BadgeIsBack

Oh indeed! BTW, Gents - this is the joke - I am not passionate about AFL. Infact it has taken me 3 years to take more than a passing interest in it. But I know an all-round athlete when I see one.

This is my bias - but I prefer to partake in physical contests rather than skill -partly because I see effort, team work, and determination as being more 'noble' than skill. As I've said before, circus clowns have skill and talent but you wouldn't go to see them every weekend.

You can show me pictures of exceptionally athletically talented footballers but - AFL and NRL players seem to have a consistency unsurpassed in any other team 'contest' sport I have seen. (I tend to leave Union out of the equation as they do have blokes who aren't so athletic.)

BadgeIsBack

Did he really? Couldn't he run the heats of the Commonwealth games with that?

I'll take your word for it - but I'm not looking anywhere near the rear end, mind.

Recalls the time I read that loads of sporting stats are grossly exaggerated: like many players are quoted as being heavier, faster etc.

You get these offquoted remarks like old Neil Back was the fittest bloke in the squad, that pound for pound the late England scrumhalf who died back in 2003 was the strongest. You need to take some with a pince of salt really.

And then there was the old Lomu vs Christie thing...

alkristensen

Sorry, i got it wrong, it was 11.5 at 14 years old.

He is about 18 now and has fitness coaches and allsorts over what h had at that age, so i wonder how quick he is now and he is only average size and build.

rommedahl of charlton 10.5
david odonkor 10.7.

Neither of them bulky and can cover a fquite a few miles a game statistically.

al

wafc

Yawn, next clown please! Good luck in the Championship!!

fraser

We will be in the championship. But we'll still be watched by twice as many fans.

1 Manchester United (1) 14 1061104 76073 75793 76212 99.4%
2 Arsenal (4) 13 780474 60128 60036 60432 99.3%
3 Tottenham Hotspur (9) 14 499475 36170 35677 36237 98.4%
4 West Ham United (19) 14 485468 35000 34676 35303 98.2%
5 Reading (6) 14 333065 24122 23790 24225 98.2%
6 Chelsea (2) 14 580888 41953 41492 42294 98.1%
7 Sheffield United (16) 14 423527 32591 30252 30864 98.0%
8 Portsmouth (8) 14 276384 20194 19742 20328 97.1%
9 Fulham (14) 14 305311 24510 21808 22602 96.4%
10 Liverpool (3) 14 610704 44330 43622 45362 96.1%
11 Charlton Athletic (18) 14 364459 27111 26033 27113 96.0%
12 Newcastle United (11) 14 703154 52305 50225 52387 95.8%
13 Watford (20) 14 260197 19750 18586 19920 93.3%
14 Everton (7) 14 511937 40004 36567 40394 90.5%
15 Aston Villa (13) 13 462929 42551 35610 42551 83.6%
16 Bolton Wanderers (5) 14 327493 27229 23392 28101 83.2%
17 Manchester City (15) 13 505244 42192 38865 47500 81.8%
18 Middlesbrough (12) 14 390529 32013 27895 35041 79.6%
19 Wigan Athletic (17) 14 247972 22089 17712 25138 70.4%
20 Blackburn Rovers (10) 14 297713 29342 21265 31154 68.2%

20000 my arse, 17500 according to that. Most of which are johnny come latelys.

wafc

I've heard every crap line about our fan base over the years and I couldn't really care about it, we're still a very young club and improving all of the time, plus Wigan is a small town sandwiched between many large north west top tier england clubs.

You can throw as many stats as you want at me mate but as long as I'm a fan and watching Wigan in the prem next season when you charlie big times are languishing in the championship, who cares!!

PS - I never mentioned 20k anyway.

fraser

I didn't say you did, my comment was aimed at the OP who did say it.

wafc

Fair enough, I'll let you off then just this once!

jond

As much as it hurts me to say this, but you are right. West Ham has always had a massive fan base.

My first ever match was at Upton Park against Wolves, shows how long ago it was Derek Dougan was playing for Wolves and Clyde Best for the Hammers

jond

You know from your background that fitness and what I call useful bulk are quite important. Most NRL players off TV standing next to you are a lot smaller than on TV and a lot smaller than a tradie who works on the tools or downs VBs. But its the usefulness of the bulk they do have which counts. A tradie cannot shift that 100kg, a NRL player can. It's normally quite obvious who the fit lads really are. Think back to the infantry a lot of the younger blokes are built like whippets but am not that strong - and a lot of the older blokes are strong but not that fit.



I agree with you, you only have to look at someone and you can see straight away how fit they look.

As I was in the Guards we didn't have that many whippet types, most tended to be 6' plus. It was in the late 70's when your entry was based more on your family background (me 3rd generation in the same Regt) size and I am ashamed to say colour

chilli

please take this the way its meant (which is well)
west ham dont really deserve the crowds they get.. they dont win much and their fans are always on a roller coaster of emotion but they still turn up

they remind me of the toon army, they come rain or shine.. the loyalty shown is first class..
if that new owner stays they will be a big club and be able to attract top players..

bridge
i understand what you mean about contact. i cant watch basketball because of the lack of contac and im sure i only watch cricket because i feel i should.

i mentioned my son because he is a fair player now, fast too, but he didnt do that well with the ball at his feet. hand skills are easier to develop. the nerve to play any rugby is either in you or not.

there was a footballer called wayne feraday (QPR) he was invited for trials for the british olympic team as his 100m times were faster than two of the guys in the relay. his times were recorded in trainers too.. he was never a top flight footballer and his times were done without the driving shoulders that sprinters need..

aint it good that there is a football/rugby/ aussie rules thread without anyone cussing

ozzieeagle

Despite what you've been informed on other parts of this thread. Townsville will be almost certainly getting a team in the A league in 2008/9. They will be one of the first new teams beyond the 8 that currently make up the league now. Their start up crowd is expected to be 12/15,000 people.

fraser

Toon army, loyal yeah right. When they were in the old second division and before KK came and they started spending money they used to get crowds of under 15000, don't kid yourself.

chilli

there are quite a few sides that i could have used instead of the toon.
sucess brings support, the toon get huge support considering their level of sucess, as do west ham..

i dont support either so ive no need to kid myself, i just meant that both clubs have 'true' support.

anyway
where was i..

fraser

I knew what you meant i was just dangling some bait, I thought I might catch a geordie (do they have computers there?)