English football 2024-25

[Durhamfootman]

Harvey Barnes, take a bow

Newcastle still nowhere near their best, but with 3 wins and a draw from 4 ease into 3rd place after a lot of results went their way yesterday

[Durhamfootman]

Eddie Howe pulled out the 'Bobby Robson triple substitution at half time' trick

Isak had to come off after an injury to his eye of all things.

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle's luck ran out

it was just a matter of time

Man City next weekend.... what could possibly go wrong?

[mikesiva]

Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal

What a match!

[sussexpob]

Going to be very interesting to see how long Rodri is out for. If that is anywhere near as bad as it looked, and he's out for a long time, its a huge blow for City.

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle's league cup match against Wimbledon has been postponed, because heavy rainfall and flooding has opened up a sink hole at pone corner of the pitch

Postponed until when?

Wimbledon have mid week fixtures for the next 2 weeks, I believe, so it can't be then. I just wonder why the match isn't being played at SJP instead with all, or a proportion of ticket revenue given to Wimbledon to compensate them. Presumably this has been considered

Although next Tuesday's match is a home fixture, which presumably is under threat as well, so maybe they'll rearrange tomorrow's match for next week, but to be played up here

I confess to having no notion of how long it takes to fill a sink hole and repair the pitch to make it safe and suitable for a game of football, but I'm guessing it takes longer than a few days

[Durhamfootman]

Fixture to be played next Tuesday at SJP. Makes sense

[sussexpob]

Wimbledon have mid week fixtures for the next 2 weeks, I believe, so it can't be then. I just wonder why the match isn't being played at SJP instead with all, or a proportion of ticket revenue given to Wimbledon to compensate them. Presumably this has been considered

It is not something that needs to be considered, because there are specific rules in place for FA sanctioned cup competitions that require all gate receipts to be split between both sides automatically, regardless who hosts the match. I can't remember the exact split between the sides because it changes depending on what division each team plays in, with a lower division club always getting a better share, but I think non Championship/PL clubs get a flat 50%, the 2 higher divisions gets 30-40% then have to pay their remaining 10% into a contingency fund to the FA. That contingency fund is then used to cover the costs of any club that is affected by rearranging fixtures around the cup competition - so for instance, if a team has already paid for 50 people in a hotel in Plymouth for their Tuesday night game in League One, but it is moved later to host an FA cup replay, the FA pay out of the prize pool for the cancellation costs incurred. Anything left over is then split across every team that played in the round, with PL and (again, I think it includes 2nd level) Championship teams not receiving anything.

For this reason, nowadays a lower tier club prays they actually get a PL team away and not at home, because they actually make so much more money on the gate away. Its probably for this reason that Wimbledon wont give a flying **** about going up to Newcastle to play.... more expensive tickets, change of a much bigger crowd... Bingo time for them.

League One or Two teams that can sneak into the 5th/6th rounds of the cups can make a really sexy sum of money. As the 10% contingency is paid out to 3rd tier and lower, or failing no one being there, added to the win bonus pot for each round spread between those who progress, if you remain the only 3rd tier or lower side to make the QF, you get 50% of the game you play, and then 10% of every other game played in the round.... and as its the QF, the chances are that by that stage its big sides left, big gates, chances of marquee matches increase... all of that means higher ticket prices and attendances. Can be a huge revenue booster - and also replays add into the pot too.

Of course, the PL are currently voting for themselves to get more, so this will end soon. Amazing that the PL get to vote for 96 clubs in the pyramid about what favours them best....

14 clubs deciding for 96... that's democracy!! Interestingly they always seem to decide they are underpaid, and need more of the pie.

[Durhamfootman]

you can never have too much pie

[Durhamfootman]

I'm always happy to walk away with a point against Man City

[Durhamfootman]

Arsenal showing some steel this year. Bodes well for them, I think

Chelsea finally seem to have shaken off the indifference of the last couple of years, where every extra half billion spent seemed to weaken the team. They could be a bit of a force this year if they can keep it up

[Gingerfinch]

I went to the Chelsea - Brighton game. very entertaining but both teams, especially Brighton, will concede goals if they defend like that. Brighton's high line is dicing with death when you're defending against pace and every team has pace up top.
Anyway, watching Cole Palmer was a delight. Not just the goals but his vision and touch are sublime. Shame he didn't get a double hat-trick, cos it was definitely on. Missed an easy chance with his right and had a volley just go over. Plus the off-side goal.

[sussexpob]

I went to the Chelsea - Brighton game. very entertaining but both teams, especially Brighton, will concede goals if they defend like that. Brighton's high line is dicing with death when you're defending against pace and every team has pace up top

Lewis Dunk has been a great servant to the club, but hes now nearly 33 and seemingly in the last 6-12 months have lost half a yard of pace. He now looks totally immobile at points, and is proving to be a major weakness.

[mikesiva]

Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham

[Durhamfootman]

eventually the penny will drop, but for the moment I'm quite enjoying Man Utd being really bad and hopeless whilst their fanbase gnaw on their own livers and howl impotently at the sky, the moon, each other

Feels like those 14 or 15 years under the fat lad for us