General Football Thread

[GoGo Yubari]

New best chant.

[Adam]

That's amazing. The australian accents just add to the brilliance.

[Berober]

Outstanding, makes me sad we never sang that while he was at Villa

[Colly]

Slightly more sensible safe standing demo, sans massive rabbit this time:

Has to happen for me, home crowds at Premier League games are getting whisper quiet these days, a block of stands behind the goals would do wonders.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Colly

[Matt]

Incredibly more safe than having just seating and will improve the atmosphere too.

[Berober]

Heskey scores an overhead kick

[GoGo Yubari]

Australia's Heskey's bitch, what can you say.

[IAceI]

Standing just makes sense. This season Sunderland moved the away fans from behind the goal and into the upper tier and gave the south stand to the fans again intimating it as a 'singing stand' and without saying as much it was implied that the stewarding would be slightly laxer and standing wouldn't be permitted as such but perhaps a blind eye would be turned to it insomuch that everyone who wanted to stand could do so there. Of course the message didn't quite get spread properly as there are pockets of people who want to sit amongst those who want to stand so most matches seeing a bit of a whinge between fans - and obviously the people who want to sit get their way because they are technically right.

If we could get safe standing it would obviously separate those who want to stand from those who want to sit. The obvious idea would be to have the standing behind the goals and the seating along the sides. You're getting the chance to increase capacity and/or reduce ticket prices if you want and not lose out on revenue, which would be ideal for everyone involved and while sitting =/= no atmosphere it does seem generally accepted that fans who stand generate more of one.

Basically we should just look at everything happening in Germany and take most of the ideas for ourselves because - and it's a bit clichéd now - but they are obviously doing something right over there as the fans, teams and the like all seem to get the most out of the arrangements. Safe standing, the 51/49 ownership rules etc.

I hope it happens for the good of the game, I worry that it's still a long way off though and that football is still moving further into the corporate scheme of things rather than levitating back towards the fans. Anyway, ramble over.

[Colly]

It's a spot on ramble in fairness. We've got the same issue where fans who were in the L7 corner by the away fans were moved to the opposite lower corner and the same stand/sit arguments occur.

Edit: Just realised I've rather fittingly typed that whilst sat on a rather cold concrete stand. Billingham Synthonia 1 up against Darlington after their five league relegation. Cisse-esque effort that might have been a cross, but none of the overweight strikers were in the box so we're giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Finished 4-1 Darlo. Twats.

Edited October 27, 2012 by Colly

[Lineker]

Former West Ham forward Savio Nsereko has been arrested in the Thai resort of Pattaya after an apparent false kidnap claim, the Bangkok Post reports.

The former German Under-20 international, who joined the Hammers from Brescia in a reported £9million deal from Brescia in 2009, was arrested by police in Pattaya after reportedly extorting €25,000 from members of his family.

It is alleged Nsereko telephoned members of his family from Thailand, telling them he had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom.

Nsereko's family contacted the German embassy in Thailand, who brought in the police.

The 23-year-old, whose unhappy spell at Upton Park ended after just ten appearances when he was sold to Fiorentina, is now on his way back to Germany to stand trial.

Nsereko is currently contracted to German third tier side SpVgg Unterhaching after several unsuccessful spells in Bulgaria, Italy and Romania.

[therockbox]

A special guest shows up to help Sligo Rovers celebrate winning the league...

[Lineker]

Dunfermline Athletic have a match steward to thank for being able to complete a Fife derby win that took them to the top of Division One.

Referee Kevin Clancy was injured in a collision with Cowdenbeath boss Colin Cameron and the second half was delayed as a replacement was sought.

A qualified official came forward from among the paying customers.

And the Pars went on to win thanks to a Jo Cardle strike, a John Armstrong own goal and a Craig Dargo tap in.

With a linesman replacing the referee following a 30-minute delay, 61-year-old G4S worker Jock Campbell, from nearby Rosyth, volunteered to take over the assistant referee duty at East End Park.

A G4S spokeswoman said Mr Campbell is a qualified referee and regular official at Sunday league matches. She said he was happy to step in when the call came out.

