Guided Missile

Easy, tiger....

Play was resumed amid great excitement, it being the general opinion that the team which scored the first goal would prove the victors. Sides were changed and soon after the start "hands'' was given against the Engineers. The military representatives set the ball merrily rolling in the direction of their opponents quarters, and obtained a corner, but Carter effectively prevented anything being gained from this advantage Farwell and Delamotte removed the source of danger by means of a good run, and the soldiers' goal-keeper was put on the alert, a well-intentioned effort on the part of Nicholls not being successful. Much amusement was caused among the spectators by the manner in which" Banquo '— the familiar appellation of Stride— shadowed Corporal Smith. The leather having been hunted into the quarters of the Saints, hands were twice, in quick succession, given against the defenders, but Ruffell, with his fists, prevented an entrance. Some exciting play was then witnessed, resulting in an invasion of the military quarters, and Farwell and Delamotte each made excellent attempts for a goal, but they were unsuccessful, through the ball striking the cross-bar. The battle waged in the territory of the military amid the greatest excitement, some smart passing being witnessed on the part of the Saints' forwards, and Delamotte again shot, but failed. It was now seen that both sides were showing their best form, the play being of a superior kind. The Saints again got possession, but their chance was spoiled by one of the Engineers handling the ball Lieutenant Bourne next took the ball across the central line, and being well backed up, shot for goal, but missed. The Saints now seemed to be on their mettle and Kiddle and Bromley showed exceedingly good passing play, which carried the ball into the Engineers' quarters, and Farwell, having a shot for goal, went just outside. The Saints' forwards played in a very brilliant style, and shot after shot was sent in but repelled by Hamer in a sledge-hammer fashion. Lieut. Bourne again changed the venue, and made a good kick for goal, but this was neatly saved by Ruffell. For a little while the battle waged in the vicinity of the Saints quarters, and a goal was nearly kicked, but saved, in a remarkable manner, by Ruffell. By means of some smart passing play on the part of the civilians forwards the attack was transferred to the other end ot the field. Parwell put in a shot, which was returned by the goal-keeper, but Bromley quickly placed it between the posts amid great cheering, and in a very short time almost accomplished another goal with a good try. Nicholls neatly passed to Kiddle, and, the goal-keeper rushing out. Kiddle obtained the third goal easily, the spectators " making the welkin ring with cheers." After this, only a few minutes were left to the call of time, and the soldiers seemed thoroughly dispirited Nothing noteworthy happened till tbe call of time, which left the Saints victorious, and the winners of the Senior Cup by three goals to one — a result that even their most sanguine supporters could scarcely have dreamed of as possible. It was gratifying throughout the match — especially after the selfish play on the previous Saturday, to which we felt compelled to call attention— to notice the improvement in the passing of the Saints' forwards, and this particularly applies to Farwell and Kiddle. The Saints and Royal Engineers have played two friendly matches during the season— one on the Antelope Ground, resulting in a victory for the Saints by four goals to three : while in the return match, at Aldershot, when the Saints only had a mixed team, the Engineers were victorious by five goals to one. Teams :— St. Marys - R. Ruffel, goal; G. Carter(captain) and G. Marshall, backs: C. Deacon, W. Stride and G. Verney, half-backs; R.S. Kiddle and F.C. Bromley (right-wing), E. Nicholls (centre), A. Farwell and F.A. Delamotte (left-wing), forwards. Royal Engineers (Aldershot) - Sapper R. Hammettt, goal; Corporal F.C. Kilburn and Sapper D. B. Hamer, backs; Lieutenant G.H. Versturme, Second-Corporal J. White, and Sapper E.A. Jones, half-backs; Lieutentant P.T. Bourne and A.N. Other (right-wing); Driver A. Gray (centre), Corporal R.S. Smith and Sapper J. Elson (left-wing), forwards, The umpires were Mr. Masterman (of Bournemouth) and Lieutenant Whitmarsh (of the Royal Marine Light Infantry), while Mr. E.Q.Duchesne (of Bournemouth) was referee. The cup was handed over to the captain of the winning team, outside the pavilion, by Miss Woodford St Arabin, who wore a silk neckerchief of the colours of the Saints, and who also presented each member of the team with a medal. "After the cup and medals had been handed over" Mr Carter, addressing the delighted throng present, stated that when the team came on the ground that afternoon, they hardly expected to take the cup. They had had a hard fight, and no mean opponnents, but they had won fairly and squarely . He thanked Miss Arabin for presenting the cup. and called for cheers for that lady and the Royal Engineers, which were heartily given. Subsequently the vanquished team were entertained at Gidden's Restaurant, 104, High Street the chair being occupied by the president, and there was a large attendance. The Challenge Cup was filled and passed round as a loving cup, and the usual compliments passed, the President remarking that the sum of £65 was taken at the gate, whioh was the record amount and he hoped next year the St. Mary's team would qualify to compete with the English Assocation. Mr. Carter, in responding to " Success to the Club," remarked that there had been no selfish play during the progress of the game that afternoon.

