I can. Well I certainly could last night.
I am not usually one for celebrities; in fact, I despise the whole celebrity culture, especially in Britain these days where people are celebrities for the sake of celebrity.
I was once walking along Bond Street and checking out a girl walking in the other direction; then realising that the person she was walking with was Kate Moss. I guess that rated a mention to my friends but more because I was checking out Kate Moss’s friend and not Kate herself.
This time though I got pretty excited. Last night training in my gym, The Third Space, was none other than The Rock himself. This I thought was pretty cool. He’s deceptively big that fellow. I say deceptively because from a short distance away I thought that he didn’t look as big as he does on television; but once up close, you can tell he’s a pretty big unit. I didn’t actually see him do that much; he did a few chin ups and a couple of other light sets but spent a fair bit of time walking around the gym. Maybe he was warming up a bit and didn’t get cracking until after I left.
The Third Space is definitely one of the top gyms in London. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to go to the gym and exercise when you have a fantastic facility like that to go to. I’m sure The Rock is just passing through London; he has a new movie out which must be premiering here soon; he’s also going to be on Soccer AM on Saturday. But the guy has to work out and it’s pretty easy to see why he would come to TTS to do that. He’s pretty athletic, I wouldn’t mind looking like that myself; can’t see that happening though but it’s good to have goals hahaha.
My flatmates were all pretty excited about the spotting. One of them works for a gossip magazine so she is always interested in things like that. My workmates on the other hand were less impressed as unfortunately they needed an explanation of who The Rock is. I'm sure, much like a prop recounting stories of tries they have scored, the truth in this tale will be bent slightly as time goes on. Eventually I'll be telling people how I trained with The Rock at the gym; spotting him on the bench press, talking about correct technique etc.
I would like to qualify all this by saying I have no interest in WWE; I think it’s stupid and watched by people with low intelligence.
The Rock is still pretty cool though.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Still Buzzing
It's Tuesday and I'm still feeling good about the result on Sunday. I'm not just high all the time like I was yesterday but all I need to do is think about the match and I'm there again.
It really was just amazing to be at the match. One of the best experiences I can certainly say that. The emotions that football can stir inside you are fantastic.
It's pleasing to read most of the reports agree that Spurs deserved to win and Chelsea (scum) were sore losers. I'm sure this will be a huge confidence boost for the players and they will go on to have a strong finish to the season. They are still in the UEFA Cup and I really think they will fancy their chances of winning that. It will be tough though as they face PSV next week in the last 16 and they are top of the Dutch league. Bayern Munich who are leading the Bundesliga; as well as the next 3 teams in that league are all still in the competition so Spurs are going to have to defeat some tough opposition if they are to go all the way. They have shown though in 2008 that they have what it takes to beat the top teams and they have every chance of lifting another cup this year.
Come on you Spurs
It really was just amazing to be at the match. One of the best experiences I can certainly say that. The emotions that football can stir inside you are fantastic.
It's pleasing to read most of the reports agree that Spurs deserved to win and Chelsea (scum) were sore losers. I'm sure this will be a huge confidence boost for the players and they will go on to have a strong finish to the season. They are still in the UEFA Cup and I really think they will fancy their chances of winning that. It will be tough though as they face PSV next week in the last 16 and they are top of the Dutch league. Bayern Munich who are leading the Bundesliga; as well as the next 3 teams in that league are all still in the competition so Spurs are going to have to defeat some tough opposition if they are to go all the way. They have shown though in 2008 that they have what it takes to beat the top teams and they have every chance of lifting another cup this year.
Come on you Spurs
Monday, February 25, 2008
Come on you Spurs!
Well; it was magnificent
Being at Wembley for the Cup final on Sunday was certainly one of the best experiences I have ever had, I was so fortunate to have obtained tickets for the game.
Football is about emotion and nothing else can generate so many different emotions in you like a football can. When the final whistle finally went yesterday for me it was a euphoric mixture of elation and relief; it was such a rush. I’ve never hugged so many complete strangers before.
Our seats we good enough, hell I would have sat anywhere. We were in the Spurs end, in the corner in front section but in the second from last row of the front section. So we had a decent view of the pitch though the second tier of seats was just over our head and I much prefer to be out in the open so you can see all around the stadium. In any case, we had tickets and that meant we had a lot of jealous friends.
The Spurs fans were brilliant, so much noise, so many songs, so much enthusiasm. Chelsea fans, who are the scum of the earth, were pretty pathetic. We hardly heard a peep from them the whole game and the Spurs fans certainly let Chelsea know we thought their support was not very good.
Spurs started brightly and were the better team of the first half. They had plenty of chances on goal and really should have taken the lead. But as can often happen when you don’t capitalise on your possession; the opposition took the lead. Spurs had already given away 2 free kicks just outside their own box and the third one they gave away gave Chelsea the lead. Robinson lined up his wall and then for some reason stood behind it instead of to his left and Drogba found the net. Robinson should have positioned himself better and he really should have made the save.
It stayed 1-0 until half time and the disappointment was starting to sift in; Spurs had dominated most of the possession but Chelsea were in the lead. Chelsea, who are the scum of the earth; are difficult to break down and often don’t relinquish the lead once they have taken it. They play negative football, trying to squeeze the life out of the game. Spurs weren’t out of it and as long as they kept their heads up they had every chance of getting a goal.
Juande Ramos is proving to be a master tactician. With his previous club Seville, he won 5 out of 5 cup finals. His half time chat obviously worked as Spurs took the game to Chelsea again in the second half. He soon made a substitution which changed Spurs’s shape a little; it gave them more room to attack and exploited Chelsea’s weaknesses. Spurs continued to play the better football and were rewarded after 70mins when Wayne Bridge handled the ball in the penalty area. The linesman spotted it and signalled to the ref who awarded the penalty. Berbatov stepped up to take the kick, in front of the Tottenham fans, most of whom were openly praying for it to go in. Spurs fans have been desperate for a trophy for so long and here was the chance to get back into the game; this was pressure! Berbatov though is coolness personified. He took a slow run up, waited for the keeper to go one way and stroked the ball into the other side of the net. In the circumstances, it was the best penalty I have ever seen taken. I am getting goose bumps thinking about it now.
Spurs were back in it and they deserved to be. Come on You Spurs! The Spurs fans raised the decibels, while the Chelsea fans (who are the scum of the earth) hardly said a word. It was pretty tense, I can’t tell you how nervous I was. Spurs had a chance to win it on 80 mins when Zokora was clean through, he shot straight at Cech and then blazed the rebound over the bar, it should have been 2-1 and how we wished it was Berbatov in on goal instead of our holding midfielder. Cech kept Chelsea in it with 2 more smart saves before it ended up 1-1 at full time.
