Off Topic Ten German Bombers.

[Cityzen]

It’s not that far-fetched, Castro. A lot of Eastern European and Balkan boomers have a nostalgia for life under the communist regimes, even if they weren’t communist themselves. I don’t think people understand just how awful the transition was in many Warsaw Pact countries. State-owned infrastructure was privatised and sold dirt cheap to party functionaries and oligarchs, corruption was rampant, unemployment went up massively, prostitution and sex trafficking increased massively, there was hyperinflation, standard of living dropped drastically etc.

Economic ‘shock therapy’, as it’s called, was disastrous for the average citizen behind the Iron Curtain. It took decades for things to normalise and many countries are still feeling the effects. The likes of Poland and Czech Republic are doing reasonably well now but things were rough even there in the immediate years after the collapse of communism.

In footballing terms, it was like us sacking McCann, who wasn’t great, replacing him with Shota (who was much worse) and eventually getting Rosenior who slowly steadied the ship.

Bulgaria was the prime example of “meet the new boss same as the old boss” where the communist functionaries took over things initially. Estonia and Lithuania are thriving without the restraints of the communist yolk. I had dealings with Poland in the 1970s and what a miserable existence they had. Compare their cities now. Only taken over 30 years compared to our slow development. A friend who was a shop steward at Lada had a few visits to the USSR to their factory and could not believe how poor things were here. Some were allowed to come here on a return visit, only if they had wives and children left behind in the USSR. One stayed with him on the council estate where I grew up and though it was a specially set up showpiece to impress them and the gadgets would all be removed after they had visited.

 

[dennisboothstash]

Only an english guy is dressing like that

Not sure about that but another video I saw had someone on red trousers!

Unless he was also wearing a tweed jacket I’m not believing he was English (he wasn’t)

 

[Evington]

You mean cringey as Mauled?

Well maybe but Mauled is the best for a laugh. The other doesn't raise a smile for me but each to their own

 

[Cityzen]

Well maybe but Mauled is the best for a laugh. The other doesn't raise a smile for me but each to their own

Thing is people forget how Mauled started. It was a self deprecating song which fans burst into if we actually scored a goal after endless tedium and lack of goals.