Football Focus

[62613]

3 minutes ago, south_tyne said:

Honestly, does nobody want to finish in third and fourth place!? 

Given the cash cow which is the (almost) Champions' League, yes!

 

On another note, we (Stalybridge) survived, with a 1-0 victory over Grantham, and finished above them. I don't think anyone noticed that, if both ourselves and Mickleover won (they did!) and Marine lost (they did!) then they would be the ones relegated. A very sad day for a friendly and well-run club, which has been in the NPL Premier for as long as I can remember.

[LBRJ]

Up The Blades!!!

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, gordon s said:

Don’t feel quite so bad about losing to the Hammers knowing Arsenal got beat.

 

Never thought I’d want Utd to beat Chelsea to keep us clear in third.....

You will still be 3rd if Chelsea win*, so please can we have the 3 points and keep United out of it!

 

*Unless by a silly score! 

[brenn]

2 hours ago, gordon s said:

Don’t feel quite so bad about losing to the Hammers knowing Arsenal got beat.

 

Never thought I’d want Utd to beat Chelsea to keep us clear in third.....

stop Hazzard Mu win dont and they lose......can't type about us now...shocking!!

[Hobby]

Boy! I'm not sure I can stand the next two matches, last season was so easy in comparison, the only thing I was worried about was if we'd make the magic 100!

[gordon s]

It’s been a great season and I can’t call it. 1-1 draw for Chelsea was probably an acceptable outcome for Spurs at Old Trafford.

 

Justice was seen to be done with GLT for City. Not sure if that would have been given a season or two ago.

 

Staggering to think Liverpool could score 97 points with just one loss and finish 2nd.

 

Hopefully Spurs and Chelsea will fill the other two places, but based on the last few results, anything can happen.

[south_tyne]

4 hours ago, 62613 said:

On another note, we (Stalybridge) survived, with a 1-0 victory over Grantham, and finished above them. I don't think anyone noticed that, if both ourselves and Mickleover won (they did!) and Marine lost (they did!) then they would be the ones relegated. A very sad day for a friendly and well-run club, which has been in the NPL Premier for as long as I can remember.

 

That's a shame about Marine, a famous old non-league club. Pleased that Stalybridge stayed up (another club I have always had a soft spot for).  

 

Morpeth Town will be heading up to NPL Premier after securing the title. We will wait and see if South Shields can negotiate the play-offs in the Premier. They play Grantham on Tuesday night. 

[62613]

33 minutes ago, south_tyne said:

 

They play Grantham on Tuesday night. 

Do you mean Buxton? Grantham finished below Stalybridge. The playoffs are an utter lottery; I can remember my other team (Oldham) were involved in the first Division 2 playoffs, against Leeds. In the semifinal second leg, they were going through 2-1, when Andy Ritchie and Keith Edwards combined, in the last minute, to score a Leeds equaliser. Nobody could score in extra time, so Leeds reached the final on away goals. Oldham had finished third, six points ahead of Leeds, and had beaten them four times out of the six games between them that season. It still hurts, 33 years later!

[south_tyne]

19 minutes ago, 62613 said:

Do you mean Buxton?

 

Yes, thank you, what a muppet I am. There is no excuse for mixing up the two. I know Shields were really disappointed to miss out on automatic promotion. I imagine so other clubs in the NPL think they may be getting too big for their boots but crowds of 2,000 at that level are incredible. I don't think it will be long until the have reached our (Gateshead) level or even got back into the Football League; I know that is their long-term ambition. There is a very complex and convoluted history between the two clubs - when Gateshead have gone bust, the Shields club have twice moved 'lock stock and barrel' to take our place and become 'Gateshead' - so there is some animosity locally!

 

 

[brenn]

2 hours ago, gordon s said:

It’s been a great season and I can’t call it. 1-1 draw for Chelsea was probably an acceptable outcome for Spurs at Old Trafford.

 

Justice was seen to be done with GLT for City. Not sure if that would have been given a season or two ago.

 

Staggering to think Liverpool could score 97 points with just one loss and finish 2nd.

 

Hopefully Spurs and Chelsea will fill the other two places, but based on the last few results, anything can happen.

i'm repeatedly  going off you Gordon:)...Chelsea and Spurs top 4 indeed!!....we ave been total nonsense for the run in, but still games to go.

