Bovril

[quote user="camuldonum"] For some weeks a number of clubs including Norwich have been having informal discussions as to whether they can set up an effective "friendly league" rather than enter a team into the Pontin''s Snow White League.  The idea is to try and produce games offering a higher standard of football. Some sort of decision is imminent because they have to let the FL know if they are entering a team quite soon or face a whopping fine if they withdraw after the end of this month. There are some problems, according to some clubs, over fears that people might not keep to the fixtures if they have injury probs - there''s also a problem of gettings refs and linesmen for these games.  Some of the clubs involved also want to hold some of the fixtures behind closed doors on an afternoon which will obviously disappoint the few people who go to these games. Birmingham, quite separately, have already taken the decision not to run a reserve side but to set up "friendlies" in their part of the world and that is something completely separate from the Norwich situation. Interestingly Newcastle dropped a reserve side a while ago in favour of "organised friendlies" but then went back to a competition after one season because people did not stick to the fixtures.  I am not sure whether this was in Mr Roeder''s time there or not.  However, it is a bit stronger up there than it has been in this region. I know Colchester have been involved in these discussions.  We tackled them about it today and were told: "Ring in a week or so." (There you are Archant, there''s a story for you.  I promise I won''t invoice you) sorry calmuldonum but what is you job again? i take it its something in the media business? and who do you support at club level? thanks for the info. btw on the threads, top stuff   [/quote]

[quote user="shannockbob"] i had a £20.00 - 7 match accumulator on the first round of matches: Czech Rep to beat Switzerland Portugal to beat Turkey Croatia to beat Austria Germany to beat Poland Spain to beat Russia Sweden to beat Greece and the bloody French to beat Romania......   thats extrememly unlucky, that was a good bet in theory....oh well back to the drawing board i guess damn surrender monkeys cost me £2500.00 [/quote]

[quote user="PBTC"]Peter Brackley was doing the Spain game for ITV - now there''s a legend. Gray and Tyler is easily the best duo for me. Don''t like Bill Leslie on Sky who just growls his way through games or David Pleat on ITV who could send anyone to sleep. [/quote] haha! i couldn''t agree more with you! can''t stand david ''ill repeat the same comment for 90 mins'' platt.... and i grew up watching football italia and listening to PB!....and AG is hilarious ''''your''e thinking dont hit it from their, don''t hit it from their and its simply flew in from 30yards, what a hit son!'''' how many times has he said this for gerrard?! classic [:)]

haha! well it looks like my torres bet is going dead, why was he brought off after 53minutes? oh well, great performance from david villa, but a word of warning for all those that have backed spain...they ALWAYS start these tourneys well against the poorer teams, but can they do it against the hollands, the portugese and the germans of this world?

[quote user="jas the barclay king"] mook is Right.. Spain ALWAYS throw it away.. another team set to spectacularly fail are Portugal.... Injury to Ronaldo and thats their only attacking outlet gone./... I watched the Turkey game and everything went through him... if he got marked out of the game or injured they would lose.. they play as individuals and not as a team.. never a good idear jas :) [/quote] I''m not so sure to be honest Jas, obviusly any team is going to miss their star player (you only have to look as far as last night at Italy''s defense without the superb cannavaro, albeit hollands offense was a joy to watch) but i''ve seen a fair bit of Portugal and their team gel''s very well from their defence to midfield, my only concern is perhaps is the goal-scoring threat but then you look at the reigning champs Greece and you think ''How an earth are they gonna score goals?''... I would like Holland to win, I naturally always want the team that plays the most attractive football to win whatever competition I feel the Germans CANNOT be ruled out at any tournament, very strong in midfield with good attackers, good fullbacks a reliable gk, but perhaps yet to be tested in the centre of defence Spain....who knows? I have to say I think this may just be there year but again just like england perennial under-achievers France, disjointed - i simply cannot see them winning this time around, for me in domenech they have the wrong coach Italy...don''t rule them out, still a very good side and of course current world champions lacking a leader though to get hold of the game Czech Republic...I dont think they''re go all the way but i certiantly wouldn''t be surprised if they made the semi''s

First of all its a well written post.... however i''m not sure whether I agree with you, with regards to the semmy deal last year, everyone knew way before july 1st that he was signing and I think this would be the case with the 3 mentioned players.. Its very hard these days for a club to keep the signing of a player quiet before he''s unveiled officially due to the advances in communication and media, with GR on holiday up and until now I would also be extremely surprised if any player has signed on the dotted line especially after he himself mentioned about players coming in, in the next ''''3 to 4 weeks'''' at the start of June. I have no doubt that during his so called holiday his phone would have been a hot wire as he''s not one to rest on his laurels that is for sure, but as to whether the players have actually signed I would be extremely surprised by this 2 transfer fees 4 bosman frees 5 prem loan signings I think this is widely agreed of how GR will spend the budget 

