It’s The End Of The World (Cup) As We Know It…

Once again it has been slightly longer than anticipated since my last Post and also the 2026 World Cup beginning to fade into history. I say beginning as a new story seems to pop up every few days regarding the head of FIFA and his vision for the future of the global competition (and indeed others).

Things weren’t looking good even before the competition started. Exorbitant ticket prices being reported and of course the infamous decision by FIFA to create a “Peace” award and then give it to Trump of all people!

Still despite myself, once the Competition my resolve stuttered and I was once again pulled in – not to the extent of past competitions where I had to see every goal but pulled in just the same. Would some underdog nation win our hearts in the extended competition? (Yes). Would Scotland finally escape the group stages? (No). 30 Years on from “Three Lions” would England end 60 “years of hurt”? (No, and how could they?). Now call me pedantic but when England one the World Cup in 1966 were they hurting? Were they suffering in the glory of Victory as the 1970 World Cup approached? I think not. Therefore the hurt can only have started after the 1970 Quarter-Final defeat to West Germany and therefore should there be a 2030 World Cup only then can we talk of “60 years of hurt”.

If we are talking of English hurt, the wound that still won’t heal is another Quarter-Final exit. The 1986 to Argentina and the infamous Maradona “Hand of God” goal. Whatever else happened on the match how could the players not be influenced by that injustice but more so than that is the phrase itself – just admit you cheated and got away with it!

I only mention that as once more Argentina who were largely viewed as the villains of this year’s tournament (on the pitch at least) – indeed over 23 million people in over 170 countries wanted them removed according to a petition. A total even more shocking given that they were the current holders and 4 years ago Messi winning the biggest prize in Football was generally welcomed.

Still the tournament went on Cape Verde performed heroics to escape the group before narrowly losing to Argentina. Norway brought this years crowd participation, embraced by the Team themselves and stunned Brazil before unluckily being edged out by England. Most of the favourites progressing with little trouble.

However rumblings continued both on and off regarding decisions. A suspension of a USA player being overturned allegedly after the interceding of Trump / Infantino. Also questionable decisions both on the pitch and via VAR that aided the progress of an Argentina team that neither acted or played like Champions.

The Semi Finals saw Spain sweep by France unexpectedly easily and England’s propensity to stumble in the later stages continue when they surrendered most of the field and almost all possession to an awakening Argentina side that once again scraped through by coming alive as England resolve cracked – leading to questions about mental strength.

Now I would usually move straight to the Final but the 3rd Place play-off was something to behold. England racing into a 4-0 Half-Time lead, France roaring back to 4-3 and crating the better chances. A further exchange of goals before Bellingham sealed it in the 8th minute of Injury Time 6-4. A supposedly meaningless game was actually the game of the tournament. A farewell for the French Coach Deschamp, a Mbappe brace securing the Golden Boot. Bellingham selflessly giving up his own chance of the Golden Boot to allow Saka to complete his hatrick. But above all was the good nature between the players and a great advert for a novice to the Game.

And to the World Cup Final – The widely accepted best football playing Nation in Spain and the current holders Argentina. It was clear from the kick-off that only Spain had come to play the beautiful game with wave after wave of attack being repelled. The much reported and unwanted extended half-time break ended up lasting 27 minutes – apart form anything else why does the biggest game on the planet even need a halt-time show. Still, ironically perhaps this played to Spain’s advantage? The second half continued much as the first with Argentina unable to muster much of a late flurry for once and the chance of that coming in extra time diminished when Fernandez saw Red.

Still it was a relief when Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute what proved to be the winner and to the nuetral justice was done as Spain added the World Cup to the European Trophy they already held.

Match over that should of been it. But Argentina refused even to be gracious in defeat leading to some nasty scenes after the Final whistle and tainting celebrations of Footballs biggest game.

2030 looks likely to be hosted across even more countries and have even more teams. There have been proposals (widely criticised) to sell-off a stake in the competition) and the future of FIFA itself looks strained whilst Infantino stubbornly remains in position as regional bodies are split over his guardianship of the Game.

So whatever happen’s over the coming months and years it is the end of the World Cup as we know it (and no, I don’t feel fine)!

