NJS

Thing is your list all had other factors like not settling or being too big for their boots (Jenas) - I'd say a list of players who were sold against their will would be more interesting eg Stave Watson.

Dad/older brother - another choice never entered my head. I know I'm a hypocrite for slagging off religion for being an accident of birth/geography when that "choice" has been such a big part of my life - but at least it's not irrational.... Oh shit.

Went to see the Manics last night who were fantastic as usual but it reminded me of: People who go and see a band like them and choose to go in the seats - why? People who talk during quieter songs - if you're out on a date and want to chat then fuck off outside and do it. A kid in front of me constantly reading/writing texts even during stuff like Faster - utter, utter cunt - if I'd adopted Parky's suggestions I would have taken his phone off him and launched it as far as I could but cowardice won again.

For 8m for Martins I'd batter Gemmill in the rush to drive the fucker there.

What about Potuguese, Scouse, Argentinian and Bulgarian cheats though? It's Cheats against Cunts for me - either way around.

I made this point on N-O - his job title was Executive Director (Football) and he sat on the board - that means he is/was ultimately responsible for the football "results" of the club - on that basis he is more culpable than Llambias but imo not as culpable as the man who appointed and backed him. You can't give someone that title as a board member and then pretend his duties are limited to youth and/or other player recruitment.

I've been toying with the idea of going on a cycling holiday there - if I get fit enough I'll probably go to Turkey in September but if it takes me till the winter then Cuba goes back on the agenda (either Xmas or Feb). I think it would be interesting to go now before it gets "ruined" by warming relations with the US. I'd also say that having seen the Manics film of when they went you'd have to go there with a cynical but polite attitude to conditions. No doubt Rob will give us the low down.

Talking to a mate yeaterday and we agreed it will be more about control and vision rather than budget - I think this is where Shearer has impressed me the most with his "obvious" recognition of what the club is all about - something the manager needs in the light of the clueless other hierarchy.

You might as well get to work on the rest of our new "friends" for the coming months.

I said at the time Nolan was only signed because Barton got injured and Taylor only because it was Wigan that got N'Zogbia. The "real" window would have just been 2 out for £11m.

Yeah, oh goodey, trips to Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Doncaster and Peterborough. Joy. 2 great days out there in the past (actually 3 counting Peterborough twice). How many more times do people want to go to Wigan or Blackburn? Or to Old Trafford/Anfield knowing humiliation beckons? Obviously this is a separate issue to the actual football but as I've said elsewhere, maybe people just need to go and enjoy football again.

Two from this morning: People who get the shop to check their lottery tickets - if you're too stupid or too lazy to be able to do it yourself then you don't deserve to ever win a penny. I have to turn right at a mini-roundabout on a semi-main road to enter my bit of the estate and I've noticed for a while the number of people coming from the other direction who look like they aren't going to give me right of way. A couple of times I've even had to stop turning as the fuckers steam across.

Comparisons with last year when Keegan took over would be fairer - the players were so far down it took a while for "the magic" to work - Shearer (even if he did have it) just did not have enough time imo.

I've probably said this before but I met up with a couple of mates for West Ham in September who'd been talking to some Leicester fans ina bar at Euston. They were going to Orient and were absolutely loving being in League One and going to all these "daft" places though they obviously hoped it would only be once (as it turned out). That's my positive outlook for next year - okay I've been to quite a few of the places before but there are some new ones, some I haven't been to for years and familar great days out (eg Ipswich, Peterborough). Without a shit load of money or fluking a good manager (maybe Shearer who knows) we will never challenge at the top of the premier for the forseeable future. My only real hope for enjoying football again will be good days out with friends like it was years ago "when we were shit". People have already mentioned how next year everybody will want to beat us and most away games will be their "cup finals" - bring it on.

I'm strangely muted at the moment - as soon as the final whistle went I watched a documentary on the Manics new album I'd recorded and I'm looking forward to seeing them next Friday. I'm going for a swim soon. As for other fans fuck them - the best moment in any post 73 Mackem's life before today was the Marseille defeat and now its been trumped - the fuckers define themsives and their poxy little club by our existence - they should be pitied.

I was kidding myself I wasn't bothered until I read that - Stevie you cunt.

I;m not patriotic in the normal way but I think people who use "ass" instead of "arse" should be hanged for treason.

I has a dream last night which involved me being on the pitch and Beardsly playing for us. We went close but it went out for a corner and Peter was devestated - time was running out. I persuaded him to have one last go so he took the corner and Steve Watson scored from it and we thought we were safe - players and fans were going apeshit but the Villa goalie said to me "Hang on that only makes it 3-1 to us" then the final whistle went. Of course this isn't predictive but I think it shows my subconcious knows the truth - no fucking chance.

There was an old cow in front of me at my local co-op a few weeks ago who went through SEVEN cards in turn doing a balance query which she printed off and filed in her purse - she didn't get any money out - not even a fucking tenner. Sorry to say I spied on her balances and they ranged between about 100 and 300 quid. Do you say anything? No, just muttered in an overly-polite English manner - though it may have involved some FFSs. I was getting my rail season ticket reprinted a couple of months ago and was behind a woman buying a ticket to some obscure place who then proceeded to pay with several shitty rail gift vouchers which she had to sign. She then started to chat to the teller about some womanly trivia like bairns or houses so I had to tell her to get on with it - she said she could write and talk at the same time so I told her I wasn't impressed and she should fuck off. I hate to admit I felt quite guilty about it.

There was an old cow in front of me at my local co-op a few weeks ago who went through SEVEN cards in turn doing a balance query which she printed off and filed in her purse - she didn't get any money out - not even a fucking tenner. Sorry to say I spied on her balances and they ranged between about 100 and 300 quid.

People who go swimming with their specs on - I was pretty short-sighted before getting my eyes lasered but it never occured to me that I needed to see well to swim up and down a pool.

I was at University in Bradford at the time but had gone to Norwich to see us. When the announcer said something about a fire delaying kick-off when doing the HT scored most people laughed - a tragedy just didn't enter anyone's head. As we travelled back the news began to break and I returned to a city in shock. A mate of mine had planned to go to the game but had been to Sheffield to see his parents and was delayed travelling back - he wouldn't have gone in that stand but may have got involved in the rescue. There were loads of stands like that around - I remember going to Derby for the infamous 4-1 which was the only time I remember being in the upper tier there and that wanother death trap. I think football "needed" both Bradford and Hillsborough from a modernisation viewpoint - obviously without the actual death.

The only real positive I can see about stopping up is attracting a buyer - this assumes ongoing fuckwittery by Ashley. If/when we do get owners with a clue then theres no reason why good management can't take us pretty far - see Hodgson or Moyes - so I don't think huge investment is a necessity.

Sorry I don't use iTunes - I've always just used raw MP3s I thought the aa4 format was the one with DRM - maybe you can't copy them - have to wait for an Apple freak to answer you.

320k is the max - you can do 256k as well. What do you mean by convert?