I’m going back to work tomorrow. If I can get in. The tube strikers have conspired to increase my holiday by calling a 24 hour strike from tonight til tomorrow night. They’re striking for… errr… well, they’re striking for ‘safety of the travellers’. Probably. That’s the normal reason. And you can’t complain about that, can you. Can you?? Yeah, actually you can.

If the workers don’t get more money then the travellers are in danger. No doubt about it. Its very dangerous getting on a train staffed by workers who feel they’re undervalued. Even though they already earn 6 times the national average and get 13 weeks a year holiday, 14 weeks sickness pay and loads of overtime cos they only schedule a 4 hour week. (Figures may vary… from reality).

If they want to introduce new technology which will arguably make travel safer, the Unions complain that it would actually endanger travellers. If any job is at risk, its us who are in danger.

Jesus, if I’d have known how fucking hazardous it was down there I’d have declined my free, over-60, all-you-can-eat travel-card.

But I didn’t. I took it and said ‘thank you very much’ to each and every tax-payer in the land for their amazing generosity and consideration for the aged and infirm (gotta bad shoulder, ain’t I? Even though I used it to play tennis yesterday and today).

So really I don’t know why they’re striking. And I don’t fucking care. I hate strikes, but tube strikes? Good to be home.

And it is good really because Spurs played today in the glorious FA Cup. The oldest cup competition in the world. When it started New Zealand was still attached to Africa. Wooly Mammoths roamed around Times Square. The Romans ruled Hampstead Village. Long time ago.

So The Cup (there are others but they mean nothing any longer) is still a credible thing to want to win. But…

even with all that history, its also falling victim to the Champions League mania and thus is marginalised in our sporting calendar as a mere side-show, almost a distraction from the league. So even though Spurs beat Aston Villa (hoorayyyyy!!!!) and Liverpool were almost giant-killed by Plymouth Argyle, and there were thrills and surprises, I can only get so excited about any of it. Bournemouth lost to lowly, scummy Millwall yesterday after playing a second string team. Eddie Howe, their manager, claimed that ‘sometimes you get it wrong, you misjudge and pay the price’. But really, Eddie is probably the most intelligent and considered manager in the Premier League and he got it just right. Get out of the cup, survive another season in the top flight, don’t waste energy and fitness on a cup they really could never win.

Ok, gotta go, leaving in 10 minutes to walk to work.

Happy Sunday night

A xxxx