Football Focus

[gwrrob]

I bet a young @Phil Bullock will be happy tonight.

[Phil Bullock]

37 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

I bet a young @Phil Bullock will be happy tonight.

After much gnawing of fingernails Robin!

 

Boing boing ......

 

 

[kevinlms]

An Australian ideology on 'Football'.

 

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/football-or-soccer-crocmedia-takes-argument-to-the-law-and-loses-20200726-p55fjl.html

[SHMD]

Third!

That's about three places higher than I expected.

 

 

 

Kev.

[Ohmisterporter]

Villa fans can also celebrate their women's team finishing top of the Women's Championship. Liverpool finished bottom of Women's Super League. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

Villa fans can celebrate the fact that had it not been for the total incompetence of the match officials and the total abrogation of responsibility of the much vaunted various camera systems, the goal that never was has kept them in the Premier League.

The incompetent PL management has a lot to answer for.

 

Mike.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Canaries flying off into the sunset.

Bournemouth heading South

and Watford couldn't bridge the Gap

 

Here endeth a most unusual EPL season.

 

 

.

[StevieD71]

Villa are my English team, so I'm over the moon that they stayed up, but for me the real match that matters is my home town club, Coleraine playing Derby rivals Ballymena Utd in the Irish Cup semi final tomorrow afternoon.

We won the league Cup back in February (and finished second in the truncated league)  so the possibility of a cup double is very much on.

 

C'MON THE BANNSIDERS!!

[caradoc]

16 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

Villa fans can celebrate the fact that had it not been for the total incompetence of the match officials and the total abrogation of responsibility of the much vaunted various camera systems, the goal that never was has kept them in the Premier League.

The incompetent PL management has a lot to answer for.

 

It was indeed a very serious error, but no-one can know how the match would have finished had the goal been given; Perhaps it could even have inspired Villa to go on and win the game !

 

[Torper]

Delighted, and not at all surprised, that Hearts and Partick Thistle have lost their ridiculous case against the SPFL.  More retribution is likely to follow.

 

DT

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, Torper said:

Delighted, and not at all surprised, that Hearts and Partick Thistle have lost their ridiculous case against the SPFL.  More retribution is likely to follow.

 

DT

Yes, the leagues don't like being challenged by members, especially as they voted for the season to end.

[BoD]

6 hours ago, Torper said:

Delighted, and not at all surprised, that Hearts and Partick Thistle have lost their ridiculous case against the SPFL.  More retribution is likely to follow.

 

DT

If they had been successful then I’m guessing it was on the premise that the SPFL was wrong to halt the season and allocate placings as they did.   Irregardless of the  reason it was deemed wrong and overturned would Celtic then have had their title revoked? Or would the teams concerned have been content with compensation?

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Yes, the leagues don't like being challenged by members, especially as they voted for the season to end.

 

, and we all know about Scottish voting!

 

Mike.

[Kendo54]

Does anybody think that the " powers that be" behind the Premier League, the Football League  or the Scottish Premier Football League have the faintest idea about how to run an organisation?

[Hobby]

They may not run it how you want them to run it, but as the English Premier League is reputed to be the most popular football league in the World the answer to your question is "Yes", at least for them!  

[Enterprisingwestern]

25 minutes ago, Hobby said:

They may not run it how you want them to run it, but as the English Premier League is reputed to be the most popular football league in the World the answer to your question is "Yes", at least for them!  

 

There's quite a difference between popular and run properly/sensibly/competently.

 

Mike.

[Hobby]

Personal opinion comes into it. What we as fans think of as well run will inevitably differ from the purely commercial viewpoint, the same can be said for F1 and other high profile sports. Of course there are always people who could do it better, or say they could, whether they would be able to is anyone's guess...

[Steamport Southport]

4 hours ago, Kendo54 said:

Does anybody think that the " powers that be" behind the Premier League, the Football League  or the Scottish Premier Football League have the faintest idea about how to run an organisation?

 

Yes. The Premier League is very well run.

 

Unfortunately they get held back by dinosaur organisations such as some parts of the FA, UEFA and FIFA. The latter two being corrupt and anti British.

 

The Scottish leagues and SFA, EFL and lower leagues are a total shambles. The whole system needs reform, yet the people in charge is on the gravy train so nothing gets done.

