Vincent Tan Was Right
Yesterday, Cardiff City played in their traditional blue colours against Liverpool. So Vincent Tan is in some ways right, as Cardiff lost badly. Obviously, the shirts are not lucky, like red ones are.
There was a joke going Portman Road yesterday, that Mick McCarthy had been asked to be the next Cardiff manager. Apparently, he’d told Vincent Tan in his most polite Yorkshire-Irish way, that he wasn’t interested in the job.
Nothing Is Impossible!
It’s just that some things are more difficult than others.
One of my favourite quotes was made by Barnes Wallace in an interview by Chris Brasher for the obituary television program, that would follow the innovative engineer’s death.
There is no greater thrill in life than showing something is impossible and then proving how it can be done!
I’ve lived my life by this mantra even before I saw the program.
My current problem is how to get to Doncaster on Boxing Day to see Ipswich play.
There are no trains or buses, as it is Christmas.
I have posted on forums, written to newspapers, the television and radio and not one sensible reply. I’ve even offered a free ticket to the person, who drives me up to Doncaster.
I have even thought about hiring a helicopter. Light aircraft are not on, as Doncaster built on their grass field by the racecourse and the old Doncaster ground.
But then no-one says no to this London mongrel with a strong connection to Suffolk. According to my late father, I was at least conceived in the county. The last time was when I was told it would be impossible to visit all 92 League clubs in alphabetical order by public transport. I did that, but perhaps not as easily or fast, as I would have liked. I’m a stubborn bugger!
So I’ll be hitching all the way up. I can get a bus to the bottom of the A1 at Apex Corner and that’s where I’ll start. I’ve got a banner ready saying.
TRACTOR TO DONCASTER PLEASE!!
Only one person ever said no to me and that was the devil after my stroke. She took one look at me and thought I’d be too much trouble. So she let me stay here!
In a way, it was a compliment.
One Down To BT Sport
A friend, who has Sky, missed his team; Sheffield United. win the FA Cup today, as the match was on BT Sport.
All of these channels must get their act together, so we can all watch our favourite sport.
It would be nice if all matches were available through the Internet on a dedicated UK Football portal. But that would probably be illegal under EU Law.
But then what does the EU know about football and technology?
I’m Watching The World Cup Draw
Obviously, Sepp Blatter is a man, who likes women with well-presented accessories.
Do East Midland Trains Not Want Football Fans?
I say football fans, but it could be anybody, who wants to travel to somewhere like Ipswich, Liverpool or Nottingham from London to arrive by a certain time like 14:00, have a meeting or watch an event, which maybe of a variable duration and then return home.
I regularly book a ticket to Ipswich on a Saturday with Greater Anglia. It is a simple process, where I buy one ticket, which can be either a First or Standard Class Off Peak Return. I usually buy a First, at £32.60 on a Saturday. It’s also the same price on a weekday, if I leave after the rush hour.
Liverpool is a different one purchase process, in that I usually buy a First |Advance ticket for about forty pounds to go North. Coming home for flexibility and to avoid buying a ticket for a specific train, I buy a Standard Class Off Peak for £25.50.
But East Midland Trains are different. I have just booked my ticket to Nottingham for the 14th of December. A First Advance Ticket has cost me £17.80, which is about the same as my ticket to Ipswich. So as the journey is longer, it’s good value. Coming back the option of a flexible ticket, will cost £37.30, which is fifty percent more than Virgin’s from Liverpool.I can get a ticket for under £20, but that means I have to name a train. So what happens if I meet a mate and have a coffee? I’ll have to buy a new ticket at £37.30.
East Midland Trains are also distinctly against running late night trains back to London, after a football match, as I found at Derby earlier in the season.
Out of curiosity, I just checked out going to Bristol. It looks like FOSH (First Out and Standard Home) is about forty five pounds. And it can be booked in one go!
Doncaster in FOSH by East Coast is just under fifty pounds.
Note that all the prices quoted here are using a valid railcard.
