November football: The planes are warming up

[Ian]

Well, I decided to do this a day late in protest at Qatar being a murdercountry and I hope they've learned their lesson.

Moar Freds will be opened later for the Hand Wringing World Championships coming up at the end of the month but there are still four Manchester Uniteds until Qatarmas, plenty of metatarsals to snap and some furious backtracking from Sir Waistcoat to get through yet so let's just knuckle down and endure the next few weeks until the main event arrives, eh?

Also Ronnie Radford has just died, so let's enjoy this:


This pitch.

[Shindig]

Not to diminish the moment but bringing out You'll Never Walk Alone for that. Small time bastards.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63489122

[Baz]

Okay I’ll get this thread active.

Which is the best version of Three Lions and why?

The original (and Nobby dancing) or the ‘98 one (and Pyscho screaming)?

I really enjoy the "Gareth Southgate, the whole of England is with you...oh it’s saved!" part of the 98 one, but I think the original probably trumps it.

The song is my legitimate answer to ‘first single you bought’ cos I remember having the cassette, but I don’t know which version. Google Images makes me think it was the original.

[SvN]

The original is definitely the best.

My first single was the United FA Cup song in 1995 (where we lost to Everton) on cassette.

[wullie]

This is how it's done, everyone in fire hazard tracksuits dancing out of time looking as uncomfortable as possible.

[Jimmy Floyd]

When did the football team single tradition die out and why? Another Tony Blair casualty, or was it Sky/that Sean Bean ad and the decision to market football as deadly fucking serious?

[niko_cee]

They carried on for a bit after the late 90s heyday but the likes of the Spice Girls and Embrace [was it?] seemed to kill them off with their terrible efforts.

Footballers are far too image conscious for it to be a thing now. It would be like asking a serious band to do Eurovision, it's absolutely vorboten.

The FA probably has an exclusive Grime Partner nowadays.

[wullie]

Last club ones I remember is either Bob Mortimer and Middlesbrough or Suggs with Chelsea, and thinking about it that was probably for the same year.

[SvN]

Cardiff did one in 2008. Can't remember once since.

[Shindig]

I can go a step further than Baz. My first cassette was the official album of Euro '96.



And my answer is the first version. No Jonathan Pearce.

The FA Cup song tradition probably died with that Boro - Chelsea final. Next year we got Sting do ours and I don't think the squad were in involved. Nevermind. Arsenal:



And United did this in '99



I should stop looking now. Seems it dragged on longer than I remember. Chelsea's effort in 2000 is the last one I can find.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Suggs song in 97 was a genuinely good song, with similar themes to Three Lions in terms of the constant disappointment and yet constant hope involved in being a football fan. Probably also marks the last time Chelsea were likeable to the neutral.

[SvN]

It pains me to say it, but yeah, Blue Day is probably the best one of these for a club. The fact that the lyrics are something other than "We're the greatest, we're gonna win" is a big tick in its favour.

[randomlegend]

Ah, it's been a while since we've started the "Why does Donny never play? --> Plays --> "Oh that's why" --> Doesn't play --> Everyone forgets --> "Why does Donny never play?" cycle again. Reassuring to see.

[Ian]

Yeah I always found it really weird how he didn't play at a Ballon D'or level off the 4 minutes he got every 6 games.

[randomlegend]

A professional footballer level would be a start.

[Ian]

As if he was as bad as that, you wet.

I've no idea if he's any use or not, I'd barely seen him for Ajax, but he was certainly no worse than of the fucking dross that had managed to be ever present after he joined and unlike a lot of them he did at least look as if he'd heard of making a run before.

If he gets some actual game time and is shit or continues to not play because he doesn't bother his arse in training then fine.

[Ian]

A youth doing something.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Garnacho

[Shindig]

He's played most of Everton's games so they clearly think he's .... good enough for Everton.

[randomlegend]

As if he was as bad as that, you wet.

I've no idea if he's any use or not, I'd barely seen him for Ajax, but he was certainly no worse than of the fucking dross that had managed to be ever present after he joined and unlike a lot of them he did at least look as if he'd heard of making a run before.

If he gets some actual game time and is shit or continues to not play because he doesn't bother his arse in training then fine.

He was that bad.

Garnacho is going to be quality.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

As if he was as bad as that, you wet.

I've no idea if he's any use or not, I'd barely seen him for Ajax, but he was certainly no worse than of the fucking dross that had managed to be ever present after he joined and unlike a lot of them he did at least look as if he'd heard of making a run before.

