Unusual/Notable stuff from around the football world.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/03/2019, 12:40 PM

Is this a very prevalent problem though, or are the instances in the last few weeks a major aberration? A fence about the only cast-iron (ha!) guarantee, but very harsh punitive measures on the people doing it should be tried as a deterrent first. Aside from whatever criminal prosecution they may face, a serious ban from the clubs should do the trick and I say "serious" because I think there is a perception that it's just talk when clubs ban people, that they can't or won't make a serious effort to actually prevent certain individuals from buying tickets and getting into the ground consistently.

**pineapple stu** · 11/03/2019, 12:59 PM

"Good enough for you Grealish, you utter scumbag" - a post I saw on a rare trawl through my Facebook feed. Irish Birmingham fan. So yeah, there's people who'll see a ban as a violation of their own freedom of speech (or some such bull****)

Do behind-closed-doors bans really work? There seems to be enough of them to suggest not

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/03/2019, 3:00 PM

That was quick: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019...so-much-worse/

**NeverFeltBetter** · 27/03/2019, 8:23 PM

Jersey refs go on strike owing to repeated incidents of abusive and violent conducts towards them: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47720839

**SkStu** · 21/04/2019, 5:20 PM

This is just fantastic.

https://twitter.com/ndrsport/status/...862535169?s=21

**pineapple stu** · 22/04/2019, 9:45 AM

PAOK win the Greek league for the first time since 1984.

Calm celebrations ensue.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1120040078410227713

**NeverFeltBetter** · 07/05/2019, 10:11 PM

Maltese league decided by penalty shoot-out: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48193097

**NeverFeltBetter** · 14/05/2019, 11:00 AM

Saw this while reading up on Salford's play-off win: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-48220443

Their defeated opponents, AFC Flyde, had over 200K stolen from them by an accountant, who spent a good portion of it on a webcam girl. It nearly killed the club, and they can't recover the money. 32 month sentence.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 21/05/2019, 1:01 PM

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the Europa League final over safety concerns regards Armenian citizens in Azerbaijan: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48348207

**pineapple stu** · 30/05/2019, 6:22 PM

Erling Haaland this afternoon scored 9 goals against Honduras in the U20s World Cup. I presume that's a record for any World Cup (5 is the record in the senior one; Salenko v Cameroon in 94)

Haaland is the son of Alf Inge Haaland, and has an LoI connection in that he was part of the Molde team that beat UCD on penalties in the UEFA Youth League two years ago. Leo Oestigaard, who scored the third goal for Norway today, opened the scoring in the UCD Bowl as Molde lost 2-1.

Despite that win, it's quite possible Norway won't reach the last 16 (of 24 teams). They lost their other two games to finish third in the group, and are currently third best of the third-place teams, with the three teams below them all still to play.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 06/06/2019, 3:23 PM

CAF Champions League Final, second leg, to be replayed after bizarre series of events: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48533905

What that article doesn't mention is that the ref for the first leg was suspended for poor performance.

**pineapple stu** · 06/06/2019, 5:42 PM

Mad. Ayman Ben Mohamed involved of course - ex UCD, Longford and Bohs

**NeverFeltBetter** · 11/06/2019, 9:59 AM

Journalists surrounding the Turkish team arriving in Iceland included a man holding a scouring brush in place of a mic (not sure of the source though): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48580770

Just as suitable for entry here in that report is news that Turkish President Tayyip Ordogan was Mezut Ozil's Best Man last weekend.

**DeLorean** · 11/06/2019, 11:40 AM

Poor Turks, such a welcoming bunch themselves.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 17/06/2019, 11:16 AM

Mentioned original story in the WC 2022 Qualifying thread, now an unusual update: After Macau's FA refused to travel to Sri Lanka to play a qualifier, against their players' wishes, a Macau Cup game has 39 goals scored as part of a player-driven protest: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48660097

**NeverFeltBetter** · 30/07/2019, 3:14 PM

Korean fans file a lawsuit after Ronaldo failed to play at least one half of a friendly match: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019...ntus-friendly/

Apparently the contract for the match stipulated Ronaldo's involvement. If my math/conversion is right, they're looking for around €800 each.

**pineapple stu** · 10/01/2020, 7:36 PM

Wycombe's Joe Jacobson scored a hat-trick of set pieces earlier this season - one free-kick and two direct from corners.

**CraftyToePoke** · 12/02/2020, 12:54 PM

Ref banned for headbutt on GK

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020...on-goalkeeper/

**pineapple stu** · 14/02/2020, 7:54 PM

On a slightly similar note - Warrenpoint v Ballymena in the Irish Cup last month ended with the Point keeper fighting fans in the terrace.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51489772

**osarusan** · 26/09/2020, 12:43 PM

Substitution after 13 seconds in Estonian league.

Thier rules are that each team must start with 2 homegrown players, and due to Covid-19 isolating among the squad, they were forced to start a 16-year old homegrrown player who was immediately substituted for (I assume) a non-homegrown senior player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=verHZJvIUBE