The Footie Thread

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What a story for Sebastian Haller, 18 months on from being diagnosed with cancer hes just scored the winner for his side to win the AFCON at home

Take a bow sir

Let's just take a moment to think our incredible fans deemed this player not good enough for 2 reasons

An average winger had a purple patch up top when he was out injured

And he doesn't smile enough

God I miss him. What a class striker

And what an incredible story of beating cancer then winning the Afcon
 
Apologies for the late reply Liverbirdie.

So close yet so far you and I bet all the ones you've missed are the teams Liverpool would only get in cups. It's probably easier for fans of medium sized clubs who go up and down the leagues to get to them all. It's still a great achievement to get 92 league clubs and they'll be very few who get to that total! The bigger clubs that got relegated to non league are all on the way back with Wrexham, Notts County and this season Chesterfield so your total may increase.

Probably showing my age but I didn't even get to the Goldstone, it was Withdean back in the mid 00's. Probably the worst ground I've ever been to. Highbury was my favourite of the real old grounds that were replaced but lots I missed out on.

I've always had an obsession for old football grounds, especially those with the huge terraces. The Kop, Holte End, Southbank Wolves etc. The new grounds just don't compare IMO so jealous you got to experience that all in their heyday.

What were your Top 3 back in the day and Top 3 these days?

No probs.

For about 20 odd years I never missed an opportunity to go to a new ground with the reds, as always got tickets in them days, but as I started going a little less missed out an a Yeovil, Bristol City when we only got less than a thousand tickets. I loved highbury, as well.

I was bought Simon Inglis "football ground of England and Wales" as a 13 year old, when I first started going to away matches - Walsall and Notts county with my arl fella, and when i was 14 (1984) started going away with mates from school to the likes of Barnsley, York, Sheff Wed, Coventry etc. Missed out on Wolves (just) until the 90's, so all seater by then, but went To Villa, Chelsea, Spurs, Man U, Man City, West Ham, Newcastle, Sunderland and more before they started to develop the grounds to all seater including Derby's old 3 tier away end and Soton's old dell.

The worst ground by a good stretch was Swansea's old vetch Field - falling down, and the worst toilets ever. Oxford was the worst aesthetically (had about 9 different stands), 3 on one side. Millwall's cold blow lane for general menace. :)

I loved going to Coventry, Villa, man City for an away game due to big allocations and lots of seats, as well as terracing.

Man U for the sheer hatred and only occasional win (sadly), Goodison for atmosphere and in the days when there would be 15-20,000 reds all over goodison (and the MORE THAN occasional win) and got to be Anfield - best place in England on a noisy European night, where we supply our own flags. ;)

Europe - Galatasaray for best atmosphere by 22k in the old al sami Yen, Genoa for best atmosphere for 45k and the Bernabeu as a stadium and will be even better once all the changes are finished.

Who did you mainly go with, and your experiences and favourites?
 
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I thought all the Mancs had the opinion that he was a waste of space?
Incidentally, the one player that may have grown on me is Dalot. Doesnt seem long ago that Wan Bissaka was no. 1 right back, with all his faults. In the past, he has looked really bad.

But, more recently, I have seen a much more consistent player in Dalot. I wonder if having Varane next to him has given him a load of extra confidence.
 
What a story for Sebastian Haller, 18 months on from being diagnosed with cancer hes just scored the winner for his side to win the AFCON at home

Take a bow sir
I thought he was French. :unsure: African Nations just feels like France B vs France C half the time.

(Edit: Sorry, side issue, fair play to him for what you said obviously!)
 
Incidentally, the one player that may have grown on me is Dalot. Doesnt seem long ago that Wan Bissaka was no. 1 right back, with all his faults. In the past, he has looked really bad.

But, more recently, I have seen a much more consistent player in Dalot. I wonder if having Varane next to him has given him a load of extra confidence.

He’s always been streets ahead of AWB in an attacking sense, but defensively he has come on in leaps and bounds. One of the most improved players at the club in the last few months.
 
I see a few fortunate wins at Wolves and Villa and the Man Utd fans are getting giddy again ;) Scott McTominay gets so much disrespect but yet again he popped up with crucial goals in said wins.

Just watching the Chelsea game and they're such a poor side. To think this squad cost way over a billion and only Cole Palmer is what you'd class a decent buy. Maybe Nkunku when he gets a run of games. Throw in all these signings on are huge wages and long contracts and they've committed financial suicide and are in big trouble over the next few years.
 
