NJS

Our highest ever profit was in 2003 of £4.3 Million Since 1998 (can't find further back) we've made profit in aggregate of £12.7 Million, in the same time the total losses aggregate at £143.2 Million. are you saying we shouldn't have spent more than 12.7 million quid in the transfer market since 1998 ? You can add the £56m debt they left to that. so you are saying they shouldn't have spent more than 12.7m quid in the transfer market since 1998 and shouldn't have expanded the stadium either ? They should have done but you have to accept that in 2007 with credit streams running out and a poor-ish squad that the debt would have become a problem - that's why they got out then. Of course as we've also said it was the managerial appointments that had led to declining performances that had pur pressure on them financially.

The only people who said anyone but Fred were the voices in your head. Why don't you address the point that all of the premier league clubs only survive through underwritten debt rather than by revenues? When will you get it through your head that nobody actually supports Ashley? When will you realise that everyone wants us to compete but realise it is impossible as it stands. When will you realise that football has changed and the Halls COULD NOT RUN THE CLUB NOW AS THEY DID THEN.

Our highest ever profit was in 2003 of £4.3 Million Since 1998 (can't find further back) we've made profit in aggregate of £12.7 Million, in the same time the total losses aggregate at £143.2 Million. are you saying we shouldn't have spent more than 12.7 million quid in the transfer market since 1998 ? You can add the £56m debt they left to that.

Doesn't matter. Almost every club in the premier league can't survive let alone compete based on revenues alone. This is the fact in 2011. As Chez pointed out they couldn't afford to do it in 2007 and that's why they sold. It's about the now not the then. no answer then ? You scorned regular european football, the signing of top players, and said anybody else would do better ? Did you ? No as I've said many times I enjoyed it as much as you (well more because I went to all the Eurpoean games give or take) - the thing is LM nobody but you thinks that anyone ever wanted rid of the Halls while they were in because we were on that rollercoaster - its only in hindsight we realise it was built on sand.

Howare you going to pay for it in 2011, given that there are no new revenue streams at the level required. Practicalities.

Listen, I've got to go out. I'm not interested in your excuses for Mike Ashley. If I knew how to raise money [like the Halls and Shepherd knew how to raise money] I'd be doing the job and bringing out the sort of salary that you despise anyway. As Mike Ashley is such a super businessman, I'm sure when he put in place measures which have lost revenues he had suitable alternatives to the ones the hopeless Halls and Shepherd put into place that brought european football and an expanded stadium ? Yes ? Is this too difficult for you ? If YOU are happy to be a 2nd rate selling club again, more fool you, but some of us don't under-sell the club. bump for NJS. As he is in selective response mode again. I replied to this - their methods won't work in 2011. Even if you increased reveunes by 50% it would be chicken feed comapred with the money spent, not just by Chelsea et al, but with that spent by Villa and Sunderland for no return. As I said their primary method for "raising money" was debt.

Doesn't matter. Almost every club in the premier league can't survive let alone compete based on revenues alone. This is the fact in 2011. As Chez pointed out they couldn't afford to do it in 2007 and that's why they sold. It's about the now not the then.

so he took us down into the 2nd division, where the Halls and Shepherd picked us up from the floor of, and started selling our best players again ? Nothing to do with the point - he meant new oweners as in the other clubs - classic phrase bot.

Listen, I've got to go out. I'm not interested in your excuses for Mike Ashley. If I knew how to raise money [like the Halls and Shepherd knew how to raise money] I'd be doing the job and bringing out the sort of salary that you despise anyway. As Mike Ashley is such a super businessman, I'm sure when he put in place measures which have lost revenues he had suitable alternatives to the ones the hopeless Halls and Shepherd put into place that brought european football and an expanded stadium ? Yes ? Is this too difficult for you ? If YOU are happy to be a 2nd rate selling club again, more fool you, but some of us don't under-sell the club. No acknowledgement of changed times as usual - do you really not realise the difference between 1994 and 2011? Lost revenues? - chicken feed in the scheme of things - even if it was 50m a year which it isn't how high would that get you? The Halls did not "raise money" - they used the expansion of the club from promotion with tv revenues as a platform to go public and then borrrowed, borrowed and borrowed again against the club. How will that work now in 2011?

Why can't you realise that most people know and accept that the previous regime ran the club well but: 1. Their methods wouldn't work now - just an acknowledgment would be good. 2. How would you raise the money to mount the challenge we all agree we should make?

