51

General Football & Sports / Norbert “Nobby” Stiles

« on: October 30, 2020, 04:24:55 PM »

England world cup-winner and exAlbion Manager Nobby Stiles has died aged 78 after a long illness, his family has announced

R.I.P Nobby

You deserve your own thread imo

52

General Football & Sports / Premier League 2

« on: October 15, 2020, 12:57:55 PM »

The Telegraph

Exclusive: FA chief Greg Clarke 'proposed Premier League 2 and B teams' in explosive leaked document

Football Association chairman Greg Clarke has been accused of floating the formation of a 'Premier League 2' and introducing B-teams into the Football League in secret talks with leading clubs....

53

General Football & Sports / Project Big Picture

« on: October 11, 2020, 05:00:12 PM »

I believe that this topic is so important it needs its own thread.

Perhaps the mods can move posts from the Premier League thread to here.

My initial post

John Percy Twitter Account

World exclusive: Man Utd and Liverpool driving 'Project Big Picture' - football’s biggest shake-up in a generation.

The full Telegraph article, sorry in advance for the length of this post

World exclusive: Man Utd and Liverpool driving 'Project Big Picture' - football’s biggest shake-up in a generation
18-team Premier League, increased EFL funding and axing of League Cup among raft of proposals in 'Revitalisation' document seen by Telegraph

Manchester United and Liverpool are the driving force behind the biggest changes to English football in a generation and an extraordinary overhaul of the Premier League, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
The two clubs have worked together on a radical set of proposals – called “Project Big Picture” - that will reshape the finances of the game. The Premier League, the most lucrative sports league in the world, would see a reduction to 18 teams, and controlling power in the hands of the biggest clubs.
In return for tearing up many of the rules that have governed the game since the Premier League’s inception in 1992 there will be £250 million rescue package to the Football League to see them through the Covid crisis.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the details of the working document “Revitalisation” authored by Liverpool’s American ownership Fenway Sports Group with support from United. It anticipates the backing of the other members of the so-called big six, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
In a remarkable set of proposals, which will send shockwaves through the game, 25 per cent of the Premier League’s annual revenue will go to the EFL clubs with £250 million paid up front to see them through the current crisis. There would also be a gift of £100 million to sustain the Football Association.
However, there would be an abolition of the one-club, one-vote principle that has sustained the Premier League since its inception as well as the abolition of the threshold of 14 votes to pass any decision or regulation change.
Under the new proposals, the League Cup and the Community Shield would be abolished. There have been additional discussions that the League Cup would survive but without the participation of the clubs in Europe.
There would be two automatic promotion places for Championship clubs, but the third, fourth and fifth placed clubs would be in a play-off tournament with the 16th placed Premier League club.
The nine clubs who have been in the Premier League for the longest - which includes the big six - would dictate its running in every aspect and would be free to play more games in the expanded Champions League that is anticipated from the 2024-2025 season onwards.
As well as the Premier League dropping from 20 clubs to 18, there would be 24 in each of the Championship, League One and League Two making a total of 90.
The plan is supported by the EFL chairman Rick Parry who has held talks with Liverpool’s principal owner, the American investor John W Henry, and shareholder and director Mike Gordon. In addition, Parry has spoken to the Glazer family, who own United.
The talks began in 2017 but have been accelerated since the coronavirus pandemic has thrust football into the grip of crisis with no fans in stadiums until March at the earliest. Liverpool and United are prepared for a fierce debate over their proposals but they want them implemented as soon as possible.
The Revitalisation document calls for immediate action to cut dramatically what it calls the “revenue chasm” in earnings from television contracts between the Premier League and the EFL. In order to discourage Championship clubs from gambling recklessly on promotion, the parachute payments system would be abolished in favour of the 25 per cent share of Premier League revenue being shared more equitably among EFL clubs.
Under proposals for the new model of distribution of television revenue in the Premier League, Fenway, the driving force behind the document, insist there would be no greater share for the top six. Their stated aim is to eliminate the huge gap in earnings between Premier League and EFL clubs while in return having a greater control of the decisions made by the Premier League.
The document says: “A reset of the economics and governance of the English football pyramid is long overdue”.
The proposals also rewrite the Premier League’s 20-club democracy in favour of placing huge power in the hands of the nine clubs with the longest continual stay in the division. As things stand that is the big six, as well as Everton, Southampton and West Ham. Those nine clubs afforded “long-term shareholder status” would have unprecedented power, with the votes of just six of them required to make sweeping changes. These clubs would even be able to veto a new owner taking over a rival club.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Parry said that he had the support of many of his 72 members, many currently facing financial ruin, to go ahead with the plan. He said: “What do we do? Leave it exactly as it is and allow the smaller clubs to wither? Or do we do something about it? And you can’t do something about it without something changing. And the view of our clubs is if the [big] six get some benefits but the 72 also do, we are up for it.”
He accepted there would be opposition from the Premier League clubs outside the big six who would see it as detrimental to their financial prospects with less money and two fewer places in the top flight.
“It is definitely going to be challenging and it is an enormous change so that won’t be without some pain,” Parry said: “Do I genuinely think it’s for the greater good of the game as a whole? Absolutely. And if the [big] six are deriving some benefit then why shouldn’t they. Why wouldn’t they put their names to this otherwise?”
The proposals include:
•   Â£250 million immediately to the EFL to compensate its clubs for lost matchday revenue, deducted from future television revenue earnings and financed by a loan taken out by the Premier League
•   Special status for the nine longest serving clubs – and the vote of only six of those “long-term shareholders” required to make major changes, including amending rules and regulations, agreeing contracts, removal of the chief executive, and a wide-ranging veto including on club ownership
•   Premier League to go to 18 clubs from 20
•   Â£100 million one-off gift to the FA to cover its coronavirus losses, the non-league game, the women’s game, the grassroots
•   8.5 per cent of annual net Premier League revenue to go on operating costs and “good causes” including the FA
•   From the remainder, 25 per cent of all combined Premier League and Football League revenues to go to the EFL clubs
•   Six per cent of Premier League gross revenues to pay for stadium improvements across the top four divisions, calculated at £100 per seat
•   New rules for the distribution of Premier League television income, overseas and domestic, including proposals that base one portion on performance over three years in the league
•   The abolition of the League Cup and the Community Shield
•   24 clubs each in the Championship, League One and League Two reducing the professional game overall from 92 clubs to 90
•   A women's professional league independent of the Premier League or the FA
•   Two sides automatically relegated from the Premier League every season and the top two Championship teams promoted. The 16th place Premier League club in a play-off tournament with the Championship’s third, fourth and fifth placed teams.
•   Financial fair play regulations in line with Uefa, and full access for Premier League executive to club accounts
•   A fan charter including capping of away tickets at £20, away travel subsidised, a focus on a return to safe standing, a minimum away allocation of eight per cent capacity
•   Later Premier League start in August to give greater scope for pre-season friendlies, and requirement for all clubs to compete once every five years in a summer Premier League tournament
•   Huge changes to loan system allowing clubs to have 15 players out on loan domestically at any one time and up to four at a single club in England

