) some Romania pictures and some
brand new Look-alikes!
Cheers, Paul
A shorter trip has led to a shorter diary account,
but hopefully it won't disappoint too much! Read all
about the shame, the pain and the Brains... more
A real revamp for the Netley Guide, with some funky
new buttons to use as well! ...more
One of the oldest surviving sections of NATA Online
has had a long overdue lick of paint, and some new
photos to boot... more
The drunks and beauties of the valleys have been
added to these invaluable guides to the Drunks
and Women of the World.
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Things are slowly, but surely, getting
back to business as usual here. Obviously, the 4-0
drubbing by Wales took a little adjusting to, as did
the recent extraction of my wisdom tooth, but this
update should get things back to an even keel.
In keeping with the habit of staggering
the photos and diaries (and it's not intentional,
honest!), we can bring you the Wales Gallery in an
all-new format for 2004. In addition, we've taken
a step back to try and look at how people use this
website, and we've introduced a User Guide to try
and ease newcomers in. Finally, the travel section
has also been expanded with possibly the only online
Faroes pub guide!
Our next update shouldn't be too
far away - remember to sign up for the Newsletter
to keep abreast of all new developments.
Cheers, Paul
A new year, a new look and feel to the NATA gallery
pages - the new set up starts with the Wales
gallery, and allows you to click through the photos
in a slide-show style... more
In response to the ever-expanding amount of content
on here, this new User Guide
is intended to help first-time visitors get to grips
with site, rather than run off screaming to the hills...
more
In good time for the Republic if Ireland's fixture
next year, this Faroes
mini-guide gives you the lowdown on downtown Torshavn...
more
In light of the continued growth of NATA Online,
and my commitment to helping other would-be web designers
wherever possible, I've updated the Website
Info page.
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Okay, okay... not the biggest content
update we've ever had, BUT... there's a lot been going
on behind the scenes. And besides, after the 4-0 drubbing
in Cardiff, I'm hardly champing at the bit to stir
myself into detailing my adventures there.
Anyway, we can bring you five all-new
quotes, plus photographic evidence of my pub-crawl
holiday in Prague back in January. You may even notice
a new "look and feel" around the Prague
gallery - this is all part of my continuing plan to
conquer the entire World Wide Web with the pallison.co.uk
web empire!
And fear not, the next update is
but a few short weeks away, when you can expect to
see a Wales diary and photos, and get the lowdown
on travel to the North Atlantic capitals of Reykjavik
and Torshavn.
Until then, try not to dwell on
the state of Scottish football!
Keep well, Paul
A new multi-media empire is beginning to emerge...
check out my expanding portfolio of other websites
at the hub page of pallison.co.uk
Five more pearls of wisdom from the mouths of drunks,
covering such typical subjects as drugs, sex and cricket!...
more
As an accompaniment to the Prague
Pub guide, work up a thirst for Staropramen as
you feast your eyes on these photos from January 2004...
more
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Two weeks later than planned, but
then twice the size of what it was going to be! For
one reason and another, it's been a sluggish start
to the year at NATA towers, but now we're off the
starting blocks, we know we'll be bringing you the
usual additions throughout the year.
This has been a very travel-flavoured
update, with a Prague Pub guide, plus lots of fixture
information and travel details for Moldova. We've
also brought the diary section a little more up-to-date
with the Germany account - just Hong Kong to go now!
We'll be back again in a few weeks
with some travel info on the North Atlantic capitals
(Torshavn and Reykjavik), and maybe even some Wales
photos and stories.
Keep well, Paul
An exhaustively researched, and very up-to-date (Jan
2004) guide to the watering holes of Prague. An extablished
Tartan Army favourite, and a possible stop-over for
several of our upcoming away games, this guide may
prove invaluable... more
A few months late, but nonetheless, the diary account
of an epic week in Germany in September 2003... more
Now the fixtures for our World Cup qualifying group
are known, more concrete plans can be laid down for
the other upcoming games. For a complete list of known
and rumoured fixtures, check out the Travel
Details page.
The World Cup Travel Guide has also been updated
in light of the draw, particularly with information
on our first destination - Moldova.
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Happy New Year! Sorry I've not been
sharper with an update - there's plenty planned, but
putting it all together is what's taking the time.
Come back in a week or two (if the Worthing game is
off this weekend, it should be done then!).
Sorry! Paul
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Well, it's been a busy year, both
for NATA in general and for this website. At the start
of 2003, this site was still being "broadcast"
in pale yellow, and had no Flash content whatsoever
(you can still see an abridged version here)
- we end the year having launched the first ever online
TA "game".
Anyway, enough about us. It's been
a transitional year for Scottish football as well,
ending with that crushing defeat in Amsterdam - you
can now view the NATA photos of the event, and read
up on a mini-travel guide.
Our next updated is timed to coincide
with the announcement of the 2006 Qualifying fixtures,
so tune in again after Sunday 18th January for more
fun and frivolity from NATA Online.
Have a great Hogmanay,
Paul
It's been a long time coming, but at last NATA Online
can you bring you our very own, original game. Well,
more of an excuse to waste five minutes than a game
as such... more
You've read the diary (well, maybe you haven't, but
it's here if
you are interested), now see the photos - the
home leg, and Mon &
Tues and Weds photos
from Amsterdam.
And speaking of Amsterdam, there's a new addition
to the Mini Travel Guides
in the shape of a Low Countries guide. To be honest,
I'm more of a Brussels man myself.... more
I've been a bit busy on the old Flash side - in addition
to an expanded menu bar above, I've added an interactive
site map as well. It;s not in as much detail the old
text site map, but it looks shinier... more
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So, two new away games to look forward
to in Wales and Denmark for the new year, plus the
Qualifying Fixtures to whet our appetites in mid-January.
The life of a TA Travel Agent is never dull!
Anyhow, feast your eyes on the morsels
below, and get ready for another big update before
Hogmanay, which should include some a Brussels &
Amsterdam Travel Guide, the Play-Off photos, and some
more flashy animated stuff for the post-ironic modernists
amongst you. 'Til then, have a good one, and spread
the word about the site.
Merry Christmas, Paul
At long last, and for your viewing pleasure: Gallery
1 (Sat & Mon), Gallery
2 (Tues & Thurs), Gallery
3 (Weds Bus trip and architecture) and Gallery
4 (Drunk people) ... more
Two away friendly games have now been confirmed by
the SFA: Wales on 18th Feb and Denmark on 28th April.
Read all about NATA's travel plans... more
A great night was had by all, and far more photos
can be found at the AWARD-WINNING
Loony
Alba site, but here is the NATA take on the carnage
that was the Loony Alba 10th Anniversary St Andrews
dinner dance... more
Last week's World Cup
Qualifier Travel Guide has been moved to it's
own page... more
(And don't forget our click-through to Scotland's group)
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So, we now know where we're going
on our holidays for the best part of the next 2 years!
You can read my first thoughts on the matter in the
Travel Section. We've also got something a little
bit special to mark the relaunch of NATA TV and the
recent Qualifying Draw.
I know I promised all the Hong Kong
photos, but events have overtaken me a little! At
least there's plenty of other morsels to feast your
weary eyes on. And expect some more action in the
near future, right up to Hogmanay (when I'm taking
a well-earned break in Prague. Well, it has been a
couple of weeks...). And for any pedants out there
(i.e. most of you!), you'll be pleased to know that
the "Away" colours of this website have
been updated to reflect our lucky, lucky white shirt.
