The worst decision in history - Part 2

As I'm sure everyone is aware, just over a week ago Freddie Sears and Crystal Palace were robbed, stolen, cheated, whatever you want to call it, out of a perfectly goal, and very possibly and vital three points in the chase for promotion.

This has been spread across back

pages and top stories of sports programmes alike, and this hasn't been helped by Neil Warnock and Simon Jordan expressing their disbelief and anger at the decision, and revealing what they really believe about the FA. When asked whether or not he will ask for a rematch, Warnock said: "No, what's the point? The FA and Football League won't listen to us. We're Crystal Palace for goodness' sake. Noone cares about us." The sad fact is, this is the truth.

He did apply for a rematch, but as he had expected, it was ushered away, the FA saying that "a referee's decision is final". No it's not, that's why you and the dubious goals panel are there.

But this huge debacle, dubbed as the worst refereeing decision in the history of football, strikes similarities to other painfully dreadful decisions.

Think back 29 years ago to 1980,

when Clive Allen's goal did exactly the same thing, and was disallowed.

And now Palace fans, are falling victim to the worst decision ever, again, are now justifiably asking whether or not we are the Most Cheated Club in Football History. Ever. Many people have given it nicknames, and by rights we should, really, be calling it Ashton Gate-Gate, but we aren't, because that just sounds silly. It's the kind of thing Charlton would do. But the point is we woz robbed. Twice. Clive Allen's goal (For those who don't know about it, view it here on YouTube), and this one (watch it here).

So who is to blame? Well, the obvious answer is Rob Shoebridge, who overnight became a house-hold name, and his two officials. The managers saw what happened. The crowd saw what happened. The players saw what happened. How is it possible that not one of the three officials saw it go in? Were they trying to play some kind of 'who is worse that Stuart Atwell' game? It's beggars belief how they missed it. You can see the reaction of the City players, heads down trudging back to the half way line, head in hands, while Palace celebrate. Does that not even make you think that there maybe, just maybe, have been a goal? If the officials really didn't see it, why not ask the two captains? That way, if right, justice is done, and if persuaded the other way, the Bristol City captain is a known liar. Simples.

This referee can't ref, granted, but is it also partly Bristol City's fault? Were they deliberatly being unsporting? While Warnock and Jordan were busy ranting about the goal, and somewhat blushing Gary Johnson said that he had been told after the game that there had been an infringement. And that to this day stands as their story, despite Keith Hackett apoligising to Warnock and CPFC.

So is it the stanchions fault? Probably partly, yes. They are not needed in football. I must admit, prior to hearing of the Clive Allen goal some 5 years ago, I had never heard of a stanchion, but now it haunts me, like the man who lives next door but you never actually see, but no he is there. People have checked the rules. There was no need for it to be there. Any other ground, there is no stanchion, but at Ashton Gate, they need that extra little advantage. It's a miscarriage of injustice waiting to happen.

So you woulf think, fine, bring in the goal-line sensor, but let’s not kid ourselves that technology can, and will, rid football of human enjoyment. As long as football matches have referees there will always be miscarriages of justice. In fact I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn't be the football I have come to love. Football is essentially drama, and refereeing blunders often provide a delicious twist to the plot. If human error was eradicated think about what we’d lose. Venerable traditions, like chanting ‘the referee’s a wanker’, would disappear. Gone forever, never to appear again, because once the tech starts, it just won't stop. Ever. And no more of those great football debates: Was Maradona a genius or a cheat? Did the ball cross the line for Geoff Hurst’s second goal in 1966? And most importantly we’d be deprived of the glorious spectacle of an aggrieved manager going mental at the ref. Football without a glorious, full-blown Neil Warnock rant would be a dull place indeed. A very dull place.

Gibbo

Another season, but what makes everyone think this one is so special?

So, yesterday we welcomed the first day (well I say first day as I refuse to say that Friday night was the start of the season. In my mind, it hasn't started until the first 3 o'clock Saturday kick-off) and we have yet another day of unrealistic optimism, as if we have something to look forward to this year that made so special compared to last year. No Ronaldo, more experienced youth, I can sort of understand it, the one for me being: less French, I want to say people, but that isn't wuite the right word.

