I have done my fair share over the years and as I look back at what they were about I admit a lot were juvenile and puerile, not worth the effort in the first place. The main ones being about sport, well football (soccer to our American friends), music, fave groups, bands, songs, and politics. You can throw in religion, food, holiday/vacation places, even the weather forecast and you go from the sublime to the ridiculous. I’ve also realised that most of my arguments were un-winnable in the first place.

Take football (soccer), I could reel off statistics to show that my teams, usually Hull City and Manchester United, were the best, no matter what, even after they lost, which in the case of Hull City at one time was an awful lot of times. But I could go back years with results and other facts and seemingly win an augment, but all I actually did was alienate the people I argued with, who at that point had been a friend, but was not the same friend afterwards.

Politics were even more divisive, and futile, even politicians couldn’t agree with each other never mind the public. Religion I left alone, I am neither for or against, it’s each to his own and I don’t know enough about each different one to argue. Holidays/vacations, how on earth do you argue about where you chose to go away, but I did when someone said where I had decided to go one year was rubbish, even though they had never been, but had heard it was, cue argument.

And so arguments are off the menu, it doesn’t matter what the subject is it will be a case of nod the head and say yeh. My points of view will have those who agree and disagree, and I can’t honestly say that my arguments have swayed anyone to my way of thinking at the end of the day, and I’m not going to argue about that.

A correct result is worth one point, a correct score two (unlike the BBC where it is worth three!).

The FA Cup

Friday 27th January

Watford 0 – 2 Tottenham 19:45
Everton 2-0 Fulham 20:00

Saturday 28th January

QPR 2 – 2 Chelsea 12:00
Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester United 12:45
Blackpool 2- 1 Sheffield Wednesday 15:00
Bolton 0 -2 Swansea 15:00
Derby County 1 – 3 Stoke City 15:00
Hull City 2- 0 Crawley Town 15:00
Leicester City 3 – 0 Swindon Town 15:00
Millwall 1 – 0 Southampton 15:00
Sheffield Utd 1-1 Birmingham 15:00
Stevenage 2-1 Notts County 15:00
West Brom 1- 2 Norwich 15:00
Brighton 1 -1 Newcastle 17:15

Sunday 29th January

Sunderland 3 – 0 Middlesbrough 13:30
Arsenal 2 – 1 Aston Villa 16:00

Friday January 27th

Watford vs Tottenham Hotspur, 19:45 GMT (ESPN)

Everton vs Fulham 20:00 GMT

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea 12:00 GMT

Liverpool vs Man Utd, 12:45 GMT (ITV 1)

Blackpool vs Sheffield Wed, 15:00 GMT

Bolton Wanderers vs Swansea City, 15:00 GMT

Derby County vs Stoke City, 15:00 GMT

Hull City  vs Crawley Town, 15:00 GMT

Leicester City vs Swindon Town 15:00 GMT

Millwall vs Southampton 15:00 GMT

Sheffield Utd vs Birmingham City, 15:00 GMT

Stevenage Borough vs Notts County, 15:00 GMT

West Bromich Albion vs Norwich City, 15:00 GMT

Brighton vs Newcastle Utd, 17:15 GMT (ESPN)

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Sunderland  vs Middlesbrough, 13:30 GMT (ITV 1)

Arsenal vs Aston Villa, 16:00 GMT (ESPN)

Some plum ties ahead for 4^th  Round weekend, and a guarantee that plenty of Premier League teams will exit the competition as the draw threw up, no fewer than, six all Premier League clashes.

In, undoubtedly, the tie of the round, Liverpool play host to, bitter rivals, Manchester United in what promises to be an explosive encounter. This is the first time that the teams have met since the Evra/Suarez incident earlier in the season and tensions will be running high. United will be without Nani, with Ferguson to make a decision on Evra’s involvement, and Liverpool will be without Suarez and Lucas. Liverpool have had the edge over United in recent years, especially at home, and the 1-1 draw at Anfield earlier this season flattered Ferguson’s men. Bearing that in mind, I would expect Kenny Dalglish’s Reds to edge this tie and be in the hat for the 5^th Round. Everton take on Fulham in another all Premier League clash. There’s no love lost between these two teams, and Everton old boy Andy Johnson, could line up against his former club. The Toffees’ home form has been patchy this term, to say the least, however, Fulham’s away form is dreadful; David Moyes will be hoping that his side can sneak this one at home, because if it goes to a replay, you’d have to fancy Fulham. Norwich travel to West Brom. for the second time in three weeks. Paul Lambert’s Canaries won their last match at the Hawthorns, against an Albion side that cannot win at home under Roy Hodgson, and I would expect them to be too strong on this occasion too.

Q.P.R., under new boss Mark Hughes, face a home clash with, West London rivals, Chelsea, a team that they beat earlier in the season. Chelsea’s form has been indifferent in recent months, a fact that has seen them slip out of the Premier League title race. Rangers have seen their fortunes lift since Hughes took over and could certainly cause the Blues some problems.  The match will also see Anton Ferdinand and John Terry face-off for the first time since the England Captain was caught on camera, allegedly, hurling racist abuse at the Rangers defender, so emotions are bound to run high. This is a tricky one to call, but with Chelsea missing Drogba, Kalou and probably Lampard, amongst others, Rangers might just cause a mini-upset on Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s early kick-off is a massive local derby between Sunderland and Middlesborough. Sunderland Captain, Lee Cattermole, will line up against his home town club, his team in the midst of a great run of results since Martin O’Neill was handed control, and they’ll be looking to continue that by knocking Boro out of the cup. Middlesborough are flying high in the Championship at the moment and have a decent away record this season, with 7 wins from 13 games. I would expect the Black Cats, with home advantage, to come out on top this Sunday, and keep their excellent run going.

Arsenal face Aston Villa at the Emirates in Sunday’s late kick-off in another all Premier League tie. The two teams met just before Christmas, with Arsenal eking out a 2-1 victory, much to the disappointment of the travelling Villains. However, the Gunners have lost three league games in a row, so their form is not tip-top coming into this game; Villa are unpredictable, having produced a number of good away performances this season. This could be a tale of two Premier League prodigal sons, with both Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane likely to feature for their respective clubs on Sunday, it’ll be interesting to see which one of them will have the last laugh. For my money Arsenal will be in the draw come Sunday evening, but it’s no sure thing. Bolton and Swansea make up the last all Premier League 4^th Round fixture. Bolton, despite last week’s shock victory over Liverpool, have the worst home record in the top division, winning just twice at the Reebok so far this season. Their opponents Swansea have the worst away record  in the top division, with just one victory on their travels so far. League form is immaterial when it comes to the cup, and something has to give on Saturday. If Swansea can get their passing game going then they should be too good for Bolton, however if Wanderers can get put pressure on the Swans early and get a goal, it’ll be a different story. I fancy Swansea to take it, but it could go either way.

