Babies At The Olympics
There was a right-old cat-fight on BBC Breakfast, this morning about whether babies should be allowed in free with their mothers at the Olympics.
I can understand the problem, as what do you do, if you’ve bought tickets and your baby has now arrived.
I am a season ticket holder at Ipswich and I’ve never seen a baby near where I sit at Home matches. There are a few ladies of child-bearing age around where I sit, and I can remember a few youngsters of about five coming in and being a bit bored. But babies no, as I suppose if you have one, you leave it at home. Which in Ipswich’s case is probably less than an hour away or so, as most season ticket holders are probably fairly local.
But when it comes to away matches it is rather different. I’ve seen several, often dressed in an Ipswich baby suit. No-one has been bothered, but then although Ipswich usually take a fair number of supporters, there is often quite a few spare seats, so the stewards don’t mind if an extra one is used for a bag with all the baby things. The local effect probably comes into play too, as you might be an Ipswich fan living in say Bristol and this is your one chance to see the team every season.
I should also say, I’ve never seen a baby behaving as to annoy anybody, but then football is a game of two forty-five minute halves with plenty of time before, in the middle and at the end to attend to the baby.
You could also argue it’s good for the baby, as they get used to being in a crowd.
Remember, too, I’ve been to a lot of horse-race meetings. Babies are generally welcomed and all children under 16 are let in free. However, this may not apply to the biggest of meetings like the Derby, although when I went this year, there were a few prams about in the cheaper enclosure I was in.
But the Olympics will be different, as some events like the athletics are quite long and you wouldn’t want to inflict that on a baby and the people around you.
On a personal note, I would prefer to sit next to a woman with a baby, than say someone eating popcorn or a burger, as I can’t abide the smell of either.
Or they could take a leaf out of horse racing’s book and have a free creche.
Memories of Another Welshman Playing for Spurs
Spurs could probably claim that they were robbed against Manchester City today, as Mario Balotelli could have been sent off after kicking Scott Parker in the head. Harry Redknapp thinks he should have been according to this report on the BBC. But he would wouldn’t he! And so do I!
On the other hand Spurs second goal had a bit of familiarity in my mind. Aaron Lennon weaved inside from the left and gave a perfect pass for Welshman Gareth Bale to drill home from outside the box.
I can remember that great Welsh winger, Cliff Jones, doing the same from probably the other wing and teeing the ball up for either John White or even Danny Blanchflower to score. It couldn’t have been Jimmy Greaves, as he usually scored inside the six-yard box and the distance was too great. Also Greaves didn’t join Spurs until the 1961-62 season and I have a feeling this was earlier.
Jones in his prime was as fast if not faster than Bale, although he wasn’t protected as much by the referee. He’s one of those players, who if they played in the modern era would be so much better.
My father also saw another great Welshman, who played on the wing for Tottenham in the 1930s. He was Taffy O’Callaghan, who although not being as fast as either Bale or Jones, was in a team nicknamed the greyhounds, which won promotion in 1932-33. But by repute he could hit the heavy leather ball as hard and accurate as any.
So perhaps Harry’s team will upset the odds and win the Premier League this year or perhaps in the near future. They have the most important brick in place.
Where Is The Africa Cup of Nations?
I’ve always enjoyed this football tournament, as I said here.
But this year it’s on Eurosport and the only way to see that is by using Sky. All you get is highlights on ITV4 and that’s not in my guide.
Some Horse
An old horse-coper in Suffolk, once told me that if you think you’ve got a good horse, you should ask if it could charge guns and tanks.
Brough Scott in today’s Telegraph, tells the story of Warrior, his grandfather, General Jack Seely‘s horse. Warrior led one of the last cavalry charges in the First World War at Moreuil Wood, was painted by Sir Alfred Munnings and took part in the victory parade in 1918. For an encore he won a race at the Isle of Wight point-to-point in 1921. In the end he lived until he was 33 and was only put down in 1941, because of a shortage of feed.
With all the hype going on about War Horse, let us not forget that others played their part. But perhaps not as bravely as Warrior.
Older Footballers
With the return to action of Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes in the last few days, I can remember seeing some older footballers playing at the top level in the 1950s and 1960s.
John Charles – Although he was in the twilight of his career, I must have seen him in 1962 at Tottenham. He would have been in his early thirties at the time.
Stanley Matthews – He played for Stoke in the early 1960s and when I saw him at Tottenham, he must have been nearly 50 and still playing at the top level.
We’ve also had quite a few goalkeepers, who have still be playing at 40.
But to me, the greatest of these older footballers was Danny Blanchflower.
He was an outstanding player and captain, who completely bossed the game. He was also someone blessed with the gift of the Blarney Stone.
His finest moment for Spurs, was probably, when at 36 he lifted the European Cup-Winners Cup in 1962.
If he has a modern counterpart it is David Beckham.
He has been asked to keep himself available for the Olympic football.
It may be wishful thinking, but I don’t rule out Beckham playing in the final. Just like Blanchflower, he has the skill to provide the ammunition and on-field coaching to others, who can do all the hard work.
My Freedom Pass Failed South of the River
I’ve indicated before that London has always been two cities; my side of the North and the other side of the South.
Now I’ve got nothing against those who live south of the river and in fact some of my friends live there, but it’s a different country. It’s nothing new, as my father said that the two sides didn’t agree on anything before the Second World War. I blame it on Arsenal’s move from south of the river to Highbury. It was almost as bad as Wimbledon going to Milton Keynes.
But that still doesn’t explain, why my Freedom Pass wasn’t accepted at Elephant and Castle, either coming out or going in. However, in both cases, the helpful staff let me through.
Do the barriers read your DNA and if it’s from the North, you’re barred? We should be told!
The Very Good Can Come Back
It is an old adage in sport, that sportsmen and women never make a successful comeback, was disproved last night by Thierry Henry.
But then he was something special.
What Is It With ITV And Football?
I’m just watching Peterborough against Sunderland on ITV. Watching being the key word, as the sound isn’t working properly.
But then ITV has form in providing crap football coverage!
The Sensible Africans
Over the next few weeks, Africa will be staging the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Obviously, as it can get very hot in some parts of the continent, they hold it at this time of year, as it will probably be cooler.
Roberto Mancini at Manchester City may moan, but he knew he’d have the problem some months ago and should have planned better.
After all, the Africa Cup of Nations is important to the continent and most clubs will only lose the odd player for a couple of games.
So what does FIFA do?
They award the World Cup to Qatar, where it will either be played in the heat of an Arab summer or moved to the winter, which will inconvenience the whole sporting calendar in countries like the UK, where other sports are played.
Standing Up To Cancer
Another obituary in The Times today is of Frank Horwill. By forming the British Milers Club and developing advanced training methods, he had a lot to do with the success of British middle-distance runners in the 1970s and 1980s.
He didn’t fit in with the athletics administrators, but how many great coaches in any sport do? And how many useless coaches do well-funded sports employ?
It was this paragraph in the obituary that I liked.
Four years later Horwill was found to be suffering from stomach cancer. He reacted with the sort of resolve that he sought in his athletes. To the consternation of his nurses he got out of bed each day to exercise with a drip attached to him. “I am going to enjoy this day,” was his mantra. He survived for another 23 years.
C had that attitude to her breast cancer and won by a mile. Sadly, her cancer of the heart was a much tougher problem.
In some ways though, Frank got the last laugh, as after serving a prison term for tax evasion, which was essentially to fund his athletes, he was rewarded with an MBE last year.
The Anonymous Widower 