Monday 17 December 2012

SPORTS PERSONALITY; OVERBLOWN NONSENSE.

Last night saw the BBC's annual review of the sporting year, broadcast as 'The Sports Personality of the Year 2012.' There was a time when I would have watched this annual event, glued to the television and desperate to hear of the exploits of 'my heroes'; not any more. In keeping with the modern mania for exaggerating everything to do with so-called celebrity, this programme has become an overblown, and very long, opportunity for the BBC to put on a ludicrous extravaganza at the expense of licence payers. Was all the noise and flashing lights really necessary, or was this a way simply to make the event seem far more important than it really was, in the same way that pop-stars are over-promoted ?
 
The viewing audience were confronted by 3 presenters none of whom has any great talent for presentation and all of whom have become increasingly innured in the horrible, smarmy world of sucking up to the 'stars'. There was a time when Sue Barker was a delight as the presenter of 'A Question of Sport', but no longer; now her sycophantic giggles at the stupid antics of the teams simply make me turn off. There was a time when Gary Lineker was a breath of fresh air as an expert on football and that's where he should have stayed. There was even a time when Claire Balding talked sense when it came to horse racing, but what on earth caused the BBC to believe she could front shows involving other sports or something so prestigious as 'Sports Personality' used to be ? 
 
Everyone was wonderful; everyone came through SUCH difficult times; everyone was so grateful to their coach, their physio, their medical team, their granny, their cat and so on. It was egregious and one longed for a Danny Blanchflower to walk on and tell them so. Instead, we had the nauseating sight of Sebastian Coe being given a lifetime award and trotting out his own stream of worthless platitudes and inanities. David Beckham, a man far more famous for being famous these days than for any sporting contribution, was called upon to string a few words together for no obvious reason other than who he was. We had the lunacy of the 'Team of the Year' award going to a team that didn't actually exist, the GB Olympic team; this was not a team, it was a bunch of individuals who happened to be at the same event. What madness !
 
When I read the sports' pages of my Saturday newspaper, I saw that Ladbroke's, the bookmakers' had Bradley Wiggins as odds-on favourite to win the individual award with Jessica Ennis and Andy Murray tipped to fill the minor places. That this was the exact result had me wondering what inside information Ladbroke's had; they are, after all, not so good when it comes to picking horses. 
 
I only watched bits of this over-long nonsense and listened to even less, but I don't think I'll be bothering at all next year. I don't need the BBC to tell me who were the stars of the year and I certainly don't need to listen to the oily and sycophantic tones of those whom they choose to force upon us, whether as presenters, stars or celebrities. All of this glitz and glamour is horribly overdone and our sporting performers ludicrously overvalued and overpaid; perhaps when we come to realise that sport is really of very little importance in the real world, we will start to grow again as a nation.
 

Tuesday 11 December 2012

FOOTBALL : RITUALISED WARFARE.

Yesterday I read the news that the use of netting may be introduced at football grounds. This has nothing to do with the goals, but would be intended to protect players from the unwanted attentions of unruly spectators.
 
At a time when we have regular complaints of racism towards players, and high profile police investigations as a result, it's now been suggested that netting should be introduced in order to protect players from objetcs thrown towards the pitch. What this all says to me is that football is becoming far too significant in our society, a sure sign of overall decline.
 
The animalistic behaviour of many players has increased exponentially as the money to be made from this game has risen. Players foul and cheat as part of the normal game and shout abuse at each other and the officials as a matter of course. That this behaviour has fueled an increasingly sectarian response on the terraces is hardly surprising; spectators use whatever 'tools' they can find in order to encourage their own team while abusing and discouraging their opponents.
 
Spectators are now routinely filmed in order to catch those who misbehave and may soon be confronted by netting in order to prevent thenm throwing objects on to the pitch; next, it will undoubtedly be metal railings. How can this be considered civilized ? How can football be considered any longer to be a sport ? It is ritualised savagery, warfare between opposing factions and yet millions are now wedded to it.
 
There was a time when sport was just that, a pastime for the masses which gave them relief from the weekly drudgery of their working lives. More recently, a range of sports has been accorded an entirely different status and position in our society and some, like football, are wholly out of control. In ancient Rome, 'The Games' and similar spectacles became greater and greater as that mighty empire raced headlong towards barbarism and eventual collapse.
 
We should all beware lest we are headed down the same road.

Saturday 1 December 2012

LANCASTER'S ENGLAND TROUNCE ALL-BLACKS !

Earlier today, New Zealand were apparently quoted as '12-1 on' favourites to win their encounter with England at Twickenham. Unbelievably, anyone who took the odds not only lost their money but must now be feeling horribly embarrassed at having dismissed the home side's chances so easily.
 
England played with tremendous spirit from first to last. With New Zealand's great kicker, Dan Carter, missing a couple, England built up a half-time lead of 12-0 which was extended to 15-0 within a few minutes of the restart through an immaculate display from Owen Farrell.
 
The All Blacks then came back with 2 brilliant tries, both converted by Carter and suddenly the gap was down to just 1 point. Just as it looked as though England might be overwhelmed, they hit back with a try from Brad Barritt, quickly followed by another from Chris Ashton; Farrell hit the bar with his first conversion effort and slid by the post with his second, but England still led by 11 points. A third try, this time after a brilliant interception from Manu Tuilagi, and converted by Farrell, followed by two more penalties, scored by Farrell's replacement Freddie Burns, and England led by an
unassailable 38-14. 
 
Even a piece of stupidity from Vunipola, that saw him sent to the sin-bin, couldn't change things although the All Blacks did manage one try against the depleted English defence. The match ended with the visitors desperately searching for another try but the English defence held out and the home team recorded their greatest ever margin of victory against the side universally acknowledged as being the best in the world. 38-21 was not just the final score, it was a reflection of the magnificence of England's performance. Roll on the Six Nations !

FLINTOFF SCRAPES BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.

Andrew Flintoff was a good enough cricketer, though not really a superstar. His frequent injuries may well have contributed to his failure to reach the true heights, but I somehow think that his lack of basic intelligence was a bigger factor. Since his retirement from the cricketing stage, Flintoff has attempted to make a second career in the media, without achieving anything very exciting. Now he's taken to the boxing ring which must surely indicate a degree of desperation about where his next meal is coming from.
 
By all accounts, his performance in the ring was pretty average at best and he suffered a second round knock down; nonetheless, he did eventually win a scrappy contest by the narrowest of points margins after four 2-minute rounds. Whether he will ever fight again may be in the balance but I suspect money and publicity will win out over common sense and he will, indeed, risk what few brains he has by having another go.
 
To my mind, the modern craze for former sportsmen to take up second careers as television presenters, dancers and 'celebrities' in the the jungle demeans their earlier achievements. However, Flintoff's ridiculous reincarnation as a pugilist must just about be at the very bottom of the barrel.

Sunday 25 November 2012

VETTEL PIPS ALONSO, WHILE BUTTON TOPS THE BRAZIL PODIUM.

An amazing Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix ended with a win for Jenson Button in the race but for Sebastian Vettel in the Championship.
 
Vettel had gone into this last race of the year leading the championship by 13 points from Fernando Alonso; no one else was in contention for the title and it was Vettel's to lose. Incredibly, a first lap incident left the German in last place though it didn't take him long to work his way through the field and back into the points. The race was initially led by the two McLaren's driven by Hamilton and Button, with Force India's Nico Hulkenburg also to the fore and Alonso not far away; however, the weather had a say, leading to some gambles on tyre choices, and Hulkenburg managed to put Hamilton out of the race by colliding with him.
 
Jenson Button was then left to gradually build a comfortable lead over Massa, who quickly allowed Alonso passed; with the Spaniard in second place, Vettel had to finish at least 7th in order to take the title for a third successive year and, despite having a damaged car after the first lap incident, he duly obliged by finishing in sixth place. He therefore became the youngest driver to win the title 3 times and, at the same time, the youngest to win 3 successive titles.
 
As often in wet and changeable conditions, Button proved to be the man for the job and won the race comfortably. Alonso quite possibly showed himself to be the best overall driver having come within 3 points of the title in an inferior car, but it was Vettel who finally came out on top, demonstrating huge nerve and determination by keeping his wounded car going and maintaining a good level of performance throughout.
 
Now we must wait until next March to see what the 2013 season will bring - if it's half as dramatic as 2012, it will be well worth waiting for !

Monday 22 October 2012

BRITISH TENNIS ON THE UP AND UP !

The recent successes of our triumvirate of Murray, Watson and Robson seem to herald a new era in British tennis.
 
