Micky

This. Parents do p's and q's, academy do soccer skills. Manners cost nothing - my parents used to say. Clip round the lug 'ole for elbows on table, not saying thank you, not respecting your elders...! Seriously though, good manners do start at home - though I suspect that the academy do train the boys in media issues, and as the op says have done a good job on the likes of Oxo, Theo and GB.

Couldn't agree more. About 15 years ago coached young kids here in England and in Germany, even then the difference was frightening. Absolutely hate the saying "put your boot through it" - rife while I was coaching kids over here, and I bet you now that I could walk around the parks on a Sat / Sun as the kids are playing and hear it time and time again, still. In Germany, worked with kids who were taught to make their first touch their last touch where possible - they were not encouraged to turn or run, simply control, set, pass and move. It instils the basics, they play the way they are facing, they know that they have to support the ball and they know that they should have good options when they recieve the ball. I don't think this is second nature in England - we do tend to try the "over the top" route (hoof it) more than our continental neighbors. All very well if you have caught them on the hop, and have the likes of Theo to run in behind them - but very one dimensional and how often are you going to catch good side getting caught that high. Thought the young lads did ok tonight - but it was more about effort, workrate and endeavour that got us the draw tonight. (Don't think Scott Parker can keep putting in that level of physical effort) What we lacked was the comfort in possession when we had the ball, the options to offload, the killer ball and the end result. As you say - our coaching methods are probably some 10 years adrift yet.

Belfast International is where I start and end my journeys, therefore I don't have any experience of hiring cars this side, but give the facts so far I really can't see you losing this one. The only problem is that you don't have to really damage a car too significantly for them to rack up 800 quid worth of charges. The car that I 'allegedly' damaged had a small mark on it no longer than your fingernail, I was being asked to pay 600 euros I believe in order to have it 'repaired'. Either way - I still think that the fact they did not bring this to your attention at the time of handing the car back (effectively ending the contract?) - is their problem - not yours. How do you know what has happened to that vehicle between the time you handed it back and recieving a letter saying it was damaged. Also, even if they were able to supply 'time stamped' photos of said damage, proves nothing really does it. Doesn't your average camera simply gain the time of the photo from the settings that are current on the camera at the time - very easy to eerrrr 'manipulate'. Good luck with this one - will be interesting to see how it pans out. I wonder if, once challenged (vigorously I hope!), it just becomes an oversight / mistake by the company....!!!

I hire cars every month for business trips, have been doing for the past 10 years or so, usually on the continent, mainly Germany and Holland, and usually from that well known supplier VISA (or something like that...!). A couple of years ago, we (our company) did have a spate of claims from the company on cars that we had left at a certain airport, early in the morning when there was no rep there to check them, or if there was - no damage was noted at the time. One of the claims was made about a car that I returned - saying that it had damage to a door. I phone the hire company at the airport asking them to explain the alleged damage. They said that it looked like somebody had opened a door onto the hire car door - but that I was still liable...! I told them that I wanted proof of the damage and they sent me a photograph of a door with what looked like very minimal damage to the car. (I couldn't even tell if it was the car that I hired). I told them that as the car was parked in their 'drop off' car park the damage could have been caused after my contract with them had expired - not only that but notification of the damage was made days after I returned the car. How was I to know what had happened to the car during that time - anybody could have driven it. Basically as a result, this was taken up by the company finance officer, we have an account with the car hire co. Give the arguments - they waived all of the claims. Personally I think that the hire company was scamming customers - just my belief, but there you go. Ask for photographic proof of the damage. How long after you returned the car did it take for them to notify you of the damage. How the hell are they able to take over £800 from you without any notification whatsoever...? If the airport staff were willing to take the car as seen, and no extra costs were discussed and no damage found - then they have not right whatsover to now claim. As a matter of interest, what airport was it?

Errr Sky haven't got it right on all pages yet. Blackburn, Wolves and Bolton still showing on the video page....!!! http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16426,00.html

Can I add another one as well. Does anyone know an alternative to Tapatalk (that I can browse this forum on) that will run from the sd card as opposed to the phone only? Like Tapatalk, but need the phone memory back - cheers.

Scott is now actually one of my sons teachers, although I haven't actually met him yet, he has chatted about our Southampton connection with my son. Apparently a very nice guy and good teacher too - will carry / wear lots of Saints paraphanlia at the next parent / teacher meeting - won't miss me then...!

Modern Parents...??? My 8 year old son loves all of those things, my 12 year old hates them - where does that leave me?

