saintjay77

How many of our players were league 1 players last season? That's what I mean by saying on paper. We are a league 1 team that has been promoted. Most promoted teams share the same kind of outlook unless the year of promotion they go out and buy a team of players from the league above. Once promoted a team earns the right to be in that division and over time becomes a team of that division. It's not a statement based on league position but a broad picture of where a team is. Factually we are a championship team and I am not trying to suggest anything different. Many teams that get promoted and stick with the promoted squad soon find themselves back in the league they came from. We are doing everything possible to prove we are worthy of being a championship team and the longer we stay near the top the sooner we will be looked as a team that deserves to be there.

yeah fair enough. On points alone we missed out. But the performance by the team's tells a different story IMO. Boroughs againts Cov wasnt good yet that point earns Mobury the gong. I suppose I was thinking more goes into the decission on who to award the gong too. I was expecting us to drop away with BHA as promoted teams tend to do well at the start before finding life allot harder. It again shows how well Adkins and Co are doing at the mo.

What league were we in last season? We didnt even win the league then. So for a league 1 team to get promoted and do as well as we have is outstanding IMO. I agree that we built a championship team in League 1 but the fact was we were just a league 1 team. I could argue that the last time we were in the Championship we looked very much a League 1 team and it was difficult to see things being any better at the time. Maybe your right on the form though. If thats all the powers that be look at then it was a fair result and winning promotion over any awards along the way is something I would take too. If we are still up there come the end of the season the monthly awards will mean sod all. But it would be nice to get some recognition along the way. Maybe nominated is enough?

Is that the only thing its based on? On paper we are a league 1 team that is doing exeptionally well. Maybe I thought that kind of thing is taken into consideration? It does seem a curse so maybe I should be happy our 2 missed out but it would be nice to see them rewarded for doing as well as they have, which IMO is outstanding compared to anyone else in the league or anything I expected.

Our Nigel and Ricky both missed. Tony Mobury and the Middlesborough captain took the Championship top spots. I actually thought our 2 were nailed on certs for the prize, I know its a bit of a curse to get the gong but cant see why they dont deserve the plaudits. Two people plying their trade in league 1 last season are leading the championship this season and still miss out? What more do they need to do?

Concrete boots? OOOOOOOOOOSH! Bang Tidy!

Think your talking about the place in looe? Think it was run by gypsies years ago that pretty much lived with the monkeys. It's still going but I've never been. Not seen them at any of the conferences the world governing bodies run either so not sure if they are in that circle or independent.

Im the IT Manager here. I was at BAE in Plym for years and had enough of IT. Took Vol redundancy and lived off that for a while, then went for maternaty cover at the zoo thinking I could jump into Keeping or something. The previous IT manager didnt come back to do the IT so I was kept on. I get to manage everything IT'wise here and get to see behind the scenes and stuff. Put the Meercat cam up and same with Tigers and Rhino's so end up being able to see the animals up close where they are more interested in you. I look after Living Coasts too and sometimes help out down at Newquay Zoo which is always a nice little jolly. Sounds like a doss but IT is the least funded part of a zoo down this way so I Manage a department with only me in it! It has its plusses as well as its negatives! I was talked into being the human on a few signs round the zoo so my fugly mug pops up around the place and I also ended up being the face on the Fathers day leaflet this year. Face to face with a giant tortoise lol. Not a bad job eh?

Yeah I love croc swamp. I got to tickle a Tapir last week which was fantastic. Dont think I have had a job that I loved this much to be honest.

I live in Torquay and work at Paignton Zoo. (hence the biased bit) Think its fair to say that this area has some nice spots and plenty to see. Living here means I sometimes need reminding but I dont think I would live anywhere else without a massive lotto win. This thread has pointed out some great shouts though.

True we do call it Newton Scabbott. It used to have lots of rough pubs full of knobs that couldnt get into the pubs and clubs in Torquay. These days there are only 2 clubs in Torquay and all the pubs are concentrated down the bottom of town so a Torquay night out is not like it used to be. Newton Abbott's nightlife has improved loads. Only 1 club that is not worth going to but the pubs are good enough and the knobs are outnumbered by people out for a good night. By Day in Newton there is a market and a fairly decent main street for shopping if thats your thing plus the brewery that has already been mentioned and its even got its own country park. Not the same standard as Hamble or Netley but nice enough to walk round. For only a weekend trip some of the suggestions on here mean you will be driving more than relaxing so its worth looking up the suggestions and check out traveling times.