Elsewhere, Sheffield United host Birmingham City on Saturday, United are flying high in League 1 and have a fantastic home record this season, losing just twice so far. City are climbing the Championship table but have a terrible away record, winning just three times on the road, so a potential upset is on the cards. Blackpool face Sheffield Wednesday, with the Seasiders in good form, especially at home. Wednesday are in great form too and their away record is impressive, to say the least. Another potential upset in store here, but I have a funny feeling that this one will end up all square have to go to a replay. Newcastle face a tricky away tie at Championship side Brighton, Alan Pardew’s Magpies should have enough to see off Gus Poyet’s team though. Likewise, Stoke’s trip to Derby is not an easy tie, the Rams have an excellent home record this season and will be no pushovers. Tony Pulis’ men, however, have had a great season so far and their away record is surprisingly good; I would expect them, to emerge victorious. Hull shouldn’t have too many problems seeing off League 2 side Crawley Town. Although Crawley have had a good season so far, so have the Championship side, and Hull’s home form is solid.

The action all kicks-off on Friday night as Harry Redknapp, fresh from a week in court, takes his Spurs side across London to Watford. Watford are not enjoying a good season and currently sit 18th in the Championship, Spurs, on the other hand are 3rd in the Premier League and have an excellent away record this season. I don’t envisage an upset. In an all Championship clash, Millwall take on Southampton at the New Den. This is an intriguing tie as Southampton are suffering a bit of a wobble in terms of form at the moment, and their away form has been abysmal in the league, with just 4 wins from 13. Millwall aren’t having the best of seasons but their home form is decent, having lost just 4 from 14. I see this one being a draw, Saints to take the replay and go through. Stevenage and Notts. County go head to head in an all League 1 match on Saturday, Stevenage are the better side this season, and, with home advantage, I’d fancy them to be in the draw on Sunday. Finally, Swindon Town, the lowest placed side still in the competiton, face an away trip to, Championship side, Leicester City on Saturday. Leicester sit 13^th in the Championship and have had an indifferent season so far, Swindon are having a decent time of it and currently sit 4^th in League 2. This is a hard one to judge but I would not be surprised to see, Paolo di Canio’s, Swindon Town in the hat for the 5^th round when the dust settles.

When you think of football tough guys, you immediately think of the old guys. Men like Ron “Chopper” Harris, Neil “Razor” Ruddock or Vinnie Jones were feared on the pitch. These weren’t baby faced assassins, these were tough brawlers who would take you down on the pitch and wouldn’t even think twice about waiting for you in the car park after a match. They defined the term “hard cunt”. However, there was one player who was the hardest of them all. The player we’re speaking on today was defined by that term and then some. Jones and Ruddock both have stated in their careers that this man was the hardest they have ever played against. Alan Hansen has said that he was frightened of this man. That man is Billy Whitehurst.

“ I went off at half time and the doctor’s ripped all the stitches up and stapled me up, literally put staples in and to be fair they were a lot better than stitches. So he’s stapled me out and I’ve gone out for the second half. I had a hole in my cheek so you could see the whole way through my mouth. ”

Billy Whitehurst was playing professional football while also laying bricks at the same time. At that moment, he had been playing for Mexborough Town before Hull City scooped him up for the bargain price of £2000 in 1980. In his career he would go on to play for more than 10 clubs, but Hull City embraced this giant (he played from ’80-’85 and again in ’88-’90), and he would go on to score 52 goals in 223 appearances for the Tigers. Feared by teammates, opposing players, and managers alike, Whitehurst was indeed a true tough guy of the game. Whitehurst bounced around from Newcastle, Reading, Sunderland, Oxford, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Doncaster, and Crewe Alexandra before going abroad and playing. Whether he was pranking his teammates, crushing opponents with goals or elbows, or playing with actual proper staples in his head and a hole in his cheek, Whitehurst claimed he always gave “120%”. He would eventually retire after a knee injury, settle in as a pub owner (among other jobs), and go back to civilian life. I’m sure when his retirement was announced, the people he played against him and feared him all breathed a collective sigh of relief in knowing they weren’t going to be smashed to bits on the pitch. A true football tough guy of the modern football era.

To Hull City and Back

Hull City vs. Port Vale 1983, Top of Division Table 4 Clash

Hull City vs. Liverpool 1989 FA Cup Pt. 1

Hull City vs. Liverpool 1989 FA Cup Pt. 2

(aet)

So after the doom and gloom of the last few weeks, Reading picked up a vital win at Watford to keep themselves in fifth place. This week sees sixth placed Hull visit the Madejski and ahead of the game Les Motherby from Amber Nectar shared his thoughts with us.

How would you sum up your season so far?

We’ve gone through a messy divorce with a former manager, promoted from within and completely changed the way we play, but throughout we’ve challenged for a play off spot. So far in 2012 we’ve rebuffed offers for our better players, made a rare FA Cup advance and got back to winning ways after a string of defeats. We’re rather happy right now.

You beat Reading 1-0 earlier on this season, do you think much has changed about the team since then?

Back then we could only win games 1-0, Nigel Pearson’s emphasis was on being hard to beat. In contrast Nick Barmby’s Tigers are more expansive and attempt to play football in a free flowing manner. Our forwards haven’t been prolific, with most goals coming from midfield, but one goal isn’t the apex of our ambition any more.

Who are you tipping to go up and to go down?

Southampton look promoted already, and West Ham are likely to take an automatic spot as well, leaving the rest to scramble for a play off spot. Of the 4 sides in the play off zone now (Reading and the Tigers included) Middlesbrough have looked the most clinical, but there’s a lot of football to be played so I’ll not coronate them yet. I can’t see Coventry and Doncaster escaping the drop zone but Forest surely have the talent to survive? Ipswich tumbling down to League 1 would amuse.

What are your best memories of Reading v Hull?

We’ve not played each other that often in recent years. I really enjoyed the two draws last year when we were a team completely rebuilding after relegation. You were the most complete side we faced in that campaign and a good test of a team in transition, they were entertaining and evenly fought games.

And the worst?

You gave us a proper lesson in 2005/06, it was our first year in the Championship and you ran away with the division. I could accept a 3-1 defeat, but I stained my white trainers with curry from a Madejski Stadium balti pie, that was quite traumatic.

Who should Reading fans look out for on Saturday?

Opponents really should have seen enough of Robert Koren lashing long range shots into the net on the Football League Show to consider keeping someone tightly marking him at all times, but they don’t, and the highlight reel of spectacular strikes by the Slovenian grows longer.

