Topic: IFA Cup Man Utd drop out, Ayr (h) instead

[Stu]

The way Utds fixtures are between now and the end of September meant that there wasnt a chance that we could send a team up there to play before the end of November. Unfortunately, most weekends since the season started to now, have seen Utd have no saturday games (well one at Bolton at 5:30pm), so we could have easily have travelled up there.
With Utds schedule over this period of time being mainly within the North West and all the games on a Saturday including a few Saturday morning games, it was impossible to find a date when we could travel up there.

We opted for a regional draw to cut down on the travel in the 1st rounnd, as most teams probably did. However, the regional draw didnt really benefit, as Newcastle was a 300 mile round trip, compared to other games in the Northern draw and even Midlands draw who are within an hours travel. (Perhaps the regions need to be better defined for future years. No idea why Cambridge are in a midland region when they are 40 miles from London? Then you have a Scotland region with only 2 teams in it. Yet the Northern region covers half of England). Also, perhaps in future years all cups (national and regional) should be drawn before the Big teams fixtures come out, as it makes planning games a lot easier. come the cup draws, a lot of teams already have their 20 games pencilled in and finding suitable dates for cup games is a lot harder.

Utd play Newcastle at Old Trafford on the 26th Nov and a supporters game had ben arranged in Manchester for that date. We even suggested they bring their own referee and we will cover all the ref and pitch fees. Unfortunately Stu didnt want to play a double header and was not prepared to offer any compromise on the situation. Although he did suggest getting a team of MUFC fans who live in newcastle to play the game, which wouldnt really be a game by the United supporters team.

The options were to either decide the game on a toss of a coin or to pull out of the cup. given there was a reserve list of teams, it only seemed fair to offer the chance to those on it to play. Tossing a coin is not a great way to decide a game and its not the best way to spend a £20 entry fee (I could gamble that on a coin toss game in the casino!).

Its dissapointing that we had to do that and that Stu wouldnt give any thought to the spirit of the IFA in agreeing a compromise and even playing the game before the big teams game as the IFA is all about. Its also dissapointing that stu decided to take every single negative comment posted by people about the Utd supporters team, my Worldnet comments etc and copy all those posts from here and paste them onto his own newcastle message board in order to paint someone in a bad light. Why the discussion couldnt stay as an email exchange I dont know.

Just dissapointing that we now wont have the chance of playing in a cup final at Worldnet, a tournament which we partake in every year and have done since 1996, yet some clubs have chosen never to enter.

I've checked the Premier League fixtures up to Nov 30th...


Unless you have other games organised what was wrong with:


September 24 - you kick off at half 5 in Stoke
October 8 - international weekend
October 22 - you play Sunday
November 12 - international weekend


Just out of interest, seeing as you seem to expect Newcastle to give up home advantage.

As you say, other games have been organised, so a whole picture needs to be looked at, something which the lads on the Newcastle message board failed to consider before they went off on one.

Its Newcastle Upon tyne, not Newcastle Under Lyme. Do you really think that people will travel to Newcastle U-T in the morning, then rush down to Stoke? Incidenatlly we play Stoke on saturday morning before the evening game.

8th october we have paid for a pitch to play a game against marine in the North West Cup, as is the case on the 22nd October when we play Buxton on the saturday. 12th Nov we have a North west Cup game pencilled in at Bury (3 games on days that MUFC arent playing and as is always the case with international weekends, a lot of our players book weekends away in advance with their families as there arent Utd games).

Given a scheduled IFA game between the 2 sides was already arranged for the period in which the game would need to be played, then it wasnt as if Newcastle would have had to have gone out of their way and Im sure most teams would have used that option if the circumstances were the same, as we would have done. Is there really any home advantage in these games, not as if people have huge home crowds roaring them on, its park football!

Nowhere was it mentioned about not being able to get a team together.
Nowhere is any ticketing for Utd fixtures relevent to the discussion.
Nowhere is you travelling to motherwell last season relevent (We have travelled to Moscow for a game in the past and to Glasgow midweek last season).
The reason a response was given within 12 hours of the draw, was that we already knew Utds fixtures for that period of time up until the end of November, something which determined what days we could potentially travel to Newcastle. (Incidentally, as pointed out to you, SKY have not released any TV fixtures for December, so free dates could be available in December or Jan. But it was stated games must be played before the 30th November.

You finding a team of Manchester United fans to play the tie, is not exactly playing the IFA Utd supporters team. In the sam way i wouldnt ask a bunch of Newcastle fans from Manchester to play a game under your name.

We would have even of played the game at a neutral venue in between Manchester and Newcastle, which would have allowed us to get back to old Trafford in time for the Utd game.

The simple and only fact which you have constantly missed is that THERE WAS NO DATE SUITABLE to travel to Newcastle.

