Postman’s Guest: March Writer of the Month Suen Chun Lung

A stage where professionals display an array of skills, and managers pit their wits against each other, the EPL is no doubt a popular league in Singapore. However, despite my liking for the excitement and entertainment while watching these competitive matches, I must admit to little or even zero participation in the sport. As age catches up, one starts to wonder whether the body can still handle such heavy contact sports.

Being a lover of sports, I definitely look to get involved in one which appeals to both the young and old. The rough tackles and injuries in soccer certainly don’t seem to be my cup of tea. Therefore, I recently indulged myself in the interesting game of tennis. To those who are looking for a sport that involves some running, can which can still enjoyed by the old – look no further than the fuzzy yellow balls.

Since the start of ’09 season, I believe two players have generated some topics among the tennis lovers. Roger Federer, the fallen king, has sparked debates on his ability to reclaim his crown. In contrast, a rising talent in Andy Murray has raised the possibility of a new era.

Roger Federer has yet to achieve any major title this campaign, having fallen just short in the Australian Open. The Swiss lost to Nadal in the finals and his tears said it all. The recent Miami Masters saw Roger blow his best chance of clinching a long-awaited victory. With Nadal out of the tournament, and the first semi-finals set going Federer’s way, the Swiss seemed to have everything under control. However, the once-unbeatable player dug his own grave with a series of unforced errors, and could only watch Djokovic claim the last 2 sets to record a memorable victory.

The Postman’s Guest – Joe Morrison

I hope you understand I have not left the house since the weekend. With the derby defeat on Saturday I have been unable to show my face in public because, yes, matches against your arch rivals really are that important!

It also made me think about what possesses those players to cross the great divide at some point in their career and play for the enemy.

It is a question I once asked Michael Chopra and he simply replied I was not getting the chance to play for my boyhood team and I didn’t want to leave the North East of England because it is home, so when the opportunity to play for Sunderland came I took it.

The Postman’s Guest – Joe Morrison

Right, I am going to get straight to the point this week, no bull, no beating around the bush and certainly no waffle.

Rob Styles should be struck off the referees’ register or whatever it is they are on.

To have the maximum impact I would like to finish this week’s TNP Postman column right now but I am sure my editor wouldn’t be happy, so instead I must continue which as a result turns this from a statement into a rant.

The Postman’s Guest – Joe Morrison

DO YOU know what a Dutch auction is? No it’s not regular citizens of Holland bidding for repossessed windmills. Anyway I will come back to that in a second.

Now Zabeel investments in Dubai are reported to have made a $40 million USD bid for Charlton Athletic Football Club! Yep that is Charlton Athletic who lie 14th in the Championship?!

Let me see, if I am shopping around for a football club, then why would I choose one of the Premier League institutions with ‘for sale’ sign boards outside?

The Postman’s Guest: Joe Morrison

As I write the American Public has rejected the US Congress’ bailout of the ‘fat cats’ of Wall Street. Now I don’t know much about the financial markets and I think that the average US citizen doesn’t either but to them it is a matter of principal that the bankers should wallow in the mess that they created and I have to agree with them.

I have just spent the last weekend watching a number of Barclays Premier League matches and as you know both Spurs and Newcastle lost and as a result are busy comparing notes about their respective negative equity at the bottom of the table.

Now here is my problem. I have loved watching Tottenham’s attacking (suicidal) style of play over the last few seasons and thought Martin Jol was a terrific coach. Also as many of you know I am a former employee of Newcastle United, so why do I have a deep uncontrollable urge to see both these clubs relegated. It is the same feeling I had after they sacked Sir Bobby Robson. I feel the same about the smug fool Daniel Levy chairman of Spurs who not only sacked Jol but did it in the most distasteful manner.

It is about time these morons knew what it was like to be sitting in the Directors box of a Championship team rather than touting their respective clubs to middle eastern sheiks who they seem to think are financial fools.

You see if Newcastle go down then there is just as much chance of Mike Ashley getting $800 million USD for Newcastle United as there is of Felippe Massa becoming a petrol pump attendant! And that overriding thought pleases me enormously.

Which is why I understand the average American because there is a very high chance that they could lose everything if the bailout plan doesn’t work, but at least they will get the satisfaction of taking all those greedy execs with them. Although it would pain me to see both Newcastle and Tottenham play in the second tier of English football – I know it is childish of me to want that – but oh boy the pleasure I would get from knowing that Mike Ashley and his close pal Daniel Levy would be infinitely worse off simply fills me with glee!

The Postman’s Guest: Joe Morrison

IF I had a reputation I do believe I would ride on it. I was once told my by a wise old sage (no don’t be ridiculous it wasn’t Budgie) that there are three phases to your career: first you are paid to do, then you are paid to think and finally in the latter stages of your career you are paid simply for who you are.

The Postman’s Guest: Joe Morrison

YOU will probably have noticed – especially if you’re a Manchester United fan – that they didn’t feature in the English Premier League this weekend because they were busy getting stuffed by the Ruskies in Monaco.

Trophies in the cabinet is what this game is all about, but I don’t think Fergie will be too irate at not being able to put the European Super Cup on top of his filing cabinet at Carrington.

The Postman’s Guest: Joe Morrison (Liverpool Rip-off)

BEING from the very North of England means that for a large portion of my life, I lived near the border of Scotland. The Jocks are tight with money which means that the Geordies are just one step away from that in that they love a bargain. Me, well I just want VALUE FOR MONEY.

If I spend a million dollars on a car, I don’t expect the garage to deliver me a Skoda, I want a Buggatti Veyron. Is this too much to ask? I can easily list you my top five favourite restaurants in the world and they all have one thing in common. You get more food and better quality than you would expect for the price you pay! For me, football is exactly the same. I want value for money. The best striker last season?

The Postman’s Guest: Joe Morrison

THE Barclays Premier League. The best league in the world?

Well not exactly, but you certainly get value for money. Why? It is of course three leagues in one, and that was evident on the opening weekend of the new season.

At the top, we have the “Champions League”. This elite battle features  Manchester United and Chelsea (who slugged it out last time in Moscow) along with Arsenal and Liverpool.

Except for Chelsea, they all put in below- par performances, but because of superior resources,  came away with results.