Monday 30th Mar: 10:30
Even though Mrs Bleater and I are both retired there is still some structure to the week. Monday is knit and natter for her, Tuesday we have our granddaughter, Wednesday is catch up with chores that require going to Tunbridge Wells or further afield, Thursday is shopping, Friday is Friday Club and Saturday is match day. With all of the above being cancelled we have decided Sunday will be an anchor to the rest of the week so yesterday was a day of rest with a traditional(ish) Sunday roast.
Lamb steaks coated with Italian herbs, roast potatoes and roast parsnips, mixed veg served with a homemade port and orange jus and a not homemade beetroot and orange chutney.
The point of all of this is to explain why no blog yesterday. Anyway other than looking out of the window at the sleet and the snow and deciding washing the car can wait there was bugger all else to do other than cook and eat, and of course drink the three bottles of wine from Morrisons.
Mind you the Friday Club have been active circulating some very amusing stuff, not much of which I can forward on to my mum.
A few rugby items have come to light. Bath have cut the players wages and whilst there is some unrest they have accepted the move.
Jamie Roberts has managed to leave South Africa and is now home in Cardiff, hopefully rushing to help the NHS.
Former Wales international Richard Parkes spent 28 days skiing across Antartica by himself. Now that is self-isolation.
A good number of top flight players are now questioning their future as it looks increasingly likely the season won't get finished and their contracts are up in June.
Chris Foy of The Daily Fail has come up with a truly radical solution to the problem of "what to do next". I quite like Foy's articles so let's go through this one now.
It's time for rugby to make sense with a more logical structure. This requires an aligned global season. I can concur with that but obviously that will only apply to the top flight as having summer rugby in the UK for instance would be way too dangerous on rock hard pitches.
At the very top of the game there is a need to share the benefit (money) more equitably between nations. Yes, but to be fair it is the big nations who generate the cash. It sounds like the UK benefits system to me.
Here is the big one: Cut the Premiership to 10 teams. Play from Feb until the end of June with a big season ending play-off final. He doesn't go into the reasons for the Feb start so I assume he is thinking this lockdown is here for the long haul (not there are any flights, long or short). I have also assumed he is thinking some clubs will have gone to the wall by then. Foy also suggests you keep relegation and promotion with bottom and top swapping places and 2nd of the Championship and 9th of Premiership then playing off. There has to be an assumption that the Championship now includes the additional two teams from the Premiership to make it more competitive. In my mind there are way too many unknowns in this suggestion to make a sensible comment but getting agreement on this would be fascinating. My assumption is Darren Childs PRL empire would fight this one tooth and nail (based on where we are today).
As far as Europe goes Foy suggests scrapping the Challenge Cup. I get this but for some, particularly the Welsh regions, the Challenge Cup is a money spinner. If there was a decent alternative then fine but don't hang out to dry everyone bar the English and French clubs.
There are a couple more suggestions which I'll keep until tomorrow but the article finishes with him defending Joe Marler. The 6 Nations incident has divided opinion. Many saw it as harmless, others like me saw it is an horrendous act committed by someone who should be a role model. I agree with Foy that Marler nor his frends and family should be subject to abuse over it. What was done was done. I disagree in that the punishment needed to be in line with the guidelines which highlights no action like his is acceptable at any time.
Whilst I applaud King Eddie for readily agreeing to a 25% pay cut some have asked because he does so little, and there is no possibility of any international rugby anytime soon shouldn't he just be getting the maximum £2,500 per month that others who have found themselves out of work being paid? Good point.
Watched two cracking games on the weekend: the 2012 Quins v Tigers Aviva play-off final and the 2012 Leinster v Ospreys final. There will be more I hope. We also watched a good film: Sum of all Fears with Ben Affleck and the great Morgan Freeman.
It got me thinking. What if we matched films with rugby teams. Here are a few suggestions
Bloodwork featuring Harlequins
Meet the Fokkers starring Saracens
For a Few Dollars More also starring Saracens
Jaws with Sale Sharks
Titanic featuring Leicester Tigers
The Sting starring Wasps
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and the Ospreys
How to Train Your Dragon and Newport Gwent Dragons
Any other suggestions to bleater@crowboroughrugby.com.
Tomorrow we will revisit Chris Foy's article and also consider my good friend Graysey's question: where do we think the virus originated plus of course the joke du jour.
Saturday 28th Mar: 09:44
Wow, I didn't expect that. Lots of stuff hitting my inbox. Thank you. Some of it from the Friday Club was close to being racial abuse against the Welsh but I'll let that slide.
Following Morrisons decision to ration wine at a time when we need wine Gordon has reminded me there are plenty of great online offers and no restrictions. That is a great idea. Won't let Mrs Bleater do the ordering as it is difficult to manoeuvre a 40' artic where we live.
Pete has suggested a daily joke/pun competition. His entry was
I entered 10 puns in a pun competition hoping one would win.....
But no pun in ten did
Good idea Pete but real life is better.
I went to the chemists yesterday to pick up my blood pressure tablets. I was in my shorts and a rugby fleece. The lady behind the counter said "you look too fit to be on blood pressure tablets". I said "you haven't met my wife!"
He also suggested a daily photo competition featuring local nature and wild life. Mmmmm bit sensible for here me thinks. What about an alternative to all those wannabees on instagram wearing nothing but a piece of string in their carefully photo-shopped submissions. We could do old farts with bellies hanging over their trousers slobbing around the rugby club. Oh damn! That's already being done. Robert and his photos of the Friday Club.
By the way for those who know him don't let my good friend Passy see this as we will be inundated of photos of his......... move on!
Geoff has come up with a fourth idea on how to start the season. Use the early the part of the season to complete 2019/20 and then roll right into 2020/21 with the same teams. Basically it becomes a two year, you play each team four times, league. His point being you have more flexibility to fulfil the unplayed fixtures and give hope of redemption to teams who right now would be relegated. He has a point. Why would Maidstone want to complete any outstanding fixtures they have. If relegation was off the table and they had a chance to rebuild and stay up by May 2021 that could be interesting for them.
