Football

[Cowley]

And an awful lot of spare time

Meanwhile, Manchester City have made Real Madrid look like a pub team for 45 minutes, and then a Championship team for the second half. Absolutely blew them away

Watched it in the pub. City were absolutely excellent. Hats off.

 

[E27007]

Attached is a PDF, the FA Poster about betting

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Attached is a PDF, the FA Poster about betting

Well, that makes it totally clear in its wording.

 

[dangie]

Watched it in the pub. City were absolutely excellent. Hats off.

I watch these matches simply hoping to see a good game. Whoever wins I don't care. My thoughts will be exactly the same come the final. When it comes to supporting English clubs in European competitions, most Premier League clubs are as English as spaghetti. The match is more important to me than the result.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I watch these matches simply hoping to see a good game. Whoever wins I don't care. My thoughts will be exactly the same come the final. When it comes to supporting English clubs in European competitions, most Premier League clubs are as English as spaghetti. The match is more important to me than the result.

Obviously City aren't English-owned, but last night they had:

3/11 English in the starting XI (Walker, Stones, Grealish)

1/3 English subs used (Foden)

4/7 English unused subs (Phillips, Carson, Palmer, Lewis)

So 8/21 overall, which doesn't seem that bad to me

 

[Ascotroyal]

What's the deal with your current owners? Are they of the "mysterious foreign consortium" type that seem to own more and more English clubs? I know a couple of West Brom fans who aren't happy with their owners who are of that ilk.
Over the coming weeks we're going to have a change of ownership too, with "local boy made good" Dean Hoyle handing over (subject to EFL approval) to Kevin Nagle, an American businessman who is the current owner of Sacramento Republic who play in one of the second-tier (albeit with no promotion there) leagues in the USA. Whether this turns out to be a good thing remains to be seen, but it appears so far that his heart is in the right place at least.

Earlier in the season I'd already prepared myself for League One and was trying to focus on the good aspects: we'd be a slightly bigger fish in a slightly smaller pond, and it's a league where winning promotion isn't quite the poisoned chalice that getting into the Premier League can be. There's the EFL Trophy which can be fun if you get to the later stages, and a chance to visit some non-league grounds in rounds 1 & 2 of the FA Cup. Most of those things also apply to Reading, though you've had longer away from that level so it may be more of a culture shock. If it's any consolation, Plymouth and Ipswich have shown that it's still possible to rise above the so-called bigger clubs currently at that level, though at least one of Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday will still be there next season. On a personal level I'm hoping both are, as I'd rather Bolton or Barnsley win the play-offs!

Out of interest will you be coming to the game on Monday? I know you'd sold out your allocation in anticipation of it being a "winner takes all" game, but there is a discussion on our message board about whether some will stay away now that it's decided. The consensus among our lot is that there's no animosity between the sides other than a bit of a playful grudge about you guys poaching Craig Maskell from us (depends how old you are, I'm just old enough to remember him!) and a feeling that all of your fans were gracious in defeat in 2017. I didn't hear of any of our fans giving it the Billy big-plums attitude after the game, but if they did I can only apologise on their behalf. The atmosphere around Wembley back then was night and day compared to last May with the sore winners from West Bridgford!

Sorry for the late reply. Been a crazy last few weeks. The owner is Chinese. The problem with him is in the 6 years he has owned us he hasnt spoken to the fans/supporters trust once. Nobody really know his plans.

When he first took over he seemed to just throw money at the team trying to get to the Premier League. He makes poor decisions like keeping Paul Ince in the job longer than he should have when Mark Bowen who is director of football wanted to sack him back in February.

I went to the game on the last day of the season. I try to go to every game home and away during the season.

Fair play to Huddersfield. Since Warnock came in he has turned you round. Any chance of him been in charge next season?

I went to the 2017 play off final and chatted to some of your supporters on the tube before and after all who were friendly and decent so i dont have a bad word to say about Huddersfield.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I went to the game on the last day of the season. I try to go to every game home and away during the season.

Fair play to Huddersfield. Since Warnock came in he has turned you round. Any chance of him been in charge next season?

I went to the 2017 play off final and chatted to some of your supporters on the tube before and after all who were friendly and decent so i dont have a bad word to say about Huddersfield.

Fair play for getting to every game home and away, something I've never managed to do (though I haven't seriously tried either).
Warnock won't be here next season, he doesn't work winters any more. Not sure who will be in charge, but hopefully we won't need Warnock to come back and rescue us!

2017 was a great day, not just because we won but because the atmosphere was so friendly between the groups of fans despite what was at stake. Night and day compared to last year where it seemed the vast majority of Forest fans were utterly insufferable before, during and after the game. Had a friendly chat with one or two in a pub in Hammersmith after the game, but most of them were exactly like what non-football fans think everyone is like. Things like sweary songs in front of families with young kids and ganging up on older fans.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I went to every Bradford (PA) game, home and away, from 1968 to 1971 or 1972, apart from a friendly at Bacup which I didn't know about. I remember my panic one Monday morning in my halls of residence in Manchester in 1969 when I discovered Bradford had a hastily rearranged game at Exeter that night. But I got there - and there was even a train back.

Eventually I moved to Hull and was led astray by an offer of ground hopping holiday in Scotland and the futility of travelling long distances to see games in the North West Floodlit League or the West Riding Cup. Bradford eventually played two first team matches on the same day - away to Bangor in the NPL and Goole in the WRCC, so I would have been shafted. I went to Goole.

Interestingly in Bradford's first season in the Football League, 1908-09, they weren't exempted from the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup. Thus on 17/10/1908 Bradford's first team lost 2-0 at home to Grimsby in D2 while the reserves won 11-0 at Denby Dale in the FA Cup 2nd qualifying round. This remains the official record victory for Park Avenue's first team even though they fielded eleven reserves. The highest ever attendance at Park Avenue of 32,810 is another unlikely club record - it was set for a Wartime League North game against Blackpool in 1944 - a few weeks before D-Day.