Murray has finally won his 'Grand Slam' and added this to an Olympic Gold Medal. Watson has become the first British woman for almost 25 years to win an event on the womens' main tour while Robson almost beat her to this honour by being the first Briton to reach a final for nearly as long only a couple of weeks earlier. We now have Murray firmly established amongst the game's elite while both Watson and Robson are hovering around the top-50 mark in the womens rankings, with much more expected of them next year.
 
Andy Murray has made tortuous progress since his arrival on the scene as a gangly though highly talented boy a few years ago. His triumph in the US Open Championship finally laid to rest the ghost of Fred Perry and he is now one of the main contenders every time he competes; with the successes of this year behind him, he may well win another Grand Slam' or 2.
 
Laura Robson, who seems to have been around for years though is still only 18, seems to have the talent and charisma to become a big name in the near future; her Wimbledon exploits clearly gave her the confidence to progress and great things will be expected of her next year. Let's hope that the expectations don't become too weighty for her.
 
Heather Watson, at 20, has made quieter progress than Robson but is every bit as good. She may lack a bit of Robson's 'on-court' sparkle at times and possibly hasn't had the self-belief that top players need, though her recent victory in Osaka may well have cured her of this. Watson is now the top-ranked British player having overtaken Robson though there is little to choose between them. The old stagers like Baltacha and Keothavong have been left far behind by both.
 
What next year will bring is anyone's guess though it may not be too much to hope for another Murray 'Grand Slam' and the continued rise of our 2 women, perhaps into the world's top-20 where we haven't had any serious representation since the almost forgotten days of Ann Jones, Virginia Wade and Sue Barker. Now that would be something !
 

Thursday 11 October 2012

ARMSTRONG : CHEAT PAR-EXCELLENCE.

The Lance Armstrong furore has rumbled on and now we are told that many of his former team mates have come forward to claim that not only was he a regular drug taker but his entire team was also involved.
 
There is still no tangible evidence, although there appears to be much of a circumstantial nature, of this activity beyond the statements of his former colleagues although the US Anti-doping Agency appears to be wholly convinced that Armstrong was complicit. Given the extent of the report now issued, it is very difficult to believe that this was not actually so.
 
As far as we know, Armstrong never failed a drugs test although it has been suggetsed that he may have done but the results were 'covered up'. It is claimed that drug taking was endemic within his cycling team and that he was the leading light in the activity, effectively forcing other members to 'toe the line'. There are also suggestions that Armstong's management team may well have had prior warning about visits from testers, enabling them to manage the teams' activities in such a way as to avoid being caught.
 
Whatever the truth of all of this, the reputations of Armstrong and his colleagues are now ruined beyond repair. The overall weight of evidence and that so many of his former colleagues have come forward to implicate themselves as well as Armstrong is quite compelling. We must now expect that he will be stripped of his raft of prizes, including his record-breaking 7 'Tour de France' victories.
 
The only remaining question is "How many other 'great' cyclists of the past were equally guilty ?" We shall probably never know the answer.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

PIETERSEN : ECB SHOWS ITS LACK OF BALLS.

I have read with total disbelief that Kevin Pietersen has been brought back into the England fold. It is clear that the the ECB has no balls and no understanding of how to develop a long term success story.
 
Pietersen has always been something of a loose cannon and his recent behaviour has been inexcusable. That he has been a very good batsman is undeniable but his general attitude and behaviour has obviously been detrimental to good team moral. That the ECB has spent weeks negotiating with him is, itself, ridiculous, and that they have now come to some form of accommodation which will allow him to play for England again is not only absurd but is also an indicator of the depths to which they will sink in order to try to achieve short term success.
 
Pietersen is a disruptive influence, driven more by his own ego than by any other loyalty; in this, he is not dissimilar to Tiger Woods. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that England are better off without him and why those in authority cannot see this is beyond me. The golden rule should always be that the team takes precedence at all times; when did Pietersen ever accede to such an agreement ?
 
However good he is, he is only one out of eleven and he should be treated as such.

Monday 1 October 2012

SPIRIT OF 'SEVE' LIVES ON IN RYDER CUP !

The astonishing victory achieved by Europe's golfers in the Ryder Cup yesterday came against all the odds and must have caused consternation amongst supporters of the US team which had seemed certain to regain the trophy.
 
For most of the first two days of competition, the Europeans were decidly second best, trailing 4-10 until 2 last ditch efforts on Saturday saw them close the gapslightly to 6-10. Nonetheless, a US victory seemed assured with the home side needing only a further 4½ points from Sunday's 12 singles matches; only once in the history of the competitiuon had a side overturned a 4 point deficit going into the singles and for the Europeans to emulate this feat seemed all but impossible.
 
As the final day's play unfolded, it began to look as though an unlikely draw might be possible. Match after match turned in favour of the European players and suddenly the US team was on the defensive, looking desperately for an odd point, or even half a point, here and there. Europe went ahead 11-10 after winning the first 5 singles matches and then it was nip and tuck as the US levelled, Europe went ahead again and the US levelled again. With just 2 matches left on the course, it was 13 all, with Europe leading in one and the US in the other.
 
The pressure was really on as Martin Kaymer stood over his 5 foot putt on the last green knowing that holing it would retain the cup for the Europeans while missing would probably hand the trophy to the US. That he held his nerve and sank the putt is now history, but what history ! Immense euphoria swept through the European team and their band of supporters while the US players and supporters seemed stunned and disbelieving. Europe's triumph was made complete when Francesco Molinari drew level with Tiger Woods as the dispirited American missed a simple final putt to hand outright victory to the visitors by 14½-13½.
 
This was a victory made in heaven and Jose Maria Olazabal, the European team captain, was quick to dedicate it to his late, great friend, Seve Ballasteros, in highly emotional style. For the team, it was just reward for a remarkable performance, beating one of the strongest US teams of recent years. Although there had been a few doubtful moments, with one or two of the Americans failing to apply the best of etiquette when short putts were involved, and Tiger Woods looking as miserable as sin for most of the 3 days, the competition was generally played in good spirit and the crowds were well behaved. Phil Mickelson, as always, was a perfect gentleman and wins my prize for the most sporting gesture as he applauded his opponent's fine play and shook his hand with genuine warmth at the end, even though he'd lost a vital match. The US captain, Davis Love III, while obviously desperately disappointed, was  generous in his final comments and also saw the hand of 'Seve' in the European fightback.
 
While victory went to a European team several of its members subsequently discovered their own national flags which they paraded, rather than the multi-starred Euro-flag. Whether this says anything about European solidarity I can't say, but it did emphasise that this was a team drawn from many nations and not just from one. Whatever, it was an amazing achievement; roll on 2014 ! 

Sunday 16 September 2012

NIJINSKY STILL THE KING.

The failure of 2-5 favourite Camelot to win yetsrday's St Leger and so complete horse racing's 'Triple Crown' shows just how difficult a task this is.
 
Not since the great Nijinsky in 1970 has any horse succeeded in winning the 3 great classics of 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger and proved itself to be the best of its generation over distances from 1 mile to nearly 2. Indeed, Nijinsky is the only winner of this prestigious honour since Bahram triumphed in 1935 and these 2 horses are the only successes since the end of the First World War.
 
Camelot came remarkably close to adding his name to the roll of honour but missed out narrowly to a long shot, Encke, eventually being beaten by only ¾ length. Such is the margin between immortality and failure.

Thursday 13 September 2012

WHAT IS THE ECB UP TO ?

Apparently, the ECB has delayed announcing its squad for the forthcoming Test series in India amid a certain amount of speculation. It's being said that one reason for the delay may be that there are negotiations being conducted with Kevin Pietersen over his recent actions with a view to him being included in the squad.
 
Excuse me, as they say, but since when does a selectorial body have to hold 'negotiations' with those whom it is considering for selection ? If this is, indeed, the reason why the ECB's announcement has been delayed it serves only to show how weak they are as a ruling body. Pietersen may be a potentially match-winning batsman but he is also a loose cannon and a liability; he would not be the first and won't be the last such to be discarded by his national side and he won't actually be missed.
 
The trouble is that the 'win at all costs' mentality is currently holding sway at the ECB and they seem prepared to do almost anything in order to get this man back in the team, for good or ill. That it will ultimately be 'for ill' has escaped them in their desperate rush for fleeting glory.  

Tuesday 11 September 2012

MURRAY A WINNER AT LAST !

After years of angst and near misses, Andy Murray has finally done it ! In New York last night, he won the US Open Tennis Championship to became the first British player to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry won the same event in 1936.
 
