Whitey Grandad

Any government that takes more than 50% of the national production is communist in my book.

We can only cover official positions. Unfortunately there are a few million parents out there who do not provide the loving protective environment that we would all like to see.

Very wise, although that is to protect you from accusations as much as to protect the children from harm.

Not absurd at all, and if you put your trust entirely in such a sytem then you are taking and enormous risk with children's saftey. Sadly, I do not believe that checking criminal history will prevent further abuses from happening, any more than I believe that having a Health and Safety Act will make any of us healthier or safer.

There's nothing wrong with that. The British public was better fed during rationing (before my time, by the way). But I have never said that we should not be saware of the potential for abuse, rather that we should not go creating monsters where none exist. I do not believe that a blanket CRB check will stop abuses, any more than a body scan at airports will stop terrorist attacks. We must never confuse activity with action.

Even I don't think that's what I was saying.

That's always the dilemma. The problem is that you end up with a society where everybody is a suspect, where everybody is looking over their shoulder to see who is watching them, where nobody is willing to take a chance or to take responsibility for making a decision. A society where everybody is living in fear, real or imaginary.

'The price of peace is eternal vigilance'

Sadly, I don't believe that any of these checks are going to make life safer for the children.

I've just got mine out and had a look at it (no, behave!). It includes: Position applied for: FOOTBALL REFEREE - CHILDRENS Name of employer - HAMPSHIRE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION I still need to the the Child Protection course before I can get back to refereeing, even though I only do adults' games. The argument given is that there might be a player who is under 18, yet the other 21 players don't need a CRB :confused: It's another reason why you can't get the refs today, not that they are all paedophiles, just that it's another obstacle to overcome.

Both statements are correct, but the second does not relate to the first

There I beg to differ. He hangs back and crosses from far too deep. He doesn't have the pace to overlap.

There's the penalty for an obvious one. Every game there are several occasions where he is caught out of position. When we are moving upfield he tends to ball-watch and doesn't position himself to cover his winger and often when our attack breaks down they just one-two the ball past him. Against Luton he went over to our left to cover their right-winger who then just skipped past him and put the ball across goal for that incredible miss. Against Exeter he left his post for their goal. I could go on all night. I use to play at right-back (not as well as him) so I take a special interest in the position. I think he is a much better midfielder and we are losing his services at right-back. There must be plenty of under-employed defenders out there and at least one of them must be available. We have let in 29 goals in 24 games whereas Leeds have conceded 14. That is the standard that we should be aiming for and we are not going to achieve it with James, he's is just not a natural full-back.

I find the support on here incredible. He is patently not up to the job as RB. he is too slow and has no postional sense and He gets skinned regularly. He is an obvious taregt for any oppposition team that has done its Homework. None of this is his fault, but that is what he is. As a midfielder he is a much better proposition and I have often said so but please, please, please can we have a RB soon?

Well done. I hope you didnt park on the double yellow lines. [-X

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is closed today and tomorrow: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/rh/closed.htm

And not even get paid :confused:

That's getting to sound like East Germany. After the re-unification they had terrrible troubles adjusting to the new western ways. Previously everything had been arranged for them, work, housing, food, clothing, even leisure.

Great signing! Next?

Great news! A permanent signing, not a loan. Is he cup-tied in anything?

Indeed. Parents have a lot to answer for...

My dad was a Londoner born in 1918 and being the youngest of his family they all called him 'nipper'.

Nipper comes from the Navy, so I'm told. In the days of sail, when raising an anchor they used two capstans linked by an endless loop of rope. The anchor cable (big rope) was tied or 'nipped' to the endless loop with smaller pieces of cord. Small boys would run alongside the cable as it was hauled in repeatedly tying and untying the cords. They were called nippers.

Anything about snow?

I knew that. This is an interesting proposition: http://osmoticpower.com/ Perhaps we could use the frozen fresh water to generate energy? It would be even more efficient because the temperature difference could also be exploited.