Hi all! Just back from a rather long holiday in Zante, Greece(there was a heatwave for a week+the red lobster effect still hasnt worn off- ouch!)

Wonderful news getting 3 mill today for Pistone considering he cud have gone for 1 mill when Gullit was here. Ok he might have surprised us next season but 3 million!! LOL!

Read this page for a laugh.....http://www.evertonfc.com/99_00/squad/first/pistone.htm.

I particularly enjoyed, "he is renowned for the ability to deliver damaging crosses for his sides forward players". Classic.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Answers

Have you watched any of the Euro coverage on ITV? Have you noticed how, whenever the Dutch played, Ruud would sit there, smugly smirking, as if he was entirely responsible for the team's actions? Did it annoy you?

The Dutch were great to watch. Italians aside, we all wanted to see them in the final. However, someone should tell Ruud that he was not responsible. All the flair, skill and style was not down to Ruud and on ITV he behaved as if it was; as if he was the puppet master- manager pulling all the strings.

Everyone knows that if Ruud had been in charge he would have left his centre forward, Patrick Kluivert, on the bench for his important matches and he would never have given Edgar Davids a squad number.

Wow! Even better, this bit from the official site today- has the writer had a personality transplant while i was away? ;-)

Have you watched any of the Euro coverage on ITV? Have you noticed how, whenever the Dutch played, Ruud would sit there, smugly smirking, as if he was entirely responsible for the team's actions? Did it annoy you?

The Dutch were great to watch. Italians aside, we all wanted to see them in the final. However, someone should tell Ruud that he was not responsible. All the flair, skill and style was not down to Ruud and on ITV he behaved as if it was; as if he was the puppet master- manager pulling all the strings.

Everyone knows that if Ruud had been in charge he would have left his centre forward, Patrick Kluivert, on the bench for his important matches and he would never have given Edgar Davids a squad number.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Welcome back Spud! - You`re sounding suitably refreshed and energetic!(:o) Good break? (:o)

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Thanks for the laugh Spud! Yeah, those crosses damaged him more than the opposition.

Where is Zante? Do you have any photos to share? (Where is Rik?)

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

I remember being devastated by those crosses during the Cup Final against Arsenal...

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Yo Spud.....how did you like Zante......we were there last year....fabulous place but it was too hot in August......we left Gatport Airwick and the temperature was 31 degrees....when we arrive the temp in Zante was 39 and we woke the next morning to 45 degrees (somewhere round about 120) - it stayed like that for five days.

I bet you find this country dead quiet after all them crickets out there!

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Where abouts on the island did you stay.....the livelish bit round Laganas/Argassi or the more family bit round Alikes/Amoudi...

We stayed had an apartment in Amoudi.....very small village but really friendly.......

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Galaxy im fully refreshed and rarin' to go..pity the new seasons so far away though ;-(

Where did u stay in Zante, ITK????? Lovely place... still cant believe the primitive airport though..the building is so small, on the flight home we had to cue outside the building for 90 mins in the midday sun...people were let in 2 at a time to leave baggage in! We were in Kalamaki soaking up the sun in a great beach. There was an internet cafe close by which made sitting in the shade a wee bit more interesting ;-) Couldnt find this forum though after entering in many search words such as Duncan Reed!!

No pics Pete! Gavs recent photos put me off cameras for life, hehe.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

PETE T....quick geography lesson......Zante (or Zakynthos to give its full name) is one of the Greek Island in the Ionian sea. The nearest other island is Kefalonia which at some points is little more than a good seven iron away and a bit further up is Corfu.

Its a lovely island, reknowned for the turtles (caretta-caretta) which 'live' on the beach at Laganas, at certain times of the year, visitors have to be careful where they push their parasols into the beach in case there are turtle eggs under the sand.

The island was named after Zaynthos, son of Dardanos, King of Troy and a direct descendant of the god Apollo (he didn't just own the cinema on Sheilds Road)

As with a lot of the Greek islands, olives are one of the biggest products of the place and the island is covered in olive groves. The olive groves are awash with crckets which make crickety type noises from sun up to sun down every day, it doesnpt matter where you go, the noise is always there in the background.

here endeth the lesson for the day

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

Spud....as I said on another posting, we stayed had an apartemt at Amoudi, which is at the other end of the island to where you were.

You didn't stray too far from the airport did you!?!

I agree with on the airport building......we were kept out there in the same way, the biggest problem I had was, I've got a skin condition called Actinic Prurygo, which is brought out in the sun and heat, mine in a rare form, but the most commonly seen varity of it is known as prickly heat.....well, because of the 45 degree heat, I blew up like a huge blister and basically burst, my skin was red raw aftre two or three days and I had to spend most of my time in the shade of some bar or other somewhere......and despite this condition, they still kept me waiting in the full sun.

I loved the Duty Free area mind........up a single flight of stairs and amounted to little more that a blocked off coridoor with shelves down either side......if someone stopped to look at something, everyone behind stopped!

When we were there, I watch the Southampton v Toon match in the bar overlooking the beach at Laganas......2-0 up still lost.......

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

oops ITK think ur post saying where u stayed was written same time as mine :-)

sorry to hear u got fried alive worse than me! Never got to see those elusive turtles- apparently they swim inshore around 7pm- by that time we were always sitting down to our 3rd huge meal of the day. Took a peddlo out with snorkel masks at 4pm lookin for em but ended up staring at the sandy sea bed...fairly boring!

Your right about the duty free 'shop'- as long as we got our 7 quid for a litre of smirnoff, we were well chuffed though ;-) Did it make it any easier seeing the Toon lose in the sun?

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2000

>>>>The olive groves are awash with crickets which make crickety type noises from sun up to sun down every day, it doesnpt matter where you go, the noise is always there in the background.

Owzat? Ah well, I guess it beats bats hanging from the trees. OK, just puttin' me coat on......

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2000

Thanks ITK, I didn't know Zakynthos had another name! My wife is from Kefalonia and she always promises to take me to Zante every year and we always end up back at her parents place (it's free) every year. Funny thing, there are 2 ferrys from the mainland side, one goes to Zante (always packed with what seems like people hanging off the sides) and the one to Kefalonia with 10 people on it.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2000