Nearly always one side stands more of less for progress, the other side more or less for reaction" – is still true.
When Air Canada executives talk about the overhaul now in progress, the financial side, with its crippling debt load and underfunded pension plan, is only part of the conversation.
If Stuart Pearce's team win tonight, it will feel like an affirmation of the progress the senior side are making; in 1993, the opposite was true.
Aside from David Luiz's tendency to over-elaborate in possession – the Brazilian's defensive discipline remains a work in progress – the home side were in no mood to comply.
Given this contrast, until another pollster confirms that there has indeed been a substantial swing to Yes there will inevitably be some doubt about just how much the progress the Yes side has made.
"It would be better to focus on confidence-building measures at this stage and give the peacekeeping troops a chance to get set up and to establish relationships with people on both sides," said the Canadian ambassador, Paul Heinbecker. "We appreciate the progress the two sides made but think it would be good to give that agreement some time to mature," he said.
Based on that very little progress, the two sides did agree to keep talking.
After days of reporting no progress, the two sides sounded markedly more upbeat yesterday, indicating that substantial progress was being made and clearly encouraged that the talks had not broken down in recrimination.
The Israeli statements of intent, rejected by the Palestinians, were likely to further stymie any progress between the sides.
A breakdown over the issue has serious implications for David Cameron's strategy on Europe, as this is one of the main matters on which he was hoping to secure demonstrable progress this side of the general election.
