I’ll never forget whathisname………

September 23, 2009 at 9:06 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Every football fan loves a quiz or piece of great trivia.  In the past classics such as which players appeared for both Manchester United and Manchester City (Ans Denis Law, Brian Kidd, Peter Schmeichel and and now Carlos Tevez) or which player scored on his debut for every club he played for (Jimmy Greaves).  But today’s news will undoubtedly be one for the trivia books for generations to come.  It’ll probably go something like this,

“Which former England international penned a £40,000 a week wage to team up with a Swede? – before seeing the light at Morecambe?” – Answer of course Sol Campbell.  It’s perhaps one of the most bizzare twists in football history.

http://i.media.goal.com/r/13835.jpg

Loyalty has never been a word Campbell’s thought much of.  Tottenham fans wil never forget the way he walked out on the club in 2001 and signed for bitter rivals Arsenal on a free transfer. What angered Spurs fans at the time, and still does to this day, is that Campbell repeatedly said he was committed to the White half of North London before turning his back on them.  Ultimately though it proved to be the right decision.  Any footballer wants to win trophies and over 5 years he certainly picked up a good haul, with a place in Arsenal history as part of the 2003/04 invincibles.

His England career also went from strength to strength, finishing in the 2002 World Cup team of the tournament, and he enjoyed a good Euro 2004, althougth as was the case in France ‘98 he will be remebered as the man who denied a goal in the quarter final against Portugal (he just loves being part of trivia).  His career has endured some wobbles, most notably his going awol in the second half of a league match against West Ham United in 2006, he’d been torn apart by Bobby Zamora of all players and never returned for the second half driving home instead (Other highlights are included in this link).

His three years at Portsmouth under Harry Redknapp revitalised him as the minnows from the South Coast continued to punch well above their weight in the Premiership, with the undoubted highlight the FA Cup victory of 2008 against Cardiff City. Although he’s been out of the starting England XI for some time there’s still no doubt Campbell has a lot to offer the game, even at 35, so it came as some surprise that no Premier League club snapped him up over the summer.  Well in truth perhaps it isn’t surprising because as everyone now knows Sol doesn’t come cheap.  In the end only Notts County and the ambitious new project Sven Goran Eriksson is part of were willing to take him.  The big question is why on earth would Sol Campbell want to go to a League Two club prepared to pay him £40,000 a week and give him a 5 year contract? hang on………….

Sol Campbell

But today the marriage is officially over.  In the end it seemed it was a relationship which was always destined to be brief, even Campbell’s first interview as a Notts County player suggests he’d rather be somewhere else.  He got a dose of reality playing against Morecambe, as many League Two experts have said over the course of the day is a very different prospect to the Premiership.  Tensions were undoubtedly mounting before today’s announcement but perhaps, just perhaps football has emerged with some credibility despite the nature of farce that’s catalogued this story.

The contract, the calibre of player and club simply doesn’t wed together.  It would have been a huge step for Campbell to have gone down to the Championship, a likely destination for him now as he can’t play for a Premiership club until January.  Earlier in the season the Notts County Chairman said he wanted the club to have a gradual growth, not the glitz and glamour approach Chelsea and more recently Manchester City have adopted.  So how can signing an established Premiership performer whose used to achieving almost instant success achieve that? The way football is going it’s highly unlikely we’ll see players of the calibre of Sol Campbell play the twiglight years of his career in the lower leagues.  Why on earth does he have too with the money he’s made?

So in the end it’s perhaps best things end this way.  Campbell can now resume his career confident this is still a comfortable second place to his Judas act of 2001, and play at a higher level, whilst Notts County look to building a team, not as the saying goes a group of individuals.  And perhaps one day that trivia question will help me win that ever elusive maiden pub quiz victory!

Finally the cleanest video I could find – there’s a lot of hate for this guy on You Tube.

Down but not out

June 7, 2009 at 2:55 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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All governments, and more particularly Prime Ministers, suffer from it.  That feeling of being unloved from all sides.  First backbenchers begin to voice their discontent, it spreads to the cabinet, then to the media where opinion polls show the feeling of discontent felt by the public.  And then it becomes a fight for survival.  The manner in which 20th century Prime Ministers have choosen to deal with such threats to their authority has often varied.  In 1990 Margaret Thatcher, who already had three election victories under her belt, felt confident that although her great rival Michael Heseltine was growing in strength amongst Conservative MP’s to replace her as PM, in the end she’d be OK. 

