Lord Duckhunter

My father in law is in his 80's, he owns a building that is at present a night club, he owns it outright with no mortgage. The people who rent off him struggle to pay the rent, but the last thing he wants is the building empty. If they have a good weekend they turn up on Sunday afternoon with some cash for him if not, he can go weeks without receiving a penny and they are thousends in arrears. He has reduced their rent time and time again, and is doing everything he can to help them, as he just does not want the building empty. I suggest that a lot of landlords are in the same boat, whether he would feel the same if he was 57 rathher than 87 I dont know, but surley getting something in rent is better than nothing.

Nail on head. It is purely self interest, no moral crusade over education or the future of the country. That's what we have in the country nowadays. Marches by students against the same students having to pay for some of their education. Marches from public sector workers over THEIR pensions. Nobody in the public sector gave a shiny shiete about the cleaner or the B&Q checkout girl when her final salary pension was changed to a defined contribution one (even if she does only earn £8,000 ish a year). Marching to stop a war, striking to protect people's jobs, I can just about handle, but action for selfish reason, when we've all been through the same or similar, forget it.

Public opinion stopped us joining, not Brown. We will never join the Euro, it's a dead issue. The issue now is our continued membership of the EU, my belief is a "perfect storm" is brewing, and that there is more chance of us leaving the EU, than joining the Euro. There are more people who want to leave the whole corrupt thing, than want to become part of the Euro............

low expectation signing who turned out to be better than I thought was Trond Soltvedt. I thought Mark Hughes was going to be a better signing than he was. But it's a toss up between Speedie & Dixon or Stewart Ripley for me.

I was replying to the view that Brown saved us from the Euro, he didn't, the British people did. I was impressed with redwood on QT last night, he said that his opinion was single country/single currency. That was not Brown's view, he was for it in prinicple.

What seems bizzare about your rant is that you want "Non-season ticket holders who have attended a good number of away games" to have third choice, in front of every other human on the planet". That is all people are asking for regarding home games. We want "Non season ticket holders who have been to a good number of HOME games", to be given priority over "Every other human being on the planet on a first come first served basis". I think membership is the best way to ensure this, if you dont, then fine.But how can you agree with number of games attended for away games, but not home? It doesn't make sense to me.

Gordon Brown was in favour of joining the Euro in prinicple, but that the economic conditions had to be right at the time. He set 5 Ecomonic tests that were so wooly, that they were basically "political tests", it meant that Labour could take the sting out of the political debate. Rest assured, if there was any chance of winning a Euro referendum, the "Ecomonic tests" would suddenly have been passed. Brown and Blair and most of New Labour were in principle in favour of joining the Euro. Most Tories are against the whole principle of joining even if the ecomonic condiditions were favourable to join. They are 2 seperate positions.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_at_one/programme_highlights/1081948.stm

They could easily track someones purchase history and sell tickets to people who had been to a certain number of games, before going on "database" sale.If they can do this just using the database then great no need for membership (they did it for Bournemouth away last year I believe). But to lump people who go to a dozen games a season, in with someone who has been to SMS once, is clearly wrong.

Poor appointment for us and it'll be a poor one for the Jocks. No matter how people try and rewrite it, he was there from the start of the "total football" season as part of the Chuckle Brothers double act, and bears a huge lot of blame for that dire season.Best thing that NC/ML did was getting rid of him from the off.

I personally think there should be some sort of scheme. Basing eligibility to buy tickets for big games on "being on the database" is not the fairest system in my opinion. Personally I would go for a £50 per year membership, with £5 cheaper tickets for the first 8 games you attend. It means £10 admin per member to run the scheme and then ensures that people who attend a decent amount of games get second choice (after S/T holders) for tickets. I have 2 grown up children, one attends every game he can around work (normally about 12-15 games a season). The other one will go occasionally when he feels like it and there's a decent game on. In the eyes of the Club,both are the same when it comes to tickets. Surely a scheme that makes the club a bit of money and also ensures a fairer distribution on tickets is one nobody can complain about.

So because of that we stand still? In 1988 Man Utd averaged 36.474, which was down 8% from the previous season.Who would have thought they could get 70,000+ 20 years later. Nobody is suggesting anything like that size, but 40,000-45,000 is realistic in our growing catchment area.

