Football Focus

[BoD]

Normally I wouldn't have cared whether they won or not. In fact I would probably have been in favour of their opponents.

 

Tonight though, it somehow feels right that they won it.

[Horsetan]

What now for "Big Sam"?

[£1.38]

What now for "Big Sam"?

 

A lucrative TV deal, probably!

[Joseph_Pestell]

What now for "Big Sam"?

Six months off and then an appointment at which Prem club is bottom at Xmas.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Europa League Final tonight........and you know sommat I really can't give a toss.....

 

Bill Shankly was wrong...........

 

I can understand your emotion. But very important that life carries on as usual. Otherwise, we are letting the terrorists win.

[Horsetan]

Six months off and then an appointment at which Prem club is bottom at Xmas.

 

So, gone by the following May, then.

[trisonic]

It's been emotional.

 

And tiring!

 

I watched Spurs’ last game of the season and last at the lane from the comfort of New York City. At one point the camera focussed on the stands and there he was, Pat Jennings! Still with the same hairstyle from his playing days......

On that  last day I had a choice of watching ten Premier League games all live - on various NBC owned channels (at no cost). It’s good to be in a country where they are trying to boost viewers of the Premier League.

 

Enjoyable season. Sorry about Sunderland, though.  As a Londoner I always had a sneaking admiration for them.

 

With regard to London - a total population of  7 million (Greater London) should have  50% more football teams than Scotland (total population of around 5 million). Only kidding but the figures are right (ish).

 

Best, Pete.

Edited May 27, 2017 by trisonic

[Brit70053]

Thanks Pete, anyone with any feeling for Sunderland will appreciate any sympathy, but realistically they were relegated before a ball was kicked in the season just completed.

1.Whatever inspiration Allardyce had been able to infuse evaporated with his ill fated appointment to the England job.

2. No transfer activity of note occurred during the Close Season and David Moyes' appointment brought no change to that situation. It seems that players with any ambition or a prospective career remaining before them would not contemplate a move to Sunderland and probably with good reason.

3.As to David Moyes himself, while most folk were willing to give him a fair crack of the whip, it was hardly inspirational that almost his first utterance( however honest ) was that the club would be involved in the relegation scrap again. Not what the fans, nor I suspect the players, wanted to hear. As the season progressed, with one noticeable brief purple patch, the gloom was not relieved by the perception that relegation had been accepted as inevitable and there was no managerial enthusiasm or inspiration available to fight for another 'great escape'.

 

I've endured several relegations of the club since choosing to support them in my formative youth and although this season's points total is far from the lowest they've ever accumulated in the process, it still seems to me to have been the club's worst ever top flight performance.

I honestly have no comment on Moyes' departure after the conclusion of this season, but currently I have no reason to expect anything but another relegation 'battle?' in the Championship.

 

Regards,

 

                John

[kevinlms]

I wonder what's on the menu at Wembley today for the officials?

 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/brisbane-roar-fined-17000-for-failing-to-provide-adequate-meals-to-afc-officials-20170527-gwen4l.html

 

 

I do hope the goal post structure is in better condition too!

[newbryford]

Meanwhile, in Blackburn....

 

Rovers have turned down a shirt sponsorship deal with a pet food company on the grounds that "Winalot"  doesn't fit in with their style of play............

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

[BoD]

...... I thought they turned it down because it wasnt worth much.

In fact it was only chicken feed.

Edited May 27, 2017 by BoD

[Hobby]

Perhaps they thought that "going to the dogs" was not what they wanted either...

[Joseph_Pestell]

And tiring!

 

I watched Spurs’ last game of the season and last at the lane from the comfort of New York City. At one point the camera focussed on the stands and there he was, Pat Jennings! Still with the same hairstyle from his playing days......

On that  last day I had a choice of watching ten Premier League games all live - on various NBC owned channels (at no cost). It’s good to be in a country where they are trying to boost viewers of the Premier League.

 

Enjoyable season. Sorry about Sunderland, though.  As a Londoner I always had a sneaking admiration for them.

 

With regard to London - a total population of  7 million (Greater London) should have  50% more football teams than Scotland (total population of around 5 million). Only kidding but the figures are right (ish).

 

Best, Pete.

If you have looked at all those pitches on Hackney Marshes and elsewhere, I think it is entirely likely that London has more football teams than Scotland.

[trisonic]

If you have looked at all those pitches on Hackney Marshes and elsewhere, I think it is entirely likely that London has more football teams than Scotland.

 

Yes, I used to play on them....., what I really meant is this:

 

Could not London support more professional teams despite the situation with Leyton Orient? I’m fancying a Romford Academicals

 

That’s a tad clearer.

 

Best, Pete.

 

Don’t take me too literally, Joseph.

Edited May 27, 2017 by trisonic

[Joseph_Pestell]

Yes, I used to play on them....., what I really meant is this:

 

Could not London support more professional teams despite the situation with Leyton Orient? I’m fancying a Romford Academicals

 

That’s a tad clearer.

 

Best, Pete.

 

Don’t take me too literally, Joseph.

 

On that basis, I think that you could still find some equivalence.

 

It is only for the benefit of the Pools companies that we get to hear about teams in the third tier of Scottish football, some of whose matches are attended by fewer than 200 souls. If BBC and others were to report on the likes of Tooting and Mitcham, Kingstonian, Dulwich Hamlet, Welling, Harrow and Wealdstone.......... all of whom have much higher attendance figures, you would see that there are an equivalent number of professional/semi-professional clubs in Greater London.

[Ohmisterporter]

Blackpool promoted as League Two play off winners, setting a record of five play off wins, which indicates the up and own nature of their football history. Hard luck Exeter, I thought they were three well taken goals and an entertaining game right to the final whistle.