If he gets some actual game time and is shit or continues to not play because he doesn't bother his arse in training then fine.

Reddit says he's fucking horseshit so he's horseshit.

[Ben]

Who is this Alejandro Garnacho Ferreyra that Livescore speaks of?

[Giggles]

Who is this Alejandro Garnacho Ferreyra that Livescore speaks of?

The next Frederico Macheda.

[niko_cee]

Better than Macheda, but will probably struggle to have a more meaningful impact or win more medals than him. What's the crack with 'Amad' and the other one anyway? Loans to Scotland/Sunderland doesn't really bespeak of future greatness.

[Shindig]

Shola Shoretire should've been the one.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Better than Macheda, but will probably struggle to have a more meaningful impact or win more medals than him. What's the crack with 'Amad' and the other one anyway? Loans to Scotland/Sunderland doesn't really bespeak of future greatness.

Pellistri, his agent is gagging for a move after the World Cup.

[randomlegend]

Better than Macheda, but will probably struggle to have a more meaningful impact or win more medals than him. What's the crack with 'Amad' and the other one anyway? Loans to Scotland/Sunderland doesn't really bespeak of future greatness.

Neither have shown much aside from Pellistri (I assume that's who you mean) inexplicably being a regular for Uruguay.

Amad is talented but still looks really lightweight.

I doubt either do anything at United. Pellistri may well leave soon.

[randomlegend]

Shola Shoretire should've been the one.

He's only 18, give him a chance

[Shindig]

Nah, that's when Shola's peak.

[Adramelch]

Group F has all teams at 8 points as things currently stand. Can't say I recall the last time something like that happened.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63505551

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says he is to retire from football after his final game at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

Seems a strange time to hang it up. Should have milked the cunts with his salary for the rest of the season.

[randomlegend]

Barca board have probably got some dirt on him and bullying him to retire.

[randomlegend]

Maguire on up front

[Raoul Duke]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63505551

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says he is to retire from football after his final game at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

Seems a strange time to hang it up. Should have milked the cunts with his salary for the rest of the season.

Retiring mid-season is proper FM-level scheduling

[Shindig]

Does he have another court case coming up?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Looking around for an audiobook to get my teeth into (or eardrums, I suppose), I went into the 'sports' area of Audible and saw they were promoting Neil Warnock's book. Rated 4.5 stars. Nine hours and thirty-two minutes, and, amazingly, narrated by Neil Warnock himself.

Strap in, I'm going for it.

[Shindig]

That's like three Murray Walker's worth of life.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's everything I dreamed of. The phrase 'armchair experts' in the first ten seconds. Mention of the tea lady and turnstile operators being the soul of the club. The opening narrative hook being his side losing 2-0 away from home but 'the boys gave it a good go'. Anecdotes about Neal Danns and Danny Butterfield. 'Keith Curle thought I was mad'. Nine hours and thirty-two minutes.

[Shindig]

Well, I know what I'm getting for my birthday.

[Kikó]

Looking around for an audiobook to get my teeth into (or eardrums, I suppose), I went into the 'sports' area of Audible and saw they were promoting Neil Warnock's book. Rated 4.5 stars. Nine hours and thirty-two minutes, and, amazingly, narrated by Neil Warnock himself.

Strap in, I'm going for it.

I loved Matthew McConaughey's and Bob Mortimer's once you're done.

[Giggles]

Have I read that right or am I missing something?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63521254

[Jimmy Floyd]

Presumably the FA are appealing because they think the sanction is too lenient. Agree it's not a well-written article though.

[Spikey M]

They must have mistaken him for Harry Kane amirite

[Jimmy Floyd]

FA Cup back on TV. Best competition in the world. Hereford v Portsmouth. Fuck FIFA.

[Giggles]

I’m afraid it matters not. In a very short time we’ll all be balls deep in dirty FIFA.

[randomlegend]

Apparently Rio Ferdinand was 5 minutes up the road from me having a curry earlier. Why the fuck he was in Attleborough I cannot even begin to imagine

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He fancied a curry you mong.

[Shindig]

Kevin Phillips managing South Shields took me by surprise. As did Conor Wickham turning up at Forest Green.

[Spikey M]

Apparently Rio Ferdinand was 5 minutes up the road from me having a curry earlier. Why the fuck he was in Attleborough I cannot even begin to imagine

I went for a curry in Kings Heath while I was at Uni and Matt Dawson was just casually sat at the bar. It appears to be the place to meet ageing sportsmen.

Curry houses, that is. Not the outskirts of Birmingham.

[Boydy]

Everyone loves a curry.