kpc

Oh yes they would.

I can't help but think that the current Sri Lankan team is over-burdened with initials. Cricketers historically are called CB Fry or WG Grace or MJK Smith if you're pushing things (Trott, Morgan and Broad all stretch to three of the current selection), but UWMBCA Welegedara, HMRKB Herath and the Jayawardenes (DPMD and HAPW respectively), I ask you!!!

Yep - just renewed at Birmingham City and paid ?429 (in the equivalent of your Wing Area - orange blocks bottom right on attached link). This includes a 5 year loyalty bonus (introduced last season), plus a small incentive for early renewal. Full price would be ?509. Prices were advertised before relegation and at the price I paid would have represented fair value in either PL of nPC. Full price, although only marginally more, seems more daunting. bcfc season tickets Hope our away day at Saints is a Saturday as have always had a decent session on my visits there.

ratty Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Pompey are back anyway. New owners and a new Dawn. > Ahem. Just seen the new owners are Convers Sports Initiatives, So that'll be CSI Pompey from now on.

'bout now Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You can have him then kpc. There are many Birmingham fans who would take him over Big Eck right now. I do not include myself in that number, but our style of play needs to change and it is easier to take a revised approach in the Championship.

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If this Tony Fernandes thing turns out to be more > than media puff then I think big Sam could be > shortest-lived appointee in history. Would love to > see Lotus as a shirt sponsor. Vroooom!!! Or you could end up with Lotus' owners on the shirt - Proton.

For balance I could list some of his less 'artistic' signings.

I'm going to go with the pragmatists and think Big Sam will get WH straight back up. His transfer style will be well suited to Gold/Sullivan, low on fees (preferably free) and pay the wages - let's face it, he managed to lure Okocha, Djorkaeff, Bobic and Campo to Bolton and got good performances out of them (plus he signed the man mountain/legend that is Radhi Jaidi). Plus, he was one of the first managers to embrace sports science/Pro=Zone analysis before it became popular. Just expect most of his signings to come under close scrutiny.

Think Virgin Trains have wi-fi throughout now.

Amazing. Wonder how many were still at the ground to witness this.

???? - you make your own luck. I think we deserved to go down for the quality of our football. Fifteen draws have condemned us to relegation, which to a large extent is down to McLeish's preference for a safety first 4-5-1. The player most missed was Zigic as he had just started a run of scoring and the team were starting to get the best out of him. On the positive side, the board have backed McLeish. A number of players are out of contract (or their loans have expired) and will leave - please God I don't see wasters like Bentley and Derbyshire in a Blues shirt again (Hleb was never truely fit so I'll not be too hard on him). I will be sad to see Seb Larsson leave, a bargain five years ago for ?500k and one of the hardest working players you will see. He will probably end up at Stoke, Bolton or Newcastle, but should go abroad to continue improving his game. Anyway, roll on next season and trips to Millwall, West Ham, Brighton, Pompey, Saints plus a few other southern encounters (though Selhurst is one of my least favourite grounds). Plus a few local midland encounters (Derby away is worth it just for the Brunswick pub alone). Then there's Leeds and Cardiff. And our magical mystery trip in the Europa League. Onwards and upwards.

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Great come back by Sri Lanka against the Lions > (Dilshan,Tharanga) suggests the upcoming test > could be a tough one. Perhaps Morgan will finally > get a game after missing out on the Ashes but who > to drop? Bell? Pietersen? > > ETA: Mistake by Morgan shouldn't count against him > despite SL victory. Bell has been in form in the last two county championship games for Warwickshire. Trott on the other hand...

This is my football thread of preference for the next twelve months (at least).

matthew123 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It says a lot about Birmingham and West Ham, and > any other clubs, who arrange to have end of season > parties before the actual end of season! > This tends to be a contractual thing where players do not have to make themselves available after the last game has been played. In Birmingham's case, I want to know the players who weren't out drinking till 4 in the morning (Larsson would be one, I suspect he gets giggly on a half of shandy).

