So, Southampton have been deducted 10 points. It's nothing against them, but it is absolutely, 100% the right decision.
The technicality which is still being argued by the club's holding company is nothing short of a disgrace. Yes, the club hasn't gone into administration itself, but the company that owns it is in administration because of the football club.
If it was that easy to get around the deduction, then every club in the Football League should set up one of those magical "holding companies" as soon as possible.
The rules on administration are clear and while they are not universally popular, it is the best way to deal with it. Why should clubs who work hard to keep their finances under control have to play on an even keel as those who take a cop out.
Luton are the ones who have the most to complain about, having lost 20 points for their administration problems at the start of the season - a deduction which has consigned them to a season out of the Football League next year.
But the plain and simple fact is that Luton got themselves into debt, and the reason they couldn't get a CVA to come out of administration was because they couldn't afford to pay what was a pitiful percentage of their debts. Therefore, all their debts were wiped out and they had to start the new season with a disadvantage.
It speaks volumes that their wage budget remains one of the biggest in League Two, and in January they were able to bolster their squad with an £80,000 signing. Not a lot of other clubs at that level could afford to do that...
When Luton were hit with the deduction, Lord Mawhinney said it was about "protecting the integrity of the competition". Had the same punishment not been dished out to Southampton, then it would have completely contradicted what was said less than a year earlier.
Yes, it's tough on the Saints and it's very tough on their fans. You have my sympathy, but rules are rules...
Friday, 24 April 2009
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
OF FO?
For the umpteenth time, the issue of the Old Firm joining the English league structure has reared its head. Yet, again it will probably lead to nothing, there will be a considerable amount of press coverage, but then it will just go away for a few more years. Just like the 39th game. It does raise a few questions though. What benefits would English football gain from the presence of the Old Firm? Where would it leave Scottish football? And do we actually trust a word Platini says about the continued separation of the UK national teams?
I only really care about one of these questions, where would it leave Scottish football? Rangers and Celtic have made it clear for years that they will entertain ideas giving them an exit route from the overly routine Scottish football system, something they have dominated for many a year. It seems that they will listen to any idea, and given time, I think they will eventually exit the Scottish league for pastures new. Probably not England, but I can see there being a European league of some sort.
Now obviously the Scottish team will lose a lot of the finances available. Setanta are not going to be offering big money to show a league system that doesn’t involve their beloved Rangers and Celtic. Outside of that, there are hardly a plethora of games that will have people paying a subscription to watch. Add to that the largest away crowds which come from the Old Firm support 6-8 times a season in the league, and obviously there are going to be a drop in turnover for SPL clubs.
At the same time though, a genuinely competitive league could bring the fans in greater numbers again, stadiums might be filled if games are genuinely becoming deciders in where the league title went. Less TV coverage again could lead to more fans going along to support their local teams.
The UEFA coefficient will suffer also, but that really shouldn’t make much difference to Scottish clubs. Someone other than Rangers and Celtic will get a pop at Champions League qualification, and the Europa League entrants will generally be of a similar level as before.
There is a lot of risk associated with this happening though. We risk moving towards a less recognised, possibly lower quality league like in Ireland. Our teams might find it even more difficult to hold on to players when Championship and League One level clubs come looking. We may end up with a league that is still dominated by one or two teams (though third place has been filled by five different clubs in the last five years). Scottish football could become a bigger laughing stock than it already is.
To be honest though, if it was possible for clubs to do it just now, I would just ditch the Old Firm, since I think they would happily do it at the drop of a hat when the opportunity comes along. It wouldn’t be the most sporting though. I guess I will just have to wait till a point, probably still a long way off in the future, where I can follow my team in a league with an organisation running it that doesn’t pander to two teams interests at the expense of the other ten, where a fairer voting structure is put in place than eleven out of twelve required to make any decision (i.e. Old Firm veto) and where we don’t have two clubs willing to suck every penny they can out of other clubs in the league.
