hey footy people!

Poppet · Post by **Poppet** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:56 pm

beckham's going to real madrid! i don't pay real attention to footy (soccer, football, etc.) but whatcha' think?

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:13 pm

That's the spirit Poppet!

Uh-oh, I'd stay away from Otis for the next couple of days. I, personally, thank the lord. No more Posh! Knowing my luck there'll probably be even more paparazzi pics of him 'n' her shopping in only the finest boutiques Madrid has to offer. Bleh.

Otis, he's been sold for 25 million *only*. Guess he isn't that good after all....

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:37 pm

I believe that it was 25 million euros, about the same as Arse got for Anelka five years ago! Beckham seems to have been sold down the river by Ferguson and/or the giant that is the utd plc board. I think it is a good deal for Utd however, Beckham does not seem to put in the performances week in week out anymore, he just saves himself for the big occasions. You used to see him running up and down the pitch in every game but now he seems to stroll about the pitch as if he owns it (which he probably could do), and drifts out the run of the mill games.

Looks like Kewell might be coming our way, great player but not sure if he has the team attitude to fit in.

Looks as the Tottenhams bid for Beckham may be too late

, but they may get Kanoute. He certainly knows how to contribute to a team doomed to relegation, so he might come in handy.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 5:12 pm

The most overrated footballer on Earth. Just glad the whole saga is over.

Betcha United win the PL next season at a canter. They'll be asking, "David who?" by Christmas.

girl out of time · Post by **girl out of time** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 7:35 pm

david WHO?!!!!!!!!!!!! who needs beckham when figo is in your team?

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 3:56 am

Oh my gawd - why oh why must we lose our best players to foreign teams??? And why oh bloody why cant spurs get their f*****g act together! Looks like we will be losing Stevie Carr now - hes had enough of playing for a second rate team. When are we actually going to buy a player of some worth instead of just talking about it - preferably one that is not about to start drawing his old aged pension!!!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 3:46 pm

Odd reaction, Gilly. Who has gone abroad since Steve MacManaman? Hardly a persistent issue. I'm happy to see him go, he couldn't have stayed on at United after all that. I've loved him as a United player (and of course as England captain, a role I doubted him for but which he has excelled himself at). It's true he saves himself, especially for the England games, where he is often inspriational. He's far from an all-rounder, and unless Figo is moving on (we'll have him!), will be able to save himself to his heart's content. I must say it will be getting out of hand if Ronaldinho goes to Real - I think he should be ours. Relief to have it over, and good news for the Real Globetrotters Asian markeing campaign.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 4:03 pm

Not an odd reation really Otis - I think the trend has started. How can our clubs compete with the kind of money they can offer - I read Becks will be earning £85 grand a week....add that the the lifestyle and the weather and all our key players will be jumping on the bandwagon. With the mass of foreign players we are importing (chelseas first team are nearly all imports) and soon we wont have any English players in the league.

Sorry if I sound like im a national front yob - I am not prejudiced in any way against any colour or creed but it is worrying - we are talking about English football here - its sacred stuff!!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 4:07 pm

Gilli, It's more like £120 grand a week he'll be getting.

Otis Westinghouse wrote:He's far from an all-rounder, and unless Figo is moving on (we'll have him!)

I'll have him!!

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 4:23 pm

Gilli, don't worry Real Madrid are probably the only foreign club that can out muscle our biggest clubs. I'd much rather rather be watching Henry, Van Nist, Pires, Zola, Bergkamp etc. than Becks and Mcmanaman any day.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 4:38 pm

And if our league is so stuffed with foreigners, isn't it only fair that some of ours should go the opposite way (although there are no major Spanish or Italian players of course, it's an unwritten law that they think their leagues are the best and won't travel).

It was £25m, not euros. But there's some bollocks about it only being £7m this year.

It's very good news for La Liga too, of course, big time increases in their selling price.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:12 pm

Gilli:

One minor point. While Chelsea may have been one of the first PL clubs to add foreign players in a big way, several of the starting 11 (Terry, Le Saux and Lampard for example) are or have been England internationals. One could make the argument that a number of PL clubs are now less "English" than Chelsea -- Arsenal and Liverpool to name two.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Thu Jun 19, 2003 3:34 am

PlaythingOrPet wrote:I'll have him!!

At £120 grand a week you cant afford him woman!!

