Slings And Arrows
‘THE New Year brings with it the restoration of normality as even the Mail relocates rugby union back to the innermost sports pages.
| The greatest English sportsman ever? |
After more than 10 pages of football coverage, the paper that banged the drum loudest in celebration of Englands World Cup victory has realised that Lawrence Dallaglios performance in Wasps win over Sale is less important than Telfords 1-0 FA Cup win over Crewe.
Rugby union is also less important – apparently than Leeds Uniteds feisty striker Alan Smith winning his ninth yellow card of the season.
In the Yorkshire clubs FA Cup tie with Arsenal, the paper cares less about the Gunners 4-1 win and more about Smith and a re-enactment of what it calls the Battle of Old Trafford.
The Express, however, is too busy watching Liverpools Harry Kewell tumble to the ground under minimal contact from Yeovils 6ft 8in Portuguese defender Hugo Rodrigues.
The fall earned Liverpool a penalty and Kewell the title of diving cheat, at least in the Yeovil dressing room and maybe even across Somerset.
But in among al this footballing mayhem, and occasional rugby stuff, the Sun positions the story of the day Phil Taylor is once more the best dartist in the world.
Having surrendered his title a year ago to John Part, the man nicknamed The Power took over three hours of oche action to defeat Kevin The Artist Painter 7-6 in a sudden death shoot-out.
My hair went grey in that match, says Taylor, who has now won the World Championship for a record 11th time. I was outplayed and outfought by Kevin until the very crucial moment.
And to prove that darts is every bit as entertaining as football, Taylor vows that this morning he will visit a hair salon and have his highlights touched up.
And so it is that Taylor, with the sex appeal of a footballer and the build of a rugby exponent, is every inch the embodiment of British sport.’
Posted: 5th, January 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