Maybe then when we go to Hampden for a cup game against Rangers or Celtic, then we have an equal chance of getting changing room or end of the ground on a pure random basis. What other national stadium in the world has an end dedicated to two clubs in the country?
In case any key decision makers in Phil Gartside’s plans are reading this blog though, I am just bitter. Rangers and Celtic would definitely bring a lot to your English league...
* Blog post by BFF member Dandy, an Aberdeen fan.
I only really care about one of these questions, where would it leave Scottish football? Rangers and Celtic have made it clear for years that they will entertain ideas giving them an exit route from the overly routine Scottish football system, something they have dominated for many a year. It seems that they will listen to any idea, and given time, I think they will eventually exit the Scottish league for pastures new. Probably not England, but I can see there being a European league of some sort.
Now obviously the Scottish team will lose a lot of the finances available. Setanta are not going to be offering big money to show a league system that doesn’t involve their beloved Rangers and Celtic. Outside of that, there are hardly a plethora of games that will have people paying a subscription to watch. Add to that the largest away crowds which come from the Old Firm support 6-8 times a season in the league, and obviously there are going to be a drop in turnover for SPL clubs.
At the same time though, a genuinely competitive league could bring the fans in greater numbers again, stadiums might be filled if games are genuinely becoming deciders in where the league title went. Less TV coverage again could lead to more fans going along to support their local teams.
The UEFA coefficient will suffer also, but that really shouldn’t make much difference to Scottish clubs. Someone other than Rangers and Celtic will get a pop at Champions League qualification, and the Europa League entrants will generally be of a similar level as before.
There is a lot of risk associated with this happening though. We risk moving towards a less recognised, possibly lower quality league like in Ireland. Our teams might find it even more difficult to hold on to players when Championship and League One level clubs come looking. We may end up with a league that is still dominated by one or two teams (though third place has been filled by five different clubs in the last five years). Scottish football could become a bigger laughing stock than it already is.
To be honest though, if it was possible for clubs to do it just now, I would just ditch the Old Firm, since I think they would happily do it at the drop of a hat when the opportunity comes along. It wouldn’t be the most sporting though. I guess I will just have to wait till a point, probably still a long way off in the future, where I can follow my team in a league with an organisation running it that doesn’t pander to two teams interests at the expense of the other ten, where a fairer voting structure is put in place than eleven out of twelve required to make any decision (i.e. Old Firm veto) and where we don’t have two clubs willing to suck every penny they can out of other clubs in the league.
Maybe then when we go to Hampden for a cup game against Rangers or Celtic, then we have an equal chance of getting changing room or end of the ground on a pure random basis. What other national stadium in the world has an end dedicated to two clubs in the country?
In case any key decision makers in Phil Gartside’s plans are reading this blog though, I am just bitter. Rangers and Celtic would definitely bring a lot to your English league...
* Blog post by BFF member Dandy, an Aberdeen fan.
Sunday, 19 April 2009
The FA Cup F**k Up?
Well, that's the semis done then - and it's going to be Everton v Chelsea in next month's final.
To call this a classic weekend of FA Cup football would be a lie, and if anything it's done nothing for what is still viewed as many as the greatest cup competition in the world.
Has to be said though, that it's not the competition it once was. There's a massive list of reasons why, so let's look at some of them.
* Football is all about money these days. It's a great bug bear of this particular poster that the third round draw has become a big day for a completely different reason. It's not even that long ago that a team - like my Gillingham - would get to the third round and be desperate to get one of the big boys AT HOME. The mentality then was "we'll have a crack at them, let's try and cause an upset". The dream was always to get Manchester United at home. Now though, it's all about money. The dream draw for every lower league team now is Manchester United away. So what if you'll get pummelled 7-0 at Old Trafford in front of 70,000 United fans, you get half of the gate receipts and that's more important. Even this season when we drew Aston Villa at home, we were pleased - and the TV money helped - but in the back of the mind remained the desire to play at Villa Park and get even more cash.
