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Is it an urn? Is it a plate? No, it's SUPERCUP!

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    Is it an urn? Is it a plate? No, it's SUPERCUP!

    Tomorrow's game will be the first major men's UEFA final officiated by an all-female refereeing team. They're the ones who did the women's World Cup final so not exactly novices, but I expect there will be plenty of extra scrutiny on both them, and the players' behaviour.

    I am probably in a tiny minority in enjoying the Suoer Cup. It normally seems to produce an open and free-scoring game, partly I suspect because of its place so early in the season, and perhaps as well because some managers, players (and fans) treat it as a bit of a friendly as well.

    #2
    Oh, and in other news, "footballers not all cunts" shocker.
    Beautiful moments between the Reds and children of the UEFA Foundation ❤️

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      #3
      Well, I'm looking forward to it. Sort of.

      I went to the 1998 game, Chelsea beating Real Madrid 1-0 in Monaco, but Chelsea's last two appearances haven't been so enjoyable for me, a thumping defeat by Atletico Madrid and an agonising injury time equaliser-penalty shoot-out defeat to Bayern.

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        #4
        Despite the disappointments of June 1st, I'll probably watch it.

        Props for the header.

        (Edit: I gather that the officiating team is all-female, which is also a good thing.)
        Last edited by Jah Womble; 14-08-2019, 09:22.

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          #5
          Much appreciation for the thread title

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            #6
            I was lucky enough to be at Pittodrie on the 20th December 1983 to watch Neil Simpson and Mark McGhee of Aberdeen score in a 2-0 win over Hamburg in the second leg of the Super Cup Final,following a 0-0 draw in Germany the month before.

            Aberdeen are the only Scottish team to have won the Super Cup and in all likelihood another Scottish will never get close to equalling this feat given the TV money madness and given UEFA's pandering to the big clubs and the big leagues.

            1983, what a year, beating Bayern Munich, then Real Madrid to win the Cup Winners Cup and then winning the Super Cup. As I'm writing this, I'm wondering, did that really happen or was I and am I dreaming.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
              Oh, and in other news, "footballers not all cunts" shocker.
              Surely most footballers are just as grand as any other group of people? There's a lot more interviews with players than there used to be, and modern footballers seem like beacons of normality and seem generally well adjusted compared to two specific groups. The Golden Generation and the Calss of 92. Those people are all very strange. (never forget that Robbie Savage is part of the class of 92). The most common complaint about modern footballers seems to be that they spend almost as much time playing computer games as Andrea pirlo and alessandro Nesta.

              This interview is quite nteresting in a number of respects. Firstly you can see that marcus rashford is simultaneously thoughtful and quite dull. what he says isn't enormously interesting, but it's the way that he talks about football that is kind of interesting. He talks about playing in different positions in terms of the various responsibilities of the position, and about interchanging with other players. This isn't really how football is talked about, particularly by pundits. (also pay careful attention to his response to mourinho's comments)

              This longer series of interviews that Jamie Carragher has with TAA is quite interesting. Again he comes across as a bit dull, but his answers are all thoughtful and coherent. I don't mean that he can string three words together, I mean that there is no contradiction between any of his statements, they aren't just random statements of jargon, or cliches. He just answers the question he is asked, like an adult being asked to explain aspects of their job. the contrast in personality and outlook between Carragher and Arnold is absolutely enormous. Whereas trent alexander arnold and rashford seem to view things quite similarly.
              Last edited by The Awesome Berbaslug!!!; 14-08-2019, 16:38.

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                #8
                I went to the Supercup a couple of years ago in Skopje and it was one of the best trips I've been on.

                We flew to Sofia as it was miles cheaper than going straight to Skopje. A mate used some car-share website and sorted us a lift from Sofia to Skopje from a biochemist who happened to be driving that way, but that was in the morning, so we found a cheap hostel and went out for a couple of quiet beers. The same guy who sorted the lift found us a bar. "It's cheap and has great reviews..." was the promise he made. It was down a back alley in a residential area, miles from nowhere. The door was barely marked, and it led down some stairs. All four of us piled in, and save for the barman and a man slumped asleep on the bar, we were the only ones there.

