tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309563712009-10-31T06:21:36.037ZFootball from a Welsh PerspectiveEric the Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17074416415101254909noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-6663871133390262008-11-19T21:14:00.002Z2008-11-19T21:26:17.968Z

You know I wasn't surprised. I backed Wales to win this one. I just think that any team with Aaron Ramsey in it can win the game. I know we're not supposed to out too much pressure on the lad, but hey I'm a fan. I jus love watching the kid play.I usually enjoy listening to Ian Walsh's summaries but he had a bit of a poor night tonight. "I mustn't harp on, but Ramsey looks tired". But he did harp

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-47405581334872301372008-11-12T08:47:00.003Z2008-11-12T17:37:14.318Z

Footage of this game and the incidents I describe can be seen at the Sgorio website. I was greeted by a queue of people snaking round onto Farrar Road as I turned up with my camera to this one last night. I snuck through to the press entrance and took my place in front of the Farrar Road stand which Bangor usually attack. Rhyl must have won the toss because they made Bangor swap, and 500 people

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-91708195533103143852008-11-05T11:30:00.004Z2008-11-05T11:39:14.432Z

This is an igoal. It's inaflatable.If you run a junior football team, it's more than likely that you will have spent hours on a muddy field in the rain trying to fit together 45 bits of plastic tubing to set up the gols for your kids team. It means that you have to arrive at least 45 mins before everyone else and you pray that all the bits are there.Well we'd had enough, and when my mate Cags

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-24415724995339885342008-11-04T09:13:00.002Z2008-11-04T09:23:17.878Z

This clip from the North London derby fanzone coverage is priceless.

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-30226463154072192532008-10-25T19:39:00.002+01:002008-10-25T19:52:57.393+01:00

I'm having a stinking run on the spread betting. If you need to know which way a game will go, just ask me what I predict. the outcome will be the exact opposite.In my bid to live beyond 50, I am spending a lot of time on the old exercise bike which as you know is very very boring and can only be suffered in front of a live football match. I've taken advantage of the free Setanta offer and I

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-34610235390367964332008-10-25T19:32:00.003+01:002008-10-25T19:38:55.744+01:00

Thanks to Rhys for pointing out the Daily Mail's publication of my Twll Tin Bob Sais story. Obviously , it's not scoop of the century, but you'd think they might have got their own photo to accompany the piece. On their pic, you can even see the Sky+ graphic where I rewound and paused the action for my photo. See where it says -2|| in the bottom left corner? Still at least I know that of the

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-7136997663944620922008-10-20T10:06:00.002+01:002008-10-20T10:17:26.942+01:00

It's been a tough few weeks for the boy wonder. His Spurs side have had a terrible start to the season, and his form has been poor. He's playing without confidence, and Ramos doesn't seem to play a system that suits him.I've been wondering about his best position for a while now. Even Welsh fans have been wondering whether Sam Ricketts is a safer option in a defensive formation with Bale in a

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-38817265585644508342008-10-15T22:08:00.002+01:002008-10-15T22:34:42.626+01:00

Bloody hell it's hard being a Welsh football fan. Ever since Joe Jordan made me cry in 1977, 31 years of utter misery has been interspersed with boredom and half a dozen evenings of bliss.This week's action has been the normal progression from pessimism, pride,fleeting hope and ultimately defeat. Plus ca change. Sometimes I think it's better when we are hopeless.In a way, last night's under

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-35890448222988188352008-10-14T23:46:00.001+01:002008-10-14T23:53:14.000+01:00

Setanta might want to consider employing a Welsh speaker for Wales games.In their pre-match build-up before the Under 21 play-off at Villa Park, they lingered on this happy bunch of Welsh supporters.The camera focused on this flag for a good 10-15 seconds. I don't think it would have done if they had known what i means........ARSEHOLES TO THE ENGLISH!

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-91178643370873304032008-10-12T12:47:00.002+01:002008-10-12T13:04:07.442+01:00

I was really looking forward to this game after our performance in Russia and the Under 21's performance the previous evening. A shame then that not many people shared my enthusiasm, and it looked like the crowd was lower than the Under 21's attendance.I was pitchside once again, and it's surprising how disconcerting it can be when the atmnosphere is poor. You can here isolated shouts, people

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-43270123806534491032008-10-11T12:41:00.002+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.594+01:00

I was far too emotionally involved in this game.It was an under 21 game game after all. A practise match in effect. Not much more than youth football.But I had been working on some interview clips during the week for Sgorio's website . There are videos of a few of the players on the site and one in particular stood out. The Welsh keeper Owain Fon Williams gave the best interview I've seen for a

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-9927878455667290892008-10-08T20:39:00.002+01:002008-10-08T20:48:36.885+01:00

As you know, my Under 9's team has had a difficult start to the season. 4 games, 0 goals scored 21 goals against. And there wasn't a 0-0 draw amongst those.But you know, it isn't about the winning. it's about fun. As long as they have fun that's great. No, it's not the result that counts. Nope. No way. Never.As long as they develop a passing game, and they improve , well it's worth it. And it's

