Football

[Ivo]

All the way to Boston? They might as well stage it at Wembley

Games between Newport and Gateshead this season have been a farce, ever since they swapped home fixtures.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It's the next option after Hartlepool, York, Carlisle, Blyth and Middlesbrough, all of which see use on the day of the fixture.

 

[andrew bell]

It's the next option after Hartlepool, York, Carlisle, Blyth and Middlesbrough, all of which see use on the day of the fixture.

On a Thursday night?? Unless they are all at home the next day (Good Friday)

 

[Donny Dave]

EU prepares to blow final whistle on Spain's debt-ridden football clubs

Deportivo among teams facing extinction if competition authorities force Spanish officials to collect taxes

It is the powerhouse of global football, home to its greatest players and a World Cup-winning national team, but Spain's soccer bubble looks set to explode as European authorities prepare to halt public funding of debt-ridden clubs.

In a move that threatens to provoke the partial collapse of a football system built on unsustainable piles of debt, competition authorities in Brussels want Spain's government to explain why it has allowed clubs to build up vast, unpaid tax and social security debts.

With many clubs in the top two divisions already having trouble paying bank debts totalling some €3.5bn (£3bn), the move would likely force some clubs into liquidation. Historic names such as Deportivo de La Coruña or Racing Santander could simply disappear. Other top clubs, such as Valencia, will have to sell players and face years of decline.

Indignant MEPs are already demanding to know why Spain is happy to request €40bn in aid from eurozone taxpayers for its banks while allowing the clubs to build up a tax debt of €692m.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/21/eu-debt-spain-football-clubs

Pretty alarmist article IMO, but it does pose a few interesting questions.

 

[bb21]

Level-playing field for all. Really? About time.

 

[Clip]

EU prepares to blow final whistle on Spain's debt-ridden football clubs

Deportivo among teams facing extinction if competition authorities force Spanish officials to collect taxes



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/21/eu-debt-spain-football-clubs

Pretty alarmist article IMO, but it does pose a few interesting questions.

Maybe now the Spanish FA will do the right thing and make the whole TV rights issue to be one inclusive of all clubs with revenue shared out properly between the clubs

 

[bb21]

Non-league Poole Town's Glen Howes was told that he would not be able to play again after horror tackle from Merthyr Town's Nathan Davies.

Poor sod. That is one of the worst tackles I have ever seen. He was told last night that he had ruptured medial & posterior cruciate ligaments, damaged cartilage and to top it all off a fractured knee joint.

Coventry City kicked out of the Ricoh and are now in administration. Absolute karma for cheating their way to the JPT area final in honesty

A separate entity I am led to believe. Stinks of the Southampton episode again.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It appears that West Ham United now will be the new tenants of the Olympic Stadium.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Coventry City losing the Ricoh has been on the cards for months, Hinckley and Kettering are the relocation options I believe! They certainly were a couple of months ago.

Tez - That's a bit extreme surely? 'Cheat' (which I'm assuming is entirely your opinion) in a minor cup competition, so you lose your home, potentially need to play in a separate county in a town over 20 miles away and be on course to face extinction is all a fair punishment? What?!

 

[richw]

Very Narrow victory for england tonight. second half I was very nervous we would throw it away! And wales beat Scotland 2 1 at hampden park

 

[andrew bell]

Coventry City losing the Ricoh has been on the cards for months, Hinckley and Kettering are the relocation options I believe! They certainly were a couple of months ago.

Rumours are if they can't play at the Ricoh, they will go and play at Walsall until at least the end of the season

 

[Robinson]

hock:

:roll:

:cry:

That is all.

 

[bb21]

hock:

:roll:

:cry:

That is all.

What do you mean? England kept a clean sheet this time. Marvellous achievement.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

World Cup..European qualifying group "H"...Top two placings

Montenegro....P5..W4 D1 L0...13 points

England.........P5..W3 D2 L0...11 points

 

[Butts]

Very Narrow victory for england tonight. second half I was very nervous we would throw it away! And wales beat Scotland 2 1 at hampden park

Poor old Gordon Strachan - if he thought Boro were a lost cause he ain't seen nothing yet

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Poor old Gordon Strachan - if he thought Boro were a lost cause he ain't seen nothing yet

Now then, not all is lost. What Gordon Strachan needs to do is to tell the team that he has arranged friendly matches against Brazil and Argentina, then get Fort William FC to turn up in replica shirts to play both these matches against the Scotland team and before you know it, Scotland will be regarding themselves as world-beaters...