The people of this country can not wash their hands of the problems in the banking sector. It was Thatcher who openned the floodgates but it was the British public that rushed in. Borrowing money they could not afford, taking out mortgages of 100% (and sometimes more) of the purchase price, remortgaged to pay for foregin holidays and new cars, rather than home improvements. The biggest single change to the banking/mortgage system in this country came with the demutualisation of the Building Societies. Who caused that? Was it Thatcher, was it Brown, what about Clegg, cameron? No it was the members of the Societies, the members of the public, they voted for the free shares,thinking about getting free money for nothing. Didn't turn out to be free though, did it? Banks used to lend money for sound business ideas, Building Societies used to lend money for members to buy houses (to live in not as a money making idea).Then everybody got greedy.Why should our children be left to pay for our greed?

I'm puzzled as to why it says "Thanks to Cameron" when it appears to be Cleggy's idea? Surely the best bet is whatever gives the British taxpayer the most return in the long run. I would rather have income tax lowered long term than be given some shares in the banks. That way the harder I work, the more of my own money I get to keep. If this is the best way to maximise the return then I'm for it, if not forget it. One positive I can see is that perhaps the British people will finely move on and I'll be able to watch QT again without endless whinging about banks and their bonus'. Most of the public are like a cuckold husband who just can't seem to get over the fact that his wife has ****ed off. The way we're going people will still be blaming the banks for stuff happening 25 years down the line.

Sunderland have had 4 very average seasons in the top flight, in all 4 they have averaged over 40,000. Sunderland has a population of approx 177,739 compared to Southamptons approx 236,700 Like Southampton, Sunderland have not won a major trophy for decades. Why do people believe it's not possible for us to fill a 45,000 stadium, and average 40,000 in the top flight?

That's a bit of a sweeping statement. There are plenty of good agents out there.AL would have had an agent when he signed his new contract,Nigel would have had one when he got on the bus. In fact every player that NC deals with regarding contract extenstions, wages ect will have an agent. Just because some of them are shysters, doesn't mean that there are not deceent honest ones out there.

According to the BBC, in the last 40 years fewer than 20 teachers have been struck off for incompetence in the whole of the UK. It maybe subjective, but surely in any job there are poor performers. Are people seriously saying that there were only 20 poor teachers in 40 years?

The difference is I get a choice where I spend my money. If I get poor service from Tesco, I'll go to ASDA and if enough people do the same the local Tesco manager will get the sack. How many poor teachers have been sacked?

You obviously haven't tasted that pure gold in a glass, Tanglefoot. Nothing better for a days drinking. Wont be any good at SMS because they wont look after it correctly. The reason these places serve p*ss water is because it's cheap and any muppet can look after it. To keep a decent ale you need passion for it and you need to know what you're doing.

Comparisons with our last seasons in the Championship are flawed. People were used to Premiership football, so it was a step down. People were ****ed off with Lowe and there was a dark cloud hanging over the club. The club now has a feel good factor, is on the up and we'll soon be the South's top club again. With a sensible pricing policy, a large away contigent, 42,000 is realistic, IMHO.

We've got a thread running to over 800 pages in the Lounge regarding the Skates and how they paid, and still are paying stupid wages and transfer fees for players. NC knows what we can afford, and along with other football people at the club make a decision on the value of any targets.I would much rather spend what we can afford than end up like Hull City, has the past 5 years not taught us anything?

My daughter got me Badfinger's greatest hits as one of my Fathers days presents. In all fairness there is only about 5 "hits" on it, but I'd forgotton just how good they were.

I knew a bird who got ****ged on holiday by Ross Jenkins when he played for Watford. She was pretty ugly and fat, and he must have had a bout 10 pints to even think about it.

What a ridiculous argument. I didn’t start the Iraq war, can I withhold a portion of my income tax? People without kids have to pay for other’s children to be educated.I have to pay for people on the dole, despite never having claimed it. How do we sort out the finances if only the people who caused the deficit are the ones who pay? Your socialist utopia seems to mean everyone sharing the benefits of a free market economy, but only the Private sector paying the costs when it goes wrong.

People like Clapton and Joe Cocker used to do whole tours in this state, what’s the Rock and Roll world coming to, cancelling after a few too many?