Imagine

Imagine that after defying all the odds and confounding both critics and supporters alike, you wake up to find that you have guided Leicester City to unexpected and ultimate success as Champions of the Premier League. Alternatively, imagine looking in the mirror and discovering that you are a Thai billionaire duty-free shop magnate with an interest in football that only extends to the amount of personal wealth that can be made. Just nine months after an astonishing sporting achievement, the loyalty of fans toward Claudio Ranieri seems undiminished unlike the loyalty of a chairman more interested in television revenues than fans and certain mediocre players more interested in the transfer market than loyalty to the manager.

Imagine waking up as “Sir Mo”, the darling of the tabloid press only to go back to bed as plain Mohamed after your coach has come under suspicion of being up to no good.

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Who ate all the pies?

Image via BBC Sport

When the manufactured scandal has blown over and the dust has settled, the name of Sutton United`s reserve goalkeeper will return mercifully to deserved obscurity in about the same time as it takes to invent another scandal for the back pages of scurrilous tabloid rags.

In case you were not paying attention, the big story on Monday was not the Iraqi Army`s assault on Mosul or the Commons debating the Trump visit or the Lords debating Article 50 or even the sad death of Steve Hewlett which marked yet another loss of principled, intelligent and valued journalism. No, the big story was a fat man eating a pie at a football match.

Corby

To: Gaz
From: Baz
2 hours ago
Message: This has come straight from Rupert. He is after more dirt to throw at Corby to make sure we secure the Sky deal. He`s is worried that our focus has slipped. Do me a hatchet job splash for tomorrow – 300 words and pictures asap – scruffy, disrespect to old soldiers, abuse of the flag, refusal to sig God Save the Quee – that sort of stuff. Get some iuedo as well. Basically, smear Corby till it squeaks.

Fake news

Dateline: Saturday 18th August 2017
Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has caused further controversy just two days into office by signing a series of executive orders distancing the United Kingdom from formal agreements made by his predecessor with the government of the United States of America.

Mr Starmer`s meteoric ascendance to power is widely seen as a result of the Spring resignation of Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition.

Combustion in the trouser department

In primary classrooms, Sunday schools, Madrassas, Gurdwaras, Synagogues, Temples and nurseries across the planet the message is simple; if you tell a lie you will always be found out.

In corrupt business organisations those who are dishonest will always face accountability depending upon financial confidentiality and a variable definition of what is in the public interest.

In politics, honest men and women who have been quoted out of context are the victims of smears, fake news and alternative facts in blatant disregard of national security even if the victims actively promote smears, fake news, alternative facts and, to put it bluntly, downright, bare faced, whopping great lies.