Hampshire Cup Final, 1891 Hampshire Advertiser - Wed, 18 Mar, 1891 St. Mary's v. Royal Engineers.— Considerable anxiety prevailed in Southampton football circles as to what would be the result of the final competition for the Hampshire Senior Challenge Cup, which was fixed to come off at the Cricket Ground, tbe opponents being the St Mary's team, who had to meet the Royal Engineers (Aldershot), the winners of the cup for two years in succession, and who only required to be successul on this occasion to become the absolute owners of the trophy. It is generally known how the St. Mary's, as juniors, defeated year after year all comers, ultimately gaining entire control over the Junior Cup, and this year saw their flrst appearance as a senior-team. In the various cup ties this year all their opponents have had to succumb to their prowess, until, at last, they had to meet the holders of the cup, and it was confidently anticipated that they would have to lower their colours to the representatives of the scientific branch of the Army. The Royal Engineers first obtained possession Of the cup in 1889, when they bowled over the representatives of Portsmouth, and last year they defeated the Kings Royal Rifles in the final ties. As this year they had worked through the various rounds into the final, and, as their success in this meant ownership there was every incentive for them to put forth their utmost efforts to win. With a knowledge of these facts, many felt certain that the civilians would have to acknowledge the supremacy of the military in the popular game ; but the result proved the wisdom contained in the old adage, "There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip." The weather was very cold on Saturday afternoon there being a keen northerly wind blowing, but this, however, did not interfere with the play or the attendance, which was very large. While on this point however, we might throw out the suggestion that some accommodation should be provided for members of the Press— the same as at cricket matches— inasmuch as the task of jotting down a few notes with the fingersnumbed with the cold, and an excited crowd surging round, is by no means easy. Thanks to the forethought of Dr. Bencraft, who, in addition to being one of the hon. secretaries of the County Cricket Club is president of the St. Mary's Football Club, the snow of the early part of the week had been entirely removed from the ground almost as soon as it fell, and there appeared every indication on Saturday afternoon there was to be another fall, but, happily, this kept off. Several thousand spectators assembled to view the match and there was not a vacant space around the ropes. The military were first on the field, doing a little practice and, as the bell rang to announce " time,'' the home team put in an appearance, both sides being encouraged by hearty plaudits as they took up their respective positions— the military the western end, and the home side the eastern. St. Mary's lost the toss, and, after the "kick off", at once commenced the attack Farwell making a mark for goal, but missed, though the ball was in close proximity to the citadel of the Engineers. An instant after, the Saints obtained a corner but nothing resulted. Play was quickly transferred to the territory of the civilians, who were put on the defence and two shots put in by Corporal Smith were well saved by Ruffell. Hands," twice in succession, were given against the home team, and a similar verdict followed soon after. A smart shot from the military was neatly headed out by the captain of the civilians. Some pretty play ensued, and it was seen that the Saints had improved on their play of the previous Saturday as they showed a good passing game. The fight in the home territory was relieved by Kiddle and Bromley taking the ball to the opposite quarters, and Nicholls lost an epportunity by being too alow. Soon after it appeared as though there was a foul on the part of one of the military, but it was not sustained. The civilians did all the pressing, and a corner was kicked by Verney, but resulted in nothing. Subsequently Sapper Jones deliberately fouled Nicholls and this was allowed. The Saints obtained another corner, the kick being taken by Verney, and Kiddle just missed by shooting over the bar. The home team were now playing a very fast game, shot after shot being sent in, but the defence of the military was too good, the kicking of Sapper Hamer and Corporal Kilburn being especially noticeable. After a brief scrimmage in front of the goal the ball was prettily shot in by Bromley which evoked a mighty shout of gratification. Shortly after the kick off there was some rough play but,in spite of this, the leather was kept in the territory of the military and the Saints only just missed another goal by the ball being sent over the bar. The Engineers now seemed to lose their coolness, and showed a lack of combination, while the Saints, receiving every encouragement from the shouts of their supporters were playing remarkably well. Corporal Smith having obtained possession of the ball, transferred the contest into the other end of the ground, and a corner was obtained, but nothing resulted, as Ruffell, in excellent style, kept out the leather. Some give-and-take play ensued, and Lieutenant Bourne lost a good opportunity of scoring on account of his erratic shooting. Then followed some exciting play, and " hands " were given against the Engineers in front of goal. Carter missed a pretty safe kick, and Driver Gray, getting possession, shot for the goal with a neat " daisy-cutter," which all the efforts of Ruffell could not stay and matters were thus equalised. Great excitement then prevailed, especially as shortly after " hands " was given against the civilians, which resulted in a corner for the Engineers. Delamotte, by a splendid run, took the fight into the territory of the soldiers, but Sapper Hammett, in goal, was equal to the occasion. There was some pressing on the part of Farwell, Nicholls, and Delamotte, resulting in the latter shooting, but the goal was saved at the expense of a corner. Verney kicked out, but "hands" were given against the Saints, shortly after which the combatants were separated by the signal for half-time, and to enjoy a well earned spell, the score standing at one goal each.

