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Reply | Chris Nicholl V Lallana
at 15:16 11 Jun 2024
Thank you.
It's understandable that some get very emotional over a club. It's part of their life.
Players however don't see it like that. I was in a meeting with an averagely good midfield player a few years back. He had played at perhaps three top league clubs (never in a top six team) over ten years. I asked him to give me a breakdown of his financial income/expenses over that period. He had to ask his girlfriend to remind him who he was playing for at various times! |
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Reply | VAR
at 14:14 11 Jun 2024
I think we agree that VAR is not presently welcome in the PL by anybody except perhaps the publicists and marketing people and that it needs improvement.
I'm just averse to the experiment continuing in the full glare of the media spotlight on the PL.
I am convinced that some sort of citing process where a game is reviewed once it has finished to look for instances of players trying to con the ref and gain advantage by diving or otherwise cheating, or time wasting or challenges the ref missed is needed. I would give clubs a demerit point - perhaps a sliding scale - and when they reach a given threshold, remove league points from them.
In particular time wasting is a major frustration and we know that some clubs do this from the first whistle in some games. Take goal kicks for example. We allow say 25 seconds for a goal kick to be taken. If that is exceeded I would add the time on and if that time was more than say 3 minutes a match = 1 demerit point. |
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Reply | Chris Nicholl V Lallana
at 14:05 11 Jun 2024
I confess that I find the whole set of attitudes from fans toward former players, very hard to resonate with.
Players at professional level are literally a pair of feet for hire.
Yes, many will have some affection for a club which nurtured them from school boy to player but once they've made the grade, they owe the club very little.
They know that in getting tot he first team, they have survived a number of cuts when the club will have been ruthless in dropping those who they think will not make it. I've seen boys who have been at a club from age 8 to 17 and then been turned out on a week's notice. If the club shows no loyalty to players, why do fans expect players to feel differently?
The only question to ask really is whether Lallana has anything to offer a club newly arrived in the PL with a different team to the one relegated in 2023?
I think he does but not as a starter. I see him as a cool head and an injection of creativity for when we need it.
As to his history with the club - I really couldn't care less. |
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Reply | Iain Stamp and Matrix - scammers
at 09:26 11 Jun 2024
My understanding of Magna Carta is that it was a device to protect the landed aristocracy from the predations of the then king. It worked for about three to five years and was then ignored by all sides leading several "baron wars". I'm aware that some people think it was a "citizens charter" but the majority of the UK population at the time were serfs and peasants who were basically seen as the property of the local baron/lord, whatever. Hardly a sound basis for any legal argument in 2024.
The case involving the scammer Iain Stamp looked at the alleged rights conferred by Magna Carta and decided that they did not exist and probably never existed. Further that thinking they did and advancing that argument in Court is likely to lead to the case being dismissed very early as "vexatious" and if pursued, risks being in contempt of Court.
The point here is that Stamp persuaded 200 people to take a case. He supplied all the legal papers (the Judge remarked that 200 people n exactly the same situation and who wrote exactly the same claim was - literally - unbelievable). Those 200 have paid Stamp at least £600k and now face costs.
I'm also aware that the mortgage lenders involved will have informal means to make those 200 known to all lenders and that should any of them attempt to find another mortgage or remortgage, they will face some difficulties. This form of "blacklisting" is illegal but happens. Am I interested in helping a team who would report this should it happen? Yes.
As for ULEZ, I understand that some people don't like the mayor of London extending the boundary of the scheme and have resorted to vandalising cameras and not paying fines. What is there to investigate? Criminal damage of property? Non payment of fines will end in County Court and a CCJ which will impact their credit scored for decades. Can it defended legally? Probably but I have no idea about chance of success.
Can it (ULEZ) be defended as an infraction against the sovereign rights of people?
Well an individual who is in effect his/her own nation, adhering to rules which they make and/or decide to adopt, cannot be 100% true to that ideal unless they live alone n a place where they never interact with other people, use services or otherwise impinge upon the rights of others. Where is the line drawn and by whom?