Actually, we had another day of unrealistic optimism. Shall I tell you why? We didn't win 10-0. This season isn't going to be as easy I we had all hoped. Bollocks. Oh well, we can still Twitter our

feelings away to all those others who have to much time on their hands, and need to get lives instead of musing over whether or not they should follow Darren Bent. Well guess what. I don't care. Anyway, back to the football. As I was saying since we didn't beat the promotion favourites 7-1, for example [*COUGH* Well done Colchester at beating Naaaaarch *COUGH*]

it seems now our optimism has disappeared.

For Palace fans, Stern John, on his debut, as is the trend for new Palace strikers, injured himself, meaning it's up to Freddie Sears and Alan Lee to do well. Oh dear. I for one don't like slagging off players, and was pleased at the obvious emotion he showed when he scored yesterday. I just hope for his sake that he can keep it up, because if he can't the Holmesdale Fanatics'll be on his back and they won't get off, even if the Main Stand start singing.

What I don't get is why the over the top opimism. It's like watching Madonna get yet older and more out of tune, and yet as new year ticks over still believing that she has enough to somehow get younger and better at singer. It just won't happen. Partly because she was never really that good anyway, but mainly because it just won't. History should tell you that. It is understandable a team like Man U or Chelsea thinking they might win the Champions League, because it might happen, but for Charlton fans to still grasp the straw helping them back up to the Premier League just is stupid.

Having said that, this season may prove to be amazing. Man U might win everything, Ronaldo might be a flop at Madrid, and Beckham might complete an amazing comeback by scoring England's winning free-kick in the 2010 World Cup. But there is a key word in all that: might. And that is all it is at the moment, a might, or a maybe. So until it happens, please stop insisting without evidence that your club will win everything. Because it just won't happen. Unless you're a Man U fan in which case it's not really your club anyway.

Gibbo

And it all gets worse for the Toon.

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog on Newcastle's horrendous new kit, which in hindsight isn't as bad as some others, but does make them look like custard creams. And judging by their first performance in that kit, they feel a need to play like that as well. They lost. 6-1. To Leyton Orient. It was an average team, mixed full of seasoned pros and youth:

Tim Krul, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Alan Smith (c), Oba Martins
Subs: Danny Guthrie, Xisco, Geremi, Andy Carroll, Kazenga LuaLua, Tamas Kadar, Fraser Forster, Ben Tozer, Ryan Donaldson, Darren Lough, Wesley Ngo Baheng

All those in italics are first team players, yet Newcastle still fail to win what should be easy games. Many people who support Championship clubs thought one of the following would be seen on the back of the 'papers come May:

1. Newcastle bounce straight back up with the highest ever points total.
2. Toon do a Charlton.

Following their dire draw against Leeds this week, I have to admit that I am turning from the former to the latter. And I honestly believe that so are a lot of the so called 'Toon Army'. For me, the only reason they still go to see NUFC is in the hope that this preseason is all about giving other teams a false sense of security. I thought the same about Palace a few years back. It never fulfills the optimism that it gains.

So it is more than likely that these pre-season games are not merely blips, but an example of the struggle to come for the largely arrogant club that is Newcastle United, who once thought that anything and everything was s*** if it wasn't in the top half of the Premier League. Well, look in the mirror Toon Army, because you are now part of that 's***', and it won't be as easy as you thought.

Gibbo

Just 4 weeks...

I got my Crystal Palace season ticket, or as there more profesionally known, access cards, for the season 2009/10 this week and I can almost taste the start of the season.

Of course, for some of the other Palace fans, and fans of all clubs for that matter, the season has already begun, with them visiting America for the America tour, and going to the Boreham Wood away match. I thoroughly enjoyed the Americans bigging up Palace as "one of the greatest clubs in the world." Yup...

