ANOTHER driving test and another failure - but at least I feel much more satisfied with my effort this time.
I know from the result that I am not that far away from passing. I just need the certificate to prove it.
The critical moment in this second test came as I was completing the turn-in-the-road manoeuvre.
It is a surprising fail, as this is something which I have been doing in lessons since June - and a much easier exercise than reversing on a curved corner which I did earlier in the test.
It was also a highly irritating and frustrating fail, given the circumstances.
Having done the first two parts of the turn-in-the-road without difficulty, all that I needed to do was put the car back into the normal driving position.
While reversing, I had noticed a blue van approach from the right and slow down to assess the situation.
Satisfied that he would pull up and let me finish the manoeuvre, I checked to my left and started to drive my car forward.
Unfortunately, the van driver had not pulled up and instead had decided to continue his journey by going around me.
It meant we were both heading for the same bit of road and required sharp action on the brakes, which was marked as a 'serious'.
Behind the van, a black car pulled up in the same position. This time, I waited for longer to ensure the mistake was not repeated.
Irritatingly, the driver of the black car did exactly what I expected the van driver to do and waited patiently.
More irritating was the fact that I would not have even been doing a turn-in-the-road manoeuvre if I had been able to do a reverse park earlier in the test.
But that went by the wayside when another driver pulled up behind the car which I was going to reverse around just before I got the chance to engage reverse gear.
The aftermath of this test has been different to the last one, though.
After the test in August, my bad error ultimately caused me to lose a lot of confidence. This goes some way to explaining why it has taken me until the end of October to sit another test.
Even though I only had a few hours lessons from instructor David Convery in the run up to this test, my driving has improved and I feel so much more relaxed behind the wheel.
This is demonstrated by the marks on my test sheet. I had just six minors and three of those were for hesitation, a result of me erring too much on the side of caution at junctions.
Noticeably, I received no minors for my control of the car, and none for judgement, positioning or speed - all of which is very encouraging for my next test, already booked for November 25.
Finally, as if I needed any more incentive, there was a surprise addition to the family on Thursday night - introducing Millie, my own metallic-blue Nissan Micra.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Friday, 23 October 2009
The BNP on the BBC: A worthy exercise
THE BBC can feel vindicated by their decision to allow British National Party leader Nick Griffin a place on the Question Time panel.
Although it was always going to be an imperfect debate, it seemed to me to be a worthy exercise which was in the public interest.
There was no question that the BNP leader merited his invitation, despite this giving him the platform to espouse his vile beliefs.
Success in the European elections in June, when the BNP recorded just under one million votes and won two seats, had earned him his place on the panel.
Certainly, previous panellists had been on the show having achieved less.
Though it was inevitable, the threat of the BNP gaining from this exposure was heightened by the build-up Griffin's appearance was given in the press.
And the anti-fascist protesters who were looking to gag Griffin did more harm to their reputation than his by taking the ludicrously fascist stance of opposing free speech.
I will admit that, even as a viewer, I was nervous before the show went to air.
Griffin is known as his party's best orator and he has looked comfortable in front of the cameras in the past. Could he seize the opportunity and force the BNP into the mainstream?
Thankfully, the answer was a resounding 'no'.
I wrote in my previous post that "we may yet get the best result where Griffin loses all credibility it proves to be the end for him and his bunch of racist thugs".
While this somewhat dream-like scenario will not happen and the BNP retains a core of support, Griffin will have failed to impress unsure voters with a disastrous performance.
As Iain Dale wrote on his blog, Griffin bombed. Mr Dale wrote, "He was nervous, trembling, acting with exaggerated gestures, grinning at inappropriate moments and at times incoherent."
Perhaps his jitters should not be surprising as Griffin came under sustained attack from all the other panellists and the majority of the audience.
Among other matters, they were able to expose his links to other far-right groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, his inability to define 'genocide' and his prejudice on race and homosexuality.
Most startlingly of all, citing European law, he refused to explain why he has denied the holocaust in the past, only saying he has now changed those views.
This focus on Griffin's personal views has come in for some criticism in the programme's fall out.
But, though it may have looked unedifying, he was fair game. He put himself up for the show by accepting the invitation, surely knowing what to expect.
I agree that the chair David Dimbleby could have done a better job at steering the debate to ensure that more time was dedicated to other issues.
But Griffin should not have been surprised at the jeers and the number of hostile questions which he faced. That was purely a fair reflection of the general hostility to him in the country.
Meanwhile, it was a shame to see that the other party political panellists seemed preoccupied with scoring political points by contrasting their views against those of the BNP, rather than debating the issues.
This was most in evidence when Justice Secretary Jack Straw made a botched attempt of explaining the government's immigration policy.
American playwright Bonnie Greer was excellent, however. Without the ties of party political dogma, she was most adept at tripping Griffin up and generally patronising his ludicrous views.
The BBC will, of course, be happy with their own work, with a record-breaking eight million viewers tuning in, massively raising the profile of Question Time.
But it would be churlish to suggest that the broadcast did not also adhere to the corporation's public service remit and, as such, it was a worthy exercise.
I will personally choose to remember it, with great satisfaction, as the night that Griffin bombed.
Although it was always going to be an imperfect debate, it seemed to me to be a worthy exercise which was in the public interest.
There was no question that the BNP leader merited his invitation, despite this giving him the platform to espouse his vile beliefs.
Success in the European elections in June, when the BNP recorded just under one million votes and won two seats, had earned him his place on the panel.
Certainly, previous panellists had been on the show having achieved less.
Though it was inevitable, the threat of the BNP gaining from this exposure was heightened by the build-up Griffin's appearance was given in the press.
And the anti-fascist protesters who were looking to gag Griffin did more harm to their reputation than his by taking the ludicrously fascist stance of opposing free speech.
I will admit that, even as a viewer, I was nervous before the show went to air.
Griffin is known as his party's best orator and he has looked comfortable in front of the cameras in the past. Could he seize the opportunity and force the BNP into the mainstream?
Thankfully, the answer was a resounding 'no'.
I wrote in my previous post that "we may yet get the best result where Griffin loses all credibility it proves to be the end for him and his bunch of racist thugs".
While this somewhat dream-like scenario will not happen and the BNP retains a core of support, Griffin will have failed to impress unsure voters with a disastrous performance.
As Iain Dale wrote on his blog, Griffin bombed. Mr Dale wrote, "He was nervous, trembling, acting with exaggerated gestures, grinning at inappropriate moments and at times incoherent."
Perhaps his jitters should not be surprising as Griffin came under sustained attack from all the other panellists and the majority of the audience.
Among other matters, they were able to expose his links to other far-right groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, his inability to define 'genocide' and his prejudice on race and homosexuality.
Most startlingly of all, citing European law, he refused to explain why he has denied the holocaust in the past, only saying he has now changed those views.
This focus on Griffin's personal views has come in for some criticism in the programme's fall out.
But, though it may have looked unedifying, he was fair game. He put himself up for the show by accepting the invitation, surely knowing what to expect.
I agree that the chair David Dimbleby could have done a better job at steering the debate to ensure that more time was dedicated to other issues.
But Griffin should not have been surprised at the jeers and the number of hostile questions which he faced. That was purely a fair reflection of the general hostility to him in the country.
Meanwhile, it was a shame to see that the other party political panellists seemed preoccupied with scoring political points by contrasting their views against those of the BNP, rather than debating the issues.
This was most in evidence when Justice Secretary Jack Straw made a botched attempt of explaining the government's immigration policy.
American playwright Bonnie Greer was excellent, however. Without the ties of party political dogma, she was most adept at tripping Griffin up and generally patronising his ludicrous views.
The BBC will, of course, be happy with their own work, with a record-breaking eight million viewers tuning in, massively raising the profile of Question Time.
But it would be churlish to suggest that the broadcast did not also adhere to the corporation's public service remit and, as such, it was a worthy exercise.
I will personally choose to remember it, with great satisfaction, as the night that Griffin bombed.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
The BNP on the BBC: Undue exposure?
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Evelyn Beatrice Hall
The vile British National Party must be loving this week.
A guest slot on the BBC's flagship political programme, Question Time, reams of articles in the build up and countless blog posts, including my own.
Party leader Nick Griffin is probably smirking, thinking his work is done. He will gain credibility for his party by appearing on BBC One. He will get their vote to increase at the general election.
Unsurprisingly, this has led to calls for the BBC to pull the plug and deny the fascists the oxygen which they crave.
But, as Fleetstreetblues writes, the rise of the BNP is unfortunately too big a story to ignore.
Their total vote in the 2001 general election was just 47,129.
In the last general election in 2005, it had increased four-fold to 192,746 as the public showed their disgruntlement with the political mainstream.
More recently, the party has won a seat in the London-wide assembly and two European Parliament seats.
Those two seats in Europe is the same representation as that of the Green Party and its leader Caroline Lucas has appeared on Question Time twice already this year.
But Nick Griffin is wrong. Just by being chauffeured to the studio and appearing on television, he does not give his party legitimacy.
For a start, despite the huge increase in numbers, the performance of his party in general elections remains poor.
The BNP started the decade at a low base and has never come close to winning a seat at Westminster, even when pooling all its resources into an area such as Oldham.
And, for all the arguments that the BBC are giving the BNP undue exposure, my instincts tell me that the best way forward is to oppose their politics directly.
For this reason, I would have chosen different panellists - perhaps Diane Abbott for Labour and/or the highly-principled David Davis for the Tories.
As it is, Jack Straw appears for Labour, Baroness Warsi for the Conservatives, Chris Huhne for the Liberal Democrats and playwright Bonnie Greer are around the table tonight.
We may yet get the best result where Griffin loses all credibility it proves to be the end for him and his bunch of racist thugs.
But I doubt that will happen. As well as being a bigot, Griffin is often a smooth operator in front of the rolling cameras.
Odd that the BNP website which espouses their nauseous views is offline today, though.
A message appears instead, which states, "We have had to take our normal website offline due to the enormous amount of ordinary people, just like you, visiting our website."
Or is it not the fact they are not prepared for the spotlight suddenly shining on them and their ridiculous views?
Question Time is on BBC1 at 10.35pm
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Gone postal
IT'S OFFICIAL ! The posties have gone postal - or their union has, at least.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed today that a 24-hour nationwide strike will go ahead from 4am on Thursday.
But their decision to take industrial action is a baffling one to me and holds little support from the public or politicians of all colours.
Even among the Royal Mail workers, the strike holds little sway.