Anyone you’re worried about from Reading?

Jimmy Kebe has rightfully been attracting interest from clubs who think they’re more significant than they are (read that as ‘Leicester’, who think Hull City should do whatever they want them to do, such as surrender managers and players on the cheap, well stuff that.) I hope you can keep onto him.

Score Prediction?

I’m going for another 1-1.

In the meantime hopefully the Tigers can get a result at fellow play-off contenders Reading. Hesitate to say it but we might just have an outside chance of going back up to the Premiership…

Gabon are a team whom luck does not favour, history could’ve been different for them if tragedies hadn’t caused havoc with previous fixtures causing them to be rearranged to more hectic schedules. The current squad have a sense of “almost there” about them, talented individuals who could prove to be a force if they gel together into a solid unit. Additional statistical favour is available for them in the fact that in seven of the last eight AFCON’s a host nation has made it to the semi finals, could it be Gabon this year?
Helping them along the way will be these two skilled individuals;

Didier Ovono: In what has proved to be quite the typical position to feature a star player, this goalkeeper has over 50 caps for his country and has won a top division title in the Georgian League with Dinamo Tbilisi. Keeping 18 clean sheets for Le Mans last season will also provide a confidence boost.

Daniel Cousin: Lightning fast and a keen eye for goal are the main strengths of this former Rangers and Hull City striker. Five goals in 34 games for the English club and thirteen goals in 40 games for Rangers do not compare to his impressive haul of twenty eight goals in 37 appearances in his national shirt.

My prediction: As host nation they will have the crowd behind them but that may prove too much pressure for this side, if they perform well against the other two big teams in this group then they have a chance.

Tunisia are the only one of the previous nine winners of the Africa Cup of Nations to qualify this time around but they almost didn’t make it, securing their spot with a victory on the last day of qualification. Seven coaching changes since 2008 also doesn’t make for pleasant reading if you are a fan of Tunisia but one advantage they always have is just how organised and disciplined their team performs when they have to.
Key men for Tunisia will be:

Karim Haggui: A member of the 2004 Cup of Nations winning squad this massive centre half commands respect wherever he goes. At club level he has played 50 games in France and now over 160 games in Germany, and at current club Hannover 96 has chipped in with 2 goals this season.

Issam Jemaa: Occasionally played as a winger at club level for Auxerre, it is at international level this 27 year old striker is more consistent. Twenty six goals in 57 matches for Tunisia make him a danger in and around the box, expect the opposition teams to keep him locked down at any opportunity.

My prediction: If they remain well organised and connect well as a team then progression from this group will be straight forward, beyond that they definitely have the ability to cause problems.

Morocco conceded only two goals in qualifying for this tournament and unleashed some solid hammerings on others, like 4-0 over biggest rivals Algeria. A very free flowing and attacking team they will look to force there superiority onto others while remaining solid at the back. The men they can rely on to provide key moments for them are:

Marouane Chamakh: Arsenal fans may tell you something different but Chamakh leads the Moroccan front line with a physical approach, this allows the technical midfielder space to create chances or take them for themselves. Also not forgetting that before making his move to London he scored 70 goals for Bordeaux in France.

Adel Taarabt: Nobody else was going to be the other key to this team, on his day he is one of the most technically gifted players in the Premier League but his concentration and temperament sometimes get in the way. Twenty seven goals and thirty five assists in 111 games for Queens Park Rangers makes him a man to watch throughout this competition

My prediction: Definitely going to be a force in this competition, would not be surprised to see them top this group and push for at least a semi final place, an outside chance of taking the trophy home.

Niger basically qualified for this tournament by accident, ending their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 defeat to an Egypt team made up of mostly youngsters, but South Africa mistakenly played for a draw thinking it would send them through only to finish lower due to head to heads rule. I’m not expecting much from this team but if these men play well you never know:

Moussa Maazou: The poster boy of Nigerien football, Moussa has scored twenty seven goals in 94 games across countries such as Belgium, France and Russia. Strong and pacy he will no doubt find himself the focal point of most if not all of his countries attacking movement.

Kassaly Daouda: A goalkeeper (again) with over 50 caps for his country he will have his work cut out for him, has played club football in Romania and Cameroon and for his sake I hope he’s ready for what he may be about to face.

My prediction: Bottom of the group and with a negative goal difference is the only way I can see this turning out, literally no hope in a group packed with talent, if you like underdogs then this is your team.

By Mark McInnes
Follow on twitter @itspartymarky

The number of Neets in Hull is about 1,200, which is 50 per cent higher than the national average.

Matt Hare, who runs the qualification for the trust, said: “It is massively important to us to get youngsters learning and into education.

“We want to help reduce the number of teenagers not in education, employment or training and this club is a well known name in the community.”

The teenagers accepted on to the course will work for 18 hours a week, for 13 weeks.

After that, there is the chance to go on to an NVQ level two apprenticeship and, following that, an NVQ level three apprenticeship.

Those who progress could train at the KC Stadium for two years at the same time as earning money.

Mr Hare said: “The football club is massive in the city and if we can use sport and football to motivate teenagers into learning then that is great.

“After the initial 13-week course, there is a chance to go on to apprenticeships with us and that way the youngsters can earn while they learn.

“On the level two apprenticeship we get the learners out and about into schools, delivering football training.

“We also do a customer service apprenticeship, so it is not just sport, and on that there is the chance to work at the Gemtec Arena.

“To us, education is massive and this scheme has been a real success for our students.”

Marcus Farley, 19, has just finished the pre-apprentice course with the Tigers Education Trust.

He is urging other teenagers eligible to apply.

Through the scheme, he has won a place to coach football in Africa for three months.

He is also doing an apprenticeship in public services.

He said: “It is a life-changing opportunity. I am always busy and the tutors give you the support and help you need, not just in the apprentice- ship, but in getting maths and English as well.

“I am looking forward to going to Africa.”

Visit www.tigerstrust.co.uk for more information. To apply, e-mail office@tigerstrust.co.uk or call 01482 304758.     (Article taken from the Hull Daily Mail)

More Info on the jobs

McShane scores the winner for the Albion

by Tom Stewart

Former Brighton & Hove Albion player, Paul McShane has joined rivals Crystal Palace on loan, and is likely to play against his former club at the end of this month.

McShane, who played for Brighton in what became a disastrous 2005-06 campaign, went down in Albion folklore by scoring a 79th minute winner in a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park.

THe Irishman, capped 26 times by his country, was Albion fans’ player of the year that season whilst on loan from Manchester United.

