Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

aldwickk - from The New York Times;

Ban Heading in Youth Soccer



Stefan Fatsis is the author of "Word Freak" and "A Few Seconds of Panic." He talks about sports on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and on Slate’s sports podcast “Hang Up and Listen.”

Updated June 27, 2014, 12:51 PM


Banning heading in youth soccer should be totally without controversy. Why? 1. Most kids aren’t strong or coordinated enough to head the ball properly. 2. Heading the ball improperly increases the risk of injury, to the heading player and opponents. 3. Not heading the ball at all detracts nothing from, and in fact improves, the game; kids get better at soccer by learning to control the ball out of the air with their feet, thighs, chest and other body parts.



That more current and retired players have not acknowledged the perils of brain injury has been an embarrassment to soccer.

But the driving force in this debate is reason No. 4: the accumulated effects of what for some players will be thousands of instances of banging their heads into a not-so-soft object starting at an early age. Those effects, however logical they might appear, lack scientific certainty, which has made it easy for soccer people to label calls for a reduction in heading, even among children, as alarmist. Which is why the endorsement of Brandi Chastain, Cindy Parlow Cone and Joy Fawcett is big. If soccer parents, coaches, clubs and leagues won’t listen to evolving science, common sense or the words of a writer/U13 girls coach like me, maybe they will listen to three stars from the greatest women’s team ever.

That more current and retired players have not acknowledged the perils of brain injury has been an embarrassment to soccer, especially women’s soccer, in which the incidence of head trauma is higher than among men. U.S. national team star Abby Wambach has scored more than 40 percent of her record number of goals in international competition with her head. But she has been silent and sometimes cavalier about brain injuries, including, as I reported last year on Slate, her own. So credit to Chastain, Fawcett and Parlow Cone for endorsing a developmentally sensible and competitively harmless delay in heading.

Let’s hope the people who "ooh" and "aah" when they see 9-year-olds bonk the ball aimlessly off their noggins listen, and do the totally uncontroversial thing.

Tory MP defects to UKIP

Defected to UKIP in theory more than in practice. He is resigning his seat and triggering a by election in Clacton on Sea. If he doesn't get elected then he won't be in any party. He gave a speech full of nonsense that makes him very suitable for UKIP. Not a great loss.

My son scored the record number of tries for his school and also scored the winning try against Stoneyhurst when his school played them in an away match. Indeed, for his rugger skills he was the school hero because the school hadn't managed to beat Stoneyhurst for over 25 years.

Obviously, my wife and I used to give him lots of spectator support and we went to watch him play every game.

So, why is this relevant to the 'kids doing soccer heading' discussion? I'll tell you:

Q. How many 'potential broken necks' did we ever witness amongst these schoolboy teams?
A. To the best of my memory, about 8.

And someone out there in the USA wants to discuss whether schoolboys (and schoolgirls?) should be banned from heading a football?

I have utter cognitive dissonance about youth rugby. At the time we could not consider stopping him play. He enjoyed it. He was good at it. The team depended on him. Playing was the norm. We could not easily go against the popular stance.

As parents, we watched our son play, just hoping that nothing too dangerous would happen to him. Fortunately nothing ever did,

Hmmm? But how about someone over here discussing the safety of schoolboy rugby?

Hays Hays Hays........good old Dougie, insiders say their are at least another 12 thinking of moving over and up to as many as 22 tories. Camoron is WEAK.

This is easy peasy for Labour now.

On another topic Wayne Rooney England Captain.........PATHETIC.

Gosh how low have England sunk.

We will soon be on a World Rating alongside Scotland and Wales, and no disrespect to them.

There is a movement to stop college football in the US due to head injuries.

Yes Goldfinger it bleeding is pathetic. Talking to a camera about the England fans being a disgrace . A man who doesn't know if he wants to play for Utd until he gets more money.If theres no one better than him , heaven help.

Spot on VICTIM and Im a life long UTD fan.

Hes held UTD not once but twice to ransom over his salary, hed have been on his way the first time if it was me.

Rooneys salary £325,000 per game Suarez £175,000 per game Balloteli £125,000 per game, the latter two far better players.

