Owners

[NUFC Tiger]

I have been looking into that. They seem to be less profit-oriented than I am though

Maybe an FC of Newcastle venture is in order?

id buy newcastle, massive potential.

Knew there was a reason I liked you FAITH

I'm going to buy a pie van and park it outside FGR's ground.

It'll make millions I tell you.

As luck would have it moomba, I believe FGR kick off their season away to Altrincham. Maybe you and Mrs Moomba should start baking some meat pies to sell to the meat starved travelling fans and players outside the ground.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

There we are, the number 1 in being green! Also, considering you were a playoff team last season, you better be giving it a red hot go, or be doomed to be stuck in the Conference further more!

I think this is a club glenferry23 can really get behind, lol. Look at Vince converting the FGR fans into vegans for match day!

It's good to see the club further expand upon making life easier for the fans. Especially for those trips to Gateshead and Dover! Actually, your link does highlight something important, the league is now known as the National League after signing a new TV Deal. In the previous deal, home clubs would receive £5k and away clubs £1k. Of course, thanks to an increased interest in 5th tier footy, that deal could be potentially more. They even released their own TV station that covers everything from the 5th and 6th tier called NLTV. That's right, in England, you can watch 6 tiers of football action at the comfort of your own home!

Part of that deal means 30 live games will be shown on BT Sports. Perhaps you might be able to watch some games live!

Yes, this means you can watch Wealdstone vs Whitehawke on your TV! (Delayed, but still, on your TV!) You want some?

Who said you need billions? There are many fan owned clubs that would you to buy a share of their club. Teams can be found from League 2 and below. I have a map right here that will help make choosing the club of your choice all the more easier:

Not just the fans but even the players' meals are all vegan as well! If his plans for the new business & sports facilities go ahead, maybe even all the business folk may need to adopt similar appetites from the available eateries!

So it's the 'National League' now? Feel like there has been a good half dozen name changes in the time I started following FGR (2004). Does that mean we'll have the National League Premier and the National League North & South? Or is it just the 5th tier getting the TV cash injection?

Also, WealstoneRaider may want some.

 

[moomba]

Is it a zero-emission van?

Run on a combination of oil and baby rabbit blood.

 

[moomba]

As luck would have it moomba, I believe FGR kick off their season away to Altrincham. Maybe you and Mrs Moomba should start baking some meat pies to sell to the meat starved travelling fans and players outside the ground. [emoji14]

Ha ha. Done deal.

Although I might wander in, the mrs can stay outside selling. Presume thats this Saturday? Havent seen any of Alty this pre season.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Ha ha. Done deal.

Although I might wander in, the mrs can stay outside selling. Presume thats this Saturday? Havent seen any of Alty this pre season.

Indeed, season kicks off this weekend. 3.00pm on Saturday I think?

Our preseason form has been shaky so hopefully we don't stumble too badly on the opening day! Will expect that from the toon.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

I'm going to buy a pie van and park it outside FGR's ground.

It'll make millions I tell you.

Sounds like someone else also have confidence that FGR will rise up the ranks. Do I hear a call for best team in the South West?

Run on a combination of oil and baby rabbit blood.

The best kind! Though I think Mr Vince would like to have a word with you.

Not just the fans but even the players' meals are all vegan as well! If his plans for the new business & sports facilities go ahead, maybe even all the business folk may need to adopt similar appetites from the available eateries!

So it's the 'National League' now? Feel like there has been a good half dozen name changes in the time I started following FGR (2004). Does that mean we'll have the National League Premier and the National League North & South? Or is it just the 5th tier getting the TV cash injection?

Also, WealstoneRaider may want some.

Oh god, I can just see it: Vince will only sign players if they take a vow of veganism. Just like the alcohol bans, players are expected to eat only vegan foods during the season. Then one day, in a massive scandal that shocks the club, FGR's star striker, who has scored 20 goals in 30, is seen chewing on some prime steak. It seems that the player has some serious beef on the club (and cue some more lame puns involving meat.

Yep, ever since 1992, it seems like the names of all the leagues have changed a few times. Now is the turn of the 5th and 6th tiers. That would be correct, it would be National League, and National League North & South. The BT TV only covers the 5th tier, with the 30 live games and a few on delay, while the NLTV covers both 5th and 6th tier league action. I think it's amazing that the mere fact that 5th tier football will be shown live on National Pay TV. I would so love to see a live match this season.

To be fair, it seems that the popularity of non-league football has risen a good bit in recent times. There's just something about watching the local team go hard at it to win and perhaps crack into the professional ranks. As I noted before, the 5th tier is becoming more and more professional, and it is keeping the lower half of the 4th tier somewhat honest. I think that the notion of a third promotion spot will seriously be talked about, especially if this leads to an even better TV deal the next time around.

And of course, tonight is the night!

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Alright, finally got around to responding FT! Sorry for the delay mate - work has been crazy and I've just started uni up again...too much fun as you can imagine!

I thought as much! I was so sure I’d seen Barca, Panathaniankios, CSKA Sofia and a few others with Euro Basketball league teams! Maybe it’s a sign of prestige? A bit like the old Superleague Formula – an open wheel racing league where some of the biggest clubs had their own teams! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superleague_Formula

My dream is to see Gateshead enter the FL (alongside FGR of course). That would be great. Plus even those Smoggies (Boro) can join us in the PL. I might even tolerate the Mackems in there as well – provided they go back to dreading this fixture! I actually added Gatehead to the PL on my last FM career and loaned them Darlow, Lascelles and a few other reserve players to flesh our their squad. I even gave them Iron Mike Williamson on a free transfer. Sadly, the club (under Chrissy Hughton) was unable to stave off relegation going down with a GD in excess of -100!

