CHAPEL END CHARLIE

You don't really understand even the basis of good fan (or 'customer' if you like) relations . I just cannot or will not accept that the Chairman of a football club has the moral right to (in effect) punish a fan just because he takes a different view on club policy - that's quite outrageous to my mind . You can get 30,000 football fans inside St Marys - all of them holding and expressing all types of differing opinions about all kinds of differing subjects . If the Chairman wants to 'vet' everyone of them for holding 'unauthorized' opinions before he lets them in then he's got a real job of work on his hands . To be perfectly frank it'll be a cold day in hell before anyone (however exulted) tells me what to think or say about the football club I've supported all my life .

Ah - the old 'on a soap box' depiction of those who dare to express a moral view about the world . No such thing as right or wrong - it's all relative blah blah blah .......... I suppose whining about not having 100% of the facts (you seldom if ever know '100%' about anything in this world) does save all that irksome effort of having to take a stand or even think about an important moral issue . Nevermind as long as we win a few football games nothing else matters eh?

Let me get this straight . You are arguing that Nick Illingsworth's criticism of the club's ticketing policy had "absolutely nothing" to do with the club rejecting his season ticket application ? Most reasonable people could only conclude that there just might be a connection between these two facts I'd have thought . Furthermore , even if that were indeed the case you're still not entirely sure that this punitive action could be fairly defined as an attempt to curtail freedom of speech or even a particularity bad thing even if it were ? The profound relationship between a fan and the football club he loves is fundamentally different than that which you might expect between a customer and a shop for instance . If I fall out with Tesco I can go to ASDA - it's not quite the same thing with the lifelong support of a football club for God's shake ! I'm quite sure 99.9 of fans on here understand the truth of that .

My grip on the real issue seems a tad tighter than yours . This 'we can't have an opinion because we don't possess a verbatim account of all correspondence between NI & the club' excuse leaves be unimpressed to put it mildly . I call that a convenient argument for those seeking to defend the indefensible . Clearly we all know now that you don't care a jot about freedom of speech or your fellow fans -and that says rather a lot about you .

What I said is pretty self-explanatory I'd have thought , but I'll have another go if you like . The world is a complicated place and many questions truly have no black and white answer . But just like the MLT fraud there are no 'shades of gray' involved here - notwithstanding the barrage of spurious excuses for Nicola Cortese's authoritarian atitude on here . A football club harassing a long standing fan merely because he has publicly disagreed with a aspect of club policy is just plain WRONG . If you don't stand up for what you believe to be morally RIGHT on a issue as fundamentally important as freedom of speech then you've precious little understanding of what is important - and what isn't .

How profoundly depressing it is that so many on here seem to care not a jot about the principle of free speech or even the fate of a fellow Saints fan . This reminds me of the time when MLT admitted he had attempted to commit a betting fraud and many of the same names told us that this didn't matter because - when it comes down to it - they didn't actually give a toss about the concept of integrity in sport either . I sometimes wonder where exactly some of you are prepared to draw the line - if at all .....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hIy-vfpITC4CEJ50CmkAZ6sRV3Mg While one obviously doesn't like to 'blow my own trumpet' too often this does sound eerily similar to my 'Enhanced Astute' hybrid SSN/SSBN proposal : "A third option would to be to go ahead with the plan to build new submarines - but with four rather than 12 missile tubes - and to design them so they operate as either nuclear or conventionally armed vessels." I'm wasted on here you know

This seems to me to be more of an attack on free speech itself . I could hardly care less about the Saints Trust and Mr Illingsworth but to deny any fan a season ticket merely because he disagrees with an aspect of the clubs ticketing arrangements (if true) smacks of despotism . It would appear that there is only one point of view allowable now - the official club standpoint - and no other opinion will be tolerated . While I can think of some on here who would no doubt fully approve of that policy (indeed they apply it on here) I personally find it contrary to everything the principles of democracy and this old country's long history is supposed to stand for . We have much to thank Nicola Cortese and Markus Liebheer for , and as long as the club is being successful Mr Cortese's obvious authoritarian tendances will count for little or nothing as above all else we all want to see this club succeed . But one day when the success dries up (as it surely will) all the enemies he's making now among the fanbase , supporter groups , and in the press with come back to haunt him . Mr Cortese there's a old English expression you may be unaware of : What goes around - comes around .

