1976_Child

It won't solve anything. This is a problem of solvency, not liquidity or political will. There is not enough income to pay the debts... which keep on getting exponentially bigger. It is baked into the monetary system. The only conceivable way out of the mess is to reset the system: either by hard defaults or 'soft' default aka money printing by the ECB on a prestigious scale. The latter is not going to happen. The former will happen eventually, but no politician will allow it to happen as a matter of policy. The only outcome is a very messy breakup of the Eurozone. All they are doing now is trying to buy a little more time. It won't work. The mathematics doesn't care two hoots if the member states will have to present their budgets to an overseer committee. When there ain't enough income to pay for current liabilities one goes bust. Insolvent. Curtains. And don't think we are safe because we aren't in the Euro.

I am sure the stewards/police wouldn't stand idly by. Once one is chucked out, it would set a precedent and I am fairly sure the idea will catch on that it is unacceptable.

Ok, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. If I stood up at the next home game and shouted at one of their black players a "Oi! N****r. Do you want a banana etc etc" how long would I remain at the game? I reckon I would be out the gates in seconds. And the other people around me would help chuck me out. I totally believe if real nasty stuff was shouted at an openly gay player the same would happen. But I guess we will never know...

I just did. Let me spell it out: I don't think it would be a big ordeal, once the initial media circus had moved on. I don't think the 'footballing community' would care, frankly. But there is still a perceived taboo, by the footballers themselves. That is to say that it is still considered something best not done (as seen in those articles above about footballers been advised not to come out). But in actual fact I don't think it would be hard to break the self-enforced taboo.

My email arrived just now! I am officially one of the chosen few. See you at Farton

LOL!!!!!! 20 minutes!!!! LOL!!!!!

Eh? I believe it would not be a big bother. But there is still a taboo to break. Why can't I have it both ways (so to speak)?

I think you would be amazed at how easy it would be to come out the closet as a pro footballer these days. I really do. Society has thankfully moved on. The banter directed at the Albion fans is not sinister. If a footballer came out, at a press conference etc then I would be amazed if a whole terrace gave him abuse the next game. There would always be some idiots - probably kids, but they would be told to shut up pretty damn quickly. Frankly, those two reports you mention are shameful. No one should be told to hide their sexuality living in the liberal west. Maybe in Saudi Arabia it might be sensible, but not here. The reason I say that any gay footballer should 'grow a pair' if he is frightened is not to indicate he is a pussy. It is more that he should be prepared to break the taboo. Once one does, more will follow and society can once more progress. If Gandhi had not 'grown a pair' where would India be now? If Emily Pankhurst had not 'grown a pair' (eeeew!) then where would women be now? (they should still not be at football mind, but that's another issue) As for your offer of new curtains, I don't geddit?

I couldn't give a tit-w@nk about West Pig. Never have. Sure as fek ain't going to start now.

that's racist.

Let's be frank, it was not the hardest 'rumour' to find oxygen was it..: "Oi Bob, want a pint?" "Go on then Bill..." "So, I hear that Gary Speed was a queer.." "Yeah, good looking fella. No one kills himself without a reason.." "Yeah. Queer." "Pint Bill?" "Yeah, go on. I heard that Gary Speed is a paedo.." "Well that figures, good looking gay bloke like him" "Yeah..." "YEAH.." "Pint Bill..." "Yeah, go on. I heard that Ferdinand is a monkey.." "Yeah, Terry said so in'all" "Yeah, Bloody Monkey.." "Yeah. Pint Bob?" "Go on then. I heard Monkeys are taking over Croydon.." "Is that right Bill?" "Yeah. 'cording to this bird on the tram they're feking everywhere." "Feking Monkeys. What we goin' do baaa'it" "Dunno Bob. Dunno... Hey, I hear that Gary Speed was a feking queer..." "You are so right Bill. Just heard that at the bar..."

