The Weekender

After a bumper festive season The Weekender is donning his new sheepskin jacket Father Christmas bought him and is heading out for another two days of footballing merriment.
The Boxing Day schedule was enough to keep the cold turkey @ bay but a full weekend fix is in order!
With no Christmas Card from Fergie this year he's going for West Brom to pull off a shock @ Old Trafford, but it's not looking good for the chasing pack either......
He has better news for The Toon though where Mike Ashby welds the sack like Santa Claus on a can of red bull and a 'arry Christmas for the Super 'oops with a win @ last against Liverpool!

Anyone other than Giggs

It's over 20 years now since the first ball in the Premiership was kicked, and during that time we've had players move left right and centre, from Jurgen the German to Kung Fu Eric, it's rare to find a true one club man. Normally players are only more than happy to do a cheeky bosman to their local rivals *Sol Campbell springs to mind, what a c**t! Even the most modest of men can't help but follow one last big pay packet, just ask Liverpool fans what they think of one time hero Owen.......

So at the latest It's a football thing gathering down the local, we decided that we would take a look at our top 5 premiership one club wonders. *Due to terms and conditions we will not be including Ryan Giggs in this count down........

5 (FIVE) In @ number five Is Tony Adams otherwise know as 'Donkey' Now if he had played more games during the Premiership era he would of been higher up on the list, i mean what a cracking player, one of the greatest defenders England have ever produced and it's Big Tony who holds the record of most appearances by a single player @ Wembley. He was solid in the tackle and would pop up with the odd goal, and in 98 against Everton, Big Tony scored a screamer, beating the offside trap like a vintage centre forward before smashing the ball past the keeper into the net and everyone inside Highbury was going radio rental! Oh that may also have something to do with the fact they had just won their first Premiership title. A proper old school type of player!

4 (FOUR) Fourth choice on our list will please the blue & white side of North London as it's Ledley 'Ledders' King! The most complete central defender of the modern era that England hardly ever had, loyal with a capital 'L' rose through the youth system @ Spurs and went on to inspire the likes of Michael Dawson and Anthony Gardner! Born with no knees, his positioning and reading of the game meant he would slot straight into the side even though he hadn't trained for the week! If it wasn't for his injury problems he would have gone on to become the black Bobby Moore for the national side and who knows possibly have lifted that elusive World Cup trophy we've strived years to recapture.

3 (THREE) Up @ numero three we see Matt Le Tissier! If ever there was a BIG fish in a small pond Le Tiss was that Chub! Spurned the advances of amongst (ironically) Spurs, he stayed on the coast and languidly kept The Saints marching on. If ever there was a one man team it was Southampton with his solo efforts against Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle ranked up with the best seen in The Premiership. Probably England's most talented midfielder since Glen Hoddle it was England manager 'God' himself who scuppered his international career.
Could still perform at the top level even today........after all he didn't really do much running!

2 (TWO) How hard? Gerrard! This man is a modern day great a leader amongst men. In years to come people will be talking about Gerrard just like they do about Mark Lawrenson..... i mean King Kenny! Nothing is a lost cause in this mans eyes, time and time again he has pulled Liverpool back from the brink, and was outstanding during Liverpools Champions League winning season in 2005. A pleasure to watch (not in that way) and an icon to many of my generation, its just a shame he has been unable to repeat his club form for England, although there is still time! just think he hasn't even hit his mid 30's yet!


It's a pain that Ryan Giggs copyright agreement along with his image rights have meant we can't mention him in our top 5 without having to pay upwards of £100,000 pounds! What a shame! So who have we got sat at the top of the tree as our all time one club wonder? Could it be Gary Neville???????? of cause it aint!

1. (ONE) The ginger ninja, the pocket rocket it's Paul Scholes of course! The greatest comeback since Lazarus has seen Mr Scholes walk back into the Man Utd team after half a season of retirement and only an appearance for his kids school Dad's team as way of a warm up! Even on the verge of an International return if only someone had bothered asking him, our best tough tackling goal scoring midfielder since Bryan Robson. Always able to pop up with that crucial long range goal to save the day, along with the odd two footed challenge to see him off for an early bath! One of Fergie's fledglings that managed to keep his feet on the ground and let his football do the talking.Will go down as one of United's greatest ever players and a Premiership legend too boot!



