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Day: 3 November 2011

Shakira gets a Gold star

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will be honouring the Colombian pop star Shakira with her very own star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

She will be placed in the category of Recording; with her being the 2,354th star on the Walk of Fame, located at the world famous corner of Hollywood and Vine Boulevard.

Within a contemporary transnational context, the internationally known singer/songwriter Shakira emerges as a prime example of a public persona who at times occupies the interstices between the Latin American and the US Latino. As one of the most visible performers of the most recent so-called Latin music ‘boom’,  Shakira’s music and public persona shape both western and non western notions of what it means to be not only Latina, but as beautiful.

Though this latest award may be considered a more celebrity orientated affair; and many will disregard it quicker than Shakira can shake her hips (weak?) it is interesting to view this situation in a more cultural context; away from the glitter and fakery.

As a representation of the female gender, Shakira may regard herself an advocate for feminism, but feminist may argue her raunchy self image is all the more for males and her audience to support her because of her image, as opposed to her views.

Her mixed ethnicity also brings into light to the masses another culture and where one has been successful; though not necessarily western. Shakira has used her ethnicity for the most part of her career, but also fallen short of moulding a different identity to gain acclaim from a western audience. The impoverished background that she grew up in has however caused her to not just use her fame for her own financial advancement, but also to benefit others with the production of her own charity.

Shakira has ushered her audience into the brave new world of her music; a sound often described as a refreshing blast of off-centre rock that is fused together with her native Arabic and Latin beats. She is an example of the postmodern, post colonial globalised self,

“I am a fusion. That’s my persona. I’m a fusion between black and white, between pop and rock, between cultures – between my Lebanese father and my mother’s Spanish blood, the Colombian folklore and Arab dance I love and American music

(fazeteen.com, ‘Shakira a cultural fashion’, 2009)

 

The celebrity world may be deemed by post-colonialists to be dominated substantially by the white celebrity. Thus, making people believe that stardom and fame is more readily available for those of white ethnicity.

It is distressing to think that the colonialist mentality is still alive in the hearts of the mass media. Shakira may have landed herself a spot on the Hollywood walk of fame; but was it worth reincarnating herself as a blonde bombshell oozing with western spirit.

It is that elusive global popularity that Shakira continues to seek, producing bi-lingual albums and collaborating with key artists in the US market.

She has a curiosity about the world and other cultures that you don’t see every day in your average pop singer. I mean, not too many celebrities like to discuss Carl Jung during interviews or can claim a Nobel Prize winner like Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a close friend.

You can keep your star. You deserve it.

 

 

Manchester up the tempo to ease past Leeds

Volleyball at Manchester looks set for another strong year as a fresh group of talented players arrive to swell the ranks of the already successful squads. Eight new players have joined the women’s first team alone, each of whom is expected do their upmost to replicate, and hopefully improve upon, last year’s impressive season, in which the volleyball team came second in the league, made it to the finals of the student competition and placed 5th in the BUCS Cup.

Before the team could even think about cup or league glory they first needed to overcome their apparent teething troubles, having been beaten by recently promoted Durham in straights sets in their opening match. Nevertheless, their opponents, Leeds, didn’t arrive with much form either, having lost 3-1 to their local Metropolitan rivals. Their squad was significantly smaller than Manchester’s and they could not field a senior player, nevertheless, they cast a very professional figure thanks to some very experienced players.

Leeds took the first point of the match with a careful dink over the net before a prolonged rally gave Zapletal the opportunity to block an ill-thought out Leeds dig and earn Manchester their first point of the match. The set followed this form for the next few points as the two teams limbered up and got into the match but as Manchester saw five they began to show their superiority, adding the same again to the tally without allowing Leeds a look in, at the first timeout of the match the score line stood at 10-5 thanks to some great serving and long balls from Manchester.

As play resumed Leeds took on a rather more invigorated approach and manage to slowly claw the difference down thanks to great communication by all six of their players and the score difference was quickly narrowed to 12-10 giving Manchester reason to feel uncomfortable. The interplay of earlier in the set seemed to have somewhat dissipated as both teams added a significant points to their haul without conceding, first Manchester with 7 and then Leeds with 6 before Manchester returned another 5 to take them one away from winning the first set of the match. A good serve from Kirk was difficult to return for Leeds and Kortle was in a comfortable position to spike the ball straight into the opposition’s half, taking Manchester 25-17 up and securing the first set of the match.

The next set began with another exchange of points and Leeds looked to be much firmer and managed to get 4-2 before Manchester responded with surprising vigour. They quickly built a lead of 10-4 and then, despite a poorly planned time out that threatened to take the edge out of their attack, extended it to 15-4. Leeds put up a brave display to put the score at 17-9 but their spirit seemed to have gone and Manchester eased to a slightly flattering 25-9 second set victory.

The following play was more evenly matched as the new Leeds ladies continually improved and the score went all the way up to 7-7 before Manchester used their superior depth to bring on fresh players and break away 17-9. The talent of the Yorkshire team was not lacking though and some great individual play from their deep players allowed them to retrieve four consecutive points and take it to 17-13, Manchester answered in a similar fashion though and the score line reached 21-16. The purple team were unstoppable and allowed Leeds only one point more before Stranka leapt at the chance to take the final set at another 25-17, winning the match at 3-0 a result which does not give justice to a solid Leeds performance. Their positive captain said “Intense match, well played by Manchester. Really enjoyed it.” The Manchester skipper returned “a good game from a young team against a talented side”.

