Gloucester Saint

If only Middlesbrough were zero % emission. They’ve produced enough pollution this week, even without what spews out of Billingham, to blow a polo mint sized hole in the ozone layer.

Funnily enough most of the ‘pundits’ and journalists who are the most vocal all seemingly had prior beef with SFC too - Sheldon, Austin, Jordan had the stuff with Lowe and Beattie not going there, and/or in Gibson’s pocket. Not sure what Deeney or Winter’s issues are, other than the former being a convinced violent thug.

I work there and what you’re saying is 100% true. Most thought the photo by the tree was hilarious and not taken seriously particularly. They know there’s a rule breach that will be dealt with but their neutral perception is night and day with Middlesbrough’s.

Quite. The anger towards SFC/the individual - I get. The anger and pure volume of bile towards us, Tonda, THB = unnecessary and worse than anything I’ve ever seen. Saints v Pompey is bitter during the game, and at most 1-2 days before and after. But fundamentally most on both sides know its banter and there are reasonable limits. Like most local rivalries. Because Middlesbrough don’t have a local rival who is bothered about them and their town is really suffering from Brexit, a lot of built up fury is coming our way which is crazy for a single incident which has happened in the sport before. Look at Leeds v Derby - a few chants, bit of verbals and died down.

Only a 5k majority last time, far from certain I agree. Burnham is popular up there though and suspect he would win. His comments about the economy worry me as much as Farage, Tice and Polanski, but he’s bound to appeal to Labour’s core and if they win much of that back, they might end up as the largest party in a 5-way race because the wheels are starting to come off for Farage. Shit for the country but that’s been true for 10 years now.

Putting aside of the technicalities which are sleep-inducing, either SFC or an individual has done wrong and broken an EFL rule for which there will be a punishment of some form. But our initial frustration as a fanbase at our own club has been superceded by the absolutely appalling vitriol directed at us from Middlesbrough, their fans, their media (especially), their politicians and their various Gibson pets in the national media. Hellberg started in the right and mature place - it doesn’t affect the matches, not players or fans fault. Angry at SFC behaviour as club. Complaint made, establish facts. Fair. If you’d stuck to that, well done, you’d have been the bigger man. Respect. He didn’t though and joined in with the rest of the hysteria and hatred, the like of which I’ve never seen even from Portsmouth in five decades. We’ve been called scum by BBC Radio Tees, cunts by their supporters in-person, out of football contexts/venues, THB called a scumbag and Tonda a cheat by their sports editor of their local newspaper without any evidence whatsoever of his involvement. Some libel cases in there to pursue once the dust has settled. The level of bile is far outweighed by what seems to happened to an astonishing extent. Middlesbrough sums up what’s happened to ‘left behind’ areas of England and what 18 years without real economic growth does to already struggling areas and populations. To think this was an area which produced great football figures like Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.

It’d be null and void as a process by that point, zero objectivity and legally untenable. EFL might as let Boro fans in as well with 3 teeth between them, and 10000 tattoos.

I’m having a nice bottle of HSB folks in an old style Gale’s glass for old time’s sake. Suggest everyone does the same, unplug from the internet bar what you need for work and take a break for a couple of days.

Daily Telegraph - what do you expect. Cunt of a newspaper. Guardian, Mail no better either.

What I hadn’t clocked amongst all the Labour noise is Lowe’s party beat Reform 2:1 in every race they competed in (not so) Great Yarmouth https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cevp082979mo Small sample size and Lowe’s backyard. But with Musk’s billions, nationally they could do Reform a load of damage. And I suspect Rupert intends exactly that.

Manning higher up that list. Charles I’d be fairly confident with. Downes can hit a decent ball as well. Welington probably decent technique. Jack is not a bad striker of a ball either. Not seen Bragg have many efforts at goal yet so more tricky to comment there. Wood I’d be less confident with and he’d be after Peretz taking one! Even though a striker, not seen Archer take a penalty for any of his clubs.

Hope Hearts deny them but it feels like a momentum shift. Jammy gits.

Balls

Had a feeling they would play until Celtic scored.

They need to beat Hearts by more than 3 goals final day at Celtic Park don’t they? Assuming they don’t get a very late goal now….