Football

[150249]

Haaland is mental. Nuff said.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After last night's result, Liverpool must surely go all out for a top-four slot in the league, to ensure participation in next year's Champions League competition.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Mar 2023 ==

Crystal Palace are now the latest top flight club to bring their manager's reign to an abrupt end.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2023 ==

Northern Premier League...Premier Division

Hyde United 0 ... South Shields 1

South Shields avenged their 1-0 home defeat by Hyde last November with the only goal in the game being scored in the 56th minute. Good match attendance of 987.r

 

[Howardh]

My lot, Bury AFC, grabbed a last-kick (header)-of-the-game winner @ Prestwich Heys, a local derby in a right mudbath. The pitch was OK, the mudbath was where we had to stand!! Their best attendance ever, just under a thousand (NWCL Premier) and one of those clubs with plenty of room to expand. Just wish armchair Premier league fans would get down once in a while.

 

[AlterEgo]

My lot, Bury AFC, grabbed a last-kick (header)-of-the-game winner @ Prestwich Heys, a local derby in a right mudbath. The pitch was OK, the mudbath was where we had to stand!! Their best attendance ever, just under a thousand (NWCL Premier) and one of those clubs with plenty of room to expand. Just wish armchair Premier league fans would get down once in a while.

How is the proposed merger going with the other Bury club? Sad what happened there.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How is the proposed merger going with the other Bury club? Sad what happened there.

Believe there's to be another member's vote on a possible merger in the very near future.

 

[Howardh]

How is the proposed merger going with the other Bury club? Sad what happened there.

Long story.
Firstly both sides (AFC, the current "phoenix club" playing at Radcliffe in the NWCL with something like 1500 fans and members and BFCSS, owners of Gigg who can't get that league place but with c.1000 members themselves; some fans are members of both) had to agree with a 2/3rds majority on each side to get the merger, AFC side passed almost unanimously, the BFCSS failed by a handful.

Since then BFSCC have realised they won't get a side in a league next season, so have demanded another vote on roughly the same terms. So that will happen shortly, the angst is now that BFSCC are "stealing" AFC's players, manager, members etc so AFC might vote against it this time. If that happens AFC will still be sharing a ground, but BFCSS could well go under and be liquidated, freeing up the staduim.

My gut feeling is this time the merger will go through, just, meaning Gigg gets proper competitive league footy next season (either level 8 or 9 depending on promotion this season) but the main concern will be who gets voted on the new board, and if it's a majority of BFCSS who don't want anything to do with AFC's players/manager then a lot of us AFC fans will simply walk away, leaving them with a huge stadium, large costs and split fan-base.

On the other hand, if the merger goes ahead, and AFC are the majority of the board, the worst that can happen (actually, the best) is that the original 286 who voted "no" will clear off themselves! Fingers crossed!!

 

[DarloRich]

750 year old Roy Hodgson back as Palace manager: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65013469

I honestly don't get it.

Former England manager Roy Hodgson has been reappointed as Crystal Palace boss until the end of the season.

Patrick Vieira, who replaced Hodgson at Selhurst Park in July 2021, was sacked by Palace on Friday after a 12-match winless run in all competitions.

Hodgson, 75, managed Watford from January to May 2022, leaving after they were relegated to the Championship.

 

[450.emu]

Antonio Conte has been taken out of traffic after exploding at Southampton last weekend, and has been stood down. Operator Greater Arrogance are urgently seeking a replacement coach to ensure continuity of (mediocre) service between London and Everton...

 

[KashmireHawker]

Bravo Harry Kane on becoming England’s All-Time Male Top Goal Scorer!

 

[DarloRich]

@Old Yard Dog Seems that Darlo have signed Jacob Bylth on loan from BPA for the rest of the season. Any gen? Is he the big striker we have been missing since Mark Beck left?

 

[Old Yard Dog]

A very odd decision. Jacob is a big centre forward but has only managed to score half a dozen goals in 33 appearances for BPA. Nevertheless our supporters are seething given we are 8 points from safety with just 8 games left - one of which is at Darlington. What message does this loan send to the rest of the squad?

A month ago we could hardly raise a team against Scarborough and had to field a side full of academy and loan players and bring our 40-odd year old assistant manager our of retirement. Our better academy players have now been loaned to Frickley - I only hope the loanees we have brought in from Hull, Barnsley and Preston don't get recalled otherwise I might be playing.

Is there a loan fee involved for Blythy, I wonder?

I'm just glad Darlington v Bradford is now being streamed so I don't have to trail all the way up to Co Durham to see yet another defeat.

Roll on the cricket season - rumour has it we might even see Johnny Bairstow playing for Yorkshire in the second division (thank you ECB for arranging our relegation) in April instead of the Indian cretin cricket league.

 

[JD2168]

Julian Nagelsmann has been sacked as manager of Bayern Munich & replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

 

[Drogba11CFC]

Winchester City 4...Beaconsfield Town 0

Sheer dominance. By far the best performance of the season. Could have been much, much more.

15. Hanwell Town P37 GD -12 42pts
16. Winchester City P36 GD -16 39pts
17. Gosport Borough P37 GD -20 38pts
18. Hendon P35 GD -13 37pts
--------------------------------------------------
19. North Leigh P37 GD -33 32pts
20. Harrow Borough P36 GD -34 31pts
21. Hartley Wintney P37 GD -34 28pts
22. Yate Town P37 GD -37 28pts

 

[DarloRich]

A very odd decision. Jacob is a big centre forward but has only managed to score half a dozen goals in 33 appearances for BPA. Nevertheless our supporters are seething given we are 8 points from safety with just 8 games left - one of which is at Darlington. What message does this loan send to the rest of the squad?

