Where Now?

                                                       


Its been an awful couple of weeks if I'm honest no one likes losing players especially of the calibre of Danny Green, Romain Vincelot and Tony Roberts. Any club would struggle with the loss of some of their best players but that's what being a Dagger is all about. You come here because we will give you a chance and if you do well we let you move on and further your career. Its how we get players of this quality in the first place.

Its not all doom and gloom though, look at the players that are still here, Mark Arber, Danny J Green, Scott Doe, Abu Ogogo, Peter Gain, the returning Josh Scott, Chris Lewington will battle James Shea the Arsenal trainee and England U20 goalkeeper for the number 1 spot, Damien Scanell, the hopefully emerging Alex Osborn, Medy Elito, and Luke Wilkinson and many many more. We are still a solid League 2 side aren't we? Will be flirting with relegation this year? Of course we wont be. We will replace, regroup and start another chapter in our history led by John Still and his backroom team into battle once more.

It wont be easy but its up to us the fans who pay our money each week to get behind the team and support them. I bet they are just as gutted as we are that these guys have gone, perhaps selfishly we forget that sometimes, but I bet the ones still here will be busting a gut for the badge and the club and everything it stands for.

As I write this I have no idea what John Still is up to in the transfer market, rumours are that the 1st of August is going to be a very busy day (ref simmo's hints) and I have no right to know either, that's not my job and I don't appreciate people telling me how to do mine so I certainly wont be telling him how to do his. What I will do though is support him because if anyone has the clubs best interests at heart its him. Anyone that doubts that should hang their heads in shame. He has always done right by us, we may not have seen it at the time but what do we know?.

The summer has almost gone and the new season is just around the corner. I'm getting excited about it, I don't know where it will end, what will happen, who will emerge as the new hero to replace the ones that have gone, but what I do know is that I guarantee it wont be boring because it never is being a Dagger and that's why we care and support the club and the team.

So lose those summer pounds, get that shirt over your head, lubricate the voice box and get ready for Season 2011-12, its going to be an absolute belter.

Tony Roberts........Legend

                                                         
If you look up the word legend in the Oxford dictionary it says the following "an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field: the man was a living legend a screen legend" well I would like to add my own definition of legend. In future when people talk about legends I would like the following to be recorded " Tony Roberts goalkeeper for Dagenham and Redbridge".

Of all the blogs Ive written in my time of being a Dagenham and Redbridge fan, the players who have left, the ones who have joined, the joy of Wembley, the tears of relegation, the one I didn't want to write was the one you are reading now. I wanted Tony to go on forever, to still be there when I was old and grey, but unfortunately the time has come for us to say goodbye and good luck for the future.

The announcement by the club today that Tony is moving onto pastures new and retiring from playing football has hit me hard, as I'm sure all of you reading this feel as well, we always knew the day would come but every season we always hoped it wouldn't be this one. Whenever we talk about our team and the line up we would like to see his name is always first, no question, its never ever been in doubt has it?.

Ive watched him from behind the goal, Ive watched him from the family stand, and the way he interacts with supporters of both clubs is a credit to him. He takes huge stick from away supporters with their ' You fat B@@@@@D chant' he will turn and face them lifting his shirt and showing them his muscles with a huge smile on his face. He will run over to the family stand and celebrate with us when we score, he will turn and yell with us at the stand behind the goal when we score at the Marcus James Stand end. You can see in his face how much it means to him as well as too us.

He has had injury's and suffered the pain of relegation, but he has also tasted the joy of winning titles and being on the winning side at Wembley. He has been twice capped by Wales, the country of his birth and is the record appearance holder for the Daggers. He is also the only goalkeeper to score in the FA Cup, when he netted against Basingstoke Town in the fourth qualifying round in 2001. Tony currently trains the Arsenal Youth team goalkeepers, but has now been promoted to first team duties, for which I'm sure we all wish him well.

I have loved watching him play down the years, Ive met him a few times and have always found him polite and courteous and a real pleasure to be around. He is also the only player who has had me in awe when he shook my hand and I mumbled like a small child with a stupid grin on my face. He is my favourite player, as an ex-Portsmouth trainee goalkeeper myself I have always admired the skill and agility that he has shown, and stuck up for him when he has been unfairly criticised by some. He has had me opened mouthed and on my feet with a save one minute, and crying with laughter at his antics the next.

