Football

[Donny Dave]

There is no away goals rule in the FA Cup, and there never has been to the best of my knowledge. If it's a draw at the end of the original match, then it goes to a replay, not a second leg.

 

[Zoe]

There is no away goals rule in the FA Cup, and there never has been to the best of my knowledge. If it's a draw at the end of the original match, then it goes to a replay, not a second leg.

Correct, I was just suggesting that instead of going to extra time, away goals should be counted from the first game and the replay to decide the winner.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Comparisons of the performances of English clubs in the Champions League group stages:-

Arsenal..........P5... W3 D2 L0... F 6 A3....Pts 11

Man Utd........P5... W2 D3 L0... F10 A6....Pts 9

Chelsea.........P5... W2 D2 L1... F10 A4....Pts 8

Man City.......P5... W2 D1 L2.... F 7 A6....Pts 7

 

[STKKK46]

In reply to a few posts I will put together what I can....

I personally don't want McLeish out. I have wanted him for several years and will support him unless it gets really bad. Monday night was a blip where we played extremely badly. We as Villa fans are a bit unfortunate really as after O'Neill left us in the mire, nothing has gone right for us. We looked to be challenging for 4th, 3rd, even the title at one point, and now everyone has left. It's all a little miserable, but we have to be realistic. Were we really supposed to go All Out Attack at Spurs? Poor tactics, yes, but there was no excuse for how the players played. No effort whatsoever.

DarloRich - your comments seem a little out of order really. I would love to experience some of that to see the proper side of Football. Spending £40 on a match ticket, £20 on a rail ticket, £50 on food & drink to go and what that display on a cold night in London is absolutely ridiculous, yet I still do it week in week out. We've been through a load of bad times as well, not as bad as yours, but still bad. At 19 Years old I estimate I've been to nearly 700 games and starting to pay myself now it really can take it out of you. It really has got to the point now that I am just paying all this money for the day out, and the 90 minutes is almost an inconvenience.

As for the English teams Champions League Record this season - absolutely dreaful, but it shows that the Premier League is not the best league in the world - not by a long shot I'm afraid.

 

[Robinson]

In reply to a few posts I will put together what I can....

I personally don't want McLeish out. I have wanted him for several years and will support him unless it gets really bad. Monday night was a blip where we played extremely badly. We as Villa fans are a bit unfortunate really as after O'Neill left us in the mire, nothing has gone right for us. We looked to be challenging for 4th, 3rd, even the title at one point, and now everyone has left. It's all a little miserable, but we have to be realistic. Were we really supposed to go All Out Attack at Spurs? Poor tactics, yes, but there was no excuse for how the players played. No effort whatsoever.

DarloRich - your comments seem a little out of order really. I would love to experience some of that to see the proper side of Football. Spending £40 on a match ticket, £20 on a rail ticket, £50 on food & drink to go and what that display on a cold night in London is absolutely ridiculous, yet I still do it week in week out. We've been through a load of bad times as well, not as bad as yours, but still bad. At 19 Years old I estimate I've been to nearly 700 games and starting to pay myself now it really can take it out of you. It really has got to the point now that I am just paying all this money for the day out, and the 90 minutes is almost an inconvenience.

As for the English teams Champions League Record this season - absolutely dreaful, but it shows that the Premier League is not the best league in the world - not by a long shot I'm afraid.

Agree with all of this. Also, my question regarding McLeish was directed more towards XCDriver and SS4; XCDriver having posted "McLeish out" and SS4 seemingly agreeing with him.

 

[DarloRich]

I think I might have gone a bit far in my rant and upset people. This was not my intention and was due mainly due to being grumpy and not expressing myself well. I apologise if I have caused any upset.

