NJS

I don't think they're saying that the police will just not bother somehow if it was a 17:30 game - just saying its up to to the clubs to pick the time then up to the coppers to just get on with it. Bearing in mind I've been to derbies in the past at 3pm on Saturdays and on nights - it was only in the mid eighties (funnily enough after a gap of a couple of years with no games) that the police started fucking around with KO times.

Without being passe I don't recall too many injuries serious or otherwise at many derbies and that's going back almost 40 years since my first - a bit of argy-bargy and sometimes quite serious trouble yes - hospital jobs no.

Went on the supplied buses a couple of times and by car as well - last time I went with all the daft lads via attempted train which turned into going by Metro which is actually worse than the club buses - it took about 2.5 hours to get back to the town because of the queues.

I think "washing their hands" is a bit of a stretch - at the end of the day the club(s) shouldn't be responsible for how fans get to the game - in fact neither should the police. Once they get to the stadium or its surrounding then its down to the club or police biut not beforehand imo.

I remember in the run up to the very first game at the SOS one of my mates suggesting we hire a fuck off stretch limo to get there - looking back its a small regret we didn't.

I think I mentioned when you talked about Cuba that I was thinking about going on a cycling holiday there - Might consider that again later in the year but I'm not fit enough at the moment to consider doing that in March.

Usually correct but they sometimes almost acidentally get things right. There may indeed be an undercurrent of money-driven self-interest here but I'd combine it with the charging press thing as a sign that he doesn't like people geting something for nowt or indeed paying for something which isn't good service (policing in this case) - I think it illustrates that most rich people are tight twats at heart.

Don't agree Rayvin - the coppers have tried to wheedle out of this but everyone knows all of the kick-off times have been completely down to them - they've only been televised in recent years as an afterthought once the police have named their time. We like to talk up the derby but the point that other forces cope with high pressure games is completely damning imo. You should also read the FSF anti-bubble statment about how only 6 of the 96 arrested in April had been to the game so this was punishment for completely innocent fans.

I was speaking to a lass at work today whose husband is from Tobago so she's been there and a few other places in the Caribbean who reckons a lot of them including Barbados suffer from isolating tourists from the contrasting poverty too much and don't necessarily allow enough of a flavour of the culture to be appreciated. She reckoned St Lucia was the best she'd been to (after T and T).

I was with First Direct for years but when I got into a bit of financial difficulties when I stopped being a contractor they fucked me over big style so I moved to Abbey which is now Santander. They talk up how its very much a UK company but I still think they'd struggle if Spain goes more tits up. If I won the lotery I certainly wouldn't deposit any sizeble cash with them. I did consider the Co-op years ago as well as I knew they did consider themselves ethical but by Mam used to bank with them and they upset her with crass customer service when my Dad died so they're on my blacklist of companies as well. In my more ethical moments (which is hard considering the industry I work in) I think about moving to the Nationwide as its still a mutual as far as I know.

They drive on the left in case you didn't know. Scariest driving of my life was in the Troodos years ago - they were doing a lot of improvements at the time so I'd imagine it's better now.

yep - last week in march is 623 quid a night - August is "only" 348. I was looking at premium economy/business flights as I don't fancy 8 hrs plus in a plane in economy which does come out at quite a lot but the march week is a special occasion so I'm willing to spend but not £4300 on the digs.

Just whacked 2 dates in there and thought it was displaying £628 a night and I thought fucking hell, I didnt know you were that rich - (that was for the week I think) I'll have a proper look tonight.

Thinking os somewhere in the Caribbean in either late march or august - Bahamas looks good but im worried its too much setup for Americans (nothing against them but prefer a mixture if possible) so also looking at Barbados

I might have said before the most sporting act I've ever seen was in the semi-final in 66 when Chartlon scored what I think was the second and decisive goal and as the players took their places for the restart Eusebio went over to Charlton to shake his hand as if to say "'that's it, you've beaten us" - RIP

Strayed on to the TCM channel a little while ago and watched a bit of Out for Justice - it's part of a season of the great man's work which they advertised in the break by showing clips of Seagal with an 80s/new romantic wig shopped on - the tag line was "Why have one Seagal when you can have a whole fiock of Seagals"

Everybody's happy aren't they - Ashley, the cunt off the board who said the cups doesn't matter and the smarmy cockney bastard who "manages" us who can all live wothout it. I fucking despise the lot of them and can't wait to see that grining, horrible little Manc Cunt who've we've just given a nice warm welcome to his new job.

Shit team selection, shit performance, stupid tackle and diving cheating shitbaggery. 0-0 would have been fair - two shit teams - Europe my arse.

They went on for years about Atheltic Bilbao being founded by Mackems and hence wearing red & white etc and talking up the links then found the club's official history doesn't mention them and someone who visited the ground got the classic "Who?" when they asked about it. (For the record I do know their daft lads do have a "thing" with Man City)

For me the Williamson let-off means where still owed one of the two from Swansea and probably 1.5 since they were in the box.

I hope those cunts have never got the nerve to talk about luck ever again.

Hughes ssid that the ref told him the first was for kicking the ball away and his excuse wss that nobody had heard the whisle at that point which is crap. I'm not surprised he dismissed the second as nothing as kicking another player's legs/arse from behind was one of his trademarks as a player.

Whinge away cunt

Obviously hope we go onto win but if so I can't wait so see Hughes' head explode. Atkinson the homer strikes again btw (was a pen but the two yellows were soft).

Should do one of those mob funding things to get it done for when they are down.