Hostility? Aggression? We can handle it!
By Carys Baptist
March 10 2005
A match in Greece is never as clean as it may look on paper. The Greeks have a reputation of aggression and hostility.............
A match in Greece is never as clean as it may look on paper. The Greeks have a reputation of aggression and hostility but Shay Given is confident that this will not put him off as he hopes to keep the Greeks from scoring later this afternoon.
“I've been to a few hostile places before so I know exactly what to expect,"
Graeme Souness has mentally prepared the team for what they may be up against both on and off the pitch and its said not to be pretty.
Olympiakos has had to play their last four matches behind closed doors due to disruption from the fans on several occasions – and the fans don’t exactly have a good reputation.
Many of the players travelling from Newcastle have had previous experience in such situations. Alan Shearer and Shay Given.
When Given travelled with Ireland for the world cup qualifier against Iran he found he was in the firing line for all sorts as he stood in goal.
“Right at the top of the hostile list would definitely be Iran. I played against them for Ireland in the World Cup play-offs and there were grenades being let off, rockets flying around and all sorts. I don't think it can get any worse that that to be honest.
It was worst in the warm-up. A grenade was thrown on to the pitch, it went off, and it blew a hole in the ground about a yard in front of me. The dirt flew up and hit me in the face and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little bit scary.
If you can come through that, you can come through anything, and I think the atmosphere will add to the game. Our players will respond to it and get up for things even more."
If Newcastle win tonight it will be Olympiakos’ first defeat at home since the stadium was rebuilt last summer.
Alan Shearer summed it up when he said the following