Today is VE day. On this day in 1945 the Germans finally surrendered and brought the horror and atrocities of World War II in Europe to an end. Victory in Europe came at a price. Millions of young men and women died in the fighting, many more died as a result of bombing and we cannot forget the 6m Jews who were slaughtered as a result of the holocaust. Very few parts of Europe avoided the horror. The battle for Norway down through Europe and across into Greece. The loss of 10m Russians cannot be left out either, even if many of those were at the hands of their own forces. It is absolutely right we remember the fallen.

We must remember and salute those who came back, often scarred both physically and mentally. There were millions who fought in a different way on the home front: the Bevan boys conscripted to work in the mines, those who kept the transport infrastructure working, those at Bletchely Park, and the many millions who toiled at home to keep the country going especially the emergency services.

Finally whilst the war brought the tyranny of the Nazis and the iron fist of fascism to heel we cannot ignore the sacrifice made by the soldiers and civilians on the other side of the fight. Many fine soldiers blindly obeying the orders of mad men and many innocent civilians lost their lives too. They too must be remembered on this day. It is great that Germany has declared today a public holiday in honour of those who gave so much for their country.

As an aside the Russians celebrate VE day tomorrow on May 9th. They were noticeable by their absence on the 8th in 1945 and demanded a second ceremony of surrender a day later so they could be present.

Today we are battling Covid-19 and sadly we are faced with the same misinformation prevalent at times during 1939-45: being economic with the truth, distorting facts to suit ones own ends and using the opportunity to oppose the work of those who were elected to lead the country. Churchill had many detractors and many who were quick to say 'you have it all wrong.' Sound familiar?

There were plenty of Matt Hancock types too. People in positions of power who refused to accept they were wrong, accept they made mistakes and blindly push forward failure as victory. Montgomery and Operation Market Garden a perfect example.

Today in the European press we are vilified because of our high death rate because it suits their purpose. There is no mention of the reasons why such as our much wider ethnic diversity or our more densely packed population centres. There is no mention of how our amazing NHS has not been overwhelmed or how their death rates in care homes compares equally as unfavourably as ours or how in days we managed to build four new hospital facilities. Neither is there any mention of how the chickens are coming home to roost in Sweden or the dire situation in Russia or in the US. Why? Is it as simple as those countries are not leaving the EU?

A few lines of sports news. A number of Saracens players have been reprimanded for breaking the lockdown rules by meeting for a coffee in St Albans. This comes as no surprise as I think there are many in society who are not observing the lockdown rules.

I read with some interest that the Dutch Health Minister has stated that there will be no fans at sporting events until there is a coronavirus vaccine. Wow! I wonder who is driving that agenda as that is becoming scarily like Big Brother. Several people have written to me about the role of the drug companies during this crisis; the money they can make and the influence they can bring to bear. I start to worry about what is going on when I read stories like the one coming out of the Netherlands. Like the flu jab which I have refused I will be refusing a Covid-19 jab. If a vaccine is used as you would if bitten by a venomous snake: have the jab or die that is different thing, but mass vaccination? Big Brother or what?

I will leave you with two things.

Happy Birthday to the Wonderful Simon Davies, a stalwart of CRFC and the Friday Club. He is older than Methuselah me thinks.

Mrs Bleater has been keeping me awake all night shouting 'Mordor', 'Hobbit', 'Gandalf'
She has been Tolkein in her sleep again.

Back on Monday. I have a high expectation of having a hangover tomorrow.

Thursday 7th May: 08:30

Much in the news about the potential for lockdown restrictions to be eased from Monday. Is it too soon? From an economic point of view no it isn't. The country has to get back to work. From a risk point of view yes it probably is. As my brother stated yesterday 'you are damned if do, damned if you don't'. He too, is fed up with those who rather than rally round at this time of crisis are using the opportunity to score points for their own personal satisfaction without offering any credible alternatives.

Sport is chomping at the bit to get going, mainly for financial reasons. It seems the Bundesliga will be first out of the traps with games going ahead behind closed doors and intense virus testing for those involved. Germany has managed the crisis better than most so it is understandable they'll be first with a relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

New Zealand have also said sport can restart but again behind closed doors. Rugby and Netball will be back on TV screens quite soon I think.

The situation in the UK is more complicated as we have been hit the hardest by the crisis and getting sport up and running will be more difficult and should not be a priority. I am led to believe Premiership rugby is gearing itself up to get back into training both on an individual and team level. I am also led to believe BT have pretty advanced plans on how to get the game back on the screens quickly. This I guess is one of the reasons why PRL have been suggesting using just one or two neutral venues with games back to back. There is no other logical reason why neutral venues is being discussed.

I am also guessing that is also why football is talking about neutral venues. If games are to be held behind closed doors why can't they go ahead home and away as planned. With regard to football I think there is the added fear that fans would congregate around the grounds and with many grounds in areas of dense housing e.g. Liverpool this would be an additional problem.

If rugby and football is given the go ahead what is to stop large groups of supporters getting together in each others home to watch the games on TV? Nothing. If it was all about finalising the season properly then soccer and rugby would NOT be on TV and none of this would matter. It isn't though is it? It is all about money.

The more I think about it perhaps they shouldn't restart now. Start again in September. If that means some clubs go to the wall so be it. Perhaps ultimately that would be the best outcome for the game and the game's long term future.

Yesterday I had a long chat with someone who played in the Bath v Wigan cross code double header. Upfront he said it was an amazing experience but the cards were stacked against Bath. Bath had secured the league and cup double on the Saturday and spent all day Sunday on a celebration bender at Jack Rowell's home. On Monday they had their one and only training session which included playing against a mishmash of South Wales Rugby League players. Before travelling north on Tuesday they had another run out with the game on the Wednesday. It was described to me as 'we were travelling to the Artic but had packed for Dubai'. Unsurprisingly they were trounced BUT Bath achieved their goal (agreed at half time) of a) scoring and b) keeping the score below 100 points against.

Bath at that time were the undisputed champions of Europe. The best of the best. Likewise Wigan were stood on the same pedestal in their code. It has subsequently been argued that that Wigan team were not only the best of that time they were the best of all time.

The Twickenham encounter was less intense. In part because union is technically more complex and therefore potentially more dangerous Bath didn't go full bore at the scrums for example. The league boys were very skilful so in open play were a match for Bath and that is why the Twickenham encounter was more even.

