http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/jon-ryan/ Jon Ryan is editor of Melbourne weekly newspaper the Progress Leader. An Englishman, he has lived in Australia since 2007 and writes the Whinging Pom blog on the Leader Community Newspapers blog. A keen cricketer, Jon can be found during the summer serving up his left-arm filth for Caulfield in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association. Jon is married to Anna and lives in St Kilda. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/existence-has-no-meaning-without-a-football-team/ The football club I’ve supported since childhood looks set to be relegated two seasons on the trot – and I’m absolutely delighted. I couldn’t be happier, simply because the alternative for Portsmouth was much, much worse. Let me explain for anyone not following this utter debacle. Pompey are roughly $135 million in debt after a few years of living the dream and now face a winding up petition from the UK taxman in the High Court. A hearing due to be held this coming Monday would probably have sealed the club’s fate. Portsmouth Football Club, established 1898, would no longer exist. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/existence-has-no-meaning-without-a-football-team/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/existence-has-no-meaning-without-a-football-team/#item2482 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:40:05 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-of-nudism-and-monopoly/ Naked cartwheels, foot spas for toddlers and a board game that teaches youngsters the ins and outs of the drug trade. It’s been another varied week in the quirky world of local newspapers. When an 80-year-old Adelaide woman found a board game on her front lawn, quite naturally she gave it to her grandson. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-of-nudism-and-monopoly/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-of-nudism-and-monopoly/#item2433 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:41:05 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-the-romance-of-housework-jewels-in-the-frozen-section/ We’ll kick off this week’s tour of the suburbs with a story likely to leave your grandad shaking his head and telling you the world’s gone mad. In yet another kick to the swingers for first-time buyers, a 16 square metre garage has been sold in North Bondi – for $240,000. As the Wentworth Courier reports, a punter shelled out more than four times the average Australian salary for “a little extra space”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-the-romance-of-housework-jewels-in-the-frozen-section/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/suburban-tales-the-romance-of-housework-jewels-in-the-frozen-section/#item2368 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:59:27 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toni-braxton-is-right-about-crickets-video-referee/ American diva Toni Braxton probably doesn’t follow the cricket. And she almost certainly wasn’t thinking about the umpire decision review system when she sang “It’s not right, but it’s ok”. You’ve got to hand it to her though - she hit the nail on the head. It isn’t right. Not 100 per cent. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toni-braxton-is-right-about-crickets-video-referee/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toni-braxton-is-right-about-crickets-video-referee/#item1969 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:30:21 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/english-cricketers-do-something-right/ Following England’s cricketers on Twitter is becoming almost as entertaining as watching them on the field. Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson led the way, giving us the inside track on everything from room service meals to the perils of only packing two pairs of underpants for a tour. Swann, in particular, went the extra mile by providing details of a stomach bug he picked up. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/english-cricketers-do-something-right/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/english-cricketers-do-something-right/#item1390 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:10:43 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-soccer-will-never-soar-if-diving-isnt-banned/ Arsenal striker Eduardo has been banned for two matches for diving, providing hope at last for all football fans. A Uefa disciplinary panel ruled he cheated to win a penalty in a Champions League qualifier last week against Celtic. The punishment far outweighs the yellow card he would have received had the referee spotted his dive, and that could be argued to be unfair. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-soccer-will-never-soar-if-diving-isnt-banned/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/aussie-soccer-will-never-soar-if-diving-isnt-banned/#item1096 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:30:18 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-winning-at-lords-meant-the-world-to-us-poms/ The monkey is not just off the back – he’s on the floor, break-dancing. If we didn’t win this time, we would never win at Lords ever again. For 75 years that Aussies have dominated us at the home of cricket, but by Sunday we dared to dream. A lead of more than 500, two days to bowl the Aussies out – and a bowling line-up that consisted of four seamers, one spinner and two umpires. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-winning-at-lords-meant-the-world-to-us-poms/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-winning-at-lords-meant-the-world-to-us-poms/#item685 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:10:55 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-ponting-the-sook-has-given-england-an-edge/ Winding up Ricky Ponting threatens to overtake fishing as England’s biggest recreational sport. From his Gary Pratt blow-up in 2005 to Sunday’s ‘Physiogate’ press conference, us Poms like nothing better than to dress up the beady-eyed Tasmanian as the pantomime villain. It’s just so much fun to watch – Little Ricky standing there in the playground shouting, “Miss, they stole my Test match…” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Jon Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-ponting-the-sook-has-given-england-an-edge/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-ponting-the-sook-has-given-england-an-edge/#item633 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:45:12 +0000 Jon Ryan | Author bios | The Punch