Government make Squatting Criminal Offence

The government have recently been surrounded by a wave of negativity and criticism but today they have introduced a new law that might just win them a few brownie points back.

They have made squatting a criminal offence and allow police to act immediately in removing squatters from residential properties.

Some have argued that this will lead to vulnerable people being prosecuted and will lead to more people sleeping rough, but I think they are looking at it from the wrong angle.

This law will put the power back where it should have been in the first place in the hands of the homeowners, and stop people having to spend months traipsing through the civil courts to get squatters removed at great financial cost.

Hopefully more sensible policies like this will begin to appear and we can begin to believe the government when they say they our acting in our best interests.  

Transfer Deadline day Should be July 31st

Another transfer deadline day is upon us with managers, players and agents dashing around trying to sew up last minute deals, and while it’s all jolly exciting, to me it would make more sense to move it back a month to July 31^st.

That way clubs can have their squads assembled before the start of the season, and still have a few weeks to gel the new arrivals with the established names, and it would also avoid the stupid situation in which players complete a pre-season and a play a game or two with one club before signing for another.

This is a small change but I think it would benefit everyone and improve the quality of the first few games which are generally tight and tetchy as everyone tries to accommodate new signings and tactics.

Strauss Quits Cricket

England captain Andrew Strauss has retired from all forms of cricket, England team-mate Alastair Cook will replace him.

After taking over captaincy of the side Strauss led England to successive Ashes triumphs and took them to the top of the test rankings for the first time, however recently things have begun to go south.

England were well beaten by South Africa in the test series and lost the no.1 ranking, then lost their one day ranking after another defeat by South Africa, added to that the saga around Kevin Pietersen and Strauss must have felt like he couldn’t do much more and that it was time to go.

Strauss stepping down is a blow to English cricket at a time when the team needs stability and strong leadership, his departure at this time leaves the future looking about as promising as English summer.

While there are some good young players in the side, his replacement Cook being one of them, if Kevin Pietersen is, as it seems, no longer part of the England set-up then the side suddenly doesn’t look as impressive.

Yes we have a great bowling attack but losing two first choice batsmen in a matter of weeks would damage any side.

I’m trying to remain positive, but when a successful captain steps down it’s hardly a moment for optimism.  

Clegg, Taxing the Rich more won’t Help

Deputy PM Nick Clegg has stated he feels that the UK’s wealthiest citizens should pay more tax for a limited period in these economically difficult times we are currently facing.

I’m not so keen on this announcement, yes when times are tough and money is tight it’s easy to look to those better off and those who seem unaffected and say you should be contributing more, but when you look at the figures those better off are more than paying their share.

HMRC figures show that the wealthiest 11% in Britain pay more than 75% of all tax collected and the top 50% pay around 90%, so all Clegg’s idea will do if implemented is drive the rich abroad and ensure their money and expertise is lost.

Instead of lazily saying oh tax the rich some more, I would urge Clegg and the rest of the cabinet to be a bit more creative with their policies to dig the country out of the hole they and the previous government have dug.

Give Heathrow a Third Runway

Our PM David Cameron has been challenged by members of his own party to abandon a pact made with the Lib Dems and expand Heathrow by building a third runway.

While there hasn’t been a definitive answer from Cameron yet, it is widely expected he’ll stick to the pact and say no, but I think he should follow his own advice do what’s best for the country and allow a third runway to be built.

Adding a third runway would boost business for Britain no end and would signal that this government isn’t afraid to make a big decision and upset a few people, and I think the idea of sticking to this pact is ridiculous.

This was made just after the 2010 general election when the plan was to reduce the deficit and get the economy growing again, well it’s been over two years since and the government are failing to meet their borrowing targets and we’re back in recession, so I think this pact has lost all its relevance.

If the country is to climb back out of recession building a third runway at Heathrow would be a strong positive place to start.

Europe’s Ryder Cup Team Chosen

After the 10 guys who qualified automatically, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, has chosen his two picks namely Ian Poulter and the first Belgian to play the biennial event Nicolas Colsaerts.

While I think these were the two the expected choices, I think a trick has been missed here, I think like the American team we should have four picks.

That way you can have the eight who’ve played the best during the qualification period and then you can better take into account those in the best form for the other four, because then you can avoid the whole mess surrounding Martin Kaymer.

The German qualified by the skin of his teeth after his form has plummeted and he even skipped the Johnnie Walker Championship because he knew he was playing so badly he had a better chance of making the team by sitting on the sidelines.

To make matters worse he was even considering giving up his place, all of these problems could have been avoided if Olazabal had four picks that way guys like Harrington could have made it and Kaymer would have missed out.

But now we’re stuck with a situation where Europe have a player who is in no form was actually hoping to miss out and is now in the team, which will significantly affect our chances and I think tip the scales in America’s favour.

One final point everybody keeps going on about the length of Medinah and how we need our side filled with big hitters and so on, nonsense what matters most in any form of golf at any level is the ability to putt and hole out.

Yes being able to spank it 300 yards plus is advantageous but it doesn’t compare to being able to consistently hold those horrible six foot sliders, and that will always be the case.

