The Rolling Football Thread: season 2024/25

[DuncinToffee]

Football fans join in to share the joy, the heartache and VAR frustration ⚽

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”

Yes, he was at Arsenal for 7 years. He only left last year and went to Leverkusen who won the Bundeslige last year.

He almost left Arsenal around 2019 because he was booed off by the Arsenal fans and threw his gloves and swore at the fans.

But Arteta persuaded his to stay and he left a hero.

This still makes me laugh (after a NLD):

This is a better video:

Some Spurs fans behind the goal had thrown things at Ramsdale and Xhaka went over to sort them out. Arteta had to run after him to stop him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/10csfcg/artetarunningtowardsxhakainordertostophim/

😂😂😂 wonder what he was going to say? Was he planning to remind Spurs that Arsenal had won?

Ohhh! Sorry, I posted my previous post before seeing your update here. Ugh I remember reading that, about Spurs fans throwing stuff at Ramsdale - and didn’t a Spurs fan try and kick him? 😭😭😭 So horrible. Good on Xhaka for wanting to have a word!!

As a Hammer I still have a soft spot even if he left us for the Arse. 😇🤣

Also I need to go see if I can find the joke gift my DH bought me for my birthday (which is today 😁). Well I hope it's a joke. If not then maybe a divorce is pending. 🤣

Sorry it's sideways I think. There's a pennant, scarf, a stationery set and some stickers inside.

Thankfully DH admitted to me he found it in a local charity shop so Chelsea don't have the money, the Cats Protection do. 🤣

Happy Birthday Tarkan

@Brefugee I think I've mentioned before I'm an MUFC fan. Totally unthought of everywhere, but they're my local team, distance wise, being from Salford (if anyone knows the area, you could see Old Trafford from the hospital maternity ward, they've closed it down now, the maternity ward).
My first game was City V United in 1986, I was 5, we drew 1-1 and I didn't understand what the hell was going on other than it was pretty fun! No glory hunting here either, I just didn't have a choice 😂 started going regularly the season after with my uncles as my Mum worked weekends and they looked after me.

I don't like VAR, United did send emails round to gather views on how to vote to season ticket holders/members and we were ignored as they voted to keep.

Handball is ridiculous, they're over complicating everything but not in a sensible way.

I saw comments re: Jim Radcliffe on the other thread too. Getting rid of 250 staff it seems. Not sure what is happening at OT at the moment but I'm reserving my judgement on whether I'm happy about it or not. My initial thoughts are he's a prick, but we were screwed 19 years ago when the Glazers bought us, not sure there's an easy way out of the mess that got us into.

I wish things were simpler again and as football fans we didn't have to now think of the politics of it all. It's bloody knackering being a football fan. Whatever happened to going to a game, watching the damn thing and having an opinion on what you see? Now it's all pass %, xG blah de blah! I still work on emotion, so I'm miles behind the modern football fan.

😂😂 aww happy birthday, @Tarkan! 🥳🥳

😂😂 great that the money is going to a much worthier cause!!

I did mean to say soft spot for Rice. Too many wines already LOL.

I'm still in our local and they all sang happy birthday to me then one of the guys put Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthsay on the jukebox for me. I've had some free drinks too. 🤣

I think it’s really really shabby the way Jim Ratcliffe has come in and tried to stamp his authority by removing staff perks and now making loads redundant when he’s richer than Croesus and the male footballers are getting paid hundreds of thousands of pounds per week. It’s embarrassing penny pinching in an area of the country that doesn’t typically scream generational wealth. And as for moving the women into a portakabin so the men can use their changing rooms during a refurb. What a dick.

Jim Ratcliffe will be to Manchester United what Mike Ashley was to Newcastle United. Mark my words. Penny pinching at this early stage in his tenure does not bode well.

Caught the Arsenal off my dad who was brought up in that area of London. Didn't really follow it much when I was young, but started to get more interested in my teens. A great memory of watching '89 with my dad.

Had a season ticket at the Emirates (after about 10 years on the waiting list) for about 5 years, but had to give it up when circumstances changed. I wouldn't, unfortunately, be able to go to most games now.

I always thought VAR was going to be good, given the number of times that Henry was wrongly called offside over the years. However, it certainly hasn't turned out like I expected!

