Micky Mellon Sack Watch

[TheBigDog]

13 minutes ago, jsslatic said:

 

So what has changed except for the players out, players in, change in formation, improvement in professionalism and the fact we haven't immediately shit the bed having got into a playoff place?

What have the romans ever done for us?

[the_mighty_bosh]

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

You could do with getting some new material...

 

 

I agree.

 

There's nothing more annoying than posting repetitive contrary nonsense simply to get a rise out of fellow fans.

 

We really should stop, shouldn't we?

Edited Monday at 01:23 PM by the_mighty_bosh

[Guy Branston Pickle]

1 hour ago, JoeP said:

 

The mid-table Premier League teams might see qualifying for it as an indication of a good season, but it's the boobie prize for not qualifying for the Champions League really.  What that makes the Europa conference league, I'm not sure...

I would say most clubs outside the proper giants and their plastic fans would be delighted at getting into and progressing in that competition. As would many in the Conference League. I doubt West Ham fans found winning it "embarrassing". 

 

I'm not sure fans of a 5th division club with no success for almost 4 decades should be sneering at it really...

 

 

Edited Monday at 01:35 PM by Guy Branston Pickle

[JoeP]

1 hour ago, Guy Branston Pickle said:

I would say most clubs outside the proper giants and their plastic fans would be delighted at getting into and progressing in that competition. As would many in the Conference League. I doubt West Ham fans found winning it "embarrassing". 

 

I'm not sure fans of a 5th division club with no success for almost 4 decades should be sneering at it really...

 

 

 

No harm in a bit of sneering!  All the money and resources a mid-table Premier League side has and they celebrate winning a proper third-rate competition against part-timers.  I think that's pretty embarrassing. The European Cup used to just be for the Champions, then it became the top four, then the UEFA Cup for 5th/6th whatever.  The Conference League is for teams that just exist in a league, rather than having any genuine achievement...

 

It's like this National League Cup we're playing in.  Even after 33 years of nothing, I'm not that desperate for success that I'd want to win it.  We should have some dignity!

 

Edited Monday at 02:54 PM by JoeP

[Guy Branston Pickle]

1 hour ago, JoeP said:

 

No harm in a bit of sneering!  All the money and resources a mid-table Premier League side has and they celebrate winning a proper third-rate competition against part-timers.  I think that's pretty embarrassing. The European Cup used to just be for the Champions, then it became the top four, then the UEFA Cup for 5th/6th whatever.  The Conference League is for teams that just exist in a league, rather than having any genuine achievement...

 

It's like this National League Cup we're playing in.  Even after 33 years of nothing, I'm not that desperate for success that I'd want to win it.  We should have some dignity!

 

If Oldham win the league this year are our fans not allowed to celebrate? Only winning the 5th division against a bunch of part-timers, would be pretty embarrassing to celebrate that wouldn't it? Where does it end?

[JoeP]

11 minutes ago, Guy Branston Pickle said:

If Oldham win the league this year are our fans not allowed to celebrate? Only winning the 5th division against a bunch of part-timers, would be pretty embarrassing to celebrate that wouldn't it? Where does it end?

 

So you'd celebrate winning the National League trophy in the same way you'd celebrate winning the league?

 

Some trophies hold more prestige than others.  Oldham winning this or any other league would be one of the best days of my and a lot of other people's life.  Winning come crap cup competition against Premier League kids that's been thrown together at the Premier League's whim is not even on the same planet.

 

I think the Conference League is viewed in a similar way.  The UEFA Cup/Europa League has been completely devalued. For whatever reason, the powers that be have created a competition that's even lower than that.  You're in it for being average. You're not even good enough to be in a competition many teams don't want to be in!

[yarddog73]

Has he gone yet?.....

[Guy Branston Pickle]

15 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

So you'd celebrate winning the National League trophy in the same way you'd celebrate winning the league?

 

Some trophies hold more prestige than others.  Oldham winning this or any other league would be one of the best days of my and a lot of other people's life.  Winning come crap cup competition against Premier League kids that's been thrown together at the Premier League's whim is not even on the same planet.

 

I think the Conference League is viewed in a similar way.  The UEFA Cup/Europa League has been completely devalued. For whatever reason, the powers that be have created a competition that's even lower than that.  You're in it for being average. You're not even good enough to be in a competition many teams don't want to be in!

No. I'd probably celebrate Oldham winning a European trophy more than winning the National League though. 

 

Anyway, not sure how we ended up here. Daft discussion really 

Edited Monday at 04:36 PM by Guy Branston Pickle

[TwistingMyMellon]

The Anglo-Italian cup. Now that was a trophy worth winning.

[Guy Branston Pickle]

2 hours ago, TwistingMyMellon said:

The Anglo-Italian cup. Now that was a trophy worth winning.

