I was thinking of ‘Blogging Marcel Berlins’ explanation of why he supports Aston Villa Football Club before Norm tagged me about it. It contains possibly the ultimate middle-class football fan anecdote. 10 years old and fresh off the boat from France in South Africa, the lawyer-to-be chose to support Aston Villa because: “I knew what […]
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30Oct05 — 12
What Do You Give The Man Who Has Everything For His Twenty-First Birthday?
He’s educated, rich, famous, good looking, second in line to the throne of the fourth largest economy on the planet, and a large proportion of the female population under the age of forty would like to sleep with him. So naturally you buy him an Aston Villa season ticket. That’ll teach him the meaning of […]
Read More23Oct05 — 5
Senior Moment
In a way, I’m glad I don’t have proper Internet access. The BBC radio news yesterday evening was apocalyptically depressing. How much global death, disaster, and destruction is it possible to fit into one broadcast? Pakistan, Mexico, South-East Asia. The latest Economist—a journal not normally known for “quagmire” rhetoric—welcomes the Iraqi people’s recent vote on […]
Read More08Oct05 — 1
Sven Speaks
“Yes-erh, well-erh, I’m erhfraid we in Englanddd feerhl that-erh Austrierh arerh not yet-erh ready to be admitteddd to full-erh memberrrship of therh Worlddd Cup-erh Finalss. I’ddd alsso like to take thisss opp-erh-tunity to say ‘Heh‘. “By therh way, I very much lik-erh what you herhf done with yerh hair, young lady. Woulddd you be ffree […]
Read More04Oct05 — 13
Trainspotting. Really.
During the 80s, despite my father’s tribal loyalties lying further north, the Counsells had family membership of Leicestershire County Cricket Club. We would take a picnic and sit next to the sight screens. My mum fell in love with David Gower because he batted like a young god and his hair, curly and flashed with […]
Read More29Sep05 — 4
Off His Back
You don’t have to be an Aston Villa supporter—or even a football fan (not that the two things are necessarily related)—to appreciate the miserable poetry of this eBay item description. It’s of a Villa away shirt dating from about a year after I could last reliably name all the members of the first team. [via […]
Read More26Sep05 — 5
Wandering The Web
I spent the final three days of last week in a grant-writing binge: tapping at my keyboards in the early hours, making phone calls to Brighton, wading through artspeak, eating dodgy fast-food. Over the weekend I had a chance to perambulate properly in cyberspace. By following the ‘Blog aggregator of a friend I found an […]
Read More21Sep05 — 0
The Return Of Diana Gloria Salt
Watch out, Gloria‘s back—and she’s packing heat.
Read More14Sep05 — 0
Choice Quotes
Glenn McGrath: “I think I was saying 3-0 or 4-0 about 12 months ago, thinking there might be a bit of rain around. But with the weather as it is at the moment, I have to say 5-0.” Jeff Thomson: “England will lose the five-Test series 3-0 and the margin will be worse for them […]
Read More13Sep05 — 5
The Last Time England Had The Ashes…
…Tony Blair had a mullet.
Read More12Sep05 — 13
And So It Ends
A coloured guy, a lesbian, and a Jew settle down to enjoy a game of cricket… Before the great battle begins today I must remind you of what is at stake, not merely a century-old sporting trophy, but the pride of the English-speaking ‘Blogging world. …And the coloured guy says to the lesbian: This is […]
Read More11Sep05 — 5
The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance ‘Blogger
Late this morning: I’m out for a run when I overtake Leasey and companion as they stroll past one of the haunts of Cambridge’s surreal inner-city cow population. I pause long enough in my exertions for Leasey to give me a hug and tell me that she needs to take me shopping for some new […]
Read More28Aug05 — 7
Lucky, Lucky Bastards
That’s the trouble with Test Match Special: evocative commentary, unintentional innuendo, amusing anecdotes about furry-costumed Test Match attendees, bizarre guests (Bobby Charlton—what was that about?), occasionally slightly bonkers contributions from actual cricketers, but never searing analysis like that offered by Aussie Tony T at After Grog Blog: “Well, that’s it then, The Ashes are gone. Time […]
Read More26Aug05 — 6
Never Mind, Chaps, There’s Always A Chance Of Rain, What?!
Visiting Australian tourists consider volunteering to stand in for the guinea pigs: “Flintoff brought up his 50 with a six off Shane Warne and hit debutant Shaun Tait for three fours in one over.”
