A View From The Sieve: My Football Week

I do another blog about non football stuff at http://anthonyhodgson.blogspot.com/ feel free to have a look, oh the shameless self promtotion. Well here we go then my take on the big football stories of the week. Enjoy it as always.

Essex County Cup

I know we don't take this seriously but we have to remember that we haven't been a league club very long and this was important at one stage. Oh who am I kidding, it means nothing apart from a cheap night out. Saying that though the game the other night was a lot of fun and we did have a few players on show. Josh Scott, Darren Curie, John Nurse, the elusive Monty. We won 3-2 after Colchester missed a last minute penalty, I berated the ref for that, not that it wasn't a penalty it was but it meant that after extra time if they had scored it would have meant penalties and less time in the bar. Luckily they missed and we were able to part take in a few beers in the upper bar.I wont spoil the surprise but if you know Walesdagger ask him about how he put his foot in it BIG TIME. It was very funny.

The Return Of An Ex-Player

This is either going to be an inspired decision of a nightmare. I'm not writing of Solomon Taiwo before he has even kicked a ball but history does not bode well for players returning to their old clubs. I can understand why the boss has resigned him and I hope it works out. Me, I'll reserve judgement until Ive seen him play a few games. I hope he is what we need at the moment so as we can get some real shape to the side. This is not a dig at the boss, far from it, he has my full support, its just in the passages of time ex-players returning to their clubs rarely works out. I hope I'm wrong and that he helps us stay in this league. If he does I'll eat this blog.

Paul The Octopus

Never has an eight legged animal been mourned so deeply. Paul the predicting Octopus passed away this week and I for one will miss him greatly. In what was a very poor World Cup he was my one moment of relief. Millions of bets hanged on what Paul had to say and never has an Octopus had so many people hanging on what he fancied for dinner. The Octopus was a legend and I for one shall be wearing a black arm band at the weekend in honour of this great pundit. However if I see Octopus burgers on the menu at the weekend I shall be very suspicious!!!.

FIFA World Player Of The Year List

Come on who was genuinely surprised that there were no England players on this list? Come on anyone? Nope me neither. So now can we get over the fact that we are a World Class country at football producing players the envy of the world? Believe we people we aren't and we ain't. I haven't watched an England game since the first half of the game against Germany, and I only watched that one because I was round someones house and it was on. I cannot be bothered to be honest. I despise everything that these overpaid overrated players stand for. I wont pay to watch them at Wembley and I certainly not going to watch them on the telly. I have no time for them and would rather save my hard earned pennies and watch Dagenham than watch that mob go through the motions of another qualifying campaign. It made me laugh how some of the national newspapers acted all hurt at the accusation that we weren't good enough. I know you've got to sell papers guys but come on even The Sun said we were rubbish.

West Ham Season Tickets

I have had much amusement at this,this week. I have in my circle of friends and family a few of them that have paid a thousand pound for a season ticket. Let me say that again, a THOUSAND POUND for 18 games of football. They are off their heads to be honest. Anyway the point of the story is this and this is what has made me laugh. Over the past few weeks West Ham have been offering tickets in the same block that my mates are in for the price of £20 for Spurs, they couldn't sell it out and now WBA for £15. To say this has pissed them off would be a little bit of an understatement. Me, I found it hilarious that a club that has bid for the Olympic Stadium cant event sell out Spurs vs West Ham. To do it they then striped up their season ticket holders as well. Utterly priceless. To say they were not happy would be an understatement. So much so that they are coming to us on Saturday. I cant wait for the half full Olympic Stadium, after this lets see how many renew their season tickets next year.

Michael Owen

Here we go again a player saying if he doesn't get a new deal will retire at the end of the season because he doesn't want to play for a team as he puts it "Not at the level I'm used to". Michael son hold on a minute, when was the last time you completed more than 20 games in a season? I bet you don't know because I sure as hell don't. You were perhaps the most naturally gifted goalscorer this country has produced since Gary Lineker. I know you got shafted by that idiot Rafa and shunted of to Real Madrid but come on, your turning into another Darren Anderton. Are you going for the record of the amount of injuries you can have?. That's probably harsh because at your best I used to love watching you score goals for fun, but somewhere down the line you have lost that love of the game that made you the player you was. I suppose you have been very unlucky with injuries. I cant see Man Utd offering you a new deal but to throw your career away on a whim is stupid. Your a long time retired mate. Yes you may not play for one of the big four but let me tell you there is no shame in playing for a team in the top 10 of the Premier League and scoring on a regular basis. You should have been England's top goal scorer by now, you have been unlucky, some say you make your own luck. Me, for what its worth I think you will regret it till the day you die if you don't play on for as along as you can. The choice though is yours I hope you make the right one.