Thetownend.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2307500/Jose-Mourinho-gives-Mexican-fan-Abel-Rodriguez-job-Real-Madrid-backroom-staff-finding-sitting-snow-outside-training-ground.html

The minutes applause at todays match with the names being read out of those sadly departed.

And i noted Stevenage fans responded brilliantly also......i would say that was right for football today.

Who read out the names?

Tannoy announcer wasnt it?

Bit surreal knowing two people on that list,

RIP

They fucked it right up, the tannoy in the DRS is so shit you couldn't hear the names being read out.

Previous seasons its been a minutes silence whilst the names are read out, much more appropriate that way.

Have to agree...though still nice applause never the less.

I thought it had been applause for the last few years, I remember a big cheer going up last season when Paolo's parents names were read out.

That said, you are right about the tannoy in the DRS, couldn't hear any of the names yesterday which was a shame.

I thought they used to read the names out then did the clap. Couldn't hear a thing in the DRS this year.

Interestingly he was on 5Live and told a slightly different version - that he had plenty of money (he used to have a somewhat high-powered job but quit to be at home) and only hadn't booked rooms etc because he was waiting to see if he could get a ticket before spending more time in Madrid. Rightly he seemed a bit brassed of at being portrayed in this way...

Jose still comes out of it well.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/swedish-footballer-rewards-club-one-traveling-supporter-match-001140160.html

I hope they had enough police and stewards. He looks bit of a nutter.

The work of the Community Trusts....at all 92 clubs. Really excellent work being done, largely unsung.  Was at a brilliant fund-raising evening last Friday in the Legends which raised £3.5k for the Girls Development Squad to play in the Gothis Cup in Sweden, and tomorrow there's another event in the Sponsors' Lounge for the Zambia Link.  It's community development work at its best.

Congratulations Yeovil.

Great example amidst all the pessimism of what can still be achieved on a reduced budget in this league.

Bet Andy Williams, although a little richer than he would be, is a little bit gutted that his former club have gone up a year after he moved on.

Hopefully it'll encourage him to hit the back of the net more next season.

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Jurgen Klopp

And Borussia Dortmund fans

Something very RIGHT about red beating yellow in Chumps League Final I would say!

Too right. Great team. Had a couple of Dortmunders in the pub yesterday for lunch, they'd come a couple of days early for the match (allowed as paid leave by their bosses at the IT firm they work at!). Was nice to have a chat with them in their native language, they seemed quite surprised not only that I'd guessed who they were, but that some tiny pub in the middle of the countryside had people who could speak German!

They tipped well too...


Gives you a warm feeling doesn't it? That would be a weird alternate universe though...

I'm learning German at the moment, it's bloody difficult. The vocab is fine but the grammar is a nightmare!

Echo Dortmund. They're brilliant. Was in London yesterday, Traf Sq. on the piss and they were loving us English fans there, teaching us the songs, letting off smoke bombs and loving it. Group of Munich fans walked past and Dortmund started throwing full cans of beer at them - Not in a violent way, and started singing in German as I was told 'Come and Drink with us Munich' to the tune of 'We are the red and white army'

Was an amazing site.

A lot is said about which league is better but I went to Hamburger SV vs. VfL Wolfsburg a few weeks ago and the whole 'matchday experience' was, in my opinion, infinitely better than our Premier League equivalent (it's unfair to compare it to the lower leagues).

* Makeshift bars providing cheap drink
* Ticket scanned just before entering the ground and everyone is swiftly searched by stewards.
* Police seemed to be in a couple of large groups outside the stadium site but I didn't see a copper in the ground.
* You could enter the ground at any turnstile and have a walk around.
* A lovely terrace behind the goal (away terracing is located in the corner at the opposite side. Very small, created a decent atmosphere - we could have easily simply joined the Wolfsburg fans if we wanted to)

The Imtech Arena has the hallmarks of what should have been considered a 'plastic stadium' yet still manages to pull it off.

[url width=900 height=379]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/RWDP1983/Hamburger_zps8c705f2c.jpg[/url]

You can drink beer watching the game aswell cant you?

Read it again numbnuts.

Doesnt say about whilst in your seat during the game ;)

Drink and smoke.

Also, plenty of away fans in full colours dotted around the ground not holding back when Wolfsburg scored too. Nobody cared.

I read that a season ticket at Frankfur(I think) costs little over £100.

Considering a trip to Berlin later this year and will definitely plan to see a game, Bundesliga or otherwise

So you can create a good atmosphere at wembley then?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/sport/football/4957691/Hilarious-wind-assisted-goal-baffles-defence.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23288211

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2368312/Chelsea-refund-Indonesian-fans-ripped-meet-players.html
fair play to chelsea

Stoke offering free away travel to fans for the entire season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-23443565

Good on Madrid I say.

Sensible idea, saves the law suit.

Why didn't he duck?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/05/harry-redknapp-played-fan-west-ham

Apart from the Joey Beauchamp bits, obv.

"There were no left-footed wingers before Beckham."

Beckham wasn't left-footed either, Joey you fucking Joey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-24601248

Didn't much like him as a player, not sure why really. But a nice touch none the less.

I'm still not sure why the father didn't disown her for getting married in the football season though.

I didn't recognise him

http://www.viplivesports.eu/sports/football/180867/1/benfica-lisbon-vs-olympiacos-piraeus-live-stream-online.html

Water-logged pitch. Pure comedy gold.

Could have gone in either thread but made me smile so here it is:

http://www.wsc.co.uk/forum-index/27-football/852607-mascots-observing-minutes-silences

Barcelona have renewed their shirt deal with UNICEF. They receive £1.25m a year. UNICEF that is :-)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2525247/Watch-Ajax-sign-chronically-ill-year-old-fan-Jay-Jay-Willems-Eredivisie-debut-heartwarming-video.html

http://imgur.com/a/Zx5ci

Boca's new retro home kit. That's bloody gorgeous.

It looks,like a giraffe that's collapsed to me.

Yes, I like those blue giraffes you get  ;D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25620878

Bournemouth fans in not all being twats shocker. Who'da thunk it?

Wasn't sure where to put this, but where the hell did he go?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/25617469

Simple- he is sitting on the barrier to get a better view and his celebration helps him leap off, landing on his feet behind the crowd in front  :sherlock:

Being used to the Town end I hadn't thought of that.

Could do with making a few more sweaties disappear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ulMh-Ihyc#t=252

http://metro.co.uk/2014/01/30/lazio-man-hernanes-cries-in-front-of-fans-ahead-of-inter-milan-move-4284377/

Fucking poof

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26126154

Not a massive surprise that some female football players may well be Lesbians, but it's a step forwards nonetheless.

I would have been more surprised if a female footballer stepped forward and said she wasn't gay. (oops  :D)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxM_YJdABIU

Bristol City installing some safe seating. Fair play to them.

So they should. The seating in the away end always stuck me as being unsafe - no backs, and very cramped together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJAg_TNTArI

This is why I still rate city's away end as one of the best. It's like a standing terrace with decent noise from a low roof. Looking forward to 15th march.

40 metre freekicks (that's 43 yards in old money for you OAPs):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK58AssP9tc

Gif for those who can't be arsed to click (lazy fuckers)
(http://i.imgur.com/MIev8C0.gif)

Looks better from that angle, from the side it looks more like the keeper fucks up but with the swing on the flight of that ball its almost unstoppable.

Why does that gif work in Tapatalk but the Kaley Cuoco one doesn't? FML

The Kaley Cuoco one was from a odd website, wasn't imgur. I'd imagine that's why.

Best thing about that Gif, is the bloke's celebration.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/watch-leyton-orient-fan-forced-3178598

:)

Some people do honour their bets then. unlike certain people on here...

I like reading stuff like this

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26351353

I saw Tom Finney was buried today, a lot of people saying he would have been as good as Messi/Ronaldo back then. I guess everyone on here is too young to have seen him, Reg?

Not necessarily good but Pardew head butting or trying to head butt a Hull player. Made me smile!

how can that be bad!?

Just before my time, I remember Stanley Matthews turning out in his last season or so aged about 50.

Peterborough losing again. Keeping things interesting for us.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26522196

Fair play to the bloke, wish there was more of this kind of thing in the game.

Would it not have been even more heart warming if he hadn't dived in the first place?

Well said Jan.

Didn't Owen once do that but the ref gave the penalty anyway? Mind you he since admitted he ived to win penalties for England.

I remember Fowler doing something similar and the penalty being awarded anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ1BodACZkQ

Owen, fowler, close enough!

No I don't think it would. As the fact he went down and decided to fess up makes it more admirable in my eyes. You can almost see how disappointed in himself he is.

Didn't he get banned for racially abusing Micah Richards? Some role model.

Fair play to Wolves taking 8,943 to that souless stadium at MKD yesterday, fantastic turn out.

Esp when they only had 8800.tickets

Doubt will ever be a bigger att there fir a league game

Well they certainly ain't going to fill it with their club stealing wankers 

Regrettably, they might. The club stealing wankers have one of the best community policies in the league and put some serious efforts into getting the next generation into the ground.

Doesn't excuse the club stealing wankerdom, but it's noteworthy.

Opponent saves a players life after he was choking on his own tongue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26838613

Well this is only amusing if you follow the Hibees

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/sport/other-sport/video-hearts-are-going-bust-leigh-griffiths-leads-chant-before-edinburgh-derby-1.294760

Never a dull moment with Leigh Griffiths

Hibs have a history of players who do idiotic things. Pretty sure Gary O'Connor and Derek Riordan from the top of my head have previous.

Chris Kamara, 4 years ago today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA8f0tAD3vA

Also, on 44secs, there's a pretty great scoreline in League One :)

"I don't know Geoff, has there?"

"I saw him go off but I thought they were bringing a Sub on Geoff!"

Classic Kammy...

Idiotic things? Singing about the potential demise of a local rival? Who cares, it's about football, not life or death.

Fair play to Leigh Griffiths, a life long hi-bee, professional footballer, who hasn't forgotten his roots. Good on him.

That said Hibs are a disgrace ATM, awful team.

I presume Bob was referring to his numerous run ins with law. Assault, shoplifting, racist tweets, etc

Fair enough, can't we concentrate on his good attributes, like the semi final screamer and his choice of songs though? Always focus on the negative those jambos ;-)

And lots of negatives to focus on too Jan!

Hibs will miss Hearts next season as well with crowds dwindling at ER. Not good for football in Edinburgh at the moment!

Good chance that Hibs could go down at this rate. Pat's not changed much results wise since taking over.  So the Embra derby could still be on next year. Would be the most interesting division in Scotland next year if that did happen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26966304

He sounds like a sensible PDC, or at least one who knows how to deal with people.

Probably a good place to mention it but I noticed that the vote for the Hull name change was passed with 63% against, so that means that there was 37% at the FA / FL meeting that were happy for Hull to be allowed to change their name, that in itself is worrying.

Of the 5000 Hull season ticket holders balloted, 2,565 voted for the change, 48 less voted against. That's more worrying.

Though in fairness 9000 couldn't be fucked to vote, so it only a majority in a union strike ballot sense ;)

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hull-name-change-season-ticket-holders-narrowly-vote-in-favour-of-hull-city-tigers-despite-low-turnout-9245530.html

Most shocking is that they only have 5000 season ticket holders.

They actually have 15,000 but only 5000 replied.

