My relation to sumo

[jomojo 0]

(Huh?)

hi i'm jomojo. i'm 32, male, married, and live in london, uk. well, i began to find out about sumo through one of the sumogames!

well, actually my brother, jejima, encouraged me to enter for the game he invented, benchsumo. and after a couple of bad scores, i thought, well i need to find out a bit more if i'm going to continue playing.

so now i follow the tournaments quite closely, and play more of the games as well. it proves a fun distraction.

that's all for now.

(Hehe...)

[Hoshifransu 0]

and live in london

Ah, London and its super soccer teams !

I went many times there to support my both favourite teams :

Even in third, fourth division, I'll remain a fan !

Coooooooome on, Wimbledon, come on Vinnie Jones !

Which team(s) do you support ?

[jomojo 0]

(Hehe...)

salut hoshifransu, mon equipe de football prefere? c'est le manchester united, quand eric cantona etait le capitaine.

so you're a wimbledon fan - what do you think about them moving their stadium away from south london to milton keynes in central england?

did you know that many fans have "voted with their feet" and set up their own alternative team which now plays non league football, still based in Wimbledon in London?

while the original team, this season, has achieved new records for lowest ever crowd attendences at a first division match, ie. under 1000?  

well, i guess you will prefer visiting london to milton keynes ... well, there is still queen's park rangers here.

jomojo

[Tony 16]

Me I love Arsenal! Allez Ars

[Hoshifransu 0]

Well, the team deserved a real attendance. Each time I went to Selhurst Park, the crowd was very low, even for a Premiership game, and Wimbledon were booed by their own fans, I really disagree with that ! Even with bad results, the fighting spirit was there, and that's all Wimbledon spirit. If people want to watch teams which play a boring game but which are winning, they have to support Chelsea. If they want to watch rough game, rough players, and great fighting spirit of men who are not great technicians, who aren't worth

[jomojo 0]

well, i can see you are a true fan of english football hoshifransu.  (Alien stuff)

bravo to you! you know a lot more about the teams than me i am sure.

jomojo

[Hoshifransu 0]

you are a true fan of english football

You can't imagine how fan I am (or should I say was) ! I crossed the channel some 20-30 times at least to go to Portsmouth, Brighton or London and to support teams or to buy shirts of my favourite teams or to buy soccer videos !

I'm a great fan of french rugby but french soccer is so boring comparing to english soccer ! So, for a rugby game France Vs England, I'm 100 percent for France but for a soccer game France Vs England, I'm 100 percent for England !

Campbell, Beckham, Sheringham, Scholes are like gods, to me !

There is a total involvement of english players in soccer. Not french players. In rugby, I have a huge respect for what the frenchies do and I'm a big big fan, but in soccer, they deserve nothing ... Last World Cup was the perfect example of that "nothing".

I'm disappointed english soccer of nowadays involves too many foreign players including a lot of french players. Some teams like Chelsea are very boring, now. Ten years ago, they had Vinnie Jones in their team and now, one or two english players, perhaps. I remember a couple of years ago, when Vialli coached Chelsea, the Southampton Vs Chelsea game was the first game in the whole soccer history where there were no english players in an english team. It's a shame. Another example : I'm sorry for Arsenal fans in that forum but I was a big big Arsenal fan 10 years ago, when Ian Wright was unstoppable, with his strong game, his fantastic headers. Today, I find Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord very boring comparing to what Ian Wright could do. No more glancing headers goals with them. It's a fact. Though Arsenal plays a very attractive, very fast game, OK, but the typical British style they played 10 years ago is definitely dead. Almost every team played "british" 10 years ago and almost no team today ! The problem is not only in England but in the whole Europe where every team play the same game, the same technical short passing game. There ain't no other style nowhere ! It's a shame ...

I really think Bosman killed soccer. That's not his fault, in fact, that had to happen, unfortunately. That happened. Ten years ago, you watched Milan Vs Real Madrid, you knew who where the Italians, who were the Spanish. Nowadays, you can count on your fingers the Italians in Milan and the Spanish in Real Madrid, both are very internationalised with a lot of Brazilians ! In fact, you can give to Milan the Madrid shirts and to Madrid the Milan shirts and the teams are the same. Soccer is dead.

