Mate, my dad was a miner at the time of the miners’ strike and I supported him through thick and thin. We did the fund raising things and arranged all sorts of stuff to support the miners. I hated Thatcher as much as the next man and will certainly shed no tears when the old cow finally decides to do the decent thing and die.

Now then, my dad (who was a die-hard Latics fan) sadly isn’t with us anymore, but he was immensely proud of me when in 1989 I joined the police. I joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1989 and 3 years ago left to take up a similar position in Western Australia Police. My dad was an ex miner, life member of the Labour Party, former steward of a labour club and a high ranking union official and he didn’t consider all police officers to be w@nkers. Quite the opposite actually. He was very proud of my chosen profession.

I’m sure you consider yourself a true, fine upstanding Wiganner. Well Sir, your comments just go to show that you are not fit to lace the boots of one of the greatest Wiganners ever to set foot on this planet, my dad. Just because someone is a police officer instantly makes them a w@nker does it ?

I appreciate there are many knobs who wear blue and I won’t stand for any stupidity dealt out by those who should know better. I’ve been badly treated by coppers both at home games and away games and have let those in positions to do something about it know.

So in a nutshell, don’t tar us all with the same brush. I’m sure in your line of work there are some w@nkers but that doesn’t make every man jack one and the same does it ?

And now we’re 1 – nil down. My mood just got worse.

Cheers all,

Ian.

That’ll be the West Coast Eagles. Currently bottom of the AFL league (sorry – Ladder).

Nothing. In 4-5-1 that is. None of the players do. Moses didn’t know what marking was yesterday, and I still don’t think Rodallega makes a good inside forward on the left wing.

Face it Bobby we’ve lost N’Zogbia so the only benefit we had playing 4-5-1 is gone. Play 4-4-f***ing-2 and watch the improvement in your two top strikers. Because our forwards are class on their day, but they both need to be up together. Christ, even when Scotland was playing with Rodallega in (what seemed like) 4-4-2 he was holding the ball up well for him to make himself dangerous in the box.

I saw Boselli trying to do the same yesterday, but there was NOBODY making runs ahead of him.

Swallow your pride, and remember that we’re not Barcelona.[/quote]

Well said Sir.

In a weird sort of way I actually think yesterday was worse than Canvey Island.

I take my hat off to everyone who continues to pay good money to watch displays like yesterdays, week in and week out. I was back in the UK a couple of weeks ago and had a walk around the stadium. I don’t mind admitting that I got a little bit emotional. It was my first visit back home since emigrating 3 years ago and I realised how much I missed “my” team. In a few weeks the season would start and I’d be missing being at the ground, again. Having watched almost every game live on Foxtel last season I was convinced that we couldn’t get any worse. Sadly,last night,we actually looked worse than last season (with the notable exception of Stam). Misplaced passes, 2nd to the ball, incredibly poor set pieces and what appeared to be a total lack of passion was evident all over the pitch. The icing on the cake was when the Australian commentators on Foxtels version of MOTD started laughing and taking the p!ss out of us. Wonderful.

I was in Malaga when we played Portsmouth away in our first Premier League Season. Watching it on the TV in a bar owned by an Everton supporter we went 1-0 up. Having scored we kept running and running at Portsmouth. The owner of the bar said to me “you lot just don’t understand this premier league thing do you? You score, you’re meant to sit back for a while and protect your lead.You lot are playing like you did in the Championship.You’ll get hammered”. I remember watching some great attacking football that year and apart from a copule of 4 nils I don’t recall getting really “hammered”. I know times have changed and I know we have to adapt but yesterday Blackpool played like we did in our first season in the Premier League.

They just don’t get this Premier League thing do they ?

Incredibly well put that man.

http://mauritiushotelsmu.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/beart.jpg

From a purely selfish viewpoint Australia would be good, and more specifically Perth would be better ! Fulham and Wolves managed it last year so why not us ? Although ME Bank Stadium isn’t quite in the league of the San Siro……….

The Ashes and The Latics in one year. My sporting re-education of the Colonials would be almost complete (they still call the league table “The EPL Ladder”……..).

Contacts at The Royal Perth Yacht Club ? If you count having a brew overlooking it then yes I have connections ! Yachting and an ex Norley Haller. A natural connection if I ever heard one !

No salt required here, it’s going to be 35 degrees in Perth today (it’s already Christmas Day here). Nice as that may sound, I do miss the cold. Just a bit…….

All the best to one and all from down under.

Ian.[/quote]

flippin heck ian ive been on that road that you have used for your avatar pic,i went on a visit to the margaret river winery’s, and once spent new years eve in manjimup god that was a one horse hick town -but that was nearly 20 years ago.[/quote]

It’s not changed. Was there last week. The horse is till there as are the hicks !