November Musings

Where has this year gone? I know we say that every year but this more than most has absolutely flown. To be put it into context, 2014 didn’t go fast. In fact, it dragged like you wouldn’t believe, but never a truer word spoken......time flies when you’re having fun.

So, with only 49 days left until Christmas (I googled that btw), it is time to get back into some blogging. And some serious blogging at that. Kicking things off, as usual, with some random sporting thoughts. And as always, don’t be shy in sharing your thoughts and opinions.

When I first felt obliged to write this blog, it was after reading an excerpt from Sir Alex Ferguson’s book Leading in which he named the Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only world class players he managed. Plenty was made about David Beckham not being mentioned in the list or Roy Keane. Becks’ reply was typical him – ‘I wasn’t world class’. You can debate him as a world class player all day long, but there’s no doubting he’s a world class operator. Personally, I would rate Beckham over Cantona myself.

October had a sad note in the passing of Howard Kendall, Everton’s greatest ever manager. I became an Evertonian because of him and the superb team he assembled in the mid-eighties. That midfield of Trevor Steven, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell and Kevin Sheedy stands out to me as one of the most balanced midfields ever, and I have something of a random fetish for superbly balanced midfields. Others that stand out? The Leeds midfield from the early nineties of Strachan, Batty, McAllister, Speed. The Valencia midfield of 99-00 of Mendieta, Farinos, Gerard and Kily Gonzalez. Individually, you wouldn’t say any of them were world class, but as a unit constructed by canny managers, they formed a world class team, and credit to those managers – Kendall, Wilkinson and Cuper. RIP Howard.

It has been said that I like to attend one or two decent sporting events in my time. I can’t deny it. One sporting event which may not be that high profile but I would love to attend is the Invictus Games. They held it in London last year and the next one is planned for Florida next year and Australia in 2018. Fair play to Prince Harry for spearheading the campaign for it. Of course, it’s an easy win in terms of PR, but you never get the feeling that he is doing it for that reason. It’s on my ‘to do’ list!

Jose, Jose, Jose. I’m fascinated to see how this all plays out with him, but I felt it back when there was the special Eva Carneiro bust-up, it may be difficult for him to turn this one around. He really does not help himself. I suspect that incident more than the results, are the reason for him losing this dressing room.

On the Chelsea subject, little has been made of Juventus this season, but they too have endured a miserable start to the season, and their fall has arguably been greater given the fact they reached the Champions League final last season. They sit 10^th after scraping a late winner against local rivals Torino last weekend and their form is far from impressive. Chelsea are not the only big team to be struggling this season.

Speaking of under-performing stars, Sidney Crosby has had a ‘shocking’ start to the season with just 6 points in 12 games and 4 of those came in one game. Just how Cristiano Ronaldo had a dry spell for some 6-7 games without a goal at the start of the season, it happens. We’ve just been spoiled by their brilliance for so long, that these barren spells hit the headlines, but it’s only really about selling newspapers and creating some drama. Nothing to see here.

Going back to the Premier League, I am fully expecting a league win for Man City this year. United are still some way off from really challenging, while Arsenal will have sufficient slip ups for them to drop away. City on the other hand, have so much firepower and so many options, it is hard to see them slipping up as much as the others. They may still be a striker short, but I fully expect them to push on, and they may even go further in the Champions League this season than in recent years.

Now that I’m back in blogging mode, there’ll be the usual predictions blog at the turn of the year!

Patriot Games

I need to raise my game.  I enjoy blogging, but I am underperforming. I need to write more. This blog should have come four weeks ago, but better late than never right? I have to write a blog for Onside Analysis next week, so I’m writing a Random one to get back in the swing of things before I get my teeth stuck into that one.

Both my Uncle George and I vividly recall the battles and discussions we used to have when I was a small chap as I raved about how cool Germany and some of my exchange student friends were, and he recalled conflicts going way back to the 40s. We relished the battles then, and we laugh about them now. Maybe it was the respect for each other that we understood the way the other one felt, but neither of us backed down or gave ground.

There was nothing ever racist about those feelings, just the kind of feelings you would have if you had been involved in a war no doubt. The irony about it all, and a key part of my argument was that I loved spending time in Germany and with my German friends because we had so much in common. Similar sense of humour, a beer drinking culture, a passion for football, and in many respects, a pride about their nation......which lends itself to single-mindedness and stubbornness. All the ingredients to make a war, but to make a friend also. The Germans are far more like the English than many other nationalities. They are different, but they are similar. More so than many other countries close by.....read France, Spain, Italy etc.

My favourite national team when I was a child was Argentina. My hero in the playground was Diego Armando Maradona. Not the most popular team or player in England at that time, and not now. Diego was amazing to watch, it never mattered to me where he came from. 1990 was a slight shift in emphasis, but for some reason I admired the filthiness and ruthlessness that they employed right until the very end. The very definition of filth. It was more than England ever showed however in my eyes.

I have never been patriotic. The closest I have ever come to the word patriotic is supporting the New England Patriots. As a kid, I took a shine for Everton. Not Leeds where I am born and bred. Everybody else around me was a Leeds fan. I wanted something different. In cricket, I followed Hampshire because I adored the finesse and grace of David Gower, the brutality of Robin Smith and his awesome square cuts, and the bowling action of Malcolm Marshall. It was never Yorkshire.

The only tinges of patriotism I have had in recent years have come while I have been living abroad or living with foreigners in the UK while at Uni. People love to hammer England. I quite enjoy it myself, but it is a bit like me criticising my mother. It is fine if I do it, but god forbid anybody else to have a go! (Not that I would Mum, not that I would!)

I was super sceptical about the Olympics. That was more down to security and transport issues than anything else, but also because i have never been patriotic and I have never been taken by the Olympics. There are too many sports that just do not do it for me – in truth that is the same now. However, I have a new found appreciation for some sports. BMX being one, and Handball being another.