                The walls were absolutely plastered in Liverpool posters and flags. My mate had found us a Liverpool fan bar in the middle of Sofia. Apparently the owner had been a fan since 1981, when Liverpool played Sofia in the European Cup. I can remember turning to my mate and saying "This actually couldn't be any worse, could it?"

                Then I went to the toilet. As I closed the door behind me I saw a 3ft swastika painted on the door. A further examination of stickers in the bar found white pride, anti-LGBT and other nasty, right wing messages. Not only had my mate found us Sofia's only Liverpool fan bar, he'd found us Sofia's only Nazi Liverpool fan bar.

                We made a hasty exit past a few groups of bomber jacket and doc marten wearing skinheads. It was dicey as fuck.

                Skopje itself was beautiful, if possibly the hottest place I've been. Beer is cheap, and we sweated so much I don't think I had to go to the toilet once. What a delightful equilibrium. I don't think the people could have been more friendly. There's a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol after 9pm in shops. It was my birthday and I wanted a few beers at the air bnb post match (£27 between four of us for the night). I stumbled into a hostel a bit down the road and asked if they sold beers. They didn't, but the owner told me to get in his car he'd take me somewhere. He drove me 15 minutes down the road to a shop owned by his mate. They closed the shop, made sure no one could get in, then sold me four large bottles of beer for next to fuck all. The hostel owner drove me back and refused petrol money. He just made me promise that next time I'm in Skopje I'll stay at his hostel.

                I don't remember much of the match, except from a foul throw from Lukaku that made me so angry I've never really recovered. Valencia knocked the ball past Marcelo and steamed past him on the other side. It was my first game back after FC United and I don't recall seeing anything like it in years. Weirdly there were loads of Inter fans outside one of the hotels we were drinking in. Zanetti was doing TV over there, and they were serenading him. God, they really loved him. It must be the hair. He always had impeccable hair, not like that council haircut fraud Messi.

                My mate, the Nazi bar enthusiast, was probably tipping 30 stone back then, though he's lost a fair chunk at slimming world since then. He sweated so much his shorts literally disintegrated. They just fell apart the night before we were meant to fly back. Disappeared into the wind as if Thanos had clicked his fingers. It's difficult getting a pair of shorts for a 30 stone man at 10 o'clock at night in Skopje, so he just gaffer taped himself up. Fashioned a pair out of tape he found under the sink in the air bnb. He had to go through security at the airport wearing a black tape nappy. His missus's face when she picked him up at the airport. Marvellous.

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                  #9
                  This is the kind of content I expect in your next book.

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                    #10
                    There's a book out already? Salivating

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                      #11
                      Yes, well.

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                        #12
                        This is going one way. Not interested in the sex tourist's* "insight" so it's on mute.

                        *I call him this since his appearances on ITV for the 2014 World Cup when he dressed like a sex tourist. No other reason.

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                          #13
                          Who's that? It's fuckin Souness the Tory cunt at half time in Ireland. And Niall Quinn the sanctimonious Sunderland destroying satellite phone shilling shite.
                          Last edited by Lang Spoon; 14-08-2019, 20:02.

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                            #14
                            I shall not name names but he was previously not a fan of the reincarnated*.

                            *Or "Disabled". His word.

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                              #15
                              YES.

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                                #16
                                Slightly more interesting than the Champions League final...

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                                  #17
                                  Still shit on a stick, mind.

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                                    #18
                                    Was that fuck a penalty.

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                                      #19
                                      Yeah, bit weird. They must have had a different angle.

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                                        #20
                                        That angle being one that made it look like a penalty, despite the fact it wasn't.

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                                          #21
                                          Yeah. Poor decision from the VAR crew.

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                                            #22
                                            What a waste of an evening this game is.

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                                              #23
                                              I've got cramp watching it.

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                                                #24
                                                It's giving me the shits.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Yay penalties!

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