The Mayor of London (elected by the people) has made a decision and set a rule. Breaking it has consequences. Challenge the consequences by all means available - legal or otherwise - but be prepared for the voice of the majority who elected the mayor and gave him his powers to be a more powerful force.
I see no deception in ULEZ (but am always ready to be educated).
The key point here is that scammers like Stamp are making millions from trotting out what the Judge called "elderly statutes" which probably never had the effect claimed, have been superceded by more recent law and will not do anything except lead to a lot of cost.
I have to admire Stamp for monetising a conspiracy but I despise the way he profits from the weak, vulnerable and gullible. |
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Reply | VAR
at 08:58 11 Jun 2024
I'm saying that VAR has issues and that it should not be permitted in the elite leagues until those issues are resolved.
The best way to resolve the issues is in live game situations and League 2 is the lowest professional level and therefore a good place to begin.
Further the investment required to install VAR at L2 stadiums would be welcome as would the increased media coverage leading to increased demand and therefore income for the L2 club.
When we get changes in rules - increase in number of subs, offside, handball, etc they are usually trialled at a lower level than PL, so why did VAR go directly to the PL.
My view is that VAR is not enhancing the game or adding to the excitement, that hook that the game needs to keep attracting fans in the grounds and on TV. if it were above all quicker and limited in what it could do, that would be better and I'm saying do that at lower levels. |
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Reply | VAR
at 15:24 10 Jun 2024
I'd agree with this.
Football at the top level should be a game of skill played at a high pace and filled with excitement.
VAR may have reached "better" decisions but at what cost? VAR has manged to get some things spectacularly wrong, even after several minutes and 20 replays.
If you want to improve VAR do what rugby does and show the incident in the ground on the screens and mike up the refs so that we know what's going on. Don't hide them decision makers away, giving rein to conspiracy theories.
Better still, use it for League 2 games only until such time as it's working quickly and well. |
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Reply | Iain Stamp and Matrix - scammers
at 14:23 10 Jun 2024
Help me out by explaining what you mean please.
Incidentally, I'm assuming that you're not trying to defend this individual and his practices? |
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Thread | Iain Stamp and Matrix - scammers
at 13:17 10 Jun 2024
Part of my work is to help those exposing financial scams and scammers.
Recently the above "gentleman" via his company called Matrix Freedom have lost in the High Court in a claim that some 200 people can have their mortgage repayments repaid to them as the lenders are in contravention of "sovereign law".
The case was dismissed with the Judge remarking that the attempt to deceive the Court and the also certain deceiving of clients, was a matter that merited a criminal investigation.
The basis of the claims is that for an individual to be subject to the law of the land, he/she must be a citizen (in the UK a "subject") and that because the birth certificate prints a surname in capital letters, he/she is not a citizen/subject. As such the laws of the land cannot apply.
The 200 or so people Stamp and crew persuaded to go to Court, now face huge costs.
In the meantime, Stamp and his "sales force" claim to be collecting £500k a month in fees. (Minimum fee is £3,000 or 1% of loan, whichever is higher).
The "sovereign citizen" route to avoiding the consequences of actions that breach the law of the land, has been in the USA for many years and to date NO CASES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
It now appears that Stamp and crew (who have a history of repeated business failures) are trying it here and as can be seen from the case in question, the High Court struck them down and warned other Courts to dismiss claims as vexatious and without merit. That means that attempting to being a new case risks the individual being in contempt of Court and facing fines/jail time.
These scheme prey on the desperate and vulnerable. The ONLY guarantee is that a criminal gets a fee.
If you are having issues around debts then there are some steps to follow.
First - speak to the lender. They usually have plans to help people/
Second, try Citizens Advice or Step Change.
If the issues is tax related, speak to the Low Income Tax Reform Group who will put you in touch with charity based tax services.
