Football

[RichmondCommu]

I think a lot of England will be wanting Huddersfield to win. Not only would they be a new face in the PL, I (and a lot of others) will distinctly remember Reading being fairly anodyne and not adding much to the PL when they were there.

You could probably say the same about Bournemouth, Stoke, West Brom, Watford and Burnley (and there are one or two others that I could think of) for that matter. Every team in the Premier League is there on merit whether we like or not.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

You could probably say the same about Bournemouth, Stoke, West Brom, Watford and Burnley (and there are one or two others that I could think of) for that matter. Every team in the Premier League is there on merit whether we like or not.

I will not comment on the quality of their tactics, but Stoke have been in the Premier League for just shy of a decade now, for most of which they have been dead certs to stay up. West Brom have been similar over the past few years after a couple of one season stays. Watford, Bournemouth and that lot in claret and blue haven't been as perpetual, but as all have demonstrated, they can survive, indeed all three in varying capacities had good times of late in the top flight.

Reading, like Hull City, have yet to prove they can stick it out in the top flight for long periods. Stoke and West Brom for me are now mainstays in the Premier League, much in the same way as I think West Ham and Southampton are.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I will not comment on the quality of their tactics, but Stoke have been in the Premier League for just shy of a decade now, for most of which they have been dead certs to stay up. West Brom have been similar over the past few years after a couple of one season stays. Watford, Bournemouth and that lot in claret and blue haven't been as perpetual, but as all have demonstrated, they can survive, indeed all three in varying capacities had good times of late in the top flight.

In all fairness for all the clubs that you have listed with the possible exception of Stoke their only realistic objective is to stay up and that's absolutely fine. However in terms of their style of play I don't think that they add anything to the Premier League in terms of quality.

In my opinion the main reason for watching a football match (of which I've attended over a thousand) is to be entertained and in all fairness if I was a supporter of those clubs entertainment would be the last thing on my mind.

 

[FGW_Lad]

As much as it pains me to indirectly praise one of that lot from out east, thank god we don't have to endure the coma-inducing boredom that is Reading in the Premier League.

Not sure why the entire football league has always hated us but never mind. Didn't turn up today just like previous Wembley finals. Fair play to Huddersfield, fully deserve it. Their fans were superb after the game, absolute credit to the club.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not sure why the entire football league has always hated us but never mind. Didn't turn up today just like previous Wembley finals. Fair play to Huddersfield, fully deserve it. Their fans were superb after the game, absolute credit to the club.

A lot of credit from me for Reading. Your fans were a credit to the club both before and after the game, and I do admire how, much like us, you stayed under the radar for most of the season while being very effective (If prone to occasionally getting hammered). I wasn't surprised that the two sides pretty much cancelled each other out for 2 hours though, considering what's up for grabs. That being said, how Izzy Brown missed that early chance I'm not sure even he knows!

 

[bb21]

In all fairness for all the clubs that you have listed with the possible exception of Stoke their only realistic objective is to stay up and that's absolutely fine. However in terms of their style of play I don't think that they add anything to the Premier League in terms of quality.

In my opinion the main reason for watching a football match (of which I've attended over a thousand) is to be entertained and in all fairness if I was a supporter of those clubs entertainment would be the last thing on my mind.

Wow, that was quite condescending.

 

[richw]

I've found Bournemouth play quite entertaining attacking football

 

[Railops]

Not sure why the entire football league has always hated us but never mind. Didn't turn up today just like previous Wembley finals. Fair play to Huddersfield, fully deserve it. Their fans were superb after the game, absolute credit to the club.

The Reading hate has a long way to go before it gets as bad as the hate for Leeds.

 

[AlterEgo]

In all fairness for all the clubs that you have listed with the possible exception of Stoke their only realistic objective is to stay up and that's absolutely fine. However in terms of their style of play I don't think that they add anything to the Premier League in terms of quality.

In my opinion the main reason for watching a football match (of which I've attended over a thousand) is to be entertained and in all fairness if I was a supporter of those clubs entertainment would be the last thing on my mind.

That kind of stuff about promoted clubs doesn't ring true. Bournemouth play good football. Blackpool were fantastically entertaining when they were in the Premier League. Stoke are a very solid outfit. Fulham played lovely football and brought something different. Martin O'Neill's Leicester were crackpots, as were Wimbledon - a truly unique club. Cardiff brought drama on and off the pitch.

