dubai_phil

He did put a pretty obvious (ain't gonna happen) string to the offer. And the PL did veto it straight away (along with the transfer window) So it leaves them waiting for a take over

Oi!

FWIW having been lucky enough to have spent time close to and spoken with the man himself when he played regularly down here. Tiger is no longer just a man, he is a corporation, he has become the first "sporting" billionaire not only through ability but by what he and his team have managed to make his brand. The human in him showed itself with his "weaknesses" - to be honest IMHO I view him in a better light as a result, he IS human after all, not a machine. Would the human HAVE to make that speech? No of course not Was the speech about his home life? No of course not Was it about Tiger the Corporation? - well yes obviously AT FIRST SIGHT, it is clearly about laying the ground work for the Tiger Brand to come back into play and make a lot of money for a lot of people, and also about keeping drunk numpties mouths shut on golf courses in future tournaments. But the interesting comment in this was actually from the PGA themselves when they explained it was a part of his therapy. Now we all know the Yanks are crazy for their therapists.... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/tigerwoods/7271840/Tiger-Woods-deeply-sorry-for-irresponsible-and-selfish-behaviour.html So does it make a difference to us mere humans that Tiger apologised? Nope. It's all about the sponsors which means Marketing Executives, which means MBA's which means he had to do it because they teach it to people at College that you shouldn't be human..

If he does he'd fit in well with those mars bars munchers as nick explained earlier

Ok so that's a No then. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/portsmouth/7273077/Portsmouth-denied-lifeline-after-Premier-League-turn-down-request-to-sell-players.html Blimey, common sense prevailed And nice to see that the Telegraph has joined our ever growing readership Good scoop chaps I know I read it on here about 20 pages ago!

To go to the cricket or listen on-line to the game... If it was just that choice then cricket would win, but missing the game AND this thread.... No way

Pompey Fans would feel really at home here..... Just like a Saturday at Nottarf The stadium And as for the local typical cricketing spectator, well, make your own minds up - I support India and anyone who is playing Pakistan

And most enjoyable it was too. Doubt it even registered on the radar for any but the most rabid cricket fans back home. We only noticed because they spent a fortune advertising it everywhere. Dubai Cricket Stadium 25,000 seat is absolutely a perfect venue to watch a game of cricket in (unless you understand that history & cricket are interlinked of course). Two tiers, superb lighting system and seats that are banked steeply enough to give a good view and have legroom. In the middle of a building site, total mess of parking unless you paid the extra 2.50 to park by the Stadium. No booze unless you pay 500 pounds per ticket for VVIP and an astonishingly annoying army of little chappies and chapesses demanding that you buy crisps, donuts, Chai (tea) every 20 seconds. The Pakistani fans are (like all SE Asian fans) absolutely nuts. Make the Brit fancy dress crews look as sane as... leaping up doing Bollywood dance routines (jeez) and the noise was just great. Shame the stadium was less than a quarter full but good to see lots of little huddles of England fans around and lots of chicks being taken out for the day. Pitch seemed a belter IF you took your time and played yourself in. I was made to sound like a complete guru as before the game I was trying to explain how Asian teams often play with more emotion than with guile and of course they proved that point when they batted first with some horrific shot selection. They got back in some sort of shape through the middle of the innings but were always 20 or 30 runs short of making England sweat. Until we came to bat, Trott played a shot that would get you abuse in a village game, Denly survived a stupid run out appeal when backing up too far only to be out next ball tamely clipping to midwicket, never mind we thought Colly & KP will batten down the hatches but no Colly gets run out going for a stupid 2nd and yuk we are 18/3. And that was game over. Morgn dropped anchor, KP nurdled it with power until the game was almost won and then Morgan opened his shoulders and played some stunning shots - the winning 6 landed in the upper tier. The highest ever England T20 partnership, but MOST amazingly, I have now seen England play 3 ODI's down here and they've never LOST! Took the Polish GF. She totally doesn't get cricket on the telly. I got grumbles about paying 20 quid instead of 10 quid to sit in the upper tier, grumbles about it lasting 3 hours and..... She loved it. Now have to get her a Barmy Army shirt of her own. She couldn't believe how fast the game is live, how fast the ball goes and how amazing some of the catches & fielding is (look out for (I think) Stuart Broad's catch at backward point - Jonty Rhodes at his best wouldn't have got close). So, astonishingly England showed Pakistan how to play T20 a professional, no panic ground out team performance. 2nd match tomorrow, won't go as it clashes with the Norwich game and I'd rather have happy memories of England winning (twice in a row is pretty unlikely let's face it!) Overall? A surprisingly good day out, only minor grumble was that there is nowhere you are allowed to hang flags in the upper tier so had to drape it across our row of seats and BOY it is weird watching cricket with NO BEER Dubai will no doubt be a part of an eventual UAE push to hold a World Cup and for facilities and viewability it is a fantastic stadium. Won't ever be Lords, or even the Rosebowl though