Some say he looks like Sylvester Stallone, others mention his likeness to Beaker from the Muppet's, to me he will always be Tony Roberts the Legendary Dagenham and Redbridge goalkeeper. Good luck Tony, thank you for the eleven years of incredible service, the fun and the laughter, I'm going to have to stop now I'm welling up, just thank you big man there will never be another.

hwyl fawr Tony

You can find Tony Roberts profile on the Dagenham and Recbridge website here.

Should We Pull Out Of FIFA?

There has been a lot of things said about why we didn't get the World Cup over the few days since the result was announced. There have been allegations of corruption on FIFA's part, there have been allegations that the media in this country was the problem and there has been calls for us too pull out of FIFA completely and start another organisation too teach them a lesson. We all know FIFA is pretty much corrupt as are most football organisations. The money talks simple as that. Was the media the problem? Well I'm sure it didn't help but I'm glad we live in a country that has freedom of the press whether I agree with it or not sometimes. So that leaves us with pulling out of FIFA. Before I give my verdict on what I think we should do lets look at the top 15 teams as ranked by FIFA and see who could join us in this breakaway.

These are currently the top 15 sides in the World as ranked by FIFA.

1	Spain	1920	0		39
2	Netherlands	1718	0		35
3	Brazil	1493	0		0
4	Germany	1489	0		8
5	Argentina	1353	0		33
6	England	1250	0		45
7	Uruguay	1174	0		7
8	Portugal	1102	0		-21
9	Croatia	1098	0		12
10	Egypt	1047	1		13
11	Greece	1043	1		17
12	Norway	1004	1		15
13	Russia	1003	-3		-58
14	Italy	995	2		94
15	Slovenia	958	0		32

So lets start with the top 5 shall we Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Germany and Argentina. How many of them do you think would join us in a breakaway? None. Brazil have the next World Cup, Spain are World Champions, Germany has Franz Beckenbaur on its executive committee, could we trust Argentina with what they think of us over the Falklands Islands and Holland well thanks but they aren't exactly a super power are they. So lets move onto the next 5 shall we.

Uruguay will never go against the rest of South America, Portugal bid for the last one with Spain, Croatia are part of Eastern Europe who will host it for the first time in 2018 and Egypt have a member on the executive committee. So then the next 5. Does anyone see a pattern emerging here? Greece were critical of our arrogance, Norway they may do, Russia? hahahahaha stop it my sides hurt, Italy no chance, Slovenia just look for Croatia.

So by my calculations that leaves us with possibly Norway and ourselves out of the top 15 sides in the world who could break away. Doesn't sound too good now does it. To be fair it would be a disaster. If we did it the sanctions against us would be terrible. Banned from European competition, don't think that will happen? who's in charge of UEFA? Our biggest fan Michelle Platini. All the top players would leave our game and move back to European games, SKY would pull the plug on live games and the Premier League would collapse, hold on a minute that doesn't sound too bad does it.

What are the options then. Well we have a few and it is going to be difficult for people too swallow some of  these so here goes.

Option 1: We never bid for it again. Well until Blatter and all the others have retired or died. We are NEVER going to get it whilst they are there and in charge. They don't like us and I bet privately they enjoyed the fact that they had humiliated the English and put us in our place. Cameron, Beckham and Prince William must have really been hurt by the way they were treated, but we are so anti-European in this country what did they honestly expect anyway?.

Option 2: We start kissing butt. We play the game and we give them money and presents when they want them. We do everything that they want us to do and we do it until they cant take anymore.

Personally I cant stomach either of these so how about option 3 then.

Option 3: We start by getting the Premier League too help the FA. They now need each other more than ever. Start working WITH each other rather than AGAINST each other or there is no future for us at International level. Whether it be bidding for tournaments or winning them. There has been talk of Beckham being the head of the FA. No don't laugh I think he would be excellent at it. There hasn't been a higher profile or more dare I say iconic figure in this country for a long time. However I would have him working alongside David Dein. That man knows how the power game works and he would be superb at it. With these two at the head of our game then I feel we may start to make some headway in the direction that we want to be.

Don't get me wrong it wont happen overnight and there are more fundamental issues with our game that go far deeper than appointing these two at the head of our game but for a start it would be a move in the right direction. It would perhaps get UEFA and more importantly FIFA on our side and working with us rather than against us. They would smooth the workings of FIFA and perhaps who knows they may even like us. It has got to be worth a try surely? What do we have too lose? Nothing.

