Hamilton Saint

Straw man fallacy. Respond to what I actually said; don't mis-characterize what I said. Did I say anything remotely similar to "publically kissing the arse of the bloke trying to f*ck our boys over"?

"It's all about winning games of football."

To the OP. You make a lot of good points, but I don't agree that cannabis is a "gateway drug". That's like saying coffee (one drug) leads to scotch (another), because most drinkers of scotch drank coffee before they discovered the harder stuff. The war on drugs (a complete failure) has been focused primarily on cannabis, which is a relatively harmless drug. This all goes back to the 1930s (or thereabouts), when marijuana was not properly understood and categorised incorrectly. I see the war on drugs, during the last 40 years, as a highly reactionary response to the 60s counter-culture. Prohibition (against alcohol) didn't work. The war on drugs hasn't worked.

Many refs would have started their career because they were asked to ref games - because without a ref, there is no game. Then they realised they could get remunerated for participating in a game they love. Your attitude is so cynical - but shared, unfortunately, by too many people.

What a silly comment! It is the exact opposite. When someone applauds (very occasionally) a spectacular display of skill by an opponent, they are really showing respect and love for the game itself. It is the person who is unable to ever feel this magnanimous and unguarded response to competitive sport who is really "dead inside".

Abusing the ref (at the professional level) is predictable and ritualistic. Generally speaking, if your team gets the three points, the ref's OK, if you don't, the ref is inadequate. One of the unfortunate side-effects of being and avid supporter is that it often creates an irrational, tribal response - an unhealthy amount of hate and ridicule. Part of the football culture, I know, but still often OTT.

I was NOT there physically for the FA Cup Final in 1976, but there was one radio station in the Toronto area that used to broadcast the Cup Finals every year. So I listened to the game via radio and recorded the commentary on my reel-to-reel tape recorder. That 7" tape reel is in a box somewhere down in the basement.

Just remember, Nigel, that it's all about winning games of football.

What an assinine idea for a competition.

"Budweiser F.A. Cup" - have they no shame! "Barclays Premier League" - just as annoying. And then there are those public buildings (theatres, sports stadia, etc.) that are renamed after mega-corporations. F**k that!

Thanks for that interesting article. I remember getting into The Dell for 1/- back then. And the Hythe ferry cost 6d. I made the trip by myself (started going when I was about 11) - my father was not interested.

What was surprising in this latest incident was the size of the wall - only three players. There was a large amount of space on the left-side of the wall (from the kicker's perspective) for the kicker to aim around the wall. Who decides on the size of the wall, anyway? Surely, free-kicks that close to goal, from that angle, require a bigger wall?

Maybe it got delivered to that call centre in Mumbai?

wonderful Freudian slip!

I phoned my local newpaper's subscription department to let them know that the paper had not been delivered that day. I got to speak with someone in Mumbai, India. I thought that was pretty outrageous. So, I called the paper's business department to suggest they might employ local people to do that job, instead of shipping the work overseas, so that they could pay the employees less. The nice lady I talked to about this was in Kingston, Jamaica.

Well ... usually the defender is under pressure, with only a couple of seconds to kick or pass - whereas the pass back gives the goalie an extra 5 seconds, or so, to compose himself, and kick downfield. [This is my emoticon to show that this is a sincere response.]

Go "whoosh" yourself. To indicate the difference between sincerity and smart-arse sarcasm, I recommend the use of an emoticon.

"Real time"? Camera doesn't need to be level. Player in white is further away from the line than the player in red. Clearly.

Saints legend is one thing; England legend is another. But Saints AND England legend? Probably poorly-worded. I can't think of too many players still around who fit that bill.

Well, indirectly - on BBC Football he is quoted thusly: "I need 11 people with ability to put effort in. If they don't they're not going to play and I'll get 11 who do." In the same article they mention that he saved Portsmouth from relegation twice - but didn't mention his failure at SFC.

I hear he prefers to do business with brown paper bags.

Yes, an idiot. He apologised for using the word holocaust - he didn't seem to see that the problem was the ridiculous comparison he was drawing between losing a game of football and genocide.

Rooling Stones? Must be a typo - you meant Drooling Stones, right? [Just kidding - they're one of my favourite rock bands, although they've only done a few decent albums since the early 70s.]

Why the hell does Saints Player not begin until 19 minutes before the kick-off - when it's at a home game!

Yeah - a good pun there - let me think of one!