I play regular football!

[ScousePig]

Ironically (given the title) I was an unused sub today :moop:

We had 18 men so I would have expected to be on the bench after I was sub last game, but not to come on at all was a bit disappointing, especially as I was playing a load of old mates. We drew 3-3 after leading 3-1. Good game.

I'm a little miffed at being sub for the past two games after starting the previous three and doing reasonably well. Not really at the manager as he has some tough decisions, just generally. He called me over in training on Wednesday and said he'd like to see me kick on now that I've settled in to the club, and stamp my authority on the team a bit more.

[Spoonsky]

Now here's a proper title. No "The Regular Football Thread" shit.

I haven't properly played football in a long time, but me and some friends might start a coed futsal team over the winter. Could be fun.

[Pepe]

Coed. :sick:

[Danny]

Coed. :sick:

We had the 'final' of the co-ed play offs today. Walked it 6-2, helped they were short of players but we were crap until we realized they were just going to roll over.

Got back into it in the 11's a couple of week back. Feeling better with every game but my word we have some shocking players in the side.

[Mellberg]

I've started playing 5-a-side again. Turned up tonight and proceeded to spend an hour blowing out my arse.

[Matt]

Wasn't meant to be playing Saturday as had no one to watch the kids but went up to watch the 2nd half and we only had one sub and he ref hadn't taken any sub names so got kit on and played 40 minutes.

We won 4-1 against one of the teams who'd be favourites for the league. We actually share our pitch with them so even though we were away we were still on the 3G. First game on grass next week, local derby on a small bobbly pitch which wont help us but we should still pick up the 3 points but im stuggling again to find somone to watch the kids so might not be playing

[Ellzo]

I'm going to be playing again in new year. Anyone here done any refereeing? Starting to think its something would like to get involved with.

[Grandstand]

Played my comeback game in 8-a-side last week after 11 weeks out due to ankle ligaments going. I was dog rough and blowing hard after about ten minutes but managed a 5 minute hatrick when we were 0-1 down to swing the game in our favour. Spent the remainder of the game strolling round at the back trying not go do myself any harm. It was the first time I've ever had anything approaching a serious injury and couldn't believe how much it affected me. Anybody else done ankle ligaments? How long until it felt 'natural' again?

[Lee]

I'm playing in a charity match for work on Thursday night. There's a real chance I'll be one of those players whose heart stops on the pitch. I'm just going to sit in defence and do slide tackles, I reckon.

[Benny]

Played my comeback game in 8-a-side last week after 11 weeks out due to ankle ligaments going. I was dog rough and blowing hard after about ten minutes but managed a 5 minute hatrick when we were 0-1 down to swing the game in our favour. Spent the remainder of the game strolling round at the back trying not go do myself any harm. It was the first time I've ever had anything approaching a serious injury and couldn't believe how much it affected me. Anybody else done ankle ligaments? How long until it felt 'natural' again?

I've done my knee ligaments and I've never got back to how I was, at least physically. My pace is pretty much gone, and I used to be fairly quick.

[Grandstand]

Luckily I've never been super quick so that shouldn't be a problem. Still felt as though I could put on the burners enough to get past someone but a few things e.g. the ball hitting my standing foot (the one I did the ligaments in) & trying to lace a shot just felt totally abnormal, not to mention the amount of challenges I had to completely shit out of for fear that my ankle wouldn't be able to take the impact.

[Benny]

I don't remember it feeling weird, but I took a year off football after that as it was too painful to run on it. I did notice I was avoiding 50/50s whereas before I wouldn't have thought twice, but I'm happy to report that went away and I'm pretty much the same as I was before, minus the speed.

[Vim]

I'm playing about once a week, not in a team but just with some people from uni. My fitness is obviously shite and that affects me a lot, I'm just too slow at running ... as one of the few people willing to defend I've just been playing centre-back the past months so I'm getting good defensive understanding but really need to improve fitness or I'm screwed.

[Nick]

Having played 6-a-side for 3 or 4 years, I evolved and started my own Sunday league club over the summer. I had no idea how much paperwork was now involved from both the FA and the local league!

We played our first league game last Sunday and won 3-1. That, having lost a county cup game 2-1 the week before. Looking at last season's table and this seasons first few fixtures, we have another winnable game at the weekend. We've set a target of mid-table in this first season.

[Pen]

Now here's a proper title. No "The Regular Football Thread" shit.

I haven't properly played football in a long time, but me and some friends might start a coed futsal team over the winter. Could be fun.

Futsal really is the best. We play 7 and 11 a side during summer, but the winter futsal is what I live for.

[Pepe]

I love futsal. Hides my disgusting lack of pace.

[Pen]

And you're always in the game as there's so much movement in such a small pitch.

[Pepe]

Exactly. I also like that the heavier ball hides my shitty touch. And the one-twos. :drool:

[Nick]

Won 3-0 this morning and it could have been double figures. Everything is still a bit of an unknown because we're a new team, but if that is the level we'll play this season, Sundays are gonna be enjoyable - they were fucking woeful.