No probs.

For about 20 odd years I never missed an opportunity to go to a new ground with the reds, as always got tickets in them days, but as I started going a little less missed out an a Yeovil, Bristol City when we only got less than a thousand tickets. I loved highbury, as well.

I was bought Simon Inglis "football ground of England and Wales" as a 13 year old, when I first started going to away matches - Walsall and Notts county with my arl fella, and when i was 14 (1984) started going away with mates from school to the likes of Barnsley, York, Sheff Wed, Coventry etc. Missed out on Wolves (just) until the 90's, so all seater by then, but went To Villa, Chelsea, Spurs, Man U, Man City, West Ham, Newcastle, Sunderland and more before they started to develop the grounds to all seater including Derby's old 3 tier away end and Soton's old dell.

The worst ground by a good stretch was Swansea's old vetch Field - falling down, and the worst toilets ever. Oxford was the worst aesthetically (had about 9 different stands), 3 on one side. Millwall's cold blow lane for general menace. :)

I loved going to Coventry, Villa, man City for an away game due to big allocations and lots of seats, as well as terracing.

Man U for the sheer hatred and only occasional win (sadly), Goodison for atmosphere and in the days when there would be 15-20,000 reds all over goodison (and the MORE THAN occasional win) and got to be Anfield - best place in England on a noisy European night, where we supply our own flags. ;)

Europe - Galatasaray for best atmosphere by 22k in the old al sami Yen, Genoa for best atmosphere for 45k and the Bernabeu as a stadium and will be even better once all the changes are finished.

Who did you mainly go with, and your experiences and favourites?

I've got all those Simon Inglis books, absolutely glued to them when I was a kid. Often have a look through the older ones for a sense of nostalgia! A lot of grounds these days all look the same and lack quirks or character. You must've had some great aways days back in 80's taking huge numbers around the country and winning a lot.

Highbury was one of the best I visited in the 90's and a real classy place. I know Oxford well as they're our rivals and I've got some fond memories of winning there and a bad one of nearly being crushed in the alley behind the away end after Police horses charged up when it kicked off. Always find it amusing they left a 9 sided ground and ended up in bizzare ground with 3 sides :unsure:

Did you go to the Liverpool v Man Utd FA Cup semi final games at Goodison and Maine Road in 85?

My favourite grounds would be Villa Park, Highbury and Old Trafford due to the history. There's a lot I've not been to that I'm looking forward to ticking off though!
 
I thought he was French. :unsure: African Nations just feels like France B vs France C half the time.

(Edit: Sorry, side issue, fair play to him for what you said obviously!)

Some very suspect decision making that helped the hosts win that throughout it all. That's the second international tournament I've got conerns about after Argentina were gifted the World Cup.
 
I've got all those Simon Inglis books, absolutely glued to them when I was a kid. Often have a look through the older ones for a sense of nostalgia! A lot of grounds these days all look the same and lack quirks or character. You must've had some great aways days back in 80's taking huge numbers around the country and winning a lot.

Highbury was one of the best I visited in the 90's and a real classy place. I know Oxford well as they're our rivals and I've got some fond memories of winning there and a bad one of nearly being crushed in the alley behind the away end after Police horses charged up when it kicked off. Always find it amusing they left a 9 sided ground and ended up in bizzare ground with 3 sides :unsure:

Did you go to the Liverpool v Man Utd FA Cup semi final games at Goodison and Maine Road in 85?

My favourite grounds would be Villa Park, Highbury and Old Trafford due to the history. There's a lot I've not been to that I'm looking forward to ticking off though!

I went to the Goodison one, which is regarded as one of the most violent footy matches in these fair isles, and it was.

My arl fella wouldn't let me go to the replay, as I was only 14 at the time, but I wanted to.

I went to the milk cup final replay the year before on my own when I was 13, as when me and my mate queud up for tickets we only had £5 each, and when they run out of terrace tickets for the Kippax and only had seats left for £7, I asked him if he would go on his own (he wouldnt) so he lent me his money. I told my dad I was going with 7 mates from school and 2 parents (only told him I went on my own about 20 years later). :)

I had the same hound dog conversation in 86 for when Liverpool won the league at Chelsea. I'd been to Leicester in the midweek, when Everton dropped points and we won to go ahead of them. He wouldnt let me go to Chelsea as a 15 year old, said Leicester was different, but relented the next day. It sounds mad, but you could still pay on the day then, for a game when we could win the league, so went down on my own again.