The vote may have been carried by a clear margin of three to one but that was only among those who voted.
There were over 19,000 who voted 'No', over 20,000 who did not vote and another 20,000 not part of the union.
Perhaps they remember the lack of success in the last strike - held not long ago, in 2007 - when a small pay increase was described as a victory.
But it was a hollow success. The workers lost nearly as much as their rise by going on strike in the first place and this was a major reason why my relatives who work for Royal Mail abstained.
It is not difficult to fathom why external support for the CWU action is so low, given the horrendous timing of it.
People are right to be concerned that, if the action continues right up until Christmas, it will become infinitely more difficult for gifts to be sent between family members.
Even though some companies have already transferred their allegiance to private couriers, that same move is easier said than done for individuals who need to send off presents to far-flung relatives.
To follow the companies' lead, they would have to abandon probably the best thing remaining about using the Royal Mail - its low pricing.
Self-employed traders and others who must fill out an HMRC tax return may also be frustrated with the paper returns deadline of October 31 now fast approaching.
Striking in a recession does not reflect well, anyway. The latest employment statistics show there are now nearly three million people out of work.
It is little wonder Royal Mail bosses have had little trouble to find the required 30,000 casual staff to fill the gap.
I do not deny that the staff have valid grievances especially with the threat of machines taking over their jobs.
And my political views far removed from those of a Thatcherite, eager to crush the trade union movement.
But surely the union's best tactic to protect its workers in this case would be to continue to negotiate better terms with the employer.
It is the only way which the conflict can come to an end, anyway.
After all, the CWU should be careful - they could end up doing more harm than good for the hard-working posties.
The increase of internet access has already dealt a blow. Since 2005, the number of letters delivered has decreased from a high of 84 million a day to just 75 million now.
And though that still remains a phenomenal number, surely the priority should be not to lose any more customers.
The last thing a union should be doing is shooting its workers in the foot.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed today that a 24-hour nationwide strike will go ahead from 4am on Thursday.
But their decision to take industrial action is a baffling one to me and holds little support from the public or politicians of all colours.
Even among the Royal Mail workers, the strike holds little sway.
The vote may have been carried by a clear margin of three to one but that was only among those who voted.
There were over 19,000 who voted 'No', over 20,000 who did not vote and another 20,000 not part of the union.
Perhaps they remember the lack of success in the last strike - held not long ago, in 2007 - when a small pay increase was described as a victory.
But it was a hollow success. The workers lost nearly as much as their rise by going on strike in the first place and this was a major reason why my relatives who work for Royal Mail abstained.
It is not difficult to fathom why external support for the CWU action is so low, given the horrendous timing of it.
People are right to be concerned that, if the action continues right up until Christmas, it will become infinitely more difficult for gifts to be sent between family members.
Even though some companies have already transferred their allegiance to private couriers, that same move is easier said than done for individuals who need to send off presents to far-flung relatives.
To follow the companies' lead, they would have to abandon probably the best thing remaining about using the Royal Mail - its low pricing.
Self-employed traders and others who must fill out an HMRC tax return may also be frustrated with the paper returns deadline of October 31 now fast approaching.
Striking in a recession does not reflect well, anyway. The latest employment statistics show there are now nearly three million people out of work.
It is little wonder Royal Mail bosses have had little trouble to find the required 30,000 casual staff to fill the gap.
I do not deny that the staff have valid grievances especially with the threat of machines taking over their jobs.
And my political views far removed from those of a Thatcherite, eager to crush the trade union movement.
But surely the union's best tactic to protect its workers in this case would be to continue to negotiate better terms with the employer.
It is the only way which the conflict can come to an end, anyway.
After all, the CWU should be careful - they could end up doing more harm than good for the hard-working posties.
The increase of internet access has already dealt a blow. Since 2005, the number of letters delivered has decreased from a high of 84 million a day to just 75 million now.
And though that still remains a phenomenal number, surely the priority should be not to lose any more customers.
The last thing a union should be doing is shooting its workers in the foot.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Formula 1: Button and Brawn reach the pinnacle
JENSON BUTTON's blistering start to the 2009 Formula One season proved enough to land him the World Championship in the penultimate race at Interlagos in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Brawn GP driver Button climbed from 14th on the grid to finish fifth and become the tenth British man to win the title.
Much of this is down to the first seven races, when he won six times to build up a lead of 26 points over Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello after the Turkish Grand Prix in June.
Although Button then failed to win another race all season, he finished consistently in the points in a reliable car to preserve his lead over Barrichello and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
This was a fairytale debut season for Brawn GP, who also won the Constructors' title at Interlagos.
The team was formed by former Benetton and Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn just weeks before the start of the season in the wake of Honda's withdrawal.
Nevertheless, the Brawn team made quite an introduction. Button was on pole and he led home a 1-2 in Australia, the first team to achieve this feat on their debut since Mercedes in 1954.
Button was again on pole in Malaysia and won a race which was truncated by torrential downpours, meaning the drivers scored half-points.
Vettel finished third to pick up his first points of the season while Barrichello was in fourth as the race was halted after 31 of the scheduled 56 laps.
At the third race of the season, the Red Bulls fought back.
Vettel put his car on pole and he led home a 1-2 ahead of Webber but Button in third still slightly increased his lead from five points to six over fourth-placed Barrichello.
And the 29-year-old from Frome in Somerset stretched the lead to 12 points when he won the Bahrain Grand Prix with Barrichello in fifth.
In Spain and Monaco, Barrichello returned to form but could only finish second to Button who won both races from pole.
The emotion of the occasion was all too much for Ross Brawn and Button's father, John.
It is hard to believe now that Button was without a seat for the 2009 season before Brawn GP were hastily formed.
He has gone from zero to hero and reached the pinnacle of his career.
FOR THE RECORD
The 2009 Formula One season - race-by-race
Australian GP (29 March)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Jarno Trulli
Standings:Button 10, Barrichello 8, Vettel 0, Webber 0
Constructors: Brawn GP-Mercedes 18, Red Bull-Renault 0
Malaysian GP (5 April)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Nick Heidfeld, 3 Timo Glock
Button 15, Barrichello 10, Webber 1.5, Vettel 0
Brawn GP-Mercedes 25, Red Bull-Renault 1.5
Chinese GP (19 April)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Jenson Button
Button 21, Barrichello 15, Vettel 10, Webber 9.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 36, Red Bull-Renault 19.5
Bahrain GP (26 April)
Pole: Jarno Trulli
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Sebastian Vettel, 3 Jarno Trulli
Button 31, Barrichello 19, Vettel 18, Webber 9.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 50, Red Bull-Renault 27.5
Spanish GP (10 May)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Mark Webber
Button 41, Barrichello 27, Vettel 23, Webber 15.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 68, Red Bull-Renault 38.5
Monaco GP (24 May)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 51, Barrichello 35, Vettel 23, Webber 19.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 86, Red Bull-Renault 42.5
Turkish GP (7 June)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Sebastian Vettel
Button 61, Barrichello 35, Vettel 29, Webber 27.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 96, Red Bull-Renault 56.5
British GP (21 June)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Rubens Barrichello
Button 64, Barrichello 41, Vettel 39, Webber 35.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 105, Red Bull-Renault 74.5
German GP (12 July)
Pole: Mark Webber
Result: 1 Mark Webber, 2 Sebastian Vettel, 3 Felipe Massa
Button 68, Vettel 47, Webber 45.5, Barrichello 44
Brawn GP-Mercedes 112, Red Bull-Renault 92.5
Hungarian GP (26 July)
Pole: Fernando Alonso
Result: 1 Lewis Hamilton, 2 Kimi Raikkonen, 3 Mark Webber
Button 70, Webber 51.5, Vettel 47, Barrichello 44
Brawn GP-Mercedes 114, Red Bull-Renault 98.5
European GP (23 August)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Rubens Barrichello, 2 Lewis Hamilton, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 72, Barrichello 54, Webber 51.5, Vettel 47
Brawn GP-Mercedes 126, Red Bull-Renault 98.5
Belgian GP (30 August)
Pole: Giancarlo Fisichella
Result: 1 Kimi Raikkonen, 2 Giancarlo Fisichella, 3 Sebastian Vettel
Button 72, Barrichello 56, Vettel 53, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 128, Red Bull-Renault 104.5
Italian GP (13 September)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Rubens Barrichello 2 Jenson Button, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 80, Barrichello 66, Vettel 54, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 146, Red Bull-Renault 105.5
Singapore GP (27 September)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Lewis Hamilton, 2 Timo Glock, 3 Fernando Alonso
Button 84, Barrichello 69, Vettel 59, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 153, Red Bull-Renault 110.5
Japanese GP (4 October)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Jarno Trulli, 3 Lewis Hamilton
Button 85, Barrichello 71, Vettel 69
Brawn GP-Mercedes 156, Red Bull-Renault 120.5
Brazilian GP (18 October)
Pole: Rubens Barrichello
Result: 1 Mark Webber, 2 Robert Kubica, 3 Lewis Hamilton
Button 89, Vettel 74, Barrichello 72
Brawn GP-Mercedes 161, Red Bull-Renault 135.5
Abu Dhabi GP (1 November)
Pole: tbc
Result: tbc
FOR THE RECORD
Previous British F1 World Champions
1958 Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari)
1962 Graham Hill (British Racing Motors)
1963 Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1964 John Surtees (Ferrari)
1965 Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1968 Graham Hill (Lotus-Ford)
1969 Jackie Stewart (Matra-Ford)
1971 Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
1973 Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
1976 James Hunt (McLaren-Ford)
1992 Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1996 Damon Hill (Williams-Renault)
2008 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
2009 Jenson Button (Brawn GP-Mercedes)
Brawn GP driver Button climbed from 14th on the grid to finish fifth and become the tenth British man to win the title.
Much of this is down to the first seven races, when he won six times to build up a lead of 26 points over Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello after the Turkish Grand Prix in June.
Although Button then failed to win another race all season, he finished consistently in the points in a reliable car to preserve his lead over Barrichello and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
This was a fairytale debut season for Brawn GP, who also won the Constructors' title at Interlagos.
The team was formed by former Benetton and Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn just weeks before the start of the season in the wake of Honda's withdrawal.
Nevertheless, the Brawn team made quite an introduction. Button was on pole and he led home a 1-2 in Australia, the first team to achieve this feat on their debut since Mercedes in 1954.
Button was again on pole in Malaysia and won a race which was truncated by torrential downpours, meaning the drivers scored half-points.
