Another autumn series been and gone but a rather more successful one than usual for England. As for the first time since 2002 (excluding the 03 world cup) they have completed the autumn series undefeated. Yes they didn't face current world number 1 the all blacks but they proved a lot of points against the rest of the southern hemisphere. In this we will go on to look at the success stories of the series.
1. Strength in depth.
England's main worry coming into this series was the ever increasing injury list. With star players from the success down under being ruled out such as Itoje/Watson and Nowell England knew they had it tough. However selection for the six nations will be much tougher now as everyman who wore the jersey played out of there skin, notably Jonny May who burst back on to the international scene with 2 tries in 3 appearances. Eddie jones no longer needs to worry on this front as he walked all over 3 of the best teams in the world with a supposed 'weakened' side.
2. Ford/Farrell
Just as they did in the summer these 2 complimented each others game perfectly and continued to prove that playing both does actually work! With Farrell's almost immaculate goal kicking and fords pinpoint tactical boot england carry the near perfect kicking game. With 2 playmakers at 10 and 12 its really seen England's attack become something that even Michael Cheika can appreciate.
3. Mako Vunipola
This man is slowly becoming a rugby god. Not only is he a beast in the scrum he is also learning a lot from his brother in the loose making big yards constantly and has surprisingly slick hands. The future is certainly bright for the English front row union.
4. Ben Youngs
If mother care need to promote dummies then they need to get this guy in because he is selling them for fun! Making the australian and south african look silly was fantastic to watch. Can't pick a fault in the rest of his game either. My player of the series
However England aren't the finished product just yet as is evident of the first 20 minutes against australia as like the kid who fell out the tree they just weren't in it! Apologies for the awful honey badger quote. But England need to make sure they start the game 110% and not lackluster like they did against South Africa and Australia as they got lucky in them and other teams would punish you to the point where you can't get back in the game! Sort this problem and the consistent issue of discipline then you never know come the end of 2017 you may see England in the number 1 spot!
Sunday 4 December 2016
Saturday 21 March 2015
5 reasons why Lawes is fast becoming the best lock in world rugby
1. THE PERFECT BUILD - To be in the second row lets face facts you can't be a little bloke and that is one thing Lawes certainly isn't he ticks all the boxes with his giant 2 metre frame and 18.5 stone bodyweight. This means that due to his height he is extremely effective in the line-outs as with the strength of modern day lifters you can easily propel his frame up to the air and have a high line-out percentage which is evident after England's set piece has seen a lot more success since Lawes has returned to the side with Lawes winning more line-out's than anyone else against Scotland when hauling in 7 with his Shovel-like hands.
2. MODEL MODERN ATHLETE - When watching a game in which Lawes' is playing in you will always hear the commentators go on about how Lawes' is the perfect modern athlete which is clear to see when you watch him play as his natural fitness levels lead to him being here, their and everywhere on the field of play. Hitting every ruck and being an ever present ball carrying option. As well he has a natural speed and acceleration which led him to make 11 tackles in his return to the England team against Scotland, only topped by Haskell (13) and B.Vunipola (11) who are both back rowers. With Lawes' you pretty much have a 4th back rower operating around the pitch which means you should always have a strong hold on the breakdown which is key to winning matches.
3. MONSTER HITS - If you're a fan of rugby you will know that Lawes will never shy away from a big collision and is an absolute animal in them. I reckon he lays in bed at night and dreams about smashing people. Just view the links underneath and you will get where I am coming from. He even stated in a interview with BBC radio Northampton in 2012 that he had gained a stone in weight for bigger hits. With his natural pace and fitness he is able to put these big hits in regularly which leaves the opposition in fear when they see his 2 metre frame charging at them. This in turn forces mistakes out of the opposition as they are going to be focusing more on him charging at them than they are catching the ball. Lawes used to have a hot streak in him which saw him often penalised for these big hits which were often a tiny bit to late. The links below demonstrates how Courtney uses his athleticism with his line speed and beast mode to destroy opposition thus a force to be reckoned with
Tackle till you pass out
Lawes' huge hit on Plisson
4. CARELESS COURTNEY - As I said in my last point Lawes was renowned for near enough snapping his opposition in ways that weren't always completely legal or safe for himself. Which led to getting injured a fair amount as his hits were huge but technique was never all there. With these injuries it meant that the young hot prospect could never kick on to be the superstar. As well Lawes was regularly criticised within the media for the amount of penalties and cards he received. Which a good opposition will punish. However with his new approach of bigger hits but less stupidity it means that he is finally beginning to kick on and become a stand out player for both club and country and is no longer viewed upon as the clumsy idiot on the pitch.
