dubai_phil

Good luck to Alex. I hope he has a great career and goes on to bigger and better things and helps to turn around the fortune of our abysmal National team. Sorry, I won't join in the trend on the thread, it's a sad day when you lose a talent and I am sure that there will be weeks or months some years in the furture where many on here (maybe even me) will be forced to eat their words. This is a good deal without a shadow of a doubt and losing one talent is eased by the knowledge that we truly are now "self funding" (ie it stuffs the muppet skate posters bleating) Whether FF is right or not, it is a very interesting co-incidence, and again time will tell how that plays out. I think some of us will have a minor raised eyebrow of suspicion, but it will be past in a blink. Our club is now stable, united, playing excellent football, with a squad of players who are fit, have quality and motivation and are supported by a superb backroom staff. Let his Alex's leaving not be a thing of ridicule of Arsene but let it show the other kids coming through - make that next step, push on this year and next season... Make AOC regret his move as he watches from the bench as we outplay the Arsenil at the Emirates

Perhaps this explains why we are "in the market" with huge bids according to that other thread 7 mil cash 5 mil add ons. We were holding out for a 40% sell on fee. Deal to be done this week http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8687344/Arsenal-to-complete-12-million-signing-of-Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain-from-Southampton.html

First time future Mrs D_P has seen us win while watching in the Pub. Lucky Lucky win (according to the Leeds fans behind us) - said with a big smile TBF. 3 total quality goals. I said it at end of last season and will say it again to those demanding we should have signed 27 new players - We ARE and we LOOK LIKE a FOOTBALL TEAM. It has been many years since that has happened. Martin - an awful moment while we tried to play keep ball, after that he recovered and played very well - look again at the replay of the almost through on goal moment in the 2nd half - he got to the ball before Fonte & nicked it, was also very unlucky not to score. Sure we need better but he played well. Stand out though was one player who simply seemed to be everywhere - Jack Cork MoM for us in the pub. The goals - total quality - we all thought the first was RLSGM the way Hammo battled past the players and placed it so well from 25/30 yards out - Lallana's yup made Messi look... if only he had hit his second chance ANYWHERE apart from at the keeper. Grayson looked like he had been hit in the face with a dozen wet kippers - he didn't see that coming. We had about 10 txt's from Arab mates who watched the game and said WTF this Really Good Team. Deep down had hoped we could put in a performance like that but with history & the like never expected it. VERY long way to go but feck me, what a great start, absolutely buzzing tonight.

Anyone drifting through this way, game is on Al Jazeera Sports +10 in English & +5 in Arabic. EoA is working so has to stay home & can only listen to first half. A gaggle of us will be heading for Goodfellas in Downtown Bur Dubai (The OLD one) on KbW St if anyone passing through or new to town

Passed through Monterey about 6 years ago. Found the harbour. We had time to kill. I decided to take a Whale watching trip to kill some time expecting to spend 4 hours being moaned at by the ex wife (as usual) After 2 hours I was on target. After 2 hours and 2 minutes the rest of the time turned into the greatest and most memorable travel moment of my or (to date still) my kids) We were surrounded by Blue & Hump Back Whales. At one point I could have stepped off the boat onto the back of a Hump Back. We got covered in Spume, (stank like a Poopey fan for a day) the kids took video that would have been good enough for The Discovery Channel & I got the photo of my life with the whole Humpback tail Flike picture. My only regret from that day. I had an Analogue Canon SLR & only 3 rolls of film. Possibly THE most amazing thing I have ever done, especially as I remember as a Kid seeing the stuffed Blue Whale at the Natural History Museum and being told they were "all but extinct" and we had 10 or more of them around us that day. Under No circumstances miss that opportunity

