Simpleton Gas

I was referring more to Lansdown's business activities, not his running of the club. You are presumably aware that capitalism in the Arab world is very different from Anglo-Saxon capitalism. It is more old-fashioned, based on family ties (hence why Wael and his brother were originally involved) and has a stronger sense of social obligation. Its interesting that City fans don't have more to say about the fact that their 'local businessman' owner resides in a tax haven...

There wouldn't be a BRFC without them. It is that simple. After Hayles was sold, Holloway put together the Cureton-Roberts partnership, which was one of the most feared strike forces in lower league football.

The essential difference is legal, not moral. Legality and morality are often equated with each other but are not the same thing.

And then straight back down again after finishing rock bottom of the championship. But we have gone off track - the essential point is that you were 'tinpot' relatively recently. In 1982, when you almost went bust because you could not manage your financial affairs (say what you like about us, we pay our creditors and don't rely on charity from our players), and when the drummer of Bros was your chairman. But it was certainly more fun, wasn't it? Professionalism has certainly come with a price for you.

I wouldn't use that specific term, but I'm presuming that Guernsey primarily appeals as a way of working around legal obligations related to tax? All perfectly legal of course. However, its worth remembering that a number of celebrities previously engaged in similar schemes insisted on paying their taxes in full after being subject to public pressure. If City fans haven't done this already, perhaps they could take a lead in this regard? For the record, my view is that there is no moral distinction between tax avoidance and benefit fraud.

I'm wondering what attracts Lansdown to Guernsey? Is it the beautiful air or the tax avoidance possibilities? You were certainly a tinpot club when you were run by the former drummer in Bros (remember the mascot fight against Wolves?), but at least you had a bit of character and weren't so closely wrapped up with vulture capitalism.

Gypos? Lovely. Is that allowed to pass on OTIB? I've already had to educate one of your posters on why repeated use of 'sheikh' in a derogatory way is problematic.

The PL was established in 1992?

Its funny - when I hear you lot to us as 'tinpot', I only have to think back just over two decades, when the bassist/drummer of Bros (sorry, genuinely can't remember/care), was your chairman. For those less senior, Bros have a strong claim to be one of the worst UK bands of all time, and I was genuinely embarrassed for your club and its fanbase. At the time we were being run by the Dunfords - a solid, decent and unstated chairmanship. Then you met Steve Lansdown, a leading practitioner of Anglo-Saxon vulture capitalism, and the rest is history.

In the 8 years they've been back in the league, they've never needed to rely on the non-payment of players and local creditors to remain a functioning enterprise. Its very endearing how your fanbase have reinvented this as a source of pride rather than embarrassment

You realise that the 'sheikh' stuff is borderline racist, don't you? Or perhaps you don't? If Lansdown decided to invest in his local community, he'd be investing in Guernsey.

Please point out where I claim they are. By using the brains within their head, OTIB posters would proceed from 'hot air' to 'gas'. That's how it works - you refer to something that is similar in the hope that people manage to join the dots.

'Hot Air' is a pretty strong hint. Aside from spelling it out in big, bright blue letters, I'm not sure how it could be clearer?

Do you talk about PL football? I hope not, because you've never been in it.

To be fair, JB has bigger fish to fry. He was a PL player who was capped by England. Let's be honest - before he became Rovers manager, he was barely aware of your existence.

Good result for Rovers against a decent club. Of the two, Charlton are the bigger club and are bigger than City, with home attendances in excess of yours last season in a lower league. Impressive results for BRFC against three teams who will be in the top half of L1, and almost certainly promotion contenders. A win away against Millwall is also quite impressive, I'll give you that. However, the fact they are play-off contenders reflects badly on the Championship.

Elliot Anderson was a huge success for BRFC, winning national plaudits, and Barton has a good eye for a midfielder. BRFC signed two promising players from Chelsea before - Colkett and Clarke-Salter. Great things were expected of the former, but he struggled to live up to the physical demands of the league and had his loan cancelled early before briefly resurfacing at Swindon. The latter didn't live up to the billing, but subsequently became a championship-level player (QPR, mind) With the exception of a very few, it is extremely hard to tell at this stage if players will make it.

Is the Championship much better? Luton and Sheffield United are bang average sides who got promoted last season. L1 includes Bolton and Barnsley, two clubs who have played in the PL within living memory, unlike BCFC. And as for being over budget...planks and splinters come to mind.

Odd thing about Cardiff is that for a capital city (didn't become one until 1950), it is very provincial. However, this doesn't even give it a redeeming sense of place - you really could be anywhere.

Having to be pulled back from leaping into the crowd and attacking one of the club's (many) brain-dead fans was bad enough...like the village idiot at a particularly angry farmers' convention.

Should have put a bid in for Messi after Dwight Gayle - as much chance of that happening. You'd almost be forgiven for thinking he pursued Gayle and Gray as some sort of perverse and audacious PR stunt...that, or an unexpected blow to the head.

Pearson knew the size of the club's debt when he took the job and he is also surely aware of the club's past history, including almost vanishing from the face of the earth in 1982 because of its inability to effectively manage its own finances. Unpaid creditors will need to be paid this time and players won't be willing to forego payment. Its a different reality now. The money surely goes back into the club and making sure BCFC are still a thing going forward.

But that money has largely gone on servicing a substantial debt. Are City going to ask To be fair, there are quite extensive reports of money going missing when sent through the post, which is why so many people don't do this. I also worked for Royal Mail as a Christmas Casual on several occasions and didn't particularly like what I saw of the permanent staff or the organisation.

Impressive point against one of the teams who are likely to be up there at the end of the season. And I'm not talking about Preston...