Since then his career has stuttered somewhat. The following season he joined West Bromwich Albion and performed well in a side that almost won promotion to the Premier League. This earned him a £1.5m move to Roy Keane’s Sunderland.

‘The Ginger Prince’ played just 26 games for the North-East side and was loaned out to Hull City, before making a permanent move to Humberside. He was loaned out to Barnsley last season and now Crystal Palace. McShane has played just 47 games for Hull since 2009.

As a Brighton fan, nothing comes close to beating Palace. A rivalry that seems to confuse those who don’t partake in it is as intense as any other in the football league. In my Albion supporting lifetime we have constantly lived in the shadows of our rivals from up the road.

Financial difficulties and homelessness have meant that we have spent much of our time in the bottom two divisions, and our three seasons in the second tier was a case of us punching significantly above our weight.

Palace on the other hand have spent that time in the top two leagues, with frequent jaunts to the promised land of the Premiership.

My first taste of this rivalry came in the 2002-03 season where an Albion side who had enjoyed two straight promotions were now hopelessly out of their depth, and had a new manager in the shape of Palace legend Steve Coppell.

We travelled to Selhurst Park full of hope, despite being stranded at the foot of the table following 11 straight defeats, but were brought straight back down to earth with a 5-0 thumping. Later in the season, when Coppell had began to work his magic and eventually almost clawed us out of relegation, Palace visited the Withdean Stadium. A Bobby Zamora-less Albion could not find the net, despite misfiring striker Graham Barrett almost writing his name into Albion folklore with a delightful chip which unfortunately hit the post. The match ended 0-0.

Relegation that season meant we had to wait for revenge. We were promoted the next season via the play-offs but the very next day Palace did exactly the same. An improbable relegation escape despite operating on a budget not much better than a sunday league outfit (i’m pretty sure a non-league team actually outbid us for a player that season), and relegation for Palace meant we were to play them again.

That brings us to that night. Brighton had not won for 7 matches, and in fact had won just one game all season, so things didn’t look great. However, Mark McGhee’s collection of youth teamers, loanees and free transfers pulled off the unthinkable. Enigmatic Frenchman, Sebastien Carole floated in a corner, McShane lept with Palace defender Emmerson Boyce and somehow the ball floated into the top corner (many claim the ball was actually a Boyce own goal).

A spectacular save from keeper Wayne Henderson, and a disallowed goal in the closing stages gave Brighton a 1-0 win.

Palace have since got their revenge, a 3-2 win later that season with a last minute Jobi McAnuff goal saw to that. As did Brighton’s relegation later that year.

It took until this season for the teams to meet again. Albion were unbeaten in the league at their brand new American Express Stadium and the team were flying high at the top of the table. When record signing Craig Mackail-Smith put Brighton ahead early on many were expecting a rout for the Seagulls. However the game slowly but surely saw a swing towards Palace. They were dominating in midfield with the impressive youngsters Zaha and Williams starting to outshine the likes of Dicker and Harley in the midfield battle.

And sure enough, 3 goals in the last 10 minutes, including one from controversial former Albion striker Glenn Murray gave Palace a 3-1 win. Not only had they shot down a confident Albion, they were the first away team to win at the Amex in the league.

Albion go into the game later this month with a slightly different mindset. A dip in form in December was ended with a 3-0 win over league leaders Southampton, with 17-year old Jake Forster-Caskey excelling. If Albion can add to their squad within the next month then they have a real chance  of getting revenge over their bitter rivals.

City agreed a £2M fee with Doncaster Rovers yesterday opening the way to signing their leading goalscorer Billy Sharp.
But Sharp, who scored both goals in Doncaster 2-1 win over City earlier this season, is also thought to be attracting the interest of Premier League Fulham.
Some Doncaster shareholders are trying to piece together a financial package to keep their prize asset at the Keepmoat Stadium,  but it seems unlikely they would be able to get close to the deal City are offering which has been quoted as something in the region of £5M.
Talks are ongoing with Sharp’s agents.

Another City target, Reading’s Jimmy Kebe, is also being pursued by Wesy Ham who have already had a bid rejected by the Royals. The Mali international’s contract runs out in the summer so it is unlikely that Reading will hold out for long.

City’s £1.5M bid for Hull winger Cameron Stewart has been batted firmly away with Head of Football Operations Adam Pearson, saying: “City were wasting their time in trying to sign Stewart. He is not for sale, end of story. We don’t want to sell Cameron and the player doesn’t want to go, so Leicester are wasting their time.”

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We have a special one-off New Years’ offer… subscribe to The Fox fanzine for the 2011-12 season and you will recieve The FOX Summer Special 2011, a free set of four Leicester City postcards, issue 176 with the Andy Lochhead interview, issue 177 with the Andy King interview and issue 178 with the Nigel Pearson interview by return of post.…
And also for a limited time you will recieve all six issues from the 2010-11 season completely free…

Either pay via paypal using the blue button on the right, or send a cheque for £14.50 to:
The FOX, PO Box No 2, Cosby, Leicester, LE9 1zz.

Alas, Hinds was only at Sincil Bank on a non-contract basis and the Imps reluctantly cancelled the players registration today ahead of an anticipated move to a league club.  STMI would like to  wish Richard well and thank him for 10 terrific  performances and a much needed equaliser against Luton Town.

A committed player, Hinds notched up 4 yellows in nine Conference games, as he became the bedrock of the Imps back four that even claimed two cleansheets.

The last time I updated the blog was with an entry remembering the late great Gary Speed’s untimely death in November and despite planning a big blog update it seems that will have to go on the back burner after the very sad news of the passing of yet another great former Everton player who I got to watch as a kid. Today former Everton, Liverpool and Birmingham (as well as a host of other clubs) defender Gary Ablett passed away after a 16 month battle against non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (cancer of the blood cells).

Gary was brought to Everton from neighbours and rivals Liverpool in 1992 for a fee of £750,000 and established himself into the first team straight away. He played a massive role at Everton including playing a part in the famous “Great Escape” of the 93/94 season as well as playing a pivotal role in Joe Royle’s “Dogs of War” in 1995. He was part of the team that picked up Everton’s last pieces of silverware winning both the FA Cup in a well fought out battle against Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd millionaires team and shortly after beating League Champions Blackburn Rovers in the Charity Shield.

In 1996 after 158 appearances and 8 goals with Everton and Gary was sold to Birmingham and later went on to have spells at Wycombe, Blackpool and a brief spell in America with the Long Island Rough Riders however Gary returned to the club he had helped bring success to in a coaching role which got his managerial career off to a start. From Everton he went back across the park to the team he started with as Liverpool’s reserve manager and then having to take on the tough task of managing of an Administration plagued Stockport County.

