With the football season just past its halfway stage and the clubs in the top two divisions out of league action for the coming weekend due to the FA Cup, it is time to assess the campaign so far on a club-by-club basis.
It is shaping up to be an exciting season in the Premier League with Arsenal joining the annual Chelsea-Manchester United battle for the title and several clubs competing at both ends of the table - for the final Champions League place and to avoid relegation.
In the Championship, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion lead the way but there is good pressure from Nottingham Forest.
As usual at this stage, most of the division still harbour realistic hopes of a playoff place while four of the bottom five clubs have changed their manager as they seek to stay in the division.
I have included the original predictions which I made in these pre-season guides for the Premier League and The Championship for no other reason than to show how poor my crystal ball skills were.
The Premier League
Table
CHELSEA
Position: 1st (P20 W14-D3-L3, Pts 45)
Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (14 league goals)
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where they will face former manager Jose Mourinho, now in charge of Internazionale. Knocked out of League Cup in quarter finals in a penalty shoot-out against Blackburn Rovers.
Recent form: The Blues have been patchy and failed to win away since their fine 3-0 success at the Emirates at the end of November seemed to put them in control of the league. They lost 2-1 to Manchester City before draws against West Ham United and Birmingham City. Chelsea’s home form remains excellent with only two dropped points so far, though that was also relatively recently in a 3-3 draw with Everton. Their title bid will greatly depend on how they cope next month without the services of Didier Drogba who is at the African Nations Cup.
Original prediction: Champions
MANCHESTER UNITED
Position: 2nd (P20 W14-D1-L5, Pts 43)
Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney (13 league goals)
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where David Beckham will return to Old Trafford with AC Milan. Reached semi finals of the League Cup where they will face city rivals Manchester City.
Recent form: With six wins from their last eight matches, United have stayed in touch with Chelsea at the top despite having lost five league matches this season already. But with just one draw all season, it has been a very much all-or-nothing campaign. Despite looking lightweight up front at times – all of their defeats have come when failing to score – United’s points total so far will please Sir Alex Ferguson who knows his teams usually peak in the second half of a season.
Original prediction: 2nd
ARSENAL
Position: 3rd (P19 W13-D2-L4, Pts 41)
Top Scorer: Cesc Fabregas (9 league goals)
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Cup progress: Reached last 16 of the Champions League where they will face FC Porto. Knocked out of League Cup in the quarter finals when young team were convincingly beaten by Manchester City.
Recent form: Consecutive losses in the league in November to Sunderland away and at home against Chelsea seemed to end Arsenal’s title bid prematurely once again. But with 16 points collected out of 18 in busy December, the Gunners are right back in contention, and they will finally catch up that game in hand against Bolton Wanderers at home in the first week of January. A win in that match would put them to within a point of leaders Chelsea.
Original prediction: 4th
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Position: 4th (P20 W11-D4-L5, Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Jermaine Defoe (14 league goals)
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since October 2008)
Cup progress: Knocked out of League Cup in the quarter finals by Manchester United in repeat of the 2009 Final.
Recent form: Spurs have put themselves in an excellent position to challenge for a top four spot in the second half of the season thanks to a brilliant show of attacking strength in the majority of their games. This was no more evidently on display than in the 9-1 demolition of Wigan Athletic with Jermaine Defoe scoring five goals in a mach to equal Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s Premier League record. Typically, Tottenham lost their next home match, 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and so there are still too many off-days for their fans to be certain of fourth. But that Wolves defeat is the only one in nine games since Redknapp’s men lost horribly to Arsenal.
Original prediction: 7th
MANCHESTER CITY
Position: 5th (P19 W9-D8-L2, Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Carlos Tevez (9 league goals)
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Cup progress: Reached first semi finals of a major domestic cup for over two decades after beating Arsenal 3-0. They will face Manchester United over two legs for a place in the final.
Recent form: Sixth place in the league with two defeats all season and a first Cup semi final for more than two decades was still not enough to prevent Mark Hughes from getting the sack. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak of the Abu Dhabi United Group wielded the axe despite City winning their last match under Hughes, 4-3 against Sunderland. But the Dubai moneymen were always likely to want their own man in place at some stage and Hughes hardly helped himself with a Premier League record of seven consecutive draws which caused them to fall away from the leaders. More heavy investment in the January transfer window is likely to follow to firm up a leaky defence and ensure City get fourth place at least. Comfortable wins against Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers have allowed Roberto Mancini to ease into his new role.
Original prediction: 5th
ASTON VILLA
Position: 6th (P20 W10-D5-L5, Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Gabriel Agbonlahor (8 league goals)
Manager: Martin O’Neill (since August 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out in the first round of the Europa League against Rapid Vienna, but reached the semi finals of the League Cup where they will face Blackburn Rovers.
Recent form: Four consecutive wins without conceding a goal in the run-up to Christmas included a first win at Old Trafford against Manchester United since the 1980s. The four wins were part of a run of just one loss in 12 matches which had taken Villa into the top four. But late goals in two losses over Christmas to Arsenal (0-3) and Liverpool (0-1) have once again suggested Villa have a habit of losing crunch matches at a crucial stage of the season.
Original prediction: 8th
LIVERPOOL
Position: 7th (P20 W10-D3-L7, Pts 33)
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres (12 league goals)
Manager: Rafael Benitez (since June 2004)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League having picked up just seven points from their six matches. Finished third in group so the Reds have the consolation of a Europa League place – they face Unirea Urziceni in the last 32. Knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal in the fifth round.
Recent form: Three wins out of the last four matches have given Liverpool’s points tally a little more respectability and leaves them still in a position to challenge for fourth place. But that is a disappointing state of affairs for a club which finished runners-up in 2008-09, having lost only two league games all season. This time around, the Reds have already lost seven games and went through a patch of just two wins in nine league matches – though those two wins were against Manchester United and Everton. Even this slight recent revival was tempered by a woeful 2-0 loss at bottom of the table Portsmouth.
Original prediction: 3rd
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Position: 8th (P20 W9-D5-L6, Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Lee Bowyer (5 league goals)
Manager: Alex McLeish (since November 2007)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round, losing 2-0 away to Sunderland. Recent form: They cannot have had it much better than this at St Andrew’s – eleven matches unbeaten, seven of which were wins including five consecutively. If anything, the four draws have been just as impressive as they have come against Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, while none of the wins was by more than one goal. Whichever way it is looked at, though, it is a valuable run which has just about secured a Premier League place next season for The Blues already. That’s not bad for a newly-promoted team, especially after a concerning start of six defeats in the first nine games.
Original prediction: 18th
FULHAM
Position: 9th (P19 W7-D6-L6, Pts 27)
Top Scorer: Bobby Zamora (6 league goals)
Manager: Roy Hodgson (since December 2007)
Cup progress: Reached last 32 of the Europa League where they will face holders Shakhtar Donetsk. Qualifying from the group with a 3-2 win in their final match against Basle. Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round after extra time by Manchester City.
Recent form: Tipped by many to struggle this season with the extra workload of the Europa League, Fulham have lost just twice in their last 13 league matches, though they are yet to win consecutive league games. Roy Hodgson is a canny manager and The Cottagers have also come through a tough festive period with four points against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, including a fine display in the 3-0 win against United. Victory in their game in hand at Stoke City next week would push them towards the European qualifying spots once again.
Original prediction: 11th
SUNDERLAND
Position: 10th (P20 W6-D5-L9, Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Darren Bent (13 league goals)
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round by Aston Villa, losing 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Recent form: An impressive 1-0 win at home against Arsenal is now Sunderland’s only win in eleven league matches, six of which have ended in defeat, blowing what had been a reasonable start. Wins against Arsenal and Liverpool, and a draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United, have been offset by away losses at lesser lights, the worst of which came at Wigan Athletic just a week after the Latics had been hammered 9-1 by Tottenham Hotspur. It leaves The Black Cats just five points clear of relegation and no doubt they would have been even closer without Darren Bent’s excellent contribution.
Original prediction: 12th
EVERTON
Position: 11th (P19 W5-D7-L7, Pts 22)
Top Scorer: Louis Saha (10 league goals)
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Cup progress: Reached last 32 of the Europa League with a game to spare. They will face Sporting Lisbon in the next round. Knocked out of the League Cup in fourth round, losing 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur.
Recent form: The season has been a tale of woe for the Merseyside clubs so far. While Liverpool have struggled by their high standards, injury-ravaged Everton have still not been able to keep pace, spending all but two weeks of the season in the bottom half of the table. The home win against Burnley in their most recent match was the Toffees first success in eight league attempts, though their form has steadily improved with four successive draws immediately prior to that lifting them to mid table.
Original prediction: 6th
STOKE CITY
Position: 12th (P19 W5-D6-L8, Pts 21)
Top Scorer: James Beattie (3 league goals)
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, going down to a 4-0 hammering away to Portsmouth.
Recent form: Unsurprisingly, Stoke City’s form at the Britannia Stadium is the reason for the continuation of last season’s position of lower mid table. The Potters fans have only enjoyed one win away – 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur – though that is at least one more win than at the same stage last season. But since the win at White Hart Lane at the end of October, City have won just once in the league and that was against bottom of the table Portsmouth. A failure to score in five of the last six games and, indeed, four defeats in the last five games suggest Tony Pulis’s men may be looking over their shoulder a little more than they would have hoped.
Original prediction: 13th
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Position: 13th (P20 W5-D6-L9, Pts 21)
Top Scorer: David Dunn (5 league goals)
Manager: Sam Allardyce (since December 2008)
Cup progress: Reached semi finals of League Cup where they will face Aston Villa over two legs.
Recent form: Blackburn Rovers have been struggling to find the net with any regularity under Sam Allardyce, and have struggled away from home with just five points on the road all season. Two score draws in the Christmas fixtures against Wigan Athletic and Sunderland brought to an end a run of just a single goal in six league games. Rovers have still been picking up points – three of those six matches ended 0-0 – but they have now failed to win any of their last eight league games.
Original prediction: 9th
BURNLEY
Position: 14th (P20 W5-D5-L10, Pts 20)
Top Scorer: Graham Alexander (5 league goals)
Manager: Owen Coyle (since November 2007)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round, losing 3-2 at Barnsley.
Recent form: The most schizophrenic of all the Premier League sides this season are Burnley, with just one defeat at home all season – but only one point from 30 away, coming in a dramatic 3-3 game at Manchester City. It is fair to say that if The Clarets are to retain their hard-won Premier League place, they are going to need to rely on that home form holding up. But, already it is slipping with all of their last four matches all ending in draws. Combined with their awful away form, Burnley have now failed to win any of their last nine league games since beating Hull City 2-0 on the last day of October. It is going to be a long second half to the season.
