3 Up 3 Down From The Football League?

There has been much talk about the present situation regarding relegation from the fourth tier of the footballing pyramid, The Football League Division 2 and promotion into The Football League from the 5th tier of English football The Vanarama National League.

At the moment only two teams are relegated from League Division Two allowing two teams to be promoted from The National League. This does not compare favourably with the promotion and relegation numbers above this level:

• 3 teams relegated from The Premier League.
• 3 teams promoted from The Championship and 3 relegated.
• 3 teams promoted from League Division 1 with 4 relegated.
• 4 teams promoted from League Division 2 with 2 relegated.

The feeling is that this is an unfair situation and that there is a case for 3 teams to be relegated from Division 2 and 3 teams promoted from The National League. This may well be true but who is making the case for a change? Is the feeling of unfairness enough? How strong is the feeling among The National League clubs that there needs to be change? Has there been any sort of concerted effort from The National League itself, it's member clubs or the fans of those clubs to try and achieve a change? Has there been a case made along the lines of the closeness in standard between Division 2 and the National League? Is that actually the case? In my view, with very few exceptions, there are very few clubs that would be able to hold their own in the Football League. As far as I can see there has been no real effort to achieve change. So, it would appear, much talk but little action? Or is that unfair?

If there was to be real concerted action, what would be the chances of succeeding in achieving the change? I would suggest very little. There is no representation from The National League on the Football League and it is the clubs that make up the Football League that would make any decision. Why on earth would any club in the Football League want to make it more likely that they could be relegated out of the Football League? What case could be put to them that would make them want to vote in that way? It took many years, probably decades, to move away from the old "Seeking re-election" balloting system to automatic promotion and relegation for one team only. Nearly another two decades to move to a two up and two down system. So it is not looking good on that score.

In addition to the natural resistance to any change we should keep in mind that the "parachute payment" received by clubs falling through the trapdoor into "non-league football" has just been hugely increased by The Football League. Financially, those clubs would be big-hitters in the world of non-league football and we all know just how money talks in football! 

So it would seem to me that The Football League clubs, far from being of a mind to make it more likely that any of them would be relegated, have tried to ensure that any club that is unfortunate enough to be relegated have a much better chance of gaining promotion back into the Football League! Does that look like a group that is willing to listen to change? 

There may be much talk amongst the non-league clubs that the present system is unfair and needs changing but in my view there is a million miles to travel to change the system and there appears very little wish amongst the league clubs to see it changed. 

Those clubs now languishing in the National League are just going to have to get on with it and any club with pretensions of achieving promotion need to do so quickly because as hard as it is now to make it to the promised land of League football it is only going to get harder!

Good luck all.

Petrol Price - Well Done The Supermarkets

Fantastic news that the price of petrol has finally fallen below £1.00p per litre. However, given the fall in the price of Brent Crude over recent times it has taken far too long to get to this level.

If the media is to be believed then the oil companies have been "having us over" for long enough. Don't let's get negative about this though as it really is great news.

As this level of the cost of fuel feeds through the economy it should help to ensure that the inflation rate stays at the very low rates of recent times and that means the mortgage rates we pay should stay at their present low levels. Great news.

Finally, a word of congratulations to the supermarkets. They are much maligned in some quarters but in the case of fuel costs they have led the market downward and without them we would not be seeing the low price we see today.

Don't Hand Terrorist Their Victories Schools!

I am really saddened to see schools cancelling trips to London because of the terrorist attacks in Paris. Just what are they teaching their children by doing so? 

Do these schools not realise that there are tens of thousands of school children living in London every day and with millions of other people commuting on the underground, the buses, going to museums and living their lives as normal. 

Every time a decision is made not to visit the terrorists gain another victory. Before anybody has a go at me and asks if my daughter should go, her school went on a visit to London last Monday!

Why make our children more afraid than they need to be?

Skegness Lidl - Reopening Date Confirmed

I have contacted Lidl with a query as to when the new store in Skegness is to open. Their reply was 17th December 2015. This is slippage of a week from their original estimate of the 10th December but, given the close proximity to the latest opening date, I would expect no further delay.

Excellent news. From the statistics provided for this blog I know just how much interest there has been in the refurbishment of Lidl, Richmond Drive, Skegness. Like me, it would appear that many, many people have been missing shopping there. 

Well it won't be long now folks!

Football Supporters Are Really Quite Mad!

Now for those of you who are amongst the uninitiated out there I need to provide some information. As most will know I am a supporter of The Mighty Imps otherwise known as Lincoln City Football Club. Now, we have a lovely bloke playing up front for us by the name of Matt Rhead. Rheady, as he is known to his adoring legion of fans, is a big lad whose stamina far outshines his speed. As kind a description as I can provide.

The Man Himself!

He is a real pain in the arse irritant in the sides of opposing teams and also happens to be banging in the goals way beyond anyone's expectations. He battles, grapples, pushes and shoves with the best of them and receives exactly the same treatment from the opposing teams defenders. To put it mildly he is the fans favourite as the cries of "Rheady, Rheady" that ring out from the crowd will testify.

