In this latest article I talk about the crucial role physical stores play into our digital expansion. As long as you have the right balance within your portfolio. https://internetretailing.net/location/weird-fishs-ben-mercier-on-the-continuing-importance-of-stores-for-multichannel-retailers-and-its-approach-to-discounting/
Ironman Cascais
Ironman combines the three disciplines of Swim, Bike, Run. They cover distances of 3.8km Swim, 180km Bike and 42.2km of running. They are performed consecutively on one day without stopping and with just a short transition period between each and must be completed within 17 hours to qualify as Ironman status. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it! https://www.ironman.com/
Here I am, 2 days away from the biggest sporting challenge of my life. I have been running this race in my head for the past few years, intensified during my COVID period. I am more determined than ever to take on the challenge and succeed. Have I trained properly for it, no but I did do as much as I could between a hectic work and family life. I bought myself a great new bike in Canyon CF8. I have done once before a 180km, and I have done the Madrid and London marathon in September. I am ready!
The most exciting part is the preparation. Packing your bags for a triathlon can be tricky as there are so many elements to pack. A bit of added pressure this time, I cannot go back home to pick up my missing gels or gear.
I get to Gatwick airport and I am not alone. Few athletes are there. In fact the plane had not anticipated that many bikes, so we got a bit delayed. We arrive in Lisbon with beautiful weather. Sunny and 27 degrees. Take a cab and direction Cascais. Wow what a place. A beautiful place, a little Monaco of Portugal https://www.cascais-portugal.com/index.html
We get into our accommodation, Casa Vela hotel and it is beautiful and only 1km from the race. With the support of my incredible wife, whilst she prepares my sandwiches, I put the bike back together. Then we go to collect my race numbers and bags. Once all the admin done, we go and have a walk in the town. Again, I cannot stress it enough, amazing!
After a good night sleep, 5am and I do the final preparations for the race. I make my way to transition and lay the foundations and run through the multiple scenarios in my mind…main one are where the toilets are located 🙂 You never know when you will need those. I make my way to the port, where the start will be given, and wait in my pen. I am right next to the finishing line, and my focus is total. I know my wife is talking to me but I hear no words. I just keep starring at the beach and I listened to the national anthem. The emotion has got to me, and I am fired up.
COVID regulations in place, we start in groups of 4. I tuck one of my gel in my sleeve, and prepare for my first sea swim. I hear the bell and here I am running towards the sea with an ocean of support all around. Goose bumps material. It doesn’t last long…first gulp of sea water, horrendous! Then with some gentle waves, after 2km, I am starting to feel sea sick. I know crazy! I get pushed towards some rocks and that ain’t gentle. I needed that gel to bring back a sugary feeling in my mouth rather than the salt! I conclude the swim course in 1h32min. I am pleased with it as I have not swam for years (don’t worry knowing you can die if you stop means little training won’t matter unless you are looking at a specific time)
Then onto the bike. Amazing views. It starts gently along the beach, but the cross wind is a killer. Then the hills. Crickey, we thought it was a flat course. Huge elevations and a 12% climb. That was hard on the legs. Good thing I have the Cotswolds nearby. Then it gets flat for the remaining 100km. I must say that the organisation for the cycle part was poor. I ended up doing more than needed, and a lot of people did. This is really challenging on such a long distance. One for the organisation to review for sure. I met a Canadian lady in her late 60s telling me that she has done all Ironman courses. Impressive. She was my hero for the day.
Final part, just a mere 42.2km to do. I take my time to start with. Eat a good sandwich then start at a gentle pace. I did 20km at around 6.20min. Half way there and the legs are starting to give in. Now it is all about mental strength. The night has begun, and temperatures dropped. I get into a routine. Run 5km, then walk 1km. I do this for about 10km and then it is run 1km walk 500m. I am always looking at my watch to make sure I am going to make it before the 17 hour cut off time. Finally, I am on the last stretch and I hear those magical words…’Ben, you are an Ironman’. Wow what a feeling. Total elation. I suck it all in, milk it. I collect my medal, which I can only imagine what those Olympians must feel when receiving their gold medal. I grab a food bag and then crash onto the pavement. My body is in shock and I am feeling sick. I know the feeling and I know it will last 1 hour. So here is where your support crew plays a major role…looking after you. By then you are drained physically and mentally. My wife deserves that medal as much as I do. I will repay her well the next day when visiting Lisbon with a monster of an ice cream 🙂
In the following days I realise truly my achievement. I remember those ambulances coming to pick me up during COVID. I remember suffering with my lungs for over a year. Just going to the bathroom what an Ironman effort. If you have long COVID, I hope my story will give you hope. Push yourself mentally and ignore the pain. You CAN overcome it, just believe it.
Now onto the Rome marathon this week and then the Hamburg Ironman European Championship. I look forward to new experiences
Benoit Mercier
Weird Fish celebrates 133% leap in EBITDA
Revenues at the UK lifestyle clothing brand were up by 71% to £35.5m in the year to 31 December 2021, compared to 2020, as a result of strong online sales during the period.
Overall ecommerce revenue was up by 74% to £21m against the prior year. The retailer said it drove more revenue online in November 2021 compared to the whole of 2019.
During 2021 the brand launched a new click and collect service, an online blog and a live chat facility on its website. It also brought out its first TV advert and doubled its marketing video content compared with the previous year.
EBITDA at Weird Fish leapt from £1.8m during the period to £4.2m, marking a 133% increase.
It has been a great year for the whole business in challenging circumstances. It has been a privilege to guide the business through this period, which was all down to our people and customers. Thank you.
Benoit Mercier
Ironman Cascais training with Madrid and London marathons
It has been a roller coaster of a year. Finally managed to beat most of my COVID symptoms and get my normal life back. This means getting back into my sport and aiming for one big challenge this year…#Ironman Cascais.
Back in July, I completed solo an ironman distance, which fills me with confidence but not too much as many things can go wrong, and I speak of experience. Nonetheless, I am buzzing at the idea of travelling again this year and feeling that unbelievable ironman atmosphere.
