37elton

First of all. No there isn't one in the birthplace of football but there are now 30 or so in England. And if you put dots on an outline of England where they are you'll find Sheffield is about the middle of a big area devoid of one. Notable examples include AFC Wimbledon and FC United who for different reasons are clubs newly started in recent years. Meanwhile, Portsmouth are now the best supported fan owned club. Having been rescued from oblivion by the supporters trust. Personally, I am sick of corporate greed in football. If there were enough like minded support I help would help start one based in Sheffield just because we haven't currently got one. And locally it doesn't look like happening with any local club. [Wednesday were about 10% fan owned but sold out to Milan Mandaric] I would like to hear from anyone similarly interested. However, can't promise anything happening but it won't be for the want of trying! Whatever, for the next few months I plan to do a ground hop of football grounds where matches involving at least one fan owned club are taking place. You can read it at this address: thefcsgazette.blogspot.com

My car is currently stuck on my drive at Halway. Won't start. Phoned Green Flag - no home start cover. Wasn't sure before calling. They offered to send me fitter anyway for a one off charge of £108. Any recommendations of a local tradesman please? Or other ideas.

Does anyone know a locally based lady train driver? I am looking to interview one by phone or email with questions regarding an article I am writing on equality in the workplace. Please PM me if you do. Thanks.

I am a Sheffield born'n'bred season ticket holder of Leicester Tigers. It's what you do when your own home town has no professional sporting activity worth paying money to watch! That said. I am not ignorant to the fact any sport needs a top, middle and bottom to it's competitive structure. So with Leicester Tigers not playing until Sunday this weekend. I wonder if anyone can enlighten me what is more worth watching - Sheffield Tigers or Sheffield RUFC? As I see it Sheff.Tigers play a higher level but Sheffield have better facilities for the spectator. I am aware both have home games this Saturday.

????? I have a job I hate. Can't get another cos of recession that started when Sheff got flooded 5 years ago. No doubt the rain will make it even worse. I may not be able to retire until I am 65! I may not get my mortgage paid off for another 16 years! If the weather isn't spoiling something bl***y traffic jams are! The cost of living is going up, my wages aren't! I live in a country that is supposed to be a democracy but isn't! Public transport is s**t! Taxation is grossly unfair! Telesales people are forever phoning me! I would emigrate but no nation suitable to me is likely to accept me!My favourite sports team haven't won a major trophy for years! NEED I GO ON?

Lately, I have felt very depressed. One or two people have noticed. When asked why I have answered honestly, "I am fed up of the b***** rain". No one can accept I really mean it. And likewise to comments like, "when the weather gets better I too will be better". I am especially worried as I have spent over £200 on tickets and travel to The Olympic Games in a few weeks time. Will I not be able to get there because of rain fuelled transport disruption? Will London be flooded and have to cancel the events. I now can't sleep for worrying! Can anyone help please?

Yes! Really!! Have a minute of two Googlin. The we'll go away for half an hour or so and decide I am right! [oh I did like Brian Clough]

CLOUD SEEDING is the answer! Cloud seeding is widely used by countries such as China & Thailand as economic and protection measure. China kept rain away from last Olympic games by seeding the clouds to empty prematurely before they reached the Beijing area. Thailand meanwhile has become the world's largest exporter of rice thanks to cloud seeding of clouds over crops to make more rain, more crop, more money etc. We meanwhile are a sea-board nation. Therefore, we can seed clouds whilst they are over the sea to empty them before they get over land. Thus bring economic, environmental and public safety benefits.

No, of course not.

When is someone going to ask the questions that should really be asked? Given the current rain is the biggest threat to the well being of our country this side of Adolf Hitler! Why is this happening in July? Again? Why is nothing being done about it? Why hasn't parliament been recalled to discuss the crisis? Why is the PM nowhere to be seen? How many people [i estimate 100's] have already died because of this rain? And last but not least, The Olympic Games are due to begin in TWO WEEKS. Can the country guarantee them going ahead? I fear the recriminations that the country will face from the whole world should a bit of rain destroy The Olympic Games [Remember British people being deported from Italy at gun-point in response to the disasters at Hillsborough & Heysel?] This time next month this country will have about as much credibility as Nazi-Germany. And you will be facing almost certain physical abuse, or even death from it, if you go abroad for your holidays. IF THIS IS NOT A CRISIS, GOD FORBID, SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS!!! PS. Just to add the countries economy went to pot just after the last Sheffield floods. We have still to recover. GOD HELP US ALL!