Yes they were great days alright, dangerous, but great. Sods law, I stopped going the aways about 10 years ago, the season before it went to £30 max. I got sick of paying £50 plus for away games and it going up every year, and golf was becoming my number 1 passion. After going to Middlesborough 10+ times, Hillside for the first time looks more enticing. ;)

Was yours mainly following Reading?
 
Highbury was one of the best I visited in the 90's and a real classy place.

A far cry, then, from the Highbury I visited as a United fan in February 1988 for a 5th round FA Cup tie.

Not satisfied with beating us 2-1 that day, after Brian McClair blazed a late penalty over the Arsenal bar into the North Bank, several Arsenal fans decided to show their class by urinating on United fans, myself included, as we were exiting the ground.

Never forgotten it.
 
I used to love going to away matches...even in a period when Newcastle were utter dross (pre-Keegan). Used to love the train into London (I lived in the East End in them days) crossing over London to whatver train station I needed, a few beers in the station bar before catching the train to onward destination.

The crack in the bars on a Saturday lunchtime was excellent, loads of proper football fans on their way to watch their team, loads of banter, rarely any trouble....the joy of Saturday 3pm kickoffs....something perhaps not experienced much these days by most Premier League fans.

Favourite away grounds in them days were Upton Park...not a long journey for me but always a great place under floodlights...and Leicester's Filbert Street....great old stadium with wooden floorboards....could make an absolute racket.

I used to think that you couldnt get a worse ground than Plough Lane but then a couple of mates and myself went to Prague for a weeks cultural visit and we went to watch Viktoria Zhizkov one Sunday morning.

Oxfords Manor Ground was nearly at the same level and if it had been a proper league ground then I'd also include Bath Citys Twerton Park ( when Bristol Rovers shared it) as a place not to visit again.

Random memories, some good, some not so....

On my way to Millwall, having a 90+ yo woman, scrubbing her doorstep like the ladies of old used to do, turning to look at me in my Toon shirt, spitting in my general direction and telling me to <infraction> off you Geordie <infraction>

The joy of baiting a particularly fat Bristol City fan in the main stand who stood out due to his bright lemon yellow tee shirt barely stretched over his belly for the entirety of the 2nd half (it was an utterly dire match won by a solitary goal by Junior Bent). Equally the joy of seeing dozens of mounted police and dogs charge into the City fans as they attempted to attack us from out of the local park and watching said lemon shirted fatty carted away.

Nearly getting arrested as Mickey Quinn buried a third goal at Brightons Goldstone Ground....they were top of the league with a Won 6, Drawn 0 Lost 0 home record with a goal difference of about 15-2. I was on my way for a wee when the attack mounted, paused on the stairwell and when the ball hit the net grabbed the nearest person to me hugged them and planted a kiss on their cheek....unfortunately the person I'd grabbed was a WPC who was about to try to get me off the stairwell. Luckily she and her colleagues (on a rare occasion) saw the funny side.

Boring police (humourless gits) breaking up a conga at Swindon (same day Australia beat England 12-11 in the Rugby World Cup final) which stretched from the main stand, around the corner to the end and behind the goal.

A Chelsea fan trying to pick a fight with me on the tube home from a midweek League Cup match....he had one leg in plaster and was struggling around on crutches but still wanted to fight!!

Finally, getting off the train at Leicester one Saturday afternoon...only two other Newcastl fans got off the same train, the police looked at us and said....only the three of you on this train....wait here. Two minutes later we were sat in the back of a Black Mariah being given a lift to the game!!!

Just a few memories, as I'm sure all of you who have regularly travelled to matches will have of your own.
 
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I went to the Goodison one, which is regarded as one of the most violent footy matches in these fair isles, and it was.

My arl fella wouldn't let me go to the replay, as I was only 14 at the time, but I wanted to.

I went to the milk cup final replay the year before on my own when I was 13, as when me and my mate queud up for tickets we only had £5 each, and when they run out of terrace tickets for the Kippax and only had seats left for £7, I asked him if he would go on his own (he wouldnt) so he lent me his money. I told my dad I was going with 7 mates from school and 2 parents (only told him I went on my own about 20 years later). :)

I had the same hound dog conversation in 86 for when Liverpool won the league at Chelsea. I'd been to Leicester in the midweek, when Everton dropped points and we won to go ahead of them. He wouldnt let me go to Chelsea as a 15 year old, said Leicester was different, but relented the next day. It sounds mad, but you could still pay on the day then, for a game when we could win the league, so went down on my own again.

