Football Focus

[oggy1953]

b

 

 

Aye, if city weren't so inept, we'd batter you on our own, still,

M/cr 3 European cups London 0

M/cr 20 League titles London 19,

so if our sky blue neighours get their finger out, I'll not have to even bother with those clubs at the wrong end of the '62

 

 

A light hearted story about the North/ South divide. About 20 years ago i worked for a company that made and sold Computerised engraving machines. One of my tasks was to go out with the sales reps to demonstrate the machines while the rep would hopefully close the deal. One of our reps was a dour Yorkshireman who also covered Lancashire. Whenever he went to Lancs he got into a wind up about the war of the roses. When ever i got there both of the so and so's would turn on the ' Cockney'. Priceless. I used to tell em i was up there on 'Missionary work'. Mind you the banter seemed to work, we sold quite a few.

[Red Devil]

Evertonians thoughts on Liverpool FC's demise

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZps-ceqSl8

 

[62613]

Northwest Tonight last night? I thought it was hilarious!

[luton town]

i just thought some of you might be intrested in looking at my football photos so here is the link to my flickr page where pictures from every home and away game are posted http://www.flickr.com/photos/liam2010 they're not the greatest but they are getting published in the local papers

[Calnefoxile]

Right before I start on my rant I would like to send my sincere condolences to the Family and Friends of Malcolm "Big Mal" Allison who it seems has passed away today at the age of 83. I must admit I didn't realise he was as old as that, it just doesn't feel like footballers get old, if you know what I mean!!!

 

 

Right now for my rant:

 

Please put your hands up all those who actually thought Liverpool would go into administration...........Anyone........No one....Now there's a shock

 

Now I do get really pee'd off when 'smaller' clubs are near enough left to fend for themselves, when bigger clubs seem to get off scot free, Pompey owe £120 million whereas Liverpool owe RBS £240 million and Man Utd owe much more than that, (sorry not going to quote figures when I don't know them).

 

Now I know the old excuses are going to come out, the 'big' teams can manage the debt etc. But Man Utd where a £1 billion a year turnover club and were making eye watering profits before the Yanks got involved. So why are these clubs not taken to book by the powers that be and their finances investigated before these takeovers are finalised. Take my club, Leicester City, we are being bought by a Thai company, King Power, we are still waiting for that to be ratified by the Football League and its been going on for months (Please no jokes about being owned by Milan Mandaric and his dodgy tax dealings (ALLEGEDLY)), but the point is it seems this Liverpool one can just sail through without any interference or investigation by anyone http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9094283.stm just because its Liverpool and they're a Premiership side.

 

Now it seems poor old Pompey could be in real trouble http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/9093733.stm

 

 

Right Rant mode off, for now anyway

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[Ron Ron Ron]

........But Man Utd where a £1 billion a year turnover club and were making eye watering profits before the Yanks got involved.

 

A bit muddled there Neal?

Utd have never had a £1 billion turnover. You are probably confusing turnover with the estimated value of the club.

They were valued at around £1 billion at one point before being bought by the Glazer family for something over £800 in a hostile take-over.

The clubs current value has been said to be around £1.1 billion plus.

 

Club turnover for the last year was £286.4 million, an increase on previous years.

Making eye watering profits? They still do. The latest pre-tax profit was £100.8 million - a club and british record.

 

It's the cost of servicing the debts the Glazers have loaded on the club that is the problem. Without those costs, they'd have a vast fortune to spend every year - all earned and not gifted from some rich sugar-daddy.

Apart from that, since they took over turnover has risen, operating profits are higher and the club is worth a lot more than when they bought it.

 

[Ohmisterporter]

The really mystifying aspect of the Liverpool saga was the interference from a court in Texas. What was that about and why should we over here take any notice of it? Other than that I'm glad it is all settled now. Apparently.

 

Geoff.

[BoD]

I'm still mystified by the Liverpool scenario. Whatever the rights and wrongs surely the two Americans were still the owners and at some point would have to "sign the dotted line" to sell the club. Yes they (or the bank) appointed someone to sell it for them but as the owners wouldnt they they still have the final say or the power to say I'm not selling - even if that meant possible administration.

[gordon s]

I hadn't heard about Malcolm Allison until I read this thread this morning. As someone who grew up through the Nicholson, Busby, Shankly, Clough, Allison and Robson era's, it was sad reading indeed.

