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Only things that make you happy about football

ONLY NICE THINGS

17:09 / 06.05.04

As the season reaches its end, it seems like Darren Huckerby is the only person having a good time. Barring that, we all seemt o be having a bit of a miserable time. So, what better time to think about the things that haver made us happy, evanescent as they may be, in the season gone by?

I'd like to start with a first start in Serie A for Al Saadhi Gadafy, son of the more famous Colonel. After two frustrating episodes on the bench and a lengthy ban for drugs, the boy finally got to show the silky skills that made his dad one of Tony Blair's favourite people.

And the verdict? Apparently, according to La Republicca, "even at twice his current speed, he would still be twice as slow as Slow itself". Which is such an eerie and cosmic concept that I feel we should take our hats off to the man who inspired it.

Cheers!

pear

17:28 / 06.05.04

Millwall in the FA cup final. The semi final win was about a month ago, after the requisite period of absolute nuttiness at the final whistle, and just about everyone crying their eyes out it's been a bit of a hazy dream.

Every time I've seen my brother since it's been along the lines of

'Errrrm, we're in the FA Cup final'
'Yeah, and Europe next year'
'Yeah, that's pretty fucking wierd'
'Yeah, never thought it would happen in my lifetime..'

Things like this aren't supposed to happen these days. It's supposed to be Corporate Souless One FC v Corporate Souless Two FC Sponsored by McMultinationals and churned out worldwide to billion potential Sky subcribers and replica shirt customers.

Hoho, Got my tickets and all of a sudden 'The magic of the FA Cup' doesn't seem like a tired old cliche any more

Sax

17:35 / 06.05.04

Wigan Athletic only need to win against West Ham on Sunday to be in the play-offs for promotion to the Premiership. Can the much-laughed-at Northern club silence the nay-sayers and progress from division two to the top flight in two seasons? It'll be a ripping, Boy's Own yarn if they do.

'Course, they'll be straight down again, but who gives a fuck? Wigan in't Premiership!

Bottoms up!

ONLY NICE THINGS

19:25 / 06.05.04

Since Jason Koumas is suspended for the first three games of West Brom's Premiership adventure, he will discover that by the time he can play again WBA are 9 points off the chase and dead certs to go down. They will therefore allow him to move to Chelsea, who will promptly stick him in the reserves and then (ahem) loan him out to Tranmere Rovers, whom he will drive to successive promotions. Oh yes. My psychic said so.

astrojax69

01:58 / 07.05.04

a new coach and a potent striker have lifted crystal palace from the threat of relegation to the very real prospect of premeir league football next year! o, my nellie!

and i agree about wigan! woo-hoo! [i have friends who'r good friends with their aussie 'keeper]

... and adrian mutu fronting up for chelski. and the baby-russian fronting up with the cash for chelski. has he seen the delights of crystal palace, i wonder??

at least the champions league final will likely be a cracker of a game - on the morning of my significant [all downhill from here, i'm led to believe] birthday... : )

lonely as a cloud...

06:53 / 07.05.04

Being a Chelski supporter, I'm looking forward to a summer of rumours. Beckham, Totti, Ronaldo, Roonaldo, Ronaldinho... I reckon that if they're gonna sack Ranieri, the sooner the better, so's the new manager can come in and have the whole summer to pick his players. Ditch Veron and perhaps Makelele (who should be replaced by Roma's Emerson), bring in a decent center-half and right-winger, and bob's your uncle. Oh, and buy Duffer a new set of legs and shoulders.

Benny the Ball

06:54 / 07.05.04

Andy Reid. He has scored or set up 85% of Forest's goals this season, and is a joy to behold as a player...

Goodness Gracious Meme

08:39 / 07.05.04

I hate football.

Old brown-eye is back

09:02 / 07.05.04

Personally, I think this is the greatest season ever but then I'm a Pompey fan. Form team coming to the end of the season; victories over Man U, Liverpool and Saints. Etc. Also, does the kick I got from us getting Reid the sack and then effectively being the team to relegate Leeds make me a bad person? I too look forward to a summer of Chelsea-related rumours - and then another season of watching them win nothing at all.

