Thursday

"Where's the Talking?!"



This is a piece about Sunday league football.

It will not make any reference to hangovers (Haha! Some of them go out the night before and are still drunk when they turn up!), fat players (LOL! They aren't professional athletes!) or crap pitches (ROFL! The public playing surface isn't completely flat and abundant with grass!)

English football, from top to bottom, has always been characterised by its intangible, unquantifiable (unless you count bags as suitable units of measurement) qualities of spirit, passion, grit, determination and, less notably, "talking".

Talking is easy. Not talking enough is generally agreed in Sunday league to be highly counter-productive. Players are urged before kick-off for "lots of talking", especially "back there". Not talking is an accusation that can only be levelled at a whole team (or at least its rearguard), rather than an individual (unless it is the captain, who must shout indiscriminately for ninety minutes, for that is his job.)

To avoid this indictment, a lexicon of largely useless phrases has emerged, which can be called upon whenever it is necessary to fill a period of relative silence. Everyone knows them, everyone understands what they are vaguely supposed to mean, and almost nobody questions them. Now, clichéd as they are, many bellowed phrases you hear on a football pitch - "Man on!", "Out we go!", etc - are useful instructions. Nothing wrong with those. The following set of on-pitch rallying cries, however, must not escape scrutiny:

1. "We've Gone Quiet"
Going quiet, as highlighted earlier, is the sign of a malfunctioning team. No-one is talking, which means we all might as well go home. A period of notable quietness is ended only when the captain draws everyone's attention to it: "Come on lads, we've gone quiet!". It can, at the shouter's discretion, be bookended with "...haven't we?", to offer the illusion of a debate where one is really not available.

Apart from functioning to actually end the quietness, this is accepted as an open invitation to call upon phrases 2-8 in this list.

2. "Straight In"
A staple instruction that can be used only at a very specific moment - namely, the opponents kicking off the game. "Run after the ball!", it demands, "Chase it when they kick it backwards!". Only the strikers need to, of course, and the moment quickly passes. Getting "straight in" is not a continuous requirement, but merely an opening gesture of intent, which is guaranteed to be unfulfilled.

Often accompanied by a mindless, yet somehow entirely appropriate-feeling, clap of the hands.

3. "Two On The Edge"
When a corner is awarded, it is everyone's job to pick up their man. One player has the added task of spotting a particular discrepancy in this complex marking system, in that there are two unattended opponents lumbering into the penalty area. In extreme circumstances, there may be "three on the edge" - an unthinkable catastrophe which is met with a suitably incredulous cry of "I've got three here!". The lack of concentration may be down to the defence's preoccupation with the big man, the tall (i.e. lanky) opposing centre-back/estate agent, who has arrived with a look of great purpose from the back.

4. "All Day"
An utterly irritating phrase (specifically designed to be so) used by smug opponents to declare your attacking efforts as weak and unlikely to succeed even if repeated. Often said twice in quick succession - as a speculative effort flies high, wide and [not at all] handsome - to compound the humiliation.

5. "It's Still 0-0"
Football is an overwhelmingly childish pursuit. Much of football supporting is based on schadenfreude and suffering the taunts, in return, when your own team is humbled.

To combat this threat, some employ an overly defensive stance, hoping that an audible absence of pride will pre-empt any possible fall. And so, if a Sunday team races into an early lead, one stern-faced, armband-toting try-hard will attempt to construct a parallel universe in which the game is, in fact, goalless. The job is not done, he says, a point he may return to when the final score is 7-4 or something similarly amateur.

6. "Box 'Em In!"
A cult classic, in my eyes. Satisfies two fundamental criteria: 1) A laughable attempt at tactical insight, and 2) Exclaimed almost instinctively, EVERY SINGLE TIME. The ball goes out for an opposition throw-in, deep in their final third, and it is universally accepted that they do not have the adequate technical skills (or simply the upper-body strength) to play/hurl their way to safety.

7. "[Shirt Colour] Head on This!"
Possibly the most pointless one of all. For the uninitiated, this cryptic command is for your teammates to meet an imminent opposition hoof with their head before the other lot can. No accuracy is required but congratulations are available for heading it really, really hard, straight back where it came from. "WELL UP!" you are told, with your name declared in full if the game is particularly tense. More forward-thinking Sunday league players concern themselves with the second ball, which is often simply another header. Third balls remain an untapped, bewildering resource, possibly due to Chaos Theory.

