They're about to apply for planning permission to increase ground capacity at the Valley by another 10,000 which will take them to roughly the same as Liverpool, Everton Chelsea and Arsenal. Beyond Spurs and West Ham - suddenly football in London looks very different. Charlton are running an aggressive marketing campaign down the railway line to places like Rainham and Gillingham in Kent. Direct and regular trains to Premiership football, and 5 mins from the station to the ground. Massive - and rich - population in that corner of England. Attractive to families because there's no history of trouble unlike any other London club. Cheapest tickets in the Premier League (and cheaper than Millwall and QPR who evolve in far less fashionable circles). Charlton are on an absolute winner, within 10 years will be up there with Arsenal. And Chelsea if the Russian hangs in there. I wouldn't say North Kent is rich; in fact parts of it are downright poor and it is a horrible flat, ugly area best passed through with the carriage blinds closed on the way to the South of France. Good club though, better than their poxy sarf London neighbours Palace. Their success in attracting supporters has been at the expense of Gillingham, who resent seeing their local kids tripping off to the Valley each week (sound familiar?).

Hardly knee-jerk dear boy. I've been saying or months that Souness is past his sell-by date and events are proving me right.

I think Souness has realised he cannot do anymore. He has run out of ideas and does not know how to solve the current crisis other than by sepnding yet more money. All very Roy Hodgson-like and very reminiscent of four years ago. The board will not sack Souness because it would cost too much to terminate his contract. My only hope is that he will do the honourable thing and resign after we are inevitably relegated.

The past is irrelevant. The here and now is that Souness's mismanagement has got us into an unnecessary relegation battle. The present squad clearly is not good enough in terms of ability and is being badly managed. Poor results over the next 10 days and we could be second bottom with only Wolves below us.

Leicester and Pompey winning too.

The lizards have emerged from their mud holes again. According to a report in the Sunday Times, Tesco have recorded a huge drop in sales of Australian wine because it is made of sour grapes. And the Sunday Telegraph notes that Sainsbury's say that their range of Aussie wines (or should that be whines?) are going to be sold in future with large helpings of humble pie.

Look at tomorrow's back pages. Football reigns supreme again.

To be fair to the Australian newspapers (even the dreadful Daily Telegraph, Sydney), most of them have lauded England (although that may be because the final was such a good sporting spectacle). Even the ridiculous Campese was forced to climb down. What has been unacceptable is the anti-English sentiment in the convict papers since the World Cup started. One of them, in the middle of one particular rant, said English "arrogance" (whatever that is) even extended to the 19th century field of battle where the British wore redcoats so that the enemy knew we were coming!! Some of it does have a funny side and some of it may be just tabloid drivel, but alot of it did reveal much about the Australian psyche and its obvious inferiority complex about all things English. Anyway, I'm glad England won but no one will persuade me otherwise that rugby is a crap sport. I do like Clive Woodward's attitude though. Anyone who gets up Australian noses must have something going for him and I read somewhere that he is a real footy fan too. How about Sir Clive to replace Sven when the time comes?

Of excuse me oh wise one, I used the Rugby League phrase instead of the Rugby Union one. Sorry to disappoint you but they're called drop goals in rugby league.

For the information of the World Cup losers: It's called a dropped goal, not a field goal.

EVIL 17 GOOD 20 What more is there to say, except well played England, though it's a pity they didn't win by 20 points, which would have been a fairer reflection of the game. The silence from convictland is deafening though not unexpected. Ungracious in victory, churlish in defeat, their immaturity and inferiority complex has reached new heights during the rugby World Cup.

Story in tomorrow's papers saying the Rovers' English and Aussie players have been enjoying a bit of banter this week and will be glued to the telly for the match. To judge from some of the quotes, Neill sounds a real pain in the arse. I'm surprised he has so much to say the way he has been playing this season.