Cheers, Paul
Not one, but two perspectives on Scotland's draw
for the World Cup Qualifiers:
- A click-through to Scotland's group
- A first look at travel
options for the Qualifiers
I know we're a bit out of kilter here - Germany photos
and no diary, and now a Netherlands Diary with no
photos, but hey - learn to live with it... more
A mini-guide covering brief details of what I can
personally recommend in Bosnia Sarajevo), Poland (Gdansk),
Hungary (Budapest) and Croatia (Zagreb)...
more
Tying up a few loose ends, the following sections
have also been updated
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I know I said I'd be doing an update...
but I really can't stir myself to do it yet! As next
weekend is the Loony Alba 10th Anniversary St Andrews
dinner, it'll be the weekend after at the earliest
(just after we find out where we'll be going for our
holidays!).
Paul
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Two updates in a week... what fresh
nonsense is this!? Hot on the heels of last weekend's
(well, Monday's) update, we bring yet more tasty morsels
of NATA goodness. Photos, travel guides and t-shirt-related
tomfoolery - what more could you possibly want?
What's that, Tam? Hong Kong photos,
you say? Your wait is nearly over, young padawan.
You may have to wait longer for the diary - so just
hang on to your chicken for now.
Cheers, Paul
Following fast on the heels of the Oslo
Diary last week, you can now read up on our jaunt
down to Copenhagen, ahead of our potential friendly
trip there in April... more
You can tell all the Scousers you
know... that the NATA mini-guide to Bucharest is now
online, with our own take on the best sights, and
more crucially, pubs, to go to in the Romanian capital...
more
21 new (yet old) photos have been added to the Faroes
1, Iceland 3 and Portugal 1 galleries, however to
save you checking them all out - you can just go here.
One-stop-shop service from NATA Online - whatever
next?
It's probably the single biggest avenue of publicity
we have, so it's about time we re-vamped the gallery
and brought it a wee bit more up to date. You can
now view all T-Shirt slogans up to Germany, and gaze
in wonder at our three (count 'em...) badges... more
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A day late, but not too bad seeing
as I've come back from Bucharest with bubonic plague,
or at least, tuberculosis. Feast your eyes on a banquet
of photos - over 40 from the last home match, and
eight-score-and-two from our UEFA Cup jaunt to Bucharest
with Southampton FC.
Much is still planned for upcoming
updates, including the Germany Diary (not to mention
the Copenhagen part of the Scandinavian story), and
a NATA Mini Guide to Romania, so please do keep 'em
peeled.
Finally - Holland, eh? Looking at
the full draw, it seems our balls may have been cold
in the bag. Never mind, we've beaten them in the past
- can McFadden be an Archie Gemmill for a new generation?
Laters, Paul
Seven (yes, SEVEN!) galleries of photos of the Bucharest
tour. Either start the tour here,
or go to each one individually (1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6 &
7)
A gallery of TA nonsense at the
last home match of the Euro 2004 Qualifying Group
is now online here
Okay, so it's only Part 1 (Oslo
and the Big Boat), but Part Two is on the horizon
(before the next full update!).
Quotes
- 8 new quotes - 6 from Bucharest, 1 golden oldie
from Croatia and one shocker from Germany.
Travel
- Play-off details now up.
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After a wee delay, caused in partly
by a touch of the flu, and partly by Aftershock abuse,
we can now bring things back up to date with this
bumper photo update! (My creative juices weren't flowing
enough for the diary entries!)
A hectic few weeks awaits, with
the Lithuania game next week, followed by 5 days in
Romania with Southampton FC, so I don't realistically
expect to get any updates on until around late October,
when you can expect the Germany epic and some photos
of Bucharest.
In the meantime, remember that the
Euro2004 Play Off Draw is made on Monday 13th October,
at lunchtime in Frankfurt - keep your eyes peeled
on UEFA
site for details.
Finally, if anyone is knocking around
in Glasgow the day after the Lithuania game, Partick
Thistle are playing a friendly away to Clydebank to
celebrate the opening of Glenhead Park. Kick off is
at 2pm, and its only £4 to get in - see the
Official
Bankies site for details.
Cheers, Paul
Lots and lots of photos from Paul and Helen's week
in Germany, from Hamburg
in the north to Munich (1
& 2) in the south,
with the wee matter of Dortmund
and Ahlen in the middle.
The final two galleries have been
added to the Scandinavia photos. Find out what happened
on the big boat from Oslo
to Copnehagen, and at the Copenhagen
derby (Brønby v FCK).
A cut-out guide to the possible play-off permutations
is in the Planned Travel
section, along with a couple of rumoured
away friendlies... more
4 corkers from Germany have been thrown into the
mix on the Quotes page.
If you know of any more contenders, please let us
know... more
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Firstly, a massive hello to everyone
we met in Hamburg, Dortmund and München last
week!
Secondly, apologies for such a short
and sweet update (a full one will follow late September
and early October), but NATA can exclusively (I
can say that, as I just sat and worked it out!)
bring you the ins and outs of what can happen in the
EURO2004 Play Off situation - check the details for
yourself in the Planned
Travel section.
Cheers, Paul
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Things are pretty hectic here right
now, so please excuse the partial update. Just to
keep you going, here's half the Scandinavia photos
and some cracking quotes.
The Norway Diary will follow shortly
(possibly even this week), as will the photos and
diary from the Denmark leg of the trip. Also coming
soon (though not for a few weeks yet) will be video
and audio footage from the Norway ship, including
extensive reportage from the "Birthday Party".
Cheers, Paul
46 snaps of the "night before" (including
Tam Coyle's 40th birthday bash) are on the Gallery
1 page, whilst 40 photos of Matchday and Thursday
in Oslo can be found in Gallery
2.
The Oslo diary will follow shortly, as will photos
of the Copenhagen leg of the trip.
8 sparkling new quotes, from the risque to the elitist
to the surreal, have been added to the top of the
Quotes page. 7 of these
are from Scandinavia and 1 from the mists of time
(well, the train to Teplice at least)... more
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Just a quick word to say to expect
a new update around Sunday 1st September, when we
hope to bring you the Norway diary and photos, along
with any other morsels we can produce in time.
In the meantime, besides checking
what you may have missed on our news page, why not
have a look at some of the other Tartan Army pages
out there (listed on our Links
page)? The Crack
of Dawn Tartan Army have just launched their website
(be sure to check out the Troops,
School Fitba
and Uncle Robbo
pages). Also well worth a visit are the Tap
Shop and Bishopton
TA sites, as well as our parent Tartan Army: Loony
Alba.
Heralding the development of the Interactive side
of things, NATA Online is pleased to announce the
launch of Radio
NATA. Unfortunately, this is a service only available
to those with a very fast internet connection, however
you can still click here and see what you are missing...
more.
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A week ahead of the game, we can
now bring you a little bit of technological innovation
(Radio NATA), a bit of useful travel information (the
Baltics Guide), and a bit of useless general stereotyping
(but still funny!
See Drunks of the World). More of all this below.