This was a money making gimmick but in my view had far reaching implications. It wasn't long after this we started to see league coaches coming into the union game bringing both defensive and offensive nous to the game. Shaun Edwards and Andy Farrell are perfect examples. I would suggest if we put Europe's best, Saracens, up against leagues best today things would be very different. Union would cope significantly better even with limited preparation time.

Much in the news to get the blood pressure on the up: The Queen of Scotland Wee Jimmie Sturgeon, the media bullshit, the BBC bias, Matt Hancock and testing, the hypocritical Sussexes, the drug companies so I'll end with some good news........

I managed to get to the pet shop where I went to buy 12 bees. The shopkeeper gave me 13. When I pointed out his error he said 'that's ok, its a freebie'

I had a run in with a woman in Lidl last week. She threw a block of cheese at me. I had to tell her 'that was mature!'

You may have read that the inventor of the zip fastener has been elevated to the peerage. He will be known as 'Lord of the Flies'

VE Day tomorrow but I'll be back as normal.

Wednesday 6th May: 08:30

My grandson's 6th birthday today. Happy birthday Matthew. It was my granddaughters 6th birthday a few weeks ago so apologies to Verity for not mentioning her.

The rugby hacks in order to fill the column inches are looking into their crystal balls trying to solve the problem called Maria restart. Stuart Barnes and Brian Moore have focussed on the top flight and the grassroots, Chris Foy has had a go at the season structure and now Paul Kitson has had a go at the international season. He like many is somewhat concerned about Bill Beaumont's "steady as you go" approach. If he sticks to his stance of keeping the 6 Nations where it is and not allowing a more equitable sharing of revenue then the precipice awaits. Kitson also quite rightly points at the lunacy of some of the proposals for internationals in far flung corners of the globe one after the other. The geography and cost alone makes it madness let alone the toll on players.

Where his mind is at is pushing the 6 Nations back so it overlaps with the latter stages of the Rugby Championship. Better weather and firmer grounds. Keep the World Cup as is in October every 4 years and The British & Irish Lions every 4 years but have it late September into October as per the World Cup. In the intervening "fallow" years have a mini nations tournament involving 12 teams also played in late Sept into October. This would mean scrapping summer tours and autumn internationals. Obviously for this to work there would need to be revenue sharing otherwise I struggle to see why the unions would agree to this.

He then goes on to talk about a two division British & Irish League made up of 24 teams and a 'reinvented' Championship and grassroots game.

I think as with the other hacks there is something to this. Certainly moving the 6 Nations and having the Lions October time makes sense. I am not sure about the international tournament unless the revenue issue is truly equitable. With regard to the British & Irish League that leaves the Italians out in the cold, but of course if the French Federation were to allow the best two Italian sides to play in the Top14 then that solves that, except they would have to be there on merit.

Anyway, read it for yourselves. Robert Kitson in The Guardian.

Australian rugby remains in turmoil as one of their recent appointees to the ARU board Peter Wiggs resigns.

Much talk about playing the game behind closed doors. It would require at least 200 people in my mind what with players and staff and the media. Plenty of articles on this. I say getting rugby started is nowhere near as important as getting the economy started.

Congratulations to Sam Cane the latest New Zealand captain. Congratulations too to George North on the arrival of Jac to his household.

The Principality is named the best rugby stadium in the world ahead of Auckland's Eden Park. Can't argue with that except it was a piece run by Wales OnLine.

Women's rugby salaries at the top flight to be capped at £60,000 and this to include all benefits. I support the growth of the women's game but are they moving too fast down the professionalism route?

If you have SKY then set your boxes to record for Friday night. They are showing a rerun of the historic clash of the codes. The games between Bath and Wigan. Obviously I have a vested interest in this but it is well worth watching. Thanks to those who brought this to my attention.

It is not all gloom and doom as the RFU finalise a £20m kit deal with Umbro. That'll help me thinks but no I won't be rushing out to buy a new England shirt.

Food for thought. The global economy and certainly the UK economy is on the brink of collapse. Has the time come to take a massive risk and say 'sod this! Lockdown is over get back to work.' I fear if we don't the long term repercussions of poverty, health and wealth will pale into insignificance versus Covid-19 if we don't. I also believe if we don't all we are doing is making the rich very much richer and making more and more people very much poorer.

More food for thought. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery. Atheism is a non-prophet organisation. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

Rest assured there are many more gems like these.

Tuesday 5th May: 08:45

As the dust settles on World Rugby's recent election the challenges become increasingly difficult. If we look at the mess soccer is making of getting their season restarted then rugby has a rocky road ahead. The Bundesliga in Germany is set to be the first to restart but that has been knocked back as a number of players who planned to return to play have tested positive for Covid-19. For me there lies the biggest problem and I have said this time and time again: testing is only as good as the result on the day of the test. Players have to return two negative results before they can return to training. Good methodology but still the results are meaningless unless you test everybody involved over and over again.

The Premier League have proposed a similar way forward and have even suggested players wear masks during games. Has common sense gone out of the window. If you have to wear a mask to play because of the risk you shouldn't be playing at all. Anyway, more on this in a moment.

Back to World Rugby. Bernard Laporte on his first day as vice-Chairman has said it is vital Agustin Pichot does not walk away from the game. Absolutely right. As I said yesterday Beaumont and the blazers at World Rugby would be mad to simply carry on as normal and ignore the sensible elements of Pichot's ideas.

Having a unified international window is gaining some traction. Based on concerns expressed in the Daily Mirror about the viability of the South African tour there are now suggestions it could be moved to September or October which would form part of any new alignment of international dates. There are a myriad of reasons why this fraught with difficulty none more so than the outcry from the clubs, assuming the clubs haven't gone bust by then.

There is an excellent piece written by Mark Reason which can be found on stuff.co.nz about the hypocrisy of New Zealand rugby and that of people like Sir Knowitall in terms of their defence of the Pacific nations. It basically highlights that all the noise being made is actually about protecting vested interests and despite their protestations the one country who has supported the Pacific nations the least but has taken advantage of them the most is New Zealand. In this times of lockdown why not have a look. 'The big white lie of New Zealand' by Mark Reason

Talking of excellent articles another has been written by the brilliant Paul Kitson in The Guardian. He has highlighted how academies are failing the kids, both club academies and academies run by the unions. Kids who don't make the grade are often left deflated and leave the game altogether. There is no encouragement for players to support their local clubs whilst being a part of an academy and if they fail there is no support in keeping them in the game. I liken it to panning for gold in the far reaches of Alaska. You are searching for that single nugget that will change your fortunes. To find that nugget you have to dig and dig and dig. Much of what you dig is discarded and left behind. You don't care about what is left behind in your wake; the scars to the countryside. All you are interested in is that nugget.