Attention, my ideas could be interpreted like nationalistic. No, absolutely not. I only noticed english traditional game is almost dead, Italian classic Catenaccio defensive game is completely dead. That's a big loss for soccer.

In the past, I was fan of almost every english teams, but today I can count them on my fingers. I won't cross the channel to watch french players I can watch in France and the same boring style I can watch in France ... I liked the variety of soccer. Now, it's all over. Even in lower divisions, Portsmouth FC are on top with a lot of foreign players in a typical short passing style. I have nothing against foreign player when they play like the local players, when they apply a style. At the reverse, they killed the local styles !

I was fan of West Ham, 10 years ago with Julian Dicks, but today, West Ham with Kanout

[jomojo 0]

:-0

well, now i have learnt a lot. thank you hoshifransu. i can see you follow your sport with a passion i have not experienced myself. i enjoyed reading your thoughts, or more, your strong feelings on the state of play of european and english football.

i had a friend who strongly followed grimsby town. any thoughts on this team?

best wishes,

jomojo.

[Hoshifransu 0]

The famous Mariners of Grimsby Town !

Unfortunately, I had the chance to watch many teams but I never watched them in England or via Swedish TV4 when they broadcasted first division games every Saturday like the season before !

They struggle a lot to stay up and almost every time, they manage to make it. That's great performance because they have the tightest budget in division one. Last year or was it a couple of years ago, I remember everybody thought they had absolutely no chance to survive because they had sold all their main players and they had to rely on a lot of new young players and everybody criticized the chairman because of that and they managed to stay up !

Their recent history :

Division Four 1977-1979

Division Three 1979-1980

Division Two 1980-1987

Division Three 1987-1988

Division Four 1988-1990

Division Three 1990-1991

Division Two 1991-1992

Division One 1992-1997

Division Two 1997-1998

Division One 1998-nowadays

No doubt, great spirit there, I don't know if they play a classic long ball forward game or a rough game (like I like) but it's very possible, because they have a so low budget, they're the underdog, every time, and they have to play with their own weapons, their own strategies ... So, no doubt, a lot of fighting spirit and involvement from these young players !

Come on, Grimsby Town !

(In fact, I buy a lot the tabloid "The Sun" because I like so much their pages dedicated to soccer and I enjoy so much to play at their weekly "Caption of the week")

[Fujisan 512]

Your asking the wrong guy Jomojo,when you have a Grimsby born and bred Sumo fan here.

Grimsby town football club formed 1879,player manager Paul Groves,presently fifth from bottom of division 1 but out of the last three matches they have won 2,drawn 1 and no losses.

They play a passing game normally,preferring that to the long ball.And yes they do have a lot of spirit but often dont play as well as they should,on a good day they can beat anyone,even Man u-They beat Liverpool 2.1 at anfield last year.

The fans can often be heard singing Monty pythons Always look on the bright side of life" which tells you of the Grimsby spirit and the games usual outcome,for a time I thought it was Grimsby NIL not Grimsby town.

[jomojo 0]

hi Fujisan,

Thanks for the extra info you provided on the Mariners. So you are Grimsby born and bred? My friend, who was such a fan, was actually a schoolmate. Yes, I grew up in Grimsby too! Went to Wintringham School until my family moved to Leeds in 1987, when I was 16.

Whereabouts in Grimsby do you hail from? I've heard the place has changed quite a lot in the last few years.

all the best,

jomojo. (But, but...)

[Fujisan 512]

Yes Jomojo,there as been a few changes in town,couple of major new roads running through the town and the town centre,freshney place is now a major shopping centre.

I live in the east marsh area of town,the Bath street flats near Victor street.

Its nice to talk to another Grimbarian.

