Just for fun – make your predictions on the following;
How many ;-
bookings
sending offs
Matches halted or delayed due to bad weather
Goals
Penalties (including shoot outs)
replies to r.p.churchill@gmail.com
WORLD CUP 23
It starts tonight, in Mexico. Some questions – how long before the press turn on Thomas Tuchel? How many matches will be have to be delayed or interupted by bad weather? Will any player collapse due to the temperatures? How many goals will Trump score? How many teams will blame the fatigue of the season for poor performances? Will any team other than Spain, France, England, Germany, Argentina or Brazil make it to the semi-finals? How many empty seats will there be? How long will the half time be at the final – it could be better than the match! Will an African side make it to the semi’s? Will ICE arrest any foreign players, or support staff (or have they already refused them visas?), Will any supporters manage to pull of a stunt like the Dutch supporters promoting a beer company in South Africa? What will be the longest game from KO to final whistle? How many people will watch USA – Paraguay at 3am on Saturday – basically at least half the games are ‘WGaF”. Will US authorities impede the travel of Iranian players, or any of the other countries on their travel ban? What will be the first controversy?
OCEANS
11% of the worlds population live less than 10m all, 30+% live within 100 km of the coast. Relevant why? The rate of sea level rise has more than doubled from 2mm in 2015 to 4.3mm in 2023. You do not have to be clever to work out that this 16% rise is of concern! Just stupid to ignore it! So in 10 years we may expect a 50mm rise in sea level – not a big deal, until there is a storm; or you live in an area of coastal erosion; or on islands like Marshall Islands, Maldives, Kiribati or Tuvalu. There will be no quick fix available – water takes longer to warm up (and thus expand). Ice on land in the form of glaciers is continueing to melt adding to the volume, Greenland’s ice cap is melting – farming is taking place where ice once ruled – mining is now possible and the lion riding clown who is arguably the most powerful man on the planet is a climate denier. So the seas that cover about 75% of our planet are getting warmer – that means more storms and most importantly a disruption to ‘normal’ weather. Extinction Rebellion and other protestors have received jail terms for protesting in a peaceful, yet disruptive manner – racist rioters protesting about non-existent perceived wrongs go unpunished as do those who incite them. How many children in the future will ask their parents and grandparents ‘What did you do in the climate crisis?”. People do care – 75% say they recycle (although practise means that only 46% of waste is actually recycled! despite us not having mapped even 30% of the ocean floor – our oceans are vitally important to our existance!
Is there a republican plot against Trump? There must be! Whilst he has surrounded himself with fools and sycophants surely some one could tell him not to be an ass? 95% of republicans are still voting in his favour? Hopefully many will find themselves unemployed in November? The only British Prime Minister to completely humiliate themselves was the lettuce (Lis Truss). All others have at least had a modicum of decorum?
Last thought – will Trump celebrate FIFS’s award of a Peace Prize, by launching missiles against Iran, or just enhancing the misery on Cuba? Or maybe invading Greenland or buying the Chagos Islands, or maybe with another exillerating AI induced patheticogram?
BRITAINS EBOLA
Britain is being attacked my an insidious disease – racism. After it seemed that racism was on the decline, Reform and Restore have again made it acceptable to publicly repeat racist comments, facts are irrelevant as the two parties via to be the most vile. Disadvantaged youths can join in the fun by revealing that although their brains are addled by the lack of cushie jobs – no hard labour please! their muscles are fine, especially when it comes to throwing bricks at police officers trying to ensure that the rest of us can live in a civilised community. For Farage it is a welcome diversion from questions about his questionable lies regarding funding – foreign cryptocurrency billionaires are not giving him millions for fun – they will expect a return, one which will do absolutely nothing to enrich the wealth or lives of the poorest 90% or society! Voting for Brexit was an act of gross stupidity, voting for Reform or Respect is sheer lunacy!
So back home, I have had an electric fire on this morning as it was a tad chilly, no cost as I have solar panels and they paid for themselves 5 or more years ago. I have watered the greenhouse where the tomato plants are beginning to flower, basil seeds are growing as are the greek basil. I am making herb, garlic and olive bread at the moment and might make some oat cookies with nuts and dried apricots later? I have also just deadheaded the roses – I am deciding whether to cut the wisteria that has come in the window of the conservatory – all it have blooms, the scent is divine.
FIFA World Cup will start at 8pm on Thursday, so we can expect genuine flags of both England and Scotland, (the only large flag I have is Mozambique with an AK45 on it!). and can we expect the gutter press of the Mail, Sun, Express and Telegraph to find some sordid little misbehaviour by an English footballer (preferably black) to attract buyers by eclipsing real front rage outrage at Farages perfiious nature and the convictions of white thugs for throwing bricks at the police in Southampton. No mention of WAGS this time – although there is still time. The weather may play its part too – FIFA rules that any thunderstorm within 8 miles must result in the suspension of a match (one of Chelseas in the USA for the World Club Cup was suspended for over 2 hours with just 6 minutes of full time to go! Pubs and bars may have to stay open later? Scotlands first game is at 3am so migt not be finished by breakfast?
HMMM!
Londons biggest ever political demonstration was 2003 against Tony Blair’s Iraq war, at between 1 and 2 million. It was a surprise to see estimates of Arsenal’s Premier League Champions Parade attracted over a million people who 2-1 were wearing replica shirts at a starting price of £80 a pop! I think this is interesting. The majority of those attending the parade yesterday would not have been fans who attended the emirates or perhaps have ever seen arsenal play live, but they feel a need to have a badge to identify with. I guess many will not identify with politics, or its leaders, they are happy to cast votes for numb skulls as long as they say the right things (they do not expect these views to be enacted anyway). Wearing a scarf or shirt gives a sense of belonging, in a world that has monetised belonging to any club or most activities. No, there is not a contradiction regarding the shirts – £80 for a membership where you are welcome and can identify with the chants and swearing, slag off the referee and opponents, especially Spurs, and glorify a common shared experience.