Before my time but didn't Oldham play a couple of games over there? Genoa and Pescara maybe? 

 

Edit: Genoa and Ancona according to Google 

Edited Monday at 07:22 PM by Guy Branston Pickle

[TwistingMyMellon]

33 minutes ago, Guy Branston Pickle said:

Before my time but didn't Oldham play a couple of games over there? Genoa and Pescara maybe? 

 

Edit: Genoa and Ancona according to Google 

 

Not before my time but I didn't go to any of the games. Doesn't look like many Italians did either looking at the attendances. Yeah Ancona and Genoa away. Cesena and Perugia at home:

 

Results

 

 

Edited Monday at 07:57 PM by TwistingMyMellon

[Dave_Og]

3 minutes ago, TwistingMyMellon said:

 

Not before my time but I didn't go to any of the games. Doesn't look like many Italians did either looking at the attendances. Yeah Ancona and Genoa away. Cesena and Perugia at home:

 

Results

 

 

Ancona was boycotted by their fans, can't recall why. A large proportion of the attendance was the crew of a British naval ship that was there on a goodwill visit 

[Dickie Down]

Winning The Ford Sporting League did us no harm.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

1 hour ago, Guy Branston Pickle said:

Before my time but didn't Oldham play a couple of games over there? Genoa and Pescara maybe? 

 

Edit: Genoa and Ancona according to Google 

 

A little update on the clubs we played

 

Genoa - Most well known out of the four clubs we played. Promoted to Serie A soon after we played them away. A fixture in Serie A for years until they dropped to Serie B for a season in 2022 and then returned to the top flight a couple of seasons ago (with Sampdoria, their city rivals going the other way.

 

Ancona - Relegated from Serie B the year we played them, they had a fleeting resurgence bouncing up to Serie A in 2003. Was the worst campaign on record, didn't win their first 28 matches and finished with 13 points. Went bust in 2010 and two phoenix clubs rose. The only one remaining is U.S. Anconitana who are probably about our level in Italian football.

 

Perugia - Probably best known for the team that sacked their South Korean player who scored a golden goal against Italy in 2002 World Cup. They were promoted to Serie A the season we played them at home (w 2-0). Lasted 5-6 years before relegation, financial hardship and a new phoenix club. Float around Serie C nowadays.

Cesena - Yet another club that folded, this time in 2018. They've had a storming resurgence since, with three promotions in five years to take them to Serie B.

[Guy Branston Pickle]

46 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

 

A little update on the clubs we played

 

Genoa - Most well known out of the four clubs we played. Promoted to Serie A soon after we played them away. A fixture in Serie A for years until they dropped to Serie B for a season in 2022 and then returned to the top flight a couple of seasons ago (with Sampdoria, their city rivals going the other way.

 

Ancona - Relegated from Serie B the year we played them, they had a fleeting resurgence bouncing up to Serie A in 2003. Was the worst campaign on record, didn't win their first 28 matches and finished with 13 points. Went bust in 2010 and two phoenix clubs rose. The only one remaining is U.S. Anconitana who are probably about our level in Italian football.

 

Perugia - Probably best known for the team that sacked their South Korean player who scored a golden goal against Italy in 2002 World Cup. They were promoted to Serie A the season we played them at home (w 2-0). Lasted 5-6 years before relegation, financial hardship and a new phoenix club. Float around Serie C nowadays.

Cesena - Yet another club that folded, this time in 2018. They've had a storming resurgence since, with three promotions in five years to take them to Serie B.

Perugia had an unbeaten Serie A season in the early 80s, but finished second. Also briefly signed Colonel Gadaffi's son at one point one

[Monty Burns]

5 hours ago, Dickie Down said:

Winning The Ford Sporting League did us no harm.

that wasn't a seperate competition it was our league disciplinary form

[JoeP]

11 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

Ancona was boycotted by their fans, can't recall why. A large proportion of the attendance was the crew of a British naval ship that was there on a goodwill visit 

 

I think this was the Genoa game, excuse the pedantry. Fans protesting against the ownership.

 

90 minutes magazine put a photo in of the massive expansive stadium with about 200 Latics fans in one block.  Couldn't find it via Google, but came across this photo by @Diego_Sideburns of this parish..

 

 

[Dave_Og]

46 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

I think this was the Genoa game, excuse the pedantry. Fans protesting against the ownership.

 

90 minutes magazine put a photo in of the massive expansive stadium with about 200 Latics fans in one block.  Couldn't find it via Google, but came across this photo by @Diego_Sideburns of this parish..

 

 

I'm generally pleased these days if I can recall my name and where I live.  I'm quite happy to have been proved a bit right...

[Dickie Down]

7 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

that wasn't a seperate competition it was our league disciplinary form

And goalscoring.