I wouldnt mind but Rooney is a hot head and way over rated player.

Interest rates......... do we actualy get a budget before the GE???????Hays youl know?.

Tory MP Douglas Carswell defects to UKIP and resigns from Parliament sparking a crunch Essex by-election

Clacton MP resigns from the Conservative Party and Parliament

Says David Cameron is 'not serious about the changes this country needs'

Mr Carswell turned a slim 920 majority in 2005 into a comfortable 12,000 lead

By-election is likely to take place within the next few weeks

Mr Carswell will become first elected UKIP Member of Parliament if he wins


By Tom Mctague, Mailonline Deputy Political Editor

Published: 11:18, 28 August 2014 | Updated: 14:51, 28 August 2014


Prominent Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell this morning announced he was defecting to UKIP and resigning from Parliament - sparking a crunch by-election.

Mr Carswell's decision is a major blow to David Cameron, coming just nine months before the next general election.

The MP for Clacton, Essex, said his position in the Conservative Party was no longer tenable because Mr Cameron was not serious about reform of the European Union.


More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2736598/Tory-MP-Douglas-Carswell-defects-UKIP-resigns-Parliament-spark-crunch-Essex-byelection.html

Net migration to UK soars by 39% to 243,000

Theresa May's vow to reduce Britain's net migration to under 100,000 in tatters after ONS says figure rose 68,000 in last year


Alan Travis, home affairs editor


theguardian.com, Thursday 28 August 2014 10.40 BST


Net migration to Britain has surged by 68,000 in the past year to 243,000, leaving in tatters Theresa May's promise to reduce the figure to below 100,000 by next May's general election.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) says two-thirds of the 68,000 increase in the 12 months to March 2014 was accounted for by a rise in European Union nationals coming to Britain, mostly for work.

Those coming from the new EU states of Romania and Bulgaria account for only 16,000 of the 68,000 rise, with the bulk of the increase from western European countries such as Italy.

The rise in the politically sensitive yardstick of net migration – which measures the number of people coming to live in Britain for more than 12 months minus the number of people going to live abroad for more than 12 months – is a major embarrassment for May, the home secretary, and David Cameron, the prime minister.

The Conservatives fought the 2010 general election on a pledge to bring net migration to "tens of thousands" by the time of the next general election.

May brought in sweeping new immigration policies to cut the flow, including a squeeze on international students and family migration, which initially cut the annual figure to 154,000 by September 2012, but since then it has risen steadily to the new high of 243,000. The Liberal Democrats have always made clear the promise was not a coalition policy.



more: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/28/uk-net-migration-soars-to-243000-theresa-may

There is a new film about to hit the circuit just before the next election. It is going to be so utterly controversial 'big time'!

The film is called 'The Riot Club' and is a dead ringer for fabulously wealthy public school types and the life style and antics of Bullingdon Club members in particular.

Bullingdon Club: (George Osborne is No.16)


The Riot Club:

There will be one budget just before the GE. There is also the autumn budget statement soon which is a mini budget. So you have two budgets before the election. Expect a few bribes!

Exactly Hays, thier will then be an increase in interest rates sooner rather than later, just before the Autumn Statement then. Gives time for voters to forget and also gives Osbourne a chance to put a present in the budget.

The last thing Osbourne wants is a interest rate increase before the GE and Carney will toe the line.

By the way Nos 16 looks like George Osbourne not nos 13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any offers.

nos 3 and 4 whats going on there then!!!!!!!, I hear nos 4 commited sucide at the young age of 33, forgotten his name.

EXEC have you got your specs on??????????/

Sorry, GF. Have edited my previous '13' to a '16'. All these toffs look the same in their toff uniforms.

3 and 4 are just a bit cuddly. Perhaps they love each other? I don't knock it because I have never tried it.

LOL Exec, should have gone to spec savers.

Hey if I hadnt got my specs on Id have done the same.

Can you spot Boris Js brother??????

You mean Johnson Minimus or JoJo or BroJo. He's #8.

Both brothers are alumni of my son's college.

Spot on Hilary. 10 out of 10.