The Football Thread

I couldn’t sleep last night , Cup final day and an early start as we head off to Wembley at 8.30am.
It still means the world to me this trophy :crossed_fingers:

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Have a good day Andy!

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Great day shame about the result oh well things can only get better!! ? :roll_eyes:

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Awful game to watch on telly. Both teams played at a walking pace. I’m guessing nobody wanted to get injured before the World Cup finals and as a result the game suffered. Saying that, both teams play a very negative style of football at the moment which is completely down to the managers and opposite to what is normal for these two. Just my opinion.

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I’ve been meaning to ask you, why St Pauli? Do you come from Hamburg? I studied there back in the early ‘90’s and lived in Bergedorf for a short time.

Well…It’s a long story, really…
The short answer is, no; I’ve yet to set foot on German soil, let alone Hamburg (there’s time…). I support FCSP for their political, ethical, moral stance, with football as a secondary consideration (which is probably a good job at the moment).

But, since you ask, the long version:

I grew up following Liverpool because my dad did (I say ‘following’, rather than ‘supporting’, as I’ve never really been one for going to matches, so most of what I saw was on TV). This was in the glory days (I was 8 in 1975) of 10 League titles in 15 seasons and 4 European Cups in 8 years (interrupted only by (get this!) Nottingham Forest (twice), Aston Villa and Hamburg)… of Dalglish, Souness, McDermott, Hughes, Heighway, Keegan (just typing the names sends a shiver down my spine). Then through the much more frustrating 90s (but they were still playing great football) with Fowler, Barnes, McManaman, Redknapp, on into the 2000s With Gerrard, Carragher, Hyypiä… For all the glory of the 70s and 80s and the great players of the 90s, that comeback in the 2005 Champions League Final is the football memory that almost brings me to tears.

I slowly started to lose interest over the following 10 years. The Premier League had held little interest for me since Blackburn Rovers (my hometown team and managed by Dalglish at the time) had won it; it was all becoming about ‘The Big Six’ and, even though Liverpool was one of them, it just became uninteresting; increasingly about money and just not something I could care about. Once Carragher and Gerrard had gone, I just stopped caring really; didn’t feel like I had an emotional attachment to the club any longer.

So…
I’d been aware of St Pauli as a ‘brand’ for many years from seeing it on cool T-shirts, caps and badges with the skull & crossbones, but didn’t even realise they were a football team; just thought it was a punky / biker thing…
I got seriously into The Gaslight Anthem in 2009 and started to think that the skull & crossbones banner that formed their stage backdrop looked kinda familiar… Then I saw a photo of Alex Rosamilia (their guitarist) wearing a St Pauli cap and made the connection. I Googled around and found out what they stand for as a club, and that was that, really…
I’ll happily support any team that is anti-fascist, anti-racism, anti-homophobia, anti-sexism, anti-discrimination, anti (as much as is pragmatically possible)-corporate involvement in football, whose fans go and pick up refugees and take them to see a match (amongst a great deal of other charitable work)…And, let’s face it, they come onto the pitch to ‘Hell’s Bells’ and have the skull & crossbones on their corner flags! What’s not to like? Apart from the football, obviously :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Also, there are quite strong links with Liverpool:
‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is pretty much their anthem, and they have a strong association with Glasgow Celtic (probably mostly as a reaction to Hamburg FC’s association with Rangers).

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Great insight, thanks. Like I said, I lived in Hamburg for a short time when I was a student and frequented many bars in the area where St Pauli play and always enjoyed the atmosphere. I vaguely remember learning about their ‘political’ status. For a time I did cast an eye on how they were doing but not for many years now.

Have you ever seen a match at Millerntor stadium?

Only on TV, Ulli. Like I say, I’ve never even been to Germany, let alone Hamburg.

Definitely preferred the original imho!

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Me too. I’m surprised there is still a market for this kind of thing. Seems very old school.

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I suppose the newer designs will appeal more to kids, which is what it’s all about, but agree. The old ones have a nice retro and individual feel to them. You just don’t see comic art like that anymore.

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heard today that the keeper of Liverpool has received death threats…come on,it’s just football !!!

:sunglasses:

And ex players slagging off the Manchester worker bee emblem (Used as respect for the Manchester bombing a year ago ).
Totally out of order.
YOU LOST!
like United and Motherwell did in a final the week previously.
Deal with it. . . . .

This is what puts me completely off football. Yeah, I’ll support Liverpool for the sake of my brothers and nephews, who are big fans, but can’t stand this kind of intense and immature tribalistic hatred that goes on between teams. It’s pathetic, and people need to grow up. They’re all as bad as each other Andy. - Some of the disgusting comments from Man U fans I’ve heard about Hillsborough at work over the years doesn’t bear repeating.

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Totally agree Paul.
"Always The Victims "
Liverpool fans seem to forget about The Munich disaster and Hysel unfortunately though.

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Like I said. I can’t side with anyone because they’re all as bad as each other.

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It’s a pity but that’s society isn’t it, every town and city has it’s scum low life element that drags it down.
No excuse.

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As you know my daughter is playing football
Today,she has a match against a team from Ukraine… :blush:

:sunglasses:

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