Lord Duckhunter

I thought that the idea was for the club to be self sufficient.Wasn't that in Marcus' original plan? I also thought that Nicola had rich investors lined up if Kat pulled the plug. So I have 2 questions for the nicolittes out there . One , how stupid do you have to be to really believe a club our size could play in the cl without a billionaire chucking millions away , year in year out and 2, where the **** are the investors?

Did any WBA players tell the press that their head was elsewhere, did any of them threaten to go on strike, did any of them explain via the press that "the board know my intentions".

What's embarrassing is some of the posts on this forum. When are people going to wake up and smell the coffee. The players want to leave because they can earn much much more money and play at a higher level and at bigger clubs. They will do anything to get away , because it suits them and their careers. it is nothing to do with lack of ambition or other such pony, they dont give a shiny shiete about SFC , the board or the supporters. The board had two options, hold them to their contracts and have disruption , negative headlines and a new manager trying to manage blokes who dont want to be here. Or, sell them for too dollar and let the new guy build a team of players that want to play for him. Every single time we unearth a gem, they will be poached away by a bigger club. Its just an exceptional set of circumstances that we had 5-6 in one go. Make no mistake if victor, Chambers or any if the others have a great season, they'll be offski next summer. Just as if we want 3 Boscombe players, we'll end up getting them.

Our Grammar schools in Poole take all kids in care that pass the exam regardless of where they live, followed by all kids who pass and live in the catchment area. If there are any spaces left they go to kids from outside catchment in order of results. So if you live in the catchment and pass, you go to the school. Don't know how they do this, they must set the pass mark at a level to do this. I haven't heard any case of somebody passing exam and not getting a place, in fact at the open day prior to the exam the head master was very clear. It is a school for brightest Poole children and if you pass the exam and live in Poole, you will get a place. It is an academy as well. My basic point is that once you allow " choice" it seems really strange that you deny vast areas of the country a grammar school as part of that choice. You can choose a faith school, set up a free school, send your child past 2 local schools to take somebody elses place at their local school, yet can't go to a Grammar school. Surely there's something wrong with a system that allows entrance based on religious grounds but not on academic grounds, where any tom **** or harry can set up a school as long as its not a grammar school. Once you have choice the comprehensive system as it was intended is no more.

I'm not saying there aren't flaws in the grammar system, just that it should be an option. I live in an area that is extremely mixed social class wise. The catchment for our local school ranges from one of the roughest council estates in Dorset ( although a lot better than it was) to millionaire property. The comprehensive system was meant to mean everybody went to their local school, but because of " choice" this doesn't happen. The richest pay to go private, the middle class pay for tuition or are able to work the system and pay the transport costs which means their kids go out of the catchment, or if the worst comes to the worst , they could set up a free school. The local comp ends up with the rest and because of this it sinks into the bottom 10% of schools. This then becomes a cycle and the school gets worse ( because only the poorest use it) , which means more middle class flight from it. The Grammar school has such a good reputation that rich parents send their kids private and then send them there, depriving poorer people a place. At the selection tests it was full of working class kids tasking the tests ( my kids went to middle school with them), so the poorest do want this opportunity for their offspring, its just that they're up against people sophisticated in maximising their kids chances. Surely it is not beyond the wit and wisdom of people nowadays to devise an entrance test weighted towards social groups ( they do it for kids born later in the school year) which also takes in assessment of previous sats,as well as a pure exam. They have non verbal reasoning, which it is claimed can not be taught. There are no easy answers, but my 2 that went to Grammar ( both untutored, BTW) got such a superior education than the 2 that didn't . I feel that this opportunity should form part of an education system. For the people like Crossman who wanted all Grammar Schools abolished , the way to do it was not by legislation, but by making the comprehensive schools as good. I would much rather my children mixed with the other sex and went to school with pupils from all backgrounds, but the difference in schools is too marked, I felt the educational benefits outweighed the social ones.

Johnson did say that not " taking head teachers with him" was a mistake. But tellingly , he did not say that the reforms were a mistake. My personal opinion as a parent of 4 is that all parties, together with " the blob" have got us in a mess. There is no doubt that Blair's and now Goves reforms have made some progress , but it is still bright pupils from poor backgrounds that are suffering. I just fail to see why Grammar schools can not be part of the " choice" that parents have now. Once you allow " choice" you are effectively admitting the failure of the comprehensive system. We are luckly enough to have grammar schools here in Poole and 2 of mine went and 2 didn't. It was part of our choice as to whether they took the entrance exam. My sisters kid is extremely bright , but my sister is passionately against the principle of selective education, so therefore her choice was her local comprehensive. Why on earth parents in other areas are denied that choice is beyond me. It is to their shame that gove and the Tories will allow free schools to be part of any choice, but not new grammar schools.

Players out of contract are still registered to their " old" club until 1st July, when their contract runs out and they become a free agent.Therefore, as RL's contract with us was running into next season, he became a Liverpool player and Liverpool paid his wages from the day he signed. He was not a free agent.Had Guly agreed to go to Liverpool with him, he'd have become a Liverpool player on the 1st July even if he'd signed on the same day.

Don't you think man utd, Everton and spurs are going to " push on" as well. Not to mention the top 4 getting even better. Everton and spurs have been top 6/7 for years and man utd are a top 4 team. Where on earth were we going to " push on " to?