My main issue is NOT with fans who actually follow, their club, particularly those who go to the match, whoever that club may be and at whatever level (expect MK Dongs fans - who did you support before you had a club stolen for you? :roll

No, it is with those who think that sitting in the Kings Head, having a pint on a match day and watching the match on dodgy Egyptian Sky or worse Sky Sports news - 21st Centaury ceefax is what supporting "their" team is all about. They seem to have very strident views about players they have never seen in the flesh but KNOW they are rubbish. Why? Because Sky told them! Or the columnist in whatever they paper they read doesn’t rate them! Oh and these types always seem to be the ones who ring up the various phone ins I listen to one the way home from the match.

oh and I am a better fan than the rest of you! Why? because I support MY team and my team is the best! (even when manifestly they are not!)

 

[Robinson]

I take issue with anyone who thinks going to the game makes you a "better" supporter than someone who doesn't. Rubbish; there are many of us who would dearly love to go to matches (myself included) but can't because of either the fact that it's too expensive or we're a long way away from the stadium. I don't think that anyone is entitled to say that not going to all the games makes me less of a supporter, it's merely a reflection of the circumstances I find myself in.

 

[STKKK46]

I know Robinson - Just wanted to let you know that not everyone thinks that!

And I have to agree DarloRich, those that sit in pubs all day watching the games on TV then act smart about it are the ones that annoy me. There have been away games in the past where I've come back to the pub to 'Why did you bother going to see that rubbish then?'. That really does my head in, especially when they are also Villa fans!

 

[DarloRich]

It is 205 miles from my house to the Arena. I dont get to many home games now! I have only been to away games this year. (Tamworth, Bath, Cambridge, Ebbsfleet, Braintree, Luton - all easy on the train from MK)

there is a big issue on cost of going to the match. it is £18 to watch Darlo at home. That is far too much.

Robinson - as i said, it is the people who just sit i in the pub and think they are football fans that annoy me. The ones who know everything but have never been to a match.

I cant get to watch my team very often so instead I go and watch a local non league side. It quite cheap, you get a decent day out, a few pints and get to watch a match!

 

[Minilad]

Agree with all of this. Also, my question regarding McLeish was directed more towards XCDriver and SS4; XCDriver having posted "McLeish out" and SS4 seemingly agreeing with him.

OK I will answer this. And it is a pretty easy one to answer.
I never wanted mcleish as manager Not because he has come from small heath although that didn't exactly help the situation. I didn't want him because he is a useless manager that has a record of relegation and poor football. Now we are reaping what we sow. Hs team selections sometimes border on the bizarre. His ability to change things when plan A isn't working is next to nothing. His teams play the most boring defensive football around. We haven't lost 7000 fans a game for no reason.
The Spurs game for me was a new low. No ambition. No drive. No hope. Heskey in midfield for crying out loud. Don't let the fact we are 8th in the league fool you. We have a poor run of games from now into the new year. We will be hovering around the relegation zone very soon. We might not go down as there are probably 3 worse teams than us. But we will be in a relegation scrap.

 

[Robinson]

OK I will answer this. And it is a pretty easy one to answer.
I never wanted mcleish as manager Not because he has come from small heath although that didn't exactly help the situation. I didn't want him because he is a useless manager that has a record of relegation and poor football. Now we are reaping what we sow. Hs team selections sometimes border on the bizarre. His ability to change things when plan A isn't working is next to nothing. His teams play the most boring defensive football around. We haven't lost 7000 fans a game for no reason.
The Spurs game for me was a new low. No ambition. No drive. No hope. Heskey in midfield for crying out loud. Don't let the fact we are 8th in the league fool you. We have a poor run of games from now into the new year. We will be hovering around the relegation zone very soon. We might not go down as there are probably 3 worse teams than us. But we will be in a relegation scrap.

