Gloucester Saint

That British Gas article sums up how the late 1980s privatisation of utilities has failed on every level. Doubt if Starmer has either the cojones or funds to re-nationalise it, but it’s what needs to happen. Even half of Conservative voters when polled are saying it. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nearly-half-tory-supporters-want-27856320

If Rishi is relying on McCarthy or Bazanu in front of them that’s toast for his five pledges.

I think as a player Saints were in the early 80s I read somewhere - might have been 1982/83. IIRC his first win as QPR player manager was 4-1 at the Dell Boxing Day 1988. Sad news, 69 no age. Didn’t realise he had a heart attack 11 years ago.

Confidence. He hadn’t been through a season at a dysfunctional club leaking like a colander (and that’s some statement about Saints given the state of Pompey over the last 15 years). He couldn’t go back there now to rebuild and I’m not sure one of the clubs aiming for the top 2 like Derby would risk him. Selles and Reading possibly but with their finances we’d be paying all the wages. Whereas Wrexham/Notts/Bradford/Salford might pay a little. Going to a L1 fighting the drop would be more damage to his confidence.

I suggested a loan to League 2 for a couple of seasons, maybe Wrexham to compete with Foster/learn from him or Notts Co. Get a few wins under his belt, develop some physicality and command his box with the big forwards at that level. He’s nowhere near Championship ready let alone for a club which are claiming to expecting to be top 2. Even for a lazy club like Saints, easy to get a better keeper in his 30s for Champ level. Could be a loan from the PL as well. If there isn’t a new keeper in for the Bournemouth friendly there’s been a balls up in the recruitment area again. Russell Martin needs to go public on it, it’s what did Ralph in over the striker (lack of). Put a rocket under the recruitment dept to get it sorted. Too many excuses for his age - Tim Flowers was playing top flight younger than that in a much tougher era for keepers. If he makes today’s or the Goztepe mistake in a Championship game he’ll get hammered by the fans. Last season everyone was shit so he got away with it.

Sounds like a good plan. National politics has become very toxic and my friends are looking to step out at the next GE, one of them hasn’t had any choice with their local association. It comes down to what inspires you to get engaged. Is it helping people solve problems, is it to enhance your or another locality, or is it an affinity with sets of ideas? You could gain exposure as a councillor on the first bit (although the surgeries and weekends require patience), and quite possibly the second as a cabinet member locally if your party wins power with a portfolio you enjoyed. The latter could be something that develops alongside your mainstream career as it grows. Friend of mine is still a councillor long-time in a safe ward, has a portfolio of a main job 3 days or so a week and another public-private community role which they love. Won’t make them rich but it’s tidy and it all ties into what they are passionate about without the parts clashing with each other. I’ve had a different, politics-independent civic engagement experience as a figurehead/ambassador by leading big projects and partnerships. Never took a penny piece out of it for myself, but wanted to enhance the quality of life in the area I lived in and did it on top of a paid job plus consultancy which was OK and good financially but wanted to move in a different direction by gaining different skills/experiences. Was brilliant and some experiences of a lifetime but 70 hour weeks combined, gave up going to SMS and playing golf as no time. It’s not politics per ze and I never wanted it to be, but I did work with all of that area’s main political actors. It might be another avenue for the future.

On a less positive note, does anyone really care about Nigel fucking Farage’s bank account? No more than I do Corbyn’s, Nick Griffin’s or Len McClusky’s frankly. It’s been wall to wall with all the usual outlets and then Farage grizzling on Radio 4. He’s worth more than most people will ever accumulate and he can just use a normal business bank account like most of us who are either self-employed or a mix of employed and self-employed.

Probably working pro bono initially as a volunteer in one of the MPs local constituency offices depending on where you live, and that might open doors once you get established within a party leading onto not just working for an MP but perhaps becoming a party agent. I used to have a former Tory party candidate agent work for me and he was quite well networked. The Houses of Parliament do have jobs come up sometimes but the pay is risible after your rail and LU ST is accounted for. On the left, the unions are still a way in. Failing that, it depends on where you live because all of the parties struggle to attract councillor candidates in some areas and wards. You’d probably need to be active in a local association for a couple of years, help out as a teller on election nights and establish a reliable reputation for getting leaflets out for candidates. A couple of my friends are councillors, one in Soton, and a couple of MPs. You’ll often have to fight a couple of elections in wards which are harder to win to gain experience but if your face fits you’ll get a crack at a good one. Someone like Royston Smith, now the Soton Itchen MP IIRC, probably worked his way through like that. When I was a student in the 1990s, clubs and societies were another way in, they frequently had current or ex Ministers visit (does this still happen?) and quite a few people from our year got networked into the system. The youth wings contingent on your age (can go up to 30 if a mature student, or used to) are another network opportunity although the people were not always the most pleasant. That may have changed over 25 years.

It’s been stacked full of Conservative stooges, it’s why this country is going down the toilet at a rate of knots.

Agree with you on both Bazanu and Mara. Re Bazanu, his confidence looks screwed. There’s potential there but a loan out to L1 or L2 to a side pushing for promotion would enable him to regroup a bit with a more sensible workload and come back with more experience under his belt. Re Mara, same solution but different outcome. Hopefully a loan overseas to a Ligue 1 side where he’ll get games, hopefully a Tella effect and go on to recoup some of the crazy fee paid to Bordeaux off the back of that to build demand. Che needs to move on for everyone’s sakes including his own. Hopefully the rumours about several bottom half PL sides wanting him are true, recoup £12m or so and he will probably do a good job for them. Between the two of them that’s fee and wages on Piroe paid for (unless Everton go for him rather than Che, but I think Che is a Sean Dyche player).