This has got me thinking. Some people say that the Championship is the fourth best league in the world, behind the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. If this is true, which I believe it is, as it is where you find the real fans, why is the money involved so small? Because it is so heavily overshadowed by the Premier League. FA Cup games are, financially, some of the biggest games going for the lower clubs like Cambridge Utd, or the recently promoted Burton Albion. Last year I was told that when Havant & Waterlooville played Liverpool in the 4th Round of the FA Cup a few years back they made more money than all the other clubs in their league. Put together. This is because more people wanted to see this historic event. As a result of more people watching, it also meant any half-decent players of theirs got snapped up by League 2, League 1 and maybe even Championship clubs, meaning their chances of promotion into these leagues is slimmer. It's a vicious cycle, because without this money the clubs struggle to survive.

Some of my friends, and fans of other clubs are still wondering what the season ahead has in store for them. I know many people who support clubs heavily in debt and on the brink of going into administration, myself being one of them should the rumours going around the CPFC BBS and Holmesdale.net fans forums be true. I also know of many players playing for lower clubs, and I really hope they are still paid and fully employed when the final ball is kicked in May.

My first home Championship game of the season will be at Selhurst Park to watch Palace take on Plymouth. It will be very interesting to see what the fans and pundits make of both Palace's and Plymouth's prospects, Plymouth a team who normally struggle for survival, Palace a team who should be challenging for promotion, but last year finished in roughly the same place.

I enjoy taking part in friendly bets with mates over who will go up, and I said first and foremost Reading will go straight back up, as did all my friends taking part. We were all wrong, but only just. After spending a season in and out of the automatic promotion spots, Reading ended up making it no further than the Play-Off semis, and I thought this was Palace's year, with NW at the helm, but after a good start to the season, we slipped away, so do we stand more chance this season of going up than Middlesbrough, Newcastle and West Brom, the teams who have just been relegated from the Premier League?

I started and finished the last Championship

season at the Selhurst Park; an opening day win over Swansea and the last day draw by a desperate Sheff Utd team. In August, the Eagles walked through the tunnel to the sound of "Glad All Over" looking bold and confident; in May they were tired and wanting the season to end with a run of just by a run of just one win in their last 10 games.

That they survived was down to their brilliant start to the season, and some lucky wins against Swansea and Doncaster.

The next game after Palace play Plymouth, I am going to watch Palace at home to Newcastle; and for the first midweek game I am off to Loftus Road to watch QPR v Palace.

I have never been to Loftus Road before, and am looking forward to the occasion, as it is as close as Palace will get to a rivals match this year following the recent relegations of Charlton, Millwall and Brightom.

So, as the new season fast approaches, I'm off to the CPFC Eagles - Nike club shop, or superstore as it's been rebranded, to buy the new shirt so I'm ready for the new season!

Gibbo

A new generation of football clubs

First Chelsea. Then QPR. Then Man City. Now Real Madrid have a ridiculous amount of money to spend, and are doing so without thinking twice. Back in 2003, when Roman Ambramovich bought Chelsea, high transfer fees were thought of at around £10m. Now however, due to the amazing influx of money injected into football, it seems almost anything is possible, proved by Real Madrid when they broke the world transfer record TWICE in the same week. They paid around £69m for Kaka, before paying £80,000,000 for Cristiano Ronaldo.
This huge spending begs the question: what about the other clubs?

Clubs such as Fulham have never been renowned for huge spending, and more of a family club, and yet they did far better than Man City last year, and are in a different league to QPR. Quite literally.

Is this a sign that money and wealth isn't imperative to do well? I don't think it is. It is only a matter of time before all the clubs without super rich owners start to struggle. In a way it already has, following last years 'mini league battle' towards the end of the 08/09 Premier League season.

Two things could be done about this.

There has been much talk of the best teams in each country going of and forming a completely different 'Super League'. At the end of each season, the worst two clubs from each country of the Super League and the top two of the remaining clubs that played in the highest national league that season play in a mini competition over three days, like the Wembley Cup, and the winner and runner-up play in the Super League the next season. Still with me? The old teams then return and play in their countries for a year, and if at the top of their country, will get their chance to play in the Super League again.

For example, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool would go from England. At the end of the season, assuming Arsenal and Chelsea do worst out of the 4, would return to England to play in the Super League England Cup against the top 2 clubs from that years Premier League. The runner up and winner of this plays in the Super League the following year. The losers play in the Premier League. Simples.