Conference Darling

Conference Darling

Such was her confidence that it was until several one on one talks with her cabinet, whom all said she had to go that the penny finally dropped, leading to these historic scenes in November of that year. 

Her successor John Major, whose position Gordon Brown almost identically mirrors in the present day, was according to the history books almost constantly conscious of the vultures circling him, not least Euro – Sceptics who revered his predecessor as a figure of almost miraculous powers.  However Major decided to meet his critics head on, and defy those who claimed he was indecisive by forcing a leadership contest in the summer of 1995. 

Major + Euro - Sceptics members of his cabinet

Major + Euro - Sceptics members of his cabinet

Victory against John Redwood hardly did anything to prevent election catastrophe in 1997, but such actions might well have been expected during the course of the past few days by Gordon Brown.  The very fact that it hasn’t happened suggests that the Prime Minister is fully confident in his own abilities in leading both the country, and the Labour Party, or that he simply fears the result of forcing such a contest.  The last few days have confirmed one crucial difference between Brown and Major.  Whereas the Tory leader dictated events, Labour’s current PM has been scrambling to plug the gaps in his cabinet and popularity to gain a stay of execution.

In some respects Gordon Brown is unfortunate.  Labour has had a good run in power, more than 12 years now, and it’s not unusual for governments to be facing such unpopulairty at this stage of their existence.  What has been staggering though is the inability of cabinet members to wield the axe/dagger/red box (which you’d imagine Alastair Darling must feel like using to bludgeon his boss to death with after threats to move him from the Treasury).  Alternatives do exist.  The new Home Secretary Alan Johnson, whose own personal story mirrors that of John Major’s in terms of rags to riches success, and previous contender David Milliband are both decent alternatives to Mr Brown. 

 

 

Yet similarly to the Harold Wilson cabinets of the 1960’s and 1970’s, which held politicians of equal if not more talent than the man at the top, no – one has stuck their neck out.  This suggests that although we live in a time where many voters complain there is little to choose between the political parties there is still one striking difference.  One is almost ruthless in its manner of removing its leader, whilst the other will almost always hesistate and deviate.  And that is why Gordon Brown will most likely survive through to the next election.  So who knows maybe we’ll see more of these appearances online between now and then.

In his defence though as part of my course this year all presenters are told to begin the broadcast with a warm smile, no easy thing when you try it I can promise you!

Blues confirm status as Number 1. Region

April 18, 2009 at 9:17 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

The Blues celebrate their first silverware since their formation in 2003

Today’s Anglo – Welsh EDF Cup final at Twickenham was expected to be a tight affair.  Both teams, Gloucester and Cardiff Blues, have become serial under achievers in the rugby world over the past decade.  Both clubs have had their moments; the Cherry and Whites have been in countless Guinness Premiership finals over the past four years but have continually failed to deliver, whilst the Blues have been making steady progress over the past three years, the most significant prior to today was the 2007 EDF semi – final against the Ospreys.  Defeat that day confirmed that the men from the Neath and Swansea were top dogs in Welsh rugby, knocking the traditionally dominant areas of Llanelli and Cardiff off their perch.  Many commentators in the Welsh media began to question if David “Dai” Young was the right man to take the region forward.  Today both he and his players answered those critics in spectacular fashion.

The 50 – 12 victory is without question one of the most spectacular cup victories any Welsh teams has had.  In the first two finals, 2006 and 2007, the regions were simply unable to cope with the physicality of their English counterparts.  Many rugby purists argue that the Guinness Premiership is a pretty turgid and unattractive affair, but boy is it brutal.  The Ospreys were able to turn the tide in 2008 with victory over the Leicester Tigers but the Blues have in the past fortnight proven they can live with any side.  Last week’s titanic struggle with Toulose, which ended with a narrow win, may well prove a significant moment in the regions history.  At last they can stand tall with the rest of Europe once again.  Since reaching the inaugral Heneiken Cup final in 1996, which conveniently was staged at the old Cardiif Arms Park, Cardiff Rugby Club and now the Blues have lacked direction. The majority of players signed have been headline grabbers, which have only worked for brief periods.  The prime example has to be the 2001 capture of Iestyn Harris, perhaps unfair to hold such a talent as a scapegoat but his record signing is the oft remembered one. 

