Lord Duckhunter

Vinyl making a comeback? Let's hope not. I dont really understand the nostalgia around records. 45's were a pain in the arse to keep getting up and changing. Even if you did have an arm that held a few at a time they either slipped or too many fell at once. 33's were as bad. Had to be held very carefully in case of a scratch, bloody fluff on the needle, and you couldn't skip the shiete songs without getting up. Give me downloads anyday, maybe the sound isn't as good, but it is to my ears and it's portable. The ONLY thing great about records was sitting there looking over the sleeve, whilst you listened to the sounds.

But are we better off because of the EU, or despite the EU. Surely the standard of living would have increased anyway with the advent of cheap debt, easier mortgages and a global economy. All thing's that would have happened anyway, and certainly would have done so if the EU had remained a trading bloc. It has certainly brought real benefits to Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portigual (although they are paying it back in spades at present), I'm just not so sure that we have benefitted. My opinion has always been about accountablility, that Parliament should be sacrosanct and that legislation should start and finish in this country.

So you've gone from "The Labour Party" to "The Labour left". The simple fact is the PM, most of the cabinet, the opposition and all the newspapers pushed for a yes to remain in the Common Market. It was a con job on the British people. When Prince Phillip pointed out that the CAP favoured the French and was badly managed he was called a "chump". The establishment used all it's force and cunning to lie and cheat the British to vote yes. What they said was "unthinkable" in 1975 is now the EU that we know and "love" today. The reason why Europe is such a toxic mess for The UK, is because there has not been a proper vote on the powers that the EU have now. No vote on transfer of sovereignty, no vote on expansion, no vote on EU arrest warrants and the like. The British people are treated like mushrooms by the establishment, told what's best for us and called sceptics & extremists if we dare to question the route the EU is taking us down. Who are the people banging the drum for Europe, who are the people telling us that to leave the EU would be a disaster, the very same people who wanted us to join the Euro (and in most cases still do). Who was right about the Euro, Ken Clarke?, Nick Clegg?, Simon Hughes?, Tony Blair? Hestletine?, or was it people like Benn, Redwood, Farage and Bill Cash? Those chumps Who wanted us to join the Euro in prinicple , are the same people telling us how we cant leave the EU. They are like a travel agent who recommended a nice trip on the Titanic saying "ok I got that one wrong, but this Hindenburg air ship is the future, I can highly recommend it". I wouldn't trust them to run a bath, let alone a Country.

Wilson and most of the Labour cabinet supported a yes vote, so it's just not true that The Labour party wanted out in '75. That vote was to leave a common market, not a European Union. Had the peole known which direction Europe was headed , there's no doubt that they would have voted to come out.In fact they were specifically told that there would be no loss of national sovereignty, that they were joining a trading community and that Parliament would still remain the supreme legal authority in the UK.

But the problem is it is not the same Europe that we joined or the same Europe that we voted to stay in. It has been changed by the Euro extremists under the cover of tidying up and enlarging treaties. Euro loons always want an in/out vote because that's the only one they have a chance of winning.If the British people had been asked at every stage of further intergration they would have voted no, and unlike the Paddy's no would have meant no.The British people want what we signed up for, a Common Market. The extremists know this, so wont allow any vote other than in or out. Not that we will get an in/out vote. They wont want to take the chance of their precious project being thrown out, so will not allow a vote unless 100% sure of winning it. There will be excuses and delay's, every major party may well have the committment to an in/out vote, but I bet there's no timescales promised.

Simon Hughes ran one of the most disgusting homophobic by election campaigns ever. It was also one of the most hypercritical, because he later came out as a sausage jockey himself (after lieing about it, at first). Charles Kennedy, good one. I like Oliver Reed, but I wouldn't want him leading a major political party. How can anyone praise Lib/Dems on a thread about Europe. This is the party, that not only wanted the UK to join the Euro, but still wants us to join.After all that's gone on,they still want us to join. Charlie Kennedy believeing that, I can understand, but most of them believe it when they're sober........

I've already volunteered to work, double time, and on call over 4 night's. I can then use the lieu days I also earn to spend time with my friends and family. Thank god I will miss the "celebrations". Anyone would think we were still living in the 1950's. Dont forget to doff your cap, when Queenie comes on the TV screens.

