I like the Samson vs Goliath games. Not the most exciting but...

I hadn't realized just how many times Bayern bent over coughed in CL finals.

For the first time in a while, we agree Chris.

However that wasn’t the point of my post.

The question in my mind about PPE is just why there isn't enough of it. Presumably the NHS has an Emergency Plan, and it would be remarkable if the onset of a pandemic was not seen as one of the most important emergencies to fall within the remit of that Plan. The provision of PPE for all NHS frontline staff must surely be one of the most basic requirements of the Plan? Whether you want to blame the government or NHS management or Gordon Brown, the undeniable fact is that scurrying around for PPE a month into the emergency suggests very strongly that the Emergency Plan has an unforgiveable hole in it.

Tough to have a top 5 dribblers list without Zidane but I guess its possible.

The one thing I notice between my British friends and Americans is a lot more banter related to sports. I'm not saying its something I don't like. Its just a cultural difference and emphasizes just how important and integral football specifically (because I assume the same level of banter isn't used for the Rugby Union, or cricket) to the masses.

I enjoy it. I give as well as get. This friend is a Liverpool supporter, living in England and not even a strong one. As a kid, yes, but he doesn't look for their results and I don't think he's seen a match on tv for years. But he knows how I feel about The Arsenal, so its usually one way...haha.

He has helped me understand British culture, especially as it applies to this forum, and my interaction, which has been very, very helpful.

In addition, I have two very good friends in America, one is a hard core Boston Celtics fan who I despise because as a 76ers basketball fan, they were our hated enemy as a child and the main reason I supporter Rangers over Celtic.

The other friend is a Dallas Cowboys fans who are hated by my Philadelphia Eagles in American football. We correspond frequently and as I recall our communications, its rarely infused with sports banter. During the season it changes. But mainly when they play each other. They will make a general statement about my team but its directed to all.

You’d think that if your mate is on lockdown in Dubai that he’d have learned how to spell Emirates by now.

The inconvenient truth is that there are a certain percentage of Americans. The exact percentage we may never know but we can, with a fair amount of confidence, say at least 30 or 35 percent, who literally have no issues whatsoever with subversion of the rule of law....and subversion of their fellow citizens.
While other countries, like Britain, may totally disagree with a Tory or Labourite, they will still see that person as a fellow citizen.
These hard core Trump supporters literally see other Americans as an existential threat to not only themselves but to their progeny. We can try to understand as difficult as it may be but it will be difficult trying to understand someone and something that is completely alien to you.
What is shocking, to me at least, is that they were always there. Lurking in behind the scenes. We had clues. Gun sales have been at near record highs. 2nd or 3rd most sales recently. Why 2nd or 3rd and not 1st? Obama's election eclipsed all prior records. We have elected Democrats before (Clinton), some far more liberal (Carter, Kennedy), so why didn't they elicit the same reaction? There is an elephant there and it has a name that's whispered and we have done a great job of ignoring it, walking around it as difficult as it may be.
I honestly see little difference between those who zealously supported a certain Austrian in 1933 Germany and now. I honestly believe, given cover from repercussions, consequences, public shame, they would at the worse entertain some of the same acts against not just some of the same but new ones as well.
The irony is the ones that claim to love the constitution, love the freedom, have zero issues with their man spitting on all of it. None whatsoever.
How do you reason with such minds in a democracy? Dishonest actors in a debate. Total disregard for the opposition, for the rules, for ethics and morality? How do you run a free and open society with that many people who simply will use Machiavelian means first and foremost. And the established laws are seen only as a weapon against those who they believe are foolhardy to rely on it.
There have been protests to end the lockdowns by 1000s of his followers. Mainly in 3 states, coincidentally run by democratic governors. One of the reasons they are doing this is partially because Herr President believes he can not win re-election without the economy going back to some semblance of normalcy. But there are surreptitious other reasons whispered on progressive chat rooms. The virus seems to be claiming almost all elderly with pre-existing illnesses and ethnic minorities with the aforementioned status. The latter making up the lions share grossly disproportionally in new cases and deaths due to long standing difficulty in access to healthcare. Two groups his minions see as insufficient reasons to have a lockdown. Two groups they feel we could well without anyway.
As for the article below, one of the main secret strategies of Steve Bannon, the nationalist, was to appoint as many judges as possible. Its not only the Supreme Court that serve for life. The Federal judges under them in district courts are also lifetime appointments. So, this will set the stage one day to have legal cover to overturn abortion, or to interpret actions such as a moslem ban as legal among other things such as lawsuits regarding voter suppression that are used especially in former Confederate states.


https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... on/610171/
Trump Is Threatening to Subvert the Constitution

So Victoria Beckham, with a combined wealth of £335m, has furloughed 30 of her employees. She's apparently just bought a flat in Miami for £17m but can't look after her own employees.

She is taking the piss and should be brought to account, after all her and her husband made their vast fortune from their careers in England. The true colours are shown when the country needs them to step up.

*%^@ the Beckhams, Branson and all the other multi-millionaires and billionaires who have *%^@** the country over in its time of need.

Hi OMG,

You'd have thought that with much of industry happy to step-up and help out PPE would be a relatively easy thing to re-purpose manufacturing facilities to make.

Now you've done it and made me see what the fuss was about in that cup final. .I'm thinking What does it take to get a booking in those days?

Today’s times article without a paywall. A must read

https://archive.is/20200418182037/https ... -hq3b9tlgh

John Gleiber sent me this old photo to post.

Interestingly all the staff sport moustaches, but only a few of the players.
Perhaps one of our more senior members (naming no names) can explain the significance of this.

