OK, my earlier cynicism has changed to hopeful expectation. A hard-fought 1-0 win over the guinea-pig eaters has secured a quarter-final tussle against either Portugal or the orange inferno, Holland.
I can hardly wait!
(Following the battle of Nuremberg this evening, a depleted Portugal will take on Sven's boys)
It really does beggar belief doesn't it. The crocked Michael Owen has now returned home and we are left with the dubious aerial power of Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney and an untried kid called Walcott. At home there's Andy Johnston, Jermaine Defoe and one or two others who are tried and tested goalscorers. And yet somehow we are expected to believe that we can power past Ecuador then either Portugal or Holland in the quarter-finals with the abovementioned trio.
Lady luck - are you there?
Not what you're thinking...........right!!
A sign alongside various mountain streams in the Pyrenees does not say "Controllled fishing, do it and we'll kill you!"
Rather, it actually says in Catalan, well loosely translated anyway............."Fish here, but please throw them back"
More on my break in France and the Spanish Pyrenees later...........
Ok, so we beat Paraguay 1-0. All very well but the second-half performance was, to say the least, a bit quiet. Heat, that terrible natural phenomenon, was responsible for the slovenely manner in which certain players went about their business. Play it in November I say.
OK, 29 degrees of heat in the cauldron of the Waldstadion in Frankfurt may not have been the best playing conditions but really...............Trinidad & Tobago next, a mouthwatering prospect that is. I shall be watching it from the luxury of my Pyrennean hotel room.
Come on England
England 2 West Germany 3 - an awful result. Too much for a young Jeremy to cope with!! Since then, every World Cup campaign has been littered with disappointment. Thank heavens I was alive in 1966, and saw, albeit in black & white, Geoff Hurst thunder home that left foot shot in extra time at Wembley.
Having suffered that 1970 humiliation (all Peter Bonetti's fault) we then had the Polish "clown" Jan Tomaszewski. He stopped everything that the England forward line could throw at him - including the kitchen sink! Our exit from the 1974 finals at the qualifying stage meant further depression for a young Jeremy and for the country at large. Mind you Margate did lift the Kent Senior Cup for the first time since the 30's a few months later. Hardly consolation.
So Scotland carried the hopes of the British Isles in Germany in 1974. They managed a 0-0 draw aginst Brazil but failed to score an adequate number of goals against Zaire and were eliminated. Scotland eliminated. That sounds so good!
The pundits tell us that the assembled English squad for Germany 2006 has a great chance of lifting the World Cup. I don't think so for a variety of reasons. I'll highlight them upon our certain demise at the quarter-final stage.
Pessimistic, moi. Never.
A few days ago, I was working with a colleague of mine J J Gabay. We were in discussion with an organisation who were looking at different ways to create better brand names for their clients. The following 9 tips may be of assistance. They were written by, Laura Ries from US based, Ries & Ries, a marketing strategy company.
Info on brand naming:
Selecting an appropriate name for your business is without doubt one of the most difficult tasks. Making that final decision is a lofty goal, as it is the chosen name that takes you out to your clients and consumers. However, to successfully select the most promising name, research is extremely important.
What is it that needs to be looked at when researching? There are certain questions that must be placed when selecting a name for your business. It is vital to find out whether the name has the potential of attracting expansion and growth prospects, as well as clients and customers; all depending on the nature of business. Also important is whether the name communicates the appropriate message or otherwise.
The primary stage of research includes brainstorming, whereby you make a list of probable names. Once you have an exhaustive list, discard all the unattractive ones. Gradually, bring the list to the top 3-5 names. This is where actual ‘Brand Naming Research’ comes in. In order to determine the viability of each name it is essential to look into certain important questions such – your target audience; what is it you want to sell to them; what would appeal to them most with regards to your product or service; the names used by your competitors.
While researching it is essential to keep in mind your prospective market in terms of clients and customers or consumers. If your business is top cater to Industrial Clientele then the names has to be descriptive, i.e., stating the service or product provided. For instance, Steels India Limited. On the other hand, if you business is Consumer-based- Clientele, then the name has to be creative, innovative and attractive. For instance, Glucose Biscuits or Surf Washing Powder.
As it is said anything researched carries more weight of success than anything that is brought out of the ordinary, just like that.
The 9 keys to naming success.
The single most important marketing decision a company can make it what to name a brand. A brand’s power lies in its ability to grab a position in the mind of the consumer. With a poor brand name you make the job of getting into the mind that much harder. With a great brand name you can help your brand down the road to success.
It’s not that a brand with a poor name won’t ever succeed. Many do. If you price something cheap enough, it will move in spite of a dreadful name. Hyundai, for example, sold 400,221 vehicles in the U.S. last year. But did you ever hear someone say, “Eat your heart out, I just got myself a 2004 Hyundai?” Is Hyundai a powerful brand? I think not.
