Cclay

Miss: The chestnut seller on the old Gallowgate entrance. Playing when it had snowed and not caring if everyone died. Nut crunching tackles on really cold days. Sitting on the climbing frame in the park and being able to see the old scoreboard. Sitting there all match with just this and the sound to know what was happening. Kids standing at the front by the advertising and no-one caring. Piss running down the terraces. As already mentioned, the feeling death was an instant away as everyone moved together on the terrace (and, sadly, later we learned it was). Swinging around the old crush barriers like an acrobat. Football! Don't miss: The Nazis selling their crap magazines outside the ground (and inside). Headhunters, ICF etc. Gordon Lee's Black and White Army being sung (even though I can still hear it in my head). Fencing Piss running down the terraces.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jul/28/sports-direct-staff-zero-hour-contracts

I live a few doors down from his old house (i.e. the one shown in most of the old documentaries): http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article843699.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/An++exterior++view++of++the++house++belonging++to++Manchester++United++footballer++George++Best++in++Bramhall++August++1973 ... which incidentally is just around the corner from Ronaldo's old house. A few things: 1. He was so well regarded the house had bundles of flowers outside when he died even though he hadn't live there for decades. 2. The present owner didn't dare move them. 3. A lot of women I've worked with used to bunk school to sit outside the clothes boutique he owned just in the hope he'd pop in ... (more innocent times) 4. Since I moved to Manchester in 1980, saw him drunk almost as many times as Alex Higgins ... just a case of which one went first really! 5. It was like watching a ballet when he played.

Al Swearengen http://www.rohanharris.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/6a00d83451b1b869e200e553b1b1188834-800wi.jpg cocksukah

They're definitely way more hardcore, much harder challenges with a fraction of the flopping around. As someone who coaches both, I've had a girl play on in goal with a broken wrist (and then ask to go to hospital later ... lied and played on even though she knew she'd broken it) and boys who run to their Mothers if they don't score. In general the girls deal with pain better. It was Salford though ... no shortage of hard girls!

Golaço! Portuguese for 'fantastic goal'

That testimonials (and I'm particularly thinking about Jackie Milburn's here) were real and the results were just what happened on the day ... Even a miss against Newcastle from about 2 inches out didn't disabuse me of this notion. Strangely, modern testimonials do more often seem to have real instead of manufactured results ... I also thought the same about the Harlem Globetrotters ... Life really is shit!

Whole team just walked past Cafe Nero on Deansgate (Manchester) ... got a thumbs up from Hatem and Besty All looked very relaxed!

and fuck off.....i hate the manc twat. He is shite and im still dreaming of Santon and Cissokho as our fullbacks... What on Earth is to hate about him? As someone who knows his adopted relatives ... more than may be obvious ... though arrogance would pretty much sum it up (forgetting your roots etc.) I won't say more because I respect the people who know more than me and won't cause them problems.

It is ... just past the weird Triangular pub

Do you live on those streets next to that bastarding DVLA place I spent an hour in last week? No idea. Basically, where the river is nearest to the ground I'm just there. On that note, does anyone know where the away fans are out boozing tonight? Better join in The DVLA place is in the tower block on the main road ... you wait for an hour and then they take £2000 quid from you in about 20 seconds.

Didn't hear any on the right hand side (even from the mentalists who were very loud ... lots of 'cunts' and other loud comments but nothing racist). The police were videoing and photographing a lot of stuff so I'd guess they were on to something. On another note ... nice to see such large Asian support (including the staff) given it's not exactly well known in football ... Blackburn may be a shithole (and that's also how it's though of here in the NW as well as loudly by our fans) but there's still something vaguely real about it in the age of sterile stadia (even to the point of old-fashioned obscured views behind girders). It's one of those NW B's that all involve descending into dark smoke-filled valleys.

I certainly thought the same (a few more against us than for but there were ones on both sides that were really poor in both positive / negative senses). I was sitting about 18 feet from the hauling down and it was obvious enough (if only from the 'sack of potatoes' way Ba went down).

I was hugged by a big fat sociopath and his friend fell backwards over the seats and squashed my daughter ... was kind of a weird moment.

