Fierce_LiNk

Ok, I basically have a problem relating to money and friends. Just to let you know, this is a long story, so only enter if you're prepared to read a lot, otherwise it won't make sense. --- I bought a new suit for my graduation ball, and it cost me around £110, which is not exactly cash that I have, since I'm pretty skint 99% of the time. Still, I forked out for a new suit because I thought it would be good for the graduation, and any subsequent interviews and such afterwards. At the ball, you choose where you sit in advance, and I chose next to sit to my housemate Jack and his friend Ollie. During the ball, I took off my jacket and placed it on the back of my seat, so that I could go off and dance somewhere. When I came back, I noticed that Jack and Ollie's jackets were still there, but mine had gone. I asked Ollie if he had seen mine, and he said no, and I asked Jack, and he said no, too. Nobody had noticed that it had suddenly gone, despite only being a few feet away. Me and a few friends stayed til the very end of the ball, and my friend Cerys noticed that a jacket was left behind. So, drunkenly, she picked it up. I told her that I didn't think she should do that, and it should be left for lost property, because we didn't know who it belonged to. But, whilst under the influence, she thought that it would make a replacement for mine, because "obviously the person who had taken mine had left theirs behind," as she said. So, I carry on with life, jacketless. The jacket that Cerys had picked up remained in her room. Then, the day before I leave Brighton, Jack and Cerys come up to my room, and give me back my jacket. Basically, Ollie's friend Seb had taken my jacket by mistake, and was now giving it back after Cerys got on the case and tracked it down. There was a voucher in the inside pocket that I had won in the raffle, so that was a give-away. The next day, Jack and I were leaving Brighton. Jack tells me to text him when I was going around to Ollie's to give him back the jacket. So, I text Jack, and walk around to Ollie's, which is in the next road over. He is not there. Knowing that I have to leave that day, I go back to the house, and tell the girls that Ollie wasn't at his house, and leave the jacket with them. About 3 days after leaving, Ollie facebooks me, and I reply with this message: Hey dude, cheers for helping finding my jacket! I was pretty gutted when I couldn't find it. I left Brighton last Sunday afternoon, and gave your house a little knock on the way, but there was no answer. I looked like a right tart saying my goodbyes, trying to drop off the jacket, then going back to the house to put the jacket back, hehe. I left the jacket in the house with the girls and let them know there was no one home when I tried to drop it back. So, its either back in the house, or one of them may have it, I think." I send him that message, and he doesn't reply. A few weeks pass, and he asks me the same thing as before: "Am I coming around with the jacket?" I tell him that I already sent the message, and that he should try contracting the girls. He replies with: "Cerys isn't replying." I contact Cerys and Siobhan, the housemates and they tell me that they've now moved out. They were staying there for 2 weeks longer than me, but weren't there anymore. I ask about the jacket, and they tell me that the jacket must have been given to the charity shop, with the rest of the left-over stuff. They both say that Ollie should have come around to claim it, but he didn't. So, now, I send a message to Ollie on facebook: Hey man, I messaged you before about coming around to your place before I left for home, and then you weren't there so I took the jacket back to the house in the hope you or the girls would have sorted it out. Just got into contact with the girls to find out what happened to it, and it turns out that everyone had forgotten about it, as they were pre-occupied with moving out, getting work signed off and taking exams. I think maybe they were expecting someone to come to the house to pick it up, too. They piled any left-over stuff together and put the lot in a bag and popped it off to the charity shop. Sorry about this, the girls and I feel pretty bad about it. x x Ollie replies with: You should hace sorted it out before you went back and I did not arrange to come and pick it up anytime, You were meant to give it to Jack to bring round and he popped round a few times. Well thats not really on as Seb got your jacket back to you. He had just bought that jacket for the ball for £70 and would like to be reimbursed as you gave it away, so can you transfer the money into his account soon as he needs to buy a new jacket for his event next week Ok, just to set a few things straight: 1. I didn't take the jacket from the ball - Cerys did. Cerys picked it up, after I had told her to hand it into lost property at the hotel. 2. Jack told me on the day that he left to text him when I was going around to yours, and to go around there to hand in the jacket. He told me about an hour before he left, and we were leaving Brighton on the same day. I did exactly that - I texted Jack, and I came around to your place, but you were not there. So, I took the jacket back to the house, in the hope that it would have been sorted out between you, Siobhan and Cerys. 