I all honesty I was a Nigel Mansell fan during most of the Senna era (& suffered for it trust me) because of patriotism and a instinctive appreciation for those in life who succeed through hard work more than God given natural talent , but in your heart of hearts you always knew that Senna was without doubt the best driver of his generation - perhaps any generation . Top Gear often falls into the trap of becoming too contrived and over-scripted , but this edition was simply superb . From the jet ski's v rally car , to that monstrous Bugatti being maxed out all the items were highly entertaining . Add some Cruise & Cameron stardust to Clarksons wonderful Senna tribute and it's hard to see how they can possibly top it . That's not to say I don't think they should try mind you .

With a series of mediocre results & performances behind us , a dangerously 'thin' squad (at the moment anyway) and key players picking up injuries and it's not been a very satisfactory preseason to put it mildly . One can only hope we don't carry this over and repeat our customary poor start - that's more of a hope than a expectation in all honesty .

The first thing I must say is that I'm something of a purist when it comes to Conan Doyle . I adore and revere the original works so much that most modern adaptions seem inadequate if not a damn right insulting . The recent Hollywood movie for instance was so utterly wrong on just about every level that the memory makes my blood boil . The great exception to this rule was Granada's beautifully realized version with the late Jeremy Brett , this series set the bar so high that I sometimes wonder why anyone else should even bother trying anymore to be frank . So I'm hope you understand I approached Sunday nights new series 'Sherlock' (set in contemporary London) with a sense of some apprehension . I needn't have worried however because the opening story 'A Study in Pink' (based very loosely on 'A study in Scarlet' but without the Mormons) was a minor triumph . This production got all the key elements right , from Holmes need to constantly prove to everyone he's always the smartest man in the room , to his deep knowledge of the geography of London . You can tell the writers (Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat of 'Doctor Who' fame) truly know their Conan Doyle - the respect they've shown to 'Who' and now Holmes is the key to the success they've archived I'd say . Even the elemants they have changed seem appropriate and justified in context . Of course a modern day Sherlock Holmes would employ cell phones and the Internet , and yes with two grown men sharing a flat together the question of sexual orientation must raise its head today more than it might have in Victorian times . In the original stories Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) is more of a caricature of a stupid policeman rather than a real believable detective , here on the other hand he's portrayed in a infinitely more subtle and realistic way - good . Ultimately the success or failure of this series must depend upon its two leads . Holmes is played by Benedict Cumberbatch , now you might say he looks a tad too young but to my eyes physically he still kinda seems 'right' for the role (this is important) and he certainly brings to it an admirable degree of intensity , infuriating arrogance , and above all the acute intelligence any actor playing Sherlock Holmes must possess . Martin Freeman's 'Dr Watson' is equally successful . No one would play Watson for laughs anymore as Nigel Bruce did back in the 40's , but this troubled ex soldier (suffering from combat stress) has the innate potential to be the central character of this adaption . What a macabre 'bonus' it is that we can still write Watson as receiving his war wound in Afghanistan - 1880 or 2010 . Everything changes , everything stays the same . Highly recommended . 8/10

The problem with the Police has more to do the with the over-restrictive set of rules & regulations successive (democratically elected) governments have imposed upon them rather than any endemic failure of the current force . These stringent rules the Police now have to work with were established because of past corruption of course - so if you removed them all you may find that you've just replaced one problem with another as the universal tendency for over-authoritarian law enforcement to fabricate evidence or beat confessions out of suspects ...etc could well reassert itself . There may well be no easy answers here , you can only try and find a good balance between the individual liberty of the citizen and the obvious need for proper law enforcement . Someone said we should "fear" the Police more . I can think of plenty of society's (past and present) where the common people had very good cause to genuinely fear their Police force - On reflection I'm not at all sure I'd like to live in any of them frankly .

Alan came to Saints High with a mixed record of success from his previous schools and last terms exam results were not all they could have been frankly . Nevertheless with the help of some new friends Alan has shown some good promise lately and he has assured the Headmaster that he intends to knuckle down to his work this term and reach the (high) standards we all know he is capable of . You can rest assured that the entire staff will be monitoring his progress very closely .

Well he look after himself, but off the top of my head I can think of a least 3 major issues when events have proved him to be right . 1 - The merits of a former chairman's 'Revolutionary new coaching' set up . 2 - The great George Burley debate . 3 - Starting the season a few years ago without the benefit of fit centre halfs As you're so critical perhaps you'd care to enlighten the forum with your record ?

If only the record didn't show that Alpine has been consistently proven to be right (at least as often as anyone else) over the years you might have a point .

