Bates says Hamburg ultras remind him of Rangers after derby
DAVID BATES has just experienced a Hamburg derby, strolled through an Old Firm showdown and will now add a clash against the Auld Enemy tomorrow to his portfolio.
But he has admitted he is gutted he couldn’t help Scot Gemmill’s Under 21s to the Euro Finals after they crashed to a 3-1 defeat in Kiev against Ukraine on Friday.
That ended Scotland’s hopes of reaching the play-offs as one of the fourth best runners-up nations and they end another campaign without qualifying tomorrow when England visit Tynecastle. They have failed to qualify since 1996.
Bates has been one of the successes of a campaign that featured home and away wins against the Netherlands, but was derailed by a draw in Andorra and a home stalemate with Latvia in Perth, as well as two losses to Ukraine.
The 22-year-old is learning his trade with Hamburg in Bundesliga II after their relegation in the summer. Bates moved from Rangers and has surprised many by nailing down a first-team spot.
He sampled an eagerly-anticipated Hamburg derby – the first for seven years – against city rivals St Pauli that was marred by the visiting fans being ambushed by stink bombs and nearly 2,000 police officers were employed for the match which finished goalless.
Bates won plaudits last season for coming on as an early sub for Bruno Alves and winning the man of the match as Rangers gained a goalless draw at Parkhead. And he admits there are certain similarities between the two games... although the German fans are sure to make their feelings crystal clear.
He said: “Everyone is hurting with the 21s. It’s disappointing because we came with a game plan which worked for 30 minutes. They got a goal and it took us 10 minutes to settle down again. The 3-1 scoreline wasn’t the one that should have been.
“In terms of my club football, the Hamburg Derby was great.. We trained the day before the game and 2,000 people turned up!
“The game is different to Old Firm games. European atmospheres are always different. The fans can come to training for example, the Ultras and that kind of thing. We knew the Ultras were coming and they told us how much it means to them. The head boy did speak after training as we walked out. He told us all right!
“The fans are brilliant over there. Like the Rangers fans they have a traditional history.”