*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[GIMH]

I don't see that they clearly should of been at all. It was a rule-breach, yet not all rule breaches get points deducted. IMO, it's only because it was a so-called small club, against a so-called big club that's kept this embarrassing houha going. Noth-south thing too. The Blades should of been thrown out of the league with no money as there clearly IS a rule that if you take legal action against a prem league decision, that's what should happen. Why don't you talk about that injustice, or is it no fun if it's the so-called small club who have got away with it?

The last paragraph is pointless conjecture, so I'll counter it by saying if it had been Reading or Wigan 'twould of been the same, no doubt at all in my mind. Equally pointless conjecture.

Firstly, I didn't know that about what Sheffield United did being a breach of rules, and as such if that is true then yeah, they should be punished accordingly.

How you can say I'm on a north-south thing here is beyond me. I clearly said I don't give a **** that Sheffield United suffered, it could have just as easily been Wigan (north) or Fulham (south). What I cared about was that West Ham didn't suffer, when they should have done (more on that later).

Further on the north-south point, well I was bemoaning the plight of three clubs in the same division as yours (and your club could be next, as could mine, pointless conjecture ahead but in these economic times anything could happen and it'd be interesting if you still felt the same then). These three clubs:

Rotherham - yeah, okay, north
Luton - definitely south
Bournemouth - About as far south as it gets really

But obviously my concerns for these clubs is because I'm a bitter northerner, in fact that's what all my football bitterness is about, hence why I most like to see Everton, Bolton & Man Utd beaten, those famous southern clubs.

As for how West Ham shouldn't necessarily have been punished with a points deduction. They played a player who was, basically, ineligible. Repeatedly. This player earned them point, after point, after point, when he shouldn't have been on the pitch. You don't think there should have been a points deduction?

Just to reiterate, the reasons given for not deducting points from West Ham were not because the offences did not warrant such a punishment but because it would be unfair on the fans, and the naughty people who did the wrongs with the paperwork and the red tape weren't there anymore, so let them keep their points. Haha no, that **** doesn't stink.

 

[grecian]

Just should mention, I wasn't really accusing you of the north-south thing. I'm sorry, I should of made that clearer. It was more why it's still a big issue. It was a bit of a throw-away comment in my message. On Talksport (yeah I know I shouldn't listen to it, but I'm ****ing sad, I'm afraid), it was repeatedly mentioned and Terry Christian kept on blathering about it.

I think this was all going over before, but it was a grey area, the third-party ownership, so it wasn't as clear as all that. Which I guess it's why it's spent so much time in court, and this will almost certainly be appealed too, so even more fun time. I just can't brook all the simplistic righteous indignation from what is a very muddled situation. My best mates a solicitor, and he's not really sure about the ins and outs of it all, from what he's seen of it. Mind you, I'm afraid to ask him too much, in case he charges me for it....

I still think your comparisons are pointless, mainly because it's a different league, so it seems spurious bringing it up. BTW I think all of those deductions are ridiculously harsh, and effectively kicking clubs when they're down, yet I just don't think it's comparable.

 

[GIMH]

Obviously they were handed down by a different league. But when it happens in the English pyramid under the all-seeing eyes of the FA then I think making comparisons is fair enough. What's worse is that the breach of rules by West Ham (if you do consider them breaches, to be diplomatic ) impacted matters on-the-pitch, whereas what was going on with Luton, Bournemouth & Rotherham clearly didn't (well, not positively anyway).

I agree with the principle of sides being deducted points for going into administration as what happened with Leicester back in (I think) 02-03 was nothing short of disgraceful. And sides like Leeds and Rotherham (a few years back, not this time around) have tried to fiddle the rules to get away with going into admin, and as such I felt no sympathy for the repercussions they felt. But what has happened here stinks, and yeah I do think it stinks more for the fact that West Ham got off with a points deduction simply because it wouldn't have been fair on the fans. Well don't ever deduct sides points then, unless it won't effect them (believe this happened to Arsenal in 90 actually).

The two issues are unconnected, but I don't like to see the big boys get off more lightly than the smaller clubs. Us small clubs are treated like we don't matter, by the very organisations we maintain (ie the football league) and it does **** me. Twenty years ago my club was the first ever to go into administration. I know I'm lucky that I have a club to go to every week, if times had been more like they are now, I might not have done.

I've really gone off the point. Ah well.

As for the north-south misunderstanding. Fair enough then. Wouldn't blame you for wanting to stick any boots into me, tbh, I did label you a Plymouth fan not long ago

 

[grecian]

Yeah I'm still on the look out for appropriate revenge. actually I do consider Luton and Bournemouth northern, but then I consider West Ham, to be so too.

I was actually trying to look for links on this case to refresh myself on the arguments, yet I just got more confuddled reading them then I am now, and was reminded why I was glad it had all gone away.

