Sunday, 29 March 2020

Time Wasting

At least another month (probably longer) before we get any more football 😕
Hope everyone is well, my corona symptoms came and went (or it might have just been flu?) although I did get through 2 bottles of Cavonia cough medicine for that really annoying persistant dry cough when I usually never touch medicines, and that appears to be classic Corona symptoms?
Wife out of hospital with her non Corona problems, but now on a cocktail of drugs every day.

Anyway lots of time on my hands to catch up on music, films and other less important stuff 😆
I've now got over 1,300 football songs in the collection (95% pretty awful), when I started this blog there was an intention to post footy related music here, but music sharing was always a problem when I used to do it back in the day because hosting companies were always shutting down or demanding payments, and the ever present threat of having the blog shutdown because somebody didn't want me to share a song that hardly anyone bought when it was in the shops?
Also there are a few blogs/websites that do a nice collection already, see 45 Football and Football and Music .

Actually sat and watched the 1966 World Cup Final again, hadn't seen it in a lot of years 😁
One thought at the end was considering the fuss over our third goal which was probably justified as I reckon current goal line technology would have ruled it out, nobody seems to mention that West Germany's last minute equaliser in normal time was offside? considering the offside rule was a lot simpler back then with no first phase, second phase, was the player interfering etc.
The linesman was clearly flagging but nothing was made of it?


Everybody stay well, will most likely be back with something to fill my day and keep this blog ticking over in the next week 😃


Friday, 20 March 2020

Stir Crazy

At least another 6 weeks without football to take our minds of all the doom and gloom.
Might have to start all that decorating I've been putting off for years.

Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Virus

Well I guess we're on hold for the forseeable future?
Officialy games will restart on the 4th April but I guess that is unlikely.
The 2020 Euros and Copa America have been put back to next year, so possibly the season could be extended into June or July if and when it restarts.
Although as I'm leading the predictions table I would be happy if they cancelled the rest of the season 😆
Stay safe everyone.

Thursday, 12 March 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 30)

10 games scheduled for this week, 7 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and one Monday.
I'm guessing this could be subject to change due to the Pandemic, with Arsenal players "self isolating" and Wolves and Man U flying into Europe today?
If the games happen it's mostly about the relegation battles, Norwich getting into the "must win" stage of the season, Bournemouth, Brighton and West Ham need to take 3 points from Winnable home games, and tough games for Villa and Watford.
Near the top another Mourinho derby looks like an easy win for Man U with Tottenham falling apart, and Monday is the scouse derby which if Everton play like they did last week will give "super Adrian" a break from facing shots 🤩

I'm quite liking a few comments from managers this week that health is more important, and the league should be scrapped this season and replayed when the crisis is over, obviously Liverpool supporters disagree hahaha 😁

Watford v Leicester
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace
Brighton v Arsenal
Man City v Burnley
Newcastle v Sheff Utd
Norwich v Southampton
Aston Villa v Chelsea
West Ham v Wolves
Tottenham v Man Utd
Everton v Liverpool

Good Luck All  😀

* All games postponed *

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 29)

Bonus game this week, 11 matches in all.
7 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday, 1 on Monday and a re-arranged game on Wednesday.

Tough week for the teams fighting relegation with the bottom 7 all away from home.
If Liverpool drop points to Bournemouth they really are having a wobble :)

Liverpool v Bournemouth
Arsenal v West Ham
Crystal Palace v Watford
Sheff Utd v Norwich
Southampton v Newcastle
Wolves v Brighton
Burnley v Tottenham
Chelsea v Everton
Man Utd v Man City
Leicester v Aston Villa
Man City v Arsenal

Good Luck All  😃

Wednesday, 26 February 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 28) + F.A Cup Predictions (Part 3)

Just to confuse you, this weeks predictions take in 3 competitions.
The Premier league predictions include 8 games and the League Cup Final.

Premier games are spread over 3 days, starting on Friday plus 5 games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.
The Aston Villa v Sheff Utd and Man City v Arsenal games have been postponed due to the League Cup Final.

