Association Football in The British Isles

[hannah]

I disagree. There was no serious rivalry before interleague play, and it has definitely intensified since then. Except for that brief moment in 2000, the teams' respective periods of success never really overlapped. Yankee fans openly rooted for the Mets in '86, and 2006 after the Yankees were knocked out. Obviously when two teams share a city the fans will have some competitive angst, but I don't think Mets fans hate the Yankees or their fans any more than the rest of the country.

But really, whether the fans get snippy with each other when they're out drinking is one thing. My main point was that a Mets win against a third opponent, even if it clinched a playoff series, would not ruin a Yankee fan's day and vice versa.

PS how could Yankee fans have 'always' condescended to the fans of a team that didn't even exist 'til a few years ago OHH!

I DISAGREE!

I hate the Yankees. And have since well before 2000.

[kyle]

Everton (racists + we never win there)

This is great.

eta: also, thanks for the detailed explanation!

Agreed!

[Ignatius]

Do you hate the Yankees more than jeb, hannah?

[hannah]

I'd say so! I mean, probably! I do hate them, yessir!

Jacob is an Indians fan, so he hates the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Braves, and the Marlins. He also hates the Phillies because his twin brother is now a Phillies fan, and obviously he has to hate whatever his twin brother likes. I certainly don't discourage his Phillie-hatred.

But I do think it's pretty weird to get all worked up about a team called the Indians, so there's that. Anyway, Nick's line that

Yes. I'm afraid that when it comes to football, I'm as narrow-minded, parochial and tribal as the next idiot.

is pretty awesome.

[Good Intentions]

I'm only joking about disliking everyone of course. I feel quite neutral towards Exeter, for example, and bear no serious ill will towards Aldershot, Chesterfield or Plymouth Argyle. But that could all change at any moment.

[Nick Ink]

Birmingham City are temporarily elevated to that top tier I mentioned. 

[Johnp]

Birmingham City are temporarily elevated to that top tier I mentioned. 

Only keeping said tier warm for West Brom, right?

Odds on a Joe Cole hat-trick on 20th??!!

[Nick Ink]

Birmingham City are temporarily elevated to that top tier I mentioned. 

Only keeping said tier warm for West Brom, right?

Odds on a Joe Cole hat-trick on 20th??!!

I still love Joe Cole though. I'm really surprised he hasn't done well at Liverpool. But of course, you're right - it's all a matter of timing.

[Thermofusion]

I'd say so! I mean, probably! I do hate them, yessir!

Jacob is an Indians fan, so he hates the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Braves, and the Marlins. He also hates the Phillies because his twin brother is now a Phillies fan, and obviously he has to hate whatever his twin brother likes. I certainly don't discourage his Phillie-hatred.

But I do think it's pretty weird to get all worked up about a team called the Indians, so there's that.

I'd like to think that rooting for small-market teams is a sign of character, especially in a sport as power-unbalanced as MLB.

[kyle]

I'd like to think that rooting for small-market teams is a sign of character, especially in a sport as power-unbalanced as MLB.

I suppose that's fair, but my father is a Yankees fan, and has been since the 60s when they were apparently terrible.

[Thermofusion]

The Yankees only won the World Series twice in the 1960s, so they were pretty terrible I guess. I do love the '60 Yankees, though, 'cause they got beat by the Pirates.

[Ignatius]

The late 60s Yankees were pretty bad. The Yankees were indeed terrible in the 60s if not throughout the entire decade.

My dad, who was born and lived for his first ten years in the Bronx, did not know that they held World Series without the Yankees until he was almost 11 in 1959.

[kyle]

So even it ended in a draw, the mid week derby produced this gem:

[kyle]

Holy christ did Barcelona completely dominate Real Madrid today. For anyone that doesn't know, this game is pretty much the high point of La Liga as every other team is expected to lose to the two powerhouses. Usually it's a high octane match from both sides with lots of emotion and energy...

except today only Barcelona showed up. 5 - 0. If you have a chance to catch the replay at any point I suggest you watch it as they basically put on a clinic. They looked like a soccer version of the Harlem Globetrotters or something. Just absolutely beautiful and precise soccer.

