Subject: Harry Redknapp

y'see, it bothers me that the big 4 can just poach youngsters from other club for practically nothing. But at the same time, they can offer the players the best education. I guess the best thing for all would be if the big clubs offered some kind of sell on fee or targetted bonuses for the teams they buy from. but they don't.

Talking of OXford, how's Sam Deering playing I used to teach him and just wondered.

Seriously? He's a breath of fresh air and the fans have been crying to play him. He excites and is a fantastic prospect, and just signed a pro contract. There are rumours he is being hunted by league clubs and will leave in january though.

I think the young talent has suffered in this country due to Labour policies on poverty and Tory policies on selling off school playing fields.

There are so few kids now without Sky TV and a games console that they don't have to kick a ball around for entertainment. That's why Johnny Foreigner is more prevalent in youth squads. They've got nothing.

All we end up with is premadonnas who think the world owes them a living at 8. Not somebody playing to get their family out of poverty.

Wow! You are nearly as grumpy as me!

I think you touch on an interesting point when you talk about poverty though. When I was growing up and we had the three day week, the country was actually much poorer than it is now. I think the line where poverty starts has changed, back then it was not a "right" to have electricity or anything else much. It pains me to think that now poverty seems to be whether or not you have three tellies in the house or two cars, maybe 2 or 3 games consoles. The fact is that in this country true poverty is actually very rare and help is available (in some format) to any that seek it and as such the line is drawn at a different point. Sadly the abuse of these systems is as much to blame for our fraying social fibre as any fiscal or political policy decicision could ever be.


Also I love the idea of a premadonna! A calendar based around the release date of Like A Virgin! I am a premadonna, whilst my godchildren are postmadonnas! Cool. ;-)

Yes i love that, have seen that a lot recently where people don't actually realise it is prima donna :P

which is italian for "top bird" ;)

Maybe you could have premaradona too for those born before his hand of god goal. That was a lot harder to type than it should have been.

thats good to hear, I still teach his little sister. he was always a classy player I remember him scoring a 40yrd volley in a school game. He also had a mate in the same year who's at Arsenal now in the reserves.