[spireitematt]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55152637

All EU players joining English clubs after 31st December must qualify on a points based system. Points will be awarded for senior and youth international appearances, club appearances and the pedigree of the selling club. Clubs will also not be able to sign overseas players until they are 18. Signings of overseas players aged under 21 will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season after that.

It means that top clubs won't be able to buy young players and hoard them in their youth teams like a lot of top teams do and It should give more opportunities to young home grown players and could strengthen the National teams but only if they sort out the coaching. The Premier League top teams will probably go looking for players in South America. The other problem is it could mean that overrated players from the lower leagues could be sold for over inflated prices to the top teams. It shouldn't affect the Irish players who play in the Irish Premiership or League Of Ireland as they will be covered by the common travel agreement.

[0762]

And whoopeeeee!! A vaccine has been authorised for use in the UK. And then the embarrassing politics initially "played out" AGAIN by a non-entity named Matt Hancock who wanted to take Brexit credit on this great first usage by the Brit medical providers. Then Johnson and officials at 10 Downing St "distancing" themselves from this piece of inaccurate self-gratification although the UK Business Sec, Sharma, with quote(part of his statement) - "In years to come, we will remember this moment as the day the UK led humanity's charge against this disease"???? A swift reply made by the German Ambassador to the UK, Andreas Michaelis, rightly asking these Trump-like minions, "Why is it so difficult to recognise this important step forward as a great international effort and success. I really don't think this is a national story. In spite of the German company BioNTech having made a crucial contribution, this is a European and transatlantic initiative - the EU and the US have "ploughed" lots n lots of finance + expertise into this project as well. Of course Michaelis forgot to mention that the people he was criticising are, in fact, political isolationists/populists and indeed very Trump-like in their bogus assertions.

[hibeejim21]

Williamson today with the "my dad's bigger than your dad" playground pish as well. Laughable arseholes. The EU invested huge sums in the vaccine and it was devised by German/turkish scientists. Its a victory for anything but Brexit.

But yeah, another dose of :

English Nationalism = Good.

Scottish Nationalism = Baaaad.

Hoorah!

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondo...d=msedgdhp

This guy Eustice must have his head rammed up his own arse when it comes to some kinda proper economic perception/view of the fishing industry in this country!!! The contribution to UK GDP takes up well under 1% FFS - a case of "get your priorities right" or is it a case that his Tory associate, Michael Gove, comes from a trawler fishing family background that is bizarrely relevant to scuppering a lotta other bigger industries and creating a lot more unemployment. The other factor that really "flies out in any critic's face" is that the fishing industry's main customers are located in the European Union.

[ritchiebaby]

Personally, I don't see that there should be a problem over any countries' fishing rights. They could be solved by some sort of agreement over licensing or catch limits. But knowing politicians' and civil servants' styles, it'll end up as another Cod War.

Not long after the Brexit vote I wrote "We can now sit back and confidently await our elected representatives make a complete balls-up of it." After all this time, there's nothing to suggest any other outcome.

[hibeejim21]

Thing is, if it hadn't been for EU regulations Cod would have long gone from UK waters.

More people work for Debenhams than in the fishing industry yet its being held up as some kind of major issue on Brexit. I suspect that this is about a small group of families who own most of the North Sea fishing wanting to sell to the highest bidder.

At the end of the day most of the fish we catch isn't consumed in the UK, the people here don't want it. The majority of what we do eat is imported. I cant see fishing being an impediment to a deal if one is there to be had.

[hibeejim21]

Barnier says talks conclude on Wednesday. Right to the wire.

[ritchiebaby]

I just hope it's all a gigantic game of Chicken. Even if the negotiators can sign something off, it's still to be ratified by the UK and EU and that might just depend on the Internal Market Bill and Taxation Bill coming before the Commons this week.

[hibeejim21]

I just hope it's all a gigantic game of Chicken. Even if the negotiators can sign something off, it's still to be ratified by the UK and EU and that might just depend on the Internal Market Bill and Taxation Bill coming before the Commons this week.

Looks like Boris has offered to bin the parts of the IMB that break international law.... Which is good of him.

The EU leaders meet on Thursday to either sign off the agreement or to sign off their 'no deal' plans. Which means temporary legislation to keep planes flying, finance moving etc.

Bojo seems to get on best with the German leaders like Von Leyen and Merkel and they are now driving this. Hopefully they can get something, because 'no deal' means shortages and price hikes short term, and much worse to follow.

[0762]

Note Johnson avoids personal contact directly with EU until now. The last time he "caved in" on a shit deal. Is he gonna do it again or, as many Brexit people suggest, he is the biggest Brexiteer of them all (since 2016 onwards) and will therefore "pull the plug" on any deal. Curious eh! But very stupid if the latter scenario materialises!