World Cup Review

When the final whistle blew at Eden Park two weeks ago it was the end of 24 years of pain for the All Blacks, as they finally took the trophy that had eluded them since they hosted the inaugural competition back in 1987. In front of a home crowd New Zealand finally delivered, and in a year which had seen their country suffer the incredible hardship of 3 earthquakes, victory could not have come at a better time.
Despite the attritional nature of their 8-7 victory over France to clinch the Webb Ellis Cup, the All Blacks were outstanding throughout the tournament. They were ruthless in the group stages and powered on into the knockout rounds turning over a committed Argentinian team in the quarter finals. Yet the best was to come with a comprehensive dismantling of Australia in the semis. They did this, we must remember, without talismanic fly half Dan Carter who was injured in the pool matches and the kiwis actually finished the tournament with Stephen Donald, their fourth choice stand off on the field. Indeed, the way in which the team coped with the loss of Carter is a testament to their all round ability. In the pack, Richie McCaw led by example despite suffering from a foot injury and credit must also go to the powerful number eight, Kieron Read, and veteran Brad Thorn who were both outstanding throughout the tournament. In the backs meanwhile, Israel Dagg announced himself as one of the most dangerous strike runners in World rugby, while Ma’a Nonu showed not only what an effective battering ram he is, but how much he has developed the rest of his game, particularly his kicking, to become the complete inside centre.
Of course the tournament was not just about the New Zealand team. Wales and Australia both showed off a new generation of young stars that look set to see their sides’ blossom into formidable units that can the challenge the All Blacks in coming years. The likes of Toby Faletau and George North played like seasoned internationals despite having just 25 international caps between them. Australia meanwhile have unearthed a gem in open side flanker David Pocock, whose performance against South Africa in the quarter finals was arguably the best individual display of the tournament.
It would also be wrong not to mention the ever-unpredictable French, who came within a whisker of becoming the first team to win a World Cup despite losing twice in the group stages. Their run to the final was certainly not a conventional one, but in the final they matched New Zealand blow for blow. Skipper and recently crowned IRB World player of the year Thierry Dusautoir alongside the brilliant Imanol Harinordoquy proved inspirational leading by example from the front. The evergreen Aurelio Rougerie was another who stood out with some sterling performances at centre. As always however it is a case of wondering how good France would be if they could discover some consistency.
The group stages also allowed for rugby’s smaller nations to make their mark. It was wonderful to see watch the highly charged clash between the United States and Russia, while the performances of the likes of Georgia and Japan showed that rugby is steadily on the rise as a World game. All we can hope is that the IRB gives these nations the financial support they deserve so they can rise to compete with rugby’s traditional elite.

Scotland

Once again it was a case of what might have been for Scotland as they crashed out of the Rugby World Cup at the pool stages, after finishing third behind England and Argentina in Pool B. Consequently this was to be the first time that Scotland would leave the competition before the quarter-final stage.
However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. That’s because, had things gone Scotland’s way at the right time, they could have found themselves top of their pool.
Leading the Pumas and England at half time, the Scots had chances to win both games. Their Achilles heel eventually proved to be a lack of tries. Scotland scored four tries in the tournament, but all came against the minnows of the group, Romania.
However, against Argentina especially, it looked increasingly likely that Scotland wouldn’t even need a try to win the game. Leading 12-6 with just eight minutes to go, the Scots appeared to have one foot in the quarter finals. That was until Lucas Gonzales Amorosino evaded three tackles to touch down in the corner with Felipo Contepomi converting the conversion. Scotland had lost.
Still, in a campaign that failed to ignite, there were a few bright sparks. Richie Gray, the youngest player in the squad at just 22 years of age, put in a number of accomplished performances, further establishing himself as one of the world’s most promising youngsters. Richie Vernon also put in a commendable shift in his first Rugby World Cup and is definitely one to watch.
Max Evans and Sean Lamont both proved what dangerous attacking players they are, however they seemed to be the exception in an altogether uninspiring back line.
Overall however, Scotland just didn’t perform well enough when it really mattered and continue to be plagued by an inability to see off games once in winning positions. On a brighter note, there were enough signs to suggest they will be competitive at next year’s Six Nations.

England

England’s World Cup campaign was one of controversy both on and off the pitch. With a series of poor displays that lacked any imagination being accompanied by accusations of late night antics that would have made their football peers proud.

A nervous start against an ageing Argentine team did little to inspire confidence with Andrew Sheridan’s shoulder injury compounding the misery. The antics of stand-in-captain Mike Tindall in a bar following the game were probably blown out of proportion, but they were seized upon by a fearless New Zealand media looking for blood and it wasn’t long before our own wonderful tabloids picked up the thread. This only served to further undermine England’s campaign. They staggered from controversy to another laboured effort against Georgia, yet an improved performance against Romania did follow. Martin Johnson’s team ran in ten tries through the likes of Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton who both bagged hat-tricks. Yet trouble was not far behind as two coaches faced IRB sanctions for switching balls in an attempt to improve Johnny Wilkinson’s dire goal kicking. England’s final group game against Scotland saw another lacklustre performance with the side on the brink of defeat until Ashton’s late score.
Despite the disappointment of the group stages there was optimism going into the quarter final stage, to face France. The likes of Manu Tuilagi and James Haskell had been bright lights for England in the pool stages and it was hoped they would inspire their underperforming colleagues. The sight of the brilliant Haskell warming the bench should have set alarm bells ringing before the game even began. It was the same story, with numerous unforced errors allowing the incisive French backline to cross the English try-line twice before half time, Vincent Clerc and Maxine Medard proving to be the stars. Despite a much-improved second half performance which saw Ben Foden and old warrior Cueto cross for tries, it was all in vain. The sound of the final whistle saw England eliminated, bringing an end to a disappointing campaign more memorable for controversy than any of the rugby played.

