Gloucester Saint

No more foolish than buying a £10m striker who can barely walk, crazy tactics and spending £22m on Kameldeen Sulemana.

Is that the same BBC that had Richard Sharp https://www.ft.com/content/2c492290-61f6-4dc2-acae-84bd01f7be62 chairing until 2023 and Tim Davie the ex-Conservative Party candidate? https://news.sky.com/story/bbc-defends-appearance-of-tim-davie-at-1922-committee-of-tory-mps-amid-row-over-israel-hamas-war-coverage-12992692

It’ll be like one of the lockdown games without the canned crowd noise effects, serves SR right.

That was deliberate from Kraft ‘not me mate, that’s Rasmus that is’.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8xl4d3m81o

Even a dodgy Lasagne lunch for Brentford Spurs-style wouldn’t stop them winning.

Been to Agios Nikolaos on Crete and Sidari in Corfu, both a long time ago and lovely. The one set of islands I’d love to try are the Cape Verde’s. Anybody been?

Littler dominating so far but not over yet. MVG can go on a surge. Has to win this set though 1-4 down and 2-2 on legs.

Enjoying Adnams Broadside Strong Original watching the darts final. Lovely dark winter strong ale, fruitcake flavours and orange peel with a delicious nutty finish. Was thinking about my top 5 beers I’ve ever had. Tricky when I’ve completed 80% of the original Roger Protz 300. My selections were: - Larkin Porter from Kent, tried it at the Planet Thanet Beer Festival in Margate (I still have the festival glass - how sad is that?). Tasted of everything - sweet, savoury, bitter, spicy and hyper complex https://untappd.com/b/larkins-brewery-porter/114713 - Holt’s Bitter. The soundtrack to watching Saints in Manchester over the years and numerous work visits. You can only get it in Manchester at Holt’s pubs, so bitter, not hugely aromatic but the ultimate session pint as the bitterness claws at your throat and you want another one https://untappd.com/b/joseph-holt-bitter/32879 - Burton Bridge Empire Pale Ale. First had this at the GBBF and took a bottle home, with my favourite ever bottle label design. This type of strong, hoppy IPA has some relationship to the original India Pale Ales sent out to India and Burton was the place to brew them with its waters strong in minerals https://untappd.com/b/burton-bridge-brewery-empire-india-pale-ale/1312 - Westvleteren Blond Trappist. The Westy 12 was voted best beer in the world by a US magazine and has regrettably become very hard to come by without visiting the brewery tap. Trying all of them with friends, it was this one, the blonde, which really blew us away with its complexity https://untappd.com/b/brouwerij-de-sint-sixtusabdij-van-westvleteren-trappist-westvleteren-blond/4681 - Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild - I nearly put the Maxim Raspberry Porter but Mild is so important historically and this strong version from the Black Country is exceptional https://untappd.com/b/sarah-hughes-brewery-dark-ruby/2343 Notable mentions: East Street Cream, a 5% ESB from North Somerset is being brewed again, was in my top 5 but has changed hands a few times. Maxim Raspberry Porter from Sunderland a gorgeous drop. Two local brews in my top dozen are Deya Steady Rolling Man Pale Ale and Goff’s Cheltenham Gold. Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout was a big favourite but has lactose so off limits these days.

Forum is playing up for me since the IT updates so my replies may be intermittent. OK, to be clear if someone has concerns rooted in evidence or their own experiences/those of family/close friends about an ethnic or faith group because of practices or acts eg women’s’ rights, FGM, DV, grooming gangs of young men, that’s certainly not racist per se. I’d defend anyone’s right to do that. Also certainly the Rushdie and Denmark cartoon incidents are unacceptable with fatwas threatened etc. Disagree with the author by all means and push back (the British Empire has some very dark moments) but violence and death threats are just unacceptable, a former colleague of mine is/was subject to a Fatwa if he re-enters a certain Middle Eastern nation. These issues are discussed frequently in policy and academic circles, tackled by research grants, no doubt with some mutual unease at times but it’s important that these happen albeit objectively. What is unacceptable is making up exaggerated and disproportionate social scenarios to stir hatred - Powell’s Rivers of Blood and some of the things Robinson has said about Muslims to incite others. Only Rigby’s attackers truly know what their motivation was but I suspect the uniform was only part of it and what he represented. Driving a car into a crowd of people not caring who you hit would be another example. The frustrating thing about Musk’s comments is that the issue is one of the implementation of the various reviews into child safety in communities which the current government needs to tackle with the outcomes bouncing around since 2022 and into 2025 now. Instead, we’re discussing his daft views about a Luton Town football hooligan on his fifth prison term as some kind of hero. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxdzng92lno

Yes, and thank you for correcting. Littler has the recent edge head to head but not much in it bar the World Matchplay first round, Littler’s poorest majors display https://www.skysports.com/darts/news/12040/13283030/luke-littler-vs-michael-van-gerwen-rivalry-reaches-peak-at-world-darts-championship-final Chris Dobey just didn’t seem like he believed he could win that night and MVG dominated the stage. MVG does have a big advantage of having won the WDC 4 times before, tackling Phil Taylor and peak Peter Wright, so there may be less fear. But Littler has a different mindset even when you take into account his age.

