"Views
From The `Footiemad` Armchair
Diary Of A Season September 2007 |
Saturday 1st September 2007
Who was the Crystal Palace goalkeeper when they lost 9-0 at Liverpool in 1989?
Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass also directed which film based on September 11th events?
United 93: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd |
Pressure On Spurs: Another day and another slip for Spurs as they twice let a two goal lead slip to draw 3-3 at Fulham having
conceded a last minute goal. Their big spending and high expectations are one thing but if results keep going the way they are this season
then even the staunch Jol supporters could lose patience. That said it would be dopey to get rid of a manager less than a month
into the season but stranger things have happened.
Keane's Return: Arguably the biggest coup of Setanta's coverage so far this season was today's return to Old Trafford of
Roy Keane. Ultimately his Sunderland side lost narrowly but restricted United to long range efforts and only a lack on concentration at
set pieces cost them the goal. One notably thing though was how comfortable Sunderland looked in possession, content to pass it around
in both halves with no needless hoofing it upfield. Nani again did his drama queen bit in the first half but recovered amazingly quickly
when United were given the advantage having kept the ball. Finally - Craig Gordon and the �9m price tag. Sounds excessive but he
does look a very assured keeper.
Sixy Liverpool: If there were any doubts that Liverpool could be contenders this season then their six goal hammering of
Derby will have put a few people right today. Oddly enough, whilst walking one of our dogs this afternoon (before the games
kicked off) I was thinking about Liverpool's 9-0 win over Palace almost 20 years ago and by all accounts, it could have been similar
today. Fernando Torres netted twice and has looked impressive each time I've seen him and if Liverpool are still there or there
abouts at the turn of the year, who is to say that they won't end that 18 year wait. Chelsea and Man United probably.
Minus 3 and counting! We're almost onto zero now after a fourth league win in a row as we are now the only 100% club in the
four divisons after a 1-0 win over Luton. Give it two months and we'll be top!!
Sunday 2nd September 2007
Prior to the start of the season, which top flight club have had a massive 26 managerial
changes since 1945?
"Oh I could throw you in the lake or feed you poisoned birthday cake. I wont
deny I'm gonna miss you when you're gone." (Song)
I Can't Decide - Scissor Sisters - Correctly answered by kirstymd |
Chelsea Are Human! :Chelsea cannot win at Villa Park and, according to Sky, haven't for eight seasons.
That recorded continued
today as two second half goals handed Chelsea their first defeat of the campaign and it has to be said, Villa deserved it. Chelsea
had the possession and didn't precious little with it whilst Villa were tight at the back, quick on the break and clinical when they
needed to be. This isn't the lightweight, mid-table Villa that used to frequent the Premier League. This is a club with Martin O'Neill
at the helm, a combination of seasoned pros and impressive youngsters that deserve some recognition and they should get it after
today. My only concern really it that the media will concentrate on Chelsea's failings rather than Villa's performance which would
be unfair.
Tight At The Top: I didn't see Arsenal's 3-1 win against Portsmouth but after all of today's games, we now have the
customary two week international break but what a stage to leave it. The top four clubs (Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea)
are all on ten points with the top TWELVE clubs separated by just THREE points! Obviously it won't stay this tight throughout the
season but what a start. No-one really kicking for the line and running away with it and many clubs in with a shout of a European
placing. The break has come at the wrong time really but what anticipation in store between now and the next set of games.
Monday 3rd September 2007
This time last year, which nation set a new scoring record with a 13-0 win
in a European Championship qualifing win over San Marino?
Germany: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd
"I'm nothing special, in fact I'm a bit of a bore. If I tell a joke, you've
probably heard it before." (Song)
Thank You For The Music - Abba: Correctly answered by Heidi |
Here Come The Internationals: It's international week coming up and one of the few times when I tend to largely avoid
the sport news as I get fed up with live reports from the training camps and breaking news that player A only trained for
20 minutes and player B now looks doubtful after appearing to break his fingernail in a collision with the guy who
paints the lines on the pitch. Ultimately most of it is speculation and when the team is picked on Saturday, many with scratch
their head and think, "I thought he was injured," or "Why isn't player C playing." Nothing against internationals, especially
qualifiers, but it does tend to saturate the sports news with heresay.