WHO SHOT SAM: See.....we are not only begining to lose our key players abroad now, but also not bringing on talent in this country by importing foreign players in excess - I rest my case!

Maybe some sort of scheme should be introduced whereby there are restrictions on buying in players - not just from abroad. This would result in more focus on bringing on talent from youngsters coming up in the ranks. It would make it much fairer for the less rich clubs too.
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stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Thu Jun 19, 2003 3:57 am

Gilli - that system used to be in place and the rule was that you couldn't field more than four foreigners" at any one time. In the English league, these "Foreigners" included the Scots, The Irish and the Welsh. I can't imagine SKy TV pumping so much money into the game if this rule was brought back.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Jun 19, 2003 4:40 am

Gilli - I believe that having so much foreign talent over here helps develop our young players and also ensures that only the cream rises to the top, instead of all the crud.

Otis - What I have since read on the transfer fee was this: £7.5m immediately; a further £12m spread over three years; up to a further £7m depending on how Real do in the Champions League. This last point seems rather dodgy to me as what if you meet in the quarter finals again, will it mean that you could be better off (financially) by losing? mmm.

The fixtures have just been announced for next season, Arse start off at home to Everton, ManU at home to Bolton, Liverpool at home to Chelsea (nice), Tottenham away at fellow strugglers Birmingham, and Leeds at home to NewCastle.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jun 19, 2003 6:50 pm

Isn't there something just so exciting about the fixtures when they get announced? I've got up till Christmas in my diary.

I love the 13th (am a 13th baby, and left-handed - as are two of my colleagues, freaky huh? - hence my satanic element), and so was eleated to see Dec 13 and Mar 13 for the two Manc derbies. Looking forward to lobbing a few over the ageing head of David Seaman (we really should sign Ronaldinho just for that pleasure!!!). Does Kev not believe in having goalies younger than 38? Our biggest embarrassment last season was only getrting 1 pt. against the irrelevant Manchester team. Amends to be made.

SL: well if that does happen (Beckham putting in awesome free kicks against us, etc.), that will be some compensation. Crap deal though - they should just be getting it all now.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 4:35 pm

Yeeeehaaaa!

We're flush with Russian mob money!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 4:55 pm

Bizarre story! First Ken bates, now the Russkies. Some 36 year old billionaire who owns half of Russia. Out with Ranieri and in with Vlad the Impaler.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:04 pm

I know nothing about the guy apart from an article from Time magazine, but it's hard to see how this can be anything but good for the club. Clears all our debt in one swoop, more money for new players. Should be an interesting couple of weeks ahead.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:08 pm

Time were prettyy quick - the story only broke today! He owns half or so of the Russian oilfields, a load of aluminium manufacturers, and part of a Moscow TV station, so the Russians will be treated to hours of Chelsea footage. He's only 36, and a mate of Putin's. Will he now go shopping for star names? The fans interviewed on the news were inevitably upset.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 9:06 pm

What do the fans have to be upset about?

Will be refreshing to see hacks write about something other than our crushing debt. I'm sure they'll find some new angle that puts us in a bad light.

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 5:33 am

The hacks will have a field day. I haven't seen the Brit tabloids yet, but I'm sure they're working on their Chechnya, Chekov, Chernobyl and Chess Champions alliterations for the next season.

And I can just imagine the first Liverpool match - something about the The Defence of Stamford-grad being breached by Dodgy-'eskey, etc. etc.

Insert your own Russian joke here, but when John Terry's next drink offence ends up on the front pages with the headline "Crime & Punishment", remember that you read it here first.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 2:36 pm

Zola's done a runner. Don't be surprised he gets an ice pick!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 3:33 pm

stormwarning wrote:Insert your own Russian joke here, but when John Terry's next drink offence ends up on the front pages with the headline "Crime & Punishment", remember that you read it here first.

Love it. I'll have to remember that one. Terry has just re-signed. What a bizarre week. All going along quietly, then bang.

Will miss Zola, but probably best for all concerned that he move on.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:20 pm

stormwarning wrote:Dodgy-'eskey

That's brilliantly funny!

Those bastards in the Irish Independent sports section ran 'Real 3 Man Utd 0' as a headline today. Beckham, Queiroz and Ronaldinho! We're only at the rumours stage on the latter, but if anyone's going to cough up £31m for him, it will be the increasingly absurd Real.

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hey footy people!

hey footy people!

david who?