Outclassed by Spurs - bugger, doesn't bode well for today. Inauspicious circumstances going into today's game at WHL given the injuries and the adverse press reports this week (some completely unfounded regarding finances and lack of harmony at the club, some completely irrelevant about players drinking after the end of season awards). Suspect that by 6pm, I will be applying to join the "Life Outside The Premiership" thread. But you never know. I suspect Blackpool will be beaten by Man U, whatever team Fergie fields, and that Stoke will beat Wigan - given their season, Pulis will field his stongest team to give the fans a good send off at the Britannia (that's his way). So as long as we don't concede a hatful. Alternatively, we could take matters into our own hands and try and win the game. A nervous few hours guaranteed.

The fly in the ointment for the Bears in 1994. There's always been a great rivalry between the two counties. I remember the eccentric Worcestershire supporter who used to take his hunting horn to games. Again, there were some legendary names in the first Worcestershire team I saw - Headley, Turner, D'Oliveira, Holder and, er, Jim Cumbes.

maxxi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Does anyone actually follow county cricket like > they do a fb team? Absolutely. Saw my first Warwickshire game in 1970 and have been a fan since. My school was a mile away from Edgbaston so I could make the last session of games on a regular basis. My early memories were of players like Dennis Amiss, John Jameson, Rohan Kanhai, M J K Smith, Lance Gibbs with the likes of Bob WIllis, Alvin Kallicharren and Deryck Murray joining soon after. The Bears have always been under-achievers, barring the amazing 1994 treble winners, given the financial resources they have available, and it's nice to look at the LV League 1 table today and see them perched on top (and probably safe from relegation before the end of May - true Brummie pessimism).

Seems like there's been a bit of bovver at West Ham's end of season dinner.

Having experienced the Gold/Sullivan/Brady act at Birmingham, I think that relegation is actually part of the Gold/Sullivan business plan for cutting costs as this is the cheaper option for off-loading the higher earners at the club. But equally, they will want promotion back to the PL, but with a squad earning ?20-25k per week - and they will remind you on many occasions that this is over the top for the Championship and a sign of their commitment. They will also point out that they are "not taking any money out of the club" (ahem), all the time saying that they are seeking new partners to invest in the club alongside them. I sympathise.

Having witnessed Birmingham's non-performance yesterday (which many are saying is the worst they can remember and there's a lot of bad games to choose from), I think we are favourites to go down. Regardless of the outcome at WHL on Sunday, I suspect it will be McLeish's last game in charge - at least there would be a kind of symmetry to this as his first match in charge was a 3-2 win at WHL. He has great dignity and character, but these characteristics do not win you points on the pitch. I will be sad to see him go as an individual, but the dire quality of the football speaks for itself. Wigan will pick up points at Stoke who will just want the season over after Saturday and another game against Man Citeh tomorrow. Blackpool will lose at Old Trafford and go down. Their open style of play is dictated by the fact that they do not know how to defend. Oh well, the Championship and Europa League beckon.

At the moment I'm more desperate for the one point that will probably guarantee our PL survival. If Fulham's defence play the way they did the other night, we should be able to sneak a goal and hang on for a plucky draw.

Having already qualified for the Europa League, part of me is looking forward to our first European encounter since I was, er, one (Irtysh Pavlodar in the draw please, though it will probably be Llanelli) and part of me is dreading the inconvenience of the whole thing with the odd kick off times, the plethora of Sunday games and trying to work out which Ryanair destination is nearest to Suduva Marijampole.

Mockney's right, a poor performance by the 'Ammers - I'd have happily bet on ManU at half time. The two goal lead flattered them and they crumbled in the second half. They shouldn't go down but its a right mess in the bottom half of the table. Blues win today and go up five places; lose next week and we'll be back down again. Still think it'll be Wigan, Wolves and a.n.other, probably Black**** (either pool or burn).

Annasfield Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Bring back proper football! > Hear hear. Love football, love drinking, but cannot summon the enthusiasm to drag myself to the pub tomorrow to watch England.

Wouldn't be the first time!