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More about Adam Le Fondre
16624th August 2016Michael Wood on Nahki / Armstrong
There is a cycle of rumours that take Nakhi Wells to Newcastle United and Adam Armstrong from The Magpies to Bradford City who are struggling to find a striker that fits within the Rahic Development Plan outline in the Summer and so have started looking at player who do not fit within that plan.
16415th August 2016Michael Wood on Soft / August
Peterborough United 0 Bradford City 1 At London Road in League One, 2016/2017
Following the first win of the season Bradford City continue to look for a striker hoping that the opening month of the season will have focused the mind of players who have realised that they will not be getting much football.
28th September 2010Luke Lockwood on A long time watching as City face Rotherham United
Bradford City play Rotherham United At The Don Valley Stadium in League Two, 2010/2011
10th August 2010Michael Wood on The Entire Unexpected Entrance of David Syers
Bradford City 2 Nottingham Forest 1 AET At Valley Parade in League Cup, 2010/2011
30th July 2010Michael Wood on The start of the most interesting season
Bradford City play Rochdale At Spotland in Friendly game, 2010/2011
11th December 2009Michael Wood on A tale of two shopping centres
20th November 2009Jason Mckeown on Accrington nearly don't come to Valley Parade but the happy ending becomes more predictable
Nahki / Armstrong
And so the rumours continued.
Greg Abbott announced that Bradford City were interested in signing Adam Armstrong from Newcastle United while The Times are reporting that Armstrong's parent club are now interested in Nahki Wells who, should he move to St James' Park, would trigger a percentage clause in the transfer deal that took Wells from Bradford City to Huddersfield Town and give Bradford City the cash to spend on a striker.
The breathlessness of the above is indicative of a change in football over my eighteen years writing this website.
It used to be that football supporters lived for the football matches. Now the matches are a frequently ignored data point in the continuing narrative of squad gathering. Hull City's victory in the first two games of the Premier League season is a quirk in the story of a team with too few players.
Bradford City beat Coventry City, Milton Keynes Dons and Peterborough United in eight days but this has not stopped the conversation around the club being entirely about who should be brought into – or moved out of – the squad.
Improving the squad may or may not be something that is needed this season – that would be a retroactive judgement made in May 2017 and speculation before that – but it is hard to imagine what football supporters would do in August if they were not talking about squad gathering.
Football supporting is now Pokemon Go with young men filling in for Pikachu.
Nevertheless there are two things to note about the current cycle of rumour around Adam Armstrong arriving on loan from Newcastle United.
Notice how it is Chief Scout Greg Abbott and not Manager Stuart McCall who is talking about Armstrong. In fact it is Abbott who leads much of the conversation about recruitment to the club.
This in itself is in keeping with Abbott's remit at Valley Parade and no bad thing but it is as stark a contrast with Bradford City up to the Summer of 2016 as one could see.
When Archie Christie had Abbott's role he was geographically abused for having taken too high profile a role in transfer dealings and taking control away from the flailing Peter Jackson.
It is almost impossible to imagine Phil Parkinson's Chief Scout Tim Breaker fronting a discussion on a target as Abbott does. In fact the first time most City fans heard Breaker's name was in the revelation that he had left the club with Parkinson to join Bolton.
Abbott's increased profile is a good thing. For football clubs to get better at transfers there needs to be a group-think approach to recruitment. Too often deals are done by managers to best serve the aims of that manager rather than the club.
The £250,000 that Phil Parkinson was able to reuse from the deal that took Oliver McBurnie to Swansea City was reused in the manager's budget that season but as McBurnie starts to impress in Wales it is worth wondering if the long term aims of the club have been best served in that deal. I'm not the only one to have worried that after Parkinson, Lawn and Rhodes there is little left behind at Valley Parade.
Transfer group think is not popular in the English game – Liverpool's transfer committee is seen as a problem – where any control taken from the manager is seen as a bad thing inherently.
my years of football have convinced me of it.
So Abbott speaking for the club is a change but and so it what Abbott is saying.
Should Armstrong join City on loan – perhaps as a result of Wells joining Newcastle United and freeing up the younger forward to move on – then City will be able to play Armstrong and Jordy Hiwula up front. Obviously this are two loan players.
City's bid for Matt Green and the reported – or perhaps that is hopeful – interest in Adam le Fondre suggest that the alternative to a young loan signing not is an older permanent deal.
Which is a contrast to Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp's stated aims when the new owners arrived.
Much was made of the fact that City could find value in signing released players from Premier League Academy football, turning their careers around, and developing them. That was how Bradford City would scale from being a League One club to being a club able to get into – and stay in – The Championship.
Hiwula or Armstrong or Josh Cullen might play well for City but the value for that will go elsewhere. City might get promoted because of their contributions but – we are told – when they are gone City will not have a Championship quality team.
Which suggests that either the plan has changed – let us hope not – or the plan was never there – let us very hope not – or that City are caught up in the Pokemon Go of squad gathering as much as the supporters are and that a deep breath would be best for all.
What are we trying to achieve and is signing Armstrong the way to achieve it?
On the day that Wells was to join to Newcastle United then City will be richer than they were. How is that money to be spent? Is it a scatter-signing for a player in August 2016? If it is how is it going to work better than when Stuart McCall scrambled for signings in his first spell as manager when the budget fluctuated wildly?
Which returns us to the central question of 2016 which is how are City without Parkinson, Mark Lawn, and Julian Rhodes going to be better? Indeed are they going to get better? There is no reason to assume an era of success will be followed by another and every reason to assume it will not be.
Is The Rahic Development Plan still being followed? Is it being followed by everyone at the club? If it does then it would make more sense rather than bringing in Armstrong to find a promising teenage striker we own or can own – such as Reece Webb-Foster – and give him the development time.
And while doing that take any money that comes from a resale of Nakhi Wells and use it to fund infrastructural additions which will make the club able to stand up in the Championship.
Date Wednesday August 24th, 2016
More about Adam Armstrong, Adam Le Fondre, Edin Rahic, Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp, Greg Abbott, Huddersfield Town, Josh Cullen, Julian Rhodes, Mansfield Town, Mark Lawn, Matt Green, Nakhi Wells, Newcastle United, Oli McBurnie, Phil Parkinson, Reece Webb-Foster, Stuart McCall.
Soft / August
Jordy Hiwula's single goal in Bradford City's 1-0 win over Peterborough United changed the tone of the conversation around the club from a general worry that no goals would ever be scored to more of a consideration of what a fully fit Bantams would look like.
Hiwula's goal is the only return for a first week of over seventy chances in three games and the hunt for a striker continues despite Vincent Rabiega joining on a one year deal this week.
With everyone at Valley Parade slowly admitting that the club is weeks behind in recruitment from where it would like to be Bradford City are not alone in being unprepared for the new season – Everton are only 70% ready it seems – and the five league games in August start to resemble a soft launch rather than a start with squads being assembled up to the end of August.
Take – as an example – City's Matthew Kilgallon who for reasons personal arrived at City not fit enough to play even in a situation where only one central defender was fit. That Romain Vincelot fits so well into the position is pleasing for many reasons but all those reasons mask how acceptable being ready for September rather than August has become.
Because of this there is reason to believe that Chief Scout Greg Abbott may be able to find the striker City are looking for – Abbott, McCall, and most of Bradford seem to want a proven goalscorer – in the last weeks of the month.
Take – for example – Sheffield Wednesday's Gary Hooper who is a proven goalscorer across four divisions, Scotland and Europe but is currently sharing time at the owls and not getting the lion's share of that time.
With Steven Fletcher having arrived in South Yorkshire and Fernando Forestieri edging his way out Hooper has a good chance of playing. If Forestieri can be convinced to stay then Hooper is considering spending his twenty ninth year making cameo appearances from the bench.
Of course Hooper is probably out of City's range – I doubt he is a target – but in the next two weeks it could become obvious to Hooper if he is going to get game time or not and if he is not he might decide that he would rather move on to somewhere where he gets it.
Another example is the oft talked about Adam le Fondre who has yet to feature for Cardiff City this season despite some pressing for his inclusion.
At the moment le Fondre is being well paid to go out on loan – Wolves and Bolton had him in the last few years – but as the end of the transfer window now means an inability to play for another club until the start of January the likes of le Fondre are facing a long time watching football happening around them without getting involved.
Of course this is not a new phenomenon just one with different timing. It was that players would turn up to pre-season and cast glances around the training field and play in a few friendlies to decide that New Face One and Young Kid Two were probably going to get into the team over them. Rather than bench warm for a year they looked for a move before the season started in August.
That still happened but it happens in this first month of the season. August is pre-season with fifteen points available. Last year the soft launch August pre-season told Phil Parkinson that Nathan Clarke and Rory McArdle needed a more mobile player alongside them and so Reece Burke was signed.
One shows one's age when one wistfully recalls when a team was ready for the second Saturday in August.
So Matt Taylor of Bristol Rovers is "tired" three games into the season with the ink not yet dry on his new contract but rumours starting immediately that he is having second thoughts. Jay Simpson does not appear on the Leyton Orient team photo and speculation rises.
Which is perhaps where Abbott and McCall are poised ready for a player who shake loose who previously seems cemented into position.
Date Monday August 15th, 2016
This is a match reaction to Peterborough United 0 Bradford City 1 at London Road in League One, 2016/2017
More about Adam Le Fondre, Fernando Forestieri, Gary Hooper, Greg Abbott, Jay Simpson, Jordy Hiwula, Matt Taylor, Nathan Clarke, Peterborough United, Reece Burke, Rory McArdle, Sheffield Wednesday, Steven Fletcher, Stuart McCall, Vincent Rabiega.
More Match Reactions.
A long time watching as City face Rotherham United
We Bradford fans looking ahead to tomorrow's game evening at the Don Valley Stadium do not have much reason for optimism.
Following the elation of a very good performance and last minute winner against Gillingham many believed a corner had be turned. Unfortunately despite the fact Northampton were supposedly dead on their feet following 120 minutes of midweek cup heroics City could not kick on. Bradford now go into the Rotherham game only two points off the bottom of the football league and could even be bottom before Wednesday comes. Many see tomorrow as a foregone conclusion and it is understandable to see why- Rotherham are yet to lose at home Bradford City are yet to win away.
