The football (soccer) thread

[Irons]

Damn, what a pity!!  Man City won the Champions League and deserved to win, but Inter had chances to score and wasted them. Haaland was greatly stopped. We played at the best of our possibilities and we have nothing to regret......

I must admit I thought Man City would walk it as they do with practically every club in EPL. How wrong I was. Tactically a master class from Inter with a high press that snuffed out City's creativity. Inter were unlucky not to score in the closing minutes.
An Italian team in all three European Finals and each lost.

Forgive me for posting but no one has a party like the East End  https://youtu.be/IikNdoCkLZU

[Iota]

I think that I must have written to Esso or phoned them. I just remember that there was a way of asking them to send any missing players. Maybe there was something about it on the back of the board.

My mother threw my entire collection of Tintin books (hardback) out whilst I was at university - never forgave her  . I had to buy them all again as an adult. 

Oh dear, that's far more traumatic than my loss was, I was merely a bit miffed/sad. I stopped following football about age 11/12, though still take a gander at World Cups and Euros, and keep an occasional eye on Man U as a nod to my boyhood self. But yes, families can very trying sometimes. 

[vandermolen]

Oh dear, that's far more traumatic than my loss was, I was merely a bit miffed/sad. I stopped following football about age 11/12, though still take a gander at World Cups and Euros, and keep an occasional eye on Man U as a nod to my boyhood self. But yes, families can very trying sometimes. 

There's only one survivor of my original Tintin collection - a rather battered copy of 'The Red Sea Sharks' 

[DaveF]

I remember that as well. I ended up with multiple coins of the same player (usually not one of my favourites, like Colin Bell). However at the end you could send off for the ones that you were missing and they would send them to you. I was 15 at the time so a bit more savvy than I was in 1966. Somewhere in our attic, I suspect, is the completed set probably worth a billion pounds 

Sadly not - I've got the complete set too, and got very excited when it turned up during my house move a few years ago. They go for about £10 on eBay.

[vandermolen]

Sadly not - I've got the complete set too, and got very excited when it turned up during my house move a few years ago. They go for about £10 on eBay.

Very disappointing! So much for my villa in the South of France 

[DaveF]

Very disappointing! So much for my villa in the South of France 

If you have an air rifle, you could use the Peter Bonetti one for target practice

[vandermolen]

If you have an air rifle, you could use the Peter Bonetti one for target practice

HAHA. I still think that Bonetti was unfairly blamed for the debacle against West Germany.

[Valentino]

What's up with the Norway women's? Some of the best players in the world, but no teamwork.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I see that the Hammers won in Serbia.

Suspect that there was some celebrating going on in Surrey the other night?

PD

[Irons]

I see that the Hammers won in Serbia.

Suspect that there was some celebrating going on in Surrey the other night?

PD

Yes and no, PD. Backa Topola are minnows compared to an EPL side. We brought on a substitute in the second half who barely gets a sniff of the first eleven, he cost three times that of the whole Backa Topola team. Our display was frankly awful until 2 minutes from time with a wonderful assist and goal.

[DaveF]

Have just finished watching (on catch-up TV due to being at work) my beloved Coventry City beating near neighbours Wolverhampton Wanderers (from one division higher) to progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.  I had managed to avoid seeing the result, and am still shaking from the experience.  2 goals in the 9th and 10th minutes of added time, the second from our devilishly good, and devilishly handsome, US international Haji Wright, to seal a 3-2 win.  Possibly the best Coventry performance I've seen since the Cup Final win 37 years ago.  Now we just need to draw Chelsea in the semi-final (assuming they also don't get stuffed at home by Championship opposition) for a bit of family interest - no.1 stepson is a huge Chelsea fan, as is our own @vandermolen (although he's been keeping quiet about it this season ).

