Simpo

BBC interactive and Eurosport for live games, BBC3 for highlights.

For whoever asked, Griffin joined Stockport in the summer of 2006 after a loan spell there the previous season. I was dissapointed to see him go, because even though he played mostly at left back for us, I saw him as the natural successor to David Eyres on the left wing. He was superb there in pre-season in 2006.

First-team regular on the wing at Stockport, don't know how he's doing.

I've never seen a monkey throw up to be honest. How do you know they don't have grey vomit?

I do know a little bit about Cooksey, from an ex boss who was his Asst Mgr for a time. Most recently a Scout for a Conf Non league club. Not sure if he is still there, not in tocuh any more.

Anyway, Cooksey was on £32k (might have been £35k) and this was a significant pay deal for him. Plenty of them were amazed at the deal. Remember this was the Chris moore flashing the cash era. If memory serves me he tok a big pay cut to go to to Rochdale.

Nooo, no no no.

Cooksey was one of a host of trialists who we brought in to get a team together when Moore sold everyone off.

First saw him play for us against Rochdale in July 2003.

Radio Sheffield has reported that we've had a bid accepted for him and he is discussing personal terms.

A Sheff Wed fan and a Doncaster fan on a League One forum have both heard this.

It'd be a good signing if true, as he gets goals in this division!

I remember a few years ago we were actually told via the official site that there would now be a new away kit every year, with one season's away become the next season's 3rd. And this has been the case since.

There should no surprise, we haven't kept an away kit for 2 seasons in a row for years.

In fact, I feel like doing a list!

08: orange/blue

07: navy/gold

06: white/blue

05: black/silver

04: yellow/blue

03: maroon/gold

02: maroon/gold

01: maroon/navy

00: white/maroon

99: white/maroon??

98: green/navy??

97: green/navy??

96: orange/white/navy??

95: orange/white/navy

94: white/red

If we win it's another £60,000 in prize money (got £40,000 on Saturday), and then, if we're televised, the money for the 5th round is £265,000! A great incentive!

Tell you what, I've just gone through the draw, and in the last 16, there will be a maximum of 9 Prem teams! I can see a Championship team getting to the semis or even the final this year.

This is all part of our lucky route to the semi final!

Back of the Express:

http://www.express.co.uk/img/covers/257x330back/2008-01-06

The Sun leads their website's pictures page with a great pic of McDonald, and get on the blue and tangerine bandwagon in the process!:

Post anything else, including more of tomorrow's back pages if you can find them!

Thought it was decent coverage to be honest, with the limitations they have on covering so many games. To have so many cameras at each Prem game is only done thanks to BBC and Sky collaborating to get 15 or so expensive cameras at each of the 8 or so Saturday games.

They therefore had to choose which places got the full treatment, and hell, even us Latics fans didn't give ourselves much of a chance compared to other games, so I don't blame BBC. Lee Dixon made sure to rubbish Moyes' "excuses" of playing a slightly weaker side by giving us credit by pointing out that their so-called reserves that we beat are bloody good players!

Anyway, as for media coverage, I'm hoping we've painted the back pages tangerine tomorrow!

Tranfer window.

You can buy players whenever you like, they just don't move until the window opens.

Good point about Black, may even see him off the bench tomorrow!

So much for special treatment thanks to Philliskirk eh?

Well at least we can now move on to other targets.

Just knocked this up. What stands out for me is that we could essentially have no bench:

NAME       AGE   PLAYED  SCORED

Pogliacomi  31    0         0

Eardley     19   24 (1)     0
Stam        28   15 (1)     0
Hazell      28   11 (3)     1
Lomax       21    0 (1)     0

Smalley     18    8(11)     1
Allott      30   19 (8)     2
McDonald    25   19 (4)     1
Kalala      25   13 (4)     1

Davies      21   30        10
Wolfenden   20    3(12)     2

Subs:
Bell        17    0         0
Thompson    26    8         0
Chalmers    16    0         0
Black       17    0         0
Alessandra  18    0 (2)     0

Doncaster already have about 10 midfielders.

I think the rule is that the suspension kicks in 7 days after the 5th yellow.

 

If that's the case then I wonder if Berty 'conveniently' gets booked against Walsall then his suspension will be for Everton as well, a game in which he wouldn't be allowed to play in anyway. If so it wouldn't be surprising if he boots the ball away after a foul in the last minute.

 

On a side note, what date are Berty and Killer's loans up?

January 1st (Can play against Leeds I believe)

So if we renew Bertrand's loan after all, Chelsea will have no reason not to allow him to play in the FA Cup for us. But the fact he hasn't played in it so far suggests he won't stay.

Tbh I find it quite sickening that the young players coming through are getting snapped up by the likes of Chelsea before they've even got close to the first team. They could make a real difference for us in a few years time but instead they go off to the big clubs who are just hording talented youngsters and probably won't be heard of again until they are about 25 and end up at a low end Prem team or in the championship.

 

Just seems that there isn't enough done to protect small clubs and allow them to hold onto their bright prospects. It's all ifs and buts on whether you see any money on them and tbh I think it damages their career more than anything else when they have to sit in the youth team or in the reserves until they are in their mid twenties. Would Taylor, Eardley or Smalley be progressing the way they are if they were just sitting in the ressies every week getting 20 mins off the bench every now and then?

On one hand, I am pleased that big clubs can't just nick our players as we have seen in the past, at least we get something for them.

But I agree, it still needs huge improvement.

Michel Platinin said, very succinctly, "If my son is playing at Millwall and at 16 Manchester come in for this player then when will Millwall have a good team?"

Where did this information come from?

What I can remember:

***EDIT: ALL THE QUESTIONS ON PAGE 2***

...And he's won! Nice one lad!

They play Cardiff now dont they? not exactly the glamour tie they would hope for, but much more money than any of their league counterparts will receive this season. well done chasetown, gotta be promotion soon.

 

The new Yeovil?

Don't knock it too much! Fowler and Hasselbaink down at Church Street!

Asked for Upper Tier tickets this afternoon, and got them...