Can the REAL footballer’s please stand up...?

2012 was a year in which sport really came to the fore due to, in no small part, the success of the London Olympics. Since then, there has been a lot of talk regarding the “legacy” of the London Olympics. Another major discussion point was the attitudes of the athletes who took part in the London Olympics and the plight of the modern day athlete. We all know the dedication and the sacrifices that athletes make in order to pursue their dream...working a full time job and then still finding time to train. The dedication and determination shown deserves all the plaudits and recognition it has been given. But as always in this country, comparisons were instantly drawn with the modern day footballer...suffice to say that such comparisons did not reflect well on the footballer.

It is important to reiterate that we do suffer from a degree of sensationalism in this country. In my opinion this is a result of a mixture of factors such as negative media coverage, human nature and our nation’s culture. Now I am sure that many a written word...not to mention column inches has been dedicated to this very topic, so I do not wish to rehash old ground. However, recent events have led me to revive a well flogged horse for one more lap around the track.

I am not sure if you are familiar with Sky Sport’s “My Special Day” programme, but it was through watching this show that you see another side to these footballers which is not often reported or discussed. Yes we hear about the contracts, the astronomical salaries, and incidents involving fireworks, the clubbing and the scandals. Sometimes it is difficult not to form an “opinion”.  However, when you see these stars taking the time to speak to a young fan that is spending the day with them, making them feel part of their day, training with them...it becomes evident that although these stars are extremely privileged individuals, they are prepared to give back at any opportunity. Now I can hear the cynical souls among you thinking “...well of course they are going to be warm and welcoming...they are on camera...” To be honest I would be lying if I said that this thought did not cross my mind for a fleeting moment, but that moment of doubt was disregarded as quickly as it reared its ugly head. Whatever, we think of them, these guys are fathers, uncles, brothers, sons... they were not born into football, they live the same lives as the average Joe Bloggs, and they just do so with a degree of affluence.

As I continued to mentally prepare myself to take my place in the London “rat race” that morning, I did feel a pang of guilt for that fleeting moment of doubt. However, if the truth be told, many of us have a tarnished view of the modern day footballer, due in no small part, to the negativity that often engulfs football today. But even through the mire, we find a shining ray of hope and that hope comes in the form of the actions of Angel Rangel of Swansea City FC over the festive period. With the social media network which is now engrained in modern society, it is almost unfathomable to think that there is anyone who has not heard about this story, so I will not go into too much detail. Here is a privileged individual who was bestowed yet another privilege of free food...one which many of us would take for granted. However, in this instance he and his wife went out of their way to bestow said privilege upon those less fortunate than most of us who are reading this blog. In the immortal words of Andy Gray, “...take a bow son...”

Now a lot has been made of this to date, Jim White of the Telegraph quoted a Twitter user as stating that Angel’s actions were “...in danger of giving footballers a good name...” Truth be told, there are many footballers who, either through random acts of kindness, their own charitable organisations, The Steven Gerrard Foundation or schemes such as Little Stars Awards, My Special Day and Make a Wish, do things for their fellow man. Just recently David Beckham, who recently signed for PSG offered his wages to a local children’s charity in Paris. Sadly it seems that regulations prohibit a player playing for free, but I am sure something will be worked out. My only hope is that the younger generation observe the lessons to be learnt here. Football is not simply about the car you drive, the size of the house you live, nor is it about the salary you earn each week. If this lesson can be learnt, then maybe we have a chance to get back to the days when being a footballer was simply about the love of playing the game.

I am not suggesting that all footballers should work for free or even give their wages to charity, nor am I suggesting that they are angels to be revered. But between Angel Rangel, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham, there seems to be a growing trend that footballers may not be so bad after all.

Now you don’t have to take my word for it.

I'm just saying...

Hear no Evil, CEO no Evil

As a child we entrust our parents to guide us through our formative years, making decisions on our behalf which, with the exception of some truly sad cases, our parents undertake with our best interests at heart.  Now I am no anthropologist, but it comes as no surprise to me that many of us tend to look to our CEO’s in the same way. When you think about it, there are indeed varying degrees of similarity between the two.

As the world moves forward and as social trends subsequently evolve, parents have the unenviable task of having to adapt to our new social, political and macroeconomic environment in order to maintain standards as good parents, it saddens me to see that this process is not replicated in the CEO’s corner office. Now I am not saying that all CEOs are bad, as the job of a parent is a difficult one, so too is that of a CEO. It is undoubtedly an extremely challenging role and is not for the shrinking violets among us.

