Jane

Maverick Sabre has a great voice and his album is really good.

You know, I didn't know that before. I've changed my mind, JT is no longer my favourite ever player, no longer a Chelsea legend! Mind you, compared to any of the non blue badge carrying people I've ever caught parking in a disabled bay, they would have probably been grateful for a mere £60 fine. A tongue lashing from me is far worse! Seriously though guys, I'm not sure that all this examination of the minutiae of the case is very helpful. This is not a laugh, or a tennis match, it is JT's life and could have very serious consequences for his whole future, at Chelsea, at England and in football generally. I think as Chelsea supporters and as supporters oif our Captain, we should just be sending him messages of support. If you doubt him on this issue then go and post about it somewhere else. I 'm not saying don't post on here about anything, I love reading all your messages and I hate censorship. But, I would just hate it if JT was to read all the messages from the doubters on here, where he should feel our support. Just a thought.

For all his faults, I find it hard to judge him. He is a Chelsea legend and quite possibly, having seen a few over the years, my favourite ever player. Few players could equal his commitment to the club and I hope the club remember that if they give him a punishment. But as yet, we are all innocent until proven guilty. I do not in anyway condone racist language or behaviour, but I'm afraid, having read the latest reports, I do understand how he could have responded in the way his defence says he did. We could all argue till the cows come home that to repeat a racist word is unaccecptable, but in the heat of a football match I can see it happening. JT is not a nice middle class boy having been educated till he was 21/22, he's a working class lad who became a footballer and a great one at that. He may well not be a chap you'd invite to a dinner party, or to a student debate, but I'd want him in my Chelsea team for as long as he can play for.

Sometimes in business you have to cut your losses and £24m now might seem a poor return, but a year down the road with no improvement in his performance, the club might be lucky to get £10m. Oh, how good that £24m would seem then. It's a risk they have to consider.

I still have some pics from this event if anyone wants to see them? Jane

Goose, when I hear someone, like Jamie Oliver, refer to his wife in his affected "mockney" way as 'the missus', I often think his wife must want to give him a slap. But when I read someone like Ashley Cole do it, I just think he is what he is. It doesn't offend me. Only when someone refers to me in a way that I find offensive do I have a problem. For example, when I lived in London and I went to the market to buy my greengrocery and the seller said "Alright darlin' what can I get yer", or said to his mate "Serve that bird for me" I didn't have a problem at all. But if I was at work and a collegue spoke about me and referred to me in the same way, he would have been clutching his testicles for a very long time, likewise any man I was in a relationship with. Living in Lincolnshire now, I don't understand what most people say.

Tell me who they are Gem? I'll sort them out. I agree Val, I too have been dealing with funding cuts and think we all deserve a touch of JT's generosity. Mind you I'm not sure I should make too many jokes about him "digging deep" for me, it just might be misconstrued.

Sounds a little like the kind of excuse for racism as "don't get me wrong' date=' some of my best friends are black" to me.[/size']

Are you for real?!

It was reported in the press today. Although if they want to see him treated badly they only need to come on here. If they did report it then I am pleased and unreservedly apologise to the press for my foul slur. As for treating him badly, I didn't mean criticising him. I meant the anti semitic stuff that gets mentioned a lot. I don't see any of that on here. You didn't read the thread about Yom Kippur then?

Seconded... Thirded. Can you imagine anyone not wanting to play for Chelsea?

Just had to take a look at that

Can't wait for the answers! It is a really good list of questions. One thing Loz, Lofty, do you think it is worth asking Charlie if he knows of any other players - past or present, who would also do us such a favour? Something else to think about and it would have to be done with Charlie's agreement, that is to offer to sell the interview to one of the papers, in exchange for a donation to charity. Such as CLIC Sargant?

