Yoss

The Dunfermline Press likes to talk about the city centre. That's probably the Council's fault too.

I hope Livi don't owe you any money, Alibi.

Well that's me down to a tee. Hello.

Or, at least, since Pearse Flynn said the club would be nothing without him and compared Dorado to a terrorist.

I dunno what the answer is, but it's not realistic to be able to expect someone taking over a business of that size to have that amount of spare cash lying around. It would certainly be an insuperable barrier for any supporters' trusts hoping to take over.

Thomson has been a cracking player, dunno if he's still got it but he's played more games this season than he has for a few years. If McGlynn thinks he's still good enough then that's good enough for me. I'd be slightly surprised by it though.

If the sponsors have any sense they'll have set up an arrangement to pay in tranches through the season, which I think is generally what happens anyway. If they've overpaid or are owed anything in the event of the club going under they'd just have to join the queue of (ordinary) creditors.

I think there are a few clubs, now and at various points in time, who would happily accept relegation to the third as a reasonable price for having the slate wiped. If administration has to be then it has to be, and particularly if the Trust are to take over I wouldn't want to see them too hamstrung by the sins of their previous owners. But I'm a little bit concerned by the blithe ease with which some are talking about defaulting on debts (again) as being a desirable solution.

It's much easier to say when you're not involved, but I think I'd probably agree. Openly trumpeting that you're going to use next season's advance ticket money to pay last season's bills doesn't seem very bright. I think I'd be assuming the club was fucked anyway and rather than pour my money into the black hole I'd save it for post-adminstration when it might do more good.

Had a couple of days in the Cairngorms last week, climbed Beinn Bhrotainn and Monadh Mor, camped out on the col just to the north, and climbed Angel's Peak and Cairn Toul at dawn next day. Beautiful it was. I don't do that sort of thing nearly enough but I will do more this year.

That's a very unkind spin to put on it - Massone is not being criticised for lack of due dilligence as such, but for the lack of it and then for blaming other people for issues that have arisen. The Trust, whether or not they know the full extent of the problems, are aware that they're very much there and think the wrong person or people are in place currently to deal ith it. They'd prefer to take it over and confront such problems as exist before they get any worse. And regardless of any personalities and egos involved, there's no reason to think their desire to do so comes from anything other than a genuine wish to help the club they love. Trusts are composed of fans anyway, no one has any obligation to support them or to think they're the right people to get involved, and I accept that nor does everyone have the time or capabilities to get involved themselves, but sniping from the sidelines while the club goes down the chute isn't going to do anyone any good.

I thought they'd include Symonds when it came to it too, but no matter. It might be a very good squad but there are more uncertainties about it than has usually been the case with Ashes squads of recent years - how good wille Clark and Lee be after injury, can Hussey refind his form, will Hughes continue his form or can England exploit his technical weaknesses, can they get enough of a return from the part-time spinners in Clarke and Katich? And so on. If it all comes togther and Aus play at their best then England probably can't match them, but I'm expecting it to be close.

As I read the thread I think of things I want to say, and then I find he's already said them and better than I would have done.

Bit of a waste of time that series, but nice to see Anderson bowling well, and Bopara and Cook getting some runs. Bopara cementing the number three spot is the only useful thing to come out of it in terms of knowing what the Ashes team will be. Strauss, Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior, Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Panesar is probably the first choice XI they've got in mind, but if either Flintoff isn't fit, or if they decide only to play one spinner it'll be interesting to see which of the seamers is next in line. I suspect a fully fit Sidebottom would still be first call ahead of Onions or Bresnan.

West Indies 94/3 at close, Sarwan and Chanderpaul still there and more rain forecast for tomorrow. Still good drawing chances I would think.

Yes, sort of. He was only ever going to be allowed to play in the first couple of weeks of the IPL because of the Test series. The ECB have first call on him.

Cook goes for 160, 411/4 at lunch. Good little session given there were only 25 overs, and the threatened rain has so far stayed off. More forecast though, and especially tomorrow, so we'll have to rely on the West Indies collapsing again if there's to be a result.

Excellent work from Mr Freemason there. Edit: and Swampy.

Good work England, especially pleased to see Cook get some runs, hope he can make it a biggie too, which is something he's failed to do thus far - it's his ninth century but only the third time he's passed 120 and he's yet to reach 150.

Blimey, Chanderpaul lasted five balls this time; the big three have scored 46 runs between them in the match (28 of them in Gayle's first innings).

Someone who was at Lords on Wednesday was telling me about Edwards' reaction to Gayle's dropped catch. Apparently he threw a proper strop at the end of the over and was loudly telling the sub fielder "That was fucking unbelievable, he wasn't even fucking watching" (or words to that effect).

39/2, Gayle and Sarwan both out to Anderson. Bad light and probably close of play. Not even 70 overs in the day but fifteen wickets and if the weather stays clear tomorrow I wouldn't hold out much hope for those with tickets for Saturday, let alone Sunday.

All out 152, following on. Onions has five-for, he's the new Ed Giddins.

119/8, four wickets in seven balls, including three in an over from Onions. Bresnan might not even get a bowl here.

117/7, I wasn't expecting them to be this shit.