The9

Also, I'm not sure we do get a development fee, he's over 23 and I was under the impression you only got the compensation payment for U-23 players ? I will defer to MLG on this one, as I can't be bothered to look it up.

Bale was outstanding for Saints, running matches from left back (ably assisted by Skacel) until Championship sides decided to start doubling up on him. He was a superb talent, able to run through Championship defences almost at will, already had excellent free-kick technique, and was sold to Spurs as a Prem-standard teenager. It took some time for his confidence to come through, not aided by him not playing in a winning Spurs team for the best part of a year, but the most significant changes to Bale came when he was long-term injured in his first season, and came back after his lay off at the start of 2008/9 with shoulders the size of a fridge and finally a manager who actually picked him regularly. Once he knew he was first choice he had the confidence to realise his dribbling past all and sundry could also be done at Prem and European level, and he's since been moved into positions where he can affect a game more frequently due to his obvious talent. He's also changed his physique and leaned up a lot since adding the original muscle mass without it impacting detrimentally on his strength, which is down to a combination of him and his training regime as set by Spurs. The key thing is that Spurs offered a chance to play in the Prem and Europe when Saints couldn't, and that, along with the ability and the level of the players in training around him, helped his progress in a way a Championship side couldn't at the time. But he was a hell of a player even for Saints that season.

Well, adriansfc appears to have miscounted the number of countries in the world or possibly the frequency of the tournament. I'm mildly narked at not being able to get to a "local" World Cup between 2006 and 2026 (I don't think Russia is particularly close), but I don't have a problem with developing footballing countries getting the opportunity to host the tournament, and if I'm THAT desperate I'll go to the Euros in France in 2016, or a north african AFCON or something. I DO however, have a bit of a problem with giving the tournament to countries with dodgy human rights records, or intolerant governments, or awarding the tournament to a country that is completely unable to host it in the acceptable timeframe, and then just changing the dates to suit the organisers. You want a winter World Cup, you state it in your bid, or you rebid. Simple logical fairness, which of course is why Blatter's bullsh11tting his way out of it.

I'm pretty sure I won't be going, so I won't be playing. Will let you know re: ticket(s) when/if this is confirmed.

Would have been nice for Hearts, Bristol City and Lebanon to have followed AFTER us, not before us though.

Thought I'd compile this little gallery :

Little matter of Rayo being excluded from Europe due to failing to meet UEFA regulations as they're fighting bankrupcy and were in some kind of Spanish creditor dispute... anyone guessing why Pompey see them as kindred spirits ? I bet the Skates were furious with their white shirts with red sash as well, probably called them Scummahs or something, seeing as that was what we were wearing the last time most of their 250,000 fans saw them play us. Vallecano: Cobeno, Galvez, Adrian, Jose Carlos, Roberto Trashorras, Rida, Mario, Anaitz Arbilla, Saballs, Mojica, Perea. Subs: Ruben, Tito, Nacho, Raul Baena, Cristian, Lass, Isi, Saul, Juanito, Pape Maly Diamanka, Rafa Garcia, Ismael, Alberto. Last game of the season v Athletic Bilbao : 1. Ruben (sub) 5. Galvez, Alex (started) 9. Carlos, Jose (started) 10. Piti NO 11. Dominguez, Alejandro NO 14. Arbilla, Anaitz (started) 17. Trashorras, Roberto (started) 18. Fuego, Javi NO 20. Vazquez, Franco NO 22. Figueras, Jordi NO 38. Nacho Martinez (sub) So plucky Pompey faced a side containing all of FOUR La Liga players from Rayo's last match of last season. They came 8th btw. The Skates start next weekend, with Rayo's first game two weeks later... so you'd hope they were a bit further along with their fitness too. But they still lost, bless 'em. Oh yeah, and I bought a ticket for Newport v Accrington next week.

The gold makes it look tacky, but I'd have bought a striped shirt with tacky gold on it nonetheless.

I happen to know that Crab Lungs is Facebook friends with one of them now.

Mostly decent choices except for Chelsea's away, as the Saints away kit is alright, will be interesting to see how silver the silver is, when they finally get around to getting it printed up and sent to Saints. You still can't buy it though. Or any training kit, and the club haven't even given a date.

As it's never occurred to you that it isn't "never of", it is "never have", I fail to be surprised at this.

He might be being offensive about it, but he does have a point. I'm more likely to sell the rest of my collection than I am buy this one to add to it.

Yeah, that always makes stuff happen, telling people not to complain about something you don't like. I assume you're planning on using telepathy to inform the club of your displeasure ?

Honestly he's not up to Prem standard and has proved it regularly. Strachan has to pick from players eligible for Scotland, he can't just spend £10m on making someone Scottish. Who are the left back alternatives for Scotland ? I have no idea, but I bet they're Championship standard like most of their team. The way we play exposes the defence, and Fox in particular, to counterattacks and balls into the space behind him - he's looked vaguely decent when he's not asked to play so far up the pitch and just to defend in a back four, but that's not how we play and he can't do it. As far as Targett goes, he's not been in the squad and he isn't on tour, so he's not close - Turnbull and Chambers are clearly ahead of him. Jack Stephens must be getting a bit worried now, too.

