RHYL DRAW PARTIZAN BELGRADE
RHYL head coach Allan Bickerstaff admitted his team could hardly landed a tougher draw in the UEFA Champions League after the Welsh Premier champions were paired with crack Serbian outfit Partizan Belgrade.
The Lilywhites will be at home in the first leg of the second qualifying round tie next month against a club with a long and proud history in European competition.
"We could have done with an easier one," said Bickerstaff, following today's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
"But whoever we'd have drawn it would have been tough and we've got to get on with it and prepare as best we can.
"We want the players to go out and enjoy themselves; for some it will be their first experience at this level and I know they'll be looking forward to it.
"We'll get as much information on them (Partizan) as we can; we'll do our homework and be as ready as we can."
Bickerstaff was in charge of the Rhyl side thrashed over two legs by Bohemian of Dublin in the Inter-Toto Cup last season, but he had only just taken over from John Hulse.
"That was someone else's squad I worked with last year; this time it will be our team and I'm sure we'll give a good account of ourselves." he added.
The Serbians were the third highest-rated opponents that the Welsh Premier champions could have drawn and Bickerstaff's side will face a tough task, both at Belle Vue and at the 32,000-capacity Partisan Stadium.
Champions for the past two seasons, the Serbians have a long history of playing in European competition and participated in the first-ever Champions Cup match that took place on 3 September 1955 in Lisbon against Sporting.
Partizan also became the first club from Eastern Europe to have played in a European Cup final against Real Madrid, after eliminating Manchester United in the semi-finals.
In more recent years, the club played in the 2003-04 UEFA Champions League, after eliminating Newcastle United in the last qualifying round.
The current squad includes two Brazilians, Cleo and Washington.
Older/Newer
« RHYL SQUAD STANDINGS 2009/10 | EXPERIENCED EVANS SET TO JOIN RHYL »
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: RHYL DRAW PARTIZAN BELGRADE.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://lilywhites.northwalesblogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt421/mt-tb.cgi/135790
22 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Dave Jones - For all the latest news from Rhyl Football Club, including match reports, news, views and features log on to Lilywhites On-Line hosted by Visitor sports editor Dave Jones.
Sponsored by...
Rhyl Football in the Community aim through a wide range of initiatives, to encourage people, particularly children, to participate in football and other sports.
Hello Welshmen, hope we will have two decent games and Partizan for the win! Greetz from Serbia!
BTW welcome to Partizan hell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyaKiWp9x1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTybh6ofxDQ
Welcome to Wales - your keeper's chance to meet Lee Hunt
Hope you'll have good time in Belgrade,At least will enjoy in our cheering!One more thing...our opponents didn't score against us for 916 minutes(that record is made by our Mladen Bozovic)!!!Think about it!
Wow Dave, your influence and fame via the blog extends to the outer confines of Serbia! Looking forward to the tie and their reaction to travelling to Rhyl and North Wales. I would have replied to both Stefan and Mauna in their native tongue but their English is better than my Serbian!
Anybody got any news on travel arrangements (and cost) to the away tie?
The 'Official' Rhyl Website has published this information re travelb arrangements:
Ian Craig, the Vice Consul for the British Embassy in Serbia has contacted the club with the following two websites for our fans to gain further information about travelling to Serbia.
Please visit ukinserbia and fco.gov.uk
@Rae Hughes
Than reply to us in English, no probs. :p
BTW nice site, well done Dave. lol
welcome to black hell.partizan
O my god you really dont know what will hapen on our stadium .... if you have courage and money come to Serbia
partizan fans GROBARI are very dangerous...they are think only about fight...about 2 milions grobari live for partizan
somebody here is heard for grobari???
watch on youtube some clips aabout grobari
I'm sitting at home, listening to Sesto Sento and just imagining how will you be crushed in week or two! You could have drawn much easier club...
Nama volja zaraditi prvi igra lako
Any of you coming to Rhyl - sounds like you might get a temporary job at the Dyserth Road cemetry !
Do any of your fans live in Wales ?
So you Partizan fans brag how easy you will beat Rhyl, you warn us of the violence we might face in Belgrade, to me you just come across as insecure and threatened by the mighty Lilywhites!
If you don't beat Rhyl by double figures over the two legs you will be a disgrace to Serbia.
With your money, international players, the fact you are full-time and your pedigree you should thrash Rhyl out of sight, Rhyl are only a part-time club with players who train twice a week.
You should look on these Champions League ties as a chance to make friends, not create bad feelings.
To all Rhyl FC fans,
You are ALL welcomed in Serbia! Come to enjoy our fameous hospitality, food, beautyful ladies and most of all, good football. I hope that you will all bring back home good memories and see that the most things you've headr about Serbia is just bad political propaganda. See you soon and welcome to Serbia!
I'm sure we'll all enjoy our trip to Serbia - we'll be just there to enjoy the experience, make friends, watch football, represent Wales in the Champions League. British and American politics or propaganda are nothing to do with us.
@Eamon Mint
Wow, you should better chill out a bit and refrain from homophobic comments. I am sure you compatriots will have very nice time in Belgrade and meet our beautiful country better. Speaking about that we are some dirty peasants is disgrace for you. Here is peace and it will last forever. You surely didnt watch news recently. Peace and greetz to all nice fans who like football and dont involve politics. And I hope you will grow up and clear up your sad mind from homophoby, Eamon. ;)
Eamon's post was obviously in response to a bit of mischievous scaremongering by some Partizan fans and has been toned down. Any repeat of the type of more distasteful comments Eamon made, by him or anyone else, on this blog will lead to the post being deleted and the poster banned.
Its ok. :) I know Welsh people are not homophobic. So are not Serbs. We just want to enjoy football in life. Good luck to Rhyl. And this is nice site, keep up the good work!
There`s always someone to made bad impression about us. I just want to say that I hope stadium in Belgrade will be full to see how we suport our team. There`s no doubt that we will win, but I want to wish you luck, and all who will came to Serbia on the game, enjoy in trip.
Sorry for my English, I know words well, but my grammar is awful.
hello to all football fans in Wales!!! First of all,I would like to say that you should come in Belgrade,after Rome and Athenes,the oldest capital in Europe.But,you can not find old streets or objects because city is burned to the ground more then 70times but you will find beautifull ladies and crazy black and white fans.Many of them been in,at least one war in the last 18-19 years so street of Belgrade are full of weapons!But,also no one will never atack other fans on road if you act positive and if you sing or drink in the name of your club because it is a shame to atack small group of fans.Do not speak about Kosovo or politics.Also,you should see night life.Belgrade is live for 24h per day and it is a real party city because people do not think about tomorow.Alcohol and drugs are cheep and easy available.So,suport your club the the end of the time and we wish you welcome in White city (Belgrade).ps-you will see: grirl,girls,ooo the best girls on the world
If the delay continues much longer in fixing the date, then very few will be likely to make the trip to Beograd. Combination of ticket fare rising every day and initial enthusiasm turning to frustration. If anyone could confirm that the ties are not being switched, and that the only issue is whether TV want a Tues or Wed evning date and KO time, then we could book the travel to allow for the 2-day period