Football

[VauxhallandI]

I remember in the late 1950s asking a teacher from Scotland how Third Lanark football team got its name....and he told me.

My gran used to serve the teas at Cathkin Park

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

is the correct answer - i said it would. The whole thing is driven by media hype and nonsense

More of interest to both you and I, the draw has been made for the FA Cup Second Qualifying round with both our teams having home advantage.

Darlington v Workington (Northern Premier League...Premier Division)

Hyde United v Albion Sports (Northern Counties East League...Premier Division)

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Albion Sports are our tenants at Horsfall having moved back to Bradford after a few years at Farsley once we our 3G pitch in.

Having won at Consett, Bradford face another away tie in the north-east at Blyth Spartans.

In recent years we have been drawn away to to Consett twice, Bedlington, Chester-Le-Street, Gateshead, Ashington, West Auckland and now Blyth, but never seem to get drawn against lower league Yorkshire sides.

The FA Cup of course is heavily loaded against clubs in the north. Regionalisation of the draws for the early rounds mean it is easier for southern and midland clubs to make the first round proper as, in relative terms, there are larger numbers of lower league sides from those areas in the competition.

 

[greatkingrat]

The FA Cup of course is heavily loaded against clubs in the north. Regionalisation of the draws for the early rounds mean it is easier for southern and midland clubs to make the first round proper as, in relative terms, there are larger numbers of lower league sides from those areas in the competition.

How do you work that out? If say, 10 out of 100 Northern clubs qualify and 20 out of 200 Southern clubs qualify, then the probability of qualifying is still the same for everyone.

 

[Haywain]

The FA Cup of course is heavily loaded against clubs in the north. Regionalisation of the draws for the early rounds mean it is easier for southern and midland clubs to make the first round proper as, in relative terms, there are larger numbers of lower league sides from those areas in the competition.

Regionalisation gives all of them a fair chance, but you need to remember that the midland clubs are actually northern. England is not square in shape (it's more triangular), and the theoretical dividing line is not half way up.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Regionalisation gives all of them a fair chance, but you need to remember that the midland clubs are actually northern. England is not square in shape (it's more triangular), and the theoretical dividing line is not half way up.

That being the case, there are still what one regards as being "southern" clubs playing in "northern" leagues.

 

[SuspectUsual]

That being the case, there are still what one regards as being "southern" clubs playing in "northern" leagues.

Absolutely. Just look at National League North

 

[dangie]

From the BBC website:
Cristiano Ronaldo says he and Lionel Messi "changed the history of football" but their rivalry is now "gone".

Widely regarded as all-time greats, they often faced each other in Spain's La Liga with Real Madrid and Barcelona.
"We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing," Ronaldo said.

He wants to think themselves lucky enough they didn’t play in the George Best era. He would have eclipsed the pair of them.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

From the BBC website:
Cristiano Ronaldo says he and Lionel Messi "changed the history of football" but their rivalry is now "gone".

Widely regarded as all-time greats, they often faced each other in Spain's La Liga with Real Madrid and Barcelona.
"We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing," Ronaldo said.

He wants to think themselves lucky enough they didn’t play in the George Best era. He would have eclipsed the pair of them.

I think that a comparison of Best and Messi in terms of actual personal achievements may not agree with your summation above.

 

[dangie]

I think that a comparison of Best and Messi in terms of actual personal achievements may not agree with your summation above.

Maybe if Best had been Argentinian & not from Northern Island achievements may have been different. Unfortunately Best never got to play in World Cup Finals. However he did win with Manchester United.

Of course they played in different era’s. Football was different. If you’d have asked my father who was the finest player he’d have said Stanley Matthews, or maybe Tom Finney. I was lucky to have seen George Best in his heyday. Unfortunately my club Stoke City were usually on the receiving end

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think that a comparison of Best and Messi in terms of actual personal achievements may not agree with your summation above.

As Best represented a national team that didn't have a great pool of talent to draw from other than Best himself, it isn't entirely fair to use international trophies or medals as a benchmark for individual ability. One extremely talented individual can only carry a team so far, so it's entirely possible that the potential heir to the Messi/Ronaldo duopoly (a certain Mr. Haaland) may never get the chance to test himself on the biggest international stage... at least until Yorkshire declares independence allowing him to switch allegiance!

 

[Peterthegreat]

Good players yes, great players maybe. But to claim they "changed the history of football" is open to debate. If that is the case then Pele, Eusebio, Mathews, Maradonna and Best were also game changers.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As Best represented a national team that didn't have a great pool of talent to draw from other than Best himself, it isn't entirely fair to use international trophies or medals as a benchmark for individual ability. One extremely talented individual can only carry a team so far, so it's entirely possible that the potential heir to the Messi/Ronaldo duopoly (a certain Mr. Haaland) may never get the chance to test himself on the biggest international stage... at least until Yorkshire declares independence allowing him to switch allegiance!

In my posting, the achievements that I made reference to were not just "international trophies and medals" but more to the point of Messi's performance in the football leagues that he has played and the number of goals scored and goal assists which were credited to him.

 

[dangie]

and goal assists which were credited to him.

On a side note, the term ‘goal assist’ is something I’d happily shove into the ‘Comedic “things you would ban”: minor things that irritate you’ thread.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

In my posting, the achievements that I made reference to were not just "international trophies and medals" but more to the point of Messi's performance in the football leagues that he has played and the number of goals scored and goal assists which were credited to him.

