English Football Premiership 2004/05..

Since when did deep pockets and weed become a problem? Bring it on!!! :lol:

"Manchester United supporters vowed today to step up their resistance to the takeover of the club by American sports entrepreneur Malcolm Glazer.

Leading members of United's 'Not For Sale' coalition urged a packed public meeting at the Apollo Theatre in Ardwick not to give in despite Glazer holding 76% of the club - enough for private ownership.

The coalition - made up of members of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, Shareholders United and the three main club fanzines - will set up working groups to target business partners of both United and Glazer, and lobby politicians and football authorities for a change in the law.
Tony Lloyd, the MP for Manchester Central and founding member for IMUSA, told the rally he believed it was essential that football clubs were excepted from certain laws relating to corporate governance.

Lifelong United fan Lloyd has already spoken out against the Glazer takeover in parliament and has pledged to continue the fight to reclaim his club.
Lloyd said: "I am devastated by the idea that someone can come along and say, now it is all mine... and your interest is just snuffed out like that.
"A football club is not about market mechanisms. It is about dreams and memories like Munich 1958 and the European Cup in 1968. It is about the things we will dream of in years to come, and that is why it belongs to the supporters.

"I called upon the Football Association to take some action with regard to Malcolm Glazer and the FA told me they had no power to do so... we have got to appeal to the authorities for a change in the law."

Lloyd, who this week reluctantly hailed Liverpool's Champions League triumph in parliament this week, urged fans of all clubs to join United's fight over an issue whose implications he said would go far beyond the boundaries of old Trafford.

Lloyd added: "Mr Glazer is not just going to change one club or change the game in Britain.
"Potentially he is going to change the way football operates around the world. It is going to have a huge impact. not just on Manchester United supporters but on virtually every supporter at every level.
"This is about much more than Manchester United, it is about the whole of football. We have got to make sure those who really built the game of football and their clubs - those who dream and invest in football - have their rights heard. And we have got to make sure we use today as a stepping stone."
Supporters attending the rally were urged to dump gear belonging to United's shirt manufacturers Nike in large bins outside the venue for redistribution to Third World charities.

Fans, who are also targeting primary sponsors Vodafone, are pressing ahead with plans to form the breakaway FC United to hold supporters' groups together for as long as the battle against Glazer continues.

Many fans, including IMUSA chairman Andy Walsh, have refused to renew their season tickets at Old Trafford for next season and will instead turn their attention to the proposed non-league club which could be based at The Willows, home of Salford rugby league club."

Tony Lloyd is a red, Tony Lloyd is a red. A true people's politician!

Steven Gerrard was warned not to go to Manchester this week...



(A bit late but well done Liverpool it was a good game but 12 pints of Stella in it got a bit fuzzy, until the penalties anyway)

On a side note England beat Columbia 3-2 last night through a Michael Owen hat-trick making him Englands 4th highest ever scorer.

Nice one stu,

It seems the pool are talking to zenden for the left wing. Kewell's days look numbered.

Figo has been given permission to talk to other clubs by king Juan's plaything- er i mean Real Madrid, any ideas as to his future destination? Linked by British media to united because of the Queroz link, still he is 32 and not good enough for Real.

This will make you lot laugh-

http://spaces.msn.com/members/ManchesterBuccaneers/

moxdevil said:

Figo has been given permission to talk to other clubs by king Juan's plaything- er i mean Real Madrid, any ideas as to his future destination? Linked by British media to united because of the Queroz link, still he is 32 and not good enough for Real.

Click to expand...

Today he said he'd be willing to stay at Real, even if it meant being benched (or not even that...), it appears he's not willing to leave without the one year's pay still left on his contract, and I guess Real isn't willing to part with a big ol wad of cash just to let someone go...how about Mourinho's fine (the Ashley Cole situation), I heard about it a few hours ago, I can't remember the amount

Yeah Morinho's fine is pointless, what is it two weeks wages? The whole ruling makes a joke of players contracts and any chance of somebody honouring them if a club with money to burn on such unfortunate incidents like tapping up a player come calling.

