HELLO, how’s your week been? Mine has been painful. Before my dear old mum starts worrying about whether something serious has happened to me in the “real world,” I must clarify — my week has been painful in sporting terms. 

Of course, there have been plenty of things far more important than mere sport that deserved my attention this week — serious things that deservedly place mere sport into context. 

Routing venal Tories at the ballot box next week at the local elections would be a start, for example.