Kettering 0 v Darlo 0 - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz We could be playing now and wouldn't have scored even if Kettering gave up and went home for their tea.

Blythe came off bench on 83 minutes. first touch shanked out of play, second touch 50 pence piece header, third touch header in the air. Ran about. Not a great start but no worse than anyone else on the field.

I'm just glad Darlington v Bradford is now being streamed so I don't have to trail all the way up to Co Durham to see yet another defeat.

You might want to make the journey. We are there for the taking. Took Kettering about 85 minutes to realise that then they nearly scored twice before the end. We couldn't defend a castle!

 

[150249]

Exeter City 5 Accrington Stanley 0

The one game I couldn't go to... Need I say more? Although I did get to see us beat Port Vale 4-0 back in August.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2023 ==

Conte is finally gone!

 

[Purple Train]

What about just introducing an "Umpire's Call"-style system for VAR offsides?

 

[AlterEgo]

What about just introducing an "Umpire's Call"-style system for VAR offsides?

Unfortunately the relentless march of "progress" is removing any subjectivity from the game and its interpretation so I don't see this ever coming to fruition. The only binary decision I accept in football is whether the ball has crossed the goal line, everything else, sure, it's art.

 

[Howardh]

Well, this is interesting. In the NWCL Premier (step 5, level 9) Winsford (bottom half) beat Vauxhall (top three) 1 - 0 a few weeks ago, but the game has to be replayed. Winsford, apparently, played the game whilst the club was "suspended" for some financial reason to do with the Cheshire FA or something.

So not that they won due to a suspended player playing and altering the game in Winsford's favour, or a player not signed in time as is usual. In those cases usually the result stands but the team has points docked and a fine. In this case, the whole team was legit, and the result bona-fide, yet it has to be replayed, so Vauxhall could well win and gain points on those around them.

Wythenshawe have already complained, followed no doubt by Bury AFC and Avro, Winsford gained no advantage from the game, yet the top of the league will suffer if VMFC go on to win the rematch.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Winsford gained no advantage from the game

They'll have pocketed the gate takings, I suppose, but that wouldn't have been all that much as their declared crowd figure on Monday 6th March 2023 was just 141.

 

[Howardh]

They'll have pocketed the gate takings, I suppose, but that wouldn't have been all that much as their declared crowd figure on Monday 6th March 2023 was just 141.

True, and that will include season ticket holders. I suppose the "replay" could be free or vastly-reduced gate entry, or just s/t holders only. But as you allude to, takings might only be around £500 for the first game, mostly gobbled up by the cost of lighting and heating!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What I don't quite understand is, if the Winsford club were (temporarily) debt suspended - not sure why, perhaps they hadn't promptly paid some yellow card admin fees to Cheshire FA on time, how come match officials were still appointed (and turned up) for the match vs Vauxhall Motors on Monday 6th March 2023?

 

[Howardh]

What I don't quite understand is, if the Winsford club were (temporarily) debt suspended - not sure why, perhaps they hadn't promptly paid some yellow card admin fees to Cheshire FA on time, how come match officials were still appointed (and turned up) for the match vs Vauxhall Motors on Monday 6th March 2023?

Indeed. Match officials should have been alerted to the cancellation before they set off and demand expenses! As it stands Winsford could win the rematch 4 - 0, improve their goal difference at the bottom AND take in another set of gate money. Some punishment that!!

 

[scarby]

Shameless plug time - especially as quite a few of you here seem to like lower league football you might find it interesting. I have started a blog about my adventures with Täby FK in Sweden. They play in Ettan Norra, which is the third tier. Attendances at Täby tend to be around the 150-400 mark, though some clubs in the division get many more. As the Swedish season is the "wrong way" round, pre-season has just finished.

You can read it here:

https://stayinup3.wordpress.com/

 

[Butts]

Scotland 2 v 0 Spain .......

Is this a misprint on BBC Sport....

I don't believe it

Currently in Barcelona.

 

[Darandio]

Scotland 2 v 0 Spain .......

Is this a misprint on BBC Sport....

I don't believe it

Currently in Barcelona.

They were fantastic and fully deserved it. Gamesmanship from Spain was awful throughout.

 

[Purple Train]

Shameless plug time - especially as quite a few of you here seem to like lower league football you might find it interesting. I have started a blog about my adventures with Täby FK in Sweden. They play in Ettan Norra, which is the third tier. Attendances at Täby tend to be around the 150-400 mark, though some clubs in the division get many more. As the Swedish season is the "wrong way" round, pre-season has just finished.

You can read it here:

https://stayinup3.wordpress.com/

That looks really interesting - I have a soft spot for Swedish football so I'll definitely be following along, thanks for that!

 

[1D54]

Scotland 2 v 0 Spain .......

Is this a misprint on BBC Sport....

I don't believe it

Currently in Barcelona.

What a fantastic day for the Nazts!! It'll not last so make the most of it.

 

[dangie]

.

Scotland 2 v 0 Spain .......

The Scottish football team will have to be renamed.
I always thought they were ‘Scotland Nil’

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

McTominay has hit a run of goals scored at just the right time over the first matches for Scotland in this competition.

 

[dangie]

‘Manchester United owe £969.6m through a combination of gross debt, bank borrowings and outstanding transfer fees with associated payments, according to new figures’

Manchester United: Premier League club owe almost £1bn, reveal new figures

Manchester United owe £969.6m through a combination of gross debt, bank borrowings and outstanding transfer fees with associated payments, according to new figures.

www.bbc.co.uk