I would like to thank CRFC for their continued support by allowing me to use the club's website to air my views, and they are MY views, on all things rugby and beyond. I say this because I am genuinely worried about the direction of travel of the world, and the increasing number of restrictions on free speech, and the ever growing number of bandwagons people are jumping on to support this cause or that cause when actually it is about "me, me, me"

Be afraid, very afraid, when you read stories that The RFU are reconsidering the use of "swing low sweet chariot" as the unofficial anthem of English rugby. When I read the headline I thought this was an April Fools joke until I realised it is mid June. The lyrics of the song go back to the 19th century and were written by Wallace Willis, a freed slave. The song was made popular during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. To my uneducated, but common sense attitude, there seems nothing offence about that. A bandwagon for the RFU however.

When you rewrite history and deny history you lose all sense of understanding. Oh how people have forgotten Hitler and the Nazis burning books and tearing down Jewish statues and daubing The Star of David on the properties of the Jews. We cannot ignore those atrocities because it suits us. We must learn from them. Tearing down statues is akin to erasing the slave trade from history. It is easier to expunge it than it is to learn from it. Madness!

Last week I wrote that I thought Maggie Alphonsi would make a good RFU President. Based on all the things I wrote last week I stand by that wholeheartedly. Yes, there is a "however" today. That "however" is I believe she is jumping on this weeks social media bandwagon: Black Lives Matter and using it to further her own position, "me, me, me". For her to be so quick to exploit the RFUs review of the use of "swing low" highlights that to me but also it is an example of crass hypocrisy. I will retract that if someone proves to me she has never ever belted it out loudly and proudly in the past and sends me her written protestations of its use to the RFU from some time before the beginning of 2019.

Before I go Mrs Bleater has been giving me a hard time about what she sees as a growing obsession about the lies and misinformation about Covid-19 in general and the hidden hands of the pharmaceutical companies and Bill Gates in the crisis. I laid out my research of the links between Gates and all the big players and she had to admit there was something to worry about. Only yesterday Sir David King came up. His vested interest: Climate Change. Exploiting the virus for his benefit makes sense. I did a very basic internet search and bang, there it was again: millions of dollars for his cause from ........... Bill Gates

Finally if you want to feel down trodden, underprivileged, often ignored, and regularly overlooked for advancement then join the white middle aged heterosexual man fan club.

No jokes today.

Right now I find the whole global situation depressing so I remind you good readers be very afraid but remember the rugby from New Zealand is on tomorrow.

Thursday 18th Jun: 09:30

I thought I might struggle for content this morning but Courtney Lawes has opened the door for me to ask some sensible questions. It is quite right that attention has been drawn to Marcus Rashford's successful campaign about meal vouchers for underprivileged kids during the summer holidays. In a country like the UK no-one should be going hungry, especially with the very generous benefits system we have. Well Lawes certainly lit the bonfire yesterday by saying: " Great win mate, you've done an incredible thing for a lot of people! Maybe now would be a good time to bring some attention to the importance of being financially secure and preferably married before having kids? That would go a long way to treating a big part of the problem"

Naturally he came in for a ton of criticism to which Lawes replied "It's detached from planet earth to want people to think about whether they're able to afford to raise a child before they have one?" The series of tweets has subsequently been taken down. A sense of censorship in my mind. Courtney Lawes, a proud family man, should be allowed to ask what seems a sensible and genuine question. I would be going a step further and asking parents of those queuing up for free school meals: why are you smoking, how much was all those tattoos, why is your child wearing £200 trainers. Life is not black & white and there is not a clean cut-off between rich and poor. Some of those who are rich are right scumbags who should be in jail. Many who are poor are very decent human beings who need all the help we can give them. Others are in the situation they are because of their choices and priorities and lack of any consideration for anyone but themselves. We should be able to ask questions without fear of censorship. Yes criticise others opinion but don't censor them.

Anyway, the reason I start with this is because it is fundamentally about making the right decisions and living within your means. In both cases top flight rugby is doing neither. They are certainly not living within their means and are reliant on handouts to survive. They have got into the situation by not making the right decisions. Sale appear to have learnt and have managed to secure a deal with all players and staff that makes the pay cuts recently agreed permanent. Sale, as far as I can tell, have always played by the book. Not everyone's favourite but with Steve Diamond and Simon Orange, two hard nosed characters, at the helm what do you expect. Others I fear are like ostriches with head in the sand and arse in the air. Did you know an ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain? This is brought to light with BBCs headline: "Premiership clubs scramble to exploit salary cap loophole". It seems long term contracts signed now will be considered at 75% of their value from 2021/22. That means pay higher wages today under a long term contract and therefore still be within the new salary cap when it comes in in 15 months time. Sorry, but Premiership rugby is run by fools, both at the PRL level and at the clubs. We are in an unprecedented financial crisis which all clubs are the epitome of and here they are spending even more above their means than they did before. Sorry again but the sooner one or more of the clubs collapses into obscurity the sooner this lunacy will come to an end.

Quins will save a few bob however as loyal servant Chris Robshaw heads to the US to play for San Diego Legion in the MLR. That is another union spending above their means but hey ho! Robshaw and his very glamorous and talented wife will find the US and San Diego to their taste I am sure.

After leaving Queensland Reds amid a dispute over pay cuts (Sky.com) Izack Rodda lands on his feet by signing for Lyon in France.

Well, soccer returned last night and perhaps it was a good job there were no fans at Villa Park: the game was dire and that clear goal being missed by five match officials at the ground, Hawkeye and the clowns in the VAR bunker, wherever that is, was an absolute disgrace. Didn't see the other game but I understand it was better with the exception of Arsenal's David Luiz who would look poor playing at Wolfe Rec for Jarvis Brook Under 12s.

PMQs was billed as the Buffoon versus the Dragonslayer turned into the Buffoon vs the Buffoon. Let's hope for better.

Lots of headlines decrying Sweden's handling of the Chinese military lab tweaked seasonal flu outbreak. Yeah it was rubbish until you read the small print that admits their death rate per million is still below many other countries, their kids are still being educated, people are still at work, life is going on as normal and therefore their economy is not down the toilet like ours is.