But this is, I think the best bit. Clubs in the Super League, CANNOT sign players on loan or permanently from clubs not inside the Super League. But clubs outside the Super League can sign players from clubs in the Super League. Good isn't it?

The other option is a budget cap, like the one proposed in F1. But that's a bit boring isn't it?

Gibbo

England get to a final. On penalties.

For those of you who were unaware, tonight is the final of the UEFA U21 European Championships 2009. The two participants: Germany U21 and England U21. It couldn't be better. Well, it could, it could be at Wembley, and England could be wearing red, but because Germany want to be childish, we wear white, despite being the designated away side. But for England to get to a final in something is a moment to remember. Last time, back in 2007, England crashed out of the tournament on penalties (suprise, suprise) to Holland, and it appeared that our fate would be similar when it went to penalties against Sweden on Friday.

However, this is where the pessimism stops. Stuart Pearce did not want the heartache of another penalty failure in a competition. So he did something about it.

Over the past two years, Stuart Pearce has been going over hundreds of videos and pictures, and drew up an incredibly detailed list of penalty takers, and who could do it best. What's more, they didn't have a choice. Pearce put his foot down and forced his players to take a spot kick if he felt they were capable of doing a job.

Now those of you who play football on a weekly basis, like myself, will know that when you are put on the spot, not entirely confident in your ability, and forced to take a penalty, and if you miss you lose, his scary as seeing Michael Jackson in your child's bedroom.

But clearly it works. And it can't have been a fluke by the strikers, because the 'keeper, Joe Hart, scored as well. But is forcing your players to do things like this really the way of winning?

Maybe they will now feel that they can trust their boss, and be sure that whatever he tells them to do will be the right thing. Or maybe they will not perform unless forced to by their gaffer.

And that is the problem managers face. Force their players to do things they really don't want to do, or let them play the way they want to, but risk slipping into relax mode.

I'm glad I'm not a manager having to make that decision.

Whatever Stuart Pearce decides to do in the final today, good luck to him, because if it works, he could be a hero, and I agree with what Sven said earlier in the week about Pearce being a future senior manager, because he certainly has the ruthlessness needed.

Good luck to England U21 today. I don't care how it's done, but let's put another won over on them Germans, eh?

Gibbo

It can't get much worse for the Toon army, can it?

It is fair to say that there was a long period of time during which Newcastle United fans still tried to believe that it was just a bad dream, and that the Toon army were still in the Premier League. Having come to terms with this, there is now a new headline in Toontown.
Just when the Geordies thought life couldn't get any worse, along came the unveiling of Newcastle's new yellow strip, which prompted more scoffing than Shefki Kuqi at a pie convention.

It really couldn't have gone worse. While the official Newcastle United club website preferred to describe the strip as a "stylish new change kit", not too many fans shared the view, with one fan even likening it to "a side-on view of a custard cream".

And it seems that the press are having a field day coming up with puns on the new kit, while Matt Jensen, editor of The Mag, said to the Daily Telegraph, which is often all over Newcastle news: "My take on kits is as long as they're not red and white, I'm not really that bothered. There's certainly no chance of getting lost in the snow when we play Barnsley in December."

Joe on the Tyne Talk messageboard commented: "I think I just threw up a bit. But while the photoshop whizzkids had a reason to par-tay, producing these (right), and The Sun quickly got to work on an an update of their worst kits of all time feature, it seemed the players were quite happy with the 'deck chair from Blackpool'. A statement from Adidas, who designed and made the kits, read: "The feedback from both the players and the club has been extremely positive - vibrant colours are very popular at the moment." And the kit also had the backing of Ryan Jenkins, a (you guessed it) Sunderland fan. He said: "It's really appalling - I love it. It looks like Norwich and Blackpool got into a fight and this was the leftovers. Newcastle will have to call themselves the Toongerines."
In the words of Coldplay's Chris Martin: "Oh what a thing to do - and it was all yellow."


But Geordie fans weren't the only ones getting shirty over their new outfit. Man Utd supporters were demanding a rethink over their latest jersey, a month before it is due to hit the shelves, but by the sound of it it'll be staying there.

