If Greg Taylor leaves Celtic for PAOK he can expect broken windows, riot police and tear gas
Mark Kerr is one of only a handful of Scots to play in Greece and while it's not for the faint hearted, he couldn't get enough
Seething supporters trying to storm the inner sanctum of the stadium.. crazy ultras panning in the windows.. riot police filling the night sky with tear gas.
Mark Kerr saw all sorts of chaos during his two seasons playing in the Greek Super League. And he LOVED it.
The former Aberdeen, Falkirk and Dundee United midfielder is one of just a handful of Scots to have plied their trade in the country originally known as Hellas.
But now it looks like Greg Taylor is set to add his name to the list with a move to PAOK edging closer after six seasons at Celtic.
And while Kerr admits surprise that anyone could leave Paradise when there's a new contract on the table, he reckons a stint in the league that can made the Old Firm derby look tame is no bad substitute.
Kerr spent 18 months with Asteris Tripolis after leaving Aberdeen in 2010. He fell in love with the place, the peaceful Mediterranean culture.. and the madness of it's football.
Kerr said: 'I really enjoyed my time in Greece, absolutely loved it.
'The football is a really high standard. Olympiacos have obviously won a European trophy recently, AEK Athens and Panathinaikos have done well and PAOK are always up there challenging.
'The quality, it's really quite a tactical game, a bit slower. I think Greg would be brilliant over there, to be honest.
'Just the way he plays, he's good in the ball. There's some really good players in that league.
'It is a bit of a culture shock at first, the stadiums and atmospheres. PAOK is one of the older style stadiums with an open roof. One of those tunnels you go down then up stairs onto the pitch.
'It was really impressive. The fans are amazing. Passionate beyond belief.
'I remember we drew 2-2 with AEK. We were 2-0 up in the Olympic Stadium - they were sharing with Olympiacos at the time - with about five minutes ago.
'Their fans were going absolutely mental. They were trying to get on the pitch because their team was losing.
'Then we beat Panathinaikos 1-0 at home. That was probably the craziest one.
'The away fans were putting in the windows afterwards. There's armed police at all the games and there was tear gas going off everywhere.
'We were inside the stadium and they were trying to get in through the doors, putting in the windows.
'Obviously you don't expect that coming from Scottish football. I loved that though, honestly. It's a good experience.
'It's not as if you're face-to-face with them. There's riot cops there.
'Some of the directors storm on to the pitch after games too. Like the Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis did last month. That's just normal to them.
'We used to get the bosses coming down the next day and shouting in our face and the manager's face.
'They'd be offering big bonuses. But if we didn't win…
"They don't give a sh*t. It's their club. I had five different managers in those two seasons.'
Away from the wild scenes on the sidelines there was quality on the park.
And the sunshine lifestyle was something Kerr could never have imagined in a career otherwise spent in Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk and Ayr.
Should Taylor finalise his move to Thessaloniki then he can expect sun, blue sea and golden sand.
But Kerr admits, if it was his choice, he'd still choose the east end of Glasgow's version of Paradise.
Could Greece make Taylor a better player? The former Ayr United boss, who left Kelty Hearts with Charlie Mulgrew earlier this season, said: 'That's a hard one for me to answer. I know Kieran Tierney's coming back and it's maybe about game time, but I'd never be leaving Celtic!
'There's obviously things in the background that you don't know about. I just don't know how you get better than playing for Celtic and in the Champions League.
'He's got a decision to make for his family, obviously. He's been brilliant for Celtic, absolutely brilliant.
'I think he'd be a massive part of next season. If he does go to Greece though, he will love it, I'm sure.
'The country's brilliant. The lifestyle's great. I was treated really well there.
'You travel quite a bit. They fly to the islands so it's a good experience.
'And Thessaloniki is a really nice place. I was there when Aris and PAOK were both in the league so we were there a good few times.
'We stayed over for two days. We'd fly on a Friday, play late on Saturday night then either fly home that night or fly home on Sunday. You got a chance to see places.
'I moved to a wee place called Nafplio in my second season, an amazing wee place just on the sea, I'd just go back after training and chill out with the family. It was brilliant.
