Crab Lungs

I'm still in absolute shock and completely dumbfounded. I'm not one to immerse myself in grief for grief's sake but I still feel, like a gentleman above me so succinctly put it "bereaved". I keep thinking of all the terrible implications or dreadful possibilities if Markus hadn't stepped in. In fact, it doesn't even bear thinking about. I can only hope that as a club, we honour him in the correct way- that we leave or create something as a lasting tribute as whilst he was only here in little over a year, he made such a huge and significant impact on the club and the fans. Markus Liebherr, thank you for everything you've done for us. Thank you for saving us from oblivion, thank you for breathing life back into us as a club and giving us hope. Thank you for restoring our faith after a torrid half-decade and may you rest in peace and never, ever be forgotten. RIP Markus "Our Saint"

The forum is about the club. Markus saved this club. He's just as deserving as everyone else on that banner, if not moreso.

The Trotters

Have we had Morecambe drawn twice? Am I going mad?

I thought, for a moment, that it shouldn't be given the exposure but then I considered, despite everything that has happened, that people should know. I didn't want to stir personally but considered what was being said beyond comprehension. It isn't just one or two, there is a fairly large split...

I posted one on the lounge before it was removed temporarily. I did think about whether or not to post it given the situation but I just couldn't ignore it. I felt compelled to let our fans know what a bunch of cards they really are...

Incredible that he will continue to fund the club after his death. My word, thank you Markus, I can only hope we do you proud.

I concur. I think you'll find we have a few idiots, but not in their horrific percentages. And yet it is still continuing...

I'm not one for an outpouring of grief for grief's sake but his input to SFC in the short time he was with us has been phenomenal. I can understand totally why people do it, for most it's a genuine show of grief, rememberance and gratitude. Now we need a lasting tribute because without Markus, who knows what would have happened? I can only think this is perhaps why the fans forum hasn't happened yet as inside the club, some people knew of this... we'll find out soon enough. RIP Markus.

I wasn't sure whether to post it and I didn't want to seem reactionary but I having read some of the comments... I didn't want it to NOT be known by the fans on here. I want it to serve as a reminder to what a classless, nasty bunch a lot of them are. Nasty. Bloody nasty.

Just had a look at a few of their sites out of curiosity, to see how they'd react to the news. I don't want to stir and I did think long and hard about posting this but it cannot be brushed aside. Some of the comments on POL etc are truly, utterly despicable. It's about a 60/40 split of decency/idiots but the more I look, the more horrible, tasteless comments I find. I don't want to generalise but some of it is utterly disgusting. I am under absolutely no illusions about how I feel about them now, absolutely none. I would post some on here but I fear it'll just light the touchpaper at this sensitive time. The only thing I can hope is that we surpass them again, eventually, and restore the respectable image of south coast football as them down the road certainly aren't it.

Perhaps I should have said "Jermaine Wright"

Rasiak had 9 (probably mostly sub) appearances in the Premier League... I'd hardly call him a failure! Who knows, who might have gone on to do well in the PL - if he was given the opportunity. I could also mention to you: Tony Warner, a notoriously terrible goalkeeper at whatever level. Boaz Myhill, a top goalkeeper at all four professional levels...

Interesting from Tartan Owl, thank you for setting my straight on the Sheff U/Sheff W situation! I've seen a few people leave out Wolves... I thought, with their history and their crowds they might sneak in above WBA? As for Southampton, it's difficult but I think they might just be in the top 20 clubs. That said, there are so many of a similar size; Derby, Leicester, Coventry, Sheff U, Ipswich, Norwich, Brum etc...

No, I don't, and I reference you on both the above players - hardly playing in great sides, were they? I'm sure if McSheffrey was actually given a decent run in, say, a Fulham side he'd have done OK. Earnshaw is a different matter but do you really think if he was given more chances in a better side he wouldn't put them away, say, for example, at Spurs? Seaborne would still be affected at Conference level, it wouldn't matter. He'd still do the same things and make the same judgements.

Adam Stansfield, of Exeter City, has passed away http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/exeter_city/8902976.stm RIP Adam

I've seen enough of Seaborne to confidently say he won't improve. I remember comments from people who said the likes of the abysmal Mikael Nilsson and Andreas Jakobsson would be "amazing" in the Championship just because they couldn't hack it in the Prem. Thankfully, they didn't hang around long enough to prove my point but I maintain that if you're a bad player, you're a bad player - it won't matter what level you go down to in professional football, you'll still be bad. It's just a matter of HOW bad. For example, Paul Telfer. Djimi Traore... and so forth. The same rule applies to talented players too, in some respects. I've no doubt Rickie Lambert could do a decent job in the Premier League. I mean... does anyone seriously thinks he'd be less effective than Heskey, Kevin Davies etc? I certainly don't...

And that person is...? :S

Absolutely bang on, ART. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has continued to maintain that our supporters are some of the biggest and most ungrateful whingers in football.

Biggest attendance in all of the cup games tonight by around 5,000... massive clubs such as Sheff Wed, Leeds, Leicester all fell massively short...

Take that you werthers sucking, coach travelling, bingo bothering bunch of ungrateful, snotty-nosed shysters

Goes to penalties Bring on Bialkowski

Totally agree.... Surprise... ex-employee in ****ed off shocker!

But don't Sheff United average more than Wednesday? I had that dilemma... my initial suggestion was Wednesday, then I thought about United... then I considered that maybe, just maybe, they are both Premier League sized clubs.

So... one of the many discussions I've had amongst my group of friends are who are the twenty biggest football clubs in the land (in terms of attendances, but with a small emphasis on trophies) and what would be the ideal Premier League lineup? There are obvious omissions like Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton and Wigan, that's a given. There are also obvious stalwarts, such as United, City, Liverpool and Arsenal. But what of the rest? What would be your top 20 english clubs?