Bedred31

The truly depressing bit is feeling the need to add ‘& Fleming’ to the title, because you just know that if SL sacks NP tonight, he’ll wake up tomorrow convinced that his no 2 is just the man for the job. I think we’re going to have to double down on this, support NP with everything we’ve got to the end of the season, while devising a pretty big prayer rota.

Not sure which stage of grief the OP is experiencing. Personally I’m suffering all 4 stages simultaneously- or are there 5?

To be honest, I’m reconciled to NP being given the push by Christmas, then watching him get Preston or Boro or some such promoted via the playoffs in May.

No one walks- literally no one. Even if your too ill to do the job. Why would you. Can’t think of a ‘by mutual consent’ that was really a resignation, unless the manager has a better offer and is being tapped up.

He’s 73- with the best will in the world…

Same as the scheme that has existed in London for years. You have to be driving a bit of a banger to fail. My gas guzzling diesel passes with flying colours.

Not sure that disgusted from Tunbridge Wells would get it (i go there quite a lot). Pleased to say that Bristol in 2021 is the sort of place where most people would instinctively. Times change- sometimes v quickly- and my view is that it’s always worth distinguishing between those who use derogatory terms deliberately and with the aim to hurt, and those who do so clumsily or because they haven’t had a chance to catch up (this seems to be easier to acknowledge when, like me, your 56). As to the P word, I spent time in Australia in 1991 and the tv commentators used it routinely to describe players from Pakistan or the team as a whole. Meanwhile get well soon big Nige- Covid badly, twice- football, bloody hell.

Always enjoy these- thanks for posting.

So would I - then I remember we’ve already done exactly that.

Gregor demob happy and putting the boot in.

Clearly NP is drifting into the danger zone. I’m a supporter and I’m not going to slag him off. But I’m losing the desire to try and defend him by pointing out the other, deeply entrenched reasons for our decline. It may well be that tired indifference speaks louder than people yelling for him to be sacked.

To be fair, the smack in the chops was 15 months with no paying customers.

If NP goes SL will have to replace him with an ultra cheap option- something SL tends to do even when he can afford something better. That’s one of the problems for me- we lavish money on inexperienced apprentices and only go for proven experience in times of austerity.

BBC showing us at 60% possession so, a few errors aside, it’s not a complete shambles.

Cricket, meanwhile, going rather well, if anyone feels like a psychological break.

Mick McCarthy’s available.

Caught a radio interview with her this morning in a segment on hypermesis gravidarum(HG). No I’d no idea either, but, apparently, it’s a really severe illness during pregnancy. Sounded a complete ordeal- vomiting 20-30 times every day, bleeding and repeated hospital admissions. Apparently so severe that 25% of the women who get it contemplate suicide. At the risk of sounding like a patronising old bloke- not that difficult in my case- Michelle came over as an extraordinarily resilient and courageous women. Certainly will prompt me to think of her with renewed respect when she rocks up at the Gate for Sky or whoever.

Whose carrying the can for this? Anyone? Or more likely, as this is Britain, have they already ‘failed upwards’? One match behind closed doors will cost the FA £4-5m in lost revenue. I was at the Final and everything- transport, stewarding, policing, ticketing, covid security- literally everything unravelled completely. I’ve been at England games home and away since the early 80’s and honestly I’ve never seen such a shambles. Now I’m barred from a game next June. And the resignations? Just shameful.

It’s possible to be completely pissed off and supportive of Pearson and Landsdown. I know it is because really I am. Imagine what it must be like running a business with a £65m annual wage bill and literally no paying customers for 18 months. Nige inherited a big squad of largely crocked players and an inevitable instruction to trim the outgoings by at least £20m pa. And if you want to know what it’s like being a well supported, city side with pedigree but no sugar daddy chairman, the fans of Sheffield W, Ipswich, Sunderland and others will tell you all about it. Utterly crap result, crap game, crap evening, but there’s dignity in taking it on the chin and realising that while things could be better, they could and possibly should be a whole lot worse.

That was 93 I think? Ground being re developed and reduced attendance meant we ended up queuing on spec for about 2 hours before kick off. So thrilled to get in, then the season starts.

Remember that- and wasn’t another Oxford away at about that time so foggy it was called off at half time? Remember Millwall away midweek in the early 90’s when we were 3 or 4 down after 15 mins.

Gillingham away, first game of the season. All pay on the day ( their shite of a chairman alleged they couldn’t afford to print tickets for advance sale) so away end full and locked by 130 while the rest of the ground was deserted. About 90 degrees, no shade, no refreshments- a killer. Think we got a result though, with a brace from the Goat?

That Leicester game- BBC said it was off, so I turned the tv off and didn’t travel. Still have the unused ticket..

I tend to remember the trips that reflect the bizarre eccentricity or romance of the game. Walking across that water meadow to get into Cambridge, the mental walk around the allotments at Watford, or one season opener at Carlisle years and years ago, where the terrace was made of old railway sleepers with grass- basically hay- growing up between them.

Yes I was. Lasting memory was Gerry Sweeney deflecting a ball in some nonsensical game, whereupon it cannoned into the enclosure, hitting my 12 year old head. I’d love to say I was thrilled but in truth it hurt like hell.