OT: Premiership Forum

[jstewismybastardson]

maybe this year he comes to MLS

BBC Sport - Sporting spotlight: Owen Hargreaves

Where feels like home to you? Home is where your family is; where you grew up. I would say home is Calgary, but I have felt comfortable and at home everywhere I go.

Do you miss Canada? I would certainly consider moving back there to raise a family. I was born in Canada and had a great childhood but I have spent so much time in Europe and I have developed roots. The problem is I have developed roots everywhere - Germany, the UK.

What about a spell in Major League Soccer in the United States? Yes. They want me to go and play over there. It is a big move, you have to decide do you want to make the move, a big change. There are so many things I could do there and it would be nice to spend time in Canada.




who are "they" exactly?

 

[dash]

Did the BBC reporter forget that there are 3 Canadian teams currently in MLS? In any event, it would be great to see Hargreaves in the league.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

wow a feelgood story (if you ignore how bad attendance has decreased in serie A) about italian soccer fans without any violence or racism involved ... who knew?

Horncastle: Udinese’s dedicated lone away supporter against Sampdoria reveals turnout issues in Serie A | Counter Attack | Blogs | theScore.com

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Alas, he was on his lonesome. “Once I got to the ground I discovered that I was the only [Udinese] fan there. At that point the stewards asked if I wanted to sit in the main stand, but I insisted on going in the away end, seeing as I had paid for that ticket.”

And so, Samp’s stewards reached for their keys and opened up the ‘gabbietta’ or little cage that usually holds the visiting ultras.

“When I entered my end and it dawned on me that I was the only one there I shouted: ‘Forza Ragazzi’. Antonio Di Natale heard me and said: ‘Come down and warm up with us’.”

Brovedani, however, knew that he couldn’t. He lent on the red railings and draped a flag over them, it’s blue background and yellow eagle, the symbol of the Friuli region. “It was cold,” Brovedani recalled, “but I consoled myself with a great cabernet that I’d brought with me from Friuli.”

Udinese helped warm him up too. Danilo headed in a corner to put Udinese in front after 17 minutes and Di Natale capitalised on a defensive mishap before the half-hour mark to make it 2-0.

Brovedani celebrated wildly, just as he would after the interval when Brkic saved Nicola Pozzi’s penalty to ensure his side held on for the win. Curiously rather than shower him with insults, the Samp supporters applauded Brovedani out of respect.

“They were all really very kind,” he said. “The stewards offered me a coffee, then directors from Samp’s marketing department came over to ‘my’ end to give me a little present [a match-worn shirt belonging either to Eder or captain Daniele Gastaldello].

“In the end, when I left I met some Samp fans and they offered to take me out for a drink, complimenting me on my passion… I’m just sorry I couldn’t have stopped for longer but I had to dash because I had a lot of work commitments over the next few days.”

 

[mattola]

Fuck you Haters. I love this picture of Rio. Fantastic in the face of hate from the Man City Fans

This image of a bloodied and defiant Rio Ferdinand has been at the forefront of a perceived return of hooliganism in English football, following crowd trouble at the Manchester derby.

some serious hate going on in that league

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart confronts a pitch invader trying to harass Manchester United's Ferdinand, who had been hit in the face by a coin thrown from the crowd.

A total of 13 fans were arrested and nine charged -- one with making alleged racist chants. Here a City supporter shouts across the police security cordon.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

ho hum

i hate holier than though attitudes from Man U fans > and soccer fans > and sports fans in general (not pointing at you mattola)

Manchester United face FA inquiry after Craig Bellamy struck by coin | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

[jstewismybastardson]

excellent news ... the man is as pro as you get in the MLS

Korean media reports that YP Lee will play 1 more season with the Whitecaps. How happy on a scale of 1 to 10 are you? I'm at 12!

 

[mattola]

yeah no worries. I hate it too. Man U fans are probably some of the worst on the planet. anything out of Manchester is either fully hateful or only non white hateful. its an angry place with angry people. The whole EPL is terrible. I have been to the following teams stadiums live

Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal and all of them had immediate signs of racism and violence. I have been to about 10 EPL games (of these 10 games only 1 served beer) between those 3 stadiums and I have seen something each time. Ive seen batteries thrown, people spit on, heard racist chants and seen riot cops protect visiting team fans as they left the stadium. the whole of the leagues fanbase is pretty dirty. I once asked a mate of mine why they had so much passion in their games, his response

They hate their lives, wives and work (if they are working) and the only thing that keeps them going is Football. Its the only thing they spend money on and the pub. thats it thats all. they see nothing more than that and they take it very seriously. it will never change.

ho hum

i hate holier than though attitudes from Man U fans > and soccer fans > and sports fans in general (not pointing at you mattola)

Manchester United face FA inquiry after Craig Bellamy struck by coin | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

[dash]

excellent news ... the man is as pro as you get in the MLS

Korean media reports that YP Lee will play 1 more season with the Whitecaps. How happy on a scale of 1 to 10 are you? I'm at 12!

