Artman Sport

cricket, Football American Football Tennis and game play

2012-01-27T02:32:00.000-08:00

There have not been the usual references to sport of late although this does not mean I have not been watching and listening to events over the past two weeks.

First cricket, my consistent sporting love, and where unlike football I have supported the national side regularly attending a Test Match day each year until the past couple of seasons. England are playing Pakistan in the Middle East with a humiliating defeat in the first Test held in a near empty stadium in Dubai although there were a few more people attending the second Test in Abu Dhabi. England ended the first day having taken 7 wickets for 256 runs. Yesterday Pakistan were only able to add 1 more run and England survive the morning with the loss of one wicket and making 48 runs. The going was slow but keeping wickets must be the priority given the two collapses of the first game. I will watch and listen until Leveson, then watch while listening to Leveson.

England appeared to be doing well after the early loss of Captain Strauss with Cook 94 and Trott 74 and a total of 197 for 2 but then 4 wickets fell cheaply. This morning before I arrived down stairs England had progressed well with an excellent innings from all rounder Stewart Broad of Nottinghamshire who was left all out at 58 when the innings quickly ended immediately after the lunch with the two last men out in the first over. It is now up to the opening bowlers not just to bowl accurately but take wickets if the lead of 70 runs is to have impact. I switched channels to watch Scotland‘s Andy Murray start his semi final game against world champion Djokovitch and the opening games suggested the difference between top man and nearly man is as wide as ever.

I have not mentioned American Football much over recent years, rarely watching a full game on TV except the annual Super Bowl. In part this is because of the demise of the two teams I commenced to support in the mid 1980’s seeing two live games at Wembley as well as regularly staying up on Sunday nights to see live relays. My chosen team was the Chicago Bears but after being given a shirt one season for the San Francisco 49ers I also followed their fortunes. This weekend I watched the play off between the 49ers and the New York Giants. They lost in a thrilling game in extra time having had the chance to win it.

Another disappointment was on Tuesday in the penalty shoot out of the second leg of the semi final of the League Cup competition in which my boyhood club, Crystal Palace, down to 10 men, held out to and through extra time before collapsing to Cardiff City when it came to the penalties.

Newcastle were smashed at Fulham in strange game which they dominated throughout the first half and then went to pieces in one crazy period in which they gave away three goals and lost 5. 2 in the end.

The only bright light was Sunderland who managed a hard fought 2.0 at home win against Swansea with two great goals and who are now out of the relegation quagmire in mid table but still 9 points adrift of Newcastle who remain in 6th a point above Liverpool having played he same number of game. The Sunderland Newcastle F A cup game is on television lunchtime Sunday which is excellent news. Newcastle visit to Brighton is the featured game on ESPN where I regarded the additional premium a luxury.

My game playing against the computer has improved in several respects so that after three years of trying I managed to achieve 18 million points at Luxor Mah-jong. I have also now won 2000 games at Spider patience out of 10047 and achieved another run of 101 games but still short of the maximum of 243 to date. Having decided to move up between levels in Chess each time I manage a run of 101 games I am stuck within level 3 because of lapses of concentration. The main success continues to be with Patience Hearts where my record breaking run is now over 2250 wins where previously it was only over 1000. Over all I have won 6400 games losing only a dozen early on before I got the hang of the play and maintain the 99point something average.

Sunderland and Newcastle have sucess: May it last

2012-01-10T00:42:00.000-08:00

It was in the autumn of 1974 that I first became a regular at Sunderland Football Club at Roker Park, following them at many away matches over the next fifteen to sixteen years that I was a loyal season ticket holder. I stopped as they slid from the first to second and into the third divisions of the football league. There was a gap of year before I became caught up in the Kevin Keegan era at Newcastle where I remained a season ticket holder for about 14 years. Some Sunderland supporting politicians thought this was a great betrayal.

By about 2005/2006 I became disenchanted with the development of Premiership football which had become finance governed in terms of the payments made to players resulting in a situation where only club with unlimited financial support could purchase and keep the top players and therefore have the opportunity to win the Premiership or major European competitions. There was also the issue of the cost of attending matches and the impact of getting older and less enthusiastic about watching games when the weather was poor to bad. As had been the instance when I first stopped buying a season ticket there was the question of how many game experiences did one enjoy?

I did enjoy watching Sunderland gain promotion into the Premiership in 2007 at their new purpose built stadium but after that it was back to normal fighting to avoid relegation which is what happened to Newcastle under the managership of Alan Shearer. The whole saga of what happened at Newcastle under the ownership of Mike Ashley led to taking the decision that I would not return to watch games at the club while he remained in control. This position remains although is a separate issue from my support for the team as my support for Sunderland AFC has continued.

This year Sunderland ended the contract of Steve Bruce the second former Manchester United player to fail at Sunderland within five years, the other being Roy Keene. The choice was former Sunderland supporter Martin O’Neill who had a great careers as a player with Nottingham Forest winning a European Champions and then as an International for Northern Ireland with 64 appearances. He had also had a substantial and successful managerial career talking Leicester City to Football league Cups and winning the Scottish premiership and in his first season with Celtic the team not only one the Scottish Premiership Title but both cups. He left football to care for his wife who developed cancer in 2005. He then joined Aston Villa which he took to the first Cup win in ten years and finished 6th in the Premiership in each of his years with the club. He shocked the football world resigning from the club at the commencement of the 2010/11 season with lack of funds to progress the club considered the main cause.

Since joining Sunderland he has quickly created an enthusiastic team unit playing to the best of their abilities. Just before Christmas the team had a dramatic 3.2 win away to Queens Park Rangers and at Everton the award of questionable penalty prevented a second win away so they settled for draw. Their biggest challenged under the new Manager came the following week at home when they faced the present leaders Manchester City and won in the dying seconds of the game. They went to Wigan Athletic and won 4.1 thus gaining a total of 10 points out of 12 and moving out of the relegation zone into mid table. This Sunday Sunderland was the penultimate game to be played in the third round of the F A CUP, competition that Martin O’Neill has never won as a player or manager. Moreover the reason why the game was one of two selected by ITV to be shown is that over the past decade Sunderland has gone out in the early rounds of cup competitions to clubs from lower divisions.

That afternoon Peterborough the home side managed by the son of the Manchester United Manager were nervous and handicapped by injuries failed to show the attacking flair for which they are famous while Sunderland carried out a professional and rather clinical performance which won the game by two goals to nil. They have been rewarded with a home tie in the fourth round to North East neighbours Middlesbrough.

Their closest neighbours and fierce rivals Newcastle had one of the best starts to a Premiership season since the day of Kevin Kegan now some 20 years ago. Lee Catamole, the Sunderland captain played for the Boro before their relegation to the championship which will add spice to the match although it is not anticipated the game will be featured live because of the emphasis on potential giant killing.

In contrast to Sunderland Newcastle United had their best start to a season since the Kevin Kegan era rising fourth in the table and then slipping to 7th as they played and lost to some of the more accomplished sides in the Premiership. The surprising and best buy of the season and of most seasons was the decision of the club to take Demba Ba an extremely talented player but with a suspect knee which led Stoke City among several clubs to pass him by. Not only is an excellent frontman but he performs as a creative midfield player with defensive awareness when required. He quickly became one of the Premierships leading scorers. His performance against the present Champions Manchester United was regarded as not just 10/10 but the best performance in a single game by a forward in British football this season.

Newcastle has only beaten Manchester United three times in the past two decades. I watched the previous two games at the ground while the latest match was with the help of 3D so it many respects it was not just as good as being there but better with the benefit of close ups and replays. There were two great goals while the icing on the cake was a dreadful own goal by Manchester United which will be replayed in howlers of decade programmes for decades to come. The much maligned Shola Ameobi also had an excellent game and the two tall and strong front men created such problems for the united defence that their forwards could rarely get into top gear.

It is in sport and artistic performances that 3D has its great potential although as with 3D in general it is an aid to a performance and not a performance in itself. It provides the opportunity to feel part of the reality of the experience rather at a distance and separate. It will not make a boring game or event interesting once the novelty of the medium wears off. So far I have also watched darts, the Horse of the Year show and some rugby union. I look forward to tennis and motor-racing although I suspect the latter will be dependent on Sky gaining the rights to Formula 1 and of course the Olympic Games but the main joy will be cricket and it will be interesting to see if England’s games with Pakistan in Dubai will be shown in the medium.

The main talking point of the past couple of months, making the front as well as rear papers of the newspapers has been incidents of racism. A Liverpool player has been suspended for eight games because of repeated remarks made to a Manchester United player. The two teams have now been drawn to play each other in the 4th round of the F A Cup. Liverpool players unwisely supported by their Manager wore shirts in support of their player which may have influenced an individual fan making offensive remarks to an away team player at weekend which distressed him to the extent that the game was stopped and the police carried out an investigation with an individual arrested and charged. John Terry who has already lost his captaincy of the England team last year because of a private life scandal is to be prosecuted for alleged racist comments against QPR player. |The spate of these incidents together with a random racists killing of a student from India may be a coincidence and not indicate some form of organised response or general reawakening and also nothing to do with the conviction of two member of the gang who killed the school boy Stephen Lawrence nearly two decades ago. The police through racism and incompetence and perhaps some corruption although the latter has not been substantiated while the former were following inquiry failed horribly. The family were forced to bring a private prosecution which failed and it was only through persistent campaigning that the law was changed to enable a second prosecution when sufficient evidence to convince a judge and jury became available because of improvements in forensic science. The continuation of racism in British life remains an indictment of the British character.

Durham lose at Nottingham 2011 but reach Clydesdale Semi final while go from triumEngland ph to triumph

2011-09-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

The main purpose of my visit to Nottingham was to watch Durham Cricket Club take an important step in winning their third County Championship in four years and their fourth trophy in five years thus making it a golden half decade, something which I did not anticipate experiencing in my life time. However having lost away to Somerset and again at home in the rain affected game against Hampshire I was not optimistic as in both instances it was the batting that had failed and which had been Durham’s great strength this season.

I always enjoy my visits to Trent Bridge because it is possible to have a good seat and view behind the bowler’s arm. After 50 years of watching cricket I learned why if one is not playing, the best view is from above the bowlers arm, especially as at Trent Bridge anyone buying a ticket to the championship games can sit immediately over the wicket and have one of the best views in the country, usually taken by the media at one end of every ground. The only disadvantage is that a substantial number of Nottinghamshire Members like to enjoy the experience so you have sit with other supporters on either side unless you arrive early and gain an aisle seat which I did on the two days of what proved a three day match.

When I normally watch a game I have great difficulty in seeing the ball especially if I watch side on and even behind the wicket I have problems. However looking over the wicket at height it becomes possible to see the movement of the ball, the swing or the turn in such a manner that I have not witnessed before. It was a revelation.

Notts won the toss and elected to bat on an overcast day which quickly changed to hot sunshine by the time play commenced and I had left hat in the car and sun cream at home. I investigated if there was in suitable in the club shop but those available were for smaller heads and expensive so I missed around 30 mins of the morning session going back to the car which I had managed to park in a side road only a few minutes from the Co Op and ticket office. I then decided to try another 7 day, all hours, local store on the road leading to the coop for sun cream and was horrified at having to pay 6.99 for a factor 15 sprays. I checked the price after leaving the store and then return to my seat in stand which was now full on both sides of the stadium at this level leaving large areas of emptiness.

The star of the day was Alex Hales with 115. He is the young man who in a 20 20 game, three, may even be four seasons ago he took a catch going backwards and stood on the rope which should have registered as 6. Half of Durham supporters could see the error which he failed to admit. It was a good innings in a season which has brought him to the attention of the England A side and then the England 20 20 team playing later this evening. At 202 for six and 239 for nine I had hoped for a lower total which could have made all the difference. Durham alas had a disastrous start losing 3 wickets for 25 runs and visions of 400 runs plus and an innings win vanished.

Everyone, that is the weather forecasters, the ground staff and Nottingham spectators all were convinced that the rain would arrives early and remain heavy for the greater part of the day and as I had an engagement late afternoon I decided it was not worth planning to go to cricket and made arrangement to spend the day elsewhere arriving for an early lunch. It was therefore just before 11 when I set off with darkened skies and spots of heavy rain so yes I said to myself the result looked destined to be a draw as the weather for Thursday was also not forecast as good for cricket. I had a great time but blame myself for not being at the game and therefore perhaps contributing to the mounting disaster as alas for Durham a full day’s cricket was possible.
One day and former Championship winning Benkenstein with the dependable Blackwell scored 101 between them putting on a stand of 90 but the last five wickets went for 30 with the last 3 going for a couple run. This gave the opponents what proved to be an invaluable lead of 75 runs. When Hales went for 0 and Turner for 17 things looked up for an interesting third day and at 159 for 7 the feeling was Durham had the upper hand. However Adam played a brilliant innings, I was told the following day making 53 so the home side made 235 setting Durham to get 300 runs two days, a very gettable target by any standards.

Alas Smith went for 9 and De Venuto for 20 so the third day task quickly became daunting. Then after Claydon, the overnight watchman was out at 35, Stoneman with the help of Benkenstein commenced a great innings which changed the mood of the surrounding Notts supporters who believed the game was Durham’s at the luncheon. I know from experience, especially of late that nothing is certain until the weight challenged lady sings.

I had made the most of the visit enjoying a coffee on the first morning in the Radcliffe Road stand restaurant and Bar, enjoying my spicy chicken wings for lunch but the great treat came later at tea when I scooped a giant portion of cream to go with my scone and strawberry jam and cup of tea and then had an enjoyable chat with a lady who was one of the Durham supporters on the coach trip I presumed than perhaps a mum of a player. She was upset that a second team had been sent without Onions, Stokes or Borthwick all away on England call up for the game in Dublin Ireland on the Thursday. I also kept an eye on the Test match to see if Tendulkar would get his 100 100‘s, a consolation for three poor Test performances but he was out just before and this paved the way for England to win the fourth Match and reaffirm their position as the number one team in the world.
On the third morning, arriving early, the ancient Members pavilion was visited for much needed bacon bap, as I had eaten what I had bought for breakfast the previous evening. Alas I to wait until 10 past 10 but and enjoyed even more although coffee was already unremembered. This reminds that I now need coffee and some cereal. The bacon is banned until Christmas

For lunch there was my second carton of chicken wings brought for the trip but I settled for a cold drink in the afternoon as the weather had been hot. When the wickets started to fall I knew a loss was in sight and spent the last session after tea prancing about on the concourse at the back of the middle tier hoping for a miracle. Only young Wood playing in his first game made a creditable 45 not out after 6 in the first innings. He bowled 2 for 57 in the first innings and 3 for 72 in the second 5 for 129 in the match which is a reasonable return and indicated that the former Academy player has a good future.

With the other results going badly Durham slipped to third in the table with 188 points having played 14 and impetus with Lancashire on 198, Warwickshire 195 and Somerset 177 all with an extra game to play over Durham. It was therefore time to turn attention to the 40 40 competition to be played on the Bank holiday Monday..

It was almost certain that Durham would qualify even if they lost their away game at the Oval because of the faster run rate. The match was shown live on Sky on what was a chilly and overcast day in the North East. Durham winning the toss and choosing to bat found the champion side Colonel Mustard, as he is always known on the circuit, had a fabulous knock with 13 fours and 1 six for his 66 from 31 balls and set up what proved to be a total which was too much even for Surrey who on the high scoring wicket have achieved some fine innings this season.
After the departure of the Colonel it was Paul Collingwood who has recently agreed a three year contract to stay with Durham who made an excellent considered 96 four short of a century with Benkenstein 48 so that Durham were able to amass 325 for 9 in their 40 overs the second highest total of the season in this format of the game. Surrey therefore needed to score these runs at a rate of over 8. For a period of time when Maynard was joined by Spriegel and they added just under 100 for the 5 wicket when it looked as if they still had a chance although behind in the required rate. However Claydon and Thorp with three wickets each did damage although Graham Onions bowled well for his 7 overs taking 1 for 33 to keep the over rate over 20 runs below that required from which Surrey failed to recover.

The disappointment of the day was the draw which sees Durham going to Somerset for the semi final on Sunday rather than back to Surrey who now have Sussex as their visitors. Both games will be televised with Sussex members able to go to the match free. Sussex has a fine record over recent year’s competitions after having not so good years in the Championship after winning 3 in four. They won the original pro forty competition- Sunday competition which was in two leagues until last year with Sussex winning three times back in 1982 and then in 2008 and 2009 with gaining promotion twice while Durham has only gaining promotion as leaders in 2007. Somerset back in 1978 and Surrey 1996 have won the first division. In the 50 over competition Sussex have won five and been runners up 4, Somerset have won 3 and been runners up 4, Surrey has only won once as had Durham but Surrey has also been runner up 3 times. Warwickshire beat Somerset in first of the new format competition held last year. Sussex, Surrey and Somerset have all won one of the 20 20 cup competitions which have been held since 2003. Somerset was the runners up last year and has been the bridesmaid in about 4 competitions in the last couple of years have reached finals day including this year.

This brings me nicely to this year’s Final day at Edgbaston and what a day it proved to be. The first semi final between underdogs Leicestershire and a strong Lancashire team ended in a tie Leicestershire considered themselves to be about a dozen runs short in the rain affected first innings which closed for 132 for 6 after 18 overs. Razzaq set the place alight with a splendid 3 sixes and two fours for 36 not out at the end. Lancashire was set 80 to win under Duckworth Lewis rules in 11 overs after further rain delays. Moore the Lancashire opener set of well making 42 with 7 fours and 1 six and with only losing their first wicket after scoring half the runs required. However some fine Lancashire work in the field and Cobb getting 2 wickets for six runs both teams ended with the same DL score after Cross got the six required off the last ball and the match went into was is described as the golden over.

Each side bowls 1 over to see how many runs they can score on the basis that if two wickets fall the innings ends so if the first and second batsmen are out in the first two balls the side has no score and the other side has only to score I run to win.

Lancashire batted first scoring a six but failed to score on the last two balls leaving the Foxes to get 15. They had reached 11 after four balls and Jefferson smashed a six to take the underdogs into the final. The romance of the contest was that 39 year old former England wicket keeper Paul Nixon was potentially playing in his last match before retiring. By qualifying for the final his team automatically became part of the world 20 20 club series which is held in India.

Amazingly there was also a Golden Over at the end of the 20 20 semi final between Hampshire and Somerset last year’s finalists, As with the first semi final there were several rain interruptions, Hampshire the visitors and champions the year before were asked to bat first and made 138 in 15.5 overs made with three rain delays, the highlight being a glorious career best innings by Shahid Alfredi of 80 which included 5 sixes and 6 fours. Somerset were given 10 overs to score 95 runs. Again the two team faced a single over decider and. Somerset made 16 and Hampshire who lost a wicket early on could only total 5. The two men who were crucial to the win was young England star of the future Josh Butler who hit 32 from 16 balls to bring Somerset close to winning after Marcus Trescothick was out for 28. Josh Butler partnered Kieswetter in the golden over. It was their bowler Alfonso Thomas who went for 1. 19 in his 3.5 overs who bowled the over with 1 wicket for 5 runs.

However it was the underdogs Leicestershire who were triumph in another final which swung between the two teams. Hampshire decided to field after winning the toss and the decision appeared to be a good one restricting the Foxes to 145 in the full 20 overs, as the rain cleared away by the start of the Final. Suppiah and Pollard were excellent taking 2 wickers each for 27 and 24 runs in their four overs but the star Bowler was Henderson who only gave away 11 from his four overs. However the Foxes were not downhearted arguing that the wicket had become more difficult as the day progressed and they thoughts they could defend the total. They were proved right because of some remarkable fielding including a sensational catch by Paul Nixon and four catches in the deep, always difficult under the lights by the substitute from the bowling of young Cobb who also had the presence to turn round after stopping a ball from his bowling and running out the backing up batsman who was well out of his crease. This brought ecstasy to the team finishing last at present in the second division championship and to Paul Nixon who will delay taking up his coaching appointment with the county until after the tournament in India.

This was not the last 20 20 game of the domestic season as earlier this evening England played India at Old Trafford. India blitzed away as England under Broad could not resist sticking to their plan of bowling short before a packed ground where the majority appeared to be supporting India and making the kind of noise experienced on the sub continent. I watched without sound listening to the closing overs of Durham at Sussex as well as keeping and eye on the games played by the three others with the game in hand. It was Rahane with 8 fours in an innings 61 supported by Dravid and Raina who appeared to be taking the game away from England as the run rate reached over 8 and approached 9. However some excellent bowling by Dernbach 4 for 22 from 3.4 overs at the end with Bopara taking 1 for 4 of his only over dismissing Dravid early on who ensured an unexpected England victory restricting the visitors to 165 in 19,4 over.

A nervous Pietersen before his resting from the 1 day game against India to be played on Saturday at Durham made 34 before being stumped but it was Morgan who appeared to take the game away with 49 before a contested catch who reduced to run rate to less than 8 Young Hales was out second ball which pleased me! The match became in balance when England needing 13 runs from 12 could only get 3 with the loss of a wicket at a time when Bopara and Patel had played themselves in. The first ball of one of the Kumar’s was declared a wide, a dubious decision, and this unsettled the bowler who gave another wide and then three fours which meant the required total was passed with 3 balls to go and the Brits celebrated while the Indian supporters tried to hide their understandable disappointment. The difference being the ability to bold tight at the end.
There are two more 20 20 game before the official end of International in the UK when England Play the West Indies at e Oval in late September as he season is extended.

The 50 over game in Dublin was rain affected but Trott made an excellent 69 with Owen Morgan 59 Debutants Taylor 1 and Durham’s Ben Stokes 3 failed to cover themselves in glory but Borthwick did get a promising 15. Another youngster Woakes was also promising with 19 as the total was pushed to 201 in 43 over on a difficult pitch for batting. There was more rain and Ireland restricted to 137 were 11 runs short at 117 for 8. Borthwick was only give one over from which he was hit for 13. Dernbach from Surrey had a promising 3 for 30 and proving himself to be the up and rapidly coming new fast bowler of the season.

Going back further to the fourth Test England declared on a massive 591 runs for 6 with Bell making a massive 235 and Pietersen 175 in a stand which took the total from 97 for 2 to 447 before the third wicket and for a time it looked as if there were to be two players reach double centuries in the same game. Pietersen his 27 fours and Bell 23 plus two sixes.

It was going to be tough for India and touch it was with only Dravid 146 not out one of the few players to carry their bat throughout Test Innings the only player to distinguish himself. Late in the order Mishra made 43 and the last four wickets made over 150 runs after India were 95 for 5.

The question therefore was could England win by an inning in another ain affected game and could Tendulkar get his 100 100’s reminding once more that Don Bradman only needed 6 runs to end his Test Career with an average of 100 at the Oval Test in I was there in 1948 only to be bowled by Eric Hollis in the second ball faced. Tendulkar made 91 with partner Mishra 84, a partnership of just under 150 for the fourth wicket at 262. After that wickets timbered again at 262,268,269, 69 275 and 283 with Swann 6 for 106, The lads done well!

Meanwhile there is a ray of light perhaps two emerged today regarding Durham’s now outside chance of winning the championship. Before reporting what happened I have a lot of catching up to do.

Durham Lose 20 20 quarter final and Wimbledon returns to League Football

2011-08-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

I try and cheer myself on a miserable Monday morning cold and wet with The Entertainer Chris Barber and his band Down home Rag; Baby won’t you please come home, The Entertainer, New St Louis blues, Ory’s Creole trombone; Bourbon Street Parade; High Society/When the Saints; Stevedore stomp; The Sheik of Araby; Georgia Cakewalk Li’l Liza Jane; Burgundy street blues, On the Sunny side of the Street; when the saints go marching in featuring Pat Halcox Monty Sunshine Lonnie Donegan Micky Ashman Ron Bowden and Ottile Paterson also Eddie Smith Dick Smithy Graham Burbage, Edmond Hall, Hank Duncan, Hayes Alvis Joe Marshall and, Ian Wheeler

I have recovered just about from Durham‘s bad defeat at the Rosebowl on Sunday evenings in 20 20 quarter final. The first game on Saturday evening was great with both teams scoring over 200 runs. Kent appeared unbeatable as Mahmood scored 91 and Van Jaarsveld 63 not out reached 203 for 3 setting a rate of 10 runs an over for Leicestershire with Paul Nixon celebrating his 40th birthday and last home appearance before retiring capped a home side performance as the team stood up at the plate and kept the score within reachable distance with McDonald 53, young and diminutive Taylor England hopeful scoring a quick 21 and Nixon himself just missing out on the making the winning strike with a creditable 31 off 17 balls. In this high scoring and entertaining game Kent scored 6 sixes 21 fours while Leicestershire 7 sixes and 23 fours reaching 206 with 4 balls left. At the end of the game Nixon was chaired off by the delighted crowd which had packed the small home side ground and he rose to the occasion showing his unbridled joy and joining in the fun. It was the first of the midlands/north clubs to win.
It was inevitable that Sunday would prove an anti climax as Somerset came from behind to beat Notts at an almost full Trent Bridge. Hales never to be forgiven for standing on the rope and claiming catch out made 78 to give the home side a chance with a score of 169 scoring 3 sixes and six fours, When Trescothick was out for 3 runs it seemed as if it was going to Notts day but Kieswetter 49, Pollard 47 of 25 with 4 sixes and 2 fours and Buttler saw the away team reach their second finals day in two years.

The less said about the Durham performance the better after losing the toss and Paul Collingwood staying home with a continuing bad back, Durham started well as Afridi was run out on the first ball by Borthwick who caught hold of a high pitching ball and through down the stumps and when Vince was caught of a high level shot from Onions with the total 26 and then another magnificent run out saw Adams go with the total 24 but then a bad over from young Borthwick. Who went 4 for 34 in the end and Benkenstein and Breese also unable to control the scoring rate to less than 5 an over, It was Blackwell who go the ball to spin missing the stumps to the side and just over several times but who also yielded runs going from two overs for 7 to 4 for 26 which meant that the home side reached what everyone said was going to be an impossible target of 154. I hoped they would make a better fist of it but were all out for 99 in the 19th over shattering hopes and dreams. The draw for finals day takes place this evening after the floodlit game between Sussex and Lancashire but it be that three of the most successful I day sides of recent year will again make the finals day another memorable occasion alas without the presence of Durham

I enjoyed Durham’s home championship game against Nottingham at the riverside last week although a draw always appeared the likely result as rain throughout the third day was forecast and proved accurate. Durham won the toss and decided to bat with Di Venuto scoring and excellent 132 but was later injured and did not bat in the second innings. It is understood he has a badly bruised finger. Captain Mustard made an excellent 88 runs not out as the home side reached a total of 351 runs and four batting points. Collingwood was out to Adams for 0 and Stokes making only 6. He still has pins in his broken finger which remains strapped and makes it difficult for him to hold the bat and he will not bowl for the rest of the season a double blow.

Although for Notts Voges 80 and Chris Read 133 runs not out the rest of the team failed to add more so that at 261 Durham had a useful lead rather than a commanding one given the extraordinary start where Notts lost four wickets with the total 21 and both Onions and Thorp on hat tricks.

Because of the interruption for the rain Durham decided to declare at 181 for 3 on the fourth day setting Notts total of 250 with 60 overs which seemed a risk taking challenge. At 37 for 2 the risk appeared to being paying off but the wicket offered little and Notts were not in the mood to lose the three points for the draw and the matched ended with a handshake 172 for 5 with only 6 overs to go. In form Voges scored another match save 68 runs not out.

Durham still lead the championship with 183 point from 12, Lancashire have six points less, Somerset now in third are 12 behind while Warwickshire who have played a game less are on 168. Notts look comfortable next with 134 and out of the relegation battle between Yorkshire and Worcestershire who are 17 points behind Yorks but with two games in hand.

The Championship and League football season also was underway this weekend and I was delighted to see that the first game of Wimbledon back in the League was being televised, As a school boy and young man my local club was Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park three stations away from Wallington or a couple of bus rides both via Croydon. In the opposite direction, a little further away was the other South Greater London club of Wimbledon Plough Lane via Sutton and Kingston, Whereas Selhurst Park was a natural Amphitheatre easily adapted to become a First division club with a capacity of 25000 Palace rivals were always Brighton and Hover Albion on the South Coast and Millwall and not Wimbledon.

I was not surprising therefore that when Wimbledon had to leave its Plough Lane site it ground shared with Crystal Palace for twelve years until 2002. The Club then moved to Milton Keynes as the MK Dons with the majority of supporters deciding to form their own club from scratch finding their own ground which they purchased and getting promotion five times in 9 years in order to enter the league this year. I have abiding memories of visiting the Plough Lane Ground when I went to purchase a ticket for a home game and was invited into the office where a seat ticket was taken out of the safe. This entitled not only a seat in the main and only stand but to the club where it was possible to possible to eat and drink at reasonable prices and watch the TV including re run of the match at the end. The second was to get a Cup final ticket in 1988 when they beat Liverpool 1.0 in the FA cup. Whereas Crystal Palace never made the Premiership, Wimbledon did. Unfortunately they lost their opening game 2.3 at home as did West Ham ion their return to the Championship. Meanwhile Brighton who like Wimbledon faced years of seeking permanent home and who now have a new stadium won their first game.

England demolish India second Test, Durham narrow win over Sri Lanka A

2011-08-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Instead of the recent full week round up of other activities I am dividing the past seven days into segments for no better reason than finishing volumes which I use for these writings.

The first event to be covered in this short piece is the completion of 10000 lengths swimming 15 metres give or take a few as sometimes I lose count as I become engaged in a train of thought. The total has been completed with 52 weeks and 211 visits so the average is over 47 lengths per visits and 710 metres. For the next session the proposed rate will be a minimum of 3 visits a week at an average of 500 meters.

The aim is undertake other forms of exercise with weight reduction in mind and the base weight will be measured and recorded on Wednesday morning. The amount of walking at the cricket has become abysmal with less one perambulation of the inner ground per visit and it is months since doing any circuit of the parkland.

However the cricket has been good. Last week I watched two consecutives days at the Riverside as Durham played the Sri Lanka A team. I watched from the Member’s balcony with three contemporaries from the depths of Durham County.

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat and were quickly in trouble at 36 for 4 and 126 for 8. An excellent 50 not out from Eranga meant that a first innings total of 203 was achieved. Three Durham bowlers did the dame with Rushworth 2 for 15 from 9, Borthwick 2 for 17 from 6.4 and Brathwaite 3 for 35 from 11. Two academy players recently graduated to the second eleven were Wood 2 for 64 from 10 and Raine o for 7 from 4. Poor Plunket continues to have a bad season with the ball with 1 for 58 from 10. Yet without Plunket the game would have been lost.

The Durham Innings was extraordinary following on from what happened at Somerset although it was composed of second team players. Stoneman injured at the start of season and losing his first team spot as a consequence took the score with Borthwick to 111 when he was out for 56 and then Borthwick continued with Gordon Muchall to 211 when he was out for 101. Muchall carried his bat for the rest of the innings for 71 while everyone else got themselves out with only Breese holding on for a time with 38. No one else reached double figures and after their promising start Durham was all out for 303, an invaluable 100 runs to the good.

The Sri Lankians made a better start with their first four openers getting 30 to 40 runs and other getting forties and double figures. They ended their second innings at 319 setting Durham a challenging 200 plus total. Plunket was the best bowler with 3 for 70. I did not attend the third day and the decision appeared a wise one when Durham commenced to collapse Borthwick out for 0 at 1 Stoneman and Muchall going at 30 and 33 Breese and Stokes also going quickly for the total to be 104 for 7. It was then that Plunket batted with young Wood to add the 100 runs required although with Wood going at 218 for 48 the outcome was by no means certain. Rushworth then got the four runs required for the win with heroic Liam not out for 65, It was a great with but a distraction from the main menu over the next six weeks as Durham fight to gain not one, not two but three trophies to add to the Championships and 50 over one day title during the past four years with only last year trophyless.

To achieve this sporting miracle Durham needed to win the 40 over game against Warwickshire on a cloudy and stormy Emirate’s on Sunday where I settled myself behind the bowling arm at the far end of the ground with a flask of coffee, two iced sticky cinnamon buns and two salami olive rolls.
Warwickshire won the toss and opened the batting and scored at a steady five runs an over which they gradually increased to 6 closing the innings at 240 runs precisely with clobbering Breese at the end who finished 0 for 60 from 8 overs, Claydon 3 for 34 was the only successful bowler but despite the good total I retained a sense the Durham were in a competitive and confident mood given that so much was at stake.

In this competition only each of the section winners gets through to the semi finals with the third best placed from any of the three mini leagues able to make the fourth position. At present it is Durham aiming to get the fourth spot after the fruitless visit of Surrey which was rained off so the two points were divided. Had Durham they would now be two points ahead of Surrey who has two games in hand making the game at the Oval likely to be the decider.

However I am ahead of myself as yesterday it was Mustard and Di Venuto who started at a fine rate of 7 runs an over getting to 110 before the first wicket, that of Di Venuto for 53. Stokes and Collingwood stayed around sufficient for Mustard to dramatically improve his performance in this competition todate with an unbeaten 129 from 116, The game was won in the 37 over which was my prediction having gone to the car at the 35 to get a good get away before the rush.

It looked to me the best crowd of the season so far compared to the less than 250 present for the free entry game against Sri Lanka. The result of the game yesterday is that Durham has 13 points from the 9 games played with three to go, two of these at home making a total of 17 points before the game against Surrey. If Surrey wins their next 4 they will have 21 so evening if Durham wins the final game at the Oval their total will be 19. Sussex and Middlesex are fighting out for the first position in the first mini league each with 4 games to go but Sussex having the edge with 2 more points at 14 The two teams meet each other on the last Sunday at Lords and my instincts is that Middx could gain the first position here as Sussex have to go to Headingly who are desperate to have one or two good results in what has become a miserable season. If so can see Sussex finishing with 18 points making the Durham win on the last day essential. In the third league Somerset have stormed ahead with 12 points from 7 and therefore with five games left should have no problem qualifying Nottingham and Essex with 11 points from 9, that is two points less than Durham and Lancs 9 points from 8 and are in with chance should Durham Middlesex Sussex falter. There is a tendency that teams who start the 40 over game at the commencement of the season find it difficult to sustain the effort given the commitment to the 20 20 mid season and then the return to the Championship and vice versa.

Tomorrow Durham play Nottingham in the County Champion and must win against the present County Champions to keep ahead in the championship as Lancashire are playing Warwickshire from today so which ever team wins will go ahead in the table at least for a day or both if they draw and each gain bonus points. A draw will be the favoured result from Durham’s viewpoint with few bonus points awarded. In a rain and light disturbed game at Liverpool Warwickshire won the toss after driving themselves from Durham after the game ended last night. They did not bowl well at first again but Carter with 6 for 30 prevented the home side from gaining one batting bonus point. At the close Lancs were 30 for 1 with |Chopra losing his wicket just before the close of play. Unless there is lots of more rain there will be a win but whose remains speculation.

Then next weekend it is 20 20 quarterfinals with Durham playing their game at the Rosebowl on Sunday afternoon. So it is a great week of cricket ahead, the first of several.

Meanwhile the second Test against India has taken an amazing turn in favour of England. In the first game at Lords it was out of form Kevin Pietersen who lit up the first Innings of England after they had been put into bat with a magnificent not out double century of 202 Trott had supported him with 70 for 100 partnership and had Bell with another 100 partnership with a third partnership after Morgan was out without scoring Prior contributed 71 so that England were able to declare on 474 for 8 giving them opportunity to bowl at India before the second day close.

For India it was Dravid rather than Tendulkar looking for his 100th test century that became the mainstay of the innings after a slow start with Mukund getting 49 after Gambir was out for 15. Dravid and Tendulkar looked as if they would rescue the innings. It was also out of form place under threat local young man Broad who had excellent bowling figures of 4 for 37. Dravid was not out for 103 and the innings closed at 285 nearly 200 runs behind the England total.

Then it was England’s turn to perform badly as the top order came and went in quick succession 62 for 5 and 107 for 6. After that it was Prior 103 not out and Broad 74 not out who led England to a substantial leads of 450 runs declaring at 269 for 6. With Raina 58 and Laxman 56 India could only get 261 of the runs required to give England a 196 run victory. It was Anderson 5 for 65 who got his name on the Lord’s board for those getting 5 wickets in a Test for the third occasion. Broad finished 7 for 94 plus 74 average for his batting.

So this brings to the present Second Test which if England win and do not lose either of the remaining tests will make the number one in the world for the Test match series. India won the toss and invited England to bat and with Cook out at 7 and Trott 23 and then horror of horrors another four wickets fell from 73 to 88 and two more at 117 and 124 therefore England were in trouble 8 124. And who came to the rescue Broad with 64 and Swann with 28 so England managed 221 but not a great total and the initiative with India?

With Mukund out for 0 it looked as if it was going to be a low scoring game. Dravid then got his second century of the series and Laxman 64 and at 250 for four I must confess that I decided to return to the computer to undertake some writing and was amazed then to find they were all out for 288 and Broad had a hat trick only the 14th Englishman to do this and the first at Trent Bridge in a Test Match. I have since watched the feat several times. Broad takes 6 for 46. This morning I read a splendid article in the Times about the difference between childhood sense of a miracle and that of the adult in terms of the great experiences of life and their rarity and included are the sporting of which perhaps once or twice in a lifetime one is lucky to experience direct and the writer added to the small list of the half a dozen or so that of Chris Broad before his home crown in Nottingham.