Club need to be onto agents to get an experienced keeper in to compete with McCarthy. Bazanu needs to go out on loan in League 2 (his confidence isn’t up to another stint in League 1 at the moment) for the next season, maybe two.

Add in the main striker needed as the first major signing last summer and it may have been 13th-16th, but that’s gone now. Important thing is that two very good recruitments have been made so far this summer (Charles on paper and Manning POTS at a competitor) in positions of priority. Hopefully a few more sales with a couple of big ticket ones to enable recruitment for a couple more CMs (contingent on JWP), at least one CB (contingent on extent of departures), experienced keeper if McCarthy goes (doubt it), and a striker (more if Che goes along with the big lump).

I agree. Jake Kanter, who has worked for Murdoch previously at The Times, was speaking about how insidious News UK is in amplifying this story across its many outlets (too many) and politicians within its grasp on Talk TV saying the BBC isn’t doing enough to deliver Murdoch’s agenda. Should have shut the doors after Milly Dowler disgrace. NOTW not enough of a price for me as The Sun was always just going to print seven days a week. Will be interesting to see what happens to his empire when he finally drops off his perch.

Done. Brentford gained a lot and brought prosperity via new stadium on their small parcel of land on Lionel Road. Good luck.

Supposedly available for a modest fee too by PL standards considering his age and experience. The rumours around attitude won’t be helping but the agents fill these lads’ heads and families with how brilliant they are and a CL player in waiting. Very few opportunities at that level but plenty believing they belong at that level without the levels of consistency and focus required even with the raw talent. Good basic attributes for a CB plus bonus recovery pace but his distribution has always been suspect.

Depends which part of the Tory party it is. Hunt and the Treasury - they want immigration as the economy and health/social care need it badly, and are not viable without it. Along with the cost of materials houses aren’t getting built at the rates needed either. The Braverman/ERG element don’t care about the economy or services - they are making their pitch to the most rabid of local associations to get the leadership in opposition after 2025. If immigration is the method and they sound like Enoch Powell, fine from their perspective. Jenrick is just saying anything to compete with his boss (Braverman).

I like solidity of his build and looks like a proper athlete with it. Means Lavia move imminent I reckon. Wilcox will know him well, add Flynn Downes to the mix next week hopefully and CM department improving.

Even Nigel Farage called it ‘mean’. It does nothing to deter those organising or contemplating boat crossings but might be a small help to young children left in a scenario not of their own making in a distressing situation. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/all-the-times-robert-jenrick-has-faced-corruption-charges-260587/ Simply trying to compete with Braverman the Buffoon, his boss (can you imagine?). Robert should get his own house in order - allegedly involved in tax evasion and expenses problems which have already triggered one resignation https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/all-the-times-robert-jenrick-has-faced-corruption-charges-260587/

Lord Duckhunter will be spluttering his Tanglefoot at this development https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12263977/League-Two-Forest-Green-Rovers-Hannah-Dingley-interim-boss-landmark-move.html

According to their forum Danny Rohl was also in contention.

The Republicans and Conservatives have to, as well as stoking culture wars and conspiracy theories/populism at the knuckle-dragging end of the spectrum as it is all they have left from their 1980s halycon days. Financial Services deregulation - credit crunch; Right to Buy and safety de-regulation - housing crisis, unaffordable rents, Grenfell. Private utilities - bankrupt monopolies. Private transport - ditto. Sunak is now having to intervene with banks and supermarkets to stop the worst of price rises/rate hikes, or just even to pass on falls in wholesale market costs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66085232 - the market always rights itself? That’s surely what the Hayek/Minford bibles they all worship said. Well, the markets didn’t rate his predecessor much! For the Republicans, trade some of the above for failed violent coups, out of control gun use and mass shootings, a healthcare system making the NHS look highly functional and a large and some very extreme impacts from climate change (which they still deny).

He will be with the ‘Great Lady’s’ revolution folding in front of the Tories own eyes https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/30/severn-trent-chief-social-purpose-water-firms-utilities-crisis-liv-garfield-thames-water-labour-renationalisation No wonder they were flying a desperate kite this morning in their own newspapers about a pledge to hold a referendum on immigration. Just what the country needs - another divisive and revolting campaign full of lies and awash with funding from dubious oligarchs and autocrats. The Conservative Party - all they have left is being BNP-light. Their economics have failed and people would tolerate their unpleasantness as the Tories were perceived as being better with money. Truss was their 1978/9 Winter of Discontent Labour had in that regard. Now the Thatcher pillars are falling in on them.

Agree with most of that, Choudhury doesn’t like a Russell Martin player. Even if he’s effective at winning the ball (questionable), his ball retention and distribution over 5-10 yards doesn’t seem like a player the new manager would seek. If Leicester thought he’d be effective in a side competing seriously for promotion he’d be staying there. Massive yes to Manning (Leeds also in for him allegedly, Perraud seems to have a significant injury), Wood or Piroe. Downes or Grimes good. £25m for ABK fine by me. Has potential but made of glass and a rich man’s Darren Powell later on last season.

Don’t use the East Coast mainline often enough to comment on service/punctuality but hearing reports it’s been better since 2018 and certainly three times since 2005 it’s been taken back into public ownership after the commercial tendering and ownership processes have failed badly. It’s sustainable seemingly now as well. Utilities seemingly will need to follow suit with collapse of Thames Water and others in big trouble https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/government-to-continue-running-lner-to-at-least-2023