Not sure what "history of relegation and poor football" you're referring to. He did an excellent job at Motherwell in his first job, even managing to finish 2nd in his first season in management, ahead of both Aberdeen and Celtic.
Hibernian were effectively already going down when he took over; he then took them up at the 1st time of asking then finished in 3rd place in his 3rd full season there; that was a considerable achievement for them.
At my own club (Rangers), he won 7 major honours in 4 and a half seasons - the same number that Martin O'Neill managed in a longer time period at Celtic - and add to that the fact that McLeish earned Rangers about 13-odd million in the transfer market (compared to O'Neill's extravagant spending at times across the city) and slashed the wage bill considerably; AND he had Rangers playing "good" football (in comparison to O'Neill's rather more "direct" approach). He then took Rangers into the knockout stages of the Champions League (we were the first Scottish side to do so when he did); at Scotland he had us within a few minutes of qualifying for Euro 2008 (that match being the home 2-1 defeat by Italy). He has an excellent record at Birmingham too; the only dent on his record would be the relegation at the end of 2010-11 (even then, how much of the blame really rests with him?) Didn't he resign because of interference from the owner or something?
So I'm afraid I have to say he is not a useless manager and he does not have a history of relegation.

 

[Minilad]

Not sure what "history of relegation and poor football" you're referring to. He did an excellent job at Motherwell in his first job, even managing to finish 2nd in his first season in management, ahead of both Aberdeen and Celtic.
Hibernian were effectively already going down when he took over; he then took them up at the 1st time of asking then finished in 3rd place in his 3rd full season there; that was a considerable achievement for them.
At my own club (Rangers), he won 7 major honours in 4 and a half seasons - the same number that Martin O'Neill managed in a longer time period at Celtic - and add to that the fact that McLeish earned Rangers about 13-odd million in the transfer market (compared to O'Neill's extravagant spending at times across the city) and slashed the wage bill considerably; AND he had Rangers playing "good" football (in comparison to O'Neill's rather more "direct" approach). He then took Rangers into the knockout stages of the Champions League (we were the first Scottish side to do so when he did); at Scotland he had us within a few minutes of qualifying for Euro 2008 (that match being the home 2-1 defeat by Italy). He has an excellent record at Birmingham too; the only dent on his record would be the relegation at the end of 2010-11 (even then, how much of the blame really rests with him?) Didn't he resign because of interference from the owner or something?
So I'm afraid I have to say he is not a useless manager and he does not have a history of relegation.

We will have to agree to disagree then

 

[alexjames]

I really do not know why I rise to the bait but I again see above that fatuous
argument that those who choose not to attend matches can count themselves as team supporters.

Those that take that view need to explain how sitting on a sofa watching a game on telly constitutes support for a football team. An explanation please of how any support for a football team can be achieved by anything other than a financial contribution via the gate (or otherwise, small contributions via a Sky sub do not count. Not that I am a Sky subscriber but I do chuck £80 or more per year at sundry PL clubs that I would wish immolated - such is the fate of the away support) or by vocal support at matches. Or both in the case of most supporters.

And please spare me from the argument along the lines of " I live a long way away from my team and it costs plenty to get there." Utterly invalid - you choose to live in some remote place - no compulsion was involved.

And just to scotch it before it is deployed, I will dispose of the "its really hard to get hold of tickets" argument. Back that up with a statement of how long you have been on your club's season ticket waiting list if you wish for siome credibility. Not that the vast majority of PL and FL clubs have any such waiting list of course.

And before the clueless try to attack my supporting credentials, I will point out that they are impeccable. Taking last season for example - Wigan away on a Wednesday night in December, thats a must go in my household. As is a couple of trips to CL games in the bowels of Eastern Europe. Etc.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I really do not know why I rise to the bait but I again see above that fatuous argument that those who choose not to attend matches can count themselves as team supporters.

In which case, how do you address the more elder of supporters who, having attended matches for years in all sorts of weathers both home and away, who now find that their income in retirement is much less than during their working life? You may not be aware but there is such a thing as fuel poverty and if older people take the responsible line of ensuring that their home is heated correctly rather than spending money attending matches, do I take it that you will automatically "write them off" as supporters of the team that they have followed for years? I am retired and can still afford many of the good things in life, but I know many people of my age who are retired and are on a basic pension only, who just cannot afford to attend matches these days with the cost of admission.

