Maple Lions

The Home Office reports that banning orders for football supporters are at a record high, increasing by 7% in the past year.

While the Premier League has gone ahead of the Championship in fan arrests, the top five havens of hooliganism reside in both the old Divisions One and Two:

Banning Orders

1. Leeds
2. Portsmouth
3. Cardiff City
4. Stoke City
5. Manchester United

Arrests

1. Tottenham Hotspur
2. Manchester United
3. Chelsea
4. Sheffield Wednesday
5. Coventry City

However,

[B]oth Hull City and Luton Town had the highest number of fans arrested for violent disorder - both clubs had 21 hooligans detained.

Fourteen Birmingham City fans were arrested for the same offence in the year.

[…]

Thirteen people were also held for violent disorder at both Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Notwithstanding that data, in my visits to a number of football grounds I have not encountered any particular violent incidents. The police protection was high but not as paramilitary in flavour as I witnessed in Stuttgart, by contrast. The Premiership has in fact become rather family-friendly, thanks to all-seater stadia and enforcement in the stands. That being said, the Great British Night Out — a pint and a fight — has not vanished entirely from football.

Paul Canniff

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With Roy Keane due to take over as gaffer at the Stadium of Light, is the scenario going to be more like I Spit on Your Grave, as Saint Roy delivers the historical death blow to World Cup nemesis Mick McCarthy, or will it be something along these lines?

McCarthy: “I’ve done far worse than kill you, Roy. I’ve hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me: marooned for all eternity at the head of a dead team, buried alive. Buried alive.”
Keane: “MIIIICK!!!”
[echo]
Keane: “MIIIICK!!!”

Paul Canniff

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This coming week the latest incarnation of Division Two kicks off its 2006/07 season. The Beeb serves up a look at the form of Coca Cola Championship teams, which players to keep your eye on and the full set of fixtures.

And yes, you actually can view Championship matches in North America via Setanta Broadband.

Paul Canniff 

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New Black Cats gaffer Niall Quinn settles into the usual position of a Sunderland manager:

Paul Canniff 

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Mick McCarthy dispels those nagging Arthurian comparisons:

“[M]y initials stand for Mick McCarthy, not Merlin the Magician.” 

I have to concede that one: most magicians can do a decent vanishing act.

Paul Canniff

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Ever wondered what a thirty-nine week-long car crash would look like? Your wait ended today.

Thrown to the Wolves, indeed!

Paul Canniff

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1. Liverpool has suddenly expressed interest in one of the few footballers Don Cherry could love.
2. Man United are on their way to snagging Michael Carrick from Spurs.
3. Ex-Blue and freshly minted Nou Camp tenant Eidur Gudjohnsen rips a page from The Special One’s communications strategy and shares the love.
4. The first set of draws for the Carling Cup, starting with the Championship clubs, takes place tomorrow.

Paul Canniff

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Rooney:

He’s traveling to Germany but only with the prospect of a further scan on June 14. As noted by one of our regular contributors, this is proving to be a tricky dilemma both medically and politically.  So count him out of the group stages for now.

Johnson:

Andy’s definitely on his way back to the Premiership.  Wigan and Bolton are both ready to pony up £8.5M for his services. I would hope that he tends towards Wigan:  Paul Jewell is getting it right at the JJB, whereas Big Sam has been failing in the clutch of late while on the road.  And I still hope that Andy gets a call-up for Germany in light of Rooney’s condition.  I will not hop onto the inexplicable bandwagon for the Merseyside Lurch.

Update: Now the Toffees have joined the bidding war for Johnson. I still stand by my observation above.

Paul Canniff

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“The Corleones.”

Damian P.

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Everyone at Maple Lions wishes Wayne Rooney a speedy full recovery.  But why have many forgotten that England possesses a formidable striker worth calling up for Germany?

Andy Johnson was second in the top scorer rankings of the 2004/05 EPL season, making him England’s top striker then.  In the April 2006 Four Four Two’s rankings of the 50 best players in the Football League, at third Johnson was the highest rated striker.

England has depth, folks.

Paul Canniff 

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