PHILINFRANCE

Only in France.

A few days late, but amusing nevertheless - I'm assuming there is no need to translate.

1 hour ago, TV Tom said:

That name is a blast from the past, wasn’t there a well known City fan called ‘tank’ around about the same time

From the Bath area?

52 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

Yeah, I remember and knew some from them long gone days.

Blackjack, Jiffy, Angus, Larry the Limp, Paddy Walsh, The Pascoes, John Feeney, Chris Saunders, Heavy Duty, Moussah, and Boner spring to mind.

Blackjack and Moussah had brothers who were well-known.

Some of those that followed City in those days, were bitter enemies “off the pitch”, who put their differences aside temporarily on match days.

 

I remember coming across these two on my travels.

5 hours ago, Robbored said:

Popplewell from Somerset was another.

Poor old Nigel, who never seemed to recover from his very brief England career....

Or did I just imagine it?

I was quite sure that NP played a Test match for England, but none of WIKI, ESPN or Wisden make any mention of it.

Is anybody able to add anything further?

Strange.

When you think that the upcoming UEFA European Championship in Germany is trying to persuade competing Nations to travel to matches by coach rather than flying, this trophy, which, by extension, involves teams who are financially ‘challenged’ has them travelling the extent of the country for what, in essence, is a second rate competition.

Why?

5 minutes ago, northsomersetred said:

Mike Procter 77

 

 

That is sad news.

I follow Somerset, but I well remember enjoying that epic match in the darkness against Lancashire.

3 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

A fine piece of work @Ian M. To add a bit of colour I present the excellent work done by the guys at soccerstats.

You want to look at the blue column, which shows the average points per game achieved by the teams that each club still has to play. It accounts for ppg gained at home and gained away.

You'll see that by this measure we face a fairly average run in compared to our peers. You're quite right to say that WBA have a pretty easy one, but so do Norwich, and Preston's is also looking gentler than ours. 

We may well have a decent chance of getting above Sunderland and Hull, but beyond that it will be tricky to reel teams in.

All of which makes those late goals conceded against Norwich, Millwall and Coventry look even more frustrating.

Not to mention Stoke.

2 hours ago, spudski said:

I used to do summer race training on the Tignes glacier. Great fun and got to rub shoulders with all the World Cup skiers. 

I think Isola 2000 is the nearest resort to the Cote dAzure.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Quiet possibly, although it is a fairly small and boring resort, and I am pretty sure it is not open in May!

As ever, a wonderful preview @Jerseybean, but isn’t the photo of Tinnion reflecting on the horrendous 7-1 defeat away to Swansea almost 20 years ago?

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

What!? They sacked their most amusing and entertaining commentator?  
Thats crazy……….

I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall he made some dubious comments of a perceived racist nature.

I am speaking from memory, which, as we both know, tends to fade with age, but I believe he commented on the Yorkshire racist incident concerning the Asian player (a Muslim, but whose name I certainly don’t remember) and his reluctance to join his teammates for drinks after a match, suggesting something along the lines of ‘They are all the same, that lot’.

And No, I am not confusing him with Michael Vaughan and his alleged racist comments.

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

Arithmetic was never my strongest subject…….

I think we have had this discussion before .

41 minutes ago, spudski said:

Go in March instead and take skis

Many years ago, my wife and I went to the Côte d’Azur for a month in late May.

We took a short break from the heat and drove to Tignes for two days skiing on the glacier.

29 minutes ago, Robbored said:

As you said - that could come back and bite them on the arse in the fourth innings. Shame that Leach is injured.

Third innings, but Yes.

41 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

On reflection it's actually quite refreshing to have that honesty rather than meaningless thin platitudes about how much he loves City. 

It's an attitude, but not necessarily a bad one.

Digressing slightly, but I smile sometimes when I think of Rovers' new owner claiming that he had always wanted to purchase an English football club, and that Rovers were the perfect fit because of their rich history and wonderful fanbase.

I mean, there is positive spin and then there is complete nonsense.

1 minute ago, Robbored said:

I missed that - what happened?

