If Paul Hart’s fortunes were equated to a Monopoly board, he’s just picked himself a Get Out of Jail Free card from an Arab Community Chest.
Ali Al-Faraj’s money has brought a much-needed ray of sunshine bursting through the apocalyptic clouds surrounding Fratton Park. Every football fan who has seen a sports page or breathed in the last few weeks knows Pompey have been in crisis. But they picked up their first win of the season last weekend and finally paid their players. Perhaps this is the turning point.
Could there be a return to former glory? Photo: eNil/Flickr
Unfortunately, signing the likes of Tommy Smith and Mike Williams – though talented footballers – isn’t going to keep you in the Premier League. Luckily, Al-Faraj is ready to pull his cheque book out:
Peter Storrie, Portsmouth chief executive, is saying the right things to encourage hopeful fans. But will there actually be a Premier League place to save come January? The facts suggest not. No team has lost their opening seven matches for 79 years, so the battle is already harder than it ever has been in recent football history.
In addition, which player that is capable of keeping Pompey in the top-flight will come to such a struggling club? Money talks in football, undoubtedly, but it’s a tall order for even the hardiest of mercenaries. Still, I’m sure Lucas Neill will keep an eye on it.
Sorry for the prolonged absence, unfortunately the blog was on hiatus as my journalism thesis took over for some months.I am now some way further to understanding why British Asian footballers are so shockingly underrepresented in professional football. My findings will make their way to these pages shortly, but not before they have exited the academic process.
Having completed that, DBP is back. Let’s get on with it then.
Photo: SpreePiX - Berlin/Flickr
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: andrew flintoff, andrew strauss, Ashes, australia, batting, bowling, Cricket, england, first team, history, ricky ponting, victory
Andrew Flintoff takes out Peter Siddle's middle stump. Photo: 6tee-zeven/Flickr
Another fantastic Test match, but strangely for England fans, it took place at Lords. Andrew Strauss’ men finally lifted the 75-year hoodoo, beating Australia at the home of cricket by 115 runs. The best part of it all: England were undoubtedly the better side and fully deserved their victory.
Galvanised by Andrew Flintoff’s retirement from Test cricket, the tone was set by Strauss and Alistair Cook’s superb opening wicket stand of 196. Strauss deserves special credit for demonstrating that the task of captaincy has not affected his batting, posting an almost flawless 161 runs. Questions will be asked again of the middle order, who once again failed in the first innings – contributing just 78 runs from Ravi Bopara to Flintoff. The latter, however, would use the rest of the match to rectify his mistake.
Australia’s bowling was uneven. Mitchell Johnson once again kept his ’secret weapon’ abilities very much under wraps, conceding more than six runs an over in the first innings but mystifyingly claiming three wickets. With none to his name in the second innings, Ricky Ponting must be wondering whether to persist with the out-of-form bowler; an eager Stuart Clarke is waiting in the wings.
Flintoff charging in at his unplayable best. Photo: RNLJ&C/Flickr
England’s bowlers, on the other hand, attacked with venom and vigour, which was palpably missing in Cardiff. Jimmy Anderson moved the ball, Stuart Broad found a better rhythm, Graham Onions was unfazed by the occasion. They all contributed and Flintoff iced the cake with a second innings performance we have not seen since 2005.
Returning personal best figures at Lords – 5 for 92, only the third five-wicket haul of his Test career – Flintoff was imperious, rampaging down the wicket with ferocious pace and movement. Strauss maintained a fine balance with his star bowler, who completed 39 overs at Lords compared to 35 overs in the second innings alone in Cardiff. This allowed him to function as the dangerous strike bowler England needed to achieve victory.
Looking ahead to Edgbaston, England find themselves in the rare position of leading into the third Test of an Ashes series. The scene of arguably the greatest Test match in history in 2005, England will be looking to emulate the result, and hopefully the drama for the spectators.
If Flintoff stays fit, and the middle order – as well as Bopara wallowing at three – get their act together, fans all over the country could well be celebrating another victory come August 3.
Filed under: Football | Tags: arsenal, chelsea, first team, manchester city, mark hughes, money, perez, real madrid
Mark Hughes has tough decisions to make. Photo: kateboydell/Flickr
One month ago, it was Florentino Perez and Real Madrid grabbing the back-page headlines with exhorbitant spending in the football transfer window. Now, it’s all eyes on Manchester City as Sheikh Mansour continues to flex his financial muscle.