So the Week 28 games are these:

Norwich v Leicester

Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v Chelsea
Newcastle v Burnley
West Ham v Southampton
Watford v Liverpool

Everton v Man Utd
Tottenham v Wolves
Aston Villa v Man City (LCF)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Totally separate is the F.A Cup Predictions (Part 3)  🏆

Games on Monday (1), Tuesday (3), Wednesday (3) and Thursday(1).
Usual cup rules apply - 90 minute score not including Extra time or Penalties.

Portsmouth v Arsenal
Chelsea v Liverpool
Reading v Sheff Utd
West Brom v Newcastle
Leicester v Birmingham
Sheff Wed v Man City
Tottenham v Norwich
Derby v Man Utd

Good Luck All  😃

Thursday, 20 February 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 27)

For a change it's a "normal" week, with 6 games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday and one Monday.
Chelsea v Tottenham throws up the most interest with Mourinho v Lampard, Chelsea needing to rest players for Tuesdays Euro game and Tottenham having no strikers in the 4th/5th place battle.
Man City go to Leicester in the 2nd/3rd place battle.
In the relegation battle the bottom six are all away from home with tough games.
I guess West Ham will be about 100/1 to get any points (might be worth throwing a few pennies on the miracle? 🤯).

Chelsea v Tottenham
Burnley v Bournemouth
Crystal Palace v Newcastle
Sheff Utd v Brighton
Southampton v Aston Villa
Leicester v Man City

Man Utd v Watford
Wolves v Norwich
Arsenal v Everton
Liverpool v West Ham

Good Luck All  😃

Wednesday, 5 February 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 26)

A long winded affair this time due to the new "winter break", so the games are spread over 10 days.
The first 4 games are this weekend, Saturday and Sunday the 8th and 9th.
The rest run from Friday 14th till Monday the 17th. + Wednesday the 19th.

Everton v Crystal Palace
Brighton v Watford
Sheff Utd v Bournemouth
Man City v West Ham - Postponed

Wolves v Leicester
Southampton v Burnley
Norwich v Liverpool
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Arsenal v Newcastle
Chelsea v Man Utd

Man City v West Ham

Good Luck All  😃

Post when you like, just make sure it's before the kick off's

Updated

A West Ham Post

Just posting my thoughts 😕
West Ham's under 21's (or second XI) are top of Premier League 2 with 12 wins and 3 draws from their 15 games while scoring 48 goals in the process.
In all competitions they have 79 goals in 28 games.
Top Goalscorers - Anthony Scully 18, Nathan Holland 17, Dan Kemp 13, Joe Powell 9.

So what do we do in January? we either loan them out or give them away.

Anthony Scully (Ireland U21 International) - Permanent move to Lincoln
Conor Coventry (Ireland U21 International) - Loan to Lincoln
Dan Kemp (scored against League opposition) - Loan to Stevenage
Joe Powell (U21 Captain, scored against League opposition) - Permanent move to Burton
Kai Corbett (Under 18 talent, scored against League opposition) - Permanent move to Man Utd
Martin Samuelsen (Norway Full International) - Permanent move to Hull
Nathan Holland (England U19 International) - Loan to Oxford

Added to these earlier in the season
Ajibola Alese (England U17 International) - Loan to Acrington
Grady Diangana (England U21 International) - Loan to West Brom
Jordan Hugill (£9m Signing) - Loan to QPR
Josh Cullen (Ireland Full International) - Loan to Charlton
Nathan Trott (England U21 International) - Loan to Wimbledon
Sead Haksabanovic (Montenegro Full International) - Loan to Norrkoping

Meanwhile teams like Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Southampton etc. give youth a chance.
But we get rid of ours and  hang on to players like Sanchez?

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

January Transfers

The January transfer list, not too much spent (in football terms) this time.
Premier teams spent £236m with only 3 players signed for over £20m.