Some powerful brand names include: Lexus, Red Bull, Google and Starbucks. The 9 keys that follow will help you pick the best name possible for your brand. Don’t expect a name to meet all the nine requirements but if it covers more than a few you’ll know you have a winner.
Key #1: Short.
In general, the shorter the better. The longer and more complicated a name the more difficult it is to remember. The Internet has made this an even more important issue, since a website is the first place many people go to find out more about a brand. With a website address the less typing the less likely there is for error.
Some examples of short names: Tide, Apple, Crest, Nike, Gap, TiVo, Rolex.
Some examples of names that are too long: Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Deloitte & Touche, Bausch & Lomb, TIAA-CREF.
Key #2: Simple.
Simple is not the same as short. Simplicity has to do with the alphabetical construction of a brand name. A simple word uses only a few letter of the alphabet and arranges them in a combination that repeat itself.
Schwab is a short name (six letters), but it is not a simple name because it uses six letters of the alphabet. This is one of the reasons it is not particularity easy to spell. Mississippi is a long name (11 letters), but it is also a simple name because it only uses four letters of the alphabet. Which is why most people can spell Mississippi.
Some simple brand names: Coca-Cola, Nissan, Google, Hennessy.
Key #3: Suggestive of the category.
A generic name is not as powerful as a proper name. But a name that is suggestive of the category can help consumers identity what your brand stand for. One way to achieve this is by shortening the generic for the category. You create a proper name that is short and easy to remember. Soy milk became the brand name Silk. Vanilla cookies became the brand name Nilla.
Another way is by using a word out of context that suggests the category.
Some suggestive names: Blockbuster Video, Curves, Roller Blade, SnackWell’s, Palm, PlayStation.
Key #4: Unique.
A totally unique name can only be created from scratch, but it can be an effective way to create one. The best unique names also follow some of the other rules, like being short, simple, and speakable.
Some great and unique brand names: Lexus, Xerox, Kodak, Kleenex, Sony, Kinko’s.
Key #5: Alliterative.
Why do you think children move their lips when they read? They are converting the visual symbols represented by the letters and words into sounds that can be processed by their brains. The mind works with the sound of words, not with their shapes. Which is why the sound of a brand name is much more important than how it looks. And why funny capitalizations and punctuations do not make good brand names.
Since the mind works with the sound of words, it is very helpful to rhyme something to help people remember it. (Loose lips sink ships, If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.)
Some alliterative names: Gold’s Gym, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jelly Belly, Weight Watchers, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Volvo, BlackBerry, Grey Goose.
Key #6: Speakable.
Word of mouth is the most effective medium for building a brand. Having friends, family, neighbours, or co-workers tell you about a new brand is much more powerful than any advertisement you might be exposed to. But how do you get the first mouth moving? You first have to give the mouth something to work with. Hopefully a brand name that is easy to say and remember. Then you use PR to get the first mouth moving. A name that is difficult to pronunce is a recipe for disaster.
Some speakable brand names: Target, Subway, Polo, iPod, Wonderbra.
Some unspeakable brand names: Chipolte, Isaac Mizrahi, Hoechst, Dasani, HSBC.
Key #7: Spellable.
An easy-to-say name usually translates into an easy to spell name. But not always. Using a combination of letters & numbers, upper & lowercase or the addition of symbols can make a name difficult to spell. And in the age of the internet, if your customers don’t spell your name perfectly, they will be unable to reach your website. The postal service is rather forgiving when delivering mail with a misspelling in the name. But the internet is a different story.
Some easy to spell names: Target, Amazon, Old Navy.
Some difficult to spell names: Daewoo, Hyundai, Abercrombie & Fitch.
Key #8: Shocking.
The best brand names usually have an element of shock or surprise. A shocking name gets attention and is more memorable. Of course, you have to be careful that your name doesn’t go overboard and is so shocking that it offends people. In this connection, the clothing company FCUK (French Connection United Kingdom) comes to mind.
Some great shocking names: DieHard, Yahoo, Monster, Woot, Virgin, Yellow Tail, Red Bull, Starbucks.
Key #9: Personalized.
Personalizing your brand name enhances the publicity potential of your brand. A famous founder/CEO/spokesperson is extremely beneficial. Remember it is PR that builds brands. And with a personalized brand name the PR links directly to the brand.
Some great personalized brand names: Dell, Orville Redenbacher, Newman’s Own, Atkins, Papa John’s Pizza, Disney.
Last month I mentioned that my father attended the annual lunch of his Burma Star Association in Margate. I highlighted one of great battles of that particular theatre of war - Kohima. That battle raged between April and June 1944. Some time ago, Charlie Hunt ( dad's war pal, now no longer with us) gave my father a picture taken soon after he end of hostilities at Kohima. I don't know about you but the "Aussie" style hat looks pretty cool. And as for those army boots - well what can I say!