Rumours of lavish gifts notwithstanding, the Dubai owner is looking to take his spending at City over the £200m mark. Seeing as Perez spent nearly £150m on two players alone, City seem modest by comparison. Yet it is the sheer gall of Mark Hughes’ movements this summer that has brought activities at Eastlands into sharp relief.
Pinching Gareth Barry from under the auspices of Liverpool outlined City’s intent. A total of £55m so far this summer has seen Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez also switch their honours to sky blue. But the best could be yet to come, with Emmanuel Adebayor in deep discussions and bids tabled for John Terry and Joleon Lescott.
Garry Cook, City’s executive chairman, makes no bones about what is required for City to challenge for a Champions League spot:
‘The investments that we’re making currently will define the football club for the next 10 years. I think when you do that to compete with the top four in the Premier League, you have to invest to reach those new levels. It stops when Mark feels that he’s got the right quality of players in the squad.’
Can’t say fairer than that. Mark Hughes will be delighted by these supportive words. Yet, the question looming large in the football forums must be prominent in the Welshman’s mind: who makes the starting line-up?
This will be a very different team next season. Photo: zawtowers/Flickr
It will be incredibly difficult as it is to accommodate Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Robinho and Tevez in the same team. Santa Cruz must play as the target man. Will Adebayor be deployed in an unorthodox wide right position? Will Tevez play on the left? Will Robinho float?
These issues aside, where does Craig Bellamy factor; a £14m investment? Not to mention Felipe Caicedo, or Valeri Bojinov? The same problems resonate in the midfield. Does Barry play at the £17m expense of Nigel De Jong? If they play together, then surely there’s not enough room for Stephen Ireland or Shaun Wright-Phillips, which is at odds with City’s proud ethos of playing academy graduates.
Reading though these permutations will no doubt have anyone’s head spinning. It’s up to Mark Hughes to make these decisions for real. With the promise of Champions League football and huge wages, it will be interesting to see which players bristle at a spot of bench-warming.
Filed under: Cricket | Tags: andrew strauss, Ashes, australia, batting, bowling, Cricket, draw, england, jimmy anderson, monty panesar, paul collingwood, pietersen, ricky ponting
The Swalec Stadium in Cardiff honoured its historic debut as the 100th Test venue by producing a cricket match so gripping many will be suffering slight malnourishment after a two day diet exclusively of chewed fingernails.
Paul Collingwood taking the fight to Australia. Photo: johnniemojo/Flickr
Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar deserve the plaudits being heaped upon them, surviving 69 deliveries to seal the draw. Yet the real hero of England’s second innings is undoubtedly Paul Collingwood, whose valiant 344 minutes at the crease displayed the temperament and gritty determination needed to succeed in top-flight Test cricket.
Escaping defeat in Cardiff will be a greater psychological boost for England than victory would have been for Australia. But let’s not get carried away. Strauss certainly isn’t:
England were totally outplayed until the final day of this Test match. On a slow pitch made for easy runs, the two top orders illustrated the difference in standard. Over two innings, England’s top five managed 314 runs. Australia’s scored 394 runs in one.
Perhaps this is a little misleading. After all, Strauss’ men were batting for a draw in their second innings; run scoring was not a priority. The order of the day was to bat out four sessions. Unfortunately, England’s batsmen are shown up once more; the top four managed just 119 minutes of defensive batting between them. On a dead pitch. Without facing Brett Lee.
A good point at which to turn to England’s bowlers. It was disconcerting to see the Australians exploit the difficult conditions far more effectively than England. Hilfenhaus found movement where Anderson couldn’t. Hauritz found more turn and bounce than either Panesar or Swann, who had his first poor bowling performance since returning to the squad.
Andrew Flintoff. Photo: cormac70/Flickr
Stuart Broad was ineffective and expensive, while Flintoff bowled 35 overs; far more than his remit as a short spell strike bowler should entail. Strauss seemed short of ideas, other than relying on Collingwood’s tame cutters to find a break through.
There was no inventiveness in his field settings, and when you’ve leaked 500 runs, why not throw the ball to Kevin Pietersen? Ricky Ponting turned to Simon Katich and Marcus North for something different. To no real avail, sure, but his willingness to try alternative measures is the important factor.