If someone is of a mindset to proactively attack, harm, physically or otherwise someone with a different skin colour, faith, or as you say directly and deliberately damage someone's career, for me that’s racism. They are not by that stage seeing the person as an individual with their own values, views, they are just one of a whole diaspora, identity, faith etc that person despises. We all have biases - I must admit that I do - but it’s how we rationalise and manage them. And sadly some people go miles past that stage where what happens in Gaza, or Southport, even without having the facts, is a trigger. The attack on Lee Rigby - the streets of Woolwich are not those of Gaza or Lebanon, Rigby is a civilian at that point. Southport and those trying to set fire to a hotel full of what they perceive as asylum seekers because a few people are stirring misinformation on SM.

No-one is advocating having a go at Juric, not one single poster. Rasmus et al are totally fair game, worst season in our history now, a void and watching the team is a chore. Add in that 22/23 was our worst top flight season ever by a mile before that, far worse than 04/05. Wembley yes, but only because Martin was forced to adjust his crazy tactics and the 🤡 did his Achilles. SR need two immaculate transfer windows now, particularly the summer, as their stock with the fanbase is rock bottom. Around where Sunderland’s was with Lawrie 1986. There’s a growing sense we are being bled off for Goztepe as Rasmus fights for his future.

Tidy rebuttal without name calling from Streeting and more Tories distancing from Musk despite Kemi trying to cosy up to him https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxdzng92lno

Islamophobia is still racism don't forget, the same way Islamists are racists. Opposing Islamic extremism is free speech, but misinformation and falsehoods to stir hatred and violence against an ethnic group is not on. His EDL support base were mostly ex-NF, BNP and football casuals, but became politically inconvenient for him. This piece captures him well https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/08/tommy-robinson-is-no-working-class-hero-luton

Don’t know about hammer but if he repeats last night’s performance over Stephen Bunting who averaged over 100, then hard to see him being beaten. Chris Dobey competed for the first three sets last night but after missing three consecutive doubles, sank without trace and never really looked like he believed he could beat MVG. Littler has no such problem because he knocked MVG out last year. However, MVG has looked seriously impressive and rolled back the years so Sky, PDC and the audience have got the final they wanted after Peter Wright dumped Humphries out.

Ain’t that the truth.

MVG drops the f-bomb on live TV 😂 Littler next, him and Bunting can’t be worse than Chris Dobey was.

Does anyone remember the old Central Swimming Baths and the underwater deep section as you went into the entrance?

I did wonder where Soggy was….

He’s focused on being anti-Islam since 2016 trying to repudiate his racist to all EDL past https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/uk-who-is-uk-far-right-tommy-robinson He was stirring up the ‘two tier’ justice stuff as far back as 2014. Patriotic Alternative, led and coordinated by Nick Griffin’s former deputy (can’t recall the name), were probably more responsible for the summer riots which Musk has missed out although Robinson was happy to stir misinformation amongst his old EDL leaders. They’ve arguably filled the vacuum the EDL left behind and the NF before them. Dispatches on C4 did an undercover expose on PA in the summer which is worth watching on catch up. Mark Collett - that’s his name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotic_Alternative

And the other midfielder who was breaking the lines, Alcaraz, got sold because he wasn’t suited to Martin’s atrocious football. Yet was a rare bright spot under Selles. Without the boring austerity of Martinball, we should be able to find a couple of AMCs and wingers with pace.

He was briefly in a position of responsibility for Griffin in the BNP and Head of the EDL as a direct action far right group after the BNP dissolved as a political party https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Robinson Jailed for stalking a journalist and her family. Libelled a 15 year old refugee, found guilty in court and just carried on libelling them, hence the fifth and current prison sentence for contempt of court. Luton Town hooligan with multiple convictions which is where the EDL stemmed from, which I’ve always found ironic as a Saints fan of the 1980s considering their away fan ban as well as their plastic pitch and asbestos riddled shithole of a stadium (even then, the Dell was in far better shape). Mark Rowley, Met Commissioner, believes there was a clear link between Robinson and the Finsbury Park Mosque attacker. Plenty of beef with Farage which is why he’ll be wary of Musk and attacked Badenoch again today. Reckon she might be trying to steal his pitch.

Musk’s latest outburst is a bit dangerous for Farage, who has been distancing Reform from Robinson quite volubly to become a legitimate political party https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/01/02/who-is-tommy-robinson-why-elon-musk-is-posting-about-far-right-british-activist/ Whilst he clearly wants a donation, Musk could take the train set in a far more radical and violent direction. What a surprise, ex-MP and disgraced ex-PM Liz Truss weighing in https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/elon-musk-keir-starmer-tommy-robinson-b2672709.html

Not on this issue, any more than Thatcher enabling Savile. Musk is becoming more and more extreme. Making MLT sound like Karl Marx. Donald Trump will elbow him out shortly, already had a few pops last week about who the incoming President really was.