These two photos and moments did it for me. How could you not be taken by such an amazing spectacle? It was however the way in which virtually the whole country united around the Games that was a pleasure to watch. A pleasure regardless of whoever you are and where you come from, but unquestionably a sense of pride that it is your country that has put on this fantastic show. Regardless of where you come from, if you were sat in the Olympic Stadium watching Mo Farah win the 5k and 10k races, I defy anybody not to have had goose bumps. Watching the Jamaican 4x100m relay team was the same.

Maybe I am more patriotic than I would like to believe or show, maybe it just resides somewhere deep inside and it only comes out when it is pushed. Maybe having a father who cheers Brazil at the World Cup, Spain at the Euros, Man Utd in the Premier League, and whoever he has bet on in any other sport, has led to me being just as confused about my roots. The Olympic managed to bring everybody together. It felt a bit like one of our family parties actually. Everybody has their quirks, their differences, but never let that get in the way of a bloody good do. If you don’t like German people, then go to Oktoberfest in the next few weeks, and a bit like the Mo Farah moments, I defy anybody to come back with a negative experience. And if you don’t like me or my blog, then I invite you to a family BBQ next summer...there’s just something special about bringing people together and having a good time – regardless of where you’re from or what team you support.

Sportingly Random

I was hoping that this blog would get written a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve since learning that blog posts don’t write themselves. My first in August…I am officially a disgrace. A couple of my favourite sports writers, Steve Kim of Maxboxing and Peter King of SI, write some of their thoughts in brief flurries and bullet points….and I like it. Sometimes better than just read long sentences, simple as that. Here goes with some of my random thoughts on sport.

I think that the cancellation of UFC 151 is a dark day for MMA. In a nutshell, the challenger in the title fight got injured, the Champion refused to face another guy put forward, and the UFC cancelled the show. I would have been fuming if I was attending and had flights and hotel booked. Fortunately, that cancellation means Jon Jones is going to fight on the Toronto card in September that I may just be going to. Despite any good fortune for me, I am going to boo him. If you want to read more about it, this is the best balanced piece I have read on it all.

I think that Fernando Torres is going to have a fantastic season. Chelsea will play to his style and strengths now Drogba and Anelka are out of the way, and I think it will pay dividends.

I think that I am not late in predicting anything NFL with the season starting in one week. I find predicting a Superbowl winner to be pretty tough as so much is dependent on injuries in this sport, but my tip for surprising outsiders? The Kansas City Chiefs.

I think that sadly, as much as people have made an effort to publicise and promote the Paralympics, very few people will realise it is happening on their doorsteps. Hopefully a couple of British stars will somehow emerge and that will just spark some interest.

I think that if you were not aware, the Football Association have spent £120m on a brand new National Football Centre in Burton-upon-Trent….and it looks amazing. Whether it proves to be a success however depends on the people, the processes and the mentality…..and there is plenty of room for improvement in those areas.

I think that the last few days of the transfer window are going to be frenetic in England. The Euros delayed the market kicking off, but it is in full swing. I am expecting two more Everton signings to put a smile on my face….and yes, I’ll be pressing refresh on my phone from Paris on Friday night and racking up my mobile phone bill.

I think I will be pretty annoyed if the NHL and the players do not resolve their issues and get this season going. Nothing good is going to come of it aside from some dollars being shifted in one direction from the other. Disillusionment among the fans is the most likely outcome, and particularly in those cities where they struggle for support as it is. Sort it out.

I think that Falcao is the best striker in world football right now. It is a matter of time before he moves (I heard he was linked with Chelsea today), and I would love to see him playing in England. If only Arsene Wenger and Arsenal would splash £40m on a player.

You Can Choose Your Friends....

I wake up on Monday morning a little confused. The surroundings are not home, but I have become used to that. The time is later than we usually wake - we are used to getting up at 6am and it is 8.30am. I have a dream in the back of my mind but it is taking me some time to piece it together in my confused state. It was a football dream. No surprise there. I was playing....I've still got enough energy to charge round a pitch so again, hardly a great surprise. I go to the bathroom, where much of my greatest thinking occurs. I am playing football, with some friends, enjoying the game, bending some free kicks like Beckham....and I am wearing high heels. All my team-mates are wearing high heels. And we are all guys.

Sometimes it is good to wake up, even if you are short on sleep. This was one occasion. Some things in life you choose. Some things are chosen for you and you play with the card you are dealt. This dream was dealt to me, and the only choice I have is to embrace the dream and hope and pray it was a one off.

It's a bit like the old saying about being able to choose your friends but not your family. I liken it also to how you begin supporting a team. Little Bobby never wanted to be a Leeds fan like the rest of his pals at school. They were in the second division at the time, while Everton were riding high. Not that it made much of a difference, as I would not have chosen Leeds any way, just to be awkward. I am not the kind of guy who likes to be different. I do have a track record of being awkward at times, and this was one of those moments.

There are two phrases that are used at Everton.....and they are cheesy as they come. 'Evertonians are born, not manufactured' and 'Once a blue, always a blue.' You often hear of people supporting one team during their early years and occasionally making a switch – that does not happen with Everton fans. You may switch to Everton, but you will not decide to shelve them and go for somebody else. It happens with other clubs and there is an example in my family. My cousin’s son TJ, whom you may know from the dance floor if you attended our wedding, used to be a Manchester United fan. I took him to Wembley in 2009 to watch Everton v Man Utd in the FA Cup semi-final, and before kick-off, he was wearing blue. That may have been something to do with being surrounded by hundreds of slightly tipsy singing Evertonians on the train, but he knew what was good for him. It may not have been the Leeds United his father would crave, but it is not Manchester United, which surely has to be a bonus living in Leeds. Anyhow, he is stuck with the Blues now, always a Blue.

So many of us choose a team when we are young and with twenty years hindsight, you wonder why you made the decision. Nobody has ever called me a glory supporter as it has been downhill ever since but that was in essence what it was with Everton dominating in the mid-eighties. Unfortunately, you can ditch your friends, you can change your car, but the team becomes part of the family and there is no escaping that even when times are bad.