Sorry to go on but I find it unbelievable that the teacher's unions are still finding every excuse not to open schools as normal and then GLOATING about it. What they are gloating about is tragically affecting the lives and life opportunities for those in society who most need help, the very young people their side of the political divide is meant to protect.

In other news a note to our good friend Tim Rons now living in Norfolk. Thanks for your kind words about Sandy and this guff. Much appreciated.

Mrs Bleater told me to take the spider out instead of killing him.
I did so. We had a few drinks and he seemed nice guy. He's a web designer.

Steve Jobs would have made a better President than Donald Trump.....
but that's comparing apples to oranges.

It was only yesterday I saw Mrs Bleater after a few glasses of wine yelling at the TV: "Don't go in there, don't go in the church you moron!"
She's watching our wedding video again.

Wednesday 17th Jun: 08:45

Yet again Robert Kitson hits the nail firmly on the head with his headline "Rugby's failure to reach calendar consensus a warning of bleak future". In the article he talks about the lack of clarity about what people want and why and then when overlaid with the starting point of "we disagree" consensus will be forever out of reach. He uses the intransigence of the man at the head of French rugby as an example. No surprise there as "French" and "intransigent" sit comfortably together often. Despite French rugby starting in August Msr Goze is saying summer rugby is not for the French. Kitson also points out that filling the coffers requires games and games can only be played with opposition. A "me, me, me" attitude will surely as night follows day (or is it the other way around asks the Frenchman) see many unions collapse, and not just the likes of USA and Samoa. England v ??????? six times a year is an uninspiring prospect. I use "???????" because every union is in a dire position right now. What is required is an understanding of what is needed to be done and why, and who should be involved and why and how do we get compromise as first on the agenda once we know the answers to the first part. A great piece and well worth reading.

Despite the Aussies returning to the union field in July there is much rumbling of discontent about the law innovations. Some are saying it is way too close to NRL. We will lose many supporters they shout. Perhaps, but what if it makes union a more interesting spectacle: the ball in play more often, fewer stoppages for scrum resets, a purpose to kicking long. I say right now lets give it a go and see what happens. The game might just attract more interest than it will lose.

Australia are keen to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup. I am a little surprised anyone wants to host the tournament based on the financial burden it brings. That said it is an iconic tournament and Australia would I am sure do an amazing job.

The Daily Fail carries the story that rugby chiefs are plotting the launch of a World Champions Cup. Every four years the 16 best clubs face off in a short sharp tournament. Details are sketchy at the moment but it is set to start in either 2022 or 2024 thus avoiding world cups and Lions tours. Sounds like a compromise.......perhaps. I like the idea but worry that it is being led by the English and French clubs and we know their track record is a) not very good and b) "me, me, me" is their mantra.

The RFU appoint Genevieve Glover as chair of diversity and inclusion working group. Great title. I hope this isn't another knee jerk reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests. Rugby needs to be more inclusive but that in part is driven by the lack of rugby in state schools and has nothing to do with race. Get rugby into more and more state schools and diversity will grow. A hard task for a wide range of reasons. I wish Genevieve great success. Anything that grows our game and enhances its already positive reputation has to be a good thing.

The world is going mad........
The Home Office does not know how many people are in the UK illegally. I think there is a clue there: they are in the country illegally.

Police shot a suspected lorry thief in Salisbury last night after he refused to put down a hand gun. I suggest we need a LTLM protest movement. Lorry Thieves Lives Matter. After all another sign of police brutality. Shooting a man stealing while brandishing a hand gun. Whatever next?

There is a movement growing to change the name of the state of Victoria. Something to do with Queen Victoria being head of the British Empire. I know lets change it to Stalingrad or Leningrad or Kim-Jong-unland. I don't like the name Darlington. The use of the word "darling" is sexist, offensive and demeaning. Let's rename it Beigetown or Greytown, after all it is clear we are going to have to dumb everything down so we never offend anyone with any action, word or deed. That's me screwed then.

Protesters are demanding the closure of Bicester Shopping Village due to Covid-19 fears after hordes descended there this week the minute the shops opened. Can I propose a different solution a) stop whingeing because the virus is becoming an excuse and b) get all the kids back to school and close down the furlough scheme. Why are there hordes there? The schools are closed unnecessarily and people are being paid not to go to work. Madness!!

Just to let you know I have been teaching my four year old grandson Spanish during lockdown. He still can't pronounce the Spanish word for "please". I think that is poor for four!

Boredom is a problem during lockdown. I wonder what my parents did to fight boredom before the internet. I asked my 18 brothers and sisters. They didn't know either.

Tuesday 16th Jun: 08:50

Managed to get to the club yesterday to help with some of the maintenance that has been going on over the lockdown period. When the light turns green and we can reopen and start the preparation to play Steel Cross will be ready. The pitches are looking good and the surrounding grounds are neat and tidy. A number of areas have been spruced up with a lick of paint too. Well done to all who have made this happen. You know who you are. THANK YOU!

For those who watched it there was divided opinion about the New Zealand Aotearoa games. Some thought the games were quicker and the high penalty count was not a problem. Others struggled with the constant whistling by the men in the middle. Stuart Barnes was not happy and moaned about the over reliance on the "pick & drive" (not that Stuart was at CRFC yesterday). Yeah but the "pick & drive" is a problem anyway. If the whistle blowers continue in their efforts to keep players on their feet at the ruck and stop the wrestling at the tackle the game might become more open. Sorry but here I go again........... if we had fewer subs and the players weren't so enormous I think the benefit of the "pick & drive" would be dissipated.

The powerbrokers (as they are now being called) got together as planned to discuss unifying and simplifying the global rugby calendar. Based on what I have read there was general agreement that in the longer term it should happen and therefore will happen. A solution to the more pressing issues of the October international series was not agreed and there appears to be much conflict about how this can be resolved with the clubs, the English and French, being less than helpful. In fact being obstructive especially with regard to completing the European tournaments might be a better description.