The reason people want memberships is very simple really. The last couple of season's tickets have been sold for the big games to anyone on the data base and an extra one for S/T holders. Therefore someone who had been just once in the past 10 years, had the same chance of getting a ticket as someone who goes to 10 games a season. Some people dont think that's fair (including myself). Previously, tickets went on sale to members first, and although not ideal, was certainly fairer than data base sales. If we do the same next season, it could mean someone who hasn't seen 1 game since relegation, getting a Man Utd ticket before someone who watched 25 League 1 games. There can not be anyone who thinks that's fair, surely? As pointed out earlier in the thread, all sales are recorded on the data base, so I cant see why it's beyond the wit and wisdom of the TO to sell tickets based on this (ie, people who have attened 6 games or more in the prvious 12 months can apply a week before people who haven't). The obvious flaw in any membership is that anyone can join, pay £20 and just go to watch Man Utd or Chelsea. My solution to that would be to charge £85 for membership, but knock off £10 for the first 8 games you attend and charge £5 admin fee. There are a lot of loyal supporters who attend a lot of games, but not enough to make a S/T viable. Falling into that categary myself it does annoy me that I am part of the data base scramble for tickets. Although I am thinking of getting a S/T this season and trying to pass it on to mates, when I cant make it.

Wake me up when it's all over. Why are councils wasting tax payers money on this rubbish? If the Royals want a celebration , they should pay for it out of the millions they've robbed off working people over the years.

Correct. The Chairman of Swansea was on talksport earlier today.Was asked about Sigurdsson & said the the clubs had agreed a fee, but that he was on holiday. He said "he has gone away to Europe on holiday and that has delayed the finalising of it". The funny thing was that Alan Brazil an ex pro just accepted that, did not waffle on about "why can't he fly in, sign and then go back on holiday".

There was a programme about pricing the working man out of football a couple of years ago on 5live. It stated that in the 1970's it cost the same to go to a match as it did to go to the cinema. How much does it cost to visit the cinema now, compared to football. Dont know if it's true, but that's what some expert said.

I'm in Dublin for the first game of the season, so I'm hoping Wigan away, or maybe Reading home.

The Labour Govt were going to allow a vote on 3 regional assemblies, in North East England, North West England and Yorkshire and the Humber. All Labour supporting areas, but I guess that was just a coincidence???? They suffered a humilating defeat in the 1st one (The North east voted 78% against) so quietly dropped the other proposed votes.It has however, allowed them to defend themselves agains various arguements. When asked about the West Lothian question you will hear Labour spokesmen saying that an attempt to answer that (English regional assemblies) was rejected by the voters. You even had an example of this on QT this week. John Prescott was asked why we cant have an in/out Euro vote, and replied that Labour were for referendum and to prove it quoted the one held in the North east. I'm all for the break up of the UK and The Jocks going their own way, I'm even behind the Labour idea of regional assemblies in England. The Jocks can keep their oil, and us in the South can keep all our tax revenues.

To be fair to salmond, he was not the only one. The Lib/Dems, Useful idiots in the Tory party like Clarke & Hestletine, and a large portion of the Labour party & unions wanted to join. They still refuse to rule out joining even now. In '99 Blair called Tories oppossed to the single currency, "extremists".

Parliament did vote in another direction for the English. This vote included Scottish MP's.

She's up the duff I believe.

Also, Boscombe would have sold to Peterborough or wanted the Skate money up front, if there was no FCR.They would not take the risk of selling and not receiving all their money. Nobody would sign for them and nobody will sell to them (unless paid upfront)

The reason for the FCR is to stop the domino effect of one club going pop and bringing down others with it. An example would go along these lines. Skates owe Boscombe for Pearce, they dont pay the amount owing. Boscombe go into admin, but they owe Crawley for Tubbs, Crawley owe Sailsbury for Tubbs and on and on. There is such a fine line between clubs being solvent and not, that they have to ensure that they receive the full amount. My solution would be for CLUBS to be part of the FCR, but not indivdual players. This would at a stroke mean that better run clubs would sign the better players and basket caeses would be punished for not running the club in the correct manner (punishment being that nobody in their right mind will sign for them).There was an agent on Talksport 6 months ago saying that if the FCR was abolished, then no agent would send a player to Pompey. Norris' agent must have known what was going on, but didn't give a **** as whatever happened, both him and Norris would get paid. Bring in my version of the rule, and Norris would take a smaller salary at a better run club.

