Good Choice.... Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ... I wouldn't say those were over-rated as people obviously enjoyed them but they were disappointing to you as you expected the hype to translate into something you'd admire. That's individual taste though! I suppose that's true to a certain extent - "modern" novels aren't really to my taste , and the American novels I listed just seem to lack any real substance. Maybe it's a result of a youthful enthusiasm for Verne , Wells , Haggard and the like. Or maybe it's a bit like some people seeing qualities in some footballers that others are certain aren't there ! Oh , and you're right about Lord of the Flies !

And that's exactly how it looks to me from the terraces . If Tugay is given 2 or 3 options then he'll chose the right one - the one which lesser players wouldn't even notice . The problem this season has been more about the limitations of the midfielders around Tugay than the player himself . Furthermore if the less enthusiastic and capable Flitcrofts and Emertons of this world had more about them , then Tugay would be able to preserve his energy a little longer. As Revidge said earlier , the prospects of a totally run of the mill midfield (Ferguson has yet to blossom) is hardly mouth watering . Those of us who like to watch a bit of cultured football will surely be pi££ed off if this news is true.

Maybe you should lay off Souness , jim - he once had a funny do with his ticker you know...

You might as well - we're not allowed to fly 'em here .....(allegedly)

They've been saying this on 5 live all day as well . I reckon Smith will wait and see what happens at Anfield re Mr O'Neill before he makes his decision . Unless he's already made his mind up to join the Scum - (in which case I owe Morph an apology.. )

Despite being a bad boy at times , Smith has given his all for his club . In this day and age that's all you can ask and all you can realistically expect . His time is up at Leeds simply because they can't offer premiership football that someone of his talents deserves . Those who imply that an England career should be sacrificed for "loyalty" ( yes , you , Morph ) are being a little too idealistic , methinks.

Good Choice.... Am I the only one who found this book a pretentious load of garbage ? I put it alongside The Godfather and Catch 22 in my most over-rated category ...

Gets a bit repetitive that one Col.......

Ahh... Maybe you should arrange for a big internet love- in with all the other soppy wimps , jim . Pass the sick bag....

Typical dinner party , liberal crap talk from C Hitchens . What struck me about this "alleged" incident was that the nig... sorry , coloured person , felt empowered enough to get out of his car and hurl grossly offensive (to some) insults at the two white blokes confident in the knowledge , I suspect , that the colour of his skin would deter him from getting a thoroughly deserved kicking. I wonder if it all would have ended so peacefully if a white bloke would have been the one insulting two blacks .....

So that's what happens when posters are on a yellow.....Who'd be a mod..?

Ranulf Westwood , he was a character . And wasn't there another Dingle who used to post entirely in a Lancy dialect ? (Zak Dingle?)

Years ago the Barbary Coast was a tremendous night out where every one knew each other - at least by sight - and the drink was suppable . Nowadays I never visit as the Bitter in virtually all the pubs is undrinkable ; anyone risking the mild has my deepest sympathy. Bottles of pi££ and fizzy lager are all they're intersted in shifting . I'll stick to my club !

They're all £4.99 at HMV, so I've been discovering the works of Mr. Dylan - he did some damned fine stuff. Street Legal, Desire and Highway 61 Revisited ar really standing out for me at the moment. Is that CD,s Drummer Boy ? I went through a Dylan phase a while ago (reflected in my youngests' name!) . Street Legal took a slating when it first came out but it's the one I always go back to . Blond on blond is excellent and for a good overview of his pre 1970 stuff try "More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits ".

If you go down to the Wheatsheaf I'm sure you'll be made most welcome..

Putin doesn't give a jot about Abramovich or any of the oligarchs - so long as they keep out of the political sphere . Now that the latter is effectively in exile Putin will probably have forgotten who he is . Paul's explanation , on page 1 , is probably more accurate - the bloke's just a big kid , whiling his exile away by splashing his money all over the place on his new toy , Chelsea. In fact , if he raises Beckham's profile even higher by bringing him to England , Roman will have more to fear from our friend , AESF...

FLB ; I really must recommend "In the Heart of the Sea " by Nathanial Philbrick , the best book I read last year. It's about the sinking of the whaleship Essex in the 19th century , said to be the inspiration behind Moby Dick . Hard men , hard times ......

Total idiocy of the highest order . So now everyone - from the out and out raving nazis to a good man like Bigron ( who has done so much to promote the interests of blacks in the game ) - are all to be brought under the same umbrella of "racists" . If you didn't see everything in such a simplistic , tabloid manner , then maybe you'd see the danger in branding nearly everyone who has referred to "minorities" in an unfashionable way as racists. You help merely to pave the way to an oppressive Orwellian state . What next ? Kids informing on their parents for using taboo words such as Nigger or Paki ? Informants and listening devices in the workplace ? Identity cards tracking thought waves when technology allows ? So what happens when the next REAL political racist arrives on the scene , Jim? What are you going to call him ? A racist ? Won't work ; we'll all be racists by then . Nobody will be listening to jokers like yourself.

I thank you

THIS is a terrible example of the power of words - "negro" this , "negro" that ; little "black" girls , little "black" boys....... Obviously written by some kind of nutter . Feel free to censor it , Tooting ......

LOL . So seven people complained ? How many didn't ?

Oh , I think they do , Paul , when they feel that it's "safe" to do so.....And if they have learnt to play by the PC rules and use coded language instead , then they don't necessarily think the way they are supposed to. Nor will they ever . Human nature , you see..... Now which is worse ? Bigron calling a useless footballer a "lazy nigger" whilst half his life he's promoted the interests of black footballers , or those of a younger age who know exactly how to refer politely to those people they privately despise. Ron should neither have resigned nor apologised . In doing so , he has increased the power of those anti democratic elements in society who wish to curb freedom of speech . Hypocrisy reigns .

Hardly slanderous , Matt - he was talking to himself (or so he thought) . I wonder how many times I'd have been sacked at work if my every comment had been broadcast to all and sundry........Let he without sin.....

....and i thought it was just me , AESF

Six games left of which we would only have to win 2 with maybe a draw (if we're lucky) is not totally impossible . Who knows ? Maybe Parkes can see the lack of fight and the lack of balance in midfield etc just as clearly as we can , and like us has just as much input with regard to solving the problem. If Parkes has not been tarnished with the Souness brand of man management , then that's a good thing - the players will see him as a fresh broom , with an objective , unbiased way of picking the best team. I can only hope that the board make the decision TODAY to give us the ONLY chance we have of staying up . That's dismiss Souness and hand the reigns to Parkes.