Football 20/21

[barney]

Missed the game live yesterday because we had my 90 year old Auntie round for afternoon tea.
She’s an absolute legend and it was great fun.
Tea turned into dinner and they actually left about nine.
So, I watched the highlights and loved the fact that unusually, the little guy won.
A victory for football (and OBF)

[Manoverboard]

First legs of the Championship Play Offs are on tonight, live or highlights are available

[Bensham33]

First legs of the Championship Play Offs are on tonight, live or highlights are available

Come on Brentford

[oldbluefox]

Having fallen short last year and sold on some of their best players they have regrouped and are in the mix again. On that basis they deserve to get promotion although as we all know there is nothing certain in football.

[Manoverboard]

It'll doubtless be a ' steady as she goes ' 0:0 first leg ... but I'll be watching it

[Ranchi]

Good to see Leicester getting the trophy. I remember they were in one of the earliest FA Cup finals that I recall v Spurs ( the first one I recall was Burnley v Spurs) and I don’t think they’ve been there since. I have many good memories of the club- Lineker was alway good to watch, and Worthington and Birchenall too.They also had (at least) two great goalies, and in a time of stylish full backs they also had Peter Rodrigues who was a joy to watch. Was it Keith Weller who used to wear white tights in winter? I also remember visiting the ground where the stand behind one of the goals was particularly low and wild shots resulted in the ball heading off into the nearby streets ( of course Sheffield Utd’s ground was worse with a half cricket pitch to cover to bring back a wayward ball.)
I enjoyed the match and (as I guess Leicester were underdogs) was pleased with the result. I’m not so happy with the offside decision & VAR. It was a correct decision no doubt but the way the law stands currently:
‘A player is in an offside position if: any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (excluding the halfway line) and. any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent’
It favours static defenders and the more leaden footed the defender the more it favours him/her. The attacking runner will always be inclined slightly forward and whilst foot, leg, most of torso may be behind the last defender, if the tiniest curl of the attackers hair is in front of the last defender then the decision is ‘off-side’. Static or slow defenders will tend to be more upright and so they will benefit. I always thought the idea was to encourage more attacking play.
I guess the law as it stands produces more reliable decisions but at the expense of attacking enterprise.

[towny44]

Having fallen short last year and sold on some of their best players they have regrouped and are in the mix again. On that basis they deserve to get promotion although as we all know there is nothing certain in football.

It has to be Barnsley, having lost one PL club, and had 2 relegated from the Championship, we need a bit of something to cheer us up.

[oldbluefox]

You're right Ranchi, it was Keith Weller who wore the white tights, although we called them long johns. Of course in those days footballers didn't wear gloves so he got quite a bit of ribbing for his white tights. I was there that day and true, it was perishing cold, but white long johns? He went to live in Seattle and sadly died in 2004 at 58 years old.

Whilst we have our big flashy stadia nowadays I somehow miss the old ones with their smelly loos, the metal safety(?) barriers which you stood behind to lean on thinking you'd got a good view only for some hulk to place themselves in front of you, Cigarette smoke wafting in our face, peering over heads to see the action, and the noise of the crowd in the chicken sheds. At full time there was a crush as we all funnelled out through the narrowest of exits, sometimes the crush was so great you were lifted off your feet then you joined the mass exodus of bodies down the street. And you don't see football rattles any more. Ah, fond memories.

[oldbluefox]

It has to be Barnsley, having lost one PL club, and had 2 relegated from the Championship, we need a bit of something to cheer us up.

Must admit I was surprised to see Barnsley up there. They've done well this year.

[Ray B]

It's Brentford for us, 100 mile down the A ll, much more closer than the other three teams.

[Ray B]

Looks like they have it all to do in the next game.

[Manoverboard]

Well done you Cherries

ps ... we've just signed a player called ' Baah ' from Rochdale, is he any good ?

[barney]

Well done you Cherries

ps ... we've just signed a player called ' Baah ' from Rochdale, is he any good ?

He played against us and I remember him looking lively enough.
Rochdale got relegated because of the manager’s insistence on playing the right way ( his words)
They kept trying to play out from the back, our players kept nicking the ball off them and we kept scoring.
They did look pretty decent going forward and that young lad played up front.
I’ve contacted our young CB Jack Tucker, he’s checked his pockets and it seems that Baah is still in there

[Manoverboard]

I’ve contacted our young CB Jack Tucker, he’s checked his pockets and it seems that Baah is still in there

..... guess we'll have to toughen him up a bit

[barney]

I’ve contacted our young CB Jack Tucker, he’s checked his pockets and it seems that Baah is still in there

..... guess we'll have to toughen him up a bit

You guys should break the bank to get Ivan Toney if Brentford don’t get promoted.
He’s a goal machine and will rip up the Premier League.
Newcastle must really regret letting him go for £300k to Peterborough.

[Manoverboard]

You guys should break the bank to get Ivan Toney if Brentford don’t get promoted.
He’s a goal machine and will rip up the Premier League.
Newcastle must really regret letting him go for £300k to Peterborough.

That is my cunning Baldrick plan, he would be a perfect replacement for Deeney

Did you know that Watford offered him a contract at the same time as Brentford, he chose the latter of course

[barney]

What I do know is that Peterborough constantly bring in forwards for peanuts and sell them on for millions.
Johnson Clark Harris was bought in this season for £1.5 m as a replacement for Toney (£10m) and scored 30 goals.
Having said that, Gills got Vadaine Oliver for nothing and he got 20, so a good return.

[barney]

Who does anyone fancy to replace Roy at Palarse.
I reckon Eddie Howe would be a good fit.

[Bensham33]

March 7th 2020. That was the last time I went to Selhurst Park to watch the Palace. After nearly 15 months of having to watch football on the telly I saw a live game last night Palace U23 v Wolves U23 in a play off match. I can't tell you how good it was. Over 1000 Palace fans were there and the noise. It was amazing.

Palace have announced that Roy Hodgson will, after 4 years leave the club after our final game of the season on Sunday. Tomorrow night I will be able to thank Roy along with another 6000 Palace fans for his efforts. I have a ticket for the Palace v Arsenal game and although I said I wasn't going to football until next season I've missed it do much I couldn't resist when I got the call to say I can buy a ticket.

In case you were wondering Palace U23's beat Wolves 3-2 and will play Sunderland in the Play Off Final. ( I hope to be at that one too)

[Bensham33]

Who does anyone fancy to replace Roy at Palarse.
I reckon Eddie Howe would be a good fit.

Frank Lampard is an early favourite. I thought Eddie Howe was wanted by Celtic.

[barney]

Who does anyone fancy to replace Roy at Palarse.
I reckon Eddie Howe would be a good fit.

Frank Lampard is an early favourite. I thought Eddie Howe was wanted by Celtic.

I know Howe is wanted by Celtic, but given the choice between the Premier League and the equivalent to league one, he’d jump at the chance.
Scott Parker could be another choice.

[Manoverboard]

My money would be on Frank Lampard ....

Noted that our new man ' Baah ' was in the Palace Academy when he was a boy player.

[oldbluefox]

Don't tell Keefy you've got a player called Baah. You know what he's like with sheep!!!

[screwy]

Sorry Foxy, I think your going to miss out on top4. Hope I’m wrong.

[oldbluefox]

Having won the cup I wouldn't be too disappointed. Considering the long term injuries we have had to key players and despite the stand ins doing well we need a stronger squad.
We have had a good season and hopefully over the summer we can strengthen the squad and get rid of some of our dead wood or those who cannot make the grade we are looking for, all without spending too much money. We'll leave that to the big boys eh?