It seems that the match was far from easy. Murray won a lengthy first set on the tie break, 12-10, and took the secon 7-5. Djokovic then stormed back to win the next 2 6-2 6-3 and set up a dramatic decider in which Murray finally triumphed 6-2, the match lasting almost 5 hours.
 
Murray has certainly enjoyed the most successful year any British player has enjoyed since the far-off days of Perry, this victory being the icing on the cake of a year which has seen him reach the Wimbledon final and win the Olympic title. Those who doubted that he had the mental strength to ever win a Grand Slam title, including me, have been silenced. Now that this particular dragon has been slain, what price Murray to win the end-of-season 'Tour Finals' and to add a second Grand Slam title in Australia in January ? One can only wonder what the media coverage will be like at Wimbledon next June.
 
The only slight sour note is the continuing nationalistic element in Murray's progress as his Scottishness rather than his Britishness is repeatedly emphasised by the likes of Alex Salmond. Murray himself has, of course, alienated some in the past by his insistence that he is Scottish and not British, though such remarks no longer seem to be part of his own public vocabulary; nonetheless, he might be well advised to work harder on his image if he really wants to win the hearts of the Nation.

Monday 3 September 2012

ROBSON BEATEN BUT GLORY STILL BECKONS.

Laura Robson's exciting run at the US Open Tennis championships finally acme to an end last night with defeat at the hands of the defending champion, Sam Stosur of Australia.
 
Everything started well for Robson as she gained an early break of serve but thereafter she seemed a little 'out of sorts'. The usually uneering accuracy of her groundstrokes was missing and she looked a little weary. In the end, despite some very spirited resistance which saw Stosur miss out on 8 match points, the Australian won in straight sets, 6-4 6-4.

 
Even though our girl lost, she will have gained massively from her experiences in this event and goes home knowing that she has 2 major scalps to her name. In the cold light of day she will also know that Stosur, the world number 7, could also have been beaten but for the emotionally draining victories she had already achieved.
 
If her support team and coach get it right from now on, there really is no reason why Laura cannot be in the world's top 50 within 6 months and perhaps seeded for next year's US Open. Another 12 months from then and she could be a serious challenger for the title.   

PISTORIUS BEATEN BY RUNNER WITH DODGY LEGS

Amazingly and within a couple of hours of me writing about the tecnological issues that arise from the 'Paralympics', a tecnological controversy has arisen.
 
Oscar Pistorius didn't win a gold medal he'd been expecting and immediately blamed his defeat on a bit of jiggery-pokery by one of his fellow competitors. The other man, it was claimed, had 'legs' that were too long. This was not, of course, a reference to any actual legs but to the artificial legs used by the gold medal winner, Alan Oliveira.
 
Pistorius is now reported to be calling for 'tougher regulations on the length of running blades' and has claimed that 'we are not running in a fair race here'. Presumably, Pistorius would like to see everyone using exactly the same equipment even though this would deny the inherent height, weight and build differences that we all have. One wonders if anyone has measured Usain Bolt's legs to see if they're within legal limits.
 
This type of nonsense shows exactly why these 'Paralympic Games' are farcical and nothing but an insult to many of those who take part.
 
 

Sunday 2 September 2012

PARALYMPIC DISABILITY IS A MATTER OF DEGREE.

As the so-called 'Paralympics' continue to their ultimate conclusion, world records seem to be accruing at a rate of knots. That's a perfectly normal, non-disabled knot, by the way.
 
Great for the competitors concerned but how much of the apparent improvement is down to them and how much is down to advances in their assorted medical and para-medical treatments ? Are 'Para-olympians' even subject to the same rules about the use of drugs as are proper Olympians ?
 
The 'Blade Runner', Oscar Pistorius, uses artificial 'legs' which are only possible as a result of technological advance; any records he sets are at least partly a result of the technology he has access to and which renders comparison with past performances impossible. There is every possibility that future advances will make his performances irrelevant; indeed, there must be a strong chance that future advances will make 'disabled athletes' able to outperform 'normal' athletes'. Where will we be then ?
 
I won't deny that 'normal' athletes have also benefited from advances in technology but the advances are much smaller. Improved tracks, equipment and training techniques have undoubtedly helped some to go further than was previously thought possible but this is hardly comparable with the already achieved and potential advances for 'disabled' athletes.
 
There are some events in which able-bodied competitors could equally take part; for instance, events where competitors are in wheelchairs could be entered by anyone. Such events could be competed for on an equal footing and might, of themselves, justify inclusion in the Olympic Games. Other events, in which competitors are classified according to the severity of their disability, or rely on artificaal limbs and the like simply have no place in an olympics of any sort.
 
Why can't people see this ?

Friday 31 August 2012

LAURA ROBSON - SUPER STAR !

After her dramatic victory over Kim Clijsters in the 2nd round of the US Open, it would have been natural to be prepared for a disappointment when Laura Robson took on the 9th seed, Li Na, in the 3rd round.  Any such preparation would have been wasted.
 
The super-cool 18 year old won the first set 6-4, lost the second on a tie-break and, despite a bit of questionable umpiring, won the third 6-2 to book a place in the 4th round, the first British woman to get so far in a Grand Slam event since 1998. At the end, China's Li Na looked thoroughly fed up and barely acknowledged her opponent when they met at the net, a massive contrast with the good grace shown by Clijsters.
 
As with her previous match, this was a contest that Robson won and not one that her opponent lost. In fact, it would have been easy for her to have faded away after the disappointment of losing the second set tie-break, but she was having none of it. It was Robson who put huge pressure on Li's service early in the 3rd and eventually broke her opponent's spirit, breaking serve twice and winning the last 4 game; she needed only one match point to seal the biggest win of her career to date.
 
Next up will be the reigning champion, Australian Sam Stosur. Without doubt, Robson has shown that she has the ability to give Stosur a real run for her money and Stosur knows it; it will be tough but if she plays as she has been, and keeps that wonderful temerament of hers, Robson can win this one too.

Thursday 30 August 2012

TIME FOR PARALYMPIC FARCE TO STOP.

At the risk of being considered something unholy, I have to say that the nonsense that is the 'Paralympics' really is farcical.
 
I do not decry the efforts and performances of those with assorted disabilities who strive to be the best that they can, but the manner in which disabled sport is categorised makes the whole notion of an Olympics for the disabled ridiculous. Arguments over the precise categorisation of competitors arise regularly, with some medals undoubtedly hanging on the outcome of decisons by categorisation committees, or whoever it is who determines these things. The use of ever more sophisticated technology renders true comparisons between performances impossible and adds to the overall confusion.
 
These games have a vast number of medals available in order to cater for the vast range of categories into which competitors are placed. There must be some events in which there are only a handful of entrants, making the chances of any one of them gaining a prized medal much better than in others, and certainly much better than in the real Olympic Games.
 
This nonsense has gone much too far and needs to be scaled back.

ROBSON ON THE BRINK OF GREAT THINGS.

Watching young Laura Robson in action against Kim Clijsters in the US Open it was tempting to think that we have finally found a top class female player to take on the mantle once worn by Virginia Wade and Sue Barker.
 
Over the years, there have been a few British women who've threatened to come good, most notably Jo Durie, Annabel Croft and Sam Smith, but none has ever quite made it to the top. However, Robson seems a cut above these and last night beat one of the best players of recent years fair and square. Kim Clijsters gave her all and played well, but Robson  matched her stroke for stroke and point for point. There was nothing flukey or lucky about this vistory - Robson was simply the better player and refused to lie down in front of the Clijsters steamroller.
 
Clijsters had already made it clear that this would be her final tournament and Robson effectively brought her career to a premature close; the Belgian star had clearly hoped to play at least another match or two, but it was not to be. Nonetheless, she accepted defeat with the good grace for which she has always been renowned - a smile, a few kind words and a wave to the crowd who have come to love her. Without doubt, one of the nicest people ever to grace a tennis court. 
 
As one career came to its conclusion, another could easily be about to really take off. At just 18 years old, Robson is already the youngest player in the top 100 of the womens' rankings; she is tall and powerful and her mixed doubles run at the Olympics in partnership with Andy Murray was more than adequate testimony to her temperament and ability to deal with big occasions. One has the feeling that this girl is headed for greater success than British womens' tennis has known in many years.
 
Robson's 3rd round opponent in the US, Na Li, will know that she's got a real fight on her hands.

Saturday 25 August 2012

NO EVIDENCE SO ARMSTRONG MUST BE GUILTY

One really does wonder what is going on in the world of cycling.
 