5. THE X FACTOR - Courtney has something about him that makes him stand out from the rest. Whether it be the fact he is a sheer war horse or that he athleticism of a back whilst in a lock forwards body. This as Lancaster said 'brings a point of difference to the England team.' There are other fantastic lock forwards about but its rare you describe a player in that position as a game changer but its exactly what Lawes is. He does that bit more around the pitch to get his team going and puts in the big hits which force mistakes and get the crowd on your side. He is dynamic and quite frankly scary to come up against, he is England's Julian Savea. If he remains injury free he will be central to England's and Northampton's future success.
2. MODEL MODERN ATHLETE - When watching a game in which Lawes' is playing in you will always hear the commentators go on about how Lawes' is the perfect modern athlete which is clear to see when you watch him play as his natural fitness levels lead to him being here, their and everywhere on the field of play. Hitting every ruck and being an ever present ball carrying option. As well he has a natural speed and acceleration which led him to make 11 tackles in his return to the England team against Scotland, only topped by Haskell (13) and B.Vunipola (11) who are both back rowers. With Lawes' you pretty much have a 4th back rower operating around the pitch which means you should always have a strong hold on the breakdown which is key to winning matches.
3. MONSTER HITS - If you're a fan of rugby you will know that Lawes will never shy away from a big collision and is an absolute animal in them. I reckon he lays in bed at night and dreams about smashing people. Just view the links underneath and you will get where I am coming from. He even stated in a interview with BBC radio Northampton in 2012 that he had gained a stone in weight for bigger hits. With his natural pace and fitness he is able to put these big hits in regularly which leaves the opposition in fear when they see his 2 metre frame charging at them. This in turn forces mistakes out of the opposition as they are going to be focusing more on him charging at them than they are catching the ball. Lawes used to have a hot streak in him which saw him often penalised for these big hits which were often a tiny bit to late. The links below demonstrates how Courtney uses his athleticism with his line speed and beast mode to destroy opposition thus a force to be reckoned with
Tackle till you pass out
Lawes' huge hit on Plisson
4. CARELESS COURTNEY - As I said in my last point Lawes was renowned for near enough snapping his opposition in ways that weren't always completely legal or safe for himself. Which led to getting injured a fair amount as his hits were huge but technique was never all there. With these injuries it meant that the young hot prospect could never kick on to be the superstar. As well Lawes was regularly criticised within the media for the amount of penalties and cards he received. Which a good opposition will punish. However with his new approach of bigger hits but less stupidity it means that he is finally beginning to kick on and become a stand out player for both club and country and is no longer viewed upon as the clumsy idiot on the pitch.
5. THE X FACTOR - Courtney has something about him that makes him stand out from the rest. Whether it be the fact he is a sheer war horse or that he athleticism of a back whilst in a lock forwards body. This as Lancaster said 'brings a point of difference to the England team.' There are other fantastic lock forwards about but its rare you describe a player in that position as a game changer but its exactly what Lawes is. He does that bit more around the pitch to get his team going and puts in the big hits which force mistakes and get the crowd on your side. He is dynamic and quite frankly scary to come up against, he is England's Julian Savea. If he remains injury free he will be central to England's and Northampton's future success.
 |
| Lawes size enabling line-out dominance |
Saturday 27 July 2013
7 significant on field moments since sol went up
Within this post, I'm gonna take a brief look at 7 moments that has defined Pompey on the field since our courageous fa cup triumph. A lot has happened on and off the field in the 5 seasons since. We're no longer playing Europe's finest. Instead its now Wycombe away on a Tuesday, how times change!
1. Pompey Vs AC Milan - The night we hit the big time 27/11/08
Nights like this are what you dreamed of as a kid. Who would have thought the likes of Ronaldinho and Kaka would grace the famous turf of Fratton park! The way the lads played that night was sensational. If only football was 86 minutes long! 2-2 at home to Milan could this have been the start of something special to come in the future? Sadly not although at the time it seemed it. Looking back now I view it as one of the last few highlights of our time mixing it with the big boys. Still we showed Europe we were the loudest proudest city there is and even Ronaldinho agreed by saying Fratton park has "the best atmosphere in world football" That night our players and fans done the city proud. If only it could have stayed that way, welcome to modern football!
2. Scum (Southampton) Vs Pompey - Every cloud 13/02/10
Everyone loves a derby day and we carried the bragging rights coming into this one having beat them 4-1 previously in 2005. 4-1 was the scoreline this day to. Although coming into the game as favorites due to being 2 divisions higher. Pompey financial difficulties had finally hit hard and were placed into administration the day before the big derby, this in a way gave our friends down the road an even greater chance of turning us over! Sadly for them though Pompey pulled it out the bag and every player on that pitch put there name into Pompey folk-law. The salt wasn't to be rubbed into our administration wounds. Instead we got a lovely plaster and a bloody fantastic cup run which once again ended at Wembley! This inevitably showed the spirit our fine club would carry into the woeful years to come. Knock us as hard as you like we will forever come back stronger!