Some make it and go onto greatness. Some clubs do it better than others and as a consequence have more success e.g. Saracens. In the main the rate of attrition is high, and it is expensive. Will the fallout from Covid-19 make clubs looks differently at the academies?

As you know Leicester Tigers have been in turmoil on and off the field. They have a new coach for when the game gets going again and in the near future there will be lots of changes to the squad, which according to the papers will be a much reduced squad. Out go many expensive players at the end of their contract. In come players who have been at the academy. Times are a changing.

The Irish Government have produced a road map of how sport could return to action. Whilst the dates are not cast in stone they give an indication of how things could be managed. For examples sports such as golf and tennis where social distancing is easier to achieve will be first to restart. Sports like soccer and curling are more difficult and would take longer. In the Irish plan rugby and boxing are last to restart to due the high levels of physical contact. It all makes sense but is not great for our game.

This news and the issues soccer are facing indicate to me that Premiership rugby is not going to restart any time soon. Rugby won't face the same challenges as soccer as relegation has been resolved and if it has to be neutral venues then so be it. This is not anything new for rugby. Only time will tell but in both cases I think people's health is way down the list versus the scramble for money. Sad but true.

What is equally sad, if not depressing, is the fact that Mick Loadsa Cash and his RMT anarchists will not aid Londoners who are struggling because of lockdown, not support the NHS staff and shop workers, not help the tradesmen desperate to get back to work. He and his union will stand in their way by refusing to go back to work until their demands are met and you can bet that will include pay increases and fewer hours. I fully understand and support the need to protect TfL staff, especially as they have tragically lost many friends and colleagues to Covid-19 but this is a cynical ploy by a Trotskyist anarchist for selfish reasons.

As we all clap for the NHS and other key workers on a Thursday the parasitic injury lawyers rub their hands in glee. More on this tomorrow.

Before I go there is some good news. A mate of mine has a new girlfriend. Apparently she runs he own stationery business and according to him has a really nice pad.

Also in the news did you hear about the couple who defied lockdown and went to Devon. They had a real shock when they saw an alien on top of a caravan. They were relieved to discover it was a television antenna. In fact it was an Exeter tourist aerial.

Monday 4th May: 09:00

Over many months one of my non rugby complaints has been about how the world is always looking to blame someone else. People are not willing to take responsibility for their own actions, it is always someone else's fault. On Saturday I have no-one but myself to blame and I am embarrassed by my actions and words. In an early edition of Saturday's blog, subsequently edited, I made mention of my friend Paddy and Momentum. Momentum is an odious group of extreme anarchists and linking him to them, albeit meant to be humorous, was truly offensive. Whilst I will put forward my opinions and challenge the opinions of others being offensive is not acceptable under any circumstance, especially to someone who regularly contributes to this blog. I have apologised on 1-2-1 basis and I apologise more publically here.

A valuable lesson learnt so lets move on to rugby. Bill Beaumont wins the vote and now has another four years at the head of World Rugby. I will look at this more deeply as the week progresses but my immediate reactions is to say he has his hands full and must get to grips with the finances of the global game which includes reviewing what a global Nations Championship has to offer, governance and fairness across nations must be high on the agenda and some of the more ambitious ideas of Agustin Pichot must not be dismissed. It will be a rocky road ahead.

One of the ideas of Pichot was a greater use of the asset known as The British & Irish Lions. Sadly in a number of papers, led by the Daily Mirror, there are reports that the 2021 tour to South Africa might be postponed or even cancelled. Equally sadly the reason revolves around, yes you guessed it, money. The main beneficiaries of Lions tours are the host country, the host union and to a lesser degree the TV broadcaster. With c.35,000 supporters travelling the host union and local economy gets a huge boost. Take 2017, the Lions tour effectively saved the NZRFU from going bust. The issue is the four home unions are in dire straits and earn virtually nothing from Lions tours. This tour will be at a time when they too are desperate for revenue so it makes little sense to have their key players absent at time when they are most needed. Lets see how this pans out.

Much in the press about players going to Japan where the riches await. George Kruis, Hadleigh Parkes, Owen Williams and now Freddie Burns have been linked with moves to Japan. What will worry some is when names like Maro Itoje start to be linked to big money moves. At this moment in time with money being tight I suggest clubs and unions have to let them go. Potentially it offers opportunities for clubs to 'reset'. This is another one to watch.

It still doesn't stop the influx of players. The recent Sale/Gloucester debacle surrounding the signing of Rohan Janse van Rensburg highlights this. He apparently managed to sign for both clubs. Don't blame him by the way. The weasel of an agent has to take responsibility me thinks.

The growth of the women's game is crucial to the revival of rugby overall and I support that wholeheartedly. I do however seriously question whether now is the right time for clubs to be going increasingly down the professional route. Happy to debate this one.

Hoorah for London Scottish. I have been sent a copy of the Chairman's letter to the staff, supporters, sponsors and investors. It hits the nail on the head in that things cannot go on as they are. As a consequence 'this has necessitated that we switch our model from a full-time professional environment with daytime training to a part-time model where our players do real jobs in the daytime and train in the evenings. This is a major shift for London Scottish which requires a different set-up and mind-set from our last ten years in the Championship'

Without question, in my not so humble opinion, this is the way forward. Right now this means there will be two mini leagues in the Championship. Saracens, Ealing, Jersey, Cornish Pirates, Coventry and Doncaster will be full time whilst London Scottish, Richmond, Ampthill, Bedford, Nottingham and Hartbury will be part time. I don't think Scottish will be the last to go down this route and I for one will be wishing them all the very best.

Right, that will do for now except for announcing last weeks 'dick of the week'.

Me.

Matt Hancock for instead of admitting his failings over testing gloating about a questionable testing programme.

Those gun toting morons who stormed the senate building in Michigan. There's anarchy and there is stupidity. No wonder the US has a complete and utter moron for a President.

Finally today's quiz.

