Fickle Football Press (or FFP)

If FFP at club level stands for Financial Fair Play, then for England at International level it surely stands for Fickle Football Press as far as the media is concerned.

I’m as frustrated as the next fan at the nil success rates over the years, so things DO need to improve – but it’s never going to happen overnight is it?

Did the press not see the last World Cup? We gave it a go, and granted we had no luck at all, and in truth but we fell well short of any achievement - but what makes people (and in particular, sections of the English media) think we would suddenly become brilliant again after one match?

Several of the England players in the match last week against Norway had under 10 caps and they will need support and encouragement after poor performances rather than rants.

Thankfully this latter approach does appear to happen from within the camp as the performance in a game that mattered against a very good Switzerland team was the best we’d seen for a while.

How do the press react? They start looking at venues in France where England might be based if we qualify! Fickle.

I don’t buy for a second that the players and staff don’t care. Joe Hart exemplifies what it means on the field, and Gary Neville exudes a huge drive to succeed off the field.

Things are definitely going in the right direction with these guys on the scene.

The trouble is a lack of patience.

Much of the media/press commentary forget (or choose to ignore) that both the Spanish and Germans had spells like this in the not too distant past, when they had to retire many of their own so called golden generations and ‘start again’.

Positive stepping stones are all important.

I often glance at the views of the spuds-flogging, goatee-trialling, former goal machine king of Twitter Gary Lineker to see what his measured views on football matters are:

“Judge this group in 4 years time, not after their first 90 minutes” says King Links.

That’s good enough for me.

Moon River (Part 3 of 3)

The majority of you reading this will know I’m neither particularly special nor otherwise, but I think I rightfully recognise that my present family care, and my descendants might care too, about what happened on occasions during my lifetime. Exciting or dull, the content shouldn’t matter.

So to cut a long story short (too late) - Families and individuals COULD and SHOULD make more of an effort to record their lives for the benefit of future generations. I spent time researching my family tree in 2006…what a laborious task that was/is!

Even with help from relations that could recall folks who lived and died long before I came into being, it proved to be a lot of effort with little reward.

What I did ascertain is that I know barely anything about anyone before three generations prior to mine. Isn’t that insulting to their memories? Without them and the way they were, I wouldn’t even be here – well certainly not in the physical form I am now. It’s probably neither here or there whether my soul would have ended up in someone else’s body depending on your view of ‘how we come to be’ and karma amongst other theories.

So get yourself a project.

Could you possibly document everything about yourselves?

Highly unlikely is the probable answer.

Even my own efforts, aided by what I think is a good recollection of events that happened to me, caused me to question at many stages if I really ought to record absolutely everything.

But I found a healthy sprinkling is better than nothing and if it only provides the slightest interest for my children’s children’s children and beyond, then I think it will have been worth it.

Hopefully it will give them the opportunity beyond the 21^st century to find out about their ancestors during my generation. A joy I was denied when trying to find out information about my relations who lived in the early 20^th century.

         

Now here’s where I am a tease!

I don’t want my retro diary seen in totality until after I depart this world. The whole point is for the future to look back and see – not for the present to judge.

Indeed my work is ongoing, though I have made a rule of working three years in arrears, and if I can’t remember something I notch it up to it not being worthy of being remembered. 

If it never gets read then so be it, but it’s been tremendously cathartic in the making. 
And as a cherry on top, you might even just feel a bit more at peace with yourself!

Moon River (Part 2 of 3)

So should I try to forget what I can’t help but remember?

Confused yet?

I honestly don’t know if I should try to forget aspects of the past, but back in 2007 I started to write a retro diary anyway.

A manuscript collection of ruses is how it could be described and I wrote it as how I honestly saw certain situations in my life from as far back as I could remember.

I’m realistic enough to acknowledge that my version of events may actually be wholly inaccurate on occasions and for that I would be genuinely sorry to any reader. For starters, my lovely brother is always dubious about the accuracy of my recollections!

But being a great advocate of the fact that there are at least two sides to every story, I respect being corrected ad hoc.

However for the purpose of what I wrote, it’s just how I personally saw events (or non-events) unravel – it’s eternally incredible to me as to what is important to some and not to others, but that’s life I suppose!

Does it sound like I actually do have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? You might not be far wrong. Besides which I wrote my diary year by year of course!

The reason I even began writing it back in 2007 is largely due to Grandparents.

For me I felt very fortunate to have experienced loving Grandparents during my upbringing. Both sets of my Grandparents gave me memories and experiences that will remain with me forever. The stories I’ve heard recounted time and again did, at times, get humorously repetitive, but who’s going to recount them once the storytellers are long gone – or if the memory has failed? Their stories were woven from times when they saved my country and gave me the chance to have the life I have and the lifestyle I live.

But did I write them down? Sadly not at all.

Presently, the most I can tell MY children and Grandchildren about their family history, is a diluted version of events with barely any names to the characters, and frankly I feel that’s just not right. It’s certainly not an honourable memoriam

Third and final part tomorrow! Click here

Moon River (Part 1 of 3)

"I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighbourhoods..." wrote Truman Capote. What a terrific opening line for a book – am I allowed to nick it? Not that I’ve read the book in question (Breakfast At Tiffany’s) but I have seen the film too many times to remember and although purists may shudder, I am happy not to ever read the book as the film does enough to satisfy and intrigue me.

The opening line attracts me as I feel I actually ‘get’ what Mr Capote means, whilst I rightly or wrongly suspect many people don’t want to...

