GettyLee Bowyer just became a Newcastle United legend
Also, winning is important too, we guess
It was another wild weekend of football action where there was plenty of drama despite most teams already setting off on their holidays.
Cup finals were contested across the continent while the Football League play-offs provided their usual drama, which made the chaos of British politics look calm by comparison.
Let’s take a look at what people were saying across the country this week.
1) Black Cats’ bad luck
There was heartbreak for Sunderland as they squandered a 1-0 lead over Charlton (courtesy of one of the most bizarre own goals ever seen) to lose 2-1 in Sunday’s League One play-off final.
It looked as if things were headed for extra-time until Patrick Bauer found the back of the net in the 94th minute to snatch an incredible victory.
As the final whistle blew just moments later, we were reminded of what football is really about: making fun of your rivals’ failures. In this case, Newcastle chose to do it by highlighting the managerial success of one of their former players.
And there have been plenty of Sunderland shortcomings for Newcastle fans to celebrate over the years, with the Black Cats ticking off yet another final defeat for the record books.
2) Whose side are you on?
Football fans love to claim that the referee is playing for the other team whenever a dodgy decisions goes against them but Harkemase Boys might have actually had a point during their clash with HSV Hoek.
In the 66th minute of their game on Saturday, Maurice Paarhuis scored for the away side in one of the strangest moments you will ever see on a football pitch.
Thankfully, the goal didn’t change the outcome of the game as Harkemase Boys still went on to win 4-2, while a change to Fifa rules for next season reportedly means that any goals scored by referees will be automatically disallowed in the future.
3) Hanks for the memories
Aston Villa take on Derby County in the Championship play-off final on Monday for a place in next season’s Premier League. While the Rams may have the big-name manager in Frank Lampard, Dean Smith’s men have the superstar fan backing their cause.
4) Rumour has it
With the 2018/19 campaign now finished for almost every team around Europe, silly season has begun.
The rumour mill is already churning out stories but not everyone is believing reports that Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt - arguably the most sought after player in the world right now - could be headed to Old Trafford to join a dysfunctional Manchester United team.
5) Dundown and out
Sunday was not kind to Dundee United as they missed all four penalties in their shootout against St Mirren to miss out on promotion to the Scottish Premiership.
On top of all that, their Twitter account was hacked by some troublemakers during the game.
In fairness, they do have a history of making some pointless posts themselves.
6) United States of Andy
Andy Carroll’s time at West Ham appears to have come to an end with reports claiming the striker will leave East London this summer. His next destination is still unclear, but maybe he will consider a move to the States, where he apparently already has a die-hard fanbase awaiting his arrival.
In fairness, they did tell us they like sportz.
7) The global game
It’s no secret that players from abroad make up the backbone of most Premier League squads nowadays, with only Burnley giving more than half of their playing time this season to English players.
8) In search of Leedership
Leeds fans have been calling out for more investment into their squad after a late-season collapse saw them miss out on promotion, but they also know better than most the potential pitfalls of new owners promising the world.
Perhaps that’s why there’s a bit of conflict over whether or not they should be excited about a proposed takeover of the club after their first patch of stability in 20 years.
9) The first stage of footballing grief
It’s been just two weeks since the Premier League ended, but already some football fans are going into summer withdrawals. Symptoms can include a feeling of unease at 3pm on Saturday and hearing conversations about football where there are none.
10) Tweets from the past
The internet has brought so many of us closer together and given football fans a larger platform than ever to share their opinions on the game, but the instant nature of social media has also led to knee-jerk reactions to every decision a club makes.
Just remember, sometimes decisions seem more obvious in hindsight than they actually were.
