Gloucester Saint

Public spending cuts. 15% off NHS England which is a lot of money (and caused a rumpus when the Tories did it) and other Depts being asked to find further significant savings - some essential R&D infrastructure delayed. Although early retirement and deleting of posts for people who basically sit in meetings is broadly fine with me, as long as some of the saving diverts to the frontline and non-clinical activities closest to the frontline. Unfortunately the universities financial position means that nursing programmes are closing which rather defeats some of the object. Simple way to fill the black hole - rejoin the Single Market. The UK has lost 6% of its economy since leaving it and that more than covers the difference. Instant boost to growth. And now supported by the majority of the country bar the bloody Red Wall. Madness from Labour, Tories and Reform. Lots of bollocks about freedom of movement but there’s been more of it since we left and the type that Reform voters hate the most. Turns out Polish plasterers weren’t such a problem after all (I’d just be glad to find some again!).

That side shouldn’t have been relegated but in many ways similar to the complacent decline from 2016. Quality sold (Bridge, Mane, Pelle) or injured (Svensson, Pahars, Dodd) replaced by significantly inferior quality players in key positions (Nilsson, Jakobsson, Bernard, Redmond, Austin) which didn’t help the remaining quality (Beattie, Tadic). Redknapp played his part but most of the above wasn’t done by him bar Beattie’s sale and Bernard. He didn’t appoint Steve Wigley and Paul Sturrock, and dilute the quality of the squad in such a short space of time trying to be a clever arse. Stand up one Rupert Lowe. I hate politics on the main board but it’s an important reminder for all football fans of why this country never wants him anywhere near positions of responsibility.

https://www.itv.com/news/2025-02-06/itv-news-uncovers-multiple-claims-of-inappropriate-behaviour-by-gino-dacampo

Treasury Red Box would be replaced by Guy Askham’s boardroom biscuit tin.

Good point on Premier, thanks, need to have a look at them. Will look at Magnet after Winner’s recommendation.

The Military Industrial Complex is alive and well, despite what was said on the campaign.

The reverse gear has been located by Marco Rubio. Significant sections of the GOP, especially the isolationist/America First segment don’t like this suggestion any more than Trump’s original outburst https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9xgj2429o

That’s not too bad. Bar Udoh, who might be useful for doing Kelvin at Eastleigh a favour but can’t see him playing for Saints first team unless we are going down the Frankie Bennett route (did score V Chelsea at least). Actually Torquay’s form has stalled a bit, send him there and help out Paul Wotton. Spors has one busy summer ahead, hope he’s not planning a holiday….

Pure senility that transfer and the joke will-they won’t they on sacking Pellegrino, when the guy was clearly having a nervous breakdown on the touch line by November 2017. Pathetic from the club to keep him in post until March 2018.

Rupert Lowe 😂 Left Southampton Football Club at its lowest ebb for 70 years and people think he’s a credible politician.

Good post HarvSFC. The summer 2024 window was indicative of zero top level football experience at the club and nobody to reign in a manager horrifically out of his depth. The blizzard of new contracts for McCarthy, Smallbone and others was another symptom.

This really did my head in https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7zexzndvko A paranoid schizophrenic not taking his anti-psychotic meds because he doesn’t like needles? Take your meds or you are incarcerated and formally sectioned until you do so regularly so as to be less of a risk. If that’s for 50 years, fine. No ifs, no buts, no excuses. And it should have been ruthlessly enforced, if it had, those people in Nottingham would be here today and others wouldn’t be left with life-changing injuries.

Nice one, like that.

£60k p/w is what I heard but big bucks for the Champ either way if no relegation clause.

On that basis, John Westwood should have been made to wear the shirt of pain (SFC) after urinating on his seat in the SMS away end. Of course, the shirt would have to be processed as carefully as nuclear processing waste at Sellafield afterwards.

Couldn’t post it as he’d ruined his eyesight. Got past the point of driving to Barnard Castle to test it. Bashed his purple cobra down into a maggot with the excitement (as did a few sad sacks on here). Not that it probably functioned properly anyway after years of alcoholism, culminating in four alcohol-related convictions. Even Paul Merson is safer to get into a car with. No town would ever have enough stock in its pubs and off licences if Staines and GM went on an all dayer.

Perspective on tariffs from that Marxist William Hague. Also reports that Canada’s ‘concessions’ to Trump were broadly agreed to in December. Interesting snippet about Trump being kind about Starmer losing his brother which seems to have helped them bond.

Got an appointment with Howdens on Friday. Noted on Wren, seen mixed things online but will bear them in mind, cheers.

Strange signing even for the u21s, Belgium Third Division is National League level, League 2 at very best. Even for SR this is a strange one.

Good luck to him. Frees up some more wage headroom and just hasn’t worked out for him in the PL over three seasons. Still an asset next season or could receive a good price if he does well at the Hawthorns.

We had a brilliant new kitchen/diner from Sparkworld nearly 10 years ago in our previous house. We are doing one here as part of renovating and re-configuring our downstairs space here but we are now too far north for Sparkworld’s area. So, has anyone had a new kitchen designed and fitted over the last 5-7 years? If so, would you recommend who went with or would you avoid them? We are looking at Howdens, Rehome site is too risky as need particular dimension work surfaces and island. Leekes units look tidy but customer service ratings are very up and down. B&Q, Wickes and IKEA stuff don’t have the durability we’d want. Never used Wren.

Whereas that queue is exactly where Smallbone needs to be. Extra steak in his pies please.🙏

TBF I don’t think even Feargal Sharkey would get Gavin off his line to claim the ball.

No way the British will countenance US involvement in any scale in running and procurement of the NHS - given the dreadful state of the health systems in GOP states quite rightly. The public are not keen on food deals either from a food standards perspective - see chlorinate chickens and hormone-fed beef stories. Look at their obesity rates. That would enough to turn most of our citizens vegetarian if not vegan.