TheBrownBottle

100% - to add to your point, here’s a map of the countries where the punishment for being born homosexual can be as extreme as the death penalty (and of course the map of countries where persecution exists is depressingly much, much larger):

Opening the legitimate routes allows for the closing of the dangerous routes; one leads to the other. I don’t doubt that you’re ok for both to occur (I just disagree re the order of events), but that’s not the intent of the vicious fuckers in govt at the minute. They know they’ve shut down the safe and legitimate routes and forced people into those small boats, and now they’re attacking the victims of their own policies. It’s the Tory way - along with their good mates in the Mail, Sun, Telegraph etc. Blame the victims of their actions for the consequences. It’s evil stuff, and it’s also not a coincidence that they’re doing this when their poll numbers are in the toilet. They’re hoping for the great gammon resurgence to save them.

If you’re going to a country to claim asylum, you don’t have a visa. So therefore what does it matter whether you arrive on a small boat or in a plane? It has zero bearing on the ‘legitimacy’ of your claim for asylum. It’s likely just the means of crossing the Channel, given that the UK has arrangements with France to stop people crossing the Channel via safer means. The UK has forced these people into dangerous routes to enter and claim asylum. It’s a fucking travesty and needs to be stopped. Btw, allowing asylum seekers to safely cross the Channel would have the added benefit of stopping them trying via small boats - and would expose the economic migrants from Albania etc immediately. The problem with that of course is the vast, vast portion of the public which is narrow-minded bigots won’t allow this, as ultimately they don’t want anyone coming in. And definitely not actual asylum seekers, who are likely to have a different pigmentation to them.

There’s something really depressing about grown adults from Britain using the term ‘woke’ as an insult.

They’re coming in boats because the others routes are closed. If you want to stop people risking their lives you need to do the opposite of what you’re saying.

Yep. Asylum seekers, by definition, do not have an entry visa into the UK. They claim asylum on arrival. The Tories’ proposals would effectively mean that the UK would be able to take zero asylum seekers.

The BBC reckons 28% of the ‘small boats’ migrants are from Albania https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-63473022.amp Not a majority - I can see why they call you ‘the Leap’, Wyn

Hilarious as MM was blowing smoke up Daz ‘Chinky’ (?) Curry’s arse for the London booze cruises for NUFC away fans. Curry was called out on the Sunderland plane shite because 1) it’s shit ‘top bantz’ wank and 2) the fucker was doing it knowing full well it was likely to be young Bradley Lowery’s final game. He kept offering to ‘meet’ people who criticised it and questioned their supporter credentials. Curry is a self-appointed Uber fan who can only respond to people by saying that ‘I haven’t seen you at an away game’ to any cunt he doesn’t know personally. Mainly because the thick twat doesn’t understand NUFC has a couple of thousand of away regulars, most of whom won’t really recognise each other unless they have a very distinct appearance. A pair of self-aggrandising bores who like nothing more than telling others how their fucking hobby should be consumed. edit: the man with the ‘hilarious’ racist nickname is absolutely correct in pretty much everything he said in that thread for me btw, other than the usual wank about ‘not seeing them at away games’. The daft test actually thinks he gets to decide on someone’s fan status if their face registers.

I wouldn’t want that to happen because it would represent a victory for the tiresome culture war twats on the populist right, but does anyone really tune in to MOTD to hear Lineker and Shearer talk on a couch?

First - where’s your source re ‘the majority’ of them being Albanian? Also - it’s not a good idea to mix up economic migrants who’ve entered without a visa with people seeking refuge. The changes to the law effectively block any asylum seekers arriving in the UK. It’s a breach of international law - there’s no two ways about it. Per gbandit’s comment, there’s no requirement at all to ‘seek asylum in the first country you arrive in’. Might be best not to get your news from racist groups on facebook

We’ve had three seasons with sub-20,000 crowds post-war. They’re fucking nut cases.

They don’t talk about politics on the show - why would they need to do that? Breaking international law and treating people seeking asylum like vermin is beyond politics. It’s humanitarian position - the BBC does Comic and Sports Relief and no-one moans on that they are political.

