Football

[Butts]

Hull 1 Liverpool 0 this evening.
Drags Newcastle in further. When I looked at the fixtures I guessed Hull wouldn't catch Newcastle, assuming this would be a Liverpool win.

Is Klopp on his way to Anfield ? - or more importantly should he be ?

Some successful teams sack Managers after they have won Titles - is it time for Brendan to get the boot

 

[Antman]

It's all over for both Millwall and Wigan..............Rotherham's three point deduction was irrelevant in the end

 

[Butts]

It's all over for both Millwall and Wigan..............Rotherham's three point deduction was irrelevant in the end

Can anyone explain how Wigan can be relegated a couple of years after winning the FA Cup ?

I had no satisfactory explanation when I asked how Blackpool had managed to succumb notwithstanding "Parachute Payments". I thought Dave Whelan at least had his head screwed on unlike Oyston at Blackpool.

 

[richw]

Is Klopp on his way to Anfield ? - or more importantly should he be ?

Some successful teams sack Managers after they have won Titles - is it time for Brendan to get the boot

I'd welcome Rafa back, at least he wins cup tournaments (and apparently loves the club and city, his family still live on Merseyside)
Rodgers has been found out, his 1 dimensional tactics don't work with the players he has, and other managers know how to counteract it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Can anyone explain how Wigan can be relegated a couple of years after winning the FA Cup ?

I had no satisfactory explanation when I asked how Blackpool had managed to succumb notwithstanding "Parachute Payments". I thought Dave Whelan at least had his head screwed on unlike Oyston at Blackpool.

DW apparently passed control to his 22 year old grandson who is now running the club. Is a 22 year old going to have the necessary experience to run a club.
Relegated twice within 3 years of winning the FA cup.

 

[Butts]

I'd welcome Rafa back, at least he wins cup tournaments (and apparently loves the club and city, his family still live on Merseyside)
Rodgers has been found out, his 1 dimensional tactics don't work with the players he has, and other managers know how to counteract it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


DW apparently passed control to his 22 year old grandson who is now running the club. Is a 22 year old going to have the necessary experience to run a club.
Relegated twice within 3 years of winning the FA cup.

If Suarez had still been at Liverpool would the season have followed a similar course ?

 

[richw]

If Suarez had still been at Liverpool would the season have followed a similar course ?

They might have scored some goals but nowhere near as many.
Last year scored 101 league goals, this season only 47. Suarez wouldn't have made a 50 goal difference, especially as he was banned until October.

 

[DarloRich]

Can anyone explain how Wigan can be relegated a couple of years after winning the FA Cup ?

I had no satisfactory explanation when I asked how Blackpool had managed to succumb notwithstanding "Parachute Payments". I thought Dave Whelan at least had his head screwed on unlike Oyston at Blackpool.

DW apparently passed control to his 22 year old grandson who is now running the club. Is a 22 year old going to have the necessary experience to run a club.
Relegated twice within 3 years of winning the FA cup.

it isn't the 22 year old who appointed the managers who didn't do the job or him who purchased the players who didn't perform though is it?

 

[CC 72100]

I know i was there Saturday 3rd January 2009 Darlington 2 - Bournmouth 1

Bournemouth led through a Holland goal in the first half before Darlo equalised through Pawal Abbot on 83 minutes before Rob Purdie snatched 3 points for the Quakers with a stoppage time penalty in front of 2571 at the (then named) Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena.

Now that's a name from the past! Remember him fondly from his Hereford United days - the club of course, having since disappeared.

 

[DarloRich]

Now that's a name from the past! Remember him fondly from his Hereford United days - the club of course, having since disappeared.

They have reformed at a similar level to us and i think now have a lease on Edgar Street form the council. last i heard Purdie was at Tamworth

Purdie was a really useful player for us, i really liked him. Makes me both sad and angry to think what the owner at the time did to my club.

 

[CC 72100]

They have reformed at a similar level to us and i think now have a lease on Edgar Street form the council. last i heard Purdie was at Tamworth

They do - they've started a 'clean-up' operation at Edgar Street in preparation for next season. Will be interesting to see how it all gets on.

Purdie is apparently still playing in the Conference. Now 32 - always thought he was a lot older, seems to have been around for ages!

