If he's good now, he's gonna play even better next season.

 

And will be able to play in CL! It sucks that Arsenal doesn't have him for those matches.

Keane appointed Ipswich manager

 

 

Roy Keane has been appointed manager of Championship side Ipswich Town.

 

The 37-year-old signed a two-year contract following the dismissal of Jim Magilton on Wednesday.

 

Keane has been out of work since December when he resigned as Sunderland manager having taken the club from the Championship to the Premier League.

 

"I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side," said Keane.

 

"The club's owner (Marcus Evans) and chief executive (Simon Clegg) impressed upon me their total focus on achieving this quest at the earliest opportunity and I can't wait to get started."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/8013572.stm

Ah fair do's.

 

but wasn't it just the other day, in fact just yesterday where he said the only thing stopping him from joining QPR was that he didn't see the point in joining a club at this stage of the season? :confused:

 

somebody's been telling the media porky pies...

Penalised Saints face relegation

 

 

Southampton have been effectively relegated after being docked 10 points by the Football League.

 

The ruling comes after Saints' parent company went into administration, though the club and administrators say they expect to launch an appeal.

 

Four points off safety with two games to go, Saints will lose 10 points if they stay up in the Championship.

 

And if they do not avoid finishing in the bottom three then the points penalty will take effect next season.

 

The south coast outfit had hoped to avoid the punishment as they argued that it was their parent company Southampton Leisure Holdings plc (SLH) which had gone into administration on 2 April - not the football club.

 

But a League investigation by "independent forensic accountants" found that the football club and SLH were "inextricably linked as one economic entity" and applied their mandatory penalty.

 

The League also found that: "The holding company has no income of its own; all revenue and expenditure is derived from the operation of Southampton Football Club and the associated stadium company.

 

"The holding company is solvent in its own right. It only becomes insolvent when account is taken of the position of Southampton football club and the other group companies."

 

The statement added that there was no alternative other than to invoke the 10-point penalty.

 

It was also revealed that the company commissioned to look into the matter reported that co-operation with them was withdrawn towards the end of their enquiries.

 

However, Mark Fry, joint administrator of SLH, insisted he was "shocked and extremely disappointed" with the League's decision to deduct points.

 

"The football club was not even aware that the investigation had been concluded," he told the BBC.

 

"We remain very firmly of the view that the rules do not apply, and that the Football League has stretched the rules to meet the circumstances. The football club is not in administration.

 

"The Football League is a members' organisation, and with any such body of that nature, you run the risk that if there is any grey area, they can interpret the rules as they see fit.

 

"I think they've interpreted the rules to suit the conclusion they wanted to reach.

 

"It is expected that an appeal will be launched."

 

BBC South Today's Tony Husband said: "It's been a blame game for the last four years at Southampton since they were relegated from the Premier League, with different sets of directors blaming each other.

 

"For many years, Southampton were held up as an example of a well-run club, but this is now a club on its knees."

 

Southampton are the fifth Football League team to be deducted points this season - Darlington entered administration, while Luton, Bournemouth and Rotherham were all penalised for coming out of administration without a Company Voluntary Agreement in place, as per the League's insolvency guidelines.

 

The punishment means Southampton are looking at life in English football's third tier for the first time in 50 years.

 

The 1976 FA Cup winners enjoyed a 27-year stay in the top flight before the club were relegated in 2005.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8014811.stm

Poor Southampton :(

 

Angie I feel sorry for you :(

 

Let's hope they manage to win the last 2 remaining games so that points penalty will kick in this year and not next-year, although as witnessed the football league will prob dock more points if that happens, by saying something like a piece of paper submitted wasn't filled in right

Saints boss 'pleaded with board'

 

Wotte is set to be a League One manager next season

 

Southampton manager Mark Wotte has told BBC Radio Solent he pleaded with board members not to place the club into administration a month ago.

 

Wotte said he requested club bosses delay the announcement until after the end of the season.

 

"They told me there is no way the club can be deducted 10 points," he said

 

Saints went into administration on 2 April and learned from the Football League on Thursday they face a 10-point penalty, relegating them to League One.

 

Wotte, who took charge at Southampton following the departure of Jan Poortvliet in January, said: "A month ago when I heard the club was going into administration I asked the people in charge not to do it now, wait for four weeks until the season is finished.

 

"They said, don't worry about the points penalty, because the lawyers have looked at it and there is no way we can be deducted 10 points."

 

Describing the feeling in the Southampton dressing room, Wotte added: "It was a very emotional afternoon yesterday.