Main transfers (In)
Bruno Fernandes [Sporting Lisbon - Man Utd] £49.5m
Giovani Lo Celso [Real Betis - Tottenham] £27.2m
Steven Bergwijn [PSV Eindhoven - Tottenham] £27m
Sander Berge [Genk - Sheff Utd] £19.35m
Jarrod Bowen [Hull to West Ham] £19.17m
Daniel Podence [Olympiakos - Wolves] £17.64m
Mbwana Samatta [Genk - Aston Villa] £9.45m
Josh Brownhill [Bristol City - Burnley] £9m
Takumi Minamino [R B Salzburg - Liverpool] £7.65m
Ignacio Pussetto [Udinese - Watford] £7.2m

Main transfers (out)
Christian Eriksen [Tottenham - Inter Milan] £18m
Ivan Cavaleiro [Wolves - Fulham] £10.62m
Uriel Antuna [Man City - Chivas] £8.91m
Michael Hector [Chelsea - Fulham] £5.31m

Most spent - Tottenham £58.25m, Man Utd £49.5m
Most received - Tottenham £19.8m, Wolves £13.32m
Most players in - Aston Villa 5, Sheff Utd 5
Most players out - Wolves 14, Chelsea 10, Norwich 10, Tottenham 10


Tables And Fantasy Football

Table Updates

Overdue update of the current positions in the Fantasy footy leagues and the full predictions table.

NBTF Predictions League


Fantasy Premier League 

Liverpool fan Mike doing pretty well but I'm hanging on.


Telegraph Fantasy Football

I'm finally starting to get somwhere in this after a really rough start, Mike was ruling it but Colin has come up on the rails.
The league of leagues is really weird this season with the perennial winners FISO dropping as low as 90th in the table and even now outside the top 10.


Telegraph Fantasy Football European Super League

Doing well in this with the NBTF League sitting 15th and 7 teams in the top 1000, would possibly be higher but as the score is based on the 5 highest scoring players only 4 of us are doing well.
The others seem to have given up :(


Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 25)

The extended week is finally over and it's back to a bit of normality for one week at least.
8 games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.
Title is over so only things left to fight for are 5th place and 6 teams battling relegation.
West ham have their last winnable game before April so need 3 points against Brighton, Villa v Bournemouth is another 6 pointer.
Watford play Everton and 3 points could take them 15th so it's getting tight.

Leicester v Chelsea
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Sheff Utd
Liverpool v Southampton
Newcastle v Norwich
Watford v Everton
West Ham v Brighton
Man Utd v Wolves
Burnley v Arsenal
Tottenham v Man City

Good Luck All  😃

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

F.A Cup Predictions 2020 (Part 2)

Right in the middle of a Premier league week here's part 2 of the F.A Cup competition. 🏆
F.A Cup 4th Round - 16 ties played over 4 days.
2 games on Friday, 10 on Saturday, 3 on Friday and 1 on Monday.

Northampton v Derby
QPR v Sheff Wed
Brentford v Leicester
Burnley v Norwich
Coventry v Birmingham
Millwall v Sheff Utd
Newcastle v Oxford
Portsmouth v Barnsley
Reading v Cardiff
Southampton v Tottenham
West Ham v West Brom
Hull v Chelsea
Man City v Fulham
Tranmere v Man Utd
Shrewsbury v Liverpool
Bournemouth v Arsenal

Scores after 90 minutes only (not including extra time and penalties).
Not including replays only first matches.


Good Luck All  😃

Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 23 and 24)

Right the plan here is to confuse you all with an extended double week (blame the Premier League) 😕
First up, Week 23 to be played Saturday 18th (8 games) and Sunday 19th (2 games).

Big game here is the Liverpool v Man U return, United the only team to take points off them this season, form says it will be an easy home win but you never know 😆
The bottom 2 face off with Bournemouth dropping like a stone.
West Ham have solved their injured goalkeeper problem by signing an injured goalie?