So 30 mins of extra time was to be played. I wasn’t sure my heart was up to it! After 3 minutes though Spurs made the breakthrough. A free kick was floated in and Woodgate went up for it, Cech came off his line and punched the ball but managed only to punch it straight into Woodgate’s face; it hit him and went into the net. It was fortunate but it was no more than Spurs deserved. It was the go ahead goal and it was pandemonium in the Spurs end. The next 30 mins were utterly, utterly excruciating, the longest half hour of my life, I just wanted the game to end! Spurs just had to hold on and the cup was ours. Chelsea finally started to play football and threw everything they had at Spurs; but Spurs repelled everything. Robinson justified his inclusion in the team when he made a smart save to deny Kalou an equaliser right at the death. He hadn’t really had much to do in the game but he pulled it out when it mattered. They played 2 and a half minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first period of extra time and then at the end of the second period of extra time, when we thought it was going to be over; they played another three and a half minutes of stoppage time. This is the equivalent of 10 and a half minutes in a normal half!! It took years off my life.
The whistle finally went and I won’t experience a high like that many times in my life. It was just an amazing moment for Spurs and all the fans who have waited 9 years since Spurs’s last trophy, yet come so close in that time.
Some of the Chelsea players (who are the scum of the earth) argued with the referee after the whistle and their attitude to losing was a disgrace. They have received widespread condemnation in the press for being bad losers and their poor sportsmanship in general. Chelsea are scum, their fans are scum, they are scum.
It has been widely agreed that Spurs deserved to win; that they showed more determination and tried to play better football than their opponents. Ramos has been praised for his tactics especially in the second half to bring Spurs back into the game. Spurs thoroughly deserved the trophy; it may not be regarded as prestigious as the FA cup but Spurs had to beat Manchester City in the quarter final, Arsenal in the semi final and Chelsea in the final so it certainly hasn’t been easy.
It was amazing to be there and be a part of it; it’s something I will never forget. I have been on a high ever since and I still am (can’t you tell?)
Come on you Spurs!
Being at Wembley for the Cup final on Sunday was certainly one of the best experiences I have ever had, I was so fortunate to have obtained tickets for the game.
Football is about emotion and nothing else can generate so many different emotions in you like a football can. When the final whistle finally went yesterday for me it was a euphoric mixture of elation and relief; it was such a rush. I’ve never hugged so many complete strangers before.
Our seats we good enough, hell I would have sat anywhere. We were in the Spurs end, in the corner in front section but in the second from last row of the front section. So we had a decent view of the pitch though the second tier of seats was just over our head and I much prefer to be out in the open so you can see all around the stadium. In any case, we had tickets and that meant we had a lot of jealous friends.
The Spurs fans were brilliant, so much noise, so many songs, so much enthusiasm. Chelsea fans, who are the scum of the earth, were pretty pathetic. We hardly heard a peep from them the whole game and the Spurs fans certainly let Chelsea know we thought their support was not very good.
Spurs started brightly and were the better team of the first half. They had plenty of chances on goal and really should have taken the lead. But as can often happen when you don’t capitalise on your possession; the opposition took the lead. Spurs had already given away 2 free kicks just outside their own box and the third one they gave away gave Chelsea the lead. Robinson lined up his wall and then for some reason stood behind it instead of to his left and Drogba found the net. Robinson should have positioned himself better and he really should have made the save.
It stayed 1-0 until half time and the disappointment was starting to sift in; Spurs had dominated most of the possession but Chelsea were in the lead. Chelsea, who are the scum of the earth; are difficult to break down and often don’t relinquish the lead once they have taken it. They play negative football, trying to squeeze the life out of the game. Spurs weren’t out of it and as long as they kept their heads up they had every chance of getting a goal.
Juande Ramos is proving to be a master tactician. With his previous club Seville, he won 5 out of 5 cup finals. His half time chat obviously worked as Spurs took the game to Chelsea again in the second half. He soon made a substitution which changed Spurs’s shape a little; it gave them more room to attack and exploited Chelsea’s weaknesses. Spurs continued to play the better football and were rewarded after 70mins when Wayne Bridge handled the ball in the penalty area. The linesman spotted it and signalled to the ref who awarded the penalty. Berbatov stepped up to take the kick, in front of the Tottenham fans, most of whom were openly praying for it to go in. Spurs fans have been desperate for a trophy for so long and here was the chance to get back into the game; this was pressure! Berbatov though is coolness personified. He took a slow run up, waited for the keeper to go one way and stroked the ball into the other side of the net. In the circumstances, it was the best penalty I have ever seen taken. I am getting goose bumps thinking about it now.
Spurs were back in it and they deserved to be. Come on You Spurs! The Spurs fans raised the decibels, while the Chelsea fans (who are the scum of the earth) hardly said a word. It was pretty tense, I can’t tell you how nervous I was. Spurs had a chance to win it on 80 mins when Zokora was clean through, he shot straight at Cech and then blazed the rebound over the bar, it should have been 2-1 and how we wished it was Berbatov in on goal instead of our holding midfielder. Cech kept Chelsea in it with 2 more smart saves before it ended up 1-1 at full time.
So 30 mins of extra time was to be played. I wasn’t sure my heart was up to it! After 3 minutes though Spurs made the breakthrough. A free kick was floated in and Woodgate went up for it, Cech came off his line and punched the ball but managed only to punch it straight into Woodgate’s face; it hit him and went into the net. It was fortunate but it was no more than Spurs deserved. It was the go ahead goal and it was pandemonium in the Spurs end. The next 30 mins were utterly, utterly excruciating, the longest half hour of my life, I just wanted the game to end! Spurs just had to hold on and the cup was ours. Chelsea finally started to play football and threw everything they had at Spurs; but Spurs repelled everything. Robinson justified his inclusion in the team when he made a smart save to deny Kalou an equaliser right at the death. He hadn’t really had much to do in the game but he pulled it out when it mattered. They played 2 and a half minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first period of extra time and then at the end of the second period of extra time, when we thought it was going to be over; they played another three and a half minutes of stoppage time. This is the equivalent of 10 and a half minutes in a normal half!! It took years off my life.
The whistle finally went and I won’t experience a high like that many times in my life. It was just an amazing moment for Spurs and all the fans who have waited 9 years since Spurs’s last trophy, yet come so close in that time.
Some of the Chelsea players (who are the scum of the earth) argued with the referee after the whistle and their attitude to losing was a disgrace. They have received widespread condemnation in the press for being bad losers and their poor sportsmanship in general. Chelsea are scum, their fans are scum, they are scum.
It has been widely agreed that Spurs deserved to win; that they showed more determination and tried to play better football than their opponents. Ramos has been praised for his tactics especially in the second half to bring Spurs back into the game. Spurs thoroughly deserved the trophy; it may not be regarded as prestigious as the FA cup but Spurs had to beat Manchester City in the quarter final, Arsenal in the semi final and Chelsea in the final so it certainly hasn’t been easy.
It was amazing to be there and be a part of it; it’s something I will never forget. I have been on a high ever since and I still am (can’t you tell?)
