General Football Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Two recent developments in the unceasing copyright wars, affecting sites which many of us use.

(1) The stats site fbRef has stopped routinely publishing match xG alongside the results of each round of Championship matches, which stats they formerly said were from Opta. It would appear that whatever arrangement they believed they had allowing them to use the stats is now the subject of dispute.

(2) When trying to access a stream of the West Brom match the other night, I got on-screen notification that Virgin Media (my ISP) was now legally obliged not to broadcast any "unofficial" football stream. I presume that this explains the statement on Fawanews match pages, to the effect that viewers in Canada and the UK may need to use a VPN connection.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: zogean_king
Dunc put up a clip on the City v Cov thread and it was immediately taken down due to a copyright claim. There seems to be a fairly widespread clamp down as last week several people over here were fined for using a stream to watch Spanish football.
 
Was it take down by not606 admin or are you taking about the YouTube clip being taken down? I can never watch clips on this site due to copyright issues and have to find them myself on YouTube
 
I got home yesterday in time to see the end of the Liverpool game. Has the English game gone VAR and rule book mad? Ball rolling towards empty net with two players in pursuit - Harland is fouled - play advantage - Liverpool player is fouled 10 yards away from the ball which was then about to go over the line - irrelevant off the ball foul. Why can't you just award the goal? I am 100% sure that would have been the case over here.
 
I got home yesterday in time to see the end of the Liverpool game. Has the English game gone VAR and rule book mad? Ball rolling towards empty net with two players in pursuit - Harland is fouled - play advantage - Liverpool player is fouled 10 yards away from the ball which was then about to go over the line - irrelevant off the ball foul. Why can't you just award the goal? I am 100% sure that would have been the case over here.
It's the peculiarity of the English that when there is any ambiguity it must be dealt with by following the letter ofthe law, however daft the law was and the unintended consequences that raise thereof
 
It's the peculiarity of the English that when there is any ambiguity it must be dealt with by following the letter ofthe law, however daft the law was and the unintended consequences that raise thereof
And also a peculiarity of Refs - on field and VAR - to make up rule interpretation as they go along. Next week there will be several instances from corners where defenders grab forwards to stop them getting to the ball but an attacker behind them scores. Will the goal be disallowed and a penalty awarded for the foul? Of course not - but what is the difference?
 
Reported by GBNews:

"At an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for 5 March 2026, representatives from all 72 EFL clubs will decide whether to expand the current four-team play-off format to include six teams — allowing clubs finishing as low as eighth in the Championship table to compete for promotion to the Premier League.
The proposal, approved by the EFL board and backed by the Football Association (FA), would introduce an eliminator round ahead of the existing semi-finals, mirroring the format used in the National League.
Under the new structure, fifth would host eighth and sixth would host seventh in single-leg knockout ties."
 
Reported by GBNews:

"At an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for 5 March 2026, representatives from all 72 EFL clubs will decide whether to expand the current four-team play-off format to include six teams — allowing clubs finishing as low as eighth in the Championship table to compete for promotion to the Premier League.
The proposal, approved by the EFL board and backed by the Football Association (FA), would introduce an eliminator round ahead of the existing semi-finals, mirroring the format used in the National League.
Under the new structure, fifth would host eighth and sixth would host seventh in single-leg knockout ties."
:emoticon-0119-puke:
 
  • Like
Reactions: SuffolkCanary
why don't they play the whole league then every team play a knockout competition and whoever loses plays losers and if they lose against losers against losers get relegated and those that win keep playing until there is a grand winner.

I think it is fine how it is ... but money talks
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
Not a fan myself, but suspect it will get approved as teams will see it as increasing their chances of a play-off payday and reaching the Premier League.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
Never liked the playoffs, Should be top 2 or 3, based on the whole season results. If you get the most points, you get promoted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Resurgam