Morning all... will be our of contact in deepest France over the next few days. My neighbour tells me we have snow and the roads have been blocked..... but expecting some thawing in... hope we can get in and out safely...… and wondering what little insects will be awaiting me inside. In the autumn I had a lot of trouble rehoming dozens of ladybirds that had moved in for a winter sleepover.... I just hope that they have not found their way in again!
Morning all, cloudy and cold, but surprisingly no frost overnight. Looks as if some more paraffin will have to be obtained shortly as the greenhouse heater is getting rather a lot of use at present. It is surprising to me just how many places still use them out here to heat shops, offices and homes. I remember them as rather smelly objects from my younger days, but admit that the modern ones are actually smell free and very efficient.
Very snowy here overnight . Electric hob failed again.. And wondering if the roads will be clear on Sunday.... Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk
Morning all. Foggy and damp here and not very warm, about 3°C. Went to get some paraffin and couldn't see any, so had to ask. Could I think what it is called in French? Finally remembered it is pétrole having been shown fire lighters and chemicals to clean your chimney. It happens every so often when the mind goes blank.
Friday night football and I am watching my local team up near Paris. Red Star 93 are the second oldest club in the country, but are really struggling. Their ground has a capacity of 10,000, but it is in such a state that it is restricted to 3,000. Frosty and foggy night oop north, and my team should be well ahead by now, but aren't. The cameras for the TV suggest that there are very few fans there, maybe a few hundred. Still the faithful 24 fans from Chateauroux have made their way up there, and get shown on TV. Bit like going to Halifax in mid winter really.
Apart from a few teams at the top French football is in a sorry state compared to the game in England. It is not surprising most of the top French talent has to find clubs abroad to earn comparative earnings to players in the PL. The attendances for games in France's top divisions are way way below those in England. I wonder why.
If that is a genuine question as to why there is such a difference, I could point you to some reasons why. The first one is that Sky doesn't have a license to broadcast into France. The second one is that the clubs are mainly owned by the communities that they play in, and are not open to being raped by dodgy owners. Rugby has a larger presence in France than in England. The clubs are much further apart than in England, so local rivalries don't exist in the same way. I doubt that too many clubs in England outside of the PL are that secure. Take an old established club like Bolton and see what a sorry state they are in. It is different, but fans do show similar loyalties by travelling hundreds of miles to watch their team play. Lots of differences, but that is how it has developed over the years, and at least unlike some of the big clubs in England does have genuine fans who are not just fans because of what they have seen on TV.
I'm so glad that England enjoys the riches of talent on our football pitches because of the Sky money pumped into our game. Rugby concentrated areas in England still manage huge gates compared to France. Luckily we get to watch France's best players regularly at the Vic.
Would you like to back up you claim over the top 14 rugby clubs attendances in comparison with the top 14 in France? Try to get a ticket to watch Toulon play, whereas one for Northampton is far easier, if far more expensive.
Crowds might be bigger in the Premiership (not compared to the Bundesliga by the way) but the atmosphere at most grounds is more like a library than a football match. Watched St. Etienne a couple of times on TV and there is no British crowd apart from Celtic who come close to it in terms of noise.
You obviously have not been to many games in England recently. French players often cite the passion the English crowds create as far superior, not surprising with such a difference in attendances.
You do talk nonsense sometimes SH. Even at at Championship level crowd noise can be far higher than in England. Of course you watch French football every week so know these things.
More to the point, does it really matter? It's fun to go and watch a live event no matter where it is - we don't always have to consider whether something else is better.
Good morning all from a dark, mild, Greenhill Crescent. Hopefully I will be getting some shuteye again soon.
