Joensuu

ESPN reporting that the Skates are trying to find a fourth owner this season http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=719386&sec=england&cc=5739&campaign=rss&source=soccernet

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2009/1231/1224261505827.html http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/football/4827805.Pompey_arrange_belated_pay_deal/

So only 12% who would like to see Pompey's suffering cut short; vs 85% who'd like to see the their agony continue for a good while yet.

Blimey, what have I started eh? Tommy Smith would be a good signing, but frankly not that great. I'm sure we'd all be delighted if we could sign him right now, but he'd have to compete for a starting slot, and unless they are injured I can't see him being selected before either Lambert or Connelly. I believe we should be buying players who would succeed in the Championship (and not buying players only with League One in mind). Tommy Smith is a good striker, but he is older than Lambert, and frankly doesn't have overwhealing stats (80ish goals in over 400 games equates to 1 goal every 5 games - admittedly mostly in the Championship). Do we really want a striker on high wages with such an average record? As MLG says, it's not even as if he would drop down to us anyhow!

Well there's the Daily Heil with a re-hash of the Lens Dindane stuff: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1239660/More-Pompey-misery-Lens-set-demand-return-loan-striker-Aruna-Dindane.html And a great photo on Al Jazeera, which should help to discourage any other investment from the Middle East... (but again it's old news) http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/2009/12/20091231122240400879.html

Well they have a few potential youngsters in their reserves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_F.C._Reserves_and_Academy But out of the players on the edge of the first team, I think only Joel Ward and Marc Wilson, are worth considering (and might drop down the divisions). Asmir Begovic is a superb keeper, but I think there will be too much interest in the Championship (or above). Mike Williamson would be a good signing, but Pompey will want a large transfer fee, and he's already moved once this year. Danny Webber and Tommy Smith might both make good back-up strikers, but neither scores enough, and frankly I'd hope we can sign better.

http://fansonline.net/portsmouth/mb/view.php?id=213097 Some interesting questions...

I'd prefer them to be humbled and then humiliated for years. Why would we wish them a quick painless death? I love watching their misery, and wouldn't want to stop the fun too soon.

People who buy football clubs are motivated by either money, status or love. Money: with so many debts, and so few assets it is hard to see any tangible profits to be made. Status: unlikely without the Premiership bling? Love: surely any rich Skate would have stepped up already? DD, you could be right, but it doesn't look very probable.

But surely a year in the CCC will just prolong their suffering (and be great fun for us to watch)...

As requested by FF and Bexy on the 'Saga' thread - could this be a poll mods? Would you prefer to see Pompey financially crippled, and struggling in a lower league than Saints, or for them to go completely out of business?

Well, our debt as a percentage of GDP is reasonable when compared to the other major economies (excluding China). However, our budget deficit tells the bigger story... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8214272.stm -13.3% in 2010, ouch, that'll be the worst out of all the G20 then!

"the company’s bank account may be immediately frozen." If only! How would they pay their players then...

Hmm, as expected, but still disappointing. We'll need to use Janurary to strengthen a fair bit if we want to make the playoffs.

He's obviously a moron, he thinks the non-real fans "stood". I assume if they aren't 'real' that these extra fans are just a figment of WS's imagination.

Perhaps the 7.5k is inclusive of benefits and pre-tax. So his take home pay might be 3k after tax?

Nathanial's Nutmeg was a superb book - but about the Banda Islands in Indonesia. It only mentions America right towards the end if I remember rightly. If your dad liked I'd recommend books such as: http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Blue-Water-Americas-Catastrophe/dp/0307236609 or one of John Mann's China/Genghis/Kublai range...

All credit to the Iron Granny. I could never understand her gameplan, but now it's all clear. She was obviously playing a complex strategy of double bluff. Either that of Lawson is an embarrassing buffoon... hmmm, nope that can't be right, he's such a moderate upstanding individual just like a Vanessa Feltz, but with a title (and slightly more wobble). Of course I think it was all a triple bluff, Thather wanted more than anything to rebuild the British Empire, so she actually wanted to bang the ACC drum, not with Nuclear energy in mind, but to force the British to become reliant on Nuclear power... thereby forcing us into re-invading Canada and Australia for their uranium. Arrr, Dune, I think you've worked it all out. If you weren't a pro-pollution campaigner and social nazi I'd want to shake your hand. Or alternatively, might Thatcher have understood the science which Lawson blatantly doesn't?

CB, are you referencing James May perchance? http://www.windenergyplanning.com/wind-turbine-efficiency/ Well quite frankly he's wrong: "The UK has the best and most geographically diverse wind resources in Europe, more than enough to meet current renewable energy targets" http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/wind-power-in-the-uk.html

No chance of getting FP back. They have decided that football is the wrong market, it doesn't match their intended customer... hense why they have gone into cricket sponsorship instead. Not sure if anything has changed since their takeover last August mind. BMW and Ford have both taken a clobbering in sales the last couple of years. They have weathered the storm, and sales are now back up... time to invest in marketing? Mars have ridden out the last couple of years with ease... as money becomes tighter we seem to cut back on our other luxuries and eat more chocolate.... Problem with BMW, Ford and Mars is they are all global brands, why would they look at a league one outfit? I agree with the rationalists, that sponsorship is inevitable. I'd love it if ML were to find the extra few hundred thousand to keep the shirts advertising clean. It's not going to happen...

When was the last time the entire country had no wind? Turbines work quite well in low breezes. It's gale force winds that cause a bigger problem...

Absolutely wrong. Wind power alone could exceed the current energy requirements of the British Isles. Factor in waves and we could sell surplus to the continent. Our only limitation is the political will.

Nobody now fully supports nuclear power; it is merely an undesirable short-term neccessity. The only reason we are reluctantly behind it is that reducing c02 emission is a far more important issue for us than what to do with nuclear waste. Can't blame the 'traditional left' for wanting us to move to alternative energy - shame people on the right have fought progress at every step. If we can solve c02, we'll leave our grandchildren with a nuclear waste problem - if we can't then i fear their problems will be far more fundamental (food, warmth, & shelter). It's so typical of the selfish right-wing protectionists to be late cottoning on.

Population density is key. Hampshire has a similar population to Devon and Cornwall combined, but all within an hours drive of St Mary's. But saint's 'catchment' incorporates much of Dorset, and I'd guess parts of Wiltshire, Sussex and Surrey. Once you factor in the population density, Southampton is far more likely to have large attendances than Plymouth.

I love that graph... the closer to the top, the more you want to punch them...