Q. Who was England's first chiropodist?
A. William the Corncurer. He had a callous attitude that could be blistering.

Saturday 2nd May: 09:00

A big THANK YOU for all the correspondence. Please keep it coming, even the solicitors letters.

Colin was in full agreement with Brian Moore and my earlier piece about the size of players. He made a further point which strangely has come about because of Covid-19 and that is about the speed of the game and the endless rucks. SKY and BT are showing games from yesteryear including Lions tests. You Tube also have games from the 70s, 80s and 90s. What you see are fast, much more open games with none of the jackling nonsense at the ruck. Players stayed on their feet and those who went to ground were either moved by 'proper' rucking or got out of the way pretty damn sharpish. Colin's point is well made in that all the tinkering at the edges over time has made the game slower not quicker and by the way the same applies to the scrum. The changes have also made it more important to have big men on the field rather than agile and skilful ones. The lack of subs also made the game a better spectacle. Players tired and the game opened up. Surprise, surprise. Change is inevitable and what you don't need is old farts hankering after days of yore but these are good points.

Colin also makes the very good point that over the same time period you could argue the game at the lower levels has improved. The game is quicker and more skilful. He doesn't think that is down to law changes and tinkering, that is down to the vast improvement in coaching.

Talking of correspondence I spoke to my mother yesterday and she a) complained (again) about my bad language, b) said she didn't find my jokes very funny and c) asked 'who is Paddy O'Fez?'.

In the nicest possible way I said 'tough', 'tough' and 'he is a top bloke who sends me stuff on a regular basis. He has Irish blood and supports Saracens so it's not all good news. I also coached his lads (I refer back to an earlier paragraph!!!!!)

I, like many, am fed up with the biased, depressing and self-indulgent news reporting across all the media. It lacks balance and in some cases it is politically biased e.g. the recent Panorama program on PPE. It was no accident the doctors were all left wing activists as it suited the BBCs narrative of blaming everything on the Government. Stats are rolled to suit the purpose no matter that it is twisting the reality.

Others sadly are doing the same. My good friend O'Fez sent me a mail lauding the South Korean performance and criticising the UK performance over Covid-19. There might be merit in his points but if you are to make comparisons then lets look not just at one country, lets look across a range of countries. Making this type of comparison is way too simplistic and I fear is simply a stick to beat the government up with because of personal political preferences.

I remember when I was working arguing with senior management about simplistic comparisons between countries e.g. Brand X sells fantastically well in Country 1 we must launch into country 10 as it will be a great success. Oh no it won't because........ and often there were a myriad of reasons why not but senior management being senior management didn't want to hear that. They also didn't want to hear the 'I told you so' some years later. By the way being French management in a French company didn't help. They are so perfect and know everything!!!

Following my piece about conspiracy and where the virus started from, which increasingly looks like a lab in Wuhan, I've had an interesting text which I will take a chance and give to you in full as it is thought provoking.

'I've been reading your blog and would like to add something for you to consider. Remedesivir is made by Gilead and is part of the "treatment" solution to Covid-19, and here is where it gets interesting.'

'China holds the patent on the drug through an agreement with Gilead's drug patent sharing subsidiary branch called UNITAID, who has an office near Wuhan.'

'The main financial investors in UNITAID are none other than George Soros, Bill & Melinda Gates and the WHO.'

'Gilead and UNITAID were also financial supporters of Hilary Clinton'

'Fauci (who has been advising the US Administration) was the one authorising millions to be sent to The Wuhan Institute of Virology specifically for the "study" of coronaviruses'

I am taking a huge risk as I can't vouch for the source or accuracy of the information but I felt it sufficiently 'worrying' to replicate it in full.

Right, I must go, another missive from O'Fez has hit my inbox.

If you are getting depressed by this whole thing don't ring the depression helpline. The lines are down.

Friday 1st May : 09:20

Where does the time go, even in lockdown the days and months seem to pass so quickly. The 1st of May..... wow!

Before I go any further let me right a wrong and apologise. No, not to Piers Morgan for calling him a pillock or to Trump for calling him a big orange moron, but to Captain, now honorary Colonel, Tom Moore for omitting to mention his 100th birthday yesterday. A belated Happy Birthday from us at CRFC. The man is an inspiration, a bright light of hope and joy in a period of gloom and despair.

A rather large French spanner was thrown into the works yesterday. The Top 14 and Pro 2 were finally called off. With no sign of a rapid easing of lockdown in France, and the government making it clear sport is not a priority, and after the French Football Federation cancelled their league, the decision was inevitable. French rugby will now regroup and plan for season 2020/21.

This pretty much leaves the European Cups high and dry and the PRL ploughing a lonely and forlorn furrow in the hope that their season can be completed. Most of the papers are in agreement that the Pro14 and Super Rugby seasons will be cancelled in the very near future. Unlike the English set up both these leagues have international travel and therefore are not only at the mercy of UK legislation but that of other countries.

The EPCR have said they are pushing their quarter finals back to at least September but this to me highlights a singular lack of understanding of the situation. There is little chance the way things are going that mass gatherings in France will be allowed by then and I anticipate much the same for the UK. Even if they are it could be the new season has started and therefore how does that fit with squeezing in extra European games and the extra internationals being discussed. Something has to give and the European competitions seem the obvious choice. For the record I think the internationals should take priority as they are the biggest drivers of revenue and from there the game as a whole might be able to recover a little more quickly. Anything else is, and dare I say it, 'for the few and not the many'.

The PRL remain like ostriches with their heads in the sand. I actually think they have their heads somewhere worse than that based on the idiocy of their expectation that the season will be finished. At no point has anyone at PRL said we have discussed this with the players. I am sure players and staff who have had wages cut would want to get back to playing but I am sure there will be some who have concerns for their health and the health of their loved ones. Premiership soccer is in the same boat and there are more than a few murmurings from players about the risk to their health. The PRL are concerned about one thing and one thing only: money! The season goes unfinished at least one club will go to the wall. It is very unlikely the PRL will be able to replicate the TV deal struck with BT ever again so they are desperate to get in as much as they can now. I am getting fed up with lockdown and Covid-19 but as much as I love this game of ours right now it is unimportant.