Roomba With A View: Although we've been to the Lake District a few times, I don't recall getting anything from Lakeland however we seem to be on
their mailing list and today, among the rest of the crap in the post, came a Lakeland catalogue. It was largely reading material for
insomniacs however one thing caught my wife's eye - the iRobot Roomba! This contraption looks like a portable CD player and will
hoover your room by remote control whilst you sit on the sofa and watch Maury or whatever
other imported claptrap takes your fancy. From the pictures it
doesn't look capable of handling the amount of dog hairs that our two canines produce unless we emptied it every five minutes and at
�200 doesn't come cheap (although it's around the same price as a Dyson really!). Personally I'm not convinced and as I told my wife,
she already has one anyway. It's called the husband.
Thursday 6th September 2007
During Italia 90, what
disciplinary matter linked the winners of the opening game and the
losers in the final?
Which 80s horror film was set in the Antartic yet filmed in the
summer in Los Angeles in 100 degree temps?
The Thing: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd |
Death Of A Giant: With little happening in the football world this week, it's taken sad news to get me writing and whilst
the death of an opera singer normally wouldn't get a second glance, the passing away of Luciano Pavarotti in the early hours will
touch a great many football fans. In his way, he brought opera to the masses in 1990 with Nessun Dorma which became the anthem of
Italia 90 and suddenly this giant of a man was known to millions more throughout the world. I'm not an opera buff by any stretch but
that will be what he is known for by many despite the fact that I'm sure he's done far more in his career than the one piece. I could
write a load more which would only be repeats of many other obits everywhere else but I think the DJ on Virgin radio summed it up
well when he said that when asked who the three tenors were, Pavarotti was always the one people mentioned first.
The World Cup Starts Soon... Sadly not the football version but both the Rugby Union and Cricket's first ever Twenty20 WC.
I will watch some of the latter on Sky as, compared to normal cricket, it's quick, exciting and you don't need to wait hours or
days for a result. As for the rugby, many will watch and enjoy and, much like the football, support England when they actually have
no idea of the format or who they play (much like me!) but I wonder how many people will moan that the `bloody rugby` has taken over
the schedules on ITV? We get it during the football WC and the rugby version lasts for SIX WEEKS, two more than our version! We shall see.
Saturday 8th September 2007
Who is the only current Prem manager to have had two seperate spells as boss of his
current club?
"My heart is full and my door's always open, you can come any time you want." (Song)
She will be loved - Maroon 5: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd |
All's Well... After a week of injury worries, performance concerns and general pessimism, England finally did what
most of us expected and beat Israel with very few problems. The 3-0 scoreline could have been doubled and few would have
complained as England looked comfortable from the minute that Shaun Wright-Phillips netted the opener. Subsequent goals from
Michael Owen and a first ever international goal from Micah Richards set up Wednesday's home game with Russia nicely, however two
points of note. John Motson remains a decent commentator but Mark Lawrenson continues to grind with me and they both went on about how
Owen's goal was excellent (which it was in truth) and how it was his best for England. Maybe so but for me the one against Argentina
in France 98 was far better but didn't get mentioned I believe. Also, speaking of Owen, his involvement in the third goal was a joke
as the keeper ran into him and claimed a foul. Sorry keeper but Owen stood his ground and did nothing wrong. Good result, good
performance and, for the record, I see similar on Wednesday although a 2-0 win looks likely for me.
Late Scots Show: Okay, I'll admit that with 15 minutes left, I was worried with us only drawing 1-1 at home to
Lithuania and even their goal was courtesy of one of the most blatant dives ever seen! If UEFA/FIFA genuinely want to stamp this
out, then post-match fines/bans should be handed out. Anyway, we rarely looked settled until the superb third goal from James McFadden
which had me off of the seat as did the second albeit for different (sheer relief!) reasons. France and Italy drew so we still have
a chance of knocking out one of the heavyweights and even if we don't, we've given them one hell of a fright.
And So To Zero! Five games, five wins and finally now, zero points! We could be (a) into the plusses this time next week as
we play on the Friday night and maybe even off of the bottom. Apparently we were outplayed for long spells in the 2-0 win over
Hartlepool yet still managed all three points and suddenly there is light at the end of the tunnel. As the fans sung, "F*** off to
the Football League."