Ireland

Alas, the dream is over. Irish Rugby’s golden generation will never lift the World Cup.
Never again will International rugby’s grandest stage play host to one of its greatest leads, Brian O’Driscoll, and his fine supporting cast – O’Callaghan, O’Connell, O’Gara, D’Arcy et al.
Beaten 22-10 in the quarter-finals by the ruthless, firebrand Welsh, the Webb Ellis Cup was a step too far for a side who secured the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009 – only the second in Irish history.
As ever Ireland – perennial World Cup underachievers – came into the tournament with legitimate hopes of at least a semi-final appearance, despite patchy pre-tournament form.
The Irish campaign began as it ended with a 22-10 score line – a slightly rusty defeat of the USA. After this, they sauntered through the group stages – despatching Russia and Italy with ease and aplomb. Australia were also beaten in a furious, ferocious 15-9 victory. It was the type of win that had even the cynics daring to believe – they couldn’t, could they?
But it wasn’t to be.
Wales, arguably the most exciting side of the tournament, shattered Emerald dreams. In another brutal, physical battle Wales’ young upstarts were just too good and too fit for Ireland’s old stagers. For Wales, victory was another stepping stone for a side with a bright future ahead of it. For Ireland, it was the end of the road.
Captain O’Driscoll’s post match interview said it all. With a tear in his eye he admitted that this was the end. By winning the group they’d given themselves their greatest chance and their last chance. Now it was gone.
A new generation will now look to take Ireland onwards to 2015. In Cian Healy, Johnny Sexton and the bullish, brilliant Sean O’Brien the future of Irish rugby looks to be in safe hands.
But whatever the future holds, the romantic inside can’t help but rue what might have been for Irish Rugby’s golden generation.

Wales

‘It was our destiny, our time,’ said the Welsh supporters. Unfortunately the wheel of fortune didn’t turn kindly for Wales on that semi-final night in Auckland. Our hearts went out to them as they crashed out of the World Cup amid controversy and anger. The decision that everyone was talking about, the sending off of Sam Warburton, was a brave one which fatally wounded Wales’ chances. But pondering the decision is pointless now, the dream is over and the thoughts that resonate of Wales’ campaign are of fantastic effort and passion, of which their nation can be proud.
Warren Gatland’s team glowed with some dominating performances during the group stages against Fiji and Samoa and a herculean effort against Ireland in the quarter finals. Momentum is often the buzzword in World Cups and Wales timed their performances to perfection until the 17th minute of the semi-final when this momentum seemed to come to a shuddering halt when Wales’ young talismanic captain saw red. The game itself was nothing to shout about, error strewn and scrappy, but both teams fought to hold on till the last minute. France defended for their lives while Wales threw everything but the kitchen sink in attack but all to no avail.
After the heartbreak of the semi-final had died down attention soon turned to the third place play-off against Australia. Both teams were fighting for some pride as they looked to take something tangible from the tournament. Australia came out on top in the end with a 21-18 win but the game had much more going for it than either of the semi-finals with guts, aggression and skill being shown off. The standout moment was Shane Williams’ great try on the wing, possibly his last for his country. Taking everything into account Wales have shown great promise and talent over the course of the tournament. Stalwarts such as Williams and fly half Stephen Jones can be proud of their service over the years but the time has come to pass the baton to Wales’ thrilling new generation.

Fluid Manchester show Leeds the way

A Steven Hall inspired Manchester side handed Leeds University their second successive defeat, easing to a comfortable 3-0 win.
Centre back Anthony Osho headed in his first goal in Manchester colours after just 10 minutes from Steven Hall’s early corner. Manchester then proceeded to affirm their control with two further strikes either side of half time with Hall turning goal scorer and becoming provider once more for Josh Rogers’ 62nd minute header.
With both sides being comprehensively beaten in their last outings 4-1 and 5-1 respectively, the victory sends Manchester 6 points clear of Leeds in the battle to retain league status.
The home side’s first team coach Stuart Leicester had mentioned beforehand that he felt Leeds were a side “we should be beating” whilst simultaneously showing caution and respect to a Leeds team that perhaps was short on confidence following their defeat to Northumbria University. The stakes were high and as Leicester asserted, this was a ‘must win game’, just as much for the home side as it was for Leeds.
It was Manchester who responded with the most valour and resilience to their most recent result, showing high levels of energy and commitment right from the first whistle. This was epitomised by Amar Dhesi who within the first minute of the encounter threw himself into a high challenge, which sadly meant he had to depart with a head injury.
In the opening 8 minutes both sides displayed an attitude of tentativeness and a touch of nerves as passes went astray and the only thing visibly noticeable was the incessancy of crunching tackles.
However, the home side quickly began to settle and show signs of the threat they posed. With their first corner a quickly taken ball from technician Hall followed up by an effort from forward Callum Botham cleared the crossbar, providing the warning signs to the Leeds defence as Manchester sought to make a statement of intent.
Interestingly, it was Hall’s corner once again just two minutes later that would prove to be the deadlock breaker.
This time, taken from the left corner flag, an inviting delivery from Hall saw centre back Anthony Osho rise highest to head with conviction low past goalkeeper Jack Lonegran.
It began what would be a spell of concerted pressure from the home side, and Manchester nearly doubled their lead immediately after grabbing the opener.
A great passage of play involving captain Robert Sissons and Josh Rogers saw a chance open up for the imposing forward Botham. However his left foot shot once again rose over the bar when a pass to left winger Akeeb Ahmed appeared to have been the better option.
After 18 minutes, the away side had still not had an attempt on goal and were certainly failing to cause any real concern to the home sides defence. This was encapsulated by the sideline antics of Leeds’ assistant coach Brian Deane, with the former Middlesbrough and Leeds United marksman kicking water bottles in an air of frustration.
Leeds University winger Liam Turner had earlier stated that his side were perhaps suffering due to the fact that they had recently assembled a new back four, and it was showing as Manchester began to pick holes in the Leeds defence. Robert Sissons saw a 25 yard volley deflect and trickle just wide, and a string of set pieces looked to be providing Leeds with much discomfort before the away side began to threaten. Striker Daniel Cunningham who had been identified as a potential match winner, wasted an opportunity when sent through on goal whilst a header from captain Jamie Doyle was cleared off the line.
These missed chances were to be their undoing as playmaker Hall, who was beginning to pull strings in the middle of the park, burst through the middle before unleashing a crisp low 25 yard strike into the bottom corner on the half hour mark to double the score.
Leeds began the second half in much stronger fashion and efforts from Doyle and Cunningham forced good saves from Will Jones who had been a spectator for most of the match.
As it had been before, another set piece from Hall would settle the match as a contest as the lung bursting Josh Rogers beat Pat Newsome in the air to glance a header into the back of the net from Hall’s free kick on 62 minutes.
Hall was not finished yet, playing a delightful ball onto the wing before receiving the ball again only to see his 20 yard effort cannon off the post.
Manchester continued to create chances with ease but spurn them; however it marked an important 3 points for them and another worrying result for a Leeds side who’s coach Ian Burchnall feels are still getting used to playing with each other.

