But the paucity of the offering is not the only reason for resenting this premature intrusion into the sporting calendar.

Although cricket, tennis and (especially) golf are well down my league ladder of favourite sports when compared to football, they’re there all the same, and their leisurely, read-the-paper-while-watching pace presents a welcome counterpoint to the hurly-burly of football during the winter months.

Although the latter two sports are largely done in terms of domestic interest, no-one can fail to have been captivated by the Ashes series, and frankly I’m not ready to have my interest diluted by glorified training sessions across Europe and the Far East.

You can’t help but compare and contrast the summer offerings with the great game, though.

The spat between Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting might not have quite the tang of a Rafa vs Fergie encounter, but the exchange of views between Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie was up there with the best: it’s not often you hear a prominent sportsman call another a cheat, especially not four years after the event.

And while the use of video technology undoubtedly triumphs in matters of fact like cricket run-outs and tennis line calls, its weaknesses when called to determine whether a catch has been taken cleanly are there for all to see: the umpires are scared to trust the evidence of their own eyes, even though they’re far better positioned than the TV cameras.

And what does it say about golf as a sport when a 59-year old can come within a whisker of its top prize?

No, the time for football is not yet upon us. Not until 2pm today in Thailand, anyway.