Is Sochi A Monstrous Scam?
I have just read this report on the BBC’s web site.
Admittedly it is from May last year, but in a few weeks time, we’ll see whether the Games will be worth the reported $50 million spent.
The Times had a news report yesterday, where Giuan-Franco Kasper, the Head of World Skiing, said that a third of the cost had been lost to fraud.
The 2014 Winter Olympics could be one of the best examples of car crash television for some time. Especially, after reading about the climate on Wikipedia and reading reports that there hasn’t been much snow in the area.
Lord MacClaurin’s Unworkable View
Lord MacClaurin has just suggested that the solution to the woes of English cricket is to cut the number of counties to twelve. Alan Lamb agreed and they went on to suggest mergers like Kent with Sussex and Northants with Warwicks.
It may be right, but can you imagine those that run and occasionally support the counties will take this. I have lived in both the old counties of East Suffolk and West Suffolk, which were combined with the County Borough of Ipswich to form Suffolk. The only thing that those in the new county are agreed on, is that you support Ipswich Town, but those in the west, still resent that Ipswich was chosen as the county town.
So will merged counties ever happen? I doubt it!
Two Blue Plaques In Cable Street
I generally note the blue plaques I pass, as I walk around. This morning, I was on the way to pick something up in the area and passed two.
The Angel Of Cable Street
Hannah Billig seems to have been a remarkable doctor. But then she was awarded a George Medal for courage and bravery in the Blitz and she was called the Angel of Cable Street.
Jack Kid Berg
This plaque to Jack Kid Berg was a hundred metres or so further on. He seemed to have had an good and long life.
I also seem to remember that along with Ted Kid Lewis he was one of my father’s sporting heroes.
How To Lose Money Bank of Scotland Style
If we thought Fred the Shred and his crew of comedians were a wunch of bankers, this story from the Herald in Scotland is up there with his worst.
The Bank of Scotland loaned £11.2 million to an ex-banker to fund a new stadium for his football club; Dunfermline Athletic. Everybody then went bust leaving Lloyds Bank holding the baby with the gold-plated nappies. Here’s what the article says about the final outcome.
Despite being valued at £11.2m in 2011, the East End Park stadium was sold by administrators KPMG to a fan-led buyout team for just £700,000.
It strikes me, that there has been a bit of hanky-panky here. After all why would a club with average gates of a few thousand want a stadium that holds over eleven thousand? I wonder if Gordon Brown has any links to Dunfermline and its football club!
Tan And Ollie
The BBC commentator on the Cardiff match at Arsenal on Match of the Day last night deliberately referred to Vincent Tan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Tan and Ollie.
I was amused, but was the Cardiff City owner?
A Day Of Lots Of Misses And Rain
Yesterday was one of those days. I went to Portman Road to see Ipswich play Charlton.
I got there on time, but only just, as the journey to Liverpool Street was a succession of misses, buses and Underground trains. I had to skip lunch, as my usual pit-stop at Carluccio’s at Spitalfields was closed for New Year’s Day. The alternative of sandwiches from Marks and Spencer was also not on, as they were closed.
No Sandwiches
Luckily, I was able to get a couple of EatNakd bars from Boots, although after I’d bought them, I found that the Camden Food company had a bigger selection.
I was soaked, by the time I got to my seat and the rain was so bad, they’d had to move some spectators to a drier part of the stadium.
To say the match was ruined by the rain, would be an understatement. That makes it three out of the last four matches that I’ve seen, have been ruined by the weather.
To add to the misses, David McGoldrick missed a penalty, so the match was only drawn.
Coming back, I wasn’t as fast as normal to the station and as the match finished late, I missed the train and had to wait for forty minutes in the cold.
And then coming back from Liverpool Street, I decided to take the dry route to Barbican station to get a 56 bus. And as i walked to the stop, the bus I wanted roared past. So I had to take a 153 and then a 38!
It was not the best of days! It probably summed up my miserable Christmas. But speaking to others at the match, mine seemed to have just about this year’s norm. Next year, I won’t be here!
A Miserable Start To The New Year
I went to bed last night about ten thirty and slept well, as I generally do.
I got up about seven and sorted out my e-mails and checked my finances. But where was the news on television and radio. It seems the world stops for two weeks, when in reality it just goes on.
And why do we get endless reviews of the year? It doesn’t get any better the second, third or fourth time round.
I can’t wait for next Monday! At least, I have made my first New Year resolution and that is to make sure, I’m not at home by myself next year. Or in fact ever again!
I had thought about going to Australia to see the cricket this year. So at least I called that one right!
I needed a bit of shopping this morning. But of course my usual Waitrose isn’t opening today. So I walked around the corner to the small Sainsburys and bought the few things I needed.
And I got wet in the miserable rain!
I didn’t get any meaningful e-mails, except spam too!
At least I’ve got football this afternoon. But I suspect that will be miserable too! I wonder what odds, I canb get on them losing six-nil?
An Advantage Of Not Owning A Car
Because I just missed a train on the return from Pokesdown station, I had an hour to kill.
It was enlivened by a few minutes helping this Ipswich supporter find where he might have parked his car for the match, using a map at the station.
He’d driven down on Saturday, stayed in a hotel and then driven over on the Sunday. But he had no idea, of the name of the road he’d parked in. I don’t know whether he had a sat-nav, but it wasn’t much use to him if he had, as it would have been the car.
And then to cap it all, we told him to turn right out of the station. And he turned left!
And others talk about silly Suffolk!
All I have to do is remember the way back to the station. If I should forget, I can always take a taxi or a bus! Or even ask directions for something that has been there for a few years!
An Embarrassing Half Time Entertainment
Bournemouth put on a Crossbar Challenge at half-time, but it was rather unusually embarrassing for the hosts.
One of the travelling Ipswich supporters won the prize, by hitting the crossbar.
I’ve seen this run a few times and most clubs don’t let visiting supports take part for obvious reasons.
We all gave him a big cheer, as he returned to his seat amongst us.
Vincent Tan Is 66-1 To Be The Next Cardiff Manager
This is according to Match of the Day.
The big question is, could he work with the owner of the club?
The Anonymous Widower 