Remember going to their old place, first game of the season and we gave a debut to Shay Given.

They've certainly gone places.

Wasn't it Hull that once pretty much had the gates to their ground locked due to their debt situation, or is my Saint and Greavsie memory playing tricks.

Middlesboro did....they had to play the first game of the season at Victoria Road, Hartlepool.  They had a team full of Garys, + Melksahm's finest Archie Stephens....might have had Bruce Rioch as manager.

No, that's a majority in the "every election or other vote you've ever participated in, and the vast majority of all democratic processes" sense.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-so-grateful-to-faithful-fans-the-players-have-been-calling-them-to-say-thanks-for-renewing-their-season-tickets-9262694.html

It is but the raw figures don't tell the full story. The question asked was hardly neutral - there was a huge implicit threat (something like "Do you want to change the name and have the owners stay and continue to invest the money required to keep the club afloat?") - and the poll was boycotted by the major fans' group against the change, hence the low turnout. And even then, the vote was more or less 50-50.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27072837?SThisEM

Wasn't aware just how close to going into non-league Bristol Rovers are. How amusing.

Poor ol' Bristol Rovers might get away days to Eastleigh or even North Ferriby United.

(http://img.izismile.com/img/img6/20130228/1000/where_every_day_abbreviations_actually_come_from_10.gif)

Ooh. Makes Wycombe away an interesting game.

I'd love it if they do an Oxford, love it.

But not as much as when Oxford did it

Hopefully the Wycombe keeper doesn't throw one in like he did yesterday

Chelsea losing at home to Sunderland. I know there's a few Liverpool haters but I hope they win the title. Spent a fraction of what City and Chelsea have and play decent, exciting football.

Agreed.

If you think Man Utd fans are bad winners, just wait until those unbearable scousers win the league again. They will make the mancs look like the most humble fans in the world.

You mean the 'sporting' Liverpool fans that were booing every touch Man City players had of the ball in last weeks match.

I remember when Liverpool were dominant and don't remember their fans being any more, or less, cuntish than united fans.

what? Booing the opposition? Whatever next!?

I remember it all too well also, far be it for me to suggest that the time has taken the edge of it for you but my recollection if that time is that they were far worse than the Mancs & Chelsea combined.

I couldn't stand them then, and the time hasn't made me any more favourable towards them.

Same for me Posh  :(

And me.

Same can't stand Liverpool or their fans, they seem to have this complex that the world owes them something and they are always the victim. That whole Suarez and the t-shirts to support him the other year was just embarrassing!

I remember a Liverpool fan I know going 'He may be a mad racist, but he's OUR mad racist!'.

Unfortunately that kind of sums them up, they are a bit of a closed shop some of them will probably support Suarez against England at the World Cup.
As much as a tragedy as Hillsborough it does grate how they present themselves as this angelic set of supporters, they do like to gloss over the fact they effectively killed 39 Juventus fans at Heysal only a couple of years earlier and got English clubs banned from Europe for 6 years.

I would rather Oxford win the premier league than Liverpool. Don't get me wrong, great club, great support but it's the fawning bollocks that goes with it that pisses me off.

Edit. I have had a few beers, so please ignore that first sentence

You have posted some shit in your time, including pretty much ruining the forum on your own with you stupid questions, but that sentence is the worst you have ever posted, pissed or not.

What was it? a 90 million deficit last 12 months I read. Wonderful.. they should be applauded.

And you obviously haven't posted enough. Please continue

Ouch! Obviously touched a nerve with some on here. Still stand by my post that Liverpool winning the league will be good. I don't know many Liverpool fans and those I do are just typical prem 'armchair' fans. I haven't seen any air of superiority from them. I'm sure they've got an idiot minority,  just like all clubs including ours.

I couldn't care less who wins it, but one has to admire the job that Brendan wassisface has done.

The majority of premier league fans are the same, whether it's Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea or any other of the top teams, they all seem to think they have a gods given right to win.
Personally as a neutral, I'd like to see Liverpool win it because they have a British manager, with 5 or 6 English players starting every week. Unfortunately we don't see that enough any more.

After yesterday's 'performance' as long as chelsea don't win the title not that bothered who does.  At this rate could only be the kit man in the dug out for the next game.

Neither was Tottenham's - but they aren't in contention.

The truth is that if any team/teams who dominate football over a period of time become hated by supporters of the other teams.

Bit of an English trait, I reckon - nobody likes continued success

Everyone was willing Citeh on when they won it cos they weren't Man U or Chelsea - they are now falling out of favour a bit and Liverpool are seen as the underdogs.

If they go on to challenge year after year they, too, will become hated.

The simple solution to the underdog problem is to promote a randomly generated lower league team to the Premiership each year and give them 60 points to start with. They'll lose week in week out, but if they get 30pts. by seasons end they'll win the league. Then they go back to the league they started in and another team is randomly assigned.

Fucking chase that you overspending PL cunts.

You could be on to something there.

Make the PL a handicap with teams getting a number of points to start the season and the top clubs starting from scratch.

I can see that getting the thumbs up alright!   :1st:

Very true, I was gutted when they appointed him because he is a first rate manager.

Congrats to Liverpool on the title then. Doubt very much they will lose it now.

A draw against Chelsea and its theirs. Even if they lose that one I'd be surprised to see them slip up from here.

Premier League?

All a bit meh really

I like the Hartlepool tradition of dressing up for the final away game of the season. This years effort was thunderbirds, which looks spectacular. Imagine if a larger club did that and you had several thousand Batman's or similar. That's what football is all about.

4D would like that idea - even if the Pox won it

I can't see that happening  :)

It is out of Liverpools hands now, if man city win today & their game in hand then they go top on goal difference ( i didn't know that but my son just told me )

(http://i.imgur.com/UPpc9EY.gif)

Football is about going to away games dressed as Batman?

Didn't you get the memo?

So, in that case, Liverpool would need to better Man City's goal difference. Meaning it's not out of their hands at all. But they have cocked up.

City have Everton away, Liverpool, unfortunately, still have a great chance of winning the title. That said great seeing Gerrard hand Chelsea a goal today.

Clearly not.

Hearts despite being relegated this season again owning hibs in the derbies! :)

Anyone would 'own' Hibs this season. Worst team in the SPL by far.

James Collins has made the step up well i thought

Chortle

Missed an absolute sitter today, by miss I mean he actually missed the ball, from about 6 yards out, useless bastard.

Tans likes this!

If City win their game in hand they will be at least 9 goals better off with 2 games to play.

I'm not sure how this can be construed as in Liverpools hands but each to their own.
 

Yeah, it's not really is it? I think I might have meant "not completely out of their hands" but I suspect I may just have fucked up. Afternoon drinking really doesn't agree with me any more :)

Can Hibs get relegated Jan?

They are trying there best to get in that new playoff thing with the 2nd placed team from Div 1

These are a nice touch
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11833/9296578/transfer-news-barcelona-bound-marc-andre-ter-stegen-says-goodbye-to-monchengladbach

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2619620/Robert-Lewandowski-bids-emotional-farewell-Borussia-Dortmund-fans-summer-Bayern-Munich.html

Don't remember Ashley Cole getting this kind of reception when he went to Chelsea :-)

Can't seem to upload it, but there is a photo doing the rounds on twitter of a semi pro club's team manager in Northern Ireland giving his cup final winners medal to a disabled lad in the crowd - nice touch.

Alexis Sanchez's goal for Barca against Atletico.  Wow!

Arsenal and Hull fans applauding for a minute on 56 minutes in memory of the victims of the Bradford fire.

Totally agree.... was it an FA led thing or just fans doing it off own back!

Good to see Atleti take the title....I love watching Barca play, but they haven't really been quite good enough to deserve winning the league this year.

Kind of summed up by the equaliser being scored by a defender from a corner....Atleti, now can go into next Saturday with nothing to lose.

Another curio is that Atleti, play pretty a much old skool English style 4-4-2. They do have technically good players, but it is pretty much done on graft, physicality and goals from set plays.

England U17's have reached their Euro final beating Portugal 2-0.

Scotland play the Dutch in other semi later today.

One if the lads playing for England was at school with my son, albeit in the year below.

England U17's are the Euro Champs...winning 4-1 on pens

Kammy.

Kammy is what's right with football, for so many reasons. Here's just one of those reasons:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/world-cup-2014-unbelievable-former-footballer-chris-kamara-catches-street-robber-in-brazil-9569079.html

I have just posted that in former players

It doesn't matter. It needs repeating. Because Kammy is amazing.

I was listening to a radio 5 show recently,the presenter was Dan Walker and he was talking to Neil Lennon. They had a 15 year old Brazilian lad on during the show who was a huge Celtic fan whose ambition when he's 18,is to travel to Scotland to watch his heroes play. Lennon asked Walker to make sure that the BBC kept in touch with the lad and when he makes his trip,he would watch the match with him and to give him a full once in a lifetime Celtic experience. Top bloke

Greece going out. Boring side.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28161977

Cheers, enjoyed that.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/algeria-to-donate-9m-world-cup-prize-money-to-people-of-gaza-because-they-need-it-more-than-us-9581338.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/algeria-to-donate-9m-world-cup-prize-money-to-people-of-gaza-because-they-need-it-more-than-us-9581338.html)

http://youtu.be/jjSZ-kBDo2w

Love the way the Argie players and staff sing like fans post matches (they win). Goes to show what it means to them. Can't see certain other teams do this.

Bet they lose today after saying that, hope not as a Holland/Argie semi would probably give me a semi.

That is a great gesture. Fair play to the Algies.

In response to the deaths of the two Newcastle United supporters killed in the Ukrainian plane disaster, Sunderland supporters have so far raised over £6,000 to pay for a floral tribute.

I can't imagine the scenario whereby I, or others would do likewise had they been Oxford fans.

Fair play to those on Wearside. :clap:

Up to 14k now i read

Football fans from the North-east are probably the best in the country, except for the fact that they are actually Scottish benefit cheats. If you like blonde, single mums, I suggest a cultural staycation to the Hadrians Wall area may be worth further consideration. Maybe Costanza could elaborate.

I don't know, sometimes we realise it is only football and common decency wins out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-28416351

Good gesture from the lad and not the first time he's done something like this.

Hadn't spotted another local boy lost to the fold. Son of Adie? How come we didn't nab him from Chippenham?

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/76666000/jpg/_76666788_b95879bb-e89a-41ac-92c5-5edca23ac6df.jpg)

Sooooooo the wrong thread.

http://fpffuk.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/sporting-braga-the-deal-of-a-lifetime/

More a "what's right with German football" but still:

The chief executive of the Bundesliga, Christian Seifert, says there would be “a huge shitstorm” if clubs such as Bayern Munich were to start charging as much for tickets as Premier League sides.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/13/bundesliga-premier-league-germany-ticket-prices

Coventry moving back to playing in Coventry.

Will be making the trip up there again for sure!

About time too, though I do quite like Sixfields..

Former Liverpool and Leicester keeper Pegguy Arphexad's career post football....

Acting career
After retiring from football, Arphexad went back to the island of Guadeloupe where he pursued an acting career. After a number of rejections he turned to the adult industry and went under the alias of ' the stopper '.