We'll now be lying low as we start
developing a very top-secret project that will hopefully
tickle your fancies. Expect the next update after
the Norway game, and until then... keep it country.
Cheers, Paul
The long-awaited accompaniment to our acclaimed Women
of The World Guide, Drunks Of
The World is now up and running... more
Continuing our series of mini Travel guides, our
combined Baltics Guide
is now online... more |
Well, I'm certainly putting the
summer lull to good use here at NATA HQ! This second
update within three weeks see's not only a whole new
host of content (below), but a snazzy new colour scheme
as well - don't like the home kit? Well, one click
of the button above and you're looking at the away
colours.
Another big piece of news is that
we have now topped 10,000 hits - not bad for a small
Tartan Army from the south coast of England! I'm hoping
that the new features I have up my sleeve will bring
the next 10,000 in much faster!
And speaking of improvements - keep
an eye out for even more exciting developments over
the coming weeks, including a focus on the interactive
side of things, including the very first Tartan Army
web radio. Why not sign up for the Newsletter
and be among the first to know?
Cheers, Paul
NATA's very own Hampden
Guide - handy for anyone needing travel or practical
information for Scotland home matches, and in plenty
of time for the Faroes game as well... more
The perfect accompaniment to the Hampden Guide, NATA's
comprehensive Glasgow Pub
Guide covers both City Centre and pubs near Hampden,
making sure you won't go thirsty! ... More
Continuing the series of destination guides to places
I've been on my holidays to, the Turkey
Guide, featuring Istanbul and Antalya, is now
online.
Just in time for any England fans planning to travel!
(Stop sniggering! I'm
serious)... more
Okay, I know it's techy stuff, but I know at least
some of you care! The Navigation menu at the top of
each page has been expanded to give more prominence
to the expanding Travel
and Interactive
sections, but the real big news is our home and away
colour scheme - you can read about how it was done
here (if you're
into that kind of thing!)
Back to top of page |
We're is flying now, ohhh yeeaahhh! Big, big things
are planned for the summer, starting right now, so
you may want to sign-up now for our new Mailing
List.
There'll be no spam, just information on what's new
on NATA Online when it's new on the net.
Feast your eyes on what's new and
updated below, and rest assured that the Travel section
will continue to grow over the summer. In fact, we'll
be re-designing the navigation in time for the next
update (mid-July) to give the Travel Section it's
rightful place. Expect some exciting news on the Interactive
(and NATA TV) front as well.
Until then, enjoy the summer!
Cheers, Paul
By popular demand, and especially to help out John,
here is the NATA Guide to the Czech Republic. Admittedly
it has a distinct Prague bias, but there is a special
look at the city's football grounds (and their bars)...
more
NOW with pictures
(and some
have been added to the Germany
Guide too!)
Well, new of sorts! A terminal hard disk error put
paid to my first attempts to upload these photos (as
well as the Hong Kong ones - coming soon, honest!)
13 photos of the Aberdeen session can be seen here
In order to give a rundown on his own views on what's
what, NATA Web Master Paul Allison lists the good,
the bad and the ugly of his travel experiences...
more
A few more pearls of wisdom have been added to the
Wesbite Info page, if anyone's
interested!
One from NATA's LadeeeMeister
and three from Maurice the Mad Chemist
Back to top of page |
Things are picking up again here at NATA HQ. This
bumper update is a mere taster of things to come,
as I look to ramp up the travel content on NATA Online.
I also have some things up my sleeve concerning NATA
TV, which has obviously suffered a delay in launching.
As part of this expansion, I have
also invested in an additional domain name for the
site - www.tartanarmy.net, as I hope this will direct
even more traffic our way.
Anyway, in the meantime, have a
butchers at the juicy morsels below...
Paul
No less than 56 photos of our recent draw at home
to Germany on 7th June - a pre-match gallery here,
and a gallery of the match and the post match fun
here.
Three new quotes have been added to the Tartan
Army quotes page, including some quintessential
fashion advice from the Ladies Man...
The Travel Tips Section has been radically overhauled
in preparation for further expansion over the summer.
Feast you eyes on a vast array of Tartan
Army Travel Links, and look forward to the new
launch of the NATA Mini Guides,
starting with...
A bite-size guide to Germany,
based on Paul's previous travels. As well as a general
section, there are entries on Bremen, Duesseldorf,
Frankfurt, Mainz and Munich.
MORE GUIDES COMING SOON!
Back
to top of page |
A quick update, including the long-awaited captions
for the Baltics photos (see Lithuanian Diary below),
along with lots of other photo-related goodies (including
the English Cup Final).
Expect another update towards the
end of June, when Germany home photos should be available
with any luck, along with some other treats (whisper
it - but Hong Kong may finally get the coverage it
deserves!)
All in all, sorry for taking so
long, but cheers for sticking with us.
Drink up thy zider, Paul
It's been a long time coming, but
when you see the length of it, you'll understand (oo
er!) - weighing it at a hefty 4,600+ words, the Lithuanian
dissertation can be read here
(it comes in 5 digestible parts for your delight and
delectation!)
captions have been added to the mountain of photos:
here, here,
here and here.
24 photos
of the high-jinks and the low-down of the Iceland
home match, back in the days when we used win games.
Relive those happy memories...
Not strictly Tartan Army (but I
did wear my kilt) - 35
Photos of big day out in Cardiff, featuring Paul, Helen
and sometime NATA associate, Wee Fern. Rich and the
Wee Man were there, but missed out on the pre-match
fun due to a lazy bus driver!
A wee bit embarrassing this, but
in all the excitement, I kinda forgot... Criminally,
the paragraph describing
the actual game was omitted from the original diary
- you can catch up with it here!
Back
to top of page
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Sorry,
but a combination of circumstances have held up the
planned updates. A few busy weekends are ahead of
me, so I hope to start bringing it back up to date
after the Germany home match. Paul
Back to top of page |
The Lithuania photos are up, but unfortunately no
captions as yet - these will be a week or two.
And well done to Netley Abbey's
neighbouring Premiership Team, ,
on reaching the FA Cup Final.
Almost two
hundred photos of the trip to Lithuania across
4 galleries: Riga
on Sunday and Monday; Vilnius
& the U21s game; Kaunas,
the game and Vilnius on the Thursday; and finally,
the
weekend in Riga on the way home. Unfortunately,
I have been unable to add caption as yet - these will
be online in the next couple of weeks.
The Lithuania diary should be added
with the next update (within a fortnight).
3 new quotes, fresh from the Baltics,
have made it on to the TA Quotes
page (at the bottom).
Enjoy.
Cheers,
Paul
Back
to top of page |
Well, we've relaunched to keep "up
with the Joneses", please take a moment or two
to have a look around. You can even read about the
rationale behind the update on the new Website
Info page.
Cold
Turkey! Read all about the NATA tour of Istanbul
and Antalya... more
There's also a staggering 117
Photos across 4 photo galleries - access them
from the Gallery Index
At last! The wait is over - Paul's
Korea diary
and gallery of almost 60 photographs are now online...
more
Hong
Kong diary and photos will follow in due course
Paul casts a fully objective eye
over the talent around Europe in this "tongue-in-cheek"
guide, based purely on rumour and gossip... more.
Do you agree with his "expert" opinion?
