Erithacus

Shaw being ruled out is a minor footnote - Man C have plenty of backup. Incidentally, I see ex-Robin Lauren Hemp has agreed to a new 3-year deal with them. Seems the length of contracts for the top flight players is on the up.

Some interesting (and perhaps American) approaches to current football sentiments. I can see that sone of the stuff that goes on here is also vexing people over there, as it were. Whilst I can see that some of the thinking is in response to perceived irritations, I can't help that some of the implementations regarding injuries will be a thorny issue. Yes, some players do feign injuries but those who are genuinely hurt will need better treatment, not under time constraints. With regard to off-field injury assessments, will it be like the NFL's blue tent? Will games have independent doctors who will pronounce whether a player is fit to return? Is there a thought that such a structure will reduce any long-term health problems and any likely threats of litigation? VAR: yes, we all have an opinion. Whatever the protocol, we are still in the realms where a human is in final charge - and we know they can be frail. Giving the ruling to the crowd is something the NFL has done for many years and it has become the norm. However, will we now find ourselves in a position whereby we all look at the jumbo screens and await our fate? Scenes from an Orwellian future? This will, of course, introduce yet another level of administration to top level games. I am against anything that can't be introduced at grass roots level and feel this is how the game is splitting apart. I must admit I was rather expecting the MLS authorities to introduce a new time limit that would quickly spread throughout the planet - the goal celebration! Maximum of 60 seconds including any flares/crowd invasion/video interview/shirt waving. Anything going over that limit would result in a VAR review, costing more time. Maybe...

Salutary. Where will we be in another twelve months' time, I wonder? Also interesting to see the many faces in that shot that are not here now.

Having used technology to broadcast football matches and then introduced the incident replay to audiences it soon became clear that some officials' decisions were not correct. That became a problem that the governing bodies sought to solve by using more technology and hence we now have the (somewhat primitive) method of an official in another town manually placing lines on a two-dimensional screen image and trying to extrapolate it into three dimensions. That still leaves lots of room for indecision and, indeed, errors in the system designed to eliminate them. I have to admit I am not a fan of technology used at the very top level that can't be used at grass roots - it makes it two different games, not one. Goal line technology looks to have made it though. We rarely make such accusations about that system. Offsides and penalty shouts are the concern. We struggle to accurately define a moment in time and a method to resolve it. However we try, we still end up with a subjective opinion based on a particular individual or individuals who are not the actual match officials. That's not withstanding the delays and stoppage of passions that now break up the game. I don't see any real advance on what we will have for the forthcoming future but I do think there might be a better way forwards with regards to offside claims. Modern footballers wear tracking modules that log their every move on the pitch, sending a stream of data to receivers pitchside. So why not use them to determine whether they are closer to the goalline or not? I see this as analogous to the transponders used in motor racing that accurately determine lap times to a thousandth of a second. That seems to work well enough and is almost instant. I appreciate that in play it will have to be used retrospectively and that someone will still have to replay the incident to mark the exact time of the pass, but it might significantly cut down the lines and waiting around. It also defers the responsibility to a computer, not a human.

Intrigued to see 4,700 at the Gate - I was wondering if the Saturday lunchtime fixture would clash or draw new fans who would be otherwise at local matches instead on Sundays. I imagine Liverpool brought a few. But the bottom line is...another home defeat. Looking at this season we have had nine home league games and lost the lot, not including a Cup game against Liverpool. The only positives were 1-1 draws in the Conti Cup - at the HPC! Ashton Gate has been a total loss and with only Man City and Everton left I fear there will not be any relief. Even though Man C are currently stuffing West Ham, I don't feel it will prevent the inevitable.

If relegation is confirmed, I wonder if the club will remain at the Gate next season. (Incidentally, what are the regulations for grounds in the Championship?) I reckon sustained attendances at home this season levels out around 4,000. Attendances at the HPC are significantly smaller due to its restricted size so perhaps there is a feeling that the women could retain a good number of supporters if they stayed. It would be nice to hear what the club is planning on. I dare say there won't be the large turn-outs without the Lioness factor, but that last promotion game did bring out a big crowd.

Someone has worked a flanker there, selling a Boeing snow-blower and relabelling it as a rain-blower.

Finally the final whistle. An end to that game and one which we realistically didn't have a chance with. Still a hard pill to swallow, but not unexpected, sadly. Amongst other stats to ponder over, the attendance was 3,500 (perhaps a late Sunday game has had some effect, but I suspect a lowly turnout by Gunner's standards. With West Ham picking up another point the gap is widening still further.

Whilst it's been a very wet season, the imposition of the cut-off for fixture dates has proved a real test for many. I wonder if it will sharpen some minds as to how to organise things from this point onwards. Global warming protocols, anyone?

It would seem that the deal is a continuation of the present one, and so I imagine that the coverage will be predicated almost entirely to the WSL - the Beeb show about 30 seconds of the Championship leaders at best. I am keen to know how much input the new authorities (New Co) are having in this, seeing as it taking over from the FA. I am also aware that the title sponsors, Barclays, have a current deal for the top two divisions until 2024-25 and am wondering if there is a 'rolling contract' option.

With all the fondness and sentimentalities from both posts, it does seem exceptionally strange that he has been sacked - so sweetly! My cynical mind thinks that there is a big avoidance of something here. Either the board has made some sort of deal that is being kept in the boardroom or that Harris has done something dreadfully disgraceful and is being given a chance to slide away without exposure. A gentlemanly agreement or a closed doors job?

There doesn't seem to be much at all before the flats. Close by were various warehouses and works buildings by Duckmoor Road. The bowling green appears to be as old as the original ground, which was a football and cricket ground (without stands) in the 1920s. Previous to that, the Town Plan map of 1879-88 shows the whole place was open fields and Colliter's Brook used to run under what is now the Lansdown Stand. For a detailed look, I will (once more) point anyone in the direction of the Know Your Place website https://maps.bristol.gov.uk/kyp/?edition=&ma It has a wealth of old maps that you can swipe between them and a modern version.

Redolent defending...

If she has popped her shoulder it won't be useful for someone to wrap their arm around it! I hope it's not the end of her season, though I did worry that was the case when she went off during the game.

Rough bunch, us Bemmy Boys. A hotbed for football and other sports - particularly opponent-baiting and ref-stoning. Was the ref's name Jehovah by any chance? I like the adverts for full size balls 4/9d, small balls from 2/6d; best antelope balls for only 9/6d! Shinguards were a mere 4.5d a pair and were probably harder and heavier than concrete. Those were the days, men were men, etc...