Tonight I went to watch Sparta Prague against Young Boys Berne. A few things:

- My ticket cost about £11.
- Beer cost £1, as did the food (tasty sausage). Both enjoyed from the comfort of my seat
- match day programme cost about 70p
- the prague ultras did not shut up for ninety minutes. Admittedly they did have a drum, but it wasn't beat with the same moronic rhythm to one dull song. Likewise the away fans. And they didn't sing anything to the tune of sloop john b once.
- After the match (which prague won 3-1, scoring one of the best volleys I've seen in the process) the prague players remained on the pitch for a lap of honour. They would line up in front of each stand, and do some kind of synchronised waving, and the crowd would wave back. They did this in front of every stand. When they got to the ultras, the ultras started chanting - the whole ground was bouncing and the players were joining in with the song. This is after a Europa league group game. I've put this on Facebook for those unfortunate to have me on their.

It was undoubtedly the best "match day experience" I have had in a very long time.

Any way of the rest of us getting to see? Those that are interested, of course..

You obviously didn't go to Newport  :)

Do you often go to Europe in search of Young Boys

And are you a regular at their Wankdorf stadium?

I was there with some old uni friends a can agree to this, great atmosphere and bloody cheap!

It's a toss up, between the Wankdorf or Wankhede....

UK prices are ridiculously high, that's for sure. My local team in France is Angers SCO and I go to see them occasionally. They are in the second division and are comparable to Swindon - ground holds about 17000 and they average 7-8K a game.

The prices range from an incredible 2€ (cheapest kids ticket, 3€ cheapest adult ticket) to 27€.
http://www.angers-sco.fr/billetterie/tarifs

I went to see them play at Rennes last season in the semi final of the cup and it cost me 30€ - which included coach fare from Angers, match ticket and a scarf thrown in for good measure......and the lads that organised it had enough surplus to provide a couple of glasses of punch for everyone on the coach.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2779640/Julio-Arca-The-former-Premier-League-star-pays-3-50-subs-turn-Willow-Pond-FC-second-division-pub-side.html

http://m.bbc.com/sport/get-inspired/23152583

At a family gathering last night, talking to a cousin of mine who's an Ipswich Town fan. He showed me this goal from their under 14's game this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yrpFSrCfA8

Wow decent.

Bloody good goal that

Yep,  although I was waiting for someone to shout "Get it Forward" ;)

(http://www.thepoke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/B0FIA04CQAA8Wjq.png)

I've always wondered what those social media share buttons on porn sites were for. Now I know.

Leads to a BBW page. Hillarious  ;D

And fake

Dele Adebola but he's alright now.

Millwall doing a third kit, to raise money for Headley Court, where they treat injured servicemen.

The camouflage kit, will be worn in their away match at Brentford.

For a couple of years some time ago, I was Secretary to the Trustees of Headley Court.  An interesting role.  Headley Court is an amazing place where they do amazing things!

It's going to be a shock for them, going from camo to camp.

May have been on here before, apparently they hadn't scored in 5 games so supporters decided to help a bit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HhA2OQaLt8

 :nod:

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=47577.0

Suspected as much, never been able to get the serach thing to work on here....

Haha. Just seen this. Made me giggle.

Use Google, it's easier. Just start the search with site:thetownend.com.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2805608/Former-Aston-Villa-captain-Bulgaria-s-record-cap-holder-Stiliyan-Petrov-returns.html

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1I4bWxCEAA-EIg.jpg)

Over 63,000 fans attend the Fortaleza vs Macaé game in the Brazilian 3rd tier on Saturday.

Interesting and very moving article - thanks for sharing.

Boom! Pick that one out!

http://gfycat.com/SkeletalDeadDeer

Niiiiiice!

Use of 3g pitches have been rejected by league 1 and 2 chairmen. Horrible things and the reason behind many injuries that I have suffered. The thompson brothers would need skin graft the amount of slide tackles they do per game.

That is good news, at a time where FIFA are talking up plastic pitches, especially with the women's World Cup being played on those pitches in Canada next year.

After seeing some of the game in Andorra, when Wales played there, these 3G pitches should carry health warnings.

34-34 tied vote, that wasn't exactly a ringing rejection.

Reading wanted one to complement their fans

Yes! No wanky plastic pitches. Marvellous news.

Cracking Sweaties v Ireland qualifier on at the moment

Public pressure works...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2835884/Rapist-Ched-Evans-not-offered-contract-Sheffield-United-club-chiefs-shocked-public-reaction-toxic-former-striker.html

Brilliant match that, lovely tempo to it, with a lovely goal to take the three points.

They've told Ched not to come and train with them...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30054475

Steven Naismith.Superb article in the latest Big Issue.Buy it,read it

  Morecambe playing Luton today for the Eric Morecambe Trophy....

  http://www.thebay.co.uk/news/local-news/shrimps-to-play-for-eric-morecambe-trophy/

Bizarrely that url on my phone keeps taking me to eBay, not The Bay.... our piss poor local radio up here.

I suspect there was an extra Eric Morecambe theme to the game as it coincided with the re unveiling of the Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe this week after someone cut him off at the leg earlier this year.

Naughty naughty.

http://www.football-league.co.uk/news/article/2014/championship-financial-fair-play-season-201314-submissions-2144136.aspx

Be very very interesting to see how Shitty fair in the FFP, they must be very close to or over the FFP in our league.

It seems to have a "get out" clause where a new signing earning less than £600k a year doesn't count though? Even in the Championship 11k a week is a top tier salary right?

Dont know how, but Bournemouth managed to pass this

http://m.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/11666847.AFC_Bournemouth__Mostyn_fires_broadside_at_doubters_as_Cherries_comply_with_financial_fair_play/?ref=twtrec

Didn't they get a massive wedge for Lambert or Lallana sell on  - cannot remember which off top of head.

However, whilst I suspect it's poor reporting, I would be a little concerned if our chairman came out and said he was confident and later delighted that we passed the test,  you would hope that club executives would have enough handle on finances to know either way.

How do these things work over three years, i assume a lot of clubs taking a bit of flyer on gaining promotion in that time may panic in couple of years if it doesn't happen?

£5.75m for Lallana sell on.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2676487/Lallanas-Liverpool-lands-Bournemouth-massive-5-75m-payday.html

£ 3 mill for Grabban as well wasn't it?  Was it PdC who wanted him?

Correct on both counts.

I wonder how much they'll get for Ritchie?  :suicide:

Although that was obviously tongue in cheek somewhat, I have heard that West Brom are weighing up a £3m+ bid for Matt Richtea in January...as long as Irvine is still manager of course.

FA making Chesterfield replay their FA Cup 2nd round match with Franchise after fielding an ineligible player.

Ludicrous decision but anything that worsens their fixture congestion can only be a good thing.

My thoughts exactly !!

Thats a fucking joke.

They obviously came up with some way of "reducing losses" by about £12m in the last couple of months. Presumably from the Lallana sell on clause with the owner making up the difference:

http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk/latest-news/which-championship-clubs-can-expect-to-receive-a-transfer-embargo-

Wonder how Bolton avoided it and Wolves and a few others as well.....

Is it not as simple as a massive loan going in to bring the loss down?  More in hock to the owner?

I always thought it had to be based on a club's income - money simply injected by an owner is not allowed.

Obviously, clubs have creative accountants to channel such money into a legitimate scheme

I figured thats the only way 'muff got away with it.  Smaller crowd than us, cheaper tickets and yet the squad they went up with was 10 players larger, with players who's reputations certainly suggested higher wages than ours and they weren't relying on loans.

8 mil extra 'income' in the shape of a loan makes it possible to pay decent wages for players.

Owners can plug £5m of a total £8m loss I think.  So add in the transfer fees and you'll be easily there for Bournemouth.  Slightly tougher next time around though I'd guess, without selling anyone.

Apparently he is going in Celebrity Big Brother next month, fame is easily attainable these days

What the hell is a Wealdstone Raider?

Sounds like a type of Dildo.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhEFuq62-I

Fucking bloke is all over twitter, some of the vines are quite funny

Oh right, someone pretending to be a prick.

I think I'm getting old. Bah humbug.

He's got a Christmas song out apparently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4hq2gw9PpGM

That is proper shit, but at least its for charity.

You want some, Batch?  :)

A member of Wealdstone's board has become his celebrity booker(!) doing those David Brent sort of money-spinners. The Non-League Football Show gave said booker their equivalent of a grilling.

So a bloke goes to a non-league match, gets pissed up, mouths off and someone videos it.

Fast forward a few weeks; over 5 million views on YouTube, a place in Big Brother, general media personality, a chart topping app and an Xmas single.

It's not even that funny.

That video went up years ago. I dont know how it became so popular recently.

I don't find the original that funny, but the remixes and vines have been very amusing!

Big Brother, really??... Fuck me, the world we live in.

It went up last year. It really is quite odd because there was plenty of coverage first time round.

The internet eh. Weird.

Good to see some clubs have a sense of humour...

Grimsby Town’s Christmas Message 2014: http://youtu.be/0FqeTerEPwE

And some players also...

MILNER'S BORING CHRISTMAS | Man City Advent Calen…: http://youtu.be/3vjrgtLLlzQ

Ha. That's brilliant.

Can't see this anywhere else, fair play to the kid.

http://www.flicwiltshire.com/STFC/Toffolo-looking-to-give-back-to-the-local-community-in-2015.aspx#.VKcDASusXuI

The article might be the laziest journalism I've ever read. Not one jot of thought has gone into producing it

Better spelling and grammar than the adver..... it's a start.

And it was on Linksport 24 hrs ago.

Blyth Spartans

We're top of the league !!!

Yesterday every game kicked off at 3pm, nothing moved for TV.

A small, admitally futile, victory for tradition.

Well apart from all the games Friday, today, Monday and Tuesday

Hence it was just a small one day victory

Sheffield United getting on another cup run, hopefully a distraction on their league form. Nice to hear the 5 Live experts talk up their automatic promotion chances (without looking at the league table and how much ahead the top 4 are).

They can beat Preston Saturday if they like

Torres's welcome back to Atletico Madrid. That's nuts.

Wasnt sure which one to put this in. Bit of brute honesty from Keith Curle here:

http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/article/keith-curle-on-alex-marrow-and-danny-kearns-2189618.aspx

Brilliant reading. Wish more managers acted like this.

Would be fun to have an honest run down on Harry Agombar's contractual situation, wouldn't it?

Fair play to Preston North End who last night gave every Yeovil fan that travelled up there last night a voucher for a free pie and hot drink.

Such honesty is rare in the game and should be applauded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayTfr86RiK4

Player at the back smoking :D

Fair play to Bradford for not fleecing fans on their cup run.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31555136

Even more credit(?) to Reading for agreeing, given the aim's to reproduce the sellout atmosphere of the last round.

Very low prices, but that is Bradfords philosophy, with the cheap season tickets etc. Fair play to both clubs. There's no way we'd have been paying less than standard match day prices in that situation.

http://babb.telegraph.co.uk/2015/02/preston-left-back-given-1-for-scoring-against-manchester-united-by-his-grandmother/

I'll be a bit cynical and say there is something written down about their tickets, as they did that really short sighted 10 or 20 year season ticket, which would affect cup matches, when I say a bit cynical, I mean they're probably stuffed, so no santa to see here.

Reading the url and noting that he had been 'given one by his grandmother' I was expecting a wholly different story.

It is preston.

