Virtual Replay

BBC SPORT Football FA Cup Virtual Replay

Another cup weekend, another virtual replay.

We took Anne's sister & housemate to the game with us. We were right at the front of the Park End so we may well be one of those virtual blobs on that replay.



I think it was Katherine and Sarah's first time at a top flight game so Everton V Chelsea was a fairly good one to pick. It was a nice change for us too, usually we are up on high in the Upper Gwladys which is great to watch the game unfold but being down on the floor as the ball flies into the net is great.



McFadden scored and took a fair bit of punishment. He was put upside down in the first half (8 stitches in his leg) and smashed in the face by their keeper who then landed on him (broken nose). Both times he looked hurt. By this I mean he hit the desk and stayed still as opposed to doing that embarressing jumping up in the air or rolling round on the floor thing (as showcased by Kromkamp & Sissoko the next day).

SB

Denny's - It'll be alright when it's washed, honest!

Used to go passed this every day on my way to Uni. Finally got a picture of it.

Junk

My soon to be sis-in-law is back from Canada now. This means a few things, my brother can get a shave and put down his Xbox controller, mum can begin doting and fussing over her and all my old crap has to be out of Mum & Dad's 'cause Claire's gear needs to go somewhere 'til Ste & her get a house (this will have to be preceded by jobs, cars etc etc).

It's amazing how much crap you don't even realise you own. Books, clothes, knick-knacks I founde a stash of holy medals that must have been there since my first trip down to Lourdes.

3 boxes of records and cds will provide interesting listening...I haven't check it all out yet but I did find a couple of ones I'd forgot about Nut & Victoria. Neither were stunning but female singer songwriters seem to be the vogue nowadays and these two seemed to have loads of potential but disappeared after promising starts. The former did a really cool debut album called Fantanicity but ducked out of the limelight...I checked her out on google and she seems to be actually called Cat Goscovitch and is gigging down in London. Victoria did a debut single which I think was an NME single of the week but then I never heard anything after that (and back then I actually knew what was going on in the music biz as opposed to now when I only find out about albums when they pop up on Amazon whilst I'm buying something). Anyway as I said lots of fun listening...just got to buy a load of CD wracks now.

Got my cup tickets sorted for the weekend. Anne's sister & housemate are visiting so we got them tickets too. Right at the front of a Park End. A great view for action down our end but a bit grim for Gwladys Street action. At half time in the Millwall game we strolled up two about row M where some of our friends sit...absolutely cracking place to watch footy. Our usual seats are good too but if you could get them at the front of the Upper Gwladys as oposed to the back it's be fabulous.

Arsenal 2-1 Wigan (agg 2-2)

Arsenal 2-1 Wigan (agg 2-2)

Now that's what footy is all about. We were in the pub after 5-a-side last night half watching the game along with the rest of the mid-week drinkers. When van Persie scored his fabulous free-kick and the Arsenal fans starting Ole-ing every pass it looked all over but when Roberts last gasp winner put them through on away goals the pub erupted. It's absolutely brilliant what's happened there.

Poor old Arsenal.

Everton 1-0 Arsenal

Everton 1-0 Arsenal

Oh I never felt more like singing the blues....ha ha ha ha.

Absolutely chuffed. Everton were immense. We battered them in the same way we battered Utd last year. In at them for each and every of the 5400 seconds. Beats scored a lovely centre forward's goal and the rest was simple. Beattie rounded off the afternoon with an impecable BBC interview complete with a double take when the presenter suggested he had pace. Moyes seemed delighted with the players but particularly the way Beats took his man of the match champers and gave to Osman who was absolutely superb.



Arsenal didn't know what hit them.



Much as we all love Theiry....Flat track bullies?

Finally on matter blue it would be churlish of me not to give a nod to Alan Stubbs. He did tremendously well when he came on for the impressive Ferrari. He got a very good reception although not from me. Once they're on the pitch you've just got to let bygones be bygones and get behind them.

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT with all our might

On an annoying note 'loo lost to Mosely so we are back in the mix...can't win 'em all I suppose. It would have been the perfect weekend.

liverpool lost to Utd with a last minute winner inspiring our old friend Gary Neville to taunt the away fans. Naughty but aparently they'd be laughing it up over George Best...if you are going to give it out (and I know people who normally don't go to the Old Trafford game who went solely to take the piss out of Utd fans) you've got to take it back. 606 was awash with self-righteousness, Owen's sprint along the Gwladys and Gerrard giving the ear to the entire Bullen Road were conveniently airbrushed from history.