[jomojo 0]

Hi Fujisan, I lived near People's Park, off Weelsby Road. I remember there was an old railway line over Weelsby Road about 10 minutes walk from where I lived. Another schoolfriend told me they've turned that into a major road now!

Well, it's good to know there's still some life in the old town. I guess the winter winds, straight from the North Sea, are one thing that hasn't changed?

best wishes,

jomojo

[Fujisan 512]

Yeah Peakes parkway   is one of the two new roads I was talking about.

As for the north wind thats one thing that wont change.We have a big theme park in cleethorpes now which is bringing some tourism in,so yes there is still some life here.

[Yoavoshimaru 0]

Hi,

I couldn't resist jumping into this thread ;)  Welcome jomojo -- I have no doubt this forum will help you do better in the sumo games  :-(

As a Liverpool fan, I wanted to share:

The second one is from the FA Cup Final 2001, which I was fortunate enough to attend.  The pictures aren't mine though  :-P

[Fujisan 512]

Hi Yoavo,Was you there when Grimsby beat them?

Bet that was a bummer for you,great game though,Grimsby earnt it.

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

Liverpool? Hmm...

[Hoshifransu 0]

Come on, West Brom !

Hey, we've just beaten Man City at Maine Road ! Great !

3 vital points at last, and to leave the bottom of the table, we will stay up, I can feel it !

[Fujisan 512]

The news is not good for Grimsby,8 games without a win and now we are back in the relegation zone.

Seems we've made our home there.

By the way Hoshi,I should know this but who is the Rikishi in your Avatar? It looks a lot like former Yokozuna Onokuni but Im terrible at identifying pictures so I dont know.

[Tokimori 0]

Is it Towanofuji???

[Hoshifransu 0]

This is the very heavy Towanoyama !

He's my favourite rikishi with Toki since last basho, after his unbelievable bout Vs. Toyozakura : he gave an enormous blow right at the tachi-ai to Kitazakura's brother who was sent flying on the dohyo - K.O. during a very few seconds - and that was the only one move made by Towanoyama during the bout, that's why I luv to call him "Godzilla" since, not for the monster aspect but for its huge size its big power, yes and during the movie, the last version starring frenchman Jean Reno, Godzilla destroys an helicopter with the back of its hand, and I had the same unlimited power impression with Towanoyama sending Toyozakura flying, so easily with his huge slap or huge blow. People was really very impressed too. Towanoyama is superhuman, supernatural : that makes me ... dream ! Super sensation ! Come on, Towanoyama-San !

About Grimsby Town, they are in the relegation zone, but should we say, as always, and as always, they will manage to stay up at the end ! They're not really in crisis like teams like Sheff Wed which are in deep trouble and Brighton & Hove Albion are already almost out, and I think the last team which could be relegated, will be Stoke City. (unfortunately, because I like that team with all these strong guys from Iceland)

For the promotion to the Premiership, Portsmouth of course, Leicester too, and the Blades (Sheff Utd) winning the play-offs. (but maybe the Wolves at last ...)

Next saturday, I'll be focused on WBA Vs. Bolton, this is the game to win, for Albion ! I wish "we" could make it that time, it's a crucial game (we already failed to beat Sunderland and Birmingham City at home) we've got to win !

[Hoshifransu 0]

BTW, Sumo Fans and English Soccer fans, free German Sports channel will broadcast full Premiership games sometimes on saturday night !

So, tomorrow, on 2003/02/07, watch the full replay of Liverpool Vs. Middlesbrough ! And they will broadcast these other ones very soon (february & march), too :

- Everton Vs. Southampton

- Villa Vs. Man Utd

- Man Utd Vs. Fulham

All infos by clicking here.

Check it out on DSF, and free, via satellite !  (Hehe...)

[Fujisan 512]

Thanks Hoshi,told you I was no good at recognising Rikishi.

I will have to look for more info on Towanoyama on the net,learn a little more.

Good result for Grimsby on saturday beating Stoke 2-0,so now they go above Stoke and out of the dreaded Relegation zone-Keep it up lads!!!!!