Goodness Gracious Meme

09:07 / 07.05.04

lso, does the kick I got from us getting Reid the sack and then effectively being the team to relegate Leeds make me a bad person

Yes. Yes it does.

Bed Head

13:50 / 07.05.04

Roman Abramovitch makes me smile. He’s the only thirtysomething multi-gazillionaire I’ve ever seen outside of comics, and he really looks the part. Like he’s only pretending to be a dim playboy, while having these hidden depths of grim, steely determination and a hard-as-nails mean streak. In short, every time I see him, I picture him beating people up while dressed as a giant bat. Which makes me smile.

nedrichards is confused

09:09 / 09.05.04

Not Abramaovich always wears a long coat, the better to hide his utility belt.

Most inspiring thing this year was that Watford aren't going bankrupt, Leicester style. Now we're not in the premiership any more the local community rallied round and realised exactly why they wanted a sports club in the town and dug them out of a nasty hole. Also the fact that they play beautiful one touch football for 45 minutes and when it doesn't work just hoof it up to Heider Helguson for the remainder. It's like Beauty and the Beast with the fans as a talking teapot.

The Falcon

14:07 / 09.05.04

I liked it when Saadi's employers Perugia contemplated the purchase of a horse.

■

18:27 / 09.05.04

What makes me really happy about football is that even though the eleven and a half month "season" is about to end, there always seem to be matches going on anyway to disrupt television. Yeah. Real big fucking happy hat about that one.

ONLY NICE THINGS

20:22 / 09.05.04

Darling, don't worry. Season ends this weekend, and then you've just got the FA Cup. Amd the play-offs. Then you're set fair until the European Championships...

Meanwhile. much as I may be disappointed by the constant pressure on Tranmere to release or sell their players (five released from their contracts at the end of this season), I do like the way they still work hard to develop the kind of players I enjoy - creativbe attacking midfielders with pace and a decent dribble. Ian Hume doesn't have anything like Koumas' ability with dead balls or his range of passing, but he's quick, young and scores more than his fair share of goals - more like Alan Mahon, I suppose, my pre-Koumas crush object.

unheimlich manoeuvre

23:42 / 09.05.04

Haus you rock my world!
i'd just like to say QPR! well done.
go London! this is our decade! blah blah blah.

erhhh.. i love Watford.. i have such fond memories of Vicarage Road i hope they don't move to Kingsbury...

Goodness Gracious Meme

12:40 / 10.05.04

sorry for polluting this thing of joy with my boring gloom. I'll have another go.

West Bengal do a league/cup double for the second season running and are safely through to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. For which, realistically, we're favourites.

We ROCK!

And, incredibly, I may get to see them play for the second time in 3 months, as they're heading over here to play Leicester, who they've recently hooked up with in a development deal, and a cousin of mine plays for 'em, so my auntie, dad I may be able to swing VIP tix/have a combined football/family visit!

Which would rock even more!

W00t. thank god for mixed cultural heritage.

And, as I have a definite soft spot for BHA, great to see they're in the play-offs, with potential to bounce straight bsck into Div 1.

ONLY NICE THINGS

22:42 / 12.05.04

Hmmm... Coyne, Roberts and Koumas. Truly, Tranmere Rovers is the School of Welsh Science. We're like a feeder club for Wales.

Bed Head

20:41 / 14.05.04

Crystal Palace vs Sunderland. This evening, finished 3-2. Utterly amazing commentary on Radio 5 by a hyperventilating Jonathan Pearce, wow. I love that man, but I didn’t think he was going to survive to the final whistle; one more goal and his lard-clad heart might have exploded with the sheer! Excitement! Of! It! ALLLLLLLLLLLL!

And as an added bonus, Palace and Sunderland both sound as if they’ve managed to play each other into the ground. Ha ha.

ONLY NICE THINGS

22:38 / 14.05.04

The play-offs, however much one might despise their dilution of the three-up three-down principle, do tend to make for cracking matches (he said, wincing as he remembers Eric Nixon being sent off for the perfectly reasonable action of decking David Speedie... I mean, wouldn't you?).