Lance Armstrong, the most successful road racer ever, is to be stripped of all of his titles and medals says the US anti-doping agency. That they do not have the power to strip him of anything except trophies won in US sponsored events seems to have passed them by. They also seem to be unconcerned by the absence of any tangible evidence that Armstrong ever used banned substances and by Armstrong's continued denials of wrong-doing.
 
It appears that the US agency's decision will be ratified by the World body and that Armstrong will, ultimately, be deprived of his assorted honours, on no real evidence whatsoever. As far as I have heard, the case against him is based on the statements of various of his ex-colleagues who have claimed that they were all on drugs so he must have been too. I haven't heard that any of these self-confessed cheats have been banned from competition and it seems that the whole weight of the US agency's outrage is being thrown at Armstrong alone.
 
What the man has done to deserve this treatment is a mystery. He has been pursued for more than a decade and yet no concrete evidence has been found. He has, finally, decided that he's had enough of the constant fight and will fight no more, but nonetheless has maintained his innocence. He has been found guilty simply because he no longer wants to continue a fight that has disrupted the lives of his family and friends for years.
 
If this is American justice, thank the Lord that I'm in England.

Wednesday 15 August 2012

TIME FOR PIETERSEN TO GO FOR GOOD.

Hearing of Kevin Pietersen's latest antics, one can only despair.

This man had the ability to be a truly great cricketer but, in common with so many other sports' 'stars', he took too much notice of his own press coverage and reached the stage where he believed himself to be bigger than his game. His eventual downfall was inevitable.

His sojourn as England captain was a disaster, though not entirely of his making; his appointment was typical of junior school teams where the best player automatically becomes captain regardless of his aptitude for the job and was surely not what is expected at the highest level in the game. The England management of that time has a lot to answer for.

In recent months Pietersen has upset almost everyone in the cricketing world including, most recently, his teammates. His behaviour has been unacceptable and his cricketing abilities surely cannot save him this time. Cricket is a team game and everyone has to have the same motivation and loyalties; Pietersen clearly does not share the same attitudes as his erstwhile colleagues and he should now be sidelined. There are plenty of talented younger players in the wings who will be more than happy to give their all for England while keeping their egos under wraps.

Wednesday 8 August 2012

BRITAIN'S OLYMPICS GET BETTER BY THE DAY !

Notwithstanding my general disapproval of the grotesquely excessive cost of, ludicrous level of importance given to and horribly politicized nature of the Olympic Games, I cannot do anything but marvel at the achievements of the British competitors.

Over the years, probably along with many other Britons, I've become used to our athletes being sporting losers but, in recent times, this seems to have changed. While we still seem to have a number of weak areas, we are now the leading nation in the world for cycling and rowing, very close to being so in sailing and making huge strides in many other sports.

The unbelievable heroics of Saturday took British sport to new levels and looked impossible to repeat; how wrong. Sunday saw Andy Murray gain revenge for his Wimledon defeat by not only destroying the world's greatest ever tennis player, Roger Federer, to win Gold, but also win silver in the mixed doubles together with the precocious Laura Robson. They were joined in the 'medal-rush' by sailors, Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, gymnasts Louis Smith and Max Whitlock, Ed Clancy in the Omnium cycling event, and Christine Ohoruogu narrowly missing out on retaining her 400 metre title. In contrast to the weeekend, Monday was a bit of a disappointment with only 3 medals being added to GB's haul, although 2 of these were Gold - Jason Kenny in the cycling sprint and the showjumping team winning Britain's first Gold in the event for 60 years. They were joined on the podium by the perennial Beth Tweddle who seems to have carried British womens' gymnastics single handedly for ever; her bronze was the least she deserved after a glittering career.

Was it possible that the balloon was deflating and the best had been seen ? Don't be silly !

On Tuesday, it was the turn of the amazing Brownlee brothers to win Gold and Bronze in the triathlon, surely the most strength sapping event of all,. Then it was the Dressage team matching their showjumping colleagues and winning an astonishing Gold, followed by more success for our sailors with Nick Dempsey taking Silver in the windsurfing. Still the medals flowed and it was in the velodrome that the day reached its zenith with youngster Laura Trott winning the womens' omnium, Victoria Pendleton being forced to accept 'only' Silver in the womens' sprint behind her perennial rival Anna Meares, and finally Chris Hoy refusing to yield and winning Gold in the mens' Keirin. This was Hoy's sixth Olympic Gold and makes him Britains' most successful ever Olympic competitor. Even then there was more to come and the day ended with Robbie Grabarz taking a rather unexpected Bronze in an otherwise low-key high jump competition. This last medal of the day took Britains' total so far to 48, one more than in Beijing and the most since the first London Olympics in 1908.

And there's still 5 days to go !

Sunday 5 August 2012

ENNIS, FARAH AND SO MANY MORE DO BRITAIN PROUD !

On an extraordinary day for British sport, the dreams of some of our greatest performers were finally fulfilled.

On the Thames at Eton Dorney, the mens' coxless four maintained an amazing record and continued to follow in the footsteps of Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, winning Gold without ever looking like not doing so. Almost immediately after this expected triumph came an unexpected one, with Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland destroying the field to win Gold in the womens' lightweight double scull; this pair have been rowing together for only a very short time but their assurance on the water denied their inexperience. Their win was the third for the British womens' team, following those of Heather Stanning and Helen Glover in the womens' pair, and Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins in the heavyweight double scull, and being the first wins ever for British women in the Olympic games.

Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were unable to defend their lightweight double scull title being pipped for Gold by the Danes but, when attention swithched to the velodrome, the womens' 3000m pursuit team of Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Dani King produced an astonishing ride to break the world record for the sixth event in a row and come close to catching their rivals in the Gold Medal race. Three Golds and a Silver, and the evening's athletics yet to come.

Even before the athletics got under way, we had another piece of drama as Andy Murray and Laura Robson won through to the final of the mixed doubles and a certain Silver Medal. Their win over the German pairing of Kase and Lisicki was hard fought and well deserved and leaves Murray with the prospect of playing 2 finals in quick succession, with Roger Federer waiting for him in the mens' singles.

But then it was the athletics. The evening started slowly, with everyone waiting for the big events; the final event of the womens' heptathlon and then the mens' 10,000. The wonderful Jessica Ennis was already an almost certain champion after some terrific performances earlier in the competition, the fastest ever 100m hurdles in a heptathlon and personal bests in the 200m and javelin. Just after 9 o'clock she set out on the 800m and, in true Ennis style, beat the field to be crowned as the best female all-round athlete in the world. For good measure, she also broke her own British and Commonwealth records and ran-up the 12th best score ever, those scores having been achieved by only 4 athletes.

While Ennis was enjoying her moment of success and leading her fellow competitors on their traditional lap of honour, Greg Rutherford produced his Gold Medal winning leap in the long jump. To say his success was unexpected is probably an understatement, but it was only one fine jump in a good series and, again, the win was a well-deserved culmination to years of dedication. Within not much more than another 30 minutes, Mo Farah hit the front in the 10,000 metres and led the field through the tape to win yet another Gold for his country and cement his place in British athletics history; never before has a British male won an Olympic distance race.

What a day, what a night. Today, Sunday, there will be more medals to celebrate as Andy Murray goes for double Gold in the tennis and our sailors start to compete for Gold in their final medal races. So far, it's been an amazingly successful story for British competitors; can it possibly continue ?

Friday 3 August 2012

BBC TEAM GET A RASPBERRY

Watching the amazing performances of so many great athletes, one has to wonder why the BBC feels it necessary to inflict upon us the inane and often irrelevant and misleading commentary of such as Paul Dickinson, Claire Balding, Barry Davies and others, as well as the imbecilic banter of Rob Walker and excrutiating 'post match' interviews conducted by Phil Jones.

These people seem to have little idea as to their jobs and seem hell bent on talking tripe and puerile nonsense. Why do we have to put up with them ? 

WIMBLEDON REPEAT FOR MURRAY AND FEDERER

Following Roger Federer's astonishing victory over Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray's surprise success against Novak Djokovic, the Olympic Mens' tennis final will be a repeat of the Wimbledon final.

In the Grand Slam final, Murray started well but was eventually beaten by the Swiss machine; will Sunday be different ? Today, Federer showed unbelievable tenacity to win a deciding set 19-17; can he be beaten ? Both men are on a mission, but which one will triumph is something we will only discover on Sunday.

SO WHO ARE THE BRITS ?

As Britain prepares to glory in the success of its Olympic competitors, I've just heard a discussion on the radio about the validity of some of those who are representing us.