Nowadays the region is built on solid, experienced pros.  The likes of Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams and Xavier Rush have been around the block and collected a fair number of bruises over the years and have shown the way forward for many of the younger players.  Add to this the exciting potential of youngsters Tom James and Leigh Halfpenny and the forward power of Gethin Jenkins and you have a battle hardened team.

But the biggest winner today was the coach.  Since being appointed in 2002, the year before regionalisation emerged, Dai Young has endured a fair amount of flack.  Many felt he was the wrong choice as head coach, as his own playing career had only just ended and his coaching career was in its infancy.  How he must have enjoyed today.  If ever there was an example of the positives of regionalisation it has to rest with him.  He has been allowed to pull a region which was this time four years ago rudderless and vulnerable out of the gutter and made them into a Europeam force again.  This is great news for Welsh rugby as a whole.  One of the main aims of the regional set up was to build a coaching structure which will enable regional coaches to step up to the international arena.  Although I’m certainly not saying I wanr to get rid of Warren Gatland the long term game plan has to be to groom a successor.  Dai Young has put a big marker down for the future.  Here’s hoping he can maintain the Blues fortunes.  Life will get tougher next season and there are still big tests to come in Europe.  But for now the Blues satnd as the outstanding Welsh region.  How the rest respond will be interesting

Lions Watch – Potential First XV

March 22, 2009 at 6:03 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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So after another Six Nations has come to a close who is in contention for the plane to South Africa.  Before the tournament we were all being told that the squad would most likely contain a huge number of Welsh players, Andy Powell could be the deadly weapon against the Springboks.  England would struggle to send anyone whilst Scotland would have the honour of supplying the test scrum half in Mike Blair.  Is all this still the case six weeks down the line?  Here’s what I think the Test side ought to look like after this year’s tournament.

Forwards:

1. Gethin Jenkins (Wales):

One of the few success of the 2005 Lions tour Jenkins has continued to perform for both region and country.  He may not have the same aura that Andrew Sheridan seems to have built around himself, but he is undoubtedly a more effective player, both in the scrum and in the loose.  Second only to Tom Shanklin for Wales ths year.

2. Jerry Flannery (Ireland):

Lee Mears could consider himself unlucky but this is a problem position for the Lions as it was four years ago.  Flannery is solid at the lineout but needs to work on other apects of the game.  In because he’s part of the Grand Slam side.

3. Adam Jones (Wales);

For years Jones has been ridiculed due to a perceived lack of fitness, he used to only last 30 minutes in the eary days.  However there have been contenders to his throne at tight head over the last few seasons and no – one has knocked him off for long.  Enjoyed a fine tournament in the scrum.  Injury free permitting he should be 1st choice.

4. Paul O’Connell (Ireland – Captain):

Proved against Wales that he does have the inspirational qualities needed to take on the top job.  Along with Brian O’Driscoll was Ireland’s best player in the Championship.  Could have the same impact Martin Johnson had in 1997 in South Africa.

5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales):

Known for his passionate recital of the Welsh national anthem and is developing into a world class second row.  His partnership with Ian Gough has been part of the bedrock of Wales’s recent success.

6. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland):

Had an outstanding tournament and was one of Ireland best carriers.  Has a tendency to push the laws of the game but against Southern Hemisphere sides this is no bad thing.

7. David Wallace (Ireland):

Many will argue Martyn Williams should be first choice but there can be no question that Wallace will board the plane (Should he be selected) as the form 7 in the northern hemisphere.  Brutal at times at the breakdown. 

8. Ryan Jones (Wales):

OK hasn’t had the best tournament but has for large parts been played at blind side flanker, where in my view he simply isn’t mobile enough to play.  Current form is critical during a Lions tour but Ian McGeechan would be well advised to remember the impact Jones had in 2005 in New Zealand as a late call up.  He can come close to that form he’s worth having in the starting XV.

