Rayvin

I think that says everything that needs to be known about what's going on here.

So I read the statement, and I'm not sure they do...they've just set out that their role in this has been quite limited and that they're obliged to provide support to the player and any club trying to sign him. In fairness, if they weren't doing that, they'd not be fulfilling their modus operandi. It's not the job of the PFA to stop rapists from playing football - it's the job of the law.

I mean, aside from the whole should he play/shouldn't he play thing, could Oldham possibly have made a bigger mess of this I actually thought that with the legendary intransigence of Ashley with respect of sports direct, they'd go right ahead with it. I wonder what happened in the last 24 hours to change their minds?

I'm not sure these terrorists have any kind of grand plan - I suspect they're just very angry and very warped in their thinking. These guys can't have thought an attack on Charlie Hebdo would precipitate any kind of global response against islam (it's not large enough for that, although I daresay France will crack down further on Islamists in their country), nor is the newspaper any kind of strategic target. They were angry at it for depicting their prophet, and killed everyone there in order to 'avenge' him. No strategy, no plan, just anger and hate.

The news about Rangers is depressing, I was holding on to the notion that he might prefer them to us, and that one day they'd be our saving grace. Now it seems he'd have to divest himself of us very quickly for that to happen. What a shame - guess we're stuck with him.

That's going to be an important message in the coming few days.

Are you sure it isn't quinoa...? It's some form of hipster vegetarian food. That's about as much as I know. A grain of some description.

I missed the owl but it is epic...

Cheers Ant (who also posted the answer, lest the records make me look crazed) Two more observations - firstly, you're at 34,999 failed spam attempts on the board (which I find interesting because I like numbers and am a dork) Secondly, I can't quote your posts why is this? EDIT - your post no longer exists which may explain the second point...

That would explain it. Sorry for bringing it up!

Anyone know what was so special about October 27th, 2013? Apparently there were over 1000 members online on the boards that day...

It's inevitably going to be a solitary smiley!

I would describe my 'support' for the team as dormant, and my participation on discussions on it now as a passing interest. Although I guess maybe I'm lying to myself because I did thoroughly enjoy that Chelsea win...

Ah yes, I read that one. Marina Hyde is definitely one of the Guardian's better journalists. And she's right ultimately, it's not up to football to work this shit out for society.

This implies that your underwear is sufficiently unrecognisable from normal underwear, that a French security guard, presumably used to rifling through bags of people's underwear, and also presumably having worn underwear himself, was unable to be sure what it was...

If I inadvertently conveyed that I am in any way in favour of rapists, then I can only apologise...

With respect, I'm not hugely certain you've read what I just wrote. I'd support the conviction if they'd found both men guilty. It's the fact that only one of them was that I've struggled with. It seems to say that although she was too drunk to consent to both of them, they've let the first guy off because it was understandable that he would think she had consented. I'm not sure that's a massively helpful precedent, and from Evan's point of view, I'm not sure he couldn't argue the same thing really. Unless you meant the comment about them not being as bad as those who cause two deaths by dangerous driving and then flee the scene, which I stand by...

I guess my issue with that is that if he is then the other guy should have been as well - it's the lack of consistency that gets me. If both were convicted then fair enough. If she was sober enough to go back to the hotel with the first guy, and for this to imply consent, why was she not sober enough an hour later to consent to sex with Evans? I dunno, I'm not going to pretend I understand it, but it seems to me as though she wasn't phased in the slightest by the events of that night (she reported a missing purse, not a rape) and has only subsequently had her life ruined by the fact that some militant members of Evans' supporters group keeping revealing her identity and location. I dunno anyway. Even if he is a rapist, I'd support his right to work. Lee Hughes was allowed to go about his life after killing two people (intriguingly with Oldham, once again) and I certainly don't see this as worse than that.

I've followed that with some interest actually. Not sure to what extent I think he's properly a rapist though, the conviction looks pretty shaky to me, especially when you consider that the police actually had to convince this girl that she'd been raped, not the other way around. That said, even if it wasn't rape he sounds like an utter tosser. Expect he'll do well at Oldham and then the media storm will move on elsewhere. Think of the chants though...

Troubling news but France has to stand strong against this. It'd send a very worrying message if this magazine isn't up and running again in a few days, and could potentially encourage further attacks.

I reckon we might get someone we don't need on the cheap for both appearances and possible resale.

I read the other day that it's proving to be surprisingly resilient as well, actually. I think the format suits a lot of people. Vines are apparently the big threat to it, rather than Sky.

I think the reality is that independence would have been economically difficult for Scotland. That said, the oil price issue is potentially only temporary (assuming that it is a gambit by the US to destabilise Russia). I don't think most Yes voters were ever all that convinced by the SNP's rhetoric in that respect, much of it was very unknowable. I'm not sure though, that this would mean independence would suddenly become undesirable. On the other hand, the romantic notion of 'independence irregardless' would be short lived once standards of living took a dive.

What exactly do you mean by 'inspected'? I'm picturing the use of a pair of tweasers and a stern, frowning expression.

I suppose part of the thinking is that Carver wants to avoid being on the receiving end of the heaviest league defeat in our history. He's an abject enough manager to be capable of that...