There are lots of ways promoted clubs can bring style, drama, or a bit of fun to the game.

Reading, with their Waitrose sponsors and clinical stadium made out of Lego, don't really do it for me. I just don't see what extra they add, and that isn't intended to put the club down.

 

[backontrack]

With Blackburn there were chickens on the pitch. When Swansea were promoted, Michu set the Premier League alight.

 

[roversfan2001]

I guess Huddersfield throwing their game against Birmingham to manufacture who they played in the playoffs, and severely affecting the relegation battle in the process, paid off after all.

No I'm not bitter. [emoji56]

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[61653 HTAFC]

I guess Huddersfield throwing their game against Birmingham to manufacture who they played in the playoffs, and severely affecting the relegation battle in the process, paid off after all.

No I'm not bitter. [emoji56]

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

Firstly you had 46 games to try and gain enough points to avoid relegation, so to blame another team's selection is disingenuous or misguided. Secondly the team me put out against Birmingham was vastly experienced, and really should've been capable of beating a fairly mediocre Brum side. That they didn't was our problem and not anybody else's. Thirdly after you highjacked us of a certain young Scottish(ish) centre forward was far more unfair due to the parachute payments bankrolling the signing. Chickens coming home to roost, perhaps.

 

[roversfan2001]

Thirdly after you highjacked us of a certain young Scottish(ish) centre forward was far more unfair due to the parachute payments bankrolling the signing. Chickens coming home to roost, perhaps.

Those parachute payments you could quite possibly be benefitting from in far greater amounts in the next few years? The only reason Hudds escaped punishment is because there are is no set figure for the amount of changes allowed in the rule (which, going off the EFL statement, will be altered to reflect this incident).


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[MidnightFlyer]

With Blackburn there were chickens on the pitch.

And also the fact we were former champions and for many years in the early to mid 2000s played decent football with a very good set of players (Tugay ) and more often than not finished in the chasing pack to the top 6.

 

[roversfan2001]

And also the fact we were former champions and for many years in the early to mid 2000s played decent football with a very good set of players (Tugay ) and more often than not finished in the chasing pack to the top 6.

Tugay? What about Shabani Nonda, Lorenzo Amoruso, Vincenzo Grella...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Tugay? What about Shabani Nonda, Lorenzo Amoruso, Vincenzo Grella...

Shabani Nonda Remember him giving us the lead at the Emirates once, we lost 6-2. Amoruso wasn't too bad from what I can recall of him, he was part of those wonderful days when we employed the likes of Zurab, Gresko, Neill and Ooijer across defence. I stopped going to Rovers around the time Grella showed up!

We should have a statue out front of Tugay, what I wouldn't give for someone in out team with a tenth of his ability today. Certainly in my lifetime we've never had a better foreigner play outfield for Rovers.

 

[roversfan2001]

Shabani Nonda Remember him giving us the lead at the Emirates once, we lost 6-2. Amoruso wasn't too bad from what I can recall of him, he was part of those wonderful days when we employed the likes of Zurab, Gresko, Neill and Ooijer across defence. I stopped going to Rovers around the time Grella showed up!

We should have a statue out front of Tugay, what I wouldn't give for someone in out team with a tenth of his ability today. Certainly in my lifetime we've never had a better foreigner play outfield for Rovers.

I'm slightly too young to remember a lot of the players named, my first game was 2006 but I didn't get a season ticket til 2009 so just missed out on the likes of Tugay. :cry: The lineup in my first game featured the likes of Savage, Bellamy, Friedel and Tugay; with Pedersen (:grin and Emerton on the bench. All of them would walk straight into the team today, even at the ages they are now.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm slightly too young to remember a lot of the players named, my first game was 2006 but I didn't get a season ticket til 2009 so just missed out on the likes of Tugay. :cry: The lineup in my first game featured the likes of Savage, Bellamy, Friedel and Tugay; with Pedersen (:grin and Emerton on the bench. All of them would walk straight into the team today, even at the ages they are now.

The first game I can remember going to was beating Preston 3-2 at home in what was then the First Division in 2001, I stopped going about a decade ago. Pedersen was on a different planet when he first arrived, I'd never seen anything like it. As much as I was indifferent to Savage and Stephen 'I can't pass a ball forward to save my life unless it's top bins against Wigan at 97mph' Reid at the time, I'd gladly have them back now!

