Tag: Edgar Davids

FootballOpinion

T’was the Season to Be Jolly…

David Stringer

Over at Bornoffside.net, my weekly round-up of Leagues One and Two, the Lower League Week, has returned for the first time this year, cleverly disguised as The Lower League Christmas. (Okay, maybe not so clever).

Football in the midst of World War One. Back in the days when players wore their international caps while representing their nation.
Christmas day football in the midst of World War One. Back in the days when players wore their international caps while representing their nation.

In it, I covered the form of Gillingham, Port Vale and Tranmere over Christmas. All of them are battling for the title in League Two, Two, and One respectively, and all of them surprise challengers for one reason or another.

Leon Clarke has signed for Coventry, Hartlepool United have broken two club records in the last month, and Barnet’s management team have broken up. Bristol Rovers have appointed a new boss, who’s helped to force his Plymouth equivalent out of the door. Rotherham have a transfer target which is either delusionally ambitious, or a sign of how far the Scottish league has fallen, dependent on how things turn out.

And there’s evidence that it’s not Lazio, Roma or Millwall who have the most extreme fans in Europe, but Oldham. I also round up the other significant news over Christmas.

All of that can be found in The Lower League Christmas

FootballOpinion

A Mixed Bag of a Lower League Week

David Stringer

The latest Lower League Week has now gone live at Born Offside.

In it, I discuss Michael Appleton’s record at Portsmouth, Tranmere beginning to struggle at the top of League One, Bury and Scunthorpe pulling away from the bottom leaving Hartlepool (who’ve just appointed a new manager) behind; belatedly praise Walsall for their good start to the season, chuckle at Rotherham’s heavy defeat, look at Bradford’s record in penalty shoot-outs and listen to Edgar Davids saying a naughty word. It’s a mixed bag of a column.

One of the first responses to ‘mixed bag’ on Wikimedia Commons. Another was a painting of Jesus being breast-fed.

Click here to read The Lower League Week: Doing a Great Job in Difficult Circumstances

FootballOpinion

Billionaire Owners are Passe, Knights Are Cool Now

David Stringer

The latest Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside.
Port Vale and Portsmouth are both on the verge of takeovers, and I’ve been slightly mystified by reports that Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton is the favourite for the Burnley vacancy.
Swindon have replaced their chairman (with a knight who was ambassador to Afghanistan – pretty imperial), Oxford insist on being inconsistent, Hartlepool have parted ways with manager Neale Cooper, and York’s Matty Blair managed to get himself injured by a training ground mannequin.

In his defence, these guys can be absolute thugs

All that and more can be found in The Lower League Week: Owners and Managers

FootballOpinion

How Bloody Cool is Edgar Davids?

David Stringer

Seriously. I mean, just take a look at how cool and laid back he looks, even when he’s not leading European teams to continental glory:

I think I may have a man-crush on him.

There is a sort of reason for the above. Davids has just been named as the Joint Head Coach of Barnet, currently sitting 92nd in the English league structure, whcih I’ve written about for BornOffside in the Lower League Fortnight.

I’ve also covered Peter Ridsdale’s tax dodging, Bournemouth’s surprise managerial appointment, Portsmouth’s secret boardroom history, more accusations of racism (yey, navel gazing!) London Orient, transfer embargoes, and Tranmere’s confusingly good start to the season.

Come this way to read The Manager in the Coloured Glasses