The implications of the event only became fully apparent as England commenced to bat again and after Cook and Strauss were out and Ian Bell was joined by a cautious Pietersen with the inscrutable Yorkshire man Boycott proclaiming that if England could manage a lead of 200 he felt this would be sufficient for a second win in succession but he had his doubts, as other expressed their concern. Pietersen made 63 and then Morgan 70 and Prior 73 but it was Bell with 159 who sealed the fate of the visitors, after which Bresnan 90 and Broad 44 joined the party so that the home side made a remarkable 546 giving India a manageable total to win over one full day and two full sessions.

Of course we now know they did not have a hope as the England trio of Anderson, Broad and Bresnan showed no mercy. The wickets fell at 6,13,31,31,77,55,55, 107,129,153,158, with Broad 2 for 30 8 for 76 in the match and Bresnan 5 for 48 making 6 for 96 as the two bowling stars and England achieved a crushing Victory by 319 runs and over a day to spare. There was one incident yesterday with the last ball before tea, Bell’s partner hit a shot which appeared to cross the boundary so Bell walked off to tea without bothering to return to the crease. As it was not a four and the bails were removed he was out, regarded by the crowd as unsporting behaviour. Over the Indian team withdrew its appeal and therefore Bell returned to make another 20 odd runs which in the event did not matter either way. Bell admitted he made a mistake. In the interests of goodwill over the rest of the tour the Indians made the right call.

It was Jenson Button’s turn to win the Hungarian Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton 4th but they remain 5th and 3rd in the Championship title race with Vettel who was second still over 80 points ahead of team mate Mark Webber. However it is good that Vettel is not winning every race, only most of them!

Warrington after their defeat to Wigan in quarter final of the Rugby League Challenge cup took it out on Bradford but Wigan also won keeping ahead on points in the table

I watched an interesting programme on the construction of the Olympic Park at Stratford as there is now less than one year to go as was celebrated during last week with special event in Trafalgar Square. Tom Daley did the first dive in the spectacular designed Olympic Pool after the failure in the World Championship due in part to his reaction to the death of his father earlier in the year. Rebekah Adlington won her first World Championship Gold to add to her two Olympic Medals. Liam Tancock also won the 50m freestyle and Keri Anne Payne the Butterfly with Silvers for Ellen Gandy in the 200 Hannah Miley 400 and Rebecca for the 400 free so the team finished 4th in the table three less than in 2009 when they came third and perhaps this is a guide to what will happen at the Olympics.

It was also the British Athletics championships this weekend where the results were also a forerunner of the World Championships later this month. It is time for Athletics to shape up but confidence is less than in relation to swimming or cycling where also the competition has been making inroads. I am told that we have been concentrating on improving performances across the range of sports so that while the third place overall achieved in China may not be repeated it is possible that we shall come close.

Durham make 20 20 quarter finals 2011

2011-07-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

I watched Durham lose an important Cricket game on Television and then went to the Riverside and experienced the best of their 20 over performances when it mattered for the past two years. I listened to the Internet relays for the game against Yorkshire at Scarborough having decided against attending and was gripped by the fight that Worcester made to pip Durham for the fourth place in the Northern league to qualify for a quarter final place, albeit as the visitors away from home. As previously mentioned the home game against Yorkshire was rained off without a ball being bowled. I made the good decision not to set off although some 6000 tickets were sold for what was to have been the best home crowd of the season.

I had considered going by the club arranged coach for the Scarborough game as although I visited the ground before the recent refurbishment I have not been to see a first class contest there and it is getting on for a decade since visiting the seaside resort. Yorkshire won in the final over but my impression from the radio commentary was that Yorkshire was in the driving seat. Durham were invited to bat first made 144 runs after a disastrous start 39 for 4 with only Miller back from South Africa making 54 supported by man of the seasons Benkenstein with 33. I felt the total was not enough although with Yorkshire 86 for 5 my mood changed. The problem was Claydon who went for 48 in 3.3 overs. Collingwood 2 for 15 in 4 and Benkenstein 2 for 14 in four created the opportunity which other bowlers failed to take.

On Monday evening the game at Birmingham was televised by Sky and again the toss was loss and Durham were asked to bat and again the opening order collapsed to 44 for 4. Benkenstein again came to the rescue 50 not out this time with Breese 31 not out after Collingwood had gone for 24. When Plunket got opener Chopra at 16 there was hope but Carter, Maddy and Troughton all made runs and although Claydon made up for the Yorks debacle with just 6 runs from his two overs Collingwood went for 24 runs off his 2. It was young Borthwick who brought hope with 3 for 19 from 3 at the end. The game became exciting as Warwickshire needed 1 run to tie and two to win off the last ball after 2 wickets had fallen to Borthwick in the last over. Sadly Woakes had the stroke and hit the ball for 4.

With the weather fine but overcast I made my way apprehensively to the ground on Thursday evening setting off with the intention of arriving an hour beforehand to ensure a good seat on the balcony with a view of the electronic scoreboard. There was heavy rush hour traffic leaving Shields and then on reaching where the Shields Spur joined the main motorway from Newcastle there was very slow to stationery traffic.

I had the idea of taking the A 195 which leads off from the service area and then running parallel with the motorway until reaching a the major junction off the motorway about a mile later where four other roads led from the large roundabout. Unfortunately a lot of other drivers had the same idea and unbeknown to me the accident was on the motorway above the roundabout so traffic was coming off with right of way which made joining in from the road I was on difficult to impossible. The sub was very warm and I was grateful for the cold drink I had planned to take into the ground. I arrived and parked only a few minutes before the game commenced but managed to finds a seat on the balcony in a good location.

I must confess that I was not happy with the Durham batting after they elected to go first 25 for 2 and 87 for 6 again it was Benkenstein who had impact in the final overs making 31 not out while Miller made a quick 30. Mustard 20 and Breese 18 help to make a total which provided a challenge 144 but I was far from confident that this would be enough. I did not anticipate was to become a brilliant bowling and fielding performance which skittled the visitors out for the lowest ever total in the history of he competition 47 and with the last six wickets falling for a mere 8 runs. It was Miller who dived forward in great anticipation to scoop up an edge before it reached the ground and then Benkenstein held a rocket at close range which most fielded would have just got out of the way. It was one of he great catches at the ground. But more history was to come. In one over Collingwood took four wickets, including a hat trick with the second and third balls clean bowling the arrivals at the crease. I cannot recall such passionate excitement from a Durham crowd. Paul finished with five wickets for six runs and Claydon was full rehabilitated with 3 wickets for three runs of 3.5 overs taking the last two wickets in his final over.

We all had then to wait for what happened as Nottinghamshire played Worcestershire at Trent Bridge the following evening under floodlighting. Lancashire was certain of a home tie in the quarterfinal round while but would head the table if they won while Worcestershire had to win to take the fourth place from Durham. Notts batted and made 167 runs which was not as awesome total on this ground as it would have been at the Emirates. Voges made 55 and several others made starts but could not sustain their innings. Worcestershire did not start well losing 4 wickets for 36 runs but they recovered well with opener Ali putting on a good stand with Mitchell 41 and 45 respectively. However when they were out the innings quickly folded and although the game continued until the 20th over they were 26 runs short when the last wicket fell and Durham had been given a quarter final tie at Hampshire over the first weekend in August with all the games likely to be shown on Sky over three days with two on the Saturday evening, one on the Sunday afternoon and one on the Monday evening. While Durham has not performed well in 20 20 games away from home and Hampshire facing relegation will be desperate to give their supporters a place at finals weekend in Birmingham. I have hope still. Durham are playing Hampshire at the Rosebowl in a 40 over innings game on Tuesday evening which is also being televised so that should give a good guide to the quarter final

To day Sunday 17th July Durham played Surrey in the first of 40 over games in this second part of the season. Because it was being shown on TV and I wanted to watch the News, write and have a good lunch I had decided to watch the game from the comfort of my downstairs work room. It was a wise decision as rain prevented any play. There was an excellent interview with Graham Onions expressing his joy at being able to bowl again and his recognition that there were now a number of other bowlers competing for a position in the national side. There was an even more extensive and interesting conversation with the coaches for Durham and Surrey which included the admission that winning the championship three times in four years was the main focus although getting to a 20 20 was exciting for everyone including the players as well as for the man in the suit. Both men were at ease before the camera and talked fluently and engaged contributing on such subjects as the nature of the game now when they played three decades before, the challenge of switching between different formats over a short period, and the problem of having players on national duty and of their fitting in to the dressing room on the rare appearances when they were temporarily allowed to return.

There is also time to mention the excellent 28 to 16 win Warrington achieved over Huddersfield last Friday and shown on Sky while today they had another excellent win 54 24 away at Harlequins. They are still second in the table to Wigan despite having won one more game they lost more games in the early part of the season when Wigan were able to draw. However with 35 and 34 points respectively they have opened a gap of five points over St Helens all playing 22 games todate.

Durham beat Lancashire at Liverpool to head the County Championships 2011

2011-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

It is 7.10 an on 30th June 2011 and I am home, having decided when the match ended yesterday afternoon wanted to return rather than spend the night at Widnes and returning in the morning spending the day reacquainting myself with Liverpool before doing so.

On Tuesday morning the expectation among another full house of perhaps 1500 plus packing in the Liverpool ground was that the game would be over by tea time. In the event it lasted until 3 pm the following afternoon. Lancashire had been invited to bat after Durham won the important toss of the coin and Callum Thorp was primarily responsible for sending the majority of the Lancashire batsmen back to the pavilion for 8 or less runs with figures of 12.2 overs, 5 maidens 6 wickets for 20 runs, with Brown going at 7 for 5, Chilton at 11 for 3, Croft for 2 when the total was 37, Cross for 8 with the total 76, Hogg for 1, clean bowled when the total was 84 with Khan who had come in before hand for 0 when the total was 83. For the whole of his bowling performance he threatened a wicket. His quoted best championship performance is 7 for 88 so this should replace that in terms of ratio and for the match the figure is 8 for 73 again his best match figures todate with his first innings tally proving match winning in the event. In my judgement he has been Durham’s most consistent bowler this season whose performance must surely bring him to the attention of the selectors. He has bowled more overs than anyone else in the championship

I also thought Graham Onions commenced to demonstrate something of his former threat with prolonged bowing wicket to wicket with swing in hot humid conditions. The level of greenness of the wicket providing for a fiery bounce which he like Thorpe was able to exploit. His first innings tally 2 for 10 runs was from 10 overs with four maidens which added to his second innings 4 for 74 from 15.2 gives him a match analysis of 6 for 6 for 93 for his 25.2 overs. It was the bowlers who did the damage with Benkenstein 1 for 6 and Steve H taking the other wicket in the more expensive more expensive 7 for 37. Lancashire. Steve continues to attract attention more for his tendency to bowl wides which the keeper cannot save thus giving away 5 runs a time, something he accomplished twice in his first over and once further so that all in all he saved Lancashire from what would have been one of their lowest ever totals.

Lancashire are known for their excellent bowling and variable batting so having been dismissed for 84 we all awaited to see what the best batting side this season could make of the conditions and in truth the response was no much better with Smith going when the total was 1, Di Venutu at 8, Collingwood at 38, Muchall who had looked the most secure at 52, Blackwell soon after at 53 and Captain Mustard at 61 and we appeared to be in the same mire as Lancashire. It was the championship winning and now one day Captain Benkenstein who has already scored more first class runs that anyone else at the club who showed the way and his two batting performance also made him a contender for man of the match, notably his first innings of 83 not out made all the difference to the result of the match. Durham had been bowled out for 186, 102 runs more than their opponents. Young Proctor 3 for 29 and stalwart Hog 2 for 34 impressed. They gained no batting points hence the way the wicket had been prepared.

With bad light resulting in only one over on Monday evening I speculated how the wicket would play on the second day when the weather changed with a chilling wind to mellow the constant sunshine. Lancashire appeared confident at the increase and with openers being able to put on 58 runs for the first wicket and 112 for the second. However after that wickets fell consistently every 20 runs or so with only 62 from Horton and Proctor 52 achieving a total to pose a challenge to Durham winning the game.

I had prepared better for the second day stopping at the corner shop for a can of Pepsi which I drank early and a bottle of water which I poured immediately into a flask to keep it cold which it did. As with the first day I had added olives to the prepared salami sandwiches plus a Danish type pastry. I brought the binoculars to have a look at what the ball was doing, or was not. I also got the same seat overlooking the bowlers to the right of wicket at the other end. The ground appeared to fill sooner than on the first day although as with the previous day I did have a free seat to one side for the morning

As with the previous day I was able to engage in conversations with my neighbours and had prepared well with my knowledge of the Durham players and backgrounds and that the side contained four captains including two who had won championships and a third who had won the 20 20 World Cup.

I had mixed feelings about the sudden departure of the last three Lancashire batsmen and this meant Durham would have to play the last overs of the day after having spent a tiring day in the field. My concern was well justified as first Di Venuto who is having a lean time of late was out for 7 with the total 11 and Gordon Muchall having his best season with the club was out for 8 with the total 23. Graham Onions who had looked safe at one end for hour while Benkenstein amassed his first innings runs was out in quick time and result of the match was suddenly in doubt with Durham 28 for 3 at the close of play.

The Lancashire Club announced that entry for the third and final day, unless the weather intervened, would be free. The club was hoping for a dramatic day given they had already won the first three of the five championship games being played at the Liverpool ground. Because the weather forecast suggested showers I had packed a small brolly and decided to sit at the side rather than the previous position. Smith and Collingwood were put under great pressure which they weathered with Collingwood going for the runs, The two men run quickly between the wickets and were taking two where others would normally take the one and in a couple of instances three when the most likely addition would be two. The outcome could have been different if Collingwood had not been dropped by Paul Horton when he was 21 as he went on to make 45 and was dismissed by an excellent catch to a fierce stroke shortly after returning to the crease after a delay for rain. Smith who had looked less confident went for 30 legs before wicket looking most unhappy with the decision of the umpire and Durham were 101 for 5 with 80 runs still to get. Benkenstein who had look comfortable from his arrival at the crease went onto make 60 again not out with Blackwell 26 to see the match won by 5 wickets.

The Lancashire spectators remained until the end hoping for a miracle although most appreciated they would lose and in doing so the chance of their first championship for 70 years has taken a blow. However the championship is still being contested by six of the 9 clubs with Hampshire looking doomed not having won any of their 7 games and who along with Sussex have played three less than Durham and therefore have potentially 72 points to add to their present totals to provide a better picture of the present position.. The most vulnerable is Yorkshire who have played 9 and with only one win look set for relegation than Worcestershire with two wins and game to play to potentially add o the gap of 5 points above Yorks. Although Durham look good with 169 points in total with Lancashire 145 an Warwickshire 115 Sussex having played three games less for their 72 points could add another 72 and then beat Durham on their visit to Hove to overtake in the table. Durham entertain Warwickshire and Worcestershire along with the championship winners of last season Nottingham. They visit Somerset with their placid pitch and an in form Trescothick as well a making a visit to Nottingham which I am attending in later August. The outcome this season is far from beings settled, and it will be exceptional if the batsmen and bowlers can sustain their first half season form continuously. I have been looking bat the players averages and the Most valuable player statistics provided by the professional cricketers association and which still shows Ben Stokes as an outstanding all round performance prior to his major injury which is keeping him out of the action for at last six weeks. The issue is then who will he keep out if he is to return, given that Collingwood is Collingwood and returning form in the county championships. In the one day games especially the 20 20 I can see Breese making way for Stokes. Perhaps Borthwick will be the one to make way.

On Monday and Tuesday I decided to make do with the food brought with me so had a starter with soup, a can of beans, some grapes and a Danish pastry. The mistake on Tuesday was not to get some cold water from the store and I was too tired when I realised it was getting human once more even with the window open.

Yesterday I remained unsure of what I would do until the game ended with victory at 3pm. I was tempted to go onto Widnes and watch the Tennis with Andy Murray playing his last 8 game later afternoon but equally the thought of being home early evening became too tempting. In the event it was just before 8 pm I returned. There were two three reasons why the journey took so long. I missed the correct turn from the Aigburth Road to get on to A3080 and reach the M62 from its commencement. Instead I went along a road though industrial Merseyside before joining the M62 as in fact it becomes the M60 Manchester ring motorway rather like the M25 in London. It took the best part of an hour to travel the same distance it had taken 30 minutes on the day of arrival. Secondly there was a patch of slow to stopping traffic over the Pennines which was caused by traffic volume. The third reason was that I became tired and decided to stop and try and sleep on reaching Wetherby. I did sleep a little with a stop over half an hour having stopped earlier at Hartshead for a comfort break and an ice cream sitting in glorious evening sunshine. I could have listened to Murray’s game but instead having got the CD player to work I enjoyed 90 minutes of Operatic Arias from the 3 CD collection.

When I arrived back I could not find the key to the connecting door between the Kitchen/Day room and the rest of the property. I did not panic this time confident that it was somewhere in the luggage and after having a cooling Pepsi systematically emptied the luggage. In case the key had been lost I gathered in one bag all that would be required. This took the greater part of an hour leaving the case last. The over should rucksack was given special attention as the summer jacket. I then replaced unused food tins and put the remaining packets of Danish pastries in the bread bin. The two cool bags were cleared and cleaned as was the Leisure club bad which I had used to take to the match.

I slowly unpacked the case fearing the worst so there was great relief when the key was found in the pair of trousers and thus it was not necessary to prepare and eat the evening meal before going round the lane and entering the front of the house to try and find the spare key which had been cut when the key was previously lost!. I enjoyed half a dozen spice chicken wings with some prawns in various kinds of coatings together with coated mushrooms. As anticipated the second part of the IJT order had arrived and will be collected in the morning. The camera did not work so I will have to get my expensive one repaired but it is not a priority. I will decide about second part Olympic tickets after getting myself organised again over the next few days. Viva Lancashire and Liverpool.

Rain washed weekend in June 2011 brings two great wins for Murray and Button

2011-06-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

After losing to bottom of the table Derby on Friday in the cricket 20 20 competition, Durham looked for revenge yesterday. It was sunny when I sent off but there was strong evidence of the rain sweeping up and across from the West. I therefore headed for an end of row seat on the Balcony of the Member’s Lounge, had outer coat and inner jacket and a full size umbrella. I was not wrong as the rain commenced midway during the Derby Innings and although Durham‘s bowlers kept going it was evident that the surface water was building up to make bowling and fielding dangerous. I was not surprised when at the interval the wicket was first covered and then the outfield. No other game in the country had started so every match ended in a 1 point each no result tie.

I had to have a large strong coffee to keep going having purchased pastries at Lidl’s who have opened a fresh bakery. I had gone for four packs of the breakfast cereal. Enjoying the second pastry now with my second cup of coffee of the day.

The unexpected sporting event of the weekend was a win for Jenson Button in the Canadian Brand Prix in what many consider the drive of his life in a rain affected event which led to the safety car being used four times and a long delay which meant that all 70 laps of the shortened race from 75 were fitted in with less than a minute to spare. It was only on the last lap that leader from the start, Vettel, made a mistake although there are those who will argue that Button would have taken him in any event use slip stream and the latest technology as he had been lapping as the fastest car in the conditions. He had survived several unexpected pit stops which saw him in last position at least once, after his team mate had attempted to overtake on the inside and they had collided leading to the retirement of Lewis Hamilton who some claim is attempting more and more dangerous manoeuvres to get back on equal terms with Vettel who has stormed into a 60 point lead ahead of Button in the championship.

On Friday I watched what many regard as the most convincing win by Andy Murray in a major round of an important competition when he defeated Andy Roddick in a semi final match at the pre Wimbledon Grass competition at the Queens Club in Hammersmith, West London, a private club recently sold to its Members by the Lawn Tennis Association for £35 million. Fortunately in terms of being able to watch the final live, play was washed out on Sunday and played to day just before 1 pm. The opponent was Jo-Wilfred Tsonga from France known as someone who throws himself fearlessly around the court and with a powerful serve but presently only 20th in the world compared to Murray 4th

First blood went to Tsonga as he broke the Murray serve in game six to go on to win the first set 6.3. The second set went with service to 6.6 but wining the tie break game gave Murray the momentum. He takes the sixth game to go 4.2 up in the third and then in the 8th game and 40 love ahead he does a trick shot through his advancing legs with an angle volley across the net. The crowd erupt, the commentators speculate whether this will wind up his opponent and from this the match ends with each winning their service games. This is the first time a British man has won the champion twice since 1925. Murray was delighted but realistic about the significance. The media will now whip up expectation for Wimbledon.

The Rugby League championship went against expectation with the two leading clubs Warrington and Huddersfield losing, the latter to bottom of table Wakefield. Wigan and St Helens also drew so everyone stayed in the same positions at the top.

And now to the cricket as I should record the scores with Derby 183 for 3 at home with opener Guptill 60 and Madsen not out 53. Breese was the only Durham bowler with good figures of 2 for 27 from his four overs. Durham although they put on 88 for the first wicket did not score quick enough and at the end needed 70 runs from 30 balls. They put up a good fight which omens well for subsequent games reaching 178 for 5. Gordon Muchall did well with 62 and new man Miller was 26 at the close not out Durham losing by 5 runs. Yesterday Guptill continued when he left off and scored 44 and Madsen 54. The team reached 169 runs for 5 at the 20 overs and Collingwood 2 for 24 from 3 was the best with Onions 1 for 18 also doing well. Rushworth was hit for 4 fours in his first over and 17 runs from the 6 balls. Then it rained and rained.

Olympis tickets 2012, Durham back at the top and a shock win for England

2011-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Alas there is going to no me and family at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. For the past ten days I have checked the credit card account on line for an amount of up to £1000 to be deducted. I had made application for the maximum possible number of events in this first trance of applications but applying for the lowest price tickets available. Three days ago the amount appeared under transactions pending which if confirmed revealed that I had only been successful in one pair of £16 tickets or two single tickets for this amount. This could mean a visit to the Olympic stadium complex or to Wembley for the football or to the tennis at Wimbledon or two of the three venues.

I suppose that on the bright side I have managed to get tickets as 250000 applicants have not successful I gaining a single ticket but they will be given first opportunity to apply for tickets for events where there are seats available. After this any remaining seats will be made available to those like me who did not get all their first preferences and only then to the general public. One has to take account that a substantial number of the tickets for the events go for allocation to the countries participating and to the families of the participating athletes. There are also those which form part of hospitality packages as well as kept for dignitaries. As with last night’s European Cup final at Wembley it was possible to officially secure a good seat for £4000 and there was market for seats at several times their face value.

Yesterday and today 1^st and 2^nd of June the papers were full the story of the application situation with some of the 250000 who were unsuccessful in all aspects of their applications complaining about the disappointment while officials emphasised they would get priority for the second ballot for the remaining tickets.

I have heard of two accounts of those who have been successful with one individual applying for £30000 worth of tickets and getting 11000 while one radio broadcaster applied for £3000 and gained 600 but one suspects that in both these instances tickets for more than the minimum prices were applied for. As I shall recount when writing about the Take That concert in Sunderland, the world of concert and sporting event tickets is not for the feint hearted or impecunious.

The extraordinary Sporting achievement of the past week has been the victory by England over Sri Lanka in the significantly rain affected First Test Match at Cardiff. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat commencing in the afternoon because of the weather, if I remember accurately, and putting on 93 for the first wicket with the openers getting 66 and 50, and with the middle order contributing 58 and 111 they reach a good total of 400 towards the end of the third day such had been the amount of play stoppages because of the conditions. A draw appeared inevitable unless the national side collapsed. With Strauss out for 20 at 46, Andersen who had been injured and unable to bowl for part of the innings came in as the night watchman and was quickly out the following morning with total 46.2. It was then Jonathan Trott and Alistair Cook came together and added 251 runs before Cook was caught for 133 from 274 balls. Kevin Petersen came in and departed quickly for 3 and I am not alone in questioning his right to a place in the team if he fails in the next two Tests.

Ian Bell another like Cook whose place has been in question not only continued where Cook had left off but commenced to score more freely so that at the close of play early in the following afternoon after another lost morning because of the rain, he had scored 103 runs out of 159 and England declared 496 for 5, Trott having departed earlier for a magnificent 203 from 409 balls. With some 50 overs left in the day and a lead of only 96 a draw still seemed the only outcome. It was an excellent decision to allow Bell the opportunity to reach his 100 runs as doing so only reduced the chance of getting the visitors out by a few overs. What followed is unique in the history of Tests played in England

In only the second over Tremlett had one of the openers caught by Captain Strauss at first slip. In his following over with the score at 10 Tremlett dismissed the opposing captain who questioned the judgement of the umpire that he had been caught of his glove, The review confirmed the appeal and decision had been justified. The tourists scored slowly until tea time when the extraordinary collapse occurred with wickets falling at 33 36 43 43 43 52 and then after a brief rally at 82 and 82. Tremlett getting four of the first six batsmen for only 40 runs in ten overs while Graham Swann had even better figures with 4 wickets for 16 runs off 7. Broad also joined in the party with 2 for 21 from 7.4 overs thus the opponents were dismissed for 82 using only three main bowlers and the fourth sidelined. No one anticipated this would happen and everyone was happily shocked that it had.

Manchester United in contrast were well beaten in the game 3.1 by the super team Barcelona who have become precision ball players with exquisite passing and a lethal ability to score goals as well as prevent goals defensively. Last night there was a ray of hope when Rooney equalised after Barcelona had opening their account midway during the first half. In the second half Manchester United were out classed and the score could well have been greater. It merits noting that while many Spanish footballers play in the Premier League no British player presently performs in any of the major Spanish sides. Having said that even in Spain while it is possible to win games against Barcelona they have a rare mixture of brilliant individualists who play according to a crafted and tested system which is superior to everyone else.

Warrington Rugby League team also displayed moments of brilliance which suggests they could walk away with the Championship although in terms of wins and points there are three other team competing for the top honours. Warrington has recently overwhelmed lesser teams in the division accumulating a massive match point’s total, 150 more than their nearest rivals. However Huddersfield has the same number of League points while Wigan with two gamed in hand could join them if they win their game tomorrow. St Helens are fourth just 2 match points behind.

There is a similar situation emerging in division one of the County Cricket Championships with Durham having an excellent win against Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Friday in a rain affected game which prevented all but a handful of overs being bowled on the Thursday. Warwickshire have been deducted 8 championship points, half those awarded for a win, because of the fiery nature of the pitch which resulted in two of the opposition players being injured. The consequence was that the pitch was treated in such a way as to make it flat, that is to say that the fast bowlers were unable to get the ball to bounce high with any speed and more importantly in played true with balls either shooting low or higher than would normally be anticipated.

Fortunately Durham won the toss and chose to bat and there was the spectacle of three Durham batsmen again having major innings. The most satisfying was former captain Will Smith with 179, his first century for two years and the indefatigable former captain Benkenstein making 129 and present Championship captain “Colonel” Mustard one short if his century. Durham ended their innings 602 for 6 and set about Warwickshire in such a manner that by the end of the second they had lost 9 wickets with just 180 runs on the board. Young Stokes with 4 for 48 caused the most damage but Thorp with 3 for 35 and Steve Harmison 2 for 41 shared the honours. Stoke getting Miller out with one of the few balls bowled during the day. Late on Durham were able to bowl another few balls and had Warwickshire reeling with the overnight score 23 for 3.

With a weather uninterrupted day forecast for the Friday victory seemed certain but the lower order batsmen put up a great fight especially with a stand of over 100 runs for the eight wicket but as the end of the match approached and an unexpected draw seemed likely Durham were able to take the last wickets and won the game by an innings and 103 runs. Stokes took 3 more wickets finishing the match 7 wickets for 137 runs and Thorp 5 for 105. Harmison who strained his back after taking 1 for 18 was the only downside.

Durham was then second to Lancashire who they played at the Riverside Emirates Durham International over the previous four days from Sunday May 29^th. Lancs have a game in hand so a win could make both Durham and Lancs the potential champions. Warwickshire who had commenced to have hopes are now third having playing the same number of games and 23 points behind Durham, similar Somerset. Notts who have played a game less having lost twice recently so even if they win their game in hand as Somerset and Sussex they will remain a score of points behind Durham. The teams will begin playing the 20 20 competitions games over the next six weeks. Hampshire and Worcestershire look the doomed championship teams with only 33 and 28 points compared to 118 and115 for the top two. Yorks with 57 are struggling.

The club has invited members to apply for tickets for the England Australia One day game next year on July 7^th just before the Olympic Games commences and more speculative the England Australian ashes games in July of the following year but without the dates yet determined. I have applied for tickets for the one day game next July but not the Test Match where the day/ match can prove a major disappointment disrupted by rain and a boring draw the best outcome. This appears to be the situation with the first Test against Sri Lanka at Cardiff.

There has been no further reference 20 20 finals days, to the ground completion other than money available for the hotel or to the court case involving the builders of three quarters completed stand. I will leave reports on the Test Match and Durham’s game against Lancashire as well as the first 20 20 on Thursday to late in the week late in the week.

I had intended to completed this piece and leave Durham’s game against Lancs until after completing a piece on the Game of Thrones and the Take That concert but past four days have proved hectic, exhilarating and full that I will make this a writing only about sport, Take that and then on other TV and the Game of Thrones. Or the latter two vice versa!

Durham have beaten Lancs by an innings and 125 runs with yet another grand collapse by the opponents. There was a cold blustery wind on the first day which I attended in full, sitting in the Member’s balcony at one end. There was a good contingent of Lancs supporters on the balcony, including one man wearing a hat made of Red Roses. He explained that the reason home matches are being played in Liverpool for this season is not a dispute with ground developers but the decision that to turn the pitch around, but give they have been winning their games at Merseyside the inclination is to stay which in one sense would be more rational than the present situation given that Old Trafford is now a long way from the County Council boundary and is like Durham County being located in Newcastle rather than Durham.

Durham won the toss and for the second time this season asked the visitors to bat, a decision which did not please members given that the earlier decision did not go well and the game had to be saved as a draw and a similar decision the previous season led to the match being lost.

This occasion the decision appeared to have been a good one when two of the three openers were out with the score 9, one to Thorp and the other to Onions. Horton the other opener did exceptionally well but was eventually out to Ben Stoke who bowled him when six short of his century. With the third wicket going at 186 and the fourth at 148 whether the decision to put Lancs in to bat was in the balance. At 225 for seven it looked to have been a good one. The new batsmen appeared to be struggling against the spin of Borthwick who had taken a wicket bowling 4 overs for only 6 runs and Blackwell who had then taken two wickets. However the decision was made to take the new Ball and Proctor 45 and Chapple 46 held out adding 90 runs before Chapple went with the total 312. The remaining two wickets went cheaply and the innings closed at 313.

Durham needed to bat for the greater part of two days given and given that no play was not immediately possible on the second morning a draw looked the most likely result, This also seemed the position when Smith and Muchall were both out with the total 90 and then 94 after Di Venuto had gone for only 6 runs. It was then that Ben Stokes and former captain Benkenstein came together and added 331 runs, a record partnership. Ben obtain his second century of the season and his third overall making 185 before being bowled and with a total over 650 first class runs this season, an average of 65 plus taking a good number of wickets, he has attracted the eye of the selectors once more. Sadly he has broken a finger and damaged ligaments which will keep him out of the side for up to eight weeks. Benkenstein who has also been in the runs made 137 and Mustard 61 also in the runs helped the innings to close at 586, the third time in succession the team had achieved a large first innings score. Given that Lancs has won their previous five games a capitulation was not expected but Graham Onions and Thorpe achieved early success at 19, 30 and 69 before the fourth day of play ended. The following morning Chilton and Keedy batted defensively to a tight Durham attack which yielded few runs but the two were unable to keep up the rear guard action for the rest of the day and shortly after lunch they both went with the total only 94 after which there was no further resistance with the remaining five wickets falling at 106 109 116 139 and 148.

Ian Blackwell taking 7 wickets for 91 runs in the game with Claydon 4 for 82 and Onions 4 for 111. Young Borthwick had a match figure of 5 overs 3 maidens 1 wicket for 6 runs and continues to show great promise.

With getting maximum points for the last three games Durham are now 17 points ahead of Lancs which means that Lancs have to win their extra game to regain the leading position. The big surprise is that 2010 Champions Notts lost to struggling Worcester who won their first Division one game for many years.

Barcelona, Warrington and Durham are super teams

2011-05-30T00:16:00.001-07:00

Manchester United were well beaten in the game 3.1 by the super team Barcelona who have become precision ball players with exquisite passing and a lethal ability to score goals as well as prevent goals defensively. Last night there was a ray of hope when Rooney equalised after Barcelona had opening their account midway during the first half. In the second half Manchester United were out classed and the score could well have been greater. It merits noting that while many Spanish footballers play in the Premier League no British player presently performs in any of the major Spanish sides. Having said that even in Spain while it is possible to win games against Barcelona they have a rare mixture of brilliant individualists who play according to a crafted and tested system which is superior to everyone else.

Durham is now second to Lancashire who they play at the Riverside Emirates Durham International to day Sunday 29^th. Lancs have a game in hand so a win could make Durham and Lancs the potential champions. Warwickshire who had commenced to have hopes are now third having played the same number of games and 23 points behind Durham, similar Somerset. Notts who have played a game less having lost twice recently so even if they win their game in hand as Somerset and Sussex they will remain a score of points behind Durham. The teams will begin playing the 20 20 competitions games over the next six weeks. Hampshire and Worcestershire look the doomed teams with only 33 and 28 points compared to 118 and115 for the top two. Yorks with 57 are struggling.

Survival Sunday May 23rd 2011

2011-05-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday 22nd May 2011 commenced in sunshine but then clouded with a light rain while at 14.00 there was a clear blue sky which lasted all of a couple second before the wind blue clouds from west to east. Gale force winds were warned for later.

I enjoyed half a prepared chicken breast with mini sausages and stuffing balls, with roast potatoes for lunch followed by a chocolate mint whip, after a light breakfast of cereal. I have completed 135 sets in the artwork project so far this month with the intention to increase to 200 a month over the rest of the year. I will commence to convert press cutting relating to child care matters, local and national, later today having earlier completed a writing and published on Google but ran into problems on MySpace.

For the rest of the day there was sport with the Spanish Formula I with Vettel set fair for yes another victory over Hamilton and Button unless something goes wrong with tyre selection, pit stops or use of the extras which have been developed to make racing more competitive and not just resting on who can engineer the quickest car through sheer speed. It did not and that is how the race finished although much closer than everyone anticipated.

Durham played in a one day game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston which I have only visited once for one day of a Test Match en route home from a stay in Wiltshire. They did not started well losing two early wickets. Then Stokes settle in scoring some giant sixes and wondrous four reaching over 150 runs before the end of the innings with Durham on a massive 180 plus runs. However Warwickshire set off at a fantastic rate of ten runs an over which the weakened Durham bowling side was unable to control and they achieve the required runs with overs and wickets to spare. This effectively ends the chance of the 40 40 final unless they can beat Surrey twice and Northants once with Surrey also beating Northants or someone else is able to stop the two runaways in their tracks. Warwickshire has not joined Durham so the league is divided between the strong and the weak.

The most interesting events is the last day of the Premiership football with five clubs trying to avoid relegation and separated by only one point, I wanted Blackpool to survive and for a time it looked as if they would after equalizing a Man U goal and then taking the lead, but they lack the defensive strength and staying power. I failed to pick up the Blackpool taunting of Ryan Giggs. On Monday it emerged that Ryan is the football named in the High Court super confidentiality order. His photo and name were revealed in a Scottish newspaper and then revealed through a question in the House of Commons. It this shows that if the people with some Parliamentary support witch they will thwart the rule of Law which suggest the rule of Law needs to keep closer in touch with the will of Parliament and the people although this could do also prove a very slippery slope down to mob rule.

By 6pm Blackpool was doomed but the surprising club to go down with them was Birmingham but to the delight of Aston Villa and other Midland Clubs. The surprising survivors were Wigan who had been at the bottom for most of the season. They cam back to win at West Ham who have become woeful and this was underlined as Sunderland had a great win there to move into the top after of the Premier table at 10th. Newcastle who were above them and took a 3.0 lead at home, conceded 3 goal to finish with a draw and therefore below the Mackems. Both clubs having poor seasons overall although Newcastle could be said to have done better having re-established themselves in the top flight league of all top flights in Europe.

Durham Cricket Club make progress in 2011 season

2011-05-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

Durham is performing significantly better than anticipated. Last Sunday I braved a very cold and overcast day to sit in the open air to watch the 40 over innings game against struggling Hampshire. I went to the Member’s room and on to the balcony on arrival as until reaching the Riverside I had driven with continuous rain spots on the car windscreen. The wicket had been prepared in the far distance so there was no alternative but brave the weather and I took the seat booked for the 20 20 innings series which begins next month. This has the advantage of an under cover tier just behind.

Hampshire won the toss and decided to bat a mistake in these games and with the total 59 for four wickets my initial reaction was proved right. Rushworth, Onions and Claydon did the damage with Claydon having his best match of the season taking three wickets for 16 runs in in 6.2 overs. The inconsistent Ben Stokes also had a good match taking 4 wickets for 29 from 7. There was a temporary stay of execution when Howell was joined by Dawson but when Dawson went at 127 one knew the Hampshire side were not going to last 40 overs and wickets then fell at 145,152,159 and 161, twice. Durham did not start their innings well because of the return of Dimitri Mascarenhas who had Mustard, Stokes and Coetzer out by 37. But that was that and Muchall 67 and Benkenstein saw the home side win with overs to spare.