If your argument above applies to the people that I have described above, it is very insulting and bears no reality to the fact of life when home heating and the occasional viewing of matches on terrestial TV (many old people cannot afford Sky or Virgin sports packages) take preference over spending their retirement money watching their favourite football club, of which they still regard themselves to be "supporters".

 

[Donny Dave]

You and I have clashed before about what constitutes being a football supporter. For the benefit of those who can't be bothered to trawl though thousands of posts/topics to find the exact argument, I'll copy/paste the exact quotes.

What I find interesting is the misery created by the reult of the game vs Germany amongst substantial amounts of the UK population of whom

1. The majority of which have not seen those selected for England play*.

2. The majority of which are not supporters of the England team**.

3. The majority of which did not watch the match***.


* Watching PL players play requires attendance at a football match as opposed to staring at a television. At the risk of labouring the point, watching telly is not the same as watching a football match. The majority of the miserables will have watched few, if any, PL matches. Thus they have little idea of the merits of those concerned.

** Supporting a football team requires a financial and/or vocal contribution. Neither of which involves a television. It is an abuse of language to suggest otherwise. Only a trivial percentage of that crew will have turned up at Wembley or wherever to support "their" team.

*** They were merely staring at a television. If they were supporters they would have been in Saffy.

So we have a multitude of "supporters" who are complete fakes. Pathetic bunch of self-delusionists. I ought to feel sympathy for those who have such mental problems but I do not.

I'll speak for myself here, not for anyone else on the forum ....

1. I can not afford to go watch a premier league team. In fact, now that Hull Sh*tty have been relegated, the nearest premier league teams to me are those in Manchester. PS. I may not have seen an England international play, but I was at Glanford Park when a certain Brazilian striker played one of his last games for Manchester City last season

2. I am a loud and proud supporter of Scunthorpe United. While I can't afford to goto every match, I do make an effort to get to at least 1 match a month at Glanford Park. I have also been to support Scunthorpe United at the old Wembley when they won promotion from League 2 in 1999. Have you ever been to Wembley?

3. I dispute you wording on this point. Watching a match involves seeing it live no matter what medium is involved, be it on television or at the ground.

Was you in South Africa to cheer on the team? I wasn't, for the reason that I can not afford to.

The only England fans that went to South Africa to cheer on the team where those lucky enough to get 4 or more weeks off work, and had several thousand pounds available to pay for air fares, hotels in various parts of South Africa, transport costs over there as well as spending money.

Here's a few questions for Alex ....

1. How many Premier League games to you goto each season, and where?

2. Do you ever goto Wembley to watch England?

3. Do you ever watch matches on television?

4. Do you ever travel abroad to watch England?

If any of your answers are the following ....

1. None
2. No
3. Yes
4. No

Then your a damn hypocrite, no matter how you try to bluster your way through it ....

David has a few questions for me


1. How many Premier League games to you goto each season, and where?

33 out of 38 PL matches at rather too many locations to list here. Additionally 10 out of 12 CL matches again at many places along with 2 out of 2 FAC matches.


2. Do you ever goto Wembley to watch England?

No. I'm not an England supporter.


3. Do you ever watch matches on television?

Not entire matches. I do watch a heavily fast forwarded version of Match of the Day most weekends of the season. Perhaps 20 minutes of a typical 75 minute programme.

4. Do you ever travel abroad to watch England?

See 2.


Dunno quite why people seem to have assumed that I'm an England supporter.
Nothing in my original post to say that.

You appear to be one of the gifted few in this country who A. Have a job. B. Gets paid a hefty wage/salary, and C. Can have all the time off you want ....

Again (just like my quote), I'll speak for myself here, and not anyone else ....

As I said in my quote, and in other topics on this, and other forums, I am a supporter of Scunthorpe United, and even though I am in reciept of JSA (again), I still try to make the effort to go watch them at least once a month. It's not easy when you consider it's £22 a game plus other costs when you only get £67.50 a week. I'm sure the resident Villa fans will be along as well to say how much a ticket costs there, and I'm going to assume that those ticket prices are around the middle of the range for the Premier League.

