Sports Category
Sports news, commentary and scores with wit and added value. We compare and contrast the best and worst sports reporting in the mainstream press, blogs, TV and online. We love the English Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City) and all things football but we cover cricket, rugby, the Olympics, tennis, golf, F1 and highlights of the sporting year.
FIFA To Investigate Flares But Probably Not Racism
AS everyone knows, FIFA are a bunch of clowns. They’re like local councillors raiding the buffet car and talking about golf swings while property developers build a car park on the only playground in town.
While they pick tuna from their teeth, they could be looking at a World Cup boycotted by black footballers. After the scenes in Moscow, when Manchester City’s Yaya Toure claims he was racially abused by CSKA fans, all black players are wondering whether they want to play at the 2018 World Cup in Russia at all.
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Manchester City: Who Made Yaya Toure The Spokesman For All Black Footballers?
SHOULD black footballers boycott the Russia World Cup? Manchester City’s Yaya Touré says it’s an option he’s considering at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Manchester City powerhouse was racially abused in Moscow, where his team beat CSK 2-1 in the Champions’ League.
Uefa and the governing body of European football has now charged CSKA for the “racist behaviour of their fans”.
CSKA says it’s all nonsense. CSKA’s deputy media manager, Michael Sanadze told Sky Sports News:
“There is no subject to discuss. Nothing special happened. There was a lot of noise in the stadium. Nobody else, other than Yaya Toure, heard anything. The only trouble that has come about was because Yaya Toure heard something.”
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Posted: 25th, October 2013 | In: Sports | Comments (2)
French Football Cancels Matches To Protest Against Tax
GETTING footballers to show any sort of excitement, opinion or passion for anything is nigh on impossible. All over the world, they talk in monotone voices, all the life trained out of them and blurbling on and on, vaguely about results and teamwork.
Unless, of course, it involves money.
French professional football clubs have scrubbed all matches over one weekend in November to protest against President François Hollande’s 75% “super tax” on high salaries.
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All Hail President Klitschko! And First Lady Hayden Panettiere!
BOXERS usually don’t quite know what to do with themselves after the hang their gloves up, and usually end up back in the ring too old, too hittable, and get battered by some upstart for a big purse.
However, Ukraine boxer and former world heavyweight boxing champ Vitali Klitschko has confirmed he will run in the country’s 2015 presidential election.
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Posted: 24th, October 2013 | In: Politicians, Sports | Comment
Liverpool: Reality TV Star Brendan Rodgers Hates Manchester United’s Fly On The Wall
LIVERPOOL manger Brendan Rodgers is a quotable sort (“My biggest mentor is myself because I’ve had to study, so that’s been my biggest influence”). Today he’s been talking about Sir Alex Ferguson’s autobiography:
“Anyone who’s been in football knows that whatever is said behind closed doors and in the changing room is something you wouldn’t want to hear again… It’s something that’s vitally important. You want to know as a human being that you can speak openly and communication is honest, and hopefully wouldn’t get repeated. You would like to think you would still have some old-school values and ethics that whatever is said you take it on the chin and keep it behind closed doors and move on.”
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Posted: 24th, October 2013 | In: Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United Teach The Germans How To Keep Secrets
ON the day when German Chancellor Angela Merkel accuses Obama’s secret services of tapping her mobile phone calls, former Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan shows us how to keep a secret.
He says that had Sir Alex Ferguson remained in charge at United, the Red Devils would have bought “one of the best players in the world”. By coincidence, when Fergie went, Phelan went soon after as David Moyes brought in his own support team.
Who? Tell us, Mike:
“If Sir Alex and David Gill had still been the bosses… I won’t name the player, but there would have been a star signing – one of the absolute best players in the world.”
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Posted: 24th, October 2013 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United: Wayne Rooney Gives Ferguson The Brush Off
WHAT say the experts about Sir Alex Ferguson’s book in which he tells about his time at Manchester United? On the matter of Wayne Rooney, today’s news is mixed:
Says Neil Curtis in the Sun:
WAYNE ROONEY last night brushed off Alex Ferguson’s stinging criticism.