Durham then played on the Monday against Scotland in Edinburgh. Unfortunately there was no live commentary so I had to rely on ESPN cricket information. This is a brilliant service with ball by ball information on one of three screen with the first covering all the matches being played on the day, the second a summary of the favoured match ands their the full scorecard which is updated. In addition to showing the current batsmen and bowlers, the summary shows every ball of the last half dozen overs which together with information on the overall run rate and that of the last ten overs provides a very effective way of keeping in touch with what is happening A fourth screen provides statistics on all the players in the game for the current season todate. It is therefore possible to listen to the a commentary while also showing the favoured scoreboard in domestic comfort, either giving full attention or working on other things or even have the TV on showing sport in silence as I am doing now writing this on the desk top, keeping one eye on the scoreboard of the game between Yorkshire and Lancashire at Liverpool and also the other eye on the TV showing that Wakefield and Castleford are 6.6 in a fifth round Rugby League Cup game on BBC 1.

In a delayed reaction I remembered I had not watched This Week and turned to the I player and was rewarded first with the appearance of Kate Hoey on the sofa with Michael Portillo, someone who should be there every week and then the gorgeous Kay Burley although I often disagree with the interview approach. The programme dealt with several of the subjects already covered including the visit of Queen Elizabeth where Fergal Keane plus Andrew, Kate and Michael shared in the view that this marked a remarkable historical event in relations between the Republic and UK but also marked a significant development in the role of the Queen Elizabeth who demonstrated with remarkable sensitivity the value of a head of stated without a party political affiliation. It confirmed my support for her but did not reduce concerns about the situation upon her death or decision to retire.

Kay Burley was present in part to publicise a fiction work about a Prime Minister and his two lovers but also to talk about the interaction between powerful men and women. I was impressed with what she had to say and with the level of discussion as should be said for the full programme.

This is a long detour from the 40 40 game on Monday in which Scotland wisely chose to field after winning the toss. It looked a good move when Mustard went for 5 with the total 9 but then Coetzer got his head down and carried his bat to end the innings 110 runs not out. He was supported by Stokes with 35 and then Muchall again with 63. There was also a dramatic slog at the end by Breese with 4 sixes and 3 fours who took the game beyond Scotland’s reach as Durham ends on 278 for 4. Scotland never looked as if they had a chance of reaching this total with wickets falling at 28 45 60 61 129 145 161 188 197 and 198. All Durham’s bowlers got between 1 and 2 wickets. The consequence of this is that Durham are now second in the table with 8 points as has Surrey above and Northants below but these two have played a game less. Durham at Warwick to morrow and it is essential that they win this game before break for the 20 20 series and they host Surrey in a Sky televised game on July 17th. I visited Worcester for the last game of the season at that club in a sub lit September staying at a Travel Lodge South of Birmingham. The game was a draw after Durham scored a mountain of runs

Durham then moved to Worcester for the County Championship game. I attended the game at the end of the 2009 season where Durham were declared championship winners during the game and Worcestershire went on to be relegated. Durham scored a mountain of runs with Chanderpaul scoring one of the slowest hundreds of all times. During several emails with the commentators I mentioned this and the explanation came back that the Durham players had been out celebrating and were in no mood field so they advised Chanderpaul to stay out there for as long as possible.

Durham won the toss and decided to bat in a first day rain affected day. They scored a massive 587 before declaring the innings on the second day with 3 wickets left. Gordon Muchall continued his exceptional form making a total of 175 supported by Ian Blackwell with 134 and captain Mustard who has had a torrid time especially in the one day games but added 101 to the innings. Borthwick added 67 in a stand of over 150 with Mustard. Faced with the total no one expected the comparatively new Worcestershire team to do well and this was so with no one reaching 50 they were all out for 217 over 200 runs short of avoiding the follow on. They put up a better fight the second time around with Solanki 58, temporary captain Ali 63, Andrew 50 and Scott 73, respectable scores in most circumstances with a team total of 345 but still 20 runs short of Durham needing to bat again. The match saw the return of Steve Harmison who only bowled 2 balls before injury in the first match of the season. His total figures of 7 for 151 are an excellent start. Graham Onions was recalled to the England A team playing the tourists at Derby, He is not having a good match out for 1 in the mammoth England first innings in which Owen Morgan made 193 and struggling to take wickets in a Sri collapse to 263 to the 493 with 3 for 138 as the touring team reached 392 for 6 at the end of the third day.

Durham should have ended the day equal top with Warwickshire on 91 points as the Roses game between Lancs and Yorks was set for a draw, Yorks collapsed after tea this afternoon leaving Lancs to get 121 in 20 or so overs. They got them in 14 with the loss of 4. As a consequence they now head the table by 5 points and a game in hand on the other two. Notts with two defeats in succession have fallen away. It makes next’s weeks game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston interesting!

Durham home cricket season 2011 brgins with mixed fortunes

2011-05-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

During April and Yesterday the 1st May 2011 I have sat in sunshine for the greater part of nine days watching cricket, for the most part in warmth with the consequence that April has become one of the hottest since records commenced several hundred years ago. I have neglected everything from my biographical and project work to household chores. The good weather has been a bonus.

After the near win against Hampshire in the first championship win and the great win at Yorkshire where I attended the crucial third day, Durham experienced a disaster against Sussex, unexpected triumph against Warwickshire, all in Division one of the County Championship. There has also have been two games in the 40 over competition at the Emirates International Stadium, one won and one lost yesterday.

It was another glorious warm sunny day on Wednesday two weeks ago and I made the right decision not to have the swim but organise myself properly for the first day of the Durham home cricket season. The day was not without mishap as the container used for the milk did not keep upright when I transferred from the small cool bag and with a loose top nearly all the milk spilt into the shoulder bag and on to me. It was not an auspicious start after I had gained a good parking place close to the ground. I was however able to get my ideal seat at the top of the stand to one side of behind the wicket with no seats in front of me so there was a good stretch of the legs.

I enjoyed both apple turnovers and three good cups of coffee before venturing to take a look at the vantage point of the new completed addition to the main stand. It is not clear if the top section above the first floor offices is open and odd while the terracing for seats outside the office windows has been completed, the seats have not been installed. An examination of the front of the building confirmed that the work has not been completed with a cable dangling in on corner of an external canopy and other indications of a job not finished

There is a sombre note in the Member’s Handbook, comments of the club chairman and that the club is working to find the funds to progress the ground development. Members will be advised of any progress during the season. In his note the Coach explained he decision not to add to the squad over the winter, a decision with which I concurred as it was evident that the squad, despite the disappointments of last season has the right mixture to compete at the highest level as the results of Richardson, Stokes and Borthwick indicate. With no immediate room for Luke Evans he went to Northants where he played in a couple of Championship games on loan last season. He did not feature in the impressive innings defeat of Surrey.

I knew beforehand that Graham Onions would not be playing in the game, from an email which explained that he was being rested as part of his rehabilitation, no doubt under instructions from the ECB who pay his wages and Durham’s compensation. Liam Plunket whose batting innings was the key for Durham success against Yorkshire and who I thought bowled well in the second innings has an injury along with Steve Harmison who has a cracked forearm which sees him miss the rest of April and at least four games. The late year acquisition, the West Indian background Ruel Brathwaite who played for Loughborough and Cambridge university teams gained his first opportunity to play for the first team. As for the opposition they are in transition with the retirement of Robin Martin Jenkins and James Kirtly and with Yassar Arafat moving to Surrey and Collymore to Middlesex.

The important new face who joined the Sussex club in 2010 is Monty Panesar out of favour with the national selectors but a great favourite with the crowd everywhere including Durham. Luke Wright is now part of the national squad but they still have Joyce, Yardy (injured) Nash and Goodwin. New faces are Anyon from 2010 and Warwickshire, Luke Wells 2010 and Amjam Khan from Kent.

Durham won the toss the elected to bat which seemed to be an excellent decision until Di Venuto who had scored 30 of the opening 44 runs and has shown good form was out leg before wicket to Anyon. There was then a good stand over 100 runs involving Gordon Muchall who is also in form with a spirited 74 before being caught by Joyce off Naved at 173 when a 400 plus total seemed certain. Former Captain Will Smith was painstaking and slowly gained a half century which was greeted with prolonged applause by the Durham crowd which by then must have approaching 1000, enjoyed sun and the cricket. However after lunch Smith seemed to freeze on his 50 and wicket fell at regular intervals with only Borthwick offering resistance hitting Panesar for four fours in succession. The team failed to get three bonus points all out at 291 which left a dozen overs for Sussex to face.

Ed Joyce was caught behind off Claydon when the total was six but Nash and Wells held out taking the total to 30. Claydon was the better bowler. There were good innings from Nash 65 and Hodd 67 but at no time did the team look like reaching the first batting bonus point at 200, Thorpe again to the fore on the second morning when after Bash when to Brathwaite for his first wicket Thorp had Gatting and Brown out in successive deliveries and Sussex were 108 for 5.

With a lead of 98 runs the game looked set to be Durham’s. It is difficult to explain the second innings batting by Durham with Benkenstein in particular playing a very bad stroke just when he had reach 50 and similarly Blackwell. Every run was a struggle and the team were out for 210 a leads of only 308 which I thought with over a day and half to play was between 50 and 100 runs light. This proved to be the situation and an excellent stand between Wells (103) and Brown 61 saw the total rise from 149 5 to 277 for 5. The game appeared won easily by then but Brathwaite had a purple patch taking 5 for 56 and in the end the Sussex only won by two wickets so with 2 for 42 in the first innings Brathwaite finished the match with 7 for 98. Durham had lost the opportunity to take an early season lead in the Championship and the immediate high hopes were dashed and uncertainty over what kind of season was in store. With just Easter Monday free (the first one day 40 over innings game was on the Sunday) I hoped there would be a better performance for the back to back home game against Warwickshire.

Tuesday 26 April 2011 was overcast and cold from a north easterly wind more like normal conditions for cricket this time of the year. Once upon a time the football ended at the commencement of May and the cricket commenced and then ended in early September coinciding with the start of the football season which now being in mid august with the cricket extentding into mid September. There was one Test Touring side with five matches played and then three one day 50 over games. Now with the season extended there are two touring sides, up to seven Test matches, up to seven one day games and a couple 20 20’s. It is all about money making and there is nothing wrong with this as it keeps the Counties able to play the four day game, the players well paid and the International quad exceptionally well paid but the fans lose out.

The game against Warwickshire did not begin well with Durham losing the toss and Warwickshire commencing to build what seemed to be a likely giant total. Porterfield was one of several players whose catching chances were not taken by Durham and he went on to make 87. Troughton, the grandson of Dr Who Patrick made 76 and shortly after tea I decided to go home. Onions played and bowled well as did Thorpe and Brathwaite. The spin bowling of Ian Blackwell was exceptional and the Warwickshire batsmen treated him with justified respect, to an extent that the team were behind the run rate to gain maximum batting points. However by the time I arrived home and switched on the radio commentary the situation commenced to change and from 327 for 4 with Clark and Ambrose and Troughton out to Brathwaite at 328 and 341 followed by Best to Onions at 346. With Miller also going to Brathwaite at 349 the prospects was of Warwickshire failing to get the fourth batting bonus point. In fact Bowlers Woakes with an unbeaten 70 and Boyd Rankin 28 added 80 valuable runs which seemed to take hopes of a win from Durham although the fifth bonus point was not achieved within the permitted number overs. The innings closed at 429

I delayed my visit arriving at midday and Di Venuto and Smith took their time to reach a century partnership and then 150 runs before former captain Will Smith was caught at 66 rubs. Gordon Muchall who has been in good form went for 7 and new young man Stokes for 5 after his brilliant performances. Di Venuto having reached 113 was also quickly out after being injured and needing a runner and was followed also immediately by night watchman Graham Onions for a duck and Durham were 232 for 5. It was then that Ian Blackwell joined captain Benkenstein and batted out to close of play.

They only put on a few runs in the first half hour pf play the following morning but they then put Warwickshire’s bowling tot he sword in what would in other circumstances have been a match winning display with a part ship of 150 runs before Benkenstein was removed for 75 after Blackwell looked as if he would bat the innings out reaching his century after Richardson had gone quickly also with the total 383, and who with the help of Borthwick saw the 5th batting bonus point and the score go past that of Warwickshire. I would have liked another 50 or more runs but it was not to be and the innings ended at 465 just 36 runs ahead and Blackwell run out, his own fault, at 125.

A draw now seemed inevitable and although opener Chopra went for 8 to Thorpe at 19, Westwood and Porterfield, although playing defensively with no attempt to score runs except from hit me balls, I nearly went home in the growing evening cold as the sun left the ground. Many other Durham supporters did so and missed the excitement as Borthwick had Porterfield, Yousef and Westwood out within two overs and Warwickshire faced the nightmare of being 50 for 4.

The following morning a much better crowd than originally anticipated arrived in the expectation of the unexpected! My hope was that Durham would be able get Warwickshire all out in their second innings for less than 200 in 50 overs leaving Durham to get less that 175 with a similar amount of time to hand. At one point it looked as if the game would over without a break for lunch as wickets fells at 67, 67 and 69. The last three wickets put on 68 runs with Ambrose making 51 but this still left Durham with only 102 runs to win the game in some 50 overs. Smith opened the innings as before but with Borthwick the hero so far having taken 4 wickets for 25 and Graham Onions 4 for 28 both having been punished in the first innings (Onions 2 for 106 and Borthwick 1 for 46). When Smith went for 9 we sensed that Warwickshire would make a great fight for it but Borthwick with Muchall battle exceptionally well and with no need to take risk gradually moved the score to 83 before Muchall went with 30. Stokes joined Borthwick and the two young men saw Durham win shortly after tea. It was good to see that after the strong batting performance of county championship winning Di Venuto, captains Smith and Benkenstein and man of his first season Blackwell, it was returning back to form by the injured Onions and the Youngster Borthwick who saw the win home. Promising Stokes and Richardson did not have good game, however. I had stayed in on the Friday to watch the Royal wedding switching between channels on the TV but with computer radio commentary keeping me up to date with the cricket supported by the score and scorecard updated every two minutes.

The outcome of other matches played meant that Durham had moved back at the top of the division in second place with two wins, a draw and 62 points, one less than Nottinghamshire who have played one game having won all their games so far. Notts are home to Yorks this week with Durham resting and a draw would be brilliant and a Yorkshire win also acceptable. Yorkshire know that a defeat will significantly dent their hopes of championship success this season

Sandwiched between the two championship games was the best single day’s cricket of the season so far, the first 40 over league and cup competition of the season against the weakest team of the 18 division one and two teams added to which are .Scotland and the Netherlands, together with the Unicorns, a made up team for the competition. Scotland won only two of their twelve games last season, losing all the others. Durham was not that better so the first game was going to be a season trend setter for both teams.

Scotland started badly losing wickets at 1, 5 and 16, all to Graham Onions and I wondered how long the game would last. There was a rally until 80 when three wickets fell and again there were thoughts of an easy and early win. However Mommsen with 73 not out steadied the tale so that with Has getting 30 the team finished with a respectable 215 for 7 hitting 37 runs over the last two overs. We knew there was going t be a good game on our hands when Mustard back from injury went for 1 and then Benkenstein was out to the catch of the season so far and Durham had to work hard for the runs. It was Gordon Muchall who rescued Durham from embarrassment with 95 not out and the expendable Gareth Breese with 24 saw the game won with ten balls to play. That was a good start and an enjoyable afternoon and early evening in warm sunshine but the next game would be tougher as second division Northants had commenced with a good win beating neighbours Leicestershire by 7 wickets and with ten of their forty overs to spare.

It was there with hope more than expectation that I arrived at the Emirates ground on Sunday taking with me a cold drink and a pastry, I early returned home shortly after play commenced as Mustard was out again for a duck before a run was on the board and Coetzer also for a duck with the total 3. When Stokes went for 15 after a promising start with the total 24, Gordon Muchall and Benkenstein once more came to the rescue but scored slowly taking the total to a more respectable 121 before Benkenstein went for a truly remarkable catch at the boundary, no disgrace there. The remaining team members tried to get more runs at a quicker pace but with a total of only 172 in 39.1 overs my experience indicated that this was game we were going lose, and we did. There was some hope when Loye went with the total 4 and O’Brien at 14 but Wakley not out 78 and opener Peters 55 quickly mastered everything that Durham could throw at them with 8 of the 11 man Durham team taking their turn at the bowling. Rushworth with 2 for 15 was the best and I do not understand why he was only given 6 overs. Claydon 2 for 27 also bowled less than the available 8 overs as Northants completed their win by five wickets and 9 balls to go. The clue is that the attempt was made to prevent the win by tight bowling rather than take more wickets at a run cost. It could be argued by taking the game into the 39th over was to the captain’s credit. It makes a win against Leicestershire at their ground to day, essential. They have only won 1 of their three games so will be desperate for their second win. Northants is now topping the table with 2 out of 2 with Surrey 1 out of 1 at a faster run rate Hampshire also 1 out 1 followed by Warwickshire and Durham win one win out of two and with Durham a .05 run rate with Warwickshire. 08. A win at a good run rate is therefore essential. Only the top team in each division goes through to the semi final round with the fourth team having the best run rate of the runner ups. This means a team can win the overwhelming majority of their games but still lose out to a team winning fewer game sin their division but having a better run rate. I would have preferred to see the top twp in each division, plus two others with the best run rates going through to a quarterfinal and then semi final stage as was the position in the previous 50 over inning competition. It is also questionable policy to expect new 50 over international players emerge by only playing 40 over innings games.

This part of the season was not over for Durham who played Leicestershire this afternoon. Durham were asked to bat after winning the toss and although Coetzer again failed and Mustard was run out with only 59 on the board, Stokes hit hard and fast for his 52 to go out third at 112 and hen with Benkenstein 4 and Muchall 32 the position did not look good at 127 for 5. It was then Blackwell Breeze took control and powered their way to 271 when Breeze went for 44 and Blackwell soon after two short of a century. The innings ended at 285 which left the home side having to score at a rate over 7 an over. Blackwell had hit 5 sixes and 7 fours in his match winning innings. While after Leicestershire also lost an early wicket they worked hard to put on 100 before the next loss to Blackwell. After that they were always several runs per over behind the Durham scoring rate. Blackwell ended the day with 3 for 49 to take the man of the match award had their been one while you can never know what he will do Stokes too 3 wickets for 6 runs in 2.2 overs at the end of he game with the home side all out for 216 with 16 balls left to play. The importance of this win away from home cannot be underestimated, especially as the run rate improved in major way but still just below that of Surrey and Northants who are above Durham and with a game in hand.

Over the ten days of home games of which I attended eight I took with me an already made up salad, either prawn or chicken and bacon with pasta from Asda at £1.50 a time, plus two Danish at 74p and a carton of cut melon slices at £1 although I managed to make do with only one pastry and brought back home the melon on several occasions. I took a thermos filled cuppa soup and another of coffee. On one day I used a Membership voucher for a free cup of coffee at the Austin’s Bistro. I only had one single cone ice cream. I did manage three walks into the adjacent park along the river bank and over to the benches opposite bowling greens among bedding plants but mostly made a circuit around the grounds during the lunch or tea intervals. As expected the cost of petrol and parking exceeded that of the average cost per day portion of the Membership.

On balance the season has started well, better than I expected. But still not back to winning things consistency.

A Day at Headingley in April sunshine 2011

2011-04-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

The horrible weather of November and December has been overlaid by some glorious days of sunshine over the past ten days. Yesterday without knowing what kind of weather day it was going to be other than dry I had a great change of mind on waking and decided to set off for Headingley Leeds to watch Durham in the third day of their county championship against Yorkshire.

I considered going to Headingley for all four days of the game prior to the seasonal Travel Lodge sale, but after the disappointment of the game and weather last year, and the inability get low cost accommodation, I decided to wait and see what happened in the opening games. Encouraged by the Durham’s near win at the Rose Bowl the York’s clear win at Worcester was noted after their successful third placed season last year. Listening to the opening day commentary I was struck how defensive were the commentators making the point that Worcestershire was woeful and that Yorkshire without their outstanding opener Jack Rudolph and with injury to their bowlers Bresnan and Shahzad would find the season difficult depending on the their new opening partnership.

Durham won the toss and elected to bat and after a great morning with 100 runs on the board there was a collapse both sides of the luncheon interval from 105 for no wicket to 136 6 and 196 7, Di Venuto had made 74 but it was Richardson (67) with Plunket, and then Plunket with Thorp (41) who edged the total to a respectable 327 with Plunket undefeated on 66.

Yorkshire started disastrously with Lyth out first or second ball and with McGrath out when the total 43 Durham were on top. A stand of over 50 runs eased the position until immediately after lunch 7 wickets fell for 33 runs and the team were all out at 149, 16 runs later 198 behind. Everyone expected Durham to apply the follow on but they batted again, with difficulty with wickets lost at 21, 25 and 53 and although the overnight total reached 62 or 64 without further loss making effectively 250 for 3 with two full days to play the outcome of the game was by no means certain. Nevertheless as the sun came up immediately with the dawn I determined to set off.

I had some selected salad and once on my way went to the supermarket for some French bread to make up lunch and tea, having prepared a flask of coffee and soup; I added a carton of melon slices and two light Danish pastries. I then had to return home having realised I had left my credit cards at home, and also then forgetting a hat and sun tan and not remembering until parked at the ground.

The journey was enjoyable although I also forgot to bring with me one or two of the cricket CD’s of Fred Truman or Dickie Bird. I stopped almost as soon as setting off for a cup of coffee and one of the Danish and getting to the ground and being able to park close by became a worry when a sign came up that the A1M was closed at Leaming Bar over the Saturday and Sunday. However it had not closed by the time I reached the junction and I was able to park at the end of a road with the Sir Len Hutton ground across the main road opposite. I enjoyed the rest of the coffee and the second Danish and entered the stadium just after 9.45 when it was open to non Members. I paid £10, a concession; although it would have been only £5 if purchased in advance and after a comfort break made my long way round to sit behind the bowling arm close to the horrible new Green coloured stand which also serves as a teaching block of the Leeds Metropolitan University.

At lunch I investigated and found that it is now possible to walk all the way around the ground and therefore it was a short walk to the gates and over to the car where I first enjoyed the soup and then three quarters of the French Bread with a salad of Feta Cheese, black olives, spicy salami, coleslaw and some pasta, cucumber pieces and dried tomatoes. After this I spilt the can of coke and when removing the double floor mat noticed the missing phone from earlier in the year which I thought was long lost. Amazing. T has been a week for losing and findings.

As for the cricket Durham laboured slowly during the morning losing two more wickets to 135 5 with no one doing themselves new credit. However my this time Benkenstein was getting the feel of the pace and together with Richardson they launcher an assault which saw some great strokes and some hard hits so that the former and reinstalled captain reached another hundred for the county and went to 150 before going out to a catch in the deep top end the innings leaving Richardson in his first premier county game 73 not out so he is second in the county average with 140 to Benkenstein 150 with stokes at 95 which shows the batting strength so far this season.

However Yorkshire did not find the pace attack such a problem second time round and although two wickets were lost for 80 odd runs by the close I was pleased I had not decided to stay overnight because I suspected Sunday was going to be a long day of toil if the sun continued to shine. A drink to Pepsi at the club cost me £1.80, outrageous and even more so was a small cup of coffee, sufficient for me from the Costa stand or a name similar for £2.39.

Although the sun shone with the dawn and continued all day Sunday I was not tempted to repeat the trip to the cricket and listened to the commentary for parts of proved a long day in which Durham struggled to obtain the necessary wickets. Pyrah 87 with Bairstow 81 lifted Yorkshire spirits took the score from 158 to 225 and then 323 raising hopes of a draw and Durham the prospect of not winning two away games in succession when the odds favoured them doing so. However as the last hour of play was reached despite hold out for 11 overs with last man Ashraf Pyrah was out to young Borthwick, one Durham’s three promising youngsters with Richardson and Stokes the other two. The win took Durham above Yorks by 8 points at the top of the Championship but Warwickshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, the current Champions all with one win from their only game the next two rounds of matches should provide a more accurate perspective. Yorkshire host Nottingham and Durham Sussex on Wednesday and a week after are at home to Warwickshire. Win both games or a win and a draw should indicate if first game form marks a third good season for the county out of four, similar to Sussex whose four championships were divided by a failure.

Olympic Games 2012 and tickets plus weekend Rugby League and Union. Cricket and Football

2011-03-15T04:13:00.000-07:00

I set aside the horrors of what is happening in Japan and Libya to devote this writing to sport and the sport of sports.
I feel a little guilty about doing this but nothing like as in the past. Is this a good or bad development?

The Summer Olympic games last came to the United Kingdom in 1948 when I was nine years of age, and only once before then in 1908. Because of the cost of staging in the games the number of countries able and willing to afford the games is limited but even so it is unlikely the games will be held again in the UK during the next half century. It is therefore an opportunity which many people will not want to miss attending in person rather than relying on television

I was nine years old in 1948 and had to be content listening to the radio and seeing brief moments in the Newsreel programmes which along with a Cartoon sandwiched between the continuous programmes of A and B films. I have little memory or knowledge of the games other than they were known as the austerity games with events held at existing sports venues and the athletes accommodated in existing accommodation and therefore missed out on the camaraderie of the Olympic Village. 4104 athletes competed of which only 380 were female from 59 nations in 136 events covering 17 sports. Of winners I do remember a housewife and mother of three children called Fanny Blanjers-Koen, more because of her memorable name than that she won four gold medals in Athletics. Harry Llewellyn on Fox Hunter came third in the team event but went on to win gold four years later at Helsinki.

Britain also had a football team managed by Matt Busby which was defeated for third place by Denmark. The events were staged at Wembley Stadium for opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, football, hockey and equestrian finals and at the Empire Pool which includes Boxing as well at the water events. Other events were held at Earls Court, Henley and Bisley and six London area football clubs including the Crystal Palace Ground at Selhurst Park. While the UK has 398 competitors ahead of France 3I3 and the USA 300 the fourth largest was Argentina with 199. China had a team of 31 and Russia did nor participate. Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia sent medium size teams larger than Australia and India

The reason for making reference to the Olympic games is that on Sunday I learned that ticket balloting commences on Tuesday with everyone having six weeks to make their application for one or more of the 8.8 million tickets. On the Andrew Marr Show the Minister of Sport mentioned that at 200 events there would be opportunity children to pay their age up to 16 years and that those over 60 would also only pay the sixteen year old rate. This altered my perspective on applying for events in the capital although it had been my attention to attend some of the football games at St James Park where I discovered there are some excellent concessions.

I downloaded the official information of all the events and decided to apply for three blocks of tickets for London with the football between two of the two hoped for London visits. Given the likely demand from within the UK, the number of seats allocated to participants and sponsors, those going to general visitors for official hospitality packages the odds of getting the lowest prices seats for major events such as the opening and closing ceremonies, the Athletics, the Swimming and the Cycling is on a par with winning the national lottery.

The football includes concessions at venues until the Male semi Finals The price of tickets for the opening ceremony on the evening of 27th July starts with a modest £20.12 and then rises to £150 before entering the stratosphere with tickets at £995, £1600 and £2012. As the chances of getting the £20.12 tickets are remote I may also apply for a concession ticket for the 2 matches played at St James Park on the 26th as the cost of the ticket covers both. On the morning of the 28th there are concessions for the opening heats of the swimming as there are for the opening rounds of the Tennis at Wimbledon including the centre court on 29th. I have only made visits to the number 1 court including one match involving Tim Henman.

Having made my initial selections I was able to log on the Tuesday and could have submitted an application form through to completion but having established that one can but tickets for others, family, friends, colleagues as long as you accompany, I need to confer although I have made a provisional selection for myself which I have saved to complete later.

I have changed the approach including some major finals including the Tennis Cycling swimming and Athletics as well as the concessionary session in the early morning. I suspect there will be no problem getting tickets for the football at St James especially for the women’s games

On Friday I watched Warrington where I was once appointed to a position which I did not take up having then been appointed to a more senior and better paid position in the North East, play Wakefield, where I lived for a few months until a house sale and house purchase were completed and where I worked for the old Yorkshire West Riding County Council for one year before the reorganisation of the Social Services came into effect in 1971. The sport was Rugby League, not an Olympic event. Warrington with two winning appearance at Wembley in the past two years look good enough to win the championship and were no match for Wakefield who are struggling. The home side lost by 22 point to six and led the Wakefield coach to praise the Warrington defence and echo the view that are genuine championship contenders. Warrington has the same number of points at the table top as Castleford and Harlequins but Castleford have a game in hand. Leeds Wigan and St Helens are all mid table but can be expected to move up as the season progresses.

The Quins are better known for their Rugby Union side and they were playing Newcastle at the same time but with an overlap. I was therefore able to keep in touch with the union game noting that Newcastle were behind but keeping in touch. I switched over to see Newcastle score a try in the last seconds to win the game having trailed 13-6 at half time. The win takes Newcastle into the Final of the LV Cup. The Quins ground is the Stoop was familiar to me since 1967, but only from the outside, as it was on the route from Teddington into London. I never attended a game though. The ground was redeveloped in 2005 and is yet to be completed.

The big shock was the defeat of England by Bangladesh. England struggled to score on 225 on a slow wicket and the four spinner attack. Bangladesh on the other hand started well against the pace attack making 52 before they lost their first wicket and 72 their second. England were 52 for three. Both side then had excellent fourth wicket partnerships with Morgan and Trott putting on 109 runs and Kayes and Shakib 82. England appeared to gain the advantage when Bangladesh slumped to 169 for 8 but Mulhmundullah was supported by Shafiul Islam who made 24 not out to take the match at the start of the 49th over. England have to beat West Indies to have a chance of reaching the knock out stage and but and even then the others results could mean they finish 5th. This would be shameful given the high hopes after winning the Ashes Test series at home and in Australia and Paul Collingwood leading the 20 20 side to World Cup Victory.

I watched only part of the Manchester United 2.0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup over the weekend which was even more disappointing at Arsenal put out their strongest team while Manchester had to have one thought for their important European Cup game against Marseilles tonight. I also enjoyed the last part of Stokes win against West Ham in the FA Cup. This not only gives Tony Pewlis side a Wembley semi final visit but an excellent chance of reach the final as Bolton beat Birmingham in a thrilling game 3.2. Arsenal meet Manchester City in the other Semi final after they beat reading.

I watched the whole of the second half and some of the first as England beat Scotland in the Six Nations Trophy Former Newcastle and England Hero Johnny Wilkinson came on for injured floor and score an excellent penalty and try conversion to help secure the victory, after Flood had secured four penalties. Three of these were in the first half matching three from Scotland. It was fourth penalty early on in the second half that swung the momentum back to England although overall this was a scrappy game with both sides making errors. England have to win against Ireland to achieve the grand slam and such is their points advantage that should Wales beat France and England Lose, they will still finish top of the table.

I also enjoyed the last part of Stokes win against West Ham in the FA Cup. This not only gives Tony Pewlis side a Wembley semi final visit but an excellent chance of reach the final as Bolton beat Birmingham in a thrilling game 3.2. Arsenal meet Manchester City in the other Semi final after they beat reading.

England tie game with India in World Cup, Birmingham beat Arsenal League Cup and other sport last weekend February 2011

2011-02-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

There was some excellent sport on television this weekend and for the first time since the commencement of Winter I hankered to attend something live.

I have already mentioned that on Friday evening I enjoyed Warrington‘s win at St Helens, where I was appointed its first Cheshire County Council Area Director of Social Services, but never commenced the appointment having taken the opportunity of a Director’s position at South Tyneside. Warrington won 25 to 18 4 tries to 3 after leading 18.0 after 20 minutes. Warrington had won only 2 of the previous 41 minutes the occasion in 1944. The crowd was 10000. Warrington are now 4th and St Helens 6th.

On Sunday evening Newcastle minus its former stars and Premiership winning management was able to have a convincing win against Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Rugby Union Championship. The win keeps Newcastle second from bottom with 16 points from games played 229 to 345 points overall and widens the gap with Leeds who only have 9 points and 161 to 345. This was Newcastle’s third only win but with a game in hand on Sale above them with 21 points and 270-357 there is the prospect of overtaking them before the end of the season. Newcastle scored four tries in this match against one late effort from Leeds who looked doomed. The crowd was 5000.

Sandwiched in between these two games was England’s Rugby Union game against France at Twickenham, England had a penalty at 3 mins which they scored. France then achieved a give away penalty by England 3-3. England then appeared to take command with two further penalties at 12 and 17 but sloppy play enabled France to take the initiative themselves with penalties at 19 and 21 minutes so the score became 9-9. French voices quietened the large English crowd as England were guilty of unforced errors and mistakes which could not be explained away by the greasy ball conditions.

Shortly after the half time kick off and a close call on a forward pass provides the opportunity for Foden to achieve the first try of the game to England which Flood did not convert. Within moments another English try looked on but a pass was called forward and with Flood limping it was Johnny Wilkinson hero of that final second world test final drop goal and former Newcastle man who comes on from the bench and makes a 50m spot kick to take the score to 17-9, so that France needs to score twice with 20 minutes to go. The rest was a struggle but the score remained until the final whistle with the consequence that England now has 6 points from three games and the opportunity for the grand slam but with Wales France and Ireland all only 2 points, and one win behind, it is early doors leaving Scotland and Italy with the zeros.

Newcastle United could only manage a draw at Home on Saturday against much improved Everton but this was sufficient for them to come within a point of Sunderland now in 8th while remaining 3 points clear of three clubs and four points clear of three others. Their battle and that of Sunderland who were poor against Bolton who overtook both clubs to reach 7th but also on 37, keeps them clear of immediate relegation worries. Fortunately Liverpool lost badly at West Ham to stay 6th on 39 points, with a gap of six points between them and the Euro spot Chelsea in 5th. It is all getting very tight in the middle of table. Man United and Arsenal now look as the only clubs contesting the Premiership Title and Arsenal had their first opportunity for silverware in six years when they played 16th placed Birmingham City on Sunday at Wembley.

I only watched part of the final as my attention was focussed on an epic contest between England and India in the cricket World Cup. By all accounts Birmingham started the game with tremendous resolve while Arsenal looking at the class difference on paper between the two sides and with the bookmakers odds confirming their anticipated dominance. Arsenal took to the field apparently assuming that all they had to do was turn up and they would win. Birmingham then shocked the red scarf waving supporters by taking the lead through Zigic and could and should have increased the margin before a well worked move enabled Van Persie to strike a spectacular volley into the net just before half time.

This as expected resulted in Arsenal starting the second half determined to demonstrate their on paper superiority but Birmingham had some experienced hands facing their last and in some instances only likely opportunity of a winner’s medal. The team includes three former Newcastle players with full back and captain Stephen Carr, the temperamental and controversial Lee Bowyer and the recently acquired in January centre forward Obafemi Martins whose double back flip when scoring remains amazing if somewhat fool hardy. Fearing England were about to lose the cricket I had switched over for the final 15 minutes of the football and was rewarded.

Martens could not just believed his luck when just before the end of the full time and with only four minutes of extra time to go, the young goal keeper and a full back collided as they went for the ball and Obafemi found the ball at his feet and open goal where he had just to tap the ball in which he did. Birmingham withstood the final onslaught and Obafemi had another opportunity this time created by his skill before the final whistle brought Birmingham to fevered ecstasy and a distraught and stunned Arsenal following. David had slain Goliath yet again. For relatively newly appointed Manager Alex McLeash at Birmingham this might be considered just another notch on his long list of winners medals first as a player and then as manager of both Celtic and Rangers. However he argued that taking one of the great sides in the world was the best of all feelings. The celebrations are going on and on and now Birmingham can concentrate on Premiership survival with confidence while the new Asian owners could be prepared to dig into their pockets for players in the summer to cope with their team playing in Europe. Wow.

In Bangalore in a stadium packed to the rafters with loud excited home supporters England faced India in what was the first truly competitive game of the World Cup 2011. When India won the toss and elected to bat on a friendly wicket and commenced to score freely it looked as if the die had been cast with the flip of a coin. Although India lost a wicket at 46 the great Tendulkar scored yet another one day century and with Singh and Dhoni also getting half centuries the total of 338 in the final over of their innings looked a daunting task for to win England would have to achieve the fourth highest number of runs in the second innings of this 50 over competition.

Although Kevin Petersen was out scoring well for 31 when the total was 68 and Trott for only 16 at 111, captain Straus was in brilliantly form silencing his critics that he is not a one day man and was finally out for 165 with the score at 281. Until that moment, or in farness the moment before England were winning at a cantor as Bell who had survived a review where he should have been given out according to the England experts in the TV studio was on 69 and looked as if he would also get a century as there were 8 wickets left to get the required 59 runs. But with Bell and Strauss out in successive balls and out of form Collingwood and so Prior at the crease Botham and co tried to put on a brave face. When these two were also out at 285 and 289 and all four going to the curse of Batting power play all the Indian supporters who had left early will have been stunned. Their team look favourites to win. However this was not to be as Yardy, Bresnan and Swann began to do what seemed impossible and score at the required rate of 15 runs(29) an over for the last two overs and 14 from the last with only 2 wickets in hand. England needed just 2 from the final ball and scored only 1 thus the match was tied as the less number of wickets did not apply. The crowd had one of the most exciting days of their life with over 650 runs scored in the day. Alas I missed the excitement as well have switched over to the football and then missed the replay in the evening and again this morning. However it will be on the Sky Player later in the week.