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/what-winning-goal-of-the-month-means-for-young-jay-beatty--gkOxOMB63e

best thing ive seen for ages

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-31610611

Some good news for the new Hereford FC. Good luck to them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-31626754

Hopefully Gartside gets fucked over.

Always had a bit of a soft spot for Sammy Lee as a player. How anyone that shape can be a professional athlete is still a mystery to this day, but it gives us all hope. Everyone else can get screwed royally for all I care, but not little Sammy Lee :gay:

Piggy-eyed, red-faced hubcap thief

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/championship/hearts-v-cowdenbeath-nicholl-hopeful-of-taking-points-from-tynecastle-1.844237


Currently 10-0 down

G'wan the jambos!

Only 10? pah. ;)

Free season tickets at Potters Bar FC

http://www.cityam.com/210293/potters-bar-town-cashing-after-gambling-free-season-tickets

What a name.

Haha you're welcome..

To be fair to him it will be pronounced minger in German. Oh.

That the best German name since...

(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ818Q-LiI4Oi6A5-cimwYBKXBQfW8DuKuLt4M-NNc2FuEY6XdNEA)

Just noticed Inverness Caledonian Thistle have knocked out Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi final.
Don't really give a shit either way, but it reminded me of one of the best pun headlines ever from a few years ago.

(http://supercaleygoballistic.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/super-caley-go-ballistic1.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VCJVZ2I9zY

I will never, ever get tired of that.

But Celtic only lost that one due to racism

They lost again today as well

 The strange events currently unfolding at Leeds....they haven't even got a cone collector.
 This from Steve Morison re Neal Redfearn...

   :)

Yes, that's why he posted it  ::)

Didnt read it soapy tit wank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs0vnMril98

Doncaster Rovers official highlights of their game against Fleetwood. It finished 0-0.

Brilliant.  Love the honesty.

That is brilliant.

And this:

https://popularstand.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/doncaster-rovers-0-0-fleetwood-town-250-word-match-report/

Haha superb, to both.

x 2  :clap:

The Preston North End forum being hacked by Pakistani Cyber Fighters - bizarre.

I saw that when I went spying on them earlier, made me laugh.

Thats bizarre, has thor been trolling the wrong people?

Rotherham have been deducted 3 points for fielding that ineligible player.

Here's the first link I could find about it:

http://talksport.com/football/millwall-and-wigan-handed-championship-survival-boost-rotherham-hit-three-point-deduction

Steve Evans is going to love that.

Ha ha ha ha!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXH_12QWWg8

So long Cheltenham Town  :bye:

What's with the hate for Cheltenham (other than our pretty appalling record there..)? they're such a "nothing-y" team to me.

The appalling record against them is enough! We didn't just lose to them, we couldn't even function without self-destructing.

They are a nothing-y club and now they have been reclaimed by their rightful owners, Non-League....!

Amen, brother.

+1. Some of my worst football experiences have come against Cheltenham. I recall going to Whaddon Road under King when Parkin got red carded and how the ref broke up a fight by seeming to go in 2 footed on Parkin. It's a local club for local people.

And my best mate ended up on the back of the paper, looking like a werewolf giving Gurney the Vs. I think the headline was 'Worst night of my life' - King.

On the bright side, Cheltenham away was where I saw the legendary lesser spotted Yinka Casal play. For some reason, he seemed to attract nasty challenges that day and spent most of the game on the ground having collided with someone in mid air.

I went to the friendly with them in 86/87, we won 1-0 with Hockaday scoring, their fans were unfriendly to say the least with Swindon populating about half of the 1,200 crowd.

They threw things at us during the game and my car broke down on the way home, that was the start of my dislike of them.

Their fans have a strange attitude towards us, many thinking they are a bigger club than us.
I also have a strong dislike for them, and am happy to see them out of the league

I remember one year (may have been League 2 season under Di Canio) where some Swindon fan pulled the head off the mascot, who was wearing a robin costume revealing a fat bald guy underneath who had a pop at the Swindon fan. That's my only good memory of Whaddon Road

my lowest point as a town fan was after that game. plus I was born in Gloucester so legally have to dislike Cheltenham .

Would be quite funny to see Cheltenham replaced by Forest Green!

Not really a good thing, but crazy to think that Bournemouth are a win away from being 4 divisions higher than Tranmere Rovers next season.

The atmosphere that night was absolutely poisonous, one of my most miserable away games ever, it just had no redeeming features at all, utterly unpleasant experience from start to finish. Although to be fair to Cheltenham that wasn't really due to them/their fans, it was all about the shit going on between our team and fans and among the fans. Don't want to play them ever again, but I feel sorry for them being relegated even if they are back where they belong. While the likes of Crawley and Stevenage are in the League, I'd rather have Cheltenham there (as long as not in the same division as us!)

I was going to say I find it hard to hate a team for being tin point, but Bournemouth..

I get it now.

Lionel messi. The best footballer on the planet. Don't even start with a ronaldo argument. It's a non starter

Bradford City's prices for an adult ST next season - £149, and that's DOWN £50 on this season.

Over to you, Lee!

Yep equals around six and a half quid a game  :eek:
Love to know how much their replica shirts are too, sold 1000 on day of release

Palladini the old QPR owner still trying to buy them? Wonder whether he'd carry on with those sorts of prices?

They are quite clever Bradford. They have put their matchday prices (including prices for away fans) up to £25 which makes getting a ST a no-brainer if you are a Bradford fan.

Question is, if we halved the price of our STs would we sell twice as many, and then some more to make up for the fact those people weren't buying tickets for individual matches any more?

If not then it'd be a poor move for a club trying to live within its means.

Footballer helps out fan victim of own fisting (warning, may not be as lurid as I've made it sound):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-32686659

David Squires' latest cartoon....particularly the last 2 frames.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/picture/2015/may/12/david-squires-on-the-fight-to-avoid-the-europa-league

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/ipswich-fan-crashed-lamborghini-into-tate-britain-while-celebrating-goal-2015051298217

Willie McKay notorious agent and close buddy of Harry Redknapp has applied for bankruptcy.. taking note of his involvement in huge money transfers to Portsmouth and QPR among others not sure if this is linked to Harry's absence from the game?

Willie McKay was also buying all the players in for Donny a few years ago...the season they got relegated from the Championship a few years back.

Oyston III probably got grounded with no Crème brûlée for supper.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-32717861

America making its biggest contribution to football yet, arresting 6 FIFA execs for extradition on corruption charges

That is delightful news to wake up to.

Fifa, corruption, noooooooo.

you just know blatter will trot out his 'how terrible' line and carry on as normal

Except I suspect there will be 6 people with deals to do, who will crack and be finger pointing..

rat on Blatter? fingers crossed

Brighton's attitude to away support is refreshing

http://www.fsf.org.uk/blog/view/brighton-BHAFC-away-fans-experience

Fair play to Brighton for investing and providing such experiences for visitors but I like going to away games where they provide the bare minimum in the welcoming stakes.

And just before the election. Blatter will just stick his head in the sand and ignore everything, though.

There have been rumblings that the Americans were about to get involved in investigating FIFA corruption for some time now. Good.

Very good news. Love them or loathe them, no one fucks with the Yanks.

Absolutely, I think I've put this in the "Whats wrong with football?" thread. Its the equivalent of going to the Costa Del Sol for your holidays and eating a Sunday roast and watching Eastenders while you are there. It might be cosy & homely, but thats not what travelling should be about, you're missing out on so much.

I think on balance this needs to go here :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33027933

Punishment for going in admin is increased to 12 points in the FL, but the most interesting point is that the administrator has to meet with the supporters' trust within 21 days with the chance to buy the club.

The Football Governance (Supporters’ Participation) Bill 2015-16 has just had its first reading in Parliament:


It'll be years before it becomes law (if at all) but a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately it's a private members bill, that won't get very far.

No I agree, chances of it getting anywhere are pretty slim. The fact that its even being debated can only be a good thing though. It's got a second reading in December by the looks of it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33483016

Reformed Hereford United had their first game yesterday.

Got a win in front of over 4000 fans.

Good on them!

To be precise, its Hereford FC.....and they beat the might of FC United of Manchester...its a great story just a year on from the infamous activities and characters with whom we are all too familiar.

Couple today cheered me up,

Nice to see a player doing something good http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-star-mesut-ozil-has-paid-for-11-brazilian-children-to-have-lifesaving-surgery-10383835.html

Also Delph not going to Man City, nice to see a player possibly looking at playing time and career over just money!

I would like to retract part of my previous statement....

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-transfers-fabian-delph-9678724

What a prick he is. He's gonna be hated by the Villa fans!

Makes no sense. It's not likely that he'll be starting ahead of Sterling that's for sure.

Having been sceptical in advance of C5 getting the FL highlights, some good news coming out about it that deserves applause
Seems like C5 will treat L1/L2 as more than an afterthought then - take note BBC

The BBC are deservedly getting a kicking from the Tories....OK it's because they have to pay back Murdoch, and not because of their shabby treatment of lower league football fans, but this is just one of many reasons why the Beeb will get little support from the general public.

Fucking hell Reg, talk about not being able to separate out different issues. The BBC's coverage of lower league football wasn't great but it was OK, certainly better than the drivel fest that was on ITV. And even the low points (such as the "Not showing when Championship not on") hardly merit the kind of wholesale dismantling the Mail et al have been lusting after for years, assuming that is what the Tories have planned.

Interview with Shaun Barker, finally fit after THREE YEARS of rehabilitation. Amazing commitment. Worth a game-by-game contract?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jul/21/shaun-barker-derby-county-top-and-bottom-leg-held-together-by-skin

Don't count me in. Aunty certainly isn't perfect, but anyone who wants to see it get a good kicking is surely going well over the top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33849147

Good luck to them!

http://t.co/EetMXmNRW8

shame they couldn't be bothered to support the team in it's previous life

Sorry but I'm just going to go a couple of posts back and say fuck off Reg. The beeb has its problems but anyone who thinks it deserves a good kicking is either an utter moron or a prostitute of the Murdoch corporations.

Don't worry I think its all part of the challenge Reg has taken on to mention the Tories in ever post he makes, I have assumed he was being sponsored for it?

The BBC "has it's problems"  a masterful example of understatement....it's been shown up as an essentially corrupt organisation....3 quick examples, huge pay offs of public funds to failed executives....Jimmy Savile cover up, still ongoing as far as I know....distorted reporting in cases like the miner's strike and subsequent cover ups.

The sadness of this is that Auntie used to have a reputation for high standards and independence.....it needs to be shaken up and got back to the notion of public service, whether that horse has bolted in modern times we'll see, but an organisation that can allow Clarkson etc to take out millions, not only in salary but profits, but not afford to put on a decent FL highlights show, deserves all it gets.

Saville related cover ups happened in the 70's and 80's. 'Distorted reporting', if it happened, happened in the same period. You can't blanket accuse people who weren't part of the corporation back then. If that's the case then anyone who works for pretty much any german industrial company now is culpable for Nazi atrocities.

I agree that running it like they do with 95 jillion levels of management and a lack of common sense with the public purse needs sorting out (moving to Salford seems all sorts of stupid to me), but if that's the price for an organisation that year after year produces truly great programming, and carries so much weight in the journalism community then ce'st la vie. If it is dismantled in the way the tories (and other media corporations) want it to be the future is nothing but bleak.

Also if you're going to quote me get the grammar right.

 Your faith in Auntie is touching, but I would argue it's been a long time since any really excellent programs were produced.

 Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, there are clearly plenty of people, who think shows about making cakes, the terpsichorean prancing of minor celebs, and the daily grind of achingly dull Cockneys are cutting edge.

 As for Savile, (one L not two, it's easy to make mistakes) the management of the Corporation is still happily making sure that Savile whistleblowers have no long term prospects, as a way of damage limitation.

 In no sense am I arguing for the Tories to be allowed to ride roughshod over the Beeb, rather that the Corporation needs a shake up, and because of its management, both historic and current, has less support in the public domain, than it maybe hopes for in fighting off the likely Tory shitstorm.

(http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view7/2955836/smug-david-brent-o.gif)

 :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33880100

Quality finish.

Leeds Leeds Leeds

Won't be Steve Cotterill to blame of course.

82ers fighting amongst themselves.

My my

No they're not.  Its just showing passion and its not their fault.  Twitchy meth head Cotterill told me so.

My favourite OTIB post

'If we had taken our chances better, and defended better for their goals, the score would have been better.'

fucking flint scores :crash:

They had a pitch invasion apparently

Good idea from non-league - kids get a shirt rather than a plastic card as their season ticket:

http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/ncelpremierdivision/2015/3697-juniorsgetshirtinplaceofseasonticket/

That is a fantastic idea, I suspect a lot of clubs will follow next season!

He is never going to fit in that shirt though!

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34151983

This should appeal to some of the cheese fans on here :)

Both local and cheese related, what's not to like.

My last post was about the FA Cup.

as is this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34337575

At the risk of sounding a bit patronising, I do love articles about obscure teams in the early qualifying rounds.

The story about the lad from Worthing is fantastic....and quite inspiring. Will try and look out for their results and hope they succeed with the five year plan (where plenty others have failed :)).

I have always thought that John Terry was a bit of a knob, however now I know that he is disabled and think of the adversity he has overcome to reach where he is in the game says a great deal for the man and the wider football family.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/john-terry-spotted-parking-200000-6524699

Blatter and Platini have been banned by FIFA for 90 days....

And subsequently stuffs Platini in trying to be the next FIFA President.

Be interesting to see what, if any, action UEFA take. When palpably the most corrupt organisation in world football thinks you're sufficiently dodgy to suspend you, it would be hugely embarrassing for UEFA to keep him in post surely?

I am intrigued after all the shite that has flown about for many years, what has now led to this ban - I assume getting nicked by the Swiss Authorities?)

I'm more interested to see what action the FA take, they've unwisely long nailed their colours to Platini, ignoring his bung from Blatter.  I suppose it's too much for Dyke et al, to resign en masse as they should.

Dyke won't be lasting much longer anyway, as he's coming up to having to retire from the FA. but a few others should reconsider their positions. With FIFA replacing Blatter with Hayatou, who was censured by the IOC for receiving bungs in regards to the ISL scandal, and UEFA replacing Platini with Villar, who is being investigated himself for not helping the investigation into the 2018/2022 World Cups, isn't it time for both organisations to have a clean sweep.

It might be time for someone like David Gill to put himself up for FIFA President, as the rest are dropping like flies.

Hayatou has already said he doesn't want the gig long term...

Christ if David Gill is the best football can hope for, we may as well all give up and go home now... :(

Unfortunately, most at FIFA seem implicated in the scandal. In fact the IOC have called for an 'outsider' to reform FIFA.

And UEFA have announced that Platini is to remain as UEFA President while suspended...

I think this story needs to go from 'What's right with football?' to 'What's wrong with football?'  :no: :headhurts:

Http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/oct/20/fc-united-manchester-bbc-criticise

Fair play to these guys, also stating they won't move a game if it makes it difficult for away fans

A footballer who doesn't gamble all his money away? I thought this story was pretty fucking good.

It's about Mathieu Flamini starting a bio fuel company in secret.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/6742052/Mathieu-Flaminis-no-fuel.html

From the BBC, talking about the France friendly this week:

The Wembley Arch is due to be lit up in the red, white and blue colours of the French flag during Tuesday's game to show solidarity with France, which is in three days of mourning.

Screens outside the ground will show the French motto 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' and before kick-off the words of the French national anthem will be shown for any fans who want to join in.

Absolutely despise the leading post match questions that get shoved at footballers - "are you glad you won" etc - and then we wonder why they're called thick.

But to ask anyone "what do you think the game was about today?" goes beyond that, and I think Rooney deserves huge credit for his answers today, about football uniting us.

Blatter and Platini being turned down on their appeals against their 90 day ban, which should stop Platini being on the shortlist to be FIFA President.

There were stories in the press at the weekend, that the FIFA ethics committee have finished their investigation into the £1.35m bribe...sorry, payment, and they were preparing to ban the both for a long time. If true, that would surely mean Platini having to leave his role as UEFA President.

Lets hope so but this story still has some way to go I think, surprised this is the only thing they can get Blatter on obviously good at covering his tracks.

Is it right though to elect someone from inside Fifa to president, its a shame none of the sponsors have enough balls to insist on someone independent to run Fifa and UEFA

You'd have thought so wouldn't you? Platini, on the other hand, believes that because he admits the payment (i.e. he's being transparent) he has done nothing wrong......just like when he voted for Qatar in their World Cup bid. The fact that he openly said he voted for them makes him innocent of any dodgy dealing (never mind that his son was subsequently given a lucrative job and France won major orders from the Qatar government and PSG were taken over my Qatari billionaires...). He's as bent as the rest of them and spent years licking Blatter's arse before the cat leapt out of the bag....and what's more disturbing is that our FA will still probably back him to be FIFA president. If the ethics committee rule that he's innocent then any credibility they have left goes down the toilet.

Platini has his nose in the trough, just like Beckenbauer. I wouldn't be surprised that this 'payment' is for his Qatar vote, with the payment taking place a few months after the vote. It's more likely than any story that Platini comes out with.

Another 2 FIFA execs being arrested at the 'official' FIFA hotel, this time by the Swiss authorities.

While it may be pleasing that they're (possibly) starting to get what's coming to them, this falls very firmly in the "What's wrong with" thread.

What I do find funny is how FIFA have supposedly made a loss. Obviously FIFA is hugely profitable, so I can only see this as being timely propaganda to help imply that those benevolent mavericks at FIFA are not all raking it in hand over fist.

My guess is it's actually due to some sort of naming rights/licensing issue to help move funds about, probably to a company that's not "non-profit".

Probably caused by excessive lawyer fees....

There's a lot of hidden expense that as a layman you just don't realise about. You know, running world football is in some ways a lot like selling a house ....

The hotel are now doing special arrest packages - private room with quick side door exit, large towel to go over head and and some soap on a rope

 :D

http://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/article/go-ahead-for-new-stadium-2845699.aspx

Wimbledon get the go-ahead for their new stadium, and could be back playing in Plough Lane for the 2018-19 season.

https://youtu.be/44NA-8-OFXk

More context here:
http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/goalkeeper-catches-ball-runs-length-of-pitch-scores-absolutely-incredible-goal--ZJdYyMN9qx

CSKA Sofia's Star Wars celebration
Both bizarre and brilliant

http://www.thesportbible.com/articles/cska-sofia-fans-with-epic-star-wars-banner-and-chant-at-game

The best thing about it is it was probably happening while the game was going on. In a lot of East European countries, it's not necessarily about the football, but supporting the team with banners/fireworks/flares.

I bet there was pages of debate on the CSKA forum regarding the merits of that banner.... ;-)

The love in between Bristol City fans with Preston and Franchise from last season unravelling as City drop below both. Their 'we want you both to go up instead of Swindon' might just come back to bite them on the bum!

This is just odd (it is the Mail) but has a certain aesthetic quality - looks like Blatter's ideas are coming to fruition.

Backlash as female footballers play in hotpants and pink crop tops http://dailym.ai/1RTHKnn

"Jessica Farrington is interviewed about inequality in women's football while wearing a tiny pair of hotpants"

I would love to see the rest of the bird on the right's tattoo
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/12/17/16/2F773F5800000578-3363798-image-a-6_1450370247172.jpg)

Should put a few bums on seats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35212032
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erY6PbKtLCk

Franchise getting a dicking at home...

But still two points above the dotted line from City losing at home again. Cotterill feeling hard done by again. Will Landsdown back him in the window with the £8m they were going to spend on Gayle in August?

I've seen it, it's a Rolf Harris doodle.

Good viewing that.

Dele Alli's goal today, absolute beauty.

https://cdn.streamable.com/video/mp4/7js9.mp4

He's got something about him, that one.

Looking a bargin at £5m now, many scoffed at that price tag at the time

Love that man.
So glad he got away from Franchise.

Ridiculous

Surely it can't be on for Leicester? I bet every neutral in the country is willing them on, and if they get through the next two games (Arsenal and Man City away) there should be absolutely no reason why they can't do it, aside from them choking.

Amazing to think they were 2-0 up at The County Ground with about 15 minutes to go and didn't win...

I think about 2009?

I'd love them to do it. Love it.

I think though that the run in will prove too much for them even if they get something from those two games. If they get champions league football it'll still be amazing.

Leicester flying at the top of the league. Anyone got the game on?

From the back to the front they are one solid team and dynamite on the break. Mahrez is a superb footballer. Vardy too with his pace getting in behind city's shocking back 4. They're making mugs of that overpaid and overpaid for shambles of a team. Hope they win the league.

I've been saying they'll fade sooner or later, I thought today was going to show that they aren't strong enough. it's exactly the opposite. Leicester could have had 5 or 6.

I've been saying this too.. I hope they don't.

pretty sure all neutrals hope they win the league darlo!

They are going to win that league now, crazy

It's renewed my interest in that league a bit, usually it's as boring as fuck with the same old teams going for the title.  Don't rule out Spurs for the title either though, that would be a massive shock in itself

What makes it all the better is that they are a team of misfits generally. Players not wanted where they were previously and benchwarmers a lot of them at clubs now struggling.

Interesting theory that the ridiculous TV money now going to all Premier League clubs is acting as a leveller and enabling the likes of Leicester and Palace to compete.  They don't need to sell players like Vardy and Mahrez to the established big clubs to survive at that level any more.  Everton didn't need to sell John Stones to Chelsea.

It's certainly making the Premier League more interesting.  But sadly, it's also driving even more of a wedge between the top 20 sides and the rest.

Huth couldn't get into the Stoke side, went to Leicester...and they're now top of the league.

Man City's defence has been shaky all season, especially if they are missing Kompany. Otamendi and Mangala are poor...and they've paid nearly £60m for them.

You cannot beat an organised back line. That's what Leicester have.

-1

whose your club of choice and why?

Honestly don't care, I don't ever watch it. I just really cant stand Leicester.

I'm surprised more Town fans haven't said this. I wasn't there (I was a baby) but I've heard from enough people their fans were shites during the POs.

Yep that's exactly why I hate them, shithouse fans.

aaah, I see.

I don't remember that.  (I wasn't a baby.)

Leicester are a club I can find little reason to get worked up about.  We beat them at Wembley - not the best day of my life, but probably in the top 5 - and since we've had just one season in the same division as them (2008-09).  You need a little oxygen to fan the flames of a rivalry.

Leicester fans were OK at Wembley as far as I recall.....not in the same class as the Mackems 3 years earlier. For lack of class look no further than Millwall, and they won.