* It's not as important as it once was. Look again at that United side. If they do get past Arsenal to the Champions League final in Rome, how many of them will start? You can count on one hand. It's funny, last year United were gutted to miss out on the FA Cup after going out in the quarters to Portsmouth. This year, they've got to the semis, rested most of their players and paid the price. The sad thing is though, come FA Cup final weekend, United won't be too upset if they've managed to console themselves with the Premier League and the Champions League again... Years ago though, the FA Cup was the big one - the final was the day which everyone looked forward to. Which brings me to my next point...
* Semi-finals at Wembley. Awful, horrific idea. Yes, you spent so much on Wembley that you need to get the cash back by using it as often as possible, but for the love of God keep some things sacred. Those of a certain age will remember the finals of 1987 and 1988, which were won by Coventry and Wimbledon. Even the final of 1992 can be used as an example, with Sunderland runners up. That was THE day. My endearing memories of early FA Cup finals are hearing of journeymen players playing at Wembley for the first time, how special it was to be there. But there's none of that now, as they've already been there a month earlier. And as for the fans, well, think about it. I've been to the new Wembley twice and getting there is fine. The stadium itself is magnificent. Getting out of it is an absolute pigging nightmare. It's about an hour or so after Everton beat United now, and I bet there are fans of both clubs still trying to get into the tube stations. It's that congested. And, of course, there's the fact that fans from Everton and Manchester United have had to get down to London on a Sunday afternoon for the game in the first place. Play it at Villa Park, play it at Anfield, play it at the City of Manchester. But think of the fans and don't make them all trek down to London on a Sunday.
There's loads of other reasons as well, but they don't all need going in to. All I'm saying is that we need to go back to the days when walking up those steps to get hold of that FA Cup trophy on a sunny day in May was the highlight of the season and of careers. Because right now, it's almost a privelege that the top players can seemingly do without.
* Post by BFF member Jon.
To call this a classic weekend of FA Cup football would be a lie, and if anything it's done nothing for what is still viewed as many as the greatest cup competition in the world.
Has to be said though, that it's not the competition it once was. There's a massive list of reasons why, so let's look at some of them.
* Football is all about money these days. It's a great bug bear of this particular poster that the third round draw has become a big day for a completely different reason. It's not even that long ago that a team - like my Gillingham - would get to the third round and be desperate to get one of the big boys AT HOME. The mentality then was "we'll have a crack at them, let's try and cause an upset". The dream was always to get Manchester United at home. Now though, it's all about money. The dream draw for every lower league team now is Manchester United away. So what if you'll get pummelled 7-0 at Old Trafford in front of 70,000 United fans, you get half of the gate receipts and that's more important. Even this season when we drew Aston Villa at home, we were pleased - and the TV money helped - but in the back of the mind remained the desire to play at Villa Park and get even more cash.
* It's not as important as it once was. Look again at that United side. If they do get past Arsenal to the Champions League final in Rome, how many of them will start? You can count on one hand. It's funny, last year United were gutted to miss out on the FA Cup after going out in the quarters to Portsmouth. This year, they've got to the semis, rested most of their players and paid the price. The sad thing is though, come FA Cup final weekend, United won't be too upset if they've managed to console themselves with the Premier League and the Champions League again... Years ago though, the FA Cup was the big one - the final was the day which everyone looked forward to. Which brings me to my next point...
* Semi-finals at Wembley. Awful, horrific idea. Yes, you spent so much on Wembley that you need to get the cash back by using it as often as possible, but for the love of God keep some things sacred. Those of a certain age will remember the finals of 1987 and 1988, which were won by Coventry and Wimbledon. Even the final of 1992 can be used as an example, with Sunderland runners up. That was THE day. My endearing memories of early FA Cup finals are hearing of journeymen players playing at Wembley for the first time, how special it was to be there. But there's none of that now, as they've already been there a month earlier. And as for the fans, well, think about it. I've been to the new Wembley twice and getting there is fine. The stadium itself is magnificent. Getting out of it is an absolute pigging nightmare. It's about an hour or so after Everton beat United now, and I bet there are fans of both clubs still trying to get into the tube stations. It's that congested. And, of course, there's the fact that fans from Everton and Manchester United have had to get down to London on a Sunday afternoon for the game in the first place. Play it at Villa Park, play it at Anfield, play it at the City of Manchester. But think of the fans and don't make them all trek down to London on a Sunday.
