More Football Travel Problems To Ipswich
Sometimes to get back from Ipswich after a match, a friend drops me at Newbury Park tube station.
But not for the next few days, as the line is closed from today until November the 4th, according to this on the TfL website. Explaining the need for the closure, they said this.
By closing the line for a longer period (instead of multiple weekend works) the overall time needed for the work will be cut from 19 to 12 days and will save more than £2.
It seems a lot of hassle for a saving of just £2.
I’m Watching Celtic
As it’s a choice between Chelsea, Manchester United and Celtic, it’s a bit of a no-brainer really. Especially, as the two English clubs are losing.
FIFA Sees Sense On Goal-Line Technology
At last! It’s all here about how the old farts have caved in to technology!
I’ll believe it when I see it in action.
Putting It Straight
I liked this sign at the KC Stadium in Hull.
Putting It Straight
No-one was smoking, so the message must be getting through.
Greek Football Team Turns To Brothels For Sponsorship
I spotted this in one of the small articles in The Times yesterday. But the only place I can find it on the web is here on a New Zealand web site.
Here’s a couple of paragraphs.
Players on a cash-strapped Greek football team now wear pink practice jerseys with the logos “Villa Erotica” and “Soula’s House of History,” two bordellos it recruited as sponsors after drastic government spending cuts left the country’s sports clubs facing ruin.
Other teams have also turned to unconventional financing. One has a deal with a local funeral home and others have wooed kebab shops, a jam factory and producers of Greece’s trademark feta cheese.
But the amateur Voukefalas club – whose players include pizza delivery guys, students, waiters and a bartender – has raised eyebrows with its flamboyant sponsorship choice.
Times are obviously hard in Greece.
Racist Behaviour In Serbia
The disgraceful racist and violent behaviour in Serbia yesterday, when England beat the country, is of course to be thoroughly deplored.
But the Balkans have in recent years not been a place where black footballers seem to be welcomed.
There is the story of how a teenage Titus Bramble, went to play for the England Under-21 in Albania around 2000. He was repeatedly racially abused during the match.
On return to Ipswich, he was interviewed by the East Anglian Daily Times about the match and stated that he didn’t know what the chants were, as he’d never encountered racism in his personal or footballing life.
In a way it shows how well and how early we started to get our act together over racism in football.
i have no idea, if the Albanians were punished for the behaviour of their fans, but the behaviour last night is in my view partly caused by UEFA’s and FIFA’s weak response to incidents like that match in Albania.
Walking From Leamouth To Canning Town Station
This morning in what could be the last of the summer sun, I took a 277 bus to Leamouth and then walked to Canning Town station along Bow Creek.
The area is one of the more interesting in London, with the River Lea of which Bow Creek is part, gradually silting up and reverting to reed beds. The inside of the bend used to be the the home of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and now it is one of the tunnelling sites for CrossRail. The successor of the works football team of the Thames Ironwork still exists as West Ham United, but the company is long gone, deespite building many ships for the Navy and companies like P & O.
From Canning Town station, I got the DLR, the Emirates Air-Line cable-car and the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf for lunch. I suppose, I could have taken the Jubilee line from Canning Town station, but the cable-car has better views.
Thinking about the route, you could take the 277 bus from any number of places like Highbury and Islington and then go back to Central London on the Jubilee line. but on a sunny day, don’t cut out the cable-car as it gives some spectacular views.
A Boring Day
There is not much sport to see today. Live, I’ve the choice of Barnet, Gillingham or Wimbledon close to London, but I’ve more important things to do now, as the e-mail has got corrupted on my computer. Scanpst may work well, but it’s rather slow.
Hopefully it’ll get better. Even Andy Murray didn’t help, by disposing of Roger Federer rather quickly.
Sorting Out Highbury Corner
Highbury Corner is one of London’s busiest interchanges, which is being restructured to make it easier for all users. The picture shows the terminus of the 277 bus.
277 Buses At Highbury Corner
I regularly get a bus from here to my house and the stop is badly placed for the Underground. It is also a very busy stop, just off the roundabout towards Dalston and not the nicest place to wait for a bus.
I think that whatever you do, you’re not going to make a great improvement, unless the 277 route was extended a bit towards Holloway. But then there probably isn’t another suitable terminus.
Traffic was particularly bad last night, as Arsenal were playing at home and people will insist on driving to the Emirates.
The Anonymous Widower 