Why are our Olympians Appearing on the X-Factor

After the euphoria of the Olympics and the unprecedented successes of Team GB, the nation was in awe and were left begging for more, however instead of appearing at a diamond league meeting or taking a well earned break, some of the Team GB athletes will be pitching up at wait for it, X-Factor.

Before the Olympics stories were appearing about how modest and noble the athletes are and they’re not driven by money and blah, blah, blah, it’s taken less than two weeks for all that modesty and nobility to be flung out the window and for money to take a hold, as Tom Daley, Jess Ennis, Chris Hoy and Mo Farah are reportedly appearing on the show advising contestants.

Hopefully they’ll flaunt those duties and go rogue, take over the show and send everybody home and put a stop to the X-Factor once and for all, ok dream over, why are they doing it they’re popular and loved by everyone, don’t ruin that by listening to Simon Cowell and doing what he says.

Wipe your eyes and see what this really is, a desperate attempt by the devil, I’m sorry Cowell, to callously use the success of Team GB to boost the flagging ratings for the X-Factor in the hope that he can squeeze out another few series, because people are beginning to see it for what it really is, an elongated staging of grandstanding and overly theatrical nonsense.

Then when it all ends some talentless fool gets to be Simon Cowell’s lab rat for about six months while he squeezes every last ounce of cash possible out of their fifteen minutes, before dropping them and moving on to the next one, while the poor gormless twit who’s been brainwashed into believing they could be the next big thing is left back where they started, stacking shelves at Tesco.    

Please guys maintain your well earned popularity and integrity, don’t be a part of it.  

Cyclist Armstrong is Victim of Witch-Hunt

Lance Armstrong the road racing cyclist, who won the Tour de France a record seven times in a row, has bizarrely been stripped of all his yellow jerseys and of all the other accolades he earned post 1998, by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

They seem determined to drag the reputation of Armstrong through the mud by giving him a life time ban from cycling (even though he’s retired) and insure his legacy as one of the all-time greats is obliterated.

They continue to claim that Armstrong’s Tour de France victories were fuelled by performance enhancing drugs and have several of his former team-mates, most of whom returned positive drugs test and are no doubt co-operating in the hope they won’t be kicked out of the sport, lined up ready to stab him in the back.

What is important to remember is that throughout his career Armstrong never returned a positive test, so I’m struggling to see why the USADA are so determined to try and say otherwise, when they should be lauding him for his achievements and the example he set to millions that it can be done drug free.

I was a little surprised that Armstrong chose to stop fighting the case against him, but when you think about it if someone keeps accusing you and hassling you saying you did it, you did it and you know its complete bu****it, why should you waste your time and money fighting them knowing full well they won’t give it up.

I like many will remember Armstrong as a true great of professional cycling, a man who overcame cancer to win the toughest bike race in the world an unprecedented seven time in a row and in the process become a hero and legend.   

Astronaut Armstrong Dies

Neil Armstrong who in 1969 became the first man to walk on the surface of the moon, has died aged 82, his three hour walk on the moon with Buzz Aldrin is still (arguably) to this day man-kinds greatest achievement.

His famous first words from the lunar surface ‘that’s one small step for man one giant leap for mankind’, further cements his place as one of the great pioneers of our time, of anytime.

What is so satisfying about Armstrong’s triumph is that unlike many others who would have milked it for all its worth, he remained a reluctant and dignified hero right up until the end very rarely making public appearances and never drawing attention to himself.

Armstrong’s passing is very sad, but it’s equally as sad to think that there are still millions the world over who still believe the whole thing was a hoax, I could go on all day about why their idiots and so on but I won’t.

Armstrong’s legacy will undoubtedly live on as he and his colleagues exploits made people the world over dream and grow up wanting to be astronauts themselves, unfortunately for many of those people (including me), soon realised that if I have trouble putting flat-pack furniture together then maybe I’m not NASA material.

Punish Emergency Services Timewasters

It is comforting to live in a society where if the worst comes to the worst we can call on the emergency services to come to our aid, but unfortunately there are some brain-dead morons who abuse this great benefit of ours for the most trivial and pointless nonsense.

For instance a woman called 999 for an ambulance because a hamster bit her finger, two men called requesting urgent medical attention for hangovers and a patient faking severe stomach cramps jumped out of an ambulance on route to hospital and thanked paramedics for the lift. (admittedly when I first read that I couldn’t help giggling, but that really is shocking)

These chronic dingbats are not only abusing the publicly funded services available to them, but they are also putting other people’s lives at risk, I'm sure this has already happened, but one day some idiot calling an ambulance because they’ve got a splinter could mean that someone who desperately needs one because they’re having a heart attack or a stroke dies as a result.

People who do this should be punished severely not so much for their initial stupidity, but for the consequences their lunacy could bring, I don’t care how whether it’s a fine, community service or even a night in prison, whatever it takes to know that when I call an ambulance for a real emergency I’m not told to hang on in there because some gormless twerp has asked for one because they’ve grazed a knee.

Send Assange to Sweden

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by Ecuador, for the moment halting his extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault charges, which has now sparked a big and unnecessary diplomatic row between Britain, Sweden and Ecuador over what to do with him.

The answer is simple send him to Sweden, he is accused of sexual assault and must face the charges simple as, maybe he is guilty otherwise why would he leg it to the Ecuadorian embassy and beg for asylum.

