The football (soccer) thread

[Papy Oli]

Don't bother with all that Champions League stuff! A much more important game this week. My club West Ham, who have not won a trophy since 1980, take a slender one goal advantage to the Netherlands on Thursday for the semi-final Europa Conference second leg against AZ Alkmaar.

COYI

We need you to do well, Lol. Your victory again tomorrow will keep Netherlands away from France in the FIFA points ranking and allows France to keep their three Champions League spots...for now 

[DaveF]

A much more important game this week. My club West Ham, who have not won a trophy since 1980...

Although coming second in the "Gerrard Final" in 2006, probably the greatest FA Cup Final I've ever seen, is worth a lot (or perhaps you don't want to be reminded about surrendering that 2-goal lead).

But, oh dear, that's even longer since a trophy than my team, Coventry City, who last won a "real" cup in '87 (and who are also involved in a game of some significance - tonight).  (Not sure about these play-offs, despite our having benefitted from them before - as far as I can see, Luton finished 3rd, so should go up - and probably will.)

Anyway, good luck on Thursday - I used to go to the Orient a lot when I lived in East London, and we liked West  Ham, our big brothers down the road.

[Irons]

We need you to do well, Lol. Your victory again tomorrow will keep Netherlands away from France in the FIFA points ranking and allows France to keep their three Champions League spots...for now 

Happy to oblige, Olivier.

Although coming second in the "Gerrard Final" in 2006, probably the greatest FA Cup Final I've ever seen, is worth a lot (or perhaps you don't want to be reminded about surrendering that 2-goal lead).

But, oh dear, that's even longer since a trophy than my team, Coventry City, who last won a "real" cup in '87 (and who are also involved in a game of some significance - tonight).  (Not sure about these play-offs, despite our having benefitted from them before - as far as I can see, Luton finished 3rd, so should go up - and probably will.)

Anyway, good luck on Thursday - I used to go to the Orient a lot when I lived in East London, and we liked West  Ham, our big brothers down the road.

That either Coventry or Luton Town will be in the Premier League next season after what both clubs have been through in the last twenty years is mind-blowing. Good luck to them after dispatching much bigger clubs as Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

[DaveF]

Good luck to them after dispatching much bigger clubs as Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Thanks - so that's two happy supporters tonight!  (And now I appreciate your user-name - not to be confused with "The Iron", otherwise the hapless Scunthorpe United, a club that a good friend of mine spends a lot of his time and money following on their reckless dive into oblivion.)

[Papy Oli]

Don't bother with all that Champions League stuff! A much more important game this week. My club West Ham, who have not won a trophy since 1980, take a slender one goal advantage to the Netherlands on Thursday for the semi-final Europa Conference second leg against AZ Alkmaar.

COYI

Your team sure left it very late last night, Irons. Enjoy the final! 

Moyes deserves something going his way, on top of already keeping West Ham up. The way he was treated at Man U was despicable, when he turned out to be the pick of all their successive useless coaches. Just for not being as "fashionable" as some of them. 

[Irons]

Your team sure left it very late last night, Irons. Enjoy the final! 

Moyes deserves something going his way, on top of already keeping West Ham up. The way he was treated at Man U was despicable, when he turned out to be the pick of all their successive useless coaches. Just for not being as "fashionable" as some of them. 

My joy was somewhat tempered Olivier by the disgraceful scenes at the end of the match when the AZ Ultras attacked the West Ham family and friends section. It took the bravery of a 58 year old man recovering from hip replacement who stood at the top of the stairwell and used his fists to stop the thugs entering a section including David Moyes 87 year old father. If they had got in I dread to think of the outcome.


 https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22409485/west-ham-fan-az-alkmaar-hooligans-fight/

[Papy Oli]

My joy was somewhat tempered Olivier by the disgraceful scenes at the end of the match when the AZ Ultras attacked the West Ham family and friends section. It took the bravery of a 58 year old man recovering from hip replacement who stood at the top of the stairwell and used his fists to stop the thugs entering a section including David Moyes 87 year old father. If they had got in I dread to think of the outcome.
A cometh the cometh the man moment.

 https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22409485/west-ham-fan-az-alkmaar-hooligans-fight/

I can imagine. That was just disgraceful. Here's hoping for strong sanctions against those AZ "supporters".


in happier notes, for this household, Ipswich is finally back in the Championship and Bordeaux has got its destiny in its hands with 3 games for promotion back to Ligue 1 as well but it gets edgier and edgier. Arsenal gave us too many hopes in the last few months and they dropped too many points and it is as good as over. The silver lining is that they are back in Champions League and their young team was the only one this season to be on par with Man city. Maybe City will have some points deductions for those 115 financial fair-play breaches at some point 


And what about that Sheffield Wed - POSH play off second leg!!! 4-0, 1-5, Sheffield on penalties... Jesus!!!

[Florestan]

So, Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter Milano. Whom do you root for? My 10yo son is a big fan of MC so he has high hopes. 

[Madiel]

Happy to oblige, Olivier.

That either Coventry or Luton Town will be in the Premier League next season after what both clubs have been through in the last twenty years is mind-blowing. Good luck to them after dispatching much bigger clubs as Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

I hadn't kept up with this. Sunderland and Middlesbrough BOTH lost? Wow!

EDIT: Actually looking back at the table/season you'd have to think Luton was the favourite to get through. Difficult to beat.

[Lisztianwagner]

So, Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter Milano. Whom do you root for? My 10yo son is a big fan of MC so he has high hopes. 

