Now Cardiff FC has won promotion to the English Premier League, joining fellow compatriots Swansea, it made me think about whether the Premier League was indeed intended to be ‘English’?

I genuinely don’t know the answer but as the national team continue to underwhelm, caused mainly by the large number of foreign mercenaries in the Premier League, I wonder whether the structure of the English football leagues should (could) ever be reviewed?

I always find it ‘interesting’ when different countries (and ethnic groups) are able to specify as such yet if the English do it, it is somehow frowned up:

English? Premier League

Scottish Premier League

Welsh Premier League

There has been talk of Celtic and Rangers coming into the English system but I wonder if football should adopt a model similar to rugby, i.e. have a Celtic league? Or perhaps have a British league once and for all? My vote goes to independence for England!

As men everywhere try to find a way of telling their wives they are off to Australia to watch the British and Irish Lions for five weeks, take heart and motivation as you listen to Jim Telfer:

Be brave men, be brave!

Congratulations to France who have won the 2013 RBS 6 Nations Wooden Spoon, or ‘bois-cuillère’ as they might say.

French Wooden Spoon

Obviously, being French, there is no guarantee that the spoon is actually wooden. Or even a spoon.

Let’s hope they do just as well next year. That would be très bon!

Like many people, I guess, I watch the news and it never ceases to amaze me when I hear about the bonus payouts to bankers at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

By way of a reminder, £66bn of public money was invested in RBS and Lloyds at the outset of last banking, ahem, crisis to prevent them from failing.

I understand that investment banking is basically driven by a greed culture with high rewards for success and tax bail-outs for failure. What I don’t get is how any company, particularly one that has already been bailed out for failing by the tax payer, can still pay such massive bonuses whilst all the while keeping a straight face. Stephen Hester seems to be the master of looking understanding whilst batting away questions on this subject. Some might say smug.

These are the numbers for RBS for the last four years from what I can find online:

• 2013 – Bonuses: £600m, Losses: £5.2bn
• 2012 – Bonuses: £400m, Losses: £2bn
• 2011 – Bonuses: £950m, Losses: £1.1bn
• 2010 - Bonuses: £1.3bn, Losses:£3.6bn

What am I missing here? This is like no company bonus scheme I’ve ever been part of!

Hands up if guilty

Shockwaves have been sent through the Houses of Parliament following the admission by Lib-Dem MP, Chris Huhne, of lying about a speeding offence from over 10 years ago.

In another form of Lib-Dem coalition, the ex-MP for Eastleigh admitted asking his ex-wife to take responsibility for his driving points.

Whilst it is commonly accepted that MPs should always try and cover their own arses in order to secure lucrative corporate speaking engagements or non-executive directorships, it is not clear what caused Chris Huhne to suddenly come clean after a decade of telling lies over this driving incident. One theory is that it’s because he’s a bright guy and realised he was ‘banged to rights’.

On a positive note, he’s not fussed about what’s in his burgers.

Apparently, we’ve bought him an iPad as a leaving present so at least he’ll be connected wherever he ends up.

…or, at least how I imagine it may pan out!

I love you West Brom!

Shove what? Where?

How far did you say?

Three? You’re joking right?

You’re not joking?

That wasn’t so bad. I love you WBA…

McDonalds to create 2,500 new jobs in UK in 2013:

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/good-news/9821650/McDonalds-serves-up-2500-new-jobs-in-2013.html

One third of 10 and 11 year olds in England are now overweight or obese:

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/23/health-minister-poor-families-obesity

The MoD will make 5,300 Army personnel redundant in the summer of 2013:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21134353

The Prime Minister, David Cameron warns of ‘generational struggle’ as Islamist terrorism spreads:

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/david-cameron-says-britain-faces-a-generational-struggle-as-islamist-terrorists-switch-focus-to-north-africa-8459408.html

I’m not entirely sure we’ve got our priorities right.

Arsenal appear to have their own board game using fines that would be no more than ‘pin money’ to Premier League footballers.

In an effort to enforce Arsene Wenger’s discipline policy within the club, the players have to pay cash fines to Arsene’s enforcer, Per Mertesacker.

This has come to light following a visit to Arsenal by a friend of the club doctor. Unfortunately, he then shared online and…whoosh, it was all over the Internet:

Arsenal Football Club Player’s Fines:

It’s interesting that there’s no mention of sloppy defending…

A pantomime horse taken to the frozen food aisle in a Tesco in Wales looking for its relatives:

I came across this on Facebook the other day and thought I’d share here: