I gave him a reference

To whom it may concern,
The bearer of his letter has requested a satisfactory reference from me regarding his time managing a football team.
He is leaving our club and I am satisfied.

Spot on. Those of us who manage to still care about what happens on the pitch this season can only be relieved by what happened yesterday. Craig Harrison obviously meant well, unlike the loathsomely self-centred Dave Jones, but it's been obvious for months that he's not up to the job on any level. Having a pop at the caretaker managers before they've had time to select a side and play a game is ridiculous.

What's he said about Bates like?

We will see on Saturday whether there are sensible changes to the team, whether we have an attacking mindset, whether the players are up for the fight, whether any of the youngsters get given a chance, whether subs are made at appropriate times. If there are some positives from that list then we will get a feel as to how much of the problem has been with Harrison. His removal can do no harm but could give a boost. I don't expect any appointment until new owners are announced or we go bust.

Harrison was always very quick with subs, then coincidentally at November the subs stopped, to the point where hes not using any at all, like on Tuesday, like Splod says its stuff like that this week where we will find out if that was Harrison or if that was something out of his control.

I wanted rid, but..... I wanted rid for a different reason to why he may have gone. Sacrificial lamb to keep the baying mob confused while time is bought?
Trouble with that logic is that once he's gone, he's history and the baying mob will re-direct their gaze to the next in line. He served a purpose while he was here, he took the flak for his own apparent failings, but he's gone now, they never thought the consequences out on that one.

It can’t make the situation any worse no but the timing of this is absolutely baffling and raises more questions than answers. It’s not being a conspiracy theorist to be concerned about what the hell is going on and it’s not the most outrageous thing to suggest that the current owners have no intention of replacing the manager, how could they possibly?

Maybe its me, but looking at this video, I detect an uneasy mood amongst the players, as though they had just been told their manager had just been sacked. They certainly don't look pumped up or motivated, very low key, more low key than normal, which is the problem really, too many quiet nice lads in our squad, an absence of a couple of b*stards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9XWqmv5LiQ

If subs come on the club has to pay them additional appearance money. There are also players signed in the summer who have contracts where contract extensions of a year automatically kick in once they play a set number of games. You can wager some of them like George, Donaldosn, Munns, etc wont play in more than 21 games this season. We have Paul Watson to thank for that and for contracts that run for 52 weeks instead of the standard 46 in this division. Its Watson that should have been the first one sacked !

George 21 games me sides are splitting You're right about Watson though. Wonder if Hawkes gets a game, now Harrison has gone?.

First thing bates did when he took over last year was promote bort onto the bench.

Hopefully he'll do the same with hawkes n a few others.

It was Watson who recruited Jones then Harrison, going from one managerial extreme to the other (fat old has-been to portly novice) so whatever players he did or didn't insinuate in the ranks, he's the number one pillock responsible for the state the footballing side is in.

It's a scandal that he's still on the payroll, working his notice or whatever the hell is supposed to be happening with him.

Hawkes is already on the bench with a couple of others we are down to about 13 senior players.

Bates out.

He’d go up in my estimation if he spent the next few weeks getting himself half fit so he can join the squad, he’d be our best centre back. That’s not saying a lot like it’s like saying Rose West was the best human out of her marriage with Fred but he would all the same.

He'd need more than a few weeks to lose that gut.

Most teams at this level have at least one genuine fat fucker it’s another example of us not adapting to Non League Football. I’d be encouraging him to beef up.

What is he first team coach of an unfit overweight underperforming group of full time professionals? He still got that bar?

there is a god after all. should have gone in december but the main problem will be a replacement. need someone who knows conference football like the back of his hand and not an ex league club manager or someone say from queen of the south. those who have been recently sacked by others need not apply then what are you really left with. all managers need time and money and pools do not posess either.

Yeah you're right, many a opposition fat fucker has dominated games against us. We get a fat lad and he really is pants, Luscombe for example. I'm sure Alan Power was a bit tubby anarl. It must be HUFC and the way they train/coach them, it has to be.

As for Bates, he was always slow , even in his prime. He carried a gut when he played more regularly for us, but I always thought that didn't really hold him back as a player. His forte was using his brain, organisation and leadership. We kept many a clean sheet when he was playing. He could of played this season if he had wanted to, no doubt about it.

I hope we appoint Sol Campbell, he's one of the greatest football minds around apparently. At least he's not claiming he was turned down by Oxford because of the colour of his skin.

Imagine being turned down in favour of Craig Bellamy, personally that would be enough to make me shut up and consider a different career!

That goal he scored against Portugal should have stood...

... and we'd have beaten Greece in the final.

No more hurt.

Argentina wasn’t it
World Cup 1998

Euro 2004 quarters
Penalties 5-6
Beckham famous penalty 1000000 miles over the bar

He had a one chalked off as well against Argentina in 98 after Beckham got sent off, nothing wrong with it either I remember stopping celebrating then looking up see them attacking!

I was at that game. It was quite amusing afterwards in Rossio Square with several thousand England fans singing a little ditty to the tune of Deliah...

Why why why, Beckham
Why why why Beckham
Oh before, you put the ball down on the floor,
Oh Please David Beckham FFS don't take any more.