While I was still in work however, due to my shift pattern (3 on, 3 off), most of the time it worked out I was working on match days, so I was unable to attend (the odd midweek match excepted). Consequently, most of my supporting is done from the armchair, so according to you, I'm not a supporter at all!

And please spare me from the argument along the lines of " I live a long way away from my team and it costs plenty to get there." Utterly invalid - you choose to live in some remote place - no compulsion was involved.

Have you thought that people live where they do is because that's where a lot of their family live, or god forbid, they have a job, and that's where they work!

And just to scotch it before it is deployed, I will dispose of the "its really hard to get hold of tickets" argument. Back that up with a statement of how long you have been on your club's season ticket waiting list if you wish for siome credibility. Not that the vast majority of PL and FL clubs have any such waiting list of course.

Just because a person isn't a season ticket holder, doesn't mean they are not a true supporter! As I have mentioned, work and (lack of) money can hinder a persons ability to actually attend a match. Oh check the PL website for ticket availability, I just have. Apart from the odd game featuring the less well supported clubs (Bolton and Wolves mostly), there isn't that many tickets left for matches upto and including Dec. 26th.

And before the clueless try to attack my supporting credentials, I will point out that they are impeccable. Taking last season for example - Wigan away on a Wednesday night in December, thats a must go in my household. As is a couple of trips to CL games in the bowels of Eastern Europe. Etc.

At least you back you claims up by saying you goto matches, so respect due there. But .... Midweek matches at away grounds, and Champion League matches away. I'm guessing that your a Man Utd supporter, and that my brief sumnation of your job is correct .....

 

[Ivo]

Can we try to steer away from arguing about what constitutes being a true supporter and what does not please? There will always be a difference of opinion between any two supporters and as such it will never get anywhere. If it was between my brother and I, for instance, he would say that you have to watch them whenever possible, keep track of their performances and know the team. Fair enough, right? Then you realise he's a Man Utd supporter (as shown here), which damages the whole idea. Whereas I would say that you have to stand by them through everything that comes your way but also that just watching them isn't that important; you have to care about the history and what have you as well (and by "history" I mean more than Munich!) To illustrate this point, between he and I, who do you suppose has been to Old Trafford [clue, as taken from Guess the Station]...?

----------------------

I want to ask you guys something now, if I may.

Everyone has a club, or several in some cases, that they have an irrational dislike of. In my case, this applies to Barnsley, who are second only to West Ham in terms of clubs I feel strongly against. How about the rest of you? Any such clubs out there that you don't like for no good reason at all?

 

[EM2]

No, I have very good reasons for all the clubs I dislike.
Having said that, I'd be interested in your reasons for disliking West Ham. I assume it's related to either Tevez, or the fact that many fans come from Essex and therefore don't go to Roots Hall?

 

[Ivo]

My stupid Internet crashed and deleted my response to that! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!

But do I hate it as much? Well, as the incomplete list of reasons below suggests, it doesn't come even close! (Some of these are rather trivial; others are serious - and that's in spite of the last bullet point not being properly discussed.)

• At high school, I had a close friend who supported West Ham. I learned this at a time when I really couldn't care about football and tagged on to Manchester United because my brother supported them. He called me a glory hunter for this! At least he had a valid reason for supporting them though; he did grow up in Brentwood. When they went down in 2003, I told the same friend that they would lose the Play-Off Final to Wolves the next year. He didn't take this too well - and it got worse when Wolves were promoted the year before my prediction, i.e. going up as the Hammers went down!

• Many people in Southend support West Ham because they are the local "big" club. In the grand scheme of things though, Southend are a pretty big club; the gulf between Southend United and West Ham United is tiny compared to that between, for example, Southend United and Southend Manor. Similarly, Southend have played in what is surely the most competitive division anywhere on Earth that is not its country's top flight for a total of seven seasons in their history, which included beating Newcastle 4-0 in 1991-92 and thus topping the last edition of the old Second Division on New Year's Day - it just went pear-shaped after that. D'oh! And as a last resort, how many other clubs in England have a positive competitive record against Man U? The answer - zero.