I am not a great trainer so I always count on my main asset that is my mental strength. That being said I decided to ramp up training at the end of September with 2 marathon races a week apart. Those selected where Madrid and London.
Let’s start with Madrid. First international travel and it felt epic. Even the COVID bureaucracy did not put me off. Arrived on Friday night and spent the day on Saturday getting prepared. Went to collect my bib and running vest. From experience, I stopped myself doing anything else in order to save energy. Transportation in Madrid is so easy and rapid, unlike London! Sunday, 14 degrees at 8am, which is nice and off we start. The course until 30km I thought was flatish. I was just over 3 hours on the 30km mark so pleased with myself, especially temperature has risen to 26. Now the last quarter of the race is excruciating. A huge elevation gain I was not prepared for that took all my energy away. Also, they did not provide any solids along the course, only sugary water, which for me was a no-no. I finished the last 12km in 1h30, an embarrassement but a good lesson for the next one. Although disappointed, I feel that as a competitive training session it will serve me well. Once the medal around my neck, positivity comes back. I would give the course a 6/10.
A week later is the London virtual marathon. Aim, improve on my 4h30 time the previous week. Unknown is how the legs will feel. No training done in between, purely rest. The weather is decent and temperature perfect. This time I am well prepared and I chose a flat course. The first 30km are done at the same pace that the previous week and the last quarter at 1h15. This time I have my kids to hold the finishing line, nice touch by the organisers, and I am happier with my time. A marathon under 4 hours will have to wait, this is not the goal this year. The only downside of virtual marathons is that you have to go shopping for water 🤪.
So here I am, a week away from the race of my life hoping for no injuries, no sickness and a smooth event. Again no goal in terms of time, just finishing will grant me huge satisfaction, I have not forgotten the state I was in less than a year ago.
Benoit Mercier
COVID, Brexit and sports back on
COVID
It has been a while since I put a post out there. In fact, it is just over 12 months since I got COVID and had to date the worse 10 months of my life. It all started with my kids. They had fever and felt unwell for approx. 7 days. As any parent knows, it is just a matter of time until you get it. The kids made a full recovery but I didn’t. I got all the symptoms, and I was confined in my bedroom without seeing anyone for 6 weeks. For all these people that do not believe in it, I hope you get it, experience it, recover from it and write about how you changed your mind.
An ambulance came twice to help me breathe and I am grateful to the NHS staff and any key worker. They all deserve a bonus, this is the right way to thank them. Note, I am not for a salary increase when private sectors have been counting their losses in thousands and we have a debt that will have to be paid for many generations to come. But they deserve financial recognition not just few people clapping.
The post COVID symptoms were actually the worst. Extreme tiredness (walking to a bathroom was more challenging than completing a marathon), massive migraines and of course massive chest pains. For a sport enthusiast that I am, it was mentally draining. I have now almost fully recovered, a year later. I ran my first 50km+ in the past 8 weeks and do not feel chest pains or unusual tiredness. But what a journey it has been and I feel lucky to still be able to seeing my kids when so many have passed away.
I have strong views as to whether this Government did a good job or not, but I will say that no Government, no matter where, did a better job than others at any particular time. The conundrum is that I understand people stating, and I agree to some extent, that these lockdowns have cost the economy for many decades to come a lot more than the disease has cost in lives. Afterall, less than 0.1% of the world adult population has died from COVID. You cannot argue either that other individuals will die from other illnesses by not receiving treatment or from economic consequences (and before you become angry at reading this post, think about how many countries outside of Europe do have the welfare system we do have!). But that being said, a life is a life, and we, as humans, should remember that we need to care for one another. Time for everyone to review their priorities and self-reflect.
BREXIT
I was wrong. It went through and it took over 4 years. Have I changed my mind? NEVER. Anyone that voted for it has been conned. The British empire is crumbling. Not sure what will remain of the Union Jack in the next few years. It was all about immigration, and the boomers generation took it all away. Northerners, farmers and fishermen were at the forefront of Brexit, I look forward to hearing from them in 10 years time. I will make my 10 year prediction, immigration will go up, and once the boomers generation has gone, the UK will rejoin the EU (and no, the EU will not crumble, this is pure fantasy from Brexiters). However, I will agree, the EU needs to be reformed and immigration policies reviewed. But better be part of these decisions than sidelined!
These two topics will continue to fuel debates for many years to come and I look forward to these. But it seems to me that the most pressing one now, is how do we protect our planet…until next time, goodbye
Benoit Mercier
Amsterdam Marathon
Ok, it has been a while since my last blog post. So what have I been up to in the past 6 months. Well, running and running. I hate running. No really. It is boring but you do feel good.
6 months ago my sister completed a half marathon, whether I have been inactive for the last 3 years, reaching a weight of 100kg. Shocking. I have always been the sporty individual in the family and uet here I am eating badly and not exercising whilst my sinling is swalloing the miles…wake up call.
First thing I did was to download the NRC app. I absolutely love it. Not promoting Nike as a brand over orhers but there app is well made. Of course I ended up buying the Nike Vaporfly knit 4%. The bounce I got from the shoes were out of this world. I started running a 5k and within 3 weeks I pushed myself to run a half marathon. It was hard work but I was highly motivated. But as a key competitor individual I need to know that I will be running with a goal in mind. This is when I thought of a marathon. Looked for a flat course and gave myself 5 months to be ready. Amsterdam was selected (can’t get any flatter!)
Ran 3 times a week and followed to the letter my NRC coach schedule. Within 3 months I had lost 16kg and I managed to run up to 30k. I have kids so long run had to be eary sunday morning 6am. Not plain sailing but enjoyable to run in Summer. Then a month ago I decided to run from Waterloo back home, which is bang on marathon distance. It was awsome. London at 5am is so peaceful and pretty. Managed to do it in 4h29 and it gave me a real boost of confidence. By now my mind is already thinking about ultra marathon (next challenge). So I refocus and prepare my Amsterdam marathon. One long run (22km) a week before and an 8km trail run 3 days before.