A confusing quote has come out of this whole saga which is that if he were to be sent to Sweden his human rights would be violated, can someone please explain that one to me because I’m struggling to work out exactly how.    

You’re not sending him to a labour camp in North Korea he would be going to Sweden a democratic member of the EU, so in what way would his human rights be violated.

Let’s take a moment to look at exactly who Julian Assange is, he’s a computer hacker who set up the whistle blowing website Wikileaks, got 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables dropped into his lap, had no idea what to do with them so gave them to a coalition of newspapers around the world and let them do all the work picking out and editing which cables were most newsworthy and suitable for print, while dancing around taking credit for the whole thing.

At the time when the cables went to print the Americans were calling him a terrorist (most probably to cover their embarrassment) but he’s not a terrorist he’s an idiot, I’ll be honest when I first found out about Wikileaks and the release of the cables I thought he was quite cool, but now I know the full story I just see him as a creepy pain in the arse.  

Tony Nicklinson Should Have the Right to Die

Tony Nicklinson, who suffers from locked-in syndrome, has lost his High Court case to be allowed the legal right to end his life when he chooses with a doctor’s help.

Despite the fact that Nicklinson has described his life as intolerable, the judges have decided anyone who assists him in ending his life whether it’s a doctor or family member, would be at real risk of prosecution.

I don’t agree with this ruling one little bit, in my view there’s only one person who should be deciding when his life should end and that is Tony Nicklinson, not three healthy judges sitting on a bench who have no idea what he's going through.  

I just don’t get how they could deny a man who they can see is clearly suffering the right to end his life when he wants, and not be forced to suffer unnecessarily for who knows how long.

Why don’t we bring our laws into the 21^st century and follow the likes of the Swiss in allowing people to decide for themselves when they want to end their suffering, I hope that he appeals and if he does I hope common sense prevails and he wins.  

Some of the England Old Guard Should Call it a Day

After losing to Italy on penalties at the Euro’s, England last night exacted a rather mild form of revenge by beating Italy 2-1 in an actually quite entertaining and enjoyable friendly.

I still have no idea why it was played at a neutral venue in front of one man and his dog, anyway, watching last night I think it’s time that some of England’s more senior players should really do what’s best and announce their retirements, preferably before the World Cup qualifiers start.

It’s time for the likes of Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard and others to step back and allow some of the younger players to step in and get some international experience over the next two years.

Last night England’s midfield kept the ball and passed the ball with more focus and direction than at any time I’ve watched them play a top side, and with the performances of Carrick and Cleverly I think there’s no more room for Lampard and Barry.

Barry showed how out of his depth he was at the World Cup in South Africa so why should he be allowed a shot at going to the next one, and Lampard will be 36 if he makes it to Brazil and has proved time and again he can’t cut it against the very best.

I read a quote from Lampard saying that every time he plays for England he feels on trail, maybe because subconsciously he knows he shouldn’t be involved anymore.

For me there is still room for the likes of Gerrard, Parker and Terry because they were easily our star performers in Poland and Ukraine.

Every time England get knocked out of a major tournament everybody says that the older players need to step aside and the younger players need to be brought in, well maybe now is the time to put this into practice.  

Footballs Back Like it or Not

On Sunday as I was watching the last knockings of the Olympics, the idea that the football season had started and was a few clicks of the remote away was a rather sobering thought, however I was a little alarmed at just how much the footballers were derided in comparison to the athletes.

Yes the athletes on show at the Olympics were amazing and there is a certain nobility and humility about the games and those that are involved, but trying to compare the athletes at the Olympics to Premier League footballers is a little imprudent.

The reason that the Olympics has this unique aura surrounding it is because it only occurs for two and a bit weeks once every four years, whereas the football season starts every August and ends in May (July if there’s a World Cup or Euro’s), of course football in general can learn from the Olympics in terms of the behaviour and unity of the fans and the graciousness of the athletes.

But the Olympics isn’t without its faults several athletes were sent home by their nations for failing drugs tests (including a gold medallist) and for inappropriate behaviour, and for me there are some events in the Olympics like Hockey, Basketball, admittedly Football, Equestrian, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Handball and a few others that really aren’t Olympic sports and shouldn’t be there.

I think we should just enjoy both the football season and the Olympics for what they are and leave it there.

Muamba Forced into Retirement

After suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch in March Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has, on doctor’s orders, retired from professional football.

As sad as this news maybe, let’s all remember that Muamba is alive, has his health and at only 24 still has a life and career ahead of him in whatever he chooses, and I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing him the best of luck with it.

Muamba and others who have suffered life threatening injuries or worse on the pitch have shown that as popular as football is and as much as we all love it, there are many times when it takes a back seat and becomes irrelevant and makes you remember what really is important.

No More Food Shock Stories Please

Another day and inevitably more stories have appeared saying how scientists have conducted research and they’ve discovered a new fact about a food and how it can have a positive or negative effect on your health.

Today its eggs and chocolate, apparently if you eat the yolk of eggs it’s almost as bad as smoking, and can also increase the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack.

I don’t think they’ve gone far enough, why they don’t come out and say if you have two egg yolks a day it’s the equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes, I bet Rocky must be terrified think of all the egg yolks he ate, how an earth did he win the title knowing at any moment he could have a coronary.    

