Leaderboard

I've already copyrighted a 5 over tournament with innovations like doubling your score for consecutive sixes or fours that could allow you to score 6+12+18+24+30+36=126 from a single over! Also, if someone is out for a duck, the next batsman has to bat in a duck costume. And, once per innings, the bowler can replace the ball with a piece of fruit of their choice without the batsman knowing. I'm onto a winner I reckon.

As this is generally a RL forum, on this day in: 1971 - Gary Connolly was born. 1985 - Thomas Leiluai was born.

Obi-Wan Kenobi completely fails to generate any excitement because you know that the only main character not likely to make season 2 is the inquisitor girl. Obi-Wan, Leia, Luke and Darth Vader have all got movies to make ten years on from the events in the series so nothing can happen to them.

Happy St Albans Day On this date, Alban, a Roman Centurion is traditionally believed to have been beheaded in Verulamium, (modern St Albans) sometime during the 3rd or 4th century. You can't beat a good, gory story - Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from persecutors and sheltered him in his house for a number of days. Alban was so impressed with the priest's faith and piety he converted to Christianity. Roman soldiers began to search for the priest. As they came to seize the priest, Alban put on the priest's cloak and clothing and presented himself to the soldiers in his place and the priest escaped. Alban was tortured to give up the priest, but when the judge realized that the tortures would not shake his faith, he gave orders for Alban to be beheaded. The execution was to be at the top of a hill. Alban reached the summit of the hill, he began to thirst and prayed God would give him water. A spring immediately sprang up at his feet. It was there that his head was struck off. However, immediately after delivering the fatal stroke, the eyes of the executioner popped out of his head and dropped to the ground, along with Alban's head. Alban's head rolled down the hill and a well sprang up where it stopped. St Albans Cathedral now stands on the site of the execution.

Yeh I read articles saying tens of thousands were at these battles but really it was only about 50 . And god knows how the French conquered so much and won so many battles coz they just walk forward in a line and fall down screaming

It's interesting that they continue to do so. They have for many years offered cheap season tickets at good deals. It is also a large city and a lot of the support comes from smaller towns in the area too. We went last season and my famiily from abroad were amazed they have such support for a 4th tier team. They seem to be able to maintain their fanbase whatever the division. Getting Mark Hughes as manager has also increased interest for this season.

On Italian TV, original Wailer Peter Tosh takes to the stage on a unicycle, before performing Johnny B.Goode, Reggae style. Sometimes, the drugs work...

I still struggle to believe the turnaround in Bradford City attendances and wider support - and that is came about *after* the Premier League fallout.

Heard the first cuckoo I've heard in years while we were cycling towards Amsterdam through the Amsterdam Bos last week. Heard another one in some woods near Gouda a couple of days later. Also saw the first storks I've ever seen, a couple of which were sitting on their nest with their chicks clearly visible.

The Times is not a national newspaper noted for its generous coverage of our game, although things have arguably improved with their more extensive use of the journalist, Ross Heppenstall. In yesterday's edition, a reference to rugby league (I am pleased to say just described as 'rugby') occurred in an unlikely part of the paper. These days, two writers share the task of contributing the daily 'Nature Notes' column and one of them, Jonathan Tulloch, is Yorkshire based; I think he lives in a village on the North York Moors. Yesterday he wrote: "The meadows of Bradford are in full bloom. Having embraced No-Mow-May, many of the city's council owned areas have become beautiful, mini-nature reserves. The sloping banks of Odsal Stadium, home to the Bradford Bulls, and one of the most historic rugby grounds in the world, are bejewelled with the pink lights of common vetch, the lemon of mouse-ear hawkweed and even the sun-coloured flowers of the whin bush...The rugby team might be currently struggling, but what other sporting venue is lit up by the spectacle of common blue butterflies dancing over its pastures, as wild bees forage?" Good stuff!