Which is why at school the ball players played football and the fat oafs played rugby. I wouldn't describe Jimbo as either fat or an oaf. a) becuase he's neither beacuse he's about 6 foot 9 tall So one assumes the Jim's have met and this is friendly banter ... On the contrary, I haven't got a clue who Jimbo is. It's just that I can't stand idiotic statements such as "rugby is alot more fun to play than football".

Which is why at school the ball players played football and the fat oafs played rugby. I thought the only sport when you were at school was Archery que?

Which is why at school the ball players played football and the fat oafs played rugby.

I'm surprised your'e NOT supporting the convicts. I thought you'd have some allegiance to the Bruce's and Sheila's no chance lonibom. born in england and although spending nearly 13 years in australia has never made me not support my home land in favour of the skips! p.s. lonibom a little less of the smart arse comments regarding bruces and sheilas ROVERS FOREVER Good for you Blueboy: a refreshing change from the other traitorous, turncoat ex-pats on here. Personally, I wouldn't support an Australian in a game of tiddlywinks. All we can hope for Saturday is that Good overcomes Evil. Everyone knows that God is an Englishman so I am sure he will be smiling on the glorious boys in white. Having said that, rugby really is a pile of doo-dah. After this tournament it will return to its rightful place on the inside sports pages while the national game reasserts its superiority.

Interesting to see that Crystal Palace gave Steve Kember the chop today after the club slipped to 20th place in the first division. Simon Jordan, the chairman, said that results had been unacceptable and he had to act before it was too late. Quite right too. How long do we have to wait before the Rovers board acts? After the Everton game, and another defeat? December? January? When? Souness's position is very close to becoming untenable now, but to wait too long for results to improve is inviting disaster. In my opinion, the club should tell Souness that he has three games to turn the situation round: if he does not, then he will have to go. Of course, Souness could tender his resignation before then, but I doubt if his pride and arrogance will allow him to do that.

Significantly, Souness stayed in the dressing room after the match because he was to "upset" to face the media, sending Tony Parkes instead. Hopefully, Souness has realised he can do no more for the team and will spend the next few days considering his future. In many ways, I feel sorry for him but football is harsh world and he must carry the can for his mistakes.

When was that, pray? I can't recall any. Instead of attacking personalities, why not address the issue? You will have the right to unopposed reply here, as this is well off topic now, so I won't respond again. I disagree with your views on Souness. I can live with that. However, it would have been refreshing if you could at least accept that the analogy you used in your post - which is what I have objected to, not your fundamental view - was not pleasant, and unjustified. You seem to pride yourself on being a man of great articulation but you fail to display any humility and you have a singular inability to be dignified at times, refusing to accept that a careless choice of words undermines your argument. And you let yourself down by always wanting to have the last word. Have you ever considered that you may be wrong on some issues? Perish the thought.

When was that, pray? I can't recall any. Instead of attacking personalities, why not address the issue?

That comment is in very very bad taste. Why? To liken a football club to a disease is particularly tactless. To liken cancer to our football club is particularly distasteful. For you to need to have the matter explained to you is very worrying. I disagree. A cancer can be described as a vice or other evil of an inveterate spreading kind, which sums up perfectly the influence that Souness is having at Rovers. Very disappointing to have to define this for you. Typical of GAV to make judgments on individuals rather than addressing the issues.

That comment is in very very bad taste. Why?

Who replaces him is irrelevant. There is a cancer in our stricken club and it needs cutting out before it kills the patient.

Time to lift and dust this thread. Does anyone now agree with me that the man has lost the plot and should leave the club? I jokingly predicted before the season that we might go down but I never seriously expected it to happen. As long as Souness remains at the club we are doomed. The players have lost confidence and no longer have any faith in the manager. The board should act now.

And another thing: Talking to some Leicester mates today, their collective state of mind is even worse than ours after five consecutive defeats and surrendering a three-goal lead to Wolves. If you think we are pulling our hair out at the moment, they are apoplectic at their team's form. Defeat for us in next Sunday's game really is unthinkable. By the way, we are now down to seventeenth after Middlesbrough gained a point from their draw at Tottenham today.