Fair bit to do down here for a visitor. Biased opinion from me but Paignton zoo is fantastic. Full day out too. Torquay has living coasts which is more a half day out at best. Depends if you like marine life and penguins or not. (they have just released an iPhone game called mission penguin if anyone is interested in helping out a charity) Kents cavern is worth a visit as is bygons. Both in Torquay. Cockington is a nice spot with glass blowers, blacksmiths in action, horse n carriage rides and great cream tea's. Paignton has the steam railway museum and a nice beach if the weather is kind. Hay tor is worth a shout if you like the new Forrest with hills and less tree's. Plenty of things to do for a weekend so depends on what your looking for

Would a free seat at our home games mean that the men who seem opposed to NC then become his loyal followers? Should it work like that? It all seems a bit petty to be honest but it doesnt look like any party really wants to back down. Its a shame but hopefully they will all keep quite and let it pass over.

Couple of things I noticed about that, "Celebrity clown fan"? That how they think of their own bell ringing spokes person? (lol) "nearly 2000 less than is needed to maintain the CVA payments"???? Maintain them? Really? Do they think they are actually serviceing the CVA yet? I mean with real payments? I dont have anything against how low their attendance is, just think they need to be a bit more realistic with where they see themselves. League 1 with the odd bounce up to the Championship surly is a realistic target for a club with a fan base of that size. Spunking wedge loads of cash on trips to the prem like they have without the fan base to support it is a crazy business plan for any club. But the ruskies have bought into a club to add it to their portfolio or something as corp keeps trotting out. Surley for a business that has ties with F1 and Isle of man TT they would only want top level club to add to their portfolio? So again, why pompey? A low championship to League 1 size club that has as much bad history as good cant look that great to anyone seeking ties with CSI? What do they expect to gain out of having Pompey on their books?

I agree with that, NC has stirred it up with comments that were not needed. but my point earlier is that we dont know what he was actually thinking when he said the comments. He agreed that Laurie and MLT critasised him and said that no-one was more important than the club, then to go on about freebies and it looks like the 2 are linked. Is that what he meant or is there 2 seperate issues that are being talked about? Were there hangers on at the time Lowe, Wilde and Crouch were taking turns at the top? Was it MLT and Laurie or were there many more/others? Its a needless argument and instead of stiring things up NC should be getting on the phone to them and setting up some comunication that moves to resolve what looks like a petty argument. Matty's son suggests that MLT never has or had freebies and is happy to buy them if he was given a chance to buy some. Suggests that he is not even alloud to buy tickets which also suggests that last week didnt happen.

Dont get me wrong as I am not wholeheartedly sticking up for NC. He could of agreed with the question on problems between himself and some of our legends and then not added petrol to the fire. The whole thing has a hint of 13 year old games trying to stir up trouble from the other side and I think all parties need to wake up and think about the un-necissary damage that is being done at a time when things are looking so bloody good. But with what little facts we know I think we are all pretty sure MLT has not been asking for free tickets, Personally I thought asking for 10 for his mates for a game when tickets to everyone else were ristricted was a bit off but it could of been handled better and all parties could of been happy. The game wasnt a sell out anyway so after everyone has had a chance to buy tickets the rules could of been relaxed to all and not just ex legends. I think the problems with MLT and NC go deeper though and im sure they include Franny and what ever went on between him and NC. Laurie was taking a wage from the club but how was it justified? Did his services actually bring in more than went out? Not having a pop, just a genuine question but I doubt anyone will be able to answer. He may have taken us to promotions and an FA Cup win but he was not the 1 club man MLT was and im sure throughout our history along with all the great stuff there has always been rumblings of fall outs between Laurie and various players and so on. Again not a pop as I still hold Laurie high as a legend of our football club but that doesnt necissarily make him whiter than white. I would love to go to a match one day and turn round to check out the directors box to see NC, MLT and Laurie all sitting together loving watching us win a promotion or cup or even a friendly against bognor regis. They are all important to us and our club yet they are doing something at the moment that continues the bickering in one way or another. Is there no way we can lock them all in a room together till they get over their issues?

