New Starts (Cesc to Barcelona)

I make no excuse for starting with a small snippet of news on 7th August AFC Wimbledon will play an Arsenal XI at Kingsmeadow. Not surprising a few Dons fans immediately asked who I'd be supporting. Nine years ago at the start of the journey the idea that a top premiership club would send a side to play us seem absurd. Arsenal will be sending their first team squad to Warsaw that day for a PSF but nevertheless any Arsenal squad should brim with talent and there's a good chance that some of the 2009 FA Youth Cup winning squad will be on display.

During the day news started to filter out of a meeting between Cesc Fabregas and Arsene Wenger, if the media are to be believed Cesc has asked that he be allowed to join Barcelona this summer. Arsenal could block the move because Cesc still has many years on his contract, however Wenger has always said there is little point keeping a player who is determined to leave. It would be easy to attack Barcelona, who in the past have been responsible for destabilising players however given that Arsenal capturing Cesc from them as a 16 year old, and that Cesc has family and friends in Catalonia rather dilutes that argument. Arsenal fans have rather resigned themselves to the fact that one day Cesc would rejoin his boyhood club, in spite of being Club Captain there is little doubtthat he has become rustrated by Arsenal's inability to challenge for top honours. Perhaps the demolition of Arsenal in the Nou Camp was the final straw. It will be disappointing if the media stories are true, but perhaps it can be argued that Cesc has been on a 7 year loan deal and Arsenal could collect something like £50 million at the end of it.

Away from football , today was the first day of the new parliament. Interesting programme on 5Live interviewing the new intake. A couple of the old guard talked about how competitive the place is and its easier to get good advice from opposition MPs because they aren't competing with you. All rather dispiriting, there has been much talk of new politics and a new spirit in Westminster but I sense many will get sucked into the old culture.

NUT meeting this evening was both enjoyable and useful. It seems in my new role as caseworker I need a separate mobile phone, not sure I'll get used to carrying two machines in my pocket.

Finally Mark Ramprakash scored his 110th century against the old enemy , Middlesex at the Oval. Meanwhile Surrey announced the signing of Younis Khan, Pakistan Test Batsman to supplement their one day side ahead of the Twenty20 Championship, seems all ideas of signing Lara fell by the wayside.

New Album by The National is my album of the week.