Football

[En Passant 3,741]

30 seconds at a loose end was enough to discover that no stadium in the world currently has a standard capacity of even 1/3 of your proposed half a million and that further none has even for a one off with revised seating held more than half that.

If all the countries in the world, many more populous than ours don't need them, why do you consider that we do? Besides as has already been alluded to, there is nowhere in the country with the infrastructure to support access to such a white elephant. Aside from the right to wave a flag with "mines bigger than yours" emblazoned across it I really don't see the point?

[RIP Wee Jum 1,559]

Suspicious item discovered at Old Trafford was training device

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36297390

 

ha ha ha somebody is getting sacked in the morning

[Paul Bearer 6,101]

Suspicious item discovered at Old Trafford was training device

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36297390

 

ha ha ha somebody is getting sacked in the morning

Beat me to it Buford.

[Deathray 2,940]

https://twitter.com/willjohnson_20/status/731857084539637760

 

"Jihadi John, we don't give a fuck, we're going to win the FA Cup."

 

If anything sums up football fans it's that chant when the stadium is being evacuated for at what they would've believed at the time could be a potentially fatal threat.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

https://twitter.com/willjohnson_20/status/731857084539637760

 

"Jihadi John, we don't give a fuck, we're going to win the FA Cup."

 

If anything sums up football fans it's that chant when the stadium is being evacuated for at what they would've believed at the time could be a potentially fatal threat.

 

 

Aye, so there's still some proper scallies in the crowd, then?

[Deathray 2,940]

 

https://twitter.com/willjohnson_20/status/731857084539637760

 

"Jihadi John, we don't give a fuck, we're going to win the FA Cup."

 

If anything sums up football fans it's that chant when the stadium is being evacuated for at what they would've believed at the time could be a potentially fatal threat.

 

 

Aye, so there's still some proper scallies in the crowd, then?

 

 

Amazed they haven't been priced out of the Shrine to Ferguson to be honest.

[The Happy Reaper 223]

 

And Edinburgh City have won promotion to the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, beating East Stirlingshire 2-1 on aggregate in the playoff. The question in the capital now is which club will get to the Premiership first - City or Hibs?

 

 

And will "The Shire" ever recover?

 

Hard to say. If they turn out to be a big fish in a small pond and are winning games every week then their crowds might increase. However if they don't manage to bounce straight back up (finish second in the league or lose in the playoff against the Highland champions, even before they get to the playoff against the basement side in League Two) then crowds the season after next might start to shrink again. There is a parachute payment for being relegated which can help them build their squad.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

 

 

And Edinburgh City have won promotion to the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, beating East Stirlingshire 2-1 on aggregate in the playoff. The question in the capital now is which club will get to the Premiership first - City or Hibs?

 

 

And will "The Shire" ever recover?

 

Hard to say. If they turn out to be a big fish in a small pond and are winning games every week then their crowds might increase. However if they don't manage to bounce straight back up (finish second in the league or lose in the playoff against the Highland champions, even before they get to the playoff against the basement side in League Two) then crowds the season after next might start to shrink again. There is a parachute payment for being relegated which can help them build their squad.

 

 

 

Their crowds were never exactly big to start with.

 

Bit of a soft spot for them after reading "Pointless" the book about them trying to avoid finishing bottom of the whole league about a decade ago.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

You can now buy a Vardy bhaji.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Jamie-Vardy-Bhaji-named/story-29280119-detail/story.html

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Brighton might feel justifiably down this morning. Almost promoted automatically and now dumped out of the play-offs by late form merchants Sheffield Wednesday. Brighton now face the full-on glamour of Rotherham United and Burton Albion amongst the choice picks in next year's fixture list.

[The Happy Reaper 223]

 

 

 

And Edinburgh City have won promotion to the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, beating East Stirlingshire 2-1 on aggregate in the playoff. The question in the capital now is which club will get to the Premiership first - City or Hibs?

 

 

And will "The Shire" ever recover?

 

Hard to say. If they turn out to be a big fish in a small pond and are winning games every week then their crowds might increase. However if they don't manage to bounce straight back up (finish second in the league or lose in the playoff against the Highland champions, even before they get to the playoff against the basement side in League Two) then crowds the season after next might start to shrink again. There is a parachute payment for being relegated which can help them build their squad.

 

 

 

Their crowds were never exactly big to start with.

 

Bit of a soft spot for them after reading "Pointless" the book about them trying to avoid finishing bottom of the whole league about a decade ago.

 

Yes, I read that too. I loved the line about Alex Ferguson not achieving as much in his career if he'd stayed at Firs Park!

[charon 4,943]

 

Not that'll I'll be watching or listening, but Liverpool getting horsed off of Seville tonight is free to view with BT Sport Europe.

 

From memory , it's 414 on Sky.

[Deathray 2,940]

Not that'll I'll be watching or listening, but Liverpool getting horsed off of Seville tonight is free to view with BT Sport Europe.

 

From memory , it's 414 on Sky.

 

Also on BT Sport YouTube (official, legal etc etc) and BT Showcase on Freeview and I think, Virgin now.

 

Available for everyone. So rare that a intenational club game ends up on free to view these days I'm going to enjoy the YouTube stream,

[rockhopper penguin 2,265]

 

Not that'll I'll be watching or listening, but Liverpool getting horsed off of Seville tonight is free to view with BT Sport Europe.

