I’ve spent my day watching Dodgeball. It’s been fun.
Tomorrow looks like less fun, not because of the Dodgeball, but because of the weather:
Level 6 is pretty hectic. To put it in perspective, Level 0 is “Turned out nice again, Gromit”, and Level 10 is the Apocalypse.
So things might be a bit rough over the next 48 hours.
I shall shelter next to a Dodgeball court in town.
After the disaster that was yesterday: least said, soonest mended, although there are a couple of points that need to be made. Namely that while it was a great effort, it’s the W-D-L and Pts* columns that matter, because there is no “Played against a Top 6 team and almost got something from the game” column, and there never has been.
And worth saying that there is – and there never will be – any excuse for the racist abuse and threats against his family that our goalkeeper has had to face from the Spurs keyboard warriors online. Utterly disgusting. I will enjoy every moment of those “fans” being found and banned for life (noting that much of the stuff I saw came from overseas, especially SE Asia).
Anyway, in a 24 hour break from real sport, I’m going to head to a warehouse in Retreat (yep, seriously), and watch South Africa’s rugby union team play out what should be a really tight and competitive game against Romania.
Rugby is a big deal in SA, and I’m not sure that the locals understand quite how much it isn’t a big deal in other countries, like Romania. Even less so (I’m guessing) in Moldova, who one local estate agent seems to think are taking on the Springboks in Bordeaux this afternoon.
(I know Moldova isn’t far away from Romania. But I know it’s not Romania, too.)
Anyway. Whoever they’re playing. Let’s give this a go, and then I can get back for some proper sport from Liverpool and Spain a bit later on.
* incidentally, our PTSD column will be huge after yesterday
First ninety-eight minutes: really good.
Next four, thoroughly depressing.
Not a big deal, but something I can’t believe they’ve let slip through. Here’s a bit of the opening screen:
Pretty good result for Romania against the world number one team, you might think.
Then you click though.
Oh.
Same with Italy and Namibia…
A fine win for the African underdogs. Except that it actually finished 52-8 to Italy.
Look, this isn’t huge, no-one is going to die, it’s not the end of the world. But in a sport which, more often than not, ends with at least one side getting into double figures, I can’t believe that they’re chosen a font which doesn’t allow for… well… double figures, on the official app for the biggest event in their calendar.
Bit crap.
United’s 10th signing of the transfer window. Welcome back, James McAtee:
It’s a great signing, albeit just a loan: this guy is still very much in Man City’s plans for the future. And I love the Twitter video announcing his return. (B)eagle-eyed viewers will recognise bits of the A57 Snake Pass (Manchester to Sheffield, see?) at the beginning of the clip, and that celebration after that goal at Blackpool…
Being honest, it’s not a bad line-up for the Blades overall, in what we all know is going to be a very tough season. Sure, it’s not full of stellar 100 million megaplayers like ManU or Citeh or billion pound spending Chelsea(!), but it’s a decent squad.
And that being the case, I just don’t know why we couldn’t have got more of these deals done earlier? We clearly needed more players in our first three games, and we are not in a position – nor were we ever – in which we could afford to have a delayed start to the season.
And yet…
OK. So now, are we at full strength? Is that it?
Or do we have a late, late signing up our sleeves? Cut off is 11pm UK time.