Having faced my usual lecture following a visit from my grandfather this weekend about how I 'should be playing football on a Saturday rather than watching that bunch of fairies' I couldn't justify it with my usual response that I enjoy watching Bradford too much because currently that is not the case. His favourite catch phrase of 'you're a long time watching from the stands but only a short time playing' may begin to hit home. My feelings towards watching the offerings of the current Bradford side probably sum up the thoughts of many current supporters.
However, at least we can look back to our last outing to Rotherham's home in Sheffield with happier memories. After thinking we had had the result stolen away from us in injury time we went straight up the other end of the pitch and forced a corner. On that day we managed 5 shots on target 11 in total on Saturday we mustered a measly 1 shot in the whole game.
Also on that day the scorers were, Michael Flynn and James Hanson for a side skippered by Simon Ramsden and how desperately do Bradford need those three back now. Unfortunately none are ready to face Rotherham which must leave Taylor thinking he is not the lucky manager that Stuart McCall suggested we needed during his unofficial radio resignation. And for those already beginning the Taylor out calls we must hold a certain amount of sympathy with regards to this because based on last season's showing a Bradford City without Michael Flynn, James Hanson and Simon Ramsden is much like Liverpool without Gerrard, Torres and Carragher. On the other hand though Taylor decided to assemble a large squad over the summer and that does not leave him short of options.
Ramden's absence will be felt even harder following the injury to his understudy Lewis Hunt who is likely to be replaced by centre half Zesh Rehman. The rest of the defence that will have to contain the division's best striker, Adam Le Fondre, will depend on what system Taylor decides to line up with. Should he go with his favoured 433 then it is likely Luke Oliver will resume his target man role further forward with Williams and Hunt with Luke O'Brien maintaining his place to the left. However following Saturday's failings at Northampton he may consider 442. In such a system O'Brien may push up to the left wing with Robbie Threlfall returning to left back. It is probable that Williams and Hunt may still keep their places but Oliver is well liked by Taylor and could be considered. The defence will be completed with ever present Jon McLaughlin between the sticks.
Further forward it is anyone's guess what possible solution Taylor will try and find to cure City's inability to not only score but also create chances. The midfield will much depend on whether Lee Hendrie is considered to have gained enough match fitness to start. In this case it is likely that David Syers will lose his place if 433 is continued but a 442 could well see Lee Bullock or Tommy Doherty dropping to the bench. Another option that Taylor will no doubt consider if to keep O'Brien at full back with Hendrie out wide a position that in the Bradford side that a certain cousin of his knows very well. This would allow O'Brien a license to roam down the left side and create opportunities on the overlap as Hendrie is likely to tuck in more central. A further option Taylor has available is to make it his set up all about pace on the flanks and although Omar Daley appears to be out of favour- he didn't even make the bench at the weekend- Leon Osbourne may occupy the opposite flank to Luke O'Brien.
Finally, the most evident problem in the side, who will be chosen as the men who are supposed to score the goals. Unfortunately Bradford don't boast a Le Fondre in their side. Instead our strikers this season have got a one goal haul between them in the first 8 league games and that was from a Gareth Evans penalty. Unfortunately Evans seems to be lower on confidence than anyone and a ghost of the player who took on James Hanson's mantle at the end of last season and was at the forefront of Bradford's good run in the closing games. His replacements in the last 2 games have been Jake Speight and Louis Moult. Speight has worked tirelessly since his introduction to the side and Moult has come with glowing references from his Premier League parent club, Stoke but appears to go missing for large periods of his matches so far. Many fans claim this is because Taylor plays him out of position and perhaps they may get their wish against Rotherham and see him played as a more central striker in a front 2.
One past Bantam declared that the player he would pick as a striker week in week out was Omar Daley. That former Bantam was Dean Windass and although I'm not too sure I agree with his opinion I would certainly give anything to see him lining up in a City shirt again. If that was the case I'm confident that even at 41, he'd have more goals than the 6 strikers we have played so far combined. After all you can guarantee he'd of had his hands on the ball before Gareth Evans for that penalty!
Despite having a few key players missing through injury Taylor still has many options available to him, the majority of which are his signings. We are now 8 games into the league season and Taylor said it may take him ten games to discover his best side, I worry that if things don't improve in the next two he will be getting very few more.
Written by Luke Lockwood
Date Tuesday September 28th, 2010
This is a match preview on the game against Rotherham United at The Don Valley Stadium in League Two, 2010/2011
More about Adam Le Fondre, Dean Windass, Jake Speight, James Hanson, Jon McLaughlin, Lee Hendrie, Lewis Hunt, Michael Flynn, Omar Daley, Peter Taylor, Robbie Threlfall, Rotherham United, Simon Ramsden, Zesh Rehman.
The Entire Unexpected Entrance of David Syers
Sometimes the difference between success and failure is a hair's breadth, a slight thing, a nothing. On an evening like the 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest the difference is a chasm easily measured and evident to all.
For forty-five minutes the Bantams looked like a team ready to be beaten with some ease by a Nottingham Forest who represented the toughest draw in the hat in this League Cup first round. The Bantams were pedestrian, static, disinterested and Forest were not called on to be much better. At the end of the match – after the Bantams had scored twice – the change in attitude that had come at half time was the obvious and only reason for the turn around.
Matt Thornhill had finished off a cross which had seen Luke O'Brien left with two men to mark on the far post with Omar Daley – a threat going forward on his first game of the season – a long way away. The cross had come in too easily, the play that build up to the cross was too easy, it was all a bit too easy.
Tommy Doherty and Lee Bullock in the midfield were second best with a physical Guy Moussi and Chris Cohen finding space to play and the Bantams forwards were disjointed to say the least. Louis Moult had a rude awakening playing a pair of Championship central defenders who divided Moult and his partner Jake Speight and kept the one quiet.
Keeping Speight quiet would seem to be impossible. To call the player a handful would be an understatement. Even as the Bantams struggled the new recruit from Mansfield was in perpetual motion stretching defenders who had not a moment of peace. In the opening exchanges there was a problem getting the ball to stick for City up front but at the end of the match Speight had won enough battles with defender Wes Morgan that he was given the yard of space to control the ball.
Speight's major contribution was winning the free kick which resulted in James Hanson's winning goal. A ball played into the striker saw him turn Morgan and bare down on goal only to have his legs taken away. Morgan was – perhaps – lucky to not be red carded for the offence which was the culmination of any number of clashes which saw physical tackles resulting on players on the Speight on the floor often.
You can, dear reader, take a view on Speight and why tackles on him that saw him left on the floor resulted in so few free kicks but none would deny that the lively forward was a pain the the Nottingham Forest backside all evening. His flicks, his control, his ability to take control of a ball fast are excellent and he seems set to start causing trouble on the field for City, rather than off it.
The free kick for the foul a Speight was struck at goal by Simon Ramsden – a second half sub who settled into the midfield – with keeper Lee Camp showing the Bantams a half of the net to strike the ball to. Moult obliged and Camp saved only for Steve Williams to force back at goal and Hanson to tidy into the net for his first goal of the season.
Hanson – who also joined the action at half time – rarely lost a header all evening and Forest found him hard to cover. His power in the air – and the accuracy of those won headers – is uncanny. Lets hope no one notices before the transfer window closes and if they do lets value him alongside Adam Le Fondre at £3m to scare suitors away.
It would be easy to note Hanson's entry – the target man coming on and a switch to a 433 – as being the difference between the opening forty five minutes of lifelessness and the second half of dogged determination. The ball stuck more but more than that the attitude changed and that change was marked in the entire unexpected entrance of David Syers.
David Syers signed non-contract forms this afternoon. He played for Farsley Celtic and Harrogate Town last season and played cricket in the summer. Twelve minutes after coming off the bench in his first proper game he fixed his eyes on a ball that went loose in the box and charged at it to touch the ball into the unguarded goal.
Speight had burst though and Camp had gone down well at his feet and Syers locked onto the ball and would not be stopped, eating up grass as he hurtled towards the ball. Determination evident, delight obvious. Syers – like Hanson, McLaughlin and Williams – shows the drive of a player who seems to appreciate the position he was in before being a footballer and plays in a way to ensure that continues.
Syers brought to the midfield a level of combativeness which had been lacking – he was pushed off the ball by Moussi and roared back with a classy chunk away of a tackle which typified the second half and extra time display – but one doubts that one can put the resurgence down to his entrance. The Dennis Compton of Bradford he may be but there was something else at play.
Nor indeed would one put the turnaround down to buttock/rocket interfacing by Peter Taylor at half time – the players did not come out fired up and angry – but rather there was a belief which started in the dressing room with perhaps a reminder that if the simple things of football were to be done well then the performance would improve.
Indeed it did and by the time Syers scored the Bantams had inched back into the game which – at the end of extra time – they had travelled the mile chasm of performance to win.
It was a win marked with this increasingly belief – this augmenting confidence – which manifested in performances all over the field. It is perhaps unfair to single out players in what was a entire team performance but Steve Williams deserves a mention for an outstanding display where he both rose the test test as a defender nicking balls away in tight Forest build up and a solid head-it-away kind of centrehalf. Shaun Shane Duff alongside him played well, Doherty sat back and moved the ball well. Jon McLaighlin made an outstanding save or two late on which early in a tentative display looked unlikely.
It was a well deserved win over a capable side. The draw for the next round will be interesting but whomever it throws up Taylor will hope City have learnt the lesson. When the players show belief in each other, confidence and faith in their own and their team mates abilities then there are fewer limits than one might think.
Date Tuesday August 10th, 2010
This is a match report on Bradford City 2 Nottingham Forest 1 AET at Valley Parade in League Cup, 2010/2011
More about Adam Le Fondre, Chris Cohen, David Syers, Guy Moussi, Jake Speight, James Hanson, Jon McLaughlin, League Cup, Lee Camp, Louis Moult, Luke O'Brien, Matt Thornhill, Nottingham Forest, Peter Taylor, Shane Duff, Simon Ramsden, Steve Williams, Tommy Doherty, Wes Morgan.
The start of the most interesting season
