Gateshead Stadium, the Europa Cup and Mo Farah and Jesssica Judd

On Saturday morning June 2^nd 2013 thinking it was warmer than it proved to be I set off with my Olympic Games London 2012 shoulder bag in only a shirt and light jacket for the Metro Train journey to Gateshead stadium to watch the Europa Team Athletics Championship super League event where the combined British team of Male and female athletics came fourth on last holding to Russia, Germany and the Ukraine. Britain commenced the meeting with the news that the recently appointed Athletics coach after the man who steered the London Olympics Team has resigned because the of the failure to reach the targets he had set for himself and the government sponsors, had also resigned to return home to Canada, stating family reasons. He hoped that based on recent performance standings the British team could finish in the top three.

It is several year since attending Gateshead Stadium to watch European Athletics although I was present on the occasion when after the stadium was developed and officially opened in 1974 to mark the emergence of Brendan Foster as an International middle distance runner, followed soon after by that of Steve Cram of (Monkton) Jarrow where South Tyneside also provide an all weather competitive track in the town and where I also attended its opening.

There had been a running track and athletics club on the Gateshead site since the 1950’s but with the new stand and facilities and additional spectator seating, the stadium commenced its forty year rise as Tyne and Wearside’s premier athletics home, also featuring professional football, with Gateshead FC and they intend to move to a purpose built new stadium in the town centre scheduled for 2015, American football until 2011 until they moved to the Monkton stadium Jarrow and rugby League Gateshead Thunder. The stadium has hosted a number of Rock concerts with the most success Tina Turner who I have seen twice 1990 and 1996, the Police with U2 and Rod Stewart, Members of the family when to see Bryan Adams.

But it is as an Athletics venue that its main claim to fame remains although spectators numbers have not always proved great as with the European Team Championships this weekend although there was a major Rock concert at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on the same day, featuring Little Mix the X Factor winners with two members of the group from South Tyneside and James Arthur another winner, from Teeside. The stadium is also the home of Gateshead Harriers one of the foremost ongoing athletics clubs un the UK.

The story goes that at a Civic reception held for Brendan Foster, born Hebburn, then County Durham, now South Tyneside, he was promised an all weather track stadium and with the creation of a Department of Sport and Leisure he was appointed its Director and helped create the stadium where he organised the Gateshead Games. Brendan is now better known as a sport commentator and the founder and organiser of the Great North Run, the half marathon from Newcastle to the coast in South Shields (Gypsy Green Stadium area) which has tens of thousands entries raising money for charities, two international class serious races and wheelchair disability race. The event is televised nationally by the BBC. Steve Cram. Steve who won a Silver medal in the Olympic Games at 1500 metres and a Gold medal at the World Championships, is now a regular BBC Athletics commentator being its lead Athletics person for London 2012.

　

In 1983 Steve Cram beat Sebastian now Lord Coe at Gateshead in his final race before Cram won the gold medal at Helsinki in the World Championships in a packed stadium and I was there too.

In 1989, I attended the running of the Europa Cup. The men's competition was won for the first time by a Great Britain team captained by Linford Christie and which included Kriss Akabusi and Jack Buckner.

Four years later, on 30 July 1993, I also watched Lynford, by this time the reigning 100m Olympic champion, in action again – this time against his old rival Carl Lewis in a race where both men were reportedly paid £100000 irrespective of the result. Christie won in a time of 10.07 seconds, ahead of Jon Drummond in second and Lewis, who finished third".The 100m race was the highlight of the "high profile" Vauxhall Invitational meet, which was televised in the UK by ITV and watched by around 10 million viewers. Michael Johnson, John Regis and Steve Cram also competed.

In August 1998, Gateshead was selected to host the 2000 Europa Cup after the European Athletic Association switched the event from original host venue Martinique to avoid athletes travelling long distances in an Olympic year. This made Gateshead the first venue to host the event twice. In July 2000, spectators at Gateshead once again saw Great Britain's men's team take the title, this time by half a point from Germany in second place; the British victory came despite missing ten first-choice team members.

Paula Radcliffe ran the 10,000m at Gateshead in 2004 when Foster's "Gateshead Games" had become the British Grand Prix, and on 13 July 21-year-old Yelena Isinbayeva set a new world record of 4.82m in the women's pole vault event. Isinbayeva's achievement in the last event of the meet was so unexpected that only 1,000 of the 10,000 spectators witnessed it, the rest having left early. For her achievement, she was given a bonus cheque for $50,000. On 27 June 2004, Isinbayeva returned to Gateshead. This time the event organisers decided to schedule the pole vault event earlier and were rewarded when Isinbayeva defied extremely windy conditions to post a new record mark of 4.87m. Isinbayeva was the second woman to set a world record in the pole vault at Gateshead; Daniela Bartova did so in 1995. In 2006, a crowd of 8,500 saw Asafa Powell equal the world record of 9.77 seconds in the men's 100m. The official, un-rounded time of 9.762 seconds was then the fastest time ever recorded. The meet was also notable for the return to competition of Dwain Chambers after his ban for using performance enhancing drugs, and for Eliud Kipchoge breaking Foster's stadium record over 3000m that had stood for more than three decades.