Vettel finished third to pick up his first points of the season while Barrichello was in fourth as the race was halted after 31 of the scheduled 56 laps.
At the third race of the season, the Red Bulls fought back.
Vettel put his car on pole and he led home a 1-2 ahead of Webber but Button in third still slightly increased his lead from five points to six over fourth-placed Barrichello.
And the 29-year-old from Frome in Somerset stretched the lead to 12 points when he won the Bahrain Grand Prix with Barrichello in fifth.
In Spain and Monaco, Barrichello returned to form but could only finish second to Button who won both races from pole.
Remarkably, the 1-2 in Monaco was Brawn GP's third of the season in the opening six races as Barrichello remained Button's closest challenger.
But while Button benefited at the Turkish Grand Prix from pole-sitter Vettel making a mistake on the opening lap to win his sixth race out of seven, Barrichello became the first Brawn GP retiree of the season with a gearbox problem. The gap was up to 26 points.
Since then, Button has not won another Grand Prix all season, and he has been out-qualified by team-mate Barrichello regularly.
But he has finished out of the points just once, when retiring at Spa in Belgium.
His championship rivals have also been so evenly-matched that none has been able to launch a proper challenge.
Red Bull drivers Vettel and Webber picked up a win each in Britain and Germany respectively with Button picking up seven points by finishing sixth then fifth.
Button's position was strengthened even further at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The race in Budapest saw the return to form of 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton but will be most remembered for Ferrari driver Felipe Massa's horrific injury caused by a suspension spring which struck him on the head during qualifying.
Although Hamilton won the race for McLaren, Button's seventh place finish compared favourably against Vettel who retired with suspension failure and Barrichello who failed to score in 10th.
Australian Webber, who finished third, now became Button's nearest rival but even he was some 28.5 points back. It was the biggest lead that Button would hold.
Barrichello picked up a much-needed win at the European Grand Prix in Valencia to regain second place in the standings. With Button finishing only seventh, the lead was dented to 18 points.
Barrichello's big chance came at the Belgian Grand Prix when he qualified fourth, well ahead of Button in 14th.
But the Brazilian made a terrible start to the race - and although Button retired on the first lap, his team-mate could only finish seventh and close the gap by two points to 16.
A second win in three races for Barrichello gave him some redemption but Button limited the damage by following him home in second for Brawn GP's fourth 1-2.
Nevertheless, the lead was down to 14 points. It had been halved in three races with four left. Button needed a good result at the next meeting at the night race in Singapore - and he got it.
Lewis Hamilton won his second race of the season but with none of Button's rivals on the podium and Vettel only one place ahead, this was a successful race as he kept Barrichello behind him.
The Brawn GP drivers finished fifth and sixth as Button increased to his lead to 15 points with three races remaining. Mark Webber's retirement left him 32.5 points behind and out of the running.
With Webber out of the championship race, Red Bull were able to favour Vettel and the German delivered at the Japanese Grand Prix, winning his third race of the season from pole.
Button finished down in eighth but he was just one place behind Barrichello who remained 14 points behind in the standings. Vettel was 16 points behind.
But the Drivers' championship seemed destined to go to the final race after a nightmare result for Button in a rainy qualifying session in Brazil.
While Rubens Barrichello put his car on pole in his home race, Button could not even make it through Q2 and was 14th.
The only consolation for Button was that Vettel had an even worse session and was down in 16th.
But Barrichello's luck at Interlagos deserted him once again, a late puncture meaning he ultimately finished eighth.
Button drove more aggressively than usual and his overtaking was outstanding as he battled up from 14th to fifth by avoiding the crashes and passing Romain Grosjean, Kazuki Nakajima, Kamui Kobayashi and Sebastian Buemi.
There have been doubters who could not see Button getting over the line after his big lead was eroded.
While qualifying was disappointing and he may still not have won the race, his drive during it showed this was a worthy victory.The emotion of the occasion was all too much for Ross Brawn and Button's father, John.
It is hard to believe now that Button was without a seat for the 2009 season before Brawn GP were hastily formed.
He has gone from zero to hero and reached the pinnacle of his career.
FOR THE RECORD
The 2009 Formula One season - race-by-race
Australian GP (29 March)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Jarno Trulli
Standings:Button 10, Barrichello 8, Vettel 0, Webber 0
Constructors: Brawn GP-Mercedes 18, Red Bull-Renault 0
Malaysian GP (5 April)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Nick Heidfeld, 3 Timo Glock
Button 15, Barrichello 10, Webber 1.5, Vettel 0
Brawn GP-Mercedes 25, Red Bull-Renault 1.5
Chinese GP (19 April)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Jenson Button
Button 21, Barrichello 15, Vettel 10, Webber 9.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 36, Red Bull-Renault 19.5
Bahrain GP (26 April)
Pole: Jarno Trulli
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Sebastian Vettel, 3 Jarno Trulli
Button 31, Barrichello 19, Vettel 18, Webber 9.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 50, Red Bull-Renault 27.5
Spanish GP (10 May)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Mark Webber
Button 41, Barrichello 27, Vettel 23, Webber 15.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 68, Red Bull-Renault 38.5
Monaco GP (24 May)
Pole: Jenson Button
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Rubens Barrichello, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 51, Barrichello 35, Vettel 23, Webber 19.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 86, Red Bull-Renault 42.5
Turkish GP (7 June)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Jenson Button, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Sebastian Vettel
Button 61, Barrichello 35, Vettel 29, Webber 27.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 96, Red Bull-Renault 56.5
British GP (21 June)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Mark Webber, 3 Rubens Barrichello
Button 64, Barrichello 41, Vettel 39, Webber 35.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 105, Red Bull-Renault 74.5
German GP (12 July)
Pole: Mark Webber
Result: 1 Mark Webber, 2 Sebastian Vettel, 3 Felipe Massa
Button 68, Vettel 47, Webber 45.5, Barrichello 44
Brawn GP-Mercedes 112, Red Bull-Renault 92.5
Hungarian GP (26 July)
Pole: Fernando Alonso
Result: 1 Lewis Hamilton, 2 Kimi Raikkonen, 3 Mark Webber
Button 70, Webber 51.5, Vettel 47, Barrichello 44
Brawn GP-Mercedes 114, Red Bull-Renault 98.5
European GP (23 August)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Rubens Barrichello, 2 Lewis Hamilton, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 72, Barrichello 54, Webber 51.5, Vettel 47
Brawn GP-Mercedes 126, Red Bull-Renault 98.5
Belgian GP (30 August)
Pole: Giancarlo Fisichella
Result: 1 Kimi Raikkonen, 2 Giancarlo Fisichella, 3 Sebastian Vettel
Button 72, Barrichello 56, Vettel 53, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 128, Red Bull-Renault 104.5
Italian GP (13 September)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Rubens Barrichello 2 Jenson Button, 3 Kimi Raikkonen
Button 80, Barrichello 66, Vettel 54, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 146, Red Bull-Renault 105.5
Singapore GP (27 September)
Pole: Lewis Hamilton
Result: 1 Lewis Hamilton, 2 Timo Glock, 3 Fernando Alonso
Button 84, Barrichello 69, Vettel 59, Webber 51.5
Brawn GP-Mercedes 153, Red Bull-Renault 110.5
Japanese GP (4 October)
Pole: Sebastian Vettel
Result: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 2 Jarno Trulli, 3 Lewis Hamilton
Button 85, Barrichello 71, Vettel 69
Brawn GP-Mercedes 156, Red Bull-Renault 120.5
Brazilian GP (18 October)
Pole: Rubens Barrichello
Result: 1 Mark Webber, 2 Robert Kubica, 3 Lewis Hamilton
Button 89, Vettel 74, Barrichello 72
Brawn GP-Mercedes 161, Red Bull-Renault 135.5
Abu Dhabi GP (1 November)
Pole: tbc
Result: tbc
FOR THE RECORD
Previous British F1 World Champions
1958 Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari)
1962 Graham Hill (British Racing Motors)
1963 Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1964 John Surtees (Ferrari)
1965 Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1968 Graham Hill (Lotus-Ford)
1969 Jackie Stewart (Matra-Ford)
1971 Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
1973 Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
1976 James Hunt (McLaren-Ford)
1992 Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1996 Damon Hill (Williams-Renault)
2008 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
2009 Jenson Button (Brawn GP-Mercedes)
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Good week, bad week
A MIXED week for the British press saw freedom of speech saved on the one hand and abused on the other.
I refer, of course, to the lifting of the ban on the Guardian's reporting of Parliament on Tuesday - and to a separate incident courtesy of Jan Moir's homophobic bile in her Daily Mail column.
While I was beaming at the ultimate victory of the Guardian in the first story, Ms Moir's comments left me shaking my head with bewilderment.
Firstly, the Guardian's victory was hugely important as the defence of a fundamental point of democracy - the right to report parliamentary proceedings openly.
This was enshrined by the Bill of Rights in 1689. It states: "Freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament."
Yet, incredibly, Carter-Ruck, the lawyers for British oil-trading firm Trafigura, had been granted an injunction preventing the reporting of question tabled by an MP to a minister.
The injunction not only prevented the question being reported but also stopped the identification of the MP, which minister might answer it, or where the question could be found.
The Guardian could only report that Carter-Ruck were the lawyers involved and that they had been prevented from reporting in Parliament.
But their front page story provoked Twitter users and bloggers into action over what lay behind the mysterious ban.
Within hours, Twitter accounts began to display the details which the Guardian could not report, making a mockery of the injunction against the newspaper.
The question was from Paul Farrelly, the Labour MP for Newcastle-Under-Lyme. It concerned the reporting of an incident in which toxic waste was allegedly dumped by the company in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
Eventually, the story was picked up on by the mainstream press, featuring on two prominent blogs and in the Spectator and Private Eye.
News of the gag caused outrage on all sides of the House of Commons with Speaker John Bercow describing it as "quite astonishing".
At lunchtime on Tuesday, Carter-Ruck withdrew its gagging attempt, shortly before a 2pm High Court hearing at which the Guardian intended to challenge it.
But, though it was the Guardian newspaper which benefited, this has been seen as an even greater victory for new media.
The users of Twitter were particularly influential on the result, finding out the details and spreading them like wildfire to cause enough noise to get the lawyers to back down.
Just days later, the Twitter users were at it again. But this time they were in opposition to the press or Jan Moir of the Daily Mail, to be precise.