Another season is coming to a close and another season of raised hopes but inevitable disappointment for my boys. It is looking like a seventh place finish which on the face of it is a fantastic finish with the resources we had available and the circumstances faced. It may end up being one place higher than those in red, and if it does, that will be a small consolation. It could have been better, but it could have been much worse.

I finished a fantastic book last week called the GM by Tom Callaghan. It gave great insight to the role of the General Manager at an NFL team. Effectively, he is the only guy in the teams that must think long and short term. He makes the calls on player recruitment, and always has an eye on the long term development of the team. Some are good, some are bad as in any sport. At Everton, we are lucky, to have had a great manager for over ten years now who has had the possibility to consider long and short term. That is not the case for so many other managers and coaches who change clubs with such frequency, that long term planning is impossible. It is a serious flaw in the game, particularly English football. You have the guy whose future depends on the next few results, signing players on four or five year contracts – where is the logic? I do not suspect it will change as it is certainly endemic in English football, and these things take years and decades to change. Heck, even heels may be adopted before that happens.

Some clubs have tried to bring the role in, with Liverpool being the most recent team. They fired Damien Comolli a month ago after it was deemed that his methods of player recruitment had proven unsuccessful. No surprise that it was American owners that brought him in, but even they may have realised that it is difficult to adapt to. The other side to the logic is that you are asking a coach to coach players that he may not want or like. Maybe in that sense, it is better to stick to tried and trusted method that has existed for years. It will likely lead to mistakes proving extremely costly, (Andy Carroll any one?) but the truth is that those kinds of mistakes still happen where GMs are in place (Albert Haynesworth perhaps?).

When I was younger I remember reading a story about a child who tried divorcing her parents – a pretty radical idea at the time, and still is really. It got me thinking that perhaps you can indeed have some choice in your family. I must admit that it did cross my mind once or twice when I was in trouble, but it is fair to say that it was nowhere near as much as my parents wishing they could divorce me no doubt. I liken the role of parents to that of the GM – they have to have the long term development and perspective in mind, but they have to get through the next day and week with the kids. A bit like supporting Everton, you may have fleeting thoughts of divorcing them too when they lose a key semi-final against the enemy, but they are part of the family, and regardless of the options that exist in different colours, you’re ultimately stuck with them. You can choose your friends, but not your team, nor your dreams.

Neck on the Line

It is that time of year when I am prepared to put my neck on the line and make some outrageous sporting predictions for 2012. I think I did it a month earlier last year – but it has been a hectic start to the year with the launch of a new project that I am working on. And that new project is related to the subject of this blog and making predictions, and collecting and analysing data and events in sport (largely football). The company is called Onside Analysis (www.onsideanalysis.com) and I am working with a former Smartodds colleague, Dave Hastie…..exciting times but plenty of hard work ahead. A small part of the website and work is blogging, so I will be splitting my time between blogging for the Onside Analysis website, and Random Writing, but fear not, I shall continue to blog on here for all two of my loyal readers.

So without further ado, here goes with my thoughts and predictions for the year ahead.

Euro 2012 – I am not particularly throwing a huge outsider into the mix with this one, but I strongly like Germany to win the Euro this time round. At 100% fitness and form, I would go with Spain every time, but that is not going to happen. I cannot help but feel that Barca’s success in recent seasons is taking its toll on them and in turn on the national team. David Villa is already ruled out, and there are serious concerns over Xavi. He will be used sparingly between now and then with Guardiola preserving him for Champions League games now that the league race is pretty much over. Form is another issue – Fernando Torres. Don’t think I need to say much more. I could throw discipline and Gerard Pique out there right now, but that will resolve itself. The number of Clasicos could also bite them in the butt. On the flipside, the Germans are a hungry young team with plenty to prove, and for the first time in a long time, possessing some serious flair in the side.

Boxing – The world awaits for Floyd and Manny to get it on. I thought we were close for this May, but dreams were dashed once again. Well, Floyd is going to prison that is one thing that is certain. Beforehand, he faces Miguel Cotto in May and I think he will outclass him easily enough. Manny is up against Timothy Bradley and I have a feeling that Bradley is going to surprise him and dash any hopes of the dream fight somewhere down the line. Mayweather will continue to fight, continue to get $20m+ per fight even when he gets out of the nick, and will eventually retire unbeaten.

Stanley Cup – I would love nothing more than to see a NY Rangers or a San Jose get to the Stanley Cup Finals but I am going with the tried and trusted. This is something of a filthy prediction but this is going Boston/Detroit in my mind. I am hoping the Sens or the Leafs can keep hold of their playoff spots – and then I’ll be betting against both of them when they get there!

Premier League – I think this is going to go all the way to the wire, or at least the third to last game of the season when City host United. I think Man Utd have won the league in the last couple of seasons by being the best of the worst – I think this time they fall just short to City. The fixtures possibly just favour Man Utd, but I think it comes down to that one game, and I can see City edging it. I think Utd take the Europa League.

London 2012 – No specific predictions here apart from I recall from Vancouver how much pressure the Canadian athletes felt particularly at the start of the competition. Expectations were high, and media attention was huge – an early medal will calm everybody and the sooner it happens for a British athlete in London, the better it will be for all. I am not confident expectations will be met however.

Champions League – The Special One has imprinted his style on Real Madrid and he has the squad and lead in the league to focus on their bid for their 10th Champions League trophy. This could be quite an open UCL season and it would not surprise me if one of the Italian teams went far this season. I do however just see Barca falling short this time. Bayern may also come close for this one, but I’m edging Real as they are finally playing the way Jose wants them to and they are looking strong.

FA Cup – It pains me to say this and this is filthier than my Stanley Cup prediction but I can see a Cup double for the team that plays in Red on Merseyside. I am super excited about my team’s chances, but losing Landon Donovan and with Steven Pienaar being cup-tied, we lose a huge amount of creativity, and I think we will find it tough against Sunderland. I hope and pray that I am wrong, but I can see ‘them’ winning it this year.

