The Kraken

This is going round in circles. Best to leave it and agree to disagree. I'm obvously right,though......

Cheers Roadie.

Of course its right now. It has to be. You can't go back over a few seasons, otherwise you rule out players who've been good in this league but either gone off the boil, or who have been promoted. And you're ruling Lambert out from your selection criteria simply because he hasn't played in this division before. Any poll of best player is going to be on a right now basis rather than looking at previous years. Otherwise the question would be "who has consistently been the best player in the Championship over the past 3 or 4 years". That isn't the question being asked. It is "who is the best player", as in of today.

Honestly? Right now I'd say van Persie. If I was putting together a Premier League XI they'd perhaps play up front together, but RVP's record this season has been incredible and he's been (for my money) the best striker in the league by some distance. So if I had to say, who is the better player, right now I'd say the Dutchman. Of course, this typE of reasoning means that opinions can change quite regularly.

Well I'm sure I don't understand that logic. Its all very well having been good in a certain league over previous years. But any poll of "who is the best player in the league" relies on current form, not past form over previous years. Its a bit like saying Frank Lampard is the best player in the Premier League right now, as he's proved it over so many previous years.

Did the Football League get their awards wrong then? Someone should tell RL he needs to give his trophy to Peter Whittingham, if that's the case.

Correct. Around 70% of the nicotine "withdrawal" effect has gone after 48 hours without smoking. 100% has gone after one week off cigarettes. Most people struggle to give up due to the habit-forming nature of smoking, not the actual physical addicition. This book got me to quit (and millions others too). Changes the entire way you look at smoking.

Probably also in the opinion of those who voted him Football League Player of the Year. I'd have thought so, anyway.

But calling people "mongs" is ok?

You're a sick man if you want to see that.

Poor form.

Who called you a c*nt?

:lol:

Nonetheless a bet is a bet. Funds to the Saints Foundation? And please stop using the word "mong". Its entirely unnecessary and insulting, but not in the way that you want it to be.

Great stuff. Pretty much every time you've made a prediction its gone spectacularly wrong. A good omen for the Saints. And I'll happily meet that bet.

Indeed. We're on a downwards spiral to 17th. Glad to see the other chuckle brother has shown up.

No irony here. No siree.

You never know, they might appreciate the peace.

Are the football club stopping you from being able to do that then?

Thankfully one letter in the Echo is not indicative of the opinions of the whole of the city. Anyone I know has embraced the idea of the German Market. If memory serves me right, it's not actually called the German Market any more, I'm pretty sure they bill it as a "World Market" or some such nonsense. Which kind of dilutes it a bit; its all about the gluhwein and wieners for me..... As for your question, it is indeed a difficult question how the club decide who to hold a minute's silence for. Our club has decided to have an all encompassing All Saints Day, to remember the passing of all those who have passed away in the year. But it is a fact that, the more "standing" a person has in the club, the greater the need will be for the fans to have a public service of its own.

I think in certain instances the club definitely has a role to play. The two firefighters that died a few years back is a point in case; it affected many people in the city. As a consequence a minute's silence at the stadium was more than appropriate at the time; it allowed many people who felt quite emotive about it to pay their respects there and then. It was also very moving to see the reaction of the fire-fighters at St. Mary's station on the way to the game, and in a sense it galvanised the public. The Titanic; it was a complete disaster and tragedy, absolutely no denying that. And we should never forget what happened. But there is no emotional attachment to it for the vast majority of those attending St. Mary's; and a lot of people feel they or the club don't "need" to pay their respects in such a formal and public way. That may sound harsh and a bit cold, but I agree with you, grief shouldn't be compulsory in this case. And looking down on those who feel this way certainly doesn't make you a better person, that's for sure.

To be fair, I don't believe you have to have met someone to feel affected by their passing; it would be a sad state if that were the case. Although in terms of your other point, you're probably correct.

I don't understand the NIMBY analogy, I think all anyone is suggesting is that there are more appropriate ways and venues in Southampton to show respects than at a football match. And I find claiming superiority from grief-comparison a worrying trait, but you're welcome to your opinion.

But all you're doing is assuming the worst in people; that they don't have as much depth of feeling as you do. And that because they don't care as much it makes them inferior. I'm sure if there is a minute's silence, it will immculately upheld. If there isn't, then there are opportunities for people who want to pay their respects in other, more appropriate venues around the city. Newspaper and television coverage will ensure that pretty much everyone is aware of the date,a nd they can choose to show their respect in a way appropriate to them. It doesn't show a lack of respect or community that there isn't a huge petition for the football club to formally mark the occasion, and the fact that a significant amount of people aren't personally affected by it shouldn't be a stick to beat them with IMO.

Is this what all that stupid talk of a takeover of the club ( ? £25M for £33M of shares !?) was really about ? There have been rumours about a snow dome there for years now; I'd be utterly amazed if it happened. Indoor ski centres have their peak times on Saturdays; as does St Mary's. Traffic chaos, closed roads etc mean that it must be the least viable location in the whole city for such a venture.