Palace survive, Bent misses cut again
The BBC followed Fabio Capello's squad annoucement today as if it was the World Cup final itself. Personally I was more interested in
Crystal Palarse's future, which looks to have been rescued after CPFC 2010 agreed the outline of a deal to buy both the club and it's tatty old home.
Darren Bent for the 2nd time in 4 years can book his summer holiday safe in the knowledge that Emile Heskey is considered likely to score more goals than him in South Africa, just like Theo Walcott was expected to in Germany in 2006. Scott Parker's absence is less of a surprise with Gareth Barry making the cut following an MRI scan today.
More of a turn-up was Shaun Wright Phillips getting in ahead of the aforementioned Walcott, proving what an idiotic choice it was by Sven-Goran Eriksson four years ago. Stephen Warnock will carry Ashley Cole's divorce file after Leighton Baines froze in his chance to impress. Warnock has only played 6 minutes for England and that was two years ago.
Emile Heskey's inclusion calls for all of us 'terrace football experts' to accept that we have not a clue. I watched his contribution after he came on as sub on Saturday against Japan. Fall over, kick the ball off, miss an open goal, yet Benty get's buried for not scoring a hat-trick in 45 minutes. I was left wondering why Carl Leaburn didn't get more caps.
Meanwhile in the streets of SE25 young spotty boys with a collection of multi-coloured Palace home tops that would grace a Paris catwalk celebrated willdly at the thought of the tax payer helping to bail out their club, more back room staff getting made redundant and local businesses getting a few pence in the pound as for the 3rd time they look set to come out of administration. You know what they say. Once is unlucky, twice is unfortunate but three times is taking the piss.
The deal is not yet done though and the next step in CPFC 2010′s takeover is to agree the Company Voluntary Agreement, which is not a formality.
I would not have wanted to see Palarse be liquidated. There is no fun in that, but in saying that I do feel a bit deflated by today's news. Does that make me a bad man?