What makes this even more hilarious than it already is, is that eggs are supposed to be considered part of a healthy diet because of their protein content.

Moving on and another story has surfaced today that dark chocolate could lower your blood pressure, ok so you go out and eat lots of dark chocolate get your blood pressure right down and then you find out that you have diabetes and you’re going to lose a foot.

This article is on the BBC news website and at the bottom there are several related articles one of which is titled dark chocolate not so healthy, another says chocolate may protect the heart, what by encasing it in a thick fatty shell.

I know the people behind this research are well meaning but please stop coming out with this nonsense every couple of months, because a couple of months later someone else will come out with an entirely different set of results and your credibility is gone.

Maybe you should consider putting your minds to something more meaningful, unless you discover that a food categorically 100% will have an effect positive or negative then you can shout about it, until then enough.

Rail Fares to Increase 6.2% in January

During the Olympics some of the country’s leading politicians were accused of trying to muscle in on the many success stories of Team GB and use it to bolster their image and take credit for things that they had nothing to do with.

Well maybe it shows just how incompetent politicians are, because the games have been over for five minutes and they’re already unpopular again, as today it has been announced that from January 2013 some rail fares in England will rise by 6.2% about double the rate of inflation.

The extra money raised from the fare hike is helping to fund huge investments across the rail network, in what David Cameron and the coalition have described as the biggest investment in the rail industry since the Victorian age.

Well with these price rises, like the Victorian age you’ll have the more affluent sitting in the luxury carriages and the mere mortals packed in the back somewhere like battery hens.

That’s assuming this increase doesn’t price a large number of people out of rail travel all together, you can’t increase rail prices this much at a time when the economy is on life support and wages are languishing.   

Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers said that the fare increases were necessary in the short-term to achieve the government’s long term goal of bringing down the cost of running the railways, yes because they’ve been so successful at doing that with the economy.........

She also said that the rises will make life better for passengers, most probably because less people will be able to travel by train come January and those that can will have a bit more space.

I’m sure you’ve realised by now that I’m a train user and am shocked and disappointed not only at the rise but at how steep it is, I don’t understand why government encourage you to use public transport and then make it unaffordable, what would happen if all the countries major supermarkets issued a joint statement saying we are all raising our prices by 5% as of now, deal with it, there would be chaos.

Millions of people rely on train’s everyday and these price rises could for some make them a one-off luxury, its madness.

McIlroy’s PGA Win gets him back on Track

After a run of poor performances Rory McIlroy got his career firmly back on track after destroying the field to win the PGA Championship by a record eight shots.

Despite a series of challenges, most notably from Ian Poulter who started with five straight birdies, McIlroy never faltered and powered away on the back nine as his chasers faltered, giving McIlroy his second major.

The second major is all the more important than the first, because there have been several golfers over the years who got hot for four days and won, but to do it for a second time shows that he is the real deal and don’t rule out many others in the future.

While his victory at Kiawah Island, considered the toughest course in America, was amazing I think the media have got a little carried away by wheeling out the Tiger Woods comparisons, yes Rory is younger than Tiger was when he won his second major.

But let’s not forget that when Woods won his second major at the PGA in 1999, the season after he won three majors in a row, and while he is certainly capable, I don’t see Rory winning three of the majors next year.

In five or 10 years time we may well be able to start comparing his record to the likes of Woods, Nicklaus etc, but for now let’s just sit back and enjoy watching the new star of golf.

London Olympics an Overwhelming Success

Admittedly I gave the closing ceremony a miss, because frankly I’d had enough of the Spice Girls 15 years ago (and was more interested in watching the final round of the PGA), but as for all the moments of the Olympics I did see, I thought the whole thing was just brilliant.

I did share the concerns that some people had on the eve of the games, but writing this now I had absolutely no reason to be concerned, everything was delivered on time, the venues were fantastic, the support for all athletes was reciprocated in the sparkling performances we saw from the competitors across all the disciplines, even if I still don’t fully understand how some of them work.

Like everyone else I too have a favourite moment of the games and it has to be the incredible sight of Ennis, Rutherford and Farah all winning gold in the space of 40 odd minutes, in what was undoubtedly the best night for British athletics in a very long time.

While one of the key factors in our securing of the game was the legacy, I think as we won’t truly know the full results of that for a few years, for now everyone involved in the running of the games and everyone who attended or cheered on from home can sit back and say that’s why we’re called Great Britain.   

Pietersen Dropped by England

After a series of bizarre twists and turns the ECB has decided they have had enough of Kevin Pietersen’s recent antics and have dropped him from the England squad for the third test against South Africa, this decision comes after Pietersen performed a u-turn on his retirement from the one day cricket and maybe Twenty-20 and pledged to commit himself to all forms of the game for England.

It’s a brave move by the ECB to drop England’s best player, but it is the correct one they have to show they are the ones in charge and can’t let Pietersen call the shots, his contradictory nature in the last week shows that maybe he isn’t in the right frame of mind to be playing in such a crucial game.

His public comments might have also meant that his presence in the dressing room could have been a distraction to the other players, let’s hope with him out of the picture Strauss and co. can win the third test against South Africa, level the series and keep their no.1 test ranking.

