Football

[Pervert]

Okay, it's been discussed a few times, but a new season is under way and there seems to be the same old bollocks going on. One manager chased out after two games by a mixture of player power and shitehouse directors. All the major clubs with their new overpaid mercenaries in place, attracting huge crowds of glory hunters.

Okay, maybe I'm a bit harsh. The Arsenal-Middlesbrough game was certainly worth the price of admission. But the heart of football---the sense of the team representing a community, being part of the fans' existence---has long gone. One day you're going to wake up to find the Gillinghams and Stockports and so on all gone, and you'll be left with only the richest clubs that will spend all their time and effort gouging as much cash out of you as they can.

The so-called beautiful game is going the way of the dodo.

[davewells]

Nope just normal stuff.

[Illinoisblue]

If I was Bobby Robson I'd resign from Newcastle and leave gobshite underachievers like Bellamy and Dyer far behind.

Dyer's incredible - he's won nothing in his career, has 1 (one!) goal in his last 40 games yet tells the manager he won't play in a certain position and then tosses the captain's armaband aside in a game.

And now Bellamy's threatening to walk if the Geordies sign Rooney.

[Peter]

If ever there was a player who lived upto the title 'over paid under achiever' Dire must be it.

[Illinoisblue]

Quite agree. I'm an Ipswich fan and saw him break into our first team; he was excellent back then and you thought, 'this boy's going to be special'.

But look at him now, five years after his 6million pound move to Newcastle. Booed and hated by his own fans and despised by football fans the country over for his behaviour.

[diplodocus]

it's strange a new season, new division outside the top flight and it's so much more fun. No pressure, less bollocks like people diving everywhere, time wasting etc.
...or maybe its cos we're not getting hammered every week!

ps. does anyone do the fantasy footy stuff?

[Deuce Bigolo]

I agree that money(especially TV money)is ruining a lot of clubs

Sacking a coach after 2 matches shows a clear lack of direction probably explained by the clubs financial position-DIRE i'm betting

But a recent case showed their is still hope if the locals really want it badly enough

An Owner moved the local team away from the district for financial reasons
like they do in the US of A

The fans objected for very good reasons and now run a similarly named community based club run as a going concern and not a casino with
empire building for a few EGOs being the goal

cheers
B....OZ

[Pervert]

It'd be nice to think more communities could retain their identity that way. Sadly, I suspect they won't.

[Deuce Bigolo]

It comes down to MONEY in the end

No matter what league your in you need to get the right cattle on the field
because losing is when so called supporters drop by the wayside

We used to have a couple of football teams that were the OK but up against the traditional teams who'd been around for a century were the pits

Woodville(the peckers) being the worst.....losing game after game but the fans still came out ot support them...as long as the fan support base reminas there is hope...not of winning anything but just of playing

cheers
B....OZ

[Pervert]

It's the economic side that the bigger clubs fail to appreciate. They need smaller clubs to help them find players for the future, since they're too busy bringing in overpriced and overpaid overseas stars. It's become a game of spot the native when Chelsea or Arsenal or Rangers play---and how the hell are young players supposed to break into the first team when they aren't given a chance to learn. Success now, or out the door.