Watford v Tottenham
Arsenal v Sheff Utd
Brighton v Aston Villa
Man City v Crystal Palace
Norwich v Bournemouth
Southampton v Wolves
West Ham v Everton
Newcastle v Chelsea

Burnley v Leicester
Liverpool v Man Utd
----------------------------------------------------------

Next, Week 24 with 11 games - to be played on Tuesday 21st (6 games), Wednesday 22nd (3 games), Thursday 23rd (1 game) and Wednesday 29th (1 game).

The West Ham v Liverpool re-arranged game has been added to the following week, so it was either start Week 25 early or have Week 24 over run which seemed easier. Hopefully 3 defeats on the spin for Liverpool might bring some life back into the title race (2 chances of that - fat and none)  😒.
Man City will have to be at their best to avoid losing their title by the end of March.

Aston Villa v Watford
Bournemouth v Brighton
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Everton v Newcastle
Sheff Utd v Man City
Chelsea v Arsenal

Leicester v West Ham
Tottenham v Norwich
Man Utd v Burnley

Wolves v Liverpool

West Ham v Liverpool
----------------------------------------------------------

Just to complicate things even more I will be posting the latest round of F.A Cup games in the middle of second week, even though the Watford v Tranmere replay isn't due to be played until Thursday 23rd.

Good Luck All  😃

Thursday, 9 January 2020

Premier Predictions (Week 22)

Early start again this week. 🙄
West Ham go to Bramall Lane on Friday night plus 7 Games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

Sheff Utd v West Ham
Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Chelsea v Burnley
Everton v Brighton
Leicester v Southampton
Man Utd v Norwich
Wolves v Newcastle
Tottenham v Liverpool
Bournemouth v Watford
Aston Villa v Man City

Good Luck All  😃

Thursday, 2 January 2020

F.A Cup Predictions 2020 (Part 1)

 🏆  ⚽  🏆
It's time again for a break from the Premier League for a week,
Season no.5 of the NBTF F.A Cup predictions Competition. 
Rules - 3 points for a correct score, 1 point for a correct result.
Scores after 90 minutes only (not including extra time and penalties).
Not including replays only first matches.


Round 3 x 32 games, Round 4 x 16 games etc, So a total of 63 games.
Winner will be whoever scores the most at the end.

Part 1 - 32 Matches starts Saturday through to Monday 4th Jan to 6th Jan
Part 2 - 16 Matches around the Weekend of 25th Jan
Part 3 - 8 Matches around the Weekend of 7th March
Part 4 - 4 Matches around the Weekend of 21st March
Part 5 - 2 Matches around the Weekend of 18th April
Part 6 - Final on my Birthday 23rd May 😁 🎂

Here are the games (Copy & Paste advised), 20 on Saturday, 11 Sunday and 1 Monday.
Note: all games kick off one minute late so fans can "Take a Minute"

Birmingham v Blackburn
Bristol City v Shrewsbury
Burnley v Peterborough
Millwall v Newport
Rochdale v Newcastle
Rotherham v Hull
Brentford v Stoke
Brighton v Sheff Wed
Cardiff v Carlisle
Fulham v Aston Villa
Oxford v Hartlepool
Preston v Norwich
Reading v Blackpool
Southampton v Huddersfield
Watford v Tranmere
Bournemouth v Luton
Fleetwood v Portsmouth
Leicester v Wigan
Man City v Port Vale
Wolves v Man Utd

Bristol Rovers v Coventry
Burton v Northampton
Charlton v West Brom
Chelsea v Nottingham F
Crewe v Barnsley
Crystal Palace v Derby
Middlesbrough v Tottenham
QPR v Swansea
Sheff Utd v AFC Fylde
Liverpool v Everton
Gillingham v West Ham

Arsenal v Leeds

Good Luck All  😃

Monday, 23 December 2019

Premier Predictions (Week 19 + 20 + 21) Xmas Special

🎄 Christmas special offer - Here we go 3 weeks for the price of one. 🎄
Game weeks 19, 20 and 21 all to be played over 8 days.