3. Pompey Vs Chelsea - End of an era 24/03/10
A freezing cold night at Fratton park is typically advantage Portsmouth. Not on this night though, Pompey were on the receiving end of a 5-0 smashing from current manager and fans favorite Avram grant's old club. The night must have been horrible for him as he set out to prove a point to former employees! Although Pompey were at a weakness due to the brilliance of David James being ruled out injured. As well as getting no luck whatsoever all game but that is usually the story when facing the moneybags! However loosing 5-0 at home pretty much signaled the end of what was a cracking time in the topflight, however we were not the side we were of previous seasons and simply were not premiership standard! This was the first and only game I've personally left early. Although it was dad's choice not mine! This was without doubt the funeral for a side that had not quite hit the drop yet. As Pompey only managed 1 win out of the 7 league games to follow the Chelsea disaster. That was it Premiership life was complete. Pompey were championship bound and only left with pleasant memories, they done the south coast proud!
4. Tottenham Vs Pompey - The final hoorah 11/04/10
With the Premiership life coming to an end, a day out at Wembley in a FA cup semi final against high flyers Spurs was surely just a final big day out? Nearly every Pompey fan went with the thought of 'expect nothing and get drunk as this wont come around anytime soon' I saw it as a last trip to Wembley and spurs fans were arrogantly over confident as usual as one said to me on the train 'I'm not going to the game today lad, saving my money for the final but still enjoy your day' have that you arsehole! This was more than a final big day out, this was a reason to come back a month later. As Pompey won that day without the star man Jamie O'Hara who couldn't feature against his parent club. Even without Jamie Pompey went on to secure a sketchy 2-0 victory in extra time! 'Ave that 'Arry!! This games is significant in my eyes as once again it shows the clubs fighting spirit as they once again fight back. Near enough relegated yet still defy the odds and get a return trip back to Wembley! Avram's men put one past the new found enemy who at the time were the blame for killing Pompey, what a feeling, what a day, what an era!
5. Portsmouth Vs Leicester - A win finally 24/09/10
The premiership days were over and the championship was back at Fratton park. And it started how the Premiership ended and that was crap! Stats were not looking good for the boys from Fratton park as no side had ever stayed up with a start as bad as Portsmouth's. Having only picked up 2 points from a possible 21! Loosing against Leicester earlier in the same week in the league cup left Pompey's glass feeling half empty rather than half full. But as the sky camera's arrived at Fratton park so did the performance of a lifetime as the home side went fox hunting and smashed 6 home and left the fratton end bouncing again, even Michael Brown scored! This result kick started a run of 7 games undefeated where only 2 points were dropped, a run which was dearly needed to avoid back to back relegation's.
6. Scum (Southampton) Vs Pompey - Chuck day 07/04/12
With Relegation to the lows of league 1 on the cards. Derby day came at possibly the worst time for Pompey as our 'friends' were sat pretty at the top of the championship whilst Pompey were becoming very close friends with the relegation zone, but still none of that matters on the day. What matters is the hatred between each city and the long lasting bragging rights. Which Pompey couldn't bear to let go of. I went to the game and in the bubble just thought about the abuse that we'd get for years as things were not looking great. But on that day a legend known as David Norris was born! With 'who the f*** is laughing now' ringing round the ground from the inbred's down the M27. Then this happened "Long ball into the edge of the box, Rekik wins his header. Shhhot on goal OH WHAT A GOAL!!! DAVID NORRIS HAS EQUALIZED FOR PORTSMOUTH IN INJURY TIME. AND THE NORTHERN END OF ST MARY'S EXPLODES IN BLUE COLOR" What a moment, what a man, what a club! That game summed up the spirit that Michael Appleton had created around the club. A never say die attitude even when you don't know if you're getting paid, I miss that squad, I miss David Norris.
7. Pompey Vs Sheffield United - The dreams come true 20/04/2013
10 days previous to this fixture Portsmouth FC started a new chapter of its long illustrious 115 year history. That chapter being one where the fans owned the club! The dream us fans had dreamt for months before had finally come true, Portsmouth would walk out at Fratton park without administration on there shoulders and being owned by the fans! The financial woes were over and the future looked bright again. What a day of celebration it was, the players sensed the buzz about the place and banged in 3 early goals to secure a 3-0 win. Although relegated to league 2 this was possibly the best end to a season in 5 years! We own our own club, we are now financially secure. Portsmouth has its soul back, bring on 2013/2014!
