Football

[SS4]

That's five points for you in the TPL with your correct shoreline prediction!

The silver lining on the cloud . Not saying anything about staying up but we need to avoid losing to Bolton and pick up three points elsewhere.

Thankfully Wolves and Blackburn have been awful

 

[Captain Chaos]

Whoever it was who booed during the minutes silence at Wembley should be banned for life. If Old Trafford can do it, given the rivalries and past history, then I'm sure anyone can.

Hillsborough shouldn't be about showing your club rivalries. It should be about showing your love and support for the game as a whole, regardless of which team you support or follow, and showing your respect to those who are sadly no longer with us.

It's one minute of silence. It's not hard to do. The people who booed are a disgrace to football.

And this comes from a Man United supporter.

 

[SWT_USER]

I agree. Have to hand it to United they held 90 minutes silence as a mark of respect.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Didier Drogba scores a very good goal to put Chelsea 1-0 up against Tottenham Hotspur at a critical time in the half..

 

[CC 72100]

Whoever it was who booed during the minutes silence at Wembley should be banned for life. If Old Trafford can do it, given the rivalries and past history, then I'm sure anyone can.

Hillsborough shouldn't be about showing your club rivalries. It should be about showing your love and support for the game as a whole, regardless of which team you support or follow, and showing your respect to those who are sadly no longer with us.

It's one minute of silence. It's not hard to do. The people who booed are a disgrace to football.

And this comes from a Man United supporter.

This. I'm a fellow United supporter, but this has got nothing to do with it. There are times to forget whatever team you support, and come together as a whole to show unity in respecting some of the awful events of the past. I beleive the minute's silence at Old Trafford today was also for the Serie B player who died yesterday.

 

[balne-wonderer]

Something needs to be done about decisions in Manchester United games because this is happening pretty much every week.

Their new signing "Rooney pen" is scoring week in week out.

 

[Eng274]

Something needs to be done about decisions in Manchester United games because this is happening pretty much every week.

Their new signing "Rooney pen" is scoring week in week out.

With plenty of assists from controversial dutch superstar Dai van Tohssur.

 

[Minilad]

I am livid about a referring decision in todays Villa game. Not Young's disgraceful dive but something else. In the first half Scholes had a dead leg and the Ref immediately stopped the game for treatment. But in the second half Clarke received a head injury but the ref allowed United to continue an attack and only allowed Clark to get treatment once the attack had broken down. Utterly shameful IMO

 

[richw]

As far as refereeing decisions go, Martin Atkinson has probably got himself demoted for a long time i hope. Chelsea's second goal was about 1-2 ft short of the line and he gave a goal.
His get out of jail card was Chelsea went onto win 5-1, If Spurs went out by one goal i think there would have been absolute hell up.

 

[Donny Dave]

Atkinson had a very poor second half (I missed the first 30 mins, so I'm not going to comment on the first half).

He wrongly gave the goal to Chelsea to put them 2-0 up, but in added on time, failed to send the Chelsea player (was that Mikel?) off when he kicked out at Parker. As he was yellow carded for the kick, retrospective action by the FA can not be taken now.

Gareth Bale also got him off the hook when he scored as well, otherwise Cech would have been going for an early bath.

I guess it's not just Man Utd now who have 12 players on the pitch every match .....

Yes, I know I have been very critical about referee's recently, but there have been some absolute jokes decisions given in recent weeks ....

 

[Ivo]

Atkinson had a very poor second half (I missed the first 30 mins, so I'm not going to comment on the first half).

Atkinson is a bad referee. end of story. Even MU fans have a case against him (remember that the Pompey QF in 2008?). And if the referees' team have a genuine case against them, he must be poor.

 

[Donny Dave]

Oh, I knew I forgot something ....

As you may have noticed, I have been extremely critical of the goal line officials in European games as well, often referring to them as chocolate teapots, which is basically what Martin Atkinson is as much use as, but ....

UEFA, in their infinate wisdom have selected Martin Atkinson to be 1 of the many chocolate teapots goal line officials for the European Championships this summer.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Something needs to be done about decisions in Manchester United games because this is happening pretty much every week.

Their new signing "Rooney pen" is scoring week in week out.

Were you ever around in the days when Francis Lee was centre-forward for Manchester City and had developed the art of "diving" to a level not seen these days as he was a Zen Master at it.....in fact as a tribute to the oriental Master skill he possessed, he was given the name of "Won Lee Pen" (or something what sounded like that)..

Rooney is only a "grasshopper" when compared to the mystical diving ability of Francis Lee......giving my age away in postings, yet again..:roll:

 

[Oswyntail]

...Just in case anyone wasn't sure if it was a dive:

Actually, looking at only that clip over and over again I don't think anyone can say it was or was not a dive. That is the main trouble with video replays - they just do not show enough.

