One last thing on Eduardo...

Today Aliadiere received an extra ban for a "frivolous" appeal to the FA. This means that for a slight slap he gets a FOUR match ban while breaking someone's leg and threatening their career means a THREE game ban. Madness, bloody madness.

Martin Taylor (not that one !) is a ####

This tackle and this picture have proven, for once and for all, what a xenophobic bunch of arseholes the english football media are. I've heard the phrase "he was going for the ball" so many times. I'm sorry but why a) Are his studs showing if he was "going for the ball"; b) How high should his foot be if he's "going for the ball" etc.. It strikes me that english players like John Terry (example), Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney as well as clogging centre halves like Taylor are always deemed to be "fair" and never "malicious"; their tackles are "clumsy" or "mistimed". However, if an Essien or Eboue or any other foreign player does the same; it's "snidy" or "unacceptable". Just think what the reaction would have been if this incident had been, say, Touré on Rooney - we would be hounding Kolo out of the game. Finally, for proof of "mr sweet and innocent", Martin Taylor - look at his smirk here (picture 4 I think) or here.

A quick dash home..

Well back in Switzerland after a 30 hour dash home for the home leg against Milan. The good news is, despite Adebayor's last minute impossible miss, that the return leg is still alll to play for. Important in respect that I'm going to Milan to visit the San Siro (above) for the very first time and I can't wait. Of course I want us to win but just to se us play there will be a dream come true.

EURO2008 Volunteer Update - the role

Thankfully the organisers sent me the role profile in English today and that has enabled to complete all the appropriate forms that have to be returned this week for my official acceptance. It transpires that the Accreditation role consists of the following:

• Welcoming visitors and issuing accreditation passes on the spot.
• Checking official ID documents
• Finding and processing accreditation requests in the FAME online application.
• Photographing visitors in accordance with standard quality guidelines.
• Printing and laminating accreditation passes.
• Handing out accreditation passes and systematically filing the signed confirmations of receipt.
• Some volunteers, under the supervision of the venue accreditation coordinator and venue accreditation assistant, will have extra trouble-shooting roles.

It is also interesting to note that I will need to attend a "kick-off" training session in April that will be in GERMAN!!! as well as specific training sessions in May. I don't know how much time I will be working but I've basically said I'm available for the 2 weeks prior to the competition as well as the competition's duration.

EURO2008 Volunteer Update - Success!!!!

Today I heard that I have been accepted as a volunteer for EURO2008, which begins on June 7 2008. Apparently they would like me as a full time volunteer working within the Accreditation area. Not entirely sure what it will involve (especially as all the documents sent so far have been in German) but I presume it will comprise official passes and documentation for players, official representatives and media. I just need to go through some forms now......

Basel Fasnacht II

Many of the floats or groups often display a satirical take on events, politicians or sport. Here the continuing doping at the Tour de France is shown in an unusual light.

Basel Fasnacht I

Unfortunately the trip back to the UK meant that we missed the beginning of the annual Basel Carnival known as Fasnacht. So we will have to wait until 2009 to make sure we see Morgenstreich (The three-day event traditionally kicks off with an early morning procession, the Morgenstreich, which starts at 4 a.m. on Monday morning. This is a procession of about 200 illuminated canvas lanterns decorated with paintings and rhymes that make fun of a particular «subject» or local event from the past year. After the city's streetlights are switched off, these lanterns are paraded through the darkened streets, accompanied by the cliques with their drummers and piccolo players). Anyway we missed that but did get into town on Wednesday afternoon to watch the last series of processions - with drums drumming and the weirdest of weird costumes, floats and contraptions.

50th Birthdays are quite scary..

However, this is mainly due to the clothes worn to the party rather than the actual idea that one of your friends has reached half a century in years. We had a wonderful evening on Saturday night as all parents managed to get away from their children for once and partied to the wee small hours. I'm not sur ewhat time Gillian actually managed to retire but I'm sure she may have felt it the next morning (or afternoon)! Thanks for a great night that was well worth flying home for.

The Strange Old Swiss - #2 The Alarms have Sounded

Coming back on the tram from the Gym today I was met with the resounding noise of Sirens across Basel as today was the day that Switzerland. It sounded like this (though this may be last years)

Addicted to Saunas?

I regularly use the gym near St Jakob Stadium for normal gym work and spinning classes (note: here spinning classes are full of cyclists keeping fit during winter and not women bored of aerobics as is often the case in the UK). However, I've become mildly addicted to a Sauna afterwards. I have no problem with the normal european "no clothes" rule unlike some ex-pats over seem to have. I can hardly go a day without the refreshing feeling from 10 minutes in one now. Am I okay?

A Panoramic View from Reigoldswill

Our own local Cable Car - Reigoldswill

Not sure why it has taken us so long to find this place but a hop on a bus from where we live and we can transport ourselves to our own little cable car. There are no ski slopes here (there are plenty of cross country ski runs here though) but we did find a fresh 6 inches of overnight snow today. We managed to make virgin steps in some of the wonderful white stuff on clear blue sunny day. The area is part of Jura mountains (less Alpine in stature but still beautiful) and on a day like today were simply stunning. The gondala takes around 10 minutes to climb up to just over 1000m in altitude and there are walks galore back down or across the hills. We took a 2 hour stroll across to Waldenburg where you can catch a train/tram back to the main line at Leistal and a bus from there back home.

Euro 2008 - the countdown begins in earnest

Yep - this the trophy they will be playing for in 129 days time. There is a Euro 2008 Experience in town this week and I went along to get very close to a trophy no englishman will probably touch in my lifetime (we've never got past the semis and that was in 96 when we hosted the tournament). The Basel 2008 site is counting down the minutes until it all starts and the local papers have story after story about the competition.