I'm presuming you missed out on Andy Todd too, a man who once booted Christophe Duggary up the backside for no reason whatsoever, and informed a matchday program his dinner guest of choice was Hitler. Absolutely full-blown mental.

 

[roversfan2001]

The first game I can remember going to was beating Preston 3-2 at home in what was then the First Division in 2001, I stopped going about a decade ago. Pedersen was on a different planet when he first arrived, I'd never seen anything like it. As much as I was indifferent to Savage and Stephen 'I can't pass a ball forward to save my life unless it's top bins against Wigan at 97mph' Reid at the time, I'd gladly have them back now!

I'm presuming you missed out on Andy Todd too, a man who once booted Christophe Duggary up the backside for no reason whatsoever, and informed a matchday program his dinner guest of choice was Hitler. Absolutely full-blown mental.

I did mostly miss out on Todd - but he scored the first ever Rovers goal that I saw (3-0 vs. QPR in the FA Cup in 2006) so that's something. Pedersen is still my favourite ever Rovers player, I was gutted when he left on my birthday! :cry:

 

[Old Yard Dog]

There should be a cracking atmosphere on the Retro railtour back to Huddersfield this evening.

Interesting video from January 2004: York City V Huddersfield Town 2004

The fortunes of the two clubs could not have been more polarised since then; York City will now be five divisions below Huddersfield Town next season.

Its amazing that Retro were able to arrange a football special at such short notice. I remember having to tell a FCUM fan a few years ago that their supporters were living in cloud cuckoo land if they thought they could organize a train at 2-3 weeks notice to an FA Cup tie at Brighton's Withdean Stadium, citing issues such as rolling stock, paths, route knowledge and signal boxes.

We look forward to renewing auld acquaintance with York City next season after almost 50 years. Bradford haven't played Huddersfield in the league since 1921, quite surprising really as we spent many years in D2 up till 1950. Maybe we should organize a PSF with Town reserves in four years time to celebrate the centenary?

Anyway well done Town.

 

[RichmondCommu]

That kind of stuff about promoted clubs doesn't ring true. Bournemouth play good football. Blackpool were fantastically entertaining when they were in the Premier League. Stoke are a very solid outfit. Fulham played lovely football and brought something different. Martin O'Neill's Leicester were crackpots, as were Wimbledon - a truly unique club. Cardiff brought drama on and off the pitch.

In all fairness I didn't criticize or indeed even mention Blackpool or Fulham, both of which I agree played entertaining football when they were last in the top flight.

I concur that Stoke City have set out their stall to be a "very solid outfit" however in no way does that make them entertaining to watch. I was thrilled when the 'Dons won the FA cup and as a team they were off their collective rockers but it was really mostly long ball stuff which I certainly don't find entertaining.

I was fortunate to attend the FA Cup final as a neutral spectator and I thought it was a great final full of entertainment. All the clubs that I listed up thread are not in my opinion capable of playing that brand of entertaining football.

Martin O'Neil got results with Leicester and they certainly deserved their European adventure (along with their League Cup win) but for the neutral fan there was nothing entertaining about their style of play. I like watching football in the hope that I'll see something that I can't do, along with being entertained. I never got that feeling watching Leicester.

And as for Cardiff City, oh please. That's no different to me coming home from a game, my wife asking how the game went and I replying by saying "well the pies were hot". Vincent Tan's ideas on how to run a football club and all the fall out from it are not my idea of entertainment. All it makes me do is shake my head at the direction that football in this country is taking, with one or two notable exceptions.

 

[EM2]

I concur that Stoke City have set out their stall to be a "very solid outfit" however in no way does that make them entertaining to watch.

They are a much better footballing side under Mark Hughes than with Tony Pulis at the helm.

 

[AlterEgo]

In all fairness I didn't criticize or indeed even mention Blackpool or Fulham, both of which I agree played entertaining football when they were last in the top flight.

I concur that Stoke City have set out their stall to be a "very solid outfit" however in no way does that make them entertaining to watch. I was thrilled when the 'Dons won the FA cup and as a team they were off their collective rockers but it was really mostly long ball stuff which I certainly don't find entertaining.