Interestingly Owen Farrell was part of the meeting and expressed the concern about player welfare. Compressing all the internationals into one unified window would put a lot of strain on the top flight players. The intensity of the international game and the inevitable burden of travel will be an issue which cannot be swept under the carpet

My solution to the impasse is simple. Scrap any notion of finishing the 2019/20 domestic seasons and 6 Nations and plan for a new season to start as normal in September. Work on the same timetable as current planning for October internationals even if that is a home nations tournament. Get all parties around the table again and thrash out the unified calendar to start in 2021.

Any notion of finishing the current season might be dying a painful death as the war of words between the PRL and the RPA escalates. It is an awful thing to say but in a strange way I hope the players go on strike because I feel that will accelerate the demise of one or two or even three of the big clubs. If that were to happen then all parties might just wake up to the futility of how the game has been run at the top flight and we have a genuine reset of the game that works for all, including us at the grassroots.

It looks as if Maro Itoje is set to stay with Saracens despite the club's relegation to the Championship. I am led to believe that Maro is a top bloke and his loyalty shines through as a beacon to others.

Only one more day to wait before the Premier League kicks off. Not for me however as in our house Wednesday TV is reserved for The Repair Shop and The Great British Sewing Bee.

It appears the Black Lives Matter protest fizzled out yesterday as the shops reopened. Nothing like queuing for hours to get into Niketown to reset the priorities. Worry about altering history and the slave trade or getting a new pair of trainers to strut around in?

I thank my good friend and regular reader Peter for sending me a video of facts relating to crime in the US and the deaths of black men at the hands of the police and others. It is illuminating and quite clearly highlights the falsehoods and misinformation about the BLM protests. It set me thinking and one of the questions I asked was why is it more important to be pulling down statues and altering history than trying to solve the real problem that exists here and now which is young black men stabbing to death other young black men in London and other cities in the UK. Why aren't the protesters demanding that schools are reopened now for all children, especially those from the deprived areas of the UK where sadly many of the BAME communities live. Food for thought.

I might have misread it but PHE have said the virus is racist because it adversely affects the BAME community. I hope there is a typo in that headline or I have misread it because to say something like that is ludicrous. A virus cannot be racist in the sense we know the use of the word. Yes we need to understand why the virus seems to adversely affect certain parts of the population and not others but please don't call it racist. It likes blood type A, my blood type. Do you think I can find someone to sue as the virus is clearly "bloodist".

Dr Hans Kluge this week has made several pronouncements about the need for on-going vigilance with regard to Covid-19 and easing lockdown too soon could be devastating. Makes sense.......... that is until you read that the good doctor is pretty senior in the World Health Organisation and has on several occasions been the recipient of many, many millions of funding from the Gates foundation. This is the same Bill Gates who is intertwined with GSK and other pharmaceutical companies who would benefit by billions of dollars if we were forced into having a vaccine, which is the goal of the WHO. Please look beyond the headlines and make your own mind up.

In other news lockdown has been a trying time for many. A mate of mine was having marital issues so he decided to do a sumptuous dinner for his wife. It didn't go well when she threw the prawn cocktail all over him................. and that was just for starters.

When I went to the club yesterday I was followed by a bird with long legs. It has happened before. I think I am being storked.

Another mate told me he was stood by his wife's grave the other day.
I expressed my surprise as I hadn't heard she had passed.
He said: "yeah, she thinks I am digging a pond for the garden"

Monday 15th Jun: 07:45

What an excellent weekend! I got to hug my grandchildren, I have a hangover from a wonderful BBQ yesterday and live rugby union was back on TV. It could be because of being starved of live rugby union but I thought the two NZ Super Rugby games were very good. Lots of skill on show and both games played at pace, and full stadiums as well. The way the officials are managing the tackle area means a much higher penalty count but overall I wasn't bothered by that. I think it quickened the game up and instead of seeing Greco/Roman wrestling time and again we saw the ball pinging about the park more frequently. The new guidance of "if you are not clearly onside then you are offside" is a positive step in the right direction.

A last minute Bryn Gatland drop goal depriving dad Warren of a victory must have been a bittersweet moment. Beauden Barrett didn't stand out yesterday but he did enough to highlight his undoubted talent. Roll on next weekend is what I say.

As an aside I hope the European broadcasters learn from SKY New Zealand about superimposing on field adverts rather than having them actually painted onto the grass. All too often players end up looking like Smurfs or miners or blood soaked zombies as they get covered in the paint. I'd rather not have ads at all but if we are then lets have them superimposed.

I enjoyed the NRL games too. Plenty of action, plenty of tries. I did chuckle at the one comment made during the Paramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers game..........
"Well mate, big day here for the NRL"
"What's that"
"A new attendance record for this ground"
"What are you talking about there's only 500 in the ground"
"No mate, a new attendance record for cardboard cutouts"

As it happens from July 1st the authorities have said NRL stadia can have crowds up to 25% of total capacity. For somewhere like the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane that means a normal NRL crowd.

A big day for World Rugby as the top nations bang their heads together to see if they can reach agreement about a globally aligned calendar for the elite game; international and professional club rugby. As expected the clubs in England and France and the European Cup organisers are voicing their concerns, or more accurately their objections. The talks regardless of outcome has already thrown the 2021 Lions tour into doubt and any escalation of conflict between club and country will make a Lions tour even more unlikely than it is already.

On top of this the row between the PRL and RPA has become even more acrimonious with the mud slinging turning into an almighty bust up. Lord Myners has said that he can understand how the changes to the salary cap and impact of Covid-19 is having but the players, and I paraphrase here "are shooting themselves in the foot". Full article in The Guardian under the headline "It would be foolhardy if Premiership players felt pushed to strike".

Outside rugby the madness continues.

The Black Lives Matter protests have been hijacked by left wing extremists and it is becoming increasingly clear that the movement has no set objective other than causing mayhem and erasing history. The fact the odious far right have come forward to "counterbalance" the argument is worrying and depressing. I don't want either group to speak for me.

I did smile thanks to Peter K who sent me a copy of a letter sent to Sadiq Kahn pointing out that the Prophet Mohammed was a slave trader so any move to pull down statues and erase British history should also include closing mosques. Yes it might have been tongue in cheek but it shows that subjective editing of history is a dangerous way forward.

