Brighton stadium blow.
I’m not quite sure why Prescott has referred this back to the inquiry. The evidence in support of the Falmer site when compared with the other possible sites is fairly clear.
Either way, this is a massive financial blow to Brighton. I’m not really sure how the club will survive for long whilst having to pay for the planning process for the new ground with the continuing limitation on income that is the Withdean’s restricted capacity. At least the team were promoted, so TV revenue will be higher this year, but I think it will be a major struggle to stay up as there is hardly any cash for new players. Sigh.
Personal news update:
Not much to write about at the moment. Work is still the dominant feature in life.
- Drove 375 miles yesterday to deliver some plants to Cambridgeshire. Driving a Transit Luton in a strong wind is never much fun.
- Took Hels’s car for its MOT test today. It failed. I’ve been and purchased the parts required to make it pass, and Tim is kindly fitting them. However, he’s already hit a problem, though hopefully it can be remedied quickly.
- I’m currently printing all the inserts for the wedding invitations (where to stay, how to find it, etc.). We should get them in the post next week.
- I’m working my way through a huge backlog of work emails that I’ve filed but not yet replied to or dealt with. PFE has reached a stage where an admin assistant would be useful, but the money is not available to pay for it. So it looks increasingly like I’ll be working longer hours to try and get everything done. Still, at least I remain in total control of everything, and I guess that is a positive.
- And, whilst losing the football last night is a disappointment, I can see absolutely no justification for this idiotic behaviour.
Hard sums
From the Beeb:
Group D explained
- The Czechs have won Group D.
- Germany are guaranteed to progress if they win against the Czechs.
- The Dutch will go through with victory against Latvia only if the Germans do not beat the Czechs.
- Latvia will only go through with a victory and a Czech win or draw.
- If the Czechs win and the Latvia – Netherlands match is a draw, the Netherlands will reach the quarter-finals with two points as long as the match against Latvia is a score draw. If it is goalless, the Netherlands will go through unless Germany lose by the odd goal in a match with at least five goals. Then the Germans qualify on UEFA’s coefficient.
In the event of a tie, Uefa criteria will be used to separate the teams.
Tiebreakers explained
If two or more teams finish level on points at the end of the group phase, these are the criteria which will be used to determine the final group placings:
1 Greater number of points in the matches between the teams in question
2 Goal difference from matches between the teams in question
3 Greater number of goals scored in matches between the teams in question
4 Goal difference resulting from all three group games
5 Greater number of goals scored in all group games
6 Coefficient derived from UEFA EURO 2004 and FIFA 2002 World Cup qualifiers (points obtained divided by number of matches played)
7 Fair Play ranking
8 Drawing of lots by the Committee for the European Championship only applicable if more than two teams are level
If two teams meeting in one of the last group matches have the same number of points, the same goal difference and the same number of goals, and if this match stands at a draw at the end of normal time, the ranking of these two teams will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark rather than the above-mentioned criteria.
As an aside, have you ever looked at the awful code used on one of these BBC pages. Standards? Hello?
Footie
I wasn’t going to comment on the Euro 2004 thingummy, although I was intensely amused by the Italians being knocked out as a result of a 2-2 draw between Denmark and Sweden – the pictures of the Swedes idly kicking the ball back and forth waiting for the whistle to blow for full time must have resulted in some extreme swearing from Italian fans back home.
What I couldn’t fathom, though, was the Beeb’s pundit’s comment that 2-2 is an "unusual score". Any idea where I could find stats on this to prove him wrong?
Honoured
Stupid idea
Why on Earth is the Football League rebranding the divisions? What was, only a few years ago, known as Division 4 will, from next season, be League 2. Utter nonsense. Those of us who support teams in the League rather than the Premiership have no illusions about the status of football played there – it’s generally of a very high quality, featuring spirited and determined teams that are not beset by primadonnas and hordes of overseas players. It does not need tarting up to make it out to be something that it isn’t.
Footballing thoughts
So, that means that next season, Brighton will be playing Leeds. I wonder what the Elland Road fans will make of the Withdean?
It also means that Brighton will play against Bobby Zamora at the Hammers, assuming that he doesn’t transfer to another team. I’m sure that at least one other blogger will be "delighted" about that.
Gasp!
Nerves
Very good luck to Brighton and Hove Albion in the play-off against Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow afternoon. It has to be said that the Seagulls are very much the underdogs, and we’ve only got this far by virtue of a good deal of luck. That luck will have to hold, as City inflicted one of the biggest defeats of the season on us earlier in the season. But Brighton are a strong team defensively, and if they can hold their nerve, might just scrape a win. I don’t think it’ll be by more than a single goal, and I honestly don’t think it’s the most likely outcome. But I’ve been wrong before.
I won’t be watching the match. I’ll be hiding behind the sofa.
Ho hum
I haven’t said much about Brighton’s place in the Division Two play-offs. This evening, the hope of a quick return to Division One was finally laid to rest.
Without a new stadium, there is no hope of Brighton ever succeeding in Division One. The lack of capacity and facilities is also a handicap to success in the lower divisions. As it is, I now fear that the best players from the team will be cherry-picked for life in Division One, sold to help finance the on-going planning battles, leaving a team impoverished in both financial and sporting terms. I’m not optimistic for the future.
…which all goes to prove that it isn’t over until the fat lady sings. I need to go and lie down now.
BBC match report here.