I don't like cricket....

I love it!


What summers were made more, the Ashes! 5 days per test, 5 test matches, and if 2005 was anything to go by, get your snacks in, your comfy chair out, sit back and enjoy.

The last ashes series was an embarrassment, so we will not reflect on the past, but in true British style as we won in 2005....lets talk about that instead! We had a captain who lead from the front, and a set of bowlers who, if one wasn't performing, you could call on another to get that important wicket or breakthrough.

Instead of Michael Vaughan, who today announced his retirement, we have Andrew Strauss as captain. Strauss was in the 2005 winning team which will bring valuable experience of the pressures involved in an ashes series and has got a few test matches under his belt as captain against the West Indies. Strauss has a good international average with the bat, and lets hope he don't fall into the trap of when someone becomes England captain they forget how to hold a bat. Strauss can lead us to victory, he has a good knowledge of the game, I'm not sure he will be as tactical as Vaughan was in 2005 but Strauss definitely can lead from the front and can be trusted.

Englands bowlers in 2005, Harmison, Hoggard, Jones, Giles and Flintoff were a strong unit, they all backed each other up when needed. Now we have Broad, Anderson, Onions, Sidebottomm, Swann, Panesar, Rashid and Flintoff to choose from to be our main bowlers with probably one spinner to be picked. I'm not as comfortable with the depth of bowling as we had in 2005 but Anderson has come along way in recent years and so has Broad. I think this series will truly show how good they both are, they both picked up wickets against the West Indies recently but to be honest, that doesn't mean alot at the moment in test cricket. The real test will be the Australians.

So, who would i start in the first test in Cardiff? Here we go:

Strauss (C), Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior (Wk), Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Sidebottom, Anderson.

We have to stick with some experienced players, mixed in with the players on form. Bopara has to stay at three, he has been in form in test cricket and there is no reason why Bell should come back in to the squad when Bopara has been in the form he is in. The batting line up for England goes down to number 9 now with Broad and Swann both being capable of hitting runs and England will need a long tail. Sidebottom just edges it for me at the moment ahead of Onions because Sidebottom has the left arm variation that could be useful. It might not be, but i think Sidebottom has proven in the past he can take test wickets. Onions in the County Championship this season has taken over 50 wickets already, being ahead of the wicket takers by a long way, so he will be right on Sidebottom, or any of the bowlers if anyone has a bad test match.

Some people might think, wheres Good ole Monty? i love his beard and dancing. Sadly for me, everyone has realised he bowls the same ball at the same pace. He is being found out and even struggles in the County Championship. Until he realises that i think he could even be overtaken by young leg spinner Adil Rashid. Swann can bat, and had a good test series against the West Indies and should be in. He can mix it up and take chances which is what Test cricket is about, you have to mix it up.

The other players in that team i don't think need explanation. They all are of the highest quality and if in form, and on there day could probably destroy the Australian bowling attack. Flintoff is still a question mark over fitness, but when fit, he is a devasting bowler and has got to be in aslong as he is fit, if he isn't, then i think it would be a bad decision to put him in just on reputation, we got to have 11 fully fit players ready to play.

A prediction is hard to do, with Australia now without there veteran go to guys, i think they will find it tough with some less experienced players. Hauritz is trying to fill big shoes in Shane Warne and Brett Lee will have to be the main strike bowler who can be very good, or just manic. I think it will be just as close as 2005 for a different reason. 2005 was because both teams were playing at such a high level that mistakes were rare. In this test there are players that could be prone to some mistakes through inexperience, but i will be optimistic and say 2-1 to England.

July 8th to 25th August, book it off work, ditch your friends, and order sky now if you don't have it! Its going to be great...(that could be understatement of the century) Come on England!

Button's Back?

Saturday saw the start to the Formula One season and the Somerset lad from Frome won the first race of the season.

In build up to the race there was a lot of controversy surrounding whether the Brawn GP car, the team that Button races for, was legal or not. It met FIA requirements so was free to race.

It was only Buttons second ever formula one win and this brings into question, is it just the best cars that win? if you go from the evidence of Saturday then you would have to say yes with a Brawn GP One two finish with tem mate Rubens Barrichello in second.

I was happy for Button, one because he is a local lad for me being from Somerset and because I think the argument of having a good car is very helpful. I think that the previous Honda team he was part of were nowhere up to the standards of Ferrari and McClaren.

All the drivers must be in formula one because they are good standard drivers but with last years champion, Lewis Hamilton, seriously playing down his chances of being able to compete for a title this season it does take a bit of the skill away from the sport. His practice laps were not up to usual standard and because of a gearbox failure he started the Australian Grand Prix in last. He did though rise to third and this surely must show the talents of a great driver rather than the car. So there is a fair argument on both sides.

Can Button keep this going? It’s too early to say now but if the Brawn GP Team can keep up with the other cars, Button is a driver capable of winning the championship but so much will happen between now and the last race at Abu Dhabi on November 1st 2009. Brawn GP has the new owner and I’m guessing with money to put towards the team so the capability is there surely for improvements.