In 2010, the British Grand Prix at Gateshead was chosen as one of the inaugural fourteen Diamond League events but although competitors included Tyson Gay, Powell, Jessica Ennis and Vincent Chepkok, the attendance was unusually poor, causing the local press to wonder whether Gateshead's contract for the marquee event would be renewed. Those fears were to prove well-founded when UK Athletics agreed to a three-year contract to stage the event at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham The move prompted one reporter to lament that "the switch is a major blow to both Gateshead International Stadium and North-East sport in general, but can hardly be regarded as a major surprise given the dwindling support for major athletics events in the region. It is evident that the loss has continued and I was appalled at the level fo empty seats given the appearance of double Olympic winner Mo Farah in 10000 meter event. especially as this was only instance where a stadium has held the event three times.

It used to be possible to park the car free on land behind the stadium but this has since been converted into playing fields and so although eh weather looked changed able I decided to use the Metro train although I remember that there is quite along walk from the nearest station to the stadium. Since last using the station to the area has been cleared and a new estates of housing created with a direct wide walkway with a most attractive aspect including Iots trees and interspersed at pedestrian junctions into the estate with attractive metal work and other features. I was most impressed. I did see a large car park on this side of the of the main road from Sunderland to Newcastle, the A1M and South Shields. There was also an army fo Gateshead staff helpers channelling people in the right direction from the station and across the busy main road.

Since my last visit the seating opposite the main stand has been covered over and there are kiosks serving hot drinks, alcohol and snacks. There are also well looked after male and female toilets. My seat was at the aisle to one side opposite the finishing line across the stadium although close to the open air. The covering which would have been essential on the Sunday with the torrential rain took the sun away and therefore although I enjoyed the visit I was uncomfortable and needed frequent trips to the gents as walking about at the rear of the stand to try and shelter from the wind. At £10.50 via Ticketmaster the seat was exceptional good value for money, I purchased a good programme for £5 which enable to enter the result in great detail if I wish although even with the large scoreboard with visual replay at one end of the stadium it was difficult to read the results or have time to enter them. However I was confident that I would be able to obtain rhe details on line front the British Athletics Association European Athletics Federation..

The first event of the meeting and afternoon at 1.30 was the women’s Pole Vault which I once tried at a school boy barely getting off the ground. The British team was expected to gain 12 points from Holly Bleasdale who is the current European Champion at a height of 4.87. She was eighth in the final of the London Olympics but hopes to do better in Rio in 2016. She elected to come into the competition at 4.35 but failed in three attempts and registered no points. What a disaster! The second event was he Men’s hammer which I also tried at school and was hopeless. The British athlete came 11 with 2 points although he was not expected to do well. The Brit competitor Jamile Adalma in the women’s triple jump did well in 4^th and was close to the third placed. For the short distance events (100, 200 metres and the 400, competitors ran in two races, with the fastest six in the second and the winner declared on times from both races. Dai Green who had failed at he Olympics was expected to bring 12 points but he was beaten into second by the German who had an exceptional performance.

In the women’s !00m Asha Philip came third in her race and fourth overall and in the 400m men Nigel Levine came second. Women’s discuss Jade Lally 6^th. So it was not until the 8^th event that the UK had its first success, an unexpected result with Jessica Judd 18 years of age in her first senior outing having completed her A levels last week. While she has shown considerable promise improving her times in this race and the 1500m and was selected to the team on merit in terms of times she was expected to reach 4^th or 5^th and it was the manner of her winning going out fast and holding off opposition which excited the spectators and the UK Athletics establishment and which makes her a prospect for the 2015 Olympic Games. A potential heroine has been discovered and my impression is that she will be well nurtured and not exploited for immediate advantage, A name to look out for.

Back to reality in the men’s Shot Put where Zane Duquemin, now that is a name, came 9^th. In the 100m dash Richard Kilty came fourth in the second heat but sixth overall. It was a second woman Laura Weighman coached by Steve Cram who came second in the 3000m on her home track and she was quickly followed by Elldith Child winning the 400mm hurdles and with Charlie Grice coming second in the 1500m the position was getting much better with the tem looking good for at least third position and the possibility of second.