 

 

Jason

[Torper]

The SPFL comes in for a lot of criticism, much of which is deserved.  One of its difficulties is that it is owned by the 42 league clubs and when a decision has to be made, all clubs have equal votes - thus Albion Rovers, for example, technically has the same voting power as Celtic, although not the same influence.  As recent events have shown, all these clubs tend to vote for what is best for them individually rather than for what is best for the game in Scotland.  The SFA is the governing body with 104 member clubs and runs the national team and the Scottish Cup, and apparently oversees the development of football in Scotland - I'm not sure what else it does.  Oh, it's also responsible for disciplinary matters and has just charged Hearts and the hapless Partick Thistle for taking legal action to overturn their relgations rather than got to arbitration as the SFA rules require.  Quite a lot of people would like to see Hearts hammered, but Partick get some sympathy if only because they only joined the legal action when an anonymous benefactor agreed to pay all their legal costs.

 

DT

Edited July 31, 2020 by Torper

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, Torper said:

The SPFL comes in for a lot of criticism, much of which is deserved.  One of its difficulties is that it is owned by the 42 league clubs and when a decision has to be made, all clubs have equal votes - thus Albion Rovers, for example, technically has the same voting power as Celtic, although not the same influence.  As recent events have shown, all these clubs tend to vote for what is best for them individually rather than for what is best for the game in Scotland.  The SFA is the governing body with 104 member clubs and runs the national team and the Scottish Cup, and apparently oversees the development of football in Scotland - I'm not sure what else it does.  Oh, it's also responsible for disciplinary matters and has just charged Hearts and the hapless Partick Thistle for taking legal action to overturn their relgations rather than got to arbitration as the SFA rules require.  Quite a lot of people would like to see Hearts hammered, but Partick get some sympathy if only because they only joined the legal action when an anonymous benefactor agreed to pay all their legal costs.

 

DT

Partick still agreed to the legal action. I suppose a win would have been very useful to them, but the penalty for losing was always going to be very risky.

Look what happened to Rangers for instance.

[peanuts]

oh FFS manager number 7 in less than two seasons clowns in charge of my club strike again #Abdallahout 

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by peanuts

[Kendo54]

Is Harry Kewell "The Man"?.  I would say just about as much as Paul Scholes was "The Man". What happened to the Oldham of Jimmy Frizzel and Joe Royle that I remember. I was at Boundary Park in 1974 for the 1-0 defeat of Man United and again in 1993 for another 1-0 defeat. ( I was in the away end). Another example of  the EFL "Fit and Proper Person" Test being totally useless. Who exactly is Abdallah Lemsagam? Looks like another Bury FC, Wigan Athletic FC and almost Bolton Wanderers FC story about to unravel? 

[peanuts]

6 hours ago, Kendo54 said:

Is Harry Kewell "The Man"?.  I would say just about as much as Paul Scholes was "The Man". What happened to the Oldham of Jimmy Frizzel and Joe Royle that I remember. I was at Boundary Park in 1974 for the 1-0 defeat of Man United and again in 1993 for another 1-0 defeat. ( I was in the away end). Another example of  the EFL "Fit and Proper Person" Test being totally useless. Who exactly is Abdallah Lemsagam? Looks like another Bury FC, Wigan Athletic FC and almost Bolton Wanderers FC story about to unravel? 