8. "Away!"
Loosely translated as "Now look here, teammate - I neither want nor trust you to play your way out of trouble. Please dispose of the ball as quickly and as far away as possible." Failure to do as directed leaves one open to castigation for "fannying about with it there". Professional footballers, it should be noted, do not officially fanny about but simply dally, hesitate or dwell on the ball.

Meanwhile, back on recreation grounds up and down the country, players might be allowed to fanny about if they are deemed to have an adequate amount of:

9. "Time!"
The ball drops from the air and a player finds himself in acres of space. Pointing this out to him might seem a good idea. It'll calm him down, allow him to get his head up and play a pass, rather than treat the ball like an unpinned grenade.

However, when ten other players scream "Time! Time!" in unison, it tends to have quite the opposite effect. The futility of the situation is laid bare when, after relinquishing possession easily, the player is offered a final, withering, retrospective observation.

"You had time."

10. "Where Was The Shout?"
The ultimate act of Sunday League buck-passing. A player is unceremoniously dispossessed from behind, to howls of derision from his teammates. Accompanied by a despairing flap of the arms, the player begs of his colleagues: "Where was the shout?"

There wasn't one.

Because they've gone quiet, haven't they?

Where's The Talking, Part II is here.

98 comments:

Phil said...

Absolutely brilliant.

My Sunday league days were blighted by shouts of 'don't let 'im tern yer!' shortly followed by 'ahhh, fuck's sake!'.

Bob Moonface said...

Splendid bit of work this.

FootballClichés said...

I myself am partial to a repeated bellow of "NO FOULS!" at my fellow defenders, lest they GO TO GROUND with their opponent GOING NOWHERE.

Anonymous said...

Nice! Your brother coined the phrase 'come on laaaaads' which was accompanied with a big clap whilst leaning back towards the team just prior to kick off and after conceding.

Were any of the following considered?

'Just stand him up' when things are tight, typically a game between 2 of the better teams in the league and neither want to go 1 down.

'No rush' prior to a throw in / corner when you were winning with only a few minutes to run down.

'Easy 'name' Easy!' used when winning and said to a player (normally a skilful central midfielder) that has just 'done' a couple of players and probably when your team is winning by a couple of goals in what is probably quite a heated game against rivals.

Good work on making the Guardian - who do you know there?! Rossco

Garth said...

That's genius.

Frank said...

my days on the wing were full of "SWITCH IT, SWITCH IT"

Anonymous said...

Awesome post!

John A said...

Sadly lacking "concentrate (or 'keep concentrating') [insert team name]". Generally shouted as the other team kick off after having conceded a goal, right after the captain has informed everyone it's still 0-0.

FootballClichés said...

"Concentration" is usually represented (at all levels of the football pyramid) by furiously pointing at one's temple with a serious look on one's face. Stuart Pearce is an excellent exponent of this.

Omar The Keeper said...

Well done, great recognition of the verbose side of the game. And right off the top of my head.....
Mark Up! Man To Man! Move Up! Move Out! Move! Get Out! Man On Each Post! Spread It! Switch it! Stay Tight!No Space!(last 2 yelled at wall formation) Help Him! Possession! Get Up! Stay With Him! No Fouls! No Fouls In The Box! Throw In! Foul! Off-sides! Penalty! Come on Ref!.......I am sure I can think of more(as the flashbacks start) but unfortunately these and other utterances emanate from the mouths of.....keepers. I know. I is one. Though recently retired finally at 50 from Sunday League playing and managing, I think there ought to be a place like Alcoholics Anonymous, where we can get help, counseling, make amends, 12-step recovery maybe, adjust to society etc. Too many dives into the post, mates....we're just daft and wordy.
Well, dad was a keeper so I have a good excuse.....
Great article.

bleuger said...

Please can we add the following:
"Line it"
"Put it in the mixer"

Nice work otherwise.

Anonymous said...

I play up front and there's a couple of guys on our team who shout "Hold it up!" every time the ball gets played into me or anyone else the in final third.

Anonymous said...

What about the double meaning of "Heads up!" which can be:
1. A general warning to your team to look at the ball usually as the opposition keepers about to take a goal kick or
2. A shout of encouragement to a shit individual(ususally a striker whos missed a sitter or a defender whos scored an own goal) or to your team in general (usually after you've gone 4-0 down after 15 minutes)

Anonymous said...

