Thanks O2G!

I'd be really grateful for a bit of local knowledge for travelling down to this one. Work patterns and the college timetable of my lad mean that going on the coaches is a non-starter, so I'm going to drive down early afternoon, park at a tube station on the outskirts and go from there. Previously, Cockfosters was always a good bet for Arsenal/West Ham but ideally i'd like somewhere over the M40/A40 corridor. Can anyone suggest a good spot? Alternatively, in the past I've also parked at Luton Parkway and caught the fast train to St. Pancras. The trains run back from St. Pancras quite late, so returning after the game shouldn't be an issue. Would this be a reasonable alternative to dodge any potential M25/circular Road issues?

Andy Payton been blocking the toilets again?

Cautiously optimistic with this appointment. I had resigned myself to a Pardew/Pulis type arrangement so it's more relief than anything. Fingers crossed him and the new DOF have a decent book of contacts to play the loan market.

It's really schoolboy stuff for such an organisation!

Apparently the ticket office is open on Saturday - I rang on Thursday afternoon in a panic after receiving the e-mail and the lady I spoke to confirmed there was a mistake (!) in the e-mail.....!

From memory, I think it was 2-0 at the time of the missed pen - and we scored the third just after they had pulled the goal back (was it Eddie McGoldrick?) Even more galling was that fact that Howard Gayle had been absolutely lethal from the spot that year.

We visited on the Friday inbetween Christmas and New Year - early evening, about five o'clock. The place was absolutely packed and the restaurant area was fully booked for the evening. I'll certainly try again, but I'll be booking next time! On the flip side, we ate at the Craven Heifer at Kelbrook, which wasn't bad at all.

I'm by no means a racing expert, but I always found "Newsboy" in the Daily Mirror to be pretty good. I wouldn't worry too much about the stakes on the course bookies - most usually start at £2.00 nowadays.

The Summer of 2001 I think. Basically a huge fall out between local Asian youths and the Whites. An ex-policeman friend who was working at the time of the riots believed there were a number of problems for the cause of the riots (they also happened in Oldham and Bradford around the same time) but one of the reasons is that the Asians attacked a pub where BNP meetings were regularly held.

Cheers Ozzie, fond memories of that Boro game - it was my first on the Blackburn End. I was a season ticket holder in the Nuttall Street stand and I went to this game with a pal from School. For some reason I will always remember Ian Miller's "nonchalant" celebration after the third goal. You would have assume he was a 20 a season man

The Clog and Billycock/Three Fishes do a fantastic fish & chips.

Me too, 29 May, Cup Final weekend. Be nice to be able to combine the two.....

I seem to recall Paul Wilkinson (terrible haircut BTW) went to Everton after Grimsby, didn't do a great deal and then had a reasonable career with Forest and Boro. Anyway, keep up the good work Ozzie. Looking forward to the report of the Friday night cup game against United - was that the fifth round?

Tony Ford and Paul Wilkinson, there's a couple of names from the past. Didn't we make a punt for Ford when Mackay was in charge?