Leeds United Must Stand Firm Against Peter Ridsdale's Mud Slinging

This is my latest published offering from Sportingo.com:-

The former chairman's shameful outpourings threaten to damage the current repair work going on at Elland Road. This is much more than putting the record straight.

It was all going so swimmingly for Leeds United until an old friend bobbed up his head from the murky depths, swimming against a tide of accusations including treachery (how could a Leeds fan allow his beloved club to sink so fast?) and firing a few timely warning shots from the past.

Publicity Pete Ridsdale's book is, on the surface, a smug, self-pitying story of the shameful scandal rag hogging rantings from much maligned managers and the threat of prison for two star players. Scratch below that layer of smarmy salaciousness and there's a poignant message - don't look back in anger and keep moving forward.

If Leeds don't stay United, then promotion dreams and the road back to the promised land of the Premier League will close and divert to a dreaded dark despairing place of debt. Disenchanted potential investors will disintegrate and in turn disinterest the fans.

There are many bad pennies from the past, many that weigh more than several pounds on my mind, weighing even heavier in my heart when I turn the pages of the papers with Ridsdale's poisonous words. I've met David O'Leary - his signings were as mixed as a bag of Rowntree's fruit pastilles. Some were OK, some were good, others got left on the shelf to ferment.

He had a high opinion of himself and had even higher ambitions for the club. But with it came diva demands of skyscraper proportions. Ridsdale signed the colossal cheques - he could have said no. If Ridsdale was a bona fide Leeds United fan like he claimed to be during his tenure at Elland Road, isn't it a tad ironic that he's washing dirty linen in public with the serialisation of his book regarding his turbulent tenure at the club?

Sure, he may be putting the record straight. After all, as TV chat show host Jeremy Kyle says every morning: "there are two sides to every story." Indeed there are. But do we really want to hear it? Doesn't that make him as desperate as dole queue David O'Leary? More to the point, does it not just reopen old wounds and start an unnecessary slanging match?
Let's face it, the past is done and dusted. We can't change it but we can dispute it and despair over it. Dark clouds are not going to descend on the club again if we learn from this sad story. Ultimately, who cares if Paul Robinson blubbed to oh, so understanding and cuddly Pistol Pete, who allegedly frittered fans' hard-earned cash on therapeutic fish? Who cares if O'Dreary 'lost' the dressing room?

Someone was lost in dreamland when they signed O'Leary's bumper cheque book, not to mention sanctioning deals that ensured the already overpaid over-inflated egos of the likes of Danny "Not So Effing Brilliant" Mills and company would live a life of 'Dallas' luxury. Top that off with having to pay off O'Leary and every other 'all looks and no substance' manager who followed the sorry trail of treachery a ridiculous amount of compensation to keep them sweet.
There's nothing new about any of Ridsdale's revelations. It is, frankly, a miracle that we survived the deadly duo's damaging dalliance with a half-baked budget plan and pretentions. It was no wonder that the sharks rammed, and bit hard and fast into the not very good ship Leeds United.

The only way to silence the snipers and scaremongers was to sit tight. With this siege mentality, finally we've somehow managed to get the club shipshape again and the last thing we need is a few untimely distractions diverting our course.

Gus Poyet's departure is a shame, but it won't sink us. A much more welcome blast from the past, Lucas Radebe has been mentioned as a potential replacement. But don't pin all your hopes on the chief. He may lead the way but it's up to the new Leeds United to stand up, be proud and plot a new course, venturing into a brave new era which will hopefully, ultimately, be remembered for championship cups rather than cheque-book blunders.

Fighting Fit Zapping Zits And Dragging Life Out Of The Pits!!!

I'm going to see Maria on Thursday, no not a Julie Andrews sound-a-like(!) I mean Maria Dawn, my new cousin. Mum, Stu and I are going to Dorset for a few days to visit everyone. It'll do me good to get out of four walls, stop obsessing about session four of creative writing and typing/texting into the teeny hours of the morning.....This is what I emailed my Auntie:-

"I think I should subscribe to a lifelong membership of workaholics anonymous. I have been working all week on the session after half term even though I've got another week yet..madness..I do enjoy it though and I like planning it all, its very interesting to do. It also helps me think through my own creative writing process and how I could improve my own skills. I was looking at some of my articles online on some of the sports sites and it made me realise how far I've come and some of the stuff I can write. I can be very self depreciating at times and I've no need to be. If I can't believe in myself then how can I expect others to? I guess I've got a bit of the Petty gene in me I enjoy a bit of pressure and being in the limelight. Maybe I was a stroppy OTT diva in my previous life or something.......ha ha ha"