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-62335533783027841342008-10-07T23:48:00.002+01:002008-10-07T23:58:59.974+01:00

I went to the Racecourse tonight to test out my new lens before the internationals. And it's a good job I did. Memo to self: monopod needed by Friday.I was also interested to see how Dean Saunders would do on his first home game. I've always liked Deano, and I think him and Wrexham are well matched. Both the club and the manager have a history of playing attractive football, and I think he'll be

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-59036748765743828042008-10-05T20:39:00.004+01:002008-10-05T21:19:19.090+01:00

There was plenty of publicity given recently to the English FA's decision to make football non-competitive for U9 teams. Part of this development was the order given that results for these age groups should no longer be published in newspapers.This has been the case in Wales for some time. The English youth policy is famously backward , and Wales' progressive coaching system was rearded years ago

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-8649296231164581182008-10-05T07:28:00.002+01:002008-10-05T07:56:19.570+01:00

I've spent worse afternoons at the football. I was about to say, "but not many", unfortunately that wouldn't be true. My football watching life has been a turgid potpourri of mediocrity and tedium. Yesterday's recipe included lots of cold water.My early morning had been spent watching Y Felinheli Under 7's play against Penrhosgarnedd at Treborth. That was wet too. My middle son Ifan was playing

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-55727255248352784382008-10-02T11:34:00.001+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.595+01:00

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-70570649617518198542008-10-01T08:53:00.003+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.595+01:00

Mystery surrounds an apparent remark made by Olympic Chief Seb Coe yesterday. One eagle-eyed Londoner saw the following report on pahe 5 of thelondonpage.SEB COE : F*** THE SCOTS AND THE WELSH.Part of the report about the 2012 olympic team is "When asked last night about the opposition from the Welsh and the Scots , Coe replied bluntly :" F*** them ! "A few other readers sent me links, but it

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-8555854969803982312008-09-30T11:32:00.002+01:002008-09-30T11:38:14.200+01:00

Interesting to read that Bangor City signed former Felinheli player Kevin Lloyd from Llangefni Town. I watched Kevin regularly at Felin a few years ago when he played in our first team at Welsh Alliance level when he was just sixteen years old.Naturally as a youngster his form was patchy at the time, but he had the pace and quality which made him stand out. When Felin were relegated, he went to

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-80386574531236043372008-09-25T08:43:00.002+01:002008-09-25T09:03:59.107+01:00

That scoreline looks pretty bad, but when you consider that this was only a 30 minute game, it's even worse. 18-0 would be a more realistic scoreline over 90 minutes.We all know what it's like. A strong team with no weaknesses faces a side that turns out mainly for social and leisurely reasons. A midfield bull charges through a petrified defence and creates any number of one-on-one's with a

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-63176878719844789162008-09-24T11:08:00.002+01:002008-09-24T11:26:55.045+01:00

Last night's television pictures have generated media interest in the "swim away" theme so beloved of the modern Swansea City fan.Of course I have a personal interest in all this. I was in that car park post-match when we were attacked by our friends from Swansea. I ran up a dead end in the council offices while another group ran towards the Holiday Inn. The mob decided to chase the other group

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-9476959613341693832008-09-23T21:30:00.003+01:002008-09-23T21:54:49.339+01:00

I don't think anyone could argue that the best side didn't win. After the first 15 minutes Swansea outpassed the City, making the lads so frustrated that they charged and slid and mistimed every tackle. But how stupid is Stephen McFail? How many chances did he want? Yes, I think he won the ball for the crucial second yellow card, but it was inevitable the moment he decided to launch himself.

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-30986314530694973122008-09-23T09:20:00.002+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.596+01:00

After much discussion it appears that the Under 21's will play their crucial play-off game against England at Villa Park. I've got mixed feelings about that one. It would have been nice to get another trip to Wembley, but Villa Park is a fair bit closer. At the moment I fancy going, but that could change. I meet need to wash my hair, cut the grass or any other such diversion which seems to

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-48873216937362160272008-07-18T01:20:00.002+01:002008-07-18T01:22:22.085+01:00

This was an interesting one. I bought a new camera today at lunchtime, and by the evning I was stood on the touchline at the Racecourse wearing a red bib and comparing my tiny zoom with some of the large erections used by the pros. Nonetheless, I got some decent pics which you can see here if you're interested. Which I'm sure you are.http://www.flickr.com/photos/philstead/sets/72157606229894947/

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-16323690117564652862008-05-30T10:57:00.002+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.597+01:00

Further to my post below wondering about the linesman in the stand at Reyjkavic, this picture has come to light.I robbed it without permission from Adam Jones' Facebook page.These people are senior business professionals . They are 40 years old. At least one of them is a politician.They went to Iceland v Wales dressed as match officials. Quality.

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30956371.post-9030425185393030882008-05-29T11:40:00.004+01:002008-10-11T13:16:15.598+01:00

This is a list of pubs in Wales which showed England v USA last night, and ignored Iceland v Wales. Please add any other pubs to the list:Cardiff: The ClaudeLlandudno : Every single pubLlanberis : Prince of Wales

Eric The Redhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862113602706737740noreply@blogger.com2