 

[Antman]

Is Klopp on his way to Anfield ? - or more importantly should he be ?

Some successful teams sack Managers after they have won Titles - is it time for Brendan to get the boot

I really can't see how Brendon Rogers can remain at the helm and surely signing Balotelli has to be his biggest blunder?

 

[Tetchytyke]

I really can't see how Brendon Rogers can remain at the helm and surely signing Balotelli has to be his biggest blunder?

I wouldn't be so harsh on him about Balotelli, I think at the price it was a calculated gamble, and not such a stupid one either. Plenty of Arsenal fans were slagging off Wenger at the start of the season for buying Welbeck instead of Balotelli, so hindsight is a wonderful thing.

They might have scored some goals but nowhere near as many.
Last year scored 101 league goals, this season only 47. Suarez wouldn't have made a 50 goal difference, especially as he was banned until October.

I disagree: I think he would have made that much of a difference. It was clear last year that Liverpool were heavily dependent on Suarez, and that he was a player good enough to carry a team on his own. I don't think they'd have struggled to the same extent if he'd stayed. Losing someone like him has more of an effect than simply subtracting the number of goals and assists he got from last year's total and saying that's what they should score this year.

The question with Rodgers is the same with most managers at the top: who would you replace him with? Klopp is clearly off to Manchester City, and Benitez hasn't pulled up any trees at Napoli. He's good for a cup or two, but the man who wanted to replace Xabi Alonso with Gareth Barry isn't going to win a league either.

 

[DarloRich]

Evo Stick north one play off semi final HT update............... (insert vidiprinter noise here!)
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Darlington 1 - Spennymoor 0

 

[Karl]

Evo Stick north one play off semi final HT update............... (insert vidiprinter noise here!)
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Darlington 1 - Spennymoor 0

I'm currently listening live at http://darlofans.webspace.virginmedia.com/

You'll forgive me if I hope for a Spenny win

****Edit****
Congrats Darlo.
3-2 at full time. An exciting game by the sounds of it.
I'm looking forward to the final

 

[DarloRich]

PHEW. 1 nil up, 2-1 down, won 3-2. Subsitutate David Dowson scored a last minute winner to send us into the final -Not sure i can take anymore like that!

Darlo fans radio (@darlofansradio) is a fantastic service we have. Created run and funded by fans for fans. It is essential for exiles like me to feel part of the action. Karl, It will also be broadcasting live on Saturday if, like me, you cant make the game

 

[bb21]

Delroy Facey jailed after match-fixing trial.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32512704

Ex-footballer Delroy Facey jailed after match fixing trial

A former Premier League footballer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after being convicted of match fixing allegations.

Delroy Facey, of Woodhouse Hill, Huddersfield, was found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court of conspiring to bribe non-league players.

Judge Mary Stacey said Facey's offences struck "at the very heart of football".

Facey, who played for Bolton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Hull City, had denied any wrongdoing.

Former non-league player Moses Swaibu, 25, of Tooley Street, London, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery. He was jailed for 16 months for his part in the conspiracy.

The two were arrested as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into match fixing.

The trial heard Facey urged a footballer at a struggling non-league club to make some "easy money" by fixing the result of a match.

He also told a contact some Football Conference teams would "do" a game in return for payment, the jury heard.

'Big business'

In one text conversation in late 2013, Facey tried to corrupt a Hyde FC player by offering him £2,000.

During the messages, Facey told the player a friend who was betting would provide the cash.

...

Perhaps that may explain why a particular team was constantly losing games? Eh, Paul?

 

[Karl]

Darlo fans radio (@darlofansradio) is a fantastic service we have. Created run and funded by fans for fans. It is essential for exiles like me to feel part of the action. Karl, It will also be broadcasting live on Saturday if, like me, you cant make the game

I certainly enjoyed listening to the service and well provided it is too, and yes I'll be tuning in on Saturday hopefully. It's going to be one hell of a nervous listen.

 

[DarloRich]

I certainly enjoyed listening to the service and well provided it is too, and yes I'll be tuning in on Saturday hopefully. It's going to be one hell of a nervous listen.

tell me about it!