Backs:

9. Dwayne Peel (Wales)

There was always going to be a wild card entry! Not been involved in the international set up for some time due to serious loss of form.  However none of his contemporaries have fully justified selection.  Mike Phillips still seems to be coming to terms with the pace of the game after a long injury lay off whilst Mike Blair performed below expectations with Scotland.  If he can find some form between now and the end of the season with Sale, Peel should be on the plane.  Was another who returned from New Zealand with an enhanced reputation in 2005 and would have a big point to prove.

10. Stephen Jones (Wales):

Many thought the battle would emerge between James Hook and Danny Ciprani for the coveted jersey.  Neither though are first choice for their respective countries and would probably be considered too great a risk.  Jones is still the best game manager in the Northern Hemisphere and continues to defy his critics who say he  isn’t flashy enough.  Defence will be key against South Africa and Jones really does put in the big hits when he needs to, unlike his Irish rival Ronan O’Gara.

11. Tommy Bowe (Ireland):

Has had a great year so far with Ireland and the Ospreys.  Has proven how good a finisher he is and was at the heart of everything good the Irish have done in attack this year.

12. Riki Flutey (England):

Amazingly the first Englsihman selected, honest there’s no bias here! On current form Flutey is shoo in.  Proved more than just a battering ram throughout the tournament, showing quick feet in attack and scoring 4 tries.  Sure to be picked due to the Wasps connection and will be pushing hard for a 1st team place.

13.  Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland):

The player of the 2009 Six Nations.  Impossible to leave him out of the side.  Will have a massive desire to prove himself on this stage again after the shennanigans of the 2005 tour.  Freed from the burden of captaincy he could excel as he did in 2001 against Australia.

 

14. Mark Cueto (England):

May not be the most creative of players but is an out and out try scorer.  One of England’s most potent backs who put simply will do a job for the Lions.  Shane Williams has largely played himself out of contention over the course of the tournament.

15. Lee Byrne (Wales):

Not as automatic a choice as he was prior to the tournament, both Rob Kearney and Delon Armitage are pushing him hard for selection.  His big boot though is a major point in his favour and, as we saw against France his angles of running can be potentially devastating.

A Case of If’s and Buts

March 22, 2009 at 1:09 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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ogara-drop-goal

So the end of another Six Nations campaign and huge congratulations must be given to Ireland for a thrilling victory last night.  The 17 – 15 victory over Wales at the Millenium Stadium was one of the greatest matches I’ve ever watched.  Perhaps it didn’t contain the flowing rugby many would have hoped for, but it’s intensive, and at times brutal style was absorbing.  In many ways it was a throw back to the game’s amateur days where victory was ground out, rather than sealed through Hollywood style skill.  Both sides put everything they had into the match and at last the men in green have a Grand Slam under their belts.  For the past decade it’s been a case of close but no cigar for Ireland, 5 runner up spots and 3 triple crowns would normally be considered a good return but it’s long been felt that a side with the talent of O’Driscoll, O’Connell and O’Gara could and should have won the biggest prize.  That finally came to pass yesterday.

O'Driscoll lifts the trophy

O'Driscoll lifts the trophy

As was the case last year for the Welsh, Ireland clearly benefitted from a fresh approach in coaching.  Declan Kidney, previously of Munster, has been there and done it already with two European Cup victories but already he is an immortal Irish national coach, something his predecessor Eddie O’Sullivan tried desperately to achieve.  Huge credit must be given to him for re invigorating so many old faces in the Irish squad, men who might well have thought their chance to create history was long gone.  His humility in victory is a great example for coaches in other sports as well.   