This would be for the grassroots of the game of course. I like it but with all the options it is fraught with "ifs", "buts" and "maybes".
Now, unlike the pithy comments of others, my good friend O'Fez has sent me a thesis on Saracens and relegation.
I will ignore for now the "we were harshly treated, "it was a conspiracy", "why weren't the others audited" etc, etc, and focus on the points that make very good sense.
"The majority of Sarries fans don't want relegation deferred". I get that totally and 100% agree. Deferring would mean another devalued season with clubs at the top fighting for glory but those at the bottom cruising to wherever they want to cruise too.
In the same paragraph "If the threat of relegation is to be lifted then it needs to be permanent". I also agree with that too but my caveat is as long as Sarries have got their house in order and can without doubt prove that is so.
He like most now accepts Nigel Wray "did wrong". Once you accept that the punishment becomes slightly more palatable. There is a good case for dissent however when the goal posts were moved half way through when it looked as if Sarries would avoid relegation.
Thank you for reminding me that not only did clubs get the CVC money they also had a share of the Saracens fine. Where has this gone?
Going forward, and I have mixed a number of things together for the sake of brevity, we might find Saracens by the time the season is ready to recommence are more than compliant with the salary cap so would it be better to simply start again? No relegation. Newcastle are so far ahead so why not promote them? You then have all 13 PRL clubs in one place. Yep, then you might as well ring-fence the whole lot and be done with it. Covid-19 has changed the world so we might as well use the opportunity to do things "right".
Paddy makes a lot of good comments about the complexity and flaws in the salary cap system. Now is the perfect time to simplify and amend. With clubs showing how pathetic their finances are I would strongly suggest the simplification means reducing the cap not raising it. Clubs would then have to reduce their squads or pay significantly less.
Finally, before I get to the bit that says "they all lived happily ever after" he makes a point about Tony Rowe, the money man at Exeter. I think some of what he says is tainted by Sarries bias but I concur the bloke is a complete and utter arse with no sense of decency in the way he handled the Flybe ticket affair.
Can you believe that the Big Orange still has his head up his backside with the denials about Covid-19 in the US. The worry for me is New Orleans is suffering badly with many cases. As you know I have family there but also significant parts of the city are desperately poor and deprived and as sure as night follows day will not have any health insurance.
Newport and up through the Risca valley in Wales where I also have family is another hotspot of the virus. In fact on a pro rata basis of infection to population nearly as bad as London.
The point being we CANNOT take this thing lightly. I am horrified by the selfish behaviour of those flouting the laws. It hits home the Principality stadium is being turned into an emergency hospital. Take care please.
Finally, thank you Tim for your mail, that is one for me to respond to personally.
bleater@crowboroughrugby.com.
Friday 27th Mar: 08:30
I am going to start with Eddie Jones. As I understand it he picked up the phone yesterday and was asked if he would take a 25% pay cut until this thing was over. Apparently without hesitation he said "yes". Good on him! It would be churlish to say "but of course he can afford it". He can but it is irrelevant, he has done the right thing. Well done sir!
This of course is the very opposite of what some (many?) of the Premiership players are doing. They are threatening legal action if the cut is forced upon them. Sorry, but most are well paid, and even those who aren't are probably paid comfortably above the national average (maybe not as much as a tube driver though!!!). Is it not better to get 75% of your current wages than to get nothing. Nothing is what is likely to happen if as I suspect some of these clubs go to the wall. Newcastle Falcons have told their players they will have to go on unpaid leave otherwise the club will collapse.
I have written in the past that some of these players have become divorced from reality and live in their own exclusive bubble. They are doing a disservice to those people who week in week out part with their hard earned cash to support their club, many of these will right now be earning nothing as they will be self-employed or worse have been made redundant. Take the cut, save your club and send out the right message to those who cheer you on week in week out.
As an aside here is a poser: relatively recently the PRL clubs had a substantial injection of cash via CVC. Where has all that money gone? Sale claim to have been prudent but what about the others. If Newcastle are on the verge of collapse what happened to their £12.5m?
I read with interest that the FA has cancelled the season 2019/20 for all bar the top seven leagues, in rugby terms that would be everything below level 4. All results are expunged, promotion and relegation has been cancelled. These leagues will be unchanged when a new season is able to start. There are some clubs who have gone all season unbeaten and were guaranteed promotion. This must be a huge blow to them. What are the options though.
This, as I touched on yesterday is the dilemma rugby is faced with. I am hoping my good friend Paddy O'Fez, if he hasn't excommunicated me after recent email exchanges, will supply me with his usual erudite thoughts on the matter. This especially as one of the options could see his beloved Saracens saved from relegation. I am also keen to hear from another regular reader Damper who is a Bath man on his opinion, especially as they are in the hunt for a lucrative European place and even the play-offs (which are still nonsense!!). Then there is the true grassroots game. Should what is decided be for all or will different levels, as per soccer, have a different solution? PLEASE any ideas from any source would be wonderful.
Covid-19 is really taking hold and I thank my good friend Peter K for sending me some fascinating yet terrifying facts about the virus and the impact. It is too much to include here so rest assured it reinforces my point of yesterday: if like me you have been a smartarse and have tried to make light of the situation or have challenged some of the thinking or the magnitude then STOP!. This has the potential to change the world for a very long time and not in a positive way. My comments about the potential for death from the knock effects of the virus, whether they be medical or economic outstripping deaths from the virus itself is something we must now consider. If you want to play the numbers game then think about India which I commented on last week; a death rate to Covid-10 of 0.5% of the population would be 6.5m people. It doesn't bear thinking about.
I was delighted to see so many people keeping their appointment at blood doning yesterday.