NATA Online also brings you:
The next update should come around
mid-April, when we hope to have Lithuania photos,
along with a few more refinements to the site. Please
let me know what you think (particularly if the
new colour scheme is hurting your eyes!). Cheers,
Paul
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Bringing it a bit more up-to-date at last, with
some all-new material for you to feast yourselves
on. I'm afraid the wait for the Far East tour photos
and diary accounts continues, but I expect most of
you already knew that. In the meantime, check out
the following new material:
- The Mainz diary
has now been added to the mammoth 2002 Diary page
- less than 1,000 words this time, you'll no doubt
be pleased to hear!
- The Tartan Army Look-alikes feature has spawned
yet another sequel (Look-alikes
3), now featuring some faces from our travels
as well
Some new quotes have been added to the You
Said What page (thanks to Dianne)
- Thanks also to Jason from Netley, who has added
another famous person to the list of Netley residents
in the Netley Guide
- Finally, the eagle-eyed amongst you may have
spotted the omission of a NATA Topical Poll - I've
taken the decision to discontinue this given the
drop in popularity. You can view the results of
the polls conducted during 2002 here.
Due to increasing pressure to give the people what
they want, and in the face of some rather flash Tartan
Army websites (Tap
Shop TA, Bishopton
TA, Loony
Alba - perhaps I'm a wee bit biased on that one!
- and the soon-to-be-relaunched Highland
Tartan Army to name but four) upping the ante,
I'm taking NATA Online back to the drawing board for
a month of two to see if I can't brighten it up a
bit. Please email
me with any original suggestions or demands you
may have for the site.
Cheers, Paul & NATA
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Not a fully planned update, but after undue pressure
from an overweight Glaswegian with a JD habit, here
is what's ready of NATA Online for 2003:
- Tartan Army Lookalikes
2 - The sequel is here, featuring no less than
16 travelling Tartan Army members.
- If you give a forcibly sober man a shiny new
digital camera and 7 days in Iceland, and you get
almost 400 photos (of which 100 or so are visible
here, here and here). Give the same man a drink
and 36 hours in Mainz? 45 of the stoaters
(of admittedly more questionable quality) - See
the results HERE
- NATA travelled in force to the Loony Alba St
Andrews Night, and 17 Photos have now been added
to the new Miscellaneous 2
Gallery (more photos online at www.loonyalba.com)
A full update, including a diary for the Mainz trip,
will appear here in the next week or so.
Cheers and Happy New
Year, Paul & NATA
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Regrettably, despite the best efforts of the 2008
Bid Team and many avid supporters throughout the Tartan
Army, Scotland and Ireland failed to win UEFA approval
in the bid to host the 2008 European Championship
Finals.
Many thanks go from NATA to everyone involved in
taking the bid forward, particularly Tartan Army stalwarts
such as Wee John, Tam Ferry, Kenny Nicol, Hamish Husband
and the entire ATAC Committee, Davie MacDonald and
many others whose names I have forgotten or do not
know. Without the original vision, commitment, passion
and drive of these and many other individuals, the
2008 bid would never have got off the ground, let
alone have reached the chambers of power at UEFA.
Whilst the full story behind Scotland and Ireland's
failure to win the right to host the Championships
is yet to surface (but keep an eye on UEFA, the Scotland
2008 pages and the TAMB for any information), we at
NATA want to take the time to recognise the hard efforts
of the individuals above in making the bid, if not
the dream itself, a reality.
To all those responsible (you know who you are,
even if I've forgotten your names!), NATA (and the
Tartan Army in general) salute you. Thank you for
giving us all so much hope, and do not lose heart.
Paul & NATA, 12th
December 2002
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Keepin' it fresh, NATA Online now had two brand
new sections for your delight and delectation - and
best of all, we need YOUR input to help them grow.
Check out the Tartan Army Look-alikes and the Tartan
Army Quotes sections and email us with any suggestions
(or complaints, if you take yourself far too seriously!).
This is in addition to all the usual gems you'll have
come to know and love us for:
- The Tartan Army Look-alikes is a brand new page
highlighting what you've always thought but been
too polite to say! It may have a slight NATA bias
at the moment, but that's where you come in!
- Also brand new to NATA is You Said What? A Colemanballs
for the Tartan Army generation - the pick of the
quotes from the most recent trips. There may only
be a few at the moment, but from small acorns...
- The Portugal diary account weighs in at another
3,000 words plus, but then you wouldn't expect anything
less now, would you?
- And as ever, it's illustrated with a glut of photos
- 91 in total: here (42 of Porto Sat-Mon) and here
(49 Braga Tues-Thurs)
- The T-shirts page has been updated with the latest
fashions - see the Braga special here
- And a timely update has been carried out on the
Travel details page, including Turkey info (for
the "Future Team" game)
- You can now get NATA Online on the move on your
mobile phone with the new NATA WAP site (go to http://tagtag.com/nata,
but not here, you fool! On your phone!). It's only
just begun, but expect a pared down version of the
real site with details of recent updates and a link
to the Ananova section on Scottish football news.
- Finally, doesn't anyone care about the future
of Scottish football? VOTE NOW in the NATA poll,
and don't have me tell you again!
With no games for a few months (lack of annual leave
has ensured that there will be no NATA representation
in Mainz) means that I can now have a crack at the
Korea and Hong Kong updates, so watch this space (but
don't hold your breath!) - expect some more updates
to the two new pages in the coming weeks as well.
There is also the small matter of a reconnaissance
trip to Frankfurt in December to check out the city
attached to the airport that many of us know so well.
Cheers and Merry Christmas,
Paul & NATA
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Just one week to Portugal and I'm still supposed
to be off the bevvy (and onions, and garlic, and curry,
and...), however, just like Don Hutchison, I'm itching
to get back in to the thick of things, so I may well
be dipping a toe in the port.
- What do you get if you give a sober man on a
week-long Tartan Army jaunt to Iceland a digital
camera? Over 400 photos! Around a quarter of these
are online, available here (27 of Thurs & Fri),
here (36 of Sat & Sun) and here (55 of Mon -
Wed)
- The Iceland diary account is also up and running
- it's actually two separate articles pinned together
(and is therefore a wee bit tamer than usual). Don't
worry though, the truth will out eventually about
the Bananaman and Nature Boy episodes, let alone
the hard work put in by the Inverness boys for Scottish-Canadian
relations.
- We have a brand new Poll on the most exciting
upcoming attacking talent in Scottish football -
check out the results of the away shirt vote on
the Polls Archive page.
- The Travel Page has been fully updated - the
Trip Countdown has been updated to reflect the Lithuania
trip (it's a long way away at the moment!), and
the list of known and rumoured fixtures has been
brought up to date.
- The T-shirts Page 2002 Trips Collection has been
updated with the Iceland slogans - modern technology
enabled NATA to model no less than four different
designs - which one is best? You decide...
- NATA has teamed up with the oldest established
Tartan Army club, Lunnainn Albannaich, and we are
now affiliated in terms of membership enquiries
and ATAC representation etc - read more about this
here.
I'll be doing my utmost to get a Portugal update
on by Christmas, but given I have my birthday, the
Loony Alba St Andrews Night and a trip to Edinburgh
taking up three weekends out of four, please don't
be too disappointed. Remember, if you are looking
for something to read to keep you going, and the older
diary accounts don't appeal, why not see if you suggest
any new additions to the Travel Essentials on the
Joy of Talc page?
