Preseason preamble

Preamble, le mot juste, where Tecumsehs are concerned. Another offseason marked by complacency and inactivity is almost at an end. Spring is here, and a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of softball, as Tennyson observed, in an early, oft-o'erlooked draft of Locksley Hall. The AGM has been and gone. Attendance was spectacularly poor, to my certain knowledge only three Tecumsehs made it to The Rose & Crown. Shell, nobly, is claiming four showed up but has counted Seth twice, I suspect. "Right, so we've got Seth, Adrian, me and Seth, that's four!" If you were the mysterious other Tecumseh present please make yourself known and I'll stand corrected. Another explanation might be found in the diaries of Shackleton. On one of his Southward expeditions a strange psychophenomenon was observed whereby several of his fellow explorers, driven half-mad by blinding snow, were convinced that often one more person was travelling with them than they knew to be in the party.

Farooq is a new father, again, and we wish him luck in rediscovering the attendant joys of that happy state. From what I remember babies are like camels, in that they communicate their discomfort from both ends, in the most alarming fashion. Salaam, tiny Snackperson. Welcome to our troubled world.

In other news Lord Anthony Chanter has passed his umpiring finals and can now fly blue at the mizzen. TC did all this on the QT in order to avoid the customary pelting with flour and eggs. Barbara is said to so proud of her man that she is considering allowing him to introduce her to the rest of the team. Probably best to ensure Craig's not around when you do, Tone old mate, as he may start going on about the war, or what he still remembers of it first-hand. Incidentally as umpires are paid cash in hand is Tony likely to be pursued by members of his own department? I think we should be told.

Having perused Shell's minutes from the AGM I assume that it's "As you were" vis à vis coaching this year, with Head Coach Emeritus (and Danish correspondent) Nelson playing Bush to Doctor Goodhand's Cheney. Hope so. Over and out.