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I haven't seen any footage but it seems that a large and organised group of hooligans in identical clothes were allowed in without being challenged by the authorities. If so then that is shocking, especially given that this is not the first time visiting teams in Bulgaria have been racially abused.

I feel UEFA protocol is completely inadequate. Abandoning play in the middle of the game with no further consequences won't stop the yobs who know they can just turn up and fling abuse at the next game.

If it turns out that a country's own authorities can't deal with it then it is UEFA's duty to impose punishment. The money fines they currently impose are no deterrent whatsoever. They need to start docking points, or awarding wins to teams who have been forced off by abuse, or having matches played behind closed doors - or banning teams from competitions if none of the first three measures stop hooligans accessing games.
I think the most effective sanction would be the banning of countries from European and World competitions. That might seem unfair on the players and the many decent supporters in a country but it's more important that racism is banished from the game - and of course from society.

English club teams received an indefinite ban from European competitions, which was not lifted for five years, following the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985. Liverpool FC, some of whose supporters were deemed the guilty parties, was banned for an additional three years later reduced to one year (six years in total).

UEFA, which is widely perceived as being weak when it comes to dealing with racism, showed in the aftermath of Heysel that it will take strong measures. Perhaps the UEFA of the 21st Century is not as robust or strong as the UEFA of the 1980s.

I believe that by its continuing pathetic response UEFA is indirectly party to the problem, and there is no doubt that it is a major problem - in many ways more serious than the undoubted corruption that exists in some parts of the football industry worldwide, and that's bad enough.

Sadly, the game in this country is not without racist aspects both on the pitch and amongst spectators which Gareth Southgate - what a dignified and honourable man he is - does not shirk in saying. So we certainly can't adopt a 'holier-than-thou' attitude towards other countries.
 
Premier League

What a remarkable final score in the Southampton v Leicester City match this evening. In case anyone has recorded it I won't give the score here.
 
Kosov 0 England 4 European Championship qualifiier

England easily topped their group again as they always seem to in the qualifying games for the European Championship and World Cup. It's when they reach the Finals that the trouble usually begins although they did reach the semi-final of last year's World Cup.

In the group this time they played 8 matches, won 7 and lost 1 (surprisingly away to the Czech Republic). In the eight matches they scored an amazing 37 goals with six conceded. They had a 7-0 win, a 6-0, a 5-0, a 5-1, a 5-3, two 4-0s and a 1-2 defeat.

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia a host of new countries has appeared on the scene, some of which are of dubious standard when it comes to football.

Kosovo played with great spirit again today as they did in England when they reduced England's halftime 5-1 lead to 5-3 at the end of the match. England only really took control in the last fifteen minutes today when they scored three of their four goals. Overall the scoreline flattered England. They were the more accomplished side and deserved their win, but were not always convincing, especially at the back - yet again.

We have to take account though of the fact that it was another young team with several changes from the youngsters who beat Montenegro 7-0 on Thursday.

In the pre-tournament matches Southgate will have to work out his strongest defence, especially the centre-backs, or England's free-scoring will count for nothing against the stronger countries if their defending is as haphazard as it has been for a number of matches. Even in the 7-0 trouncing of Montenegro, a team that might struggle in League 2 in England, the visitors created two very decent chances courtesy of England's disjointed defending.
 
Very sad for the club, the supporters and the town.

However, it does seem that the primary reason is the expected funding from the owner failing to materialise. The administrator has had no contact with the owner so doesn't know why.

Let's hope that a way can be found for the club to continue.
 
Appears similar to Blackpool. A well known owner either passes away or sells to an exotic consortium claiming to have gazillions in funny money and then the club go into freefall to oblivion, it's record and history trashed. I am never happy when a club rises from a community team to become a Premier League outfit only then becoming a plaything for men with money and screwing it up for genuine supporters. Real Football Clubs have gone as with Bury FC and others have reformed such as Charlton Athletic. I cannot see a positive outcome for Wigan and that is depressing.
 
Reports suggest that the EFL chairman has been recorded in a private conversation saying that there are rumours that the Wigan problem has been caused by a Phillipines gambling fraud in my opinion.
 
Keeping in mind potential legal action, it is probably best to keep the Wigan situation off the public forums if the reports of potential unlawful activities are confirmed. I certainly cannot afford a nasty Bill for damages!
 
Didn't take long, a manager dismissed on poor results. Lee Johnson and Bristol City are separated supposedly because of a run of defeats. I feel it is time for the leagues to limit managerial changes in line with the player transfer window. Clubs had 3 months to make a change yet allow a restart to occur and then boot a chap out of a club. I have other things I could say but the forum rules do not permit me!
 