Yesterday, HSBC withdrew Birmingham's overdraft facility. It means that they no longer have access to £7M. It also means that it is very likely that players will be leaving the club in January. Not that they have many left to sell, but the rumour is that they will be offloading Nikola Zigic, Liam Ridgewell and Jean Beausejour. The move by HSBC follows the arrest of Carsten Yeung on five charges of money laundering. He could face 14 years in jail and be stripped of his 23% shareholding in the club, if it is proved that he acquired his stake from criminal proceeds. Sound familiar? This may make our trip to Birmingham a little easier and I can't wait to go...

I think the concerns that the Football League have about Pompey pale into insignificance, compared the the legal situation they will shortly face. I'll make it simple for any skates reading this. Vlad the Impaler, a suspected member of the Russian mafia, robs a bank and a pension fund. He then loans the money to a company, let's call them PFC Ltd., in order that they may satisfy his Abramovich fantasy and fund a loss making business with a dwindling customer base and poor product range. After being arrested for this crime, his victims freeze every asset he has in an attempt to recover the loot. This includes the stolen money that PFC Ltd. spent. This was not a loan from Vlad, a company he controls or equity. It is, in my opinion, handling stolen goods and getting it back won't involve some pleasant deal with the administrator of Vlads company, but Interpol, the City police and the enforcement forces of Lithuania and Latvia. Football League rules? Don't make me laugh. This has gone much further than that.

Bad Company

...according to the Sun in this article. Apologies if already posted, but I was under the impression we weren't interested.

