Happy New Year

Sorry I've been quiet for a long time here on Utter Drivel.  To be honest I've been concentrating on a new blog I started last October about my Family History.

Steve McCabe, Steve McDonald and Me

Anyway I'm at a loose end right now having taken a day off work after a great weekend in Liverpool.  We were celebrating my friend, Steve McDonald's, 60th birthday and visiting some other friends, Joyce and Kevin.  So I thought I would do a quick post to let you all know I'm still around.

This is traditionally the time of year when people make resolutions and set goals for the next 12 months.  I received my regular email Newsletter from The SUMO Guy over the weekend (see link at the side) and he passes on some thoughts about the subject - see what you think.


Problems are not personal:
Life is not conspiring to get at you personally. It might sometimes feel that way, but it's not. Problems happen to all of us - so ditch the conspiracy theory.


Problems are not pervasive:
Just because you've experienced a setback in one area of your life doesn't mean it will automatically occur in other areas as well. Life has it's ups and downs but in the board game of life there are ladders as well as snakes. The issue is when you're feeling down you can fail to spot the ladders. You can be lured into thinking that everything is going against you. The reality is it's not. But beware. Problems can and do spread if you resign yourself to the fact that they will. So look for the ladders and make sure you put your foot on the first rung.


Problems are not permanent:
They might seem that way at the moment but things can and do change. But how soon that happens will depend on you and your response. Now if you're locked into the disempowering belief that "there's nothing I can do" then clearly things will take longer to improve. So ask yourself the question "How can I influence or improve the situation?" You see, at the heart of that question lies an empowering belief that things can change. Snow melts, ice thaws and problems pass. Remember 'everything is temporary.'


If 2011 is a year when you decide to take action, move out of your comfort zone and quit your excuses then problems and challenges will come with the territory. But that's OK because you will have remembered the three P's.


Problems are NOT: Personal, Pervasive or Permanent.


Hope to see some of you at a Bruce gig before too long.

World Cup Diary Blog #16

Well it's time to come home.  We're on the bus on the way to the airport.  Everyone's really down about yesterdays performance and exit from WC2010.  However a few guys were feeling so sick last night they were still in the wc at 20:10.

At least one consolation for me is that I  am not about to get picked on by the press.  No game, no cap, no blame - perhaps.

Anyway the early exit means that Mrs D's possible TV opportunity has gone - victim of the programme makers austerity measures - allegedly.

We're still on for Skeggy next week.  Might even have a run up to Mablethorpe and  the naturist beach at North Cotes a few miles away.  Nobody saw me with my kit on in South Africa so people won't recognise me with my kit off in Lincolnshire. 

Fabio's future won't be decided for a couple of weeks.

Whatever happens we're back to football business with a friendly against Hungary in August.  Then European Championship qualification matches from September.  Looking forward to the game against Wales next March.  Mrs D told me last night that there is a young lad called Dyfan from some place called Llandybie who thinks he knows what I look like - but he could be getting me confused with someone else with the same name.  Maybe I will see him at the game and he can ask me for my autograph - it will be worth a fortune one day.

Thanks for reading my diary - it's been fun writing it for you. 

Look out for The Spurs winning the Champions League next season - especially if we can keep Harry at The Lane.  Keep your hands off England!!

World Cup Diary Blog #15

Well it's been a while - but eventually managed to get some time to write again.  The sense of relief in the camp is clear.  The performance on Wednesday was much better and the fans responded as well.

The gaffa seems more relaxed - hugs, back slapping and high fives after the game.  He has even allowed us to have a couple of beers on an evening.  The darts crowd has now taken "Don Fabio's" photo down from the bulls eye.

Upsy Daisy had a good game on Wednesday - some really great tackles and a solid all round performance.  Looks like I'm gonna have to wait a while to get my chance.  Carra's available again after suspension and Ledley's recovered from his groin injury so the gaffa will have a tough decision who to partner with JT.

Full training session in Rustenburg today.  We've been practising penalties - it just can't happen again - can it?  We're feeling pretty confident about beating the old enemy - for example do you know about the curse of Eurovision - no country that has won Eurovision has gone on to win the WC later that same year!  Here are some more reasons why we're confident Goal.com

Mrs D has kept me posted with reaction and news from home.  She watched the game on Wednesday with the cocker spaniels.  Funny though how these so called pundits can't seem to agree - see what ScotStevo from Ireland has to say about the coverage from BBC & RTE in the Daily Record

The WAGS at home are all keeping in touch and starting to think about plans for coming out to Sun City.  Mrs D's been shopping for new outfits - hope she's got something she can wear in South Africa and Skegness.

I'm a bit concerned that Mrs D is getting into this WAG life too much.  There are rumours that she is about to be offered some deal to appear in a TV reality show and I haven't even been of the bench yet - more news about this when she fesses up.  She was certainly disappointed not to have been asked to take part in the WAGs "Come Dine With Me"  Have to admit all this is making me a bit unsettled.  Can't believe she might become more well known and recognisable than me.

