Central Line Tube Trouble

Severe delays just weeks before the opening ceremony of London 2012 hit London last week. A burst pipe causes havoc on the main line to the Olympic Park. Thousands of passengers face countless delays and disruptions to their journeys. 

A second use for the tube network in the making?

Will England Win Euro 2012?

If you asked 70 million people in the UK whether England will win Euro 2012 the answer would be probably be we have no chance. After all the odd's are not stacked in our favor particularly because we have in charge a new and relatively inexperienced manager in Roy Hodgson. The latest odd's previous to whether we win tomorrows opening group game with France are 14-1, only to be beaten by Russia, Italy, France, Germany, and the reigning champions Spain. 

Roy Hodgson caliber as a England manager, is very much viewed as experimental, although he has many  credentials within national management. However his recent club successes have been very few and far between including a brief and very unsuccessful stint at Liverpool. 

Pass the Buck - New manager, new surroundings - England chances are slim

In previous competitions we have an enormous amount of pressure pilled on to us in the days of Sven Erikson and Fabio Cappello, but this year is unlike any other, we are going into the competition with relative little expectation that we will make it past the group stage. 

Other teams have had very successful outcomes following little expectations going into such a major tournament. You only have to look at Greece's fortunes in Euro 2004 wen they lifted the trophy. Their success was compounded further by the fact that they had only qualified for two previous tournaments, Euro 1980 and the 1994 World Cup. Additionally to this when they won there first group game against the hosts Portugal, it was their first every victory. Likewise South Korea in the World Cup of 2002, getting through all the way to the semi finals only to be beaten by Germany 1-0. 

So can England win this tournament, possibly going into the tournament with relative little expectation that fan's expect us to actually get through the group stages. Where do you think England will end up, top the group and win the tournament or go home with many fan's not thinking too much of the tournament.

Increasing Restaurant Visibility

I read an article recently that stated that 95% of independent restaurants don't have mobile sites a further 40% don't have online menu's. Thinking about this for a second, it is a startling statistic. We currently live in society of online shoppers, smartphone users, yet restaurant owners and publicans are not using the right mediums to appeal to the right audiences.

Is this because they don't know how to use this mechanic? Or is it because they don't have the necessarily time to facilitate the rewards it can bring. Someone would argue that this statistic could be false predicament, with many independents offering takeaway services, online presences may not be the right method whereas leaflet drops are key drivers in delivering their successes.  

As a consumer and a regular visitor to independent restaurants it still amazes me that some restaurants still don't have a website to generate an online presence. What presence they do have on their websites is through review sites such as TripAdvisor and this certainly leaves them open from all angles to criticism regarding service and more importantly performance. 

If the restaurant industry is continuing to suffer because of this new marketing theme, where does the future lie for these independents relying on new business for their success. With restaurant owners feeling the pinch already with rising supplier prices and budget increases with more and more independents closing doors on a daily basis the future looks bleak for restaurant owners.