The Mail Bag
They Also Play In Blue
Comments (20)
Yesterday at Birmingham, for the first time in my life, I sat amongst the opposition.
In the unfortunately named Kop, row 13, seat 480 I sat between a pie munching, balding Brummie with a ponytail and a bloke who talked to his mate for ninety minutes about mortgages. Not sure which was worse, the smell of rancid meat or the waffle about house prices in Dudley.
Fortunately there was more than a smattering of people who seemed to know a bit about football. Guess what? It was just like Goodison.
Whenever we (frequently) came into their half you could almost taste the fear. When Birmingham got away they floundered on the rock that was Lescott. They were as worried as they were appreciative of their old boy AJ. They moaned at every failed pass, every inadequate tackle and thought that ref Bennett was clearly on the Goodison payroll. Until the non-handball free kick that is.
Change the accents, the beer and add a bit more humour and you could have been at a home game. Even the (non-existent) local transport was scaringly reminiscent of home games.
I have seen life from the other side and it is no different. Try it sometime and you will be surprised.
Albert Dock, Posted 13/04/2008 at 16:25:02
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Jon Woods
2 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:29:50
2 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:29:50
@ Gavin R, I saw the incident replayed several times on TV and there is no way anyone could say without doubt that he deliberately handled the ball. And the tone of your post shows what an obnoxious little lowlife you really are.
Mark Stanley
3 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:27:10
3 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:27:10
No, it wasn’t. Handball has to be intentional. Carsley’s hand never moved to the ball, it was hit at his hand from about 30cm away! So the poster is right, it should not have been given.
Dave Lynch
4 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:35:17
4 Posted 13/04/2008 at 20:35:17
30 cm ?
Are you for real. It came across his body and he did handle it.
If a Brum player had done that you would be screaming.
He looked mor like a Harlem Globetrotter than a footballer.
The wall was shite and so where we.
Get over it and stop making excuses for yet another piss poor performance.
Are you for real. It came across his body and he did handle it.
If a Brum player had done that you would be screaming.
He looked mor like a Harlem Globetrotter than a footballer.
The wall was shite and so where we.
Get over it and stop making excuses for yet another piss poor performance.
Gavin Ramejkis
5 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:19:35
5 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:19:35
Jon Woods you dare to use a phrase like lowlife to question interpretation of a statement like "the non-handball" how would you describe a 34 yr old pro who deliberately uses his arm to stop a ball? Would you say he is a new kid who has never even played the game at amateur level who should be let off? So can you explain what you mean by lowlife and how the post deemed it? Grow up, he made a professional error in a big boys game, he got caught and Everton paid the price from the resultant free kick, the one chance fortunately for Everton they managed to score and none of the at least three or four others they didn’t.
Einar Meier
6 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:26:02
6 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:26:02
Gavin, I think for some strange reason most people dislike being called "blind and stupid". And I guess it is a bit rich to use such language and then be offended when someone replies in a similar vein.
Thanks to Albert for an amusing piece, anything to cheer us up these days... I get depressed perfectly well on my own by the fact that we’re not winning, so I don’t really care to read most of the bile that is spewed into this mailbag these days. Bit of comic relief never hurts though.
Thanks to Albert for an amusing piece, anything to cheer us up these days... I get depressed perfectly well on my own by the fact that we’re not winning, so I don’t really care to read most of the bile that is spewed into this mailbag these days. Bit of comic relief never hurts though.
Steven Astley
7 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:35:41
7 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:35:41
Gavin, I think everyone realises that there was no need to refer to you as a lowlife.. or there was no relevance to.
What I think Jon Woods is getting worked up about is your original response to what was a fan merely expressing his opinion in a fairly unique and entertaining way.
In conclusion.. there was no need for you to use such harsh langauge in response.. as I actually believe the opinion on the Carsley handball incident would be around 50/50 amongst us all.
What I think Jon Woods is getting worked up about is your original response to what was a fan merely expressing his opinion in a fairly unique and entertaining way.
In conclusion.. there was no need for you to use such harsh langauge in response.. as I actually believe the opinion on the Carsley handball incident would be around 50/50 amongst us all.
Andy Morden
8 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:41:54
8 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:41:54
Heehee, being an Evertonian from the Midlands, I find this piece amusing, not least for the comment on the Birmingham fans talking about house prices in Dudley (my hometown and not somewhere you want to move to!). But I can vouch for Alberts sentiments, having ventured to Midlands team’s home ends for Everton away days on many occasions and having also experience Goodison. We ain’t that different!
Mark Stanley
9 Posted 13/04/2008 at 22:19:52
9 Posted 13/04/2008 at 22:19:52
Dave Lynch, alright then 50cm. And did i say that we played well? No. We were poor, but that doesn’t make the decision right.
Mike Robinson
10 Posted 13/04/2008 at 22:23:19
10 Posted 13/04/2008 at 22:23:19
@ anyone who thinks it wasn’t handball, Carsley had his arm away from his body as the ball came across him with not too much pace. Because he was too slow or uncoordinated to get his hand out of the way he controlled the ball unfairly & the ref had no choice but to give the free kick. We’ve had some proper bad decisions which hav cost us points before but most of us would say a point was fair this time.
Jon Woods
11 Posted 13/04/2008 at 23:10:32
11 Posted 13/04/2008 at 23:10:32
@ Gavin R - "Lowlife" is a lot nicer than the words you used, so you’re in no position to complain.
Nobody on here can say either way what Carsley’s intent was, and that was my point. It looked on replays to me to be accidental, however I can’t be 100% sure it was, but by no means can I agree with anyone who says with absolute certainty that he did mean it as only the man himself knows.
Nobody on here can say either way what Carsley’s intent was, and that was my point. It looked on replays to me to be accidental, however I can’t be 100% sure it was, but by no means can I agree with anyone who says with absolute certainty that he did mean it as only the man himself knows.
