Don't waste your money on Ukraine vs England tonight...

Just don't. It's £11.99 now, to watch one match of football, a now totally irrelevant World Cup qualifier, online. This just won't work. In my experience of watching anything live online, there are numerous things which will inevitably not make your viewing experience a pleasant one. Firstly, the quality, it will be sub-par not only for the fact that's it online, but notoriously Eastern European live feeds aren't renowned for being particularly good. Secondly, the staunchly middle-class England 'fans' will be watching in their droves on their macbook pros, almost certainly slowing it down whilst probably crashing the entire server altogether. Thirdly, it's an England away qualifier. Snooze-fest.

I like my football as much as the next man, and I'll admit that my life-long love affair with Manchester United somewhat clashes with many of my political beliefs. The money in football is ludicrous, and the game is commodified to within an inch of its life - ruled by the money men, and those wealthy enough to afford season tickets costing several hundreds of pounds, or those who can afford £30 or £40 regularly. I enjoy watching it, and the entertainment factor cannot be doubted, but at the top, it's an evil game (Credit to Wigan Athletic, who for a season ticket only charge £180, lower than most clubs in the entire football league). Football-wise, on a day when England play a World Cup qualifier, my attention will be with my local club, St. Helens Town, who play in the Vodkat League Premier (For those interested, eight levels below the Premiership and 3 promotions away from featuring as a playable club on Football Manager), who travel away to Flixton today.

However, it is a more famous team with which Town share a ground with which I recommend you watch rather than England today. Rugby League has stuck to its roots. To outsiders, it is seen as a sport played by big lumbering men by teams from towns who are within a couple of miles of the M62. And to some extent, they'd be correct. But, unlike football, it's a sport for the working-class man. Just the other day, I overheard someone say on a train that an established international rugby league player had been offered 'silly money' to join Hull from St Helens on a two year deal, which he accepted. The sum in question was £50,000 per annum. To think in one sport that can be considered silly money, whereas in football it is the norm now for players to earn double or even triple that per week. To watch St Helens, or Leeds, the finest two sides in the Northern Hemisphere, a season ticket for some 20 games doesn't even cost a hundred quid. It's a damn sight more entertaining too, and played in the right spirit unlike football. There can be punches thrown, and 20 man brawls, but isn't that better all round than snidey elbows, shirt pulling and trying to get people sent off? Almost certainly. So tonight, forget England v Ukraine and get on Sky Sports One and watch St Helens vs Leeds Rhinos in the grand final at 6pm, the very pinnacle of the club game.

N.b., at the time of writing, St Helens Town lead Flixton 1-0 in the early stages of the second half. Come on Town!