Football

[Haywain]

There's no reward for the long suffering fan

Apart from (theoretically, perhaps) seeing a higher standard of football?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If fans make the decision to still support a club that does nothing to benefit them, unless the club is a fan-owned club, there is nothing to stop these fans attending matches and paying for the undoubted displeasure for being taken for a ride. Clubs play the "club loyalty card" in the Knowledge of how fans react in real life.

 

[side effect]

Especially Southampton. True example of a yoyo club. Hope whoever is promoted actually spends to stay up and makes the prem actually feel like the prem.

I wonder if Luton regret not investing when promoted as they are now looking at successive demotions.

I say it every year to my kids when watching the play offs " they won't be this happy this time next year. I did everything to put my son off football and he's now a bus driver.

I know I go on about this but top flight football is such a rip off and fans are fooled by it.

Sorry for my lack of grammar

 

[SuspectUsual]

Apart from (theoretically, perhaps) seeing a higher standard of football?

Absolutely - certainly, they'll get to see the champions league teams

Relatively - almost certainly not; the promoted teams are rarely very competitive *



* just looked at the outcomes for the last ten seasons worth of promoted clubs:

- 30 teams promoted

- 15 of them came straight back down

- 7 finished safe in 15th to 17th but having had a relegation battle

- 5 managed a top half finish

- for the last 4 seasons 2, 2, 2 and 3 of the promoted clubs have come straight back down; this season it looks probable that all 3 will come back down

I wonder if Luton regret not investing when promoted as they are now looking at successive demotions

Its an interesting definition of "investing" - given how few clubs are profitable, chucking money at players after a promotion just means making a loss on a bigger turnover

 

[DarloRich]

I wonder if Luton regret not investing when promoted as they are now looking at successive demotions.

Aren't they investing in a new ground and new training facilities? I am sure the PL money will help with that!

 

[Haywain]

Absolutely - certainly, they'll get to see the champions league teams

Relatively - almost certainly not; the promoted teams are rarely very competitive *

It was a generic comment, not specifically about promotion from Championship to Premier League.

 

[side effect]

Aren't they investing in a new ground and new training facilities? I am sure the PL money will help with that!

They may have to put that on hold now if their current form continues.

 

[Howardh]

I know I go on about this but top flight football is such a rip off and fans are fooled by it.

Go to the bottom and enjoy football there instead, where £6 entry, £5 for a pie and a pint keeps the club alive!

Talking of the bottom, it's time for the draw for the first round of the "Famous" Bolton Hospital Cup. Been around for, what, a century, and it's a charity knock-out comp for all our local clubs, and in my experience games have been well supported. Gives a chance for those clubs outside the "Pyramid" to play those from step 5 and 6 and without the need for floodlights in the evenings.

Highlights of last season's final; Eagley are in yellow (as one commentator famously said "for those of you in black-and-white...)

 

[SuspectUsual]

It was a generic comment, not specifically about promotion from Championship to Premier League.

I think the comment still holds, albeit not to the same degree, apart from the moneyed clubs like Wrexham and Salford, until they reach the natural level for their degree of spending

 

[Haywain]

They may have to put that on hold now if their current form continues.

Why?

 

[side effect]

An excuse for the club to save money as I can't see them filling it in league 1 and I don't know is my answer tbh. Don't know the progress or even if the stadium has started yet.

 

[Haywain]

I don't know is my answer tbh

You should have stuck with that. The new stadium is, essentially, being built with the Premier League money and waiting would just mean that costs would increase while the PL money is frittered away on other things. The enabling works for the building (moving an electricity substation and the culverted river Lea) are well under way so any pause would just increase the amount of clearance work that would have to be done to restart at a later date.

I think the comment still holds, albeit not to the same degree, apart from the moneyed clubs like Wrexham and Salford, until they reach the natural level for their degree of spending

It's to a much lesser extent at lower levels. Whilst promotion to the PL requires immense amounts of spending to have a chance of survival, and the Championship may be a bit comparable, in other divisions it is more about the extent to which a promoted team can challenge at the top.

