Football Focus

[kpc]

Mockney's right, a poor performance by the 'Ammers - I'd have happily bet on ManU at half time. The two goal lead flattered them and they crumbled in the second half. They shouldn't go down but its a right mess in the bottom half of the table. Blues win today and go up five places; lose next week and we'll be back down again. Still think it'll be Wigan, Wolves and a.n.other, probably Black**** (either pool or burn).

[mockney piers]

Btw arrived at pub seconds after the 2-0 lead, and informed a friend of mine, who has reservations about my partaking in anything 'ammeresque, about the good news.

I quote you his text to me 'it was all going fine until you started watching you fucking jinx!!!!!!!'

[Mick Mac]

kpc Wrote:

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> Mockney's right, a poor performance by the 'Ammers

> - I'd have happily bet on ManU at half time. The

> two goal lead flattered them and they crumbled in

> the second half.

Au contraire.

It was all about MU and not so much about west ham. It was about United's ability to step up from a porr first half.

[mockney piers]

Indeed. The hammers might have been guilty of a lack of any ambition in the second half, but were only really at fault for the last goal. The rest were two world class Rooney moments and an iffy penalty.

Of course having seen FF this morning, Vidic should have had three yellows, but ain't footie full of those ifs and buts.

[Sandperson]

All in all a good Saturday. :)

[Mick Mac]

It was a good Saturday SP. Because Rangers could have gone top, but dropped the ball.

[malumbu]

What a great weekend. All our local SE London boys won. Who of course you should be supporting. And even though I hate Man U and Newcastle, they won as well. Getting exciting at the bottom.

Oh, and of course with a number of our libraries closing in SE London, the London Overground gives us an easy opportunity to visit a library in Islington.

[Emerson Crane]

malumbu Wrote:

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> And

> even though I hate Man U

>

>

Careful, you'll upsaet the Mancs on here and they'll let you know about it. I don't why we don't just wrap the title up in gift wrapping and give it to them. Just one question, how did Vidic manage to stay on the pitch?

[malumbu]

Where I grew up 60% of the boys at school supported either one of the two local teams, and another 15% the teams from a few more miles away. Easy. The Skinner rule I believe.

There were sadly a few who supported the big two at the time - Liverpool and Leeds, the glory hunters but then a sizeable chunk who supported Man U (then a pretty dire team), and they picked up more due to the United aggro of the mid 70s (only played out in singing in the playground).

Do I really need to have to explain it.

Sadly hardly anyone now seems to support our local teams - it would be good to have a guess on the percentage in East Dulwich who go down the Den (pretty easy to get to), Palace or Charlton.

[mockney piers]

I've been to all three, generally with my wednesday and norwich supporting mates, and the standard of footie tends to be pretty dire (one particular doozy of a game between CP and Norwich, both sets of fans ironically Ol?d every pass that actually found a player, regardless of team. We didn't manage many Ol?s that afternoon.

If I'm going to pay money for bad footie I'm much happier to spend 6 quid to watch the Hamlets, plus you actually get to enjoy a beer with the match.

In fact though the standard of footie is obviously much better in the prem I pretty much refuse to pay a ton to watch it (for me and the missus). These days I just manage the odd cup game at Upton Park.

[DaveR]

"Sadly hardly anyone now seems to support our local teams - it would be good to have a guess on the percentage in East Dulwich who go down the Den (pretty easy to get to), Palace or Charlton."

On this forum, at least, that's more of a reflection of people's roots being elsewhere rather than an unwillingness to support their local club. I've been to Millwall, Palace and Charlton plenty of times, but only when they're playing Ipswich.

[Emerson Crane]

I also have ben to the old den and the new (and in fact work a stones throw from the new den) as well as Palace, Charlton, my son played for Hamlet youth for a while, and I've visited many other grounds over the course of my life. My support for the Arsenal stems from my early days a child as I lived in the Angel or more correctly Essex Road and then Caledonia Road a mere walk to Highbury. From 1968 when I started visiting Highbury my support hasn't waivered, despite some bad times. My allegiance is with the Arsenal for which I make no apology.

[Emerson Crane]

Doubtless I'll be accused of stirring but should Shrek, sorry Rooney be punished for his foul mouthed outburst?

[SimonM]

I really don't think Rooney ahould be penalised at all for this. I think Sky merit criticism for holding live microphones near players during the course of a match.

[Emerson Crane]

SimonM Wrote:

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> I really don't think Rooney ahould be penalised at

> all for this. I think Sky merit criticism for

> holding live microphones near players during the

> course of a match.

But Sky pump millions into the Prem so I think they have every right to have the mics there, players and managers are aware that they are there so whats the excuse?

