TBH I just used to watch the odd rugby league matches years back, never took much interest in it but then started to enjoy it, watched Hull on tele couple of times and decided to go the Wire v Hull game at Wilderspool with me dad (went in away end) not thinkin much of it and we got hooked, went to few more games got hooked supported FC since.

I know the type exactly, at least you're not surrounded by these people everyday Fortunately we're not all the same, as I hope you've experienced. The playing the victim thing always gets me, it's like world against scouser with some people, Borris Johnson was spot on with his quotes a few years ago. Some of us aren't like that though. What did this person to be kicked out?



That I can believe

I think the FA / Premier League need to take action against Stoke. Their actions are a disgrace and need to be sorted ASAP. I don't know how they'd do it, but it needs to be done. They are a horrible team, horrible mentality, and Wilkinson and Pulis epitomise that.

What do you think they've done that deserves the FA or PL to step in?

Andy Wilkinson kicked Dembele out of the game and onto a stretcher last night with a pretty unpleasant challenge.

Off the back of all the fuss over the tackle on Aaron Ramsey last year I can see why some people might start to make assumptions about how Stoke's players are told to play the game.

Yet the ref, Mark Halsey I think it was, didn't deem it a foul.

EDITED - He did get booked but I think that was after the event as I'm sure on the TV last night he just gave a throw-in at first. Whatever, it was a full-blooded challenge at it's kindest.

Still don't really know what the FA/PL can do about it.

The constant fouls, dreadful challenges, bully boy tactics. I don't want to see good, exciting players go to Stoke and get they're legs broken. Dembele is the latest. No doubt that thug Wilkinson was "going for the ball" like Shawcross does, or Whelan, or Delap.

A challenge like that one last night is never acceptable, but in injury time, when the game is won is just ridiculous.

I'm dreading one of those pricks going through Ben Arfa on Sunday.

I haven't seen the Wilkinson/Dembele challenge, but the ref did only give a yellow card for it.

But I will always defend Shawcross over the Ramsay challenge. The histrionics over that challenge were totally down to Arsenal's whining and scouse victimology.

I have seen video of Shawcross deserving a red card for chopping down Adebayor (?) and I don't defend him over that, but I've always felt Shawcross was an innocent party in the Ramsay injury.

I don't think we should take the strong tackles out of the game, it would ruin it. However you can still tackle strongly without being reckless, the reckless challengers where they don't have full control must be given a heavier punishment and this might prevent them happening.

Not see last nights challenge but I did not see much wrong with the Shawcross challenge on Ramsey.