Monday 10th September 2007
What major change did the top three divisions undergo starting in season 1973-74?
Which artist has had best selling albums called Into The Light, Crusader and Flying Colours?
Chris De Burgh: Correctly answered by heidi |
Back To The Past: Back in the mid 80s when Channel 4 first burst onto our screens, they started showing quite of
lot of the NFL - American Football - and I must admit to getting quite involved despite only really knowing the basis rules.
In recent years, Sky have picked up the mantle and are showing stacks of games live so I revisiting my post-school days yesterday
and watched the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 38-14. What I had forgotten is that whilst the game only lasts an hour,
the clock is halted when the ball goes dead. Add to that three timeouts for each team and a stoppage at the end of each half with
two minutes to go and you have a game that actually takes THREE hours to complete. Of course the Americans waste no time to put in
ad breaks and even ads for forthcoming programmes during brief breaks in play which was an
irritant to say the least. Biggest annoyance
though was missing a piece of history when the feed was lost for a few seconds at the start of the second half resulting in us
missing the majority of a 108 yard touchdown run - the longest in the history of the NFL!
Spent the morning shopping in Bath although actually all we ended up spending was a few quid on breakfast and the car park! Bath is
currently undergoing a major city centre redevelopment which means they've knocked down an old shopping precinct, bus station and
car park and by 2009-10, will have a new one in place. In the meantime it's a mess with disabled parking much further away than
before and many of the shops we used to like reduced to rubble. Long term it will be worth it I suppose but I have no inclination to
go anywhere near the centre again unless I have to. They also have a good scheme to get people to use public transport which
involves extortionate parking charges which START at �2.80 for two hours! Thankfully that's all we had to pay as we were done within
90 minutes.
Tuesday 11th September 2007
Between 1985 and 1995 which player won eight titles with three different clubs in
three different countries?
Siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal played on screen brother and sister in which 2001 film?
Donnie Darko: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd |
Poor Reporting: Here is a snippet from the BBC's report of the first goal in the Burton v Torquay game last night.
"John Brayford gave Burton an early lead when his 30-yard free-kick found the
top-left corner of the net." I watched the first half on Setanta and from my sofa it looked like a 55-yard free kick which
drifted into the area, was misjudged by the keeper who then tried to catch it and
ultimately just tipped it into the net. 30 yards
is not too far outside the area. The actuality was that the scorer netted from his own half and it was one of the freakiest
goals you'll probably ever see!! Add to that a red card in the last
minute which is only in the summary and not mentioned in the report at all then you have a poor show from what should be a world
renowned company. Or maybe non-league is below their level?
To Smoke Or To Annoy? The recent ban on smoking inside public buildings doesn't really affect me directly as I don't smoke. The
difference now is that you have to battle through the hoards of smokers outside to get into the clean air inside whereas before it
used to be the other way around. I take one of our dogs for a walk each afternoon and we pass a certain pub with a number of
smokers outside and whilst we barely take notice of each other, I do speak to some that I've known from a while back. One chap though
has taken a dislike to me or at least my team and for a few days has made snide comments as I've passed wearing my Leeds jacket.
At the weekend, he decided to burst into a chorus of "We Hate Leeds!" which was probably the drink talking but equally not nice
for someone doing nothing more offensive than walking his dog. I'm not one to look for trouble and simply ignored him and now changed
the route so that whilst I still pass the pub, it's away from the smokers however it does get to me that there are people like that
out there who choose to insult total strangers! My dog is of little use and would run a mile if anything kicked off as he has
done frequently when confronted by a cat. He's a disloyal sod actually as he protects my wife 100% when she's out with him but
when I take him, nothing! Maybe he hates Leeds as well.
Wednesday 12th September 2007
Michael Owen's first goal for England came against which nation?
"My heart could take a chance but my two feet can't find a way. You think
that I could muster up a little soft, shoe gentle sway." (Song) |
What A Difference Five Years Makes! :Back in 2002, Scotland travelled to Paris to face France and came away having been
hammering 5-0 in a game which we were lucky to get away with only conceding five! Today the tables were turned in a sensational
result that would have sent shock waves around Europe. James McFadden's long range belter gave us a 1-0 win despite France
peppering Craig Gordon with a series of shots. It was a superb shot and who cares if it moved in the air or the keeper was at fault
- it still went in! We actually have a decent chance of making the finals with two home games left and one away although the final
game is home to Italy which could end up being a decider! Either way these are great times for the Scots and long may they
continue.
