Would like to see the rule they had in Serie A in the 90s where by four foreigners per squad with only 3 allowed to play a game in football. Not sure how it lies with euopean employment law or whatever but it has to be the way to develop the talent in our country. If that is a no goer then penalise unsportsmanlike behaviour and make it effective.

Think the reverse would be more effective, let teams use whoever they want in any format. Would stop man city etc buying english to line their bench.


Should get rid of all the federations from boxing and have a more natural system for who should fight who.

I would ban elements of the media that peddle myths which bear no resemblance to the facts and then are lapped up  by punters as a truth and shape an erroneus perception which is repeatedly regurgitaed in social media and internet forums.

Case in point is City buy English to line their bench. Really? Since the takeover nearly 7 years ago only 2 young  and established English have been bought by City and not used and one of them was a sicknote.

Or just make up stats to make a point. What about all the players they have failed to release, like lescott, or paid far too much so they end up running their deal?

Chose a great word to misspell there as well.

Lescott, Barry, Milner all had successful careers at the club. Richards was made of glass and is far inferior to Zabaleta. Remember though that Richards picked up 12 caps for England whilst in our first team a few years ago. Hart plays week in week out. Johnson showed promise but couldn't follow Mancini's tactics and also had a penchant for the Manchester nightlife. To get £12m for him was a great deal for us. Setting the world alight at Sunderland? Hardly. Rodwell might have got more of a look in had he remained fit. Also at Sunderland, also not a world beater. Sinclair, well yes that's the one that will always baffle. Blame Marewood for that!

But yes, let's all take the tabloid pieces as gospel. Clearly Man City are at fault for England being shit for the last 40 years.

Back on topic, I'd probably sack off the national team.

Was gonna ask if there were any Fulham fans about who could perhaps tell us more about him. General consensus seems to be that he's a shit hot prospect....

The Rodwell one would have failed an autograph medical.

Delph won't start every week, but very few players at City do play week in week out. Take away Silva and Aguero, and the rest are pretty much fighting amongst themselves for a starting place. Toure used to be a no brainer pick every game but age is catching up with him and his slot in the team is probably as much up for grabs as Fernandinho's, Nasri's are etc etc.

I think it's an astute signing for us, what with Milner and Lampard leaving this summer. With Sterling also on board, we could certainly line up this coming season with that bit more pace and younger, fresher legs. I think/hope Sterling comes out all guns blazing as there will be plenty of attention on him.

Can understand why Villa fans might be miffed, esp with the Benteke situation happening simultaneously, but Delph, like Sterling, doesn't owe anything to anyone. I admire a player like Maldini, but he was the exception.

sheff wed prices for championship football this season

look at the prices for cat d and above!

Jesus! You can get a season ticket at Man City for less than 6 adult Cat A south stand tickets at Wednesday.....

to gauge opinion

West Ham United v Leicester City

Away tickets are £45 each

last season they were £25


is £45 for an adult ticket

too much?

about right?

too little?


of course i think it is extortionate, but i suppose it won't stop too many going

but what do you think?

Just speculating, but reckon West Ham are gonna milk this season for away fans, with it being the last year at Upton Park.....get the suckers to pay an extra 20 quid for nostalgic reasons....

If they are charging Leicester 45 quid, I dread to think how much they will charge the top 6 clubs!

The cost of away tickets has gone crazy. I know on a couple of occasions last season, there was talk of a boycott on various Man City forums (most noticeably for Arsenal away where they wanted £66 iirc), but the product is so desirable that its gonna be nigh on impossible to get a meaningful boycott. We're just as bad, sometimes charging your average PL team £50 to come to Eastlands, but at least they get to see some quality players for that price

Saw City away at Bayern Munich in December '13, ticket was just 35e to watch 2 quality teams, in a fantastic stadium, in the greatest club competition in the world. And we bloody won!

Comical quite in today's Times.

Raheem Sterling was asked what attracted him to City, as he signed a contract that will earn him £180,000 per week.

Ah come on Tikay!

Yes, he'll be getting paid very handsomely, just like every quality player in the PL. But I think it's about time the stigma attached with signing for City these days was dropped. The question isn't 'why would Sterling leave Liverpool for City?', it's 'why wouldn't he leave Liverpool for City?'. He can play Champions League football every year, have a genuine chance of winning medals, and hone his skills alongside the likes of Silva, Toure and Aguero.

I'm not naïve, I'm sure he's licking his lips at earning so much money, but joining City at this moment in time means so much more than just an extra zero or 2 on your wage slip.

We had it with Nasri, where people questioned the move despite him winning bugger all at Arsenal, and then wins the double in his first season with us. We'll have it with Sterling, and probably other future signings, part and parcel of being filthy rich I guess, but if people dug a little deeper instead of towing the tired media line, they'd see just how appealing a move to Manchester is at present and beyond.