It is also worrying that Facebook and other platforms are quietly altering history. Images of the Russians celebrating the defeat of Germany in 1945 have been removed and an artist who colourises black & white photos of that period has been banned from doing so on Facebook. Winston Churchill's face as been removed from several sites who list British Prime Ministers. This I am afraid is a step towards Soviet and Chinese style censorship where history is not fact it is propaganda.

And so it begins. A family is suing the Government because their 88 year old father who was in a care home with serious dementia died of coronavirus. Sorry but there are several clues to why this should be dismissed. Clue one: 88 years old, clue two: in a care home, clue three: serious dementia. If he was a 40 year old tri-athlete on route to climb Everest I would have a problem with someone suing the Government but this nonsense gets my blood boiling.

Plenty more on BLM and the virus plus more on the troubling links of the WHO and Bill Gates tomorrow

By the way Mrs Bleater has told me she is off unless I tone down my obsession with astronomy..........
Seriously, what planet is she on??

Friday 12th Jun: 09:50

The row between the RPA and the PRL rumbles on. I think I said enough about that yesterday ............... however............... much is being made of the possible exodus of top flight players and how it will affect England. In truth with the resources previously at their disposal England should be dominating the world game. They constantly overpromise and under deliver but that doesn't diminish the support they get. If Maro Itoje goes to Japan so be it. Some other exciting bright young lad will come in to replace him and all will be well. England v Wales is exactly that. It is not Maro v Wales. If players want to go and can go then let them. This part of the RPA argument is a red herring. Of course other colours of herring are available.

Rugby Union in Australia will restart on July 3rd. It will be on SKY. Interestingly they too will experiment with the contentious red card trial: the player can be replaced after 20 minutes. They will also be experimenting with the equivalent of rugby leagues 40/20 rule. Both attack and defence can benefit from the 50/22 variation. Basically instead of kicking the ball away waiting for the opposition to run out of defence a team can kick the ball from within their own half. If it goes into touch in the opposition 22 then the attacking side will have the throw in at the lineout. I am not sure how this will change tactics but if it means the frustrating kick tennis is stopped because a lineout offers a decent attacking platform then happy days. Vice versa is true allowing a defending side to relieve the pressure further getting the ball into touch.

The "mark" has been dispensed with but in my mind that means the high bomb might be used more rather than less.

Instead of a scrum when a defending team is forced to ground the ball in the dead ball area there will be a goal line drop out a la rugby league. This is to reduce the number of scrums but this one I quite like. The ball should be in play in the open for longer as a consequence.

Anyway, July 3rd it all starts. I'll be watching.

Maggie Alphonsi is putting herself forward to be a President of the RFU some time soon. She ticks plenty of boxes thanks to her amazing rugby career and her growing media career. She also ticks other boxes by being black and a woman, and this is the risk. People become blind to her excellent rugby credentials and look only at the colour of her skin and her sex. This in my mind is why we cannot force the issue by artificially driving diversity. I think Maggie would make a great President in the same way as Jason Leonard did. Her playing credentials and knowledge of the sport and how she projects herself and the game are exactly what the game needs. In essence the very best person for the job....... end of.

By the way I am glad rugby is not going to adopt the Rooney Rule which dictates that for every job at least one BAME candidate must be included in interviews for jobs. Good! Interview and employ the very best for the vacancy. It could be the talking parrot from the latest Dr Dolittle film as long as the parrot is the very best for the job. Sorry to labour the point but having worked with South Africans in SA and seen some terrible injustices in terms of employing talent I am passionate about getting this right.

By the way I didn't see too many Black Lives Matter supporters rushing to defend the Met Police Officers who were attacked this week by a mainly large group of black men. No out pouring of protest here. No, because it is not fashionable to defend our wonderful police forces.

Back to rugby. Sale Sharks are planning an ambitious move back to Sale with proposal for a state of the art sporting village in Crossford Bridge. Sounds good. I hope they have the money to see it through.

Wales are looking into options for keeping the Autumn tests alive and where to play them with Principality currently an empty Nightingale field hospital.

I've got half an eye on the NRL at the moment. In the absence of union this is the only option and quite frankly it is good. Union could learn from the NRL I think.

Elsewhere the virus continues to dominate. Matt Hancock continues his one man campaign to overpromise and massively under deliver. The track and trace is a shambles as is mass testing. Thanks to Geoff, who obviously also has times on his hands, I have this from Hansard dated 23rd Jan: "We are well prepared and well equipped. The UK is one of the first countries to develop a world-leading test for coronavirus". Mmmmmm! yep, that's right and the earth is flat.

I thank Robert G for advising me that Covid-19 has been especially worrying for the Flat Earth Society. They fear the social distancing measures could push people over the edge..

Talking of social distancing Geoff has also suggested we do away with the 2 metre rule when the club bar finally reopens and introduce a 2 litre minimum rule. Nice one sir!

An eminent scientist, Karol Sikora, has come out and said he believes that the UKs death rate to the virus could in truth be half of that reported because "doctors are too keen to name the virus on death certificates and most victims were going to die anyway because they were elderly"

Controversial but at last someone is speaking out against the media driven narrative.

Right, that'll do for now but you need to know I bought some coconut shampoo yesterday. I have no idea why as I don't own any coconuts.

I bumped into a guy who has invented a ring with a watch in it. Currently he has one on each finger. Me, I think he has too much time on his hands!!

Back on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Thursday 11th Jun: 09:00

Thank you to those who sent notes of condolence following the passing of Sandy. I am sure the Pantrey family will be comforted by the knowledge that Sandy is still fondly remembered at the club.

The rugby pages are full of the imminent civil war that is about to break out. Players are threatening to strike over the enforced cuts to their wages and the impending cut to the salary cap. I have some sympathy with them. A rugby career is short and unless you have prepared wisely life post rugby can be long and difficult. However, surely players are bright enough to recognise the situation their clubs are in. Even before the seasonal flu epidemic hit clubs were not in great shape. All bar one were in debt and the increase in costs was being driven by player wage inflation. The clubs brought this on themselves but in the main it was only the largesse of the benefactors that stopped them going under. The Covid-19 situation has driven clubs to the edge and has thankfully been a massive wake up call. A wake up call to the benefactors and the stakeholders. Players have been supportive by taking the cuts, albeit some very reluctantly, but are now flexing their muscles as reality dawns.