Arrived in Amsterdam with the family the Friday night and got my wife to run the city run on Saturday. On that day, I picked up my kids and mine running packs (your bib number and a nice running shirt). I actually walked 15km that day which was stupid as I could feel it in my legs at the end of the day. Sunday, awaken at 3am with the adrenaline pumping through my body. 8am took a taxi to go to the Olympic stadium (many roads are closed and a lot of demand for taxis so try and get a hotel as close as possible to the stadium). Great looking stadium and cracking atmosphere when I went inside. I am in the last group of racers as I imagined I would do it in 4h50 when I registered 5 month ago. Big mistake. The first 5km are horrible. You are walking and slaloming between people. The rest of the race is a perfect harmony between body and mind. Really enjoyed some of the scenary but disappointed that the race doesn’t go more into the city centre and over the bridges. I finished it in 4h05. Delighted with thrashing my training record. Also my kids got to do a 1km race themselves and dis really well.
Really good day, well organised and great volunteers. If you look for a first experience, this is a great one to do.
Marathon overall score: 7/10
Fulham FC Stadium Tour
It has been a while since Mateo and I went to visit a stadium. Today was the perfect day. Sunny and windy. Too cold to go outside but too nice to stay inside. So nothing better than go and visit our 12th Premier League ground and 15th ground all together by visiting one of the best stadium in the League, Craven cottage home of the Fulham Football Club. I have fond memories of this stadium as I won the FxPro Cup back in 2012 scoring a goal from an assist of World Cup winner Robert Pires. I lived to tell the tale, priceless! As much as I could sense some pride in my son’s voice, after 5 min of recounting the tale…he was, how do you say, bored!
Craven cottage
Craven Cottage is a football stadium located in Fulham, London. It has been the home ground of Fulham F.C. since 1896. The ground’s current capacity is 25,700, all-seated, though the record attendance is 49,335, for a game against Millwall, 8 October 1938. Located next to Bishop’s Park on the banks of the River Thames, ‘Craven Cottage’ was originally a royal hunting lodge and has history dating back over 300 years. As we parked Finlay St, we could see the well recognised cottage, with its black paint and its words ‘The Fulham Football Club. A beauty!
The original ‘Cottage’ was built in 1780, by William Craven, the sixth Baron Craven and was located on the centre circle of the pitch. At the time, the surrounding areas were woods which made up part of Anne Boleyn’s hunting grounds.
The Cottage was lived in by Edward Bulwer-Lytton and other somewhat notable (and moneyed) persons until it was destroyed by fire in May 1888. Many rumours persist among Fulham fans of past tenants of Craven Cottage. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jeremy Bentham, Florence Nightingale and even Queen Victoria are reputed to have stayed there, although there is no real evidence for this. Following the fire, the site was abandoned. Fulham had had 8 previous grounds before settling in at Craven Cottage for good. Therefore, The Cottagers have had 12 grounds overall (including a temporary stay at Loftus Road), meaning that only their former ‘landlords’ and rivals QPR have had more home grounds (14) in British football. Of particular note, was Ranelagh House, Fulham’s palatial home from 1886–1888.
When representatives of Fulham first came across the land, in 1894, it was so overgrown that it took two years to be made suitable for football to be played on it. A deal was struck for the owners of the ground to carry out the work, in return for which they would receive a proportion of the gate receipts.
The first football match at which there were any gate receipts was when Fulham played against Minerva in the Middlesex Senior Cup, on 10 October 1896. The ground’s first stand was built shortly after. Described as looking like an “orange box”, it consisted of four wooden structures each holding some 250 seats, and later was affectionately nicknamed the “rabbit hutch”.
In 1904 London County Council became concerned with the level of safety at the ground, and tried to get it closed. A court case followed in January 1905, as a result of which Archibald Leitch, a Scottish architect who had risen to prominence after his building of the Ibrox Stadium, a few years earlier, was hired to work on the stadium. In a scheme costing £15,000 (a record for the time), he built a pavilion (the present-day ‘Cottage’ itself) and the Stevenage Road Stand, in his characteristic red brick style.
The stand on Stevenage Road celebrated its centenary in the 2005–2006 season and, following the death of Fulham FC’s favourite son, former England captain Johnny Haynes, in a car accident in October 2005 the Stevenage Road Stand was renamed the Johnny Haynes Stand after the club sought the opinions of Fulham supporters.
Both the Johnny Haynes Stand and Cottage remain among the finest examples of Archibald Leitch football architecture to remain in existence and both have been designated as Grade II listed buildings.
An England v Wales match was played at the ground in 1907, followed by a rugby league international between England and Australia in 1911.
One of the club’s directors Henry Norris, and his friend William Hall, took over Arsenal in the early 1910s, the plan being to merge Fulham with Arsenal (I am glad it did not happen, to form a “London superclub” at Craven Cottage. This move was largely motivated by Fulham’s failure thus far to gain promotion to the top division of English football. There were also plans for Henry Norris to build a larger stadium on the other side of Stevenage Road but there was little need after the merger idea failed. During this era, the Cottage was used for choir singing and marching bands along with other performances, and Mass.
In 1933 there were plans to demolish the ground and start again from scratch with a new 80,000 capacity stadium. These plans never materialised mainly due to the Great Depression.
On 8 October 1938, 49,335 spectators watched Fulham play Millwall. The reason for this exceptionally large crowd was that the game at Stamford Bridge had suddenly been cancelled and so a lot of people made their way west to the Cottage that afternoon instead. It was the largest attendance ever at Craven Cottage and the record remains today, unlikely to be bettered as it is now an all-seater stadium with currently no room for more than 25,700. During the 1930-60’s era, Fulham often averaged over 25,000. However, the official attendances can be considered somewhat dubious in this era as many fans would get in by climbing over the fence from Bishops Park into the Putney End. As at many other grounds, fans would sometimes pay at the turnstiles but not be counted. This boot money would be given to the players (stuffed in their boots) and would not be counted in the gate money. The ground hosted several football games for the 1948 Summer Olympics, and is one of the last extant that did.
