Should be in with a good shout surely, more gifted players and goalscorers automatically get the limelight but this lad plays anywhere and always puts a shift in. He seems at the centre of the team spirit stuff and comes across as a real level headed feet on the ground guy.  Every set of fans from every club he's been at speak well of him.

Not the best compared to the Dack's etc but i'd suggest he's been very important to Blackburn Rovers in a few ways this season. The modern day Super Atko.

Depends how much they charge I suppose if it's cheap there's the curiosity factor to it which might up the numbers.

Rumours of Furys comeback opponent possibly a blown up cruiser again no one has heard of but who's ranked by WBO (Warrens pals) or Kevin Johnson a 38 year old who he's already beaten and who Joshua sparked in 2.

Can understand a stiff on his first fight back but the ironic thing is they are talking PPV !!!!!!!!!

All the stick fish eyed Frank and the Fury mob gave to Hearn & Joshua and also Haye lol will make them even bigger hypocrites than they are already thought to be, at least Haye knocked his stiffs out on freeview.

Get ready for the circus act, not forgetting he's coming back off a two year DOPING BAN !

Yep another drug cheat allowed back to make millions.

You just watch how fish eyed Frank wraps him in cotton wool until a big money title shot presents himself. I know his first fight will be a gimme and that's fair enough but some of the names I've heard are farcical, people he's already beaten years ago.

They are going to take the piss good style.

When things happen in the ring, weigh in or press conference of any fighting sport I don't think anyone can be too surprised.  When it happens away from there in gate crashing style you have to ask why and wonder it it's just partly a publicity stunt.  These guys are fighting men so if they have a serious personal beef there's only one way to sort it and if a pro fight isn't possible then get it on in private for a straightner on the cobbles or something.

No money or publicity in that though ............

Wouldn't be surprised if the McGregor nonsense was part set up that's gone wrong and he's gone way over the top, seems the type judging by the Mayweather nonsense which again was part act by both guys but part serious as in the actual fight bit on the night.

I'll be amazed if Connor doesn't have problems with the dust though, too many rumours and too much odd behaviour. Rehab for that lad not jail.

Got to agree it is a bit odd when people go all moral about guys who's whole lives revolve around fighting. Never been into UFC etc although I know they are highly trained and skilled but to me it's just fighting like you would outside a pub. 

McGregor though has never come across as anything more than a coked up publicity junkie, why not settle the dispute in private ?   It's either staged or he's just lost the plot trying hard to live up to his 'notorious' tag.  A stretch inside will see just how notorious he really is.

As for Mike Tyson all the trash stuff came as he career went into decline but in his pomp he didn't really go into it he didn't need to people were happy enough for him to just do the business in the ring. In fact he was notorious as a man of few words in press conferences 'i'm just here to fight' was his usual reply.  Made up for it somewhat in later years though

1 hour ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Worst player has to be Gary flitcroft. Nobody got caught having affairs like that lad. He's no Bradley dack

Imagine using the Tickled Trout lol you'd think he would've been a bit more discreet !

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

 

Maybe and now this is wild speculation and really out there, but maybe Mowbray is sticking with him as back up to Graham because he is doing well in training? You know the 95% we don't see 

 

He can score 50 every day in training it's what he does or rather doesn't do on the first team pitch that matters and it's not like there isn't other options at the min. Pointless having a guy to do the Graham role if he can't actually do it.

By the way there is no chance i'm marking him down as one of the worst ever he isn't he's just not at the races this season. Don't know why he's crept into this thread

I don't know why TM insists on keep giving him chances in and around the team at this vital jucture his confidence is zero and he's useless in front of goal he's never been what you'd call a good finisher anyway.

Missing chances like that could be difference between comfortably beating teams and getting promoted or getting caught out late when you don't put it to bed and don't get the three points to stay in the mix.

I wouldn't bother with him now unless we are desperate for bods. Move him on in summer or pray that he has a fresh start here.

58 minutes ago, Husky said:

As a child I vaguely remember that. From memory it was a super finish from outside the box.

Yeah the original back pass rule wasn't without it's flaws you got defenders turning it back without looking first just expecting the keeper to be in the middle but their instinct to pick it up drew them across.

Amazing how often it happened back in the day.

The hype around it is painful these days but the Hearns deserve a lot of credit for rebranding the sport in typical SKY style but a bit like the Prem the razzamatazz will begin to wear off soon unless you regularly get blockbuster fights to match it..

As someone who attends it's both enthralling and annoying in equal measure because it's a great atmosphere but just about everything is being geared to the tv audience. Last night for example they asked the crowd to boo Wilders name about 3 times until it was satisfactorily loud enough, probably for the edited version of the broadcast.

Very sad

No guy in Brownes condition should have been in the ring at that level, quite simply in there for a pay check bringing nothing but a big punch.  He should have been saved to be Fury's comeback opponent really.

Having said that Whyte boxed really well, probably the best he's performed technically but he just had a huge immobile heavy bag in front of him.