There’s a lot to do before Lords on Thursday, and don’t be surprised if Steve Harmison is recalled to lead the bowling attack.
Still, at least we got under Ponting’s skin again with some good old-fashioned timewasting. Now we just need Gary Pratt at extra cover.
Filed under: Football | Tags: alex ferguson, capello, england, first team, injury, manchester united, michael owen, money, real madrid, ronaldo
Sir Alex Ferguson
Losing one of the world’s most prolific scorers to your footballing nemesis must be a sobering experience. But trust Alex Ferguson to get straight on with it, by signing Michael Owen with such alacrity the Road Runner would doff his cap.
While Stoke City and Hull City were supposedly having a tug of war over the Scouser’s signature, Fergie has pushed the secret button to the trapdoor and snatched Owen before anyone could blink. Oh, and did I mention he’s done it on a free transfer? On a performance based pay scheme?
People will scoff for two reasons: Owen’s recent goal scoring exploits and his relentless injuries. His 32-page brochure hasn’t allayed any fears in this respect, as Martin Samuel aptly explains. Yet, having lost Ronaldo, who wouldn’t sign a free proven goalscorer in his stead?
You simply cannot ignore 157 goals in 271 La Liga and Premier League starts. Of those, 26 have come in 52 league starts wearing a Newcastle United shirt. And lest we forget, this statistic is among his least impressive when it comes to goalscoring.
The more worrying question is injury. Staying fit could well be an issue, but Ferguson has anticipated this. I dread to think what a ‘rigorous’ medical assessment at Old Trafford entails, and should Owen not play enough matches, he will be paid accordingly. Simply brilliant.
Owen has scored 40 goals for England
Owen will have neither a greater chance nor incentive to reclaim his number ten shirt in Fabio Capello’s England team. If he stays fit, there’s no reason he won’t score 20 Premier League goals next season, with the service he’ll receive from the Manchester United midfield. Reunited with Wayne Rooney, looking to get his career back on track, to disprove the doubters who simply threw his brochure in the bin.
The stage is set. And Fergie will be smiling to himself.
Filed under: Football | Tags: kaka, manchester united, money, perez, real madrid, ronaldo
Hush. Listen. Can you hear that? No? Try harder. Now? Yep, you’ve got it. That’s the sound of no broken mugs dropped in shock, no cars crashed by astonished drivers, and a whole continent of unbatted eyelids. It’s the sound of the footballing world reacting to Cristiano Ronaldo’s long anticipated transfer to Real Madrid.
Of course, it would be foolish to suggest there is no reaction at all, just one completely lacking in surprise. A plethora of Manchester United fans all over England will be lamenting the loss of their talismanic superstar, and dare I say many other fans too. Because this is a loss for English football, not just Lancashire.
Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president
Despite it being a matter of when, not if, it is still sad to have one of the world’s brightest football talents leave these shores. Spain already has Messi, Kaka’s been drafted in, and with rumours circulating about Franck Ribery, David Villa and Karim Benzema, you almost wish UEFA would step in and stop Florentino Perez poaching these stars.
Still, Manchester United now have £80m at their disposal, the only aspect of this story that retains a hint of shock value. Where has Perez sourced this money from in these difficult economic times, having already dropped £59m on Kaka?
The number bods will be scratching their heads, but football fans will be hoping Sir Alex Ferguson can secure someone to emulate the dazzling football Ronaldo had provided over the last six years.
Filed under: Tennis | Tags: champion, history, rafael nadal, roger federer, roland garros
‘It’s only divine right, come true.’
Fantastic song from The New Pornographers, a fantastic band. The problem now is I can’t listen to it without picturing Roger Federer kissing the French Open trophy that had eluded him until now.
Federer wins his first French Open title
Still, it’s something of a fitting tribute to the man. Is there a more consummate professional than Roger Federer playing sport anywhere? Many have etched their names into the history books: Tiger Woods, Shane Warne, Lewis Hamilton. But no one has managed it with such grace and aplomb.
Equalling Sampras’ record, becoming only the sixth person to win at all four grand slam tournaments, Federer is surely the greatest tennis player in history. Doubters will point to the fact he didn’t beat Rafael Nadal to win at Roland Garros. Yet he beat the man who eliminated Nadal, Robin Soderling, which can be considered the next best thing.
