Erithacus

30 minutes ago, Dollymarie said:

cup games

Just printed mine out. On paper too.   

Another official update: it's still f*****d. But we'll fix it all soon.

Can't remember that! Mind you, I don't remember much of the mid-80s. Still, some wonderful old cars to jog the memory.

Virgin emails (now run by Talk Talk) fell over earlier this week and caused a lot of problems. Most accounts were back up and running within a day, but some have been badly affected. One of mine was fine but another lost all the historic stuff and emptied the system. This appears to be a tricky headache and they are not able to get everything back as yet. To that end, they will shut down the system from midnight tonight to reset things. We will see if that works.

VIrgin a misery to deal with? Yep.

Does this have an equivalent system in men's football or is this particular to the women's?

Good to see the pre-season training is already underway, and Clevedon's Marine Lake is beautiful this time of year.

3 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

It’s becoming like the Super Bowl.

Quite agree, Major. Clearly the model for world-class (read: broadcast all over the world, kerching!) events, UEFA has cottoned on to this aspect. I have no complaints when it is done well, but I fear the show overshadowing the actual game. In America it is par for the course.

Speaking of which, the CL Final was not as bad as the Conference Final with West Ham earlier - that really was a Dark Arts Special.  At least the CLF was fairly open and a gritty battle of different philosophies - as befits a Guardiola/Inzaghi confrontation - but there was certainly a underlying current of unpleasantness. As is mentioned, the 'skill' players were edged out by the 'ugly side of the game' types. Sometimes it happens.

Appreciate what you say, OE, but I think the club sees some potential that Jesse still hasn't reached as yet - she's still only 22. Hope she will reward everyone (especially herself) and can push on next season.

Lots of my childhood distilled here. Many happy days recalled by these memories, seeing as they were shown especially in the summer when school was out.

Good to see them in colour too.

Is this because the club already has a good idea of who are staying, who are due to go and perhaps have some indication of new players coming in? Are we that organised this early after the season? I suspect the 'pipeline' is going to be longer than that.

Personally, I would expect the club to bend over backwards for the likes of Fran Bentley, Abi Harrison and would have done so for Aimee Palmer had she not left. There is a good core of current players who will be keen to stay and prove themselves in the WSL, which is good but the step up will be a real test.

Early days yet for new arrivals, so we'll wait a while. I dare say the released lists from the other clubs will be examined in detail by all the clubs.

Among the Premier League's fan-based reviews, the question about new signings is raised and one team's fan, (Wolves) would like to see Alex Scott at Molineux. Viktor Gyokeres leads the wish list.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65710078

Interesting selection, considering the large number of injuries ruling out many first picks. Quite a few are joining after some worrying injuries/reduced gametime. Houghton was almost sure she would be left out of the reckoning despite the concerns at centre-back, and a few newer names to join the Lionesses will have plenty talking. I think the squad is inevitably weaker than the Euro winners, but hope Weigman can mould a new sense of purpose from it. There is talent there, but some lack the experience.

Moving Daly back up front and trying to shore up fullback is a significant change from 2022. I think the defence is the concern, given some recovering players. Midfield is strong, especially as Jordan Nobbs is recalled - she has had a good season at Villa and shown some of the old form that got her into the previous squads. Up front there is a good prospect without the presence of White, with variety and options - something Weigman is renown for. Having Beth England back looks good to me. I am a little concerned that Russo may well have other thoughts on her mind as she has been linked with leaving United. However, the attack has bite!

Given the (increasingly-rising) standard of football I watched this WSL season it does give me confidence that the England squad has enough to be winners again. However, the World Cup will bring some old adversaries into view - chiefly the Americans, should we meet them. Will be a great tournament.

Vital to the midfield now that Aimee Palmer will not be with her. Perhaps a chance for a new player to go alongside?

I suspect the relegation of either Everton and/or Leicester will not materially affect the women's teams, and we will still have a real task to compete on an equal footing next season. It will be intriguing to see how City respond and if new blood will be brought in.