The win puts Dunfermline ahead of Partick Thistle, who were held to a 0-0 draw away to Falkirk, on goal difference.

Dunfermline dominated proceedings early on but were made to wait until the 28th minute for their opening goal, when Cardle slotted home from 18 yards.

Cowden goalkeeper Thomas Flynn made a smart save from Stephen Husband's penalty on the half hour after Armstrong fouled Ryan Thomson in the box.

The visitors were then dealt a blow when the in-form stopper had to leave the field injured just before half-time.

Dunfermline finally got their second when Armstrong scored an own goal in the 77th minute.

Dargo finished from close range in the 84th minute to make it 3-0 and cap a powerful Dunfermline display.

[ZJ Penn]

Whats everyones thoughts on the Ballon D'Or nominees? Presumably its Messi or Ronaldo taking it, I'm not even sure whos a close third, maybe van Persie?

[Colly]

Messi or Ronaldo, everyone else makes up the numbers. God knows what Balotellis doing there.

[Crybaby Bunting]

I was thinking the same thing and then remembered how well he played at the Euros.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

It'll obviously go to Messi or Ronaldo.

Surprised Pirlo isn't getting much of a mention by most considering he was the key in Juventus going the entire season unbeaten and winning the league, while also being arguably the key player in taking Italy to the Euro final and possibly the player of the tournament.

[IAceI]

Messi then Ronaldo. Third for me would be between Yaya Toure, Ibrahimovic or Falcao - hard to choose really.

[Dynamite]

I'd guess Casillas will be up there too. International competitions seem to have a big bearing on these awards and captaining Spain to Euro 2012 as well as winning La Liga is a pretty big achievement.

[Gazz]

Falcao for third, just for his utter destruction of the Europa League last season.

[stokeriño]

Didier Drogba has been named Chelsea's Best Ever Player in the latest official fan poll (can't remember when the last one was but it's been a few years; Zola was the previous winner). Not the most surprising thing in the world given that the votes were cast this summer.

They have a Top 100 list but only the Top 20 were ranked. They are:

20. Pat Nevin (Winger, 1983-88, 237+5 apps, 45 goals)

19. Ron Harris (Centre-back, 1961-80, 784+11 apps, 14 goals)

18. Eidur Gudjohnsen (Forward, 2000-06, 177+86 apps, 78 goals)

17. Claude Makelele (Midfielder, 2003-08, 201+16 apps, 2 goals)

16. Ashley Cole (Full-back, 2006-Present, 264+10 apps, 7 goals)

15. Juan Mata (Midfielder, 2011-Present, 59+8 apps, 18 goals)

14. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Forward, 2000-04, 156+21 apps, 87 goals)

13. Bobby Tambling (Forward, 1958-70, 366+4 apps, 202 goals)

12. Peter Bonetti (Goalkeeper, 1960-75 & 1976-79, 729 apps)

11. Michael Ballack (Midfielder, 2006-10, 140+27 apps, 26 goals)

10. Jimmy Greaves (Forward, 1957-61, 169 apps, 132 goals)

09. Kerry Dixon (Forward, 1983-92, 413+7 apps, 193 goals)

08. Dennis Wise (Midfielder, 1990-2001, 434+11 apps, 76 goals)

07. Charlie Cooke (Winger, 1966-72 & 1974-78, 360+13 apps, 30 goals)

06. Petr Cech (Goalkeeper, 2004-Present, 381+1 apps)

05. Peter Osgood (Forward, 1964-74 & 1978-79, 376+4 apps, 150 goals)

04. John Terry (Centre-back, 1998-Present, 535+22 apps, 49 goals)

03. Gianfranco Zola (Forward, 1996-2003, 260+52 apps, 80 goals)

02. Frank Lampard (Midfielder, 2001-Present, 531+39 apps, 189 goals)

01. Didier Drogba (Forward, 2004-12, 274+67 apps, 157 goals)

Main disagreement with me from that list is Ballack - especially being ahead of the likes of Bonetti and Tambling! I could easily pick out a good half a dozen names from the 100-21 list that I'd place above him too. Mata is one who's very high for just one season but I can understand voting fans being enamoured with him (that sort of thing always happens to "All Time" votes of anything, really).