Footy's back but can we have cheerleaders too, please?

By Luke Wilkins on Aug 20, 08 10:02 AM

I did something I don't often do on Saturday at 2.59pm.

I let out a bit of a girly scream on my Offside show as the footy season was about to kick off, the anticipation of the last two months of signings, all the hype in the papers and, of course, all the rhetoric spouted by people like me paid to talk about it.

It was finally here!

Now I love all sport (seriously, I'm getting scared at how addicted I'm getting to the weirdest of events in the Olympics. The other day I sat for two hours watching the team Final for Show Jumping.

Honestly, show jumping.

I hate that kind of thing normally, but the tension and the drama of the final, and the 61 year-old Canadian guy who took it to a final ride-off (what a legend - an Olympian in his 60s!) just added to the drama.

Although I would like to suggest that the cheerleaders so prevalent on the beach volleyball court are used in all events.

But my love of sport went into overload when I suddenly realised that the footy season once more was upon us.

Just because I play rugby and cricket, people often think that I'm not really into my football, but they couldn't be more wrong!

I love it. I'm an avid Arsenal fan (I have four older, bigger brothers who all support Arsenal, so there wasn't much choice!) and the fact that the best football league in the world was back just overcame me.

And yes, I am aware technically it did start at 12.45pm when Arsenal beat the Baggies, but I wasn't going to mention that to appease all you West Brom fans!

It's great when a new season rolls around because the speculation can finally end, and we can see what rebuilding jobs managers have done over the summer, and what impact new signings will make.

So what did the opening weekend of the Premiership give us?

First up we saw Nasri, Wenger's new "wonderkid", score within the first four minutes of the season. Then we saw new boys Hull play some incredible football with an amazing win over Fulham and with their Brazilian signing Geovanni getting on the score sheet with a screamer.

Southgate was rewarded for playing three up front against a Tottenham side who were supposed to be able to break into the top four (yeah right, although I do like the look of Modric and Dos Santos), and brought home the three points,

The dullest looking encounter between Blackburn and Everton actually provided the most entertainment, and five goals. West Ham welcomed back a fit again Dean Ashton, and he looked amazing, banging in two cracking efforts before getting well ... injured.

There were wins for Liverpool and Chelsea, too, although the latter's over Pompey was much more convincing than the former's anaemic display against Sunderland. We saw proof that King Kev is actually making a difference at Newcastle and is instilling some pride and passion into his players, and Gutierrez looks a class signing as the Geordies held a lacklustre Man Utd side at home (I didn't see that coming either!)

And finally Aston Villa did a number on Man City, as Gabby announced his intentions with a rapid fire hat trick. Wow, not bad for the first weekend back. Now bring on the rest of the season!

I am gutted though, that I haven't been able to play cricket for almost a month because of this gorgeous British summer (My god, what is that in the sky? An enormous yellow ball of fire? What a crazy notion!)

And I'm away this weekend at a mates wedding down in Laaarrrnndaaaaannn (I'm a Cockney, don't you know), so I have been going mad with my training partner Scott at Arch 20 gym.

Ah the gym, a place where nothing matters but you and the weights, and it's a sheer battle of wits (I mean determination) between you and the inanimate objects that cause so much pain, and where if you think you have a set left in you after a session then you shouldn't be leaving.

OK, really I just sit around in Lycra drinking Beefcake shakes, as my housemate calls them, pretending to go to the gym, but don't I sound tough and fit?

This week I'm in for Emma Scott at work, so you can catch me from 11am to 3pm each day talking gibberish and playing awesome rock music in between, apart from on Friday when I go to the wedding down South.

Singing 'Enry at work will be keeping a watchful eye over my Offside show while I probably get much too drunk much too early, dance like my dad, try to pull a bridesmaid and end up asleep on a mate's sofa.

I love weddings.