Reality is simple. The current business model of spending more than you earn and subsequently being bailed out by the money man is broken. There are fundamentally two options for the players: buy into change no matter how unpalatable that is or find yourself queuing for your giro cheque like millions of others who have been badly hit by the virus. There is talk of a mass exodus to Japan. Some will make it but if you are a Japanese club are you going to take a Thomas Youngs or Kieran Read? Striking is counterproductive right now. No-one is playing, no-one is queuing to get into grounds, no-one is watching on TV so who loses? The players. Who benefits? The clubs as it gives them the opportunity to expedite redundancies and reduce their squads. The changes to the salary cap don’t come into force for 15 months so there is time to negotiate. It is obviously easy for me to say as my wages haven’t been cut but as someone who wittered on about the game for some time I hope the players see sense and recognise the alternatives to reducing the salary cap and cutting wages is even worse.

For the record I think this is where the marquee player dispensation makes matters worse. You have two players earning way in excess of others in the squad and are probably immune from cuts. This cannot be good for morale in a squad.

Moving swiftly on as the Aussie Rules is on live shortly.

I know you think I am losing the plot but be afraid, very afraid. Big Brother is coming. Tony the lying scumbag Blair only this week said we all need a digital ID tag “so people can prove their coronavirus status” Yep, the lying scumbag wants us all to be traceable by technology. Well Tony I am off to the crapper in a minute so you can contact me there. It is where I will reacquaint myself with all the crap you spouted when you sent our brave armed forces into war on the back of your lies and falsehoods.

As it is fashionable to rewrite or expunge history perhaps we should be taking down statues of Nelson Mandela. He was a convicted terrorist of course so surely that is as bad as being a slaver who later atoned by doing good for the nation. Alternatively we could put up statues of dear old uncle Joe Stalin. The very kind man who tore down any symbols he disagreed with and killed millions of his own people during his reign of love and joy. Yep, the world is going mad.

So mad that kids can’t go to school but they can go to the zoo. Whilst some of the governments policy with regard to schools has been vague at best and non-existent at worst I find it hypocritical of Sir Keir to lambast Boris when many of the problems have been caused by his supporters and those in his party heading up councils. The more I hear about what schools are doing is a nonsense and has no bearing on how the virus is impacting on life. People are playing politics with our kids futures.

Get the schools open, get the pubs open (after all parents need a drink by now), get the sports stadiums open and most of all get people back to work.

Let me lighten the mood. WELL DONE to our Under 14s. £240 of pocket money to the fundraising appeal. Absolutely BRILLIANT.

Finally I have to admit that Mrs Bleater has stood by me for 42 years. Perhaps the time has come to buy a second armchair.

Did you know ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ was first serialised in two local newspapers. Yes, its true. They were the Bicester Times and the Worcester Times.

Must go, a Tony Blair awaits.

Wednesday 10th Jun: 10:20

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Sandy Griffin. Sandy was a great servant to Crowborough RFC. She was our bar and catering manager keeping the old shed of a clubhouse going whilst the new one was being built and then getting us off to a great start in the new place when it opened in 2011. Her commitment to the club ensured we established ourselves as a place where the league lunches were great and bar and clubhouse was well run. When Sandy retired from CRFC in 2013 she left a positive legacy behind which was rewarded with her being made an HVP. Our thoughts are with Aitch, Chris and Gemma at this time. On behalf of CRFC I say “thank you Sandy and may your soul rest in peace”.

The rugby pages are picking over the fall out from the salary cap agreement. It is reported that the players are furious about the lack of inclusion in the negotiations. I can understand how they might feel as all of a sudden a number of things could happen: jobs could go and salaries could be/will be reduced. Already unhappy about the arbitrary way wages were cut by 25% this adds more fuel to the fire. I think they need to wake up and smell the coffee and look around them. Walk around Leicester and Bristol and Gloucester and see all the people who are at risk of losing their jobs completely, are having to resort to charity to keep food on the table. Many of these could be people who pay good money to go through the turnstiles each week. Cuts are going to be a fact of life in rugby for some time if clubs are to survive. The choice might be stark: take a cut or lose your livelihood.

What doesn’t help is the PRL not taking this opportunity to fundamentally change the way the cap is structured. It is still too complicated with academy credit and international player credit and marquee players. The players in the middle are the ones who are going to be squeezed and this is a failing of the cap structure. The players believe going on strike is one possible way forward. I think striking would be disastrous but if they want to shoot themselves in the foot then so be it. Finally I would say that the players are the clubs biggest asset so you could argue they should have a say but running businesses by committee moves you along but nearly always slowly and nearly always involves compromises of compromises.

On a brighter note thanks go to Geoff for his suggestions on new cards World Rugby might want to introduce. Shamelessly copied into here.........

White - sorry I missed that so let's play on.
Beige - something happened there but I don't have a scooby-do what it was.
Grey - Use it ! The pointless Ref command that has never been penalised.
Violet - tell your players no more fighting (and try and look like you mean it).
Pink - tell that bloke in the crowd to give it a rest.
Sky Blue - don't call me Sir in that tone of voice.
Purple - don't smile and shake your head in disbelief (5 mins in the bin).
Black - playing advantage (this could go on for some time, or maybe not, who knows ?).
Mauve - could we please finish this scrum - I've got a train to catch at 5 o'clock.
Light Green - next offence will be a card.
Dark Green - I did tell you ! (10 mins).
Light Brown - technical naughtiness. (10 mins).
Medium Brown - slightly naughtier (12 mins 30 secs).
Dark Brown - pathetic attempt at professional foul (15 mins)
Very Dark Brown - proper professional foul (20 mins)
Gordon Brown - beyond comprehension for normal people.
Orange - possible Red. Phew ! We've got 20 minutes to figure this one out.
Tangerine - a small Orange (15 mins).
Jaffa - a big Orange (25 mins)
Red - extremely naughty. Goodnight Vienna.
Maroon - extremely naughty and even more stupid. Attend a Hard of Thinking course.
Navy Blue - there is a Ref Assessor here today so do not expect too much empathy from me.

Rugby Australia have struck a TV deal with Fox meaning their mini Super tournament will be on SKY. Good news if you have SKY of course.