Guess you got lucky.. Millwall fans are funny, I know loads and all nice people away from football. Mention it and its like instant wanker powder has been consumed.

I know it's my cynicism but Leicester City are bankrolled by a billionaire, this isn't early Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough. It's great that a different team are competing but there has been some sickly 1970's romanticism about their whole venture.

Ranieri deserves loads of praise though, the level of UK based ignorance when he was appointed was embarrassing.

They might have a billionaire owner, but they haven't spent millions on players. There is no 'big name star player', they seem to have an amazing team spirit with great attitude and commitment.

Hats off to them.

Vardy just signed a new long term deal too

Obviously everyone is going to have different experiences of fans (especially in the numbers you'd get during play offs) but like I said I know of more than one Town fan who bears a grudge against Leicester.

Interestingly one anecdote I heard about Leicester was that the Mackems were indeed a much better group.. Which is interesting and relieving to me as it means Reg isn't my Dad.

In other news this, I hope this goes well:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35512691

Somewhat understandable given what happened in his previous job

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/huddersfield-town-season-tickets-for-2016-17-174-2402783

Anderlecht youth team, knocked out of UEFA Youth Cup by Dinamo Zagreb, urging UEFA not to disqualify DZ for playing ineligible sub for final 7 minutes of the game because "they beat us fairly on the pitch"

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/25/anderlecht-urge-uefa-not-disqualify-dinamo-zagreb-youth-team-blunder

Anderlecht have a bit of making up to do, on the PR front.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/dec/11/nottingham-forest-anderlecht-match-fixing-scandal-1984

No wonder Paul Hart is such a lugubrious cunt. I've never trusted Brussels since....

Huddersfield offering season tickets in any stand for £179.

The only catch being that you have to watch Huddersfield.

Championship football though.

In huddersfield

 :D

Whilst John Terry is a bit of a cunt and not everyone's cup of tea, this gesture is obviously lovely of him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-36014630

Horrible people are still capable of lovely things. This is one of them. Well done JT.

http://mobile.cpfc.co.uk//news/article/jeremy-hoskings-steam-train-to-southampton-3068247.aspx

Bit pricey but sold out already so obviously palace fans don't think it is
Great idea tho especially given team are going back on it

Has probably given Power an idea

(http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab225/mark_woolhouse/Mobile%20Uploads/hqdefault_zpsxozmmbsw.jpg)

http://m.westerndailypress.co.uk/Swindon-Town-fan-hangs-scarf-81-years-watching/story-29187556-detail/story.html?utm_source=somersetnews&utm_medium=twitter (http://m.westerndailypress.co.uk/Swindon-Town-fan-hangs-scarf-81-years-watching/story-29187556-detail/story.html?utm_source=somersetnews&utm_medium=twitter)

picked this one up off Sam M's Twitter - now that's dedication. nice one Betty

We all know she's had enough of Power.

Bet the free season ticket was some sort of tax dodge for Power....  ;D

I hope when she says she plans to listen on the radio she is not thinking of STFC player - don't do it Betty!

Thats very impressive. Hope the club do something as a send off.

Looks like at least someone isn't swallowing the plucky little Bournemouth dream story!

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bournemouth-fined-7-6m-for-losses-in-championship-hgbkbt38t

What a fairytale!

Cheats. So for getting promotion to the PL which can be worth £100m+...they get fined £7.6m !!

interesting reading the comments on Leicester's "fairytale" and Bournemouth's "cheating" - lots of similarities between their spending habits and financial "doping" accusations during their time in the Championship.

It's a shame it's only now this is making the news and it's buried under all the Leicester stuff.

And that the scale of their fine is no sort of disincentive to a club calculating the net benefits of cheating on FFP vs getting promotion.

What was stopping the FL imposing a far more punitive amount? I wonder if they were leant on by the EPL when setting up the rules for FFP...

Cardiff are another example. The debt they took on before their inevitable promotion was ridiculous, but all paid back because they finished bottom. Magic.

Just done a quick calculation. For Bournemouth to have broken even without any subsidy from the owner they have would have needed to sell about 67,000 more season tickets

And we were relegated a division for our financial rule breaking.

Yup, but this is now a litigation world , not a bend over and take it up the arse world of yesteryear.

Quite possible with a fairytale like this....

Indeed. I wonder what would have happened if the club had managed to take the case to the High Court.

To be fair, we did defraud clubs of money, albeit on a much smaller scale.  The problem in our time was the lack of a set of rules with clear punishment.  Whatever happened to QPR's mega fine?

The football club founded by Jules Rimet battles its way back - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36195987

Edit - When I posted that I was trying to think of the player link we had with the club, with greater thought it was Frédéric Darras.

Is that also Hameur Bouazza in the picture towards the bottom of the picture?

And hamdi razak iirc.

Yep (after a quick Wiki search).

Plenty of links there then....

In all honesty, I can't remember specifically what our crimes were and why the punishment was supposed to reflect the crimes committed. I thought that a major part of if was that we were able to attract players to the club that might not have signed if everything was done legitimately. I see the breaking of FFP as a similar crime, in that competing clubs could argue that they were denied the same access to players because the guilty clubs used money they should not have been using in ways that they should not have been using it, if you get my drift. Any success that was achieved was therefore supported by underhand financial dealings and the consequences of the success (points accumulated / promotion) duly punished. Bournemouth's fine certainly does not punish the consequences of their lack of fair play.

And Philippe Cuervo....and, yes, Bouazza is also playing for them now.

They also had Tony Cascarino (is a wanker, is a wanker) there for a while.

Red Star are my favourite club in France - when I lived in the "93" I used to go to watch them every week. Darras was playing for them at the time - they were in the 2nd division when I first started going but slid down the leagues before climbing back up again. They won't go up this season though - 4 points behind 3rd place with 2 games to go I think.

I saw them play last season (when they won the 3rd division title) away at Luçon where I have a house. Bouazza played.....we (wife + 3 kids) boosted the Red Star following to 18 if I recall correctly!  

We declared lower salaries for the players bought so that the transfer fees would be lower, and then topped the salaries up with illegal bonuses. I've got a letter from the Football League at home somewhere that details everything.

Cheers.

Looking at this http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Person.asp?PersonID=CUERVOPH I was shocked to read that he only started 16 games for us, on his day one of the most exciting players although the bleached hair was a low point!

Fred Darras sadly no longer with us. And who knows when or whether Red Star will get to play in St Ouen again.

This could be one for Reg but it seems Top Tier clubs never face points deductions or similar but that lower tier clubs do

It equated to something like £105,000 of undeclared wages or something like that, which in today's money may be a bit more I suppose.  It wasn't huge, by any measure, but we fiddled the transfer tribunal process that was in place back then as well as the tax man.  So both football clubs and HMRC got less than they would otherwise have received and we afforded players we might not have afforded.  Similar but seen as much more serious offence as it went against the spirit of the league - note that paying football debts in administration is still a requirement of membership to the league, the league takes a dim view of not giving money to other clubs when it is due.  The FA took the appeal and put us back one league.

2,600 safe standing spaces at Celtic next season

(http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/512/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2016/5/4/4e7d4aaf-6ae1-456b-9a00-d3e5f31cdd27.jpg)

Fantastic. I hope it works out well for them and as a consequence causes a shift in other leagues.

Hartlepool supporters all dressing up as Storm Troopers to travel to Plymouth yesterday.

They do something like that every season don't they, sure I've seen pictures of hundreds of Smurf's watching a game.

They've been doing it for about 10 years. Penguins and thunderbirds are 2 others I remember seeing. The best shot of the smurfs was them all on an escalator.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/hartlepool-away-fans-don-amazing-7915793

They get some right bloody hikes on the last day of the season.

QPR have binned that hideous crest they introduced in 2008.

http://mobile.qpr.co.uk/news/article/new-qpr-crest-launched-3097024.aspx

Looks like Lingy is feeling well

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/leyton-orient/john_mackie_delighted_to_see_so_many_old_faces_at_leyton_orient_s_10th_anniversary_promotion_dinner_1_4529796

Hereford at Wenbley today in the FA Vase final in their first season after reforming the club.

They have won their league with 108 points & have sold nearly 20,000 tickets

Did they send an invite to daddy Agombar?

They just got thoroughly fucking hammered.

Was just gonna put that, 4-1.

I'm at Wembley for these Non League Final games.

Hereford could have been 2 or 3 up before Morpeth sorted themselves out and Hereford duly crumbled.

Morpeth had ex-Bury centre-back Chris Swailes playing... Swailes is the tender age of 45 year old.

Will Griggs definitely has some support...

At Wigan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUlSmCGj1r8
Internationally https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhTzqsN-90c

No idea whether in its entirety this is wrong or right, but the banning of half and half scarfs is definitely right!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3733849/Chelsea-ban-half-half-scarf-sales-stall-holders-trademarking-club-s-clothing-items.html

Great way to announce a new signing

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/770705268464312322?s=08

hhaha that's brilliant

Nice gesture, http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37334911

Everton have just given 200k to the fund for the cancer treatment for the young lad who was their mascot tonight. Fair play.

Edit: take that back, the young lad was the Sunderland mascot...

Seeing highlights of Aden Flint being turned inside-out in the 95th minute at Sheffield Wednesday was particulary pleasing to the eye.

Shame, Power could've bought a new [insert luxury item here] with that [alleged] sell on.

He had a mare Saturday too!

Few on OTIB calling for 'future Premiership star' Aden Flint to be dropped on Saturday.

Oh no no no Aden!

Nice touch from a club, can just imagine Reg leading the team out.....  :D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37408635

About time, someone needed to start the ball rolling, hopefully some of the other clubs follow suit:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/13/liverpool-introduce-40000-a-year-salary-cap-academy-players-jurgen-klopp

I believe Manchester United have had something similar in places for years.

One of their young players wanted wages above the cap. United stuck to their guns and didn't budge. Said Young players contract expired and he went away on a free transfer.






In August this year Manchester United paid 89m to sign him. Genius

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37660279

He kept the money though.  :D

Pogba wasn't an Academy player, he was a senior player and part of the 1st team squad at the time. Not even vaguely comparable. But you knew that. Trolling.

Safe standing moving a bit closer?

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/17/premier-league-clubs-agree-further-talks-safe-standing

Good, I've never quite understood the objection if I'm honest.  If the clubs were actually serious about eradicating standing in grounds then I could, but watch MOTD any week and half of the ground are stood up in seated sections, which is far more dangerous than being stood up in safe standing areas.

The other thing that annoys me is they always roll out the Hillsborough Families for their reaction to it, they can hardly say anything other than what they do can they.

Anyone that has ever been to a football ground is well aware that it takes longer to get out of a stand with seats in it than it does from terracing (without fencing at the front) yet there were no calls to ban seated areas after the Bradford disaster

You only have to look at the time it takes to clear the central sections of the DRS post match to think that there might be problems in the event of an emergency.
Think that the last proper drill might have been back in the McMahon days and it took ages to get out,  much to general amusement.
Yes, it's mainly a concrete and steel structure but could still be carnage if there was a situation involving mass panic.
(Even more than Norris scoring at home).

Neither are very likely to happen.

Pity in one way the younger fans will never get to experience the thrill/extreme terror. Of going from top to bottom of a terrace in seconds.

