Double Standards!

Our local M.Ps., you know those people who are always urging us to save money. You know what I mean, they tell us we can only have a 1% rise and we must conserve energy and cut our C.O.2 emissions by at least 25%, are now proposing to give themselves a rise. They are already in the best paid part-time job in the world. The minimum earners receive £43,000 per annum and they're talking, not about the 1% that the rest of us got, no they want £5,000 more per year. Now my mathematics aren't brilliant, but even I, with my Ballymena Boys education, know that's at least a 10% rise, good work if you can get it. What has this to do with football I hear you ask (well I don't really hear you ask, it's just blogging speech),well I'll tell you. Linfield are apparently up in arms about Glentoran's intention to raise admission charges for the Boxing day derby by a cool 20%, citing the high cost of security, that would equate to a charge of £12 instead of the normal £10. Let me say here immediately that I'm against this type of 'fleecing' of loyal fans, by raising the admission charges for a one-off match and blaming it on security cover. But and I emphasis the word 'but', I think Linfield are on somewhat shaky ground in their condemnation of it. When three years ago, clubs like our own were charging £8 maximum admission, Linfield were already charging visiting fans £10, which meant it was 25% above the normal price. Their fans, are even talking about a 'boycott' because of the proposed charge, but they have been paying over the odds at their own ground for years and we've not had a single protest out of them. Come on Blues fans, get a life, if you have to pay a couple of pounds more for peace of mind, surely it's worth it, would you really want to miss the 'biggest' game of the year. Okay I exaggerated there a wee bit, it's the 2nd biggest game of the year, the 'biggest' takes place at Coleraine Showgrounds on Boxing day. Now if them 'scum' decided to up the admission fee for their dump of a ground, I can tell you there's be hell to pay for sure, too bloody right there would!