Football (Soccer) Thread

[Jacob]

So Spurs are still in the running for 4th

[FunkMonk]

So Spurs are still in the running for 4th

Unfortunately yes, but they have to hope Arsenal drop points to Newcastle or Everton. And of course Spurs have to do their part and win their next two.

The race for 4th has been funny this year, with both Arsenal and Tottenham at different times looking like they could coast into 4th, only to end up shooting themselves in the foot. It will end up coming down to the final match.

[Zoupa]

Does Arteta always whine this much? Grow up dude, he sounds like a baby.

[Admiral Yi]

FM, how did you pick Arsenal?

[FunkMonk]

FM, how did you pick Arsenal?

When I was a child my dad bought me FIFA Soccer sometime in the mid 90s, I think it was FIFA International or FIFA 95, can't remember which. I played youth club soccer but I knew nothing of the European clubs because they were not on television. I chose Arsenal as my main team in the video game because red was my favorite color and I thought their name was cool. 

Flash forward like 15 years and Fox Soccer Channel becomes a thing so Americans can finally watch Premier League games on television. I actually have the time to watch most games because I got a cushy assignment on an Air Force Base after being deployed to Iraq twice. This was like 2009-2010 or so

After watching several different teams for a few weeks I gravitated back to Arsenal because of their free-flowing, attacking style of play under Arsene Wenger. They were fun to watch, despite this being the period after their biggest successes in the league.

I missed Arsenal's era of dominance with Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and co. Arsenal had just moved to their new stadium and were financially strapped for cash so Wenger started building a youth project, centered on Cesc Fábregas. He's still on of my favorite players.

The Arsenal I've known since I started seriously following them has had quite a lot of ups and downs and never returned to its heights of the late 90s/early 2000s, but the DNA of the club Arsene Wenger recreated in his image is still there: joyful football, aspiring for free-flowing attacking play, and technically-gifted players. So I keep watching even when they disappoint because I'm a fan and that's what fans do, even when it feels bad 

[Sheilbh]

Just saw the leaked Newcastle away kit. Saudi sportswashing is clearly not going to be subtle

It's actually an alright kit aesthetically, but not so much with the context.

[FunkMonk]

Just saw the leaked Newcastle away kit. Saudi sportswashing is clearly not going to be subtle

It's actually an alright kit aesthetically, but not so much with the context.

I saw that and I can't quite believe it is real. 

[The Larch]

I've googled it and... 

[Josquius]

Interesting the badge is in green too. Don't see that often.

What will the sponsor be? "Saudis are lovely"?

[Threviel]

Do you mean the "Black and white army" with a "FUN88"-text on the front? What on earth would be tasteless about that?

Edit: Yeah, now I see. Their new kit is a copy of the Saudi national kit. So clumsy.

[Sheilbh]

Huh - I'd never spotted that Fun88 could be problematic. Except regarding the issues around sponsorshp from gambling companies (especially international gambling companies) in general. That had never occurred to me.

Or black and white army for that matter - not sure what the issue is with that?

[Jacob]

Huh - I'd never spotted that Fun88 could be problematic. Except regarding the issues around sponsorshp from gambling companies (especially international gambling companies) in general. That had never occurred to me.

Or black and white army for that matter - not sure what the issue is with that?

I don't think there's any, but when you first google Newcastle's kit that shows up a bunch - so Threviel was, I expect (and as I was), trying to figure out what's wrong with that.

[Barrister]

Why on earth would anyone ever create a brand using the number 88?

[Jacob]

Why on earth would anyone ever create a brand using the number 88?

Because you're doing business with Chinese, and 8 is a very lucky number in that culture. And folks in Asia don't have any notion of neo-Nazi numerology. In this case, it's a Chinese company.

[Sheilbh]

Because you're doing business with Chinese, and 8 is a very lucky number in that culture. And folks in Asia don't have any notion of neo-Nazi numerology. In this case, it's a Chinese company.

Yes - and Chinese and overseas gambling companies in general have been huge sponsors in English football recently, which raises a whole set of other moral/ethical issues.  My own view is football needs to move away and probably ban sponsorship from gambling companies.

For example there was controversy when Rooney moved to Derby. Their sponsor is 32Red - another Chinese betting company - and he got given 32 as his shirt number so you had 32Red on the front and Rooney 32 on the back which was obviously commercially very good for them. Derby were investigated over whether it broke the rules for some reason I can't remember but was very controversial.

I had never spotted and never thought about the Fun88 thing until Threviel mentioned it beyond my general issue with betting companies. But it is a fair point.