This season will be fascinating. Every move will be analysed, every game mark a position, ever result considered as a proof of a concept about building slowly and in a determined fashioned. One can only guess at the outcome too – a team that takes change as part of progress, that sees development as a thing done over years, not over a summer.
It will be a very interesting League One season for Rochdale.
After the best part of four decades in the basement division Rochdale have gained an upward mobility which saw them promoted last season despite having sold – to a club who plead poverty for a figure they did not disclose – their best player in Adam Le Fondre but prospered because of the strength of the unit. Defender Craig Dawson is looking to move on this summer with the club waiting for someone to match the £1m valuation they put on him and – once again – Keith Hill will look to his side's whole being able to withstand the withdrawal of one of the parts.
Rochdale are an object lesson in the idea of retention. Keith Hill has been at the club since his retirement being in charge of the youth side, then the assistant manager and finally as manager. The squad has long service – captain Gary Jones has played 229 games for the club – and with that has come a resilience.
One could take issue with other things about Spotland but on the field there is much to admire about Rochdale and their progress this term represents a test of their ideals.
Bradford City represent something of a contrast being a club that has firm and fast plans off the field which have seen the club be rightfully proud of being one of only two professional football clubs in the black as well as taking firm action against troublemakers. The commercial side of operations at Valley Parade come on a pace we are told and off the field – despite the legacy of huge debts ten years ago – the club are in rude health.
It just goes wrong when kicking a football come into the equation. It would not be true to say City do not have a plan on how to go forward – they have lots of plans – and they change on a regular basis.
Over the summer Peter Taylor has gone about augmenting what he inherited when he moved into Valley Parade while keeping some things in place. Wayne Jacobs, Michael Flynn, James Hanson, Steve Williams and Jon McLaughlin have all benefited from this as the manager recognises that all retention builds institutional knowledge. Nevertheless Hanson and Williams both arrived as part of the club's plan of harvesting the lower leagues. That came after the club's plan of spending £600,000 on talent. Remember City's Mexican academy? City had a plan that included with Royal Racing FC Montegnee and the development of young players? A side note here is that the Bantams Belgian partners picked up Willy Topp on January three years after City took him from them RRFCM's grasp.
While Rochdale have been pursuing a single approach, City have had many and perhaps they would have all failed in the long term but having not been given that time who could say?
Taylor's one year contract evidences this – clearly the best man for the job – with the club hedging bets so that another plan can be sprung into place to replace the current one which at the moment is "the right thing." If you buy enough lottery tickets then one day you will win, maybe.
Taylor has something of an injury crisis on his hands with James Hanson – who is expected to lead the line for the season – struggling to be fit for the first day with Gareth Evans and a new mystery striker who the manager hopes to sign today – replacing him in the forward one of a 433.
Evans would be deployed as a wider player alongside the likes of Scott Neilson, Jake Speight, Leon Osborne who is injured, Omar Daley who is suspended for the opening day of the season and perhaps Ryan Harrison and Norwich loanee Tom Adeyemi who are midfielders who may move forward.
For Speight the chance to play in front of his new fans and start to build bridges after a summer of sentences and suggestions will be welcome. If every a player needed a good start to his City career it is Speight.
City's idea midfield three are Flynn, Lee Bullock and Tommy Doherty but the bearded maestro is injured suggesting that Adeyemi may be used in the middle although Luke O'Brien may slot onto the left hand side of a three as he did last year. With James O'Brien leaving this week City seem light in the midfield area with those three, the Norwich loan player and youngsters Luke Dean and Ryan Harrison and perhaps Taylor will be looking to replace the exiting Irishman.
At the back the Bantams have some strength and the names write themselves on a team sheet: Simon Ramsden, Steve Williams, new recruit Shaun Duff and Robbie Threlfall; Luke Oliver may yet end up pressed into attack once more – that is a pudding that is only for the eating – and Zesh Rehman would seem to be marked to provide cover for Ramsden and the central players.
If Taylor has one aim this year it should be to get Rehman – who has a pedigree of playing Premiership football – to perform appropriately consistency. Rehman put in a half dozen excellent performances towards the end of the last season under Taylor and if the manager is the manager everyone (seemingly including Fabio Capello) thinks he is then it will be in getting performances out of the likes of Rehman which will evidence that.
In goal Jon McLaughlin is expected to get the number one shirt with Lloyd Saxton to wait for his chance as McLaughlin did.
City face Rochdale and then entertain Bradford Park Avenue at Valley Parade on Tuesday before starting the season on Saturday at Shrewsbury. At least that is the plan.
Date Friday July 30th, 2010
This is a match preview on the game against Rochdale at Spotland in Friendly game, 2010/2011
More about Adam Le Fondre, Craig Dawson, Gareth Evans, Jake Speight, James Hanson, Jon McLaughlin, Keith Hill, Lee Bullock, Leon Osborne, Lloyd Saxton, Luke Dean, Luke O'Brien, Luke Oliver, Management, Manager, Michael Flynn, Omar Daley, Peter Taylor, Robbie Threlfall, Rochdale, Royal Racing FC Montegnee, Ryan Harrison, Scott Neilson, Shaun Duff, Simon Ramsden, Steve Williams, Tom Adeyemi, Tommy Doherty, Wayne Jacobs, Willy Topp, Zesh Rehman.
A tale of two shopping centres
Five months of working in Sheffield does things to a man, brings revelations if you will, brings considerations.
Rotherham has become a suburb of a bigger City – or so it is commonly held down Sheffield way – but the people of the Steel City do not consider themselves to have swallowed up their neighbour but rather that it has been swallowed. "Rotherham: Suburb of Meadowhall."
The middle of Rotherham is empty, the civic pride drained and the area that once was to be proud, all far too familiar.
The Millers address that pride in some ways – under Mark Robins at the start of this season and continuing under perennial Bradford City ire target Ronnie Moore – the battle for promotion from League Two. How much this pride can be felt by people in the Town who lost money in the administrations the club have twice suffered is debatable. People who lost out when the Bantams twice sailed the to the edge of bankruptcy have not had to watch the club celebrate big money signings the season after having a begging bowl pushed under their noses and being told that debts must be written off.
Adam Le Fondre – formerly of Rochdale – cost a record fee for the Millers while both Nicky Law Jnr this season and Eugene Bopp and Paul Shaw last were taken out of the clutches of the Bantams after we offered all we could and Rotherham trumped that offer. The increasingly iconic Woman with a B&B in Darlington would find such a sudden surge in cash hard to swallow and considering Moore previous position on clubs in administration but perhaps we underestimate the Millers boss who may flog Le Fondre in the transfer window and go around the area repaying those people who lost money. Probably not.
If Rotherham are defined by Meadowhall then they are certainly not to be viewed as a shop struggling in the credit crunch but are more like those chains that live in constant closing down sales presenting the financial face they feel most beneficial. They are able to flash the cash to land Le Fondre and Law but when the Football League ask about their plans to move back to the location they take the name from they talk about financial pressures that forced them out of Millmoor. The Football League have asked for answers from the Millers and given them a deadline for moving back to Rotherham but at present talks are ongoing about such a move and work is not due to begin until "2010/2011" and a site has yet to be found for such a development.
In the meantime the club play at The Don Valley Stadium, a stone's throw from Meadowhall.
None of which is presented as schadenfreude nor indeed is hard to sympathise with. If Rotherham's decline is the story of one shopping centre then Bradford's is another – the much trumpeted Westfield development which sits as a large hole in the middle of the City Centre that begs for regeneration.
Despite much talk from City Hall and various development agencies the regeneration of Bradford City Centre remains a series of big promises with little or no delivery and the Westfield hole being a cautionary tale told by the people who want to save the Odeon building: "Let them rip this down will you? And replace it with more hollow promises that come to nothing!" would sum up their position.
Off the cuff it has been remarked that the hole should be filled with the very sort of joint community stadium which Rotherham limply seek but such thoughts are never turned to football at City Hall, a curious point because one might suspect that those regenerationists might find some like minds at Valley Parade.
At Valley Parade we have our own section who make vague and hollow promises about things improving in the future if only they can knock something down. The debate on sacking Stuart McCall is active and rich but in reading it one is reminded about the promises of the developers who knocked down Forster Square and before that The Swan Arcade which turned out to be utterly hollow.
In this metaphor Stuart McCall is the Odeon Building and his critics promise that regeneration will start following removal, Colin Todd is the Forster Square site and the big hole in the middle of Bradford is where those fans who promised that getting rid of Todd/Square would benefit us in the long run have left us.
Personally I'm not inclined to believe the promises of those who talk about sacking Stuart McCall and would put the promise they intrinsically make that the next manager will get the club rising up the leagues again alongside those of the people who brought us the hole in the middle of Bradford. They are hollow promises, and following them has led both the City and t' City to this point.
When these clubs go shopping they test the resources that have previously taken one into the Premiership and the other half way up the league below. City's marshalling of resources is done with a prudence – what was spent is within what can be afforded – while Rotherham seem either unbridled by such a need to trim that spending or do not believe it will be a problem for them in the future.
Assuming that Rotherham are not robbing both Peter and Paul to pay Adam then their ability to exit Millmoor is perhaps another difference between the clubs. While Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes keep within a budget that includes the price of paying former chairman Gordon Gibb to stay at Valley Parade The Millers fair thumb their noses at the former chairman turned landlord and have opted out of their home City precisely because of the cost of staying.
Imagine City leaving Valley Parade to go play at Farsley Celtic to get around paying expensive Gibb's rent, or, if you want, imagine Wimbledon deciding they do no want the costs and effects of staying in London and so relocating to Milton Keynes. Trying to think of an FL/FA rule that allows one and not the other is a brain pickler.
Ultimately comparisons between City and Rotherham are enough to pickle the mind too. City fans consider us a far bigger team but men over fifty not connected to either club would probably say both of us are perennial lower leaguers. Rotherham have either survived two administrations and losing their ground in much ruder health than City. They did – of course – exit without a CVA the second time which in 2004 when the Bantams were preparing a second escape was penalised not by a 17 point penalty but by being thrown out of the Football League and being forced to start at the foot of the football pyramid. No two administrations are alike.