UFC – Not easy making predictions too far in advance for the UFC such is the nature of the sport, but the fight I am most looking forward to is Anderson Silva v Chael Sonnen which is scheduled for June 16th in Brazil. I think Anderson finishes him early this time round. UFC 146 at the end of May also has a peach of a fight – Alistair Overeem v Junior dos Santos…..it will be immense. I give Junior the edge here as I question Overeem’s character in and outside the Octagon.

I think I need a shower after some of those picks.

Sporting Roots

Anybody who vaguely knows me, knows that I am particularly passionate about sport. Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I have been a staunch Everton fan and most folks who cross my path are aware of this. Whether you went to school with me and no doubt abused me frequently, somebody I worked with and no doubt abused me, or you’re a family member or friend and have no doubt abused me, you’ll know who my team is and you will know how passionate I am about them despite all the abuse and poor performances. Randomly, two people recently called me a glory supporter – not many Evertonians can be accused of that, but it is true. I started supporting them in the mid-eighties when they were at the peak of European football. It’s been downhill ever since.

Among my first memories was Diego Maradona in 1986 and I was instantly fixated with him and the game. The truth is that it was always inevitable that I would work in sport, study sport, love watching sport, read about sport, live sport. From as early as I can remember, sport was on our television. It could have been tennis, it could have been NFL, you name it, we watched it. It was the same 25 years ago, and it is just as prevalent now if you show up at my parents’ house. Dad worked evenings and weekends, so we spent a lot of time growing up under the auspices of my mum – thankfully for Junior Bobby, Kath loved watching sports and it all grew from there.

As an eight-year-old, I can vividly recall getting a book for my birthday on the rules of NFL, which I recited and learned as I watched the game. Watching was not always possible – bed times as a child can be terribly restrictive especially when you’ve never been a great sleeper and I would listen to the radio coverage of the NFL quietly in my room – half listening to the radio and half listening for the creeks of the staircase. Of course, that was assuming my sister didn’t grass me up.

Dad has always enjoyed watching sports but for a slightly different reason. If he has a bet on a snail race and it is televised, he’ll be flicking the channels trying to find coverage. That is no doubt why I always had an attraction to data and betting, even if I fell into my role with Smartodds.

When HJ lived in Calgary and I spent a lot of time over there, I heard about this new device which allowed you to watch television over the internet if you had it connected to a cable/sky box and the internet. The Slingbox was to become a lifesaver on my travels. I picked one up in Calgary, took it back to the UK and connected it to mum and dad’s television. I had hit the jackpot. The issue with the Canadian box in the UK was that one feature did not work – the remote control – so for a good few years, if I wanted to watch something, I would call or text my folks asking them to change channel. They bought me a UK one last year and I can now change it myself – I can only apologise to them and my niece and nephew who are frequently disturbed by Scooby Doo being interrupted by Uncle Rob who wants to watch a random cricket game even though I am a ninety minute flight away. No wonder kids believe in magic.

I love my parents for many reasons and in many ways, but their love of sport and how it rubbed off on to me, along with a number of other characteristics goes a long way to explaining me. A good friend of ours often reminds me of how he watched the Stanley Cup Final with my mum from a hotel in Cologne as I drifted asleep for a period and Mum, watching at home, and him watching on my laptop via the slingbox, stayed the course at 4am. How many parents stay up til 4am to watch a Hockey match? HJ is in Innsbruck this week and I have stayed up til 3.30-4am every night watching Hockey or NFL. So if you wonder why I may be a little abnormal in doing so, look no further than my Mum.

It is funny how those kind of Stanley Cup moments stay with you and always will. In the last few years, I’ve attended a considerable number of sporting events, and I have tried wherever possible to take my parents to them. Christmas and Birthday presents are never easy these days – it’s fair to say that the culture nowadays is that we buy something if we need it. Given that they are sport fans, I like to give them ‘moments’ and ‘memories’ as gifts. Maybe it is an excuse for me to go also, I won’t lie! But more than anything, it’s my way of thanking them for instilling my passion for sport. I’m banking on neither of them reading this blog, but I’m looking forward to the next one I have lined up if I can somehow pull it off.

What if....

Whenever I fly to the UK, I invariably hire a car to get to wherever I am going. This Xmas, I was slow in booking and most companies were sold out apart from Dollar Thrifty, who have made it to Heathrow and are temporarily using a hotel car park….not the most glamorous of HQ’s but given what I paid compared to other companies, I could not complain.

It was the first time I rented from them, and it may be the last. It was awesome to get a brand new Golf, which was a great drive. Aside from a technical issue (the petrol cap was jammed shut!), it was a pleasant experience. My frustration with this one was over one of these cheeky clauses inserted.

A couple of years ago, car hire companies introduced an idea where you could buy a tank of fuel in advance and bring it back empty, or bring it back full. If you bought the tank in advance, you pay something like ten pence less than at the pumps...which sounds like a good deal. However, that is reliant on taking it back empty or as close as possible to empty. I always go for the 'fill the tank myself' option as it generally is cost effective – it is not easy to judge the miles per gallon/litre in a car you have never driven before.

Dollar insisted that it was a clause in the contract so I had no choice with this one for the first time ever. Therefore, that set me a challenge of taking the car back as empty as possible. I had to top it up with £20 to get down to London for my meeting and then I had a drive to my Heathrow hotel. When I packed up, the gauge was just above zero and the counter told me I had 5 miles left of petrol. The car rental place showed as 1.9 miles away which I had to drive in the morning. I went to bed wondering if I should take the chance and try leave the car virtually empty of petrol.

When I switched the car on the next morning, I lost my bottle when it said 0 miles to go on the petrol and I decided to pull into the petrol station close by. I added £3 of petrol. Who adds £3 of petrol? I was pretty sheepish paying, I can tell you that! Still, I refused to leave much in the tank.