Indeed, my favourite was the equaliser at Arsenal in the League Cup, where I went from close to the clock to virtually the front before we had finished celebrating :)

Ditto! a bit scarey for a 13 year old as I was then but experiences I wouldn't ever change, something that will never be repeated with or without standing in the future.

Following the flight disaster involving the Chapecoense football team several things have happened which warms the heart a little.
Atletico National have asked for the Copa Sudamericana to be awarded to Chapecoense
Several clubs have offered to loan the club players so they can continue to play
Corinthians have gone as far as requesting that the club are immune from relegation for 3 seasons.

Rivalries really are put to one side in times like these which is nice to see.

PSG also have donated 40 million Euros.

I have just seen this. An incredible amount for the club

That is such an incredibly generous gesture by the French club, much respect to them.

PSG soures have denied it so not sure it's true. Either way I don't know how you go about rebuilding a club after a disaster like this, sport pales into insignificance.

Or maybe the sport rises to even greater significance? A football club can be the heart of a community and therefore something that many can use as a foundation for support and togetherness. The shared experiences of football fans makes empathy/sympathy a lot more relevant - I suspect a lot of us old enough to remember Bradford and Hillsborough may have thought at the time 'there but for the grace of...'. There certainly seemed to be a lot more sympathy amongst football fans than the press, for example (that's not to say all football fans felt the same way though). Having a goal/purpose such as rebuilding a club may well play an important part in the lives of those affected by the tragedy.

In the long term I'd agree, but it's very very different situation to Bradford and Hillsborough. They've lost their entire squad, management, coaching staff etc I wouldn't even know where to start. It'll be months before they'll even be able to contemplate rebuilding the club I would have thought, a very tragic and unprecedented situation in modern football.

So the supporters of Athletico Nacional turned up for the postponed game and did this....

http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/watch-atletico-nacionals-touching-live-tribute-to-chapecoense-from-site-of-copa-final-113016

Wasn't sure where to put this but I thought it was quite an interesting read.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/jack-lester-111330020.html

Yes, a good read.
Wonder if our youth setup works to similar principles, would be good if they did.
Some parents of aspiring starlets might also benefit from being educated along similar lines.

"And if you’re the parent who demand all these young kids act as role models for your children, you need to understand that you’re asking a young lad who is a product of his environment to see through the distractions and media haze and become a beacon of humanity with a scribble of a signature - and you’re going to be let down."

Powerful stuff.

Chapecoense have been fined for not fielding a team despite it being agreed they wouldn't

No they have not! It's (yet more) bullshit from the media.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-38331624

Nice touch, and the restaurant is quite nice as well (used to work round the corner from it in Manchester) although a little big footballer blingy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-38322612

Such a sad story. Little Bradley has such an amazing smile.

Its the click bait sites such as 90min.com you need to watch out for. Every day on twitter you see headlines like "Top Man United star is shock transfer target to Premier League rivals" Turns out it Adnan Januzaj off to West Brom.

90min is interesting. Originally developed to be completely non-clickbait. It's an "open" platform for football writers to monetise their writing thorugh rev share based on hits, originally designed to attract long-form content and other good writing by offering another way of monetising.

Very quickly taken over by content pushers in bed with social media MCNs though.
 

It's almost like you work in this field or something.

As we and Gillingham are both out of the cup, what's the chance of the club changing our home game scheduled for Tuesday 28 Feb to Sat 7 Jan?

Bound to get a better attendance.

Zilch. Pikey's games are shunted to mid week to prevent their 250 travellers setting up on the CG extension.

Morecambe fans clubbing together to pay the managers FA fine...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-vrjVgqE6w&sns=em

Yeah I saw that, really nice.  It's a friendly little club.

Big win for them yesterday.  My attempt to cheer myself up last night consisted of a vat of wine together with imagining what it must be like to be a Notts County fan right now.

What did Bentley get fined for?

http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/sport/football/shrimps-boss-will-state-his-case-1-8315380

Plus they have a new owner who has subsequently left the country.....
However as they are not Leeds this has barely been reported.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38549885

Asked what Liverpool could expect in the replay at Home Park, he added: "Welcome to the real world."

Runcorn Linnets mascot being called Ron Corn...

http://www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk/Players.asp?player=RonCorn&team=first

Looks like some decent days out to be had.

https://www.facebook.com/nonleaguemysterytours/

Who knows, give it 2 or 3 years and maybe those who like to follow Town on their travels could be doing something similar.  :)

The fact that our next 2 opponents have recently had spells in non-league tells us we shouldn't be complacent about our present state.  Look at Crewe with a top grade academy and developing players history that Power can only dream about....5 points above the Conference drop line, after last season's relegation.

Indeed. Tranmere, York, Torquay, Wrexham, Chester, D&R... Lots of teams end up there and find it hard to get back out.

Stockport's story scares me (in football terms) more than anything.

Forgot about them! lalalala, can't hear you...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/portsmouth-star-becomes-new-nicest-9682982

Try to imagine Kasim doing something like that.

Not quite sure what your point is, but pretty sure Kasim does a lot of charity work in Iraq, particularly with children orphaned by conflict, so if it was a poorly veiled suggestion he's not a decent bloke, it's probably some way wide of the mark.

Yeah but I've never seen him go to Portsmouth to coach some kids.

What a cunt.

Lincoln are another. 

We had a little debate recently about is this the worst STFC squad ever? It's certainly a contender for that unwanted appellation, as well as the question are Luke and his side kick the worst STFC management combo ever?

I don't know why I singled out Kasim to be honest. What I really meant was I couldn't imagine our current squad going out of their way to do stuff like this. And you're right, I'm probably talking complete bollocks.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/sports/after-bombing-iraqi-player-hopes-soccer-holds-the-power-to-heal.html

Burnely's 'mascots' for their game against Lincoln today are septu- and octo- generians. It's rather lovely.

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/832932726575599616

Togo international has now saved four people from choking on their tongues in four separate incidents:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/mar/06/francis-kone-player-could-have-died-togo-czech-republic

There is a club in Sweden (? it might be somewhere else, i think I have linked it on this thread before) who have been doing this for a bit.

Usually folk pay to be mascots..... I'm not sure I'd lead our sack of shit onto the pitch if the club paid me.

You couldn't anyway Reg, we all know you're Rocking Robin ;)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/mar/10/safe-standing-football-league-rail-seats

Alan Pardew coming to the home of Alan Partridge. It's poetry.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rougvie/albums/72157603951477527/page1

You can always count on Roy Keane....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39301241

I can't help but agree with Keane to be honest.

Don't often agree with Keane, but that's quality. :)

Just a pity he didn't tell Mourinho to shove it up his bollocks, that would have made it perfect.  :D

Jermain Defoe seems like a lovely chap

It's not strictly football but football fans I suppose..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/28/birth-record-iceland-hospital-nine-months-day-since-win-england/

Haha, ace.

Where I used to work there were around 12 of us in the office and three of us had the same birthday.
We worked out we were probably conceived on Valentine's Day :)

A friend of mine puts his conception down to Southampton winning the FA Cup.

My parents aren't sure if they were in Alsace or Penhill.
Either way I'm glad they went for "Victoria"..

I'm pretty sure I was after a Genesis gig...

Nice to meet you Abacab  :girlgiggle:

My 2 sisters and myself all have birthdays in the 1st week of August. It seems there must have been some indoor fireworks also on bonfire night.

I was conceived on Christmas Day. Seems Santa isn't the only bloke to come once a year...

Your birthday must be around 9th of November then - same as my daughter!

25th

I think the polite phrase to sum my conception up is 'the last throw of the dice'.

It didn't work.

My dad gave me his Town programme collection and in there was one for Stockport away on a Friday night, I was born the Sunday before....

Tune

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Couldn't happen to a nicer fellow:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39434585

I just saw a tweet with that picture saying 'well at least she's got over Lionel Richie' which amused me greatly.

Ah, ok. Not that close then!

The Bristol City and Preston Northend love in of 2015 appears to have ended in spectacular style with the Preston 5-0 win last night.

Is Flint saying Oh No?

Sent from my HTC One M9

Not so much of an Invisible Touch there, amirite?!? :D

BOOOOM!

Tony Adams' suit is what is right with football, you don't see many like this nowadays. Looks wonderful with the well-chosen black shirt too.

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/la_liga/254164/official-tony-adams-hired-as-granada-head-coach-wears-truly-hideous-suit-for-the-occasion-photo.html

After tonight's Dortmund- Monaco game was rescheduled for tomorrow, many Dortmund fans are giving the travelling Monaco supporters a place to stay for the night.

    

    Dear supporters of @AS_Monaco_EN! If you need accommodation in Dortmund, please check #bedforawayfans. #bvbasm

    Borussia Dortmund

    BVB

    Dear supporters of @AS_Monaco_EN! If you need accommodation in Dortmund, please check #bedforawayfans. #bvbasm
    7:10 p.m. - 11 April 2017
  
    

(http://Dortmund Monaco.jpeg)

A great example of the positive work of social media. Certainly beats people putting pictures of their fucking dinner or checking into gyms etc.

Although those Dortmund / Monaco fans are clearly showing off their dinners in that photo  ;)

Similar happened pre social media back around 86/87 ish. Town were away at Saltergate on a Friday night, the floodlights failed, so it was agreed to play on the Sat afternoon. Spireites fans just came up and offered a bed/sofa/floor etc for the night to any who wanted it.

A group of us got drunk and the police let us sleep in the cop shop. Told us where to get a good breakfast and off we went again and won 3-1. Good trip. Good coppers.

Bollocks!! :)

Presumably there weren't 85k fans at Saltergate though was there Reg?

Closer.

About 500. It was arranged for the next day. Chesterfield gave free entry to all and Town paid for coaches for fans. Oh for the days when we were all one big happy family.

Monaco took 85K  :hmmm:  Impressive they get about 3000 for home games.

Clearly not, but my point was there was significantly more people at the game last night and so the chances of what happened at Saltergate in 1985 would have been much harder.

Proper football fan response to whinging Arsenal fans on what actually constitutes supporting an inept football club:

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/arsenal/254221/in-response-to-arsenal-whining-long-suffering-darlington-fan-describes-what-supporting-a-properly-inept-club-entails.html

 Lionel Messi scores his 500th goal for Barca, with a last minute winner at the Bernabeu. That's even more than Harry Morris.

 

I know new players always come along but he's going to leave some ludicrously difficult to beat records, I mean 500 goals at 30 years old is madness!  Looked like Real Madrid tried the old kick off the pitch approach and it failed spectacularly...

About 11 years ago, I cracked and got Sky.  It was when cricket left terrestrial.... wouldn't pay tuppence for the Prem, but couldn't live without Test cricket to watch.

Anyway, I discovered Sky showed Spanish football. It was about the time of Ronaldinho playing under Rijkaard.  Ronaldinho was being interviewed and asked "what's it like to be the best player in the world?"  His answer... "I'm not even the best player at Barcelona.... there's a kid...  So thought I'd look out for the kid. Every so often sport/art/music etc thorws up someone who is way beyond the norms. Football has had 2 in the last decade or so, and probaably won't produce any more in my lifetime.

There's an interview with Kevin Prince-Boateng which kind of sums it up where he says Ronaldo is the player that young players should strive to emulate in terms of training and hard work (not necessarily his strops on the pitch though). Messi is just in another world and almost impossible to emulate as it's all natural to him, he's a once in a lifetime player. When you look at videos of him playing as a kid he pretty much played exactly the same as he does now, same running and dribbling technique and everything.