The interesting point of issue in the court cases may not be anything to do with 'Arry or Milan, but possible indications that monies may have been paid to a player in manner that may not be compliant.... (A method of trying to be obscure to avoid being deleted) If this sort of practice was under investigation in a court of law it is quite likely that it would not be premitted within the FA rules. Dodgy payments to players or Agents is much more likely to be a thing to worry about when it comes to points deductions. there are really strong reasons why FA rules expect everything to be clean and above board. Who knows if 'Arry will be in for a spot of Ornithology would be amusing for us, but the remains of a smoking gun would be worth much closer attention methinks as far as the future squad size or other possible fines & penalties. Of coure I'm sure new owners would then go through lengthy appeals processes, possibly all the way up to CAS. Looks good for the next few months. Now to get my fricking credit card delivered AGAIN so I can re-activate Paypal

Sometimes pedantry can actually have comic timing beauty. Nice one

First time you've been wrong mate. It should read - It's a nailed on certainty

That's all well & good Crabby. but please, tell us what you really think about them. This namby pampy PC nonsense you've posted just doesn't seem to reflect your true feelings

His heart was in the right place. Well I guess not compared to normal sized people but he is Saints through & through And did get off his ass and try and do stuff to help fans get to Wembley Just a shame he managed to put his fingers in gear before engaging his brain and was touchier than Alps

I read today about the NHS Computer System. 11 billion quid. been running for years. 7 Billion spent already and it can never work. Wonder how useful that spare cash would have been for front line services right now. Forget the Political Arguments about Cutting vs Taxing, even the economists can't work out what to do. One thing that is clear. China now owns most of the planet.

It is not a one man publicity stunt, nor is it a new Mail only issue. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23436203-sharia-law-row-archbishop-is-in-shock-as-he-faces-demands-to-quit-and-criticism-from-lord-carey.do Archbishop of Canterbury faced calls to resign in 2008 http://www.spittoon.org/archives/6734 http://www.wluml.org/node/6422 2010 Articles http://my.telegraph.co.uk/riteman/tag/creeping-acceptance-sharia-law-of/ Telegraph 2011 before the Mail article http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/jul/05/sharia-law-religious-courts The Guardian There is an ongoing campaign driving this, these are just a few seconds worth of googling. One nutter put his name to a poster campaign, but the point is that Zones or let's face it Inner City Areas have people actively campaigning. These guys put it much more eloquently than I could http://neilandcaz.blogspot.com/2011/07/sharia-zones-in-britain.html This is not a new debate

Actually, it's been a long time since I was in the Uk and have missed some of the recent changes in society, but I was sure that Spec Savers still existed. perhaps you could voyage there, get some help, read the OP about ZONES, and then see that I actually posted that I support the FREEDOM to use any relevant applicable law, I even quoted the example of Sharia Divorces. And before you ask, it was only YOU who is advocating banning anything that currently exists and is legal. So Mr perfect, do you believe that the exclusive Sharia Law Zones you are so clearly supportive of should be no-go areas for the British Police? Clearly as UK law is not accepted there, do you believe that the UK should now recruit Mutawa? or should your taxes be increased in order to allow the existing UK Police to operate two strictly different legal systems? Would the UK Sharia Zones permit worship at a Christian Church within it's boundaries? Or a Jewish Synagoue? Many Muslim Countries have both

They do. They also get fined and jailed in the UK Just have to get caught. Asian & Eastern European Females require a Visa to enter Dubai. They require a sponsor for that. Who are the primary sponsors for those visas? Certain Hotels? Who tends to own those hotels? Wealthy locals. One thing that has been learnt recently is that nobody should ever lecture about MORALITY, everywhere is corrupt. Verbal. Sharia courts exist in the UK - they are required to rule on matters, the most common one being Divorce under Islam. Equally here, I can use the sevices of an English Court, Scottish Wedding Service to alter my status or in matters affecting me my family or my business. NOWHERE have I made a point about BANNING the use of multiple legal systems Shame you just jumped in, the issue article & OP is about whether areas should have a law IMPOSED on it that is NOT the complete law of the land. Iran has Sharia Law. Do you support the right for a suburb of an English City to have ONLY Sharia Law overseen by an extreme Iranian cleric cutting off people's hands for shoplifting? Who decides what extent of Sharia law is imposed? Do you intend to support Sunni Interpretation, Wahibi? or Shia? Perhaps you could support having Zones within Zones. I go back to the tenet I started with. If a resident of Dubai established (or even put up posters) declaring that the suburb of Jumeirah was now subject only to English Law, they would be arrested and deported. It is alien to the history and culture of the country, It is disrespectful. Likewise is it not disrespectful to decide you will ignore the law of the UK and Jail Women for being raped because they were walking through the wrong part of town?