Yes, that is a good point. I guess it fundamentally comes down to me being easily attached and sentimental lol. In France, my 2 favourite teams are Le Mans (due to the famous car race) and Metz as I recall one of the characters in Age of Empires 2 was Jean de Metz who helped Joan of Arc lol.

Oh wow! So People from Tynecastle can be called Gorgies? I think I may need to move them to England and make them a rival of Newcastle now. Those Mackems can piss off, the Tyne-Tyne derby, Geordies v Gorgies will be where it is at!

When I relocated Tynecastle (starting to feel like I might be in the same vein as MK Dons’ owners haha), I gave them a sugar daddy owner and a 40k seat stadium. While I romped Welsh top flight, we struggled to make an impact on the continent – though I seem to recall making the quarter finals of the old UEFA Cup once. Despite the money, we struggled to attract genuine quality who could threaten Europe’s elite – though we did comfortably account for the likes of Rhyl, Airbus and Bangor City lol.

Wow, that is quite surprising about little ol’ Liechtenstein. Aren’t they considered a tax haven (similar to Luxembourg I think?) and have a royal family as well? Maybe they are just happy to exist with their existence and have no dreams of upstaging their bigger continental brethren.

Haha, yes – I think I never picked up on it as I pronounce it (probably wrong) as Scun-thorpe.

True about Archie – I remember Gus wanted to take him to PSV and he might have even gone on strike to force the move IIRC. In the end he only played 5-10 minutes I think but at least he can say he did it!

Wow, surely there must be some hardcore Canadian fans? Must be very frustrating for them. They can certainly produce talent but can’t seem to harness it on the international stage or capture it and implement into their domestic league or clubs.

Wowee! Certainly not cheap for any Canadians looking to become the next Bob Lenarduzzi. Speaking of which, they seem to turn over managers quite regularly. 21 or so since 1980 I think (I only chose Lenarduzzi as he seems to have bucked the trend – lasting 5 odd years haha). I shed a tear for all those young kids who saw the management prowess of John ‘the best coach in the PL’ Carver in his brief stint there and now need to find the coin to follow in his footsteps.

Can only hope that the Philippines gets stronger and stronger now that the foundations are in place so the next de Guzman sees playing for the Azkuls as a viable alternative…or dare I say, more preferable option! So Canada get guaranteed entry into the Gold Cup? I tend to think that playing qualifiers (regardless of who you are and your nation’s standing in the game) is something that everyone should do. Even if it is a cake walk for some, its still good to ‘earn’ your spot. Canada playing more fixtures with importance attached to them could surely only be a good thing right?

The White Wolves v the Green Man. That hardly sounds like a football match does it?

Maybe Vince will give the business men and women bonuses such as tickets to see the team play, a free vegan meal of your choice from the club’s canteen or even to take a spin in one of the electric cars lol. Those are the kinds of incentives to treat employees!

Speaking of, I’m back on the study trail next week as well!

I’ll admit when I first saw them, I thought it was Barca and Real fans either trying to combine their two loves in the form of some novelty jersey: http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server3...n_and_Out_3__64692.1407152717.332.500.JPG?c=2, or believed that their teams are so good, they could kill it in basketball. Yeah, turns out they are the basketball arm of their football clubs (Just for note, CSKA means Central Sports Club of the Army in Bulgarian). I think it seems to be a South Euro thing (Spain, Italy, Greece, the Balkans), where they have sports clubs that cover many disaplines. Obviously the soccer arms are going to be the most popular. I know of that motorsport series. Granted, I never actually saw any of the races. Originally used to combine football with motorsport. Of course, that only works if there is an obvious link outside of a livery. You know the series is in trouble when Team Australia wins the final ever season, and Japan and Luxembourg are 2nd and 3rd (Good thing the A1 disbanded in 09-10, or that would’ve been a little awkward.)

Oho, conflict of interest! Especially if the two make the playoffs (to avoid that, FGR need to go up as Champions). So many North East teams in this fantasy 92, lol. LOL, Gateshead to the PL, and woah, -100? Tell me something, did Gateshead even manage to get a point? I mean, I knew it was going to be murder, but still, even San Marino can pull off some good performances, even if they don’t quite manage to snatch the draw.

Hey, Le Mans, same reason here. There’s also Pisa and Monza (As well as San Marino) back in the 01-02 CM days (Italy was a lot of fun back then.) As noted, I just like going down to the lowest leagues in Italy along with England just to see all those teams, and maybe help them to glory by sending a youth player or two.

Fantastic! You’re going to turn them into the largest Scottish club on virtue that they’re in England (Seriously, once I got Berwick into England, they did manage to become the stronger than Celtic in a quick amount of time.) Also, just a thought, don’t you think Tynecastle would be a bit like Newcastle vs Gateshead in terms of a Derby. I’m pretty sure there is a more significant club in the region that might make for a more meatier rival (That being Hearts, of course.) You can still have your Geordies vs Gorgies, and it still will be Tyne-Tyne (or is it just Tyne? Lol.)