[Nick Ink]

Never mind all that - tonight saw West Ham beat Manchester United 4-0, our best result against them for 80 years, and the first time we've made the semi finals of the League Cup for 21 years. Both sides had weakened teams, but from about 10 minutes in we were ludicrously better than them all over the pitch. I do remember enjoying a West Ham that much, but not since the early 90s at least. 

[kyle]

I know that I'm talking to myself for the most part here, but ANOTHER big day in this sport that Nick Ink will highly appreciate.

After what has been more or less a slump of a season for West Ham United, they've gone on to knock Manchester United out of the Carling Cup with today's 4-0 victory.

Wow. Congrats to you and yours, Nick.

X-POST! hahaha

[Nick Ink]

I know that I'm talking to myself for the most part here, but ANOTHER big day in this sport that Nick Ink will highly appreciate.

After what has been more or less a slump of a season for West Ham United, they've gone on to knock Manchester United out of the Carling Cup with today's 4-0 victory.

Wow. Congrats to you and yours, Nick.

X-POST! hahaha

With our second string too! 

At the risk of overdoing things, we also had a goal disallowed and a stonewall penalty not given, so you could say Manchester United got off lucky.

[Johnp]

With our second string too! 

At the risk of overdoing things, we also had a goal disallowed and a stonewall penalty not given, so you could say Manchester United got off lucky.

Season saved?

[Nick Ink]

With our second string too! 

At the risk of overdoing things, we also had a goal disallowed and a stonewall penalty not given, so you could say Manchester United got off lucky.

Season saved?

Not quite, I don't think, but a lot of our problems are to do with confidence, so it could well be a tyurning point.

Funny thing is, we've only lost 2 out of the last 14. We've just been drawing too many, giving away leads, and failing to play well for the whole game at any time.
I still think we're in the 5 or 6 worst teams, but maybe we'll scramble out of the bottom 3.

[kyle]

I still think we're in the 5 or 6 worst teams, but maybe we'll scramble out of the bottom 3.

i don't think anyone wants to see West Ham drop out of the Premiere League. I'll be rooting for you this winter/spring.

[Ignatius]

Do all these Irish people in America like Tottenham just because of Robbie Keane and what can I say to make them feel sad?

[Johnp]

Do all these Irish people in America like Tottenham just because of Robbie Keane and what can I say to make them feel sad?

Say "Is Keane still with Spurs?"

[Ignatius]

So you think it's likely that they do indeed favor these false 'Spurs' because of him? My dad's girlfriend is from Ballinagh and because of Nick Ink I told her that of course all the London clubs but West Ham were garbage and she said 'but not Tottenham Hotspurs!' Meanwhile my brother who is not Irish but likes Irish things has supported them since about 2002 explicitly because of Robbie Keane. This is clearly not enough evidence to build a case but y'know... Is that a thing?

[Nick Ink]

Weird - I've certainly never heard of this before.

The demise of Robbie Keane as a player is a strange case. A couple of years ago, he was one of the top all-round strikers in the country, almost Rooneyesque, scoring prolifically for Tottenham, his goals a mixture of predatory tap-ins and skilfully crafted, longer, more extravagant shots. The tiresomely predictable upward suction of the Premier League inevitably led to him being signed by Liverpool, where he mouldered on his cabbagy arse for a few months, transformed, inexplicably, into a blundering parody of a professional footballer, before returning, nerves shot and confidence in tatters, to the by then resurgent Tottenham where he has never managed to reclaim either his place or his form.

[Ignatius]

Interesting! It is probably not a thing.

And your sport is strange to me and allows for differently structured athlete narratives than those with which I am familiar.