NJS

The fuckers are ditching Friends (at last) and have hours to fill so they're cutting back the only decent show they have? The First Responders one was indeed brilliant.

Got in to work today despite the dire warnings on the train websidte proclaiming the end of civilisation with the incentive of our departmental pissup only to find the other two fuckers haven't made it.

Okay retraction in order - I went out this morning and got in at 11am and it was clear but have just looked out of the window and its a white-out - 2 or 3 inches lying at least.

I left London at 5 last night and it was clear and there's nowt in Essex this morning so games being postponed in the capital is a complete wimp out.

I'm a complete puff when it comes to shaving and when I did have to wet shave I'd manage once a week at most. For years now I've used a cool skin - on second one now and can easily do every other day and every day at a push. You have to go for the higher end models though imo so don't think it stacks up on a purely economic basis - you have to have the comfort factor.

Don't think Marr is a twat but the other two were for taking them to court. Never been sure about Morrissey - certainly can be a twat but can seem alright (even in the same interview). I like a bit of their music with a few really good tunes (HSIN and Reel around the fountain being my faves) but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan.

Earlier mild anger dissipated after going to the city link depot to collect a parcel which was supposed to arrive 10 days ago to be greeted by queue of about 20 people doing the same. There was a lottery of results such as "We've lost it", "It's out on the van today - you said that yesterday" to a few people actually getting their stuff quite quickly. I turned out to be in the latter group which is good. More generally found that xmas eve is officially counted as a holiday by my company now (you can work and get 2 days off) so the day I chucked in for it now covers Wednesday (already off Thursday) so nice 13 day break. I would rather have worked throughout and kept the days to reduce my notice period when I do eventually get a new job (the time its taking is REALLY pissing me off) but I'm taking the max over anyway so I've decided to relax and enjoy the break.

Thus proving the point.

A cynic might point out that the total amount matched the Beardsley fee.

Barton made his debut at Chelsea when we lost 4-0 in 1980 I think - he was nicknamed Dick after the private eye rather than for being shit. He was a typical player of that era - second division was his level.

Was a bad time to float the club that. IIRC it wasn't a proper floatation. Fans were invited to buy stakes in the club rather than the club being floated on the stock exchange, it was around 1990/1991 and iirc was the country not about to go in to a recession? Not only that a Northern club had never at that point had such a similar scheme and such was the fans lack of faith, eroded by years of shit, in the club that it flopped. Hall also mis-sold it by saying that businesses were ready to invest millions - they fucking weren't. Plenty people were willing to stump up £100 but even a few thousand times £100 was way short.

Every one a capital crime against music imo - at least you left out his most heinous piece of dross - Passengers. I had to stand on the train last week and a bloke next to me with cheap tinny earphones was belting out most of that list - it was fucking torture. I can only think of Phil Collins of the top of my head who has actually commited more crimes.

I've said before that their cynicism is pretty similar to mine which is probably why I defend them (as well as knowing Biffa). The only drag nowadays is that the "on this day" section is too familar year on year. I also used to say that Biffa's attendance record does warrant respect which I still think is true but the fact that I've almost given up going myself makes me less willing to use that as much as I used to.

The abysmal crowds in the top division mentioned by Howman lasted from about the mid 80s till the premier league started (and don't forget the day it started we had the top crowd against Southend) - I've always pointed out that Villa singing "Where were you..." really bugs me as I remember watching Gazza destroy them at Villa park in 85 in front of 12k.

Play-off hangover, shitness and boycotts.

He was on my Easyjet flight to Stansted after the 1-1 derby the year before last so the cheapskate thing isn't new.

I watched it on a stream of Fox where they kept calling him Par-doo - I was waiting for Warren Barton to correct them but he said nowt and I'm sure once or twice just followed their lead and pronounced it that way.

I've always thought the schizo idea of him as a "fan" who did buy it for enjoyment and the bastard business man out to make money were both true. Doesn't stop me finding the sight of him celebrating hard to stomach though.

Unused sub. I was a bit ambivalent early on yesterday, trying to decide whether my pessimistic/take the long view in getting the FCB out meant I did or didn't want them to win. However my hatred of the utter vermin in red (big shout out to Torres and Rodriguez for epitomising the cheating cunts) won out after about 30 seconds. One of the great sights in football for me is a fucking shit divine righters team - knowing how much pain it causes the Irish/Norwegian/Asian glory hunting cunts makes me very happy.

I never use people titles - I admired Bobby as much as anyone but using something used by so many absolute cunts is more disrespectful than missing it off. Niall does live in Brum - I've only met him once and did tell him I'd always thought of him as Biffa's invisible friend. When I last spoke to Biffa for any longer than an "alreet" he lived in York but that was probably about 5 years ago. I also think their take on the sacking/Pardew saga is absolutely spot on.

When we went to Sofia in 99 for the game we got a taxi from the hotel into town from the hotel after arriving and he took us by a route which looked increasingly dodgy. One of my mates who's a fanny was panicking thinking we were going to be killed which I actually started to think as well. Then he stopped and asked us if we wanted women as his brother's place was just around the corner. We replied that we just wanted beer so he shrugged and took us straight to a great bar in the centre. The fare was only about £2 anyway so we didn't bother complaining about the diversion. He had a snide Lacoste t-shirt on that an alligator about the size of the planet across it. Happy days.

Bit of a near miss on big ears - serious damage to him and a few students shot by his bodyguards would have been a win/win as far as I'm concerned.

If he doesn't bottle it of course...

The second one was a lot better than the first - that thing taking the piss out of famous five type stuff with the woodland creature was the first decent sketch. The second Harvey joke was a bit strong but its his game - don't see the point in people being offended apart from Price herself. Having said that, as someone on the SMB had jokingly suggested, nobody would be surprised if she pitches shows about him in the future.

Just got an email from a lad at work who goes to every Charlton game: