In the Net

47 minutes ago, BCFC11 said:

The bloke is vile full stop, now I fully respect you as a poster on here and agree with a lot of the things you post but you're continued defence of him is laughable. 

My question related to that particular article, as you used "vile"  in your description of it.  I'm not defending him, just pointing out what the article actually said, and whether it is actually "vile" on this occassion.  

2 hours ago, BCFC11 said:

Another week, another press conference where Joey Barton continues to show everyone what a vile human being he really is.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/joey-barton-bristol-rovers-plymouth-7728739

 

W4nker.

Just read the article, he holds a grudge against the DoF, it sounds as though the bloke didn't go the best way about binning a 14 year old from his boyhood club.  The bloke has been proved very wrong on that, and also on binning Baines and Jagielka - not great credentials as a talent spotter.  Then went on to work for the FA - say no more.  Is it really "vile" to hold a grudge against somebody who may well have ended your career before it started, if you hadn't had the character to keep chasing the dream?  There are plenty of people in football who hold grudges against people who they've worked with in the past, just read a few biographies, or re-visit the comments on here about Mark Ashton. 

Barton gives plenty of praise to Plymouth Head Coach and his assistant, and says that he fancied Plymouth for automatic promotion last season.  There are more postives than negatives about the Plymouth staff in the article.

6 hours ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Yes its second hand info but its from a mate who isn't a football fan who was there at the time. The only reason he knew who it was because he was trying to brag to everyone.

I was just making a play on words, although it sounds doubtful, I'd never say never where footballers are concerned. 

6 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

I should be able to find out, it's the pub I use most often, haven't been for a couple if weeks, but know various folk who are in there most days.

Be surprised as with the exception of them winning promotion, never see any players in there.

Most of the players who come from up North travel home on a Saturday evening, and I'm not aware of any who live in Bristol being located around there, so it would be surprising for a player to be in there on a Sunday. It'll be interesting to here what you find out.

19 hours ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Has anyone heard about an incident at the Royal Oak involving a rovers player yesterday? Apparently the player who is a first teamer pooped his pants after a heavy session on the Source and caused loads of havoc in there, police called etc. Anyone else hear about this?

I'm calling bullsh*t on this. 

On 15/10/2022 at 22:11, City Rocker said:

Liam Gallagher has partnered with the BS3 -based mens' mental health charity Talk Club on his new single Too Good For Giving Up.

Great song, really powerful video, aimed at preventing men from suicide. 

 

Wow - found that very moving. - as you say, both the song and video are thought provoking. 

Any idea how he came to partner up with the charity?

2 hours ago, TomF said:

I'll happily do a special xmas one if people want it.  It's all about the Thatchers Cider Barn Green Apple now. 

 

Will I be locked outside?

4 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

I had some interesting private messages with Rich when this cropped up back last August.

Whilst Holmes may have wished for things to transpire as they did (for personal gain,) that was never established and was not how things transpired. He denied such connivance (as he might.) Holmes screwed up big time with the stand fiasco (wrong place, wrong design,) leaving the rugby club without the means to rectify and nigh-on bust. Enter Durnford, the shadiest milkman in the west. He established a 'stadium holding company' as a vehicle to propose a deal to the rugby club. The rugby club were not involved in this, its incorporation signed by Rovers officials only at a meeting in one of their homes in Thornbury.

Knowing the rugby club was on its uppers it was The Milkman who proposed a joint venture to the rugby club's operations manager (forget his name.) The deal was simple: BRFC would provide £2m working capital for the newly incorporated stadium company owned wholly by BRFC (its only paper after all,) the rugby club would receive half the shares issued in the company using the Memorial's freehold as guarantee. They would share use of the ground, if not ownership. The rugby club didn't sell the ground, an important legal distinction, as that would have required quorum approval of rugby club directors and members. The deal also included step-in rights (standard in any such deal,) allowing either party to purchase all shares in the stadium company at 'issue price' from the other party should that party enter administration. This form of contract, under the rugby club's weak governance structure, was able to be entered into by their operations manager alone. The deal was never proposed to rugby club directors or members as it didn't have to be. The blindest Pew might have foreseen what came next and although the rugby club directors and members sought to raise challenge it was quickly established that their constitution had allowed the deal to be legally executed through their own naive, weak governance. The Milkman didn't purchase the freehold, he bought back the shares he'd recently incorporated and with them came, er, The Memorial.

Thanks for posting this info - very interesting..

What would have become of the rugby club if Rovers hadn't provided the £2m working capital?  I didn't really follow this very closely at the time, I'm not into rugby, and the main thing I remember about Bristol is that they were on the local news because their new stand had been built in the wrong place. 

51 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

That must be quite a big hit for Joey. 

A 15% increase on your most frequent expenditure is probably going to mean he'll have to wait a little while, until he can afford a watch as nice as Weals..! 

I can't imagine that JB's defence is Government funded, so he'll be paying the usual fee. 

6 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

Long story, but my mum and I apparently trespassed on his land before the Oakdale estate (Downend) was completed, she didn't know..............unfortunately ( for Holmes) she told our dad, who was en ex RAF boxing champion, only one winner there !

Sounds like he was a middle class toff - they don't like it up 'em.  Well done to your Dad for putting him right. 