[vandermolen]

Have just finished watching (on catch-up TV due to being at work) my beloved Coventry City beating near neighbours Wolverhampton Wanderers (from one division higher) to progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.  I had managed to avoid seeing the result, and am still shaking from the experience.  2 goals in the 9th and 10th minutes of added time, the second from our devilishly good, and devilishly handsome, US international Haji Wright, to seal a 3-2 win.  Possibly the best Coventry performance I've seen since the Cup Final win 37 years ago.  Now we just need to draw Chelsea in the semi-final (assuming they also don't get stuffed at home by Championship opposition) for a bit of family interest - no.1 stepson is a huge Chelsea fan, as is our own @vandermolen (although he's been keeping quiet about it this season ).

Oddly enough I recently watched the Coventry FA Cup Final when they won the Cup - that was a most memorable Final.

[DaveF]

Oddly enough I recently watched the Coventry FA Cup Final when they won the Cup - that was a most memorable Final.

Yes, wasn't bad, was it? - played in a great spirit as well, with not a single booking. Since then we've been down to Division 4, been twice homeless (nearly as many times as Mahler), been knocked out of the Cup by Worcester City and been three hours from liquidation, so this success thing is quite disorientating.

Well, looks like we've avoided one another in the semis, so see you in the final   (And, also oddly enough, I recently saw "highlights" of the 1970 Chelsea-Leeds final - perhaps not played in quite such a good spirit.)

[springrite]

Have just finished watching (on catch-up TV due to being at work) my beloved Coventry City beating near neighbours Wolverhampton Wanderers (from one division higher) to progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.  I had managed to avoid seeing the result, and am still shaking from the experience.  2 goals in the 9th and 10th minutes of added time, the second from our devilishly good, and devilishly handsome, US international Haji Wright, to seal a 3-2 win.  Possibly the best Coventry performance I've seen since the Cup Final win 37 years ago.  Now we just need to draw Chelsea in the semi-final (assuming they also don't get stuffed at home by Championship opposition) for a bit of family interest - no.1 stepson is a huge Chelsea fan, as is our own @vandermolen (although he's been keeping quiet about it this season ).

I think the last time I watched Coventry was when Gordon Strachan (was that the name) was still on the team.

[vandermolen]

Yes, wasn't bad, was it? - played in a great spirit as well, with not a single booking. Since then we've been down to Division 4, been twice homeless (nearly as many times as Mahler), been knocked out of the Cup by Worcester City and been three hours from liquidation, so this success thing is quite disorientating.

Well, looks like we've avoided one another in the semis, so see you in the final   (And, also oddly enough, I recently saw "highlights" of the 1970 Chelsea-Leeds final - perhaps not played in quite such a good spirit.)

The re-play at Old Trafford was even worse - but at least the right team won 

[springrite]

Yes and no, PD. Backa Topola are minnows compared to an EPL side. We brought on a substitute in the second half who barely gets a sniff of the first eleven, he cost three times that of the whole Backa Topola team. Our display was frankly awful until 2 minutes from time with a wonderful assist and goal.

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

[DaveF]

I think the last time I watched Coventry was when Gordon Strachan (was that the name) was still on the team.

Yes, that was him - that's a year or two back now; he played for us in the late '90s before becoming manager and going down (all too literally) in history as the one who got us relegated from the Premier League.  This is what we were up to this weekend:

And a story that may amuse a Gooner: after we won the FA Cup in 1987 by beating Tottenham, my hairdresser in East London, who was an Arsenal fan, treated me to a free haircut.

[Iota]

And a story that may amuse a Gooner: after we won the FA Cup in 1987 by beating Tottenham, my hairdresser in East London, who was an Arsenal fan, treated me to a free haircut.

  Having lived a significant portion of my adult life in Arsenal territory, I know how deep and genuine a pleasure both Arsenal and Tottenham fans get from the other's failure. It's actually quite amusing at times.

[Holden]

  Having lived a significant portion of my adult life in Arsenal territory, I know how deep and genuine a pleasure both Arsenal and Tottenham fans get from the other's failure. It's actually quite amusing at times.

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.

[springrite]

  Having lived a significant portion of my adult life in Arsenal territory, I know how deep and genuine a pleasure both Arsenal and Tottenham fans get from the other's failure. It's actually quite amusing at times.

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!