 

[Robinson]

What do you mean? England kept a clean sheet this time. Marvellous achievement.

I was referring to Scotland... or were you trying to "rub it in" there?

 

[richw]

Coventry City kicked out of the Ricoh and are now in administration. Absolute karma for cheating their way to the JPT area final in honesty

Not sure where you got either of these items from. The court case was adjourned until next week, so neither of these events have actually happened (YET!!!, may well be the result of the court case. May also be the result of the court case, that the owners have been charging an unfairly high level of rent, and the court can in such event write the debt off)
The company in administration have no control over the football club, and were a subsidary that had no assets, and no operations. However and a big however it is being investigated whether the football clubs debts have been transferred to this holding company, and if this was the case the football club's operations will be forced into administration.

 

[Ivo]

And how exactly did Coventry cheat their way to the Area Final anyway? By that definition, having reached the other Area Final Southend deserve their place in the proper Final by virtue of being cheated in their previous match against Orient, meaning they should have won this time by default. It just so happened that the next time the two met was the Southern Area Final in the JPT, which is rather more important than the Carling Cup First Round (emphasis on "First").

The tactics Orient used that day were appallingly unsporting; their fouls were often poor at best and one of Orient's players - the #2 I think - should have received about five yellow cards for timewasting by the time the referee finally gave him one; I also seem to recall them receiving a red card at some point. To make things worse, Orient only managed to win after a shoot-out - the first I have ever actually seen for real. (That was also the most recent club match I have seen in person.)

N.B.: The idea of this being a defaulted victory is about as accurate as saying my name is David Beckham.

I was referring to Scotland... or were you trying to "rub it in" there?

I suspect the latter

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Conference Premiership

Hereford United 1...Hyde 2

Hyde had 23 shots on goal, 15 on target. This was their third consecutive league win and they have "done the double" over Hereford United this season.

 

[familyguy99]

Conference Premiership

Hereford United 1...Hyde 2

Hyde had 23 shots on goal, 15 on target. This was their third consecutive league win and they have "done the double" over Hereford United this season.

Good win for Hyde that but I notice they are only two points ahead of Nuneaton who got three games in hand so Hyde still in trouble.

Oldham Match against Shrewsbury was call off today due to Weather by it not been bad day for Latics as Scunthorpe lost mean they are still point ahead of Scunthorpe and Oldham have three games in hand too but only trouble is that they going to be playing Tuesday and Saturday until 27th April so that might affected them.

League One table (16th to 24th)

16th Preston - 47 points
17th Carlisle - 46 points
18th Shrewsbury - 44 points
19th Colchester - 43 points
20th Oldham - 39 points
--------------------------------------
21th Scunthorpe - 38 points
22th Portsmouth - 34 points
23th Bury - 33 points
24th Hartlepool - 32 points

^^ I say anyone from Shrewsbury to Scunthorpe could still be relegated as I think Carlisle and Preston are safe now.

 

[Ivo]

Good win for Hyde that but I notice they are only two points ahead of Nuneaton who got three games in hand so Hyde still in trouble.

But Nuneaton only have one game in hand over Hyde? The only team they have three games in hand over are rock bottom Telford. And speaking of Telford, they could be relegated next weekend, even if they manage a Draw (allowing for midweek matches).

I would suggest anyone up to and including Braintree - i.e. the entire bottom half of the table - is still in danger, although Braintree themselves have at least two games in hand on everyone except title-chasing Newport (and even then they have one game in hand). In fact, four of Braintree's next five games are at home to sides below them, so they could yet mount a late play-off charge (unlikely but not impossible)...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
An update on Coventry (from the BBC)...

Coventry City transfer staff and stock from Ricoh Arena

Coventry City have moved all staff and club shop stock from the Ricoh Arena to their training ground after a non-operating subsidiary of the club was placed into administration.

Club staff have been assured their posts are unaffected.

A Sky Blues statement said: "The club has taken the decision to protect its staff by moving them from the stadium."

Coventry City Football Club Limited, which holds the lease for the Ricoh, went into administration on Thursday.

The operating subsidiary, Coventry City Football Club (Holdings) Limited, who employ all the club's staff, hope to find alternative retail premises as well as a permanent base for employees.

City and owners Sisu are due to appear at the High Court in London on Tuesday, to face an administration order from Arena Coventry Limited, City's landlords.

