HawkMan

Reading this it is does seem Dover will be in the NL next season. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/sport/dover-athletic-hit-with-points-deduction-and-fine-244591/ I'm not sure quite what grounds Grimsby and Southend have for appealing. Two are going down as EFL competition rules and two coming up. They obviously are desperately clutching at straws, if no one was coming up then yes, but the NL fulfilled their season obligations , what goes on at the bottom of the NL doesn't effect the arrangement at the top of the NL and bottom of the EFL. Reading the Dover chairman's comments a few weeks back, the NL restarted after a government bail out which guaranteed funds until end of December, on the assumption that crowds would then come back. That didn't happen and the NL asked clubs to continue with loaned money, Dover chairman stated Dover FC has never been in debt and never will get into debt just to complete an irrelevant season with no relegation, ( they were already out of the picture for promotion). He sent their loaned players back to their parent clubs, leaving them with insufficient numbers to complete fixtures, a deliberate policy to force themselves out of playing, hence the penalty and fine. Edit- recalculation- 24 started NL, Macclesfield and Dover dropped out, leaving 22, two up, two down, plus Dover's return means 23 next season.

Two are coming down from EFL, two going up, and no relegation from National League meaning 22 will contest next season. Dover's position is uncertain, they are still hoping to be in NL next season. The latest news is that they will have a 12 point penalty and £40,000 fine, but won't get relegated. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/sport/dover-athletic-hit-with-points-deduction-and-fine-244591/

Don't forget tonight Norwich's number 1 celeb is back. Alan Partridge AH HAA!!

As a Spurs fan I feel that Manchester City have already bagged the League Cup, got no confidence in Mourinho. His last chance I feel to get a trophy at Spurs. Next season either Herr Nagelsmann or Flick will be at the Lane.

Norwich back in the Premier League, fantastic, that's one of next season's relegation places sorted.

Wouldn't say this was best cover version, but interesting certainly. New Musik version of The Beatles All You Need Is Love. And also unusually came up with their own composition and called it All You Need Is Love. Both on the album Warp.

Lampard sacked !! WTF Amazing decision, I can only assume that Tuchel being available was a factor.

I have listened to Big Finish Melanie Bush / McCoy stories and she isn't too bad in that, but season 24 doesn't do much to showcase her undoubted talents. But I can't imagine any actress making Mel work, the character is just a pain. Dragonfire was good and Delta was quite entertaining. Luckily I don't have a bluray player or I'd be spending loads too.

Ah....these were the days.

.I understand your points John, maybe I'm just an old fogey, who BTW is a fan of 70's/80's tv generally, but a lot of us older fans have a problem with the current version of the show. The imagination going into the stories are great, the fx terrific, the preachiness is a tad OTT but of course the original show had this sort of political undercurrents in stories such as Green Death, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, and Monster of Peladon, but the story was the main thing, the message was not all consuming, but this isn't the issue . The characterisation of The Doctor has altered drastically, gone are the days of the mysterious and unknown traveller turning up on various planets, helping out with companions in awe of the adventures they were having. Now the Doctor is the saviour of the Universe, a legend, armies turn back at the mention of The Doctor. Companions like the dreaded Clara , egocentric who fit in their travels with the Doctor in between their boring personal lives, that apparently the writers think we are all interested to know about. Also classic aliens have been revived and ruined IMO. Silurians, Ice Warriors, and omg the Cybermen, now devoid of any character, just emotionless robots. The Cybermen of Earthshock might be a bit too emotional, but you were reminded of the fact that remnants of people were inside the metallic casings. The Sontarans have now been turned into figures of fun. The Master a brilliant creation realized by Delgado is now a panto villain. Has new Who brought back any classic element and improved it? Oh well, I'll watch it , because it is STILL better than most other rubbish on tv in science fiction genre, I just hope Blake's 7 my other love isn't revived, that would be too much.

I started this thread and I.love the show. Classic Who is my thing and I've probably seen every episode a dozen times. As for the new series started 2005, well I've watched every episode and have the dvd box sets, and enjoyed the first four to five years, but it has increasingly become a slog to get through it all. I'm halfway through Whittaker's second season so haven't watched the recent special, but am not expecting much. A good gauge is the Planet Mondas forum, like TRL forum, run by diehards, committed fans of the show. The most popular score that the recent special got on their poll was 0 yes 0 out of 10. The ratings compared to other shows on at the same time are not bad, but this is still the lowest rated Dr Who festive story to date ,half of even Capaldi's last one which wasn't so long ago. I'll reserve judgement till I see it, but the show is slowly dying IMO.The xmas special is certainly no longer a must see family event.

No disrespect to the Sheffield United players, but they can really only play the Chris Wilder way. They're simply not good enough to play expansive football, so a new manager would have to be given funds for new players in January, if not they may as well stick with Wilder.