Where Are They Now? – Ruel Fox

The man once described as ‘the best player in his position in the country’ by Kevin Keegan upon his signing for Newcastle in 1994, Ruel Fox was one of the trickiest wingers in the Premier League having greatly impressed at Norwich City and was destined for big things amongst Newcastle’s galaxy of stars in the mid ‘90s. Fox had been part of a Norwich side which had reached the quarter finals of the UEFA cup, dispatching European giants Bayern Munich en route, and his signing for Newcastle appeared to be the step up he needed to fulfil his talent. A relatively successful spell at Newcastle came to an end after the arrival of David Ginola, and his career alarmingly spiralled downwards after his big money move to Spurs failed to work out. A brief spell at West Brom followed before Fox retired from professional football to run a restaurant in his hometown of Ipswich.
His football career however was revived through his involvement with the Montserrat national team, a small island in the Caribbean, who are still officially ranked as the worst footballing nation in the world. Fox helped to recruit players for Montserrat in the UK, whilst also playing for the minnows, scoring in a provisional world cup qualifier against Antigua. Since then, Fox has returned to the UK, and is working for Ipswich Borough Council as a Fitness instructor, whilst also sitting as chairman for local amateur football club Whitton United. Despite a career which failed to fulfil its potential, Fox has subsequently gone down in footballing folklore, both as a cult figure amongst Spurs fans as one of their worst ever signings, but also in reverence amongst Norwich fans, who voted him into their inaugural hall of fame in 2002.

Where are they now? – David May

David May will be most fondly remembered by the Old Trafford faithful as a steady centre half who was equally comfortable playing at full back. Playing the majority of games in his career at Blackburn Rovers, he finished runner-up in the Premier League in the 93/94 season before being signed by eventual league winners Manchester United the following year. May had a lucrative career and managed to bag himself two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Charity Shields and a Champions League winner’s medal; not a bad haul for a player who was often the understudy to preferred partnership of Bruce and Pallister.
Today, May earns a living as a winemaker importing his new range, ‘Mayson Ridge’ from South Africa, with the ‘May’ coming from his name, the range includes: a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinotage. He obviously has managed to develop an altogether more sophisticated palate with this array of drinks, than the combination of pre-match builder’s tea and post match lager he used to enjoy in his playing days.
May made recent headlines when he organised a charity event to ‘celebrate’ local rivals Manchester City’s 35 year spell without any silverware; which he was forced to be cancel by Greater Manchester Police, because of the threat of antagonising the blue half of Manchester. When not arranging charity fund raising events such as golf tournaments, which May has done previously to benefit Manchester’s Christie hospital, he works as a pundit on MUTV.
Although not one of the most talented players in the Champions League winning dressing room of ‘99, May’s popularity grew at United due to his relaibility; which saw him start in ’96 FA cup final victory over bitter rivals Liverpool. Despite an impressive trophy cabinet, May was voted 34th in ‘The 50 Worst Footballers’ by The Times, an accolade that he surely won’t pay too much attention too. Nevertheless his career achievements speak for themselves as the Stretford End were all too keen to remind his former Blackburn team mate with the words, “David May, superstar! Got more medals than Shearer!”

Goals galore as Manchester Hockey cruise past Sheffield

The newly relegated Manchester Women’s Hockey 1st XI looked set to build upon their recent away win at Liverpool with a victory against a Sheffield side still celebrating their promotion to the Northern Conference 1A. The 2nd XI meanwhile, began their campaign aiming to replicate last season, a year which saw them win the All Divisions Cup and finish 4th in the league.

The first team were up first and started well, taking inspiration from a break in the persistent drizzle with Davis coming close early on. New player Fatch soon gave the home side the lead, firing an awe-inspiring shot into the top right of the net. This goal was to set the trend for the rest of the match, in the next fifteen minutes Sheffield barely left their own half. When they did manage to escape and take the ball off Manchester’s fiery strikers there was never a way through a solid defence. The four purple shirts were like a brick wall in the face of the Sheffield attack, neutralising any threat.

The visitors conceded an ever-increasing number of fouls as they wilted under the pressure of the Manchester assault. A straggling foot led to the first short corner of the match. Manchester approached with practiced ease and one more would have been added to the tally if it were not for some great defensive work from Sheffield, who found determination in the harsh, and unrepeatable, words of their keeper. However, no amount of foul language could prevent the inevitable, and another powerful ball in by Watton found its way through a D brimming with yellow shirts to Lucy Walker’s feet just beside the net. All that was left for Walker to do was to slip it past the keeper’s pads and double the score.

This second goal appeared to wake Sheffield up and the match became significantly less one sided, with some sterling running being done by the Sheffield front two. Stevenson cast a solitary figure in the Manchester goal though, as the Manchester defence held firm and kept play away from the home D for the remainder of the half.