Until we sort out the issues in our own game then I feel we should NOT waste money on bidding for another World Cup. That hurts to say that as it could be another 20-30 years before we see the best the world has to offer play in this country but until we sort our own house out then that has to be the price that we pay.

FIFA And Honesty

I have calmed down a little from this afternoon but I still cannot believe the blatant cheating that is corrupting sport at all levels. Did I want us to win the bid for the World Cup? Yes absolutely it would have been an amazing event in this country and we would have done an excellent job of it. Am I surprised we didn't get it? A little to be honest. When I saw that we went out in the first round it smacked of putting 'that little island in its place' to me.

I'm annoyed at the BBC mostly though. They should be bloody ashamed of themselves for that absolute joke of a programme that they allowed to be shown on Monday night. I'm all for freedom of the press and the right to have a proper investigation into allegations of corruption at FIFA. After all they are the World governing body of football and set the rules we all must follow. However the programme was an absolute shambles. It spoke of allegations that officials had took bribes at least 10 YEARS AGO. How is that recent? What on earth did they expect FIFA to do? To screen it 3 DAYS before the event was an act in my opinion of sabotage and I feel they should offer an apology for what they did. Will they? Will the heck they don't care and I will address the BBC in a separate blog on my other page in the next few days.

This is what Villar Llona the chairmen of the Spanish/Portugal bid had to say about FIFA a few days ago:

"I love FIFA dearly but those I love the most are my colleagues in the ExCo.Recently we have been criticised by many media outlets. Unfortunately for them FIFA is a clean institution.FIFA values honesty, FIFA works for football and for the world and all my colleagues here present are all honest, hard-working football people and the people not here are also honest and hard-working.You have already heard enough slander in the media, the bidding process is clean regardless of what they say."

Really what about this FACT then Mr Llona if FIFA is so 'clean', Six FIFA officials were last month suspended following a Sunday Times investigation, yeah really clean aren't they?. Jack Warner the FIFA Vice-President had been implicated TWICE in ticket touting. He has also been fined a MILLION DOLLARS for it as well yet you still say FIFA is clean? Really? Do we look stupid? Obviously you think we are. A man who has been found guilty of ticket touting is allowed to stay as the Vice President of FIFA. Only in the corrupt world of football would this be allowed too happen. It smacks of 'Oh you got caught never mind don't do it again will you'. An absolute disgrace if I'm honest and one that should strip them of all credibility, but it wont because they are all at it.

I'm all for the World Cup going around the world. I like seeing the tournament in the other countries and tournaments I think its great to get a view of cultures and the way they do things. However FIFA continue too put profit above safety and that means they take back handers. Don't believe me? Well lets look at Russia. They have NO stadiums that are of the required standard. Their transport links and accommodation are appalling. They have some of the worst hooligans in Europe and yet FIFA feel its okay to stage a tournament there?. How about Qatar. Come on you know them that fantastic footballing country with the huge history at international level, you will remember them from the World Cup of...Oh yeah sorry forgot they haven't qualified before EVER. The best bit though? You can expect professional footballers to run about in temperatures in the 50c. That's over a 100f. Going to be a great footballing showcase isn't it?.

Ive had enough of this now I really have. The way money rules the game I love from the Premier League to the National Squad to FIFA and UEFA themselves is beyond a joke now. It has to be investigated from top too bottom and then, only then, will I start to watch it again. If it doesn't involve Dagenham and Redbridge I don't care. Honestly I'm that fed up with the way that money dictates who gets what and finishes where. Its about time that the corruption in football was ended. Will it be though? Of course not they make far too much money in back handers for it ever to be clean.

For them to keep saying it is makes them look fools and us even bigger ones trying to win a tournament that we wont stoop to with backhanders. Well done today Team England you did us proud. FIFA? Oh wait and until the English press goes after YOU now, which they will, we have some of the best investigative journalists in the world. You wont know whats hit you, you cheating, bribe taking, liars I hope you all get what is coming too you.

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 promotion. Well here we go then my take on the big football stories of the week. Enjoy it as always.