In my experience it's not the people who are out and out lazy that are the problem, those type of people are normally quite easy to "manage" out of any business. The problem is the people who do the bare minimum, they turn up on time, dont take much sick, and keep their noses clean. However, they effect morale, frustrate people and generally cause issues. These are the hardest to shift, as many will have been there a long time. I only have knowledge of big companies, but I've found weak management has allowed these people to just drift along. Not a problem in good times but a pain in the arse now. The Company I work for has made a conscious decision not to recruit until these people are dealt with. The hierarchy believe that the Company have enough hours to do what we need, but that only applies if everybody is highly skilled and highly motivated. Therefore my department is struggling because I have a few of these ******s that I inherited from my weak predecessor. There are 2 types of performance issues Conduct or Capability. Conduct is easy to deal with, but capability is much harder particulary if they've been doing the job for years and "getting away with it". I also have people who thought they were doing a good job, until I told them otherwise. And in one case, I had a employee who had been there 13 years, and nobody had discussed his performance in all that time. These new rules would be a god send to me, as I could clear out my dead wood and start again. However, I dont agree with them. Unscrupulous employers or Managers could get rid of people without due procees, pressure could be put on people to work overtime or through breaks and I've seen too many people promoted on the back of friendship to believe that cronyism and personalities wont be involved in sacking people. At the end of the day, a decent manager will be able to judge anyone after 11 months. When I do recruit it's fixed term 6 month contracts, which I renew if they're good and then make a decision after 11 months. If you cant judge someone's suitability after 11 months, then you cant really call yourself a Manager. Sex discrimination/harressment is not covered in all this, so unfortuatly you cant go round pinching the areses of the new female staff.......

Montpellier is my very fav French City, set in a fantastic area of the Country. Me and Mrs Duck love it down there.

They have still got some complete ****ing idiot supporters, this was what one posted at news of Ashdown & Rocha's release. "Very surprised to read this - I would have thought that they should have at least been offered a new contract, albeit on reduced terms. I thought Ashdown played brilliantly towards the season end, especially at St. Fairys Stadium, where some of his saves were "world class". What a shame they are departing. I presume that MA has even better players lined up to replace them ?" I Presume that MA has even better players lined up to replace them?-What is the clown on?

I dont buy this, NC wants to spend big and Adkins wants to be sensible. There's not a Manager alive who would try and persuade the Chairman to put his money away. If there is anything in it, it's more likely to be that NC doesn't think Nigel has the clout or pull to bring big players in, but I dont believe for one minute that given the chance Nigel would say, "No Mr chairman, we need to build slowly and be sensible". I can see it now, "Nigel we need a top class international Keeper, and I'm willing to fund him", "No, I'm happy with Kelvin, he's a good lad". IF.... NC is offering to take us to another level money wise, and Nigel is resisting, then he needs to be moved on. But, I dont buy that theory. There's no doubt that NC is ruthless, bad start and Nige will be toast. Let's hope that Nigel hits the ground running becaues I'd love to see him here for a decade or so.

Gold has just been on Talk Sport saying "there could have been another 7,000 West Ham supporters here, if only someone had listened" Does anyone know what that was about?

I always thought winning the play offs would be the best way up, but after the Cov game I've changed my mind. Nothing could come close to that feeling, and waiting another 3 weeks would have hospitalised me............

I thought it was just West Ham fans who were obsessed with the "West Ham" way. From what I saw today, West Ham played no different than Reading or countless other Championship sides, they certainly played a lot more football than Stoke did when they got promoted. They dont play as much football as us, or Wigan or Blackpool, but they play pretty much like half a dozen Premiership sides. David Moyes gets praised to the hilt for sending teams out to play the Fat Sam way. In my opinion had Di Cannio been Manager and they played like they did today, nobody would have said a thing. They reminded me of Alan Pardew's West Ham today.