54

General Football & Sports / Favourite National Team Strip

« on: October 07, 2020, 10:09:58 PM »

Since 1966, I have loathed Argentina’s National Football team, albeit they have had some great teams and players.

But, I have to admit, I love their strip, especially there shirt for some reason

55

West Bromwich Albion FC / Optimist or Pessimist

« on: October 07, 2020, 09:15:37 PM »

Me, I love the Albion and will always want them to be successful and will remain positive about my attachment to the club whatever.

56

General Football & Sports / Who are and What defines A Top Side

« on: September 18, 2020, 02:09:54 PM »

As I, unintentionally, hi-jacked the Pre Match Chat thread with "define a top team" and the number of responses that were posted, I thought it might be appropriate if I were to make amends for going off the original topic and start this thread.

So, if the Mods think it's worthwhile to move posts from that thread to this to tidy things up or just to delete this thread, I'm comfortable with either.

So, based on my own opinion, forgetting some, but not all of past records etc. I think this season the "Top Teams" will be, in alphabetical order, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United

Many things define a top team, for me the crucial aspects are financial backing, manager, quality of the squad, and  fan base, hence my selection

57

General Football & Sports / Conor Gallagher (on loan from Chelsea)

« on: September 09, 2020, 05:26:03 PM »

Joseph Masi Twitter Account

Albion are very much in the race to sign Chelsea's Conor Gallagher on loan. https://expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2020/09/09/albion-hot-on-the-heels-of-gallagher-loan/

58

West Bromwich Albion FC / All Things Albion

« on: September 07, 2020, 06:09:04 PM »

West Bromwich Albion Twitter Account

We celebrated 120 Years At The Hawthorns last week.

We want to hear all of your favourite stories from our famous old ground. They will be featured in Albion News throughout the 2020/21 campaign

ps MOD's couldn't find an appropriate thread, so I created this. Move the post to an appropriate location (no not the waste bin, please) and delete the thread as you see fit.