Ok, very quickly, why the change of heart re Marler. I have not changed my opinion of it being a despicable act no matter his intention or the severity. My view is based on the assumption that the game will not recommence until September at the earliest. I also anticipate that when the game starts it will be as a new season. If this does turn out to be the case then banning him for the start of that season would be a double whammy. By the way I think that should apply across the board but only where bans that would have been served if the current season had been completed. Lengthy bans that meant missing the start of a new season must be completed is my view, but what do I know.

I feel like Woodward and Bernstein. I have new information from ......... but that is for tomorrow.

Thought I'd tell you that during lockdown I have started a boatbuilding business in my loft..... sails have gone through the roof.

My daughter and grandchildren were watching a zoo program yesterday. They saw a baguette in a cage. The keeper said it was bread in captivity.

Thursday 30th April: 09:30

Let's start with rugby for a change. I know many of you claim to be left leaning Guardian readers but many of you secretly are Torygraph loyalists. As a consequence you will already have read the excellent piece by Brian Moore. Being the arrogant knowitall of Crowborough Town much of it has been espoused by me in the past.

Moore makes the case that the solution to the Premiership's problems are relatively easy if they bite the bullet and cut costs, especially wages and squad sizes and start to live within their means. Where it becomes more complex is what to do with the Championship. As has been pointed out by yours truly the Championship is a mess. Clubs with unrealistic ambition propped up solely by benefactors with big bags of cash and even bigger egos. Moore quite rightly points out that there are those who are fully professional (Ealing Trailfinders) and those who are almost fully amateur (Richmond). With the RFU cutting clubs' funding even before the Covid-19 crisis things must change. Most players in the Championship are not well payed and not well looked after. Most have no chance of breaking into the top flight and post rugby their prospects are bleak.

What can be done. I have suggested you turn the Championship into a feeder for the Premiership. In essence each club effectively becomes the 2nd XV or academy for the Premiership. Moore basically agrees with this and has taken it a little further. He has said if the game is to progress why not look to America. The players in the Championship will have to have a proper education and means of supporting themselves within the game and beyond and given help with vocational training for a life after rugby. There would then be a draft system such as the NFL with Premiership clubs taking the brightest and best. Moore rightly points out this could then level the playing field making the Premiership more competitive and therefore exciting.

This piece also chimes with an article in The Guardian by Paul Kitson which suggests the days of the relatively expensive journeyman player in the game are over. No longer will clubs have the luxury of padding out their squads with players who earn a lot and are there for 'when the need arises'. Those leaving the game would make room for (cheaper) players with promise to be drafted from the Championship.

Before moving on and this needs no further explanation, Moore states it is madness for clubs below the Championship to be paying players to play. The time has never been better for the RFU to say this has to stop. It is crippling the clubs and as a consequence crippling the game. There are guidelines about levels of payment. Pre-Covid these were a nonsense. Post-Covid they are irrelevant. Make the move now and change the rules.

Elsewhere the leaders in sport are meeting with the government this week to work out how sport can recommence. Soccer and rugby are leading the charge. I for one think they are being blinded by the money and ignoring the risk to life, and I believe there is little or no chance of a return to team sport being countenanced any time soon.

The WRU are talking about cramming seven tests into the calendar in the Autumn. Another ambitious plan which relies on countries allowing UK citizens to enter their country, ignores player welfare and assumes the game has been given the go ahead to restart by then.

My source, 'Graysey', has alerted me to a new conspiracy gaining momentum. There are You Tube videos of Bill Gates putting forward his theory that the globe is over-populated and that the situation will be rectified by a serious pandemic that will take many millions of lives. This has now been taken to another level in that Bill Gates is leading the funding for the search for a viable vaccine. The funding however only seems to be going to those where he, or his closest allies have a vested interest. Basically the conspiracy theory says 'follow the money' and that will lead you straight to Bill Gates door.

In one of the papers there is a banner (USA) that says
Dead
Covid-19 - 39,000
Flu - 62,000
Jobs - 22,000,000

I think there is a case that the time has come to start to reassess the priorities. It is not injecting disinfectant however. Trump should be imbleached for that stupidity

Talking of vaccines the anti-vaxxer zealots nutcases have started to crawl out of the woodwork.

That'll do for now. By the way if you are thinking about travelling abroad anytime soon then think again. There are several well written pieces that states tourism will be discouraged to prevent a resurgence in infections, prices will sky rocket as social distancing on aircraft is enforced and if you can afford it and find somewhere to go then you will spend half your holiday being tested and wearing PPE.

Talking of holidays due to an unfortunate spacing error while booking online, I am now looking forward to a week on the Norfolk B roads.

Finally spare a thought for my friend Geoff. Apparently he went to the doctor with a most unusual problem: he had a lettuce growing out of his bum.
He asked 'Doctor, is it serious?
The doctor replied 'I'm sorry to tell you this Geoff, it is only the tip of the iceberg'

Oh and tomorrow for the benefit of Paddy O'Fez I will explain my leniency towards Joe Marler.

Wednesday 29th April: 09:00

I'll start with an apology. I've forgotten a short joke I wrote about a lettuce. It's a real shame as it was a little gem.

Covid-19 continues to dominate the news, quite rightly, and there are an increasing number of voices saying this thing is man-made and does emanate from one of the laboratories in China run by the Chinese Government/military. Former presidential candidate and Republican Senator for Texas Ted Cruz has gone on US television saying that not only did the US Government know about the laboratory and the testing but they actually funded some of it. The sum involved seemed to be quite small but nevertheless he seems to have concrete evidence of complicity.

Now, Mr Cruz is well known for being anti-China with his vociferous stance against their censorship and hard line attitude to dissidents so you might say 'so what'. The 'so what' comes when Nobel Prize winning scientist Professor Luc Montagnier states categorically that the characteristics of this virus 'could not have arisen naturally'.

Now my source for this has asked to remain anonymous so for now I'll simply call him 'Graysey'. To be fair before this whole thing became a global crisis and sent the world into economic meltdown 'Graysey' was convinced this virus came out of a Wuhan lab. I am glad he has stuck to his guns on this. Watergate wouldn't have been known if it wasn't for 'Deep Throat'.

The BIG question is: 'was the release of the virus an accident, or a deliberate act'. I stick with the accident theory but as China will come out of this with a global economic advantage and human life to them is simply a cog in the machinery of state then perhaps, just perhaps it was deliberate? For the record I don't believe that but worth thinking about.