The Miller's start to the season attracted the attentions of Barnsley to manager Mark Robins and so the investment in the likes of Le Fondre and Nicky Law Jnr paid off for him. Stuart McCall spent the summer moving players on missing out on the likes of Steve Jones because of an unwillingness to extend the wage bill without an assurance it would covered by a player exit.
Robins looked impressive to Barnsley and Moore may end up taking his team up. All at City talk about an unwillingness to risk the future of the club. In spending money to out bid us on players while under a Football League Sword of Damocles concerning moving back to their home town which they could do but do not what to it seems fair to say that the same is not true for them.
So Stuart McCall – two wins in three – faces Ronnie Moore – two administrations and a clutch of expensive players the year after – and City face Rotherham United at Valley Parade with the Bantams chasing points and the Millers promotion. Moore's arrival replacing Mark Robbins saw the Millers stutter but since they have regained footing and sit third having drawn 2-2 with Burton last week after losing to Shrewsbury the game before. Nursing a 3-0 FA Cup drubbing (3-0 defeats now officially being considered drubbings) by Luton Town lats game one must go back to the 24th of November and a 2-0 win over model of managerial change Lincoln City for the visitor's last win, that game seeing Adam Le Fondre score twice has he has a habit of doing. An intelligent player Le Fondre – like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before – is a reader of the game finding and exploiting weaknesses in defences.
City's defence go into the game on the back of a clean sheet earnt with Matthew Clarke in the side filling in for the injured Zesh Rehman. Rehman is expected back and Clarke's reward for his performance at Darlington will probably be the bench – few tears drop at Valley Parade because Clarke does not play – with Steve Williams partnering the returning City skipper. Simon Ramsden and Luke O'Brien take full back roles. Criticism of Luke O'Brien this year baffles me, I think he is performing better now than when he was player of the season and as pointed out he is doing so in the difficult environs of a 433. Simon Eastwood – who looks like he will not be given the goalkeeper gloves at Huddersfield after Christmas with Alex Smithes seemingly set to sign for fun loving Stoke then be loaned back to Legoland – will keep goal.
The 442 deployed at Darlington weighed up against the 433 Stuart McCall normally plays shows the problems City have this year. Not scoring enough goals in a 422 forces the more attacking formation of 433 which ships concessions at the back forcing us to the 442. It loops around and is only broken by players practicing, getting patterns and the continued building a team ethos which was sadly lacking last season. The 433 – which Rochdale dispensed with – will no doubt get a run out against Rotherham and perhaps the decision between which approach to take could win or lose the game in the dressing room.
Michael Flynn and Lee Bullock take two of the places and in the event of a four Scott Neilson and Simon Whaley will take the flanks. In a three James O'Brien could come back in. Stephen O'Leary and Omar Daley are some way off match fitness it is said. Stuart McCall talked up visiting midfielder Nicky Law Jnr who played for the Bantams last term. I do hope that Law shows the same commitment to getting behind the ball as he did at Valley Parade because should he then the Bantams could enjoy an afternoon of midfield freedom.
The three/four in midfield denotes a two/three up front with James Hanson a regular and Michael Boulding failing to impress since his return to the fold culminating in his storm down the tunnel on Saturday. A note here about Dave Pendleton's excellent article in the current and always grand City Gent about Boulding and the thunderous criticism of him. Excellent points are made about both players and fans.
Gareth Evans is in line for a recall alongside Hanson in either line up. Neilson or Whaley would join in a three.
Date Friday December 11th, 2009
More about Adam Le Fondre, BORG, Bradford C, Bradford City Centre, Bradford Council, Luke O'Brien, Mark Robins, Michael Boulding, Nicky Law Jnr, Odeon, Ronnie Moore, Rotherham United, Simon Eastwood, Stuart McCall.
Accrington nearly don't come to Valley Parade but the happy ending becomes more predictable
The heavy rain of the past few days must place Bradford City's home fixture with Accrington Stanley in a modicum of doubt, but then the prospect of Saturday 21 November being a blank Saturday for the Bantams seemed very real a few weeks back.
Accrington, the club that wouldn't die, almost died. Given six weeks to pay a six-figure tax bill, the collection buckets were rattling around the Crown Ground earlier this season as part of rescue efforts which brought out the best in its North West neighbours. Yet not enough money was raised and its claimed officials arrived at the club's High Court hearing with no plan B and left with the gratitude of a local businessman stepping in to make up the shortfall. Accrington live on, and the prospect of early season results been invalidated – to the joy of those Stanley beat and the despair of those they lost to – and of a 23-team division with only one relegation spot was ended.
As Southend prepare to take on the national media's attention as club basket case, that Accrington survived may have caused some to indifferently shrug their shoulders and consider how, for every League club that it's reported is on the brink of financial oblivion, something always turns up and their survival is assured. And while everyone enjoys a happy ending, the reputed predictability is breeding subsequent hostility from some, just ask Darlington. Poor old Accrington, struggling to get by. Hang on, didn't they spend £85,000 on one player (admittedly later sold for a profit) 18 months ago?
Last Saturday Bournemouth were in town with the strong criticisms of Rochdale Manager Keith Hill still echoing. Ahead of Dale's 4-0 success at Dean Court, Hill had stated, "They overspend and it is to the detriment to clubs like ours and it is happening too often now…i'm sick of it continually happening." Having been stuck in the basement league since 1974 and with a largely untroubled recent financial history, Hill and Chairman Chris Dunphy are clearly aggrieved at how their efforts to live within means see them lose out to others who gamble more recklessly with their future. One wonders if Hill's pre-Bournemouth mood was influenced by his team's home defeat to Accrington the week before.
For as Accrington seek to climb back onto a more stable financial future after the local community helped to prop it up, what's the most morally appropriate way to progress? There were stories of a nine-year-old Accrington girl emptying the contents of her piggy bank into a collection bucket last September, would it be right for the club to spend money during the January transfer window? And if not then, when? Hill's views on Rotherham United, with two recent spells in administration, purchasing his star striker Adam Le Fondre earlier this season probably aren't printable.
Rochdale and their supporters don't seem to care much for Bradford City, but the Spotland club may have a small degree of respect for the way joint Chairmen Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn cut the cloth accordingly over the summer after pushing the boat out a year earlier in the quest for promotion. City were the first club to fall into administration following the ITV Digital collapse, but while many others who followed were quickly able to brush off mistakes and get busy in the transfer market again, the self-inflicted scars continue to cause pain for the Bantams. Plenty of people lost out due to the infamous six weeks of madness, but Bradford City and its supporters remain high on that list too. Those financial woes may largely be a thing of the past, but the lesson has not been forgotten.
The conservative but sensible actions of the City Board has seen Manager Stuart McCall's playing budget reduce by a third but, though its widely agreed he's used it admirably, regrettably it appears a small minority of supporters don't appreciate the ramifications. City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, joint leaders no less, should have generated a greater mood of approval if not satisfaction, but the injury list which hindered efforts was brushed off by some to make way for criticism.
Theres nothing like managers playing people out of position to trigger red rage from a certain breed of football fan, and the circumstances which saw Zesh Rehman in midfield and Michael Flynn up front were slammed in a manner which deliberately ignored the bigger picture. A reduced budget means Stuart simply can't retain the strength in depth and the same level of quality, so the length of the injury list is likely to prove a more telling factor this season. And when it does, players will be asked to take on unfamiliar roles and performances are going to suffer to a degree. A negative perhaps, but one which has to be tackled positively.
The injury situation clears up slightly this week with James Hanson returning to partner Gareth Evans and Scott Neilson up front, which will allow Flynn to return to the attacking midfield position he is performing so effectively alongside Lee Bullock and either Chris Brandon or James O'Brien. Just one player's return it able to make that much of a difference, but it shouldn't be forgotten that competition for places continues to be undermined by the unavailability of Peter Thorne, Michael Boulding, Steve O'Leary, Omar Daley and Leon Osborne. No longer down to the bare bones, but Stuart is hardly flush with options. A loan signing has been suggested, at the time of writing there are no few faces.
At the back the big question concerns whether skipper Zesh Rehman will reclaim his place in the back four or whether Matt Clarke – impressive in the last two games – will retain the role. Rehman has struggled for form of late and Clarke's general solidness alongside Steve Williams may give him the nod in the way he took Mark Bower's place in the team two seasons ago after the former defender also vacated the back four to help another area of the team.
At right back Simon Ramsden should also be fit enough for a return, ahead of Jonathan Bateson. The former Blackburn youth player has struggled with his distribution of late, though continues to display a great attitude and a confidence to get forward. Luke O'Brien is left back – and there are a couple of interesting talking points concerning last season's player of the year. The first is that O'Brien has been asked to take on more responsibility, as part of the new-look 4-3-3 formation, with strong encouragement to bring the ball forward more.
The other talking point is how, in recent games, the lack of cover afforded to the 21-year-old from midfielders in front has been targeted by opposition managers. At Macclesfield, for example, Emile Sinclair was instructed to use the space in front of O'Brien to cause problems. It's for this reason the selection of James O'Brien to play in front of him, rather than Brandon who likes to drift around the pitch, is widely preferred by fans.
Simon Eastwood keeps goal and has shown improvement of late. He will need to be wary of a reasonably strong Accrington line up that will include former City striker Michael Symes. An away win would see Stanley climb above City and give rise to promotion hopes, but such success may not be considered the fairy tale stuff it would have before the tax bill reminder came through the door.
As City try to achieve more from less this season, it could be argued a Bantams' promotion would be more romantic than a club who's name is often-proclaimed the most romantic in football.
Date Friday November 20th, 2009
More about 2009/2010, Accrington Stanley, Adam Le Fondre, Administration, Bournemouth, Chris Brandon, Gareth Evans, James Hanson, James O'Brien, Julian Rhodes, League Two, Lee Bullock, Luke O'Brien, Mark Bower, Mark Lawn, Matthew Clarke, Michael Boulding, Michael Flynn, Omar Daley, Peter Thorne, Rochdale, Simon Eastwood, Simon Ramsden, Steve Williams, Stuart McCall.


