Briefcase Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 I know it's easy to laugh at Leeds but Derby were brilliant last night in the second half and showed glimpses of their form earlier on in the season on those cup runs, great game to watch, we will probably get a few boring finals now in the next two weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 1 minute ago, Briefcase said: I know it's easy to laugh at Leeds but Derby were brilliant last night in the second half and showed glimpses of their form earlier on in the season on those cup runs, great game to watch, we will probably get a few boring finals now in the next two weeks. Derby are another side I wouldn't mind seeing go up. They're one of those clubs that I remember from the 80's. Jim Smith, Arthur Cox, all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 I miss when the play-off finals always used to be 4-4 draws. Too much to play for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 6 minutes ago, David said: There is an element of earning it for sure, but there's also a shitload of luck involved. There were clubs who were on the right side of the divide at the time (in or around the premier league) when the truly big money started to play a part, and those on the wrong side have inevitably found it really difficult to compete. Chuck in the imploding ITV Digital carry-on during the early 2000's that left a lot of clubs in the 1st division up shit creek and there was always going to be problems. You might have a point if it was all a big carve up but it's not. We got into the PL without parachute payments twice. Burnley have done it. Huddersfield, Sheff United, Brighton, Bournemouth, Wolves, Cardiff, Swansea, Fulham, Southampton, Leicester, Watford. Some of those clubs had someone bankrolling but so have Leeds, Forest and Wednesday through the years. There's no difficulty competing. They've all chucked fuckloads of money at it at times and struggled when it failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 25 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said: I miss when the play-off finals always used to be 4-4 draws. Too much to play for now. I miss David Hopkin scoring a pearl from 30 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Just now, tiger_rick said: You might have a point if it was all a big carve up but it's not. We got into the PL without parachute payments twice. Burnley have done it. Huddersfield, Sheff United, Brighton, Bournemouth, Wolves, Cardiff, Swansea, Fulham, Southampton, Leicester, Watford. Some of those clubs had someone bankrolling but so have Leeds, Forest and Wednesday through the years. There's no difficulty competing. They've all chucked fuckloads of money at it at times and struggled when it failed. Oh, I know it can be done, and I'm not saying it's a carve up. There's clubs who have done it, but it's becoming progressively harder to do it as the years go on, with more and more money being pumped into the league, plus parachute payments and so on. My main point was that I'd rather have teams like Leeds, Forest and Villa, among others in the top flight rather than clubs who are, no offence intended, not very interesting. Leeds are hated by virtually anyone who doesn't support them. That makes them a good club to have in the top flight because Leeds games will have a needle and emotion that games against Brentford, Huddersfield, Sheffield United and so on simply won't have. I just don't get why fans wouldn't want to experience the excitement and joy of playing and beating a Leeds United, and would rather have a jolly old day out in West Yorkshire playing against a team that isn't even worthy of contempt by opposing fans. It's obviously not on the same scale, but Motherwell fucking love beating Hamilton. It's a fixture that regularly sees more arrests than a Celtic vs Rangers game these days, and while I wouldn't condone that kind of thing it shows the kind of needle and animosity there is there. I love the week leading up to the game, the animosity, the hatred. Game day and it's always a tense affair, and the train ride home afterwards is always interesting to say the least. The notion that I'd even consider wanting to trade that for a fuck-all game against the likes of Ross County or Dunfermline seems mental to me. I want to play against the teams I hate, as it's more fun when we beat them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 (edited) 11 minutes ago, David said: Oh, I know it can be done, and I'm not saying it's a carve up. There's clubs who have done it, but it's becoming progressively harder to do it as the years go on, with more and more money being pumped into the league, plus parachute payments and so on. Where are the facts for this? Most of the teams I mentioned have done it in the last decade. Sheff U only did it without parachute payments this year and Derby might. Fulham and Wolves did last year, not sure on Cardiff but they were in the last year if any at all. Brighton and Huddersfield did it the year before that. Boro the year before that. Bournemouth and Watford the year before that. The Premier League isn't all wonderful. There are loads of games you know you're going to get hammered in, loads of games where the much lauded opposition fans are all day-trippers, loads of players your club is paying £20k a week to who are shit, etc. But I never once thought how much better it would be if only we were playing Leeds. Edited May 16, 2019 by tiger_rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 2 minutes ago, tiger_rick said: Where are the facts for this? Most of the teams I mentioned have done it in the last decade. Sheff U only did it without parachute payments this year and Derby might. Fulham and Wolves did last year, not sure on Cardiff but they were in the last year if any at all. Brighton and Huddersfield did it the year before that. Boro the year before that. Bournemouth and