All I Want to do is …Read

All I want to do is Rock? Have Some Fun? Make Love to You? No, No, No! I wish it was to Write but no it is to …Read. If it was writing then this wouldn’t be another rushed attempt before the Monthof June bows out. Reading however is another matter all together.

There’s been a lot of changes recently and these will likely rumble on for months yet. My coping method for now is to roll with it, waiting until things become a little clearer and try not to overthink things – to do that I’ve instead resorted to burying my head in a book.

Reading is nothing new and has long been a coping mechanism, the Kindle consecutive days  has reading has kept me on track but lately I’ve often also had a physical book on the go. In  fact the only break from that was to listen to an audiobook.

But what of it? So long as I don’t obsess any further then it’s fine – better than most TV for sure. Whatever the subject, with reading there is always the opportunity to learn and dare I  say grow. I’ve taken on snippets from self-help and habit books, read about the positives in human nature, rediscovered Steampunk and discovered Hopepunk just to scratch the surface. It’s also possible that I’m increasing my reading speed in the process which can only be a good thing.

Of course all this means I have more books to pass comment on and with that more opportunity to write. However that will have to wait for next month as I continue to see if the writing habit will once again take.

Local Football Round-Up (2025-2026)

I figured that if I’m going to make this Blog work again I need to re-visit some subjects that have made up content before. Whether they are just part of a memory machine for me or of wider interest it doesn’t really matter.

And yet I’ve still delayed writing despite everything for local teams done and dusted weeks ago. I knew I wanted to make passing reference to other teams I follow and there was always something still going on (isn’t there always with Football) be it Play-offs or Finals. I had hoped to mention a European Trophy clean sweep fro English Teams but unlike Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, Arsenal let me down – as I’ve focused more on Teams lower down the Pyramid I was surprised how much this hurt. Still there winning the League Title was a high spot in a Season that was largely one to forget. Northampton Town (the other team I’ve always followed) going on a record losing streak and returning to League Two.

But this is meant to be about my local (Stafford) Teams – all Non-League.  I thought I’d start with a where they were when I first encountered them and where they are now –

Stafford Rangers were in the Conference North (Step 2 of Non League) and knocking on the door of the Conference (Step 1 and just that one step from the Football League). They made that step up and I recall them being as high as 9th in the League but then it all went wrong. Nearly folding they tumbled down to Step 4, bounced back to Step 3 and then after flirting with the relegation spots for most years at that level succumbed to the drop back to Step 4 and a large percentage of the 2 seasons at this level have been spent peering down to unthinkable depths below.

Brocton were Step 6 but always at the top end and were inevitable promoted to Step 5. The initial stint was a struggle and a brief return to Step 6 brought back the local derby with Stafford Town but they’ve since returned to Step 5 stronger and having made the play-offs last season just missed out this time. The prospect of a Brocton Town v Stafford Rangers derby remaining a real possibility.

Stafford Town were also Step 6 but usually at the wrong end of the table and indeed fell to Step 7 before bouncing back. In recent years they have strengthened and indeed for a time in the 24-25 season it seamed likely that all 3 teams would be at Step 5 in 25-26.Ultimately they all kept there current stations as Town suffered 2 x Cup Finals and also Play-Off Final defeats. Undeterred they made the play-offs again this season but fell at the first hurdle.

There have been some good memories and indeed Trophies, opportunities to visit League grounds – Burton Albion and Walsall to watch the Rangers (victory versus Stone & penalty defeat to Chasetown). Also so the lovely Accrington Stanley ground to alas witness one of the aforementioned Town defeats.

So what for the Season ahead? I’d expect both Brocton and Stafford Town to remain competitive in their respective Leagues, whether Promotion is possible I’m a little sceptical as investment finds its way to some teams even at these levels. However the play-offs may yet aid their progress.

Talking of investment Stafford Rangers have benefited from some and have already embarked on re-building the squad. Despite this lowering ticket prices for the forthcoming season and the pessimism of recent years beginning to lift. Hopefully a return to a solid squad rather than the revolving door of players and the boost to attendance will see new club heroes and a return to playing at the higher levels that once seemed the norm. Despite everything Football remains unpredictable but we can all hope and dream – it’s what keeps us coming back after-all!