"On to more serious matters I hope you are getting a reasonable amount of sleep and the lads are chipping in with a few baby duties...its the 21st century you know boys!! Ha ha ha. I am rubbish about going to bed earlier so I often struggle to get up on a morning so I don't think I could cope with early shifts of baby duties!! I salute you all! I am bringing a small present for Maria which I hope you will like, you may have seen this before as it is something I made when you came to stay last. I am going to be so incredibly skint next October, Maria will be one, Dad will be 50, there's Emma's birthday and one of my best friends has a birthday just after Dad's. Eek. I think I will have to talk to my bank manager.....LOL."
"Looking forward to seeing you all and hope to see all your moggies if Stu doesn't frighten them off first with his shocking R n B and 'Clublands III' rubbish booming down the road........!"

Smudger however, is still never far away from my thoughts.....as this email to Janine proves
"Hope you've had a good day its been a nice sunny day here today not bad at all, been busy doing chores, helping out with cats and doing more stuff to do with work..not long til I go away..mixed feelings about it, it'll do me good to get away from the PC and stop obsessing about my course but I do find it a tough environment with the generation gap and all that
I do wish everyday that I'd made more effort to bridge the gap with Alan at Man U. Reading the articles I wrote and reliving some of my emotions has made me realise how strongly I felt about him and that I never really relayed that to him properly without either clamming up or getting aggressive. Immaturity, insecurity and insufferable jealousy reigned supreme I'm afraid"

I feel a new me is opening up to new opportunities a new confidence, a new wave of bravery, boldness and bloody brilliant bolshyness is coming over me! I am fighting back against the green eyed monster and the cynical old bat routine is wearing thin even with myself so watch out world..never mind Sunny D, here's Sunny G!!! Even more powerful and intoxicating than the additive fuelled drink with a wicked smutty laugh and a feisty fun attitude...bring it on!!!! :-) Mr Smith won't know what's hit him..

There's Something About Maria

My cousin Maria Dawn was born on Wednesday, very early in the morning. Her arrival has stirred up mixed emotions in me and I had been very unsure and rather unsettled about how it would affect things in a rather fragile family.
Her name is Maria Dawn.

It still feels very odd. One because of my age and the fact I'm very conscious of being the eldest cousin/grandchild/niece etc this could well be passed off as mine. However....I am sure I will get used to the idea its just a strange thing that reminds me of Alan and a new start, which is quite bizarre but I feel like everythings starting again, in a good way I hope...I don't think it'll necessarily paper over the cracks for too long in my Aunties house, if anything it may create new ones - I don't think I would've handled it very well if mum had had another child in her forties. I am glad I only have Stu and he's got his own place so I don't have too much to do with him really, hes a pest but he's not as big a pest as he used to be in some respects. I think as well, I know this sounds stupid, but its making me itch to settle down and find someone to do that with. Which is a bit weird. For the first time in my life I genuinely feel settled. If I have to move out on my own I will, no problem, but I will feel more lonely than I would've done about two or three years ago. In some ways, particularly financially and in terms of having a job, I'm more independent but theres one part of me that's absolutely gagging to pounce on Mr Right. And when I mean ready to pounce, I mean claws, bites and the rest...big time ;)

There's definitely something about Maria. I feel she's going to oversee a huge change in my life. I feel like Nat has sent her here to show me something. She represents something I want but am afraid to talk about. Something that means alot to me but I can't own up to it. Something that represents change, I'm crap at accepting change. So maybe just maybe instead of being a spanner in the works it may oil the cog in the machine, so to speak...Only time will tell.

Yippeeee the AGA's Here!

