Just in case any book buyers read this (fat chance!) – we are standing at the York Bookfair on Fri / Sat September 11, 12th at York Racecourse. We will have many old volumes of Wisdens for sale plus a good selection of antiquarian and secondhand books on cricket, rugby, golf, tennis, football, boxing, etc. Also postcards, prints, programmes, signed material, and more. So we hope you can come along and have a browse and maybe even find something to buy. See you all there GILES
York Book Fair
September 9th, 2009Gamesmanship
July 13th, 2009I thought the England team were guilty of poor sportsmanship in the timewasting tactics they employed during the closing overs of yesterday’s match. Two changes of gloves in as many overs, plus the physio coming on and basically patting Anderson on the back was a bit pathetic really. It’s just not bally cricket, it is Colonel?
The Great Escape (or Pub Bore of the Year)
July 13th, 2009Yeah, what a Test match. I mean England were dead and burried at lunch on the fifth day … good old Colly saved the day … and it just shows you, if the tail can bat like that why the hell can’t players like Pietersen and Bopara settle down and play sensible Test cricket innings, not thrash about like they’re swatting mozzies … bring back Harmison and Onions for Lord’s … are players can’t make big hundreds, just the odd half-decent 60, whereas Aussies had virtually five centurions in one innings … just like 2005 again … etc
Lions 1st Test
June 18th, 2009OK – here’s my side for the first British Lions Test v South Africa: Byrne, Bowe, O’Driscoll, Roberts, Monye, Jones, Phillips, Jenkins, Mears, Vickery, O’Connell, Shaw, Wallace, Heaslip, Croft.
Would have picked Hook at fly half if he had been fit, and seriously contemplated dropping O’Connell if he wasn’t skipper – he hasn’t taken any match by the scruff of the neck yet and as captain he has to impose himself more. Williams is definitely an option for the first half, with Croft replacing him when he runs out of gas. The result? Depending on whether the impressive Boks back row obliterates the Lions back row, and I don’t think they will completel, I think the Lions might shade it. But O’Driscoll and Roberts have to be at the top of their game and du Preez needs to be kept in his box or he’ll cause mayhem. But who knows – it should be close game…
ABA Book Fair 2009
June 10th, 2009Wow – what an event! This was our third year at Olympia and we sold double the amount of the previous two years combined! Amongst the gems we found new homes for was a 10th edition Lambert and Bowen’s very scarce account of Mr R. Slade Lucas’s English Cricket Team tour of the West Indies during the season of 1895.
Andrew Marr was on hand to formally open the show (though he didn’t visit our stand – sob!) and on the first evening the firm of Peter Harrington caused hearts to flutter by selling a first edition of Joyce’s Ulysses for (wait for it …) £275,000. Apparently a British collector was the purchaser. We also had a stand at the nearby PBFA fair in Novotel, Hammersmith, which was a rather flat affair and poorly populated. My feeling is that the wildly unattractive setting in some dungeanous basement underneath the hideous Novotel just off Hammersmith roundabout must have something to do with it. Next outing for us is Cheltenham on Sunday, July 12. Should be fun, annd they say the beer taste good down West. Oo-aargh!
Double Internationals
May 8th, 2009Who played cricket for England and football for Scotland?
Lampard and the weight issue
May 8th, 2009Why were the Fulham fans at last week’s Chelsea v Fulham match shouting that Lampard was fat? He looked pretty trim to me? If he’s considered weighty, then what about Razor Ruddock? Who’s the fattest player of all time?
ESSEX QUIZ
May 8th, 2009Thanks for this Barry – so good i thought I’d put in on our blog. When was the last time two Essex batsman batted together for England? I think Hussein & Foster in 2001 in New Zealand sounds about right?
Who should bat at no.3 for England?
May 6th, 2009With the Ashes around the corner, the English selectors can’t seem to settle on the batsman at the critical no 3 slot. Bopara, Bell, Shah, Key, Vaughan – take your pick, but whoever they decide on they need to stick with to give them time to bed down. Bopara looks handy but he is new to this position and the Aussies will surely be quick to pick up his weaknesses. Let’s hope he gets some decent runs against the Windies to prepare him for the Ashes onslaught.
Who is the only footballer to play professionally in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s?
April 8th, 2009Willie Donachie – Man City & others