Yes they were great days alright, dangerous, but great. Sods law, I stopped going the aways about 10 years ago, the season before it went to £30 max. I got sick of paying £50 plus for away games and it going up every year, and golf was becoming my number 1 passion. After going to Middlesborough 10+ times, Hillside for the first time looks more enticing. ;)

Was yours mainly following Reading?

Yeah it's one of those ties that's gone down in folklore! Not often you chat to someone that was there. Crazy decision to put the games on at rival grounds in both ties. Surely Villa Park or Highbury would've been best?

That was decent of your mate to lend you the money so you could go. What did your Old Man say when you told him the truth after all those years? Did he have an inkling? :ROFLMAO: Was 86 the year Dalglish scored with the offside goal? That's another infamous game. Didn't Everton lose at Oxford in the run in and it was blamed on Lineker not having the right boots! It's mindboggling you could turn up on the day for a title decider.

I think Hillside is definitely better than Boro away, especially when you've been there and got the t shirt many times over. Do you still get to the odd away or just home games and finals?

Yes most were with Reading but also a fair few beanos with mates who followed different teams. Since we've hit rock bottom and fearing for the very survival of the club, there's been a huge increase in the passion and away support, we're taking over 1,500 to Carlisle which is a decent turn out given it's a 9 hour round trip.
 
A far cry, then, from the Highbury I visited as a United fan in February 1988 for a 5th round FA Cup tie.

Not satisfied with beating us 2-1 that day, after Brian McClair blazed a late penalty over the Arsenal bar into the North Bank, several Arsenal fans decided to show their class by urinating on United fans, myself included, as we were exiting the ground.

Never forgotten it.

Not nice at all mate. Were you in the Clock End?
 
Yeah it's one of those ties that's gone down in folklore! Not often you chat to someone that was there. Crazy decision to put the games on at rival grounds in both ties. Surely Villa Park or Highbury would've been best?

That was decent of your mate to lend you the money so you could go. What did your Old Man say when you told him the truth after all those years? Did he have an inkling? :ROFLMAO: Was 86 the year Dalglish scored with the offside goal? That's another infamous game. Didn't Everton lose at Oxford in the run in and it was blamed on Lineker not having the right boots! It's mindboggling you could turn up on the day for a title decider.

I think Hillside is definitely better than Boro away, especially when you've been there and got the t shirt many times over. Do you still get to the odd away or just home games and finals?

Yes most were with Reading but also a fair few beanos with mates who followed different teams. Since we've hit rock bottom and fearing for the very survival of the club, there's been a huge increase in the passion and away support, we're taking over 1,500 to Carlisle which is a decent turn out given it's a 9 hour round trip.

There were a few Man U semis at Goodison and maine road over the years, whether the police just prefered one set of away fans rather than two somewhere else for such a highly charged game, not sure.

As I was on the bus to the game, within a few hundred yards of the game just seen all the windows put in in a boozer, set the tone for the day. Golf balls with nails in etc, etc

Yes, the kit man hadnt packed Lineker's lucky boots (thing he scored 40 that season and won sod all). :) We beat Leicester 2-1 to go ahead of them, with one game to go.

Can't get away tickets now, as have no credits, unless a mate passed ones on, but out of practice now. Apart from "friendly" finals like the World club championship and super cup, I didn't miss a league cup, Fa cup, Europa/Uefa, Champions league final between 1984 and 2019, as well as 95% of the semi-finals, but didnt get a ticket for the 2019 Spurs one in Madrid or the 2022 Real one in Paris, although still travelled to both in case anything came up late on.

Sadly missed out on Reading even when I was going the aways - went to watch Madness instead, and couldnt get tickets or not going by then for the ones since, so Reading is one of the biggest club grounds that I havent been to - how mad's that? :) Thats a good support to carlisle away, hope youse get new owners!
 
Not nice at all mate. Were you in the Clock End?

It’s a long time ago but I remember being in a corner with the North Bank to my far left.

Not a good day all round really. Bad result. Urinated on. Car towed away by the Met Police for allegedly being illegally parked, which it wasn’t.

Can’t remember too many positives about the experience!
 
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