The UK Govt is not paying more money in here to "keep things sweet." That's totally inaccurate.

TG, Irish nationalists held the "balance of power" back in 1885 where they supported Gladstone over the conservatives. This was used to advance the cause of Home Rule for Ireland (something like devolution today).

The deal is definitely grubby - 100 million a vote - but it would be churlish ofme not to welcome extra money for the region where infrastructure lags well behind the rest of the UK and Rep.Ireland. The majority of the money spent by the UK for a long time went on security issues and of course the Republic has benefited from its membership of the EU and the money diverted there.

Ooooh can't you be a hurtful little brute given the chance ......... but quite right after posting I had a beer with a neighbour who sells paint , fire retardant coatings etc ... he told me the same , quality cladding doesn't catch fire , was going to redress my mistake but thought I'd wait for Chris to reply

.

Particularly odd given how many good wingers and attacking midfielders Benfica have at that age group already. That said, it seems to be an issue with the family. His older brother Matthew jumped ship to Man U at 16, and his younger brother hasn't signed the pro contract he's been offered either. Given how Chris in particular has been bigged up by the manager, and how Europe League football should provide lots of opportunities for the kids, its seems very strange indeed. Worst of all, because he's going abroad, we get almost no compensation.

Any country that produced Neil Finn, Richard Hadlee, Barry Briggs, Katherine Mansfield, John Waker and Peter Snell is alright by me.

Chris wasn't going to bother to reply but has to say your description of freezing the assets of every Tom Dick and Harry as not being amusing. However I still feel the assets of those that put up the cladding who had a duty of care should be frozen. Not the suppliers unless it can be shown they that they stated it was suitable for cladding Tower blocks.

Don't forget Glenn Turner.

Matty Willock was actually released (not offered a pro contract)

Surely, Edmund Hillary is New Zealand's most celebrated figure. And of course an annoying and seemingly endless production line of world class rugby players.

Indeed - one of the greats. Almost as good as Kumar Sangakkara.

Don't you think they made a mountain out of a mole hill over his achievement?

I'll get your coat.....

I could feel you Tensing up over that joke...

Now that was funny. I've put the coat back on the hanger.

Hodd, get on the next flight to Belgium
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaZRnU1n2xU[/youtube]

Aaah what it is to have friends on here ,

Surprised given your tennis bent you missed your boyhood hero Anthony Wilding from that list of Kiwi greats

Okay so you were only seven when he won his first of Wimbledon's in 1910 ...... but four Wimbledons and two Aussie opens in singles . one Aussie , four Wimbledon doubles titles shouldn't have skipped your memory
Helped win the Davis Cup four times when we combined with our mates from across the ditch . Killed in France WW1

Have this while you fit that final screw to the rake handle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmQlBfxh4Us

Should also be noted Hillary , not Trump was involved

Ah yes, of course. My mistake.

Saul Niguez showing why Wenger put in more than bid for him 2 years ago (and indeed might have got him had Athletico not been hit by a midfield injury crisis that thrust him into the team), with a brilliant hat-trick for Spain U21s (5 goals in 3 games in the tournament). Lovely player.

Rumours gathering pace on Lemar. He'd be a top addition. Theo just doesn't seem to fit into this system but did score a lot of goals from the right wing. Think it's time to sell him. I reckon we'll get Mahrez if Theo leaves. Would be an upgrade especially if we get the 2015/16 version.

Ahh bejesas Dec....yous get your fair share so you do ...

Tony O' Reilly , Willie John McBride , Brian O' Driscoll .... one every twenty years or so

I suggest you both get a room to continue the love in. I can see Hoy and Kiwi in a bedroom singing give peace a chance while the world press covers the event. Just putting my fingers down my throat at the moment - Richard Hadlee, Glenn Turner

Hmmm ... Sounds like a recipe for corruption, pork, and wasteful expenditure.

Don't know the price as I've not been keeping up but wondering if its an either/or or 'and' regarding him and Lacazette?

We need a makeover to some extent but we really need to maintain the mental discipline we had the last 10 matches.

I always had a lot of time for Ritchie Benaud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvGHC7REkdM

Richie Benaud is my favourite commentator of all time, not just for cricket but any sport including football. Before my time as a player though. Can't recall exactly when, but he died a while back. Not all that long ago. A year or two perhaps, maybe even three?

Saw Greg Chappell bat when my Dad took me to an Ashes test at Lords, or the last day of it anyway. Brilliant batsman but got a feeling the game petered out into a draw and he batted quite cautiously to ensure Australia didn't lose. Greg's brother Ian was the captain and the side around that time had a number of very fine players including the wicket keeper Rodney Marsh and the fast bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, and Thomson played for Middlesex for a while. Was there an all rounder called Doug Walters, or something like that?

EDIT: Richie Benaud died in April 2015, so just over two years ago.

Can I ask why in God's name do the Admin keep Abu on here. Just pops up every now and then with abuse. gGt rid of the waste of space.

