An Essex Man Becomes a Star
Lionel Messi is one of the world’s highest-paid footballers, who plays for Barcelona. But in a recent ad for Adidas he was played by an Essex PE teacher, who plays for Canvey Island.
I suppose someones got to do it, if Messi can’t be bothered to get out of bed.
You’re Not Too Old at 37
Congratulations to Helen Clitheroe, who at the young age of 37 has won gold in the Indoor European Athletics Championships in Paris.
With Ryan Giggs playing on at a similar age, does it say that we’re getting physiotherapy, diet and other important disciplines better?
If so then we’re all going to benefit.
The Ghost
I’ve seen a lot of great footballers play, both on the television and when I’ve gone to the match.
But as someone who saw him perhaps a dozen times in my youth, there are none who can compare with John White, nicknamed The Ghost by Tottenham fans.
The son, who never met him, Rob, has just published a book about his father called The Ghost of White Hart Lane: In Search of My Father the Football Legend
One thing that seems to be missing in all the stories of John White, is any description of his funeral. I seem to remember reading at the time, that over 100,000 people were on Tottenham High Road as the procession passed, with fans climbing on lamp-posts to get a view. We think that this behaviour didn’t happen until Diana died, but was her funeral just returning to the accepted norm.
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A Letter in The Times on the Glasgow Premier League
A letter in The Times entitled Firm Opinion states the obvious about Rangers and Celtic rivalry; religious bigotry.
But it’s just not politically correct to say so.
After all, I’ve supported Ipswich for many years and lived in Liverpool for several years and now live close to The Emirates. So how can Ipswich and Norwich, Liverpool and Everton and Arsenal and Tottenham keep their rivalry within sensible bounds and Rangers and Celtic can’t? I repeat what the letter writer said; religious bigotry.
I should also say, that in this awful weather, I’ve worn my Ipswich hat all over the country and although I’ve had comments, none would have offended anybody with the most sensitive of dispositions.
So grow up Glasgow!
Football fans all over the country (and probably the rest of Scotland too!) are getting fed-up with your childish and bigotted antics.
I Made a Mistake Not To Go
I looked at the weather forecast for Cardiff today, yesterday and it was supposed to be cold. So I chickened out of going to see Ipswich play in the city.
What a mistake to make, especially as Town fully deserved their victory, described by the BBC as a Jimmy Bullard masterclass.
The Glasgow Premier League Has a Long Way to Go
Celtic and Rangers may have played an ill-tempered match this week, but apparently there is a report of a match in Argentina where 36 red cards were shown.
The Glasgow Premier League
Who’d be a real football fan in Scotland, as the system is such, that unless you’re Celtic or Rangers no-one else gets a look in.
They will play each other seven times this year and if the other matches are like last night’s ill-tempered affair, how long will it be, before Scottish football fans turn to other sports or the television set in even greater numbers.
But then Rangers against Celtic is not about football. I live close to the Emirates and do we see any trouble, except for a bit of traffic congestion on match days. So peaceful, well-attended matches can be arranged without either an overwhelming police presence or trouble in the UK. So a few clubs do cause the odd problems, but the troublemakers are usually measured in hundreds at the most. And we rarely get matches in England with three players sent off.
One thing I object to is that the BBC, give Rangers/Celtic matches a lot of coverage on both TV and radio, when often there is a more important match or another sport that would be preferred by most people in the UK. If I want to see a fight, then I’d prefer to watch a decent boxing match.
Ticket Madness?
I add the question mark because sometimes I end up with train tickets that surprise me. But if they benefit me financially, why should I bother?
When I travel to Ipswich to see the football, I generally go First Class, as I can be guaranteed a comfortable seat and a table, where I can spread myself out. If I don’t deserve some of life’s hedonistic pleasures then who does?
The Standard Class Off-Peak Return to Ipswich from Liverpool Street is £22.60, if I use my Senior Railcard. And I can upgrade it to First for £14.00. So effectively a First Class Off-Peak Return is 36.60.
Yesterday though, was my first trip after receiving my Freedom Pass and after a few questions when I bought the ticket at Liverpool Street I ended up with a Standard Class return from Harold Wood to Ipswich and a First Class Upgrade for the whole journey. The total cost was £33.45.
So you can see why Which has reported that people don’t always get sold the cheapest tickets on trains. The staff must ask all the right questions and the passengers must bring all the correct documentation.
I would assume in this example, that Harold Wood must be the limit of travel with a Freedom Pass. But who’d want to travel there anyway?
Crushed in at QPR
I said in a previous post that hopefully Ipswich would be lucky to get a draw. And although they played well and had a lot of possession, they lost 2-0.
I enjoyed the match, even if QPR seemed to have squeezed as many supporters as they could into the away end. I asked the stewards to move me as I couldn’t see and all around me were people waving extreme flags.
So thanks to the steward I got a reasonable view, but very inferior to the ones at Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, Coventry, Barnsley and even Scunthorpe.
QPR should make the Premier League next year, so what the prawn sandwich brigade will make of it all, I don’t know.
I also spoke to a group of cheery police, who said that they’d had the worst pre-match meal in a long time. They hoped there wouldn’t be any trouble, as they’d probably spew it all over everybody in the excitement.
I was also filmed for something called Winkball. I’ll update, if they put it up.
QPR Tonight!
I’m off to see Ipswich at QPR tonight. I think more in hope than anything else, but a draw would be nice.
I checked the QPR web site for directions and they said not to go to Queens Park station, as it is nowhere near the ground. It obviously happens though, otherwise they wouldn’t have put it up. I shall be going to White City, although I could walk to Canonbury and get a direct train to Shepherds Bush, if the North London Line was working.
The Anonymous Widower 