That being said, it is hard to avoid the niggling question that has continued to repeat itself in the dark recesses of my mind since the collapse of stellar companies such as Lehman Brothers in 2008, not to mention the more recent demise of companies such as Blockbusters and HMV. These CEOs have been in the industry for years and helped shape some of the major conglomerates we would call market leaders in their respective industries, yet they have all fallen foul of the same error in judgement, namely failure to respond to or anticipate changes in the market. While this loosely applies to Lehman Brothers, due to the unique nature of the financial market and the factors which led to its meltdown, I will focus more on the retail industry.

Let us begin with Blockbusters...how many of you can remember the local video shop... not store or retail chain..., shop?

If you are struggling to visualise what I am talking about then my point has been made. Following the arrival of Blockbuster to our shores in the early 1990’s one by one our local video shops began to close and by the early 2000’s, Blockbuster stores had spread around the country like a virus spreads within its new host, taking a strangle hold on the home entertainment market. One could make a compelling case for complacency, mismanagement or simply negligence... whatever the reason, the result remained the same. Driven by the rapid growth of the internet, by 2000, we had 2 new competitors in the market signalling the beginning of the onslaught on Blockbuster’s market share. Despite the growing threat, Blockbuster’s remained assured in their archaic model. Surprisingly, it was at this time that a single question resonated within its consumer base, “why didn’t Blockbuster’s introduce an online streaming service?” Surely this would have gone some way to securing their future? Sadly this epiphany never materialise. In fact it was Amazon who seized upon the opportunity in 2011 and acquired LOVEFILM. For many, this acquisition signalled the end of Blockbuster’s as Amazon’s significant distribution network drove LOVEFILM to the heights at which they operate today. Truth be told, the only surprise is that it took yet another 2 years for the towel to be thrown in.

Tragic though it may seem, would it come as surprise if I hypothesised that HMV succumbed to a similar foe?

Having seen off the challenge of Tower Records, Our Price, Virgin Records and Woolworths to some degree, HMV also found their comfort zone in an archaic model and basked in their past success. Despite embracing an effective online service and enjoying a healthy market share, even in light of the growing threat of Amazon, HMV failed to strategically position itself for the dawn of the “download culture” which was now sweeping through the consumer space, in particular, with the younger demographic...a trend exploited with ruthless efficiency by Apple. Once again, an onslaught on a market leader began. Whilst HMV tried to respond by allowing consumers to listen to songs prior to purchasing an album, they could not compete with the exponential rate at which iTunes online store grew.

It is interesting to see that one can draw the same conclusion from both case studies. If video really did kill the radio store, then the latest predator of the high street is the Worldwide Web and the complacent CEO.

The unfortunate victims in both circumstances are the employees. Through no fault of their own thousands of people may now find themselves out of a job without a redundancy package to ease the transition through an already saturated labour market. Now I would like to reiterate that it is not my intention to vilify the CEO, there are two sides to every story and unfortunately, I do not have the resources to ascertain both points of view. All information sourced in this blog has been procured from the various articles and business reviews which are readily available on the internet. That being said, I feel that as we hold CEOs in high regard in periods of success, so to must they be held accountable when strategies fail. I have personally experienced situations when a failed strategy is met with a mass of redundancies and the opportunity to redress the situation with minimal accountability. Sadly this is all too often the reality.  

Now I do not proclaim to have all the answers, nor do I claim to be the next Steve Jobs....

I’m just saying...

Do you know a child who has cancer?

If the answer is yes, then why not nominate them for a Cancer Research Little Star award?

Why not give children with cancer something to smile about, and perhaps let them forget about the pain they are going through.

All you need to do is nominate a child with cancer through www.cruk.org/littlestar, there is no selection process, so any child that is nominated receives the award. There’s no catch, you don’t need to raise money, and we won’t be asking you for money, so really all you are doing is making a child out there feel special.

Award details

Little Star awards recognise the courage of children diagnosed with cancer. Every child nominated for a Little Star award receives:

• A trophy
• A t-shirt
• A £50 voucher to spend in TK Maxx
• A certificate signed by celebrities (including JLS, Mo Farah and England Captain Steven Gerrard, Leona Lewis, Ashley Young, Joe Hart), and an official JLS full colour tour programme.