It is good to have two Brits (English!) going for the formula one title and both having a chance at winning the Formula One Championship.

Is Football going to beat the recession?

The recession has hit hard on many people, but Football clubs are yet to really feel the bite.

Football League Chairman Lord Mawhinney today has said that Football just has to wait until the recession will make an impact.

10 clubs face the possibility of going into administration and will therefore lose 10points. Those 10 points could ruin a dream of promotion that would bring added cash, or a threat of relegation that would see fewer spectators.

If teams can hang on till the end of the season it could change there fortunes around.

Take the example of Luton, Bournemouth and Rotherham. All had points deducted at the beginning of the season, luckily Bournemouth and Rotherham have now caught up but Luton are still behind.

Bournemouth has had points deducted from them twice and overall have lost 27 points due to there finance. The club had debts of £4 million.
Most recently the club faced a winding up order but £33,000, owed to Magic Solutions Limited, has been paid by a local philanthropist, Adam Murry. The club now want to move on and have a few potential owners. That’s a luxury most other clubs don’t have.

Cheltenham Town have put there entire squad up for sale, and have had a loan of £100,000 from the local council. They have managed to cut £8,000 from there squad wage costs. With the market getting worse before it can imagine to start getting better, more clubs will feel the pressure

FA Chairman Lord Triesman has also voiced his concerns with the excess amount of debt by saying: ‘‘Football is obviously carrying a pretty large volume of debt. People will be making business judgements about whether it is sustainable or not, but it is carrying quite a large volume of debt. Those debts will either have to be paid or there will have to be a re-financing deal, and re-financing deals inevitably mean that you package up debt in smaller blocks as people try to minimise the risk.’’

Many other lower league clubs have had there problems as the money seems to stay in the top league due to its popularity across the country and world.
Lord Mawhinney now believes though that it won’t be long until the top leagues see the recession on there doorsteps. West Ham and Portsmouth are both up for sale still but no offer has been made for the clubs due to no one buying at the moment. Mike Ashley had Newcastle up for sale but couldn’t find a potential buyer to match his selling price.

The team I support, Swindon Town have been in administration three times. We were 20 minutes away from liquidation until a director, Sir Seton Wills, paid us out of trouble. If the 10 point deduction rule was in when we were in administration, we probably wouldn’t be in the football league. Now we have the luxury of a financially sound chairman and board of directors who are keeping us a float.

Sadly I think it won’t be long till we see football clubs disappearing.


Links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7965152.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/7547284.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/7937545.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7656862.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cheltenham_town/7953055.stm

''The Grand Daddy of them all''

The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania is fast approaching, but has WWE messed up this anniversary like they did Wrestlemania 20?



The Card for the event doesn't excite anyone as the matches have either been done before or just not interesting. The Raw Rating has continued to drop in the last few weeks and this has to be related to the Wrestlemania build up.

Let’s start with what is probably going to be the main event. Triple H versus Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. It was being done just after last year’s Wrestlemania for several events before Orton's injury at One Night Stand. It was done when Orton won the title back in 2003 for the first time. They have put a new angle on it and made it more 'personal' but it’s still the same wrestlers. The angle has brought a new life to the story but it doesn't grab my imagination. I am a big fan of Randy Orton, I think he is a great wrestler and a great talker on the mic, and in recent weeks has had the crowd on his side too. Triple H himself hasn't won a match at Wrestlemania since Wrestlemania 19 when he beat Booker T for the World Heavyweight Title so will WWE give the title to Triple H this time? The atmosphere this match might bring could be interesting with Orton gaining more fans and it could be evenly split in the crowd in Houston which would make it more interesting to watch.

The second main event is The World Heavyweight Champion Edge v John Cena v Big Show. First thing that I hope pops into your mind is...Why Big Show? Big Show hasn't had much build up at all since his defeat to Floyd Mayweather at Wrestlemania 24. He has had no great feuds, only with Undertaker and if we want to talk about over done, them two in a match is the definition. Cena v Edge was a great rivalry a few years ago and was done for a year nearly on and off. This match at first was great due to the fans who don't like John Cena being able to rely on the opportunist Edge who would knick wins but then we all knew that it would eventually end with Cena as champion because otherwise some kid somewhere would cry. So I’m not sure why include the Big Show, he won't add anything to the match except slow and boring wrestling where his only move is a punch, even Hulk Hogan does more moves! The Vickie Guerrero love triangle with Big Show and Edge isn't a vague bit interesting, who cares about Vickie Guerrero? I fully expect Cena to walk away with the title and then move to Smackdown in the draft, but then wrestling is always unknown!

The other big match is the Undertaker v Shawn Michaels. Now, this does have my attention. Two Legends back in the ring together. When they were number one and two in the 2008 Royal Rumble I think everyone loved the atmosphere it brought. I hope that WWE continue to build this up well in the coming weeks using the cocky Shawn Michaels we all prefer. Will the undefeated streak come to an end? I don't think so. I don’t know who it would help having taker lose it after all this time to Shawn Michaels who himself isn't the future of the WWE. Unless this is going to be Undertakers last Wrestlemania? Let’s hope if it is, he doesn't cry like Ric Flair did! Now that would ruin his character.

