Sport Football Thread 2011/2012

[Daley]

I think it might have been posted already but if you haven't, and want to, you have until 4pm to sign this when it closes.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/19149

Give Kevin Williams his inquest under section 13 of the coroners Act, we have all the evidence under this section but keep getting refused.

Responsible department: Attorney General's Office

Kevin Williams died in the Hillsborough disaster in1989, Kevin's Inquests were riddled with coruption, suppressing of vital evidence and perverting the course of JUSTICE, Kevin did not die from Traumatic Asphixia or in an accident I will not pick up his death certificate until we get the course of death put right and the accidental death verdict struck down. Kevin does not relate to the 3.15pm cut off point.I want a new inquest were all the witnesses will be called to give evidence so the jury will know exactly what happened to Kevin at Hillsborough. I have all the evidence under section 13 of the coroners act and have been refused 3 times by the attorney generals office, I want the Attorney General to look at the evidence again and send Kevin's case back to the divisional court recomending a new inquest into the death of my son.

[DC Lemon]

I think it might have been posted already but if you haven't, and want to, you have until 4pm to sign this when it closes.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/19149

It was a bit depressing this time yesterday when she was only halfway there but it's been given a Twitter boost by the likes of Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan and Wayne Rooney over the past 24 hours and she's just about to break the required 100,000. It doesn't hurt to carry on signing once it's reached either.

[Rev]

Frankly you expect it of Madrid though as they're like a squad of super villains. That's basically all they exist for.

Pepe the super villain has a weird origin story where he was actually pretty good at playing football.

[Reynard]

It was a bit depressing this time yesterday when she was only halfway there but it's been given a Twitter boost by the likes of Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan and Wayne Rooney over the past 24 hours and she's just about to break the required 100,000. It doesn't hurt to carry on signing once it's reached either.

Yeah, brilliant response since yesterday.

Needs to go beyond the 100k to compensate for dupes and out of country signatures (which will get discounted off the total).

Please sign (don't forget to check your inbox for the validation email, otherwise your signature won't count).

[Kelthink]

It was a bit depressing this time yesterday when she was only halfway there but it's been given a Twitter boost by the likes of Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan and Wayne Rooney over the past 24 hours and she's just about to break the required 100,000. It doesn't hurt to carry on signing once it's reached either.

Less than 300 signatures needed now, excellent work.

To think it was hovering around 3,000 for a good few months. It was 89,000 about 3 hours ago!

[Rev]

And it's now just over 100k.

[neoELITE]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-16631651

5 Brighton players and 1 Bournemouth player arrested over an alleged sexual assault. Given their ages, it should be fairly easy to determine who they are.

The force said an 18-year-old man, a 19-year-old, two men aged 20 and one aged 24, all from Brighton, and a 20-year-old from Dorset had been arrested.

[Daley]

The crime rate amongst footballers is incredible. If it's not drink driving, it's assault and now they have added sexual assault to their repertoire.

They are like a mini-crimewave.

[Petrousgyre]

Marca, that notorious mouthpiece for the Florentino Perez, have started sharpening knives against Mourinho. Mainly in the guise of reporting Real fans grumbling about how shit Real are and that Mourinhos the one to blame, regardless, any negative press in Marca suggest he'll be gone at the end of the season - unless, perhaps, they win the CL and La Liga. They've been pretty scathing of Pepe too.

[Daley]

Marca, that notorious mouthpiece for the Florentino Perez, have started sharpening knives against Mourinho. Mainly in the guise of reporting Real fans grumbling about how shit Real are and that Mourinhos the one to blame, regardless, any negative press in Marca suggest he'll be gone at the end of the season - unless, perhaps, they win the CL and La Liga. They've been pretty scathing of Pepe too.

Mancini suddenly felt a cold shiver down his spine, as if someone was watching him, or something, somewhere had gone badly wrong...

[Naysonymous]

So Liverpool have signed a ridiculous kit deal (supposedly worth £25m a year) with an American company called Warrior Sports who make Ice Hockey gear in North America. Adidas are playing the role of the jilted ex girlfriend perfectly at the moment: "You were shit anyway, and we werent going to renew because you didnt qualify for Europe last year".

[Timmo]

I can't wait for Liverpool to play with massive shoulder pads.

[dizogg]

Yeah, still happy to sponsor teams like league 2 Swindon Town with their fascist manager and all. Maybe it suits Adidas' brand identity better?

[phresh]

And Warrior are presumably happy to be associated with a club that can't/won't condone their own player for racist language

[Nick_L]

The Liverpool kit will probably have New Balance on it rather than Warrior.

Fair play for finally taking good advantage of the commercial opportunities available to them, better than those two Bellends that were in charge before.

