Liberal Burblings

Archive for August, 2006

Posting updated at 18:07 26/8/06 (title further updated at 19:00 28/8/06)

This is an interesting story on BBC News. “Artur Boruc (the Celtic goalkeeper) was cautioned for a breach of the peace over (an) incident at an Old Firm match at Ibrox in February…the Crown Office said the decision was based on the player’s behaviour, rather than a single act. In addition to crossing himself, the player was alleged to have made gestures to the crowd at the start of the second half of the game on 12 February. “

The BBC story gives the pros and cons of the case. An eyewitness, Mr Eugenides, gives his account. I will not jump in with a comment either way.

I would just add one little footnote. “Crossing yourself” with the sign of the cross is not necessarily a denominational thing. People of many Christian denominations do it. Certainly, I know many Anglicans who do it all the time. Indeed, on television at St Paul’s Cathedral I have seen Prince Charles (next in line to be head of the Church of England) crossing himself. That said, I readily acknowledge that there were other actions and circumstances involved in this incident. Of course, I would never condone using “crossing oneself” as part of some sort of communication with a football crowd. It is a private thing.

The man has just got married to Anji Hunter. He has been on a wonderful honeymoon in Micronesia. And yet he has been blogging from his holiday! Is he mad?

It is worth looking at some photos (all very proper) of Anji Hunter. I can honestly guarantee that if I ever get the chance to go on a holiday with my good lady wife (let alone a honeymoon with Anji Hunter) in Micronesia, I will not go near a computer.

Here’s one comment left below a Boulton vacational blog posting:

“Adam, Relax enjoy your holiday – forget about this blog remember you might get lumbered with those awful party conferences when you return. “

And Adam replied:

“…there’s been some comment about my continuing to blog while on holiday (and honeymoon). Thanks very much for your postings on that. As you know this is a very new medium – I think it’s important to keep it well-nourished in its early months.”

You are mad, man! For goodness sake, get some therapy – fast!

You may be wondering why I have been silent from the blogosphere for the last two weeks. Then again, you might not be wondering. Either way, I can tell you that two weeks ago I quietly slipped my mooring in Blogoland and went under-cover and, indeed, incognito to North Norfolk to conduct vital, exhaustive and clandestine tests of the preparations for Norman Lamb MP’s tour of the villages in the constituency.

Posing as a normal tourist, complete with laughably insufficient camping equipment for the English weather, I toured the villages of North Norfolk to check that the notices announcing Norman Lamb’s arrival in the location were on the local noticeboards.

Of course, I had to be careful not to be spotted by Iain Dale’s network of contacts. So silly cropped trousers and wet trench-foot-inducing campers’ sandals were the order of the day.

But there I was, gamely fighting in the interests of Liberal Democracy by surreptitiously sidling up to the many parish noticeboards of North Norfolk:….Hoveton…..Little Walsingham….(er that it’s)…you name any North Norfolk village and I may well have got there (and indeed, more likely, didn’t) to carry out the vital task of checking that the local parish clerk had put up Norman’s notice.

I can happily report that preparations for Stormin’ Norman’s tour of the villages are at an advanced stage and we can expect an excellent tour to take place, starting on September 4th at Hoveton.

Warning: This blog contains idle and unfounded speculation. There’s a surprise.

The Pakistani Cricket team manager Zaheer Abbas has claimed a “huge victory” after the revelation of Darren Hair’s letter to the ICC when he offered to resign for a $500,000 pay-off.

I am delighted that Mr Abbas thinks this and that, with the postponement of the ICC hearing into the cases against Inzamam-ul-Haq, it has been confirmed that the Pakistani team will be playing the one-day series against England.

The test series has consisted largely of very entertaining and excellent cricket. It is right that the due processes of the ICC are carried out very thoroughly and in a calm way. Giving plenty of time for both sides of the cases to be prepared is absolutely right and a huge relief. One of the saving graces of the current dispute is that relations between the England and Pakistan teams have remained very good (with the possible exception of the question mark over Duncan Fletcher’s attempt to talk to the match referee last Sunday morning).

All the pressure has been on Hair, but we are yet to hear from Billy Doctrove, the other umpire at last weekend’s match, who also took the decision to change the ball.

For what it is worth, I would guess that Pakistan will be found not guilty of ball tampering but guilty of “bringing the game into disrepute” by failing to emerge from the dressing room after tea.

There is a sort of justice and internal logic to that dual outcome. Umpire’s are quite right to make “on the spot” decisions which, with the benefit of time, can turn out to have been wrong. The Umpire who is always right has never been born. I suspect this will be the case in this instance.

However, failing to emerge after tea (complicated as it was by the various comings and goings to and from the field of play) is a definite no-no and I suspect that Pakistan will be found guilty of this charge (which is far graver in terms of the possible consequences than the ball tampering charge).

From what I have read, the Pakistan team will be happy with this. I am delighted by that – it could be a just outcome all round.

I have to give great credit to Inzamam-ul-Haq. It has been said that his team “love” him like a father. This is remarkable and one might suggest, unique. However, one feels that the support and public relations work from the chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board and their manager, has not been as consistently excellent as it should have been.

One final point of idle speculation: I borrow the words of Dominic Lawson in the Independent.

In 2003, Darrell Hair moved to the UK and was quoted as saying:

“I intend to be actively involved in umpiring for the next few years, whether it be with the blessing of the ICC or village mates in Steeple Bumpstead,”

As Dominic Lawson wrote earlier this week:

“Steeple Bumpstead it is, then”.

In case you have missed it, it is worth going to BBC Radio presenter Eddie Mair’s blog where he has left a recording of various BBC broadcasters saying the word “crap” in connection with John Prescott’s reported comments about George Bush. It is a classic.

Charlotte Green is one of the “crappers”. A poster to the message board has said that she makes the word “crap” sound like “honey”. The veteran newsreader Brian Perkins is also on the recording. As one might expect, John Humphries says the word with particular venom and attack.

PS. The last time I linked to something and called it a “classic” I was accused of plumbing the depths. So, this time, I plead guilty in advance.

I have cast my vote in the LibDem Blogger of the Year contest. I have voted for the Big Fluffy Heffalump!

My citation read:

“The Fluffy Elephant is unerringly spot on about current political matters, he combines a highly amusing way of writing with a seering ability to get to the heart of matters.”

You only have to read Heffalump’s posting from yesterday about Mrs Bucket. It is hilarious. As usual, things are reduced to simple concepts with the usual smatterings of funny names and things in capital letters.

Fluffy Heffalump – we love you!