A quick update again on Fans in a Van - looks like we have the van sorted out via our fab new editor Jon. Also plenty of responses from various football clubs, but not many good ones I have to say - I will name and shame them all at some point.
One I have to point out in particular. I sent the same email out to 40 or so clubs to ask for memorabilia which will be auctioned to raise money for the four charities. A few have said no promptly, which I appreciate. At least I know where I stand.
But West Brom wanted my address (postal) to respond. Ok I thought, that means they must be sending something. So I gave them my address (which was on the original email, by the way). And they sent me a letter. Saying that they wouldn't give me anything.
What a complete waste of time and paper, when they could have just emailed me that several days before like the other non-participants did.
If I was feeling pseudo-analytical, I would compare their lack of crisp decisiveness and blathering, and their eventual lack of endeavour, with the team's defence. Maybe a vague, ambivalent nature runs through the Hawthorns from back room to back four. In any event, it's all a bit silly.
*Nothing to say about Newcastle - see my blog posting from last year on this.
Monday 25 May 2009
Sunday 17 May 2009
Every time you read this I'm claiming expenses.
Still haven't got a van (see previous post) but got a month to go. Up to £35 so far, but haven't really started collecting yet. Good to see Milton Keynes Dons and Leeds crash out - nothing against them, and personally the thought of Millwall living in our division is as encouraging as rectal surgery followed by a dodgy korma - but the Dons' stadium would have been a rather large fly in the ointment, possibly one who's just enjoyed a meal of cowpats and rotten poo.
I don't think there's been a week like it for politics. Just as worrying as what was claimed is the fact that for a lot of these leeches it was perfectly legal.
My favourite was moat man Douglas Hogg, claiming £2,000 to have his moat dredged at his 13th century estate in Sleaford, about 40 miles away. Hilarious, especially the interview where he was pursued by rabid reporters. An old Eton toff caught with his snout in the trough.
I looks as if the speaker of the house is going as well. The speaker should be a representative of the MPS and nominally is the most important person in the house after GB. But Michael Martin has been berating those who want the transgressors punished, and what's more, appeared to have done his best to stop the expenses ever getting out.
What happened to the noble art of representing a constituency? It should be something anyone can aspire to, and yet it just seems to be a way now of making a quick buck and getting your Double Decker paid for. I don't begrudge them second homes - it's a logical step - but I do begrudge them £8,000 plasma screen TVs (for that amount I'd expect a TV that can watch programmes from 2013 and create pop up porn stars in my bedroom), hanging baskets and trouser presses that I'm paying for.
So what moves will be taken. Maybe we should be able to declare votes of no confidence in our MPs, but I'm not sure enough people care one way or the other. Maybe the independent expenses group will clear it all up, but these people will be regarded as corrupt no matter what now.
I do think the career politician is coming to an end.
Experts should be running our country. In a simplified form, scientists would advise on scientific matters, and lawyers would advise on legal matters, and doctors, architects, environmentalists, economists etc etc etc. When MPs have to vote on a contentious issue - MMR, adoption, abortion - they read papers from experts, that have been compiled on research, and informed knowledge. So why not cut out the political fat-cats and go for the experts? If we voted in 100 for each sector we'd have a fantastic bank of skill, knowledge and opinion shaping our country, presumably from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and races. Sure, they would still get expenses - but we would get value for our money rather than old Oxbridge buffoons.
Let me know what you think.
I don't think there's been a week like it for politics. Just as worrying as what was claimed is the fact that for a lot of these leeches it was perfectly legal.
My favourite was moat man Douglas Hogg, claiming £2,000 to have his moat dredged at his 13th century estate in Sleaford, about 40 miles away. Hilarious, especially the interview where he was pursued by rabid reporters. An old Eton toff caught with his snout in the trough.
I looks as if the speaker of the house is going as well. The speaker should be a representative of the MPS and nominally is the most important person in the house after GB. But Michael Martin has been berating those who want the transgressors punished, and what's more, appeared to have done his best to stop the expenses ever getting out.
