Octopus of Odstock

Thanks. Nice to know I rank highly in the "rantmeisters" league table, even if I did tone the rant down in the end due to feeling considerably warmer & fuzzier than I did in the morn'.

I think we can presume Rukeseyer will produce "Nul Points" by now? It's been almost a month now and crucially, semi-famous & more famous deaths (Suharto, Bentsen) keep dripping in to push Louie R down the obituary stakes...

That is the great, late Wilf Mannion, who your twin brother has never heard of, and who I've praised to the highest heaven already. My same advice goes to you as it does to your brother. Educate yourself about the man - you'll be in for a treat. You think Best's story after football was tragic? Read about Mannion's - it'll make you weep. BTW, You call it "soccer"? Urgh.

I suppose this is as good a place as any to post Kazimierz Gorski, former Polish manager, died today aged 85. link The reason I know of him is because of my Polish in-laws, and their oft remembered glory days of the 1970's for Polska.

The fact that I felt there were too many threads on here with a "tut-tutting" off-topic reminder from yourself. But I've relented on that since I wrote the first post. TF is not a celebrity, he will not be a DL or DDP candidate. I come here to find the latest news about DDP possibilities and all I seemed to see for a week was "Tempus" this and "Tempus" that. That's the difference between a Richard O'Sullivan well-being thread and a Tempus Fugit well-being thread. And anyway, for Christ sake, Tempus was only away for three weeks I'd like to see more discussion on candidates then there is now, rather than this clique that's starting to form, and often does on fora, but I'd also like £10 million pounds & a harem of superbabes at my beck and call. Some things just ain't gonna happen.

Everyone else on here, yep. Certainly compared to Millwall this season. Oh, hold on - wait, BHB supports Aston Villa. I take that back.

No, you're right. When the Khmer Rouge were in power, they renamed the "Republic of Kampuchea". When their regime collapsed, it went back to being Cambodia.

Jealous of your team, Millwall being relegated, whilst everyone else does well. I made that quite clear. Although THIS thread was started regards the Richard O'Sullivan thread, you HAVE posted in a number of threads complaining that football has taken it off topic (rightly, though), and I thought this whole thread was started as a frustration from that. It has nothing to do with me at all, yep, but when you post generally about "keeping on-topic", some of us think "who is he addressing?" "MPFC, us, the world?" The Tempus thread is still fluff of the highest order & I can't see how it helps one iota in deciding DL candidates any more than this one does. FWIW, I don't even read the Richard O'Sullivan thread any more. It's the fluffiest thread on the fora and even if people were posting about dancing pixies or jam sandwiches in that thread, it wouldn't bother me, simply, because Richard O'Sullivan never has and never will be of any interest to me.

Topical Joke of the Day:- What have Leeds United & Gene Pitney got in common? They both collapsed & died in Cardiff.

I was just wound up. Maybe two weeks later I will feel differently, and I will not mind my rant post being deleted, but whilst I've steered clear of direct personal insults, how a Millwall fan can keep talking about "lower league football" dismissively is unbeliveable. Mike Graham... ex-Mansfield? Can't remember his performances vividly when he ventured to Elm Park. Odstock - town?! Ooh, they'd love you at Odstock Parish Council. It's a minor village, nay, a hamlet, worthy of nothing of notage, except the birthplace of yours truly (and my sister). To keep up-to-date & topical, I would like to say how pleased I am Watford were promoted. It means Reading have a better chance of staying up. Villa, too, I suppose.

I did the same joke in the other thread VSBfH. Either great minds think alike, or we have the same appalling taste in comedy.

Lee Jong-Wook, as mentioned, all so briefly, in the Ideas & Possibilities thread, has died. He was head of the World Health Organisation, and was 61 years of age.

Forget it, he's dead. WHO?

Hey! Why don't you just PM MPFC to tell him to stop mentioning Carlisle United, instead of getting all high-brow & uppity. He might ignore you, but that's a risk to run in life. Just because you're pissed off your dirty little team were relegated to the same league as Carlisle.... Besides, the last time I looked this was a general fora. The last time I looked, you weren't an admin. I see that you don't object to the Where's Tempus thread, or some others which have absolutely no relevance to famous people dying. It's only if they mention football. MPFC, should, IMHO, allowed to talk about Carlisle Utd, as they are a big factor in his life, as meeting musicians is in your life. Maybe it's not the best fora to do so, but where else can MPFC express his love for Carlisle, it makes up who he is. As Reading, who beat your lot 5-0 this season, may I remind you, is a massive part of my life. Either just put MPFC on ignore, or get over it. I think there ARE too many mentions of football where it isn't relevant, but I just let it go. Getting yourself so wound up isn't worth it. I think you're just jealous, meself, that other teams are doing so well, whilst your lot are so crap. Either that or you're a snob. Like it or not, a lot of teams have footballers on our DDP lists - I don't see why we should not discuss their health. *Rant Over* To keep on topic, Reading are by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen.