Why Did The US Ground The Boeing 737 MAX So Late?
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Nick Cave will perform three special solo piano sets after advanced screenings of 20,000 Days on Earth, a new documentary on the musician, which recently picked up two awards at Sundance.
While Cave will only play and partake in a conversation after screenings in Los Angeles (July 10th), Montreal (August 1st) and New York City (August 4th), fans across North America will be able to see the film ahead of its official September release in cities that coincide with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' North American summer tour.
You can check out a full list of dates and locations for the advanced screenings below. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale Thursday June 5th at 10 a.m. local time, with general on-sale starting on the 6th at 10 a.m. local time, except for Los Angeles and New York, which start at noon local time. You can purchase tickets over on Cave's website.
Beneath the dates, you can also watch a clip from 20,000 Days on Earth, in which Cave discusses his writing process and what keeps him at his typewriter.


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Kenn is a small village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. It falls within the area of the North Somerset unitary authority. It lies on the B3133 road near Clevedon in the North Somerset Levels. The parish has a population of 431.

History

The parish was part of the Winterstoke Hundred.

In the 19th century, Kenn was described as follows: "The village is small and situated in marshy ground. It formerly belonged to the Kenns, one of whom was the nonjuring bishop, composer of the 'Morning Hymn'; he was one of the seven prelates sent to the Tower by James II. The soil is loamy with subsoil clay. The vicarial tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £90. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Bath and Wells, in the patronage of the Vicar of Yatton. The church is a stone structure partially rebuilt in 1861. In the interior are several ancient monuments, among which is that of Christopher Kenn. The register dates from 1543."

Kenn is notable as the site in 1830 of the last public hangings in the UK to be carried out at the scene of the crime. Three arsonists (William Wall, John Rowley and Richard Clarke) who had set fire to a local farmer's hay were hanged, another three being transported to Tasmania.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

The parish falls within the unitary authority of North Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. They are also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, Trading Standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the South Western Ambulance Service.

North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters are in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Woodspring district of the county of Avon. Before 1974 that the parish was part of the Long Ashton Rural District.

The parish is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as part of the North Somerset constituency. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, currently Liam Fox of the Conservative Party.

Geography

Nearby is the Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm SSSI, a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which is listed in the Geological Conservation Review because it consists of a complex sequence of Pleistocene sediments, including coarse glacial outwash gravels at the base overlain by a complex sequence of interglacial freshwater, estuarine and marine sands. The sequence is then capped by aeolian (windblown) coversands and Holocene silts.

Religious sites

The Church of St John The Evangelist has a Norman tower, with much of the rest of the church dating from around 1300. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.

References

External links

 Kenn Village website
Yatton Moor Team Ministry

Civil parishes in Somerset
Villages in North Somerset

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Steffen Weber ist der Name folgender Personen:

* Steffen Weber (Handballspieler) (* 1972), deutscher Handballspieler
 Steffen Weber (Musiker) (* 1975), deutscher Jazz-Saxophonist


This group is focused on developing individuals in improvisational comedy. No improv or stage experience is needed. This group is open to people who may never want to perform in front of a crowd. So what do we do? Have fun! Every practice is full of laughs. Everyone tries. The joy comes from trying new things. Every practice has people exploring different characters, different scenes, and different personalities. You can be a doctor one minute and a space pirate the next. For a short period of time, you can set your grown-up responsibilities aside and enjoy the youthful fun of make-believe.
What will you gain? For those who are actors, you gain new ways of portraying and interacting with other characters. For people who are not actors, you gain confidence in public speaking, ability to come up with new ideas more quickly, and the ability to think faster on your feet. There is a reason why many successful companies bring improv instructors into management seminars.
Try it. It is free, and I guarantee you will walk away with new friends and much laughter. No practice will have audio-visual recordings. There will be no viral videos, and the classes are kept confidential so all attending can be free to try and make mistakes.
If you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact me.
If you are feeling adventurous there will be opportunities to do the improv publicly as well.


text:
Trusts and Estates Law
Real Estate and Commercial Lending
Domenic P. Aiello
E. Kate Buyuk
Frances X. Hogan
Edward P. McPartlin
Edmund Polubinski Jr.
Joseph F. Ryan
Norman C. Sabbey
About LWE
Lyne, Woodworth & Evarts has enjoyed a long and distinguished legacy of legal excellence. Since 1912, we have been committed to serving the business and legal communities with zealous advocacy and the highest standards of professionalism.
In today's rapidly changing world, this commitment also means the responsive and efficient delivery of our legal services. We strive to create innovative solutions, resolve issues quickly, and deliver the best possible outcome for our clients. Our history of success is one we continue to share with our clients.
We strive to create innovative solutions, resolve issues quickly, and deliver the best possible outcome for our clients.Indeed, the attorneys of Lyne, Woodworth & Evarts have played a key role in the history of Boston's development. From such tourist attractions as Faneuil Hall Marketplace to the global symbol of International Place to the development of Boston's Seaport district, Lyne, Woodworth & Evarts, has contributed to the city's proud landscape. Logan Airport was named in honor of Edward L. Logan, a distinguished General of the Yankee Division in World War I and one of the founding partners of the firm, originally named Logan, Lyne & Woodworth.
Our practice includes the four general areas of business and finance, commercial and civil litigation, real estate and commercial lending, and trusts and estates. Within each of these general practice areas, individual attorneys concentrate their practice in specific areas of legal expertise, combining practical experience with technical knowledge. We offer our clients a richly diverse team of talented and skilled attorneys. Lyne, Woodworth & Evarts has been proudly serving many of the same clients for over fifty years.
Lyne Woodworth & Evarts LLP
12 Post Office Square, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02109
E-Mail: info@lwelaw.com
EDMUND POLUBINSKI, JR.
Real Estate and Commercial Lending Law