The siblings of the nominated child also receive a certificate. 

How it works

Parents, friends, colleagues and relatives from across the UK can put forward the name of a Little Star who is dear to them for special recognition. As mentioned above there isn’t any money involved, and parents don’t have to raise any sponsorship for Cancer Research UK.

Also there is no selection process, or even hint of a competition, it is open for all children that meet the following criteria:

1.              Under 18 years of age and live in the UK.

2.             Haven’t received a Little Star Award before.

3.             Have been diagnosed in the past 5 years.

Then they become a Little Star.  That’s all there is to it.

For more information and to nominate a child, please visit www.cruk.org/littlestar

At the same time, if your company or the organisation you work for would be interested in publicising the Little Star awards to as many employees as possible, and it would be really great if your company can be a part of it.  As mentioned above, there is no selection process, so any child that is nominated receives the award, and there is no money involved, we are not asking for money, just a way in to spread this fantastic scheme from Cancer Research UK.  Please do get in touch with us at imjustsaying8@gmail.com for further information and contact details.

I'm just saying...

#littlestarawards #cancerresearchuk #CR_UK #kidswithcancer #children

(All thoughts and opinions expressed here are based purely on our own views, we have not been paid to write about what we write, whether it be on products, services, websites and various other topics.)

Charity begins at Christmas...

Are we all still here? Any natural disasters happen today? Did the world end today?…In that case let’s all look forward to Christmas, isn’t that next on everyone’s agenda?

Kids will now be on holiday till the New Year, all presents brought? Wrapped and hidden till Christmas day? All Christmas cards sent? (if not, you’ve missed the last posting dates now), decorated the tree, the house?, food?, drinks?, decided on who is going to who’s house? Not exactly a stress-free period, right?

Spare a thought for those who might have to work during the Christmas and New Year period, and won’t be able to spend the festive season with their loved ones, won’t be able to see the joyful delight on their child’s face as they open their presents, but instead be at work, possibly in a half empty work environment.

Now spare a thought for those less fortunate, those who perhaps have been told just before starting their Christmas holidays that they no longer have a job, those who can’t afford Christmas, can’t buy presents, can’t buy special things to eat, and those who don’t have homes to live in or parents who have to hide their children’s own toys, so that they can wrap them up and give them as presents on Christmas day. There are a lot of people out there who wish literally to have a merry Christmas.

If you know of someone who is alone at Christmas, an elderly neighbour, perhaps, even something as simple as a Christmas card will let them know someone out there is thinking of them. For those less fortunate than us, there are a lot of charity organisations, especially around this time of the year who go that extra mile to ensure that everyone has a Christmas, whether it be somewhere to sleep for the night, someone to talk to or even simply a hot meal. But they can't do it all by themselves, if you can spare the time - volunteer or if you can spare a few pounds, whilst everyone is feeling the pinch, may be that extra pint at the pub or that manicure can be skipped, then why not make a difference to someone else's Christmas, it might not mean much to you, but it will make someone out there know there are people who care, even if it is from the kindness of strangers.

Listed below are a few charity organisations who are doing their bit during this festive season, more can be found on the Internet, perhaps there is a charity you support who would appreciate some help

http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/christmas.html
http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/home
http://www.centrepointchristmas.org.uk/
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/
http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/christmasappeal

I'm just saying...

(All thoughts and opinions expressed here are based purely on our own views, we have not been paid to write about what we write, whether it be on products, services, websites and various other topics.)

The Riddle of Graduate Unemployment

Do you remember when you were told that your school years were the most important in your entire life? That the key to success was to do well at school, go on to university, study hard, get good grades and then you will be able to get a good job? Now once you have a good job, you work really hard and you will be rewarded either through pay or promotion?  

I remember this all too well...do you see a pattern forming?

It has to be said that there is a lot of truth in these words...or at least there was once upon a time. Don’t get me wrong, your school years are the best years of your life. They are also the most important without question. This is where we develop the skills that are critical to our personal development, both socially and academically. The significance of success during this period can never be understated.

However, some things have evolved, the evidence of this is unavoidable.  We see it every time we turn on the news, pick up a newspaper or go online. Graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to find work and I do not believe that the fact that this has occurred at the same time as the changes in our economy are becoming ever more apparent is simply a coincidence...there is no such thing.