Architect
Born in Glasgow, Leitch’s early work was on designing tea factories in Deltota in the former Kandyan Kingdom of Ceylon, as well as factories in his home city and in Lanarkshire, the sole surviving example of which being the category A listed Sentinel Works at Jessie Street, Polmadie, just south of Glasgow city centre. In 1896 he became a member of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland, and later of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.[3] He moved into stadium design when he was commissioned to build Ibrox Park, the new home ground of his boyhood heroes Rangers, in 1899.
At the centre of football’s architecture, he built or was involved with the following grounds:
- Anfield, Liverpool
- Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London
- Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough
- Bramall Lane, Sheffield
- Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
- Craven Cottage, Fulham, London
- Dalymount Park, Dublin
- Deepdale, Preston
- The Old Den, New Cross, London
- Dens Park, Dundee
- The Dell, Southampton
- Ewood Park, Blackburn
- The Double Decker stand (The Kop), Filbert Street, Leicester
- Fratton Park, Portsmouth
- Goodison Park, Liverpool
- Hampden Park, Glasgow
- Home Park, Plymouth
- Hyde Road Football Stadium, Manchester (General ground improvements 1911-1914 and was planning a complete rebuild of the ground to accommodate 100,000 but war broke out, bringing a halt to those plans)
- Ibrox Park, Glasgow
- Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield
- Lansdowne Road, Dublin
- Leeds Road, Huddersfield
- Molineux, Wolverhampton
- Old Trafford, Trafford, Greater Manchester
- Park Avenue, Bradford
- Roker Park, Sunderland
- Rugby Park, Kilmarnock
- Saltergate, Chesterfield
- Selhurst Park, South Norwood, London
- Somerset Park, Ayr
- Stamford Bridge, Walham Green, London fulham
- Starks Park, Kirkcaldy
- Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London
- Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh
- Valley Parade, Bradford (Midland Road stand and other extensions)
- Villa Park, Birmingham
- West Ham Stadium, Custom House, London
- White Hart Lane, Tottenham, London
- Windsor Park, Belfast
Stadium Tour
We bought our tickets online. £15 per adult and free under 5. Once you have purchased be 15min before your tour is due in front of the Johnny Haynes statue, Stevenage Road.
Our guide today was Ian, very polite and welcoming. He started by telling us all about Johnny Hayes, and his £20 a week wage, and then about the Cottage. The Hayes stand is protected by English Heritage and cannot be touched apart for security features upgrades. It is a beautiful architecture, a bit like the Aston Villa stand. It is made of distinctive red bricks and harbour some of the smallest turnstile entrances I have ever seen. I tell you now, if you have eaten few pies do not attempt! The wall of the stand outside harbours the creation date of Fulham, which is 1880. But in reality, it was created in 1879. The builder got it wrong and they didn’t have the heart to tell him once he had finished his piece of art.
We then make our way through a quick security check and Ian tells us that actually it is the only stand in the league whereby once you have scanned your ticket it still requires a steward to press a button with his foot to let the fan go through the turnstile! Incredible, in this modern area, whereby everything is activated by technology, this is quite amazing. The reason is simple, it is protected by English Heritage laws. I love it!
Fulham are building a new stadium that will see the corners being filled and advancing 10m into the Thames. Pedestrians will be able to stay on the Thames path, rather than go around as it is nowadays.
As Ian is talking, I ask about how much the pitch cost. Most Premier League pitches are in and around £2m to £3m. Well this is thwarted by the £5m it cost Fulham on a yearly basis. One hell of a dent into your budget! He explains that the grass is a mix of natural and synthetic. Specialist like Grassmaster make it a business. It takes two weeks for a machine to blend the grass! they also use 4 types of seeds as there is always 1 type of seed that the pigeons do not like. Crazy but true. Who says football is not a science.
As we visit the executive suite, which by the way needs redone and chairs changed (some of the leather is gone!), we then make our way to the balcony, which is in the cottage. By the way, the cottage was designed by mistake when the architect realised that he had not created dressing rooms. I think somewhere deep he meant it! Inside the cottage is a room for players’ families. They have a bar, toys for kids and all necessary amenities. It is small and therefore cosy. We then make our way onto the balcony, great view but…wooden seats! Wow. This is true for most of the Haynes stand. The story, not yet verified, is that the seats were bought from a theatre in Yorkshire. Every penny counts. Not the most comfortable but they have lived through centuries. I personally do not mind.
Onto the final stage of the tour, which by the way is now well into the hour and a half. The dressing rooms. First the away dressing room, which is rather large and what you would expect from a dressing room. But the home one is tiny. Really cosy. I had to count the amount of seats to make sure everyone could be accommodated. I found on the wall an intriguing poster, which was the Pitch Protection Act from the Premier League. Have a read, really interesting and apologies if the photo is a bit blurry (someone was pulling my arm!!)
There is an adjacent room, which is where the players have lunch together, 4 massage tables and an indoor bicycle. This is also the place where they do drug tests. Ian tells us that Sessegnon once had to wait until late evening before doing is urine sample, which by the time only the groundsman was left. Kitman and all staff gone. He took his kit to his mum who washed it and presented back to the kitman the next day in a perfect state. Apparently not a common thing done nowadays. in contrast with the old days, where young players used to wash the boots of senior players. We then went into the refs dressing room and got to trigger the buzz informing both teams to get out onto the pitch. Finally, we went to the PR room and got to do the interviews today. Mateo had much to say!
As any good stadium tour we ended our journey into the megastore, time for us to say thank you to Ian and for me to recount one last time how I came to score on this famous and wonderful ground.
http://www.fulhamfc.com/meetings-and-events/stadium-tours
Cost: £15 adult, £12 juniors and free under 5
Stadium architecture: 10/10
Stadium history: 7/10
Stadium tour: 8/10
Overall mark: 8/10
Interesting fact: when Khan bought the football club from Al Fayed, he removed that hidious Michael Jackson’s statue. He asked Al Fayed if he wanted it and he said no. But he did state, if you remove it, it will bring bad luck and send Fulham to the championship. Surely enough, the statue was removed and …Fulham went down!
