Don’t you just hate the way those disgusting foreigners come into our game and ruin it with their pretend card waving, their cynical fouling and their overly theatrical comedy diving routines? Wasn’t everything much better back in the good old days while the sixties were swinging and the seventies were all glammed up and football in the UK was a man’s game were everyone welcomed Chopper Harris and Norman Hunter’s cynical fouling and tubby maestro Franny Lee perfected the art of avoiding challenges but still throwing himself to the ground as if he’d been caught by a stray round from the grassy knoll. Glory days, halcyon days in fact and a bygone era we’ll never be able to return to now these cheating foreigners have taken over the game.
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I hate to make my first contribution to this website to be a criticism of someone who has taken the time to write an interesting and fully comprehensive analysis of an important and debatable subject regarding the football world. I mean, I have absolutely no fear of writing debatable comments and bringing up contentious issues, yet I don?t want to start out by making enemies. Despite this I feel that I have to strongly disagree with Kieran Haines? (19/09/2006) piece on the prospects of a European Super League. I read the report with interest, yet also with dismay at the thought that anyone would seriously advocate the formation of such a league. I actually read the column hoping that at the end Mr. Haines would remark that all the above was tongue-in-cheek and that a European Super League would be a terrible idea, but alas this anecdote was never to come.
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Football is not simply a game and it is far more than an art, it is a drama played out in the great and minor theatres all across the globe. As with all dramas it offers up the hero?s and the villains and perhaps the most evil characters of all are the club directors.

Heart of Midlothian?s Vladamir Romanov has written himself into the most recent plot by threatening to put his entire first team up for sale should they fail to beat Dunfermline. In fact Romanov?s entire reign at Hearts has been a roller coaster ride that has provided some interesting stories however where the Eastern European has shown eccentricity and the flamboyant streak, in the City Ground boardroom over the last decade there has been a flair for idiocy that has doomed the club to the lowest league position in its history.
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‘Like a feller once said, ain’t that a kick in the head?’. Once said by Dean Martin, and more recently by Petr Cech, it couldn’t be more relevant to good old Swindon Town. In fact, Ince leaving was a kick in the head. When Wise left, he made a new quote.

‘Call that a kick in the head? Now THIS is a kick in the head!’
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I’m somewhat less than amazed that it’s a manager with a record of only three wins in his last twenty matches in all competitions is getting a little twitchy when the annual sack race begins to hot up but with Stuart Pearce calling for a “sack window” aren’t managers getting a little ridiculous in their attempts to save themselves from the axe?
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When Liverpool last travelled down the East Lancs Road to their theatre of nightmares, a performance of great promise went unrewarded thanks to a last-gasp header from Rio Ferdinand. Roll on the end of the season and that goal was to prove all the difference between the rivals as United edged Benitez? men into third spot. Bragging rights to Anfield, however, as the Reds went on to claim the FA Cup, dumping United out en route and leaving them with only the Carling Cup to show for a season?s toil. A cursory glance at the two teams? respective midfields was enough to confirm any United fan?s worst fears for the following season, with the future looking bright on Merseyside. Ferguson?s team have not so much improved as got the bit between their teeth, and this time round it was Ferdinand again who applied the coup de grace, only with a touch more aplomb, leaving Liverpool?s watching millions to wonder just where it had all gone so spectacularly wrong.
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I’m getting a little tired of the do gooders in the national press comparing Jermain Defoe’s “nibble” with Ben Thatcher’s forearm smash on Pedro Mendes and calling for a similar punishment. What Defoe did was obviously indefensible, however, it was a minor act of petulance that caused the other player no injury while Thatcher’s attack could very easily have killed or seriously maimed Pedro Mendes. Are we not drawing distinctions now?
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Just another reminder folks that we have TWO SIGNED COPIES of Adam Powley and Martin Cloake’s new book “The Spurs Miscellany” to give away in our latest competition on State of the Game!

Entry is limited again to registered members of the State of the Game forums but don’t worry if you aren’t already a member, just take 30 seconds and REGISTER FOR FREE, it’s that simple.

When you register just answer the following easy question by sending a Private Message (PM) to me (Alan) on the forums with your answer and name and you will be entered into the draw on Monday 23rd October 2006 at 5pm for a chance to win one of the two prizes.

QUESTION: Gareth Johnson writes an excellent Tottenham Hotspur column for State of the Game called “He’s Got No Hair and We Don’t Care” in tribute to current head coach Martin Jol. Which League Cup winning Spurs star of the 1970s was the “He’s Got No Hair…” song originally sang to?

Just PM the answer to me and you’ll go into the hat. Simple.

Adam and Martin have put together a fantastic collection of miscellaneous facts and stories about Spurs throughout the club’s history and it makes fascinating reading for both Spurs fans and other football fans alike.

Check out “The Spurs Miscellany” at Amazon.co.uk for more reader reviews and some more info and then register for the State of the Game forums and get your answer in quickly to stand a chance of having one of these two copies delivered to your door (UK based members only unfortunately at this time.)

Good luck!

AH
Admin, SOTG

They say that leagues are won from set pieces. Well eight minutes into the fifteenth game of the season and Nicky Southall banged in the winner from a free kick in a 1-0 home result against second place Bristol City and Forest ease five points clear.

Regular readers of State of the Game will recall a few weeks back I wrote about League One?s Scintillating Saturday where first place at the time took on second, third took on forth. Embarrassingly both games ended 0-0 although from a Forest perspective it was a good point which could easily have ended a win after an onslaught in the last ten minutes.
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Livorno 2 Rangers 3

Last night?s terrific win for Rangers over Serie A?s Livorno proved a timely boost for fans more used to disappoint so far this season.

It was as good a performance as it was a surprising one. Never mind one hand, you can count on one finger the amount of times a Scottish side has dominated Italian opposition like that on their own ground. Last night. That was it.
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