Football 2020/2021

[Gnomicide]

I like watching it on Twitter. The commentary is in Arabic but it's better than Martin Tyler. At least they get excited. 

[squirrelarmy]

Whose actually going to keep supporting their team if they go to ESL? 

[thetime]

11 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Whose actually going to keep supporting their team if they go to ESL? 

Of course people are still going to support them, it's not like a tap you can turn off.

People might be outraged of the idea, when the dust settles they will still support them how they see fit. 

United fans have been outraged about the glazers since they arrived, hasn't stopped the majority buying tickets and merchandise.

[eFestivals]

5 hours ago, eastynh said:

Fuck off Neil, stop being a knob.

The knob is the guy who has kidnapped his kids

[eastynh]

5 minutes ago, thetime said:

Of course people are still going to support them, it's not like a tap you can turn off.

People might be outraged of the idea, when the dust settles they will still support them how they see fit. 

United fans have been outraged about the glazers since they arrived, hasn't stopped the majority buying tickets and merchandise.

I'll never go again.

[eastynh]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

The knob is the guy who has kidnapped his kids

Which is not City's owner, which you quite clearly know, so why be a knob?

[Gnomicide]

26 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Whose actually going to keep supporting their team if they go to ESL? 

I've been pondering this and I'll probably be a complete hypocrite and will.

I've watched other teams, seen Tranmere a lot when I was younger, even travelled to Wembley to watch them but it's just not the same. Ultimately, I'm not arsed if they lose or not.

I'd stopped going to the match in 2010 and only in 2019 started going to Champions League games again so they've had very little in the way of financial support from me anyway. The best I could do would be not going to the Super League games, I also wouldn't pay any TV subscriptions to watch it.

I just don't think I could stop caring.

[eFestivals]

14 minutes ago, eastynh said:

Which is not City's owner, which you quite clearly know, so why be a knob?

From what I first read I thought it was someone else but read something else which explicitly said it was him 

[kaosmark2]

7 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Even if they pull out now the damage is done.

Here was me thinking that was Stanley Johnson, not football.

[jyoung]

It's not the club betraying you, that's what makes packing it in difficult. Why should you have to give up something you love because the owners are shit heads. I couldn't support Chelsea in that competition. It would feel unnatural not to but I couldn't go against my gut feeling that it was wrong to be a part of it. Not the players fault, not the managers fault but unfortunately that's just how it is. I'd still support them in the league but it would make many matches redundant and I'm sure I would soon lose interest if we didn't even have to fight to scrape fourth place to get into Europe... You can't just drop that love for the club but you absolutely can not go along with something you think is abhorrent. I couldn't just pick up a new club either but I'm a fan of football. I absolutely could go and invest my time and money in a more community based local team. The whole think is crap. I just wish they'd turn around and admit that they got it wrong. 

[jyoung]

Brighton wearing the same shirts Leeds did tonight.

[Hannibal Schmitt]

Bayern Munich and PSG affirm their NO to shit league. 

also weird plastic commercial club Red Bull Salzburg slamming them for the money/commercial aspect: 

Salzburg's managing director, Stephan Reiter, didn't let the plans go well either. "It's a league that seals itself off completely and that is dominated by capital and money - and not by sporting quality. We see it fundamentally differently," said Reiter. Qualification should continue to take place via national competition: "It shouldn't be an elite league that you buy into." One is "in no way interested" in participating. As a motivation, he identified "a bit of greed. (...) Of the 3.3 billion euros, around 80 percent will be distributed to Champions League participants. For some clubs that seems to be too little. The top motivation is certainly the financial and not the sporty and certainly not the fan aspect, "said Reiter.

[jyoung]

Bruce Buck told the Chelsea squad yesterday which would suggest it is not them who are buckling under the pressure. Could it be City?

[jyoung]

A lot of protesting outside the Bridge.

[Hugh Jass]

7 minutes ago, jyoung said:

It's not the club betraying you, that's what makes packing it in difficult. Why should you have to give up something you love because the owners are shit heads. I couldn't support Chelsea in that competition. It would feel unnatural not to but I couldn't go against my gut feeling that it was wrong to be a part of it. Not the players fault, not the managers fault but unfortunately that's just how it is. I'd still support them in the league but it would make many matches redundant and I'm sure I would soon lose interest if we didn't even have to fight to scrape fourth place to get into Europe... You can't just drop that love for the club but you absolutely can not go along with something you think is abhorrent. I couldn't just pick up a new club either but I'm a fan of football. I absolutely could go and invest my time and money in a more community based local team. The whole think is crap. I just wish they'd turn around and admit that they got it wrong. 