Didn't take long, a manager dismissed on poor results. Lee Johnson and Bristol City are separated supposedly because of a run of defeats. I feel it is time for the leagues to limit managerial changes in line with the player transfer window. Clubs had 3 months to make a change yet allow a restart to occur and then boot a chap out of a club. I have other things I could say but the forum rules do not permit me!
There is much in what you say but in the case of Lee Johnson the club has stuck by him longer than most clubs would have done.

He arrived four years ago having previously played for the club under his father, Gary Johnson. In the meantime he showed much promise when managing Oldham Athletic and Barnsley. He was not a universally popular appointment but won over many of his detractors as he slowly improved the club's on-field performance which included a run to the semi-final of the League Cup where they lost narrowly to Manchester City in a two-legged tie, having beaten the other Manchester club in the previous round.

Bristol City has a billionaire owner called Steve Lansdown who is one of the founders of the eponymous Bristol-based FTSE100 financial group, Hargreaves Lansdown (his co-founder, Peter Hargreaves, has no interest in football). SL is not a here-today, gone-tomorrow type of rich owner. He is a local man and also owns Bristol Bears Rugby Club, Bristol Flyers Basketball, Bristol City Women FC and a number of other local sporting assets under his Bristol Sport company umbrella.

He has written off tens of millions of pounds of his own money in supporting local sport about which he is passionate, and has supported his manager (or head coach as he was officially known) generously, albeit they sold some of their top players each season when Prem clubs came calling. That's the way football is; you can't deny a player the chance of top flight football if the opportunity arises.

Lee became known as 'Streaky' Johnson because of the tendency of Bristol City under his guidance to go on long unbeaten runs and long runs with no victory. Currently they are in one of the latter.

This is the third consecutive season where they have been either in the top six or just outside two-thirds through the season, only to crumple over the last third each time. Lee had a huge squad many of whom were out on loan, but in the end didn't seem to know his best team or best formation. Listening to the local radio station and reading local football message boards over recent months it's illuminating to see how many fans who wanted Lee to do well, and supported him, eventually decided that he had taken the club as far as he was capable.

I follow Bristol City and I was one who defended Lee in the face of calls for his sacking but, before the Covid break and certainly afterwards, I have come to the reluctant conclusion that Lee Johnson is not the man to take the club to the next level, although I'm certainly not celebrating his dismissal. I understand that Chris Hughton is the early favourite of some fans to replace Lee Johnson.
 
There is much in what you say but in the case of Lee Johnson the club has stuck by him longer than most clubs would have done.

He arrived four years ago having previously played for the club under his father, Gary Johnson. In the meantime he showed much promise when managing Oldham Athletic and Barnsley. He was not a universally popular appointment but won over many of his detractors as he slowly improved the club's on-field performance which included a run to the semi-final of the League Cup where they lost narrowly to Manchester City in a two-legged tie, having beaten the other Manchester club in the previous round.

Bristol City has a billionaire owner called Steve Lansdown who is one of the founders of the eponymous Bristol-based FTSE100 financial group, Hargreaves Lansdown (his co-founder, Peter Hargreaves, has no interest in football). SL is not a here-today, gone-tomorrow type of rich owner. He is a local man and also owns Bristol Bears Rugby Club, Bristol Flyers Basketball, Bristol City Women FC and a number of other local sporting assets under his Bristol Sport company umbrella.

He has written off tens of millions of pounds of his own money in supporting local sport about which he is passionate, and has supported his manager (or head coach as he was officially known) generously, albeit they sold some of their top players each season when Prem clubs came calling. That's the way football is; you can't deny a player the chance of top flight football if the opportunity arises.

Lee became known as 'Streaky' Johnson because of the tendency of Bristol City under his guidance to go on long unbeaten runs and long runs with no victory. Currently they are in one of the latter.

This is the third consecutive season where they have been either in the top six or just outside two-thirds through the season, only to crumple over the last third each time. Lee had a huge squad many of whom were out on loan, but in the end didn't seem to know his best team or best formation. Listening to the local radio station and reading local football message boards over recent months it's illuminating to see how many fans who wanted Lee to do well, and supported him, eventually decided that he had taken the club as far as he was capable.

I follow Bristol City and I was one who defended Lee in the face of calls for his sacking but, before the Covid break and certainly afterwards, I have come to the reluctant conclusion that Lee Johnson is not the man to take the club to the next level, although I'm certainly not celebrating his dismissal. I understand that Chris Hughton is the early favourite of some fans to replace Lee Johnson.
Excellent post.

Be interesting to see who if anyone can do any better at City from a distance in looks like the club have become a steady championship club but not good enough to reach the top 6.

If you want Gary Monk he's back on home soil tomorrow you can certainly keep him down your way, you would soon be wanting Johnson back as a fan base.
 
Be interesting to see who if anyone can do any better at City from a distance in looks like the club have become a steady championship club but not good enough to reach the top 6.
That's the frustration that the fans suffer and now at last the ownership.

