04/24/24
August 05, 2003
English Division One preview.: Each year, the Watford fanzine Blind, Stupid & Desperate polls fans of the other teams in it's division. The results are now available. Not surprisingly, fans are always too optimistic about their chances of success. Bookies favourites West Ham and West Brom are the most optimistic teams, unsurprisingly. And in a shock development, it appears that Murdock is the fans' favourite A-Team character.
this is good. great effort by the BSD folk even though I only read a couple of capsules.
posted by gspm at 02:11 PM on August 05, 2003
My word those Baggies fans are a bit overoptimistic I think. The first division this year should be cracking, I might even go to a few Cardiff games. There will be some interesting sub texts: how long before Roeder is sacked or dies, will Merson lift Walsall to unimagined heights, can Paul Hart turn water into wine at Forest, can Sam Hamman behave like a civilised human being, can Neil Warnock inspire the cloggers of Sheffield United again, will Sunderland plummet, can Megson get any uglier? Competition off the field should be fierce too with some of the country's finest hooligan mobs meeting on a regular basis. I actually miss division one, I don't like the premiership much, it doesn't seem real, somehow, and is a licence to rip suckers like me off. Salmacis, I almost envy you, enjoy the season.
posted by Fat Buddha at 03:06 PM on August 05, 2003
Yeah, go Baggies!
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:01 PM on August 05, 2003
It should be a storming season in Division 1. I fully expect the Baggies to do well, and good luck to them. Just one thing I'd mention with regard to the Grauniad article on hoolies For instance, Millwall and Nottingham Forest fans have a real history of mutual loathing, even though they're not close geographical rivals.' Whilst this may be true, Forest are banned from Millwall and vice versa to my knowledge.
posted by squealy at 05:53 PM on August 05, 2003
Yes, West Brom fans were too optimistic. Having said that, on paper the only team that was as good was West Ham, and with this week's sale of Cole and Kanoute, it really is impossible to guess how the Irons will do. You and I know just how hard the first division is. There are 24 teams there, and there isn't a whole lot of difference between them. Thus, expecting a top two place is over the top. Personally, I will be disappointed if we are not in the playoffs, and automatic promotion is a realistic aim. The nightmare is to do a Coventry, Ipswich or Derby, and spend the season in midtable. To answer your questions: all season, no, no, no, yes, yes, no.
posted by salmacis at 06:01 PM on August 05, 2003
Ay yi yi...