100% Inter, my favourite football team; we won't start with the favors of the prediction, but football is a wonderful sport because it can be unpredictable.

[DaveF]

Just settling down to the Championship Play-Off final (on Sky, not at Wembley, sadly) - Coventry v Luton - beers lined up, lucky T-shirt from the 1987 FA Cup Final on - what could possibly go wrong?

[Irons]

Just settling down to the Championship Play-Off final (on Sky, not at Wembley, sadly) - Coventry v Luton - beers lined up, lucky T-shirt from the 1987 FA Cup Final on - what could possibly go wrong?

It did and I feel your pain. I feel so sorry for your man who skied his penalty. £150 million up the swanee in an instant. Attempting to console him I would say it is often the case the team that fail one year are successful the following season.

[DaveF]

It did and I feel your pain. I feel so sorry for your man who skied his penalty. £150 million up the swanee in an instant. Attempting to console him I would say it is often the case the team that fail one year are successful the following season.

Thank you - typical Sky Blues' performance in many ways - seemed not to have got out of bed in the first half, followed by a lot of frantic semi-skilled effort in the second.  I'm not a great fan of the playoffs, in fact - Luton finished 10 points ahead of us, so deserved to go up.  But it does the heart good to see us half-filling Wembley, which we even managed 5 years ago for the League 2 final (I was there that time).  No idea what will happen next season - Gyökeres will certainly leave, perhaps Hamer, so a busy summer ahead for Mr Robins.  Looking forward already...

[Holden]

The interesting thing for Luton is the funds available to them? Kennilworth Rd does not meet EPL guidelines for a stadium so they'll have to spend money there as well as trying to buy the players they need to stay up.

I was in Much Wenlock, a village in the Midlands, the day Aston Villa did the same as Luton in 2019. Thanks to a VPN and my Fox Sports connection (they've since closed that loophole) I got to watch it on my iPad live in The Gaskell Arms. I had quite a few people peering over my shoulder and they were happy to buy me a beer or two for letting them watch it as the pub didn't subscribe BT Sport. Thanks also to Apple's personal hotspot.

[Irons]

The interesting thing for Luton is the funds available to them? Kennilworth Rd does not meet EPL guidelines for a stadium so they'll have to spend money there as well as trying to buy the players they need to stay up.

I was in Much Wenlock, a village in the Midlands, the day Aston Villa did the same as Luton in 2019. Thanks to a VPN and my Fox Sports connection (they've since closed that loophole) I got to watch it on my iPad live in The Gaskell Arms. I had quite a few people peering over my shoulder and they were happy to buy me a beer or two for letting them watch it as the pub didn't subscribe BT Sport. Thanks also to Apple's personal hotspot.

That is what makes the Premier League what it is and why the fans said no thank you very much to a European Super League. The thought of the Sky elite six - seven now Newcastle United are owned by an Arab state - turning up at Kenilworth Road and their reaction does raise a smile.

None of the promoted clubs last season were relegated this, so Luton have a fighting chance.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It did and I feel your pain. I feel so sorry for your man who skied his penalty. £150 million up the swanee in an instant. Attempting to console him I would say it is often the case the team that fail one year are successful the following season.

I'm trying to interpret your comments...ah!  Think that I figured it out (at least partially)...so someone missed their penalty kick?  And I suspect that the winning team earns a lot of money (but 150 million pounds?!)?

Two cents if you can guess what I've been watching lately!  When they actually show it on either t.v. or online (Oh, brother!).

PD

[Irons]

I'm trying to interpret your comments...ah!  Think that I figured it out (at least partially)...so someone missed their penalty kick?  And I suspect that the winning team earns a lot of money (but 150 million pounds?!)?

Two cents if you can guess what I've been watching lately!  When they actually show it on either t.v. or online (Oh, brother!).

PD

I will try to be brief, PD. Two teams are automatically promoted to the promised land (EPL) and after a play-off process two teams, this year Luton and Coventry who both incidentally have both teetered on the brink of extinction not so long ago, contest the final promotion place playing each other at Wembley. A fixture I enjoy very much is described as the richest game in world football. The winner is promoted to the EPL and the riches that brings and the loser get's nothing. A close game between Luton and Coventry finished I-1 after extra time so the only way to come up with a winner was penalties (watch here  https://youtu.be/xQK1oNoadgA ).

[Iota]

so the only way to come up with a winner was penalties (watch here  https://youtu.be/xQK1oNoadgA ).

I can never bring myself to watch penalty shoot-outs past the first or second penalty, even ones I have nothing invested in. They just seem too cruel.

[DaveF]

...so someone missed their penalty kick?

He did, and apparently came in for a lot of (racist) abuse online.  The club (Coventry City) naturally condemned the abuse, offered him (Fankaty Dabo) their full support - then a couple of days later terminated his contract.  OK, he's had a fair bit of time out injured, but has been one of our most reliable players, at both right- and left-back.  So a bit hard to understand at the moment.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I will try to be brief, PD. Two teams are automatically promoted to the promised land (EPL) and after a play-off process two teams, this year Luton and Coventry who both incidentally have both teetered on the brink of extinction not so long ago, contest the final promotion place playing each other at Wembley. A fixture I enjoy very much is described as the richest game in world football. The winner is promoted to the EPL and the riches that brings and the loser get's nothing. A close game between Luton and Coventry finished I-1 after extra time so the only way to come up with a winner was penalties (watch here  https://youtu.be/xQK1oNoadgA ).

Thanks.  So is this an annual event?  And how many teams vie for entering the EPL?

PD