OT We call it football over here

Foghorn

We could do this as an egghead gofundme.  (finally that site could be put to good use).

We could reserve a tailgating spot for eggheads in the parking lot of the final.  We'd need a catchy name like Brisket Camp or Butt Blast - only different.  

CPFC1905

@YEMTrey @Eoin @Foghorn

So I rang them.  Going rate is £6m per season and they are tied in for another season - so open to negotiations.
I said,  'seems a bit pricey for a rubbish competition that no-one cares about'.  
Call went silent so I rang them back.  
'we would call it Butt Blast'
Call went silent so I rang them back.  
'I know some very nice Americans'.  They got interested.  'We share pictures online of our meat'.
Call went silent so I rang them back.
Got the voicemail.

Sorry lads,  I think I failed.  Are you desperately disappointed? 

CPFC1905

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Foghorn

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

Eoin

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

Butt Blast and pictures of our meat.  How could they refuse?  It's just a matter of getting through to the right person.

CPFC1905

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

That's the one.  
I think the deployment of a shield cordon around the referee might make them more confident to make big decisions (e.g. penalty against Man U at Old Trafford,  sending off anyone form Man City) so will advocate it as part our Carabao / Butt Blast Cup bid. 

CPFC1905

Eoin said:

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

Butt Blast and pictures of our meat.  How could they refuse?  It's just a matter of getting through to the right person.

Call for Mr C Lion etc etc ..... 

Eoin

CPFC1905 said:

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

That's the one.  
I think the deployment of a shield cordon around the referee might make them more confident to make big decisions (e.g. penalty against Man U at Old Trafford,  sending off anyone form Man City) so will advocate it as part our Carabao / Butt Blast Cup bid. 

That's got to be a winning proposition.

Foghorn

Eoin said:

CPFC1905 said:

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

That's the one.  
I think the deployment of a shield cordon around the referee might make them more confident to make big decisions (e.g. penalty against Man U at Old Trafford,  sending off anyone form Man City) so will advocate it as part our Carabao / Butt Blast Cup bid. 

That's got to be a winning proposition.

Especially if we use eggheads to make up the wall.  I'm 6'6" and a number of us 'murican eggheads are big dudes.  Largest donors to our gofundme get to protect the ref.

This is really coming together nicely.

Tspud1

Eoin said:t

CPFC1905 said:

Foghorn said:

CPFC1905 said:

And now look at this mayhem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46045884

Unless every match ends like this I might consider transferring my affections to another sport.

Apparently, that content is not available in my part of the world.

But I did find this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0A1Y96b3yI




As for the sponsorship deal, I've been told that even reasonable people have to hear a good idea 7 times before they come around to supporting it.  

Just keep calling them.  Lead with "Butt Blast".  

That's the one.  
I think the deployment of a shield cordon around the referee might make them more confident to make big decisions (e.g. penalty against Man U at Old Trafford,  sending off anyone form Man City) so will advocate it as part our Carabao / Butt Blast Cup bid. 

That's got to be a winning proposition.

Yoh could clear out the Stretford End

CPFC1905

I watched the first half of Palace against Middlesborough.  A better example of why this competition should br drowned is hard to imagine.   Physically repellent to watch.  I am writing to Mr Carabao to ask for some of my life back.

CPFC1905

Have those scary kids dressed as clowns gone away?   If so - it’s the weekend football time again, folks.

Bournemouth welcome Man U for the lunchtime kick off on Saturday.  Despite the start time - there is a risk of a decent game of football here.   Man U are stumbling towards form and Bournemouth are bang at it.   I’m going 2-2 on the basis that either team winning would be no shock - but maybe they’ll cancel each other out.

Leicester's first game after the tragic events of last week will be an emotional affair.   Not made any easier by being away to one of the perceived whipping boys of the league.   The players will be shocked to their core about the loss of their owner.  Very likely a tepid match petering out to a nil nil draw.

Brighton face a challenge to their recently resilient form by heading to Everton.  The hosts are in odd form and comprised of a peculiar blend of talent and bang-average.  Brighton will scent a rare away victory,  but if Everton play anything like they should be it’s a routine 2-1 home win. 

Newcastle & Watford is a game I would not be remotely interested in normally, but for the prospect of just seeing how bad Newcastle can get.  Pundits here think they will suddenly lurch in to form and all will be forgotten.  I’m not buying it.   Watford flattered to deceive in early-season - but are regressing now.  Even so, they’ll see a big bunch of three points dangling in front of them and will take no prisoners in a 3-0 win.   

West Ham’s shuddering stuttering season encounters Burnley.  This could be slug-fest with the Hammers hit and miss frontline hitting and more often missing.  Burnley will fancy a point by quite literally lining up across the goal line and standing on shoulders to fill it.   Could be knock about fun,  after all The Eagles were never going to tour again.   I’m  saying 0-0, but by some absolute freak a goal might happen.