But what of the men in red.  Last year it was Warren Gatland’s men who were the heroes under the lights.  It was hoped that back to back champonships, and possibly Grand Slams could be achieved.  Ex captain Ieuan Evans demanded earlier this week an end to the “feast and famine” cycle which has engulfed Welsh rugby in recent times.  Whilst this year was not as disastorous as the defence of the title in 2006 there is no question that supporters were left with less than an elegant sufficiency. 

stephen-jones-under-pressure

Coach Warren Gatland has admitted mistakes have been made during the tournament, credit to him for confessing it.  Whilst things began well against Scotland six weeks ago there’ve been worrying signs for Wales.  All of a sudden they have become very predictable in their game plan.  Many of the passes that once stuck were being put down yesterday, a worrying trend throughout the tournament.  One fear might be that the players are now being asked to play too much of a structured game, based on pure power rather than relying on craft and individual flair to unlock defences.  Admittedly blame for this can’t be singularly aimed at the coaches.  Changes through the ELV system have played a big part in this. 

However a re-think is needed.  Players such as Shane and Martyn Williams are still important players but age is against them.  It seems the coaching team have a tough decision.  Results, especially victories, are vital at international level.  This is best exemplified after Wales failed to put in a rampant performance against Italy.  Yet Gatland has consistently said he wants his side to continue to develop and gain greater strength in depth.  It seems to me that it is a difficult balancing act.  Despite this the coach should continue to realise that results should be the first aim.  More often than not they come about through the best side being consistently choosen.  Experimental sides are all well and good but they can often lead to problems as promising players are thrown in with equally inexperienced players.  It merely increases confusion.  Rugby is obsessed with the phrase, “Developing for the World Cup”.  Quite frankly that should be ignored.  As every World Cup has proved form of the previous 3 – 4 years goes out of the window as soon as the tournamnet starts, if it didn’t New Zealand would have won every World Cup so far.  I feel that during the build up to such events the best players ought to be picked for every game.  Squads will change during that time as players lose form or retire but a nucleus should always be involved in as many games as possible.  A nation with as small a pool of players as Wales has to realise this. 

stephen-jones-gutted

4th place was a disappointment for the red dragon.  But it was not a true reflection of their performances during the season.  Once again they provided us with 3 of the best matches in the tournament, and kept me and the rest of my family on the edge of our seats throughout the tournament.  Bring on next year, we’ll be back!

The Producers – A Whole lotta fun!

February 19, 2009 at 8:38 pm | In Uncategorized | 2 Comments
The Producers

The Producers

Now normally I would never use a blog to speak about me personally.  Just from a purely personal perspective I find it a bit self obsessed and dull, although I appreciate it works for other people and that’s fair enough.  However occasionallly in life you do something which is a little unexpected and unpredicted and, without sounding too self centred, you just have to talk about it.

Last Monday, the 16th February, I was fortunate enough to produce our live in house News Show, Live@Five.  Throughout the course of this term we do the show every Monday, guess what time!, and the roles are divided into three categories; reporting, presenting and producing.  Now of course there are various different roles, such as being the main studio presenter, interviewer, cameraman, autocue, etc..etc…But producer! The person who has to organise people, lead people and just generally live and breathe the show and everything that comes with the territory! I though no….no way is that for me.

Then a funny thing happened.  I found myself writing a fairly comprehensive review on the Monday evening of the previous show, which had by and large been a huge success despite technical difficulties.  As I typed things down an idea began forming in my head, “I’m putting this much thought into it now why the hell shouldn’t I produce!” And so after consultation with other people in my group, who as always were great in giving me advice, I decided to put myself forward.  Now I should be fairly blunt, having done the course for some 15 weeks I had some reservations as to whether I was the right man for the job. 

Iwould happily concede that I’m not the most talented in the year, either from a technical or creative aspect.  This I feared would be a cause of concern for those I was leading.  So I looked at other ways in which I felt I could contribute.  One way was to, and this certainly isn’t meant as a criticism of previous producers as they all did exceptional jobs, improve organisation and communication.  Without going into too much detail I was able to keep up a constant dialogue with the team and make sure I was able to facilitate their needs and have a clear idea of what they were working on. 

There’s no question though that I felt under pressure, so much so that on the Friday morning before the show I awoke at seven in the morning in a cold sweat fearing that I was hopelessly under qualified to take on such a massive role.  Everything was swimming madly in my head, “Bongs have to be collected at a certain time! But when? Whose good on Avid, who will need help? What time should people have a break? Will I ever be able to get a good night’s sleep again?”

