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Pundit bewails the standard of ads at football grounds

Pundit: Decent, honest and truthful

Lipton's: Well, who wouldn't?

Smoker: Supporting British industry, even at the expense of lives

Funny old thing, Football. For instance, adverts at football. Nobody would accuse me of indulging in nostalgia, but they aren't like the old days.

Sell out

Watching the Spurs the other day, without any football to distract me I took to staring at the ads around the ground. For instance, "AKV Consulting. Leverage for your business!" and "C. Moore Double Glazing. You've fitted the rest, now fit the best!" and "Hepworth Rankin: Outsource the pain". What have any of these ads to do with the match, I asked myself. Even in a dull game, you're hardly likely to think, "We're looking really vulnerable on the left flank. Oh, and I must get some double glazing."

As for some of the other ads, I don't even know what these companies do. What would I be holding in my hand at the end of a hard day's leveraging? Can I outsource the pain of a home defeat, amongst other ills?

Exactly what it says on the tin

No, in my day, ads were far more focused. "Drink and Enjoy Lipton's Tea", urged the boards around the ground. And who in their right mind wouldn't? "Smoke Rothmans — good for the lungs." Nothing wrong with a half-time smoke. Sure, ultimately it killed you and those around you, but at least it supplied some comfort in the process — precisely what you needed at half time at White Hart Lane. Nowadays there's barely an ad at a football ground which seems to be relevant to the football supporter. Mind you, there was one at White Hart Lane last time I was there: "Situation Vacant".

Yours aye,

Johnny Pundit