Meanwhile, can we get a shout put for James Milner? He has decided that a year as captain in the Nationwide might develop his skills (not least leadership) more than a year on and of the bench at Tottenham, which means hopefully at worst a Defoe-sized fee after three months...it's a stand that we have to adnire, even notwithstanding the possible down payment... and any possible contract issues. OK, forget I spoke.

Goodness Gracious Meme

15:25 / 15.05.04

Just seen film from Johannesburg of crowd reaction to the announcement that the 2010 World Cup will take place in South Africa. (the first to be staged in Africa)

Amazing. Pure joy.

See also: a shot of Nelson Mandela holding the cup and looking as pleased as if he'd just won the thing himself.

Football joycore.

Also, even I can applaud Arsenal's unbeaten season. Astonishing stuff, first in over 100 years. And the subbing on of Martin Keown to ensure that he gets a champion's medal.

Goodness Gracious Meme

21:49 / 16.05.04

div 2 play-offs, first leg:

Swindon 0 - 1 Brighton

yay

ONLY NICE THINGS

18:52 / 18.05.04

Roberts has signed a new contract! Despite being fitfully good! W00T!

luke hugh

21:16 / 18.05.04

Yeah I love hockey too guys. The Calgary Flames are going to win the Stanly Cup. I love playoff season. WOooo HOoooo

pear

20:20 / 20.05.04

This makes me happy.

It really shouldn't, but it does

Millwall cup song video... I'm warning you, it isn't pleasant

Goodness Gracious Meme

16:03 / 21.05.04

uurgh. i may not forgive you for that.

Brighton in the play-off finals(admittely by the skin of their teeth but who cares, frankly...)

Just gotta get past, er, Bristol. hmmm. still, it's a different game in the play-offs, not over till the final whistle...

saw a seagulls mate last night, practically floating...

Goodness Gracious Meme

10:10 / 02.06.04

difficult this:

Brighton bounce straight back into the first division.

woooohhooooooooo

Brighton fan-mates reminding me that this means we can go watch Brighton-Leeds next season.

Me almost certainly watching leeds in the flesh for the first time in several seasons....

wooh. (but not, if you see what i mean.)

lonely as a cloud...

11:57 / 02.06.04

So, Mourinho's the new Chelski manager. But there is one area where he will never beat Ranieri - hilarity. Here's a gem from Ranieri after the first leg of the Champions' League semi:
"I can't change now. I'm like Frank Sinatra - I always do it my way. I told the players everything I did in the Monaco game was wrong. I changed things to win the match - but we lost and I was thinking 'Oh f*** Claudio, why, why? Bad Tinkerman!'"
Pure genius.

Bed Head

21:20 / 05.06.04

Oooh. Euro 2004, eh? I’m thinking of putting some money on, and I’d like to canvas some expert opinion. At which point I turn to the internet, obviously. As you do. So: will home advantage count in Portugal’s favour? Exactly how shit are Holland? Is three fantastic players and a bunch of old nags enough to win it for France? What about Spain, eh? England. Mmmm.

At this stage I’m rather fancying Italy. And I think maybe they might win the tournament too, b’dum tish.

Current odds, as of now, like:

France 3-1
Italy 9-2
England 7-1
Portugal 7-1
Spain 15-2
Holland 15-2
Czech Rep 14-1
Germany 16-1

Psh. Whaaat? What could be *more* happy-happy-joyjoy than having a flutter on the jolly old Euro-champers? This so belongs here, in this thread, today.

Brigade du jour

21:34 / 05.06.04

Sorry to bring the mood down, but ...

In a season where not only do West Ham stay in the first poxy division, not only do Arsenal have an unbeaten frigging run (and bleat about it like twats for the next century, no doubt) but Darius Vassell gets considered ahead of Jermain Defoe for England, there is NOTHING that makes me happy about football.

Even Tottenham losing another manager can't cheer me up.

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