I was also pleased to see relatively full shelves in both Lidl and Morrisons and I for one applaud the staff for staying positive and cheerful in these trying times. I was a bit surprised when I couldn't buy 6 bottles of wine in Morrisons. The max is now 3 bottles per shopper. The stores weren't too busy either.
It could only happen in the UK, Off Licences are considered essential outlets and can stay open.
We opened our front door last night to clap the NHS. It is a small but important gesture.
Finally if only for my own mental well being I will keep writing whatever drivel comes into my head. Being ranked 33 of 900+ on Pitchero indicates someone is reading this stuff but please let me have ideas and comments and suggestions for discussion, and feel free to call me a tosser if you so wish.
Before I go some good news
BT are showing the inaugural "flicking a ruler on the edge of your desk" championship. It is being held in Dordogne (think about it!!)
Sky on the other hand are streaming all of this months World Origami Championship. It is available on Paper View.
Back tomorrow with more cheesy gags.
Thursday 26th May: 09:30
For some time I have recognised the seriousness of Covid-19 despite what I have been writing. I have used the numbers "game" to deliberately be controversial and contrary. The light actually came on when Matt used the FedEx example to describe how quickly this thing can spread. It would have been hard for me not to take things seriously when you have a daughter who works for Public Health England. As a consequence it is time for me to put away the bullshit and get serious. Seriousness hit home yesterday when I was reminded I have a mother and other close family on the "high risk" register, a nephew who is on the front line as a trainee paramedic with the ambulance service, and his partner a trainee nurse early in that training being thrown into front line duties in hospital. Add to that we are now seeing young people WITHOUT underlying health issues succumbing to the virus so it is time to stop the posturing and take note. That means following the Government's instructions. Other than essential travel stay at home.
I have had some mails complaining about the shortage of equipment. Yes it is a serious worry that front line workers don't have the right protective gear. The blame game and finger pointing is not going to solve it. Two weeks ago we the proletariat could not buy toilet roll for love nor money. Toilet roll is used everyday and there are millions of tons of the stuff produced and distributed every week. If that can run out then why do you think there will be an abundance of protective equipment available against something no-one had imagined would have caused such devastation globally in such a short space of time. You do not stock pile this type of stuff "just in case". It makes no economic or practical sense. Let us be positive and accept everything is being done to make and distribute whatever is needed as quickly as possible and thank our lucky stars there are people willing and able to do it.
Lets move on.
Rugby in the scheme of things seems unimportant but life will at some point return to normal and hopefully rugby will be part of that. The RFU have revealed a £7m package to help clubs get through this mess. They have also said that they will lose about £50m as a consequence of Covid-19. Many of the RFU have accepted a 25% pay cut and it is understood King Eddie will be asked to do the same. If he doesn't then any respect I have for him goes out of the window.
Out of the window has already gone respect for those at the top of the game who are threatening legal action if they are forced to take a pay cut. At this time it seems inconceivable that those very well paid top flight players are unwilling to support the long term future of the game when thousands of people who go through the turnstiles each weekend are fighting for their financial survival. My mother has already criticised my language but "Up Yours" is what I say to the selfish, inconsiderate tossers.
At some point rugby will commence but how?
There may be more ideas than these but here is a starter for ten.
1. Scrap the season 2019/20 ignoring positions and results and start again hopefully September 2020. The teams would be the same, the fixture order would be the same and as near as possible so would the dates. Huge issues with this idea including Saracens surviving.
2. Accept that where the season was brought to a shuddering halt that is where clubs have finished. You are at the top you are promoted, you are at the bottom you are relegated. This idea has untold issues where teams have played a different number of games, or the league with say four or five games to go was too close to call e.g. TJs league, and how do you manage the play-off element of a pyramid system. This strangely might be what happens but is my least favourite option.
3. For the bulk of the grassroots game you earmark September to mid October as the time when this seasons outstanding fixtures are completed. You then start the next season at the beginning of November and for all clubs it then runs through to the end of May. The issue would be fixture planning but if you look at most leagues a number of things are already clear cut e.g. Maidstone will be relegated, Ashford promoted, Hull Ionians and Canterbury will be relegated from National 1. It cannot be beyond the wit of those amazing people who put the fixtures together to get a basic framework together in advance, especially as things will in the most part be clear by the end of September. For the Premiership this would be tough as they have a lot more games outstanding.
I can't think of anything else other than totally rewriting how the game is structured and redo the leagues in totality.
By the way thanks to The Bard as it was him who first put me onto option3.
That'll do for now, back tomorrow. Despite being able to work in isolation at the club I will not be going to Friday Club as I think staying at home is the best way forward.
Wednesday 25th Mar: 10:15
A beautiful day yesterday weather wise but another day of news about morons who think the rules don't apply to them, thankfully balanced out by stories of the heroism of those working in the NHS and the generosity of people trying to find ways to help others.
I have come in for a little criticism about my opinions, which is fine. Firstly about Boris doing a good job. I stick by that as under the circumstances I think he is managing the situation well. Where people have concerns is, what is the weasel Dominic Cummings doing in the background, and that is a fair question. Cummings is the slyest of devious foxes and I wouldn't trust him to mow my lawn let alone advise our PM. If Boris is listening to all the advice of that odious weasel then it does raise a question mark.
It is alleged Cummings words suggested that perhaps we could let the old and the sick pass and focus on protecting the young during this crisis, or something like that. That is preposterous but sadly the time will come when NHS staff will be forced into making those life and death decisions. I reiterate my point of yesterday and you might not like it but those dying are those who tend to be older and all have underlying health conditions.
My good friend and loyal reader PK has been in touch. His son is a newly qualified doctor and has had the virus. He has questioned my comments on the virus and will send me some documents to help me better understand what is going on. If as I have done you play the numbers game then you can rightly question what is going on. When you read of 4000 bed field hospitals being set up in London then PK is right to challenge me on my approach. I will stick to my assertion that we need balance. I think Matt Hancock could and should tell us how many people have died in road accidents, accidents at work, of heart disease and of cancer in the same period as the virus. I know they are not doubling day by day but it would help to put some context into the debate.
