Half-Time Orange

FIFA have worked along with all national football associations to promote the 'Give Racism the Red Card" message but still we get racist chants at some International matches and Croatian fans appear to be amongst the worse offenders.

The not quite £15k fine given to the Croatian FA for its fans racial taunting of England player Emile Heskey is nothing in the grand scheme of football finances and many are now asking for stronger action including perhaps disqualification from international competitions including the World Cup.

Football or soccer as the Americans prefer to call it is a truly multi-racial sport and FIFA's assertion that racism should play no part in it needs to perhaps be backed up by sanctions with teeth.

half-time orange
the coach gives a team-talk
in six languages

Show Us The Messiah

Monty Python's The Life of Brian is a classic British film and it comes as a bit of a shock to find that it's still banned by a number of local authorities across Britain - it doesn't feel 'British' this banning of a satirical film.

Torquay is one of these authorities. It calls itself the centre of the English Riviera and ironically is the home of John Cleese's small minded comedy creation Basil Fawlty in the TV sit-com Fawlty Towers who perhaps typifies the mentality that has seen Torquay taking all these years to lift their ban.

Perhaps other authorities will now follow suit and welcome Brian into their towns.

palm sunday
a scattering of hailstones
in the wheelbarrow