Original prediction: 20th
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Position: 15th (P20 W5-D4-L11, Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Kevin Doyle (5 league goals)
Manager: Mick McCarthy (since July 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in third round, 1-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Recent form: Wolverhampton Wanderers may have emerged from the worst part of the season still in a decent position. Just two wins from their opening 14 games had seen last season’s Championship winners drift towards the bottom of the Premier League. But three wins in four after that, including an impressive 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, has seen Wolves climb the table before they predictably lost their two festive fixtures to Liverpool and Manchester City which has halted their progress somewhat and they are still just a point above the drop zone.
Original prediction: 16th
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Position: 16th (P19 W5-D4-L10, Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Hugo Rodallega (7 league goals)
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup at the second round stage, losing 4-1 to Championship side Blackpool.
Recent form: A second 5-0 thrashing of the season against Manchester United means it is only one win in nine league matches now for Wigan Athletic. Sound beatings are becoming a regular occurrence for The Latics with heavy defeats at Arsenal (0-4), Portsmouth (0-4) and of course the 9-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur in addition to their losses against United. And so it is no surprise that Wigan’s goal difference of -23 is the worst in the top flight. But Roberto Martinez’s men have a canny knack of getting a win just when they need one and have not lost consecutive games since August.
Original prediction: 15th
WEST HAM UNITED
Position: 17th (P20 W4-D6-L10, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Carlton Cole (7 league goals)
Manager: Gianfranco Zola (since September 2008)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the third round after a 3-1 extra time defeat against Bolton Wanderers
Recent form: Four points from the last six games is relegation form and West Ham United have been stuck in first gear with just three more wins since an opening day success away at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It has been a troublesome second season for likeable manager Gianfranco Zola after his impressive ninth-place finish in 2008-09 with injury to Carlton Cole robbing him of his best striker and alternatives sparse after the long-awaited retirement of Dean Ashton. The Hammers have little money to spend and must hope Cole recovers from his knee problems soon, else they face a real fight to prevent a second Premier League relegation.
Original prediction: 10th
BOLTON WANDERERS
Position: 18th (P18 W4-D6-L8, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Ivan Klasnic (6 league goals)
Manager: vacant – Gary Megson sacked in December 2009.
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, losing 4-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Recent form: Blowing a two goal lead against Hull City at home with minutes to go cost Gary Megson his job in the most predictable sacking of the season. The majority of the fans at the Reebok Stadium had never particularly taken to Megson and he was under real pressure from the start after mediocre finishes in the last two seasons. A decent run of just one defeat in six games towards the start of the season seemed to relieve some of the pressure. But the Trotters have won just once in the last nine games, 3-1 at home against fellow-strugglers West Ham United. Christmas fixtures against Burnley and Hull City were expected to yield more than just two points but they did not and Bolton became the third Premier League club to seek a new manager this season. With two of their next three league fixtures coming against Arsenal, it is likely to get worse before it gets any better.
Original prediction: 14th
HULL CITY
Position: 19th (P20 W4-D6-L10, Pts 18)
Top Scorer: Stephen Hunt (5 league goals)
Manager: Phil Brown (since December 2006)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in third round, losing 4-0 at home against Everton.
Recent form: After staying up by the skin of their teeth last season, Hull City were always going to struggle in this campaign without serious improvements to the squad. A poor start, which culminated in a meek 2-0 loss to Burnley, put manager Phil Brown under pressure but instead it was the chairman Paul Duffen who stepped down, replaced by Adam Pearson. The return of the industrious midfielder Jimmy Bullard saw an upturn in The Tigers’ fortunes on the pitch but his comeback was short-lived and he picked up another injury in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa. Further defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United have followed and it is now just one win in eight for Hull. The fixtures get no easier, either, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur away and the return against United at Old Trafford unlikely to yield many points in the coming weeks.
Original prediction: 19th
PORTSMOUTH
Position: 20th (W4-D2-L14, Pts 14)
Top Scorer: Aruna Dindane (4 league goals)
Manager: Avram Grant (since November 2009)
Cup progress: Knocked out of the League Cup in the fifth round by Aston Villa, losing 4-2 at home.
Recent form: Rock bottom since the end of August with players who are not paid on time and a winding-up order from HMRC hanging over their heads – it has not been a happy season at Fratton Park. Having lost eight of their opening nine games, including all of their first seven, Pompey have done reasonably well just to avoid being cut adrift. But three more defeats in their last four games still leave Avram Grant’s new club in a desperate struggle to stay up.
Original prediction: 17th
The Championship
Table
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Position: 1st (P24 W15-D6-L3 Pts 51)
Top Scorer: Kevin Nolan (10 league goals)
Manager: Chris Hughton (since October 2009 (permanent basis))
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Peterborough United in the third round.
Recent form: The Magpies have opened up a slight gap at the top thanks to an unbeaten run of 11 games, including eight wins. Seven consecutive wins within this run is the best sequence of any team in the division. However, three of their last four matches have been draws, giving the chasing pack renewed hope.
Original prediction: 11th
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Position: 2nd (P23 W13-D6-L4 Pts 45)
Top Scorers: Jerome Thomas, Simon Cox, Chris Brunt (6 league goals each)
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the third round.
Recent form: Just one loss in ten games has kept West Brom firmly in an automatic promotion place.
Original prediction: 3rd
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Position: 3rd (P24 W11-D10-L3 Pts 43)
Top Scorer: Robert Earnshaw (7 league goals)
Manager: Billy Davies (since January 2009)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the third round.
Recent form: Forest are on an unbeaten run of 16 matches, the longest by any club in the division so far this season. Their sequence of 10 wins and six draws began with five straight wins which lifted them out of mid table to their current challenging position.
Original prediction: 13th
CARDIFF CITY
Position: 4th (P23 W11-D4-L8 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Peter Whittingham (13 league goals)
Manager: Dave Jones (since May 2005)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at Aston Villa in the third round.
Recent form: The Bluebirds remain as inconsistent as ever, exemplified in their most recent match against Peterborough United when they blew a 4-0 lead and only drew 4-4. That does mean that they have had just one defeat in their last five matches but even that followed on from three consecutive defeats.
Original prediction: 9th
LEICESTER CITY
Position: 5th (P22 W10-D7-L5 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Matt Fryatt (11 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Pearson (since June 2008)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Preston North End in the second round.
Recent form: Consecutive wins against both Sheffield clubs either side of Christmas steadied Leicester’s promotion push after a run of just four points from 15 immediately before it.
Original prediction: 14th
SWANSEA CITY
Position: 6th (P24 W9-D10-L5 Pts 37)
Top Scorer: Lee Trundle, Darren Pratley (5 league goals each)
Manager: Paulo Souza (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home against Scunthorpe United in the second round.
Recent form: The Swans have lost only to in-form Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in their last 18 matches but could only manage draws in their two Christmas fixtures with Reading (1-1) and Crystal Palace (0-0), and continue to struggle to find the net regularly.
Original prediction: 17th
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Position: 7th (P24 W9-D8-L7 Pts 35)
Top Scorer: Darius Henderson (10 league goals)
Manager: Kevin Blackwell (since February 2008)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home against Port Vale in the first round.
Recent form: One defeat in nine matches, including five wins, has pushed the Blades right back in contention for a playoff spot after a worrying run of four consecutive defeats.
Original prediction: 4th
BLACKPOOL
Position: 8th (P22 W9-D7-L6 Pts 34)
Top Scorer: Charlie Adam (7 league goals)
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
League Cup: Lost 4-3 to Stoke City in the third round.
Recent form: The Tangerines have hit a sticky patch over the last few weeks with three losses in their last six matches. But they still managed a fine 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in December, and have the benefit of games in hand on all their rivals above them.
Original prediction: 22nd
CRYSTAL PALACE
Position: 9th (P24 W8-D10-L6 Pts 34)
Top Scorer: Darren Ambrose (11 league goals)
Manager: Neil Warnock (since October 2007)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 at home against Manchester City in the second round.
Recent form: Palace have lost just three times since mid-September to overcome their early-season woes but the number of draws is preventing them from making further progress.
Original prediction: 6th
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Position: 10th (P24 W8-D9-L7 Pts 33)
Top Scorer: Jay Simpson (9 league goals)
Manager: Paul Hart (since December 2009)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the third round.
Recent form: QPR suspended then-manager Jim Magilton after the 3-1 defeat to Watford after a bust-up with midfielder Akos Buzsaky, an incident which coincided with a poor run of form of just one win and five defeats in seven games. Since Magilton was replaced by Paul Hart, an extension of that run now reads as just two wins in eleven games. Their most recent result was a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
Original prediction: 7th
MIDDLESBROUGH
Position: 11th (P24 W9-D5-L10 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Adam Johnson (9 league goals)
Manager: Gordon Strachan (since October 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest after extra time in the second round.
Recent form: Boro sacked Gareth Southgate after a 2-0 win against Derby County when they were just one point off the top. They now find themselves 19 points away from the summit after a run of just two wins in eleven games. Boro have lost four of their last five matches under new manager Gordon Strachan, whose reigns at his earlier clubs have traditionally started slowly.
Original prediction: 1st
BRISTOL CITY
Position: 12th (P24 W7-D11-L6 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Nicky Maynard (10 league goals)
Manager: Gary Johnson (since September 2005)
League Cup:
Recent form: A run of just one win in ten games extending to the back of October has seen City drop away from the playoff scene into their predicted position of mid table.
Original prediction: 12th
WATFORD
Position: 13th (P24 W8-D8-L8 Pts 32)
Top Scorer: Tom Cleverley (8 league goals)
Manager: Malky Mackay (since June 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Leeds United after extra time in the second round.
Recent form: It has been a tough few weeks for Hornets fans who will have been relieved to hear that their club is not going into administration. On the pitch, the team has won just one of its last seven games, suggesting that the speculation over the club’s finances has not served them well. They remain safe enough in mid table for now, though.
Original prediction: 16th
DONCASTER ROVERS
Position: 14th (P23 W7-D9-L7 Pts 30)
Top Scorer: Billy Sharp (10 league goals)
Manager: Sean O’Driscoll (since September 2006)
League Cup: Lost 5-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at home in the second round.
Recent form: An excellent run of five wins in seven matches is just what Rovers needed, having won just twice before November all season. Unsurprisingly, their form has had a positive effect on their league position, lifting them from a low of 20th to 14th.
Original prediction: 18th
BARNSLEY
Position: 15th (P22 W8-D6-L8 Pts 30)
Top Scorer: Adam Hammill, Daniel Bogdanovic (5 league goals each)
Manager: Mark Robins (since September 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Manchester United at home in the fourth round, one of only three clubs outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: The Tykes have lost just three league games and progressed well in the League Cup since Mark Robins replaced Simon Davey in September after a woeful start of just one point from 18. They are currently on a run of eight unbeaten league matches, with four wins and four draws.