Maybe it’s just that for many valid differing reasons, they choose not to remember their lives, be it yesterday or yesteryear. That’s fine – each to their own of course, but I’m not sure I mentally have a choice. I think I ‘get’ it because for better or for worse I seem bound to not forget many things that have happened to me. I wouldn’t dare to say for certain if it’s a good or bad thing actually, but I suspect it’s both…and for good measure it has at times been a hindrance to others too - my memory serves me pretty well, and no-one likes a know-it-all.

I’ve fought many rages trying to plead that I never professed to be someone who always has an answer to everything. My battle is usually that I feel an urge to have a perfectionist state where everything is factually accurate – OCD alert! Over the years I’ve realised how wrong my approach is, and I find that the older I get I’m moving more to the state of ‘live and let live’, which is a far healthier and more friendly way to be!

Part 2 in due course...! Click here

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Wow this really finished 10 years ago!?

It’s now been off air for longer than it was on air!

I entirely missed the first five seasons – probably as I was a bit odd in my late teens / early twenties and struggled massively to find an identity for myself. I call myself a child of the 80’s yet proudly I have never seen more than three minutes of Top Gun – though I loved Hot Shots Part One and Deux!

To this end (incorporating glandular fever, anaemia and no girlfriend) I think I probably missed a lot of the mainstream things that others enjoyed zeitgeistly (not a real word). I’m super brilliant at getting obsessed with a trend/fashion just as it’s on the wane.

For examples, I was never interested in Elton John’s music until Diana PoW died; I crammed in all of LOST on DVD having never seen it before, just ahead of it’s final series; I bought a load of Chino’s when I was 37 years old; some might say the reason I’ve never taken drugs is because it’s illegal; I’ll stop digging as I think you get the picture.

Anyway having been persuaded (I lost a bet) to watch Friends by my brother and his then girlfriend (now wife), I joined and agreed with the masses that it was indeed brilliant. Certainly as Stateside sitcoms go it was and still is untouchable (does Family Guy count?)

Over the years there have been many calls for it to be revived, but I’m not so sure. I don’t even think a one off reunion would really work. Bless the now departed genius John Sullivan, but the revival of Only Fools and Horses was never quite as good.

Del Boy and Rodney should have been allowed to stay as millionaires.

However, like in Only Fools up to 1996, the longevity is there to see in the vast majority of episodes of Friends and it deserves its creditable place in TV history. But whilst the synopsis of each episode could still be relevant in 2014, there would definitely be a major alteration to a staple element of Friends, as nowadays they wouldn’t actually talk to each other on the couch in Central Perk as they’d be sitting in silence whilst scanning social media on their phones and tablets!

Seedy CDs

Nope, not those stunning (or not) Cross Dressers. Nor the 3^rd  and 4^th letters of our word-tastic alphabet.

No I mean Compact Discs (why not Disks?) that some of you might have in your collection that you either purchased or were presented with that you now feel that can never play again…

I’m talking your ‘Rolf Harris’s Hits’, your ‘Glitter Band’s Greatest’, your ‘Jonathan King’s Kollection’ and the theme from ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ on that TV compilation album you once had on vinyl.

Once found guilty it’s just not a done thing to listen to these performers anymore is it?

For my older readers, imagine if you fell in love to Gary Glitter singing ‘I Love, You Love, Me Love’…that lowlife scum has ruined everything. In fact you might as well break up.

Whilst never a fan of GG, I did have 3 (count ‘em) THREE, Rolf Harris CD’s. I’ve never been ashamed of any of the music I like, but frankly I can’t bring myself to listen to his songs again given the tarnish brought upon the artist – so they’ve now been disposed of, and consequently the Aerobie has a new flying rival.

And more musical Frisbees could be on the way. Already there are plenty who want young Clifford Pilchard to be guilty regardless of the truth, and if he is guilty as (not yet) charged, then fair do’s, he will need to be forever demonised too..

Not a CD, or an MP3, but oh how I loved them!

But let’s first see how things pan out for Cliff, as it’ll be Lonely This Cliffmas without Harry Webb.*

*not a view shared with the wife, who always felt he was a wrong’un!

(Awaits people to throw Michael Jackson back at me. You do know he had his day in court right…?) :-)

Ice Bucket Bemoaners

Okay so the first BerryLog – I’m going to play my ‘get out of jail free’ card straight off as in truth, I’ve already posted a variation of this on Facebook, but it’s worth another mention.

Many people now have done the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and money for a now varying list of charities. At its peak in late August, every day one would find a new video on FaceSpace (personal term of endearment) of some mate or relative freezing their badoobies off for a bit of a laugh in a good cause.

And then the tide turned and a growing number of people actually found a need to start criticising it.

My friend (CA – blog law says its courtesy to acknowledge the source! xx) was peeved at people moaning about it, and delivered a well crafted rant at the gloom merchants.

“Well said”, I said.

Coincidentally the day before, I overheard someone mention that they felt the majority of people doing it and filming it were just attention seekers and were not actually donating – and I just thought that was such a bleak view of human nature.

Well actually the cause still raised MILLIONS more pounds/dollars in August compared to the previous month, so a huge amount of good was being done – and still is by all accounts. How can that be a bad thing in anyone’s mind?

As for those who are doing it for other reasons and are not actually donating - well let's just leave that to their conscience, and hope no-one they care for gets inflicted.

Keep getting cold and wet people!!! Next week it’s the Hot Coals challenge!

Click HERE To Donate

I’ll end by repeating my friend’s last comment on the matter:

She said: “Do your own thing quietly if you'd rather, but keep your negative thoughts to yourself”

“Well said”, I say…