I played leftback and was captain for the last 15 minutes. Cleared one off the line after our 'keeper flapped at a corner.

[ScousePig]

Played the full 90 today in centre mid. We won 5-2 and I scored the opening goal. We were reduced to ten men about an hour in when our centre back punched our keeper, but we held it together pretty well.

11 points from 5 games now in the league. Solid start.

[CJay]

Punched your keeper? :cab:

[ScousePig]

Indeed.

[CJay]

Why?

[ScousePig]

Well they don't get on, first off. I get on with them both but the keeper is stubborn and the defender is a bit of a loose cannon.

The keeper parried the ball down and kept it at his feet to waste time. The ref then shouted that he couldn't pick it up, but when he got closed down he did. The ref blew up, defender started bollocking keeper right in his face so the keeper pushed him in the throat area, defender clocked him on his jaw and bust his lip.

They were still going at it in the changing rooms after.

[Matt]

I didn't play Saturday but went to watch. We were winning 2-1 with 14 mins left when the game was abandoned. One of our full backs, only playing there cos I didn't play broke his tibia and fibia I a 50-50. Took over an hour for the ambulance to arrive, he had an op Saturday night to twist the bones back into place then another yesterday to put some steel rods in.

[ScousePig]

Pulled a muscle in my thigh/quad today and had to go off. I'm not entirely sure what it is though. It's at the top of leg at the front, just below the hip area. I thought it'd properly gone but it actually feels like it's just a strain.

I went into the game with my hamstrings and quads aching a little bit from training, but I'm not sure that was related.

Looking at pictures I'd guess at my Rectus Femoris being the issue.

[DC]

I suggest you look up an injury to what is called your Hip Flexor.

Did both of mine a couple of years ago. Feels like all the resistance has gone in your thigh muscle, and difficult to raise your leg.

I'd feel fine until I tried to run, or slow down.

[ScousePig]

Ironically, I've joined the club I was playing against in the OP. My old team fizzled out a bit at the end and we finished 5th, despite only losing 3 all season and finishing 7 points behind the winners. The team I've joined finished 2nd and were promoted to the premier league, so it'll be a tough season as it's a pretty good standard for amateur football.

First friendly was last night. We won 4-2 and I scored a header. We played some really good football and should have had a lot more. I started left back but then moved to centre midfield, and played 80 minutes despite it being rolling subs.

Unfortunately I'm getting problems with my ankle again and it seems to have flaired up again. I was in pain for a couple of hours trying to sleep last night. It's eased now but still sore.

[Kikó]

We've got our first interclub friendlies this weekend which I'm looking forward to. I'm hoping we have a better season than last year when we finished 3rd (ended up being 2nd with bottom dropping out) bottom. I did win Manager's player of the year but that's a bit of a crap award when the team does so poorly.

[ScousePig]

We had a good pre season. Won three and drew one, and I scored twice.

However, first league game of the season today and we lost 4-1. We know the premier league will be tough and these finished 4th last season, and in the end we were quite well beaten. I played 70 minutes at left back and 20 at left midfield which isn't ideal but I enjoyed it.

[Foe]

Had our penultimate pre-season friendly on Saturday and fuck me I haven't missed rock hard pitches. My left knee and shin are now a sorry looking mess.

Good to be back playing football though. Didn't play during first year of uni and was injured during years two and three, so my touch and fitness aren't as good as they used to be. My achilles seems to be much better now so hopefully I can get a couple months of regular football under my belt and start on the road to a decent level.

It's fucking annoying being shitter at football than you used to be. I've discovered that 5s is my game. Small enough pitch that my still reasonable touch and lack of mobility can still excel.

[Panda Bear]

It's fucking annoying being shitter at football than you used to be. I've discovered that 5s is my game. Small enough pitch that my still reasonable touch and lack of mobility can still excel.Right?!

I joined my old team in Edmonton that plays at the highest local level, and I was shit the entire season. Completely different from five years ago.

[ScousePig]

Is there a newer thread than this? Could have sworn I've posted more recently in one.

I played against Des Hamilton today - we were in direct competition in centre midfield. The game got called off at half time due to the snow, with us winning 5-2. We were seething a bit, as they're the side who pipped us to the league last season (we both got promoted), and they beat us in the league cup a couple of months back too. We're one place above them in the league and could really do with beating them so they can't catch us.

The pitch had a dusting of snow at the start, but played quite well. Then it got quite heavy and the ref said he could no longer see the markings. It was no worse than at the start of the game.

[wullie]

Just scored a princely six goals indoor at lunchtime. Could have had ten if the guy who gets through on goal and toepokes it to the goalkeeper could look up once in a while.

SIX GOALS

[ScousePig]

We won the cup.

http://www.keighleynews.co.uk/sport/football/15274986.Phoenix_end_long_trophy_hunt_as_Crossflat ts_set_to_join_Bradford_Sunday_Alliance/#

[Pen]

And you got on the scoresheet too. Congrats.

