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Wednesday 30th December 2009

We're back! I hope you like the new colour scheme - we've gone for a much cleaner, more white-space and clearer text look, with less graphics, partly to make the site more mobile-friendly. I've invested real money on our new navigation system, which has even been iPhone tested!

Obviously, it's all well and good having a compatible website, but we still need the content on it to inspire the browsing public to come and visit, and that's next on the agenda. Certain travel guides need to be brought up-to-date, and I may even consider adding some kind of "Web 2.0" element like Twitter or a blog, if I think the demand is there. Never has this been a more relevant consideration for a Tartan Army website - in preparing this update, I spent an entire afternoon checking each and every link to other websites, and no less than 34 old TA Club websites have fallen by the wayside, with only 15 new ones springing up to replace them. Perhaps most worrying is the fact that three of the most innovative - Tap Shop TA, Bishopton TA and the original Crack of Dawn TA - sites are amongst the casualties!

In the meantime, please have a wee look around. Please shout if you spot anything out of place (bear in mind the old content is still there, but is stuck with the old design), and please feel free to let us know what you think of the new look, or whether you think we've left anything behind, via our Contact page.

I don't know when the next update will be, but given the whole point of the revamp is to make these things easier, I'm hopeful it will be sooner rather than later!

Cheers, Paul

Web Evolution 2009 Diary What Next?
If you're interested in the ins and outs of how we've changed over the past decade (the site launched in Jan 2001), then the lowdown awaits... more Diary updates for two of the three away matches Paul attended in 2009 (plus the one he didn't) have also now made it online... more There's still plenty to update, starting with Norway and Japan photos (once I've fixed the new template!), plus the gradual updating of the travel pages.

UPDATED: Sunday 9 August 2009

What's happened? Three full months without a peep? Well, a lot's happened... I've passed another exam, Helen's lost her job (and thankfully found another one!), we've both written off entire weekends due to beer festivals and cricket matches (supporting Sussex, not England!!!), and various other distractions have kept me away from my computer doing something a little less boring instead...

And, to be honest, I have to confess I can't remember ever feeling quite so non-plussed about Scotland's prospects, even in the depths of the Berti years. So, rather than come on here and risk dragging everyone else down into my own malaise, I figured a rest from updates may be preferable.

Nonetheless, we're back, and whilst it may not be the most ground-breaking update ever, at least it's a start. We've got a look-back at our last two Oslo experiences, seeing us draw in a friendly and win convincingly in our last competitive visit, as well as travel details for Japan. On a non-Tartan Army note, there are several hundred photos of our summer jaunt to Vancouver if anyone is having trouble sleeping!

We really will be back soon, with photos of Norway, and maybe even a diary account (Amsterdam too!), but in all honesty it may not be until after the home double-header. Until then, stay happy!

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Skeid v Sarpsborg (pdf file)

NATA founder member Rich has single-handedly managed to rearrange the Norwegian second division fixture list, and Skeid have kindly agreed to host a fan party at their Tuesday night game. Directions to the ground (and pub) are on this flyer

UPDATED: Travel Plans & Gossip

Now Japan has finally been confirmed, details of our travel plans have been added to the Travel page, along with an updated rumours section ...more

NEW: Vancouver Photos

And why do I only have three days in Japan? Because I spent a week in Vancouver in June - the pics are on my scrapbook website (and there's rather a lot of them!) ...more

LOOK-BACK: Norway in 2003 & 2005

With this being our third visit to Oslo in the space of 6 years, NATA Online has 2003 and 2005 galleries, plus a 2003 and 2005 diary entry to whet your appetites.


UPDATED: Sunday 26 April 2009

After a controversial round of matches for Scotland, the dust is beginning to settle, and despite our second place, the grim reality is that having played all four teams in our group, we've only been able to beat one of them so far.

Photos from both of the double-header games have been added, including a job lot from our Hampden tour the day after the Iceland victory.

Anyway, there are still three games to go including a trip to that least enticing of destinations, Oslo. Travel details for that trip, plus news about a controversial trip to Japan in October, have been added to the Travel Details page.

Our next update is anticipated in either late May or early June. Although the season is already over for some (including, sadly in mine and Rich's opinion at least, Southampton FC), things are just heating up for others. With a potential Fortuna play-off looming, and possibly clashing with Clydebank FC's greatest moment since their renaissance (congratulations to the Bankies for reaching the Scottish Junior Cup Final against all odds!), as well as Worthing facing play-offs this coming week, it will at least be an exciting month!