The number of qualified graduates has increased from 26% in 2000/01 to 30% in 2010/11 (figures sourced from HESA Statistical First Release 169). However, in 2011, 20% of 18-year-olds who left school with A-levels were unemployed compared with 25% of 21-year-olds who left university with a degree, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Graduate unemployment rates were almost on a par with those for people leaving school with just GCSEs, with 26% of 16-year-olds with these qualifications out of work. (Hilary Osborne @ Guardian 22/02/12).

This does not mean that higher education is redundant...far from it. However, it does suggest to me that companies are not always finding the qualities they want from graduates the traditional way. Companies are beginning to find that their businesses are undergoing changes as the economy begins its slow “recovery” process. Therefore, would it not stand to reason that the demands placed upon graduates could also change? Is it not also feasible, that the governments “Work Experience Scheme” is struggling to cope with the increased demands that are being placed upon it...demands it simply was not designed to accommodate?

Whilst evidence suggests that students are beginning to act accordingly, which has resulted in a rise in the number of students pursuing more vocational based degrees in recent years, my hunch is that this has not helped in the manner which one would expect. I think the proof of this may in fact be in the pudding. We are now seeing a trend, starting with the UK’s top 4 accounting firms, where companies are devising degree equivalent programs which have been designed to train school leavers who may be put off from the increasing university fees. The latest of which is Ernst and Young. In fact there is a growing sense that the mantra of the last few years, that everything is about university may not necessarily be right, and that A-level students should really be thinking about what they want to do and whether that means going to university. (Sourced from Hilary Osborne @ Guardian 22/02/12).

Again, I would like to reiterate that I am not suggesting students should not pursue a university education. I myself have a degree in Maths and Management Studies and I have reaped its rewards. However, I feel it is increasingly important that students should explore their options carefully to ensure they are getting the best deal for themselves that will grant them every opportunity to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

I believe that this is one of the biggest riddles we face in modern society and I wish I had the time and resources to research this in depth, sadly this is not the case. All information presented has been sourced from articles and studies which are readily available on the internet. I do not claim to be an expert in economics or government’s social policies. Nor do I claim to have all the answers....

I’m just saying....

What do you do with your used postage stamps – Can you help?

All it takes are your used postage stamps for a charitable cause.

A good friend of mine is hoping to collect many used postage stamps and give them to a charity called Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research (LLR).

LLR funds research into Leukaemia and Lymphoma. This research is then shared with health authorities around the world, and helps shape the standard treatment for all patients across the globe.  LLR pays for some of the research by selling these used postage stamps to collectors, overseas stamps are worth more, and this is where you come in, it doesn’t cost you anything, apart from possibly the cost of stamp(s) to send your used postage stamps and even that will be given to LLR.

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research’s life-saving research is focused on finding causes, improving diagnosis and treatments, and running groundbreaking clinical trials for all blood cancer patients. LLR first started research into blood cancers in 1960. LLR are now leaders in our field and patients are benefiting from our ground-breaking research today and in the future.

Your support means they can continue their life-saving work - http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/ 

All it takes are your used postage stamps...I’m just saying.

p/s If you are interested in helping out to such a worthy cause which doesn’t take up much of your time or require you to dig deep into your pockets, send me a private message and I’ll provide you with the details as to where to send your stamps – Thank You.



Is the Female of the Species is truly more deadly than the male?

Nature has tried to tell us....even Space’s Tommy Scott tried to tell us as recently as 1996. So how could it take so long for us to realise this simple truism? We see and hear evidence of this every day....Black Widow Spiders, Spotted Hyenas...even Lions to some degree. I even recall that as an adolescent boy, I always heard the phrase “...hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...” Yet it was not until recently that the full gravity of what I have been told finally hit home.

Women, I put it to you at this point, how many times have you seen a pregnant woman board a train or a bus and watch in amazement as none of the seated gentlemen move to offer her a seat? I bet you have even asked yourself, where has the chivalry gone? Did they not have a mother... a wife or a girlfriend?

How scary is it then that I too have recently observed, on multiple occasions, a heavily pregnant woman board a busy train and as you can probably imagine not a single seat was offered despite her obvious discomfort. Yet to my amazement, as I scanned the faces of all those who attempted to obscure their vision with a glossy novel or the morning newspaper, that 60% of those seated were indeed WOMEN!!!