True about fuel prices and bus fares being linked in some way. But over about 20 years they have risen by a far greater percentage than diesel has. I put the recent tram fare revision as a reaction to other product pricing in the local public transport market. Remember, a £2.10 single has actually been reduced!

Lived in St Ives when so called consultation for that busway happened. Quite right, their was oppostion. Re-opening the rail line would have been cheaper, but in fairness. A Rail link from Cambridge through St Ives to Huntingdon would have been needed to make a real impact. And the cost of doing that was declared prohibitive. That busway will prove to have been better than doing nothing and that's as positive as it will get. Though I have to say it would be handy for the journey to work I used to do. Inspired by traffic congestion on the paralell A14. Though only 30% of the problem is local traffic, hence 50% of local commuter switching away from their cars (no way will such a target be achieved) will only take 15% of rush hour traffic away. I would think traffic down there has grown by such an amount in the time they have been talking about it, going through red tape and eventually spending a few years building something. And also because I lived in Cambridge for a while. I know Stagecoach are just as bad as First when no one challenges them. But in Sheffield, are miles better than First because there is a lot of business to take from them. And when/if they have, oh dear, they too will be rubbish and more costly. I support London style bus regulation. Which at present Stagecoach are a notable absentee from. Proving they consider regulation a dirty word. If they choose to walk away from regulation then so be it. Others will come along and compete with First. Arriva, TransDev, Go Ahead are major groups with no interest as yet in this area. Then there are smaller concerns like Veolia or even Sheffield Community Transport. Not to mention TM Travel - can't believe how many of their buses you see around Sheffield City Centre in the evenings now. Could it be First & Stagecoach want paying more to run those buses deemed unprofitable but socially neccessary?

"First pulling out of Dronfield years ago looks great for us now." Not sure who quoted this but. I have always argued the likes of First & Stagecoach agree to keep out of one another's way in certain cases. This being one. Elsewhere as example, in East Anglia Stagecoach own 99% of Cambridgeshire's bus network, but are nowhere to be seen in Norfolk and Suffolk where First almost monopolise. I also suspect bus and train operators act likewise. Whatever happened to the X32, which used to be full most of the time, it was and would still be among the best public transport links between Sheffield, Barnsley & Leeds? And am I right in thinking you can no longer catch a direct bus from Meadowhall to Barnsley? Additionally, though the old 265 remains it is much less frequent than in times past. And why is a train your only option between Sheffield & Worksop?

Enough is enough. First Group live up to their name - they are undoubtedly first when it comes to profit. Stagecoach, well, they do a better a job when First are shadowing them, but. At least First are willing to run many evening and Sunday services commercially. And, where Stagecoach are against limited competition they are just as bad - look no further than Chesterfield or Barnsley. I suggest bus users of Sheffield unite. Reply here if you would pledge just a £10 note to help start a new company run on the following thoughts: We would aim for our day tickets to be competitive with other operators. We would aim for cheaper single fares with a structure based more directly on distance travelled. Many people are put off using a bus because it can be like £1.30 for a few stops. Why not a quarter as far as you could go for £2 for 60-80p? At the moment, if it's £2 for 5 miles it's probably no less for 3 miles. GET PEOPLE ON BOARD AND IF THEY ONLY PART WITH 50P IT'S BETTER THAN GETTING NOTHING FROM THEM AS THEY WALK INSTEAD. We would have to price fares for sustainability and some profit. Although profits will never be released to shareholders. Instead, they are retained to create more routes. So, get your thoughts and pledges written here. And hopefully I will be back to ask suggestions on our 1st route.

When petrol from BP at Meadowhead was about 39p a litre. It was called something else and 1986. On 1st April 1986 SYPTE were forced to adopt more commercially appropriate bus fares. And the fare from near that same filling station to town was 40p. Yesterday, petrol from the same place was 109p a litre. So by the time inflationary pressure the same bus fare would be perhaps 115p. But actually it is between 180p and 220p depending on operator. No prizes for guessing who is most expensive. Mainline - First for profit, profit and more profit.