[Only Blue]

9 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

that wasn't a seperate competition it was our league disciplinary form

Please , please let us call it a competition and that we won it!!!

 

We need this

 

[Scapegoat]

23 hours ago, JoeP said:

 

The mid-table Premier League teams might see qualifying for it as an indication of a good season, but it's the boobie prize for not qualifying for the Champions League really.  What that makes the Europa conference league, I'm not sure...

 

The Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

 

In some respects it's a half-way attempt at creating a European league.  The formats of the competitions now have a fixture (revenue) heavy league / group stage; and if you win the bottom one your qualify for the next level up (a sort of promotion).   So teams that would have a very slim chance of getting Top 4 could still make the CL through the Europa League - that is a carrot.

 

It also gives smaller teams a chance of winning a European trophy - just as the FA Vase, FA trophy etc do for lower league sides in England.  West Ham fans probably think that its a worthwhile process.

 

 

For teams that feel that they 'should' be in the CL - the EL and Conference League are seen as a distraction etc. - but for supporters of teams like Brighton, Forest, Brentford, West Ham etc its a chance of a final and a cup, and has validity.

 

 

The fact that TNS are in it doesn't mean its a crap competition (it just means that will get beaten a lot and knocked out after the league stage)

[JoeP]

1 hour ago, Scapegoat said:

 

 

For teams that feel that they 'should' be in the CL - the EL and Conference League are seen as a distraction etc. - but for supporters of teams like Brighton, Forest, Brentford, West Ham etc its a chance of a final and a cup, and has validity.

 

 

I'm not a fan of any of those clubs so I'm not sure what the fans' thoughts are but that lot could easily end up in a relegation battle, which could be jeopardised by playing too many cup competitions (much like some argue this National League trophy could effect our chance of promotion).

 

It's a trophy you get put into for being average.  Where does the line get drawn?  A European cup competition for everyone who finishes bottom of the league??

 

At least with the FA Trophy, we can say you won the cup when everyone at our level and below was involved.  Being in a recently-invented money-making competition for other mid-table sides that weren't good enough to qualify for two superior European cups at just doesn't seem to hold much gravitas...

 

Anyway as was said earlier - daft discussion, really.  Just an opinion.

[Diego_Sideburns]

5 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

I'm generally pleased these days if I can recall my name and where I live.  I'm quite happy to have been proved a bit right...

Not only a bit but proved completely right Dave.  Alan Hardy went to the ship in the afternoon and gave out match tickets to the crew, who swelled the vocals in support of Latics.

[Diego_Sideburns]

6 hours ago, JoeP said:

 

I think this was the Genoa game, excuse the pedantry. Fans protesting against the ownership.

 

90 minutes magazine put a photo in of the massive expansive stadium with about 200 Latics fans in one block.  Couldn't find it via Google, but came across this photo by @Diego_Sideburns of this parish..

 

 

Ancona pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/diego_sideburns/albums/72157638758637835/

 

 

[Scapegoat]

46 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

I'm not a fan of any of those clubs so I'm not sure what the fans' thoughts are but that lot could easily end up in a relegation battle, which could be jeopardised by playing too many cup competitions (much like some argue this National League trophy could effect our chance of promotion).

 

It's a trophy you get put into for being average.  Where does the line get drawn?  A European cup competition for everyone who finishes bottom of the league??

 

At least with the FA Trophy, we can say you won the cup when everyone at our level and below was involved.  Being in a recently-invented money-making competition for other mid-table sides that weren't good enough to qualify for two superior European cups at just doesn't seem to hold much gravitas...

 

Anyway as was said earlier - daft discussion, really.  Just an opinion.

 

Nothing wrong with a daft discussion IMO.

 

I think it's a delicate balance and I am not sure which side I am on - I was stating what I think the purpose of it was.

 

Historically there was always (at least in my lifetime of memory) 3 competitions - European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup-Winners Cup.  The changes have all been about 2 things IMO - one maximise the money by having more games; two ensure more clubs can rely on the income by increasing the number of teams that qualify.

 

Being a football supporter is in part that we have the dream of success....and the addition of more competitions, more teams qualifying or having a chance, means that 'dream' is more available to more supporters.

 

The introduction of the play-offs for promotion was one such change (Latics felt the pain of that in 86/87) - it doesn't necessarily reward the best teams, but it makes it more exciting for the supporters of more teams for longer in the season.

 

Without the FA Trophy etc, many supporters would never have the hope of seeing their team win a cup at Wembley.

 

 

The 'merit' of a FA Trophy, or a Conference League, of a team finishing 4th winning the Champions League - or even of a team finishing 7th getting promoted - is debatable and would never compare to winning a league, of the FA Cup etc.   But football is in the entertainment business, and it does make more games for more teams have something to play for.