On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Ladygooner]

Arsenal 4 Wigan 0

Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 1

Bolton 1 Stoke 2

Burnley 2 Sunderland 2

Hull 1 Birmingham 2

West Ham 2 Liverpool 1

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 4

Everton 2 Blackburn 0

Man Utd 3 Man City 1

Wolverhampton 1 Fulham 2

[????]

Lady Gooner...

I too think that there will be 8 goals.....but a different scoreline

*drum roll starts*

[matthew123]

Celtic need to join the PL simple as that - and have a U.K. national team, as until then Scottish football will continue to be humiliated. A once proud heritage of football broken down by advancement in the rest of the world. At the moment Celtic will struggle in the Championship never mind Europa League. But you have to take your hat off to their supporters as Celtic and Rangers both fill their stadiums when up against teams like Dundee and Falkirk who would struggle to even fill a stand in England, never mind stadium, even on free tickets.

[matthew123]

matthew123 Wrote:

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

> Wins for Blackburn, Liverpool, Manchester,

> Chelsea, Sunderland, Spurs, Wigan and Fulham

7 out of 10 last week

Predictions this week

Wins for Arsenal, Villa, Burnley, Everton, United, Fulham

[paragon]

HA HA HA. Sorry if any of these have been posted before

[matthew123]

Came across this on the web today, when Liverpool defender Walter Wadsworth snapped in a game versus Sheffield United in 1923 at Bramall Lane he said afterwards.

"Let me state here and now that I hit a spectator, I admit it. I think I was justified because a spectator called me something that I will allow no man to call me. It must not be imagined that because a spectator has paid his bob that he can, willy-nilly, help himself in the epithets department.

"He has no justification for something worse than swearing at the players. He has not the right to shout vile words at them. I hope the action I took will lead to the offenders realising that they cannot lean over the railings and offer vile insults at footballers.

"After the match I begged the people of Sheffield to bring the man to the dressing room to see me. No-one came, I am sorry to say, and I am more than sorry that the man has not gone to court, for then the facts would be published and it would be seen by all in the game of football how some spectators carry on."

EDIT: Apparently he hit the wrong man.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2288590/Letters-to-the-Sports-Editor.html

[mockney piers]

Wow. Name me a footballer today who could use the word epithet!!

[????]

they've all got big epithets for money and WAGS

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Cantona with the Poetic Phrases?

[SimonM]

Contrary to vile rumour I was not the spectator that called Mr Wadsworth a "thieving conchie who never settles his tailor's bills". I am not that old - quite.

Bramall Lane tonight, live on Sky, United v Wednesday. Last season we lost both Derby games and, you could argue, lost automatic promotion as a consequence. If we fail to stuff them this time it will quite ruin my weekend.....to put it mildly.

[????]

CMON OWLS

[mockney piers]

let ... it.....go.

Mind you, on that subject it'd be nice to see se?or M predict a west ham victory, just once ;)

Maybe not this week mind.

[SimonM]

Well...delirous by half-time, but a bag of nerves by the finish. But what a rubbish referee Alan Wiley is! yellow-card mad! But at least I now feel charitable...

Arsenal 3 Wigan 0

Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 0

Bolton 2 Stoke 1

Burnley 0 Sunderland 2

Hull 2 Birmingham 1

West Ham 2 Liverpool 1

Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0

Everton 2 Blackburn 0

Man Utd 1 Man City 0

Wolverhampton 0 Fulham 2

[mockney piers]

:D

[red devil]

Yes Simon, I can imagine you didn't have much left of your fingernails. I managed to catch the second half, it was a good entertaining match for the neutral, perfect warm-up for the proper derby on Sunday, and before anyone says anything, Chelsea v Sprus is not a proper derby...

Arsenal 3 Wigan 1

Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 1

Bolton 1 Stoke 2

Burnley 0 Sunderland 0

Hull 1 Birmingham 1

West Ham 1 Liverpool 3

Chelsea 2 Tottenham 2

Everton 3 Blackburn 1

Man Utd 5 Man City 1

Wolverhampton 1 Fulham 1

[Annasfield]

Fergie's comments about the Manchester derby made me smile yesterday.

The question "who are Liverpool's biggest rivals, United or Everton?" is a common debate amongst Liverpool fans. All of our out of town support would say United, but all the local reds say Everton. I suppose it depends on who you have to put up with for the build up and then after the match.

I guess its quite flattering that he said Liverpool.

[red devil]

Yes Anna, that made me laugh, definitely a wind up from Fergie, and the Adebayor/Tevez remark..ouch!

This years Mcr derby is definitely the biggest for a long time because of Citeh's money and their potential to challenge for honours, and I'm actually enjoying seeing Citeh up there, it's good for the city. The rivalry like the Merseyside derby is fierce, but it's not uncommon to have friends and family supporting the other team. This doesn't happen with Utd v 'pool and I think that is why that 'derby' is still the fiercest of the two, there's just no common ground between the fans. Of course this could all change if Citeh start winning things...

[Keef]

Thing that annoyed me when I lived in the pool was that reds yuk actually cheer on Everton against Man U. But they'd stand in the pub and cheer the mancs against the pool. That said, I remember 2 blues sitting in the Kop for a derby match, and just getting friendly banter, can't imagine 2 man u fans being treated quite so nicely.

[red devil]

Keef, I think it's a case of 'any enemy of my enemy is a friend'.

When Utd last played Everton at OT, both sets of fans joined in together in the'Rafa's cracking-up' chant.

Most Utd fans haven't got a problem with Everton, we're not anti-scouse period. The use of 'Scouse' or 'Scouser' is a lazy reference directed at LFC at their supporters, just as I suppose Manc is for Utd and our fans.

I've posted before that in the sixties Utd fans could stand on the Kop, my oldest brother did on an evening mid-week game, but it wouldn't happen now. With the success of Liverpool and now Utd the animosity between the fans has grown and grown since then. Simultaneously our rivalry with Citeh has lessened because they were not seen as a threat, but that will change if they become successful...

[Annasfield]

red devil Wrote:

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

> Keef, I think it's a case of 'any enemy of my

> enemy is a friend'.

> When Utd last played Everton at OT, both sets of

> fans joined in together in the'Rafa's cracking-up'

> chant.

> Most Utd fans haven't got a problem with Everton,

> we're not anti-scouse period. The use of 'Scouse'

> or 'Scouser' is a lazy reference directed at LFC

> at their supporters, just as I suppose Manc is for

> Utd and our fans.

> I've posted before that in the sixties Utd fans

> could stand on the Kop, my oldest brother did on

> an evening mid-week game, but it wouldn't happen

> now. With the success of Liverpool and now Utd the

> animosity between the fans has grown and grown

> since then. Simultaneously our rivalry with Citeh

> has lessened because they were not seen as a

> threat, but that will change if they become

> successful...

I don't get that mentality. Why would either team sing about us when they're not playing us at the time.

[red devil]

Male bonding Anna...;-)

[????]

You going eastwards today Anna?

[Keef]

Lol. I'd call it flattery.

[Annasfield]

Yes ???? are you?

[????]

nope...can't borrow anyone's ST for this one! Have a beer in the Boyleyn for me :)-D