Er... I'm sorry, but that's not true. Three have died at Monaco. Bandini, as you've already mentioned. The great Luigi Fagioli died from injuries & stress from an accident there in 1952; Fagioli had an accident in his Lancia B20 on 30 May 1952 during a practice session for the Grand Prix de Monaco - which that year was not a Formula 1 event but, instead, a non-championship race for sportscars up to two liters. In never explained circumstances, Fagioli lost control of the car in the tunnel and crashed it broadside into a stone balustrade at the exit. The car sustained medium damages; Fagioli was thrown out of it and was taken to a hospital unconscious, also suffering a fractured arm and badly broken left leg. He regained consciousness four days later and was reported in serious but stable conditions. His health improved progressively and seemed to be out of danger.On 20 June the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dell’Emilia reported a statement by Fagioli’s doctor informing that the driver was doing well, but that his knee was so injured that it would take eight to nine months for a full recovery. The same report stated that Fagioli was to undergo a surgery to his left leg that same day; however, his condition suddenly deteriorated, and he passed away with a complete failure of the nervous system hours later, at age fifty-four. Sadly, the "Abruzzi Robber" had perished after an accident in the same circuit in which he had obtain a memorable win back in 1935, seventeen years earlier. and Dennis Taylor, who was a non-qualifier for a number of Grand Prix's perished there, in 1962. A popular and experienced racing driver, Dennis Taylor from Kent - UK, was liked and admired by all with whom he came in contact: he started racing in 1951 with an Iota 500 and had long and successful career in F. 3 driving JBS, Arnott, Martin, Staride and Cooper cars till he abandoned 500s F. 3 and took to sport-racing and F. 2 machines. During 1958 and 1959 Taylor was seen in F. 2 British races driving 1,5 litre single-seaters Lotus, but when F. Junior began in Europe he acquired a front-engined Lola for 1960 season. The following year he changed the car with a new rear-engined Lola, the same car which he raced the 1962 season and had the fatal accident, during the F. Junior race at Monaco on Saturday of F. 1 Grand Prix Also, in recent memory, Karl Wendlinger is a very, very lucky boy to still be alive, after his crash there in 1994. His injuries were more severe than mere "smashed hips." Alex Wurz's career never recovered after he crashed there (must've been 1998, I think). I seem to recall a 60's driver crashing there heavily & his career never got going again... So, it is not exactly a safe track all in all, although it's record is suprisingly good for the years it's been going. However these days, injury/death is almost impossible at a Tilkedrome unless for a bizarre chain of events, a la Paletti, or Pryce etc. Monaco is one of those that isn't a Tilkedrome, and it's nice to see drivers have an element of risk - that's what motor racing is about, not the video game dross we have these days.

Saddam's latest novel is published. I suppose he has enough time on his hands now to write more novels every year than even Barbara Cartland churned out.

Lee Jong-wook, head of the WHO. That's the World Health Organisation, not the Daltrey led combo. Rushed to hospital today with a blood clot on his brain. Looks like it could be another hospital long-stayer but any illness involving the brain is never good for anyone's health, even if they are head of a Health body.

Richard McIlkenny, one of the "Birmingham Six", has died. They may've lapsed out of the public eye now, but as a lad, I remember all the hoo-ha about their imprisonment, and remember vividly when they were released.

Ah, but LG, he doesn't deny it. Maybe he's angry cos I've found his secret out. In fact, his one smilie retort increases my belief that he is in the BB House. Banned from any outside contact for 3 weeks, he somehow manages a quick search whilst the cameras feature on Nikki stripping etc. Obviously time was short and Shab- sorry Tempus, was found out & quickly reprimanded. It'll be cut out of the show, so there's no point checking. Seriously, welcome back, TF, not least because it'll mean the end of this thread before MPFC alone pushes it to even sillier levels.

Weaver? Odd? Pah - he was perfectly sane in a world of oddballs. What made him so strange then, RA? With your oft-mentioned list, it is true that you have a strong team on paper, but you chose Saddam Hussein in the DDP. I find that a bizarre choice, taking in all your ratings etc. Mind you, I can't talk, with a hit ratio of 1/20 this year.

I have to admit, when I saw the headline on Teletext & it said "Singer Freddie dies", I'd thought I'd gone back in time to when Mercury died. I was desperately trying to rack my brains whilst waiting for the story to come up to think of a singer famous enough to be called "Freddie" (ie just the one name). I failed. When I read the report, I found out I'd never heard of him anyway.

Dino de Laurentiis. Okay, I admit it, I just chose one at random. DdL seems perfectly well and one would expect Suharto or Haughey next if I was doing it properly.

Korbut was alright in her day. Her day has long gone now, though. Maybe I am of different tastes to your young self. Or maybe my age is showing. Maybe I am weird. I mean, I like Melissa Joan Hart - that's normal. But I've also got a real thing for Lorraine Kelly. That's not normal, or not at my age... I'm surprised you haven't heard of Sabatini. Met her once, at Wimbledon, years ago. One of the happiest days of my life. Ah, I used to swoon over her. She was like Kournikova, but could actually play tennis Fair enough, CP. To show my way of apology, I post a completely random picture of Erin Gray & hope it makes up for any ugly people.

Well, originally I thought you had. Then, I thought to myself - have I come across any proof MPFC IS a man? Likes football & motor racing, drinking & fighting. Being the terrible chauvinist I am, I thought, male. Certainly the posts from MPFC allude to masculine feelings. But could I be wrong? I'm not sure of anything at all any more in todays mixed up world. I know I'm male, but am I? Is Abdelaziz Bouteflika really male? Who knows, who knows? MPFC is so called as he/she/it lives in Maryport. That might be the source of your confusion. It sure is for those who live in Maryport, too.

A former Israeli political leader died today. If you heard it on the radio, you might be forgiven it was someone else, especially as the surname is very, very similar. In fact, he seems to have the names of most of the living Israeli ex-premiers (Shamir, Netayahu, and ol'Ariel) Unfortunately, for all those DDP'ers, it was Yitzhak Ben-Aharon , who died, aged 99. link Famous in his own right, without a doubt, but I must admit I saw the words "Yitzhak" "Israeli" and "party", and thought I had, at last, a 2nd DDP hit. The torrid wait goes on.