donkey

I can live with the joke content... but y'know, something actually funny would be good at some point :ls:

Without anything to do with my football allegiance (although I'm sure it won't be viewed that way), isn't it simply a case of money being made in UK, but payment not being declared and subsequently handled via a series of international bank accounts and tax subsequently not being paid? That's just my take on the prosecution's case. I may be wrong so feel free to correct me though as I'm not fully versed on the case.

Of course we'll not be signing him, but blimey, you lot aren't half getting your knickers in a twist about a rumour alone.

Massive respect to you all. Showing that despite the fact that we have such a deep ingrained rivalry, we can pull together when one of our own experiences a personal tragedy.

Sharp came through the academy (I think), but we, ermmm , made a loss on him. Let's not pull at that thread. Jags came through the centre of excellence, as did Monty. We're probably still operating at a slight loss overall on the academy all things told. That said, I know the PR has said that it breaks even due to facilities being hired out. Not sure quite how true that is though. As I mentioned earlier, it takes some time for start bearing proper fruit as players have to go through the full system. The Kyles (and Matt Lowton) are the first year one grads to come through I think. But we've just let quite a few go. Including players such as Jordan Chappell and Kingsley James who have been involved for us this season strangely enough. For whatever reason, the Academy will either prove itself a liability or an essential this coming season.

Good luck with that, and while I don't doubt your confidence, it's not about the management wanting to keep the player, it's about whether the player wants to stick around. We would have liked to have hanged on to Jacob Mellis, but alas when Chelsea came knocking, he was off. Even the very top clubs in the world lose young players for a comparative pittance when there's an attractive offer on the table. Oh, and a successful academy takes roughly 6 or 7 years before it starts to bear fruit. So you need to get investing ASAP.

We are a selling club. But then, just about about every club is.

We did the same with just academy players in our reserves last season, but they were invariably getting hammered each game, This season we seem to be going for a mixture of the two so while there are a few first teamers tonight in there, there are lots of youngsters and an Argie trialist from Estudiantes in there aswell. To the guy who asked above re. Stands. There'll be no segregation and you'll all be in the South Stand as far as I know.

I've been keeping schtum on this since I heard about it last week as it'll only end up in me getting slagged to hell due to the sensitive situation it is. In terms of when the bill is from however, I heard a few weeks ago that a certain law firm in Sheffield had been approached by the club for advice on a winding up order in May. Might have been resolved there and then, and this may be a different threat, but I'd suggest the problems have been ongoing for some time behind the scenes and HMRC have finally lost patience.

37 now isn't he?

You need to start catching up with Huddersfield. They've signed Gary Naysmith on a free today after he turned our offer down!* *please feel free to take the wee wee. I'm entirely desensitized to it already this close-season.

I imagine he'd be asking for a lot of assistance getting old ladies rocking too.

Success in football seems to be mainly cyclical for similar clubs such as ourselves. This aint something that I'd be usually willing to admit, and aside from winding up pi... Wednesdayite mates, I think it's possible to be rational about things and admit that while we have the ascendancy at the moment, things will no doubt change in the next decade or two. We're both hampered by massive debts and your drop into the third tier will do lots of damage, but you'll no doubt be back on the same level as us in a couple of seasons. Massive investment isn't needed to get out of this league (as evidenced by our promotion a few seasons ago), but a cohesive squad can do well it's lieu. So, who knows where each club may be by 2020. Investment or not. Anyway, I feel a little sick now, so excuse me the following: Enjoy the Johnstone's Paint Trophy next season

You never used to be, but in the last couple of seasons (since Mr Sheard really) you've become the gift that keeps on giving. Owlstalk is genuinely entertaining, both because there are some good posters on here, but also because such important issues get played out for all to see. Obviously, I enjoy some of it as schadenfreude; however, no matter the club it would still provide immense entertainment. How so many legitimate nutters (and I don't include LS in that) got anywhere near your club is stunning. To have had both Geoff Sheard and Joe Kosich involved on here and in real life has given me hours of fun. We were there a couple of decades ago with Sam/Samantha/Charles Hashimi/Kane, it's clearly your turn at the moment.

Look, I know I may be from the other side of the city and most likely deserve to be told to go away, but this thread really deserves: Well played all involved. Threads like this make me want to donate to Owlstalk.