 

[froggy9]

To me the beautiful game is Rugby League. Football, especially Premier League is a very ugly game.

 

[Haywain]

To me the beautiful game is Rugby League. Football, especially Premier League is a very ugly game.

Well, as this is a football thread can I suggest you go and post on a Rugby League thread?

 

[43096]

It's a good thing there's VAR in the FA Cup from the fifth round based on the Palace vs Millwall game.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

North West Counties Football League...Premier Division

Bury 7 ... Litherland REMYCA 0

An attendance of 3,315 saw Bury 5-0 up at half time and this win consolidates their place as league leaders,

P39 ... W26 D10 L3 ... F 113 A 49 ... Pts 88

 

[Bald Rick]

It's a good thing there's VAR in the FA Cup from the fifth round based on the Palace vs Millwall game.

Bournemouth and Wolves fans will disagree!

 

[43096]

Bournemouthand Wolves fans will disagree!

Fair point!

There's an interesting question about the red card for Millwall's goalkeeper - would Michael Oliver have dismissed him if there hadn't been VAR? It was about as "red" a red card as you'll ever see - without VAR it's possible it would be like the not-disimilar Shcumacher/Battiston incident in the World Cup semi-final in 1982.

 

[iknowyeah]

I'm a Man City fan and I'm involved in a few supporter groups now to try and let the club know where it's real supporter base is, as pointless as it seems.
It looks like from what's coming from the club the 115 charges will be a minimal punishment which for the club and team is great, however our point is if we did somehow get relegated or have a bad spell, would these new supporters pay £72 every game, when they've stopped allowing new season cards. Our point is we're a team in a working class area with working class supporters, and the club are taking us all for a ride, hence the phrase Stop Exploiting Loyalty.

I also follow North Ferriby FC due to going to uni in Hull and have put a bit of money in when they almost went bust, and also groundhop a lot so I know the arguments, but why should a generation of people lose out on supporting their local team just because they became successful and football became a plaything for billionaires. We've had success at West Ham and Liverpool to an extent getting season ticket freezes, we're asking for the same and more season ticket sales due to our new stand. I don't think this is a lot to ask for, however for our management it's beyond the pale.

And don't even get me started on City Matters, our supporters dialogue group, we've had some great reps on there and the club realised this and we have no chance of another

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Northern Premier League...Premier Division

Hyde United's slide down the league table main cause is by the large number of 1-1 draws in results, some recent ones involving conceding an equaliser right at the end of the game. For the last two seasons, they have finished sixth in the league, missing the play-offs by a single place. Matters seem not all that bad, as they have a current record on won 11, drawn 14, lost 8 (the most number of draws than any other team).

Recently, they have won home and away matches against teams higher league placed and yesterday, beat another mid-table side Lancaster City 1-0, with the goal coming mid-way in the first half. That result sees them in 9th position.

 

[DarloRich]

Darlington 2 v Brackley 4

Darlo 2-0 up and cruising, lost 4-2. Sigh. I KNOW Brackley are a coined up club out of all proportion to thier size but we couldn't defend simply long throws or corners. FFS.

I note the MK Dongs have sacked another manager!

Milton Keynes Dons have sacked head coach Scott Lindsey after Saturday's defeat by Colchester United added to their miserable start to 2025.
The loss was MK's 11th in 16 League Two matches dating back to mid-December.

Scott Lindsey: MK Dons sack head coach after miserable run

MK Dons sack head coach Scott Lindsey after Saturday's defeat by Colchester United added to their miserable start to 2025.

www.bbc.com

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

National League North

Oxford City 0 ... Buxton 7

(Information from one of my new neighbours who supports Buxton, but was unable to attend the match)

The match was goal-less in until seven minutes before half-time, then Oxford City conceded three quick goals and went in 0-3 down at half time. Buxton added another four unanswered goals in the second half to register an emphatic away win. Oxford City are still just above the bottom four in the division, but this defeat has done their goal difference no favours.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

North West Counties Football League...Premier Division

Bury 2 ... Barnoldswick Town 0

Yet another large attendance of 3,497 saw Bury score in the 14th and the 65th minutes and this win consolidates their place as league leaders.

