Other Games 2014-15

[Goldie.7]

2-0 Bayern

[Goldie.7]

0-2 City

[Villa in Denmark]

My evening has just got off to a perfect start.

Kids in bed no trouble.  Check
TV in office so undisturbed football watching whilst parked in front of computer.  Check.
Turn on TV to be greeted by FCK 1- 5 Torino on screen.  If only their English equivalents could find such amusing ways to blow up every financial advantage they enjoy.
Last in their Europa League group having failed miserably in their CL qualifier.  Happy days.

Just need Kent Nielsen and AaB to pull a result in Portugal later on tonight.

[PeterWithesShin]

Wigan's squad will pay half the cost of the first 500 tickets sold in advance for their Boxing Day trip to Leeds.

Fan website, This Northern Soul,  had been arranging a boycott of the game with away tickets £36 for adults, £24 for concessions and £18 for under-16s.

"Christmas is an expensive time of year for everyone, especially football fans, and we want to show our appreciation," said club captain Gary Caldwell.

"If this helps to get them to Leeds to support us, then we're glad to help."

The Latics are 23rd in the Championship and have endured negative media attention since appointing Malky Mackay as manager last month.

He is currently under investigation by the Football Association for his conduct at previous club Cardiff, while Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has been charged by the FA because of alleged offensive comments made in newspaper interviews.

[Ads]

An empty gesture to offer to pay the first 500 tickets for a Wigan away following really.

[Toronto Villa]

An empty gesture to offer to pay the first 500 tickets for a Wigan away following really.

they probably know it is twice why they would have got. So anything helps.

[lovejoy]

£8 each will cover it?

[PeterWithesShin]

I wonder what the Whingeing One will say.

But Chelsea were far from perfect, with Willian and Costa booked for diving and Gary Cahill lucky not to be sent off.

The England defender had already been shown a yellow card for a late challenge in the first half - a tackle on Sone Aluko that Hull manager Steve Bruce thought was deserving of a straight red - and after the break the centre-back went to ground too easily inside the Hull box.

Hull's incensed players surrounded referee Chris Foy, arguing Cahill should have been shown a second yellow for diving, but the Chelsea player escaped punishment and less than 10 minutes later a frustrated Hull were reduced to 10 men.

[PeterWithesShin]

Football Focus' Garth Crooks on diving
"Twice, Chelsea players have dived in the first 60 minutes - first Willian and Gary Cahill. It's disgraceful. Managers can't say what I'm about to say - it questions the integrity of the refereeing. Is he intimidated by Stamford Bridge? The referee is not being fair. Cahill is on a yellow card and dived. He should have got another booking for that. The only conclusion you can come to is because it's Chelsea and now the injustice has got the Hull players' blood boiling. They're thinking they might as well take the law into their own hands."

[olaftab]

Well done Garth and now brace yourself for vile racist abuse you are going to get on twitter.

[silhillvilla]

I do like Garth Crooks.

[Lastfootstamper]

There's a photo, on the Beeb page about the ref, of the Cahill yellow "challenge". My word. I know things always look worse in slo-mo/frozen, but that ball's nowhere near where Cahill's studs are.

[PeterWithesShin]

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think he's been spending too much time with John Terry.

[PeterWithesShin]

That was a poor challenge by Cahill, worse than Richardson's in my opinion.