The General Football Thread

Last shirt I bought had Le Tissier on the back, so you can work out when that might have been! Not too sure it would fit me so well these days, sadly...

(Mind you, would probably fit me better than him).

 

Own about 300 shirts in total I reckon, wear precisely none of them. Haven’t worn a shirt since I used to play football a couple of years ago

 

The price of replica shirts is a pet hate with me. Clubs like to spout platitudes such as how much they "value their support" and a club is "nothing without it's loyal fans" and then are happy for those same fans to be ripped off. It's true supporters don't have to buy them (I never have) but it's something that fans like to do because it's a visible sign of being part of their club. That loyalty though, is just seen as another revenue stream to be exploited.
I know the club don't get a big percentage of the proceeds and I guess the bulk goes to the shirt manufacturer. But to me replica shirts are an ideal opportunity for the club to back up their comments of appreciation by discounting the shirts instead of selling them for the highest price they can get away with.

 

Yeah it wouldn't even have to be that much cheaper. What are they now, £65 each? I mean, £40-45 seems about fair, and at that price they would sell twice as many.

 

And it doesn't end there either. £65 for a budget quality shirt or around £100 for match quality or whatever they call it. I'm not sure if Saints do that version but others do.

 

I see Young Boys fans kicked off at Villa Park last night. Presumably means they won't be allowed to attend next time they play an English side.

 

Billy Bonds has died ….RIP
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy47lde523zo

 

That is even more shirts than my wife.

 

FFS. This will turn into 2 minute waits for ****ing corner checks.

Fifa and leagues disagree over use of VAR for corners - BBC Sport

 

England women vs Ghana at St.Marys tonight. Wonder how busy it will be. Last time I went to see England women at St.Marys was before they won the Euros vs Wales and there was something like 20,000 there for that, so I'd expect it to be close to a sell out given their success and increased popularity since. Though the weather might put some off. Hopefully some goals this time!

 

Every single corner

So glad we don't have to deal with VAR. Can you imagine waiting 3 minutes for a corner to be confirmed only to see Manning fail to clear the first man for the 4th time in the match.

 

The reasons for banning Macca Tel Aviv fans on advice from Dutch police. Well worth listening to the description of the ultras well organised militaristic behaviour.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRzvk1jCPBq/?igsh=MWp0YjZ5cmg0cDZ3aQ==

 

Was that part of the evidence which was changed to fit the decision?

 

According to the Israeli propaganda. I know people who were on the streets pre and post match who wouldn't have MTA back in Amsterdam.

 

Anyone else starting to wonder if it would be better if UEFA withdrew from FIFA and tried to pick off some other aligned nations with them.

Got to start questioning what UEFA get out of the equation. UEFA and CONMEBOL still account for the vast majority of the spectacle and the marketability of football, yet get shafted by FIFA at almost every turn (see the ridiculous 6 nation / 3 continent World Cup coming up in 2030). All so Saudi Arabia could have a free hit to host in 2034.

Tomorrow FIFA is going to award the 'FIFA Peace Prize' to Donald Trump during the draw ceremony, which is likely to contain elements of a MAGA rally.

This World Cup is the least accessible in modern history with prices hitting never before seen levels, a 'category 4' that has about 1% of seats at each venue, total FA allocation of 8% at each venue, that is total FA allocation not supporter allocation which has to be carved out of that (Netherlands have allocated 70% of that 8% to fans), meaning this is likely to be some of the lowest supporter allocation in history, whilst at the largest venues.

What do UEFA Nations really get out of the deal here? If UEFA and CONMEBOL split from FIFA then they would take most of the attraction and demand with them.

Just as an epilogue I would like to add the intro to Gianni Infantino's Wikipedia article

As president of FIFA, he oversaw the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, for which he accepted the Order of Friendship medal given to him by Vladimir Putin. He oversaw the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar during which time he defended or minimized controversies surrounding Qatar's human rights record.[5] He played a key role in the selection of Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, as he advocated for a Saudi bid and restricted the hosting eligibility, which reduced the number of potential competing bids.[6]