Other common ones from my experience:

- "I'm with you"
- "Come back!"
- "Down the line"

Alex said...

Absolutely brilliant. I laughed out loud a few times!

TheWhiteAndyCole said...

It's got to be - DONT DIVE IN - STAY ON YOUR FEET - to be shouted at exuberant but clumsy fullback who will inevitably throw himself at ball/player and at best be skinned and worst give away a penalty!!

I once had the temerity to pass the ball back to EB fullback just after kick off, upon which he spooned it out for a throw in. The Captain shouted to me 'Dont pass it to him for f:cks sake'

Kev Lawson said...

Great Post, when i played for my local team i either got naked or shouted 'thats hoop' as loud as i could when i was dropped, those were the days.

Pete said...

Amazing

Anonymous said...

STAND 'IIIIIIMMMMMM

Mark said...

'They dont want it, lads! They dont want it!'

FootballClichés said...

Mark - that is creeping in more and more. See also: "That's all they've got! That's all they've got!"

Seems a bit pointless to openly ridicule a team of demonstrably amateur footballers.

Omar The Keeper - goalkeepers, especially underworked ones, get the opportunity to unleash the full-range of Sunday League shouts. Makes you feel more involved, right?

Anonymous said...

Great article. My personal favourite is the always nondescript "SEND HIM!!!"

Where to?

GB

Tavvers said...

Great article, Haven't played for some time but I have fond memories of the rather bizarre footballers' vernacular

"On his bootlaces" - to encourage a man to man marking job of the opposition star player

"get in his shorts" - an even tighter man marking job

"jockey him" - don't let the player dribble past you, Hold him up til cover arrives...

"make it yours" - a rallying cry to make you win the 50/50 ball

"well in" - praise for a good tackle

"you had a blinder today" - for an exceptionally good performance

Also the strange phenomenon of everyones name being shortened or lengthened to 2 syllables usually with Some zz thrown in or an o put on the end, i.e Darren would become dazza... Wayne would become wazza , Tom would become Tomo

Anonymous said...

Fucking brilliant article. top notch. good lad.

Anonymous said...

What's the point of this? It's just a list of common football phrases explained. You describe them as useless, but that argument is fundamentally flawed, as everyone who recognises these know instinctively what they mean. They have purpose, albeit in a clichéd sense leaves them open to easy ridicule.

D

Anonymous said...

On toes, on toes!

RELAX!!!! Great shout when you are just about to control the ball and end up doing the complete opposite!

We go again, we go again!

They dont want it! (I have heard this shouted by my teammates, despite us losing heavily)

"Bloody hell ref! This is a man's game! We are playing for a cup, not a handbag!" Genuine shout from a teammate last weekend- hilarious!

FootballClichés said...

My points are:

1) These phrases ARE largely useless, whether everyone understands them or not. Things like "man on", which are equally clichéd, do at least serve a direct purpose.

2) It's the sheer mindlessness of their repetition that intrigues me the most. The "box 'em in" shout, in particular, is almost Pavlovian in its instinctiveness. So, yes, they are common phrases, but they hadn't been properly scrutinised before.

3) No-one's ridiculing these phrases. I use most of them myself, often without a hint of irony.

Thanks!

Fylesy said...

I am often one of the only left footed players involved on a Sunday morning, which usually leads to some "experienced" opposition player shouting "he's all left foot!" at me. My efforts to point out that said individual is "all right foot" usually fall on deaf ears.

Macca said...

'ONE OF YOU' or 'PUT A NAME ON IT' - when two members of the same team attempt to head the ball at exactly the same time.

Fraser Digby said...

a personal favourite is a long-time fetish of our right-back (let's call him Ryan). every single time a free-kick is awarded to the opposition for a handball, he screams "HAND'S DOWN". Thanks, Ryan.

Ronnie said...

How about the mostly redundant "It's over me". As if everyone else on the pitch can't make out whether or not he's managed to reach the ball in the air.

Anonymous said...

'DIG IN!'
'hold the line'
'unload him'
'...we haven't started yet/turned up' or 'we're still in the dressing room'

top one, thank you

Charlie said...

Great stuff
How about the old favorite in s
Scotland 'never mind the ball, get on wi the game"
Now in an over 58 league in U.S. increasingly hear WTF ref !
borrowed from the kids
Charlie

Big Ush said...