Cheers, Paul (NATA Fat
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Not a full update, but as a friendly has been arranged
in Portugal at the last minute, I felt it only right
to get the details on the Travel page. Whilst you're
here, you may as well check out the two new songs
on the Songs Page (thanks to Nigel Bruce for one of
them).
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NATA are back with a vengeance - despite a well-publicised
illness to Paul (the ongoing stomach saga - see the
Joy of Talc pages - has come to head with some hardcore
medication and an instruction to stay off the bevvy
for 2 months), the site has been updated with a veritable
feast of juicy morsels, including:
- An epic (3,000 words!) Faroes diary account from
the sober pen of Paul - a long read but I hope you
find it worthwhile!
- No less than 88 photos from the Faroes trip,
on not one but two pages (taking the total photo
count to well over 500!)
- Ten photos from the Denmark home match have been
added to the Miscellaneous Photos page
- As have 8 photos of Helen's victory in the ATAC
Ladies Penalty shoot-out (courtesy of ScottK)
- The T-shirt page has been updated with the 2002
batch to date, including our acclaimed Misbehavin'
in Torshavn effort.
- The Travel details page has been updated, and
the countdown now points to the Iceland game
- A brand new topical poll about Away shirts has
been added
- And to allow you to check out the results of
previous polls, a brand new page has been added
to show all the previous Topical Poll results
Due to the millstone hanging around my neck that
is the Korea and Hong Kong updates (see the News Archive
page for the saga of my hard-disk failure) I've decided
to push on with other updates with a view to updating
the Far East details in due course. The fact that
I got a new digital camera before the Denmark match,
and still have no less than 10 developed films to
sift through from the Far East has also contributed
to this decision! However, in order to satisfy some
of the public demand to see photographic evidence
of the trip, I've taken the rare step of putting photos
on the this page, as a wee taster of what is to come.
In all honesty, it's unlikely that the site will
see another update until after Iceland, as I will
be putting some time into the Worthing FC Supporters
Association web site that I am also running, but please
have a look around, vote in the new Poll, and even
sign the Guestbook.
Cheers again for everyone's
patience in waiting for this update, Paul
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Excuses, excuses... a fatal hard-disk error 4 weeks
ago scuppered the update I was planning, so I'm afraid
it's still a wee while away, but fear not NATA Online
will return! In the meantime, I can reveal details
of a very special new NATA product on it's way - check
out this link for the MUST HAVE item in the North
Atlantic.
Cheers, sorry about
the delays, and thanks for your patience,
Paul
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Hello, and apologies again for the late updating
of the site. The Far East trip was great, but I've
been a wee bit busy since I got back, and as a result
the web site has had to take a back-seat. I have been
elected Chairman of the newly-formed Worthing FC Supporters
Association (you can see the WFC web site here), and
there's been a lot to do to get things off the ground.
In between this, we've squeezed in a trip to Perth
for the ATAC Sevens (where Ally Maciver won the joint
Player of the Tournament award whilst playing for
NOSTA and Helen won the Ladies Penalty Shoot-out for
Loony Alba) and we're squeezing in trips to London,
Lille and Brussels.
Anyway, many great photos of the Far East have been
taken (mostly by ally on his shiny new camera) and
I am in the process of gradually formatting them in
between everything else. Please check back soon, when
we hope to have at least some of the following:
- Korea photos
- Korea diary
- Hong Kong photos
- Hong Kong Diary
- Upcoming travel update
- And maybe even a new Questionnaire!
In the meantime, why not look over some old photos,
read about our past misadventures, or plan for a trip
with this list? You should also check out the excellent
new Lunnainn Albannaich website.
Cheers, Paul
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Well, a week turned into a month, but here's the
new NATA update. And just in time too, as I'm jetting
off to Korea tomorrow (complete with my freshly sprained
ankle!) to watch the 3 game Far East tour. So, here's
the all-new NATA update, just one game behind again
(Aberdeen photos due when I get back from holiday):
- Paul's diary account of 4 days in Paris is now
online, along with...
An amazing 45 photos of Paris can be found here
(Tues & Thurs) and here (matchday), taking the
amount of photos on the site to just shy of 400!
- The Joy of Talc page has had a new addition courtesy
of Paul's sleeping habits, plus an amendment to
Loo Roll entry (at the insistence of Bob, aka Tartan
Army Casualty).
- The words to the Don't bend down song, a catchy
wee ditty about a tefal-headed Swedish manager,
are on the Songs page.
- The travel page now reflects the upcoming Far
East trip, as well as the somewhat optimistic Brazil
rumour.
- The links page has also been updated with links
to the ATAC site, the new Black Earnside Tartan
Army, the website of the infamous "Black Douglas"
(see Heids on Sticks), and the holding page for
the somewhat controversial Internet Tartan Army
(aka WEBTA).
- When did you last send a Tartan Army Postcard?
- And don't forget to vote in our highly topical
poll about favourite home shirts.
That's all from us for the time being. After Korea/Hong
Kong I hope to bring you the usual mix of photos and
tales, along with some photos from Aberdeen and a
new questionnaire (remember them? You can look over
the old ones here).
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Apologies for a reduced update for now, but a bout
of food poisoning on my return from France, coupled
with a hefty chest cold, have combined to limit my
creative output for the time being. The France photos
are here and will be scanned shortly, so I hope to
have a further update next weekend.
For the time being, check out:
- The diary account of the trip to Bath for the
U-17 match against Lithuania.
14 photos from that very game.
- Updated information on Away Travel, with details
of the Hong Kong/Korea rumour
- And lastly, friendlies notwithstanding, the Countdown
has been switched to the Faroe Islands match
Please check back in a week or so to see photos
from Paris, a Paris diary account, and updates to
the Joy Of Talc and T-Shirt Gallery pages.
And lastly, NATA will be in Aberdeen on the 16th,
with Paul & Helen flying Easyjet from Luton and
looking forward to a "Leo Sayer" with Ally
& Sue. The Inverness Boys will be joining the
proceedings early afternoon.
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Less than a month to Berti's first game in France
(check the exact time left on our new-fangled countdown),
and Paul and Helen are planning a wee warm-up on Friday
8th March in Bath for the Scotland U-17 match with
Lithuania, along with representatives from Loony Alba
and the Wee Midges and Swindon Tartan Armies. Speaking
of travel, the poll results are in - 56 people voted,
with Germany coming out on top with 29%, Iceland and
France close behind in joint second with 25% each,
Lithuania capturing the imagination with 16% and puffin-fanciers
bringing up the rear with 5% for the Faroes - take
the new Poll above.
Back to the front, a bumper update this month, featuring
the following:
- We now have dates for the qualifying games, along
with some sketchy travel plans, on the Travel Page
- Also check out the Travel Rumours section for
speculation on possible games against China, Morocco,
Norway and Nigeria
- The Fat Man is in the chair for this month's
NATA questionnaire, where he reveals a disturbing
fascination with Jenny Agutter.
- The "Song That Shall Not Speak It's Name"
now boasts an amazing 50 verses (split into 3 sections),
and has it's own page here.