Come on you Spurs!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Howard mark II
I’m not sure what comments I can make about the Australian election as I haven’t been keeping all that up to date with news. It does look like Rudd is going to win. I think there is certainly an element of a desire for change amongst the feelings of the Australian population. Howard has been in 10 years so it is just human nature for people to want change. Howard should really have gone out on top and handed the reigns over to Costello before this campaign. I think it has harmed his party that he says he will not complete the full term if re-elected. If that is the case then he shouldn’t have run as leader.
I think Rudd though has moved the Labor party further towards the centre. In a similar way to how Blair moved Labour over here towards the centre. There isn’t a great deal of difference now between the left and right parties over here, both of them hover around centre because that is the changing nature of the societies we live in. There is no longer a large distinction between socio-economic classes and little difference now between blue and white collar workers. As technology improves, so does the need for manual labour decrease. Everyone is middle class now and so the traditional classes of people that were represented by labor parties in the past, no longer exist. So political parties now have to fight over the middle ground. It would seem that Rudd has managed to move the party towards the centre and in a position to win this election.
Those are my comments based on my limited knowledge of the situation.
I think Rudd though has moved the Labor party further towards the centre. In a similar way to how Blair moved Labour over here towards the centre. There isn’t a great deal of difference now between the left and right parties over here, both of them hover around centre because that is the changing nature of the societies we live in. There is no longer a large distinction between socio-economic classes and little difference now between blue and white collar workers. As technology improves, so does the need for manual labour decrease. Everyone is middle class now and so the traditional classes of people that were represented by labor parties in the past, no longer exist. So political parties now have to fight over the middle ground. It would seem that Rudd has managed to move the party towards the centre and in a position to win this election.
Those are my comments based on my limited knowledge of the situation.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Ing-er-land Ing-er-land Ing-er-land
The mood in England today has been somewhat of disappointment. MacLaren has been sacked, but we were all expecting that. It’s just a shame you can’t sack the players who are clearly very poor indeed. I don’t feel anything particularly about the result though it will mean that there isn’t much interest in the tournament next summer which is a shame because there is always a good atmosphere in England when they are playing the world cup or Euro championships.
The goalkeeper Scott Carson who has played very well for Aston Villa this season, should have not however been picked. Paul Robinson has had a poor season for club and country so far; he has let in far too many goals and made far too many mistakes. But MacLaren stuck by him for England which is fair enough. England played a friendly last Friday against Austria where he gave Carson a chance, then decided to leave him in there for last night’s game. But why stick by Robinson as your number 1 for ages, only to drop him for the final and most important game of the year? Robinson is a far more experienced keeper and Maclaren really should have left him in the side.
I think England really need to get over themselves. The print media in this country are very antagonistic and I think they are to blame for the negative attitude that exists towards England, and the supposed ‘born to rule’ mentality that exists here. It certainly seems that when it comes to football, there is an attitude that England have a divine right to be amongst the best teams in the world. It is very much fuelled by the print media and I think many would agree it was a large part of their downfall in last year’s world cup.
What has really irked this year is that the media have continually referred to the event of England not qualifying for Euro 2008 as “the unthinkable.” Why should it be so unthinkable that England not qualify? It is indicative of the attitude here that England have a divine right to win everything. The England team are no where near as good as the country thinks they are and if they are to get any better, then they need to wake up and accept this fact; then they can work on getting better. It’s no good to think you’re the best and then blame the manager, or blame the goalkeeper for making a mistake that means you don’t win. If they were as good as the press say they are, then the goalkeeper could make mistakes like that and it wouldn’t matter because they’d be enough goals in front.
My colleague says he thinks it’s the best thing that could have happened to them so that hopefully they will wake up and sort themselves out. I think they need to accept that they’re actually a bit rubbish first; it’s simple psychology, you can’t get better if you keep denying the fact that you are ill!
The goalkeeper Scott Carson who has played very well for Aston Villa this season, should have not however been picked. Paul Robinson has had a poor season for club and country so far; he has let in far too many goals and made far too many mistakes. But MacLaren stuck by him for England which is fair enough. England played a friendly last Friday against Austria where he gave Carson a chance, then decided to leave him in there for last night’s game. But why stick by Robinson as your number 1 for ages, only to drop him for the final and most important game of the year? Robinson is a far more experienced keeper and Maclaren really should have left him in the side.
I think England really need to get over themselves. The print media in this country are very antagonistic and I think they are to blame for the negative attitude that exists towards England, and the supposed ‘born to rule’ mentality that exists here. It certainly seems that when it comes to football, there is an attitude that England have a divine right to be amongst the best teams in the world. It is very much fuelled by the print media and I think many would agree it was a large part of their downfall in last year’s world cup.
What has really irked this year is that the media have continually referred to the event of England not qualifying for Euro 2008 as “the unthinkable.” Why should it be so unthinkable that England not qualify? It is indicative of the attitude here that England have a divine right to win everything. The England team are no where near as good as the country thinks they are and if they are to get any better, then they need to wake up and accept this fact; then they can work on getting better. It’s no good to think you’re the best and then blame the manager, or blame the goalkeeper for making a mistake that means you don’t win. If they were as good as the press say they are, then the goalkeeper could make mistakes like that and it wouldn’t matter because they’d be enough goals in front.
My colleague says he thinks it’s the best thing that could have happened to them so that hopefully they will wake up and sort themselves out. I think they need to accept that they’re actually a bit rubbish first; it’s simple psychology, you can’t get better if you keep denying the fact that you are ill!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Jol Out?
Jol has certainly done well in the last couple of seasons; consecutive 5th place finishes and qualification for Europe is certainly an achievement and has brought the club closer to where we want to be. However we should consider that the club has spent a lot of money and brought in a lot of talent so it should not have been beyond a lot of managers to achieve what Jol has achieved.
The board's issue with Jol is that, while he has done well to bring Spurs to where we are now, they are not sure whether he has what it takes to break the club into the top 4. Indeed you only need to look at Jol's record against the top 4 sides, and see that he has won once against them since becoming manager. This does not give the board confidence that Jol is capable of taking the club to the next level.
He does though deserve a chance. When the first reports came out, I was appalled by the behaviour of the board and, like most Spurs fans, would have been pretty disgusted if Jol was sacked. He has done more than any other Spurs manager in the Premiership and should be given the chance to continue improving the club's standing.
However. After the utterly abhorrent tactical blunder made by Jol on Saturday against Fulham, I have now suddenly sympathised with the board. With Robbie Keane on the pitch, Spurs were totally dominating the game and even though they should have been more than 2 goals ahead, Keane was controlling the play and Fulham did not have the ball. The best form of defence is attack and if you are attacking, the opposition does not have the ball and they cannot score. Once Keane came off for the utterly useless Defoe, Spurs had only one more shot for the rest of the game; Fulham were allowed posession and you know what happened next.