59

West Bromwich Albion FC / David Button leaves Albion 8/8/23

« on: September 05, 2020, 10:12:29 AM »

We've signed experienced goalkeeper David Button on a two-year contract from Brighton

60

West Bromwich Albion FC / Mark Jenkins

« on: July 07, 2020, 10:53:27 AM »

"Slaven Bilic hails West Brom chief executive Mark Jenkins"

I have to say, I don't think he has done too badly during his tenure as CEO, he's made decisions that are unpopular with fans's, but that comes with the territory. And he made a decision not to be paid during lockdown, which has helped keep other employees in a job.

Source: https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2020/07/07/slaven-bilic-hails-west-brom-chief-executive-mark-jenkins/

61

General Football & Sports / Financial Fair Play Regulations

« on: June 22, 2020, 05:12:34 PM »

Swiss Ramble Twitter Account

"Last week UEFA announced a series of emergency changes to their Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations to “neutralise the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing clubs to adjust the break-even calculation for revenue shortfalls reported in 2020 and 2021.”"

Personally, I wont even try to suggest that I've read, understood or grasped any of what is in the length tweet from an account that Standaman first bought to our attention, well mine anyway, as I was hoping Stan or others with accounting or other knowledge of FFP could enlighten me / us laymen, persons 

Source: https://twitter.com/SwissRamble/status/1274957273664761856

62

General Football & Sports / Fan Ownership

« on: February 05, 2020, 06:09:05 PM »

I was thinking about our owner Lai Guochuan and his predecessor the inimitable, the one, the only, (did you like the build up?) JRP, both have come in for a more than their fair share of criticism over the years, some justifiable, some not so (all based on a fans perception and expectations, I suspect) and was wondering, would we, as a club, been better off with fans owning the club (how that would have been achieved I don't really know)?

Perhaps those with knowledge of such issues would give us laymen (laywomen, pc as ever) a more educated point of view.

Thank you in advance, I am really interested in your take and opinions

63

West Bromwich Albion FC / Lee Peltier - released and joins MIddlesbrough

« on: January 31, 2020, 05:18:20 PM »

Joseph Masi Twitter Account

"Breaking: I understand Albion are closing in on a move for Cardiff full-back Lee Peltier. Club want battle-hardened and experienced Championship players as back-up to help them over the line."

64

General Football & Sports / Heading the Football

« on: January 16, 2020, 06:38:23 PM »

Breaking News: The Scotland FA is banning heading the ball in training for Under 12’s

But should heading the football be banned altogether and at every level?

I can see the day when it will be banned and in my opinion, it will take something away from the game. But I’m not heading the football every day and taking the risk.

65

General Football & Sports / UEFA Euro 2020

« on: November 30, 2019, 06:25:35 PM »

The draw has been made and England will face Croatia, Czech Republic and a play off winner could be Scotland

66

West Bromwich Albion FC / Cheikh Diaby

« on: October 16, 2019, 07:15:50 PM »

Breaking: Albion have signed young French striker Cheikh Diaby on a deal until the end of the season with the option of a further year. The 19-year-old had been in talks with Valencia but a deal with the Spanish side fell through

67

West Bromwich Albion FC / Albion's History

« on: August 19, 2019, 06:22:11 PM »

I am and always have been fascinated by the proud history and traditions of our great club, West Bromwich Albion and I thought that that history and tradition deserved to be celebrated with its own thread that, hopefully, others will contribute to, probably by the older members, no offence meant to the younger contingent 

I thought I'd start the ball rolling with a look back at the occasions we have scored 100 goals or more in a season in all completions.

So, here we go:

The first occasion the Albion equalled or broke the 100 goal barrier was in the 1893-94 season, when Albion notched 106 goals.

66 Goals were scored in League Division One (today's Premier League), at that time there were only 16 teams in the division, playing 30 games, we finished 8th in the League with an average of 2.2 goals per game.

22 Goals were scored in the United Counties League, which was played in group match format. Albion reached the final and, after a replay, we went down 1-2 to Derby County, McLeod scoring for the Baggies.

2 Goals were scored in the FA Cup that year when we lost at home 2-3 to Blackburn Rovers, McLeod netting both goals for the Albion

13 Goals were scored in the Birmingham Cup, not sure how far we went in the competition that year, anyone else know?

2 Goals were scored in the Staffordshire Cup away to Walsall, where we lost 2-4 to the home side, Geddes and Neal sharing Albion's goals

1 Goal was scored in the Birmingham Charity Cup against Aston Villa, we lost 1-3, Pearson scoring for the Baggies

I stand corrected if there are errors in the above, I hope you enjoy this flavour of our great and proud club

68

General Football & Sports / Sky TV v BT v Amazon Prime

« on: July 03, 2019, 02:23:06 PM »

I’m hearing that Amazon Prime will be broadcasting 20 Premier League games live next season and that they have ALL the Boxing Day games live. Amazon don’t have a channel as I understand it, so will be streaming the games.

