View From The Top

I was out of the country and missed it.

It's a dog hole and I won't miss it. Been many, many times and never seen us get a point.

Yep. Never felt the need to remove it to clean it properly. I occasionally remove the cassette to give it a good deep clean but not often. Campag isn't as easy to mess around with as Shim/SRAM so it works a treat. The only real issue is getting it dry quickly when the sun isn't out so it's either next to the radiator or done with the Mrs hair dryer.

It was a rather crass analogy however, the thrust of the point is fair enough. Growing up, with family serving in NI, I was an ardent supporter of the loyalist cause and this continued into adulthood when I was in the forces, especially after a lifelong friend of my wife lost his legs and balls to a PIRA bomb. Only after life in a blue suit did I bother to read and educated myself about the history of The Troubles. The more I learnt the more I understood why a section of the Catholic minority, especially in parts of Derry and Belfast, turned to violence and why sections of the Unionist majority believed themselves fighting for their way of life. The paramilitary commanders, from both sides, who moved from violence towards a peaceful future, whilst still guilty of heinous crimes in the past, deserve thanks for making sure the bloodshed stopped and giving the people of NI a peaceful future.

Chains. GT85 as a degreaser. Leave for 3/5mins. Elbow grease (£1 from B&M) leave for 1/2 mins. Hot water with standard car shampoo (£1 from Poundland) and a sponge. Sponge it all off, wash with clean water and job done. Spotless in minutes. Dry and Muc Off Dry Lube If it's really sh_itty then I'll use the chain cleaning machine. Mine gets done after every winter ride and every 2nd summer ride. If's it's just been a dusty ride then just the car shampoo will do but a ride like today which was along some ****ty lanes will result in the full treatment tomorrow.

Is NI a better place now than it was and was that it a large part due to the likes of MM and IP? The answer is of course, yes. I'd never condone what he did as a paramilitary, as I've friends with limbs missing thanks to the PIRA, but I'm grateful for the efforts he and others made to bring it all to an end.

Well you're a fu_cking moron.

FF is on over £90k per week. There is no way Torino are coughing up £120k. City will not sell him to a club they deem as direct rivals so yes, we're in with a shout. If he deems us worthy of him, that's another matter.

Why not? We already pay FF close to £100k now. City will not sell him to a club that they deem a direct rival.

The level of geekery on this thread makes the social outcast and freaks down at Games Workshop seem normal. 'Kin weirdos.

You don't have a fu_cking clue but hey, make some asinine comment anyway.

But of course, the cuts aren't deep enough. Fu_cking idiots don't have a clue how the education system is being starved and at the very same time we, the staff, are expected to perform at the top of our game and are beholden to OFSTED and stupid idea after stupid idea from London. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/16/schools-funding-formula-education-england-barnsley-hackney

Same here, if I can get out I will. A career I've loved for over 2 decades just isn't worth doing anymore. The holidays, of which I give up a minimum of 2 weeks a year to run extra classes ahead of GCSEs, no longer make up for the rest of the sh_itstorm. Mrs still loves it though.

Absolutely dire is the answer and it's getting worse. Golden hellos have made virtually no difference and the much heralded government plan for outstanding teachers to be moved into areas of need, dropped. Even I'm looking to get out.

Twowrongsdoesn'tmakearight

Bol_loxs My pension, which I've paid into since I was 17, has been totally fu_cked around with as the government desperately try to save ££ making me way worse off in the future. As for cutting services, you've no idea the dire mess schools and colleges are in. Teachers leaving in their droves. A massive, huge, giant recruitment issue, especially in key subjects such as maths and sciences. NQTs burning out and leaving within a few years for better paid, less stressful jobs. Budgets being slashed so hard that schools are planning to close early 2 days a week to save money. SEN provision slashed, despite it being a key OFSTED area, "non critical" subjects being cancelled and teachers laid off to save money. It's all happening now and if your kids are in the state system it's impacting them. My wife's school has been unable to recruit qualified maths teachers for the last 2 years. Lessons are being taught by non-qualified staff and taught poorly. My own establishment has has to recruit maths teachers from the EU and they've not lasted due to the massive workload & constant exams BS. Less staff means bigger classes and more of them so nearly all non contact time is lost. Bigger/more classes means more marking, prep, reports etc but that all now has to be done in your own time. I teach from 09.00 to 16.30 every day now with a 30min lunch break. On top of that there is about 2/3 hrs of marking/prep/report writing to be done every single day. All the extra support lessons we gave at lunchtime, which used to an hour, have gone. All the extra support classes we did at the end of the day have gone. Ultimately, it's the kids that suffer.

You really do chat sh_it.

I'd also say Romeu. If VvD had remained fit then obviously I'd say him. An awful lot of man love in our house for Gabbi at the moment. My nipper can't stop singing the "Les Reed went to Europe" song.

I wear an Omega Seamaster and have for years. Beautifully proportioned watch that is delightfully understated. Very often, less is more.

That's what I like about him. He's always looking for the ball even when things weren't going well.

It doesn't depend on how we play, it depends on how Everton play. We would need to win 4 more games than them. Never. Going. To. Happen.

He got a 20% payrise by moving and an extra year so why the fu_ck he's bleating I don't know. He's also looked utterly gash tonight so getting £8m for an old man past his best is good business.

They are, in the main, the thickest ones as well.

Plenty of conjecture regarding those linked to big money moves (some of who I'm sure the usual board spu_nktrumpets can't wait to go so they can say "told you so") but which players would we, as fans, expect the club to move on/upgrade? Jrod & Claise deffo for me as neither are even close to good enough alas. Perhaps Austin as he just doesn't fit Puel's fluid style IMHO. FF has been poor thus far (no blame yesterday though) & I'd certainly shed no tears if he was to go and Heaton or Pickford brought in as replacement.

Having just got back I have to say that I thought us utterly spellbinding at times. The 2nd goal, the whole move, was a thing of beauty. I love watching football played like that. Fast, slick, with purpose. Awesome.