Alan Johnson , portillio and some funny looking lib/dem bird on " this week" last night. The main thrust of the conversation was that Gove was just carrying on labour's reforms and that there's not a great deal of difference between the parties. One thing perfectly clear is that every party accepts educational standards are not what they should be, but trying to get reform past the education establishment ( their words not mine) is pretty much impossible.

What the **** was that all about. Complete and utter waste of money and OTT packaging. Just sent the ****ing card out in an envelope.

I think a 5 year offer when the bloke has suffered an injury like he did is utter madness imo. Its obviously been driven by what's gone on this summer, but I expect the board to act like hard headed businessmen not fans. You can throw % of recovery and other stats about, but the simple fact is some players are never the same after this type of injury. For me the jury was still out on jrod even without the injury. He had a fantastic season, but he benefitted from being in a stable environment and playing a system that suited him with players flying confidence wise. His England debut he was like a little boy lost and he's looked lost when playing down the middle. His composure in front of goal could be lacking and his technical level was not quite as good as Adam or Rickie. Would he kick on and perform at that level season in season out, or was he in the middle of a purple patch. There's no doubt that he did enough for a new contract before the injury, but even then I would be cautious of a 5 year, maybe 3 is more realistic. So to offer 5 when injured like he was is madness, if he's lost a bit of sharpness he won't be as effective . I like the guy and his attitude, but 5 years , not for me. I would offer him a 1 year extension and then look to extend again once it becomes apparent he's lost none of his speed or sharpness. I understand this could result in losing money on him, but there is a chance we're stuck with a dud for 5 years on good money. Some players can get away with losing that extra yard of pace, I dont think he can.

Barclay was on The Press Pass doing a world cup preview. At the end they were all asked who would win and how would england do. Spain was paddys tip and semi final for England. He really knows his stuff lol.

Sorry but that's nonsense. Stop rewritting history, Rickie and lallana are proven Premier players. Rickie has scored goals at every level he's stepped up to as well as being our talisman and a leader. Adam had a great year and was one of the players of the season. We are entering the unknown , you can not say the nonsense you're saying as nobody knows. They may turn out to be better, but the only reason you think they are is because they've signed for us. As soon as we sign a left back, no doubt you'll declare him as good as Shaw.

Kevin bond looks like his source

I called Lallana a 5-a-side player on one thread and got plenty of abuse, told I didn't know anything about football. I also said he should grow a pair and the club made fools of themselves over the ****enburg incident. God I took some clog for that one as well. Glad to see I was right all along lol. Actually, I was wrong about Adam, he put in some bloody good performances last season and fully deserved his England call up. In fact he should of played more in Brazil. He certainly turned into a better player than I thought he would. I also know someone very close to him and he did love his time with the club. Its all ended rather sadly , and I hope over time people forget his stupidity recently and remember the service he gave. I do remember Bally taking terrible stick when returning with City, so time can be a healer. Poch, only had a year, so I won't be welcoming him back ever. Of all the ones who have left he is the one I want to see fall flat on his face. Never really warmed to him and he didn't go out of his way to embrace us. I can't help thinking he played us, and loves himself a bit too much. He's obviously the bright new thing in the press, but they build them up to knock them down, so hopefully he'll get his comeuppance. It is the one eyed rule of all supporters, players are pony till they sign for your team and they're ****e when they leave.

I like the sound of "Match day Ruperts".

Spot on.

Don't bother with Bournemouth, try Ashley cross or Poole quay. Get off train at parkstone for Ashley cross. Bermuda triangle has decent real ale.

Some people will never accept it. The latest excuse will be he didn't have a rest because of the world cup, swiftly followed by the new players arent on the same wavelength.

There's nothing wrong with national managers wanting their players to all play in the champions league. The more experience you get against top sides and different styles and formations the better. Its not a big conspiracy against the Southampton and ever tons of this world.

Are you feeling OK Viking? Somebody mentioned Blackmore and you didn't start ranting.

In what way are we " a bit of a soft touch"? WBA finished 8th the previous year, did they " have a go at competing with the top 6, but ultimately failed". FFS, we're going to end up like west ham fans believing some sort of myth about the " Southampton way". There was none of this pony about " The Project " under WGS when along with a cup final and Europe we finished 8th, no talk of it when lawrie signed the European footballer of the year. Of course there's a glass ceiling, there was never any chance of breaking through it regardless of whether Marcus or Nicola were still here. I can see half our fan base boring people to death in years to come with their tales of how close we came to champions league football, with what a great side and manager we had in '14, until Kat and the board pulled the plug. The reality is , we matched WBA from the year before and went out of both cups with a whimper. If our " superstar " players were so good and desperate for European football, perhaps Rickie should have tapped one in from 2 yards at Sunderland, lovren should have defended properly at Spurs and perhaps we should have beaten Norwich, Cardiff, villa and west ham in winnable games. As far as I'm concerned the players are leaving the board with no alternative, and are letting them take the flak. A bit of honesty wouldn't go amiss, they're hiding behind this " project" pony and a lot of mugs are failing for it. I hope they all get a wake up call and end up regretting leaving.

But who decides if the signings are quality, captain Morgan, posters on here, uncle les, RK? Once players start saying they'll stay if the board match their ambition, they looking for an excuse to leave.

If Tadic was a life long saints fan, who had a burning ambition to play for saints and was entering the twilight of his career, I reckon he'd have signed by now, don't you?