I saw the Brian Clough documentary last night : 'The greatest manager England never had' and although I'm easily old enough to remember the great man in his glory days it was still an education to see this really special manager and unique Human being at work again . A complicated & differcult man in many respects his iron sense of self confidence in his own ability coupled with Peter Taylor's insight on players would produce perhaps the most remarkable double act the game has ever seen . The record shows that they got not one but two struggling , unfashionable , clubs (Derby & Forest) to the very heights of English and European football . Could that happen today in the era of the Premier League and limitless TV money ? I think we all know the answer to that question . It's a cliche but still true that the modern game just doesn't produce real characters like Clough anymore - this is very much our loss . What a pleasure it was to see him on 'Parkinson' sparring with Mohammad Ali , shouting at players that failed to match his own high standards , & pulverizing impudent reporters how dared question him . Obviously his fearless outspokenness and a great sense of humour made him Gods gift to television as well as football . Contrast & compare that with today's most successful British manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) and you soon realize just how much we miss him . The programme is honest enough to chart the fall as well as the rise of the man . The Leeds Utd business and the painful fall out with Peter Taylor are faithfully covered , while his descent into alcoholism and subsequent relegation with Forest are equally unavoidable . These truths however should not detract too much from Clough's stellar reputation IMO. So should Brian Clough have gotten the chance to manage England ? - Well Bobby Robson was a wonderful football man and in my view very nearly won us the world cup back in 1990 , but I think the answer to that old question is probably 'yes' .

The new Mini Countryman . You would have thought designing an enlarged 4 door version of the Mini would not have presented BMW-Mini with an insurmountable problem - simply scale up the normal Mini and 'jobs a goodun' you could say . Instead of following that 'keep it simple' principle for some inexplicable reason a bunch of talentless 20 somethings in the design department were allowed to hoist this monstrosity on the motoring public . Unbelievably some highly paid plank in the boardroom apparently unaware that he was on the receiving end of a practical joke actually approved it for production . I understand the car drives quite well - which is good as nobody is going to buy one based on the styling ! Lacking in interior space compared to a Focus or Golf & wrong from every angle this hideous spud of a car lacks any of the classic elegance or sportiness of the original 1959 Mini or even its modern day successor . The pillars are clumsy and oversized and the hackneyed attempt to give the roof a 'floating' look my copying that old trick of blackening the pillars fails spectacularly . The plastic 'thing' that drapes over the join where the bonnet lifts is as pointless as it is ugly (looks like they're trying to hide an enormous panel gap) and to cap it all the headlights are just plain stupid - what shape is that exactly ? What they could have done is update the old 'Maxi' in a similar way to the Mini and something interesting might just have resulted . Anyone reading this with the wherewithal to buy a new car I implore you in Gods name don't order one of these - if you do we might all end up having to drive glorified Tonker toys in future . ps - black wheels are pukesome .

I'm not a naval architect dell & I'm more than happy to accept that you obviously know a lot more about subs than I do , and there will indeed be practical problems to be overcome in adapting the Astute design for SLBM's . Nevertheless it seems to me that the problem with traditional SSBN's (apart from their enormous cost) is that they are limited to that one role only - the navy's so small now is that a luxury we can really afford any more ? I propose that a future sub force comprised of say 8 Astute and 4 'Enhanced Astute' hybrid SSN/SSBN's would give the future navy a flexible force of 12 boats available for conventional operations while simultaneously keeping a minimal (but still effective) deterrent force at sea in the event of the UK being threatened with nuclear attack . The Vanguard class after all were specifically designed with the old 'cold war' scenario very much in mind - the world has changed so radically over the last 20 years that simply replacing our current 'bombers' with another large SSBN design may well be seen as 'overkill' by the general public . I think we'd both like to see an enlarged navy in future , but I just can't see that happening any time soon with the defence budget being what it is . So some original 'clear blue water' thinking might be required if we're to keep the RN effective & within budget . ps- Do we even know anything about the new missile we intend to replace Trident D5 with ? It's hard to discuss the 'weapon platform' without knowing the first thing about the weapon the platform is designed to carry !

I feel exactly the same re the Royal Navy Alps - it's closer to the heart than the other services for some reason . The ideas I've floated are not necessarily what I really want to happen , it just that with the MOD in for a massive 10% budget cut something has to give and these are my proposals to make this cutback as painless as possible . I too would prefer to see the new carriers given proper carrier names too . I understand the reason they are to be the 'Queen Elizabeth' class is that there is an ancient convention that the navy's first capital ship commissioned during a new monarch's reign are traditionally named after that monarch . It's a pretty sobering thought that although the queen came to the throne way back in 1952 these two carriers are the first major warships the navy has ordered during that long period .

