Football 2013-2014

[mrtourette]

I dont think that's what happened, from memory the clause expired. If man u had bid when the clause was in operation, they would have bid the exact amount.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

If a player has a release clause, why would you add a few million to it?

[mrtourette]

No hes been poor. Hes never a Utd midfielder. Apart from the Bayern result Utd have been the same as the rest of the season in the last month. Average against Olympiakos, hammered by Liverpool, hammered by City and then a spirited and organised performance against Bayern.

[thetime]

It's quite baffling. He dominated the midfields of top teams and showed good composure in front of goal over the last couple of years, this year he's just looked lost, and while playing for the same manager. And I don't buy the bollocks about not being able to handle playing for Utd.

[mrtourette]

Wasn't his best games for Everton playing just behind the striker?

For such a big guy he never seems to win headers.

[pink_triangle]

I don't think fan ownership is an option unfortunately. We did play a big part in our survival over ten years ago, but that was when the support was a lot more enthusiastic and up for the fight. Rae's attitude has slowly but surely sapped the energy and fight from the supporters. We had our lowest ever attendance on Tuesday night and things will only get worse. Years of wrong managerial options, budget miscalculations and public disasters have just done us right in.

If fans DID step forward we'd have to buy off the debt to Rae's confectionary factory, Golden Casket, which is pretty staggering. Around two million if memory serves me right, mainly down to the overspending and stupid wages we've been paying for years and years.

[DomDom1984]

The difference with England is that there is more money. Bigger country = bigger catchment areas and unfortunately in this smaller country, everything is dominated by two clubs. Some clubs are hit worse by this than others. Your League Three crowds wouldn't be out of place in the Scottish Premiership at times.

I don't see us going into administration while he controls the club. He actually is a Morton supporter at heart. Whether this is part of what hinders him, I don't know. He'd be happy to keep us going so long as he can, but there's many doubts about what happens when he goes. If he sells up, then to who? Being a Morton man, he's not going to sell to any old chancer so that's one bonus of having someone like that at the helm. If he croaks though, what then? His son won't give a toss who he's selling to.

Fan ownership has happened up here and what wound up happening were the fans were idiots. This being Dundee. They wound up selling to some Texan who promised big bucks and loads of promises and the fans were like "YEEHAR COWBOY!!!". And the fans were out of the equation again. I don't trust many of our supporters either. Too many who blindly just accept anything thrown in front of them.

[TheGayTent]

I see the Mackems have been fined for playing Ji Dong-Won whilst ineligible by both the Premier and Football League.

[brandycoke]

The difference with England is that there is more money. Bigger country = bigger catchment areas and unfortunately in this smaller country, everything is dominated by two clubs. Some clubs are hit worse by this than others. Your League Three crowds wouldn't be out of place in the Scottish Premiership at times.

I don't see us going into administration while he controls the club. He actually is a Morton supporter at heart. Whether this is part of what hinders him, I don't know. He'd be happy to keep us going so long as he can, but there's many doubts about what happens when he goes. If he sells up, then to who? Being a Morton man, he's not going to sell to any old chancer so that's one bonus of having someone like that at the helm. If he croaks though, what then? His son won't give a toss who he's selling to.

Fan ownership has happened up here and what wound up happening were the fans were idiots. This being Dundee. They wound up selling to some Texan who promised big bucks and loads of promises and the fans were like "YEEHAR COWBOY!!!". And the fans were out of the equation again. I don't trust many of our supporters either. Too many who blindly just accept anything thrown in front of them.

[eFestivals]

Maybe Im biased, but I see fan ownership as the way forward.

while it's the only really sustainable model, fans in the top leagues won't accept the effects of fan ownership - dropping down the leagues due to no sugar-daddy.

[TheGayTent]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2596711/Sunderland-boss-Gus-Poyet-demanded-three-points-awarded-opposition-ineligible-player-appeared-against-Brighton-2010.html

[mrtourette]

Can't you put a link up from another source?

Edited April 4, 2014 by mrtourette

[DomDom1984]

brandycoke, are you HONESTLY trying to tell me that extra thousands don't turn up for English clubs when they're playing more important games? Is that actually what you're trying to say? Because I can give you many examples of how this is blatantly not the case.

[TheGayTent]

Can't you put a link up from another source?

[mrtourette]

All that wait for something that's already been in this thread! Thanks though

[brandycoke]

brandycoke, are you HONESTLY trying to tell me that extra thousands don't turn up for English clubs when they're playing more important games? Is that actually what you're trying to say? Because I can give you many examples of how this is blatantly not the case..

[DomDom1984]

Well yeah, given that the country is around ten times bigger, you probably can get away with more supporters.

Scotland is actually quite well supported football wise for a country of it's size. Crowds have gone up the last couple of seasons too for most sides, which considering Rangers and Celtic eat up a sizeable chunk of each city and town's supporters, is not bad.

[eFestivals]

Scotland is actually quite well supported football wise

not sure if it's still the case, but not so long again it had the biggest proportional footie attendances in Europe.

[DomDom1984]

With most attendances going up, I'd imagine it's still around the top area. Celtic's attendances might be hitting it quite badly though.

[mrtourette]

I've always thought for the size of the country that the professional set up in Scotland if far too bloated.

[eFestivals]

I've always thought for the size of the country that the professional set up in Scotland if far too bloated.

yep, that's certainly another way of looking at things. It makes the money get spread thinly.

[kaosmark2]

brandycoke, are you HONESTLY trying to tell me that extra thousands don't turn up for English clubs when they're playing more important games? Is that actually what you're trying to say? Because I can give you many examples of how this is blatantly not the case.

[pink_triangle]

There isn't an issue with 1/2 ,3/4 empty grounds in top flight football in England though.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Yup. Pompey took more fans to Wembley than their average home attendance in the Prem, Oxford more to the play-offs than they typically get in league 2. Most English clubs get a hefty rise in attendance on Boxing Day. Lots of people are casual fans who go to a few games a season, and it's no surprise they pick the more important/exciting ones, or ones where the timing is easier to work.

[TheGayTent]

There are definitely comparable attendances in league 1 and below. Wrexham are averaging 3000 on a 10,0000 capacity and I don't think we are atypical. Im not sure theres much merit comparing the English and Scottish setups. The smaller teams in the SPL have a lot more in common with Wrexham (attendances, wage bill, squad quality etc) than they do with Fulham or Sunderland.