Sightsee MFC

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sightseemfc — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:04:48 +0000

Sightsee MFC is moving w/ immediate effect…please continue to visit for some cogent commentary and analysis here: middlesbroughfcblog.com

thanks much to Kim and Tim @ Green Seed Web Design for all their dedication and hard work!

English Civil War

sightseemfc — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:25:54 +0000

So it looks like we will not have the squad proper sorted until September. Boro seem content exercising the balance of the transfer window to raise more funds, facilitating the badly needed amendments to a core first team already compromised by injury: Didier Digard is out for up to a month; Gary O’Neil is sooo desperate to bugger off that he’s postponing a hernia operation in hopes of attracting a suitor situated anywhere but the north-east…brave through Gary, for if not it will be like cutting off your balls to spite your dick; midfield debutante Rhys Williams picked up a minor knock v Sheffield Utd but appears okay…

Gazza is still dreaming of Rob Hulse, but he may have to make due w/ Marlon Harewood and/or Gillingham sensation Simeon Jackson…the latter not a bad punt after an opening week hat-trick v Swindon and 25 goals last season

The fissure amongst the fan base continues to widen – some people are pissed off and feel betrayed, and others are pissed off that some people are pissed off and feel betrayed. The rival factions can be distilled to Get Rid of Him and Get Behind the Club Unconditionally – a less-than-ideal start should breed enough contempt to make option A viable, but the buoyancy of a new season personally overrides any latent vitriol…for better or worse, you made the choice, or it was made for you…Absolute Boro – AV moderates the virtual debate, using ‘political’ in his preamble more than CNN during the 2008 US presidential elections…

and just announced: Boro travel to Forest for a Championship-themed Carling Cup round 2 affair

Open The Door

sightseemfc — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:56:58 +0000

Boro’s baptism into the Championship produced a result all too familiar: a tepid 0-0 home draw to fellow promotion contenders Sheffield United. Considering the aforementioned stead of the Blades, it’s not a dire outcome – had it been Donny or Blackpool we’d be indubitably gutted, demanding Gazza’s head on a stick Cromwell-style, along w/ a proper and direct thrust from the central midfield…a few more striking options for good measure too…

As this site adjusts to the paucity of match coverage, we’ll lean on the lovely Louise Taylor to give us first-person perspective on the match. How the fabulously labeled baked-on-weed-looking Blades enthusiast John Ashdown couldn’t convince the hierarchy to permit a season-debuting MBM is beyond us. This rendition of up-to-the-minute coverage lacked panache and spirited interactivity, and the usually reliable BBC Sport live text feature launched well after kick-off, lacking the indispensable Cheese-y substance.

Some observations from our 2 hours of trolling and F5-ing:

Mark Yeates is clearly up for it, and while Boro couldn’t organize an effective attack, he was a major party to whatever we tried to achieve
Adam Johnson needs to play further up in attack, either as part of a dual striker formation, or just behind; he jinks and jives, has unbelievable pace, but consistently underperforms in the realm of crosses from the flanks
Danny Coyne ostensibly had a good inaugural showing – no apoplectic moments redolent of Brad Jones…he produced a few fine saves and confident punch away dangerous balls in the box
set pieces…get them sorted already! This has been a consistent problem going on YEARS…it would’ve been equally criminal, and expected, to lose this contest in such a repeating fashion

on to Swansea next Saturday…stay away from the bay

The Long And Winding Road – 06 Aug

sightseemfc — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:47:53 +0000

The advent of meaningful matches has ushered in a convivial spirit. Goodwill towards fellow supporter and club has been restored at the end of this long and winding road…

Optimism abounds as we’re inside 48 hours of the start of a new beginning – the Blades beckon on Friday – is it genuine, or merely masked by the miasma caused by a hot summer lull? The currency of jobs, reputations, and livelihoods will be staked to ensure a satisfactory rebate of football happiness and contentment. Will all the effort and culture change that occurred over the summer interval, in the public view or behind the scenes, manifest itself on the pitch? It’s the main query as we forge forward…

The squad shaping that we hoped to be done with by this time continues:

In For Sure: Leroy Lita is on board – a fairly quick bit of business after talks w/ Sheffield Utd stalled

Rumoured: a duo of forwards from Olympique de Marseille – Mamadou Samassa and Elliot Grandin – the former a potential centre forward option that’s desperately required, and the latter an additional candidate to spring assaults from his preferred position on the right side of attack; Henri Camara, bequeathed ‘The Rabbit With The Rifle’ in his native Senegal…the striker is available on a free after release from Wigan

Stationary, For Now: Tuncay will be unwrapped for the Championship public to see – no takers yet for the charismatic captain of Turkey…if he’s still around come the end of the transfer window it could prove to be the best ‘signing’ of the off-season

Connecting Through AMS: Afonso Alves, wherever the fuck he goes…France and Qatar are the probable destinations per the latest tattle

Friday will be here shortly, especially if spending the interim steaming drunk. We’ll be cautiously confident of one of these will be on offer whilst at work…

The English Motorway System – West Brom

sightseemfc — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:35:17 +0000

Side: West Bromwich Albion F.C.

