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Eric Portapotty
15 years ago
1 day ago
3,323
Call up de Laurentiis, he's looking for an English club to buy.
Jamieandhisego
17 years ago
1 year ago
841
By terriersmad | Permalink | On 19 July 2013 - 18:20 PM
Watford sign 7 players on free transfers from Udinese.

Cheating bastards. Not only is it a way round the loan regulations, it's a way around FFP. Just look at the rest of us in the division charging around having to pay transfer fees on top of wages, when Watford get seven players for a song. Utterly unfair.


It makes sense, why would you charge yourself for something you want when you already own it?
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
I doubt they're benefiting as much as last season given they had virtually an entire squad of loanees from Udinese, Granada and Chelsea on their books by the time of the play-off final. Plus Vydra is not included in this deal, and he was one of the best of the loanees.
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
By terriersmad | Permalink | On 19 July 2013 - 18:20 PM
Watford sign 7 players on free transfers from Udinese.

Cheating bastards. Not only is it a way round the loan regulations, it's a way around FFP. Just look at the rest of us in the division charging around having to pay transfer fees on top of wages, when Watford get seven players for a song. Utterly unfair.


No its not.

If you are in affiliation with a club you are allowed to move players freely, its abit like the partnership we hat with Fervenercos in Hungary, our Chairman basically had a large stake in that club and also ours, they had just been relegated and instead of buying players to try and get back up, our chairman effectively sent 6-7 players (including, Billy Sharp, Liban Abdi etc) there with a buy back clause of £0 inserted in their contracts so we could get them back.

I don't see that as cheating as its in the rules, maybe if they stopped owners from buying more than one football club then it'd stop it, but until them its totally fine to do so.

It also helped Liban Abdi as he went over as a 19 year old, no where near our first team, he did pretty well and now he's playing in the Portuguese top league for Olhanense.

Also Watford will still have to pay the players wages.
gfnx25
12 years ago
6 years ago
1,754
Today, we signed Rwandan striker Jessy Reindorf after a succesful trial. He stand 6 foot fucking 5 and lastly played with US Namur in the fourth division in Belgium.

Kinda like these random, foreign signing. They can turn out to be very good at times
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
Who's the promotion favourites in the Championship?

It's a random division at the best of times but this coming year seems almost comic in its "take your pick" nature.
Justicar
17 years ago
1 month ago
549
Premium
By Number 1 | Permalink | On 28 July 2013 - 21:59 PM
Who's the promotion favourites in the Championship?

It's a random division at the best of times but this coming year seems almost comic in its "take your pick" nature.


Not sure who the betting favourites are (Cba to look). My money is on Reading though (even though we beat them in a friendly ). Some cracking players like Drenthe etc.

Championship Winners: Reading
Promoted:Leicester, Nottingham Forest (Playoffs)

League One Winners: Peterborough
Promoted: Sheff Utd, Bristol City (Playoffs)

League Two Winners: Portsmouth.
Promoted: Scunthorpe, Cheltenham

Those be my bets.
Shola
16 years ago
5 years ago
2,708
- I'd imagine Bolton would be the favourites. Dougie Freedman actually took more points than Cardiff last year iirc.
- Watford depending on how good their new crop of players are.
- I think Reading would be a good shout - Adkins seems pretty good and they'll retain pretty much the same squad that went up two seasons ago.
- Leicester and Forest should challenge. (Extremely surprised Pearson is still there)
- Brighton depending on how quickly their new coach settles.
- Wigan haven't lost too many and have made replacements, so should still have a good chance

- I rate Redknapp as a coach, but I reckon QPR still look a mess and I don't think his heart looks in it, can see him resigning or something by December.

But practically any team can get out of the division with a bit of luck, it's extremely hard to predict division. I wouldn't have though Hull, Palace or Watford would be anywhere near the top last year.
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
Last year my picks were Blackpool (nowhere near), Bolton (should've sacked Coyle sooner) and Birmingham (too inconsistent).

I've seen people claim QPR as favourites but seeing as Redknapp has slagged off their squad again I can't imagine things going well there. Reading and Wigan look better shouts, though I'd imagine Watford, Bolton and Forest up there. I thought Pearson was a gonner after blowing automatic so how he's still at Leicester is quite baffling.

But yeah, it is a tricky division to predict. Hell, six more wins last season would've taken now-League One Wolves into the play-offs (17 points separated them in 23rd from 6th placed Leicester). So, who knows? Maybe Yeovil will get promoted again. That would be something.
Justicar
17 years ago
1 month ago
549
Premium
By Number 1 | Permalink | On 29 July 2013 - 00:06 AM
Last year my picks were Blackpool (nowhere near), Bolton (should've sacked Coyle sooner) and Birmingham (too inconsistent).

I've seen people claim QPR as favourites but seeing as Redknapp has slagged off their squad again I can't imagine things going well there. Reading and Wigan look better shouts, though I'd imagine Watford, Bolton and Forest up there. I thought Pearson was a gonner after blowing automatic so how he's still at Leicester is quite baffling.

But yeah, it is a tricky division to predict. Hell, six more wins last season would've taken now-League One Wolves into the play-offs (17 points separated them in 23rd from 6th placed Leicester). So, who knows? Maybe Yeovil will get promoted again. That would be something.


Not with their squad. Johnson will get them playing as a team. They don't have the quality that we had when Johnson got us up.
George14brfc
12 years ago
3 years ago
3,912
Hopefully Blackburn can get near the top of the league this time ! But the league is so unpredictable Bristol City despite going down by a long way last season would actually have stayed up the season before that. Also we were only 10 points off a play off position despite being down in 17th !

The bookies seem to be favouring QPR,Watford,Bolton and Reading to get promoted. With Yeovil,Doncaster and Barnsley being favourites to go down.

