Football

[richw]

Ramp up that goal difference!

equally or more important you have had a 10 goal difference deficit on newcastle to be 1 goal better off now

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Champions League semi-final (2nd leg)

Real Madrid 2....Borussia Dortmund 0

These two late goals were not enough, even allowing for their away goal carried forward, for Real Madrid, as again the 4-3 aggregate scoreline meant that Real Madrid have not qualified for the final.

 

[Oswyntail]

And, away from the glamour, here is a very sad tale from the lower reaches:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22350078

Mansfield Town defender John Thompson has been forced to retire from professional football at the age of 31.
He has never fully recovered from the mental scars left by a terrible facial injury suffered in a pre-season friendly in 2011....
Thompson was left with a broken nose and needing nearly 60 stitches in the pre-season friendly against Ilkeston FC in August 2011.
Mansfield manager Paul Cox called the game off with 17 minutes left, with Thompson the third player to require hospital treatment after challenges by Ilkeston FC striker Gary Ricketts, who was subsequently banned for two weeks and fined two weeks' wages by his club.

Given the calls for the ending of the career of a professional player recently for vigorously sucking another player's arm, it is interesting to note that Ricketts is still playing for Ilkeston. It's a man's game, eh!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Given the calls for the ending of the career of a professional player recently for vigorously sucking another player's arm, it is interesting to note that Ricketts is still playing for Ilkeston. It's a man's game, eh!

I would not advise you to make your final comment in the hearing of the players of the English women's top professional league...

 

[familyguy99]

I see Altrincham won 2-1 in last night play offs mean if they can avoid to lose on Saturday then their be in play offs final and only 90 mins away from promotion to Blue Square Premier.

Also here is new Oldham Athletic home kit for 2013/14 season.

http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/article/20130430-newkitlo-800350.aspx

 

[Oswyntail]

I would not advise you to make your final comment in the hearing of the players of the English women's top professional league...

From my experience of top lady professional footballers, I am sure they would behave in a most civilised manner, noting my sarcasm, and engaging in a proper discussion. From my experience of the equivalent "gentlemen", if i made an equivalent remark, I would certainly run the risk of being nutted.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Well done to Dortmund last night, deserving winners, Madrid had about five chances before their two goals alone to reduce the deficit and they didn't.

On the note of Suarez, and this is assuming he bit (as in his teeth made contact with) Ivanovic, as far as I'm concerned what he did was illegal (according to the law of England and Wales, not just association rules football): when a player (Ivanovic in this case) agrees to play a game they automatically acknowledge and accept the possibility of getting injured, or being on the receiving end of some tackles / fouls, so long as they are received within contesting for the ball and are covered in the laws of the game (e.g. a challenge for the ball which breaks a leg; see McManaman v Newcastle etc). However, neither of these is met in Suarez's case - it was off the ball and biting is not a reasonable action, nor is a bite covered in the rules in the way that a tackle attempting to gain the ball that breaks someone's leg is. To the best of my awareness, this takes it above and beyond the protection from the law that playing a sport brings, and actually makes it a viable option that he could have been charged with battery, in a similar way Keane could have been when he admitted that he intended to hurt Haaland in that infamous incident. I doubt it will ever happen at that level however, however it has happened before: I cannot remember the name but a rugby player was once jailed for stamping on an opponents head off the ball.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Lancashire Youth Cup Final.

Rochdale 5 v 0 Wigan Athletic.

If these young lads keep developing as they have been, we'll have a decent team in a year or two...

 

[richw]

Barcelona now need 6 goals, Bayern are 1-0 up in Barcelona. Dont think the Nou Camp has ever been so quiet, 25 mins to go.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Need 7 now: Pique own goal! Barca haven't shown up for either legs. Their fate was completed to be honest when Messi didn't start tonight (and so far hasn't featured).

 

[richw]

That will be 8.

 

[familyguy99]

So Bayern Munich will be in final for third time in four years, I think Bayern will win Champion League but I think Borussia Dortmund will give them a good game not like Barcelona have done in SF.

 

[richw]

Full Time 7-0 to Bayern in aggregate, who'd have bet on that score line?

 

[familyguy99]

It be first time in over 12 years that German team have won Champion League and last team from Germany to win it was Bayern Munich, will they do it again or will Dortmund beat them and win Champion League for first time since 1997, it be good final on 25th May whatever happens.

 

[Butts]

Full Time 7-0 to Bayern in aggregate, who'd have bet on that score line?

A lucky man - I bet that would have been 100-1

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Bayern Munich, Juve or Borussia Dortmund are my favourites for this year's CL. The latter in particular bear a lot of similarities to how Barca were about 5 years ago.

Matt made this posting early in March, so to have named both finalists from the three teams that he named then shows he is indeed a most perceptive Football thread member. I am most impressed by his reading of this seasons Champions League competition.