Many thanks. Back from a lengthy holiday in California. Missed the West Ham and Middlesborough games, but at least I got to see exactly how low the standard of football is in the MLS. Saints would walk that league and beckham wouldn't make our bench.

I would not be suprised if this is the next photo we see of Antonov: I'd stay indoors, if I was him...

Things we said in July, 2011...

Quiz: Is the following video: Pompey fans queuing for tickets at Fratton Park? Leigh Park Benefit Office? Customers waiting to get their money out of Vlad's bank? [video=youtube;Dy-beH62-l0]

Russian millionaire Vladimir Antonov, the former owner of Lithuanian bank Snoras and Latvian bank Latvijas Krajbanka, could face a ten-year prison sentence if convicted in Lithuania, and a three-year prison sentence if convicted in Latvia, the newspaper Diena reports today. [TABLE=class: pic] [TR] [/TR] [/TABLE] Antonov has been declared a suspect in Latvia in connection with LVL 100 million that has gone missing from Latvian bank Latvijas Krajbanka, writes LETA. On the other hand, Lithuanian media report that approximately LVL 200 million has gone missing from Snoras bank. As reported, yesterday, Lithuanian Prosecutor General Darius Valys signed a European arrest warrant for Antonov and his partner at Snoras bank Raimondas Baranauskas. Both former Snoras bank executives were named suspects in the case on large-scale misappropriation of assets and document forgery. Baranauskas is also suspected of fraudulent bookkeeping and abuse of authority. LETA also reported, Snoras holds a 67.9% stake in now-troubled Latvian bank Krajbanka. Last week, Snoras was nationalized as Lithuanian authorities shut down the bank after it observed irregularities in the bank's operations. Earlier this week, Latvian State Police Chief Ints Kuzis reported that the assets discovered missing at Krajbanka totals about LVL 100 million. Krajbanka co-owner Antonov has been classified a suspect in the case, and a decision will come soon whether he will be sought and a warrant issued by Latvian authorities.

This...

If any, and I mean any, of the posters on this site was offered a job that paid £1M a year, not one would turn it down on the basis of corporate greed. So, let's admit that any opinions are based on jealousy, as is the case of the majority of Socialist/Communist/Lib Dems. It would be better to concentrate on public, rather than private finances, where billions are wasted on the wages of public sector employees and political appointees. The Socialist/Communist/Lib Dems are first in line at this particular trough, as the Kinnocks, et al demonstrated so well in Brussels and haven't we had value for money from these Euro Parliamentary leaches? The EU? Possibly the most expensive and biggest failure since the Treaty of Versailles.

For me, Ho is a Christmas present that just keeps giving....

This is fascinating... In March 1893, Freemantle reached the final of the Hampshire Senior Cup, where they again met their arch-rivals, Southampton St. Mary's. The Saints had won the cup in each of the two previous seasons and were favourites to retain the trophy. The match, played at the County Ground on 11 March, generated great excitement in the town and produced a crowd of over 6000 and gate receipts of £122. The Bournemouth Guardian reported: "the attendance completely upset all ideas as to the accommodation that would be required, and the magnificent spectacle of between 6,000 and 7,000 excited individuals massed together round the field of play ... was one that Hampshire and indeed none of the counties south of the Thames and this side of London has ever witnessed at an Association football match." Freemantle opened the scoring before the Saints equalised; with the score 1–1 and only a few minutes left to play, a Freemantle forward, Horton, was about to score past Ralph Ruffell in the Saints' goal when he was tripped by William Stride. Although the Saints protested that the foul was outside the penalty area, the referee awarded a penalty to Freemantle, which was converted by Shirley Hawkins, giving Freemantle their first trophy.[7] After the match, the Freemantle supporters "went on a revel"; local legend has it that the Cup was found next early the morning "sitting unattended in the middle of the road outside a local hostelry – presumably the Waterloo Arms".[7] At the club’s end of season dinner the Magpies' captain, George Ridges, told the gathering that he "did not see why they should not call their club Southampton Football Club".[4]

[h=3]xe·no·pho·bia definition [/h]Pronunciation: /ˌzen-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə, ˌzēn-/ Function: n : fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.