Ms Moir was the target of their ire because of her spurious, unfounded comments about the nature of the death of pop star Stephen Gately in her Friday column, a day before he was even buried.
She suggested that Gately had lived "a life... shadowed by dark appetites or fractured by private vice" adding that his death "strike[s] another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships".
The story has attracted more than 500 comments, mainly critical, to its own website.
Twitter users posted outraged updates, some from the website's most famous exponents, Stephen Fry and Derren Brown, who are both gay.
On his feed, illusionist Brown urged the public to lodge a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission whose website crashed.
The PCC are unlikely to be able to do much about it. As stated on their website in the FAQs, they are unable to impose fines because they are a non-statutory body.
Even if they had that sanction, they do not "generally accept complaints from third parties about cases involving named individuals without the signed authorisation of the person concerned".
They also do not make decisions on matters of taste and decency, citing that this would restrict press freedom.
Mail editor Paul Dacre, who is current chair of the PCC Editors' Code of Practice Committee, would be showing great ignorance if he attempts to let this story blow over, however.
As shown by the Guardian this week, the freedom of the press is a constant, hard-fought battle and the Fourth Estate is vital to the running of democracy in this country.
But some of its members would do well to remember not to abuse their rights.
They should also recall that a journalist's first duty is to the truth and not their own agenda - and that includes columnists.
I refer, of course, to the lifting of the ban on the Guardian's reporting of Parliament on Tuesday - and to a separate incident courtesy of Jan Moir's homophobic bile in her Daily Mail column.
While I was beaming at the ultimate victory of the Guardian in the first story, Ms Moir's comments left me shaking my head with bewilderment.
Firstly, the Guardian's victory was hugely important as the defence of a fundamental point of democracy - the right to report parliamentary proceedings openly.
This was enshrined by the Bill of Rights in 1689. It states: "Freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament."
Yet, incredibly, Carter-Ruck, the lawyers for British oil-trading firm Trafigura, had been granted an injunction preventing the reporting of question tabled by an MP to a minister.
The injunction not only prevented the question being reported but also stopped the identification of the MP, which minister might answer it, or where the question could be found.
The Guardian could only report that Carter-Ruck were the lawyers involved and that they had been prevented from reporting in Parliament.
But their front page story provoked Twitter users and bloggers into action over what lay behind the mysterious ban.
Within hours, Twitter accounts began to display the details which the Guardian could not report, making a mockery of the injunction against the newspaper.
The question was from Paul Farrelly, the Labour MP for Newcastle-Under-Lyme. It concerned the reporting of an incident in which toxic waste was allegedly dumped by the company in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
Eventually, the story was picked up on by the mainstream press, featuring on two prominent blogs and in the Spectator and Private Eye.
News of the gag caused outrage on all sides of the House of Commons with Speaker John Bercow describing it as "quite astonishing".
At lunchtime on Tuesday, Carter-Ruck withdrew its gagging attempt, shortly before a 2pm High Court hearing at which the Guardian intended to challenge it.
But, though it was the Guardian newspaper which benefited, this has been seen as an even greater victory for new media.
The users of Twitter were particularly influential on the result, finding out the details and spreading them like wildfire to cause enough noise to get the lawyers to back down.
Just days later, the Twitter users were at it again. But this time they were in opposition to the press or Jan Moir of the Daily Mail, to be precise.
Ms Moir was the target of their ire because of her spurious, unfounded comments about the nature of the death of pop star Stephen Gately in her Friday column, a day before he was even buried.
She suggested that Gately had lived "a life... shadowed by dark appetites or fractured by private vice" adding that his death "strike[s] another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships".
The story has attracted more than 500 comments, mainly critical, to its own website.
Twitter users posted outraged updates, some from the website's most famous exponents, Stephen Fry and Derren Brown, who are both gay.
On his feed, illusionist Brown urged the public to lodge a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission whose website crashed.
The PCC are unlikely to be able to do much about it. As stated on their website in the FAQs, they are unable to impose fines because they are a non-statutory body.
Even if they had that sanction, they do not "generally accept complaints from third parties about cases involving named individuals without the signed authorisation of the person concerned".
They also do not make decisions on matters of taste and decency, citing that this would restrict press freedom.
Mail editor Paul Dacre, who is current chair of the PCC Editors' Code of Practice Committee, would be showing great ignorance if he attempts to let this story blow over, however.
As shown by the Guardian this week, the freedom of the press is a constant, hard-fought battle and the Fourth Estate is vital to the running of democracy in this country.
But some of its members would do well to remember not to abuse their rights.
They should also recall that a journalist's first duty is to the truth and not their own agenda - and that includes columnists.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
World Cup Round-up
Europe
The nine group winners qualify for the finals. The eight best runners-up playoff for the other four places, the remaining runner-up will miss out altogether.
SLOVAKIA clung on against Poland to qualify from Group Three for their first ever World Cup finals appearance since independence.
After a 2-0 loss against second-placed Slovenia on the weekend, the long-time group leaders looked like they had blown their chance.
The weekend result meant Slovakia would have to beat Poland with Slovenia’s final match coming against lowly San Marino.
But the Slovakians won 1-0 to complete a miserable campaign for the Poles who finished fifth with just three wins, two of which were against San Marino.
Slovenia must settle for a playoff after a 3-0 win. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland gained a credible 0-0 draw in Prague against fellow mid-table side Czech Republic.
Switzerland became the final automatic qualifier from the European section after a 0-0 draw in Tel Aviv against Israel was enough to win Group Two.
Although the Greeks were nervy in a 2-1 win against Luxembourg, that result meant any Israel goal would consign the Swiss to the playoffs.
But Swiss duly got the draw they needed to finish a point ahead of the Greeks who will be seeded in the playoffs.
With both winners and runners-up already sorted in Groups Four, Five, Seven, Eight and Nine, only the identity of the playoff teams from Group One and Group Six were undecided.
But the results were as expected. Portugal put behind a poor group campaign to finish second to Denmark with a 4-0 win against Malta.
Despite being without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese had already done the hard work by leapfrogging Sweden with a 3-0 win against Hungary last weekend.
The Swedes’ 4-1 win against Albania meant nothing in the end while, in the other match, Denmark failed to finish unbeaten after a 1-0 home loss to Hungary.
In Group Six, Ukraine had also done the difficult bit by beating England at home on Saturday.
The simple task of beating Andorra was done in style with five second half goals in a 6-0 win.
The win in Andorra knocked out Croatia who summed up their campaign with a laboured 2-1 win against Kazakhstan.
Peter Crouch scored twice and Shaun Wright-Phillips once as England got back on track after their Ukraine blip by beating Belarus 3-0.
It put England on 27 points with nine wins out of 10 and 34 goals. Few would have believed it would go this well in Fabio Capello’s first test after the Euro 2008 failure.
European champions Spain still trumped England, however, with a 5-2 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
This gave them a perfect record of 10 wins out of 10 in Group Five.
Spain were 4-0 up inside 60 minutes and went 5-0 up before two stoppage time goals saved face for Bosnia who will contest the playoffs.
The night was less comfortable for World Champions Italy who were once again grateful to Alberto Gilardino.
The Fiorentina striker scored a last minute equaliser to save a point against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.
And this time, he scored a hat-trick including another last minute goal, as Italy came back from two goals down to beat Cyprus 3-2 in Group Eight.
The win preserved their unbeaten record – and the Republic of Ireland were also unbeaten in second place.
But the 0-0 draw against Montenegro was quite a come down from the thrilling 2-2 draw against Italy on the weekend and all Irish eyes are on Monday's playoff draw now.
Bulgaria’s 6-2 thrashing of Georgia was much too little, too late.
Germany and Russia also had a ropey night in Group Four. The Germans, who qualified with a 1-0 win in Moscow on Saturday, scraped a draw against Finland with a second-string team.
Behind to an early Finnish goal by Jonatan Johansson, the Germans showed typical resilience to score a scrappy equaliser in the last minute through Lukas Podolski.
Russia could only manage a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan while Wales won at last – 2-0 away in Liechtenstein.
In Group Seven, Serbia slipped up 2-1 to Lithuania but this was academic after the Serbs’ qualification last weekend.
Second-placed France beat Austria 3-1 while Romania recovered a little from their 5-0 humiliation against Serbia by beating Faroe Islands 3-1.
FOR THE RECORD
Group winners
Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy and Netherlands.
Playoffs - top seeds
Portugal, Greece, Russia and France.
Playoffs -bottom seeds
Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and Republic of Ireland.
(Note: Norway finished runners-up in Group Nine but had the worst second-place record and miss out altogether).
The draw for the playoffs is this coming Monday. The matches will be played on November 14 and 18.
South America
Top four teams qualify for the finals. Fifth-placed team enters a playoff with the fourth-placed North American team for a finals place.
ARGENTINA overcame a torturous campaign to qualify for the World Cup finals with a 1-0 win against ten-man Uruguay in Montevideo.
Substitute Mario Bolatti had only been on the pitch a few minutes when he struck home the winner with six minutes left after Martin Caceres was sent off.
It was nothing more than Diego Maradona’s Argentines deserved after Uruguay totally froze at the prospect of being able to put their great rivals out.
Maradona was understandably jubilant at full time. He had withstood enormous pressure from the media after his team’s recent struggles which included a 6-1 drubbing from Bolivia and a home loss to Brazil.
But, overall, this was a poor and, at times, bad-tempered match.
Although Argentina looked much more organised than usual, there was still little flair on show from Lionel Messi as the team grinded out only their second away win of the group.
Uruguay were even worse and will be relieved to have the consolation of a playoff against Costa Rica after Ecuador missed their cue against already-qualified Chile.
Humberto Suazo scored the winner on a night of few goals in South America as Chile beat Ecuador 1-0 to finish as runners-up behind Brazil.
The Brazilians fielded a weakened team to finish their campaign with a low-key 0-0 draw against Venezuela.
The Venezuelans remain the only South American country never to have qualified for a World Cup finals.
Third-placed Paraguay slipped up as Colombia finally won their first away game in the whole campaign.
Second half goals from Wigan Athletic's Hugo Rodallega and Gustavo Ramos earned the Colombians a 2-0 win against the already-qualified Paraguayans.
Finally, bottom-placed Peru beat second-bottom Bolivia 1-0 in Lima in a match that will be most remembered for the international retirement of Peru captain Nolberto Solano.
Former Newcastle United and Aston Villa midfielder Solano has often been the only bright spark during particularly lean times for the Peruvians.
