markeefc

If the UN/World Governments are certain that the Assad regime committed a criminal act in that they used chemical weapons in contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention then there is already a legal and proportionate course of action to be taken in that the International Criminal Court should issue an arrest warrant for Assad and anyone else they have evidence for crimes against humanity, war crimes etc.

While I realise that Syria have not signed up to to the CWC and they probably do not recognise the legitimacy of the ICC, it should not prevent the world from starting legal due process and it will send out the same sort of message to the Assad regime as bombing some installation without the likely reaction of reinforcing the middle-easts image of the West and galvanising further support behind the regime.

Lets face it in most countries, including the UK/USA/France punitive action against a criminal comes after the court case, and while it is unlikely that this will actually happen it is the right way forward. To paraphrase Cameron/Clegg et al - It is legal, proportionate and specific action

The days of the West thinking that anything can be solved by firing a £1m missile at a target to teach some rogue regime a lesson in the hope they pull into line has long past. Unfortunately we just have to let them get on with their war and try every diplomatic way of getting them to talk, although this will only probably happen when they are tired of killing.

 

 

On the first penalty, I think the Arsenal players were complaining that since Weimann had had a shot the ball couldn't be called back from the advantage.

Even if that was true, he'd still have had to send the keeper off.

Yes, the ref was perfect for that call. He played some advantage but brought it back for the penalty. It was not a red card because it didn't deny a goal scoring opportunity. Wiemann still had a shot but there was no advantage from his wide shot so he bought it back for a penalty and issued a yellow. Good refereeing.

 

Actually the referee should only caution the offending player if advantage is played and a goal is scored directly. In this case the keeper should have been sent off as he denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Mute point really as we won

I can't understand why things are so financially tight compared to other clubs that we should be at the same level as. Isd there some underlying financial predicament that we don't know about.? Are we at risk of administration? Has RL just given up?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jack-Butland-England-Team-GB-Olympic-Birmingham-City-goalkeeper-/221181429393?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14%26meid%3D5104149682943878743%26pid%3D100015%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D221181429393%26

absolute classic

new song (pinched from Pompy Fans) 'We always lose, we always lose, you're nothing special, we always lose'

(OT now) but 1 rule I have never understood why it is overlooked (and to be honest if it was enforced it would be a good thing) is obvious player obstruction when a ball is rolling out of play.

 

Why is a defender allowed to hold off a player trying to stop a ball going out for a goal kick without any attempt to play the ball? This should be penalised and it would be good for the sport as it would force the defender to do 'something' with the ball (probably try and either play it back to the keeper or stick it out for a throw).

Comes under the section about shielding the ball for tactical reasons. As long as the ball is within playing distance (and you may argue how far away from a player that is), a player can shield the ball from thier opponent.

And Lerner won't sell for 50m any time soon. I'd suspect that the price in his head is 150m pounds, maybe even 200m.

Wait until we are a Championship Club and see theclubs value tumble. However, the only way fan ownerships really work is if we adopt the model used in places like Germany.

In May I will be saying, 'WTF, your charging how much to watch a Championship game!!!!!!!'

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert: "That is the worst day of the season.

whatever you think about lambert and the previous managers we have had, the fundamental cause of our current plight is the complete capitulation by the clubs owner. Bright Future my arse. Typical American attitude, all **** talk, and when the going gets tough they **** off and leave you in the shit.

Ahhh insufficient evidence, what a surprise. He's not quite out of the woods yet as there's still an inquiry on going by the FA but assuming that finds nothing then I hope Clattenberg takes them to the cleaners and the FA come down on them like a ton of bricks.

Next step FA find there is no case for Clattenburg to answer then a phone call to the best libel counsel money can buy and take certain people to the cleaners.

Then the FA do Chelsea for failure to control their players and officials for the incident in the changing room, for which there appears to be plenty of evidence to support and I would suggest that the police would have a case for a charge of threatening behaviour because of the threat to break Clattenburgs legs.

Don't see that. The only difference from a "normal" case is that Savile isn't here to defend himself. But if he was, and he just blanket denied everything, the courts would still be able to make a decision, based on all the available evidence. As they can now.

And as Snowy says, it's not just about Savile, it's about all those associated with him, who are alive and answerable.

This is the one thing that I am really uncomfortable about in all this. If Saville was alive, the Police would not be allowed to say that he was a predatory sex offender, nor would the press be able to print untested allegation after untested allegation, until those allegations had been tested in a court of law.

While I believe that Saville probably did abuse his position, as many in the pop industry have done in the past, I still find it uncomfortable that without completing any investigation and from what I am aware, not actually having any evidence to go on, other than what people are now saying some decades after the event, that the Police, Politicians and the Press can say and print things that can not be challenged by Saville. I am not defending his alledged actions, but it just does not sit right with me.

