22A

Some of the games in the IPL make me wonder about betting syndicates. In the last week, one game I was watching the score was 127/2. I popped downstairs for a drink, came back to find the score was now 130/7! In another game the team which batted first scored at ten an over. The second side promptly scored at 12 an over to secure a comfortable win. Yesterday one team was 111/0 after 11.5 overs. Their first wicket then went down and it was 154 all out. In another game one side, bear in mind these are T20 games, was all out for 49. Their batting line up featured Dhoni, AP deVilliers and another top batsman. None of the three managed to break into double figures.

Wow! I read to the end of that Wikipedia article. It describes how Goodnight Irene became their anthem. The song which is synonymous with Rovers is "Goodnight, Irene", which was written by Lead Belly.Opinions differ as to how this came about but it is thought to have become popular in the 1950s when a version of the song was in the British charts—the line "sometimes I have a great notion to jump in the river and drown"—seemed to be particularly apt when Rovers lost as the Bristol Frome flows alongside the old Eastville ground.[ They were certainly nomadic in their early years; "During World War II, some friendly matches were played in Kingswood, and in their early history some games were played at Parson Street, Bedminster"

Quite right sir! During City's first stint in Division One, they were two promotions away from City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Rovers_F.C In 1899 Bristol Rovers joined the newly formed Southern League, where they remained until 1920.

1938-39 season, Rovers finished bottom of League Division 3 South. (No Division 4 then). For some reason at the League's AGM, Rovers were re-elected. http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506 1939 North Hartlepools FL 38 re-elected to Division Three (North) Accrington Stanley FL 29 re-elected to Division Three (North) South Liverpool LC 5 Scunthorpe & L Utd ML 4 Burton Town ML 0 Wigan Athletic CL 0 South Bristol Rovers FL 45 re-elected to Division Three (South) Walsall FL 36 re-elected to Division Three (South) Gillingham SL 15 Chelmsford City SL 1 Colchester United SL 1

Amazing 2nd Test in the Caribbean. Today was the 5th day and WI had one wicket left which soon fell leaving Pakistan 187 to win and nearly all day to get them in. The game was over before Tea as Pakistan slumped to 81 all out with five of the team scoring ducks.

OMG!!! On their forum three pages of posts concerning profits falling for Sainsbury's. http://gaschat.co.uk/thread/9824/shamesburys-profits "Like to think our boycotting adds a little to their pain, I'm well aware it's a drop in the ocean, but it still puts a smile on my face." "Without the actions of Sainsbury's we would still be under the rule of the old board in a new stadium saddled with debt." "Wow they only made 500m .Good job boycotters" Best of all to sum up their mentality "I sometimes go into their toilets and take a dump in one of the hand basins, does this help?" One voice of reason though "Business is business. They look after their business, we look after ours. Had the contract been 'watertight' as we were constantly told, they would have had no room to manoeuvre. At it turned out (and unsurprising to anyone familiar with the previous board), it wasn't and they legally and legitimately pulled out. People are living in cuckoo land if they think they would have proceeded with the purchase out of a sense of 'fairness'."

26,430 that day. A more telling question would be; when did more than 20,000 Rovers fans turn up for a home game?

I get your point about amateurs, but I think they've been in the bottom tier more recently. Not so long back they played Bradford, another former Prem club in the fourth div. It was a quiz question at the time

When Barnsley went 2-1 up, only weeks ago, City would have lost that game. It's a new & improved City now. Looking at tonight's table it's pleasing to see the likes of Forest & QPR beneath us. It's doubtful I admit, but is possible that Ipswich and or Wolves could yet be overtaken. By finishing 16th, that puts City in the middle rather than bottom third of the table. That makes City more attractive to potential players and sponsors. I believe we also get more money from the League the higher up we finish. COYR!

Yep! August 2018 is the earliest Rovers can be above City in the League. Rovers finished above City for 14 consecutive seasons 1949 -1962. City were then the higher placed team for the next TWENTY consecutive seasons 1963 - 1982. As Rovers last finished higher than City in the year 2000, it is possible that twenty year streak could be beaten.

