Lapsed Already …

Saturday! 8^th August!

Hampton by Hilton Hotel, Luton.

Really it seemed like such a good idea at the time: a tour of the Houses of Parliament (eight hundred years after King John “Lackland” signed the Magna Carta that, arguably, started this whole democracy thing going here). It seemed like a bargain when we actually booked it: tour of said Houses, overnight in a hotel, breakfast and evening meal thrown in –and coach from Walsall bus station (moreorless) …

But then it cruelly transpires that it’s the first day of the football season. Worse saddlers are at home for that first game … and it seems eminently winnable (as per usual of course): unsettled Oldham Athletic. The local papers have been full of “this-is-the-season” talk, of Dean Smith or one of the “talking head” players coming out with how ell pre-season training has gone and the new signings (three, count ‘em; three) will bring great benefits to the inevitable promotion push. Sorry, I am a staunch supporter: loyal beyond the call …

… and anyway, sticking doggedly to the decision to see the Homes of Democracy, Constitution and Majesty, resign myself to missing an opening victory.

So many coach tours leaving from Walsall: to the O2, to London shows, to this place or that; and so many passengers waiting. It made me positively cheerful on a warm morning. We waited in the Victoria gardens adjacent to the impressive Houses of parliament and while we were snacking on our packed lunch observed, right next to us the result of thievery: some poor woman becoming hysterical because she had felt a bump, just after she had bought a guide book, thought nothing of it but now her purse (£120 pounds sterling and credit cards have disappeared). Eventually after standing and ignoring the extremely upset woman two policemen were encouraged by a French tourist to “help her” (she had refused our offers of help).

 

The crowds and babel of chatter seemed so much more threatening after that and I was glad to get into the building. But the audio tour, though informative failed to inspire. This is the real home of Western democracy; though we may get the word from Ancient Greece what we have here is very different in its breadth and inclusion. The Magna Carta forced the monarchy to recognise and grant certain rights to the already powerful en of the times, but successively more and more of the people have been given rights. Though exactly how Cromwell’s Commonwealth failed to finish off the crown is beyond me. The geography of the place is easier in my mind now, the rooms somewhat familiar from TV views are small, if not cramped and undoubtedly full of gravitas. I cannot help thinking however that the performance of MPs in debates appears like a poorly managed classroom: loud and lacking in intelligence.

But the magnificent history of the institution is lacking and the commentary is spoken without passion and pride.

We leave via the cramped café and necessary liquid refreshment and end up in Dean’s Court: a quiet oasis behind Westminster cathedral. Dean’s Court reminding me of dean’s Court Road, one time home ground of Premiership new boys: Bournemouth who, in 2008 were hopelessly deep in financial problems – and toady, with backing from the obligatory money-bagged Russian are playing against the big dogs of the Premier League. Proving that dreams can become reality (though money helps the process) … and, of course everything is to be won or lost.

At nine, after a poor meal (poor choice, no service and health and safety colder than permissible (at an intelligent guess) I am back in the room to watch Channel 5’s Football league Show: the first ever. Promising to show highlights of every football league game so Walsall will be on there somewhere. I remember predicting a 4 – 1 win and I still, as the programme “kicks off” have not heard the score line. There is some comedy; in one game a courteous back pass to the goalkeeper goes unexpectedly into the net, so the hmmm offending team literally let the opposition walk the ball into their own net as recompense. Wolves win away from home with gaol from a diving header that the striker actually cannot reach so propels into the net with his hand: blatantly. The look of embarrassed surprise on his face when the goal is given is priceless. What should he do at this point? Tell the referee that he handled the ball?

But the Walsall game has few sparse seconds. Sawyers scores after eight minutes, then close to the end Oldham equalise. Next please …

Shame I could have spent longer in the bland (diplomat speak for boring) dining room/bar wondering what the 3-D displays in the glass cases were. Hatboxes of course. Luton … Luton Town: the Hatters. Luton was famous for the hat making industry before Vauxhall Motors took over the town. And the hotel stands on land – next to the railway – that once was covered with popular cars and white vans on their way to successful markets all over Europe. But that was then and this is now and some visionaries have designs on the land again.

 

Ironically I also notice that the location of the football ground is only just squeezed into the corner of the free hotel courtesy map and I wonder whether Walsall hotels have maps that show the location of Bescot. I certainly hope so: not being “on the map” is surely one of the ways to obscurity.

Buckingham Palace tomorrow; if I can get some sleep.

3-5-2?

30th July, 2015

Home

Well, we drew 1 – 1 with Aston Villa in a friendly at Bescot, following this up with a 2 – 0 loss against Tony Pulis’ Baggies (apparently trying out a 3 – 5 – 2 formation). Dean Smith has gone on record as saying he is pleased with the way the team performed in this latter game. It is, of course what I’d expect a manager to be saying in public at this stage where everything is, once again to win– and, not being at the game I’m properly willing to give the necessary credit. WBA being Premiership opposition – in addition to being a Tony Pulis team – always meant they would be hard to match.

This early Thursday afternoon as I type this I discover our “young saddlers” respectably beat (very local) Chasetown F.C. Now with the greatest of respect to the Scholars, we should be starting to win some of these games now, friendless or not, but again games have to be won – so take my hat off to the team.

Our final pre-season game is at Luton Town on Saturday … then the rough stuff begins. The reality, so I hope the feel-good, enthusiastic just-what-fans-need-to-hear stories of high levels of fitness, camaraderie and confidence get borne out once the proper whistles start to blow. Self-praise is no flattery after all.

Channel 4 deserve credit for the superb way they have shown the Tour de France, not only highlights but the whole live stages in gruelling glory. Team Sky take the plaudits for stage wins, team performance and the ultimate yellow jersey winner Chris Froome. Unfortunately Froome in particular has been dogged by very public media harpoons about drug taking and spectator fury. God knows the watchers come awfully – intimidatingly – close to the riders throughout the race, but Froome has been spit upon and had urine thrown over him. Personally I realise that it will take some time for the stigma and harm done to the sport by the once-mighty Lance Armstrong – and his lack of realisation, despite an apology – that he was doing serious wrong to the sport and everyone involved. The first ever Tour de France was ridden in 1903; this year there were one hundred and sixty starters – some of them specialist sprinters or mountain climbers, but the overall win goes to the one with the lowest overall time across rigorous conditions, hairpin, climbing corners, cobbled roads and a final day that laps the roads of Paris.

Originally dominated by French ,then European riders this year has many more decent and outstanding riders form Peru, Australia – and gold old Britain (not forgetting Mark Cavendish from the Isle of Man!).

Down in the one-time Olympic stadium the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games have been going on: Great come-back from having a child from Jessica Ennis-Hill and unexpectedly brilliant performance from Usain Bolt in – inevitably perhaps – wet conditions. Athletics looks very good on TV at the moment.

After some serious legal and somewhat political wrangling West Ham will be moving from Their current Boleyn Ground (a.k.a. Upton park) to this enormous venue. Definitely sad for the actual local teams (Leyton Orient I think) who will be overshadowed by at least the physical presence of the ground. But I have to think that the tax payers money is going to a good cause, on one hand; while also wondering if we will get any rebates. Hmm, give me a few moments on that to chexk if those were pigs flying past the upstairs window.