Never mind Arsenal fans, I don't think we should be whinging after reading that lot.

There's little more cheering than Schadenfreude.  Thank you Darlo fan.

EFL to do live streaming of every clubs league games to overseas fans. Easy to work round with a vpn i should think

Saw that this morning - still drives me mad that there's not a "season pass' style solution for UK fans.

Stupid broadcasting rules. Just use a VPN, thats what i'd do

I'll have some of that!

So will I! where is that proxy.... :D

I might just pay depending on how flush I am (or am not). Proxies can be unreliable and frustrating.

Works out about 9 quid a month

Yep, generally Hola is pretty reliable.

Fantastic own goal!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39947732

Nah, Wayne Hatswell for me, got a full season run on Match of the Day didn't it?  Looked like he really meant it.  This may just be me remembering it because I played against/with him at school.  As it happens, my first ever goal in any sort of competitive game (as in not just in the playground) was an own goal in game between Freshbrook Junior School and Oliver Tomkins, if memory serves me correct we won 5-1.  I later despatched a cracking volley into my own net for New College 3rd team vs, Swindon Town Ladies, we won something like 9-1.

Retrospective bans for diving from next season:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39962886

That's good news
Just need review's of all goals and penalty decisions to bring the national sport into the 21st century. (Both of which should not affect the flow of a game as they are natural stoppages anyway).

Big screens to show "The ref done good" if a correct decision or "The ref is a cunt" if incorrect.

Podium dancers to keep the crowd entertained during reviews and pitchside jacuzzi's offered up as part of match day experience packages.

Hooray. The best decision ever made.

Man U could struggle to field a team after a few weeks.

I'm willing to put more than a few quid on a few examples being made of mid level foreign players at lower half teams at best.

If they discover the balls to ban Rashford say, then I'll be stunned.

This. It's all very well saying they'll do it but will they?
Apparently we were suppose to be cracking down on haranguing of referees this season and how often did that happen?

I remember when they said they would punish goalkeepers for holding the ball too long.

First game of the season (I think) home to Sheff Utd we got a free kick on the edge of the 6 yard box because of it & Jimmy Quinn scored.

However, within a few weeks the refs forgot about it.

Same thing is likely to happen here

TBF there did seem to be a fair few fines dished out to clubs for failure to control their players, including us if LW was to be believed.

Hyperactive Italian managers should also be punished for waving imaginary cards on the touchline.

As should managers who stand around with hands in pockets with only top button of overcoat done up.

Sam Allardyce: Crystal Palace manager says diving ban 'utter rubbish' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39963445

This reinforces that it's a bloody good idea

Sent from my Hudl 2

The Play-Offs.

We've experienced the highs and lows and it's still great.

That Exeter game was astounding.

That should be punishable with an instantaneous pitch-side flogging, on the spot. Clubs to be required to have cat 'o' nine tails in the medical room for such an eventuality

I know its all over the net and some people are probably fed up with it but you have to give Jermaine Defoe a massive amount of respect for his actions during this whole saga. He has gone up in my estimations, shame more of these "football heroes" don't behave like he has.

http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/update/2017-05-19/jemain-defoe-arrives-at-best-mate-bradleys-party/

Certainly. I also think there is a lot of this stuff that does go on but doesn't get reported as much. I love these stories because it also shows that many sports stars/famous people are regular, generous, and empathetic humans. The issue is media because lets face it; "£200k pw Footballer in sex and drink scandal" sells ashamedly more than "Professional sports star gives 50% of earnings to charity and trusts."

Tis a shame.

Safe standing spreading to the USA. This is now the third US stadium to incorporate it. Hearts apparently considering it too up in Jockland.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/05/20/lafcs-supporters-form-umbrella-group-club-announces-safe-standing-section

It's a great thing.

Also it should be a completely normal thing. Maybe it is, but they keep it low-key. Premiership footballers paid over a certain amount should have an obligation to charity. They have so much spare time and money.

Ignore the fact its DM and this gives a really refreshing insight into the rise of Kante.

Nice to see there are still footballer out there who like to stay out of the lime light and dont take their fortunes for granted

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4542624/How-N-Golo-Kante-went-Division-9-serial-winner.html

Victor Moses getting sent off for diving in the FA cup final was a very satisfying moment, fair play to the ref for making the call

yup, totally thought he'd got it wrong until the replay. spot on though

Moses did the same in the semi final too. Got away with it as Son was stupid and left his leg out.

Reading still being in the Championship.

Talking of playoffs, I'm off to see 1860 Munich play Regensburg tonight. First leg last week ended 1-1, so the winner tonight will play in the second tier next year.  A fairly local derby, over 60,000 expected in the Allianz Arena.

Although I've seen various European matches here involving visiting British teams in the last 17 years, and a few World Cup games in 2006, this will be my first "league game". 

Relegation for 1860 would be a disaster, Regensburg haven't lost an away game since last November.

There could be the Mother of all Parties in Munich tonight, on the other hand the 1860 fans could turn ugly...

Should be fun...

It was indeed fun, up to the kick-off, and some of the 1860 fans did turn ugly.

Good atmosphere before the game, great music and a stadium announcer on the pitch who's been doing it for years and had the 1860 fans eating out of his hands.  1860 have some stirring club songs which everyone joined in with and both home and away fans joined together to sing You'll never walk alone. All good stuff.

Then the game started, and Regensburg were the better team. They had a good defence, attacked quickly and in numbers, and scored two goals in the first half. 1860 just had a good stadium announcer.

Half way through the second half the photographers started leaving the end 1860 were allegedly attacking, i.e. where their hard-core fans were. With about 20 minutes to go a firework was thrown on the pitch from that end, followed by a few seats etc. The ref took the players off and riot police replaced the stewards. More seats were thrown on the pitch but after about 15 minutes the game restarted. Several more seats were thrown into the penalty area, even while corners were being taken, the players just throwing them off the pitch. Quite bizarre, a bit like the bad old 70's in England.

The game eventually finished, leaving the 1860 players holding their heads, the goalkeeper lying face down for at least 5 minutes. We left then, with the Regensburg players and fans obviously enjoying their promotion.  There wasn't any apparent hostility between the fans, although there may well have been other trouble after the game.

Was there the expected 60k attendance? That's a hell of a crowd for a Div 2/3 decider.

62,200 was the attendance shown on the stadium screens. Tickets from €11

Partly because of the way the leagues are structured, a total of five 1860 teams have been relegated. Reserves, U17 etc.

Not really suitable now for "What's right with football ", but just to update how big a disaster this defeat was for 1860.

The club's major investor refused to pay the necessary c€5 million licence fee to play in the third division, meaning the club will be playing in the fourth (amateur) division next season, and not in the Allianz Arena. (Rent was being paid to the owners Bayern Munich). Essentially, 1860 as a professional football club is no more.   >:(

Bloody hell' that is a hell of a drop for a once proud club. I can remember watching them as 10/11 year old in the Cup Winners Cup final of 64/65 and a great team, beaten by 2 Alan Sealey goals for West Ham. Will they ever recover?

Even the German model has wanky owners then.

Ismaik is a scumbag and should just fcuk off. He spent big this season but wasted money on the wrong areas and staffed the club with expensive people, most of whom cannot even speak German.
If he stops treating it as a toy and leaves, the new start can be a positive - but if he stays he will continue to treat the club the wrong way.

When you think on Tuesday there were 62,000 there, and now this.

Great pass from Cook to the player who'd just been crunched

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40158561

I think Paul Simpson might be the U20's manager.

After 10 years homeless work has started on rebuilding Gloucester City's ground following the 2007 floods.

https://twitter.com/GCAFCofficial/status/871766823624212481

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-bridge-terror-attack-fk-fuck-you-im-millwall-hero-roy-larner-football-fan-lion-of-london-a7775246.html

Good post.

Not often anyone "likes" the Wall but loved this story.  3 knife wielding Jihadists, one in an Arsenal top apparently, shouting "Islam, Islam" and getting the "Fuck you, I'm Milwall" response from Mr Larner who saw them eventually "leg it" out of the Pub.

Respect, Mr Larner.

What an absolute idiot.

Fair play to him.

Probably about the only time you'd be pleased to hear someone loudly declare themselves "I'm Millwall". Absolute hero. Also the Romanian baker who took them on with crates, the Sunday Times executive who attacked them unarmed and the copper who took them on with only a baton. One of the few bright points to come out of this horrid saga has been the several tales of these acts of individual heroism that undoubtedly saved lives and speaks volumes about the determination and courage of ordinary people in the face of unspeakable horror.

The Romanian bloke apparently threw a crate, knew it'd missed so then used another crate to smash one in the head. Fair play!

I heard a story of a journalist who is also some kind of martial arts expert who also took them on, apparently shirtless. He got stabbed in the neck, and theres a video of him casually walking away with a cloth to his neck. Again, fair play. No idea how I'd react in this situation but I can't imagine I'd square up to 3 jihadis unarmed.

Best advice is to run away to somewhere safe, or if not possible run away and hide and try to make the hidey space safe if you can.

I'd try to do that unless I or my family was in danger - assuming I had time , didn't freeze and understood the gravity. I think.

There will come a time when people are fed up of these fuckwits, fear will turn to pure anger and in a situation like Saturdays I'd expect the terrorists to get the absolute crap kicked out of them.

I'd run if I was with my family but in a club/bar situation id like to think I'd have enough about me to try and take these arseholes out as long as there were like minded people with me.

Seems a better option than hoping for the best.

The fight or flight response is innate in all of us. People can do some surprising things when up against it.

Noticed a story in the Adver yesterday about some ex SAS bloke bringing a book out re how to combat a random knife based terror attack, basically grab anything that comes to hand depending on circumstance, hot cuppa, pint mug, chair, laptop bag etc.
Still a very brave thing to try and fight back, but wouldn't be surprised to see a growing "have a go" resistance to this sickness if attacks continue in a similar vein.

Just waiting on news of the landings of the Bushwacker Volunteer Battalions near Sirte.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11758/10913314/vote-what-was-swindons-greatest-premier-league-game

I voted for Sheffield Wednesday away. Brilliant support for an evening away game. Great atmosphere, 6 goals and another game we should have won.

Liverpool away, it was my Birthday :)

Ayr United kit launch.
Wasn't sure where to put this. Causing a storm in a D cup.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ayr-uniteds-kit-suddenly-very-10700370

Very tasteful....shame we didn't get a similar job on the shorts to find out if she's got ayr or not.

Superb, Reg.

I know he's not the most popular player, and I know he's still allegedly picking up £5m for it, but fair play to John Terry for dropping down to the Championship for a season.
He could have picked up a lot more money in the States or China, or even staying in the Premier League. I just wish most footballers would follow in his footsteps and drop down a league rather than retire.

I suspect its more to do with his well publicised dislike of those who look different to him rather than any noble aspiration to support lower league football, possibly he likes brummie booty?

Match made in heaven I would say

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/02/ostersund-sweden-winter-city-football-graham-potter-english-manager

"So far Potter’s squad have collaborated in writing a book, staging an art exhibition, acting in plays and dancing – in, possibly, his most ambitious project to date, they staged a version of Swan Lake."

But do they still have the time to play FIFA?

Not sure its entirely 'right' but nice to see a governing body actually doing something...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40814854