Move over blonde blokes and footy...not even the gorgeous chinese chips I had for tea can deflect the attention away from the lovely cream monster of a cooker that warms the cockles of my heart. At long last we've got a cooker that's more of a Rolls Royce than the Smeg oven we had previously, which was more like Liverpool, looks good but somehow always lets you down in the end(!) Ooh miaow.............I'm fantasising about christmas cake, chocolate pudding, roasted tomatoes on a puff pastry with yummy herbs mmmmmmmm I can almost smellllllllll the food..it could be a logistical nightmare at first, having to get used to the different sections and what they're for, but in the end it'll be foodie heaven once it gets going :-)

Ode to my AGA

I can't wait to get started
I hope you don't get burnt and easily clarted
Shiny and inviting
This is oh so exciting
Simmer, boil, roast and bake
How much foodie heaven can I take?
Steamy stuff
No its not Smudger in the buff
This oven looks strong and tough
It'll have to be with all our mad plans
Ooh heavy pots and pans
What a work out it'll be
But at least my creativity will be set free
Death to the ready meal
This is the real deal
Proper cooking
The local pizza shop and chinese won't get a look in
Tomorrow I'm going to give it a go
I might go 'oh no'
I might be thrilled to bits
The prospect is sweeter than the yummiest biscuit
Move over boys
And those horrid Ann Summers 'toys'
This really turns me on
Hoping its not a con
It might be too flash
A waste of cash
Posy and not practical
Might burn myself to death and end up in hospital
Oh shut up Orangina give it time
With patience the cooking should be sublime
Bring it on people I'm up for it
The superchef's fire has been lit!!!

Purr-fect Days for Orangina the Opulent Diva

Gucci sunglasses on the way
Big cheeky grin on display
I'm finally finding my feet, coming out of my shell
That scary observation...why did I worry?? Outstanding, brilliant, you've done really well
A tweak here and there and a bit more self belief and I'll fly even higher
My nerves were on a tightrope wire
Splitting headache fraying nerves I thought I was going to trip
Despite the success I'm still cracking the whip
Forty five minutes on the jogger
All day every day thinking over my plans for the next lesson
I have a confession
I am a workaholic
A perfectionist
I should be on the men in white coat's "sectioning" list
Designing a worksheet
Making sure the folder's up to date and neat
Calm down dear have a break
How much more can your brain take?
Desire for that certain blond bloke still bubbling over
How do I manage to keep sober?
Trip to Blacktoft Sands
All sorts of pinned up notes, scribbles and plans
Things to do things to follow up things to think about
My life has suddenly got momentum, some serious clout!
No longer bored Cinders scrubbing dishes everyday
(Although I still do chores anyway)
Thriving career girl on the rise
Burning enthusiasm for the beautiful game never dies
Still passionate about footy
Her mind is still mucky
(Thinking of you know who ..."her" bit of "rough")
Gunning for glory
Wants a fairy tale ending to her story
Running the Creative Writing class is fun
As is giggling at 'Dear Jane' in The Sun
Tippex Boy
Fish Gob.....whatever you want to call him...she's not interested in an Ann Summers toy
Nor a dirty magazine
Or a Westlife poster - not her scene!
Bring on the Smudger lock him in a room with me
Throw away the key........ ;)

Slave Driver

Hot on the heels of getting the latest Sportingo article published in the letters page and a surprisingly successful first session at Cottingham - only three learners were unsure as they expected the previous tutor to take the course but ultimately although there were more beginners than improvers, we can all learn something new and we might think we know how to do something but we might not be able to put it into practice. Plus its alright saying oh I've been published already and looking me up and down as if I'm not worthy but I've got an old cynical head on (reasonably) young shoulders, I'm a tough old bird, I might look like I've just left school but in my mind I'm a wise old owl whose been divorced several times, had one two many children and shared way too many trysts in the corner of dodgy clubs on a detour back to University digs....all in all I think the happy go lucky, largely chilled out attitude and fresh face will liven things up, stir things up and provoke debate and reaction. From jolly thirtysomething from gentle natured grandad its a mixed bunch and I'm determined to inspire them. One wrote "I need someone to drag it (the creative writing) out of me" another wrote "I don't know if I'm any good at poetry" Writing three words to describe oneself and mixing them up and guessing whos who made things fun and dropping the odd joke in here and there, sharing my Leeds article with a distinguished French born guy who hadn't read for 40yrs with connections to a Telegraph writer really has whetted my appetite I've been non stop, designing diagrams, adventurous aims, laborious slaving over lesson plans, hopefully it'll all pay off on Thursday!!! I am weirdly enjoying the pressure!!