Play-offs are an old format brought in one season to balance out the restructuring of the leagues, with unequal movements to accommodate a change in the numbers. It has stuck ever since.

Whilst I accept that the present EFL system is a popular one in terms of keeping a season 'alive' for longer and that the money aspect is appealing (to the clubs), I still say that we spend a whole nine/ten months of league format (our Bread and Butter) to produce a final table that is easy to understand. To then eventually have a team, say, finish in sixth achieve promotion over the third, fourth and fifth placed teams (who will have a better points total) is illogical and unethical, and undermines the league format's raison d'être.

I am in favour of a system mentioned above where, say, the bottom two or three of Div 1 go down, the top two or three of Div 2 are promoted but the next bottom of Div 1 plays the next top of Div 2 - a far more equitable state of play I feel. Of course it won't appeal to the accountants or chancers.

2 hours ago, phantom said:

following the club's escape from WSL relegation.

What a strange phrase and perhaps indicative of the club's approach.

One for the Bristol City is an adaptation of the Wurzels late 70s hit (in the top 75) of 'One for the Morning Glory' - a traditional song. (The track was from the album 'Golden Delicious' and the B side was 'Rock around the A38.)

As I recall it was played for a good few years in the Glory Days then slowly lost, before being revived in the 2010s.

Forgive my pointing out but... an electric halogen heater in the bathroom? 

As an aside (and a little bit of relevance to City) the Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber said women's football was "of zero interest to me". In a forthright statement he is reported by the BBC as not rating women's football.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-65685904

Oddly in the circumstances, he also said that the former Robin Flo Allen, the general manager of Norwich City Women, as "a real rising star".

Post-war, Petherton Road became a paint factory (which was still producing until not so long ago) and is now a trading estate. The people needed a hospital but it remained an aspiration. 'South Bristol Hospital' eventually arrived in...... 2012 - and was built on the edges of the old Whitchurch Airport. So much for an urgency.

Some good old 'uns trotting around along with a few players from other teams (Yeovil and perhaps Exeter) that I didn't immediately recognise. However, the stand-out was Scolesy. Top class even at his age and with a brain that is still several levels above modern players. Marlon Pack was there and covered some ground (not that this game was about box-to-box effort); Scotty Murray and his lad Jay were on for some minutes and were carving up the right flank when able.

Jill Scott came on a couple of times and there was a fair cheer for the former Lioness. She moved well and made herself available, passing neatly and moving the game upfield. There was a slightly spurious penalty given at the end and she whacked it straight in. Michelle Owen also had a couple of goes up front but was not making as big an impact (especially as she was the leanest player out there).

Speaking of lean, the best sight was the ref - he must have been near twenty stone and built like a Nose Tackle. Bets were being placed on which star player would collapse first but the book was closed when they saw him.

3 minutes ago, myol'man said:

Did Marcus come on for a short sub appearance? 

Marcus explained that he would be trying to speak to and thank as many people so it was best that he didn't play. Shame, as he looks well enough to run around presently, but there it is.

It most certainly will...

Who or what wrote your post?

I would suspect the dearest properties would all be in the New Bohemia district, previously known as North Street. Also suspect that the good burghers of Somerset would not be keen to have all the crims sent there.

Sadly, I am old enough to remember Katie Boyle presenting it. (Yes, when the world was in black and white.) In those far off days it was never a song contest as such, it was a technological tour-de-force. Trying to connect to all those different television systems and rebroadcasting it across Europe in a format that was suitable for each country was a real space-age challenge. The music was a side show in reality.

Fast forward to today. The event also embraces Israel and Australia (making it a World song contest), spanning a series of qualifiers, not unlike a cup competition. A whole week of build-up and pageant, wild over-exaggeration and party time like no other. Some love it, others don't. I will let you take your pick.

It strikes me that Eurovision is a dinosaur that did not realise it had become extinct. Except that the best dinosaurs did not die out - they evolved into something different altogether.