He once paid £320 for a Mars Bar in a newsagents in his home town of Gateshead, then told the shop owner to spend the change on sweets for local kids.

Prove it.

Any early thoughts on the National?

Hasta - what you doing today?

Why are Sporting getting thrashed so badly?

Strange isn't it? Total mis-match - and this is not the best Bayern team we've seen in recent years.

That. Is quite true. The greatest strike force ever assembled. And to be fair to Our Sam he seems to have spotted that and spurned any 'benefits' from agents that may have been lurking. Straighter than has been scurrilously implied elsewhere. Had 'arry been 'ere Roque would have Rolled.

How to play them? Diouf will be ever present as will Benni, and Sam will mix the long ball/holding game (Cruz) with the short/up/through game with Benni deeper and then Roberts.

Seriously though. Anyone missing Hughes? Sam is already proving his superior. In sexual terms Hughes was a Dover Ferry. Roll on. Roll off. Yes it does the job but ultimately no excitement Our Sam, meanwhile represents a more integrated transport hub. A Heathrow offering train, tube and plane to your destination. Maybe an Edinburgh Waverley linking countries and cultures against a Victorian backdrop. Or a Cape Canaveral, shooting for the moon.

And unlike Hughes Ferry Services, Sam Canaveral is a whopping big ride with a shuddering climax. And the moon may be Wembley.

I like you almost as much as I like Benni.

Vine was a voice as instantly recognisable and associated with his chosen sport as John Motson and Murray Walker. Very sad news.

It's all about that brunette buddy!

Barney is all over the place at the minute, he has yet to hit a double and its 2-0 in sets already.

That was ###### BRILLIANT!

For the first one, how much am I looking to spend roughly per person?

I certainly wouldn't term it as expensive - the menu is varied so you could spend a lot if you splash out, but on average you're probably looking at £15-£20 ph for 3 courses and drinks.

T4E - Any advice on restaurants in Swindon then?

I'm browsing on my phone so I can't link it but check back to post #399.

Whats with the way Dennis Smith holds his darts? He holds them the normal way, then turns it so the flight is facing the board, then back again to throw. Weird.

Wow, thats very positive stuff. I'd still sell Santa though. When they are both at their best Benni is the better player, if playing with Roberts is what it takes to get the best out of him then thats what we should do.

Italian I think is the best choice, has to be round the centre of the place if that's possible?

La Dolce Vita is pleasant, on Clarence Street smack bang between the town centre and the old town, which are the two main areas.

Fabio's on Bath Road is also nice.

Anyone know of any nice places to go out and eat in Swindon?

Probably, what do you like?

I never said he was perfect but I support his right to express it as a view

Even when he's clearly trolling and on the wind-up? Why not just put these comments in the Allardyce thread?

Like me. I gave him no chance and guess, what, I was right! From the idiocy in his first press conference to the lunacy of Dunn up front, Roberts and Derbyshire as wingers and thinking Emerton was the answer to the Bentley question, he showed himself completely out of his depth.

Ince was an unqualified man himself with no knowledge of the Premier League. He needed to bring strong skills and knowledge in to overcome that sad lack. He brought in Archie Knox (vastly experienced and not very good) and Ray (who?) Mathias. Sam is qualified (twice over actually) and has current premier League knowledge. Therefore he can afford to have an assistant manager who will learn from him. But who already has the relevant badges.

Exactly - and if the powers that be had given him no chance we wouldn't be in the position we are.

The fact of the matter is, giving Ince a chance may prove to be the single biggest mistake in the clubs recent history.

Keep going Wags, there's probably loads more Bolton threads after this one gets locked.

Mendes was the one we should have got - realistic in financial terms.

Benayoun would be brilliant - but it doesn't sound viable.

Just back from a week away, during which time I read "Call After Midnight" by Tess Gerritsen and "The Amber Room" by Steve Berry.

Both are Dan Brown-esque Murder/Adventure Thrillers, which interesting lead characters and twisting, turning plots right to the very end. I would recommend both to anyone who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons.

Harvest, also by Tess Gerritsen, is very good too.

We've really got to have a whip round to get you laid.......

6 goals from ex-Rovers in the English League today, courtesy of Peter Thorne, Ben Burgess, Jon Stead (2) and James Beattie (2).

Are you available for parties?

And i dream of Villa-nu-eva staying,

Sums us up......