The irony is that for all the 'democratic' objections to it, May's deal with the DUP has shed more light on the way UK's public money is allocated to the regions than hitherto. If Corbyn gets into Number 10 he is unlikely to be able to change the imbalance. Probably won't want to anyway.

'Deadly' Doug was a very good cricketer until he played England. Never justified his high reputation in Tests over here. Like Norman O'Neill before him. Lillee and Thomson though, thy were right up there with the greats. Once he stopped trying to be a tearaway, Lillee was almost the perfect fast bowler.

I've got him blocked but I see the name come after I post [the name appears but the actual post is not seen]I just assume its abuse. Same as before he was blocked. Same with one or two others specifically only to me I have to assume. I feel so special.

My guess is he has a right to by forum rules. Someone who does that just tells everyone what they are really about. Not a real fan of the club if its all you do.

Abu specifically has left very nasty PMs out the blue to me personally. I guess he doesn't like to be ignored. Some of the PMs have crossed the line in my opinion. I don't look at them, I just delete.

Michael Bond may be gone, but this little guy is still here.

I keep reading there is a good chance we lose Lacazette to Atletico or elsewhere but the winger from Monaco seems a more promising target.

http://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/t ... s-13254329

"They tried and failed to bring Alexandre Lacazette to the club from Lyon last summer and ended up with Lucas Perez instead.

There is an argument that Lucas has not been given a fair enough crack of the whip and has actually impressed when handed rare cameos but the brutal truth is that Arsene Wenger is open to allowing him to return to Spain.

But Arsenal appear better equipped this summer given their simultaneous attempts to sign Monaco's Kylian Mbappe and Lacazette."

So we've bid £31M for Thomas Lemar, why exactly?, he's 21 and has a contract until 2019/20, Bernardo Silva went for £43M, they want £120M+ for Mbappe so why would they accept £31M for one of their prize assets?, clearly in the inflated market they will want at least £45M probably more so why are we STILL low balling offers like we're operating 5 years behind everyone else?!.

Everton are making some early moves this window:
Pickford £30m
Klassen £25m
Sandro £5m (bargain)
Onyekuru £7m
now Michael Keane looking likely at £25m
and they're still after Siggurdson.

They may well lose Barkley and Lukaku but the additions look good so far. I like the two strikers they've bought for £12m - I reckon they are both worth triple that amount in 2 years. Surprised we didn't go harder for Oynyekuru after we were linked, £7m is loose change in today's market

The offer sounds like its Wenger doing the negotiating. Perhaps Gazidis is just as parsimonious but the fee offered 'smells' like Wenger.

If he gets the player close to that he's a hero, if he loses him he's the goat. We'll just have to see. The plus on our side is Wenger has a great rep in France.

I'm still worried about the defense. We gave up a bucketful of goals last term. Perhaps its resolved with the 3 at the back formation. Perhaps. We did defend better.

On Benaud ...agreed .... extremely knowledgeable , unbiased , quiet well modulated voice ...... a complete gentleman something that would be rare if unheard of in today's world .
Brian Moore I thought approached those heights .

Today's pundits are a different breed and in lots of cases say something really stupid or outrageous to generate attention , have irate fans ringing in .

Decided to do a counties of England quiz the other day ... started Cornwall , Devon , Hampshire etc rattled along the South Coast ...going well ...... did Greater London ..next county to the west ; thought that's got to be Middlesex

......hmm that's strange Middlesex isn't available to choose ...checking later I find it went out of existence in 1967 .

Actually a very good point. I believe that rival managers will look at how we play back 3 and look for weaknesses. It happens with players - it takes about 10-20 games for rivals to work out their weakness and then exploit it. Chambers being a perfect case in point. looked like a world beater and then they started to exploit his problems. So there is no guarantee that 3 at the back will work as well next year but it was a big improvement on what went before.

Tiat's true. I believe Middlesex as a county no longer formally exists, although fortunately the county cricket club was named when it did and serves as a reminder it once did. I'm not sure but I wonder if what did for the county was the development of boroughs as London councils affiliated to a wider Greater London Council. I'm not saying it is, but it sounds feasible.

Middlesex used to cover large areas that are now in London boroughs north of the Thames. That includes bits of Haringay council as Tottenham's ground used to be in Middlesex. But I once saw a map of the older boundaries of Middlesex and so were bits of what's now Islington Council. It also included Highbury before Arsenal moved there. That would mean the areas that now include both North London clubs' grounds were once in Middlesex.

I think areas of Enfield, Edgware, Barnet, Finchley, Harrow, Ruislip, Pinner, Uxbridge and surrounding districts (now covered by various London boroughs) used to be in Middlesex too. In fact I've got relatives in Ruislip, now in the London Borough of Hillindon, and their address after the road name is still Ruislip, Middlesex. The same applied to a friend who once lived in Edgware, now in Barnet Council. Her full address after the road name was Edgware, Middlesex. Darren now lives in the Enfield Council's boundary. I suspect the addresses used for much of Enfield is still Enfield, Middlesex.