Big 40 For Owen: Last weekend I tipped a 2-0 win for England against Russia and had it not been for Rio's late goal, I would
have been right! Apart from a few scares, this was routine for an England side that looked comfortable and impressive and once
Michael Owen opened the scoring, never looked like slipping up. Barring injuries, Owen will surely become the first England player
to top 50 goals and beat the likes of Gary Lineker and Bobby Charlton into the all time leading scorer list. Finally, a chap at work
called Emile Heskey `a donkey` for his display. He must have been watching a different game! Mind you, he did have to ask me who
he played for now. I could have said Frome Town and he'd probably have believed me.
Saturday 15th September 2007
Who were the first winners of the league cup under the Carling Cup sponsorship deal?
During which film did Brad Pitt injure his arm doing a stunt, the injury was then worked into the actual script? |
Back to domestic football at last today and my weekend began well even before Saturday was upon us...
Off The Bottom: Six wins on the bounce now for us as we go into the plusses and move out of the bottom three after a Friday
night win at Bristol Rovers. Today's results pushed us back down to second bottom but it's great to see the lack of a minus sign
in our points column. Next two hurdles are getting out of the drop zone and then into the top half. Sooner or later this bubble will
burst, we all know that, but hopefully not yet!
Goals? Where? Sods law isn't it? Two Prem games on live today both ended goalless! Portsmouth v Liverpool at least had a
penalty save in the mix whereas Chelsea v Blackburn had a goal ruled out that shouldn't have been but all told they were two
poor games with poor finishing a some decent goalkeeping.
Top From Nowhere: All this meant that Man United sneaked top for a couple of hours and then Arsenal took over after a superb
win at Spurs. The Gunners were largely unfancied this season but in a campaign where no-one can put a decent run together, they
have gone top and will not be easy to shift.
Sunday 16th September 2007
When Andy Cole joined Man United from Newcastle, which player moved in the opposite
direction as part of the deal?
"Just out of reach. Work till you die, thats what they teach you at
school. With that in mind, whats there to lose?" (Song) |
City Second As Second City Side Beaten: Man City v Aston Villa at least had a goal unlike the other live Prem games this
weekend although overall it was again little more than average fare. It should have been so much better especially when the heavy
rain arrived but somehow just failed to spark into life. Although City are second, they surely need a decent 20 goal a season striker
to keep them in the top six and Ronaldo Bianchi may just be the man if he starts on the field rather than the bench. Tomorrow's
see Derby at home to Newcastle on Setanta. Maybe that will rescue a poor weekend for televised top flight games.
69.3% of stats are made up on the spot! From today's
Mail on Sunday. Apparently the average Briton reads 533 books in a lifetime! As
an avid reader I could well believe this, however equally eye-opening was the
other stat that said 40% never bother reading books. This would include my wife who
has read one book in the 18 years I've known her and that was due to abject
boredom whilst in hospital. (I'm not including magazines in that by the way with their `My
Wife's Pet Hippo Sleeps In Our Bed` headlines and equally not including those snoopy
books that consist entirely of peanuts comic strips.) Unlike the way we watch TV, or view films or listen to/buy music, books
have barely changed since their inception although subject matters have almost certainly got broader. In
short, they are largely unchanged and unspoiled over literally centuries! I'm not saying `do as I do` because it's each to
their own obviously, however it does make me smile if we're in a hospital
waiting room and I have my head buried in the latest Mark Billingham (clever pun
if you can spot it incidentally!) to pass the time whilst others are sat there
reading leaflets that vary from `How to Squeeze Zits Cleanly` to `Sex During
Bronchitis` because they are bored. In fact, often as not, being called in for
an appointment inconsiderately interrupts a decent reading session for me.
Monday 17th September 2007
Which long since defunct competition did Derby win in 1972?
