Fix

Fixtures Day! And a visit from Mick Channon's old crew to kick the whole thing off. As it happens, I picked up a 1982 Shoot annual from the North London Hospice charity shop (75p!) over the weekend. I flicked through the entire thing before finally lighting on a picture of a City player - on the inside back cover. His name was Dave Bennett, holding off Martin Buchan, with neither player sporting a logo on their shirts.

In any case, other than who City will be playing when, who knows what the coming season will bring? Will the Abu Dhabi billions be sufficient insulation against Mervyn King's 'storms', and will King ever use a metaphor which isn't maritime related? How many more clubs - like Southampton's Solent neighbours - will go bankrupt this season? And while we're on the subject, how does it make any sense that Real Madrid and Barcelona (for example) can continue splurging millions and millions of Euros in transfer fees and wages while the mighty nation of Spain continues to circle slowly around the toilet bowl?

Though the passion for football doesn't surprise me, the ability of people to continue coughing up the season ticket dosh is a constant source of amazement.

Germany versus Greece becomes a more resonant fixture by the day.