 

[richw]

A lucky man - I bet that would have been 100-1

I'd say more than 100-1, you'd of expected at least one barca goal.

There is a dress rehearsal for the final on saturday evening in the Bundesliga.

The Bundesliga structure is a great model for other leagues to follow, the teams are licenced and have to meet strict financial rules.
They also have home grown player rules, which seems to be giving great positives on the national team
Bayern Munich have made profit for the last 19 years, despite incomes being lower, The average ticket price at Borrusia Dortmund is 15 euros, and the Bundesliga has the highest average attendance of any top European League.

 

[Mr Spock]

Well done to Dortmund last night, deserving winners, Madrid had about five chances before their two goals alone to reduce the deficit and they didn't.

On the note of Suarez, and this is assuming he bit (as in his teeth made contact with) Ivanovic, as far as I'm concerned what he did was illegal (according to the law of England and Wales, not just association rules football): when a player (Ivanovic in this case) agrees to play a game they automatically acknowledge and accept the possibility of getting injured, or being on the receiving end of some tackles / fouls, so long as they are received within contesting for the ball and are covered in the laws of the game (e.g. a challenge for the ball which breaks a leg; see McManaman v Newcastle etc). However, neither of these is met in Suarez's case - it was off the ball and biting is not a reasonable action, nor is a bite covered in the rules in the way that a tackle attempting to gain the ball that breaks someone's leg is. To the best of my awareness, this takes it above and beyond the protection from the law that playing a sport brings, and actually makes it a viable option that he could have been charged with battery, in a similar way Keane could have been when he admitted that he intended to hurt Haaland in that infamous incident. I doubt it will ever happen at that level however, however it has happened before: I cannot remember the name but a rugby player was once jailed for stamping on an opponents head off the ball.

Duncan Ferguson got 3 months in 1994 for a head butt on John McStay of Raith Rovers when playing for Rangers.

 

[Butts]

I'd say more than 100-1, you'd of expected at least one barca goal.

There is a dress rehearsal for the final on saturday evening in the Bundesliga.

The Bundesliga structure is a great model for other leagues to follow, the teams are licenced and have to meet strict financial rules.
They also have home grown player rules, which seems to be giving great positives on the national team
Bayern Munich have made profit for the last 19 years, despite incomes being lower, The average ticket price at Borrusia Dortmund is 15 euros, and the Bundesliga has the highest average attendance of any top European League.

Does this indicate Premier League Fans are being "ripped off" big time - where is all the money going :roll:

 

[DarloRich]

This evening Darlington were presented the Northern League Trophy after a 3-0 victory against Guisborough.

Our record was P46 W40 D2 L4 GD110 Pts122

 

[David]

Not a bad league record there, in fact, pretty damn impressive!

 

[richw]

Does this indicate Premier League Fans are being "ripped off" big time - where is all the money going :roll:

Depends how you look at it, part of the licence criteria for bundesliga entry involves having an academy meeting certain standards. Due to this the clubs don't seem to make big money signings very often, as the majority of players are academy products.

I believe the license rules were bought in to bundesliga around 2001/2 and it had caused a short term drop for probable long term gain. Looks like the rules are starting to pay off for Germans.
For the entire league average attendances of 43000, majority of English teams couldnr even capacitate such attendances, let alone average it through entire league.

English ticket prices are paying for the outrageous transfer fees, bundesliga ticket prices don't ed to cover these so much, bit simply keeping their academy going.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This evening Darlington were presented the Northern League Trophy after a 3-0 victory against Guisborough.

Our record was P46 W40 D2 L4 GD110 Pts122

Well done. A great step forward on the road to recovery.

 

[gnolife]

I see Altrincham won 2-1 in last night play offs mean if they can avoid to lose on Saturday then their be in play offs final and only 90 mins away from promotion to Blue Square Premier.

Unfortunately, I must take the negative stance with this - given that Halifax threw a 1-0 lead against Guiseley at the Shay away, I can't see them managing to make it through to the final. I also, thinking realistically, can't see Alty managing much if we do end up playing Guiseley having seen how shambolic the defense was being - it took one hell of a big dose of luck, and some outstanding goalkeeping from Stuart Coburn to beat Brackley in the first leg.

 

[jon0844]

Full Time 7-0 to Bayern in aggregate, who'd have bet on that score line?

Some Asian syndicates and the Barca team?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

"Extra, extra, read all about it, football thread descends into "match-fixing-not-involving-Man-Utd" shocker!"

*Dons tin hat and ducks for cover*

 

[jon0844]

How do you know Sir Alex didn't place the bet?!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Fair point, can we strip him of his Knighthood now or do we need more proof?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is good to see that that our more creative conspiracy theorists on the forum show that that they have lost none of their deductive capabilities....

 

[Butts]

Rafa's boys are on the march......

Come on Chelsea

Blimey quiet on here tonight, no one else going to congratulate Chelsea on booking their passage to meet Benfica in Amsterdam!!