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Behavior and Emotions of Aging
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COVID CORNER – Information & Resources related to Coronavirus-19
last update: 9/30/20
Official US Coronavirus website – https://www.coronavirus.gov/
COVID information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Coronavirus and COVID-19: What You Need to Know – https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus
Tip sheet for caregivers from National Family Caregiver Alliance
Virtual 12-step / Recovery Resources
2-1-1 & www.211texas.org
type COVID-19 in the Find Help box to find a list of resources under Programs
Dallas County – https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/
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Medicare and COVID-19
Texas Department of Health and Human Services/Department of State Health Services – https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
For health professionals – https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/healthprof.aspx
Texas Legal Services Center
Info and resources related to evictions and foreclosures because of COVID – http://www.texaslawhelp.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19
State of Texas Department Health and Human Resources
High-Risk Individuals – https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/other.aspx#highrisk
Federal information
Medicare – https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus
Medicare Telemedicine fact sheet – https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicaretelemedicine-health-care-provider-fact-sheet
Social Security Administration – https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/
Federal Trade Commission warnings about fraudulent COVID-19 products – https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-update-fda-and-ftc-warn-seven-companies-selling-fraudulent-products-claim-treat-or
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text:
North Street in Pittsfield Will Be Filled with Music on October 1st
Tom Conklin Published: September 8, 2021
Via Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
A fun evening of music is being planned for downtown Pittsfield, outside at two "pocket parks" on North Street, and at a popular eateries parklet on North Street.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. Has announced that it will present Indoors Out! Music on North on Friday, October 1st, from 5 to 7 pm, at Sotille Park, Persip Park, and the parklet at the Marketplace Cafe. All three downtown locations will feature free outdoor performances by local performers who have also played with Berkshire Busk. The performances will be presented in partnership with First Fridays Artswalk which will occur from 5 to 8 pm on the same evening.
The Railroad Street Dreamers will be featured at Sotille Park and will play favorite songs from bands and artists like The Beatles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Tom Petty, and Jimmy Buffett.
Garrin Benfield will be featured at Persip Park, playing freestyle acoustic rock. His music is a blend of moody, guitar-driven rock and polyrhythmic groove, all run through the filter of a very serious singer/songwriter.
The Midnight Anthem will be featured at The Marketplace Cafe's parklet at 53 North Street. They are a musical trio made up of Catherine, Sophia, and Grace, cousins by birth, but sisters at heart. The group has an uncanny knack for creating music that is both fun to listen to and touches the soul.
Indoors Out! Music on North is presented by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and funding has been provided by the Commonwealth Places Program created by MassDevelopment. It's being presented in partnership with Berkshire Busk and First Fridays Artswalk.
For more information, you can visit downtownpittsfield.com.
The 40 Best Cover Songs by Rock Bands
KEEP READING: Here are the best places to retire in America
Filed Under: Indoors Out! Music on North, music, North Street, October, Pittsfield


Berlin Trio - new project with Didrik Ingvaldsen, Dag Magnus Narvesen and the German bassist Jan Roder.
Didrik Ingvaldsen has for many years been one of Stavanger's most significant improvisation musicians. Didrik has on several occasions had exciting projects at Maijazz - including Pocket Corner who has visited Maijazz several times.
Dag Magnus Narvesen is a Stavanger musician (resident in Berlin) who made his mark on the international improvisation scene. One of Narvesen's important projects is DAMANA. This band has also visited Maijazz.
Jan Roder - German bassist, has collaborated with musicians such as Alexander Schlippenbach and Aki Takase. The band "Die Enttäuschung" and Alexander von Schlippenbach play the complete works of Thelonious Monk. This is considered Jan's main project with festival concerts across much of the world.
Now the Berlin Trio is ready for Maijazz - a meeting with musicians with a strong root in Berlin.


Tropical marginal seas (TMSs) are natural subregions of tropical oceans containing biodiverse ecosystems with conspicuous, valued, and vulnerable biodiversity assets. They are focal points for global marine conservation because they occur in regions where human populations are rapidly expanding. Our review of 11 TMSs focuses on three key ecosystems-coral reefs and emergent atolls, deep benthic systems, and pelagic biomes-and synthesizes, illustrates, and contrasts knowledge of biodiversity, ecosystem function, interaction between adjacent habitats, and anthropogenic pressures. TMSs vary in the extent that they have been subject to human influence-from the nearly pristine Coral Sea to the heavily exploited South China and Caribbean Seas-but we predict that they will all be similarly complex to manage because most span multiple national jurisdictions. We conclude that developing a structured process to identify ecologically and biologically significant areas that uses a set of globally agreed criteria is a tractable first step toward effective multinational and transboundary ecosystem management of TMSs.


text:
Datameer Democratizes Advanced Big Data Analytics
Datameer 3.0 promises drag-and-drop machine learning with clustering, column-dependency, decision tree and predictive recommendations on top of Hadoop.
5 Big Wishes For Big Data Deployments
(click image for larger view and for slideshow)
There's storing big data and reporting against big data, and then there's gaining insights from big data with advanced analytics. The third level of maturity delivers the most value, and it's what Datameer is after with Datameer 3.0, announced Monday and set for general release this fall.
Datameer is a data-integration, data-management and self-service analytics platform that runs on top of Hadoop, and it's used by notable customers including Sears Holdings and Cardinal Health to bring together and analyze high-scale structured and unstructured data sets on Hadoop. The options for analysis have heretofore included a spreadsheet-style interface and a short list of data visualizations and packaged analytics.
Datameer 3.0 introduces four powerful options for advanced analytics: clustering, column-dependencies, decision trees and recommendation. What these four have in common is that they are machine-learning analyses driven by algorithms, and the data tells the analyst what's important.
[ Want more on Datameer in action? Read Why Sears Is Going All-In On Hadoop. ]
"With functional analytics, you as human being have to decide what you're going to look for, filter and analyze," Stefan Groschupf, CEO of Datameer, told InformationWeek. "As you integrate more diverse data and the larger the data sets become, the more you need machine learning to help you figure out what's important."
The four styles of analysis were chosen for their popularity. Clustering is used to find groups in data, as in segments of important customers. Column-dependency analysis uncovers important relationships among dimensions of data, such as age, income, location and product purchases, for example. Decision trees can be used to track conversion rates, for example, among different segments of customers in a sales funnel. And predictive recommendations are familiar to anyone who has seen Netflix movie recommendations or Amazon product-purchase suggestions.
Datameer calls the four new analysis options Smart Analytics because they don't require the complex data-preparation, sampling and scoring procedures associated with advanced analytics, according to Groschupf. With Datameer 3.0, users drag and drop data-set descriptions from a list of everything available on the Hadoop cluster. Preview analyses give users a sense of what they'll discover before the complete analysis is executed at scale behind the scenes. Datameer's software handles all the complexities of MapReduce processing without coding required by end users, according to Groshupf.
"One of our beta customers that was spending $1 million per month on Google Ad words used these analyses and found that they could cut that spend to $400,000 per month by focusing on the key words that were shown to be most likely to convert," Groshupf said.
The packaged functional analytics already available from Datameer include analyses such as Salesforce.com data in combination with Google Ad Words, Marketo leads, Web analytics or sentiment analysis against Twitter. More than 90 such packaged, template applications are available from Datameer's app store, with many having been developed by partners.
Datameer competes with Hadapt, Karmasphere, Platfora and other startups that offer business intelligence and analytics platforms designed to run on top of Hadoop. Groschupf said he isn't too worried about Cloudera Impala and other SQL-on-Hadoop options, such as Hortonworks Stinger, MapR-promoted Apache Drill or IBM Big SQL, because the universe of SQL-savvy professionals is in the low hundreds of thousands. Datameer's Smart Analytics, packaged analytics and spreadsheet tools, in contrast, are designed to be used by business analysts, he said.
"We're focused on the millions of business users who want easy-to-use tools and who don't want to have to wait for IT to help them make sense of that information," he said.
To understand how to secure big data, you have to understand what it is -- and what it isn't. In the Security Implications Of Big Data Strategies report, we show you how to alter your security strategy to accommodate big data -- and when not to. (Free registration required.)
Software Big Data GovernmentBig Data AnalyticsEnterprise ArchitectureEnterprise ApplicationsInformation Management
2021 Digital Transformation Report
A Guide to Taking a More Proactive Approach with Data Security


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Fiat India – Extended dealership + Extended warranty
Yusuf Dabhiya April 14, 2013 Fiat, News No Comments
In order to spread its presence all across the country Fiat plans to have 100 exclusive dealerships by the end of 2014. The company has already signed agreements with various dealers and its targeting the Tier-1 cities as primary market. The company already has 51 exclusive dealerships in India and will have 16 more by the end of this year.
The company also plans to introduce more after sales support like, mobile service cars and 24×7 roadside assistance. Also it has introduce extended 3 years/1,00,000 km and 2 years/1,50,000 km extended service warranties on its Punto and Linea.
Here`s what Enrico Atanasio, Managing Director (MD), Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited, said, "We will open 100 exclusive dealerships by the end of 2013. We have already signed agreements for top 35 cities in terms of market across India." Atanasio had also revealed that the company would reach the target of 70 dealerships in India by March-2013.
In January-2013, the company inaugurated its 5th exclusive dealership in Noida called 'Kashyap Fiat'. The facility is spread across 4,000 sq.ft and houses vehicle servicing and auto parts and spares sales facilities. Fiat India will continue its joint service venture with Tata motor until it hits its century of dealership network.
Check out another picture below the jump.
Also see – Fiat India to set-up 100 dealerships by end-2013
Tata GenX Nano launched – Price starts from Rs. 1.99 lakh
Mercedes-Benz GLE 400 4MATIC petrol now on-sale in India – Rs 74.90 lakh
Despatch Riders inspired Royal Enfield limited edition motorcycles and gear unveiled
Yusuf Dabhiya
"Hi I am Yusuf. An Automobile Engineer by academics and Design Engineer by profession. I have been obsessed by cars and bike ever since I was a child and would love to assist my father whose favorite pastime was to repair car or bike engines, fix electric motor, power generators, etc. in short.... almost everything. As I grew my passion for cars and bikes grew in multi folds, so much so that I pursued a course in Automobile Engineering as for my graduation. I love to keep myself updated about the latest trends in automobiles, the new technology used not just in the latest cars and bikes, but also the latest trends in manufacturing them. BharathAutos gives me a perfect platform where I can get the latest updates in the automobile industry and also to express my views about upcoming vehicles and also the news in around the existing cars and bikes."