- The Links Pages has been updated, specifically
with links to ATAC (The Association of Tartan Army
Clubs), The Wee Midges TA and the Pompey TA
- Two new photos have been added to the Latvia
home gallery (inc Billy McNeill in action and Rich
actually smiling)
- And last, but not least, we took delivery of
a new batch of NATA badges at HQ this week, in time
for the France trip, as supplied by Black Dragon
Badges. See them here, or read more about them and
their predecessor on the T-Shirt Gallery page.
Tune in again early April to get the lowdown on
France, a possible new-look TA listings (postponed
from this month due to technical difficulties), and
various other morsels of information. Between now
and then (in fact, in the next few days) the site
is due to get it's 5,000th hit, which is not bad for
a wee Tartan Army from a Hampshire village!
Cheers, Paul & NATA.
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So, it's sunk in that there'll be no sun, sand and
sangria in our Qualifying group, as we await our Northern
European tour. A preview of the destinations, along
with a bit of rumour-mongering, can be found on the
vastly-improved Travel Page.
The results of January's new manager poll are in,
with Nevio Scala (now Shakhtar Donetsk's manager)
a firm favourite with 40% of the vote. Jim Leishman
came in second with 23%, the Troussier (20%), Vogts
(10%) and Craigy Brown (8%). Unsurprisingly, Rioch
and Graham failed to catch the imagination and scored
zero! Check out the new poll above.
Also, the questionnaires have now become bi-monthly,
as we'll run out of interviewees too quickly at current
pace.
So, all in all, this update brings you:
- 22 photos of the madness and mayhem surrounding
the Latvia home game
- And 15 photos of the trip to Prague to see what
might have been - Czech Republic vs Belgium, Nov
2001
- Travel previews on all 4 destinations, along
with speculation surrounding an April friendly
- A new poll - "what trip are you most looking
forward to?" - see above
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The draw for the Euro2004 Qualifiers was made today,
with Scotland drawn in Group 5:
- GERMANY
- SCOTLAND
- ICELAND
- LITHUANIA
- FAROE ISLANDS
The dates for these matches will not be known for
a few weeks, and NATA Online will be updated as soon
as they are known. In the meantime we will have a
preview of each destination from next Sunday night
(3rd February) on the Travel Details page.
First thoughts from NATA:
Expensive!
Happy Burns Night to
all!
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Welcome back to the "all-new for 2002",
re-launched Netley Abbey Tartan Army Online web site.
We're back with big plans for the future, with regular
updates (at least one per month) and a whole host
of new features. To kick-off the New Year, we have
set up a Tartan Army Postcard page, where you can
send your friends TA images with your own message.
We will also have topical polls (see above), with
at least one per month - hopefully this month's question
will be resolved sooner rather than later by the SFA!The
Travel Details page now boasts a countdown to the
kick-off of the next game (currently believed to be
the France away match).
Other additions since the last update:
- Meet NATA - it's the turn of Sue (aka The Sick
Chick) to sit in the NATA hot-seat.
- Four members of NATA went to Prague to see the
Czech Republic v Belgium play-off. Read all about
it here (photos to follow in February's update)
- As we've moved web-space provider, we've also
moved Guestbooks - please sign the new one here.
The 2001 Guestbook can still be seen here.
- Another 6 Brussels photos have turned up and been
added to the Belgium 1 gallery
- And two odd photos have been added to the Miscellaneous
Photo Gallery
Please check back early-February for the next update,
which will include:
- Photos from the Prague 2001 trip
- Photos from the Latvia home game
- A brand-new Topical Poll
- News and reaction to the Euro2004 Qualifying
Draw (due on Burns Night, 25th Jan)
- And a new Monthly Questionnaire from another
member of NATA
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Why was the web site not updated in November and
December? Well, this is down to a combination of things.
Aside from the obvious disappointment of not qualifying
for the World Cup Finals, there has been time away
in Prague and over Christmas. On top of all this,
I've had work and study commitments, and I've not
been very well recently... excuses, excuses! And,
just to rub salt in the wounds, NATA's old web space
provider has drastically reduced what it offers in
the way of free web-space to the extent that the previous
site was too big, so we have now invested in paid
web space - this has taken a few weeks to fully sort
out.
This new start has given us the opportunity to expand,
and I now hope to commit to a realistic target of
at least one update a month. I hope you enjoy the
site and come back to check on it's progress.
Regards, Paul Allison
(aka The Fat Man), Webmaster
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Back on track with the updates, although the next
one will not now be due until after we get back from
Prague in mid-November. Meanwhile, check out:
Helen's Questionnaire has been added to the Meet The
Netley Boys page.
And, not content with Prague, check out the Travel
Page (forward-planned) details of another potential
foray into Eastern Europe for non-Scotland reasons.
And remember, to keep abreast of all the TA gossip,
check out Ezzy and Mirza's Message Board. Check back
in a few weeks to hear all about Prague.
Cheers, Paul.
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At last, a week and a half later than promised,
NATA can bring you a vast update to the site, including
an epic account of the ups and downs of the Brussels
trip.
- At last, the bumper Belgian diary has been added
- The Sarajevo Tartan Army has been added to the
"Meet the Netley Boys" page under the
other usual suspects banner, including 4 photos
of Mirza.
- 7 new photos added to the Belgium galleries,
courtesy of Stuart and Ally & Sue - 4 of matchday
have added to Belgium 2, and 3 of the lost Thursday
night have been added to Belgium 1.
- Two brand new essentials have been added to the
Tribute to Talc page
- And the Travel Details page has been amended
to include a surprise trip lined up by four of the
NATA faithful
The poor effort in getting the site updated is purely
down to the webmasters vain attempts to pursue a work
qualification, so be warned for the future! In all
honesty, expect near-monthly updates from next week
onwards, although do pop back on Monday 29th October
for Helen's answers to the NATA questionnaire. To
follow soon will be some pictures of the Latvia home
game, along with the insider report on the play-off
that could have been!
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A lorry-load of photos arrived at NATA HQ this week,
so I've been busy scanning, compressing and formatting.
You can see the fruits of my labour by looking at:
- A gallery of 16 photos from the Croatia home
match has been added
As well as a total of 45 photos from Brussels, split
into Belgium 1 (26 of Mon/Tues/Thurs) and Belgium
2 (19 of match day) galleries.
- And to round off the photo theme, two more sepia
photos of Netley Abbey have been added.
- All this, and Ally's NATA questionnaire has been
added as well.
Due to having to sort out all those photos, the
Belgium diary account will be here for the next update
(after the Latvia home match). There'll be nothing
new here until Sunday 14th October at the earliest,
as Helen and I are off to Barcelona and Glasgow for
some sustained alcohol abuse over the next two weekends.
Hope to see some of you at the Latvia match. Cheers,
Paul.
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Back home and recovered! Hello to everyone I met
- it was good to put some faces to names, and a big
hello to CARTA (the fledgling Cardiff Tartan Army),
who we met in a Brussels drinking den over a couple
of glasses of 11% beer. And on another note, some
good news from American Dave, who lives and works
near the Pentagon in Washington DC - he's fine (if
a wee bit shaken). Anyway, back to the update:
- A brand new anecdote on the Netley guide, along
with an explanation of how the Ossie Wall got it's
name.
