Wes Tender

If it's taking longer because they are digging really deep and finding lots and lots of illegal goings on, then I'm quite happy for them to take their time. It must be like a sword of Damocles for the few more intelligent Skate fans, so the anticipation of what they might find and the repercussions following on from their report are delicious in the suspense.

Did he ever have any credibility? When was that? He isn't even a credible WUM.

We're all quite content that this thread about the Skates' comical plight and dealings still has plenty of legs. Even if as you claim, much is speculative or driven by moral outrage or just an intense dislike of all things Skate, then so what? It's our forum. I don't see any clamour by Saints subscribers calling time on it. The only ones that are doing that, are you and the Corpse. By all means join in the debate, but frankly, it isn't up to you two to call for the thread's closure. If you find it all a bit unpalateable, then that is understandable, but then your poxy little club shouldn't have indulged in such unethical, immoral and criminal behaviour. A bit naive for them to give their main rivals so much ammunition and not expect to receive both barrels from us. You just know that there would be a similar thread on your sites if the situation were reversed. Well, actually, come to think of it, there wouldn't. A shortage of educated and literate posters in the PO postcode area would probably prevent that.

So why didn't they just delete the photos and return the phones? Or would that have required more intelligence than they could muster between them?

Nah. Get real. There isn't enough here in the way of chic boutiques to attract Posh and as she wears the trousers in that relationship, it's a non-starter.

I've already stated a couple of times that I have no issue with the police and they work they do generally. Why are you jumping down my throat for questioning your point that somehow they are the same as other people, when as I say, they are trained to deal with crowds, whether that be football fans, demos or pop concerts? As for their pay and the risks of violence they face, you might as well bracket in the military, firemen, etc. And in case you didn't notice, I praised the report by the chief officer responsible and opined that I thought that he was between a rock and a hard place. All those who are critical of the action they took, or their justification for it are evidence of that.

Well footballers are like Supermarket staff. Offer him a pound an hour more than LA Galaxy and he's our man.

Well, we've had Keegan, Pele and Best at the club, so why shouldn't we have Beckham too? Brooklyn will probably be the more likely one in another 6/7 years, rather than his Dad though. He's a bit past it, only good enough for the Yanks.

I have a sneaking suspicion that provided Cortese remains here for a reasonably substantial period of time and retains the financial backing required, Adkins will remain with us for a number of years. There has not been one smidgeon of gossip that has leaked to indicate that there is any disharmony between Adkins and Cortese. On the contrary SS Southampton appears to be a very happy ship from the Captain down to the cabin boy. There has not been this level of stability between the club, its management, the players and the fans for many years. Long may it continue.

Was the debate about the youngsters of either team? I must have misunderstood. I thought that it was about the more senior tossers like Terry, Rooney, Lampard, Cole, etc. Somebody suggested that the German team would probably have equivalents and you wondered how Alpine would know whether this was so or not. I'm presuming that the German or Austrian press comprises a similar type of journo who would readily print the sort of lurid stories that they have about the England players over here, so that accepted, Alpine is likely to have been able to hear about it and pass comment on it.

Why ever not? As Alpine has lived in Austria for several years as far as I know, I'm assuming that he will have a good grasp of the German language and would therefore read articles in the newspapers and magazines and watch programmes on the box about the German team. As we have based our opinions on what we have read or seen in the media about the England players, why shouldn't Alpine have equal access to that sort of information about German players living in Austria.

Gaddafi?

Why not? I'm not saying that I would support another team against England, but take this to a lesser degree and equate it to an English club team playing in the European Champions League. Should we support the English club, or is that weird if we do not? Because for myself, if it is Manchester United playing anybody else, I am always cheering on the other team. Naturally, I would draw the line if they were playing the Skates, but it then I would end up supporting neither team.