the whole sorry tale can be pretty much traced back to that mark hughes goal at wembley from that moment its been pertty much down hill with the odd FA cup killing along the way ! relegated at the end of the season down to 2nd division clubs backers (jwlees brewery ) bassikley cut investment back and put the club up for sale big joe leaves for everton with greame sharp replacing him despite having out in a transfer request a week before his tenure is short and awfull followed by a series of apointments leading to a return to the third tier .fans protets groups at games the ground sold to the local councill to protect it .club hero andy ritchie takes the helm and is doing a good job on limited resources when news comes through that the club has been bought by tech millionair chriss moore who has money to burn sacks ritchie brings in a few different managers bafore settling on ian dowie who in his first season hits the right formula good cup run and tilt at promotion end in play off semi defeat to qpr .then hte bombshell drops moore is under investigation for fraud and pulls out of the club mass fire sale of players fans rally round and raise $250k through sponsorship celebraty games bucket collections etc and eventualy the club is sold to the club secratery and the club marketing manager for a quid the two manage to keep the club afloat but mass player sales leave the club having to hold open trails ! then over the horizon come three usa based miilionairs knick named the three amigoes (tta for short ) club is saved with the $250k from the fans used to give the supporters trust a 3% share of the club and a seat on the boardd but things take time to settle and its not untill well into the season before things settle down Dowie does a runner to palace and is replaced by brian talbot club strugles on flirting with relegation and sees club coach John Sheridan having to return to the fray despite only being able to play on one leg meorable fa cup 3rd round win over mancity asside the season is a disaster and talbot leaves to be replaced by ronnie moore who keeps the club up with a brand of dire hoofball following season is fairly good with a breif tilt at the playoffs but the fare on the pitch is awfull with attendancesfalling again .after poor season ticket sales close season moore is abruptly sacked and sheridan installed .at the same time aN $80 MILLION  pound redevelopment of the stadium and surrounding land is announced by the TTA to try and make the club self sufficient  this is eventualy blocked by the local councill and has to be re jigged . on the field Sheridan gets off to a flying start with some lovely football atracting the crowds back top three all season peters out to ingamous defeat to Blackpool in the playoff semis . following season is mch of a muchness with sheridan sacked whilst in the top five after an incedent at a meet the fans event big joe comes back but one win in ten seees us finnish outside the top six . plans re subbmitted for the ground development but now the finacial crash is having an affect and the TTA can no longer afford to the $7m a season its costing to keep the club afloat . the north stand is demolished ready to be developed as news of cut backs hits the following seasons see attempts by the TTA to move the club away from boundary park to new locations in the bourough frustrated again by planning rules the club flirt with relegation again bafore sheridan is rehired and pulls off the great escape. its now apparent that two of the TTA have lost interest and stopped funding the club but retain ownership of the stadium and surrounding land on which housing and office developments are built . the ground saga rummbles on with the TTA suing the local council after being misslead about land use $7m from this is invested in bilding a new northstand over the following season . the one remaining member of the TTA simon corney  takes control of the club from the other two but with limited finances is just fire fighting sheridan is sacked agian and replaced by dean holden another awfull season transpire with the club escaping relegation agian holdne is scacked to be replaced by some unknown form nonleague ( cant even remmember his name ) who is sacked after 5 games and replaced by david dunn who is himself replaced by john sheridan who agian pulls off the great escape  .at this point news comes through the  a buyer has been found for the club a morrocan player agent mr abdalah lemsgaham the take over rummbles on for a few months whist lemsgham disposes of his player agency to his yougest brother . on the field sheridan is strting to build a team but arrives at the club one day to 7 new signings from french lower leagues brought into the club on inflated wages  by lemsgehams brother mo who has been apointed head of reruitment !  .the take over is not all it seems to be with the lemmys as they are now known only buying the team but not the stadium which they lease three sides off from the TTA the fouth side the all singing new north stand is retained by the TTA with the lemmys only making match day revenue all other proceeds from gym and sports direct store plus functions held there going to the TTA .rumours abound of lemmys interfering with tam selection and some talented players are released or ostricised to be replaced by infrior french lads leading to  arow with sheridan who is promptley sacked . he is replaced by ritchie wellens who with a few a stute signings gets the tream flying along and flirting with the play offs . more and more storys are coming out about the toxic atmosphere withinh the club many long serving and respected figures hounded out of the club bills not paid winding up orders issued .fans devided and in open revolt with gates tumbeling on the field the wellens bounce peters out and ends with the club relegated to the bottom teir for the first time since 1972 mass exuduss of talented players ensuses wellens i s sacked and replaced by another old fans favourite frankie bunn . again signings are forced on him by the lemmys and with half the season gone and things starting to improve Bunn is sacked to be replaced by local lad and youth team coach and life long fan  Pete wild whos results are mixed apart from a supurb fa cup 3rd round win away at Fulham he is replaced  by Paul Scholes who gets off to a flyer but leaves after 30 days afetr yet more interfearance from the lemmys on signings and selection he is replaced by wild again who stays to the end of the season and manages to keep them in the league  depite being offered the job gets out quick to take over at Halifax .over the close season season ticket sales are way down again one Laurent Banide is brought in from japanese lower league football recruitment is again under the control of the lemmys he gets of to an average start and is just strating to make progress when he is replaced by deaon maarmria who had just been sacked after failing at stevenage . off the field the lemmys are now in dispute with the TTA over ground ownership and use of the north stand ( now named the royle stand ) leading to the club loosing use of the stand on match days after a trummped up saftey dispute this dispute was still running when the current season ended . the lemmys have again fought of yet another winding up order think this is number five in two years are indispute with the fans trust and other fans groups . the fans themselves are split with a small group known as the happy clappers backing the lemmys ( who he courts frequently ) but the majority against and a large number now activley boycotting home games . its is our 125th year since our inception as pine villa fc something you would be celebrated since january first nope not with these clowns they are only just getting started with three special kits which arent selling well missing out on a massive finacial oppertuninty for most of the year .romours are that the club has only sold some 300 season tickest to date with most of our rivals having sold well into the thousends already . the sacking off maarmria sees his replacement  harry kewel walking into this mess with six players on the books and a month before the season starts heaven help us 

