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Post by PotterLog on May 2, 2024 21:25:37 GMT
But the freedom to “roam” very much was a contributing factor in making old-style terrace standing unsafe. I’ve long been a supporter of standing sections but some restriction on positions and numbers per section is essential. On the contrary the freedom made it safer it was restricting that freedom with the cages (not just fences at the front) that was an enormous factor at Hillsborough Stoke played an FA Cup replay the same season at Barnsley Because the South Yorkshire police had no understanding of football supporters they assumed we would take about 1800 as we had for a league game there We took about 8000 Because Britain's road systems are shit due to heavy traffic vast majority of that 8000 turned up late (& sober as no opportunity to go to the pub) Because South Yorkshire police had no idea what they were doing instead of opting for the sensible option of delaying KO (standard practice by other police forces in such scenarios) they went ahead as normal The lay out at Oakwell away end was essentially one lane in which soon got very crammed as the police on horseback using their riot sticks were forcing far too many people into a very small area very quickly Sound familiar? Anyway the key difference to Hillsborough was that although there was a fence at the front there were no cages, no side fences splitting the end into sections As such those Stoke fans already on the the terrace could simply move sideways as more and more came in As such no one died, crush was averted For the semi final again a large number of Liverpool fans were late and sober due to traffic issues again no delay to KO This time because of the cages and the attitude of the senior police in charge the deaths occurred The Ibrox disaster in 1971 ( I think) was different and undoubtedly the whole safety culture around football (not just South Yorkshire police) was appalling for a very long time but terracing in itself is not unsafe at all Right, but I’m not on about penning people in, I was looking at it from the point of view that it was “freedom to roam” which allowed people to choose (or be directed towards) whichever pen they wanted, and large numbers of people to build up in areas not made to house them. With restricted numbers, positions and entry points that doesn’t happen. But aside from the major disasters, it’s just not safe to have a crowd of thousands (prone to unpredictability and volatility) milling freely around on a steeply banked terrace. Think of some of the injuries sustained and close shaves on the Boothen in days gone by
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Post by PotterLog on May 2, 2024 15:57:20 GMT
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Post by PotterLog on May 2, 2024 13:53:27 GMT
Its basically standing behind a numbered seat with the part of the seat you sit on removed. The joy of standing was never the act of standing up, it was the freedom to roam which it afforded. IMHO Yep. It’s mad that the act of standing has been vilified to such an extent that people herald heavily restricted standing as a massive victory. Standing didn’t cause stadium disasters, poor stadium design and poor stewarding/policing did. But the freedom to “roam” very much was a contributing factor in making old-style terrace standing unsafe. I’ve long been a supporter of standing sections but some restriction on positions and numbers per section is essential.
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 21:48:00 GMT
A few years ago my daughter for no obvious reason asked me which was my favourite ever Stoke City game. I had no hesitation in telling her it was this game. A couple of weeks later a mug arrived for me for Father’s Day. On it was printed a replica of the Ceefax page from that evening: CEEFAX 303 Wed 01 May 2002 22:39 DIVISION TWO PLAY OFF SEMI FINAL 2ND LEG RESULT CARDIFF CITY 0-2 STOKE CITY O’Connor 90 Oulare 115 STOKE CITY WIN 3-2 ON AGGREGATE I’ve still got it and it’s still my favourite mug 🙂 Superb present. I want one
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 19:38:02 GMT
Telford winning in the playoffs of the one below the one below the conference
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 16:32:00 GMT
Oh yeah, well, clearly. I think the idea is it’s a pretty remarkable stat for any team’s squad in any year Just what is your problem, logger? Yer wha duck
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 15:40:46 GMT
View AttachmentJust seen this kit release of Brazillian club 'Botafogo' & it's produced by Reebok who are apparently making a kit comeback. This looks an absolute minter of a shirt, perfectly sized and proportioned stripes, simple but effective design, V neck collar and most importantly contains full stripes on the back. The stripes are designed and have a look of our early 80's Umbro designs. Swap the black out for the red and pop a Stoke badge and Bet365 amd you'd have a perfect Stoke shirt. Would be worth seeing the shirt predominantly red with white stripes as well, but reckon more would prefer our top to be predominantly white than red but both would look really good. See if Macron as it seems We're having can match this little masterpiece, IMO anyway 😉🤣 www.facebook.com/share/v/fBNbrDMDTktQ5ETj/ Hard disagree on that. Looks a mess. I like Botafogo though
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 15:30:01 GMT
The stat is about players from our 15/16 squad That's what I said. I doubt the stat will continue with later players. Oh yeah, well, clearly. I think the idea is it’s a pretty remarkable stat for any team’s squad in any year
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Post by PotterLog on May 1, 2024 14:38:02 GMT
I doubt if that stat can continue in years to come. I mean who in the current squad or those of the last six years had players who will play for a Champions Leegue Semifinalist? It's quite possible that some, especially a talent on loan, can go on and play in the early stages of the competition for some obscure team. Maybe Iversen will eventually play for Copenhagen and so is almost guaranteed to play CL games, but unlikely to ever get that far. The stat is about players from our 15/16 squad
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 21:03:29 GMT
We all had other shirts as kids didn't we. I liked Forest, I had the Shipstones one with the white pinstripes down it. Classic 90s shirt
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 20:26:40 GMT
Bellingham reminds me a bit of David Platt
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 18:59:28 GMT
I thought exactly the same. He really wasn’t part of it was he? New manager came in, made some changes, and then played a settled side. It doesn't nevessarily mean that somenody is not any good, just that another man or two made it into that settled team first, and the manager didn't want to upset a, mostly, winning pattern. Once it falls apart next season, Soutter could be just the man they need. He hasn't even been on the bench for them, he's clearly nowhere near the manager's plans. He'll have to hope a loan can be sorted out I think
