Consequences of the BBC’s Stupid Move to Salford
Obviously we’re going to get a lot more inconsequential phone-ins based on Manchester, because of the BBC’s stupid move to Salford. Today’s was about Manchester City, who aren’t even the best team in Manchester and their rather immature player; Mario Ballotelli.
To be fair too, Manchester is probably not even the third English city after London and Liverpool.
Can you imagine French radio moving its flagship breakfast program to Lyon from Paris?
Let’s get rid of this sillyness and bring Radio 5 back to London!
The Scheduler Strikes Again
After yesterday’s problems getting to Ipswich, I have vowed that I’ll always travel in a proper train again.
However next Monday, Ipswich play Leicester at home and guess what. It is the usual Newbury Park detour with a coach. So that’s a match I’ll miss unless I want to have a very bad arm after the journey.
On the other hand, they’re putting on another train for Norwich supporters to get to Tottenham.
Not the Best of Days
Yesterday, I went to the football at Ipswich.
Before I left, I checked on TfL’s excellent Countdown system to see how long I’d have to wait for a 21 or 141 bus and it said that there would be three within the next five minutes and then a ten minute wait. I just missed the last of the three and so I thought I’d text the bus stop to find out how long I’d have to wait. But of course, I now had my Blackberry, instead of my Nokia 6310i and I couldn’t send the simple message of just 5 digits. Another reason for chucking the sodding F*ckberry. So no information. The first 141 was obviously in a hurry and drove straight past, despite five of us flagging it down. I then walked to the next stop, where other buses for Liverpool Street also depart. In the end, I caught another 141 and the driver apologised for his colleague.
One of the pleasures of going to Portman Road by train, is that if you pick your trains right, you get a Norwich train, with comfortable Mk. 3 coaches and a real engine to push you all the way. But today, no trains were running to Norwich, so it was one of the old multiple units, with no tables or arm-rests.
So by the time I got to Ipswich my left arm was really giving me gip, as there was no place to rest it.
Ipswich did win a rather scrappy game by the only goal of the game, which was the highpoint of the day.
But going home was a repeat of the journey down in an old dirty train. I needed to go to the toilet and the conductor apologised before I went. It was one of the dirtiest I’d ever seen on a train.
At least, I got back to Liverpool Street on time and then I walkked through to Moorgate to get a 141 home. Because of Crossrail, the area is in total chaos and I had to walk a long way, as the normal bus stop was closed.
TfL should have thought out how they do the buses in that area better! The chaos will go on for years.
At least I was able to have a decent drink in the Northgate.
The first thing I did when I got home, was to put my Sim-card back into the Nokia 6310i
Spurs Don’t Seem to be Lucky
I watched Spurs play Chelski on Sunday and they didn’t get any luck in the goalless draw.
That pattern seems to be continuing against Bolton.
Perhaps it’s Harry’s problem and he isn’t lucky. What was it Benjamin Franklin said?
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
So let’s choose an England manager who makes his luck!
The Fight of the Week Is Warming Up
I’m watching the latest instalment in the Glasgow Premier League.
Rangers have scored a goal and Celtic have had a player sent off.
I wouldn’t like to be the referee for the next few weeks.
Lessons From the Patrice Muamba Incident
Note that I’m calling it an incident, as hopefully after today’s hopefully promising news, things may get a lot better.
One of the reasons, I can call it an incident, may turn out to be the fact, that according to the Evening Standard a cardiologist was in the East Stand at White Hart Lane and he knew what was happening to poor Patrice, so he just told the Stewards, that he was going onto the pitch and did it! He also persuaded the paramedics to take Patrice to the London Chest Hospital, where they had the facilities to deal with such a serious heart attack. He even accompanied the footballer in the ambulance. Isn’t that what we think, we should expect from a doctor?
Someone, who was a friend of a friend, wasn’t so lucky. He had a heart attack in the stand at a football match and the paramedics were unable to revive him. Perhaps, with help from a cardiologist, they might have succeeded. But my friend did say that he was well into his seventies and had already had one major heart attack and would have probably preferred to go out, watching his team.
So what are the chances of the right doctor being at the ground.
About ten years ago, I was in the circle of the theatre at Cambridge with C, when a rather worried usher asked if there was a doctor in the house. Whether there was a conference on, but out of about a hundred or so, she got at least ten doctors to come forward. I don’t know what happened afterwards, but hopefully they managed between them.
But White Hart Lane has a capacity of 50,000 or so and that greatly increases the odds of the right doctor being available. And as the incident happened in front of him that helped too.
I am not saying Patrice was lucky, as to go through what he has is terrible, but can we increase the chances of getting the right sort of assistance in public events and even spaces.
For instance, the cardiologist was a season ticket holder and because of modern electronic ticketing, they could have found out he was at the game. So you can envisage systems, where doctors with particular specialities are texted, if something serious happens. I can remember the day when Luc Nillis broke his leg at Portman Road, as it was in front of me. Would his treatment have been better, if they’d managed to find an orthopaedic consultant or two in the crowd of 20,000? They may have done, but I don’t know!
It does strike me that this could be an application for a smart phone!
Three With More Money Than Sense
The BBC is reporting that three bids have been received for Glasgow Rangers. Apparently Croesus hasn’t submitted a bit, as he has looked at the losses of past owners and the unrealistic demands of fans.
Chelmsford Becomes A City
It has just been announced that Chelmsford is to become a city.
It’s funny but the football club has always been Chelmsford City.
Rangers Launch Fans Fighting Fund
It has been reported on the BBC, that Rangers have launched a Fans Fighting fund.
I thought, that was what they did anyway!
At least they’ll go down fighting!
Harry versus Stuart
It would appear that the next England manager is still not any closer yet.
In the last two weeks, Spurs under Harry, have lost both to Arsenal and Manchester United.
England under Stuart Pearce, just lost to Dutch, by the odd goal in five. On the other hand his Under-21 side did beat the Belgians easily.
So perhaps Stuart won the last two weeks on points!
But if you think, England are in a mess, just look at Chelski!
The Anonymous Widower 