The non-Watford football thread

This is a long story Mark. I have to confess that Ajax are my second club and so I'm not really neutral here. The problem goes back to what are perceived as the club's Jewish roots - a little bit like Spurs. As a result of this they are very often targetted by other fans, particularly those with right wing fan bases. Last season they were brutally attacked in Kiev, had a petrol bomb thrown into their midst at AEK Athens, and were attacked again in Benfica both by their fans and the police. A couple of seasons ago a pub full of Ajax fans was burned down before a game in Warsaw. Ajax do have a hooligan element and they retaliate - but if you are ok. with them then they will be as well. Last year they went to Bayern with 6,000 fans - took part in the beer festival (almost took it over), the police took a relaxed approach, and the fans were drinking together before and after. Unfortunately not all places are as hospitable as Munich - but when Ajax fans react apparently it is their fault. It's also rather ironic that it is Chelsea they were banned at, considering the long record of violence which their fans have. It is true that there is a problem in Dutch club football - it is a scandal that the top fixture there between Ajax and Feyenoord also has an away fan ban - the same is true for matches of the big 2 when they visit Ado den Haag. It just won't go away - but banning all fans is not the answer.

 

True - it's probably harsh to pick them out .

Even more so when clubs appear to get away with racism etc .

 

I have a couple of Dutch people living just down the road from me, and the man does not like sport of any kind. Our new English home owner asked me what was the matter with him after he had been visited and told what he should be doing. One hamlet close by has been turned into a Dutch enclave with only one original French resident left. I admit that I don't really have much in common with them, whereas the Germans who live round about are really fun people to be with. I have great long conversations on all sorts of things with the Germans who speak English and the French if they speak proper French, but the Dutch who all speak good English are not easy to get on with. I don't know if it is a national trait, but they do seem to think that they are a cut above the rest of us.

 

I think Ajax can feel pretty hard done by. 2nd goal was surely offside though I suspect benefit of the doubt and no VAR saw that it stood. Blind definite YC but the penalty? And a RC? Well I don't see it at all.
Entertaining fayre though!

 

I have to admit to having lived in the Netherlands Frenchie - I lived in Haarlem for about 18 months (25km north of Amsterdam). There are the urban, multi cultural connurbations of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht but they are a World apart. Once you get into rural Holland (particularly in the north) it can all get very insular. I don't like making generalizations about people in this way but if countries like Morocco and Italy are the peak of the hospitality scale then the rural Netherlands are the direct opposite. Actually the jokes about the Scots and money could, more applicably, be applied to the Calvinist traditions of rural Dutchmen. If you understand my meaning - they are stingy ! The best thing you can do in the Netherlands is to give somebody cut price on something. They are also very direct - they say exactly what they think, which leads some other cultures to think of them as rude. Unfortunately rural Holland is also impeccably clean and tidy - whether they have a car or a bike they wash it at least twice per week They also think they are the most tolerant people on this planet. In many ways they correspond to stereotypes about the Germans - much more so than the Germans themselves. Another point is that, whereas in the UK. everybody has at least some French at school (possibly German as well), and all German kids have English and French, the Dutch have English and German, and so don't have any real background in French.

 

I have heard many criticisms about the Dutch on campsites in France and Spain. Apparently most take all their food with them so rarely use the local shops or restaurants. We used to employ a Dutch guy who would live at my daughter's house during the week. Tightest guy I have ever met, he never ever offered a thing towards his upkeep, even a bottle of wine.

 

Just watching the Everton - Spurs game.
Unimpressive officiating again. Wholly unimpressive.
Obviously handball doesn't apply to Meadowlark Alli. Ever.
The initial YC for Son was correct.
VAR: we all knew this sort of game would come. Shocker.

 

Fortunately the red card for Son has been recinded .

The ref only gave a red card due to the serious nature of the injury I reckon .

 

What an extraordinary finish to a game I watched last night. French football Ligue 2 game between Valenciennes and Chateauroux.

Ist half uneventful apart from a Valenciennes player being sent off for a two footed flying tackle that landed roundabout the opponents waistline. HT 0-0.
2nd half and Chateauroux score against the 10 men. Now as we get towards the 90 minute mark the fun and games begin. The 4th official appears with the board to say that there will be three added minutes, which is a good time for the visitors to make a substitution. The player leaving is told that he must leave the pitch at the nearest point to the touchline. As he is on the halfway line, but the other side of the pitch to the dugouts, he leaves, and starts to make his way alongside the pitch on his long walk back. He stops to watch the play as the ball is coming in his direction, at which point the ref stops the game. The departing player is not wearing a bib to cover up his shirt, not surprising as he on the opposite side of the pitch to the bib store. The ref now orders the player to walk across the pitch to the dugouts, which he does at his pace seeing that he has been running around for 89 minutes. Valenciennes player helpfully gives him a vigorous shove as he believes he is wasting time. You don't push me about was the response, no doubt with an enquiry about what his opponent had been eating. A minor push and shove session now evolves with players from both sides pulling each other away from the incident, and when it all quietens down the two players that started the scuffle receive red cards. Nothing much happened after that and the score remained at 0-1.

Now I believe that the rule about leaving the pitch is as applied in this game, but it showed up the problem with it. Designed to speed up the game and avoid time wasting is a good idea, but there is a downside with it as shown last night.

 

The referee wasn't very bright, was he? Only had to get the player to either take his shirt off or turn it inside out (which is probably not altogether helpful with modern shirts). Be interesting when it's -4 and the underground heating is working overtime. I tell you some of these changes really haven't been thought through, have they!

 

VAR has been Spurs best player !

Sheff U goal ruled out for offside by about an inch .

Thankfully the Blades did score to equalise .

Not ideal results today with Newcastle and Everton winning .

West Ham in free fall though.

 

Absolutely agree, we were denied two penalties which would have been given the other way round
The equaliser by All should have been disallowed for the foul by Kane on Kabasele not the handball which no-one queried

 

Jonathan Moss was var. I've seen a still. He was wrong. Absolutely wrong. Regarding Sheffield United

 

Even the on field ref seemed a bit resigned about having to disallow it .

 

Big VAR incident - apparently potential
handball just before Liverpool scored .

I guess if Man City had been at home they might have got the decisions!

 

Cardiff City have parted company with manager Neil Warnock.

 

Football at the other end of the scale can be tough. As a result of drawing in the FA Trophy on Saturday Taunton Town had to travel to Aveley in Essex tonight for the replay - the coach will get back to Taunton by around 2 AM. Just a reminder that these are semi professionals who have other jobs !

 

Will he now retire ?

BTW not sure too many including refs themselves would agree with this view of VAR!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50380641

 

He did say this was his last job, pity if he retires, I like him.

 

Nice gentle cruise for England tonight.