suewhistle

****

Sounds noisy... I've forked out for SaintsPlayer as I couldn't put up with the tension of following the games on here. Plus I can wander around doing things.

But the biggest relief was him leaving...

Well, as long as he doesn't defrag the whole team... Joking aside it's good to see that they are protecting a young and still growing player. They'll obviously know how much growing he has to do but from his compact physique he looks almost there. Gobern, being much taller seems a later developer which is why I think he still has a future, and why recently he seems a bit more co-ordinated and less bambi-like!

Plus the fact that often the keepers didn't even move! He had deceptively fast feet and I'm pleased to say I saw most of those home goals..

Don't be rude, gemmel!:-) sounds like a perfectly reasonable Pompey situation, not knowing who owns the club you are buying....

It does suggest that if the right deal comes up there are ready funds available to make them happen. I'm sure cash on the nail for Plymouth would be very welcome given their current situation.

Wasn't it at the Glasgow Empire when one of the two was performing and dieing a death when his brother comes out on stage: "Oh gawd, there's two of 'em". Mind you, I do find Glasgow and Alpine subtly different...

miiaoow

Well: 1) I can't make the date 2) Can't afford it 3) They wouldn't let me play anyway. I'm on the bench today - been out playing music and not drinking - I'll have you know.. I'm going to be hacked off with the manager tomorrow either way - I reckon there's no way I'll get off the bench and if I do I've bet a bottle of bubbly at my local bar that I won't...

yep, that would buy the assets, the goodwill comes free but the real b****r is the debt....

Not quite so bad then. Personally I go via Dunkirk, Belgium, Luxembourg, Metz, Nancy, Besancon, Switzerland via Lausanne and over the Great St Bernard as I avoid French tolls (but have to pay the Swiss motorway sticker which is worth my while). The alternative is via the Mt Blanc tunnel: probably faster but you burn the juice and pay the tolls. Leaving aside my own completely biaised opinion (!) Pila would actually be a good choice: the skiing starts at 1800 so is pretty reliable for snow. Cheaper accommodation and a far wider choice of eating in the valley and the new gondola makes getting up there a breeze. I sometimes pop up there for a couple of hours. With a car you can also very easily access other local resorts although with beginners that's not so important. You can even ski over into France (La Rosiere) from La Thuile and into Switzerland (Zermatt) from Cervinia, but that's probably for when you're all more experienced!

You were going great until you said 'half term'! No idea locally, to be honest, but it's the increased transport costs that'll do you.

Pila in Italy. Good beginner slopes at a reasonable altitude plus some good off-piste. A lot cheaper than Switzerland and if the weather turns bad there is a town at the bottom of the cabin (18minute trip) for a larger choice of things to do. Plus other local resorts reachable by bus (or car if you have one). I may be biased, it's my local mountain and I can see the slopes from my lounge window! Some of beginner slopes:http://pila.it/homepage.asp?l=e&s=i The home page: http://pila.it/homepage.asp?l=e&id=1&s=i

Maybe it's me age but I don't remember being born. Not sure I trust mum, maybe I'll check Wikipedia.

Why would he want to do that?

Yeah, good example of a reasonable fan. Being optimistic is not being a WUM!

Just seen this. Have sent you an email.

I've never thought self-awareness your strongest point though.

..including in the play-offs, if we end up in that route..

Tony Funnel at Orient IIRC - but at my age I often don't recall correctly!

Hmm. It must be age or the Italian diet but I don't seem to do lucky dumps anymore. I'll go and do something else pleasurable instead! It doesn't even matter if I have to repeat the process but I could end up the evening exhausted but with a smile... Obviously what I do will result in a Saints win and that's why I'd be smiling.

Yep. Used to be a systems/business analyst for a large company: got bored like many others there when we outsourced the interesting development work, and volunteered for redundancy. That was a great relief! Did bits and pieces before discovering I liked language teaching and ended up here in Italy teaching English part-time. I could have gone skiing today but I'm fussy these days: I wait for fresh snow. If a potential new contract turns up trumps I might be able to afford a weekend trip for the Walsall celebrations (I pray!).

This must be the only team forum that crashes when the team aren't even playing. Mind you, probably more people viewing than a Pompey home game...

It's a no-brainer that keeping the revs down saves on fuel. I live in Italy and drive back to England in the summer and at Christmas. When I first moved over here I used to use the Mont Blanc tunnel and hare down the centre of France on the motorway and watch the fuel gauge visibly going down. I also paid €90 odd for the privilege. Then I changed to coming through Switzerland and up the Eastern side of France where there are non-toll motorways but also some empty cross-country A roads. More interesting and less chance of dropping off! The difference in petrol consumption was marked, and I also have the advantage of filling up at cheaper prices in Switzerland and Luxembourg. Not much difference time-wise: UK (Thames Valley) to Italy I can still do it in a day and I allow an overnighter on the way over so there's no stress getting the ferry. If I never need to get back quickly for aged parent it'll probably still be 130kph+ down the middle of France but unless that happens I'm saving my money...