Wow, at least I did something productive this evening - Barmy Army Barmy Army Damned good evening at the cricket, only downside is that it took me longer than the game lasted to catch up on here. Looks like the winds have changed on the fire sale concept.. One minor nail in the coffin for those clinging to the "HMRC will not want to lose money line" as to why they could avoid liquidation.... The players (on ludicrous salaries) will become free agents. A proportion will be taken on by English Clubs (no doubt a special dispensation WOULD get approved there with the PFA helping) Which would mean that the HMRC would actually get paid the taxes on their future earnings that the skates won't be paying when they can't pay the wages. I go back to my mantra - for the Board it is about buying time, every trick. So they cannot appeal a Winding Up order? No problem get enough Storries out there and get just cause to go to the House of Lords, The European Court, CAS, just BUY TIME. As Claridge said last night 20 years since he played and NOTHING has been done at the club, EVERY decision has been about the short term. Hand to Mouth. Must download a photo from today if I get time, made us lol when a blue few comment was added to it. Oh and Thanks to The Colonel for wading in - I feel quite chirpy that I managed to upset Hohoho quite so much. Sweet

Oh goodie, looks like FIFA and the EPL will come to the party and help. Great news for those who don't want to see them die, but who wish to see them endure a period of suffering at least half as long as ours. It'll also mean we get some new baby threads, sort of Son of The Takeover thread as the contagion and the law suits grow and everyone scrambles for the Me Too button. Oh, and don't worry Ho & Co, we'll be on here with as much venom and analysis once either Liverpool or Manure decide to join the going pop party. (Or more likely Wigan, Newcastle or Bolton) Typical selfishness on your behalf though. this whole mess is nothing to do with just you, it is about the future of English Football. The EPL is killling the rest of the football industry by sucking it dry through greed. Just your bad luck (and our good fortune) that you are the Martyrs for the greater good. The corruption of the finances of football is an opinion I and many others have held and commented on consistently for a great long time now. FWIW you keep missing - Directors have a legal and moral obligation called a Duty of Care to their Stakeholders, your idiots forgot that, we didn't. At least some like Mero understand that - perhaps you lot should all be out waving cash under Storries nose, might get more sympathy then. Anyway off to watch Colly's boys vs the Ball Munchers for a few hours, should be fun surrounded by 20,000 Pakistani fans, good thing is their banter responses will be far more intellectual than some on here. Now, where did I put my Flag?

Ah ha, following the comments from Claridge last night, and zillions of hours of Forensic & Detective work by the serious dudes acting as on the spot reporters and a very low cost translator we believe we have now come to the crux of the matter. Some time in 2008 ring ring... Priveat Pop Priveat Sasha, I have a problem and I need your help. Sure Pop, what's up? I have many troubles but I need urgently $50million in cash. Why of course pop. I will get it for you, do you need a guarantee for a loan? No son I really need the cash. OK, if I sell that football club I can get back about $45mil in money they owe me, the rest should be easy. You can do that son? I'll only need it for about a year and then you can have it back with interest, but if I don't get it then the family could be in big trouble. Done, I know an Arab Billionaire - he bought Man City so should be sorted in a couple of days. Which is why, at every turn, the Directors at the club have got it wrong. Blood is thicker than Community Spirit, History and prestige. It matters not whether Pop owned the club, it mattered that he needed help from his family. Which is again why these latest rescheduling and doing a deal on the debt ideas will not work. Want to save the club? Find a way to give Sasha his money back, securitise the debt, guarantee a loan, but you won't negotiate it. My thanks to a few mates from that part of the world for making it all so crystal clear