Cole and Chelsea are contesting the ruling, probably go to the European court or something.

The problem as i see it is that an agent is always going to advise his client to meet a club, even if the player has expressed no desire to leave. The agent only see's real money when a player moves so its in the agents interests to keep all opportunities for a transfer open. Cole has got two years left on his contract and yet he's on about disputing the charge as is Chelsea, no way in hell should contracted players be allowed to put their club in such a position, by being free to discuss a possible transfer to another club at any time in their contract it makes anything longer than a rolling contract pointless. Bosman has given too much power to these 'money grabbing, if i wasn't able to kick a ball i'd be in prison' twats.

Got a bit carried away there, still i think the same thing is happening with Rio 'thick as shit' Ferdinand and Chelsea.

I'm still bitter :lol:

moxdevil said:

This will make you lot laugh-

http://spaces.msn.com/members/ManchesterBuccaneers/

Click to expand...

fuckin brilliant

I wont rub it in.

Liverpool can defend Champions League - UEFA
Fri 10 Jun, 11:10 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool will be allowed to defend their Champions League trophy, UEFA said on Friday.

Liverpool's failure to finish in the Premier League's top four meant they were not entitled to a place in next season's competition, despite lifting the cup after a penalty shootout win over AC Milan in last month's final.

They will go into the competition's first qualifying round with their opening match on July 12 or 13.

UEFA's executive committee also decided to amend the regulations for future editions of the Champions League, so the holders will have the right to defend their title and therefore qualify automatically.

The thorny problem of Liverpool's presence in next season's competition looked to be a non-issue at halftime in the final in Istanbul as Milan cruised into a 3-0 lead.

But Liverpool's stunning three-goal blitz in six minutes turned the game on its head and a goalless period of extra time was followed by the English side's 3-2 victory in a penalty shootout.

Liverpool's fifth European Cup provided a glorious end to what had been a frustrating domestic season.

But it meant a real headache for European soccer's ruling body and its regulation of a maximum of four teams per country.

England's Football Association had already made it clear that it would not follow a Spanish precedent by putting Liverpool forward at the expense of the Premier League's fourth-placed finishers, Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton.

Real Madrid were crowned European champions in 2000 but finished fifth in the Primera Liga, prompting the Spanish FA to enter them for the following season's Champions League and relegate fourth-placed Real Zaragoza to the UEFA Cup.

Damn damn damn

Now aint that good news! I always knew they'd be in there next seaon. But its going to be a tricky bitch to go through three rounds of qualifying. Still, better than not at all!

Ah they'll be coming up against the champions of Luxembourg and San Marino. Should treat it like pre-season games and get through.

Rumour has it that 'Pool are keen on pulling out of the Club Championships in Japan because of their busy schedule now that they're back in CL calculations.. However Sepp Blatter has apparently handed out a big fat "They're Going!" announcement..

It'll be part of the deal for pool to be in the Champs League. The media pillored the World Club Champs last time we had a representative- United.

Are we talking about the Confederations Cup?

Here's an interesting article Manchester United... Or is that FC United??

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=335785&cc=3436

Basically one arm of the Man U. supporters club have gone and created a new team (FC United) which has been accepted into a very minor league in England.. (Atleast 8 or so divisions below the Premier League).. Will be interesting if this team starts getting popular.. However their homeground (An old stadium) only holds about 3,500 people..

Zin, according to the United fans forums they expect around 3,000 to initially support the club. Personally i support Manchester United, and think that this is only going to be supported by the tiny majority who still haven't calmed down- the one's who burnt their season ticket books, threw their vodaphone mobile phone against the wall, and decided to attack people leaving the United megastore. Increasingly these people are being distanced from the rank and file united supporters who they claim to represent.

^^^^ Yeah you're right... I think when Man U fans first hear about it they would get very excited in a dreamy way, but then reality kicks in and real Man U team will still be playing and you'll still have your loyalty to them even though shit's going down behind the scenes... Say Man U win the league next year.. Glazer will just about be forgiven and everyone would move on like not much had happened... (Except higher ticket/merchandise prices).