Are Besiktas Fans The Loudest On Earth?

For those of you who missed Spurs’s 2-0 away victory against Besiktas in the UEFA Cup last night, consider yourself unfortunate for two reasons.

First, Tottenham put on a brave and admirable display against a solid Turkish team. Spurs looked surprisingly confident when they began the match. Throughout the match, they were patient, passed the ball around well with Huddlestone and Berbatov especially having good matches.

It was Berbatov who scored Spurs’s second scintillating goal, twisting and turning around a defender and goalkeeper before burying the ball into the net. The sensational skills from Dimitar Berbatov were reminiscent of a certain Diego Maradona.

Second, the Besiktas fans created one of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced across the TV in years. From the moment the match started until after it ended, they were singing louder and more passionately than any British club. Inside the 30,000 seater at the Inonu Stadium, the fans could have been mistaken for Tottenham supporters because almost everyone inside was wearing white and black. Reason being is that the majority of the Besiktas fans wear black and white and are nicknamed the Black Eagles. The turnstiles opened four hours before the match and the fans started streaming in then. According to the commentators, the fans had gathered and started partying seven hours before the match!

If you get a chance to watch the match or even the highlights, I thoroughly recommend it. What a night for football and how amazing the Besiktas fans are.

If you live in the U.S., the Spurs match is just another reason why you need to sign up for ITVN. Their ‘On Demand’ service allows you to watch the matches that you missed. For example, when I returned home yesterday, I had the choice of watching Besiktas against Spurs, Krakow versus Blackburn and even Man United reserves against Bolton reserves. To sign up, click the banner at the top of this blog.

For an impartial review, read the just published ITVN review on Gizmodo.