The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[HailtotheYo]

Donovan was great today.

[Dingle]

On the subject of fandom, I'm a man without a team really. Sure I support my home side Burnley, but I'm a wandering fan who just watches the most pleasing football really. One day I'll have to support a team properly, but that'll come when I can afford to actively support them >_>.

I was going to convince you to support Leeds on the basis your girlfriend lives here (or something like that), but unless you win the lottery I can't see us meeting that condition any time soon.

How expensive are Leeds season tickets by the way? Not that I'll ever support them (unless they get bought out by some oil baron/sheik ).

Looking forward to MOTD tonight to see quite a few goals, although disappointed that the Chelsea game only garnered the one goal. Hey stok, how did Torres play, still good except for finishing ability? He's been pretty good with assists and through balls recently.

[Adam]

How expensive are Leeds season tickets? The words ridiculous, extortionate, and overwhelmingly stupidly expensive get chucked around.

I always boiled it down to the team you "support" being the one that you give money to for tickets, merchandise etc and another team that perhaps you have a passing interest in because of whatever reason you could be a "fan" of. That's just how I (perhaps daftly) use the terminology. I'm a Doncaster Rovers supporter, I've got a season ticket and go to a lot of the away games, buy the shirts and all that. But due to family reasons I like to see Liverpool and Everton (MINDFUCK) do well. Hell, next week I'm going to Goodison Park to watch Everton play with a lifelong Toffee from my family.

But no, I wouldn't just start liking a team because they were doing well. Even if I was cursed enough to be born an Ipswich fan.

[stokeriño]

Hey stok, how did Torres play, still good except for finishing ability? He's been pretty good with assists and through balls recently.

He just keeps getting better and better. No one at Chelsea gives a fuck about the goal tally because he just gives so much each and every week, and always displays his class. Plus he seems to have assisted half of all Chelsea's goals since he started playing again...

[DavidMarrio]

If anyone is looking for a cure to insomnia then just watch the highlights of our game on MOTD. That add to the fact it was fucking freezing made it very unpleasant at Anfield today

Stoke didn't wanna attack or do anything and well we just took the piss trying to go on the attack, too slow in the buildup not playing wide enough and generally at times there only being one man in the box. Very very very boring game

[stokeriño]

Well at least it's on last.

1. Spurs/Wolves, 2. Man U/Bolton, 3. B'burn/Ful, 4. Chel/Sund, 5. WBA/Nor, 6. Villa/Eve, 7. Liv/Stoke.

[Colly]

I remember a mate moaning about his Leeds ticket a while back so I glanced at the website, the equivalent to my seat at Newcastle in the Prem was actually more expensive at Elland Road in League 1. Not good.

[Baddar]

I'm recording MOTD tonight - any goals to look out for in particular?

[Lineker]

I'm sure we've had this discussion before but I can't be bothered to track it down.

I just got a Kindle and I want to download some good football books/magazines/blogs onto it. Somebody help a brother out!

[-A-]

The Swiss Ramble - Mostly about the financial side of football but really interesting in understanding how clubs like Wigan work and the (ridiculously exaggerated) nature of Man City's sponsorship deal. This is pretty much the only blog I read, though the columns are always pretty long and sometimes quite technical.

[DavidMarrio]

FA Confidential is a pretty decent book I thought by David Davies. The Damned United as well.

If you aren't bothered by autobiograpys by players at other clubs then Jamie Carraghers is a good read as well. As a Liverpool fan Brian Reades book "An Epic Swindle" about the whole Tom Hicks/George Gillett saga was a really interesting read too.

[Gazz]

I'm recording MOTD tonight - any goals to look out for in particular?

David N'Gog smashing one in at the Etihad Stadium.

Unfortunately for him, he was playing at Old Trafford.

[stokeriño]

Phil Dowd 3 "Stonewall" penalty kicks 0

Was at the wrong end of the pitch to see either of the Chelsea two properly but on MOTD...yeah.

[IAceI]

Two to Chelsea I presume?

Got a text off my Chelsea supporting mate, said we should both have had a penalty within about a minute of each other. Did Dowd do any of his theatrical "not on my watch" acts when denying the penalty shouts? You always get a Shakespearian-esque display from Dowd when he doesn't give a decision.

Other than that it sounds like we played well and could have got a point out of the game. Can't complain with a 1-0 loss away to Chelsea when we have Swansea and Norwich at home in our next two matches, if we get six points there then the Chelsea match will be out of mind.

I'll watch the highlights tomorrow morning probably, not that I trust Match of the Day to do a good job of reflecting the actual match.

[DavidMarrio]

Yeh Phil Dowd had yet another nightmare. All clear pens, Ashley Cole weren't even looking at the ball for that one, Torres clearly didn't dive on the Phil Bardsley one and the first pen shout again with Torres was a blatent pen.

[stokeriño]

Yeah the first two were literally a case of Chelsea's one not given, then Sunderland waltz directly up the other end and have theirs not given. It's shown as a continuous shot in the highlights.

Then later on Torres gets booked for diving, and Hansen/Shearer rant about it on MOTD.

Should have been a draw though...at least. You have no comprehension of how ridiculously poor/unlucky Sunderland were at taking their chances. Enjoy the highlights tomorrow.

[Gazz]

Enjoy the highlights tomorrow.

I certainly did. ^_^

[Cymbols]

How shit is Stephen Warnock?

He was shit against Swansea and Sheffield but today? Almost scoring an own goal and then the whole protest of offside after losing his man to concede the equaliser. We need to sell him.

[Dingle]

Could've had lots of goals in that Chelsea/Sunderland game. Torres did indeed look pretty sharp, unlike Phil Dowd who continues to be one of the worst referee's in the Prem this season - although I'm sure everyone has their favourites for that award.

[DavidMarrio]

Howard Webb was shit today..... But it'd be a toss up between Chris Foy and Phil Dowd for Overall consistently shit ref award.