What happened to the noble art of representing a constituency? It should be something anyone can aspire to, and yet it just seems to be a way now of making a quick buck and getting your Double Decker paid for. I don't begrudge them second homes - it's a logical step - but I do begrudge them £8,000 plasma screen TVs (for that amount I'd expect a TV that can watch programmes from 2013 and create pop up porn stars in my bedroom), hanging baskets and trouser presses that I'm paying for.
So what moves will be taken. Maybe we should be able to declare votes of no confidence in our MPs, but I'm not sure enough people care one way or the other. Maybe the independent expenses group will clear it all up, but these people will be regarded as corrupt no matter what now.
I do think the career politician is coming to an end.
Experts should be running our country. In a simplified form, scientists would advise on scientific matters, and lawyers would advise on legal matters, and doctors, architects, environmentalists, economists etc etc etc. When MPs have to vote on a contentious issue - MMR, adoption, abortion - they read papers from experts, that have been compiled on research, and informed knowledge. So why not cut out the political fat-cats and go for the experts? If we voted in 100 for each sector we'd have a fantastic bank of skill, knowledge and opinion shaping our country, presumably from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and races. Sure, they would still get expenses - but we would get value for our money rather than old Oxbridge buffoons.
Let me know what you think.
Wednesday 6 May 2009
A road trip and Ricky
Well here it is - a letter I have just popped off to the Coventry City press office.
Dear Sir/ Madam,My name is John Baker and I am a reporter for the Lincolnshire Free Press/ Spalding Guardian. I am planning a charity trek in the summer (July 10) with two colleagues from the newspaper, Adam Uren and Andrew Brookes, and would like your help.
We are aiming to visit all 44 club grounds from teams in the top two divisions in England, within 48 hours. This journey of around 1,600 miles will be done in a small van with a mattress in the back for four charities- Liverpool's official charity (Adam's team), Nott'm Forest's official charity (Andrew's), a local charity as yet undecided, and NSPCC, the official charity of my team - Coventry. (as a bit of background, I was born in Coventry, all my relatives are from the city and I went to University at Warwick)The reason we have chosen July 10 is that it is not during the season and is not a weekend when any of us will be working.
We will be asking all 44 clubs for any donations they might choose to make, and also a piece of merchandise of their choice - be it a badge, pennant, shirt, poster etc. The merchandise will be put together into a giant pot at the end and orphaned off, with proceeds going to the charities.
This is the first time any of us have ever done anything like this and will need a lot of planning and support from people and organisations. We aim to go to radio and TV stations, Hold the front page, and other media outlets.
End of email. We will be putting more on here as and when.
A few words on Hatton now the dust has settled.
No-one expected such an easy night. As you will know if you read my last blog I fancied Pacquiao, but did at least expect a few rounds or points. What I didn't know was the Hatton would steam in in such a naive and foolish manner. The way to beat Pacman was to utilise head movement, push him against the ropes and use body shots, tire him, wait until the handspeed dropped, and take him out late.
Instead Hatton tried to engage him in a wild shootout. Arguably the biggest pound-for-pound puncher in the world, and the Hitman engages him in a ballsy brawl. It was doomed to fail. What was more worrying was that he couldn't change it, even when he endured the worst first round of his career. He sat on his stool and just said "fucking hell". Quite.
Quite clearly Mayweather was of limited value. We forget that during the Malignaggi fight Ricky was caught quite a few times - it's just that Malignaggi only has five knockouts to his name. This time there was no room for complacency. I expect the truth of whatever happened in the gym will be revealed in the next few weeks, and there will be nothing but contempt for Floyd snr. Was the fact that his son is returning to the ring on his mind...?
My gut feeling is that Hatton won't retire yet. He's only 30, he could still beat virtually every other junior welter in the world, a fight with Amir Khan or Oscar De La Hoya would be a massive Wembley sellout, and most of all, he doesn't want everyone to remember him lying in the middle of the canvas with his eyes spinning wildly while his family wept at ringside.