Many years ago, it was the norm that athletes representing a country would have been born there or, at least, spent the bulk of their lives there; long term immigrants were acceptable, gaining a specific nationality after a few weeks in the country and then appearing in that country's colours was not. Today things are very different.

Many athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia now appear in the colours of other nations, having appeared for their home country only a short time ago. Similarly, the UK seems to have been operating a programme designed to attract as many foreign athletes as possible and to fast track them into 'Team GB'. It is claimed that some of these, such as the triple jumper Yamilé Aldama who hails from Cuba via Sudan, are genuine immigrants and fully entitled to UK citizenship and, hence, to represent us in international events; others, such as Tiffany Porter, an American who appears to have become British purely to enable her to compete in the Olympics, clearly have little if any loyalty to Britain and should not be representing us.

Sadly, in these days of big-money sport, anything goes. Athletes swap nationality as often as some people change their socks, with only their own glorification in mind. Some, perhaps such as Aldama who is married to a Britain, may well have more right to wear a British vest than others, but it makes cheering on 'Our Guys' much more difficult.

Mo Farah has lived here for most of his life and is a 'True Brit'; I'll cheer him on and prey that he can bring home at least one gold; as far as Tiffany Porter goes, I really couldn't care less what she does and I'll be cheering on the great Aussie hurdler, Sally Pearson. Aldama leaves me in a bit of a quandry as her background is a bit of a mess. Having originally represented Cuba up to 2000, she then married a Scot who subsequently found himself in prison for drug trafficking. Aldama sought British citizenship but was initially rejected; she then looked for another country to represent and chose Sudan, for whom she competed at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 World Championships. In 2010, she was finally granted UK citizenship and has competed for us ever since. It is tempting to believe that the facts she is a world class triple jumper and the London Olympics were on the horizon were a major contibutor to this change of heart by the British authorities, which makes one think that citizenship is not quite the prize that it's cracked up to be. Anyone can gain it if national pride might be enhanced.

It is not just athletics which is tainted by this cross-border trafficking on sportsmen and women. Cricket is a particularly dirty area in this regard, with a raft of South Africans having moved to England and Australia over the years. Tennis has also been subject to this type of traffic, as has Rugby Union and, no doubt, many other sports. I could never get very excited about the exploits of Greg Rusedski or Tony Grieg, Alan Lamb or Lennox Lewis, whose career was really developed in Canada even though he was born here. The worst aspect of this manipulation of nationalities is that it often denies opportunities to home grown talent who simply cannot compete with the already experienced overseas stars; compare the performances of our Premier League and National football teams if you don't believe me.. 

I have nothing against excellence in sport and will cheer on the best, I just don't think we should try to make jingoistic capital out of buying in that excellence. Ultimately, it is a self-defeating strategy.

Monday 23 July 2012

WIGGINS, BUTTON, ELS AND AMLA MAKE SPORTING HEADLINES.

Yesterday threw up several sports stories, some expected and some surprising.

On the expected front, Bradley Wiggins finally won the Tour de France cycle race some 10 days after the British media had first started celebrating. That they'd already written and spoken so much about what might happen had an inevitable effect on the reporting of his eventual victory, which became something of an anti-climax. In fact, the media seems to have switched its focus to what Wiggins and his colleagues may do in the Olympic cycling events, already hanging an assortment of medals around their necks.

Less expected was the second place achieved by Jensen Button in the German Formula 1 Grand Prix at Hockenheim. The race was won by current championship leader Fernando Alonso, who led from start to finish, but Button finally found some performance in his car and moved up from 6th at the start to challenge Alonso for the lead, before falling back somewhat in the last few laps. Nonetheless, his improved placing was a welcome improvement from recent performances.

Definitely unexpected was the victory of Ernie Els in the Open Golf Championship. After the first 2 rounds and American, Brandt Snedeker, had a 4 shot lead over the field and most commentators rather assumed that Tiger Woods was the man who would be his main challenger. With the British and Irish contingent finding little inspiration, although Graham MacDowell and Luke Donald ended up in the top 10, it was initially Australian Adam Scott who challenged and then passed Snedeker as the American suffered a series of disasters. Scott actually gained a lead of up to 5 shots and was still 4 ahead with only 4 holes of the final round left, when his own form deserted him and he bogeyed all 4. At the same time, Ernie Els, a man who most thought passed his best, had birdied the last and was left to watch as Scott missed a shortish putt on the last hole to hand him the title. This was a populr win for the big South African who has always demonstrated a quiet and polite demeanour, win or lose. This contrasts with the scowling of Tiger Woods who, though finishing joint 3rd, never really threatened the leaders after the end of round 2.

Unexpected by the media but perhaps not really unexpected by cricket watchers was the catastrophic performance by England's team at the Oval. After the home side had struggled to a reasonable 1st innings score of 385, the South Africans simply overwhelmed England's bowlers. A not out triple century from the bearded Hashim Amla, the first by a South African in Tests, and other big centuries from Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis helped the visitors to amass a massive 637-2, before then reducing England to the brink of defeat at 102-4 by the close of this 4th day's play. England's position at the top of the world rankings and their putative title of the world's best side now hang by a thread as the South Africans close in for the kill today.

Thursday 19 July 2012

AN OPEN 'OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP'.

With the start of the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham, 'home player' mania is under way again. However, unlike tennis, in golf the home nations do have real hope of success, with many of the world's top players hailing from these islands.

Not that many years ago golf was a sport utterly dominated by the Americans with truly great names such as Nicklaus and Watson being the men to beat in every 'Major'. More recently, Woods and Mickelson have been serious powers in the games, but with an assortment of others, such as Els and Goosen, as challengers. Along the way we had the genius of Ballasteros but British and Irish winners were generally notable for their absence after Tony Jacklin's exploits of 1969 and 1970; only Nick Faldo made real inroads into golfing history although Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle did have their moments. 

Remarkably, as American superiority has faded, the British and Irish have come to the fore once more. For many years, Colin Montgomery promised more than he delivered and in 1998 it looked as though a new star had been born in the shape of the then amateur, Justin Rose, who finished 4th in the Open at the age of 17, but major success has so far eluded him; the following year had Paul Lawrie handed the Open by the insane actions of Jean van der Velde, but this also proved to be a flash in the pan. Finally, in 2007, Padraig Harrington, a southern Irishman but one who is easily adopted by all inhabitants of the British Isles, won the Open and followed it up by retaining his prize in 2008 and adding the US PGA for good measure. Since then Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlry and Darren Clarke have all won Majors, while the prestige of being World Number 1 ahs been a battle fought out mostly between Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and McIlroy. Added to this list of top players, we've now got Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie reappearing as contenders, Paul Casy, Ian Poulter, and one or two more who all have realistic chances of challenging for Major honours.

Who will win this year's Open Championship is, of course, anyone's guess and the tournament does have a habit of throwing up a surprise champion. Nonetheless, several home players have a genuine chance although they will all have to be wary of the egregious Tiger Woods.

Monday 9 July 2012

KING ROGER IS MURRAY'S NIGHTMARE.

After all the media frenzy surrounding Andy Murray's historic appearance in the Wimbledon Mens' Singles' Final, reality was restored yesterday when Roger Federer put the upstart Scot in his place. Britain's wait for a Wimbledon singles' winner goes on.

To be fair, Murray played well and provided more of a test for Federer than I'd expected. The first set began with a Murray break of serve, quickly neutralized by Federer, but it was Murray who surprisingly broke again to win the set, even though he'd struggled mightily to hold his own serve on more than occasion. The second set was more of the same, with both experiencing difficulty holding serve at times, though perhaps Murray had a slight advantage; this time, however, it was Federer who finally broke, surprisingly, to take the set and square the match. From there on the 6-time champion began to exert greater influence and Murray visibly started to wilt under the extreme pressure, not just of the match but of thwarted ambitions.

In the end, Federer took the third and fourth sets with a single break in each and showed just why he is such a great champion. Murray, for the first time in my experience, actually showed character and personality in the post-match torture inflicted by Sue Barker of the BBC. Clearly devastated by his loss, he fought back the tears and made a brief speech full of emotion and even with a little humour; for once, he came across as a real person. Strangely, Federer's after-match comments were relatively low-key though, as always perfectly structured; he was, perhaps, also overcome by the emotions of the day.

Murray played well, very well at times and, as Federer said at the end, he surely will win a Grand Slam before long. He was closer this time than in any of his previous final appearances, he has the weapons and needs only to truly believe.

