The Football Thread

[Kurt Cocaine]

Looks like Ashley is finally on his way out of Newcastle, while managing to time it so their fans can't go out and party when he leaves...

Dreadful news to be honest. Saudi wealth fund... Brokered by Staveley around £300 million.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52284645

By dreadful I mean another oil rich fuckwit of a club inflating transfer/wages again.

[astfgyl]

It will be strange seeing Newcastle becoming challengers again but as a Chelsea supporter I can't say much about it. I suppose if every team were to be bought out in similar fashion it would level the playing field and the league would become wildly unpredictable and probably good fun to watch. Either that or the League of Ireland will start to look a lot more attractive, which would be no bad thing either. I know some of ye lads here watch it as it is, but the lack of glamour and hype has always made it seem a bit boring to me. Shallow I know

Of course if FFP was properly applied it would sort a lot of the issues around billionaires simply throwing money at any old club

[kiehozero]

Much prefer LOI precisely because of that, everybody who is there gives a fuck. Last time I was at Old Trafford I was in the north stand and was just surrounded by people who didn't have any desire to sing, cheer or scream; the only time they stood up was to get a photo with their backs to the pitch. The Stretford End is great and parts of the East stand too but I've been to plenty of PL grounds and I'd take 2,000 in the Jodi or Tolka any day over ten times as many at pretty much any PL ground.

[Juggz]

It will be strange seeing Newcastle becoming challengers again but as a Chelsea supporter I can't say much about it. I suppose if every team were to be bought out in similar fashion it would level the playing field and the league would become wildly unpredictable and probably good fun to watch. Either that or the League of Ireland will start to look a lot more attractive, which would be no bad thing either. I know some of ye lads here watch it as it is, but the lack of glamour and hype has always made it seem a bit boring to me. Shallow I know

Of course if FFP was properly applied it would sort a lot of the issues around billionaires simply throwing money at any old club

Billionaires are the only ay you'll get any variety. Too many clubs have baked-in financial advantages now which FFP ony reenforces. Once the money is in, it's not going away (like this fucking virus) and money fucks up sport.

[astfgyl]

Actually you're right there, bar the odd team punching above their weight for a season here and there it's the same few have any chance of doing something all the time. What does FFP do then? Does it just keep the status quo and prevent another Chelsea or Man City popping up?

[Juggz]

Yep, the successful teams are the ones which sell millions of t-shirts in China. How is that sporting chance in Western Europe? FFP is by the already big clubs, to protect the already big clubs.

[astfgyl]

I suppose there would be extreme opposition to any sort of general spending cap then by the same already big clubs. Say 150 million for example, and clubs can choose to blow it on one Neymar or 3 players for 50 mil apiece. Something like that might be fairer but it would have to be across every league worldwide or all players would just head off to the UAE or China or wherever throws the most money at them. Like some clubs will always be bigger than others but they would have to be capped in some other way to introduce competition in leagues.

So yeah it's basically let all premier clubs be bought out by billionaires and let them do what they want actually seems the fairest way to keep it competitive.

On a fairly unrelated note, but one thought led to another; I was watching the old Liverpool European final on VM Sport a couple of weekends ago and when the winning penalty was struck Alan Kennedy's celebration was so much more honest looking than the way goals are celebrated these days. It seemed more plain unbridled joy than "everybody look at me, I'm the best". Maybe that was a one off I dunno it just stuck out at the time. Jumpers for goalposts and all that

[Caomhaoin]

I agree totally about the celebrations. The way lads used to celebrate, it'd make your hair stand on end. You still see that in GAA.

Nowadays? It's often narcissistic posing. The heart gesture with the hands...sweet mother of jaysus give me strength...

'Trademark' celebrations have to be the gayest thing in the planet. Shearer wth the paw up, I can accept that. But Bale, Pogba et al...Fuck off ye gang of cunts, seriously.

[Trev]

I agree totally about the celebrations. The way lads used to celebrate, it'd make your hair stand on end. You still see that in GAA.

Nowadays? It's often narcissistic posing. The heart gesture with the hands...sweet mother of jaysus give me strength...

'Trademark' celebrations have to be the gayest thing in the planet. Shearer wth the paw up, I can accept that. But Bale, Pogba et al...Fuck off ye gang of cunts, seriously.

Don't really mind the whole trademark celebration thing too much, it's the fucking shite of not celebrating if you score against a former club that pisses me off

[Emphyrio]

Ah Kev, you can't bate the Sturridge!

[Paul keohane]

Much prefer LOI precisely because of that, everybody who is there gives a fuck. Last time I was at Old Trafford I was in the north stand and was just surrounded by people who didn't have any desire to sing, cheer or scream; the only time they stood up was to get a photo with their backs to the pitch. The Stretford End is great and parts of the East stand too but I've been to plenty of PL grounds and I'd take 2,000 in the Jodi or Tolka any day over ten times as many at pretty much any PL ground.

same,the standard of the loi might not be as good,but there are no event junky types at games,everyone in the ground gives a fuck.Ive been drifting from football at the heighest level for years because of the way its gone.The atmosphere at some premier league games is diabolical because fan bases are so diluted with day trippers.

[Bogmetaller]

Much prefer LOI precisely because of that, everybody who is there gives a fuck. Last time I was at Old Trafford I was in the north stand and was just surrounded by people who didn't have any desire to sing, cheer or scream; the only time they stood up was to get a photo with their backs to the pitch. The Stretford End is great and parts of the East stand too but I've been to plenty of PL grounds and I'd take 2,000 in the Jodi or Tolka any day over ten times as many at pretty much any PL ground.

same,the standard of the loi might not be as good,but there are no event junky types at games,everyone in the ground gives a fuck.Ive been drifting from football at the heighest level for years because of the way its gone.The atmosphere at some premier league games is diabolical because fan bases are so diluted with day trippers.

The atmosphere at a Dublin derby is worth the 15 euro entrance fee alone - the standard of soccer isn't always great but the passion in the stands is something else. Was at Turners Cross to see city and Derry good Friday about 4 yrs ago - place was wedged on account of the pubs being closed. Never seen an atmosphere like it and I've been a season ticket holder for Ireland with the last four yrs. Its a pity more people don't support it tbh.

[Paul keohane]

Much prefer LOI precisely because of that, everybody who is there gives a fuck. Last time I was at Old Trafford I was in the north stand and was just surrounded by people who didn't have any desire to sing, cheer or scream; the only time they stood up was to get a photo with their backs to the pitch. The Stretford End is great and parts of the East stand too but I've been to plenty of PL grounds and I'd take 2,000 in the Jodi or Tolka any day over ten times as many at pretty much any PL ground.

same,the standard of the loi might not be as good,but there are no event junky types at games,everyone in the ground gives a fuck.Ive been drifting from football at the heighest level for years because of the way its gone.The atmosphere at some premier league games is diabolical because fan bases are so diluted with day trippers.

The atmosphere at a Dublin derby is worth the 15 euro entrance fee alone - the standard of soccer isn't always great but the passion in the stands is something else. Was at Turners Cross to see city and Derry good Friday about 4 yrs ago - place was wedged on account of the pubs being closed. Never seen an atmosphere like it and I've been a season ticket holder for Ireland with the last four yrs. Its a pity more people don't support it tbh.

Cork city season ticket holder donkeys years myself,a huge part of live football in general is about the atmosphere in the ground.Sky sports and a remote control is embedded within irish sporting culture.

Having said that i wouldnt change the league here for anything,id actually hate it if all of a sudden the grounds started to fill up with utter cunts.

[kiehozero]

It seems to be the same pretty much anywhere outside of the Premier League to be honest. I think England's combination of all-seater stadiums, high ticket prices and the day-trippers can mute the atmosphere, but there's probably a million different things; German football is a decent contrast of all those factors, and the atmosphere in South American grounds is just a different planet.

I don't begrudge anybody supporting a PL club, no matter where they are in the world or what reason they give, I just wish that because you pay a third of the price to watch a lower-league team, it doesn't mean that you only get a third of the entertainment or skill value. The frustrating thing is being an English lad in an office of Dubs and being the only LOI fan. When it comes to football they're happy to slate their own league and sit watching Sky Sports at home instead.

These days I'd compare a Premier League crowd at one of the 'big' clubs to that of a rugby union crowd at the RDS or one of the English clubs: lots of middle class people who don't see it as the done thing to get amped up. I've been a season ticket holder at Old Trafford, Deepdale and a non-League team and what becomes clear is that every club has a hardcore support, but the atmosphere is dictated by the number of people who aren't in that hardcore. There aren't many tourists watching Preston North End or Burscough, plus those clubs know that if someone doesn't turn up, they don't have a replacement supporter ready to fill the seat.

[Paul keohane]

It seems to be the same pretty much anywhere outside of the Premier League to be honest. I think England's combination of all-seater stadiums, high ticket prices and the day-trippers can mute the atmosphere, but there's probably a million different things; German football is a decent contrast of all those factors, and the atmosphere in South American grounds is just a different planet.

I don't begrudge anybody supporting a PL club, no matter where they are in the world or what reason they give, I just wish that because you pay a third of the price to watch a lower-league team, it doesn't mean that you only get a third of the entertainment or skill value. The frustrating thing is being an English lad in an office of Dubs and being the only LOI fan. When it comes to football they're happy to slate their own league and sit watching Sky Sports at home instead.

Yeah i wouldnt begrudge anyone supporting the PL,i watch it most weeks and have been to games.I think clubs here are going in the right direction,its just they've had virtually no help or guidance,the FAI have never given a shit about the league.So if the people that are ment to be driving the league dont care its an up hill battle.