20 Things I Hate About You.........

So with The Premiership twenty seasons old this week, we @ It's a Football Thing thought we'd take a look @ twenty reasons to hate top tier in England.........hold on to your hats here we go!
(In no particular order)

1 - The Untouchable - Sir Alex Ferguson
Can this man do anything wrong? Flashing back to when he jumped wildly in the air against Sheffield Wednesday, when United won their first Premier League title, to almost retiring a few years back! This ageing Scotsman just keeps getting better and better!

2 - Going Down - Diving
Simulation if you like, back in the day you actually had to be touched before hitting the deck and even if you were namby pamby enough to go down you'd get straight back up again for a bit of vengeance!

3 - Shit Kits
I remember not so long ago, when a kit would last a few seasons! Now it's all change every year! The problem is, a lot of the kit manufactures are running out of ideas, and the kits are looking shitter and shitter! Take the Kappa skin tight kits, not the best fit for pub crawling wanderers like ourselves! Now add to that a random colour!.. well infact they come in every bloody colour under the rainbow! From Newcastles orange and yellow sherbert mix, to Spurs Brown disaster and United's famous Grey mess!

4. Shake on it! - The Pre-Match Handshake
I walk into work in the morning and the first thing I do is shake my fellow workers hands..... no I put the kettle on and have a cuppa! Why on earth do we insist on the players shaking hands before the game?  I wanna see 11 grown men play a fair, full on contact game of football, then congratulate each other after the game with a proper handshake and a pint! The handshake before a game means nothing! They all end up trying to get each other sent off!

5 - The Men in Black - Officials
No longer in black, in fact every colour but! In a premier league we surely deserve premier referees and 'assistants'. But week in week out they get it wrong, whether they run the line or blow the whistle when are we going to get professional match officials??

6 - Off or On - The Offside Rule
Just get it sorted! All this second phase bollocks!

7 - Can I Kick It? - Multi coloured boots
Once upon a time, boots were black. Then they were white, now they are every colour of the rainbow, some players have been known to wear one of each colour!
It's another example where advertising and fashion have now taken hold of the modern game.

8 - All Weather - Games being called off
Oh no there's a bit of snow! With all this health and safety bullshit meaning more and more games are getting called off, whats the point of the orange/yellow ball anymore? Fans love a snow ball fight on the way to a game!

9 - Show Us Yer Tackle - Football is a contact sport
Along with diving, the major evil of the today's game. Football is in danger of turning into a non contact sport! Whatever happened to the sliding tackle? Obviously we don't want decapitation, but if you get the ball - One footed? Two footed - does it matter??

10 - Ronaldo
I could write 20 bloody points on this knobhead! The face, the diving, the step over, the cheating, the tan, the fact that he got Rooney sent off during the 2004 Euros, and then to top it all off demanding a move away from United to play for Real as he claimed La Liga is far superior than the English game....

11 - Take your seats - Modern Grounds
As teams look to make more dosh, the first thing they look at doing is tearing down their historic ground, and then creating a swimming pool like arena, an arena with no atmosphere, no identity, no sound! Just look @ the Emirates

12 - Bloody Foreigners! - The Rise of the Footballing Import
Now we're not talking about all foreigners, after all where would we be without Klinsmann, Bergkamp or little Frankie Zola. But then opened the floodgates, with every Thom, Rickard or Henry coming over here doing our jobs and stealing our women! The latest fashion accessory it seemed was a foreigner in your side and who could forget Brolin, Boogers & Veron!?!

13 - The Big Four - Over emphasis on the top teams
Every weekend, it's the big four this, the big four that! Who's says their the big four? Only Sky and what do they know? Do we really need it forced down our throats all the time? And don't get us started on them manipulating the fixtures to give us "Showdown Sunday" or " Armageddon Tuesday"

14 - Sweet FA - The Demise of The FA Cup
With the rise of The Premiership we've seen the fall of the FA Cup, with Man U bowing out completely one year for the World Club Championship. Do we need to remind you that this years final kicks off @ 5:15??

