Hardy(T)'s World Soccer
Diary
Hardy(T)'s World Soccer
Diary
On my way back to Corfu from
Sarander, I was privileged to meet Pilo Andoni, centre-forward for Partizan
Tirana and Albania in the 70's. Unbeknown to me, our Albanian tour guide
for the last few days of our visit had been his daughter, the lovely Matilda.
Phil, our English tour guide, realising that he had some football nutters
in his party, arranged for us to meet the man himself. Pilo is now the captain
of the ferry across the short stretch of water that separates Albania from
Corfu. I'd imagine he's a very popular man at the moment...
Pilo spoke hardly any English, (it goes without saying that we spoke hardly any Albanian) but we just about managed, with the help of the pictures in David Twydell's excellent 'Albania FC' book, to hold a conversation, after a fashion. Thumbs up and pointing at the goals in the picture of Partizan's ground indicated, I think, that he had perhaps scored there on occasion and thumbs down at the picture of the Dinamo stadium showed what he thought of Partizan's arch rivals! He also told us that he'd been a guest of the Albanian FA at the Albania-England World Cup match in 1988.
Stop press! This photo of Pilo Andoni has just arrived from Roy Boakes, only 15 months after he took it! Nice one Roy. Pilo is second from the left in the white shirt, next to the handsome chap brandishing the 'Albania FC' book.
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