2 weekends and 2 finals

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01/05/2007, 9:00 AM
Steve Bruce

2 weekends and 2 finals

These next two weekends will be one of the most exciting periods for Linfield fans.

Irish Cup final this weekend coming against a useful Dungannon side. All the colour and atmosphere and the potential for hte double. Bluemen will be in a joyus mood if we pull it off.

Dungannon, it's their first ever cup final. They will be there trying their guts out and creating plenty of atmosphere and colour. This could be a true family advert for Irish League football.

Then we have the Setanta cup final the week after.

Linfield vs Drogheda

Linfield where very fortunate against Cork, but we showed true spirit, grit and determination and poked home the winner and left Cork wondering where it all went wrong. True they played the football, but we had the knock out punch. Linfield has been playing well all tournement so we have earned that wee bit of luck.

Drogheda a very good side, we are currently level on head to head with 1 win a piece. Although Drogs are undefeated in 2 games against us at Windsor. Let's hope it's 3rd time lucky for Linfield.

It promises to be a very good couple of weekends football and I can't wait.
01/05/2007, 9:48 AM
dcfcsteve

Looking forward to the Irish Cup Final on Saturday. Can't see Dungannon doing anything much though.

As for Setanta, you were played off the park and robbed Cork blind. Guess that'll learn them to finish a bit better. It does put the lie to this extreme notion of superiority that Linfield fans have - as you spent most of last night defending like loons in your own half.

Don't forget - Welsh Cup Final on Sunday too, for those who want to compare standards !
01/05/2007, 9:57 AM
David

No team performs well every game and there is no doubt that Cork were the better team last night. However it is a sign of a good team when they win despite playing badly. All about sticking the ball in the net. We did, they didn't, we won, we are in final.
01/05/2007, 10:18 AM
blueman1886

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

As for Setanta, you were played off the park and robbed Cork blind. Guess that'll learn them to finish a bit better. It does put the lie to this extreme notion of superiority that Linfield fans have - as you spent most of last night defending like loons in your own half.!

Sure Dungannon played Cork of the park in the second half at turners cross? did it matter? no!
01/05/2007, 10:19 AM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Looking forward to the Irish Cup Final on Saturday. Can't see Dungannon doing anything much though.

As for Setanta, you were played off the park and robbed Cork blind. Guess that'll learn them to finish a bit better. It does put the lie to this extreme notion of superiority that Linfield fans have - as you spent most of last night defending like loons in your own half.

Don't forget - Welsh Cup Final on Sunday too, for those who want to compare standards !

One bad game and we still win and you right us off:rolleyes:

When George Foreman fought Ali, Foreman was killing Ali, but Ali soaked it all up and hit Foreman with the knock out blow. A bit like linfield did last night.:cool:
01/05/2007, 10:27 AM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueman1886

Sure Dungannon played Cork of the park in the second half at turners cross? did it matter? no!

We've been outplayed by a lot of teams this season and still won. Last night we played badly and won, next time we wont play near as bad.
01/05/2007, 12:24 PM
GavinZac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

One bad game and we still win and you right us off:rolleyes:

When George Foreman fought Ali, Foreman was killing Ali, but Ali soaked it all up and hit Foreman with the knock out blow. A bit like linfield did last night.:cool:

Except you didnt soak anything up. It would be as if Ali stood there with his gloves down, asking to be punched, and foreman kept swinging at air. Eventually, foreman missed so badly, that he punched ali's fist right into his own face, and knocked himself out.

Mind you, Ali would never had said he won ugly!
01/05/2007, 1:04 PM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by GavinZac

Except you didnt soak anything up. It would be as if Ali stood there with his gloves down, asking to be punched, and foreman kept swinging at air. Eventually, foreman missed so badly, that he punched ali's fist right into his own face, and knocked himself out.

Mind you, Ali would never had said he won ugly!