Mrs Bleater & I will follow the rules because that is what they are. Despite my words above about balancing the headlines we would be mortified if some selfish action by us adversely affected someone else. I cannot understand why as was the case in Brighton and elsewhere yesterday the rules were being flouted. It is madness and totally unacceptable but it does reflect how society has become narcissistic and me, me, me
Let me talk rugby now. Owen Slot of The Times has written a good piece about how out of this mess rugby could emerge better for it. Rugby has got bogged down in chasing glory by throwing money at it. He rightly worries about the viability of community clubs who have seen their revenues disappear overnight when those very clubs live by hand to mouth on a daily basis. He uses Chinnor and Canterbury as examples. Chinnor have taken the guillotine approach and axed everything. The club is closed down, players will no longer be paid after the end of this month, and all other paid staff are made redundant. What Slot doesn't mention is Chinnor rose through the leagues to their heady position in National League 1 thanks to the largesse of a benefactor. I have said for some time this was not sustainable. I bet those players who are not going to be paid have not come through Chinnors mini and junior section and so will disappear. Don't get me wrong Chinnor is a well run friendly club, where by the way we stole the Friday Club idea from, but this is a perfect example of what happens when the cash used to chase glory goes west.
Canterbury are taking a different approach and that is to ask members, friends, sponsors and anyone else to donate to an emergency fund to keep the club afloat until such times as this crisis is over. Canterbury are another club who pay players and again I question how many of those players have come through the ranks.
To me true grassroot clubs are as much at risk as those in the upper echelons of the game. Revenue has gone, all of it, but bills will still keep coming in. How do they survive? Some won't. If there is a ray of light then you would hope that clubs like ours where pretty much all the players have come through the junior system will have a pool of players ready and eager to get going as soon as the starting gun is fired........ which might not be for some time.
Unless you are a subscriber to The Times it is hard to access the piece but it is well worth reading, as is the additional piece in Kent Online about Canterbury.
Tomorrow, having given it some thought, I will put forward some ideas about how to restart our great game.
Three throw away comments.
Sadiq has said he can't put on extra underground trains because so many of the staff are self isolating. Mmmmmm! Are all of those not working genuinely at risk or is this an opportunity for them not to go to work, especially if TfL are still paying them in full. I hear rumours of strikes by those who are working. Yeah, lets leave our valiant nurses, doctors and carers high and dry.
Greta Thunberg has been on social media saying she thinks she has the virus. Wow that is a surprise. I guess she caught it from NOT being in the limelight and climate change no longer being high on the agenda. I am such a cynical old bugger.
The ostrich is now a big bird that sticks its head in the ground and is very orange. Read Donald Trump's latest views on Covid-19. You can rightly challenge me on my views but his truly beggar belief. He is the moron in chief.
Tuesday 24th Mar: 09:30
Well, there you have it. As a result of the idiotic, selfish, uncaring, narcissistic, me, me, me attitude of some, in fact quite a few, over the weekend we are all now in lockdown. That said even this morning the tubes are still packed. If these are people who don't need to travel then they should be dragged off the trains and flogged within in an inch of their life. (Now we are living in a police state these types of actions are acceptable ;-) ). If on the other hand they are key workers then Sadiq, London's mayor show pony needs to put more trains back into the system.
I remain somewhat bewildered by the whole thing and slightly obsessed with the statistics not making sense however other than giving blood on Thursday and having to do a little food shopping because we didn't panic buy I will be abiding by the rules.
If my daughter who works at Porton Down for Public Health England says it is important then its important.
By the way did you here about the locksmith who took his kids to school yesterday because he said he was a key worker.
Talking of schools it all went without a hitch at Beacon yesterday as very few kids turned up.
The French lesson went well but I haven't had any answers to my maths questions yet.
OK, lets talk rugby. I will cut Darren Childs one piece of slack as he wasn't to know Boris, who I think despite his reputation as a buffoon is doing fine (more on this in a moment), was going to lockdown the nation. However I think he is totally missing the point with regard to playing rugby and trying to get the Premiership season completed. I remain sceptical about the scale and severity of the virus but people are losing their lives as a consequence of it and nothing is more important than that fact. "Our number one priority is to find a way to play". You moron. Your number one priority, and yes I agree with you Paddy, is to safeguard the health and safety of the clubs players, employees and volunteers and their wider families.
Childs priority is about protecting his empire and stopping his clubs whose business models have been flawed for some time going out of business. Another example of me, me, me. Even behind closed doors games will require trained medical staff on hand and unless you play tag rugby, and even that has its risks, you can guarantee some players will need hospital treatment. Even if that is just one, it is one too many. The clubs doctors and medics should be throwing themselves at the NHS as an extra resource, not looking after players whose bank balances will keep them going through this crisis. Talking about being the first sport back on TV is about one thing and one thing only: MONEY. BT Sport will have lost a lot of sports subscribers so I am sure they will be considering pulling funding for TV rights. By the way Mr Childs if your motives were altruistic and games did go ahead you would be pleading with BBC and ITV to show them for free. You won't though because this is about MONEY.
"We are looking at all player welfare issues....." Yes, I am sure you are which is why there is mention of mid-week games as well as weekend fixtures. I have said for a while, even before the virus hit, that talk of player welfare is a smoke screen. When the fog clears it becomes obvious that clubs want their pound of flesh and like it or not there is a queue of players who would bite your arm off to play in the Premiership and earn a fraction of what some of this current crop get.