3. I think it is pretty damn unfair to ask me to re-reimburse the money for the jacket when the big problem was that Seb took mine in the first place.I had spent £110 on a new suit for the ball, so I was pretty upset about that. I did not give away the jacket at all. When I sent you the message on here, (after you had asked me about the jacket), you, Cerys and Siobhan were all still in Brighton, and I was not. The jacket was still there, too. As far as I knew, I had done exactly what I had been told. There's no telling whether or not the jacket from the ball is actually Seb's or not, since it was a random one picked up by Cerys. I did exactly as Jack said, I texted him, I went around to your place, and you weren't there. I think it's pretty unfair to ask me to fork out the £70 when this was not my fault. Then, his reply: Jim It was your responsibilty to get Sebs jacket back to him, like it was Seb's responsibilty to get your jacket back to you. He could of kept your jacket and voucher for himself but gave them back to their owner. You shouldnt of "done what you were told", you should of known you had to get the jacket back. When you knocked on my door you could of posted the jacket thru the letterbox, or contacted me to arrange a time when someone was in. Why did you leave it till the day you were leaving? If you think its pretty damn unfair to pay the £70, its pretty damn unfair to give away Sebs jacket and loosing that money he paid for his jacket. If the girls threw away the jacket then maybe you can ask them to help you pay the £70. Then: He could have kept the voucher? I'm grateful that he's a good person and not a thief. I did what I was told because Jack told me on the day that I was leaving to pop around to yours to give the jacket back. We were leaving on the same day. I didn't get my jacket back from Jack until the night before I left. That is why it was not done by me sooner. I didn't want to ruin the jacket by posting it through the letterbox, so I took it back to the house. The jacket was never in my possession, until that day when I took it around to yours. I left it with the girls because I knew that you only lived on the next road over, and that it would get sorted out best then. You could have gone around there? To be honest, I don't even see how any of this is even my fault. I've outlined my reasons above and have also explained my reasons to Jack, and I'm angry that I'm being made to pay for something which isn't even my fault. Just to add, but you knew I was leaving/had left Brighton anyway. Here is a message which I wrote on your wall a month ago: "Hey dude, cheers for helping finding my jacket! I was pretty gutted when I couldn't find it. I left Brighton last Sunday afternoon, and gave your house a little knock on the way, but there was no answer. I looked like a right tart saying my goodbyes, trying to drop off the jacket, then going back to the house to put the jacket back, hehe. I left the jacket in the house with the girls and let them know there was no one home when I tried to drop it back. So, its either back in the house, or one of them may have it, I think." Then: You have just said this: "I didn't get my jacket back from Jack until the night before I left. That is why it was not done by me sooner." Which leads me to beleive you did not want to swap jackets until you had yours back which is very devious. Thats my point he is not a thief and gave back you jacket and voucher. Im afraid it is your fault as you took it upon yourself to take the jacket from the girls and swap them over to get your jacket back. You could of contacted Jack so he could then arrange a time for me to meet you. I arranged to get your jacket back to you and you should of arranged the same in reverse. Or as you didnt do this you should of left clear instructions with the girls to contact me and get it back to me rather than allow them to throw it away. Seb is now left without a jacket and a £70 hole in his pocket. Did you not read all of my message? " The jacket was never in my possession, until that day when I took it around to yours." I didn't touch the jacket until the day I took it back to you. It wasn't mine, and when Cerys picked it up at the ball, I told her to leave it for lost property, because we had no idea if it even belonged to the same person that took mine. How is that in any way devious?! I don't understand what you're trying to get at. Are you trying to say that I'm a thief for "not wanting to swap jackets"? Devious? Come on now. I took the jacket back to the house after trying to get it to you because I honestly thought that it would have got sorted out between you and the girls. When I facebook messaged you, I told you that the girls were in possession of the jacket, so you could have sorted it out with them directly? It was an honest mistake when it got put with the other leftover things in the house and then taken to the charity shop. Nobody meant for the jacket to be taken there, and due to the situation not being sorted out, they probably forgot. Like I have mentioned here, you knew that they had the jacket, so why didn't you go and collect it? I am sorry that Seb is left without a jacket, but I don't think it is right that I need to fork out the money to pay for a new one when this is clearly not my fault. What the Fuck Did I Do Wrooooong? I wanted a Total Recall reference in the title, but I didn't want to see swearing on the forum page. That is as far as we have got. What the hell?

