http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opi...tball-s-summer-rumour-mill-article755099.html Twelve summers ago I was ordered, by the editor, to stand outside Goodison Park, holding aloft an Everton scarf. It was part of a spoof feature aimed at proving that miracles can happen. As the photographer snapped away, two pensioners walked past and gawped at us. "Who’s he?" said one. "Christ knows," said the other. "They’re really taking the p*** now. I know we’re skint, but if all we’re signing is old no-marks like that, we’re finished." And off they trundled. No doubt to the Wilmslow pub, to spread the rumour that Everton had re-signed one of Gordon Lee’s rejects ("...seen him with me own eyes. He hasn’t half gone grey.") Summer has always seen footballing rumours spread like bush fires, and in recent years the internet has flung petrol on the flames. But today, with Twitter, they’re moving at the speed of light. Twitterman believes that every player his club is linked with, no matter how obscure, unobtainable or garbage, is “nailed-on†business. Within minutes of a rogue agent planting the story about his client “being in talks†Twitterman’s Googled him and tweeted his career stats, an analysis of exactly where he’ll fit into the team and the words “GET HIM!!!!†When that player disappears off the radar he’ll slaughter the club for its inactivity and journalists for supposedly talking up the move, demanding to know “wot da ell’s goin on. GET A GRIP!!!†Twitterman believes football is like Championship Manager, refusing to comprehend why his club hasn’t snapped up Europe’s top eight players and sold their own worst eight to other mugs by the middle of June, even though there are more attractive clubs than his and everyone’s on holiday. He moans when his club doesn’t spend (“do ya know how much my season ticket’s gone up? GET A GRIP!!â€) and he moans when they spend too much (“£12million for him? Way over da odds.â€), even though he’s yet to see what his manager sees in him. He’ll pass off idle gossip as genuine fact. As in “I’ve heard from someone in da club†when he’s read it on an obscure website called transfertesticles.com, which doesn’t even re-cycle garbage, it just cycles it. If his club is linked with a British player, Twitterman always has a better foreign wonderkid up his sleeve and will post his YouTube best bits collection as proof, even though you could put together one of Bebe and make him look like Messi (someone already did – Ed) . Remarkably, they even know what price this wonderkid is available for and what salary he wants. And he’ll bolster his belief as to why his club should swoop for Sergio Flashinthepannio by damning the British player with the ultimate in football research: “Had im in my fantasy team 2 yrs ago + he’s never fit. Cost me big time.†Lads, I know you mean well, but GET A GRIP!! The European transfer window’s been open for one whole day and has two months to run. Oh, and your club probably hasn’t got half the money to spend that you’ve “been led to believe†by “sources†that it has. Walk to the park, watch the cricket or go and honk your support for striking teachers. If you must tweet about football, tweet about how you’d improve the game next season (banning teams from playing music after goals and pundits from repeating the word top after top etc..). Or sit in the garden and pick your Fantasy League team. Just don’t confuse it with your real one. Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opi...-rumour-mill-article755099.html#ixzz1QtxI6ejT Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here
Sounds like Readey has been perusing the transfer threads on here. Especially those "lambasting the club for it's inactivity"!!! Spot on article, in every sense.
I don't contribute much to transfer threads as I know feck all about what is going on probably like the majority,but the hysteria amazes me. I know its the old pub game(now football manager)about picking your fantasy team and you know better than the pros. I appreciate it would be a very dull forum if fans didn't speculate but calm down.
Love Brian reade . He is truly a redmen and a fantastic one at that.Id highely recommend his books to any one who wasn't read that yet. Fantastic work .
good column this morning. the bleedin' neck on Kevin keegan coming out saying that hes statistically a better manager than shankly as well.