Expletive GET RID! was the phrase I most coined when custodian of the onion bag. Mind you, my nickname was "**ck's sake keeper!" Still picking them out of the back of the net at 52.

Anonymous said...

growing up in 80's sheffield sunday league my favourites were:

"DECK HIM!" - knock him down
"BACK DOOR!" - play the ball back
"STAND UP!" - don't jump in

Ronan said...

I feel like this is a new one but when I play 5-a-side I often encounter

"One more!" after several good passes when you are the standing in acres of space and one more pass instead of say, a shot, will release you to surely score/blaze over.

Also "HOUSE!" as in "watch your house" basically "man on", not sure if this is a UK thing or only in Dublin but I shout it all the time.

DF said...

Free 'ead, or 'free 'eader', by an opponent when one of his team-mates was under a clearance unchallenged. I was (am) a one trick pony out on the wing, who has never fancied heading at all, so this was usually implied criticism of me not going up with the guy to ensure it was not in fact a 'free 'eader

DF said...

Oh and also 'no shot', generally delivered by a feisty midfielder to indicate the opposition were under no circumstances allowed to have a shot on our goal. Seemed a bit unrealistic but I never pointed it out

Raphen said...

Might take these as a tick list for my next game:

http://elevenleaguesundertheprem.blogspot.com/

Repeatedly heard 'at him' while at Hinton.

PB said...

Ball knocked hopefully over the top for pacy striker..."GAMBLE!"

Anonymous said...

....Go Home, Go Home!

Major Brown Eye said...

A couple from those now dim and distant days....

"Give and go son GIVE AND GO!"

"I've got the back stick/post" as if it wasn't bleedin obvious.

But the most heinous of crimes? To provide one of your teammates with a "hospital ball". Unforgivable.

Anonymous said...

I was in goal when a well aimed but weakish shot came floating my way. A shout of "Time!" from one of our centre halves just confused me - how can you have more time then you may initially realised when it comes to saving a shot?

I ended up watching it all the way into pretty much the top corner.

Richie Benno said...

How about; "Turn and face, turn and face!"

Patrick said...

It would be a shame not to include 'THE WAY YOUR FACING'. An utterly pointless phrase which is always directed at someone who sees himself as a 'flair' player but who the rest of the team know is just a bit 'pacy'. The shout usually comes as he is facing his own goal. It is always ignored and is followed by the inevitable back-heel or poorly executed 'Cruyff turn' both of which result in easy possession for the opposition. It can be accompanied by 'man-on' but it's not essential. The phrase is then repeated at half time for the whole team to hear although everyone knows exactly who it's really for.

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog.

I would add the following:

"Do we want this or not?" (normally employed when trailing by a goal or two, or going through a particularly flat period of performance).

"WHERE ARE WE?" – a variation of "I’ve got two/three here" when marking up at a corner. In exceptional circs, can be used by a rapidly retreating defender when a searching opposition pass has highlighted the poor positioning/laziness of a defensive colleague.

Anonymous said...

"Put him under!" i.e. put him under pressure or "make him play it!" for the older generation.
"Walk 'em out!" i.e. maintain a disciplined defensive line following a clearance.

PaulyG said...

This is superb.

Would also add in the pre-match teamtalk chat where 'these will be no mugs' is usually quoted.

'Get under him' meaning 'kick him up in the air' is also a regular shout.

Anonymous said...

Some others my team had were. 'Gay Disco' - pick up a man. 'To feet' was a big expression, especially to those purists who didn't believe in the kick and chase.

There were some other ones peculiar to our team 'Canoe' - which was a big defensive punt out of defense or other times possibly near the oppositions goals to leather it one, hit it with the big canoe that is your football shoe. 'Salmon' which was get up as high as you can and get in your head on it, which lead to the mickey take 'tin of salmon' if you didn't get up and head it or failed to launch.

Good article - Rob J

Anonymous said...

"Well in son" after you've hoofed a lump off the opposition winger.
"Put it in the beck": Clear it as far as you can, preferably into the nearby river.
Loved the one about "Blue 'ead on this" brings back scary memories as a 17 year old waiting for the ball to fall from the sky and absolutely sh*tting myself in anticipation of the inevitable pain as it hits you in the nose or on that sore bit on the top of your'ead.
Followed by cries of "You've got a 'ead like a threepenny bit"

Andrew said...