 

B

[Torper]

2 hours ago, 62613 said:

.....The playoffs are an utter lottery; I can remember my other team (Oldham) were involved in the first Division 2 playoffs, against Leeds. In the semifinal second leg, they were going through 2-1, when Andy Ritchie and Keith Edwards combined, in the last minute, to score a Leeds equaliser. Nobody could score in extra time, so Leeds reached the final on away goals. Oldham had finished third, six points ahead of Leeds, and had beaten them four times out of the six games between them that season. It still hurts, 33 years later!

 

Reminds me of Brechin City in the 2016/17 Scottish League One season.  They finished fourth, 31 points behind the leaders and having lost more games than they'd won.  To everyone's surprise they then scraped through the playoffs, winning both rounds on penalties and going up to the Championship.  Their 2017/18 season there was a disaster as with no wins they managed to accumulate a total of 4 points, finishing 26 points below the second bottom team.  That season clearly took its toll - this season they're currently bottom of League One and if they don't win their final match against second bottom Stenhousemuir on Saturday they'll be automatically relegated again.

 

DT   

[62613]

12 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

Yes, thank you, what a muppet I am. There is no excuse for mixing up the two. I know Shields were really disappointed to miss out on automatic promotion. I imagine so other clubs in the NPL think they may be getting too big for their boots but crowds of 2,000 at that level are incredible. I don't think it will be long until the have reached our (Gateshead) level or even got back into the Football League; I know that is their long-term ambition. There is a very complex and convoluted history between the two clubs - when Gateshead have gone bust, the Shields club have twice moved 'lock stock and barrel' to take our place and become 'Gateshead' - so there is some animosity locally!

 

 

Yes, there is some history between the two. I was in Shields, September 1970 to July 1972. and for most of 1973; what for, I'll leave you to guess why. Shields were then in the process of being thrown out of Simonside Park, their ground at the time, and not that far from Filtrona Park. There was talk of moving them to the Westoe Stadium, but, IIRC, the local residents objected. One other result I've never forgotten; F.A. Cup, round 1 1969-70: South Shields 1 Oldham Athletic, then in the 4th division, 0.

 

[south_tyne]

15 minutes ago, 62613 said:

Yes, there is some history between the two. I was in Shields, September 1970 to July 1972. and for most of 1973; what for, I'll leave you to guess why. Shields were then in the process of being thrown out of Simonside Park, their ground at the time, and not that far from Filtrona Park. There was talk of moving them to the Westoe Stadium, but, IIRC, the local residents objected. One other result I've never forgotten; F.A. Cup, round 1 1969-70: South Shields 1 Oldham Athletic, then in the 4th division, 0.

 

 

Fascinating stuff! Shields have a complicated history with Simonside Park, Horsley Hill, Jack Clark Park, Filtrona.... They are well and truly on the up now though. 

 

We have gone bust twice, dropping out the Football League in 1960, leaving Redheugh Park, then there were the Gateshead Utd days too, the scrapping around in the Wearside League and even the Midland League, but we have been nicely settled at the Stadium since 1971 (ironically until the shambles of this season). Who knows what the summer is going to bring for us. It's worrying times.

 

Being a football fan isn't easy is it! 

 

PS - at a guess, would your spell in Shields be as a result of attendance at a certain maritime college?

 

[62613]

58 minutes ago, south_tyne said:

 

 

PS - at a guess, would your spell in Shields be as a result of attendance at a certain maritime college?

 

You'd be right! The South Shields Matrimonial Marine and Technical College.

[south_tyne]

5 minutes ago, 62613 said:

You'd be right! The South Shields Matrimonial Marine and Technical College.

 

I thought as much.... based on the above I guess you returned from Shields with more than an education! 

 

I also attended the said establishment to do my a-levels! 

[62613]

Just now, south_tyne said:

 

I thought as much.... based on the above I guess you returned from Shields with more than an education! 

 

I also attended the said establishment to do my a-levels! 

No, I escaped, but I know of several people who didn't.

[DavidLong]

On 28/04/2019 at 15:18, 62613 said:

Given the cash cow which is the (almost) Champions' League, yes!

 

On another note, we (Stalybridge) survived, with a 1-0 victory over Grantham, and finished above them. I don't think anyone noticed that, if both ourselves and Mickleover won (they did!) and Marine lost (they did!) then they would be the ones relegated. A very sad day for a friendly and well-run club, which has been in the NPL Premier for as long as I can remember.

 

Yes,I'm glad they survived as well since we're looking forward to a visit to the Bower Fold next season with Atherton Collieries. Not sure how Colls will get on next year in the higher league as it's a big step from where they've been playing until recently.

