On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[matthew123]

St Andrews - home of Birminghan City - had a Gypsy curse placed on it and are the only major City football club never to win the League or FA Cup. When Barry Fry was Manager he urinated at each corner flag to try and exercise the curse.

[Sandperson]

There's a secret room in Eastlands that noone ever visits. It's never been used since City moved there and legend has it that there was a room exactly the same at Maine Road. There's a dusty plaque on the door which reads "Trophy Room"....

[red devil]

Always thought it was strange that before Old Trafford was redeveloped, the all-standing Stretford End had about 5 rows of bench seating at the back...

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Arsenal 3 Sunderland 0

Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 2

Bolton 1 West Ham 0

Man Utd 1 Blackburn 1

Middlesbrough 0 Wigan 0

Stoke 1 Portsmouth 2

Fulham 2 West Brom 0

Liverpool 3 Man City 1

Newcastle 2 Everton 2

Hull 4 Tottenham 0

[matthew123]

The bench seating at back of terrace may have been for fans feeling unwell during the match. On the old Kop, I twice was close to blacking out and just about crawled away from the heart and lungs of the old Kop. It's alright people saying bring back the terraces as they're the people who think it's like standing up on your seat with room to swing an elbow which it is on the outskirts of any terracing - but in the centre it's like getting on the Victoria Line at Victoria (during the rush hour) and being like that for 90 minutes... hard work, god bless the idea of bench seating to take a time out :)

[Atila Reincarnate]

red devil Wrote:

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> 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...;-)

>

That's funny most of the people I know don't think Man U has a real fan base as most of you live in London and Surrey and have no real affiliation with Manchester, not that that is important as Man U aren't in Manchester anyway. As for Liverpool Man U being a "proper" derby well, you're entitled to your opinion. The only "real" derbies I can think of are Celtic v Rangers, Real Madrid v Barcelona, Galatasaray v Fenerbahce, Internazionale v AC, The Arsenal v Spurs. :)) Forget Man U v Liverpool it doesn't hold a candle to the "real" derbies.

[Sandperson]

Ah, a flash of your old self there Atila. Welcome back.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Ah, a flash of your old self there Atila. Welcome

> back.

Thanks, he just needed to be told like it is.

[matthew123]

I went to the Fenerbahce v Galatasaray derby in 2005, when Fener won the Title and lifted the Championship and it was an explosive atmosphere but still better behaved than any Man United v Liverpool match I've been to at Old Trafford. Having said that I think the Goodison derby is historically the best in England, and probably the best today for proper atmosphere.

[Atila Reincarnate]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> I went to the Fenerbahce v Galatasaray derby in

> 2005, when Fener won the Title and lifted the

> Championship and it was an explosive atmosphere

> but still better behaved

Better behaved???? Are you sure, it always like tribal warfare. You weren't under the influence of halucinogenic drugs at the time by any chance??

[red devil]

I remember seeing one of those medical consumer programmes, bit like That's Life but only crappier because it was ITV, and they had a group of Utd supporters on it who had all complained of soreness in their hands/arms, sort of RSI before RSI was invented. Anyway, it only affected those fans, usually young kids too small to stand further back, who stood at the bottom of the Sretford End. It turned out they were continually getting pressed against the newly installed 'keep the hoolies of the pitch' railings, each time the crowd surged forward during an attack/goal. If that wasn't a pre-Hilsborough warning I don't know what was!..

It's always funny to see old footage of the Kop singing Beatles songs in the 60's, the crowd is swaying so much you feel sea sick!..

[matthew123]

Might have had a few drinks in the afternoon, but we were only 20 metres or so from the Away section and there was certainly no missles thrown, but having said that the Police were tooled up and ready for action so that may play a major part on crowd behaviour.... maybe there is a vision of Midnight Express for anyone who wants to throw an empty can!?

The impression I got was it was worse at Galatasaray's own ground - I was told the Fenerbahce Directors had been forced to sit in the Away section with their own fans after being hounded out of the Directors box by the Galatasaray fans. Went to that ground as well and it is woeful compared with Fenerbahce.