Lots in the news about racism and to a degree quite rightly. There is no place in society for racism but we have to accept it does exist here in the UK but not as much as being made out. I remember this time last year being at a dinner and well respected French colleague saying how wonderful it is that London is so multicultural and how Paris and France is not. I despair at the rush to pull down statues. It feels like the Chinese cultural revolution and the Stalinist purges and the North Korean dictatorship. I am also frustrated at the notion that if you don’t speak out you are inherently racist which is complete nonsense. Finally it doesn’t help with so many people jumping on the bandwagon. Let’s move on.

I love my food, I love to cook and I love to use good British ingredients. At the moment British lamb is superb and nothing beats a fresh British roast chicken. Soon both might disappear. British and great quality. The government have snuck through a bill which allows our food standards to be diminished and opens the door to cheap US imports where food standards are not as good. A disgrace. You can find more on the NFU website. Thanks Colin. This IS important. Sadly as it won’t be on Facebook or supported by the Kardashians there won’t be any mass protests about this so I am going to do my bit by writing to Nus Ghani about it.

Finally a little challenge as the weather turns inclement. Get a piece of paper and write down GSK, Bill Gates and WHO. Then write down names that are related to the Covid-19 story such as Patrick Vallance and Chris Witty and do so as new ones come up. Do a little research and you will be amazed/horrified by how they are all interlinked which supports the (conspiracy) theory that some of the paranoia about Covid-19 is about a few very rich people making money.

No cheesy jokes today in deference to Sandy and her family.

Tuesday 9th Jun: 10:10

There is only one place to start and that is with the salary cap. The clubs have agreed that from 2021/22 season the cap will be reduced to £5m with an allowance of £600,000 of academy credits taking the total to just shy of £6m. This will remain in place for two seasons when it will be reviewed. In addition from 2022/23 season the marquee player dispensation will be cut to one player from two.

Following Lord Myners' report and the situation clubs find themselves in this was inevitable, and even before Covid-19 I had been suggesting a cut made sense. I am assuming the changes couldn't be made with immediate effect because of contractual agreements already in place. That said clubs have already made cuts to players wages of 25% which may or may not be reinstated and a number of clubs have let some players go in order to reduce their wage bills.

It appears that Steve "the ego" Landsdown was "vehemently" opposed to any cuts and the papers imply the keeping of the marquee player dispensation was the concession to get the deal over the line. He has been outspoken about cuts and the need to keep marquee players in the game so that was no surprise.

My view is this is a step in the right direction BUT the recommendations made by Lord Myners must be implemented in full and policed rigorously and defaulters punished harshly. If that does not happen then you might as well start the season with an auction and the biggest pockets buys the title.

One implication of the change could see the trickle of players leaving these shores for Japan becoming a deluge. Japan appears to be the go to destination for the money and when you start reading about the slugs and leeches, aka agents, eulogising about the marvellous opportunity and experience (the money) Japan offers then you know things will change. The RFU rewards its internationals more than generously so the very best players might be persuaded to stay but for others the lure of Japan will be difficult to resist.

Put the money to one side. The place is amazing so the experience would be truly fantastic. I can remember Mrs Bleater and I talking to Shane Williams about Japan and he certainly would reinforce the point about how wonderfully well you are treated on and off the field and he would count his time in Japan as some of the best during his glittering rugby career.

Keen to be part of the Lions experience in South Africa we along with everyone else is in limbo at the moment. There is no talk about cancelling the tour but there are discussions about moving the tour to later in the year. This has come about as a consequence of the growing sense that an aligned global calendar is the way forward. The SA rugby authorities do not want The Lions tour to be an obstacle and moving it back would allow other things to happen. I only picked this up this morning so my immediate view is it makes sense as long as the clash with the clubs, which already exists, is not intensified. From a tourist point of view South Africa is a beautiful destination all year round and even if the Cape is somewhat colder it would still be a fabulous destination.

Alex Lozowski is off to Montpelier on as season long loan. Sarries really are gearing up for the Championship.

I don't normally smile at Eddie Jones cheap shots at other nations but I did yesterday. He was praising how New Zealand keep churning out great sides and how facing them is the ultimate challenge. He put their success down to having a great academy system. In fact a three pronged academy system.................... Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Nice one King Eddie.

Elsewhere The Bard has furnished me with Stuart Barnes latest missive in The Times supporting the notion of reducing the number of subs. I still say you can go to three but Stuart is more conservative and his vast knowledge of the game means he supports going down to six. The objective is the same so the key thing for me is people are starting to think differently and recognising things have to change if the game is to progress.

I was appalled at the violence and vandalism of the weekend's Black Lives Matters rallies. Add to this the disruption caused by the protests on the M6 near Coventry and it becomes more difficult to support a cause that actually says "only black lives matter and we don't give a damn about you or your property". I also struggle with comments by Raheem Sterling about pushing forward black managers in soccer ahead of white people. That in itself is racist. We should all be equal and I don't care whether a manager is black or white, a man or a woman, or what their religion or sexuality or any other criteria is. For Leicester City I want the best person for the job and as long as that person has been given the same opportunity to progress then happy, happy days.

Moving on, it will be interesting to see if there is a spike in Covid-19 cases in London and Bristol and the Birmingham/Coventry area following the protests. I am not bothered about increased cases what is important is any increase in hospitalisation and worse deaths. Either of those shoots my desire for lockdown to end completely down in flames. On the other hand bearing in mind the ethnic make up of the protests it could actually support my theory that we should all get back to normal and scrap this paranoia about coronavirus.

Finally thank you Colin for bringing my attention to the outrageous decision by our Government to effectively scrap our very high food hygiene standards and put the livelihoods of our amazing farmers at risk. More on this tomorrow.

Today's latest breaking news is a knight in a suit of armour astride his steed has just jumped over 30 double decker buses.
Apparently he is Medieval Knieval

I just found out my parents were blissfully happy for twenty five years........ then they met each other!!

I will be having a deodorant party this weekend.
Roll on Saturday!

Monday 8th June: 09:35

A somewhat bleak weekend with it being colder and wetter than of late. Covid-19 still dominates the news but more of that later.

