Football

[Sunny Saver]

What happened.. More importantly, were any Gooners injured in the making of the collision?

[anakin]

A player from each team collided mid air (headbutted) near the goal. Dutch guy landed face first - we saw him with a mouth full of grass (and later missing teeth). English guy looked to have a gash on his head. He was taken off on a stretcher but he was talking... not sure of the names, sorry. Will have a looksy...

[tilly]

My husband is jealous you have a season ticket as i know they are hard to find.

His friend b*ght one with his friend and even though he hardly goes, he won't give it up.

No tilly, even better, my friend and his son have a season ticket. His son is at Uni :). He was going to come home for Sunday's match, but due to the last few defeats and a long journey, he decided to watch it in a pub.

I've never seen Arsenal lose, so I told my friend to change the name on his son's season ticket to 'Sunny Saver'.

[anakin]

From the BBC about the collision: [spoiler]Klaas Jan Huntelaar ................... Unfortunately he also connects very hard with Chris Smalling and both players are down. There is a long delay at Wembley as both players are treated. Klaas Jan Huntelaar is back on his feet but has blood streaming from his nose. He heads down the tunnel as Chris Smalling remains laid out on the turf. A stretcher is called for the Manchester United man. Chris Smalling leaves the field on a stretcher and is replaced by Manchester United team-mate Phil Jones. We will get any news to you as soon as we can - that was a sickening clash of heads. Luuk De Jong is on for the stricken Klaas Jan Huntelaar as well.[/spoiler]

[Flabber]

From the BBC about the collision: [spoiler]Klaas Jan Huntelaar ................... Unfortunately he also connects very hard with Chris Smalling and both players are down. There is a long delay at Wembley as both players are treated. Klaas Jan Huntelaar is back on his feet but has blood streaming from his nose. He heads down the tunnel as Chris Smalling remains laid out on the turf. A stretcher is called for the Manchester United man. Chris Smalling leaves the field on a stretcher and is replaced by Manchester United team-mate Phil Jones. We will get any news to you as soon as we can - that was a sickening clash of heads. Luuk De Jong is on for the stricken Klaas Jan Huntelaar as well.[/spoiler]

Looked real nasty tbh...

[spoiler]Cracking goal though...[/spoiler]

[anakin]

[spoiler]As was the second English one![/spoiler]

[SteveDan]

Is it me but....since the advent of the transfer window have the number of administrations of clubs increased ??...As we sit here now Portsmouth, Port Vale and Rangers are in serious financial trouble. If they had the flexibility to "offload / transfer" players all season round this would inevitably help clubs finances in general....Cant the governing bodies see the folly of restricting transfers ? I am sure we arent the only country that have clubs with problems...

[Flabber]

Is it me but....since the advent of the transfer window have the number of administrations of clubs increased ??...As we sit here now Portsmouth, Port Vale and Rangers are in serious financial trouble. If they had the flexibility to "offload / transfer" players all season round this would inevitably help clubs finances in general....Cant the governing bodies see the folly of restricting transfers ? I am sure we arent the only country that have clubs with problems...

Don’t think it’s the transfer window as such, rather the feeling that those in charge believe that money can be made in football... and that higher spending = greater success. It may work for team like Man City but not when you’re spending money you don’t have. I’m not sure about the Port Vale situation but if you look at Pompey and Rangers, they were spending ludicrous amounts of money of players’ transfers and wages. I stand corrected but I believe that even now there are players at Pompey on ‘premier-league’ wages.

It’s just the administration seems have been done with little or no logic behind it. I mean if you’re in the Championship you shouldn’t have players earning 40-50K a week! And who ever was advising Rangers telling them that p*ying players wages through an offshore account would save them from the HMRC needs to get their facts straight.

There’s an interesting book out called Why England Lose (it’s a couple of years old) but it’s a fascinating incite into football from an alternate view… and quite accurate in some respects.

[SteveDan]

I think Portsmouth may also have relied on the parachute payments as well to keep some of their players on those wages

[Flabber]

I think Portsmouth may also have relied on the parachute payments as well to keep some of their players on those wages

Defies logic really... unless they thought that keeping them on those wages would guarantee promotion to the prem.

Oh, I heard on a podcast somewhere that apparently the payments were going directly to the previous owner...