The Prem did say at one point that he'd never been ineligible though, yet that makes you wonder why they were fined at all

provesnowt

There was also all that Steve Kabba nonsense, where Sheff U actually could of been in breach of rule 18 in the same season.

We were nearly deducted points by the Conference which would of meant the end for us probably, and I personally think this stuff should be decided on a case-by-case basis, not by this stupid mandatory crap.

Still, can't say I'm grieving about the points deductions in Division 4, as I still call it

 

[Matteh]

Mansfield looking like we might pick up some points deductions because we signed one of our players thinking he was a free agent, turns out he wasn't. Then there's another investigation into another player being illegible too.

Signed a new left back today though, which is good, mainly because former-Exeter player Jeannin is dopey as.

 

[BHG86]

I think I may have possibly attended the worst performance ever displayed tonight.

I spent £20, travelled for four hours, to watch Altrincham 1-0 Mansfield Town.

Altrincham scored after 13 seconds, yes 13, and then I witnessed the worst 92:47mins of football ever.

Good God.

 

[Craig]

Didn't Sheffield United beat West Ham on the two times they played each other in the 06-07 so it wasn't as though it was an unfair advantage to West Ham that Tevez played in those games. Maybe if they had played a bit better then they would not have gone down.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Did anyone see Vela's second goal last night? Chested it over the head of the defender then chipped the keeper, wonderful stuff.

 

[BHG86]

Vela's strike was top class - infact all three of them were. Still not a fan of Bendtner, but Arsenal's future looks a hell of a lot stronger than any other clubs...if they don't sell them on after one good season...

 

[Matteh]

I think I may have possibly attended the worst performance ever displayed tonight.

I spent £20, travelled for four hours, to watch Altrincham 1-0 Mansfield Town.

Altrincham scored after 13 seconds, yes 13, and then I witnessed the worst 92:47mins of football ever.

Good God.

BBC's saying 12. Absolute madness to concede that quickly. Sounds like Altrincham just sat back and accepted it, always leads to a dire game. Who was at fault for the goal?

 

[Johnners]

Thought it was pretty special myself (from the highlights..). Quite unlike the tackle from Pogatetz 8|

 

[Matteh]

Didn't Sheffield United beat West Ham on the two times they played each other in the 06-07 so it wasn't as though it was an unfair advantage to West Ham that Tevez played in those games. Maybe if they had played a bit better then they would not have gone down.

However Tevez scored 5 times in the run-in and scored the goal on the last day of the season which got West Ham a result and kept them up.

I'd be pissed off if i was a Sheff Utd fan, but given that the 5.5mil punishment has already been given out, i'd have just got on with things instead of being bitter about it.

 

[BHG86]

All of them really - if you consider the ball has to get past them all from a kick off!

A few players guilty of not getting tight enough - Somner and D'Laryea in midfield, and then Moses and O'Hare were sat far to deep, he poked it in from about 13/14 yards (might be 15 on BBC )

Stallard doesn't look much without O'Connor's pace. Jason Lee was awful, and it p!sses me off how talented Blackwood is, yet how damn lazy he can be!!!

 

[The Masterplan]

Vela's strike was top class - infact all three of them were. Still not a fan of Bendtner, but Arsenal's future looks a hell of a lot stronger than any other clubs...if they don't sell them on after one good season...

Whats wrong with Bendtner .. quality forward.. strong, skillful, eye for goal IMO one of the premierships best young forwards.

 

[Matteh]

He's not top 4 class.

 

[The Masterplan]

Tell that to Arsene Wenger.

 

[Matteh]

Pretty sure he knows that.

 

[grecian]

To be fair, the guy is only 20. I agree he didn't look up to it last season, but he could improve at that age. Juries still out for me, because I thought Denilson was garbage last year too, but he seems to have come on a fair bit this season.

Anyway for lovers of high comedy, Newcastle v Spurs tonight. Not sure who, for comedic value, I most want to lose. Newcastle have giving us great value this year, but I'm getting bored with laughing at them.

On the other hand, Spurs have waffled on at Arsenal supporters that they won something last year, even though it's a fairly piss-poor something, so I think it may be more chucklesome if they go out early. Their envy of their North London rivals rather amusingly means they're so desperate for success that they keep on getting rid of decent managers as soon as they hit a dip, which actually means they'll never catch up, because continuity is a key part of any decent team. Well that or billion of pounds to spend. So I'm hoping for a Newcastle win and a sacking for Ramos, and then spurs go right back down the snake, metaphorically speaking, for the humour of the football nation.

 

[sledger]

Bendtner as a player seems to be perfectly reasonable, but whether or not he is top 4 class is a matter for debate. Main problem with him appears to be his temperment, would suggest it's more likely he will suffer off the field rather than on it.

 

[GIMH]

Would welcome him at Tranmere itbt, and that's no mean feat as we aren't short of strikers