http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/o/oldham_athletic/8025908.stm
How predictable. Well good ridance I say - now bring back Hodgson on a lifetime contract.
Thursday 30 April 2009
Thursday 9 April 2009
Bet your house on it
Given my previous record, I've been asked by some Man Utd supporters to make public my verdict on the outcome of tomorrow's tie. Happy to oblige - Utd will be knocked out and Porto will advance to the semi-finals. Guaranteed fact.
Thursday 2 April 2009
How sporting?
The latest Observer Sport Monthly Top Ten - most sporting gestures - can be viewed here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/mar/29/10-sporting-gestures
Since I expect they will (once again) fail to print my response, I’ll detail it here. The main problem is that many of the gestures, laudable though they are, weren’t made by losers. Jack Nicklaus only conceded Tony Jacklin’s putt in the 1969 Ryder Cup after he’d already secured a tie in the match, thereby ensuring that the USA retained the trophy. Would Nicklaus have made a similar concession if Jacklin’s two-foot effort had been to win the cup? Similarly, would Paolo di Canio have caught the ball against Everton if West Ham had been losing the match? Both Andrew Flintoff and John Landy were victorious, whilst Bobby Jones’ gesture is somewhat diminished by the fact that it was made during the opening round of the tournament, not on the final day - when the consequences of his actions would have been far more significant. The last two entries on the list are plain nonsense, which only leaves the gestures by Lutz Long, Stirling Moss and Judy Guinness as truly meaningful. A number of sporting figures who repeatedly made such gestures don’t feature in the list. Legendary batsman Brian Lara always ‘walked’, even though the majority of his contemporaries refused to do likewise. Snooker star Jimmy White was the epitome of sportsmanship, frequently owning up to accidental fouls which the referee had failed to spot. And how could such a list fail to include The Corinthians, who believed that 'fair play' was an intrinsic part of football? When a penalty was awarded against them, the goalkeeper stood to one side, leaving an empty net. Can you get any more sporting than that?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/mar/29/10-sporting-gestures
Since I expect they will (once again) fail to print my response, I’ll detail it here. The main problem is that many of the gestures, laudable though they are, weren’t made by losers. Jack Nicklaus only conceded Tony Jacklin’s putt in the 1969 Ryder Cup after he’d already secured a tie in the match, thereby ensuring that the USA retained the trophy. Would Nicklaus have made a similar concession if Jacklin’s two-foot effort had been to win the cup? Similarly, would Paolo di Canio have caught the ball against Everton if West Ham had been losing the match? Both Andrew Flintoff and John Landy were victorious, whilst Bobby Jones’ gesture is somewhat diminished by the fact that it was made during the opening round of the tournament, not on the final day - when the consequences of his actions would have been far more significant. The last two entries on the list are plain nonsense, which only leaves the gestures by Lutz Long, Stirling Moss and Judy Guinness as truly meaningful. A number of sporting figures who repeatedly made such gestures don’t feature in the list. Legendary batsman Brian Lara always ‘walked’, even though the majority of his contemporaries refused to do likewise. Snooker star Jimmy White was the epitome of sportsmanship, frequently owning up to accidental fouls which the referee had failed to spot. And how could such a list fail to include The Corinthians, who believed that 'fair play' was an intrinsic part of football? When a penalty was awarded against them, the goalkeeper stood to one side, leaving an empty net. Can you get any more sporting than that?
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