The second half opened with a magnificent Manchester attack led by Fatch and McMullan that was disappointingly brought to end by another great save from the Sheffield keeper. The Manchester girls did not have to wait long for another goal though, as a great pass to Crosley allowed her the space to hammer a shot home from the edge of the D. Errors became more frequent for Sheffield as the pressure began to show. A free hit in a good position was squandered and a hefty foul on Timms led to the only card of the game.

As the game entered its final minutes the weary Sheffield side managed to scramble together a final assault upon the Manchester defence only to be let down by a sloppy pass from the recently penalised forward, the break down leading to a short corner for some shoddy tackling. Crosley was the happy recipient of a fast ball and slammed it in to secure Manchester’s first home victory of the new season.

A surprisingly positive Sheffield captain said “We are happy with the first friendly of the season and look forward to coming to Manchester again”, while Manchester’s Hannah Cobbold described the match as “a positive first performance with lots of aspects of our game to work on.”

The second team’s task was much the same as their peers, taking on opposition a couple of leagues below them. Six new players created a side full of energy and it was one of these new players that opened the scoring, Irish bullet Weir having a speculative effort that caught the keeper unaware and snuck into the left of the net. Smith was gifted a flick but prevented from scoring by a great save. However, they did not have to wait long as Halliday scored from the edge of the six-yard box, a goal that Toria Canning swiftly added to with a powerful shot from the edge of the D that slammed into the wood.

Sheffield had a few efforts but for the most part their strikers remained lonely at the front as Manchester put their bodies on the line, quite literally for Evie Lant who took a ball to the face, keeping Manchester in the ascendancy. The consistent possession allowed Canning to score another by slipping it past the keeper and the talented player swiftly followed this up with two great efforts, one reverse sweep and one powerful shot, to take Manchester 4-0 up. The game was wrapped up when Sheffield conceded a final flick which skipper Canning put away. The Sheffield captain admitted it had been a “tough game” but said Manchester were “strong opponents”, four goal hero Canning only had two words which perhaps epitomized the day’s performances – “smashed it”.

Money begins to talk outside of Premier League

A £38m Argentinean summer signing, under the guidance of a Serie A legend, fires a team in blue to the top of their domestic league after years of underachievement. Please, don’t leave, it’s not more precious column inches devoted to Manchester City’s ongoing assault on the Premier League summit but a look at how nouveau riche Paris Saint-Germain are faring under Leonardo.
Indeed, the Brazilian director of football appears to have galvanised the capital city outfit, who sit joint-top of Ligue 1 after just one defeat in eight games. The money pumped into the club by the Qatar Investment Authority has been well invested by Leonardo and first-team coach Antoine Kambouare, with the new signings settling into life at the Parc des Princes quickly. The marquee arrival, Argentinean international Javier Pastore, has lived up to his startling transfer fee, scoring four times and turning in virtuoso performances as an attacking midfielder. While not as well known as “el flaco”, Kevin Gameiro has also performed well after arriving from Lorient in a £10m deal, with the diminutive striker helping himself to five goals.
PSG’s fine start has only been matched by that of Olympique Lyonnais, with the Rhone-Alpes outfit beginning to show form reminiscent of their 2002-09 title years under the management of Remi Garde. While few new signings have arrived, OL have enjoyed the spectacular form of top scorer Bafetimbi Gomis and Brazilian winger Michel Bastos. Last year’s surprise champions Lille, meanwhile, have developed the nasty habit of conceding late goals at home and as such lie in sixth.
While PSG look well placed to qualify for the Champions League and even challenge for the French title, in Spain another team bankrolled by oil money are showing they can mount a push for continental qualification. Malaga, who were recently bought by another Qatari investor, sit in sixth despite being just one point short of second-placed Barcelona. The Andalusians were relegation strugglers at this point last season but a raft of big-money signings have left Manuel Pellegrini’s side looking to challenge the likes of Villarreal and Valencia for the “best of the rest” title in La Liga. Winger Santi Cazorla, a regular in the Spanish national side, has been particularly impressive since his move from Villarreal, scoring four times in just five games. Former Ajax centre half Joris Mathijsen, meanwhile, has formed a formidable partnership at the back with Argentina’s Martin Demichelis.
The promising results from these two ambitious clubs, combined with a Manchester City side beginning to look increasingly threatening both domestically and continentally, suggest that the power map of European football could be about to undergo dramatic shifts.

Where Are They Now? – Andy Hunt

The lower leagues have always been littered with journeyman strikers who play for numerous clubs without ever truly settling, Andy Hunt was no exception. Beginning his career at non League Kings Lynn, Hunt then moved onto Kettering Town before making his move into the professional ranks at Newcastle United in 1991. He then switched to West Bromwich Albion in March 1993, scoring a hat trick on his debut against Oxford. His opening goal in the playoff final against Port Vale at Wembley later that year proved crucial as Albion secured promotion to the First Division. Yet the most memorable season of Hunt’s career was probably his last when he propelled Charlton back to the Premier League in 2000, scoring 24 goals in the process. Sadly, disaster struck for Hunt the following year when he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome which brought his career to a tragically premature end. Despite this illness, Hunt had still managed to clock up 341 appearances in the Football League across a 10 year period, scoring 122 goals.

Not one to rest on his laurels however, Hunt moved into the travel and tourism industry. He and his wife now run the Green Dragon Adventure Travel Company from their home in the sunny climbs of Belize. The couples key attraction is their ‘Belize Jungle dome’ where holidaymakers can enjoy adventure activities such as scuba diving, Jungle safaris and horseback riding, before retreating to the quiet intimate resort which is described as ‘your oasis in the central American jungle’. It’s certainly a far cry from chilly afternoons up front with fellow journeyman Bob Taylor which were regular when Hunt turned out for West Brom! For more information on Andy’s Belize tourism attractions please visit www.greendragonbelize.com.