Here are two pictures I took at both grounds.

[Jah Lush]

Arsenal 2 Sunderland 1

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 2

Bolton 2 West Ham 1

Man Utd 3 Blackburn 0

Middlesbrough 1 Wigan 1

Stoke 1 Portsmouth 2

Fulham 2 West Brom 0

Liverpool 2 Man City 1

Newcastle 1 Everton 2

Hull 0 Tottenham 2

[Ladygooner]

Arsenal 3 Sunderland 1 (Arshavin to score a hattrick)

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1

Bolton 1 West Ham 2

Man Utd 3 Blackburn 1

Middlesbrough 1 Wigan 0

Stoke 1 Portsmouth 2

Fulham 3 West Brom 1

Liverpool 3 Man City 3

Newcastle 1 Everton 2

Hull 4 Tottenham 4

[Annasfield]

Going to the Calderon on Tuesday night for the Atletico v Oporto match. My credit card provide must love me at the moment :-S

[red devil]

Atila, would that be because most of the people you know are London based L'arse supporters? I wouldn't expect anything else from someone who has been brought up on and corrupted by a London based media. Hang on a minute, let me hang my flat cap up, and let the whippet out for a run. Have you not heard of urban myths, if you know Mcr so well you'd realise that the majority (60:40) of football fans in the city are Utd fans, even a well known city fanzine editor acknowledged this. You really do need to learn to form your own opinions, you gooners are so gullible, you even think you've still got a great team...;-)

As for 'real' derbies, the thing that makes Utd v 'pool, like Real v Barca, is that it is bigger than petulant local differences; the best derby for atmosphere, history, cultural differences etc has to be celtic v rangers...mental

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

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

> red devil Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > 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...;-)

> >

>

> That's funny most of the people I know don't think

> Man U has a real fan base as most of you live in

> London and Surrey and have no real affiliation

> with Manchester, not that that is important as Man

> U aren't in Manchester anyway. As for Liverpool

> Man U being a "proper" derby well, you're entitled

> to your opinion. The only "real" derbies I can

> think of are Celtic v Rangers, Real Madrid v

> Barcelona, Galatasaray v Fenerbahce,

> Internazionale v AC, The Arsenal v Spurs. :))

> Forget Man U v Liverpool it doesn't hold a candle

> to the "real" derbies.

[matthew123]

I'm arriving in Madrid the next morning (leaving Gatwick at 8am) - might see you there.

I thought Atletico were still serving a fan ban hence why UEFA have allowed them and Real to play at home during the same week?

[????]

Arsenal 2 Sunderland 1

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 0

Bolton 1 West Ham 1

Man Utd 4 Blackburn 0

Middlesbrough 0 Wigan 1

Stoke 1 Portsmouth 1

Fulham 2 West Brom 0

Liverpool 1 Man City 0

Newcastle 0 Everton 2

.............rolls drum................................

Hull 8 Tottenham 0

[Jah Lush]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....99

[ratty]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....99

It's always funny though and is the highlight of my week!

[Atila Reincarnate]

red devil Wrote:

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> You really do need to learn to form your own

> opinions, you gooners are so gullible, you even

> think you've still got a great team...;-)

>

This would be the same team that beat you 2 -1 at our place, yea?

[Jah Lush]

Touche!

[matthew123]

In 2001/02, United went on a great 12 game winning streak - but then it came to a halt when they started facing the better teams again, so we could be looking at a similar scenario this season.

I still think United have to be classed as Favourites what with a 5 point lead - but I think people have to realise that there is no guarentee they will collect maximum points when they play Liverpool, Villa and Arsenal at Old Trafford.

That's not saying Liverpool will win all their games either - but in football one bad result at this time of season can have a huge pyschological impact on victims and the chasers.

[Atila Reincarnate]

I think they'll win the league but I don't think the run they are on at the momment will last for ever.

[Sandperson]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

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> I think they'll win the league but I don't think

> the run they are on at the momment will last for

> ever.

That's what I said in 2003/4...:))