Third, NEVER engage with these people or those like them. |
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Reply | Yesterday Mr Sunak brought our club into disrepute by his association with us.
at 12:12 7 Jun 2024
I think I would generally agree that the noise generated by a number of "minority*" groups has been allowed to become too loud and they are obscuring many elements of our history or culture or future.
*By minority I mean less than say 25% of the adult population.
My own children are basically ashamed of our history and do not wish to be associated with it which in turn means that they have little pride in our country. I think that is quite sad.
I've made the point the past that without the fighting men and women of the Second War, the freedoms they enjoy now may never have come to exist. They care little for that argument. |
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Reply | These Are The Six Positions That Southampton Need To Fill For Premier League Sur
at 10:16 7 Jun 2024
Who we keep, who we need and whether they'll come is going to be determined in part by how RM wants to play.
Is he going to keep with his "possession" based game or will we see a rather more progressive plan given our poor defensive record?
My assumption is that possession is here to stay (unfortunately because it robs the game of pace and excitement and interest - a bit like VAR).
If so, a keeper with "good feet" is needed and that is not any of the present options. A decent left back would be useful. Is Luke Shaw available?
at least two midfield players and then a finisher - not necessarily somebody to "lead the line" but a six yard box finiahser. |
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Reply | Yesterday Mr Sunak brought our club into disrepute by his association with us.
at 10:10 7 Jun 2024
His decision certainly indicates either shocking lack of judgement or demonstrates that his priority is to keep his job as PM.
I suggest that either of these reasons are not what we need in a Leader.
He should be able to weigh the various factors in any decision and consider carefully the impact upon those at the centre of the action, the UK, the Government, his position, and finally him and his political party. In that order.
In my opinion he got this priority wrong yesterday and put himself and his party ahead of everything else.
Do we want somebody leading us with such a skewed sense of priorities? |
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Reply | Man City Launch Legal Battle
at 10:51 6 Jun 2024
There are many models available but money talks.
The UK fan base of the "big" clubs probably contribute relatively little to income.
For example Liverpool last accounts show "matchday revenue" at around 13% of total revenue, dwarfed by media and commercial revenues. If they were in a ESL, they would probably make much more revenue even if 50% of their fans decided not to watch home games. (Which they won't).
Personally I think it's just too difficult for a team to be in an ESL and the PL. We've already seen how the big clubs warp the rules to suit and any sort of process which puts players into Man City of the PL and Man Blue for the ESL, will be broken within weeks.
I think the clubs will have to choose one or the other. And that will be a decision based on money and not what the fans think. |
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Reply | Worst ever Saints team?
at 10:42 6 Jun 2024
George Lawrence.
He was brilliant until it came time to deliver the final pass or cross and then the wheels came off. |
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Reply | Man City Launch Legal Battle
at 08:54 6 Jun 2024
No, I was referring to real weapons which hurt people not Grealish who threatens much and delivers very little.
Been doing a bit of digging on this.
First, there is a case for saying that City, with their financial muscle, should be able to compete with the very best teams in Europe and the world. Realistically that means Europe and a European Super League is in my opinion inevitable. Perhaps 10 to 12 teams.
Second, if that is the case, then Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool would also be contenders for a place. Perhaps even Man U in a season or two. Arsenal? Their model is not really built for that, nor is Spurs.
If however City lead these teams down that path by going to war with the PL, then it would be better if the PL showed some mettle and refused them entry to the league and the FA followed suit and refused them entry to the cups. It's either that or allow a wholly unbalanced competition in the PL (or find some fantasy football calculation to limit the value of the team that City can put out in the PL which is unworkable.)
For so long as the dividing line for the debate is money, I have no particular issue because money is not prejudiced. I do have an issue when the owners of City (and Newcastle) suggest that the PL - and by extention the football supporting public in the UK - is racist and wants to "punish" them because of the nationality/ethnicity of their backers. That is a sordid attempt to bias the hearings and by getting their retaliation in first, allows them to cry "foul" later, when they lose.