1. Pompey Vs AC Milan - The night we hit the big time 27/11/08
Nights like this are what you dreamed of as a kid. Who would have thought the likes of Ronaldinho and Kaka would grace the famous turf of Fratton park! The way the lads played that night was sensational. If only football was 86 minutes long! 2-2 at home to Milan could this have been the start of something special to come in the future? Sadly not although at the time it seemed it. Looking back now I view it as one of the last few highlights of our time mixing it with the big boys. Still we showed Europe we were the loudest proudest city there is and even Ronaldinho agreed by saying Fratton park has "the best atmosphere in world football" That night our players and fans done the city proud. If only it could have stayed that way, welcome to modern football!
2. Scum (Southampton) Vs Pompey - Every cloud 13/02/10
Everyone loves a derby day and we carried the bragging rights coming into this one having beat them 4-1 previously in 2005. 4-1 was the scoreline this day to. Although coming into the game as favorites due to being 2 divisions higher. Pompey financial difficulties had finally hit hard and were placed into administration the day before the big derby, this in a way gave our friends down the road an even greater chance of turning us over! Sadly for them though Pompey pulled it out the bag and every player on that pitch put there name into Pompey folk-law. The salt wasn't to be rubbed into our administration wounds. Instead we got a lovely plaster and a bloody fantastic cup run which once again ended at Wembley! This inevitably showed the spirit our fine club would carry into the woeful years to come. Knock us as hard as you like we will forever come back stronger!
3. Pompey Vs Chelsea - End of an era 24/03/10
A freezing cold night at Fratton park is typically advantage Portsmouth. Not on this night though, Pompey were on the receiving end of a 5-0 smashing from current manager and fans favorite Avram grant's old club. The night must have been horrible for him as he set out to prove a point to former employees! Although Pompey were at a weakness due to the brilliance of David James being ruled out injured. As well as getting no luck whatsoever all game but that is usually the story when facing the moneybags! However loosing 5-0 at home pretty much signaled the end of what was a cracking time in the topflight, however we were not the side we were of previous seasons and simply were not premiership standard! This was the first and only game I've personally left early. Although it was dad's choice not mine! This was without doubt the funeral for a side that had not quite hit the drop yet. As Pompey only managed 1 win out of the 7 league games to follow the Chelsea disaster. That was it Premiership life was complete. Pompey were championship bound and only left with pleasant memories, they done the south coast proud!
4. Tottenham Vs Pompey - The final hoorah 11/04/10
With the Premiership life coming to an end, a day out at Wembley in a FA cup semi final against high flyers Spurs was surely just a final big day out? Nearly every Pompey fan went with the thought of 'expect nothing and get drunk as this wont come around anytime soon' I saw it as a last trip to Wembley and spurs fans were arrogantly over confident as usual as one said to me on the train 'I'm not going to the game today lad, saving my money for the final but still enjoy your day' have that you arsehole! This was more than a final big day out, this was a reason to come back a month later. As Pompey won that day without the star man Jamie O'Hara who couldn't feature against his parent club. Even without Jamie Pompey went on to secure a sketchy 2-0 victory in extra time! 'Ave that 'Arry!! This games is significant in my eyes as once again it shows the clubs fighting spirit as they once again fight back. Near enough relegated yet still defy the odds and get a return trip back to Wembley! Avram's men put one past the new found enemy who at the time were the blame for killing Pompey, what a feeling, what a day, what an era!
5. Portsmouth Vs Leicester - A win finally 24/09/10
The premiership days were over and the championship was back at Fratton park. And it started how the Premiership ended and that was crap! Stats were not looking good for the boys from Fratton park as no side had ever stayed up with a start as bad as Portsmouth's. Having only picked up 2 points from a possible 21! Loosing against Leicester earlier in the same week in the league cup left Pompey's glass feeling half empty rather than half full. But as the sky camera's arrived at Fratton park so did the performance of a lifetime as the home side went fox hunting and smashed 6 home and left the fratton end bouncing again, even Michael Brown scored! This result kick started a run of 7 games undefeated where only 2 points were dropped, a run which was dearly needed to avoid back to back relegation's.
6. Scum (Southampton) Vs Pompey - Chuck day 07/04/12
With Relegation to the lows of league 1 on the cards. Derby day came at possibly the worst time for Pompey as our 'friends' were sat pretty at the top of the championship whilst Pompey were becoming very close friends with the relegation zone, but still none of that matters on the day. What matters is the hatred between each city and the long lasting bragging rights. Which Pompey couldn't bear to let go of. I went to the game and in the bubble just thought about the abuse that we'd get for years as things were not looking great. But on that day a legend known as David Norris was born! With 'who the f*** is laughing now' ringing round the ground from the inbred's down the M27. Then this happened "Long ball into the edge of the box, Rekik wins his header. Shhhot on goal OH WHAT A GOAL!!! DAVID NORRIS HAS EQUALIZED FOR PORTSMOUTH IN INJURY TIME. AND THE NORTHERN END OF ST MARY'S EXPLODES IN BLUE COLOR" What a moment, what a man, what a club! That game summed up the spirit that Michael Appleton had created around the club. A never say die attitude even when you don't know if you're getting paid, I miss that squad, I miss David Norris.
