Burslem Boot

[Ancient Colin]

Well, my view is that playing means doing something more active than sitting on your backside on a bench* so unless the majority of posters say they had the same interpretation as Sideshow, I'm sticking with my decision to give it to Mooro. The appeal is rejected. And I award costs against Sideshow.

* given the size of the squad, the absence of spare defenders and the number now on the bench, it would be rather weird if he weren't sitting there, so I think my interpretation is the &quotnatural&quot one.

[Sideshow Rob]

Why mention the bench if it's irrelevant to the question?

[Hog]

Sounds like you're claiming there's a grey area. Or is it silver?

[Ancient Colin]

Why mention the bench if it's irrelevant to the question?

In addition to costs, I may have to charge you with contempt of court. Now, if you are in the theatre and the lead actor has an understudy who does not appear, has the understudy &quotplayed the part&quot? I put it to you that he has not. Has someone merely watching a game of football &quotplayed&quot in it? I think not. On the Rageonline statistics - which, surely, you are not contesting - will Monsieur Sangare appear as having &quotplayed&quot against Vale? I think not. Again, I put it to you that there is a natural interpretation of the term &quotplay&quot and it is not an interpretation that supports your claim.

[Sideshow Rob]

If you had qualified your question as needing a yes or no answer it would have been clear. It would also have been clear if you had simply asked will Sangare play? However, I put it to you that the the question you did ask could just as easily mean 1)will Sangare play from the start or 2) will he play from the bench or c) be selected as a non playing sub? Since many similar questions have been used in this competition in the past it is very reasonable to assume that this was indeed the intended question.

[Ancient Colin]

I reject this line of reasoning as it goes against the structure of the question. The question is in the first, main, clause of the sentence &quotwill Sangare play&quot, with the sub-clause clarifying that play here means start or come on as a sub. Otherwise, I would have written: &quotWill Sangare start, come on as a sub, or not feature&quot or some such. The vast majority of Booters understood the question: your only possible ally being Boogie. Unless the Bootmeister intervenes, I'm still giving this to Mooro ...

[Sideshow Rob]

I would like the Court to take into account that I was denied a perfectly good win earlier this season on account that I also set the question.

[Ancient Colin]

Not sure how that is relevant (and it is not as if I am claiming a win)! Anyway, we can ask the public jury for a view - ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do you see sufficient merit in Mr, um, Sideshow's case to overturn the decision? I should advise from the bench that, in my view, the position is clear and Mr Mooro has possession of the aforesaid footwear.

[wightyellow]

Gentlemen of the boot court.

I beleive that you have two options:

Deal with it like men, duel to the death.
Give it Mooro, or anyone else but me.

[Hog]

Mooro. Obviously!

[Geoff]

I vote for Mooro. (It gives us a better chance of catching Rob!)

[Ancient Colin]

I think you should update the boot table (to account for my three in a row!).