Luckily for me this is where family becomes crucial.  After a chat on the phone with my Mum and Dad they made me realise that I was good enoug hand could do it.  After that everything became so much clearer and I felt much more confident in what I was doing.  The running order and everything else made sense to me, and perhaps even more crucially, made sense to the rest of the team.

Our course leader, and Live@Five director, had told me in our production meeting to enjoy being producer.  At first I thought he was mad, surely there was too much to think about to possibly enjoy the experience.  However come Monday I can honestly say that the entire day was fantastic! Not since my A-Level drama days have I had such a charge and buzz about doing something.  It was naturally a long and tiring day but my God when you’re doing something that you quite possibly love who cares.

OK there were msitakes, most mine, but I got a feeling of immense pride in managing to get all the content together and working within a team.  I have to say a huge thank you to all the group who as always worked their socks off.  You’re only as good as the people you work with, and luckily for me the guys and girls on my course are bloody good!

Utter Dross from Ross

January 25, 2009 at 9:09 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Friday night saw the return of alledgedly Britain’s, “Most talented entertainer”. Yes that’s right Jonathan Ross is back.  After a three month suspension following the prank calls he instigated along with Russell Brand to Andrew Sachs, his Friday night chatshow returned to our screens.  Now we’re told that in light of those events his shows will be under far greater scrutiny than ever before.  The man who could once easily boast of being the most powerful man in broadcasting had had his wings clipped.  But is he sorry for what he did.  I’ll let you guys judge it.

However from a personal perspective I don’t think the man gives a damn.  Such is the arrogane he seems to have that he hardly seems to care what he says, because sadly the BBC simply won’t sack him.  Now I have to make a point that for me his salary isn’t an issue.  I defy anyone not to sign a contract worth £18 million.  I know I would never turn down an offer like that.  My gripe with Ross is that I simply can’t understand how he’s had such a successful career.  When watching his programme I can’t believe how poor an interviewer he is.  It really is a totally self – obsessed show, which is all focussed on one thing.  Him!

The chatshow format has changed over time.  Presenters are rarely allowed to simply sit down with a guest and have a regular conversation these days.  This is especially the case in the celebrity world, where it’s a case of selling the product and then having a bit of a chinwag.  However Ross has taken it too ludicrous extremes.  His questions about Margaret Thatcher to David Cameron back in 2006 was simply stupid rather than offensive.  The man’s a father of three in his mid 40’s  – you might as well stick a i6 year old behind the desk if you want a show to contain those kind of questions.

I’m not saying all chatshows should now become totally serious but there has to be a balance.  The masters of the art have often emerged from the US.  None more so than the Tonight Show host of 30 years Johnny Carson

A master of the 5-10 minute interview if ever you watch one of his interviews you can never fail but notice that Carson was able to get the very best out of his guests without ever wanting to steal the limelight from them.  There are times when innuendo creeps into the show, but it always seems to be more subtle and funnier.  Another great skill of Carson’s was his ability to relate to just about anyone, no matter how old as this clip shows:

This is something Ross doesn’t really have to do, as his show is all about getting the big names.  But let’s face it he’s a chancer who has been lucky for some twenty years and is now being found out.  Who knows, in another five years he may find himself on Celebrity Big Brother trying to rebuild a career.  He might want to talk to Terry Christian about it.  He seems to have done OK from it.

Terry Christian

Following in Father’s Footsteps

January 6, 2009 at 4:21 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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Father and Son

Father and Son

According to the various news sources it now appears a certainty that Nigel Clough will be unveiled as the new boss of Derby County later this week.  It will be a considerable promotion for a man who has spent the past ten years with Burton Albion, who incidentally are currently tweleve points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier League (That’s the Nationwide Conference for my generation, the Vauxhall Conference for anyone older than that) and on a ten game unbeaten run.    For several years now there has been a great deal of speculation as to when the son of one of football’s greatest ever managers would enter full – time club management. 

Quite wisely Clough Junior, or the “No. 9″ as his father called him during his playing career at Nottingham Forest, has repeatedly refused to leave the lower reaches of English football, perhaps because he has seen the destructive tendencies managing has at the highest level.  The effects it had on his father would be enough to turn any man against it. 