I thought a proud boast of the gas heads was their "unique" blue & white quarters. No; they even knicked that idea as they didn't use quarters until 1931 http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Bristol_Rovers/Bristol_Rovers.htmRovers Everton wore them in 1894 http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Everton/Everton.htm Burton in 1901 http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Burton_United/Burton_United.htm Shrewsbury 1907 http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Shrewsbury_Town/Shrewsbury_Town.htm

As results stand, it's our bad luck that Burton are drawing and Forest are winning Justas City come good. Historical note; City's third goal this afternoon was their 2,950th in 49 seasons in the 2nd tier.

Watched the WI / Pakistan ODI on TV. Pakistan hit 308 in their 50 overs. After 25 overs, WI had reached just108. Jason Mohammed then came in to bat in a way reminiscent of that Windies team of the 70s. WI won with an over to spare.

I watched a game from the IPL today. It's a T20 format, but for some reason there was a Time Out in the 15th over.

It was a unanimous YES to the change.

Some jazzy name like Severnside Stormers?

I think the first year it was three groups of six playing each other H&A, with the three group winners and the best 2nd placed county progressing to finals day. Two semis and then the final all on one day. That worked.

OK, update on today's meeting. Eight teams each with a squad of fifteen players. There will be 36 games spread over 38 days. The ECB will meet tomorrow and at least 31 of the 41 members must agree to changing the constitution as it will then cease being 18 Counties. Hmm 18 counties into 8 regional teams means most will be a merger of two counties, but some will be a threesome. Presumably "ours" will be Somerset, Glos and possibly Glam. On the other hand I can't see Lancs or Yorks being too keen on merging with anyone.

Announced on SSN today. A meeting of Lords is trying to rearrange the T20 competition for the 2020 season. The plan is for eight regional teams rather than 18 counties. The counties aren't too happy with this and a change in the constitution will be required if the 18 aren't all included.

Yes, because they are going to move in (and kick City out).

Please don't laugh too much at this post; "After the usual banter at the pub with $hit heads I enlightened them with pants down being a gas head to which they didn't believe me and showed them a artical and I have just found that Higgs and pants down pic. (Not capable of doing link stuff/ I hope someone will). It looks like the pic was took at France 98. It's got the camp pirate on on it. My point being is when pants down was on subs bench over a year ago he said he wasn't interested in rovers after we moved to bath as we (in his rosy cheek faced ass eyes) wasn't a Bristol club any more. Well that pic if I'm right was taken when we were back in Bristol. Puzzled. The $hit head faces dropped once showing the Evidence."

Wow! An increasing number of spectators are going to watch Rovers! The last game at Eastville saw 3,576 turn up to watch Chesterfield. The last Rovers game at Twerton was against Wycombe and 6,637 watched. This season their home League attendances vary from 7,000 to 11,000. They drop dramatically though for Cup games.

I believe Saints had a sell out for their last game at The Dell. What made it special for them was coming from 2-1 down to beat Arsenal 3-2. Leicester finished bottom of the Premiership in 2001-02.Their final game of the season, was the last at Filbert Street with 21,716 spectators. That was their 2nd highest gate of the season! Earlier in the season an extra 100 turned up for the visit of Liverpool. Derby left the baseball ground at the end of 1996-97 when they finished 12th in the Prem. Last game was v Arsenal 18,287, their highest attendance that season. Derby's youth team continued to play at the Baseball ground for a few more years.

One of the stands at Headingley needs replacing. Leeds City Council was going to donate £4 million, but cannot now afford to do so. If the money cannot be found elsewhere, Headingley will not be able to host any games in the 2019 world cup.

Two items on SSN today. 1; England is the only nation which still attracts large attendances to Test Matches. Everywhere else spectators prefer the shorter versions of the game. 2. Australia's authorities announced pay rises today. Their women's team are receiving a £49,000 increase bringing the average salary to £111,000. Their male counterparts will now be on an average of £half a million pa.