Category: Sport

Further to Christina’s post and my comments therein ….

The Congress of the South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Western Cape called on city managers yesterday to dismantle Cape Town’s Greenpoint stadium and turn it into low-cost housing, saying that engineers and architects believed it was possible.

The stadium, built for the Soccer World Cup, has been struggling to sustain itself and to host events, largely due to high hiring costs. It has cost the city R44,6m in maintenance each year. The total operating budget was R56,7m in the past financial year, with only R12m expected to be generated by hiring it out.

Concerns have also been growing that a number of other World Cup stadiums around the country such as Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit and Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium could become white elephants, especially given that they are all funded by ratepayers.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=175439

You’ve got to laugh.

 

Portugal win !

Click pic for larger view

Ja well.

Members may well have read my comments about the standard of journalism in my local read. It’s awful, it’s been awful for years and unfortunately it’s going to be awful for many years to come.

This is a scan of the main story on the back page of today’s E.P.Herald.

Thankfully I only buy the thing for the DT cryptic crossword.

Mark Ogden, the apparent writer of this garbage is of course a Daily Telegraph journalist, in fact the article is credited to “© Daily Telegraph” (full scan of article here)

I wonder how Mr Ogden feels about this?

For the record it was Spain who won 4-2 on penalties to send Portugal packing.

 

Roman all over the park

Now and again you watch an individual performance on the football field that takes the breath away. Andrea Pirlo, take a bow. If England fans think that Steven Gerrard is world class what must they think of you? Pirlo is the type of guy who plays the game without breaking sweat; he never seems to be running or under pressure. Although the quarter-final tie between England and Italy went to penalties that the Italians won, Pirlo was majestic throughout, even dinking his penalty kick over the falling, didn’t do his homework properly, Joe Hart.

The word in the community is that Pirlo makes Xavi look ordinary. For those that eschew the folly of the oval shaped game, here’s a little video tribute to the maestro or as some in the community call him- the Hammer of the English.

Continue reading “Roman all over the park”

Boks vs England – June 2012

My Programme

Perhaps the worst game of rugby that I have ever attended!

Our hopes were raised for a couple of spectacular events, our Baby Boks started proceedings at Newlands (Cape Town) on Friday night, they beat the Baby Blacks 22-16 to claim the IRB Junior World Cup in an absolutely awesome game of rugby. This after progressing through a difficult group (England, Ireland, Italy) and a tough semi (Argentina.)

Saturday started well enough, (members may recall that I was an invited ‘VIP’ courtesy of Castle Lager, the title sponsor)  a gathering at a local sports club, transport to the brewery and a super lunch.

It went quickly downhill from there.

Our tickets were awful, (on the goal line, front row ABOVE the boxes.) If I’d known I would have kept my original ones and binned these.

The VIP area was a well structured tent, adequate, plenty of beer and grub (burgers, beef or chicken!) with inadequate seating and no service or refuse bins!

As I’ve said, the match was awful, our viewing position didn’t help but not a good game, the English were understrength (not their fault) and we should have torn them apart, Continue reading “Boks vs England – June 2012”

Guess what?

Thought that I’d share my good fortune with fellow members.

Although I already have super tickets for Saturday’s test here at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (5 of them bought just a couple of days after ticketing opened, see here) I just had to simply share my delight at the phone call I received this evening.

You’ve all probably guessed by now, I’ve won them!

The small print says, ‘transport, brewery tour, meals and free beer’

Am I a lucky boy or wot?

Ode to a Strawberry Roan: Poetry Competition

Ode to a Strawberry Roan

A flighty filly, highly strung,
Prone to sudden shies.
The dogs attack, in fun no doubt,
In gleeful barking cries.

The hounds close in, she tossed her mane,
And in a sudden rush,
Her rider landed, winded now,
Into a handy bush

Continue reading “Ode to a Strawberry Roan: Poetry Competition”