While being dropped may dent Pietersen’s ego a little bit, if he keeps his mouth shut then it won’t be very long before he’s back in the side, because he’s simply too good to be left out on a consistent basis and if he was he would almost certainly retire.    

Men’s Javelin Final is Tonight’s Track and Field Highlight

As it’s the last night of action in the Olympic stadium tonight you’d think my attentions would be directed towards Mo Farah going for a historic second gold in the 5,000m, or Usain Bolt going for his third gold of London 2012 in the 4x100m relay, but oddly enough it isn’t either of those, I’m still excited by the prospect of watching them, but the Men’s Javelin is the one I’m looking forward to most.

I don’t know why watching several burly men with anger management issues hurl a giant pointy stick a few hundred feet appeals to me so much but it just does, I think part of the reason is that I have no idea who any of them are so in my mind any of them can step up and throw 85 m plus and win a medal.

While it’s a sport that you may only catch once every four years I would urge you not to neglect it this time out.   

Can Tiger Woods Keep it Together and Win the PGA

He may have already won three times on the PGA Tour this year but questions about Tiger Woods form and ability to contend at the business end of the majors still remain, Woods hasn’t had his name etched onto one of the games top four prizes, since his dramatic one legged play-off win at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Since then, unless you’ve been living in a cave, you will all be aware of the problems he’s had, but back to the golf and Woods finds himself in contention for a record equalling fifth PGA, and a step nearer to his goal of Jack Nicklaus record 18 major haul.

His form in the majors this year has been gradually improving at the Masters he was out of contention after the 2^nd round, at the U.S. Open he tied for the lead going into the weekend but drifted out of the running and finished 21^st, at the Open he was in the mix once again before a triple bogey in round four effectively ended his chances, if this sequence continues at the PGA then he will hold it together for four days and if he does that it’s going to take something special to beat him.

But of course there are others who have just as much of a claim to win this week, one is Vijay Singh, the three time major winner showed with his 69 that age really is just a number (I bet the guys on the champions tour are dreading the thought of competing with him next year), Swede Carl Pettersson who plies his trade on the US tour, has five wins and $20m to his name, will be looking to take the next step and win a major and in the process book himself a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

It’s been a turbulent last six months for Rory McIlroy can he rediscover his title winning form that has deserted him far too often this season, or who knows maybe Ian Poulter will finally put his money where his mouth is and sit atop the leader board come Sunday night, whatever happens it will make for compelling viewing.

US Runner Mitchell Deserves Gold for Running with Broken Leg

Throughout the build up and during the Olympics so far a plethora of stories have been appearing across all forms of the media highlighting how athletes who compete at Olympic games do it to show their desire, love and commitment to their sport and rise above the Machiavellian influences that often see other sports stars fall by the wayside.   
 
No athlete at these games so far has shown more dedication and commitment to his chosen discipline than American 400m relay runner Manteo Mitchell, who broke his leg half way through his lead off lap, did he stop, no he amazingly not only carried on but finished the lap in just over 46 seconds and allowed his team to qualify equal first with a seasons best.

The Americans usually dominate the majority of the track and field events, so far in London they’ve won 24 medals seven of which are gold, but I don’t think anyone will begrudge Mitchell and the rest of the 4x400m team the gold medal in the final, hats off to you sir.

University Applications down (Surprise Surprise)

Given the rise in tuition fees which takes effect for students starting university courses this year, it’s unsurprising to find figures that show there is a clear drop of around 10% in the number of English students applying for places.

Government officials are, as you’d expect, playing down these figures and instead reiterating that there is still a very strong demand for university, but the government could have kept demand for university high and could have avoided the fall in applications by, how can I put it., leaving the fees alone.

What is even more galling is that students studying in Wales will be subsidised and will pay no more than £3,290 and students in Scotland go scot free.

The government raised the fees in order to accommodate cuts in university spending and hoped it would mean most courses paid for themselves.

But if applications are down this could mean that courses won’t cover their own costs via fees, and the government might need to step in and bridge the gaps, which would result in another PR disaster for the coalition.

Either way this is clearly a complex issue that requires a delicate balancing act, but judging by the numbers early indications are that the government have picked the wrong way of dealing with it.

My Day at the Olympics

Having tried and failed to acquire tickets for London 2012 when they were on sale, I wasn’t too worried that I would have to watch the events unfold in the comfort of my own home.

But as the time passed and I watched day after day and night after night of exhilarating action, in particular ‘super Saturday’, I was starting to regret the fact that when people asked me in the future what was London 2012 like, my response would be it looked great, from the sofa.

But as luck would have it a friend of mine was very gracious to offer me a spare ticket she had come by, and so it was to be I was going to the Olympic Park to witness some sporting history in the form of synchronised swimming, women’s duets.

The journey to Stratford was serene enough and thankfully the javelin train we were on managed to complete the journey without breaking down, then it was a quick hop-step-jump through Westfield Shopping Centre and we were into the Olympic Park.

The security operation was very slick and everyone involved, in particular the troops, were all smiling and welcoming, although it was a little annoying to have to produce our tickets about six times.

