Oztoffee

It was a great game. the Aussies were all over them like a rash! Timmy ran his balls off & was particularly good in the air, Schwartzer looked as if he would NEVER be beaten & Kewell was all class - yes I know he plays for the RS but I have to give credit where it's due, he was the difference in the game especially when he's only just back from a long lay-off. Go Aussies!

Anyone ever meet any ex-Blues players? If so, perhaps you could share with us what they are doing out of football? Many years ago I worked behind the bar for 1 day for George Burnett, a 'keeper in the 50's. I'd never heard of him, but my old man said that Burnett had retired with a back problem..............created by bending down too many times to pick the ball out of the net! He was an arsehole to work for - hence the reason I was only there for 1 day! Anyone got any stories?

Yeah, but I have a "Groundhog Day" feeling about the Wombats (as you say).

I'm outa the loop down here - what games are happening involving the "home" countries? Any Blues players involved and what are the team prospects?

LOL At least you're the Pommy Bastard and not "that Pommy Cnut" - you're ahead already! Only takes half a lifetime to be accepted eh?

Pat, I only said Fosters, because I didn't think anyone back in "drizzle-land" would have heard of XXXX! Good to hear from a Queenslander!

The current official "name" for the Australian team is the "Socceroos". Almost everybody thinks it's crap, but is there anybody out there who can come up with a decent name? We should award a prize of a case of Fosters for the winner - but you'll have to collect it in Brisbane! Come on youse scousers, we are the wackiest & most quick-witted lot, so I guess it doesn't have to be a REAL name - just a good, apt & witty one! GO FOR IT!

Like most people who have a wealth of years behind them, I have a few memories I'd like to share. The time the Blue beat Cardiff 8-2 (I think) on a cold & foggy night a few days before Xmas in front of the lowest crowd at Goodison for a century (12500 1 think) It seemed like it anyway, the ground was deserted! The time Alex Young rose & headed the ball out of the keeper's hands when the keeper was at full stretch under the bar - West Brom in the Cup Final The time when hairy-arsed dockers cried unashamedly when we scored the winning goal in the 1966 Cup Final. The time when a new player called Fred Pickering made his début & scored 3 at home against Notts. Forest. Great, you say - but we were so dominant he missed at least another 10 and was roundly condemned! Times like watching Young & Vernon rip apart defences & being fed great balls in from Tommy Ring. Magic memories for me - I havn't been to Goodison for 35 years, being in NZ & Oz since then, although I got to see the Blues in NZ about 1980 or so. MUCH too long. What favourite memories does anyone else have? Perhaps more up-to-date. LOL

I remember the first black player 1 ever saw. It was a guy called Onyeali who played centre-forward for Tranmere for a few seasons - maybe around the mid 60's. He was the blackest bloke I ever saw, almost purple in fact! He did a good job & was well received at the club even though it was a rarity at the time.

Phew! thanks for that. Didn't expect such a comprehensive list. How do you think we'll go in the first 3?

I havn't got access to a fixture list. Does anyone know who we've got over the next 3 - 4 weeks & how do you think we'll go, bearing in mind the last 2 performances?

I was just reading some of the posts about the upcoming Chelsea game and it's good to see that nobody has the knives out! They are a bloody good side (OK it has been purchased - but so were the "Merseyside Millionaires" of earlier times), but the difference between them and Arsenal of a couple of years back is that Chelsea PLAY well - no dodgy tackles, no pushing the ref. around when decisions go against them and no need for the "Euro-disease" of diving & feigning injury to get opposition players booked or sent off. I hope they can continue in this manner and not become cynical like Arsenal. Am I just looking through rose-tinted glasses or do others think the same way?

As it seems that we are at square one with ToffeeTalk, perhaps we could get over the fact that certain RS posters with small, insignificant lives feel the need to be enriched by posting on an EFC site. Yes, I know they're a pain in the *rse, but we only give them fulfilment (and probably wet dreams too) by replying to their stupid, inane comments, thereby giving them legitimacy. I don't know about anyone else, but I personally would gag at getting into a RS site. I don't need to make myself feel better by pouring sh** onto someone else, which may go some way to providing an insight into the mentality of "them from across the park".......and into the standard of their sites, if they need to enter an EFC site to get some worthwhile comment & discussion.

While I don't like reading the stuff put out by "knockers", I have to admit that in one respect Alan Green was right. There are some fundamental changes needed in team tactics - but these can only be brought about by bringing in players who are good enough to implement them. Both manure & Villareal were BETTER TEAMS than us, but it is obviously very difficult to bring in good players who only see last season's result as a one-off that won't be repeated. The part of Green's article that REALLY rankled was the bit about Bellamy not choosing US! My understanding of the whole affair was that he talked with DM and following that, DM decided not to make an offer. Therefore Bellend had to go to Blackburn who were the only club left with an offer on the table! If anything went right for us during the summer it was that we DIDN'T sign THAT gobby little troll!

Whoopee! We're back in business. I have to be honest, the other websites wern't a patch on ToffeeTalk!