Well, technically speaking, it’s not like you moved the club to a town in Wales, you just merely changed what league they played in. To be fair, the Welsh league is a downgrade on the Scottish League, but considering Tynecastle is amatuar, if anything, it does give them the excuse to be the biggest club in the Welsh League. You know, this is going to sound very weird, but if you’re going to give that a shot, might I actually make the radical suggestion by actually helping out your rivals in Europe? If you’re able to blitz through the qualifying rounds and get to the playoff/group stages, then you should be able to help your rivals achieve some success there as well. Thanks to dynamic league reputation, the better those Welsh teams do, the better it is for you, since players will start to view the Welsh league in a better light. That way, not only can you dominate Wales, but you can get somewhere in Europe. (Hey, Airbus! Aaron Hassell came from there! He’s our next big Welsh hit after Lawrence!) I think that might be a very fulfilling career, actually helping the Welsh league mean something to Europe.

Hoo boy, Liechtenstein and taxes… yes, they were a tax haven of the worst kind. So much so that Germany cracked down on them after the GFC (2008 Liechtenstein tax affair, this actually affected the royal family of Liechtenstein (Ruled by a Prince, so hence a principality) since it was their bank that heavily affected.) Now Liechtenstein wants to be known as a safe haven, not a tax haven, similar to what San Marino became (San Marino was actually on Italy’s blacklist until recently.) Of course, the banks are worried that they will lose that money now that Liechtenstein banking is more transparent. The threat of Germany taking international action on you, I guess you can sorta see why.

Well, Archie did play in Lierse in the Belgan Pro League before coming home, so he already had his Euro miles, lol. I think the most impressive one in terms of Euro miles is John Aloisi. Played in the Premier League, Serie A, and Osauana. He also has the honour of being the only player that is remembered by those of Brazil and Uruguay (when enquired if they knew any Australian players, the only player they could name was Aloisi, the answer was because Aloisi played in La Liga. Do remember we had Kewell, Viduka, Cahill, and Schwarzer in the team as well.)

Well, when you see how well the women played just a month earlier, and compared to what Canada can do on the world stage, and considering the size of Canada vs those in Central America and the Caribbean, you can see why.

Yeah, coaching is a wreck, grassroots structure is poor, opportunities non-existent. Well, I can only hope they can get their act together, I think this year has highlighted some very noticeable issues, and well, the sort of interest that Canada does have for football after their very successful hosting of the world cup. They need to use that as a platform and capitalise on the interest, and just perhaps build a legacy that would actually give them a chance of qualifying for the next World Cup (remembering that the qualifying structure is basically designed to ensure Mexico and the US always qualify for the World Cup.)

Hopefully, and the only way they are going to do that is to keep collecting those points, qualify into the Asia Cup, and maybe one day, the World Cup. They have the population, they just need the resources. Well, aside for ranking purposes, it is always beneficial to get some serious experience, especially by competing with your neighbours. Of course, it’s another issue on where Canada would be accepted into being an invitee to. After all, they are in a subconference of three, and two of them are leagues apart everything else in the region. Central America and the Caribbean wouldn’t want Canada to take up one of their precious spots (Costa Rica wouldn’t have a problem, but I suspect your El Savadors and Hondurases will.) Canada is going to need to sort something out to improve their game.

Sounds like a cover for a Hulk Comic. Actually, no, it’s Roma vs Yeovil.

Vs

Yes, I know the wolf is grey, that’s the best I could do. Yes, that's actually Yeovil's mascot for Yeovil. Mind you, that battle pretty much sums up the real life reality… in most cases. Nigel Pearson is free, I bet you he can teach a thing or two about beating up Wolves. (I have no idea where he is at this moment.)

Veggie pies aren’t too bad, but veggie burgers? No good. It’s better in a curry than pretending to be something its not.




And to owners of a different kind, it seems the administrators of the Southern League have forced AFC Rushden and Diamonds to allocate their #1 shirt for registration purposes. The reason why it is empty is because the number is retired because of the tragic tale of Dale Roberts, who committed suicide because of being unable to cope with injury, and of the national embarrassment his saga has caused. The saga was the supposed affair of his wife with a teammate. Now where the national bit comes into it is the person that she had an affair with; Terry, or to be precise, Paul Terry, the older brother of John (Yes, that John Terry of Chelsea). You can see why the club retired it in the first place. The club did make an appeal for the number to not be used, but were turned down by the administrators. The number 1 will have to be given, but how will they handle this?

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Just on the Mackems, I think there problem is Short (chairman) a) kept replacing managers, creating a volatile environment at the club and amongst the players; b) giving comical directors of football too much power to sign players (spending too much in fees and wages on rubbish or players with no resale value - see they are now looking to offload Defoe and have the 8th biggest wage bill IIRC) and c) are now restrained by FFP from their earlier lavish spending under former managers.

Short is 8th (last I saw) on the richest owners in the PL and can't be accused of not putting money into the club but definitely is to blame (or be celebrated if your not SAFC inclined) for getting them into the spot they are now.

It's almost the polar opposite of Ashley as Jatz said - 1 spent nothing, 1 wasted plenty. Either way, doesn't look like there will be much to cheer about in the north east this season.

I can't believe we're going to touch this, but Ashley vs Short, who is the better owner?

It’s just weird when you think about; 8th highest wage bill and who exactly do they have to show for it? Aside from Defoe I don’t think any PL supporters want any of the Sunderland players on their bench let alone their XI. Sunderland as a club are just there… aside from a derby with Newcastle, they don’t seem to contribute anything worthy of the Premier League.