Read More24Aug05 — 5
Two Blogs On Cricket
normblog quoting C L R James: “[T]he bowler v batsman confrontation “reproduces the central action which characterises all good drama from the days of the Greeks to our own: two individuals pitted against each other in a conflict that is strictly personal but no less representative of a social group.” wongaBlog watching the game being […]
Read More07Aug05 — 7
The Tebbit Test
Cambridge Sony Shop. Saturday. Your host, Damian “Ebony’n’Ivory” Counsell, and a Sony employee of south Asian descent who’s darker than a sideboard are wincing at the fall of cheap England wickets in their second innings. Mr Sony even goes off on one about a particularly shoddy piece of umpiring in the Aussies’ favour. Meanwhile, all […]
Read More03Aug05 — 2
Further Insight Into The British Class System
Someone visited PooterGeek today having been referred here by a search [link not safe for work] on “yacht insurance dot uk dot com” for “spanking boys”.
Read More26Jul05 — 2
Clarifications
My last post was provoked by the continuing gloatiness of Australia’s cricket fans and it linked to a normblog post that looked suspiciously like an example of such behaviour. Truth was he was just being sarky so I’ve changed the link. My apologies to Norm, who isn’t a bad loser—though I very much hope that […]
Read More26Jul05 — 8
Yeah, But
One of the many reasons why it would have been satisfying to beat Australia in the first cricket Test at Lord’s is that they and their supporters are not just bad losers, but worse winners. Anyway, though we may field like astigmatics, Aussies are still crap at comedy.
Read More24Jul05 — 3
Hard Day At The Office, Dear?
Lance Armstrong has lost one testicle and parts of his brain to cancer. Despite this he seems likely to win his seventh consecutive Tour de France, a competition widely considered to be the greatest test of endurance in modern sport. Meanwhile his girlfriend has been in the studio complaining to Chrissie Hynde about how difficult […]
Read More12Jul05 — 15
Sky TV’s Advertising Agency Hires World’s Worst Copywriter
PooterGeekers of a grammatical disposition—Pashmina, Norm, Judith, my dad—should look away now. I cannot be blamed for any trauma you suffer by reading further. The Rock is a Cambridge sports pub. Still bolted over the main entrance to the venue is a rigid, commercially produced, full-colour banner. The banner promotes The Rock’s comprehensive Sky Sports […]
Read More18May05 — 2
A Great Escape
The Web is full of ordinary people from all over the planet whittering on about whatever they want to. Other people all over the planet can read their whitterings for next to nothing. Add a bit of peer review and you have a wonderful meritocracy of whittering. This account of West Bromwich Albion escaping relegation, […]
Read More16May05 — 4
Northern People Are So Cute
From BBC Sport: Cuban legend Kindelan had beaten Khan in the lightweight final in Athens, but he had no answer to the Briton in front of a passionate Bolton crowd. After a cagey opening, Khan exploded on to the offensive and showed brilliant hand speed to prevail 19-13 on points. … “I managed alright,” said […]
Read More13Apr05 — 6
Seeing Paris The Hard Way
Congratulations to Claire on completing her first marathon!
Read More15Mar05 — 1
One For My Dad
Via the redoubtable Tim Worstall (who graduated to the ‘Blogroll here yesterday—like he needs the hits), I discover that there’s a British cricket ‘Blog called The Corridor Of Uncertainty. I like that it has a “Cricket” subject category, presumably to mark out the posts about cricket.
Read More16Feb05 — 0
Class War: Two Things
Hot Wheels Helena did mention that my account of the boxing tournament between Cambridge students and residents might have given the impression that I didn’t have a good night out. I did, in fact, have an excellent time. She also mentioned that—further to my amusement at one of the university’s champions being called “Hugh”—she and […]
Read More09Feb05 — 0
Class War
Last Friday I went to the Cambridge Union Society to watch the Town versus Gown boxing. I should explain to non-Brits that the Cambridge Union is Cambridge University students’ debating chamber and cross-college social focus. Several members of the various Thatcher cabinets were elected officers at the Union when they were undergraduates. Friday night’s event […]
Read More06Feb05 — 0
In Installation Hell
I am quiet because I am busy fixing a computer. Sorry everyone. I did take a brief break on Friday evening. During that interval I watched two young women hit each other very hard in front of a baying mob—not on screen; in the flesh. Naturally I’ll ‘Blog that. In the meantime, please feel free […]
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