Showing posts with label spurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spurs. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 January 2019

Sunny side up

First post of 2019, and already so much going on. The New Years Eve party was good but not spectacular. There were plenty of men in skirts and a few Ceilidh dances were performed but there was not really enough room for all those who wished to participate. My knee was still crook from the wedding accident so I sat those dances out.

We were on a table for two rather than a group table which was fine, but the conversation with other guests only really took off after mid-night as everybody converged on the comfy chairs. we went to bed about 2:00am having met another Scouser and a lad from Kent who had both moved to Caithness which even further North than Inverness.

I have a reputation on golf tours of going off piste as far as the menu is concerned and the tactic of choosing the best bits of one dish with the basis of another is called doing a 'weathers'. So why not start the year with one I thought. I then proceeded to turn up for brunch at about 12:00 and ordered a full Scottish breakfast with steak and eggs on the side. A true 'weathers' would see me leaving some of it as it is usually too substantial, but on this occasion it all got woofed.

We had a good trip back yesterday and saw number one son and family. I went out for a swiftie with him and number two son. I left them at about 21:30. They rolled in at 06:00 having been out on the lash in Liverpool. Blind leading the blind me thinks.

Today has been busy. The first of the New Year jobs saw the swimming pool dehumidifier fixed. We then managed to get a Social Services assessment of my mum completed meaning she can return to her home tomorrow and care assistants will visit three or four times a day as necessary. I can then go to the Tranmere v Spurs FA Cup game and have a few beers hopefully. Golf starts in earnest again next week and hoepfully normal service will be restored.

Only time will tell......

Thursday, 30 April 2009

'You cannot be serious......?'

So Howard Webb, the eminent footie referee has apologised for 'getting it wrong' at Old Trafford last week when he awarded a penalty to Manchester United which virtually handed them the league title, and put the chances of Spurs reaching Europe in serious doubt.

He appears to have been the only person in the ground who thought it was a penalty, with Alex Ferguson commenting that they had been a bit lucky, and Arsene Wenger indicating that although he did not see it, it was clearly not a penalty.

Spurs have been unfortunate at Old Trafford before, as Mark Clattenburg disallowed a goal in the Martin Jol era, when Ray Carroll clawed the ball back from several feet behind the line. it earned the referee an entry in the Viz Profanisaurus thus:

Clattenburg, n: the term used for sexual intercourse as demonstrated during an Adult Channel movie shown in a hotel room. Everybody knows its in, but you just can't see it.

So once more it opens up the debate for the introduction of technology to aid referees to make the correct decisions. Rugby League pioneered it, Rugby Union and Cricket followed suit and now tennis players are allowed to query calls in which Hawkeye is used to adjudicate .

Would it slow the game down? Well image a couple of examples, the penalty at Old Trafford is given so there is a delay anyway during which the third official would say 'no penalty, indirect free kick to Spurs'. Alternatively, as happened on Tuesday, Thiery Henry is pulled down in the box by a Chelsea player, the ref waves play on. The third official has a look, and mikes the ref, 'Penalty'. The decision is made, the players will moan, but will eventually realise it was shown on TV so justice is done. Very little delay to the game.

Add into the mix the cricket and tennis approach where each manager is allowed three appeals to the third official. if right they keep their three, if wrong then they lose an appeal. Maybe two per half would avoid both managers questioning every decision in the last ten minutes?

Sadly the football authorities think they and their game is so pure that they do not need these things, but with money the prime motivator these days they need to wake up and smell the coffee. Anyway where is my copy of ' Debbie does Dallas'?

Wednesday, 16 May 2007

Come on you Greens

I am a huge Plymouth Argyle supporter, having supported them since 1962, when my dad took me to the Argyle v Spurs FA Cup 4th round tie at Home Park. How my dad got tickets I don't know, but he seemed to have the ability to magic them from somewhere, be they for England at Twickenham, Wembley or Lords. Its an ability I am pleased to have inherited, and look forward to going with my eldest son to Wembley in a few weeks time for the England v Brazil game.

I remember being devastated for a Royal Marine who offered my Dad ten bob for the two tickets, in the pub one night. i was really saddened that the poor man did not have a ticket of his own. Oh the innocence of youth.

Anyway back to Argyle. Today they broke their all time transfer record by paying £400K for a Hungarian international left winger, Peter Halmosi. Their squad now consists of three Hungarians, 3 French players, a Dutchman and an Australian, as well as several Devonians, and assorted Brits. It is certainly a sign of the times.

Given that Steven Gerrard has just been awarded £120K per week in wages though, paying £400K seems a bargain.

In the 45 years I have followed the Argyle, I have seen them win at Wembley and lose in three Cup semi-finals. In league terms they have fallen from the Second division, to the Fourth division and climbed back up to the Championship as it is now called. In all that time they have never played in a league called the First division. Next season is already being anticipated with great expectation, however, the recent slump of Nottingham Forest and 'dirty' Leeds only goes to show that expectations and achievements can be a million miles apart.