FOOTBALL NEEDS TO RETURN TO GRASS ROOTS

If like me, you were sickened by the recent Wayne Rooney debacle then you might like to consider my proposal for bringing some sanity back to the English game. Although I enjoy watching some of the continental talent that has enhanced our ailing game, the money that is now being coughed-up in wages and transfer fees for players, some of whom barely ever grace the field of play, has now extended beyond saturation point and has become obscene. Professional footballers in the top flight now compare with bankers for their selfish greed. I think it would be wonderful if we could put an end to this scandalous financial destruction of our national game to return to the standards of the past when footballers were admired for their talent, and not for the cars or their sexual conquests nor for the size of their bulging wallets.  

It says a great deal about the development of the game in our country that no English players have been included in the 23 short listed by FIFA as contenders to win the Ballon D’Or award. This should not surprise anyone because so little has been done to promote young English talent due to the dominance of foreign born players in the professional game. When it comes to senior English players; Rooney, Terry, Lampard, Walcott etc, although talented, rarely express their skills with the same consistency as Messi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Lahm, Xavi, Villa and dare I say, the precocious Ronaldo.Can anyone name more than one or two young English players that are likely to become world class? It is a crying shame because out their somewhere there will be players with the raw natural talent to succeed in the game if only the opportunities and resources were there to find and encourage them. If youngsters could be nurtured from the moment they start school, then we might be able, in time, to produce an English national side that could compete with the best. However before this can ever happen we must rid education of this misdirected belief that to be competitive is unhealthy and also find teachers that are qualified coaches. Perhaps this is the fundamental reason that Britain has ceased to be competitive in so many spheres, not just in sport?

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT BROKEN BRITAIN?

As a prelude to the book I am writing, I have posted a new blog to discuss the social and political issues of the Britain we live in today. The country has been dubbed 'Broken Britain' by the think tank Centre for Social Justice not without justification considering the changes in Britain's infrastructure that have occurred during the last decade.

Opinions are mixed. Whether you agree that Britain is broken or not more often than not will depend on individual circumstances. The poor generally will be on the 'front line' and most affected by cuts in social spending, inadequate housing, health issues and other factors, while the better off usually will be afforded protection from life's many injustices. But, we are all now in this together and none us can ignore the difficulties our country faces in the foreseeable future. One thing is certain; too many years of mismanagement, social neglect and personal greed must be addressed - and quickly.

My new book attempts to deal with the many social and political difficulties the Conservative-Lib Democrat alliance faces as they strive to make amends for the legacy of heavy debt the previous Labour administration created. Although they were guilty of a lot of things that have contributed towards the decline, not everything can be attributed to the former government. In the book I will be attempting to describe how mistakes and political events in previous centuries have, in part, contributed to the way our nation has evolved during the first decade of the 21st century.

I am hopeful that you will take an interest in this project and will visit my new blog and add your comments to inspire some lively debate. I am looking forward to your contributions.

123 - ANYTHING BUT EASY

I often wonder how some companies manage to remain in business when they treat their customers so appallingly. Now, you would think that renewing a web domain name when it falls due would be a very basic procedure; and you would be right. But it is not as simple as you would think if you are a customer of 123.

When I was notified by automated mail from 123 that one of my domain names was due for renewal, as instructed, I logged in to the 123 site and attempted to access the control panel that SHOULD allow customers to process their renewals quickly and without fuss. But, after entering my password several times access was denied. I followed the instructions to change my password but all this returned was a page of error messages. I tried on several occasions over a period of days without success. I then searched the 123 website for a way to contact the company by email but this revealled nothing more than an automated page of standard questions and answers and as far as I could see, no mailing address is listed.

MAKING YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT

Please read my new marketing book that I was commissiond to write on behalf of a c/lient to describe how to differentiate your business from others. Reproduced with kind permission of Growler.