Smiley Culture

Dad’s born and bred St Helens, moved to London for Work and settled down here. Believe it or not, there’s about eight-ten I know of. Mostly London Broncos.

It genuinely has the possibility of being one of the most interesting competitions for many a year. I don't think there's a clear favourite, despite what the bookmakers may think. I think St Helens are still favourites but personally, I don't agree and I'd put us amongst one of four or so teams who could win the Grand Final. We have probably the best player in the league in Ben Barba in the side, who should be absolutely frightening. Justin Holbrook may have had an entire off-season to work out who his best seven is and it seems that he's likely to go with the putrid Matty Smith at 7 next week, a man who offers little whatsoever and provided some frankly disgraceful stats from 2017, including never winning an away game in which he started. We also have quite shit forwards, too. James Roby is a freak and Luke Thompson had a beast in 2017 but people like Kyle Amor, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Jon Wilkin and Zeb Tai'a are another year older and likely to have regressed further. Leeds have lost the last of their Golden Generation in Danny McGuire, Castleford still have nearly all of the side that have served them so well over the last couple of years, Hull FC look on an upward curve still and Warrington are somewhat of an unknown quantity this year for me. They've finally fucked off the second most loathsome and excuse ridden fart inhaler in the comp in Tony Smith, have appointed Steve Price who comes with a lot of good words said about him from the NRL, they've binned off a load of shite like Rhys Evans, Kevin Penny, Joe Westerman, Ashton Sims and Andre Savelio and recruited well in Tyrone Roberts and Ben Murdoch-Masila, especially. One team who I think won't be in the running is Wigan. This isn't any bias but they've simply not recruited and I don't see how you can seek to improve on a poor finish last year (5th) and barrels of dour rugby by signing two players, an unknown kid from Australia and re-signing Dan Sarginson, a man so incapable of defending, it's laughable. Wigan's recruitment and retention over the past few years has wound up fans and they weren't happy with the re-signing of Sarginson and having lost Anthony Gelling and Micky McIlorum, I can't see them doing anything this year which will be a massive shame.

https://twitter.com/HackneyWickFC/status/957555658399846401 Hackney Wick, a team founded in 2015 and 'merged' (basically they just took their place) with London Bari in the Essex Senior League in 2017, will play their home games next to the Olympic Stadium next season. Looks an interesting venue, I had a brief look at it when walking round the Olympic Stadium before West Ham v Leicester in November, I might get over for a game there next season.

Is he still playing the trumpet? Once saw him play it at an opening mic type night when he was at West Ham.

They have been for a while, from what I understand. Odd.

What the fuck does John Terry’s wage have to do with Southend United? Terry played at the top of his game and in his prime was a multi-medal winning, highly respected footballer in Europe and therefore, justified his wages. Southend United used to regularly flout tax bills, then gain a winding-up order, only to pay the bill and subsequent fine once money had been sourced from directors, it was regular for them to do that for a few years. I’ve never understood the “[Player X] earns £250,000 a week whilst little old [Team Y] need £75,000 by the end of the month to survive, why doesn’t Premier League players stump up” argument, if that’s the argument you’re trying to make. Top players shouldn’t have to help clubs who have been mismanaged.

Chester need £50,000 by the end of next month to survive. This is Chester, the fan owned club, who's own board, made up of fans, have completely mismanaged them. Must be a tough night to be a Chester fan.

Given the number of Footballers who don’t get sacked for the past Twitter behaviour, especially Andre Gray, who’s comments about gays, were well over the mark, it would be unfair, IMO, to sack a manager for the same offence. The only people who should be getting abuse at present are The FA, who’ve undermined Women’s Football by appointing someone who’s criminally inexperienced for the role.

Why give him that long? He’s not got another 12 months in him, he’ll go bat shit crazy by October if Conte keeps at him.

Finished The Sinner over the weekend, wasn’t a massive fan. The last two episodes were good but the middle part of the series was just weird and not very entertaining or enthralling, tbh.

Non-League Football in England suffers badly through the winter months and there’s always one side somewhere in the country left playing 5 games in 12 days or something equally as daft as that.

Can’t see many games going ahead tomorrow due to the after effects of the weekends weather.

The Director of Football, ex-boss Martin Ling, basically was in charge for pre-season, which was disjointed because of needing a whole new squad and the late deal in regards to the change of ownership. Steve Davis got a matter of weeks, I think about three, with the team before the season started and that didn’t help but neither did him being a dire manager. Justin Edinburgh seems, from what I can gather when I actually look, to know what he’s doing.

International football as an example of players being good. Mate, you’re not winning this one. Mina needed to come to England, Italy, Spain, Germany and maybe Holland or France to prove his ability on a bigger stage week in, week out. Not every few months in Internationals. He’s doing it, we’ll see if your prediction is right.

No I didn’t. I said that these players need to play in a top League to be considered a top player.

So, he’s going to one of Europe’s big leagues from a feeder league like I said? He’ll be gutted he can’t join a big club like Rio Ave and make himself a real big name.

42 year-old Jamie Cureton has signed for Bishop's Stortford, only two of the current squad are within twenty years of his age and when Cureton played for Farnborough against Stortford in November, not one of the starting eleven for Stortford that day were born when Cureton scored his first Premier League goal.

What the fuck was the version played by that band by the Thames? Was awful.

I’ve not properly been out on NYE for years, I’ve always ended up at a party, which usually is better than going out.

The worst night out of the year tonight. Though it seems most people I know have gone abroad or are just not doing much. Quiet one for me, I’m off to the Final of the Darts tomorrow.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-essex-42418499

That loveable rogue and Billericay Town owner/Manager/captain/ballboy/hero Glenn Tamplin has been banned from driving for 5 months and been fined £1500.

Orient have their 49th manager in a week, this time Justin Edinburgh takes the reins. Meh.

Maybe these Peruvians will join a big club like Rio Ave.

Why does every thread I see him on turn into him sucking off a load of Peruvian footballers most people have never heard of? Anyway, that Dutch second tier is mad, there's always a load of goals and both teams scoring in games there. It's a betting man's paradise.