The non-Watford football thread

16:48 train to Estadio Cadiz (25 mins to station almost in the stadium). 18:00 here kick off (17:00 UK). We need a win to stay in the play offs. Very sunny and over 20 C.

Photos and match report to follow. C'mon u' Gaditanos [ bit harder to shout than c'mon u'orns ]

Enjoy whatever you are all up to

 

North London big boys 11 Giant killers 0.

After all that fuss about the FA Cup being disrespected looks likes it will be a top 4 semi final line up.

 

McLaren managed to be sacked from Derby again...

 

Cadiz vs Rayo: Second division, Spain. Well entertaining first half: ball trickled diagonally towards their goal only for the keeper to kick it off the line (it seemed like it trickled for 20 seconds ).

Goal should have been easier but we got it in the net in the end. Cadiz 1 Rayo 0

Then we hit the post.

Strangely there was away support - 200 - 300. Odd for Spain.

Second half not much happened. No real hot chances.

I'd say 20,000 and a good noisy atmosphere which the away supporters contributed (although not like the normal away crowd at the Vic).

But 3 points in the bin and still well set for the play offs. Not that I'd expect much from this team in La Liga. Photos to follow.

 

please log in to view this image

The away support is upper centre of foto above

please log in to view this image

Banner was quite nice if you are not under it. But that end kept up the chants throughout the match.

 

At the station 25 mins away not much sign of action:

please log in to view this image

I'm getting used to the warm weather here and even 20C felt a little cold in the shade. Of course this being sherry country there is always a way to get warmed up:

please log in to view this image

 

Sorry kc but your pictures do not show. I was quite looking forward to a selfie with a drunk Spaniard.

 

From BBC Gossip page, a touch of class!

Non-league side Lincoln cleaned their dressing room at Emirates Stadium following their 5-0 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal, even asking for a vacuum cleaner

 

OFH tx for letting me know. I try again. I can see them of course so must be a link to my laptop and not uploaded. Sorry no selfie with drunk spaniards

 

25 mins away and not much sign of life but a sunny day

 

The warm up. Nice glass of Fion

 

nice big banner but not good to be under it



away support top centre. Red is their colour.

 

Stand by for another Jose M rant after this game - lost with 10 men to a debatable red card (as he will see it)

BTW What happened to the rule that players would be booked if they surrounded the ref or that is only for the lesser lights like us.

 

It's application is directly proportional to the size of the pay packet I think...

It may just be me being fanciful, but wasn't there a rule introduced a few years ago about arguing with the ref over free kick decisions leading to the lick being matched 10 yards up field - as in Rugby? Maybe it was only a case of me thinking it would be a good idea...

 

They tried it but they got the implementation wrong. The ref moved it 10 yards for each argument. Ended up in the allotments behind the Rookery? No advantage gained. Back to original offence

But I could see that working if the ref could move it say 5 yards towards the goal. So if the arguing continues he walks it into the goal. Although that maybe puts too much burden on the ref. Perhaps better bring in Rugger's sin bin. 5/10 mins to cool off might work better while not destroying the match as a sending off often does.

 

It was tried for a season, but then dropped it. Some of the players who could get a free kick up and over a wall from just outside the penalty area found that they couldn't do it when the ball was moved into the area, so claimed it was a disadvantage.

 

Rowett in at Derby and Warburton in at Forest - and they face each other at the weekend so somebody is going to lose out potentially or get off to a flyer.

 

Worth a try - no pun intended. And I've long been a great believer in the Aussie Rules 'rule' of no sending players off - the umpires put the players who break the rules 'on report'. They then get dealt with by a disciplinary panel which convenes after all the weekend games are finished - and some hefty punishments have been known to be handed out for the more serious cases.

 

Seems silly - it would have made sense to me if the 'marching the ball forward' took it into the penalty area and the free kick became a penalty kick. The whole point of it was to discourage the poor behaviour, not pander to players' lack of skills/abilities.

 

I like the idea of the sin-bin as in rugby, but I would bring an element in from ice hockey in that if the team with the man advantage scores, then the player can re-enter the field. One amendment I would make is that if the goal is from the free-kick or penalty that led to the punishment, that doesn't apply.