I think that if you can't determine if it's offside within 5 seconds then you should go with the original decision. I don't think it improves the game trying to determine if a toenail was a millimetre ahead.

I haven't even looked at the new hand ball rule - I just don't think I can be arsed anymore...

Thanks for the happy birthday messages. I'm finally home. And probably about to regret having an 11am nail appointment tomorrow. 🤣

he had such a fan base when he was a young (free and single) player at Gladbach. I think he married a lass who worked at the club (which is why i was not at all surprised that they came back to approximately this area)

happy birthday @Tarkan - that's hilarious. I hope you're planning revenge. You could crowdsource it here ....

I still work on emotion, so I'm miles behind the modern football fan.

I'm in Germany so it's different in many ways, much more in line with what i think of old-school fandom. So we have standing terraces, and the Ultras have a dialogue with the club (for doing what we call a Choreo, but i think elsewhere is a Tifo?) and such like. But not so much in the club's pocket that they go along with everything that is decided. Hence the protests (which were clever and ultimately worked, which was coordinated over just about all Bundesliga clubs) about getting an outside investor to the league. And the persistence (at our club and a few other "Traditional clubs"* of protesting against RB Leipzig (and Hoffenheim) when they come to us.

Personally i never leave before the end, no matter how painful the score/match, and i never boo my own team. I will indulge in friendly (emphasis on friendly) bantz with away fans, but nothing more. And I love the whole, putting on the shirt, picking up the scarf, travel to the stadium, pre-match beer and food in our lovely beer garden, etc etc.

*if anyone is bored and wants to know what it's all about, i can explain.

I still work on emotion, so I'm miles behind the modern football fan.

I honestly think without the emotions from the fans, Everton would have been relegated

Maybe!! I was so relieved when they weren’t, and I don’t even support them. Your fans have nerves of steel ❤️ (and Jordan Pickford, which also helps!)

The Everton win against Liverpool must have felt particularly special!

Newcastle have announce former Monaco director Paul Mitchell as their new sporting director. So long Ashworth. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out 👋🏻

That win was special 💙

For the last 3 years, fan groups have put so much work into support, protest, banners, you name it. And it goes further back than that. Football is nothing without fans

And it is nice to have someone else appreciate Pickford

the Bundesliga have released the plan for next season. We're the opening match, at home, against champions Leverkusen. So it will be on a Friday, and i have already got holiday booked for that which i now need to rearrange so i don't miss the match.

That is the only match with a fixed date. The other dates get fixed about 4 at a time by the Bundesliga about 6 weeks (I think) before the matches. They move them around according to other fixtures (Champions league etc, and later on cup matches). TV has no influence over timing of matches, which i like (and is part of what the league investor protests were about)

In Germany, the first half of the fixture list is exactly the same (same order) as the 2nd half, except the other way round (in terms of home/away). Which i love.

I felt rough as anything this morning but thanks for all the birthday fun LOL. I've got until January to plan revenge on DH. Maybe something Hearts based. Hehe.

I actually had a little secret for him on our wedding day too. We planned all our wedding colours around the Hibs tartan which is green, purple and white but I secretly had a Rangers tartan garter as my something blue for the whole day. That was a fun reveal at the end of the day. 😁

Enjoyed catching up with the last couple of pages, nice to read everyone's stories and pleased to see the pleasant natured poster from the previous page hasn't been back!!

So my main team is Spurs, my Grandparent's were life-long fans and took me to a few games as a child in the 1990's (Klinnsmann, Sherringham, Edinburgh, Walker era). Very frustrating team to support, however I am always hopeful they will win that elusive trophy. DS 10 is also a massive fan and often watches the Spurs Ajax CL semi.

I live in Kent, 20 minute drive away from Gillingham FC in League 2, and attend as many home games as I can. Love the club, love the atmosphere however only started following them when the late, great Justin Edinburgh took over as Manager in 2015. He had a great couple of seasons with us, nearly leading us to promotion to the Championship, but sadly it wasn't to be.

After nearly 2 back to back relegations 2 seasons ago they are on the up again with a new owner who has improved the club and ground no end, and I am excited about what is to come. We also boast the longest standing "temporary" away stand in the EFL