It is - I know some United fans (one a mate, the other an arse) who would no doubt have some spicy conversations with him. I must introduce them. 
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The all-in-one consolidatory football thread Page 237
Quote: Matthew Stott @ May 24 2011, 7:05 PM BSTChappers rage against what is, essentially, just a football team is quite something!
Just be thankful he doesn't seem to have an opinion on Doctor Who. 
Quote: Rob H @ May 24 2011, 10:08 PM BSTJust be thankful he doesn't seem to have an opinion on Doctor Who.
I do . .
Right then... back to football. I see Fabio has picked Gareth Barry again, but isn't he past it? It looks almost like he's saying: I can pick anybody, f**k it, and nobody's allowed to comment on it.
Quote: Oldrocker @ May 25 2011, 12:05 AM BSTI do . .
What is it. .?
Quote: Badge @ May 25 2011, 12:59 AM BSTRight then... back to football. I see Fabio has picked Gareth Barry again, but isn't he past it? It looks almost like he's saying: I can pick anybody, f**k it, and nobody's allowed to comment on it.
He's certainly not the slightly better than average Premiership player he was a couple of years ago, that's for sure.
The only passable explanation is that others of his ilk aren't available, but I think the very stubborn Iti would have picked him if they were. Most decent coaches would have dropped him after he was left for dead by every German that took him on at the world cup. If only Gareth Barry could have been Gareth Bale instead! And why oh why did Gareth Bale have to be Welsh? Barry is a much Welsher name and the statuesque player is picked for England. Why did Bale not choose to play for England? Crazy.
He's picked Parker at long last though.
Quote: Rob H @ May 25 2011, 7:43 AM BSTWhat is it. .?
I think it's poo.
Here's a great story on the Guardian's football website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/series/theknowledge
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"I wonder if you can help me," asked Aladair Maughan, back in the day. "I remember reading about a match being played in an African cup competition (I think) where both teams were trying to score own goals in order to try to make/try to prevent the game from going into extra time and being won on a golden goal. Does anyone know the exact details of this, or if it's just an urban myth?"
It might sound like an urban myth, Alasdair, but it's (almost) 100% true. The crazy events you describe took place in a Shell Caribbean Cup match between Barbados and Grenada in 1994.
Going into the last group game, Barbados needed to beat Grenada by two goals to qualify for the final stages. Anything less and Grenada went through. So far, so simple. Except that the organisers had decided that, in the case of extra time, a golden goal would count as two goals.
You don't have to be Einstein to work out what happened next. Barbados raced to a 2-0 lead before Grenada made it 2-1 with seven minutes remaining. The Bajans were heading out unless they scored a goal; any goal.
Fortunately for them, with three minutes left, they did just that - only not in the right net. Their deliberate own goal made it 2-2 and propelled the game towards extra time.
Now, farcically, Grenada needed to score a goal (at either end) to go through. Cue frantic defending of both penalty areas by Barbados until the final whistle.
Such dubious shenanigans were rewarded, however, when Barbados scored the golden goal - this time in Grenada's net - four minutes into extra time to win the match 3-2 (or 4-2 according to the rules of the tournament) and qualify for the finals.
However this isn't the only example of a blatant own-goal being scored to further a team's ambitions. As James Syme points out, it also happened in the infamous 1998 Tiger Cup game between Thailand and Indonesia.
"Whoever won would get to face hot favourites Vietnam in the next round, so both teams tried to throw the match," he says. "At 2-2 and with a few minutes left, the Indonesians dropped all pretence and turned on their own goal, now defended by Thai players.
"In injury time the Indonesian keeper-captain Mursyid Effendi 'saved' the ball, turned round and thumped the ball into his own goal for a 3-2 final result."
Justice was eventually served, however. For not only did Indonesia and Thailand lose their semi-final games (to Singapore and Vietnam, respectively) but both were also fined $40,000 for "violating the spirit of the game." Meanwhile Mursyid Effendi was banned for life.
Edit: I'd initially said this story was about Stan Flashman but it was in fact a Keith Cheeseman.
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Just been reminded of a great story I read in Barry Fry's autobiography. In it he describes a time where he was being questioned by police about Keith Cheesman, the dodgy Chairman of Dunstable FC.
Now, Keith had gone missing and the police had found a body which they thought could be him. They spoke to Barry and the conversation went a little like this...
POLICE: Mr Fry, would you recognise Mr Cheeseman if he didn't have any arms.
BARRY: Yes.
POLICE: Would you recognise him if he didn't have any legs?
BARRY: Yes.
POLICE: Would you recognise him if he didn't have a head?
BARRY: Blimey, I knew him well but not that well!
LOL ^. Barry Fry= my favourite manager of my club.
My prediction for the European Cup final is 2-1. I don't know who will get 2, nor who will get 1.
Quote: TopBanana @ May 27 2011, 7:03 PM BSTLOL ^. Barry Fry= my favourite manager of my club.
My prediction for the European Cup final is 2-1. I don't know who will get 2, nor who will get 1.
Right so far !
Who is that prat next to that prat Ferguson with all his legs out. It's not like he's going to plat FFS !
Man Utd are being ass f**ked by Barcelona
Destroyed.
Annihilated.
Men against boys.
Quote: lofthouse @ May 28 2011, 9:10 PM BSTMan Utd are being ass f**ked by Barcelona
Destroyed.
Annihilated.
Men against boys.
Shame innit?
Nah!
United completely outclassed. Valencia is shite.