..
Rooney is only a "grasshopper" when compared to the mystical diving ability of Francis Lee......giving my age away in postings, yet again..:roll:

"He's fat, he's round, he's fallen on the ground! Franny Lee, Franny Lee"

 

[EM2]

When I was very young, I did wonder if Franny's full name was double-barrelled.
Franny Lee-Penalty

 

[richw]

He wrongly gave the goal to Chelsea to put them 2-0 up, but in added on time, failed to send the Chelsea player (was that Mikel?) off when he kicked out at Parker. As he was yellow carded for the kick, retrospective action by the FA can not be taken now.
....

Mikel was booked for the fracas that followed not the kick,

 

[Butts]

No, Murrayfield despite being in Edinburgh, being a far better stadium and being far larger is a big no, it's a 10 minute walk from Tynecastle, besides Hampden is the National stadium, and cup finals no matter who contests said final it is always held at Hampden (apart from when it was being redone for all seater after the Taylor report)

I'm going to the final for the Green and White half of the city. Best chance Hibs have had for a long time to end that 110 year hoodoo. If it is a victory for Hibs then no longer will our Pink neighbours be able to taunt us over our lack of success in the cup.

May I remind you of the score in 2006 (I was there) Semi-Final - a far better performance than the Final (also there) when Hearts scraped past Gretna in the penalty shoot out :roll:

Seriously it is a disgrace that Hampden Park only holds 52,000 when compared to the Millenium or Wembley.

NB For the Hibs Aberdeen semi there were only about 30,000 odd there so I am perhaps talking out of my backside !!!

 

[SS4]

Actually, looking at only that clip over and over again I don't think anyone can say it was or was not a dive. That is the main trouble with video replays - they just do not show enough.

"He's fat, he's round, he's fallen on the ground! Franny Lee, Franny Lee"

He's on his feet at the start of the gif and on the ground at the end sans contact save for the aforementioned ground

 

[Oswyntail]

He's on his feet at the start of the gif and on the ground at the end

Yes, but...

sans contact save for the aforementioned ground

...that is not clear from the gif. If he dived - which is as possible as not - he moved his left leg in a peculiar way, consistent with it being pulled. The best that can be said is not proven.
As a non-fan I have no axe to grind. But the continual harping on about officials their shortcomings and the "need" for technology is giving those who should be held responsible - managers - a smokescreen to hide the cheating that does go on.

 

[atomicdanny]

There is one thing i have to love when Man Utd get a dodgy penalty its that almost every one ignores all of the other things that have happened in the same game! Aston Villas hand ball in the box with Man Utd denied a penalty in that case, and Shay Given handling the ball outside the box! Strange considering that almost all of the media are only focusing on the Manchester United cheat another game (yet they won 4 - 0! - which obviously must mean the other 3 were cheated too apparently? -

PS yes i do like Man Utd although I did think that it shouldn't have been a penalty although there could have been contact but then again Ashley Young made a complete meal of it! I just hate that if there is one decision against Man Utd it seems that they have bought the referee apparently!)

 

[RyanB]

May I remind you of the score in 2006 (I was there) Semi-Final - a far better performance than the Final (also there) when Hearts scraped past Gretna in the penalty shoot out :roll:

Seriously it is a disgrace that Hampden Park only holds 52,000 when compared to the Millenium or Wembley.

NB For the Hibs Aberdeen semi there were only about 30,000 odd there so I am perhaps talking out of my backside !!!

Ah 2006 - that game still haunts me, although Hibs that day were minus a recently departed Gary O'Connor (he'd been sold to Lokomotiv Moscow a week before), a suspended Derek Riordan, an injured Scott Brown in addition to some clown in Goals.

I've been hearing that the second semi was poorly attended by Hearts fans, just over 10,000 was one figure quoted.

The final is by far the biggest game in Scottish football for many, many years, forget your Old Firm finals, they're ten-a-penny nowadays.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Seriously it is a disgrace that Hampden Park only holds 52,000 when compared to the Millenium or Wembley.

Still, it's not all that bad for a home ground of a Scottish third division side. Incidentally, what is the average home gate for a Queens Park league match these days ...I am sure that a 52,500 capacity stadium can cope with it with ease.

 

[Butts]

Still, it's not all that bad for a home ground of a Scottish third division side. Incidentally, what is the average home gate for a Queens Park league match these days ...I am sure that a 52,500 capacity stadium can cope with it with ease.

They used to get 100,000 home gates before it became all seated

Celtic and Murrayfield hold more and Rangers nearly as many - National Stadium my ar**

 

[RyanB]

They used to get 100,000 home gates before it became all seated

Celtic and Murrayfield hold more and Rangers nearly as many - National Stadium my ar**

It is a bit of a stinker IMO. The banking isn't anywhere near steep enough, once you get to the triple lettered rows in the ends you're so far away from the pitch that you can't see anything. The space between the stands and the pitch is beyond ridiculous.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is a bit of a stinker IMO. The banking isn't anywhere near steep enough, once you get to the triple lettered rows in the ends you're so far away from the pitch that you can't see anything. The space between the stands and the pitch is beyond ridiculous.

