Funnily enough I remember John Pickering quite fondly. Did he start immediately after Jim Iley was sacked? When you combine his stats with those of Iley it's no surprise at all we were relegated that season. Alas, no billionaire owners or £7m or £5m players or the equivalent thereof in those austere days.

Who is this bloke? Anyone heard of him before?

But in footballing terms what would be the advantage? You'd just be at best replacing like for like in a different location. If we had nothing to start with then you could understand the anxiety to acquire a new site. However the sites we already have are as good if not better than we could get anywhere. Am I alone in thinking the location of the training facilities at Brockhall is a major selling point for the Club in attracting players? If we want to improve the facilities we should look at viable ways to upgrade them where they are imo.

OK I'll take your word for it but let's have it right: A genuine consultation period would have involved discussing any plans with residents and fans before any plans went in and providing detailed reasons why Cat 1 status could retained. Instead he tried to sneak the plans in on the sly got rumbled and has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown costing the Club tens of thousands of pounds no doubt. Still what's another few hundred thousand or so of the owners money wasted when you're already paying the likes of Mulgrew and Ayala more than the net annual running costs of the Academy not to play for us? And what do you like about SW so much? The Waggott tax for matchday purchases or the fact he has reduced the season ticket base to 2.5 k by putting prices up for a season where no-one could attend?

Holy crap. There was no sign whatsoever of a u turn when the Club ran their initial consultation period! Only when the issues were a little more out in the open and obviously couldn't be answered! Dan messaged me pretending to be sympathetic as well.

Holy crap. It's only become "a thing" since they decided to build houses on half of Brockhall like they tried (and failed) to do at Coventry! Otherwise we could be content with saying they were merely incompetent!

No need to hang about for a training ground now. On yer bike son!

Like I say (Ian?) some of the residents are very well prepared should it be revisited.

"Trio of clowns" Amen to that.

To be fair, Mowbray said he thought it was a good idea to have everything under one roof.

I was in contact with one of the local residents who had instructed planning consultants of his own and they were both absolutely bang on the money. Apart from fans opposition there would have been some extremely compelling arguments from them to overcome and I'm sure there will be again if the scheme is ever revisited!

I would like to think that's the case, not to blow our own trumpet, but purely from the point of view it makes it somewhat less likely the scheme will be revisited in the foreseeable future. Thanks to Den and CLB for the ideas and support.

Does it not tend to show there was one? Not having a go it's a happy day.

Yes hopefully. This must be the most enormous embarrassment for Waggott. Given that so much store was set by not providing plans of any alleged new training facility, because it was supposedly too expensive, how much money must we have wasted progressing the scheme this far only to bin it? Plus Waggott has needlessly alienated the local residents near Brockhall who previously were quite happy with the relationship between themselves and the Club. A trio of sackings to follow and this would be a fantastic weekend regardless of the result tomorrow.

One step at a time, I think this is fantastic news personally. I'm over the moon.

Great point.

We'd better not target anyone experienced - the way things are shaping up they might not live long enough to take up the reins.

Think that's a decent shout.

Have watched the whole thing now. He says the owners and Waggott "can see the level". What does that mean? Does he actually think we're playing well but not quite getting the results? Truly insane ramblings.

My view on Travis exactly. He's been "Mowbrayed".

Not the first time, lied about Nyambe's fitness as well.

He sounds like that character with the flute out of Little Britain "Maybe I will maybe I won't etc". Unfortunately Also for his warped logic if managers were only sacked after a run like his, the season would have to be eighty four games long to get through six managers. He's plainly taking the piss now with his pressers. Either he's absolutely begging to be sacked or he knows he's bulletproof and going nowhere and is deliberately winding people up to show them how secure he is.

At least something is competitive then even if the games aren't.

I think comparing Mowbray's ppints tally from his last 13 or 14 games to Coyle's would be equally damning.

I agree on Mowbray, you have to appoint the right manager with boundless enthusiasm and a keen eye for a player. i We haven't got that. However if you do have it I can't see what benefit a Director of Football brings. It's all very well citing the success of two blokes from Norwich and Brentford with hindsight. I've never heard of them and haven't a clue what their respective backgrounds are or whether they were highly regarded before they took up those roles. How do you know a DOF is going to be any good before they start? I'd say the ultimate DOF type Club where the Coach is pretty expendable is Watford. Would you say they were particularly successful? I'd say not and would label them a bit of a basket case of a Club albeit they're doing far better than us which speaks volumes as to the situation here.