General Football Discussion

[Orange14]

Interesting discussion by Ernst Bouwes of the current financial situation in Dutch football: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/st ... pe&cc=5901 I still don't see how Feyenoord stays in business.

[Blind3]

Blackpool for the League !!! Congrats to the Tangerine Dream on the annihilation of Wigan.

[SE6Ajacied]

Blackpool for the League !!! Congrats to the Tangerine Dream on the annihilation of Wigan.

Cheers mate, you beat me to it! Had the 'Pool live on BBC radio this afternoon, Ajax are on ESPN in half an hour and then Match of the Day tonight - bliss (as long as Ajax game is good of course).

Top of the league for a while but Chelsea just won 6-1 so only 2nd but I'll settle for that at the end of the season. (I actually e-mailed the pre-season table around to a few mates as I thought 5th (alphabetically) with no games played was the highest we'd get to....

[jamcocteau]

SE6, had the pleasure of watching the first half on telly before heading to the arena for ajax game.It was 3 0 when i left at half time but could have been more. it was great watching a team who played as that - a team. had watched man city spurs beforehand and man city looked like 11 individuals, a haarlem globetrotters for football.

wish your team luck for rest of season

[SPL]

Yes great day for Blackpool hope they do well for the rest of the season .

[SE6Ajacied]

SE6, had the pleasure of watching the first half on telly before heading to the arena for ajax game.It was 3 0 when i left at half time but could have been more. it was great watching a team who played as that - a team. had watched man city spurs beforehand and man city looked like 11 individuals, a haarlem globetrotters for football.

wish your team luck for rest of season

Cheers - yeah I only saw the highlights but had the radio on - "only" Wigan but they're an established Premier League team and a 4-0 win is an unbelievable start.

[aveslacker]

SE6, had the pleasure of watching the first half on telly before heading to the arena for ajax game.It was 3 0 when i left at half time but could have been more. it was great watching a team who played as that - a team. had watched man city spurs beforehand and man city looked like 11 individuals, a haarlem globetrotters for football.

wish your team luck for rest of season

Well... the Globetrotters have only lost one game in their history. I'm sure Sheikh Mansour would pay another billion or so to have that kind of record.

[Blind3]

I saw an amazing program on the National Geographic cable channel last evening about a third division Tanzania football League side called Albino United . I believe channel 4 in England originally produced the program . Normally, a third division side wouldn't capture my attention. However, this side is different . Their very existence is a major statement about how football can affect hearts and minds , overcome odds, and break down walls of prejudice. The program pointed out that there have been sixty murders of albinos in Tanzania ; ostensibly so that their body parts may be harvested and sold to the powerful . Seems witch doctors say that persons with Albism have magic powers. Fishermen even tie the hair or body parts into their nets for "luck" . A child of four months was one of the victims.

As a response to the prejudice , a group of players; some with albinism , some not ; got together under a motivational coach ( himself non-albino) and put a team together called Albino United. Their original name, Albino Magic , was seen as extolling a prejudice that has been behind the murders. The players message is in part that those with albinism are no different than people everywhere. Long story short, from dirt pitches and mismatched kit to meeting Didier Drogba , Albino United become a symbol of tolerance and living dreams...including promotion to the third division.

It had me in tears once or twice; such as the scene where the players deliver life saving sun block (skin cancer is a disease which often limits life expectancy to 30 years, the program says) to a school where 104 amazing kids live and learn. Live to protect them from those who would do them harm simply because of their albinism. I definitely recommend this program.

[aveslacker]

Nice one.

[Amol]

Very touching. Will look for it on tv.

[Purple Cow's Ghost]

I want Elizabeth Lambert to have my babies…

This is her..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC-pF3OH ... re=related

...I love her already.

[Amol]

Interesting. Don't know if this stuff can really be implemented by UEFA -

http://en.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/p ... 20059.html

[Orange14]

Interesting. Don't know if this stuff can really be implemented by UEFA -

http://en.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/p ... 20059.html

Yes, this has been around for about a year now and I think they are looking for a multi-year implementation. If they are serious, it will have great ramifications across UEFA. I figure that about 7 teams in England, 6 in Spain, 4-5 in Italy would all be affected. The big stick is to kick violating clubs out of CL football but I'm sure there will be legal challenges along the way.