Federer is, without doubt, the greatest male tennis player in the history of the game. His achievement in beating back the years and winning a seventh Wimbledon crown at the age of 30 is astonishing; his career record of winning 17 Grand Slam events and reaching 24 finals is unparalleled. Following his victory, Federer also returns to the number 1 position in the World rankings, overtaking the 2 men who seemed to have eclipsed him over the last 2 or 3 years, Nadal and Djokovic; he has now spent more time at the top of the rankings than anyone else, overtaking the record of the great Pete Sampras. There seems little more for this genius of the game to achieve and yet his appetite for further success remains undimmed.

Roll on the US Open !


Sunday 8 July 2012

MURRAY TO WIN 5TH WIMBLEDON TITLE IN 2016 !

It really is no surprise that British sportsmen and sportswomen often have such poor records of success when one sees and hears today's news. Far from being full of actual news, the media is obsessed with stories about what might happen at Wimbledon this afternoon.

On Friday, Andy Murray won his semi-final match and became the first Briton to reach the mens' singles final since 1938. In true nationalistic style, I've heard Alex Salmond refer to him being the first Scot for 116 years to be in this position, which really puts this idiot's attitude in perspective. Nonetheless, Murray's achievement on Friday was 'news' and was duly reported in Saturday's newspapers and other media.

So far today, there is no news about this story. Having cameras following Murray around and listening to anyone and everyone talking about whether or not Murray 'can' win or 'will' win is not news; it is a pointless exercise in space-filling. It is also adding to the already considerable pressure and weight of expectation on Murray's shoulders and must make success less, rather than more, likely.

Murray is far from being alone is receiving this ridiculous level of attention from the media. Our golfers are routinely built up prior to the major championships and we will no doubt be told very soon what a great chance there is that Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and the rest will win the Open at Lytham later this month. Our football, rugby and cricket teams always have unrealistic expectations placed upon them and I fear for all of those Britons who are taking part in this year's Olympic Games; listening to the media, we will head the medals table, Mo Farah will win double gold, Jess Ennis will be the darling of the Games, our cyclists will sweep the board as will our rowers and sailers, etc., etc.

Why can't the media wait until medals and other prizes have actually been won, before counting our successes ? The additional pressure placed on our competitors is bound to be a hindrance rather than a help and the constant round of interviews full of banal and inane questions about how they are feeling and what they think of their chances must surely be an appalling annoyance and a potential embarrassment.

If Andy Murray wins at Wimbledon today, that will be news. If Roger Federer wins, that will also be news. While neither has yet walked onto court, let alone played a point, there is no news.

Friday 6 July 2012

IT'S FEDERER OR MURRAY !

Well, well, well !!!!

For the first time in 74 years there will be a British man in the final of the Wimbledon Mens' Singles Championship. Somehow, Andy Murray has made it through, beating Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the second of today's semi-finals.

In truth, Tsonga seemed to be all at sea in the first 2 sets and Murray gained a 2 set lead in little more than an hour; it was only then that the Frenchman woke up and the match became a more equal affair. Murray actually had a poor spell at the start of the third set which Tsonga won, and the fourth set was tightly fought until Tsonga lost his serve at the death and Murray was into the final. This was not the best of matches but then it was a semi-final, which must have caused plenty of nerves for both players. 

Despite his historic achievement, Murray's after match interview was every bit as dull and boring as usual. He claimed to be excited while speaking in his normal monotone and showing no actual emotion at all; his comments were his usual inanities, though to be fair the questions were the usual inane ones too, while he continues with his annoying habit of repeatedly stroking his hand over his hair and round his neck - anyone would think that the boy had fleas. While his tennis achievements can't be denigrated, I really do wish this young man would gain a personality.

In the final, Murray will meet the rather unexpected winner of the other semi-final. Most people probably thought that the defending champion, Novak Djokovic, would win this one but, in the end, it was 6-time champion Roger Federer who proved the stronger of these two titans. The Swiss superstar started like a train and raced to the first set with barely a false stroke; the second set was a virtual mirror image, with Djokovic gaining an early break to eventually level the match. The third set saw the best and most closely fought tennis of the match, with Federer finally prevailing after some superb play, and Djokovic then seemed to lose some of his zip as the match moved towards its end. The Serb conceded a break early in the fourth set and was never able to get back on terms, in fact he looked more in danger of losing his service again. Federer's ultimate victory, which sees him get a place in a record eighth Wimbledon mens' final, was thoroughly well deserved and his post-match interview was a total contrast to that of Murray. Federer actually smiled and talked with some animation; the man is genuinely excited about being in another final and it showed.

Federer versus Murray; which way will it go ? Federer has been, quite possibly, the greatest man ever to wield a tennis racket, but he is now a year or 3 passed his best. Murray is a fighter who wears his heart on his sleeve; he is undoubtedly a very good player, but he is not a great one. If both play as they have done so far in this tournament, Federer will win. If Federer is not quite at his best, Murray may squeak through. 

Ya' pays ya' money and makes ya' choice. 

Wednesday 4 July 2012

MURRAY STILL ON COURSE.

So, Andy Murray has scraped into the semi-final of Wimbledon.

How he actually made it through is a bit of a mystery as his general demeanour for most of the match was downbeat and his style of play seemed to almost hand points to his opponent, the 'duracell-bunnie' that is otherwise known as David Ferrer. For a set and a half, Murray was outplayed, standing far too deep and surrendering too much of the court and most of the attacking options to his opponent. Nonetheless, the first set only went to Ferrer on a tie break, as did the second, only with the opposite outcome. From this point on, Murray slowly began to take a greater share of the play and was eventually a worthy, if laboured, winner. It still took a fourth set tie-break, though.

Murray's semi-final opponent will be the hard-hitting Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, who will be a very different proposition from Ferrer. Whatever the result, Tsonga will certainly get a better reception from the Wimbledon crowd than did Murray from the spectators at Roland Garros when he was beating Tsonga'a French compatriot, Richard Gasquet; Wimbledon crowds don't 'Boo !' anyone for simply playing well.

Will Murray be the first Briton to reach the men's singles' final since 1938 when Bunny Austin was one of the 4 Grand Slam victims for Donald Budge that year ? Or will he even go one better and become our first men's champion since Fred Perry won the last of his three successive titles in 1936 ?

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, and then either Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer stand between Murray and tennis history. Might we have a Diamond Jubilee winner ?


Sunday 1 July 2012

SPAIN REALLY ARE THE BEST

I am no football expert or even afficionado. My interest primarily centres on the performances of the team my family has supported for more than 70 years, Tottenham, and England when they play in major championships.

The European championships, just completed, have confirmed that England are a poor side with very little to offer on a European, let alone a world, stage. Their players lack basic technical skills and demonstrate very little in the way of team awareness. In contrast, Spain have it all; their utter destruction of Italy in tonight's final match was astonishing. The brilliance of some of the Spanish play could only be marvelled at and the final scoreline - 4-0 - was a true representation of the difference between the 2 teams.

Compared with Spain, England really are no where.

WIMBLEDON : THE REAL WORK BEGINS NOW.

The first week is over and it is, indeed, a usual British Wimbledon. Although it was in some respects marginally more successful than most years, only one British player, Andy Murray, will be appearing in the singles competitions in the second week.

Of our other male competitors, Jamie Ward gave a decent account of himself before going down to defeat at the hands of the tenth seed, Mardy Fish, but none of the others made it passed the first round. Our women fared slightly better with Anne Keothavong, and Elena Baltacha getting into the second round and Heather Watson becoming the first Britsh woman to reach the third round for a decade. Sadly, all 3 were eventually dumped out unceremoniously and with no regard for their 'home team' credentials. Baltacha was no match for number 4 seed and current champion, Petra Kvitova, Keothavong went out to French Open finalist Sara Errani, and Watson was blown away by the third seed, Agnieszka Radwanska.

Baltacha and Keothavong are now both nearer to the ends of their careers than the beginnings; both will be 29 later this year and seem unlikely to improve further. Watson, on the other hand, is a mere 20 and seems to have the makings of a decent player. Despite her thumping by Radwanska, her showings in the first 2 rounds provided real hope that she will progress further in subsequent years and, together with 18 year old Laura Robson, might even get in amongst the world's better players in a year or 2.

For the rest, the men's tournament now looks like a straight fight between Djokovic and Federer in the top half of the draw, all the other top-16 seeds in this half having been eliminated. In the bottom half life has been made more complicated by the dramatic defeat of Rafael Nadal and any of several could yet come through. While Murray is the home favourite, he will first have to deal with Marin Cilic, followed by either David Ferrer or Juan Martin Del Potro, either of whom could easily prove a step to far. If he does make it passed this formidable array, his probable semi-final opponent will be Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, though Mardy Fish could still get in his way. It's perm any 1 from 6 here.