After dropping the car off, I was wondering what if I had taken the chance and not topped it up, would I have got to the rental place? Would I have been spluttering down the road, coming to an eventual stop, then running a mile back to the petrol station, or even worse, pushing the car to the rental place? Given that I was so determined to leave it empty, I would like to think I would have pushed it the rest of the way out of spite, but I know deep down, that I would have been red-faced at pushing a petrol-free car into the car park. Who knows what would have happened. Had I not had a flight to catch, I may well have taken the risk, but it wasn’t the time nor the place.

I have written a number of times in the past about making decisions in my life, just as we all do. What if the Headmaster at John Smeaton did actually decide to expel me as he promised if I didn’t tell the truth about a misdemeanour? What if I decided to go to Durham University instead of Liverpool which I chose so I could see my beloved Everton each week? I do occasionally wonder what would have happened if I had not taken the £10k per year job at the Press Association when I left university and done something that I didn’t enjoy but was closer to my salary dreams. I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had not decided to do the Master. Life would have taken a whole different shape and direction. I have no real idea and in all honesty, none of it really matters. It is nothing more than intrigue as I would not change any of it. Regrets are overrated. Even if I wish I had somehow managed to get that car back to Dollar Thrifty without a cent of petrol inside.

Dying in the Wool

You are sat at the blackjack table and you have 13 in your hand. The dealer has 5. The correct thing to do is to stick with what you have, but sticking with 13 feels filthy. It is the sensible thing to do however, and that is what the book tells you to do. Assuming nobody is fiddling the cards, that’s another blog for another day, you are playing percentages and there is nothing you can do that will affect the outcome of which cards will be turned over. The only decision is whether you take the next card, or you leave it to the dealer. It is one of those situations where you will likely be left kicking your heels if you hand the dealer the six, but when the two Queens come, you sit there smugly knowing you made the right call. Losing and still knowing you made the right call is a small consolation, but you know it is the line you should continue to follow.

I have had a lot of random thoughts and discussions recently about a variety of things which have had me thinking about how I approach certain things and even as I write, I know what the right things to do are, but I don’t always do them.

My beloved Everton are going through something of a crisis right now. Average results to start the season and selling some key players in the squad and not replacing them, have led to ever growing dissatisfaction amongst the natives. To say they are restless is an understatement and the anger towards the chairman and board is reaching a head. If we win games and beat Liverpool tomorrow, everybody will forget the problems and rejoice. That is unlikely to happen, and so the deafening minority will continue to hammer Bill Kenwright and company.

I have always sympathised with Kenwright and I like him as a person. I have had a couple of conversations with him and always found him to be genuine and a good guy. Sadly, the time has come for him to make way – if and when somebody else comes in with the money. I am left in a situation where I like the guy and what he has done for the club, but I know that my team are slowly dying a death until there is significant investment in the club. I read the message boards and I hear the abuse in the stadium, and it will be these people who ultimately force the change at the club. It is sad, and I cannot bring myself to participate or speak up, but I have a feeling deep down that it is needed.

I have had similar discussions with my family about England recently. I admit that I am not particularly patriotic – that may be due to a confused heritage of English, Spanish and Brazilian. Anybody would be. When I see the rioting on television, it embarrasses me. When I watch Leeds Utd v Man Utd and all I hear is Leeds fans singing songs about the Munich air disaster and Man Utd fans celebrating the death of a couple of Leeds fan in Istanbul by wearing Turkish shirts and unfurling huge banners, I cringe. The first thing I will say is that stuff like this happens in many other countries – this is far from an England beatdown. But it is where I am from, and it is not something I am proud about.

HJ and I had a small wedding celebration for all of our family who did not attend our wedding in Canada a couple of weeks ago. The chap in the flower shop was talking about litter and how it is a real issue for him when he sees people blatantly throw litter on the floor. Don’t ask me how we got on to the conversation. He said that any time he sees somebody doing it, he taps them on the shoulder and says ‘Excuse me mate, I think you have dropped something!’

It got me thinking about the role I play when I see and hear things like this happening. In general, if it directly impacts me, I would do something about it. If it is something that I witness passively, while I may not be happy about it, I turn a blind eye and avoid potential confrontation. It is not the right card to play, but in this day and age, it can often be the safest one. I know that one person is not going to change the way a significant group of people chant at a football match. But I do know that until people, myself included, do confront such situations, nothing is going to change.

I feel like that is the general situation in England right now regarding a whole range of issues. We are incredibly lucky to live in Switzerland. There are plenty of problems in Switzerland also – who ever thought an impenetrable Swiss bank could be hit by a rogue trader? It is not pleasant waking up to see your own bank hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons. That said, there are a lot of things they get right and it is a decent place to live. There are quite a few family members who would have moved to another country if the circumstances were right. I am the only one that has. I wonder how many of my old schoolmates, colleagues, friends have moved away or think of moving abroad. How many of us strive to find something better or do we just put up with what we have through a fear of changing or because we simply just do not know that there is something better out there?

I fear for what the UK will look like in 20 years time. Are the economic problems, the social problems, the education problems so deeply ingrained now that it will take 20-30 years to change them? I don’t know, but I am not hopeful. Protesting and rebelling may be the best way forward as long as it is done in the correct manner. I do not have a great deal of confidence in Politicians – but again that is for another blog and another day. The same situation at Everton – I don’t like what so many are doing but similarly, change will be forced for good or for bad. If not, the situation remains the same and a slow painful death is inevitable. I just hope it is done in the right way. If I had been at that Leeds/Man Utd game, I would likely have kept quiet despite vehemently being opposed to such comments.

Unfortunately, I am no protester, even if I know I should do more and I guess I take the easy way out. I pick my right fights, and I avoid getting into losing battles. I guess not all situations in life have a guide book telling you how you should play your cards, but I’ll be the first to buy it if it does come out.