I like YP Lee, great to hear he'll be back for one more season.

 

[mattola]

i think the one thing that will always stand out for me was the hate I saw from these 2 10 year olds. I mean just seething hate at the opposition fans (tottenham fans hating arsenal) it was pretty sad

 

[jstewismybastardson]

yeah no worries. I hate it too. Man U fans are probably some of the worst on the planet. anything out of Manchester is either fully hateful or only non white hateful. its an angry place with angry people. The whole EPL is terrible. I have been to the following teams stadiums live

Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal and all of them had immediate signs of racism and violence. I have been to about 10 EPL games (of these 10 games only 1 served beer) between those 3 stadiums and I have seen something each time. Ive seen batteries thrown, people spit on, heard racist chants and seen riot cops protect visiting team fans as they left the stadium. the whole of the leagues fanbase is pretty dirty. I once asked a mate of mine why they had so much passion in their games, his response

They hate their lives, wives and work (if they are working) and the only thing that keeps them going is Football. Its the only thing they spend money on and the pub. thats it thats all. they see nothing more than that and they take it very seriously. it will never change.

i guess its all about experiences ... my brother went in November and got a good glimpse of it and said it was a blast and he felt no negative energy at any of the games he went to (except maybe the league 2 game where Edgar Davids got a red card).

actually there was one perceived negative experience .... my bro and his buddy (who lives in London) went to West Ham Stoke City game at Upton Park and they could only scrounge up 1 ticket at the gate so my bro ditched his friend outside and went to watch the game lol

actual facebook post from bros friend
Now drinking alone in the Boleyn Tavern.

Where I feel like I might get stabbed

like you guys say about media ... they gravitate to the negative stories right?

 

[mattola]

the energy is nothing like I have seen before. its amazing. I was just explaining those moments since it was the theme of our discussion, however overall it was a pretty intense experience. Ive been to a regular season EPL game and it was like a Stanley Cup Playoff energy (not finals) but close. The energy is felt when you are walking to the stadiums, in and leaving it doesnt seem to stop until you are back in your hotel. its pretty wild. I go to a game everytime Im in London and I will make my way to Manchester and Old Trafford I have to my family has history with Man United. I think my favourite moment in a game was when the entire Chelsea fanbase chanted YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING To the ref. I tried to get that going once at a Canucks game people told me to shut up. lol. we dont know how to chant.

booooo
you suck
go canucks go

yawn

i guess its all about experiences ... my brother went in November and got a good glimpse of it and said it was a blast and he felt no negative energy at any of the games he went to (except maybe the league 2 game where Edgar Davids got a red card).

actually there was one perceived negative experience .... my bro and his buddy (who lives in London) went to West Ham Stoke City game at Upton Park and they could only scrounge up 1 ticket at the gate so my bro ditched his friend outside and went to watch the game lol

actual facebook post from bros friend
Now drinking alone in the Boleyn Tavern.

Where I feel like I might get stabbed

like you guys say about media ... they gravitate to the negative stories right?

 

[mattola]

by regular season game I mean it was early in the season so nothing was really up for grabs yet

 

[jstewismybastardson]

by regular season game I mean it was early in the season so nothing was really up for grabs yet

i think thats because every game counts in soccer when your team is trying to go top of table or stay in a league

 

[mattola]

i think thats because every game counts in soccer when your team is trying to go top of table or stay in a league

yeah. its just habit for me to say regular season. the whole season for them is really a playoff which makes it so great. but 70% of the teams are pretty much out of it in the first 10 games lol

 

[jstewismybastardson]

yeah. its just habit for me to say regular season. the whole season for them is really a playoff which makes it so great. but 70% of the teams are pretty much out of it in the first 10 games lol

and they are fighting against relegation to lower leagues so again every game counts ... for everyone

 

[dash]

I see Southampton is above the relegation bar (albeit just barely), I hope the Saints can remain in the Premier League.

 

[dash]

Official logo for the 2015 Women's World Cup:

 

[puckhead]

I assume that circle on the top right is a Canadian woman squat-peeing on Norway?

 

[dash]

Didn't see this posted - How about those Russians?

The club, which is owned by state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom, also told the R-Sport news agency it picked players on ability alone, insisting that "the team's policy is aimed at development and integration into the world soccer community, and holds no archaic views."

Zenit was the only top-flight Russian team without a black player until this summer, when it acquired Brazilian striker Hulk and Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel for $105 million. French midfielder Yann M'Vila declined a move to the club in August after receiving death threats.

Russian soccer team supporters call on club to field all-white, non-gay team