Well you know us old boys and technology, dog and tricks and all that good stuff...! For 'clarity' though - via bing: Minister of Sports, Valérie Fourneyron, justifies this decision by the treatment of the co-organizer country in the event of football to the Yulia Tymoshenko opponent. It's official: the France boycott the Euro 2012 in Ukraine. The Minister of youth and sport, Valérie Fourneyron, announced Thursday that "no member of the Government shall be at the games in Ukraine", organising European Championship of nations of football with the Poland from June 8. "Each takes its responsibilities, today the France took a position in the eyes of a particular situation currently in Ukraine, on the detention of Ms. Tymoshenko".A week ago already, François Hollande had suggested that he would not go. "I love football but what is happening in Ukraine is a problem," said French President.Relations between the European Union and the Ukraine are currently being poisoned by the detention since August 2011 of the opponent and former first Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko. The face of the "orange revolution" of 2004, who was sentenced in October 2011 to seven years in prison for "abuse of power" in its action at the head of the Government, said political harassment. It also said the subject of abuse.The EU called for several months for his release and denounced a selective against justice, as can be seen in the fall elections. Officials of several European countries, including the Germany, had already threatened to boycott the Ukraine by renouncing to the matches of the Euro. Possible charges in a murder case Since Wednesday, the opponent is also as a witness in the investigation into the murder of a member of Parliament in 1996. Indeed, the Ukrainian daily Kommersant said that the public prosecutor was prepared to prosecute Tymoshenko for the killing, but that he expected the healing of the opponent transferred to hospital due to herniated."We have evidence confirming the direct involvement of Yulia Tymoshenko in the murder of Evguen Chtcherban," an MP shot dead at Donetsk airport, had indicated a source top placed at the Prosecutor's Office. "We cannot prosecute Tymoshenko because she is ill." As soon as she is healed, it will be charged. "We expect that to happen end June or early July", sued this source.End of 2011, an Assistant to the Attorney General stated that the murder had been paid by a company controlled by the opponent and the Prime Minister of the time, Pavlo Lazarenko. He is imprisoned in the United States for laundering since 1999. The opponent had rejected any involvement in this case, calling the charges "absurd." Wednesday, one of his lawyers has said that the charges against his client were essentially based on the testimony of a son of murdered MP.The President of the French Federation of football, Christmas the Graët, said on 25 May that he would for its part in Ukraine during the Euro. "My position is clear and unambiguous." I will be at the side of the players and the staff, he said. At the political level, the Government will decide. "It is policy to take their responsibilities."

Thats not what it says via the Bing Translator, which I have just learnt to use. Go me..!

Why are they boycotting...???

Notwithstanding a fair trial, these were my worst fears for those poor children: http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16238669 Defies belief really.

Really, that one must have slipped me by - can't say that I have seen it.

I've amended it for you - see it works both ways. Tis all about perceptions mate, simple really. Whether you like it or not there are fans, FO officials, players and players parents who all percieve something in the BBC report, enough to actually stop them from travelling. If you were black or asian, or any other non white come to that - would you feel comfortable in attending the games?

I see some players are getting their tactics ready as well: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/7786052/Balotelli-I-ll-walk-off-pitch Interesting comment from Dave too,

If it does happen then not only will Swansea, Wigan and Reading be behind us - so will Liverpool and Villa....!

Unfortunately I tend to agree with you. The fact that black people feel the need to boycott visiting the championships would appear to be testament to this. With all due respect to those people currently defending / playing down the level of the problem - I wonder how many of them are asian / black. I bet that most (if not all) of the people who have commented here are white males, who can go to the championship without to much fear of intimidation - quite a different case for non whites.

But there is nothing lazy about it, they showed enough examples of racism, violence and almost acceptance. I doubt that their footage took years and years to compile - yes it was selective - but, as I said before there were scenes that nobody should have to endure when going to a football game. It's sickening to think that two of our very own Saints accademy talents do not feel it safe enough for their own parent to travel to the competition due to racial reasons. They then have to play for their country knowing that they could be in line for some pretty vile abuse. I hope you are right and that it's the BBC overstating the case, there is not a problem with racism at football in Poland and the Ukraine - and everything will be fine.

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the footage was edited to prove a point. That was (is) the whole point of making a program based around a certain subject. My question was how do you know that they would have had to take hours and hours of footage to get the bits that they wanted. It was a serious question as I thought that you were in the know. Irrespective of that, the footage that was shown was still relevant in context with the subject of the show - racism. And it was both shocking and vile. And, no I wouldn't expect to see anything like it at WHU v Millwall, us and the skates or any other ground in this country to be quite honest. You appear to have a bit of an issue with the BBC and believe that this is totally an overreation on their part, hopefully you will be proved correct. Sky also did a documentary in a similar flavour.

Good point. So what are you suggesting Stevie. The fight looked pretty real to me, quite graphic. Even as one of the asian lads was trying to make his escape, good old white supremists were taking cheap shots at him - it was sickening.

It's an interesting theory - but how do you know any of that, or are you just summising. Even if it were true - there was more than enough vile footage within the program to suggest that both nations have some very serious social problems. Police chiefs refusing to see the obvious, graffit strewn cities where anti-semitic graffiti and paraphernalia is pretty much the norm - nay, acceptable even. Fans fighting amongst their own, in the family section - because of their skin colour. It's like nothing I have seen in any football stadium over here for a very very long time.

Nobody is trying to convict them, I would hope, against all hope, that for the sake of those poor children, that their parents are found to be innocent. Perhaps this line of enquiry is 'police routine' in such instances in order to eliminate those closest to the victims before spreading their net wider - I don't really know, I am simply summising. Weren't the McCanns arrested in a similar way for Maddie?

Obviously nothing has yet been proven, but the crime in itself is horrific, irrespective of who is actually guilty. http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16237465 We live in a sick, sick society sometimes, and it is the innocents who suffer. RIP kids. To those responsible - I hope you rot in hell.

Not a massive thread - but only started at the beginning of this month - you might get some pointers from here: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?37885-Claiming-back-PPI

I'm glad that I amused you. I do 'get' eurovision. There used to be a program called Eurotrash - never really watched it - but remember the title. If this show was billed as the eurotrash competition - I would have no problem with it at all. As somebody who visits the continent every single month for work, I am well aware of their musical tastes and how shockingly bad some of their music is. First time I saw The Voice - Germany, probably two or three years ago.