If I was doing the PR for Premiership Rugby it would have gone something like this: "of course we want to start playing again as soon as possible. We too have many hundreds of people whose livelihoods are at stake within rugby. We at PRL are putting together a range of options that would enable us to finish this season if the opportunity were to arise or to start the next with a clear and equitable conclusion to this one. Nothing however is more important than the health and well being of the players, clubs employees and volunteers and their families. Until we are given the go ahead by the government and the scientists we will focus our efforts on supporting the country in anyway we can, including making medical staff available to support the NHS and ensuring our facilities are available in case of need".
Back to Boris. He has come in for some criticism about flip-flopping with his decisions. I think that is unfair. In my view this thing is moving so fast it changes by the hour and as a consequences the actions and plans need to change equally as fast. People were given the opportunity to be sensible and they ignored it hence the lockdown. I think we should cut him some slack. One thing is for sure having listened to the rantings of Comrade Corbynov I would be terrified if he was in power.
This is a war. Can you imagine what would have happened in June 1944 on Omaha Beach if instant and snap decisions weren't made. The carnage would have been ten times worse. No matter what had been planned in minute detail you must react to what you are faced with.
Italy is in crisis with the virus as the death toll mounts. One death is one too many but you cannot ignore the fact Italy has the oldest population in Europe and of those who have died 99% of them had underlying health conditions. Nearly 50% of those had multiple health issues. Read into this what you will but my message is "regardless of age if you have serious health conditions now is the time to lock yourself away. There are friends who will help with your needs. Use them!"
Monday 23rd Mar: 08:50
To state the bleedin obvious there will be very little rugby news to dissect for some time but what there this I will try and disseminate for you.
A spat between Ealing Trailfinders and Newcastle Falcons has broken out following an article in The Rugby Paper (I guess they are desperate to fill their pages too). Ealing have been whinging about the possibility of Newcastle being automatically promoted to the Premiership when it recommences. They have threatened to get the lawyers involved to prevent this happening. Newcastle have responded by saying how ridiculous it is to be talking about lawyers when at this time of national crisis peoples lives are being lost with many more at risk. More specifically, and these are my words, Newcastle think the men at Trailfinders have their heads where the sun "don't shine" if they think they can catch the unbeaten Falcons and clinch the title. I agree with both sentiments. Now is not the time. Sadly it is also an indication of how ambition can make you blind to reality.
Interestingly in the Daily Fail there is a piece indicating Newcastle are facing the distinct possibility of going under due to the crisis. It therefore comes as no surprise that they say the RFU confirming a return to the Premiership would give them the confidence to plan ahead. Mmmmm an interesting game they play me thinks.
It comes as no surprise that Newcastle and Coventry and Wasps and, and, and are worrying about the viability of their future. Clubs big and small are in the same boat I'm afraid. As far as the big clubs go you reap what you sow. For some time Wasps finances have been the subject of conjecture for example. Sale have come out and said things are difficult but they have used the CVC investment "wisely" and for now are going to be ok with of course the support of players and staff. This cannot be said for others.
Obviously there is government money available if you know how to get around the minefield of red tape. The RFU might come up with a package but they too are in dire straits. The banks are offering relief packages but with sport being a precarious, high risk business new money is unlikely to be forthcoming. Time will tell.
I don't know where CRFC stands in all this. What I do know is we have an excellent Chairman who knows about business, we have a great Finance Director who has walked the financial minefield before, and they have the full support of the Exec and the membership.
I find it bizarre that Australian sport continues, albeit behind closed doors. I watched two NRL games and an Aussie Rules game this weekend. It is good to have live sport BUT is it right for it to be going ahead and it is not the same without the noisy support of the fans.
The schools face an horrendous day today. Key workers can send their kids to school. My lad has told us the problems this brings. Here in the South East it could be a case of too many staff and not enough kids. At my sisters school it could easily be the opposite. In both places proving who is eligible is going to be a real challenge. My sister has already told me about people who claim to be key workers but quite clearly are not. Good luck to all the hardworking and professional school staff everywhere.
Ok, some news you might have missed.
The Chinese have released the names of the first three people to contract the virus
Sum Ting Wong
Ho Lee Fuk
Yu Dai Soon
There have been protests outside Downing Street about the daily news briefing by Boris.
"It's not all about men & women. What about the other 52 gender types" they cry.
As the climate is no longer top of the agenda Greta Thunberg went to visit her Grandma in the North of Sweden yesterday.
"Hi, Grandma, Happy Mother's Day"
"Oh Greta how nice, come in you look frozen. Sit here by the nice log fire"
"Grandma, don't you know burning logs is terrible for the environment"
"Oh, Ok but what about a bite to eat. Your Grandfather was out hunting and came home with a nice haunch of venison. What about a venison burger?"
"Surely Grandma you know we should stop eating red meat to save the planet, and hunting is barbaric"
"Mmm, ok what about a nice piece of fish. Great uncle Lars was out in his boat and brought back some beautiful fish"
"Oh no, not that diesel guzzling, atmosphere polluting boat of his. Sorry but I can't"
"Well I do have some nuts"
"Nuts are perfect Grandma"
"Oh good, they are fresh Brazil nuts"
"Brazil, I can't eat those! They are the people destroying the rain forests"
"Greta"
"Yes Grandma"
"Fcu4 Off!!"
In serious news my grandson will be calling at 10:30 for his French lesson. Yes my daughter has put together a timetable and for him French with Grandpa is at 10:30.
As a consequence for you dear readers here are today's two maths questions....
What is 5683 as a percentage of 70m
What is 281 as a percentage of 70m
For a bonus mark please calculate the level of panic vs the level of risk and express the answer to six decimal places.
Sunday 22nd Mar: 08:30
Hi! Mum, Happy Mother's Day. Since joining the 21st century and getting the internet my mother has embraced it wholeheartedly proving you can teach an old dog new tricks. I'll FaceTime her later when she is sure to criticise my bad language in this here blog.