15 - Are We The Champions - The Rise of The Champions League
The Champions league, a league for winners! Why not give 2 places to the league (1st & 2nd) and then the FA Cup & Carling Cup winners should be given the other 2 places! Because @ the moment finishing 3rd or 4th means more than winning a cup!

16 - Club v Country - The Downfall of England
One of the fall outs from over emphasis on winning the Premiership & The Champions League is players taking a sickie when the International call comes. Not only that, but with the influx of players from abroad how are the youngsters expected to come through the ranks? Joe Hart England's Number One great 'keeper that he is, is really unopposed, where are our young goalies??

17. - Because I'm worth it...... - Adverts
It's all about how much players can make it a short amount of time, from Pepsi max to Pringles, to phones or even airlines! Grow some balls lads! Advertisement has gone mental! Shame no ones done an advert advertising diving hey!

18 - All Change - Player Loyalty
One team players how many in The Premiership Years have there been? Matt Le Tiss? Ledders @ Spurs? Donkey Adams @ Arsenal. There are a few others, but we are talking only a handful. With the promise of a fast buck players, with the help (or hindrance) of their agents will jump ship @ the drop of a hat! And it's not just the players...........

19 - Leeds
The last winners of the old first division, and the real first financial disaster in the Premiership, In the late 90's early 2000's Leeds had it all, England internationals, a great ground, history, a strong fan base, Champions League football and then over night it went all tits up! Placing their bets on Champions League qualification, Leeds over spent and we all know what happened next..... After too many years out of the top flight it would be fitting if our old pal Neil Warnock could guide them back to the Premiership next season!

20 - The Prawn Sandwich Brigade - The rise of the corporate fan
Back in the day it was a pie and a Bovril on the terrace. Now, it's a fiver for a warmed up burger and two quid for a KitKat! True fans are being priced out of the game in favour for big businesses 'entertaining' clients in boxes............where's the fun in that??

Fergie Time.........

This weekend saw the 25th Anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson's arrival @ Old Trafford, the tributes obviously have been pouring in, with pundits far and wide offering their own personal take on the man that some see as footballing royalty.
Now we don't like to be accused of bias here @ It's a Football Thing, but it would only be fitting if we in some way gave our own little contribution.....

Back in '86 with The Premiership just a twinkle in the eye of money hungry football chairmen, Everton would eventually win the First Division Title - although Wimbledon had led the way early doors. Elsewhere another Scot George Graham had taken over @ Arsenal where he had begun to turn their fortunes around, Aston Villa were up to their old tricks of trying out nearly every manager in the game to see who'd fit and Manchester City were relegated.......

With Manchester United languishing in the bottom three Big Ron was off, his replacement was suggested by Bobby Charlton, the man from Govan who'd been doing rather well @ Aberdeen. But Manchester United weren't the first club to head North and come rapping on Ferguson's door, in fact Wolves, Arsenal, Luton Town & Spurs had been knocked back previously, but to Old Trafford he went and the rest as they say is history.

First game defeat to Oxford Utd, on the verge of being sacked after three unsuccessful seasons, win against Forest in the FA Cup saved his job....etc, etc, etc.....we've all heard the story.

Love him or hate him (and there are plenty in both camps) for all his FA baiting, referee hating, manipulating and mind games, modern football as we know it today would be a whole different kettle of fish and a lot duller to boot.

Fergie's aim @ the start of his reign was the knock Liverpool off their perch - low and behold look what happened, while Liverpool became complacent by not swapping their aging stars with quality successors, that was exactly what SAF did season after season, but not before he rejuvenated the club from top to bottom first.

He has arguably nurtured some of the greatest talent this country has ever seen, whether they have come through the ranks or from the cheque book. He can also handle players, he's in charge and what he says goes, any potential troublemakers were rooted out and got rid of, if you got ideas above your station you were off too. Players like, Beckham, Ince, Keane & Cantona have been and gone but the titles have kept on coming.

This was the man who while @ Aberdeen fined a player for overtaking him in his car!

Ego's came and went but Fergie survived.

Without him, they'd be no squeaky bum time, hairdryer treatment, Fergie's Fledglings, noisy neighbours or a title for this very article!

And we here @ It's a Football Thing will have a wee dram in his honour!