It is the club betraying you though. I’m sure there weren’t many complaints when Roman was splashing huge sums of cash...

Easty spoke about history earlier. Each of the six clubs have a rich and full history of contributions to the sport (even Spurs). What each of them have done is betray that history to the point it’s now worthless.

This is your history now.

[pink_triangle]

7 hours ago, zahidf said:

Definitely wont be UTD: Glazer is on the board of the new ESL

 

Liverpool have louder and more passionate fans, and they are more likely to cave in

I don't think liverpool fans are louder or more passionate.

[pink_triangle]

6 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

Given we’re led to believe Chelsea and Man City were not involved in the early discussions and signed up late with some reservations...if that is true, then is it not likely that one or both of them might crack first (if indeed any crack at all)? 

Its hard to see Man u and liverpool cracking when they have been the driving force. I can see Man City and Chelsea realizing they won't hold the cards/power in this new league.

[squirrelarmy]

Massive crowds protesting outside Stamford Bridge. Huge police presence as well. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by squirrelarmy

[jyoung]

3 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Massive crowds protesting outside Stamford Bridge. Huge police presence as well. 

Blocking the entrance for the coaches by the looks of it.

[jyoung]

Holy shit, Cech!

[eFestivals]

39 minutes ago, jyoung said:

A lot of protesting outside the Bridge.

Chelsea run by dscumbagsfor decades it didn't start with roman

[jyoung]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

Chelsea run by dscumbagsfor decades it didn't start with roman

Cracking insight, cheers!

[jyoung]

🙏

 

[squirrelarmy]

The fans went mental in the street. Now I know why

[CG31]

44 minutes ago, jyoung said:

It's not the club betraying you, that's what makes packing it in difficult. Why should you have to give up something you love because the owners are shit heads. I couldn't support Chelsea in that competition. It would feel unnatural not to but I couldn't go against my gut feeling that it was wrong to be a part of it. Not the players fault, not the managers fault but unfortunately that's just how it is. I'd still support them in the league but it would make many matches redundant and I'm sure I would soon lose interest if we didn't even have to fight to scrape fourth place to get into Europe... You can't just drop that love for the club but you absolutely can not go along with something you think is abhorrent. I couldn't just pick up a new club either but I'm a fan of football. I absolutely could go and invest my time and money in a more community based local team. The whole think is crap. I just wish they'd turn around and admit that they got it wrong. 

I've been thinking about the whole situation for a couple of days and I sort of agree with this, I've been an Arsenal fan my whole life (a meager 18 years), I had my nappy changed on a Highbury medical table as a 1 year old, I've had the tour of the Emirates and heard how Charlie George lost his finger. I've got annuals from every year since 2002, had the calendars every year. Not shirts (real ones anyway) because they're too expensive but still some here and there. I've watched highlights of seasons I remember and don't remember. The only reason it's Arsenal is my Grandad, he grew up there and supported them his whole life, he loves Dennis Bergkamp and watches every game he possibly can and, eventhough hes let down by performances 90% of the time and spends pretty much the whole game yelling at the telly, he still loves them. I don't think he or I could just all of a sudden stop supporting Arsenal, yes its been shit in recent years, pretty much the whole time I've realised whats going on. But I still hold memories, like the 7-5 against Reading, the FA Cup wins etc. Its nowt to do with say 99% of the club (players, Arteta, staff, us fans), and the discontent with Kroenke has been known for a long time. I wouldn't watch it, it would just provide more money for the greedy bastards, but obviously I'd keep an eye on the goings on. Its naturally a huge let down to see the club I love selling their soul to money, but its not as easy as saying "fuck it then" and moving on. Something needs to change at the club, and recent seasons have shown that, we celebrated a 96th minute equaliser against 18th placed Fulham like we just won the Champions League, and the recruitment has been dreadful in my opinion. But eloping off with rich w*nkers to the ESL promised lands is certainly not the way to go about it. Kroenke cares more about the LA Rams than us anyway, he'll forget he signed the contract by next week.

 

But, I do love another football club, the mighty Reading. Easily accessible, my hometown club. And again there's fond memories. I remember crying at half time of the 2011 playoff final (still hate Scott Sinclair to this day), remember nearly crying as Federici let that shot squirm through his legs against Arsenal in the FA Cup. I've met numerous players, formally and informally, even met the Amazons outside the stadium. This season I've seen much more Ding than Arsenal, and riding the HMS Piss the League train for the first few weeks was absolutely unreal. I guess I'm lucky in respect that my Dad has been a lifelong Reading fan, and in my heart of hearts it will always be them first, but still, Arsenal I love too, even if its all been soured by recent events.

Sorry for the essay😅