On 06/10/2022 at 23:43, slartibartfast said:

He certainly wasn't liked by my old man who gave him a good hiding after telling my mum to "**** off" (which you certainly didn't do in the mid- 50's) 

Blimey - he sounds a right charmer. 

2 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

I think most football fans are aware how many players make it in the game, especially into a Prem team, but not sure many other managers would choose to highlight the fact in a post match interview!

I presume he felt that it was relevant to his point about the U23 teams being in this competition - it isn't really developing future players, because the vast majority won't make it as professionals. 

Meanwhile the competition has lost the little credibility that it used to have (that's my thinking, not JB's)

8 minutes ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Ridiculous. I remember Blackpool getting fined for fielding a second string team and Holloways rant perfectly illustrating how wrong it was. No one wants this competition its baffling how it still remains. 

It was never high on the agenda, and the recent changes have ruined it completely.  It remains because the Premier League chucked even more money at it when there were murmurings of discontent about their young squads being involved.  Their Under 23 players are going to need more than 3 games a season in "men's" football, in order to find out if they have got what it takes.  I've heard several older players talking about how U23 v U23 keeps them living in la la land with regard to their ability, hence not many actually get over the final hurdle into the first team. 

11 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

Having just watched the football academy series on Channel 4 about Palace's academy (really worth a watch by the way an unreal facility they have), this is a massively disrespectful comment

The Palace documentary was very interesting - I'd like to see a follow up in a few years time, to see where the boys have ended up, and whether I was able to spot the ones with the best potential. 

Barton actually said that, if you look at their teamsheet in 5 years time, some of those lads will be working in civilian jobs - which is borne out by the stats that 97% of Premiership Academy players never play a Premiership game, and 70% of them do not get offered a contract in the Premier or Football League.  He will be well aware of this, having been involved with Premiership clubs as a player. 

21 minutes ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Don't you have to have a certain number (5?) of players starting in the matchday squad that played in the previous league game? I remember Cotts speaking about it before the competition involved U21 teams. 

He is a bellend though.

You are correct.  I believe that we got fined after Darrell Clarke subbed the first team keeper off after 2 minutes.  

Now you're making me feel very old!  Ernie Hunt was the maestro I believe - a very clever routine. 

2 minutes ago, Midred said:

If we had VAR would the people officiating in the "studio" be the same sub standard referees that we have most weeks?

That does seem to be the case so far this season. 

I can remember this fanzine being sold back in Ye Olden Days (when we used to play you).  Has it kept going since then?

9 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Guess he'd pass then.

Which tells you all about the state of the O&D test really.

To be clear, I wouldn't want Barton to own the club, however, I think that people who have dodgy financial goings on in the business world are much more dangerous to the future of any club than a bloke who had a 6 month prison sentence 18 years ago. 

21 minutes ago, alexukhc said:

Yeah I agree, was pretty dull tbh but weird guy

Not sure what it was meant to achieve.

The lad is Barton's step-brother, they weren't brought up in the same household.

15 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

But presumably they could afford to buy property down there? After all it was only 3 weeks ago that Joey was telling us that local property prices were what was stopping him sign top Premiership talent.

As I said, a lot of footballers are just passing through (as it were).  If they're from "up north" and own a property, I'd imagine that they'd keep that, and rent for a couple of years wherever they happen to be playing.  The older, "family man"  may buy a property, if they see the area as a place that would be good for their family to settle.  In the lower leagues it can be expensive business moving house every 3 years or so, when you factor in stamp duty, agents fees etc.  

I'm an oldie, however I don't think that Exeter has the same "buzz" as Bristol - just speaking as an ordinary person, taking football clubs out of the equation.  Not that I live in Bristol, just my opinion from visiting both places quite a few times.

I've probably gone off at a bit of a tangent - just another JB interview, with various sound bytes for the press to dangle as click bait.  I think he thrives on it!

1 hour ago, elhombrecito said:

Ah yes, Devon that well known shithole. Definitely not one of the most desirable parts of the country at all... 

I agree, if you're approaching middle age and looking for a settled life, then Devon is a delightful place to live - I'd fancy it myself if I could afford the house prices on the coast.  Not sure it would have quite the same attraction for a young man though, although a lot of footballers are at a club for a maximum of three years, so I'm sure they cope. 

16 minutes ago, phantom said:

At least it progressed because on Arse chat earlier in the week someone posted how the club hadn't responded to their request 

I think they chased it up in order to get a response. 

3 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

They have been arguing over why some club event isn't taking place at the Mem and if being hosted at the cricket. Turns out the largest room at the mem is quite small circa 200 ish.

Which likely means the proposed 'why don't the club put a night on, and if everyone puts in a couple of quid we can give it to the player who is ill (sorry, his name escapes me).

The player in question is the poor fella who was diagnosed with cancer (something I wouldn't wish on anyone), but if the best their supporters can come with to help him is four hundred quid in loose change then you have to worry about how committed they are.

Where are the proper fund raiding activities? The golf days, the fishing competition, the marathon runs, they should have something on every game to help the lad and his family.

Somebody did contact the club about doing a bucket collection (I'm sure most people would be happy to bung a few quid in every home game for the rest of the season).  This would have been easy to organise, I'm sure.   I think the response from the club involved needing to be a registered charity, and do cashless collections. 

24 minutes ago, petehinton said:

How the **** does a multi millionaire drive without insurance?

They usually have other people who sort that stuff out for them - obviously a major fail on this occassion.