ZGlmZnVzaW9uLXY2LWZhbm91dC5yYWNpbmdwb3N0LmNvbQ==NDQzdHJ1ZQ==U29jY2VyYmFzZVVzZXI=YVc4N1Z4NDFiNGgybTc4UTRpT1ZvZmhxM0RENHphQVM=

Home is where the heart is for Turkish supporters

I can't keep going on about how Thursday night is the worst night's football viewing of the week.

And I know the telly companies who love giving us all the goings on in the Europa League, I would like to make a request.

Tottenham face Besiktas at White Hart Lane in their second group game and the Turkish outfit will no doubt benefit from some noisy and passionate support.

But please, telly people, don't insult our intelligence.

I do not expect a commentator to hand those Besiktas fans credit for making the long journey from Istanbul.

London is a wonderfully cultural place and right up there in the list of the greatest cities on the planet.

Among the population are roughly 90,000 people from Turkey. And very welcome they are too.

Most of the Turkish community lives in, guess where, north London in such areas as Enfield, Edmonton, Haringey and Tottenham.

So don't tell us they have forked out £456 for a flight to cover the 1,500 miles from Istanbul to London when they have simply used their Oyster card and popped along Tottenham High Road on the 149 bus.

It's a big game in N17 and it will be a big occasion, and I expect some goals to come to the party.

Match in Focus

19:45 TODAY

Bradford v Notts Co

Home WinDrawAway Win
Expert verdict
.

Teams

Agonising over Aberdeen?
Yearning for Yeovil? Our database is crammed with every football club you could possibly wish for

Players

A plethora of players ranging from Adebayor to Zamora. All you need to know to find out who is the best bet to score next

Competitions

Whether it's the Johnstone's Paint Trophy or the Champions League, Soccerbase will ensure you don't experience a big cup upset

Referees

Card-happy control freak?
Astute arbiter? Make the right decision on any referee with the help of our specialist pages

Managers

From Allardyce to Zola, our massive manager database, with histories and win ratios, is sure to get your vote of confidence