There's loads of other reasons as well, but they don't all need going in to. All I'm saying is that we need to go back to the days when walking up those steps to get hold of that FA Cup trophy on a sunny day in May was the highlight of the season and of careers. Because right now, it's almost a privelege that the top players can seemingly do without.
* Post by BFF member Jon.
Friday, 17 April 2009
Today on the BFF
As you might have gathered, this is a blog from a forum. So, here's a selection of the best things on that very forum - www.big-football-forum.co.uk - today.
"soon rafa will shrug at fergie when* we win the title
* - or if " - Nihilanth in "Benitez attacks Ferguson"
"He's Fergie's bitch and we all know it." - ProfGooner on Sam Allardyce in "Sam Allardyce...quit ya bitching!"
"Didn't care either way in the title race but this double bitch-fest has actually made me warm to the idea of a Liverpool title win. Utterly pathetic." - Zero in the same thread.
"I think there has been an element of Villa letting us off the hook in the league... But also I think there has been a bit of the luck "evening itself out"." - ProfGooner in "Champions League Quarter Final/Semi Final Draw"
"Keep the black colour scheme, anyone who suggests otherwise should be banned...that's my suggestion." stevieg in "BFF - Have Your Say!"
"Why don't we set up a BFF blog?" - Jon in "BFF - Have Your Say!"
"Michaela Tabb can polish my balls anytime." - Nady in "The Ronnie Carnival...."
"I don't blame the Spice girls for their success, I blame the British public, and in particular Jacqui Smith. Somewhere along the line she's bound to be responsible." - Panja in "Piratebay four sent to jail"
"James Morrison rocks." - Footiechick in "Gigs"
And I don't think we can top that last one, kids...
"soon rafa will shrug at fergie when* we win the title
* - or if " - Nihilanth in "Benitez attacks Ferguson"
"He's Fergie's bitch and we all know it." - ProfGooner on Sam Allardyce in "Sam Allardyce...quit ya bitching!"
"Didn't care either way in the title race but this double bitch-fest has actually made me warm to the idea of a Liverpool title win. Utterly pathetic." - Zero in the same thread.
"I think there has been an element of Villa letting us off the hook in the league... But also I think there has been a bit of the luck "evening itself out"." - ProfGooner in "Champions League Quarter Final/Semi Final Draw"
"Keep the black colour scheme, anyone who suggests otherwise should be banned...that's my suggestion." stevieg in "BFF - Have Your Say!"
"Why don't we set up a BFF blog?" - Jon in "BFF - Have Your Say!"
"Michaela Tabb can polish my balls anytime." - Nady in "The Ronnie Carnival...."
"I don't blame the Spice girls for their success, I blame the British public, and in particular Jacqui Smith. Somewhere along the line she's bound to be responsible." - Panja in "Piratebay four sent to jail"
"James Morrison rocks." - Footiechick in "Gigs"
And I don't think we can top that last one, kids...
More to life than football
Blog post number five seems as good a time as any to tell you all that there is a lot more to the BFF than football.
Yes, football is what brought everyone on the forum together and to be honest, it is the main thing that gets debate on the forum, but there is far more to all of our lives than that.
So expect this blog to be littered with articles about plenty of things that aren't about football... We have a number of keen music fans who are always looking to direct us in the direction of new bands, while our film buffs will happily review a movie for you.
As well as that, we have interests in a number of other sports - cricket, boxing, Formula One, Tennis, Cycling - and so on, so you can expect to read blog posts on all of those as well.