Poetic justice would see the Swiss reclaim his Wimbledon title from the Spaniard in another epic final in July. Were it to happen, the argument for divine right would become a lot stronger. But I’d probably never listen to that song again.
Filed under: Football | Tags: blogging, British press, exeter, guardian, money, promotion
St James' Park, Exeter City FC. Photo: Mags/Flickr
With Southampton’s demise highlighting the growing financial gloom haunting the Football League, a heart-warming success story is needed like never before. Cue Exeter City, who are on the verge of promotion to League One, potentially a remarkable achievement for a club that in 2003 was relegated to the then Conference and facing grave financial turmoil.
Since those dreary days, fans have bought the club through the Exeter City FC Supporters’ Trust and helped balance the books through financial negotiations and fundraising. An FA Cup draw against Manchester United in 2005 that spanned two legs and a television appearance was also a contributing factor.
The club is now close to winning a second successive promotion, achieving Exeter City’s highest league status for 15 years. Denise Watts, chairman of both the club and trust, finds the situation a welcome positive in these turbulent times for football finance.
“It’s been a fantastic season for us. We are now at the point where we have a club that is owned by its fans on the brink of League One football. It’s just amazing,” she says. “We always said we could get out of the Conference, but we have had struggles as a club. Five years in the Conference is a long time, but it takes all that time to get out and now we are just very excited. We’ve exceeded all our expectations for the season.”
Currently third in League Two, City face stiff competition for automatic promotion from Bury, who are one point and one place behind them. City’s recent form is encouraging for the 2,754 trust members, the Grecians having taken 14 from a possible 18 points. However, Watts is careful not to start popping champagne corks just yet.
“I am cautiously optimistic about the weekend [Exeter play Morecambe, who beat them two years ago in the Conference play-off final to win promotion], but there’s nothing as strange as football results, as we all know. We have to continue playing at our best to win the last two games, but whatever happens we are in that great position whereby we are still in the play-offs. But there’s no need to start celebrating yet. As Paul Tisdale [the Exeter manager] and I believe, the job is not done yet. We have had a lot of heartache in the past.”
It is hard to believe a club which has not finished below seventh in the last five seasons would be burdened with hardship. Yet the efforts of the trust members, 75% of whom are volunteers, have helped bring rewards to Exeter City. Watts, as well as becoming English football’s only female football chairman three and a half years ago, is a full-time dental consultant and single mother.
Exeter fans. Photo: thornj/Flickr
“Most of us are volunteers,” she says, “which is why it is such a real victory for a fan-run club. We are expecting a completely packed house on Saturday, almost 9,000 people. We had 40,000 people [at the play-off final] at Wembley last year. This season we’ve had average attendances of 5,000 so where have the other 35,000 gone? I think there will be a lot of them hoping to get in on Saturday, but I say we have to look after those 5,000 first. If you want to be part of Exeter City Football Club, you need to join the trust.”
As much as the trust members have achieved, the players and manager also deserve their plaudits, something Watts is more than happy to acknowledge. “All credit to the players and Paul. He’s had a clever selection policy and a great attitude. Nothing but the best is good enough for him. Our dream this season was to be in the play-offs and we have almost bettered it. So the expectation has grown, which is a good thing, but, as I said, it’s not over yet.”
It’s not too difficult to imagine Grecian victory in the last two matches of the season being politely toasted outside Exeter. Everyone loves the plucky, courageous underdog in the script, and City’s football journey fits the bill nicely.
As Watts summarises: “We have faced financial ruin, we have been to the very lowest, and now we are so much higher because we have been through so much.”
Check out my blog post on the Guardian website by clicking here.
Filed under: Football
I cannot recommend the Islington Now sports podcast highly enough…possibly because I feature in it. Be that as it may, go ahead and listen, it’s insightful, well produced and a good laugh. There are three of them and they are all worth your rapt attention.
So I don’t solely take all the plaudits, special kudos for Emma Barrow, Chris Cutmore and Patrick Galey. We did this as a team and we’re proud of it.
When you’re done with the podcast, have a nose around on the website, it’s full of great content and top news stories. Enjoy.
