Saint Mikey

How much did Groves cost us? I can't find him on Soccerbase, or Speedie for that matter. Lists that we paid £575k for Dixon - quality ROI. Up there with Osvaldo and Ramirez - comparatively speaking. I remember watching Dixon's laboured performances, he was diabolical in a team that was desperately short of quality (Le Tissier excepted). How we managed to stay up under Branfoot, I'll never know. According to Soccerbase we also flogged Rideout that year too, for £250k. Pretty sure he would have scored more than the 1 that Dixon managed for us...

What one of arguably the best players this league's seen? One of Utd's best ever players? That may be more of a factor. Are you saying that if Ryan Giggs was black, he wouldn't have got the coaching job? I don't see Scholes at Utd anymore, or the Nevilles or Butt... Chris Ramsey now banging the same drum. I wish someone in the media would have the balls to stand up and ask some pertinent questions when this crops up in interviews. It seems you can't without being labelled a racist.

The obvious key is to get more black and ethnic people into coaching. That way over time, more will make it through to management. The point that is thrown about, that there are (x) amount of top black players in the Prem, so there should be (y) amount of black managers is a load of ****** for a number of reasons. Picking up on Turkish's point above, I think less and less top-level Pro players will become managers now, due to how much they earn. Will a player who's amassed a £40/£50m fortune decide that getting dogs abuse and working 12 hour days is worth the hassle? Look at the British managers in the Prem. Pardew, Pulis, Allardyce, Dyche, Monk, Pearson all had modest playing careers, or played at a time when there wasn't the same money in the game. All probably needed to work in football which has partly driven their motivation to succeed. Generally successful players don't make good managers. It's becoming more of a theme that people with modest playing careers are doing a better job in management, again prob a desire for achievement. They are, of course, exceptions - Guardiola being a prime example. I just can't see that in a game where a club like ours, who go to great lengths to gain an advantage by even taking custom made mattresses to away games, would allow the colour of someone's skin or their race to be any sort of factor in the decision making process. If we did, we'd potentially be handing this advantage to an opposition.

I think this attitude genuinely hurts the prospects of black and ethnic managers. Same as Ince who had a couple of decent appointments in the bottom division followed by 3 failures. He moaned he had to start at the bottom, yet has proved he was only good enough for the bottom league. The stats show that very few black players take coaching badges (in comparison). So, they're bound to be under-represented in the game. This attitude screams of entitlement though, especially when backed by a record like Barnes has. There are plenty of white British coaches who got one chance as a Mgr and that's it. Les Reed springs to mind, as does Ricky Sbragia and I can't see John Carver getting a Mgr's job.

We are so weak at CB. Not just now, but in years to come. Who else is coming through? Deir? Chambers maybe. Anyone else? Smalling and Phil 'Bryan Robson' Jones haven't turned out to be the answer and I can't see either suddenly turning into anything like the quality of recent years. To think at one point we had Terry, Rio, Campbell, King, Woodgate, Carragher kicking around. No-one is anything near the quality of these players, and we still won f'all with them!

Urban Dictionary: No mark: Also commonly used in Merseyside to describe an underacheiver, with no friends, no ambition, no job, but who often has illusions that he is someone or thinks he's important.

You really are one angry, jumped up little internet warrior aren't you?! I wasn't accusing you, I was asking a question to continue the debate. Of course, anyone with low self-esteem would see that as a dig and go on a massive rant... Can I ask what you are doing personally to help the eradication of sexism? Or are you just working on aggressive posturing on message boards instead and trying to appear holier than thou? Massive sense of humour failure with regards to iansums comment too. You've spent too much time trying to blow smoke up the asses of forum no-marks like Coxford Lou and lapping up the compliments. Take a look at yourself.

KRG, what exactly is it you want? No sexism at all? As pointed out, that is unrealistic and probably never going to happen. All we can really expect is to try and get the overall majority of attitudes to change. This is what is happening, but you can't expect a dramatic change of attitude when you've had 100s of years learned behavior instilled in people. All you can do is gradually educate and change people, so generation after generation it becomes better. Society has to evolve gradually. When you enforce massive change on society it doesn't bode well and usually sets that society back (look at Communism for an example, or any sort of Dictatorship for that matter).

