a day ago
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.'