European court ruling challenges the future of football broadcasting.

Since football began – according to some – back in 1992 with the inception of the Premier League, the game at the highest level has seen unprecedented levels of wealth enter the coffers of its clubs, players, managers and chairman backed by the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Empire. English football has never looked back since, with billion pound exclusivity deals ensuring Sky were the only serious competitor showing domestic matches, whilst clubs reaped the benefits of the lucrative sums of money on offer, allowing them to attract the finest World footballing talents.

This seemingly unbreakable axis however was dealt a dagger blow in early October by the unlikeliest of all protagonists, Portsmouth pub owner Karen Murphy, who challenged the Premier League’s right to prevent its content being shown by foreign providers in the UK. Like many pubs across the country, Mrs Murphy had been showing 3 o’clock kick off games which Sky are unable to show, by using a foreign decoder to attain the service from overseas providers. As opposed to the eye watering £1250 a month for a Sky pub subscription, Mrs Murphy paid Greek broadcasters Nova sports a mere £118 per month for access to a far greater variety of matches from across the league.

Sky’s efforts to sue Mrs Murphy for copyright infringement were challenged in the European court of Justice, who overturned the decision, paving the way for a potential massive change in the way we watch football on television.

But what are the main implications for us fans?

Well, for starters you will now see more pubs around the country showing 3 o’clock games which were previously prohibited due to worries about attendances. Instead of having to wait until Match of the Day, mess around with a dodgy internet stream or endure the blunderings of Chris Kamara on ‘Soccer Saturday’, you will be able to watch your team live every week in the comfort of the pub – or even your own home.

The ramifications for clubs however remain unknown, as much of the technicality of the ruling lies around the use of the Premier League’s intellectual property rights – badges, theme songs etc. Therefore, there may still be a legal challenge to be made. However, if the UK courts are to uphold the European Court ruling in its entirety, there could be a decrease in the overall TV money available to clubs, with the lucrative rights holding less value with many other competitors on the market.

Although largely the ruling is a positive step away from the domination of Sky, there remain fears that the Premier League will now look to sell the rights as a single package throughout Europe, although this would mean a significant loss in revenue. For now though, publicans and fans around the country can breathe a sigh of relief, as they are no longer compelled to watch Sky’s mediocre, cringe worthy coverage for their live weekend footballing fix.

BOA right in their strong stance on Doping.

Following LeShawn Merritt’s recent successful appeal in the court of arbitration for sport – overturning his ban for London 2012 after testing positive for a banned steroid – it seems uncertain that the British Olympic Association can uphold its lifetime ban on participating in the Olympics. However, the BOA is arguably right to maintain its strong stance on doping.

Sir Steve Redgrave, Colin Jackson and Rebecca Adlington among others came out earlier this month in support of the BOA’s strong stance on doping, and reportedly over 90% of all athletes believe the ban is fair. Currently Great Britain is the only nation which imposes a lifetime ban for athletes who test positive in doping tests – but their isolation is no reason to change their position.

Drugs are the biggest threat to the credibility of many sports in the Olympics. Drugs have proved a huge problem for the Tour De France and Ben Johnson brought Athletics into disrepute when he tested positive for Stanozolol at the 1988 Seoul Olympics – losing his 100m gold medal and tarnishing the memory of the games for many in the process. The tough stance the BOA holds helps prevent such debacles from recurring and keeps the prestige of the Olympics at a high level. It does not seem correct that athletes who have knowingly taking drugs to gain an advantage over their fellow competitors should receive the ultimate glory of competing at the Olympics.

It must be remembered that the BOA ban can be appealed and 29 out of 31 who have attempted to challenge their ban have been successful. In fact, the BOA has stated that it would be likely that if Merritt had been British, the BOA’s lifetime ban would have been overturned. The BOA’s ban only affects those deliberately taking performance-enhancing drugs. Athletes who miss testing sessions or unknowingly take the banned substances in medicines bought over the counter are not prevented from participating at Olympics after serving their ban. This right to appeal is why BOA chairman Lord Moynihan believes their ban is crucially different to the International Olympic Committee’s recently overturned law.

There are negatives to the ban, for examples it limits the incentives for people to admit to taking performance-enhancing drugs and does not reward people – such as David Millar – who has campaigned exhaustively against drugs following his ban. Millar won the World Time Trial in 2003 after use of performance enhancing drugs – thus denying second place Michael Rogers from hearing his national anthem from atop the podium. Millar is now an ambassador for the World Anti-Doping Agency – a reformed character following his return to cycling in 2006.

That Britain is the only nation to impose this ban is far from ideal. However, there is potential for a precedent to be set – with other athletic associations following Britain’s lead and taking a tough stance on drugs – something which is paramount in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Djokovic – On course for greatness.

In September of last year Novak Djokovic, humbled after defeat in a pulsating US Open final with Rafael Nadal, joined a unanimous chorus of praise for his opponent. “He has the capabilities to already become the best ever player”, Djokovic declared. “He has proven to the world that he’s the best in this moment”.

Fast forward a year however, and it is Djokovic who is looking invincible. A somewhat bewildered Nadal, after another blistering US Open final in September that lasted more than four hours, conceded that “[Djokovic’s] level is fantastic… he’s doing very well, mentally, everything. So just accept that. Accept the challenge and work. He’s confident in every moment to keep believing”.