• My aunt is a big Tottenham fan who pretty much despises every other club in existence. When I was younger, virtually the first instance of a club I learned of that she did not like was West Ham. Before too long, they went and lost something like 6-1 to Man U, which made me feel that she did not like them because they were rubbish and worthless. I stuck by that.

• West Ham are the traditional Cockney club. What more need I say?

• Although West Ham have produced the likes of Hurst, Peters and others, and also several modern "greats" [sure...], they were also the traditional stomping ground of Trevor Brooking. Brooking was pretty good, which I accept, and he is very supportive of the grassroots game. However, he was also the analyst on Pro Evolution Soccer 4, on which his lines were about as good as my sister is at running - i.e. not very. This made me feel that he wasn't particularly competent, and this worked against West Ham as well.

• As far as managers go, West Ham were known in the 20th Century for being very patient with their managers. I believe 'Arry was only their 11th manager in their history or so? Since then however, it has gone horribly wrong, and they are happy to chop and change at the first sign of danger, and one of my all-time favourite players, Gianfranco Zola, suffered this fate - when in practice his team just wasn't good enough. Similarly, they also hired Avram Grant, and although he is far better than the media - and Chelsea - suggested, I just don't think he is really suitable or charismatic.

• Back in Southend, a lot of the people who support West Ham fill the modern social stereotype of hoody-wearing happy-slapping low-lifes who physically could not care less about anything besides themselves. However, this goes back to well before these terms (except low-life obviously) even existed, to when I was little - and they were often bullies as well. Compare that to a "brainiac" like me, since diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome - not good.

• And then there's the big two reasons - the Tevez (and Mascherano) saga, and Millwall. I already had a strong disdain of the Hammers by the time the former came along and I realised how dangerous the latter was - but these two made it far worse.

There are other reasons as well, but I'll leave it there (partly in case my Internet fails again). So you have an idea, other clubs I do not like include Barnsley, Lille, Luton, Millwall, Real Madrid and Roma.

 

[EM2]

Interesting...
I'm on nights at the moment, and just about to go to bed, but will reply to your points later.

 

[Minilad]

Don't want to drag up the real supporter debate again, but I will anyway !!
I tend to class people who go to games, and you don't have to go to every single one, as supporters. People who don't go to games but have an allegiance as a follower.
In my eyes a supporter is offering support to a club and to do that you have to be at the ground. But I understand that not everyone is able to do that but they still look out for the team so they are more followers. Im sure others will disagree but thats just how I see it.
For the people who live a fair way away why don't you try your local non league club. Go and see a few games and you might be surprised. And with non league you always get the feeling you are doing good for the club and are not just a consumer.
And when I say non league I mean proper non league and not the Conference which is as far removed from the ethos of non league as it gets.

Anyway as for teams I hate
Well here goes
Birmingham City otherwise known as small heath. Im sure you don't need me to explain this one.
The Sky Four. With the possible exception of Arsenal. Man U just because. Chelsea because they are a nothing club that happened to come into money on the basis of their location. Liverpool because I just get so fed up with the woe is me attitude and the reliance on their history. Arsenal I can just about stomach but Wenger does get my goat sometimes !!
Redditch United. As a follower of Bromsgrove Rovers (deceased) this is as natural as a Villa fan hating small heath
As far as clubs go that is about it but I do have a dislike of certain sets of fans. Best keep that little list to myself though !!

 

[AlterEgo]

My main issue is NOT with fans who actually follow, their club, particularly those who go to the match, whoever that club may be and at whatever level (expect MK Dongs fans - who did you support before you had a club stolen for you? :roll

MK Dons fan here.

I support them as my local team - they are my second team behind Liverpool. The club wasn't "stolen", Wimbledon had almost no support and they would otherwise have folded.

MK Dons are a fantastic club. What they do for the local community is quite remarkable. They are also a welcome addition to League One - they play fast, attacking football. Families and kids can watch games in a friendly atmosphere, getting more young people into the habit of actually going to games, rather than watching it on Sky...

