*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[Tom Halsey]

Can't believe there are ever disputes about how takes a penalty. Whoever is the designated penalty taker on the field takes it. That person should've obviously been Balo though.

Yeah letting players get away with overriding team orders definitely has bad long term consequences even if in this case the team benefited in so far as Balotelli probably a better penalty taker than Henderson (I've never actually seen Henderson take a penalty tbf).

Gerrard is in a difficult position because he's not just giving a post-match interview but he's a pundit. If he'd criticised Balotelli during a post-match interview then I think he would've been rightly criticised in return for airing dirty laundry in public. For instance, as far as I saw, certainly in the post-match TV interviews, Everton didn't air any dirty laundry when Mirallas did the same thing. However when you're being paid for punditry you sort of have a duty to actually offer some insight which IMO you don't have when you're simply being interviewed, and the only conclusion I can see is that it was disrespectful by Balotelli.

 

[Burgey]

Always wondered what racist soccer fans think of their own team's black players. Just baffles me.

I've heard from those who were watching English football when there was the first influx of black players that it wasn't uncommon for fans to boo their own black players. I can't vouch for the voracity of that though.

And yeah, the Tranmere game was, well, illuminating tstl. I especially enjoyed the whistle to start the game as Sheffield kicked off being immediately followed by a bloke screaming at the top of his lungs "**** off back to Leeds, you Yorkshire ****!" before the ball had even entered Tranmere's half.

 

[GIMH]

And yeah, the Tranmere game was, well, illuminating tstl. I especially enjoyed the whistle to start the game as Sheffield kicked off being immediately followed by a bloke screaming at the top of his lungs "**** off back to Leeds, you Yorkshire ****!" before the ball had even entered Tranmere's half.

Sorry about that

 

[Burgey]

Lol it was actually pretty funny tbh. It was a great day and night mate

 

[duffer]

Happy ending Burge?

 

[GIMH]

Only if you count me spilling garlic mayo all over the train home as a happy ending

 

[cpr]

What had you been eating to make it so pungent?

 

[Cabinet96]

Arsenal are playing their first Saturday 3pm fixtures since the 6th December tomorrow. #SomethingAboutModernFootball

 

[GIMH]

Have you been on tv that many weeks in a row??

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah, bar a few holiday and midweek games which weren't Saturday.

 

[duffer]

On TV tonight as well.

 

[GIMH]

Not if it's 3pm today they're not, will be overseas though obv

 

[duffer]

Not if it's 3pm today they're not,

Yeah can't understand why this is the case (especially as the Emirates is guaranteed to sell out).

edit: Actually we're away today but would still think it's a sellout.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah can't understand why this is the case (especially as the Emirates is guaranteed to sell out).

edit: Actually we're away today but would still think it's a sellout.

It's law. Protection of lower league attendances.

 

[cpr]

And hows that panning out for both of you there today?


Utd on 3pm today too, but then we have ceased to make interesting viewing. Soon we'll be last on MOTD

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah the 3pm block isn't to make sure the Emirates sells out. I think they should scrap it though.

 

[wpdavid]

I've heard from those who were watching English football when there was the first influx of black players that it wasn't uncommon for fans to boo their own black players. I can't vouch for the veracity of that though.

It probably happened on occasions, but I don't think it was commonplace at club level. Not as far as I can recall, anyway. Maybe at dungheaps like Leeds and Millwall, but I don't think it was a regular occurrence.

The national team was another matter though. The abuse that John Barnes took from the NF goons on that flight back from South America has been well documented. And Cyrille Regis received a bullet in the post from a well-wisher when he was first picked.

 

[wpdavid]

Palace doing what we usually do against Arsenal, whoever is in charge. No way are we safe at this stage.

 

[Cabinet96]

That was vintage 2013 Arsenal.

 

[Burgey]

Happy ending Burge?

No happy endings at Aphrodite's mate. My day had started fresh off the plane at Jeathrow at 5 am and ended about 3:30 the next morning. Think if I tried that now I'd die.

In other news, Van Gaal out!