His last footballing role was as Roy Keane’s assistant at Ipswich Town it was here that Gary was diagnosed with his condition and despite having a slim chance with his cancer he continued to put a smiling face on when interviewed in programmes and zines of his former clubs. As you can see below (the photo was taken from the Everton programme last season)

During his career Gary picked up 2 football league trophies with Liverpool, 2 FA Cup winners medals one with Everton, one with Liverpool as well as 4 Charity shield winners medals including a shared medal in 1990/1. He will be sorely missed by all at his former clubs but non-more than both Everton and Liverpool where he established a great career with both clubs from his home city.

R.I.P Gareth Ian Ablett  1965-2012 – Nil Satis Nisioptimum/You’ll Never Walk Alone

At least I’ve got a few hillwalking trips planned…Glenridding in January and (another!) return to Knoydart in March folloowed by a first visit to Black Sail Youth Hostel. And I’ve promised Craig a first wild camp at some point!

As for the Tigers, things are looking pretty good despite the disruption following Nigel Pearson’s return to Leicester. But I’ve been a City fan for far too long to get too excited, it is only December after all!

And I’m trying to organise a school reunion to celebrate our 50th birthdays – mine was earlier this month and I had a fantastic time with family, old school friends and hillwalking pals.

So hopefully I’ll have enough stuff to talk about. Until then have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Back Story

The HCC owned the only privately held telephone company in the UK. A decision was made to take the company public and an IPO was set up for Kingston Communications. Many of the local subscribers as were offered shares in the company and took the opportunity to purchase a piece of the ownership. Of the funds raised, £46 million was spent on the construction of the stadium. The construction was completed in 2002.

Hull City, known as a club that dwelt in the middle reaches of the Football league for most of its existence, had experienced a reasonable degree of success under the patronage of the Needler family and with a skillful team on the pitch, gates as high as the mid 40,000 were not uncommon at Boothferry Park in the latter part of the 1960′s. A new training facility, a new stand and high tech floodlights were the tangible testimony to that success. The team was not able to maintain that success very far into the future and a succession of managers and owners heralded false dawns and the club flirted with dropping out of the football league and administration. Adam Pearson’s purchase of the club not far from its lowest point and the move to the KC led to an upturn in its fortunes and successive promotions took it to the league’s second tier. Adam Pearson, realizing his own financial limitations sold the club on. The new ownership stewarded the club into the Premier League for the first time in its 104 year history and it stayed there for 2 seasons. The drop back into the second tier highlighted financial frailties and again there were reports of massive debts due to funding a high wage bill and large squad of players. The owner, Russell Bartlett, reluctantly agreed to sell the club having made every attempt to remain in control by courting additional financing. Adam Pearson, again back at the club to resolve the financial mess in which the club was embroiled, brokered the deal with Assem Allam and his son, owners of Allam Marine, a local manufacturer.

Assem Allam is an Egyptian who has lived in the Hull area for over 40 years and has raised his family there. His son Ehab is in the family business and is involved with Hull City. The Allams also own the SMC. By any standards, the Allams are rich, the result of hard work in establishing a successful manufacturing concern. They are estimated to be worth in excess of £150 million. Now that is not Russian Oil rich or Middle Eastern sheikh rich but they are more than comfortable. Part of purchase price was the elimination of the existing debt and after the elimination of a good part of the everyday expense in player salaries; the Allams have provided funds for players with more promised in January if additions are necessary. Assem Allam has provided funds to Hull Kingston Rovers, a top tier rugby league club in the east of the city, to forge links with them and he has an ongoing relationship with Hull FC, the other top tier rugby league team which is a tenant of the KC Stadium. Hull FC was recently purchased by Adam Pearson who continues with his role as an executive at Hull City.

Mr. Allam promotes the city of Hull at every opportunity; he has recently brought a major squash championship to the city and will sponsor it for the next 3 years. He has a vision for the part of the city where the KC Stadium resides and has made no bones about the fact that he would like to purchase it and develop a sports village around the stadium to house a number of sports and provide facilities to the citizens of Hull. In what may be considered a naïve move, he has also perhaps revealed his trump card very early in the discussions with a real threat to move the club out of the KC to a purpose built stadium and sports complex outside of Hull to the west of the city in Melton. This has somewhat divided opinion on Mr. Allam’s motives and you can only take it on face value.

As I have re-read and rewritten this earlier correspondence that formed the backbone of this piece, I have tried to define in my mind the motives of those on each side of the argument and then asked myself whether a Russian oil billionaire or Middle Eastern sheikh would have elicited the same response.

The original now follows:

I think you have to go back to the origins of the stadium to get to the root of the dilemma facing the local council. If you take the stance that the original phone company was established and run for the good of the populace of Hull and that the sale of Kingston Communications brought a vast amount of “found” money into the city coffers, then that money should have been used for some project that would have benefited the city overall. If you take the position that less than 10% of the whole catchment area benefit from the stadium then you have to conclude that the money was taken out of use for the general public and directed for the benefit of the few. This is not a socialist position but one that with hindsight sees the money burning a hole in the council’s pocket and not reviewing all of its options.

The stadium has not done Hull City and to a lesser extent FC any favors. The value of these clubs is diminished because the only asset they have is the team and to a lesser extent the training facilities but of more import is the fact that they do not have the means to borrow against tangible assets and must rely upon the wealth of such as the Allams’ (real – top 30) or Bartlett (paper wealth only). Adam Pearson in his first spell with the club recognized this, admitted he didn’t have the money to progress the club and moved on.

If the stadium was built for speculative reasons because they didn’t know what to do with the money, then the council would be right to sell at a time when they have a better project in mind and when the valuation of the stadium is beneficial to them. Negotiating now or periodically in the future would be the right course of action.

If the Allam’s have the means available to build their “village” in Melton then the council could be left with a white elephant and the only recourse to pull it down and sell the land.

Obviously I don’t know the Allams and cannot judge their intentions but I am sure that there has to be something in it for them as well as their philanthropic desires to give something back. The European model is very much in line with the Allams plans. The “Sportverein” in Germany headed by a Bundesliga club provide just the facilities he is talking about for the benefit of the general public.

If the council do want to provide a legacy then facilitating the sale of the stadium and allowing Allam to redevelop the Walton St area (badly in need of it!) with the additional facilities would be in their best interest as having laid the foundation with the KC, sold it on responsibly and pocketed a load of cash for who knows what to bring more money into the city.

There was no objection from the council when they thought a casino license was coming to Hull, in all aspects the Allam plan seems a lot more wholesome and long lived.

