[theo_luddite]

Terriers v Hornets
The Almost in Administration Stadium
Just off Leeds Road
HD1 and frozen to death.

Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Saturday 17/12/22

Hello all, cold enough for you? It snowed down here (bit of a dusting by 'oop nooerth' standards to be fair) 5 days ago and it's still here.
First time in 30 odd years I can recall it hanging around for more than 24-48 hours.

Whilst not making light of those poor kids plight in Solihull this past week, we've a lot of kids down here seemingly eager to get a Darwin Award.



Good job the canals are only a couple of feet deep or so, but only wearing a shirt in this weather? What are they feeding them these days?

The Hornets bring their histamine filled nest of fired up furriners up the M1 to the dog house on Saturday, hoping to sting bottom of the table Town into an easy surrender of 3 more points and leave Town's supporters looking like we've been chewing on a wasp all season, as we head into the Christmas Break.
Thinking about it, a wasp might be a tastier alternative to mince pies and Christmas pudding.

Christmas Break I hear you ask? Well yes we've only got 3 games between Boxing Day and New Years Day, when in years long gone bye bye's, we'd normally pack a whole season of games into that festive week or two before the FA Cup 3rd Round came around. Oh yes, Sunderland on Sunday, Millwall on Monday, Torquay on Tuesday, Wendies on Wednesday (well, when else?), Tranmere on Thursday, frozen pitch on Friday, but we'd still beat Bradford, Stockport on Saturday and so we'd go on. If it wasn't Torquay it was Carlisle, and sometimes it was both. By the way, home and away fixtures played the same day ... these modern day players think they are overworked eh? Don't know they are born. 

"Fired up furriners" I hear you ask? Well with a 26+ strong squad, including Bacuna's brother (who signed on Thursday), strangely also called Bacuna, coached by Slaven Bilic, a one time "onory cockanee, guv'nor" and one-time citizen of of the parish of West Brom (well, on match days) has 6 players who are actually English and about the same number who are, er, let's say fluid as to their International futures but aren't really on Southgate's radar, and the rest could be on a flight to Rwanda if their work permit runs out and Braverman gets involved. She's that desperate to get anyone on a flight to Rwanda, being anywhere inside or near the M25 really could make you a target .... you read it here first.

On the tellybox

Not showing anywhere at the moment, then again neither was last weeks match at The Blunts until it suddenly turned up on the "red button".
True to form, I went for a pee and the Blunts scored, and you don't get replays on the red button. There was only one highlight !!!!

Well, well, it's turned up on the Red Button after all, late on Friday.

Latest news

Town taking over control of the stadium took a step closer as the council threatened to throw KSDL into administration if anyone objected to handing millions of Council Tax payers money in the form of their 40% stake over to Deano before he sells the club. A club that he still only owns 25% of, and is still recovering loans from.

He may sell to some rich Yank or maybe bunch of non-Yank asset strippers. They'll sell the ground off to some private equity group that they probably have a stake in and then rent it back to us (paying more rent than we do now to KSDL) but we will at least have a long term lease on the land it stands on from the council.

Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating

All our fit and healthy World Cup stars are back fit and healthy, well done Sorba on your 15 minutes of fame, except those that weren't fit and healthy and never got there. Recovering from glandular fever just in time to twist your ankle in a big way on the Friday before your big come back isn't a good look for young Mr. Anjorin. Apparently he's had surgery on it so it's unlikley he'll be back for the FA Cup 3rd round. It's doubtful he'll be back in time for the FA Cup Final either, but I'm guessing we won't be there this season for some reason.

It's just a hunch, don't let it spoil your Christmas.



Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame

Well who knows? It took less than half a game for Hoggy to prove he was back to fullish fitness and picked up his first yellow card in ages down the road in Bluntsville.
Do we have anyone else coming back who could go full-on-red this weekend?
Maybe Simpson could have a mad half-hour? Camara is back after a dose of the plague.

Last time out

In case you missed the hints, we came 2nd at The Blunts stadium on Saturday.



Watford on the other hand maintained their own 3 game scoreless streak with a 0-0 draw at Hull. Well with one team in yellow and black stripes playing another in yellow and black hoops with the ref and his mates wearing yellow shirts and black shorts, it was always going to be confusing. At least the fans knew who to support.



Musical Interlude

I promise not to mention Elton John, oh bugger, I just did.

Well with luminaries like Bradley Walsh, Geri Halliwell a bloke called Ray Cooper, that used be percussionist for some bloke called, er, Elton John, hell this weekend could get Messi.

