Why Are Liverpool Good At Transfers?
This question was asked on BBC Radio 5, about Liverpool Football Club.
As an alumni, I raise money for cancer research at Liverpool University.
I get the impression, the University has no problem getting the best researchers to come to the Second City of England!
Everybody in the World has heard of Liverpool!
An Open Letter To Jamie Burles Of Greater Anglia
I will open by saying that this letter is not a complaint about your company, as you, like all your passengers and staff are just suffering collateral damage from the overwhelming incompetence of the real culprit.
I have been supporting Ipswich Town, off and on, since my parents retired to Felixstowe around 1960, when the next door neighbour used to take me to Portman Road.
In 2007, after living together in Suffolk for nearly forty years, my wife died of a squamous cell carcinoma of the heart, followed in 2010, by our son, who died at just thirty-seven of pancreatic cancer. I am coeliac and because of all this grief, I neglected my health, which caused me to have a serious stroke. Luckily, the only lasting problem, I suffered was a partial loss of vision, which meant I was unable to drive.
So I sold up in Suffolk and moved back to London, where I had been born in 1947.
For a couple of years, things went well coming out to Ipswich for matches by train. Typically, on a match day I would have a gluten-free lunch in London and catch the reliable 12:30 Norwich express and just arrive in my seat a few minutes before kick-off.
I should note, that there is only one reliable place for a coeliac like myself, who needs gluten-free food to eat in Ipswich and that is Pizza Express. But you can only eat so much pizza! I can get gluten-free sandwiches in Marks and Spencer, but as with the pizza, it means walking to the centre of town and at seventy-two now, that is not such an easy proposition, as it once was.
Over the last six years, the journey has got worse. The much longer journey time on replacement buses, means I can’t eat properly or do any of the other things , I need to do in life on an average Saturday.
Consider.
- Football may be important to me, but it is not that important.
- I should say, that sometimes, I go via Cambridge, when replacement buses are in operation for a change, as I can have a meal in the city with friends or buy sandwiches in the Marks & Spencer in the station.
- In all these years of disruption, it always seems that if Ipswich are at home on the Saturday, there would be a busification of the service, whereas on other Saturdays a full service operated.
When I first started coming out from London to see matches, there were quite a few supporters on the trains from London, including one guy in a wheel-chair. Over the years many seem to have fallen by the wayside, because of the constant disruption.
I had hoped that this season, Network Rail’s deplorable project management of the Great Eastern Main line, which often results in surprise closures, would have been consigned to history.
But if ever, there have been more closures this season and the latest batch of nine closures starting on Saturday, are the last straw as far as I am concerned.
Saturday’s closure was particularly inconvenient, as Kings Cross was closed and the West Anglia Main Line was running a reduced service, so in the end, I had a late breakfast at St. Pancras and took Southeastern Highspeed to Ebbsfleet where a friend and fellow Ipswich season ticket holder, who lives nearby, gave me a lift to the match. The home-to-home round trip , was actually almost as long, as that on the previous Saturday’s trip to Tranmere.
Looking at the next few Saturday Ipswich home games, I see the following.
- Peterborough – 1st February – Normal service (?)
- Burton Albion – 15th February – Buses
- Oxford United – 22nd February – Buses
- Coventry – 7th March – Buses
- Portsmouth- 21th March – Buses
- Rochdale – 18th April – Buses
I probably speak with more authority, than most, as the company I started in Ipswich; Metier Management Systems, is recognised as one of the companies, that changed project management completely, in the last three decades of the twentieth century. At times, half the major projects in the world were being planned and managed by software I wrote in a Suffolk attic.
I rate, Network Rail’s performance over the last few years in the wider UK, as one of the worst project management disasters I have known, alongside Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport, the legendary hospital built the wrong way round, and the Boeing 737 MAX.
Call For Bank of England Executive To Quit Over Security Breach
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
A former member of the Bank of England has called for the resignation of its chief operating officer after it emerged an audio feed of sensitive information had been leaked to traders.his is the introductory paragraph.
In any form of speculation or betting, information is key and I would suspect, that some have made a lot of money, with this information.
Betting, is full of stories, where information has been used to advantage.