Original prediction: 23rd
PRESTON NORTH END
Position: 16th (P23 W7-D8-L8 Pts 29)
Top Scorer: Neil Mellor (6 league goals)
Manager: Vacant – Alan Irvine sacked in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 5-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at home in the third round.
Recent form: A run of just one win in ten matches was enough for Alan Irvine to be given an unwanted late Christmas present. After failing in the playoffs last season, another top six push looked likely in the early months before this recent form has dropped them to lower mid table.
Original prediction: 5th
COVENTRY CITY
Position: 17th (P24 W7-D7-L10 Pts 28)
Top Scorer: Leon Best (8 league goals)
Manager: Chris Coleman (since February 2008)
League Cup: Lost 1-0 at home to Hartlepool United after extra time in the first round.
Recent form: The Sky Blues have won three of their last four games, much to the relief of their supporters as it followed a run of just two wins in 18 matches. City’s recent upturn means the threat of relegation has eased for now.
Original prediction: 19th
DERBY COUNTY
Position: 18th (P24 W7-D5-L12 Pts 26)
Top Scorer: Rob Hulse (6 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Clough (since January 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Rotherham United in the first round.
Recent form: Just one win and three goals in six matches means The Rams are looking over their shoulder going into the New Year.
Original prediction: 10th
IPSWICH TOWN
Position: 19th (P23 W4-D12-L7 Pts 24)
Top Scorer: Jonathan Stead, Jonathan Walters (6 league goals each)
Manager: Roy Keane (since April 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Peterborough United in the second round.
Recent form: Roy Keane’s men may have lost just once since October but there have also only been four wins. Ipswich are the draw specialists of the division with 12 in 23 games so far. At least they have finally started getting three points– their first success came at the 15th attempt, ruining early on what many had predicted to be fruitful season.
Original prediction: 2nd
READING
Position: 20th (P24 W5-D8-L11 Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Grzegorz Rasiak, Gylfi Sigurdsson (6 league goals each)
Manager: Vacant – Brendan Rodgers sacked in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 2-1 at home to Barnsley in the second round.
Recent form: Brendan Rodgers paid the price for failing to lift a dispirited squad after last season’s playoff defeat and the departure of Steve Coppell. His sacking came after a run of just three wins and six defeats in 11 games which compounded a slow start to leave the Royals struggling. Since Rodgers’ sacking, form has hardly improved with just two points to show from their three matches around Christmas.
Original prediction: 8th
SCUNTHORPE UNITED
Position: 21st (P23 W6-D5-L12 Pts 23)
Top Scorer: Gary Hooper (7 league goals)
Manager: Nigel Adkins (since November 2006)
League Cup: Lost 5-1 at Manchester City in the fourth round, one of only three clubs from outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: The Iron have won just once in their last ten league matches, nine of which have been since their heavy loss when exiting the League Cup. Their recent form will disappoint manager Nigel Adkins as, before then, they had embarked on a run of just two defeats in eight matches which lifted them up to 14th.
Original prediction: 24th
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Position: 22nd (P23 W6-D3-L14 Pts 21)
Top Scorer: Alan Judge (5 goals)
Manager: Paul Mariner (since December 2009)
League Cup: Lost 2-1 to Gillingham in the first round.
Recent form: This has been an odd season for the Pilgrims who have won their last two matches under new manager Paul Mariner, including a 4-1 demolition of Reading. But this was only after club legend Paul Sturrock moved upstairs following a second bad run of consecutive defeats in the season. Plymouth had lost seven games in a row near the start of the season before a slight recovery. But then three 1-0 losses finally ended Sturrock’s second reign. Mariner started with two further defeats without scoring before those two recent wins give the Pilgrims’ fans hope.
Original prediction: 21st
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Position: 23rd (P23 W4-D7-L12 Pts 19)
Top Scorer: Marcus Tudgay (6 league goals)
Manager: Vacant – Brian Laws left by mutual consent in December 2009.
League Cup: Lost 2-0 to Port Vale in the second round.
Recent form: Manager Brian Laws left the club by mutual consent after a run of nine games without a win has left Wednesday stranded in the relegation zone. That run has since extended to 11 games but at least they scored for the first time in over six games in the battling 2-2 draw against leaders Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
Original prediction: 15th
PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Position: 24th (W3-D9-L12 Pts 18)
Top Scorer: George Boyd (9 league goals)
Manager: Mark Cooper (since November 2009)
League Cup: Lost 5-2 to Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round, one of only three clubs from outside the Premier League to reach that stage.
Recent form: Posh have struggled to adapt to this level all season with just three wins so far. Darren Ferguson left the club by mutual consent in November after the team picked up just four points from eight matches. But there has been little improvement in terms of results under new manager Mark Cooper as they have only taken five points in their eight matches since then. This leaves Posh rooted to the bottom of the table where they have been since early November.
Original prediction: 20th
League One
Table
LEEDS UNITED continue to sweep all before them as they charge their way towards the Championship having lost just once all season.
United have racked up 56 points at the halfway stage, eight clear of second-placed Charlton Athletic as they seek to escape League One at the third attempt.
Charlton have also had a good season, having lost just twice and they are well-placed to make an immediate return to the second tier after a nightmare relegation campaign in 2008-09.
But the Addicks are sure to be pushed all the way by another relegated team, Norwich City, who are just three points behind, having lost just once in 16 matches after a poor start.
Colchester United are also firmly in the hunt on 45 points, having recovered from a slight blip in form to record five wins out of their last six games.
Then there is a gap of seven points to the other playoff teams, Huddersfield Town and Swindon Town both on 38 points.
Free-scoring Huddersfield are unbeaten at home but have unsurprisingly struggled away, given that they have played all but one of their fellow top half teams.
Swindon were draw specialists up until October with seven of their opening 12 games ending in stalemate.
But the Robins have started to convert one point into three more regularly with six wins from their last eight league matches.
Millwall on 36 points are just outside the playoffs along with Milton Keynes Dons, also on 36 points and Bristol Rovers, on 34 points, both of whom have fallen away in recent weeks.
The Dons have won just two of their last nine league games while Rovers have lost three of their last four.
At least their form is not as bad as poor Stockport County, rock bottom with 14 points having lost their last 11 league matches.
The Hatters, who spent the summer in administration, look destined for the drop. Now fully 10 points adrift of safety, their team is just not competitive enough for this level.
Wycombe Wanderers are also in trouble, standing six points adrift after a recent run of just four points from their last 18 while third-bottom Tranmere Rovers are another team to have spent much of their season in the drop zone.
At least Tranmere have come out of their own terrible run of defeats earlier in the season to have lost just once in their last six and reach 21 points.
They are now just three points adrift of Leyton Orient, in the final relegation place, and Brighton and Hove Albion, both on 24 points.
Oldham Athletic on 25 points have two games in hand on all of the teams around them after postponements due to the recent wintry weather.
Gillingham and Exter City on 26 points are just two points clear of the trap door.
League Two
Table
ROCHDALE are the latest team to hit the front of the basement division after an excellent run of seven wins and a draw from their last eight matches.
That puts the Dale on 51 points from 24 games, putting them in excellent shape for a first promotion in 34 years as they hold a 14-point advantage over fourth place.
Former leaders Bournemouth are five points behind in second place but with a game in hand and reasonable recent form with just two losses in 11 games, though they were both heavy defeats.
There is a further gap of seven points to Rotherham United on 39 points, though the Millers would surely have had a larger total if all their Christmas matches had not been postponed.
Indeed, Rotherham have not played since 12th December, denything them a chance to extend their run of just one defeat in seven.
Fourth-placed Notts County have rarely stayed out the news this season after caretaker manager Dave Kevan became their third boss of the season.
Swede Hans Backe left the club just days after Peter Trembling took over from Munto Finance who had launched ambition plans in the summer of bringing Premier League football to Meadow Lane.
On the pitch, County have lost just two of their last 14 league games to record 37 points from 22 games.
But a damaging run of six draws in seven matches has left them currently two points adrift of Rotherham in an automatic place.
Level on points with County but having played a game more, Dagenham and Redbridge are fifth.
That represents something of a disappointment for the Daggers who led League Two briefly in November before a current run of just one win in seven games.
Aldershot in sixth are on a much better run, having shot up from mid table on the back of four wins in their last five games.
The Shots are 36 points, just three behind Rotherham, though having played a game more.
Chesterfield occupy the final playoff spot on 35 points but having enjoyed seven wins out of eight in October and November, four defeats in their last five games puts their top seven place in doubt.
Shrewsbury Town and Bury are also on 35 points with Morecambe on 34 points and Accrington Stanley on 33 also well-placed to take advantage of any slip-ups.
At the bottom, Darlington's season of woe continues, though at least they are unbeaten since 12th December - because they have not played due to postponements!
When the Quakers have taken to the field this season, they have lost on all but four occasions with two wins and two draws their only return so far.
Indeed, Darlington have lost their last five league games, conceding 19 goals, leaving them 14 points adrift of safety.
Grimsby Town have been in the relegation zone with Darlington for much of the season and the Mariners are starting to be cast adrift as well.
They have won just three times all season and collected 17 points from 23 matches. Indeed, they are without a win in 15 attempts and are now five points away from Lincoln City in 22nd place, having played one game more.
Blue Square Premier
Table
OXFORD UNITED still lead the Blue Square Premier division but their lack of recent action has seen their lead cut to just two points.
The Us are still well-placed with 56 points from 24 games, two fewer matches than second-placed Stevenage Borough who are on 54 points.
York City have won their last nine league and cup matches to stay third, five points behind Stevenage having played a game less.
Then, there is another five point gap to fourth-placed Mansfield Town on 44 points and AFC Wimbledon on 43 points.
Wimbledon have taken 16 points out of 18 and not conceded a goal in any of those six games to rise from mid table to fifth.
While Wimbledon have risen, Kettering have suffered from the effect of losing manager Mark Cooper to Championship club Peterborough United.
A run of just one win in six league matches since Cooper's departure means the Poppies have dropped out of the playoff places with 42 points from 25 games.
At the bottom, Chester City have still not wiped out their 25 points deduction. They are on -3 points from 25 games and the pressure on their small squad has started to tell.
Just a single point from their last seven games has ended the slimmest chance that they would survive in the division.
Second-bottom Grays Athletic are five points adrift from safety after a run of just one win in 13 games, leaving them on 17 points.
But third-bottom Ebbsfleet United are fighting hard with three wins from their last five games to reach 18 points.
Forest Green Rovers occupy the final relegation place at present, but they are also on a good recent run of seven points from nine to hit the 20 points mark before their FA Cup tie with Notts County this weekend.
With just one win in 17 games, Eastbourne Borough look most likely to be caught but their reasonable start puts them on 22 points. Gateshead's inconsistency also keeps them on 22 points.
Statistics from Statto.com and BBC Sport website.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!
A Visit From St. NicholasClement Clarke Moore
1822
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled, all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer, and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples - how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!"
Monday, 21 December 2009
RATM campaign shows that public no longer cower from Cowell
THE ANNUAL battle for Christmas number one produced a shock of epic proportions as American rap metal act Rage Against The Machine beat X Factor winner Joe McElderry.
RATM's 1992 single 'Killing In The Name' became the first ever download-only Christmas number one, selling over 500,000 copies after an internet campaign.
Joe's song 'The Climb' shifted 50,000 fewer units to leave X Factor creator Simon Cowell feeling "gutted".
By contrast, the leaders of the Facebook campaign, Jon and Tracy Morter, were astounded by their success.
And, after four successive X Factor Christmas number ones, it does indeed make a refreshing change.
In fact, it is more than that.
The success of 'Killing In The Name' means 2009 will be remembered as the year that the Christmas number one race was reclaimed by the public, rather than being predetermined by Mr Cowell and his faceless executives.
It is not as if he could not have seen it coming.
Last year, a similar campaign tried to get Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' to the coveted top spot, only for it to lose to Alexandra Burke.
This time, the internet campaign generated more publicity, including a rather controversial airing of the single when RATM appeared on BBC Five Live Breakfast.
Mr Cowell's choice of a little-known song for 18-year-old Joe to sing also appears to have done no favours for the South Shields lad.
But while Joe seemed to accept that he lost a fair fight, Mr Cowell laughably accused the campaigners of acting like a "hate mob" and even compared it to bullying.
Such an evil campaign was this that it raised £65,000 for homeless charity Shelter!
Personally, I bought neither. I was too busy listening to Brit pop when RATM were at their peak in the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile, I have never made a habit of buying the X Factor winner's single.
But, simply for the fact that this was a victory for the 'little man', I was glad of the result. I only wished it had featured Noddy Holder or someone equally as festive instead.
I imagine Mr Cowell will get over his disappointment quickly enough.
Like him, both acts are attached to Sony and, with combined sales of almost one million copies, he will have earned a nice Christmas bonus.
He must also consider that any damage to the X Factor's dominance will have been negligible.
Just last week, the show pulled in more than 19 million viewers, almost unheard of figures outside of England football matches and the occasional soap opera episode.
Make no doubt about it - the X Factor will be back next year and probably stronger than ever.
But the campaigners will also be back to ensure that the Christmas number one is never again a shoo-in for the X Factor winner.
RATM's 1992 single 'Killing In The Name' became the first ever download-only Christmas number one, selling over 500,000 copies after an internet campaign.
Joe's song 'The Climb' shifted 50,000 fewer units to leave X Factor creator Simon Cowell feeling "gutted".
By contrast, the leaders of the Facebook campaign, Jon and Tracy Morter, were astounded by their success.
And, after four successive X Factor Christmas number ones, it does indeed make a refreshing change.
In fact, it is more than that.
The success of 'Killing In The Name' means 2009 will be remembered as the year that the Christmas number one race was reclaimed by the public, rather than being predetermined by Mr Cowell and his faceless executives.
It is not as if he could not have seen it coming.
Last year, a similar campaign tried to get Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' to the coveted top spot, only for it to lose to Alexandra Burke.
This time, the internet campaign generated more publicity, including a rather controversial airing of the single when RATM appeared on BBC Five Live Breakfast.
Mr Cowell's choice of a little-known song for 18-year-old Joe to sing also appears to have done no favours for the South Shields lad.
But while Joe seemed to accept that he lost a fair fight, Mr Cowell laughably accused the campaigners of acting like a "hate mob" and even compared it to bullying.
Such an evil campaign was this that it raised £65,000 for homeless charity Shelter!
Personally, I bought neither. I was too busy listening to Brit pop when RATM were at their peak in the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile, I have never made a habit of buying the X Factor winner's single.
But, simply for the fact that this was a victory for the 'little man', I was glad of the result. I only wished it had featured Noddy Holder or someone equally as festive instead.
I imagine Mr Cowell will get over his disappointment quickly enough.
Like him, both acts are attached to Sony and, with combined sales of almost one million copies, he will have earned a nice Christmas bonus.
He must also consider that any damage to the X Factor's dominance will have been negligible.
Just last week, the show pulled in more than 19 million viewers, almost unheard of figures outside of England football matches and the occasional soap opera episode.
Make no doubt about it - the X Factor will be back next year and probably stronger than ever.
But the campaigners will also be back to ensure that the Christmas number one is never again a shoo-in for the X Factor winner.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Steeleye Span at The Sage
FOLK LEGENDS Steeleye Span played an excellent set as they celebrated their 40th anniversary in Hall One of The Sage in Gateshead.
Steeleye were formed in 1969 and spearheaded the folk revival in the UK during the late 1960s and early 1970s along with Fairport Convention.
The band even briefly flirted with the mainstream when 'All Around My Hat' reached number five in the charts in late 1975.
Since then, Steeleye has toured with various guises as members have come and gone.
Indeed, only Maddy Prior remains from the original line-up, though her ex-husband Rick Kemp and Peter Knight have been involved since the early days.
For the record, the line-up now consists of Maddy Prior on vocals, Ken Nicol on guitar/vocals, Rick Kemp on bass/vocals, Peter Knight on violin/piano/vocals, and Liam Genocky on percussion.
The quintet were joined on stage by the impressive multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn who had replaced an ill Kemp earlier in the tour, and - for one of their songs - Kemp's daughter, Rose.
The gig was split into two parts of just over an hour each with an interval lasting just long enough to sink a Black Sheep ale.
In the first half, Steeleye played a broad range of songs from over the years, including 'Seagull' and 'They Called Her Babylon'.
As a bit of a history buff, the latter greatly interested me. The 'Babylon', to which the song refers, was Lady Charlotte Stanley who successfully protected her property from the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War.
In the second half, three seasonal songs introduced a festive feel to proceedings but, surprisingly, none of the three songs was 'Gaudete', their second most famous hit.
At least the encore was reassuringly familiar with crowd-pleasing renditions of 'All Around My Hat' and 'Hard Times of England'
The show ended with a big ovation before the audience shuffled out of this fine three-tier venue on the banks of the Tyne into the ever-worsening wintry weather.
Finally, it felt that Christmas was here.
Steeleye were formed in 1969 and spearheaded the folk revival in the UK during the late 1960s and early 1970s along with Fairport Convention.
The band even briefly flirted with the mainstream when 'All Around My Hat' reached number five in the charts in late 1975.
Since then, Steeleye has toured with various guises as members have come and gone.
Indeed, only Maddy Prior remains from the original line-up, though her ex-husband Rick Kemp and Peter Knight have been involved since the early days.
For the record, the line-up now consists of Maddy Prior on vocals, Ken Nicol on guitar/vocals, Rick Kemp on bass/vocals, Peter Knight on violin/piano/vocals, and Liam Genocky on percussion.
The quintet were joined on stage by the impressive multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn who had replaced an ill Kemp earlier in the tour, and - for one of their songs - Kemp's daughter, Rose.
The gig was split into two parts of just over an hour each with an interval lasting just long enough to sink a Black Sheep ale.
In the first half, Steeleye played a broad range of songs from over the years, including 'Seagull' and 'They Called Her Babylon'.
As a bit of a history buff, the latter greatly interested me. The 'Babylon', to which the song refers, was Lady Charlotte Stanley who successfully protected her property from the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War.
In the second half, three seasonal songs introduced a festive feel to proceedings but, surprisingly, none of the three songs was 'Gaudete', their second most famous hit.
At least the encore was reassuringly familiar with crowd-pleasing renditions of 'All Around My Hat' and 'Hard Times of England'
The show ended with a big ovation before the audience shuffled out of this fine three-tier venue on the banks of the Tyne into the ever-worsening wintry weather.
Finally, it felt that Christmas was here.
That familiar feeling
I HAD a less than four-midable outcome as a fourth driving test failure left me with a now familiar feeling.
Just like on my third attempt, my critical mistake was at a roundabout - this time, on the Team Valley.
But unlike last time when I used the wrong lane, it was my moving off which let me down.
Another major difference to my stressful third experience was the fact that I had a good night of sleep and felt alert rather than nervous.
And so, on approach to the roundabout, I realised there was traffic and I would not be able to go. I put the car into first gear and waited for a chance.
A couple of opportunities arose almost straightaway but I had not had enough time to notice them.
Sure enough, I spotted a third chance with a car from opposite blocking traffic from the right - and I decided to take it.
The gap was legitimate but I moved off so slowly that the car from opposite had gone and a truck from the right had begun to move.
I still managed to clear the junction in time but it was much tighter than it should have been and my lack of urgency caused the examiner to mark this as serious.
I had been assessed by this examiner previously - on my second effort when I failed on poor observation on a turn in the road.
The manoeuvre must be a favourite of his as he asked me to do it again but this time my concentration was much better and I completed it without any bother.
Having left the Gateshead test centre on Wellington Road in Dunston, I drove on the A189 to Bensham for the turn in the road before heading to Low Fell for my second manoeuvre, a reverse park.
Again, I overcame this task easily enough but elected to tidy up my straightening of the car by using first gear, costing me one of seven minors.
From there, I drove back to the test centre via the Waggon Team roundabout and a short trip on the A1 lasting just one junction.
While I realised at the time that I had made a mistake on the roundabout back on the Team Valley, I hoped the fact that I managed to clear the junction just in time would be considered in my favour.
But it was not to be, and the result left me once again scrambling for the positives.
As expected, the experience of three earlier tests made me less nervous and my manoeuvres passed off well in the test and in practice with my instructor David Convery.
The result, however, was another crushing blow and it means that Millie the Micra goes into 2010 still sitting outside the door without a fully-licensed owner.
Of course, I intend to continue into the new year until I pass but, after a fourth failure, I have also been left wondering if I will ever do enough to cross the finishing line.
Just like on my third attempt, my critical mistake was at a roundabout - this time, on the Team Valley.
But unlike last time when I used the wrong lane, it was my moving off which let me down.
Another major difference to my stressful third experience was the fact that I had a good night of sleep and felt alert rather than nervous.
And so, on approach to the roundabout, I realised there was traffic and I would not be able to go. I put the car into first gear and waited for a chance.
A couple of opportunities arose almost straightaway but I had not had enough time to notice them.
Sure enough, I spotted a third chance with a car from opposite blocking traffic from the right - and I decided to take it.