 

looks like the lemmys have theyre new yes man https://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_159627812437811&key=79bd9386a12d9ac58a81d42672c87dc4&libId=kdbioh6v0100pw15000DAjpn30tsa&subId=87018&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.owtb.co.uk%2Ftopic%2F52029-harry-kewell-departure-watch%2F&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Ftheworldgame.sbs.com.au%2Foldham-owner-reveals-why-kewell-is-right-man-for-top-job%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2B683ilz61bv1-tff0CepFO_j4XmmhpM3176y6Ls7VCSP0R6_lFs5hHtw&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.owtb.co.uk%2Fforum%2F1-the-opinions4u-terraces-latics-forum%2F&title=Oldham Athletic Forum&txt=https%3A%2F%2Ftheworldgame.sbs.com.au%2Foldham-owner-reveals-why-kewell-is-right-man-for-top-job%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2B683ilz61bv1-tff0CepFO_j...

Edited August 1, 2020 by peanuts

[caradoc]

On 31/07/2020 at 10:48, Torper said:

The SPFL comes in for a lot of criticism, much of which is deserved.  One of its difficulties is that it is owned by the 42 league clubs and when a decision has to be made, all clubs have equal votes - thus Albion Rovers, for example, technically has the same voting power as Celtic,

 

Good point, but OTOH if voting was weighted towards the 'big' clubs, things would surely be skewed towards their benefit even more than now !

 

On 31/07/2020 at 11:54, kevinlms said:

As recent events have shown, all these clubs tend to vote for what is best for them individually rather than for what is best for the game in Scotland. 

 

Of course, but no matter when the Scottish season ended, the bottom team would have been relegated from each division; All Hearts and Partick Thistle wanted was to avoid that happening to them, despite their league positions being a direct result of their abject performances on the pitch. Neither club would have given a toss if, say, Hamilton and Alloa were relegated instead of them.

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

3 hours ago, peanuts said:

