Silvio Dante

This. If anyone has a spare few hours, watch the documentary on Jaywick that originally aired on Channel 5. It’s the bleakest thing you’ll ever see. In effect a chunk of the place is holiday chalets that have been converted to bungalows with unmade roads in large part. It’s been named the most deprived place in the UK and had an unemployment rate of over 60%. This isn’t even close. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywick

I think this in part, or at least it has to be in or out in a competition. So that means out in the FA cup for me. Neil Critchley had a similar moan to West Ham yesterday in that their first game against Forest had VAR but the replay didn’t and he felt the winner was offside. Interestingly, in the Middlesbrough-Chelsea semi final in the league cup both legs (including the one at Stamford Bridge) won’t have VAR so the whole tie is played under the same conditions. Totally logical and that they didn’t follow that logic in the FA Cup is madness.

I’m minded to view this deal in the context of two windows. I’ve been vocal on the Twine deal that I don’t think it makes sense in view of where we are likely to be this season - this one does make sense, but only if it’s not the only major incoming over this and the summer window (for avoidance of doubt I dont think we should be spending big this window). Hes 19 with seemingly a strong upside. It seems we can either buy now and loan back or have more competition/cost if he stays put and carries on as he is. So, it makes sense. And it’d be easy to say it only makes sense if we are signing others as well as development signings like this - but that argument is probably one that needs to be viewed across both now and June-August.

The guy who does the “sensible transfers” piece on Twitter (TomhWilliams - worth a follow) is absolutely mental on this guy. Quick link to an interview with the current Aldershot boss:

I think you should get all the names who are interested and have a public vote. It’ll be like the X Factor, but less shit.

I think the thing you’re missing there is that in view of the size of our squad if we were losing AW we’d have needed to replace - so we weren’t ever really going to save those wages. As I’ve said before on the thread, I do think there are some people double counting the impact of AW going both on us funding Twine and getting TGH early, but even on my worst case scenario I can’t see us being more than 1/4 - 1/2m down on the transaction (and as Harry indicates, likely less). That isn’t the biggest layout or going to cause us to fail FFP so I’m pretty relaxed. Once more, this doesn’t mean I don’t still question the long term sense of the deal in terms of potential fee and considering where we are positionally, but I’m not sure that what we are paying for the loan is the biggest concern. The other point is that there does clearly remain money available for the right player. It has increased from the summer - that’s not a Twine assumption but based on the known Azaz bid. And I’m as annoyed about the duplicity of that as anyone, but I’d rather it was spent than not as long as it’s a long term position.

Yeah agree. I think we all know the known risk here in this transaction (that Twine performs well/becomes an integral part of the team and that £5m fee suddenly becomes £7m for arguments sake) and as I’ve said, at this time, that’s a risk I probably wouldn’t have taken considering the season position and likelihood of promotion or relegation. Now they’ve made the decision (and again, it’s not one I agree with not because of the player but because of the possible long term additional cost/having to start again) to fill the gap on a short term basis it’s probably better to have a known quantity than a Lee Tomlin who comes in, plays well and we demand he signs - and he turns out to be an arse. So yeah, don’t see anything wrong with the quote (or player) having made the decision that’s been made - it’s more the possible long term piece and the decision itself to start with where I think my issue is.

Indeed. My nadir was a 1-1 draw against Cambridge - I turned round to my brother at 30 minutes in and said “I can’t take this any more” and walked back to the town centre then got a bus to Yate. Arrived home no earlier than I would had I watched the game in full and got a lift but it was genuinely that bad, and the only time I’ve seriously questioned if I could keep watching. I was a little narked that JP regurgitated that lie Pulis told on national TV TBH, as it was such bullshit and easily disproven. When Pulis left - it was for Portsmouth - I don’t think the fanbase have been happier. Literally it was on a par with the promotions, Man U game etc. Next game was a win at Bournemouth where the aforementioned Thorpe played and I think we won 3-2 and it was like a giant cloud had been lifted. And now we’re so far off the topic of Scott Twine it’s untrue!