But it was Johan Fano who scored the only goal of the game on 54 minutes before being sent off a minute later.
Bolivia were already down to ten men after Rosauro Rivero was dismissed for two first-half yellow card offences.
In the end, it was only their surprise weekend win over Brazil prevented the Bolivians from finishing bottom.
FOR THE RECORD
Final standings (18 matches)
Brazil 34, Chile 33, Paraguay 33, Argentina 28, Uruguay 24, Ecuador 23, Colombia 23, Venezuela 22, Bolivia 15, Peru 13.
Qualified
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina
Playoff
Uruguay will face Costa Rica from the CONCACAF zone over two legs on November 14 and 18.
North & Central America/Caribbean
Top three qualify for the finals. Fourth-placed team enters playoff with fifth-placed South American team for a place in the finals.
HONDURAS qualified for their first World Cup finals since 1982 in the most dramatic fashion as rivals Costa Rica conceded a goal deep into stoppage time against United States.
The Hondurans beat bitter neighbours El Salvador 1-0 but looked to be heading for a playoff against Uruguay with Costa Rica beating the Americans 2-0 in the other match.
But, with 20 minutes left, Michael Bradley pulled a goal back for the USA to set up a stunning finale in Washington DC.
After almost constant pressure on the Costa Rica goal, Jonathan Bornstein converted a corner to equalise in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time.
The win for Honduras and draw for Costa Rica left both sides on 16 points with five wins and a draw from ten matches.
But the Hondurans deservedly qualify with a far superior goal difference of +6, helped no doubt by their 4-0 thrashing of The Ticos in August.
The last minute goal also helped the United States to win the group on 20 points, one point ahead of Mexico who drew 2-2 - with bottom-placed Trinidad & Tobago.
The Mexicans' draw brought to an end a run of five consecutive wins but they should be happy enough to take second place and a comfortable qualification after a really poor start.
They took just three points from four matches at the start of this group stage, a sequence which unsurprisingly cost Sven Goran Eriksson his job.
El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago just never got going in this final phase, and finished fifth and sixth respectively.
FOR THE RECORD
Final standings (10 matches)
United States 20, Mexico 19, Honduras 16, Costa Rica 16, El Salvador 8, Trinidad & Tobago 6
Qualified
United States, Mexico, Honduras
Playoff
Costa Rica will face Uruguay from the South American zone over two legs on November 14 and 18.
The nine group winners qualify for the finals. The eight best runners-up playoff for the other four places, the remaining runner-up will miss out altogether.
SLOVAKIA clung on against Poland to qualify from Group Three for their first ever World Cup finals appearance since independence.
After a 2-0 loss against second-placed Slovenia on the weekend, the long-time group leaders looked like they had blown their chance.
The weekend result meant Slovakia would have to beat Poland with Slovenia’s final match coming against lowly San Marino.
But the Slovakians won 1-0 to complete a miserable campaign for the Poles who finished fifth with just three wins, two of which were against San Marino.
Slovenia must settle for a playoff after a 3-0 win. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland gained a credible 0-0 draw in Prague against fellow mid-table side Czech Republic.
Switzerland became the final automatic qualifier from the European section after a 0-0 draw in Tel Aviv against Israel was enough to win Group Two.
Although the Greeks were nervy in a 2-1 win against Luxembourg, that result meant any Israel goal would consign the Swiss to the playoffs.
But Swiss duly got the draw they needed to finish a point ahead of the Greeks who will be seeded in the playoffs.
With both winners and runners-up already sorted in Groups Four, Five, Seven, Eight and Nine, only the identity of the playoff teams from Group One and Group Six were undecided.
But the results were as expected. Portugal put behind a poor group campaign to finish second to Denmark with a 4-0 win against Malta.
Despite being without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese had already done the hard work by leapfrogging Sweden with a 3-0 win against Hungary last weekend.
The Swedes’ 4-1 win against Albania meant nothing in the end while, in the other match, Denmark failed to finish unbeaten after a 1-0 home loss to Hungary.
In Group Six, Ukraine had also done the difficult bit by beating England at home on Saturday.
The simple task of beating Andorra was done in style with five second half goals in a 6-0 win.
The win in Andorra knocked out Croatia who summed up their campaign with a laboured 2-1 win against Kazakhstan.
Peter Crouch scored twice and Shaun Wright-Phillips once as England got back on track after their Ukraine blip by beating Belarus 3-0.
It put England on 27 points with nine wins out of 10 and 34 goals. Few would have believed it would go this well in Fabio Capello’s first test after the Euro 2008 failure.
European champions Spain still trumped England, however, with a 5-2 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
This gave them a perfect record of 10 wins out of 10 in Group Five.
Spain were 4-0 up inside 60 minutes and went 5-0 up before two stoppage time goals saved face for Bosnia who will contest the playoffs.
The night was less comfortable for World Champions Italy who were once again grateful to Alberto Gilardino.
The Fiorentina striker scored a last minute equaliser to save a point against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.
And this time, he scored a hat-trick including another last minute goal, as Italy came back from two goals down to beat Cyprus 3-2 in Group Eight.
The win preserved their unbeaten record – and the Republic of Ireland were also unbeaten in second place.
But the 0-0 draw against Montenegro was quite a come down from the thrilling 2-2 draw against Italy on the weekend and all Irish eyes are on Monday's playoff draw now.
Bulgaria’s 6-2 thrashing of Georgia was much too little, too late.
Germany and Russia also had a ropey night in Group Four. The Germans, who qualified with a 1-0 win in Moscow on Saturday, scraped a draw against Finland with a second-string team.
Behind to an early Finnish goal by Jonatan Johansson, the Germans showed typical resilience to score a scrappy equaliser in the last minute through Lukas Podolski.
Russia could only manage a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan while Wales won at last – 2-0 away in Liechtenstein.
In Group Seven, Serbia slipped up 2-1 to Lithuania but this was academic after the Serbs’ qualification last weekend.
Second-placed France beat Austria 3-1 while Romania recovered a little from their 5-0 humiliation against Serbia by beating Faroe Islands 3-1.
FOR THE RECORD
Group winners
Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy and Netherlands.
Playoffs - top seeds
Portugal, Greece, Russia and France.
Playoffs -bottom seeds
Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and Republic of Ireland.
(Note: Norway finished runners-up in Group Nine but had the worst second-place record and miss out altogether).
The draw for the playoffs is this coming Monday. The matches will be played on November 14 and 18.
South America
Top four teams qualify for the finals. Fifth-placed team enters a playoff with the fourth-placed North American team for a finals place.
ARGENTINA overcame a torturous campaign to qualify for the World Cup finals with a 1-0 win against ten-man Uruguay in Montevideo.
Substitute Mario Bolatti had only been on the pitch a few minutes when he struck home the winner with six minutes left after Martin Caceres was sent off.
It was nothing more than Diego Maradona’s Argentines deserved after Uruguay totally froze at the prospect of being able to put their great rivals out.
Maradona was understandably jubilant at full time. He had withstood enormous pressure from the media after his team’s recent struggles which included a 6-1 drubbing from Bolivia and a home loss to Brazil.
But, overall, this was a poor and, at times, bad-tempered match.
Although Argentina looked much more organised than usual, there was still little flair on show from Lionel Messi as the team grinded out only their second away win of the group.
Uruguay were even worse and will be relieved to have the consolation of a playoff against Costa Rica after Ecuador missed their cue against already-qualified Chile.
Humberto Suazo scored the winner on a night of few goals in South America as Chile beat Ecuador 1-0 to finish as runners-up behind Brazil.
The Brazilians fielded a weakened team to finish their campaign with a low-key 0-0 draw against Venezuela.
The Venezuelans remain the only South American country never to have qualified for a World Cup finals.
Third-placed Paraguay slipped up as Colombia finally won their first away game in the whole campaign.
Second half goals from Wigan Athletic's Hugo Rodallega and Gustavo Ramos earned the Colombians a 2-0 win against the already-qualified Paraguayans.
Finally, bottom-placed Peru beat second-bottom Bolivia 1-0 in Lima in a match that will be most remembered for the international retirement of Peru captain Nolberto Solano.
Former Newcastle United and Aston Villa midfielder Solano has often been the only bright spark during particularly lean times for the Peruvians.
But it was Johan Fano who scored the only goal of the game on 54 minutes before being sent off a minute later.
Bolivia were already down to ten men after Rosauro Rivero was dismissed for two first-half yellow card offences.
In the end, it was only their surprise weekend win over Brazil prevented the Bolivians from finishing bottom.
FOR THE RECORD
Final standings (18 matches)
Brazil 34, Chile 33, Paraguay 33, Argentina 28, Uruguay 24, Ecuador 23, Colombia 23, Venezuela 22, Bolivia 15, Peru 13.
Qualified
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina
Playoff
Uruguay will face Costa Rica from the CONCACAF zone over two legs on November 14 and 18.
North & Central America/Caribbean
Top three qualify for the finals. Fourth-placed team enters playoff with fifth-placed South American team for a place in the finals.
HONDURAS qualified for their first World Cup finals since 1982 in the most dramatic fashion as rivals Costa Rica conceded a goal deep into stoppage time against United States.
The Hondurans beat bitter neighbours El Salvador 1-0 but looked to be heading for a playoff against Uruguay with Costa Rica beating the Americans 2-0 in the other match.
But, with 20 minutes left, Michael Bradley pulled a goal back for the USA to set up a stunning finale in Washington DC.
After almost constant pressure on the Costa Rica goal, Jonathan Bornstein converted a corner to equalise in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time.
The win for Honduras and draw for Costa Rica left both sides on 16 points with five wins and a draw from ten matches.
But the Hondurans deservedly qualify with a far superior goal difference of +6, helped no doubt by their 4-0 thrashing of The Ticos in August.
The last minute goal also helped the United States to win the group on 20 points, one point ahead of Mexico who drew 2-2 - with bottom-placed Trinidad & Tobago.
The Mexicans' draw brought to an end a run of five consecutive wins but they should be happy enough to take second place and a comfortable qualification after a really poor start.
They took just three points from four matches at the start of this group stage, a sequence which unsurprisingly cost Sven Goran Eriksson his job.
El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago just never got going in this final phase, and finished fifth and sixth respectively.
FOR THE RECORD
Final standings (10 matches)
United States 20, Mexico 19, Honduras 16, Costa Rica 16, El Salvador 8, Trinidad & Tobago 6
Qualified
United States, Mexico, Honduras
Playoff
Costa Rica will face Uruguay from the South American zone over two legs on November 14 and 18.