Just intrigued if anyone has gone for some audicious bets, and also is anyone''s bets mucked up already? anyone go for Italy to win for instance? Portugal to win the tournament ---- 15/2 Fernando Torres for top goalscorer ---- 9/1 When a team is Elimated(I''ve chose these 7 all to get knocked out at the group stage bar croatia) ---- 18/1 Switzerland Turkey Poland Austria Romania Russia Croatia (to go out in the Q/F''s) So those are mine, not too bad in these very early days but i wouldnt mind a few goals from the spaniard today, not least for my fantasy euro team in the pink''un league, haha!

[quote user="we8wba"][:D][/quote] i reckon norwich might just have a chance of winning the league next year, as apparemtly if u finish 8th, you win the league! incidentally im 64th, waiting to pounce when torres bangs em in today

[quote user="Jameswallis"] i hold a faint glimmer of hope for shackell.... for two reasons... a, i thought he actually had good season in the prem... remember drogba not liking him much! b, he is a left footed centre back... pretty rare and worth sticking to... I think if he were next to someone of the malky ilk (strangely another lefty i think...) he''d improve no end... [/quote] thats my opinion too, alongside taylor he looked fine, but next to doherty and its a disaester....doherty is clearly a good defender compared to the average joe, but at this level he cant be in the starting 11 especially on the 5k he takes week in/out

''The board has reittarated they have already given you enough funds in which they feel the target of a top 24 position can be achieved'' [;)]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11709_3634429,00.html god knows how much we have in our kitty if we can''t afford the prices being quoted by a club that is/just came out of administration [:O]

[quote user="Theythinkitsallover"]100% agree with that and i watch him every week. If the 6 home players rule comes in just think how much English players prices will be inflated. Haynes is worth a million at very best but if Pompey want to give us 2million then i would be happy.[/quote] thats very interesting coming from a town fan actually.... to be honest in terms of purely football there''s not many more players (savage and dickov aside) that i hate more then haynes, purely because of his record against us but i have to say ive always been hugely surprised that he never seemed to play a more active part either against us or during the season for ipswich, the blokes a livewire, bags of pace and eye for goal and any city fan that doesn''t get worried by the site of him warning up on the bench when we play them needs they''re brain checked... whether he can make it in the premiership for me all depends on who his manager is and what level he goes to, for the comments about darren bent are u forgetting what a huge success he was at charlton before he moved to a club that realistically is probably to higher level for him, if haynes moves to a club like boro alongside tuncay and alves, or possibly blackburn alongside santa cruz he could be a real handful

should be a good tournament with lots of great up and coming players on show.... £10 on ''Portugal'' winning @ 15/2 £10 on torres for top goalscorer @ 9/1

GK   Petr Cech             DF   Sotirios Kyrgiakos             DF   Fabio Grosso             DF   Olof Mellberg             DF   Dariusz Dudka             MD   Luka Modric             MD   Franck Ribery             MD   Arjen Robben             ST   Cristiano Ronaldo             ST   Mario Gomez             ST   Fernando TorresIm in as well now, under ''The Lord''....incidentally i like your team name ''salhuddin'' ;)

[quote user="Barclay_Boy"] [quote user="WeWantWorthyBack"][quote user="colneycanary"]Just makes you laugh doesn''t it!!!! Good enough for celtic but not good enough for a struggling championship team![/quote] Ian Murray was seemingly good enough for Rangers...[/quote] Good point, he along with Brellier was not really given a fair crack of the whip in my opinion.   [/quote] ian murray not givin a fair crack of the whip?? are u kidding me? the bloke played something like 14 games for us and im pretty sure we lost in all but 1 of the matches that he started in! im not saying he was soley responsible but having watched him week in/out he just wasnt good/strong enough for this league im afraid