[andyram]

Blackpool promoted as League Two play off winners, setting a record of five play off wins, which indicates the up and own nature of their football history. Hard luck Exeter, I thought they were three well taken goals and an entertaining game right to the final whistle.

Such a shame so few Blackpool fans were there to see it.

[Horsetan]

Such a shame so few Blackpool fans were there to see it.

I don't think they like the owners much.

[Ohmisterporter]

I don't think they like the owners much.

 

That is an understatement. A shame for parents of young fans who may never get a chance to see their team at Wembley; what to do, give up on your boycott of the club or support the team in this important match? Luckily the game was on Sky TV. 

[devonseasider]

Such a shame so few Blackpool fans were there to see it.

 

Quite a number would counter that with  "such a shame so many Blackpool fans were there to see it"

 

 

 

I don't think they like the owners much.

 

Yes, really massive understatement.

 

It's a very difficult, very emotive situation which is ripping the club and its fanbase apart.  Basically it's down to the actions (or lack of, depending on the specific issue under discussion).

In a nutshell, and being careful to avoid words which could lead to my being sued, points of contention include:

 - Lack of meaningful investment in the football club, the team, the facilities and the infrastructure.

 - A chairman who admits to having no interest in football and who refers to "the footballing side of the business".  No prizes for guessing where his interests do lie!

 - Repeated goading of supporters, culminating in litigation against those who disagree a little too strongly.  What other football club chairman sues supporters who express (albeit strongly!) their discontent with his performance & attitude?

 - In the region of £30 million transferred out of the football club into it's holding company.  The published accounts seem to show that this has then been made available to other Oyston-owned companies in the form of unsecured, interest-free loans.  I understand that the auditor expressed concern over the ability of the recipients to repay these loans.

I haven't even mentioned the fact that the owner (father of chairman) served time for rape, having had a number of appeals against the sentence rejected.

 

Many supporters are taking a "not a penny more" stance and are boycotting activities which would result in financial gain for the Oystons.  Away league matches are thus OK, but home games are clearly no-go.  Sunday's playoff was also no-go as the competing clubs each take 25% of gate proceeds after costs, hence the boycott.

Down here in the sunny southwest I'm cocooned from the day-to-day vile goings-on, but I did support the boycott.  A very hard decision but I believe morally correct,

 

There's quite a hard-hitting article here in the Mail Online at :    http://tinyurl.com/y9c4m3sh

Worth reading to get a flavour of what's going on.

 

I've said more than enough  .  .  .  .

[gwrrob]

Congrats to Huddersfield Town on reaching the PL. I'm old enough to remember them in the top flight the last time.  

[Rivercider]

That is an understatement. A shame for parents of young fans who may never get a chance to see their team at Wembley; what to do, give up on your boycott of the club or support the team in this important match? Luckily the game was on Sky TV. 

I must admit I had not given a thought to some of my ticket money going into Oyston's pocket, - there were only 23,380 in attendance on sunday.

 

Interestingly at Exeter's first visit to Wembley for the Conference play-off in 2007 versus Morecambe (who I think took less than half), there were over 40,000 present.

The following year in 2008 v Cambridge the Conference play-off the attendance was 42,511 with Exeter apparently again taking over 20,000,

 

Thus it seems to me that Exeter must have taken less fans to a League 2 play-off than to either of the Conference play-off finals!

[trisonic]

On that basis, I think that you could still find some equivalence.

 

It is only for the benefit of the Pools companies that we get to hear about teams in the third tier of Scottish football, some of whose matches are attended by fewer than 200 souls. If BBC and others were to report on the likes of Tooting and Mitcham, Kingstonian, Dulwich Hamlet, Welling, Harrow and Wealdstone.......... all of whom have much higher attendance figures, you would see that there are an equivalent number of professional/semi-professional clubs in Greater London.

 

I still think you are over-thinking this, Joseph, mind you I know some City types who deliberately support Stenhousemuir, full members, make contributions, arrange  outings to home games  etc., just for the hell of it. Non of the teams you mention are near Romford......

I played (once) for Oakley Rovers who at the time were members of the North London Combination League - I expect that this league doesn’t exist any more (and only known then for been occasionally on the Football Pools).

 

By the way the last time I visited Glasgow I also noted many football fields filled with exuberant amateurs on Saturday mornings. I’m certain that such teams in Scotland still exist even now, though maybe Rugby was more popular.

 

Best, Pete.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I still think you are over-thinking this, Joseph, mind you I know some City types who deliberately support Stenhousemuir, full members, make contributions, arrange  outings to home games  etc., just for the hell of it. Non of the teams you mention are near Romford......

I played (once) for Oakley Rovers who at the time were members of the North London Combination League - I expect that this league doesn’t exist any more (and only known then for been occasionally on the Football Pools).

 

By the way the last time I visited Glasgow I also noted many football fields filled with exuberant amateurs on Saturday mornings. I’m certain that such teams in Scotland still exist even now, though maybe Rugby was more popular.

 

Best, Pete.

Even as a rugby man myself, I acknowledge that soccer is much more a participant sport. That's true even in Southern France. Rugby is followed by most but more play football. Scotland is the home Union with the fewest players - even fewer than in Ireland where Rugby is, to many, a foreign sport. I think that there may even be more registered players in Italy than in Scotland.

 

Sorry that I did not mention any non-league clubs from the Romford direction. Not my part of London. I only mentioned Harrow & Wealdstone for a bit of balance. But I could also have mentioned Sutton, Carshalton & Wallington, Bromley......

[andyram]

My thoughts do go out to Blackpool fans because, behind the scenes, it appears the club has not been well run for a long time. I understand the fan's sentiments and feel it is a shame that they did not go to Wembley. However I am not questioning their decision.