Burning your bridges is never a good idea

Stubbs blames Everton cancer clause

Oliver Holt's from The Mirror

So the blues have let Kroldrup go and now have only one fully fit centre-half (the good but alledgedly unsettled Ferrari). Solution : bring back Alan Stubbs! In terms of football this is a sideways step at best but considering he publicly went out of his way to make the club look like a bunch of evil bastards over the perenial cancer clause in the last contract we offered him how are we supposed to feel about getting him back?

Alan apologises

Too little too late I'm afraid. I know it's time to move on I suppose but all of a sudden things look bleak and a lot of rumours are flying round on toffeeweb. Nothing the fans can do about it with the current board in place, I suppose "the People" have just got to get on with it & get behind the team 'cause long after all these charlatans and incompetants have left we'll be left telling the next generation of blues what a great club it used to be.

Uh oh

Apparently there was trouble after the game as the Everton fans dodged around trying to get at the Millwall fans. As we were leaving there was a lot of blues facing up to the away fans singing "Millwall, here we are". Anyway we were long gone so can't really add anything.

Everton 1-0 Millwall

Everton 1-0 Millwall

Was pretty unenthusiastic about the game last night and had basically decided to give it a miss but going the game is basically a reflex action and in the end you always end up getting tickets.

Because of the opposition there was no pay on the gate so I had to use Everton's online ticket service. Very smooth and efficient. Top marks considering I only got off my lazy arse at 11am on the day of the game to get my order in.

Anyway got the tickets, quick Guinness in the Black Horse with Jez, Frank (who has had a dream that we'll win the cup this year) & Mandy then off off to the Park End to be generally jeered at by 2,000 Millwall fans.

Our friend Rach was stewarding the away fans so we were hoping it'd all be quiet and sedate and basically it was apart from a bit of banter and the odd loon getting chucked out.

Everton basically were the better side (with Per Kroldrup finally putting in an appearance) and created half-chance after half-chance. We looked to be getting a tiny bit complacent and Millwall started getting a bit more possesion but then Tim Cahill, a waste of money according to the Lions fans, popped up with a goal and the away section fell silent.



View it here in full bbc virtual replay glory

Their Cockernee anachronism fans piped up again towards the end telling that we'll all scapa when they come and get us after the game, "You'll run and you know you will". A heavy police presence meant that we strolled home happily chatting away to some of our mate (the Wildman family) whilst the Millwall fans were kept in for the best part of an hour so no worries there.

That's about it.....Chelsea next.

COYB!

GET IN! 23 points from 14 games for Everton now. If we'd won one more game we'd be in the top half. 14 points from safety now....that's all I'm bothered about. This week's win came via a scrappy deflected goal from little Leon Osman. It's ace that he's coming back to form. Cahill looked busy too. Only saw the highlights on MotD. The repeat on MotD2 was made all the sweeter by two middle-aged women Pompey fans gloating about how the away fans had to sit in an open stand and get rained on. Wonder if they liked the view of Evertonians celebrating at the final whistle?

Went the rugby again and watch a superb game between 'loo and Halifax. Waterloo ran out winners but there was great play aplenty from both sides. Next week is the crunch game as Waterloo (top) take on Moseley (second).

Whilst nosing round I found this

FCL - Football Club Lourdais - site officiel

They're apparently one of the most successful teams in French rugby.

Ashes ticket plan infuriates fans

Ashes ticket plan infuriates fans

England Ashes tickets fears grow

Running scared? I've got a feeling the Barmy Army will get into the grounds...they'll just be ripped off a whole heck of a lot more.

We really annoyed them in the Australia V New Zealand rugby world cup semi final by swamping the ground with England fans and then drowning out the locals with Swing Low.

Bob's Animal Fights

Bob's Animal Fights

What a site!

Rugby links

LeagueRugby.co.uk

A national league messageboard Set up as a memorial to Wakefield RFC.

Division Two match reports

The Liverpool Echo's rugby union page

Very useful 'cause there isn't that much coverage about for Div 2.

Tigers Forum

This is a good place to chat about Leicester Tigers, my Premiership team.

Prayers answered

icLiverpool - Prayers answered

Wonder if this happened when we were there last year. Interesting stuff.

The subject of this post could also be applied to Everton. After the two consequentive 4-0 defeats we were brushed aside by liverpool. Then bounced back to get an undeserved win against Sunderland nicking a last gasp goal after getting battered for the entire second half. Tim Cahill's new corner-flag punch bag goal celebration was a very welcome sight. We followed this up with an impressive 3-1 win against Charlton (should have been 4 but Uriah Rennie disallowed Timmy's hatrick goal for some reason). Despite Tim's goals my man of the match was Beattie. Tireless workrate at the end of 4 games in 8 days. Chased everything, played really well. Nice to be walking out of Goodison smiling once again.