Conclusion

The situation is obviously at an impasse. The HCC has apparently drawn its line in the sand, happy to collect no money from its investment and yet rightfully rankled that the Allams have been so heavy handed in its initial negotiations. They would want a fair price for the facility; it may also not like the idea that a private company has some radical plans to regenerate an area of the city that sorely needs it and it may even be a source of embarrassment to them; although most councils have much more embarrassing things to worry about and this should not faze them. Would the development not provide additional tax revenue and facilities for the city? There is no doubt that two years in the Premier league enhanced the reputation of the city and brought revenue in. Would an improved facility lead to more high profile events being staged in the future?

People have questioned the veracity of the Allams’ motives. They have already pumped more into the team than it is worth based on value of the players. The stadium and the team together would increase the value accordingly in the event that they needed to sell down the road. I don’t know whether they offered a fair value for the facility but you can understand the HCC wanting to get the best price possible for the people of Hull and to reinvest in another worthwhile project. The Allams would not sell their assets at a knock down price but you can understand as businessmen that they want to get the best deal possible. Obviously they want to make money but there is no evidence to suggest that their desire to give back to the city is overshadowed by the profit motive and no reason to believe that both cannot be achieved. A proposed move to Melton, if it can be achieved for the amount they are budgeting, is some years away and is a higher risk proposition. They may have to come back to the negotiating table with a shift in attitude.

I did pose myself a question earlier as to whether the Russian and the sheikh would be treated the same way in view of the amount of cash they have at their disposal. My answer is that I hope so, that the council would make deal based on sound business principles whoever approaches them. At the moment, they get nothing; selling the stadium and banking the money would reap more than they have made so far. I am sure that they have other office space they can use and save the rent they are paying the SMC. I would hope that they could find that elusive project that would provide a lasting legacy for the city of Hull and that the people of Hull get a sports complex that is second to none in the UK – however that is achieved.

Surprisingly, the only major signing was the Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen. Emmanuel Adebayor had left for wads of cash. He was to later change his name to Emoneyuel Greedybayor. Kolo Toure left after examplary service to the club. Both had the same destination, Moneybags City.

The campaign started away to Everton. Arsenal had to endure a tough opening match of the season. Or was it?The Gunners completely dismantled the Toffees 6-1. The rout was started by Denilson in the 26th minute with a long-range screamer. And by half-time, 2 more goals were added as debutant defender Thomas Vermaelen headed in one and his defensive partner William Gallas also netted. And in the second half, Arsenal’s dream start continued as Fabregas netted a brace, celebrating the second by displaying a jersey with the name of his friend, and late Espanyol defender Daniel Jarque. Eduardo completed the rout before Louis Saha scored a consolation.

Big Belgian, Little Belgian!! 

Arsenal seemed to be on a goal-scoring spree as they qualified fir the Champions League group stages yet again, when they beat Scottish team Celtic 5-1 on aggregate, and Portsmouth 4-1 in the league.

However, that was that, as Arsenal faced a daunting trip to Eastlands to face both the Manchester clubs in the league. Old Trafford was the first stop, and Arsenal seemed to be on top of their rivals for most of the match, despite an early chance for Wayne Rooney. The young side created a flurry of chances, before Darren Fletcher bough down Andrei Arshavin for ‘what-should-have-been’ a penalty. But the referee didn’t oblige. Moments later, Arshavin found the ball in a perfect shooting position and let in a scorcher to hand the Gunners a 1-0 lead going into half-time. The second half started in the same frantic manner as the first had started. Wayne Rooney converted a penalty in the 59th and minutes later, Arsenal undid all their hard work as Abou Diaby headed in a disastrous own goal. A late deserved equaliser by Robin van Persie was denied by the referee.

Arshavin scores a belter!!

Manchester City were aiming to be the new force in the Premier League, with new investments coming in from the Abu Dhabi group. They had already priced away Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure from the Emirates for a combined fee of £41 million. And other high-profile signings included strikers Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz, midfielder Gareth Barry and defender Jolean Lescott, all of whom were attracted by nothing but riches. The game, in itself was an enthralling affair, with van Persie’s fine strike levelling the scores at 1-1 in the 63rd minute. Moments later, Bellamy made it 2-1 to City before Emmanuel Adebayor made himself Arsenal’s public enemy No.1. He scored in the 80th minute and ran the length of the entire pitch and overcelebrated in front of the Arsenal faithful. He was also involved in a moment with van Persie, when he stamped the latter on purpose. However, it went unnoticed and Arsenal were beaten 4-2.

Days later, Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down in Belgium in less than 6 minutes and it seemed like Arsenal were disintegrating too early. However, Niklas Bendtner equalised on the stroke of half-time, and a 78th minute equaliser by Vermaelen in his homeland was soon added on to, by a 81st minute winner from Eduardo to complete a 3-2 turnaround.

The comeback is complete!! 

Vermaelen was proving to be somewhat of a hidden centre-forward as he crashed in 2 goals against Wigan in a 4-0 triumph, the second a belter from outside the box.Blackburn were given a sound 6-2 thrashing, in a game featuring another Vermaelen screamer, after being 2-1 down at one stage.

A centre forward in disguise!

Arsenal dropped 2 points away to West Ham with a late Allesandro Diamanti penalty and days later a youthful team eliminated Liverpool from the League Cup, young Spaniard Francisco Merida, scoring a wonderful goal.

The first North London derby turned out to be a mismatch, as Arsenal beat Cunty Spuds 3-0. Fabregas embarrassed the Spurs defence, in the 43rd minute, who were kicking off after van Persie had scored the first. He took the ball of them and ran half the pitch, beating everyone in his wake to score the 2nd goal of the evening.

Spuds drubbed again!! 

Meanwhile, Eduardo was in scintillating form as he forced two own goals at Wolves in a 4-1 win. However, the run ended there as the next two league games ended in defeats, first a 1-0 loss at Sunderland, and then a home loss to a marauding Didier Drogba-inspired Chelsea. More humiliation was heaped upon as a young team were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in the League Cup.

Arshavin re-announced himself at Anfield, months after his 4-goal display, as he scored a brilliant goal in a 2-1 win. Dirk Kuyt had scored the first for Liverpool, before Glen Johnson deflected one into his own net for Arsenal’s equalizer. It saw a reverse in Arsenal’s league fortunes, as they picked up vital wins against Hull City, Aston Villa and Portsmouth. 2 late goals from Ramsey and Eduardo saw off West Ham in the FA Cup.

Gerrard-’What have we ever done to you, you mean mean Russian?’ 

Arsenal hosted Everton in what was one of the few matches around the country that weekend, due to heavy snowfall. Most matches had been cancelled, and it seemed even this would have been. However, brilliant work from the groundsmen ensured the match would go ahead as scheduled. And it seemed Everton would make most of Arsenal’s defensive frailties when Steven Piennar handed them the lead in the 81st minute. But, Tomas Rosicky’s late goal secured a point. Bolton were then beaten 2-0 and 4-2 in successive games.