And then there's life in general. We're all going through it. Sometimes it's tough, sometimes it's brilliant, sometimes it's hilarious. We can blog on all of that, no sweat.
Yes, football is what brought everyone on the forum together and to be honest, it is the main thing that gets debate on the forum, but there is far more to all of our lives than that.
So expect this blog to be littered with articles about plenty of things that aren't about football... We have a number of keen music fans who are always looking to direct us in the direction of new bands, while our film buffs will happily review a movie for you.
As well as that, we have interests in a number of other sports - cricket, boxing, Formula One, Tennis, Cycling - and so on, so you can expect to read blog posts on all of those as well.
And then there's life in general. We're all going through it. Sometimes it's tough, sometimes it's brilliant, sometimes it's hilarious. We can blog on all of that, no sweat.
The Weekend Ahead
One of the features of our blog is going to be a look ahead to what is going on in the football world on the big matchdays.
So, let's start that tradition off in usual style by looking at one of the biggest weekends in the football calendar - the FA Cup semi-finals.
* Arsenal and Chelsea do battle in the first game at Wembley on Saturday tea-time. Whether or not you agree with the decision to host all FA Cup semis for eternity at the national stadium, this one is probably on the money, what with it being a London derby.
Both teams reached the Champions League semis this week - one in comfortable circumstances and the other in epic ones - so this promises to be a thrilling clash. The Gunners - playing at the new Wembley for the first time - won the only meeting between the two teams this season by winning at Stamford Bridge in November, but Guus Hiddink's Chelsea are flying.
* Sunday sees Manchester United face Everton, who are also at the new Wembley for the first time. That loveable little bulldog Wayne Rooney is at the centre of attention as the club he loved as a child faces the one which he now represents. He's even said that he might go and watch the final if the Toffees win, bless him. Another cracking clash in prospect though...
* In the Premier League, the big boys aren't playing (see above), so the focus is on the bottom of the table, where Middlesbrough look to build on their win over Hull when they host Fulham, Stoke play Blackburn and Newcastle travel to Spurs. But the biggest game at the bottom this weekend is between Sunderland and Hull at the Stadium of Light. Neither seem able to buy a win at the moment, but if one of them can get one here, it could just save them from the drop.
* The race for the three spots opening up in the top flight is nearing an end, with Wolves set to win promotion this weekend if they beat "THE RICHEST CLUB IN THE WORLD" QPR, but the battle for second goes on with Birmingham, Sheffield United and Cardiff all in the mixer for the second spot. After this weekend, the picture there could all be a hell of a lot clearer.
* In League One, Leicester will be champions if they win at Southend, while Cheltenham and Hereford are well on the way to dropping down to League Two. Brentford can win promotion from League Two themselves if they win and other results go their way, while Bournemouth and Chester meet at the other end in a game which could go a long way to deciding who joins Luton in the Blue Square Premier next season.
But that's not all there is - there's action all across the world this weekend, and we'll be following results all over the place as the European leagues hurtle towards the climax of the 2008/09 campaign.
So, let's start that tradition off in usual style by looking at one of the biggest weekends in the football calendar - the FA Cup semi-finals.
* Arsenal and Chelsea do battle in the first game at Wembley on Saturday tea-time. Whether or not you agree with the decision to host all FA Cup semis for eternity at the national stadium, this one is probably on the money, what with it being a London derby.
Both teams reached the Champions League semis this week - one in comfortable circumstances and the other in epic ones - so this promises to be a thrilling clash. The Gunners - playing at the new Wembley for the first time - won the only meeting between the two teams this season by winning at Stamford Bridge in November, but Guus Hiddink's Chelsea are flying.
* Sunday sees Manchester United face Everton, who are also at the new Wembley for the first time. That loveable little bulldog Wayne Rooney is at the centre of attention as the club he loved as a child faces the one which he now represents. He's even said that he might go and watch the final if the Toffees win, bless him. Another cracking clash in prospect though...