Benoit Mercier
The future relationship between the UK and EU – what to make of it?
About a week ago, Theresa May has hailed the draft agreement on post-Brexit relations as “right for the whole of the UK” and insisted a deal “is within our grasp”. The political declaration – outlining how UK-EU trade, security and other issues will work – has been “agreed in principle”, the European Council says. London and Brussels have already agreed the draft terms of the UK’s exit from the EU on 29 March 2019. The withdrawal agreement is legally-binding – the political declaration is not. The prime minister told MPs it would deliver the Brexit people voted for…but at the risk of sounding repetitive who knew what they voted for two years ago?
What do I make of this proposal? Well, let me be clear on three counts:
- Every single British citizen should be made to read this proposal through a legal obligation. Here is the link to it. There is a legal requirement to fill in the UK census, which brings little benefit in comparison to understanding what people are about to experience with BREXIT. There should be NOÂ EXCUSES to anyone for not knowing the outline.
- It sets out broad aspirations for the kind of relationship the UK and the EU will have after Brexit. Most of the wording of it is non-committal and allows both sides to keep their options open. Not much of an agreement that people can vote on.
- The UK becomes, and excuse my French, the ‘bitch’ of Europe. I can only quote May: ‘This proposal would ensure that we leave the EU, without leaving Europe‘. Please thank your friends, colleagues, neighbours that have voted leave! Don’t believe me? Chapter 4, section 3.4 paragraph 22, and I quote ‘In areas where the UK commits to a common rulebook (which is pretty much everywhere), where the UK makes a choice to commit to ongoing harmonisation with the relevant EU rules and requirements, it will be important for the UK to be able to share its views with the EU as those EU rules are developed. While the UK would not have a vote on relevant rule changes, its experts should be consulted…’. If you know the RACI methodology you will understand that consulted is not accountable and responsible. Basically, the EU will listen but do whatever they see fit for purpose and for the greater of goods for the EU.
Some of my key highlights, reflexions below. I will keep the structure of the document to make it easy.
Chapter 1 – Economic partnership
Section 1.2 – Goods
- The EU is the UK’s biggest market, therefore there is a need to establish a free trade areas for goods. Clearly EU has the upper hand in negotiations with just that statement. As stated, the ‘UK CANNOT have all the benefits of membership of the Single Market without its obligations‘. Solution: establish a new free trade area and maintain a common rule book for goods and the introduction of a new Facilitated Customs Arrangements (FCA). Remember my common rulebook statement above
But you would be within your rights to ask what is the FCA. The FCA tries to mirror the EU’s customs approach at its external border. The idea is that goods entering the EU via the UK have complied with EU customs processes and the applicable EU tariffs have been paid. This would be done by the UK customs authorities (which would be the same as currently with UK being an EU member). The thought is, that this would remove the need for customs processes between the UK and the EU, including customs declarations, routine requirements for rules of origin, and entry and exit summary declarations. This means that where a good reaches the UK border, and the destination is clear, the UK tariff will apply if it is destined for the UK and the EU tariff will apply if it is destined for the EU. In case the destination is not clear at the point of import, the higher of the UK or EU tariff will apply. Where the good’s destination is later identified to be a lower tariff jurisdiction, it would be eligible for a repayment from the UK Government equal to the difference between the two tariffs
So what? The conclusion from all of this is, that the UK can only agree FTA’s with third countries which have an FTA with the EU as well. One important Brexit deliverable for the UK is for the UK to conclude its own FTA’s. That objective cannot be reached since the UK’s bottom line choice will effectively be limited to those countries which have an FTA with the EU already. That is the same result as under the alternative of the UK entering into a customs union agreement with the EU. And this is an option that the UK has always refused.
- The good new is that there is an elimination of tariffs between the UK and the EU in principle.
- In terms of manufactured goods, the adoption of a common rulebook means that the BSI could not put forward any competing national standards.
What should you ask yourself: who is going to pay for that FCA? and how much it will cost not just the tax payer but also businesses?
What should you think? Well the EU clearly has the upper hand and the UK won’t have much of a say. If it did break away, it would impact seriously its ability to trade with the EU.
Section 1.3.4Â – Financial services
Once the UK leaves the EU and Single Market, the UK can no longer operate under the EU passporting regime.
What is a EU passport? It enables financial firms in the UK to sell their services right across the EU. So, for instance, a UK-bank based in London can sell financial services to a company based in Prague as easily as if that company was based in Preston. There are no regulatory barriers. The EU is a huge market of 500 million people and some 22 million firms, so it’s clearly problematic if UK-based financial firms find it more difficult to offer them services. The Financial Conduct Authority regulator says that around 5,500 financial firms in the UK currently have EU passporting rights and the British Bankers Association says UK financial firms exported over £20bn of services in 2014. The Financial Times has reported that some in the City estimate that as much as 20 per cent of UK-based firms’ investment and capital markets revenue (around £9bn) could be disrupted if the UK loses the EU passport. Yet there is no doubting the importance of the overall financial services sector for the UK economy. It accounts for around 7 per cent of total UK economic output and supports around 1 million jobs. Finance is also a critical UK exporter and a major recipient of foreign direct investment. Anything that damages this sector (and losing the EU financial services passport will unquestionably damage it) can be reasonably expected to have serious negative effects on the overall UK economy.
The proposal is to create a new economic and regulatory arrangement with a bilateral framework of treaty based commitments.
What should you ask yourself: how much more administrative burden will this add and will these financial institutions be happy to deal with them? Or will they leave
What should you think? When the UK leaves the European Single Market, financial firms domiciled within the City of London will lose their ‘passporting rights’. This means that many UK-based banks and other financial institutions will need to relocate a significant portion of their operations, capital and staff to alternative financial centres which remain inside the EU. Frankfurt has consistently been identified as one of the potential beneficiaries of this process, alongside Dublin, Paris and Luxembourg.
Section 1.4Â – Framework for mobility
It is clear that this proposal ends free movement of people but Irish citizens will continue to enjoy a special status in the UK.