7. Pompey Vs Sheffield United - The dreams come true 20/04/2013
10 days previous to this fixture Portsmouth FC started a new chapter of its long illustrious 115 year history. That chapter being one where the fans owned the club! The dream us fans had dreamt for months before had finally come true, Portsmouth would walk out at Fratton park without administration on there shoulders and being owned by the fans! The financial woes were over and the future looked bright again. What a day of celebration it was, the players sensed the buzz about the place and banged in 3 early goals to secure a 3-0 win. Although relegated to league 2 this was possibly the best end to a season in 5 years! We own our own club, we are now financially secure. Portsmouth has its soul back, bring on 2013/2014!
Monday 22 April 2013
Suarez makes the nation bite
Yesterday I witnessed Liverpool's star man Luis Suarez commit one of the funniest offences I have ever seen on a football pitch. He had a little nibble on Ivanovic's arm. Yes I know this is wrong and he does deserve a ban for it, however a lot of the public have overreacted he didnt even leave a mark. Which is impressive considering his knashers!
Whilst listening to Jeremy Vine's debate show on radio 2 earlier (old man at heart) I heard a football fan phone in saying that this was much worse than the 'Cantona incident' how can anyone in there right mind say that this was worse. Cantona attacked a fan. Suarez had a nibble on the pitch. To prove I'm not bias towards him I support Portsmouth not Liverpool. The same man on the phone also said Suarez deserves a 12 month ban because football is a public game and he should be used to set an example. This man is wrong on all levels. First of all football is not a public game, you do not see the government paying players or running the leagues. It is a private sector that is all about money and how to exploit incidents like this in the media to make even more profits. If it was such a public disgrace I feel people would have reacted worse than laughing at and creating the twitter trend '#suarezmenu'. Secondly giving a hefty ban to set an example is worse as it shows the Fa to be corrupt which they already are with the way they give certain players worse bans than others. A good example of this being Fellaini who is a FA favorite got a 3 match ban for an off the ball incident. Whereas Joey Barton got a 12 match ban for an incident which is arguably less dangerous. Thirdly setting an example out of Suarez is pretty pointless as he is the only player stupid enough to do such a thing as this and a lengthy ban wont stop him doing it again, his time at ajax shows this.
Personally I feel Suarez deserves a ban because what he done is wrong however he does not deserve a lengthy ban. People get no more than a 3 match ban for a career ending tackle where legs can be broken. Suarez done no damage what so ever and I'm sure if he wanted to have done damage he could have easily. If it was up to me Luis would be getting a 2-3 match ban due to his offence being wrong on many levels although it done little if any damage to the football world or an opposing player. If the FA do give a lengthy ban I personally feel it will be a disgrace to football to stop one of the most consistently brilliant players from playing. Its obvious now who will be player of the season (welsh monkey).
Whilst listening to Jeremy Vine's debate show on radio 2 earlier (old man at heart) I heard a football fan phone in saying that this was much worse than the 'Cantona incident' how can anyone in there right mind say that this was worse. Cantona attacked a fan. Suarez had a nibble on the pitch. To prove I'm not bias towards him I support Portsmouth not Liverpool. The same man on the phone also said Suarez deserves a 12 month ban because football is a public game and he should be used to set an example. This man is wrong on all levels. First of all football is not a public game, you do not see the government paying players or running the leagues. It is a private sector that is all about money and how to exploit incidents like this in the media to make even more profits. If it was such a public disgrace I feel people would have reacted worse than laughing at and creating the twitter trend '#suarezmenu'. Secondly giving a hefty ban to set an example is worse as it shows the Fa to be corrupt which they already are with the way they give certain players worse bans than others. A good example of this being Fellaini who is a FA favorite got a 3 match ban for an off the ball incident. Whereas Joey Barton got a 12 match ban for an incident which is arguably less dangerous. Thirdly setting an example out of Suarez is pretty pointless as he is the only player stupid enough to do such a thing as this and a lengthy ban wont stop him doing it again, his time at ajax shows this.
Personally I feel Suarez deserves a ban because what he done is wrong however he does not deserve a lengthy ban. People get no more than a 3 match ban for a career ending tackle where legs can be broken. Suarez done no damage what so ever and I'm sure if he wanted to have done damage he could have easily. If it was up to me Luis would be getting a 2-3 match ban due to his offence being wrong on many levels although it done little if any damage to the football world or an opposing player. If the FA do give a lengthy ban I personally feel it will be a disgrace to football to stop one of the most consistently brilliant players from playing. Its obvious now who will be player of the season (welsh monkey).
