Keep the faith

Why is it that football fans are so keen to change their manager. Nigel Clough will have been with Derby for four years in January. When he joined we were mid-table in the Championship and four years later we are still there...but the thing is ...nobody wants him to leave. We believe that under the circumstances of lack of cash he is doing a good job. Sometimes its better to stick with what you know. especially if your name is Clough!

Paul Jewell - is that his real name?

Isnt it strange how people have surnames which actually describe what they are like. I am thinking of someone like George Best who was (according to Pele-no footballing slouch himself) the best footballer in the world. If you're considering runners then there's good old Usain Bolt, again a perfect surname to describe the man himself. If its golfers then Tiger Woods roared onto 14 majors until his mrs hit him with a golf club around the head . So its ironic that Derby County's least successful manager of all time, has the surname of Jewell. The reason I am writing about Paul Jewell is that this week his managerial career was ended at Ipswich Town by of all teams Derby County. I wish Paul Jewell well and I hope he gets another job soon but he might want to check that surname of his is correct.

X factor ex factor!

Now I am not Gary Barlow's biggest fan but he was dead on to walk off tonight's show. A pathetic performance by judge Walsh!

Robbie Fowler - Pundit?

I turned on the TV last night and was flicking through the channels when I came across Robbie Fowler commenting on what must have been the Liverpool game as I missed the programme. I have nothing against Fowler who I always considered an excellent striker but the guy was, how can I put it, clearly out of his depth. What were ITV thinking about? They have clearly forgotten the embarrassment of wheeling out Paul Gascoigne for an England tournament some years ago. It is difficult to forget the picture of Andy Townsend sitting beside Gazza, almost pleading with him to say something sensible.
Get yourself a proper pundit ITV. There must be millions of unemployed footballers who have got more than 2 neurones sparking away in their head.

Neil Hingorani The Movie

My first attempt at a seamless YouTube video to promote the book. Nancy in her best Spielberg performance. Me, in my Sunday best! Let me know if you think it could work or if it needs smoothing out a little. Ebook imminent so get your Amazon accounts ready!

Olympic Ceremony - Class or Cobblers

Now I thought the opening ceremony to the Olympic games was excellent. It lasted approximately 4 hours and I only fell asleep for about 20 minutes. I say that partly serious and partly in jest because the real difficulty here is making something which is intrinsically boring actually quite interesting.
I am not talking about the fantastic show which opened the ceremony and completed it. No. I am talking about the bit where the teams come into the stadium. No matter how exciting it is for the athletes to come into the stadium...it sure as hell loses its sparkle when the 10th team has walked in and there are another 95 to go. So good old Danny Boyle got rid of all the stuffiness that usually comes with processions and said to the athletes just relax and have fun. It made the whole show go much faster than it usually does and Boyle should be commended for that.

Who does the lineman think he is God...cos thats what he's expected to be!

Okay this is the last piece I am writing on the English victory against Ukraine on Tuesday night. As you all know there was big hoo haa when a goal wasn't awarded againts England when the ball crossed the line. The goal checker or whatever his name is missed it but apparently in the move the Ukraine player was offside.
Now this is the bit that's interesting. Correct me if I am wrong, but to make the correct offside decision, the linesman has to see the line of the players at the exact moment the ball is kicked. Essentially he has to be looking in 2 places at once...looking at the players in the line and looking at the bloke kicking the ball. Now the only person I know who can do that is God and yet a poxy linesman (who is paid out of the crumbs left on the premiership table) is expected to do a job which is quite simply impossible.
Saving a penalty is difficult but not impossible, scoring a world class goal is difficult but not impossible. Looking at 2 different areas of the pitch at the same time is impossible. Just remember that MOTD pundits when you slate the linesman for doing a job which is not only thankless its not possible.

Tribute to my 2 followers continued

By the way...what's the difference between a follower and a member? Because if a member is a follower then apart from me and the Mrs, I havent got any followers. Nice touch.

Tribute to my 2 followers

I would like to thank my two blog followers who remained loyal to me during those dark times when I went nearly 2 years without posting. Such loyalty does not go unnoticed and to return the favour I am going to share my tip with you that England are going to win Euro 2012. Come on England! Can you believe that not one pundit on MOTD on Friday night backed us to win the tournament!

Rani Loses Book Sale in Moment of Madness

Forgive me bloggers for my nigh on 2 year absence but I feel compelled to share yesterday evening's tale of woe. During swimming class at Belgrave Centre last night I agreed terms on the sale of a further copy of the one and only Perfect Match. The problem was that in my haste to get to the Duke of Wellington I completely forgot to do the deal and thereby finace my brief trip to the battle cruiser. This just goes to prove the old saying that a book in the hand is worth a pint in the Welli. Rest assured, I wont make the same mistake again...but then again, knowing me , I probably will.