 

From memory , it's 414 on Sky.

 

Also on BT Sport YouTube (official, legal etc etc) and BT Showcase on Freeview and I think, Virgin now.

 

Available for everyone. So rare that a intenational club game ends up on free to view these days I'm going to enjoy the YouTube stream,

 

You'll also be able to watch the Madrid derby, otherwise known as the Champions League Final.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Accrington Stanley tried everything - including a cunningly timed floodlight failure - to stop the might of AFC Wimbledon but the rightful Dons are now on their way to Wembley and a 90 minute date with fate and the chance to play those usurpers from Milton Keynes for league points next season

[The Happy Reaper 223]

As a former supporter of a team which was uprooted from its traditional home (well, twenty years) and moved to a new town, I share your pain. I followed Meadowbank Thistle until they were moved to West Lothian and renamed 'Livingston'. I stopped watching football completely but a lot of my friends started supporting a new team - Edinburgh City! With their promotion to League Two it's not impossible that they will come up against the franchise mob in the not-too-distant future.

 

Incidentally back in the early sixties another club was taken over by new owners and forcibly relocated. However in this case the supporters were able to show in court that the takeover was illegal and after a year they returned home. That club? East Stirlingshire!

[msc 18,439]

Thistle used to play in Partick (hence the name) before moving to Firhill in Maryhill in 1909. There was a fan vote on changing the name of the club to Maryhill Thistle, but thankfully it was decided overwhelmingly to keep the original name. It's really just down the road though. Google claims its a 3 mile difference, so I suspect Google isn't very sober.

 

Their old ground Meadowside was by the mouth of the Kelvin at the Clyde, opposite where the Riverside Museum is now situated, and a recurring urban legend is that they employed a young lad in a boat, because free kicks had a habit of going directly into the river, and the club couldn't afford extra balls.

[Deathray 2,940]

Accrington Stanley tried everything - including a cunningly timed floodlight failure - to stop the might of AFC Wimbledon but the rightful Dons are now on their way to Wembley and a 90 minute date with fate and the chance to play those usurpers from Milton Keynes for league points next season

 

Always wanted to see AFC Wimbledon leap-frog MK Dons ever since I heard about the whole thing. Hopefully Wimbledon go up and MK down.

 

The one benefit of this is that the traditional advantage MK have had since the moving, a higher league place, would be neutralised.

 

Of course this all rests on them beating Plymouth.

[YoungWillz 21,043]

I miss the ranter from Kilmarnock. Who will no doubt have something to say about this evening.

[Deathray 2,940]

Football league want 5 leagues of 20 teams (PL, Ch, L1, L2, L3) from 2018/19.

 

What a load of bollocks, just move the National League to League 3 status and keep the 20, 24, 24, 24, 24 structure. Heck ad 24 teams to the PL and extend the season.

[RIP Wee Jum 1,559]

I miss the ranter from Kilmarnock. Who will no doubt have something to say about this evening.

Killie "Hibsed it" tonight :-)

[themaninblack 2,112]

Football league want 5 leagues of 20 teams (PL, Ch, L1, L2, L3) from 2018/19.

 

What a load of bollocks, just move the National League to League 3 status and keep the 20, 24, 24, 24, 24 structure. Heck ad 24 teams to the PL and extend the season.

 

I think it's inevitable. The conference has many teams that are no different in size, support and finance to League 2. 46 matches it a hell of a lot of games to fit in, when you add the myriad cups and so on. Maybe 20, 20, 22, 22, 22 (106) might make a better structure IMO...

 

What annoys me is that among the top European leagues, Germany's Bundesliga has 18 teams and is awarded FOUR Champions League places! No wonder they can afford to take the winter off. Up to 20 teams, you lot!

[msc 18,439]

Look how small the Scottish top flight is. Imagine having to play Dundee or Kilmarnock four times a season, I'd rather be forced to chat with Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

 

Accrington Stanley tried everything - including a cunningly timed floodlight failure - to stop the might of AFC Wimbledon but the rightful Dons are now on their way to Wembley and a 90 minute date with fate and the chance to play those usurpers from Milton Keynes for league points next season

 

Always wanted to see AFC Wimbledon leap-frog MK Dons ever since I heard about the whole thing. Hopefully Wimbledon go up and MK down.

 

The one benefit of this is that the traditional advantage MK have had since the moving, a higher league place, would be neutralised.

 

Of course this all rests on them beating Plymouth.

 

 

 

Aye, but it happens. Blackpool have traditionally regarded the rag-tag "Cod Army" in Fleetwood as pre-season cannon fodder. In August they kick off in a division below them

[The Happy Reaper 223]

Look how small the Scottish top flight is. Imagine having to play Dundee or Kilmarnock four times a season, I'd rather be forced to chat with Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband.

The teams don't all play each other four times - that would be 44 games which the poor overworked players would complain about. What happens is that the teams play each other three times (12 teams, 33 games) then the league splits in half. The top six play each other once more for a total of 38 games, while the same happens in the bottom six. This can and does lead to abnormalities where the team in seventh place at the end of the season has more points than the one in sixth place, but they don't adjust the placings to take care of this.

 

It's unlikely but not impossible that the team in sixth place might have fewer points than all six of the teams below them, which would raise an interesting question on who gets relegated...