Djokovic’s records this year make humble reading for any tennis player, let alone the likes of modern great Nadal. He has won ten titles, including three out of the four grand slams; his loss in the semi final of the French open to Roger Federer one of his only two defeats. The other defeat, to Andy Murray in the Rogers Cup final, was the result of a forced retirement due to a shoulder injury. The magnitude of Djokovic’s incredible year is emphasised when looking at his win ratio. At an astounding 96.97%, he has surpassed both Roger Federer’s golden years in 2005 and 2006, and John McEnroe’s previous record of 96.47% in 1984. Djokovic also surpassed McEnroe’s record of 39 straight victories with a stunning 43 game streak.

Djokovic has reaped plaudits from all corners. McEnroe saw the warning signs himself in May this year, as Djokovic stampeded towards his unbeaten record. “It certainly brings back memories of 84. I’m quite excited that he might break my record at the French Open. To put it mildly, it’s been amazing to see what he’s done and how much more confidently he’s playing”. Given McEnroe’s fiery temperament on the court, it is perhaps surprising how positive he has been about Djokovic’s achievements. “Djokovic is having the greatest year in the history of our sport”, he said in September, “[In tennis today] there is more competition, more athleticism, deeper fields and more depth in the sport. So his record is even more impressive than mine”. Pete Sampras was equally as impressed by Djokvic’s record this year, calling it “one of the best achievements in all of sports”.

As impressive as Djokivic’s year has been so far, though, there is still tennis to be played and McEnroe may be able to cling onto his record. Djokovic has played 66 games of tennis this year – in 1984, McEnroe played 85. Whilst a back injury has curtailed Djokovic’s progress somewhat, he should return for the Paris Masters and the World Tour Finals in November. After a golden year it is abundantly clear that Djokovic is more than capable of maintaining his incredible form.

Captain’s picks set up a star-studded contest.

The 2011 President’s Cup is being held at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in November, but the drama started last month as the captains of the USA and International teams made their wildcard picks.

Outside of the golfing world the President’s Cup has a relatively low profile – unlike the Ryder cup, its famous older brother. A biennial competition, the President’s Cup adopts a similar format to that of the Ryder Cup, with four days of match play golf.

The USA have won every contest bar one since it was founded in 1994 and have had a predictable hold over International teams which have regularly boasted a wealth of talent – the illustrious likes of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Angel Cabrera and Vijay Singh have all appeared in the past. However the American team has been continually strong – the great Jack Nicklaus has captained the side on four occasions.

Hype for the tournament accelerated with the announcement of the Captain’s wildcard picks. International captain Greg Norman picked experienced President’s Cup player Robert Allenby – winner of 13 Tour of Australasia titles and the first to claim the ‘Triple Crown’ of the Australian Masters, Australian PGA and Australian Open in the same year – and fellow Australian Aaron Baddeley.

American skipper Fred Couples gave places to recent FedExCup winner Bill Haas and the great Tiger Woods. The selection of Woods, who courts attention wherever he goes, has split opinion around the golfing world. English legend Nick Faldo was surprised when he heard Woods was picked : ‘’I was quite surprised he got picked for the Presidents Cup. He’s only had six competitive rounds since the Masters and still obviously a lot’s going on, still struggling to find the swing.”

Woods, who failed to make the cut at Atlanta in the PGA Championship, has recently fallen out of the world’s top 50 for the first time in nearly 15 years. Captain Couples is a good friend of Woods and obviously shows a trust in him that many have lost during Wood’s traumatic past few years.

Although he might not deserve his place in the American team his presence at the event will undoubtedly raise TV ratings and general viewer interest. Having been a spectator at the 2011 Open without Tiger Woods, it was clear that whilst some brilliant golfers have plugged the huge gap he has left the X-Factor he provided remains sorely missed.
Throughout the field there is a wealth of talent – from young starlets such as Ryo Ishikawa and Jason Day to very experienced team golfers – the likes of Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.

The President’s Cup should prove to be an electrifying contest – and maybe, just maybe, Tiger will be on the prowl once more.

Everton – a Sinking Ship?

Earlier this month, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright offered to refund fans who had bought shirts bearing the names of Mikel Arteta or Jermaine Beckford following their deadline day transfers.

Yet, however apologetic the gesture, it does nothing to properly address the serious financial problems that have left Everton fans significantly frustrated. The Blue Union, a supporters group, has organised protests in recent weeks in an effort to see their demands for investment met. They fear the club has stagnated, and want to follow in the footsteps of rivals Liverpool by becoming the subject of a third party takeover

It is easy to see why fan frustrations have emerged. Traditionally one of the bigger clubs in the country Everton have the most season appearances in the top flight with a record 102, as well as nine league championships -the fourth highest. Yet, since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, they have failed to live up to the high standards of their successful past – their most recent victory being an FA Cup win in 1995.

It is clear to see why fans feel their club is treading water. Yet the perilous financial situation at the club highlights how well they have done to maintain their relatively stable premier league position in recent years.
Kenwright states the club’s debt is currently around £45m. However, this one off figure simplifies the situation. Since 2005, Everton’s revenue has increased by 32%, yet in the same period expenditure has skyrocketed by 61%, forcing Everton to become a selling club. Over the past six years Everton have made £59m from player sales – funds which have helped stave off the ominous spectre of administration. To remain any hope of breaking even in 2011 they must replicate the player sales of 2010, which brought in approximately £20m. This is in evidence already, with the departures of Arteta, Beckford, Steven Pienaar and Aiyegbeni Yakubu. Despite these losses the club has only been able to bring in Dutch misfit Royson Drenthe and Argentinian unknown Denis Stracqualursi on loan.

Given this unstable financial situation and reliance on selling, manager David Moyes has worked miracles to help Everton sustain a healthy Premier League position. In his ten seasons in charge, Everton have finished in the top ten seven times, finished fifth twice and managed a memorable Champions League qualification in 2005. Moyes’ considerable acumen in the transfer market has contributed significantly to this success, with Beckford, Arteta, Pienaar, Phil Jagielka and Tim Cahill costing less than £10m in total.