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 18:48:34 GMT
Don't think I realised he'd been at Crewe
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 17:46:30 GMT
Any extra money coming our way now that Leicester have been promoted?? Yeah we negotiated a clause where if he helped get them relegated, then in the second division got dropped from the squad and barely played a game, we get an extra 10 million quid.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 15:17:11 GMT
Their fans must see him as an absolutely disastrous signing
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 15:09:26 GMT
I never thought he was particularly slow, certainly once he gets going. He's just got one of those running styles He's not at all slow at full pelt, I don't think that's what people mean. But if he gets caught high or on the turn he's in trouble, and that can happen a lot at a high level.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 12:38:42 GMT
I wear two pairs of socks at away games, a thin cotton pair and a slightly thicker pair over the top, not through superstition or a luck thing regarding the game. it’s because most beers these days turn my bowels into hot mud, resulting in the charge of the shite brigade in far away boozers. A thin pair are sacrificed each game if there is no bog roll, and I thank them for their service as they are binned 🫡 Why the F do you not just take some bog roll or tissues with you 😂
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 30, 2024 12:21:36 GMT
This is driven simply by fondness of the fact he used to be here. He’s totally unsuited to how Schumo wants to play.. plus the wages issue.. no point
Be interesting if he went to Celtic though, there can't have been many brothers who’ve played for opposing sides in that derby.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 21:00:00 GMT
Leicester 3.0 All over with 72' on the clock How on earth are Preston always safe in midtable or higher every season? Well run club? Weren't they around the playoff spots last year having scored about four goals all season or something
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 20:23:59 GMT
I want Arsenal to win the PL title this year
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 18:49:42 GMT
Slight diversion, if you could eat the meal with one person, ( known or unknown, famous or not) , who would it be? Badger perhaps, definitely not the most intelligent man in Stoke-on-Trent , Felonious, nor Frasier!!! Definitely Bayern because I know for a fact that he hates everything in my last meal menu. He would either have to have half or watch me eat the lot. Either way it would make his last moments hell. It's your last meal, not his
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 18:32:09 GMT
I can never get past egg on toast. Two fried eggs, over easy, seasoned with salt, pepper and chili flakes, with a generous dollop of HP sauce on the side. Possibly a bit of coarse grated parmesan to garnish. A delicious, simple meal I prepare myself at least twice a week anyway. One last chance to have it, it seems fitting somehow. I wouldn't want anything fancy. Eggs have to be one of the most depressing food stuffs going. Not saying I don’t eat them but I never think “I really enjoyed that” and I have them exactly the same as you do. It’s like having just something, anything to deter hunger I love an egg. Partly for the exact reasons you describe. They're so basic yet integral to everything.. they're almost not food, they are life itself. With all its routine mundanity, hard slog and occasional moments of pure joy. Some might find that depressing, I find it affirming.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 18:22:09 GMT
I can never get past egg on toast. Two fried eggs, over easy, seasoned with salt, pepper and chili flakes, with a generous dollop of HP sauce on the side. Possibly a bit of coarse grated parmesan to garnish.
A delicious, simple meal I prepare myself at least twice a week anyway. One last chance to have it, it seems fitting somehow. I wouldn't want anything fancy.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 16:32:53 GMT
Think you’ve listed just about all our loanees who were relatively successful except Rory Delap who wasn’t imo & who was the Chelsea defender on season loan that allegedly cost £9m for the pleasure. The loanees last season in Jan, once getting us to 51 points in March (probably assuring their "avoid relegation bonuses") went the Frith beach at Prestatyn and achieved a massive 2 more points in last 7 games. It was truly pathetic. Rory Delap wasn't successful? I seem to remember a lot of premier league teams fearing him. I assume he means as a loan player, when he only played half a game
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 13:31:46 GMT
I’d be over the moon if we never bothered signing loan players again. They are always below par. Always. Such as; Ryan Shawcross Mark Crossley Gerry Taggart Ade Akinbiyi Salif Diao Lee Hendrie Rory Delap Jermaine Pennant Victor Moses Bruno Martins Indy Any from the last decade are notably absent though eh
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 12:34:25 GMT
No one can deny we were left with a dire situation when we got relegated. We didn't have any saleable assets and were left with a bunch of bang average players on big long contracts. None of which went to play at high level after leaving us. We spent more money than any Championship team had ever spent and were the bookies’ favourites for the title
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 12:20:58 GMT
The Macron kits have been beautiful, despite us being largely awful while wearing them.
Conversely the Adidas ones when we were good in the Prem were among the worst shirts we’ve ever had. And dear god, think of those abominations LQS provided us with for our first season in the Prem. Or don’t, I try not to 🤮
I don’t see why one has to make any “associations” between kits and team performance. I’d wear this season’s shirt 100 times over rather than go anywhere near that pile of garbage we wore for the cup final.
Hoping Macron continue, they’ve been outstanding for us.
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 29, 2024 2:34:37 GMT
It doesn’t really matter does it? What do they really do? It’s not like cricket where he picks the team and does all media duties after the game. It’s just a bloke who wears an armband, sometimes a nice rainbow one😉 Xmas party organiser extraordinaire
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 28, 2024 23:51:22 GMT
Frances Benali, your boys took one hell of a beating Was on Saints radio comms yesterday, apparently very complimentary about us, saying he couldn’t understand how we were so low in the table. Always said he knew his onions
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Post by PotterLog on Apr 28, 2024 21:59:06 GMT
I had seen the post about a week ago, definitely be a good signing, I thought he looked good when we were at Rotherham. No chance now Leeds and Sheffield United have shown interest. Why would that mean no chance?
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