It’s not their most popular show - not by a long chalk. It usually pulls in around 2.5-3m viewers. Canny enough for a football highlights programme, but it’s nowhere near as many who watch, say, Call the Midwife. I find myself in an odd position with all of this. The BBC is a Good Thing generally but is wrong in their actions here. Lineker is absolutely correct in what he said. Match of the Day is an institution. But in all honesty, I can’t sit down and watch pundits talking shite during full games or highlights shows. I don’t watch pre- or post match and usually do something else at half time; though I realise this isn’t what everyone wants to do and there are those who enjoy this element. There is a joy to the highlights being on YouTube these days - I just watch those and avoid the waffle of ex pros telling me what I can see with my own eyes; I find it hard to believe that there is much to be learned from Shearer, Wright or Richards. If I was still in the UK, MOTD just showing the highlights and with PL worldwide commentators would do for me - with a short voice over to explain the context of the match and the table. Just find a new Tim Gudgin to do it. I also think that MOTD (or at least the PL highlights rights package - roughly £70m per year) is hard to justify in terms of cost vs number of viewers - particularly with public money.

Ashley the genius businessman. It’s extraordinary to me that the deal was signed in 2021 - months before the takeover was finalised (and was clearly ongoing in the background) - yet no-one on the buyers’ side seems to have told Ashley that signing such a shithouse deal might be damaging. Still, you can guarantee people will be hoying over the wedge for the shite that Castore pumps out over the next few years, giving the club little to no extra income but ensuring that Castore makes a mint. That’ll show ‘em

The reason they’re there is because of the dogshit recruitment strategy of Mike Ashley. Lewis for one hasn’t shown he’s a PL class footballer to date.

West Brom are a much bigger and grander club than those three tbf. Attendance and average position-wise they’re a natural top flight club. Norwich’s ‘natural’ home is the second division, and Watford & Reading’s are below that.

100%

Agreed - though that doesn’t preclude a sale

Players leaving doesn’t worry me one iota. This is a very different club to Ashley’s - I’d be confident that any player leaving would do so because it is also in the club’s interest; this would be akin to those divvies questioning Keegan on the Cole sale. The vast, vast majority of players leave clubs at some point - I’m not so sure that the assumption that players signed at present will definitely be here in 3-4 years time holds. If Bruno stays, great, if he goes - he’ll be replaced. I can’t see the club selling for less than £80-90m, and I’m not convinced anyone is paying that for him at the moment. I also don’t think the lad is looking to leave at the moment. Next season is likely to be a big one - if we don’t kick on, I can see some of the first batch of players looking to move on.

You don’t need xG to tell anyone that. Someone sat noting ‘that’s a chance … that’s a half chance … I reckon you score that one one in ten times …’ is obviously qualitative.

Again, that tells me that the ‘xG’ stuff is a right load of shite. Qualitative not quantitative yet it’s used as a statistical proof of chances created.

It’s the little moments of almost achieving self-awareness I love: ’I don't care, do you think the mags wouldn't be calling it out if the shoe was on the other foot? It's wrong morally, ethically and financially’ All they have to do is finish the thought; what would be the point of us calling them out on it, if they had all abandoned SAFC after their KSA takeover due to the terrible ethical dilemma they’d no doubt put themselves through? The SOS would be empty. We’d have no-one to point fingers at. Or is it the case that they’d all be there …

I agree generally, though plenty of the Engish / British players are; the problem is that European football competitions have a homegrown quota. That’s why the big clubs spunk daft sums on young English players who then rot on their bench for half a decade before they wash up in the lower reaches of the PL / second division. If Gordon is Croatian, Polish or Portuguese he’s a £15-20m player - you pay a significant uplift on young local talent. But you also have to do that - and to be fair, Howe is someone as likely as anyone to sculpt them into the best player they can be.

Must win and we will win. Not sure about the score, and it probably will be tight - but at some point a team is going to get a right fucking thumping off us, as there will be a game where all or most of the chances are taken

Hahahahahaha