Yeah that's the big investment budget sorted then

Yawn. No, that is corruption and a totally different argument. Also I was NOT advocating LESSONS. Simply that setting up Sharia Zones in UK must always stay illegal. In the same way putting signs up around the area where I live saying "Prostitution is legal here" would also not work. Nobody in UK obeys any laws and neither do they here - that is not the point. I cannot declare the "Independent Republic of Saints Fans" here in Dubai and make it Stone People to Death if they support any other team.

Also, quite clearly, if they had to claw back 2 grand from H&W then they obviously didn't have any travel insurance. Just checked my free with credit card policy with my bank & they said it would cover costs incurred due to delays like this one.

Agree with EoA. I went to the 1st Bahrain GP - general admission - Start/Finish Line Grandstand. Without a radio commentary you have absolutely no idea what is going on, you cannot hear any track announcements & so are reliant on watching a big screen to see what is happening. You also get to see about 12 seconds of action. Went to Practice at the first Abu Dhabi GP and there were stalls renting out out "ruggedised" portable 12 inch TV's - I mean what IS the point FFS? Now going to a GP for the craic, then that would be different you go with a bunch of mates you take in all the surrounding stuff going on and spend a bit of time in the stands but don't care what is going on so much. Did that for Le Mans about 20 years ago - that was fun & would do it again (but take earplugs) but the two GP's - nope ain't ever going again unless it is Corporate in a Box with a telly

I know I was away for only a week but that posting style sure seems to be familiar but I really cannot put my finger on where i may have seen it before but it is a very positive slant on all things saints and almost like a now who was it again I wonder

Missed a phrase out, sorry - you're right it reads wrong. (Bloody hard to find an example/context that doesn't drag up the sex on the beach due ) Trying to re-word it but in simple terms down here - you do something "alien" or try and impose a ramadan free zone - woosh, free economy class ticket in handcuffs. It is against the LAW If we are to be "equal" then if somebody tried to establish an anti-British law/culture zone back home, in the interests of "Equality" should be the same - woosh go back to where you are allowed to do that by LAW.

The incredibly simple fact is one of EQUALITY. I live in a Muslim land. I am allowed freedom to support my Cultural believes (going down the Pub to watch football, eating Bacon Sarnies) and I am allowed to go to Church (Weddings & Funerals for me, but many go regularly). I am allowed to Marry & Divorce by choosing whether I want to use UK Law (so feck off to UK to do it) or Islamic Law - go convert, but they are each recognised. I can set up a Freezone Company under UK Jurisdiction & Company Law. What I and any other visitor to an Islamic country CANNOT do, is choose to ignire LOCAL laws and live under British Laws. So, if Islamic Countries don't let us have Brit Law enclaves, then in the interests of Equality, you CANNOT permit Sharia only areas in UK and anyone trying to implement them should have the same penalties as down here - Arrest and deportation to a Nation that allows you to do that.

Oh FFS. Look, we ALL know why we cannot do something like this at SMS. poopey do it and will just about find 25 mugs to make the offer work through the season at 125 quid. We do it - the demand would be Sooooooooooo high that we'd have 55,000 fans on here moaning that they never got a fair chance to sit on the bench. Alternatively, because of the demand, the package would end up on ebay each week and people would be bidding 5 or 10 grand for it and everyone would be up in arms about fans profiteering, and certain posters would then come back and argue it was only paying the ticket tax/parking/ST increases

Ah, another fan can't wait for the size 5XL Home shirts to become available.

All we need is a high calibre, experienced Sales/Marketing Manager.... Oh

Yeah right I would have been walking the league except I never noticed THAT in the small print so gave up when I realised a bunch of my score predictions were the wrong way round. Hmm maybe will give it another go just to whip EoA's ass .