Before I get into the rugby. It is scandalous, an absolute disgrace that Glastonbury tickets sold out within 20 minutes of going on sale. It is a shambolic embarrassment that B&Qs website crashed after it was swamped with buyers wanting paint. Someone needs to answer for the outrageous fact Ocado and Tesco (other supermarkets are available) delivery slots have been snapped up leaving others without. You haven't seen those headlines, yet we have seen similar headlines berating the fact virus testing slots went in hours of being available. There has been a huge pent up demand for virus testing so why should it come as a surprise that slots have been snapped in a short space of time.

Then of course the media are brilliant at manipulation. The man from the BBC at a testing station stopped two different people and asked them about how easy it was to book a slot and what did they think of the process. Their responses were very positive stating how easy the website was to use and how they were very happy with the outcome. This was a piece of 20 seconds in length. The reporter then went on to give his 3 minute assessment of how rubbish the system and process was before allowing a guy 2 minutes to whinge and moan about his poor outcome. It is WRONG!!!! There is zero balance in the reporting.

Where for instance is the headline that screams German GPs go online naked to protest at the lack of PPE. Yes this the Germany that the British media use as model of perfection to berate our Government and outline what a crap job they are doing. PPE shortages are global. If the super-efficient Germans are complaining then.............

Got to get off the soap box. I have to take my blood pressure shortly.

After lockdown how do you restart the rugby season. The target set by PRL is a pipe-dream but what happens if it was possible. No matter how much effort the players have put in to maintaining their fitness levels they are going to be significantly less fit that they were. Even if the clubs were given the green light to return to training now is a month long enough to get back to match hardness, especially for the big forwards who need the contact work as well as the aerobic fitness. The BBC and the Daily Fail have interesting articles on the subject.

One element that caught the eye was the notion of restarting the season with uncontested scrums. This has come from Ugo Monye who has become a well rounded and erudite pundit. I say what a ridiculous idea. Uncontested scrums and behind closed doors! You might as well not bother........... except the clubs are desperate for the money.

In both articles there are references to concerns about weight loss. Does this reinforce my view that the game has become obsessed with size rather than skill and technique?

Another headline states rugby could be booted out of the Olympics because of unethical governance after claims of homophobia and discrimination. One man, Fijian Francis Kean, has been removed after his outspoken views and his conviction for manslaughter. Yes questions need to be answered but this has become a crusade of another man, Samoan Dan Leo. Yet again instead of looking at rugby as a whole and its excellent track record and its well established ethos and its all-inclusive nature, like the rest of society, one person complains and everything has to change. It is complete boll...

By the way football hasn't been kicked out yet. Their record on corruption, homophobia and governance and many other things by comparison to rugby is awful. As I say, this is nonsense. The world is going mad and common sense is a thing of the past.

Must go, a mate of mine has just told me his wife is leaving him and taking the kids with her. I asked why and he said it was because of his obsession with horse racing.
I said 'nonsense'
He said 'no, it is true. They are at the door now.......... and they're off'.

Tuesday 28th April: 08:30

Well the weather has certainly changed after a glorious couple of weeks. The ground needs the rain though.

The lockdown is changing too with individuals and companies voting with their feet. Shops unilaterally deciding to open and more and more people ignoring instructions to stay at home. Being the pessimist I am I think it is too soon and this thing will come back and bite us if we are not careful. That said I am lucky in that I don't work and therefore am not on a knife edge with regard to funding.

Talking of which isn't it strange that people are saying they are on their uppers as their money has already run out whilst at the same time criticising anybody and everybody for not having planned ahead for a once in a lifetime crisis. Strange that!!!

Lets do some rugby stuff. I know Stuart Barnes is not everyone's cup of tea but I like his writing and his style. His article about 'Cutting the Crap' hit the right note. There are assumptions in that some clubs will go to the wall and even if they don't they might realise that the current modus operandi is untenable. The main tenet of his piece is that less could deliver more. Less top flight rugby delivering a much better product. He also makes the point that to do that he asks: 'make the business rugby before rugby becomes nothing but business!' Good point.

So what does he propose? A ten team ring-fenced Premiership, with no (stupid (my word)) play-offs or title decider. 18 games with every game and every league point counting. The winner takes all. Hoorah I say.

Fewer games and a format offering a lot of benefits. A much higher quality of game (match day show) as players should be fresher. Less country v club clashes which can only be a good thing for the clubs and the players. How many times have we watched the 'best' teams in the league lose because their star men are on international duty. How many times have we heard the mantra 'we need big squads because of the number of games we play'.

The European tournaments would need to change accordingly but for them too it makes sense.

I have been an advocate of ring-fencing for some time as it stops clubs having the fanciful and totally unrealistic ambition of joining the top table. Where this proposal is at odds with my view is that ten teams would mean large swathes of the country could be without a top flight club to follow. I also think this proposal would mean smaller squads making clubs more sustainable. I think less money and fewer games delivering a better product has got to be good for the game as a whole.

What the clubs and the egos would have to say about it, who knows. The RFU would also need to step up to the plate and start acting like a governing body and could this be the one opportunity to seize back control and get the top players on central contracts.

FYI I wrote to Stuart about my idea of linking his idea with my proposal for reducing the number of replacements. I don't expect a reply but hey I wrote as I said I would.

This could all be pie in the sky thinking if the PRL get games back on by the end of June. I think there is little hope of that but at least PRL have put a plan together. It does involve playing 54 games in five weeks. So much for player welfare!!! They are talking about games at one location on a daily basis and behind closed doors. It would be a 'made for TV schedule'.

Interesting piece about Ellis Genge proposing a new players union. This comes after he believes players were 'poorly advised' when they accepted wage cuts. Were they, or is this another sign that these highly paid sports people are not living in the real world and cannot see how precarious the game is at the top level and they have turned into selfish, self obsessed fools. One to debate. By the way don't they all have money grabbing agents who are supposed to be advising them on contracts etc, etc.

It appears that Joe Marler will be allowed to return to rugby immediately the game recommences despite having been banned. Circumstances are such that I can accept that as long as any repeat by him his dealt with appropriately.

There has been talk in the media about a document that told the government to stock up on PPE at least a year ago. I bet in the same risk assessment document the government was advised to prepare for an asteroid hitting earth and an alien invasion.

By the way I went to the doctor and explained to him that lately I've been only interested in things that are black and white. He asked me if I was feeling off colour.

In lockdown I compose music and lyrics about sewing machines. I'm a singer song writer...

