RE: BB Gun parts

Erm, maybe you’d be best no fixing it anyway… he might just shoot you as a punishment!

RE: IQ Test Question for the Greek Police!!

Is it that the lift only works to the 3rd floor and every morning he walks down to the 3rd floor and gets into the elevator?

RE: Christmas is coming

I always find it a very sad and depressing time of year nowadays. The commercialism is nothing new, but the magic of Christmas has long departed and it brings home the sadness of absent friends, lost relatives and the girl of my dreams being away (it’s usually the case at Christmas)….

🙁

RE: French army secures 150 in Ivory coast

The latest stats I read (Raids magazine, Summer of 2001) said that the proportion of native French speakers among Legionnaires has dropped to well below 50% in the past 10 years. The influx from the former Eastern block is one of the most striking features.

And the FFL IS part of the French Army, the Armée de Terre.

RE: What is The Fascination of Beckham as a Footballer?????

Notroksinloyt oyventd! The secret’s out…

I remember that “Cantona kick” day very well… It was also a day when the North was hit by horrendous snowstorms. I bought all the papers the following days. I think the Sun (had to be them!) lead with a picture of the poor chap hit by Cantona and a photo of his chest where one was desperately trying to make out the imprint of the vicous gallic madman’s studs. The following day’s edition of another paper dug up the dirt and found out he was a slightly notorious character if I remember righlty… (the fan, not Cantona!!)

We’ve seen what happened with the collapse of ITV digital and the dire financial situation the smaller clubs have landed themselves in.
I hope clubs are coming to their senses. The transfer market was reasonably quiet this year (apart from R Ferdinand’s move to Man Utd). Even Ronaldo’s transfer fee was less than I anticipated (even taking into acount the player exchange deal).
It’s true that the footballers at the top are fairly protected. I do spare a thought for those who missed out on the boom and failed to find a lucrative post playing career and the players in the lower leagues…

RE: What is The Fascination of Beckham as a Footballer?????

Hi Kev,
I must admit I don’t know where you found that the woman was also hit by Cantona. I have watched the footage many times and although you can see a shocked woman nearby, she is not the one being hit. There was an initial kick landed on the thug, then Cantona fell to the ground, got up and puched the bloke again before being dragged off.
I must admit I used to find it vrey unfair that cleaners, binmen and firemen got paid so little when their job is horrendous when footballer get so much through playing a sport they enjoy. My Dad told me that the reason for this is that, sadly, almost anyone can be a cleaner, and there’s only one Zidane. The club will get a lot of money thanks to the player and is willing to pay the price to acquire his services.
Yes, the amount of money is obscene and the bubble will probably burst at one stage. Some stars are already speaking of having their salaires reduced (not a big sacrifice, granted, but no player ever offered that before).
I believe Keane has worked on that anger thing, but it’s plain to see when you you watch him play that he his a passionate person. Provoked, he will sometimes snap when others won’t. But he sems to keep it on the field of play. I personally have a lot of contempt for wind-up merchants who deliberatly goad a player with a short fuse. Not always easy to walk away for a player who has a quick temper and if that winding-up is noble behaviour, then I am the King of Norway.

RE: What is The Fascination of Beckham as a Footballer?????

I think that among footballers, like any othe profession, you find a certain amount of bad eggs. It’s just that they are more epxosed than others. They have a resposnability as a result. When Cantona Kung-fu kicked (he has no formal martial arts training BTW to the best of my knowledge) a fan in Jan 95, it was not a good example to set. More worryingly, it could have resulted in a huge crowd reactions. Let’s not forget though that the fan was a local thug according to newspaper reports of the tile and tha, contrary to what he claimed, what he toild Cantona was stronger than (“It’s an early bath for you Mr Cantona”). He ran down serveral tiers apparently and started gobbing off. The letter “F” seemes to figure prominently among his little tirade as seen on newsreels.

True, footballers are paid handsomely and the abuse comes with the territory. But teh money they get is a reflection of the clubs get out of them.
And who’d be happy to have thousands of morons insulting them at work, asking them whether their wife enjoys anal sex. Should black players meekly turn the other cheek in the face of racial abuse? Some do and let their playing skills fo the talking. I really admire them for that. But there are times when you do snap, when enough is enough. (remember what you said about your neighbours Kev).

There was a very interesting piece by Oliver Holt in the Miror this week about Roy Keane. He pointed out that there was a large amount of hypocrisy among the media and various pundits.

I know we cannot wholeheartedly condone violence but I would still make a distinction between someone who has a feud with a fellow professional and somebody who launches a group attack on some young student.

RE: What is The Fascination of Beckham as a Footballer?????

Ginola was blamed as the scapegoat when France failed to qualify for the 94 world cup in their last game, when a long cross-field pass of his went astray.
Cantona was admired for his skills and the fact he made a name for himself in English football. But his outbursts didn’t go dow well with most French people. I also beleive that the rebel in him rubbed the Establishment and confomist media up the wrong way.

Yes, Mongu, I did think gallic twit implied a sweeping generalisation. Would it not shock you if someone said ‘black twit’. What’s the point of mentioning his country of origin or the colour of his skin? It is part of his identity, granted, but to put the adjective together with an insult looks a bit like the adjective is part of the insult. From there, there is a small step to xenophibia.