Whilst there is much rugby stuff to discuss let me start with the coronavirus. There was a good piece by the BBC, yes it can happen, the words "a good piece" and the BBC in the same sentence, about keeping the death toll in perspective. In essence, on the face of it between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths in the UK is a terrifying prospect but the article makes the point that many of these deaths would occur regardless of the virus. The people most at risk are the elderly and the chronically sick and would become a statistic soon enough. This is why we all need to a take a deep breath and get this thing back into perspective.
Now before you hurl abuse at me for playing down the threat and writing stuff I'm not qualified to comment on let me tell you about my Uncle Bill. On Friday evening my Mum contacted me to tell me Uncle Bill had passed away. Bill had been very ill for some time battling cancer. He had had the best of care and a range of treatments but to no avail. His days on this earth were numbered. It turns out it was Covid-19 that tipped him over the edge. His demise was brought forward by two or three weeks but he is now a coronavirus statistic which is madness and hence the need for common sense when writing about the number of deaths as a result of Covid-19.
My thoughts are with my Aunty Jean and all my cousins and their families in New Orleans and hope they keep safe and well. As an aside as a USAF veteran Bill was able to get the very best healthcare. Spare a thought for those who have no chance of getting healthcare in the warped US system.
A big thank you to Max for sending me a very funny video about the dumbest halfwit in the world, one Donald Trump. His comments and attitude to the virus and those of the equally thick morons he has around him beggars belief.
To rugby. Let us start with the heart warming news that Michael Fatialofa is already walking unaided after his horrendous spinal cord injury sustained playing for Worcester. In these the darkest of days there is light and happiness.
It has now been confirmed, the English 2019/20 rugby season for all bar the Premiership is over. This comes as no surprise but it does give the blazers at the RFU one massive headache about what to do. At this moment in time I have no view on how to resolve the issue but some of you have and I'll try and collate these in the next few days.
Amongst the comments there are many that point the finger at the RFU for protecting the Premiership. Here I say it must be remembered that the 13 clubs that make up the PRL can dictate their own destiny. They want to complete the season and therefore to some degree the RFU are obliged to fall in line with that desire. What you don't want is the 13 to break away completely and fall into the arms of the white knight in shining armour, CVC, who is waiting in the wings.
CVC is like a vulture hovering over its prey waiting for its demise so it can pick over the carcass. The TV rights to the 6 Nations is likely to be one of the victims. The Unions desperate for money will bite off the hand of CVC for an injection of cash. A short term, short sighted benefit for long term pain. Likewise the clubs, many already teetering on the cliff edge would rather sell their soul to the devil than go out of business. That said perhaps they are already realising what a crap deal the CVC one is as they lose 27% of revenue to CVC as it is.
Many of the top clubs have already instigated a 25% pay cut for their players and staff. I am not sure this will be enough for some of the clubs. You have to ask yourselves whether the benefactors who themselves must be under financial pressure in these precarious times can plough enough cash into the system to prevent collapse.
It beggars belief that some of the players and the players union are talking about strikes at this moment in time. Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas. If you withdraw your labour then all the opportunity for support goes out of the window. This type of talk highlights how top flight rugby players have become removed from reality and the grassroots of the game. Go on strike and see what happens.
Then there is the bizarre twist to the story. Saracens might not be relegated. This assumes that one or maybe two or three of the big clubs don't survive through this period. A new league would need to be formed and not including Saracens in that would be folly. The Daily Fail carries that story.
Thanks to The Bard for pointing out that one Stuart Barnes of The Times agrees with me that the relentless kicking in the game is aiding its demise.
Whilst the coronavirus dominates the news the NHS remains desperate for blood supplies. If you are a blood donor, or are willing to be one please make sure you do. I will be doing my bit on Thursday.
I'm ready for a coffee so let me end with a rant. What is wrong with people? Panic buying is pathetic, selfish and totally unnecessary. There is plenty of food to go round if only people were more considerate. Stop It!! I hope those people with enough toilet roll to last them through to 2021 get to use them after eating the 6 months worth of potatoes that they bought which have now gone rotten. A good dose of the shits for the selfish shits is what I say.
Friday 20th Mar: 11:30
Friday is normally at the club so no blog. Well I've been to the club this morning to do a few hours and get some exercise and much needed fresh air. Clearly a number of the others had the same idea. These guys are brilliant. We all followed the guidelines and worked in isolation, even the cars were parked 2 metres apart. I did the litter as usual including the road. It is obvious that some people are carrying on as normal as I still collected half a sack of rubbish from the roadside. Scumbags! I also collected a full bag of rubbish from our grounds but 100% of that was as a result of emptying our bins. Well done to the wonderful members of CRFC. Having walked the estate it was super frustrating to see all the pitches perfectly playable, the first time for many, many months.
As planned we shopped as normal yesterday. That is write a menu, decide on the ingredients and that becomes the shopping list with the household essentials added. No panic buying for us*. We went to Lidl and then onto Morrisons. Yes the shelves had been hammered but with the exception of toilet roll we managed to get everything on the list. The staff were amazing and despite the pathetic panic buying that had been going on since their doors had opened some hours before they were all good humoured. When will people realise that if we all buy as normal there will be plenty to go around. Why people are panic buying loo paper beggars belief. Kimberly*Clark, one of my former employees, have huge capacity and state of the art machinery over in Northfleet and can easily meet people's needs if only their brains hadn't turned to mush.
*except for more Waitrose sherry
My lone voice is not going to stop the madness so I thought the newspapers might be a good old fashioned alternative to loo roll. Here is my guide.
Daily Fail - No good - it is already full of crap
Daily Torygraph - a reasonable option - would be like wiping on the face of Boris
The Mirror - a good option - the thought of wiping on the face of Corbynov - yippee
Shame USA today and Pravda are not available for obvious reasons
Daily Express - No good - Princess Di is bound to still be on the front page
The Sun - Excellent as apparently where you need it is often where the sun "don't shine"
My personal recommendation is The Daily Star - they haven't realised there is a Covid-19 crisis yet and still think Elvis is on the moon.