Arsenal beat Barcelona 2.1 at the Emerites in last 16 of 2011 European Cup

2011-02-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

There was an excellent football match between Arsenal and the best football playing team in the world at the present time :- Barcelona. They beat Arsenal last year at the quarter final round 6 3 on aggregate with a four goal haul their centre forward Lionel Messi. They now have acquired Villa who like the rest of the team has great skill making perfectly weighted passes which cut through the best of defences. The thing about Barcelona is that they do not spend their time looking for defensive holes but enjoy having defences closely marking so that they can exhibit their skill and outplay. Their other outstanding ability demonstrated time after time on this night was to place themselves just on the line between being in play and offside and then because of the accuracy and timing of passes and their natural seed they are able to break forward to score.

Arsenal opened well on the night taking the game to their visitors but this time it was Messi whose pass put Villa through on his own with the flag rightly held down for him to score. At that point Barcelona moved up a gear and had several opportunities the best of all falling to Messi who again put through and with only the goal keeper to beat was marginal inaccurate so the ball crept past the far goal post and the stadium let out a collective sigh of relief. Had they scored at that point one feared that worse was to follow. However Arsenal held out and had chances themselves but always under pressure none came close. Twelve minutes from time Van Persie who had failed a couple of times before struck one of those amazingly angled shots and it was all suddenly Arsenal and with time running out Ashavin who had come on as substitute struck the ball with force into the opposite corner from where the goal keeper was positioned to take the score to 2.1. The match is still in favour of the Nou Camp home side who have only to score once to take the tie on the away goal advantage. However this is the first time Arsenal have beaten the team they try to emulate and the opportunity is there to write the history book. The previous night Tottenham had scored a vital away goal to win 1.0 against a very noisy Greek home crowd.

13 02.2011 Premier League, Superbowl, Rugby Union and League, Horse Racing trajedy

2011-02-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

After all the emotion of the past two weeks as the drama of Egypt unfolds it is time to concentrate for a short while on sport over the past two weeks,

Football British and American style takes pride of place and Newcastle United and their midfield player Cheik Tioti who scored a technically brilliant scorcher at a distance on the volley to level the game against Arsenal 4.4. As to day Saturday 12th 2011 I was spoilt for choice with wall to wall sporting options to watch on TV or listen on the radio. Newcastle were playing at hone and the attention was on how they would cope following the most expensive transfer of British born player, some £35 million to Liverpool as the last day of the January Transfer period.

I had my suspicions that Newcastle born Carroll would be sold following his rapid rise to attention, not just because of his goal tally but his all round team supporting play and given the paucity of England forwards his call up to the international squad was deserved but created greater interest. I suspect that had Liverpool not made their interest clear other clubs, notably Spurs or Sunderland might have shown public if not private interest. The young man has been injured and his off pitch activities which led him into being a defendant in the magistrates court, not once but twice also suggested that a move out of the area might be in his best interests, although not for Newcastle who were also suffering because of injury to also Newcastle born Shoala Ambiobi.

Before moving back to the game, the transfer madness was headed by the transfer of Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea for the amazing fortune of £50 million the highest transfer fee paid in the UK and the third highest in world football. Newcastle were said to have refused the first and second bids from Liverpool and claimed that the transfer took place only after the player put in the request to move. He alleged that he was told to go but on examination the story appears to be that in order to stay he wanted to negotiate contract from his £30000 a week that is £1.5 million a year to the £90000 £4.5 million being offered by Liverpool.

Back to the game Theo Walcott scored for Arsenal after 44 seconds. Disappointing but not a disaster. However when Arsenal scored not one but two more within the first ten minutes it was game over, and definitely over when a fourth was scored before half time. There was a trickle of fans who had enough and made their way to the bar or home. Oh yes of little faith, although I admit I turned the radio off at this point. I did not turn it on until towards thee end of the game with the score 4.3. I watched the Match of the Day highlights and what happened is that an Arsenal lost his temper following a Joey Barton tackle which although forceful won the ball. The arsenal player reacted and struck out at Barton and then a Newcastle player who tried to calm the situation. The player was sent off with two yellow cards. Afterwards the Arsenal Manager argued that Barton should have been sent off for the tackle, accepting that his player should not have reacted as he had.

Of the three goals before I switch one two were penalties and of these one was a good and clear cut decision and the other was questionable. Before the third goal Newcastle had one disallowed which upon analysis should have been credited. By this time the atmosphere at St James Park had become electric. Then there was a free kick about thirty yards out which was headed back out and Tiote caught the ball on the volleyed and successfully aimed into the left corner of the goal into the net. No team in the history of the Premier League has come back from being 4.0 behind to draw.. Arsenal did managed to get the ball into the net in the time added because of previous delays but it was a good offside decision. There was a great party on the street and in the bards and clubs in the city as if the game had been one. All fear of a quick slide into the relegation zone banished.

This week Newcastle are away at Blackburn, a club which I have visited more than once, certainly supporting Newcastle, and possibly Sunderland as it is possible to get there and back in a day about three hours using A1M and then the M62. Some 4500 Newcastle fans made the trip making great noise and in the first half their team had the best of the play with at least two good chances to score, one hitting the bar. For the rest of the game for long stretches Newcastle did everything but score. The goalkeeper Paul Robinson was buy throughout and in the first half made saves from Leon Best and Fabricio Coloccini. In the second half Newcastle controlled the play but somehow managed to not connect or shoot accurately to the numerous opportunity which came their way. At one level the 0.0 draw is acceptable but this keeps them anchored in the midcult of table, a point closer safety but still 5 points behind Sunderland who are yet to play this day.

Sunderland went to visit their second team Stoke, second team because six former Sunderland players are in the Stoke squad, and three were on the field of play. It was a good game but disappointing because Stole scored the winning goal 3.2 after Sunderland had scored through Phil Bardsley within the two minutes only for Stoke to equalise although the goal was offside but very difficult for the match officials to see. Sunderland went ahead and the Stoke scored with yet another controversial goalmouth scramble. The winner was the only goal that should have been valid so in the vernacular we was robbed. Their match against Spurs was also on the TV but ESPN which I listened to on the radio in early evening

Sunderland had a great start with the opening goal from Gyan, now leading the line in the absence of Bent, the club as did Newcastle fail to find an adequate replacement to fill the number shirt. And for the next ten to fifteen minutes it looked as if this start would result in at least one more goal for the home side. However Spurs with their on ambitions of playing in Europe once more remain a good side and commenced to match the effort and the skill and just before the end of the second half they equalised. They went ahead in the second and although Sunderland tried hard to at least gain a point, they failed

Another aspect of the last weekend of Premiership was the number of goals scored some forty on the Saturday with a couple more on the Sunday with Chelsea at home to Liverpool and losing to the away side 1.0, a game which I part watched on Sunday late afternoon. As a consequence fo the result last weekend Man United reinforced their position at the top of the table with realistically only Arsenal and Man City with the prospect of catching them up. Their win at lunchtime in the Derby with Man City brought them seven points clear until the afternoon kick offs. Although Man City like Chelsea are now more concerned about keeping their European League position than realistic challenge for the title. The Liverpool win meant that they pushed Sunderland into seventh spot one point ahead with the same games played. The appointment of Kenny Dalglish has prompted a return to the Liverpool organisation and spirit of former times and they have rapidly moved from the lower reaches of the division. Newcastle are now 10th with a batch of teams so that a couple of wins or losses could see them in touch with a European place or falling into the relegation misery. Sunderland, despite their loss remained 7th but above them Spurs replaced Chelsea in the top four a situation unlikely to remain.

England were away to Demark in a friendly on Wednesday. Friendly’s are like practice matches and it amazes me that so many people pay to watch. England did win 2.1 but so what.. The football event of this week was Wayne Ronney’s overhead scissor kick which went like a rocket into one corner of the net.

It was in the early 1980’s that I discovered American Football and became a supporter of the Chicago Bears. For Christmas someone gave me the shirt of the San Francisco 49ers so I also supported them. Watching meant staying up late although twice I went to Wembley to see pre seasons games and when a British league was established with a team at the Gateshead stadium I went to some home games. I also acquired a primitive computer game play, Over recent years I had tended to watch only a live game here and there although SKY TV now covers the regular season and what is now the ESPN sport channel, College Football. The reasons for reduced interests is the combination fo taking a more general interest in Football and my other interests and activities.

I have watched the Superbowl most years, previously live, but over recent years video tape recordings and this year he Sky box provided an HD recording. I chose the BBC version because they do not impose their own advertisements on the USA ones although this did not eliminate all advertising because the game commentators include product placement. And the cost of an advertising slow of 30 seconds, $3 million. So given the length of the game, the build up and the long half time, and the end of game razzmatazz, as well as the stop start nature of the game play I would be surprised if the total advertising revenue was not between $200 and £250 million dollars.

It was also an excellent game given that both teams who had not great seasons or ended as divisional champions, were known for their rock defences. The Game was between the Green Bay Packers who had won back to back and one triple Superbowl in the past but not for sometime and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Green Bay is also the smallest city among the two divisional teams. Both are used to cold and snow but not North Texas but there were piles of snow outside and artificial surface ice cold. This $1.3 billion stadium built two years ago has it critics although for this game the roof was close creating a warmer indoor atmosphere for which ticket holders gad paid upwards of £1000 and a hardy few also paid $200 dollars to stand in the cold outside the stadium to watch on large screens. The matched build up is along one with the teams introduced and then an award made by the children of legendary Walter Peyton for the player who had made the greatest contribution off the filed, this to charitable work within and outside the USA. Lee Michele who I knew not of sang America the Beautiful, the equivalent of our Greensleeves and the Christine Aquilera sang the Stars and Stripes unaccompanied with perhaps the longest held note climatic ending of all time. There was not one but interruptions of universal applause, not for her singing but shots on screen of serving members of the USA army in Afghanistan as they waited to view the match from heir fields of blood.

It was after 23.30 British time and 90 minutes since the programme commenced that a ball was kicked in he official play. It was midnight and the first quarter was drawing to a close when Green Bay took a gamble on the third and quarterback Rogers managed to throw the ball 29 yards to Jordy Nelson for touchdown goal with conversation and 7.0. Then a few minutes later Green Bay’s and Nick Collins manages to evade the bemused defenders to go from the 37th all way and suddenly from appearing to be a low score defensive bore, the Packers end the quarter 14.0. Someone comments that no one gets back more than 10 points at half time or was it first quarter! This was not in the script.

Second quarter Sean Suisham has a successful 33 yard field goal at an angle for the Steelers. Just before 00.45 am Green Bay Intercepts and Greg Jennings makes the subsequent 21 yard catch to take score 21.3 and we ask is this going to be a rout? No , as the Steelers being their come back when veteran Hones Ward goes over with conversion 21.10 and this brings the half time with losts of talk here to cover for the prolonged adverts before the Black Eyed Peas did OK but no more than OK given some fo the recent great acts.

1.42 and the gap closes another 7 points with the second Pittsburg touchdown and conversion. Suisham then gets the chance of a field goal from 52 yards and is not close. Is this the turning point in the game? The pressure begins to tell with Sacks and a Fumble. After the latest Sack and loss of yardage Green Bay score their fourth Touchdown as Pittsburg open up. The number of turnovers against the Steelers has its impact. Steelers fight back and their third touchdown they go for 2 points rather than kick conversion and make it taking the score to 28-23 and within one more strike( I know that’s baseball jargon) to take the lead for the first time in the game. This is not to be as Green Bay get a field goal from 23 yards out after Ziggy Hood has taken down the quarter back. And that is that and despite all the effort 31-23 is the final score and Green Bay get their hands on the Vince Lombardi trophy. It was 3.30 when stay up watchers could go to bed. Me? I watched the game over lunch.

I have been to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff twice to watch Newcastle United in FA Cup semi finals. They lost both. England played Wales this year with the stadium roof closed on Friday evening 4th February and the memory that it eight years since a win on Welsh soil. However the Welsh side as the English have had their problems and a close game was expected. The outcome was a 26 to 19 win for England with Chris Ashton scoring two tries. Which Toby Flood converted as well as kicking three penalties. Johnny Wilkinson, the hero of the last minute drop kick which won the World Championship but who now plays his Rugby in France also scored the other Penalty kick, Morgan Stoddert scored the try for Wales which was converted with four penalty kicks.

There was talk of Italy being no push over as they have been in the past for England’s game at Twickenham this Saturday. Twickenham is a very different ground today from that which I would pass on the way to Richmond when I lived at Teddington in the late 1960’s. I always had in mind to watch an International but was then too occupied with commitments and other interests. Well what does the scoreline of 59 to 13 suggest? England scored 8 tries with Ashton 4 and the others by Cueto, Tindell, Care and Haskell Flood converted 5 with a penalty and Wilkinson converted the other 3. Wales beat Scotland at Murrayfield 24-6. France. France had beaten Scotland 34- 21 and Ireland in Italy 13-11. This left France to travel to the new Aviva stadium which has replaced that at Landsdown Road where the home side have only been successful twice in twenty years. As I type away the match is being closely fought with France just ahead by 25 points to 22 and with less than 9 minutes to play. Ireland had the opportunity win the game in the closing two minutes but just short of the line a player dropped the ball and France regained possession to close out their victory. They are now second to England because of the superior number of points amassed

There has also been an extraordinary opening day of the Rugby League first division with all the teams playing their games over two days at the Millennium stadium. The opening game saw Warrington defeated 28-18. I was appointed the first District Social Services Director for Warrington after the local government reorganisation in 1974 when Warrington lost its Lancashire County Borough status and was transferred to the New Cheshire County Council. This was the largest District in Cheshire which led to a substantial increase in income, however the opportunity came to become the chief for more than double my previous earnings and the rest they say is history, but having held meetings with all the voluntary bodies and prospective staff and toured the district I have retained interest in the town’s sporting achievements as with Wakefield where I lived for a year when working for the Yorkshire West Riding and whose Rugby League team has had mixed fortunes over recent decades. Wakefield also lost to Castleford. The European Super League includes the French team from Perpignan, the Catalan Dragons and the Harlequins not to be confused with the Rugby Union side who confusingly play at the same ground, the Stoop Twickenham. The Celtic Crusaders are a Welsh Team playing at Wrexham, a friendly town which I used to visited went living at Cheshire and Bromborough and when supporting Sunderland Football club.

I have never been a Horse Racing fan although took an interest in the Derby which is held on partially open common land at Epsom and which I once attended travelling there on my cerise bicycle when I was still at school. I would also watch the Grand National on TV and still do along the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge. I did take an interest a couple of time in trying to forecast winners but only for fun and which proved that betting on horses is a mugs games unless you have inside information. I mention horse racing because of a tragic accident on Saturday when two horse were electrocuted to death in the pre race mounting enclosure. It appears that as a consequence of recent maintenance work and underground cable was brought sufficiently close to the surface so that a charge was transmitted via the metal shoes. A third horse was affected but survived. Although the first race before continued, the rest of the meeting was postponed as an inquiry commenced no doubt with one eye on liability and compensation.

The 2010 2011 Ashes series in Australia

2011-01-08T00:55:00.000-08:00

For almost all my life Britain has been in awe of Australian sports men and women. As a school boy the Australians had stars with Tennis players Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall. In Rugby Union while the Australians were regarded as second to the New Zealand All Blacks, they both dominated Internationally along with South Africa. In the associated game of Rugby League with 10 wins against the UK 3, all prior tom 1975. In swimming there was Dawn Frazer, Ian Thorpe and Shane Gould. This dominance in international sports, especially in contests involving the UK has been no better expressed than in Cricket where the Ashes commenced 100 years ago and where out of the first dozen series of contest commencing in 1882, Australian won once, at home, in 1892 and did not win in England until 1899.

Over the past 25 years The English cricket team lost 8 successive series and then after winning narrowly by 2 games to 1 out of a 5 match series in England in 2005 there were immediately thrashed 5.0 the following Winter. Thus although they won by another 2.1 with 2 games drawn margin this Summer, everyone waited to see what happened this time in Australia before over enthusiastic celebrations.

As with much in life our view of things changes in retrospect from how the experience is viewed at the time. Before the series of five matches commenced the general view among cricket commentators was that the series would be closely fought but with England having the edge because of their preparation and mixture of experienced and inexperience players whereas the Australians are yet to adjust to the retirement of some of their world class players such as Shane Warne and Glen McGragh.

England won the first toss at the Gabba and decided to bat, potentially a mistake which was not repeated. A feature of the series was the way the playing surface was prepared to nullify the likely impact of the English spin bowler Graham Swan by leaving a little grass on the surface and making the first morning of play challenging for the batsmen. England were all out for 260 with Peter Siddle taking 6 wickets for 54 including hat trick, Australia appeared to have similar problems with the score reaching only 143/5 when Michael Hussey was joined by Brad Haddin and they added 307 runs before the next wicket making an innings total of 481. England was therefore required to get over 200 runs before making Australia bat again. Captain Andrew Straus made 110 and Alistair Cook 235 breaking Don Bradman’s highest score at this ground and the first time in his career he scored a double century. The opening partnership if 188 was also the best at this ground for England. Then Jonathan Trott also scored a century and participating in a 329 run partnership before the team declared at 517/1. This offered Australia the opportunity to get the required 297 from 41 overs, unlikely, and at 107/1 the game was drawn with the Australian Captain making 51. A feature of this game was the size of the British support attending as well as the noise made from those crammed into one area known affectionately as the Barmy Army for their singing and shouting as well as consumption of alcohol. Steven Finn, the England bowler took 6 wickets for 125.

The opening day of the second Test proved one of the wondrous of what was to come as Australia electing to bat lost three wickets for 2 runs. Captain Ricky Ponting was out first ball without scoring. Only 93 from Michael Hussey prevented an embarrassing low score as the home side were all out in one day for 265. James Anderson took four wickets for 65 runs.

England then went on to score over 500 runs for the second innings succession and to declare at 620/5. Kevin Petersen who had not had a great summer applied himself to the team cause making another double century with 235 runs and Mr Cook continued as he had in the previous innings with 148 runs before getting out. Over his first two innings he was at the wicket for 1022 minutes making 371. His official average at that point. Australia needed a massive 375 to bat again. Australia looked as if they were capable of defending their position but when Michael Clark was dismissed for 80 from the bowling of Kevin Petersen on the last ball of the fourth day there was a sense that England was heading for victory. They were all out for 301 runs before the end of the morning’s play on the fifth day. Graham Swann achieved 5 wickets for the first time in a Test against Australia.

With England ascendant there was great expectation for the Third Test at Perth in Western Australia which involved 2.30 am starts here in the UK time but also meant the game was still being played until 10 am the following mornings. England won the toss and put Australia into bat and Chris Tremlett who is 6ft 8ins in height replaced the injured Nott’s player Chris Broad who returned home. He immediately justified his inclusion by taking 3 early wickets as Australia’s openers again collapsed to 69 for 5. Once again there was a late rally with this time a partnership between Michael Hussey who scored his second century while wicket keeper Bard Haddin and bowler Mitchell Johnson making half centuries. Mitchell had been rested for the first second test after his disappointing first Test performance in which he appeared unable to direct the ball close to the wicket, provoking the Barmy Army to coin a song about his tendency to spray the ball either side. Australia concluded their innings at a respectable 268 runs after their unpromising start.

Could England continue with another large score and with over 75 runs on the board without a loss? It appeared this would be so. There was then a collapse as Mitchell Johnson found his form and only a half century from Strauss and the Bell prevented a worse total for England all out at 187. It was game on for Australia who made 309 runs in their second innings with Hussey 11 and Chris Tremlett five wickets for 87. England needed 391 for victory and had all the time in the world with over two days to get them. By the end of the third day England were 81 for 5 and all out the following morning for 123. Mitchell having taken 6 for 38 in the first innings could not repeat his performance in second. His colleague Ryan Harris did with 6 for 47.

The series was squared with one win each side and the Australian Pres commenced to crow that the visitors would lose the next two tests and Australia regain the Ashes as they had done the previous cycle of away and home Tests. The Australian media which is now turned on its team saying the worst ever should be made to recite their previous words decrying England and praising their men.

Captain Strauss won the toss and unlike the decision in the first Test asked Australia to bat. This proved to be the great decision of the series because Australia collapsed, all out for only 98 runs before tea. All ten wickets were taken from catches behind the stumps with the wicket keeper taking 6. England were showing that after years of criticism about their fielding with dropped catches and failed run outs, the hours of practice and fitness preparation was paying dividends. Anderson and Tremlett took four wickets each with Yorkshire‘s Tim Bresnan brought in for the rest Finn.

Strauss and Cook then demonstrated that it had been effective bowling and poor batting rather than the wicket which caused Australia’s humiliation as they achieved 157 runs before close of play without loss. The prospect of an England win was therefore good. The following morning Australia took advantage of the green tinge to the wicket and both openers were dismissed early on and then came the controversy which showed what bad losers Australians had become.

Ricky Ponting who had injured a finger in the previous Test but declared himself fit for play disgraced his fine record as a batsman and as a Captain by losing his temper when the fourth umpire overturned the decision to dismiss Kevin Petersen caught behind. The ability to challenge the umpire’s decision has been introduced into Test Cricket by the International Cricket Board with a fourth umpire able to use some of the latest technology. This will show what is described as a hot spot, a white spot appears on the bat or glove where the ball has hit. This alone is not the only consideration although there is no use of a sound wave device. In this instance although there was a white spot it was at different height and side to where the ball had travelled between bat and pad.

A captain has the right to seek explanation from the on field umpires about such a reversal of a decision made, but Ponting went onto argue and argue, then approached Petersen and then spoke to the other umpire. Had he not been the Captain with such a fine record I suspect he would have been fined more than 40% of his match fee and perhaps barred from the rest of the game. I doubt if he will ever captain a Test side again. He did not play in the fifth Test with official reason that he needed an operation on his damaged finger. This proved a good way to end his Test Captaincy although Australia now has a problem to find a replacement. Petersen was out for 51.

The England batsman who helped his side to again score over 500 runs in an innings was Jonathan Trott with 168. Peter Siddle had another 6 wicket haul and brought in fast bowler Ryan Harris fractured his ankle and took no further part in the match. Australia needed 415 runs to avoid an innings defeats therefore ensure that England would retain the Ashes because even if they won the final Test in the series, a drawn series 2.2 meant the Ashes remained with the previous winning Team. England.

During the England innings Matt Prior the wicket keeper was caught behind the wicket but the umpire did not immediately give him out asking the fourth umpire to check if the bowler had over stepped the batting crease and therefore the ball was invalid, a no ball. The rule is that one part of the front foot has to be on or behind the batting crease line. The video replay clearly showed that this was not so and therefore the batsman was not out. It is interesting that the umpire called for the review in this instance and while no link with the Ponting protest will be admitted, I believe the umpires would continue to demonstrate that challenging their rulings as Ponting did will not be tolerated.

It was a hopeless cause for Australia and amidst growing abuse from the home media they were only able to make 258 and for the first time Australia lost two games in a home Test series by an innings.

The Melbourne Cricket ground is the largest in the world able to accommodate over 90000 spectators and on the first day just under 85000 were present with those supporting England between a third and half according to what I was able to assess from the TV pictures, but making great noise. Even on the second and third days 67000 and 68000 people attended but on the fourth Australians stayed away, even those with tickets and just under 20000, overwhelmingly England supports were present. This demonstrates a weakness in the nation character of Australians, a lack of genuine sportsmanship something which I accept can become a substitute for genuine competitive drive and ambition.

The Fifth Test was therefore approached with the England camp knowing the Ashes had been secured and that with a draw would give them the series 2.1, and a win 3.1.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat, a questionable decision. The Sydney Cricket ground was close to capacity with the crows divided between home and away supporting. The Australian first innings total of 260 was respectable but 100 runs short of what could have been anticipated on a flat wicket after coping with the early innings conditions. None of the opening Australian batsmen was able to get over 50 runs including the first Pakistani to play for Australia, It was left to unpredictable bowler Mitchell Johnson to get 53 and bowler Ben Hilfenhouse 34 for Australia to pass 200 runs. England then commenced an innings which was to reach 644 their highest total ever in Australia.

Alistair Cook again commenced well with Captain Strauss, who made 60 from 58 balls received before getting out while Cook scores another 150 and was approaching his second double century when he was out for 189. Cook broke a number of records including the second highest number of runs in a series in Australia, second to Wally Hammond. When Cook was 99 he appeared to have been caught however Cook stayed his ground appealing the exit. TV replays immediately revealed that the ball had cleared bounced before the player before going into his hands. The player and the wicket keep, Vice Captain Haddin must have realised what happen and should have immediately alerted their captain and other players as well as the umpire of the position or at least referred what happened to the 4th umpire for a determination. In the commentary box Ian Botham was quite clear and described the incident as cheating, a charge apparently denied by the deputising Australian Captain.

Ian Bell had also continued his excellent form to reach another century although there was a situation when he was 67 and appeared to be caught behind the wicket that he successfully appealed although the ball appeared to deviate and the sound device not part of the appeal process indicated a touch. In normal circumstances when doubt remains, the original on field umpire’s decision remains and this should have happened with Bell given out. That he was not confirms my belief that Australian paid a price for Ponting’s shameful behaviour in the previous game and the dishonest and equally shameful attempt to get Cook out. For Australia worse was to come with wicket keeper Prior also reaching 100 runs in 109 and his first against Australia, Apart from Paul Collingwood all six other batsmen scored centuries during the series.

The game was effectively over because there was no way Australia could score the run required in the time available to bowl England out for a win. All they could do was to bat well over the remaining days and end the series with creditable draw. They did their best but this fell a long way short of what was necessary. Given the easy nature of the wicket the opening pair scored quickly and then one batsman ran out the other in an amusing act of self destruction, something he has been guilty several times in his career which one suspects as a Test batsman will be limited until a replacement can be found

It looked as if the game was going into the final day with five wickets left when Tremlett produced am amazing and series clinching over. His third ball was a bouncers and because of his natural height the ball zipped up higher than the batsman anticipated and was well caught from skier. Mitchell Johnston was next in was bowled first ball thus giving Tremlett the opportunity for a hat trick. His third ball was just as perfect, an in swinging Yorker which the new batsman somehow managed to keep out. Understandably England claimed the extra half hour but good defensive play saw the day end with Australia doomed on 213 for 7. With rain forecast for the fifth and final day all was not certain however.

With entrance free spectators commenced to queue long before gates were to open and over 19000 took the opportunity to celebrate what almost everyone anticipated would be a victory. Steve Smith a newcomer in the series made a respectable quick fire 51 not out before Tremlett bowled the last man and the innings closed at 281, one more run than their first innings. The three times innings defeat because of the huge scores by the visitors compounded the Australian humiliation. We all remember Kevin Keegan’s ill fated outburst that he would love to stuff Manchester United when Newcastle held a 12 point lead at the top of the Premiership. He failed. On Friday January 7th after decades of failure and hurt England stuffed the Australians good and proper and most of the UK were thrilled and delighted as the subsequent media attention during the rest of the day demonstrated.

Alistair Cook, perhaps once day Captain Cook, hee hee was made the Man if the Match, Man of series and winner of the Miller Compton medal. The official series ceremony was another example of the Australians inability to take defeat. They forgot to make one award, provided no champagne and appeared poor sports. Ian Botham summed it up by suggesting we ought to consider all playing three match series with the Australia in the immediate future, a comment made by Australian media on the last tour. However it will be important to get back to serious preparation after a day of celebrations. We need to try and win both 20 20 games the most difficult to preplan although as World Champion Collingwood will be able to reinforce his end of tour popularity by continuing the good feeling.

He had a poor tour with the bat and limited success with the bowl although he was not required to perform frequently. He fielding remained consistently brilliant and he is one of those characters who help glue a team together. He was right to announce his retirement from the Test side, the oldest player which enables someone younger to reinforce the strength of the remaining team, He him himself no harm by his demeanour in interviews and rightly was given the honour of leading out the team on the final morning. It is also short period between the last of the 7 one day series and the world one day competition, again something which the team would like to win as they seek to progress to become the best side in the cricket world presently held by India and with South Africa following. Australia now are fifth below Sri Lanka. England will play Sri Lanka and India later this year in England and then next Christmas and New Year.

Alistair Cook scored 766 in his 7 innings at an average of 127.66 which included 1 double century and two singles. Trott’s average is 89 with 445 runs and 2 centuries. Bell’s average is 65.8 Pietersen 60 with Prior 50.4 and Captain Strauss 43.85 with everyone scoring at one century.

Mike Hussey was the only Australian to average over 50 at 63.33 with two centuries. Shane Watson averaged 48 and Haddin 45 and was the only other Australian to score a century.

In bowing while Anderson achieved 24 wickets his average of 26.04 was inferior to Tremlett’s’ 23.35 for his 17 wickets with Bresnen’s 11 at 19.54. Finn was more expensive with his 14 costing an average of 33.14 and Swann’s 15 at 39,8. Only Australian’s Harris before his injury had respectable 11 wickets for 25,54 while Siddle’s 14 cost over 34 runs each and Johnson’s 36,95, These figures explain the areas of Australian inadequacy and that Team England will need to improve if that number one spot is to be obtained.

In the West Indies 2009

2010-12-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

,Here is the plan for the rest of the day, Finish project work from overnight and if there is time commence work on the photos getting ready to create disks, About 10am get ready and go into town centre for fruit, free newspaper and then enjoy bacon roll and coffee at the Ship and Royal. Return home and continuing working on photo disks but watch start of first Test in West Indies from early afternoon with sound turned down and then listen to Sunderland at Blackburn in fourth round of FA cup replay this evening. Begin the Joan Baez and Bob Dylan fest.

The morning went very well. It was colder out than usual because of a sharper wind. The temperature registered at Newcastle was minus 1. The pavements were dry and although overcast the umbrella was not needed. After collecting the free morning paper from the bus station, I purchased 3 pounds weight of cherries and seven large bananas for £4.50 and then made my way to the Ship and Royal where there were only two others enjoying a late breakfast or mid morning snack. I requested coffee with cold milk this time and it came immediately, hot and enjoyable and within what seemed only a few seconds more a large bap with the bacon. I read the paper from cover to cover forgetting to leave it for other customers. There was no one in the premises when I left. It was going as planned and my spirits remained good as I tackled the hill homeward.

On return, disaster, I discovered that I had not made a copy of all the work on photos undertaken during the course of last year. Fortunately I had had made two disks as presents, one comprehensive and one partial although not of the whole revised file. I now have to wait for copies of these to made and sent back to me before I can assess the extent of the loss and how much I will need to do again. This changed my mood completely, unsettling, lowering spirits and leaving the rest if the day without focus.

I also experienced one moment of terror and pain, not I hasten to add because of my own experience, but the news before bedtime that a teenage school girl had been killed when the large makeshift toboggan had gained such speed that it had crashed through a fencing catapulting one of the girls, although this was the one killed was not said. I experienced the reported excitement as the girls enjoyed the snow and adventure similar to that on the fair and theme park rides and then the horror and terrors as the vehicle gained speed because of the sharpness and length of the slope and force because of the size and numbers on board. Just as someone always drowns swimming in inland waters during the heights of summer there is inevitability about such news, except the shock for the individual and their families and that the lives of the other girls will also be changed. There is also a brilliant advertisement showing a child in a womb asking about the life it will lead in the world, will there be enough food, will it avoid sickness, will it celebrate its birth day at five years. Thousands will not. I give thanks for my own life and feel ashamed at my own concerns about death, and physical and mental disability, It does not help.

I watched the start of the cricket after an episode of Pie in the Sky which I had seen before. Sabina Park, Kingston Jamaica had the reputation of being blisteringly fast with pace men sending balls flying towards the head as much the wicket. There also used to be huge noisy crowds. Change one the ground has been developed with a new stand cutting out some of the view The ground appears about only a third full or two thirds empty. This reflects the failure of the national team over the past decade which in turn reflects the switch of interest of the better paying sports of football and basket ball.

It was the third change which shocked. Apparently the wicket area has been re-laid with new earth and the combination of this and new management has led to a transformation, Instead of the fast surface with its glassy sheen it now resembles thee wickets of the Indian sub continent, flat and designed for spin, and which are difficult of the English team as we do no create world class spinners, relying on pace and medium face. Now we know why two spinners were picked for the squad and why the West Indies played two in the first team with both bowling for long sessions on the first day of the first test because they were able to get the ball to turn, all unheard of before. England , who won the toss and chose to bat struggled losing early wickets.

I have not commented before that Kevin Petersen has lost his position as Team Captain following his demand that there be a change in Team Coach/manager when it was refused to have Michael Vaughn the previous Captain as part of the squad for the tour.. It has now emerged that the Test and County cricket Board through its Coach manager had shifted the emphasis away from individual players having responsibility for their game into the creation of a team approach with lots of back up staff advising on all aspects of the training, match preparation and play. This has changed during the period that the national team as been without manager coach. One commentator and former player mentioned that the players had carried their own cricket bags off the coach into the ground this morning.

Andrew Strauss, the new captain, immediately suffered the Captain’s curse, nervous, surviving a dropped catch and then out scoring les than ten. Graham Bell who regularly plays himself in getting thirty or forty runs and then is out without ever making the kind of score which justified his continued inclusion, and thus it was so again. Graham Cook was out for four and England went into lunch 3 down for seventy odd runs. Everything now rested on former Captain Kevin Petersen who was partnered with former one day captain Durham’s Paul Collingwood. The one irritating thing about my large screen TV is that I am unable to read the cricket scores at the bottom edge so I resorted to the a live broadcast of the scoreboard on the BBC internet. I would listen to the commentary except it is out of synchronization with the TV picture. The live screen also failed later.

When I am upset because of some failure or set back, or when I am tired when I want to work, I over eat, usually the wrong things. Breakfast was a cup of soup and a defrosted brown finger roll. Lunch the bacon roll with coffee, and with a portion of the cherries on return. Mid afternoon I should have settled just for dry crackers covered with pickle and a cup of tea, but I could not resist a quarter of the toffee cheese. Azda has a selection of these medium size proving four good portions at only £1 include summer fruits, strawberry, mandarins and lemon. I have resisted until my visit and then kept in the freezer for several days without touching. The problem with this size is that one then has to eat the other three portions once defrosted. However I do have the freezer saw so in future will divide into four portions before defrosting. It is time for some fish with vegetables which I did not enjoy as much as I should. I opened a tin of corn and baby carrots which will provide two portions to go with a chicken Kiev tomorrow. This was followed by the remaining portion of grapes. I also felt like a beer. I have kept to the no alcohol regime since celebrating the new Year, except for one whisky for medicinal purpose after returning from a match in cold weather Last night I had a Peroni, reducing by stock to eight. I did not enjoy as I should because I knew I should not.

The omens were not good for Sunderland this evening as before the game it was announced that Cisse who did not travel and Kenwyn Jones, who was on the bench would be rested. To give time for them to recover from knocks received during the Derby. Talking of Derby, Nigel Clough celebrated their fist win at the weekend and went to Notts Forest last night in the fourth round replay of the FA Cup where he had played for his father and scored the scored which won the League Cup. His team were two goals down within a matter of minutes but somehow managed to fight back, playing good football to win by three goals to two,

Clearly management policy at Sunderland is to concentrate on staying in the Premiership. However it looked as if a miracle was going to happen as Sunderland scored early on against the run of play and then survive attack after attack until an equaliser just before half time. There was no further scoring in the second half and the game went into extra time and looked as if would go to penalties despite Sunderland having the better of this part of the match. Until with a couple of minutes of the final whistle, Blackburn scored and dreams crashed for another year.

I did consider watching again The Children and interesting film. Seen in theatre and now on DVD but I was not just in the mood A DVD of a rare Antonioni film arrived this morning but too late to view over lunch, perhaps after the football and the cricket. Collingwood was out clearly leg before and the heavens have opened and a tropical cloudburst driven the players into their respective dressing rooms. Durham promised to send the membership books out late January but has not arrived. I have been successful in getting one of the reduced price annual edition of Wisden’s celebrating Durham‘s winning the county championship. It should arrive in March.

I will also mention having achieved a continuing 100 record at Hearts with over 404 successive wins. At Spider I am playing on after reaching 101 and now making another major effort to achieve a run of 101 games as level one chess. The rain has stopped as quick as it arrived in Caribbean. . Play was to start in thirteen minutes but the covers were then relayed as more rain was forecast. Peterson was out three short of 100 but Flint off commenced to make a solid innings when bad light stopped play He was then 43 not out and the team 236 for 5.

I did listen to some Joan Baez but not as much as originally intended. Her voice never ceases to amaze.

From the essential Joan Baez, The night they drove; Amazing Grace; Boulder to Birmingham; Swing Low Sweet Chariot; Oh Happy Day; Love is just a four letter word; Forever Young; Diamonds and Rust; Lily Rosemary ; Please come to Boston; Suzanne, I shall be Released; Blowing in the Wind; The Ballad of Sacco; Love song to a stranger.