Didn't Jack have the 3 million per year written into his wishes for the club as an ongoing annual donation from the Trust Fund to make up the shortfall between our crowds and full houses ?

Smart move so quite why or how they got that stopped who knows and I refuse to believe they couldn't afford to keep doing that with something like a 700 million worth. It certainly hurt the club when it was stopped.

Still I suppose it irked some of the already wealthy offspring with their own expanding families and business empires

I agree with Canada Rover that the Champ could end up rather two or three tiered with the massive parachutes and the likes of SKY etc seemingly willing to pump endless  TV money god knows how many times per season into the likes of Leeds. That's why the FUP is a fook up as owners should be able to pump in what they want if it's their money not debt to allow clubs to compete with these advantages some clubs have.

You look at the Championship and how smaller clubs struggle to stay in there more than a season or two, your Rotherhams, Donny's, Posh etc there is a fair old list and Shrewsbury will probably end up on it if they go up.  It shouldn't be that way really but it is.

7 minutes ago, OJRovers said:

We’ll need £20million just to stand still. Despite appearing to shed a lot of high earners, there’s still been a cash deficit of £1.5m a month this last 12 months. That’s with only limited spend on Dack etc transfer fees.

I think a lot of people thought the cash drain would be massively reduced in League One, but appears not.

Quite where all that money is going it is difficult to say.

I have my own thoughts on some of that but looking at it non conspiracy how many managers and coaching teams have been hired and fired in the last couple of years never mind a few directors as well.

That's why I struggle to give any gratitude to them underwriting the bills because a huge lump of it was continually created by them, firing GB & co, hiring all that Lambert backroom team as well as him then not backing them, letting them go then hiring that teapot Coyle and his crew. Not to mention some of the crap they foisted on us that had to be paid big wages then paid off in a few cases.

Jesus Barry should have had to sell his car collection and pay for all that lot straight out of his own pocket.

31 minutes ago, 47er said:

QPR belong in that second group as well.

I'm conflicted here! 

It wouldn't have the desired effect

Sustained sensible investment season on season it's what is needed not throwing huge wads at it because i'm still not convinced all snouts are out of the trough so every chance of repeating same mistakes. Holding on to what is worth holding on to and if they want to go or there's ridiculous offers a large part of that money needs reinvesting in direct replacements with similar potential not spreading around the squad on signing on fees for has beens off an agent or twos list let the manager and his people go after good young potential and actually pay for it.

Basically follow a plan over a three year period and stick to it where possible both on and off the pitch and see where it leads. People expecting a wild spending spree and an instant challenge for the Prem IF we go up are clutching at straws I think.

Just now, Crimpshrine said:

See what happens to Venky's shares when the beef ban is lifted in India. That legislation has been the reason for their share price rise over the last couple of years. 

Yeah I've been reading some analysts say don't buy the price will drop soon. I hope it doesn't drop in the summer

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, I have seen and read a bit about tax avoidance and it could very well be at play here. I wouldn't say it was the initial reason they bought the club though, just a handy bonus 

That's exactly how i'd see it, first and foremost it was supposed to be an advertising tool that probably paid for itself although in the Prem it was something that still needed underpinning with extra cash so they must've known they'd have to throw a few rupees it's way regularly.

I think the last few years it's become a handy accounting tool by default but the difference is now with some costs reduced etc and it being run more sensibly a bit of the money put in is being put to good use instead of firing straight through the system.

At least it's an improvement on when I and plenty others thought it was one big laundry

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Because of your comments, I am wondering if you know what you are talking about or just speculating 

A bit of both

Everything in that last post is fact and easily checkable apart from the bit about profits going into Rovers to offset against tax, pure assumption on my part but a common practise in some large businesses.

If you look at their share price a few years ago it was basically flat lining but over the past 12 months it's shot up again. I don't think it's wild conspiracy to think that might be why their input went down to a trickle and the club had to start cashing it's assets in to keep going but now the input has picked up to healthy levels again on the back of trading going well.

Might all be down to something else but there is a pattern there and like any huge business the VH group will be reliant and their banks backing and when times are a bit leaner and money is needed elsewhere you'd think the first tap they'd turn off would be the oversees football club.

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Do you work in finance or have a finance background? 

Why you ask Sir ?

Their core company share price has gone through the roof in recent times so a nice diversion of some profits and another bit off the tax bill.

These days it seems to be being put to good use for maybe the first time in actually building something instead of plugging holes, bills need paying after all and it's only expensive if you can't afford it.

Let's not forget the few years minimal investment and the 30 million in sales with no cash buys that lead us to where we are though.

Did a great cameo on Phoenix Nights as well.

Nobody could get away with as many gaffs presenting a tv show as Jim Bowen it was almost like it was scripted that way he handled it so well.

Good memories of bullseye and my mam and dad shouting at the telly 'it's a fix' whenever someone won and the little speedboat or ugly caravan got wheeled out yet when they lost 'look at what you could've won' - always a car