Run Less Run Faster – Bill Pierce & Scott Muir

A Book Review! Well it will be if I can recall how to put down my thoughts about them anyway.

At the heart of RLRF is the target of the Boston (US) Marathon qualification. That being the case I should therefore reference the incredible achievements at the 2026 London Marathon that acted as a motivation to put fingers to keys (pen to paper sounds so much better) – First we witnessed a new Women’s World Record. What followed in the Men’s race somehow managed to overshadow that with the first 3 inside the previous World Record, the first 2 breaking 2 hours in race conditions and winner Sebastian Sawe running the fastest ever Marathon under any conditions – Amazing!

Whilst Boston Qualification is undoubtedly the main focus, there are also training plans for shorter distances – 5k, 10k, Half-Marathon as well as the aforementioned Marathon. These guides cater for different abilities and a wide range of target times.

Also included is some nutrition advice, injury treatment and avoidance, and recommendations for complimentary training types for non running days. Also peppered throughout are reports from runners that have benefited from previous editions and the findings of the running retreats ran by the writing team.

As for the “Run Less” part, this refers largely to those who run every day rather than any other cross training. The expectation is to still have time to train most days but generally only run on 3 of them each week. The aforementioned reports providing evidence how this has led to improvements in runners that had otherwise plateaued.

Overall I found this a very informative and somewhat inspirational read, I only temper that with the knowledge that every running book I’ve read comes across as something of a sales pitch. I certainly can see how the running plans would bring benefits and do plan to take on elements ahead of my next race. In fact the only problem for me to do so is that rather than “Run Less” to Run Faster I will actually have to Run More!

Running Myself Down

On Sunday 22nd I “ran” the Stafford Half Marathon (again). I had intended 2024 to be my last Half after rolling my ankle in a hidden pothole that put pay to any ideas of a good race time. However my eldest expressed that he was going to run it this year and being his first I was persuaded to run it as support. Despite us both signing up he later pulled out due to injury and so that left me to re-frame the race as a chance for redemption of previous unsatisfactory performances.

This idea stayed with me for the first mile before its grip began to loosen, clinging on for a further 2 or 3 miles before letting go completely. I felt I was overheating, tired but not exhausted (physically anyway) and from then on disinterested in any kind of achievement. Merely summoning up the will to walk run the remainder until the last few corners where a desire to beat the 2hr 10 time on the finishing line clock saw me home. Chip Time 2:07:44.

I then felt a mixture of disappointed in myself and angry at the organisation for the remainder of the day and even angry at myself for putting some of the blame on the event. On short probably the most running I felt I had done that day was the running myself down sort.

Fortunately the following few days helped me put things more in perspective. Sure I could have handled the race itself better – maybe re-grouping and trying to stay with one of the club mates that overtook but in truth my head was gone and I didn’t want to slow anyone down. My training was far from ideal, icy conditions put pay to a number of long training runs, not to mention niggling injuries. Foot paths being closed due to roadwork across large charge chunks of the course also hindered training as did flooded footpaths. In short only a few weeks training went to plan, the longest of these 10 miles and then a Cold the following week meant I failed to build any momentum.

And then there was race day! I had this vague target of anything sub 2 hours going in to the day and then foolish thought follow the 1:55 pacer for as long as I could. But I’m getting ahead of myself (like I accidentally did with the pacer).

Arriving at the race village there was a massive queue for race numbers, I had picked mine up a few weeks earlier but it didn’t bode well for the 10am start. There being no posting out of numbers – this was the only opportunity for non locals to collect. The queue was long and the number of organisers handing out numbers was low. Regardless the announcement was still of a 10am start and so final warm up and heading to the start – I hadn’t felt great even on that little run. I had also lost sight of club mates aiming for a similar time at the time. As 10am approached the inevitable announcement came of a 15 minute delay. This was then followed by a further 10 minute delay before the race eventually started 25 minutes later compromised those that had fuelled specifically (not me). I have since read and heard that people were still collecting there numbers even then and having to climb barriers to enter the course – farcical!

