It's just been one of those weeks, not just for football. Sheesh. Not too hopeful for a win tomorrow (against one of the poorer, but fittest sides). Think I will be watching from behind my hands this season.

Wasn't it only 20% of the electorate actually voted for him? Fair do's looks like I may have got it wrong over this incident ... looks a terrible mess.

Never seen anything like it. Wow.

Bit of humble pie for me - hadn't seen this coming at all. But then, I hadn't foreseen McGrath narking his ankle up (possibly out for the series?) That guy is a real thorn in our side, as bad as that git Alderman was in the late eighties. I sadly haven't managed to see any of the test, but I can't help wondering whether Australia might have had a light lead if McGrath had been playing. Could one 35 year old in the twilight of his cricket career really be so influential for them? I'd guess so, and with no obvious pretenders to the crown, perhaps Australia are due for a slump. But after almost 20 years of pain I wouldn't guarantee that. It's hurt like hell to have been so pitiful against them for so long, and to be honest, my expectations are so low, I'm just made up that we're giving them a proper scare. Whatever teh result, they'll know they've been in a contest! But shame on teh ECB for the scheduling this Summer.

Can't see Rovers being higher than eighth (although would love to be proved wrong). certainly not in any relegation danger though. Expect some transfers (2 or 3?) in Jan to finally remove the bad-naughty-evil-Souness influence.

Well, that might well happen. The CCTV tapes are in the hands of the IPP(?) now, so at least they will know for a *fact* whether or not he leaped over the barrier. I think I shall withold any further opinion on this until there's some judgement passed on it. Went from Greenford to Waterloo yesterday. Waterloo, as you might well imagine was *crawling* with Old Bill. Never seen anything like it. Perhaps we'd see a more visible police presence on our streets permanently if we didn't bury these chaps in pointless paperwork. Ealing Broadway tends to have typically 4 or 5 policemen outside these days. Even Greenford in the morning has a few some days. I do tend now to look around me on the carriage. Paranoid it might be, but it pays to be vigilant and play "Spot the suicide bomber".

Steven Waldorf, and that was 22 years ago, not 20. ha ha! Not heard of the drug dealer, but I'll let you have that. It's an absolute avalanche of names, I'll grant you.

If you think you can do better, go for it, Jimbo. You'd think people are getting popped off every week by the Police. The number of innocent people shot dead by the Police in, oooh, the last twenty years is? I've obviously read different reports on Harry Stanley to you. How many other cases can you name, where something similar has happened?

Yes, they were being told what to do from a control room. Number of people shot dead by police carrying table legs = 1 Number of known criminals who were a bit mental and were carrying a table leg when shot dead by police = 1. If you thought the bloke you'd pinned down had a bomb on him you might empty teh magazine as well.

It might have been under 350 if we'd held our catches. Sigh. Never mind, maybe one day we will have a team of naturalised Brits, and maybe we'll get a draw.

Chuck 'em in an aircraft carrier and push them out somewhere over the Atlantic. That'll learn 'em!

What teh hell wanred is I don't know. God knows what I was thinking.

Pro: He was wearing a quilted jacket (in this weather?!) This is immediately suspicious. He leapt over the ticket barriers, even more suspicious. If there's 6 geezers with guns chasing you (how often does that happen that 6 criminals with guns are after you in broad daylight if you're an electrician?) you must stop. It would've been obvious to me they were coppers. Or would 6 blokes with guns be after me to mug me. He could speak English, so if he was wanred, he must've known to get down. Eye-witnesses said the coppers were putting hats on as they chased him into the station. It's a situation of heightened tension, it's a weighed risk. If he *had*'ve been a suicide bomber (and the police might not have been able to ascertain this before he got to the tube station) then he wouldn't have killed and many more would've been if the police hadn't acted. But he wasn't, and an innocent man is now dead. Cons: - Could they have stopped him before the tube station? Was it incompetence or was there an operational reason for watching him without stopping him? - Some witnesses have said that no warnings were shouted. My own opinion was that it was a terrible tragedy. But I don't think it was down to someone wanting to play soldiers, it was a cock-up, but whether it was preventable or not I don't know.

I'll be the blur in front of you! :-) Looking at teh website, some of the previous medals look top. Have heard it's a bit on the hilly side?! One month later will be doing Marseilles-Cassis.

But I was never optimistic Eddie! Just hopeful that we'd avoid humiliation! It will be another 2 series (maybe one at a push) before we can beat these buggers.

Nope, will be there 23rd to 25th Eddie. Might be able to meet up for a beer, or if not, you can cheer me on when I run Paris to Versailles :-)

You don't come back from losing the first test to the Aussies. More pain to come. Who Ian Bell is I don't know. Seems like a latter-day Graeme Hick. The openers don't hang around for long enough, and it puts more pressure on the skipper who has enough problems as it is. Reminiscent of Atherton, although of course he opened. The first three wickets you can take as given, and then of course we are still waiting for Freddie's contribution with the bat. I predict 4-0 to Australia. The pain just goes on. What will it take to beat these b*stards?

Don't have enough faith in Trescothick or Strauss at the moment. The only one who can hang on in there in Pieterson, and he's not even English. (Sorry, Kevin.)

Is Pieterson the only one who can bat? Jeez, it rains all bloody day and we still lose.

Will be going on my own in Sept, so will be keeping an eye on this thread!

Barton was away representing his club (ie his employers), and starts a ruck. I'm sure my employers wouldn't have regarded it as a storm in a teacup. The guy obviously doesn't have any composure, and sounds a bit dangerous if you ask me (eg stubbing out a cigar on someone's face).

Justifications in their own warped minds, I certainly wouldn't say it was justified. There was a result of a survey that I saw on teh front of teh Torygraph tonite. Apparently 33% of muslims believe the West is decadent and must be brought to an end ...

Absolute twaddle! They have enough justifications already.

Couldn't agree more with MB and Flopsy. Even if he speaky no Engy, then it must have been obvious that they wanted him to stop. I can't understand the motivation for running? Was he late for the dentist's or something?

He was good at bringing the ball forward though!