[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Doesn't get any better for Crawley:

First Sean O'Driscoll decamps for Forest close-season without taking charge of a game.

Then Dean Holdsworth turns them down

Now it's John Pemberton.

What a shame, eh, readers? [in a Roger The Dodger of The Beano fame breaking the third wall stylee]

[tomtom]

Match Report: Great Britain v Senegal

So yesterday me and MrsTT racked up to to see team GeeBee vs Senegal at the Theatre of dreams, oops, The CocaCola McDonalds Samsung arena, oops no London 2012 at Manchester - Old Trafford.

Entry to the place where the reds play was easy - no ques, none of the reported fuss elsewhere, with the normal ManU stewards who were used to dealing with drunken knob heads and fussy wankers who've driven up from the SE, and had no problems administering a pat down and rummage through my bag... onwards...

We arrived to our padded cells seats in the upper teir (row 4 no less!) that had extra width and arm rests (for the girthier ManU punter) but oddly bugger all legroom - so apologies to the chap and his lady who I repeatedly knee'd in the back for 90 min - ahem where was I, just in time for the second half of UAE vs Uraguay... this was a good half of football - UAE looked handy, and Suarez was roundly boo-ed whenever he got the ball - except by the two punters with Liverpool tops on seating to my 10pm (more on them later..). Stadium half full, 25 degrees T shirt weather, sitting back in the faux plastic padded luxury it was good to watch two teams giving it their all in front of a charitable audience (Suarez booing aside..).

Game finished, Spooney came on to do some warm up spiel - amusingly his opening was 'welcome to the home of the second most successful football team in England' - effort sir! Teams on to warm up - national anthems and off we go.

What an odd atmosphere. I'm still thinking about it now. It started well with the National anthem - rousing - superb (even for a cynical fucker like me).. then erm.. OK, what do we sing now? erm clap lots and not sing engerrrland.. There was a real family feel to the place which was great - loads of different nationalities - japanese in front of me, a pair of Americans behind (who talked about religion all game! dont blame them really, I'd have rather watched a Morse double bill if I had the chance..) lots of kids, old folk - people out for a good day out - exellent stuff.

But - what do we sing? what do we chant? I sarcastically shouted 'shoot' when Giggs or whoever (who were GB's players?) had the ball 40 years out - and get an elbow in the ribs from MrsTT and folk all around looking at me oddly. Oh.. its like that is it.. no chance to use my one liners about Giggs and other peoples wifes then.. People in the NE corner were having a good go. clap clap - clap clap clap - clap clap clap clap - England oh - OK, what do we chant - lets try G - B. So it sounded like: clap clap - clap clap clap - clap clap clap clap - Geeeeee Beeeeee. Except no-one felt comfortable saying it, people kind of murmered Geee Beeeurghh in an embarrassed way... That was it. No other chants - an odd quiet atmosphere pervaded. Until a fest of mexican waving started 15 min in.... everyone understood that - family friendly happy crowd behaviour.. and it was OK as the football was dire and watching it go around was far more interesting.

Oh. then we scored. After some fumbling Senegalese defending from a set piece. Senegal then had 2-3 great chances - one gifted by whoever it was in goal. And then half time came. Great I can stand up and stretch my legs. Noticed the Liverpool pair had left before the game! Blimey thats dedication - came just to see Luiz play and score!

Then there was the second half. Bellamy scuttled around like an angry ant and was booked. He was tackled hard on the edge of the box and the crowd got going a bit.. then Ramsey came on. Thank god. Someone who can play football. Immediately he made an impact.. then disappeared for 10 min until somone realised that waving hands in the air means pass to me and GB gained some creativity again. The NE corner were desperately trying to get mexican waves going again - but no -one was interested now. Not that the game was any good, just that they were bored of mexican waves and didnt fancy standing up.

Senegal scored! Superb. Great goal. Their handful of fans went nuts. Good on em Now at last in the final 10 min there was some urgency. Some needle. Some pride. It felt like a football match now, instead of a pre season friendly between two mid table championship sides (which was to the footballing standard to be honest). I even got a bit excited for the first time! And then it was over. Strange crowd - I keep coming back to that - it felt closer to a baseball crowd when I watched a couple of games in the states.. not that interested but enjoying being there.... All in all I'm glad I went - but thats because it was interesting to see such a large event with such a mix of people - a good but different atmosphere to anything I've been to before. Looked like all the families there had a good day out - which was probably the main thing.

Oh, the game - nearly forgot. Team GB were shit apart from Ramsey. Senegal were great - should have won - at least it meant something to them and their fans.

[Dr T]

Do we have a fantasy football UKB league set up for this year yet????

[Jaspersharpe]

Scroll up! 

[Dr T]

 

[Grubes]

proper football is back soon 

Got my tickets for cardiff away first match of the season cannot wait for the new league.
Shame we won't get to play the baldes this season 

So who we got in the championship on here?
Birmingham - Nai
Brighton - Cripple
Hull - Tomtom
Ipswich - Butters
Leeds - Rich d, moose
Sheff Weds - Plattsy, Dolly
Anyone else?

Also day out suggested for Huddersfield v Brighton 17/11 if anyone wants an excuse to drink ale and watch football. ARFC suggested it and Jasper seemed keen.

