The football (soccer) thread

[Iota]

I stayed in Finsbury Park in 2019 - definitely Gooner territory but down the road at the Plimsoll pub in St Thomas' Rd you could see both Arsenal and Spurs supporters debating the merits of their teams.

I knew two brothers, avid Tottenham fans who would virtually salivate at the mention of any Arsenal misfortune, who lived a stone's throw from that pub. It's true that though the rivalry might be intense, it was generally amicable what I saw of it. The best kind ..

[Iota]

Indeed!
But one of my best friends among football fans is a Spurs' fan. It's a shame that I did not know him through all the years of Arsenal dominance. We met only after Arsene left and the start of Tottenham having better seasons than the gunners for several years in a row. It's about time that Arsenal regain the upper hand!

Such a thoughtful manager Wenger, I liked him. The best I think I've ever seen Arsenal was when Thierry Henry/Bergkamp were hitting their respective stellar peaks, some seriously wondrous football going on then! But I was only ever a very casual football fan, and even more so now, so know nothing really.

[Irons]

I just now realized why you are "IRON"... (...while I wonder why not "bubbles"?)

Bubbles is good. A song that is West Ham. "Irons" also goes deep in the club's history as do "Hammers" which is from the founding of the club as a factory team of Thames Ironworks in the East End of London.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Bubbles is good. A song that is West Ham. "Irons" also goes deep in the club's history as do "Hammers" which is from the founding of the club as a factory team of Thames Ironworks in the East End of London.

I was wondering as the where the "Bubbles" came from. 

This is the first Bubbles that came to my mind:



PD

[Irons]

I was wondering as the where the "Bubbles" came from. 

This is the first Bubbles that came to my mind:



PD

Like my dreams they fade and die....

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Like my dreams they fade and die....

You have got to keep the faith alive!

PD

[Irons]

You have got to keep the faith alive!

PD

Following West Ham not easy!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Following West Ham not easy!

PD

[DaveF]

To one of the best matches I've ever attended yesterday: FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.  Coventry City 3, Man Utd 3 (Man U 4-2 on penalties) doesn't tell half the story.  First half was like a practice match for Utd, as Cov had completely failed to turn up, and it could easily have been 6-0 at half time, rather than just 2.  Another Man U goal at the start of the second half didn't help.  But then the Sky Blue tap got turned on, and after wave upon wave of attacks we got it back to 3-3 at full time.  No goals in extra time, apart from a "winner" for us that was judged offside (I can't see it, I really can't - definitely level.)  Then penalties...  At the end all Man U players and fans slunk away, probably ashamed to beat a lower-league team in such a way - we stayed for half an hour, singing and waving our flags.  We liked some of the Man U songs, so sang them as well (somebody had to).  Another day to go into Coventry folklore.

[springrite]

To one of the best matches I've ever attended yesterday: FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.  Coventry City 3, Man Utd 3 (Man U 4-2 on penalties) doesn't tell half the story.  First half was like a practice match for Utd, as Cov had completely failed to turn up, and it could easily have been 6-0 at half time, rather than just 2.  Another Man U goal at the start of the second half didn't help.  But then the Sky Blue tap got turned on, and after wave upon wave of attacks we got it back to 3-3 at full time.  No goals in extra time, apart from a "winner" for us that was judged offside (I can't see it, I really can't - definitely level.)  Then penalties...  At the end all Man U players and fans slunk away, probably ashamed to beat a lower-league team in such a way - we stayed for half an hour, singing and waving our flags.  We liked some of the Man U songs, so sang them as well (somebody had to).  Another day to go into Coventry folklore.

As McGuire shook hands with Coventry players right after the last penalty kick giving United the victory, Antony, who came on at 3:0 and was -3 himself as a substitute, decided to taunt Coventry players in their faces. How pathetic!

[DaveF]

As McGuire shook hands with Coventry players right after the last penalty kick giving United the victory, Antony, who came on at 3:0 and was -3 himself as a substitute, decided to taunt Coventry players in their faces. How pathetic!

Bruno Fernandez, allegedly the captain of the shambolic Man U team, did the same to Brad Collins (goalkeeper) after the final penalty.  No grace, no class.  Difficult to imagine Cristiano Ronaldo, not always the least self-regarding of characters, behaving that way - not that the team he played in (first time round) would have had much difficulty overcoming a second-division outfit.