ACL claims that it is owed unpaid rent of £1.3m stretching back a year, and the location of the Sky Blues' remaining three home fixtures is yet to be confirmed.

"Ideally, we would like to keep playing our home matches at the Ricoh if the stadium owners, Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL) will offer reasonable commercial terms," the statement continued.

...

A statement from fans' group the Sky Blue Trust said it had been told by ACL that "ACL would welcome CCFC to play their remaining fixtures at the Ricoh Arena. Coventry is the home of CCFC and any move to play games in another city is purely a voluntary decision taken by CCFC".

ACL added: "The board wishes also to reiterate that there is no truth whatsoever in suggestions reported by some media that ACL will prevent CCFC from playing at the Ricoh Arena.

"The whole point of the course of legal action that the board has taken is to ensure that a successful and sustainable Sky Blues team is able to play at the Ricoh Arena for many years to come."

 

[balne-wonderer]

Good win for Hyde that but I notice they are only two points ahead of Nuneaton who got three games in hand so Hyde still in trouble.

Oldham Match against Shrewsbury was call off today due to Weather by it not been bad day for Latics as Scunthorpe lost mean they are still point ahead of Scunthorpe and Oldham have three games in hand too but only trouble is that they going to be playing Tuesday and Saturday until 27th April so that might affected them.

League One table (16th to 24th)

16th Preston - 47 points
17th Carlisle - 46 points
18th Shrewsbury - 44 points
19th Colchester - 43 points
20th Oldham - 39 points
--------------------------------------
21th Scunthorpe - 38 points
22th Portsmouth - 34 points
23th Bury - 33 points
24th Hartlepool - 32 points

^^ I say anyone from Shrewsbury to Scunthorpe could still be relegated as I think Carlisleli and Preston are safe now.

Carlisle getting relegated would slightly salvage the drabbest season in football history.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Well admittedly saying Coventry and Orient cheated would be a bit harsh, but after today's massacre of players at PNE v Orient I can understand why you'd call them cheats. As for Coventry, 2 blatantly offside goals in a minute is enough to call them cheaters as well. It's a complicated affair

 

[SS4]

There was a rumour circulating on BBC WM this afternoon that Coventry would play their remaining fixtures at the Bescot Stadium, starting with Friday's game against... Walsall

 

[Ivo]

I need a new hometown club (one which are half-decent which rules out Bath City)

From Auntie Beeb:

Paul Sturrock: Southend United part company with manager

Southend United have parted company with boss Paul Sturrock, but confirmed he will return to manage the team for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

In a statement, the League Two club's chairman Ron Martin said results had not been good enough and they would name Sturrock's replacement on Monday.

Sturrock will still lead the side out at Wembley against Crewe on 7 April.

"I have suggested to Paul he leads the team out and manages them at Wembley. He has earned that privilege and agreed," Martin said.

However, the new boss will take control of Southend's next two league matches - away at Bradford on March 29 and at home to Fleetwood on 1 April - before 56-year-old Sturrock makes a one-game managerial return at the cup final.

The Shrimpers reached the League Two play-offs last season and are currently ninth in the table, but they are six points behind Rotherham in seventh place.

Martin described his decision to dispense with Sturrock's services as a "very hard call, but one I instinctively know is correct".

Sturrock, who began his managerial career at St Johnstone and also had spells in charge at Dundee United, Plymouth (twice), Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon, is the 34th boss to lose his job in 2012-13 - and 70 coaches have also left clubs this season.

Martin said Southend's recent results against "relatively low" teams like Accrington, Barnet, AFC Wimbledon, Plymouth and Torquay had not been good enough.

"All these teams' playing budgets are considerably less than Southend United's," he continued.

"Our investment has enabled the manager to build a squad both last year and this year, having more quality players at his disposal than most teams in the league."

Martin said the board had provided Sturrock, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, with the finances to bring in loan signings to cover injuries, but the team's form had "dropped off".

No, no, no. It wasn't Sturrock's fault Southend weren't promoted last year. The team went on a run of winning 10 games in 11 (well done to my brother for choosing the only dud in the run to be the game he saw in person ) and were less than 15 minutes from promotion on the last day but for a late Crawley Town goal; Crewe were the true in-form team in the Play Offs and duly obliged.

It's good that he has at least given Sturrock the chance to lead the team out at Wembley, given he has never done so, but to do this to him is frankly ridiculous. He should at least have waited until May.