Greg Rutherford was to some extent an unexpected Gold Medal winner in the long jump as on paper there were other with better distances competing and therefore I have not expected him to beat everyone he now faces, especially if having gained the medal he had lost some of the original drive and competitiveness. Just how many Gold Medal UK Olympic Athletic winners has there been since the end of the Second World War? I will try and answer the question before publication, He came third, expected to have done better by some. Lennie Waite did well in the 3000 women’s Steeple chase although by this time the cold wind and inadequate clothing made me so uncomfortable that two coffee and walking about at the back of the stand failed to keep me enthusiastic and only the running of Mo Farah kept me from leaving early.

Izzy Jeffs came 9^th in the women’s and then the team excelled itself. Peri Shakes Drayton the outstanding hurdler and team captain opted for the 400m and came first with a personal best to make three individual female winners on the day. There were two big disappointments in the Pole Vault already mentioned and on Sunday with Hannah England who could only finish 5^th in the 1500m

Then it was time for Mo Farah and the excitement his appearance track side created was extraordinary and in terms of sports personalities I have only experience once before when the other Mo came to South Shields where he was married at the local Mosque and was given a civic reception a the Town Hall to which I was invited and witnessed first hand the impact he had on everyone present and on the public outside he waited for a glimpse. The Queen had also visited in relation to her 25 years as monarch and while there was a grand gathering at Gypsy Green stadium for her to watch and the public response was excellent, the fervour of the people was reserved for Ali.

The race looked as if it might prove a non event with Mo starting at the back and them moving close tot he front as it warmed up with a modest pace, and where he took the lead at one point to prevent the pace becoming too slow for him. With just over a lap to get he streaked like a rocket away from the rest and soon from their perspective he was no where in sight to the great delight of the ecstatic supporters. As someone said that performance was worth the entrance money and in my case the cold. I made my way home before the relays.

I decided not to attend for the second day of the meet although I had purchased a ticket because England had reached the final of Cricket one day cup and I wanted to watch the game against India. I recorded the athletics and later went through the event with the fast button, missing out the build up and the after race chat unless there was a UK performance worth noting when I sometimes ran the ran or winning field action several times. The decision was the right one as there was torrential rain sweeping the track on several occasions so that some field events were then held in the adjacent warm up hall.

So here are the rest of the results commencing with the Men’s Events

4 by 100 UK Team first

4 X 400 UK Team first

Andrew Osagie 3^rd 800m

Tom Parsons 3^rd High Jump

Nathan Douglas 3^rd Triple Jump

Daniel Talbot came 4^th in the 200m

William Sharman 5^th 110 hurdles

Brett Morse 5^th Discuss

David Bishop 7^th 3000 m

Lee Doran 8^th Javelin

Andrew Sutcliffe 9^th Pole Vault

Rob Mullet 11^th 3000m steeplechase

　

The outcome is therefore there were only three winners of the events for Males from the UK with Mo Farah the only individual winner.

　

While Sophie Hitchon is noteworthy in coming third and breaking the National record in the hammer which as the other events reported the UK does not do well in the field events, the women were outstanding in terms of the placements compared to those of the men and were responsible for gaining a good third position in the competition overall.

The results were

400 M relay 1st

Tiffany Porter 2^nd 100m Hurdles

Emilia Gorecka 2^nd 5000m

Anikya Onuora 3^rd 200m

Sharah Proctor 3^rd Long Jump

100m Relay 5th

Sophie McKinna 7^th Shot put

Isobel Pooley 9^th High Jump

Russia won the event 354,5 points with Germany 347.5 and the UK 338. Had Holly Bleasdale got the points she was expected we would have come second with 350 points and Hannah England also won we would have been half point behind the Russians and Dai green winning would have clinched victory. On the other hand there was Jessica Judd‘s extra points and several others did better than expected by several places.

Since the Games commenced the UK has won 53 gold medals and 194 medals in total for athletics with Russian 64 gold but 193 medals in total behind the USA with an incredible 320 gold and 767 medals won in total

It is going to be a great year for Durham CC but not sure about England (2013)

I enjoyed the cricket for the main part attending on two of the three days of the County Championship game between Durham and Warwickshire. The weather was atrocious and there was doubt from outset that we could get a result.

The wicket was placed to the east of the ground where the development of the additional permanent seating for the Test match against Australia meant that passage from the Members gate at Lumley was not possible until late on Friday afternoon. The work has progressed with the foundations for the new stand extended up to the first bank of the green seats although later that day we learned that this bank is also being replaced. The seats are from those used on Horseguards parade for beach football, 7000 in total with 500 permanent with bat and other facilities to bed completed death after the Test match as the additional seating with be at the back and removed. The capacity for the match will be 15000 with the take anticipated to be over £1m for the first three days.