Tea-time is an altogether different proposition. Free-flowing Arsenal host free-flowing Liverpool.  Ignore last week’s hiccup by Arsenal when they just weren’t at the races, but got lucky with a goal off a hand to draw at Palace.   If Liverpool are 3 goals clear at half-time (not wildly impossible) - then they’ll win - anything less than that and it will be very close.  Liverpool start hard,  Arsenal finish well.  Liverpool believe they can go all the way and on this occasion I will back their spirit.  2-3 with the points going home with the Scousers.

A preposterous kick off time of 19.45 for Wolves against Spurs.  WTF? Best of luck to the Londoners getting home on the train after that!    Fundamentally this is an eye catching fixture, when two months ago I would have said a simple three points for MoPo’s men.   There will be goals but I think Spurs have enough.  They are actually in good form and as yet the thin squad plus CL matches has not affected them badly.  A 3-1 away win (two goals after 80 minutes, for sure, though).

Stoke are rising like a python - but home to Middlesborough is not going to be easy or fun.  The Boro are flying high and have the meanest defence in the Universe.   But a homecoming for Pulis might affect things - only joking.  He’s a cold hearted mercenary b*stard and doesn’t give a flying …. you can guess the rest.    Head says 1-0 to Boro,  heart says 7-0 to Stoke.  Lets a agree on a creditable 1-1. 

Man City will beat Southampton 3-0,  possibly more.  Er,  thats all I got. 

Palace will go Chelsea - will concede early,  defend for 75 minutes and lose 3-0 in the end.  They have a good record against Chelsea and did play quite well against the Arse’s last week,  But - they just don’t have any goals in them.  Plus Hazard is back for some of the match. 

Monday Night Football is the glamour tie of Huddersfield v Fulham.  What a clunky bag of nails this will be.  Fulham are so madcap that they will probably win.  Huddersfield are buried in porridge. A win for them would spice things up a bit, though.  A 9-9 draw would be great for everyone except the teams involved.  One of them really needs the three points.  Fulham can’t defend, Huddersfield can’t do much.  2-2 I think. 

Eoin

Hope we can get a revenge kick in on TP this weekend. Rubbed salt into the Palace wound mid week to cement his popularity in South London.

Eoin

City top, but not pulling out a big gap yet. Great goal difference though, they are the only team that seem to really go for the big win once their opponent is down.

Palace put up a good fight, hopefully too good to go down. Pulis manages another clean sheet, not a bad game to watch in spite of the goal drought. Stoke are starting to look like a team now. Onwards and upwards!

CPFC1905

Working in Leicester today and passed the stadium. Breathtaking amount of tributes.

Foghorn

That's impressive.

And tragic.

CPFC1905

The holidays are coming!   Well, a week off for the PL anyway after tomorrow’s matches. The ‘international’ break looms and that means no decent footie for a fortnight. I see England host a team called ‘USA’ later in the week.     However, it means that some PL players get a week in Dubai - others travel around the globe for variably meaningless encounters to earn cash for their national association.   

To matters more pressing;

Cardiff welcome Brighton for todays lunchtime kick-off.   Brighton aren’t great on the road and Cardiff aren’t great.  Struggle to see beyond the Seagulls grinding out a rare away win over the Bluebirds.  Sad as that is to me,  but Cardiff just aren’t very good.  I am saying 0-1 and not much to write home about.

Huddersfield will be buoyed by there madcap 'least bad of the worst’ win over hapless Fulham,  but they will lose to West Ham.  As peculiar as West Ham are, they’ll have enough for the Terriers - especially after humping Burnley last week.   0-2, the ‘Ammers taking all three points.

Leicester welcome Burnley on what will be an outpouring of emotion.  Game is kind of secondary and results could go ether way depending upon how the players react.   See my picture above of the stadium this week.  In tactical terms Burnley just want to stop conceding goals and I suspect will set-up very defensive.   The most likely 0-0 of the day.

Bournemouth and Newcastle had ‘inversions’ last weekend - getting results the opposite of the prevailing form.  With Newcastle at home for this one, they will be desperate to develop momentum after beating Watford  (who frankly should have put the game away in the first half).  Bournemouth are just a better team though and will already be on the hun for a first ever ‘European’ spot.  I am going for this season most statistically common result;  1-2 an the point heading south. 

Southampton.  What do you do with a problem like Southampton?   Sack the manager would be a start.  They have been abysmal and confirmed that Mark Hughes’ management USP is to make teams worse.  'Mate - give it up,  you must be loaded already’ I would say to him over the fence.   Watford are a nuggety, unloveable bunch.  Their pride will be pricked by defeat last week and will not want any hint of a repeat.   0-2 and Hughes looking for work on Monday.

A tale of three grounds when Spurs come to Palace at tea-time.  Selhurst Park - the emporium of delight buried in the most unglamorous part of London and hidden in plain sight between rows of early 20th Century terraces.  It’s almost impossible to reach by car, train, bus or foot and that's the way (aha aha) we like it.  

Swanky Spurs with their expensive moisturisers and chic leisure wear have a ground which is not in service and they have recently plied their trade at the soul-less ploughed field that is Wembley.   

Seems several hundred lycra and tin-hat wearing ‘Mercans ran around all over the pitch a few weeks ago.  And grass doesn’t grow back so well in November, in London.  Who knew?      

