Red-Robbo

In the North Counties, East League Division One. 10th tier. A long way down.

Good man. Kingstonian v City is the limit of my non-league adventures following BCFC.

Hehe. Can you claim to have gone to THAT match though, Slarti?

*mumble mumble 'malfunctioning turnstiles' mumble mumble 'traffic bad' mumble mumble 'fixture clashed with something good on the telly' mumble mumble 'it was raining' mumble mumble*

Me too. Emphasises how minnow the Gas have become in the world of West Country football. I think Yeovil have blown it, but there's an outside chance Torquay to squeak into the National League play-offs and come up. That would give them their local derby with a team of similar importance.

I think they themselves would say they have been gullible. That doesn't mean they were idiots: the women featured are all smart professional women who've obviously had decent careers going on. What I was trying to explore is how rational people can be talked into doing things. If they stood back and really thought these cons over they'd realise they are being foolish, but because they are kept in an artificial state of anxiety and worry they are literally not given time to think. It's the old fear clogging the brainwaves thing. A master conman can use that fear. Freegarde-Hendy told his victims his and then their lives were in danger. He made them do ridiculous things, largely for his own amusement. I certainly don't want to sound victim shaming. I was just interested in the psychology. Not all such victims were female. Freegarde-Hendy kept at least two blokes as psychological captives.

That's chicken feed. Cycling alone gets £35m.

'Appen some of them might live in Devon. Kudos to those that don't though!

I was going to post that Leicester boasts the most Indian restaurants per head, but didn't know how true that was. You've backed that up. It also claims to have the oldest one outside London* - The Curry House on London Road. Because it was the first, it didn't need a more exciting name than just "The Curry House". * The oldest in the UK is The India Club which is at the Aldwych end of The Strand. It was the staff canteen of what was originally the East India Company then the Indian High Commission. It's an amazing place. Totally Colonial. You get ushered in by uniformed wallahs and this stern Mrs Gandhi lookalike takes your orders while you sip tea in the dusty waiting room under a huge portrait of Lord Mountbatten. When the dining room is ready, they sound a gong. It's like a Merchant-Ivory film. It's a private club, so you have to book.

It's only the centre that is high performance, the pitch is shyte performance.

If the money gained from sell-on clauses recoups the money wasted on the likes of Engvall, Gilmartin, Hegeler, Giefer, De Girolamo, Diony, Rodri, Plavotic, Leko, Ekstrand and a host more, then I'll rethink my position.

It's a crying shame what happened to Caulker. Because as a teen, he not only had the physical ability and skills, he had the right mentality to maximise his massive potential. I've never had the addict's mind-frame and never really enjoyed gambling at all, but it's easy to see how temptation is placed in the hands of a young man given loads of money with few outgoings. If you are in that addict spectrum, disaster can easily follow.

But if it was 5 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses we get the 55 points I predicted before the season started and I shall proclaim myself King of the World. All we need is for the entire Boro squad to catch Lassa Fever this week. I mean them no harm. Just a mild bit of Lassa-ing. A vanilla epidemic.

I wouldn't put King in anywhere near the same category as Simpson. King is still a useful squad player and although maybe not an automatic starter or a three-games-a-week guy, would still make your bench. Moreover, as a lifelong City fan who was thrilled to come here, he's more likely to be the inspiring, voice of experience that our young players need. James is very much missed from the MF. We have one player currently with any defensive capability in the centre of the park, Joe Williams: Matty James would give us another option.

I think that bar next to Za-Za Bazar on the Waterfront is another such. Certainly there was no bitter on tap when I went there on a pub crawl a few years back. Cue 12 blokes turning around and walking straight out.

That sounds more like the Market House now. It's a wannabe Walkabout, and I noticed Stonebridge now operate several Walkabouts. Mind you, it was a pretty rubbish pub before. ?

I didn't want him here for that reason, but his failure to contribute on the pitch is why I'm saying it was a total mistake. I think if we're saying sign clapped out footballers just because they can pass some tips on to younger players, we could probably have got one even cheaper than Danny. Other non-playing players, Jody Morris, Michael Bridges etc, never got excused by saying "they are here to share their experiences with the younger players" but it seems Simpson is credited with that and I can only think it's because of the faith people have in Pearson. They don't want to criticise him I have faith in Pearson as well, but I do think there's nothing else you can say about Simpson than to write it off as an error of judgement. Due diligence wasn't exactly done on his fitness level when he was brought here. Luckily, it's the only blot so far on Pearson's recruitment copy book.

I can remember saying after that game "that lad will play for England". He just oozed class.

Crickey. Don't tell a Wolves fan they are a Birmingham side!!

He's played seven and a half not-very-good games for us in 11 months now, so however small his salary is, it is definitely a mistake. The idea that he somehow imparts experience on to younger players in some sort of osmosis, by being occasionally there at the training ground, is likely wishful thinking I'm afraid. Let's hope he doesn't give them advice on how to treat a woman...

Hmm. Stonegate bought and refurbed the Market House in Glastonbury, which is now a big open warehouse-like space, where they don't serve bitter. They own the Ram in Claverton Street in Bath, which is similar. According to their website their Bristol pubs include the White Hart in Bedminster Parade and the Victoria Park. Never been in either. Can any Bristol drinkers give a review?

TBH neither Scott and Massengo are not really defensive midfielders, so I think we've already sailed over that bridge. I don't know how Cundy would fare in that RB role over 90 minutes. It might be a step too far too soon, or it may work?

Would swap Massengo and Scott around meself, but given the constraints it's OK. Cundy as RB?

To be honest, you hardly have to change the words for this one:

Apart from Stand Up, If You Hate The Gas - which you still hear every flaming match!