All Sayed And Done
‘IF youre finding it hard to muster enthusiasm for the FA Cup, then a look through some of todays press will not help lift your mood.
| Barney slays ‘Grizzly’ Adams |
Rather than celebrating footballs oldest knock-out competition, the Times leads its football review with a piece called FROM ROMANCE TO HOLLOW FARCE in which Britains foremost table tennis player, Matthew Sayed, tells us why the old tin pot has lost its lustre.
Its nothing weve not heard before the all-consuming Premier League, big clubs fielding reserve sides, the FA allowing Manchester United to forgo the tournament in 1999-2000 in preference to a jolly in Brazil.
But lets be fair, if the Cup manages to prove anything, it is that the gap between a lower division journey man footballer and a gilded star of the elite need not be so very wide.
In holding Manchester Untied 0-0 at Old Trafford, Exeter City proved that their less-than-household names are every bit as good as Uniteds reserves who dream of making the big time and the big money.
And then theres the curious case of Newcastle United. Although the Magpies saw off the spirited challenge of part-time Yeading by two goals to nil, they did so by a reliance on fitness and professionalism, rather than a superiority of skill.
But let us not discount the value of being fit as we read in the Guardian how Jonny Wilkinson has fallen victim to yet another injury.
There is some suspicion that Wilkinson will never get the chance to follow the magical kick in Australia that gave England the World Cup. He has not played for his country since.
And now, with the Six Nations on the near horizon, the player is in danger of missing the entire tournament for the second successive season, having damaged his medial ligament.
Thats hard luck on him.
And as the boy wonder of English rugby lies on his sick bed, hed be forgiven for thinking of life beyond rugby.
He could employ his unerring sense of accuracy to good effect in come other field. He could play darts.
If Jonny Blade Wilkinson does, hell have to beat Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld to be top dog at the oche.
As the Telegraph reports, the heavyweight player won his fourth BDO world championship last night, seeing off Englands Martin Adams.
And, as one commentator on the great game famously put it, theres only one word for that – magic darts!’
Posted: 10th, January 2005 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