In one, well-known punters, had access to the team sheet of a famous football club before the players.
So I’m not surprised at the shenanigans at the Bank of England.
Welcome To The LNER Stadium… Train Operator Sponsors Lincoln City Football Club Stadium
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
Sincil Bank willnow be the LNER Stadium.
In LNER To Put Lincoln On The Rail Map, I detailed LNER’s plans to run five trains per day in each direction and also to increase weekend services.
I also speculated that LNER might extend the service to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
Conclusion
It does appear that the extra services between London and Lincoln and the sponsorship of the stadium are part of a larger plan.
This might fit in with an extension of the service to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
The New White Hart Lane Station Opens
The new White Hart Lane station opened on Monday and I went along this morning and took these pictures.
Some points about the design.
- The station has three entrances on the stadium side and two on the other.
- Materials used include terracotta pots and weathered steel.
- There is a pedestrian tunnel under the railway for those that don’t want to use the trains.
- There are two sets of stairs to both platforms
- There are lifts to both platforms.
- The station can probably handle twelve-car Class 710 trains if required on match days.
- There are solar panels on the roof.
- The station must have some of the tallest overhead electrification gantries in the UK.
From what one of the project managers told me, it appears that the station was built by cleaning, refurbishing and strengthening the viaduct and then erecting an independent steel frame on either side to form the station.
It looks like a technique that could be used on other stations on viaducts.
It’s certainly a better station with a larger capacity, than the previous one, that I used many times back in the 1960s.
The old station is to be demolished, at some point in the future.
Conclusion
It is an excellent station, that should serve its main function of getting supporters to and from Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
But will the station and the soon-to-arrive new trains have other effects.
- As I said earlier, the design could be repeated with different cladding for other stations on viaducts.
- I believe that good public transport infrastructure tends to calm crime and anti-social behaviour. Only the statistics will give a verdict.
- Will the passenger numbers rise through the station?
- Will the station and the stadium attract some better class retain premises and cafes, as the Emirates has done?
And perhaps most importantly! Tottenham Hotspur now has two new stations to serve the ground! Will this reduce the congestion caused by large crowds?
Will People Look Back At the 14th of August 2019 As A Significant Day in History?
On the 14th of August, Stephanie Frappart refereed the 2019 UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and Liverpool.
This article on the BBC, is entitled Stephanie Frappart: History-Making Referee Praised For Super Cup Performance.
The tone of the title is typical of the comments in various newspapers and on web sites.
There was some criticism for the penalty award to Chelsea, but then many fans and commentators don’t agree with penalty decisions.
I watched all of the match and she and her two female assistants, certainly did a better job, than some officials, I’ve seen in the top two English divisions.
I look forward to the day, when the gender of the referee is irrelevant and they are judged solely on their competence.
Was Wednesday’s Super Cup a first major step towards that goal?
Conclusion
We mustn’t forget that for most countries in the world, football is the most important sport, so the ramifications of Ms. Frappart’s performance, may be greater than we first think!
Refereeing At The Women’s World Cup
At times, as in today’s England game against Cameroon, refereeing has not been of the highest quality.
I watch a lot of football and being a referee is something I would not want to do!
But I do have a few thoughts!
Are Some Of The Referees Not Fit Enough?
I have my suspicions on this one, as some of the bad decisions seem to have happened, when the referee is behind the play!
Referees from major football playing countries, probably officiate in many more games and come under much more scrutiny about their fitness, than they do in other countries.
Was It A Mistake To Send Referees Home From The Last Sixteen Countries?
I know why FIFA has done this, but does it get rid of a lot of the best and most experienced referees?
Perhaps delaying until the last eight would have been better?
Should We Integrate More Women Officials Into The Men’s Game?
We are always hearing that there is a shortage of referees for matches in the UK
I wouldn’t be surprised that this is a problem in a lot of countries, with large league structures.
Surely, welcoming more women into the profession would help to ease the shortage.
I actually, think, as with many other trades and professions, the shortage will mean that more women are welcome.
I should say that at Ipswich in the Chapionship, we have had the occasional woman assistant referee and there hasn’t been any adverse crowd reaction.
But, I suspect, other crowds and possibly countries wouldn’t be so friendly.