The well known red shirt is emblazoned with a black 'V', apparently to mark the centenary of Old Trafford, although fans complained it looked like Nike had just turned on Sky Sports and thought: "We'll have that one."was more suited to rugby league. On the bright side, at least Paul Scholes will be allowed six tackles next season.

Fans on United board Talking Reds were struggling to find any positives. Under the topic heading 'Who let a drunk person design the kit?', Gavinio said it be the new design that was the real reason Ronaldo left (and with Real Madrid reportedly inserting a £1bn transfer clause into his contract, he's unlikely to be back in a hurry - chevron or no chevron). Man City fans, however, are as competitive as ever, one fan saying "The new 'V' on their kit is like an arrow pointing down, which is where they're going" Shame Man U will always be top dog up their though isn't it?

But while the two Uniteds got in a bother about their new strips, they're lucky they've got one, as for poor old Stockport County may not have a kit for the coming season due to an ongoing debt problem. Never mind, chaps, if the protests in Manchester and Newcastle grow any louder, you may have a couple to choose from come August.

I found this childish whining almost as funny as the 'Liverpool sign Bent' joke doing the rounds (above) and Tweet by Gavin and Stacey star Matthew Horne: "Earlier today I saw a Newcastle season-ticket nailed to a tree. I thought 'I'm having that!' 'cos you can never have enough nails, can you?"

Mind you, I remember discussing this very topic about Palace's new kits only two months ago. Oh how fickle we football fans are!


Gibbo

Light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel...

Nathaniel Clyne. He is arguably the greatest prospect in English football today. The composure he shows on the ball, and the lack of nerves that he shows when he steps out on to that pitch, be it the much treaded turf of St. James' Park, or the much less hallowed turf of Scunthorpe United show that he is most certainly one for the future. One thing is for sure though: when he pulls on the red and blue striped shirt, and kisses the badge just before stepping onto that pitch, he does it with pride, and a sense of duty.

Compare him with a certain John Bostock. 19 months ago, a nervous, anxious, 15 year old boy, was greeted with roars of applause and appreciation as he stepped onto the Selhurst Park pitch, to play out the remaining 1/3 of the game against Watford. On that day, Bostock did nothing out of the ordinary, but his age made the occasion extra special, and a moment to remember. People had thought prior to the game, that this day was a day to remember, that you could tell the grandchildren all those years later where you had been when Palace legend John Bostock first made his way onto that pitch.

How wrong we were.

19 months on, and Nathaniel Clyne has matured, despite still being the seemingly youthful age of 17, and now has his place secured in the starting XI to the point where the previous right-back is being put up for sale. Meanwhile, a money-thirsty John Bostock waits in the stands, listening to his top of the range iPod Touch, which probably has the entirety of iTunes on it, simply because he has more money than sense.

This is a great shame, because there is no hiding of the fact that John Bostock is an extremely talented footballer, but yet this is what football has become. It is a rarety that a player such as Clyne will come through the youth system not for money, or fame, but for the love of the beautiful game, almost with the same attitude as Gary Neville, and there is no chance that he won't emulate the England and Manchester United right-back's success.

Yet in todays game, players like Clyne are not making the headlines, but players like Bostock, because nowadays you read less and less in the 'papers about brilliant performances, and more and more about high transfer fees, and high wages, and this is highlighted in a week where Spanish giants Real Madrid seem certain to spend £180m on just three players. These players have not joined Madrid because of their love for the club, but for the fame and fortune that it will bring them. There are plenty of bright prospects in the lower leagues of football, but because of what the game has become, these players are now ignored, as money takes control.

We'll see how the likes of Bostock, Ronaldo, Kaka and Villa do at their clubs next year, but I highly doubt there will be as much promise there as there would be if clubs invested in signings for the future. And this is where Simon Jordan got it right at Palace. Because of his philosophy and putting everything into the youth system, the Bostock blow wasn't as big as it would be at another club.

But at least, next year, for those of us living in a world where clubs push the boat out on £1m signings rather than £100m signings, we can look forward to football lovers like Nathaniel Clyne, and Fabien Delph.



Gibbo