Here is an extract from an email originally sent to my Auntie about the last few days
Just been watching Ross Kemp on Gangs - Ross went to Poland to see the violent footy thugs and I have to say I have never seen something so disturbing in my entire life. To think that most of the thugs were related to real victims of the very violence they profess to love and respect ie the nazi regime was just mindblowing, but such extreme poverty provokes extreme reactions from certain sections of society. That desperation can be fed upon by the vultures otherwise known as skinheads/racists/neo nazi thugs, giving people a sense of importance, pride in belonging to a brotherhood/gang and having a sense of status, their only purpose being to usurp other gangs and hate everyone but their own. Unbelievable, thought provoking stuff. Its on Sky Anytime at the moment. I've seen some thuggy football fans but that lot made any of the guys I've seen, look like pussycats.
Anyway...on another note I've been very busy finalising my scheme of work, printing off worksheets and filling in info in my file for Thursday. I'm getting into the swing of it and hopefully Sue, my colleague who is coming to help and observe the lesson, will find it interesting and enjoyable. Other than that I've been doing the usual chores, we've got a couple more kittens who are really chocolate box cute, who are ready to be rehomed, one's already gone tonight as they'd been homechecked and had been waiting a while for a kitten..just need a big push for the poor lovely adult cats like Puddy and Roma who are lovely characters but just need patience and understanding..Fingers crossed a few more posters and pushing in the papers will shift something..
I went to York Railway Museum yesterday with a learning disabled group from Adult Education in Goole it was quite fun as I knew most of the learners from my other classes. Ken, who I showed round, is really funny, he helps the other learners to get out of doing work himself so its often hard to gauge the extent of his disabilities. He can't write very well and struggles to read when pressed to do some work, yet is quite capable of having a reasonable conversation and taking things in, so its not too much hard work, He can crack a joke, which some of the other more mentally disabled learners can't do. John joined us, hes in the beginner readers group I do on a Wednesday so again he's alright, hes similar to Ken except he does get more easily distracted by other people he finds it very hard to concentrate.

I went round the museum with a video camera and asked them what they wanted me to film and got them to comment and point to different things they liked or thought was interesting, which was quite a lark. It really made me realise how interesting and rewarding this sort of work is. It would do alot of people outside of education a great deal of good to see what goes on at these centres, they should feel grateful that they have so many opportunities that these people haven't had from an early age. Its good to do these trips it gets them out of their self contained flats/warden-run housing and helps them integrate alot more. Some of them have little part time jobs, either voluntary or paid, but even then they are still in a bubble of work, adult ed classes, work, adult ed classes etc and don't really see "life" as us guys know it. Next Wednesday we're off to Blacktoft Sands, the nature reserve, so hopefully the weather will be kinder than today's yucky weather!! It really made me cheesed off and lethargic it was a battle of epic proportions to finish my planning and get some decent work done but I got there..funny how the weather does that to you...

Well Alan's got a slight knee injury and of course Dads going on and on and on about it I said to him tonight what would you do if he dropped dead tomorrow you'd have to find something else to tease me about, Dad said he'd laugh and spit on his grave. I just get the feeling whatever I do whoever it is he'd still take the mick. But Smithy is an easy target, he looks like a fish, swears alot, went to my most hated team ever and collects cards quicker than you can say "dirty leeds"!!! Ho hum........well he can never be accused of being boring. I hate boring men. I don't do stereotypical pretty boy nicey nicey blokes like some pumped up preened Calvin Klein model with the personality of a fermenting over microwaved pea. LOL. Anyway...it doesn't sound very serious and he's not a wimp (four stitches from an accidental clash of heads at the weekend something he does alot - clumsy clown...remember him doing that at leeds once and it was right in front of our stand...normally I'd appreciate a close up view of him but that wasn't what I was after!!!!!!!) so I should think he'll probably have painkilling injections and come on for about ten mins or so if he's lucky at the end of the game. Its only a matter of time before he scores a goal and everyone realises that he's not rubbish hes not finished and hsi goal scoring record doesn't tell the whole story. I think I should get paid as his promoter or something, Ha ha.

Oh and last but not least of course, Leeds won 1-0 against Darlington in the Johnstones Paint Trophy (yeah I know, long way down the pecking order from the Champs League but we'll take it...)nice headed goal by a newcomer we bought from....wait for it...Newcastle...see...there's a link...lolololol so all is well wtih the world....


On that note guys, goodnight, I hope to add another entry soon