Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Ant]

Isn't he retiring at the end of the season?

I just read on Wikipedia he is a keen Everton follower hence not allowed to ref games involving them yet he reffed one vs Villa in 2002. Shortly after that match he declared he followed them.

[Jimmy]

Obviously I'm bias because I didn't want Aguero to play against Spurs, but I do think it's ridiculous that he won't face any action.

[Jack_Attack]

BIASED ARGH.

To be on topic, brilliant win for Sunderland, Stoke in freefall, bad refereeing but Chelsea fans overreacting a tad.

[stokeriño]

Overreacting on what, BBC live text?

On the Chelsea fan forums I frequent, talk of the Aguero challenge was merely interspersed amongst much more talk about how Manchester City were the better team.

But of course, when we do come onto the topic of Chris Foy, it is ground so well-trodden that there remains little need to mask the issue with the kind of niceties are usually spewed so vapidly into internet 'debate'. Hence my earlier use of certain four letter words to provide optimum clarity.*

And needless to say, those who discount victims of bad refereeing as 'overreacting' swiftly develop short memories the moment their own team befalls such misfortune...

*

(Although right at this moment, I'm trying to rush through the last few chapters of The Count of Monte Cristo before Stokerina gets home, which seems to have encouraged a slight flare of verbosity if nothing else.)

[DavidMarrio]

Tbf to Chelsea I'd say they have a right to overreact over that game, they should have had a pen and their player did get two footed stamped on the arse and the ref was an incompetent tit who saw it and thought "Nah that's not a foul"

City were the better team but really Aguero should have been sent off and Torres should have had a pen.

Anyway, hopefully Arsenal can do us a favor tomorrow and beat Everton but I can see the game being a draw.

[stokeriño]

I'm nearly at the stage where I'm concerned enough about Everton's run to want them to drop points as well.

Nearly...but not quite. Come on you Toffees.

[Nerf]

Is it too soon to start the transfer window thread?

Liverpool have apparently agreed a £12.4m deal with Ajax for Christian Eriksen. Personal terms haven't been discussed yet, though.

[brenchill]

Rooney to PSG, apparently.

[stokeriño]

Chelsea v Tottenham date is finally-finally confirmed for Wednesday 8th May (7:45pm). Yaaaaay.

• 7 April: Fulham (Premier League)
• 21 April: Liverpool (Premier League)
• 25 April: Basel (Europa League)
• 27 April: Swansea (Premier League)
• 2 May: Basel (Europa League)
• 5 May: Man Utd (Premier League)
• 8 May: Spurs (Premier League)
• 11 May: Aston Villa (Premier League)
• 15 May: [possible Europa League final]
• 19 May: Everton (Premier League)

Looks marginally better now, although to be honest there's every chance we take only 1 point from our next two matches (since Fulham and Liverpool enjoy treating their home games against us as their cup final) and be in fifth by next week.

[Jimmy]

well, we picked up 0 points from both of those game, so hopefully you do the same

[HailtotheYo]

The NBC Network family of stations will air every single EPL match next season: http://tracking.si.com/2013/04/16/nbc-english-premier-league-contract/

Breakdown of coverage:

GAMES BY PLATFORM (Subject to Change)
NBC - 20
NBCSN - 154
Premier League Extra Time - 184
Telemundo/Mun2 - 76
Other NBCU Channels - 22
NBC Sports Live Extra - 380

TYPICAL WEEKLY PROGRAMMING GRID (All games live; All times ET)
Saturday Sunday Monday/Midweek
7 a.m. – NBCSN 8 a.m. – NBCSN 2:30 p.m. – NBCSN
10 a.m. – NBCSN 11 a.m. – NBCSN/Telemundo
12:30 p.m. – NBC

[Nerf]

So America still gets more Premier League games than the UK.

Logic.

[Ant]

I'd love to know why, after all this time, the 3pm live football media blackout still only exists in this country.

It makes zero sense.

[Baddar]

I'd love to know why, after all this time, the 3pm live football media blackout still only exists in this country.

It makes zero sense.

Because people would rather stay at home and watch Chelsea vs. West Ham at 3pm on a Saturday than go and watch their local team. Or something.

[Nerf]

To be fair, I agree it's a dated theory.

[TCO]

It's even worse that the blackout applies over here apart from the one game Setanta shows which is a subscription channel and always either Liverpool or Man Utd anyway.

[HailtotheYo]

I'd love to know why, after all this time, the 3pm live football media blackout still only exists in this country.

It makes zero sense.

Oh dear God, please let's not talk about blackout rules for live games. The rules here in the US are refuckingtarded.

[Matt]

The black out rules are great. If sky showed every single game on tv, the number of people attending a) premier league games and b) football league games (bearing in mind how much lower league clubs rely on ticket sales to stay afloat) would plummet. Sky have already done a hell of a lot of damage to English football, abolishing the blackout would kill all bar a handful of non Premier league clubs.

[Ant]

Surely supporters (diehards especially) would rather go to the actual stadium and show support in person and experience the full atmosphere of the game regardless of whether it is televised?

[Gazz]

Surely supporters (diehards especially) would rather go to the actual stadium and show support in person and experience the full atmosphere of the game regardless of whether it is televised?

It's a ballache for all the Man United fans having to make 600 mile round trips.

Says the Midlands based Newcastle fan...