Whilst Messi was regarded by many as the "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time- another modern term that I'd be tempted to ban) prior to last year's World Cup triumph, there were just as many (if not more) who considered his lack of international success to be a demerit on his record in comparison to the likes of Pele, Maradona, and even Cristiano Ronaldo himself who won international honours with Portugal.
Whilst it isn't easy to compare a player from the 1950s (or even the 1970s) with one from the modern game, the fitness levels of elite players today is a universe away from how it was 40 years ago. Even this could go two ways though- Messi even today in the twilight of his career will be far fitter than Johann Cruyff was in his prime... but imagine what Cruyff would have been like with today's knowledge about diets and fitness regimes, or if he'd not also been smoking a packet of cigarettes a day.

 

[D1511]

Good players yes, great players maybe. But to claim they "changed the history of football" is open to debate. If that is the case then Pele, Eusebio, Mathews, Maradonna and Best were also game changers.

Let's not forget Johan Cruyff please. He genuinely changed the way the game was played with Rinus Michels, and then went on to create the modern FC Barcelona.
And the Dutch national team of the 1970s was a thing of genuine beauty.
(I'd urge anyone interested to seek out a Dutch film simply called "Nummer 14" which shows his balletic visionary genius in all its glory. Wonderful.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Let's not forget Johan Cruyff please. He genuinely changed the way the game was played with Rinus Michels, and then went on to create the modern FC Barcelona.
And the Dutch national team of the 1970s was a thing of genuine beauty.
(I'd urge anyone interested to seek out a Dutch film simply called "Nummer 14" which shows his balletic visionary genius in all its glory. Wonderful.

Great minds think alike!

 

[D1511]

Great minds think alike!

Yes, we must have been composing our Johan Cruyff tributes at the same time!

 

[Peterthegreat]

Let's not forget Johan Cruyff please. He genuinely changed the way the game was played with Rinus Michels, and then went on to create the modern FC Barcelona.
And the Dutch national team of the 1970s was a thing of genuine beauty.
(I'd urge anyone interested to seek out a Dutch film simply called "Nummer 14" which shows his balletic visionary genius in all its glory. Wonderful.

Agreed. As a teenager I paid my first visit to Wembley in 1977 to see the Dutch take England apart.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Agreed. As a teenager I paid my first visit to Wembley in 1977 to see the Dutch take England apart.

He's before my time, but there were three players that my late dad would wax lyrical about more than any others. Those three were George Best, Johann Cruyff, and Frank Worthington. There may have been a little bit of bias creeping in with big Frank!

 

[D1511]

He's before my time, but there were three players that my late dad would wax lyrical about more than any others. Those three were George Best, Johann Cruyff, and Frank Worthington. There may have been a little bit of bias creeping in with big Frank!

"Who needs cars and cash, when you've got a big moustache? Oh bless my soul, Frank Worthington!"

(Have a Google if you've never heard that tribute song to the great FW!)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2023 ==

To be sung in an Elvis Presley style....

Wah hoo

Wah hoo

When I start to sing
They say that I'm the king
But there's a guy i used to know whose hips have much more swing
He played for Leicester City
He weren't exactly pretty

Oh bless my soul
Frank Worthington

Who needs rock n roll when you've got ball control
When he put it in the net
There was a shaking rattle n roll

Well who needs cars n cash
When you've got a big moustache

Oh bless my soul
Frank Worthington

Well he wasn't as sharpe as Gary Lineker
Or tough like Gordon Banks
Keith Weller had great stockings
But He didn't have sideburns quite like Franks
Well who needs cars n cash
When you've got a big moustache
Oh bless my soul
Frank Worthington

Swing it Frank

Well he wasn't as sharpe as Gary Lineker
Or tough like Gordon Banks
Keith Weller had great stockings
But He didn't have sideburns quite like Franks
Well he played for Leicester City
And he weren't exactly pretty
Oh bless my soul Frank Worthington
Oh bless my soul Frank Worthington
Oh bless my soul Frank Worthington

uh-huh-huh

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Dixie Dean knew all routes to the goal of the opposition.

 

[dangie]

Dixie Dean knew all routes to the goal of the opposition.

Unfortunately there was no Match of the Day back then, so most of us will never know just how good Dixie Dean, Jackie Milburn, Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Nat Lofthouse, Duncan Edwards etc etc etc were. I know times change and the game has changed, but if my Dad was still alive he’d say these players were at least as good as any player today.

Fortunately this is one debate which can go on and on and on, with non of us being wrong but all of us being right

 

[156421]

On a side note, the term ‘goal assist’ is something I’d happily shove into the ‘Comedic “things you would ban”: minor things that irritate you’ thread.

Add also: the initialism "EPL"

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Add also: the initialism "EPL"

That's not as bad as people who still call it the "Premiership"... though if it were up to me it'd still be called Division One (or the First Division).

 

[156421]

That's not as bad as people who still call it the "Premiership"... though if it were up to me it'd still be called Division One (or the First Division).

There are some who still call it that...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There are some who still call it that...

Which they then have to clarify whether they mean the top flight; the second tier; or the one officially called "League One"!

To be honest Leagues One and Two are the worst ones for this- it isn't just misleading, it's poor English.

 

[156421]

Which they then have to clarify whether they mean the top flight; the second tier; or the one officially called "League One"!

To be honest Leagues One and Two are the worst ones for this- it isn't just misleading, it's poor English.

Particularly dumb when it's pundits referring to "the first division" or "division one" when it's their job to keep up to date with such basic facts as the competition name.

 

[75A]

I'm happy to see that my team Portsmouth are in the first division rather than division 3 lol

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In Scotland, I believe the four leagues in the top echelon are now officially known as:-
Scottish Premiership
Scottish Championship
Scottish League One
Scottish League Two

I cannot believe that the powers-that-be would for one moment asking advice from the supporters of the teams in those leagues when the time came for the renaming process.