The play-offs thread!

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all i will say about the play-offs is that i will be cheering sunderland on in the ist division ones because of their many irish connections, and that i hope they see sense and play sean thornton.

now, tell me how the play-offs are shaping up from your perspective...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Come on you Irons.

Hutchinson and Lomas back in Midfield, Repka out of the side, crowd behind us, four goals at the weekend, Carrick pinging the ball around. As long as we can avoid losing 4-0 to Wigan we're in the play-offs.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not going to say anything about the playoffs less I jinx the Cobblers. Needless to say, if the whole town of Yeovil could take next Saturday off, that'd be great.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Torquay had better fucking win. But they won't.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

QPR need to win at Hillsborough or hope Bristol City lose at home to Blackpool - tho a draw for both is also good. We don't want no steeenking play-offs again.

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:58 (twenty-one years ago)

qpr and torquay up. 2/3 of the play-offs have now taken shape...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 8 May 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Grr. I didn't want Oxford to go up anyway. Sod the lotta ya.

― Johnney B, Saturday, 8 May 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm...play offs, indeed

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

TORQUAY!

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Ian Holloway is meko, and I like him a lot. Bristol City's automatic promotion dream ends again, rapidly becoming an annual event. Huddersfield denied at the death! Ditto Wigan - 1st division was two results from having 6 teams finfishing on 73 points! Golly.

Wanting Swindon, Northampton or Lincoln and Ipswich I think. Agnostic about the 1st really - Dowie is really done the most amazing job at Palarse, but they'll come straight back down.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I want Colin Calderwood's children.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

It is imperitive that Ipswich get promoted especially with the Budgies coming first. I fear that we will lose even more of our talented young players (Richards, Westlake, Bowditch, Bent) if we fail to get promoted this year, and with some of the experienced players getting toward the end of their usefull playing career this is THE year we have to do it.

Of course we have to prove we are capable and it is here that I can't be sure. We have been a lot more solid in recent games - a lot do do with signing Matt Elliott on loan, and the return to full fitness of John McGreal after almost 18 months out, but we can still leak goals - and we have worryingly lost the scoring touch in recent games, creating few chances. However, this could be put down to the nerviness of getting into the play-offs and, as we all know, knockout games are a different proposition from league games and should we rediscover our goalscoring form I think we are able to outscore the other teams . The crowd at Portman Road have also been a lot more supportive for the last few weeks reaching levels of noise not heard since the early part of our last season in the Premiership , but I'm worried the midday kickoff may dampen this a bit.

If we go out at the knockout stages (as is our forté) I would back The Hammers to do it.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I've mixed feelings about the prospect of Palace returning to the top flight - it's already £20-25 a ticket at Selhurst Park for chrissakes - but a smudge of that there Premiership glamour wouldn't go amiss in SE19 (ok, SE25). And it'd be at least one Everton away game I'd have to go to - one we might even win.

I have no local loyalty really - I was in the Ipswich end back in October, cheering for the visitors as they squeaked a seven-goal thriller. I saw Palace again in December vs Coventry - conceding a last-minute equaliser after emphatically failing to build on an early lead in a manner reminiscent of the Toffees. Bless.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I neglected to give props to Palace for their dazzling run since Xmas - third from bottom on Dec 9th, they took 51 points from their last 24 games. However, as Hereford discovered, the blazing sprint finish seems to count for nothing when the tape is moved back another 10 yards.

I fancy Sunderland, Hartlepool (just for Jeff Stelling) and Mansfield Town.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 11:37 (twenty-one years ago)

C'mon you Irons!

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 10:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Bugger.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 07:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Two nil to the cockney boys. Get in.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 07:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Bloody hell, Matty Ethrington's a bit good these days, isn't he? Damn you, Hoddle.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 07:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i was going to post this yesterday but i pisses me off that after mondays game, aka the best game ever, also the most exciting mental reversal, i eagerly awaited the next days press, the palace heroes splashed all over the back page, and what did i find come tuesday? fucking millwall and thir shitty new suits! i mean, come on, palace arent that big, but shurely shome mistake? surely a really exciting game of football is more newsworthy than frickin jeff banks!??!?! this shit always happens to first division football.

anyway palace are clearly fucking amazing, the football they were p[lauying the 2nd half in the 1st leg was just extreme...in its fluidity and excitement. just waiting for cardiff now.....
course if we go up we'll come back down, and i sort of dont want them to. like, i would rather go to cardiff, and if we won, get some sort of cup, but then stay in the 1st. but i suppose it'll be ok. i just dont give much of a shit about the premiership. who gives a fuck about that shit?

