Uilleam

Yes, but which one has a "pyoor speshull relationship" with the Catalan pranksters?

"Barcelona are facing a trial on bribery charges connected to payments to a referees’ chief..." ALEX CAPARROS/GETTY IMAGES More than a Club, indeed. What then, shall we call them? Fraudsters? Swindlers? Cheats? Or is there a Spanish word? A Catalan word? But -oh dear!- what about Josep Guardiola's "legacy"? Of course, his current club, Abu Dhabi Town, faces c115 accusations of financial impropriety. Oh dear! What about his "legacy" there? It's a sorry, sorry day when Football cannot gloss over some trivial financial legerdemain. I hope the trial is in Madrid. Barcelona accused of paying €7.3m in bribes to referees’ chief Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter Thursday September 28 2023, 9.30pm, The Times Barcelona say they made the payments to Dasnil to advise them on refereeing matters https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/barcelona-accused-of-paying-7-3m-in-bribes-to-referees-chief-tkrsjwzlc Barcelona are facing a trial on bribery charges connected to payments to a referees’ chief that could lead to a ban for the Catalan club. The prosecuting magistrate Joaquín Aguirre on Thursday launched proceedings against Barcelona and officials, saying the club’s payments amounted to “systematic corruption”. A guilty verdict would lead to Barcelona being banned from European football as well as facing domestic sanctions and comes at a time when the club are in the grip of a financial crisis. Spain’s football refereeing headquarters was also raided by police as part of the investigation into payments allegedly made by the club to a firm owned by José María Enríquez Negreira, a former top official with the CTA, Spain’s referees’ committee. The referees’ headquarters was raided by police as part of the investigation JAVIER SORIANO/GETTY IMAGES Prosecutors suspect that between 2001 and 2018, Barcelona paid millions of euros to Negreira’s company, Dasnil 95, to secure favourable refereeing decisions from corrupt officials. While the club admit making payments to Dasnil, they said the firm was paid to advise them on refereeing matters. The club deny all wrongdoing. Aguirre said he would investigate the club and several of their former directors for bribery. He added in a written decision that the fact that Barcelona paid “one of the CTA’s three vice-presidents through intermediary companies” is not in dispute. The payments, which lasted about 18 years, grew steadily “from an initial €70,000 a year to €700,000” and stopped when Negreira left his position in 2018, he wrote. “It stands to reason that the payments by FC Barcelona satisfied the club’s interests given their duration and annual increase,” Aguirre said. “The payments resulted in refereeing decisions sought by FC Barcelona in such a way that must have involved unfair treatment of other teams and consequently systemic corruption across Spanish refereeing as a whole.” Asked about the latest developments in the case, Barcelona coach Xavi said he “never” had the impression that the club received any preferential treatment. “I never had the sensation that the referees favoured us, ever,” he told reporters at a press conference a day before Barcelona’s game with Sevilla. Prosecutors in March opened a corruption investigation over the affair, naming Barcelona and four others: Negreira, his son Javier Enriquez, and two of Barcelona’s former presidents, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell. They allege Barcelona paid more than €7.3 million to Negreira, who was a vice-president at the CTA between 1994 and 2018. The payments stopped when Negreira left the CTA after a reshuffle at the Spanish football federation (RFEF). When the money stopped, Negreira sent a letter to Bartomeu, Barcelona’s president at the time, threatening to reveal information that would “seriously harm the club” if it didn’t pay up. It was clear from the letter that Negreira “was aware that there had been illegal acts that favoured FC Barcelona that were quite serious”, Aguirre said. Simplemente hace trampa Només trampa

The same time as you.