* In the Premier League, the big boys aren't playing (see above), so the focus is on the bottom of the table, where Middlesbrough look to build on their win over Hull when they host Fulham, Stoke play Blackburn and Newcastle travel to Spurs. But the biggest game at the bottom this weekend is between Sunderland and Hull at the Stadium of Light. Neither seem able to buy a win at the moment, but if one of them can get one here, it could just save them from the drop.
* The race for the three spots opening up in the top flight is nearing an end, with Wolves set to win promotion this weekend if they beat "THE RICHEST CLUB IN THE WORLD" QPR, but the battle for second goes on with Birmingham, Sheffield United and Cardiff all in the mixer for the second spot. After this weekend, the picture there could all be a hell of a lot clearer.
* In League One, Leicester will be champions if they win at Southend, while Cheltenham and Hereford are well on the way to dropping down to League Two. Brentford can win promotion from League Two themselves if they win and other results go their way, while Bournemouth and Chester meet at the other end in a game which could go a long way to deciding who joins Luton in the Blue Square Premier next season.
But that's not all there is - there's action all across the world this weekend, and we'll be following results all over the place as the European leagues hurtle towards the climax of the 2008/09 campaign.
PF EH?
So, the big news of last week (if you ignore the Champions League) was the announcement of the nominees for the PFA Player of the Year gongs.
Every year, the members of the Professional Footballer's Association - that's basically the professional footballers of this fair country - nominate for a Player and Young Player of the Year. There are also divisional teams of the year, and it cannot be denied that these prizes always cause plenty of debate.
The problem is that the system seems a bit outdated. The players make their votes in January - halfway through the season - and that is why there is such a Manchester United bias in this year's nominees.
When the votes were made, United were in the process of not conceding a goal for months on end in the Premier League, and Edwin van der Sar was God between the posts. No-one would be able to deny that around then, he was one of the top six players in the country.
But who could have forseen United getting tanked 4-1 at home to Liverpool, losing at Fulham and then needing a 17-year-old debutant to see off Aston Villa?
In truth, in January, United looked like they would run away with the title. They were flying, Liverpool were stuttering and Chelsea (still under Big Phil) and Arsenal were nowhere (oh, what's that? Oh, some things don't change!).
Normally, the PFA prize is a fair reflection of who has been the best player. Normally - like last year - it is cut and dried in January. There was no way Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't rightfully be crowned Player of the Year in 2008.
But in this season where individuals have not shone out like the Portuguese wizard did last year, it is hard enough to pick a winner now, let alone from three months ago.
As it is, the winner will be one of Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo, Van der Sar or Nemanja Vidic.
But, the truth is, if Fernando Torres - undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world - fires Liverpool to the title their fans have longed for since 1990, then the joke will be on the PFA.
And that, my friends, is a real shame.
* Have your say - and vote for your winner - at http://www.big-football-forum.co.uk/bff/viewtopic.php?t=7638
Every year, the members of the Professional Footballer's Association - that's basically the professional footballers of this fair country - nominate for a Player and Young Player of the Year. There are also divisional teams of the year, and it cannot be denied that these prizes always cause plenty of debate.
The problem is that the system seems a bit outdated. The players make their votes in January - halfway through the season - and that is why there is such a Manchester United bias in this year's nominees.
When the votes were made, United were in the process of not conceding a goal for months on end in the Premier League, and Edwin van der Sar was God between the posts. No-one would be able to deny that around then, he was one of the top six players in the country.
But who could have forseen United getting tanked 4-1 at home to Liverpool, losing at Fulham and then needing a 17-year-old debutant to see off Aston Villa?
In truth, in January, United looked like they would run away with the title. They were flying, Liverpool were stuttering and Chelsea (still under Big Phil) and Arsenal were nowhere (oh, what's that? Oh, some things don't change!).
Normally, the PFA prize is a fair reflection of who has been the best player. Normally - like last year - it is cut and dried in January. There was no way Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't rightfully be crowned Player of the Year in 2008.
