West Brom's Paul Robinson's Appeal Over Manchester United Red Card Successful

West Brom defender Paul Robinson has had his red card against Manchester United rescinded by the Football Association.

The 30-year-old had faced a three-game ban after he was shown a straight red by referee Rob Styles following his first-half challenge on Park Ji-Sung in Tuesday night's 5-0 defeat to Manchester United at the Hawthorns.

The FA have, however, overturned the decision on appeal after viewing replays of the incident, freeing the left-back to play against Hull this weekend.

This is one of those rare occasions when the FA gets it right. Robinson meant no agression to Park Ji-Sung when he went in for that challenge and this is great news that he is free to play this weekend.

Well done to the FA......Back To Home Page...

Manchester United 'v' West Brom FA Hearing Scheduled For Thursday

West Brom lodged an appeal within two hours with the Football Association over the red card Paul Robinson received in Tuesday night's 5-0 defeat against Manchester United.

Robinson was dismissed late in the first half of the defeat at the Hawthorns by referee Rob Styles for a challenge on Park Ji-Sung, but WBA believe the incident did not warrant a dismissal.

An FA spokesman confirmed that a disciplinary hearing will take place on Thursday at 1pm to decide whether Robinson's three-match ban should be overturned.

The reaction of Robinson said it all for me, he was absolutely shell shocked when he saw the red card. The Manchester United players also showed signs of non-belief with Ryan Giggs putting his arm around Robinson as he left the field.

Not one word of complaint about Robinson has come from Sir Alex or the victim of the challenge Park Ji-Sung which says to me they are happy for an appeal to take place and if Robinson is vindicated from his actions, they wont be annoyed.

West Brom had a mountain to climb as soon as the whistle went last night in all honesty and they would have been 2-0 down at half time anyway, but to be 2-0 down AND reduced to ten men just wrote them out of the equation, it was a foregone conclusion United would win this one.

I am a fierce supporter of all things United including The Winker Ronaldo. As fans we must stick up for our team, for our guys but on this ocassion I do feel a misjustice has happened and I wish Paul Robinson getting this red card revoked tomorrow.....Back To Home Page...

Manchester United Injury List Joy

Manchester United's current run of good fortune and good results as well as their record breaking exploits continues today with news that their lengthy injury list is shrinking faster than the Bishop's nether regions after he had been with the actress.

Central defender Rio Ferdinand returned at West Brom on Tuesday after a back injury as United trounced WBA and Edwin Van Der Super Star became the new record holder as he reached 1032 minutes without conceding a goal. All of which helped the champions move three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 victory. They now have the best goal difference in the league too.

Midfielder Park Ji-Sung and defender Wes Brown also took part at The Hawthorns and manager Alex Ferguson hopes to have Patrice Evra and Nani fit to face Everton at Old Trafford this Saturday.

"Things are looking up and players are starting to come back," Ferguson said, "Patrice may have a chance for Saturday against Everton. If the game had still been on Monday I'd say he'll definitely play. But he's still got a chance of making it. Nani should also be fit for Saturday as well".

Wayne Rooney is still recovering from a hamstring and Jonny Evans, Rafael, Fabio and Anderson are also sidelined.

"Wayne has never had a hamstring injury before and there is no way we will bring him back early, he's doing terrific work in the gym and, in terms of his rehabilitation, he is on the mend. But we said at the time he was injured that it would be three or four weeks before he would be fit and there is no change there."

United's home clash with Everton was brought forward to Saturday because the visitors are involved in an FA Cup replay against Liverpool next week.....Back To Home Page...

Manucho To Go On Loan To West Brom

Tony Mowbray has problems at WBA, they can't score ! His desire to add extra firepower in the January transfer window has brought attention to Manchester United reserve striker Manucho. This could set up a loan move to WBA for the Angolan striker.

Manucho signed for United last season from the Angolan League but was loaned out to Greek side Panathinaikos, while his work-permit application was processed. He was subsequently named in the ‘team of the tournament’ at this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations, after scoring four goals in as many games. He was given permission to play in England this summer and made his United debut in the Carling Cup against Middlesbrough in September but is yet to figure in the Premier League.

Albion have a shortlist of more than half-a-dozen forwards, with a striker top of Mowbray’s January shopping list. It is also known to contain Real Mallorca’s Argentine striker Oscar Trejo, who remains a target after the clubs were unable to strike a deal in August yet Mowbray is still pledging to stick with Bednar and Miller, resisting the temptation to throw £3million summer signing Luke Moore into the fray.

“As a manager, the worst thing you can do is bin somebody, because they haven’t scored for a game or two, and stick somebody else in. Where do you go when he hasn’t scored for a game or two? Do you go back to the ones you’ve just binned? You’ve got to show a bit of loyalty and trust and every day you have to judge the mentality of your players. If that mentality is showing you that they’ve had a enough for a while, want a breather and don’t want to be in the firing line, you have to sense that and make changes. But if you’ve got strikers who are desperate to have another opportunity, because they know they’ve got goals in them and think it’s going to come in the next game, then you don’t disappoint them.” .....Back To Home Page

"Man U" - Don't You Dare !!!

In India and other parts of Asia, there are a number of amateur football fans who tend to call the club they follow by names which are an utter insult to the same. An avid Manchester United fan and the moderator of Manchester United Fans in Mumbai community on Orkut, Dhruv Tikka voices his concerns as to why the Red Devils mustn’t be referred as ‘Man U’ at least by their fans. People come on here and send emails to me or leave comments with the term "Man U" in them and it makes my blood boil !!! If you're going to proclaim yourself a supporter of the greatest club that ever graced this planet THEN HAVE THE COMMON COURTESY TO LEARN SOME OF THE HISTORY ABOUT THEM and don't just cling to the coat tails of success !!! Where were these glory hunters 3 and 4 years ago when we won NOTHING ? Probably declaring their undying love for Didier Drag Bar and Fat Frank Lampard !! Anyone using this term on my blog will be told about this and if they do it again they will be blocked !