Ticket issue didnt matter, as MUFC werent playing in or around Newcastle, so we would have travelled up with a full team to play. the lads wanted a night out in Newcastle, so that was an incentive to travel up there to play.
 
No we wont all be going to the match at Everton or Liverpool, a few of us will be (Slighly fewer for Liverpool given they have slashed Utds allocation), but people wouldnt be travelling to newcastle to play a game of footbal when Utd are on TV.
 
We play Stoke on sat, with only 7 people having tickets for the match afterwards and the rest going back after the supporters game.
 
At no point in any of your posts on your message board, did you state that the reason we couldnt play in newcastle before the 30th November was that the dates didnt suit. You made it out that the sole reason was rasing a team and lads not wanting to play and travel there.

We are now playing Rochdale on the 26th, as we have no intention of playing a game against yourselves given your attitude, your own United obsession on the iFA board and your slating on your own message board.

Makes for some tiresome reading

[Stu]

Bored of it, yet?

As I mentioned, perhaps all cup draws can be made in July, perhaps at Worldnet, so that teams have a priority over arranging them and can schedule them in before they already fill their schedules with IFA games. (The league and Prem league fixtures come out in June and you only have to look on here on resepctive dates to see that most IFA teams have already arranged games).
We have taken teams to Moscow and Glasgow, not the easiest of places to get to. Try taking a kit over to moscow, arranging for players to meet up, get to the stadium etc.

it wasnt a sole problem trying to schedule Newcastle into the fixture list, as both rochdale and Bury will testify over the North west Cup games. (as some North west teams ask to play away from home when Utd are at home, that makes options difficult as well).

Its unfortunate that geography often dictates who plays who.
The ethos of the IFA is to play games before the big teams game, but given the number of IfA teams in each league its not always possible.
North west and Midlands clubs are at an advantage, as they are pretty central to the country and have a whole host of teams in the vacinity accross all levels of pro/semi pro football or teams have to pass through on the way to other clubs.
Prem clubs such as MUFC, Stoke, Wolves etc only pass up to the likes of sunderland and Newcastle once a season, often dictated too by TV schedules that dont accomodate IFA games. We even get our mini-buses pulled off the motorway before we can even enter the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle, Middlesbrough etc and held at the servicce station.

The other issue is also that of travel costs, with increased petrol prices these days and increased costs for buses. When your paying upwards of £35 for an away match ticket, food, drink etc, then added costs for playing games also kicks in, especially with younger lads who are at college etc. Is is any wonder teams wont go miles out of their way to fit in a game of football away from the vacinity fo their main game?
Perhaps all home game costs should completely be covered by the home side or a maximum contribution figure of £25 set accross all clubs? (incidentally if we are playing teams both home and away, we dont charge them a fee. Then if we do charge, the most we ask for is £25, although Arsenal gave us £30 for the ref at the last game. We then charge the lads a minimal subs of £2/3 for aways, keeping their costs down and making up for any shortfalls throughout the season).

Then we have the issue of tickets for Utd away games. We arent going to take a full team to London aways, as people wont travel there without tickets, so that makes travelling to play IFA games before Utds game difficult. We have done really well in securing 7 match tickets for Stoke on saturday, thats from an application list of over 70 people applying for tickets and by swapping other tickets with people to get a Stoke one. We have 12 seperate season ticket holders in our team who have not had a single away (bar Blackburn) in the league for over 3 years, despite applying for every single ticket.
I wouldnt imagine that this is an issue for most clubs, even other Prem league teams who rarely sell a full away allocation.

As a team we know we are never going to fit in 20 games a season and thats why the IFA is ideal. we could enter a team in a local Sunday league etc, but everyone would much rather play against another set of supporters than against the Dog and Duck each week.
the IFA cup allows us to get more games in.

I see that wimbledon have now taken our place in the iFA cup, what would have happened if they had opted for a regional game?

[Neil]

Surely in all this, the general crack of the IFA is that you travel to places and make a day/night of it, and have a good laugh. Outside looking in, I thought that was the main point of this whole league/cup, along with actually trying to do well in the competition.

[OCK]

That is the whole point. I'm not sure this guy understands it though, as seemingly he believes everyone should come to Manchester for an awesome night of overcast weather and radgies.

[Neil]

If you're not prepared to go slightly out of your way then there's zero point even trying to enter something like this. Again, don't know details but not every game is going to be right on your doorstep. This bloke is trying to save his lads effort by getting yous to go down in November, then resorting to random insults about Stu to try and take the attention away from his lack of any justified argument.

And then he raises a classic general excuse of money. Textbook stuff.

[OCK]

Well, everyone knows the North-East is flush with cash. We're like the Arabian Oil Tycoons of England. Why, it was only the other day I made a mosiac collage of money using various money. I then sent it blasting into the Sun on my own personal rocket, while I filmed it all with a 3D crew to be shown at my own personal IMAX theatre in the East Wing of my second Mansion in the Hamptons.

