Coldest ground in England

[chicoazul]

After we lost 1-0 to them you posted this in the next weeks preview.

"Dull as dishwater football is no way to spend the Sabbath. "

Yeah about both of us that day.

That all you got lids? Tim Lovejoy would think you're bells.

 

[Brennan]

So what's the deal with the fabled top ten? As I said, it means nothing, it's completely arbitrary. Top six, yeah, I might give you that. Apart from a few £m in prize money, what's the difference between finishing 7th all the way down to 17th?

And, yeah, the money's been spent but, as I said earlier, we've had to come back from waaaaaay behind. Ever seen Carl Asaba play on the left wing? I have. We've spent 25 years' worth of money in five seasons... because we build incrementally and we've built quickly. You might find it shocking, but it works.

The difference between being better than 3 teams and being better than 13 teams. By that logic we might as well just disband every team except the top ten teams and have a mini league.

There's been no real sign of improvement in your league placings in four seasons, i simply find it strange when you look at how much money you've invested. As i said, Everton had a crap squad before Moyes took over, he invested smartly but not massively and we're now in and around the top 7 every season. You've spent tens of millions more in real terms in fewer seasons but your league placing is actually getting worse.

If you're happy with that then sound, i just think it's a bit of a waste of money and an opportunity. After all, who knows how long your owner will continue to bankroll you ?

 

[chicoazul]

And befriended a local and saved a neighbourhood youth centre from being shut down by the filthy capitalista.

Me, I am the filthy capitalista. I provide comms for men that would squeeze an orphan if they thought oil would come out.

Hahaha. You're a day tripper lid. Unless you've got two local orphan schools named after you and a tattoo of their Presidente then it doesn't count.

Tell them where you've been but never where you're at lid. I could be stood on a white Caribbean beach right now with a beer in my hand admiring a star filled night sky. But none of you would know.

opens eye to damp ridden bedsit*

 

[Dharma Bum]

The difference between being better than 3 teams and being better than 13 teams. By that logic we might as well just disband every team except the top ten teams and have a mini league.

There's been no real sign of improvement in your league placings in four seasons, i simply find it strange when you look at how much money you've invested. As i said, Everton had a crap squad before Moyes took over, he invested smartly but not massively and we're now in and around the top 7 every season. You've spent tens of millions more in real terms in fewer seasons but your league placing is actually getting worse.

If you're happy with that then sound, i just think it's a bit of a waste of money and an opportunity. After all, who knows how long your owner will continue to bankroll you ?

We might as well disband everyone apart from Man utd, Man City and Chelsea. Unless Everton or Stoke or anyone else on the outside looking in start to pay £200k+ a week, then they're never going to challenge for the title.

But we've finished with between 45 and 47 points every time. We're pretty consistent, can't help how strong the league is year on year. As for 'actually getting worse': if we'd dropped from 6th to 17th over 10 seasons fair enough... it's a couple of places over four seasons. Last year we dropped off because the team looked fatigued thanks to the Europa league, the season before we lost the last two or three games after losing in the cup final... none of it's been relegation scrap stuff.

Until he dies or has to retire from ill health, I'd say. Which could be years or it could be the near future, hence massive investment in the academy and youth set-up as a long term alternative.

 

[bluejock]

Hahaha. You're a day tripper lid. Unless you've got two local orphan schools named after you and a tattoo of their Presidente then it doesn't count.

Tell them where you've been but never where you're at lid. I could be stood on a white Caribbean beach right now with a beer in my hand admiring a star filled night sky. But none of you would know.

opens eye to damp ridden bedsit*

I'm actually a shelf stacker at Tesco.

 

[WA Toffee]

My least favourite thing about Stoke is Tony Pullis always wearing a baseball cap. Doesn't he realise how stuipid he looks? Fair enough if the sun is in your eyes, but all the frigging time? Idiot.

 

[Lightwood]

My dad always said in his day Stoke used to be one of his 'second teams' cos you always played great football. I imagine this was in the 1970s. I was taken aback by the statement, I am sure you can elighten me as to whether his memory is failing or not!

And yeah, Stoke are a proper football club. We haven't given a good account of ourselves at the Britannia since the first year you came up and we beat you 2-3. Safe to say the old cliche is spot on - it is not a ground we enjoy visiting.

In the early 70's, Stoke were managed by Tony Waddington and for many of the older generation of Stoke fans the 'Waddington Era' was their fondest period of supporting Stoke.

Not only did we play some good stuff, we were competing on a high level against the top teams in the division. During this period we won our one and only piece of silverware, the League Cup in 1972 and got to two FA Cup semi-finals being knocked out both times by Arsenal.

We had a great team, I was born in 1970 so this era was before the time I heavily got involved in supporting Stoke so I can't remember the starting 11.

But we had players like Gordan Banks in goal, Alan Hudson a majestic ball playing midfielder and Jimmy Greenhoff (legend) in the side.

We were going places but disaster struck in the 75/76 season, the roof blew off one of our stands and the club weren't insured

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975–76_Stoke_City_F.C._season

To pull in some money the club sold it's best assest, Jimmy Greenhoff to Man United and that started a spiral of decline that would ultimately lead to 23 years outside the top division.

Here is a good article on Greenhoff which tells you his thoughts at the time, he didn't want to leave Stoke even for Man United but he was sacrificed to pay the bill for the roof

http://www.football.com/en-gb/jimmy-greenhoff-sold-halfway-through-a-cup-final/

 

[Rugby Toffee]

The old Meadow Lane at Notts County was baltic before they developed it IIRC

 

[malfosse]

The old Meadow Lane at Notts County was baltic before they developed it IIRC

Come on, at least try to stay on topic.

 

[EFCNIK]

So what's the deal with the fabled top ten? As I said, it means nothing, it's completely arbitrary. Top six, yeah, I might give you that. Apart from a few £m in prize money, what's the difference between finishing 7th all the way down to 17th?

And, yeah, the money's been spent but, as I said earlier, we've had to come back from waaaaaay behind. Ever seen Carl Asaba play on the left wing? I have. We've spent 25 years' worth of money in five seasons... because we build incrementally and we've built quickly. You might find it shocking, but it works.

Tell that to QPR.