Fair enough chaps. I can see where you're both coming from and I've defended Kevin McCabe plenty, in no small part because he's a Blade. I would beware of the "he's done his best" and "he's making mistakes but is on a steep learning curve". The life of a football chairman is a short one and one mistake (such as appointing the wrong manager) could set you back for seasons. Good luck next season (of course, I don't mean that it in the slightest...)

Okay then, let me phrase it another way. From what I can gather, LS refused responsibility for footballing mistakes earlier in the week, but said that he took advice from Howard Wilkinson. In turn, this decision making process resulted in the sanctioning of money for various underperforming and underutilised loan players. The managers who brought in and played (or didn't play) these loan players were given flak for their decisions in this area. So, following the hierarchy upwards, did Lee Strafford not drop a massive multi ******** for appointing and listening to Howard Wilkinson? If not, then surely it's not Laws fault for Feeney not doing enough to warrant a place in the side.

Maybe I was a little harsh in my 'verbally sucking off' comment, but yourself, BD and the Dan Hardy loving chap seem to be present in every thread where LS gets the slightest hint of criticism. Looking at your best first 11, I would suggest that if it wasn't easily capable of a top half finish (indeed, many on here were suggesting that the playoffs weren't beyond the question pre season), then surely it was capable of a much better than bottom three finish. Indeed, it's a better side than that at Sflaphorpe, and equally as good as a number of those elsewhere. Even if the squad wasn't good enough, players could have been sold earlier in the season to furnish the manager with funds to improve the squad. Likewise, LS backed Laws to spend relatively high wages on players such as Purse and Miller. Didn't he also sanction wages and agent fees for players such as Feeney? I'm not for one minute saying that relegation was all Strafford's fault, but that he has to take some of it. He cannot be exempt and there has to be accountability.

I'm sure I'll be told to sling my hook, but here's a view from the outside. From reading on here, and talking to a number of Wednesdayite friends, LS has done lots of good for you - mostly off the pitch and even as a Blade, it is impossible to not applaud the SCH sponsorship deal. That said, I find it difficult to understand those who state that he is impervious of blame on the football side of things. Maybe if he'd only been in charge for a couple of months, but he's had, what, 18 months or thereabouts now? It seems to me that if a manager gets sacked for the product on the pitch (i.e, the players he puts out), then a chairman should be given equal scrutiny for the manager who he has in charge? Everyone at a football club who has a direct or indirect say in the product on the pitch should be accountable for failure. Had you gone up, the usual LS supporters on here (Donny et al) would be verbally sucking him off to the hilt. Why does relegation elicit forgiveness? I'm not for a second suggesting he should be sacked, and obviously it's not my place to do so. But I do think the fanatical defence is pretty damn amusing and must really grate on many of you.

Sorry, but laying the blame at the feet of SYP is ridiculous. It's like saying that if you kill someone, and the police don't stop it, then they're to blame. No, the crime was committed by the individual who did the killing, not with the person who didn't stop it. Wednesday supporters - shouldn't have attacked Palace supporters, shouldn't have attacked a woman, shouldn't have gone on the pitch, shouldn't have attacked Clint Hill. Clint Hill - shouldn't have reacted to the supporters around him like he did Palace supporters - shouldn't have gone on the pitch, shouldn't have goaded home support SWP - should have stopped supporters going on the pitch and done more to stop the beatings being dished out Wednesday staff - should have instructed stewards to stop supporters getting on the pitch and the stewards should have shown common sense regardless Fact is, blame can be apportioned all over the place. And I personally think such events would have taken place at most grounds around the country regardless of the OP's indignation. But, it's the lack of acknowledgement that Wednesday supporters were perhaps the worst of the bunch that sticks in my throat, and seemingly is a sentiment shared by many SWFC posters on here.

You'd beat us if you put out your under 12 girls team and we had 20k supporters there to cheer us on. I don't think you realise just how poor we are at the moment. It will be the match you confirm your safety in this league.

ooo me me me

I was going to bite, but then I saw your avatar and decided to resist as I have a lot of time for Mr Hardy. That said, the size of the beating we inflict on you in a few weeks will be comparable to that which GsP gives to Dan next weekend* *sadly, I don''t believe the first part of this sentence at all.

It's a play on the word, but thanks for the spelling tip. By the way, your ellipsis was unnecessary.