It is not the first time Jol has made this mistake, let's hope it is the last, but that is where one is able to see where the board is coming from. These kind of blunders cannot be made if Spurs want to crack the top 4. Forget about keeping all your strikers happy, if Bent and Defoe spend most of their time on the bench, then so be it. Put your best team on the field and if some people are unhappy about being on the bench then so be it. Bent knew the stikers this club already had when he signed up; this game is not about keeping players happy, it's about keeping the fans happy by getting points.
Having said that, it would be a mistake to sack Jol now; all the players and most of the fans are behind him, and there will only be a negative atmosphere at the club if he is sacked in the near future. He should be given his chance but if, as the season progresses, it is looking increasingly like Jol will not be taking the club any further this season than he already has, then it is time for him to go. Next Saturday against the Arse is where he needs to prove he can challenge the top 4 sides.
A top 4 finish or at least a Cup trophy this season is a must!
The board's issue with Jol is that, while he has done well to bring Spurs to where we are now, they are not sure whether he has what it takes to break the club into the top 4. Indeed you only need to look at Jol's record against the top 4 sides, and see that he has won once against them since becoming manager. This does not give the board confidence that Jol is capable of taking the club to the next level.
He does though deserve a chance. When the first reports came out, I was appalled by the behaviour of the board and, like most Spurs fans, would have been pretty disgusted if Jol was sacked. He has done more than any other Spurs manager in the Premiership and should be given the chance to continue improving the club's standing.
However. After the utterly abhorrent tactical blunder made by Jol on Saturday against Fulham, I have now suddenly sympathised with the board. With Robbie Keane on the pitch, Spurs were totally dominating the game and even though they should have been more than 2 goals ahead, Keane was controlling the play and Fulham did not have the ball. The best form of defence is attack and if you are attacking, the opposition does not have the ball and they cannot score. Once Keane came off for the utterly useless Defoe, Spurs had only one more shot for the rest of the game; Fulham were allowed posession and you know what happened next.
It is not the first time Jol has made this mistake, let's hope it is the last, but that is where one is able to see where the board is coming from. These kind of blunders cannot be made if Spurs want to crack the top 4. Forget about keeping all your strikers happy, if Bent and Defoe spend most of their time on the bench, then so be it. Put your best team on the field and if some people are unhappy about being on the bench then so be it. Bent knew the stikers this club already had when he signed up; this game is not about keeping players happy, it's about keeping the fans happy by getting points.
Having said that, it would be a mistake to sack Jol now; all the players and most of the fans are behind him, and there will only be a negative atmosphere at the club if he is sacked in the near future. He should be given his chance but if, as the season progresses, it is looking increasingly like Jol will not be taking the club any further this season than he already has, then it is time for him to go. Next Saturday against the Arse is where he needs to prove he can challenge the top 4 sides.
A top 4 finish or at least a Cup trophy this season is a must!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Not much to say
I wish I had the commitment to keep this blog regular, I really do. It's inconvenient being a lazy, borderline alcoholic sometimes you know.
I'm going to go back to the gym this week, well maybe next week, I'm not sure yet. Of course I said this last week, and the week before.
There's a tube strike starting here in about 2 hours. Fortunately the Jubilee and Northern line will still be running through the strike though you can imagine they'll be ridiculously busy. I think I'll stay at the office until well after peak hour has finished and head home then. Tube workers striking is ridiculous; they can't run the damn thing properly, it always breaks down and now they think they have reason to strike. For something so iconic, and for something with such potential to be run efficiently, it really is a joke how incompetently run the whole thing is. Anyway, I'm sounding like a broken record on this blog now.
I'm going to go back to the gym this week, well maybe next week, I'm not sure yet. Of course I said this last week, and the week before.
There's a tube strike starting here in about 2 hours. Fortunately the Jubilee and Northern line will still be running through the strike though you can imagine they'll be ridiculously busy. I think I'll stay at the office until well after peak hour has finished and head home then. Tube workers striking is ridiculous; they can't run the damn thing properly, it always breaks down and now they think they have reason to strike. For something so iconic, and for something with such potential to be run efficiently, it really is a joke how incompetently run the whole thing is. Anyway, I'm sounding like a broken record on this blog now.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Unauthorised Overdrafts
I resolved to my friend Steve last night that I would resume blogging in some capacity. So since it is Friday afternoon and I have no intention of doing any more work for the rest of the day; here I am.
The topic that left me screaming at the television last night was the row over banks charging customers large sums of money for having their banks accounts go into overdraft without authorisation from the bank.
The Office of Fair Trading are now bringing a legal case against all the major banks in the UK over what they perceive to be unfair charges to customers who allow their accounts to be overdrawn.
I personally find this to be utterly ridiculous. In Britain it is appallingly easy to obtain credit. Almost every bank will offer you an agreed overdraft without question. So what this means is that the people who end up being charged for going into overdraft, have already reached their agreed overdraft amount and then gone over it. They have already been spending someone else's money up to a certain level; then, since they cannot stop spending, they have taken someone else's money, without first asking if it's ok.
That is what I feel this all boils down to: theft. These people have spent money that is not theirs, without asking. I think the banks should be allowed to charge as much as they want if someone spends their money without permission. Of course last night's news story was filled with the usual sob stories of people who only go into overdraft by a little bit and then rack up a whole load of charges. Well here's a message for you people; don't go to the pub on Friday night for a couple of weeks because you can't afford it. Learn to live within your means instead of spending the bank's money and then whingeing about the fact that they've charged you for it.
Right that'll do for now
The topic that left me screaming at the television last night was the row over banks charging customers large sums of money for having their banks accounts go into overdraft without authorisation from the bank.
The Office of Fair Trading are now bringing a legal case against all the major banks in the UK over what they perceive to be unfair charges to customers who allow their accounts to be overdrawn.
I personally find this to be utterly ridiculous. In Britain it is appallingly easy to obtain credit. Almost every bank will offer you an agreed overdraft without question. So what this means is that the people who end up being charged for going into overdraft, have already reached their agreed overdraft amount and then gone over it. They have already been spending someone else's money up to a certain level; then, since they cannot stop spending, they have taken someone else's money, without first asking if it's ok.
That is what I feel this all boils down to: theft. These people have spent money that is not theirs, without asking. I think the banks should be allowed to charge as much as they want if someone spends their money without permission. Of course last night's news story was filled with the usual sob stories of people who only go into overdraft by a little bit and then rack up a whole load of charges. Well here's a message for you people; don't go to the pub on Friday night for a couple of weeks because you can't afford it. Learn to live within your means instead of spending the bank's money and then whingeing about the fact that they've charged you for it.
Right that'll do for now
Friday, February 23, 2007
NFI
It's been a while; I have been very busy and still am. Not much time for opinions really. I think the direction of this blog will take a direction involving smaller, more precise comments, than long, rambling commentaries that I have become so used to.
