Weekend Jottings

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon and if you like your jump racing, you had best get your fix at Market Rasen for after that there is a week without any National Hunt action at all...I don't know what I am going to do!  There are two meetings on the level at Chester and Newbury and the prize money at the former is very good.  Don't forget if you are planning on having a wager at Chester today in the sprint races, you need the advantage of a low draw due to the tight nature of the course.  If you are anywhere near Chester it is well worth a visit and is an excellent track for viewing.  I would think that as usual there will be plenty of footballers in the middle of the track at the champagne bar.  They can normally be seen there with their orange tans, holding a bottle of the most expensive bubbly they can get their hands on.

*****

I see that the Spurs players have asked Gareth Bale to autograph their shirts so it looks like their prize asset is about to fly off to Madrid.  He hasn't gone on a trip to Monaco with the rest of the squad so it looks like the writing is on the wall - £95 million is a ridiculous amount of money and personally I think that Spurs would have been crazy to turn it down as an unhappy player is not a productive player.  You knew as soon as they spent £26 million on Roberto Soldado that the deal had been done, mind you their new signing did fly over on Ryanair - I wonder if they paid for priority boarding?!

With such big money flying about, it is hardly surprising that some clubs get into financial difficulty.  I do wonder why clubs that face liquidation are given a 10 point penalty?  Personally, rather than deducting points I would have thought that they needed help...how is a points deduction going to achieve anything?

*****

Let's hope that someone finds a way to keep Madison Square Gardens open - I read that the lease is due to expire in ten years time and there is some doubt about it's future.  I saw Ken Buchanon fight there years ago.  The Americans loved the Scotsman and I was lucky enough to appear on 'Superstars' with him...it was a real pleasure to meet one of my boxing heros.