Stadium design in 1903 did not need to take note of all the many H & S regulations prevalent these days.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

..... If he dived - which is as possible as not - he moved his left leg in a peculiar way, consistent with it being pulled. The best that can be said is not proven....

There were no other players present, the gif shows every bit of 'contact' made by either player. Other players this season have done the same thing, move their leg into contact with 'the fouling player' and then claiming "[they] felt contact so it was a penalty"

 

[Butts]

Why is the FA Cup Final on May 5th and the Scottish Cup Final on May 19th ?

They always used to be on the same day

Ticket 4 Football (based in Spain) already have tickets available for both finals.

Wembley cheapest = £500 + with all the fees they add on

Hampden relatively cheap = £150 + with all the fees added.

Where do they get the tickets from before the clubs involved have actually started selling them - so called fans ??

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I believe England's FA Cup Final is earlier to allow for extra Euro 2012 preparation. IIRC the main season must finish 4 weeks before the start of the competition minimum in qualified nations.

 

[balne-wonderer]

There is one thing i have to love when Man Utd get a dodgy penalty its that almost every one ignores all of the other things that have happened in the same game! Aston Villas hand ball in the box with Man Utd denied a penalty in that case, and Shay Given handling the ball outside the box! Strange considering that almost all of the media are only focusing on the Manchester United cheat another game (yet they won 4 - 0! - which obviously must mean the other 3 were cheated too apparently? -

PS yes i do like Man Utd although I did think that it shouldn't have been a penalty although there could have been contact but then again Ashley Young made a complete meal of it! I just hate that if there is one decision against Man Utd it seems that they have bought the referee apparently!)

Ah Chatham! That famous area of Manchester, must be somewhere in between Chorlton and Cheetham? I mean, they sound quite the same....

Look at the history in the PL mate. The amount of decisions they get at crucial times is a joke (and I mean CRUCIAL decisions that change games) Man Utd fans sometimes moan that bad decisions go against them but it's usually when they are already 3-0 thanks to ref and makes no difference to the final result. It's not so much the quantity it's the timing, it's the game changers.

That is what gets people angry. It's also the way that if, heaven forbid, a decision does go against them, they barrack the ref into the submission. Who can forget Roy Keane and good old Paul Scholes along with David Beckham and Nicky Butt and their vein bulging heads charging a referee into the corner flag after he dared to give a penalty against them. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Evra and Michael Carrick seem to have inherited this quality.

Another player that can wind people up is Paul Scholes. Without doubt one of the best players ever to play the game but a complete and utter cheat. Who remembers his Maradona esq hand ball into the net in the super cup final, who remembers his attempted punch on Jamie Carragher and his appalling and sickening homophobic remarks to a player in a champions league game? Most of these things are quickly forgotten because it's good old Paul Scholes! He can put in shocking tackle after shocking tackle and get away with it because he's good old Paul Scholes. We all know he can't tackle and it's hilarious watching him miss-time tackle after tackle, injuring players but avoiding yellow cards because it's good Paul Scholes. We all love good old Paul Scholes. Personally (and in agreement with Alan Green) I think he knows exactly what he is doing, he knows he can get away with it to a certain extent because of who he is. Yes he's seen red now and then but nowhere near as often as he should have done.

Now, alot of professional footballers dive. I hate it, i'm sure we all hate it but sadly it's part of the game. However, Manchester United seem to have perfected it. Rude Van Nistelrooy was suceeded by Cheatiano Ronaldo who has been followed by Nani and now our very own Ashley Young. Every club has someone that tries to cheat, at Leeds it's Luciano Becchio and I wish he'd stop but at Man Utd it's like an epidemic. What makes it worse is that it's Man Utd players that seem to get away it. When they dive, they get penalties as we have seen TWICE in TWO weeks from Ashley Young, disgraceful.

 

[jon0844]

Cheating in footballs seems rather similar to people who chance not paying their fare on the trains.. in that they know perfectly well that it's wrong but now seem to have this view that everyone else does it, so you may as well do it too.

People increasingly defend cheating from players in teams they support, and defend it by arguing that the other teams do it. So, how do you stop this unless you come down hard on everyone at the same time and - hopefully - put an end to it for good.

Cheating has become acceptable and arguably essential, but it ruins games. Many top teams may not actually be quite as successful if they didn't cheat and these players are effectively shaping the way that their fans grow up to think about how it's okay to do wrong in other parts of daily life.

At the end of the day; if cheating was what made you win a trophy, would you be upset if you supported that team? If the answer is no, that's the problem right there!