This term is only used by United rivals as a complete and utter insult to the club. Many United
competitors would sing a song about the Munich air disaster which claimed the lives of eight
players.

"Man U Man U went on a plane Man U Man U never came back again..."

If you’re a Man United fan and that doesn’t get your blood boiling, I’m sure nothing will.

Manchester United are nicknamed UNITED, MAN UNITED, MAN UTD and RED DEVILS.

There are no official songs with a ‘Man U’ word nor will one lay his hands on ANY official
merchandise using that term. Manchester City isn’t christened Man C or an Aston Villa as Aston
V. Like the song goes ‘There’s Only One United’ so people will know where your loyalty is.

The term Utd is the proper abbreviation for the word United and nothing else.
Why can’t some accept this and get over themselves....

The Scousers (Liverpool fans) often tease United about the Munich incident again by chanting
‘Man U Never Intended Coming Home.’ It wasn’t just chants as it was also popular to write this
as graffiti.

When did this chant originate? Possibly in the 1960’s.

There was huge competition between clubs to sign Duncan Edwards when he was a schoolboy in
the early 50s and there was even a newspaper campaign in the Midlands to pressure him into
signing for a Midlands club, as he came from Dudley. His signing for United caused a lot of people
in the Midlands to regard him as a traitor and was hate figure for them.

It was West Brom fans who first began this mantra.

Duncan Edwards is manure, rotting in his grave,Man you are manure-rotting in your grave,

The origin of Man U is a song to insult the dead Duncan Edwards. The Liverpool and Leeds fans
copied this with their own versions. It is strange to hear from United fans referring them as
‘Man U.’

There was literally a bloodbath up on the old Scoreboard End at Old Trafford in 1964-65 season
when the West Bromwich Albion fans sang. A big battle took place with the home fans
outnumbering the visiting ones and hammering them to the utmost. Get the picture?

Most clubs did try to ban the chant. After United won the European Cup , it sprang up again but
this time there was also ‘Who's that lying in the aircraft.’ The West Brom fans taunted using a
United song ‘Who's that team we call United.’

But by the end of the decade it became universal and the term "Man U" became the word used
by almost all rival fans to affront United. Everyone knew what it meant. It was laughter at the
death of Duncan and the Babes. Fans of Spurs and oddly enough Chelsea never sang Munich
songs either.

A place where the word ‘Man U’ could spell doom was Millwall, even if you were a United fan.
United played them when they were in the second division and the policemen were asked to
work even if they were on leave or whatever !! The League officials had even tried to stop
allocating United fans a ticket to Millwall. The kick off was put forward to 11 am to try and stop
all United fans from going down there. It was billed as the ‘fight of the century.’

Not one single punch was thrown inside the ground. There was even a picture in the Sunday
Mirror of two United fans with "Harry the Dog" What did happen was after the match a
combined force of 20,000 plus United and Millwall fans descended on the Kings Road and
smashed the place up, including the football ground. But a lot of the violence that happened with
United fans around that time was usually sparked by the words ‘Man U.’

When Teddy Sheringham signed for United, incidentally he referred the club as ‘Man U’ and
received a dressing down from Sir Alex Ferguson.

So, I expect the "so-called" United fans stop chanting ‘Man U’ and as far as rival
fans are concerned…....... Back To Home Page

Robinson's Weak Attempt To Secure Zuiverloon's Allegiance

West Brom defender Paul Robinson has warned teammate Gianni Zuiverloon over interest from Manchester United. He almost makes it sound like his life will end if he joins United.

Fergie is said to be keen on the 21-year-old, but Mowbray told Midlands newspaper the Express & Star: "I hope he realises he is a young player and we have given him an opportunity to come and play in the Premier League. We have one or two players that other clubs ask me about, but selling is not the plan. The plan is to try to build a team, not to bring them in and sell them off quickly. What is the point of bringing a player in and then selling him in a year?"

Captain Robinson warned Zuiverloon that a move to a bigger club might not be beneficial at this stage of his career.

"He is 22 now and he has got a great future ahead of him – there is no doubt in my mind. I’m just hoping that the big clubs stay away and don’t take him away from us. You see a lot of young lads now go away from clubs like ours and they’re not playing. I don’t want to see the young lads do that any more until they know they can go to a big club and play week in, week out."

He actually neglected to mention that they will get paid probably twice what they will at West Brom and then they will have plenty of opportunities to go out on loan and ply their trade at a smaller club to build up their playing abilities and confidence. I think that's a much better deal then putting all your eggs in West Broms basket !! No offence to WBA by the way....Back To Home Page

Gianni Zuiverloon Anybody ?

Speaking on the West Brom website Chris Brunt has been heaping praise on their new Dutch arrival Gianni Zuiverloon. The Dutchman is interesting Manchester United and Brunt told his club's website:

"Gianni's a top player. The gaffer has done really well to get him to West Brom. He looks more than capable in the Premier League and hopefully he can keep playing like that because he's been a big player for us so far. If he can keep playing like that all season, we've got a top player on our hands. It's a credit to him that he's kept some of the best left-wingers in the Premier League quiet. He works hard in training and he's shown in every game he's played since he's been here what a good player he is. If he keeps playing like that, £3.2million will look like a bargain for him."

ANOTHER Manchester United target I know. At this rate we will have a squad of 236 players and a wage bill twice the size of the Icelandic national debt. Well, probably not that big given recent events but you get my drift....Back To Home Page