Regular readers will know by now that that in the great scheme of all things sport, football features pretty low down on the list. I mean, I would sooner watch show jumping than a game of soccer, but today? In the spirit of all dramas and tradition of change, I will be a footie 'fan' because plucky underdogs Leicester City are on course to deliver a grand upset and add its name to the long list of British sporting achievements. And this is a team that im reliably informed was fighting relegation last season.
Too many things are labelled "legends" and "heroes" these days but Leicester City will become one of the few genuine heroes which is a welcome pause from the shitty news this world serves up.
Leicester City were 5000 to 1 betting odds at the beginning of the season, and even when the doubters did their sour doubting thing the Foxes stayed their course to railroad through, too busy making history to be concerned with doubting Thomas mob.
Anyway enough blah blah, gp Foxes, go!
Way back when I was in school I used to carry a notebook everywhere I went to record daily thoughts and observations. So you see, ive been blogging since before it was popular and where better to carry it onward than to give it a digital page of its own? Welcome to the pages of bar fly Hollywood Francis...
Showing posts with label winning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winning. Show all posts
Sunday, 1 May 2016
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Wales Win World Cup Shocker!
I had all these fancy titles ringing around my head but in the end I chose a cheap headline grabber. Please forgive me and read on, you know I love thee really.
Sport doesn't have the same magic for me as it seems to for everyone else. Even in 2012 when everyone had Olympic mania and the Queen impressed the planet by arriving at the Olympic stadium via parachute with James Bond, sport barely registered in my dusty old mind. Winning trophies? The pulse of a cheering crowd as victory calls? I don't 'get it', and never have.
I remember as a boy being taken to Wrexham to see Wales play Russia in football and all I remember was that I was cold, bored and shocked that so many grown ups would willingly choose to waste their time with such a misery. So much dreary, dreary.
But that was football. Rugby was a different beast. Being Welsh and having lived all my life in west Wales, how could it not be? Everyone loved rugby in my sleepy corner of the world. The stunning defeat of New Zealand at Stradey Park in 1972 when the pubs ran dry (true story) after Llanelli beat them 9 - 3 was still fresh and though only a year old in 1972 the cheer carried on for many a year (even today).
I love rugby. I went to Strade comprehensive which was across the road from Stradey Park, our teachers would regularly take a class over to see the bigger games. Local legends Ray Gravelle and Phil Bennet came to the school, rugby was religion.
A force to channel a surge of passion and excitement, and bring some sunshine to a soon to be winters soul. Cawl for the spirit if you like.
So its pretty depressing to wake up every morning (2015 rugby world cup has kicked off) to hear of yet another injury to the Welsh squad. Do the rugby gods not want a Welsh win? Or are they planning a spectacular run of victories? Who can tell?
Life has a funny (and sometimes tragic) way of showing us what is and isn't important and for me I only need think back a week when the news was full of pictures of that poor child washed up on a beach dead. Real life is heavy and though the soul can withstand ferocious heartbreak when called upon, it was not made for such unbearable weight.
Naturally I want Wales, Cymru fach, to win and feed the dragon but ultimately its not important. Its not in the slightest bit important when we see others going through so much hurt.
Oh and remember! I am not saying this with defeat in mind and trying to pass it off as "there are other more important things to worry about" (here you can picture me winking knowingly). I don't play that game, as honest as the day is sharp, I can take both sweet and sour in equal measure and face them naked in my honesty.
Sport doesn't have the same magic for me as it seems to for everyone else. Even in 2012 when everyone had Olympic mania and the Queen impressed the planet by arriving at the Olympic stadium via parachute with James Bond, sport barely registered in my dusty old mind. Winning trophies? The pulse of a cheering crowd as victory calls? I don't 'get it', and never have.
I remember as a boy being taken to Wrexham to see Wales play Russia in football and all I remember was that I was cold, bored and shocked that so many grown ups would willingly choose to waste their time with such a misery. So much dreary, dreary.