In the women's event, it's hard to see passed Sharapova and Radwanska in the top half of the draw, while the bottom half seems to be heading for a Serena or Kvitova versus Azarenka semi-final. Who will eventually lift the title is anyone's guess.

WIMBLEDON JOBSWORTHS DEVALUE MURRAY VICTORY

I don't expect many people, if any, to agree with me but last night's events at Wimbledon have left me appalled.

Beginning their match at around 7:45 in the evening, Andy Murray and Marcos Baghdatis would have expected a late finish courtesy of the now famous 'Wimbledon roof'. Murray always looked out of sorts but had somehow managed to keep the match all-square when the time came to call a temporary halt for the roof-closing ceremony. When the players emerged for a second time, it was passed half past nine and the match was at 1 set all - at least 2 more full sets needed, quite possibly 3.

At this point, some Wimbledon 'jobsworth' let it be known that, whatever the state of the match, play would not continue beyond 11:00 pm. 'Why ?' was never satisfactorily explained, although the commentators frequently made reference to that bane of our lives 'Health and safety'. How there could have been 'health and safety' issues involved in determining this cut-off time remains a mystery.

The third set, clearly a very important one for both players, lasted almost an hour until Murray finally claimed it, but by now it was 10:35 and even fitting in one more set in the time allowed looked problematic. Neither player wanted to have to return on Monday to finish the match as this would, apparently, have led to a knock-on effect with later matches.

While Murray began to race around like a demented chicken, Baghdatis clearly came to the conclusion that a quick and decisive fourth set was to everyones' advantage; his demeanour changed and he clearly felt under pressure to rush through the set as well. The result was an unseemly race to get games finished, with Baghdatis completely losing his way as the clock ticked towards the 11:00pm deadline. In the end, the umpire allowed one game to be played after this time, a game that Murray won in seconds as his opponent made nothing more than token efforts to provide any challenge.

At the end, the crowd cheered wildly; their man had won and they seemed oblivious to the way in which the victory had ben achieved. The last set took little more than 25 minutes, with Baghdatis clearly disadvantaged by the manic haste with which it was played. For myself, I felt that the ludicrous action of the Wimbledon authorities ruined the match and seriously devalued Murray's triumph.

Having spent many millions on the roof in the first place, why on earth should they introduce this arbitrary deadline on playing time ? They had the ability to allow last night's match to be played to a proper finish, which may well have resulted in a victory for Baghdatis, but they chose not to do so. The ridiculous notion that there would have been health and saftey concerns if play had been allowed to continue simply makes no sense. No one had forced the crowd to be there and they were perfectly able to work out, for themselves, how they would all get home. Pubs, clubs and theatres have no such worries, so why does Wimbledon ? Snooker and boxing regularly go on well after this time; what is so different about tennis ?

Yet again, this country has been made to look ridiculous by the imposition of pointless and arbitrary rules. This time, a tennis match was ruined; what will it be next time ?

Monday 25 June 2012

THE USUAL BRITISH WIMBLEDON ?

With Wimbledon now underway, we Britains can no doubt look forward to at least a few days of media excitement as our few, very few, top class tennis players do their best. History suggests that their best will be utterly insufficient to achieve much more than a win in the first round, with the only possible exception being Andy Murray.

Murray plays tomorrow and has a quite difficult draw; that his chances of actually winning the championship are pretty well zero will bypass the press until he is beaten, when they will engage in the usual national pastime of berating our failures, together with a liberal dose of 'breast-beating'.

Apart from Murray, we have no one, male or female, of whom we can have much expectation that they will progress very far. It is likely that our other male participants will fall at the first hurdle although it is already determined that one of our ladies will take her place in the second round. Young Heather Watson played with great skill and determination to beat Iveta Benesova, a player ranked many places above her, in straight sets and on centre court; she will now face an unseeded American in the second round and must have a sporting chance of winning a place in the last 32. Tomorrow we can hope that Laura Robson, Elena Baltacha and Ann Keothavong can emulate Watson's performance and, at least, reach round 2.

One day we will have another British champion; one day.

Sunday 24 June 2012

NORTHERN RUGBY STILL SECOND BEST.

Yesterday's rugby union internationals in the southern hemisphere produced a mixed bag of results with, perhaps, some encouragement for the northern sides.

Ireland, of course, seemed to be suffering from a huge hangover after their heroics of the previous week and went down to their heaviest ever defeat at the hands of a rampant All Blacks team that had clearly been stung by the coverage of their efforts in the previous test match. From the kick-off, Ireland were simply never in the game and were overwhelmed by a vastly superior team; the Irish looked exhausted, physically and mentally, and must have been very happy indeed to hear the final whistle.

Wales, on the other hand, came within a few minutes of beating the Wallabies just as they had done in the previous match. This time, the margin of defeat was even closer, just 1 point compared with the 2 of last week. By all accounts, Wales should have won and have only themselves to blame for their failure, exactly as they did before; last week, a lack of discipline produced a last minute penalty, this week it was the same, though a few minutes earlier. Notwithstanding a 3-0 series loss, the Welsh still showed themselves to be a side on the 'up' and will be strong contenders to retain their 'Six Nations' title next year.

England went to South Africa with great trepidation but will come home having made some real progress. Up to the halfway stage of the second test, they'd been largely outplayed by the home side, but from then on they knuckled down and did much better. The second test ended up as a loss, though England certainly won the second half; yesterday's final test was an altogether closer affair and England ended up with a well deserved draw. It may be that South Africa lacked the intensity of the previous match or perhaps England simply didn't let them play in the same way; it's certainly the case that South Africa could, and probably should, have won but for the poor kicking of Morné Steyn. Nonetheless, England will take great heart from this result and seem to be building a solid base for the future.

While England, Scotland and Wales have been engaged in battles with the principle southern nations, France have been in Argentina and Scotland have wandered around the assorted Pacific island nations. After losing last week, France bounced back with an emphatic 49-10 win in their match yesterday and will remain near the top of northern rugby. Scotland followed victories over Australia and Fiji with a narrow win over Samoa and will go home with the best record of any of the home nations; what this means in real terms we will only find out in the autumn and beyond.

What will happen when the southern nations come north in the autumn is anyone's guess.

Sunday 17 June 2012

NORTHERN RUGBY ON THE UP.

Yesterday's rugby matches in the southern hemisphere showed a significant improvement from the previous week but still the final results were the same.

Ireland gave the All Blacks an almighty fright, but fell to a last minute dropped goal, having failed to repel the home side's final thrust. The force and determination of the New Zealanders simply couldn't be matched

Wales were even closer to defeating the Wallabies but eventually succumbed to  a penalty which became the last kick of the match. In the end, the Welsh had no one to blame but themselves for copying the Irish failure to fight to the very last kick.

England suffered a traumatic start to their match in Johannesburg with South Africa gaining a 12 point lead within 8 minutes. For the rest of the first half, England struggled to keep the Springboks at bay although they also managed to make some inroads themselves so that the half time score was only 10-25. The second half was a different 'kettle of fish' as the visitors showed terrific spirit and even looked the better side at times. The arrears were reduced to only 27-31 and it looked as though a huge shock might be possible before the South Africans ran in a last minute try to seal victory.

All 3 northern hemisphere sides could have won and all 3 might well do so in the next round of matches; sadly, those matches will be largely meaningless as the series are already won. This week's matches did, though, show that the gap between north and south may be narrowing and a northern hemisphere triumph at the next world cup may not be out of the question.

QUEEN'S CLUB DISGRACE.

What a pathetic mess the Queen's Club officials made of the end of their tournament this afternoon.

A hard fought match between David Nalbandian and Marin Cilic was brought to an abrupt halt when Nalbandian threw a wobbly and kicked a bit of advertising hoarding; unfortunately for him, a line judge was placed immediately behind it and received a nasty cut to his shin as a result. Under ATP rules, such an incident requires disqualification of the offender and this penalty was imposed; Cilic consequently won the trophy.

However, what happened after the incident was a typical English mess. It took ages for anyone to do anything and, more particularly, no one bothered to tell the increasingly annoyed crowd what was going on. These people had no doubt paid substantial sums to watch a tennis match and were rewarded with a balls-up.