We could sign a full back who is better than either Shaw or Clyne, Clyne provides cover for both wings so not a problem either way.

Because it's overcast here, should still be light for 2 more hours otherwise. No cloud there so appears lighter.

It looks like they spent exactly the same time designing it to me - how long do you think it takes to produce 3 or 4 different combinations of a template ? All the pieces are in the same place, they just said "put some navy on that piece under the arms" where Saints just have more red. One thing I've noticed, the Sunderland shirt looks much better on than the pictures suggested - still has a bad-looking sponsor though.

Awwww fck it, somehow managed to lose or accidentally delete my latest version of the file, regressed to one that doesn't have any North, Central or East Gwent leagues or teams in it - I am bewildered how this has happened, I was regularly saving and backing up, but I was lucky to find even the v4.1 (.bak), never mind the v4.3. Gutted, not sure I can be bothered to do all that again... Lost : Divisional Structure at Tiers 9, 10, 11, including Gwent East, North Gwent and Gwent Central leagues (with logos) all below Gwent County Div 3, all the newly createed teams that were in those leagues (about 50 of them with home kits), all the reserves and C teams as part of the pyramid from teams who play in the higher up divisions. The couple of D teams and links to parent clubs that I needed where sides had more than 3 teams. Editing of all clubs in the leagues beginning A-C to have their full regional division structures correct. Again, GUTTED !

Roma are playing the MLS all star team next week as well, dunno if it's on before ESPN becomes part of BTSport or not though.

Fancy a laugh ? The Portsmouth page on Wikipedia contains this "latest, up to date information" about their new stadium plans : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Stadium plans In April 2007 Portsmouth F.C. announced plans to move away from Fratton Park, their home for 109 years, to a new stadium situated on a piece of reclaimed land on The Hard beside the Historic Dockyard. The £600 million mixed use development, designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, would also include 1,500 harbourside apartments as well as shops and offices. The scheme has attracted considerable criticism due to its huge size and location.[115][116] It also involves moving HMS Warrior from her current permanent mooring. The HMS Warrior trust is refusing to move. In Autumn 2007 Portsmouth's local paper 'The News' published that the plans had been turned down as the supercarriers to be situated in Portsmouth dockyard sight lines would be blocked. In answer to the Navy's objections regarding the supercarriers, Portsmouth FC have planned a similar stadium in Horsea Island near Port Solent. If this plan ever goes ahead, it will involve building a 36,000 seat stadium and around 1,500 apartments as single standing structures, not around the stadium as had been previously proposed. Yet the new plan also involves improving and saving land for the Royal Navy's diver training centre by the proposed site and buying a fair amount of land from the UK Ministry of Defence.[117] A new £7 million railway station is to be built at Paulsgrove in Racecourse Lane near the site where there was originally a station. Along with these new roads towards the stadium, it has been proposed to build a new bridge from Tipner alongside the motorway[118] for people walking to the stadium. Park and Ride schemes would also be introduced. The development would have a link road to the Port Solent area which would neighbour the new stadium. If the new proposals are accepted, the club's previous stadium site at Fratton Park would also be redeveloped once the new stadium is completed. Make Architects has been commissioned to draw up designs for 750 new apartments on the site. Due to the overall economic climate and other factors, plans are currently on hold. I wonder what "other factors" they might be ? Anyone fancy elaborating, Wiki loves a few legitimate links, reckon you could get about 40 pages cross-referencing multiple admins and crowds rather short of 36,000.

It's red on white, so the star and crescent are a reference to Islam and the colours reflect the Ottoman Empire (and of course modern Turkey). This'll get you wound up then... though amusingly there is no reference to Portsmouth anywhere... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_and_crescent The Skate star and crescent is from Richard I's conquering of Cyprus and you can blame the defeated Isaac Komnenos for it, as it was his coat of arms that was allocated to Portsmouth : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth

I don't think they're great, I prefer them to be bigger, but they are certainly worth a look and they look alright on her. This is knocking 20 years ago now though, so buyer beware. She was hot in 1991 though. But then so was...

Ohhhh, we shouldn't start "excluding penalties", there's only one way that'll go, and it involves the phrase "top Premier League English scorer"...

I recall Ryan Doble looking like our best player, think that was a couple of days after the takeover.

Saints U21s: Britt, Young, A. Martin (McCarthy 37), Mugabi (Targett 46), Colmer, Curtis (Reed 46), Gape, De Ridder (Sinclair 61), Forte (Rowe 61), Barnard (Lee 46), Sharp (Moore 61). Subs (not used): Cropper, Seager, Branker. Read more at http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/eastleigh-0-1-saints-u21s-report-947467.aspx#uq5BtwCRMruVFcjb.99