From Diamonds : Prison Trilogy; Rainbow Road, Love is a stranger; Myths; In the Quiet morning; To Bobby; Song of Bangladesh; Tumbleweed; Imagine; Diamond and Rust; Fountain of Sorrow; Never Dreamed you’d Leave; Children and all that Jazz;

Newcastle lose another Manager, Sunderland win and English cricket team on verge of glory

2010-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

As forecast there has been a break in the weather this morning with the sun shining and a warmer feel when I went outside at the back, briefly. However On Monday morning when I moved the car to enable the Sky HD installers to gain access to the rear of the property the back lane was frozen ice, as were the street pavements. Fortunately the roadways down the hill had been gritted and remained clear. There had been not further snow but moisture could have made the roads treacherous.

The bathroom wash basin can be used again. The waste pipe goes outside the house and around to the side with a gentle camber before reaching the down pipe and I assume will freeze and block if the water remains in the upper section when temperatures are exceptionally below freezing. This is the likely explanation after having to bring down stuff to use at the kitchen sink with a small mirror hanging on a hook strategically placed suggesting it had been used for the same purpose before. There is relief that there has been no damage and the inconvenience only lasted a couple of days.

I still have not been out and about since Thursday morning because of the start of the second Test in the evening and staying up to watch the morning’s play of the first three days and taking the radio with me on going to bed so I could catch up on the score when waking. The consequence is that I have been zombie like for the day although this morning I slept long some six hours from around 4 m until just before the Archers weekly catch up at 10.15.

I had quiet hopes that the English cricket team would do well against Australia this time around. Four years they were thrashed 5.0 after winning the Ashes at home in 2006. The first game was potentially a disaster until the remarkable second innings ending when Cook 235 not out Trott took the total to 517 for the loss of only Strauss110 and thus saved the match and gained the ascendancy. They had scored more than the Australians first innings of 481 and their record breaking partnership between Hussey and Haddin of 307 by 22 runs. A number of other records had been broken.

Could England repeat their success in the second game? They had been all out of for only 260 in their first innings at Brisbane on a batting wicket and the pitch at Adelaide was reputed to be as good, except on the first morning and then on the final day when its dryness could lead to break up from the bowler’s footmarks and turn greatly for the spinners. Australia won the too and decided to bad, a decision they were to rue, although given the situation any Captain winning the toss would have done likewise.

What happened has already become cricket legend. Katich was run out on the second ball of the first over without facing a ball. Then Australian Captain Ricky Pointing was out first ball as Anderson was able to find some ball swing and worse was to follow when out of salts Clarke went for 2, also caught Swann of the bowling of Anderson. Any late comers did not believe a scoreboard which showed 2 runs and three wickets. There was nearly a 4th wicket before Watson and Hussey settled down, and the total was in the 90.s before the next wicket. However Australia could only reach 245 as their tail struggled with the last four managing only 9 between them. What would England in reply, given that the first three had each achieved over 100 runs?

Another legend was to be created after Strauss went for his second 0 in three innings Cook with already 67 and 195 not out in his first innings continued making a total of 148 before dismissal a total of 420 runs and an average of 210. Trott supported him well for 78 but it was previously out of form Kevin Peterson who demonstrated that his career has not ended in failure after the removal of the captaincy. He made a magnificent double century, the highest score of his career. There has been great optimism in the British camp and in the media generally about the possible win. I am more cautious because what the English team achieved in the last match the Australians are also capable. I did not stay up long on Sunday night having been notified of the arrival of the Sky installers, but did take the radio with me to the bedroom as well as an alarm clock. It was not a great night, restless with several wakings but I slept more than I appreciated at the time, Australia had progressed to within 150 of the total required to make England bat again for the lost of four wickets. Hussey is again on form with 44 not out and is yet to be joined by Haddin. Breaking this partnership and getting both these wickets early on will be essential as the weather forecast for the day is not a good one.

Sunday had been a day of mixed fortunes for the Tyne Wear football clubs who unusually followed each other on Sky TV. Newcastle were first away to Wolves who had followed them from the Championship into the Premiership lasts season. Wolves have not had a victory over Newcastle in recent years and given the recent roller coaster of performances I suspected they would find this game difficult. In the event they put up a poor performance missing Nolan and Barton in the middle and lost 3.1. Today the manager was sacked something which has been on the card for sometime prevented by the 5.1 Derby defeat of Sunderland. It is evident the shameful management have a successor in mind.

Sunderland on the other hand dared to play their three forwards for the home tie with struggling West Ham, although the Hammers have had major success in the last week beating Manchester United in the League Cup Quarter final. Both teams played well but overall Sunderland were worth their 1.0 victory and go to 7th in the table. They have lost at least half a dozen points in the closing minutes of games and this could have been a similar situation. Without these losses they could have been contesting a top place. They have the making of a very good side.

Although there has been no overnight snow it was very cold this morning and has remained so during the day as evening approaches. The Sky installers had considerable problems and the two young men were here for a good 90 minutes moving the three section ladder around the block three times and using a full kettle of hot water to unfreeze the existing cable which had been slung over the roof from the west facing dish to the east facing rear. There was a momentary hesitation working out which was the sky cable and which the terrestrial aerial as the right one only had to be cut in order to remove and replace by the new. In much publicised previous installations the existing dish and cable was used with the new Sky box to cut costs with the consequence there was little change to the picture. Even with the proper work the difference is not striking, given recent improvements in the general picture transmission. However it was to me in terms of the detailed background and an overall sharpness and clarity. Immediately on installation the Wizard of Oz was being reshow the difference was significant. As there was also a showing of White Christmas I turned to that and only missed the opening section concluding the film is better than the musical and a better film that previously remembered. I am not a Danny Kaye fan but this was one of his better performances.

I also had a good shop at the supermarket having planned what was needed in advance with washing stuff , tablets, stain remover, softeners, with other household items such as washing up sponges, kitchen rolls, storage bags for us in the freezer and toilet rolls. I had made notes for such items as apple sauce, custard powder, curry sauce(balti) and sugar which I was out of stock. I managed to get some puff pastry mince pies for the first time and could not resist a bread and butter pudding which had been reduced in price by 20%. For Christmas New Year storage there were little sausages wrapped in bacon which I adore and one can of Pringle crisps, plus speciality cheeses and a carton of dates. There was salad (lettuce, coleslaw, tomatoes but not sweet peppers) and meats (pressed pork slices and bits) but no salami together with a pieces of quiche which I enjoyed at lunchtime after a cuppa soup and followed by the bread and butter pudding. I enjoyed three lamp chops yesterday and a mixture of scampi and Indian starters with beans and peas Saturday, I will use up some existing pork and lamb chops this week getting in chickens and lamb shank next week with the annual chunk of gammon, hopefully for New Year rather than Christmas. I need a trip to Asda for salami, liquorice, chocolate, paper and perhaps long socks leaving just before six to avoid the hassle of the £1 coin fee. I forgot the lemon and the ice cream to go with the pancakes. I will await until I go to Morrison Seaburn Weds

Football at New Year 2003

2010-12-04T03:38:00.000-08:00

It has not been a day of achievement. The day was governed by staying up late, the cold, going to football, eating too well in the evening and moments of panic. I was better organised for going to the match than pm Boxing Day having worked out in advance the time needed for preparations and to arrive and get the desired parking space. I was in place long enough to slowly drink a thermos of onion soup. I had first put hot water to warm the metal contained so even though the journey took half an hour the soup was kettle boiling hot. I waited half an hour before walking to the ground noting the lack of fitness as the cold bit into the bare skin of my face.

Yesterday afternoon as I had made my way to buy the ticket, I listened to an interview with an Antarctic explorer who recounted how on the two earlier missions to reach the South Pole by a route not accomplished before he had nearly lost his life. In the first instance because the special boots had not arrived he had worn footwear providing less protection with the consequence that an organism had entered his leg of a flesh eating kind and fortunate he had been able to visit a local doctor who had recently been on a course about recognising and treating his very condition. In the second, although tired and knowing he should not have continued, he did so for a short distance but sufficiently to fall into ice solidifying water and where he had only seconds to psychologically motivate himself sufficiently to get himself out before in effect he became frozen in. Married with a family and twenty five years of experience he did not regard himself as an adrenalin risk taking junkie but as with any aspect of day to day life however good the planning, the preparations, the equipment, the knowledge and the experience it is still likely that the unexpected will occur and the difference between surviving to tell the take and not, can be a matter of luck, seconds, motivation and mentality or combinations of such things. He answered questions including from one young man who said he liked the cold and wanted to know how to get the kind of sponsorship or grants which would enable such adventuring. It was this statement about liking the cold which came to mind as I walked. I do not.

I arrived in the stadium with half an hour announced before the kick of and the number of people congregating around the food and drink outlets. The television screens or go to the toilets suggested that despite the special ticket offer of £5 compared to £17.50 for seniors and children the ground was likely to be less than half full. The Maximum capacity is 48000 and I estimated 15000 to 175000 as the match progress. There as just over 20000 with significant areas of emptiness, especially behind the goal mouth where I had sat on Boxing Day. This time my seat was in the East stand upper tier even more central than when I had the season ticket and also not as far up. It was an ideal position providing an excellent view of both goalmouths, higher enough to see the movement and the organisation of the teams but also close enough to feel part of the action. I had no difficulty in buying myself a coffee before entering the seating area and at half time I had no difficulty in buying a packet of crisps as well as going to the toilet and finding a place to rest against a wall before returning to the seat.

The main reason for the poor attendance is that only a couple of weeks ago the same team being played in this third round of the Football Association Cup had beaten Sunderland 4.0. A disgraceful result given the standing of the visiting team who had not had a good time since the departure of their manager to Newcastle, and more recently appointed to Blackburn, Sam Alladyce, who through his agent had indicated an interest in the Sunderland Manager’s job, vacated on a voluntary basis by Roy Keane following this defeat in question. Sunderland supporters feared another thrashing and even those who braved the cold like me feared the worst, according to comments from those sitting around during the opening third of the game. In truth Bolton looked the better organised and more skilful team during this period. They had good movement with accurate passing. However as the game went on I was very impressed with the work and defensive qualities of Carlos Edwards who usually plays on a wing but this time was a tour de force in central midfield. Gabriel Cisse is a colourful character with a Mohican hair strip which he colours brightly, changing from game to game. He has great speed but at Liverpool promised much but failed to deliver and returned to France. What has impressed me and more so on this occasion was his tireless running always to good purpose. Kenwyn Jones on the other hand had no touch at all and several times put his own side in difficulty. However as is sometimes the case he scored a brilliantly headed goal to give Sunderland the lead and Cisse appeared to make the contest safe later. However Bolton rallied and scored what has to be described as a soft goal and the excitement commenced especially as the referee awarded four minutes of extra time.

It was a day of few great Cup surprises although Hartlepool did beat Stoke and Chelsea were held to a home draw by Southend. Newcastle were nil nil at Hull where the main interest is the growing speculation that the best UK keeper, Shay Given, wants out along with Michael Owen. My hunch is that they are both on their way to Manchester City where is would not surprise me that the bad run leads to the end of Mark Hughes and his replacement, Kevin Keegan, ho ho!

I had a little whisky on return before cooking a medium size chicken, enjoying poacher’s relish on oatmeal biscuit crackers as a starter, then having a portion of mircowaved vegetables, then, the four medium size roast potatoes and then half the chicken breast with the rest chopped up later for stir fries. For lunch I had eaten three large slices of cold ham cut from the joint with remaining salami and pickles followed by the last of the ice cream, while this evening I had the penultimate portion of the Christmas cake slab with a glass of Beaujolais.

That finished me off for the night without energy, dozing in front of the telly and no inclination to work, tread or even play games against the computer. After successfully completing the first 101 games of Free Cell after the great computer crash, I had set the game aside to concentrate on the other four being played with the intention of not returning to this game until the 101 wins was achieved in these other games. I came close with Spider, another form of patience winning 93 games in succession before encountering a game which I do not believe could be won despite going back to the original allocation of cards, time, and time, and time, and time again. The present streak is 30, having reached 67 on a previous occasion and then making an unintentional and avoidable error so that 314 of 324 games played have been won. I also had a disaster with chess having made a mistake after a successful run of 87 games, but unlike Spider one had complete control of every aspect of the play as White with a reverse move button and therefore while later night draws are excusable the two defeats are not so the tally is 350 games played 350 won and a long long way to get back to the 87th game. This contrasts with Hearts where it is impossible to control the outcome of a full game because you are but one of four players with the computer playing the three other hands. This was the game where I originally only won 11% and gradually increased to over 40% by playing a restricted game in which the outcome was loaded in my favour about 9 to 1. By loading the game even more so, but not completely I am running at 92% winning 85 of 92 games and a continuous in run of 33. There is no point is playing the same cards the same way. Having said I would not continue with Free Cell Hearts until I achieved a second 101 over Christmas I could not resist seeing if I could still work out how to complete a game from a spatial examination rather than repeated use of the back button and to date I have complete 123 games in succession at 100% win. However this is only a satisfactory achievement if everything else is excluded. My mind was much given to what is happening in the Hamas controlled part of Palestine which I continue to suspect has become the first Test of what can only be described as the Oil, Arab, Middle East, Muslim, Terrorism Israel Palestine problem for the new President Obama Administration. It is indeed a dangerous situation but who actually means what they are saying or appearing to do is impossible for the likes pf you are me know,

Being in a state of not wanting to do anything but feeling not ready for sleep I got myself into quite a state by the time I went up to bed about midnight. It was not a good decision.

Review of Sporting achievements in 2008

2010-11-22T04:40:00.000-08:00

Once a year in December the B B C provides a two hour review of British sporting experience and achievement, culminating in the presentation of the Sporting Personality of the year, voted on by the public during the programme.

Early on an award was made for the Young Personality with three nominations mentioned. Tom Daly the 14 year old Olympic team Diver, Laura Robinson who was Wimbledon Youth Champion and Elle McPherson the school girl swimmer who won two gold medals at the Olympic games. Elle won which was as it should be.

There were several good nominations for coach of the year including Alec Ferguson at Manchester United and the coach of the successful Welsh Rugby team but the winner was also as it should be, David Brailsford the cycling coach.

The Welsh Rugby Team and Manchester United were also nominations for team of the year together with Team GB Olympic Games, but the winner for their performance in the World championships and the Olympic games was the British Cycling Team, as it should be.

There were ten nominations for the overall personality with Becky Adlington from swimming, Louis Hamilton who won the World Motor Racing Championship, and Andrew Murray from tennis, Joe Calzaghe from Boxing who won last year and Ben Ainslie from sailing, Christine Ohuruogu and four of the cyclists. Becky came third, Louis second and the winner as it should be Chris Hoy the winner for his 12 years of work, and three gold medals. The other two will have their chance again bring 19 and 22 respectively while Chris is 37.

The Helen Rolleson award went to Alistair Hicknell, who was a cricket and rugby Blue before becoming an international rugby player and cricketer. For the past decade he has suffered from multiple sclerosis but continued as a commentator to retire this year.

There are few football fans , if any, and most people in Britain, are familiar with aspects of the life of Sir Bobby Charlton who with his older brother Jackie came from the North East and both played in the 1966 World Cup Squad. Bobby was a survivor of the Munich air crash which killed the majority of the Manchester United first and has been a Director of the club for a decade or two. He was given a lifetime achievement award as it should be.

The programme attempted to make as many references as possible to other sports, Gymnastics, Rugby League, Horse racing, Golf, Cricket, Football and Boxing

There was only passing reference to Durham’s success. Now apart from the winners and Durham most of what happened will become submerged by new successes in 2009 which is also as it should be.

Earlier in the day I had Sunday lunch at the packed out not a seat to spare Old Tollgate Restaurant and Hotel, Bramber Steyning, near Brighton, Sussex. Every available seat was booked and over 100 dinners participated in the traditional Sunday spread. I did not get to view the hot starter such was the wonderful choice of pick and mix cold buffer. I selected several slices of wafer thin Italian salami with mixed olives and feta cheese, and the portions of prawns, smoke salmon, fresh salmon steak and two pieces of smoked mackerel. There must have been twenty to thirty dishes of meats, salads and fish.

There was a choice of turkey, chicken including poussin (26 days or less baby chicken) perk and beef . I had the beef with Yorkshire pudding roast potatoes, red cabbage, parsnips and some Swede. For afters the was an orange looking raspberry jelly, a good slice of Charlotte Ruse and a white chocolate cup, the latter was the only mistake at it had a sickly sweet finish. There was a variety of other sweets and puddings including a heavy black mini Christmas pudding and mince pies, custards ices and creams. There was also a complimentary cheese board but I had had my fill. It was a delicious and memory fare. I had driven down from Croydon in thickish fog which was rapidly burnt off by an extraordinary large sun.

On returning early evening I was unable to [park in the official car park or close to entrance but found a place around 10.30 after watching the third episode of Wallander. As with John Nettles and Midsummer Murders, there are too many killings for liking, and the finale very predicable. The programme was saved by another great performance by Kenneth Branagh as the tortured detective as he failed to save a tormented colleague and to save a mentally tortured young girl. Earlier in the evening I had seen the first hour or so of the last two episodes of Little Dorrit. It was not until the following evening that I watched the final part of the final part. Little Dorrit is not a Dickens that I recall knowing anything previously about. This TV adaptation commenced with a 60 minutes episode then 12 half hour episodes and then the final hour, 8 hours in total and a large cast of 50 including Tom Courtney as William Dorrit, Anton lesser and Amanda Redman as Mr and Mrs Merdle, Andy Serkis as Rigaud, John Alderton, Alun Armstrong, Sue Johnston, Annette Crosby, and Pam Ferris. I should have seen the rest and much if not all is still available but at present there is no inclination to do so.

The saga of Newcastle AFC goes on and on

2010-10-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

In the mid 1960's according to the musical Hair we entered the age of Aquarius and now with McCain and Palin forming the Republican Presidential ticket, Peter Mandelson returning to the Cabinet of beleaguered Prime Minister Brown and Keegan, Ashley, Wise and now Joe Kinnear at Newcastle we can be said to have returned to the age of the Maverick, the Creative.

I was up in time to listen to the Sunday Supplement reveal that when he attended his first press conference, Joe Kinnear, went at specific journalists who had ridiculed his appointment with a torrent of swearing. In most circumstances he should have been sacked. However the point about Keegan is that he is a Maverick as much heart as head and that is true in relation to Joe who like Keegan was out of the game for several years and therefore out of touch with the market and the way the dressing home has changed with players all millionaires and only prepared to submit to authority they can respect. The present team has loss confidence and has only one natural goal scorer. The new defence has not worked so far and critics agree that so far this season apart from the performance at Manchester United they have look a team that will struggle to reach mid table whoever is in charge, Keegan knew this and this is why be became so angry when for whatever reason the club failed to provide the players in the pre season transfer market. So he had worked with the players for a week and done the talk and now he had to sit in the stands because of an inherited ban from the pitch side. We would all be able to see the situation when he faced poor start Everton who had not year won a home this season on Sky at four this afternoon.

More importantly the programme revealed the gap between Michael Ashley's objectives when he bought the club and the aspirations of the 50000 who packed the stadium. The programme also revealed the ignorance and bias of some sports writers and their contempt for the average football supporter.

Lets begin with the reality. Newcastle was an average club well supported, but included a significant number of racist yobs, reflecting Newcastle as a City in the sixties and seventies, industrial working class, anti education, anti middle class culture and excessively tribal. The club had a number of tough and pushy centre forwards who went down well with the core fans. A good crowd was 30000. Two men were responsible for getting the crowd over 40000 to the 52000 when the stadium was completed. More than this the club was able to sell all its season tickets and at one point to have a waiting list in thousands. Tickets for homes games became gold dust and the club became the fans second favourite club after their own. The reason for this was the style of play under Kevin Keegan and his charismatic leadership, But the man who had the vision, the drive and the money to create the stage for the dream was Sir John Hall, also a Maverick and someone who I once met with his son and son in law.

The departure of Kevin Keegan was a great blow, but unlike his departures from Fulham, Man City and England there was regret and sadness at what might have been rather than anger. The appointment of Bobby Robson was seen an as attempt to reconnect the club and fans and for a time he was successful with both. However there were those who wanted nothing less than the championship win where Keegan had come so close. It was Robson's departure so early in the season which marked the effective end of the dream, and also heralded the fundamental change in British football with the arrival of the billionaire willing pay £1000000 a week wages and endorse cheques of £10, £20 and £30 million to bring to the premiership the best players in the world. From the commencement of the twentieth century it was apparent that only a handful of clubs would be able to command the attention of the best players because of that combination of financial backing, theatrical stadium, media and public interest and ability to perform every year in European as well as English competitions.

There are now three options facing those clubs who do not have these ingredients. Sell the club to someone or an organisation with the necessary funding which is what has happened at Manchester City.

You can buy one or two known and experienced world class players and attempt to build round them a mixture of experience and youthful promise, hoping to gain sufficient points to have a chance of making the second European competitions direct or through winning one of the two domestic cup competitions. There was a hint this morning that Keegan wanted to bring Beckham back to England and United or someone similar who would help the crown to get through an otherwise moderate season. Home supporters might expect to win at least a third of the home games and draw the majority of the rest, winning at least once in the most important local derby and giving the big four or five a good game and a surprising win. The season ticket holders need to feel that their investment in time and money and in all weathers and times to suit TV has been justified.

There is a third way which requires the confidence of Board and supporters to take a long term view as there is no attempt to achieve a quick fix. You commence to build a team from scratch, knowing that you will not attract big name players until you are to have more than one season at a time in Europe. Such teams have to be greater than the sum of the individual parts. A key aspect I the creation of an effective world wide scouting structure finding the young men as early as possible and bring them into the academy or directly into the playing squad. The two most successful managers in British Football of the last two decades have accomplished this more than once at the same club, Ferguson at Manchester United and Wenger at Arsenal.

In their instance, they did it themselves with appropriate help and neither would have tolerated a Director of Football acting for the Owner Chairman Board. The truth of the matter is that when Ashley bought the club he may have had this approach in mind or may have been persuaded to adopt this approach but he failed to communicate with club and more importantly its supporters. He anticipated bringing Harry Redknapp which could have worked except Harry had too much sense to buy into the operation whether he knew who would become the Director of football or not. The second decision was to appoint Kevin Keegan, cashing in on the brand name and supporter's enthusiasm, but h also must of known he needed to take Kevin with his plans or he would walk away. He was a maverick in the business world and is among football club owners and demonstrates the problem that when Mavericks foul up there are no half measures. He is said to be intent on selling the club although there would be more belief in anything's said on his behalf if he had not misrepresented the physical threat to himself and his family and inflated the asking price which despite the alleged reduction is said to want to make a profit in the tens of millions of pounds. So much for putting personal money into the club and wanting what was best for the club and supporters. To the sports writer who attempted to defend the indefensible I would remind that the road to hell is always paved with good intentions, but also leads to eternal damnation if the intentions are not good ones.

When this afternoon/s game commenced t was quickly evident that there were two desperate team who were throwing caution to the winds. Newcastle were two down with half time in sight and it seemed that Everton had won the gamble and Newcastle defeat and disaster. However they fought on and scored either side of the half, goals which the Manager did not see as he was making his way to or from the dressing room from his position in the stand. Both teams had the opportunity to win the match which ended in a an honourable draw and with Spurs beaten at home again by Hull of all teams, Newcastle was able to climb a place but remain in the bottom relegation three. Hill is now is the top three. Liverpool managed to score three goals in the second half to win at Man City. Joe Kinnear also lives to fight anther day.

Being Sunday it was also a day for political commentators to assess the impact of what has happened across the pond and at home. The decision of the USA Congress to ratify the Presidential plan to write the toxic loans featured. That is the loans which bankers should never have made and from which they made great personal profit, may or may not work and is not an approach which either the Prime Minister or Shadow leader would support in the UK unless there was no alternative. Far greater attention was directed to the reappointment of Peter Mandelson to the Government, a man who is said to have masterminded the first two Labour Government victories at the Polls and also had an important say in the third. The Tory party, caught out by the dramatic collapse of confidence between banks and between banks, government and the people were floored by the appointment of Mandelson, nearly as much he was when approached as late as the day before the announcement. He is said to have consulted Tony Blair before agreeing. Yesterday/Today the press was briefed that within the past weeks Mandelson had dropped anti Prime Minister poison to the opposition. This was immediately denied by Mandelson who said the cause of the story was likely to have been a conversation between him and the Tory Shadow Chancellor on a Greek Island in which they had both talked politics and political personalities. He reminded Mr Osborn that he would never reveal such comments, this taking the high ground and serving a warning shot that he is no lightweight and from now on he is joined at the hip with Mr Brown and the government. This also a good warning to those on the left of the party and those continuing to plan a coup on Mr Brown that from the moment of the decision to accept the invitation he is now in the corner of Mr Brown I have said that Mr Brown needed a miracle to survive. He has just created one.

Durham Cricket Club become County Champions for the first time

2010-10-24T08:14:00.001-07:00

A brilliant day in which Durham became County Champions, they got drunk on the coach ride back while they waited for confirmation and I tried to get drunk on a bottle of Asti Spumanti which I had travelled in the sunshine to Fulwell to the Sainsbury's as I knew there was an offer of 25% reduction for six bottles paying £22.20 instead of £26.94, taking the opportunity to buy two 12 packs of Peroni where there was a similar 25% reduction.
The last four Kent wickets had fallen quickly at 197,198, and then 204 and 204 in successive balls by Steve Harmison with Thorp completing his bowling at 7 for 88 and 9 for 145 for the match. There was then a four hour wait while Hampshire ended the Nottinghamshire second Innings around 4pm. Sky contacted the captain on the coach but he was not in a sober enough condition to have an interview. Fortunately they had pre recorded interviews in the hope of the eventual result. The trophy will be presented to the annual club dinner on Monday with those not attending able to show their appreciation at a reception at Durham from five to six.

The drink helped to overcome the disappointments of the day as after scoring first at Aston Villa, Sunderland gave away two goals following free kicks. There was also a sad say at Newcastle with the attendance down to 45000 and a 2.1 defeat by Blackburn. However Hull went and won at the Emerites stadium which was truly amazing.

I watched Strictly Come dancing after a fashion enjoying a third to a half a roast chicken for the evening meal, having also enjoyed a simple vegetable stir fry for lunch. The Do you know who you are subject is one of the female dancers, the tall model Jodi Kidd and descendent of Lord Beaverbrook.

Interestingly the chairman of the judges and his Italian side kick form two of three judges for an American version where the celebrities may be well known in the USA but were unknown to me.

The unexpected treat was the X Factor which is concentrating on finding unusual talent with several exceptionally talented female singers noted.

I watched an interesting documentary about an artist photographer, his wife and her lover. The photographer set out to record the passing of the steam train in his community and the photos are remarkable pieces of USA history. When seventy years of age he married a much younger sexually attractive woman in her late forties. It was not a love much on her part except that she fell in love with his work and helped him greatly in terms of running the business as well as the household. She liked to spend and he liked to buy for her. Such was his interest and enthusiasm for steam trains that he bought a junked train to restore and found someone with engineering skills to assist him. This man fell in love with wife of the photographer. Over the years it was claimed that various photographs and negatives were given to both his wife and the photographer.

The marriage deteriorated and led to divorce in which the wife represented herself and was left with only her personal possession and received no portion of his, despite ten years of marriage. He was therefore 80 and she in her later fifties. The husband employed major lawyers with the Bill coming to $700000 protecting an estate subsequently said to be worth $7 million

Subsequently, in documentary the wife claimed that her husband had developed bizarre behaviour and commenced to lose his memory asking her to manage his affairs which led to her copying his signature to make payments. A divorce lawyer said she was amazed at the lack of any settlement in favour of the wife due she felt to the woman representing herself.

However the husband appears to have become paranoid and bitter and claimed that he was missing 1500 photographs. She claimed they not exist and the list of these was a fabrication. She was charged with first degree theft but offered a plea bargain without imprisonment if they were returned. She returned some things but not the 15000 photos and went to prison after being convicted by the jury and sentenced to six to twenty years. The lover waited and upon release they married.

A couple of years later some photographs and slides given prior to the divorce were sold by them and this led to a request for more unbeknown that this later request was a sting set up by the authorities after the trader had become suspicious. The woman's second husband was charged but she was not. None of the this material was that listed as missing and which had led to her going to prison. The obvious point has to be made as to why this material was not disclosed at the time of her trial. Unfortunately the photographer had died so was unable to give evidence either way.

I thought the black and white photographs were brilliant and the rest of story sad but I was not clear what the purpose or the moral of documentary was intended to be.

It was bed time and then I discovered there was a showing of the first double feature dramatization of Brideshead Revisited the iconic book of Oxford University life for the upper middle and aristocratic classed by Evelyn Waugh by from just after World War one until during the second when the main character finds himself posted to Brideshead. Being one of proletarians on the fringe of the University, spoken of with disdain by characters in the book I only had limited contact with the subjects of the book although did come across a few who attempted to maintain the tradition of using college life to as the base for a non stop social life centred on good food and lots of drink, with recreational drugs. The TV drama faithfully covers a 400 page novel in 11 one hour episodes ( the first a double) so I wonder what will be made if the film version which is about to reach cinema theatres and lasts just over two hours. The TV adaptation features Jeremy Irons as the studious public school educated young man brought up by his father John Gielgud going up to Oxford on a modest allowance although his father is clearly not without a bob or two living in a large house with a man's servant, By accident he encounters the younger son of Catholic Aristocracy who demonstrate all the contradictions and eccentricities for which the British upper classes remains infamous The Catholic mother played by Clair Bloom is protective and lives a separate life from her husband Laurence Olivier. Their daughter Julia is a coming out debutante who married an American businessman and then has a relationship with Jeremy (the book is sub headed the sacred and profane memories of Captain Charles Ryder). However the first part of the work concentrates on the relationship between Ryder and the young son Sebastian played by Anthony Andrews clutching his large teddy bear with him everywhere and while this is shown as love there is no hint of sex even though one of Sebastian's circle is a camp gay, so it will be interesting how this aspect is treated in the film and if they are able to retain the quality of refinement and visual beauty.

Sporting weekend September 2008

2010-10-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

I devoted my weekend primarily to sport for two reasons. I enjoy watching excellence, especially when it is exciting with a close finish although sometimes when the later happens I cannot bear watch.

I also believe that individual and collective team performance has a greater significance than sporting achievement when it demonstrates the power of an individual or group of individuals to overcome adversity by hard work and will power, in addition to natural talent and developed skill.

I believe that as our understanding of the universe increase and the sub atomic particle smashing experiment which has commenced operationally in Switzerland reveals the origin, and deepens our understanding of matter, together with the shift to understanding more about the working of the brain and its control of perception, understanding, memory and sensation, we will come to be able to prove that mind can control matter in ways beyond all present understanding. This will lead to a pantheist understanding of God and a human mind creation of the devil and black magic.

There were good examples of what I mean in the coverage of the four sports of interest over this weekend: Tennis in a Davis cup world qualifier; Cricket in the County Championship involving Durham and the Sunday play off as who will play in the last pro 40 season 2009; Football with Sunderland playing the Boro and Newcastle away to West Ham where the manager also walked away from the club because he no longer had control over which players joined and left to the club; and then the Ryder Cup in gold which Europe has won the last three bi annual encounters, the latter two one side affairs.

There was other TV of interest with the X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, and Tess of D’Urbervilles, and on Sunday the preliminaries to the Labour Party Conference.

I have recently been hard on young Andy Murray for his lack of commitment to Britain, the concept, borne from his alleged Skittishness and anti Englishness. He may be become able to win one or more of the Grand Slam competitions, France, Australia, USA and Wimbledon and become recognised as the World's Number One, especially as he has youth on side, and without identifying himself as a Britisher and gaining the support and an adulation of the British public in general. He may make a lot of money as a consequence. He may also exhibit national pride and recognition if Scotland becomes an independent nation, but as a Scotsman, especially if his nation gains its independence during he next decade, and which is likely to become even more of a political issues if the forthcoming by-election is won by the Scottish nationalists with a significant majority. But I believe he will regret, as the years pass, and his playing days are over, that he did not attempt to endear himself to the British public as a genuine Britisher. You do not have to be British to achieve recognition and approval of the British public and there is a long line of World Class male Tennis players who achieve this. The most interesting of these, someone who alienated sections of the British media at times, was you must be joking John McEnroe, who has become an elder statesman welcomed each year back to Wimbledon

I became concerned at the attitude of Andy Murray towards the Davis cup contest with Austria he mentioned that he was not 100 percent fit but hoped to be so. I also recognised that while he has become one of the top players in the world the rest of the British team as singles players are second raters, although his brother is a good doubles players with potential.

Having watched parts of his two performances this weekend winning his two singles games, I am prepared to modify my opinion in that he did all that was required and appeared genuinely appreciative of the support given to him by the Wimbledon crowd. It was not his fault that the rest of the team was not up to the task and lost their three matches. One swallow does not make a summer, so we shall wait to see.

Charles Clark is a former Cabinet Minister who held a number of important positions in the Blair Government and now believes there should be a quick resolution of the whether there should be a new Labour Leader, and Prime Minister or not, and John Prescott was Deputy prime Minister throughout the Tony Blair Premiership and is highly regarded by insiders as the man who was pivotal in keeping the Party together and Gordon in the Cabinet rather than open warfare between Blair and Brown over the Premiership. Polly Toynbee is the highly regarded Guardian political writer and all three expressed important and thoughtful comments during an half hour debate in advance of the Labour Party conference this week.

The facts are these. In recent decades no party with one exception has managed to overcome the kind of unpopularity presently experienced by the Labour Party and Gordon Brown personally, with one exception, the Conservative Party in the early 1990's who got rid of their most successful and highly regarded leader, Margaret, now Lady Thatcher, and then went onto win the next election. Since the subsequent loss to Labour they have tried a number of different leaders in the hope of finding one who could win a general election. There was agreement between those on the "platform! that the general public is not yet convinced that the present Conservative leader is the right person. However the message of the these facts is that the Labour should replace Brown with someone who can win the next general election but then look for someone else to take the Party forward. The political argument being that while the outcome might be a loss, with change this is not as likely as it will otherwise be.

At heart of the present situation is family and individual finances and the need for people not to feel threatened and feel that their position is advancing. Labour had been good on protecting the most vulnerable but failed with the majority in the middle while the wealthiest got wealthier giving themselves more and more in bonuses which led in turn to take greater and greater risks by loaning money to those with the least ability to pay it back. As with the windfall energy tax system there are longer term risks associated with taking populist measures now, but there was unanimity among the activists and others in the programme audience that something had to done and shown to be effective to tackle the present lack of confidence and justified belief that the present system is unfair. The Prime Minister will need to make the speech of his life this week and even this is unlikely to save him if the by-election is lost. This was a point strongly made by Diane Abbot in the evening political show on Thursday which impressed others on the programme. The underlying issue is the lack of confidence in his ability to regain public support regardless of what they are saying to media and will say at the conference.

Returning to sport the second issue of interest this weekend was whether Durham could progress to winning the county championship. They could only draw against Kent on Saturday while Nottinghamshire leapt ahead with a win to 178 points, Somerset are now second with 170 and Durham third with 168, closely followed by Hampshire with 160 and Lancashire 152, Kent 151 and Sussex 151. The points system is such with 8 maximum bonus and 14 for a win 4 each for a draw that the permutations are endless. If Durham wins at Kent with the maximum bonus points they will have 190 points. If Nottingham can only draw with maximum bonus points they will also have 190 points, but Durham would be champions because of six wins out of 16 games against 5. Somerset are also at home to Lancashire and if they win with maximum bonus will have 192 points and take the championships if Notts only draw. The games commence on Wednesday and I am glad I did not book the trip to Canterbury as there is so much else on and I fear it would have ended in disappointment. With Surrey relegated to division 2 and Middlesex remaining, the possibility also being relegated, the possibility arises of three of the traditionally big four:- Yorks, Lancs, Surrey and Middlesex being in the second division of the championship. How times have changed. If Yorks go down the cause will have been Darren Gough and the approach he took to the 1 day and 20 20 competitions.

I planned to eat a roast chicken dinner later to day in the hope that I would complete writing for Saturday without the usual tiredness after having a lighter lunch of a small dish of pasta with cheese sauce and a banana. However I decided to attend to the plants which requiring cutting out the dead material as well as some watering. Soon I will start to clear containers in preparation of Spring bulb planting, and a glass of red wine and then later the remaining four pieces of anchovy on dry crackers. I am sure those in the Greek labelled tins are not anchovy by small sardines. However the consequence this and the political programme and watching the TV resulted in changing my mind and leaving the football and the Ryder cup for Sundays' writings.

One of the distractions was Strictly Come Dancing. I have been hopeless at ballroom dancing. I have a number of painful memories about my efforts as an adolescent and a young to learn to dance not appreciate the extent of my lack of coordination with together with self consciousness was a great inhibitor. I thrived on the informality of contemporary dance from the rock era onwards. I used to watch the original Come Dancing series and the attempts to maintain the interest of the changing generations, primarily by the females wearing more and more scanty and sexy clothing although the two are not the same. The reincarnation of the programme matching professional dancers with celebrities from sport, acting and TV presentation proved a brilliant idea form the first series with some surprising outcomes, notable Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash. Sadly the publicity surrounding the show led to the revelation that Mark had a long standing affair and the break up of his marriage of 14 years and family of two daughters. The marriage of Eastenders former star Letitia Dean broke up while she appeared on the show due to differences about wanting a family. Former presenter of the Show Claudia Winkleman separated from her husband because of differences of view about their work commitments, There was also accusation and country accusation between two male and one female professional dancer Flavia Cacace. So there has been a downside to the weekly exposure on peak time family viewing Saturday and Sunday nights.