While I do have to admit that it does speak volumes of the clubs that finish below Sunderland, seeing how they still manage to survive season after season. It does beg the question what exactly are Sunderland’s goals? Just survival? If that is the case, they’re doing a bang up of that. In fact, I sometimes wonder if the 8th highest will bill is just one big massive payout at the end of each season for surviving. (I'll come back here a bit later)

To be fair, the fans aren’t exactly helpful to the environment, because let’s be honest, they’re not exactly the most positive of fans. Granted, it’s a vicious cycle (bad club culture makes for angry fans), but I would also say they are part of the reason why the Stadium of ‘Gloom’ has such a poor reputation.

Yes, Sunderland have a sporting director by the name of Lee Congerton. Gus Poyet didn’t get along with him, so he had to take his leave. There’s a lot of stories about what exactly happened there, but it is clear that the man has done nothing to improve Sunderland as a club. Poyet made bad signings? Why didn't he do anything to stop it? No wonder why managers can't seem to stick, it seems there is something rotten in the way the club is run.


Then there's also the whole issue of well, offloading these high wage earners. I believe there are graphs that perfectly illustrate exactly what the heck is going on by going through their financial records. Basically: The club has increased its debt from 70m to 94m since Short took over (vs Ashley, who has made Newcastle debt free), the club has been losing money every single year, and the most significant part: The club spent more on interest than what the club has earned (minus player wages). Sunderland as a club, are skint.

So I suppose you can see why Sunderland need to stay in the Premier League, yet at the same time: Success means more money. The club has been poorly handled in its internal running, their wage bill should see them competing higher up, not for survival. As a consequence, that wage bill has made the situation worse.

I think the way they handle transfers is also quite poor. It just seems like what players they want they can't get, and what players they get seem quite unsuitable for the club, which thanks to its bad handling of the situation, costs them more than it should. It's just weird.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Speaking of, I’m back on the study trail next week as well!

I’ll admit when I first saw them, I thought it was Barca and Real fans either trying to combine their two loves in the form of some novelty jersey: http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server3...n_and_Out_3__64692.1407152717.332.500.JPG?c=2, or believed that their teams are so good, they could kill it in basketball. Yeah, turns out they are the basketball arm of their football clubs (Just for note, CSKA means Central Sports Club of the Army in Bulgarian). I think it seems to be a South Euro thing (Spain, Italy, Greece, the Balkans), where they have sports clubs that cover many disaplines. Obviously the soccer arms are going to be the most popular. I know of that motorsport series. Granted, I never actually saw any of the races. Originally used to combine football with motorsport. Of course, that only works if there is an obvious link outside of a livery. You know the series is in trouble when Team Australia wins the final ever season, and Japan and Luxembourg are 2nd and 3rd (Good thing the A1 disbanded in 09-10, or that would’ve been a little awkward.)

Oho, conflict of interest! Especially if the two make the playoffs (to avoid that, FGR need to go up as Champions). So many North East teams in this fantasy 92, lol. LOL, Gateshead to the PL, and woah, -100? Tell me something, did Gateshead even manage to get a point? I mean, I knew it was going to be murder, but still, even San Marino can pull off some good performances, even if they don’t quite manage to snatch the draw.

Hey, Le Mans, same reason here. There’s also Pisa and Monza (As well as San Marino) back in the 01-02 CM days (Italy was a lot of fun back then.) As noted, I just like going down to the lowest leagues in Italy along with England just to see all those teams, and maybe help them to glory by sending a youth player or two.

Fantastic! You’re going to turn them into the largest Scottish club on virtue that they’re in England (Seriously, once I got Berwick into England, they did manage to become the stronger than Celtic in a quick amount of time.) Also, just a thought, don’t you think Tynecastle would be a bit like Newcastle vs Gateshead in terms of a Derby. I’m pretty sure there is a more significant club in the region that might make for a more meatier rival (That being Hearts, of course.) You can still have your Geordies vs Gorgies, and it still will be Tyne-Tyne (or is it just Tyne? Lol.)

Well, technically speaking, it’s not like you moved the club to a town in Wales, you just merely changed what league they played in. To be fair, the Welsh league is a downgrade on the Scottish League, but considering Tynecastle is amatuar, if anything, it does give them the excuse to be the biggest club in the Welsh League. You know, this is going to sound very weird, but if you’re going to give that a shot, might I actually make the radical suggestion by actually helping out your rivals in Europe? If you’re able to blitz through the qualifying rounds and get to the playoff/group stages, then you should be able to help your rivals achieve some success there as well. Thanks to dynamic league reputation, the better those Welsh teams do, the better it is for you, since players will start to view the Welsh league in a better light. That way, not only can you dominate Wales, but you can get somewhere in Europe. (Hey, Airbus! Aaron Hassell came from there! He’s our next big Welsh hit after Lawrence!) I think that might be a very fulfilling career, actually helping the Welsh league mean something to Europe.

Hoo boy, Liechtenstein and taxes… yes, they were a tax haven of the worst kind. So much so that Germany cracked down on them after the GFC (2008 Liechtenstein tax affair, this actually affected the royal family of Liechtenstein (Ruled by a Prince, so hence a principality) since it was their bank that heavily affected.) Now Liechtenstein wants to be known as a safe haven, not a tax haven, similar to what San Marino became (San Marino was actually on Italy’s blacklist until recently.) Of course, the banks are worried that they will lose that money now that Liechtenstein banking is more transparent. The threat of Germany taking international action on you, I guess you can sorta see why.

