England Rugby in Turmoil Again

I had thought that I was far too busy to post anything at the moment but the mess that is the RFU and English rugby has prompted me to have another rant.

I have heard masses of criticism thrown at whoever it was that leaked the appalling stories about what went on in New Zealand. Martin Johnson has tried to say that it wasn't an accurate picture but I suspect that there is no smoke without fire!

The really important issue is why should it be wrong for someone to tell the truth. Our international players are no longer proud to wear the England shirt. Rugby is now as degraded as soccer has been for ages. All we can do is throw the lot out and start again. When I say throw the lot out I am talking about the RFU Executive, the management and players. We need a governing body that is actually capable of governing the game, a management that can create the right environment and players who actually want to play.

Only then will English rugby have any chance. It may take a long time but if we continue to apply the odd sticking plaster when something looks slightly wrong we won't really solve the problems.

I may detest everything about New Zealand rugby but at least they have a governing body with control and a vision!

England's failure

At a time like this when we have just been knocked out of the World Cup it is easy to think all of the worst things about English rugby. However, I always try to look on the bright side.

For the last 8 years English rugby really has stood still while the rest of the World has moved on so much. We won in 2003 at a time when we happened to have a good squad and the rugby in the other key nations was at a bit of a low. Since then there have been very few highs.

In 2007 we were frankly embarrassing but somehow got to the final so all was well with English rugby. This just papered over the cracks. If we had got further this time the same would have been true. So at least English rugby will have to ask itself some hard questions: why do we always assume that someone who was good in one role (Martin Johnson) is up to a completely different job? He was an inspirational captain but wouldn't recognise strategy if it landed on his nose. How can we make sure that the season in the Northern hemisphere is better structured? Where else in the World would you switch from one competition to another from week to week? Why do our clubs seem so keen to pay over the hill players from the Southern hemisphere so much rather than develop new talent? Why on earth do we keep picking Jonny Wilkinson just because he was the best player 8 years ago?

I really do hope that Wales now go all the way. If there had been a World Cup in the 1970s they would have surely won!!!

Why am I always too busy to blog?

When I made my first venture into blogging earlier in the year I was full of good intentions and was going to try to blog every day. Somehow this didn't happen and I now blog less often than I go to the gym!!!

I suspect that this is an example of something that always happens when we start something new. We are full of enthusiasm in the first few weeks and then the novelty of whatever it is just starts to wear off. My experience of blogging has been a bit like that.

Mind you that might not be a bad thing because I don't feel that I have really had anything much to say - and many of my readers (if there are any!!!) will probably say that this post is proof of that. Blogging is really great in principle and I do like the idea that anyone can have their say on anything. I just haven't read many blogs where the blogger actually has anything to say that is worth listening to. Perhaps I should blog daily - even if some of the posts are nothing more than a blank post!!!!

Moving House

I have heard it said that moving house is one of the most stressful things anyone does. I can really believe this. We are attempting to move but this has involved selling two properties to buy one larger one so that my father can move in with us. In the process we have been gazumped once on our purchase and had our buyers drop out. Touching wood all is beginning to look OK now but I don't want to tempt fate! I must remember never to move again!!!

Mobile Phones

I wonder how much time I have wasted going into Vodafone stores and on the phone or online chat to representatives trying to get my Nokia E72 sorted.

I clearly made a mistake when deciding on this phone and it has gone wrong 3 times in the first year of the contract. Vodafone don't seem to recognise that this phone isn't up to the job and won't replace it. I am stuck until the end of the contract. I won't be staying with Vodafone!

A great time

No matter how much teachers moan there can't be many jobs where I would have to work for 4 weeks out of the next 15 to get 3 months salary. Admittedly most teachers do work long hours during term time and half term plus a short second half and then a long summer holiday all combine to make for a rather unusual time!

Looking at how long I work (roughly 60 hours a week for about 34 weeks of the year) this must be about the same as those who have proper jobs in the real world (42.5 hours a week for 48 weeks). The maths adds up to the same figure and I would have thought that this can't be far from what a lot of people do.

When friends of mine try to give me stick for the long holidays I never rise to the bait. A few years ago someone I knew started grumbling about me having 6 weeks holiday coming up. No attempt to excuse from me and I pointed out that it was 8 not 6!

Half Term Travels

Having spent the first few days of the break on a school trip to the Rhine valley I then went on a short break, courtesy of Airmiles, to Bologna. Not a lot to do in Bologna other than relaxing in the sun in quaint old squares drinking the odd beer but the restaurants were fantastic. Can there be any better place to eat than Da Nello's?

For more information about the restaurant click here...

The food was first class but the service was even better, if that is possible. The waiters have clearly worked together as a team for years and an example of how great the service was came when I was just looking for a spoon. I had hardly started and only just noticed that I could do with an extra teaspoon and one was there as if by magic. This was truly first class service. Not the sort you get when just as you start to eat and the waiter is there in your face asking you if everything is all right, but real attention to every need of the customer.

School Holidays

Having just broken up yesterday for the 3 week Easter holiday makes any teacher realise that the job isn't that bad really. Those who are always complaining about how busy they are often conveniently forget these times when even the most conscientious teacher has it easy.

I am always a little suspicious about a teacher who claims to spend all of their holiday working. Most of us do put in a few hours but I am certainly planning on enjoying myself too.