[paladinby]

Interesting. Don't know if this stuff can really be implemented by UEFA -

http://en.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/p ... 20059.html

Yes, this has been around for about a year now and I think they are looking for a multi-year implementation. If they are serious, it will have great ramifications across UEFA. I figure that about 7 teams in England, 6 in Spain, 4-5 in Italy would all be affected. The big stick is to kick violating clubs out of CL football but I'm sure there will be legal challenges along the way.

I'm interested in the way they plan to punish those who break that 'Fair Play' rules. They can banish Mallorca from Europa league, but do they have balls to do anything against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter or Chelsea?

[Orange14]

Interesting. Don't know if this stuff can really be implemented by UEFA -

http://en.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/p ... 20059.html

Yes, this has been around for about a year now and I think they are looking for a multi-year implementation. If they are serious, it will have great ramifications across UEFA. I figure that about 7 teams in England, 6 in Spain, 4-5 in Italy would all be affected. The big stick is to kick violating clubs out of CL football but I'm sure there will be legal challenges along the way.

I'm interested in the way they plan to punish those who break that 'Fair Play' rules. They can banish Mallorca from Europa league, but do they have balls to do anything against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter or Chelsea?

That is the only way we will know that they are serious. Is it really proper that Barca need a bank loan to pay wages to players? I think all the teams need to manage their cash flows with out any of this foolishness. Don't even get me started on Madrid who have a long history of cooking the books.

[Amol]

But the thing which I don't get is - do the Spanish banks really have the money to bankroll Barcelona and Real Madrid till eternity?

I read in the Wall Street Journal about the problems in Spain and it is just shocking that these 2 clubs have so much money. The official unemployment rate in Spain is around 20% I think. Most of these jobs are held by elder folks and the youngsters don't even have jobs.

Well what do I know? They must be doing something right.

[SE6Ajacied]

This is probably very unlikely but if anyone's in South London this afternoon and fancies watching a game you can do much worse than coming to see Croydon Athletic who really need the support at the moment.

I won't go on at length (just look in Google if you want more details) but this seems like a really really extreme example of what happens when bad people buy football teams.

They asked to post this anywhere appropriate so I have - if anyone does come then come and say hi - I'll be easy to find as will have my Ajax bag.

Come on you Rams!

"PRESS RELEASE��
The Croydon Athletic Supporters Club want people to vote with their feet in support of the Club.��
The Supporters Club of Croydon Athletic FC are asking fellow football fans to show support for their Club by turning up on Satur-��
day (4th September) for the home game against Concord Rangers. This is a way in which people who love football can show��
that the game is not about owners or Directors but is about supporters and those that love the Club through thick and thin.��
“All supporters and those associated with the Club have been shocked and horrified by the revelations that were contained in the��
media last weekend. No one could have had any idea that such allegations could rockour club.” Said Paul Smith, Chairman of��
the Supporters’ Club. “Fellow supporters know the pain and anguish when their team has a sword hanging over its head and we��
believe that now is the time to show solidarity.”��
The Supporters Club, known as “Rams Amy” are determined to do all it can to save the club from its uncertain future. It isn’t��
just about the first team but has a successful Football Academy in partnership with a local college providing opportunities for kids��
16-19; a separate Juniors Section with teams from under-8s to under-18s and now has a Ladies Team associated with it from��
this season too. A football club is part of the local community and mustn’t be allowed to die.��
The people who are hurt by this sort of thing are the supporters who pay their money through the turnstiles week in and week��
out; local kids who play in the youth and junior teams and the volunteers who give up their time freely to help run the football��
club they love. Some in that position have been associated with the Club for decades.��
There are no Premiership of Championship games this weekend and there is already a promotion arranged for reduced entry for��
those who hold season tickets for teams in these divisions. That was before the revelations and now the Supporters Club would��
like a real show of solidarity from football supporters in general who know the pain that Rams supporters are suffering. Come��
along on Saturday, wear something maroon, and demonstrate your support for a football club that is so much more important��
than any one individual.��
END��

Please post this where ever you can"

[paladinby]

AS Roma is up for sale. Only several clubs in the football world can have large debts and be ok...

[Orange14]

Pretty scary news emerging from Liverpool these days: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ngland&cc=5901 One wonders if we are headed towards the financial apocalypse for many of the over-leveraged teams. Maybe only Russian and Middle East petrodollars can run football clubs these days. Too sad. On the other hand kudos to Blackpool for their fine start this season.