Sunday, 11 October 2009
World Cup Round-up
Europe
The nine group winners qualify for the finals. The eight best runners-up playoff for the other four places, the remaining runner-up will miss out altogether.
WORLD CHAMPIONS Italy will defend their crown in South Africa next summer after a last minute equaliser gave them a 2-2 draw against Republic of Ireland at Croke Park in Dublin.
Substitute Alberto Gilardino proved to be the Italian hero as he hit a late goal to ensure they won Group Eight.
The Irish had taken the lead early on when Glenn Whelan converted but it was 1-1 midway through the first half when Mauro Camoranesi equalised.
Middlesbrough full-back Sean St Ledger thought he had won it and kept the group alive when he scored with three minutes left before Gilardino's intervention.
But Giovanni Trapattoni should not be too disappointed. Bulgaria's terrible 4-1 loss in Cyprus ensures Republic of Ireland will take part in November's playoffs.
Meanwhile, in Group One, Denmark beat regional rivals Sweden 1-0 to take their place in the finals next summer.
Jakob Poulsen pounced with 12 minutes left to cap an excellent Danish qualifying campaign as they won the group ahead of the Swedes and Portugal with a game to spare.
The Portuguese moved into pole position for a playoff place by beating Hungary 3-0 in Lisbon with goals from two goals from Simao and another from Liedson.
Carlos Queiroz's team are a point ahead of Sweden and play Malta at home in their last match.
In Group Four, Germany qualified after a fine away win in Moscow over their only group rivals Russia.
The Germans took a first half lead through Miroslav Klose but were reduced to ten men when Jerome Boateng was sent off for two bookings with 20 minutes left.
Nevertheless, Joachim Low's team kept the Russians out to ensure the Germans make it for a 13th finals appearance. Guus Hiddink's Russia will contest the playoffs.
Serbia had already put themselves in a good position in Group Seven with their draw against second-placed France in the last round of qualifiers.
A 5-0 thumping of Romania confirmed Serbia's place at next year's finals, rendering redundant the French thrashing of Faroe Isles by the same score. France will be a major threat in the playoffs, however.
Tonight's qualifiers mean Italy, Denmark, Germany and Serbia join Netherlands, England and Spain who had made it previously.
This leaves only two further places up for grabs for group winners before the playoffs produce four further qualifiers.
Switzerland look likely to take one of the remaining group winners' spots having taken firm control of Group Two with a regulation 3-0 win against group minnows Luxembourg.
Greece kept up the pressure on the Swiss with a vital win against Latvia.
But leaders Switzerland need only a home draw against Israel to qualify, regardless of the Greeks' expected win against Luxembourg.
Greece should at least be consoled by securing a playoff place.
Slovakia remain top of the most open contest, Group Three - but their place is far from secure after a 2-0 loss to Slovenia has given the Slovenians hope going into the last round of matches.
Slovenia face whipping boys San Marino while Slovakia must beat Poland away, though they may benefit from a disheartened Polish team who definitely cannot qualify.
The Poles have had a poor campaign with only three wins and lost 2-0 to Czech Republic this weekend.
That result gives the Czechs a very slim hope of a playoff spot - they play Northern Ireland at home on Wednesday with both needing to win and hope for an extraordinary Slovenian slip up.
In Group Five, Bosnia-Herzegovina secured a playoff berth behind group winners Spain by beating Estonia 2-0 in Tallinn.
These qualifiers have been the Bosnians best ever international performance and even if they had lost in Estonia, they would have made it into the playoffs anyway after Turkey's 2-0 loss in Belgium.
In Group Six, Ukraine have suddenly become favourites for a playoff spot after their 1-0 home win over England.
Fabio Capello's Three Lions were reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes when Robert Green brought down Artem Milevskiy for a penalty after a Rio Ferdinand mistake.
Though Andriy Shevchenko then missed the penalty, Ukraine made their man advantage count when Serhiy Nazarenko scored after 29 minutes.
The result brings to an end England's 100% record in the qualifiers but, more importantly, puts Ukraine one point ahead of Croatia with just Andorra away to come for the Ukrainians.
Group leaders/winners: Denmark (Q), Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany (Q), Spain (Q), England (Q), Serbia (Q), Italy (Q), Netherlands (Q).
Current second-placed teams: Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Russia (P), Bosnia-Herzegovina (P), Ukraine, France (P), Republic of Ireland (P), Norway.
(Q)= Qualified for World Cup 2010; (P)= Definite playoff place
South America
Top four teams qualify for the finals. Fifth-placed team enters a playoff with the fourth-placed North American team for a finals place.
CHILE beat Colombia 4-2 away to qualify for World Cup 2010 in South Africa in some style.
Goals from Waldo Ponce, Humberto Suazo, Jorge Valdivia and Fabian Orellana gave the Chileans the points they needed to join Brazil and Paraguay in the finals.
The home loss killed off the Colombians' slim chance of qualifying but, for some of the other teams, the final automatic place remains an open contest.
Diego Maradona's Argentina moved back into fourth but were fortunate with a 2-1 win over rock-bottom Peru in Buenos Aries.
Gonzalo Higuan gave Argentina the lead just after half time but the hosts failed to build on it and Peru looked to have snatched an incredible point when Hernan Rengifo struck in the 90th minute.
Martin Palermo side-footed home a simple finish in the last minute of stoppage time to give the Argentines the win and 25 points from 17 matches.
Uruguay are ready to pounce from their current position of fifth, just a point behind Argentina, secured after their late show in Ecuador.
Manchester United's Antonio Valencia had given the Ecuadorians the lead but Luis Alberto Suarez replied almost instantly for Uruguay.
Former United striker Diego Forlan then scored in the 94th minute to give the Uruguayans real hope of snatching fourth-spot in Wednesday's winner-takes-it-all contest in Montevideo.
Ecuador have dropped to sixth after that home loss to Uruguay which has dealt a major blow to hopes of a third consecutive finals appearance.
The Ecuadorians must beat Chile by five goals and hope for a draw between Uruguay and Argentina to finish fourth but may yet qualify in fifth for the playoff.
Venezuela are effectively out of even qualifying for a playoff after their 2-1 home loss to Paraguay.
The Venezuelans require Ecuador and Uruguay to be beaten with a turnaround in goal difference of 15 goals against the Uruguayans.
What makes it even more unlikely is the fact that Venezuela are away to leaders Brazil in their last match, though the Brazilians did go down to a surprise 2-1 defeat against Bolivia in La Paz.
Current standings (17 matches of 18): Brazil 33 (Q), Paraguay 33 (Q), Chile 30 (Q), Argentina 25, Uruguay 24, Ecuador 23, Venezuela 21, Colombia 20, Bolivia 15, Peru 10.
(Q)= Qualified
North & Central America/Caribbean
Top three qualify for the finals. Fourth-placed team enters playoff with fifth-placed South American team for a place in the finals.
UNITED STATES and Mexico secured their place at the World Cup finals in South Africa after they both won their latest CONCACAF fixtures.
Mexico qualified first with a fine 4-1 win over El Salvador, ruling out the slim chance of qualifying which the Salvadorans still had.
The comfortable win in the Azteca caps a commendable turnaround by the Mexicans who were in danger of failing to qualify under former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
But they have recovered with five consecutive qualifying wins under new coach Javier Aguirre who previously took charge of the national team in World Cup 2002.
United States still lead the group but their 3-2 win against Honduras to secure a finals place was a much closer contest.
After a goalless first half, the Hondurans took the lead before two goals from Conor Casey helped the US into a 3-1 lead.
But Julio de Leon scored his second goal of the game to give the Americans a nervy final ten minutes.
The defeat puts Honduras' hopes of a World Cup finals place in major doubt after Costa Rica easily beat bottom-placed Trinidad & Tobago to take over in third place.
Alvaro Saborio scored twice in two second-half minutes to seal a 4-0 victory for the Costa Ricans, who will qualify if they win their last match against the United States in Washington.
Honduras must beat El Salvador to take advantage of a Costa Rica slip up if they are to qualify for their first finals appearance since 1982.
Current standings (9 matches of 10): United States 19 (Q), Mexico 18 (Q), Costa Rica 15, Honduras 13, El Salvador 8, Trinidad & Tobago 5.
(Q)= Qualified
Africa
Twenty teams divided into five groups of four. The five group winners qualify for the finals.
IVORY COAST captain Didier Drogba scored an equaliser to secure the point the Elephants needed against Malawi to progress to the World Cup finals in South Africa.
In a lacklustre performance, Ivory Coast fell behind to Malawi midway through the second half.
But Drogba scored almost immediately afterwards to put his side on 13 points from five matches in Group E. Burkina Faso beat bottom-placed Guinea 2-1 to secure second place with nine points.
Ivory Coast join Ghana who qualified from Group D last month. The Ghanaians appear to have relaxed this month, however, losing their perfect record after a 1-0 loss to Benin.
Mali took second place back off Benin after a last minute Freddie Kanoute goal gave the Malians a 1-0 win over struggling Sudan.
Groups A, B and C each remain a contest between two teams. In Group A, Cameroon are one point clear of surprise package Gabon.
Cameroon struggled early on in their campaign but beat Gabon home and away in September to head the group.
The Indomitable Lions followed that up with an easy 3-0 win over Togo. But, with the pressure on, Gabon beat Morocco 3-1 to stay in touch.
In Group B, Nigeria's Victor Obinna scored a stoppage time winner to beat Mozambique 1-0, preventing Tunisia from booking their tickets to the finals.
The Tunisians are still two points clear and favourites with a trip to Mozambique next. Nigeria travel to struggling Kenya who were beaten this time by a first-minute Tunisia goal.
Group C will be decided by an almighty clash between Algeria and Egypt in Cairo next month. Both teams had narrow wins this weekend, meaning the Algerians stay three points clear.
The goal difference also remains in Algeria's favour by four after they beat Rwanda 3-1 and Egypt won 1-0 in Zambia.
Current group leaders: Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana (Q), Ivory Coast (Q).
Asia-Oceania playoff, first leg
The playoff winner qualifies for the finals.
Bahrain 0-0 New Zealand
A PLACE in the World Cup finals remains up for grabs after a stalemate at the National Stadium in Riffa between Bahrain and New Zealand.
Bahrain, who have never qualified for a finals in their history, dominated this match but missed four clear chances as the All Whites lived dangerously at times.
