Sergei Gotsmanov

He has come through the youth system, showed us loyalty and I have enjoyed watching him progress as a footballer. He is far better than people give him credit for. It is players like him that make me proud to support our club.

A very sad day. Like others have said that 4-1 win over Liverpool was my favourite game.

The French certainly fought hard in Lebanon and Syria in 1941.....

Wasn't the joke the free French were De Gaulle and two others

Ultimately voting in was a non win situation. Had we done so, the EU would have been far been far more thick skinned to the British viewpoint because they would believe, probably incorrectly, that we would not endure another referendum. In turn Euro scepticism among the public, which had been on a steady upward trajectory before June 2016, would have accelerated and it is likely that the demand for another referendum would have become politically irresistible. By voting out in 2016, I think that we have dramatically increased our negotiating power in any future rejoining agreement. I thought at the time that by voting out, the EU would make the concessions that they stupidly had not given David Cameron prior to the vote and we would have voted to leave on another plebiscite. Under the inevitable landslide Labour election win later this year, I would think it is realistic that we will begin discussions to re enter the EU under much improved terms. By then it will be politically advantageous to back rejoining and we will go back in. I would suspect that Euro scepticism on the continent will mean that any future EU will be very different to the one we voted out of and the direction of travel for the institution will be more in keeping with the original trade aspirations of the Treaty of Rome.

Thats a very good question.

The old boy I sat next to at the Dell went to his first game in 1921 and I asked him who the best player he had watched and he said Matt Le Tiss. Cantona and Gazza were not on the same level - he scored more goals, registered more assists and played in what was a very moderate team. He may look at life from a different angle to most of us but anybody who comes into contact with him finds a thoroughly decent guy.

There is a Hamlet cigar advert in there somewhere

Champagne was traditionally drunk in pint bottles wine wasn't. I agree with you though that champagne is overrated!

The EU outlawed champagne in 50cl bottles in 1992 after Veuve Cliquot had spent five years preparing them for sale.

As I understood it they fell foul of the new weights and measures rules after we joined the common market. I was barely alive at the time but I would imagine there would have been quite a debate at the time, particularly among higher end on-trade outlets who would have found it a lot easier to sell a pint bottle than a 75cl bottle. I think Ian Fleming always ordered a pint of champagne from his club when he had finished a book - a 75cl bottle would have been a bit much.

Nobody really gives a toss about being able to have their sparkling wine in a pint bottle, it would have just been driven by some English wine producers trying to get a line of differentiation from champagne. As a size it makes sense because you get four servings out of it which suits sharing.

They didn't ban them they just did not allow them.

It was pretty stupid of the EU to outlaw them in the first place. One of the early pointless regulations to irritate British consumer.

I am afraid I have given up on them. If our nice post lady is on holiday for two weeks we don't get any mail for two weeks. What is worse is that any money I have sent out or been sent to my children now does not arrive. That never used to be the case. Shambles.

I salute the good intentions and all that but in crime dramas in particular it is actually becoming an issue. Good writing normally has a number of characters in the frame for the perpetrator of the crime, but you find yourself ruling out the suspects based on the fact that there is no way that it can be allowed to be anybody with the most tenuous link to a 'disadvantaged group'. Next time try and pick the villain based on who it is allowed to be.

Thank you Badger that is much appreciated. It did find one breach but from July 2020. Is this likely to be relevant this week?

I am so sorry Whitey. It must be incredibly hard. Look after yourself.

Somebody has received an email from my name saying I have an announcement - with the usual link to click on. My email is not showing any sent emails. Is it likely that it has come from his own account that has just plucked out my name from his contact list or is my email account responsible. Is it therefore my issue or his?

If anyone has a spare ticket for QPR away they need to get rid of can you kindly PM me.

Any value in backing Everton to stay up?

I recall 'Irene' - who the suspicion was Artur Boruc.

and the people who join in January and stop going in early February.

Yesterday was the first game I have seen Southampton win for around 18 months - as a season ticket holder that was a pretty tedious run especially as I don't miss that many games.

Graham was better