Yep, time to go.

Saturday 25th April: 11:00

A slow start this morning and as it's a Saturday I might just get a way with some serious controversy. Care homes. The clue is in the word "care". These are not 5* beach resorts for a two week all inclusive holiday. The people in care homes tend to be elderly and unwell. Some of the headlines are again masking the reality of the situation. People sadly die in care homes. If the reporting is to be balanced then we should also be told how old and how ill those who succumb to the virus are. We should also know by how much their life expectancy has been shortened. This then will tell us the true story. Any death is tragic and yes we must mourn the passing of those who succumb but we need balance from our media

Where their focus should be is on PPE and testing for the care workers. This has fallen well short and continues to be somewhat shambolic. The easy to use online booking system worked well didn't it............. NO IT DIDN'T!!!

PPE continues to be a concern and the article in The Times tells an interesting story. There is PPE available but have some trusts stockpiled it at the expense of others. Are we going to see at some point in the future a NHS trust sheepishly trying to return tonnes of PPE because they were selfish enough to deprive others. It is human nature to think of self-preservation first but at this moment in time surely stockpiling PPE at the expense of others is unacceptable.

It will be like those mindless selfish twits who panic bought enough toilet rolls to last them a decade: they have now realised how stupid they have been and want to off load them.

I am not going to write about that lunatic Trump. Go onto the interweb and laugh at the memes which highlight his stupidity

I do want to mention Barnsey's piece in The Times. He has titled it CTC or Cut The Crap. Stuart has stated that actually in rugby less is more. A ten team Premiership with no play-offs could be the way forward post Covid-19, especially if some clubs go to the wall. I think there is something in it. To do the article justice I am going to break it down into its component parts and make it the focus of Tuesday's blog (exceptionally there will be NO blog on Monday. Sorry)

On Tuesday I will also look at the outcome of the World Rugby election.

Finally I fear there some who are getting a little blasé about social distancing and staying in. I for one think this is far from over and any optimism about an early return to normal is misplaced and misguided. I'll not be going anywhere.

Friday 24th April: 09:15

Just to let you know I've just got off the phone to the council asking if during lockdown I could have a skip outside the outside.........
They said yes: 'go for it fatty, you could do with the exercise'

We've also converted part of the garden into an allotment. My mate said I should use manure on my rhubarb. It's not bad............ but I much prefer custard.

Surprise, surprise Raelene Castle has resigned as head of Australian Rugby. It became untenable after 11 former Wallaby captains wrote an open letter demanding change. Be careful what you wish for because the ARU is sailing rapidly toward that iceberg and now doesn't have a captain on the bridge. I understand she came in for some terrible abuse prior to her departure. Let me say here and now that is not in anyway acceptable.

Lets look at Sir Knowitall's proposals in support of Pichot before we get into anything else.
1. Vote for promotion and relegation at test level.
I see where he is coming from and have some sympathy with this notion. Italy are the whipping boys of the 6 Nations. Give someone else a chance. Yep, but are those who would replace Italy any better or are they even worse?

2. Vote for democracy.
Absolutely. However, whether we like it or not we have big rugby playing nations and smaller rugby nations. Would democracy mean the tail to wagging the dog which is not good for the sport me thinks as it isn't in life. You only have to look at how bowing to the transgender movement is buggering up life for the vast majority.

3. Vote for transparency
Noting to add. Yes!!

4. Abolish the terms Tier 1 and Tier 2
I can understand the thinking here and support it but let us not kid ourselves by being nice. There are the big rugby nations and smaller rugby nations. For example seven of your World Cup quarter final teams will be the same time and time again.

5. Vote to support the Pacific Nations
Yes, without doubt. Stop New Zealand and Australia plundering the rugby talent for their own ends. Whilst I support this notion this is easier said than done as the issue is MUCH bigger than rugby. Why do all the immigrants in Calais want to come to Britain? The same is true of players with talent wanting to leave Fiji for New Zealand.

6. Vote for a fair distribution of World Cup profits
Can't argue with that at all, except to say there have been on more than one occasion where World Rugby investment's have not gone into the game but into the pockets of the administrators.
There is a very strong case that case touring teams to the UK should get a bigger cut of the profits made by the home unions, especially when England won't tours the Pacific Islands

7. Vote for a wider role for The Lions
Covered this off and I stick by my point. Right now a full tour to say the Americas makes little sense. Adding a country as a pre-tour game makes a lot of sense.

8. Vote against players representing two nations
This isn't allowed at full senior level but it will be if World Rugby has its way. I think where a player is selected to play for a country at Under 20 level then he or she should not be able to switch allegiance. Glad to have Nick Tompkins playing for Wales but he shouldn't be. I agree with Sir!

9. Vote to abolish project players
This is all about the three year residency rule. Hallelujah brother. Seven years has been my mantra..... for about seven years. Make it happen

10. Vote for change and a new future.
No problem with that but lets not throw the baby out with the bath water.

At the very start of the article Sir Knowitall states 'It's going to be hugely challenging financially' and there lies my biggest concern. A) change will not happen because of funding constraints or worse B) the funding comes from profit hungry venture capitalists with their own vested interests as the No.1, No.2, No.3 priority.

Moving on there has been a lot of support for my view that says summer rugby at grassroots level is not possible. My good friend Damper in particular highlighted how very hard the grounds are now let alone in June/July. He also summarised the huge cost to set up proper pitch irrigation systems and the subsequent massive cost of constant watering.

I have also had some very positive feedback on my three subs idea. On that point Stuart Barnes has produced an excellent piece in The Times about less being more. I am going to get in touch with Barnsey and see whether he thinks there is legs in the idea. I'll look at the article in depth tomorrow.

Now there is a surprise, the European clubs (English & French) through Simon Halliday head of EPCR have slammed World Rugby for excluding them from talks about filling the international void. It seems there would be a clash with EPCR's plans to finish the current European tournaments in October. Sorry but I told you the clubs would kick up a stink about anything and everything that stopped them earning revenue. This will run and run.

Leicester Tigers are facing a legal battle after players and staff had their pay cut by 25%. It is right that pay cannot be arbitrarily cut without agreement so Leicester Tigers are in the wrong. Morally at this time it feels wrong that players in particular are taking legal action and objecting to helping the club out of the situation that they are in. The action is in fact a breach of contract thus allowing players to leave the club without fear of penalty. It also highlights the poor way clubs are run. Are Leicester Tigers going to be the first club to go to the wall?