[ScousePig]

And you got on the scoresheet too. Congrats.

Cheers. Not that it mattered as we were 6-2 up, but there was about a two or three minute delay between the penalty being given and me taking it. We made a sub and their keeper decided he was going to destroy the penalty spot. It was good to stick it past him.

[Pen]

I hope you still celebrated like Ronaldo in that 4-1 against Atletico in the Champions league final.

[Kikó]

We ended up chucking the league but still finished second in our league. It's been pretty good though considering we finished third bottom the previous season. Also had a semi final to throw in. Our awards are this weekend and it's difficult to know who's won players' ​player or manager's​ player.

Now only a couple of divisions below the first team.

[ScousePig]

We finished 6th in our first season in the Premier, so pretty good really. We were much closer to the top teams too, only 5 points off 3rd. Those who finished 3rd won the County Cup last week too.

[Pen]

I still play in the glorious heights of the Finnish 6th division and we also play futsal during the winter in the 5th division. Both are obviously regional leagues, but after making the step up from the recreational leagues the first season in both was quite encouraging as we came really close to promotion in both (I think missing out on the last day in both leagues).

I prefer futsal these days, but it has been pretty swish to get back to football after the futsal season as we've been training a few times in the home stadium of the biggest team in Finland (HJK). Never thought I'd grace the same pitch as my all time hero Jari Litmanen :cool:

[Panda Bear]

These days I am content to play in Edmonton's Division 3, which has some good players (like me lol) who used to play Div 1 and Premier.

Last night one of my teams played against Korea FC, a team that was full of Koreans. One of their players has scored 31 goals in 10 games or less, and he made everyone on my team, including me and a couple of other former Premier guys, look fucking terrible. Beautiful technique, super agile, and able to just hammer it with either foot.

So why the fuck was he playing Div 3? I talked to one of his teammates. Turns out he's only seventeen, which means that he gets to play as a youth trialist for both Korea FC and a Major League team, which is a step above Premier. Kid probably has a university scholarship waiting for him too.

Just disgusting.

[Panda Bear]

Pen ScousePig come back where r u guyz

[Pepe]

I played futsal for the first time in over a year on Monday. My legs are still aching. The worst is my toe, however. It fills like it is about to explode.

[Panda Bear]

Any chance you broke it?

[Pepe]

I don't think so. It is becoming black and you can tell that the nail will fall, but I can move it without any issue.

[Panda Bear]

One of those. 😒😒😒

I like it when your toe gets stepped on, looks fine but hurts like hell, and then the new nail growth comes in black because of all the blood underneath it. Takes a good six months to fall off, that.

[Kikó]

I'm still playing. The weather has killed fixtures from the start of the year (mainly the rain causing our zealous groundsman to call off home games). I've been the second team captain for a couple of seasons and we are doing decent in the league - there is the slight possibility we can be promoted.

I've been in with the first team the past three weeks who used me for the full 180 in the first two games (1 MoM) and then he used me for 10 minutes last time out. The blistering Siberian wind wasn't much good for my health.

I'm working out whether I go ahead and take over managing the second team next year as the current gaffer is taking a step back to prepare his wedding.

[ScousePig]

Pen ScousePig come back where r u guyz

What standard are you? As in high amateur, semi-pro etc. It's always interesting when you come up against good players and wonder what level they're capable of. A few people I know are currently at Scarborough, who I think are a couple of leagues below the Conference. I'd class these players as very good, yet they're only good enough for that level.

I've stopped playing XI aside because my team folded. It's just 6s on a Tuesday and 5s on a Thursday.

[ScousePig]

My two big toe nails have been constantly bruised for the past five + years.

[Pen]

Pen ScousePig come back where r u guyz

Ended up gaining promotions in both football and futsal since my last post and apart from a few minor injuries I’ve been enjoying football a lot. Our futsal season has been terrible and we’re going straight back down. What makes it annoying is that we’re pretty much a mid table team in our division, but due to ridiculous amount of trouble getting enough players to the games. Still, at least you get ridiculous amounts of time on the pitch. Now we’re five promotions away from the Finnish Premier league again.

My left foots big toe will never grow back properly again :(

[-james-]

Playing my first ever game of 11-a-side tomorrow. I'm going to be fucking hopeless. Think I'll ask to play right back or right mid in order to minimize my impact.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I played right back once, it's glorious spot for avoiding responsibility. All you have to do is traverse your side, stay vaguely in line with your three mates, and if you allow a cross to come in and they score you can just blame the poor marking in the middle.

At one point I remember knocking a cross in from deep (a shit one) and thinking woah woah woah, no more of that thank you, I'll stay anonymous.

[Kikó]

I'm managing our clubs second team. We had a terrible run recently losing 5 including 2 in the cup. Massively frustrating but today was better drawing v the top of the league. One for you Jimmy - we have a game at the Honourable Artillery Corp ground next week which is in the city near Moorgate.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Managing is the best eh.