Castore, eh? "Aston Villa’s women’s team ‘dreading’ having to wear sweaty kit.... they’re really conscious about how they’re going to look in this wet, clingy kit — for obvious reasons.” You may well laugh, but the gals make a couple of points. Aston Villa’s women’s team ‘dreading’ having to wear sweaty kit Manufacturer will try to adapt design after complaints from men’s and women’s sides that shirts do not wick sweat properly Charlotte Duncker Molly Hudson Wednesday September 27 2023, 3.00pm, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/aston-villas-womens-team-dreading-having-to-wear-sweaty-kit-6zhx7df0t Castore, Aston Villa’s shirt manufacturer, is working to adapt the club’s kit after complaints from both the men’s and women’s teams that the shirts are retaining too much sweat. Players have said that the design of the shirts is inadequate, claiming they got wet with sweat too quickly and felt heavy and uncomfortable to wear as a result. They say that Villa’s home shirts — the traditional claret and blue — are worse than the away strips. It is understood that Castore is aware of the club’s complaints and is working with them to try to find a solution. However, it is not anticipated that there will be a quick fix to the issue, as a redesign will be required, rather than simply ordering a fresh batch of shirts. Castore has been approached for comment. Villa start their Women’s Super League campaign against Manchester United on Sunday and, with some members of the team having concerns about the kit, there had been hopes that the issue could be resolved before the opening game. “This is going to be a big problem,” Jacqui Oatley, the football commentator and broadcaster, told BBC Newsbeat. “They’ve got four TV games coming up. Normally they’d absolutely relish those games and look forward to them. But they’re actually dreading it because they’re really conscious about how they’re going to look in this wet, clingy kit — for obvious reasons.” Carla Ward’s side played five pre-season friendly matches, which is when the issue arose. The team wore their training kit instead for a game against Villarreal, but it is understood that was down to betting regulations in Spain — Villa’s front-of shirt-sponsor, BK8, is an online betting site. Before next season there will be more changes to the Villa kit, with the club confirming that they are looking to redesign their crest for the second season in a row. The club underwent a consultation process last season to design the crest which adorns this season’s kit and training wear. However, they have now admitted that the new crest has not “had the impact which had been hoped when it was introduced”. Villa said they would canvas the opinion of fans before selecting a new-look crest for the club’s 150th anniversary next year.

Wear and tear on an old Lanarkshire road

Did I not like that?!?!

HELP PLEASE!! I left two tickets for tonight on the passenger seat of my car and some scumbag broke the window and left me another two. (Ah'll get mah bunnet and shawl.)

A film about weemin's fitba', I surmise....

A goal machine, by all accounts, and records, who was treated very shabbily, after Berwick, taking the blame for the debacle. I have a feeling that this cost the Club, big time.

I suggest, only, that the team lacks, and, thus, requires, cojones. Souness himself, was no shrinking violet, class and aggression on the pitch, and off the pitch, pretty bloody ruthless with players.

Sadly, as soon as he growled "Ah've goat the battle fever oan", there would be a collective fit of the vapours, and a rush to the sick bay at Auchenhowie.

Yes; and I can't see us coming out of a one off cup-tie v Livingston with a completely clean bill of health.

Buying players, for the sake of it, it seems, in the belief that they will fit in.

That is a problem, unless you tell her that her investment sunk. Remember: weemin can't understand a half time/full time, correct result, and first goalscorer bet, far less an each-way accie at Plumpton.

I am trying not to think about it. Many others, too, I am sure, will be of like mind.

Tap the wife for a bob, and you can have a dollar on.

We are trading on having a goalkeeper. And, em, that's it.

He may be right to be pessimistic, but he is German, and brought up on sauerkraut and Schopenhauer.

Wot we need: A decent, entertaining performance; a few goals; three points; a clean sheet; and no injuries. Wot we want: proper officiating. Imagine we got both (it's not easy, granted, even if we try, hard).

We won. Surely you can cut the Drama Queen some slack?

Thaaaaaank Fuuuuuuuck!!

Stick or carrot. The trick is to know which, when

Well, we picked up considerably. Criticism works.

We are poor. There is no disguising this rather brutal fact.