Off Topic The murky world of top level Sport

I thought this subject could do with a thread of its own, rather than go into the general 'non b****t' thread.
The story below comes only days after revelations about cruel and 'completely normalised' training abuse in gymnastics.
The culture of top level sport needs a light shining on it.


For those of us who look sternly down upon Russian State-backed doping, here's a little pause for thought;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/53379876

This doesn't look too clever to me.
OK, so it isn't some kind of super-steroid.
But it's a synthetic form of a natural body chemical.

Surely this goes against the spirit of drug-free fair competition, if not the letter of the law.

And is this synthetic substance in wide use now in 2020?
If it is, as far as I'm concerned it just undermines the credibility of World Athletics even more.
A sport I already have little respect for because of the doping situation.

 

Well that's the end of the credibility of FFP

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53387306

If you're rich enough you can behave however you like, obstruct investigations and waste time on 'time-limited' charges, and get nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
The irony is that Man City fans don't give a stuff about the Champion's League. Most of them don't bother to attend CL games.

 

Years ago when the likes of Hartlepool and Halifax continually applied for reelection, I imagine backhanders were common place then.

 

We got re-elected to the 3rd Division (South) back in 1927 I think.

Some time back then a mysterious fire at the Valley destroyed all our financial records
And we think we've got it bad now

 

I did not know that.

We had bent owners back then as well, nothing changes

 

Our chief benefactors were Humphrey's the Builders back in those days I think. They owned the Valley, or we owed them a shed load of money for developing it for us (something like that).

They were probably straight-up, but the same might not be possible to say about one or two of our board members.
I don't know any details, but accounts ledgers don't tend to catch fire all by themselves.
It was nearly 100 years ago, so hopefully no distant relative will come on here threatening me with a writ

That reminds me - have you seen our Sheriff lately?

 

About two weeks ago, he even smiled. I think he was suffering from wind.

 

I asked him to come back and not be so silly, he did not answer.

Are you getting bored with being the Deputy @lardiman, I think you are doing a wonderful job looking after our remaining 4.5 members.

 

Ghost towns don’t really need sheriffs and Deputies ,they pretty much police themselves

 

"all the clubs have been closed down".

 

Jolly decent of you to say so Elfs.
I know I've been spending some time over at ITTV since being invited back there, but I don't intend to disappear from here.

Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town, we laughed and sang as the music played in a de boomtown...

That was a cracking record.
The full version on the 12" single was brilliant.

 

I actually preferred the B-side, "Why?"

 

Enjoyed a bit of two tone did we Elfs?

 

My hair is 2 tone.

 

Bands of the 80's

Specials, and Fun Boy Three
Madness
Adam Ant
Human League
Ultravox
Midge Ure
Blondie
Duran Duran

 

Suggs is living in Tankerton at the moment in a bungalow opposite the Royal , I’ll ask him if you can visit?

 

It's very tempting.

 

Alternative 80's

New Order
The Smiths
XTC
The The
Tears for Fears
David Bowie
The Housemartins / Beautiful South
Depeche Mode

 

Depeche upto the mid 80's before Gahan got all heavy.

 

I broadly agree, but I think Personal Jesus is a masterpiece.

Other alternative or mainstream 80's bands/artists who had a few decent hits (in my opinion) include

• Heaven 17
• The Stranglers (from 'Golden Brown' onwards. Anything before that was good, but 70's really)
• Talk Talk
• China Crisis (a bit 'easy listening' at times, but 'Black Man Ray' was a laid-back classic)
• OMD
• The Waterboys
• The Adventures
• Deacon Blue (a few duds, but some good songs too)
• UB40
• Fine Young Cannibals
• Simple Minds (not all their stuff by any means, but some of it)
• Hall & Oates (US cheese I know, but I liked a lot of their singles)
• The Pretenders
• ABC (pure pop mostly, but I liked 'All of my heart')
• Roxy Music / Bryan Ferry (A lot of RM's best stuff was 70's but I did like the 'Avalon' era)
• Genesis / Phil Collins (up to the Invisible Touch album. Sad decline after that)
• Peter Gabriel