football-blog

Algeria plan to airlift fans to Angola for Egypt semi

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:49:00 +0100

The BBC are reporting that the Algerian FA are planning on airlifting fans directly into Benguela, ahead of Thursday's somewhat sensitive African Cup of Nation's semi final with Egypt. To say there is previous between the two would be an understatement.

There is a far better breakdown of all that went before on TwoHundredPercent; but I think it is fair to say that the BBC may be thankful they chose to televise this game, even if their previous coverage of the event was a disgrace a little lacking.

Of course, this is the third meeting in a matter of weeks for these two nations, the first being the last group game of their World Cup qualifying. This is when the tensions between supporters first came to a wider audience. The Algerian team bus was peppered with rocks, injuring several players and coaches. The result of that match forced an ever tenser (is that a word?) play-off for the final WC spot, and wide-spread unrest followed, with embassies attacked, supporters clashing (in Africa and in France), and each side protesting the actions of the other. The results of Rounds 1 and 2 sent Egypt spiraling into such a national identity crisis that Qaddafi even offered to step in and sort things out!

OK, so the ACN doesn't carry the prestige of the World Cup, and we can all sit there and laugh at inept goalkeeping.

But it still carries enough local weight that Egypt will feel it matters enough that victory will restore some pride.

Just as well such a potentially firey tie is being played somewhere nice and secure then, with an exemplary track record for peace and harmony.

What?.

Exciting and sexy news

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:35:12 +0100

Match reports will no longer be posted to this site.

OopsUpsideYourHead will continue to serve you sporadic bursts of news, as and when time allows, so don't start planning your route to Beachy Head just yet.

But if you want ~~concise, accurate and reverantial match reports on some of the best non-league football out there~~ to wade thru overly wordy, unfocused accounts of some piss-poor footballers, please head over to Beat The First Man.

The Northern Ireland Peace Process

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:24:01 +0100

Alright, so they're not all wearing balavlavas, and there is barely a mortar gun to be seen. In fact I would be surprised if most of the protagonists had a grasp on the finer nuances of the Good Friday agreement. But I think it is fair to say that the personnel involved in this Irish Cup game between Newry v Larne may have one or two unresolved issues.

All was going smoothly as the game edged towards the final whistle. Premiership Newry had gone 2-1 up, and then visiting captain decided the way to the hearts of women everywhere would be to seemingly attempt to gouge out the eyes of an opponent.

Both benches then took exception to this, as the gates of Hades were temporarily opened. A breif square dance ensued, during which Newry's Cullen Feeney was soundly clobbbered in the head, but miraculously was left unscathed.

Unsuprisingly, everyone involved is now clambering over each other to be the most regretful, with authorities and clubs vowing to launch thorough PR drives investigations into the match.

I've often wondered why I never got to play professionally in Spain

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:27:06 +0100

Goal!

Or not...

Notts County are '23rd most popular team in the world'

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:40:18 +0100

Notts County are the 23rd most popular team in the world - according to the FIFA 10 football game.

Research by manufacturers of the game found Notts are played more than some Premier League clubs, international giants Italy and Argentina, and Nottingham Forest.

Standing are calculated based on the teams that gamers from all over the world choose.

It is believed Sven-Goran Eriksson's arrival as director of football has been one of the key contributors to their rise up the table.

Original Image

Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona head the list followed by Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Notts are the tenth most played team in England.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Notts-County-23rd-popular-team-world/article-1702547-detail/article.html

Dodgy keeper

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:13:39 +0100

The old addage goes that women's football is ok, but the goalkeepers continue to be the weak link. This may be lazy analysis, it may be true. However, this logic also stands fair when watching the African Cup of Nations (or not, given that the BBC don't appear to give a rats ass about the tournament) Anyway, spurious stereotypes aside, it's time to laugh at someone injuring himself uneccesarily

What's the official term for this?

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:41:44 +0100

There's a toe poke. There's a shinner. Hand ball. Is this a case of ball to, well...

Unbelievablo, Jeffi

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:48:06 +0100

Passes the time. And it's better than Dave Allen.

Cabin Fever

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:34:31 +0100

Bored now. Three weeks I've made plans, and three weeks the bloody weather has intervened. It looks pretty an' all, but really, it's inconveniencing me.

Of Mice and Men

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:57:01 +0100

<cliche mode>Football over the Christmas period is as good excuse as any to get yourself out of the house and away from family rows</cliche mode>

At 10am this morning I was tidying the house and going to Sutton v Kirkby. After reading of Mr Waite's plans for the day, the house remained untidied, and I was off for a double header, starting with Radford v Holwell Sports. Only to find out the Sutton game was off. Best laid plans, eh?

So, Radford, what do we know?

Well, it's in a grotty bit of Nottingham, in an area that reminded me of some dreadful nights in North Lundun that we don't need to talk about now. The football team are at the wrong end of the East Midlands Counties Football League table. And, erm, yeah, that's it really.

Some patrons were disappointed by the closure of the snack bar

Holwell Sports, despite their fans' boasts in the face of a frustrated attack by a home defender, are not really that much better. In their favour however is the fact that they save in kit costs by simply raiding Norwich City's laundry basket. That, and the fact that they had a note-able, if not sizeable, travelling support.

The decision to play this game at 12.30 certainly paid dividends, as the crowd of 173 was near enough doubled by a motley collection of groundhoppers. Most, if not all, known to at least 50% of my companions for the day. Despite your protestations, sir, the evidence is damning.

In truth, I don't really know what happened in this game. Which will doubtless serve as a disappointment to those of you who have read this far. What I did pick up was that the home keeper either wasn't very good, or more likely, wasn't even a goalkeeper, but rather some hapless midfield playmaker who had the gloves thrust at him when the normal keeper didn't show up. It's all I can think of to explain his erratic performance, and his complete lack of understanding of the rudiments of positioning and the like.

More of the details may end up on the 66POW blog, or spewing forth from the Mind of an Imp, but if they don't, I'm sure we'll all sleep well enough anyway.