In fact I'm going to give it a bit of a miss this time, but he is credited online for percussion on this album (being lazy now, 2nd thread I've parked this song on) according to https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-coop...92/credits



But according to the sleeve notes from the CD he was known as Luis Conte, Ethan Johns or Lenny Castro.
Hey, how he does his tax avoidance returns is no concern of mine.

The Sack Race

So the bloke that turned The Baggies down because he had unfinished business at QPR realised he wasn't gonna win again after losing to Town and he turned up in Glasgow. He's been replaced by Neil Critchley. Liam Manning has gone from MK Dons after last season's thrilling season. You wouldn't get Town sacking managers just a few weeks after being in the play-off's now would you?

There's a few International coaching jobs coming up for grabs too. What on earth could cause that just before Christmas? Heartless sods.

Tables, Form & other info.

After a few weeks away, this still looks awfully familiar as far as our position is concerned.
Town have fired blanks in 6 of their last 8, Watford in 4 of their last 8, including the last 3.
Betting your energy bill on a 0-0 is being offered at around 15/2 or slightly better than 2/1 for any draw.





 

We are hardly the worst club in the division on current form, but our current form isn't anywhere near good enough to get us the right side of the trap door either.

 

Innies and Outies

One of the relatively big spenders in the division, then again, transfer fees for players moved on and parachute payments can help with that, if you do it right in the first place.



Who's banging 'em in

The lads up front by the look of it. That makes a refreshing change.



They can't all lose

Pick of this weeks trap door thrillers includes - Hull v Blunderland, Cardiff v Blackpool, Wigan v The Blunts, Brizzle v Smoke



We've played 'em before

Town have a slender lead in the Head-2-Heads but draws are typically (like the snow down here) very thin on the ground. So about that bet on a 0-0? Maybe have a rethink eh?



Next up?

Both Ends away on Boxing Day for the 3rd instalment of our 4 match thriller.

Pressers

Fother's cup of Froth



You might need a drink, it's a full half-hour. You might need two.

Town's translation available here

https://www.htafc.com/news/2022/december...watford-h/

The Hoggmeister holds forth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0dpphjw

Bilic believes (he'll still have a job in the New Year - what at Watford?!?!?).

https://www.watfordfc.com/news/bilic-eve...-difficult

https://www.watfordfc.com/news/team-news...sarr-manaj

Happy Christmas Shopping Day to all those who can't make it to the match this weekend. 



Don't forget your thermals if you are going.
Ticket prices reduced to try and attract a few floaters.
We've played like floaters for far too many games this season.

[Lord Snooty]

Kids don't get frightened to deeath anymore by Public Information Films. They need to bring these back......

---

Having said that, it never stopped us laikin' on frozzen lakes when we were kids. We had proper winters back then though. Ponds would be frozen for weeks on end. Not like these so called winters they have now. Blummin snowflakes.

[WakeyTerrier]

I'm hoping it gets called off, I'm still trying to get used to the cold weather again and sitting in the ground watching us do nothing isn't very appealing to me right now

[theo_luddite]

It isn't very appealing to those of us that stayed here and haven't got used to the cold weather yet either Wakey. I'm going to have to open the bottom drawer and get me thermals out for the first time this year since the last time last winter, whenever that was.

---

Looking deeper into the Head-2-Heads, there's never been a 0-0 draw between the teams. Some might say we're due one then.

Kids in Canada are taught to throw the biggest rock they can onto the ice, or lots of smaller one's into the same area. If they've got to go rescue them for next week, don't. The rocks, not the kids. Even ice fishermen get caught out if the wind changes direction. Not much fun watching your big fat expensive 4WD-ATV or pick-up disappear into a lake.

[Lord Snooty]

It's on the red button. Rule relaxed due to world cup still being on.

[theo_luddite]

Thanks Snoots, it wasn't at the time of hitting the Post Thread button but OP amended in the Tellybox section

[Lord Snooty]

The Unexamined tweeted that information.

[theo_luddite]

I occasionally read twits from twatters and get the team info to post on here from Town's account, but otherwise my twatter account is at best a dormouse.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Thanks theo. That was a nice read for an insomniac looking for something to do.
They need to throw us a biscuit today.

[jjamez]

Well we are being thrown to the dogs am. If you read the other site there appears to be suggestion that a few players are being hounded out of the club, apparently earning too much. Shows how screwed we are financially. All this about other clubs being run poorer than us and other clubs being poorer financially than us seems to be a bit non existent.

Anyone got a spare 500mil down back of the sofa?