When the ball goes in the net
…it‘s a goal! Martin Samuel on the benefits of not having VAR in the Championship
Martin Samuel, one of the best-known sports writers in England, writing for The Times, is a West Ham supporter and always has been. He has inherited his love for the club from his father, and currently holds a season ticket at the London Stadium. Therefore he can really compare, as well from a fan’s perspective, what it means to celebrate a goal in the Premier League and in the Championship. In this article he writes that “one month in the Championship has changed my view on VAR”:
▶️ https://www.thetimes.com/article/59b4
▶️https://www.thetimes.com/article/c33
Top of the League – for one night
West Ham have finally come to terms with their life in the Championship: with three subsequent wins (4-2 Wolves, 3-0 Derby County and 3-2 Bolton) the Hammers topped the Championship table on Tuesday night. They were leapfrogged only by West Brom 24 hours later, following the Baggies’ 1-0 away win at Derby County. The Irons have a superior goal difference over Swansea, QPR and Charlton and are sitting in a spot which would guarantee automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
However, it’s just the 10th of September and early in the new season, and there is still a long way of another 40 games to go…
That’s what the table looks like after six of 46 rounds of second tier football:
Achtelfinale ausgelost
Klagenfurt, die Erste
Mit einem 5:2 (2:1)-Sieg (wobei die drittklassige Klagenfurter Austria allerdings zweimal ausglich) stieg der SK Rapid am Ende klar in die dritte Cup-Runde auf. Die Partie in Klagenfurt wird hoffentlich nur die erste in dieser Saison am Wörthersee sein! Nach dem Ausscheiden im Europacup-Playoff muss das Saisonziel unbedingt wieder einmal “silverware” zu gewinnen, sein.
Gegen das violette Regionalliga-Team zeigten die Grün-Weißen gutes Kombinationsspiel, waren aber defensiv verwundbar, wie zuletzt gegen Red Bull bei der ersten Saison-Niederlage.
Die Tore erzielten Seidl, dreimal Wurmbrand und Bajlicz für Rapid; für die Austria Klagenfurt war vor 3.350 Zuschauern zweimal Tristan Schoppitsch erfolgreich. Die Stimmung im Stadion war aufgrund zweier stimmstarker Fanblocks gut, es war zeitweise ziemlich laut, obwohl ein großer Teil der Ränge im 30.000 Besucher fassenden Wörthersee Stadion leer blieb.
Ein erfreulicher Ausflug nach Klagenfurt mit VIP-Klub-Besuch, wo wir auch Erich und einige andere Bekannte aus dem „Klub der Freunde“ trafen.
Achtelfinale: 27. bis 29. Oktober 2026
Viertelfinale: 9. bis 11. Februar 2027
Halbfinale: 2. bis 4. März 2027
Finale: 1. Mai 2027 in Klagenfurt
Football. A Love Story.
Charakterfest: Rapid besiegte am Sonntag nach dem bitteren Europacup-Aus den SK Sturm mit 3:1 und ist weiterhin Tabellenführer in der österreichischen Bundesliga.
Didi ⬆️ Rapid ⬇️
This one really hurts!
Wieso schafft der Didi das, was Rapid nicht zusammenbringt? LASK steht in der Ligaphase der Champions League, nachdem man eine 0:3-Niederlage gegen Celtic Glasgow im Hinspiel und einen 0:1-Rückstand im Rückspiel in einen Sieg (5:1) und den Aufstieg verwandelt hat! Nachdem man in der Vorsaison Meisterteller und Cup nach Linz geholt hatte!
Dagegen Rapid: Nach 8 Siegen, darunter ein 8:0 gegen GAK, und 10 Spielen ohne Niederlage scheidet der SK Rapid gegen Heart of Midlothian im Elferschießen im Playoff der Conferencek League aus! Jetzt hat man das erste Saisonziel verpasst, der große Kader wird durch Verkäufe verkleinert werden müssen … und wird man ohne die „dreifache Belastung“ heuer, endlich wieder nach 2008, einen heimischen Titel nach Hütteldorf holen? Dem sympathischen Dänisch-englischen Betreuerteam und uns leidgeprüften Rapidlern wäre es zu wünschen!
Aber die Zeiten, „als das Wünschen noch geholfen hat“, die sind leider vorbei! Trotzig werde ich heute dennoch mein SCR1899 – Leibchen tragen.
Disappointing Start
West Ham have made a disappointing start to the Championship season following relegation from the Premier League. After squandering a two-goal lead in their opening draw against Burnley, the Hammers lost 2-1 at home to Charlton on Saturday.
Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker – and Final Score pundit – Aaron McLean:
“I look at West Ham and think last season they were relegated because they weren’t good enough. They have come into the Championship, they almost need to hit rock bottom. I think they were very uninspiring against Burnley in their first game, but really that wasn’t a test of what the Championship is going to be about.
Charlton “was a real test against an established Championship team who will fight for every ball. I know West Ham missed a penalty to get a point, but if you are West Ham at home in front of 62,000, you shouldn’t need a penalty to try to salvage something.
“There needs to be huge improvements in the mentality and maybe the personnel if West Ham hope to have a good season.”
Millwall, West Brom, and Charlton are the only teams in the division which have not lost a point in the first two games. The Hammers sit in 16th place of the 24 Championship teams.
Alternative WHU v Charlton Commentary 🤣 ▶️https://x.com/WestHamClips/status=46
WHU make EFL Record Signing
West Ham United have broken the EFL transfer record by paying a £22m fee to sign midfielder Arne Engels from Scottish champions Celtic (cf. BBC).
The Hammers are also working on the signing of 24-year-old Irish striker Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar.
And there is also a new name in the financial department of the club: James Taylor, until recently Chief Financial Officer at Scottish side Rangers, has been confirmed as West Ham’s new CFO. He is the second senior figure in as many months to make the move from Ibrox to East London, following Nils Koppen’s arrival as Director of Recruitment.
“Bist du deppat!”
Die verrückteste Nachspielzeit revisited!
WM 2026, 28. Juni, Kansas City: AUT v ALG 3:3
NYC, 323 Canal Street
If you like niche football shirts -> At 323 Canal Street in New York City, you will find all of them in the “Classic Football Shirts New York Store”. But, shhh, do they sell the new CFC away shirt as well? ▶️ www.facebook.com/share/wwXIfr
This retail destination specializes in rare, vintage, and modern “soccer jerseys” (as they call them over there) from clubs and national teams all over the world. The London branch of “Classic Football Shirts” is located in the Spitalfield neighbourhood within the East End, in 17 Commercial Street.
Funnily enough, my love for West Ham United began, of all places, when we were living in the Kanalstraße (Canal Str.) in Vienna… ⬇️
EXTRA TIME 
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