Still I was running and with the 1:55 pacer in sight so time to put the early shambles behind me, well not for long. It soon became apparent that the pacer was going 10-15 seconds a mile faster than he should have been and this was consistent through the opening miles. So a faster pace than the vast majority of my training – I was doomed! Also a new section of the course involved hidden unpainted speed bumps and another loose rubble, both of which were very narrow with just cones separating those entering and exiting the park. Another new section saw a road partially open not cordoned off safely and cars although marshaled out of a side road exiting at scary speeds.

In the following days further reasons for not feeling great became clearer, my Wife complaining of a sore throat and my youngest confirm as having Tonsillitis. Doubtless I too was suffering something of a bug.

So having run myself down I’ve now picked myself up again to some degree and plan to return to Training tomorrow. I’ve also just managed to duck under the deadline for a post per month so that’s something finished within the desired time-frame.

The Slog to Blog

Abiword HTML Document

In my previous blog I stated that I would try to Blog at least once a Month. That was January and now here I am just beginning to compose a next entry over halfway through February.

In the interim type I’ve had a few days annual leave, finished reading a couple more books and even had a few conversations that could lead to blog entry ideas. In other words the creative well has not run dry, there are not still days that I’m thinking about blogging… So why? Why is it such a slog to get something out there?

Unlocking that conundrum will hopefully get me back on track and more importantly stay on it. I’ve been mulling it over but the answer has not really come to me, sure there have been pieces of the jigsaw puzzle but not all of them and those I’ve got I doubt whether they are in the right places. By laying what I can recall down I hope enough will fall into place and entries will flow (or sustain sufficient interest to keep picking away).

Time – do I have time for it? There are other things that compete for my personal time – running, walking, reading, podcasts, TV/Film and of course Family time. Even with so much listed I know time can be made – it’s just a case of what to fit where (a puzzle within a puzzle).

Motivation – This is something I’ve struggled with generally over recent years and I’ve held on to it better in some areas than others. I’ve wanted to still get things down but not to the extent of time a reasonable length blog entry takes. Instead brief journalling forays have sufficed.

Confidence – This is a big one! Confidence has always been something of a struggle for me but also the world does not feel such a safe place anymore. Sure there have always been bad guys but few with so much power (at least so close to home) and now with the army of foot soldiers both real and bots spreading their poison few social media. Not big on confrontation I’ve instead retreated somewhat to less populous or limited web presence and become mostly a spectator.

Opinion – obviously linked to confidence but dare I share opinions when the trolls now seem to be the gatekeepers? I may still sign petitions but rarely share these days. Not that I believe my opinions are out the ordinary. I know right from wrong, that an advanced civilisation should recognise climate change as the biggest threat to us all. That we should all stop and consider what it would be like to walk in others shoes etc.

Method – assuming I get over all the above, how best to record and publish? Lets say that typing up is a given – what on and how to then get online? I’ve spent far too much time tinkering with this one – several PC’s in limited access home office space, Chromebook, Psion Revo, Paper notebooks and even audio recordings (those last 3 requiring transference to a device with Internet). Notes have also been made on smartphones but the lack of keyboard doesn’t really work for me. Right now a once more resurrected Acer Aspire One Netbook running Linux MX and Abiword.

Location – Where to write? Many years ago the Psion Revo was ideal when work involved Train travel, it was lightweight and unobtrusive and there was more time for the several steps required before publishing – it also worked better than with the rather jarring battery fix implemented recently after losing content. Nowadays though the spaces to write are less generally especially with more car commutes. So it’s aforementioned home space, dining table or on the sofa beside family. The last of which I’m somewhat self-conscious doing in a way not shared messing on a phone.

Technical Issues – Even if I’ve got to the point of actually writing something there is no guarantee I’ll publish in a straightforward manner. Formatting has changed in the past when transferring from device to device and one word processor to another. And again when uploading to WordPress (I am seldom happy with line spacing inpartcular).

And so there we have it, the reasons (some, likely not all) that it can be a slog to blog. As I write I’ve seen opportunities to combine some timings and perhaps the need to be a little braver. I’ve felt relief just admitting some of this and for the moment found a bit more resolve. Of course time will tell but March isn’t far away so it shouldn’t be too long to wait…..?

