Happy Vase Day. Should be a good event this Saturday, looks like there will be a good turn out from Taddy, probably hoping to find some decent beer if nowt else. Difficult in Ryhope. They sound like more than a half decent outfit as well, so they will be travelling in hope. I’m looking forward to it, as long as nothing drops off anywhere in the wind, and no one stands in front of my viewing spot, in the corner, opposite the chapel, if you need to know. Will there be plenty of pies available for our guests? Always run out of something. And what sort of side will we be able to get out? Looks like the old injury and illness curse has returned with a bang, which combined with suspensions and ineligibility means it might be a thin squad. But then it was thin most of the time a few weeks back and it didn’t seem to stop us much, so you never know.
Anyway, to matters elsewhere. You just can’t rely on those magpies can you? Sunday afternoon, settle down before the telly, ready to enjoy the ritual humiliation of our friends in the north at the hands of the ruthless scousers, and they only go and play as if they give a ****, and make a very decent fist of it. Disappointing, very disappointing. I dally with the big boys for a moment because there has been precious little to report on down at the grassroots. Pitch fine last Saturday, but it was blowing something very improper, and straight down the ground at that. Ref was right to call it off I reckon, but it wouldn’t have happened once upon a time, not at this level. Progress I think. I am always amazed at the mania that some people, particularly officials of various types, show for “getting the game on” no matter what the weather. They seem to regard it as most praiseworthy to endure a farce some time in the depths of winter, rather than a pleasant evening in April. And isn’t it always the case that the Saturday after you play your last game of the season is always just about perfect for football, and instead you find yourself mooching round the Metrocentre, the matchday excuse having gone for a few months. I may have mentioned this before, not more than a few times. Not my problem now of course. In reality most clubs have at least half a dozen spare chances to play games in hand come the end of the season, so a bit more reality about what is or isn’t suitable for football is not a bad thing, in my opinion, to which you are welcome.
Finally, I see the net tightens around the presumed innocent of FIFA, with another dozen or so rounded up last week. Notably at the request of the FBI, rather than the law of any of the major football nations. We should put the Americans in charge of some of our legal matters I reckon, a few of masters of the City getting dragged out of the banks with the cuffs and orange jumpsuits on might straighten out the finance world, to the benefit of us all. And they could have a go at the gas and electric companies while they were on.