completely football aside, has anyone been watching the “lost, presumed wiped” series on BBC 4? Absolutely marvelous. Unseen episodes of “At Last, the 1948 show” “the Spike Milligan show” the very first “Til Death do us part”, and a very rare outing for Terry thomas in a sitcom, predictably as a caddish businessman up to unsavoury shenannigans called “the Old Campaigner”. Ding Dong indeed.
Ah yes, Terry Thomas. Bless him!; a personal hero of mine, as well you know Twisty. Milligan was, of course, something quite different; blessed with a unique mind and a genius beyond mortal man.
Anyway, back to the unfortunate reality of Steve Ogrizovic - though not as ‘unfortunate’ as I remember. However, either there’s a very strong side wind or he needs a sledgehammer to sort out that nose.
And then . . . You’ll Never Believe This . . . Free Steve Ogrizovic - if memory serves, he had just as much difficulty remembering where his goal posts were . . .
Free the Ogrizovich One! (He could go on hunger strike - from memory he’d last a long time).
Anyone care to play rumour mill?
Here’s the latest ones I’ve heard:
Scott Parker to the filth for £5m and pikey parlour going the other way.
Scott PArker being bought by MUFC and allowed to stay at CAFC for the rest of the season - to replace the retiring Keane
Steve Carr to Newcastle
Rivaldo to join absolutely everybody
Spurs to be taken over by a japanese consortium
Spurs to be bought by an Australian consortium
Spurs to be bought back by Alan Sugar (quite likely this one)
MUFC to be bought by another russian kleptocrat
Beckham’s marriage on the rocks.
Andy Reid to spurs (who?)
Anderton to Fulham.
Anymore?
Someone down the pub was seriously trying to convince me that Rivaldo & Batastutta were coming to Bolton.
Yeah right, right after we get Beckham and Nistelroy.
THis is Henry Winter’s Permiership XI from the Telegraph.
Tim Howard
Kolo Toure__John Terry___Gareth Southgate__ Ricardo Gardner
Frank Lampard___ Roy Keane__Scott Parker___Damien Duff
Ruud van Nistelrooy Thierry Henry
Any comments?
The article with the thinking behind it is on the telegraph site - I’d put the link - but it’s a registration site.
Not sure about Keane and Southgate. Maybe Lampard in Keane’s place and Pires on the flank? Duff hasn’t set the world alight at Chelsea yet, either.
Andy Reid is one to look out for. Midfielder for Nottingham Forest. only 21 years old. Give him a run with a premiership club (or even up to Celtic, preferably) and he’ll be running the Irish midfield.
Im glad to see a Bolton player in there. Gardner has been having some good games. I prefer Simon Charlton however.
on a side note - im irreperably compromised. having never been to a game at the start of the season, I have now been to 9, when it isn’t a home game im down the pub on saturday/sunday, i have sky sports now just got the scarf and gloves etc…
Is there any hope for my fiancee?? or am i officially a lost cause now 
You just have to marry the right bird. Mrs Owl is resigned to being a football widow (and in fact rather likes it as it gets me out the house).
However never ever ever ever have a relationship with a doris that wants to go to the footy with you - it’s hell, and they never understand the offside rule. They’re useless in a ruck too. 
Thankfully both my wife and my daughter have no interest in football. Which is as it should be in an ordered world.
…linked with a £2.5m move to Spurs (!) in this morning’s news.
Andy Reid certainly fits the Spurs MO at the moment; policy is – generally speaking - buy ‘em young, buy ‘em with potential aka Etherington, Simon Davies, Gardner, Zamora, Postiga (God help us . . .) – even Brown has 6 or 7 years left in him. So this one wouldn’t surprise me, but I doubt it’ll be £2.5. Maybe they’ll try and offload some rubbish in part exchange - I bloody well hope so . . .
Steve Carr to Newcastle is an old chestnut. Bobby Robson has been said to be keen for a long while . . . if the money is right, let him go I say – he’s never been able to get back to his pre-season (plus) long injury form, imho. Plus, Stephen Kelly is ready for a run in the first team in that position . . .
Wanderers - It’s interesting to look at Bolton’s form in the context of Jay-Jay’s performances. Things started to pick up dramatically for Bolton when Jay-Jay went berserk at Spurs, and form stayed good all the while he was firing. But he, by some accounts, had a stinker again on Saturday, and you - as you say - reverted to type in that game (conceding in the last few minutes) . . . whayyathunk ?
We’re more likely to play marney in that position than Kelly. Ifill in the reserves looks like he could be a prospect too.
I’m quite relaxed about losing Carr, just so long as we get something for him (unlike you-know-who with whom he shares an agent, the truly unctous Sky Andrew - ex ping pong player knowworrimean?).
from the official site: Mr Punch on Reid…
David Pleat has confirmed our interest in Nottingham Forest winger Andy Reid.
Acting boss David stated this afternoon. "We have watched him and we are very aware of his abilities.
“He’s a very bright player, a good player and we’ll have to see if Forest are prepared to do any business. We’ll approach the matter in the professional way via talks with Paul Hart, the Forest manager.”
Good!