It is surprising that so many offer to make a fool of themselves when clearly they lack the essentials to progress even with the world class partners and support structure provided by the BBC. The programmes combines a nostalgia for the times when dancing was dancing with the present day fascination with the lives of personalities behind their well known roles to-date.

End of seasons at the Riverside

2010-10-19T03:09:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed Sunday despite the seething turmoil below the relaxed exterior. I had risen early and reviewed the Sunday papers on line and watched the news on Sky and the BBC and then listened attentively to the Sunday Supplement. I prepared a lunch of lamb shank with gravy, carrots and peas and settled down to watch Sky News Sport News at 1pm when the programme announced that it was the last day of the Pro 40 Cricket League Competition and announced the scorecard at Durham Riverside.

I had previously checked that the last home Championship game commenced on Wednesday and overlooked this important final game where just about everyone had a chance of winning the nine team league or faced relegation to the second division. The weather looked good so I abandoned everything I had thought of doing including watching the Italian Grand Prix and set off without packing any food or drink.

Fortunately I was able to get the last car parking space in my preferred area and arrived to take a seat behind the wicket as the sixth wicket fell of the Gloucestershire innings with the score at only 81. Gloucestershire had lost their first wicket at no runs but had then established a good but slow start with 63 runs from a partnership between Ali and Porterfield before a collapse with had seen five wickets fall for 18 runs. There was a short recovery as I settled in my seat in hazy sunshine and had a little heavy eyed siesta after the good food and hasty journey before the last four wickets fell for 19 runs. I had left my haversack in the car and fancying a cup of tea I made my way around the ground to the Member's lounge watching the last two overs as I went in time to get into the queue before the main rush.

I had to wait until later to establish the details of all the bowling although I had heard that Steve Harmison had completed his eight overs for 32 runs and three wickets and saw Breeze take his three wickets for eight runs and followed this with 20 important runs secure the winner by five wickets after Durham themselves had mini collapse losing four wickets for three runs early on. De Venuto appears to have hit form at he right time scored unbeaten 52 and captain Benkenstein an important 25 at a crucial time. There was also a good crowd and Durham finished third in the table which is not bad after gaining promotion last year and shows the strides the team has taken over the past two seasons. Sussex had an amazing win scoring 52 in the last five overs and with only two wickets left, including a six off the last ball.

The rest of the day was taken up with the situation at Newcastle United. I had an evening meal of soup and a bacon sandwich and must have drunk a whole pint of orange juice as well as cups of tea consequently. It was midnight when I went to bed and the news that Ashley and told Alan Shearer that he was no longer required as club Ambassador had not broken, The man has now alienated himself from the football nation as well as Geordieland.

The mess at Newcastle AFC continues

2010-10-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

A strange thing happened to-day. I relaxed without guilt until the evening when an announcement resurrected feelings of being helpless again the power of nature and men of power and wealth

I did not have much to write about until then. I played lots of games on the computer stopping at a run of 55 games of level one chess, 37 percent wins of Hearts and 83% at Spider Solitaire.

I am puzzled by the number of good chefs there are creating sophisticated dishes which presumably some people eat at great expense. I must find one, save up and go and have a gourmet meal sometime. I thought this after watching the semi final where two of four young men battled for the opportunity to work in one of the great kitchens with a ember of the Roux family.

The previous night I had watched Get Carter for the umpteenth time and with every viewing I see something I did not see before or did but no longer remember. I thought if was a fitting film to remind of what had been old Newcastle. A grim colourless city with twice the national average level of unemployment and areas of major social deprivation and an under belly of criminal gangs with wafts of corruption in high places.

I found myself counting the number of people Michael Caine kills during his revenge mission for the murder of his brother covered up a suicide. The girlfriend of his brother was instrumental in his daughter become involved with the local crime gang with pornographic films as one money making venture; He kills her and then arranged for her to be found on the estate of the many behind the film making; the second woman participated in the filmmaking with the young girl although technically Caine does not kill her directly as she also is placed in the car boot, but the vehicle tipped into the Tyne my gangsters employed by his London boss; the man who seduced the girl I saved until towards the end of the film and is tipped into the North sea along with other coal waste; the man who participated in the film runs gaming machine along the coast and is dropped from the iconic car park in the centre of Gateshead onto the bonnet of a passing cars, then there are the two men sent by his boss in London to take him back, having found out that he was planning to run off with the bosses girl friend to South America and they are shot on a Tyne ferry across the river, and finally his brother's friend who was instrumental in covering up the murder of the brother by his silence.

Caine is also the cause of the bosses girl friend suffering severe facial injury. Although he plans to run off with this young woman during his stay of a few days on Tyneside he sleeps with his landlady and the woman who stars in the film which led to the murder of his brother. Moreover during the film he does not deny that he slept with his brother's wife and is the more likely father of the daughter. He does expose the gangster to the police who funded the porn film business and who uses his home for drug and sex orgies but this another action of revenge and social concern. So why do we feel disappointment when Caine is killed by another criminal assassin in the final scene of the film? Because it is Caine? And why does the film have a continuing appeal beyond Tynesiders, who enjoying working out where all the scenes were shot? One aspect is the haunting and unique musical sound track.

Newcastle has risen from this background with significant new landmarks and cultural developments although the process is ongoing an integral element has been the rise of Newcastle United Football stadium over the past twenty years from when it reflected the cultural isolation. The ground has been developed into one of the biggest and modern stadiums in Britain and for a few golden years in the early nineteen there was a magic mix of class football played with flair and a title chasing team who also played in Europe. There was Peter Beardsley one of the most skilful players in Britain There was great centre forwards Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand and then Alan Shearer. Above all there was Kevin Keegan although Sir Bobby Robson also achieved success in getting to club into positions where they were able to play in European competition for season upon season.

It is almost two weeks since the most dramatic of weekends in British Football, with Manchester City taken over by an Arab business, quickly followed by buying a real Madrid player for over £30 million with another £30 million plus paid Man United for Berbatov. Then the bombshell that Keegan had left, had been sacked, then he had not been sacked, Then the information that the issue had been his control over players recruited to the club or put on the market and sold. There was reports of meetings between Keegan and the Newcastle Board involving the football manager's association but these came to nothing. Almost every known Newcastle Football player of the past two decades was interviewed and supporters by their thousands telephoned text and e mailed.

The Owner, the Chairman and the Director of Football all London based were declared enemies of the people. A number of protests were said to have been planned with controversy over whether people should stay away from the next home match or attend and voice their dissent.
Peter Beardsley, a Tyneside legend who it was my privilege to see play then appeared on television on Friday evening, appealing for the fans to attend the game and not stay away, but also appeared to be defending the owner and board.

Then later in the evening there was film of the owner attending an annual meeting of his main company and refusing to talk about any aspect of the situation at Newcastle United.

Then there was the news that Keegan had returned from his home in Majorca for a meeting with the Owner in London and an official statement was that various matters were discussed without resolution and no further meetings were planned.

On BBC Sports news on the internet there was reference to the likelihood of five organised protests in and outside the ground and of some supporters not entering the ground for the match.

I went to bed very late after watching TV and a film debating whether I would visit to Newcastle to assess the situation, whether I would participate in any protest, or if I would stay home and watch the lunch time televised game between Manchester United and Liverpool and the early evening game between Manchester City and Chelsea, listening to radio broadcast commentaries of the Newcastle game and of Sunderland away to Wigan.

Ella Simmonds

2010-10-19T01:52:00.001-07:00

The greatest moment of the entire Olympic celebration occurred this morning when 13 year old Eleanor Simmonds who now lives in Wales and who suffers from dwarfism, won a gold medal at her first attempt in the 100 metre freestyle. There had been hopes that she might win a medal although he main aim was to give her experience prior to the 2012 games. She was trailing the field at the beginning and appeared to be competing for a bronze as the race was ending but somehow as others tired she found the strength to push herself into a personal best time by two seconds and won the gold by 100th of a second.

Whereas Andy Murray finds it difficult to impossible to accept that he is part of Great Britain as well as being a proud Scotsman, Eleanor had Union Jack on her back and red white and blue fingernails. It was her interview afterwards which led to my hoping the media will take her up and that she will win the Sports personality of the year. I am pleased to say that she did make to the national news along with one of most amazing escapes of all time.

A young family Mark Baxter and his wife Beverley were walking at Durham River Chester Le Street, the park land and children's playground next to the cricket ground, with their two daughters Leona aged 3 years and older sister about five years and the family dog splashing about the water left after the rain storm. Suddenly the three year old and her dog disappeared having been sucked into an uncovered and unmarked storm drain. Her father attempted to get her out but he had disappeared. Then in a moment of extraordinary inspiration he worked out that the drain would go straight to river and rushed off to its bank some seventy metres away and was able to see her coat being swept along then realising that it was his daughter face down, he jumped in, started to get the water out of her lungs before getting back to bank. His wife gave her first aid as paramedic, police and fire service arrived. The girl was taken to the North Durham Hospital where she was treated for shock and for bruising but by late evening she was seeking ice cream and chocolate and her relieved parents were telling the world how lucky they were. I wondered what were the odds of survival in that situation in terms of girl being caught in the drain underground, of if her father had not and the inspiration to get to the river and work out the direction the drain might be going to the water. What could have happens is difficult to think about although such tragedies occur every day somewhere.

It was the one bright piece of news in the evening regional news and sport programmes which concentrated on the flooding of Morpeth and other parts of Northumberland which has been the worst for over half a century as in one of the quirks of nature the water bearing clouds suddenly came to a halt over the town and wider areas unleashing over a month's rain in a few hours over already saturated ground. Again the possessions of a lifetime were destroyed but fortunately no lives were lost in this area as a consequence

The regional TV programmes also reminded of the statements made over the weekend my Newcastle Football Club and on behalf of Kevin Keegan to which was added the news that two other coaches and close associates had also left the club, fuelling the anger of supporters and where the momentum for a boycott appears to have gained ground and for standing in protest outside. A spokesperson for the managing company said there had been no approach to buy the club which suggests that unless the owners have some rabbit to pull out of the hat then their will be a test of will but hopefully not of strength on Saturday. I assume there will be a significant police presence to prevent crowds forming outside the ground unless they are entering with a ticket, but which in turn runs the risk of those bent in creating trouble doing so elsewhere in the city. It is a very worrying situation.

Yesterday I had seen again a film about the power of belief called Constantine and the Cross. This 1962 film feature Cornel Wilde and Belinda Lee and had its moments of engagement as long as one made no attempt to check its historical accuracy. The film focuses on the battle for power after the Empire was split between to rulers with Caesars as their deputies and how Constantine was converted to Christianity after his mother had done so. It also has a loyal friend Hadrian whose also falls for a Christian girl who may have been slave or a member of a minor family but there is no happy ending for them. Constantine triumphs and purges Rome of its nastier elements, for a time.

In contrast Alexander the Great viewed a couple of days before and which starred Richard Burton (unconvincing as a young man) nevertheless had a fine script giving the film gravitas. There was a balance on intrigue and on relationships rather than action and spectacle, as with Shakespeare's work which I liked but not the critics. The film made in the mid fifties did get slightly better reviews than Oliver Stone's 2005 epic which lasted nearly three hours. I enjoyed both.

I also enjoyed Confessions of a Dangerous Mind which I saw five years ago at a Cineworld in Chelsea and was again shown last night as I also watch Blue Velvet which I had not seen previously, occasionally flipping over to New York in the hope that Murray would find the mental strength and courage to break out of the crushing play of his opponent in he final of the USA open. Federer sense he could get his number one spot back and was without mercy.

I was much less critical again than the critics about Confessions. They disliked this first Directorial black comedy satirical film by George Clooney and which starred Sam Rockwell as the young man making the confessions and Drew Barrymore as his long term girl friend and Julia Roberts as a Marta Hari. Most did not like the plot or the script. Basically I believe most did not understand the psychology and most Americans would not appreciate the underlying self criticism of the American illusion. Sam Rockwell plays a creative who decides to use his talents on a series of brainless money making games shows. The first we knew in Britain as Blind date with Cilla Black. Three young people of same sex are interviewed by someone of the opposite sex who asks them three stupid questions and from their answers one is picked to have a blind date, someone a inexpensive local meal out, but more often an expensive few days in some exciting place. Usually they have a difficult time and cannot wait for the date to end, although I believe there was one wedding. In the film the producing team are told they can make the show as stupid as they like but warned that they will be sent to prison if they included anything which Uncle Sam then regards as un-American.

It is at this point that George Clooney enters the film as a special squad of state assassins and recruits Sam after claiming authorship for the idea of sending the couples on romantic trips and adventures around the world as cover for Sam acting as chaperone with the film crew to do "jobs" for his country. He is helped in these activities by Julia Roberts.

The need to find new shows is constant and as Sam progresses in popularity and double life he creates an earlier form of American Idol and the X factor except without the talent and restricted just to the worst would be performers willing to humiliate themselves on TV for the enjoyment of the masses. It at this point that a double agent comes to the fore and the principals set about trying to eliminate each other so Sam has a breakdown and goes into hiding before working out who the villain of villains is. The films has a kind of happy ever after ending and to add spice the story is put about that the take was not entirely fictitious. As with Blue Velvet it is intended to be taken at various levels. I loved the idea of the game show in which three old men review their lives and the one who does blow his brains out with the loaded revolvers given to them wins the prize of a new fridge or washing machine.

The critics were much more enthusiastic about Blue Velvet because it was about the diversity of human sexual behaviour, albeit of the darker and nastier kind and had lots of arty and surreal sequences which I thought pretentious. My interest was with the female star whose voice reminded of Ingrid Bergman so I played a hunch and looked her up on Wikipedia which confirmed that Isabella Fiorella Ellettra Rossellini was indeed a daughter of Ingrid and the Italian film director Roberto who was married three times. She was brought up in Rome. Santa Marinella and Paris before coming to New York when 19 years where she worked at Finch College as a translator, a ring master in a circus and for RAI TV. She appears to be one of those children of famous/infamous parents who do not come into their own until the death of the parent/parents.

She married Martin Scorsese 1979-1982, then a German ,model and later had relationships with David Lynch the film director of Blue Velvet, Gary Oldman and George Mosher. She also became a model being photographed by some of the best of the day and at one point was the front face for Lancome which she held for 14 years until on reaching 40 she was sacked for a younger person. Apart from the notoriety created by Blue Velvet she appeared in a number of films and TV series gaining minor award and nominations for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. In later life she became involved with various good causes and became a US Ambassador for UNICEF although she continues to hold joint citizenship. She remains part of large extended family as her father had three wives and in addition to her twin sis she also has a half sister from her mother's first marriage.. What I like about her most is that she wrote a book entitled my father lived to be 100, now what am I calling the book about my mother?

I went out walking in the morning as the rain had stopped for a day as bought a Daily Mail or a copy of the Culture Club record which was great value as it contained a number of hit songs. Visit to the bank for statement and cash and then to Asda just for milk as I bought grapes and strawberries at the station greengrocers completed the trip. I decided to start chasing up things outstanding and with day's task the free AOL Car Warehouse laptop which had clearly been lost between the various interests involved. It should arrive in less than two weeks. I had ordered some black ink cartridges over the weekend and the garage door is now working as it did when first installed which shows that it is better to face things than put them off.

More woe at Newcastle United 2008

2010-10-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

The day began soberly with the focus on the Sunday Football Supplement programme with informed and balanced discussions about Newcastle, West Ham, Man City and the transfer window.

Several things which were stated or hinted at elsewhere were confirmed. The Abu Dhabi group had approached Newcastle first but Ashley had rejected because they wanted overall control. This alone will finish Ashley and his cronies in this region. Apparently he is ready to sell up but not for the £135 which he bought the club but the £232 million which he has put in the club. He has also hired ex SAS men and others to protect him, presumably from the media which will follow him until he makes some kind of public statement. Apparently the Indian entrepreneur has 20 billion and would bring Kevin back so the end of this story remains to be written.

While the new European approach of separating the role of Manger from the person who recruits can be successful, l if one is an elder statesman rooted in the club and its traditions and has the same outlook, approach and ambitions as the manager, it has not at Newcastle, West Ham or Tottenham and has not been needed to bring success at Manchester United or Arsenal. It led to the departure of Murinho at Chelsea over the recruitment of the Russian player now elsewhere. There were also pointed comments on the behaviour of the Tottenham chairman who is said to have briefed the media throughout the day against the behaviour of Manchester United over Berbatov but then agreed to withdraw any complaints for roughly an additional £5 million payment. It is to the credit of the player that he resisted more money at man City because he believed his future would be better as part of the United Team.

Yet another information technology scandal hangs over the future of the government as the names and addresses of prison governors have gone astray and could involve the relocation of officers and their families if the information falls into the hands of the criminal underworld. There is also why it took a couple of months for the information to passed to the Home Secretary/Minister of Justice.

Not only had the rain stopped when I awoke but there were moments of sunshine so around midday I rang Durham cricket Club to learn that the ground conditions were such that the game was cancelled.
It had rained in Belgium too and these conditions suited Louis Hamilton but early when the race commenced he spun and had to settle for second position from then until the final laps when he undertook a manoeuvre which led to him being penalised by twenty five seconds with the consequence that he was placed third instead of the winner. Later the Racing Team announced they would be appealing against this decision.

I missed the final laps having switched over to the BBC 1 for their review of the first day of events at the Para Olympics where over the past decade the level of competition and performance together with the assessment has significantly improved. The coverage also included mini films about the backgrounds of those who had previously won medals or whose story merited bringing to the attention of the public in general. Welshman Simon Richardson aged 41 attending his first Olympics won a gold in 1 K time trial for those with impairment in their legs, and Aileen McGlynn from Scotland who has a severe visual handicap only being able to see shapes and shadows won the Tandem time trial with her lead cycle from Wales Ellen Hunter, both setting world records. Darren Kenny 38 then smashed his world record in the semi final of the 3000m pursuit and in the final caught his opponent after only 1000 metres which meant the race immediately end and he became the gold medal winner. Kenny who is from Dorset suffers from cerebral palsy after an accident from which he was not expected to survive. The British Swimmer Sascha Kindred who won four medals in Athens won his first event today bringing the total 4 and Britain equal first in the medal table after Day 1. The sight of some swimmers using their arms and upper bodies without the ability to control their legs, or using their legs and upper bodies with one or more arms and hands disabled was truly inspiring as the cyclists with severe damage to legs who use lightweight and strong special artificial legs.

After the evening stir fry I enjoyed Soccer Aid at Wembley in which a team of legendary footballers and celebrities played the rest of the world. Each team had a former professional goal keeper in the first half and a celebrity in the second. And they were allowed to have four out of their five former professional other players on the pitch, throughout the game if they wished. England had a forward lime of Alan Shearer who scored a penalty and a class one header and Terry Sheringham who scored first. Other ex professionals included David Seaman, Graham Le Saux and Jamie Rednapp, Harry's son whose pregnant wife did the pitch side interviews, included her father in law who managed the team with Bryan Robson. The game had mass appeal from several viewpoints. The celebrities acquitted themselves and of course had their fans from their day jobs. There was the opportunity seeing some former world class players with De Canio, Figo and Romaro in the rest of the world with Jaap Stam. They showed their skill and the 4.3 win to England just about reflected the play although no one would have complained if there had been a full time draw and the game gone to extra time/penalties.

It was then time to for Andrew Murray in the adjourned semi final against the brilliant Nadal who had won Wimbledon and just about everything else and had the world at his feet. Contrary to the BBC news Nadal did not quickly win the third set. There was one extraordinary game where Murray had seven break points and then also fought back to level twice after Nadal had gained the advantage point. This appeared to be the turning point in the match as Murray failed to win the game and collapsed to lose his serve game with Nadal taking the set. When Nadal broke Murray's service early on in the fourth it looked as if worst fears were to be realised but Murray's not just held nerve but went to the offensive playing some amazing shots of power and also of skilled accuracy and one had the sense that it was going to be his day to become first Brit to reach a semi final of a major tennis tournament in a decade and the first ever Scot/ he has alienated English support in the pat emphasing his pro Scots anti Englishness rivalry and last night further created problems by emphasising that he was playing for himself and family and that Britishness was along way on his list of priorities and interests.

Because of the sporting interests little project work was accomplished but I went to bed content

Protest at Newcastle United

2010-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

My concern with the Republican Convention made me forget about the prospect of flooding in Texas from hurricane Gustav, or to check if the autumn like weather blitz we are experiencing in the UK is connected to the hurricane build up in the Atlantic. After three months where we did not experience consecutive hot days and there were only two, possibly, three spells of consecutive days of sunshine without rain, we now have torrential ain from dawn to dusk and throughout the night. Because the ground has not dried out from what happened two years ago the risk of flooding is always there and while some of the new or improved defences created from two years ago are working we are experiencing local flooding with last night two severe warnings issues and forty others placed on alert.

It rained all day yesterday, Washing out cricket at Durham, elsewhere and this morning although there is no rain at this moment more is promised which not only ruled out play today but possibly tomorrow when an important 40 40 match was scheduled.

Yesterday's rain dampened the level of protest outside the Newcastle football stadium but this did not prevent the future of the club and the impact on the region dominating local news programmes, filling the back pages of national newspapers where previous managers and players are all give their viewpoints. Because of the resignation at West Ham for similar reason this appears to have become a crucial time for the balance of power between Managers, players and the clubs, as understandably if players know that it is the owner, chairman or director of technical services who is controlling movements in and out they will talk direct and by pass managers thus further weakening their ability to manage the players and build them into a team.

While Mike Ashley the billionaire owner is alleged to be partying on champagne in New York, the most important of players in Newcastle's recent history broke silence and explained why although he would love, really love, to become the manager of Newcastle Football club he would not do so unless he was able to manage the players and just be the head coach. So far there has been only snippets of the interview with Alan Shearer which is to be shown on Saturday on BBC1 where he is already contracted as a football pundit for the weekend review of Premiership matches with highlights. What has been shown is sufficient for everyone to know that he considers the situation which Kevin Keegan found himself as unacceptable. The full interview will be shown tomorrow. There was also an interesting statement from the Football managers Association on what happened when they assisted Keegan at meetings and found they there was not one spokesperson for the club but three, presumably representing the owner, the chairman and Mr Wise, all outsiders to the club and the local population.

Clearly there is concern about how the situation will develop a week Saturday when Hull make their first visit as new entrants to the Premiership. It is important that any demonstrations inside and outside the ground are peaceful and this will be difficult with genuine protestors mingling with serious trouble makers and those wanting to protest within the stadium or just watch a game of football and the world's supports news media in attendance. My own view is that a boycott would be more effective and avoid trouble. I was unsure by what a fan's "representative" had to say in terms of everyone supporting team inside the ground unless he like me is concerned about what will happen if supporters stay outside the stadium while the targets for the protest stay away. He was accompanied at the interview by a well known vicar wearing the Newcastle shirt who previously had sang abide with me in an effort to unite everyone behind the team. My view is that only if one hits Ashley in his pocket will he decided to sell up and which in turn will lead to a new chairman and a director of technical services selected with help by the manager to ensure that they will be able to work as a team and that the manger will have the last word.

Usually they kind of story lasts a couple of days and the media move on to the next big thing, so that events at Man City or Man United only a weekend ago have become history. Conveniently the Manager of West Ham also resigned over the same issue of players bought and sold without having the final word. This is a great coincidence and smacks of the Premiership club owners having got together and developed a policy for the future designed to take control away from manager who will be renamed head coaches. Clearly something had to be done be following the scandals and allegations of Mangers and Clubs involved in bribes and back handers to secure the transfer of particular players but tit is one thing for Managers not to be directly involved in the negotiations about price and player wages and perhaps to have someone separately heading a team, identifying players to be brought into the club in the future. The situation has to change so it is time to man the barricades, metaphorically of course.

The film of the day, The Silent Barricade, a film which I can find nothing about on the internet and which looked as if it was produced during the time when Prague was part of the Russian Communist empire. The film is about the rise of the communist/trade unionist/people against the Germans towards the end of World War II creating barricades and defending them with limited weaponry with the focus on one family where both the adult daughter and teenage son join their father against his wishes and perform heroics, the sun blowing up a tank. Just when the ammunition ends and the German's bring big guns to destroy the barricades and the human resistance, they withdraw. The Russian Tanks arrive to general acclamation.

In the evening I watched the last part of the X Factor preliminaries just as a sixteen year old girl sang a version of a Damien Rice song and got herself into the next round and there was also another young women with great looks, personality and voice who struggled because after practicing for two months she had strained her throat but also impressed. In between here was he annual collection of awfuls some duly primed to behave badly. Big Brother House is reaching its ends of days after a series which failed to create the kind of public interest achieved since it was established. This time there were some redeeming features with a visually disabled participant taking the second prize and the winner a modest and kindly, but determined young woman who nevertheless will disappear from public view along with the £100000 cheque.

At last I had Saturday to look forward to, cricket at Durham if it stopped raining; the Belgium Grand Prix Formula One time trials for the last 5 places on the grid then 11 to 15th and then first ten; Andrew Murray in the Semi Final of the USA open, The Opening ceremony of the Paraplegic Olympic Games; Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England all playing in their first qualifying matches for the World Cup in 2010; and a box office Boxing night if all else fails; and of course I could receive that phone call to say I had won all or a share of the 92 million on offer in the European Lottery.

Football passions, past and present

2010-09-28T08:36:00.001-07:00

Last night I watched a film called the Peacemaker, an action movie about nuclear terrorism starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman which turned out to be a chase movie with the usual last second between a big bang and happy ever after. The film centres on a Serb Croat who appears to lose his child and wife in fighting and raises the two hundred million dollars required to have one of the stolen bomb. I am not sure who the Peacemaker was in the film or ever is, any more.

I write this while watching a BBC film God on Trial in which a group of Jews, some due to make their journey to the gas chamber at dawn and others who will live on in the concentration camp together with the new arrivals who have arrived a day early, debate the nature of God and the significance of human life in the universe where in our galaxy there are 1000 million stars with solar systems and planets. The drama comprises a series of moving and thoughtful statements included a factual analysis of the God of the Old testament in which evil was brought upon the Egyptians including the death of their first born innocent children because the Pharaoh the King decided against letting the chosen people go, although he was not punished and only the innocent, including his soldiers who had obeyed their orders were destroyed some in horrific and prolonged ways and concludes and reminds that the God of the Old Testament was not good or just, but just powerful and on the side of the Jews. This speakers concludes that all that has happened is that God has had decided to enter into a new covenant with Hitler.

Another took a different viewpoint reminding that it was irrelevant whether God existed in the form believed by the Jewish prisoners at that moment and the issue was that the only way Hitler who had tried to make himself God could convince his people that what they were doing to the Jews was right was not just to remove their wealth, their normal clothes, their hair, their teeth fillings and their dignity and make them live in filth but make them lose their faith, and therefore they use their faith as their final act of defiance. For although the setting of their deaths was dramatic and horrific it was shared whereas for many that final moment of realization that all the trappings of life were unnecessary and of no value, except how we live and how we face those final moment of physical self awareness.

The play ends with the group of contemporary visitors who are being told the story of Jews who put God on Trial standing among the physical souls of those who died that day as they prayed for forgiveness and eternal salvation, grateful the at they had been given those few moments of awareness to make peace with themselves and each other, and as the visitors to make their way to their coach, one reminds that despite the attempt of one man and his people to eradicate a whole race, we are still here, to which I add as the belief in God, despite the many faces, often held by people in conflict with each other.

Given this film of a play the future of one football manager and one football team has to be put into the perspective of the fundamental issues and choices now and times past. It was a day in which the nice manager of West Ham, the club he played for and loved resigned on principle because he had no control over who can and who left the club, especially the decision to sell two players to Sunderland in the last days and moments of the transfer window. His departure was not greeted with anything resembling the level of protests as built up in relation to the news that Kevin Keegan had effectively been sacked by the Newcastle Chairman and Board early on Tuesday morning following meetings held the previous day for what is believed to have been a similar situation when the club not only failed to recruit the number of players he needed to meet the situation he faced because of injury and developments at other clubs, but because of the attempts to sell players including Michael Owen who would be free to leave the cub in the New Year unless he signed a new long term contract.

For me the issue is no longer whether Keegan is the right person for the present situation, or ever was, of who did what and when or did not do what they should among owner, chairman, chief executive and Director of Football and his recruiting and buying team or whether the club or Keegan initiated the confrontation. For me this issue is that he is there and should stay and be supported in the way he wants to be because the alternative not just spells disaster for the Club, and for the morale of an important community, but would mark the final death of a great public participation sport with principles, confirming my fears that in the medium and long term the arrival of the bottomless millions of an Arab state into the Premiership is a very bad thing indeed. My hope is that not only will a way be found to keep Kevin as the Manager of Newcastle United Football Team but that the vents of the past 48 hours will shock all those involved in the management and promotion of the game to think again about the direction the game has taken and decide on a different course. I think this is unlikely but the hope is there.

I first supported Sunderland Football club when I came to the North East in 1974 as the first Director of Social Services for the new local authority of South Tyneside, and where I subsequently had a short spell as Director of Social Services for Sunderland, and my work included the management of several thousand employees and an annual revenue budget of ten of millions, and although a chief officer and fellow of the British Institute of Management, I was part of a management team headed by a Chief Executive and I was also accountable to an elected Council Committee equivalent to the board of a football club and which in turn was accountable to the board of the company controlling a football club. My main function however was the statutory provision of services to the most vulnerable and needy people in society, and I believed and acted on the basis that my duty to them took priority over everything else, including my personal interests and position.

While there are significant differences between a football club and a social services department and there has been a revolution the scale and organisation of both since I was involved with the latter I suggest that there are important similarities in priorities between both types of organisation then and now with the foremost a duty to serve and protect their best interests of the customers of the respective services.

On coming to the North East, I quickly learnt that the relationship between football clubs and the whole community, as it was between the local councils and the community was very different from that which I had previously experienced having worked in a senior management positions in the field of Social Work in the North West, in Yorkshire, and in London and where during this later period I held a national position which also enabled an understanding of the variations in the provision of social welfare services throughout Britain. The best way of describing this difference between the North East and other parts of Britain where I had lived, worked and studied is to say that the within communities there were great loyalties formed through common work and its hardships, commons faiths and common social livings which were and to some extent remain tribal and were all embracing to a level perhaps only found in the coal valleys of South Wales, the coal fields and industrial areas of Scotland and in Northern Ireland. This was also so because of the extended nature of families still living on one estate or within one town and that there had been had been only limited movement of people from other parts of the UK or outside these Island since World War II and that the overwhelming majority of people lived in council provide accommodation or low cost and standard rented private accommodation also grouped in high density estates.

Football in the North East as it was in the other cities and major towns was working class supported sport where you became part of a crowd loyal to one club and where you could give way to basic emotions, shouting and singing what you felt as and when you wished.

One of my first games was at Arsenal to see Stanley Matthews play for the opposing team, some sixty years ago. I then stood on the terraces at Crystal Palace when I knew all the faces around me as during years that the club required re-election for three consecutive seasons to the former third division south. I learnt to take extra care in the 1950's when the Palace played Mill wall because the reputation of some Millwall young men. I visited other grounds in the area where I was located between leaving home and coming to the North, including Oxford City and Liverpool.

Throughout the past thirty four years I have held season tickets at both Sunderland 1975-1990 and 2007-2008 and at Newcastle 1992-2007 and for this season I had decided attend matches at both clubs selectively and to watch others live on TV, partly because of the way the Premiership had developed and partly for non football reasons. During the eighties in to the nineteen nineties, visiting other grounds on organised supporters trips or through personally arranged transport, I experienced being stoned in a coach for over half an hour by pint sized children after leaving a match at Everton, was twice on an underground train wrecked by organised gangs associated with football in London, once by a Chelsea gang attacking members of the Sunderland London supports club and the second occasion when a West Ham gang broke out of the train to attack a Chelsea gang where both clubs had been playing other teams, this was on the night of cup game between Sunderland and Chelsea when Chelsea supporters within the ground attempted to attack Sunderland supporters, on a night where I was watching with several political leaders of South Tyneside Council from ordinary seats in a stand. There were also occasions within grounds including at Tottenham where I had to run for my life despite police protection and at Arsenal where the problem involved a young policeman who lost his head and where I agreed that the matter should be handled internally by the police.

I mention these things to demonstrate that I know something of reality of being a football fan and what it means to fans and to local communities in general, especially the passion and the rivalries.
I gave up on Sunderland in the early 1990's because I no longer enjoyed going to games, not just because the team lost but because of the lack of quality in performance which I was able to compare with other teams through the increasing showing of games on television. Going to my first match at St James when Newcastle returned to the Premiership was like switching between the Catholic and Protestant religions, but it was also a revelation, and having obtained a season ticket I then had that one period which perhaps only occurs once during any lifetime, of sporting bliss, when I found it difficult to wait until the next game. For me the team winning something was secondary to that rare combination of a team which played exciting and quality football, and which also won games, a manager who was able to communicate with everyone at whatever level of society. Who else could have convinced fans that selling Andy Cole to Manchester United was a good thing? We did not like it but we took it because you said so. We also took the disappointment of not winning the league title after coming close, as we did the disappointment of losing two subsequent visits to Wembley in the FA Cup.

There was also continuing hopes of a revival back to what had been glory days with the appointment of some, but not all of the subsequent managers, but after the departure of Sir Bobby Robson there was a growing discontent and lack of confidence that the situation would improve. The ground had been developed into an all seated super stadium and the core support also changed significantly, as did the atmosphere and the cost of attending games and for several years the stadium was generally filled despite poor play and losing streaks by players who were obscenely overpaid compared to the majority of those supporting.

I say this not just on the basis of my limited contact with other supporters at the ground, but as a regular listener to the Legends

' programme on Century radio and 606 on BBC 5, as a reader of local papers and watcher of regional TV sports news and programmes. In this context I have told Messrs Slaven and Horsewell at the Legends' programme that I will never listen again to the programme following their infantile, inappropriate and offensive approach to the situation during the first hour of the programme on Tuesday evening.

There was a combination of reasons why I did not renew my season ticket for the 2007-2008 seasons at Newcastle and bought one at Sunderland instead. It had become evident since the take over of Chelsea, and the input of Sky money, that without a similar injection of funds no team could hope to play on a regular basis in the Champions League or become a serious contender for the Premiership title on a regular basis. Having the funds was an essential but not the only ingredient for success, which also included the ability to pay the wages which the best contemporary footballers are able to command. The manager/coaching/ and back up staff had to possess the ability to organize and motivate a mixed group of millionaire performers over not one but several seasons, and cope with a continuous movement of some players between clubs, as well as working with the administration of a world wide business enterprise, and satisfying the supporters which included the interests of sponsors and hospitality clients, and achieve success not just now and again, but on a continuous basis. In addition this had to be achieved by providing Sky, and now Satanta and to a lesser extent the BBC and ITV and other TV channels showing and paying for live matches, entertaining spectacles and have a manager who is a larger than life personality who could front the club and handle the wall to wall 365 24 hours media interest for news and gossip.

Only four clubs appeared to possess the funds, management structure, stadiums and supporters to sustain these requirements. Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. I regard this situation as the death knell of the Premiership and the football leagues as they are at present, because the four clubs will become divorced from the rest and become a European and ultimately world wide Championship competition, breaking away altogether from the Premiership if they risk losing their position.

Monday 31st August appeared to confirm this view with the entrance of Abu Dhabi money, and while I was delighted for Man City supporters and the Man City Club which like Sunderland has attempted to remain focused on meeting the aspirations of its core fans, I speculated how long Mark Hughes would last if he fails to deliver. I also feared for the consequences of the development in the rest of British football.

I also used to follow American Football where what impressed me was the system for buying in knew players- the annual draft- which appeared to ensure that the teams performing badly had the first pick of each round of the draft and thus over a period of time every franchise had the opportunity to play and win the Superbowl as well as heading their Division. I suspect there is now no way to achieve more of a fair playing field between teams who make it into in the Premiership and except for the top four or five the rest can only hope of making it into competitions once or twice a decade, and winning one of the two cup competitions as happened this year in the FA Cup with Portsmouth. Only a similar Injection of funds to that promised to Manchester City will enable a club to join the first rank and remain there.

The problem with Newcastle is that it became a top four and world wide brand club under Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan, doubling its season ticket holders, and one assumes also dramatically increasing its sponsorship and sales as well as administration and support staff as well as the new super stadium, without achieving trophies let alone sustaining a position after the departure of Sir Bobby Robson. It is now entrenched as a middle to lower Premiership position club and Kevin Keegan recently expressed the reality of this to the public.

As the situation went from bad to worse since the departure of Sir Bobby, the frustration and disillusionment of the core support has intensified although everyone also puts on a bold front when in contact of supporters of Sunderland and those of Middlesbrough and at away games. It became a different situation at home games where the atmosphere became increasingly depressing to match the performances. I decided not to renew my season ticket because I did not enjoy matches and I could not see any significant and lasting change despite the arrival of a new owner and his management and administrative appointees.

I turned back to Sunderland, (who I had continued to support through televised games) after going to the new stadium and the establishment of the new ownership and the appointment of Roy Keane, because there appeared to be a significant change with an emphasis on retaining and developing the supporter base and a honest and open manager who tried to ensure that the players never forgot who they were playing for first. The atmosphere in the promotion year was a throw back to times at Newcastle a decade ago and at Sunderland three decades beforehand.