From the 40 league matches played this season, they have 91 points and have scored 115 goals.

 

[1D54]

I found myself in Shrewsbury area today so nipped to TNS v Haverfordwest County in the Welsh Premier. Must say it's a lovely set up and the football the home side play certainly deserve more punters watching than they get. Probably 350 there today to see them inch another step closer to the title with a 5-1 win.. A local told me they made over €6m after playing in all three euro competitions this season.

 

[JD2168]

Michael Duff has been sacked as Huddersfield Town manager.

 

[AndyHudds]

Michael Duff has been sacked as Huddersfield Town manager.

As a season ticket holder of long standing at Town I'm a bit torn on this, he's quite a likeable bloke and comes across well. He's had a horrendous injury list to deal with but the style of play hasn't gone down well with the fans to put it mildly. Some fans wanted him gone but we've had this revoling door policy of managers in the last 5 or 6 years so I wanted a bit of stability for a few seasons, see what could be achieved but the injuries have stacked up, form deserted us and being pretty ropey to watch have all transpired against Duff.

 

[DarloRich]

Strange week for Darlo

Lost 2-1 at Spennymoor on Tuesday despite playing really well ( winner score by a guy on loan at us last season)

Won 2-0 at Hereford on Saturday who were top of the form charts!

 

[Howardh]

Superb result for Chorley (Level 6/ Step 2) 3 - 2 v Chester after going 2 down. After a dodgy spell around the new year, Preecey's boys have hit form just at the right time!!

 

[SuspectUsual]

Back to back home wins for Halifax over the last 7 days, against high-flying Forest Green and then Yeovil. Lovely to see that after all these years Steve Cotterill is just as bitter in defeat as he was back in 97/98 when his Cheltenham team cam e second to us in the Conference.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Northern Premier League...Premier Division

Hyde United's slide down the league table main cause is by the large number of 1-1 draws in results, some recent ones involving conceding an equaliser right at the end of the game. For the last two seasons, they have finished sixth in the league, missing the play-offs by a single place. Matters seem not all that bad, as they have a current record on won 11, drawn 14, lost 8 (the most number of draws than any other team).

I wonder if Hyde United are looking to set a record for the most number of drawn games in the Northern Premier League...Premier Division? The weekend match saw a 1-1 draw against Whitby Town, meaning that they have now drawn 15 out of the 34 matches played this season, of which 12 have been 1-1 draws.

 

[Darandio]

it is also still a very high quality production, gets the balance of action and "analysis" right (IMO) and keeps things quite snappy - compare it to the useless football league highlights show on ITV which seems to film it's pictures on an old fashioned camera, sited on the moon with a lens smeared in tallow. As for the commentary/analysis...............

Seems the BBC chairman disagrees. More analysis and examination, less highlights. Not something I particularly agree with as I personally think the BBC show the bare minimum of match footage as it is.

Match of the Day: BBC chairman says show should include fewer highlights

Match of the Day should show fewer Premier League highlights and more analysis, says BBC chairman Samir Shah.

www.bbc.co.uk

Match of the Day should show fewer Premier League highlights and more analysis, says BBC chairman Samir Shah.
The BBC has a deal to show highlights of top-flight matches until the end of the 2028-29 season, with Match of the Day broadcast on Saturday evenings and MOTD2 on Sunday evenings.

Shah told the Sunday Times, that many fans had watched Premier League goals and action before Match of the Day is broadcast.

Shah said the show "should not be built around highlights".

He added: "It should be built around analysis and examination of the match to give viewers a deeper insight."

Although the BBC is politically independent, its chairperson is appointed by the government.

In his role as chair of the BBC's board Shah is charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Match of the Day celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024.

It is hosted by former England striker Gary Lineker, who will step down at the end of this season.