My father has been staying with me for the past few days. It's been his first time in London since he contracted a very nasty leg ulcer in October 2004. Most people of his age may not have recovered from a hospital stay of nearly 13 months. It turned out he had contracted osteomyelitis and unfortunately, this has resulted in his right ankle joint becoming a bit unusable, to say the least. Despite this, he has battled on with his daily life in Westgate-on-Sea and I've been fortunate to have taken him to football on a few occasions and organised a brilliant birthday bash for him in January (see earlier post).
This week has been superb for him. Visits to various family members, a trip on the London Eye, spending some quality time with his grandchildren and, today, basking in 75 degrees of heat at Uncle Willies place in Walton-on-Thames on this, the warmest day so far this year. But, we are in England. This means that when excessive and unexpected heat occurs, London Underground doesn't work terribly well. One of these days we'll have a world class transport system. Of course, it won't happen in time for the 2012 Olympics which is being held on some industrial wasteland in East London.
Tomorrow (Friday) morning, I'll be driving him back home after a visit to the local surgery on Lyttleton Road. Every 3 days he needs a new dressing on his lower leg. People knock the NHS but I'm grateful that arrangements can be made for him quite easily when he's away from home.
It's been nearly a fortnight since Margate Football Club parted company with their manager Chris Kinnear. It was after the home draw on April 4th, against Windsor & Eton, when the Board decided to bring to his 10 - year tenure at Hartsdown Park to an end. Three of those seasons were "on the road" as the Club had to groundshare at Dover and more recently, Ashford Town. One can sympathise with CK as he, and his right-hand man Kevin Raines, along with physio "Griffo", were shown the door. CK had taken Margate from an average Southern League Eastern Division club ( as it was in 1996 ) to a powerful force in the highest level of "non-league" football, The Conference.
Owing to the financial pressure on the Club because of the Hartsdown Park redevelopment debacle, Margate FC was forced to relinquish its Conference status after only three seasons and move down to the newly-formed Conference South for the 2004-2005 season. One of the last "home" games in the Conference was an excellent 3-1 victory over Accrington Stanley*. With this enforced "relegation" many outstanding players left the Club including the brilliant Sam Sodje, now Brentford's best player. He may possibly become the first Margate player since Tommy Jenkins, to enter the top flight of English football. Jake LeBerl, Graham Porter, Rocky Baptiste and the very talented Jean-Michel Sigere all went to pastures new. Baptiste and Sigere have scored a hatful of goals between them this season for Havant & Waterlooville and Lewes respectively.
The Conference South campaign was a disaster. Financial and other restraints meant Chris Kinnear had to patch together a side throughout much of the season. It was with some "relief" that the Club entered administration and had 10 points deducted. This sealed the Club's fate and a second consecutive relegation ensued. Margate would now be playing teams they have never faced before in the Ryman Premier League. There was, however, some excellent news. New backers had been found at the beginning of 2004 and their financial input resulted in the Club returning to Hartsdown Park for the new season, albeit at a temporary stadium. Despite this, other good players had decided to ply their trade elsewhere. The outstanding Adrian Clarke went to Welling. He was joined by the talented left-back, Mark Green, who went to Park View Road after just a few games. The 2005-2006 season has not been a success at all. Over 40 players have been used and although there have been some encouraging signs, I hate to think what lies ahead. I don't understand the timing of CK's sacking but one must look forward. The new player-manager is Robin Trott and after two games under his stewardship, Margate has yet to concede a goal and secured an excellent win at Hampton & Richmond Borough.
It seemed only yesterday that I was on the road reporting for the BBC and others on great Margate victories at such far-flung places as Southport, Scarborough, Yeovil, Halifax and the mighty Chester City. The 1-1 draw, played in 98 degrees of heat, at Shrewsbury in August 2003 was a real milestone. A goal down at half-time from a header by the ubiquitous Steve Watts; Warren Patmore equalised with a few minutes to go in front of 4500 at Gay Meadow to send the 100 or so Margate travelling supporters wild with delight. Despite being relegated from the Football League that year, Shrewsbury had ended Everton's FA Cup involvement in January 2003. The biggest Cup upset in recent times.