I attended my first Members evening in the lounge after the first day’s play was completed and pressed about the new developing confirming that the latest development that the new entrance and proposed conference stand behind the Lumley end wickets was no longer an immediate option or the hotel. The club had gained a loan European grants of £1.7 million but this was for the full ground development projects of some £20 million which they had been unable to raise although the grant money remained available. The floodlights projects was also in abeyance in part because of the lack of demand for the floodlit game and it was not yet a requirement for hosting International matches.

There was some questioning about the use of the Castle View Lumley lounges in the new extension with the possibility of use for member when not required but not as an alternative to the existing facility. Interestingly he debacle about the changes to the Members room was not raised. There was a moan about the £80 for the Test match which is to be a one off because of the Ashes and other financial considerations. Apparently some of the original Durham County members before the move to first class cricket were given a £10 life membership offer and I seriously considered the original County Life Membership rate for elders when I became eligible but I was not wedded to remaining in the North East at that point.

Most of those attending the meeting were familiar faces to me and there were those concerned at the new season prices although the Gold Membership deal remains a great offer costing for the all inclusive home games around 46 days of cricket for £88 compared to £80 for a day at the Ashes Test.

Because of the conditions and location of the wicket I made my way to the middle tier of the Durham stand to watch Durham bat first having won the toss. Later the Cricket Director said that the players never knew how a wicket would perform at the ground from match to match and wicket to wicket unlike many other ground where a side could be selected for the conditions.

Stoneman after some remarkable performances was out without scoring. Jennings made a careful 33, Borthwick a more adventurous 36, Smith 46 and Stokes 61, all can be said to have got themselves in before getting out with the explanation that the ball had started to swing. When Collingwood went for 1 and the Colonel for 0 the side was still short of their first batting point with seven wickets down. Spirited defence by Richardson 26, Wood 22 and Onions also 22 saw the total reach a respectable 267 and 2 bonus points.

Warwickshire fared no better with 19 for 0 at the close and 116 fro 7 but again the tail rallied doubling the total to 209 giving Durham a lead of 58 and with 40 on the board at the close this mean 100 for 0 when I went off to the cinema for a showing of the Audience at the Cineworld Bolden having elected to listen to match on the radio while watching the England’s innings in their second 50 over world championship tournament. When I return from what proved an aborted performance, full of disappointment and frustration I was horrified to find that Durham had collapsed to 147 for 8 with the Colonel getting a pair Jennings 11, Borthwick 2 Smith 4, Stokes 5, Collingwood 7 Onion 8, Wood 3. It was only Stoneman 83 and Richardson 55 who along with 11^th man Rushworth not out 11 who brought Durham to a respectable 198 with 42 run last wicket stand which I watched on Friday morning. However as I saw well wrapped and expecting a rain interrupted day, the odds had dramatically changed in favoured of Warwickshire. The Durham innings had ended don a bad note when Richardson was caught by Jarvid, according to the crowd while standing on the boundary rope which brought memories of Nottinghamshire’s Hales cheating several years ago which I witnessed at close hand. In this instance there was no one immediately overlooking the spot but there were a sizeable number of people in the Durham Stand close by who had an overview. Whether he was standing over the line and then moved just inside to take the catch is the only reason I assume he did not admit the 6 runs. Only he and his closes colleague appeared to celebrate with the rest of the Warwickshire fielders and Durham batsmen remaining in position.

Early in rhe Warwickshire second innings the skies darkened and the promised rain looked as if it would fall, but the sky coming from the west was much brighter and it looked that if it did rain in would prove a brief shower. Nevertheless the Warwickshire players sized the umpires decision and walk off but the Durham players remained with the Captain hoping to persuade the umpires that the conditions would quickly change. The umpires continued their walk to the pavilion, the pitch was covered but the delay was around half an hour and the match then continued uninterrupted for the rest of the game until one side became the victors.

Durham had the first success when Chopra and Porterfield were out at 26 and when Troughten at 56 and Westwood at 74 the game was swinging in Durham’s favour. This was view was reinforced when Ambrose went at 127, Clarke at 131 and Barker as 146 ( for 7) There was hen a very uncomfortable period when the dreadful Jarvid ( I trust the Durham crowd’s sight) with Patel slowly built up h core to a potential winning position until Jarvid went caught Borthwick off ions for 55 having stayed at the wicket for two and a half hours. Patel went three runs later for 50 but then Wright and Rankin appeared to steady and slowly moved towards what would have been a legendry last wicket victory when Stokes had Rankin leg before wicket and Warwickshire were all out for 245, giving Durham a potential Championship winning victory by 11 runs. And moved Durham to head the championship before Yorkshire completed their win to lead with 8 matches played 4 wins and 117 points while Durham are second with the same position and 108.5 points.