I will kick off this new regime by asking how, in the modern age of communication, can the second most powerful man in the world, be so out of touch with the rest of it?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/terrorists-aiming-for-empire/2007/02/23/1171734021090.html
I really do not want an answer to that question
I will kick off this new regime by asking how, in the modern age of communication, can the second most powerful man in the world, be so out of touch with the rest of it?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/terrorists-aiming-for-empire/2007/02/23/1171734021090.html
I really do not want an answer to that question
Friday, December 22, 2006
Winter Solstice
Very early this morning, in fact at 00:22 GMT was the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. In the geocentric view; the sun stopped travelling north, stood still over the tropic of Cancer at 23 degrees and 27 minutes north, and then began travelling south. In about 3 months time it will cross the equator, then in about six months it will stand still over the tropic of Capricorn.
What this means for us, is that the days will now start becoming lighter.
Something to look forward to!
What this means for us, is that the days will now start becoming lighter.
Something to look forward to!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A day for mourning
It is a sad, sad day today. The great man, the greatest ever Australian: Shane Warne, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
Thanks for all the memories mate
Thanks for all the memories mate
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Kiwi FC v Boca Seniors
Kiwi FC surged to the top of the table with a resounding 6-0 win over Boca Seniors on the back of another solid second half. The Kiwis have played a lot of their best football in the second half of this season’s matches, regularly bringing on fresh legs and wearing the opposition down. Saturday was no different and after a rusty first half, Kiwi FC’s class and strength showed in the end to bag the points.
A combination of poor weather and defaulting opposition meant that Kiwi FC had played only once in the past 6 weeks; so they started the game a little slowly. Some good communication and patience from Cappy and Kris at the back meant that the side soon found some flow and began to dominate possession. Danny and Steve A controlled the midfield well and Kiwis regularly stretched their opposition; using the full width of the pitch. Mike and Dave made some incursive runs from their wing back positions, and Nick and Steve Mc also sought to take the attack into the opposition area, supporting the front two of James and Grog.
Though despite all their dominance, the Kiwis just couldn’t seem to put the ball in the back of the net. Cappy and Danny both came close with fine shots, Grog and Steve A also had chances and James and Nick both missed when it looked easier to score; though at least Nick made contact with the ball.
So at half time it was a rather disappointing 0-0. The lads all agreed they had played rather poorly but there was a sense that the goals would come and it was just a matter of a little more patience. Grog and Dave were replaced by Sam and Bede.
Come they did; shortly into the second half the floodgates opened. Kiwi FC continued their dominance of possession but in the second half they turned that dominance into goals. Danny started the rout after following through on a wicked strike from outside the area by Steve Mc. The goalie couldn’t handle the shot and Danny was there to hammer home the rebound. The Boca players then spent the next 5 minutes arguing with the ref that it was off-side, but he wasn’t going to change his mind, and this spurred the Kiwis on to net more goals.
The second goal came shortly afterwards. After some good build up work by Nick in midfield, James latched onto his pass and headed for goal. He played his way into the box and rolled the ball past the keeper. 2-0
Steve B came on for Steve Mc and immediately had an impact on the game. He worked hard and made some driving runs down the left; teasing the Boca defence and keeping Kiwi FC down the right end of the pitch. It was from one of these field positions that the third goal came. The Kiwis won a free kick wide out on the left, Steve A stepped up and curled a lovely ball into the box, Sam rose unchallenged and placed a perfectly directed header into the back of the net. This was getting easy now.
More goals were to come as the Kiwis kept piling forward. Cappy was making some good runs forward; passing it out of defence and then following his passes up. He wasn’t going to be denied having his name on the score sheet, some great build up work saw Cappy launch a stinging shot from just outside the box, the keeper had no chance and Cappy got his just rewards for another fine performance.
James bagged himself another shortly after that. Played through by a great pass by Steve A, he hit it low to the bottom left corner and that made it 5.
With credit to the Boca players they never gave up and still threatened the Kiwi goal once or twice, but Leighton was always on hand to clean up in goal. Kiwi FC were keen to record their first clean sheet of the season and even though a couple of times it looked like they might concede, it was the Kiwis who scored again. An excellent run into the box by Danny saw him tripped up and a penalty was deservedly earned. Smelling a hat-trick, James stepped up to take it. The kick was delayed by the opposition arguing with the ref about where it should be taken from, but the spot was marked on the ground, and nobody was going to miss from 8 yards out. 6-0
That was the last time the scorers would be troubled for the day, though Boca managed to finish the game with only 9 players after having a player sent off. It was just the result that Kiwi FC wanted going into the short Christmas break. They can look down at the rest of the league from the top of the table, ahead by 2 points still with a game in hand.
Cheers and farewell to Steve Bethune who played his last game for the club, sorry for not letting you take the penalty. Steve has been a quality member of the team both on and off the pitch and he will be missed.
A combination of poor weather and defaulting opposition meant that Kiwi FC had played only once in the past 6 weeks; so they started the game a little slowly. Some good communication and patience from Cappy and Kris at the back meant that the side soon found some flow and began to dominate possession. Danny and Steve A controlled the midfield well and Kiwis regularly stretched their opposition; using the full width of the pitch. Mike and Dave made some incursive runs from their wing back positions, and Nick and Steve Mc also sought to take the attack into the opposition area, supporting the front two of James and Grog.
Though despite all their dominance, the Kiwis just couldn’t seem to put the ball in the back of the net. Cappy and Danny both came close with fine shots, Grog and Steve A also had chances and James and Nick both missed when it looked easier to score; though at least Nick made contact with the ball.
So at half time it was a rather disappointing 0-0. The lads all agreed they had played rather poorly but there was a sense that the goals would come and it was just a matter of a little more patience. Grog and Dave were replaced by Sam and Bede.
Come they did; shortly into the second half the floodgates opened. Kiwi FC continued their dominance of possession but in the second half they turned that dominance into goals. Danny started the rout after following through on a wicked strike from outside the area by Steve Mc. The goalie couldn’t handle the shot and Danny was there to hammer home the rebound. The Boca players then spent the next 5 minutes arguing with the ref that it was off-side, but he wasn’t going to change his mind, and this spurred the Kiwis on to net more goals.
The second goal came shortly afterwards. After some good build up work by Nick in midfield, James latched onto his pass and headed for goal. He played his way into the box and rolled the ball past the keeper. 2-0
Steve B came on for Steve Mc and immediately had an impact on the game. He worked hard and made some driving runs down the left; teasing the Boca defence and keeping Kiwi FC down the right end of the pitch. It was from one of these field positions that the third goal came. The Kiwis won a free kick wide out on the left, Steve A stepped up and curled a lovely ball into the box, Sam rose unchallenged and placed a perfectly directed header into the back of the net. This was getting easy now.
More goals were to come as the Kiwis kept piling forward. Cappy was making some good runs forward; passing it out of defence and then following his passes up. He wasn’t going to be denied having his name on the score sheet, some great build up work saw Cappy launch a stinging shot from just outside the box, the keeper had no chance and Cappy got his just rewards for another fine performance.