Unfortunately this row is going to hold up the financial settlement with the EFL and the PL clubs will not want to send money that way if they might need to go out and but a few hundred million of talent. The GE means that the football regulator has been forgotten and there is no way for the EFL to force the payment of any money from the several billion that the PL clubs get. If the legal cases are delayed because of City's selfish stance, then the whole football pyramid will suffer and some clubs will go to the wall.
|There will have to a compromise but it will be money based because that the only language the PL speaks. The fans are collateral damage here and will not be considered to have any significant weight in the result.
This action is however, in my opinion, going to see the end of the PL as we know it, the start of the ESL - (first competitive match there in August 2027) - a rearrangement of the English pyramid and increases in season tickets that dwarf anything we've seen so far.
I would not want to be a supporter of the English clubs in the ESL.
And why?
Because a regime with a dodgy human rights record but with literally mountains of cash, want to convince the world that they are good guys so long as you look only at their money.
For that reason, they are prepared to destroy a part of our society that has been there for generations. I'm all for evolution and reform where needed, but this goes beyond. |
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Thread | Worst ever Saints team?
at 08:30 6 Jun 2024
I put up a thread asking you for your best ever Saints team. Those players who you have enjoyed watching and would like to see together via a time machine.
Is it too cruel to ask for a team of those who made you cringe or cry out in frustration? |
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Reply | Man City Launch Legal Battle
at 13:58 5 Jun 2024
They do have a point in that the rules did change mid season and some (not all) of the charges were a result of that.
However the first charges go back to 2009 and the repeating of breaches of the rules is not going to help.
This is also classic legal warfare. One side is looking to mount a huge attack (the PL on City) so the "weaker" side make a pre-emptive strike to try to unbalance the PL. It's just tactics.
If City really thought that that the rules target them and nobody else, their case is hopeless.
If City think that other clubs have been or should have been impacted, then why did they not ask them to join in?
Ultimately the sovereign funds has allowed City access to unlimited funds in order to buy success and now don't like be called on it.
What we will see next is:
1. A threat to leave the PL and go into Europe - which without more support is doomed.
2. A threat from the owners not to buy British weapons
3. A plea for arbitration, i.e. another three years in the long grass. |
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Reply | Best Saints team you've ever seen.
at 09:57 5 Jun 2024
The cohort of young players which included Nick, also included me. He clearly "made it", I did not.
Consequently I played in the same team as Nick a number of times. He was solid, dependable, always available for a pass, protective of other players and generally always geeing up other players and being unselfish himself.
When he made the first team, he was the same.
This is not about the "best" players but rather those who appeared for us who we enjoyed watching and who we think brought a little extra to the team.
For me, Nick fits that description. |
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Reply | Best Saints team you've ever seen.
at 16:51 4 Jun 2024
No point being the best of you're watching from the stands?
I'm going for a 4-3-1-2 formation.
So I need three midfield players.
Central defensive mid - Nick Holmes
Alongside Steve Williams and Alan Ball. |
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Reply | Football Cops
at 16:44 4 Jun 2024
I've only watched a few minutes of the "show" so perhaps I've missed some good bits.
I was however at West Ham's old ground a few years back. I was with a mate who was a WHU fan and his daughter who would have been 12/13 at the time.
The game was OK but WHU were losing to an early goal. A group of "fans" behind us were feffing and jeffing at the ref, the opposition, their own players, managers, all of them.
My mate eventually had enough and at half time politely asked the middle aged thugs making the noise if they wouldn't mind keeping the language moderate for the sake of his daughter.
Their response?
"You ain't a fan unless you swear at the ref - if you don't like it f**k off!"
So we left. My mate, a season ticker holder at the time has not bene to a match since. His daughter is now 25.
Why do these people think that they can do this?
Why do we put up with it? |
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Reply | Best Saints team you've ever seen.
at 16:05 4 Jun 2024
Based on how they played for Saints.
Not necessarily the best, perhaps the ones you enjoyed most or who you thought were entertaining or committed or anything else that makes them stand out for you.
Nothing is off the books (but Mark Dennis - really - he was always a red card waiting to happen). |
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