[aidey6]

BBC SPORT

1437 FOOTBALL: Brazil legend Pele, who won the World Cup in 1958, 62 and 70 has dismissed Argentina prodigy Lionel Messi as a potential threat to his legacy as arguable the world's greatest ever player. "He is a great player. When he'll have scored 1,283 goals and won three World Cups, we'll talk about it again," Pele told French newspaper Le Monde.

I think he does have a bit of a point, although at the same time the national side haven't played to his strengths thus far. Until he has a good WC, he simply cannot be compared to Pele, El-Phenomenon or Maradona just yet

[Daley]

That's incredibly harsh. Club football is so much better these days and he has been exceptionally unlucky to be part of a very ordinary Argentina side.

[Arc'Tan'Gent]

I think it sounds pretty arrogant.

OK, he's motherfucking Pele, but still.

[Rocafella]

Obviously modern day football means Messi won't get anywhere near Pele's total, but if carries on scoring the way he has, then I think it would be an almost equal feat. Agree with the national team argument though. The things Maradona and Pele did in World Cups probably won't ever be repeated again.

[El Pibe]

National teams are so much better now than they were in Pele's day, as well. England putting 8 past a team like Turkey, for example, just wouldn't happen now.

Plus Messi plays club football at a much higher level than Pele did. The guy is amazing!

[Rsdio]

Yeah, very unfair and arrogant of him to phrase it like that. If Messi didn't seem like such a modest guy I think he'd be well within his rights to turn that around and ask the question of how well Pele would do in today's modern game. He wouldn't be scoring that many goals, that's for sure - even Romario's 1000 is very dubious, despite him being the world's greatest goal-hanger.

[Timmo]

Pele is a dick.

The only thing Messi has missing (and it's arguably "missing") is the arrogance of Pele or Maradona. I imagine his goalscoring total would be higher and assist total lower if he had that. He'd also probably be a worse player for it. Ronaldo can be very frustrating when he's trying to do too much. You just don't see Messi doing that.

Did Pele get many assists? Dancing around the defence to lay a ball off for a tap-in is just as good as a goal, after all. Doesn't he get just as many assists as goals or something obscene?

[Guest]

Messi's on something mad like 360 for combined assists and goals isn't he? Puyol's 51 games in a row unbeaten (43 wins 8 draws) is mad too. MAD!

[Timmo]

Puyol is amazing. If it wasn't for his height, hair and tremendous ugliness he'd be recognised as the world's best defender.

[Daley]

Joey Barton. Warnock buys him. Gets sacked four months later. In an interview says "he did not want to discuss midfielder Joey Barton as he "just wants to talk about positive things at the club"."

Joey Barton unleashes hell on Twitter:

Neil Warnock saying I talk to much. Now that is funny #mikebassett

If I talked about Neil, he'd do well to get another job. Twitter cost him his job???? I can think of a million other things! #shutitwarnock

Looking forward to the game against Wigan tomo. 1st time in a while we actually have a plan and seem organised. #3ptsneeded

Lost his job and the guy is blaming everyone but himself! Embarrassing, time to look in the mirror mate. Last thing we need right. Big week

I'm far from a fan of Warnock but Barton, who he made captain, comes across as a massive knob.

No change there then I guess.

[Rsdio]

Neil Warnock's always been a straight talker as well as a fucking great manager and I'd take his word over Barton's every day of the week, Nietzsche namechecks or not.

If Lee Clark fails to get us up again this year I'd have him

(deffoes NSFW) in a heartbeat if he'd come.

[Yobo Ahoy]

Obviously modern day football means Messi won't get anywhere near Pele's total, but if carries on scoring the way he has, then I think it would be an almost equal feat. Agree with the national team argument though. The things Maradona and Pele did in World Cups probably won't ever be repeated again.

Exactly. Doesn't Pele's total include loads in friendlies and exhibition matches?

[the_debaser]

Messi is already pretty much the best player ever. Pele wasn't even as good as Maradona or Cryuff.

[emjay2kay]

He only played one game at the 62 World Cup too, before getting injured. His winner's medal was only awarded retrospectively. Obviously, he was good enough to get into the squad, but they didn't need him in order to win the tournament. (Slightly petty point to make I guess.)

Does anyone enjoy hearing from the old legends of the game? It's great that they're not forgotten, but when they speak out, whether it's Platini, Beckenbauer, Charlton, Hurst, Pele, whoever, I nearly always find it to be pish and drivel.

[Rsdio]

Yeah, I'd agree with all of those. Bobby Charlton's the worst, gets right on my tits. I vaguely remember him once saying that Man Utd. 'deserve' to always be in the Champions League, even if they ever happen to not actually qualify for it.

Always enjoy Maradona's crazy talk though (and to me he was the best ever, not Pele).