In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the British Government issued a series of pamphlets and public information films under the banner 'Protect and Survive', aiming to instruct the public how to deal with any potential nuclear crisis.
The nuggets of worryingly dubious advice included that if you cannot reach a shelter or sturdy building when Russia/China/Skynet launches an attack then simply find a shallow ditch to lie in. It would almost be funny if it were not real.
However, some of the more practical guidelines include making sure you are stocked up on long-lasting supplies, ready for the nuclear winter.
Society will have broken down, the concept of money most likely rendered obsolete, so make sure that pantry is well-stocked as you won't be able to just pop out and replenish whenever you fancy it.
In much the same way (and it is much the same, really), the Premier League big boys are preparing to stock up for an uncertain future dealing with the fallout of the new rules which have recently been introduced into the game.
The domestic 'home grown' rule came into force last season, with the aim of arresting the influx of foreign players into the top level of the English game, while UEFA's incoming Financial Fair Play guidelines will seek to curb clubs' spending beyond their means, as most have been in recent years.
Much like diving into that shallow ditch as a megaton of thermonuclear vengeance washes over you may seem like too little too late, there is a sense that this evasive action in football has come after much of the damage has already been done. That looks especially true when you consider Deloitte's latest report into football finances, which expresses major concerns despite record revenues in the top flight of more than £2 billion. Still, better to try eventually than to do nothing at all.
And so it is that, as Liverpool look to wrap up the £20 million capture of Sunderland's Jordan Henderson, Manchester United are now on the verge (it says here) of signing Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones for a hefty £16m.
These are big fees for young players with a little over 100 Premier League appearances and one full England cap between them, but it is a mark of how clubs with means are investing heavily in talent which should last them for years to come once their spending starts to be limited by UEFA's safeguards against spiralling into further debt.
Plus, Jones has only recently turned 19, meaning he will count as a home grown player, freeing up space in the United squad for a senior player, most likely Ashley Young. Henderson turns 21 this month while the pair are away with England at the European U21 Championships, so will fall foul of that rule next season.
Early Doors mused yesterday on Liverpool eschewing the 'Moneyball' approach to transfers many expected them to employ following Fenway Sports Group's takeover. In the future Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli will must prepare to utilise his reputed nous for a shrewd signing, rather than simply paying over the odds for a highly rated youngster on just about everyone's radar. United are also no strangers to big spending despite the Glazers' leveraged purchase of the club, but that is something that will have to come to an end soon.
Jones is certainly a real prospect, making his mark right from his debut in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in March 2010. Despite suffering a serious knee injury against West Ham last December, he was back in action just three months later and played his part in Rovers avoiding relegation.
A versatile defender, the young player who still lives at home with his parents has also been deployed in midfield on many occasions, and it is that kind of versatility which will appeal to Alex Ferguson. So much so, in fact, that Sunderland's eagerness to spend the Henderson windfall on Wes Brown, Darron Gibson and John O'Shea might be given more consideration than it otherwise would have.
If Jones can stay fit for a full season then he already has an advantage over Brown. His adaptability in playing across the defence and in midfield would be an upgrade on O'Shea and, given enough time to practise ballooning long-range strikes into the Stretford End, he would adequately replace the much-maligned Gibson.
Jones's move will bring an intriguing extra dimension to watching England's campaign in Denmark, which begins against Spain on Sunday. He is likely to be lining up in the heart of the defence alongside Chris Smalling, another youthful United defender. How well they perform both individually and as a unit will be a real insight into the future of the Red Devils' defence once Rio Ferdinand eventually succumbs to his injury problems and Nemanja Vidic finally has enough of the Manchester rain.
This summer may be set to follow similar lines to many others of recent years - United and Liverpool spending big, Arsenal buying a cut-price youngster and Chelsea looking for a new manager - but this may be a watershed moment in how clubs are able to go about their recruitment business from now on.
- - -
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Personally, I have seen football governance at an international level and I wasn't that impressed by what I saw. What I would say is this: FIFA's reputation is now at an all-time low and obviously the election with just one candidate was something of a farce but it has to become more transparent and more accountable." - David Cameron hits an easy home run after being teed up by a fellow Tory MP at Prime Minister's questions.
FOREIGN VIEW: Javier Faus, Barcelona's vice president for economic affairs, has revealed the European champions will post a pre-tax loss of around €21 million in the year to the end of June as costs rose from win bonuses paid to players. Revenue for the period was €420m, up from €415m in the year-earlier period, while spending was cut from €495m to €441m.
COMING UP: The live transfer window news ticker is already up and running, doing its bit in stirring the pot of rumour. You can also get our experts' view on the candidates for the greatest right-back in Premier League history before casting your own vote.
If it's live sporting action you're looking for, then look no further than our coverage of the fourth day's play at Queen's Club, with Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick among those competing for a quarter-final spot.