No more blogging until Monday - have to focus now.

World Cup Diary Blog #14

Well Don Fabio has decided that Upsy Daisy has got the nod for Wednesday's game.  Maybe he will trip up getting on the plane tomorrow - will see what I can do to help.

Looks like we will be training at Rustenburg tomorrow morning before flying down to Port Elizabeth as we've been told we can't train on the match pitch.

The gaffa has been disappointed by comments JT made to the press yesterday - tensions are running a bit high.  Lamps has tried to defuse things today.  Just seems like there's a power struggle going on.  Decided to keep my head down. 

So this might be my last blog for a couple of days.  The next one will probably be on Thursday - but where from that's the big question.

Hope you all enjoy the game on Wednesday - we'll be trying our best to put in a good shift and get through the group stage.  Don't really want to even think about all the stick we'll get next season if we don't get through.  Probably worse than Ronaldo got when he had Rooney sent off - the cheeky winker.

Mrs D said it's really muggy tonight back in blighty.  Also she's having a problem with the internet connection, she can't get the wireless to work - it's driving her crazy.  Really glad I'm not there.  The cocker spaniels are keeping out of her way as well.

Right I'm off to lie in wait for Upsy Daisy and see if I can't help him to have some sort of mishap.

World Cup Diary Blog #13

Training behind closed doors today.  I tried to close and lock the doors before Matt Upsy Daisy got there but his team mate Greeny dropped the key at the last minute.  So I will have to come up with some other way to make sure he's not available on Wednesday.  Only one more training session tomorrow.

Lamps has his mind on other things at the moment however - Chrsitine Bleakley just secured a transfer from BBC to ITV.  She's more in demnad than he is.  What has that Chiles bloke got anyway?

Heard Harry Redknapp on Radio 5 this morning saying that Upsy Daisy was probably ahead of me in Fabio's thinking simply because he was selected originally.  Lets just wait and see.

There's a full squad meeting tonight with Fabio and the management - don't know what it's about though.- probably summat to do with football.  We'll probably watch the video of the Algeria match and have an open and frank discussion.  Hopefully nobody will be sent home like Nicolas Anelka. 

Let's not forget other countries are struggling too - remember France, Germany and Italy.  All have had unexpected results.

We go to Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and play at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at 3.00pm UK time on Wednesday - our WC could all be over by 5.45pm.  Hopefully my mates at the Leyburn Cricket Club will be taking the day off work to watch the game.

World Cup Diary Blog #12

Not good headlines in the press today - as we expected.  The gaffa read us the riot act last night.  We all know the performance and the result were not good enough.  Everyone who played tried hard but things just didn't work out for us.

Surprised to hear the fans jeering us after the game - especially since the boss said that we wouldn't be having any booze while we were here.  Just goes to show he doesn't know everything.

Spoke to Mrs D after the game - she said that most of the WAGs are keeping their heads down for while.  Although a couple have already sneaked into South Africa Mail Online

Carra getting booked might turn out to be good for me - really now hoping I will get a game on Wednesday - but I probably won't find out until just before we leave for the ground..

Still keeping options open about Butlins at Skegness.  If we have an early exit from WC then we will save some cash as Mrs D won't be coming over to South Africa.  With the money we save we can upgrade to a Premium Gold Apartment.

Spent the day in Cape Town relaxing and meeting fans around the city - trying to build some bridges.

We're on the bus right now and expect to get back to Rustenburg about 11.00pm.  Everyone's a bit quiet - it's really weird.

Start work tomorrow on getting things right for Wednesday.

World Cup Diary Blog #11

The Spurs lads took on all comers at Texas Hold Em poker last night.  At one point I had almost more clubs in my hand that Amelia Heskey has played for.  We're up a few Rands - especially from little SWP who couldn't quite get the hang of the game.  Meanwhile Glen Johnson is now leading the darts tournament - although Jamesy might have something to say about that.  It's really just a bit of handbags between them.

Carra's bought his kids a couple of vuvuzelas - yes, that's right.  He kept most of the lads awake last night trying to get a tune out of the blooming things.

The cat's out of the bag about the squad's Soprano nicknames Metro Online - being a Bruce Springsteen fan I like to be Silvio Dante (played by Steve Van Zandt from the E Street Band).  Anyway Mr Beckenbauer just be careful what you say or you might end up sleeping with the fishes in a pair of concrete football boots.

The freshly washed kit has gone off to Cape Town and we'll be going tomorrow morning.  I tried to hide Matty Upson's shirts so I would have more chance of playing but Golden Balls in his role as Mr Fixer checked all the kit as it was loaded on the bus - unfortunately for me he spotted that there were some numbers missing - didn't know he could count.

Managed to get another round of golf in this afternoon with some of the lads.  The picture in the Metro article above shows Roono has written some cryptic messages on his golfing boots.  What it doesn't show is that he has also writtenh L & R on the inside.

Just been watching Bafana Bafana get beat by Uruguay - shame but they looked outclassed.  And what a good result by the Swiss.

Right off to fill in my wall chart and then bed.