The gap was legitimate but I moved off so slowly that the car from opposite had gone and a truck from the right had begun to move.
I still managed to clear the junction in time but it was much tighter than it should have been and my lack of urgency caused the examiner to mark this as serious.
I had been assessed by this examiner previously - on my second effort when I failed on poor observation on a turn in the road.
The manoeuvre must be a favourite of his as he asked me to do it again but this time my concentration was much better and I completed it without any bother.
Having left the Gateshead test centre on Wellington Road in Dunston, I drove on the A189 to Bensham for the turn in the road before heading to Low Fell for my second manoeuvre, a reverse park.
Again, I overcame this task easily enough but elected to tidy up my straightening of the car by using first gear, costing me one of seven minors.
From there, I drove back to the test centre via the Waggon Team roundabout and a short trip on the A1 lasting just one junction.
While I realised at the time that I had made a mistake on the roundabout back on the Team Valley, I hoped the fact that I managed to clear the junction just in time would be considered in my favour.
But it was not to be, and the result left me once again scrambling for the positives.
As expected, the experience of three earlier tests made me less nervous and my manoeuvres passed off well in the test and in practice with my instructor David Convery.
The result, however, was another crushing blow and it means that Millie the Micra goes into 2010 still sitting outside the door without a fully-licensed owner.
Of course, I intend to continue into the new year until I pass but, after a fourth failure, I have also been left wondering if I will ever do enough to cross the finishing line.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
SPOTY winners and predos
ACTUAL WINNERS
Sports Personality of the Year: Ryan Giggs
Runners up: Jenson Button (second), Jessica Ennis (third)
Young Sports Personality of the Year: Tom Daley
Runners up: Heather Watson, Jodie Williams
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Usain Bolt
Runner up: Roger Federer
Team of the Year: England men's cricket team
Coach of the Year: Fabio Capello, England football coach
Lifetime Achievement Award: Seve Ballesteros
Unsung Hero Award: Doreen Adcock, Milton Keynes swimming tutor
Helen Rollason Award: Major Phil Packer
Special Award: Eddie Izzard
MY SPOTY PICKS
Sports Personality of the Year: Jenson Button
Runners up: Jessica Ennis, Andrew Strauss
JENSON BUTTON should emulate new McLaren team mate Lewis Hamilton by winning Sports Personality of the Year after he made it two British Formula One world champions in successive years.
Button's blistering start to the season saw him win six of the first seven races for Brawn GP who were formed from the ashes of the defunct Honda team just weeks before the start of the season.
Indeed, it is these circumstances, with Button going from being unsure of having an F1 seat to leading from start to finish, which made his world crown all the more remarkable.
The Sports Personality of the Year award is almost always a source of great debate - and this year's choice was no different.
Button faces stiff competition from heptathlete Jessica Ennis and triple jumper Phillips Idowu after Team GB's successful World Championships in Berlin.
Like Button, Ennis led from start to finish. She set a personal best score of 6,731 points to win gold and compensate somewhat for the cruel blow when she missed the Beijing Olympics through injury.
Idowu achieved what he had threatened to do for some time and a personal best of 17.73m ensured he went one better than his Olympic silver medal in Beijing.
Three other world champions are on the shortlist - gymnast Beth Tweddle, heavyweight boxer David Haye and 15-year-old diver Tom Daley.
Tweddle, who was third in the 2006 edition of SPOTY, overcame the disappointment of failing in her signature event, the bars, to win gold for a fantastic floor routine at London's O2 Arena.
Haye gave away nearly one foot in height and seven stone in weight but his points victory over Nikolay Valuev in Nuremburg made him Britain's first heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
There is more on Tom Daley's achievements below.
England cricket captain Andrew Strauss led from the front, finishing the highest run scorer in the Ashes series as the hosts beat Australia 2-1 for the second time in four years.
Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish also had a summer that he is unlikely to forget after his six stage wins in the gruelling Tour de France, including the finale on the Champs-Elysses.
The remaining two candidates are tennis player Andy Murray, who reached a career-high world ranking as number two, and PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs, who won a record 11th Premier League title with Manchester United.
But, for me, it is Button who should take the prestigious BBC prize.
Not just for his brilliant start after months of uncertainty but also for the way he kept his cool as his lead was cut in the second part of the season.
His attacking performance in the penultimate Grand Prix in Brazil, when he went from 14th on the grid to finish fifth, was a champagne moment to cap a thrilling season.
Young Sports Personality of the Year: Tom Daley
Runners up: Heather Watson, Jodie Williams
THE CAREER of teenage diver Tom Daley hit incredible heights this year when he became Britain's youngest ever world champion in Rome.
The 15-year-old from Plymouth was the talk of the championships after he produced a brilliant final dive to take gold in the 10m platform final.
Daley, who won Young SPOTY in 2007, has made the shortlist for this and the main award in 2009.
But, while the main award may be beyond him, he fully deserves a second Young SPOTY prize in three years for his even greater feats in the last twelve months.
Not that Daley has been the only teenager turning in world class performances this year.
17-year-old Heather Watson won the US Open girls tournament with a dominant straight-sets win over Russian Yana Buchina.
Watson's win indicates further that the future of British tennis may not be as bleak as some fear after Laura Robson's Wimbledon girls crown in 2008.
Meanwhile, Jodie Williams, 16, became the first girl to win both the 100m and 200m titles at the IAAF World Championships.
Williams' 100m time of 11.39 seconds was the fastest time by a British female at that point in 2009 and she already represents a real medal hope for the London 2012 Olympics.
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Usain Bolt
JAMAICAN sprint king Usain Bolt may have won Overseas SPOTY in 2008 but, in typical Bolt style, he was even better in 2009.
When Bolt eased his way to breaking the 100m world record in the 2008 Beijing Olympics final, it was clear that his time of 9.69 seconds could be reduced considerably further.
Bolt waited for the big occasion to come around again before smashing that time and setting 9.58 seconds as the new record at the World Championships in Berlin.
The Jamaican also broke the world record in the 200m for the second year running.
After narrowly beating Michael Johnson's 1996 time of 19.32 by two-hundredths of a second in the Olympics, Bolt reduced the record to 19.19 in Berlin.
Quite simply, there is no man who can live with his pace on this planet.
Coach of the Year: Ross Brawn
ROSS BRAWN is a team director rather than a coach but he merits some recognition for his role in Button's F1 world crown and his glittering career generally.
Extremely clever but always self-deprecating, Brawn was the quiet tactical genius behind seven-time champion Michael Schumacher as technical director at Benetton and Ferrari.
After Honda's demise, Brawn took it upon himself to rebuild the team from scratch, reluctantly putting his own name on it.
But for a natural born winner, just getting the car on the track was never going to be enough and his team built a car with a rear diffuser which blew the field away and led Button to glory.
Team of the Year: Ireland national rugby union
IRELAND's rugby team overcame years of misery and painful near misses to land the Six Nations title, their first win in the competition since 1985.
Better still, they beat all-comers to achieve their first Grand Slam success for 61 years - and they did so in the most dramatic style.
The Irish began with a 30-21 win over France at Croke Park before a routine 38-9 beating of Italy in Rome on the following week.
In the third match, Ireland held on to win 14-13 at Croke Park against England after a late Delon Armitage try set up a grand-stand finish.
And in the fourth match, Ireland completed a 22-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.
The final match was in Cardiff against Wales, the 2008 Grand Slam winners. Ireland were a point behind with two minutes left.
The 15-14 deficit would still be enough to give them the title but it meant they would fail to get the Triple Crown or the Grand Slam.
Then, a drop goal by Ronan O'Gara and a penalty miss by Stephen Jones ensured that the Irish would win the lot.
Better still, Ireland drew with Australia and beat world champions South Africa in the autumn internationals to end 2009 unbeaten.
Other teams to enjoy successful sporting years included both the men and women's England cricket teams.
While the men's Ashes success was widely publicised, the women won both the 20-overs and 50-overs World Cups, and retained the Ashes with a draw in a one-off Test.
In domestic cricket, Durham won a second successive county championship while, in football, Manchester United won an 11th Premier League title.
Then, of course, there is Brawn GP who built a champion Formula One car from scratch despite having just weeks to do it in.
It is a sign of the times, however, that many of those workers were made redundant at the start of the season. The recession resulted in widespread cost-cutting in F1.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Seve Ballesteros
SPANISH golfer Seve Ballesteros won five major titles in his playing career - three Open Championships and two Masters titles.
Ballesteros announced himself on the world stage when finishing second in the Open as a 19-year-old in 1976.
He won the Open three years later before two further victories in 1984 and 1988. His two US Masters successes were in 1980 and 1983.
His performance as a team player was also undeniable and he helped Europe to Ryder Cup wins in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995 as a player, and 1997 as a non-playing captain.
More recently, last autumn, the golf world was saddened to hear Ballesteros was gravely ill with a cancerous brain tumour.
Ballesteros had the tumour removed and responded well to chemotherapy. He set up the Seve Ballesteros Foundation to help those fighting cancer with money used to research the causes of brain tumours.
Sports Personality of the Year will be shown on BBC One at 1900 GMT.
Note: Two further awards, the Unsung Hero and Helen Rollason Awards, will also be announced during the show.
Sports Personality of the Year: Ryan Giggs
Runners up: Jenson Button (second), Jessica Ennis (third)
Young Sports Personality of the Year: Tom Daley
Runners up: Heather Watson, Jodie Williams
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Usain Bolt
Runner up: Roger Federer
Team of the Year: England men's cricket team
Coach of the Year: Fabio Capello, England football coach
Lifetime Achievement Award: Seve Ballesteros
Unsung Hero Award: Doreen Adcock, Milton Keynes swimming tutor
Helen Rollason Award: Major Phil Packer
Special Award: Eddie Izzard
MY SPOTY PICKS
Sports Personality of the Year: Jenson Button
Runners up: Jessica Ennis, Andrew Strauss
JENSON BUTTON should emulate new McLaren team mate Lewis Hamilton by winning Sports Personality of the Year after he made it two British Formula One world champions in successive years.
Button's blistering start to the season saw him win six of the first seven races for Brawn GP who were formed from the ashes of the defunct Honda team just weeks before the start of the season.
Indeed, it is these circumstances, with Button going from being unsure of having an F1 seat to leading from start to finish, which made his world crown all the more remarkable.
The Sports Personality of the Year award is almost always a source of great debate - and this year's choice was no different.
Button faces stiff competition from heptathlete Jessica Ennis and triple jumper Phillips Idowu after Team GB's successful World Championships in Berlin.
Like Button, Ennis led from start to finish. She set a personal best score of 6,731 points to win gold and compensate somewhat for the cruel blow when she missed the Beijing Olympics through injury.