So jeff has publicly defended MLT based on a report in The Sun? Surley he knows how the press do things and the story is probably sensationalised any way it possibly could be? Sounds like NC was asked about Laurie and MLT and he answered, the following sentence could of been in a broader sense talking about all of the hangers on. We all know there were many and there are none now. MLT's fall out seems to be more to do with the pinnacle stuff and sounds like the fall out with benalli as he has mentioned stuff about his friends. I think Laurie was the one taking a fair wedge out of the club when there wasn't much in the club, but I'm sure there were plenty more that don't get a mention. But it's easier to focus on the big names that end up dividing the fans between loyalty to it's legends and loyalty to the club. I think NC is more likly to not bother speaking to the press anymore than anything actually get resolved. Try's to speak openly and and when I read it I got excited about the positives and thought there was more to it than just the negatives

In answer to that bit, It was well documented at the time of the plans to advance TV money and Parachute payments in order for Pompey to be able to complete the season. Once the window was closed didnt your club axe the youth and reduce the team to numbers below the required amount? Didnt it then take on loan several players on high wages for a club that was struggling so much? http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/17/portsmouth-nine-point-penalty-administration http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/portsmouth/7500771/Portsmouth-crisis-eased-as-Balram-Chainrai-drops-claim-for-immediate-payment.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1250363/Portsmouth-rescue-mission-Premier-League-set-hand-debt-ridden-Pompey-lifeline.html Just a few reports talking about how the prem were going to advance payments to help poop old pompey out. Some mention how the payments would cover the HMRC debt leaving only what is disputed. Funny how that never got paid yet your club could still afford to bring expensive loans in at the cost of dispensing with the youth team isnt it? As usual the facts are pretty hard to come by and will probably not come out until the forensic work on the old company is published. I am not sure which way the results will go but I know which way I wouldnt put my money on. Most of what is discussed on here is based on reports like above or rumours on websites and so on. I can understand you defending your club as I would defend mine but the old saying "No smoke without fire" would leave me wandering what exactly I am defending? No doubt you will be extatic if the forensic stuff shows up no problems and the Russians turn out to be really good owners who rebuild your club from the ground up, flushing out all the leachers and bad practices while taking you on a ride back up to the Prem on a self sustainable business plan. Is that something you seriously can see happening though? Or does the reports and "available info" (fact or fiction) not worry you in the slightest?

So the ringfenced argument is null and void then as it is only looking after the football world. The payment that matters to everyone else still needs to be found or put back again.

I would prefer someone bigger than us but not too big. man u the way they are playing at the mo would see us out of the cup, Arsenal dispite the way they are playing would probably be too big a step too. But Toon or Stoke would on paper look like a winnable game and a good progression to the next round should we get past them. By then the confidence should be higher and a bigger team may be more do-able. Rather the league is the priority but would also like to keep in the winning habit so the cup should still be taken seriously

Am I missing something here? CH says the parachute money is ringfenced for the CVA, Why then was the CVA put back? What happened to the advancements of the Parachute money? Surley if it is ring fenced the Prem can release it in order to pay the local companies what they are due and then in turn ring fence any payments that would be due to pompey should pompey get re-promoted within the timeframe of said parachute payments? They were willing to advance Parachute payments to pompey so that they could afford to get in players to complete the season, so why wouldnt they be happy to see the local companies right? Or is there actually no money ringfenced?

@jasonpunch - comes accross fairly well actually and looks like he wishes us well still @jsincy Jake Sinclair from the youth squad @samHoskins123 from the youth squad @HarleeDean youth again @jackstephens_18 youth @xJoeCurtis youth @xMattYoung youth @Steve_mow1 youth keeper @TimSparv ex youth @c_osullivan93 youth @CMooro youth @HammondRachel Deans wife Think the others have already been mentioned. Most players from the youth setup seem OK. Interesting to see who will make it out of them.

Haha fair play. I didn't have any decent suggestions but wanted to be involved. X

Christ there are some odd folk on here. He wants a saints tattoo and is after some ideas. Don't see the point in some of the answers suggesting how much of a bad idea it is or how views change and how regrettable it will be. I'm guessing loads of you have jumped ship to support other teams throughout your lives and are thankful you never got any of your previous teams inked on your special bodies? Each to their own for tatts and it's worth spending time deciding and making sure it's a tatt you are 100% happy with. The location is often as important as the tattoo. 1 of my bro's has SFC high between the shoulder blades and another has the crest on the side of his calf. I wOuld probably go more towards the saint stick man but not sure where. Inside bicep maybe? Just make sure your happy with it long before it gets made permanent.

Not sure to be honest. Think they do urine samples for tests which makes me think that results wont stay in the system for very long. Blood tests I would of thought have traces in the system for longer. Will be interesting to see what Dispatches think they have come up with tonight though.