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Posted: 24th, October 2013 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester City Discover That Russian Football Racism Is Just Not Racist Enough For Uefa
IT turns out that if you want to experience actual racism in football you need not look for it in the dust of Spurs’ Yids and Roy Hodgson’s monkey, but in Russia. At last night’s Champions’ League match against CSKA (now pronounced Siska, in the manner of the That’s Life dog saying ‘sausages’), Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure was verbally attacked. The Ivory Coast international – a pretty fluent Russian speaker – says:
“I’m not just disappointed, I’m furious….I think Uefa has to take action because players with the same colour of skin will always be in the same position. For me, as captain, I was wearing an armband which said ‘no to racism’ and I was totally disappointed. I told the referee. It was unbelievable and very sad.”
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Josh Sundquist Wins Halloween
AND the Winner of Halloween 2013 is… Josh Sundquist, Paralympic ski racer and living, breathing pink flamingo.
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Arsenal Draw With Borussia Dortmund And Chelsea Fail To Win At Schalke (Say Papers)
LAST night, Chelsea beat Schalke and Arsenal lost to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions’ League. Or did they?
The Journal says Arsenal won:
The Mirror is more sober. In that paper Arsenal only drew, which seems harsh on Chelsea and anyone who bet on them winning:
Manchester United: Ferguson Says Matt Busby Will Help Sir David Moyes
DON’T panic, David Moyes. In his autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson says Sir Matt Busby will step in to help Manchester United’s new manager:
When I joined United (in 1986) I got great encouragement from Matt Busby, got great support. When I saw that fixture list [for United’s first few matches] I would have been raging at the Football League. United are the only club that can win the league coming from behind, believe me. David Moyes is in a great position, he will get the same help I got from Matt. He will be fine.’’
Chin up, then, Sir Dave.
Note: Sir Matt Busby died in 1994.
Posted: 22nd, October 2013 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Arsenal: Press Chant A Musical Valentine To Arsene Wenger
ARSENAL’S Arsene Wenger is 64. What says the media?
John Cross, the Daily Mirror: “To borrow another line from The Beatles’ classic When I’m Sixty Four, the song says…
Mark Irwin, The Sun: “Arsene Wenger does not want cards or a birthday cake today…simply confirmation that Arsenal still need him now he’s 64.”
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Fulham: Martin Jol Explains Pajtim Kasami’s Brilliant Goal Against Crystal Palace
FOOTBALL Quote of The Day: Fulham manager Martin Jol has a few words on Pajtim Kasami’s brilliant goal against Crystal Palace. Can it be compared to Marco Van Basten’s memorable volley for Holland?
“That was totally different, you can’t compare the two…but this was better.”
‘Nuff said.
Manchester United: David Moyes Harks Back To 1989
MANCHESTER United Watch: David Moyes is speaking after a 1-1 home draw against a decent Southampton side.
“Over the years, Manchester United have been slow starters quite often.”
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Posted: 21st, October 2013 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Marketing Balls: Nike Launch Ronaldo’s New Real Madrid Boot In A Supernova Of Guff
WANT to buy Cristiano Ronaldo’s new Nike Mercurial IX CR7 boot, complete with ‘supernova’ skin print (in homage to Ronaldo’s “out of this world” performances since joining Real Madrid)?
In case you are still undecided as ty the merits of walking in Ronaldo’s shoes, the official Nike blurb, courtesy of design director Denis Dekovic, should seduce you
“The concept of a star that burns brighter than others reflects Cristiano’s style, speed and the idea that as a player he plays without limits, much like the outer reaches of the galaxy. What Cristiano is able to achieve on the field is something that we felt was limitless. So we took that direction and focused on creating a highly luxurious finish fused with modern print and colour choices.”
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David Boon Where Are You? Australian Driver Drank 90 Full Strength Cans Of Melbourne Bitter
TREVOR Alexander Warren, 51, of Dundee Beach in the Northern Territory, Australia, told Bathurst Local Court he’d consumed “between 80 and 90 full strength cans of Melbourne Bitter beer“ before driving. He had eaten nothing.
When police pulled over Warren’s Holden utility, they noticed the smell of alcohol coming from the car.
Posted: 21st, October 2013 | In: Sports, Strange But True, The Consumer | Comment
Ghost Goals: The Most Unforgettable Football Goals That Weren’t
WHEN Bayer Leverkusen’s Stefan Kiessling header smashed into the Hoffenheim net during their recent Bundesliga match, referee Felix Brych had no hesitation in whistling for a goal. Players questioned the decision, but he brooked no disagreement.