But there was also stout defending from New Zealand as they kept the tie level and also kept alive their hopes of a first finals appearance since 1982.
The second leg in Wellington is scheduled for November 14.
Qualifiers
SOUTH AFRICA (hosts), AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, CHILE, DENMARK, ENGLAND, GERMANY, GHANA, ITALY, IVORY COAST, JAPAN, MEXICO, NETHERLANDS, NORTH KOREA, PARAGUAY, SERBIA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, UNITED STATES. 19 teams out of 32.
Remaining 13 places: Slovakia or Slovenia, Switzerland or Greece, Argentina or Uruguay, Costa Rica or Honduras, Bahrain or New Zealand, Cameroon or Gabon, Tunisia or Nigeria, Algeria or Egypt, four UEFA playoff qualifiers, and one Americas playoff qualifier.
The nine group winners qualify for the finals. The eight best runners-up playoff for the other four places, the remaining runner-up will miss out altogether.
WORLD CHAMPIONS Italy will defend their crown in South Africa next summer after a last minute equaliser gave them a 2-2 draw against Republic of Ireland at Croke Park in Dublin.
Substitute Alberto Gilardino proved to be the Italian hero as he hit a late goal to ensure they won Group Eight.
The Irish had taken the lead early on when Glenn Whelan converted but it was 1-1 midway through the first half when Mauro Camoranesi equalised.
Middlesbrough full-back Sean St Ledger thought he had won it and kept the group alive when he scored with three minutes left before Gilardino's intervention.
But Giovanni Trapattoni should not be too disappointed. Bulgaria's terrible 4-1 loss in Cyprus ensures Republic of Ireland will take part in November's playoffs.
Meanwhile, in Group One, Denmark beat regional rivals Sweden 1-0 to take their place in the finals next summer.
Jakob Poulsen pounced with 12 minutes left to cap an excellent Danish qualifying campaign as they won the group ahead of the Swedes and Portugal with a game to spare.
The Portuguese moved into pole position for a playoff place by beating Hungary 3-0 in Lisbon with goals from two goals from Simao and another from Liedson.
Carlos Queiroz's team are a point ahead of Sweden and play Malta at home in their last match.
In Group Four, Germany qualified after a fine away win in Moscow over their only group rivals Russia.
The Germans took a first half lead through Miroslav Klose but were reduced to ten men when Jerome Boateng was sent off for two bookings with 20 minutes left.
Nevertheless, Joachim Low's team kept the Russians out to ensure the Germans make it for a 13th finals appearance. Guus Hiddink's Russia will contest the playoffs.
Serbia had already put themselves in a good position in Group Seven with their draw against second-placed France in the last round of qualifiers.
A 5-0 thumping of Romania confirmed Serbia's place at next year's finals, rendering redundant the French thrashing of Faroe Isles by the same score. France will be a major threat in the playoffs, however.
Tonight's qualifiers mean Italy, Denmark, Germany and Serbia join Netherlands, England and Spain who had made it previously.
This leaves only two further places up for grabs for group winners before the playoffs produce four further qualifiers.
Switzerland look likely to take one of the remaining group winners' spots having taken firm control of Group Two with a regulation 3-0 win against group minnows Luxembourg.
Greece kept up the pressure on the Swiss with a vital win against Latvia.
But leaders Switzerland need only a home draw against Israel to qualify, regardless of the Greeks' expected win against Luxembourg.
Greece should at least be consoled by securing a playoff place.
Slovakia remain top of the most open contest, Group Three - but their place is far from secure after a 2-0 loss to Slovenia has given the Slovenians hope going into the last round of matches.
Slovenia face whipping boys San Marino while Slovakia must beat Poland away, though they may benefit from a disheartened Polish team who definitely cannot qualify.
The Poles have had a poor campaign with only three wins and lost 2-0 to Czech Republic this weekend.
That result gives the Czechs a very slim hope of a playoff spot - they play Northern Ireland at home on Wednesday with both needing to win and hope for an extraordinary Slovenian slip up.
In Group Five, Bosnia-Herzegovina secured a playoff berth behind group winners Spain by beating Estonia 2-0 in Tallinn.
These qualifiers have been the Bosnians best ever international performance and even if they had lost in Estonia, they would have made it into the playoffs anyway after Turkey's 2-0 loss in Belgium.
In Group Six, Ukraine have suddenly become favourites for a playoff spot after their 1-0 home win over England.
Fabio Capello's Three Lions were reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes when Robert Green brought down Artem Milevskiy for a penalty after a Rio Ferdinand mistake.
Though Andriy Shevchenko then missed the penalty, Ukraine made their man advantage count when Serhiy Nazarenko scored after 29 minutes.
The result brings to an end England's 100% record in the qualifiers but, more importantly, puts Ukraine one point ahead of Croatia with just Andorra away to come for the Ukrainians.
Group leaders/winners: Denmark (Q), Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany (Q), Spain (Q), England (Q), Serbia (Q), Italy (Q), Netherlands (Q).
Current second-placed teams: Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Russia (P), Bosnia-Herzegovina (P), Ukraine, France (P), Republic of Ireland (P), Norway.
(Q)= Qualified for World Cup 2010; (P)= Definite playoff place
South America
Top four teams qualify for the finals. Fifth-placed team enters a playoff with the fourth-placed North American team for a finals place.
CHILE beat Colombia 4-2 away to qualify for World Cup 2010 in South Africa in some style.
Goals from Waldo Ponce, Humberto Suazo, Jorge Valdivia and Fabian Orellana gave the Chileans the points they needed to join Brazil and Paraguay in the finals.
The home loss killed off the Colombians' slim chance of qualifying but, for some of the other teams, the final automatic place remains an open contest.
Diego Maradona's Argentina moved back into fourth but were fortunate with a 2-1 win over rock-bottom Peru in Buenos Aries.
Gonzalo Higuan gave Argentina the lead just after half time but the hosts failed to build on it and Peru looked to have snatched an incredible point when Hernan Rengifo struck in the 90th minute.
Martin Palermo side-footed home a simple finish in the last minute of stoppage time to give the Argentines the win and 25 points from 17 matches.
Uruguay are ready to pounce from their current position of fifth, just a point behind Argentina, secured after their late show in Ecuador.
Manchester United's Antonio Valencia had given the Ecuadorians the lead but Luis Alberto Suarez replied almost instantly for Uruguay.
Former United striker Diego Forlan then scored in the 94th minute to give the Uruguayans real hope of snatching fourth-spot in Wednesday's winner-takes-it-all contest in Montevideo.
Ecuador have dropped to sixth after that home loss to Uruguay which has dealt a major blow to hopes of a third consecutive finals appearance.
The Ecuadorians must beat Chile by five goals and hope for a draw between Uruguay and Argentina to finish fourth but may yet qualify in fifth for the playoff.
Venezuela are effectively out of even qualifying for a playoff after their 2-1 home loss to Paraguay.
The Venezuelans require Ecuador and Uruguay to be beaten with a turnaround in goal difference of 15 goals against the Uruguayans.
What makes it even more unlikely is the fact that Venezuela are away to leaders Brazil in their last match, though the Brazilians did go down to a surprise 2-1 defeat against Bolivia in La Paz.
Current standings (17 matches of 18): Brazil 33 (Q), Paraguay 33 (Q), Chile 30 (Q), Argentina 25, Uruguay 24, Ecuador 23, Venezuela 21, Colombia 20, Bolivia 15, Peru 10.
(Q)= Qualified
North & Central America/Caribbean
Top three qualify for the finals. Fourth-placed team enters playoff with fifth-placed South American team for a place in the finals.
UNITED STATES and Mexico secured their place at the World Cup finals in South Africa after they both won their latest CONCACAF fixtures.
Mexico qualified first with a fine 4-1 win over El Salvador, ruling out the slim chance of qualifying which the Salvadorans still had.
The comfortable win in the Azteca caps a commendable turnaround by the Mexicans who were in danger of failing to qualify under former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
But they have recovered with five consecutive qualifying wins under new coach Javier Aguirre who previously took charge of the national team in World Cup 2002.
United States still lead the group but their 3-2 win against Honduras to secure a finals place was a much closer contest.
After a goalless first half, the Hondurans took the lead before two goals from Conor Casey helped the US into a 3-1 lead.
But Julio de Leon scored his second goal of the game to give the Americans a nervy final ten minutes.
The defeat puts Honduras' hopes of a World Cup finals place in major doubt after Costa Rica easily beat bottom-placed Trinidad & Tobago to take over in third place.
Alvaro Saborio scored twice in two second-half minutes to seal a 4-0 victory for the Costa Ricans, who will qualify if they win their last match against the United States in Washington.
Honduras must beat El Salvador to take advantage of a Costa Rica slip up if they are to qualify for their first finals appearance since 1982.
Current standings (9 matches of 10): United States 19 (Q), Mexico 18 (Q), Costa Rica 15, Honduras 13, El Salvador 8, Trinidad & Tobago 5.
(Q)= Qualified
Africa
Twenty teams divided into five groups of four. The five group winners qualify for the finals.
IVORY COAST captain Didier Drogba scored an equaliser to secure the point the Elephants needed against Malawi to progress to the World Cup finals in South Africa.
In a lacklustre performance, Ivory Coast fell behind to Malawi midway through the second half.
But Drogba scored almost immediately afterwards to put his side on 13 points from five matches in Group E. Burkina Faso beat bottom-placed Guinea 2-1 to secure second place with nine points.
Ivory Coast join Ghana who qualified from Group D last month. The Ghanaians appear to have relaxed this month, however, losing their perfect record after a 1-0 loss to Benin.
Mali took second place back off Benin after a last minute Freddie Kanoute goal gave the Malians a 1-0 win over struggling Sudan.
Groups A, B and C each remain a contest between two teams. In Group A, Cameroon are one point clear of surprise package Gabon.
Cameroon struggled early on in their campaign but beat Gabon home and away in September to head the group.
The Indomitable Lions followed that up with an easy 3-0 win over Togo. But, with the pressure on, Gabon beat Morocco 3-1 to stay in touch.
In Group B, Nigeria's Victor Obinna scored a stoppage time winner to beat Mozambique 1-0, preventing Tunisia from booking their tickets to the finals.
The Tunisians are still two points clear and favourites with a trip to Mozambique next. Nigeria travel to struggling Kenya who were beaten this time by a first-minute Tunisia goal.
Group C will be decided by an almighty clash between Algeria and Egypt in Cairo next month. Both teams had narrow wins this weekend, meaning the Algerians stay three points clear.
