MaidstoneFox

You're still doing what you want to do on your terms though, which makes you happy. Retirement doesn't mean being 'inactive', it's about taking more control over what you do and when and not feeling chained to a '9-5'.

Sign the adult, get rid of man-child, Winks

Enjoy the freedom, take control of your life, prioritise what's important to you and take some time out to reflect on what you want to do next. Also don't feel guilty about not working, you've earned it and deserve this time. I've lost both parents, a sister and friends in the last few years and the temptation is to just keep working but I decided to take semi-retirement this year at 56, for self-care as much as anything else. Part of it is recognising that I'm not that 20 or 30 year old anymore and I have to adapt.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/30/county-crickets-restructure-what-is-being-proposed-and-how-will-it-work Seems from this article there are two options left on the table. Either keeping the championship as it is or two upper division groups of 6 and one lower division of 6. Not sure how the latter would be configured but I assume there'd be no relegation this season and two promoted teams, I guess that will have to be voted on.

playing for a new 4 year contract...?

Yep. The Bielsa factor. See also: Kalvin Philips; Luke Ayling etc.

True, but for balance, three of our young players (Hull, Ahmed and Green) are way above the talent level of most of these under-25s, a good portion of whom will drift out of the game. All three of them could be in the same England side in a couple of years.

I'm sure I played a game of Championship Manager at one point where my challenge was to only sell players and never buy any, just using the academy players, so that the whole squad was homegrown, similar to the Celtic 'Lions of Lisbon' team from 1967.

Always a bit muddied, these sort of figures as some boys start off in state and get scholarships to private - I may be wrong, but think Joe Root is an example of this. It can also be skewed by counties having private schools in their vicinity that have a long history of churning out professional sportsmen, such as Millfield in Somerset.

It's essential we have a free and active press and media to hold politicians and those in power to account, otherwise we start to enter post-Weimar Republic territory and Hitler's Enabling act of 1933.

It's just another idea that is being floated and drip fed to the media, to gauge reaction. They are boxed in by their own fiscal rules and manifesto pledges, which is foolhardy. However, underpinning all of this is that they don't want the economy to crash, which would deliver the next election on a plate to Reform.

No income tax either. Yep, great standard of living for generations. Of course he may want to go to a British club and perhaps win a trophy, become a club legend etc, depends what drives you.

No mug with the bat either - 2 first class hundreds

The article says that we're keen on him as an overseas player for 2026, because South Africa don't have many international commitments next year, so there will be quite a few South Africans in the county game.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cde3w1l7pddo Surely Palace's interest in BEK over.

Like getting back with a toxic boyfriend/girlfriend and hoping it will be different the next time. As fans, that's our relationship with him. Like a lot of the players at the club we need to end it. Send him on loan and pay half his wages and get a young hungry midfielder on loan from the premier league.

Another 4 years on his contract left. A shadow of the player he was 3/4 years ago at Norwich and Spurs. His pace and mobility seem completely shot, I don't know if it's injuries or total lack of confidence.

They do. We're only accepting £15 million with guaranteed 'strap-ons'

Agreed, though like Somerset they do have quite a big hinterland of minor counties to draw on. As well as Bristol and Glous itself they have, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berks and Herefordshire all adjoining the Glous border. Whereas, we are surrounded by Notts, Derby, Northants, Warwickshire.

Fantastic at spotting talent and picking up players for peanuts.

Classic Ward today - dived in the wrong the direction, out of the way of the ball for the first goal.

Agree. What we'll lose is his ability to bring the ball forward and join attacks, when teams are sitting deep as they often will.

I think he'll be solid for Ipswich as he has a good attitude - I would have much rather other players left before him. A lot of negative comments about him, but it speaks volumes that two highly rated managers wanted him (Le Bris and Mckenna). People saying, 'great, we can get someone better in', but no sign of that happening I'm afraid.

Yep just a total mess in front of him really. And did he feel he had to come for those corners given how badly they defended the first goal. Must feel like deja vu for him

He shouldn't have been thrown in these two games. Hardly had any preseason and doesn't know the West Ham team, You can see there's a lack of organisation and communication at the back. That's on the manager.