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

but Millwall are first division football?

Palace weren't all that, not at all, defensively they were frail, it's just that Sunderland seemed too stupid to keep pumping crosses in.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 07:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Palace have a decent nucleus of a team (and a manager who can get the best out of them). Can't see Johnson setting the Premiership alight but I would have said the same about Yakubu.

You going to Cardiff, ambrose?

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone pointed out on a womble message board that the final could feature:

Connolly, Shipperley, Hughes, Reo-Coker, McAnuff, Leigterwood, and Nowland. Add in Kelvin Davis, Kenny Cunningham, Jermain Darlington, Gareth Ainsworth etc. and you had one hell of a team. Throw in Neil Ardley and Kevin Cooper.

Shame some cunts decided to destroy it all just to build a supermarket :(

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Rio-Coker, McAnuff and Nowland are bit part players at West Ham. If anything, buying Wimbledon players has had a detrimental effect this year and led to a dressing room fall-out. The established players wanted to know why the manager was buying players from a team bottom of the table.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i think i want West Ham to go up

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Then the established players are Billy Big Bollocks tossers. Reo-Coker and McAnuff will establish themselves in the p'ship sooner rather than later.

(x-post)

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe the established players were being replaced at the time because they had got the Hammers relegated in the first place? A thought.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 08:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Alternatively, the manager of West Ham could have made it clear that the reason Wimbledon were at the bottom of the table was not to do with the standards of the (best) players (wot they bought), but it was a direct result of the destruction of a football club due to greed, corporate apathy and the tearing out of the heart of a footballing community.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

B-b-but Tomas Repka is still playing for West Ham!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Mad world...

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Did none of you watch the game last night?

I've seen Reo-Coker, McAnuff and Nowland play several times this season and they have been average first division players at best. Reo-Coker has a bit more awareness than the other two, but in relative terms that is not an endorsement. If you think they will become established Premiership players then you are a fucking idiot.

I don't appreciate him myself, but Repka had an outstanding game last night.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha. McAnuff has already been an established premiership player, Mike. Nowland is not good, I never said he was. Reo-Coker - we'll have to see. Obviously it's not worth trying to discuss this with you .

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:28 (twenty-one years ago)

'Course it is, but your lack of knowledge undermines your credibility. McAnuff has never played in the Premiership.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, you're right. Barry withdraws.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

He's still good enough to, though. You should be grateful you got him for next to nothing.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Mikey G gloats but tempers gloating with knowledge that he called Mark a fucking idiot and appologises to the cunt.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Anthony Barness is still appearing regularly in the Premiership so anything is possible.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:11 (twenty-one years ago)

And we had him on loan. For three hours.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:13 (twenty-one years ago)

*hugs Mikey*

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Brian Deane was exceptional when he came on, although I did feel sorry for Bobby Z except in all honesty he was being a bit shit. And what was up with Connolly? He certainly didn't look like the proud owner of the Soccer AM golden shoe last night. Well done to the Hammers though and what a great atmosphere it looked at Castle Grayskull.

― Jonnie, Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:14 (twenty-one years ago)

*gets erection* x-post

Thank you, Jonnie. Connolly is the busiest man on the pitch, but his shooting boots have gone astray. Premiership defences will all be supporting Palace in fear of a 2004/5 Harewood / Zamora onslaught. Probably.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"When you miss from six yards and its easier to score, that's Zamora..."

Can't think who taught me that one.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:21 (twenty-one years ago)

hey, why this thread get derailed talking about west ham! lets get back to palace, people! everyones always attracted to the more 'glamourous' teams, same as ever. anyway, we'll see you in cardiff, if i can get the day off to buy the tickets.....

what about a 2004/5 Johnson/Shipperley onslau....oh wait. I forgot Shipperley. Why is he playing again ('he was good at Wimbledon' is not the correct answer)

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"When the ball's in the goal, it's not that cunt Defoe, it's Zamora"

Not sung too often.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Franchise owed money to Palarse in lieu of rent, and Shipperley went for free.

Cue Pet Shop Boys.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:26 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah so thats why we got him (altough i think him and doie must be mates from back in t'day). but why is his ugly mug still gracing the pitch every week? why is he wearing the captians armband? it is still (almost) a total mystery to me.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

doie = dowie

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Was it Shipperley who barged the keeper out of the way so Powell could get his head on the ball at Sunderland? If so, that's your answer. Barging.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Shipperly has a big fat ass.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 10:52 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah shipperley fouled the keeper do we could score. also, mcateer is a dirty bastard who should have been sent off in the first leg, and the dude who flew thru the air with the greatest of ease to earn a card for gray, and a free kick which led to their equaliser (in the same leg), should have earned jack shit for his efforts.

