Playing $oftball

Slightly off message today, but after yesterday I deserve a break and it's the weekend...

There's been a lot in the press around my home town of Winchester, UK, about Paul Allen of Micro$oft's intention to buy local football (that's soccer to you American types) club Southampton F.C. The story broke yesterday morning in the Daily Echo - a complete rag of a newspaper - so I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised to find out that someone at the Echo has a number of shares in SFC and is just pissed off that they're doing so badly again this season. The share price jumped 30% yesterday on the back of this "exclusive".

There are various reports from Allen's camp to the effect of "what?", "Southampton, where's that then?", etc. but apparently Southampton have confirmed that there is an offer on the table. Well, if it's in the Guardian it must be true (er...). Considering Paul Allen's track record with sports teams, it would seem that his match with Southampton is a good one . I haven't been to watch an SFC match since my season ticket ran out in 2001, but I can't say I've felt like I've missed anything. Mind you, I feel pretty much the same about Microsoft.

Football is becoming duller and duller the more money is pumped into it, when Abramovich bought Chelsea it just became scary. Glazier buying Man. U made it laughable, Madejski at Reading, Gay-whatever-vich buying Portsmouth didn't register, more Russian blood money dissecting our national game and pride.

All it ever seems to achieve is more young men on coke-fueled Saturday night rampages in their 20s having to apologise to the press/their families/partners/friends, getting fat, then burning out in their 30s to become whisky soaked middle-aged sad cases with little of their earnt fortune remaining.

Still, I'm not bitter or anything.