Badger Badger Badger

[Thanks to Bigus for the swift photoshop]

A quick wildlife preservation story for the morning rush, as Pompey revealed yesterday that they finally have permission to build their new training grounds. It's a major coup for them, along with the recent signing of Crouchaldinho, and money to burn on a couple of other players before the season starts.

However, the relief is tempered slightly by the main provision of their training ground deal: they must look after the local badgers.

While details are especially vague at the moment as to what this means, at least Pompey will now have a mascot more cuddly than the skin-and-bones of lanky Nwankwo Kanu. The grounds will cost them 15 million, and I'm still hunting down how much it'll cost to house and care for the displaced wildlife that will need new homes.

Does Redknapp have any space under his hairpiece?

After the jump, a vicious reminder of what badgers are capable of. I suppose it's a good motivation device for Portsmouth's swollen striking corps... keep missing sitters, and I'll set the badger on you!

[Also, I just wanted an excuse to link to this]

And last, but not least,