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Post by byased on Dec 31, 2023 18:52:01 GMT
Yes Meadowbank Thistle. Interesting history, they had to change their name originally due its corporate identity.
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Post by newby on Dec 31, 2023 19:52:56 GMT
I remember going to Meadowbank to watch an athletic meeting, must have been mid 70's. I can't imagine it being used for football as it was very open and the very wide track must have been a nuisance. It's been rebuilt I see and now one of the new sides, Edinburgh City play there.
My fondest memory of Scottish football was doing the football pools every week when I was first posted up there in 1966. I did the usual treble chance of course and never got anywhere close to winning. But on alternate weeks I'd do either the 8 homes or 5 aways section and won several times, only beer money of course but it gave me an interest.
The strong clubs were very strong and many of the others were just cannon fodder. If Rangers, Celtic and Hibs were all away, you only had to find another two to get a modest win. A bit more difficult with the 8 homes but you still felt you had a head start.
I don't suppose it was solely because of me, but at some stage Littlewoods took away the option for homes and aways from the games played in Scotland.
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Post by byased on Dec 31, 2023 20:13:22 GMT
Allegedly there was a bit of match fixing in those days. Players were poorly paid, semi pro most of them and yet they had this exposure to the football pools. I think it was one of the players from a lower Scottish team who was involved in the Sheffield Wednesday episode, Lane, Kay and Swan.
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Post by hawke on Jan 1, 2024 9:07:19 GMT
Yes Meadowbank Thistle. Interesting history, they had to change their name originally due its corporate identity. oh yes recall them did not know there was a link between them and Livingston
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Post by hawke on Jan 1, 2024 9:16:28 GMT
Yes Meadowbank Thistle. Interesting history, they had to change their name originally due its corporate identity. oh yes recall them did not know there was a link between them and Livingston This prompted me to look this up and the bribery was on a wider scale than I realised, even extending to a York City player. The Sheffield Wed footballers were big names weren’t they. Must have been huge. The man behind him was a Scot. A Scottish keeper was also involved who later played a match for Brechin!
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Post by karma on Jan 1, 2024 9:33:04 GMT
oh yes recall them did not know there was a link between them and Livingston This prompted me to look this up and the bribery was on a wider scale than I realised, even extending to a York City player. The Sheffield Wed footballers were big names weren’t they. Must have been huge. The man behind him was a Scot. A Scottish keeper was also involved who later played a match for Brechin! This is all true. :-( I actually went to school and played football with someone related to Swan. Boy did he have a rough time but nothing physical I'm setting off for York shortly , home to Gateshead
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Post by newby on Jan 2, 2024 9:38:00 GMT
Good wins for York, Sheffield Wednesday and even Doncaster yesterday. More importantly Leeds United won and managed to cut the gap on two of the teams in front of them.
FA cup third round approaching, one of my favourite footballing weekends and a bit of light relief from the week to week tension of the league.
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Post by karma on Jan 2, 2024 12:03:40 GMT
I attended the York game v promotion hopefuls Gateshead and for once York did to the opposition what so many teams have done to York over the years.
Gateshead are a really class team and their passing and interplay is delightful, they haven't according to Radio York, lost away from home since September. I estimate Gateshead had at least 2/3rds of play against which York defended well, didn't boot the ball out but themselves kept possession. York 'absorbed' most of Gateshead's attacks, even saved a penalty just before half-time and, my being a little biased, I think we created more actual scoring chances. Two well crafted goals for York and none for Gateshead. Just under 5,000 happy York supporters and perhaps 250 disappointed Gateshead ones.
If I was a Gateshead supporter/manager I'd probably be thinking that 'we were so much better then York, had most of the play, at least 3/4, totally dominated the game, were robbed, the referee was rubbish etc etc'
I'd agree the referee was rubbish (on this occasion) but York had their tactics right, played to their strengths and took all three points. (In the reverse fixture on Boxing day York were winning at Gateshead by the only goal until a late equaliser when York's defence 'switched-off')
I'm going to look at both manager's post-match interviews for yesterday's game to see how many cliche's come up - We was robbed, game of two halve, nailed on penalty, they just wasted time etc .