That place is full of the rah-est people you will ever meet. Also costs an absolute fortune to hire (for cricket anyway) so whoever plays there must either be some kind of in-house team or absolutely loaded.

[Kikó]

It's the in house team so they likely pay nothing.

Managing is good but there's some right egos you have to manage and you do find it starting to creep into your week as you think about formation and team talks. We've got six teams so always a challenge trying to get fairness in selection especially when you're dropping a player and they drop out into the player pool. Good politics

[Pepe]

I've been playing in an indoor league the past few months. My team is so shit that I might be one of the best players, which explains why we have won only one match in sixteen (against a team that hasn't won a single one). Still, it's fun to play in an offensive position.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's the in house team so they likely pay nothing.

Managing is good but there's some right egos you have to manage and you do find it starting to creep into your week as you think about formation and team talks. We've got six teams so always a challenge trying to get fairness in selection especially when you're dropping a player and they drop out into the player pool. Good politics

It's great fun, especially the 'I can only play at home this week' cunts, 'I won't play for that manager/captain as I don't like him', 'I deserve a chance in that position', 'I'm better than that level'... I imagine the exact same dynamics in my sport to yours.

[Kikó]

Yep. Absolute nightmare. One kid who is talented I've had to dump as he's completely toxic. I subbed him at 70 and he stormed off and then called me a "shit manager". Chill out mate, there's people who travelled an hour and are only getting 20 minutes. Shut up.

[-james-]

Playing my first ever game of 11-a-side tomorrow. I'm going to be fucking hopeless. Think I'll ask to play right back or right mid in order to minimize my impact.


It went pretty well. I reckon I'll be a lot better at 11s than I am at smaller games. Cerebral player, me. Next Busquets.

[Kikó]

Was it a league or just a group of friends?

[Lewis]

Yeah cerebral palsy! :lol:

[Pepe]

:D

[igor_balis]

Played tonight for the first time in about 6 months, was fucked after about 10 mins. It's great being so shit though, I made one decent goal saving slide tackle and scored a goal and got plenty of semi-patronising praise like "wow fair play mate, decent finish", so got to walk around kicking people the rest of the time.

[Kikó]

We have a cup final this weekend - remnants of the end of last season finally concluding. One week back playing and training and I've already lost my big toenail.

Also bought one of those statsport trackers because I am a stat geek:
https://i.imgur.com/AEt0bLp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ynluZAW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/njJCR5U.jpg

Be interesting to see if my pace increases as I get fitter. (I played right back)

[Jimmy Floyd]

Were you social distancing from the touchline second half?

[Manc]

Inverted wing back.

[Kikó]

Were you social distancing from the touchline second half?

I have no idea what's happened with that. You set the pitch boundaries and it seems to think I was hogging the right then moving out centrally in the middle in the second half - maybe we were defending more so I went infield?

[Offshore Toon]

Somebody figure out who he plays for so we can send Giggles and Lewis to the cup final.

[Kikó]

Head over to Roehampton, have a grand day out.

[CJay]

What is the device Kiko? Do you wear it or is it fitted somewhere?

[Kikó]

statsports - it's a GPS tracker

[
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYke53GeTVw

[Pepe]

Lol Kiko wears a bra.

[Baz]

Has anyone kicked one of those new Nike premier league balls yet, to see if they’re pseudo-flyaways?

[Ian]

We're not getting something like the Jabulani in the Premier League are we?

Season saved.

[niko_cee]

Was that the one that bounced a lot?

[Baz]

We're not getting something like the Jabulani in the Premier League are we?

Season saved.Maybe. It’s a revolution in aerodynamics (https://news.nike.com/news/nike-flight-ball), apparently.

Maybe that Scholes goal against Mexico(?) will be recreated. :drool:

[Ian]

I'd forgotten that Scholes goal entirely.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyDUX2UHq7c


Was that the one that bounced a lot?

Swerved and dipped seemingly at random is my recollection.

[Spammer]

Played football yesterday and the game was officiated by Michael Stoddard, an ex Premier League referee who in his last game sent off Fabrizio Ravanelli for Boro against Wednesday in 97. Anyone remember him? It was just before my time.

Interesting bloke. This was the 4301st game of his refereeing career, which is mental. It was just a Sunday league game of pretty low standard, he got about 30 quid for it, but he clearly still loves the game and doing it.

[Baz]

Continuing the count to include Sunday league games is pretty sad.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why? A game's a game, respect the grind.

[Kikó]

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/worlds-oldest-ref-dies-915519

This fella used to live near me. Got to love the commitment.

[Spammer]

Turns out he was the assistant ref in the match he mentioned.

https://twitter.com/BoroThis/status/1218480066805583872

Nice bloke. Quite refreshing to hear him talking so passionately about being a referee.

[Lofty]

Continuing the count to include Sunday league games is pretty sad.

How many Garden Soccer games was it again?

