Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

Organiser John 'Papa Smurf' Pearson – said: 'It's good craic and helps the day along.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2141203/Blue-colour-Football-fans-travel-230-miles-dressed-Smurfs-follow-team-final-game-season.html#ixzz1uNMtIFCz

The spelling is crack!

But lol.
I'm quite fond of Hartlepool

[Tamas]

WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS LIVERPOOL TEAM THIS WEEKEND?

On the pitch sir. But they didn't face the Chelsea Reserves.

And Terry wasn't hungover on Saturday.

[Josephus]

Puyol will miss the Euro Cup due to a knee injury. 

I think Spain's reign is done anyway.

[The Larch]

Puyol will miss the Euro Cup due to a knee injury. 

I think Spain's reign is done anyway.

Well, this will most surely shift Ramos to centre back instead of right back, where he's IMO not that good and where his concentration slips, to which he's quite prone, are much more harmful. I still think we have a great squad with very good chances, but I'd rate Germany as the main favourites for the title at this moment.

[Gups]

A rare Hakluyt contribution to the footie thread :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2141203/Blue-colour-Football-fans-travel-230-miles-dressed-Smurfs-follow-team-final-game-season.html

Charlton 3 - Hartlepool 2

As a loyal Charlton season ticket holder, I was at this match with my son and his mate.  Was a great day, with the smurfs, the Red Devils parachuting onto the pitch, various opera singers, a sell-out ground and a trophy presentation. After 7 years of misery we are finally on the way back up!

The pools fans were great, staying to the end to applaud Charlton picking up the trophy, posing with kids for photos etc. We had them in the final game of last season as well - they were oompa loompas then and just as much fun.

You don't get this kind of support at the plastic clubs.

[The Larch]

[Richard Hakluyt]

@Gups - yes, if I actively supported any team it would be my local one PNE - which would be nothing but heartbreak i think 

Though I did feel sorry for a MUFC fan once. Born and raised a few hundred yards from Old Trafford, he really was supporting his local team, nowadays just a big business.

[Tamas]

Essien is just a shadow of himself since that string of injuries

[The Larch]

@Gups - yes, if I actively supported any team it would be my local one PNE - which would be nothing but heartbreak i think 

Though I did feel sorry for a MUFC fan once. Born and raised a few hundred yards from Old Trafford, he really was supporting his local team, nowadays just a big business.

IMO supporting your local club come hell or high water should be mandatory during formative years, as it helps kids deal with failure and defeat, which they'll have to do a lot during their adult lives. Supporting big teams, and from other countries to boot (hi Tamas!) is such a cop out I can't even begin to describe it.

[Ed Anger]

I jump on bandwagons that have already passed. 

[FunkMonk]

My local club just won its very first home game ever. 

http://youtu.be/HK0U3Mtqq64

Yes we play on a high school football field.
The soccer-specific stadium is still being built and will be opened next season.

[Ed Anger]

I don't have a local club. And no, I don't count the Columbus Crew as 'local'.

[Syt]

Our company's owner told me rather proudly that his home club of Toronto now has German Thorsten Frings as player/manager.

Guess wearing my Blue Jays jersey on casual Fridays won't score me brownie points if he's a soccer fan.

[Tamas]

@Gups - yes, if I actively supported any team it would be my local one PNE - which would be nothing but heartbreak i think 

Though I did feel sorry for a MUFC fan once. Born and raised a few hundred yards from Old Trafford, he really was supporting his local team, nowadays just a big business.

IMO supporting your local club come hell or high water should be mandatory during formative years, as it helps kids deal with failure and defeat, which they'll have to do a lot during their adult lives. Supporting big teams, and from other countries to boot (hi Tamas!) is such a cop out I can't even begin to describe it.

get off your high horse! I refuse to support what passes for top level football in this country.

More to the point, I fell in love with Chelsea when they were struggling to reach an UEFA CUp worthy place.

There.

[Josephus]

Our company's owner told me rather proudly that his home club of Toronto now has German Thorsten Frings as player/manager.

Guess wearing my Blue Jays jersey on casual Fridays won't score me brownie points if he's a soccer fan.

he's not player/manager. Just player.

The manager is Aaron Winter, former Dutch player.

And it's not really a recent thing. Frings has been with the team since last year.

PS...maybe knowing this will score you brownine points. Say somthing to him like, "hey maybe Toronto FC will finally win a game this weekend."