The General Football Thread

Shaw looks worried.

 

I didn't even notice Shaw! I know they had to look serious but they either look like serial killers or that they're about to burst into tears.

 

Re. Darron Gibson. Lifted this from Mackem board

 

So, the success of the Lionesses got me googling local Woman's football - it turns out the two biggest Southampton teams are both in the same league this season (Women's Premier League South West Division 1) so we're going to get a local derby.

Also found out that whilst neither club is officially affiliated to Saints, both have links - Southampton Saints G&L were affiliated to us (hence the "Saints" name, they were previously Red Star Southampton) until we were relegated; the other club is Southampton Women's FC who have Fran Alonso as their Technical Director (and formerly their first team manager until Koeman recently took him to Everton). Their First team manager also works for the saints foundation.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/southamptonsaintslgfc/a/about-saints-gl-fc-7395.html
https://www.southamptonwfc.co.uk/history

Here's the league fixture list:
http://full-time.thefa.com/ProcessP...SelectedCompetition=0&psSelectedLeague=872938

 

What a shame. Karen Bardsley (England GK) will miss rest of the tournament with a leg fracture.

 

Ouch - obviously the hope that she'd be back was very misplaced if it's a fracture.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport...n_Dijk_can_help_him_star_for_Partick_Thistle/

Turnbull joins Partick Thistle. Uses VVD as a role model...well, not in everything, Jason.

 

Jordan

 

Don't start....I was corrected yesterday. Moi! You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

 

Come on! You're still way ahead in picking up my mistakes... this is just a consolation. Really, really enjoyable one though

 

I suppose you are just more used to being wrong

 

I'm glad you're taking an interest in your local women's football teams, and not just going for the glamour of the WSL (the nearest club being Brighton). Chances are Portsmouth and one or both of the Southampton teams will meet in the Hampshire Cup, which Portsmouth win pretty much every season, though the gap between Portsmouth and Southampton Saints is a lot less large nowadays, so it wouldn't surprise me if you guys knocked us out one day soon on current trends.

 

Here's their Twitter, give them a follow:

https://twitter.com/SaintsGLFC

 

Neymar: Barcelona forward given permission to leave for PSG

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40800757

Mad

 

The most interesting thing I've found about this little event is that the £ is so unstable these days that with each published article it fluctuates ever closer to the €. For the last week or so it has seemed to be holding its own though. It was £200M, then £199M. Now £198M. It's a good trend. This assumes the Euro figure is accurate, of course. As for the player, I couldn't give a monkey's.

 

To put this into perspective....you could buy 75% of Saints for £198 million (if asking price for 80% is £210 million). Or loads of roundabouts.

 

We're obviously priced to sell. I'm surprised buyers aren't leaping over the counter.

 

Am amazed too. A good PL club with a great set up....for £210 million! Perhaps buyers are put off by Kat's desire to remain involved to make sure nothing changes....like a second wife/husband having to refer to the ex.

 

I'm a Saints supporter - how likely is it that I was ever going to be a glory hunter!
And having a look at our local teams (admittedly only from their websites), I think the newly promoted Southampton Women FC look like they're building a proper professional outfit, moreso than Southampton Saints G&L.
Particularly with Fran Alonso as Technical Director who worked at Saints with the Men's first team alongside Nigel, Poch & Koeman; he was manager until last year when Koeman took him to Everton, but he's stayed on with the Women as Technical Director. Last season they won the double, winning both the SRWFL Premier League and the League Cup.

Already following them and https://twitter.com/SotonWomensFC

 

Just to warn you, you'll become disillusioned with women's football too when you see your successful club torn to pieces by WSL vultures with all your best players being signed by WSL teams all the while knowing that your club do not receive a penny in compensation, going from challenging for the title to relegation fodder in the space of a season or two. As well as realising that any football below the WSL does not even exist in the eyes of the media, who use misleading terms like women's football, while only acknowledging women's football in the WSL, making the term women's football and the WSL being seen as synonymous and only pay attention to the FA Cup when the WSL teams enter. And at the same time, watching as the WSL morphs into a pale imitation of the men's game, complete with all it's problems such as one or two clubs massively outspending everyone else, a league dominated by a small elite few, an ever increasing influx of foreign players, elitist media coverage and so on.

But hey, you haven't reached that level of cynicism yet, you're like me two or three years ago. So enjoy it while it lasts.