Smile Event Productions is an event production company located in Logan, Utah that specializes in the production of concert and music festival events. Smile Event Productions was formed in 2014 by Jason and Kandis Christensen to promote a music festival in their hometown of Mendon, Utah. Smile Event Productions is now producing up to 10 concert events per month and producing two music festivals in Northern Utah.
Smile Event Productions is dedicated to creating a stunning environment and deep sense of community with great music at the core of all our productions. We often use the power of music to gather the masses and get them involved with the many community organizations that are working hard to improve our environment and community.
Smile Event Productions is dedicated to the artists that perform for us. We strive to provide a professional and welcoming environment so that the artists can shine. We want to make sure that all the artist that play for Smile Event Productions want to play for us again and again.


"My grandad worked in logistics for Safeway and then Morrisons, so when I saw the logistics degree apprenticeship, I decided to follow in his footsteps. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but it's been better than I expected.
During the first six months, I worked on a variety of placements in the warehouse. I got to know everyone and work everywhere on site from fresh, ambient and frozen to transport and recycling. Then I chose a six-month placement in ambient because of all the tech they use.


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Q: Gradient in UITableViewCell Appearing Over Content I am trying to add a gradient to the background of a custom cell, and when I display the gradient using addSublayer it shows over the rest of the content, and when I use insertSublayer: atIndex: 0 it doesn't appear.  This cell is a custom cell, what should I do?
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:        (NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"ScoreCell";
    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier forIndexPath:indexPath];
    CAGradientLayer *gradient = [CAGradientLayer layer];
    gradient.frame = cell.bounds;
    gradient.colors = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:(id)[[UIColor yellowColor]CGColor], (id)[[UIColor whiteColor]CGColor], nil];
    [cell.layer insertSublayer:gradient atIndex:1];
    return cell;
}

A: Insert the following code. Remember that sublayers are listed from back to front order:
cell.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
[cell.layer insertSublayer:gradient atIndex:0];

A: UITableViewCell has a default background color of White. Set it to clear and you should be able to insert your gradient at index 0 and have it display.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Advanced Myofascial Release
Sciatic and Disc Herniation
Work Injuries and Chiropractic
Email the Doctor
Home Services Provided – Chiropractic – Advanced Myofascial Release – FAKTR – Acupuncture – Posture Correction – Massage Therapy Patient Reviews Your First Visit How We Help – Auto Injuries –– Back Pain –– Whiplash – Back Pain –– Arthritis –– Back Pain and Chiropractic –– Sciatic and Disc Herniation –– Spinal Degeneration – Dizziness and Vertigo – Fibromyalgia – Headache and Migraine – Hip and Joint Pain – Knee and Leg Pain – Neck Pain – Sports Injuries – Work Injuries –– Carpal Tunnel Syndrome –– Work Injuries and Chiropractic – Wellness –– About Chiropractic –– Chiropractic for Kids –– Chiropractic for Seniors –– Exercise –– Nutrition –– Pregnancy and Chiropractic Location Contact Us – Appointments – Email the Doctor
Whiplash, Brain Injury, Concussion, Auto Injury
There is a wide range of whiplash symptoms. The most common, of course, are neck pain and headache, but a substantial percentage of patients report other, more difficult to understand problems as well. Some of these symptoms include dizziness; problems with balance; difficulties with attention and concentration; and sleep disturbances.
A number of theories have been put forth to explain these myriad symptoms. Some researchers have suggested that brain injury is responsible, while the insurance industry insists that these symptoms are fabricated.
A recent study1 from Sweden attempts to answer some of these questions by examining the functions of the brain in whiplash patients.
The study started with 40 patients with grades II and III whiplash injuries. The patients were given neuro-otological tests within two months of the injury and again two years later. These tests included auditory brainstem response tests (ABR) and oculomotor function tests, including evaluation of saccades (the rapid, step-like voluntary motion of the eyes used when reading or scanning an image).
ABR tests involve measuring the patient's neurological response to a repetitive sound stimulus:
"A brief sound causes a series of electrical waves, in the nanovolt range, that can be recorded from the surface of the head. The signals are so small that they are normally buried in background electrical noise, but when the same brief stimulus is presented many times and the responses are averaged, the waves can be measured reproducibly. Early peaks in the waveform represent electrical activity in the eighth nerve arriving at the cochlear nuclei, and later peaks represent combined activity at successive sites in the auditory pathway." 2
By analyzing the waveform, it is possible to identify dysfunction along the neurological pathway.
At the two-year follow-up, 16 of the patients (40%) had no symptoms from the original injury. Ten patients (25%) complained of intermittent neck pain, headache, and radiating pain in one or both arms. Four patients (10%) also reported memory impairment, concentration problems, and showed neurological deficits. Another 4 patients (10%) were still on sick leave.
In the smooth pursuit tests, 5 patients showed abnormalities in the first test. Three of these patients improved, but two showed worse results at the two-year follow-up. These two patients who worsened over time also showed problems with their ABR tests.
Ten patients showed a worsened score on saccade velocity at the two-year follow-up.
What is at the root of the chronic pain and the neuro-otological signs? The authors suggest two possible explanations: altered neurological responses of the brainstem, and direct trauma to the brainstem.
The first explanation would describe the symptoms of most chronic whiplash patients and works as follows: The cervical spine plays a key role in how the brain maintains balance, and signals from the injured cervical spine travel through the spinal core to the brainstem—specifically the vestibular and oculomotor nuclei. This is the same part of the brain that receives the signals from the inner ear, via the eighth cervical nerve. A painful neck can cause overexcitation of the nerve pathways, resulting in altered functioning of the brainstem. These alterations in the brainstem can in turn cause dysfunction in eye motility and balance, since these different systems all work together as the Posture Control System.
Most patients with chronic whiplash pain and ocular and auditory signs would fit in this category. However, this mechanism may not account for those patients with the most severe symptoms: "In the present study, we found two patients with pronounced pursuit abnormalities compatible with organic brain/brainstem lesions."
So, according to this small study, about 2% of whiplash patients have signs of brainstem damage. This may seem like an insignificant number, but when we consider that there are approximately 1 million whiplash injuries in the US each year, there may be 20,000 cases of brainstem injury from auto collisions annually.
This study provides two important pieces of information about chronic whiplash: the first is that ABR and saccade tests are an objective way to measure altered neurology in these patients; the second is that some patients may have actual brain injury from these collisions.
For patients with more severe symptoms, it may be advisable to have them evaluated for saccade movements and ABR by an audiologist.
Wenngren BI, Pettersson K, Lowenhielm G, Hildingsson C. Eye motility and auditory brainstem response dysfunction after whiplash injury. Acta Otolaryngologica 2002;122:276-283.
Nolte J. The Human Brain: An Introduction to Its Functional Anatomy. 2002, Mosby, p. 355.
bhfjda
13170 Atlantic Blvd #28
Call our office at (904) 503-7291 for an appointment today!


Crankshaft vibration damper remover – Jaguar No.303-D121.
Crankshaft vibration damper installer – Jaguar No.303-102.
Engine at TDC on No.1 cylinder with marked links and timing marks aligned  ,  ,  ,  &  .
Remove RH tensioner  , RH tensioner blade and RH chain guide  &  and RH chain.
Remove LH tensioner  , LH tensioner blade and LH chain guide  &  and LH chain.
Ensure timing marks of both LH camshaft sprockets aligned  .
Install LH chain guide  .
Install LH chain ensuring marked links aligned  ,  &  .
Install LH tensioner blade  .
Ensure timing marks of both RH camshaft sprockets aligned  .
Install RH chain guide  .
Install RH chain ensuring marked links aligned  ,  &  .
Install RH tensioner blade  .
Seal crankshaft pulley keyway with a proprietary sealant.
Tighten crankshaft pulley bolt to 120 Nm slacken 360°. Tighten to 50 Nm + 90°  .