Idowu achieved what he had threatened to do for some time and a personal best of 17.73m ensured he went one better than his Olympic silver medal in Beijing.
Three other world champions are on the shortlist - gymnast Beth Tweddle, heavyweight boxer David Haye and 15-year-old diver Tom Daley.
Tweddle, who was third in the 2006 edition of SPOTY, overcame the disappointment of failing in her signature event, the bars, to win gold for a fantastic floor routine at London's O2 Arena.
Haye gave away nearly one foot in height and seven stone in weight but his points victory over Nikolay Valuev in Nuremburg made him Britain's first heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
There is more on Tom Daley's achievements below.
England cricket captain Andrew Strauss led from the front, finishing the highest run scorer in the Ashes series as the hosts beat Australia 2-1 for the second time in four years.
Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish also had a summer that he is unlikely to forget after his six stage wins in the gruelling Tour de France, including the finale on the Champs-Elysses.
The remaining two candidates are tennis player Andy Murray, who reached a career-high world ranking as number two, and PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs, who won a record 11th Premier League title with Manchester United.
But, for me, it is Button who should take the prestigious BBC prize.
Not just for his brilliant start after months of uncertainty but also for the way he kept his cool as his lead was cut in the second part of the season.
His attacking performance in the penultimate Grand Prix in Brazil, when he went from 14th on the grid to finish fifth, was a champagne moment to cap a thrilling season.
Young Sports Personality of the Year: Tom Daley
Runners up: Heather Watson, Jodie Williams
THE CAREER of teenage diver Tom Daley hit incredible heights this year when he became Britain's youngest ever world champion in Rome.
The 15-year-old from Plymouth was the talk of the championships after he produced a brilliant final dive to take gold in the 10m platform final.
Daley, who won Young SPOTY in 2007, has made the shortlist for this and the main award in 2009.
But, while the main award may be beyond him, he fully deserves a second Young SPOTY prize in three years for his even greater feats in the last twelve months.
Not that Daley has been the only teenager turning in world class performances this year.
17-year-old Heather Watson won the US Open girls tournament with a dominant straight-sets win over Russian Yana Buchina.
Watson's win indicates further that the future of British tennis may not be as bleak as some fear after Laura Robson's Wimbledon girls crown in 2008.
Meanwhile, Jodie Williams, 16, became the first girl to win both the 100m and 200m titles at the IAAF World Championships.
Williams' 100m time of 11.39 seconds was the fastest time by a British female at that point in 2009 and she already represents a real medal hope for the London 2012 Olympics.
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Usain Bolt
JAMAICAN sprint king Usain Bolt may have won Overseas SPOTY in 2008 but, in typical Bolt style, he was even better in 2009.
When Bolt eased his way to breaking the 100m world record in the 2008 Beijing Olympics final, it was clear that his time of 9.69 seconds could be reduced considerably further.
Bolt waited for the big occasion to come around again before smashing that time and setting 9.58 seconds as the new record at the World Championships in Berlin.
The Jamaican also broke the world record in the 200m for the second year running.
After narrowly beating Michael Johnson's 1996 time of 19.32 by two-hundredths of a second in the Olympics, Bolt reduced the record to 19.19 in Berlin.
Quite simply, there is no man who can live with his pace on this planet.
Coach of the Year: Ross Brawn
ROSS BRAWN is a team director rather than a coach but he merits some recognition for his role in Button's F1 world crown and his glittering career generally.
Extremely clever but always self-deprecating, Brawn was the quiet tactical genius behind seven-time champion Michael Schumacher as technical director at Benetton and Ferrari.
After Honda's demise, Brawn took it upon himself to rebuild the team from scratch, reluctantly putting his own name on it.
But for a natural born winner, just getting the car on the track was never going to be enough and his team built a car with a rear diffuser which blew the field away and led Button to glory.
Team of the Year: Ireland national rugby union
IRELAND's rugby team overcame years of misery and painful near misses to land the Six Nations title, their first win in the competition since 1985.
Better still, they beat all-comers to achieve their first Grand Slam success for 61 years - and they did so in the most dramatic style.
The Irish began with a 30-21 win over France at Croke Park before a routine 38-9 beating of Italy in Rome on the following week.
In the third match, Ireland held on to win 14-13 at Croke Park against England after a late Delon Armitage try set up a grand-stand finish.
And in the fourth match, Ireland completed a 22-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.
The final match was in Cardiff against Wales, the 2008 Grand Slam winners. Ireland were a point behind with two minutes left.
The 15-14 deficit would still be enough to give them the title but it meant they would fail to get the Triple Crown or the Grand Slam.
Then, a drop goal by Ronan O'Gara and a penalty miss by Stephen Jones ensured that the Irish would win the lot.
Better still, Ireland drew with Australia and beat world champions South Africa in the autumn internationals to end 2009 unbeaten.
Other teams to enjoy successful sporting years included both the men and women's England cricket teams.
While the men's Ashes success was widely publicised, the women won both the 20-overs and 50-overs World Cups, and retained the Ashes with a draw in a one-off Test.
In domestic cricket, Durham won a second successive county championship while, in football, Manchester United won an 11th Premier League title.
Then, of course, there is Brawn GP who built a champion Formula One car from scratch despite having just weeks to do it in.
It is a sign of the times, however, that many of those workers were made redundant at the start of the season. The recession resulted in widespread cost-cutting in F1.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Seve Ballesteros
SPANISH golfer Seve Ballesteros won five major titles in his playing career - three Open Championships and two Masters titles.
Ballesteros announced himself on the world stage when finishing second in the Open as a 19-year-old in 1976.
He won the Open three years later before two further victories in 1984 and 1988. His two US Masters successes were in 1980 and 1983.
His performance as a team player was also undeniable and he helped Europe to Ryder Cup wins in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995 as a player, and 1997 as a non-playing captain.
More recently, last autumn, the golf world was saddened to hear Ballesteros was gravely ill with a cancerous brain tumour.
Ballesteros had the tumour removed and responded well to chemotherapy. He set up the Seve Ballesteros Foundation to help those fighting cancer with money used to research the causes of brain tumours.
Sports Personality of the Year will be shown on BBC One at 1900 GMT.
Note: Two further awards, the Unsung Hero and Helen Rollason Awards, will also be announced during the show.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Darling sets the dividing line
CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling gave a prelude to the election battleground in his Pre-Budget report to the Commons today.
Mr Darling backed up Prime Minister Gordon Brown's attacks on the Tories' inheritance tax plans by freezing the threshold at £325,000. He stated that raising it was simply not a priority at present.
In one of the more surprising moves of the day, Mr Darling announced an increase to National Insurance Contributions by 0.5% but this will not apply to those on salaries of £20,000 or less.
The policy does not come into effect for anyone until April 2011, however.
A much more regressive tax increase was the restoration of VAT to 17.5% from January 1 though at least it was not put up to 20% as feared in some quarters.
In an undoubtedly popular move with the electorate, Mr Darling announced the widely expected windfall tax of 50% on bankers' bonuses of more than £25,000.
To prevent the government from having to chase up hundreds of individuals, the tax will be charged to the company but it currently only lasts until April.
Nevertheless, this is still a further hit to high earners after last April's announcement that an income tax band of 50% will be applied from 2010-11 on salaries over £100,000.
Other attempts at winning over the electorate include a postponement of the 1p increase in corporation tax to help small businesses and a 2.5% increase in the state pension.
Liberal Democrats treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the budget was "good for bingo and boilers" after a seemingly random cut in bingo duty from 22% to 20% and the introduction of a boiler scrappage scheme.
But Mr Cable also joked that Mr Darling must have forgotten to print several pages of his report as no specific spending figures were given for any department.
Mr Darling vowed to maintain spending on frontline public services such as schools, hospitals and the police but seems to be hiding the true scale of the pain until after a general election.
The chancellor was unable to cover up Britain's black hole, however. He admitted that the economy had shrunk by 4.75% in the last year, a worse result than expected.
He was also forced to concede that government borrowing in the past year was an eye-watering £178bn, £3bn more than expected.
It was announced that borrowing in the next year will also be £3bn more than forecast in April's budget, further increasing Britain's massive deficit.
Unsurprisingly, the deficit will form the basis for the Tories' attacks in the run-up to the election.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne described the state of the economy as "a catastrophe", arguing that spending needs to be cut immediately. Mr Darling defended Labour's spending plans.
Welcome to the great debate that will form the centrepiece of the coming election coverage.
Mr Darling backed up Prime Minister Gordon Brown's attacks on the Tories' inheritance tax plans by freezing the threshold at £325,000. He stated that raising it was simply not a priority at present.
In one of the more surprising moves of the day, Mr Darling announced an increase to National Insurance Contributions by 0.5% but this will not apply to those on salaries of £20,000 or less.
The policy does not come into effect for anyone until April 2011, however.
A much more regressive tax increase was the restoration of VAT to 17.5% from January 1 though at least it was not put up to 20% as feared in some quarters.
In an undoubtedly popular move with the electorate, Mr Darling announced the widely expected windfall tax of 50% on bankers' bonuses of more than £25,000.
To prevent the government from having to chase up hundreds of individuals, the tax will be charged to the company but it currently only lasts until April.
Nevertheless, this is still a further hit to high earners after last April's announcement that an income tax band of 50% will be applied from 2010-11 on salaries over £100,000.
Other attempts at winning over the electorate include a postponement of the 1p increase in corporation tax to help small businesses and a 2.5% increase in the state pension.
Liberal Democrats treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the budget was "good for bingo and boilers" after a seemingly random cut in bingo duty from 22% to 20% and the introduction of a boiler scrappage scheme.
But Mr Cable also joked that Mr Darling must have forgotten to print several pages of his report as no specific spending figures were given for any department.
Mr Darling vowed to maintain spending on frontline public services such as schools, hospitals and the police but seems to be hiding the true scale of the pain until after a general election.
The chancellor was unable to cover up Britain's black hole, however. He admitted that the economy had shrunk by 4.75% in the last year, a worse result than expected.
He was also forced to concede that government borrowing in the past year was an eye-watering £178bn, £3bn more than expected.
It was announced that borrowing in the next year will also be £3bn more than forecast in April's budget, further increasing Britain's massive deficit.
Unsurprisingly, the deficit will form the basis for the Tories' attacks in the run-up to the election.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne described the state of the economy as "a catastrophe", arguing that spending needs to be cut immediately. Mr Darling defended Labour's spending plans.
Welcome to the great debate that will form the centrepiece of the coming election coverage.
Friday, 4 December 2009
England confident after World Cup draw
For the full World Cup draw, see the post below.
