General Football Thread

[Colly]

Gyan plays for Al-Ain.

Sky Sports News just lied to me! Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Just rewound and apparently he was on his way back from training with Al-Ain when it happened. I'm half right...

[IAceI]

Just let it be known that a lack of knowledge over football in the UAE will only be tolerated for so long. How can you not be so clued up on the goings on in such a footballing hotbed?

Come on Colly.

[9 to 5]

North/South divisions? It's been done, but since not even I was around in them days I dunno how people liked it.

[Colly]

Just let it be known that a lack of knowledge over football in the UAE will only be tolerated for so long. How can you not be so clued up on the goings on in such a footballing hotbed?

Come on Colly.

I couldn't even find the name of a club in the original article...

Anyway, in an Alan Partridge UK Conquest TV Show-esque move, Andy Gray and Richard Keys have started a youtube channel where they talk about football on a park bench, possibly while pissed:

My link

Love it.

Edited September 26, 2011 by Colly

[IAceI]

The first (two) words of the article are the club, apparently. Although I didn't realise at first either.

[Lineker]

Luton Town midfielder Alex Lawless has broken his hand by punching a wall at half-time in Saturday's loss to York.

With the Hatters 3-0 down, the Welshman, 28, did not re-emerge for the second half against his former club.

He will be out for about a month and has been disciplined by the club, with the punishment undisclosed.

"He does care and it was against his former club, I can understand the frustration," boss Gary Brabin told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"But his act has now cost us for the next month or so.

"I've spoken to Alex at length, he's absolutely gutted. He understands [the punishment] but we'll be keeping that in-house. He realises he's let us down and he'll be dealt with accordingly."

Lawless was already suspended for the visit of Cambridge United on Tuesday.

Saturday's defeat sent morning leaders Luton crashing from first to sixth in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

[Matt]

I'm sure this will never happen, but Stan Collymore mentioned it on Twitter and I'm sure it's worth discussing. With only two Championship teams turning a profit last year, Collymore and the rest of the TalkSport team put forth the idea of splitting the Football League into North/South divisions to cut down travel costs for fans, create more local derbies and generate more overall interest.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts would be on it?

That'd be shit. End of discussion.

[Starvinho]

Portuguese striker gets knocked out and then dropped off a stretcher

Portuguese striker Salvador Agra, who plays for Olhanense, is recovering after being knocked unconscious and then dropped off a stretcher in a match against Uniao Leiria.

Agra was initially injured in the 40th minute of the Portugese top flight match, when Uniao Leiria defender Edson accidentally kneed him in the head. The 19-year-old instantly hit the ground and was unconscious for a while.

The players started to panic when they saw how serious the injury was. They stripped off their shirts and begun fanning the young striker who was still unresponsive.

Finally, help arrived in the form of the medical team who decided to stretcher the player off and into a waiting ambulance.

Well, this didn't quite go to plan as one of the medics was too eager to get to the emergency vehicle and as a consequence caused the stretcher to tip over.

The poor striker rolled off and clattered to floor. Thankfully he wasn't conscious enough to feel the impact.

The scene was reminiscent of the recent head clash that Chelsea striker Didier Drogba suffered against Norwich, which kept him out for a few weeks.

And just like the Ivorian, Agra escaped serious injury and is expected to make a full recovery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bf7fr_Czyw

[DavidMarrio]

I'm sure this will never happen, but Stan Collymore mentioned it on Twitter and I'm sure it's worth discussing. With only two Championship teams turning a profit last year, Collymore and the rest of the TalkSport team put forth the idea of splitting the Football League into North/South divisions to cut down travel costs for fans, create more local derbies and generate more overall interest.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts would be on it?

That'd be shit. End of discussion.

Yeh that would be pretty awful. I mean I like the idea with the Johnstones Paint Trophy having a North/South divide and the winners of each section facing each other but that's a cup competition.

Have more matches from the Football League on TV and it'd create more tv revenue to be split amongst the teams giving them more money. But even then you see plenty of stadiums with empty seats so it's getting the local people interested in going to see the teams and filling up the seats so then you've got to think about ticket prices etc etc. Bring more sponsers into the Football League and for that you need TV it's things like that. Splitting the Football League into North/South though isn't the way to gain interest and make more money though.

[IAceI]

It's to make things easier for the teams involved. No more end-to-end of the country trips for League 2 teams. Keeping things more regional, like they do in Germany and other countries.

Also we can't get the armchair fans to turn in when a team other than the top 6 in the Premier League are on. I can't see how Morceambe v Torquay is going to interest them.

[Gazz]

Bath City had five players sent off as an FA Youth Cup tie descended into farce following a row over underpants.

City boss Billy Clark was also dismissed by referee Darren Adie, who ruled players' underwear breached rules during Newport County's 6-0 win.

