SPORT: TFA Pre-Season Friendlies

With the registrations for the inaugural TFA Football League slowly trickling in the President organised a couple of one of friendlies between Moor Green FC of Talamayo and Shantor County FC both were played in the capital at the President's new 50,000 seater stadium New Lansdowne Road. The matches were being played for the inaugural Presidents Cup which will in future be the pre-season game between the winners of the TFA League and the TFA Cup.

The match results went as follows:
Moor Green 1 - 2 Shantor County
Moor Green 2 - 0 Shantor County

The event was hailed as a great success by fans and teams alike. This time Moor Green won 3-2 on aggregate following Mark Prendergasts attacking strategies and formations defeating Kevin Gladstone's more moderate approach. Gladstone can of course feel happy that his team won the first leg but will most likely be focusing on defensive weak-spots prior to the new league campaign. Prendergast, although ecstatic over winning the second-leg 2-0, saw that there was still work to be carried out on Moor Green's midfield saying;

Yes, we won today. Yes, we won the President's Trophy. Yes, we've had a good time, but, I can see a number of areas, especially the Midfield that we could do with tightening up on.

It is widely considered by pundits up and down the country that Prendergast is hinting at the rumours that he is to sign Robbie Savage from Birmingham City of England. He refused to comment how the talks were going at this time. In the meantime the President and the TFA continue to push for more citizens to sign up their teams as soon as possible to make the first season of football a memorable one.

President Kelly flies to Coralia

Over the last few days something that doesn't really effect Talamthom has been taking place on the far island of Coralia. This something is a political and ideological upheaval to the extent of a bloodless regime change. It is believed (according to Tománn Independent sources) that the Head of State, Grand Duke Gasgan, changed the country into a Socialist state at the click of his fingers without due consultation to anybody. The Madlandian Broadcasting and Communications Corp says;

In a last minute development in the Grand Duchy of Coralia, the Grand Duke of such nation, Gasgan VI decided to suddenly turn Coralia into a socialist state. This comes just a few hours after Edgard Portela and the RPC were swept into power in Coralia in elections supervised by a International Commission.

President Kelly upon hearing this got on board a Aer Tománn plane and flew to the Madlandian-sponsored Coralia Convention to join such nations as the Red Antilles and The Empire of Lemuria around the discussion table with the factions of Coralian politics at loggerheads. The two factions are 'Emperor' Gasgan's Democratic People's Republic of Coralia and Portela's Grand Duchy of Coralia (which represent the pre-socialist state regime). In a strange twist last night though a third party, which claims to represent two of the Coralian Provinces which calls itself The Grand Duchy of Gedinne & Corraun, showed up briefly without officially signing-in its delegation. This third faction is led by a man who calls himself King Oz the First.

Confused? Well so are we. The upshot of all this is that President Kelly has flown over in an attempt to help facilitate a reunification between the three opposing factions in an effort to find a middle ground. This extra work for the President is something that will be done as a side issue worthy of his focus and is understood will not effect his work in Talamthom. We will give you any reports on his work as and when we receive it.

Welcome to the Centre...

From the time of Talamthom's founding as a micronation on the 11th June 2004 there has always been a journalistic representation for left wing politics, the then ruling TSDP made thier modern form of Social Democracy clear with the aid of the Tománn Times. Following the break-up of the TSDP alliance, and the formation of the TUDP out of its ashes, the right has been out of favour mainly due to a large ultra-left contigent both nationally and internationally with the micronational world. There is no place, it would appear, for what is on a global scale considered "central" politics. Politics designed to fight for social justice and welfare yet also designed to promote moderated free market economy.

The TUDP, which following the departure of thier "political heavywieght" leader, James Doyle, has been attempting a route back to the centre of the political spectrum, has found itself suffering from party members inactivity and also an apparent increase in interest of the newer Tománnachs in the 'fashonable' Communist Party. To add insult to injury a new party the Labour Party with its "old-style" labour stance has applied for official recognition and intend to tread on the old stamping ground of the TSDP, both politically and also by gaining a 'voting alliance' with the CPT.

President Kelly who has resumed control over the TUDP after the departure of Mr. Doyle is currently seeing the crisis for everything that it is - a potential at the polls for his party. As the party to have invested the most money in Talamthom it poses the real threat that all that money may go to waste if the party is to lose power at this early stage. The President said earlier today when asked about the crisis facing his party;

"The TUDP, which has been accused of being popularist in its decision making style it would appear is in fact "unpopularist" if such a word exists. We have seen the activity dwindle within our own party, we have seen members allegedly bullied out of office and others accused of taking part in intermicronational coups. It is a disasaster that leaves questions as to whether i should stand for office again or maybe save my time and stand down at the general election to allow the more fashionable movements thier place."

Where the TUDP goes from here we are sure to find out in coming days and weeks. In the run up to the by elections and with the general election as possibly as close as a month and a half away President Kelly feels things aren't promising for the TUDP or Talamthom.

"Without some renewed interest in the "New Labour" approach to politics it would appear the TUDPs days in power could be numbered."