It took a lot of balls for that Welsh egg-chaser to come out the closet, I forget his name... Fair play. I'm sure there have been a few poo-pushers playing the beautiful game since. And supporting it. If anyone associated with the game feels that he can not possibly come out the closet because of the ridicule etc then I say: grow a pair! If Guly/Lambo/Lala/Jos came out tomorrow we would probably tittle-tattle about it to fill the 'net-waves' but come the next game it wouldn't matter. Thankfully we have moved on. (Which is why the B&H chants were so muted.) So who cares? Not I.

Quality!

I agree. Total waste of time and effort. But I would guess that it has been decided to make an example of him, even if they have no intention to actually prosecute. So by signalling that it could go that far they are 'making a point'. And precisely no one who uses the same (alleged) language as Terry will give a care. But they have to be seen to be doing something!

Great news! Welcome to your new permanent home, Jos! Now all we need to do is get the darn pasties sorted out and we have ourselves a proper-decent football club once more.

The police have passed 'the file' to the Crown Prosecution Service. If the CPS believe they have a reasonable chance of conviction he will be prosecuted. What would the charge be? Racial abuse? And what could the penalty be? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/8928551/Police-pass-file-on-John-Terrys-alleged-racial-slur-towards-Anton-Ferdinand-to-prosecutors.html

Why would I want to give them my hard earned? I don't wish them to disappear completely, but I sure as heck ain't going to give money to them.

We need people like Clarkson on the BBC. I thought it was funny. Admittedly saying it on the One Show which has a clear remit to be 'warm and fluffy' and as least likely to offend as possible was, in hindsight, not a great choice. But rather have Clarkson and free speech than the Union Mafioso Bosses dictating to us what we can and can not say.

You are quite correct. It is not easy. Depression is bloody awful. I just feel that the mass-reaction around football grounds (which had nothing to do with him, like us) is more to do with how to deal with suicide rather than the passing of the man. If he had died in a car accident would we (at SMS) have been expected to hold a minute's applause? Sure, at Cardiff, Leeds etc but not at SMS. So why just because he topped himself? Especially as we don't yet (or ever) know the reason why he did it. Maybe it was because the police were about to knock his door down for something. How bad would that look in hindsight?

Speed had it all: Outstanding playing career, nascent - but promising - managerial career, celebrity, TV punditry, family, lots of cash in the bank and no end in sight. Yet he chose to string himself up. To be honest, my first reaction was "how dare he?". How bloody dare he, with all he's got? Makes a mockery of all us struggling at the bottom of the heap. That is my reaction. Of course it is sad for his family. That is why they call it the 'coward's way out'. Yeah, sure. Depression. Blah blah. Been there. Done that. I didn't top myself. Thousands of people way worse off than he was don't top them selves. I can't even afford the damn rope even if I wanted to. So by all means the 'football community' should honour the player, but let's not get it out of perspective here. The man took his own life. For what ever reason, he wanted out. That reason was ***not*** about feeding his family, or providing the shirt on his back or getting his kids into a good school or stress about his pension or... any of the normal day-to-day cr-ap we poor people have to put up with. So, at the risk of going against the flow here, I can not have too much sympathy. It's a free country. He wanted out. End of. Now can we please stop all the damn crocodile tears and 'minutes of clapping' before games please?

when making a mockery of stupidity in others it is best not to be stupid yourself: "some folk are just to clever for this world on an O levelin Cookery!" tut-tut! "some folk are just too clever for this world on an 'O' Level in Cookery!" Neither of those two errors is acceptable! Mind you, once the spelling is corrected, the syntax still reads like a dog's dinner.

Maxim Denim. Pompey. It's all in the genes. Big time.

Do I need to repeat myself? Feking winging nobheads. Stop dissing Guly. Stop even trying. You just look stupid. He is out club's second best scorer. He runs his socks off when on the park. End of. (yes, ok there is another thread along these lines, yada yada.. to all those teenagers out there: stop making news when it is not needed)

he was excellent. As were all the eagles in the nest. They made Manure look positively league one. Well done Palace. Great entertainment from a neutral's view. Totally deserve it. Now go on and win it!

Eric wins the competition! I knew someone would bring him out..