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Post by karma on Jan 2, 2024 12:27:20 GMT
Good wins for York, Sheffield Wednesday and even Doncaster yesterday. More importantly Leeds United won and managed to cut the gap on two of the teams in front of them. FA cup third round approaching, one of my favourite footballing weekends and a bit of light relief from the week to week tension of the league. Birmingham have sacked their manager Wayne Rooney following their defeat to the hands of Leeds United. I'm not certain if Rooney is a good manager or not though I believe he's pretty average at best. He will have had another muti-million pound pay-out to add to his millions. Rooney was appointed on 11th October when Birmingham were 6th in the table, they're now 20th , just above the relegation Zone. 38 year-old Rooney has said, "I have been involved in professional football as a player and manager, since I was 16 . I plan to take some time with my family as I prepare for my next opportunity in my journey as a manager". He added " My first job is to buy a new mattress under which I can stuff all this money" My personal opinion is that it's about time these substantial termination payments were stopped. Reward success not failure. In the real world some of these payments will exceed a supporter's lifetime earnings.
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Post by newby on Jan 2, 2024 13:02:18 GMT
Birmingham's fault, or more accurately the American backers fault.
They've gone for a high profile name to generate interest in brand 'Birmingham FC' seemingly without any clue how difficult it is to stay in the Championship, let alone reach the Premier league.
I'm not saying it can't be done but any 'figurehead' manager needs to have a very good number 2 and a proper coaching team to do the hard work.
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Post by slowleftarmer on Jan 3, 2024 13:37:11 GMT
Initially I assumed it was a misunderstanding by Birmingham's US owners who thought they had to apply the "Rooney rule" when making a new appointment
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Post by karma on Jan 3, 2024 14:51:15 GMT
I believe he was originally contracted for 3 1/2 years by Birmingham, which seems somewhat excessive. I might be wrong (and not for the first time). Of course Rooney left America where he was 'managing' shortly before being appointed by Birmingham. Compensation for nigh on 3 years early contract termination could be very substantial.
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Post by newby on Jan 3, 2024 16:08:55 GMT
3 1/2 years if far too long, but then again 13 weeks certainly isn't long enough. I personally don't think Rooney would make a good manager at any level in a million years, but that's just my view.
They shouldn't reward failure of course but he does deserve some level of compensation for being let go so quickly. His interview on TV after the Leeds game must have been the last straw. He was basically asking the board to buy a new team in the January window.
As for Birmingham, they deserve all it costs them for being so stupid in the first place.
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Post by karma on Jan 4, 2024 16:17:07 GMT
Huge financial problems in the Northern League with Marske Utd of the North Riding and North Shields of Northumberland both threatened with closure. Marske day they need a staggering £120,000 to see them through the season and North Shields have just lost all their players. Middlesbrough fans have raised some money for Marske but there is so much more still needed. Cant Newcastle Utd help North Shields?? I'm afraid Hawke, that yesterday Marske United delivered a letter to the Northern Premier League Northern division resigning their membership of the league. Obviously they couldn't raise the monies that were required for them to complete their remaining fixtures. It must have been a miserable Christmas and New Year for all the supporters, volunteers, officials and players . It has yet to be decided in which league the club will operate in future. Likewise what happens in relation to completed/uncompleted games and points in relation to final league positions and promotion/relegation for remaining teams. This news was in the Telegraph and Argus (T+A) which covers football reporting for Bradford Park Avenue who are in the same league as Marske as are Guiseley (you will have gathered I go to watch BPA and Guiseley). Normally all completed games involving Marske would be 'removed' from the league table which would 'help' Guiseley who lost at home to them 2 -3 on Boxing day (and are in a strong league position) but not help Bradford Park Avenue who had already beaten Marske in their home game in October 1 - 0. I think the bottom four teams at season's end are relegated but this might reduce to three and which might help BPA. I was hoping to go to Guiseley on Saturday (home to Gainsborough) and follow their promotion push but unfortunately Mrs karma has tested positive for Covid. I'll obviously prefer to look after her and then she can look after me if/when I'm positive
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Post by hawke on Jan 4, 2024 19:43:00 GMT
oh dear… sad mess… their financial requirements were overwhelming
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