um pahars

Nope, cricket season still in full flow (although if it's a wash out like this weekend, then I might be tempted to pop along).

Born a stones throw from St Mary's in Northam and was the fourth generation (at least) Saints fan. First game aged 5 in the early 70's vs Glasgow Rangers in the Texaco Cup (can still remember the giant Texaco football in the middle of the pitch and the mass of ****ed up Jocks in The Archers!!!).

He's grilling all the coppers and is due to grill Stephenson on Tuesday.

He may be an honourable solicitor by trade, but Vaz has regularly left a "trail" behind himself from unregistered payments to passport advice!!!!!! Sometimes good value for money though and he does provide a spectacle with his antics in the chair (although I would prefer a more robust chairman for these sessions)

Gus O'Donnell's memo from last year does indicate that the advice given to Brown was that it would not be feasible to launch an inquiry. Of course, the final decision was Brown's, but the evidence put in front of him made it clear that it was unlikely it would ever get off the ground. Three key passages that indicated this are: "Any decision to hold such an inquiry could be challenged by judicial review particularly if the inquiry were extended to the media in general and it is not inconceivable that such a challenge might succeed." "While these criticisms are serious there does not appear to be any suggestion of a systematic failure by the police and it must be doubtful whether a public inquiry could shine any particular fresh light on the police's actions which were endorsed apparently by the CPS." "From the limited information available it is doubtful whether this case would merit the holding of a public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act."

But as is noted in one of the responses (and having worked in the media for quite a while), there is nothing odd with using and paying, a whole host of agencies, individuals, companies etc for obtaining information. Additionally, there is an allowance for using "underhand" methods to acquire information if it can be deemed to be in the public interest. There is nothing in that report that would warrant (or satisfy the requirem,ents for) a Public Inquiry. I think the issue has only come to a head now as new evidence has emerged and also due to the persistence of a few MP's and a few journalists at The Guardian. Up until now, NI (with the assistance of an appalling, if not complicit, Police inquiry) have managed to blag [sic] their way through it by claiming it was a one off rogue journalist (or a very small group). Additionally, NIs power & influence has always been seen as being too powerful by some and it was only when public opinion supported them that politicians (of all colours) suddenly found their voice and got stuck in.

I think the season ticket count underpins overall attendances and it ensures we have a level of support for that season regardless of performances. If the end game is to increase season ticket sales (although of course some people don't think this is the case), then I just don't think the Club has handled the season ticket push very well (price, marketing, timings etc etc etc). I think we'll be slightly ahead of last year, which given the free kiddies tickets in there will mean I think it will be similar to this year, which if that is correct will be disappointing. Given the positive news on the pitch, I would have liked to see us pushing late teens, maybe even close to 20,000, but there's still time yet to get there!!

Think Phil was involved in finding out that the company supposedly backing them and their David beckham plan was a sham, but it was Rob (Exit2) who got hold of the UKs company's details on the day they were lodged and then myself who let him know Bazza was as dodgy as feck!!!!!

Indeed!!!!! I remember when Exit2 (admin back then) e-mailed me the company details (directors names etc) of Wacko Jacko's/Fake Sheikh/Barry The Briefcase's company on a Friday evening and I almost spat out my cider when I saw Beardall on there. Rememebred his name from some shennigans in the accountancy world and some other stuff in the media and let him know straight away. Any doubts (and I had shedloads of them) I had about Wacko and his David Beckham were well and truly outed that evening.

And the "I'm shocked" line was in the context of referring to accessing of his building society account: "I think that what happened pretty early on in government is that the Sunday Times appear to have got access to my building society account. "They got access to my legal files, there is some question mark about what happened to other files - documentation, tax and everything else. "I'm shocked, I'm genuinely shocked, to find that this happened because of their links with criminals, known criminals, who were undertaking this activity, hired by investigators with the Sunday Times."

There are a few issues at play here, some of them cross party and some that do have a direct relation to one party. The idea that members of the Police Force (and other institutions) are susceptible to bribes is a cross party issue that we as a nation should be massively concerned over. The influence and power that NI and others have on our political, economic and social systems is also a cross party issue and one that both sides (maybe not the Lib Dems) have benefitted from. Additionally, both the main parties have shyed away from taking on NI both for fear of losing their influence and also for fear of then being targeted in retribution. However, IMHO, the Coulson issue is of direct relevance to the PM's (and his advisors and party's) judgement and should be quite rightly challenged.

Was the bull amused????

It's not a coincidence, it is indeed the same Beardall that I had come across in some dealings a fair few years back!!!!!!!

That statement by the Met Police was very strongly worded. They certainly weren't pulling their punches with regards their attack on News Int'l. It was quite a serious claim to suggest that they felt their investigation was being undermined by the actions from those down at Wapping.

I presume by this you're referring to The Guardian, the paper that has been the only vehicle willing to delve in to the murky depths of this appaling sequence of events.

I agree. As this has unwound from being a lone, rogue reporter to industrial hacking, I doubt if anyone who has been remotely newsworthy has escaped this breach of privacy.

Being honest, when I read that "Tweet" my first thought was that it must be a fabrication as it just sounded so cynical. However, if it is proved to be true then it is such a terrible admission. As for getting that bloke to prance around in a Harry Potter outfit, well words fail me (I'd expect Russell Brand to do something off hois own back, but not the Editor of a newspaper - tenuously speaking).

MSG me up, plus last time i saw him in there he wasn't picking the healthy stuff!!!!!!!

Quite a few of the "better" players aren't turning out on Tuesday, so picking a few youngsters and oldies (was thinking you could be one of the oldies LOL). Was it their race night??? Where did they have it??? Got back from trip in muddle of the night so was in no fit state to go out!!!!! Didn't want to post the fitness test gossip as (a) didnt want to compromise whatshisname and (b) negative stuff isnt liked on here LOL

Maybe Lambert needs to stay out of the Water Margin!!!!! Presume same source as I where I heard this story from???? PS Get your whites out as you might be playing Tuesday LOL!!!!!!!

He needed some spin on the propellor of his plane.

England is the native land of the hypocrites.

Without sounding too rude, reading this thread has indeed shown you to be somewhat out of your depth and your notion that "Spin Doctors" started with Blair is just one example of this. I presume you had never heard of Tim Bell. As for Ingham, he is on record about his 11 years as Thatcher's spin doctor (do you remember his briefings against Howe, Pym and Biffen???) and every morning lobby journalists would rock up at Downing St to be briefed and then briefed again later in the day at Westminster.

Forget the references to Moses (might be somewhat offensive to the good Christians - like me - out there), we've got our own connections with King Canute (used to enjoy a swift pint in the Canute Hotel before popping over to Floaters). PS we also need a County Animal/Bird (Lucy Pinder does not qualify) & a County Anthem (Woolston Ferry is too parochial).

I think your tense is wrong on two fronts. Firstly it wasn't that he was foolish keeping him on, he was foolish in appointing him the first place (the amount to which Cameron was warned and ignored this advice will be the next big story and there are already differing recollections of this). Secondly, Murdoch's interference went way back before 1997 (e.g. It's the Sun Wot Won It was early 90's).