Momentum

Momentum, well that’s something that has certainly been lacking on here. Without looking I dread to think when the last entry was, suffice to say it’s long enough ago to make me expect e-mails advising it’ll be mothballed if not used (and I don’t even know if WordPress has a time limit).

There have been a few attempts to resuscitate the blog but I’ve either not been happy how it’s looked or simply lost the courage to post. Reading the more recent posts also identified that some hadn’t updated correctly and were missing information – I may still have the info somewhere but this further dampened confidence.

And so – deep breath – to it. I tend to struggle with mood in the winter months and above this stressful situations particularly at work exacerbated by a change of base and additional changes being announced led to heightened anxiety and depression. I’m still waiting for the form of help requested and so in it’s absence have largely tried to take actions into my own hands. This has been in the form of several books (yes even more to review), exercise, meditation and attending AMC Meetings.

It’s been a long road back with much of the past year about building back habits and with them coping mechanisms. Previous readers will likely recall that I’ve mentioned habits before so may be confused. However the depression and anxiety meant I was finding things overwhelming. Motivation to walk and run dried up and with it any endorphin rush that may have brought positivity. Just about anything I planned to do, be it blogging, learning a new skill, resurrecting old hobbies hit a wall without anything to show for it and I felt increasingly useless.

Thankfully one thing I did manage to do was keep reading, sometimes not much buy at least a page a day and throughout the year completed a wide variety of books. This felt like something of an achievement and with it the realisation I had been missing both balance and perspective. In other areas I reset targets – walking reduced from 1000 miles to 365, a mile a day achievable and still a fair total to show for it. I also had to just let go of a few things (something I find hard to do) but just accepting I wasn’t going to say learn to programme last year was ultimately a relief.

And so with the turning of the year I feel I want to take the stability I’ve achieved by taking a step back and build on it. Steadily building momentum but never letting it run out of control. Yes I will be setting targets but first asking if they are achievable? I’ve felt an urge to write more and initially was I’ll get back to the blog weekly but with further thought this became fortnightly and then monthly. I may do so more frequently but won’t pressurise myself.

Work is still introducing further changes and has at times felt overwhelming. Snow and Ice have curtailed a promising start to this years reduced walk and run targets but brighter days will come and I will ether claw my way back (or reduce appropriately as I have with the writing). Reading will continue as will listening to podcasts but only as achievable levels.

Ultimately it is one step at a time and one step at a time is forward momentum – I may not be moving fast but that also means I won’t suddenly find myself slamming on the brakes either!

A Very Belated Return

It’s been a long time and the excuses are multiple, all valid in there own way and all to my detriment. In the hope of getting something posted I’ LL keep this short. I was part way through an explanation once before but old tech being what it is lost all that.

1) Life – There always seems to be something going on that takes precedence over blooding. Maybe something I’ll expand on another time but a lot has happened since that long distant previous post.

2) Covid and the work/life balance – I was one of those who worked throughout the pandemic but was fortunate to be able to work throughout from home. The downside of this was my “man cave” became my Office. And though working remotely is now limited that haven of escape no longer feels like one.

3) Brave New World – Or as I call it ‘1984’ all over again. To explain having re-read the latter and now seeing it as the masterwork it is, that wasn’t my initial reaction on attempting to read it for ‘O’ Level English and the required essays never were wrote. My first and likely only experience of Huxley’s work had a similar effect.

4) Swamped – A long with the aforementioned Brave New World there have been a plethora of other books read. So much time has past that I don’t think I’ll have much to say about them if my memory recalls at all.

5) Can I Still Write? I know I’m no Shakespeare but these days my scribblings are little more than a few sentences in work emails and ticket updates. I believe I used to have a certain style (for lack of a better word), have I still got it or have I lost my voice?

Time will tell, or not depending if this makes it to post and more importantly is followed up in the not so distant future.

2022

So here I am, re-emerging bleary eyed into 2022 (I should add that’s through lack of sleep rather than alcohol) wondering what to expect in 2022? Are there reasons to be hopeful as there appeared to be at the beginning of 2021 or is the worse yet to come? I took a poll towards the end of last year and opted to be positive, I only hope I’m right.