It proposes visa-free travel for EU state members but paragraph 87 states ‘UKÂ wants to minimise admin burden for those seeking permission to travel, enter and reside in each other’s territories. I am confused, what is it!
the UK wants to continue to be able to use the European Health Insurance Card to receive healthcare.
The UK proposes a UK-EU youth mobility scheme, which I am pleased to see.
What should you ask yourself: is this going to impact my business, especially if I employ low skilled migrants? will the tourism industry suffer from the above, and therefore impact many jobs directly and indirectly?
What should you think? this should satisfy Brexiteers in the main. However, using the EHIC will come at a cost and not knowing exactly the travel visa process remains a key sticky point.
Section 1.7.5Â – Electricity and gas
Trade in electricity takes place through interconnectors. There are currently 3 between the UK and EU. The proposal gives 2 options, which have not been thought through yet. One is to leave the Internal Energy Market and the other…not to.
The free flow of energy across interconnectors is necessary to keep “a level playing field that keeps costs down for consumers and ensures decarbonisation and security of supply. Any imposition of tariff or non-tariff barriers to the flows of energy across interconnectors would increase the cost of the low-carbon transition and set back action on climate change. In the event of option 1, then clearly it will drive up your energy bills
What should you ask yourself: do you want your bills to keep going up?
What should you think? Hell no. Why shall I pay more
Chapter 2 – Security partnership
Section 2.3Â – Law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation
T. May make a raft of proposals and in the main do make sense to me. However, a statement does alarm me. Paragraph 14. The UK recognises that leaving the EU will have consequences for the nature of the security relationship between the UK and the EU.
There is a lot of common sense about sharing critical and vital information but this comes at a price. Surely no saving here, the bill will have to be paid to the EU
Also, the proposal stipulates that where the UK participates in an EU agency, the UK will respect the remit of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Well let me be clear by telling you that under this proposal, the UK will seek to access many EU agencies!
Finally, there is no clear decision made regarding Galileo. Billed as the EU’s answer to the USA’s GPS system, and aimed at giving Europe some degree of autonomy from its American cousins. In the event of no deal being struck with the alliance of European states, the government has admitted the UK would lose access to the encrypted Public Regulated Service (PRS), which will upset the military. UK businesses, academics and researchers will also get a kicking, since they will be unable to bid on any future Galileo contracts
What should you ask yourself: IÂ don’t know about you, but in this day and age I would rather that there is a great relationship and not jeopardise my safety. Also what incremental costs for the UK budget?
What should you think? Overall I am satisfied with the document but things like the above makes me nervous, especially if you have a family! The UK cannot operate effectively alone in terms of security and therefore will need to be part of EU agencies. Therefore surrendering any decision making to the EU.
Chapter 4 – Institutional arrangements
Section 4.2Â – A practical and flexible partnership
The new relationship would rely on a new framework, which sees the creation of a Joint Committee. This committee would:
- Steer the development of the future relationship
- Manage and monitor the implementation of the future relationship
- Resolve disputes
- Provide additional administrative functions
If there is a change in legislation going forward, it will be dealt by the Joint Committee and the UK Parliament will have the opportunity to provide the Government with its opinion. It will only be consulted. If the UK DOES NOT passes the legislation there would be consequences from breaking the UK’s international obligations
What should you ask yourself: Who is going to pay for this? We already have this setup and it is called the EU council.
What should you think? As a European and British, we should be 100% against this framework. All we will end up doing is paying useless politicians to take decisions. It clearly is a mini EU council.
Conclusion
Theresa May did her best. I genuinely believe this. But in my mind, this deal will still not get what 51% of British people that vote Leave want. The deal they want is not possible without suffering huge economic and social consequences.
I will not pretend that I am an expert, but there is a lot of uncertainty in this document. If this was created to re-assure me, well it hasn’t. Saying that, is this deal better than NO deal? Without a doubt YES. Is this deal better than remaining in the EU…certainly not!!!
On a personal level, I would rather it gets rejected but only if a new vote is to be put forward with the ability to kill Brexit once and for all. It is for all to see that there is no good deal possible. People need to wake up and realise that the UK is not that strong nation it once was and that the best deal is to stay in the EU. Don’t be upset, only by being unified will we be able to fight against the US and China.
In any case, you now need to read the full proposal and understand what you are voting for. No one should tell you what to think, you should make up your own mind like I did.
Benoit Mercier
Is a Second Brexit referendum legitimate?
We are now nearing the 2 year deadline, 29th March 2019 at 11pm, and we are in full political and economical turmoil.
EU leaders have approved an agreement on the UK’s withdrawal and future relations – insisting it is the “best and only deal possible”. After 20 months of negotiations, the 27 leaders gave the deal their blessing after less than an hour’s discussion. They said the deal – which needs to be approved by the UK Parliament – paved the way for an “orderly withdrawal”. Theresa May said the deal “delivered for the British people” and set the UK “on course for a prosperous future”. The reaction back in Britain was as anticipated…painful for the PM. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to Sunday’s summit by calling the deal “the worst of all worlds”. He said his party would oppose it, but would work with others “to block a no deal outcome” and ensure “a sensible deal” was on the table. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said he would find it “very, very difficult” to support the agreement as it stood. “I don’t believe that, so far, this deal delivers on what the British people really voted for,” he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge show. “I think it has ceded too much control.” SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon – who wanted to stay in the EU – said it was a “bad deal” and Parliament should consider “better alternatives”, such as remaining in the single market and customs union permanently. And Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster – who wants to leave the EU – said her party’s parliamentary pact with the Conservatives would be reviewed if MPs approved the deal.
So in a nutshell, unless a surprise pops up, this proposal should be defeated in parliament. But in the event, it went through what should happen next? Well for me it is clear, there should be a second referendum to ask whether:
- Yes I want to leave the EU and accept the deal (based on the fact that it would have been approved by parliament)
- Yes I want to leave the EU but reject the deal and agree to a no deal
- No I don’t want to leave the EU
Why is a second referendum a necessity and stop feeding me rubbish about being anti-democratic?