When an official did, finally, take hold of a microphone he was first booed loudly by the audience and then failed miserably to say anything meaningful. No explanation was offered, nor any apology; the man simply had no idea of how he should have behaved towards the people who were, after all, contributing to his wages. It was, frankly, a disgrace, but typical of the mentality of the 'old school tie' brigade who dominate so much of British society. It was also an embarrassment to anyone who is British.

Please God nothing similar happens at Wimbledon.

OLYMPICS: FRAUD AND CORRUPTION

As we get ever closer to the abomination that is the modern Olympic games, the more the news causes one to despair.

It seems that a large number of individuals in positions of power within the Olympic movement have been able to acquire allocations of tickets which they have been offering for sale on the 'black market' at vastly inflated prices. It's even been said that a Greek representative apparently formed some sort of agreement with that bastion of British Olympic sport, Sebastian Coe, a man of impeccable standing, at least in political circles.

Why the obvious fraudulent activities of a throng of Olympic officials should surprise anyone is a mystery to me. In common with organisations such as FIFA, the IOC is as corrupt as it is possible to be; these international organisations are run by self-serving individuals, many of whom have only one aim - to enrich themselves. Why this country degrades itself by membership is beyond me.

Sadly, it is also the case that the double standards of the Olympic movement are not limited to its less worthy members. Over recent months, we have been subjected to assorted advertisements from banks and utility companies, among others, offering Olympic tickets as a sweetener for moving accounts and services. How can banks, utility companies and any other similar organisations have gained access to Olympic tickets ? Are not these tickets for sale to the general public only, or are they simply available to the highest bidder in a commercial market created by the Olympic committee ? Whatever the answer, the system is wrong. It is not only wrong, it is corrupt.

The original Olympic ideal has been subverted by greed and corruption. It is time for the modern Olympics to be abandoned and for a return to the true Olympian spirit. Until that happens, the games will remain a travesty and the people, including us, will pay for a quadrennial beanfeast for a very few, very rich and powerful crooks.

Thursday 14 June 2012

REDKNAPP GONE; NOW GET RID OF LEVY.

So Redknapp has gone.

Clearly a contract extension wasn't on the cards and Spurs will now begin the task of looking for yet another manager. What effect this will have on the players, particularly the 'big guns' such as Bale and Modric, is anyone's guess, but whoever the new man is, he'll have his work cut out.

All we can hope for now is that the Tottenham board has the foresightedness to appoint a manager on a long-term basis. We don't want another 60-something, we need a younger man, someone under 50 who will be given the time and money to develop the side properly, over a decade or more. What are the chances ?

Since Daniel Levy became Spurs' chairman in 2011, the club has 'enjoyed' a regular turnover of managers; George Graham, Glenn Hoddle, David Pleat, Jacques Santini, Martin Jol, Juande Ramos and, now, Harry Redknapp. Is it any wonder that the team has failed to prosper ? With such change and uncertainty at the top, how can the players ever feel secure ?

Jol and Redknapp both had a degree of success and yet were dismissed at the whim of Levy and without being given long enough to really shine. Levy wants success today without providing the essentials - money and stability. Having just sacked his 7th manager in 11 years, it is surely time for the board to sack him, and get in someone who knows a bit more about running a major sporting enterprise.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

MURRAY DISAPPONTS .... AGAIN.

With Wimbledon on the horizon, one can only fear for Andy Murray.

In the French Open, admittedly played on a surface never imagined by the inventors of 'Lawn Tennis', Murray was overwhelmed by David Ferrer, a decent player but one who was slaughtered in the semi-final by his compatriot and the eventual champion, Rafael Nadal.

Today, Murray lost at Queen's Club to the unranked Frenchman, Nicholas Mahut. Mahut's only real claim to fame is his participation in the ridiculous set he played against the American John Isner a couple of years ago and that ended 70-68, though in whose favour no one can remember.

Is it possible that Nadal, Djokovic or Federer would have lost to Mahut ? Of course not. Murray simply doesn't have 'it'.

'It' is the winning mentality. Don't get me wrong, Murray is a good player but, sadly, that's all he is. When it comes to big tournaments and big matches, he can't 'hack it'. A few years ago I was convinced that Murray would win at least one Grand Slam event in his career - I was wrong. His chances are reducing by the day and his recent performances really demonstrate that he is not only no match for Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in the big tournaments, he is also stretched by lesser players.

If Murray is ever to win a major tournament, he will have to grow up, very quickly given that he is already 25. Compared with his main rivals, Murray still looks like an overgrown schoolboy, rather than a fully grown man; his manner is that of a spoilt teenager rather than that of an adult.

I wish him well at Wimbledon and hope against hope that the best player this country has produced in 75 years will triumph, but I have no expectations. He simply isn't good enough to compete with the very best in the world.

REDKNAPP : GO OR STAY - DECIDE NOW !

As a Tottenham supporter, I could hardly have missed the current furore about the future of club manager Harry Redknapp. It seems that Redknapp has pretty well painted himself into a corner and it will take a lot of humble-pie eating by either him or Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy if Harry is to still be in charge of the club come August.

Redknapp undoubtedly wanted the job of England manager and the players knew it. Consequently, the team's performances dipped dramatically and a side which had been serious challengers for the Premier League title eventually finished only fourth and even failed to qualify for the Champions' League, something that had been unthinkable at Christmas.

Unsurprisingly, the Tottenham chairman is not happy. Redknapp has a year left on his current contract and says, quite vociferously, that he has not resigned and has no intention of resigning. Clearly, given the nature of such things, he actually wants to go but is holding out for a year's compensation.

The result will be that he will, almost certainly, go. Tottenham will continue their appalling habit of replacing their manager every 2 or 3 years and the club will subside to their usual mid-table position, while arch-rivals Arsenal continue to outdo them at every turn under long-term manager Arsene Wenger.

For a brief period, Redknapp had Spurs performing at a level not seen at White Hart Lane for 50 years. The failure of the Tottenham board to resolve the question of his possible translation to the England job within a matter of hours of its raising says more about their competence than it does about Redknapp's. At the same time, the question as to how good Redknapp actually is remains unanswered.

There are two choices. either get rid of him now or give him a new 5 year contract with no get out clauses and pay 75% related to performance. Let's see how confident he is in his own ability or let's get someone who is confident and committed in his place. Whichever, let's stop pissing about.


Sunday 10 June 2012

FOOTBALL, THUGS AND LOUTS

Shock ! Horror !

I never realised it before but apparently many football crowds have elements that shout abuse at the players and officials on the pitch. This disgraceful behaviour is now causing real concern at the 'Euro' football competition being played in Poland and Ukraine.

As a longstanding follower of Tottenham Hotspur, universally known in some circles and for many years as 'The Yids' on account of their history of jewish ownership, I find this all a bit boring and repetitive. Frankly, I couldn't give a damn what people say, shout or chant. Much of the chanting at football matches has been highly obscene for years and yet no one has said much about; others forms of offensive chanting have existed for a similar period of time. Football is a highly tribal sport - is it any surprise that some supporters act tribally ?

Suddenly, offensive behaviour is no longer acceptable. Why ? When I was a child I was always told that 'Sticks and stones could break my bones but words could never hurt me'. Why is this no longer the dictum ? The more attention that is paid to the ill-mannered behaviour of the louts and thugs who attend football matches, the more they will be inspired to be thugs and louts.

Our grotesquely overpaid and pampered footballers should grow thicker skins, shut up and get on with kicking that round thing around the pitch; they should also stop their own loutish and thuggish behaviour which no doubt helps to stir up their supporters.

Notwithstanding my support for Tottenham, I still prefer watching properly grown men using an oval ball rather than these overgrown, spoilt and whining schoolboys.

Monday 4 June 2012

MURRAY SHOWS UP UNSPORTING FRENCH .

Watching Andy Murray play, and eventually destroy, Richard Gasquet in the French Open Tennis Championship, one can only be disgusted by the total lack of sportsmanship shown by the audience.

Obviously, a French crowd will always support its own players exactly as an English crowd does at Wimbledon, but the English crowd also appreciates the fine play of the opponent. Today's match saw a crowd that applauded madly whenever their man won a point and yet became increasingly silent when his opponent won one. There were even times when fine shots by Murray were met by an entirely silent stadium and, at the end, there were even boos and catcalls when Murray won points; no Wimbledon crowd has ever been so shockingly partizan nor so unsporting. The truly frightening thing is that the crowd's treatment of Murray is anything but unusual; his eventual reception when victory was achieved was, to say the least, muted and the crowd booed as much as they cheered.

One has to assume that this is a representation of the French culture and it is, perhaps, something that we should all take note of. The French are for the French, sod everyone else.