The metamorphosis of Wimbledon into MK Dons was the best possible outcome for the situation. Instead of having one poorly-supported club being driven into the ground, you now have two clubs (MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon) who are both well-supported, and who both serve their communities well, and who both encourage kids into the ground.

Criticising people in Milton Keynes for supporting their local lower league team is frankly crass.

Go and watch the Dons at stadium:MK one time and you can see for yourself.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh, and I take it you also don't like Arsenal, who relocated from Woolwich to Highbury, mainly for financial reasons in 1913. Yes, terrible!

 

[Minilad]

MK Dons fan here.

I support them as my local team - they are my second team behind Liverpool. The club wasn't "stolen", Wimbledon had almost no support and they would otherwise have folded.

MK Dons are a fantastic club. What they do for the local community is quite remarkable. They are also a welcome addition to League One - they play fast, attacking football. Families and kids can watch games in a friendly atmosphere, getting more young people into the habit of actually going to games, rather than watching it on Sky...

The metamorphosis of Wimbledon into MK Dons was the best possible outcome for the situation. Instead of having one poorly-supported club being driven into the ground, you now have two clubs (MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon) who are both well-supported, and who both serve their communities well, and who both encourage kids into the ground.

Criticising people in Milton Keynes for supporting their local lower league team is frankly crass.

Go and watch the Dons at stadium:MK one time and you can see for yourself.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh, and I take it you also don't like Arsenal, who relocated from Woolwich to Highbury, mainly for financial reasons in 1913. Yes, terrible!

I must admit I have to agree with this. I went to a MK Dons fixture against Colchester a couple of years ago and was amazed how many kids were there. Some clubs call themselves family clubs but really just pay lip service but MK genuinely felt like a family club. I had to think how many of these kids would be sitting at home watching Sky with a Man U or Chelsea top on if they were not here. More power to them and I really don't understand someone criticising them for SUPPORTING their local team. Admittedly there were non league sides in the MK area before the Dons came along but I don't think it is realistic to expect young kids to want to watch football at that level when they are just starting to watch live football

 

[313103]

At least you back you claims up by saying you goto matches, so respect due there. But .... Midweek matches at away grounds, and Champion League matches away. I'm guessing that your a Man Utd supporter, and that my brief sumnation of your job is correct .....

Actually David, you are wrong Alex James doesnt support Man Utd he supports Arsenal... The name Alex James gives it away he was a star player for them in the 1930s. Called wee Alex as he hailed from Mossend, like many Arsenal players he went into the backroom and helped the youth team until his untimely death in the 1950s at age 51.

 

[DarloRich]

MK Dons fan here.

I support them as my local team - they are my second team behind Liverpool. The club wasn't "stolen", Wimbledon had almost no support and they would otherwise have folded.

MK Dons are a fantastic club. What they do for the local community is quite remarkable. They are also a welcome addition to League One - they play fast, attacking football. Families and kids can watch games in a friendly atmosphere, getting more young people into the habit of actually going to games, rather than watching it on Sky...

The metamorphosis of Wimbledon into MK Dons was the best possible outcome for the situation. Instead of having one poorly-supported club being driven into the ground, you now have two clubs (MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon) who are both well-supported, and who both serve their communities well, and who both encourage kids into the ground.

Criticising people in Milton Keynes for supporting their local lower league team is frankly crass.

Go and watch the Dons at stadium:MK one time and you can see for yourself.
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Oh, and I take it you also don't like Arsenal, who relocated from Woolwich to Highbury, mainly for financial reasons in 1913. Yes, terrible!

Sorry but the whole MK thing goes against everything football, especially lower league football, is all about imo. We have a league structure for a reason.

