It's Up For Grabs Now
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Does nobody in TV think at all? *looks at live game on Five presented by John Barnes* OK, rhetorical question, but quick note for ITV - league managers tend to be very busy during the month of November, as a rule
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Jay-Jay Okocha's hair is turning men gay, apparently. Banned from playing football for wearing hair in an unusual way? Ah, there's your excuse, David Beckham.
Nottingham Forest's mascot stolen, seemingly by a gang stealing to order (stealing the mascot during a charity game - that's big of them). Hold on to your mascot changing room keys, Notts County!
Nottingham Forest's mascot stolen, seemingly by a gang stealing to order (stealing the mascot during a charity game - that's big of them). Hold on to your mascot changing room keys, Notts County!
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Since, seemingly, we broke the news of Barry Davies' BBC departure yesterday there's been a lot of negative comments about him - morning, Football 365 - and he's not exactly done himself any favours by whining to Henry Winter about not having enough big games (but of course no enmity towards Motson, obviously) and "I wanted more than just doing a few minutes' commentating on the roster". Er, that's how MOTD works nowadays, Barry.
We're also interested in his views on modern commentators, specifically - "I worry particularly about England commentaries. There is too much 'us' and 'we' by the commentator." One paragraph down : "Dramatic moments in football speak for themselves. When Gareth Southgate missed that penalty at Euro 96, I said: 'Oh, no.' Then I didn't say anything for ages. What was the point?" Well, clearly no partisanship suggested in that comment. Also: "There are moments when it does go horribly wrong, but it's not high-pressured. I am in a very privileged seat. I have watched players like Diego Maradona, on the day when he beat England fairly and unfairly at the 1986 World Cup." You mean when you said "the England players are appealing for offside"?
He likes John Murray, though, which is a plus point, and he refers to "very interesting!" in that piece. And we'd still buy his autobiography. Unless it doesn't mention the Big Train World
Stare-Out Championships.
Friday, September 24, 2004
How did we all miss this two years ago? A Norwegian moves for his weight in prawns, killing off the one thing everyone respects Tony Cascarino for at a stroke.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Blimey, Barry Davies is retiring, although he is 65 so let's cut him some slack - he was BBC radio commentator on the 1966 World Cup final, for pity's sake. A qualified dentist, you know. Feel free - no, really - to leave any favourite Baz bits in the comments box. We'll always have a yen for "interesting... very interesting!", "it's almost cruel", "Leeds will go mad" and of course "Nicky Butt, he's another important player - he joins things, brings one sentence to an end and starts another."
Monday, September 20, 2004
"I want no epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. I contributed - I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked me."
We can't find a link, but we hear Brighton are, under the aegis of shirt sponsors Skint, renaming the Withdean stadium Palookaville for a forthcoming home game, after the new Fatboy Slim album title. Insert your own joke here about what clubs should have their ground sponsored by, say, this band.
Sorry for the break, we've been on holiday and otherwise preoccupied. In the meantime, Atalanta's president has resigned for essentially calling the fans fairweather, George Weah is considering running for Liberian president and the Man Utd official website thinks it's a fan site, which will never do.
Friday, September 03, 2004
For those wondering where our daily Premiership On This Day pieces have gone... oh, you weren't. We'll tell you anyway - we're off on holiday tomorrow so we're putting this on hiatus for a week, and when we return we're going to stick an entire season's worth of On This Days into a website. Happy now?
It's PC gone mad! STFC gone mad, actually, as Stoke find the one thing more cloying than music after a goal, namely a Golden Goal Girl. Yes. Well done to the writer for the old 'showed the red card' cliche, and to the girl herself for getting to use her favourite demeaning word twice in three sentences.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Jose Antonio Reyes perhaps overstates Scotland's abilities. Why would you need to specifically prepare for a game against San Marino?
