The Sons of William march on...

Cracking result for the cream buns last night. They've certainly never been my cup of tea, as an institution or for their fan base, but you have to admire the manner in which Walter Smith has pulled them back from the Abyss, cajoled them into winning 2 Championships despite the crippling finances in the background and now a runner in the Champions league! An Away point at Old Trafford and a home Victory! Super stuff!

Hats of to Wattie!

Cheese!

I don't suppose there will be that many weary travellers who come by this way without having already visited or having the intention of reading the praiseworthy efforts of former (vile) blogger Montague Burton, but if you haven't already experienced the Universality of Cheese or are vaguely interested in the notions of truth and hypocrisy bustin', then go see Mark... here .

Footballers, hookers and the press

My world cup prediction for England was that their own press corp would find some way to publish a lurid story about one of the star players and cause tension in the camp. The internet is already rife with unsavoury rumours about the captain, but the team's performance was such that there was nothing the press could have done to make it any worse anyway. Anyone who is genuinely interested in how these overpaid loons spent their vast fortunes really needs to find something better to do with their time, but I really don't understand the mentality of people who continue to buy newspapers that so regularly set about undermining their National sporting ambitions.

Latterly it was thon lanky beanpole of a striker Peter Crouch who was in trouble for sleeping with a 'hooker', but now the main man Rooney is back in the news for also alledgedly using a prostitute. Many people often ask why these rich young superstars need to pay for sex, but the truth is they're not actually paying for the sex so much as paying for the girl to leave the next morning and for them to keep schtum... which is where my moral compass goes seriously awry! Part of me thinks it's a fairly grim business, but the other part of me thinks fair play to the girls who get to make a serious bit of moolah on the back of just doing what comes naturally. If the likes of the notorious belle de jour can carry it off and live with themselves, then who am I to tell them how to live their life.

Still, I can't help but think that 21 year old Jennifer Thompson who apparently charges £1200 per night hasn't gone and shot herself in the foot. Who's going to be paying for an escort who doesn't understand discretion? How's she going to return to a 'normal' life when she's exposed her 'secret' life so overtly? I hope the News of the World have compensated her well enough.

Who are the winners here?
News of the World gets a brief increase in circulation.
Rooney gets himself in big trouble at home and probably in his workplace too, unlikely to favour future interviews with the News of the World. His continued selection for England causes tension and distraction in the camp.
Jennifer Thompson gets reputation as a prostitute who doesn't understand the value of discretion.
The great English public, get to support that Australian/American press tycoon once more undermining their National football team in the name of tittle tattle.

My heart goes out to Coleen for having her life trashed in such a humiliating and public manner. I wonder which levels of hell will be reserved for the Journalists, the gobby hooker and the thicko footballer. Is it possible to put them in order of most offensive and if I did would it be too deep an insight into my character?

Blair pushed a disaster upon us

No, not the Iraq and Afghanistan debacle, but apparently Tony knew Gordon would be a disaster and so it proved... So why did he allow it to happen, he was the man the public trusted to run the show?

Top leadership skills! or a classic See You Next Tuesday?