Football

[jplpool]

"Oh Tony Hibbert, he scores when he wants"

Tony Hibbert has made 308 appearances for the first team here at Everton, he's never scored a goal.
Incredibly, he scored a 20-yard free kick in his own testimonial match. It's a real goal, too. Not a goal he was allowed to score.

There's been an Evertonian saying for years...."Hibbert scores, we riot!"

Watch the goal and the ensuing riot. Twas fuckin' brilliant.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsp4ne_yyyyyyy-yyy-4-1_sport#from=embediframe

[jplpool]

Steven Gerrard - role model 

When the name of the character witness was read out to the sleepy jury at Lincoln Crown Court this week, even the doziest of their number sprang to rapt attention.

Steven George Gerrard MBE - captain of Liverpool Football Club, occasional captain of England and role model to millions of impressionable youngsters - wished it to be known that he had "the utmost respect" for the man who stood in the dock.

Never mind that the defendant, John Kinsella, was a known gangster charged with tying up a security guard during a £41,000 robbery.

Gerrard and his father, Paul, were happy to vouch for the defendant's character in an open letter to the court.

Kinsella, the jury heard, had earned their gratitude by persuading a notorious criminal, George Bromley Junior, to call off a campaign of intimidation and extortion against the footballer.

The self-styled enforcer "took steps", as he euphemistically put it to the court, and Bromley paid heed.

How unfortunate for the well-meaning Gerrards that their supposedly reliable friend went on to take several more steps as the trial drew to a close - straight out of the court grounds to flee custody during a lunch break.

Kinsella is still on the run today, having been convicted of the robbery and handed a 14-year jail sentence in his absence.

The Gerrards are now more than a little embarrassed.

Still, it could have been worse. The Mail has learned that when Kinsella visited Paul Gerrard on the eve of the trial, his initial demand had been for Steven to appear in the witness box on his behalf.

That, as we know, did not happen. Nevertheless, that a known violent criminal should so easily be able to extract a compromising letter from one of the world's leading sportsmen is extraordinary.

Or is it? In fact, far from being an isolated incident, this is just one example of a sprawling network of links between Steven Gerrard and Liverpool's gangsters.

The Gerrards, it must be stated here, are a law-abiding family without a stain on their character.

Steven is widely regarded as a model professional whose defining characteristic as a player is his insatiable appetite for hard work.

Yet, for all his demonstrable qualities, not to mention a personal fortune of £15 million, he has not been able to shake off the criminal elements he has known since childhood in the tough Liverpool district of Huyton.

He is not alone in this. Fellow Liverpudlian England star Wayne Rooney is another high-profile player from the inner city who has been targeted by violent thugs.

Meanwhile, another multimillionaire Premier League star who hails from the city, Joey Barton, has seen no fewer than three close relatives sent to jail for murder in recent years.

Yet the full extent of the gangsters' influence remained something of a guilty secret for years - until that compromising letter was read out in court this week.

Signed by Paul Gerrard, it detailed how Kinsella, an amateur boxer and martial arts expert, saved Steven from a young gangster who threatened to shoot him in the legs in a dispute over a girlfriend.

"We were at our wits' end when we were introduced by a family friend to John Kinsella," the letter concluded.

"From that time we have never had any more problems from the Liverpool underworld."

And that, supposedly, was that. Scratch the surface, however, and the story runs far deeper. An investigation into Gerrard's background has revealed that his family have long-standing friendships with gangsters in the city.

[rds.06]

So the league starts tomorrow and I'm dreading it.  Such a good summer for Arsenal pissed away in the last few days.

[jplpool]

So the league starts tomorrow and I'm dreading it.  Such a good summer for Arsenal pissed away in the last few days.

Also a battle between Everton and Cork Arsenal for Mirralas (spelling????). I'm gonna cream my kecks the day we beat you goons to a signing. 

[rds.06]

Also a battle between Everton and Cork Arsenal for Mirralas (spelling????). I'm gonna cream my kecks the day we beat you goons to a signing. 

Looks like ye have him in the bag. He has a great record the last couple seasons so could be a good bit of business for 6 million. If he looking for games ye might be the better bet but having said that we only have 3 strikers so who knows 

What's your prediction for this season?

[jplpool]

This season? Citeh mate. I can't look beyond them.

I hope I'm wrong, but Citeh have the strongest team.

Kompany, Lescott, Silva, Toure(Yaya) would walk into any team in the world.

[jplpool]

Then there's Tevez, Aguero, Balotelli, etc.

[rds.06]

I agree.

It's hard to see beyond them and they will probably add a player or 2 before the end of August.

[chezequerz]

Then there's Tevez, Aguero, Balotelli, etc.