Ring of Truth

Many sport stars are given an unfair reputation for being slightly thick at times. There are actually plenty of bright and intelligent athletes and players but make no mistake, there are loads of muppets. A classic example today. Florent Malouda took around three minutes to remove his wedding ring in the first half of the game and had to stay off the pitch until he could get it off. Had Everton scored during that period and I was Carlo Ancelotti, I would have been absolutely furious with Malouda. Rules prohibiting jewellery on the football pitch are hardly new – heck I remember it being one of the first things I was told when I was a junior. As you can see in the picture, front row second from the left, no sign of any rings or necklaces on junior Bobby….just a goofy Everton sweatband.

It also reminded me of one of the funniest comments I have heard while working on a Champions League game. On the morning of all matches in UEFA competitions, an organisational meeting is held between officials and team representatives. One of the instructions from the referee is to ask the representatives to remind their players that jewellery on the pitch is forbidden. The referee at one particular game asked the club representatives to tell the players to just think of it as going to a nightclub and that should help them remember to take their rings off!

I have mentioned in a previous blog that I would hate to be a referee and I have absolute respect for those that do it. I have met a fair few referees and I have yet to come across a bad guy. Seeing them after the games is a real eye opener in that they are physically and mentally more drained than the players. I love having a degree of intensity and pressure in my daily life, but every decision they make is under huge scrutiny and they are only human after all….despite what people say. Knowing you are going to have a coach hammering you after the match, fans screaming obscenities at you during the game, and if you read the newspapers or the internet, you may well be the headline act….that cannot be easy. What does not help is players blatantly trying to cheat, being disrespectful and vehemently complaining about things when so many times they are in the wrong. I would have loved to have seen what would have happened had Everton scored when Malouda was off the pitch and he would have had nobody to blame other than himself.

Eyes Wide Shut

Football is great and I love it. I am talking about real football, not the egg-shaped football that some claim to be the real football. I love NFL, but football edges it just. It has been an interesting week or so in football. Despite Everton’s poor result against West Ham taking the gloss off an otherwise fascinating week of football, there have been some great developments in football and the next week is another hugely anticipated week.

What am I talking about? The transfer window! This time of year, along with the summer, is when every football fan wakes up in the morning, and scours his newspaper and the internet to see which players are being linked with their team. First port of call – the BBC Gossip Column. I would love to know the number of hits they receive on this one page, and I’ll bet it is up there with their most popular pages at this time of year. Then I’ll put Sky Sports News on – if my boys have signed somebody, I will hear about it there first.

I am an Everton fan in case you were not aware. They are skint. They have less than zero money. That is not a good situation to be during the transfer window. There is a far greater chance of one of our players being signed by another team, than us signing somebody and that is not a nice situation to be in. Yet, I still for some unknown reason check the Gossip column and all the fan websites wanting to get a sniff of who we might be signing. We have lost Pienaar and Yakubu this transfer window, yet for some inexplicable reason, I hold out hope that we are going to make a signing of the century and it will propel us up the league.

There is no logic to that at all, but how many people do the same? My guess is a huge percentage of fans in England especially. The media sell transfer stories and speculation to us to sell their newspapers or boost their viewers. This was more common in Spain and Italy historically with teams like Real Madrid deliberately feeding information to Marca to keep their profile at the forefront, unsettle players they are interested in, and to claim an interest in another player when they are bargaining with one club for a different one and trying to force the asking price down.

England and the Premier League has gone one step ahead now. The transfer window was hardly greeted with delight when it first came into action as newspapers had months in which to make up ludicrous transfer stories when general news was quiet. That has all changed now and the media have clearly seen a niche and they put huge resources into promoting it now. Wait until transfer Deadline Day and see what I mean. It is actually pretty enticing stuff – watching SSN or surfing the internet to get all the latest rumours and gossip. Sadly for me, that is what they will likely remain, rumours and gossip. But I will hold out hope until the door shuts. Somehow, hopes and dreams across the world have been raised artificially, and then that big door just slams shut. For most fans, it will close with disappointment after a month of hope and optimism, all of which has magically been generated by the media.

I am not criticising it, I enjoy it as much as anybody. It is just an amazing phenomenon which has developed in the last few years. I shall be tuning in on Transfer Deadline Day waiting to see who my boys will be ‘close’ to signing, who they just missed out on, and who they wanted but could not agree a deal for.

The Blues and the Bees

Tuesday night was a pretty special evening for me as Brentford played Everton in the Carling Cup at Griffin Park. To most people, it sounds pretty unglamorous and it was on the whole, but special nonetheless. It was a slightly surreal evening as the team I have supported since 1985 were up against the Bees, where I was a Director on the Board for three years.

I flew back to the UK for the game, and a reasonably unpleasant dental appointment, and it was a fantastic evening. Sadly, the Toffeemen’s woes continue and they were beaten on penalties. It was another pretty poor performance in truth and while they were the better side, the Bees missed a penalty. David Moyes has a fair task on his hands to get this season turned around pretty swiftly. All pretty disappointing from that perspective, but on the flip-side, it was A the Carling Cup and B. there is no other team I would rather my boys be giant-killed by than the Bees. At this point, I should go on about the Cup being a Mickey Mouse competition and nobody being interested in it…..

The atmosphere was fantastic – understandably as this was a huge game for Brentford and Everton brought 2,000 of the 9,000 fans down for this one. In a stadium of just over 10,000, it was almost a sell out and it made for a close intimate atmosphere. Seeing what it meant to the fans and the directors was great. Having been on the board, I know just how important these kind of games are to a club the size of Brentford – every year we prayed that the team could get to the stages of the cup where the Premier League teams joined the competition and that we would draw them for the financial windfall that comes. Beating one of them is all the sweeter – even a diehard Evertonian can appreciate that.

Returning to Griffin Park certainly brought back plenty of memories. It was the first time in 16 months since I resigned from the board that I was going back – and needless to say, I received some glory hunter comments. How anybody can call an Everton fan a glory supporter is beyond me, but I take the point! It also allowed me to see some familiar faces and catch up with two old friends – and I’ll emphasise the old PW, I now know you read my blog!