[MUFCSFC]

Im not sure if the majority of people on here are illiterate or just simply stupid, but not one person has actually addressed the point of order. Probably not helped by Stu's posting in the initial thread.
As that Meerkat would say, its Simples.

The sole reason why we couldnt attend a game in Newcastle before the deadline of the 30th November, was that the fixture schedule of MUFC in that period didnt allow for us to travel up there. As was mentioned, any date prior to this weekend, bar one 5:30pm kick off at Bolton would have been fine, as MUFC have only had one Saturday game in that period. And once the SKY fixtures come out for december, then we would be able to travel. however, december is after the cut off eadline of playing the game

We werent asking you to make a special trip to Manchester to play the game, as you had already agreed to travel on the 26th November for an IFA league game, prior to the MUFC v Newcastle United game on that afternoon. (I dont think Stu even mentioned the fact you were already scheduled to play a game against us in Manchester that day).
We even suggested you bring your won ref and we would cover the refs fee and charge no pitch fee for you.

Neil, its not a case of going slightly out of the way, its a case of going out of the way, given that MUFC have no games within 150 miles of Newcastle during this period of time.

Its all well and good stu cpying half a conversation from a message board onto here, but what he copies doesnt paint the right picture, given half the stuff is not directed at him.
I would post every one of Stus anti man utd rants from the last 18 months onto here, but I havent got 3 spare weeks to enable me to fit them all on.

I really do feel sorry for you guys at Newcastle, perhaps you should have a serious consideration as to whether Stu is capable of acting as a fixture secreray given his obvious lack of communication skills.

[OCK]

Stu is very capable. He's arranged several home ties, and several away ties. You should try away games some time, they're a good experience.

[Rich]

[SEMTEX]

Im not sure if the majority of people on here are illiterate or just simply stupid, but not one person has actually addressed the point of order. Probably not helped by Stu's posting in the initial thread.
As that Meerkat would say, its Simples.

I'm going to bathe in the succulent irony of this paragraph for a long, long time.

[Stu]

Reply of the week!

Dear Betty, you grinning, alcoholic, wannabe Jock tosser, please can you post this to the IFA Yahoo Group (remeber I have the pictures of you in the bath with that fat lass)

I've been following this thread and it really is the best thing since er the last best thing
Feel free to pass on my contact details if Andy Duff Kill fancies an intellectual discussion over a courvoisier and a packet of Cheese and Onion in the Adelphi, he sounds like he might be good on Any Questions or CrackerJack.

Love and Kisses,

Uncle Norm

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin........................

Dear sweet, lovely, Andrew will you please shut the f*** up and start listening to others?
Every time you send an email you make yourself look more stupid than you probably are.
I'm sure your family love you to bits but you just can't carry on like this in the IFA.
Mummy is not going to make it all right if you keep whining and stamping your feet.
In fact mummy is quite likely to start ignoring you and leaving you in your pram at the end of the garden. In the rain! With no teddy! Frightening prospect eh?
Now read on.....

The IFACC setup as seen from my usual barstool here in Lards HQ is very simple:

1. There are four regions: South Midlands, North and that funny place Scotland.

2. You may choose to be in any of those regions, you may even ask for a random draw.

3. Once the draw takes place you then play your match within a certain time frame.

4. You may negotiate with your opponents over the date of the match within that time frame and the venue. Nothing else. And it is expected you do that in a reasonable manner without any toys falling out of your pram (especially if you've been left down the bottom of the garden by a malign parent).

5. Only if both sides agree may a match be moved to a different venue other than the home side's chosen venue. Only if the IFA Committee agree that a date may be delayed for exceptional circumstance will an extension be agreed (try death in the family, team captain manager to nursing home after serious nervous breakdown after having to deal with nob head opponents' manager - you get my drift?)

If those rules do not suit you ask ALL the other IFA teams for a vote on changing them.
If your proposal is sound they'll support you (they have to like you too but that's another matter as it rerquires that you are able to win friends and influence people - not your strongest suit at the moment I'd say).

MOST IMPORTANTLY if the stated rules don't work for you, don't do it, go shopping with your pals or do something else useful, Origami is popular. Easy eh? For the duration of the IFA Challenge Cup the Lards will spend most of their time in pubs and tea rooms (don't ask) because the rules don't suit us (and 'cos we are sensible lads who support a proper team with a complete arsehole for an owner - morning Mr Malignant Stoat).