Well, Archie did play in Lierse in the Belgan Pro League before coming home, so he already had his Euro miles, lol. I think the most impressive one in terms of Euro miles is John Aloisi. Played in the Premier League, Serie A, and Osauana. He also has the honour of being the only player that is remembered by those of Brazil and Uruguay (when enquired if they knew any Australian players, the only player they could name was Aloisi, the answer was because Aloisi played in La Liga. Do remember we had Kewell, Viduka, Cahill, and Schwarzer in the team as well.)

Well, when you see how well the women played just a month earlier, and compared to what Canada can do on the world stage, and considering the size of Canada vs those in Central America and the Caribbean, you can see why.

Yeah, coaching is a wreck, grassroots structure is poor, opportunities non-existent. Well, I can only hope they can get their act together, I think this year has highlighted some very noticeable issues, and well, the sort of interest that Canada does have for football after their very successful hosting of the world cup. They need to use that as a platform and capitalise on the interest, and just perhaps build a legacy that would actually give them a chance of qualifying for the next World Cup (remembering that the qualifying structure is basically designed to ensure Mexico and the US always qualify for the World Cup.)

Hopefully, and the only way they are going to do that is to keep collecting those points, qualify into the Asia Cup, and maybe one day, the World Cup. They have the population, they just need the resources. Well, aside for ranking purposes, it is always beneficial to get some serious experience, especially by competing with your neighbours. Of course, it’s another issue on where Canada would be accepted into being an invitee to. After all, they are in a subconference of three, and two of them are leagues apart everything else in the region. Central America and the Caribbean wouldn’t want Canada to take up one of their precious spots (Costa Rica wouldn’t have a problem, but I suspect your El Savadors and Hondurases will.) Canada is going to need to sort something out to improve their game.

Sounds like a cover for a Hulk Comic. Actually, no, it’s Roma vs Yeovil.

Vs

Yes, I know the wolf is grey, that’s the best I could do. Yes, that's actually Yeovil's mascot for Yeovil. Mind you, that battle pretty much sums up the real life reality… in most cases. Nigel Pearson is free, I bet you he can teach a thing or two about beating up Wolves. (I have no idea where he is at this moment.)

Veggie pies aren’t too bad, but veggie burgers? No good. It’s better in a curry than pretending to be something its not.




And to owners of a different kind, it seems the administrators of the Southern League have forced AFC Rushden and Diamonds to allocate their #1 shirt for registration purposes. The reason why it is empty is because the number is retired because of the tragic tale of Dale Roberts, who committed suicide because of being unable to cope with injury, and of the national embarrassment his saga has caused. The saga was the supposed affair of his wife with a teammate. Now where the national bit comes into it is the person that she had an affair with; Terry, or to be precise, Paul Terry, the older brother of John (Yes, that John Terry of Chelsea). You can see why the club retired it in the first place. The club did make an appeal for the number to not be used, but were turned down by the administrators. The number 1 will have to be given, but how will they handle this?

All righty, sorry for the delay to your last offering FT! I've been busy trying to acclimatise to the air found at the top of the table - it's quite dizzying! I'm sure you might know a thing or two about that as well eh?

Ah yes, that would make sense – I believe basketball is quite popular in those counties but its not very mainstream elsewhere in Europe (next to football, cycling etc). I did watch a few A1 races back in the day – think Alan Jones was the team’s principal? Was a pretty cool concept but was probably always doomed to failed sadly.

That’s the dream mate! FGR go up as champions with Gateshead following via the playoffs! Surprisingly, I think Gatehead actually managed to amass a mighty tally of 4 whole points (all from draws IIRC). Can only imagine that there were a few matches where Darlow, Lascelles, Williamson and a few others played the games of their lives…or more likely, Hughton found a way to park Gateshead’s invisible team bus in front of the goals. In perhaps a good ending, they pocketed huge profits from their season in the top flight and were able to stablise in the Championship (instead of a double relegation). They may have even won promotion back into the PL after a few more seasons too from memory.

This talk of Monza and San Marino is making me wonder what other Grand Prix circuits have clubs that share the name - Hoffenheim? On Scottish football again, I have always wondered how Celtic and Rangers (before their fall from grace) would have fared in the English leagues. Maybe worth trying and seeing if Tynecastle and East Stirlingshire can rise to prominence in the highlands? Hmm, I never thought about that. Maybe I should try improving the strength of both the Welsh and Irish leagues.

Ah Aloisi! What a player he was! Still the only Aussie to play in every major league in Europe I think? Not a bad effort! Hopefully Brazilians, Uruguayans and other South Americans start to learn a few more Aussies in the years to come. Mat Ryan’s move to Batman’s club is a start!

Hopefully the game can capitalize on the successfully hosted World Cup and kick start a bit of a recovery for the game in Canada. Maybe another FM career beckons? If not, maybe John Carver feels like a second crack at it in Canada. I hear the best coach in the PL might be free for work afterall...

Geez that Yeovil town mascot is a shocker! Though perhaps not as bad as Patrick Thistle's...

As for our favourite Green energy savvy owner, I'm sure the fans will eat whatever he dishes up - just as long as the team keeps winning!

Oh wow! Fair to say the Terry name is one that hardly inspires much honour or confidence when it comes to the sanctity of marriage. Poor Dale Roberts.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

I can't believe we're going to touch this, but Ashley vs Short, who is the better owner?

It’s just weird when you think about; 8th highest wage bill and who exactly do they have to show for it? Aside from Defoe I don’t think any PL supporters want any of the Sunderland players on their bench let alone their XI. Sunderland as a club are just there… aside from a derby with Newcastle, they don’t seem to contribute anything worthy of the Premier League.

