leazes.ender

The FA Cup runner-up would still take the place if the winner had already qualified. The rule change stopped the semi-finalist (or worse) using it. Everton technically took that last season even though they would have done so by their league position anyway. The FA cup spot is ranked highest of the Europa qualifying spots.

I'd happily take being stuck in this league for the next 10 years for winning the FA Cup. Sod it i'd take it forever for just seeing us win it.

As Ashley17 said Hearts finished above Rangers a few years ago then royally fucked it up when the owner decided to pick the team. Before that Aberdeen were the last in the early 80s to win the league. The problem though, which will happen again this January, is that they'll just buy up any talent from the other clubs to cement their position and never play them. Coming down to England will give them more money but so what? Didn't do us any good and they'll just become another provincial also-ran unable to attract the best players because they want to play for Man Utd or in London. Why they think because of who they are they'd suddenly be able to do what us and Leeds and Liverpool couldn't do is beyond me.

If they went down South we should go up North and win something. The travel we'd have would be far shorter and all those great places like Bolton, Wigan, Stoke, Hull and Portsmouth can be left to play with the 'elite'. Practically though if that did happen then the real big clubs in England would just say that they wanted to play in Spain. Scotland has no football affinity to England, which has been argued long and hard for years by the Scots who don't want a UK national side. You either integrate completely and that means Hearts, Hibs etc all joining a league structure or stay in your own country.

Posh fans I was talking to on Saturday said he was getting too big for his boots and that the were looking to offload him to a bigger club in return for some compensation. Seems surprising to sack him though.

Spurs Losing.

More than 2 points per game would generally see you through. Roughly that corresponds to 16 points per block of 8 games, or 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats per 8 games. 1st block of 8 - 19 points (6 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat) = 2.375 2nd block of 8 - 8 points (2 wins, 2 draws, 2 defeats) with 2 games left = 1.333 Overall - 27 points from 42 = 1.929 per game

And to those who think the no-one would use the branded name, think again. The media would do it just to piss us off more.

Obviously SSN don't care enough about the Smogs to get any of there presenters out of bed to break the story.

Not sure there is much choice actually. Our LA Flight got in at 2pm after after leaving at tea-time thursday so as his flight was longer, or via Miami as well, it weaver little choice. That said hasn't stopped me from being at the city ground though.

Jonas will have been left out because of the travelling back from Argentina. I was on his flight back from Paris at 4pm yesterday and he looked knackered. Equally so did Inusa and Macsherano and they were both left on the bench for Liverpool.

Donaldson getting nothing in midfield so Guthrie totally overrun. Need Smith in the middle and to move Lovelyhands inside to get him involved. Long way to come for this pish!

The Brighton game is about to start on ESPN Classics again now.

Never mind that the first thing I read after coming back from that embarrassment at Blackpool was that Thursday was the 12th anniversary of up beating Barca 3-2.

Seeing as someone created a new pre.match thread can someone move this to the travel pages please for those of us who are arsed enough to go.

My standing ones came today. Despite the terrace holding 4000 I think we were only given 1800 for it so guessing we'll be shoved in one corner of it. Pub wise the ones talked about on the footballguide website are not bad having been in the cherry tree one before the FA cup game down there.

No. Not allowed in any FA, FL, UEFA or FIFA sanctioned games. Basically that extends to anything with an FA sanctioned referee in charge. They could play closed doors games but in the eyes of FIFa their registration remains with the parent club.

Chelsea are only banned from registering any new players IIRC so they can sign and pay for whoever they want but they will not be able to play in 'official' sanctioned matches. Punishing them by banning the signing would be illegal by European law but they can be prevented from exchanging registration which is under football law.

There was at least one occasion one of our players passed to the ref too. Though that may have just been because we were rubbish.

If you do online you can select whichever pricing category you want, under the disclaimer that you may have to prove entitlement on entry. My bro has an adult ST but i always get him student to away games.

I certainly am.

People in the seats will stand. They will if they weren't given the option to stand.

Seems like a ridiculous way to do it as there will be plently of folk without season tickets who fancy going, but would prefer a seat, and loads now who want to stand.

Anyone managed to blag one for the standing yet without waiting for the seating tickets to be sold yet?

Scotland only need a draw to finish 2nd but with 1 of the 2nd placed teams missing out its unlikely that 11 points will be good enough for that. Its too complicated to work out as you have to remove the result against the worst team in each 6 team group as far as i'm aware which excludes Scotland's as well.