I am a Liverpool fan and have attended hundreds of matches over the years. I can still remember the first time I saw my team in 1977 and I always loved the excitement and atmosphere of the games. It is easy to get wrapped in proceeding s when it is your team on the pitch but can a game still be thrilling when it does not feature your team? Continue reading
As a youngster I always thought that as the years went by I would inevitably slow down and sport would become a thing of the past. In the event the opposite has happened and I am constantly tempted to try new things. Indeed my adventures seem to have become more and more ambitious as time goes by but as age takes its toll, learning new skills can be problematic. Continue reading
There was a time when the beginning of a new football season would fill me with excitement. I couldn’t wait to see which teams would dominate the league and I grew to know and love the players at the club I support which is Liverpool. This year I found myself simply thinking here we go again! These days I know that either Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City will win the league, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool will battle for the fourth spot, Everton will probably finish 7th and everyone else will be fending off the threat of relegation for most of the season. Continue reading
In any professional sport it is the fans who directly or indirectly fund the individuals and organisations concerned. Without the fans there is no professional sport so why does it always seem that they are the very last consideration in any decisions? I love sport and like so many others my ticket purchases, expenditure on merchandise and television subscriptions are underwriting my favourites. I would be happy with this situation if my wishes were considered but they are not. I am beginning to think that sports fans across the world should vote with their feet or rather the lack of them to engender a force for change. The 5th Ashes test of 2013 was the perfect illustration as to why. Continue reading
If you or a child have recently taken up dirt bike or motocross riding, then the sheer range of equipment and kit on the market can be mind-boggling. When you are new to the sport it can be difficult to work out what is an absolute essential, and what is just a “nice to have”. It is very easy to go out and blow thousands on gear you will never use, and will just gather dust until you stick it on Ebay and sell it for much less than you paid for it. So what is an essential and what is not? Continue reading
I have just taken up skiing and on my first trip I was astonished at how many people seemed to be more concerned with their personal appearance than improving their skiing. Admittedly most of the posers I saw could ski perfectly well and certainly better than I could, which wouldn’t be difficult, but they seemed more concerned with their fashion than their sporting ability. As they lounged around polishing their Ray-Bans I wondered if they were staring at me because I was wearing deeply uncool attire or because I had just dramatically face planted the snow for the umpteenth time! Continue reading
Many years ago I was working as a barmaid in a London pub. It wasn’t exactly party central as the average age of the clientelle was probably about 70 and my manager used to call the place the last bastion of the coffin dodgers. At least the place didn’t get too rowdy even at the weekends and my biggest issue was the constant agony of having to listen to a load of old blokes moaning about their aches and pains whilst drinking a lot of alcohol and doubtless making them much worse. My favourite customers were a pair of gentlemen who sat at the bar night after night baiting each other, usually about football. Continue reading
Supply and demand. It’s the mantra of commercialism and seems to rule our daily lives.
I wouldn’t say I’m a rampant leftie, infact quite the opposite. Democracy and private enterprise are as natural to me as breathing and eating, yet even I would be first to admit that there are certain things which modern commercialism has got drastically wrong. Chief amongst the massive problems created by our modern fast paced, consumerist culture is the management of our fish stocks and what the whole removal of our ‘hunter gatherer’ lifestyle is doing to our Planet and to us all as individuals.
I had long since been a fan of professional golf and had attended many tournaments but despite enjoying every minute I had never felt particularly strongly about any individual golfers. It didn’t really matter to me who eventually won the tournaments which took a bit of an edge away from proceedings. Then, one evening, I was watching an amateur competition on television and my attention was grabbed by a teenage golfer. My attitude to golf was about to change forever! Continue reading
If you or a member of your family does sport at any level, you’ll appreciate the amount of stuff which you need to cart around with you. Even a quick trip to the gym means a holdall filled with towel, change of clothes, toiletries and trainers, and for rugby matches or games of tennis you’ll have lots more to bring with you. For kids especially carrying huge amounts of equipment can cause them huge problems, so it makes sense to try and look for appropriate solutions. Continue reading