Well, as Mehball says in the post below yours, things have changed with politics holding more sway than before, the rights of the individual, studies having been made as to the psychology of these situations all being factors that have to be taken into consideration. The main aspect that surprised me though, was that as a Northam stand ST holder, I have become used to having access to Britannia Road denied to me after certain matches, whereas for Millwall I'd expected it to be a nailed on certainty and it wasn't. But at least it was good to see such a detailed response from the Officer in charge, which gives us a much greater understanding of the factors involved in their decision-making. As others have already commented, he would be wrong in the eyes of a faction of supporters whichever way he turned.

I respect the Police and the job they do, but like some others feel that their standards have slipped over the past decade and that's probably due to my perception that too many of them are driving about in BMWs persecuting motorists. But I take issue with why the the public shouldn't expect higher standards of perfection from them than would be the case in their own lives. Why ever not? It is their job. It's what they are trained for, it's what they do, preserve and uphold law and order. The policing of football matches is all part of the job description, just as demonstrations, pop concerts and other large public gatherings are. Again, they are trained in this work and those officers who do not know how to react properly under scenes of stress and provocation should not be assigned to that work. Just a few observations; I've not generally got it in for them and still feel that our Police are amongst the best. I've experienced other police forces around the World where bribery and corruption is rife and thank God ours are generally honest.

A very thought provoking response from the OB, well argued and reasoned and he explained succinctly the pressures they are under having to consider peoples' rights and their obligations. I had previously formed the opinion that after the fracas following our goal, that they were negligent in not taking steps to contain the Millwall fans after the match, but in the light of what he has said, I'm persuaded that they are between a rock and a hard place over situations like this.

This. And there hasn't been any mention of the subject of the OP for the past 2/3 pages, so apart from petty childishness or point scoring, why exactly is this thread still going?

Please expand on this further, so that we can know what the full implications are to be of your proposal. Do you actually mean that Dan as a highly paid footballer should be compensated at a level commensurate with his loss of earnings for the future? Should that be on a scale dependent on his age and therefore the average remaining years that he might have as a footballer? Therefore, taking these thoughts onwards, should a fourth division footballer receive less than the Manchester City first teamer? And presumably the well paid footballer will receive far more compensation than the nurse, the teacher, the fireman? Or will it be a flat rate for everybody? And should this compensation be reduced if by his actions, the complainant was responsible for bringing the attack on himself? You see the complications of administrating a a scheme like this?

Well, if you'd care to look back in this thread, you'll see several instances of players who did not do brilliantly elsewhere, but did well here. Conversely, the leagues are littered with players who did not do well here but have excelled elsewhere. Previous perfomances can certainly be used as a guide, a yardstick, but there might have been several factors that produced poor performances previously which are not present at the new club. So the sensible option is still to wait and see.

Totally agree that nothing in football is a guarantee of success, although a club can employ a combination of all of those things you suggested to improve the possibilities of success into probabilities at least. As to the last sentence though, I'd imagine that if the so-called "happy clappers" verbally attack anybody who dares to suggest that a new signing is no good, it is usually on the grounds that a reasoned judgment is difficult to make without seeing that player playing for us. Just as there is no guarantee that a big signing is not guaranteed to succeed with any particular club, it therefore follows that there is no guarantee that a player deemed to be crap by some, will be certain to fail. The sensible position is "wait and see."

They're all using it as a gay dating site.

Funny that. It's exactly the reaction that the sight of your posts gives me. And glad to know that you speak for everybody else. Or is that in reality just your cronies?

And players are like supermarket workers... There. Another sub 600 word post. I'm getting the hang of this terse but pithy posting style.

You just don't get it. And why can't we genuinely be morally outraged because of what happened AND because it was the Skates? It doesn't have to be one thing or the other, it can be both, you know. I know that just because your lot have the morals of an alley cat, you find it hard to understand that there are other fans who do actually have a social conscience, a code of conduct a moral compass, etc. We can genuinely feel sympathy for the cheated taxpayers, those charities and local businesses you stuffed, without accusations from such as you that those feelings are a sham, a cover for our hatred of your poxy little club.

Not so. Saints got an award some years for the most tuneful singing in English football. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_talk/1879433.stm