ENGLAND will be confident of a good World Cup finals after being drawn with United States, Algeria and Slovenia in Group C.
Fabio Capello's Three Lions were rewarded for an impressive qualifying campaign by being seeded, meaning they avoided the likes of Brazil and Spain.
Importantly, Capello's men also steered clear of Portugal, France and Ivory Coast from the other pots.
Instead, England will begin with a match against the United States who famously beat them 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup finals.
But England have won nine of the ten matches since then, including a 2-0 win last May with goals from John Terry and Steven Gerrard at Wembley.
Capello's men have also beaten Slovenia 2-1 this season in a friendly at Wembley.
Frank Lampard scored a penalty and Jermain Defoe netted a second before Zlatan Ljubijankic pulled a goal back late on.
That victory is the only match between the two sides but that is still one more game than England-Algeria, a fixture which has yet to be played.
Looking at the draw in a wider context, England will also be glad to be in the opposite side of the draw to favourites Spain and Brazil.
The Brazilians have ended up in the toughest group on paper, being drawn with Portugal and Ivory Coast as well as minnows North Korea in Group G.
The draw has been particularly harsh on Ivory Coast, regarded by many as the strongest African nation, especially as they were also in the Group of Death in 2006 with Argentina and Netherlands.
Euro 2008 champions Spain should find life easier in Group H against Honduras, Switzerland and Chile, though the Chileans qualified well in the South America group.
As the lowest ranked nation, hosts South Africa were always going to face a tough draw though Group A could have been worse for them.
Uruguay and France are only at the finals after controversial playoff wins but it would be expected that one of them would still join the skillful Mexicans in the second round.
Holders Italy will be pleased to have been put in Group F.
The Italians will face New Zealand, making their first appearance since 1982, debutants Slovakia and Paraguay, who have never been past the second round in seven appearances.
Group D features a tough test for Germany who must play Australia, Serbia and Ghana. If England progress, they would play a second round match against a Group D team.
Meanwhile Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon in Group E appears to be the most evenly-matched foursome.
Finally, a case of deja vu places Argentina, Nigeria and Greece in Group B, 16 years on from the draw for USA 1994.
World Cup 2002 semi finalists South Korea are the remaining team in Group B.
ENGLAND will be confident of a good World Cup finals after being drawn with United States, Algeria and Slovenia in Group C.
Fabio Capello's Three Lions were rewarded for an impressive qualifying campaign by being seeded, meaning they avoided the likes of Brazil and Spain.
Importantly, Capello's men also steered clear of Portugal, France and Ivory Coast from the other pots.
Instead, England will begin with a match against the United States who famously beat them 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup finals.
But England have won nine of the ten matches since then, including a 2-0 win last May with goals from John Terry and Steven Gerrard at Wembley.
Capello's men have also beaten Slovenia 2-1 this season in a friendly at Wembley.
Frank Lampard scored a penalty and Jermain Defoe netted a second before Zlatan Ljubijankic pulled a goal back late on.
That victory is the only match between the two sides but that is still one more game than England-Algeria, a fixture which has yet to be played.
Looking at the draw in a wider context, England will also be glad to be in the opposite side of the draw to favourites Spain and Brazil.
The Brazilians have ended up in the toughest group on paper, being drawn with Portugal and Ivory Coast as well as minnows North Korea in Group G.
The draw has been particularly harsh on Ivory Coast, regarded by many as the strongest African nation, especially as they were also in the Group of Death in 2006 with Argentina and Netherlands.
Euro 2008 champions Spain should find life easier in Group H against Honduras, Switzerland and Chile, though the Chileans qualified well in the South America group.
As the lowest ranked nation, hosts South Africa were always going to face a tough draw though Group A could have been worse for them.
Uruguay and France are only at the finals after controversial playoff wins but it would be expected that one of them would still join the skillful Mexicans in the second round.
Holders Italy will be pleased to have been put in Group F.
The Italians will face New Zealand, making their first appearance since 1982, debutants Slovakia and Paraguay, who have never been past the second round in seven appearances.
Group D features a tough test for Germany who must play Australia, Serbia and Ghana. If England progress, they would play a second round match against a Group D team.
Meanwhile Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon in Group E appears to be the most evenly-matched foursome.
Finally, a case of deja vu places Argentina, Nigeria and Greece in Group B, 16 years on from the draw for USA 1994.
World Cup 2002 semi finalists South Korea are the remaining team in Group B.
FIFA 2010 World Cup Draw
Full World Cup Draw and fixtures:
Group A
1 SOUTH AFRICA
2 MEXICO
3 URUGUAY
4 FRANCE
Fixtures:
Fri June 11 South Africa v Mexico Johannesburg 3.00
Fri June 11 Uruguay v France Cape Town 7.30
Wed June 16 South Africa v Uruguay Pretoria 7.30
Thu June 17 France v Mexico Polokwane 7.30
Tue June 22 Mexico v Uruguay Rustenburg 3.00
Tue June 22 France v South Africa Bloemfontein 3.00
Group B
1 ARGENTINA
2 NIGERIA
3 SOUTH KOREA
4 GREECE
Fixtures:
Sat June 12 Argentina v Nigeria Ellis Park 3.00
Sat June 12 South Korea v Greece Port Elizabeth 12.30
Thu June 17 Greece v Nigeria Bloemfontein 3.00
Thu June 17 Argentina v South Korea Johannesburg 12.30
Tue June 22 Nigeria v South Korea Durban 7.30
Tue June 22 Greece v Argentina Polokwane 7.30
Group C
1 ENGLAND
2 UNITED STATES
3 ALGERIA
4 SLOVENIA
Fixtures:
Sat June 12 England v United States Rustenburg 7.30
Sun June 13 Algeria v Slovenia Polokwane 12.30
Fri June 18 Slovenia v United States Ellis Park 3.00
Fri June 18 England v Algeria Cape Town 7.30
Wed June 23 Slovenia v England Port Elizabeth 3.00
Wed June 23 United States v Algeria Pretoria 3.00
Group D
1 GERMANY
2 AUSTRALIA
3 SERBIA
4 GHANA
Fixtures:
Sun June 13 Germany v Australia Durban 7.30
Sun June 13 Serbia v Ghana Pretoria 3.00
Fri June 18 Germany v Serbia Port Elizabeth 12.30
Sat June 19 Ghana v Australia Rustenburg 3.00
Wed June 23 Ghana v Germany Johannesburg 7.30
Wed June 23 Australia v Serbia Nelspruit 7.30
Group E
1 NETHERLANDS
2 DENMARK
3 JAPAN
4 CAMEROON
Fixtures:
Mon June 14 Netherlands v Denmark Johannesburg 12.30
Mon June 14 Japan v Cameroon Bloemfontein 3.00
Sat June 19 Netherlands v Japan Durban 12.30
Sat June 19 Cameroon v Denmark Pretoria 7.30
Thu June 24 Denmark v Japan Rustenburg 7.30
Thu June 24 Cameroon v Netherlands Cape Town 7.30
Group F
1 ITALY
2 PARAGUAY
3 NEW ZEALAND
4 SLOVAKIA
Fixtures:
Mon June 14 Italy v Paraguay Cape Town 7.30
Tue June 15 New Zealand v Slovakia Rustenburg 12.30
Sun June 20 Slovakia v Paraguay Bloemfontein 12.30
Sun June 20 Italy v New Zealand Nelspruit 3.00
Thu June 24 Slovakia v Italy Ellis Park 3.00
Thu June 24 Paraguay v New Zealand Polokwane 3.00
Group G
1 BRAZIL
2 NORTH KOREA
3 IVORY COAST
4 PORTUGAL
Fixtures:
Tue June 15 Ivory Coast v Portugal Port Elizabeth 3.00
Tue June 15 Brazil v North Korea Ellis Park 7.30
Sun June 20 Brazil v Ivory Coast Johannesburg 7.30
Mon June 21 Portugal v North Korea Cape Town 12.30
Fri June 25 Portugal v Brazil Durban 3.00
Fri June 25 North Korea v Ivory Coast Nelspruit 3.00
1 SOUTH AFRICA
2 MEXICO
3 URUGUAY
4 FRANCE
Fixtures:
Fri June 11 South Africa v Mexico Johannesburg 3.00
Fri June 11 Uruguay v France Cape Town 7.30
Wed June 16 South Africa v Uruguay Pretoria 7.30
Thu June 17 France v Mexico Polokwane 7.30
Tue June 22 Mexico v Uruguay Rustenburg 3.00
Tue June 22 France v South Africa Bloemfontein 3.00
Group B
1 ARGENTINA
2 NIGERIA
3 SOUTH KOREA
4 GREECE
Fixtures:
Sat June 12 Argentina v Nigeria Ellis Park 3.00
Sat June 12 South Korea v Greece Port Elizabeth 12.30
Thu June 17 Greece v Nigeria Bloemfontein 3.00
Thu June 17 Argentina v South Korea Johannesburg 12.30
Tue June 22 Nigeria v South Korea Durban 7.30
Tue June 22 Greece v Argentina Polokwane 7.30
Group C
1 ENGLAND
2 UNITED STATES
3 ALGERIA
4 SLOVENIA
Fixtures:
Sat June 12 England v United States Rustenburg 7.30
Sun June 13 Algeria v Slovenia Polokwane 12.30
Fri June 18 Slovenia v United States Ellis Park 3.00
Fri June 18 England v Algeria Cape Town 7.30
Wed June 23 Slovenia v England Port Elizabeth 3.00
Wed June 23 United States v Algeria Pretoria 3.00
Group D
1 GERMANY
2 AUSTRALIA
3 SERBIA
4 GHANA
Fixtures:
Sun June 13 Germany v Australia Durban 7.30
Sun June 13 Serbia v Ghana Pretoria 3.00
Fri June 18 Germany v Serbia Port Elizabeth 12.30
Sat June 19 Ghana v Australia Rustenburg 3.00
Wed June 23 Ghana v Germany Johannesburg 7.30
Wed June 23 Australia v Serbia Nelspruit 7.30
Group E
1 NETHERLANDS
2 DENMARK
3 JAPAN
4 CAMEROON
Fixtures:
Mon June 14 Netherlands v Denmark Johannesburg 12.30
Mon June 14 Japan v Cameroon Bloemfontein 3.00
Sat June 19 Netherlands v Japan Durban 12.30
Sat June 19 Cameroon v Denmark Pretoria 7.30
Thu June 24 Denmark v Japan Rustenburg 7.30
Thu June 24 Cameroon v Netherlands Cape Town 7.30
Group F
1 ITALY
2 PARAGUAY
3 NEW ZEALAND
4 SLOVAKIA
Fixtures:
Mon June 14 Italy v Paraguay Cape Town 7.30
Tue June 15 New Zealand v Slovakia Rustenburg 12.30
Sun June 20 Slovakia v Paraguay Bloemfontein 12.30
Sun June 20 Italy v New Zealand Nelspruit 3.00
Thu June 24 Slovakia v Italy Ellis Park 3.00
Thu June 24 Paraguay v New Zealand Polokwane 3.00
Group G
1 BRAZIL
2 NORTH KOREA
3 IVORY COAST
4 PORTUGAL
Fixtures:
Tue June 15 Ivory Coast v Portugal Port Elizabeth 3.00
Tue June 15 Brazil v North Korea Ellis Park 7.30
Sun June 20 Brazil v Ivory Coast Johannesburg 7.30
Mon June 21 Portugal v North Korea Cape Town 12.30
Fri June 25 Portugal v Brazil Durban 3.00
Fri June 25 North Korea v Ivory Coast Nelspruit 3.00
Group H
1 SPAIN
2 SWITZERLAND
3 HONDURAS
4 CHILE
Fixtures:
Wed June 16 Honduras v Chile Nelspruit 12.30
Wed June 16 Spain v Switzerland Durban 3.00
Mon June 21 Chile v Switzerland Port Elizabeth 3.00
Mon June 21 Spain v Honduras Ellis Park 7.30
Fri June 25 Chile v Spain Pretoria 7.30
Fri June 25 Switzerland v Honduras Bloemfontein 7.30
Second Round
1 Sat June 26 Grp A winner v Grp B runner up Port Elizabeth 3.00
2 Sat June 26 Grp C winner v Grp D runner up Rustenburg 7.30
3 Sun June 27 Grp D winner v Grp C runner up Bloemfontein 3.00
4 Sun June 27 Grp B winner v Grp A runner up Johannesburg 7.30
5 Mon June 28 Grp E winner v Grp F runner up Durban 3.00
6 Mon June 28 Grp G winner v Grp H runner up Ellis Park 7.30
7 Tue June 29 Grp F winner v Grp E runner up Pretoria 3.00
8 Tue June 29 Grp H winner v Grp G runner up Cape Town 7.30
Quarter Finals
(C) Fri July 2 Winner 5 v Winner 7 Port Elizabeth 3.00
(A) Fri July 2 Winner 1 v Winner 3 Johannesburg 7.30
(B) Sat July 3 Winner 2 v Winner 4 Cape Town 3.00
(D) Sat July 3 Winner 6 v Winner 8 Ellis Park 7.30
Semi Finals & Third place
Tue July 6 Winner (A) v Winner (C) Cape Town 7.30
Wed July 7 Winner (B) v Winner (D) Durban 7.30
Sat July 10 Third place playoff Port Elizabeth 7.30
THE FINAL Sun July 11 Johannesburg 7.30
All kick-off times are BST.