Recently, Lincoln City played Tranmere Rovers in a very important National League fixture, which Lincoln won 1-0. During the game, Rheady and the defenders were "at it" as normal when, after one particularly close and rugged coming together, Rheady emerged with a badly torn shirt. Now we are getting to the crux of this article and the title of it.

Rheady's shirt, the match worn, badly ripped shirt, has been put on Ebay to raise money for the Future Imps Fund, to provide finance for the youth system at Lincoln City. People are actually looking to buy it! Honest! After 15 bids, at the time of going to press, the shirt has reached £51. £51!! You can buy a brand new one from the club shop for under £40!

The Actual Shirt

Not only does this show that Football Supporters Are Really Quite Mad, especially Lincoln City supporters, but just how much they love their club. Fantastic effort really!

If you wish to be a part of this madness then the shirt can be found on Ebay by following this link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262148410144?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Leave Great Britain With No Security Protection?

Things go from bad to worse! Following Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn's weakness in defending this country of ours from both nuclear threats and terrorist gunmen on our streets, (please see my blog http://steveodare.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/corbyn-and-nuclear-weapons.html), we now have one of his biggest supports, Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, backing a left-wing group Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory who are calling for the disbanding of MI5 and the disarming of our Police Force.

MI5 is our domestic counter-intelligence and security agency which looks at the threats within our nation. It is very successful in doing that and has been instrumental in stopping many terrorist acts within our borders that would have resulted in deaths and mayhem. With Paris very much in mind should anybody be calling for MI5 to be disbanded? Should our Shadow Chancellor be supporting such a group?

Our armed police is made up of specialist firearms officers. They are intrinsic in providing security at obvious targets such as airports and are also our defence against anyone armed with a firearm be they terrorist or more ordinary criminals. Should we really be disarming them?
Both of the above are very important elements of our Security Services.

Now there has been denial from Mr McDonnell via his office that he backs these measures but that what he did sign up to "was the general statement of principles and not the list of the specific demands". He was, however, happy to pose with the "list of specific demands" which, it should be expected, he had read before he smiled for the camera! If not what is he doing at the top of the Labour Party and as a member of the Shadow Cabinet? In any case it shows just how far to the left he actually swings!

The pronouncements of both Corbyn and McDonnell show that there is a really dangerous group at the heart of and at the top of the modern Labour Party which, if we are not careful, would leave this country denuded of its ability to protect itself from the ever increasing threat of terrorism. It now beggars belief that the Labour Party membership actually voted for this cabal to lead their party! It can only be hoped that those Labour MPs of a more moderate and sensible outlook will fight against these weak and dangerous views and help to provide the security that this country really needs.

Corbyn And Nuclear Weapons

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has stated that he would not use nuclear weapons in defence of this country. That is a statement that makes him totally unfit to ever become Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Some may feel that is a very strong statement to make about him but for me it is all about the roles and responsibilities that a person accepts in their life and which they are willing to discharge. Let me explain.

Take the humble Private soldier. Now if a Private soldier joined the Army and then made the statement "I know that it is my job to defend my country and that is what I have signed up to do, but I will not fight to do it. I will not shoot an enemy nor will I put myself in danger. I know that is the role and the responsibility that I have volunteered for but I won't do it". Is this person any use as a soldier? Is he fulfilling the responsibilities that he has signed up for? Is he actually defending his country?

What about the Army Officer who has the lives of his soldiers in his hands? When the going gets tough and hard decisions have to be made he made the following statement "I know that it is my job to fight this battle to the best of my ability and that means I have to make decisions that could get some of my soldiers killed. I am not going to do that. In any given situation that is going to put my men in danger, I will not make the decision to put them in that position. It know that is the role and responsibility that I have accepted but I won't do it".
Is this person any use as a soldier? Is he fulfilling the responsibilities that he has signed up for? Is he actually defending his country?

So now let us take the Prime Minister. When the need to exercise the roles and responsibilities in relation to defending this country, would a Prime Minister that is not prepared to do that be defending this country? If he is not prepared to go to the extremes of the responsibilities and take the hard decisions is he defending this country? If the Prime Minister in power is not prepared to use nuclear weapons under any circumstances then what? This country lays down its arms and surrenders to a bully that is threatening the use of nuclear weapons against us? If that is the case then this country would have to rewrite the military strategy that is used to defend it, for without the nuclear option the rest is worthless.

Of course, we would all hope and pray that the nuclear option is never needed and would never have to be deployed but should we ever inform the world that this country possesses a nuclear arsenal but would not use it? Would that strengthen or weaken us in the event of a full-scale war? Would the very fact that we possess a nuclear arsenal act as a deterrent in the first place that would make a full-scale war a more remote possibility?

Considering all of this could Jeremy Corbyn, a man that has said he would not defend this country to the limits of his ability, ever be viewed as being acceptable as the Prime Minister of this country? Could the party which he leads, the Labour Party, ever be given the responsibility of forming a government? I don't think so.