Watford the year before that. Note that I said "and so on." There are other factors at play for sure, such as the ITV Digital collapse. There's an interesting look back on that here, with the effects it had on a lot of clubs who were in the Championship and further down at that time. If I recall correctly Forest in particular were fucked by that, losing something like £100,000 a day at one point. There were catalysts from back then that have played a part in how certain clubs have been run since, with those affected by the TV deal falling into difficulty, being sold quickly due to financial loss to new owners who came in and promised big success but who fucked things up even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 It's ancient history. It happened so long ago, Leeds were a Premier League team. I just don't agree that it's any harder. it's harder if you think you're owed promotion because you're a big club. Then you have to watch teams like Sheffield United and Huddersfield acheive something based on smart management, intelligent spending and a committed and united group of players. As much as I take a swipe at Wolves for their financial doping, they did all of that too on a bigger scale. Forest have shown this season that the "model" doesn't just work like magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 1 minute ago, tiger_rick said: It's ancient history. It happened so long ago, Leeds were a Premier League team. Ancient history or not, it still happened and the effects of it are still being felt in one way or another by many clubs today. It set the groundwork for where many clubs are now. But like I said, that wasn't my main point. My main point was that I'd rather see a league with the big clubs who have history and a reputation playing in it, that's all. And that I don't understand why fans of other clubs would rather miss out on the feeling of playing and beating teams that they actively dislike in favour of playing against sides that no one really gives a flying fuck about. I'm sure clubs like Huddersfield and Sheffield United are nice, and I commend them in what they've achieved, but it's not a love-in for me. I don't want to be playing against teams who I "don't mind all that much" when I could be loving it when we beat a team who's fans and very existence I despise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 1 minute ago, David said: I'm sure clubs like Huddersfield and Sheffield United are nice, and I commend them in what they've achieved, but it's not a love-in for me. I don't want to be playing against teams who I "don't mind all that much" when I could be loving it when we beat a team who's fans and very existence I despise. Bring back the Inter-Scottish cup and then you'll find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 53 minutes ago, tiger_rick said: The Premier League isn't all wonderful. There are loads of games you know you're going to get hammered in, loads of games where the much lauded opposition fans are all day-trippers, loads of players your club is paying £20k a week to who are shit, etc. But I never once thought how much better it would be if only we were playing Leeds. You wouldn't love to be playing against one of your main rivals in the top division? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 1 hour ago, David said: Surely if you hate a club you want to see your own club play them, and beat them? Isn't that what it's all about? Or does the fear of losing to them, and maybe them gaining a foothold in the division bother you that much that you'd rather forego the excitement and joy of watching your own side give them a hiding? A. We are Millwall, on the pitch we give no one a hiding. B. With Leeds fans it's that sense of entitlement that I hate. I want to see them as low down in the pyramid as possible, but still in business so they can still be paying Robbie Keene's contract. I don't care if Millwall don't play them, until recently we were rarely in the same division so it's not an issue, though Met Police would probably like us to be in different divisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted May 16, 2019 7 minutes ago, David said: You wouldn't love to be playing against one of your main rivals in the top division? I couldn't give a shit. Not even a bit of one. And the cunts charge £39 a ticket. I'd rather not play them at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 1 minute ago, tiger_rick said: I couldn't give a shit. Not even a bit of one. And the cunts charge £39 a ticket. I'd rather not play them at all. You're a weird lad, Rick. I don't think I've ever met a football fan who says they don't give a shit about playing one of their main rivals (aren't they your actual main rival?) As I mentioned a few pages back, I love playing Accies. I fucking hate them, they're a horrible little club with a small, but surprisingly violent group of fans, but I don't think our season would be the same without the anticipation of playing and then hopefully beating them. Louis Moult wrote himself into folklore when he scored all four goals in a 4-2 win over them a while back, it was terrific. Even Rangers and Celtic, who have some of the most entitled fans you'll ever meet, I love playing them too despite my hatred for them. We lose most times, but that odd time when we nab a result is as sweet as it gets. The play-off games against Rangers when it was assumed we'd go down and they'd come up? We scudded them over both games, it was fantastic. Two games I'll never forget, and leaving Ibrox after we won was like running the fucking gauntlet from the Running Man movie. I honestly couldn't imagine wishing any of those clubs that I hate out of the league, and the idea of hoping we never played them at all? Fucking hell. Would it even still be football? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpeg.55e5547a252a5ad1a05f197973025167.jpeg)
Recommended Posts