"The reality is we're still 11 year old boys locked in a cellar imagining what
our lives would have been if we'd escaped." (Film) |
Miller On Target: Whilst Derby's win over Newcastle tonight was better than much of the live Prem games over the weekend,
I still had a few problems really getting interested in the match for some reason. Yes, Newcastle were poor and Derby played well
and should have had more than the one goal scored superbly by Kenny Miller but my interest was wavering throughout. It may have
been the Scouse drawl of Steve McManaman beforehand or the fact that the commentator must have told us half a dozen times that Steve#
Howard was a Newcastle fan each and every time he sent a header off target and we were told at least twice that the
same player once played in the same Hartlepool team as Toon keeper Steve Harper! Tell us once by all means
but don't repeatedly. All that aside, Setanta's coverage is decent enough and
they are yet to fall into any gimmicky traps as ITV have done a number of times before. Remember the Tactics Truck!
Spooky! :Whilst driving over to Bristol today, we got caught (as always) in a few
delays going into the city which happens regardless of which way we decide to go
in. Whilst sat waiting for traffic lights to change from red to green, my mind
and eyes wandered and I noticed I was stopped almost directly outside a Baptist
Church. Nothing unusual in that as we're on the outskirts of a major city,
however the house next door was numbered 654. As the lights changed and I drove
of, I can only assume that a few doors down from the church would be
number...666! Next time, I'll try and keep my eyes on the house numbers rather
than the road - or perhaps not!
Tuesday 18th September 2007
Where was the last ever Cup Winners Cup Final played?
"Sometimes i look up high and then I think there might just be a better
life. Away from all we know, that's where I wanna go, out on the wild side." (Song) |
Not A Good Start: Poor night in Europe for the Brit clubs with Celtic losing away (so whats
new), Chelsea held at home by Rosenberg and Liverpool getting a decent away
draw at Porto which was the game that I watched. Mind you after the way
Liverpool defended for the first ten minutes I reckon they'd be delighted
with a draw. The early mistake from Finnan and subsequent save by Reina set
the tone for hesitation between the keeper and Sami Hyypia resulting in the
penalty. The equaliser came quick and seemed to quell the early Porto
enthusiasm a bit and the only incident of note thereafter was the red caerd
shown to Jermaine Pennant which you could see coming from early on in truth.
Ironically, we have a mag in at work on a Wednesday called LFC which is
obviously printed well before last nights game, however on the front cover
is a plug for an exclusive interview with Pennant with the tagline "Making
The Right Decisions!" Well timed chaps!
Hells Kitchen on ITV over the last two weeks has been great entertainment
and this from someone who gives reality shows a big, huge wide berth! This is
different as it's celebs actually doing and learning something alien to them and
something that affects everyone in the real world. From Barry burning his hand
to Anneka's fish holding exploits via Marco's constant jibes at moaning
customers ("You'd think they'd paid for their meal!") and not forgetting the
early bust ups mostly involving Jim Davidson, it's been essential viewing and
one of the few things that both myself and my wife watch together and without
fail! Brian, Abi and Adele constantly made me laugh and Nick, the Maitre D
deserves more screentime! The only downside for me is that we've watched almost
every show the day after it was broadcast thanks to Sky Plus and whilst it's
been largely ok, we did read about the Davidson exit before watching it and,
unfortunately for me, discovered the eventual winner thanks to Virgin Radio News
at work on Tuesday morning! Hells Kitchen USA starts next Monday. If it's half
as good as the UK version then it'll be unmissable.
Wednesday 19th September 2007
Excluding penalty shoot outs, which are the only two clubs to score
five or more goals in a European Cup/CL Final?
"Playing football in the park. Kicking Push bikes after dark." (Song)
Baggy Trousers - Madness: Correctly
answered by peanutsfan |
Better For The Brits: After Tuesday's dismal results, the Brits bounced back tonight with Arsenal, Man United and
Rangers all winning. The latter pair of results were impressive with United winning in Portugal (what odds on Cristiano
Ronaldo scoring against his former club I wonder!) and Rangers coming from
behind to beat Stuttgart, however the Gunners beating fancied Seville should not go unoticed. I watched the second half of
the Arsenal game and at times they were back to their awesome best and certainly not missing Thierry Henry at the moment.
Wenger is again almost starting from scratch and gelling together a team of youngsters and new arrivals that are certainly
getting it right on the pitch.