Darlo fans radio covers almost every game but depends on a decent mobile signal so a few grounds get missed due to black spots

 

[les.]

Bristol Rovers have one foot at Wembley after a 1-0 win at FGR tonight. I didn't see the game as I was out but I hear that Bristol were pretty dominant and should have won by more.

Our turn tomorrow as we head down to Eastleigh. Looking forward to the day out and hopefully we can bring a lead back to Blundell Park for the 2nd leg on Sunday as our away record (only 3 defeats) is far better than our home record (7 defeats).

UTM.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Well that was a long day, but well worth it. Held up twice in traffic on the M1, then again in the Oxford area and yet again on the M3 and around the ground, We did finally get there for 6:45 and managed to get to the nearby Trojans Rugby Club for a couple of well earned pints. We got home at 4am and up again now for work at 8.

We should have been out of sight in the first 10 minutes and I hope we don't live to rue those missed chances as our home form is decidedly average. Two brilliant strikes by Arnold, I was right behind the 2nd goal and it was in the minute it left his boot. Bar their goal I thought we defended really well and Shaun Pearson was immense again.

Anyway, need to finish the job off on Sunday now.

 

[Antman]

Some devastating news this morning is that Rio Ferdinand's wife Rebecca has died after a short battle with cancer. As a Chelsea fan our war of words with Rio really is totally unimportant now and I can only offer my condolences to Rio and his family at this terrible time.

 

[richw]

Bournemouth won the championship with a 3-0 win, with Watford only managing a draw. Leicester have beat/hammered Newcastle continuing their great escape.
I suspect Pearsons rants are to deflect the media from his players

 

[Darandio]

The Blackpool v Huddersfield match was abandoned at 0-0 after 48 minutes due to the fans invading the pitch in protest at the owners, there are reports that one fan was riding around on a mobility scooter. There is no confirmation as yet whether the match will be replayed, although I suspect Huddersfield will be awarded a 3-0 victory.

[youtube]OC15vPNiC58[/youtube]

 

[SS4]

Results going well for us today, here's hoping it stays like that

 

[richw]

The Blackpool v Huddersfield match was abandoned at 0-0 after 48 minutes due to the fans invading the pitch in protest at the owners, there are reports that one fan was riding around on a mobility scooter. There is no confirmation as yet whether the match will be replayed, although I suspect Huddersfield will be awarded a 3-0 victory.

[youtube]OC15vPNiC58[/youtube]

I saw the mobility scooter on Twitter! I expect it to be awarded to Huddersfield also.

 

[Antman]

Bournemouth won the championship with a 3-0 win, with Watford only managing a draw. Leicester have beat/hammered Newcastle continuing their great escape.
I suspect Pearsons rants are to deflect the media from his players

Sheffield Wednesday scoring a stoppage time equaliser (just as they did at Bournemouth) gave them the title, meanwhile Derby County capitulated and Ipswich Town just about kept their play off spot despite losing allowing Brentford in, what a great job Mark Warburton has done despite the shoddy way that he has been treated.

You could be right about Pearson and his rants, meanwhile John Carver has accused Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off

 

[richw]

.

You could be right about Pearson and his rants, meanwhile John Carver has accused Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off

I've just seen that on Final Score, carver is so out of his depth, digging into all but two of his players. I can't see those players wanting to try for the cause,
On Facebook I've seen several hundred posts calling for match fixing investigations off the back of carvers comments.

 

[SS4]

Perhaps Tim Sherwood should take some toffee to the refs locker room after the game? We're fighting for our lives and the ref sees fit to shaft us twice

Sadly results elsewhere have not all gone our way with Sunderland winning

 

[Smudger105e]

Always the referee. ..

 

[SS4]

Always the referee. ..

Yes. When the goalkeeper is impeded from getting to the ball it is the referee. Soft penalty for the first goal too and when final score (long known for being dismissive about Midlands football) admit that you know it's right. Contrary to popular belief it is possible for referees to get things wrong.

Still got three points though

 

[Karl]

Congrats to Darlo who won 2-0 in the Evo-stik Div1 North play-off final against Bamber Bridge.

Another good listen thanks to Darlo Fans Radio despite the result!

Hopefully with both Salford and Darlington out of the league Brig will do it next season.