[Baz]

105

[Spoonsky]

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/worlds-oldest-ref-dies-915519

This fella used to live near me. Got to love the commitment.

Tom Clarke > Tom Moore

[Mellberg]

Are those of us who play still going? I'm 34 in June. Became a struggle this season. ONE MORE YEAR minimum though. Especially with covid writing off the best part of two seasons.

[Kikó]

Yeah still playing. I dropped down a team this year (politics not because I'm no longer an ivory beast) and we lost the league on the final game of the season by 2 points. We actually restarted again and finished the season in 2 months but other leagues down here just reverted to only playing the cups.

Recovery is definitely a bit harder but I don't really want to stop for a few years, legs permitting.

[Danny]

I still play twice a week in 7 a side leagues. Only 50 minute games though. The league organizers moved 11's to Sunday mornings from Wednesday nights just before 'rona and I cant be bothered waking up early to play in a league where teams continually play short.

I am 35 in a few months but I reckon I have a few more years left in me.

[Raoul Duke]

I still play twice a week in 7 a side leagues. Only 50 minute games though. The league organizers moved 11's to Sunday mornings from Wednesday nights just before 'rona and I cant be bothered waking up early to play in a league where teams continually play short.

I am 35 in a few months but I reckon I have a few more years left in me.

What's the standard like at your level there Danny? Are you just running rings around Yanks or are there enough foreigners to put a decent team together?

[Spoonsky]

What are you implying?!

[Pepe]

That Americans are shit at football.

[Spoonsky]

I didn't think the safety wink was still necessary on TTH but I guess so.

[Pepe]

Glad to be of help.

[Danny]

What's the standard like at your level there Danny? Are you just running rings around Yanks or are there enough foreigners to put a decent team together?

When I was playing in college the standout players were typically the overseas players, its probably somewhat the same now but less chance of some bang average player from England wandering over and looking good.

The general standard of the US/local players did improve towards to end though but it was in no way helped by the standard of high school football here being embarrassing. Especially when you consider how serious other sports are taken in high school. One of the local youth teams trains before I play on a Wednesday and you can tell the training/qualifications are paying off (its only been 15 years) because they actually look like they are trying to play football rather than just run harder and further than the other team, which is what it was like when I first moved here.

Now though, the leagues I play in have such a mix of player. Some of the teams are made of players who look like they took up playing last week but then others have 4/5 college players who just look a level above. Thankfully I am on one of the latter teams but we are all in our mid 30's and probably need some younger legs!

[Spoonsky]

High school football coaches, fucking hell. The biggest impediment to the improvement of the sport in the country.

[Kikó]

From my experience with playing against the Yanks a decade ago was they were usually unbelievably fit (especially at five a side which narrowed the gap when all we did was drink [lads banter etc]). Another common trait was them describing their position as playing 'anywhere' which usually meant they were shit everywhere.

[Don]

From my experience of having my brothers play them in '98, they're shit.

[Pen]

I still play too, but only 7 v 7 and futsal in the winter. After we had our child I just didn’t have the time and energy to keep training and it really started showing quickly. Actually had our first game today and whilst I wasn’t very good it was good fun. The technique is still there, but I’m very unfit.

[Pen]

Futsal is the best though. Can’t see giving that up anytime soon.

[Boydy]

Organised some 5-a-side for work and we played for the first time tonight. I didn't have a heart attack so counting that as a win.

How the fuck do you get those little 3g rubber bits off your socks though.

[Pepe]

You don't.

[Raoul Duke]

Just think of it like a savings account - you'll eventually be able to build your own 3G pitch from the amount you accumulate over time

[Kikó]

Here was a goal from our first team this weekend. Cracking hit.
1439893003028602880?s=20

[Don]

We got spanked last week, not by physical prowess or technical ability but by pure movement. Beautiful to witness.

Christopher Wreh's son is banging in 2 a game in our league and I think I'm up against him in a couple of weeks.

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmMzYWRhYTAwLTIwZmUtNDYzOC1hMWYwLTQwMTkyMT MzZGQ2MDoxM2Y1YzBjZS0zYmU4LTQyYWEtODc2Ny04ZWI1YmI3 YWI5ZmQ=.jpg?width=640&enable=upscale

It'll be like Lukaku vs VVD, 2 physical titans going head-to-head.

[Manc]

Of course you're a central defender.

[Don]

Course I'm fucking not when blessed with natural ability like this. But we'll cross paths and real recognise real so he'll want to test himself against the best.

[Kikó]

:harold:

https://fulltime.thefa.com/table.html?league=235869597&selectedSeason=451935096&selectedDivision=571690722&selectedCompetition=0&selectedFixtureGroupKey=1_54170908

[Don]

Watch their transformations from bottom of the table dwellers to mid-table entertainers with this summer acquisition.