So is football more important the politics? Membership of all political parties is less than those attending or playing football at any weekend. I doubt any political turnout at a rally to match the turnout for Premiership clubs at a weekend. So my hypothesis is that many people are more interested in their football clubs than in politicans , who always let them down.
FOOTBALL
Oh dear – the EFL has really screwed this up! By banning Southampton they will cause chaos. Southampton fans may have bought tickets, bus/train fares, and Middlesbrough fans will need to book whilst there is still some uncertainty as Southampton will appeal. And really did the ‘spying’ make any difference when everything is televised anyway? If serious they could impose a hefty fine and whatever – this way it is the fans who will suffer.
Arsenal have won the Premiership and Pep is leaving ManC, it really is a roundabout for managers this season and more to come with CPalace and Bournemouth and possibly Liverpool and ManU, Chelsea have just appointed X.Alonso. And who will go down WHU or Spurs?
FOOTBALL
What a year! Sunderland were widely predicted to go down and are still challenging for Europe; and then West Ham United are likely to be relegated unless Tottenham fail to get a point from their last 2 games. Of the promoted teams, Leeds also did well after a hesitant start, but Burnley drop straight back down and are rather surprisingly joined by Wolves. It is rumoured that Chelsea want to buy Roefs, Sunderlands wonder goalie – I would expect a fee in ecess of £50 million, and then Sunderland could invest in midfield and a striker. Elsewhere the Championship playoff is Hull-Southampton if they avoid the spying charge! TBH a fuss about nothing? Coventry have done well under Frank Lampard and Ipswich are back (again). Bristol City again showed a lack of ambition and Bristol Rovers will probably be grateful not to have to face non-leauge football next season.
ANGELA RAYNER
She makes to the Daily Mail front page yet again why do they have this weird obsession with her? This time she was photographed having a glass of beer in one of Parliaments subsidised bars – headlined as Angela’s wild night. Whilst I agree with Hannah Spencer that Parliament should not have subsidised bars, I am sure that someone at the Mail has a fixation on Angela bordering on obsessive stalking.
Not a mention of Farage taking £5mill and not declaring it before the last election – his exxcuse ‘it was for security’. and to make him safe for the rest of his life! What a c*** he must be to need £5mill to keep him safe – a Yale lock on my front door does for me! As he does not have a ‘surgery’ I am not sure what he has security for? The miserable toad faced wassock! Meanwhile in New York Mayor Mamdami did not exactly snub KC3 – he just pointedly did not make a point of reverential subservive to the king – America has no kings,just an old man with an infantile wish to be one! At least Charlie keeps the wanker from starting more wars!
And anti-semitism. Can the press stop identifying this as an isolated issue please. Discrimination by religion, race, colour, sexuality, sexual preference are all equally abhorrent. Unfortunately all are on the increase in the UK – powered by Reform and Islamaphobic comments across the media and including Conservative politicians.
Lastly, for now! Panini stickers have become synomonour with the World Cup. A full collection of the 2026 World Cup will cost about £1000. Is this a ploy to get kids into gambling? Another reason to boycott the World Cup in the USA – I would probably be denied a visa anyway, not that I could afford it!
ONLY ROTTERS HUNT OTTERS!
I thought I would start with the good news – an otter has appeared on camera at Trinity College, Cambridge. Almost extinct in parts of the UK in the 1970’s, campaigns to stop otter hunts have succeeded in allowing the otter to thrive.
On a more serious note – Starmer is talking of dangerous increases in military spending. Trump is saying he will not withdraw Americas nuclear shield (but that was today – tomorrow, who knows). Should Europe be more proactive in its defence spending and actions – probably, but do not forget the millions that U.S. tech and arms companies make out of Europe. Is Starmers latest debacle due to elections coming up in the UK and he wants to attract right-wing support?
The Observer had a double page on student loans. The amounts students are owing is eyewatering. The original argument was that graduates benefitted from high salaries and therefore should payback the cost of their education. What a load of bollocks. Society needs doctors and nurses, engineers and scientists. Just raise higher level income tax – those earning vast amounts due to their education should be taxed accordingly. Society should not put a value on degrees, we need artists and also those with obscure degrees. So abolish the loans completely and give grants to those doing degrees of public service/need. Then let tax get the money back!
To be honest – not much else! Apart from the fact that the USA has carried out 157 armed raids in Somalia in the last 15 months. Epstein files rumble on with Andrew becoming less likeable every day. Starmer is also fighting due to ‘support’ of paedophiles being promoted to HoL. I doubt he will survive May elections. But who takes over? Will Sweeting who will likely lose his seat next election? Only Andy Burnham seems to have a hope of recreating Labour into a left’ish party again.
FA Cup action this weekend – AVilla were embarrassing in their support by the referee!
SUPERBOWL
The 60th Super Bowl will be in California between Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Donny Trump will not attend as he thinks it is too far away! From his friend Putin? Or maybe from his golf club. Or maybe he knows he will be vilified if he attends. Americans, especially those in California and urban areas are revealing their hatred of him verbally and visibly, and as a narcissistic bully he cannot stand it!
And yes, I may stay up to watch!