The Man With No Fear
I read this article on the BBC web site with interest.
We are unlikely to win the World Cup in Brazil next year, as too many things are against us. But with statements like this from the article.
“My message to the players and the nation is we’re not coming here to fear anyone, we’re coming here to respect. We know whoever we play we’re capable of winning or losing the match,” he said.
We’ve played Brazil away, we’ve played Italy away, we know they are tough games but we know we can go out and do well in them just as we can lose them as well.
I think we can say, that Roy and his team might make a good fist of it.
They will need a bit of luck in the draw tomorrow. But Roy might just have the knack to turn an absolute stinker of a draw to everyone’s advantage.
My Easiest Championship Ground To Travel To
Yesterday, Ipswich Town played at Charlton. It is a very easy ground to get to, as I just get a bus to London Bridge and then take a train to the station at Charlton. It’s then just a short walk to The Valley.
In fact, this ease of access was one of the problems of my viewing of the match, as Ipswich fans bought every seat possible. The seats at Charlton may be in good condition, but it really is one of the most cramped away areas in the country. QPR used to be worse, but it had improved this season.
I was next to the staircase and hardly got any view of the match at all in the first half, as the two guys in front of me were six footers and never sat down. One even stood on the stairs effectively blocking any view of the goal to my right, just fifteen metres or so away. It did get better in the second half, as some didn’t return after half time and I was able to stand in front of an empty seat the other side of the stairs.
So it was not a good viewing experience! The technology exists, so that you can choose your seat and see the view. Eventually, this will be used in all grounds in the Premier League and the Championship.
But at least we won by a Tommy Smith goal. Although, with average luck, we should have scored a couple more before the game really got going.
I was home before six. Except for the three grounds near me; The Emirates, White Hart Lane and Brisbane Road, this must be the only ground, where, I can do that!
I do think next time I go to The Valley and the match is likely to be full, I’ll get a hospitality package early.
An Offer For An Ipswich Town Fan Based In London
I am attempting to see every Ipswich Town League and Cup match this season.
So far it has gone very well and I haven’t missed one, although some it could be said were eminently missable.
The problem match is the Boxing Day match at Doncaster, where there are no trains on that day.
Today though, I have bought two tickets for the match. One ticket is for myself, and the other will be for anyone who gives me a lift to and from the match.
We Will Not Overlook The Tragedy Which Is Currently Unfolding In Qatar
The title of this post is taken from a quote in this report on the BBC website. Here’s the first two paragraphs.
Representatives of a global players’ union will seek talks with Qatar’s football authorities over claims of the abuse of players’ rights.
French-Algerian player Zahir Belounis is in dispute with Al-Jaish over unpaid wages and cannot leave the country.
After reading reports like this, I do wonder why FIFA voted to have the World Cup in Qatar.
I’m An Attack Shopper
I don’t mess about shopping and especially where groceries are concerned.
Take this morning, which as I’m going to football at Ipswich this afternoon, was very much a small weekly shop for my staples and supper tonight.
My local Waitrose in Islington opens at 08:00 on a Saturday, with the Sainsburys next door opening an hour early. Because too, of the dreadful news from Australia, I decided to go as early as possible and left my house at 07:40. I didn’t buy much as the picture shows.
The Spoils Of My Attack
I did have to go to both stores, as Waitrose don’t sell my favourite Genius bread.
I don’t know when we started doing our shopping early on a Saturday morning, but this behaviour of a direct and early Saturday morning raid on the shops, was very much part of our married life.
The one difference, is that I use a list and C rarely did.
I tend to behave in the same way with IKEA. I needed some small pieces yesterday, so as I had nothing to do yesterday afternoon, except read the Internet or the Standard, I went to their store in Edmonton, reading the paper on the way.
Some might find this very much obsessive behaviour, but I do like to maximise the use of my time.
On the trip to football today, I’ll be reading the paper again and doing some difficult Sudokus.
The Anonymous Widower 