Why I support a no-hope team like Wolves ?

This is the $ 64 million question I think I need to answer. My formative teenage years were in the 1970s and the top entertainment during those times was the colour TV (introduced during the 1974 World Cup Final between Germany and Holland). Oh how, it changed people's lives forever. We could actually see in S.E.Asia what was going on 'live' as it happened halfway around the world. There was no Internet, no Facebook,Twitter, no PCs (first introduced in the early 80s), no mobile phones, no IPhones etc. It was really like living in the Stone Age !

Every week, Singapore would get the English Premier league shown on Channel 5 maybe delayed telecast (2 - 3 weeks later) IN COLOUR. And the games then were played in a very passionate and rough and tumble manner, and of course being part of the Commonwealth, English football took a firm hold in the hearts and minds of many ordinary Singaporeans and Malaysians. The games were less skillful than those today and we had no Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga etc. to watch.

So, in those days, one of the more unique sounding teams was Wolverhampton Wanderers, or Wolves for short and I kind of fancied myself like their chief striker John Richards, who played once or twice for the English national team. I had no idea where they were or if they were even champions. But I faithfully bought the SHOOT ! magazine every week after school (it was available at the neighbourhood shop for about S$ 1 a copy, a princely sum then) and followed their fortunes. I was kind of naive, not wanting to follow a big name team like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United etc. but the uniqueness of supporting an obscure Midlands team had its appeal. So I stuck with them, even though their glory days of winning the league twice in the 1950s to early 60s were long gone, even before I was born.

Since I followed them (say around 1976), they have only won the League Cup ONCE in 1980. That's IT. Andy Gray headed in a solitary goal against Nottingham Forest and it was 1-0. That's the ONLY major silverware they have won in the last 30 years. Very Pathetic YES. They have been relegated several times since the 1980s and their last stay in the lower regions has been almost 15 years. I forgot them altogether, although I visited the stadium Molineux in 1987 (23 years ago) with some University friends. So I am not a true blue die hard supporter. I am just a FAIR WEATHERED SUPPORTER.

Call me a romantic, but the PLUS POINT of supporting a no-hope team is that :

Whenever they win a game against any other Premier league team, its like WINNING THE CUP FINAL .No one expects them to win anything, let alone stay in the top flight of the Premier League, so their being in the top 20 for  2 years (2008 till now) is already a cause for celebration.

They invest a miniscule amount of money on players, have no brand name stars, and have been using their stadium for 30 years with little upgrade. Money is tight. I have been to the town of Wolverhampton and it is woefully sad and run down many factories have closed shop decades ago (it is an industrial town) and the onlyrevenue is from their university and polytechnics which offer decent degrees and diplomas in Engineering.

So when they win a match I celebrate like they have WON THE CUP FINAL  !

Compare that to someone who supports Arsenal, Liverpool,Man U or Chelsea,their supporters expect them to WIN A TROPHY EACH YEAR. When the do, its EXPECTED. When they don't its a massive DISAPPOINTMENT. So the supporters are JADED, winning is like so boring. So when a team like Liverpool loses a match to Wolves, its a MAJOR DISASTER.  So their emotions are OK we won (this week), BOO we lost to XXX.

Life must be quite torturous for those fans, the expectations are always rising each season.

My approach with Wolves is this ; They lost last week (OK) ; This week they won (YEAH, OLE,OLE, OLE !!! )

 So I am a FOREVER OPTIMIST.

 So on 30th Dec 2010,  Liverpool  0    Wolves 1.

 Its TIME TO PARTY !  OLE ! OLE ! OLE !

What goes through the mind of a Skier

                                                                      Chilling in ChunCheon Korea

  I have been to ski resorts a total of 3 times and been skiing for the last 5 years on and off, and I can  say that it is one of the most satisfying sports I have tried. It is also a very terrifying sport, especially when you are on the chairlift or ski-lift on the way up to the top of the hill or mountain as the only way down the hill or mountain is through your skis and one mistaken slip, overly fast downhill or uncontrollable speed can land one crashing and landing awkwardly can cause injuries amounting to broken limbs,or even loss of life.

