It's Up For Grabs Now
Friday, May 30, 2003
Luton update : the deputy chairman's claimed Kinnear and Harford are still there and the former chairman has slagged off the fans before claiming he's still with the club too, which helps a great deal. Meanwhile, Manager Idol, as someone will doubtless name it - we'd like to see how this works out. Will the club have to agree terms with all the selections first, or can the fans pick from anyone at all?
Barnsley fucked - idea he might have been 'very very impressed' with Oakwell after years at Elland Road harder to figure
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Footballers drinking stories are like shooting fish in a barrel, but some just make you wonder the circumstances leading up to, say, Lee Hendrie being found asleep on the M40 hard shoulder at 8am
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Traffic warning : people are advised to stay away from Luton this week after the announcement of their new board on Tuesday. They took over last week, immediately sacked the popular management team, and they haven't so much as revealed their identities yet, but Terry Fenwick is the hot tip, doubtless bringing his friend Venables with him. Bearing in mind their past chairmen - David Evans of membership card/away fan ban/plastic pitch/Thatcher lackey fame and David Kohler who used all the club's money to draw up a new stadium called the Kohlerdome until someone put a petrol bomb through his window - it might just be wise not to approach the area at all
Saturday, May 24, 2003
It appears we had a visitor from the Houses Of Parliament ISP this week. Who'd have thought? In other news...
Como's president launches Chase The Ref game, clearly all too aware of possible conflicts of interest, not to mention a sudden upsurge in penalties against next season. "His company has also released a satirical board game"!
Friday, May 23, 2003
That Beckham heritage trail in full - "the most famous person to come from Waltham Forest" says the Evening Standard, to the accompaniment of the mighty rolling noise eminating from Alfred Hitchcock's grave
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
"Er, Claudio, can I have a quick word?" Someone fails to read the script at Gavin Peacock's testimonial
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Manager reknowned for spending lots of money joins club whose chairman is famous for the tightness of his wallet
Monday, May 19, 2003
Three search engine hits for 'david beckhams new haircut' and variants thereof already today. You wouldn't have thought, would you?
Saturday, May 17, 2003
The FA Cup final - some notes
1) "The FA Cup's been stolen, apparently!" Well, Motty, had it or hadn't it? And learn to act while you're there. Really, all the build up was appalling, wasn't it? Dermot O'Leary, listed as a reporter in the credits, being charged with interviewing One Of Artful Dodger In Lieu Of The Sky-Signed Up Craig David; C***s M**l*s and C****y D**e; that bit with Gordon Smith with his badly read 'thoughts' echoing... really, send it back to ITV. They know what to do with a showbiz build-up. Sky just didn't bother, which is the other extreme.
2) Who cries at Abide With Me precisely? The traditional final protocol is for it to be ignored.
3) Loved the man who attempted to run onto the pitch when Arsenal were keeping the ball in the corner and ended up being carried back into the stand at shoulder height in a Superman fashion by two policemen.
4) Why Bobby Robson presenting the trophy? How much prestige is there in accepting the cup from the manager from another Premiership club? Is Graeme Souness or Harry Redknapp being lined up for next year?
5) When did Tom Hark become the accepted song of football celebration? That exposure must mean more money in the Piranhas' band bank account than ever before.
Friday, May 16, 2003
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
We liked our last Minute By Minute project so much, we decided to do another topical one. Therefore, here's what we made of the 1996 Cup Final Grandstand
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Apropos of little, nicked off Google Groups so in the public domain, here's the commentary box audio feed from ITV's coverage of Barcelona 4 Leeds 0 in the Champions League from September 2000, accidentally broadcast live to the nation right at the top of the show:
JIM BEGLIN Scored a hat-trick, didn't he, against Lazio?
GUY MOWBRAY Oh, I was there that game.
BEGLIN Were you? D'you do that one?
MOWBRAY Yeah.
BEGLIN Yeah? They were brilliant that night, weren't they?
MOWBRAY That was.
BEGLIN Crap game to see, yeah?
MOWBRAY I wasn't going to do it either - Brackers went down ill.
BEGLIN Ah, they were brilliant against Barca - I did the first leg of the semi as well.
MOWBRAY Superb - I enjoyed going there last year. Annie very much enjoyed going there last year.
PRODUCER I had a good time in Valencia. I went about three or four times.
MOWBRAY You'll be getting a duck next year. The guy that was the Champions League official there - the team bloke - they gave him a live duck.
BEGLIN Aye, you were telling us last night...
MOWBRAY Took it back to his villa in Mallorca.
PRODUCER Are you happy about the dead man?
MOWBRAY Yeah I'm very happy he's dead, yes. (laughs) Shouldn't say that, should I? There's probably some relatives round here.
(audio feed cuts out, followed by break)
Sunday, May 11, 2003
Saturday, May 10, 2003
Now Spurs have pulled out of their National Hockey Stadium christening fixture, and Luton have followed suit. No, we're not laughing.
Friday, May 09, 2003
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Right, we fancied putting a rocket under the new writing stuff on IUFGN, so we've knocked up a team by team review of the division 1 season, and because we're inordinately proud of it, non A-F subscribers can now read our report on the night in March Ian Payne and Sport On 5 went digital, and Nationwide into the bargain.
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
How unpopular are Wimbledon (the MK one)? They're forcing Premiership clubs to listen to their fans and even their women's team have buggered off to the AFC
Man Utd interested in Metrostars keeper - now, have a careful look at his personal notes and pray that the move never goes through
Sunday, May 04, 2003
We've recently installed some nice new tracking HTML, and after analysing the results there are two thoughts that spring to mind:
1) Yes, Google searchers, Uwe Rosler does have cancer. It's in his chest, he isn't dead, it was caught early so he has a very good chance of survival. Hope this puts your mind at rest.
2) Google have now linked to this as the actual IUFGN site, which it isn't. Clearly something needs to give there, and there's enough of you visiting, so please, if you want to contribute to the site proper when we finally get round to updating it over the summer (possibly), mail us post haste. Those of you (three) who contributed to the Worst Ever Player II piece, hold hard, we'll publish it soon. Well, as soon as we get enough responses. Tcha.
Friday, May 02, 2003
Nick Lowe, whose birthday it is today, to play a free gig at Brentford. He produced John Hiatt and The Fabulous Thunderbirds? Never mind all that Cruel To Be Kind/I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass/What's So Funny Bout Peace Love And Understanding stuff, that's why we should all get down there!