But that was football. Rugby was a different beast. Being Welsh and having lived all my life in west Wales, how could it not be? Everyone loved rugby in my sleepy corner of the world. The stunning defeat of New Zealand at Stradey Park in 1972 when the pubs ran dry (true story) after Llanelli beat them 9 - 3 was still fresh and though only a year old in 1972 the cheer carried on for many a year (even today).
I love rugby. I went to Strade comprehensive which was across the road from Stradey Park, our teachers would regularly take a class over to see the bigger games. Local legends Ray Gravelle and Phil Bennet came to the school, rugby was religion.
A force to channel a surge of passion and excitement, and bring some sunshine to a soon to be winters soul. Cawl for the spirit if you like.
So its pretty depressing to wake up every morning (2015 rugby world cup has kicked off) to hear of yet another injury to the Welsh squad. Do the rugby gods not want a Welsh win? Or are they planning a spectacular run of victories? Who can tell?
Life has a funny (and sometimes tragic) way of showing us what is and isn't important and for me I only need think back a week when the news was full of pictures of that poor child washed up on a beach dead. Real life is heavy and though the soul can withstand ferocious heartbreak when called upon, it was not made for such unbearable weight.
Naturally I want Wales, Cymru fach, to win and feed the dragon but ultimately its not important. Its not in the slightest bit important when we see others going through so much hurt.
Oh and remember! I am not saying this with defeat in mind and trying to pass it off as "there are other more important things to worry about" (here you can picture me winking knowingly). I don't play that game, as honest as the day is sharp, I can take both sweet and sour in equal measure and face them naked in my honesty.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
In It To Win It, Not Bin It
It would seem that great old British tradition of school's sports day is upon us. (I know other countries have these also so don't get picky). Now some schools are scrapping 1st Place so that every child is equal and they don't feel the shame of coming 3rd or God forbid last! As is commonly said in interwebz speak WTF? We are in danger (real rattlensake bite type danger) of raising a bunch of lily livered pansies and baby poofs. There is no learning on that path, let me tell you.
If the great Michael Schumacher had thought like this he would never have been seven times world champion. Ditto Sir Steve Redgrave or any other sporting champion you care to name.
YOU NEED THE DESIRE TO BE FIRST IN ORDER TO WIN.
A winners ass yesterday
Children are not stupid. They know if they've come last, and they will not be fobbed off with guff like, "its okay, you came 5th but you're still a winner!" What utter nonsense! No they don't feel like a winner because if they've come 5th in a race they bloody well know it was 5th and not 1st, and no amount of pussyfooting around will stop them feeling like sh!t.
I took part in plenty of school's sports days and had my share of 4th places, and it did me no harm. In fact it spurred me on to do better the next time it came around. Telling children (and adults) that everything is equal is not natural and robs people of a thirst to succeed. Better to face it head on; you are going to have bad days and failures, that is where most of Life's lessons are learned. Your spirit will thank you for understanding this.
If the great Michael Schumacher had thought like this he would never have been seven times world champion. Ditto Sir Steve Redgrave or any other sporting champion you care to name.
YOU NEED THE DESIRE TO BE FIRST IN ORDER TO WIN.
A winners ass yesterdayChildren are not stupid. They know if they've come last, and they will not be fobbed off with guff like, "its okay, you came 5th but you're still a winner!" What utter nonsense! No they don't feel like a winner because if they've come 5th in a race they bloody well know it was 5th and not 1st, and no amount of pussyfooting around will stop them feeling like sh!t.
I took part in plenty of school's sports days and had my share of 4th places, and it did me no harm. In fact it spurred me on to do better the next time it came around. Telling children (and adults) that everything is equal is not natural and robs people of a thirst to succeed. Better to face it head on; you are going to have bad days and failures, that is where most of Life's lessons are learned. Your spirit will thank you for understanding this.
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