'It's a great league too. The boys I played with, like Anastasios Bakasetas and Kostas Fortounis, went on to become captains for Greece.
'The heat isn't even a problem as you don't train or play in it. We used to be in the training ground for half six in the morning.
'Asteris was probably the most high-tech club of my career. You'd be in early and get your bloods done. You'd be getting all your tablets and stuff based on your body.
'On a normal day, you'd be in at half seven, train at half eight. Then you'd be done for ten o'clock, eleven o'clock.
'That would be you. All the games over there are pretty much eight o'clock kick-offs. Then obviously the winter months you'll get your afternoon games. Maybe a four o'clock kick-off, three o'clock kick-off.
'Honestly, I loved it and I'm sure Greg would too.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My last five years at Rangers with Walter Smith were more satisfying than nine in a row, says Sir David Murray
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR DAVID MURRAY insists his final five years at Ibrox were even MORE satisfying than capturing the coveted Nine in a Row. The former Rangers owner was in charge for 23 years as the club reached a European final and came within 90 minutes of the first-ever Champions League final. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 2 Walter Smith and David Weir lift the Scottish Premiership trophy Credit: Keith Campbell - The Sun Glasgow 2 Rangers chairman David Murray on the day Walter Smith was re-appointed in 2007 Credit: Reuters They also gathered nine straight league titles for the only time in the club's history — completing a clean sweep between 1989 and 1997 under Walter Smith. But Sir David — speaking exclusively to SunSport — rates Smith's return in early 2007 and the next five years as the highlight. He said: 'Taking all factors into consideration, I think the last five years were remarkable. 'Previously, we had money to spend but it was tight when Walter came back. 'Paul Le Guen hadn't worked out. 'When Walter came back, he wanted to sign David Weir and Christian Dailly. It was unbelievable but he knew how to do it. 'Having Alistair McCoist and Kenny McDowall with him, they were a unit full of motivation. 'We won eight trophies in five years. When I left, it was on the brink of Three in a Row.' Murray appointed just four men as manager over 23 years — Smith (twice), Le Guen, Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish. And he recalls with great fondness the run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester — despite ultimately falling to Advocaat's Zenit St Petersburg. Sir Sean Connery's secret £1 MILLION investment in Rangers revealed He added: 'If you look at the UEFA Cup run in 2008, the penalty shoot-out against Fiorentina stands out. 'Christian Vieri, who cost millions, missed and Nacho Novo — a free from Dundee — slotted it away. 'What we had at that time was a tightness and a bond. 'People on the outside thought they knew things but there was no leakage. The David Murray files Ex-Rangers owner Sir David Murray APOLOGISES to fans for selling club to Craig Whyte 14 years after deal led to collapse My dad took the fall for 'disastrous' deal & was jailed for FRAUD, reveals ex-Rangers owner Sir David Murray Inside 007 legend Sean Connery's secret £1m Rangers investment as bombshell details revealed for first time Former Rangers supremo Sir David Murray admits his decision to sell to Craig Whyte 'tarnished' his Ibrox legacy 'I still have shards in my leg', says ex-Rangers supremo Sir David Murray as he breaks 50-year silence on car crash hell "I can't do this" - Sir David Murray reveals that he almost sold Rangers for £40million in 2005 Ex-Rangers owner Murray recalls chilling phone call after fatal private jet crash which Scots F1 hero walked away from 'We fought together and won games that, on paper, we probably shouldn't have won. 'We beat Werder Bremen with a great save from Allan McGregor and you remember it all. 'We ran out of steam in the final after Dick went and bought a Russian player for millions! Football's scoop of the century By Roger Hannah IT'S The Sun Wot Broke It. But Sir David Murray didn't mind that his historic swoop for Maurice Johnston was first revealed on the front page of this newspaper in 1989. He was just relieved he'd managed to help Graeme Souness pull off a transfer swoop which rocked Scottish football. Even now, 36 years on, landing the Scotland striker from Celtic's grasp — and making him the first high- profile Catholic to play for Gers — is regarded as the most audacious swoop of all time. And Murray recalls: 'All the talk was of Johnston joining Celtic. But Graeme came to me and said, 'Apparently he's not signed, the paperwork's not done, we can get him'. 