Great piece. So true. I used to play with an Irish guy who always used to shout "Mind your house!" I played with him for 5 years and never knew what it meant. I'm not sure he did either

Tummer said...

One which I use on a regular basis is ''e don't want it!!' Used when a centre-half or keeper has the ball at their feet. Of course by skinning a couple of our players and calmly passing his way out of a tight situation the aforementioned centre-half or keeper shows that he did indeed want it.

Anonymous said...

I've been blessed to stand near a chap who insist on shouting, "NO FOUL!" This is not normally only limited to when an opposing winger is less than 25 yards from goal, as the winger is always tricky and liable to go down at the drop of a hat.

FootballClichés said...

I shout that constantly. Nothing worse than a NEEDLESS free-kick in a DANGEROUS area when the opponent was GOING NOWHERE.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone mentioned 'Raise it' or 'Let's step it up a gear' yet? And if not, why not?

Anonymous said...

'Work the line' - instruction to a defender taking a throw in during a 'Box em in' situation

'You're in' - shouted at anyone who has even the remotest chance of getting behind the defence and 1 on 1 with the keeper

'Not there' - directed at someone disposessed whilst 'fannying around' in a percieved dangerous area of the pitch

Crapello said...

"No luck" seems to creeping in the game more recently,when you lose/fail to get the ball,yeah like luck hadanything to do wirth it!. "Make angles for each other" is another ive heard for years,when you need to make space for a pass,its not a geometry lesson its a football match! haha

Ibrahim Mustapha said...

It always amuses me when someone asks the ref how long is left and upon hearing the answer, one member of the losing team deciding to belt out "COME ON LADS, BIG PUSH" regardless of the scoreline.

FootballClichés said...

Whatever the ref's answer, I always round it up to the nearest 5 minutes when I bellow to my teammates. Not sure why.

Richy NaeWhibs said...

An incredible article. Pretty much every single one of these was used in my last couple of matches!

Anonymous said...

In the warm-up when some people are pissing around - 'Game heads lads, game heads!'

In the pre-match/half-time talk - 'Personal battles!'

When 'Boxed-in' by the other team on throw-in - 'Work the line boys!'

Anonymous said...

"KEEEEEPPPEEEEEERRRRRRSSS" on a cross/corner in the box.

Anonymous said...

Personal favourite was the keeper shouting 'who's injured ' as a strikers shot sails high n wide

Eamonn (Eamo on Sundays) said...

Brilliant, love the comments. This one; How is he ref? usually shortened to a roar of HOW IS HE?
A frantic appeal for offside anytime defenders are caught out, particularly slow/lazy ones that have decided that we are suddenly playing the trap'!

Anonymous said...

I haven't laughed as much as I did while reading this for ages. My sides ached. It's all just so true. Thanks for the brilliant blog and all the comments. Truly made my day.

FootballClichés said...

Thanks very much!

Will said...

"GET IT ON THE DECK" ie pass it on the floor.

This team "likes to play football" ie they pass the ball around instead of just hoofing it as far as they can.

My personal favourite is "HE DOESN'T WANT IT!" yelled at an opposition player who has either bottled a 50/50 or has panicked on the ball.

Anonymous said...

As the ball is launched into your area, someone shouts 'don't let it fucking drop'. Inevitably the other team end up scoring as someone horribly misjudges the bounce and flight of the ball

Anonymous said...
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Sneil said...
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Ollie said...

Just to mark the day that #BurrowsBorrows.

Anonymous said...

Hit the channels!

Anonymous said...

When a team mate misses a 'gilt edged chance'. You hear an aggressive shout of "EH!!! EH!!" to get the players attention. He thinks he's getting a caining, until the soft words are spoken.... "Chin up lad, it'll come"

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Neon Messiah said...

Our captain used to issue this rallying cry in the dressing room at half time especially during the depths of midwinter.

"Its cold its wet and they don't like it"

No one could be bothered to tell him we didn't like it either.

baroncelli said...

I'm a foreigner (Italian) so at the beginning (three years ago) I was a bit puzzled by all of this talking. Little by little I got to understand pretty much everything, and, yes, appreciate the mostly inane nature of it all.

Sometimes the statements are meant to make sense, but in a parallel reality where things actually go as you expect more than the 1 time out of 100000 that they actually do: in my team most players are convinced that the a very good way to create fantastic goal opportunities or, when far from the box, to advance towards it, is by means of a backwards header by a lad supposedly particularly gifted in this arcane art.

