Ref Review 2012/13: Which two refs helped Reading the most?

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ Having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to the …

Sunderland / Arsenal – the tactical review.

Arvind Been a bit busy with a few things so couldn’t write. Here’s an article on our game against Sunderland.. better known as Ozil’s first game. Arsenal attack: Largely, it was a really really scrappy game. Wilshere was easily our best player offensively in the first part of the game, driving forward from midfield. The …

Ref Review 2013/13 part 8 SOUTHAMPTON. An extraordinary mixture

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ Having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to the …

Football ancient and modern.

Football ancient and modern. Charles Veritie. Football ancient and modern. As the title suggests this is a look at football in the past and as we have it now. I started thinking about this because each time I read of something new in football I have asked myself ‘Is it new? And concluded perhaps not. …

Why Flamini is abruptly so good at football

Why Flamini is abruptly so good at football? By Darsei Canhasi “I am watching him closely” said France manager Didier Deschamps a few days ago, when asked about the inclusion of Mathieu Flamini. These words mean Flamini has a chance to participate in the next year’s world cup. To date, he has only three games …

Mixed emotions after an avoidable defeat

By Walter Broeckx Now that was a fine example of shooting oneself in the foot.  What looked to be a rather very dull affair was suddenly a mountain to climb after some 26 minutes. It was as if both teams didn’t really wanted to go out for it. Both teams contented with holding each other …

Capital One Cup Live Blog: Arsenal v Chelsea

Round 4 of the Capital One Cup kicks off tonight with Arsenal hosting Chelsea at The Emirates  in the pick of the evening’s matches. Having beaten West Brom in Round 3 through penalties, Arsene Wenger will be aiming to put one over on old foe Jose Mourinho, who he is facing for the first time …

Arsenal – Chelsea: Things Just Ain’t so Dench for Pundits…

Dominic Sanchez-Cabello Yes! I know it’s a shit title. Leave me alone. Tonight we play Chelsea at the Emirates and in some ways it is a prelude to the critical November we have coming up. We know that they take this competition seriously and the wealth of a former Soviet Republic lines their bench. But …

Chelsea v Arsenal tickets from £5. Has the media said anything about today’s ticket prices?

By Tony Attwood You may recall a situation last season when Manchester City (a bit like Wigan before them) were unable to sell their away ticket allocation for a league game, so within the rules of away allocation, they returned the unwanted tickets to Arsenal. Arsenal then moved the barriers separating home and away fans, …

Ref Review 2012/13: Stoke. Three totally unbiased refs!

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ After having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to …

Gnabry, Monreal, Jack, Özil. Hail the heroes from the game at Palace

By Walter Broeckx When I look back at the game at Crystal Palace we should try to look at some things that are not highlighted by the pundits at all.  As some of them were far too busy trying to discredit our performance and our win. What they didn’t highlight was that the match after …

The 10 Football Commandments for the 21st century

The 10 Football commandments – Don McMahon You may know that I have a rather different view of the Beautiful Game from many supporters, regardless of which team they follow. My involvement in football began in 1958 when I got hit in the face by one of the old, all leather, laced footballs while I …

Saturday Night Sunday Morning: a reflection on MOTD punditry

By Blacksheep Now I am aware that not everyone watches Saturday night (or Sunday morning) television.   You may well be ‘jiving’* away the small hours, you may well be working or have childcare issues, or you may be living in different time zones. But if you were tuned to the Google box around 10.40 last …

Palacial Stats, FA Cup first timers, Everything that has gone, (except sundials)

by Tony Attwood Ah yes, you know you are getting old when you speak of the good old days.  But I guess I am still ok as I only talk of the “old days” rather than the Good Old Days.   “All the things that have gone,” is ok to talk about without feeling one’s age. …

Crystal Palace – Arsenal: A good looking ugly win

By Walter Broeckx Selhurst Park. I must say a name that still brings back some good memories to me. In the year 1979 I was there once for a FA cup game. It was a few days after I had witnessed my first game at Highbury. A game Arsenal lost 0-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers.  The …

How long does it take to have a drink at half time? (Palace 0 Arsenal 2)

By Tony Attwood It is my habit, these last few years, to leave my seat at the ems as the whistle goes for half time and trot lightly down the stairs in order to queue for a coffee. In case you have never been there I should point out that the queues at the Ems …

A trip to the Palace (ooops we are late)

By Dominic, with a bit by Tony at the end I was saddened to hear that Holloway had left The Eagles earlier this week – I despaired when Pulis was named the bookies favourite to replace him. With odds as low as 2-7, a bet on Pulis would present practically the most depressing weekends gambling …

Ref Review 2012/13: Who was the big friend of Sunderland 6

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ After having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to …

Crystal Palace v Arsenal 26 October. See what the ref is going to do before he does it!

Crystal Palace v Arsenal Saturday 26 October  The Officials   Referee – Chris Foy Assistants – P Kirkup and M Wilkes. 4th Official – M Oliver   Chris Foy has done three premiership games this year handing out 11 yellow , but no red cards. He has been in the premier league since 2001/2 (longer …

Having a problem reading Untold?

There is a problem with part of the process that ends up with you being able to read (or sometimes not read) Untold. If you are having an intermittent problem with Untold or the History Site and you have the chance to do this, can you email Tony.Attwood@aisa.org with details of which browser you are …

French football goes on strike. French supporters support the state

Tax is difficult.  Ask Lionel Messi.  It is always so difficult to quite what work out what’s required. Or ask Fifa and Uefa who demand that they never pay tax to their host countries during competitions.  Not a penny.  If the state does not agree, then don’t bother applying.   (They don’t even pay to have …

Ref Review 2012/13: Any good refs out there for Swansea ?

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ After having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to …

Are we doing better than last year? A negative or a positive way at looking at it

By Walter Broeckx When I see the league table, and I do admit I look at it every day, I cannot help it but a big smile comes on my face.  It’s always nice to be top of the league. No denying that. Strolling on the internet you get to see all kinds of opinions …

Dear Mr Dyke. Throw out the commission and start again

What’s wrong with football in England? I guess it is the notion that is at the heart of Greg Dyke’s great idea of a commission that symbolises all that is wrong. It is a commission made up of certain people who have led English football into its current mess.  The men (and at the moment …

Ref Review 2012/13: Who was Tottenham’s bogey ref?

By Walter Broeckx This article is part of the series of the Referee Review 2013. You can find links to earlier articles on the bottom of this article. __________________________ After having dealt with the different teams and after having examined all the Premier League refs (leading to the best ref of the season according to …