PSG needed nothing tonight to top the group other than a win. Goal difference is irrelevant in United's exit or PSG topping the group. PSG beat Leipzig 1-0 at home and lost 2-1 away, therefore winning head to head on away goals. If PSG lost tonight 25-0 United would still be out, and a narrow 1-0 win and they'd still top the group.

What you are missing is that goal difference doesn't count. In the CL.it is head to head to decide between teams tied on points. United won 2-1 in Paris, PSG won 3-1 at O.T. If PSG had won 2-1 at OT then aggregate and away goals would be identical, then goal difference would count. The principle behind this is a very good one, if two teams tie on points it should be decided by who did better between the two teams when they met rather than who scored more against the group's no hopers for instance.

Something odd, according to the BBC website Qatar beat Bangladesh 5-0 in world Cup qualifying. Don't they qualify as hosts?

BBC should get Robbie Savage doing the draw regularly, some real eye catching ties. Marine vs Spurs , hope that's on tv. Draw in full Huddersfield Town v Plymouth Argyle Southampton v Shrewsbury Town Chorley v Derby County Marine v Tottenham Hotspur Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace Stockport County v West Ham United Oldham Athletic v Bournemouth Manchester United v Watford Stevenage v Swansea Everton v Rotherham Nottingham Forest v Cardiff Arsenal v Newcastle Barnsley v Tranmere Rovers Bristol Rovers v Sheffield United Canvey Island/Boreham Wood v Millwall Blackburn Rovers v Doncaster Stoke City v Leicester Wycombe v Preston Crawley v Leeds Burnley v MK Dons Bristol City v Portsmouth QPR v Fulham Aston Villa v Liverpool Brentford v Middlesbrough Manchester City v Birmingham Luton v Reading Chelsea v Morecambe Exeter v Sheffield Wednesday Norwich v Coventry Blackpool v West Brom Newport County v Brighton Cheltenham v Mansfield

I haven't trawled through these pages, so I don't know if this has been mentioned, but for me Corn Whisky is tops. Genuine old style wild west gulping whisky. Luckily I can get it from a specialist shop in London's Old Compton Street, very hard to get, and at about £30 a bottle is expensive but worth it. 50% alc (100 proof)

QUIZ Can you name all 24 Champions of English football top flight ? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54922518

The ratings don't lie.

1. Tom Baker- the definitive Doctor 2. John Pertwee- agree , a legend 3. Patrick Troughton- good stories, really defined who the Doctor should be. Every Doctor since has had some Troughton-ness about him, bar Whittaker. 4. Peter Capaldi- a good Doctor let down by poor stories, best of NuWho. 5.Peter Davison - very engaging and an interesting portrayal. 6. Sylvester McCoy- loved his dark and mysterious mode in seasons 25 and 26. Not the best of acting but he sold the audience the role . 7.Paul McGann - heard a lot of his Big Finish audio stuff, and he could have been another Tom Baker given the chance. I recommend the audiobooks, he plays The Doc very well, he has a real presence and that's difficult in audio. 8. William Hartnell - the original, so kudos to him, difficult to judge as his stories haven't aged well. 9.David Tennant - not a fan, too human, and so oh so touchy feely 10. Chris Eccleston- I just have trouble seeing any Doctor qualities in his character. Damaged by the Time War, but he just didn't gel for me. 11. Colin Baker - like no.8 I've listened to a lot of his audio stories and really liked them, but his tv material was pretty dire. Too bullying and just suffocates the life out of Peri's character. 12. Matt Smith, - this is really where NuWho lost me. Meandering rubbish, arcs of no sense at all, and Smith like a whirlwind just playing it like a teenage Doctor. 13. Jodie Whittaker- well, actually her stories are at least coherent if dull, and preachy, and she is scatter brained in true Doctor fashion, but I just can't buy the Doctor being female. She'd make a good Romana, with her own series, I'd watch that.

I'm slowly going through the latest season of Who, series 12, and yes I do know what's going to happen in the finale, and I'm dreading watching it. Meanwhile I just watched Praxeus, a 50 minute lecture on the peril of plastic pollution. Here's a really funny review of this episode by Youtuber Dr Az. His review certainly more enjoyable than the episode itself. Beware : swearing abounds.

Next up hopefully will be Evil if the Daleks, please, or Abominable Snowman. Mentioned this earlier, but if you're not following Marie Claire on YouTube, you really should. A vid for every episode. It's such a joy seeing a young person enjoying classic Who. Her latest video below.

Surely the end for Philip Cocu ? Bottom of the league with Wayne Rooney, that takes talent.

Your lads let you down, little chance of relegation now, top of the league who'd have thought it. Proper football against Swindon will wait a bit particularly as Swindon already look out of their depth in league 1.