While I do have to admit that it does speak volumes of the clubs that finish below Sunderland, seeing how they still manage to survive season after season. It does beg the question what exactly are Sunderland’s goals? Just survival? If that is the case, they’re doing a bang up of that. In fact, I sometimes wonder if the 8th highest will bill is just one big massive payout at the end of each season for surviving. (I'll come back here a bit later)

To be fair, the fans aren’t exactly helpful to the environment, because let’s be honest, they’re not exactly the most positive of fans. Granted, it’s a vicious cycle (bad club culture makes for angry fans), but I would also say they are part of the reason why the Stadium of ‘Gloom’ has such a poor reputation.

Yes, Sunderland have a sporting director by the name of Lee Congerton. Gus Poyet didn’t get along with him, so he had to take his leave. There’s a lot of stories about what exactly happened there, but it is clear that the man has done nothing to improve Sunderland as a club. Poyet made bad signings? Why didn't he do anything to stop it? No wonder why managers can't seem to stick, it seems there is something rotten in the way the club is run.

Then there's also the whole issue of well, offloading these high wage earners. I believe there are graphs that perfectly illustrate exactly what the heck is going on by going through their financial records. Basically: The club has increased its debt from 70m to 94m since Short took over (vs Ashley, who has made Newcastle debt free), the club has been losing money every single year, and the most significant part: The club spent more on interest than what the club has earned (minus player wages). Sunderland as a club, are skint.

So I suppose you can see why Sunderland need to stay in the Premier League, yet at the same time: Success means more money. The club has been poorly handled in its internal running, their wage bill should see them competing higher up, not for survival. As a consequence, that wage bill has made the situation worse.

I think the way they handle transfers is also quite poor. It just seems like what players they want they can't get, and what players they get seem quite unsuitable for the club, which thanks to its bad handling of the situation, costs them more than it should. It's just weird.

Ashley v Short? I feel like there is a joke somewhere in there FT about 2 owners being a bit 'short' on money for their clubs...

They really are a bit of an enigma of a club. Big (albeit terrible) stadium - (pink seats for crying out loud...), decent fanbase (though they can't sell out a derby) and no shortage of cash (up until recently) to spend on players and wages. They in a way remind me of QPR of recent seasons - paying bloated sums for little return. Though you could argue PL survival ultimately justifies it, the amount they are spending - they probably should be doing better.

Putting on a Mackem hat for a moment (not too long mind you, I don't want a scalp condition!) and I can understand the frustration that some of their fans feel. Despite being relatively stable in the PL after consolidating themselves after a few yo yo seasons, they haven't really done anything. They've pulled off great escapes a few seasons in a row and reigned supreme in the derby (probably in part due to the absolute lack of passion and fight shown by their Toon counterparts rather than to any real quality or masterclass in tactics of their own); outside a few big (surprise) wins and going to Wembley once, they haven't done a whole lot despite the money that has been invested. Alright, now I can remove the mackem cap and throw it into the incinerator.

A lot of their signings generally are those deemed surplus to requirements or not good enough from other clubs - their back 4 against Norwich had off casts in Kaboul, Coates and Van Aanholt for example. If I'm honest, I think the only players I would take from them are Panti sniffer (Pantilimon - who lets be honest, if you're a goalkeeper at Sunderland, you're going to have plenty of chances to impress and push onto greener pastures...just ask Mignolet lol) and Lens (who hasn't been 'spudded up' Mackem style just yet).

On the one hand, I think their fans are probably a bit excessive in their aspirations and expectations on the team (have seen a few saying top 10 under Dick should be the minimum outcome for the season). As an outsider, I think they perhaps have deluded senses of grandeur for their club - where have I heard that before? but ultimately, as passionate fans, I think they are entitled to want more from their team and what it generally dishes up (and so they should IMO).

The latest protests certainly don't help the present situation, the whole environment seems quite volatile with a disjointed fan base, (mostly) uninspiring signings playing with a lack of unity and camaraderie and a (yet another) new manager at the helm seemingly carrying the can for the owner's running of the club (I'm sensing a pattern as that sounds eerily familiar...). Times look bleak with the club seemingly chasing ex players to come back to the club (Kieran Richardson, who is a hack and can't get a regular game at Villa is the latest being courted and I'm sure most would recall how many times they begged Borini to come back...)

If you want to look at their esteemed roll call of Directors of Football, the first cab off the rank is Roberto De Fanti who was right up there with Jo(k)e Kinnear in terms of delusion (at least De Fanti could string his sentences together and pronounce players' surnames correctly). He claimed his role was to 'reduce the wage bill' but went on to sign 13 players for a combined sum of about 30m and who most were utterly terrible additions who were labelled as flops. Not only that but SAFC officials later stated the wage bill "increased significantly after his watch". It says a lot when the guy was only in power for 7 months but you could reasonably argue the club are still feeling the effects of his reign of terror.

Lee Congerton has perhaps brought a less gung ho approach to the role but even his signings have raised plenty of eyebrows. Since he has come in, they've spent around 54m euros including getting a 32 year old Defoe and paying him reportedly 80k wages (rumoured to be receiving more than he did at Spurs and Toronto!) for the next 3 and a bit years. It also looks like he doesn't fit the system Dick wants to play and so Bournemouth have come knocking...