'I asked for a day to think about it, phoned him and said, 'Yes, I think we should do it for numerous reasons — for football reasons and to remove an area where we can be criticised for not signing Catholic players. And why not make it the best one, who can come in and contribute?' 'Even though at that time Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist were the strikers and had an excellent partnership. 'Finally, just 24 hours before we were due to unveil the player, we took a call from a young journalist at The Sun in Scotland ahead of a story being published. 'On July 10, 1989, The Sun ran half of its front page with the simple headline MO JOINS GERS. 'It certainly didn't spoil the unveiling. If anything, it ramped up the tension!' Johnston, who had played with Celts before a spell at Nantes in France, was pictured with Hoops boss Billy McNeill in 1989 but hadn't signed his contract to return. Gers boss Souness, who had played with Johnston for Scotland, realised the move hadn't been concluded and kickstarted the monumental move. 'That was an amazing achievement considering where we'd been 18 months before.' In his new autobiography, Murray details his relationship with all four men he appointed — and close pal Graeme Souness, who he inherited as boss when he bought the club in 1988. - Mettle: Tragedy, Courage & Titles by Sir David Murray, is on sale Thursday July 3 from Amazon and all good bookshops. Preorder on Amazon here. Sir David is donating his royalties to Erskine Hospital. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Bob MacIntyre joined at The Open by awesome Scots amateur as Tartan representation doubles
Awesome amateur Cameron Adam is heading to Portrush along with the Oban ace Scots star Cameron Adam sealed the deal in Sweden to book a dream date alongside Bob MacIntyre at The Open. The Royal Burgess golf ace doubled the Tartan representation pencilled into Royal Portrush after successfully clinching his place at the European Amateur Championship. Adam, who the recent St Andrews Links Trophy, has qualified through The Open Amatuer Series and will now tee it up alongside his fellow left-hander MacIntyre at the 153rd staging of the game's biggest event next month in Northern Ireland. The event was won by Filip Jakubcik who produced a solid performance in Saturdays final round to become the first player from Czech Republic to ever win this tournament. He joins Adam in the Portrush field and, speaking to the ega-golf, he said: 'It's crazy. It's probably every amateur's goal to play The Open, or any other Major. The fact that I can play in one, to get the experience, the feeling, I'm super excited.' Twelve months ago, Calum Scott came through the same quote to make it to Royal Troon and went onto collect the Silver Medal as top amateur at the 152nd Championship. More Scots are currently fighting to get into the big one with Calum Hill also eyeing Portrush. The 30-year-old steamed into contention at the Italian Open with a brilliant round of 64 to move to within three of leader Martin Couvra. Hill wants a second title of the year on the DP World Tour having triumphed earlier in the campaign in South Africa. But, as well as the trophy, there are two spots available for The Open from the Italian event and he's bang in the mix. Couvra is in pole position at the moment as he looks to add to the Turkish Open title and become the year's first multiple DP World Tour winner. In sweltering heat where players were permitted to wear shorts, he stayed cool to birdie the last an open a one-shot advantage over countryman Adrien Saddier and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra. Couvra said: 'I'm really proud about my 18th, because I was really tired on the last few holes. It's quite difficult with the heat. The course is so tough, so we needed to be very concentrated. I'm happy about the 18th. 'There's a lot of great players here, so you have to keep going. It's going to be a great experience because it's my first time being in this position. I'm really proud to be in this position. 'It's really nice to have some good friends on the Tour to play alongside. I've known Alex Levy a long time because we're from the same golf course, I train every day with Romain Langasque and Tom Vaillant. We have a lot of good friends, so it's really nice.'
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
26 and title winning odds for Hearts, Hibs, Celtic, Rangers and more
We are still some way away from the first league matches in the 2025/26 Scottish football season with the Scottish League Cup group stage and European qualifiers first up after pre-season. However, the bookmakers at Paddy Power have already made their thoughts on the potential outcome of the Premiership campaign clear with early title odds for each club. From these odds we are able to determine how the oddsmakers expect the final league table to look based on the chances they have given them of actually lifting the trophy come May 2026.
