Red-Robbo

Hmmm. Although the paper was founded in Manchester by cotton merchants who would have received some of their raw products from slave-owning nations, it was also a campaigner against slavery and welcomed its repeal in British colonies in 1837. Really, it only became a national paper when CP Scott (a local lad from Bath) took over editorship and then ownership in late Victorian times. Uniquely, for a British mainstream newspaper, it isn't owned by a multi-millionaire, but is supported by the Scott Trust, a fund set up by Scott's descendants and other supporters in 1936. Interestingly, Scott wasn't the only Somerset newspaper founder. Cyril Pearson who founded the Daily Express was from Wookey.

In the case of clubs' badges, it isn't. Just some suggestion from some bloke in an opinion piece. Not some campaign to diss ships! There is one minor West Country third-tier (just) club though, who I do think should change their badge. I have a suggestion for a new one:

The wealthy elite of Manchester - and the cotton-spinning areas of Lancashire in general, were among the few parts of Britain to have more sympathy with the Confederates than the Unionists in the American Civil War. However, that's f- all to do with football, and let's be honest, this whole thread is a bit weird.

There's one on the Plymouth badge. I think it's that Mayflower. Bringing smallpox and measles to all those poor Native Americans. Bloody Janners .... ?

Whiteladies is a name used for the Augustinian order of nuns - they wore white robes. Although there is no record of a convent on Whiteladies Road, we know there was one elsewhere in Clifton. Hence the name.

What happens when you get a "feature writer" attempt to do news....

Looks more like a tea clipper from the mid-19th century on that badge, the sort of ship that would be carrying slaves would be altogether squatter and with less mast space. As for the ship on Bristol's badge, it's a stylised medieval ship passing Bristol Castle which had been torn down before the Atlantic slave trade really got going. People who go on about Bristol being built from the profits of slavery tend to forget that it was the UK's second largest port from the 12th Century to the mid-18th Century. Its maritime foundation has nothing to do with African slavery.

I'm guessing it's an anti-gypsy song.

If we can sell Ralph Milne to Man Utd, anything's possible....

Phew! I thought this was going to be another 'footie fans and drugs' thread....

The bulk of their income, the Welsh government's I mean, not the millionaires!, is gained from retaining some of the income tax raised in Wales. They are allowed to do this because, under devolved powers, they have to pay for some things that are provided by national government in England. As has been pointed out, Wrexham aren't the only club to have benefitted from a grant from local, regional, national or even UK government. Furthermore, Wrexham's owners may be rich, but how much of their assets are liquid enough to pay for a £25m project, I don't know. This cash would have to be approved by the Senedd, which I very much doubt has a majority of Wrexham fans on it, so the cash would have to have been adjudged to benefit more than just the denizens of the Racecourse Ground.

The Welsh government spends more than £2.5bn every year, it has substantial revenue raising powers. This is a drop in the ocean to it. But, as has been said, it will be calculated to bring long-term economic benefit to one of the more deprived area of Wales, not just to the club concerned.

They've been at that level before, but not since 1996/97. Then they won the 6th tier with a record 101 points to begin their climb to league football. Be nice if history repeated itself.

She was already a mum (to Sophie E-B) when she joined Blue Peter. Biddy Baxter was a strange woman though.

He went along with the donuts in their fanbase obsessions to gain popularity - I mean, can you imagine Nigel Pearson saying something as witless and classless as "how did that lot down the road get on?" in an interview? However, he's a pretty good lower league manager, and the man has suffered an awful personal tragedy. So, I won't slag him.

They could give Tom Daley a diving lesson.

Absolutely, and as I consistently note, goals are very rarely one player's fault. Who didn't close down the scorer? Who allowed the ball to get to the scorer? Who lost the ball that gave the opponents possession in the first place? Usually, there are a string of guilty men behind every goal conceded.

Exactly. They really need to win the last three to make up a two point disadvantage. That's the conventional wisdom at this stage of the season. Feel sorry for my Gull-supporting mate, but he says it's all about money. When they failed to get through their play-off against Hartlepool in 2021 they'd shot their bolt, lost the most important players and cash dried up to replace them. Being in Devon, they get fewer League club loanees than some other NL clubs as well.

My bad. I've, for my sins, been an occasional visitor to Twerton Park. It's the nearest decent level non-league ground for me. Must catch a derby game next season. Maybe Bath v Taunton.

If Torquay go down, the Conf South is right old West Country mini-league, with Bath and Chippenham as well as Yeovil. Shame Weymouth look doomed, as that would've added to it. I believe I'm right in saying Weston could go up though?

You beat me to it. Off the ball stuff throughout. Verbals. all out of the ref's sight. A right ***.

He was a machine.

Half of his battles were off the pitch....

We didn't so much walk the league that year as sprinted it then waved back at the other clubs in the far distance. You got so used to winning that it seemed disappointing if the margin was only one goal.