The illiteracy is really showing tonight

And if Joey was still in charge, I’d imagine he’d have hit a birdie…

Flagged by James on Twitter. They are really beyond parody.

Just trawling gaschat to see the heartbreak. How tinpot must you be to call on the “Spirit of Oxford” to win a game?

Blackpool could well take this before the 90

I do hope Chris Martin conceded it deliberately then ripped off that joke garment to reveal a half and half BCFC/Norwich shirt underneath and signalled to the Blackthorn End to eff off.

Tbf he was sat next to Jon, so it’s understandable! More seriously, we know he’s handed over the reins. SL of a few years ago would love this occasion and be speaking to the media both before and after. That he didn’t yesterday speaks volumes of where he is - it’s Jon’s game now (even if SL is the ultimate funder)

And Neil ****ing-Kilkenny…

Except (and god love Jonathan Pearce) we never beat Blackpool 5-1 under Pulis. We beat them 5-2 and it was the fifth game of the season so there was no reason he was going to be presented to the crowd as he’d been in situ for a while (and you wouldn’t present a new manager at the end of a game anyway?) Pulis’s first game in charge as many will remember was the “Lavin” game at Reading. Under TP we won 6 of 25 games, and had an 11 game run without a win. He was definitely booed during that period. We scored 4 in 10 games which probably caused it - I remember leaving a game after 30 minutes as the football was so bad. In short the story JP references didn’t happen. Pulis has conflated the Blackpool game with the booing afterwards as his awful football took hold - the lesson here is don’t listen to a man who gets sacked for gross misconduct.

Is Sebastian Palmer-Houlden our poshest player since Forbes Phillipson-Masters?

**Taps the sign**

You could work that into an anecdote one day.

I’m guessing it was, if the information was given, a broad estimate based on normal HT sales levels as opposed to actuals. As noted though people were taking the piss a bit so actual “lost sales” may be more.

I posted this on the transfer forum where TC moving on or not was discussed (this was pre last night). My gut is that he’s not signing a contract as there has been one on the table for a while and we will cash in as opposed to letting him run down his deal. He has struggled for goals from open play recently and with luck Twine can unlock that more to season end - but regrettably I think he may be doing that to maximise TCs value as opposed to anything else. Love him to sign though! I think to be fair it’s more about where Tommy sits relative to Alex/Antoine in the pecking order. The two AS’s both went to Bournemouth- Alex seemingly as first choice, Antoine took a while but is now a regular. The other side of the coin is a Massengo (with the caveat I’m not sure he’s Prem quality) - moved to Burnley and hasn’t kicked a ball. Now HNM may not care - and the bank balance is a real comfort - but he’s effectively wasting years of his career by making the wrong move. And that’s probably where I see things with Tommy. Hes definitely got top level potential (probably lower half), but he’s not a definite starter at bigger teams at this level or the lower half at the level above currently. Making the wrong move now could lead to him having a very warm backside and his career having passed him by. So, a “better offer” financially and he may well be off. But I think it’s also down to game time and maybe taking not the best £ but the best fit which for me may be something like a Boro if they were interested. I do think he’s going, both because of the contract length and because I don’t think the current style suits him which will naturally make him less attractive as his goal return drops (think it’s 2 open play goals in 12?) - but I’m not sure it’s binary

Not sure about that. If we work on average ticket price being a tenner (some more, some less) for the West Ham games then across the two ties it’s about 800-900k collective gate receipts. That gets split 50/50. Deduct the costs of putting on the games (policing, staff etc) and obviously we didn’t make money from the bar last night(!) Think TV was about 40k I read and then there’s prize money. Reckon we’ve netted nearer 1/2m. Still not to be sniffed at.

Ah got you - misread what you said and I think we’re saying the same thing, stacked payments and £1m for a final loss.

(shivers) Tyreeq Bakinson In a not at all characteristic move he started superbly at Newport and the fans loved him then became a waster.