I'm not as 'senior' as some, by any means, but;

To increase pace by reducing wind resistance?

Thought provoking theory John. The beginning of sport science as we know it?

Perhaps back then moustaches were generally fashionable for older men. A sort of reverse of very short mini skirts now being a fashion followed by younger girls more than older women.

I think we're all grateful for the mini skirt situation Bernard.
You could be right about moustaches. I believe that in some cultures a man can only grow a moustache after marriage.

Narrator: Bernard, though he had been to Newcastle, had never visited the Bigg Market...

As for the moustaches obviously working men couldn't afford them back then.

Match of their day was Ian Wright last night if anybody caught it

A decent Watch and reminder of how much fun football used to be

Is not shaving your philtrum while shaving the rest of your lower face and upper neck more expensive than shaving everywhere then?

Majid Nawaz on LBC calling out the half truths in the article. The scientists they refer to are the hundreds not thousands who are represented by Sage and NERVTAG.
These two agencies are the ones advising the Government and who's guidance the Government are taking.

Listen and learn rather than believing the lies some propagate.

What games did they show? The only one I’ve seen was the Jermaine Jenas one.

Right back at ya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TJnu-mQXPw&app=desktop

Edit - quite amusing that the Sunday Times is now on the list of lefty papers spouting 'half-truths' who don't support the ridiculous policies of HMG.

One day you’ll realise what an absolute clusterfuck HMG made of the Coronavirus Crisis. Then again......

Your talking rubbish as usual. I do not always agree with Nawaz but this time he read the article the firstb time qand says started to write a tweet condemning Boris and Co. He says he thenn realised something was wrong with the article and that the timeline was completely wrong. The timeline cannot be construed
or made up, it is what it is, and unless you try to understand it you will never believe the truth when it smacks you in the face.

I may be wrong but what he says and is saying makes sense and not just the rantings of a pro Goverment supporter.

Why not listen to the program?

He picked his cup final v United for palace

Arsenal debut v saints

Arsenal 3. United 2 Wenger era

And Everton v Wimbledon when Everton saved themselves from relegation

He was a fantastic player, really fantastic and it’s weird but unfortunate that after his time we had so many strikers like Bergkamp as you forget Ian a little.

Indeed Soc, and it seems that offers were made to the relevant authorities by businesses but not replied to very quickly.

If the NHS Emergency Plan did not include the pre-purchase and storage of sufficient PPE for a pandemic scenario then some serious questions must be asked of those responsible. Surely it should have been one of the highest priorities? When the dust has settled I hope somebody asks some simple questions about how many face masks and gowns were in stock before the emergency hit the NHS.

Keep the snot out of the mouth when running?

My wife let hers grow after we married. She looks like Salvador Dali now...

I never forget Ian Wright, mainly because he was unforgettable.

Credit to Mustafi.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.standa ... html%3Famp

I wonder if our friend from across the Atlantic will try to find a reason to moan about this. Perhaps he thinks the meals won’t taste that nice, or maybe he feels the portions won’t be big enough?

That is a wonderful gesture

Do some maths around it. If it costs 8 pound a meal.

Well done Mustafi

Masks and gowns ?


Johnson HIMSELF hadn’t bothered to go to ANY of the 5 cobra meetings warning him of the danger in January ,if he had perhaps he wouldn’t have suffered from this serious illness. He may have realised how irresponsible it was to encourage people to shake hands on March 3rd which was 3 months after China flagged the pandemic to WHO.

They didn’t care.

Bottom line is we have a dangerously incompetent leader. Gordon Brown attended every single Cobra meeting for Foot and Mouth when we were in the throes of that issue. This is far more serious and our PM was missing in action. According to various reports, the lax approach to our early response to this crisis is because they were still fully obsessed with that Willy waiving wankfest called Brexit.

We are led by donkeys who were voted for by idiots.

Do either of you two clowns not listen to all the news reports or just make it up as you go along?

Do you now what COBRA stands for? fyi it stands for 'Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms' nothing more nothing less. It is not the war office or anything like it. From https://www.forces.net/news/what-cobra- ... ho-attends

"Who attends the meetings?

It varies depending on the situation. In response to a terrorist incident such as in London, the intelligence and security agencies will usually attend to provide updates on the latest information they have, while senior police officers will also be present.

:: Apart from police and spymasters, which politicians attend?

Senior ministers from relevant departments attend the meetings in Whitehall along with top officials.

:: Does the Prime Minister always chair COBRA meetings?

No, other members of the Cabinet or senior ministers can lead the meetings when appropriate. But the decision by Mrs May to chair this meeting is an indication of the severity of the incident and a sign that she wants to personally lead the Government's response."

Give up the witchhunt ffs the Government have more important things to do.

Asd for George Brown, what else did he do? Oh yes sold off all the gold and wrecked pensions. Great point of reference Darren.

Get a life ffs.......................

With respect Bubblechris. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Johnson refused the science initially. Check his speech from Feb 3 when he was already informed by a senior scientist on Jan 24th to lockdown to prevent a national crisis. He ignored it.

Keep knocking one out for Boris though.

The difference between us is you read what you want to read and believe what you want to believe.

If you looked further into the matter you would find that the scientist, the only one at that time, in question is Neil Ferguson who was the only member of SAGE and NERVTAG that believed a lockdown was necessary on Jan 24th a month or so before the WHO declared a pandemic. The Government's Scientific advisers advised the Goverment at that time to wait and not to lockdown.

They followed the science you appear to follow your noase.

Keep up young man.....................