26/27 football thread

[mim731]

3 hours ago, Carbomb said:

Apologies for the diversion, but was just sent this screenshot by a mate, regarding the Ireland-Israel match.

 

As I understand it, this was accurate. Saw a few people I know who have connections around the Ireland set up saying similar, so I'd say there's a reasonable amount of truth to it.   

[Jazzy G]

17 hours ago, Mr_Danger said:

The words of Joe Hart are about as sincere as the words of convicted drugs cheat and ex City Manager/Ambassador of Tiki Taka in Abu Dhabi Pep Guardiola. What else are they going to say? Oh yeah that second bank account full of bonus money was just coincidental. 
 

The money was just resting in that account. 

The Rovers' owners have been using the club as collateral against loans they've taken out with themselves for ages. It's only a matter of time now until they default and have to hand the club over tk themselves in order to avoid getting into trouble with themselves. 

I see Etihad airlines are threatening legal action against the Premier League for "bringing the reputation of the airline into disrepute." 

[Mr_Danger]

It is mad how still at this point both sides are coming across as supremely confident in their sides of the case. You’d assume with all the evidence on the table and an independent body backing up the Premier Leagues case that they’re the ones in the ‘right’ and Abu Dhabi just assumed all the money and power they could throw behind it would make it go away. Funny that with all the pressure ramping up they even have the Prime Minister not getting involved by not so subtly singing the praises of the City owners. Almost like someone cut off Kier Starmer head and two more grew from his neck the disappointing bastard.

[tiger_rick]

2 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

Funny that with all the pressure ramping up they even have the Prime Minister not getting involved by not so subtly singing the praises of the City owners. Almost like someone cut off Kier Starmer head and two more grew from his neck the disappointing bastard.

I don't think that's a surprise given that their investment has been the impetus to regenerate an area of Manchester. The first time I went to the Etihad, it was still pretty much a wasteland bar the commenweath games facilities and every time I've been since, there is more and more investment, new buildings, new arena, University campuses, etc. I haven't watched Stick to Football yet but I'd hope Gary Neville mentions it too, given his own remit. I think it'd be more dishonest of him to not mention it in mitigation than it is for the PM to do so.

That's not to justify anything they've done. It just would be a massive shame for the City if they were forced out and replaced by owners with no interest in improving the place.

Also, I'm all for throwing the book at them for breaking the rules but I'm finding the shock about it a bit false. Actually, a lot false. Surely everyone knew what they were up to. Maybe not the scale but the fact they were putting the money in and inflating sponsorship deals has been known for years. There's clearly things that can be said now they've been proven guilty but lots of the people stunned that these guys were fiddling seem either fake or stupid to me.

[Mr_Danger]

43 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

I don't think that's a surprise given that their investment has been the impetus to regenerate an area of Manchester. The first time I went to the Etihad, it was still pretty much a wasteland bar the commenweath games facilities and every time I've been since, there is more and more investment, new buildings, new arena, University buildings campuses, etc. I haven't watched Stick to Football yet but I'd hope Gary Neville mentions it too, given his own remit. I think it'd be more dishonest of him to not mention it in mitigation than it is for the PM to do so.

That's not to justify anything they've done. It just would be a massive shame for the City if they were forced out and replaced by owners with no interest in improving the place.

Also, I'm all for throwing the book at them for breaking the rules but I'm finding the shock about it a bit false. Actually, a lot false. Surely everyone knew what they were up to. Maybe not the scale but the fact they were putting the money in and inflating sponsorship deals has been known for years. There's clearly things that can be said now they've been proven guilty but lots of the people stunned that these guys were fiddling seem either fake or stupid to me.

That’s kind of how sports washing works. Look at all this great stuff we do, no don’t look over there look at this good thing here.

I’d be interested in hearing from people who live local to that particular area to see if those developments have positively affected them or as is often the case marginalised them even more and priced them out of the area. Not a practice that’s exclusive to just oil tyrants tbf.

[Devon Malcolm]

2 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

I’d be interested in hearing from people who live local to that particular area to see if those developments have positively affected them or as is often the case marginalised them even more and priced them out of the area.

Yes, all this. If you're going to sportwash then you don't do it by building affordable housing and public schools. Might attract the wrong sorts! You build a bunch of stuff to attract the middle and upper classes to the area. Their kind of people.

Genuinely funny to see people talking up how much they've done for the city of Manchester. I guess that means the project has worked, then.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Real Madrid want all Barcelona's trophies taken off them from 2001 onwards. Pep's head must be spinning this week.

 

[Ironic Indie Lad]

Just arrest Pep at this point. 

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Arsenal are Champions League winners if this goes Madrid's way.

[tiger_rick]

4 hours ago, Mr_Danger said:

That’s kind of how sports washing works. Look at all this great stuff we do, no don’t look over there look at this good thing here.

I’d be interested in hearing from people who live local to that particular area to see if those developments have positively affected them or as is often the case marginalised them even more and priced them out of the area. Not a practice that’s exclusive to just oil tyrants tbf.

 

4 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Yes, all this. If you're going to sportwash then you don't do it by building affordable housing and public schools. Might attract the wrong sorts! You build a bunch of stuff to attract the middle and upper classes to the area. Their kind of people.

Genuinely funny to see people talking up how much they've done for the city of Manchester. I guess that means the project has worked, then.

Points taken, chaps. That is exactly how the Sportswashing works. I stand by the point that it's understandable why the former Mayor of Manchester would appreciate that overall contribution. I'm certainly not trying to tell anyone who lives and breathes it what's going on. Just my experience of what was a pretty desolate space when I was there 20 years ago.

[Devon Malcolm]

1 hour ago, tiger_rick said:

 

Points taken, chaps. That is exactly how the Sportswashing works. I stand by the point that it's understandable why the former Mayor of Manchester would appreciate that overall contribution. I'm certainly not trying to tell anyone who lives and breathes it what's going on. Just my experience of what was a pretty desolate space when I was there 20 years ago.

It was but the 'filling in' projects around the centre of Manchester have all been more or less the same. All the blocks of flats springing up alongside the tram line between Deansgate and Salford Quays aren't affordable housing either. So by no means should the finger be pointed at City's owners solely - all of the development of the city centre has been of the same sort of make-up, and I know that's obviously not exclusive to Manchester.