Oh, and if he thinks Southend have a bigger budget than the others, why is Fossetts Farm still a rural field?

But wait - there's more.

BBC Essex understands Phil Brown is the club's first choice to replace the Scot, who took charge in July 2010.

Brown, 53, has been out of football since being sacked by Preston in December 2011, having previously led Hull City to the Premier League in 2008.

He was interviewed by Coventry City before the job was given to Mark Robins earlier this season and was also close to being appointed as first-team coach by Hartlepool United last November before talks with the board broke down.

Derby County gave Brown his first chance as manager in 2005 but it was at Hull where Brown achieved most success, leading them from the lower reaches of the Championship into the Premier League within 18 months.

Hull retained their top-flight status after their first Premier League campaign, with a victory against Arsenal at the Emirates among the highlights, but the following season proved tougher.

His relationship with Hull turned sour when he was put on gardening leave in March 2010 and his exit was confirmed three months later when an undisclosed compensation deal was agreed following reports that he was owed £1.4m by the club.

Wonder if we'll see any pitch-based Half Time team talks that then set a rot in stone en route to relegation to League Two (after promotion either this year or next) :roll: Mind you, last time Southend won promotion from League Two they won League One - only to somewhat strangely claim to be "too good to go back down" and thus be relegated again

Southend don't need a new Manager - they need an honest Chairman. And at the minute Ron Martin ain't it (as though he ever was).

At least he has some ambition though, as his Statement (on the club website) shows...

Let’s be clear, promotion should always be a realistic prospect for Southend United in League 2. We are not a League 2 Club and my ambition as Chairman is to ensure we compete and fulfil our potential whilst at Roots Hall and continue that trend in the new Stadium.

Well, at least as my data showed he is technically right - 66th out of 107 is League One form, but strictly speaking in the Relegation Zone!

And I guess the following is true, but almost every club goes through spells like this...

We could reasonably have expected to win [the recent games against Accrington, Barnet, Plymouth, Torquay and Wimbledon] and that would have seen us currently 2nd in the League Table…even 12 points would have seen us in the Automatics. However with just 2 points out of 15 when judged against the further support and investment in new players is unacceptable.

 

[richw]

Phil Brown is a poor manager, barring a year he fluked at Hull to the premiership, he has around a 25% win rate.
I've always been a fan of Paul Sturrock, leaving Plymouth for Southampton was his biggest mistake, was too big step for him. Doesnt seem to have had the success he had in his first stint at Argyle anywhere else though.

 

[12CSVT]

Is this the first time the F A Trophy final has been played on a day that most of the country is covered in snow ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is this the first time the F A Trophy final has been played on a day that most of the country is covered in snow ?

Quite an exciting final, with Wrexham being successful in the penalty shoot-out, after the score remained 1-1 at the end of extra time. Grimsby Town must be feeling very disheartened at present.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
***************************************************************************************

World Cup Qualifying

Tanzania 3...Morocco 1

Bit of a turn up for the book..:roll:

 

[Ivo]

BBC Essex understands Phil Brown is [Southend's] first choice to replace [Paul Sturrock], who took charge in July 2010.

Brown, 53, has been out of football since being sacked by Preston in December 2011, having previously led Hull City to the Premier League in 2008.

The BBC have confirmed that it's time to let the games begin...

Phil Brown named new Southend United manager

Southend United have appointed Phil Brown as manager following Paul Sturrock's sacking on Sunday.

Ex-Hull boss Brown, 53, has been out of management since December 2011, when he ended an 11-month spell at Preston, and has signed a deal until 2015.

"I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity here at Southend and it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to," he told the club website.

He will take charge of Friday's League Two trip to Bradford City.

However, Sturrock will lead out the team in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final against Crewe at Wembley on 7 April.

The Scot, 56, was relieved of his duties by chairman Ron Martin on Sunday, but told TalkSport [it also said this on the club website] he had already been preparing to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Sturrock's assistant Graham Coughlan will continue in his role.

Brown, who led Hull City to the Premier League in 2008, will be given the short-term task of claiming a play-off place this season and has seven games to close a six-point gap on the top seven.

I suppose one positive is that Ron Martin is at least thinking ambitiously, as I identified yesterday. Fluke or not, his run with Hull has turned Phil Brown into a "big shot" that would normally be beyond the reach of League Two - only one of the division's true big boys, which realistically Southend most certainly are, would be able to get him. Whether it works or not is another matter...