BLOG POSTS ARCHIVE - February 2007
Posted Feb 27th 2007, 12:44pm
Crossley keeps on going
Well Mark Crossley is back at Fulham for a while and what a contribution he has made to the game.
Seemed to go missing for a few years towards the end of the 1990's, but very much still around and despite being 3rd choice now at Fulham, played a significant part as recently as last season towards securing our Premiership status.
One of those players who could comfortably go on into their 40's, and a great bloke to boot.
AND he scores goals!!
Posted Feb 24th 2007, 2:37pm
Lucky lucky United
It's obvious now they will win the league.
Second best for so much of the 2nd-half and yet a late late winner - deflection as well.
The last time they were getting this lucky late in the game was when they first won the title.
The glory is coming back to Old Trafford.
Heads up Cottagers - a thoroughly undeserved defeat.
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Posted Feb 22nd 2007, 6:03pm
Chris Coleman - one of a kind
I wish there were more managers like Chris Coleman.
A mountain of a man who tells it as he sees it, and someone who has continued to get the best out of players on what are, in Premiership terms, limited resources.
I bet he didn't mind a bit getting fined £2,500 last week for his outburst from the Chimbonda equaliser for Spurs.
Even in admitting after the game that the ref and linesman had made the right call in allowing the goal, he then took back the complement by saying they made that decision more out of luck than skill.
Class!
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Posted Feb 20th 2007, 3:40pm
Disability Sports and 2012
I had the pleasure of meeting Philip Downs who is the Director of the National Association of Disabled Supporters, and he was very enthusiastic about the impact of London 2012 on both participants and spectators.
He says that London, more than any other city who has hosted the olympics before, will try to integrate aspects of the two tournaments, rather than vaguely separating off the paralympics from the main event.
Obviously there will still be a clear division between the two events, but this is a real chance for everyone to pull together in the name of sport and participation as a whole, and I think London has a great chance to champion this concept being the multi-cultural and highly tolerant place that it is.
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Posted Feb 18th 2007, 7:39pm
Foolish Fabregas
Seems that we forget how young and sometimes immature our Premiership footballers are.
Fair enough for Fabregas to apologise to Mark Hughes for his comment, but such a disrespectful remark in the first place to one of English football's legends.
Arrogance is seen throughout today's game though that sort of lack of respect is much more than that.
An apology goes a long way though I suppose.
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Posted Feb 15th 2007, 1:10pm
Headers - a lost art
Being slightly biased, as we have one of the best in the game at heading the ball, but is the art of heading becoming something of a lost art?
These days we see all of the silky skills of home-grown and continental players, but much of that is done on the deck.
Think back to the old days and heading was taken as a common way of scoring.
Now it's take it down on the chest, do some flick-ups and spank it in the bottom corner!
Wasn't Maradona's only headed goal from outside the penalty box?
Stand up the true artists of the game : those who use their heads!
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Posted Feb 13th 2007, 7:23pm
Stevens out of Welsh Open
MY KINGDOM FOR A BOW TIE!
Poor old Matt - anyway, my Welsh Open thoughts, from a piece on Sporting Life.com :
"Hometown favourite Matthew Stevens crashed out of the Welsh Open at the first hurdle on Tuesday afternoon.
And following his disappointing 5-1 defeat by Leicester's Mark Selby at the Newport Centre, he took a pot-shot at the organisers of this year's £225,000 event.
The Carmarthen potter has been suffering from the flu for the past week and so asked for permission not to wear his mandatory bow tie during his best-of-nine frame second-round clash.
However, organisers refused to grant the Welshman special dispensation - and he was not happy.
"I'm disappointed because certain people are allowed to take their bow ties off - and I wasn't," he said.
"It's the first time in my 10-year career that I've asked not to wear a bow tie, but it was a no-go I'm afraid. It's upsetting.
"I've got the flu and I've got bad ears, my balance has been all over the place.
"I've been ill for a while and at times I couldn't really see anything, but I was told I couldn't take my bow tie off.
"Mark played well, so I'm not making excuses, but it doesn't help.
"I went to the doctors a couple of days ago to get a doctor's note so I wouldn't have to wear a bow tie, but I was told [by the organisers] that I wouldn't be allowed to not wear one!"
Selby, who whitewashed Welshman Ian Preece in the first round yesterday, was in awesome form and a deserved winner.
It took the world number 28 just over an hour to send Stevens packing in front of his home supporters, averaging a staggering potting success of 98%.
Breaks of 65, 64, 133, 80 and 68 did the damage, with Stevens' best a run of 82 in the fourth frame to reduce his arrears to 3-1.
"Mark's a lovely guy and he's improved a lot in the last few years, so I hope he goes on and does well," added Stevens.
"He played really well, so I've got no complaints because he deserved to win."
A delighted Selby, who could play SAGA Masters champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 32, said: "I didn't really give him [Matthew] any chances.
"I started off a little bit edgy, especially playing Matthew in front of his home supporters. I felt a bit of pressure, but I quickly settled and played really well.
"I'm hitting the ball really well and feeling confident. I've come here to win the tournament."
Meanwhile, former UK champion Stephen Maguire and fellow Scot Jamie Burnett won their opening matches.
Milton's Maguire cruised to a 5-0 whitewash of Bearsden's Alan McManus, compiling breaks of 121, 83 and 111 to win their second-round clash, while Hamilton's Jamie Burnett edged Gloucester's Robert Milkins 5-3 in their first-round meeting.
Milkins had breaks of 62, 41 and 53, but although Burnett managed a high break of just 43, it was enough for the world number 54 to book a last-32 showdown with Welshman Mark Williams, a two-time winner of the Welsh Open title."
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Posted Feb 11th 2007, 1:25pm
The Welsh Open
I'm off to Newport for two days next week to watch the Welsh Open.
As one of my favourite players I hope Matthew Stevens recaptures some of the form that he has been lacking over the past couple of years.
Personally, my breakbuilding is coming on well after a wrist injury towards the end of last year.
Here's Stevens in action as a young 15-year-old
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Posted Feb 9th 2007, 3:04pm
The best ever 147
Great display, shame the start is missed.
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