One could argue that the 3 Conference years was Margate's 6th successful period in their history. The Kent League years from 1929 to 1934 saw tremendous progress - then the huge change. Four outstanding years as the Club seemed to win everything as they had become Arsenal's nursery club. Charlie Walker's post-war side took the Kent League title twice before "Mr Margate", the late great Almer Hall, made Margate into one of the most respected sides in English non-league football. After his departure in 1970 and the short tenure of Gerry Baker at the helm, Les Riggs took control. His stint until 1978 brought some success but also a relegation! My years as a regular fan ceased after the Woking FA Cup defeat in 1978. The "Thanet United" years which followed shortly thereafter, as far as I am concerned were a black-hole. Stability at the re-named MFC in the early 90's paved the way for the introduction of CK in 1996. In Saturday's programme for the game against Worthing, CK's overall stats were published:
Played 520
Won 245
Drew 112
Lost 163
Goals For 837
Goals Against 626
Success rate 54.29%
Under Chris Kinnears stewardship, Margate won the Kent Senior Cup on 4 occasions. The Southern League Cup once, Southern League Championship game once and Chris guided Margate to two promotions. Once as Southern League Champions in 2001.
*Accrington Stanley gained promotion to the Football League on Saturday. The original club went out of existence in 1962. The only time a Football League Club could not fulfil its fixtures during a season. Re-formed in 1968, the new club has slowly moved up the ranks. Margate has played Stanley twice. The "home" victory is mentioned above. The reverse fixture in 2003 saw Margate take the lead but eventually lost 3-2.
The photo above shows Chris Kinnear with Geoff Pay outside the Drectors Box at Dover's ground. The groundshares at Dover and Ashford haven't been the first time the club has had a nomadic existence. Jeff Trice's excellent Margate history site details the history of the various grounds in and around the Margate area. At one time, the Club played at the Dreamland amusement park. Some of the terracing is still there. The Club's nickname in those days was the "Dreamlanders" - I still dream of a Football League place!!
Check out www.margate-fc.com and www.margatefchistory.co.uk
Now how many of you remembered it was that day today? Easy for me 'cos it coincides with her birthday. That meant only one bunch of flowers, not two. Heavens, how mean spirited of me! The grandchildren came over - Emma, James and Claire and then lunch was taken at the much improved Pandora's Box bistro. This place is adjacent to some well known stables. I avoided the meat dishes!!
Yesterday my father attended a luncheon in Margate, organised by his local Burma Star Association. About 100 people turned up, some with partners and as every year now passes, fewer and fewer attend these types of functions. "Burma?", I hear you say. Most WW2 recollections are to do with the Battle of Britain, El-Alamein or how the Americans dominated proceedings at Normandy in 1944. The "forgotten" Far East conflict rarely gets a mention. Everthing seems to centre around Hiroshima and the privations of the Japanese people.......... and apart from that bridge over the River Kwai, I can't think of a film or recent documentary about the events at Kohima between April and June, 1944. This terrible battle (some of it played out over tennis courts) was remembered once again yesterday. Those who witnessed the carnage, like my father, were asked to remain seated. Dad told me that this bought a tear to his eye, as most around him, stood. Our generation, and those who are to follow, really ought to reflect on how some of our relatives fought so bravely to give us our "tomorrow's"
The photo above shows my father at his recent 80th, or was it 90th Birthday celebrations. My neice Emma is sitting next to my father. On the other side are my friends Sharon (Shaz) and Paul who came for the trip to Sandwich on January 7th.
Last April, I had the privilege of speaking on behalf of Breast Cancer Campaign at a charity fashion show in Surrey. The event was organised by Julianne Finucane ( on my immediate left ) and Faith Brown was the main attraction. The event raised thousands for BCC and I'm delighted to have been asked to speak again at a similar event next month.
At the local cafe in Euston last week, somebody asked me what Blogging was....." ain't that something you do on Hackney Marshes or somefin' " - in future, I must be careful who I engage with.......................
more on ignorance - the country this morning, is awaiting with bated breath, a financial report being given by Labour's Chief Treasurer, Jack Dromey ( Trade Union heavy, made good). He feels let down that he was made unaware of the "donations" given to New Labour before last years General Election. I guess the question on all our lips "is New Labour more sleazy than the last Conservative government"...........answers on a postcard to 3rd washroom along, Victoria Station...........................
Well it's nearly 4pm on the afternoon of the 15th - and yes, I'm still here. I haven't been stricken by some awesome illness, or been hit by the "Number 11" bus. Or should that be Bendybus? Good ol' Ken.
In fact, today has been most uplifting. As ever, met some talented individuals at Steve Blacknell's amazing Network Experience. This group which meets in London's West End is full of media people looking for new opportunities. It's a a great forum for sharing ideas and telling a few dodgy jokes. You know, one never knows who one is going to meet - people seem to appear at the right time to solve a problem or to introduce you to a new idea. The power of networking. Never knock it!!
The photo is one of me outside Valencia railway station in the summer of 2003. The weather when I went back there a couple of weeks ago was somewhat different! ( Did you notice the Valencia orange? )
Whilst trying to get to grips with my new Blogger account, my trusted "odd-job" man, Barry G. has successfully put up some new lighting and other items in my North London dwelling. I've known Barry for quite a few years now. Always reliable. How many of you out there have horror stories about builders?