The FA Youth Cup

Well done the Daggers in wining against Stevenage in the 1st round. A crowd of 280 watched the youngsters win on penalties 3-2 after the game ended in a draw. The hero of the night was Danny Sambrdige who saved a penalty and then stepped up and scored the winner. Well done mate you were superb on the night. The boys play Bristol Rovers in a few weeks at home in the 2nd round and best wishes and good luck to you all.

The FA Cup

A few shock results in this over the weekend which is what the cup is all about. FC UTD of Manchester did superbly in beating Rochdale away from home. They were 2-0, got pegged back too 2-2 then snuck a winner. That's what the FA Cup is all about. Not the top four in the Premier League winning it year in year out. Its about the little clubs having the chance to be hero's for the day. I can remember Mark Janney being all over the papers years ago when we played Charlton. Its a chance for these types of players who ply their trade in the lower divisions to get five minutes of fame. The potential pick of the second round could potentially be AFC Wimbledon vs MK Dons. I know both teams need too win their games first but the T.V. boys will be all over that like a rash. Me? I hope AFC Wimbledon stuff them it was an utter disgrace what the FA did to that club and fair play to them for making their way back through the leagues. I wish them well in their battle too get out of the Conference and claim their rightful place in the league.

Nani

Well what a surprise? A controversial goal at Old Trafford. To be fair too Nani he did play to the whistle and Gomes should have held the ball. However saying that surely the ref caused the confusion by not giving clear instructions as to what had happened. Where was the sense of fair play to be honest?. I remember Di Canio years ago playing for West Ham, the Everton keeper got injured and the ball came over and he had an open goal, instead of heading the ball into the net he caught it. That's what fair play is about, you can bang on about playing too the whistle as much as you like, Nani handled the ball after he had dived for a penalty then had the cheek to put the ball in the net. That to me goes against the spirit of the game and is cheating.

Manchester City

Well here we go again. Millions spent on players and guess what? They want to fire the manager. Crazy absolutely crazy. Mancinin's record isn't that bad and I could understand it if they were in the bottom 3 but they are fourth for gods sake. There is so much player power in football these days its gone nuts. So here we go then how about trying this for a change? Shut up and play football. If you are not in the side work harder too get in it. When you are there work your socks off to stay there. Fancy that? Or you could always go to the papers as a secret source, or your agent and start a rumour campaign against him. Yeah thought you may take the latter of those options. If he does go, and its an if at the moment, I hope the next manager who comes in kicks you out. He wont though because he will be scared of losing his job wont he. You reap what you show people, and at the moment it isn't looking very pretty.

Remembrance Sunday

I just want to finish with a few words about this coming Sunday and a well done too all at the game Saturday. I have been going too football for many years now and I must say that everyone at that game Saturday did themselves, their club and the men who carried the flags onto the pitch, a huge amount of respect for following the minutes silence impeccably. You could have heard a pin drop and it was very moving. Its easy to get carried away at times with the game that we love and follow and forget that there are things more important than football. These people go to war because someone tells them too, they don't argue or disagree they just go and do it. They give us the freedom too make the choices we make and whatever your feelings on the current conflicts that we are involved in on Sunday, take those two minutes to pause and reflect on the sacrifices that these men and women make every single day. Bill Shankly made one of the most famous quotes of all time when he said 'Football is not a matter of life and death, its more important than that' I'm aware he had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he said it, but football isn't and we need too remember that on Sunday when we remember the fallen and those still fighting. Its the least we owe them.

Until next week thanks for reading and any comments let me know below.

Cheers Anthony

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.

So there we are another week over. Thanks for the comments last week means a lot. I hope you enjoyed this one just as much.

Cheers

Anthony

My Football Week

Hi All, I do another blog http://anthonyhodgson.blogspot.com/ which I write about things non football related. Ive wanted to do a blog where I can rant and share my inane thoughts for a while which are purely based on football. This blog will be it. It will mainly be about the Daggers but I will cover other subjects as well in football. Things that get my goat and things that make me laugh. So here we go then with the first of my weekly  blogs which looks back at English Football.