The suspicious half of me, thinks that some people are doing an awful lot of shouting to hide any complicity they had in all of this, such as the BBC guy the other day who said he raised it with Saville but believed what he was told without taking it further, It smells like a lot of people covered in shite trying to cover their own backs.

I think the English people saying why don't they get a say are missing the point of independence though, we don't get a say because it's not us that wants to leave, it really doesn't, shouldn't and won't ever work like that.

I agree with what you are saying re the Scots voting on whether they want independence or not, but should they do so as in every divorce the other side gets the opportunity to say what they want once they part.

As we are talking about the break up of the country we live in, and all the things that go along with it, I think I have a right to indicate what is acceptable to me, which I don't think can be achieved through a normal parliamentary election.

I just think it should not be forgotten that the Act of Union affects all parts of the UK and N. Ireland but currently the politicians are only focussing on what people in one part of it want (or don't) and a proportion of my taxes are going to be spent by the British Government on a campaign against independence under the assumption, rightly or wrongly, that non-Scotland residents want a no campaign.

Theres a couple of points I want to make on this.

As an Englishman I want to know why I am not being polled on my opinion of this. People forget to recognise that this is not just about Scottish Independence but is about the dissolving of the Act of Union, which is about the most important constitutional piece of legislation on which the UK is based.

Don't get me wrong I would not be too bothered if Scotland went their own way, but this does affect more than just Scotland and I feel aggrieved that this is not being mentioned.

More practically

With regard to currency. Scotland only have two options. they can stay aligned with Sterling or they can establish their own currency. They can not take on the Euro as when/if they become an independent state, they will not be a member of the EU and will have to apply to join just like any other country, and will have to meet the stringent conditions set by the EU to do so.

Borders - as they will not be a member of the EU, then freedom of travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will have to be strictly controlled.

Also, unless the EU give special dispensation as part of the independence treaty, Scottish citizens will need to apply for a work visa to work in the UK/EU.

These are just a few of the issues the Scots really have to consider before making a decision to leave the UK.

Don't get me wrong, I am not fond of Liverpool Fans, I find them arrogant and so insular and I wish they fought for Justice for the Juve fans as much as they do for their own but I guess we can all be parochial about things.

However, the argument that its been 20 years and they should let it drop goes against human nature. If your child was killed it took 20 years to find the person responsible, you would want justice just as much as those family members of the Liverpool fans do as without some sense of Justice it is very very hard to find a way to close things emotionally.

Its a natural reaction and if, as it seems to be, that there was an institutional cover up, then it needs to be acknowledged and someone has to stand up and say 'Sorry' even if they are not personally responsible. That is the role of Government.

I suppose a bit like the City fans did after their third goal went in yesterday only more so, cus this one actually means something

The most amazing thing is that they apparently were NOT drunk when they kicked off. If they behave like that when sober, what the hell would they do if they had smelt the barmiads apron.

First things first. I think that its disgraceful that we are in a position where I am hoping that we just about escape being relegated. This is all part of how I feel more generally in that I feel lied to by RL and the club who sold me a vision for the future, that encouraged me to spend lots of my hard earned on following the team. I now feel completely disillusioned by the leadership of the club in a way I never was under Doug. Atleast you knew where you stood with him.

However I do think that we will escape relegation, not because I think we are too good to go down, we are clearly not, but based on good old fashioned statistics.

Wolves can get to 35 points, but to overtake us they have to win all of their remaining 4 games (they have only won back to back games once this season and have lost 6 of their last 7 games), us to not pick up a point in our last 5 and see a turnaround in goal difference of 27 goals. I therefore discount them from catching us.

Blackburn, because of the +15 goal difference in our favour, need to win atleast 2 of their remaining 4 games and pick up atleast draws in the other two, again with the hope that we do not pick up any points. Like Wolves they have only won back to back games once this season and have a fairly difficult last 4 games playing Chelsea and Tottenham who are fighting for CL places and also Wigan, so one or both of our relgation rivals will be dropping points in that game. While they could still catch us I think that its more likely that they will not gain sufficient points to get to 35 and reverse the goal difference over the last 4 games.

Bolton - having 6 games left they have more time left than our other relegation rivals to pick up points, but are in a similar position to Blackburn in that they have to do better than us in three of their remaining games and rely on us not picking up any more points. As with Wolves and Blackburn they have managed back to back wins once this season. Obviously our game with them will be crucial but I believe that even a draw would make their task too much and would go a long way to ensuring that we avoid the drop.

QPR - only 4 points behind and a much closer goal difference than those below them. However I think 4 words explain why I don't think they will get them - Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City. All have to face QPR and I just can't see them picking up 4 points over their remaining games which again would require us not to in our 5.

