Dave_Og

I think you'll find the outcome hasn't come out yet

That's called naivete

Quite right - it's only for the rich. All that logic says have a bench of 11 players so that every position is covered. And it would deprive us of the spectacle of Jon Hallworth coming very close to scoring when coming on as an emergency at Selhurst a few years ago.

Good luck trying to sell the Torex one!

Not so sure about the "several" Singe - just the one as far as I'm aware! Glad to hear you've srill got it. I actually lent one out the other day to someone who has just started at my office; his father-in-law is a teacher at Bluecoat and I believe used to be involved in doing Latics commentaries for the internet site. There's some good writing there; I guess the issue is how many people would buy such a tale of almost unremtting gloom!! I'm very close to finishing my latest semi-literary project. I've been working for some time on a screenplay featuring a group of exiled Northerners attempting to rescue their bankrupt hometown football club. Quite where the inspiration for that comes from will remain a mystery It's a comedy and I'm very pleased with how it's looking as it nears the state of being ready to be sent off to potential directors, and I do have a few useful contatcts. Look out for the advert casting for extras in advance of the world premiere at The Roxy!

but worth it for the Old Trafford goal surely? I believe he is involved with Truro City now

Re the Chron/Trotman thread. In an OASIS newsletter (pre-Internet days)I once made up a story to fill space that we were keen on signing Sean Macarthy. Three weeks later we signed him. Should I apologise?

Ian Wood 525

Surely paying 19.9% can't be an attractive option for many?

Davies, O'Grady and Stephens all cost money. It's a matter of picking the right one

Which does rather suggest that we still have a future?

No it won't. I've seen him play around 40 games live. Class player

I've only ever reecommended two players to Latics. One, Steve Morison, has signed for Millwall from Stevenage for £80,000 and I'd be very surprised if he doesn't score goals in whichever division they are in next season. The other, Danny Green, has joined Dagenham and I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he gets to at least the Championship. Wathcing this lad take a dead ball makes you think that Beckham has crept on while no-one was watching. There are plenty of good players in non-league. I hope we are looking

Ian Wood, Eric Gemmell, Roger Palmer, Alan Groves, Andy Ritchie Ron Futcher (twice - for what he did to John Platt and for the tail end of his BP career) Littlejohn, Mark Hughes, Allan Smart, Lee Hughes

Grimsby - play in Cleethorpes. It's alwahys amused me that the same people who sing "We're not part of Manchester" slate Saddleworthians for wanting to secede from Oldham when both arrangements came from the same piece of local government reorganisation. There were plenty in Saddleworth at the time that lobbied to join Tameside instead

And Wigan the other way, and MK Dons (sort of)

You are kidding aren't you? He's being investigated for betting against his own team in a match.

I recommended Morison to the club a couple of years ago when he was at Bishop's Stortford. Surprised he hasn't made the step up yet; good player.

I'm depressed about the club and rarely go but I can't agree it is adrift. That is disrespectful to the owners.

Well he went to school in Sawbridgeworth - just outside Bury!

Scowcroft

I suppose in all fairness tha the two who clould be classed as journeymen, Warnock and Moore, have had plenty of success everywhere else so it probably says more about the club than it does about them! Add Graeme "the club can't match my ambition" (which turned out to be serving the drinks at Goodison) Sharp and all the others and it's a sorry tale.

I'm bemused by anyone who deosn't think Royle is the best possible option. We either have a vastly experienced manager who has had success in every job he has had and genuinely cares about the club, or a lower league journeyman, or an unproven low profile man who if he's any good will have his eye on the next job. No contest for me

I'm not much given to optimism but after the amount of money that has been wasted this season I really don't see a smaller budget next year as being a big issue. It's incredible that a club that started the season with arguably seven first team strikers had to sign another four and still ended up with a winger playing centre forward. Add signings such as Kalala and Thompson and if next season's manager has the merest hint of a vague idea of how to build a proper squad then having, say, ten less wages to play with really shouldn't be an issue.