Wednesday 17 October 2012
It's more than a game
Some people seem to think football is just 11 men trying to kick a ball past another 11 men. After hearing such a dumb, ignorant viewpoint I decided to do a little research into how football affects more than just those 22 men on the field of play and what it does to the people involved with it. I based my research around the last weekend of premiership football before the international break, that weekend being October 6/7.
The premiership alone had a total of 347,236 fans around the grounds. With the biggest crowd being at St James park (52,203) which is more than the population of Lichtenstein (36,476). So take the whole population of Liechtenstein and send them hope pissed off/annoyed due to what they saw on the pitch, as United dominated and walked away with a pretty 3-0 away win, which would have left the toon army annoyed after such good form. With this loyal following across the premiership you have the regular purchases for a football match (beer/food) which keeps business's alive, around half of the amount who go to football have a beer as well so at £3.50 a pint the premiership football is throwing a big £607,663 back in the economy from having 1 pint alone, that's without the other beers that will be consumed and then there's the food! So is football really just a game or is it a big part of this nations economy, remember the above figure is only a pint for half the premiership following, that's excluding all the other leagues! On top of the spending from the fans you have the jobs that are created from the game day this being people like caterers, stewards and programme sellers. I remember hearing out roar on the news when a factory shut and 300 people lost there jobs. 1 big club alone probably employ that many people on a Saturday so once again I ask the question is it just a game?
So that's the premier league covered then, well almost. You also have the worldwide TV audience that craves a Sunday afternoon thriller to lighten up there weekend. On Sunday 7th October Newcastle hosted Man utd. and was received sky sports 1 highest viewing figures of the weekend which amassed to over 1.7 million across the UK Then there is me watching it getting angry about how Newcastle could not continue there form, I support Pompey myself and get angry at a game that carries little interest to me. So it only affects those 22 on the pitch right?
Then there is the emotional side to the beautiful game, it can never be 100% happy for 90 minutes if your loyal to your side. I cant sleep after a midweek game if Pompey win due to the general buzz it gives me, that might just be because a Pompey win is rare but still I love it! Football is a magic little thing , it has the ability to take a man from pure delight to shedding a tear in the space of a second. Going to a big game is just a 90 minute emotional roller-coaster, what you go through in the stands is hard to explain unless you go through it. When the news came out in October 2010 that Pompey were near enough liquidated I shed a little tear, probably shouldn't admit it but it proves the point that its more than just a game, you don't shed a tear when you loose your scrabble board do you? Saturday isn't Saturday its football day which means your family are checking the results to find out what mood your coming home in, bet my mum wishes I was a united fan! Your football often sums up the sort of person you are. Arrogant people usually take a big side on as they cant deal with being second best and like being hated on for it, then you have the loyal people who back there local side as they can take defeat and usually control there emotions a bit better, football isn't just a game its psychological in fact it can be anything, football is my life. I play it all weekend and watch it and write about it when I'm not playing.
So is it really just 22 men trying to kick a ball past each other? Or is it 22 men who are followed and backed by thousands who live for it and want nothing more than success for that team and will celebrate it by boosting the economy with a beer or 2, who cares if we take it to seriously, its what we live for, take Pompey away and your taking my weekend away. Its not just a game, its a way of life.
The premiership alone had a total of 347,236 fans around the grounds. With the biggest crowd being at St James park (52,203) which is more than the population of Lichtenstein (36,476). So take the whole population of Liechtenstein and send them hope pissed off/annoyed due to what they saw on the pitch, as United dominated and walked away with a pretty 3-0 away win, which would have left the toon army annoyed after such good form. With this loyal following across the premiership you have the regular purchases for a football match (beer/food) which keeps business's alive, around half of the amount who go to football have a beer as well so at £3.50 a pint the premiership football is throwing a big £607,663 back in the economy from having 1 pint alone, that's without the other beers that will be consumed and then there's the food! So is football really just a game or is it a big part of this nations economy, remember the above figure is only a pint for half the premiership following, that's excluding all the other leagues! On top of the spending from the fans you have the jobs that are created from the game day this being people like caterers, stewards and programme sellers. I remember hearing out roar on the news when a factory shut and 300 people lost there jobs. 1 big club alone probably employ that many people on a Saturday so once again I ask the question is it just a game?
So that's the premier league covered then, well almost. You also have the worldwide TV audience that craves a Sunday afternoon thriller to lighten up there weekend. On Sunday 7th October Newcastle hosted Man utd. and was received sky sports 1 highest viewing figures of the weekend which amassed to over 1.7 million across the UK Then there is me watching it getting angry about how Newcastle could not continue there form, I support Pompey myself and get angry at a game that carries little interest to me. So it only affects those 22 on the pitch right?