- Four new "Classic" t-shirts, one honorary
T-Shirt (for Mirza) and the acclaimed Belgium design
have all been updated on the T-Shirt page in the
gallery.
- Also on the T-Shirt Page is a picture of our
brand-spanking-new Pin Badges, as debuted at the
Croatia and Belgium matches.
- 2 new verses (featuring Messrs Booth and Mahoney)
have been added to the song that shall remain nameless
on the Song Sheet page.
Tune in after next Sunday evening's update for Ally
Maciver's NATA questionnaire, Paul's diary account
of the Belgium trip, and hopefully, some Belgium photos.
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Only the one update this month, as I'm off to the
Lake District next weekend to purify my liver ahead
of Glasgow and Brussels. However, we do bring you
a combination of cosmetic changes along with some
brand new content to keep you entertained:
- The France World Cup diary has finally been completed
- read all about the second round match that could
have been!
- And speaking of which, the other Diary pages
have been split out into 1998/9, 2000 and 2001 to
allow for faster loading - and now with tunes to
serenade you as you read (see below)
- Inverness David (aka The Lost Man) takes the
NATA challenge and does the questionnaire for September
- click here for all the answers (which is almost
the complete opposite of everything Clarkston Chris
said in his).
- And last, but certainly not least, music has
been added to the individual diary pages, Tribute
to Talc and songs page - this is an experiment,
and I will add this to other pages if successful
- please let me have any feedback by emailing me
at fatman@netleyabbeytartanarmy.com
There you have it - enough to keep you going until
September? There will be no more updates until after
we return from Belgium and recover from the hangover!
Cheers, Paul
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Firstly, a big hello to everyone I met at the Lunnainn
Albannaich meeting on Saturday (yesterday) - I had
a great time and it was good to put some faces to
names, etc.
Just a wee update this week as it's questionnaire
time again - this time in the hot seat it's Clarkston
Chris, aka The Blonde Man:
- Check out Chris's questionnaire here - Chris
used to be a ballboy at Hampden, but that doesn't
excuse his bad taste in football kits, and even
worse taste in pubs!
- And an account of the USA v Yugoslavia game has
been added to the World Cup Diary - just one more
to go!
Check back again in the next few weeks for more
small updates (and another interview at the end of
the month), and of course, after the September double-header
when we will have a full post-mortem - only 5 weeks
to go now!
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After the last massive update two weeks ago, we've
reached the 2,000 mark on the homepage hit counter
- this is around 70 hits a week in the six months
that the site has been up and running. I had hoped
to get more sorted for this update, such finishing
the World Cup diary, and sorting out the away trip
diary to make it faster to load, but due to other
things going on I haven't quite managed it. I have
updated the following though:
- 17 new photos of Netley Abbey's sights and pubs
from the lens of the Ladies Man
- These photos have also been added in to the Netley
Guide to give it a bit more colour
- An account of the Scotland v Morocco game has
been added to the World Cup diary
Right - expect an update next weekend when Clarkston
Chris should be in the interview hot-seat, and possibly
more of the World Cup diary. Only 6 weeks until Belgium!
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The old Message Board page has been removed from
the navigation buttons as part of the reorganisation
of the site, making space for new buttons, such as:
A dedicated Travel Page - allowing this page to concentrate
on News and Updates
- An option to Sign Guestbook has been added to
the navigation, saving visitors from having to scroll
to the foot of the guestbook. And if you haven't
yet signed it, well you've no excuse now, have you?
- A Site Map has been added - to help you stumble
around the site, and just in case you can't see
the buttons at the top of the page, text links have
been added to the foot.
- And, what you've all been hanging on for in order
to book your summer holidays - The Rough-ish Guide
to Netley Abbey is upon us (at last), sans photographs
for the time being (these should go up in the next
update or two), but for the meantime get to grips
with this 5-page extravaganza, a "site-within-a-site",
no less!
- As the NATA message board was discontinued in
March, the generic Tartan Army Message Board will
have to satisfy everyone's message appetite for
now. If I hear of an overwhelming demand for us
to have our own, then I will sort something out
- I've heard nothing in the last 3 months!
So, a thumping great update then. Come back in two
weeks for the long awaited conclusion to the World
Cup diary.
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We're getting there! From questionnaires to World
Cup diaries, along with some photos and some topical
melons, its all here! Enjoy:
- It's here: the Meet The Netley Boys: One-at-a-time
questionnaires have finally been launched, with
Rich breaking the ice - access is through the Meet
The Netley Boys page, but you can go straight to
his questionnaire answers here.
- The World Cup Diary has finally been updated!
Entries have been added for Spain-Paraguay and for
USA-Iran. Just 3 more entries to go!
- Four new items have been added to the list of
Tartan Travel Essentials on the Tribute to Talcum
Powder page - including watermelons, loo roll, Toblerone
and cameras.
- And 3 more photos have been added to the Poland
2 Gallery, including this one of The Kirrie Boys.
The next update is expected in a fortnight, depending
on summer weekend plans (it's hell with no football!),
when we hope to bring you more on the World Cup diaries,
and the start of the Rough-ish guide.
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Well, apart from the work-in-progress Rough-ish
Guide to Netley Abbey the site is now nearing completion
(for the time being), and a good job too, as we're
almost at capacity on our free web-space. This hasn't
stopped us from adding the following:
- Links to an excellent MultiMap.com map of the
South Coast showing Netley Abbey has been added
to the About Netley Abbey section - or just click
here (map is zoomable - right down to street level).
- The NATA Travel details section (at the foot
of this page) now outlines the initial thoughts
for Egypt and France.
- And speaking of Egypt, check out the new Egypt
Links section.
- Also added to the France 98 Gallery: two great
stadium panaromas of Bordeaux and St Etienne (Spain
v Paraguay) from the camera of Inverness David.
Another update will follow in 2 weeks, as I'm off
to the Promised Land next weekend (and therefore away
from my computer) - check back then to see an update
to the World Cup diary, and the first of the not-at-all-late
Meet The Netley Boys questionnaires.
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Egypt anyone? So it looks like a trip to Cairo is
imminent in either November or February - perhaps
a bit expensive if we do qualify for Japan/Korea,
but I'll be sorting out sorting out some Links that
should be up next week. In the meantime, check these
out:
- A Miscellaneous Gallery has been added, with
17 pictures of both England matches, plus Belgium
and San Marino at home.
- After some sound "legal advice" from
the webmaster of the Tartan Army Home Pages, the
song previously known as the "Posh Spice Song"
has been changed to throw the gruesome twosome off
the scent.
Next week will see some further updates to the World
Cup diary, and possibly even the first in what will
become a monthly series of interviews with NATA members.
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Apologies - this update was delayed due to 'technical
difficulties'. All the NATA Poland photos are now
in, including some from the erratic lens of the Ladies
Man, along with the best NATA photo of the entire
World Cup. The addition of the Estonia trip gallery
means that all 12 NATA foreign trips now have their
own gallery page. But first, check out how NATA have
made the headlines:
- The Netley Abbey Tartan Army (well, four of them
at least) graced a front cover of a Polish paper
the day after the game, click here to see it (also
in the Poland 2 gallery).
- An unbelievable 54 web-worthy photos of Poland
have been sorted into two separate galleries: Poland
1 for the Gdansk photos, and Poland 2 for the Bydgoszcz/Wloclawek
photos.
