g-owls

It would also benefit Wednesday if Norwich fail to beat Swansea at home AND Hull beat Ipswich on Saturday night. In that case Norwich would have to get at least a point at Birmingham. We also need Ipswich to win their game in hand if they lose at Hull. That would guarantee they’d go into the last game needing victory over Huddersfield. The simple reality though is two wins for Wednesday is enough. That’s got to be the focus for the players.

Let them have it, the same with the Premier League. As long as the regulator ensures that the money is distributed fairly down the pyramid for all the Non-League clubs then I’m all for it. Its no surprise that in your area clubs like Hallam have become more popular, and in my part of the country attendances at places such as Ilkeston and Hucknall are holding up really well. I’ve seen some great pictures from last night when Grantham fans traveled to play Sheffield FC and saw their team win. Let the rest of us get on with real football, without VAR, without players bleating and whingeing every five minutes. I’ve seen plenty of good games in the Non-League. The quality is far better these days, the vast majority of playing surfaces are also hugely improved and most importantly (for me anyway) is the fact that it’s real people giving up their time to run these clubs.

Doncaster currently winning again. It’s a remarkable run that could well take them all the way to League One. More remarkable is when I saw them lose 3-0 at Notts County on Boxing Day they were not only shocking but at the time about 18 points behind County.

Graeme Souness was talking on the radio yesterday about the game in his time and that of the current era. He made a good point when saying that at the top level in his playing days it was a one/two touch game. The human body hasn’t changed, just the levels of fitness and sports science. The top players of the 70’s and 80’s would still be top players now. Maradona would be nigh on unplayable. He was a tough cookie and was given some real rough treatment yet still had the ability to glide past players. Imagine him now in a era where players are protected far more..

The press, broadcasters and football authorities are very quick to point out that officials are not in anyway bias, but the same football authorities are asking those very same officials to declare which team they support. Either they fear it or they don’t?

Interesting regarding the VAR official at Everton today. This is from a Watford message board 14 years ago.

Forest will get fined for questioning VAR’s integrity and that will be that. Having seen the three incidents they talk about, they’ve got a point. To not get any of them awarded as a spot kick is remarkable.

A result of this decision could be one that hasn’t been mentioned yet. Lets say for instance that Lincoln City are drawn at home to Manchester United in Round Three. Lincoln in a good position in the league, the game is early January, they’ve had a busy Christmas period… United turn up, rest a few players but Lincoln, knowing the chance of a money spinner at Old Trafford is now totally off the table decide to rest a few themselves. They’ve made the money from TV, sold out their ground and had a bit of exposure for the weekend, but that’s all they can do. Lincoln might as well do the same as their Premier League opponents by playing some kids and concentrating on the league. This is dragging the value of the cup down even more. The only way it can ever get back to anything remotely important as it once was is if the winners were guaranteed a Champions League place, instead of the team finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Wrexham could beat them 10-0 and it won’t matter one bit..

Wrexham this, Wrexham that. Its got to the point whereby deserving champions Stockport are in the headlines as “Breaking Wrexham’s bid for the title” Last game of the season, is Wrexham v Stockport. They’ll be gutted if they have to give Stockport a guard of honour!

Strangest thing I’ve ever seen at Hillsborough would either be Kim Olsen, Ola Tidman or Guy Branston.

I once saw the Chuckle Brothers filming an episode of ChuckleVision at half time on the pitch at Millmoor.

I hope Southampton win all their games and go up with Ipswich. Leeds and Leicester to implode in the play-offs and someone like Preston sneak into 6th and go all the way.

County are ripping the pitch up at the end of the season and replacing it with a new hybrid surface. Despite it looking great there’s problems underneath regarding the soil content etc. The owners down there are slowly but surely bringing Forest’s little brother into the 21st century.

Simon Jordan loves Wednesday. He’ll never admit it as such, but it’s a club that he’s drawn towards.