Grovesred

"Maybe we need a bigger predator now to deal with the foxes."

I would counsel caution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk4eQ5s5bZQ

At the York City open day last year, we had a stall run by a guy who was collecting shirts for a project in Tanzania, so we were pleased to be sending York shirts instead of Leeds, Man U, Liverpool, etc.

We also managed to get the local Referees' Association to donate a load of refs' kit, and the football club donated some footballs, and obsolete youth team strips.

I guess it's pretty much the same in Kenya as Tanzania, where we were told how most matches are played by kids with no kit, and with a ball made from newspaper bound together with string.

When they can run out wearing proper kit, kick a proper ball, and abuse a referee in a proper kit, they feel like a million dollars.

If anyone's sending their kit to such a charity, I'd recommended asking Saints to donate some old training kit and half a dozen balls as well

Oxford United appear to have been taking lessons from New Labour on how to make the elderly and the young pay more whilst dressing it up as a good deal for everyone.

Oxford United v York City

Saturday 8th August

K.O.3.00pm

Tickets for City’s first away fixture are cheaper if purchased in advance from Oxford’s ticket office.

Ticket prices in the North Stand along the side of the pitch, are as follows:

ADVANCE

Adults - £15.00

Students with NUS Card - £11.50

Over 65 - £9.00

Under 16 - £9.00

Under 7 - FREE

ON THE DAY

Adults - £17.00

Students with NUS Card - £13.00

Over 65 - £10.00

Under 16 - £10.00

Under 7 - FREE

Tickets can be purchased by phoning Oxford United Ticket Office on 01865 337533 or from the website www.oufc.co.uk , a booking fee of £2.00 for posting and £1.50 collection is added per booking.

I'll be staying at home and saving my pennies for a trip to Edinburgh on Septempber 19

I rather suspect the day's going to pass unmarked at Grovesred Towers this year.

I'm a bit mystified as to why the police are bleating to MPs about this - as I understand it, they can already charge pretty much what they like, including making the football club responsible for paying for all extra police brought in as a result of a game being played.

And who decides how many officers are necessary? Why the police themselves of course.

This situation led a couple of years ago to North Yorkshire police saying they'd charge York City £30,000 for a Boxing Day game v Halifax - upwards of £10 from every single person at the game out of an entry fee of £14!

The club contacted other clubs around the country to find out what they'd expect to pay the police for a local derby on a bank holiday. Some were as low as £1,000 (Torquay v Exeter) whilst one would have been free (Halifax v York!).

Shortly after this I heard an interview with the Chief Constable in which she referred to her force as "the business" which perhaps reveals what her aims were.

Racist? Not racist? Who knows? Who cares? It's a grimly ironic photograph which rings of several truths. Domestic cats are ruthless killers. A muslim terrorist is equally ruthless, and who can deny they have brought this sort of viewpoint on themselves by way of their murderous actions in the name of their "religion"?

I would deny it.

As we all know, only a tiny number of Muslims support or take part in terrorism, but saying that “they” bring it on themselves seems to imply it’s OK to blame all Muslims for the crimes of the few.

It’s a mistaken attitude, and one which is used by unscrupulous people in the media, government, and racist political parties to bolster Islamaphobia, which I’d argue is not only a form of racism, but the dominant form of racism in Britain today.

Can't speak for other people, but I think my choice of second (& third, fourth, fifth) team probably demonstrates I'm not too good at glory-hunting.

This last season excepted, of course

Let's hope the strategic review includes a long hard look at Setanta's customer services department - still never had a response to several complaints I lodged back in April!

No matter how you dress it up, the BNP is not a legitimate or democratic party, it is a gang of violent Nazis who have convinced a minority of people to vote for it by deliberately concealing what it stands for.

You can't cover up for them by claiming youthful indiscretion - the BNP founding fuhrer John Tynadall famously said "Mein Kampf is my bible". It's only a couple of years since Collet denounced Churchill as a "f**king c**t" for leading Britain in the war against Germany. Griffin had already replaced Tyndall when he said political power depended more on "well-directed fists and boots" than the ballot box.

And finally, respect to the UAF activists for breaking up the Nazis' press conference the other day and to (pinches self) The Sun for its response

http://extras.thesun.co.uk/flash/nick_griffin/shoot.html

And whilst the election of Nazis to such powerful (and profitable) positions is cause for concern, it's worth noting that in both Yorkshire and the North West, the Nazi vote was lower at this election than the last.