Oh how I hanker after Toto the Japanese toilet. The thought of the wash, the blow dry, the accompanying music and the tax return being completed.
It comes as no surprise that Premiership clubs are considering asking players to take a 25% cut in wages.
Finally I took the decision to get some air and exercise this morning but what I did was in strict accordance with the guidelines: it was in isolation and when I encountered fellow members I kept more than 2 metres apart. What makes me so annoyed is watching TV and seeing a guy in London who when asked why he was out and about said "because I can". When asked why he wasn't following the guidelines he answered "I don't want to and I don't care. Its my life". The final question was about if he had the virus and infected others how would he feel. His answer made my blood boil: "I don't care. It's down to them, they could have avoided me". That arsehole epitomised everything that is wrong with society today: Me, me, me. Thankfully we are also seeing wonderful examples of selflessness, and kindness to offset scumbags like him.
Keep well. Back on Sunday to wish my Mum Happy Mother's day.
Thursday 19th Mar: 09:00
It was my intention to lighten the mood this morning but sadly I start with some sad news.
The name Alan Jenkins won't mean a lot to many but to others it will mean a lot. Very sadly and quite suddenly Alan passed away on Tuesday evening. Alan was a long time stalwart of Haywards Heath RFC having been Chairman for many years, a hard working member of the county's discipline panel having supported the county in many other roles, a loyal and hard working servant of The Wooden Spoon charity, a true family man and a proud Welshman too.
It was only in January that we sat together on a difficult and complex panel where we talked about the then upcoming 6 Nations and meeting up in March when we were due to play Heath at Steel Cross.
My thoughts are with Elaine, his family and friends at this difficult time. Rugby has a lost another good man. Alan, may your soul rest in peace.
Yesterday I read a piece that suggests women might be behind the virus as all sport is cancelled, the pubs are closed, 14 days off means the decorating can finally be done, the flu like symptoms are kryptonite to men and it is named after a beer. Yes, there might be something in that.
Actually Corona is a nice refreshing beer, especially with a hint of fresh lime. Why couldn't the virus be called something else. I am sure if one of the symptoms was you turned a shade of orange it could be the trumpvirus. If once you've got it you are told it will last 14 days but in truth it decides to hang around for ever it could be the putinvirus. If you get it, you isolate for 14 days and all is well after that it could be the ronsealvirus. Obviously if it has to be named after a beer than as this seems to be the best of all virus then surely the carlsbergvirus is more appropriate. My personal favourite is the marmitevirus: it spreads easily and many people who get it don't like it.
In other news it comes as no surprise that Northampton Saints have come out and stated their concern for their financial viability going forward. They are the first but will not be the last. I can sadly hear the chickens coming home to roost.
Leicester Tigers who were up for sale no longer have the "for sale" boards up outside Welford Road as investors have run for the hills as Brexit still looms and the grip Covid-19 has on the world gets tighter.
Jamie Roberts who in a surprise move left Bath to play in South Africa is now stuck in South Africa. The authorities there have effectively closed the borders. He was due to return to renew his visa but didn't make the flight. Roberts being a doctor might now have additional skills he can offer.
South Africa is a truly worrying case. When I was working I had the pleasure of visiting some of the townships, and it was a pleasure too. Sadly the amenities are basic at best and true poverty is rife. If Covid-19 got a hold there, and in the slums of India which I have also seen first hand, what we are seeing in Europe could pale into insignificance.
Yesterday I wrote about a few of the areas where I think our great game could improve. Whilst it is difficult to legislate for I am saddened that at the top flight the game no longer seems a game for all shapes and sizes. You need to be over 6', weigh as much as a baby rhino and be able to give Usain Bolt a run for his money, of which he has bags full. I also would like to see the number of subs reduced from eight to four at the top level but with a set number of rolling changes like the grassroots game. It would also be nice to see an end to kick tennis that so plagues our game.
Rugby has many,many positives. Yesterday afternoon we watched Wales v New Zealand in the RWC 2019 Bronze Final. It was a very good game with some amazing skills and played at pace. Two sides going toe to toe but with great respect for each other and great respect for the man in the middle. I have also been watching some of the highlights of recent Premiership games. Some of the skills on show are tremendous.
By the way if you have Sky Sports you can temporarily suspend your subscription with no penalty whilst there is no live sport on.
I don't know whether there would be rights issues but wouldn't it be good if ITV reran some of the RWC 2019 matches and some of the games from World Cups before that. I might contact them.
We are off shopping later, as we do every Thursday. I expect today's experience will be very different with many items we want unavailable. This in part due to the selfish, uncaring behaviour of the mob. There was a women on TV who was unabashed as she walked down the road with 2 x 18 packs of loo rolls. One rather hopes that she is hit with a serious dose of the shits so that those rolls come in handy. She needs to be careful. Now people know she has stocks she might be the target of criminals. Forget the iphone and the Rolex, it is the Andrex they are after now.
Obviously no Friday Club tomorrow but a plan is being worked on which will allow essential maintenance and ongoing tasks to be managed safely and in line with the new health guidelines.
The apocalyptic future is here so I am off for half a round of toast with a thin film of jam, my last banana and a cup of coffee, no milk of course.
Wednesday 18th Mar: 09:30
A thank you to my good friend Liberty who has sent me a well thought out and level headed summation of his views on the state of play with regard to Covid-19. Whilst he has a massive majority Boris is still not everyone's cup of tea but Liberty thinks he and the government are handling this whole situation pretty well by basing it on the science and the best information available at the time. Thankfully there is support for my notion that things like panic buying and scaremongering are being whipped up by the press. I for one am horrified when I read things like "death toll soars to 71". One death is too many but soaring to 71! Do me a favour.