[quote user="AndyJR"]And blokey on 606 sais: neil doncaster!!!!!breaking news!!!!!! Championship Norwich City by ncfcallex (U10890180) 01 June 2008 hi guys i might have just witnessed r first summer signing!! went out for dinner today at dunstan hall with the missus and as we walked in there was mr doomcaster and wes hoolahan walking around the grounds with there golf caddies,there were others but coulnt make out who they were,maybe agents or summit i dont know, boy i would love to now what they were talking about!! just rushed the grub down hardly said a word to the wife all dinner just to write this article. i really hope this is going to happen because the guy is different class!!! comment on this article | alert a moderator | send to a friend I reckon he''s signed you know. [/quote] I am of the opinion that hooligan has signed for us..... but thats a classic! dunstan hall + golf caddies + maybe agents = made up story    

since the success of dublin, people have become much more willing to take on the ''experienced'' player...for me there is no doubt that sibierski would be a very very good player in this division alongside a halve-decent pacy striker (say earnshaw for example [:P]) it just depends how much money he wants a week... and for those people unsure, like myself, what exactly hooligans attributes are, here''s a great article about his talent, incidentally pace is not one of them... http://www.clubfanzine.com/norwich_city/showNews.php?id=11126

if wesley signs on the dotted line on monday like rumoured, personally it will be terrific business as he is a very good player in this division and at 250k we would certaintly not lose money on the bloke, but if he''s there to set up the goals, who an earth is gonna score them?? apparently man city knocked back our £1.5mill bid for evans, for £1.5mill, an good striker and centre defender, or a very good striker?

my mates a blackpool fan and says he''s a great player and would be a real steal at 250k, with this latest albeit more confirmation link, and roeders known admiration (''''one of the best players ive seen here at carrow road this season'''') i think this one is finally on the cards, great first signing!

[quote user="Big Dave"] http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_9428258?nclick_check=1 Well I never, old ginger chops face may be going with Hucks! [/quote] i bet the MLS strikers are ''quaking'' in their boots about this rumour.....yeah sorry, i''ll go now

i have to say no way would i have got that one without your rather obvious clues, haha! completely forgot about that bloke and like others have said, how did we get away with playing halve of those blokes?!.....oh and i still havent got the left winger, im presuming its not chris lleweyeln whatever his name is, as ive checked it on google and its still wrong! but i cant think of any more welsh international left wingers during that time?

[quote user="Libbra Lives"]Im going to sound incredibly thick and ignorant here but where does the monicker ''Plastic'' come from and why do we use it for Bertrand?[/quote] i believe it refers to him being a chelsea player, hence chelsea being a plastic club that buy they''re way to the top

[quote user="Polar"][quote user="Pboro_Canary"][quote user="HUDDY "] why would we be chosen- Ambition - If Roeder can prove to potential signings that as a team we are progressing it will help. If there are funds there and players realsie we mean business Roeder- He''s well known, and seems to be well respected in the game. This is a pull Training Facilities - Among best in country, enough said. 2nd best average attendance in the Championship, full house week in week out. So, it isnt all doom and gloom, and i can see why the likes of Bell and Hoolahoop would join. Whether they do, is a different matter!   [/quote] If you substitute the word Pardew for Roeder in the above, dont they all apply to Charlton as well?  And while we may arguably have better training facilities they have parachute payments.  Charlton pull in well over 20k+ gates on average I think.   my mates a charlton fan, and should they go up this year, st holders will get a free one in the premiership year Don''t get me wrong, I agree with you that potentially we have a lot to offer (including a much better living environment than the waste land that is South London) but ultimately it will be money that decides where players end up. [/quote] I believe charlton had some season ticket scheme, which they announced when they were starting to get into relegation trouble. it was something like, renew the tickets for the championship if we are relegated and get big discount for the premiership the following season - whether that still applies considering they stayed down or not i don''t know nd may well mean they don''t get 20k this season. SSN were reporting it mid way through the 06/07 season... why do i remember such useful information. Anyway, no reason why we can''t get good players, we have in the past. [/quote]

1907: England team just in: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole, Hargreaves, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Defoe. Sorry, but how has defoe got in this team yet again? and alongside rooney, the two together will not work...presuming ashton is fit, surely rooney and ashton are the ideal replacement for owen and shearer, thoughts? My team: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Terry, A.Cole, Hargreaves, Gerrard (c), Bentley, Young, Rooney, Ashton

[quote user="GJP"] He is quality. You won''t see a player with better techincal ability than him in this league. Hopefully Chelsea don''t realise how good he is. [/quote] haha! it''s a good job they probably dont have very good scouting system in place then isn''t it ;) On a serious note though, he''s not yet good enough in my opinion to play top premier league football, nor do i think we will be able to buy him permantely this summer expect a 5-month loan with the option of buying in January for an agreed sum should anything materialise at all