Arsenal welcomed back experienced defender Sol Campbell on a short deal to the Emirates. He had made 195 appearances in his first spell from 2001 to 2006, winning two league titles and the FA Cup thrice. He moved on to Portsmouth where he won another FA Cup winner’s medal in 2008. He made an unsuccessful move to lower league Notts County, breaking his contract after just 1 match. He returned to Arsenal’s training base to keep fit and was offered a short term deal. He made his debut in a 3-1 loss to Stoke City, which saw the Gunners exit the FA Cup.

31st January 2010 is a date I don’t remember fondly. It was the day before the new semester began in college, and I was in the hostel to watch Arsenal host Manchester United in the league. Giving me company were around 30 glory hunters. I am sure not even 5 of them could name Manure’s starting lineup. United were 1 point ahead of the Gunners coming into this one. Every Manure goal was cheered loudly by these chums, who didn’t know shit about the sport. Anyways, Arsenal disappointingly lost 3-1.

Even this goal was to no avail, in the worst match ever!

Arsenal were haunted again by an Ivorian demon called Didier Drogba, going down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. By now, Arsenal had fallen well behind in the title race, 9 points adrift of their Chelsea neighbors.Abou Diaby bought back some cheer as he scored the only goal in the 71st minute in a game against Liverpool.

Sol Campbell scored his last goal in the Champions League in that fateful night in Paris against Barcelona. He scored again in the Champions League Knockout stage game against FC Porto of Portugal, with the scoreline reading a 2-1 loss to Arsenal. 10 days later Arsenal travelled to Stoke, only to face a team that had been trained to play in the Rugby league. Ryan Shawcross’ wild lunge broke young Aaron Ramsey’s tibula and fibia (in short, the leg). It was another horrific injury Arsenal had suffered. I can still remember that moment, when Ramsey lie there in dire pain, calling out for the physio for help. It was another Eduardo moment, and the Gunners covered their face with their hands, not able to comprehend the injury. But, it was not to be a Birmingham as Arsenal proved their mettle with two goals in stoppage time from Fabregas and Vermaelen to secure a 3-1 win.

Ramsey’s horrific injury..

The team celebrate a resurgent win!! 

In the home game against Burnley, posters in support of Aaron Ramsey adorned the stadium, with the Gunners emerging 3-1 winners. 3 days later, Arsenal turned on the style in Europe. Down 2-1 from the first leg, Arsenal saw themselves leading 2-0 after just 25 minutes, with both goals being scored by the heavily-criticized Dane Niklas Bendtner. The 63rd minute saw the lead being extended to 3 goals, as Samir Nasri beat a host of defenders, and proving he can step up to the role of Cesc Fabregas, to score a peach. Emmanuel Eboue scored in the 66th, before Bendtner completed his hat-trick with a stoppage time penalty.

Bendtner and Nasri, brilliant against Porto!! 

A trip to the KC Stadium proved to be fruitful, as Bendtner turned out to be the match-winner to secure a 2-1 win with a really late strike. This still kept Arsenal in the title hunt. Arsenal were 2nd, level on points with leaders Chelsea at 64 points, and a point ahead of United, having played a game more.

Bendtner’s 90th minute goal!! 

After beating West Ham 2-0 at home, Arsenal failed to go just 1 point behind leaders Chelsea after being denied a win at St. Andrews, thanks to a late Kevin Phillips equaliser. And, Arsenal were still going strong in Europe and had been drawn to a formidable Barcelona team. While Barcelona were near full-strength, Arsenal were still without first-choice striker Robin van Persie. A half-fit Fabregas led Arsenal into the match.

Barcelona were completely dominant in the first half, and only a resolute Manuel Almunia kept them at bay, as he pulled off a flurry of saves. To Arsenal’s misfortune, they suffered two more injuries as Gallas and Arshavin were substituted before half-time, with the lesser-experienced and lesser-talented Denilson and Eboue. Barca made most of it, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the first a minute after the second half started. He rocked Arsenal again 13 minutes later to double the advantage. It seemed all was over for Arsenal that season in Europe. Just then, Theo Walcott fired in Arsenal’s first in the 69th minute to provide a glimmer of hope. As Barca huffed and puffed to hold on to the precious lead, Carles Puyol bought down fellow Catalan Cesc Fabregas in the box and was sent off. Fabregas converted and made it 2-2, but by now he was limping in pain, and played the last 10 minutes without complaining. The match ended 2-2, leaving the Gunners a mountain to climb at the Nou Camp.

El Capitan wins and scores the equaliser! Legend!

Back in the league, Wolves provided stiff opposition, only for Bendtner to pop up with a valuable winner in the 94th minute, the very dying embers of the game. This win kept them 3 points behind the leaders Chelsea, with 5 games to go.

Bendtner to the rescue again!!

Camp Nou was the setting of the beginning of the end. A Messi masterclass. In the 18th minute, Walcott sent Bendtner through. The Dane missed, but scored off the rebound. I remember that goal. I was so mad at Bendtner, I would have killed him if he were next to me. But, he redeemed himself seconds later. Arsenal were 1-0 up at the Nou Camp. That joy was shortlived as 3 minutes later, Barca were level through that superhuman Lionel Messi. By half-time, it was all but over as Messi scored two more to hand the Catalans a 3-1 lead. The second half was more a regulation, and Messi rounded off with his 4th of the night in the 88th minute. A weak Arsenal had been thoroughly beaten.

A Messi masterclass!

Arsenal’s last shot at silverware was the league, and nothing short of 15 points in the next 5 games would give the chance for Arsenal to life silverware. First stop, Shit Fart Lane, in a forgettable North London derby. It was the day when some cunt called Danny Rose decided to be Ronaldinho for a second. His blazing shot from planet Saturn was unstoppable. Soon enough, in the 47th minute, Spurs doubled their advantage through Welsh winger Gareth Bale. Robin van Persie made a comeback after a long injury layoff in the 68th minute, but was denied a goal on several ocassions by Gomes, who decided he would be Oliver Kahn for 25 minutes. Bendtner’s 85th minute goal was just a consolation, as Arsenal created a 6 points gap between them and the leaders.

Some pride was restored at the DW Stadium, as Arsenal took an unassailable 2-0 lead against Wigan. Or it was, I thought. Wigan heaped heartbreak over the Gunners, with 3 goals in the final 10 minutes, to snatch a 3-2 win. In this game, Charles N’Zogbia decided he had Roberto Carlos’ left foot. The title race was over for Arsenal.