- Don't forget to check out the Poland Account
in the diary.
- An Estonia Gallery, albeit with a meagre 6 photos,
has been added here.
- Pictures of Wee Fern and The Garioch Branch have
been added to the Meet The Netley Boys page.
- And our most amazing photo from France 98, with
a Scotland-supporting riot policeman, has been added
to the France '98 Gallery, or just click here to
see it on it's own.
A gallery section including some photos from various
home matches should be ready for next weekend, and
the long-awaited "Rough-ish Guide to Netley Abbey"
will be following shortly - so check back soon (weekly
updates every Sunday night/Monday morning).
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Having had a wee look at the site, I think that
it's grown faster than we ever anticipated, so I am
planning an overhaul of it in the summer to make it
a wee bit more user-friendly. If anyone has any suggestions,
please e-mail me on the address at the foot of the
page. Anyway, this doesn't mean the site will disappear,
nor will the updates will stop! Just take a look at
these:
- Meet the newest members of the Netley Abbey Tartan
Army: Wee Fern, and Ally and Sue who have started
their very own Garioch Branch (photos to follow).
- Ally has also provided us with some excellent
photos of the Poland trip - more will follow once
Rich and myself get our 7 films developed.
- STOP PRESS: The Swindon and South West England
Tartan Army has recently been launched. A big welcome
to our nearest neighbours - you can visit their
site by clicking here.
Another update will follow next weekend, so be sure
to check back soon.
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Well, we made it back from Poland in one piece!
A big hello to everyone we met out there, and a big
welcome to the newest recruits to the Netley Abbey
Tartan Army, Ally and Susan (the Garioch Branch).
Their details, along with Fern's (a recruit from the
Belgium home match) will appear on the site in the
very near future. The photos from the Poland trip
(I got through 6 films!) will be ready to go on in
a couple of weeks. In the meantime, feast your eyes
over this lot:
- A massive Poland diary entry describing Paul
and Helen's 7 days on the voddy and apple juice
can be found on the NATA Diary page.
- Photo Gallery sections added for Germany 1999
and Bosnia 1999 - only 6 photos in each I'm afraid
(no fit state at the time to operate delicate machinery!)
- We've also added a NATA T-Shirt page to the Photo
Gallery - go straight to it by clicking here.
- The "Drink Around The Clock" song has
been added to the song page, courtesy of Wee John
(Perthshire Tartan Army)
- The Links page has also been updated, with a
few more Belgian sites and some new Scottish football
sites.
Apologies for the delay in updating the site - I
took a while to recover from the voddy abuse, and
my liver is suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I'm
planning to knuckle down during the summer to get
the France 98 diary finished and the Netley Rough
Guide up and running - in the meantime, keep checking
back often.
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Here it is - the last update before Poland. Remember
to scan below to see what other gems you may have
missed (previous update on 14th April):
- A Tribute to Talcum Powder: a light hearted look
at the essentials every TA footsoldier needs on
an away trip.
- More photos added to both the Ireland (6 new)
and San Marino (3 new) gallery sections (courtesy
of Clarkston Chris).
- By popular demand from the Worthing FC message
board, the Goodnight Horse song has been added to
the Alternative Song Sheet.
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Sorry about the delay with the update! A combination
of the double-header, hangovers and work has prevented
me from making an update, but plenty here to make
up for it:
- As previous visitors to the site may have noticed,
we've re-jigged the Home Page to give more space
for the introduction, and given News and Updates
their own page (ie. this one). This has enabled
space to be given to outlining any travel plans
for upcoming matches - click here to whizz down
to the Travel Details section - at present there
are entries for Poland and Belgium.
- A Czech Republic page has been added to the Photo
Gallery, with 12 photos of the June 1999 trip -
see them here.
- Already planning ahead for the next trip after
Poland? The links page includes some handy Belgian
links, for accommodation, travel, pubs and football
- get straight there by clicking here.
- A diary entry for the Montpellier leg of the
France '98 big adventure has been added.
- A NATA e-mail address for American Dave has been
added, taking the total e-enabled NATA members to
six - see Contact Information for details, and to
drop us a line.
- And lastly, a big thanks to Steve at Worthing
FC Online for including a link to this site.
Another update will follow very shortly, so come
back soon. Cheers, Paul.
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Two updates in a week! If you haven't been to the
site for a wee while, please take a moment to scan
down the previous What's New updates to see what you've
been missing.
- A wee taster to The Rough-ish Guide To Netley
Abbey has been uploaded - check out the Netley Pub
Guide now to see what alcoholic treats await the
casual visitor to this Hampshire village.
- We've taken the decision to link direct to the
Main Tartan Army Message Board. We may add a different
board in time if the demand's there.
Anyway, we're all off to Glasgow for the qualifiers,
so don't expect any updates until April. Please e-mail
any comments to the addresses below in the Contact
Info section. Cheers
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A later update than planned I'm afraid (due to spending
last weekend on the beer, warming up for the upcoming
double-header - well, you wouldn't go to the Olympics
without a wee jog first, would you?), however we do
have:
- A much improved Links page, with links to a whole
load of other Tartan Army web sites.
- E-mail addresses for Rich, Chris, Steve and Julie
- see Contact Info at the foot of this page.
- Essay-length diary accounts of the Latvia, San
Marino and Croatia trips.
- Photo Gallery sections for San Marino (10 photos)
and Croatia (13 photos).
- We have been advised that we will be losing our
current message board from 1st April, so we will
be setting up a new one, however as the matches
are next week, it may be early April before we have
a new one in place.
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- A full account of the Ireland trip has been added
to the Diary page.
- And an even fuller account of the Bordeaux incident
has found it's way in to the World Cup Diary.
- Two new pages added to the Photo Gallery: 8 photos
of the Lithuania 1998 trip, and 11 of the Latvia
2000 trip.
- Another two Pish Spoce verses from that man Ally
Macabre again. View the full 16 verses here.
- And after a brief surge in interest, the message
board has quietened down again. Go on - gie us some
abuse, will ye?
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- Photographs of Netley Abbey's famous landmarks,
in tasteful sepia tones. View them here.
- An epic account of the Holland trip has been
added to the NATA diary.
- No less than five new Posh Spice verses (courtesy
of Ally Macabre). Sing along with them here.
- Signed the guestbook yet? Even my mum has!
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- A new Photo Gallery section, with photos of the
World Cup, Holland and Ireland trips.
- Two profiles added to the Meet The Netley Boys
page: Welsh Steve and Julie.
- Three new entries to the NATA diary: Bosnia,
Estonia and Wembley.
- Two new verses added to the Pish Spoce song (featuring
Tommy Boyd and Neil McCann) - please add any new
verses to the message board
- And the speaking of the message board - someone
gonnae start a ruck or something to make it interesting?
(Nothing too abusive/offensive, mind)
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- A brand spanking new guest book. Please view
it by clicking here, and sign it by clicking here.
- A new message board
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- A partial Diary of NATA trips (will be fully
completed by March 2001), with new photos, and a
France '98 diary section (again, only partial at
the moment)
- More Links added to the Links & Stuff page
- Photos of the Inverness and Clarkston branches
of NATA
- Two more songs (including the one-and-only Posh
Spice song)
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