I am a little bit excited 

[galpinos]

Blackburn Rovers - galpinos

First match away to Ipswich on the 18th.

(I'm no hardcore fan, more a supporter/follower)

[moose]

Today's Racing Post is the Football season preview edition: a 70ish page pull out of all the stats, tips and opinions for the leagues.   It's generally a good, interesting read, especially if you're of an analytical bent.  Although, I can't help but think a lot of team's prospects are going to look very different by the end of the transfer window.

[butters]

Ipswich - Butters

Think you can add Grumpycrumpy to the Ipswich list. Might have to get a UKB get together going for the Sheff Weds away (for us) game. When are we at Huddersfield?

[Jaspersharpe]

I know you shouldn't read too much into friendlies......(apologies for Mail link):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2183643/Brighton-3-Chelsea-1-Pre-season-friendly-match-report.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Scroll up! 

A six-digit and five-digit code isn't a URL!

[Jaspersharpe]

He didn't ask for the URL he asked if a league was set up (you lazy bastard). 

[Grubes]

When are we at Huddersfield?

23rd feb

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

He didn't ask for the URL he asked if a league was set up (you lazy bastard). 

Which is neither use nor ornament if no-one knows the URL!

[Dr T]

He didn't ask for the URL he asked if a league was set up (you lazy bastard). 

Which is neither use nor ornament if no-one knows the URL!

I seems to have started a  (take your pick)
 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

He didn't ask for the URL he asked if a league was set up (you lazy bastard). 

Which is neither use nor ornament if no-one knows the URL!

I seems to have started a  (take your pick)
 

It's Jasper. - I'm doing it on purpose.

[Jaspersharpe]

http://bit.ly/NpniZl

or

http://fantasy.premierleague.com/

or

http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-leagues/65780/standings/

OK!? 

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Accountant to thread!

Accountant to thread!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9474198/Manchester-United-worth-2.2bn-less-than-Glazers-believe.html

“Manchester IPO’s overpricing by some 280pc had no reasonable economic basis, as companies and bankers counting on a ‘retail investor put’ in light of the team’s large fanbase to place a floor under the stock’s price failed to materialise."

The firm [Privco] said a fair value for the shares is $4.97, valuing the company at $800m (£510m), far below the $3bn that the Glazer family, who own the club, were hoping for.

[gme]

and more interestingly.

Andrew Caldwell, a partner in valuation and accountacy group BDO, said:

"It is quite clear that for clubs to be successful in the Premier league, substantial new investment in the club itself is required. This isn’t happening here, and how long before this has an impact on the success and support, is anyone’s guess."

[Jaspersharpe]

So much to love about this story.

I particularly like:

The club initially planned to float in the Far East but then focused on the US after the uncertain economic environment hindered a listing last year.

Oh yeah? Chinny reckon.......... In reality:

Interestingly enough , attempts to float on the stockmarkets in the areas in which that growth is supposed to be derived, were resoundingly unsuccessful. If the worry was that that there wasn’t enough interest to buy the share, what’s the likelihood of them buying the shirt?

At least the money generated from the US float will be going straight into Redface's transfer kitty for all important and very necessary team strengthening though........ What, what's that you say?

Half of the proceeds will go to the football club to pay down debt, and half to the Glazer family.

Oh.

Remember though Man U fans, if you think that the Glazers have been bad for the club and have had a negative effect on transfer policy, Fergie thinks you're not a "real fan".

 

[Falling Down]

City outplayed Chelsea on Sunday by some margin.  I'm looking forward to this season.

[Mike Tyson]

RVP to MUFC? LOL? ROFL?

I think this season will be awesome. Shame I support Sunderland! 

[Jaspersharpe]

Of course there's a lot of doom and gloom about this transfer from an Arsenal perspective but I'm inclined to agree with this article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/aug/15/arsenal-robin-van-persie-manchester-united1

RVP was fucking amazing last season but what about most of the other seasons where he's been pretty good but unavailable for huge chunks because of injury? As the above mentions, he's also 29 and if he wasn't interested in playing for them any more then Arsenal have obviously done the right thing and cashed in instead of trying to squeeze another good seaon out of him and then seeing him walk away for nothing.

He could be fantastic for The Scum but it isn't as simple as all that, just look at Berbatov...... I must admit I'm a bit surprised at Man U going for him when what they really (desperately?) need to do is strengthen the midfield.

There hasn't been such a great fuss made about the signings that Arsenal have made. Especially Santi Cazorla who I reckon could be the best signing any Premiership team has made this season. If the rumours are true about Hernandez going the other way then this starts to look like a really good bit of business.
Lose RVP but gain Giroud, Podolski, Cazorla and Hernandez (or another striker)? I wouldn't be panicking about that at all if I was an Arsenal supporter.

Oh and most importantly we should all get to see Piers Morgan die as he hurls himself off Santa Monica pier:

https://twitter.com/Arsenal_RTs/status/220663344997216256/photo/1/large

 

[Falling Down]

Utd will still leak goals all season whether they have RVP up front or not.

[rich d]

Utd will still be scum whether they have RVP up front or not.

I agree