On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[matthew123]

I have drawn attention to an assualt on the pitch performed by Roy Keane - why is that deemed as anti-United?

[Sandperson]

It's going to be twitchy tonight. Probably 0-0 at half time and ten a 1 or 2-0 win. Fingers crossed.

[matthew123]

I might make on a bet on United winning..

[Jah Lush]

Don't bother. Save your money the odds are crap.

[red devil]

...better odds for 1st goalscorer, half/full time predictions etc...

[matthew123]

Right the spell has been cast, just put ?2 on United to win >:D

[Sandperson]

Thanks for working your magic Matthew! :))

[Atila Reincarnate]

Good grief, I stay away for a day and look what happens!! Liverpool and Man U fans getting stuck into each other. And I thought it was just me that brought out the worst in opposing fans. So I'm not the devil incarnate after all.

[Annasfield]

No just Atila Reincarnate.

[matthew123]

Grrrrrr.....

[jaybee82]

Loved this comment on the BBC website:

"New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has revealed that when he was growing up he dreamed of being a "stront boer" - a farmer who raises animals to sell manure" (The Sun)

Congratulations Guus. Your dream has now become a reality at Chelsea!

[Mikecg]

Harsh JB but fair, HA!

[red devil]

Don't worry Atila, just a release valve for all that built up tension before the Man U v 'pool game coming up, you wouldn't understand what with L'Arse v Spuds not being a proper derby...;-)

For all you serious debaters out there...

When Man U played West Ham recently, everytime Berbatov got the ball or came near to the touchline he was greeted with chants of 'Yiddo' from the West Ham fans, Yid I believe being a derogative term used to describe a Jew. This wasn't a one-off, and is frequently heard at Chelsea games too, even if an ex-Spurs player is not involved e.g. 'Stand up if you hate Yiddos' etc, and to a lesser extent at Arsenal games. I know that the Spurs 'casuals' of the 70's and 80's adopted the moniker of 'Yid Army', maybe as a way of 'reclaiming' the word, a bit like gangster rappers with the 'n' word, but this shouldn't excuse the use of this term. Quite rightly the FA have backed campaigns to clamp down on racist abuse, but this appears to only address the issue of abuse aimed at black players.

Can you imagine the uproar now if organised racist chanting was aimed at a black player, witness the reaction to the abuse of black England players in Spain. Apart from the odd article in the Guradian/Independant the press haven't picked up on this, TV commentators suddenly lose their voices, clearing their throats instead, it's just like being back in the 80's. When will the FA grow a backbone and do something about the anti-semitic chanting aimed at Spurs or ex-Spurs players?

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Good grief, I stay away for a day and look what

> happens!! Liverpool and Man U fans getting stuck

> into each other. And I thought it was just me that

> brought out the worst in opposing fans. So I'm not

> the devil incarnate after all.

[matthew123]

Good to see Mark Clattenburg, one of the best young Referees in the Premiership is finally being reinstated from April.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/18/referee-mark-clattenburg-suspended-business-affairs

[Keef]

Interesting one about the "yiddo" chants. I usually hear it from Spurs supporters cheering their team on.

[red devil]

Exactly Keef, that was my point about Spurs fans reclaiming the term. I wouldn't go around using the 'n' word because i'd heard a black person use it. It's all to do with context. Fans of certain teams are using it in a derogatory sense, and appear to be getting away with it...

[Sandperson]

I think it has be reclaimed to a certain extent but I think it's the thin end of the wedge when it comes to use by other supporters. It was good to see the those fans getting done for homophobic chanting aimed at Sol Campbell.

[Jah Lush]

Well Spurs have a large Jewish following. Being a non-Jewish Spurs supporter I do feel a little uncomfortable with it though.

[red devil]

But was that more to do with him being a high profile player, television cameras etc, ask any Brighton fan about homophobic abuse...

[Jah Lush]

It's partly because he spent all of his last season at Spurs winding down his contract saying he wasn't going to leave and then at the end of it he signed for our biggest rivals.

Of course I don't agree with it at all and I think it's pathetic of a certain contingent of Spurs fans to continue with it after nearly a decade after he left the club.

[Keef]

Some fans hold a grudge, just ask Paul Ince about his trips to West Ham!

[ratty]

In Sol Campbells last game for Tottenham at Fratton Park the Pompey fans chanted non stop "Gay and He's Mental" (nice). It only stopped after Svetoslav Todorov broke Campbells nose and he had to go off.

Pompey fans then complaining about the abuse Campbell got from Spurs last year is a bit rich imo!

[red devil]

I saw a programme recently that featured the church in the corner of Everton's Goodison Park ground. Apparently it's the only stadium in the world that features a church in it's grounds.

Got me wondering whether anybody knows of any other similar football ground quirks, past or present. Ratty, Fratton Park must mave some quirky goings-on, and I'm not talking about that bloke with the bloody bell!

It's a shame to think that when Everton do finally move to their spanking brand new all-seater stadium, it will lack any character or sense of community this church provides...

[Keef]

Not the same really, but like the fact you can see the flats used in Only fools and horses, from Ashton Gate, as most of it was filmed in Bristol.

[red devil]

There's a huge cock outside the entrance to White Hart Lane (no Harry Redknapp jokes please Ratty!)...