Not been to the Bower Fold for some years, I think it was when Southport and Celtic were in the Conference as was. A delightful ground with an equally delightful name.

 

David

[peanuts]

6 hours ago, 62613 said:

No, I escaped, but I know of several people who didn't.

iirc  you escaped with a fractured scull having taken a long walk off a short pier bro 

[62613]

3 hours ago, peanuts said:

iirc  you escaped with a fractured scull having taken a long walk off a short pier bro 

Not from Shields, I didn't!

 

[Ohmisterporter]

On 26/04/2019 at 22:16, laurenceb said:

Have you hidden it by mistake? A few people have posted that they can't find something then said that they had hidden them by mistake 

Thanks Laurence. Must have unintentionally clicked the ignore button 

[south_tyne]

Big couple of nights of Champions League action. I think away goals good be critical. I'm really looking forward to seeing this exciting Ajax team in action again. 

 

Important games in League One too, with Sunderland desperately needing a win and favours from others to grab an, unfortunately increasingly unlikely, automatic spot. 

 

Finally, and most interestingly for me, the non-league play-off action is about to begin. Good luck to South Shields, Blyth and especially Spennymoor! I am one of those strange folk who is more interested in Spennymoor v Bradford Park Avenue tomorrow night than Barcelona and Liverpool! I would rather be at the Brewery Field than the Camp Nou!!  

[cary hill]

Are Tottenham going to bother to turn up at any stage of tonight's game? Ajax in cruise mode and Trippier having yet another stinker so far..... mind you having three centre backs marking a non existent centre forward doesn't help and leaves Tottenham completely overrun in midfield but still an hour to go....

[caradoc]

On 28/04/2019 at 09:23, south_tyne said:

 

Burnley are a good model to follow, approaching it in a sensible way. Of course Wolves are the other model, if you have plenty of cash. Neither guarantees success though. 

 

Well done to Sheffield Utd, it's been an epic battle with Leeds, particularly over the last six weeks or so. I would like them to go up via the play-offs mind, mainly because I would love to see Bielsa in the Premier League. Congratulations to Norwich too - whilst it is begrudging, especially given the contrast with Ipswich's fortunes, I must admit they have been absolutely outstanding this season. 

 

 

Indeed, it makes me wonder what could have been achieved had Chris Wilder stayed at Oxford United - Maybe it would be us going up to the Premier League !

[brenn]

2 hours ago, cary hill said:

Are Tottenham going to bother to turn up at any stage of tonight's game? Ajax in cruise mode and Trippier having yet another stinker so far..... mind you having three centre backs marking a non existent centre forward doesn't help and leaves Tottenham completely overrun in midfield but still an hour to go....

Spurs were always going to find this a game to far Ajax will win the CL....hungry young things always have there day...get your money on them now!! 

[south_tyne]

3 hours ago, cary hill said:

Are Tottenham going to bother to turn up at any stage of tonight's game? Ajax in cruise mode and Trippier having yet another stinker so far..... mind you having three centre backs marking a non existent centre forward doesn't help and leaves Tottenham completely overrun in midfield but still an hour to go....

 

Ajax were fantastic tonight, particularly in the first half. They totally controlled the opening half an hour, it was almost like a training game. I agree about the centre forward point - there was nobody to pick up and it meant Ajax had so many spare bodies in midfield. Tottenham looked so much better when Sissoko came on, you wonder whether he should have started, although I know he has been out injured. I am not one to criticise Pocchetino, he has done a truly remarkable job at Spurs, but he did seem to take a long time to react tactically. 

 

3 hours ago, caradoc said:

 

Indeed, it makes me wonder what could have been achieved had Chris Wilder stayed at Oxford United - Maybe it would be us going up to the Premier League !

 

Wilder has done fantastic everywhere he has been. Having said that, Oxford Utd have still come a lot way in recent years - I remember seeing you in both the league and then the FA Cup at Gateshead not too long ago. I cannot remember whether Mr Wilder was your manager then. 

 

1 hour ago, brenn said:

Spurs were always going to find this a game to far Ajax will win the CL....hungry young things always have there day...get your money on them now!! 

 

I would absolutely love Ajax to win the CL... It would almost be a modern-day football fairlytale, certainly an achievement comparable to Leicester winning the Premier League. Remember this is a club said to have a smaller operating budget than Huddersfield who had to qualify from the earliest stages. It's a great story! The first goal will be absolutely critical in the return leg. If Tottenham score early, which is perfectly feasible, then it is suddenly game on.