To start with I am just setting off on a school trip - yes, it is work, but I will certainly enjoy the attractions of the Rhine Valley and may even brush up on my rather rusty German. Boppard, as shown above, is a really attractive little town which is, apparently, known as the "town of schools". How appropriate!

BBC Rugby Coverage

Another 6 Nations weekend and I bet the BBC are going to inflict the terrible duo on us all again. One thought though - the passing the ball through Brian Moore's mouth bit - surely they should be passing the ball through Moore's backside rather than his mouth. He is always talking out of it so surely it is an obvious change!

Is posting like going to the gym?

I have heard it said that the majority of people who sign up at a gym stop going within 6 months. I wonder if blogging is the same?

A few months ago I took the plunge into the world of blogging and was going to post every week, or maybe even every day. Somehow this hasn't happened so often and perhaps I was over-ambitious.

I certainly intend posting, but only when I really have something to say. Oops, have I just broken that pledge by this rambling pointless post?

Anyway, hopefully I will have something to say when I next post. A lot of my recent ramblings have been connected with the BBC's obession with inflicting the useless Eddie Butler and annoying Brian Moore on decent rugby loving people!

Spring is here!

One of the great joys of being a teacher is the long holidays. This week is half term and I have spent a couple of days in front of my computer trying to get everything working with an upgrade to our Intranet site. Sharepoint 2010 is really quite different to the 2007 version!

Today it is sunny and the garden beckons. The roses look ready for pruning and I always really enjoy doing jobs like this. The weather is good and it really does feel quite spring-like. I had better do this before the rain returns!!!

BBC coverage of 6 Nations

I can only assume that Eddie Butler must work for almost nothing. Having him commentate on one game a weekend is bad enough, but now he pops up to spoil my enjoyment of Sunday as well.

Surely I can't be the only rugby fan to feel like this?

What made it even more unbearable was that he was back together with his equally inept colleague, Brian Moore!

"The King's Speech"

What a fantastic film!

If Colin Firth doesn't win the Oscar for Best Actor I would eat my hat, if I ever wore hats!!! If anyone beats this performance it will have been an amazing film.

This must have been about the most enjoyable film I have seen in ages. I couldn't believe how quickly it seemed to pass. There were so many great performances and it really moved along at great pace, telling a really good story.

I hope that the Oscars are a true reflection of greatness this year and that the parochial Americans don't just vote for their own folk!!!

Ridiculous Anomaly of Transfer Fees

Generally I believe in free-market principles but things have clearly gone very wrong in football at the moment. How can any player be worth £95 million? Clearly they can't.

However, if a club is prepared to pay this much then using free-market ideas they should be allowed to. However, this is a case where these ideas just don't work. What should happen is that all people like me, who think it is ridiculous, should stop subscribing to Sky Sports. This would take money out of the game and clubs might have to think again. Supporters should also consider stopping going to matches where prices are quite outrageous.

It is the simple supporter of sport who is funding these ridiculous transfer fees and wages and we should start taking a more concerted stand so that football rejoins the rest of us on Planet Earth!!!

Normal Service Resumes

At long last I seem to have rejoined the modern world in that my internet connection and telephone line are now working. It has only taken BT three weeks including 3 engineer visits to my house during which they actually made the problem worse and managed to spread a considerable amount of mud on my newly cleaned carpets.

A time like this really gets you thinking about new technology. We survived quite well without being able to use the phone and internet at home although it did make it much harder for me to take work home. Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps I should be really grateful to BT for their unbelievably appalling service!!!

Technology Saga Continues

My long running problems with BT continue. Yesterday they sent yet another engineer to fix my long-running problem. He didn't seem to have any effect on the broadband speed or reliability but what he did manage to do was to stop the phoneline from working. Can things get any worse?

I suspect that they can and look forward to my nightly phone conversation with a so-called customer service assistant. I have to say that last night's was the best yet. I could actually understand what he was saying and he agreed with me that the situation really isn't acceptable. Words come easy and I will wait to see if he backs these up with any action!

Frustrations of modern technology - BT v Sky

At times like the present when my broadband connection isn't working and I am also having problems with Sky TV it is amazing at how this can affect my whole attitude to life.

There are so many other things I can do but it is just the fact that something isn't working that frustrates me and stops me enjoying all the other things I could be doing like reading, listening to music, practising my trumpet etc.

The really frustrating thing is the difference between the level of customer service you get between different companies. I am dealing with BT and Sky and one of them seems superb and treats you like you really matter. You get the feeling that they want your custom. The other treats you like an idiot and, apparently, don't have any engineers able to sort the problem until next week. I am not saying which is which although I am pretty sure I will have a full choice of TV channels tonight!

Posting by email

This post was published by email which seems quite amazing. Using Google Blogger I can publish things to the World just by sending an email to the right address from any computer or mobile phone with Internet access. This must be really powerful in areas of the World where governments are not so keen on freedom of speech.

Winning the Ashes

Isn't it strange how a sports team can lift the whole morale of a country by its successes. As a keen follower of cricket I am obviously over the moon at how we humiliated the Aussies in the recent series and wonder just how far reaching an effect like this can be.

As someone who is old enough to remember the 1966 World Cup win I have witnessed this first hand. I don't think the 2003 Rugby World Cup win had quite such an effect and suspect that the Ashes will be more like this.

I can also remember how great everyone used to feel when we had successes at Olympics. In this era of professional sport this just doesn't seem to happen to the same extent. I am sure that the standards in all sports have been raised dramatically, but has the enjoyment of players and spectators?