What is clear is that you failed miserably to realise that the first round of the tournament has to be completed before the weather gets s****. If you had taken the time to check your diary you would have realised that you are booked up for that period and therefore would have difficulty in fulfilling a cup tie without some classy juggling. That's what managers do, it's called management, ask Spit The Dog next time your having lunch, he'll explain all in that dourly fascinating way of his. If you had rearranged some of your dates your team would have had the chance of a cider-slaked snog with that hen party from Corby up in Eldon Square (I bet they are hopping that you've denied them this delightful pleasure).

What managers don't do is put everyone's back up by talking cock at every opportunity instead of doing their job: managing. Even that cocky little Brummie in the bird suit has realised that - imagine it: you are fast replacing him as the IFA clown. (Oh f***, I've just realised you could end up as a ref, with a whistle and some cards and a wee black book - forget what I just said about replacing our Brummie pal, the world isn't ready for that prospect just yet).

Now can you please bugger off and stop clogging the Yahoo group with all this bollocks, some of the members must have things they need to do about matches which will actually be played instead of having to wade through the s**** you invariably leave in your wake after someone disagrees with you or you feel a need to excoriate.

Having said that, no, please continue because you really are as funny as f***.

Love ya loads!

Norman The Forman

PS Anyone suggesting that Betty fiddled the draw and deliberately put
Man U away at Newcastle is also talking total testicles, he's an honourable man
(when he's sober).

Nice to see Killduffer has returned to throw some more abuse my way. That's because I'm obssessed, right?

[Slim]

Anyway would like to play the dons again.  They must be desperate to get revenge for last time ( Not saying that in a dickhead way)

Can maybe take them for a good night out...with no Koos or daimond strip

[Greg]

The sole reason why we couldnt attend a game in Newcastle before the deadline of the 30th November, was that the fixture schedule of MUFC in that period didnt allow for us to travel up there.

Why did you enter the cup knowing you wouldn't be able to fulfil the first round fixture if you were drawn away at someone like us or Hull?

[Greg]

Its all well and good stu cpying half a conversation from a message board onto here, but what he copies doesnt paint the right picture, given half the stuff is not directed at him.
I would post every one of Stus anti man utd rants from the last 18 months onto here, but I havent got 3 spare weeks to enable me to fit them all on.

As someone who has read them all today and even replied to one I have to say that this is utter bollocks as well.

Maybe you are the illiterate one.

[Slim]

Its all well and good stu cpying half a conversation from a message board onto here, but what he copies doesnt paint the right picture, given half the stuff is not directed at him.
I would post every one of Stus anti man utd rants from the last 18 months onto here, but I havent got 3 spare weeks to enable me to fit them all on.

As someone who has read them all today and even replied to one I have to say that this is utter bollocks as well.

Maybe you are the illiterate one.

No one cares about Man U anymore...its not the f***ing 90's!  You have Man City and Chealski to thank

[MUFCSFC]

Ayr will be coming down for the weekend on Sat 3rd Dec, playing NOFC in the morning before taking in the NUFC v Chelsea match in the afternoon and a night in the Bigg Market in evening, capping it off with a highly recommended stop at WTUTCT Pig&Whistle.

This year's IFA Cup requires us to submit a 'squad list' so can you stick your name down if you would like to play (in this round...or the next!)

Cheers

I am a mong

[bowlingcrofty]

Ayr will be coming down for the weekend on Sat 3rd Dec, playing NOFC in the morning before taking in the NUFC v Chelsea match in the afternoon and a night in the Bigg Market in evening, capping it off with a highly recommended stop at WTUTCT Pig&Whistle.

This year's IFA Cup requires us to submit a 'squad list' so can you stick your name down if you would like to play (in this round...or the next!)

Cheers

I am a mong

Well said that man. Finally, some honesty.

[Stu]

It's maybe a good thing we didn't play MUFCSCUM afterall...they'd play us off the park..!

Manchester United Supporters F.C. are on the look out for new players to boost the squad for the 2011/12 season.
The supporters team plays games on the Saturday morning of Manchester Uniteds games, both home and away.
We are on the look out for new players in all positions. Players must be of a very good Sunday league level and over the age of 18. Players must be prepared to travel to away games (Not necessarily against the days main MUFC opponentes).
All games are funded by the teams squad, with a matchday fee of approx £5 per player.
If you are interested, then please email your name, position, age and experience to mufcsfc@googlemail.com

[Rich]

Gracious as ever, Stu. I think people realise the bloke's a massive arsehole without you keep reminding them in here.

If he posts again, fair enough, but just move on otherwise eh?

[Stu]

Gracious as ever, Stu. I think people realise the bloke's a massive arsehole without you keep reminding them in here.

If he posts again, fair enough, but just move on otherwise eh?

Aye, I forget you don't all get inundated with his latest ramblings and rants on the email list (Greg aside)

He's been hot topic for the last couple of weeks (NOFC aside) with his inane comments and outrageous views - see his 'selection criteria' for the IFA league team - some funny observations

[Heneage]

I thought Rich was confirming to play....