Could this be the beginning of the end of Sky Sports and BT as Amazon are a very aggressive and progressive company and could easily out bid both. Also Amazon Prime is a lot cheaper than Sky and BT, which is good news for the consumer, stay tuned!

Facebook are also interested in streaming Premier League games, they already own the streaming right of Premier League games into Asia. So, lots of competition, which icould be good news for us consumers.

Interesting times ahead I think.

69

General Football & Sports / Slaven Bilic

« on: June 13, 2019, 12:32:46 PM »

John Percy Twitter Account


 Slaven Bilic  is the new head coach of West Brom. 2 year deal. Announcement imminent

70

General Football & Sports / Reforming European Club Football

« on: June 08, 2019, 08:15:22 AM »

“What could reform of European club football mean for the game?”

And guess what this is all about, yep, you got it money for the bigger clubs

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48564613

71

General Football & Sports / Premier League 2

« on: May 18, 2019, 05:09:02 PM »

The financial cavern that exists between the Premier League and the Championship is what is killing clubs of our ilk imo. I think it is time for evolution or revolution, whichever term you prefer and is appropriate, and for there to be a Premier League 2 introduced to ensure footballs financial riches are more equitably distributed to wannabe clubs.

Clubs, in the Championship, have pressed the financial self destruct but in their attempts to reach the promised land, parachute money is not a sustainable answer in the long term to ensure financial stability and equilibrium. Had we been promoted this season, in my opinion, we would have come straight back down, of course with parachute money, which is finite and only delays the inevitable if you fail to get promoted in the first couple of years, unless you have sugar daddy owner of course.

The Premier league could be comprised of 18 clubs as could PL2, which would help to accommodate the big clubs fixture congestion when involved in European tournaments and also aid the England team.

I think this may contribute towards a more competitive and level playing field when it comes to the clubs involved in the leagues. I'm not suggesting for one minute that anything herein is that innovative, it's been muted many times before in footballing circles, surely we need change for the good of football at all levels and not just an elite band of clubs. I'm also not naive enough to think that the big clubs with the clout they have wouldn't resist having some of "their" richest redistributed.

To be honest, if we were in a PL2, had some financial security, were stable, winning games and challenging for promotion (2 up, 21 down) wit a reasonable chance of staying up, I'd be happy. There would not be a need for Parachute Payments, which could be considered a restraint of trade for other clubs in the division and do teams relegated from other divisions get Parachute Payments, I honestly don't know, but if not, is that fair?

I consider that a PL2 would prove beneficial to the elite clubs as well, particularly if concesiones / incentives were given to them to, lets say, screen their own home matches to subscribers, probably not going to happen, but hey, change is needed and lateral thinking. 

I'm sure there are countless objections to a PL2, some valid some not so. But one thing I'm sure of, we need change in football if clubs like the Albion are to have chance of thriving and surviving.

72

West Bromwich Albion FC / Everiss Dynasty

« on: April 17, 2019, 08:18:15 PM »

“Albion to honour Everiss family”

I wonder what these stalwarts of Albion and our proud history would make of the current incumbents.

Fred Everiss the longest serving manager in English Footballing history, I believe.

Source: https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/april/albion-to-honour-everiss-family/

73

West Bromwich Albion FC / Simon Carrington R.I.P.

« on: March 15, 2019, 04:31:17 PM »

Albion mourn loss of Club Secretary Simon Carrington

Simon Carrington R.I.P.

Source: https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/march/albion-mourn-loss-of-club-secretary-simon-carrington/

74

General Football & Sports / Paul Scholes Ex-Oldham Manager

« on: March 14, 2019, 05:12:17 PM »

“Paul Scholes: Former Manchester United and England midfielder leaves role as Oldham Athletic manager”

Scholesie anyone?

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47570578

75

General Football & Sports / Football Rule Changes

« on: February 22, 2019, 08:17:03 AM »

I thought it might be useful if we had a thread dedicated to advising forum members as and when there were changes in rules to the game.

Hand Ball

A new wording on the handball rule is set to be brought in by football's lawmakers and it "will significantly reduce the grey areas" around the offence. (Times - subscription required)