The Mark Ellis Blog

For the regular readers of the blog, this one may seem a little bit off the beaten track, but I've been pondering this one for a while.  There's been a lot of stories and naval gazing on sports development, especially in football in recent times and from past experience, I do have a bit of a view on this, but not just in football. It goes back to when Dominic used to play football.  He played for a team in the village and the general ethos seemed to be about the kids enjoying themselves and keeping fit, but as they got older, it then became much more of a winning kind of thing.  Sadly, like me, Dominic will never be a great footballer, but he turned up for training (which many didn't), worked hard (which many didn't) and always turned up for matches.  As the game time got less and less with more kids from all over the area turning up and playing ahead of him, he sharp got cheesed off. I thought it was a shame, as a lot of the kids from the village felt the same a...

A week has passed since I completed the 2013 Great North Run, so it's time to reflect a little on what was another great weekend of athletics in the North East, plus a great advert on bringing people to visit the region and come back often. For us, the weekend always starts on the Saturday with the pasta party, Great City Games and the Junior Great North Run. The pasta party is your chance to mix with the celebs who take part, get your fill of pasta and find some great freebies, race tips and cheering boards.  It's a fun event and there's loads to keep the kids occupied before they do there bit.  Sandwiched between is the Great City Games, where we see some of the best athlete's do their stuff right in front of you and free ! If you've never seen athletics before, then this is your best chance to see some of the world's best. The junior events are great to watch as the kids love it and that's not just mine !  They all look full of determination when they...

Tomorrow is the first home game of another Premier League season for Newcastle United.  This year is my 25th year of being a season ticket holder at St James Park and I have to say that this is the least excited that I've ever been ahead of a new season. A heady mix of the tripe of last season, letting a number of players go, a lack of any signings and all amongst the laughable appointment of Joe Kinnear.  It's a mix of circumstances that has lead to me to feel totally dis-illusioned at the start of another campaign. The result and performance at Man City didn't exactly help the other night either as it sounds like we were rubbish. I'd love to think that it was just me that felt that way, but it appears I'm not alone as my almost as long standing season ticket holding mate is just as despondent as me.  The only positive is that we're still going for a pint tomorrow lunchtime !  It'll be good to see him and have a catch up on the summer and speculate on w...

Until the past few weeks, I've always had the feeling that Apple seem a really good company, especially when you go in the shops. But, that opinion has now changed.  A few weeks ago, the ipod that I'd had for about 6 years got the so called "white screen of death" and despite my bestest efforts on t'internet to try and fix it, none of the online help would help. So I looked on the support bit on the Apple website and found that I needed to log a call and they duly rang me at the allotted time and I thought that was really impressive, but there wasn't much advice and it ended up me needing to book to go to a store.  A process that you then have to book online and its not really a speedy process.  The appointment was booked for 3 days hence and I duly turned up at the Metrocentre.  Hilariously, despite explaining I was there for my appointment, the bloke said that you need to make an appointment for service - hang ten Spender, that's what I'm here fo...

Well, I was on the bus the other morning on me way to work and having a bit of a chat with a colleague as we went. Unusually, we where sat downstairs (as I like to park upstairs and enjoy the view) and I noticed that everyone who was sat in front of us where tinkering with their mobiles. This got me thinking - which is dangerous I know, but here goes, what on earth did we do before mobile phones came about ?  Did we talk to each other, did we read the paper, did we rock a geet big Sony Walkman, can anyone remember ? It was equally interesting to see what people where doing on the phones - not that I'm that much of a nosey parker, but I could quite openly see.  The lady sat in front of me was perusing her ebay account and hoying a couple of bids on (around the Harlow Green area) and she then did a bit of Facebooking.  The lady in front of her was on a game and not sure which one as I don't do them (barring a brief dabble with them Angry Birds). It's amazing really as...

After a period of lull and boredom, the Toon Army Rollercoaster has taken an almighty nosedive once again with the ridiculous appointment of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football.  It has to be said that the whole situation at NUFC seems to be at farcical level once more and after listening to the interview with Kinnear on Talksport the other week, you have to wonder what on earth is going on in Mike Ashley's mind.  Kinnear seems to think that the fans are against him as he's not a Geordie, whereas in real life the reason the fans don't want him hear is that he's got no idea on what he's doing, hasn't been in football for years and as the radio interview showed, is a compulsive liar.  I'm not against the position of having a Director of Football as long as its the right person and I have no faith in Joe Kinnear whatsoever in that role, or pretty much anything else for that matter - even as a kebab seller ! Had it just been me with a season ticket, then my ...

I know that we all like to listen to a bit of music whilst we're out and about, especially on the journey to work.  However, not everyone wants to hear what your listening too.  I've had a few bus journeys recently where someone else's music has been very much in my eardrums and that's just nee good whilst I'm trying to tweet or read the Metro paper ! I had a trip down to Chester the other morning on the way to work and heard Rihanna booming out of the person sat in front of me's headphones.  I wonder if he was going to the concert at the Stadium of Light and I should have mentioned our extra 78's to get him home after the gig !!!  Anyway, when I got to Chester, I made the swift change onto the Pronto to get to Gateshead and there was a bloke sat halfway down the bus and I could still hear the hoosey-hoosey music belting out of his headphones. We must be creating a country of totally deaf people and presumably when they get to those mature years (as me m...