gingerjon

I thought you could ground it with your chest/torso?

HE SENT IT UP AS A TRY OH MY

Hear, hear.

The post match interviews were absolutely revealing in terms of how they've got that team bond right - which will play a massive part in keeping the momentum going.

As you should be. Trophy wins don't really happen that often for most clubs. They're a big deal.

42-6 to Wigan. The gap between them and the rest looks like a chasm right now.

24-0. Wigan absolutely dominant.

Nah. Every other sport is finding ways for standalone games even at major stadiums. We have curtain raisers in front of banks of empty seats as the absolute limit of our ambition.

I don’t see how we have a timeframe that works TBH

I'll assume that Whitstable Town fans have some basic understanding that finishing third in the SCEFL means they can't qualify for the Champions League. There's also no mechanism whereby Whitstable could qualify for the Champions League and remain eligible for the FA Vase. I see no reason to change my statement. I'm sure they're happier having won a nice shiny trophy than the Inter Milans who did not.

I don't really do handicap betting - are they only giving Saints a six point head start? I'd kind of assumed that the expectation was a pretty huge Wigan win?

If I were a fan of Whitstable Town, I reckon I'd probably be happier than a fan of Inter Milan. One team got a trophy they've never won before, after a period without any honours. The other didn't and, in fact, endured an absolute humiliation in front of hundred of millions of TV viewers. It's about winning.

It’s about winning trophies. If you won a trophy, you’re ahead of clubs that didn’t. That’s how it works.

When they write the lists of who won the major European trophies, how many times will their respective names appear?

The issue was that it was impossible to actually know the Club Wembley number as some would have turned up but plenty didn't. The related issue was that the RFL could have made the decision to entice CW members to come, but appeared to make absolutely no effort to do so, or could have attempted to buy off/sell on the CW tickets but, again, did not appear to try to do this. The attendances from the opening of Wembley to the ending of Club Wembley for final tickets are probably best taken as "maximum possible but really not that".

Albania v Serbia tonight. First meeting since 2014.

Turns out, it isn’t about the glory.

The European Cup came about because there was a sporting need and a financial need. (Need may be too strong a word but allow it). There were, by that point, clubs of similar size and standing who were winning their domestic leagues but only occasionally pitting themselves against their equivalent clubs elsewhere. There was, therefore, an interest in seeing them play each other in matches that meant something. Plus it would make money. Now, I don't think anyone can really make that argument for the Club World Cup. There has been no drive to create it in a sporting sense and the finances involved seem to be more of a "take this money and shut up moaning" kind. TV deals are hard to come by, sponsors seem to be dialling it in, and you can pick up a ticket for big games for relatively low amounts. Clubs don't seem particularly engaged but will, obviously, enjoy the money. It is, however, too big and too politically important to FIFA, to fail. It will be back and back again.

English clubs have been entering the UEFA competitions since 1956. The argument against not entering had a lot to do with the Football League (not always the FA) organising its own tournaments - combined with the usual British superiority which had seen the international sides boycott FIFA.

Thing is, club football is pretty close to saturation, even if it’s not already got there. I did enjoy the European competitions this season but even I can see they’re now beyond bloated. This tournament just doesn’t feel necessary. It’s not organic development of something existing that people see any value in - there have been multiple failed attempts to generate a club world championship to the level that the correct response is to accept it really can’t be done and to leave it to glorified money spinning friendlies. This is just so absolutely crazy that you almost have to admire the insanity of it.

Oh god, yes.

Going well …

In the absence of any communication at all, either official or from a curious and thorough media, people will gravitate to their own conclusions.

They can’t produce updates, write minutes or, it seems, understand basic corporate structures. We know they didn’t read the detail of a *12 year* deal before signing. But they have a bit of money so they must be wise and true and clever and strategic .