Spurs will be jaded form their mid-week win over PSV.  That might take 10% out of them - but they are  15% better than Palace.  We have done ‘a Palace’ and played quite well against the big teams, but lost.  I am hoping Spurs ‘do a Spurs’ and play lovely football but muff this right up - that's a long shot but 1-1 would be lovely. 

The Championship remains twice the league that the PL is, with genuine competition and a very tight top half to top two thirds.  Stoke head to Notts Forest and despite being 9 places part - only 5 points.  Stoke have been good on the road and Forest have lost 1 in 11 at home.  Big game for both and a real test of desire.  An away win could be pivotal for Stoke.  Lets go for it,  2-1 away win.

On a side note - it is Armistice weekend here.  There will be wreath laying and services of remembrance all over the country - mostly tomorrow, in honour of all those fallen during conflict.   It’s a deep seated event in British culture and this year the emphasis is rightly on the cessation of WW1,  100 years ago - the origin of the entire event.  If you have seen or been here in early November, you’ll know about the small paper poppy flowers that are worn or displayed.   In recent years it has gained greater significance with veterans from recent conflicts receiving far more veneration.  Likewise, respect for all those lost in conflict has been promoted - with far more collaboration between UK and other nations that at one point we were in conflict with.   

Being a matter of personal choice, naturally there are those in public life who choose not to engage with the ‘Poppy campaign’.   This comes to light each year when a few footballers refuse to wear a poppy on their shirt and invoke the ire of the vocal small minority.  Presently the most prominent is Stoke’s James McClean.  He is Irish and proud of his heritage - which fans the flames of that vocal minority, given that the Irish Troubles are still in recent memory.   He has come in for a lot of abuse again - from both home and away fans. I think he could have managed the situation better himself a few years ago by explaining his feelings - as opposed to fighting back.  Nemanja Matic of Arsenal will not wear a poppy but with clubs assistance has explained why.   

Overall it brings out the multi-cultural nature of football, shines a light on the unpalatable behaviour of some fans and distracts from the overall message that loss of life trough conflict is horrible.    If that makes me sound an apologist, I am from an armed forces family; my son is about to serve in the RAF (as did my father) and I spent three years in Kabul as part of Op Herrick / Op Enduring Freedom within the NTMA component.  I would say to ignore McClean and invest that emotion in making things better for those affected.

Sunday’s matches will start to cleave apart the PL, I suggest. 

Liverpool will beat Fulham, hopefully with a clean sheet this time to aid my FF team with van Dijk in my back three.  A brace for Salah would be bonus too, as he’s my captain.  3-0 as the Reds keep pushing City.

Chelsea welcome Everton - who are of hot and cold form all season.  Chelsea are really cementing their credentials. Goals form all over the pitch and Hazard back to fitness.  3-1 (SIgurdsson to get the consolation goal to boost my FF team).

Arsenal will continue their revival against Wolves,  who I suspect might be about to run out of steam and the harsh reality of top tier football looms.   They are better than enough other teams to stay up,  but Arsenal are flying.  2-0 the the Gunners.

Crescendo time : City welcome Utd for the Manchester derby.  Jose’s lads have firmed up and are in good form.  Two fight back victories in one week tells its own story.  You can’t rule out a Utd win,  but on balance City just have too much skills and style.  We are all hoping for a classic.  Probably just a goal in it - anything from 1-0 to 4-5.  I am going 2-1 to City. 

Eoin

Anne is Irish, from Dublin, and always wears a poppy. A lot of Irish served in both World wars as volunteers, it's fitting to remember them as well, although in Ireland there is still a lot of anti British feeling and poppy wearing is often seen as a Nationalistic statement rather than an act of remembrance.

Foghorn

Cardiff finally broke it down.  

Foghorn

The scene at the end of the Leicester game was powerful.  

YEMTrey

And no Pogba for the darby.

Eoin

Big game for Jose.

CPFC1905

Seem to have got my predictions almost 100% wrong.   Perhaps I should move in to seething less contentious - maybe elections Florida? 

Foghorn

You’re as accurate as any of the others trying to predict sports outcomes. Or the stock market. Or the weather. 

Eoin

My son Alastair, who is studying maths at university, did a weekly prediction for the premier league when he was at school, as a hobby. He even got a weekly column on the oddschecker web site. He was wrong a lot of the time. So many variables and so many games coming down to a single error. No wonder the bookies love football.

Tspud1

YEMTrey said:

And no Pogba for the darby.

Isn't it spelled derby and pronounce darby?

Eoin

Tspud1 said:

YEMTrey said:

And no Pogba for the darby.

Isn't it spelled derby and pronounce darby?

Yes.

Acn

Eoin said:

Tspud1 said:

YEMTrey said:

And no Pogba for the darby.

Isn't it spelled derby and pronounce darby?

Yes.

CPFC1905

Acn said:

Eoin said:

Tspud1 said:

YEMTrey said:

And no Pogba for the darby.

Isn't it spelled derby and pronounce darby?

Yes.

How about Loughborough?  

Eoin

Or Edinburgh.