Choices, choices! When I was at school back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and Val Doonican was on the telly every
Saturday night, there were a few after school activities to get involved in. The usual stuff like football training, rugby, chess
club et al. I only ever did the football training on a regular basis and even then never made the first team but was a valued member
of the `eager-but-crap-so-lets-put-him-in-the-reserves` section. Nowadays it's different. My daughter has just started a new school and
her last before venturing out into the big wide world and yesterday came home with a list of available after school clubs spread
over FOUR PAGES of A4! The usual sporty stuff is there along with badminton (if you like bashing a dead budgie over a net), trampolining
and a fair few academic things with maths and science. However, there are also groups on Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International,
Book Clubs, Photography, Art, Drama, Film Making and, my personal favourite....Ultimate Frizbee! Not that I'm jealous or anything
of course...
Thursday 20th September 2007
Who scored Chelsea first league goal under Jose Mourinho's reign?
"But if that don't mean nothing like if someday it should fall
through. You'll take me home where the magic's from znd I'll be with you." (Song) |
Jose Gone! Most mornings when you get up, the news is much the same as a few hours before when you went to bed. Not today
as the breaking news at 3am was that Chelsea had confirmed the departure of boss Jose Mourinho. Shocked, stunned, surprised? All
of them really as the Special One leaves for pastures new and Chelsea look to announce that Avram Grant (Director of Football at
Chelsea apparently) will take over. For all the good that he's done for the club, Mourinho could surely have only left due to
internal disputes as, on the pitch, whilst not up to their usual high standards, it wasn't that bad in fairness. I liked the bloke
and would love to see him stay in England although I don't think that he will which will mean another character lost from the Prem.
Friday 21st September 2007
Who knocked Spurs out of last seasons UEFA Cup?
"What if you had to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you
knew they'd never believe you?" (Film) |
Practise Penalties: Another mixed night in Europe last night as Spurs won easily, Everton and Bolton drew and Blackburn
surprisingly lost. Everton's game kicked off late due to a ticket cock-up and traffic congestion but with the benefit of
hindsight I wished I'd have stuck with it with two red cards and two missed penalties in the latter stages. Everton actually netted their
first kick only to have to retake it due to encroachment when it was subsequent saved. Consistancy is the key here as on Tuesday
when Porto netted from the spot against Liverpool, one of their players was almost level with the taker!
BBC Lies Again! :One of the news stories of recent months had been the rigging of certain TV phone polls with some calls
charged and not counted among other things. I've never trusted these sort of things anyway, popular on many reality shows as the
result can easily be fixed anyway, regardless of actually votes. The BBC's latest name and shame is....the naming of the Blue Peter
cat!! They should hang their heads! Apparently the name Socks was chosen by the powers that be after the actual winning name was
deemed unsuitable. The name in question - Cookie (although the Guardian simply said that it was a variation on Puss??). I dunno
which is more sad, the fact that they chose their own name anyway or the fact that it's being made such a big deal of.
Weekend of 22nd & 23rd September 2007
Which Man United player was sent off when Chelsea beat them 5-0 in October 1999?
Which film of true events starred Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton in the lead roles? |
A joint weekend entry as I spent most of Saturday either working or at our town's carnival. So onwards...
Saturday: Leeds won again - seven in a row for us now - and in front of a crowd of marginally under 30,000! The 2-0
win against Swansea puts us out of the drop zone and within a couple of wins of the play off places. We'll be back in the Prem soon...
On which note, some cracking games on Saturday including Setanta's live match which I missed as Fulham and Man City shared six goals.
Middlesbrough and Sunderland shared four at the Riverside whilst Arsenal whipped Derby 5-0. I've seen the highlights are they
are really playing some great football at the moment. Adebayor hit the first hat trick in the Prem this season but in truth, the five
goals that they netted could have been doubled.
Sunday: Battle of the giants at Old Trafford saw Man United beat Chelsea 2-0. Some points though. The red card was harsh and
Joe Cole's second half tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo was worse yet only warranted a yellow. The penalty was a penalty although Saha
did his dying swan act so that the referee would give it! Finally, the goal in first half stoppage time. What was wrong with going
30+ seconds over the two minutes? The appropriate phrase is that a MINIMUM of two minutes will be played. If the ref wanted
to add another ten minutes on, he's within his rights for goodness sake. The only controversy should be over the red card and not
the goal. In fact, we had two instances of fisticuffs this weekend where reds weren't shown!