Good to have you back on UK soil btw

How much different is Vegas over winter time?

A mate wants to go in Jan/Feb time, and I'm very interested in joining him. I've only ever been from May through September time, so am a little in the dark as to just how different it could be from the summer months.

Any info/advice regarding the climate, the poker (guessing games will still be in swing in most places?), hotel facilities that may close at that time, any events that are worth swerving etc would be much appreciated. 

More please. And don't leave it a week between posts!

Looks like I was $100m out with his fortune before....

When superstars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao face off on May 2, one of the wealthiest people in the ring won’t have to take a punch to earn his pay check.

According to ABC news, in 2009 Michael Buffer had a net worth of over $400 million:

“By trademarking his catchphrase, Buffer has generated over $400 million in revenue, selling the rights to music, video games, merchandise and while making personal appearances. His business venture is so successful, Buffer doesn’t even have to say his catchphrase to make money. He makes more from the trademark than he does announcing in the ring.”

Philadelphia, PA native Buffer, who usually makes between $25,000 and upwards of $100,000 per appearance, has been paid up to one million dollars for a night’s work.

“It’s become lucrative for me now,” Buffer, 70 years old, told boxing-monthly. “I came up with a catchphrase that’s become a trademark that has turned into a business all its own, so I’m blessed in that way. “

He also beat throat cancer back in 2008, which is pleasingly ironic.

One that surprised me recently when I read up about him.....the guy who has the boxing catch phrase ''Let's get ready to rumble''. Think he was worth $300m when I looked. His (presumably less wealthy) brother has a similar gig in UFC.

Nice work if you can get it.

Jesus. Played poker with that guy.

Utter dick.

Did he make his money as an announcer or is he wealthy some other way?

Seems his catchphrase has got him the lot! He had it trademarked in 1992, and obviously it has appeared in many things from adverts to albums to computer games. Been announcing boxing matches since the early 80's (plus for a few years in WCW), so I'm sure that has pocketed him a fair few quid, but seems the bulk of his wealth is due to that 5 word sentence ultimately.

Michael Buffer is his name fwiw.

One that surprised me recently when I read up about him.....the guy who has the boxing catch phrase ''Let's get ready to rumble''. Think he was worth $300m when I looked. His (presumably less wealthy) brother has a similar gig in UFC.

Nice work if you can get it.

Loving the snaps and write ups Tikay.

Have you been to Australia? Some rather epic train journeys there! I took the Indian-Pacific from Sydney to Perth a few years ago when I was backpacking down under. It was certainly a experience, probably not one I'd repeat (like bungee jumping!), but glad I did it instead of flying. 72 hours of rolling Outback, kangeroos, and stories from this lovely old Aussie gent who was sat next to me.

About half way through the journey, the train stops at what is a now ghost town called Cook. It used to be a thriving little community, with all the things you'd expect to see like a school, church, few shops etc, but gradually people migrated to more urban environments. If memory serves me right (it was 2010 when I was there), there was literally just a handful of people still living there, maybe 5 or 6, and they relied on the Indian-Pacific to drop essentials off twice weekly on its way through Cook. Very eye opening experience indeed, to see people choosing (I guess) to live in the middle of nowhere in what is a very developed country.

The Indian-Pacific also has the longest stretch of straight track anywhere in the world, think it was out towards Perth way in WA.

I'm not a train buff (aviation more my thing as you know), but I do enjoy some of the trains on the continent, particularly the double decker trains in Germany. I'm always pleased when City draw a German team in the Champions League

All the best for day 2.

advice for cheapest last minute direct flight to vegas flying tomorrow.  Ideally from Manchester (if not London is fine).  Is there any way to minimize costs?  Which airlines offer direct flights from Manchester and on what days?

£393 one way, direct on Thomas Cook tomorrow. Think TC is the only direct option daily, Virgin go every Thursday and Sunday I think it is. Nothing remotely cheap from London.

Got a return date in mind?

Edit - doesn't appear that TC are daily from Manchester, my bad!

Cheers.  Can get a direct return for £750 coming back on Sunday 28th June.  Going to struggle to beat that direct surely at this late notice?

Yeah that seems a very decent price for such a late booking. You can get £790 direct return on TC from Manc, leaving tomorrow and coming back a week on Friday. Think that's about it from Manchester though without breaking 4 figures.

One seat left at the cheaper £388 price, according to Thomas Cook Airlines website.

Includes meal and a checked bag. Availability pretty poor coming back with them the following week, seems their flights are mostly full. You can fly back with them on Friday 26th for £400 to make a direct return just under £800. You can also upgrade to premium on the way back for another £100, could be money well spent.