</reductive arguing about unfair and crucial decisions>

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't worry, Shipperley wasn't good at Wimbledon. Do a Bolton and sign some out-of-favour foreigner - Rivaldo maybe?

(p.s. don't tell Dave but I'll be supporting Palace marginally, although I like both teams)

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Shipperley has the lowest brow of any man ever, I thought they must have signed him from a peat bog.

I will be supporting West Ham massively, I like them so much more

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

i cheer on the team who finished highest out of the four

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 12:59 (twenty-one years ago)

In fact I think I am in favour of scrapping the play-offs - perhaps there should only be one when the points margin is very very close. and why were away goals not counting this year? i suppose they thought this was unfair, never mind that the ignoring of league positions is fundamentally unfair in itself.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

The 'advantage' for the third and fourth placed teams was playing the second leg at home.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

jokes - all the hand wringing after monday night about 'unfair' and 'cruel' penalties are a way to decide a game like that *pats sunderland on head*. An unfair way to decide an unfair system of promotion. Oh alternatively oh actually i dont give a

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 13:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the play-offs. Everyone knows the rules at the start - they're part of the scenery now. The fairness idea is beguiling but ultimately a line has to be drawn, and arguing fairness always opens you up to its extension. Top three go up unless public acclaim for 4th place in which case we decide that the 3rd and 4th should be playing off?

ONly modification I can see - 6th play 5th at the home of the 5th. The winners play the 4th team at the home of the 4th, and the winners play the 3rd at the home of the 3rd and the winners get promoted.

Upside - the higher up you are, the fewer games you play and home advantage etc.

Downside - fewer matches and non-big final = smaller amount of cash for the league pool = unlikely to gte voted through in present climat.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I would rather the team that finishes third or fourth play third/fourth bottom team from the higher division, than have the team that came sixth go up at the expense of the team that finished third.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Admittedly I am negating the cash bonus the play-off teams attract plus they get to run out at ~~Wembley~~Cardiff which is nice for them and the fans.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

the play offs are good. ultimately i never fell that palace should be in the premiership so promotion isnt a big deal. therefore play offs is just an excuse for more fun

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

that's a puzzling and terrifying post.

I love Dave's idea to bits

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop undermining your chances, Ambrose. It's a one off game. Anything can happen.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

he doesn't seem to want it to happen though, which I find boggling (or realistic, it won't be a pretty season if they do go up)

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah i thought the promotion/relegation cycle was a total financial disaster for all concerned. like, my idea was to get promoted, keep the cash, spend not a bean, immediately get relegated and then you dont end up shitloads in debt. and oyu can spend the money on something more sustainable. when i hear the phrase 'this club is not ambitious enough' i want to reach for my....well not a gun, i dont have one. maybe reach for my hockey stick.

? dontt think me saying that i dont think palace really should play in the premiership is going to undermine our chances. in fact, if i thought that i could have any sort of direct impact on the team like that, i would be here now. unless shipperley posts to ILX *shudders*

funnily enough i feel sort of, not confident, but not unconfident. i dont think we are awful, for instance. although the pain of steve claridges knee makes me default to 'pessimist'

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

potential promotee versus potential relegatee - never has the same bite to it. I'd be all in favour of a relegation play-off against the two teams finishing (say 17th and 18th) - it's be cruel, but I'm a sadist. Downside is there may be ulttra violence.

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

What you are describing above is the West Brom scenario. Prem season before last they didn't spend, got relegated and now promoted again. Don't know why their better players weren't snapped up (that's Hoult and Koumas for all you Premiership sluts), but they didn't.

Not sure this is the road to financial stability, maybe they're investing the parachute payments and living off the fiduciary!

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Koumas is a bit tasty

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't try it.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

This was the way they reduced the size of the top flight in the late 80s, wasn't it? Three down, two up with fourth bottom in Div1 going into play-offs with 3rd/4th/5th in Div2 (I think). Obviously in 03-04 this would have been terrifying - Everton out to Joe Royle's Ipswich, beaten home and away.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I recommend that you all try some NHL playoffs then you will realize the true power of sport.

― Gilles Meloche (Gilles Meloche), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Do we know you?

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

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