Jordan Rhodes is favourite to be top goalscorer as well with alot of betting sites hopefully he can deliver despite the so few chances we gave him last season he still scored nearly every one.
ianbaker
12 years ago
7 years ago
762
Forest had a bid accepted for Charlie Austin.
gfnx25
12 years ago
6 years ago
1,754
By ianbaker | Permalink | On 29 July 2013 - 08:08 AM
Forest had a bid accepted for Charlie Austin.


Will he pass the medical this time?
ianbaker
12 years ago
7 years ago
762
By gfnx25 | Permalink | On 29 July 2013 - 13:39 PM
Will he pass the medical this time?

Fucking hope so!
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
By Justicar | Permalink | On 29 July 2013 - 00:10 AM
Not with their squad. Johnson will get them playing as a team. They don't have the quality that we had when Johnson got us up.

Would be hilarious if it happened. Plus the Championship is a crazy division so why not?

I accept it's incredibly unlikely though.
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
By Justicar | Permalink | On 28 July 2013 - 22:07 PM
Not sure who the betting favourites are (Cba to look). My money is on Reading though (even though we beat them in a friendly ). Some cracking players like Drenthe etc.

Championship Winners: Reading
Promoted:Leicester, Nottingham Forest (Playoffs)

League One Winners: Peterborough
Promoted: Sheff Utd, Bristol City (Playoffs)


League Two Winners: Portsmouth.
Promoted: Scunthorpe, Cheltenham

Those be my bets.


Quite shocked, i'd have Wolves down as league winners?
Justicar
17 years ago
1 month ago
549
Premium
By Jay. | Permalink | On 30 July 2013 - 01:15 AM
Quite shocked, i'd have Wolves down as league winners?


There's something not quite right about Wolves at the moment.
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
I think Bristol City are a good shout for League One - the additions make them look real strong.
gfnx25
12 years ago
6 years ago
1,754
I fancy Peterboro to win L1 if they sign another good forward.
Shola
16 years ago
5 years ago
2,708
By Justicar | Permalink | On 30 July 2013 - 18:13 PM
There's something not quite right about Wolves at the moment.


I reckon Wolves might be a late challenger, they'll struggle in mid-table and things might just click in February, and they'll have the potential to get one of the automatic spots.
Deleted Account #151676
Coventry might not be leaving the Ricoh after all, the stadium operators have offered them a reduced rate of £150k per annum instead of the £1M+ they were paying before.

Makes you realise how badly we're getting ripped of with our dive of a stadium which we pay £350k+ on per season if they can have one f the best grounds outside the Premiership for less than half that.
Shola
16 years ago
5 years ago
2,708
Easy solution then. Wallsall should move to the Ricoh.



But seriously the Ricoh looks like the Harrenhall of football.
gfnx25
12 years ago
6 years ago
1,754
I actually don't mind the Ricoh. Yes, it looks crap and I don't know what the atmosphere is like on a cold tuesday night but I actually enjoyed my visit there last season
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
By gfnx25 | Permalink | On 31 July 2013 - 13:03 PM
I actually don't mind the Ricoh. Yes, it looks crap and I don't know what the atmosphere is like on a cold tuesday night but I actually enjoyed my visit there last season


I went there one Wednesday, finished 1-1..... carparking was an absolute joke, overpriced. No wonder the owners want to give it away at £12,500 a month, they make their money from parking alone, £15 for 2 hours 35minutes parking. There was only around 6,000 fans their too, 2 and half of them was Blades.

Ricoh is too big for Coventry.
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
It is - I went there with the Toon for a Carling Cup tie in 2008, when they were a Championship side, and even then they were struggling to pull in that much above half the stadium. League One just means more empty seats. Its not that bad a ground but I don't think they should have left Highfield Road.

The only time it ever gets close to selling out is gigs - the venue record is for Coldplay, while Springsteen and Muse pulled more this summer than pretty much all individual CCFC home games.
Deleted Account #151676
I doubt they would get many sell outs even if they managed to get back to the Premiership, aside from games against the likes of Man United or Chelsea where it would mostly be local glory hunters sitting in amongst the home fans.
terriersmad
16 years ago
3 years ago
744
The Ricoh really is the worst of the modern stadia, although whether the club's on-field fortunes have something to do with that I don't know. Crowds have dropped since the Highfield Road days (20,000+ every week, I think), the club's revenues have plummeted due to the business agreements they've been involved with, and now there's the prospect of playing at Northampton. It's enough to put anyone off building a new ground.

Just if anyone knows, how was the ground originally funded? Was it 100% CCFC, or was there local council input?
Fantastic
13 years ago
1 month ago
2,496
Banned
By Shola | Permalink | On 31 July 2013 - 12:12 PM
Easy solution then. Wallsall should move to the Ricoh.



But seriously the Ricoh looks like the Harrenhall of football.

Shola dropping A Song of Ice and Fire references in a football thread. Baller.
Number 1
16 years ago
11 months ago
3,650
By terriersmad | Permalink | On 31 July 2013 - 22:18 PM
The Ricoh really is the worst of the modern stadia, although whether the club's on-field fortunes have something to do with that I don't know. Crowds have dropped since the Highfield Road days (20,000+ every week, I think), the club's revenues have plummeted due to the business agreements they've been involved with, and now there's the prospect of playing at Northampton. It's enough to put anyone off building a new ground.

Just if anyone knows, how was the ground originally funded? Was it 100% CCFC, or was there local council input?

I think I posted this ages ago, but I remember reading they needed help from the local council after they started building and ran into financial difficulties. I may also be right in saying that the council are part-owners of ACL.

You could probably write a whole book on this sorry mess, and with any luck it'll avoid the tragic ending it seems hurtling toward.

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