Meanwhile the Guardian Story http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/19/portsmouth-ownership-victor-cattermole Has some interesting points 1) That's a relief then - their plan is exactly the same one that Storrie has been working on all season - just survive and use NEXT years' money to pay off debts. Not a hint of NEW investment, just MORE talk of doing a deal with Chanrai & Gaydamak. Oh and good to see it has nothing to do with anyone involved in Property Development... oh then 2) So Fahim's lawyers believe the company is insolvent and his lawyers are getting his potential second legal defence into the Public Domain. And 3) ORLY? Finally. Well done it's only taken them since May. Still as my spat with pfc points out, it is GOOD that there is now some focus on the real culprits rather than blaming the authorities. Oh, and just one tiny little minor teensy weensy little point. Due Dilligence. It is a TWO WAY process. The buyer uses it to "Caveat Empor" (which SBT didn't do) BUT the Officers of a business ALSO are supposed to use it to ensure that a takeover is in the Interests of the Business. Professional company Directors would examine all the facts before making a recommendation to shareholders as to the benefits to a business & shareholders of a new owner. ie STORRIE TELLER should be doing Due Dilligence NOW on Victor Cattermole, not just the other way around. And IF SBT is to blame then so are the Company Directors who have a duty to ensure that the business is not sold to a clown prince.

Ah that's good news for the few then. Victor will clearly have no problem passing the FAPL's FAPPT, fits right in

Wow, thanks for proving my point so eloquently. Shame you totally mamanged to miss the point about the fundamental DIFFERENCE between the two situations. You lot have spent your time looking for someone to BLAME. We spent our time MOANING, but still trying to do something - protests, boycotts and debate (although the debates were often toxic) As for the Holding Company - West Ham's holding company were in Admin for much of this season - how come in your quest for blame you haven't tried to mount a campaign to have them given the same punishment as Southampton? It was nothing to do with people having MBA's (More Bloody Arrogant) it was the fact that WE blamed the people responsible for their actions. We did not go around ignoring the culprits (by singing there's only One Rupert Lowe) and we DIDN'T go around blaming - the FA, the FL, FIFA, The Media. Your Board, and your fans SLEEPWALKED into this mess. The PROOF - you could have sold players two weeks ago and NOW you are begging to be helped. You should be stringing your Board up from the stands for utter incompetence WTF were they thinking of should have been the #1 comment at that forum, NOT "It's a media conspiracy". Your Board's solution has been "It wasn't me" "I didn't Do it", this regulation doesn't apply to me. That is kindergarten stuff, way before college level, and THAT is why you are not getting much symapthy. Puerile abuse isn't needed, just go to specsavers and READ before Ranting next time.

And after she's been on IT you can get her to make a nice refreshing Prawn Coktail (effing swear filter)

Arrgh It's 1:15 am There's an Arabic Wedding going on in one of the "Big" Arabic villas. All dancing and banging of their walking sticks... Like we can complain to the cops about the loud music.... Even earplugs aren't working Making me stressed out - makes it worse grr

You should check it out in the safety of home first and see how you get on with a Prawn ****tail (rather than in a box at Wembley) This part of the world FP is almost an occupational hazard, strangely the worst I've had was from Salami that had gone off, but hey ho we learn Oh and time to write a letter to the place you ate them, be polite, point out that you enjoyed the evening but that they should check their processes and suppliers just to be sure that the same problem doesn't affect future clients. (I use the same trick with airlines - always gets an upgrade on your next flight in your case should get you a voucher from the restaurant - polite, supportive but pointing out they should check their kitchen or their suppliers in case others aren't as lucky)