People often ask me how it was being on the board of a football club. I often say it is far from being as glamorous as it sounds. I suspect being on the board of a top Premiership team has slightly more glamour about it, though I suspect Bill Kenwright and Sir Philip Carter were not thinking that last night. For me, my three years at the club were generally quite passive and I spent most of my BFC time observing protecting the interests of the person I was representing on the board rather than playing a hugely active role. Given I had little time outside of work and commuting, this was my main priority, but it was an incredible learning experience. One which I certainly would not have gone through had it been a Premier League club and one which I would not take back at all. From onions on the burgers to what happens on the pitch, I was exposed to everything. Of course, everybody is most interested in the football side of things, the team, the transfers – everybody playing the role of manager and offering their views on who we should buy, sell, start and drop.

When I joined the club, they were going through a pretty severe rough patch having sold several key players to balance books and replacing them with cheap alternatives. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t work. Things have improved in the last 18 months however since they have received investment. I also note quite a shift in perspective from the fans too – not just from last night, but on the message boards and forums I read. There is much more positivity around and less focus on wanting to shoot the directors. I was always pretty fireproof given that I was representing the main investor at the club, but I was always a little taken aback at some of the criticism some fellow Directors received. Having gotten to know them on a personal level, it was tough to understand – regardless of mistakes being made, there is not a bad person among the current crew with all of them having BFC at heart. I was delighted for them after the game, they deserve it for the time and money they put into the club – with never a hope of getting any of it back out.

Even after the nine hours sleep in the last two days, the toothache, two delayed flights and a miserable loss, I’ve enjoyed the journey and I am pleased for the Brentford boys. Hopefully the result for both teams will spark them in the league where both are in a similar situation and need to improve. The next game cannot come quick enough for Everton and me.

Bouncebackability

One trait among athletes and in people in general that I admire the most, is the ability to hold it together psychologically when things are going tough and to fight back. The team that is losing and fights back to get a result, the boxer who has been whipped for 11 rounds and knocks his opponent out in the 12th, the guy down the street who has been diagnosed with cancer and fights through it and survives. The problem however was how to describe the process without too many words – there was no particular adjective to explain it.

A couple of years ago, a new word was introduced into the English dictionary following a campaign on Soccer AM – one of my favourite television shows – and it finally filled the void. Bouncebackability was born.

This was no more evident than on Saturday when HJ and I were on Merseyside for Everton v Man Utd. My boys played quite well apart from some comedy defensive moments, largely due to a poor performance from Sylvain Distan. 3-1 down with only injury time remaining, the Blues somehow managed to bounce back and score two goals in the 92nd and 93rd minutes to draw 3-3. The whole place erupted…or so we heard. I am not proud of this, in fact I am ashamed, but I insisted that we leave on 90 minutes. I was fighting off a cold, and was fed up at 3-1 and figured the boys had no chance with Utd in control of the game. It’s a rule I have always abided by – never leave before the final whistle. However, over the last couple of years, with a fairly fast paced lifestyle, I have developed a rule – I will leave on 90 minutes if there is a difference of two goals or more. Well it well and truly bit my butt this time, and we were victims of a severe case of Bouncebackability.

We experienced another example of Bouncebackability recently. My adorable little niece Mia had her first day at school around ten days ago. The little monkey was so excited about her first day and was having a great first day until she fell off the climbing frame and broke her collarbone. She had a rough day and a half, but then she just seemed so positive and brave about it all. Granted, she was enjoying a sweet and ice cream diet, but I was amazed at how she dealt with it all. She was on good form and she had the ability to bounce back amazingly well. I guess kids have greater recovery powers – I don’t think I would have been so lively as she was.

I would hazard a guess that anybody who has seen the show Soccer AM knows all about Bouncebackability. I would also guess that most folks here in Switzerland and anywhere else outside of the UK have never heard of it. Well, now is the time to adopt it. Throw it into a conversation when appropriate and spread the word.

Growing Pains

One of the things I look forward to the most, after my early season football enthusiasm has died down, (and trust me, it was shot down in flames on Saturday), is spending time with my niece and nephew. I probably see them on average about once a month, and it is amazing to see the difference in them each month. My niece is four and my nephew is going on seven months. Seeing how they grow physically is amazing. There are obvious signs such as a random tooth emerging in Max’s mouth, or Mia’s hair growing ridiculously long, but just seeing them change is amazing.

More so than the physical side, I love to see how they develop psychologically. Mia never fails to make me laugh with some random comment she comes out with and it always amazes me how she can be so savvy at such an age.

That and a conversation I had last weekend made me wonder what moments and experiences we have as children impact you as an adult. The common view is that children learn at a much faster rate than adults and can absorb more in their memories. I am sure that is related more to alcohol consumption personally, but that too is generally related to age.

When I was a child, there were two main incidents that stand out to me and reflect certain things now. The first one was when I was about four years old at my Auntie Francis’ house. Me and my sister were playing in the car park and as I ran around the side of a car, a pitbull flew around the side and hit me front on and sent me flying. It barked and snarled and little Bobby was flat on his back and petrified. It took a long while until I became comfortable with dogs, and even now when I see my lady so natural with them, I know I am not so at ease with them as others even if I am improving.

The second experience was part of the conversation last weekend. When I was eight years old, we went on a family holiday to Ibiza. Now, this was not clubbing Ibiza, and I was only seven, but maybe I just fancied myself as a lady’s man more at that stage than ever after. We met a lovely family and I took a shine to one of the daughters who was about 15. Anyhow, I never liked sunbathing and I never liked swimming or getting wet much – baths and washing were overrated in those days. So little Bobby used to sit in 25c temperatures by the pool, fully dressed – trainers, jeans, the lot. My dad thought it would be hilarious to pick me up and launch me into the water with my clothes and shoes on. I can still picture to this day being under the water for what felt like an eternity and gasping for the surface. Reality is, it was probably about 5 seconds if that, but for a kid who was not comfortable in water, could not swim and drank half of the pool, it seemed far longer. Add to that, little Bobby’s pride was notably damaged at being humiliated in front of this Kylie Minogue lookalike, it was not a highlight in my career. I can swim now and if you threw me in the middle of the Atlantic or Lake Geneva, I’d sure as hell give it my best shot of staying afloat and moving somewhere. It is far from my comfort zone however. Maybe it made me shy in front of ladies too.