Wigan - I can see these overtaking us. They have to play two of the bottow three - Wolves and Blackburn - and as much as them picking up 6 points would help our survival hopes no end I think they will now finish above us.

Villa - 5 games to go, including a tough local derby against a team who would love to do the double on us for the first time in god knows how long, but help to send us down. However, I believe that 2 more points will make the job of Blackburn, Bolton and QPR too difficult to catch us and I think we will get these agains Bolton and Sunderland. I f we pick more than 2 points from these two games I think its 99% certain we are safe.

I admit that this is as much theoretical as anybody elses opinion and we could see a complete change in form from all of the teams below us, but the way things have gone this season, it would be a change of fairly epic proportions.

However, despite being as confident as I can be that we will be safe, to finish the season with less than 40 points, which I think will be our lowest points total in the Premiership, with so few home wins ( our away record is not that bad to be honest even if our form has been shite), is disgraceful.

However as ever Come on you Lions, UTV, VTID (sometimes when it comes to Villa I think I must be mad. I wouldn't put up with feeling like this in any other part of my life)

Where, over a period of time, an offender has evaded tax, they must not only pay the tax and pay a financial penalty but a custodial sentence should also be imposed.

The length of the sentence will depend on a number of factors including:

the amount of tax evaded; quite a bit in 'Arrys case

the period of time during which the evasion took place; several years apparently

the effort made to conceal the fraud; quite alot

whether others were drawn in and corrupted; I would say so

the character of the offender; we all know what that is

the extent (if known) of his personal gain; again quite alot

whether the offender pleaded guilty; I think he is sunk

the amount recovered.

I think this is what HMRC would classify as a serious case of tax evasion and that if found guilty Happy 'Arry may be watching the remainder of the season on his government provided telly in his cell with Psycho George the Arsenal fan

I thought I would check out Liverpools official website for any reference to an Anti-Racism/Equality Policy.

Having heard all the comments coming out of Anfield over the last few weeks and having read this, it shows just how much Liverpool FC are a complete bunch of hypocites who clearly do not believe in the ethos they put out.

http://tinyurl.com/bns8k2c

I was going to write a damning piece on the most abject performance I think I have ever seen from a Villa team, but like the players last night, I CAN'T BE BOTHERED!!!!!!

There will be a lot of people out there with twitchy arses wondering and waiting from a knock on the door early in the morning, unless of course the Met tip them off first for a few quid.

Acting chairman Peter Pannu insists Birmingham are in a sound financial position after flying to Hong Kong for talks with owner Carson Yeung who has been charged with five counts of money-laundering involving £59million.

Yeung has been released on bail of £558,000 until the next hearing on August 11, ordered to surrender his travel documents and report regularly to police. The shares of Birmingham's holding company, Grandtop International Holdings, have been suspended, but Pannu is adamant the charges are not related to the midlands club.

He said: "I've had it explained to me that the charges relate to the 2001-2007 period. That is two years before Carson invested in this club so there is no connection there. The finances are okay. I'm flying out to Hong Kong and will be able to tell you more when I come back."

Pannu has tried to allay the fears of supporters after another setback following relegation from the Barclays Premier League and the loss of manager Alex McLeish to local rivals Aston Villa.

He said: "The fans have nothing to worry about. Understandably the fans are worried about this. But this has got nothing to do with the club and there is no impact on the operations over here. I've spoken on a couple of occasions to Carson and his lawyers and they have assured me there is no link whatsoever."

Yeung bought a 29.9% stake in City four years ago during the summer of 2007. He took full control of the Carling Cup winners midway through the 2009-10 season in an £81million takeover from David Sullivan and David Gold.

Birmingham's relegation means they will now come under the jurisdiction of the Football League, but they are reluctant to make any public comment on the matter while the case is ongoing.

A Football League spokesman said: "We are monitoring the situation. We cannot comment further than that."

Pannu is still anticipating members of Birmingham's backroom staff following McLeish to Villa Park. Joint first-team coach Peter Grant is amongst those staff expected to follow McLeish across the city.

Pannu said: "I've got a lot of legal issues with Villa to sort out. There are two (assistant) managers who still want to go across to Villa."

Daily post

I don't know how Pingu can say it doesn't affect the club as the holding company are basically in limbo and who knows where CY got the money to purchase the club from porno dwarf and the Pig in the Mud.

If it turns out it was illegal money then I can imagine the Chines/Hong Kong authorities would try and sieze the shit as a saleable asset.

"The law says a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

if ever their was a statement of a guilty person its that

and wasn't Pingu the one who said we were clearly guilty of tapping up McLeish because someones uncles brother had maybe seen a plane that may or may not have been transporting RL to an island that may or may not have been Corsica!!!!