Being in the Olympic Park was a great experience seeing fans and flags from all over the world and the stadium looked fantastic up close, I can’t begin to express my envy of those who have attended a session inside, however the sight of the Orbit was a massive let-down

I saw it unveiled on TV and thought it looked like the result of an explosion in a slinky factory, but I thought I better get a look up close before passing my final judgement, but the nearer I got the worse it looked.

After a bit more investigating we headed to the magnificent aquatic centre complete with its unique pringle shaped roof, and took our seats for the start of the synchronised swimming, and after about 90 minutes of watching a succession of arms and legs gracefully waving about Russia took Gold, Spain Silver and China Bronze.

The atmosphere inside wasn’t quite as frenzied as I thought it might be, although I did think the roof was going to be blown off when the British team made their entrance, but apart from that it was a dare I say it slightly muted atmosphere, most probably because 99% of the audience (including me) had no idea if what they were watching was any good or not.

Having made our way out of the aquatic centre I was keen to catch the finals of the cycling sprint events on the giant screen near the velodorme, so we headed over there stopping for a moment to gawk at one of the BBC studios.

But by the time we got there the queue just to sit on the bank was a mile long, as were all the queues for food (well except the salad bar, but I’m not counting rabbit food), feeling like there wasn’t much more to do or see and with rain in the air we headed towards the exit and the end of our undoubtedly enjoyable Olympic experience.

PGA Championship Lacks the Zest of the Other Majors

The PGA Championship has an odd standing within golf, as the last major of the year it offers players the chance to walk away with one of the games top prizes, and yet to me it lacks the vigour and excitement of the other three.

The Masters is the first major of the year and is unique in that it is played at the same venue, the U.S. Open is famed for being the toughest test in golf and the British Open is the oldest major and to win it requires a set of skills completely independent to any of the others.

This leaves the PGA in the position of bringing nothing unique to the party, and this year it has the added problem of clashing with the Olympics, don’t get me wrong as a golf fan I will certainly be paying attention to the leader board, but the PGA just doesn’t stir up the same enthusiasm inside me as the other three.

As the PGA started off as a matchplay event, rather than the usual stroke play, it could be worth reverting the PGA back to its original format, that way it would regain the uniqueness it once had and I think it would certainly make it more exciting than it is now.

As the last 16 majors have been won by 16 different golfers you can really make a case for anybody winning this week, but I’m going to be patriotic and optimistic and say that Luke Donald is going to win, despite the fact that the length of the course (7,676, yards) may cause him a problem or two.

Stop Rambling on about Yorkshire’s Medal Table Position

Team GB have certainly been inspired by performing on home soil, but there’s one little vignette of information that keeps cropping up over and over again and it’s getting on my nerves.

It’s the fact that if Yorkshire was an independent state it would be 10^th in the medal table, I found this mildly amusing at first but now it’s just annoying.

So what, Yorkshire isn’t the only place that can say this, the US city of Baltimore could say if they were independent, we are 15^th on the medal table, because that’s where Michael Phelps comes from. (in Beijing Phelps on his own would have made the top 10)

So enough its a silly little joke that has outstayed its welcome

GB Cyclists aren’t using ‘Magic Wheels’

In Beijing the British cycling team dominated and walked away with eight gold medals, and now in London they’ve done the same dominating and winning a further eight gold medals.

But this success has let’s say irritated other nations in particularly France who say that Team GB are using ‘magic wheels’, which is rather amusing when you consider the wheels Team GB use are Mavic wheels, which are manufactured in, wait for it France.

These complaints to me smack of embarrassment from a nation who can’t get the best out of their own technology and are seemingly baffled by the notion that another nation has managed to harness their technology more effectively.

So I would urge the French cycling team to shut up, stop complaining and instead focus on how to use their own wheels.

Boundary Changes Given the go Ahead

PM David Cameron has announced that changes to the boundaries of constituencies in the UK will go ahead, the move will likely see the number of constituencies reduced from 650 to 600 and will effectively make it easier for the Tories to be re-elected come the general election in 2015.

This is a fascinating turn of events given that last week it was reported that Cameron was ditching Lords reform due to a backbench rebellion, and in response an increasingly infuriated Nick Clegg said he would block any boundary changes in an act of revenge.

But his words like those of so many Lib Dem politicians seem to have fallen on deaf ears as it appears he is set to be ignored once again, Cameron and the Conservatives may have played nice for the cameras when they needed the Lib Dems to form the coalition, but since then despite a few token cabinet jobs, Cameron has seemingly ignored most of what Nick Clegg has said and has just done what he wants.

I bet when the coalition was formed Clegg and co must have been delighted that they finally had a say in the way the country was run, but so far it’s proved to be slap in the face after slap in the face, and with this announcement it looks like it’s set to continue.

Louise Mensch’s Resignation means by-election Test for Coalition

Prominent Conservative back-bench MP Louise Mensch has announced she is quitting the commons to move to New York with her children to be with her husband of a year, Peter Mensch, who is manager of rock band Metallica.

Frankly I’m not interested in that, but what does get my attention is the fact that her departure will trigger a by-election in her former constituency of Corby, which will most likely take place on November 15.

As Corby is a marginal seat, it means that there will be a huge scrap between Labour and the Tories to make sure their candidate wins in it, and by that time the figures for the performance of the economy in the third quarter will be out, which will undoubtedly have an effect.