It would be wrong though to make direct comparisons between the two.  Brian Clough was one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen.  His achievements at both Derby County and Nottingham Forest, the latter of which he won two successive European Cups with, may never be seen again.  But clearly the fire that drove his father has finally come bursting into life for his son.  Having said that many say that Nigel Clough is a far calmer character than his father ever was, so it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing any of this on the training ground:

Although Clough Jnr will be in the spotlight to an even greater extent than he has been for some time when you look at the club he is set to manage it is understandable why he would want to test himself.  Derby County suffers from that age old slogan, “A potentially massive club”.  However you can’t argue with that.  Since the achievements of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in the early 1970’s the Rams have been seen as a side that ought to be dining at football’s top table.  Instead the club’s level of success has been about as nourishing as last night’s pizza or kebab, ”I know it was great once – but it’s just not the same anymore!”

Since the departure of Jim Smith, everyone’s favourite bald eagle, the club has had seven managers in seven years.  None could be considered poor managers, Paul Jewell, Billy Davies and George Burley all did exceptional jobs elsewhere but all had they’re reputations damaged after stints at Pride Park.  Why? Possibly as has fallen the Rams arch rivals Forest the shadow of Clough has made it almost impossible for any manager to succeed at either club.  Perhaps a case of Back to the Future is what the the club needs in order to return it to it’s glory years.

It’s also unlikely we’ll be seeing these kind of legendary oubursts as well!:

Fraser Digby’s Washbag and other works of genius

January 2, 2009 at 4:59 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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First off Happy New Year Bloggers hope everyone is well!

The events of the Jonathan Ross / Russell Brand / Andrew Sachs incident are still being chewed over by the media.  Only some ten days ago we were treated to the news that Ross is thoroughly enjoying his suspension.

Since the show was broadcast there has been no shortage of public figures appearing on the various news outlets expressing their anger with the star, who I’m sure you don’t need reminding of earns a reputed £18 million for his troubles.  Fellow Radio 2 Presenters have been some of the most damning in that time period.

However I must confess that the whole affair, of which the real tragedy was the loss of Brand’s Saturday night show which was, although occasionally triple jumping over the lines of taste of decency was a brilliant showcase for one of the most surreal minds in Britain,  did have a positive.  At long last one radio’s genuine talents was given a national audience, albeit for a brief period, mercifully devoid of overkill.

I talk of course of Mr Danny Baker, for my money one of the finest broadcasters this country has ever produced.  Throughout November and December the man from Deptford has been filling in for Ross on his Saturday morning show and has, as ever produced, a far better quality show than Ross can ever hope too achieve.

Just to give a bit of background for you non – followers it was Baker, back in the early 90’s when Radio Five Live was establishing itself who pioneered the football phone in.  These days we’re used to the after game orgy of opinion from supporters who simply take things far too seriously.  However back in Baker’s day things were far more absurd.

He often sets out his own agenda early on and the regular items featured on his show give an indication as to how random his mind really can be.  Over the years he has encouraged people to phone in recounting tales of being drunk whilst playing Sunday league football, supporters who bear a strong resemblance to a historical character and encourages people to write a caption when looking at a manager’s facial expression.  All this thinking apaprently surfaces on air, as Baker does no preparation for his shows!  One of the more modern ones has been Steve McClaren’s concerned expression, which has led to the caption “No – one must know I dropped my glasses in the toilet” – See what you think:

True genius I think anyway!

Although we’ve been devoid of his regular sidekick, the also excellent Danny Kelly, the Radio 2 shows have been a delight to listen to, even if pairing with Zoe Ball of all people was a slight draw back.   Thankfully Baker, who was sacked by Five Live in 1997 for reading the address of a referee live on air so supporters could go and pay him a “visit”, has enjoyed something of a rehabilitation within the football media in the past year, and that’s even more impressive considering he’s a Milwall fan!