I was fortunate to attend the FA Cup final as a neutral spectator and I thought it was a great final full of entertainment. All the clubs that I listed up thread are not in my opinion capable of playing that brand of entertaining football.

Martin O'Neil got results with Leicester and they certainly deserved their European adventure (along with their League Cup win) but for the neutral fan there was nothing entertaining about their style of play. I like watching football in the hope that I'll see something that I can't do, along with being entertained. I never got that feeling watching Leicester.

And as for Cardiff City, oh please. That's no different to me coming home from a game, my wife asking how the game went and I replying by saying "well the pies were hot". Vincent Tan's ideas on how to run a football club and all the fall out from it are not my idea of entertainment. All it makes me do is shake my head at the direction that football in this country is taking, with one or two notable exceptions.

Well I'm afraid the top 20 teams are the ones which make up the Premier League. Pass and move is lovely but the very top teams have that game sewn up.

I'd agree the PL is vastly overrated though.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Reading, with their Waitrose sponsors and clinical stadium made out of Lego, don't really do it for me. I just don't see what extra they add, and that isn't intended to put the club down.

In all fairness, if you're going to have a moan about a club's main sponsors would you not be better targeting West Ham, Newcastle United and Stoke City? The promotion of online betting through shirt sales in my opinion is an absolute scandal. Just out of interest what do you find offensive about Waitrose that you don't find offensive about bet365?

I'm not aware that Reading's stadium is made out of Lego but I do know that its a huge improvement on their old ground which I visited on at least two occasions. In all fairness, with one or two exceptions (one of those being Huddersfield Town) most clubs have no choice but to go for functional when they move grounds. Included in that category are Southampton, Leicester, Derby, Middlesbrough, Cardiff and Swansea and I've no doubt that 'Palace, Brentford and QPR will go in the same direction.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Well I'm afraid the top 20 teams are the ones which make up the Premier League. Pass and move is lovely but the very top teams have that game sewn up.

As I said previously if you play in the Premier League you are there on merit and ultimately you deserve your place in the top flight. But if you're paying a small fortune to attend a game you should expect to be entertained, no matter where your team is in the division.

 

[RichmondCommu]

They are a much better footballing side under Mark Hughes than with Tony Pulis at the helm.

Well that wasn't much of a starting position was it? Nevertheless I'd hardly call them entertaining to watch.

 

[AlterEgo]

In all fairness, if you're going to have a moan about a club's main sponsors would you not be better targeting West Ham, Newcastle United and Stoke City? The promotion of online betting through shirt sales in my opinion is an absolute scandal. Just out of interest what do you find offensive about Waitrose that you don't find offensive about bet365?

I'm not aware that Reading's stadium is made out of Lego but I do know that its a huge improvement on their old ground which I visited on at least two occasions. In all fairness, with one or two exceptions (one of those being Huddersfield Town) most clubs have no choice but to go for functional when they move grounds. Included in that category are Southampton, Leicester, Derby, Middlesbrough, Cardiff and Swansea and I've no doubt that 'Palace, Brentford and QPR will go in the same direction.

Clearly you have missed the point about Reading being a characterless and nondescript outfit in my mind. It's football, try not to take everything too literally! Being irrationally partisan is how the game survives.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Clearly you have missed the point about Reading being a characterless and nondescript outfit in my mind.

Not at all. I just don't understand why you have a problem with Reading have a functional stadium and Waitrose as their sponsor.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Being irrationally partisan is how the game survives.

No, football survives by being affordable to watch and by providing a good level of entertainment.

People complain that the stadiums are too quiet; that's because the people who would traditionally go to games and sing / chant and generally be a pain in the back side can no longer afford to go. And with that go your irrational partisans.

There are one or two exceptions including the Terriers but there are not enough. Football is far too expensive for the average football fan with a family.

 

[AlterEgo]

Not at all. I just don't understand why you have a problem with Reading have a functional stadium and Waitrose as their sponsor.

What you don't understand is I was using those facts about Reading to add a bit of colour to my argument that Reading are dull and boring. It's a club with a very middle class, "comfortable" feel. They don't have a lot of character, at least not to my eyes.

I'm not that bothered arguing the toss about it, because football is more than just facts, comparison, and statistics.

It doesn't matter to me that Roger Hunt got the most goals for Liverpool in a single season, my favourite player is Ian Rush.

Reading are a boring outfit.