Not to mention Hart in goal


been a boring transfer window this time around to be honest, think there are still one or two positions i would have had Mancini strengthen (centre back and maybe another midfielder although i think in a season or two Rodwell may well come into that role I've seen him play for England and think he might make a fairly comfortable place in the City squad but it's not happening overnight, maybe he should be loaned out for a season or two first but then again maybe he'll be another Aguero and provide fireworks from his debut onwards)

I believe the squad is the best in the league but United are jammy bastards and I'm expecting them to launch a blitzkrieg campaign to reclaim it so i'm staying fairly logical about the odds. Equally the potential of Chelsea can't be ignored, they're not likely to prioritise the champions league quite as much as last season the aim for them will probably be the premier league.

Don't think Liverpool are any kind of threat whatsoever, Spurs don't have it in them to succeed in the premier league and with no Redknapp, no Adebayor and likely no modric i think they're going to be even worse even if AVB had proven capable enough to get a top 4 place the odds are against them.

That said I am dreading the Liverpool games this season, the Everton games, the United games and the Arsenal games. 4 teams who really rattle my cage on match day that is for sure.

[jplpool]

Not to mention Hart in goal


been a boring transfer window this time around to be honest, think there are still one or two positions i would have had Mancini strengthen (centre back and maybe another midfielder although i think in a season or two Rodwell may well come into that role I've seen him play for England and think he might make a fairly comfortable place in the City squad but it's not happening overnight, maybe he should be loaned out for a season or two first but then again maybe he'll be another Aguero and provide fireworks from his debut onwards)

I believe the squad is the best in the league but United are jammy bastards and I'm expecting them to launch a blitzkrieg campaign to reclaim it so i'm staying fairly logical about the odds. Equally the potential of Chelsea can't be ignored, they're not likely to prioritise the champions league quite as much as last season the aim for them will probably be the premier league.

Don't think Liverpool are any kind of threat whatsoever, Spurs don't have it in them to succeed in the premier league and with no Redknapp, no Adebayor and likely no modric i think they're going to be even worse even if AVB had proven capable enough to get a top 4 place the odds are against them.

That said I am dreading the Liverpool games this season, the Everton games, the United games and the Arsenal games. 4 teams who really rattle my cage on match day that is for sure.

I don't see Chelski challenging.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I just don't see them as serious contenders.

[slashthe2nd]

Feeling positive about the new season with the players we have signed in RVP and shinji.

my predictions for the 12/13 season-

Champions-Man Utd
F.A Cup-Man Utd
Capital One cup-Man City
Relegated-Wigan,Norwich & Southampton
Over Achievers-Everton
Under Achievers-Spurs
Champions League-Barcelona

Star player- Shinji Kagawa
Biggest Flop- Eden Hazard

[jplpool]

Feeling positive about the new season with the players we have signed in RVP and shinji.

my predictions for the 12/13 season-

Champions-Man Utd
F.A Cup-Man Utd
Capital One cup-Man City
Relegated-Wigan,Norwich & Southampton
Over Achievers-Everton
Under Achievers-Spurs
Champions League-Barcelona

Star player- Shinji Kagawa
Biggest Flop- Eden Hazard

Over achievers?

What fucking planet are you from?

We have a team full of international players and we consistently finish in the top 7.

Outside of us winning something (which you've not predicted) I fail to see how we can over achieve.

Also, that's the most biased post EVER!

You're not even a Manc, just a glory-hunting pleb.

[slashthe2nd]

Over achievers?

What fucking planet are you from?
Earth
We have a team full of international players and we consistently finish in the top 7.
Fair enough,i shouldnt of put that bit in
Outside of us winning something (which you've not predicted) I fail to see how we can over achieve.
Okay
Also, that's the most biased post EVER!
Well of course i would be biased,if i didnt mention utd winning anything you probally would of replied saying somthing like 'some fan you are!'or some sort of comment like that, i cant really win with you on that.
You're not even a Manc, just a glory-hunting pleb.
Yep 

[jplpool]

Nah I wouldn't have said "some fan you are." I don't expect Everton to win fuck all this season. Does that imply I'm not a fan?

That's the difference between a fan and a glory-hunter. I was born an Evertonian - you picked what team to follow. Would you be a United 'fan' if they never won anything? I highly doubt it!

[slashthe2nd]

- you picked what team to follow. Would you be a United 'fan' if they never won anything? I highly doubt it!

wrong!!

ive could of been a fan of blackburn,arsenal,chelsea & man c by now, but ive stuck with utd the whole time.

23 years of my life as a utd.(dosnt matter where you live as well)

So dont think about calling me a glory hunter at all.