James bagged himself another shortly after that. Played through by a great pass by Steve A, he hit it low to the bottom left corner and that made it 5.
With credit to the Boca players they never gave up and still threatened the Kiwi goal once or twice, but Leighton was always on hand to clean up in goal. Kiwi FC were keen to record their first clean sheet of the season and even though a couple of times it looked like they might concede, it was the Kiwis who scored again. An excellent run into the box by Danny saw him tripped up and a penalty was deservedly earned. Smelling a hat-trick, James stepped up to take it. The kick was delayed by the opposition arguing with the ref about where it should be taken from, but the spot was marked on the ground, and nobody was going to miss from 8 yards out. 6-0
That was the last time the scorers would be troubled for the day, though Boca managed to finish the game with only 9 players after having a player sent off. It was just the result that Kiwi FC wanted going into the short Christmas break. They can look down at the rest of the league from the top of the table, ahead by 2 points still with a game in hand.
Cheers and farewell to Steve Bethune who played his last game for the club, sorry for not letting you take the penalty. Steve has been a quality member of the team both on and off the pitch and he will be missed.
Friday, December 15, 2006
It's in the bag
After day 2 of the third test, Australia clearly have the upper hand. They are odds on favourites to win this test and take an unsurmountable 3-0 series lead.
I can guarantee this will happen. The reason I say this has not anything to do with Australia's cricketing abilities or what my prediction is of how the match will unfold. I say this because of the following quote by Kevin Pietersen:
"If our batters bat well, and we have some pretty good batters, we could still draw."
Pietersen has really been the only England player that has provided any kind of consistent resistance in the series so far. This is his mindset; he has already resigned to not winning the game. He has already given up hope of winning and now at best thinks they can achieve a draw. I imagine this is the mindset throughout the England team. They have already lost. They will not even draw the match with this kind of attitude.
The Ashes will belong to Australia once again on Sunday afternoon.
I can guarantee this will happen. The reason I say this has not anything to do with Australia's cricketing abilities or what my prediction is of how the match will unfold. I say this because of the following quote by Kevin Pietersen:
"If our batters bat well, and we have some pretty good batters, we could still draw."
Pietersen has really been the only England player that has provided any kind of consistent resistance in the series so far. This is his mindset; he has already resigned to not winning the game. He has already given up hope of winning and now at best thinks they can achieve a draw. I imagine this is the mindset throughout the England team. They have already lost. They will not even draw the match with this kind of attitude.
The Ashes will belong to Australia once again on Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
3 totally random comments on a Tuesday
The London Paper is one of 2 free papers handed out to Londoners on their way home of an evening, much like the Metro is made available for free in the morning. It touches on a couple of news stories during the day, that anyone who pays attention already knows about; this way it can pass itself off as a newspaper and not a pile of gossip crap, which essentially is what it is. Every day the average IQ of Londoners is decreased by people reading this paper.
Yesterday, on the front page of The London Paper, was a picture of Nicole Richie eating. Yes that was the story to go with it too: Nicole Richie actually eats something. How anyone can even consider this worthy of pointing out, let alone mentioning it on the front page of a paper is way beyond me.
More good news on the Mat Rogers front, it seems as though he has been reading this blog and will actually be fucking off back to league. Thanks for nothing Rogers, and no thanks for losing us the world cup either. You never had enough class to play rugby, go back to your poor man’s game; I hope one day in the near future you decide to follow in your father’s footsteps.
Graham Poll isn’t everyone’s favourite ref and he has made one or two blunders in recent past; but he was right on the mark on Saturday when he showed Manchester City’s Bernardo Corradi a yellow card for diving to try and earn a penalty in the opposition box. It was his second booking of the game and he was subsequently given his marching orders. The most refreshing aspect of the whole situation was that after the match, City manager Stuart Pearce admitted that his player had dived, did not condone it and suggested that he would have a word with the player and not tolerate that kind of behaviour at his club. Well done Stuart, you are a man who deserves much respect. A week after Sir Alex Ferguson defended his player Ronaldo who clearly dived to earn a penalty; football needs more honest people like Pearce. I will qualify this comment however by suggesting that his comments may have been slightly different if Poll had fallen for the trick and awarded a penalty.
Yesterday, on the front page of The London Paper, was a picture of Nicole Richie eating. Yes that was the story to go with it too: Nicole Richie actually eats something. How anyone can even consider this worthy of pointing out, let alone mentioning it on the front page of a paper is way beyond me.
More good news on the Mat Rogers front, it seems as though he has been reading this blog and will actually be fucking off back to league. Thanks for nothing Rogers, and no thanks for losing us the world cup either. You never had enough class to play rugby, go back to your poor man’s game; I hope one day in the near future you decide to follow in your father’s footsteps.
Graham Poll isn’t everyone’s favourite ref and he has made one or two blunders in recent past; but he was right on the mark on Saturday when he showed Manchester City’s Bernardo Corradi a yellow card for diving to try and earn a penalty in the opposition box. It was his second booking of the game and he was subsequently given his marching orders. The most refreshing aspect of the whole situation was that after the match, City manager Stuart Pearce admitted that his player had dived, did not condone it and suggested that he would have a word with the player and not tolerate that kind of behaviour at his club. Well done Stuart, you are a man who deserves much respect. A week after Sir Alex Ferguson defended his player Ronaldo who clearly dived to earn a penalty; football needs more honest people like Pearce. I will qualify this comment however by suggesting that his comments may have been slightly different if Poll had fallen for the trick and awarded a penalty.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Not this week
I haven't had much to say this week. I will say this now though:
FUCK OFF MAT ROGERS!!!
FUCK OFF MAT ROGERS!!!
Friday, December 01, 2006
North London Derby
Big game this weekend, 12:45 on Saturday it's Arse vs Spurs.
I think Spurs are in with a shout this year; Arsenal are not playing that well at the moment, they still haven't settled properly into the new stadium, though they had a midweek loss they will be looking to bounce back from. Spurs have had some good form of late and Berbatov has been at the centre of it all. None the less, form often goes out the window in derby games but I still think the Yids will fancy their chances tomorrow.
The odds I think were very generous indeed and so I have had a punt
£10 on Spurs to win at 5/1
£10 on Spurs to win 1-0 goal scored by Berbatov at 70/1
£2 on Spurs to win 1-0 goal scored by King at 250/1
Unfortunately I wont be seeing any of the match as the 12:45 kick off clashes with the time I must be arriving at Wandsworth Park for our match at 1:30. I hope that both results will go my way.
Come on you Spurs!
I think Spurs are in with a shout this year; Arsenal are not playing that well at the moment, they still haven't settled properly into the new stadium, though they had a midweek loss they will be looking to bounce back from. Spurs have had some good form of late and Berbatov has been at the centre of it all. None the less, form often goes out the window in derby games but I still think the Yids will fancy their chances tomorrow.