[Kikó]

I expect this kind of return from you: https://fulltime.thefa.com/statLeaders.html?league=9031785&selectedSeason=697858796&selectedDivision=658515479&selectedCompetition=0&selectedFixtureGroupKey=1_178494940

(I won't score again this season)

[Don]

Is Yashar Iranian? My guy :cool:

[Pen]

Organised some 5-a-side for work and we played for the first time tonight. I didn't have a heart attack so counting that as a win.

How the fuck do you get those little 3g rubber bits off your socks though.

Try doing a sliding tackle and getting them out of your socks is the least of your worries.

[Don]

I had tight af calves last week and they hadn't fully recovered before I put in another 90 on them yesterday. The last 5 mins were brutal.

Now got them iced constantly, got a chilled kickabout tonight and praying I can still go again this weekend but presumably this is a full-blown calf strain that I'm progressively increasing the grade of with my lack of sufficient rest :face:

[Manc]

Your body is broken.

[Don]

Like Joel Matip, I need to be managed better if my disgusting quality is going to be utilised, not 'yeah you'll be fine, ice it' :nono:

[Don]

I left my boots in the changing rooms last Sunday so had to play throughout this week on astro in astros which was carnage, both externally and internally. Lucky not to have done any serious damage to myself. I used to be fine in them but must have fully adjusted to moulds.

Anyway, couldn't risk my boots not being there tomorrow morning so went down to the shops and picked up a pair of Copa Mundials after some deliberation. I'd played with their astros previously but was used to mid-range synthetic boots. These are heavier and I'm not sure the more rigid soleplate is suited to my renowned pace and agility but I'm looking forward to seeing how they go tomorrow.

[Kikó]

Copa Mundials are a great shout. I need to pick up another set of Kaiser 5s or Predators because my current preds are starting to talk.

Second pre season friendly tomorrow against a pretty good team it seems. Unfortunately the team I joined have about 4 ancient or knackered players (and I say this as a 34 year old).

[Don]

We're losing every week still :happycry: I'm still loving it. We played a lower tier side in a friendly and smashed them and I enjoyed the increased possession and opportunity to attack as a fullback but I need the prestige of top-flight football.

[Kikó]

I've gone for the Kaiser 5s. The problem is at play on mostly astro so it kills the bottom of my feet but the short studs are useless if it rains.

https://www.fussball.de/spiel/fv-09-eschersheim-skv-moerfelden/-/spiel/02GREH74UO000000VS5489B4VSLSIBAM#!/ massive fixture ahead.

[Don]

Are you semi-pro or something, motherfucking live text updates and player mugshots ffs.

Jinxed it badly for today, was the least enjoyable game of the season, was carrying about 5 geezers who had no legs. The Copas seemed fine. Astro test to come.

[Kikó]

Germany just do it better 😎. This is pretty much near the bottom of the pile though.

[John Arne]

I got lobbed by the former Vietnam national team keeper yesterday :/

In my defense, he is also the top V.League scoring keeper ever, and the first keeper to score in the AFC Champions League.

He also has a massive arse.

[Pen]

I also have Copas for football now after playing ages with diffrebt Nikes and they really are great.

Futsal finally continued yesterday abd I got the winner in our 6-3 win 😎 I much prefer futsal to football these days.

[Pepe]

My Morelia Neos finally broke. They served me well. When did Hulk use them on that World Cup? Because I've had mine since then. Having a hard time finding new ones in stock, so might have to look for alternatives, unfortunately, unless I splurge on those made in japan ones.

[Panda Bear]

After a vehicle-induced hiatus from playing competitive soccer in Vancouver (:moop: @ Canadian sprawl), I'm back in Edmonton playing with the team I founded: FC Soccer Team. Our shirts have the word 'SPONSOR' where the sponsor goes, and our logo is is the word 'SPORTS.' :cool:

I can't remember the last time I was this sore, and this is after playing goal. :cool:

[Kikó]

We're approaching the end of the season and I've made my way to centre half. It's actually been pretty fun and maybe the best place for my aging legs. We're still crap but we've given two of the best teams in the league decent games the last two weeks.

[Panda Bear]

We're approaching the end of the season and I've made my way to centre half. It's actually been pretty fun and maybe the best place for my aging legs. We're still crap but we've given two of the best teams in the league decent games the last two weeks.Are you at that point in your playing career where you're playing at a level loads lower than you used to, so you're suddenly way smarter and more skilled than anyone who's young?

[Don]

One of my boys said Copas have a tendency to come apart at the front and I just lolled him off as chatting shit for the sake of making conversation because vorsprung durch technik and all that but 3 months on and here we are. It's not critical but it's a sizeable gap now between sole and leather at the front. Will pick up some lighter ones for next season which I'm gagging for now. Had to miss our cup final due to a pre-booked holiday and was seething to have missed it. We lost obvs.

[Ben]

The gammons love a pair of Copa Mundials like.

[Kikó]

Are you at that point in your playing career where you're playing at a level loads lower than you used to, so you're suddenly way smarter and more skilled than anyone who's young?

Dunno. The teams we play against are very talented going forward but none of them can defend. They're less physical so far than the UK so easier to play against when you're an average sized player.