Surely a woman would empathise with the plight of a pregnant lady and the discomfort she endures right? Wrong!!!

Now please do not misunderstand me, as a man, I was also disappointed at the men who neglected to offer a seat and was happy that someone eventually did. However, I have to admit that I was amazed that the person in question was a man, not to mention my surprise at the subsequent looks of contentment etched on the faces of some of the women who had kept their seat.

I began to observe the behaviour of women towards other women on the morning train into work, especially those that are pregnant, at which time it became apparent that this was not simply an isolated incident.

I have seen the looks of indignation on the faces of those women having pushed their way onto the carriage to claim the last remaining seat in a scene which bears stark comparison to stampeding cattle in an old cowboy film. I have seen women race a pregnant woman for a seat to only offer it to her once she has felt the scathing looks which have been cast her way but disapproving fellow commuters.

Empathy appears to be a luxury of the past as society have adopted a mantra proclaiming the survival of the fittest which is displayed in all its glory as we commute to work each morning. Sympathy appears to be reserved for those on crutches with a cast encasing an injured limb as opposed to another woman who is carrying a new life in her womb.

Now it is important to note that I am not saying that all women behave in this way, but does it not occur frequently enough to make you wonder that if the propensity for such actions are there, does it not stand to reason then that the female of the species is truly more deadlier than the male?

Now I do not proclaim to have all the scenarios or all the facts to determine right from wrong.....

But I’m just saying...

One good deed ...

Recently whilst travelling on the J line during the evening rush hour on a Friday, a pregnant lady got on, and instead of people doing the usual looking down at the floor because there is something very interesting to stare at on a tube carriage floor or  newspapers raising higher and higher, a young lad offered his seat to her.

Then at the next stop which was an even busier station, another pregnant lady no.2 got on, to be honest, she looked like she was ready to give birth given the size of her bump, this time people pretended that they didn’t see her, so she moved over to the area where you can lean on, I made eye contact with her and asked her if she wanted my seat, people looked at her and then looked at me, she looked like she wanted to hug me, she came over, touched my arm saying ‘thank you very much’ as she sat down, and this was one female offering another her seat.

At the next stop, a family came on, they looked like they were tourists and the daughter appeared to want to sit down just for the fun of it, and so the chap sitting opposite me, offered his seat to her and she sat down with her mother. What did amaze me was why he didn’t offer his seat to the pregnant lady to which my friend who was travelling with me said (in his defence) ‘Perhaps he didn’t see her’.

When the pregnant lady no.2 got off at her stop, she again thanked me.  Not too sure what happened that day as another pregnant lady no.3 had got on at some stage, but I was too busy reading ES magazine to have noticed her, and anyway, I was still standing/leaning in that area where you can, pregnant lady no.3 looked at us like we were mad.  

I don’t think I have ever had such a gracious pregnant lady (no.2) thank me just for offering her my seat.

I know that sometimes there are people who take for granted that you should offer them your seat for no particular reason, but that day I felt good that someone appreciated something as small as offering a seat to them.

On a separate occasion, I found myself rushing to catch the tube as I was late for an appointment, I needed to top up my oyster card, and of course, it would have to be when everyone else uses the ticket machines (never when no one is using it), I patiently queue up, whilst willing the person in front of me (in my head) to hurry up. This was a guy probably in his early 20s with another friend, they walk away from the ticket machine and I noticed the screen says your oyster card could not be updated. Ignoring the message, I then use the machine for my oyster card and the machine makes a funny noise and a crisp £10 note spits back out of the machine, I look at the money, I turn around and see the two guys walking to the ticket barriers, I’m thinking what do I do, run after them and give them the money back or ignore it and just do what I need to do. 

I take the £10 note and run after the guys before they walk through the ticket barrier, I probably startled the guy as I touched his arm and said ‘Excuse me, did you just put money on your card?’, he’s a bit cautious and looks at me as if I am mad, and says ‘Yes’,  I wave the £10 note in his face and say ‘It didn’t work’ and then run back to the ticket machine, while he said ‘oh thank you’  as they walk back to the ticket machine, he says thank you again and I say that’s ok.

In this day and age, how many would have done that? How many would have just taken the £10 note with the thought ‘finders keepers, losers weepers’……I’m just saying.