But in this season where individuals have not shone out like the Portuguese wizard did last year, it is hard enough to pick a winner now, let alone from three months ago.
As it is, the winner will be one of Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo, Van der Sar or Nemanja Vidic.
But, the truth is, if Fernando Torres - undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world - fires Liverpool to the title their fans have longed for since 1990, then the joke will be on the PFA.
And that, my friends, is a real shame.
* Have your say - and vote for your winner - at http://www.big-football-forum.co.uk/bff/viewtopic.php?t=7638
The BFF FAQ
Who gave birth to the BFF?
Well, on the seventh day, God did not rest. He got to grips with advanced HTML, downloaded Dreamweaver (from a warez site) and then got building. Halfway though it, he thought to himself: “F*ck this shit. I’m God. I don’t need to do all the hard work.” So, instead, he got hold of phpBB and the rest is history...
Actually, this is the history: Sometimes, things are born from deviation. Liverpool would not exist if it wasn’t for Everton (though we all wish Everton didn’t exist... period). The soul of BFF came into existence when Moses (Burnley Hefcee) lead his people to the promised land. Basically, a bunch of lads on a footie forum felt they could do better. So they left it behind in ''search'' of a new home. The first attempt at the ‘promised land’ failed, with all posts lost, five years later the same fate struck again. The third attempt is what you see today So, thank the founding fathers (Burnley, Chazza, Rich…) and the old skool crew (Chopper, mcfc, JohnSmiley, JonP...) for setting the foundations. Good work fellas!!
Is it another bog-standard football forum?
By bog-standard do you mean like the football Everton play? If so, then no. Supporters of all clubs, nations and colours are welcomed here; including the Scottish. This is a community of banter, discussions, love and hate – all things football and all things non-football. We are not just a bunch of English yobbos. Oh no. We have Welsh, Scottish and Croats. We did even have members living out in South America, but they seem to have gone walkabout. Tragically, we also have Americans. But hey, nothing's perfect!
Are there any rules I need to know about?
The first rule of BFF is don’t be a troll. Seriously though, there are no rules. Just don’t troll, spam and post porn. Act the c*nt if you wish, but expect the kind of treatment West Ham fans would greet Chelsea Headhunters. Everything is self-explanatory really. Post, have fun... don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Can I say and post whatever I want?
We don’t like censorship, but that doesn’t mean its a free-for-all. Don’t make threats or post anything illegal and you should be safe from having your IP banned. W00t!! If you want to be controversial, then feel free to be so. But be able to back it up if someone wants you to explain why you feel that way, rather than trolling for the sake of trolling. Another thing to bear in mind is that sometimes the content of this site does lean towards the adult side so please be aware that not everything will be to your taste.
The place seems like a tight-knit community. Why should I bother participating?
Well, it is a tight-knit community, but most of the hardcore regulars are newbies in terms of the dates they signed up compared to the founding fathers. Don’t rush to impress. Just be yourself, or create an online persona if you think you have no natural personality – and then just get on with it. Yeah, one or two of us can be hard b@stards, but remember... most of it is banter. A baptism BFF style means we love ya!
The BFF''s Etiquette Guide to ''do's and dont's'':
Don’t post porn. Don’t spam the boards. Don’t be a c*nt. That’s it.
Well, on the seventh day, God did not rest. He got to grips with advanced HTML, downloaded Dreamweaver (from a warez site) and then got building. Halfway though it, he thought to himself: “F*ck this shit. I’m God. I don’t need to do all the hard work.” So, instead, he got hold of phpBB and the rest is history...
Actually, this is the history: Sometimes, things are born from deviation. Liverpool would not exist if it wasn’t for Everton (though we all wish Everton didn’t exist... period). The soul of BFF came into existence when Moses (Burnley Hefcee) lead his people to the promised land. Basically, a bunch of lads on a footie forum felt they could do better. So they left it behind in ''search'' of a new home. The first attempt at the ‘promised land’ failed, with all posts lost, five years later the same fate struck again. The third attempt is what you see today So, thank the founding fathers (Burnley, Chazza, Rich…) and the old skool crew (Chopper, mcfc, JohnSmiley, JonP...) for setting the foundations. Good work fellas!!