Now back once a week doing 6-0-6 on Five Live his style remains as irreverent as ever, with the features still as bizarre as they were a decade ago.  None more so than the afore mentioned Fraser Digby’s washbag, lyrics Baker has written about the ex Swindon Town goalkeeper to the tune of the childrens clasic “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”.  Here you can watch this madness in all its glory and see the great man himself caught out, a real collectors item,

 

The Ross / Brand affair has exposed much.  But as many people become even more cynical about media types it might just help if they listened to those who have made broadcasting an art form.

Rugby Union Internationals – History Repeating Itself?

November 29, 2008 at 8:23 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
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 Wales vs Australia

 Quite unbelivable! Once again the Welsh rugby team takes its fans to the wire but my God was it worth it!  After a frustrating autumn series which has seen the men in red come close but until today fail to claim a Southern Hempishere scalp I was beginning to wonder.  Is this another false dawn, was the Grand Slam just a blip? On the evidence of today not a chance! Warren Gatland’s men have done the country proud.

The game got off to an explosive start with Wales, who’ve lacked real bite in attack.  Thanks to the new IRB player of 2008 Shane Williams that quickly changed.  Throughout the match the Welsh forwards had the Australian scrum under the cosh and the offloading between forwards and backs was exceptional.  This was a Welsh side that both wanted and believed in victory.  Whereas against South Africa and New Zealand you felt the players just lacked that cutting edge today it was obvious today that every player was at the top of they’re game.  The changes Gatland made, bringing in Mark Jones for Leigh Halfpenny and Ian Gough returning for the injured Ian Evans, made a difference. 

Although the game went to the wire, with Wales foolishly allowing the Wallabies a late score with 90 seconds on the clock, there was still much to celebrate.  Here are the three major positives I would take from the Autumn series:

1.  Victory over a Southern Hempishere side: I know its obvious but this really ought to be a springboard for greater things, South Africa should have been put to the sword earlier in the campaign.  Hopefully this result will give Wales the belief they need.

2. Greater strength in depth.  I’ve thought that the Welsh squad is far stronger than many have given it credit for some time.  It’s only really this year that its been fully recognised.  Yet with the likes of Leigh Halfpenny and Andy Powell emerging there’s great hope that should the team suffer an injury catalogue as it did post-Lions in 2005 they should be able to cope.

3. Renaissance of players.  Stephen Jones has been superb this year.  At the start of the year many thought time might be up for him.  A new coach would most likely put James Hook as his first choice fly – half and look to build around him.  However in the Six Nations he refused to be kept down, impressing when starting and coming on as a replacement.  In this series he’s undoubtedly claimed the No 10. jersey back, simply through the fact that no – one else in Wales controls a game like him.  Closely followed is Gareth Cooper.  He started the year as third choice scrum – half and at 29 it’s fair to say this was his make or break year.  Admittedly his chance on the South African tour and subsequent series came about through injury to Mike Phillips, who will once back probably reclaim the jersey, but he has been superb.  He’s reminded us all of his ability to boss forwards and supply brilliant quick ball which has been as good a qulaity as Dwayne Peel’s.  Delighted to see him back in the fold.

So if a Lions team were made tomorrow how many Welshman would be likely to get in.  Well as a trainee journalist we’re always taught about the need to provide balance in our work.  So I’d best not get too far ahead of myself, I did that in 2005 and hardly any Welsh players were selected for the Test side.  But for sure the likes of Shane Williams, Lee Byrne, Stephen Jones, Ryan Jones, Martyn Williams, Alun Wyn Jones and Gethin Jenkins will be in the mix.  Let’s hope the bulk are selected for the Test side.

Yet the most pressing thinking is can Wales keep up the success? The title of this blog mentions the repetition of history. Ah yes Sports fans we’ve been here before.  Exactly three years ago a Wales defeated Australia in Cardiff in the year of a Grand Slam after failing to beat the other two giants.   What happened next nearly destroyed the hard work done post World Cup 2003.  Welsh coach Mike Ruddock left in Feburay 2006 and Wales crashed out of the 2007 World Cup in the group stages.  That simply cannot happen again.

And with Warren Gatland in charge I very doubt it will.  Both he as a coach and the players he has at his disposal have too much to prove to let that happen.  Who knows what will happen in the Six Nations next year but here’s hoping we’ll enjoy many more great days like this year.

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