The situation is clearly volatile. The club cannot rely on making £20m a year from player sales to stay afloat; nor can they rely on Moyes consistently sniffing out bargain deals in the transfer market if they are to retain their Premier League position. Without investment, the future looks perilous for Everton. Yet, it is for this reason that their Premier League history should perhaps be revered as a success, not looked back upon with frustration. It could be about to get a lot worse.

A Resurgence in British Tennis?

The recent US Open junior success of Britain’s Oliver Golding has renewed the hopes of British tennis fans striving for a new star to challenge Andy Murray as Britain’s number one.

Golding became only the second British winner of the tournament, after Murray’s 2004 triumph.

It was a thoroughly encouraging tournament from a British perspective with two of the four semi-finalists – alongside Golding – home grown prospects. Coupled with a convincing victory over Hungary in the Davis Cup it could be suggested that male British tennis is finally gaining some momentum.

However, despite his victory, a successful senior career is far from assured for Golding – a litany of past winners have failed to make the transition into the man’s game.

Since the junior tournament was inaugurated in 1973 there have been 38 winners. Of the 38, only three have managed to convert that success into grand slams at senior level – Andy Roddick, Stefan Edberg and Pat Cash – all with one slam apiece. The tournament fails to produce a significant amount of world number ones as well, with only Roddick and Edberg reaching that level.

Whilst it must be considered that nine US Open junior champions have reached the top 10, 18 former champions failed to reach even the top 50 of the men’s game.

The significance of junior tennis seems further diminished when you consider that the current numbers one and two – Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – are without any of the four junior grand slam titles to their name, and so are Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, two of the game’s legends.

Recent British female junior grand slam winners Laura Robson, who won at Wimbledon in 2008, and Heather Watson who clinched the US Open in 2009, have both struggled to make waves in the senior tour with current rankings of 148 and 99 respectively. However high hopes are held for both, and at such tender ages there remains plenty of time for senior success.

For Golding however, it is not all doom and gloom. There are numerous high profile players that did win at junior level at either the French Open or Wimbledon – Roger Federer, Bjorn Bjorg, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe to name but an illustrious few.

Clearly Golding, through hard work and good luck, can go on to a successful career in the men’s game. However, it is important that too much pressure is not placed at him at the young age of 18. He has shown an ability to win under pressure and defeat higher ranked players – his final defeat against world number one Jiri Vesely a testament to this.
The danger remains, however, that he could eventually be lost to the history books like so many of his fellow junior open champions.

Society Spotlight: Challenging Orthodoxies Society (COS)

Written by Dan Hart

 

Challenging Orthodoxies Society (COS) provides a forum for progressive thought and dialogue. Our aim is to explore a whole range of controversial topics and scrutinize the practices and ideas they involve. We’ve found that the best way to do this is through public forums, so our main events are panel discussions which draw together expert speakers from across the world to share their unique insights. The panels are usually made up of a number of speakers with varying opinions, and, importantly, events are always interactive, giving the audience the opportunity to ask questions and challenge arguments. We are also very keen to go beyond opinionated argument, and really try and approach other peoples’ ideas and contributions appreciatively. There is no winner or loser, only critical open-mindedness to new ideas.

The speakers COS brings in are of the highest quality, and so the events can really delve deeply into the relevant discussions. But this does not at all mean that someone who feels they don’t know much about the topic shouldn’t come along. Quite the opposite. We want as many people as possible involved with the sorts of questions that come up in our events. So if you feel like you know nothing about whether Islam is compatible with Western Liberalism (one of our past events) or whether homoeopathy has a place in modern health (one of our upcoming events for this year), then come along to the events and listen to others – who knows, you might love (or hate!) what they have to say and feel like you want to respond. Equally, if you feel like you’re an expert yourself in a particular topic then make sure you come along to get your ideas out there…but be prepared to be challenged!

Past COS events have included: “Are Pharmaceutical Patents Throttling the Developing World?”, which saw Nobel laureate Sir John Sulstan sit on the panel, and “Israel-Palestine: a biased portrayal?” was the setting for, among others, Ian Black, Middle East editor at The Guardian, and Julian Kossof, Senior Editor at the Telegraph, to come together to discuss the media portrayal of the Middle East conflict (we ran this event in conjunction with the Manchester Israel-Palestine Forum – they’re a fantastic society too!).

As well as these flagship panel events, COS runs events with individual speakers who we believe to have particularly important new research to share. This gives the audience a chance to really engage with a quite specific topic and learn a lot about cutting-edge ideas. Recently we hosted Robert Frank, Professor of Economics at Cornell University, who discussed his as yet unpublished book The Libertarian Welfare State.

But COS also aims to do more than just these speaker-based events. We are soon launching a blog that will provide an online forum in which will be able to engage in the sorts of dialogue COS has seen in its panel discussions. We are also starting up an outreach project we’ve been working on in conjunction with M13, a youth charity in Longsight. We will be working with young people to help them engage more critically with the social forces acting on them. The end goal for each group we work with is to guide them through running a COS-style panel event on a socio-political issue (gang culture, how cuts effect them, etc.) that they themselves have identified.

We have an active social network too. After panel events we usually go to the Union bar where we carry on the discussions arising from the event and we often manage to entice the speakers to this as well (a £1.80 pint can woo almost anyone), which is a great opportunity to engage with them further and network. We run a few socials over the year so keep your eyes peeled for those too.

Our next event, “Eugenics: birth of a new generation?” is set to take place on 19th October at 4pm in the Council Chambers at the union. Details of this event will soon be up on our facebook page (‘Challenging Orthodoxies Society’), where you can also find details of many of our past events and upcoming projects. ‘Like’ the page to stay connected with developments. If you want to get more involved with COS or have any questions then email me directly at: [email protected]