If the people of MK wanted a league team they should have started at the bottom and worked their way up through the league structure. Look at AFC Wimbledon. They did things in the correct manner. MK Dons did not. They make a mockery of everything supporting a lower leaguer/non league club is about. The whole point is that if you work hard, get a good team together have a bit of luck and climb the leagues things will happen for you. You have a dream that one day you might get up into the "big leagues"

Or you could just move another club, try to steal their history and soul and get yourself much higher up the league than you deserve or have worked for or earned.

TBH i think it is the whole "unearned" status of MK Dongs that annoys me the most. Everything (which is precious little!) my club have ever won has been earned, the hard way. It upsets my sense of fair play and honesty. that MK have don had to do this. Mind you it has been said i have to many principles (on more than one occasion)

Nothing that Franchise FC do will ever change my opinon of them. Sorry

 

[AlterEgo]

Sorry but the whole MK thing goes against everything football, especially lower league football, is all about imo.

What, like encouraging kids to play football and watch the game live, in a safe atmosphere?

If the people of MK wanted a league team they should have started at the bottom and worked their way up through the league structure.

Milton Keynes didn't ask for the team. Pete Winkelman moved the team to MK because there was demand to support a dying club. There's a great football team in my backyard - yes, of course I'll support them!

Look at AFC Wimbledon. They did things in the correct manner. MK Dons did not. They make a mockery of everything supporting a lower leaguer/non league club is about. The whole point is that if you work hard, get a good team together have a bit of luck and climb the leagues things will happen for you. You have a dream that one day you might get up into the "big leagues"

So it'd have been preferable to let Wimbledon "die", have all the results null and void, upsetting the whole league system. That ain't what football's about!

Or you could just move another club, try to steal their history and soul and get yourself much higher up the league than you deserve or have worked for or earned.

All of the honours have been returned to the London Borough of Merton. MK Dons state they were founded in 2004 and make no claim to be the rightful "heir" of the old Wimbledon.

TBH i think it is the whole "unearned" status of MK Dongs that annoys me the most. Everything (which is precious little!) my club have ever won has been earned, the hard way. It upsets my sense of fair play and honesty. that MK have don had to do this. Mind you it has been said i have to many principles (on more than one occasion)

I do understand why some people dislike MK Dons. "Franchised" football, if you want to call it that, isn't for everyone; I accept that. However, I don't accept that the league would be better off without MK Dons. The fans may be unique, fickle and Johnny-Come-Latelys (I have on several occasions had to explain to people in the stands that, no, you cannot be offside from a throw-in!) but they are people who would otherwise be unconnected to the football fraternity. MK Dons are good for the game - go to a game and see how friendly and welcoming the people are. It's full of kids and families, and more power to them.

 

[DarloRich]

Alter Ego - many teams have expired mid Season - Aldershot are one example ( who came back through the league structure.)

MK do however, still feel the need to use the terms "Dons". Why not just call themselves MK FC and have it over with. it is as if they are trying to claim an association (by default) with an older team with a history and tradition. And MK DID try to claim the honours of Wimbledon. It took years of arguments to get MK to give them back. (and it took them another year to actually hand them over)

I am sorry to say I think they go against everything football in this country is about (or used to be about) . You will never persuade me otherwise. IMO the league would be a better place if MK FC had worked their way up the league like the rest of us. if they had done that I would respect them, I would go to the matches and I would want them to do well. As it stands I don’t. Nothing they ever do will justify their existence in my eyes.

Sorry, I don’t mean to offend people but it really annoys me and I have strong opinions on this matter.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Who do I hate?
Celtic
Hibernian
Glentoran
Cliftonville
Burnley
Manchester United
Liverpool
MK Dons
Aberdeen

 

[SS4]

Who do I hate?
small heath

Who do I dislike?
Manchester City
Manchester United
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea

 

[Minilad]

Who do I hate?
Small Heath

Who do I dislike?
Manchester City
Manchester United
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea

Would you be so kind as to remove the capitals from small heath. It gives them a sense of importance they just don't deserve

 

[DarloRich]

I dont hate anyone. It is such a waste of time. I have pity for anyone who doesnt support the mighty Darlo

Who do i dislike? - Hartlepooh United & MK Dongs