Do people understand what they were voting for 2 years ago? The answer is simple NO. Nobody knew, whether you are a remain or leave supporter. Do they now appreciate the consequences? Most likely. However, have we got a better understanding 2 years on? Again I would argue NOT. Yes we have a bit more specifics but quite frankly nowhere enough to make an educated decision.
So why do I push for a second referendum? More than anything, in order to put the whole thing to bed, kill it once and for all. The whole debacle has come to a high price already. Look at the economic factors, doom and gloom:
- Since the EU referendum, strong growth relative to other G7 economies has tailed off (NEGATIVE)
- Remarkable strength of unemployment (POSITIVE)
- Wage growth has been hit by higher inflation (NEGATIVE)
- Household have thrown caution to the wind – people are saving not spending (NEGATIVE)
- Companies are reluctant to invest (NEGATIVE)
- Investors still mark down UK assets (NEGATIVE)
You do not believe me? Check it out for yourself https://www.ft.com/content/cf51e840-7147-11e7-93ff-99f383b09ff9. A country divided that will not heal its differences.
Because it has been done before, Ireland and Denmark
In the first rounds in both countries, as expected, the No campaign’s arguments tapped into the sensitive subjects relevant to society. In Denmark, the No side argued that the Maastricht Treaty would lead to loss of Danish sovereignty in a new United States of Europe, which would undermine or abolish the Danish currency and Danish citizenship. In Ireland during both the Nice and Lisbon referendums, the No campaigners repeatedly argued that the treaties would change Irish laws on abortion, lead to a loss of sovereignty, undermine Ireland’s military neutrality, and remove its permanent EU Commissioner.
In the second round, however, the arguments changed. The Yes side argued that Europe had listened to the Danish/Irish people and responded with legal guarantees, which were specifically on the themes raised by the No side. With the Edinburgh Agreement, Denmark would have four opt-outs in the fields of European citizenship, economic and monetary union, defence policy, and justice and home affairs. Ireland, on the other hand, gained guarantees concerning its military neutrality with the Seville Declaration after the Nice referendum, and on the Irish commissioner, competency over tax rates, abortion, neutrality, and workers’ rights after the Lisbon referendum.
Because this referendum was not legally binding and is being challenged at the ECJ
Let me remind you that the referendum was only advisory. Its result did not place a legally binding obligation on MPs to get Britain out of the EU. The safeguards that allow for legally binding elections to be re-run in the event of rule breaches did not, therefore, apply to the EU referendum.
The supreme court has dismissed an attempt by the Brexit secretary to derail a European court hearing into whether article 50 – which triggered the UK’s departure from the EU – could be reversed. In a decision released on Tuesday, the justices refused the government permission to challenge a ruling by Scotland’s highest court that the issue should be referred to the European court of justice in Luxembourg. The supreme court’s conclusion came after three justices, including the president of the court, Lady Hale, had considered the written request from the Department for Exiting the European Union. The way now appears clear for the European court of justice to proceed with its emergency hearing, scheduled for 27 November. So watch the space.
Conclusion
In my opinion, this referendum has been a shamble from start to…most likely finish. No one knew what they voted for and we are not better 2 years on. Knowing that this referendum was not legally binding, all it now needs is for the proposal to be rejected and pave the way for a second referendum to put it to bed. It is clear that a second referendum would be democratic through new general elections.
PS: In order to avoid bad behaviour from both camps, their should be a joint paper sent to all households clearly articulating the points for and against. If this gets done and Brits decide to exit, then and only then, will I accept it
Benoit Mercier
Derby della Madonnina: AC Milan vs. Inter
Exactly a month after the AC Milan vs. Inter derby was postponed, here we were with my 3 years old son, back on our journey to Milan to kick off properly our football derbies challenge. This was going to be an amazing 36 hours round trip, full of excitement, adrenaline and challenges. But before, I take you on a damp Wednesday evening at the San Siro, let me tell you about our journey to get there.
The journey
Arriverdverci London
5.30 am – Only had couple of hours sleep that I must wake up my son to dress him up. No easy feat I can tell you. 30min later, all dressed up and with our backpacks (he insisted in taking few toys in his own backpack!), we make our way to Gatwick Airport to take the
8.55 am – on board our flight to Milan Malpenza. We know well this airport from last month and it is really easy access to Milan. My son is fluey and I check the weather forecast, which is not looking good, heavy rain with thunderstorms. I curse my bad luck. I am worried that the game gets cancelled because of the thunderstorms (it has happened to me before) and I need my son to be on top form. Wisely I had taken my secret weapon…Calpol. Our flight leaves on time and 2 hours later we land in Milan with my son having slept all way through.
Buongiorno Milan
1.30 pm – we take the Malpenza Express at the airport train station that will take us straight to Cadorna Stazione. Commute: 40 min, 13 €. We then take a taxi to the hotel, another 40min and by 2.30pm we are finally lying on our hotel bed. Time to order some room service to get some ham and cheese toast. My son is not looking great I must say, a bit lethargic. Ok time to act. A wee bit of Calpol and a power nap I hope will do the trick. While he sleeps, I am checking how long it takes to get to the San Siro, 30min Google tells me. The game is at 6.30pm and I want to be at least an hour before kick off time. Therefore, I settle on leaving at 4.30pm.
On route to the San Siro
‘Madonna’ it rains like crazy. No umbrella, no rain jackets and the little one coughing like crazy, I can picture my wife complaining about taking him to a football game in his state. Sod it, I have not come all this way to give up. Another injection of Calpol will do the trick and give him enough energy to last the game! I order a Uber from the hotel and an immaculate Mercedes e Class comes to collect us. I am loving the comfort. And boy did we need it. Traffic jam after traffic jam. Our driver re-assures me that we will be on time but I can see the clock ticking along and us not moving. I check Google map and we are still 40 min walk away from San Siro. Normally I would have got us walking, but in my son’s state no way and it is absolutely pouring outside. Now I am getting a little bit stressed. 1h30 min later I can see the San Siro, phew I can breathe but by now it is 6pm. i decide to do the last few 100 meters walking.