Supposedly, they can't spend much more without breaking FFP rules and so they have to try and move players on to free up wages to then bring sorely needed players in. The club appears to be in a pretty precarious position at the moment. Yes they have escaped the drop a few times but surely there is only so many times a club can tempt fate. With the PL TV money on offer, you just feel IF they went down, they'd be in some bother financially. Hopefully it doesn't come to that though, I'd much rather they go back to losing the derby and providing the comical laughs for one and all.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

It’s cool. I can’t see the picture there unfortunately, though what do you mean your club is at the top, Newcastle aren’t, oh wait, you mean FGR, right, I get ya! (4 out of 4, exactly the way you want to start the season as the big title contender. Yeah that’s right, not promotion contender, title!)

Well, for the most part, yeah. Spain, Greece, Russia, Turkey, and Israel have that double connection. As far as I’m aware, there is no connection between the football and basketball clubs of Zalgiris (Basketball is big in Lithuania). Monaco does, but none of the French teams. Bayern does (Should be noted that this version of Bayern is actually quite weak to other Euro teams), not none of the other German teams (if anything, there seems to an unusual American influence, a lot of English going on there), The rest of them don’t have that connection. Interestingly, Melbourne United is not unique, there’s a Belgan club called Limburg United, and looking at that logo, it would not be out of place in the NBL.

Good call, it was Alan Jones. You had some good names like Briscoe, Will Davidson and Will Power (Loved watching those two battle it out in Formula Ford). I’m in agreement, it was cool, but it was doomed to fail, especially with the lack of big names.

Well so far, both teams are on track! Hoping the best for them! Holy cow, they managed to get 4 points. I wonder what four suckers gave away those points. I mean it’s like Derby’s season, to think there was one poor sod of a club that not only couldn’t record a win against them, but were the only team to lose to them… any ideas who that was NUFC? Lol. I’d like to think that was the case, and they didn’t sink like a stone like Swindon, Barnsley, Blackpool, and Oldham did when they reached the top.

You mean Hockenheim! And I though Nuremburg and Nurnberg was tricky, lol. Very weirdly, Hockenheim’s football club was founded in 2010. I can’t find any records that suggests there was a club before that. Then again, Hockenheim is actually quite small in comparison to other German towns. Mind you, a population of 20,000 and no football team? Madness. Well, you should know about 1. FC Nurburg (I still don’t know why it has the number 1 in front of its name or for any of the other clubs). Going for just Europe; Barca, AS Monaco, umm, Spielburg don’t have a team (pop. 5000), so the closest is DSV Leoban in the 2nd tier. Ferencvarosi for best ranking Budapest team (top tier), FC Ster-Francorchamps (6th tier), FC Sochi (3rd tier, Sochi actually has a history of failed clubs). Mangy Cours is too small (pop 1500), Closest I can get is AV Chevenon in the, lol, 13th tier. Valencia obviously, Galatasaray for most successful Istanbul club. That covers all the Euro Grand Prix since 2000, though I do know about Estoril (I had season mods for F1 Challenge. It’s almost exactly the same as the Barca circuit!) You may have noticed I left out one (on purpose), all I can say is that I find it amazing that virtually every town, no matter how small, has a football club, and all could potentially make it to the top tier one day, however unlikely. (For reference, Silverstone is Tier 12 in the North Bucks District Premier Football League).

Still is I believe. I get the feeling that if any Aussie cracks it into the Premier League now, it would be a real sign of their skill. Sad that we are down to two now, Schwarzer has one more year as our back up before the A-League likely calls him, and Jedinak looks to be out of favour at Palace. Where’s our next PL Superstar? Mind you, Valencia is a grand choice for Ryan. I hope he does well for them!

Hopefully, but it’s up to the CSA now. Only they can capitalise on the interest. Who knows? Perhaps they could take off like we did. Aloisi’s magic boot inspired quite a legacy. Amazing what a bit of exposure and investment can do! Well, there is a slight problem about any potential Canadian adventure, I’m not entirely sure what the regen rates are like for Canada. At least you’ve got flexibility in the home nations, but as I noted, if it wasn’t for the dual nationals choosing Albania, combined with from Albanian sides in Europe, Albania would never be the powerhouse it became. As noted, Canada doesn’t have a league per say to manipulate, so it will be tricker.

Lol, good old Kingsley. Still have no idea why they chose that cartoonist for the mascot. It would be like asking Michael Leunig to design a mascot (No, just… no.) On the bright side, the cartoonist has promised that if Patrick Thistle have some good performances in the league, Kingsley will smile… wait, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing? Mind you, the mascot has succeeded in its job, it has created publicity and awareness for the club!

Currently, he is dishing up wins, that’s a meal that everyone can enjoy. Tell you what, so far the team is dealing quite well with expectations. If there are any tough spots, it would be interesting to see what the mood is like (I’m not wishing any such thing!) Actually, I do have to ask, how does Vince handle the negatives?

(Sunderland next time)


On a separate note, I’ll tell you something; I’ve encountered a few curiosities today about club badges, their marketing, and their identities. It’s amazing what one little picture can do (In this case, it was a promo picture that had all 20 La Liga teams). I guess combined with the Bundesliga relatively poor efforts in the US and the sheer money that PL teams get (And its only going to increase as Asia gets on board), could be an interesting marketing exercise. It also takes a look back at some historical perspective. For a taster, feast your eyes on these:

I’ll be honest, I really like that 2nd one (and not just because it's a magpie, lol). The first one is quite groovy, but also has a certain appeal to it.