Anonymous and little forward thrust (rather like everyone in the first half - like watching 'statues' played at school) ... Obertan - a lot of forward thrust and then often awful decisions (but at least he didn't overrun the ball like everyone else did) ... just never released it when he should have (including a run from one side of the box to the other when there were four players in the box no more than six feet away he could have slipped it to ... even a school kid would have made the pass).

Just got back and haven't read any posts yet but some thoughts ... Defending was shoddy (missed S. Taylor and Tiote) Santon looked reluctant to cross left footed Jonas - meh first half (perked up in second a bit) Obertan - learn to make correct decision please (though did more than Marveaux) Simpson and Perch were poor (Simpson more so as Perch did do a few o.k. things) ... at one point they did a synchronised backing off that was both comical and very nearly gifted a goal Midfield ... like watching a crab move sideways at times

When I taught in Salford I had quite a bit of contact with Pat Howard as he was Football Development Officer for Salford City Council ... came in to scout for the Youth Games ... to be honest he was a bit of a dick. Cantona came in to coach as well as part of his community service ... was a much better experience. Taught Roy Carroll's twin cousins ... they weren't good at football ... runs in the family.

From the highlights, aye - Krul was forced into a couple of very good saves, but it was never that. Even game by all accounts and we could've nicked it had the ninety been played, imo. The arse-kicking was more in the first half and was due to much slicker passing (especially into the channels to players who were unmarked ... both Jose and Simpson were tending to mark the inner of the two players and seemed to totally forget runners behind them. Collo was sometimes playing as the LB to cover this). Still happened in the second half but it was more like basketball (one side attacking then straight to the other as Strola and Ba worked more to head the ball on ... not pretty but meant the ball didn't bounce back all the time) ...

Thought the one Lovenkrands slid in on ... but predictably missed ... was just as good. I agree Best should have scored though ... one-on-one as their defender was lost by that point after initially looking favorite. Enrique had some suspect positioning, passing to Jonas and decision making that could easily have cost a goal ... but made up for it with the long sprint back to save an almost certain goal. Krul some top notch saves Jonas (who pisses me off more than not) looked lively (as he did at the end of last season) ... it's almost as if he realizes he might not play much this season ... made quite a few runs Jose didn't spot / find (not always due to the weather) Great rain ... not so good walking home in it though.

... as I do ... and have worked there for over 30 years so have a lot of Manchester United supporting friends. Can honestly say he's so off the radar I've never heard even one of them bother to mention him ...

Was sitting with my class drawing biomorphic forms in the playground of my school in Trafford feeling really relaxed when I asked who lived in an 'old person's cottage' that stands on its own that I've seen for years through the school fence. The kids told me a fat woman who told them she was Kevin Nolan's Grandmother once kicked their ball back to them.

Pretty much think he's a solid lad who gives his best and is happy to help out ... which is pretty bloody strange given what we know and have seen. No-one really talks about him ... either negative or positive unless asked.

Go in Puccini's any day of the week and you'll see the Manchester United lot ... great place though and a very warm welcome. Better then the shit hole Yeates which was next to it where Frank Buckley was kicked to death.

2h 48 min via Michelin 2h 56 via AA Take your pick That's Bramhall to Cullercoats Bramhall to M60 can be as little as 7 min. depending on traffic so that's still approx. 2h 40 ... take off 10 - 15 min for the Coast Road and that's about 2h 25 (which is more or less what I do it in) Chris of course would miss the Cullercoats bit out but have to add extra for schlepping through the city / Fallowfield / Chorlton (whichever way picked) to get onto Oxford Road for the MRI. All in all ... I say he took 8 hours with a short stop to give Ben Arfa some Maltesers a Sprite and a kiss before getting lost in the Chorlton Street Bus station (p)leisure oasis.

Well ... I live in Manchester (drive like a bell end when I choose) and it still takes longer than 2h 10min ... It certainly doesn't take 4 hours though (excepting stops to consider the whims of fate when crossing Saddleworth on misty nights). I suspect a stop off at Scotch Corner to buy some nibbles and a driving rug!