Gloucester Saint

Need to do what Bally did in training post-Branfoot and fine players who hoofed it forward without a specific team-mate aimed at, but this time amongst pointless pissing about amongst centre backs and keeper when other team mates are in space and available.

Will be an important player next season. Will be frustrating if the hair pulling, swearing plank displaces him once his ban is up.

Home again after finishing Xmas food shopping for family joining us over festive period. First offering was Small Beer Stout purchased from Waitrose. If you are in the market for a low alcohol (2.5%) dark beer this is the best I’ve had. Like a milky coffee with some toffee notes, hints of orange and spice, sweet notes but bitter too, not cloying. Second choice was a hybrid collaboration between Thornbridge and Bundabust, an Anglo-Indian craft beer and food which started in Bradford and has expanded across the north of England. Anyone been? Southampton has a Tap and Tandoor branch with a not dissimilar concept. https://bundobust.com Beer itself is very much citrus led on the nose and palate but not overwhelmingly so, also hints of pineapple and a slightly sweet and pleasing finish. Very good and I can imagine it would work incredibly well with spicy food.

Some superb pictures of that Kop End in both the 1970s and different stages of the 1980s. Was it covered when you went? Looks superb both covered and uncovered https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/180785-old-pics-of-hillsborough/ You could be right though about Wolves South Bank - looks enormous https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2023/04/27/south-banks-last-stand/ Could hold 30000 although the much smaller North Bank was the home end until deemed unsafe in 1985 and South Bank took over. South Bank was so big it also housed away fans. Another photo here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=905990090973453&id=100046874121074&set=a.550130929892706&locale=bg_BG and https://www.molineuxmix.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/old-molineux-photos.217220/ and https://www.facebook.com/SouthBankMol/posts/southbank-1988/10161833635620487/ Holte End ran it close with 28000 capacity in Villa’s early 1980s peak http://jimmysirrelslovechild.co.uk/classic-games/villa-v-manchester-united

The alternative is someone radicalised by the far right - who Musk was praising yesterday - and trying to stir up domestic politics and anti-immigration. A toddler has been killed either way.

50 years old as well, really no excuses for engaging in Islamist or any other extremism at his age and professional status. Hopefully the internal prison security will be nice and lax when he gets there.

It’s pure racist hate. Same as a white supremacist nail bombing a mosque. That’s racist, vile, unacceptable, so is this, and it’s equally racist.

Don’t know if it’s true he was the original choice instead of Jones in 2022? https://www.givemesport.com/southampton-agree-deal-for-manager-they-wanted-instead-of-nathan-jones/ Jones himself on a sticky wicket at Charlton https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/charlton-athletic-nathan-jones-michael-appleton-sacked/ Their fans are just as fed up with him as we were https://intothevalley.proboards.com/thread/28412/on-bike-jones-hit-wonder

Some pictures from the 1976 gig you and Soggy attended https://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/25102/the-who-at-the-valley-in-1976 https://bangnzdrum.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-who-put-boot-in-at-charlton-fc-1976.html The Who also did a gig there in 1974 - amazing picture from the East Terrace https://michaelputland.com/summer-of-74-at-charlton-athletic/

Time will tell but it does have all of the hallmarks at this stage.

Magdeburg Christmas market - lunatic driving into a crowd. One confirmed deceased but given some of the reports are saying around 60 struck in total, that tragically appears like to increase. Driver arrested, identity should be released shortly I’d have thought https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1j08p44w9kt

Family member won’t use air con, even in a 90 degree heatwave. Old School.

That’s right https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement

I’d stick with the Fiat! Still remember the ‘built by robots advert’ in the 1980s. Hopefully they don’t rot like they used to.

Exactly my thoughts on it as well. Would like to see the current government repeal and amend it - I can see what it was trying to do in limiting abusive behaviour of the most revolting kinds especially against children and young adults but misses the mark on any prospect of enforcement. Bit more context about the legislation and its origins https://news.sky.com/story/why-the-online-safety-bill-is-proving-so-controversial-12757804 Both the Conservative right and Labour left had a rare moment of consensus in opposition to the Act.

Not ideal to be advocating for extremists in a major international partner like Germany and interfering in a delicate domestic situation https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/elon-musk-claims-only-afd-can-save-germany Not making friends amongst UK Tesla buyers either https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/12/19/tesla-sales-crash-drivers-snub-trump-supporter-elon-musk/ This could go the way of Boris-Cummings quite quickly, Trump is even less content to share political spotlight than Boris was https://newrepublic.com/post/189580/trump-reaction-pissed-elon-musk-spending-bill Trump might be cutting him loose not long after inauguration and Musk is x10 more dangerous than Cummings was to Boris. Although Elon is the out of control shopping trolley to use Cummings famous analogy rather than Trump.

BBC saying break clause in the summer. Breakable by who it doesn’t say. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyv9lypereo

Amazing, bet that was brilliant. 🤩

Two sets of charges in Manchester Airport incident and no charges for coppers involved https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-airport-incident-no-police-30629333 20 year old lad charged with ABH, assaulting police and common assault, 25 year old with ABH. Overcrowding or not, they’ll do well to avoid HMP if found guilty.

Hard to say, GDPR also has some quite draconian potential penalties but rarely used to anywhere full extent by the ICO unless there’s been a wholesale and totally foreseeable issue/breach. Suspect this similar and aimed at the very worst/radicalising/grooming behaviours and activities. Not the same thing as someone posting on a football forum say a piece of YouTube shit by Laurence Fox about cloud seeding. Home Office, right to work and recruitment - different story and will revoke licences to hold and apply for/fast track visas if you slip up on running your checks and hire someone ineligible. Some activities with Chinese/Iranian partners in commerce and R&D if they are on the UK/US sanctions list or Australian Chinese Defence list is also a no-no and this government and the previous one are hot on it. Especially if nuke or weapons production is anywhere near it.

Good photo from the 1970s by S36 Owl https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/180785-old-pics-of-hillsborough/page/4/ I think the Holte End might have beaten it for capacity, although that was a more conventional shape. Biggest terrace of the lot was at Charlton with their huge side East Terrace https://www.followfollow.com/forum/threads/picture-of-charltons-ground-they-valley-when-it-was-abandonded.105108/ Did anyone on here see those terraces in the 1960s/70s? I’ve seen Saints a few times at both grounds but after the Kop was covered and Valley had closed/re-opened.

I’ve been a bit quiet on this thread with travel, not being so well and getting work deadlines tied up before Xmas. Went to this excellent establishment recently https://www.thewellingtonrealale.co.uk They are 5 minutes walk from New Street, so hence have both a rail departures board and this live board for the ales in the pub itself http://wellington.dns-systems.net/pages/beerboard2.php I opted for the Facer’s Plum Porter which was wonderfully jammy and the Titanic Plum Porter upstairs which is slightly richer but still fruity. Both marvellous, finished with a BFG.

That and it’s early on in his management career, better for him to build them for top 6-10 and see if their unpredictable owner will buy in further over the summer. Big club and stadium, potential is there.

Didn’t we buy Osvaldo from there? Something in the water in Roman football as Lazio are a crazy club as well.

Badger will be happy about that.