I think it's LM's suggestion that there's nothing stopping Ashley (without using his personal wealth) from running the club the same way as previously and achieviing any kind of similar success in 2011 that is the most flabbergasting. I'm not sure what the maximum profit figure ever achieved was but I'm pretty sure whatever it was repeated over even 5 years wouldn't fund the squad improvement necessary.

The way he said it was crass but I think what he was trying to say was that in "date rape" cases which come down to his word against hers, juries are reluctant to convict on the basis of say a 20 year sentence (even if it gets that far) whereas if the bloke was persuaded to plead guilty for a 5 year sentence at least there's be some justice and more convictions. My view has always been that being raped by someone you know/trust "makes up" for the fear of death factor in knifepoint cases and makes them equal.

You could of course point out the logical fallacy of being "right" based on future predictions. I agree its unlikely we'll see success under Ashley but until his reign of terror is actually over you can't judge it in its entirety.

Taking advantage of experience/knowledge of the tides and sand banks to get day trippers to the beach into trouble was something else we did.

Too old but taking some certification exams over the next few weekends.

I think I've said before that in my darker moments I think losing a third of the human race (or more) might actually be good from a big picture angle - the only thing that would do that is something as big as a meteor/comet strike. Muslims? Boils down to a probable 3 choices in general terms: The "Third world" - most of Africa and maybe bits of South America and Asia. All religious fucktards of any and all types. Chinese + Indians - no prejudice really - just to keep it sort of neat (probably add the Yanks into that group just for a laugh) While were offending people, don't forget the gays and maybe the western underclasses. Nothing whatsoever against gays (with the added lack of breeding potential as well) - have thought about an IQ/fashion sense based cull in the UK specifically though.

Man City have spent about £300m to get to 3rd/4th. Villa and the Mackems have spent millions for almost no return. I think you need a comnbination of money and good management but sadly if Ashley won't invest and discarding a sale, all the increased profits in the viable world won't fund substantial resources. I agree we could and should be up there - practicalities is another thing.

I think I've said before that in my darker moments I think losing a third of the human race (or more) might actually be good from a big picture angle - the only thing that would do that is something as big as a meteor/comet strike. Muslims? Boils down to a probable 3 choices in general terms: The "Third world" - most of Africa and maybe bits of South America and Asia. All religious fucktards of any and all types. Chinese + Indians - no prejudice really - just to keep it sort of neat (probably add the Yanks into that group just for a laugh)

I've seen the trailers for that - I think both NG and the History channel fly close to the wind on their remit sometimes - History channel programmes on Nostredamus or the Bible being a favourite bug bear of mine.

I think I've said before that in my darker moments I think losing a third of the human race (or more) might actually be good from a big picture angle - the only thing that would do that is something as big as a meteor/comet strike. Agreed, I don't need my darker moments for that thought though. A big plague'd work as well probably given the ease and volume of global people movement these days. Nature'll clean house, sooner or later. Man-made virus from bio-warfare is another possibility - as in The Stand. When you consider Spanish flu killed about 20m in about 1920 it would be "Interesting" from a detached pov to see how the increase in communication/travel would facilitate a pandemic.

There was a lad at the end of my street who was a couple of years older than me who we sometimes hung around with (nowt dodgy) who got into huge trouble for his collection which included some proper rarities in addition to the usual gulls etc.

eOf course, but I think you have to realise that violent crime and murder are extremely rare - and getting more so even if the perception doesn't support that.

Used to be quite the thing round my way that we sat around fires all the time in the half-term (Blackberry week) that usually proceeded Hallow'een. The polis used to tell us off and make us put them out. One of my life's proudest moments is one bonfire night having the fire brigade come out 3 times to our back lane after we staged a "marathon not a sprint" approach to the night.

Where I lived the houses were terraces with back lanes and outside bogs - at the start of the 70s there were a lot of grants available for building bathroom/toilet extensions so we spent a good few years playing in and around building sites and "helping" the builders - happy days. There also used to be a small wooded area next to ST college where we used to climb and light fires - I often think its a miracle I didn't grow up to be a pyromaniac.

I think I've said before that in my darker moments I think losing a third of the human race (or more) might actually be good from a big picture angle - the only thing that would do that is something as big as a meteor/comet strike.