The odds I think were very generous indeed and so I have had a punt
£10 on Spurs to win at 5/1
£10 on Spurs to win 1-0 goal scored by Berbatov at 70/1
£2 on Spurs to win 1-0 goal scored by King at 250/1
Unfortunately I wont be seeing any of the match as the 12:45 kick off clashes with the time I must be arriving at Wandsworth Park for our match at 1:30. I hope that both results will go my way.
Come on you Spurs!
Bristol Cars
If I was asked how much the car that should be pictured above actually cost, I would not assign it a very high price tag. It’s not much to look at is it? I would guess it is at least 30 years old, takes leaded fuel, and couldn’t be relied upon to start on a cold day.
All of these things of course are wrong; otherwise this posting wouldn’t really be of any interest. The car is in fact, a current model Blenheim 3 made by Bristol Cars. It is powered by a 5.9 litre V-8 and will take you to 60mph from a standing start in 6.3 seconds. The cost? £150,000
One of the worst things about people with wealth, are those that choose to display it in the most garish and obscene ways. This is one of the reasons why I do not at all like the whole Rap/ R ‘n’ B culture in the US; apart from the fact that I don’t much care for that kind of music, the culture exists to flaunt wealth in the most ‘in your face’ way as possible. The bling bling, the ostentatious clothing, the shiny 36” wheels on huge gas guzzling SUVs. It is all rather tasteless; a consequence of ‘new money.’
I feel there is a much more refined and dignified way of displaying one’s wealth, a way that is perhaps adopted by those with ‘old money.’ The Bristol Blenheim though goes right off the scale when it comes to understating one’s wealth. Apart from those who know of Bristol Cars (and it is not a well known car brand) driving a Blenheim almost says, “I am poor.” Those who drive these cars certainly have no intention of ostentatiously showing off their wealth. I have said that if I were wealthy (which sadly I am not) I would choose to be refined with my money, however if I could afford a Bristol Blenheim, I would still be buying an Aston Martin.
There is another Bristol car however that I would be tempted to buy. However this car is so powerful I am sure I would end up killing myself and most likely a few other innocent people when I took it out on the motorway. It is the Bristol Fighter T. It certainly does look like a car you need to be rich to drive. At £350,000 you need to be more than rich. I will lean back so as to not drool on the keyboard when I type this; the Fighter T is powered by a twin turbocharged and intercooled 8 litre V10 engine. It pumps out a massive 1,012 bhp and 1,404 newton metres of torque. It will take the car from 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds, on it’s way to an electronically limited maximum speed of 225mph. Bristol have said they are...
"Responding to the needs of some exacting customers we have created a very special Fighter variant which, as ever, remains a compact and enjoyable car to drive around town or as an exhilarating track car. Yet it takes two people and their luggage in great luxury and ease for trans continental travel."
I would like to meet these customer who claim to need more than a thousand brake horse power.
First deliveries are in September 2007. I had better start saving.
All of these things of course are wrong; otherwise this posting wouldn’t really be of any interest. The car is in fact, a current model Blenheim 3 made by Bristol Cars. It is powered by a 5.9 litre V-8 and will take you to 60mph from a standing start in 6.3 seconds. The cost? £150,000
One of the worst things about people with wealth, are those that choose to display it in the most garish and obscene ways. This is one of the reasons why I do not at all like the whole Rap/ R ‘n’ B culture in the US; apart from the fact that I don’t much care for that kind of music, the culture exists to flaunt wealth in the most ‘in your face’ way as possible. The bling bling, the ostentatious clothing, the shiny 36” wheels on huge gas guzzling SUVs. It is all rather tasteless; a consequence of ‘new money.’
I feel there is a much more refined and dignified way of displaying one’s wealth, a way that is perhaps adopted by those with ‘old money.’ The Bristol Blenheim though goes right off the scale when it comes to understating one’s wealth. Apart from those who know of Bristol Cars (and it is not a well known car brand) driving a Blenheim almost says, “I am poor.” Those who drive these cars certainly have no intention of ostentatiously showing off their wealth. I have said that if I were wealthy (which sadly I am not) I would choose to be refined with my money, however if I could afford a Bristol Blenheim, I would still be buying an Aston Martin.
There is another Bristol car however that I would be tempted to buy. However this car is so powerful I am sure I would end up killing myself and most likely a few other innocent people when I took it out on the motorway. It is the Bristol Fighter T. It certainly does look like a car you need to be rich to drive. At £350,000 you need to be more than rich. I will lean back so as to not drool on the keyboard when I type this; the Fighter T is powered by a twin turbocharged and intercooled 8 litre V10 engine. It pumps out a massive 1,012 bhp and 1,404 newton metres of torque. It will take the car from 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds, on it’s way to an electronically limited maximum speed of 225mph. Bristol have said they are...
"Responding to the needs of some exacting customers we have created a very special Fighter variant which, as ever, remains a compact and enjoyable car to drive around town or as an exhilarating track car. Yet it takes two people and their luggage in great luxury and ease for trans continental travel."
I would like to meet these customer who claim to need more than a thousand brake horse power.
First deliveries are in September 2007. I had better start saving.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
It takes an eternity
Scotland is another of those progressive countries that has banned smoking in public places. The main issue as far as I am concerned is smoking in bars and pubs. As is the case also when going to Ireland, it was so refreshing to go out in Edinburgh over the weekend and not be assaulted by passive smoke in pubs.
Forget about the health effects of passive smoking; being in an enclosed room full of cigarette smoke is absolutely disgusting. It is an assault on the senses, it stinks, it hurts your eyes and it soaks into your clothes so that they reek for days afterwards.
Coming back to London after being in the wonderful smoke free Edinburgh makes you notice it even more; as soon as you step into the pub you can smell it.
Scotland and Ireland have got it right, sitting in a bar or pub is actually a pleasant experience there. Why is it not the same in England? Why is England so far behind her neighbours?
Fortunately, the government have finally voted on a blanket ban on smoking in public places. They voted on this back in February 2006. However it is not due to come in to place until summer 2007!!!!!!!!!! Why? Why does it take 18 months for this to actually be enacted? What preparations are required before this ban can be enforced that could possibly last for 18 months? Sure you’ve got to give people a bit of time to get used to the idea, but 18 bloody months?!?!
It is absolutely bloody nonsense. As with nearly everything in this country it takes an eternity to do anything. Why vote to do something in a year and half? Why wait that long? We’ve voted for it to happen, so let’s make it happen, NOW!
What's more, it is apparently going to cost £50 million to enforce the ban. How? What are they spending fifty million quid on? Are they going to make 50 million No Smoking signs? What else is required apart from saying "as of now, you can't smoke indoors" Fine, there are some costs associated with making sure everyone does comply, but FIFTY MILLION QUID? FFS!
Forget about the health effects of passive smoking; being in an enclosed room full of cigarette smoke is absolutely disgusting. It is an assault on the senses, it stinks, it hurts your eyes and it soaks into your clothes so that they reek for days afterwards.
