Bayer Leverkusen complained about a goal so much that the referee has walked off the pitch. Good for him.
That Barcelona penalty that was talked about last week. I understand the media in Spain are up in arms about it. The over-riding feeling was that it disrespectful [heard on Radio5]. Who would have thought it? I can imagine that might be a British atittude, but not from the Spanish, and certainly not against Barcelona.
These were Real Madrid fans and the Madrid based media. No bias there!!! Barca do like to showboat. In last season's Copa del Rey final, Neymar tried something phenomenally cleverly which Athletic B players did not like, thus sparking a handbags brawl.
A few years back there used to be a bloke over the way who I would hear occasionally shouting precisely when Saints scored, but that's about it. He moved and I think I'm the only Saints or even football supporter in my road. Indeed, I've hardly ever seen any indication of fan-ship in my small area next to the sports centre in Southampton. That always reminds me that although the biggest sport in the world is football, the majority of people still don't give a monkey's.
Found an article on Andrey Arshavin. It appears his career is coming to an ignominious ending. Went to Arsenal as a shining star and then faded. There must be something in the philosophy at Arsenal which gradually makes players become worse. They hardly ever improve substantially. http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/10173644/what-happened-to-arshavin
How far away are they from you? When I lived in Egerton Forstal in Kent there was a Saints supporter down the end of the road entering the little hamlet. His was the first house and mine was almost at the other end. We must have been all of 200-250 yards apart and I wasn't aware of his Saints bias until I went in the pub and the general chat eventually mentioned him. As he wasn't a pub goer I never spoke to him in 6 years! If I'd seen him walking around I wouldn't have known him.
Yeah, similar story really. They only live up the road but I wasn't really aware of their affiliation until recently, when we were chatting in the Sports Club bar during the Rugby World Cup. They are locally born and bred too, so I haven't yet found out how they came to support the Saints.
My Dad's lady friend is Russian and she told us recently of his demise. Once a darling of the Russian public, now a pariah. Apparently destitute now having had a public split from his wife/partner and not coming out of it too well.
Must have been a real surprise when they said it though. Did I tell you when I used to chair the pub team league quiz in my local in Kent and the first time I did it I asked the teams which football team they supported, just out of curiosity because we'd been talking football. Four people per team, so eight people. 1 Charlton Athletic, 2 Arsenal, 1 ManU, 1 WHU, and 3 Saints. That may not be precisely correct, but I definitely remember it was 3 Saints. They were in our team but they lived in the surrounding district, so I'd never speak to them unless it was pub quiz night. When that result came out you could have knocked me down with a feather. I took over from 1996 onwards, and I can only think it was the MLT effect that got us so many. Then again, I believe that part of Kent feels more association with the South than London. Certainly felt that way back then.
How many remember the incident in Liverpool when a young black guy was murdered? He attached himself to Arsenal because of Thierry Henry. So is it possible that fans choose a team because of a certain player? By that token, Manchester United will be losing tens of thousands of followers worldwide as they lack a charasmatic player a la Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Suarez!!
My workplace had 2 1/2 Saints supporters - me, a man who's now retired and the half supporter is someone who doesn't really take much interest, didn't jump at the chance to see the Saints when playing Swansea and sometimes doesn't even know the result when I speak to him on a Monday. Considering I'm in west Wales, in a strong Scarlets and Ospreys (rugby, in case you didn't know ) area I was stunned to find another lunatic in our office of approx 40 people...
I think star players do swing it for a club on occasion. The bigger the club, the less the star player effect. MLT had a massive effect on countrywide and worldwide support. We know for a fact there are now full blown Saints supporters clubs in Italy and Singapore which started purely because of MLT.
I do not know but I am sure, if I was young and impressionable, I would have switched my allegiance from Manchester United to Real Madrid when Ronaldo went there. Who is there at United to like now? Mata perhaps but he is not as glitzy as Cristiano.
I just hope Tottenham keep hold of Kane because he is the player Manchester United need to restore their fading star in the eyes of the worldwide fans, who are no doubt young and can easily switch to supporting Barca as they have players who are "sexy" in a footballing sense.
