shurlock

And to think spic and d!ck scan so perfectly on all days pro-pc and anti-homophobic...

And to think i've always had you down as a black Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Sounds like this forum - all bast*rds of the enlightenment

Insecure yes, but not hypocritical. Would be a different matter if messrs elliott et al. were calling for, say, the national team to positively discriminate.

Went to watch your game at MK Dons (saw the sh*te served up at your place when alan lee did a job on us), convinced we were going to lose at Brighton the next day. You enjoyed a bit of a smash and grab but could tell you had the resilience to push us all the way. Spoke to some of your lot on the way back to Bletchley -and the banter was lively but in good nature. You have a good set-up -(what happened with Clark and Leicester in the end?)- and a great chairman. Hopefully you don't become blinded by staying unbeaten and err on the side of caution when games call for you gambling and you secure auto this time. Still, more than happy to take Rhodes off your hands in Jan...

What did you make of the all-saints day? Decent gesture?

Would think that's pretty self-evident No reason to think the guy is lying - even if one or two of the details may not be perfectly or accurately recollected; I believe Cortese said most of this but time will tell what it means. Either the guy is full of sh*t or he's sincere enough but underestimates how complicated football is or his ambitions and ultimately his actions really do outstrip anything we imagine.

You mate one of the lads on here - post 67? http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?29873-Nicola-Cortese/page2&highlight=cortese+legend

Someone stuck some photos up here of Cortese and some fans at Staplewood after getting back from Plymouth in the evening.

What didn't happen - you know, you were on the coach? Free beer to wash down all that humble pie would have been a lovely touch, mind you.

One stop = lazy c*nt. Still rush hour at Victoria is a war of all against all.

Its more of a leap, than a step. Having your finger prints and mug shot taken is personal in a way that being filmed is not; one presumes something might go off while the other is effectively accusing you. FWIW, I've had my prints taken and it feels very different from having a camera shoved in your general direction. Cheers about Donny - thought they would be make an exception to the matchday tickets only rule -Saturday being one of the only times fans outside the area will be in Soton before Donny- so will bear it in mind.

When do they do that? Last time I had any real aggro was Swansea away in 2008 -and sensing they going to be told to do one and their hearts not quite in it, the OB relented quite easily.

I'm not saying criticisms amount to an attack on the club -and wouldn't really be bothered if they did. Chairmen are there to be shot at -they're paid enough to bear that risk and I've supported this club long enough- I just think perspective is sometimes in short supply. In the long-run, crying wolf weakens -rather than strengthens- fans' hands, makes them look like numpties when the full facts come out and then makes it easier for the club to sidestep genuine criticism. In the meantime, on Saturday, I'll just take the 12.35 from Waterloo instead of the 13.05, so I can pick up my donny tickets and turn it into an opportunity (I'll be able to catch more of the early premiership game than I usually can). I'm sure I'll survive.

Faultless is OTT but some fail to see the woods through the trees. Am as affected as anyone by the issues raised but am I going to lose sleep over them, not really. When you consider the full range of things that could happen to, or go wrong with the club, does the importance of the issues justify the war-and-peace length threads and repeated discussion, nah not really. What is naive is to think that posters don't have ulterior motives -whether its just the desire of some to have a moan and a grumble.

And for all the moaners and menstruals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGUwstazvPM

Answers on a postcard

True- but if its racially motivated, it might involve a different level of intent or foresight. Certainly different from being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting caught up in something you later regret.

Think the argument is overstated on both sides - the media does play a role; but juries can be insulated from this influence. In particular, the further back in time the media coverage of an incident is, the less likely it is to sway jurors, suggesting that they can block out the past. Research makes a similar point -the so-called fade out effect- while acknowledging that risks are greater in high-profile cases and that jurors tend to recall negative coverage of defendants more than positive coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8519995.stm. Perhaps the Lawrence case is such a fixed part of our cultural landscape that people can't block out what the media has said; but the evidence is not as fatalistic and these risks need to be balanced against the risks of justice not being done by failing to act on potentially important evidence. In this case, the evidence would have to be sufficiently powerful to offset the risk of an unfair trial - and I'm sure this was a determining factor in the courts minds. Anything less, and Turkish's point would have tipped the balance the other way. Judges are no mugs either -their independence is one of the great strengths of this country, fought tooth and nail for centuries- and if they smell something rotten, they'll pull the plug -regardless how unpopular it is with the press and the public. Finally, like a few others in their late 20s/early 30s, I grew up with this stuff. Playing devils advocate, I always thought that the bias -assuming one exists- might work the other way - namely, the fact that the defendants hadn't been convicted would leave all kinds of niggling doubts in jurors minds and actually make it harder for the prosecution -regardless what any new evidence might say.

i thought you meant the northam

That makes quite a bit of sense. Would have a word with your tutor, though, and its crucial that you discuss with him ways to mitigate the risks.The worst scenario would be to drop out of soton, put all your money on b'mouth (cos there aren't many other credible places out there doing what you want) and come out empty-handed. The UCAS points requirement is just a basic threshold (and I assume its BBB) and there'll be quite a few applicants clearing it easily. Your hands-on experience will stand you in good stead; but stranger things have happened.

A third - for real? Surely, the first year didnt count much -if anything- to your classification, so its still up for grabs. Why the panic? But if you are heading for a car crash, perhaps it is better to use the ejector seat. A third is a pretty heavy stigma to shake off - and a degree may blemish rather than enhance your CV. As others say, Bournemouth has a v.good reputation for media and done more than any institution to rescue the discipline from mickey-mouse status. What are your chances of getting in?

Forums get hijacked by those who shout the loudest -and also become unrepresentative in their own way. The other consequence is that once a shouting contest ensues, the club becomes defensive and closes ranks -and you'll never get a straight answer. Insofar as the dinners are relatively low-key and allow for a proper, iterative conversation, they make it easier to ask tougher questions. As long as the dinners are truly random and attendees realise you can be firm but polite, they have a lot of value.

Very interesting - the steelers are a class organisation, typified by the Rooney family who, no doubt, would have few interesting things to say about how footy over here is run and owned. See you're long-suffering Browns fan (my old man was born in NYC but was raised in Columbus, OH with the Browns and Ohio-Michigan State rivalry on his doorstep before moving to Soton in the mid-70s and then moving, like art modell, to Baltimore in the late 90s where he's lived since). Those epic Broncos-Browns encounters and being put through the rinser by John Elway seem like an eternity ago now.

I still blame the signing of ronnie ekelund today.