Soaking the atmosphere
6 pm – Well the only thing soaking here is us. Soaking wet that is. Every fans are running to the gates and as we are about to do the same, my son tells me he wants to eat. S****! By the time I get him a hot dog I will have missed the warm up. Never mind, you need to have your priorities right (up to now you may doubt my ability to do so, I don’t blame you). We got to the food stand in front of the gate and order a nice hot dog. Eat in or take away he asks me. I am thinking, do I look to be wanting to eat it outside? I rush to Gate 7 and lucky for us, the rain has calmed down and very little queue.
Entering the San Siro
6.15pm – The security guy asks to see both my tickets and IDs. ‘Come again’ is my response. I have not taken any passports, why would I. Well it turns out that you have to at the San Siro. Now I panick. 2 trips to Milan, few quids out of my pocket, a tired son, you have got to be kidding me. Lucky for me, I have my driving licence but my son…by then the queue started to get longer and the game being minutes away, few home fans put him under pressure to let us pass. I just heared ‘bambini’, which I assume was, ‘he is a small kid what damage can he do!’ He gives me a smile and says ‘next time…’. Yeah right, no time to listen I am now rushing to the stairs. Another security check. This time, no issues.
This is what it is all about
We make the long journey to the top in about 5min (10 stair cases to go up). We arrive and both look at each others and wow, the magic happens. 80,000 fans shouting and getting ready for a gladiators fight. The noise is from a different planet, with over 100 decibels. This is the equivalent of a Boeing 707 taking off. Each end suddenly explodes ten minutes before kick off into huge, perfectly choreographed displays of banners. The whole vibrant spectacle is down to the dedicated work of hundreds of members of the much-aligned ultras. I get straight onto the camera and starts recording both ‘curvas’. Curva Sur for the AC Milan kop and Curva Norte for the Inter kop. We are seating next to curva norte. AC Milan kop deployed an amazing tifo and Franco Baresi comes and lay flowers in memory of the late Ray Wilkins. Nice touch.
The game and the fans
The first interesting fact is that the fans mix themselves, in the same way they would do in the Merseyside derby. It is all in good spirit, no fights, no intimidation. Even close to the away fans nothing gets thrown. I was surprised as it was coined as one of the most violent derbies in world football. Other interesting fact is that people smoke, and not just cigarettes. Some cultural habits cannot go away that easy. Also, if you are relatively tall like me (1.80m), your knees will be in the person in front of you. This arena was clearly made to be standing up.
The game itself is not great. Italian football has never been my cup of tea but they are easily the 5th best league in European football nation right now. We get to experience two goals but both ruled out after VAR. The noise when the goals are scored is indescribable. You get goose pumps. I know now why my cousin told me he could not hear his team mates when he played at the San Siro vs. AC Milan. I could not hear my son talk to me! The sound reverberation is phenomenal.
The first 45min flew by. At half time my son tells me he is cold. I am in trouble now. I tell him 15min more min, then 5 and then promise him some treats at the hotel. This works until the 70th minute but then we make our way out. This is the longest he has been able to stay at a game and I am pleased with what we experienced.
I bought him a friendship scarf on our way out so that we can start decorating his room…well try to before his mother notices it!
VAR
I was not planning on discussing it but then it occurred twice during the game, and as a fan I feel compelled to give my opinion on the subject.
I love the fact that we can give a fairer outcome to our game. I really do. I embrace goal line technology for example and I hate Platini’s idea of 5 referees, which is pointless. But I must agree with Pochettino. VAR kills the atmosphere and the essence of what a football game is all about. When Inter score the first goal, there were amazing celebrations at their end for few seconds and a barrage of abuse at the other end. But rapidly, the speaker and score board annouced VAR and the whole stadium quieten down. 5min later (truly 5min) he cancelled the goal, which was the right decision. At this point AC Milan fans erupted. But in between, the away fans did not know whether to celebrate and the away fans did not know whether to shout and vent their anger. We were in limbos. I agree with Pochettino that VAR is a bad idea. Unlike goal line technology, which is instant, VAR delays the output and by default kills the adrenaline of the moment. Until they can decide on the validity of a goal in a split of a second, I would rather the referee give a bad decision and be the talking point the next day but at least it would keep the emotions high within the stadium.
Our way back to the city centre
In one word, nightmare! I am looking for a taxi as it is raining a lot and get straight onto my Uber app. It tells me 5min. Fantastic. Issue, the taxi is not coming to the right location and after 15min of making me go up and down various avenues, cancel my trip. Ouch, the stadium is starting to empty itself and I make my way to the metro M5 (easiest way to San Siro and back to Milan). I can’t be bothered being jam packed so I keep asking Uber for a taxi. It is always the same one that comes back. Luckily, this time he comes to the right place. 30min later we are at the hotel, ordering room service and reflecting on what has been an extraordinary day.
Journey back home
9am – we go and get our breakfast and order a taxi to take us to the train station. We arrive at the airport just before noon and then fly back to London and arrive at home at 4pm. My son is delighted to see all is toys again and I am delighted with our trip. Before going to sleep it tells me ‘I enjoyed travelling with you dad and going to the game’. I did not need anymore to know that the next journey, will be another amazing adventure.
Costs
Flights: £150
Hotel: £100/night (for four)
Trains: £25
Taxi: £150 (for four days). To go to San Siro (£30 each way)
Food: £10/pers per meal
Match ticket: £130 viagogo
The overall experience
City accommodation: 10/10
Transport: 10/10
City history: 10/10 (a lot of history, museums)
Football atmosphere in the city: 2/10 (you don’t feel it is a derby day)
Football atmosphere in the stadium: 10/10
Insecurity: 10/10 (never felt in danger)
Quality of football: 4/10
Costs: 6/10
Overall: 7.75/10
Conclusion
The whole purpose of this challenge was to educate my son and myself on discovering a new city, new culture, new history with an amazing football experience. For a first I must say that we go both and I can’t wait for the second adventure when the new football season starts. And please, remember that you can support our challenge by giving what you can and want to our selected charity, which is Football Beyond Borders.
Ciao.
Benoit Mercier
Benoit Mercier 