That'll be pretty difficult to watch. I expect he'll get a good reaction from the fans when the two teams meet, though. Well...I think so, anyway.

I think the different thing with these situations is that the players jumped from one club to the rival. Its been a few years now since Owen was at Liverpool, and imo, I think he lost his loyalty to them when he joined Real Madrid, or when he came back to the Premier League at Newcastle. It must be upsetting to see a former player join a rival, and I would find it hard to come to terms with, too.

I don't blame you for being uncomfortable with that. It must be similar to how Tottenham fans felt when Sol Campbell signed for Arsenal. I would feel a tad bit upset, too.

I'm willing to give the guy a chance. More than anything, I trust Fergie.

Maybe a lot of those were substitutions, but Real has always been a competitive club. At Liverpool, it was pretty much guaranteed he would start every game. It wasn't like that at Madrid. Probably not entirely down to his quality, but down to the club in general. Looking back on it, Michael probably regrets leaving for Madrid, as I don't think it did him any favours. To add insult to injury, the season after he left, Liverpool won the Champions League. With regards to match form, he has joined Manchester United in early July. He was made to pass a "stringent" medical, assessing his injuries and his form at the moment. His form is definitely his biggest issue, but the United backroom staff will do the best they can for him. He has joined at the right time, I think. Now he has enough time to train with the team, to get a good pre-season behind him, and to train to at least get himself up to match-fitness. I think it would be unfair to blame him directly for all of Newcastle's misgivings at the end of last season. As a team, they were poor. They were on their fourth manager of the season, the team were low on moral and belief, and they played poor for the majority of the season. Actually, poor is putting it lightly. That picture isn't right, and it's going to piss off a lot of Liverpool fans. But, I think Michael is a long, long way now from his roots back at Liverpool.

Happy Birthday, suckers. Make sure you enjoy it, or...we'll all be saaad.

Happy Birthday, Mike.

I can't do that accented E. Aww, I'm proud of you, Katie. You're like a sister to me, haha. Joe is my brother. Although, perhaps we're all a bit incestuous. Yaaaay, go you. I'm happy for you.

I said to my brother earlier that I reckon he'll score somewhere between 10 and 15. 35 games is still a nice amount in one season, especially for someone considered a squad player. Even he does score anywhere close to 15, I will be absolutely delighted. For a free transfer, Fergie will be laughing. Newcastle was a troublesome time for him. Even then, when he played, he still had a decent record for them. Again, the problems were with fitness.

He's being bought as an additional striker, not as the main one. He's not going to displace Berbatov and Rooney, but he'll play a good role as a substitute, I think. He's never regained his true form, and if anyone is expecting the striker from 98 or 2001, then they're in for a huge disappointment. But, he knows where the back of the net is. Considering the chances that a team like United can create, I can see him being given plenty of opportunities to score goals. Rooney has performed well in his England performance, and given that he and Berbatov are now the main striking partnership, he should replicate that at United, too. But, what Owen does is he gives the team another option. If the score is 0-0 with 10 minutes to go, sometimes it'll be worth a gamble putting on another striker. Given that so many players of the team are so young (Macheda, Wellbeck, Manucho, Campbell), he gives you another option. Even if it's someone to tap the ball in from 5 yards. He knows where the goal is, and he won't drift from the box.

There's been a few other rumours circulating that links Fabiano to United, but everyone is just linked here/there nowadays. Still, he looked good in the confederations cup, but I question whether or not he could do it in the Premier League. Owen Has Signed When I saw the news about him at Carrington this morning, I told my brother he would sign before the weekend. Heh. Mystic_LiNk. Overall, a nice little bit of business, imo. He's relatively low-risk: we picked him up on a free transfer, he'll happily sit on the bench and wait his turn, and when needed he could pop up with the goals. Also, we wouldn't have wasted that much money on him if he doesn't do well. I feel we still need another two players. A central midfield, maybe, and another winger.

Wohooo! Well done, Katiemon/Katymon. AlrighyKatie!

That's why I said at the end, I dunno how I feel about that. He wouldn't be a regular first team player, but he could suit the role of an impact sub quite well, maybe? Or, when Rooney or Berba pick up injuries/need rest. It would be low risk, since we wouldn't need to slap out loads of cash for him. If his wages were kept relatively low, it wouldn't be such an awful deal, I think. As a player himself, the problem is fitness. Its plagued his career, but it wouldn't be so much of a problem here as he wouldn't be a first teamer anyway. The guy can finish, which is something we kinda lack, I think. Like I mentioned, it's just a rumour. But, there is some sense in there...somewhere.