Ah so THAT's why the Observer/Grauniad has a lot about the few being saved... The Sports reporter is a skate http://www.portsmouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=188741

A Burnley rant http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/feat/edb1/this_parrot_is_no_more_497391/index.shtml Bit incoherent but the sentiment seems to be growing

You were lucky. An ex bought some at Borough Market, was feeling ill within 3 hours, called NHS direct within 4 hours and was admitted to hospital within 5 hours for the night. It's the chemical one Dog mentioned that is really bad. And the good news is - it can cause a total shellfish intolerance in your system. A mate has that, even a shrimp paste used in Tom Yan Goong (Spicy Thai soup) can have him in hospital inside 2 hours Have some shrimps somewhere safe before your next holiday just in case

Kaymer is in good form, had an excellent Desert Swing, McIlroy won't win he has been suffering from a pulled muscle in his lower back (spoke aboout it to his Dad during his final round here they reckon on the quiet it will take a month or so to recover) Luke Donald is playing really well, not sure he has the edge to win it, it has taken a while to get back from his wrist injury and he hasn't been in contention for a while Having been standing next to Chubby Chandler & Team W******d on the back of the 9th when he lost the playoff down here the body language was major league hacked off. If he has got his new clubs working then he could be a threat, but the feeling with my mates in the EPGA media centre was that the Brits who stayed down here the extra week for the Desert Classic rather than having extra time in the US in their conditions would struggle. Will Casey's 3/4 swing give him more control or will he need that extra edge? Poults could do it if he comes through today's match he has the focus

I enjoyed that show. As I said at the time I started to feel sorry for Terry the Builder until he decided to bring "The Class War" card into play. The amazing thing is that when we went into admin we were split as fans into many sub-factions, not just pro or anti's but also pro - anti happy clappy's. The fact was however that just about every single fan understood that we were in trouble, took time to understand what had happened and why and that even young KIDS were able to grasp the nettle and make things like protest marches happen. (Hell even I still try and take some credit for Portaloo becoming resigned only a few hours after my letter to the Echo was published.) The fact is we understood and we debated and heck even our wives, girlfriends, mums and grannies knew the score. What's more, even though we still cannot really agree on who was to blame, we all know one thing - It happened in OUR Boardroom and it was the fault of officiers of OUR club. But to listen to the few tonight, especially that bloke on "we're a better deal than West Ham - (I bet he was the Dad of the kid photographed jumping up and down on the thin ice) - I just have to for the VERY first time make one simple statement I think that they have got the club they deserved. Hope they get out of it with a 25 point penalty next season, but it seems less likely. Ford Open Prison for Storrie teller? No, that's way too good for him, think PES's post from earlier today showed what he really deserves for what he did to the fans. Shame (most of them) didn't have the wits to see it

Many many years ago I had a business lunch up near Staines. Got food poisoning Went to the docs, he did the tests and turned out to be Salmonella I had no proof of where I ate, no receipt copy or anything else, just the medical report. I was called back by the Doc about two weeks later to say that he had received a note of thanks and that the Health Inspectors had checked the place and fined them. Astonishingly about a month after I was ill I received a cheque for 50 quid and a letter of apology. So Yes get down to Asda. For their Customer Service department tell them you were advised on a popular internet forum, show them what you had bought. At the worst they will say sorry, if they have any brains they'll give you a voucher that you will then come on here and tell everyone about which for Asda is good marketing practice. (Oh BTW did the posioning affect your sleep patterns? The other thread will want to know)

Rumour has it that he phoned the club with a genuine buyer with enough cash to rebuild the entire infrastructure of the club. Unfortunately they mistook him for the photocopier salesman that they owed money to and refused to take the call

Let's have a guess at that one shall we? He's a British National & Passport holder. He currently lives overseas. In Israel Yep that would make sense, the only way their intelligence services can get hold of all the paperwork they need to tidy up their little organised crime mess