Speaking to Meridian Tonight, Marc Jackson was asked what his background is and who was behind his consortium. He told the programme... 'I was trained by Xerox, many many many years ago. I'm a business strategist, many people say I'm a photocopying salesman, which I always find quite amusing.' 'I actually have been in the past,been heavily involved in the fitting out of Southampton football club stadium. Obviously I have an IT background, sales background, but also I have had involvement at Southampton Academy and scouting for many, many years.' 'To give you an instance I was involved in the scouting of Adam Lallana from Bournemouth sadly, to Southampton.' 'I have many, many contacts in football, I have many contacts abroad as well, in American MLS football as well as in Dubai.' 'So it's a mixture of many many things, all put together with a vision for a football club and we are going to drop the blueprint into here, but all will be revealed.' When asked if it was his money he was investing in AFC Bournemouth, Jackson smiled and said... 'It is a consortium' When pushed on who is in the consortium, he added... 'That is, something that really and honestly will never be answered properly and completely, but the truth of the matter is, there will be answers to that to an extent in tomorrow's (Thursday) press conference.'

There was no charge for the Lend Lease aid delivered during the war, but the Americans did expect the return of some durable goods such as ships. Congress had not authorized the gift of supplies after the war, so the administration charged for them, usually at a 90% discount. Large quantities of undelivered goods were in Britain or in transit when Lend-Lease terminated on 2 September 1945. Britain wished to retain some of this equipment in the immediate post war period. In 1946, the post-war Anglo-American loan further indebted Britain to the U.S. Lend-lease items retained were sold to Britain at 10% of nominal value, giving an initial loan value of £1.075 billion for the Lend Lease portion of the post-war loans. Payment was to be stretched out over 50 annual payments, starting in 1951 and with five years of deferred payments, at 2% interest.[26] The final payment of $83.3 million (£42.5 million), due on 31 December 2006 (repayment having been deferred in the allowed five years), was made on 29 December 2006 (the last working day of the year). After this final payment Britain's Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Ed Balls, formally thanked the U.S. for its wartime support. I guess a 90 % discount on US wartime aid and thousands of US lives lost in Europe wasn't enough for you lot. What we repaid was about 10% value of the durable goods we kept, like battleships and the post war Anglo-American loan, that funded the NHS, amongst other Socialist experiments. At least Ed Balls had some gratitude, unlike you lot. The US making a fortune out of the UK from the aid they gave us? Yeah, that's right....

A 1942 Gallup poll conducted after Pearl Harbor, before the arrival of US troops and Churchill's heavy promotion of the special relationship, showed wartime ally Russia was still more popular than the United States among 62% of Britons. However only 6% had ever visited the United States and only 35% knew any Americans personally. In 1986, 71% of Britons, questioned in a Mori poll the day after Reagan’s bombing of Libya, disagreed with Thatcher's decision to allow the use of RAF bases, while two thirds in a Gallup survey opposed the bombing itself, the reverse of American opinion. The above 2 polls and subsequent history have shown how clueless the UK general public is, demonstrated so well by many of the posters on this thread.

I am saying that they obviously shared our values enough, to die for the freeedom you are exercising, spouting xenophobic rubbish. I would call that a "special-relationship". Personally, I'd be happier restricting the bandwidth you are currently inhabiting...

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honors American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II. The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 70 ha (172 acres), and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. Included are graves of Army Air Corps crews shot down over France as early as 1942. Only some of the soldiers who died overseas are buried in the overseas American military cemeteries. When it came time for a permanent burial, the next of kin eligible to make decisions were asked if they wanted their loved ones repatriated for permanent burial in the U.S., or interred at the closest overseas cemetery.

This...

Rain stopped play, from where I'm sitting....