 

I can still recall his swagger, cigar and Fedora. He always enjoyed the stick from the home fans when City were in town against Spurs. Another of football's characters gone.

 

RIP big Mal.

[BoD]

He often travelled by train to Sunderland matches and kept a seat for my father in law so they could have a natter and put the (football) world to rights. On the train home he would have to stand in the crush along with the rest of us.

 

In my book he was a larger than life, genuine bloke, who made my father in law very happy. They had nothing in common other than they could both talk the hind legs of a donkey.

 

RIP

[reevesthecat]

Sorry going back to liverpool what grounds do the ex-owners have to sue?

mark

[skipepsi]

Sorry going back to liverpool what grounds do the ex-owners have to sue?

mark

 

They played and lost........

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I for one am glad to see that Liverpool have finally got shot of Hicks and Gillett. They gambled, and they lost...and are significantly out of pocket as a result.

 

Good.

 

Speaking as a fan of a club who been on the verge of oblivion, and still under the threat as we speak (see Neal's post above), I am sick of people coming in, mortgaging a club up to the hilt, or allowing reckless levels of spending, and then b*ggering off expecting to make a profit. Sorry, but as events are proving more and more, a club that is well run is liable to be more profitable at the end of the day.

 

Love em, or hate em, the vast majority of Arsenal's debt is tangiable...they have a magnificent stadium to show for it. Pompey's losses weren't...the debt far exceeded our combined assets. Liverpool were heading the same way...

 

Manchester United showed a healthy return, however they are now saddled with enormous debts. Sure, they can be serviced at present, but their huge fan-base is not comprised solely of dyed-in-the-wool reds. Its okay at present, but what if they stop winning trophies; what if they cannot attract the big names? They become far less marketable and their enormous global fan-base declines. Then the debt becomes a real issue....

 

Obviously this scenario is a long-term 'worst case' for teams such as Chelsea and Man U; they are established, but teams like Man City are especially vulnerable at present (their owner flounces off and they are in BIG trouble).

 

Still, for Pompey some good news. Nothing we can do about the situation with the Football League, but 10 points from the last possible 12 is a good return, and hopefully we can strive for a degree of stability on the field; if not off it!

[trisonic]

Not sure if I am the only life long Stoke City fan on the forum, but I just wanted to say that I am enjoying their current turnaround from the start of the season...long may it continue

 

I watched them play Arsenal - it was one of the last games that Stanley Mathews played! I can't remember the score but that man was so interesting to watch.

 

 

I really dislike all the hate for other teams amongst fans. I know a lot of it is in fun but it is tedious. One of the most entertaining matches I've seen was a 10 goal extravaganza between Charlton and Plymouth Argyle! Didn't support either of them.

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

 

[Steve K]

I really dislike all the hate for other teams amongst fans. I know a lot of it is in fun but it is tedious.

You're not wrong, Pete - a lot of fans (including some on here, I'm afraid to say) seem to hate one or two other teams more than they support their own. Tedious is a good word for it - pathetic is another.

 

Such vitriol over a game of football. Yes, we can all get worked up when a player cheats or dives to get one over on our own team, but to sustain a level of genuine hate over months and years takes a degree of effort which I'm not prepared to invest. Life's too short.

[S.A.C Martin]

You're not wrong, Pete - a lot of fans (including some on here, I'm afraid to say) seem to hate one or two other teams more than they support their own. Tedious is a good word for it - pathetic is another.

 

Such vitriol over a game of football. Yes, we can all get worked up when a player cheats or dives to get one over on our own team, but to sustain a level of genuine hate over months and years takes a degree of effort which I'm not prepared to invest. Life's too short.

 

With you on that one Steve - but there are some things which I'm afraid, take years to heal. Charlton and Palace, for instance, based on a groundshare which nearly forced Charlton out of existence. These things to take time to heal, and while I'm sure most Palace fans aren't too bothered about little Charlton, the Charlton fans are for the most part, still bitter at the damage to their club the Eagles dealt.

 

Having said that, most encounters recently have been good natured and thrilling, so maybe the tide is turning.

[Red Devil]

You're not wrong, Pete - a lot of fans (including some on here, I'm afraid to say) seem to hate one or two other teams more than they support their own. Tedious is a good word for it - pathetic is another.