So I always wonder what my niece and nephew take in their young lives that they will remember and what impact it will have on them when they grow up. When I took my nephew to the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley 16 months ago, seeing his enthusiasm and awe during that day will stay with me forever. I enjoyed that as much as my boys beating Man Utd that day….probably knowing that that is a moment he will remember for the rest of his life. Funnily enough, I probably wouldn’t switch those swimming pool and pitbull experiences for a Wembley day now. For sure the Wembley day is pretty darn cool, but I guess they all shape who we are. Ask my sister, the pitbull day is probably one of the best moments of her life, so the pain is probably worth it. I guess it is all about sharing them with folks we care about.

Blackburn v Everton

Blackburn v Everton – 14th August, 2010

Everton Squad: Howard, Mucha, Turner, Neville, Hibbert, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Yobo, Heitinga, Baines, Rodwell, Osman, Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Bilyaletdinov, Gueye, Fellaini, Saha, Vaughan, Yakubu, Beckford

Absentees: Anichebe (Injury), Joao Silva, Agard, Baxter, Mustafi (Not Selected)



Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Tim Howard, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman were all away with their countries this week and returned with from international duty with no injuries reported. Howard travelled to New Jersey in the States and Billy played in Russia so those were the two who travelled furthest. Howard starts for sure, Billy perhaps not. Given the travel, his average form in pre-season, I think Moyes goes with Pienaar and Osman down the wings. The relationship with Pienaar seems reasonable still – we will hopefully avoid a repeat of the Lescott situation of last summer where Moyes excluded him.

Tim Cahill has a slight knee issue but he is expected to play. It was a bonus that the Australian coach left him out of their friendly and I would expect him to start this game just behind Louis Saha. Some fans have shown preference to Beckford being given a start but I consider that highly unlikely. Given the opposition also, Saha is the best option here and I am fairly certain he will get the nod.

Fellaini and Heitinga are in the squad despite limited training. I would be surprised to see both of them start this game. If anything, I think Moyes will leave both on the bench and uses Phil Neville as a defensive midfielder or will sit Jack Rodwell in there. With Neville in that position potentially, I think Tony Hibbert plays at right-back. I have wondered in the last few weeks whether we will see Moyes take a punt and go with the impressive Seamus Coleman. If the game was at Goodison, then possibly so but I cannot see that happening today. One minor thing to note, and there may be nothing to it but Neville is listed among the defenders in the squad announced on the website – almost sure to be nothing in that, but it would be no surprise if he starts at RB and Rodwell or Heitinga at CM.

Expected XI

Howard

Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines

Neville

Osman, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar

Saha


Prediction

I strongly like the look of Everton here. Against the likes of Blackburn and Bolton, I feel that they suit us well in the sense that we can match them physically, but we have greater quality and technique to make the difference. Blackburn will be highly motivated and ready for this one – I just feel that the Blues will have too much for them. The emphasis all summer has been on making a fast start to the season and they will feel that this is a winnable game for them. The feel-good factor is there from Arteta pledging his future with the club and despite the poor performance and result against Wolfsburg, the spirit is high. This will not be an easy game, but I expect a draw at minimum, and I think they can edge this game.

Is The Grass Really Greener?

There have not been enough random thoughts recently – or certainly not enough that I have put down in writing so I am determined to produce more in the coming weeks – especially before the football season starts.

The best news of my summer, from a sporting perspective, was hearing that Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract at Everton. He had two offers from other clubs – clubs playing in European competitions, who undoubtedly offered more money than was on the table at Everton. For him to sign a new five-year deal with Everton was huge. In recent years we have lost some of our better players to teams with bigger budgets than us – Rooney and Lescott to name two – and who could blame them. Arteta’s deal signals a change in that and it is a key season for the club where there are actually some expectations on them for the first time in a long time.

Arteta’s decision seems increasingly rare in football these days. How many players turn down bigger money (he will be on big money at Everton regardless so he won’t be stacking shelves at Asda when he retires) and European competition to stay loyal to the club where he has made his name? The answer is not many. He would have contemplated what was on offer at the other clubs, and if his press conference after signing is to be believed, he has decided to stay at Everton as he has settled in the area and at the club, and is loved by team-mates and fans alike.

It is so easy to think that the grass is greener - something different, something new, or something else that somebody has is better than what you have. I think it is human nature. I wrote my blog regarding big decisions a few weeks back and I completely stand by that. Big decisions can also mean continuing doing the same, not always resulting in a change. Change is not always good, and recognising that is far from easy. I guess it comes down to an appreciation of what one has and what one knows, and clearly that is something that Arteta considered to be most important and the right thing for him.

It was only last weekend that I had this exact discussion with a good friend of mine. We spoke about Switzerland and if and when we decide to move on. It is easy to complain about the cost of beer, our jobs, the weather, travelling etc, but it is only when we think about the alternatives do we realise we have a pretty good gig going on. For me, the time I realise it most is when I go home to Leeds. That sounds awful and I do not mean it in that way. I love Leeds – the city not FC. It is purely when my friends and family ask what I have been up to, that I realise things are good. It is easy to dream about living in a country where a pint does not cost £5, where customer service and hospitality is excellent, and bureaucracy does not weigh you down. But flipping the coin and thinking of the positives of where you live, work, and friends you have, is just as important in realising that life is good. It is often said that you only realise how good something was when it has gone. I guess the secret is to take Arteta’s advice and recognise and enjoy what you have.