1 hour ago, Brian Johnson said:

Were 3 signings in the past 9 days not enough 

Sorry for being slightly optimistic

I think Harper could be good with a full preseason. 

1 hour ago, werstayinup said:

Wrexham sign another striker Hardie from Plymouth

That is a good signing for them.

44 minutes ago, johnjeffersfanclub said:

I think Harper could be good with a full preseason. 

BFI 

3 hours ago, Owd Seth said:

Harper gone

7 weeks ago. Wake up lad/lass/them/it. 

1 hour ago, stocky1357 said:

Sorry for being slightly optimistic

Naughty boy - just don't do it again 😍

6 hours ago, MBE said:

Losing the 1st goal and losing then game is the bore that is modern football rather than Vale problem.

Refs can't control the game, allow players to take the piss time wasting, making sure every decision needs a Teams meeting with 3 players, feigning injuries, then of course the 3 stoppages rule for subs which allows the manager to suck the life out of any momentum before the GK then pulls a hamstring on a goal kick, the whole squad then get coaching on the sidelines before the luckless GK takes a terrible blow to his head catching a ball before his laces are undone.

2nd halves of football when one team I winning is usually pretty <ovf censored> as a spectacle and thats before parking the bus.

I really do detest modern football for this.

I promised myself if it doesn't improve over the next few seasons I will stop going, it's so boring, even if we are the ones doing it. 

Wow!!! That's not the football I watch - Vale or not!

8 hours ago, stocky1357 said:

Sorry for being slightly optimistic

I thought you'd have learned by now we don't do slightly optimistic or definitely optimistic on here...only doom n gloom 🤣🤣🤣🤣

10 hours ago, MBE said:

Losing the 1st goal and losing then game is the bore that is modern football rather than Vale problem.

Refs can't control the game, allow players to take the piss time wasting, making sure every decision needs a Teams meeting with 3 players, feigning injuries, then of course the 3 stoppages rule for subs which allows the manager to suck the life out of any momentum before the GK then pulls a hamstring on a goal kick, the whole squad then get coaching on the sidelines before the luckless GK takes a terrible blow to his head catching a ball before his laces are undone.

2nd halves of football when one team I winning is usually pretty <ovf censored> as a spectacle and thats before parking the bus.

I really do detest modern football for this.

I promised myself if it doesn't improve over the next few seasons I will stop going, it's so boring, even if we are the ones doing it. 

 

10 hours ago, SFBT said:

Totally agree!

Sadly 😕

 

 

 

The level of gamesmanship is utterly ruining the game as a spectator sport.  That clown who conned the referee to get Sang sent off in the early on last season and then Grimsby at home are two examples that spring to mind.

The only way it can be dealt with is by referees taking a firm stand on time wasting,  e.g. force keepers to release the ball and require all injuries to be treated off the playing area. The number of keeper 80th minute cramp cases would go to zero in a weekend. 

Sadly the quality of referees seems to be deteriorating, particularly in League 2, although I don’t remember L1 being much better 2 years ago.  This is probably due to the knock-on effect of the premier league requiring more officials to staff VAR, and the rigid assessment system for young referees where promotion is based on how many cards they hand out, rather than how the game is handled as a spectacle.

Edited June 17, 2025Jun 17 by BlytheValiant

5 hours ago, LancyTony said:

Wow!!! That's not the football I watch - Vale or not!

Sounds like you still enjoy the game, which is good to know.

I do too, some of the time.

On other occasions, it does become like a pantomime. Once fans start singing 'you don't know what you're doing', you know things are unravelling.

Is it that the ball is in play for something like 50% of the 90+ minutes?

There certainly are lots of delaying tactics that stop the flow of the game, and many other instances of questionable, theatrical tumbles.

I just enjoy players and managers who just get on with it. Good old fashioned sportsmanship.

38 minutes ago, SFBT said:

Sounds like you still enjoy the game, which is good to know.

I do too, some of the time.

On other occasions, it does become like a pantomime. Once fans start singing 'you don't know what you're doing', you know things are unravelling.

Is it that the ball is in play for something like 50% of the 90+ minutes?

There certainly are lots of delaying tactics that stop the flow of the game, and many other instances of questionable, theatrical tumbles.

I just enjoy players and managers who just get on with it. Good old fashioned sportsmanship.

As I keep saying, and will continue to keep saying till I'm blue in the face, a timekeeper, who stops the clock when the ball is not in play, will stop most of the time wasting and frustration, at a stroke! 

11 minutes ago, Dol Boy said:

As I keep saying, and will continue to keep saying till I'm blue in the face, a timekeeper, who stops the clock when the ball is not in play, will stop most of the time wasting and frustration, at a stroke! 

Either that or you'll have to book Monday off work if you want to go the Vale on a Saturday.

Throw ins and corners are tough, we waste time sending Jesse across, for a throw in. Plus we switch corner takers from the side they are on.

Not picking the ball up or going for another is time wasting.

Hard call, but I do not like the fake injuries, also. 

Seems the norm though now, so we have to do what is right to win, even though it is horrible to watch.

Closest player to the ball should take the throw in. Same for corners.

 

Is there not a "things I hate about nogger thread" for the things folk hate about nogger?

5 hours ago, BlytheValiant said:

Sadly the quality of referees seems to be deteriorating, particularly in League 2, although I don’t remember L1 being much better 2 years ago

I saw this earlier from the CWC, it's crazy the pace the game is played at the top level. 

I think also the fact the referee is moving, at pace often, gives a much different perspective than us fans sitting / standing in the ground and being more or less stationary. 

I don't think the quality is necessarily deteriorating as much as the game is getting better even lower down the pyramid. 

 

Anyway on the subject of signings in the transfer window, wondering whether keeper will be next? I think we will be spending on one or two players in this window. There's loads of time but 1) I'm bored of no football and 2) Anxious / excited to get to the start of the season.