Louis Huglin
12 Posted 13/04/2008 at 23:25:40
12 Posted 13/04/2008 at 23:25:40
Back to the original point of this thread!
Albert, I go to quite a few Birmingham games, sitting with the home fans, simply because I go to Uni in Warwick and its only a tenner for a student ticket at Brum. I have grown pretty fond of the club and their tacky ways, makes me proud to be an Evertonian, supporting a club with history and pedigree (forgive me if i sound condescending!). However I sat with the Evertonians this weekend, paying 15 quid more for the privilege, and thoroughly enjoyed the second half, even though i was left very frustrated indeed. I’m looking forward to my next trip to St. Andrews in two weeks, sitting right next to the away fans for a bit of banter when Liverpool visit! Come on you blues!!!
Albert, I go to quite a few Birmingham games, sitting with the home fans, simply because I go to Uni in Warwick and its only a tenner for a student ticket at Brum. I have grown pretty fond of the club and their tacky ways, makes me proud to be an Evertonian, supporting a club with history and pedigree (forgive me if i sound condescending!). However I sat with the Evertonians this weekend, paying 15 quid more for the privilege, and thoroughly enjoyed the second half, even though i was left very frustrated indeed. I’m looking forward to my next trip to St. Andrews in two weeks, sitting right next to the away fans for a bit of banter when Liverpool visit! Come on you blues!!!
Steve Williams
13 Posted 14/04/2008 at 00:18:19
13 Posted 14/04/2008 at 00:18:19
No we weren’t poor overall - just running on empty with far too many players unfit or unavailable.
First half should have been 3 - 1 to us (Lescott, Johnson on half time and a really bad, heavy pass by Johnson to Pienaar, countered by their effort against the post).
Even second half we weren’t in too much trouble. The free kick was a free kick although there was no intention. Jags’ role was to drop off the wall back to the line - he failed miserably and hence we drew.
However let’s not slaughter anyone, let’s stick together and we might just hold fifth which would be a bloody good season.
Incidentally, Gavin, you brought the abuse on yourself - you started it!
First half should have been 3 - 1 to us (Lescott, Johnson on half time and a really bad, heavy pass by Johnson to Pienaar, countered by their effort against the post).
Even second half we weren’t in too much trouble. The free kick was a free kick although there was no intention. Jags’ role was to drop off the wall back to the line - he failed miserably and hence we drew.
However let’s not slaughter anyone, let’s stick together and we might just hold fifth which would be a bloody good season.
Incidentally, Gavin, you brought the abuse on yourself - you started it!
Brian Waring
14 Posted 14/04/2008 at 08:57:09
14 Posted 14/04/2008 at 08:57:09
That?s the problem Steve. You say "We might just hold 5th " A few month?s ago some fan?s were talking about 3rd place (unrealistic, I know ) because we weren?t to far away from Chelsea. Then it was, we are good enough for a 4th place finish, and how we were favourite?s to win the Uefa Cup. Now, the talk is holding out for 5th place. I just think a lot of fan?s got a bit carried away, and actually thought that we were better than we really was.
Leighton Cooper
15 Posted 14/04/2008 at 09:22:11
15 Posted 14/04/2008 at 09:22:11
I don't think Carsley's "handball" was intentional at all. How many times have we seen similar incidents like that happen in opposing penalty areas and no penalty given in our favour??? We certainly can't blame him for not winning on Saturday.
Steve Williams sums it up "No we weren?t poor overall - just running on empty with far too many players unfit or unavailable."
Steve Williams sums it up "No we weren?t poor overall - just running on empty with far too many players unfit or unavailable."
Seamus Murphy
16 Posted 14/04/2008 at 10:30:42
16 Posted 14/04/2008 at 10:30:42
Interesting post Albert.
By the way Gavin - You call someone blind and stupid and then get offended when you get called something back? Bit rich.
By the way Gavin - You call someone blind and stupid and then get offended when you get called something back? Bit rich.
Brian Reid
17 Posted 14/04/2008 at 11:04:06
17 Posted 14/04/2008 at 11:04:06
Handball doesn?t have to be intentional for it to be a foul. If a player accidently handles it and gains an unfair advantage then play is stopped. Are you all blind and stupid?
Albert Dock
18 Posted 14/04/2008 at 12:49:11
18 Posted 14/04/2008 at 12:49:11
I am sorry that the main thrust of my short article has been hi-jacked by the ?handball? incident.
However may I refer those who choose to make their ignorance public to law 12.
This you may find on Wikipedia if you do not know how to open a book.
Any more of this abuse and I?ll write and tell you of my journey home after the game. Then the pedants can go off thread about Thatcher, nationalisation, Dr. Beeching, electrification and diesel engines.
However may I refer those who choose to make their ignorance public to law 12.
This you may find on Wikipedia if you do not know how to open a book.
Any more of this abuse and I?ll write and tell you of my journey home after the game. Then the pedants can go off thread about Thatcher, nationalisation, Dr. Beeching, electrification and diesel engines.
Dan Mckie
19 Posted 14/04/2008 at 15:37:24
19 Posted 14/04/2008 at 15:37:24
The handball decision was correct, but that wall? I think that you are telling the free-kick taker where to put it so the keeper will have no chance (see Hargreaves against Arsenal also), if you're going to put a wall up like that then you may aswell put it on the goal line (or a foot or so in front) and see if he hits the back of the net then!
Patty Beesley
20 Posted 15/04/2008 at 15:40:45
20 Posted 15/04/2008 at 15:40:45
Are you frightened of repercussions from the Birminghamites - don?t tell me "Albert Dock" is your real name!!!!
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 13/04/2008 at 17:47:45