One of their batsmen, I forget who, was already warned for running on the pitch yesterday, and then Ashwin did the same thing again this morning.

He seemed to be quite aggrieved when he was informed by the umpire that India were going to be penalised 5 runs as he had been cheating.

37 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Bugger! Crawley gone………

Ashwins 500th test wicket.

Bowling in to the rough that he created by running on the pitch - hence England being awarded 5 runs.

I just hope that England get a healthy first innings lead, and that it comes bck to bite them on the arse when India have their second innings.

2 hours ago, Super said:

His health is all that matters. Shame on Palace sounds like his succesor is already lined up. Expect nothing less from Parish.

I am pretty sure I read very recently that Steve Parish was all in favour of keeping Roy Hodgson on as manager until the end of the season.

Clearly, if RH’s health isn’t up to returning to management, and surely his health is the all important factor here, to all parties, not least to him and his family, then a replacement should be brought in as soon as is practicably possible.

Should this turn out to be the case, then I am not sure why Steve Parish would be deserving of any criticism.

53 minutes ago, northsomersetred said:

Sad, but what else would you expect 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/409524751518295

I don’t have facebook, but, in a nutshell, what was being said?

1 hour ago, BigTone said:

Or in a diabetic coma ......................... for the insurance !!!!

8 hours ago, Super said:

Do we have any romantics on here who make this a special day for their other half?! I usually get a card but don't go OTT.

I have just taken a short pause from preparing dinner.

Both Matt James and Joe Williams were excellent last night.

Many on here have spoken of one or perhaps both leaving at the end of the season, but whilst I suppose Andy King’s departure is almost inevitable, I would like to see both MJ and JW retained, as much for the knowledge and experience they could pass on to the younger midfielders we have just signed as for their own ability and experience on the pitch.

I appreciate both would need to compromise on their salaries etc., but I should be disappointed if both leave.

5 minutes ago, pillred said:

Well, what were your thoughts? to say I'm excited would be an understatement, yes he played a few minutes but showed a cool football brain did not panic and showed glimpses to me that we have uncovered a diamond in the rough. 

I thought much the same.

It was a shame he was fouled just after his little shuffle, when he went through two players, as I thought he was about to produce a moment of magic.

13 minutes ago, Lee Trundles LeftTit said:

I struggle with tanner. I've spent almost every match worrying about him and his sideways and backwards! Personally think he's far too timid for a mid-upper championship RB and for me Mcrorie is acres ahead of him after only seeing him 2-3 times. I think he got left in his arse a few times tonite too, but quality opposition. Time will tell and appreciate his effort and be a reaaonable fill in for us. 

An interesting 'Moniker' and an equally interesting first post.

Admittedly, I didn't watch the match live, but on SKY, but I thought he was excellent, both on the right and the left.

12 hours ago, italian dave said:

'It's also interesting that those that castrated Nige for the formation we played against Coventry to begin with have also defended Manning changing formation at half time v Boro.' 

Very interesting. 

I didn’t feel Boro were unlucky, no. The fact that you use words like “spin” suggests you’re putting your own particular take on it. And I’ve certainly never criticised - never mind “castrated - another emotive term that doesn’t make for reasoned argument - anyone for our formation against Coventry.

But don’t keep playing the martyr?! No-one is suggesting that critiquing any manager isn’t allowed. In my mind all that’s being suggested the past 48 hours is that we show a little joy and spend a little time celebrating three points from a tricky away game! As @Davefevs said (eventually!!), just chill  

I was going to suggest yesterday that @W-S-M Seagull probably meant to write castigated, but now I am begining to wonder.... 

He came on again for the last 10 minutes against Liverpool.

1 hour ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

‘Neither Arsenal NOR Liverpool…’

Indeed, and I saw it as soon as I posted.

Unfortunately, I was distracted and it was too late to edit.

So, I was reading this thread and, obviously….

Why, and from where did this habit of starting sentences with ‘So’ and then interspersing them with numerous mentions of ‘Obviously’ originate?