Then there is the emotional side to the beautiful game, it can never be 100% happy for 90 minutes if your loyal to your side. I cant sleep after a midweek game if Pompey win due to the general buzz it gives me, that might just be because a Pompey win is rare but still I love it! Football is a magic little thing , it has the ability to take a man from pure delight to shedding a tear in the space of a second. Going to a big game is just a 90 minute emotional roller-coaster, what you go through in the stands is hard to explain unless you go through it. When the news came out in October 2010 that Pompey were near enough liquidated I shed a little tear, probably shouldn't admit it but it proves the point that its more than just a game, you don't shed a tear when you loose your scrabble board do you? Saturday isn't Saturday its football day which means your family are checking the results to find out what mood your coming home in, bet my mum wishes I was a united fan! Your football often sums up the sort of person you are. Arrogant people usually take a big side on as they cant deal with being second best and like being hated on for it, then you have the loyal people who back there local side as they can take defeat and usually control there emotions a bit better, football isn't just a game its psychological in fact it can be anything, football is my life. I play it all weekend and watch it and write about it when I'm not playing.
So is it really just 22 men trying to kick a ball past each other? Or is it 22 men who are followed and backed by thousands who live for it and want nothing more than success for that team and will celebrate it by boosting the economy with a beer or 2, who cares if we take it to seriously, its what we live for, take Pompey away and your taking my weekend away. Its not just a game, its a way of life.
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Brighton get in the prem!
The premier league needs big sides like Brighton to come up as they carry facilities to suit the best league in the world. Brighton also have a massive fan base which will stop the laughter at embarrassing support such as wigans loyal 50. They, unlike Wigan and Fulham certainly don't lack numbers on there travels as they took around 6,000 to Liverpool in the FA cup last season! The real reason I want Brighton up though is due to the fact that they have been where Pompey (my team) are now and have come back out to be one of the best run football clubs in the country. They had fans shaking buckets to raise cash for the club back in the worrying years of the late 90's, they even had to sell the Goldstone ground to pay off debts! That alone shows how loyal the fans are and after a long patient wait I think they deserve to get in the premiership.
As well as there amazing off field facilities and fan base, Brighton also carries a team full of talent. I learnt this first hand when watching Vicente come on off the bench last season to single handedly tear Pompey to shreds. In my eyes it will be a disaster if they don't go up as there team holds names that are recognized over Europe such as Vicente (previously of Valencia , Bridge (previously of Chelsea), Bruno (previously of Valencia) and of course the star man Craig Mackail-Smith as well as young raw talent such as will Buckley and LuaLua. How can a squad with this much ability not be playing in the premiership? With Gus in charge I'm sure they will get there, he cant be doing a bad job as all my mates go on about him enough! Personally I feel he is the man to take them there. As he has signed all the recognized players I listed above, which shows he is great in the transfer market and also creates some lovely football to watch and in my eyes he had Brighton playing the best football last season.
I also love the fact they play the best football in the championship and carry best support in the league (excluding Leeds) there fans hate Southampton, not as much as us Pompey lads but they dislike them and would agree with me when saying Adkins is a arrogant bullshitting twat! But back to Brighton they have a brand new 28,000 seater stadium that is set to be increased to 30,000 by mid 2013, all of which are padded seats, a luxury as a away fan! As well as a brand new stadium they have just been granted planning permission for a brand new £29,000,000 training facilities. After getting all these off field luxuries built/planned all they need now is the cherry on the cake and that will be promotion. They have the right man to see them up, a easily good enough squad to go up which will be strengthened with Gus at the helm. And some cracking fans to fill up a cracking stadium which will make most stadia in the premiership look a shithole! Now I have said this I hope Gus and his boys go and prove my point, Premiership 2013/14 you will be there!
As well as there amazing off field facilities and fan base, Brighton also carries a team full of talent. I learnt this first hand when watching Vicente come on off the bench last season to single handedly tear Pompey to shreds. In my eyes it will be a disaster if they don't go up as there team holds names that are recognized over Europe such as Vicente (previously of Valencia , Bridge (previously of Chelsea), Bruno (previously of Valencia) and of course the star man Craig Mackail-Smith as well as young raw talent such as will Buckley and LuaLua. How can a squad with this much ability not be playing in the premiership? With Gus in charge I'm sure they will get there, he cant be doing a bad job as all my mates go on about him enough! Personally I feel he is the man to take them there. As he has signed all the recognized players I listed above, which shows he is great in the transfer market and also creates some lovely football to watch and in my eyes he had Brighton playing the best football last season.