[Irons]

To one of the best matches I've ever attended yesterday: FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.  Coventry City 3, Man Utd 3 (Man U 4-2 on penalties) doesn't tell half the story.  First half was like a practice match for Utd, as Cov had completely failed to turn up, and it could easily have been 6-0 at half time, rather than just 2.  Another Man U goal at the start of the second half didn't help.  But then the Sky Blue tap got turned on, and after wave upon wave of attacks we got it back to 3-3 at full time.  No goals in extra time, apart from a "winner" for us that was judged offside (I can't see it, I really can't - definitely level.)  Then penalties...  At the end all Man U players and fans slunk away, probably ashamed to beat a lower-league team in such a way - we stayed for half an hour, singing and waving our flags.  We liked some of the Man U songs, so sang them as well (somebody had to).  Another day to go into Coventry folklore.

Fabulous performance. The passing range and speed of counter attacks from a Championship club was a sight to behold after the crap served up by my so called 'big' club recently. I would take Everton reject Ellis Simms off you in a heartbeat. Seeing the joy (and tears) from Coventry fans was the one bright spot from my not very good weekend, that day will stay with you for ever. As for the (winning) goal I was convinced at the time it wasn't offside. My judgment based on position of players compared to the straight cut lines  of grass of the Wembley pitch.   

[DaveF]

Fabulous performance. The passing range and speed of counter attacks from a Championship club was a sight to behold after the crap served up by my so called 'big' club recently. I would take Everton reject Ellis Simms off you in a heartbeat. Seeing the joy (and tears) from Coventry fans was the one bright spot from my not very good weekend, that day will stay with you for ever. As for the (winning) goal I was convinced at the time it wasn't offside. My judgment based on position of players compared to the straight cut lines  of grass of the Wembley pitch. 

Thank you - and I hope your bad weekend was solely down to the thrashing doled out by your neighbours from SE25, rather than anything more serious (not a comment that Bill Shankly would have understood).  Yeah, those 50 minutes from the third United goal up to the end of extra time were quite literally awe-inspiring - much the same as we played the whole game against Wolves in the previous round.  Unfortunately, Cov being Cov, we can also be awe-inspiringly bad, as in last week's 3-0 drubbing by Birmingham.

Favourite non-football episode has to be singing our respective "anthems" before kick-off - ours is We'll live and die in these towns by The Enemy - typical Cov humour; I guess it was a toss-up between that and The Specials' Ghost town - while theirs apparently is Take me home, United road, which neither makes sense nor scans, but which we also sing to the words Take me home, Highfield Road, which does both.  So we did - ffff to their apologetic mf.

I got talking to some Chelsea fans on the tube back to Uxbridge - they wanted Ellis Simms as well (apparently their nickname for Nicolas Jackson is "Bambi on Ice".)  As Mrs Thatcher said - No! No! No!

[Irons]

Thank you - and I hope your bad weekend was solely down to the thrashing doled out by your neighbours from SE25, rather than anything more serious (not a comment that Bill Shankly would have understood).  Yeah, those 50 minutes from the third United goal up to the end of extra time were quite literally awe-inspiring - much the same as we played the whole game against Wolves in the previous round.  Unfortunately, Cov being Cov, we can also be awe-inspiringly bad, as in last week's 3-0 drubbing by Birmingham.

Favourite non-football episode has to be singing our respective "anthems" before kick-off - ours is We'll live and die in these towns by The Enemy - typical Cov humour; I guess it was a toss-up between that and The Specials' Ghost town - while theirs apparently is Take me home, United road, which neither makes sense nor scans, but which we also sing to the words Take me home, Highfield Road, which does both.  So we did - ffff to their apologetic mf.

I got talking to some Chelsea fans on the tube back to Uxbridge - they wanted Ellis Simms as well (apparently their nickname for Nicolas Jackson is "Bambi on Ice".)  As Mrs Thatcher said - No! No! No!

I like your manager (ex Man U). Arteta he ain't, thankfully.

[DaveF]

I like your manager (ex Man U). Arteta he ain't, thankfully.

He's not for sale either   I think (hope) he's sensible enough to realise that if he went to a "big" club, and if he didn't get at least 13 points out of his first 15, he'd be packing his bags again soon enough.