I wouldn't say we live in a sexist society. I would call Saudi Arabia a sexist society. No doubt improvements need to be made, but society as a whole (in this country at least) has come a long way since even the 90s. Looking back at what was acceptable in the 70s & 80s, is laughably different. Things will change gradually for the good, but there won't be a sea-change overnight. It's just important that we keep heading in the right direction with education and awareness. Applies the same to all prejudices, racism, sexual orientation etc. etc.

You didn't say did you. Nah, you're OK - you can see my views here: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?44373-Charity&highlight=charity#.VQGe7vmsX78

So you want to do a skydive, but want other people to pay for it? Begging - masquerading as a charity event.

Top 5 Big Time Charlies: 1. Brando 2. Ince (Paul) 3. Gallagher (Noel) 4. Crowe 5. Beattie (James)

That's an amazingly simplistic view you've taken there and shows a complete lack of understanding. So simplistic, I'd even call it idiotic. It's not just people from Pakistan who are called Pakis, is it? It's people from India, Bangladesh, the Philippines etc. etc. It's the connotations of the word, it's what it implies that is the problem and what people are offended by. You're not offended by being called a Brit, because it's not supposed to be offensive. Calling someone a Paki is a derogatory word that is meant to be offensive. Same as the 'n' word.

This thread is steeped in nostalgia. Top 5 from historical chat sites (in no particular order): 1. Amygate 2. Ted Bates statue 3. Javi: 'I keeel you' 4. Paul Allen & the yacht spotters 5. Other takeover related characters: Mickey Fialka, Barry the Briefcase, St David, Marc Jackson, Helpme Rhonda

What's the betting that they 'appear' to have made a modest profit, cued by a lot of back-slapping and sick induced articles from Nobhead Neil.

Also because they need to be there by a certain time and this curtails the most lucrative time of night, when people are out on the lash.

This is a tough one and one of Society's major problems. Things is, if you went all out with a draconian policy of no begging and banged anyone up who did so - do you think this would stop people taking drugs? I'd take a guess that if you did, then muggings, burglaries etc would go up, as addicted users found a way to pay for their habit. I try not to give to beggars on the street, as it isn't really helping them (certainly given the evidence above). However, sometimes I buy one a coffee or choc bar or something - as I'm not a complete heartless bast@rd! I also used to think that no-one had a excuse to be homeless in this country with the Gov safety net, but have wizened up to the fact that people find themselves homeless for a whole variety of reasons and in an awful lot of cases it can be an un-diagnosed mental health issue (depression being the leading candidate). In short. Life is not black and white - there are many shades of grey in between.

Was wondering if Le Tiss was going to get in, as he was the last player! An all English team too bar Hendry. Gave a mention to Russell Osman, who I thought was class when he played for us - but I was young then!!

Where is there an example of this utopian country in the world?

More and more in the news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30346060 I'm torn on this. Do the majority of people using these, genuinely need them - or, are they loading up with fags and booze or committing to other things they can't afford and then relying on food banks for food? This could be an ignorant view, so interested to hear what other people's opinions are...

Which club has had a 100% success rate on transfers over a prolonged period of time? We've had a fair few duds since the ML takeover, but the successes far outweigh the failures - that constitutes a successful transfer policy.

This surely has more to do with the fact that this was a big part of Hitler's propaganda to blame the Jews in Germany for the economic problems at the time, helping him to turn Germans against Jewish Germans? The message was basically, you've got no money or businesses because the Jews have taken it all and we are going to take it all back and you will help us. Voicing this sort of opinion, when we know everything that happened in the aftermath of this, means people instantly link the two.

Why wasn't there the same clamour when Lee Hughes and Luke McCormick re-signed for clubs? Everytime I saw Hughes do that god-awful goal celebration I thought what a massive kick in the teeth for the family of the bloke he killed. However, this precedent has been set. Why should Evans be treated differently?

Good thread. I have the same memories! Didn't they also use Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street at some point?

Who the f**k is Déjàn Lovren? Who the f**k is Adam Lallana? Who the f**k is Pochettino? When the Saints go marching on, on, ON!