 | Forum
Thread | View the bigger picture re the Burys and Bolton’s of this world
at 18:59 27 Aug 2019
There is much handwringing and sympathy on here for Bury and Bolton, and presumably for many other clubs struggling to stay afloat but most of the discussion ignores the real issue.
The structure of a 92 club professional league is derived from times when few people had cars. When in the north whole towns took a charabanc, or a special train for a wakes week in Blackpool. Such a trip was the highlight of the year. Local communities supported local teams, with local newspapers reporting the local team in detail. Players earned little more than the average working man.
A revolution in transport with high speed trains and motorways means that someone in Bolton can easily get to see Man U or City week in and week out. Mass media has destroyed the limited local reporting. It is simply a fact that community based teams are no longer the norm. Also the average supporter has easy access to so many alternative sports and entertainments
Anyone designing a professional structure in today’s world would settle for two, perhaps three professional leagues in England. There are currently far too many clubs and players chasing income and support. The Macclesfields, Oldhams, Burys and Bolton’s of this world can not all survive.
It will of course be too much to expect their fans to acknowledge this reality and regrettably therefore we will almost certainly witness a number of drawn out painful demises. The sharks and wide boys will pick over the bones of once great clubs. It’s all very sad but I fear that it is unavoidable.
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Thread | Should Bolton be punished for cancelling their match
at 16:02 21 Aug 2019
On first take I had some sympathy with Bolton not wanting to overplay their youngsters but on reflection I think they should not be allowed to get away with this. It is not fair on other clubs that play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday for them to have to play against a Bolton team that is rested and fresh. Sooner or later one of those teams will be leggy and get beaten.
Its sad but either they need to put a proper team out and fulfil their fixture obligations, or they should withdraw from the league.
When you see that Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Macclesfield are all struggling in the shadows of United and City it highlights the fact that a league structure that dates from the forties and fifties, when travel was difficult, is today totally impractical and that the 90 odd teams in the league should be heavily pruned. |
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Thread | Bloody Sunday Prosecutions
at 19:54 14 Mar 2019
Whilst I believe that individuals, both military or civilian, guilty of crimes in the context of the troubles should be prosecuted I am uncomfortable with the prosecution of a soldier when many members of the IRA , who are believed to have committed acts of terrorism, are not being prosecuted, or have been granted early release in the interest of reaching a settlement and end to the troubles.
How can it be right to prosecute one side but not the other.
It might leave a bitter taste not to pursue prosecutions but to pursue one side but not those on the other side, who it is thought were responsible for more deaths, is surely not acceptable.
On the other hand if there is to be a prosecution shouldn’t it be the commanding officers in the dock not the foot soldiers. |
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Thread | Pret a Manger allergy death
at 10:04 26 Sep 2018
The death of 15 year old Natasha is tragic for all concerned and something that would be devastating for any family. As I understand it from press reports Natasha suffered from a number of allergies and a severe allergy to sesame seeds, to the extent that the family carried epipens in case of a reaction.
Whist not wanting to deny the responsibility for food retailers to label products fully in accordance with the law the press comment appears to me to be somewhat one sided. Where someone has a known severe allergy is there no responsibility on the individual/family not to buy general products on the high street or in an airport where they are likely to encounter a degree of uncertainty about ingredients. Alternatively when buying a product surely someone with such known and severe allergy problems should have been primed to automatically ask for confirmation of ingredients.
It seems to me that responsibility here rests not just with Pret A Manger. |
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Thread | The Oscars
at 16:57 5 Mar 2018
Why do the self loving luvvies get such an easy and indulgent ride from the press. This is about the industry self promotion yet the Beeb gives them page on page of free advertising.
Waste of space.
Moan over! |
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Thread | Floods on the Beeb
at 21:22 29 Aug 2017
Is anyone else totally fed up with the BBC coverage of the Texas floods. Yes it's all pretty dramatic and traumatic for those involved and terrible for the families of the nine dead. However the BBC gives hardly a mention to the truly devastating monsoon floods in India and Asia where the death toll is in excess of 1,200. Yes that's right more than a hundred times worse than Texas.
But hey they don't offer a photo op with Milena in her six inch heels.
Makes me despair of our press.
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