Nothing unusual about that, except for one thing: the player doing most of the questioning was Kiessling himself, whose goal ‘celebration’ had consisted of holding his hands and grimacing. From his excellent vantage point he could see what the ref could not: that the ball had missed the goal and powered into the side netting. After that it had somehow slipped through the net and ended up nestling inside.
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Posted: 21st, October 2013 | In: Key Posts, Sports | Comment
Roy Hodgson Race Gaffe: Monkeys Outraged At Being Compared To Slack-Jawed, Tattooed England Footballers
WHEN Roy Hodgson used the word” “monkey” in the vicinity of Spurs’s mixed-race Andros Townsend the papers seized on his “gaffe“. They are still seizing. The Mail’s Rob Shepherd writes:
The Football Association have launched a covert investigation into how Roy Hodgson’s race gaffe was leaked to a national newspaper.
Earlier Nail Ashton and Hugo Guye told us that Hodgson has apologised for his “gaffe“, although the paper’s headline writer billed “monkey as a “jibe”.
England manager Roy Hodgson has been forced to make a bizarre apology after making a joke about a monkey while referring to a mixed-race player during a half-time team talk. The coach’s gaffe is believed to have upset a player in the dressing room…
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In 2007 The Daily Mail Predicted This England Team: Only Arsenal’s Walcott Made It
IN 2007, the Daily Mail’s predicted which tyros would make the England team of the future.
They get one right. Admittedly, Micah Richard looked a good bet to an England regular. But some of the other you’d be hard placed to recognise in their own lounges.
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Spurs: Andros Townsend Earns Makes Manchester City’s Adebayor Look Even Luckier
ANDROS Townsend Watch: A look at the England’s new great hope.
The Mirror leads with news that the Spurs winger is on 16,000 a week. Every week. It choses to compare Townsend’s new wage packet not with that of a nurse or teacher but with Manu Adebyaor, the Spurs striker on £170,000-a-week. Darren Lewis writes:
Andros Townsend could yet become a target for rival clubs after Tottenham’s reward for his England heroics was a new four-year deal worth ‘just‘ £16,000 a week.
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Posted: 19th, October 2013 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comments (5)
Monkey Typo Of The Week: The Times Says Roy Hodgson Did Not Want To ‘Say Anything Appropriate’
THE huge furore over Roy Hodgson’s Space Monkey quip has been pounced upon by the usual anti-racist moralisers. We hated it because quoting sections of a film is desperately sad. It’s is the novelty tie of oration.
But at least we can laugh at Roy’s gaffe in the Times, which quotes the England manager as saying:
“….there was absolutely no intention on my part to say anything appropriate.”
Good. That makes things much interesting. Keep it up, Roy…
West Ham United’s Sam Allardyce Dances Gangnam Style (Video)
ANORAK presents West Ham manager Samuel Allardye dancing Gangnam Style before an episode on A League of Their Own…
Spurs Monkey Balls: Mixed-Race Loveable Yido Andros Townsend Is Enslaved By The Ridiculous Society of Black Lawyers
COMMENT of the day comes Peter Herbert of an outfit known billed as the Society of Black Lawyers, a name that manages to be both sinister and laced with a pretentious Sixth formers ideas of grandeur. He wants to admonish the FA for Roy Hodgson’s monkey-laden England pep talk.
Roy Hodgson’s comments may not have been made with the intention of causing offence as he has explained with the backing of the FA, nonetheless, offence was caused,’ writes Herbert in a letter to the FA calling for a full and proper investigation.The FA’s statement also confirmed that they had not received any complaints from the England players and therefore the matter was closed. The comments of the FA smack of “institutional racism” bearing in mind the Lawrence Inquiry definition of “unwitting racism”.’
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Posted: 18th, October 2013 | In: Reviews, Sports, Spurs | Comments (7)
Manchester United: When Erica Cantona Nixed Morrissey ‘Like A Fatty At The Church Steps’
ANOTHER gem from Morrissey’s new autobiography, Autobiography, is this wonderful little tale regaling the gladioli-whirling Smiths frontman’s incredibly brief encounter with one Eric Cantona in the foyer of a Parisian hotel…
Spotter: @BeardedGenius), Pies
Posted: 18th, October 2013 | In: Celebrities, manchester united, Sports | Comments (2)