Highlight probably Leicester v Liverpool on Boxing day, hopefully Leicester will go all out for a win and be knackered on Saturday 😆
With the improvement of Watford, Norwich and Southampton no games look easy to predict, except maybe the Villa games as they look really poor recently and have just lost one of their best players McGinn.

Week 19 (9 games Thursday 26/12/19, 1 game Friday 27/12/19) First kick off 12:30.

Tottenham v Brighton
Aston Villa v Norwich
Bournemouth v Arsenal
Chelsea v Southampton
Crystal Palace v West Ham
Everton v Burnley
Sheff Utd v Watford
Man Utd v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Wolves v Man City
--------------------------
Week 20 (7 games Saturday 28/12/19, 3 games Sunday 29/12/19) First kick off 12:30.

Brighton v Bournemouth
Newcastle v Everton
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Watford v Aston Villa
Norwich v Tottenham
West Ham v Leicester
Burnley v Man Utd
Arsenal v Chelsea
Liverpool v Wolves
Man City v Sheff Utd
--------------------------

Week 21 (9 games Wednesday 01/01/20, 1 game Thursday 02/01/20) First kick off again at 12:30. 

Brighton v Chelsea
Burnley v Aston Villa
Newcastle v Leicester
Southampton v Tottenham
Watford v Wolves
Man City v Everton
Norwich v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Bournemouth
Arsenal v Man Utd
Liverpool v Sheff Utd
--------------------------

Good Luck and a Merry Christmas again to all  🎅  🎄  🍷 🏂  📺 🎈 🐧  🎁   🎅

Usual rules, post before kick off and do them all if you're having a full on Christmas  🍻  🎉

🏆 ⚽ 🏆 Cup special coming later next week .... He's gone Emoji Mad  ⚒️

Saturday, 21 December 2019

R.I.P Martin Peters

Sadly Martin Peters died today aged 76.
One of the 3 Hammers to play in the 1966 World Cup win, scored the 2nd goal which would have been the winner if Germany hadn't equalised in the last minute.
Never actually saw him play for West Ham and was disappointed when he signed for Tottenham in 1970.
Did see him play in the flesh a few times for Tottenham and Norwich.


Friday, 20 December 2019

Premier Predictions (Week 18)

Last round of games before Christmas, 7 games Saturday and 2 on Sunday and one not happening (West Ham v Liverpool has been postponed while Liverpool are off on their Jolly in Qatar).
Good news for Liverpool is their leading challengers play each other, so more points dropped.
Mourinho's Tottenham play Lampard's Chelsea which could be good, and a battle of the temporary managers for Duncan Ferguson and Freddie Ljunberg.

Everton v Arsenal
Aston Villa v Southampton
Bournemouth v Burnley
Brighton v Sheff Utd
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Norwich v Wolves
West Ham v Liverpool (Postponed)
Man City v Leicester

Watford v Man Utd
Tottenham v Chelsea

Good Luck All, and Merry Christmas 😃

Mega Christmas week post coming soon 🎄 🎅  🍻  🥳 🍺  🎅 🎄

Thursday, 12 December 2019

Premier Predictions (Week 17)

Busy week for Liverpool with Saturday's early kick off against bottom team Watford, the Caribou Cup at Villa on Tuesday and off to Qatar to play either Monterrey or Al-Sadd on Wednesday plus another game on Saturday in Qatar.
They duck West Ham next week although I think the kids should play that one as well (to help Liverpool's fixture congestion of course) 🤣
Leicester and Chelsea should win and Man City will probably take their chances against Arsenal (unlike us).
Oh! and there's a relegation 6 pointer at the New Dell  😔
6 games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday and the M23 derby on Monday.

Liverpool v Watford
Burnley v Newcastle
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Leicester v Norwich
Sheff Utd v Aston Villa
Southampton v West Ham
Man Utd v Everton
Wolves v Tottenham
Arsenal v Man City
Crystal Palace v Brighton

Good Luck All  😃