Coming back to London after being in the wonderful smoke free Edinburgh makes you notice it even more; as soon as you step into the pub you can smell it.
Scotland and Ireland have got it right, sitting in a bar or pub is actually a pleasant experience there. Why is it not the same in England? Why is England so far behind her neighbours?
Fortunately, the government have finally voted on a blanket ban on smoking in public places. They voted on this back in February 2006. However it is not due to come in to place until summer 2007!!!!!!!!!! Why? Why does it take 18 months for this to actually be enacted? What preparations are required before this ban can be enforced that could possibly last for 18 months? Sure you’ve got to give people a bit of time to get used to the idea, but 18 bloody months?!?!
It is absolutely bloody nonsense. As with nearly everything in this country it takes an eternity to do anything. Why vote to do something in a year and half? Why wait that long? We’ve voted for it to happen, so let’s make it happen, NOW!
What's more, it is apparently going to cost £50 million to enforce the ban. How? What are they spending fifty million quid on? Are they going to make 50 million No Smoking signs? What else is required apart from saying "as of now, you can't smoke indoors" Fine, there are some costs associated with making sure everyone does comply, but FIFTY MILLION QUID? FFS!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Piss off Rogers
Mat Rogers wants to keep playing flyhalf for the Wallabies.
Fuck off Rogers, you suck, you're a reserve utility back at best. What makes you think you could bring more to the team at number 10 than Steven Larkham does? Forget about all this backline experimentation; Larkham at 10, Giteau at 12 and Mortlock at 13, Tuqiri and Latham and another winger in there. That's the best backline combination the Wallabies have to offer, why keep messing with it? Saturday's game showed how good they can be if the forwards give them a bit of space.
There's no room in there for you bitch, you shouldn't even be thinking about the World Cup next year, you're going back to league. Why don't you do us all a favour and go there sooner rather than later? You lost the World Cup final for us last time, don't stick around to fuck it up for us again.
Wanker
Fuck off Rogers, you suck, you're a reserve utility back at best. What makes you think you could bring more to the team at number 10 than Steven Larkham does? Forget about all this backline experimentation; Larkham at 10, Giteau at 12 and Mortlock at 13, Tuqiri and Latham and another winger in there. That's the best backline combination the Wallabies have to offer, why keep messing with it? Saturday's game showed how good they can be if the forwards give them a bit of space.
There's no room in there for you bitch, you shouldn't even be thinking about the World Cup next year, you're going back to league. Why don't you do us all a favour and go there sooner rather than later? You lost the World Cup final for us last time, don't stick around to fuck it up for us again.
Wanker
Monday, November 27, 2006
Good weekend to be an Aussie
There was no risk of me missing my flight this weekend and on Friday evening travelled to Edinburgh with 5 other friends for what turned out to be a high quality boys’ weekend. It was only my second visit to Edinburgh – the last time being more than 3 years ago. It really is a great city; very picturesque, lots of places to go out and have fun, there’s a good vibe about the place and plenty of nice people about.
The purpose of the visit of course was to see Australia take on Scotland at Murrayfield. While I have seen the Wallabies play in Scotland before, it was at Hamden Park and so I was keen to visit the home of rugby in Scotland as well. Murrayfield is a great stadium and my only complaint was that there is no big screen for the purpose of seeing replays of the action. This was most disappointing as there was some scintillating back-line play from the Wallabies in the second half especially.
The Scots certainly fancied themselves before the match and given the way the Wallabies have been playing, I was predicting a close match. However Australian teams are never ones to give up and I knew the Wallabies would fancy finishing the tour on a high note. That they did and it was probably the best I have seen them play all year, finally the forwards managed to gain some kind of ascendancy which meant that the backs actually had some time and space to show what they can do. Some great backline moves in the second half especially created some quality tries; it was very entertaining to watch. The defence as well was superb especially when Scotland were pounding at the line at one stage in the second half, the Wallabies just kept repelling them. I hope the Wallabies can take a lot from the tour and improve next year so they can be a serious challengers to the All Blacks in September and October next year.
It was of course an even better weekend to be an Australian, with a crushing of England in the first test of the Ashes. Congrats to England for winning the last series, but they went on as though they had won the bloody world cup. When taken into context, they had in fact narrowly won a single test series, that’s all. The fact that they had not been able to achieve this in 18 years was the reason that they were so elated. Now it seems though the team that won that series is a shadow if its former self. The Aussies are fired up this time and by the end of the summer, the urn will be back in its rightful place and normality will be resumed; it will be proven that last year was nothing more than an anomaly.
Last year though the Aussies won the first test pretty convincingly and then faltered so the series is far from over. Things though are different this time and I don’t think anyone can see that happening again. England will take some heart from their second innings fight back, but they don’t have the skill, class, ability, or confidence at the moment to retain the trophy they fought so hard to win last year. Before the series began, you could only get a paltry 4/1 on Australia winning the series 5-0, something that has happened only once in ashes history; now the odds are even shorter.
The purpose of the visit of course was to see Australia take on Scotland at Murrayfield. While I have seen the Wallabies play in Scotland before, it was at Hamden Park and so I was keen to visit the home of rugby in Scotland as well. Murrayfield is a great stadium and my only complaint was that there is no big screen for the purpose of seeing replays of the action. This was most disappointing as there was some scintillating back-line play from the Wallabies in the second half especially.
The Scots certainly fancied themselves before the match and given the way the Wallabies have been playing, I was predicting a close match. However Australian teams are never ones to give up and I knew the Wallabies would fancy finishing the tour on a high note. That they did and it was probably the best I have seen them play all year, finally the forwards managed to gain some kind of ascendancy which meant that the backs actually had some time and space to show what they can do. Some great backline moves in the second half especially created some quality tries; it was very entertaining to watch. The defence as well was superb especially when Scotland were pounding at the line at one stage in the second half, the Wallabies just kept repelling them. I hope the Wallabies can take a lot from the tour and improve next year so they can be a serious challengers to the All Blacks in September and October next year.
It was of course an even better weekend to be an Australian, with a crushing of England in the first test of the Ashes. Congrats to England for winning the last series, but they went on as though they had won the bloody world cup. When taken into context, they had in fact narrowly won a single test series, that’s all. The fact that they had not been able to achieve this in 18 years was the reason that they were so elated. Now it seems though the team that won that series is a shadow if its former self. The Aussies are fired up this time and by the end of the summer, the urn will be back in its rightful place and normality will be resumed; it will be proven that last year was nothing more than an anomaly.
Last year though the Aussies won the first test pretty convincingly and then faltered so the series is far from over. Things though are different this time and I don’t think anyone can see that happening again. England will take some heart from their second innings fight back, but they don’t have the skill, class, ability, or confidence at the moment to retain the trophy they fought so hard to win last year. Before the series began, you could only get a paltry 4/1 on Australia winning the series 5-0, something that has happened only once in ashes history; now the odds are even shorter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