[Philippe]

There is today a terrible article by Cruijff in the Telegraaf, stating that these days’ Ajax “is not Ajax anymore”, and is “even worse than the 1965” team (before Rinus Michels).

[paladinby]

There is today a terrible article by Cruijff in the Telegraaf, stating that these days’ Ajax “is not Ajax anymore”, and is “even worse than the 1965” team (before Rinus Michels).

I think that Cruijff is totaly out of mind - he absolutely hates Ajax and Holland absolutely loves Barca and Spain no matter what happens here and there. He is just an old man living in his own imaginary world. Anyway, talk is cheap. Just don't take him serious and it will be ok.

[Orange14]

There is today a terrible article by Cruijff in the Telegraaf, stating that these days’ Ajax “is not Ajax anymore”, and is “even worse than the 1965” team (before Rinus Michels).

If he was serious he would have come back as manager after Marco stepped down. We know he was angry that Van Basten froze him out of any decision making at the club. Don't know if he has any relationship with Jol or not. Maybe he can come in as a fund raiser for the club to help solve the financial problems once and for all and allow us a decent transfer kitty. I'm afraid that JC has lost all sense of reality about the state of modern football and the economics of it all.

[Over Pasanens Head]

There is today a terrible article by Cruijff in the Telegraaf, stating that these days’ Ajax “is not Ajax anymore”, and is “even worse than the 1965” team (before Rinus Michels).

I think that Cruijff is totaly out of mind - he absolutely hates Ajax and Holland absolutely loves Barca and Spain no matter what happens here and there. He is just an old man living in his own imaginary world. Anyway, talk is cheap. Just don't take him serious and it will be ok.

Crazy he may be but on the above 2 statements I feel that he he is 100% correct. Ajax have just not been the same since the move to the ArenA. All of the sudden they thought that they were a massive club instead of a reasonable sized one that punched above its weight. On numerous posts on here it has been said that the feeling is the club has changed for the worse.

As to the current team - lets not look at them through rose-tinted glasses. They are a pale shadow of even a good Ajax team with only one or two class players.

Lets be honest about it all, but also lets be positive about the futureas Ajax always rise from the ashes to confound the world with another great team.

[paladinby]

There is today a terrible article by Cruijff in the Telegraaf, stating that these days’ Ajax “is not Ajax anymore”, and is “even worse than the 1965” team (before Rinus Michels).

I think that Cruijff is totaly out of mind - he absolutely hates Ajax and Holland absolutely loves Barca and Spain no matter what happens here and there. He is just an old man living in his own imaginary world. Anyway, talk is cheap. Just don't take him serious and it will be ok.

Crazy he may be but on the above 2 statements I feel that he he is 100% correct. Ajax have just not been the same since the move to the ArenA. All of the sudden they thought that they were a massive club instead of a reasonable sized one that punched above its weight. On numerous posts on here it has been said that the feeling is the club has changed for the worse.

As to the current team - lets not look at them through rose-tinted glasses. They are a pale shadow of even a good Ajax team with only one or two class players.

Lets be honest about it all, but also lets be positive about the futureas Ajax always rise from the ashes to confound the world with another great team.

Oh, well. It is never about current state of Ajax. You can always say that Ajax can play better or have better players. We were really nothing special for some time and that's true.

The timing of that column is just terrible. That's what i mean...

We have suffered only 3 defeats this calendar year, have reached CL group stage. The team under Jol has clearly become better - finally there's some danger from set pieces, we are scoring more and conceding less than before, many players have become better footballers. And after all that progress we are getting heavy criticized. What's the point?

Ajax is not that great Ajax anymore, but Ajax was sadly never a great team for long stretches even before Bosman, even climate has changed heavily and new James Bond guy is nothing special. The whole football environment has changed heavily.

Criticizing team that it is not matching one's ideals or even it's own ideals is easy, it could have been done for Ajax at any time since Van Gaal left. But doing it now when we are clearly on the rise makes little sence to me if even sence at all.

[rjf1]

It's not a matter of scoring more, conceding less, and only losing 3 games in the calendar year. The criticism is that in doing it we have abandoned the ajax style. Likewise for Orange. We can argue about whether this is good, bad, unavoidable given the current state of football affairs until the cows come home -- but that is the basis of the criticism.