Monday 24th September 2007
John Carew joined Aston Villa from which club?
"Too long I roam in the night. I'm coming back to his side, to put it
right. I'm coming home." (Song) |
Red Tape Alert! Nope, not a ticker tape welcome at Old Trafford but a tale of `Jobsworth` proportions at a nearby hospital
where I spent the morning today with my wife who was undergoing a multitude of tests as part of her annual review. One such test
was actually an X-Ray where the specialist gave us a form to take to the department so that we could get booked in. However, the doctor
had written everything on the form except our address (the postcode was there, just the address missing) so the receptionist decided
that she couldn't accept it. Before I had chance to say anything, another member of staff came over and a discussion took place between
the two with one stating that they could ask us the address whilst the first maintained that it HAD to be written on by the doctor.
I even offered to write it on myself and take full responsibility but that wasn't accepted. Eventually they agreed that if my wife
could give her correct postcode (that matched the one on the form) then they would enter our address after we'd told them. If they
spent as much money on extra car parking spaces as they clearly do on routine proceedure then it would make visiting slightly easier.
Tuesday 25th September 2007
Which Liverpool player holds the
record for the quickest goal in a League Cup Final?
"Lost my faith in the summertime, cos it dont stop raining. The sky
all day is as black as night, but I'm not complaining." (Song) |
Triple Torres: If ever a player gave his manager the proverbial two-fingered salute, it
was Fernando Torres against Reading tonight. He cost more than a third world
debt yet hasn't been able to get a first team start in the league, yet in the
Carling Cup - known for it's `weakened` teams, he's in. Kicked from pillar to
post by Reading who clearly felt that they couldn't handle him by fair means, he
even allowed them parity at half time before launching into them furiously after
the break. Three superbly well taken goals later and I bet he felt like running
over to the bench and yelling at his boss about just what he is capable of. To
his credit he celebrated in a way which befitted his entire game last night. Not
once did he react to being chopped at and even when brought down for one of the
clearest penalties you'll even see not given, he remained focused. Whether he'll
start in the league at Wigan at the weekend remains to be seen. He certainly
deserves to.
Wednesday 26th September 2007
In 1995 Man United lost 3-0 at home to York in the League Cup. But which future
Premiership goalie was in goal for York for that game?
"I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and
it's gonna last you for the rest of your life." (Film) |
United Sent To Coventry: It's always a risk playing an under strength team in any competition and whilst the likes of Arsenal
and Chelsea have continually proved that their reserves are better than most first teams, Man United fell flat on their faces today with
a 2-0 home defeat against Championship side Coventry. Only John O'Shea and Nani are first team `regulars` and by all accounts
United were dire and the Sky Blues totally deserved their win. United can console themselves with one less conpetition to clog
up the fixtures (and one less to win) and the fact that they'll probably learn more from the defeat than had they had won easily,
although boss Sir Alex did say that he was flabbergasted. I'll bet the words he used in the dressing room were different.
Coventry goalscorer Michael Mifsud was a new name for me but I imagine suddenly people who've known him since he was born will
pile out of the woodwork to say their bit and the tabloids will have half a page devoted to him before the weekend. Lets hope he
doesn't end up in the `where is he now` folder along with another Old Trafford anti-hero Dennis Bailey.
Thursday 27th September 2007
Which two lower league clubs did Man United play in the league cup last season?
"Light up, light up. As if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear." (Song) |
Hells Kitchen 2: Well, Hells Kitchen USA actually which for all it's faults is certainly watchable. Unlike the UK, the twelve
contestants are not celebs but entrants who currently work in the catering industry which presumably means they have some cooking
skills already and why Gordon Ramsey is perhaps a little too critical. It does suffer from being a little too American though. The
first show gave us SIX minutes of coming soon before the glitzy opening credits even arrived and unlike the UK show where most kitchen
scenes had no background music, the US version seems to have music overlaying every scene from slapstick when Aaron saw fit to
introduce himself to many of the diners to utterly dramatic music during the frequent arguments and eviction scenes. I felt for the
girl who (as one fellow contestant put it) only works in a `f***ing waffle bar!` and was subsequent snubbed by the other girls who
have `proper` chefs jobs. Ultimately she was the only one able to fry an egg properly!! My fave has to be Aaron though who will last
about five minutes. He's a 48-year old chef at a care home and has a sensational ability to burst into tears before the cooking
even begins and took 15 minutes to fillet a fish at a diners table only to leave half the bones in. Amazingly he wasn't even put
up for eviction and stayed in.