the whole sorry tale can be pretty much traced back to that mark hughes goal at wembley from that moment its been pertty much down hill with the odd FA cup killing along the way ! relegated at the end of the season down to 2nd division clubs backers (jwlees brewery ) bassikley cut investment back and put the club up for sale big joe leaves for everton with greame sharp replacing him despite having out in a transfer request a week before his tenure is short and awfull followed by a series of apointments leading to a return to the third tier .fans protets groups at games the ground sold to the local councill to protect it .club hero andy ritchie takes the helm and is doing a good job on limited resources when news comes through that the club has been bought by tech millionair chriss moore who has money to burn sacks ritchie brings in a few different managers bafore settling on ian dowie who in his first season hits the right formula good cup run and tilt at promotion end in play off semi defeat to qpr .then hte bombshell drops moore is under investigation for fraud and pulls out of the club mass fire sale of players fans rally round and raise $250k through sponsorship celebraty games bucket collections etc and eventualy the club is sold to the club secratery and the club marketing manager for a quid the two manage to keep the club afloat but mass player sales leave the club having to hold open trails ! then over the horizon come three usa based miilionairs knick named the three amigoes (tta for short ) club is saved with the $250k from the fans used to give the supporters trust a 3% share of the club and a seat on the boardd but things take time to settle and its not untill well into the season before things settle down Dowie does a runner to palace and is replaced by brian talbot club strugles on flirting with relegation and sees club coach John Sheridan having to return to the fray despite only being able to play on one leg meorable fa cup 3rd round win over mancity asside the season is a disaster and talbot leaves to be replaced by ronnie moore who keeps the club up with a brand of dire hoofball following season is fairly good with a breif tilt at the playoffs but the fare on the pitch is awfull with attendancesfalling again .after poor season ticket sales close season moore is abruptly sacked and sheridan installed .at the same time aN $80 MILLION  pound redevelopment of the stadium and surrounding land is announced by the TTA to try and make the club self sufficient  this is eventualy blocked by the local councill and has to be re jigged . on the field Sheridan gets off to a flying start with some lovely football atracting the crowds back top three all season peters out to ingamous defeat to Blackpool in the playoff semis . following season is mch of a muchness with sheridan sacked whilst in the top five after an incedent at a meet the fans event big joe comes back but one win in ten seees us finnish outside the top six . plans re subbmitted for the ground development but now the finacial crash is having an affect and the TTA can no longer afford to the $7m a season its costing to keep the club afloat . the north stand is demolished ready to be developed as news of cut backs hits the following seasons see attempts by the TTA to move the club away from boundary park to new locations in the bourough frustrated again by planning rules the club flirt with relegation again bafore sheridan is rehired and pulls off the great escape. its now apparent that two of the TTA have lost interest and stopped funding the club but retain ownership of the stadium and surrounding land on which housing and office developments are built . the ground saga rummbles on with the TTA suing the local council after being misslead about land use $7m from this is invested in bilding a new northstand over the following season . the one remaining member of the TTA simon corney  takes control of the club from the other two but with limited finances is just fire fighting sheridan is sacked agian and replaced by dean holden another awfull season transpire with the club escaping relegation agian holdne is scacked to be replaced by some unknown form nonleague ( cant even remmember his name ) who is sacked after 5 games and replaced by david dunn who is himself replaced by john sheridan who agian pulls off the great escape  .at this point news comes through the  a buyer has been found for the club a morrocan player agent mr abdalah lemsgaham the take over rummbles on for a few months whist lemsgham disposes of his player agency to his yougest brother . on the field sheridan is strting to build a team but arrives at the club one day to 7 new signings from french lower leagues brought into the club on inflated wages  by lemsgehams brother mo who has been apointed head of reruitment !  .the take over is not all it seems to be with the lemmys as they are now known only buying the team but not the stadium which they lease three sides off from the TTA the fouth side the all singing new north stand is retained by the TTA with the lemmys only making match day revenue all other proceeds from gym and sports direct store plus functions held there going to the TTA .rumours abound of lemmys interfering with tam selection and some talented players are released or ostricised to be replaced by infrior french lads leading to  arow with sheridan who is promptley sacked . he is replaced by ritchie wellens who with a few a stute signings gets the tream flying along and flirting with the play offs . more and more storys are coming out about the toxic atmosphere withinh the club many long serving and respected figures hounded out of the club bills not paid winding up orders issued .fans devided and in open revolt with gates tumbeling on the field the wellens bounce peters out and ends with the club relegated to the bottom teir for the first time since 1972 mass exuduss of talented players ensuses wellens i s sacked and replaced by another old fans favourite frankie bunn . again signings are forced on him by the lemmys and with half the season gone and things starting to improve Bunn is sacked to be replaced by local lad and youth team coach and life long fan  Pete wild whos results are mixed apart from a supurb fa cup 3rd round win away at Fulham he is replaced  by Paul Scholes who gets off to a flyer but leaves after 30 days afetr yet more interfearance from the lemmys on signings and selection he is replaced by wild again who stays to the end of the season and manages to keep them in the league  depite being offered the job gets out quick to take over at Halifax .over the close season season ticket sales are way down again one Laurent Banide is brought in from japanese lower league football recruitment is again under the control of the lemmys he gets of to an average start and is just strating to make progress when he is replaced by deaon maarmria who had just been sacked after failing at stevenage . off the field the lemmys are now in dispute with the TTA over ground ownership and use of the north stand ( now named the royle stand ) leading to the club loosing use of the stand on match days after a trummped up saftey dispute this dispute was still running when the current season ended . the lemmys have again fought of yet another winding up order think this is number five in two years are indispute with the fans trust and other fans groups . the fans themselves are split with a small group known as the happy clappers backing the lemmys ( who he courts frequently ) but the majority against and a large number now activley boycotting home games . its is our 125th year since our inception as pine villa fc something you would be celebrated since january first nope not with these clowns they are only just getting started with three special kits which arent selling well missing out on a massive finacial oppertuninty for most of the year .romours are that the club has only sold some 300 season tickest to date with most of our rivals having sold well into the thousends already . the sacking off maarmria sees his replacement  harry kewel walking into this mess with six players on the books and a month before the season starts heaven help us 

 

looks like the lemmys have theyre new yes man https://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_159627812437811&key=79bd9386a12d9ac58a81d42672c87dc4&libId=kdbioh6v0100pw15000DAjpn30tsa&subId=87018&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.owtb.co.uk%2Ftopic%2F52029-harry-kewell-departure-watch%2F&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Ftheworldgame.sbs.com.au%2Foldham-owner-reveals-why-kewell-is-right-man-for-top-job%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2B683ilz61bv1-tff0CepFO_j4XmmhpM3176y6Ls7VCSP0R6_lFs5hHtw&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.owtb.co.uk%2Fforum%2F1-the-opinions4u-terraces-latics-forum%2F&title=Oldham Athletic Forum&txt=https%3A%2F%2Ftheworldgame.sbs.com.au%2Foldham-owner-reveals-why-kewell-is-right-man-for-top-job%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2B683ilz61bv1-tff0CepFO_j...

 

Meanwhile the F.A. have lived up to their name and done f a?

 

Mike.