Underwear must be the same colour as the shorts but Bath's white pants were visible below their black shorts.

"It was all very surreal. I was angry with the officials," said Bath managing director Paul Williams.

"Rules are rules but the officiating wasn't what it should have been for a youth cup tie.

"Why didn't the officials check the colours before the start?

"Every team has to submit a report about the officials to the FA. Let's just say ours is a very long report."

Defender Billy Cooper was first to be sent off during the first qualifying round tie at Newport.

Manager Clark was then punished for dissent and ordered from the dugout, while Ciaran Rogers, Zemell Burton, Ben Bicknell and goalkeeper Lewis Pierre also saw red.

A statement on Bath's official website said: "We had been expecting to publish a match report of last night's FA Youth Cup first qualifying match between Bath Academy and the Newport County Academy.

"Due to the controversial events that took place during the match - and the fact the vast majority of the players in the match are under 18 - we will not do so at this time."

Newport County secretary Mike Everett said he had no complaints about the referee's performance.

"I understand that the initial problem was regarding incorrect undergarments," he said. "The referee made his decisions. There's not a lot I can add."

I hope FM12 adds this rule.

[Colly]

I still don't quite grasp how the sendings off occurred (did the ref randomly spot each one midgame and go "Right, wrong pants, off!"?) but it has been a rule for some time. A mate of mine who plays pub football fell foul of it and had to buy a new pair of undershorts to go with his teams kit, which he wasn't too impressed about having to shell out for. Seems like a 'within reason' rule for me, especially given it was a lower league academy game.

'Matching' is vague too, given our players wore these bobby dazzlers under the yellow kit two years ago. Not exactly the same yellow...

[Lineker]

You could say that they got sent off for.............. an early bath.

[IAceI]

Were they sent off for the underwear thing though? From how I read it the first time they were told to go change, taking them down to 9 men, by the time they go back they were 1-0 down and then all hell broke loose.

[Colly]

No idea, I've yet to read a proper report. Clearly we're waiting on Bath FC's website to reveal all...

[Guest mr. potato head]

No idea, I've yet to read a proper report. Clearly we're waiting on Bath FC's website to reveal all...

I'm not sure "reveal all" is the right phrase to use for a story about underwear...

[IAceI]

Espcially since it was an U18 match too.

Ya nonce.

[Starvinho]

1024: FOOTBALL - Russian premier league team Anzhi Makhachkala have sacked coach Gadzhi Gadzhiyev after a run of one win in the last six matches. Anzhi attracted worldwide attention in August when they signed Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan and made him the world's best-paid player. Assistant coach Andrei Gordeyev and captain Roberto Carlos will take over the coach duties on an interim basis, the club statement said.

[Steeb]

FAO GoGo:

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/877158-kasey-keller-gets-corn-maze-tribute-from-farm-in-washington

Brilliant!

[Lineker]

Dropping Frank Lampard and dodging wayward shots from Fernando Torres in training is obviously not hair-raising enough for Andre Villas-Boas - who wants to compete in the notorious Dakar rally on a motorbike.

Villas-Boas, 33, owns five bikes and escapes the rigours of Premier League football by going off-road riding in the Portuguese mountains.

The 6,000-mile Dakar trek will take those brave enough to compete from Peru, through Chile's Atacama desert to Argentina in January and is renowned as one of the toughest events in the world.

But the Chelsea manager - who hopes to take his side on another long journey to Munich for next May's Champions League final - plans to one day compete.

He said: "I would love to ride the rally one day. But it's expensive and maybe something for when my career ends."

Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was seriously injured in a motorbike crash in 2009 and most players are banned from riding in their contracts.

But Villas-Boas remains a keen motorcyclist and was also spotted at the Monaco and Belgian Formula 1 Grands Prix this year.

"The manager is allowed to ride a motorbike. Not the players - but the manager escapes!" he added.

"The passion for two wheels is something that grew in me. My first bike was a Yamaha XT 350cc, a heavy engine at the start. Then I've had Hondas and KTMs, as well as the trials bikes I've got.

"I have a bit of a crazy head, so I like enduro-bikes - I go into the mountains with the big rocks and almost kill myself!

"When I first took my licence - I was coaching the Porto youth team then - I rode in a national competition and broke my arm. I've had a couple of accidents, so now I try to be more careful.

"Of course, my responsibilities to this job come first, but the feeling when I'm on the bike with the throttle open is fantastic.

"I'm not one of those people who are obsessed with the game. I don't live and breathe it 24 hours a day or go home and watch second division German football.

"I have tremendous passion for football but my bikes are my escape.

"I have one that was ridden in the Paris-Dakar and I'd love to ride it myself one day."

The Paris-Dakar rally ran from France to Senegal from 1978 until 2009 but is now run through South America. Competitors face a near 6,000 mile trek across the desert with the 2011 race won by Spanish rider Marc Coma.