Meanwhile the bigger picture looks troubled, with the World Cup mired in controversy and the very future of the Commonwealth Games in doubt.
Political parties and football teams have similarities. They are groups of individuals combined for a single purpose: to win and keep winning. For the former, by achieving power and delivering in government; for the latter, by scoring goals.
Working will Gillian Keegan, we’re coordinating with the FA and schools to deliver – supported by over £600 million invested in PE and the School Sports Premium.
Above all, they shouldn’t become preoccupied with Woke to the exclusion of everything else. This is the trap that many Labour backbenchers and much of the Left is falling into.
The upside of a new cross-party appointments process would be distance from the government of the day. The downside is the danger of boiling it down to a lowest common denominator.
Government must protect the vulnerable, but the vast majority who bet safely and happily should be able to do so without needless intrusion.
By trying to remove a popular presenter from his job for speaking out on a political issue, the right is unnecessarily weakening itself in an argument it needs to win.
He’s recently been in the news for laying into Gary Neville, which will have done his cause no harm at all.
If our members are constricted further, with no freedom to compete and invest, it is not just they and their customers which will suffer. It will be the Treasury.
Iranians have risen in rebellion against the petro-dictators of the Islamic Republic.
Beyond the World Cup, the emirate is buying its way into our university, school, and sporting systems. But at what cost?
Whilst we can still hope for a great tournament on the pitch, it’s perhaps worth reflecting on our relationship with the Gulf state – and the wider ramifications of the tournament.
Mobility is a key enabler of success and participation in sport. The best tournaments and training are frequently all over the country and require a car to reach them.
Both are a reminder that politics and political parties are not the most important things in life.
A grant from the Government for bridge in state schools and the development of junior international players has tremendous potential to benefit young people intellectually and socially, and provide the opportunity to bring together those from a variety of diverse backgrounds at relatively little cost.