There are three main situations where this is supposed to happen:
- on ALL goal kicks,
- on ALL throw ins (which MUST be sent down the line),
- on MOST free kicks

in these situations, the gifted lad will shout "OFF ME!", which means:
- I'll be the one doing the header,
- It's not ME having to know where YOU teammate are in order to pass you the ball, it's YOU that must guess where I'm sending the header.

In the 1 out of 10 (in the case of a goal kick) or 1 out of 5 (in the other cases) times where the header actually happens, the guy who headed it will shout something like "OFF YOU GO!" or "THERE YOU GO!" as if to say "see? I did the hard part, now do the easy part of the job and score": that normally happens while the ball darts in a random direction.

Anonymous said...

Anyone got any tape?

FootballClichés said...

Ha! That tape NEVER finds its way back to the original owner.

Sunday League Football said...

Guilty your honour! Particularly regard #3, 7 + 9!

Brilliant post, so true.

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of 'TURN AND FACE' - as if a player needs to be informed that the keepers goal kick is going to come from behind them unless they turnaround

Great article

Anonymous said...

"Don't let it hit the ground" shouted to inspire defenders to "get their head on it" as a goalie launches a huge punt down the middle. See "Head like a threepenny bit's" comment above to understand what is going through many a player's mind in the interminable period that it takes for this anti ballistic missile to reach the earth. At least balls don't retain as much water as they used to!

Anonymous said...

@The Angle,

you reminded me of quite the best criticism I've ever heard in a Sunday League match that came from a centre-half when we had just gone 3-0 down after 20 minutes: "What the fuck is wrong with us? We're playing like a bunch of fucking amateurs!!"

"It's a man's game": a particularly Scottish cliche deployed by your opponents to refute your allegation that one of their number has just halfed one of your team-mates with a spectacularly late and vicious tackle.

Anonymous said...

Haha love some of these.

the 'its gone queit' is so true and the one that annoys me.

Its gone quiet because its a goal kick and theres nothing to discuss.

The captain of my team only opens his mouth to tell others they've gone queit...

AshMcGinstry said...

I like the clever "hey ref! you're eyes painted on?", and the hypotenuse-favouring "DIAG! DIAG!!!"

Anonymous said...

How can this be open for 6 months+ and no one mention 'first 5 tackles, lads; first 5 headers'?

And, of course:

'Don't let it bounce!' It was never fully explained either why a bouncing ball would be such a terrible outcome, or how it induced a level of such anticipative dread in the first place.

Mac said...

Cracker from one of my lot a few weeks ago. As the team goes back onto the pitch at half time he yells "REMEMBER BOYS, IF IT MOVES, KICK IT!" resulting in a stern word from the ref! Naturally he was talking about the ball....

Chris said...

LAST FIVE LADS!

Anonymous said...

"I've lost my man!"

Anonymous said...

'No bounce!' on any pitch that can be considered either 'bobbly' or 'slick'

Jonathan said...

Pahaha... these are great. I shout at least six or seven of them every single Sunday.

Anonymous said...

My personal favourites:

"Nothing silly" (aimed at crap defender with ball at feet)
"Who wants it?" (aimed at teammates when noone is 'showing' for it)
"Get rid" (aimed at crap defender with ball at feet)

Anonymous said...

How about barking "Our ball!!" with an arm in the air every time the ball goes out of play, even if your team-mate's just hoofed it into touch.

Anonymous said...

what about the immortal
'turn and face!'
everytime there's a goal kick

Anonymous said...

If you've played soccer in Ireland you'll know 'watch your house', which is the same as 'man on'. Never failed to make me cringe.

George Ryder said...

I'd have liked to have seen "i'm here if you need.." added. A term offered to a talented player coming under pressure while in possession of the ball by a tailgating teammate of inferior quality. Often used by the tailgating teammate to offer support but not come across too demanding of the player of superior quality.

Anonymous said...

I always particularly enjoy hearing "Have a fag, have a fag" usually a shout from the opposition to a team mate to denote a) He has time on the ball or b) we are winning, take your time with the free kick/throwing. Usually the fags wait til half time/full time whistles but the time on field is wasted none-the-less

Anonymous said...

Triangles!

Anonymous said...

What about 'RELEASE IT', often shouted at a player who has taken more than two touches in midfield