orpheum

anyone watch the highlights of Bournemouth v Barrow.Saw it on Sky Sports News>bournemouth awarded a penalty in the last minute and 2 players actually get involved in pushing and shoving each other to decide who will take it whilst the ref and other players look on bemused.I have never seen anything quite like it.Also in the 120th minute Holland scored the winner for Bournemouth goes stright to the crowd to celebrate and is then sent off for his celebrations because he had already been booked.Who are the bigger chumps the law makers for bringing in such a law or the refs for adhering to it.

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batman

I saw that on Sky Sports News this morning .... absolutely incredible!

So, the score is England 0 Croatia 1, it's the last minute of stoppage time, Crouch is bundled over in the box - penalty! Crouch picks up the ball, looks around .... who do you think will fight him for the honour of taking that penalty?

Bats.

orpheum

I think that they should have played scissors and paper or maybe one potatoe to decide.
I recall 2 instances of players getting sent off for fighting their own players.One was Derek Hales of Charlton.The other might have been at Brentford or Palace.
There was of course a scot named Gerry Queen who played for Crystal Palace.He got sent off for fighting which led to the inevitable headline"Queen sent off in brawl at Palace".There was also that headline that would appear if there had been a fracas at Southampton "Ding dong at the dell"

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Hackett

Back in the 60's Dennis Law sent off at White Hart Lane for punching his own player and fellow Scottish international John Fitzpatrick.

Hackett

A bit off thread but about grass. I asked a Celtic supporter why he didn't like Rangers and he said "because they don't like me". "They hate us so much they don't have anything green in Ibrox". "Nothing is painted green no curtains nothing the pool tables are even blue". I said well the grass is green. "No its not " he said "Its Kentucky Blue Grass".

lordtednfs

Oh no! Not Ken Goodwin again!

By the time the match kicks off I will be in the land of nod, but I will record it and watch it sometime tomorrow, when you are all asleep from too much drink from celebrating, or drowning your sorrows.

To everyone back home, one message: COME ON ENGLAND, COME ON ENGLAND.

The flag of St George is flying proudly from my house tonight.

Even as a Paddy, and a real one at that, I enjoy the footie from what was my homeland for 40 odd years and enjoy it from my original homeland, Ireland, even more, even though we only get to see the highlights.

_________________
Hooked off the line

batman

From BBC Sport Online ...

Derek Hales and Mike Flanagan, January 1979
The creme de la creme of inter-team fights.
The Charlton strike partners were sent-off for brawling during an FA Cup third round tie against Maidstone at The Valley.
With five minutes to go and the game level at 1-1, Flanagan played a ball through to Hales.
Hales was ruled offside and was furious as he had wanted the ball played a lot earlier.
Flanagan, who had scored Charlton's equaliser minutes earlier, said he had been doing that all season but Hales had not been taking advantage. The players started fighting and were sent-off by referee Brian Martin.

That one, and several others, are here ...

BBC SPORT | FOOTBALL | Football in-fighting

Bats.

Harleybloke

Didn't a couple of Newcastle players have a go last season...............?

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

batman

Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer .... now both slugging it out at West Ham!

Bats.

smiffy

If mcclarens England get to the finals then they too will have got there "under their own steam" as you put it , due to the fact that they would have more points than Russia .
People have this absurd Idea that England will only be going to the finals (IF they do actually make it ) because Israel did us a favour WRONG!! they will get there because of the other GOOD results they have had .
England have the players to win the euro championships and the world cup ,whether they have the TEAM to do it is the another matter .

Get behind the team and if they lose remember "It's only a game "

I May be getting older ,but I refuse to grow up

orpheum

Can i change that to "its only an international game"

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DB7

It's comedy time at Wembley.

smiffy

Well done Croatia , a victory for intelligence and technique.Unfortunately we have players who have skill and fitness but are basically short of grey matter.
We've been here before so we shouldn't be surprised or too upset because the best team won

I May be getting older ,but I refuse to grow up

dremble wedge

I think it's pointless decrying McClaren as we all knew he wasn't up to the job and will get sacked in the morning.

What I absolutely cannot believe is the abject performances of the likes of Bridge, Lescott, SWP and particularly Gerrard (surely the most inept captain we've ever been cursed with and a player who mirrors John Barnes in being marvellous for his club but wretched for his country).

All of these are proficient Premier League players but seem to lose whatever skill they have as soon as they pull on the England shirt.

I'd like to think that not going to the Euros will act as an impetus to the England team but unless the craven FA mandarins appoint someone like Jose Mourinho or Martin O'Neill (neither of whom are 'yes men') I'm not sure we'll learn anything...

batman

England were very poor, especially in the first half. For me the main culprits were Lampard, Bridge and Gerrard, all of whom played very badly. I can't believe Lampard was given the 'Man of the Match' award. Hats off though to Crouch, who did all that was asked of him and showed a bit of spirit to boot, and Beckham for the one decent England pass of the night.

Well done Croatia, they deserved the victory. They played good, sensible football all through the match and I wouldn't be surprised if they do well in Euro 2008. Watching Bilic's joy when their third goal went in was fantastic!

As for McClaren .... he has taken England backwards. They weren't great under Sven but at least they occasionally looked the part. Under McClaren they look like a bunch of dozy half-wits having a kick about in the park.

He must surely go now .... but who will replace him. Knowing the type of manager the FA usually go for (Sven being the exception), step forward Paul Jewell!

Bats.