Alll we need is for Anderton to go in part exchange and it’ll be a blinding deal !!
shaggy’s going to fulham - we may even pay some of his wages.
Poyet is proving difficult to shift though
Poyet has certainly said he’s retiring at the end of this season, as if he’s got any choice . . .
I’d think Anderton goes where’s he’s told. If it suits that he goes ooop north, then ooop north it is. I wonder what Paul Hart would like . . . ?
Btw, it’s early doors but . . . (and don’t hate me for this) a revitalised Palace under Dowie are 9/2 at Spurs in the FA Cup – and, just as an example, they are very fast indeed on the break.
Leicester are 3/1 at Man. City, which looks value.
Too early to think of punting, though. Just worth mulling over for now . . .
It’s certainly worrying London_Calling, particularly as we’re losing him for ages to the African Nations. You can’t build a team on one man, cos if u do, what do u do when that man isn’t there? Be interesting to see what happens while he’s away. It will certainly show if the recent good form was mainly down to Okocha
This long post is totally spurs related and I am posting as is because it isn’t on a website, but is from and email loop I am on. So If you’re not interested in spurs you won’t be interested in this. so move along, nothing to see here…>>>>>
In direct response to the Trust’s letter on Xmas Eve, Daniel Levy contacted
the Trust at the weekend and agreed to meet with us to discuss the points we
had raised. Due to the need for urgency and existing commitments in the run
up to New Year, a 3-way conference call between Daniel Levy, Daniel Wynne
and Bernie Kingsley took place this afternoon (Tuesday, 30th December 2003).
We anticipate that this will bring forth the usual comments, but some of
what DL told us was necessarily in confidence, for the reason that it would
be potentially counter-productive for the Club and also the interest of
supporters for it to be picked up by the media. You simply have to trust us
as your elected representatives on this point, but what we can say is that
there is an open invitation for us to go knocking on DL’s door if there have
not been major changes by the end of January. You also have to take our word
that no punches were pulled and we did convey the strong feeling – and fears
- of supporters at the current time.
DL said it was very difficult for anyone to plan accurately in football and
he had not envisaged sacking Glenn Hoddle after 6 matches at the start of
the season, even though the problems went back to last January. Very few
fans were shouting for Glenn to go in the summer and because of Glenn’s
association with the Club DL wanted to give him the best opportunity to get
it right. We were the 2nd largest spenders in the summer.
It was hoped David Pleat would then steady ship so we could bring in the
right person but it was dependant upon players to perform. The current
position clearly is not good enough and DL “cannot allow Tottenham ever to
get relegated” because it would be a financial disaster and there is no
guarantee we would be able to return to the Premiership.
The individuals the Club had in mind to become manager in September were in
jobs where they had to see the season out. David Pleat has respect in the
dressing room and DL does not believe he is the root cause of recent poor
performances.
DL said there is no one perfect candidate for a club like Tottenham, nor is
there any guarantee that bringing in a new manager now will solve all the
problems, but he didn’t envisage not recruiting a new manager, and David
Pleat has always understood this. There is clearly a specific choice in the
frame and though unwilling to name names it is also clear that DL has a
genuine and reasonable belief of getting the man he wants and he assured us
that money is not a stumbling block.
It was agreed between us that the Club needs strong leadership both on and
off the field. The current situation may call for someone who is a bit of a
‘screamer and ranter’ as well as strong leadership from within in the squad
and it was implied that this was something else to address in future
transfer windows.
As well as Michael Brown the Club already has a couple more players they
want to bring in. DL assured us he was confident that the intended new
manager would approve of any transfer dealings the Club makes in January,
and although there was no liquidity in the market and therefore won’t be
much activity for most clubs, “cash is king” and the £15m injection from the
Share Offer will put Tottenham in a better position than other clubs to
strengthen the squad.
Finally, a word about communication with other supporters and supporters’
groups. DL made it clear the Club is not talking to others who may claim to
have direct access and he was only prepared to communicate via the Trust as
the official supporters’ representatives.
Once again, we’re sorry we can’t go into more detail about some of the
issues but if we don’t respect some confidences we will not get even the
sort of response we have had. As we said at the beginning, we were assured
there would see “major changes” in the next month and we will, of course, be
in contact with Daniel Levy again by the end of January if this does not
happen.
Daniel Wynne & Bernie Kingsley.
Same old, same old, as far as I can see.
Thanks for posting that, Owl. Levy’s playing the expected dead bat, imho. Some very good moves though I think/hope in Brown and Andy Reid - one of the thiongs we very badly need is leadership on the pitch and they can help in that regard.
Also they’re not dodgy Eastern Europeans or South Americans. I’m hopeful that we’re at least buying well.
Here’s a couple of links to atricles in recent days in The Telegraph - perhaps you’ve read them anyway:
Grim reading for club closing fast on worst start
By John Ley
Spurs troubles start at the very top with Levy
By Mihir Bose
- I don’t post in that forum but there are a couple of posters who do seem to know what they’re talking about. Which is rare.
Wanderers - Is that (regarding Jay-Jay) also the general view among Bolton suporters you know ?