I was thrilled and delighted with the news of the return of Kevin Keegan to Newcastle as the Manager, initially assuming he had accepted the position only in the knowledge that he would have the resources and authority to rapidly move the club forward, bringing in players necessary and moving on those who could not or were unwilling to fit into the new team. The extent of the task was evident at the first match of the return, when I sat next to a father who had brought up his son from Norwich for the day as a special birthday treat and who would be returning home that evening after the game.

I was amazed by the appointment of Denis Wise after the failure to bring Alan Shearer back into the club in some managerial capacity. This is not intended to imply a criticism of Mr. Wise but I did not and do not see how such an obvious Londoner could ever become acceptable to the fans unless he was seen to produce an amazing new player or two, with Berbatov and Robinho being the two current examples. On Sunday when I went for a drink to supporters ' pub in Sunderland before game against Man City, everyone was watching Rangers play Celtic in preference to Chelsea V Tottenham, (and confirms my belief that Newcastle and Sunderland should seek to join the Scottish Premiership, just as Tyne and Wearside would be better served becoming part of an independent Scotland). I have always found the antipathy towards London clubs and Londoners as strong among Newcastle core supporters as it is towards Sunderland and donning a club shirt and supping pints as the new owner has been seen to do.
I also did not see how someone as charismatic and hands on as Kevin Keegan could work with some one devoting themselves to recruitment and transfers unless Kevin had the overall control and not the other way around.
I was also disappointed to learn that it was not the intention of the new owner to do a Chelsea which has to be done if one wants to break through the bar of getting into Europe competitions on a year in and out basis. The Bolton or Portsmouth approach can only ever involve competitive success for one year or two but cannot be sustained for a club intending to fill a 50000 seater stadium.

Part of the Newcastle brand appeal has been the ability to attract world class players able to perform in the Premiership and before the old Gallowgate. While the Gallowgate loved players with big personalities such as Malcolm MacDonald, Ginola and Tino Asprilla, they also worshipped those who score goals regardless of their media appeal such as Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand and Peter Beardsley. Because of his constant injury problems Michael Owen has been a great disappointment and is yet to prove himself. At present the club has no great scorer or personality players with perhaps one new signing indicating that he might become a new hero, and this situation fuelled the sense of gloom which led one passionate Toon neighbour from not renewing for the first time since reaching adulthood, although unlike me he would never switch to also supporting another club.

I suspect that like many supporters I was thrilled with the performance at Manchester United on the opening day and accepted the defeat at Arsenal in the context of Arsenal having suffered an unexpected setback the previous week. I applied to join the Members club so as to able to buy tickets in advance of the general public after the Arsenal game such was my confidence that Newcastle would have a better season subject to further transfers and the injury position.

Similarly players and supporters were mesmerized by the performance of Man City at Sunderland last Sunday, explained by the news the following day, and which I did not expect will affect the rest of the season given the purchases that have been made and the ability of the manager to motivate and organize. I would be surprised if either set of supporters expected miracles, but continued to hope for good run in a cup competition.

The circumstances which have led to the present situation between Kevin Keegan and the club are only relevant in that they will determine how a resolution can be found, however short term. The departure of Kevin for any reason at the present time could destroy Newcastle United. While this is likely to be reflected in attendances and purchases I was concerned by the depth of feeling, and not just the behaviour of the teenagers, having watched Sky throughout the day and listening to the first hour of the Legend 's programme.

As an outsider it is not easy to see a medium term solution which does not involve Kevin being given the authority and the funds to take the club to the next level.

I cannot see Mr. Ashley and his team becoming acceptable again to Newcastle supporters and the Newcastle Community unless they are willing to make it clear that Kevin has control of all football matters, including the selection of players transferring in or out of the club, subject of course to the interests of the players and their representatives. Mr. Ashley and his team will also need to make funds available enabling Newcastle to compete in the current and changing market. If Mr. Ashley is unwilling or unable to do this then he should arrange to sell his interest to someone who can.

I also wonder if there are not roles for Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer at the present time as both are able to command the attention and patience of supporters

The choice is a simple one between making Newcastle United what is likely to now become a top six club or everyone admitting that this is not going to be possible in the medium term and accepting the consequence in terms of support, wages and club income and expenditure. Newcastle United is still a worldwide brand, but without a top notch product it could quickly become another Leeds.

What happened at Newcastle United?

2010-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I had a familiar dream where I found myself in a strange town seeking a bus which would get me in the direction I needed to travel although not completely home, uncertain of which bus stop and the direction to take I went for stop to stop only to see the bus I required leave from a different location and then discover that this was the last of the day, there was no train or taxi service and I was marooned. There was no panic or fear just inconvenience and irritation that the people are had asked for help claimed ignorance or just ignored.

This morning there was no such dream and I awoke contentedly around 8am, started to write, made myself an coffee and two slices of toast, determined to start on a house and to attend to other practical matters and some project work. I switched on the TV for the news channels including Sky Sports News to learn the reaction to the events of yesterday and early on, I cannot remember the precise time, that there was news that Kevin Keegan had been called to a meeting with the Newcastle Board. There was a photo of Terry McDermott taking a phone call or making a phone call at the training ground. So for the first part of the morning the impression was that Kevin had walked out of the club as he did not return to the training ground, and this was because of a disagreement with the board, presumed to be over the buying and selling of players following injuries to key existing members of the team. There is also believed to have been a disagreement over the future of Joey Barton and whether he should be sold should the opportunity arise during the transfer period. I also wondered about the position of Michael Owen.

By early afternoon Sky were reporting that Kevin Keegan had been sacked by the board. Only later when the club issued a statement on their internet site saying he had not been sacked did Sky confirm that Keegan had told his friends that he had been sacked.

During the afternoon various young people and some not so young assembled by the ground calling for the Owner and the Director of Football to resign. There were hundreds if not thousands of emails and texts delivered to the Sky from season ticket holders and supporters saying they would not set foot in the ground if Keegan left while Ashley and Wise remained in position. Several well known former players including John Beresford expressed their concern, explained that the departure of Keegan would be disastrous for the club. He, at least I think it was who appealed to those involved to resolve their differences for the future good of the club.

By late afternoon a promised statement from the club had not been issued and it was early evening before a statement was made, not to the press, but on the club internet site. This said that Kevin had not been sacked and that the club wanted him to continue with the club as manager and pursue the strategy to progress the club. Thus the statement did not say that he would continue and there has been no word from him or his friends since.

In the evening I switched to the Newcastle Legends and I was shocked by the attitude of Bernard Slaven and Mick Horsewell. Their attitude and behaviour was infantile and totally inappropriate for the situation. They tried to retrieve their position during the programme by saying they had a lot of regard for Kevin Keegan and the fans but they clearly had lost the plot. Only Malcolm MacDonald appeared to realise the gravity of the situations and its potential implications. Later I wrote to him to explain why I would never listen to the programme again and also explained to Messrs Slaven and Horsewell my reasons for adopting the position.

I awoke eightish on Wednesday to a spokesman for the professional managers association explain that Kevin had been in touch with them last night and that he had not resigned and that it there would be talks between the club, Kevin and respective advisers over the next days to try and resolve issues of mutual concern. The attempt to sell Michael Owen and Joey Barton by the Board using Mr Wise is reported to have been the catalyst as well as the overall situation where Keegan found he had no control, and little power over which players came to club and which left. The root cause appears to be that the club was being run foremost as a business when Keegan was being used as front expect to motivate whatever players were available to win, without regard to what could be expected in today's market. Keegan a man of integrity and love for the club and its supporters realised he could go no further and attempted to change the position and the board in turn created a situation to force him to leave tantamount to constructive dismissal. This is the way the situation is now being presented.

How far this was with the prior approval of the owner Mike Ashley who likes to stand on the terraces wearing a shirt King Kevin and was caught on camera at Arsenal downing a pint, which he afterwards said he thought was non alcohol lager, may never become known as usually in such a situation there is a confidentiality undertaking entered when the situation is agreed. This is usually because of the financial settlement reached. However I cannot see Kevin, the league managers Association, the players, the supporters or local media and media in general being prepared to accept such a situation and it is evident that those involved now face the starkest of choices. If Keegan stays then this will only be on his terms in that he will need to be told how much money is available for new players and then it his responsibility and his alone to spend that money in terms of players in and layers out whoever actually conducts the deals and sorts out the legal and financial equipments of the Premiership and company law. There is no other acceptable alternative. If Keegan departs then I will join anyone and everyone to organise a boycott of the club until ownership changes hands and the present administration is replaced. I would be surprised if I was not joined by thousands, if not tens of thousands of others. The choice is therefore simple.

Mr Ashley Kevin Keegan and Newcastle United

2010-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

September 1st and 2nd will go down in the history of British Football and Newcastle United as a day of infamy. I begin by saying that if Kevin Keegan leaves the club as is presently forecast in the media I will not set foot in the club again, even if someone like Alan Shearer or a world known Football manager is appointed while Mike Ashley remains the owner and Denise Wise remains at the club. Both have to go regardless of what happens now. I also want to know if the Abu Dhabi investment company attempted to buy Newcastle Club and if so why was the offer rejected. Whatever the outcome of this particular matter there were three other developments which will have a profound effect on the future of the game not just in England and Wales but on the sport in the rest of Europe.

There was nothing to indicate anything of what was to happen as I made my way on Sunday to a seat on the front row a little distance from the centre line. It is an interesting position to experience football, similar to the view of managers and coaches and where you have no perspective ..s and combination of moves. However you feel very much part of the game which is difficult sitting even midway in a stand, let alone towards the back. You also get a different perspective on the rest of the stadium especially those at the rear of top decks very distance. I found the first 40 odd minuets satisfactory as Sunderland held a fired up and exceptionally well organised Manchester Team. Sunderland had the problem of the mix of new and old players and the threat of new signing Shaun Wright Phillips but Sunderland held them well and overall a nil nil score at half time would have been a fair result. Then against the run of play Manchester scored a soft goal and to compound this it commenced to rain and sitting in line with the edge of the roof was little protection. I therefore rushed to get my self and a packet of crisps but still found myself part of a long queue and had to take the coffee with him as the game recommenced. What happened was a great disappointment as instead of taking command the team succumbed to persisted attacks from Man City and it was only a matter of time before a second and then a third goal was scored and it looked as if worse was to follow. I have not witnessed a more convincing demolition by any team this season so far. To make things even worse it commenced to rain more heavily and I was soaked by the time I reached the car with water pouring off my face.

Back home I consoled myself soup, and instead of salad went for the last prepared pasta dish. I spent the rest of the evening on project work and uploading on my space the majority of the photographs taken during recent trip to London creating two 101 sets. I must add those of Oxford and others of London in the near future.

I awoke early on Monday on what appeared to be bright day and put out the bin and box of recycling material. There was a continuing problem with the garage door so I took the precaution of taking out the car and then managed to close the door. I decided to sort this out either later in the day or as soon as practical. There was news on the progress of hurricane Gustav reported on yesterday and on transfer and then the bombshell, the investment arm of the Royal Family of the Arab Emirate state Abu Dhabi had entered into an agreement with the owner of Manchester City to take over the finances and control, and provide finances to enable the team to with the Premiership and the European Cup.

Before commenting on this development I did my research on the Emirate which the largest and most wealthy of the Emirates, significantly more important than Dubai. It has a small resident population which are one the wealthiest on the planet about the size of the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland and has 86% of the land areas of the United Arab Emirates.

If anyone has any doubt that the purchaser of the club have bigger financial clout than the Russian owner of Chelsea then one has to look at three of their recent investments. The University of New York is one the most important private funded Universities in the USA with 40000 students and with study facilities in London Florence, Prague, Madrid, Berlin, Accra, Shanghai, and Singapore with new facilities in Tel Aviv and Buenos Aries. There is now to be a campus in Abu Dhabi city, the first of its kind to be established abroad by any US research university and one which has 31 Nobel Prize winners over the years and well as a host of other research awards.

The second is the decision to build a new motor racing track as part of a theme park called Ferrari World and which is hosting a race in the Formula 1 World series championship

The third is the world renowned Cleveland complex of hospital and health resources known as the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio and which is to provide a world class speciality hospital in Abu Dhabi which will open in 2010.

Closely following on this news came the unbelievable news that the club had been given the funds, in advance of the formal take over in order to place bids for two of the most well known players known to be seeking moves Berbatov who wanted to leave Spurs for Manchester United and Robinho, the Brazilian super star who wanted to leave Real Madrid.

There were then developments where the background is becoming known. The first concerns the role of Manchester United in the sale from Spurs of Berbatov and who had set his heart on moving to Manchester United. It is not possible say precise sequence of events except that Spurs issued a statement that they had not given permission to Manchester United to speak to Berbatov about a transfer and only after the deal was completed just before the end of the transfer period did Spurs issue a statement to say that as a consequence of the deal they would not be complaining about the Man U conduct to the Football Association.

Spurs also issued a statement to say they had accepted the offer of Man City for Berbatov and that it was up to him to agree personal terms. However Sky then reported that the manager of Manchester United had gone to the airport to greet Berbatov who had travelled up in a private jet and was taken to the training camp where he was given a two hour medical and then came to the Manchester United Club to agree personal terms and for the registration as Man U player to be put through the system.

I have sympathy with Berbatov who came to Premiership and performed brilliantly scoring a goal every two games and who in his two seasons at Spurs achieved what few arrivals from other leagues have been able to accomplish. He set his heart on playing for Manchester United because he believed it was the best club in the world and he wanted to play in European competitions and win trophies.

I also have sympathy for Spurs who wanted to keep their match winning player. It is the conduct of Manchester United that should be investigated whether Spurs are happy or not. The responsibility of the Association is everyone involved i.e. the professional players, the clubs but also the supports and this includes those of Spurs.

Then came the news that Real Madrid had decided to cut their losses as Brazilian Robinho had made it plain he wanted to leave to leave the club and Spain and wanted to go to Chelsea. It is understood that when he heard about the offer from Man City which topped that from Chelsea said whatever as long a he could go regardless of the club in question and where it was located. He had threatened to retire from the game if he could not move. I share in the delight of Man City a club that is well run with decent prices and where the fans have been long suffering having faced third division level football for a period and always living under the shadow of Manchester United.

I am also delighted that at last Chelsea will not be able to buy its way into positions and titles without competition but what the development means is that it will be impossible for anyone else to complete unless they are backed by those prepared to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in players, regardless of the financial return. It is reported that Robinho has been offered a contract worth £160000 a week £90000 after tax.

There are now eight of the Premiership clubs owned by non British interests including three American and two Russian all prepared to invest substantial funds. There are now two from the Middle East although Al Fayad at Fulham is firmly British based and one for Iceland or is it Norway. Arsenal who used Emirates money for their new stadium have been the subject of take over speculation but this is the first time someone has come in bought up a minor club albeit with a long tradition and substantial fan base come hell or high water and promised to make them top of the heap within a few years and appears to be doing so for the challenge and the desire to do excellence. I worry about the impact on fans and on the further escalation in seat costs. Some £500 million is said to have changed hands over player transfers.

All this distracted me from Durham Cricket Club as they played Hampshire at the Rosebowl, stripped of all the extra seating and the hospitality facilities in an important Pro 40 match which would end under the excellent floodlighting noted when I attended the 20 20 final

's day. This was to be my area of interest to day but alas it was quickly evident that Durham would lose after Hants won the toss of the coin, decided to bat first and commenced a ferocious assault on Durham's bowling ending their overs with a score of 300 hundred runs. Durham opened badly in an effort to score runs quickly as the weather forecast was of heavy rain. Sadly although the rain came it stopped, enabling a reduced over game to continue and Durham continued to lose wickets without anyone being able to score runs which would make the result close. As with the County Championships they are still in with a chance as they have a game in hand but I fear that the earlier defeats in the Provident Trophy and the 20 20 finals days, coupled with Steve Harmison's recall to England has taken its toll and they no longer look the tight and confident team of earlier in the season. They lost badly and I saw little of the game as a consequence
I had been tempted to stay up to watch Andrew Murray play in a last sixteen in the New York Open but was too tired. He won what may well become regarded as the most important game of his career to-date moving on to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day I shopped at Asda buying bread, salad and fruit. Sardines previously four for £1 were not 2 for £1 although there were cheaper versions available. I also bought a tin of anchovies. A small tin costs 74p. I was prompted to try a tin, usually only eating anchovies stuffed into olives after listen to a special programme about the fish. Apparently those caught in the Bay of Biscay are the best quality although there are 100 versions with a large quantity off Japan and South America. One major restaurant has created a dish of pieces of toast topped with anchovies which you dip into custard. Weird.

I bought a small pack of beef cut for stir fry which had been reduced in price and was excellent value providing two servings. One I had for lunch and the other I froze for another time. Talking of value I was charged £2.50 for a cup of coffee and a packet of crisps at Sunderland who also charge 5.50 for fish and chips and where the chips comprise a small portion of French fries for £190. Durham offers a large plate of proper chips for £1.50. I also bought some more frozen vegetables and pasta meals in the morning but no cheese, salami or ham.

After lunch I decided to sort out the problem of the garage door and to visit the firm which provided the replacement electric mechanism. They are located on an industrial estate near Albany Village Washington. As mentioned previous writing Washington was a new Town created from various villages between Sunderland and Chester Le Street on the way to Durham City. Each community is separated by a major road network and open land and associated with each residential and local shopping area there are individual and commercial enterprise designed to provide local work opportune units. Finding the form was not as difficult as expected as heading for Albany Village, clearly marked after leaving the first A1M turning into Washington, which was he first bonus, the industrial estate was also marked as the village was approached. Before turning into the estate I noted a sign to Bolden and speculated where this road might lead. At the firm an assistant contacted a manager who advised that the problem was battery which cost only a few pence at car store but provided one. On return home the original remote worked so I am yet to use the replacement battery, having no need to go out today. I was pleased with the way I had handled the situation and that the solution had not proved expensive. I have worked hard on project work while keeping one eye on the TV and one ear to the radio. I assumed that after the excitement of the football developments Tuesday would be a quiet day when I could write, commence some house cleaning and more project work In some respects it became even more of an emotional day glued to the TV and Radio as the news broke that Kevin Keegan was leaving the club after a dispute with the owner and then that he has been sacked.

Return in Triumph Olympics 2008

2010-09-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

The return of the most successful British Olympic team in 100 years, and because the 1908 London Games include only two dozen nations and competitive preparations was in their infancy, it can be argued this has been the most successful team of all time. Some thirty individuals have gold medals because of quartets, trios and duos and some seventy individual brought back a medal to their part of the United Kingdom.

This should have a profound effect on Britain's involvement in the 2012 Games and on participation in sport in general. It could have positive consequences for the political and social landscape.
For once all the ingredients came together, individuals with the dedication and drive to win and push themselves beyond their previous limits to do so. There was Shanaz Reade getting off the plane on crutches, obviously angry with herself for trying to win in the only way she knew and that momentary miscalculation when her dream of Gold and nothing but Gold ended. She had crashed twice beforehand, and badly injured but pressed one. No medal then but a model for hundreds of thousands of young people. There was 14 year old Master Daley getting of the plane trying to take everything in and getting a great hug from Tessa Jowell and the warmest of smiles from the Prime Minister because of his courage but more because of the way he conducted himself on TV and also become an icon for the youth of the nation. There was also Ms Cooke who had nipped back to Switzerland where she is now based to enjoy the triumph with her friends and sponsors, and then quietly letting slip that she had gone back into training last Tuesday in preparation for her next world competitive event in September, before joining her fellow competitors at Heathrow for the photocall and press conference and then going on to Wales to join her team members for the reception at Heathrow before travelling to Wales for an open topped bus ride around Cardiff before returning to her parental home village in the Welsh Valleys, challenged by the disappearance of coal mining and where a third of the working population now have to live as the minimum national income.

The second ingredient was government funding which enabled the elite athletes to concentrate full time on preparations and competing, as well as the funds for equipment and for training facilities and to encourage new generations to join in and for some to replicate the achievements.

The third has been the administration, coaching and support staff able to work together effectively and create a sense of a team, and one should not forget the patents and the relatives who made sacrifices in time and money to give support over the years before the national funding became available. There is a momentum which should continue forward to 2012

The return home was well planned and orchestrated with the Athletes in their team GB outfits and medals parading down the steps of the plane after The Princess Royal, Lord Coe and other passengers had quietly left determined that for once the attention should be focussed on the athletes before they had their press conference where the media appeared for once in awe and wonderment, trying not to ask any question which might spoil the moment, although it was evident that that those attending the conference had been well prepared.

There were three aspects which caught my attention. The wise advice from one former Olympian the swimmer Sharon Davis who at the time could not hide her jubilation as the main poolside BBC commentator that the successful athletes would be overwhelmed by the public attention, and then there would a great sense of anti- climax as the media moved on, and they and their team mates had to decide if to begin another four year cycle with the incentive of winning at home, embarking on the rest of their lives, trying to hold on to the memory of one unbelievable moment in time.

The second was that already the two leaders of the pack had been identified. Chris Hoy because he had won the more medals at any one Games since the 1908 London games and who represented maturity and the ability to become a major ambassador for 2012. He had confirmed that he would be competing in 2012 and responded with great diplomacy at the decision to close the indoor cycle centre at Edinburgh and the new Glasgow centre emerged. On one hand the vicious is that the best athletes need to live and work together in their preparations and before those from Scotland should have one place of their own rather than concentrating everyone in Manchester. However had he not had the opportunity to just go along and try out the sport and young person without setting his sights on international competition he might not have developed into the success of today. Then he was given the question which could have spoilt the party, was he happy about being part of a British team at the games rather than a Scottish. Yes he was proud to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth games but he was also proud to be part of the British team because he was proud to be Scottish and British. If there was any doubt that he will become Sir Chris Hoy, either now or after 2012, then he flattened them.

For Becky Adlington aged 19 she was asked for her reactions to the news that a pub was to become the Adlington Arms. No she did not know about that although she did know about the Swimming Pool, and yes she was looking forward to the shoe, and no she has no intention of sharing them with her sister, who fortunately had a different size. She was proud to come from her small town of Mansfield and to represent them and anything else was a bonus. She showed indications of having every intention to remain herself but also to follow in the footsteps of all the few others who are able to remain the centre of public attention beyond their sports or other specialist activities. She could be destroyed in terms of the continuing effort required for a second round of Medals and as a normal, girl next door human being that young people will want to identify with, in contrast say to Amy Winehouse and other rock stars, football prima donnas and personality celebrities without any other achievement.

The media has the most important a part to play with the natural tendency to now look for skeleton in the cupboards of the individual concerned and in their families. However I thought they did well in terms of the families who where invited to assemble at a Thames side. Here members of families of athletes who had participated without medal success were interviewed and able to demonstrate how proud they were for being related to someone who had been part of the team and their joy at being able to see them again. One medallist who had returned early to be with his family reminded that what was important to his son was not the medal but that he was able to read him a bedtime story. There were also nice reminders that partner had been separated so that all the right images were available for the TV and morning papers.

Of course this is only a few days when the nation can take its mind away from financial concerns, wars and famines, and not everyone was giving their full attention to the Olympics whatever the success stories. There were other sports commanding attention with the start of the football season, Rugby union and rugby league, the Motor racing Formula One events and the US Tennis Open championships. Hopefully the public will now switch in vast numbers to the Olympic success sports, but the majority will not.

Gordon Brown and Tessa Jowell adopted a low key approach by not giving live interviews but greeting the returning competitors on behalf of the government and nation. As if on cue the following day the Conservative Sports Minister expressed concern about the whether the government was doing enough to involve young people in Sport and ensuring that there was a good legacy in terms of the effective use of the facilities once the games are over. This was unnecessary and inappropriate and a political mistake although one can understand the panic among the opposition within and outside the Labour Party as it looked that the Government led by Tony Blair had adopted a policy and programme which brought general acclaim and were now handing the present unplanned success intelligently and with understanding. There was also a nasty article in the Independent newspaper top day arguing that France had deserved to get the games more than Britain because of having a better public sport participation structure than in the UK.I have no means of knowing if this comparison is valid but assuming it is, then the counter argument is that if France has such a good system and provision and Britain less then The Olympic committee made the right decision because we would benefit and progress more.

It will be interesting to see how Scotland handles the official reception following the comments of Chris Hoy and an example of how it is possible for those with different and conflicting agendas to work together constructively is the Northern Ireland power sharing Executive. I watched the recording of the June meeting yesterday when the new chief and deputy Ministers were appointed by the majority parties to office at the Assembly, following the retirement resignation of Ian Paisley. Moderate political leaders reminded that for the grater part of forty years Mr Paisley had said no and for the previous 18 months he had said yes to the benefit of all the people of Northern Ireland and consequently they were able to wish him well in retirement. The new Unionist Chief Minister emphasised his party's continuing opposition to the aims of the Republicans but the willingness to make the all Ireland committees work and to concentrate with the Republicans on improving the situation of everyone in Northern Ireland and similar commitment was given by Martin McGuiness the reappointed deputy chief Minister. It struck me that if this was possible then a way had to be found to create a great British football team for 2012. If not then I would hope that the World and European federations will step if there the democratic power of the majority to do so.

There are 100000 and more volunteers registered for he games when less than that number will be needed. I had thought the reason for the TV screen at Middlesbrough because they were hosting a preliminary game or two, but according to the excellent 2012 internet site, it is Newcastle because of its size, with Villa park in the Midlands, similarly Manchester United and the Millennium Stadium Cardiff as well as Hampden Park with the final at Wembley.
There are ambitious plans to get all the visitors to Olympic Park by public transport with a new seven minute rail link from St Pancras connecting with the underground net work there used by both St Pancras and Kings Cross, with Euston nearby this will enable visitors from the North East, North West and Midlands to travel to central London and to the games and directly from Europe by train. This will mean that only official vehicles will be allowed onto the site with competitors and the support teams housed in the village adjacent to the stadium where apartments will be equipped with the latest technology.

Later on I decided to watch Braindead one of the Peter Jackson's horror films before Heavenly Creatures and Kate Winslet. This a funny film with unbelievable horror in which the most grotesque looking beings cannot be killed until the hero decides to use a rotary lawnmower and his adoring girl friend a blender to reduced several dozen of the creatures to go before this is all burnt. The plot centres on a monkey that was raped by a rat on the island of Sumatra and who now tears into any human or animal flesh with gusto. The creature also has the problem that any transferring of blood will result in an immediate transformation of the being in question, turning them instantly into a blood seeking grotesque monster who will tear into flesh with their hands. Set in fifties New Zealand the film made by Peter Jackson with his lifelong partner Fran Walsh gives an insight into their character, but for most adults the film should not be viewed after a meal or before going to bed. Wiser to stick to dreams about being an Olympic champion however unrealistic this is.

Olympic Party 2008

2010-09-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday 24th August was the official end of the Beijing Olympics and the official day that London became 2012 Olympic city for the third time in its history.

Once upon a time the Olympics was the opportunity for talent young people to compete against each other in a variety of competitions to prove who was best at that moment in time. The was a good idea for the events to be held in different countries to promote cultural understanding and to enable different people to experience the competitions not as participants but as supporters, Special stadiums and other facilities had to be created to enable competitors to perform at their best and for as many supporters as possible to participate which in turn involved ensuring there was appropriate transport and accommodation available for the relatives and friends of the participants and for those with a general interest the different sports. At one level this is still the situation.

Then politicians and country leaders appreciated that winning events had significant benefits for the nation in terms of its status in the world and their own and enabled them to achieve a cohesion through public support for successful members of the team. It was the 1936 Games held in Germany which provided Hitler and the Nazi regime to use the games as a major propaganda event, the 1948 Games as the 1951 Exhibition provided the opportunity for Britain to show that it had survived the war and was looking forward to the future. The Atlanta Games in the USA enabled to the country to demonstrate the progress being made in combating its inherent racism and tribalism, the Sydney games provided the opportunity for Australia to dispose of its XXXX image and to mark the first stages of recognising and apologising for its horrific record towards its indigenous people. The Spanish games was an important step to show the progress since its fascist decades and Athens was a brave attempt to remind of the original objectives and values.

And then came China with echoes of 1936 Berlin.

Where were the Chinese people? Glued to TV we were lead to believe marvelling what their nation was achieving and preparing them for the sacrifices ahead as tens of millions are forced to change their lives from peasant farmers into working in the new state dictated industrial economy. They built some iconic performances areas with the bird best stadium, the swimming pool and the Ling Ling media tower, iconic memorials to the vast fortune of some 25 billion dollars devoted to creating the month of events. The won over 50 Gold medals and 100 in total. In one event there were blatant examples of a bias in favour of the hosts and yesterday a similar suggestion made about the diving although it was not won by someone from the host nation. Our youngest competition aged 14 Tom Daley acquitted himself well coming 7th in the ten metre board final. Tom Daley is not the youngest ever competitor or would have been the youngest medal winner had he succeeded in the synchronised swimming event and has a comparatively long history of participation in national and international events to some of the British competitors. His event required courage as well as skill and to finish 7th out of thirty qualifying competitors is a significant achievement. I was also impressed by his interview this morning along side to Gold Medal winners. It is to be hoped that everyone will allow him to practice and compete and to grow up without being spoilt by eh fan adulation and media interest.

Later in the Party in Mall celebration to mark the 2012 start day, the USA eight Gold Medal winner in Beijing Mark Phelps stopped over in London, his first visit to say hullo and to confirm his intention to return for 2012. His recent interview confirmed that he is a much better ambassador for the USA that my first impressions. He is still a freak human being along with Usain Bolt from Jamaica. These are two very different personalities. Phelps appears to have the made up his mind to run an international corporation or become a presidential candidate whereas Bolt could feature in the Hollywood story of his life and become one of the playboys of Caribbean world.

The closing ceremony had lots more fireworks and spectacular wow features but the tradition of the athletes breaking ranks and creating their own sense of a party was firmly resisted by the Chinese authorities, presumably with the blessing or even encouragement of the Olympic authorities. It will be interesting to see the London approach. The first indication of this was the eight minute come to London feature at the games. This comprised a Beijing to London red bus which opened up to show a London skyline made from green hedging. Former East Londoner David Beckham kicked his football and in an earlier interview mentioned that it was his father who encouraged him to practice rather than go out and to drink orange juice, Leona Lewis also a Londoner, looked gorgeous and an arrangement of a Led Zeppelin number about a whole lot of love. Having dancers with umbrellas was a good warning for visitors but I am not sure if the former band member Jimmy Page meant anything to the world wide audience and one could have used one of a dozen former or current rockers to end the message, It will be interesting to see how the media respond to the style of the segment although everyone should be pleased by the two verse well sung version of the National Anthem. The two hour closing ceremony was sandwiched between excellent BBC reviews of the Games event and their significance for London 2012, including an interview with Sebastian Lord Coe. Everything said by those directly involved suggested that Britain would be concentrating on the legacy of the games for the population in general and on promoting multiracial good sportsmanship. The first test was the party in the Mall.

The amount of organising and funding for this event only became apparent as I watched the TV event unfold. In addition to the main location outside Buckingham Palace there were some thirty screens erected around the country where there is to be direct participation in Olympic events, The closest to the north east was Middlesbrough which is one of the Football venues. This clearly demonstrated the political behind the scenes influence as Middlesbrough has the poorest crowd and local population involvement of the three teams in the three Premier teams in the North East. There were said to be 40000 to 50000 assembled in the Mall which omens well given the counter attraction of the Notting Hill carnival, sporting events including football.

After watching the event live I also listened to the radio two broadcast which had a different feel, omitting the recorded inserts of well known athletes talking of their experience and expectations. There were also only a few of he on stage interviews when the guests were impressive and the interviewers moronic. Before and in between the live acts there were more back stage interviews with the artists and some additional material, including "Keep on running", Junior Walker, "Keep on running," Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run", "Nowhere to run to Baby- Martha Reeves. 1951

Afterwards there was a special top of the pops featuring number ones at previous Olympics beginning with

Australia 1956 Johnny Ray Walking in the Rain very appropriate for London ;

Rome 1960 Apache with the Shadows;
Japan 1964 Tokyo Melody which admittedly only got to number one in the charts but was the BBC theme tune for the games. This reminds that the Chinese their own pop number called Beijing Beijing. For the Japan games 1964 the number was Roy Orbison and Pretty Woman, (also reminding that the Chinese had scoured their nation to present the beautiful, slim and tall ladies to the world but the British presentation included someone in a wheel chair and I hope this aspect will become a major feature of the opening of the Games in 2012.

Mexico Games 1968 the official British team song, was Mexico, sung by Long John Baldry, amazing given his jazz blues background. Mary Hopkins Those were the Days had been number one and continued for throughout the Games.

Munich 1972 was Rod Stewart and You wear it well. Some 700 athletes form 120 counties and 190 off medal events was the biggest until that time, but is now remembered for the terrorist horrors committed against the Israeli Team.

Montreal 1976 All- Kiki Dee and Elton John, Don't Go Breaking my Heart.;

Moscow 1980 Xandu Olivia Newton John was the number 1;

Los Angeles 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Two Tribes go to war;

Seoul 1988 He aint Heavy, He's my brother;

Barcelona 1992 Jimmy Nail I want no body else;

Atlanta 1996 Forever Love Garry Barlow;

Sydney 2000 Maria Carey and Westlife It's against all odds:

Athens 2004 Natasha Beddingfield These Words.

But what was for 2008? Given that the Games are spread over a number of weeks not all the number ones in the UK were features and it would be interesting to hear what was top of the Pops in the cities and countries where the games were held.

It emerged that the organisers had invited the artists on the basis that they would agree to perform one of the iconic songs associated with sport and performance. This resulted in Katherine Jenkins doing Nesum Dorma associated with the World Cup, and a composite rock band starting off the event with We will rock you and We are the champions of the world which have become Icon numbers of the I was there Live Aid concert at Wembley 2008.

The dancers reminded of Hair and the Gay group whose name I cannot remember but who dressed up in butch fancy dress with the hit song YMCA. This time the dancers represented youth cultures and their contemporary dress wear. The next singer, unknown to me performed Nobody does it better. James Morrison was the most negative pointing out that if the organiser wanted karaoke they should just have had karaoke and decided on an authentic performance of Imagine adding his unique voice. The Feeling felt challenged by doing a version of David Bowie's Hero for a day, and the interview with the lead singer. McFly appeared genuinely delighted to have been asked and by the audience response singing The Winner Takes All Another group Scouting for Girls did London Calling and the end of show stopper was Heather Small Proud where the twelve year old Trombonist Young Musician of the Year. Later I watched the decision programme of Last Choir Standing which was outstanding and where the Welsh Youth Choir sung for their lives and came through, I had worked this out as the three successful choirs contesting the final also performed in the Mall which must have been their greatest thrill to-date and for their families.

While Radio 2 concentrated on the music and interviews with the performers the TV show had live interviews some of the most successful athletes of times past with my favourite was Sally Gunnell who I have seen perform live at Gateshead. Now married with three sons she was thrilled to be back before the Camera and admitted that she did not usually watching the Olympics from the TV couch but had done so with her family who had been inspired. Mary Peters was there with a girl being fast tracked for Fencing while the mother of another teenager said her daughter was being fast tracked for diving which suggests that we have already identified those most likely to be able to compete at the required level. There was also evidence of the long term preparation as a water polo team were being trained for a sport where we had previously no entries or interests but were entitled to include a team as the hosts. This suggests other ventures such as baseball, beach volley ball and the like. It will be interesting to see how much of this activity is keep away from the media in the build up to the games and how far the government and the organisers will be able to keep the momentum generated by the Games to be maintained and progressed over the next four years.

I kept one eye on Teletex during the afternoon and evening as Durham progressed to a major win in the Pro Forty competition and moving to second in the Table with a game in Hand. It looked as if they could go top at one point at Middlesex appeared to have the upper hand over Hants, but they then collapsed and lost so Hants are now top of the pile which makes the four day and pro forty meeting there that much more important. My original intention to watch a replay of the Euro Grand Prix where our now Swiss based lad second to Phillipe Massa but widened his gap as top driver to six points. Rather than watch this or match of the day I had decided to write and listen having watched last week's and this week's of episode of Spooks code 9 where the story line is a good one but the script and acting pathetic. I also watched a early episode of Regan the Sweeney series in which featured the late John Thaw and his sidekick George Cole's Minder. I went to bed at midnight tired but content.

Olympics 2008 Boxing Athletics Taekwendo

2010-09-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

What a day. It commenced with the anger and frustration of the shenanigans of the Taekwondo competition involving a Chinese entrant where two of the four judges went blind when the British competitor scored a clear winning kick to the head. Their unscrupulous behaviour nearly cost the opportunity for a medal and it was not surprising that given this situation and the short period given between reversing the decision and the holding of the semi final that the British competitor lost to someone she has beaten on two previous meetings. Whoever went on to win the gold and bronze they have won because of an attempted cheat. Later a disqualified competitor kicked the referee and he and his coach achieved an instant lifetime ban. Together they made a mockery of the intended spirit of the Olympic games.

The sixth Olympic sport alphabetically is Boxing where the professional sport is generally regarded as corrupt with fights fixed and where the activity is much supported by villains. The British Amateur Boxing Association is known for setting high standards and few believe the spin put on the decision to send the best prospect for gold and a current world amateur champion home because he had failed to reach the required weight for his competition. At least they admitted they were sending home a second boxer because of media reports about behaviour in Britain sometime ago. The team needed good performance by the remaining members of the team to counter the feeling that Boxing was not a true Olympian event and its continuing participation is open to question.