If the economy has shrunk again then the Tories will struggle to hold the seat, but if the economy grows and shows more encouraging signs then it will be difficult for Labour to dislodge them.

This by-election could also act as a small scale prequel of what to expect at the 2015 election, who said politics was dull.  

Bolt is Still the World’s Fastest Man

The men’s 100m final is known as the blue ribbon event of the Olympics, and the 2012 edition more than lived up to that tag, six men came into the race with a realistic shot at taking the gold, but just like in Beijing it was Usain Bolt who crossed the line first.

He didn’t get a great start but like always powered through the field to win in an Olympic record time of 9.63, and firmly answered all the questions people had about his form.

Bolt came into the games talking about wanting to be remembered as a legend, well winning the 100m gold two Olympics in a row will certainly do that, and let’s not forget he still has his 200m and 4x100m titles to defend yet.

Andy Murray is the Real Golden Balls

When you hear the phrase golden balls you instantly think of David Beckham and while his exploits on the football pitch were impressive he never won the World Cup, and now that Andy Murray has won Olympic gold surely he is more worthy of the name.

Murray who’s had the disappointment of losing four grand slam finals frankly steamrollered a shell shocked Roger Federer to win in three sets, and in doing so has finally broken his big match duck and maybe now he can take the belief and the confidence from this to push on and win a grand slam.

I’m sure Federer will be gutted, but as he’s already won Olympic gold and is the greatest tennis player ever with 17 grand slams, I think he’ll get over it.

Its 100m Day

During an Olympics the track and field events don’t kick in until the middle Saturday, but for some reason it just feels like the ‘real start’ of the games and tonight sees the centrepiece of any Olympics the men's 100m final.

This edition promises to be the best yet with potentially six runners staking a claim for gold, and while we might not see the world record troubled, I think that will only add to the excitement and interest.

The winner gets to walk around for four years saying I’m the fastest man on the planet, and this time out I’m tipping Yohan Blake to win, fingers crossed we don’t get any false starts.

GB goes Gold Crazy

Six I’ll say it again because I can’t quite believe it myself, six, Team GB have won six golds in one day, the most successful day for Brits at an Olympics since 1908. (when we were again playing host)

Earlier in the day gold was struck in the men’s four and the women’s lightweight double sculls in the rowing boats and then it was over to the ever reliable cyclists as the women matched their male counterparts by winning the team pursuit and breaking a world record

Then came golden girl Jess Ennis who won the Heptathlon, then Greg Rutherford won an unexpected gold in the long jump and finally Mo Farah became the first Brit to win 10,000m gold, all in the space of an hour.

Competing in front of a home crowd can either be seen as a help or a hindrance, but judging by what I’ve seen today I think we could do with hosting the games a bit more often.

Ennis is the Golden Girl

She’s known as the golden girl, she’s on every billboard, she came into the games with the most pressure of any of the British athletes and she has delivered.

Jessica Ennis has stormed to gold in the Heptathlon, smashing the British record in the process and producing three personal bests for good measure.

It’s the first track and field gold for Team GB and it’s gone to by far and away the most popular athlete in the British squad, and has made ‘super Saturday’ one no-one will ever forget, congratulations Jess it was a pleasure to watch.

Farewell Phelps

American swimmer (or human/fish hybrid depends which you prefer) Michael Phelps has raced for the last time and unsurprisingly he has retired on a high, helping the USA take gold in the 4x100m medley relay.

This means he bows out as the most successful Olympian ever with a record 22 medals, a record 18 gold medals (twice as many as anyone else) and the record of winning two individual swimming events three Olympics in a row.

Coming into these games there were questions about his form and when he didn’t medal in the 400m medley everyone was asking has he lost it, but he most definitely hadn’t and he came back to win six medals, four gold and two silver.  

There are times when sports people retire and a debate will start as to whether they are the greatest or if we will see someone like them again, but in Phelps case we haven't and we won't, his records will surely stand for ever as no other active Olympian is even close to the standards he’s set.  

Some break records, Phelps nuked them.

Most Olympians Privately Educated

What makes most sports so popular is that if you show a real talent from an early age it shouldn’t matter who you are or where you come from, whether you grew up in a council house in Camden or a mansion in Marylebone, you should have just as much of a chance to make it.

However recent analysis of Team GB’s performances at the Beijing Olympics has shown that more than 50% of the medallists, including triple gold medal winner Sir Chris Hoy, came from private schools, meaning half of the medals came from just 7% of the population.  

Chairman of the British Olympic Association Lord Moynihan (who was Oxford educated, but I’ll skip the irony for now) described it as the ‘worst statistics in British sport’, and also called for an immediate overhaul of school sports policy.

I was quite amazed to find out that this was the case and it does, for some Olympic sports anyway, shatter the myth that anybody can do it.

Throughout the games so far the message has been that it’s not just about the two weeks of competition, it is about leaving a lasting legacy and inspiring future generations to get active and take part in sports, but looking at the statistics maybe you should look at your postcode first before deciding what sport to do.     

Grainger Wins Gold at 4th Attempt

After finishing second an agonising three Olympics in succession, British rower Katherine Grainger has finally taken gold at her home games.

