Micky

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.

Personally I couldn't give a toss that he crashed and burned - the point being that any UK act is very likely too. Thats why we normally try to throw in some young z lister. Sending a 75 year old man to the lions was bloody disgraceful - but as I said, he probably got well payed for doing it and as a 'name' (albeit a very faded one), he'll probably fill a few more seats for a couple of gigs at least. As a lover of music, I really wish eurovision was shot, dead, through the head. X Factor, BGT and the Voice are horrendously bad, but the dross last night was enough to make most real musicians puke.

The whole shebang is total and utter dross, from start to finish; and always is - every year. Can't beleive that there are people on here who actually like the music. Feel really sorry for the audience who have to sit through it live - at least I can switch channels and only go back for the voting - which, let's face it is comedy genius. Gotta feel for old Eng, a 75 year old guy and we hung him out to dry on eurofukinvision - I only hope that the gig payed well.

Back to back pistoli duels - march ten paces, turn and fire - ze last man standing iz ze winner.....

Most of that is gobbledegook to me Kris. The bottom line is that it is a poorly regulated social interactive platform which serves a purpose. Unfortunately it is open to idiots posting total and utter crap, lies, deceit, truths that have no place there - in other words whilst it can be constructive, it can also be destructive. Morons post crap about people (it might be truth, but it is still crap), I don't twit - but without exception, nearly every time I have been drawn to a thread about twitter is has had some vile, vile content. There are an awful lot of sick, sad people in the world - I see no reason to leave my cyber door open to them.

This. Honestly, this. Either that or in order to use twitter, every post should be followed by the twits full legitimate address - so we can go round and fill the stupid fukker in.

It's the Sun - Dear Deardrie is probably the most researched and acurate section in the whole damn rag.

Quite simply - the punishment did not fit the crime. Any parent in the country will tell you that. The law is an ass. I don't care that he didn't mean to kill the kids, really I don't - the fact of the matter is that he did kill them. He knew what the ramifications of his actions might be - and his worst nightmare came true. That nightmare should continue with his punishment - which should have been far far longer - well into double figures. But he didn't get long - 3 years - and now he's back in society plying his trade again as a professional entertainer, which makes him a quite high profile figure and easily brings him to the attention of the remaining family members. Do I find that kind of sick - not at all - I'm off to find tickets for the next Gary Glitter concert.

This. Top top song, great lyrics, Wellers voice characteristics, hauntingly good guitar solo (even if it's not long enough) - stunning tune. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCzF06GKROE