Nickname(s): Albion, The Baggies, The Throstles, West Brom

Ground: The Hawthorns

From Boro: 180 miles slightly southwest

Kit: still trailblazing the sans sponsor look…classic

Supporters: anchored by the official West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club, Baggies are renowned for their passion, nous, and intelligence

The Yo-Yo Men: constantly suspended between the top two divisions it seems…too good for the Championship, but can’t craft the right side for Premier League consolidation…with Mogga now in Glasgow, the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo could bring a welcome change in tact, starting w/ an immediate promotion back to the promised land

The English Motorway System – Watford

sightseemfc — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:04:54 +0000

Side: Watford F.C.

Nickname(s): The Hornets, Yellow Army, The Horns

Ground: Vicarage Road

From Boro: not quite London calling as Watford sits in the north-eastern reaches of Hertfordshire – 4 hours by car

Kit: some evolution! The 2006-07 kit was streets ahead of that thing

It’s Not A Moose: the large game emblazoned on the crest is actually a hart, as in male deer, and as in Hertfordshire…Watford were the only profession club in the county until Barnet was conceived

Famous Wasps: Luther Blissett was the first Watford player ever capped by England; Kenny Jackett had a playing career shortened by injury, then turned manager (1996-1997); Ashley Young, Marlon King, David James, Ben Foster…none can outshine John Barnes though, who electrified for a 6 year spell from his debut in 1981 right up to the Liverpool departure of 1987

The English Motorway System – Swansea

sightseemfc — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:19:30 +0000

Side: Swansea City A.F.C.

Nickname(s): The Swans, The Jacks

Ground: Liberty Stadium

From Boro: a long slog halfway into Wales – 330 miles, or nearly 5.5 hours by motor

Kit: can we get a moratorium limiting any more red/white/black kits in this league?

The State They’re In: might be hard to capitalize on last year…Roberto Martinez has done one to Wigan, taking Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez w/ him…Paulo Sousa assumes the managerial role this season, presumably w/ more security/support than what was offered at QPR

South Wales derby: this hostile tilt fully embodies hooliganism at it’s worst, or best, depending on your perspective: the latest depiction at Ninian Park on 05 April 2009 saw referee Mike Dean struck in the head with a single pound coin after a tangle between Michael Chopra and Jordi Gomez near the end of the first half; and who could forget the incident in 1988 where Cardiff supporters were chased into Swansea Bay by a throng of rabid Jacks fans? ‘swim away’ indeed…

The English Motorway System – Sheffield United

sightseemfc — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:29:11 +0000

Side: Sheffield United F.C.

Nickname: The Blades

Ground: Bramall Lane – worldwide, it’s the oldest venue still hosting professional footie

From Boro: a little further than Hillsborough at 105 miles – United dominate the southern quadrants of the the city

Kit: very continental…looks Spanish, which isn’t entirely negative…

Made In Sheffield: the club has blazed a far-reaching extension of The Blades brand, investing in clubs from China (Chengdu Blades), Hungary ( Ferencvaros), Australia (Central Coast Mariners), and Belgium (White Star Woluwe)…who needs Jarvis as an ambassador?

The Greasy Chip Butty Song: You fill up my senses/Like a gallon of Magnet/Like a packet of Woodbines/Like a good pinch of snuff/Like a night out in Sheffield/Like a greasy chip butty/Like Sheffield United/Come fill me again…./Na Na Na Naa Naa Naaaaa, ooo!

The Long And Winding Road – 02 Aug

sightseemfc — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:57:53 +0000

Boro trudged on back home for final pre-season prep after drawing 1-1 @ Millwall – Rhys Williams continued his uprising by contributing a 4^th goal in 5 exhibitions…the gaffer sported a side that probably will not deviate too much from what we’ll see come Friday – Didier Digard, Marvin Emnes, Jonathan Grounds and Gary O’Neil returned from various knacks to take part in east London…Danny Coyne continued deputising for Brad Jones, a look that’ll continue into the real fixtures while Jonesy recovers from his own ankle ailments suffered before Oldham earlier this week

Mido’s off back to Cairo, presumably to start a parmo empire, but he’s gonna be expected to turn up for El Zamalek from time to time after they secured his services on loan…their chairman claims £4m compensation to us is what sealed the move, though speculation mounts about the units of currency we’re dealing with…Anthony Vickers reported it’s not sterling, but Egyptian pounds, which make that £4m more like £450,000…christ, isn’t there a distinguishing symbol for mummy money?

Leroy Lita talks heat up after Boro step in after a breakdown w/ Sheffield United…it’s a risk/reward proposition given the known off-the-pitch proclivities, but the lolly is right (free), and he actually fits the profile of having tangible Championship experience, albeit w/ varying degrees of success…

The English Motorway System – Sheffield Wednesday

sightseemfc — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:55:50 +0000

Side: Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Nickname(s): The Owls, SWFC, The Wednesday

Ground: Hillsborough Stadium

From Boro: about 95 miles SSW

Kit: the home top is like a dynamic rendition of Wigan…the pirate teddy bear sponsor is completely adorable too

Wednesday Til I Die: Get giro, Go down pub, Get really plastered, Find a blade, Fuck him up, We are Wednesday bastards!…and this: Oh Sheffield, Oh Sheffield, Is wonderful
Is wonderful Oh Sheffield is wonderful Full of tits fanny and Wednesday Oh Sheffield is wonderful

Who Are Ya?: they’re full of history, they’ve suffered unspeakable tragedy, and they contend in one of the fiercest known football rivalries…but who are Wednesday? granted we’ve been following the Premier League primarily for some time, but Wednesday have been conspicuously absent of promotion, debate, tension, or controversy…has Paddy Kenny’s shadow really loomed that large over all the city?