She and new partner Anna Watkins won gold in the double sculls to break Grainger’s 12 year hoodoo, making them the second British female rowers to take gold so far.  

She deserves huge adulation for continuing to come back when others might have thrown the oar in, I think I can safely say that’s one gold medal definitely earned.

Petrov in Remission

While I love the excitement that watching competitive sport, in particular football brings, there are times when sport needs to take a back seat as there are other things in life that are much more important.

Four months ago was one of those times, as everybody was shocked and saddened to hear that Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

However in a statement on their club website Villa have confirmed that his cancer is in remission, this is fantastic news and hopefully he will get given the all clear in the not too distant future.

Roberto Carlos Retires

Another footballing legend has decided to call time on a glittering career as Roberto Carlos has decided enough is enough.

Arguably the greatest left back ever, the Brazilian was a dead ball specialist and scored some of the best free-kicks you could ever wish to see, including the famous banana goal against France.

Carlos spent the most fruitful years of his career in the white of Real Madrid where he won four league titles and the Champions League three times and was part of the infamous galactico’s squad.

He was also a key member of the Brazil squad that won the World Cup in 2002, where he was voted into the all star team, added to all this he even finished second in the 1997 World Player of the Year poll, not bad for a defender

In total Carlos played 820 games in his career and almost unprecedented for a defender, scored 101 goals.

Many call Ashley Cole the best left back currently playing, and to be fair he probably is, but he’s not even close to being on the same level as Carlos, thats how good he was.

He will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the games greats and I wouldn’t mind betting it will be a while before we see a full back like him again.

Kayaking Conflict of Interest

There have been many great stories to come out of this Olympics so far, but one that caught my eye in particular is the story about New Zealander Mike Dawson, who is competing in the men’s kayaking competition.

The interesting thing is that one of the judges in the men’s kayak competition is his own mother Kay, and get this she gave him a penalty for an infraction.

I know very little about kayaking, like most people it surfaces on my radar once every four years, but I sense there may be a slight conflict of interest taking place here.

Surely those in charge should have clocked that her son was one of the competitors she would be asked to judge, and then stepped in and swapped her with another judge.

While many have praised her honesty for marking her son down, I’m not so sure that’s what’s going on here, despite the mark down Dawson still made the semi-finals and if he were to be in medal contention (he could be favourite to take gold I have no idea) and his mother were to be on the judging panel again would she do the same.  

Rupert Murdoch wants Boris Johnson to Lead the Tories?

It’s been a tough 2012 for David Cameron and the coalition government, but it could be about to get a whole lot worse, as it has been reported that Rupert Murdoch wants London mayor Boris Johnson to take the helm and replace Cameron as Conservative Party chief and run for PM in 2015.

Murdoch ditched Gordon Brown and Labour to back David Cameron at the last election, but relations between the two have soured since the phone hacking scandal, and many feel Murdoch favours replacing him with Johnson as the solution.

Whether this is genuine or not, the fact that it has made the news should be disconcerting enough for Cameron and his closest allies in government, like it or not history shows us that the politician who has Murdoch on side ends up Prime Minister.

If Cameron has lost Murdoch’s support then it would be a real kick in the teeth as Cameron publicly campaigned for Johnson’s re-election as mayor of London, and now he could find himself being ousted.

Again I must re-iterate it's hard to say how accurate this story is, but coincidence or not Johnson has invited Murdoch to join him and watch some Olympic swimming tonight.

That’s assuming Johnson doesn’t plan to do any zip-wiring between now and then.

Searle and Stanning Embody Olympic Spirit

Today saw some incredible displays from Team GB athletes, from Bradley Wiggins winning time trial gold to Michael Jamieson winning silver in the 200m breaststroke, but the performances of the day have to go to rowers Greg Searle and Heather Stanning.

Searle took bronze in the men’s eight after coming out of retirement, and a full 20 years after taking gold in the coxed pairs in Barcelona.

Stanning who only started to row four years ago, today crossed the line with pairs partner Helen Glover, to not only take Team GB’s first gold of these games, but also become the first British female rowers to win an Olympic gold.

What makes her achievement so special is that by the end of the year she could be heading to Afghanistan for a tour with her military regiment.

I think today Searle and Stanning showed what the Olympics is all about and hopefully their performances today will inspire many others.  

Wiggins Wins Gold

After demolishing the field Bradley Wiggins has confirmed his reputation as the world’s best cyclist by taking gold in the men’s time trial, with fellow Brit Chris Froome taking Bronze.

Wiggins adds this accolade to his recent Tour de France win and surpasses Sir Steve Redgrave’s tally of six Olympic medals for a British athlete.

It’s also Team GB’s second gold of the afternoon and has helped us rocket up the medal table, and as the track cycling with Hoy and co. starts tomorrow expect the medals to keep flowing. (I'm growing my sideburns as I speak)

GB Finally Win Gold

After waiting far too long for my liking I can finally celebrate a GB gold medal, it was a historic moment as Helen Glover and Heather Stanning rowed their way to gold in the Women’s coxless pair.

Not only is it Britain’s first gold of these games, it’s also the first time British female rowers have won an Olympic gold, and hopefully in a few hours Bradley Wiggins can make it gold number two when he goes for time trial glory.