I ll start the ball rolling: 1) The Bramall Lane pitchside crew, always quick to act for the home team when winning and slow for the away simultaneously. Cleaning the ball religiously for the home team with pre-prepared towells whilst rubbing the ball in the dirt for the others. Shameful and as I remember the worst, on Colin's watch! 2) Reading's whippets of the touchline during the season when they were promoted with 100 points or summat. City lost 3 - 1 I think on the day. On every occasion the homeside got a throw, the ball was back in the hands of the Reading player before City players were even stood up from a tackle. Most shamefullysprinting to place the ball for the corner to be taken on every occasion for the home team, but not affording the same for City. 3) Stoke on many occasions. Need I say more?
Not only the ball boys but the who pitchside can be manipulated. The threat of the long throw can be lessened with moving in the advertising board. The classic was Rory Delap trying his long throw with Deano in close attendance.
The Swansea lad flopping on the ball and pretending to cry last night should be made a fool out of by his mates. Hazard shouldn't have gotten involved but he was sold right down the river with that performance.
Our ballboys are completely rubbish. I often find myself, and others, shouting at them to get a move on when we need a goal at the end of a match as they just amble casually to get the ball...bloody infuriating, they're supposed to be on our side. God knows what they are up to sometimes!! Perhaps like most teenagers today they need to update their facebook status before they can move ("going to pick up ball now, LOL"). Has anyone else noticed how slow they are?
Think i once heard at Everton, when they losing each ballboy has a ball to put back in play quickly, when they are winning they put all the other balls away and only have the one they play with. Good idea.
I would love to have seen one of our throw takers ask for the towel at Stoke as if to clean the ball, before sitting and cleaning his boots and nether regions before throwing back to the ballboys
Didn't they change the rules a few years ago regarding multiple balls? There was some instances I think at Stoke that started it all & they then said it wasn't allowed. & stopped the multiple balls.
thanks to the actions of that brattish son of a rich parent (the ballboy knew he would get away with anything considering Daddy is a director of said club), the FA might finally act on what ballboys get up to. Personally if I had been the ref I would have have asked for him to be arrested for causing a breach of the peace - to see the little darling's face when the handcuffs were put on him would have been priceless. Haven't towels used for cleaning the ball now been not allowed - as that was a typical time-wasting scandal by a manager who has no redeeming qualities
At the last Derby match the ball boys didnt get off their arses when it was a city ball. Last season it was the same at Bristol.
Spot on mate, our ball boys seem to be in cloud cuckoo land and seem oblivious when we are trying to keep a high tempo. Note how often our thrower urges the ball boy to hurry the **** up..........
I have just read that this lad is the son of the millionaire director of Swansea no less and he even tweeted before the game about time wasting. He needs a good kicking the taffy twat..
You're right about the Sheff Utd ballboys mussie. They were total cheats just like the Swansea lad. Always chucking two balls on the pitch when the opposition tried to take a quick throw. I think most ballboys in football are pretty incompetent, certainly ours, but they aren't cheating at least. What those Sheff Utd ones used to get away with was insane. I'm convinced they must have had something to do with the reason multi-ball was banned.
since i posted that, i see that some ex ball boy has come out and stated that Colin mentored the ballboys at Sheff Utd pre match...cheat cheat cheat, etc.....
Not exactly a ball boy story but a couple of seasons ago some bloke sat in front of me was yapping away on his mobile phone. Ball went out of play and came winging towards him. He stood up, nutted the ball back onto the pitch, turned 'round to the West Stand and raised his free hand like Shearer whilst still rabbiting on his phone. I think I wasn't the only one to be quietly impressed.