Other match I have to mention is the Chris Jericho v the legends of Piper, Steamboat and Snuka. What an awful match to ruin Chris Jericho’s momentum he gained from last year. He was over with the fans, deservedly got the title and had a run. He bought something new to wrestling and now they want to ruin him against three legends that can barely walk? If Mickey Rourke comes in to it is just going to be a joke. Why do WWE persist with making the legends look great when they have left and ruin the reputation that there current wrestlers have, surely you want your current wrestlers to look good!? If Jericho does win, great, but then I wouldn't see the point in the match. I think everyone was in the back of there head thinking, Austin, maybe Hogan? And maybe it was but it hasn't come to fruition. Austin I’m sure will make an appearance at Wrestlemania as it is in his hometown of Houston, Texas. I think it will just be when they announce who is in this year’s hall of fame and they come out and have a good old wave. Whoever Jericho would have faced out of the ones mentioned it wouldn't have been that exciting. Austin was always a long shot as he is struggling with injuries.

Other matches include the Money In the bank that have two people in Mark Henry and Kane who can't get onto a ladder I’m sure. I’m hoping Christian will win and that WWE use his character and popularity with the fans already. They have ruined his return; now let’s not ruin the fact that they have signed him back. What would have been the point of signing him back? That will be my question. One shock I do have is that Rey Mysterio isn't in it, why not? He is great for these sorts of matches. I’m not a fan but I do appreciate his high flying ability of course, why not put him in to improve the match? Not Mark Henry would have any chance of winning or climbing anything at any point.

Jeff Hardy v Matt Hardy - well, it’s been done and I’d have rather seen them both in money in the bank as they both have the capability of winning I reckon. It was built up after the rumble for a week, then stopped for a month and now is back all of a sudden? How odd and random!?

Diva Battle Royal – I know when I’m going to have my toilet break this year, this is truly awful and will only ruin my eyesight.

WWE AND World Tag Titles: John Morrison and The Miz v The Colons - Boring. Next.

More matches I think will be added, including a match with JBL for the intercontinental title at it is in Houston, Texas his original hometown but we will see. I’m assuming that’s why they gave him the title as CM Punk is in money in the bank anyway.

Wrestlemania is not going to the grand daddy of them all but lets hope WWE can put in some surprises to make it an event or at least some good wrestling which has been lacking recently in recent pay per views. Is this the year we will see money in the bank cashed in on the night? Now that would make it interesting!

Wrestlemania 25, April 5th, Enjoy!

England Storm Europe

All four English teams have made it through to the Champions League Quarter Finals.

Manchester United and Liverpool did it with ease, Chelsea made it abit difficult and Arsenal got by on penalties but all teams made it through.

The Premier League surely now must be the best league in the world? The foreign clubs are struggling to keep up. Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus and Roma have suffered at the hands of English clubs and all in the past have been strong teams in Europe.

The only real threat i see to an all English champions league final for the second year in a row is Barcelona. They have the class to go all the way for sure, with the likes of Messi, Eto'o, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Valdes, just to name a few world class players. Other teams like Bayern Munich, even on the back of there 12-1 aggregate demolition of Sporting Lisbon, don't look like if they had to face Liverpool on there day could match up.

When Liverpool made the champions league final in 2005 v AC Milan, we didn't think we would see an English club in the champions league final again for years, but we have had an English representative in every final since. Before Liverpool, there was a six year gap after Manchester Uniteds dramatic win over Bayern Munich.

What can the Premier League put this dominance down too? I say its foreign players and the quality of the Premier League.

Foreign players have been an integral part of the premier league for years now and if English clubs pick up more silverware, more world class players will want to join and win silverware. Big transfer fees are becoming a part of the game and the big wages, and these easily attract the best players. The best players if put together and work together are going to be the best, ask Real Madrid that it is easier said than done but it is something that has been done in the Premiership.

Manchester United show this. They have players that may not be the best in the world, and United could go out and buy the best, but they concentrate on a team that can work together best. It has paid off, with Manchester United big favourites to do the quadruple. You look at forign clubs and they have good players but look at individuals rather than a team. AC Milan suffered last season and are now in the UEFA Cup, Real Madrid on Tuesday against Liverpool were easily beat but do have a group of world class players who dont play well together.

The other issue with this is, if most of the squad are foreign, what does this say about English football? I say that if England want to be the best, they need to develop the best and sadly at the moment we are not creating as good a players as abroad.
People think we have great players but yet we couldn't make the European Championships! The influx of foreign players is going to start to make the english players see how good they need to be if they want to be the best international team. People moan that the English players should be played ahead of foreigners but managers want the best players and thats it. Our players at the moment just aren't as good, simple as, and to blame the foreign players is a scapecoat from the situation.

It would be great if our English clubs were made up of English players and could win the champions league but it just wouldn't happen.

Lets get behind the English Teams and come May 27th we will be celebrating the Premier Leagues Dominance.