 

Such vitriol over a game of football. Yes, we can all get worked up when a player cheats or dives to get one over on our own team, but to sustain a level of genuine hate over months and years takes a degree of effort which I'm not prepared to invest. Life's too short.

 

Sorry, not for me, I like my rivalries. Give me a trip to Elland Road or Anfield any day of the week, rather than a trip to the ' insert corporate monstrosity' happy clappy megabowl, the hatred at Elland Road, as a visiting United fan is tangible, meaning it actually matters. Tedious to you, important to me as it 'makes' the atmosphere. These rivalries go back years and are often intercine cities and counties, Manchester and Liverpool, Lancashire and Yorkshire etc etc. To a degree they are what 'make' football the spectator sport that it is, otherwise why bother?

 

I'll continue in my pathetic behaviour, if that's ok with you?

[jonny777]

A bit muddled there Neal?

Utd have never had a £1 billion turnover. You are probably confusing turnover with the estimated value of the club.

They were valued at around £1 billion at one point before being bought by the Glazer family for something over £800 in a hostile take-over.

The clubs current value has been said to be around £1.1 billion plus.

 

Club turnover for the last year was £286.4 million, an increase on previous years.

Making eye watering profits? They still do. The latest pre-tax profit was £100.8 million - a club and british record.

 

 

 

Where do you get that figure of £100.8 million from?

 

The way I interpreted the figures, the costs of paying interest on the loans that the Glazers have loaded on the club are around £40 million a year, and the total wage bill is £130 million a year. That equals £170 million a year going out of the club.

 

If your turnover is only £286.4 million, I find it hard to understand how a profit is being made (even pre-tax which is a misleading figure in the first place).

[bike2steam]

Sorry, not for me, I like my rivalries. Give me a trip to Elland Road or Anfield any day of the week, rather than a trip to the ' insert corporate monstrosity' happy clappy megabowl, the hatred at Elland Road, as a visiting United fan is tangible, meaning it actually matters. Tedious to you, important to me as it 'makes' the atmosphere. These rivalries go back years and are often intercine cities and counties, Manchester and Liverpool, Lancashire and Yorkshire etc etc. To a degree they are what 'make' football the spectator sport that it is, otherwise why bother?

 

I'll continue in my pathetic behaviour, if that's ok with you?

 

Just a pity some neanderthals cant contain their lager inspired bad attitudes.

[Red Devil]

Just a pity some neanderthals cant contain their lager inspired bad attitudes.

 

Indeed, but then again that's a common problem in society in general.

[trisonic]

Indeed, but then again that's a common problem in society in general.

True dat....

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

 

[oggy1953]

Sorry, not for me, I like my rivalries. Give me a trip to Elland Road or Anfield any day of the week, rather than a trip to the ' insert corporate monstrosity' happy clappy megabowl, the hatred at Elland Road, as a visiting United fan is tangible, meaning it actually matters. Tedious to you, important to me as it 'makes' the atmosphere. These rivalries go back years and are often intercine cities and counties, Manchester and Liverpool, Lancashire and Yorkshire etc etc. To a degree they are what 'make' football the spectator sport that it is, otherwise why bother?

 

I'll continue in my pathetic behaviour, if that's ok with you?

 

 

Have to agree Red Devil (oh dear wots appenin ) I'm A Spurs Fan, I dislike anything Arsenal, even if they are a good team play attractive football, have the best manager in the worldl. As far asi'm concerned Their rubbish, play boreing football and their managers a useless moron who needs a visit to spec-savers. And if an Arsenal fan came up to me and said he thought Spurs were good and deserved to win i'd probably have a heart attack. You see its called 'Banter' and Football wouldn't be the same without it, it makes the atmosphere and is fine, as long as it doesn't lead to violence..

[bike2steam]

Or is it envy, as Arsenal most of the time end the season higher than Tottenham?

And NO I dont support them.

[Horsetan]

Well, Liverpool are now second. From bottom. Hell.

[Markeg]

New Owners for the Reds, still americans, hopefully they will improve.

I'll be visiting next year and going to the ground to have a look at Museum. It would be a sad day if relegation took place. Hopefully the guys on the field can pull their socks up.

 

I may have to leave my Liverpool hat at home.

 

Mark in OZ