2020 was a wake up call for us all, it opened our eyes to the power of our World both to devastate but also of its beauty. More of us took walks and appreciated local wildlife. There was solace to be found in natural wonders. Despite the pandemic and the fear and devastation it has brought, there was also optimism and togetherness. We could get through this and emerge better for it.

And so 2021 arrived full of optimism. Vaccines would see us beat this virus, the controversial Trump would be gone from leading a superpower and the delayed COP26 in Glasgow could show concrete ways to combat climate change.
But problems remained, the virus mutated. Measures of Government here in the UK were revealed as cash cows for their donors and instead of true lockdowns we had measures brought forward to take away true freedoms as this dystopian future like covid evolved. Then came the shortages which were always predicted if Brexit happened and the lunatic fringe instead of skulking away became more emboldened, no doubt encouraged by the lies blatantly pedalled by those in power.
Many squeezed their eyes shut, going back to a sense of normal and pretending none of this is happening – If I can’t see it then it can’t be real? That of course is until they feel the effects personally.

So what can we expect in 2022. The more information I’ve digested the less optimistic I am. The biggest block at COP 26 was the Fossil fuel lobby, Covid continues to mutate and multiply, the Government continues to say they won’t hesitate to act whilst doing just that. And then there are warnings of fuel prices going up 50% and more and more will have to choose between keeping warm or having enough to eat. We start the year very much in an everyone for themself situation, with the majority at a distinct disadvantage from day 1.

Why then did I choose optimism? First of all I’m under no illusions that things won’t get worse before getting better. However there were already signs in late 2021 that the scales have started falling from eyes and people regardless of orders from political party highs are working for change and just maybe we’ll see a coalition of real change emerge? There also appear to be an increasing number of groups and organisations seeking to help the climate and to hold business and Government to account. Once upon a time it was a case of having to seek these out with only a few names that have been around for generations being known. They are now joined by many new organisations and together are finding ways to get their points across and voices heard.
We have lost so much both personally and as a nation but at least are now beginning to realise that we are better as part of something bigger. Now it’s time to realise that bigger isn’t Europe it is the entire Globe. So whatever our differences let us put our humanity first  and seek to improve lives wherever people call home. Let us ensure that everyone, everywhere can get vaccinated and finally outsmart this virus and put an end to this Pandemic. Let us ensure that there is enough food and decent living conditions, that basic freedoms and human rights are available to all. Let us all realise what really matters and the battles that really must be fought are taken on with a united front.
The clock is ticking and the maelstrom of unprecedented effects of climate change will only gather pace otherwise. Despite all we’ve witnessed we are still paddling in the shadows oblivious as to how close we are to the abyss. At least we now know it’s there somewhere! So let us all appreciate what we have and work together to keep what really matters, to appreciate the diversity of this amazing planet and ensure that it is habitable for all creatures (including ourselves) long into the future.

A Respectful Pause

I know it’s been a while since my last post and there is plenty that I want to share on here. Just the other day I looked at the pile of books I’ve read that I’m still to comment on and there are some I read 4 years or more ago. In addition to that backlog there are a number of other, more recent things that I’d like to comment on.

However having made it through 2020, the new year has seen the loss of a loved one. I’m not one to go into personal details, suffice to say it’s particularly hard on my Wife and her siblings.
We will all miss them and appreciate the times that they selflessly helped out throughout the years.
For the rest of us, we carry on the best we can, and now so will the blog. So for once it was a reasoned break, a respectful pause and now we move on as they live on in our memories.

I was set to post the above and then our (then) remaining cat took ill and sadly nothing could be done to save her. At nearly 21 she had lived a good life but having been an integral part of the family for so long added to the sense of loss. Needless to say I wasn’t in the mood to return to blogging.

More time has since elapsed and I’ve looked at that pile of books again, some will be kept but others will go (and we really need the space), however they’ll all get a mention before making their way to shelves at home or in charity shops. I’ve also felt the need to write again so hopefully the blog will get back to some form of regularity.
Things are still tough but I’ll maybe share some positives next time. I won’t use the word ‘normal’ as I’m put in mind of a previous post, instead I’m going to get back to rambling on and so put an end to this blog entry doing so.