Dear Sir/ Madam,My name is John Baker and I am a reporter for the Lincolnshire Free Press/ Spalding Guardian. I am planning a charity trek in the summer (July 10) with two colleagues from the newspaper, Adam Uren and Andrew Brookes, and would like your help.
We are aiming to visit all 44 club grounds from teams in the top two divisions in England, within 48 hours. This journey of around 1,600 miles will be done in a small van with a mattress in the back for four charities- Liverpool's official charity (Adam's team), Nott'm Forest's official charity (Andrew's), a local charity as yet undecided, and NSPCC, the official charity of my team - Coventry. (as a bit of background, I was born in Coventry, all my relatives are from the city and I went to University at Warwick)The reason we have chosen July 10 is that it is not during the season and is not a weekend when any of us will be working.
We will be asking all 44 clubs for any donations they might choose to make, and also a piece of merchandise of their choice - be it a badge, pennant, shirt, poster etc. The merchandise will be put together into a giant pot at the end and orphaned off, with proceeds going to the charities.
This is the first time any of us have ever done anything like this and will need a lot of planning and support from people and organisations. We aim to go to radio and TV stations, Hold the front page, and other media outlets.
End of email. We will be putting more on here as and when.
A few words on Hatton now the dust has settled.
No-one expected such an easy night. As you will know if you read my last blog I fancied Pacquiao, but did at least expect a few rounds or points. What I didn't know was the Hatton would steam in in such a naive and foolish manner. The way to beat Pacman was to utilise head movement, push him against the ropes and use body shots, tire him, wait until the handspeed dropped, and take him out late.
Instead Hatton tried to engage him in a wild shootout. Arguably the biggest pound-for-pound puncher in the world, and the Hitman engages him in a ballsy brawl. It was doomed to fail. What was more worrying was that he couldn't change it, even when he endured the worst first round of his career. He sat on his stool and just said "fucking hell". Quite.
Quite clearly Mayweather was of limited value. We forget that during the Malignaggi fight Ricky was caught quite a few times - it's just that Malignaggi only has five knockouts to his name. This time there was no room for complacency. I expect the truth of whatever happened in the gym will be revealed in the next few weeks, and there will be nothing but contempt for Floyd snr. Was the fact that his son is returning to the ring on his mind...?
My gut feeling is that Hatton won't retire yet. He's only 30, he could still beat virtually every other junior welter in the world, a fight with Amir Khan or Oscar De La Hoya would be a massive Wembley sellout, and most of all, he doesn't want everyone to remember him lying in the middle of the canvas with his eyes spinning wildly while his family wept at ringside.
Saturday 2 May 2009
Pacman and Parades
If you still want to find justification for refusing to choose Hatton or Pacquaio, go to www.eastsideboxing.com - different pieces by different writers with no clear consensus. Speed and power on Pacman's side, natural strength and size for the hitman. I tentatively lean towards Pacman, and it's one of those fights where I don't want either to lose.
On a completely different note, I took part in our flower parade today. Drove round Callum and Rebeca, our prince and princess. Long-time observers of this blog will know that I thought the parade had come to the end of its natural life when it was first announced that it would be scrapped. But today (admittedly driving the most luxurious car I've ever been in), seeing how happy it made people, seeing where people had come from to see it (my colleague Andrew found people from Leeds, Swindon, Brighton, Guatemala, Java, Mozambique and Sutterton) and enjoying the sunburnt journey around Spalding, I'm prepared to eat my words.
I know I promised the football item this time, but you're going to have to wait...until Ipswich have demolished us tomorrow x
On a completely different note, I took part in our flower parade today. Drove round Callum and Rebeca, our prince and princess. Long-time observers of this blog will know that I thought the parade had come to the end of its natural life when it was first announced that it would be scrapped. But today (admittedly driving the most luxurious car I've ever been in), seeing how happy it made people, seeing where people had come from to see it (my colleague Andrew found people from Leeds, Swindon, Brighton, Guatemala, Java, Mozambique and Sutterton) and enjoying the sunburnt journey around Spalding, I'm prepared to eat my words.
I know I promised the football item this time, but you're going to have to wait...until Ipswich have demolished us tomorrow x
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