With the closest sides all drawing Durham kept their position with Sussex who they are to play twice 100 and Middlesex who they play Lords 97. Notts have a game in hand are on 80 which with maximum points still leave Durham ahead and hen Warwickshire, Surrey, Somerset and Derbyshire at the bottom. We play Derbyshire twice so Durham’s game at Scarborough could prove in effect a championship decider. The glory days could be here again.

Today Monday 17^th June 2013 the news has reached tat Surrey have sacked their Director of Cricket and first team coach with Alec Stewart taking over this confirming my impression that the home supporters want Championship success above all else despite the financial and commercial success of the club through hospitality, sponsorship and the holding of International events.

I had written Durham off from getting to the semi finals fo the 40 over competition because of the loss at home, and at Hampshire, but they now head the table with 8.75 points after humiliating Scotland bowling them all out 91 with Collinwood ending the innings getting 3 wickets for 5 runs off 1.3 overs. Onions 3 fro 26 and Wood 3 for 23 also did well. Durham appeared to have no problem in gaining the required runs in 12.5 overs going for a good run rate which could influence the outcome at the end of the league matches.

A lose look at table reveals that every club bar Scotland who have zero points have a chance of being top team after all their matches have been played. Hampshire’s game at hone against Derbyshire on Tuesday evening is important and if Derby win and then win against Scotland they will head the table with 10 points from the same number of games as Durham, and if Hants win they will also go ahead and have a game still in hand. Durham play Hants at home on Saturday in a must win game whatever happens. I shall be at the European Games at Gateshead. However with 12 games in total to play, they league is about half way. Notts with 6 wins from 6 games and walking away in League one as they have a game in over next placed Northants with 9 points. Somerset and Gloucestershire are doing well in the third division with Gloucestershire 11 points from 7 and Somerset 11 from 8 and at present one of these two look a good bet for the best placed fourth semi finalist making a Division win by Durham imperative.

England were disappointing against Sri Lanka in their second of three games in the Champions Trophy after creating a reasonable total of 293 with Trott 76, Root 68 and Cook 59 but where Morgan 13 Butler 0 Brennan 4 and Broad 7 failed to capitalise on the great start push the total to over 325. It was Bopara with a magnificent three sixes two fours, two fours and a two who added 28 runs in the final over who set the challenge. Unfortunately England’s bowlers on a good wicket could find no extra life or twist Sangakkara 134 who sealed are fate reaching the total required in the 47^th over and with seven wickets in hand. It all depended on the last match at Cardiff where rain threatened a no play which would have seen England out of the competition, Fortunately the rain stopped and then held off to enable a 24 over match against New Zealand. England made a good 169 although early on with Cook hitting sixes (64) a total of 190 or more seemed possible/. Again some fo the lower order batsman failed to connect in the way hoped. With the visitors 14 for 2, 48 for 4 and 62 for 5 they looked home cut and dried. However a good fight saw a much closer encounter with England winning after New Zealand could only reach 159 form 8.

Australia had to reach 254 runs in 29 overs to have a faster rate and get the fourth semi final spot. If they get the runs then New Zealand go through and not Sri Lanka who are they are playing. Going for the runs Australia lost wicket and when the 9^th went at 196 it seemed all over. Just when it looked as if Australia would win and send New Zealand into the Semi final they were all out so that as heading group India will play Sri Lanka in the second semi final with England leading their group playing South Africa on Wednesday at the Oval.

Andy Murray won at Queen Club again after missing out on the French open because of injury although he never has done well at the clay courts there. He lost the first set came back to win the next two in am march which was unable to start on time because of rain.

The interesting but as yet unconfirmed news is that Joe Kinnear Newcastle manager who had to give up the job because of a heart attack is coming back as Director of Football responsible for brining in new players. However the club are yet to make any statement.

I have a comparatively quiet start to the week, with writing, some exercise and watching the cricket today. Tomorrow I need to go for some shoes but on Wednesday there is the Opera relay from Red Square. I should have seen the Audience with Helen Mirren last Thursday but they failed to get the sound working again so I walked out and rebooked for a second showing. Unfortunately only when i got home I found that it clashes with the Euro Athletics on the Sunday. I will judge what to fo depending how week the Opera from Red Square goes on Weds and the Athletics on Saturday. There is the important semi final game involving England which will also take place on Wednesday with a 10.30 start