PRE-DRAW SEEDING
Pot One (seeds)
South Africa (hosts), Italy, Brazil, Argentina, England, Netherlands, Germany, Spain
Pot Two (Asia-Oceania-North America)
Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras
Pot Three (Africa-South America)
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay
Pot Four (Europe)
France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Paying for the news
JOHNSTON Press has taken the plunge.
The local newspaper group, which has more than 200 titles in the UK, will ask readers of the Northumberland Gazette, Whitby Gazette and Southern Reporter to pay for their online content.
Subscribers can pay £5 for full access during the three-month trial, the equivalent of 40 pence per day.
Another three of the group's papers, the Carrick Gazette, Worksop Guardian, and Ripley and Heanor News, are undergoing a separate trial.
Bizarrely, the stories on their websites have just an introductory paragraph before readers are diverted to the print edition for the full account.
The outcome of the trials is sure to be followed closely by industry chiefs eager to learn if they can make money from their websites.
Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corp, is among the interested parties ahead of his plan to charge for the online versions of The Sun and The Times from April next year.
A major problem for the papers is the prevalence of the BBC's 'free' website.
The Beeb is unlikely to justify charging for its content given that the public already shell out £142.50 a year for the licence fee.
While the BBC's local news pages are patchy at best, its coverage of a story of national prominence would dwarf the output of anything from a local newspaper in terms of quantity and quality.
Herein lies the true problem. Good local journalists with the ability to produce a standard to rival the BBC are being made redundant almost every week.
Others, like me, cannot even get a look in. The remaining reporters work ever-increasing hours trying to fill the same number of pages as previously.
The sad truth is that few local papers have a website worth charging for.
Most of the sites which I have seen upload the story from the print edition without any additional analysis or comment.
But that is not the fault of the under pressure news desk staff.
It is the short-sighted company chiefs just looking to make their next buck who are really to blame for the slow death of a once-proud industry.
The local newspaper group, which has more than 200 titles in the UK, will ask readers of the Northumberland Gazette, Whitby Gazette and Southern Reporter to pay for their online content.
Subscribers can pay £5 for full access during the three-month trial, the equivalent of 40 pence per day.
Another three of the group's papers, the Carrick Gazette, Worksop Guardian, and Ripley and Heanor News, are undergoing a separate trial.
Bizarrely, the stories on their websites have just an introductory paragraph before readers are diverted to the print edition for the full account.
The outcome of the trials is sure to be followed closely by industry chiefs eager to learn if they can make money from their websites.
Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corp, is among the interested parties ahead of his plan to charge for the online versions of The Sun and The Times from April next year.
A major problem for the papers is the prevalence of the BBC's 'free' website.
The Beeb is unlikely to justify charging for its content given that the public already shell out £142.50 a year for the licence fee.
While the BBC's local news pages are patchy at best, its coverage of a story of national prominence would dwarf the output of anything from a local newspaper in terms of quantity and quality.
Herein lies the true problem. Good local journalists with the ability to produce a standard to rival the BBC are being made redundant almost every week.
Others, like me, cannot even get a look in. The remaining reporters work ever-increasing hours trying to fill the same number of pages as previously.
The sad truth is that few local papers have a website worth charging for.
Most of the sites which I have seen upload the story from the print edition without any additional analysis or comment.
But that is not the fault of the under pressure news desk staff.
It is the short-sighted company chiefs just looking to make their next buck who are really to blame for the slow death of a once-proud industry.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Almost picture perfect
A Christmas Carol (PG)
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
Running time: 96 minutes
THE NEW version of A Christmas Carol introduces another generation to this classic tale in brilliant style.
Robert Zemeckis' production may use the modern wonders of 3D animation but remains largely faithful to the original text with much of the script unaltered.
Arguably, Charles Dickens' wonderfully descriptive writing style leaves little room for deviation but Zemeckis still deserves credit for keeping traditionalists like me happy.
Jim Carrey provides the voice of miser Ebenezer Scrooge with a good understanding of the required tone.
At first, Scrooge is an unsympathetic old man who refuses to celebrate Christmas.
He suggests that the poor should live in prisons or workhouses, or better still, they should die to decrease the surplus population of the world.
But, as the film progresses, Scrooge is shown to be vulnerable too and he wishes to repent well before the visit of the final ghost, The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come.
Carrey is ably supported by Gary Oldman who voices humble clerk Bob Crachett to a tee, as well as the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former partner who has been dead for seven years.
Marley promises that three spirits will visit Scrooge in an attempt to show him the error of his miserly ways.
The visits of the three spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, form the basis of the main part of the film.
The three ghosts, each played by Carrey, are all excellent representations of Dickens' descriptions.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is a flickering candle flame who uses a metal cap used to extinguish himself once his visit is over.
The Ghost of Christmas Present is a large Santa Claus figure, a jolly giant in a fur-lined robe, who makes his first appearance atop a Christmas tree.
And the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, is a cloaked phantom, similar to the Grim Reaper, with a bony hand and fingers which point the way.
Unfortunately, the film threatens to drift just as it should be reaching its climax.
A miniature Scrooge with an unfathomably squeaky voice is chased through London by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come on horseback.
The scene seemed to serve little purpose other than to show off the new 3D technology.
This is despite the fact that the 3D effects had already been successfully included during the course of the film - and with far more subtlety.
Snow appears to fall inches from your face throughout while the flying scenes around London with the other ghosts make for a thrilling experience unless you are easily travel sick.
Thankfully, once the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come's chase is over, the plot gets back on track with a fright at the famous graveyard scene.
Scrooge wakes up the next day and repents, promising in particular to help his clerk Bob Crachett and his ill son, Tiny Tim.
But, except for one rather unnecessary scene, there is gladly no need for an apology from the makers of this fine production.
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
Running time: 96 minutes
THE NEW version of A Christmas Carol introduces another generation to this classic tale in brilliant style.
Robert Zemeckis' production may use the modern wonders of 3D animation but remains largely faithful to the original text with much of the script unaltered.
Arguably, Charles Dickens' wonderfully descriptive writing style leaves little room for deviation but Zemeckis still deserves credit for keeping traditionalists like me happy.
Jim Carrey provides the voice of miser Ebenezer Scrooge with a good understanding of the required tone.
At first, Scrooge is an unsympathetic old man who refuses to celebrate Christmas.
He suggests that the poor should live in prisons or workhouses, or better still, they should die to decrease the surplus population of the world.
But, as the film progresses, Scrooge is shown to be vulnerable too and he wishes to repent well before the visit of the final ghost, The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come.
Carrey is ably supported by Gary Oldman who voices humble clerk Bob Crachett to a tee, as well as the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former partner who has been dead for seven years.
Marley promises that three spirits will visit Scrooge in an attempt to show him the error of his miserly ways.
The visits of the three spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, form the basis of the main part of the film.
The three ghosts, each played by Carrey, are all excellent representations of Dickens' descriptions.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is a flickering candle flame who uses a metal cap used to extinguish himself once his visit is over.
The Ghost of Christmas Present is a large Santa Claus figure, a jolly giant in a fur-lined robe, who makes his first appearance atop a Christmas tree.
And the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, is a cloaked phantom, similar to the Grim Reaper, with a bony hand and fingers which point the way.
Unfortunately, the film threatens to drift just as it should be reaching its climax.
A miniature Scrooge with an unfathomably squeaky voice is chased through London by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come on horseback.
The scene seemed to serve little purpose other than to show off the new 3D technology.
This is despite the fact that the 3D effects had already been successfully included during the course of the film - and with far more subtlety.
Snow appears to fall inches from your face throughout while the flying scenes around London with the other ghosts make for a thrilling experience unless you are easily travel sick.
Thankfully, once the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come's chase is over, the plot gets back on track with a fright at the famous graveyard scene.
Scrooge wakes up the next day and repents, promising in particular to help his clerk Bob Crachett and his ill son, Tiny Tim.
But, except for one rather unnecessary scene, there is gladly no need for an apology from the makers of this fine production.
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