Tell me because I'm really confused here. How did we not soak up the pressure? Did we keep a clean sheet? Did we win the match against a team who where by far superior on the night? Yes we did, so I would say we soaked it up.
01/05/2007, 1:13 PM
Ronnie

Fair dues to Linfield, I have to say my admiration for your club has gone up greatly over the last 3 seasons, since your visit to Flancare for the first Setanta cup and our return game in Windsor, to reach 3 finals of this competition on the spin, when other clubs in the north struggling to stay the pace, is a real achievement. Even the first year, despite losing in Flancare and Glens being champions you still came through and this season, from a very difficult group. Has any club beaten you in Windsor in the Setanta yet?
01/05/2007, 1:22 PM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie

Fair dues to Linfield, I have to say my admiration for your club has gone up greatly over the last 3 seasons, since your visit to Flancare for the first Setanta cup and our return game in Windsor, to reach 3 finals of this competition on the spin, when other clubs in the north struggling to stay the pace, is a real achievement. Even the first year, despite losing in Flancare and Glens being champions you still came through and this season, from a very difficult group. Has any club beaten you in Windsor in the Setanta yet?

Not in the group stage. Drogheda beat us last season in the Semis. This is our 2nd final in 3 years.

It is good to see some respect from LOI supporters because there seems to be many who don't show any towards us no matter how many times we beat LOI opposition. We are 15 group games undefeated and the only defeat was the first one against Longford.
01/05/2007, 1:55 PM
Poor Student

I don't get it. Linfield didn't do anything that countless teams have done in the history of football. They rode out a tough match, stole a sucker punch goal and kept a clean sheet. Over the three years in the Setanta Linfield have possessed an abundance of grit and determination.
01/05/2007, 2:14 PM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I don't get it. Linfield didn't do anything that countless teams have done in the history of football. They rode out a tough match, stole a sucker punch goal and kept a clean sheet. Over the three years in the Setanta Linfield have possessed an abundance of grit and determination.

Linfield have always been about effort. When things arent going our way, our players keep on going and we are successfull at doing that. Even when we are terrible like last night, you cannot count us out untill the final whistle.

Southern teams do play prettier football than Linfield, definatly, but are they more effective? I don't know, we are rarely beatin in the Setanta and our local league so that would suggest our style although not the prettiest but possibly more effective.

So far very few pundits, teams, officials and supporters from the LOI have given us any credit or respect. I don't really know what else we can do to gain that respect. If we win it this year, there will be a roll of excuses a mile long as to why we won it.

People need to realise we are a good side, we are capable of beating anyone and Linfield are head and shoulders above the rest in the Irish League and they shouldn't be judged to be less than what we are because the rest of the Irish League is well below standard.

We are damned if we do and damned if we don't because we wont get any credit any which way we play.
01/05/2007, 4:59 PM
GavinZac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

Tell me because I'm really confused here. How did we not soak up the pressure? Did we keep a clean sheet? Did we win the match against a team who where by far superior on the night? Yes we did, so I would say we soaked it up.

You kept a clean sheet and you had nothing to do with it. Your keeper made one good save, which he shouldn't have been making anyway since behan decided to shoot from 25 years out on the volley rather than attempt to take on the keeper one-on-one. apart from that, we missed chance after chance, after chance and we didnt seem to need any help from linfield in doing so.

Funny how you can claim to be "able to beat anyone" and yet to admit being far inferior.
01/05/2007, 7:19 PM
rebelarmyexile

very enjoyable atmosphere in Windsor. Robbed blind id agree. Though Blues fans friendly and helpful. a credit to the club. even headed into a bar nearby wit my cork scarf on, no trouble, only welcomes. Hopefully we might get a chance to head to belfast again.

My only worry from last night were some eejits from cork with Tricolours draped around them, an embarrassment to the club.
01/05/2007, 7:21 PM
rebelarmyexile

oh and as a matter of interest, are the trophys (Irish Cup and League trophy) the same ones they used pre FAI, and do they have the names of any Southern Clubs?
01/05/2007, 7:29 PM
GavinZac

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelarmyexile

very enjoyable atmosphere in Windsor. Robbed blind id agree. Though Blues fans friendly and helpful. a credit to the club. even headed into a bar nearby wit my cork scarf on, no trouble, only welcomes. Hopefully we might get a chance to head to belfast again.