[malumbu]

It is good to hear from a few of you, but no need to justify your roots. Odd that those who have no geographical association with their team have not posted. Sadly it seems to be chicken/egg for our local league teams. Charlton have tried to push into North Kent. Millwall have a great commmunity set-up but it is still not pleasant. Palace? 3 millon people on their door step but can't reach any sort of critical mass - compare this with 35 years ago when they could attract 40,000 and briefly in the early 90s it looked like they would pick up support again.

But looking at our local kids' teams. The better teams tend to me more working class and Millwall supporting. The teams we have lower down the leagues all you see is Arsenal, Liverpool, Maure and Chelski shirts. So perhaps the parents (those who do not follow the egg) may have roots outside SE London. But why can't you encourage your kids to support a local team? Funnily enough think money comes into it, not just the one sided nonsense from Sky and to a lesser extent MoTD. Whilst ?50 is out of order for the big teams, but as they fill their stadium they can say it is the market price, the knock on of ?30 for the Championship, and half full stadiums is just daft.

Went to a great match - Horley vs Guildford in the Cherry Red league a week ago. Real passion, sendings off, spectators telling the officials what they think (and getting into a friendly dialogue with the line). Mate, from Guildford, is club secretary. We walk to the staion from the ground, and meet some students from Surrey Uni, in beachware, going to the match.

They decided to support their local team. Great. You know it makes sense.

PS who amongst you can claim to watching their team with the local vicar? Or even be a footy supporting vicar?

[mockney piers]

I don't manage it often enough but I love going to Champion Hill.

You do have that interaction with the players and the officials, there are occasional moments of sublime football, but mostly entertaining comedy moments, some great 22 man handbags and surreal ones such as when half the pitch was occupied by a particularly scary goose and the teams played a very narrow game avoiding said goose until a brave player managed to shoo it off the pitch (competing against two kids trying to shoo it back on).

You don't get that on your Monday Night Sky Sports Special!!

And yeah, the New Den is not my favourite ground. It has to be the least salubrious stadium anywhere, and has all the atmosphere of a home counties out-of-town industrial park.

[Emerson Crane]

1025 BST: AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi believes Mario Balotelli's off-the-field "behaviour" will prevent him from putting on the Rossoneri shirt in the future. "There is a Milan style of behaviour that I don't think is very close to that of Balotelli. Every now and then, he has a bit of a distraction," said Berlusconi of the Manchester City striker, who is an AC Milan fan. (Press Association)

Pot and kettle!!!!!

[SimonM]

But Sky pump millions into the Prem so I think they have every right to have the mics there, players and managers are aware that they are there so whats the excuse?

The "excuse" is that they pay all that money (and presumably make handsome profits on their "investment") to televise football matches, not to mould and manipulate the game into something different. Footballers at every level tend to cuss just a little bit :'( when things go very right or very wrong, so if Sky wants to stick a microphone on players during the game they should know and of course do know what to expect. If the Premier League in its hypocritical wisdom elects to fine Rooney then Sky should do the decent thing and pay the fine for him. ("Premier League", "Rooney", "Sky" & "decent" rarely found in the same sentence no? :)))

[Emerson Crane]

Cant agree with that, I'm no Sky fan but the Prem took the Murdoch shilling so they can't complain.

[malumbu]

Forgot to mention our friends Shadwell, who play just across the river at the Kennel. They make Millwall look like a bunch of butterfly collectors. Come on you Dogs!

[matthew123]

What is Wayne Rooney upto now.. first it was the World Cup, and now it is a Saturday lunchtime audience who have taken his foul mouthed abuse. Whilst other goal scorers wonder over to a pitchside camera and kiss the lens Rooney yet again shows he is nothing but a thug who believes he is above the law. Yet we still have people defending his actions. Unbelievable.

Of course that football statesman Rio Ferdinand would disagree. Through his twitter account he asks that we give Wayne a break. Yeah right. How many more breaks does Rooney need? It was only a few weeks ago Rooney was sticking his elbow in the head of a youngster at Wigan. Rooney needs to be punished and punished hard. No excuses.

[Sandperson]

Surprise, surprise, the tag team are back.

I've heard a lot worse, a lot more frequently, in the stands. Personally I think that Gerrard's assault on an innocent bloke in a bar brings the game into disrepute more but hey it's another chance to have a dig at United instead of praising them for an excellent come back.

I think it was ill judged but he's a player with passion and the goals meant a lot to him and the team. He offered an immediate and unequivocal apology.

[Annasfield]

I think Rooney's punishment for swearing is ridiculous and unnecessary. I also don't see what on earth it's got to do with Gerrard?

[malumbu]

Remember, Rooney is not the Messiah. He is simply a very naughty boy.