trogmite

It has always surprised me that football has gone to great lengths to ensure it makes money from moving footage of their players, but has had a laissez faire attitude to stills even though both Sky and newspapers are seeking to make a profit from the game. The same applies to radio coverage, where that has always been well controlled (assuming anyway was interested in broadcasting the game). My only concern is the number of photographers at the game, not who will now make money from the images. I don't want one photographer and therefore one viewpoint. I would trust a comment about Saints from this Board before any newspaper article because I long ago gave up believing that there was any value in buying newspapers. If I actually had a care, it would be that Saints fans in the stadium were allowed to take as many pictures as they liked, as long as they were for private and non-commercial use e.g. putting them up on a dedicated part of this Board. The rest of the media jackals can cough up for Markus.

The EBT thing had a ruling about six months ago in a case involving an ordinary company, but it set a precedent. HMRC were ****ed off that companies were setting up these Trusts which just so happened to pay/loan money to high earning executives who then said it was not taxable as it didn't come directly from their employer and was 'given' to them by a third party. Trust would be set up in a no Tax island. Again the issue was also like image rights in that HMRC got the feeling that companies were starting to rip the arse out of it and pay more and more of their money through these trusts. Glasgow Rangers have a nightmare on their hands if EBTs are brought up again and Pompey done for it. Their exposure is in the tens of millions potentially.

This is why HMRC are going after Glasgow Rangers. Set up a trust. Pay money into trust. Trustees then decide to pay player a large amount of dosh - well just because he's a nice guy. I know Celtic were told not to do it (partly because they had Brian Quinn ex Deputy Head of the Bank of England as Chairman). Is this not the reason why Arsenal had to pay a large amount of dosh back to HMRC a few years back

It was interesting to listen to Eddie Gray and commentator on the BBC Leeds feed. They held their hands up and admitted to being comprehensively outplayed in every area of the pitch. Just keep this going and I'll be content - no matter where we finish.

1. Sitting up the back of the East Stand to see Saints win the Combination Cup with the place packed. 2. Watching my dad thump a couple of Crystal Palace fans in the Archers in the days when there was no segregation. 3. Running up and down the terraces during Reserve games and waiting for the man to put up the half time score. 4. Watching Saints put six past Palace the night before an FA Cup Final: can't remember which. 5. Seeing Nick Holmes score from the half way line against Watford in the League Cup. 6. Standing right at the back of the Milton for a quick getaway in the third round of the cup, and cheering as Hughie Fisher equalised to take Villa to a replay. And the rest was Hysteria. 7. Watching my heroes from the playground at Springhill during break time as they played five a side in the car park. 8. Watching Rangers score an excellent own goal in the old Texaco Cup. 9. Saints hard nuts in the corner of the West Sand by the Milton singing 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' to 8,000 Man United fans in the Archers 1976-7 Cup Game and being somewhat alarmed when all 8,000 of them decided to take up the kind invitation and invade the pitch. 10. Watching Peter Osgood take pot shots in the warm up before the game in front of the Milton. Guy laughing as the ball missed him only for it to hit a crush barrier and smack him on the back of the napper. How we laughed.