The rugby article that caught my eye was in the Fail on Sunday. Lord Myners has given an in-depth interview about how he went about compiling his report and some of the things that troubled him most. I guess the most fascinating and therefore worrying was the "proud boast" of one manager who says they found ways to get around the cap and they are sure they'll find ways to get around any new rules. Add to this the comment by a member of another club that he was supportive of the cap but he wasn't sure everyone else was complying". If this is the starting point for the new era then implementing the new regulations and complying will be an uphill task. Myners was quite scathing about the way the clubs were run and as a consequence their future sustainability. I think you've heard that before somewhere. He also comments about the marquee player concept which he felt doesn't fit with any form of salary cap. It will be interesting if this is phased out over the next few seasons. The RFU business model also came in for some criticism stating that a business based on 6 or 8 big occasions per year is always going to be very vulnerable to major disruptions to the economy.

Talking of which the RFU are now thinking about a "festival of rugby" during the autumn. The 6 nations plus say Japan and South Africa. This of course is all about money but is also dependant on having a crowd at each of the chosen venues. Reducing social distancing to 1m would allow Twickenham to hold 40,000 BUT this of course does not take into account the packed trains and roads that would be a by-product. Under the current guidelines it isn't going to happen.

Talking of shambles the August 15th restart has as expected brought consternation to the faces of many, especially those at Newcastle and Saracens. The latter could be asked to be in two places at any given time and the former could find themselves without rugby for many more months to come. There is then the clash with the RFU and the talked about October fixtures. Come on guys. Bite the bullet. Scrap 2019/21 and start with a new season in September. Money is blinding you to the bleedin obvious, especially as the really contentious issue of relegation/promotion has already been decided.

Chris Foy of the Daily Fail rips into the new rule being used in New Zealand that sees a red card reduced to the equivalent of a twenty minute binning. I suggested during these difficult times it was worth giving it a go but subsequently I tend to agree with Foy: this is not a good idea. What changed my mind was rereading my Japan diary and the sending off of the big Fijian in the Wales v France game. That was an outrageous act of thuggery and being punished by a 20 minute binning would have not been sufficient. Yes the game turned on its head at that moment and Wales went on to win a game that perhaps they deserved to lose but that is the point isn't it. If a player commits an act that is worthy of a red card then the team should be punished otherwise there is no punishment. This is where actually the orange card idea comes more into play. The Fijian's Frenchman's act was clear cut but there are times especially with the newish "contact to the head" guidelines the line becomes blurred. This seems a better idea. Thank you Mr Foy for your clarity on this idea.

There will be full houses when the NZ Super Rugby returns this coming weekend. No social distancing necessary. Hoorah, a sensible decision at last. With both Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter in the Auckland Blues squad you can expect full houses for their games.

No messing about in France. The season has now been cancelled but prior to that all players were told to remain in the country available to play if a go ahead had been given. Pau's Tom Taylor ignored that and went home to New Zealand and has subsequently been sacked. I like Pau's style.

Before I go the time has come when someone needs to grow a pair and get ALL the kids back at school. I have it from a range of sources that some kids are returning to school and are very happy to do so. It is mainly kids from the better off backgrounds, the kids who have had decent home schooling via all the tools available. I am told the kids from poorer backgrounds are staying away. Sorry but this cannot be right. If anything it is those children we need to be educating the most if we are ever to reduce the social and economic divide that exists.

Black Lives Matter! Yes they do but in my mind ALL Lives Matter. I am sorry but the minute a cause is jumped on by wannabee celebrities etc and protests descend into mob rule and violence means that some are missing the point. Trying to eradicate history by tearing down statues gets us nowhere except to the land of the ostrich. Having your arse in the air and your head in the sand achieves absolutely nothing. Learn, understand and change!

Over the weekend I watched a show about beavers. It was the best dam show I had ever seen.

Did you hear about the circus fire. It was in tents!

I'm only familiar with 25 letters of the alphabet. I don't know why!

Back tomorrow with more crap......... and some jokes.

Friday 5th June: 09:00

What a difference a few days make. There we were basking in glorious sunshine, tomorrow we will be thinking about turning the heating on again (not in my house) as temperatures plummet. Climate change! What climate change?

It is looking increasingly likely that any sense of normality is a long way off as the paranoia about this year's seasonal flu goes unabated. I won't be taking public transport anytime soon. I think wearing a mask offers no protection and in fact is potentially more harmful but that is my increasingly sceptical view of the direction of travel we are going in. I am sure many others will disagree.

Anyway, the point I was going to make, the indications are that travelling will be difficult for some time to come so the planned October internationals are in doubt. There is growing momentum for a home and away 6 Nations tournament to fill any void. The plans are a bit sketchy but basically part 1 would be in October and part 2 in February and March 2021. We'll see especially as the 'breaking news' is Premiership Rugby is targeting an August 15th return. Right now the details are vague but at least we now have some idea of when things will recommence......... however......... the date is only two weeks away from the planned 20/21 season so why not scrap this one and plough ahead into the new. I know the answer is money but this seems madness to me and has no regard for player welfare. I am not talking about the bullshit around the virus I am talking about game overload. What do I know? The answer is probably very little.

Going back to the October plans, two things, firstly the announcement about the Premiership means there will almost certainly be a clash between the clubs needs and RFU's and secondly Bill Sweeney has made the point there is no point in playing in October without fans. Not only is it soulless but it makes no financial sense either.

There is a growing sense that aligning the rugby calendars has merit and summer rugby at the top flight could become a reality sooner rather than later. The RFU are certainly shifting their stance.

There is a good news story and that is Worcester's Michael Fatialofa has left hospital after five months. After breaking his neck it was feared he would never walk again. Not only is he walking he is doing so unaided and has been for some time. Thank you NHS.

Ben Te'o is heading down under to play league for the Brisbane Broncos. Didn't he qualify for England under the pathetic three year residency rule? By the way the Broncos got beat 59-0 yesterday by the Sydney Roosters.

Further to my comments of yesterday I thought I would give you the opening paragraphs of one of the articles I have been reading......
As an NHS doctor I've seen people die and be listed as a victim of coronavirus without ever being tested for it. But unless we have accurate data we won't know which has killed more: the disease or the lockdown?