Dejection!

Another loss awaited at Ewood Park, before a final day home win over Fulham meant a 3rd place finish and no trophies to show for.

Chokers?Goners?’Throw away your chances’ team?Well, all of it were terms branded by the media over Arsenal, as the club completed their 5th season without a major trophy.

Well, my love for Arsenal?It was the same old, boundless.

Jai Arsenal

Summary:

Premier League – 3rd place

FA Cup – 4th Round

Carling Cup – 5th Round

Champions League – Quarter Finals

Top Scorer – Cesc Fabregas (19 goals in all competitions)

Defiance after relegation in May 2001

I’ve just returned from the one nil home defeat to Hull City – their third straight loss and 13^th defeat of the season. It was a Coventry performance that struggled to show the basics: putting two decent passes together, showing desire to win a football match and just generally having some form of game plan to break down the opposition.

People are quick to criticise a player who makes a mistake but Coventry make them in abundance – and it’s easy to see why. We have such a young squad. Why do we? Because the owners have not invested in the team, all they rave about is the supposed £30 million they’ve “invested” since they walked through the Ricoh Arena doors in December 2007.

Conor Thomas shows great awareness and touch, but he is going to make frequent mistakes from a lack of concentration. He’s 18 or just shy of it. Gael Bigirimana, yet again, a very similar holding player, but doesn’t possess the confidence to burst forward and take a chance. Chris Hussey: a fantastic snare from AFC Wimbledon and a terrific left hoot akin to Danny Fox, but he isn’t quite ready to defend week-in week- out just yet. Others that have been forced into the first team due to a lack of investment are Cyrus Christie and Nathan Cameron.

And yet just a few weeks ago I was so encouraged by the performance put on against West Ham, where they were very lucky to return to the capital with a 2-1 win.Coventry taught them a footballing lesson that day. But then again, I suppose West Ham demonstrated to Coventry how to win ugly.

Fans want SISU out

Five “SISU out” banners were out in force today, as well as a foul mouthed crowd who – if you’ll excuse me – deserve every right to behave that way as this is a club in heart breaking decline. There are so many passionate fans there that are seeing the club fall apart on the pitch because of apathetic mismanagement off it, and there’s nothing the fans can do about it. The temperature within the ground and the flat atmosphere seemed to epitomise the current mood: it was like a footballing grave yard.

After the game I heard a pre-match interview with club director John Clarke stressing the need to appoint a local director. Correct John. I’m glad the penny has dropped with someone within the club. We’ve had a chief executive based in East Anglia, a director in Canada and a chairman darting back and forth between Portugal. But why can’t we have owners who are local? Come on down Gary Hoffman, now is the time to lay your cards on the table and shun SISU from their co-investment mentality.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Ken Dulieu, the man who resigned as chairman last week to take up his own invented role of Head of Football Operations, plonked himself on the playing bench this afternoon. His reason for creating this role was so he could focus on the football side of things. Excuse me, but what previous football experience does he have? How humiliating must that have been for Andy Thorn? The fact that Thorn replied “I’m an employee of the club” when asked if he was bothered about it suggests that he is a yes man, and that is not the right mentality for this football club.

To have someone with very little football knowledge looking over the manager is unacceptable. If you want to improve your football knowledge orange Ken, then a professional football club isn’t the place to do it. Stick to football manager.

 Older generations will remember City’s demise to the old Division Three, but for the generations in their 20s like me, who support the club through thick and thin, this is the lowest point so far. We thought relegation at Villa Park in May 2001 was bad. How I’d love to meet the guy who stood defiantly with that “We’ll be back” poster after that game to nick some renewed optimism from him.

With a few changes of personnel from their Premier League adventure last season, Blackpool will come to St. Mary’s with some familiar faces on board…

Stephen Crainey

Scottish international Crainey had a brief and unspectacular spell at St. Mary’s in 2004. Signed from Celtic by countryman Gordon Strachan shortly before the manager departed, the full back struggled to adapt to the Premier League. The full back made just five first team appearances in his time at St. Mary’s and left for Leeds on loan the following August which soon became a permanent arrangement.

Sadly, the lasting memory of Crainey for Saints fans will be his surprise selection (after Michael Svensson was injured during the warm up) and subsequent poor performance at Fratton Park in the March 2004 defeat.

Crainey joined Blackpool in the summer of 2007 and has been a regular at Bloomfield Road ever since.

Crainey at Saints.

Kevin Phillips

Evergreen striker Phillips’ association with Saints goes as far back as the early nineties when he was a youth player with the club and cleaned future England strike partner Alan Shearer’s boots!

Phillips didn’t make the grade at the Dell though and was released by the club where he had been used as a right back in 1992. Eleven years later, it cost Saints £3.5 million for Gordon Strachan to bring him back to the club after impressive goalscoring spells at Watford and Sunderland respectively.

Despite not quite hitting the same form as he did with his previous clubs Phillips still weighed in with an impressive amount of goals, especially considering the unrest at the club during a turbulent period in Southampton’s history. As Saints headed for the relegation trapdoor in 2004/05 Phillips still managed ten league goals, but never quite won the St. Mary’s fans over. Alleged comments in the media about the club and city following his departure to Aston Villa that summer make him an unpopular figure with the Saints crowd.

Phillips signed for Blackpool in July this year via West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City and now aged thirty eight already has five league goals this term.

Phillips Saint or Sinner?

Brett Ormerod

“They’ve got Brett Ormerod, They’ve got Brett Ormerod…”

In stark contrast to fellow striker Phillips, Lancashire born Ormerod was never heavily amongst the goals in a Saints shirt, but was very much loved by the fans.

After an impressive goalscoring record in his first spell at Bloomfield Road, Gordon Strachan bought the energetic forward for £1.75 million in December 2001. After taking a little while to establish himself Ormerod started to form a lethal partnership with James Beattie, his tenacity and energy complimenting Beattie’s ability to be in the right place at the right time.

It was this partnership that was tantamount to the 2003  FA Cup run that saw Saints reach the final. Ormerod’s man of the match performance in the Semi Final against Watford was a memorable highlight for both player and fans.

The arrival of Phillips the following summer saw Ormerod’s chances with the first team limited and he ended up going to Leeds on loan in 2004, and seven months later had another loan spell, this time with Wigan Athletic. The club’s relegation to the Championship saw Ormerod back in favour, but with goals hard to come by he eventually left the club for Preston North End in January 2006.

The scruffy but uncomplicated striker names his time at Southampton as the best of his career and left the club with as many fond memories as he left the fans.

Ormerod returned to Bloomfield Road in 2009 and back to the Premier League with them last season.

Ormerod the Saint.

Chris

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