Sky Bet EFL 2023/24

[Lineker]

 

[Twist]

Ben Foster has retired. After 13 goals past him in the first four games I'm not overly surprised.

[Adam]

7 minutes ago, Twist said:

Ben Foster has retired. After 13 goals past him in the first four games I'm not overly surprised.

I see Foster has lived through the Sol Campbell Experience...that of deciding to turn up to a vanity project in League 2 and quickly realising he can't hack it.

[Bobfoc]

It always seemed as though his primary motivation was to get Rob and Ryan on his Youtube channel.

[Twist]

5 hours ago, Adam said:

I see Foster has lived through the Sol Campbell Experience...that of deciding to turn up to a vanity project in League 2 and quickly realising he can't hack it.

Worked out for everyone to be fair. He gave them cover when their goalie went down, saved a penalty that got them promoted, now he's making way again. Maybe not as planned but worked out.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Twist

[King Ellis]

RUTTER SCORED A GOAL, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

EDIT: Good result in the end, even if we made it a bit more difficult than it needed to be. To be able to start with a front 4 of Sinisterra, Gnonto, Rutter and Piroe is certainly going to inspire some fear within defences at this level and it's paid off with each of them scoring. Hopefully it only gets better from here once everyone gets familiar with one another, with Piroe being new and Sinisterra/Gnonto obviously having disrupted pre-seasons.

Still need that new left back though with Byram going off injured and Drameh lasting about 15 minutes before being hauled off himself. That aside though, feels like that will be a huge lift getting the first win on the board, Piroe having an immediate impact and us looking dangerous going forward in general, even if the defence is possibly as shaky as ever.

[The Lusophone]

Plymouth Argyle appear to have gone from the team that always scored in injury time last season to the team that always concedes in injury time this one. That's unfortunate.

[TheGrandAvatar]

On 26/08/2023 at 17:24, FestiveJack said:

Plymouth Argyle appear to have gone from the team that always scored in injury time last season to the team that always concedes in injury time this one. That's unfortunate.

I'm guessing it's what will probably happen before the end of today's match.

But fully agree it would be unfortunate if that's how the game goes for you. Considering the score at the moment. Never enjoy it when it happens myself. That's football though. 

[The Lusophone]

20 minutes ago, TheGrandAvatar said:

I'm guessing it's what will probably happen before the end of today's match.

But fully agree it would be unfortunate if that's how the game goes for you. Considering the score at the moment. Never enjoy it when it happens myself. That's football though. 

Wasn't expecting this at all. Apparently the key to winning in the Championship is to not have all of the possession. Who knew?

[King Ellis]

Must be where Leeds are going wrong. 70% possession but can't do much against 10 yellow shirts behind the ball.

Still, first clean sheet in probably 6 months.

[TheGrandAvatar]

18 minutes ago, FestiveJack said:

Wasn't expecting this at all. Apparently the key to winning in the Championship is to not have all of the possession. Who knew?

A well deserved win for you. Blackburn just not on form today and missed opportunities. 

[Lineker]

Quote

The pilot of the helicopter that crashed outside Leicester City's stadium, killing five people including its chairman, said "I've no idea what's going on" as it spun out of control.

Eric Swaffer, 53, made the comment before the helicopter hit the ground outside the King Power Stadium on 27 October 2018.

The final report into the crash has now been published.

It concluded the pilot could do "very little" to save those on board.

The crash claimed the lives of Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff - Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare - and pilots and partners Mr Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)'s final report said a tail rotor bearing seized, which in turn caused the crash.

The AAIB said the crash was "inevitable" after a sequence of mechanical failures.

Chief inspector of air accidents at the AAIB, Crispin Orr, said Mr Swaffer did what he could to control the Leonardo AW169 helicopter, but the catastrophic failure in a bearing in the tail rotor resulted in the aircraft making a sharp right turn.

As the helicopter - which had reached an altitude of about 430ft (131m) - was turning out of control, a shout of "hey, hey, hey" came from the rear cabin, where Mr Vichai and his employees were seated, the AAIB said.

In aircraft voice recordings, Mr Swaffer was heard to say: "I've no idea what's going on", shortly before the helicopter crashed into a concrete step.

Inspectors said four of the passengers survived the impact of the crash, but a fire that was caused by a "significant" fuel leak, proved fatal.

Four first responders were treated for injuries caused by the heat of the fire after they attempted to rescue those inside the helicopter.

The report added two police officers who arrived at the scene one minute after the crash tried to smash the helicopter's windscreen with their batons, but failed.

Mr Orr said: "This was a tragic accident in which five people sadly lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their loved ones, and everyone affected."

It has taken almost five years to complete the 209-page final report, after what the AAIB previously called a "technically very complex" investigation.

