Craig

As a parent there's no way I'd go out for a meal and leave my kids alone, especially if I was in a foreign country. The upstairs / downstairs thing is different in that (well in my experience anyway) you always have an ear out for your kids when you're downstairs and they're upstairs and you're alert to every noise made. Everyone's different I know, but that's my view on it and I wouldn't have left them.

Why does child abduction have to be always associated with paedophilia? There's been many cases of children being abducted in the past with no sexual motive whatsoever (ransom, persons who cannot have children of their own, etc.) I'm not condoning abduction whatsoever - it's a horrible crime, but to automatically label someone who has done it a paedophile is prejudice and wrong!

IF it is true, I'd love to hear their justification for leaving them. Part and parcel of becoming a parent is waiving the right to come and go as you please, your kids come first and if you can't find adequate care for them, you simply have to change your plans or take them with you. There's been many times when I've either had to say no or cancel plans because my kids welfare has come first. There is absolute NO justification for leaving 3 children under the age of 4 by themselves just so that you can have a meal by yourselves. I am sure they are going through a living hell at the moment, but if what is being suggested is true, they're entirely responsible!

Fucking hope the kid's alright - parents should be locked up for leaving them on their own tbh. I wouldn't even feel right popping to the shop for a pint of milk and leaving Charlotte by herself and she's nearly 5.

Which, judging by what he's done at Bolton, is what I would anticipate Allardyce trying to do. As for us being in a state and Allardyce only being attractive because we're on the decline - he's taken Bolton from nowhere to being a fixture in the top half of the Premiership on very little money. I think he's proven that he's plenty good enough for what we're looking for, and a good deal better than the muppet he would be replacing. I'm assuming the reference they were making was more to do with the setup above the level of team manager. And that is something I do think needs rectifying. As was pointed out the other day, in the summer of 2004, we were considered on a level with Liverpool. Since then, their board's actions have moved the club forward, ours quite the opposite. In terms of what you say from the footballing POV, I do agree with you on that one but then we're assuming he'll have the same freedom as Gartside offered him at Bolton.

For the record, I think they may have a valid point. We're excited at the prospect of Allardyce because he's better than what we have at present. That to me is more a testament of how much we've gone into decline rather than how better Big Sam has become. When he was being touted before Souness got the job, most people didn't think he was good enough. The point they make that I do strongly agree with is:

Eh? They only finished above us in 04/05. Good point (although they'll finish above us this year so they may be counting that). Hit the email button!

Didn't someone say (Smog perhaps) that it was going to be predominately white?

Lawrie McMenemy losing the plot? Surely not??

The weeks have to have a purpose......it's called the weekend

Is that with wolves howling in the background as well??

no thanks The weather is nice this time of year. It was positively tropical in town this afternoon. Ferking lush! Are we talking about the same degree as the piss up last summer? If so The Fish is going to be be rather pink tonight

You trying to say there were tonnes of people there with their flashes primed ready for the money shot?

So you're taking home around £1200 a month and still find the time to be a student as well? Fuck, I'm in the wrong job!

Hate to be a killjoy 2J but we could get some shit for that one. I'm quite happy for you to PM people the list though * Leaving it for you to remove

Good call Pure chillout music though...

I don't think it looks that bad tbh. I just wanted wanted to be sure which one I wanted before I went for it. The script on the back of the collar is shite!

I toyed with it but couldn't make my mind up which one I wanted. Bought it at JJB and they're doing squad name and number for a fiver and they told me if I kept the receipt, they can put it on at a later date. Wanted to go with Owen - 10 but knew it'd be like the kiss of death

SSH take note.... We all talk bullshit, Sammy is paid to do it though so is probably that little bit better at it than the rest of us!

While I do think, despite the massive fine, West Ham got of a bit light by not having any points docked, I can't see what's going to be gained from sueing them. And another thing, if Whelan's team weren't in the predicament they're in, would he be making so much noise about it?? It's not West Ham's (or the Premier League's for that matter) fault that Wigan are so close to relegation.

Just working it out, I guess he is on the upward hill to 60 now so no spring chicken any more. All the same, it makes those days in the early 90s seem even more distant.

Or does our former manager look almost unrecognisable?? He looks ill IMO.

Well for the first time since the Grandad-collar shirt, I've succumbed and bought a home shirt. There's only one thing wrong with it IMO, the Northern Rock logo. If it was a nice subtle sponsorship logo (such as a blue star, or brown ale patch) I think it'd look awesome. The black back is not that bad tbh. It's no worse than a patch under the number to make it more readible (which many were complaining we needed especially for the Euro games when we used the Adidas numbers). The only difference is it's there by default rather than choice get some people's backs up. That's marketing FFS - they're exploiting an opportunity which I can't really blame them for trying.

Same with my role really. There's two of us in our team providing support for around 200 people in our building. If one of us is off, the other has to cover and it's hell. I'm good mates with him as well so I wouldn't want to put him through that if it wasn't genuine and he's the same. What happens if you're both off ill on the same day? Porn, everywhere. That happens regardless man. We had one of our directors who, when confronted as to why he had downloaded hardcore porn onto his laptop while using a broadband connection in a hotel, justified his actions because he reckoned we'd not configured the web filtering properly and therefore it was all IT's fault! And yes, he was being serious!