I also love the fact they play the best football in the championship and carry best support in the league (excluding Leeds) there fans hate Southampton, not as much as us Pompey lads but they dislike them and would agree with me when saying Adkins is a arrogant bullshitting twat! But back to Brighton they have a brand new 28,000 seater stadium that is set to be increased to 30,000 by mid 2013, all of which are padded seats, a luxury as a away fan! As well as a brand new stadium they have just been granted planning permission for a brand new £29,000,000 training facilities. After getting all these off field luxuries built/planned all they need now is the cherry on the cake and that will be promotion. They have the right man to see them up, a easily good enough squad to go up which will be strengthened with Gus at the helm. And some cracking fans to fill up a cracking stadium which will make most stadia in the premiership look a shithole! Now I have said this I hope Gus and his boys go and prove my point, Premiership 2013/14 you will be there!
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| The amex stadium |
Monday 15 October 2012
2011/12 the season I fell in love with football instead of 3 points
2011/12 was not one of the easiest season's for a Pompey fan. Yet for me it will be one filled with great memories on the pitch and in the stands. It was a season that started of positively as we had new owners who seemed to have a bit of cash behind them which bought in quality talent such as; David Norris, Greg Halford (on a permanent deal), Stephen Henderson and Erik Huseklepp. With these new signings along with our current squad I thought it would be a successful season for Pompey. However we had a pony manager who would be more suited to stoke, mr hoofball Cotterill was not getting the results fans expected and always had a shit excuse. For example after loosing to cardiff he said in interview 'I overtrained the players' So it was goodbye Cotterill and hello 3 points, skies were still blue over pompey at this time. Then the predictable came the 'fit and proper' owners were not fit and proper and were arrested for fraud. So we were back in adminstration and left furious at the FA for allowing such people into our club, on the brightside they did get us Norris! However during this shocking period Pompey signed a genuinely brilliant guy as a manager Michael Appleton, who made that group of players into a football team instead of a bunch of arrogant money grabbing w*nkers which many footballers are today. You had a team that was written of when administration came, that rallied together and created hope!
The day the season really kickstarted and got good for me would have to be Sunday 18th December 2011. Derby day against Southampton or as I prefer Scum. Scum were top Pompey were flurting with relagation. Beat the scum your a Pompey hero. Score against the scum and you go down in Pompey folk law as a legend. Was a typical sloppy unexciting derby then scum struck with fatty in the 63rd to go 1-0 up I thought that was it, we were awful but cometh the hour cometh the man Joel Ward wrote his name in Pompey history as a legend when he headed home in the 83rd to lift the roof off the shed of dreams. 7 years and counting, you'll never beat us again! That was the start of what made me love football instead of winning. Pompey were not just rallying together on the pitch we were to off it. Each game got louder and each away following got bigger. Appleton also made each emergency loan better! The likes of chris maguire and scott allan defined passion in the shirt! Just seeing them work there tits off each week was enough to send me home smiling. Then came the rumors of liquidation and these rumors showed what the club was really made of, luckily this didn't and we were to stay in admin but what happened after this defined a club playing for passion instead of money. Players were refusing to sign contracts to move away from Fratton Park and even took pay cuts to keep the club they now love in business! Now that is pride in the shirt and those lads done us proud for the rest of the season and created hope of survival. If you visited Fratton park in the final third of season you would have heard the now famous 'we will never die' and '-10 who gives a fuck were super Pompey and were staying up' ring round the shed of dreams. Scum away was about to happen and Pompey were written of big time, but we don't loose a derby. I traveled in the bubble just hoping not to get smashed. But 2 legends were discovered that day, one going by the name of Chris Maguire who scored a worldie near post rocket to shock st marys however what was to follow will go down as one of my favorite moments. 89 minutes Sharp sent st marys into ecstasy as 'eieieio' rang out after his supposed winner. Then Norris happened! 94 minutes and he scores a unbelievable goal to send me flying 4 rows infront hugging everyone I can in the process. The celebrations summed up the passion as the bench was cleared and going nutty! After that happened I believed we were gonna survive the championship with no money. But this sadly wasnt to be due to the -10. Yet the ever strong blue army travelled with 3000+ to forest away to create one of the best away atmospheres they have witnessed at the city ground. Beachballs were in the 100's and the beers were being necked! 'Were all going on a league 1 tour' Sadly the on-field performance was shocking compared to what was happening off it. But the home fans appreciated and respected Appleton's men's efforts to survive and gave those lads a standing ovation as they left the field. That again shows love for football. Appletons men later reappeared to hang a flag on the goal which showed there love for this football club, these players didnt want to leave but were forced to over the summer! I will forever miss seeing Pearce's gazelle pre match at fratton, halfords long throw and David Norris being well David Norris. I felt sad to see this season end but also felt a huge amount of pride for supporting 11 men week in week out who knew what football meant to us in the crowd. Pompey and proud, for life not for glory. I finally know what football is really about.
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| Norris 94th minute equaliser |
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| Players after forest away last day. |
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