Can we leave the politics out of this, please?

No, we can't.

And even if we could that in itself would be a political stance to take and so it's as illogical as it is impossible and re-defines the words "self-defeating" for us.

On this day, of all days, some of the words of the late Tony Benn are worth remembering: "Who is telling me this and why are they telling it to me?" The answer to both parts of the question are so obvious they don't actually need typing but I'll put them at the end of this post anyway.

Other variants thereof are out there too: "I'm sick of the off-field politics." Aren't we all!

"I just want to support the XI in green." As though the rest of us don't support the XI in green.

"I just want to rock up to HP tomorrow and cheer the boys on." Well... Me too except I'd like to do that next week, next month, next year and for years to come after that as well.

Many years ago it was possible to totally ignore the "politics" partly because the internet didn't shine it's light into the murkier corners and partly because a meekly compliant local press often hushed up anything that might have been controversial so not only couldn't you, perhaps, do anything about it but you probably didn't even know a problem existed if it did. Of course many years ago everybody knew their place and wouldn't dream of questioning their betters.

And we all now know where that leads and it leads to exactly the same place that looking someone in the eye to see whether or not they are trustworthy does.

All that cap doffing, reverential respect has been blown away, mostly by the deeds and actions of those who enjoyed that respect, and those days will not return - and nor should they. They are gone forever because so few characters exist today to whom unconditional loyalty can be shown and in whom such faith and trust can be placed. I suppose Argyle was lucky to ever have had one at all in the person of Michael Foot and it was the board on which he served that has proved to be the last to enjoy such unequivocal trust from the terraces. Is there anybody out there who could fill his boots today? Is there even anybody out there fit to shine his boots today? No. It is openness and transparency that engenders trust these days, as opposed to maniacal control freakery which destroys it, and it is company accounts and balance sheets that need careful examination if we are to assume that any club is sustainable in such a way that inspires us to commit our time, emotion and money to it as it would like us to.

So it is impossible, naive and undesirable to ignore the "politics" because it is the "politics" that either creates or destroys the trust and it is absolutely essential that that trust is in place before the "politics" can be safely ignored.

I can't help but feel that anybody actually making the "politics" argument either has a guilty conscience and has something to hide or is a complete idiot or has completely lost the debate. Or all three. And knows it.

Wow!  :Good Post SFD I hope everyone reads this and I do mean everyone 

 

Educated w@nker.

Abso-bleddy-lutely spot on. Couldn't agree more.

      

Smashed it out the park there

Good post/ Time to move on*

Delete as appropriate

Good post

Top bombing SFD - Echos many on this site I'm sure, realistic when viewed against the Pres dollop!!  

Sort of applies to argyle, politics and most other things

Wot, no more postboxes ? no more buttering up the squire ?
People love politics when they want to climb. Not so happy when they want to cling.

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

Dick Trickle wrote:

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

Keep eating the shit DB

dungbeetle wrote:

Dick Trickle wrote:

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

    

dungbeetle wrote:

...........
You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

You're right, of course.

The first time I saw a dung-beetle was from a car as we were driving through Nairobi Game Park. I was going to get out & take a photo but as there were baboons & lions around I decided not to. Fascinating animals - they eat shit & seem to thrive on it.

PS I always think it's ironic that VILE is an anagram of EVIL & LIVE. But I'll draw a veil over further discussion of that.

dungbeetle wrote:

Dick Trickle wrote:

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

Cheers darling.

Love you too.

What alternative is there to being vigilant?

Should we just unquestioningly accept everything we are told even after being told things that are obviously untrue?

Having been deliberately deceived and misled once, twice, three times should we shelve all suspicion that a fourth, fifth and sixth are likely to follow? Eighth, ninth or tenth?

I'm sure we'll all feel feckin marvellous when, just after having sleep-walked (slept-walked, maybe?) into oblivion, someone pipes up "Gosh! Didn't expect that to happen. Oh well."

And it could all have been so very, very different.

It should have been so very, very different.

There seems to be a common theme that the AFT can't support the team *and* keep watch.

SFD sums up why this is nonsense very eloquently.

At tomorrow's AFT meeting we will discuss 'positive' activities, but we won't take our eye off the financial ball.

Oh, and whether you agreed with their views or not, Foot and Benn had integrity and stayed true to their values, where politicians today far too often blow with the wind to curry favour.

dungbeetle wrote:

Dick Trickle wrote:

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

  

It's a bit 8 years too late.

Wrathalls back in.

Frank gets information from...

People he once supported?

Nobody but Frank is being fed information which becomes true.

Round and round the mulberry bush...

I'm just putting this out there because

Nobody else has

Welcome back Mr Stapleton?

dungbeetle wrote:

Dick Trickle wrote:

If there's a tombstone big enough PAFC will have that written on it. Well done SFD. Eloquently written and in the modern parlance "nail on head".

Most on this site are not anti-Argyle. FFS I experienced that unbridled joy of hugging a complete stranger on Tuesday as we happened to be sat next to each other as Hourihane's shot went in.

We love this club, we just don't like people taking us for a ride and it's becoming increasingly obvious that we are merely a pawn in a posh boys game.

If Brent truly fucks this up I fear for the future of football in Plymouth.

You really are a bitter lot.

The milk of human kindness obviously does not extend as far as on here it seems!!

Vile forum.

      

Posts like these cement atd as the thinking argyle fans forum...which may explain why there's only a few of us.

Educated wankers one and all.