Saturday 29th September 2007
In November 2004, which two clubs took part in a 5-4 Prem classic live on Sky?
The main character in which recent film has the unflattering name of Kyle Pratt? |
Horror In Bath: Spent the morning, and a good part of the afternoon, in The Forum in Bath
with a talk, Q&A and a book signing with one of my daughter's favourite
author - Darren Shan. I must admit that he came across very well and I was
impressed with him, especially the build up for the naming of the new book,
officially out on Monday but available to all who bought tickets for today's
talk. Naturally we had one, although it was only after the talk but waiting to
buy/meet Darren Shan that the problems began as we were queueing for two and a
half hours! Around halfway through th organisers split one queue into two,
resulting in some doing some official queue jumping and sparking one toffee
nosed pillock of a father to really have a good old fashioned moan at any
steward who would listen (and did he make sure they listened!). By the time my
daughter got near to having her book(s) signed, he had rested from moan-mode and
then restarted more than once and was getting on everyone's nerves to the point
that, when we left after having books signed and a photo, I wished one steward
the best of luck! A good day though although better if the signings had been
kept to a max of two books per person as some brought a dozen to be
signed!
Fun At Fratton: Dull and unexciting at Fratton Park
today with eleven goals, a hat trick and two penalties as Portsmouth and Reading
broke the Prem record of most goals in a game. The 7-4 match was certainly not
for the pureists and culminated in an astonishing spell of six goals in the
final twenty minutes!
Fun At Gills: Leeds finally slipped up as a last minute
goal away at Gillingham meant that we drew our first game of the season after
seven wins on the bounce. More worrying was the fact that both Kandol and
Beckford were both sent off and will face bans! Should be interesting to see who
starts up front for the Oldham game on Tuesday.
Chelsea See Red Again: For the second league game in a
row, Chelsea fail to score and end with ten men as Didier Drogbe returned from
injury to earn two yellows against Fulham. I listened to this on TalkSport live
and Drogba was a drip apparently to get booked for dissent and then off for a
head high challenge. The side were jeered off and new boss Avram Grant will have
his work cut out to win over the fans.
Reds Roll On:
Finally a word on the top two as both Arsenal and Man United won 1-0
away. At the moment they both look pretty unbeatable and whilst United are
making a habit of winning narrowly, they are not conceding goals - always a good
sign when looking for potential champions.
Sunday 30th September 2007
What nationality is Everton's Steven Pienaar?
Which was the final Bond film in which Lois Maxwell played her famous role? |
Taking Your Chances: If ever a game was a classic example of taking goalscoring opportunities when they arrive, it was today's Goodison clash as Everton beat Middlesbrough. Boro had a great chance through George Boateng before Everton went ahead and two more before half time with Gary O'Neil shooting at the keeper and Dong-Gook Lee heading against the bar. The rest is history as the home side added a second after the break and effectively destroyed the match as a contest. It's all about margins and decisions and on a
different day, Boro could have been out of sight by half time and at best should have had a draw from the game. But as we know, you don't always get what you deserve.
Spooky Happenings Part 63: Prior to going to the book signing yesterday, I was chatting to a chap at work about books and he told me that he loved the James Bond books and films. I mentioned that the lady who played the original Miss Moneypenny used to live in our town and that we used to deliver her papers but for the life of me I couldn't recall her name. On the news today I hear the sad news that Lois Maxwell has passed away aged 80. As I'm not a Bond fan, I had no idea who she was until a work
colleague pointed her out to me and I was lucky enough to have a number of pleasant chats with her, although never did she refer back to her Bond work or the fact that she was an idol to a number of film fans. In short she was a really nice person who oddly came up in conversation yesterday, literally years after I last saw her and after she moved from our town.
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