Is it another bog-standard football forum?
By bog-standard do you mean like the football Everton play? If so, then no. Supporters of all clubs, nations and colours are welcomed here; including the Scottish. This is a community of banter, discussions, love and hate – all things football and all things non-football. We are not just a bunch of English yobbos. Oh no. We have Welsh, Scottish and Croats. We did even have members living out in South America, but they seem to have gone walkabout. Tragically, we also have Americans. But hey, nothing's perfect!
Are there any rules I need to know about?
The first rule of BFF is don’t be a troll. Seriously though, there are no rules. Just don’t troll, spam and post porn. Act the c*nt if you wish, but expect the kind of treatment West Ham fans would greet Chelsea Headhunters. Everything is self-explanatory really. Post, have fun... don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Can I say and post whatever I want?
We don’t like censorship, but that doesn’t mean its a free-for-all. Don’t make threats or post anything illegal and you should be safe from having your IP banned. W00t!! If you want to be controversial, then feel free to be so. But be able to back it up if someone wants you to explain why you feel that way, rather than trolling for the sake of trolling. Another thing to bear in mind is that sometimes the content of this site does lean towards the adult side so please be aware that not everything will be to your taste.
The place seems like a tight-knit community. Why should I bother participating?
Well, it is a tight-knit community, but most of the hardcore regulars are newbies in terms of the dates they signed up compared to the founding fathers. Don’t rush to impress. Just be yourself, or create an online persona if you think you have no natural personality – and then just get on with it. Yeah, one or two of us can be hard b@stards, but remember... most of it is banter. A baptism BFF style means we love ya!
The BFF''s Etiquette Guide to ''do's and dont's'':
Don’t post porn. Don’t spam the boards. Don’t be a c*nt. That’s it.
Welcome to the BFF blog
Well then, this is where it all starts.
The Big Football Forum (http://www.big-football-forum.co.uk/ or, even easier, http://www.b-f-f.co.uk/) was started in around 2002 by a group of lads from another forum who felt they could do better. Almost seven years later, it's fair to say they've had a bloody good crack at it.
Unfortunately, a lot of the BFF's proud history was wiped out in a server change in early 2007, but it has stayed strong, pulled together and remains an excellent forum, filled with some characters and probably a few that others will think are dullards. Ah well.
Now, moving with the times, this blog has been launched in April 2009. In it the BFF crew - a fine cross section of football fans - will talk about the issues in the day of football and whatever is getting their goat about the beautiful game, or even praise for what we're fans of.
But there is more to the place we call "The BFF" than just football. Music, gaming, other sports, and even such highbrow things as "news and current affairs" are well within our grasp. This blog will encompass all of that.
Any more questions? Well, visit the forum and sign up, or mail us at blog@big-football-forum.co.uk.
Magic.
The Big Football Forum (http://www.big-football-forum.co.uk/ or, even easier, http://www.b-f-f.co.uk/) was started in around 2002 by a group of lads from another forum who felt they could do better. Almost seven years later, it's fair to say they've had a bloody good crack at it.
Unfortunately, a lot of the BFF's proud history was wiped out in a server change in early 2007, but it has stayed strong, pulled together and remains an excellent forum, filled with some characters and probably a few that others will think are dullards. Ah well.
Now, moving with the times, this blog has been launched in April 2009. In it the BFF crew - a fine cross section of football fans - will talk about the issues in the day of football and whatever is getting their goat about the beautiful game, or even praise for what we're fans of.
But there is more to the place we call "The BFF" than just football. Music, gaming, other sports, and even such highbrow things as "news and current affairs" are well within our grasp. This blog will encompass all of that.
Any more questions? Well, visit the forum and sign up, or mail us at blog@big-football-forum.co.uk.
Magic.
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