I think it’s a topic worthy of discussion, because let’s face it, for new fans to get behind the clubs, one has to bond with the identities and traditions of the club. As Jatz has noted, he fell in love with the Leicester badge while playing FIFA (And I do agree with him, for such a simple badge, it actually has some good historical context that ties nicely with the City of Leicester. Needless to say, I think the fox won him over.) As you can perhaps see, it's the same story for that second badge, historical context that ties with the identity of the city.

I don’t how I’m going to present something to generate discussion, but I can say it’s not going to be just limited to the badges, it will also include kits too!

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Well, in a long awaited bump. We have Wolves up for sale, the president of Blackpool suing the Oystons (the situation hasn't improved off-field, but at least the teams are getting wins,) and well, frustration at Fleetwood now that false inventor of the phone, (Graham Alexander, but no bell), has been given the boot. It seems the most exciting thing for them is Vardy and England (I promise you I did not go there for Vardy, but for Joe Davis, who is going on loan there.)

I think we all know about the topic of foreign owners (and it's likely Wolves will be taken over by foreign owners), but I guess the other one, and well, this is a favourite for teams of the North East: How should an owner go about things when the club just doesn't seem to improve no matter what you do? I guess we can apply this to Tottenham and Liverpool too.

For a lower club like Fleetwood Town, their time in League One should be exciting, a club that is at the peak of its accomplishments, coming close to making playoffs last season, and now they find themselves below Blackpool in 2nd last. They've got more goals than league leaders Burton and have conceded 5 more, yet... it's all boring to them. They don't feel like their team is up to scratch, their former manager seemed to be found out (they didn't exactly have a good end to the season), and the owner seems more interested in finding the next Vardy then he is actually is giving the funds to strengthen the team.

The reality is, the Fleetwood fans feel that they can no longer progress, this is as good as its going to get for them. League 2 beacons. Just out on a whimper like that. No positives, can't even enjoy League 1, just glum acceptance of the fate that awaits.

The same could be said for other clubs, Tottenham and Liverpool these days seem unable to crack top 4 and in the case of Tottenham, they never seem able to take that next step up. Sunderland seems to be a nowhere club, as people have noted, they just exist because they just do. Newcastle seems unable to progress, even after spending a fortune (though to be honest, it didn't look like it was going to be the case.) Just when you think there are positives, Aguero comes and smashes it all up. I think you could extend it to Villa as well, they just saw Benteke and their just newly appointed ex-Captain bail out on them. Say what you like about Delph being a snake (and he has every right to be criticise) but Villa as a club is going nowhere. As a club, why would you want to go to Villa (aside for the 'History') over a Stoke or even West Brom? What would make you want to stay at Villa? The staying power is just as important as the attraction factor. I mean, with the TV deal, everyone's got money, and everyone knows about it, especially the continent. Chances are you're going to flounder the dough than actually put it to good use. Villa have spent a lot as well, but they're going no where, and I have doubts on players wanting to stay at the club.

Given the situation, of course the fans are displeased, but as an owner, what can be done?

 

[Cruyff14]

You need to invest in full stops some more.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Wow, I've actually just realised how long that first sentence is. Gee whiz... At least the rest of it is decent enough.

 

[Jatz]

Just quietly, everyone laughed at this (including me) at the time.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/27387616

"Newly-promoted Leicester City's owner wants a top-five finish in the Premier League within three years - and will spend the money needed to get there."

Brilliant.

 

[FAITH]

all owners have such ambitions even newcastle owner once did

 

[jd2010]

Poch doing our owners proud. Positive net spend now over the 4 transfer windows since he took over. Big salary earner Adebayor, Soldado and Kaboul moved on

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Interestingly on the subject of Mike Ashley, some sections of the Toon army have forgiven him for his running of the club over the years thanks to the money we've spent this season.

I'll readily acknowledge he kept his word about investing in the team and that's definitely a start; though I think he's still got a long way to go before he becomes a popular figure at the club again. Our current issues, I'd say he hasn't really been responsible for so it's somewhat refreshing to not have a totally negative view of him. He's been true to his promise so far of making money available which is a start. I just wonder if this money is money we didn't spend in previous seasons or if he is actually digging into his pockets a bit.

Hopefully it will continue - McClaren has said more investment will come, but that surely depends on whether we stay up or not...

 

[Redalert]

Just quietly, everyone laughed at this (including me) at the time.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/27387616

"Newly-promoted Leicester City's owner wants a top-five finish in the Premier League within three years - and will spend the money needed to get there."

Brilliant.

We had one as well at one point. Didn't quite work out though.

"We want good football and Blackburn to be fourth of fifth in the league or even better. The fans should trust us because this is in the best interests of the club." - December 2010

Delighted it worked out for you though, great to see an underdog doing well.

 

[SM]

Just quietly, everyone laughed at this (including me) at the time.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/27387616

"Newly-promoted Leicester City's owner wants a top-five finish in the Premier League within three years - and will spend the money needed to get there."

Brilliant.

Hardest to spell name of any owner.

 

[Jatz]

Hardest to spell name of any owner.

Copy and paste is very much my friend

 

[Bojan KantKick]

a consortium is close to buying Bolton. needs to be done by Monday i think or they fall into administration and get a 12 point penalty

 

[Bojan KantKick]

A Jordanian family of billionaires has bought Bristol Rovers

 

[moomba]

For those that hadnt heard, Phil Gartside who ran Bolton for years died a week or so ago.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

Also, WealstoneRaider may want some.

Do you want some, do you wanna deal with me? You know I'll give it to ya

I'll never live it down...