THE BRITISH THREAD II

I just saw a female MP explain, obviously expecting to be applauded, that she spends the whole of September, after her holidays are done with, visiting the 38 primary schools in her constituency to tell the little monsters that she is an MP and what it is she does. No doubt it is a version of what she does that doesn't expect to be laughed at in such a context.

How much further can this madness go?

I know. She could make a tape and get parents to play it back to their babies from a speaker inserted in their pillows. Or placed on the bellies of pregnant women.

Viva Italia..

I feel the same, if they win, taking the champions to pentalties will have been a real achievement. Although I'm more concerned with how Balotelli plays on 18th August.

Seeing as three points at the beginning of the season are worth the same as three points at the end of the season, City will crush your pathetic and insignificant team without needing to break into a canter, and Supermario will score three.
Assuming he deigns to return from his summer break before then.
Sorry about that, but life's not fair.

I know life's not fair, but did you have to put it in quite those terms?

Sorry, it was meant to be ironic, and a little bit humorous, and no disrespect intended. Actually City are liable in any circumstances to lose to anybody on any given day.

But what about Glasgow Rangers? Gee whillikins, how the mighty are fallen.
I can give you links to Scottish papers today which say the new Rangers (should there indeed be one) will only be able to join the Scottish football league in the third division (the fourth level?)

And the players are arguing their contracts are no longer valid, and they are therefore free agents, most of them wanting to leave.

Now they HAVE got problems.

I liked the Bank of England's governor saying "we don't need an inquiry, we already know what's happened."

Seems to me that too often a public inquiry is a device used by governments to kick a knotty problem into the long grass, until the heat dies down.

Apparently Bob Diamond has received £100 million in the last five years.
I think he should now be fined that £100 million, and sent to prison for five years.

There's a good quiz about the Rangers in the Independent ...

I think he should be exposed in the stocks close to Spitalfields as well. Once a month for the 5 years.

You see I'm a real sadist. I'd trap him in a lift with Reasoning Logic for half an hour. That's the most cruel and inhuman punishment I can think of.

The Rangers debacle rumbles on.

Now some politicians, caring nothing about mixed metaphors, say the Scottish clubs should take care not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Mind you, there's been nothing particularly golden about Scottish football for quite a few years.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/rangers-walter-smith-accuses-sfa-of-negligence-over-handling-of-saga-1-2387315

Has the Ibrox stadium got redevelopment potential Mac?

Sorry Mac, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a bit of gentle ribbing and downright hostility. You've always been very reasonable in the past, but you've never been talking about Man City before.

One thing Saints does a lot better than the big sides is nurture young talent. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxdale-Chamberlain and Gareth Bale are all graduates of Saints academy, and Jack Cork has just been selected for the Olymics team GB.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2829589,00.html

Good for them. One of the main faults with the top Premiership clubs is they all have academies, but they pack their first team with foreign international stars...just because they can.

They loan out their developing talent too I suppose, but it must be demotivating for youngsters.
Then we wonder why our international side is poor.

Follow the money Mac.

Prime real estate, but have a care. You're treading on hallowed ground here. Would the Indians redevelop the Taj Mahal?

No, but the cowboys would.

I daresay they would if tourists dried up.

As Flaubert said though--these structures are nothing besides the wing of a bee.

"Follow, follow, we will follow Rangers...."

Stitch-up in progress, meeting at Hampden Park tomorrow.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rangers-newco-we-will-not-ignore-fans-over-newco-says-sfl-chief-david-longmuir-1-2388687?commentssort=1&commentspage=2

The fans' comments below the article are good.