My friend also points out that no-one should be faced with decisions balancing many thousands of deaths against the financial impact of the restrictions. I support that. Life is precious and there is no cost you can put against it. At some point in time however there will need to be a recognition that there could be many deaths as a consequences of the restrictions where people have not contracted the virus. The over-hyping of the situation by the press makes this more likely than less.
Without worrying anyone about me I could be stressing out right now and putting myself at risk. Why? I am over 60 with high blood pressure being controlled by drugs that can affect the immune system. I am type A blood group which according to today's papers makes me more susceptible to the virus than other blood groups. I am not a laid back personality. If I start to worry about this lot I could worry myself into an early grave without being anywhere near Covid-19. This is why the press and social media and everyone else needs to take a a breath and step back and be level headed like Liberty.
One flaw in Boris's restrictions: schools. Yesterday I went to pick up my grandson from school, as I always do on a Tuesday, and guess what? There were many other parents/grandparents doing the same often in close proximity to each other with a load of kids adding to the numbers. Maybe it is time to shut the schools?
To rugby. It is not often I agree with Sir Knowitall but he is spot on when he says rugby must now take a deep breath and take a long hard look at itself and not make ill-informed hasty decisions that they may regret in the long term. CVC with their sacks of cash will be seeing this as their main chance; strike while guards are down and clubs and unions are fretting about their survival. Rugby will return but if it returns with the 6 Nations for example only on pay-per-view TV then that is a big mistake. Rugby will return but if the managing bodies continue to plough millions of pounds into clubs with flawed business models they will have missed a golden opportunity to put the game on a better footing. Clubs will rise from the depths of despair but they will have failed if they don't take this opportunity to review their business model and at the top level get rid of player agents, cut squads, get wages under control. Basically cut their cloth accordingly. For clubs at the grassroots I don't think things are that simple. For them it is a case of planning, hoping and good fortune.
This virus thing is not going to be over in April, or May, or June so what happens next. If rugby returns then scrap the European games and focus on completing the leagues so we can start again with a clean slate. If rugby doesn't return in time to finish the leagues then what do you do? Do you still relegate Saracens and award the title to Exeter? Do you promote Newcastle? There are some things that are clear cut about what happens but many where it isn't. Robert Kitson of The Guardian uses TJs league as the perfect example where four teams including TJs are neck and neck in the title race. What do you do there? Take our league where Maidstone are miles adrift and probably would welcome relegation so they can regroup and set their new goals. Would they want to stay in a league where it would be deja vu: week after week of being beaten? The problem is as Kitson points out you can't pick and choose. You need a consistent plan.
Moving on. Is now a time when the law makers could take a long hard look at what is right and what is wrong with our game and make changes. The scrum can be an unedifying mess; reset after reset, collapse after collapse, the ball being put in under the second rows feet. What about the offside line at ruck and maul which is not policed. Time and time again players are not behind the back foot and that closes down the attackers space even more. Yes it is a small margin but rugby is a game of small margins. The ruck is more like Greco-Roman wrestling with participating players often being hit by charging buffalo. Way too dangerous. What about the incessant kicking. How that is solved I don't know but it makes the game tedious at times. Food for thought.
That'll do for today but can I remind people to be careful at this unique time in our history. My views about over-hyping and my use of numbers e.g. 71 as a percentage of 70m to make my point does not mean I am being blasé about this. I am taking precautions whilst being practical. After all I am blood type A ................ but all being well I will be donating for the 36th time next Thursday.
Tuesday 17th Mar: 09:30
It is St Patrick's Day. Have a thoughtful and safe one. Paddy O'Fez reminded me of this fact along with advising me he has cut his Spanish holiday short so I should expect plenty of "grief" from my good friend.
The inevitable has happened we are being told to self-isolate as best as possible and whilst there is no state enforced curfew we are encouraged to enforce a voluntary one. We will follow the advice as closely as we can but will be shopping this week and each week as normal. Don't scream online shopping at me. Slots are rarer than humility from Donald Trump. Likewise we will be taking our granddaughter out for a walk later this morning. Exercise and fresh air is important as living in a hermetically sealed bubble is not healthy.
Needless to say all rugby has been stopped, including training and all social activities, both in house and 3rd party. The club is closed and will remain so except for essential maintenance until at least mid-April.
I congratulate our exec on their fast response to the rapidly changing situation and urge everyone to support them at this trying time. A virtual emergency Exec meeting is happening this week to plan for the future.
Yesterday the spectre of 250,000 deaths from the virus was thrown out there by the government advisers. This changes things a lot as a sudden surge in deaths will overwhelm the NHS and morgues and other services related to death. I like my good friend Colin remain of the opinion the situation is still being overhyped. Colin wrote "the virus will bankrupt more people than it kills". He goes on to say "The risk to people's livelihoods far exceeds the risk to lives but they [the Government] don't want to hear that". I concur. Holidays and sport and disruption to daily life is nothing to losing your job and finding yourself in serious poverty. I fear the worst from the knock on effects caused by the press exaggeration than I do from the virus.
It could only happen in the US. Queues at the gun shop as people panic buy weapons. If the virus doesn't get you the semi-automatic rifle will.
The Dutch are taking are different approach, they are panic buying cannabis. No point in stressing maan!
I was going to do a piece on our great game and the positives and negatives. The negatives are often specific and positives more broad brush. I will do this tomorrow after I have read an article in The Guardian that has been recommended to me.
You know my biggest gripe is money in the game. The biggest positive are the five pillars the game is built on: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, sportsmanship.
As I say, more on this tomorrow. Please let me have your thoughts no matter how random.
I'd also welcome thoughts on the inevitable fact there will be some rubbing their hands with glee as they see the virus as an opportunity to make money. To counter that any ideas on how we can support each other would be most welcome.
Finally an apology if you found an empty page this morning. It was a PICNIC issue. Problem In Chair Not In Computer. Yes I cocked up.