Authorities from Canada, France, Italy and the US were also involved in the investigation because of where various significant components were manufactured.

The investigation discovered a worn bearing on the tail rotor had seized after the helicopter took off.

The shaft that controlled the tail rotor then unscrewed and became detached as a result, which in turn caused the helicopter to spin out of the pilot's control.

The AAIB report stated the helicopter complied with "all applicable airworthiness requirements" and had been maintained correctly before the crash.

The wear on the rotor bearing was also found to have built up over a period of time and could not have been predicted, according to the inspectors.

Examination of the bearing was only required once it had been used for 400 hours, but the helicopter had only been flown for 331 hours when the crash occurred.

One of the "contributory factors" was that regulations do not require maintenance checks to review the condition of used bearings against their original design, the AAIB said.

Drone involvement and pilot error were ruled out.

The AAIB has made eight safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as a result of its investigation to "address weaknesses or omissions" in regulations for certifying large helicopters.

The crash occurred just over an hour after a Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United.

It sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes across the UK and abroad, with Leicester's players travelling to Thailand for Mr Vichai's funeral.

A statue of Mr Vichai was unveiled at the club in 2022, with the former chairman replaced by his son Khun Aiyawatt "Top" Srivaddhanaprabha.

A public memorial for Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz was held at Guildford Cathedral in 2018.

Ms Lechowicz's sister Kate said "they were just an incredible couple and amazing pilots".

In a statement published on Wednesday, Leicester City chief executive Susan Whelan said the club commended "the extensive and detailed body of work undertaken" by the AAIB, and hopes it "will contribute positively to the continued development of future aviation standards and safety".

"The tragic events of 27 October, 2018, will forever be etched into the memory of the Leicester City family. It was a night we experienced the devastating loss of our beloved chairman, friends, colleagues, and family members," she said.

"Yet, in our grief, a sense of unity and strength was forged. The extraordinary support and kindness that was extended to those affected, by communities across Leicestershire, football and the wider world will never be forgotten."

 

[9 to 5]

Forgive my ignorance but why has it taken five years for this information to be released?

[The Lusophone]

1 hour ago, 9 to 5 said:

Forgive my ignorance but why has it taken five years for this information to be released?

From the end of 2022:

Quote

"The investigation has proved to be technically very complex and has required an extremely thorough and detailed investigation which has involved the helicopter manufacturer, other specialist organisations and regulators to fully understand what initiated the failure of the tail rotor duplex bearing," an AAIB spokesperson said.

 

[Baddar]

@9 to 5

 

[Lineker]

Quote

Reading have been hit with a second points deduction of the season, meaning the crisis club have been docked an alarming 16 points in less than two years. A suspended three-point penalty was triggered after Reading failed to comply with an order to deposit funds by the deadline on Tuesday.

The English Football League took a dim view when Reading were hit with an immediate one-point deduction and a suspended penalty by an independent disciplinary panel in August, after the late payment of wages on three occasions last season. It means Reading, who have now been docked four points this season, drop into the League One relegation zone.

On Wednesday, the EFL released a statement outlining its frustrations. Reading said the owner Dai Yongge, who completed his takeover of the club in 2017, is continuing to seek external investment “with the aim of mitigating the risk of cash flow complications arising in the future”.

Reading, who came out of a two-year transfer embargo this summer, were docked six points in November 2021 for exceeding the EFL’s permitted loss limit and a further six points in April this year for breaching the terms of an agreed business plan. In total, Reading have been docked 10 points this year.

The EFL said it “continues to acknowledge the negative impact sporting sanctions are having on the football club”, adding “the league will continue to apply its rules in all circumstances deemed appropriate.”

 

 

[King Ellis]

Top result for Leeds, 3-0 away at Millwall. Bit worrying at the start with the amount of pressure they were applying but we managed to take control of it.

A bit bizarro world in respect of it being another clean sheet but us actually scoring first and being on the other side of 'have massive amounts of possession and chances only for the other team to counter and score' for once.

The attacking options have to be a good sign for the rest of the season because if you're bringing the likes of Jaidon Anthony and Dan James off the bench, the kind of players that would be starters for others in the league, it shows the quality we have. Even 2 assists for James, albeit that first one must be the worst most inadvertent assist in history as he practically falls over himself in missing his shot and manages to fluff it to Piroe.

[The Lusophone]

Plymouth Argyle are massive.

[King Ellis]

53 minutes ago, FestiveJack said:

Plymouth Argyle are massive.

Big result that, not as if Norwich have had a bad start to the season either.

Also, in the words of Matt, were going up as fucking champions! Relegation has turned Dan James and Georghinio Rutter into world beaters.

[The Lusophone]

Frustrated at Championship refereeing again. It didn't effect the result but Norwich should not have had a penalty. Feels like we get a decision like that against us every game.