[Don]

The Copas finally died on me last week. My backups (some cheap range Adidas or Nike FG ones) quickly followed a few days after so I was left having to go back to astros for my 3G kickabout this week.

It was absolutely pissing it down so I was apprehensive but they held up okay on the 3G and the comfort and ability to use sole of foot made me jizz myself so hard I'm now left wondering if it's possible to get away with it on wet 3G on the regs and even on a competitive level.

I went and bought some Puma King astros which I'll now be looking to use wherever I can and some Nike Phantom GT FGs for my Sunday league. Not gonna have a chance to test them until a competitive 11-a-side game at East Kilbride's 3G pitch on Thursday but will probably go with the FGs for it.

[Kikó]

Last game before the winter break and most of the first team couldn't be arsed so we ended up with 3 u19 players and 6 2nd team players (mostly old and fat) and a few of us. It was fucking horrible and it was cold. What's the point.

https://www.fussball.de/spiel/fc-germ-08-ginnheim-fv-09-eschersheim/-/spiel/02IH5320K4000000VS5489B3VS27R2HJ#!/

[Don]

I don't mind a good dicking (oi oi), it's the scrappy stop-start shitfests which involve about 3 succesful passes and about the same number of brawls with barely any football which have me questioning the point of it all.

[ScousePig]

Three teams were kicked out of one of the leagues I play in a couple of weeks ago for scrapping.

What's the point indeed.

[Don]

Have noticeably started getting more irritable during any and all kinds of football. It's about par for Sunday league games which is just a melting pot of anger and childhood trauma being vented and that was all good, I was obviously the most composed and only rarely getting annoyed. But I've noticed it creeping into my casual weekday games, where previously I was an infinite source of positivity and praise I'm now getting frequently annoyed at others' errors.

I play with some real shit players on the work games for example so understand they can't do anything about it. I still manage to bottle it up okay but it's interesting trying to understand the reasons for it. Had a lot of stress with moving and shit which may be showing on the football pitch. Taking a break from Sunday league now to see if that might be it as I'm extremely competitive and results matter there where as in midweek games I couldn't care less.

[Kikó]

I told loads of people to fuck off today so I definitely understand the growing anger. We won 8-3 today but we're still absolutely no where

[Jimmy Floyd]

I watched the Sunday league game out of my window this morning and I think it was 1-1 when a nippy, dyed hair, possibly teenaged winger got hacked up in the air by a fat, bald, middle aged left back. Victim's team mate comes in with a big swinging left hook, baldy gives one back, mass brawl ensues with all 22 rolling around on the floor knocking bells out of each other, aside from the winger who is on his way to the crematorium. Referee, vastly fat and wearing gloves (ugh), stands aside until the melee has been unpicked and the protagonists are found at the bottom. The first guy accepts his red card with a mere shake of the head and walks away, but baldy's red is met by a massive temper tantrum, histrionics, I didn't do nuffink guv, rips off his shirt and throws it back onto the pitch. Meanwhile the linesman, who is a player for one of the teams but for some reason has taken his shirt off to do the job (perhaps hoping to impress the ladies coming out of the Sainsbury's opposite from their Sunday morning shop), comes onto the pitch and starts remonstrating with the ref, waving the flag in his face and everything.

Normal sport, normal people.

[Don]

The shirt may have been off because he had no bib/jacket/change of top available to him but what you described there sounds like a very normal occurence indeed.

Apparently my boys this week had one of their lot sucker punch one of ours, he proceeded to run off after the game in fear, return with a weapon and then run off again. A lady spectator was threatened with violence amidst all this too. I wish futsal was more common in this country ffs.

[Pen]

Had no idea you were into futsal. For some years now I have preferred it to football. This season has been very difficult for us though. Could be that we were just really unlucky with the group draw, but it also could be that age is starting to catch up with our team. There’s been some talk about moving to the oldie leagues (they start at 35+) to get away from the teams filled to the brim with the 20 or so year olds.

The sport itself is good fun, although violent behavior sadly isn’t non existent either.

[John Arne]

I played football Saturday. My body and brain have never been so far apart. I struggled to reach the opposing goal with some long shots.

I'm old.

[Don]

I haven't played it too much for aforementioned reasons but it seems like a more distilled form of the game and a large part of my annoyances with my games is when these fucking gammons constantly resort to long balls. I also don't enjoy heading.

[Kikó]

End of our season this week with us finishing a comfortable 12th of 16. The game before the ref sent me off for the first time in my footballing life because he thought I punched one of their players after a ruckus. No one on my team fessed up so I have a 6 game ban.

Also gibt to try a new team this Wednesday who are in the league above but don't seem to absolutely stink.

[Kikó]

I've given a new team then for another season in German football going into my 37th year. Actually seem a decent bunch of lads who have a good coach to make training interesting. Think it's time for a new pair of world cups as well.

Anyone else still playing? Taz?