Family ties mean it can only be...

...St Johnstone

Love 'em to bits, but obviously nowhere near as much as York City

Soft spots also for Lancaster City, Sheff Wed, Hull City (don't tell anyone), and Cork City.

As for other sports, no egg-chasing for me, but I get to see Yorkshire CC about once a decade and am fond of the occasional trip across the pennines to watch some speedway at the (once-)mighty Belle Vue Aces.

the Irish league and the non-league clubs would be in severe problem (Grovesred would be able to shed some light on that)

Not a huge amount of light, I'm afraid.

I'm not 100% sure of the terms of the Conference's deal with Setanta, except that the first few (3 or 5, not sure exactly how many) home games that you're on live bring in £8,000 per game. Thereafter, it's £13,000 per game. It's £2,000 per away game.

A posting on a message board recently suggested that each club gets £85,000 per season.

Based on that, I reckon York City will have got (or are owed ) something in the order of £150,000 for the season just ended, including the FA Trophy Final.

Now although that's not to be sniffed at, I don't think non-payment would drive us into insolvency. Some of the smaller clubs though, who attract smaller crowds, but pay twice as much in wages may be in for a torrid time.

My knowledge of Ireland is even more limited, confined to a few conversations with Cork fans, but it seems several clubs there are teetering on the brink anyway, and TV money being pulled and not replaced could have dire consequences on a smilar scale to what's been predicted for the SPL.

Just signed up.

What's the best present you have ever recieved???

I had an (ahem) landmark birthday this year and celebrated it in hosptality at York City v Eastbourne

Before the match one of the players (suspended for a fecking stupid last-minute red card a week or so previously) popped in with a ball and a birthday card both signed by all the players. Not quite as illustrious a line-up as yours Ghost (quite possibly the worst York City team ever), but nevertheless quite a thrill even for someone as old and cynical as me

Congratulations OC and all at Burnley!

A big problem with many people who cite the Bible as authority for their own prejudices is that they do so selectively.

For example, the Old Testament spends as much time counselling against wearing mixed fibres as it does condemning man-on-man action.

If the bigots are so keen to exclude the Revd Rennie, perhaps they should forget his sexual preferences and investigate whether he wears cotton boxers with linen trousers.

And if he's uncircumcised and eats pork, he's toast

Will the Daily Mail complain if they claim benefits while here though?

Yes.

The Fall/How i wrote Elastic man

Couldn't find a link for Frank Sidebottom's cover, so we'll have to make do with his cover (along with David Soul and Paul Ryder ) of Hit the North instead.

...and in the final disappointing act, I was out-bid in the Wembley charity auction by someone who was willing and able to spend £110 to secure McBreen's No 9 shirt

There's a difference between a referee making an almighty cock-up and a player deliberately seeking advantage by deceiving/conning a referee.

Despite the action taken against this player by his club, it's clear that club officials were complicit - they can't have failed to understand what the wink meant. If they were sincere in their disapproval of his actions, they'd have substituted him immediately.

I'd have thought the club as well as the player had a case to answer, perhaps under the rules that make clubs accountable for the behaviour of their players, officials, and supporters.

I've no idea what sanctions are available to the authorities, but they should use them to send out a message that this behaviour is utterly unacceptable.

...and looking forward to seeing the band live in Thatlondon in July!

Drivers who think a red light means the car behind them has to stop.

its funny watching all the angry rangers fans in the background

Indeed - there's none so blind as them that won't see

Sometimes I think I've seen it all in *cough* years of watching professional football, but I have to admit the blatant and despicable cheating here shocked even me.

Last saw him playing for Hudds reserves at York - made a prat of himself getting sent off for a totally unneccessary foul. On that showing (less than half a game admittedly) I couldn't see him doing much worthwhile at SPL level.

McBreen one of ten players released by City this morning...

...which is something of a pointless gesture given that he signed a contract with Queensland Fury two or three months months ago

Hoping for a Boro win, but expect it to be Newcastle.

A Boro-supporting coach driver help lift some of the York fans' gloom on Saturday with such gems as:

"What's the difference between Boro and Alan Shearer?"

"Alan Shearer will be on Match of the Day next season"