Conclusion
The standard of refereeing by women will improve, as more come into the game, due to the shortages.
But no real progress will be made in the UK, until a woman referees a high-profile League or Cup match.
The first time it happens, will be down to a chapter of unfortunate circumstances.
Perhaps a team of four for a match will contain two women, one of whom will be the fourth official.
The man refereeing the match, becomes unable to do so, as happens a couple of times during matches in the Premier League every year.
Perhaps, the man running the line has made a terrible howler and is getting stick from an angry crowd.
So, the inevitable decision will be made.
After all, Bibiana Steinhaus, has refereed in the Bundesliga for a couple of years.
One of her problems according to Wikipedia, has been that Iran cut her out of broadcasts of matches, when she is the referee.
But then there’s no accounting for that religious basket-case!
Down The Pub For The Football
There is a typical man’s pub that does beer and pizza near me, where I go occasionally to watch football, if I don’t fancy watching alone.
So for tonight’s England-Argentina game in the Women’s World Cup, I walked along my road and had a butchers!
There wasn’t a seat to be had, so I may have got my gluten-free beer, but there wouldn’t have been anywhere to eat a pizza.
But it was gratifying to see the support for the women’s version of the National game!
Where Will I Watch The Champions League Final?
My father had first gone to White Hart Lane as a child, in his father’s pony-and-trap, before the First World War. He told me how they gave a local lad a shilling to hold the horse’s head during the match.
That would be about twelve pounds in 2019 money. I don’t drive, so would you pay twelve pounds to park your car for a match today?
Later he had been at the 1921 FA Cup Final at Stamford Bridge, where Spurs had won the cup for the second time.
He took me several times to see Spurs in the 1950s and we were there in 1961, when Spurs received the First Division trophy after losing to West Bromwich Albion.
I was now going regularly on my own and I cycled down from Southgate.
I seem to remember paying half-a-crown to leave my bike in a secure space. That would be about three pounds today.
In the early 1960s, my parents moved to Felixstowe and to overcome the boredom of summers and other holidays in the place, our neighbour started taking me to Ipswich Town, where I saw a few games of Alf Ramsey’s First Division-winning side of cast-offs and misfits!
As I’ve lived in Suffolk off-and-on for over fifty years, it was the start of a long-term relationship.
I should also say, that following Ipswich Town and the companionship I;ve enjoyed, has been a great help to me, since C’s death!
For four years in the 1960s, I was at Liverpool University or living in the City.
I saw Spurs play many times all over the North West, but it was not a good period for them and I only saw one win, which was at Everton.
I also used to go to both Liverpool clubs, where you just walked up on the day and paid to get in. Those were the days! I remember, I was there to see Emlyn Hughes make his debut for Liverpool. Wikipedia says that was March 4th, 1967 against Stoke City.
Most long-term football fans have a long-term relationship to one club and I’ve met some strange relationships.
Ipswich for instance have a clutch of Liverpudlian supporters, who seem to have started supporting Ipswich in the Bobby Robson-era. That could be just the Liverpudlian attitude to be different.
So where will I watch the Champions League Final on June the First?
I am leaning towards Manchester at the moment! Although, thinking about it, Barcelona could be an interesting alternative!
What Would Be The Best Result In The Manchester Derby?
Despite supporting Ipswich since our next door neighbour in Felixstowe took me at the end of the Ramsey era, I have affections for two other clubs.
As a child and teenager living in London, I did what my father had done in his youth and regularly went to see Spurs at White Hart Lane.
My father would tell stories about how he was at the Cup Final in 1921 and how before the Great War, his father would take them to the game in a pony and trap. My grandfather would give a kid a shilling to hold the horse’s head during the match.
Then in the 1960s at Liverpool University, I regular went to see both of the Liverpool clubs, although I identified more with Liverpool.
Perhaps because inh those years they played the better football and were more successful!
So who do I want to win the Manchester Derby?
Certainly not United, as in the 1950s, I lived next door to the most obnoxious United supporter, who rammed them down mine and my father’s throats at every opportunity.
I actually think, that both Spurs and Liverpool, would be happy with an extremely hard-fought goal-less draw at Old Trafford tonight!
The Anonymous Widower 