For three consecutive season Bristol City have been in or around the top six until February/March then just fade away. The obvious question is that if they are good enought for two thirds/three quarters of these seasons what stops them at the end? It's not as if it happened just the once.The club has spent £70 million on players since Lee Johnson's arrival four and a half years ago. It's true that he's had to sell his best players each close season for a roughly similar amount but the recruitment of replacements has not been good enough.

Another disappointment for the fans is that this season Lee has abandoned his previously entertaining style of football for a more attritional approach where he was more concerned about stifling the opposition than imposing his own team. It was thought he resorted to this as he didn't know his best team complement or the best style to achieve success.

The owner Steve Lansdown has consistently said that he intended giving Lee time and pointed to the last occasion that Bristol City were in the top flight (1976-1980) when it took the then manager Alan Dicks nine years to achieve promotion from the old Division 2 (today's Championship). Today's football club owners would never give a manager that amount of time especially as Alan Dicks flirted with relegation in his early seasons at the club. I'm pleased to say that Alan (or AD as he liked to be known when manager) is still in good health, lives locally and watches Bristol City from time to time.

Lee Johnson is the latest manager/coach to be shown the door. What is absolutely certain is that the next one won't be far behind.
 
And what of the players? Do they sit back and do as they do in the knowledge that it will be head coach leaving but not themselves? I accept the good players rise as talent permits whilst the average drift around the pyramid and will get a game somewhere or end up as publicans or tradesmen at a building site. Players contracts appear very watertight unlike club managers since no person is too big for the sack! Perhaps someone will correct me?
 
Players certainly have a responsibility but ultimately have to play according to the manager's/head coach's philosophy. Some formations suit individual players better than others because of the particular skills they possess.

It's well documented down the decades that some managers can get far more out of basically the same squad of players than others.

Things can turn on fine margins. Cardiff City scored a late winning goal but just before that a Bristol City player had a golden opportunity to score, and should have done, but placed his header just outside the upright instead of inside. The chances are that goal would have won the game because the pattern of play would have been different thereafter as play would have restarted on the halfway line instead of with a goal kick. Bristol City would have remained with an outside chance of making the play-offs and Lee Johnson would still be in post - until they lost another match and their play-off chances were finally extinguished.
 
My congratulations to Aston Villa

Yes, Congratulations (I think) to Aston Villa on avoiding relegation.
I say 'I think', because it always seems odd to congratulate a team for being the forth worst in the league. However, they avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth so let's hope they can go on and be far more successful next season.
Now, if the Blues could get promoted next season without AV, WBA or Wolves getting relegated the West Midlands would have very good representation in the Premier League.

Kevin
 
As a Villa fan,I am not going to shout from the rooftops about how good we have been this season.
Far from it,we have been generally poor for most of the season.I do feel that our form did pick for the final 10 games.Maybe Villa prefer to play without fans????
Without getting into too much controversy,I did feel that some of the bile and anger from other fans over the non goal against Sheffield United was over the top.Indeed I believe the league never lies,you are where you are because that is where you belong.Other clubs and fans saying that the goal should have stood and Villa should have lost that game is actually masking over the course of their clubs season.At the same time time they are forgetting some of the decisions that have gone against Villa this season,VAR or not as the case maybe.
It does prove though,rather disappointingly, that VAR has not actually improved the refereeing side of the game.
If anything it has added even more controversy.The incident in question was a complete failure of the system.Not only that the ref decided not to consult VAR.Should he or shouldn’t have he???
Every team has had some poor decisions regarding VAR or not using VAR as the case may be.As fans we have to hope that the FA and the referees learn from the mistakes made throughout the season.
As far as Villa are concerned ,we look forward to seeing what happens next.Jack Grealish will sit down with the manager and owners at some point and we will find out soon enough the result of that meeting.Obviously I hope he stays.He has been our most consistent player,particularly since the restart.
However football is about more than one player.The team needs strengthening quite a lot.If that means using money from the sale of the Captain ,then so be it.Hopefully it will put us in a better shape for the new season.

Finally I would like to congratulate Wolves for a very entertaining season.I hope that they do get Champions league football soon as I think they will not look out of place alongside some of Europe’s elite.
Congrats also to West Bromwich Albion on their promotion and look forward to the derbies next season.
As for Birmingham,I am actually really glad they remain in the championship.You have derbies with Coventry to look forward to at St. Andrews.How bizarre is that??
Hopefully the Blues will challenge at the other end of the league in the new season.
Having all four clubs in the Premier League would be awesome,and even better if it was at the expense of some the Northern or London clubs.
 
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9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
5 trips done and 45 miles walked,. Also the RAF has had 4 F35B Lightning follow me yesterday and today....
My plans got altered slightly as one of the minibus companies had to cancel 3 trips and refunded me but will be getting nice discount when I rebook them.
wondering why on my "holidays" I choose to get up 2 hours earlier than when going to work. 6 trips in 6 days soon coming up with 3 more days to sort out

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