 Having said that, it is as safe as driving, if one takes lessons from qualified ski instructors and undergo fitness training before attempting the slopes.  My son Andrew fractured his wrist when another snowborder knocked into him and I myself tore some ligaments when I fell awkwardly, in all places, at the ski training centre in Singapore. So it is best to come to the slopes trained and well prepared.

 What goes on in the minds of a skiier. I am going to say these  :

a) a prayer to God to help me ski down that damn mother of all mountains and not break a leg or worse.

b) a self assured mantra (repetitive chanting) that I can conquer the steepest slope because I can swerve
    and stop and control my speed and its not so difficult after all. Looking at all those young kids who ski
   with no fear in their eyes and going at 60 km/h downhill makes my attempt feel quite pedestrian.

    Its true that the older you are, the greater the fear of failure, danger and death. Its called 'KIASU' and 'KIASI' in Singapore.

c) Telling everyone in my group that each day I will attempt a tougher and steeper (bigger objective) hill.
    After that I have no face but to conquer my fears by attempting the bigger objective because I said so.

   That are the 3 things that go through my mind. It works well for those with a big ego, but the true test comes when you have to prove that YOU CAN DO IT !

   When I am skiing down, I am terrified as well as exhilarated at the same time. The rush is quite
unbelieveable.

    I should try sky diving next time, and see whether the adrenalin and endorphin (body's natural feel good chemicals released during high activity sport) high is the same.

  Carpe Diem.

Another Blast from the Past

Rolling Stones and Tina Turner singing

Its Only Rock and Roll"

Boney M - Christmas Mix

Merry Christmas to one and all.

     I have not been putting posts up as I have just returned from a short and thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Down with a bad case of  the 'flu, I decided to put up some happy songs to amuse myself and also to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, and that it is NOT the following below :

a) OPPORTUNITY TO PARTY AND MAKE A FOOL OF ONESELF. This is really a period of
    reflection for Christians and non-Christians alike. Christians mark this day as the birthday of Jesus Christ
    and and remind themselves of the promise He made to the world. Non-Christians will use this day for a
    number of different things such as catching up with friends and relatives alike to enjoy the fellowship
   of men and women.

b) SPEND LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW : This has been a good year for many working people so
    be generous of your bonus to the less privileged but don't splurge on the nice-to-haves too much. For
    every up year there will be equally or more 'down' years. So save that hard earned bonus.

c)  EAT,DRINK AND BE MERRY. Sure go and have fun. Visit friends, family, acquaintences, office
     colleagues. Drink and soak in the atmosphere. Come Monday 27th to Thursday 30th,
    the WEIGHING  SCALE is YOUR ONE HONEST FRIEND. CAN YOU FACE HIM ?

    MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY. ENJOY THIS SONG.

Another video - viewer discretion is advised ; parents this can be harmful to the kids' minds.

Great song with vulgarities for added flavour

This Eminem song has 163 million 'hits' (or views on Youtube) since it came out, earlier this year, making that an average of 16 million hits per month or 500,000 hits per day on average. Wow !

The vulgarities sometimes lend ammunition to the stand by conservationists who think that anti-hero Eminem is poisoning the minds of influential young people. Well yes and no, yes, if the youngsters believe that the images such as Eminem falling off the cliff and flying into the air can be replicated - but then again, every superhero does that, Superman, Astroboy and recently Hancock. Of course, the youngsters should know by now the difference between reality and make believe.

The other aspect of vulgarities. Now we all went through our teenage years, who never uttered a four letter word or swore in his life ? Emimen's lyrics reflect the growing disenfranchisement of society, about his daughter's problems and him trying to reach to her. The rest of the stuff "Fxxx the universe" all add colour.

So, enjoy the song. Understand the message and accept that we live in a multi-coloured multidimensional world, where Eminem, Teletubbies, Chinese xinyao, Bollywood artistes and Hillsong (a Christian band) all  jostle for our attention.

Seize the day and enjoy it.