 

[150249]

Fair play Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday 5 (5) Peterborough United 1 (5)
Sheffield Wednesday win 5-3 on penalties.

To come back from 4 goals down is mental

 

[SuspectUsual]

Fair play Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday 5 (5) Peterborough United 1 (5)
Sheffield Wednesday win 5-3 on penalties.

To come back from 4 goals down is mental

Darren Ferguson’s team concede the equaliser in the 8th minute of a minimum of 6 minutes added. Fergie time indeed

(It was fair enough, there was a substitution and a fair bit of Peterborough timewasting in the allotted 6 minutes)

 

[Harvester]

Fair play Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday 5 (5) Peterborough United 1 (5)
Sheffield Wednesday win 5-3 on penalties.

To come back from 4 goals down is mental

First team in the EFL playoffs to overcome a four goal first leg deficit.

 

[AlterEgo]

Of course the funniest outcome is for Wednesday to go on and lose the final. A famous and storied club with a fanbase who have literally no embarrassment about being the biggest club in the third tier, giving it large everywhere they go.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Of course the funniest outcome is for Wednesday to go on and lose the final. A famous and storied club with a fanbase who have literally no embarrassment about being the biggest club in the third tier, giving it large everywhere they go.

I fully predict we will lose to Barnsley at Wembley, at that point we may feel some embarrassment.

 

[Cross City]

I must say I very much like the so-called bigger clubs getting humbled in the playoffs. Sunderland losing to Luton was great and Derby not even making the cut was fantastic.

Hopefully Barnsley win the League 1 final as its a much easier away day for me, and Luton beating Cov will do me nicely.

 

[AlterEgo]

I fully predict we will lose to Barnsley at Wembley, at that point we may feel some embarrassment.

I wouldn’t bet on it. Feels a bit like Wednesday have done their time in L1. Barnsley are a good team though.

 

[Bald Rick]

I must say I very much like the so-called bigger clubs getting humbled in the playoffs.

I don’t. It’s a real shame.

 

[dangie]

I must say I very much like the so-called bigger clubs getting humbled in the playoffs...

I must add that my club, Stoke City, who were once a ‘big’ club, would love the chance to be humbled in the playoffs

 

[Haywain]

Sunderland 2-1 Luton

Pass and move 2-1 Hoof and head it

Winners 2 - 0 Losers (3-2 agg). Celebrating at half time? What a mistake.

 

[AlterEgo]

I don’t. It’s a real shame.

No such thing as a "big club" really, if Sheffield Wednesday with all their resources can't win League One I don't see why anyone should feel sorry for them if they don't go up.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No such thing as a "big club" really, if Sheffield Wednesday with all their resources can't win League One I don't see why anyone should feel sorry for them if they don't go up.

What was once regarded as a "big" club in the days of yore was based upon a totally different premise to what a "big" club is thought in the 21st century.

 

[1D54]

Fleetwood Town owner Andy Pilley convicted on fraud charges in a trial that has lasted 8 months at Preston Crown Court. Remanded in custody and surely the the fit and proper owners test will now put this one man bank rolled club in more than a spot of bother!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Fleetwood Town owner Andy Pilley convicted on fraud charges in a trial that has lasted 8 months at Preston Crown Court. Remanded in custody and surely the the fit and proper owners test will now put this one man bank rolled club in more than a spot of bother!

Good opportunity for the Fishermen's Friends company to step into the breach.

 

[Howardh]

So it's Wednesday v Barnsley in the playoffs final. South Yorkshire takes over London for the day.

The trains will be, er, interesting!

 

[THC]

Eleven years after they were overlooked for the vacant SFL spot created by the liquidation of Rangers in favour of a zombie club playing at Ibrox, Spartans FC have just been promoted to the SPFL following a 2-1 aggregate victory against Albion Rovers in the League Two play-offs. Albion join Cowdenbeath, Berwick Rangers and East Stirlingshire in next year's fifth-tier Lowland League.

THC

 

[Cheshire Scot]

a zombie club playing at Ibrox

I love the description
And congrats to Spartans!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Talking of football in Scotland, Fort William FC were once regularly mentioned on this thread in their Highland League days (especially when they had lost by more than 10 goals) and they were finally placed in the North Caledonian League being unable to fulfil the end of the season play-off matches.

They have seemed to have found their level in that league, finishing this season third out of thirteen teams, gaining 45 points from 24 matches.

 

[Purple Train]

Talking of football in Scotland, Fort William FC were once regularly mentioned on this thread in their Highland League days (especially when they had lost by more than 10 goals) and they were finally placed in the North Caledonian League being unable to fulfil the end of the season play-off matches.

They have seemed to have found their level in that league, finishing this season third out of thirteen teams, gaining 45 points from 24 matches.

I imagine the Fort William supporters are grumbling that it "takes the fun out of winning"...

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Talking of football in Scotland, Fort William FC were once regularly mentioned on this thread in their Highland League days (especially when they had lost by more than 10 goals) and they were finally placed in the North Caledonian League being unable to fulfil the end of the season play-off matches.

They have seemed to have found their level in that league, finishing this season third out of thirteen teams, gaining 45 points from 24 matches.

That perhaps always was their level but they left that league to join the Highland league in the mid 1980s and apart from the first few seasons usually ended up at or near the bottom with a goals against total in three figures. It should be noted Shinty is a more popular sport in Fort William than football at least as far as local interest and participation goes.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Nottingham Forest 1 ... Arsenal 0

Different implications for both these teams

 

[Harvester]

So Man City are Champions with three games in hand!