Yeah, not that it was expected following other club's trips up there, but there was zero hassle even with non-linfield supporters club people out and about on the shankhill road :eek: :D

Quote:

My only worry from last night were some eejits from cork with Tricolours draped around them, an embarrassment to the club.

True. Someone asked them either to stop waving them about or to go over and let the Linfield fans see just who was doing it. Fittingly, one of them also ruined the photographs of the supporters clubs exchanging penants by jumping in and giving us "waaaaazup" hilarity.
02/05/2007, 12:58 AM
dcfcsteve

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelarmyexile

very enjoyable atmosphere in Windsor. Robbed blind id agree. Though Blues fans friendly and helpful. a credit to the club. even headed into a bar nearby wit my cork scarf on, no trouble, only welcomes. Hopefully we might get a chance to head to belfast again.

My only worry from last night were some eejits from cork with Tricolours draped around them, an embarrassment to the club.

You may not have heard the usual reportoire of 'party songs' from the Linfield fans as well though, that could be heard clearly on TV.

God save the Queen, Rule Britannia, The Sash, and the Billy Boys (admittedly, a single rendition that was eventually drowned out by their other fans, but still audible).
02/05/2007, 1:06 AM
GavinZac

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

You may not have heard the usual reportoire of 'party songs' from the Linfield fans as well though, that could be heard clearly on TV.

God save the Queen, Rule Britannia, The Sash, and the Billy Boys (admittedly, a single rendition that was eventually drowned out by their other fans, but still audible).

I heard them sing rule britannia once after the goal. i think most people were too annoyed at losing the way we did to care about meaningless things like nationalism at that point! :D
02/05/2007, 9:42 AM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by GavinZac

You kept a clean sheet and you had nothing to do with it. Your keeper made one good save, which he shouldn't have been making anyway since behan decided to shoot from 25 years out on the volley rather than attempt to take on the keeper one-on-one. apart from that, we missed chance after chance, after chance and we didnt seem to need any help from linfield in doing so.

Funny how you can claim to be "able to beat anyone" and yet to admit being far inferior.

On the night we wheren't as good. But we still beat you, so yes we can beat anyone.

If we played that match again tonight, we wouldn't have played near as badly as we did. That is the difference between champions and a good side, Champions win games they should never win and that's what we did.

Man Utd where inferior to Liverpool at Anfield on the day, but United still walked away with the points. But the fact still remains that United are the better side.

I see a massive parrallel.
02/05/2007, 9:43 AM
Steve Bruce

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelarmyexile

oh and as a matter of interest, are the trophys (Irish Cup and League trophy) the same ones they used pre FAI, and do they have the names of any Southern Clubs?

I believe they are.
02/05/2007, 10:48 AM
Poor Student

The IL forum isn't for debating songs sung at games. Keep it related to the football.
02/05/2007, 3:35 PM
Steve Bruce

Will Drogs bring many up?
03/05/2007, 5:59 PM
BleusAvantTout

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebelarmyexile

oh and as a matter of interest, are the trophys (Irish Cup and League trophy) the same ones they used pre FAI, and do they have the names of any Southern Clubs?

The Irish League (the Gibson Cup) is I believe the original IL Championship trophy. However the current Irish Cup was donated to the IFA in relatively recent times by John Lunn's, jewellers, Belfast, in memory of John H. Lunn the owner and former Linfield chairman. The Irish Cup is not called anything other than the Irish Cup.
03/05/2007, 6:11 PM
LeviathanNI

Pre the breakaway to become the FSFA (I think tha is right), Southern Irish teams competed for, and won, both trophies.. so yes, they are the original Irish League and Irish Cup.