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Netherlands Gallery

Less than a month after the event, here's the gallery with over 120 snaps from two nights apiece in Haarlem and Amsterdam. Enjoy... more

NEW: Iceland Home Gallery

And a further 68 from the home win against Iceland and a tour of Hampden the following day... more

UPDATED: Travel Plans & Gossip

Norway's sorted, and a return to the Land of the Rising Sun appears to be on the horizon... more

ALSO: F95.co.uk updated

Paul's Fortuna Düsseldorf website has also been updated with photos and background info... more


STOP PRESS: Sunday 15 March 2009

Just to get you in the mood for the Amsterdam trip, here's a cracking short song from Ally about Paris (right click to save as a 3mb MP3 file). There's also a guide to the superb German city of Regensburg, plus some photos of Paul and Helen's trip there last weekend. Back with a proper update in April!


UPDATE: Saturday 28 February 2009

Exactly one month to go before we start on the campaign trail again, and everyone is wondering if we'll have to suffer a repeat of our last trip to Amsterdam, or whether a repeat of Paris 2007 is on the cards.

You can now read up on our last away game - our only success to date - to whet your appetite for the upocoming trip. We've also got a very detailed and opinionated questionnaire from NATA's own Ladies Man, as well as a link to a worthy new business venture from a NATA member.

Finally, this update also sees a long overdue overhaul of our popular Prague Pub Guide, with lots more pubs added and even some pub crawl suggestions.

Being realistic, we're unlikely to manage an update in March, however we will be back in April with photos and gossip from the double header against the Netherlands and Iceland, as well as any other nuggets we can come up with in the meantime. For now, have a good month and savour the anticipation of our next game!

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Iceland Diary

Bringing us back up to date on the diary front, for one more month at least, here's the tale of 2 nights in Iceland and Scotland's only win in theWC campaign to date ...more

NEW: Meet Rich

Chapter and verse from NATA founder member Rich, including a rare admission of an embarrassing incident from the usually unflappable Ladies Man ...more

UPDATED: Prague Pub Guide

After two weeks in Prague in the space of a month last summer, we felt it was time to update the Prague Pub Guide, now with far more pubs and some cracking pub crawl suggestions ...more

Superior Condoms.com

Safe sex and balloon animals* are both lots of fun, and both have been made easier thanks to SuperiorCondoms.com, a new business venture from one of the NATA boys.

* We're not suggesting that these two activities should be combined!


UPDATE: Sun 4th January 2009

First of all, sorry for the website laying low for the past three months. What caused the hiatus? A variety of things, basically: pressure of work; reluctance to commit to PC time when relaxing at home; travel; but, most of all, simple creative writing block, I suppose. It's very disheartening, as there's only been a handful of months without updates since the site's inception 7 years ago this month, but c'est la vie...

Anyway, we're back now and that's the main thing! What I can bring you is not one but two photo galleries: the comprehensive Macedonia gallery and a smaller one for the Noway home match. I've also managed to shake off my creative shackles and knock out a diary entry for the Skopje trip (and the Iceland one is almost done - next month, honest!). Finally, it's my own turn to complete the Meet NATA questionnaire (for the second time, may I add).

I really, honestly do envisage being able to update the website again before the end of next month, and plan to bring some of the following: the Iceland diary, an update to the Prague pub guide, a new questionnaire and the final tweaks to the Meet NATA page.

Between now and then, I'm really hoping that the SFA do something about our friendly calendar for the remainder of the year, as it really is looking quite sparse. Whilst I fully appreciate that the priority has to be meeting the squad's needs, surely a little bit of communication and forward planning wouldn't go amiss?

Cheers, Paul

NEW: Norway Photos

For starters, here's 42 snaps from the dreary 0-0 draw at home to Norway in October 2008 ...more

NEW: Macedonia Diary

To follow, a blow-by-blow account of our 5 days in Skopje, which may be a little different from other people's experience ....more

NEW: Macedonia Gallery

The biggest gallery we've ever done - no less than 368 photos covering our 5 days in Macedonia, including the infamous bus trip/mountain hike at Matka ...more

NEW: Meet Paul

And continuing our Questionnaire series, it's webmaster and co-founder of NATA, Paul's turn. Read all about his favourite trips, stadia, drinks and Scotland tops ...more

 
     

 


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