Falling water! That's right up my alley and a great time to get on the river. Butch and Mike met me at the ramp and while I was running the shuttle the water turned off. The plan was was simple, fish falling water and catch trout throughout the day, until just before dark when the cold front would send the mercury into a tailspin.
Butch scored first and then again and again on a midge pattern. He also kept commenting on how Mike was usually ahead in the catching department when they get on the river. We rounded the first bend and Mike began picking up fish too. When a fish rose on some shallow water I asked Butch to throw in where the fish rose. Butch made a great cast and put the fly where I asked. Then Mike dropped his fly in the recently vacated spot against the bank (the spot Butch just left) and scored a fish...Isn't just the way it goes sometimes.
The fish weren't big, but they were plentiful and had a lot of energy. When we would get into one fish we would usually pick up another. If there was a lull in the catching for a few minutes we would then make our move. The fish helped the guys use up some flies. Anytime the fishing is good we go through more flies, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
What about the weather? With late Fall and early Winter comes changing conditions. The weather changed several times throughout this float. When it would rain we would have to wait longer between catching. Sometimes the fish would all but shut down. Then when the rain would slack off the catching would pick up. Photos are a whole other story with the wet weather, but show proof the better fish eat when the rain is coming down.
We saw a really nice BWO hatch and the fish were eating them too. Most of the time we see midge hatches so the BWOs were good to see and made a wet day at the very least more interesting. Butch and Mike were fun to share the drifter with. They have been on several rivers and are outdoors men with more activities than just fly fishing. I am looking forward to getting on the river with these guys again.
We are waiting for water levels to rise enough to get the boat on the freestones so we can chase musky and Winter trout trips are upon us. If you want to set up a trip just email or call/text 615-796-5143 to get a day on the Caney Fork, Elk, Holston or Clinch rivers.
Terry had been on the drifter before and was brand new to fly fishing on that trip. He caught the fly fishing bug and made the drive to Cumberland Transit for waders, boots and all the accessories. With the wallet a bit lighter he was ready for the river.
On a three day trip with 9 other guys Terry was the newbie. The first two days were somewhat unproductive for him. While others were talking of fish caught and fish that got away, Terry didn't have the "fish caught" part for his story yet. As the evenings wore on the chatter from the others...well it could have been hard to listen to, but Terry seemed fine.
See there are a couple prices we pay when we start fly fishing. One price is the monetary start-up cost of this pastime and the other is the steep learning curve of casting, presentation and finally, hopefully, the payoff of catching the fish. So the days wore on and the third day as the group made plans to fish and then head back home, Terry wanted and truth be told, needed to bring at the very least one fish to the net.
So the mission was to help Terry catch at least that one fish on the last day. We dumped the drifter off the trailer and rigged the rods with new tippet and fly. The boat would headed straight to a spot that had been producing. With Terry in the front casting brace and the boat positioned just right he dropped the fly in the feeding lane and instantly a fish was on...then off. We took that as a good sign and went right back to concentrating on the fundamentals of presentation.
Then the fish stopped. Did he have just one more chance or was that it? We pulled the anchor and rowed the drifter upstream to a likely spot. We tried the main current and what should have been a feeding lane, but the fish were having nothing to do with anything we had to offer. In reality none of the other boats were catching and a bunch of people had long faces. We made a move.
The current turned off the middle of the river and was running right against the bank. Terry was hanging in there and asking for direction. The rocks against the bank should have at least held a SNIT or a hatchery brat. He asked I nodded and grunted to drop the fly against the rocks and in the current.
The cast was good and no mend was needed. The fly was literally in the water less than a few seconds when the indicator took a dive. I must admit I thought the fly was hung in the rocks. Terry was setting the hook and it seemed like a trip to retrieve a fly from the rocks was our next move. But the snag began moving and we took that as a good sign. The movement was that slow freight train type of a run. It took a bit but the fish gained speed and began to shake the tip of the rod. A fish that takes a bit to get up to speed is a good sign and a fish that can bounce the rod tip is a better sign.
The fish made a trip around the front of the boat as I pulled on the oar and shouted instructions gave subtle instructions. Terry did a great job staying in front of the fish and we were ready for pretty much every move. Terry got the fish's head up and slid it into the net. Right then Terry became the newest member of our 20+ Club. Finally, his perseverance paid off and Terry had the "fish caught" for his story.
...as soon as the hookset was complete the fish started head shaking and making short runs. Alain gained control of the fish and started getting the head turned at just the right time. The fish made a couple dives to rub the fly off on the bottom of the river, but wasn't successful and began coming to the net. Then just as the brown got to the net and almost halfway in...it threw the hook. The fish simply went on its merry way. It would have been a nice brown just short of making the 20+ Club, still it would have been a nice fish and topped off a week of several big fish that got away.
So we kept at it as the wind gusts continued on and on. Nothing in particular was hatching and therefore the fish weren't real interested in eating off the surface. Between gusts Jeremy kept casting and mending. Jeremy was consistently gaining confidence with each fish. Toward the end of the float Jeremy's hookset improved enough that he started catching pretty much every time the fish would eat. Alain, who is an accomplished angler was steady the entire trip.
We are moving into the Winter stretch of short daylight and cold days. That means streamers and meaty offerings to big trout and musky. If you want to set up a trip just email or call/text 615-796-5143 to get a day on the water.
TVA has been releasing water everyday and now they are dialing back the releases. The operating guide for Tims Ford is getting closer to winter pool. Falling water is a great time to get out there and fish. Oh and what about the cold weather, ice in the guides and sheets of ice in the floor of the drift boat? Those are just by-products of wintertime angling.
Falling water is a good time for wading anglers to swing a streamer for holdovers and anglers fishing from the boats can throw big meaty flies on full sinking lines. Arriving at the gravel bar after the water is turned off and has slowed to manageable flow is also a good time to swing a soft hackle or two. The rises have been fewer and farther between so we have kept the dry flies warming in the box for the most part. It's wintertime so get out there while the crowds are warming their feet by the fire.
The water from the sluice has been dingy and green, which isn't the best for fishing. We have been trying to fish as close to the feeding lanes as possible and dropping the fly on the trout's nose, so to speak, has been the best way to catch fish. Today as I write this forecast the Army Corps has turned off the sluice, hopefully for good. The release times will soon move to earlier hours and this gives us time to fish low water on the lower stretches of the river.
As Winter approaches nymphs are still working and nymphs with a midge dropper are catching fair numbers of fish. Dry spent midges are taking fish on top water when fished in certain pools on the river. This tactic doesn't work every day but does produce when the fish are feeding in the surface film.
The river is not as crowded this time of year due to cooler weather and tougher fishing. With smaller crowds the high value areas are sometimes vacant on low water. With those vacancies a trip to the river can be worth it even on the coldest of days. So put on fleece for warmth and the wading jackets to block the wind and get out there!


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Home > Blog > Association of Support Professionals (ASP) Endorses Service Capability & Performance Standards
Association of Support Professionals (ASP) Endorses Service Capability & Performance Standards
Standards Recognized as the Global Benchmark of Service Excellence
San Diego, CA [October 8, 2013] – Service Strategies Corporation, a leading provider of service improvement programs and the administrator of the internationally recognized Service Capability & Performance (SCP) Standards, announced today that the Association of Support Professionals (ASP), an international membership organization for technology services professionals, has endorsed the SCP Standards and the corresponding SCP Career Certification programs, thereby recognizing them as the global benchmark of service excellence.
Al Hahn, executive director of the ASP, said "more and more, we've been hearing about the need for a body of best-practice guidelines for customer service and support operations. Service Strategies has spent many years building a formal set of standards and career development programs in this area, and we're glad to offer ASP's endorsement and help in promoting their great work."
Created by a consortium of leading technology companies and Service Strategies Corporation, the SCP Standards were designed to improve service quality and effectiveness. The standards, which address customer support, eservice, field service, and professional services disciplines, define best practices for delivering world-class service and support, quantify performance levels and establish a framework for continuous improvement. The corresponding SCP Career Certification programs provide training and certification for service professionals at all levels, including managers, supervisors and individual contributors.
"For many years the ASP has provided a forum to advance the technology services industry," said John Hamilton, president of Service Strategies. "Their endorsement of the SCP Standards and SCP Career Certification programs confirms the decision of the global community of companies who have adopted these programs to drive service excellence."
Service organizations around the world have adopted the internationally recognized standards to drive service quality, including Advent Software, Epicor Software, Fuji Xerox, McKesson Corporation, Schneider Electric, Teradata Corporation, Wind River Systems and many others.
For more information about the Service Capability & Performance Standards and SCP Career Certification programs visit www.servicestrategies.com. For more information about the Association of Support Professionals visit www.asponline.com.
About Service Strategies Corporation
Service Strategies advances service excellence by providing industry standards, training, consulting and certification programs that ensure delivery of consistent, high-quality service and support. Thousands of service professionals around the world have enhanced their skills through participation in the company's training and certification courses. In addition, the world's leading service providers have adopted Service Strategies' Service Capability & Performance (SCP) Standards as their roadmap to service excellence and benchmark measure of success. For more information, call 858.674.4864, visit www.servicestrategies.com or email info@servicestrategies.com.
About The Association of Support Professionals
The Association of Support Professionals is an international membership organization for customer support managers and professionals. In addition to its annual "Ten Best" awards, the ASP publishes research reports on a wide range of support topics, including fee-based support, services marketing, financial ratios, and support compensation. The ASP also hosts open-access discussion forums and a job board on LinkedIn. For more visit www.asponline.com.
Service Strategies Corporation
Greg Coleman
Vice President, Strategic Programs
Phone – 858.674.4864
Email – gcoleman@servicestrategies.com
Association of Support Professionals
Alfred Hahn
Email – ahahn@asponline.com
Categories: Blog, News and Announcements
About Service Strategies
Service Strategies advances service excellence by providing training, consulting, certification and industry standards programs that ensure delivery of consistent, high-quality service and support.