That'll do for now. I am back tomorrow and will ponder another article in The Times (thank you Bard) highlighting concerns that some in the NHS are stockpiling PPE at the expense of others.

Before I go, can I thank those who contributed to the send off of John Wilmshurst. Well done.

Thursday 23rd April: 09:30

I have been sent a non Covid-19 medical update........
A man goes to the doctors with big puffy eyes and is bouncing around like a rabbit. The doctor asked what the patient had been eating. The response was interesting. Every day the patient had a ham toastie for breakfast, a ham and cheese toastie for lunch and a ham and tomato toastie at night. He was diagnosed with having mixymetoasties!

If I may I'd like to start with the Covid-19 feedback I have had. Can I again thank Liberty for the breadth and depth of his information. The bit that struck home to me and endorsed by others was the first sentence: "comparing the UK situation with Sweden is dangerously simplistic as there are many factors in play".

The UK media and our scientists are bombarding us with charts full of statistics which quite frankly I am struggling to follow as they really tell us nothing. Key factors when making comparisons are population density, overall health of a country, age profile, demographics in terms of ethnicity and levels of poverty. It comes as no surprise that New York is doing badly and Sweden on the face of it are doing well.

At opposite ends of the spectrum in Europe we should be asking why Portugal, despite it being part of the Iberian peninsular, seems to be doing well and Belgium doing badly.

There is another factor that comes into play. Australia and New Zealand who generally have a young, fit, healthy population living in less densely populated environments have done well but these countries have also benefitted in that their strain of Covid-19 appears to be less virulent/aggressive than Western Europe.

The final point I have drawn from the information supplied and I will use Germany (who I still believe are under-reporting their death rates) and Hong Kong as the exemplars is the point about mass testing. In both countries mass testing and subsequent isolation and tracking was introduced early and effectively. Without question this seems to have been the reason for their success in controlling the spread and reducing the death rate.

By the way the Hong Kong authorities have used the virus as an excuse to round up political opponents.

Let us now look at the UK. Take London out of the figures and suddenly our outcomes don't look nearly as bad. London and the other hot spot the West Midlands is densely populated and very ethnically diverse. Testing in the UK has quite frankly been useless. The example of Germany confirms my personal view: you either test on a mass scale quickly and effectively or you are wasting your time. Sadly we have done the latter. I understand the notion of testing the NHS, Care home staff and key workers as a priority but that isn't mass testing and doesn't allow the broader level of isolating and tracking which Germany have achieved. Where testing sites have been set up they are so remote as to be useless. Simply using Crowborough to Gatwick as an example: a two hour round trip including the wait for the test. Testing operations should be smaller and much more mobile, then by all means start with the hospitals and care homes. Take the test to the population rather than the other way around. Either way it has to be MASS testing with fast results and speedy isolation and tracking.

Tracking and tracing is interesting as in Australia and in Germany there have been accusations of it being 'Big Brother' and an infringement in civil liberties. What is being trialled by the RAF for the UK is a phone app tracker. Yep definitely 'Big Brother BUT you can't have it both ways I say.

I am not going to get into a debate about PPE as I am sure there are people that will argue vehemently, perhaps because it suits their purpose, that they are dangerously short, whereas there are plenty of others, and some of the recent TV coverage from hospitals support this, who would say they have what they need. What I think is fair to say the sourcing and delivery has been shambolic. There is a global shortage and every one is going to fight for what they can get. Having MPs and faceless, chinless Whitehall mandarins in charge of logistics was doomed to failure. These people have little, or far too often zero knowledge of the real world. The government very early on should have asked the military to take charge of this and seconded experts from the retail industry to help with sourcing and advising on logistics. I spent my whole working life either directly or indirectly working with retail across the globe. They are ruthlessly efficient at sourcing, producing and distributing product. They would not have missed the opportunity to have UK manufacturers who had the capacity and capability to support the PPE effort to go unused or worse be supplying other countries.

Lots of coverage of care homes. I am taking council on this as what I want to say ...........

That's enough of that.

The Daily Fail's crusade continues with Sir Knowitall now wading into the debate. He has ten points for success. I have glanced through them and I totally.................. agree with some of them. This will be tomorrow's main thread.

With the announcement that 'social distancing' is not going to end any time soon Premiership Rugby's desire to get going looks even more remote.

I thank my good friend Colin for sending me an excellent piece from a French blog explaining why the British dislike Donald Trump. It is several hundred words long so I have abridged it for you: 'he is a miserable, useless, humourless, self-obsessed idiot!!'

Not only that he has had the brass neck to apply to the UK government to support his struggling UK based hotels. The second word is 'off' me thinks.

There are arses and there are arses. One of the richest men in football is Wayne Rooney. He is saying footballers should not have their wages cut. Mezut Ozil of Arsenal (appropriate) on £350k A WEEK is refusing to take a pay cut. Complete selfish shits.

Today our very good friend John Wilmshurst will be laid to rest. Can I ask you to bow your head and stay silent for a moment at 4pm this afternoon. This is when the service will commence.

Finally a public service announcement. To the person who stole my extendable selfie stick.....
'You need to take a good long look at yourself'

Wednesday 22nd April: 09:30

Good morning all. Some good news.........

Did you hear about the man who won the annual hairdresser high jump award?
He was head and shoulders above the rest.

A Yorkshireman bought some glue on the internet - it's called e-bay gum.

Whilst asking why the tyre pressure machine costs so much to use at the garage, the attendant told me inflation.

Yeah, yeah. I know ....... move on.

Like the Saracens salary cap saga the Daily Fail is now on a crusade to oust Bill Beaumont and install Agustin Pichot as the main man at World Rugby. They lead with the story that Fijian convicted killer Francis Kean has been removed from office in Fiji and therefore is no longer a candidate for the committee.

Thankfully The Guardian takes a more measured view highlighting that right now the 6 Nations "club" voting for radical change would be like turkey's voting for Christmas. In a same article it also highlights the contrary position where in Australia 11 former captains are demanding exactly that: radical change. They want the current leadership at home removed and a more equitable and visionary approach from World Rugby. Only time will tell but I say 'be careful what you wish for'.

One of the things I failed to mention was Pichot's vision of using the British & Irish Lions in the Americas. I see this is a good idea. Personally I think t