Archive
Pre-Ko-cious
Going back to my post a couple of days ago . . .
No’ fair
Not being a Celtic supporter I shouldn’t care too much about last night’s result, but I do. There is silly money involved in the Champions’ League. It is meant to offer and showcase the best that the European game has to offer. Too bad then, that matches are occasionally disfigured, as last night’s was, by officials whose understanding of the rules is at odds with that of the players, and indeed at odds with the rules themselves.
Knock-out
Anyone with an interest in golf would do well to keep an eye on this young lady. Will there be anything n the game she can’t do?
Lions
I’ve just seen a shocking report on Sky Sports News, not hitherto famous for its investigative journalism, into racist behaviour among English football crowds. Cynics might say ‘So what’s new?’, but well done to Sky for finally putting a couple of faces to the story.
The club involved, Millwall, has reacted with as much shock as everyone else, and has promised to ban the perpetrators for life, but what good will that do, if that is all the action that’s taken? Not a lot; guys like that are more interested in hatred than football and will always find a place to let it all out. Today the New Den, tomorrow Upton Park. It seems that the section of stand where these people operated, close to the opposing team’s technical area, was sufficiently notorious for Sky to target it. If they want to be seen to be making a difference, Millwall FC might consider closing that part of their ground, before the FA decides it has to go further to satisfy public outrage, and closes the whole place.
Ouch!
Why do Spanish footballers have such low pain Threshholds?
The beautiful game
One of myth highlights of my week is watching FC Barcelona. That’s what I’m doing now, in fact. Twenty minutes gone and they’re two up. Yes, Messi has scored, but today it’s the Iniesta show.
Over the bar
Arsene’s going a little over the top here, if . . . and it can be a big if . . . the Torygraph is to be believed. If he has individuals in mind and can prove it he should name them, otherwise STFU.
Main man
Some interesting stats, with Who You’d Expect at the top:
Isn’t it ironic
Glancing at the sports headlines today, I noted that Mark Cavendish is leading cycling’s Tour of Qatar. I noted also that his new team is called ‘Omega Pharma Quickstep’. What is Omega Pharma? You guessed right; it’s a drug company.
Classic
Well done Stephen Gallacher. The force was with you.
Super-Mario
So, football followers, it looks as if Manchester City are working up to off-loading the eccentric Balotelli. As a Man U fan, I can only hope the deal goes through. Why? Because he’s a hell of a player and his departure can only weaken the noisy neighbours. Might Fergie step in at the last minute? No, but if he did, he’d get more out of him than Mancini has.
Keith Tomlin
Hola, fellow Jedi. In fact there is a new Primavera out in ten days, available for immediate delivery from http://www.campbellreadbooks.com, signed.
What do I think of Rory switching to Nike? I reckon Rory could put an umbrella in his bag and shoot level par, so I’m not too worried for him. You’re right in your suggestion that Nike have failed to crack the mass golf club market, but the best player ever has used them to win fourteen majors and umpteen WGC events. If I have a worry about Rory it’s that he seems to be falling into the Tiger trap of not playing enough. One outing, one missed cut, then four weeks off; that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Even Eldrick is teeing it up this week at Torrey Pines, though he’s only confirmed for the four majors so far.
A Gordon for me
Welcome also, Gordon Strachan. I’ll give you three years, max.
Caught on camera
I don’t reckon this linesman will be back at the Emirates in a hurry. Before yesterday’s match, Manchester City were reported to have returned 900 tickets, unsold because of the high prices charged by Arsenal.
They’re having a laugh
Has anyone seen the FIFA World XI of 2012? No?
- Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
- Dani Alves (Barcelona)
- Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
- Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
- Marcelo (Real Madrid)
- Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
- Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
- Xavi (Barcelona)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid)
- Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Eleven players from two cities and three clubs. Even without the ludicrous Blatter’s stamp on this one, football’s governing body is making a laughing stock of itself. Or does the fact that the Spanish national team, and Real Madrid, wear Adidas kit have something to do with it? No, of course it doesn’t.
Murphy’s law
I note that Motherwell FC, the Scottish Premier league side that I have been doomed to support since the age of five, which is currently sitting in the upper echelons of that division, has just sold arguably its best player to Sheffield United for an undisclosed sum. Whatever the amount was, I hope it was enough to justify shooting its campaign for a Champions League slot on at least one foot. Press gossip is that it was around £100,000; not enough in my view. Yes, I know that ‘Well has to be a selling club, but it would have been since to see young Mr Murphy stay until the end of the season, even if it meant him leaving for free.
Come on!
Finally, it’s official. For winning the Tour de France and another Olympic gold medal, Bradley Wiggins is made a knight of the realm. So is Ben Ainslie for winning four successive sailing golds. K’s also for the coaches Dave Brailsford and Dave Tanner, and Sarah Storey , the Paralympic cyclist becomes a dame. In the second tier CBEs go to Mo Farah, Jess Ennis, David Weir, Victoria Pendleton and Katherine Grainger. All well deserved, and congratulations to them.
Then there’s Andy Murray; Olympic tennis gold medallist, the first British male Wimbledon finalist since 1938 and the first British man to win a tennis Grand Slam event since 1936. Where do we find him in the Honours List? In the third tier. Andy says he’s delighted to receive an OBE, and I’m sure he is. I imagine he’d have been even more delighted to receive a CBE, and ecstatic to be knighted. As it is, I won’t be the only Scot to feel slightly scandalised by his rating on the Gong scale, particularly when one notes the CBE awarded for services to the computer gaming industry. And I might not be the only golfer to be surprised that in the post-Olympic frenzy, the Miracle at Medinah seems to have been completely overlooked.
March?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20349305
I’m sorry if I seem xenophobic here, but who is this man Regan, and how did he come to be running Scottish football? He was recruited from Yorkshire County Cricket Club, never famous for its exemplary management, he has no background in football, and very little in Scotland, other than the short period when he worked for Coors. A background in brewing may seem relevant to the beautiful game, but only on the terraces, not on the field. There were calls for his head during the Rangers affair. Now, as he scrambles around for a manager to replace Craig Levein, currently engaged in a legal dispute over the manner of his sacking, supervised by Regan, the feeling is growing that the chief executive doesn’t really know what he’s doing. As witness, we have the continuing speculation that Joe Jordan might get the job. Big Joe’s a legend, for sure, and a good club coach, but I know a couple of guys who would be unlikely to give him a reference for any management post, least of all the one currently vacant at Hampden.
If Craig had to go, and I still believe that was a mistake, in spite of Scotland’s heroic 2 — 1 victory in ******* Luxembourg, the SFA would have been better advised to move him into the Chief Executive’s chair, for I’m in no doubt that he is far better suited to the role than the current incumbent.
Wow
For those who haven’t seen it; for example much of the population of Scotland:
http://www.itv.com/sport/football/update/2012-11-14/replay-ibra-does-something-special/
Po-faced
I read today that Hibs have sacked their stadium announcer for playing Taxman at half-time last weekend, in alleged mockery of Hearts’ current financial crisis. Come on, guys, does nobody have a sense of humour left? I quake at the thought of my friend Scott’s choice of music, had the Adidas Predator been on the other foot.
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