I suppose most people would be somewhat surprised to know that the cause of death, as written on death certificates, is often little more than an educated guess.
Dr. Malcolm Kendrick being interviewed by RT.

Also in the news today are stories of Bill Gates talking about the urgent need for a global vaccine which governments should be using for mass vaccination. With Gates VERY close links to a number of pharmaceutical companies, especially GSK, you have to ask who will benefit? You can bet it won't be you & I and you can also be pretty sure any forced vaccination program is another step down the road to living in a police state. Don't forget your mask!!!!!!!

Before I go I know many of you are probably becoming increasingly frustrated with my view on this topic so I leave with you something to ponder. Only yesterday several leading news agencies, including the BBC have had to retract articles supporting certain drugs and criticising others. Why? Simply because the data used on both sides of the argument was fundamentally floored and biased and I think you could safely allege downright fraudulent.

Late breaking news.........
What noise does a 747 make?
Boeing, Boeing, Boeing

A woman on trial for beating her husband to death with his guitar collection. The Judge says: "First offender?"
She says: "No! First a Gibson then a Fender"

A man was interrogated over the theft of a cheese toastie. Boy, they really grilled him.

Don't forget that if you rearrange the letters of "postmen".......... they get really hacked off.

Today’s photo is St Georges, capital of Grenada

No blog until Monday. Don't forget tomorrow is the anniversary of D-Day.

Thursday 4th June: 09:45

I might get time to rant but let's talk rugby first.

King Eddie has sated we need to make the game faster. Hallelujah to that I say because it has been a concern for many for a long time now. Reset scrum after reset scrum. The constant intervention of the TMO. The time the ball is held in rucks and mauls. The lack of width in the game. Of course there is also the constant introduction of fresh blood at the top flight. Jones has suggested the reducing the number of substitutes to six from eight would be a step in the right direction. As you know I would go further and reduce it to three but at least people are waking up to the simple fact rugby has become more like the NFL and change is needed.

Sam Burgess, remember him, dragged from the NRL to play union in England, and for England. He turned out to be a damp squib and quickly returned to Australia. He likes being in the news with his personal life somewhat turbulent so now he is blaming Mike Ford, George's dad and ex Bath coach for all his woes. I really can't be bothered with the "it's all someone else's fault" nonsense so if you want to know more plenty of people have succumbed to Burgess's desire to stay in the public eye post his injury forced retirement by printing his self-pity.

Richard Cockerill it seems has been denied an opportunity to return to Premiership rugby with Rory Teague tipped to take over the coaching mantle at Gloucester. Cockerill would have been a great choice but it seems cost and his contract with the SRU have got in the way.

Not sure if it is a spanner that has been lobbed into the works or a hand grenade. What are you on about? In an apparent change to last weeks "good" news HMRC have now come out and said rugby players returning to training, especially once it becomes contact training are back at work and therefore furlough must end. They have indicated that once any training becomes supervised/organised then that too might mean furloughing ending. That will be a serious blow to the cash strapped clubs who had hoped to have the players wages subsidised until the game actually restarted. Me, I am with the HMRC. Back in training at the club means back at work, which means furlough ends.

Dan Carter to make a shock return to New Zealand rugby. He will join the Auckland Blues for the mini series and take the rest from there. Carter is an icon of the game in New Zealand so this is a shrewd move by the Blues. People will want to see Carter back in action so hopefully will pack the stands as a consequence. A bold move at age 38 after stints in France and latterly in Japan but good on him. Give it a go.

Talking of New Zealand it appears they and their government are open to the idea of Wales and Scotland moving their summer tours to October, a lovely time to be New Zealand. This would clash with Wales and Scotland's desire to get games on at home and the demands of the club game. Good idea but I see trouble ahead before that one gets off the ground.

Stupidity and lies and a police state. The plans for quarantine on returning home from holiday is nonsense. If quarantine is so important why is it NOT in place now? Stupidity comes from forcing people to wear face masks on flights. Aircraft today have excellent air cleaning and recycling systems so why are people being told to wear a face mask for two or more hours which will ensure they are breathing their own stale air for that period and restricting the amount of oxygen that gets to the passengers lungs. Why do we need to have a health certificate before we travel? Like the track and trace system it is an attempt of keeping us under surveillance. The whole travel plan is absolute nonsense, especially as we let untested, and uncontrolled migrants arrive into the country by dinghy with impunity. The whole thing is bonkers.

What I believe to be the truth is coming out now. I have read several articles by eminent scientists, leading pathologists and front line NHS doctors. They state in many cases it has been easier to put down death as a result of Covid-19 than actually the true cause of death. These comments compound my personal view that the world has been played and the reaction to Covid-19 has been way over the top. Several of the articles have gone as far to say that the truth will be hidden as many future deaths from suicide, cancer and other diseases will be attributable by default to the Covid-19 outbreak than currently the case. In essence the effects of this unnecessary total lockdown will cause untold harm long into the future.

Finally money. Someone else is to blame so we want compensation. A Liverpool couple are claiming their "fit and healthy" 70 year old father died as a direct result of the Government allowing Liverpool v Valencia game to be played just before we went into lockdown. Let me play with numbers now. 40,000 people have allegedly died as a result of Covid-19 out of a population of 65,000,000. That is about 0.06% of the population. Anfield holds 54,000 so on that basis you would expect a death rate of 32 people. YES I know this is a VERY simplistic comparison but the point needs to be made. Also 100,000 attended Cheltenham so you would expect another 60 deaths. We have heard of .............. one, and even that cannot be proven. It could be that it is convenient for the family to link the death to the game. I don't know. What is more to the point is in both Cheltenham and Liverpool there have been spikes in cases but no matching spike in deaths. This I believes confirms that lockdown in totality was the wrong way forward and all it has done has left us in an economic apocalypse.

I must move on so writing about the scumbags who have littered our beaches in the last few days will have to wait.

In other news.........
What is the best part of living in Switzerland?
I don't know but the flag is a big plus.

5/4 of people admit they are bad at fractions.

A man was sacked from his job in the calendar factory because he took a few days off.

A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. The barman says: "sorry we don't serve food here"

Oh how I long for the beach.