This afternoon a British competitor, James deGale, aged 22 from London won the first Boxing Gold Medal for forty years in the middle weight class. As a Southpaw he established himself as a boxer rather than a fighter and until Beijing he had won silver medals in Europe 2007 and 2008 and Bronze at the 2008 Commonwealth games. To win the Gold he had five contests of four two minute rounds which he won 13-4. 11-5. 8-3. 10-3, and 16.14. In the final he was bitten by his Cuban opponent who fought a dirty in other ways, holding on and wrestling as he became more desperate. The Olympics is regarded as a ticket to Boxing professionalism and when asked if he would remain an amateur with the London Olympics in view he replied perhaps if he could have a flash car and more money.

Two other British boxers achieved a bronze. Tony Jaffa Jeffries aged 23 comes from Sunderland where he has struggled to achieve success and has had difficulties maintaining his position as membership of the British team. His progress to a bronze meal is therefore a major achievement for him and the city. Hopes were raised for super heavyweight David Price, the six foot seven 25 year old from Liverpool when he knocked out his second round opponent who was favoured for the Gold Medal, He had a hold medal at e Commonwealth Games in 2006 and had progressed well in the 2007 world championship having to withdraw with injury, He was unable to produce his form in the semi final and was automatically awarded a bronze. But if there are question about Boxing what can be said about athletics where enhancement performance drugs became the norm.

Both Stephen Cram and Sebastian Coe put a brave face on the inadequate performance of British Athletes in the blue ribbon events. They admitted the fact that there are athletes achieving a significant position, let alone a medial potential, in the middle and long distance events of 800 metres 1500, 3000, 5000, 10000 and marathon. And there was a similar problem with the throwing events of Javelin where we once had Steve Backley and others, and the discuss and the hammer. Although a vast sum, some 260 million had been used to support and promote Athletics the team had come to Beijing with a modest target of five medal which they had failed to achieve. My criticism centres on two aspects. The speed athletes at 100 and 200 metres tend to be over confident exhibitionists and as with the US the inability to complete the basics of baton passing is unacceptable. The second problem is the inability of the administration to create a sense of a team for which there is no excuse, except perhaps the athletes have been allowed to focus too much on their separate financial careers. There is also the problem of climatic conditions in the UK.

There is continuing embarrassment is that the only British Gold Medallist was Christine Ohuruogu who was banned for a year for missing three out of competition drug tests in succession. I can understand a competitor missing one but three? She was also banned from competing in the Olympic games as a British Athlete for life. She appealed against this ban and was successful after saying publically she would run for another country if this aspect of her punishment was not lifted. She nearly lost the British relay team a place in the final by an inept performance in the semi final and she underperformed in the opening leg of the relay, failing to provide the team with the start which would have been necessary if they team were to have a chance of a medal. Her victory has to be qualified and it is significant that former Olympic athletes such as Steve Cram always makes a point of mentioning the background and the reactions of other athletes on how she has been able to continue to run quicker than previously. There was also a double edge sword in the comments of Jonathan Edwards about the triple jumper Phillipe Idowu, aged 30 from Hackney, reminding that he showed him no respect during the years when their careers overlapped. One suspects that the dyed red hair, the Bling and the over confidence about his own performances is borne of growing up the son of a vicar, being successful at school in basketball and American football and early success when he switched to the triple jump. In Athens 2004 there were high hopes for him but he failed to record a legitimate jump in the first three and thus was unable to continue with final three jumps. However he won the 2006 Commonwealth games and the world indoor championships earlier in 2008 and came to Beijing confident of the Gold. He was narrowly beaten into the Silver admitting he was disappointed and had hoped to participate in London 2012 as the reigning champion. I hope is performance then will prove my assessment wrong. Athletes can become personalities, but only after they have achieved something remarkable.

Heather Fell, continued British success in the women's Modern Pentathlon since its introduction to the Olympics in 2000 when British women won the Gold and Bronze and where a Bronze was won in 2004. The event is called Modern because none of the five sport were part of Olympics in Athens. The basis of the events tends to attract upper and middle class entrants with shooting, horse riding and fencing forming three of the sports together with swimming and a cross country run. Although in China the latter was run on a flat surface in a stadium which would have been ludicrous had it not been for a twisting course. One disappointing worth mentioning is that Kelly Sotherton from the Isle of Wight aged 32 in 2000 moved to the Midland to train with Dame Kelly Holmes. She has never been in the world front rank of the seven event heptathlon (100 metre hurdles, 200 metres and 800 meters , High Jump, Shot put, Javelin and Long Jump) However I medal was expected after a bronze in Athens, a Gold at the Commonwealth games and a silver at the World Indoor championships in 2008. In the heptathlon the medals awarded for accumulative points from each event, in the Pentathlon the points in the first four events are turned into seconds for the cross country so that Heather Fell commenced the final event 19 seconds after the leader at that point and had to finish before the successful medallist to deprive her of the position. She summoned up the attitude of British involvement, work hard and play hard

For me the star of the Athletics team was thirty year old mother Tasha Danvers. She is one of those athletes who promised much at earlier ages failing to reach the final of the World Championships in 1999 and then when reaching the 2000 Olympic final she went out too fast and finished last. She then had a child in 2004 which prevented participation in the 2004 games and when she qualified of Beijing no one expected her to win a medal,. Not only did she get a bronze but looked as if with a few more metres should could have passed the silver medallist. With this achievements she was expected to announce her retirement but with a glint in her eye she spoke of trying to do better in 2012. There were nearly 150 medals to won in the Athletics events , with 42 of the 220 nations winning at least one bronze. Only five nations won more than one Gold, the USA with 7, Russian and Jamaica with 6, Kenya 5 and Ethiopia 4. To be impressed by one and partly impressed but another does not justify the money and attention which should be switched to other sports which are not tainted and where the sense of participation and commitment to excellence meets the Olympic Ideal. One suspects big and small p political considerations will govern what happens in practice.
David Beckham featured in the eight minute segment of the closing ceremony as the Olympic flag was passed by the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London and one of the main BBC commentators could not resist commenting that it was hoped the dreadful football team would do better in 2012. The reality of football, the British national sport, hence the involvement of David Beckham and the passing to him a football by a young Londoner to kick into the crowd, is that the four football associations of England, Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland cannot agree the basis for a British team which would enable participation in the Olympic Games in 2012 and in the future. However the demise of British football excellence on one hand is more than matched by the majority of the players in the English Premiership who are some of the best players from Europe and South American, and with the exceptional talent from Africa, Asia and from the antipodes.

Last Sunday I watched Newcastle's first game in which they held Manchester United to a draw when losing 6.0 in the same fixture lasts season. Yesterday I first listened to the live home match and then watched the highlights of the 1.0 win against Bolton, which had been the disappointing first game of the return of Kevin Keegan to St James last year when I had returned for the first time in the greater part of a season. I also listened live on the radio to Sunderland's away victory and Spurs where the winner was scored by the colourful French International striker Dijbril Cisse, on loan from Olympique de Marseille, who has also become the Lord of the Manor of Frodsham through buying a property when he played for Liverpool. I watched the full Sky replay between 10.30 and midnight and bought an online ticket for the next home game.

I continue to be impressed by the Last Choir Standing and the growing professionalism of the remaining four who are clearly loving every moment with the special clothes, hairdo's and make up as well being able to perform to such a large audience. Their performance, the final three choirs, in the Mall outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon as part of the London 2012 party reflected their growing professionalism as well as natural talent. I watched the BBC i player of the decision show and for once concurred with all three judges who said they thought the performance of the youth choir from Wales was extraordinary in that everyone appeared to be singing as if it was for their lives, which in one sense they were

It was also a week since visiting the Royal Albert Hall so before the football I watched and listened to the National Youth orchestra make some amazing music in the Saturday Prom on BBC 2. It has been a coincidence that on a weekend when youth endeavour is celebrated that the national Youth orchestra were contracted to play and that one of the Last Choirs is full of young people still at school while another represents the multicultural aspect of rapidly changing Britain.

Because of the nature of day I decided on Friday night to have roast chicken for lunch and a Stir Fry for Sunday lunch. I had also intended to have roast potatoes but became so involved with the watching the TV that I forgot to put them in oven in sufficient time especially as the chicken was cooked ready earlier than anticipated. For the evening there was salmon salad. Alas there was no email or phone call to say I had won either the great jackpot in the European Lottery or the double roll over in the national. Theer was little project work. Sunday is the closing ceremony and a celebration of London 2012, the Formula One race from Spain and some cricket and football. On Monday there is the return of the successful Beijing competitors so it will not be Tuesday until the house is cleaned and I go for the new spectacle, Wednesday will be in tray day and so it will be Thursday before marking the end of Summer with a return to full working, although there will be cricket days, especially if the weather improves.

lympics Highs and cheats

2010-09-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

There was an unprecedented situation in the Olympic games on Saturday morning British Time as for the second day in succession it was evident to professional and lay berserkers that at least two of the judges were grossly negligent or worse, the later there is no evidence except that they did not see as clear as ever anything can be clear a winning score by the British competitor. This was worse than the situation regarding the British male competitor who also came up against a Chinese competitors. The situation was sufficiently grave that if I had any say in the matter I would have declared the sport void for the purposes of allocating Olympic medals and refused to recognize the international body for the 1021 Olympics and led the call all for a new international body to be formed. The British team submitted a protest but no one expected the protest to be upheld. It is understood that the judges examined the video and photographic evidence and reversed the decision thus eliminating the Chinese competitor and current Olympic champion at Taekwondo. Although the decision was reversed and understood to have been accepted by the Chinese federation what happened leaved a very nasty taste and if I was involved I would insist on a full independent and potentially criminal investigation. That this involved two Chinese competitors and host for the games thrown a major doubt in my mind at the value of any other medals won by the Chinese which involved individual judgments rather than being first past the post, or other forms of scoring independent of human judgment. I emphasize that I have no evidence of corruption or unscrupulous intervention by the Chinese government or sporting authorities but we know of only too well what happens when the stakes are so high whether it is national pride or individual ambition.

It is not surprising that Sarah Stevenson could not get her act together for the semi final match where she lost badly to an opponent she has previously beaten twice. She still has a chance to win the bronze but it would be surprising if she is able to perform such is the damage created by the disgraceful and unacceptable behaviour of those which turned the competition into a farce. At this moment the bronze medal match is under way and I am pleased that the commentators are not leaving the matter alone referring to what happened earlier as shenanigans. I am so pleased to say that she won well and therefore will have a bronze medal although she will have to learn to live that she was cheated our of the silver or gold and for once I find it difficult to forgive whose responsible. Amazingly Wikipedia had this information on line with seconds.

I believe that twenty nine different sports have been included in the 2008 Olympics in China.

Alphabetically Archery was one of the sports where only a small number of medals were available 5 x 3 a total of three but where British expectation was high because three medals had between won at the world championships. The highest position gained was fourth in one of the five events. South Korea was the dominant force with two Golds and five Medals in total. China managed three medals, one in each category and Ukraine the other Gold. Six nations shared the medals.

Athletics is second where cheating through the use of drugs became the standard and where its place in the games should be relegated in terms of public and media attention until there is confidence that the problem has been overcome. Britain's performance has deteriorated in the middle and long distance races since the emergence of the African nations butt here ha been some exceptional individuals with Jonathan Edwards the most notable because of his behaviour on and off the track. The full report will be later.

There was hope more than expectation of a medal in Badminton (3) as the mixed doubles partnership of Nathan Roberston and Gail Emms was ending after the games. The couple had surprised everyone with a Silver Medal in Athens. The couple have had success at the Commonwealth and European competitions but their greatest success was to win gold in the 2006 world championship. Gail retires at the end of the Games. All the Gold medals were won by Asian Countries with China 3 (8 in total) and the others going to South Korea and Indonesia who each also won a silver and a bronze. The only other medal a Bronze went to Malaysia. Badminton along with Squash are popular games played in Britain for recreation and fitness

We are Sailing British Olympic success 2008

2010-09-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

Two Olympic sports have been completed with two further medal successes, one Gold and one Silver.

It is perhaps natural but never inevitable that there would be success on the water in sailing vessels. Britain is one main island and hundreds of others, with Northern Ireland part of the second largest land mass. Along the entire coast there have been ports and harbours throughout the ages and as our rivers have lost their industrial uses, the nation has turned to the small boat with yachts of all sizes and motor cruisers. The British love to go on rivers, and continue use the cross channel ferries as well as go on holiday cruises. The Royal Navy remains one of great sea forces of the world and although sea transport had changed radically with the use of container ships and fishing has been severely constrained so as to preserve European fish stocks, British young men and women still love to go to sea,
However before savouring the most successful sailing Olympics of all time from the British viewpoint it has to be remembered that perhaps only 100 individuals can expect to earn a living as competitive sailors and that some of out best well known sailors earn their livelihood abroad and that there are less than half this number sponsored to compete in the Olympics and world championships. The major problem remain that of sponsorship and that television does not like the sport because of the difficulties of showing events and the lack of interest among the general public which rightly regards sailing as still the province of the middle and upper classes. Having said that I have seen one article which suggests that over two million people own boats in Britain and that several million more will take to water in a vessel in some form each year.

This Olympics, the British team achieved their objective of four Gold Medals, added to which was one silver and one bronze, six in total and the best result ever for the British Team. Three young women, named three blondes in a boat after the famous book Three men in a boat ,won the Yingling class. Sarah Ayton aged 28 years from Ashford in Middlesex was awarded the MBE for her gold in the same class in Athens 2008. She now adds a second Gold. Pippa Wilson aged 22 from Southampton was the second member of the Crew and is a professional sailor. Sarah Webb is the oldest member of the winning team at 31 from Ashford in Middlesex and received the MBE as a member of the same crew as Sarah Ayton who joined the Royal Yachting Association's Youth Squad competing in the world youth championships in 1995 and 1996

Whereas little information is available about thee three blondes Ben Ainslie along with Chris Hoy of cycling is regarded a one of the best at his sport in the world, a view for once shared by sailors around the globe. Aged now 31 from Macclesfield in Cheshire, but brought up in Cornwall. he was taken into sailing by his parents at the age of 4 and commenced to compete in races at the age of tem. His father was a professional sailor who participated in the first Round the World Race in 1973. Ben has already had an extraordinary career and it will be interest to see if he now retires with the 2012 Olympics now in view. He has a long history of success gaining a Silver Medal at the 1996 games in Atlanta and has now won successive Gold Medals in 2000, 2004 and 2008. He is destined to be among those knighted for their achievements as a consequence of the success of the 2008 games.

The most exciting of finishers in any of the sports at the Games was that of Paul Martin Goodison, also a life long sailor now aged 30 years from Sheffield. He was in second position as the final medal race approached and after a week often becalmed waters which held up races, the race was fought out on choppy seas where previous experience and developed skill was required to find the best route between markers. The result was in doubt up to the finals seconds and such was the delight of the British team, including Ben Ainslie that Paul was lifted in triumph still in his boat out of the water.

Iain Percy aged 32 from Southampton has had mixed fortunes at the Olympic games having first won a Gold Medal in Sydney in 2000 but was only able to come sixth in 2004. He recovered from this disappointment to with bronze in the 2005 Championships and then Gold in the European of the same year, He was awarded and MBE for Sydney. This time he won Gold again with Andrew known as Bart Simpson, as crew. Bart also aged 32 from Chertsey but now living in Dorset.

Nick Rogers and Jonathan Joe Glanfield aged 29 recovered brilliantly from a disastrous start in their final Medal race to win Silver in the 470 class, having won the same Medal in the same class at Athens.

The sixth winning event produced Britain's first ever medal, a bronze in wind surfing which requires continuous upper body strength and stamina as well as sailing skills. Bryony Elizabeth Shaw is 25 years old and was born in Wandsworth. A feature of the sailing events is that unlike many athletes, sailors are expected to participate in a long series of races. Bryony who tends to be called Britney commenced windsurfing in the South of France in 1992 when 15 years of age, her father was an academic lecturer at the second University at Oxford and went to school near Headington, where I lived for over two years. She commenced to race competitively at a reservoir near Oxford and left university early in 2004 to concentrate on the sport, ranked 12th at the world championships in 2007 and 8th in 2008. She had a bad patch in the race series after starting well with 4th and 3rd positions and then finished 11th twice 6th and 5th. This was followed by a third, a first and a second which brought her to third overall in terms of the points awarded to that time. Although she came fourth in the final race this was sufficient to gain the bronze. She lives with a another wind surfer Greg King, near Weymouth where the sailing events are to be held in 2012.

Eighteen nations shared the 33 medals awarded in the sailing sport with only Australia winning more than one medal(2) and two nations winning three medals. Australia and France against the British six.
Having reported on cycling hopes of a ninth Gold medal were dashed when Shanaze Reade crashed in the final of the BMX bike race. The pressure and drive of this young woman to win after becoming world champion was such that she picked herself up in the settings races after her first crash where she took a lump from her elbow. She then got through to finish second overall which meant that she had the best position in the second of the two semi finals. Then horror of horrors she crashed again in the first race of the semis and appeared to be badly shaken as well as hurt. However she managed not only to finish second in the second race but to win the third which meant she had qualified in a good position for the final. She commenced the final in the lead but as they race commenced its final segment a French competitor who had won all three semi final runs as well as the setting races nipped passed her by changing direction. As they approach the final bend Shanaze instead of reconciling herself to second position and a silver medal, attempted the same manoeuvre and crashed after clipping the rear wheel of the French rider. On one hand I though this was the result of having attempted to ride to close to the rival and that she should have settled for a medal as part of the British team. However she was remarkably brave in continuing after two falls and the drive to win and be first and not to settle for second, may be uncritical, but is the kind of attitude which changes an also ran into a winner.

A similar level of frustration and disappointment was shown by the 17 year old Taekwondo competitor who had to fight four times in the course of the morning. He first become interested in the sport at the age of five after watching the Power Rangers cartoon. He joined a local club to the family home and then won the British Championship at the age of seven and then the world junior championship at 15. Selected to join the elite training squad based in Manchester his parents moved home and work to Manchester to help and support him. He won his first bout easily with the match stopped when the margin of points reached seven. The second contest was more difficult and then he was in the semi final he was narrowly beaten in the dying seconds after coming back three times for a point deficit. However it is inevitable that there will be an enquiry into what happened in the final when the judges repeatedly failed to confirm his scoring. including a hit to the head of the opponent which should have scored two points. To be charitable the judges may have been influenced by the crowd, and youth of the young man. In other circumstances one could make stronger allegations with considerable justification. It is hoped that the international association of this sport will conduct an enquiry and take appropriate action to ensure the judges do not officiate again.

Yesterday was a making up day as far as food was concerned with pasta parcels filled with spinach for lunch, a little salad and olive pasta for evening meal, some cereal and some toast during the day, strawberries, liquorice allsorts and lots of tea. The sore throat did not become the problem anticipated but when I coughed it was from the chest indicating that there was a problem.

I watched one poor film, the free with the Mail on Sunday DVD of Gene Hackman as a deputy district attorney attempting to persuade Anne Archer to leave her hideaway and return to testify against a bug time crime boos who she had witnessed present when his hitman murders the lawyer she met for the first time as a blind date arranged by her best friend who has been siphoning funds for his own use. Having witnesses the incident she takes to the hills she resists the plea of Hackman who unintentionally plays a dumb and irresponsible character who nearly gets himself as well as the woman played by Anne Archer killed several times in this would be thriller which has little credibility. It is worthwhile listing the mistakes which would have led him to being sacked if I had anything involvement. By luck he finds out there is a witness to someone who ahs evaded justice for years and where it is self evident given this is the USA the criminal will have workers in the justice system on the payroll. In such circumstances you do not disclose to anyone where you know the witness is in hiding and make sure that you are followed and then you ensure that you take without sufficient officers to ensure you can bring the witness if she agrees in safety. As she is located across the border in another country one presumably arranges local support as soon as the individual agrees to help and you ensure that you will have adequate communication throughout. The operation needs to be conducted as one would a military undertaking in its planning and its execution.

The thrill element rests on being in a position to escape the first attack and get on a train more by food fortune that planning. When I make a trip I always check out the various forms of public transport available beforehand and what happens if I or the public service breaks down in terms of drink, food, clothing break down. This is basic common sense even when travelling alone so the responsibility is greater when one is responsible or has dependents accompanying.

The second aspects which stretched the credulity is that while Hackman quickly becomes aware that two individuals have got on the train who are obvious villain he slowly works out there is third, although how this individual managed to get on the train remains an unanswered puzzle. There are two possible characters who could be the third villain and it is evident to everyone except Hackman who the individual is. His greater stupidity is not to assume that either or anyone else could be the third individual. Having realised that there were only two people who were aware of his mission he assume that one of these rather than the other is the guilty party whereas common sense dictates that you assume that either could be in on the conspiracy and got outside the system for assistance. He appears never to have heard of the FBI or the Canadian government. His next act of stupidity is to behave in such a way that he identifies to the criminals who the woman is when they would have no immediate way of knowing which of the other passengers she was By all means act as decoy but the best way in the circumstances would have been for her to act as any other passenger and sit with the other passengers who do not have a private compartment on the train. Amazingly the witness in question agrees to give evidence after surviving several near death experiences thus putting herself, her son and any other members of her extended family at grave risks for the rest of their lives from the crime boss and his friends. This is a film to avoid Narrow Margin unless of course you are too tired to do or watch anything else.

1470 15 Swimming and Cycling Golds 2008

2010-08-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday August 20th the second full day of my return from became an excellent mini trip to London despite not being able to fulfil original intentions, I am having difficulty in getting going again after an interrupted night.

Yesterday I enjoyed a good sleep with little interruption on Monday and arose early to watch the Olympics as I have been doing since the British sportsmen and women commenced their amazing series of winning achievements. I have delayed recording the experiences because of time constraints in a situation where I wanted to get out and about as much as I could. On return I had noted that it had rained heavily but it was only yesterday that I found out the extent of the raining while away and that it was necessary to cancel sporting events across the region from the 20 20 international at the Riverside today to the racing at York. The explanation for autumnal changeable wet and cold weather over the past two summers is the movement of the gulf stream south. Usually it sits above the British Isle and northern Europe so that we can enjoy the warmer and sunnier weather from the south. Alas this has not been the situation and there is no immediate prospect of change before the end of the month making August a washout.
My energy level had been good over the morning as I completed writing while giving full attention to the Olympics. And then I needed to shop and go to the bank to pay in the cheques from Inland Revenue and Premium Bonds. In the evening there was a an excitingly close Pro 40 cricket match at Nottingham involving Durham. This was also rain affected reducing the length of the Durham inning twice so that using the formula which applies in this competition Nottingham was asked to score 152 fro 25 overs almost a 20 20 game where such totals are possible and as with Durham had a good start but hen one of their key players injured himself and the rest collapsed to give Durham a surprising and unimportant win, only their second in four games, placing then in mid table and with the three teams above them with only two more points and played an additional game, so there is all still to play for. It was good to see the new flood lights in operation and which are the best in the UK.

And now to the Olympic story 2008.

Eight of the sixteen gold medals have been won through cycling with seven of these on the track and one on the road, the first by Nicole Cooke(1) the 25 year old from Wick in Glamorgan, achieving success after her disappointment at the age of 21 at the last Games in Athens. One of the treats of the latest Computer TV Technology is that in addition to having a constantly updated list of British Medal winners it is possible to watch full screen video's of the event, the medal ceremony and interviews including those with parents who in almost all instances will have committed themselves to supporting with help in travel, special diet, facilities and constant support. The medal was well earned with having to race up and down mountains as well as through the streets of the capital for over three and a half hours. The feature of the rest was managing to keep close to those who attempted to break away and that in the closing moments she momentarily lost touch before powering through to win.

Her victory is rightly celebrated and her parents appropriate honoured but it is worth reminding that after winning her first national tile at 16 years and being a world junior champion she turned professional and presently lives in in Lugano, rides for a Swiss based team and speak fluent Italian, She has women major races throughout Europe and was rated the world's number road cyclist. However being the Olympic Champion is the one which matters to most sporting athletes

It is also important to remember that throughout the history of the games which were re-established, some 100 years ago, only 200 British men and women have won the gold medal, and with a quarter of these (55) achieved at the 2008 London games when there were only some twenty nations competing and participation by genuine amateurs. In 1900 we won 14 in Paris and then a similar number in Antwerp in 1920. Theer were 11 in Sydney 2000 and 10 in Stockholm 1912, which means that sine 1920 only once were more than ten gold medals achieved. At the USA games in Alabama we only one won.

The second set of cycling Medals was won in the men's sprint team where three riders each ride a lap of the track against another team doing similar, similar to the relay on the athletics track except that they must also ride together for the first lap and then two for the second. The winning margin was only half a second on the final race which lasted just over 41 seconds. Such is the contrast between performers Two of the three were to win further medals but the man who got the team off into a their leading position was Jamie Staff (2). Also 25 years from Ashford Kent he started on a BMX bike when he was nine years of age and he took up the sport winning everything from World Championship downwards. Deciding that he wanted an Olympic medal, in 2001 when the BMX bicycle was not an Olympic Sport he switched to track cycling qualifying for the British Team at his first attempt. He has won gold with the British Team in the World Championships in two events 2002 and 2004.

The third member of the Gold Medal team Jason Kenny (3) who is one of the youngest members of the British team at the age of 22 from Bolton and who previous has only represented and the European Level under 23's so it is an extraordinary achievement to have one Gold Medal as part of the sprint team and then run Chris Hoy a close second to win the individual sprint silver. He is destined for great things in the future world championships and 2012 Olympics.

The third cycling medal was an individual medal by Bradley Wiggins(4) in the individual pursuit competition. Winner in Athens 2004 he repeated his success in 4000 metre pursuit race having achieved a Bronze at the Sydney Olympics in the team pursuit, He also won a silver and a bronze in Athens. He is now 28 years of age and was born in Belgium, his father a professional cyclists who then moved to London, He turned professional in 2001 with the British Road Racing team, moving to the French Teams and riding in the Tour De France 2006 and 2007. He received an OBE in 2004 for his contribution to British Sport he won three world championship medals in 2008. Bradley won a second gold medal in Beijing as part of the British team pursuit team

The next Gold Medallist to mention is Chris Hoy(5) one of Scotland's foremost athletes who rowed and came second in the British Championship in 1993 and Rugby at school. A university graduate in Sports science he had been awarded two honary doctorates, As with Wiggins he commenced on the BMX bicycle. Before Beijing he has achieved recognition on and of the track winning Gold in Athens in 2004 in 1km time trial and has nine world gold medals. Chris was part of the trio of riders who won the team Sprint. He won the individual Sprint against a fellow Team Member and also the Keirin, the Japanese originated race in which six to eighth riders jostle for position behind a motorcycle before breaking into a sprint when the motor cycle breaks off about a couple of laps before the end of the race. At the age of 32 Chris is expected to retire having been appointed an ambassador for the London Olympics and where a Scottish Velodome being built for the 1014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is being built for him. Given that he already has an MBE and is the British person to win three Olympic Medals at the same games and with four from four different events there is already expectation that he will receive knighthood for his contribution.

The sixth Cyclist Gold Medal winner Rebecca Romero was raised in Wallington, but long after my own childhood having a Spanish father and English mother and attending Wallington High School which I used to pass on my way to the John Fisher School and which was then the Girl's Grammar School. She also has University degrees in English and in Sport's science and a postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Communication. Aged now 28 she developed an interest in rowing and in the Athens Games won a silver medal in the four sculls. And then was part of the team which won the World sculls fours in 2005. Having a back injury she retired from rowing in 2006 and took up track cycling quickly making progress in endurance events. She then won silver medal in the 2006 World Cup track competition in the team pursuit losing to the same British opponent who she beat in Beijing, She obtained a silver in the World cycling event in 2007 and then Gold in the 2008 world championships and a second medal as part of the team pursuit team. She is the first British women two have competed at the Summer Olympic games in two sports and only the second woman to do so from any country.

In addition to Bradley Wiggins there were three others who won Gold Medals as part of the British team pursuit team. Paul Manning(7) aged 24 from Sutton Coldfield is a British professional cyclist who has represented in two previous Olympic games winning bronze and then silver and who has won two Golds at the Commonwealth games. Geraint Thomas (8) from Whitchurch area of Cardiff was born in Wales and at 22 is one of the younger member who can hope to compete in London and after. He became the youngest rider in the 2007 Tour de France, deciding not to race in the Tour in 2008 in order to prepare for the Olympics. The team broke the world record in the heats and again in the final. He has won gold medals in the World Championships 2007 and 2008. The fourth member of the team is Ed Clancy (9) born in Barnsley Yorkshire his home is now Newton Le Willows in Lancashire. A professional cyclist aged 23 he was part of the 2008 World Championship winning team and is another good prospect for London 2012.

The third female cycling Gold Medallist was the last success Victoria Pendleton (10 born Stotfold, Bedfordshire and now aged 28 years Although she showed early promise as a cyclist being spotted by a national coach at the age of nine she decided to first concentrate on her education, gaining a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle. Although she commenced cycling again at national level and went to the 2004 Olympic Games it was not until 2005 that she won her first Gold Medal in the World Championships and then two Gold Medals in 2008. She was much affected by not winning a medal at Athens and has been greatly helped by the team of specialist appointed to help the British team, especially the psychiatrist who was the first person she hugged after winning.

A second Road Racing medal was won by a British Athlete, this occasion a silver by Brenda Pooley (11) aged 26 from Wandsworth London and a Cambridge graduate, in the Road Race Time Trial and event which lasts just over half an hour of flat out cycling. She was originally a runner but took up cycling after an injury. She has become a professional cyclist living in Switzerland where continues her studies working for a Doctorate in soil Engineering.

Ross Edgar (12) was the runner up to Chris Hoy in the Keirin final. Aged 25 and born and lives at Newmarket Suffolk but has represented Scotland at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Runner up to Rebecca Romero, Wendy Houvenagel (nee McClean 13) aged 24 and born and brought up in Upperlands County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. A member of the successful Team Pursuit team at the world championship in 2008. She studied Dentistry at the University of Dundee she joined the RAF after graduation and reached the rank of squadron leader as a Dentist but is not a reservist. She only took up cycling in 2007 having not ridden a bike since leaving school which makes her rise to an Olympic Medal that much more extraordinary.

Chris Newton (14) 33 from Middlesbrough in the North East, was the oldest member of the team to win a medal, bronze in in the points race. He has had an outstanding career as a road and track racer, a university graduate and a graphic designer by trade. His career commence din 1992 when he was fourth in the World Junior team pursuit willing two British road races a year later. He represented GB a year later and won first prizes in competitions in Europe. In 2002 he won a Gold in the World Championship points race subsequently winning Golds in the World Championships and World Cup. He broke a collarbone early in 2008 which prevented participation in the World Championships and in his preparations for the Olympic. Steven Burke (15) also won an unexpected bronze medal at the age of 20 and improving upon his best performance by 11 seconds in the 4000 metre individual pursuit. Steven who comes from Burnley in Lancashire came to the fore as a Junior in 2005 and the Under 23's level in 2006 winning senior Gold Medals in the 2007 National Championships. He is therefore another bright prospect for 2012.

This not just proved to be the most successful British Cycling team at any championships ever, but the most successful team in the world ever. Therefore considerable credit must go to the management and technical support services from the designer of the wear, headgear and above all the bicycles tailored to individual competitors and competitions. Many have reach their peak age and it must be hoped that the majority will continue to 2012 unless of course better competitors emerge between now and then when the younger ones should be given their opportunity.

This is also not the end of British Cycling success at the 2008 Olympics as we have the world female BMX champion still performing. More of that in the final round up.

1462 Rebecca Adlingtonn Gold andf Spooks spin off

2010-08-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have a great sense of rapidly vanishing time and find myself in a rushed mood which I will find difficult to break out of.

Up around 8.30 I write this around 2pm waiting for the lack of sleep overnight to hit me. I missed the Olympic event of the day from the British perspective. Rebecca Adlington is just 19 years of age and was not expected to win a medal in her second performing race the 400 medley with the 800 a medal possibility. The U.S.A swimmer Katie Hoff was expected to take the gold and led the whole race until the final seconds. Rebecca with team mate Jo Jackson were in fourth and fifth position as they started the last free style lap and giving no hint of the final burst which led her to touch the finishing line first and Jo pushing on with her third. At the last Games in Athens the British swimming team managed two medals in total and neither were gold. It is 48 years since the last women's gold medal and 20 years since a male won which gives perspective to the achievement. Needless to add, the two girls, their families and friends and the rest of the nation went bonkers.

However the News programme put the games into perspective with the news that Russia were not responding to Georgian calls for a cease fire, Russia claiming that Georgia were pretending and continuing aggressive acts. The situation appeared to deteriorate during the day which a message of concern expressed by the USA government to Russia who appears now set on taking over the country and establishing a pro Russia friendly regime. This has wider implications that for Georgia. I wonder what Americas role, behind the scenes has been in all this and how far the attention of the world on the Games has been used as a cover for the development. As an outsider there is now way of know what is really happening and why and who is involved and who is not.

This was the brilliance of Spooks a series on a special home land security task force in he UK after 9/11 and 7/7. What made the series a must see was the writing of the core stories and the quality of acting as well as the written interactions between the actors.

The new Spooks Code 9 is a poor relation. This is the story concept. There is a minor nuclear explosion set off in central London which kills about 100000 and with an unspecified number anticipated to die or become extremely sick as a consequence of tradition. It is signalled early on in the first episode which I saw together with the second on BBCi player yesterday evening that the event is being used to introduced an authoritarian government into the UK and that it is by no means certain that the event was externally inspired. The second core concept is that with amazing the bomb wiping out key homeland security people but apparently not the government and others amazing deciding to leave the service and go into private work the government decides on a new approach of recruiting very young and inexperienced new field operatives. The problem is that the actors appear as inexperienced and immature as this nonsense concept. The third concept idea is that after the team leader behaves in a naive and stupid fashion and get herself killed the new leader is a concept boy. He is not action man but a probability mathematician. Such ingredients take good writing and good acting to have any chance of working and impressing an intelligent audience which the programme is aimed at. I suspect the series is a government inspired recruiting vehicle or double bluff to convince that by creating such an awful programme the government would never do in practice what the programmes portrays. I enjoyed it nevertheless but will rely on the BBC player to watch at times convenient to me when I am in the mood and have nothing better to do.

Although I tried to go back to bed after putting the bin out I got up and attended to washing up as well as washing me after breakfast of French Toasts. There was an early lunch of stir fry chicken and more washing up. Later a real ham sandwich with cumber was sufficient for the rest of the day after a few peanuts and sup of wine all that was left. I had some grapes after lunch and two fresh peaches late into the evening. The level of exercise was poor with only a limited amount of being up and about the house although I did walk the short distance to the post box and back up the hill.

The main activity during the day was research and plan more about my London. I looked to see how long it would for me to get into central London from Croydon by bus and the standard journey involving a couple of bus changes takes one hour and a half. The train journey from East Croydon to Victoria takes 15-20 minutes involving one stop. I looked at the present Travel Card costs and although there is a cheaper three day card, it is cheaper for me to buy single journeys going through the cross link from Kings Cross on Thursday and then a train to Victoria for the coach station on Monday. I am going to the south coast by train on the Sunday direct from east Croydon so that only leaves the value for a travel card on Friday and Saturday depending on the extent to which I will be using buses on the underground. I have now established that there is one showing of the 3D version of Journey to the centre of earth at the O2 Vue Millennium Dome at 11 am on Friday and Saturday. It might be a tight time task on Friday going from East Croydon to Victoria and then changing at Westminster for the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich and safer to try on Saturday when I can use the travel card before 9.30 I am interested to see the difference in techno nearly half a decade since using hand held read and Green 3D glasses and it would be good to go back tot eh Dome now the O2 auditorium and also being used for the second visit in my lifetime of the Tutankhamen exhibition. However I have now discovered that it is showing at the Vue West End a more reasonable time 1.30 although the cost is £9.95 a ticket compared to £6 at Greenwich.

The plan is then to go a free concert by a female singer at the Royal Festival Hall at 6pm. There is also a free Burlesque show at 10 at the same venue but the getting back might be a problem as well as reality overwhelming! Much better to return and write up the experiences of the day until then as well as getting up early for the Olympic specials. On Saturday there is a choral concert at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the proms and I fancy going tot eh proms and before then possibly a visit to the Victoria and Albert fine arts museum which is also in the South Kensington area, perhaps finding a pub for lunch and including tour around the Hall.

An alternative option is to spend the afternoon in Portsmouth taking a cheap day return.

The rest of the evening was used by attending to technology issues and the challenges posed by problems with a lap top. I am determined not to be beaten by the problems in this instance although have to ensure I use the time available in a balanced way. I need to remove some information from the machine and then go into recovery mode which takes the machine back to factory standards but loses the data. A similar option is a solution recommended for the desk top as means of working out why the card reader is not reading although appear to be working. Additional technology devices are involved. A USB card reader which is Vista and XP friendly. A cable/wireless and software to transfer data between computers and a secondary data storage device. But I need to ensure I understand how these will work and any problems before purchasing. It all points to reducing cricket watching over the next two days and getting on with other things.