[Raoul Duke]

I'm still playing 1-2 times a week. Nothing serious, just 7-a-side with a group of randoms.

Had some guys join up the other and the best player was this kid who was 17. I'm old enough to be his dad :|

[Don]

Are you avoiding Vets, Keeks? I'm due next year. Don't really know if I'd want to explore until I lose my pace and physical abilities, probably more at risk in amongst those savages.

Ya, the move down to London gave me a chance to break free from Sunday league but I instead went balls deep into the first team that offered an opportunity. I can't resist it. They train once a week unlike my MK team and so far (3 pre-season games) they seem a real nice bunch too, no cliques (my MK team was bad for it) and they like to play a patient possession football which is to my liking.

They weren't up to much last season but they seem to have strengthened a lot over summer. One new Arab kid barely speaks but he might be one of the best players I've played with. Is averaging about 4 nutmegs a game [to my 1.24] and starts busting out some ridiculous shit like rabonas so I give it precisely 34 mins into the season before he has his ankles amputated clean off.

The CBs are yet to come to terms with seeing me randomly drift from LB into RW and all over but I've got a goal and an assist in the 3 games and have their growing trust. Looking forward to seeing what London sides have to offer, already coming across a few of them with major youtube channels and followings, hopefully feature in at least one of their vids this season.

[Kikó]

I think my legs are still fast enough and I'm probably fitter than I was ten tears ago so I'll stay as is for now then maybe look at vets or drop down into a poorer league .


Which London league are you in? I was playing in the Amateur Football Combination.

[Manc]

Football friend.

[Don]

North Kent here which seems to possibly include some mad distances around Margate. Hopefully nothing like that in our division.

[Kikó]

Football friend.

They're allowed to do it in the cricket thread.:-(

My new lot are apparently planning a week long training camp in Morocco in January. Unexpected.

[Don]

We're 1 game into our league season (2nd game got postponed but a few others have played up to 3) and I suspect we'll stroll to top 3 and possibly even have a 100% record based off other results. Cup game this week was against a side 2 divisions above us and we matched them and would have had them if it wasn't for the manager losing his fucking head at a shit ref 20 mins in then some of our team soon following. These fucking mentally weak cunts do my nut in. What else does my nut in? Immobile teammates, particularly those who fucking think they can get away with it in DM/CM.

Anyway, all that aside, the real story is the manager asking to borrow £100 off me to tide him over till end of the month. Completely out the blue and we're not even that close, think he just saw I was on top of my subs, saw my aura of kindness and my 2006 Fiesta and recognised a wealthy man when he saw one. The pikey cunt has somewhat soured the relationship with that shit though.

It'd be nice to play with a bunch of respectable, well-educated, personable geezers for a change but I assume that's hard to come by in this sport maybe?

[Lofty]

The cheek of him asking you that :D

[Raoul Duke]

I've been playing a fair bit recently - nothing competitive just a kick around with a local group of lads. There's some proper short fuse cunts in the group though and there seems to be some kind of handbags every week. One guy threatened to shoot another over some minor tussle :D

[Lofty]

This is why I stopped even playing kickarounds with unknown lads in attendance. Years ago we had a great group, everyone had a laugh even though it was mixed ability and no-one really kept score.

You go to another one and people are going mental if you tackle them with minimal contact. I'd say it was just chavs but there are plenty of chavs who aren't edgy cunts.

[Kikó]

One of the guys records the games on the sidelines so we get nice highlight packages. I made my league debut this weekend after a six game ban.

https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZbEXWZpcsgsPrONPfJsAE2VAglWkPE1Tqk

[niko_cee]

Reds leaving a lot of xG on the field.

[Baz]

One of the guys records the games on the sidelines so we get nice highlight packages. I made my league debut this weekend after a six game ban.

https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZbEXWZpcsgsPrONPfJsAE2VAglWkPE1Tqk
Presumably he's too shit to join in?

[Kikó]

He's about 50.

[Manc]

Sounds like a nonce.

[Lofty]

A load of young fellas running round in shorts, that's the kind of thing he likes looking at.

[Don]

Not one scummy gammon in sight (except possibly your 14 who I thought was you for the opening half of that vid until his little gay sleeve tattoos showed up) :drool:

[wullie]

He needs some kind of steadicam, I was getting a headache by the time the first went in

[Kikó]

If you want a wdyll of me, I'm one of the two sat by the taps at half time.

[Ben]

Do you have no idea what the captain is waffling on about in his half time team talk or are you just sick of his shit?

[Kikó]

Some parts yeah but he kindly gave me English instructions after.

[SincereTheRebel]

Where i play regular 7-a-side for the past several years has been overrun by girls playing who seem to be under 13s. All the pitches are full of them now. It has increased dramatically over the past year. We now have to look elsewhere as they are fully booked and it is difficult to find timeslots that suit us.

Which isnt a big deal, but they also dont have to pay for their pitches.

[Pepe]

Play them and whoever wins gets the pitch.

[SincereTheRebel]

They are bigger than me.