Don't know if you looked further down the list there are some others in there apart from the UEFA offer one. Some pretty basic, hostel types and guest houses, but you may be lucky. Hopefully, anything would be better than wondering the streets at night in Moscow. Don't mean to frighten you, but it's not the warmest of places. Of course if everybody had been given more time there are plenty of alternatives to expensive hotels, such as staying with a family, which I have in the past. Very cheap and very nice, but it needs to be booked well in advance. I wish you the very best of luck and hopefully something will come up.

Have you tried this connection, just checked and they are still showing rooms. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/ru ... ommodation

Yes, Maksimov but my point was that it looks like we're advertising another forum, which surely isn't the message, the fact that it isn't written in the same way is not that relevant.

Isn't Blue and White Army someone else's name - (Another forum) ? Is it possible to see them without the flags on?

Those toes look like ET's fingers I thought it was feet generally Val, not just toes.

Bluenut, Gascoine was actually married to Sheryl and she left him because of his alcoholism and violence towards her. In his autobiography he admits to headbutting her, throwing her to the floor, blacking her eye and breaking her finger. Hardly a "blinder" of a fella if you ask me. The way you put it makes him out to be a victim but I personally think that anyone who repeatedly knocks his wife around deserves all he gets. When you say she played their relationship out in the press, I wonder if that was her or him. It would appear that all his cries for help happen in public places. He never takes himself off somewhere private to do himself harm does he? I'm glad he doesn't otherwise he wouldn't still be here, but there is a pattern of behaviour there. Regarding Bianca Gascoine, everything I've ever read of her, it seems that she has great sympathy for her stepfather, which must be rather hard when she would have seen the results of her mother being knocked about by him. If you're going to use the tabloid media as your reference point at least get your "facts" straight. You can't use them to bash people on one hand and then trash them when they don't write what you like, when it suits you. Regarding Gascoine, yes, I'm sorry that he isn't able to get his life together, it's very sad. But he's had lots of people there for him, including his ex wife, who he's still in contact with, but the choice to get better is in his hands. Lots of people suffer in this world, many are not victims by their own making, but Gascoine like Best is.

Coco, I don't want to labour the point but it really doesn't matter how big a banner or any large type of advertising is, if there are too many messages, one or all of them will get lost in the telling. Go and have a look at any billboard and see how many messages they are trying to get over. Personally, I don't understand why we need the Union Jack on there. Everyone will know that Chelsea are an English team, it doesn't add anything to the banner, apart from cost. Yes, I know you are getting it at a discount, but having a four colour process is going to be a lot more expensive than two colours. Also, a lot of the people who are paying for the banner are Chelsea fans, not British fans, I think it's irrelevant to the message we're trying to get across. Really I liked Maksimov's wording and I think we should take a vote on it, but remember what is the message we are trying to get across and bear in mind the people who are paying for it. Also, someone else made a point that I think is very important, this banner could be very heavy especially as it gets larger. Don't forget it's got to go on a flight and there are the baggage restrictions and with some low cost airlines they are lower than 20 kgs.

I think we should pray that Drogba stays. He will be such a big loss to the team if he goes. Yes, I know he's a big girl's blouse sometimes, but I'd rather have him than not have him.

That article is brilliant! I think I'd like to print it off to carry around with me in my handbag, just so I can pass it on to people to read when they start on with their "Fat Frank" tirades and the St Steven comparisons. I'm quite an emotional person, I admit, but when Frank scored that penalty I felt overcome, not just for him, but in a way it made me think of my Dad, who died 17 years ago and was a big Chelsea fan. It was as if Frank scored not just for his mum but for all Chelsea fans who've passed on. To all those who criticise Frank, my personal view is that Frank is an essential part of the team, that doesn't mean he always plays well, or that he's irreplaceable, but I think, like JT, he is part of the heart of the team and without him we are a little less of a powerful force.

If you can afford it, fine, but not everyone can. Doesn't make them any less of a fan. Also for families who have kids, who are all fans, that's an awful lot of money to shell out.

I donated £10

Coco I think that's too busy. I prefer Maksimov's. Also you will pay a lot more for a four colour process than 2 colours.