tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post1244606978110675014..comments2023-12-31T13:47:05.758+00:00Comments on Fat Man on a Keyboard: Form is temporary ...The Plumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09244528534476387323noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-10182894824852602162007-08-23T12:22:00.000+01:002007-08-23T12:22:00.000+01:00You are right to highlight the very real, fundamen...You are right to highlight the very real, fundamental and enduring split between the rugby codes. I'm a City working, public schoolboy Union player(and every inch the stereotype that you would suspect) who has recently gone over and got my hands dirty in a spot of "Real Man's Rugby" (League). I was surprised by the dominance of anti-Union sentiment in the sport and a bit miffed as well, if I'm honest. My attitude was that as long as I made my hits count on the field and always stood my round at the bar, the fact that I was an unapologetic Union exponent on the side should be considered a matter of very little interest to my new League chums. I was wrong and I'm likely to get wronger. I was wrong because the class issues you raise in this excellent post are, unfortunately, very real. But why will they get wronger? Surely the sports are becoming more and more alike in the age of professionalism? Because, for example, of the surge in numbers of young, predominantly black and definately disenfranchised, working-class Londoners, currently being reached out to by the handful of League clubs in London. All these keen, talented youngsters, living in the heartland of Union, have never been paid any attention by the RFU - quite simply because of class. It seems, therefore, that this divide has another generation yet to run. I'm guessing Union administrators (c***s, I hate them) will not notice or care very much about this. I still think loving the big hits and the big drinks is all that counts really but that's obviously only because I'm a dumb meathead forward who doesn't understand anything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-79644071539236526962007-08-21T23:17:00.000+01:002007-08-21T23:17:00.000+01:00Egg chucking -- what a waste of time.Football for ...Egg chucking -- what a waste of time.<BR/><BR/>Football for fat blokes ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-67438662882226174352007-08-21T21:52:00.000+01:002007-08-21T21:52:00.000+01:00Freens; Latest bulletin; Scotland-Wales in Scotlan...Freens; Latest bulletin; Scotland-Wales in Scotland 3rd or 4th November 2007. If Scotland win they qualify for the 2008 world cup. (They beat Wales in Bridgend in October 2006 21-14.)Could well be played at Firhill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-47080266311344095432007-08-21T21:40:00.000+01:002007-08-21T21:40:00.000+01:00Freens; The Scottish national RL team -mainly comp...Freens; The Scottish national RL team -mainly composed of National League players from teams like Oldham, Featherstone Rovers and as Peter and I would point out - Swinton Lions - play their games at Firhill, home of Partick Thistle, which according to Google maps is 2.2 miles from Springburn. Don't know when the next one is on, but why not give it a whirl next time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-36968988612059104622007-08-21T20:48:00.000+01:002007-08-21T20:48:00.000+01:00Thanks for this post. I knew nothing about the bac...Thanks for this post. I knew nothing about the background to the divide into Union and League despite, or more probably as a result of, being that lowest form of animal life, a RU second row forward forty years ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-16517102270428019732007-08-21T17:53:00.000+01:002007-08-21T17:53:00.000+01:00When I was growing up there was very little League...When I was growing up there was very little League played in New Zealand -- and particularly in the South Island. Although Union does not have the class character it has in England or Australia, there was still the hostility to League which you describe, and players were banned for having any contact with the code, even though Union was professional in all but name only.<BR/><BR/>I am perpetually getting into slanging matches with people who know nothing of the class character of the sport in New Zealand, where it is inclusive regardless of class or gender, and is in fact the national religion. Rugby Union fulfils a similar function in Wales, which is why I also support them. The Dallaglios and Lewseys can fuck off.hakmaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05657089974023214540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36841665.post-83201053476543445812007-08-21T16:06:00.000+01:002007-08-21T16:06:00.000+01:00Hear Hear! A fine post indeed, Peter. But you may...Hear Hear! A fine post indeed, Peter. But you may have expected that opinion from meAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com