TheBrownBottle

Which legal battle though? The club has shown zero inclination to get involved with it. It isn’t happening and isn’t going to happen. Another club might challenge the rules, they might be successful. That’s as far as it goes. UEFA seem to be ploughing ahead quite happily - and why not? 99% of its member clubs won’t be arsed in the slightest.

The racist element to our support still exists, and it is fucking embarrassing that it does The Mido stuff was a bit shite mind - it was clearly because he looked like Richard ‘the shoebomber’ Reid rather than the fact that Mido is a Muslim (which is what the Grauniad implied).

It has been commented on already, but this is the biggest load of shite going mind. 'If you can't do it, don't criticise'. Absolute nonsense - couldn't be applied to any area of life. Football is a catharsis for many, and a chance to get away from the daily stresses and grinds. It isn't close to being as important as many of the jobs where you would happily criticise others for bad work. You probably couldn't run the govt - but I bet you've criticised a PM before. You likely couldn't build your own house - but I bet you'd be unhappy if the house you'd just bought fell apart. You likely couldn't build your own car - but I bet you'd be critical if the car you just drove off the lot had its doors and wheels fall off.

The average age of the crowd is mid-40s. Any photo or film before the PL era would confirm that this is a change in age demographics. And in terms of ticket prices, they’re much, much higher vs income than they were pre-PL era too. Up until the early ‘90s, the unemployed and lowest paid could attend football matches. Zero chance of that now.

Living overseas, it makes my life more convenient too, but I’m not the one who should be prioritised - it’s those who actually go who should. Stupid KO times - along with a shite rail system - means that for many, those away games become a dystopian nightmare of a long bus ride home after the game, or an overnight stay in a hotel (and two days off work for midweek games). That and the TV companies moving KO times and dates at the drop of a hat means you can’t book trains cheaper several months before. There is no excuse for it - TV should always have been made to work around the game, not the other way round. It was always proof that football gives more of a shit about money than those who actually attend matches.

The prices went up by about 300% under John Hall in the mid-90s, as well as being all-ST, and the crowd changed completely. It’s remained changed, which you can tell by the average age of the people in the ground. Groups of young lads can hardly rock up with their pocket money together today - and neither can people on a low wage. It’s a completely different demographic.

He’s scored a quarter of his PL goals with his left. He’s such a clean striker of ball that I’m surprised he never takes FKs

Likewise. Christ, its been a long time since we played the smoggies

Cheers mate I am

I used to manage two jobs on Champ Man - club and international. And this Howe fella can’t manage just one? Pah! Doesn’t know he’s born

Tbf we’ve also done the ‘nonce’ chants at the smoggies

One of the moments in my life that was key to becoming a teetotaller - was at the work Xmas party, ended up towards the end of the night with a junior QS and the company CEO. The young QSs had an issue around pay - they didn’t think they were being paid what they should be (they weren’t). CEO politely pushes back, suggesting that they could have a chat when we were back in the office. A very drunken BB then proceeds to call the CEO and the board a ‘bunch of cunts, who make enough money already, just pay them what they’re worth you fucking greedy bastards’. Accompanied by finger-jabbing. Rest of the night is a blur, but that part is lucid An indication of how drunk I was - my ex was picking me up from the train station - an hour away. Got on the train after ringing her - and woke up to see literally dozens of missed calls and some angry texts. She could see on ‘find my iPhone’ that I’d rolled into the train station (the last stop on Sydney metros), then started pulling away again towards the city. Woke up about two hours after boarding the train - I’d fell asleep in a drunken stupor. tl;dr - don’t drink alcohol to excess kids, especially when 1) having conversations re industrial relations with people who can sack you or 2) when boarding a train

I agree, the commercial matters more - however they aren’t independent of one another. There is a reason that Man Utd got tens of millions more from their CL group stage failure than we did - coefficients. And high placings = higher income. The club won’t grow if (massive ‘if’ - not saying this will happen) we spend the next two or three years in mid table; we’ll be no further forward.

You didn’t call your company CEO a cunt, so as far as drunken bad moments go, it is still well behind my worst mate

Got you. I remember this one. This was what the club’s aim is in the long-term, not for this season. It was noted at the time as it was a significant climb down from ‘we will win the Premier League, we will win the Champions League’ etc.

that Palace fan’s patter is burned into my memory too. When it was printed in the papers it made it look like he was a school master at a public school chastising one of the boys for being late for class

That’s poor goalkeeping too, tbf

We’ll struggle to do that this season. Which board member said it and where? (Not questioning that you’re right, just curious about the framing)

I’d take 18th but I imagine I’m very much in the minority on that score

There’s a depressingly long history of this at the club - local lads getting pelters after a game. No-one could suggest BDB doesn’t leave everything on the pitch. Disgraceful behaviour if the lad got grief

*Bob Lord’s ghost smiles patronisingly down*

It was very effective in the league’s best defence last season - he tucks in as a third centre half, freeing up Trippier to bomb on. The loss of Joelinton and Willock has been a massive problem, as they would do a lot of cover work with their athleticism and strength. If there’s a criticism to be levelled at Howe, it’s that we’ve continued doing this despite the personnel required not being available

I still think there’s a tactical element to it from Howe - Burn tucking in when Trippier bombs forward - but it has probably run its course at this point. Let’s see what happens. KK and BR had their favourites too, tbh. I think that BDB really misses having the Joes on the left side with him.

Tonali isn’t exactly known as a great passer of the ball