The non-Watford football thread

Absolutely Mark, for all our sakes, once a law has been passed, it needs to be implemented consistently

 

That is a good point - least the decision was consistent!

Not sure the defensive handball will be though ..

Think the main issue is the time delay ..

Ofcouse if decisions from humans with one look at something were accepted more we might not need to be looking at everything...

 

About eight years ago I had a conversation with a table of about 10 of us on a table in the pub. Concencus was if you put everything through VAR people would have nothing to argue about in the pub. I shall refrain from further comment

 

It's stlll casing great debate!

I don't think you can ever make football perfect decisions wise .

It's not like rugby or cricket where there is a natural stoppage in play so often .

The FA doesn't even use VAR like the rest of Europe does - in that they don't ask the on pitch ref to look at a screen .

 

Sarr's old team Rennes beating PSG 2-1.

OFH - what was the reaction there to to selling him?

Good money for them I guess although not quite the 72 million Arsenal paid for Pepe!!

 

Their official site has this.

At the end of a historic season for the SRFC, Ismaïla Sarr will join the Premier League.

The Watford club having accepted the conditions defined by Stade Rennais FC, the two clubs have finalized the final transfer of the player today.

After wearing our colors over the last two seasons, Ismaïla has greatly contributed to the results of the club. Two years during which the Senegalese international has marked the spirits, as well by his human qualities as professional.

Thank you Ismaïla, we wish you the best under your new colors.

Not easy to find many fan reactions, but the few I have seen suggest they are very sorry to see him go.

 

The former Watford owner has announced plans to meet with supporters tonight outside the stadium at 7pm, where he plans to reveal details of his ongoing efforts to buy the club.

Bassini says he is willing to fund new signings ahead of the close of the transfer window on September 2.

He is now appealing to the club’s administrators and the EFL to allow him to inject funds before he returns to the High Court next month to continue his claim of breach of contract against Inner Circle Investments Ltd, the company owned by ex-Bolton owner Ken Anderson.

“Let me get the team eight or 10 players,” he said. “I am worried that this club is going to be relegated.

He really is in a world of his own. Maybe it is time for him to get some help. He does seem to have given the impression to a few desperate Bolton fans that he alone rescued Watford. Seems that he didn't know that the game tonight was called off, so there might not be many fans for him to talk to.

 

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I see that the hat has been reshaped.

 

A very enjoyable game tonight as my local team is away at Chambly which is to the north east of Paris. 0-0 at half time but we have hit the bar, had two decent penalty shouts, and a swerving shot that the keeper just managed to fist away. The ref is a bit of a prima donna, but not so bad. A minute before half time the stands were emptying as the fans headed to the bars. Groundsman just got a soaking as the water jets came on.

 

Villa to win? - Everton been poor .

Bury might be saved by Alistair Campbell's son;

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/cuj42h/exclusive_rory_campbell_who_worked_previously_at/

 

I hope that Bury are saved as I hate seeing the effect on the fans. I was on holiday in the South of France in 1992 and met a fan of Aldershot who had been expelled from the FL The new team had just been formed and was starting life in the Isthmian League 3rd Division. I had been to the Recreation Ground with Watford, and it was a really friendly, although tiny ground. The man I met was working his socks off to get the club back together, and assured me that one day they would be back in the the FL He did get to see them back, although it took 16 years. In 2013 they returned to the Conference again, once more in financial trouble after a major backer was taken ill. Last season they should have been relegated again but survived when Gateshead were sent down for breaking league rules. I would wager that the man I met on holiday is still a fan and will do whatever he can to see them back in League 2.

 

Bury given until 5.00 pm Tuesday to complete the sale and remain in the FL.

 

Bolton back in trouble?

https://www.efl.com/news/2019/august/efl-statement-bolton-wanderers2/

 

From what I read Anderson the current owner changed his demands on Friday when the administrators had thought they had finally got the sale over the line and were intending to announce the new ownership before the game yesterday. The judge who gave the administrators permission to sell did not however give a judgement on the dispute between Anderson and Bassini. Bassini claimed that Anderson had already sold him the club, although he was not able to convince the judge. Baz must have run up huge legal bills in this case and will no doubt be back in the bankruptcy court if the club is not sold to him. I suspect that his hand is at work behind the scenes, although that is speculation on my part.

 

Never rely on Spurs ..

 

The end for Bolton as take over collapses?

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2019/au...on-joint-administrator-for-bolton-wanderers4/

Sad news - what happens to the results in their previous games ?

 

It is the whole of English football which is under the microscope here. Bayern Munich may not be everyone's cup of tea, and they are not mine - but Karl Heinz Rumenigge said in the past that ''Football is all about emotions and sporting rivalries, but also about solidarity''. These were not just empty words because Bayern played gratuitous friendlies, conducted transfers at favourable rates, and have even engaged in direct money transfers to help 1860 Munich in times of need. they have also done the same for St.Pauli, Kickers Offenbach and FC. Kaiserslautern. In 2004 they loaned 2 million to Borussia Dortmund at a time when the latter couldn't pay their players - interest free. What are the chances of one of our Premiership giants taking the same stance ? Zero I would imagine.

 

In all fairness Cologne I don't think they're allowed to as there's certainly rules on multiple ownership and I think there's rules about giving cash to other clubs. The reasons for that would be obvious but it wouldn't be beyond the wit and wisdom of those in charge to waive them in exceptional circumstances.
In the past players have stepped in with donations for clubs who gave them a break but I suspect even with their salaries they'd baulk at what's needed.

 

I am afraid that what we see in English football is reflecting what is happening to the country as a whole. Take Man. Utd. Until the Glaziers took control of the club in 2005 the club had been debt free since 1931. The Glaziers borrowed the money to purchase the club from American hedge funds, and were paying out interest of £62M a year at an interest rate of 16.25%. All of this money was being taken from the game in England and being sent to the States. How many times have questions been asked about the finances at Chelsea? Russian money being fed through the club, and the owner has been denied a work permit. Go through many clubs or companies that have been sold off because they are currently cheap to the foreign investor, and the money earned is taken away.
Bolton and Bury are both in a financial mess because the people who have ownership have been using the clubs to make money for themselves. They gained this ownership after being vetted and thought to be suitable. As soon as it cost them money they pulled out. There is something wrong when companies can be bought without thought for the long term future of the business, the employees and the locality where it is situated. The EFL has tests, but how pathetic they are at weeding out the bad owner.

 

If you expect football club owners to finance losses it should be perfectly reasonable to let them make a profit for their investment. The Bolton owners have not made a profit from their investment for ages, if at all. Reckless borrowing led to debts of at least £173 million which is impossible to recover from without going into liquidation. I doubt very much money is actually leaving the country via directors dividends, more like through player sales and agents.