 

"Everyone was devastated with the cruel decision of the League."

 

Four points off safety with two games to go, Saints will lose 10 points this season, if they gain enough points to stay in the Championship.

 

And if they do not avoid finishing in the bottom three then the points penalty will take effect next season.

 

Mark Fry, joint administrator of Saints' parent company Southampton Leisure Holdings insisted he was "shocked and extremely disappointed" with the League's decision to deduct points.

 

"We remain very firmly of the view that the rules do not apply, and that the Football League has stretched the rules to meet the circumstances.

 

"The football club is not in administration... It is expected that an appeal will be launched."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8016748.stm

 

Doesn't matter which end you tie to your neck and which end you tie to the Itchen Bridge Rupert, just get busy tieing! CUNT!

:lol:

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

For next weekend, comeon Reading and Sheffield United, if both win than birmingham will be kicked out of the automatic promotion spots, which is always a bonus.

Good point last night from newcastle :)

I hope Newcastle come back up from the relegation zone. It would suck to see Shearer's team be relegated in his first (though not full) season.

Pies at Morecambe FC 'are best'

 

Mr Dickinson says he will be having a pie-free summer

 

A football and pie fan has named the pies at Morecambe FC the best in England after sampling the offerings from 91 of the 92 football stadiums.

 

Tom Dickinson, 22, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, has only Bolton's pies to try but said the club would have to go a long way to take the accolade. The pie fan spent £3,000 and drove the equivalent of going to Australia and back since his task started in August. :stunned: Mr Dickinson said he was looking forward to "a pie-free summer".

 

Quality test

 

"I do like pies but I'm not obsessed," he said. "Some weeks I've had to go to six or seven games to get round all 92 stadiums and by the Wednesday I'm sick of the sight of them so I'm going to take a break from pies for a while." :sick:

 

The pie Mr Dickinson had at Morcambe's Christies Park Stadium was made by Russell Walsh of Potts Pies. "It was steak and came with mushy peas and gravy," he said. It was a freezing night so it did the trick." :thumbsup:

 

Mr Dickinson said that all of the 91 pies he has had so far had some quality to them. "It was at Walsall though where I wasn't so keen on the pie as it was cold in the centre but that might have just been the one I had." :thumbsdown:

 

To pay for his task, Mr Dickinson saved up last summer by gardening, teaching guitar and living with his parents in Harpenden. The avid football fan said he decided to tour the stadiums because he wanted to learn more about the clubs outside of the Premier and Championship leagues.

 

Mr Dickinson is now looking to turn his pie adventure into a book but he still has to eat his 92nd pie on 16 May when Bolton take on Hull.

 

Tom Dickinson's pie facts

 

• Chicken balti as well as steak and ale pies are the most popular fillings across the stadiums
  
• The average football pie costs £3 :o
  
• Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have the most expensive pies at more than £4 :shocked2:
  
• A good pie is piping hot with lots of sauce and good chunks of meat
  
• On average two pies a week need to be eaten to get round all 92 English stadiums in a season
  

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8024757.stm

Finally the answer to "Who ate all the pies?". :lol:

The trapdoor has started to open a bit wider for West Brom, if Hull win against Villa tomorrow than they need serious luck in winning their last 3 games and hope the teams above them don't pick up any points.

Doesn't look like it's going to happen. I think West Brom will go down.

 

And looks like Newcastle is heading that way too.

I really hope Newcastle go down !

It could be almost over next weekend if the results go against Newcastle.

A draw would be nice.

 

I can't really see Hull getting anything tonight. They'll play Stoke at home next week I think so they might pick up points there.

 

Looks like Sunderland are in deep trouble too.

I want Hull to stay up.

 

It's playoff time again in the lower leagues :D

has anyone played football manager 2009 !

just back from Burnley v Reading. Bikey, you're a prick!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8034388.stm

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylqz0a3ZQvk]YouTube - Burnley v Reading 1-0 play off 2008/2009[/ame]

 

Andre Bikey reacts theatrically to his red card

 

 

......aaaaaaaand its not the first time:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zzHcyIlEKs]YouTube - BIKEY CRAZY FOOL[/ame]

I am so happy

Someone seems pretty excited over the newcastle win. :P

 

but I'm glad they won today!

I am so happy

 

It was a wonderful win. :) Congrats.

I really hope Newcastle go down !

 

I hope someone shits on your face.

 

And Barca lose and Messi has another quiet game against an English team proving that he's not actually Jesus Christ.