They're after Arbeloa from Liverpool, as well. That attacking line and midfield is so sexy, but it would be interesting to see how the whole team would work in terms of defence. I'm not convinced about that back-line, but then, Diarra and (potentially) Alonso would provide good cover for the back four. Heh, how many football fans will be willing Barcelona to win everything in Spain again next season?

There's a classic story that I read earlier where Bayern's executive chairman said: ""Personally, I read Franck's statement like that: either Real Madrid or nothing. And our clear reply is: nothing!" http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5412331,00.html Personally, I think he will go. Me and my brother have a little game going on where we try and predict whether or not the players will go, and how much for. I've gone out on a limb and said that Ribery will go to Real Madrid for 60 million. My brother thinks 50, and he's probably right, but I think Bayern will hold strong and firm, and will try and get 60. We've also got another side-bet on Alonso leaving Liverpool for Madrid. I think he'll go for 35, but it really depends on whether or not any other Liverpool players leave. If Mascherano leaves for Barcelona, I can't see Liverpool letting Alonso go either. There's also a rumour going around that Manchester United will pick up Michael Owen for free, and on relatively low wages. Dunno quite how I feel about that one, though.

That's brilliant! I think I'd get on well with her. I recall that on one of the earlier podcasts, I came out with: "And I got a headshot...in the head."

I think the only way we can actually judge the direction of the game is when we finally see it for ourselves. Or, some news of how it plays.

I could go, you're right, it is easy. I have the money, I'm confident about the train route and journey time, and because I haven't canceled the hotel yet, I would have a place to stay. I could come, but Ine can't. We had the whole thing planned out, but the operation she needed for her leg is something that is out of anyone's control. It's an effort for her to go upstairs to the loo, or to bed, so it would be impossible for her to travel. I understand that it may not seem fair for one person to miss out because of the other person, but I wouldn't feel right in myself knowing that I was out there doing something that we should have been doing together. At the same time, I wouldn't feel right knowing that she would be miles away, probably in pain, wishing that she was there with me and with the rest of us lot. She's pretty lonely at the moment, because she's confined the her house, and because I can't get over there til at least August, or until I get my teaching job sorted before then. If it means that I stay in on a Saturday evening speak to her/keep her company, then that's just something that I need to do. People have different commitments. They may not be able to go because they can't get time off work, or because they can't afford the travel fare. In this case, Ine is my commitment. She's very important to me, and I'm putting her first.

Bluddy hell, Eeevil. I hope you're ok, mate.

In the words of John McEnroe, you cannot be serious. Just...nooooo!

You are wise Ell. Even for a Chelsea fan. I hope everyone has a good time there. Me and Ine hope you all enjoy eet. Somebody put in a crunching tackle on Haden for me, please?

And, as Raining said, it's not easy. The trek may be pretty different to what everyone is used to, given where the location she is traveling from is. But, she must have the funds and the time to be able to do that? Ine would love to come from Belgium. The distance is an issue, but other things are just as important. It's naive to ask nobody complain about the traveling distance when the website is N-Europe. This site is not N-South of England. There are many people who would love to come, I bet. Besides, even if you live within the UK, you need the money to be able to travel, and the time. Not everyone is in the same boat.

I think I would like to have kids someday, and I guess maybe it is something that I have thought about quite a lot. The idea of having a nice family of my own, a nice life for myself is definitely something that I do want. The idea of creating a new life and helping it grow up to be a person sounds pretty magical, but it carries an awful lot of responsibility. In that sense, I hope that if I ever do become a Dad that I can rise to the challenge and do a good job of it. Being a bad Father and bad husband I guess is one of my biggest fears.

Which is a tad bit unfair considering that his profile states he lives in the South of England. For some people, it's not as simple as "a day out." For people like Dannyboy, it must cost a fair bit to get over here, not including hotels/hostels and stuff. I know the cheapest it has cost Ine to get here is around 50 quid, so we're forever grateful for the Eurostar, haha. It's not like everyone is made of money, though. Or time. If it was really that simple, then maybe we should organise a meet-up in The Netherlands.