The F.A. Cup:

Its finally happened. We have been drawn at home in a cup game as a League club. We also get a local derby as well. It couldn't have gone better in my opinion. Leyton Orient at home will be a huge crowd, hopefully a sell out. A difficult game none the less but a chance to win and progress to the second round. I'm really looking forward to this game as I'm sure others are as well. It wont be easy but if we play to our true potential then we should be able to progress. The F.A. Cup still holds a great romance for me and I feel it should be treated with respect by the bigger clubs. It means an awful lot to us, we may never win it, but we deserve the chance to play the big boys. Can you imagine getting to the third round and drawing Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal at home?. Id love to see them play at our ground just once. Let me suffer the pain of relegation if I get just one chance at seeing one of them at our ground this season. Is that too much to ask?

Wayne Rooney:

Wayne your a greedy git. I get that you earn loads of money, I also get that you want to win things. However you are also an idiot. Why? Well look mate you play for Man Utd and have the most successful manager in the clubs history. You had an awful end to the season and a very poor World Cup. You also had a go at the fans as well didn't you? So why do you think that I care where you play? I don't to be honest. You agreed a massive pay rise so well done but you owe it too YOUR FANS to win them back and make sure they support you once more. At the moment I think a large part of them couldn't have cared if you stayed or went. Dangerous place to be mate. When it hits the fan (which it has for you recently, mostly of your own doing I might add!) they will be the ones that pull you through. I believe it may be pay back time now don't you?

Steve Evans:

This made me laugh out loud. I bet your fans are well chuffed at the way you keep opening your mouth and then make them look like idiots. How on earth did you think someone of the calibre of Robert Pires was going to play for you? Even Arsene Wenger laughed out loud. If your aim was too create publicity for the club you certainly did that, but you ended up looking an idiot again. There was no way a player of his quality is going to drop into the conference, however if he wants a game I'm sure we will be able to give him a minutes every now and then. As for you? I hope you don't destroy another club.

Portsmouth F.C.:

I don't have a lot of time for clubs that spend money they don't have as Ive covered this in my Sky blog, but I do feel sorry for the fans. I played for Portsmouth when I was a kid when Alan Ball was there. I was a goalkeeper and I was there for a few months. What impressed me was the way that he learnt every kids name.  I have never forgot that ever so I have a soft spot for them. They chased a dream and got caught up in people telling them how great it could be. Do I blame the fans for that? No. We would all do it. I blame the F.A. who let it happen. The bubble is going to burst soon and there will be a lot of clubs in their position. That's a sad day for me as a football fan, not just us the Daggers but football in general. It has to be stopped and it has to be stopped now. Us as fans sacrifice things to support the club we love, yet we get treated as fools (not at Dagenham and Redbridge I might add). Give me our club and countless like us, Stevenage, Morecombe, Blackpool to name a few. Small clubs with small crowds that punch above our weight season after season with limited success but trying to live the dream THE RIGHT way rather than a rich mans plaything.

Notts County:

If ever a club needed a reality check its them. Struggling at the foot of League 2 a few seasons ago they then cheated their way to the League 2 title last season spending money they didn't have. Too strong? No I don't think so ask any Rochdale fan what they think of them. They then sack their manager when they are 16th in League 1 in their first season. Are you serious? What on earth did you think you was going to do win the League?. The owners of that club really do need to have a long hard at look at themselves because changing your manager every few months never works. Just ask the numerous clubs that do it on a regular basis or better still ask Sven when he gets the boot at Leicester, as I'm sure he will with the chairman he has.

Steve Claridge:

Mr Claridge would it kill you to say something positive about us? Honestly I sit there every Saturday night waiting for the 30 second highlights of our game and for you to say something nice about us. You never ever do. Not even last season. Have we annoyed you at some stage in the past?. I know we are every one's favourites to go down, I know we don't play the prettiest football but surely it wouldn't kill you to say oh I don't know let me help you a little "Dagenham and Redbridge are punching well above their weight but its good to see a club like them making a go of it". There try that, just once, please?.

Ian Holloway:

I love you. Simple as that. Your rant the other day was from the heart by a man who cares about football. I don't care if you got some if wrong the Premier League is a much better place with you in it. You said what every fan was thinking and you did it in such a way that you didn't care what people thought. A true legend and I hope you stay up this season because after that mate you deserve too. A true football man speaking from the heart. You are as mad as a box of frogs sometimes but you never, ever cease too entertain and amuse me. I could listen to that rant all day long. Good luck for the season, wish I could be there when Rooney comes to your place.

So there you are then the first of my new weekly blogs about what annoys me in football. Ill do one a week and please feel free to agree or disagree. I wont take it personally.

Cheers

Anthony