tonyXIII

Hmmm. I checked it out on YouTube. Not my style of music, but interesting, nonetheless. Thanks again.

Thanks, John. Some of those street scenes were very reminiscent of the streets where I grew up (Moston & Harpurhey). Made me feel quite nostalgic.

Well done to both finalists! But you are still among the 'lesser lights' from either side of the hills, as are my lot, even after two finals in the last five years. It still leaves Wigan, Saint Helens, Warrington (except this year, it seems) and Leeds as the real title contenders. As for your second paragraph, may I suggest a visit to Specsavers? Disclaimer. My posts offer no intended offence to anyone.

I don't think it is strange or that it amounts to a conspiracy. It's simple statistics. West of the Pennines, there are three teams competing. Warrington, Wigan and St. Helens. If one has a bad year, the other two still compete. East of the Pennines, there is now only one team which regularly competes at the top of the table, Leeds. Apologies to my friends in West Hull, but FC only compete occasionally these days and Wakefield and Castleford are mid-table at best. Therefore, if Leeds have a bad year, there is no one to pick up the baton. Simple, really.

Thanks for the updates, John.

Ha! This game's got nowt to do with thee!

I thought all the SL teams were "a bit of a bogey side" for you this year.

Well done England. One more game. You can do it.

Netball can be an interesting game to watch for about 10 minutes, and not just for the long legs and short skirts. IIRC, the rules are a bit fiddly. You're not allowed to take a step while holding the ball (makes the players pass the ball on very quickly). You're not allowed to prevent a player from taking a shot at the net (means there is no point in sending a tall player to stop an opponent's shot). Players are restricted to which part of the court they can play in (means defenders can't attack and attackers can't defend). It's at least 40 years since I had any involvement in netball, so the rules may have changed. My involvement was as a student, when us boys took on the girls - we got slaughtered - and as a teacher when I occasionally covered as second umpire in 'tournaments'.

Not at the moment, we're not! (Salford)

No need for an apology, mate. On the deviltalk prediction thread, I had Catalans by 12 points. I should have gone for 42. If you've got half an hour, check out the Deviltalk website. The meltdown on there is both immense and hilarious. Half a dozen wins and some fans think we're set for a GF win, half a dozen defeats and those same fans think we'll implode like that poor submarine. Keep well, OF. And keep smiling. Like me.

Well done, Leigh. Now go on and win the cup!

Ha, ha. That is the funniest joke ever on here. Am I missing something?

I was going to post something similar but, as usual, you beat me to it. He used to be quite good.

Hopefully not!

Good bye, David. You were pretty good for a Swinton fan. I even forgave you for calling Salford, "the Pinks". Thanks for the banter. RIP.

Thanks, OF. That's more like it!

Are you going for 8? Or even 16?

YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Done it! Won it!

So let them walk. In fact, tell them to persist off. You can't negotiate with blackmailers. If our income falls, then we just have to cut our cloth according to our means. Money is important, but I value my soul a lot higher.

Well said, Tommy.

I've never been a fan of Sky. I think they squeeze every drop they can from SL. If we had someone who knew how to run a TV channel, I would say, "Bin Sky and do our own thing." I never hear anyone talk about Freeview. How much would it cost to run our own channel, raise our own advertising revenue and take control of our own destiny? It's fta, so should mean more possible viewers.

Not at all. They just have to work out the combination of the lock.

For John, I used to want United relegating again and again until they disappeared off the face of the Earth. I'm older now and I realise that, without United, the Premier League would not hold the same interest for a City fan, and vice versa (though the 'entitled' United fans may not realise it!). Now is our time and I'm going to damn well enjoy it, just as I am enjoying Salford's recent resurgence.

I'm not sure there are that many "die hard" City fans. I've been a "City fan" for more than 60 years and I went for a meal with my wife and friends. Fifty years ago, I remember City fans enjoying a good old laugh at the latest antics of the team. I just don't think City fans are 'tribal'. I do confess that I now consider myself a Salford fan rather than a City fan. I prefer rugby league to soccer, but I still enjoy it when City win.