A few thoughts regarding the forthcoming SDR . The Royal Navy : 1- Continue the CVF programme as contracted - one carrier operational while the other is in reserve/refit until finances improve . 40 F35B ordered for Fleet Air Arm - more in the 2020's 2- Cancel the over ambitious 7000t Type 26 frigate and replace with a more modest 4000t design . A force of least 25 frigates and destroyers to be maintained . 3- Scale back on the readiness levels of the amphibious force . 4- Vanguard class 'Trident' force to be replaced by new combined SSN/SSBN class - effectively an enlarged 'Astute' variant with a 4/6 tube missile section added . 5- Cancel 155mm naval gun project & equip fleet with new BAE/Bofors 57mm . The Army : 1- Heavy Armoured forces to be reduced to Brigade size - Withdraw Army from Germany and disband/re-role surplus mechanized units . 2- Scale back the FRES programme & evaluate the real value of heavy artillery on the modern battlefield . 3- Concentrate in future on Air Mobile operations - more transport and attack helicopters , less armour . 4- We really can't afford to be the worlds policeman anymore . The RAF : 1- All helicopters to be transferred to Army Air Corps or Fleet Air Arm control . 2- Final Batch of Typhoon a/c to be canceled or sold (whichever is most cost effective) 3- Nimrod MRA4 force to be fielded as planned - arm them with cruise missiles . 4- Retire Tornado GR4 early - future 'fast jet' force of around 150 Typhoon & F35 a/c only . 5- Can we afford 3 entirely different types of heavy transport aircraft ? 6- Continued investment in new generation UCAV designs is desirable .

Funny I don't actually remember describing Antonio as the "next Rooney" but I don't really object to the odd excursion into hyperbole . If you're really looking for proof in life then I suggest you pursue a career in forensic science rather than football punditry . Are you still maintaining that we don't need to replace Papa Waigo & Michail Antonio because our squad is so wonderful that we need fear nothing ? With a long season ahead and a squad of only 18 or so experienced players at our disposal (at this time) I must say this seems a rather odd point of view to this fan . On the question of evaluating young footballers all I have is my best judgment based on a lifetime of watching young players develop . Sometimes you can see the difference between ordinary youngsters such as Lloyd James/Jake Thompson for instance , and those with that hard to define 'spark' of real natural ability such as 'Fish' Mills or dare I say it Michail Antonio . This is not to say they're certainties , merely possibilities . Based only on that it remains my judgment that Antonio may well already be the equal of Jason Puncheon and he has the innate potential to become the better player - you obviously disagree . Ultimately however there are only two certainties in life - death & taxes - not football .

Can you please explain how a 20 year old lad with less than one full seasons worth of regular 1st team football under his belt can be expected to be anything other than 'unproven' ?

I quite agree , Stalin was quite as murderous and brutal a dictator as any of his fascist opponents , in some ways he was actually more ruthless than Hitler . This undeniable truth however shouldn't detract from the magnificent effort the Soviet people put into defeating Nazism , and the terrible price they paid . The point I was really trying to make is that we in the west do tend to underestimate the crucial role the Red Army played in the war . A few weeks after D-Day for instance the Soviets won what may well be the largest victory of WWII when then virtually destroyed the German 'Army Group Centre' (Operation Bragaton) - yet how many on here have even heard of this battle I wonder ? As a patriot and a history fanatic I'm enormously proud of the heroic role our little country played in the war , but If I remember correctly around 9 out of 10 German battle casualties were actually suffered on the Eastern front - that is the true measure of where that terrible war was really won and lost .

I would add that the US & Great Britain were both very much 'junior partners' when compared to the enormous sacrifices made by the Red Army & the Soviet people during WWII . Nevertheless the stand made by Britain & its empire (almost alone from May 1940 to June 41) was crucial in the eventual defeat of the Axis .

I fear you are confusing the typical mistakes which can be expected of any young player in the initiate stages of their career with some lack of technical ability . When I see a youngster in for his first real experience of 1st team football I don't look for a error free performance - that really is asking a lot - I look for natural talent to control a football , athletic ability - above all pace , and (in a forward player at least) an eye for goal . I (and others it would seem) saw all of that in Michail Antonio to some degree at least . There are no guarantees when it comes to young players and their ultimate potential , but some of the criticisms of Antonio I'm seeing here are eerily reminiscent of the sustained bashing the 'experts' on here gave another young Saints player in the early stages of his career - his name was Kenwyne Jones .