Yep it's just two week sbefore the start of the new football season in England, despite what you might think with 100s of Intertoto / Uefa Cup or Champions League Qualifiers plus the obligatory friendlies and pre season tournaments. Do we actually know anything now that will give us a clue to teh upcoming season?

I know, for example, that unsurprisingly the world of football is surrounded in its own hypocritical goldfish bowl that seems to allow everyone to act one way one day and then complain the next day when someone does it to them. Today's examples are Spurs and the way they see the acquisition of Ramos as different from Liverpool's "stealing" of Robbie Keane or maybe Adebayor and his new found love of his beloved Arsenal.  Toss in the words of Sepp Blatter or Alex Ferguson orpretty much any other "name" in football and they all do it all the time - strangely the one who hasn't (YET!) has been old hard case Roy Keane - surely just a metter of time in the universe that is football.

Looking across L'Equipe this morning, the key reported stories are "Gallas keeps his armband" and "Merci Monsieur" - A big thank you following the retirement of Lilian Thuram, one of the few footballers who realise there is a bigger and more important world beyond the corridors of football.Arsene Wenger expressed his sadness at the man's need to retire due to heart problems.

Those of you following your Premier League (or other major European league) teams will be thinking, possibly, of some pre-season friendly or just ignoring the transfer rumours emanating from around the globe. However, here in Switzerland, tonight sees the first game of the Axpo Super League season with a game between the top two from last season (and actually the title deciding last game of last year as well). FC Basel take on Young Boys in the televised (on free TV no less!!) Friday night opener. All of this just a mere 19 days (!!) after the Euro 2008 final. It won't be the first competitive game though as Bellinzona played in the first round of the UEFA Cup qualifiying competition last night, winning 1-0.

Meanwhile back in the land of transfer bollocks, L'Equipe leads with the probable transfer of Ludovic Giuly to PSG from Roma. They also mention the possibility (seriously!!) of Arshavin now being courted by Tottenham, maybe using money from the sale of Robbie Keane, can you really believe Liverpool want to pay £20M? You get the feeling old Arshavin will be staying in St Petersburg, having said he loves every club in Europe at some time or other.

Oh and the temporary railway station story, during Euro 2008 Swiss Railways (SBB) actually built a new train station to allow fans from the Pratteln Fan Campclose access to a train station. They put on extra trains as well to make all the guests feel comfortable too. Anyway, the station at Salina Raurica is now being demolished - only the Swiss would build and then demolish a train station I think.