The goal difference also remains in Algeria's favour by four after they beat Rwanda 3-1 and Egypt won 1-0 in Zambia.
Current group leaders: Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana (Q), Ivory Coast (Q).
Asia-Oceania playoff, first leg
The playoff winner qualifies for the finals.
Bahrain 0-0 New Zealand
A PLACE in the World Cup finals remains up for grabs after a stalemate at the National Stadium in Riffa between Bahrain and New Zealand.
Bahrain, who have never qualified for a finals in their history, dominated this match but missed four clear chances as the All Whites lived dangerously at times.
But there was also stout defending from New Zealand as they kept the tie level and also kept alive their hopes of a first finals appearance since 1982.
The second leg in Wellington is scheduled for November 14.
Qualifiers
SOUTH AFRICA (hosts), AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, CHILE, DENMARK, ENGLAND, GERMANY, GHANA, ITALY, IVORY COAST, JAPAN, MEXICO, NETHERLANDS, NORTH KOREA, PARAGUAY, SERBIA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, UNITED STATES. 19 teams out of 32.
Remaining 13 places: Slovakia or Slovenia, Switzerland or Greece, Argentina or Uruguay, Costa Rica or Honduras, Bahrain or New Zealand, Cameroon or Gabon, Tunisia or Nigeria, Algeria or Egypt, four UEFA playoff qualifiers, and one Americas playoff qualifier.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Conservatives party conference: Cameron remains rooted in rhetoric
CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron closed this year's party conference in Manchester amid the widely held view that he will be Prime Minister at the next one.
Buoyed by month after month of strong opinion poll leads, it is indeed now difficult to imagine anything other than victory for Mr Cameron at next year's general election.
A poll just before the conference gave the Tories a lead of 14 points over Labour and the message to the delegates was to try not to look too triumphalist.
It was not something the attendees were used to hearing after 12 years of opposition.
But the week was not without its difficulties. The thorny issue of Europe has often divided the party in the past and it threatened to do so again.
In 2001, William Hague focused his election strategy on the ill-advised 'Save the Pound' campaign.
Further back, John Major called a vote of confidence in himself after he lost a vote in the Commons on the Maastricht Treaty to the party's Eurosceptics in 1993.
This time, there was a lack of direction from the top brass over the Lisbon Treaty.
Their current position - to hold a referendum if the treaty has not been ratified by all 27 EU members -holds little water after the Irish voted 'Yes' and the Poles and Czechs are set to follow.
There has been nothing forthcoming on what their new policy will be and a lack of policy generally remains a criticism of the revamped Tories.
It was evident again in the keynote speech by Mr Cameron. Unsurprisingly, his focus was on the broken society after more than a decade of Labour government.
That was fair enough given the current state of the country but Mr Cameron offered few concrete solutions.
Instead he preferred to recount the usual emotive tales of pensioners struggling to keep warm and a man called Viv who was denied work because of the ridiculous benefits system.
Mr Cameron even found time to include Fiona Pilkington's recent tragic story.
Ms Pilkington killed herself and her daughter after years of bullying from local youths but the mention of it in a conference speech seemed misplaced.
BBC correspondent Ben Wright wrote that it echoed when Tony Blair referred to the death of James Bulger in a speech shortly before gaining power.
Indeed, much of the speech echoed the build up to 1997 when Mr Blair made one promise after another without committing to specific policies.
A major difference, however, is that at that stage Mr Blair was regularly polling at 50% and more, while current polls put the Tories nearer 40%.
The feeling remains that the government will lose the election rather than the Tories winning it on the back of a huge swathe of popularity.
The reason for that to me is clear - Mr Cameron has yet to commit to many policies - he has no policies for which to like or dislike him.
Indeed he admitted in this latest speech that he favours personality politics and considers policy to be secondary.
"It's your character, your temperament and your judgment - not your policies and your manifesto - that really make the difference," he said.
Nevertheless, the polls still give Mr Cameron a comfortable majority of between 50 and 100 seats.
It seems unfeasible that he will not be the next UK Prime Minister in 2010 - but with what direction?
Quite frankly, the answer remains as clear as mud.
Buoyed by month after month of strong opinion poll leads, it is indeed now difficult to imagine anything other than victory for Mr Cameron at next year's general election.
A poll just before the conference gave the Tories a lead of 14 points over Labour and the message to the delegates was to try not to look too triumphalist.
It was not something the attendees were used to hearing after 12 years of opposition.
But the week was not without its difficulties. The thorny issue of Europe has often divided the party in the past and it threatened to do so again.
In 2001, William Hague focused his election strategy on the ill-advised 'Save the Pound' campaign.
Further back, John Major called a vote of confidence in himself after he lost a vote in the Commons on the Maastricht Treaty to the party's Eurosceptics in 1993.
This time, there was a lack of direction from the top brass over the Lisbon Treaty.
Their current position - to hold a referendum if the treaty has not been ratified by all 27 EU members -holds little water after the Irish voted 'Yes' and the Poles and Czechs are set to follow.
There has been nothing forthcoming on what their new policy will be and a lack of policy generally remains a criticism of the revamped Tories.
It was evident again in the keynote speech by Mr Cameron. Unsurprisingly, his focus was on the broken society after more than a decade of Labour government.
That was fair enough given the current state of the country but Mr Cameron offered few concrete solutions.
Instead he preferred to recount the usual emotive tales of pensioners struggling to keep warm and a man called Viv who was denied work because of the ridiculous benefits system.
Mr Cameron even found time to include Fiona Pilkington's recent tragic story.
Ms Pilkington killed herself and her daughter after years of bullying from local youths but the mention of it in a conference speech seemed misplaced.
BBC correspondent Ben Wright wrote that it echoed when Tony Blair referred to the death of James Bulger in a speech shortly before gaining power.
Indeed, much of the speech echoed the build up to 1997 when Mr Blair made one promise after another without committing to specific policies.
A major difference, however, is that at that stage Mr Blair was regularly polling at 50% and more, while current polls put the Tories nearer 40%.
The feeling remains that the government will lose the election rather than the Tories winning it on the back of a huge swathe of popularity.
The reason for that to me is clear - Mr Cameron has yet to commit to many policies - he has no policies for which to like or dislike him.
Indeed he admitted in this latest speech that he favours personality politics and considers policy to be secondary.
"It's your character, your temperament and your judgment - not your policies and your manifesto - that really make the difference," he said.
Nevertheless, the polls still give Mr Cameron a comfortable majority of between 50 and 100 seats.
It seems unfeasible that he will not be the next UK Prime Minister in 2010 - but with what direction?
Quite frankly, the answer remains as clear as mud.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
The Season 2009/10 - September/October: Chelsea return to the top
Premier League
Full table
CHELSEA returned to the top of the Premier League by beating Liverpool at Stamford Bridge while their Manchester rivals both slipped up.
Carlo Ancelotti's men recovered from their surprise loss at Wigan Athletic on the previous weekend to beat the Reds 2-0 with second half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda.
Chelsea are two points clear on 21 points from eight matches but the defeat will once again call into doubt sixth-placed Liverpool's title credentials.
This was their third loss this season after losing only twice in finishing second in the last campaign.
And Rafael Benitez will not be pleased to hear that the last time a club lost three of their first eight but still won the league was back in 1968-69.
That was the last time Manchester City won the league and Mark Hughes' men are well-placed to launch a challenge this time around.
City are fourth on 16 points with a game in hand on all the clubs around them.
Victory in that game will take them level on points with Manchester United to whom they lost 4-3 in the first derby of the season in controversial circumstances.
A thrilling match at Old Trafford saw City come from behind three times with two excellent goals from Craig Bellamy before Michael Owen won the contest in the 96th minute
This was despite only four minutes stoppages being announced, although it was later explained that the additional time came from City's final goal celebration which came on the 90th minute.
United may be second and only two points adrift of Chelsea but have shown their vulnerability this season on a few occasions, not least in the latest match when another late goal saved them from a home defeat to Sunderland.
Tottenham Hotspur are in third with 16 points after a 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers this weekend.
But Spurs have had their own weaknesses exposed in recent losses to superior opposition in Chelsea and United, and north London rivals Arsenal are only a point behind in fifth.
The Gunners' also have a game in hand and their tails are up after a 6-2 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers gave them a sixth consecutive win in all competitions.
Liverpool round up the top six on 15 points with Aston Villa and Sunderland heading the chasing pack in seventh and eighth on 13 points. Villa have a game in hand.
At the bottom, Portsmouth set an unwanted Premier League record by losing their first seven matches before a win came at the eighth attempt, 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And further good news for Pompey came on Monday when Saudi business tycoon Ali Al Faraj completed his takeover.
This should at least ensure there is no repeat of the embarrassing situation when no Pompey staff, including the players, were paid last week.
But only one team in history has survived the top flight having had such a poor start - Liverpool, 110 years ago - and the south-coast club remain four points adrift of safety for now.
Pompey's first target will be to catch second-bottom West Ham United on five points, their worst start since 2002/03 when they last went down.
It could have been worse for the Hammers but a late equaliser against ten-man Fulham spared their blushes and brought to an end a run of four defeats in league and cup.
Hull City are the third team in the relegation zone, courtesy of their woeful goal difference which, at -12, is unsurprisingly the worst in the league.
There are actually four other teams on seven points but the Tigers' heavy defeats against Liverpool (6-1), Spurs (5-1) and Sunderland (4-1) may prove costly in the long run.
Of those other teams, Phil Brown's best bet may come in the form of fourth-bottom Wolves, who lost their third match in a row to Pompey who previously could not buy a win.
Blackburn Rovers and Fulham have made slow starts while Birmingham City's difficulties in front of goal are preventing them from moving any higher.
This was demonstrated most recently in a 2-1 loss to their more unfancied, promoted rivals Burnley.
The Clarets are ninth on 12 points having won all their home matches and lost all their away games.
The Championship
Full table
NEWCASTLE UNITED stayed at the top of the Championship despite taking just two points from their last two matches, both of which were at home.
The Magpies came from behind to draw 1-1 with Queens Park Rangers and were then held 0-0 by Bristol City in the space of four days.
It prevented them from stretching the lead to any more than three points after all their rivals slipped up in recent weeks.
West Bromwich Albion are second, three points behind, but the Baggies have picked up only one point out of nine since their 5-0 thrashing at Middlesbrough.
Despite that humiliating home loss, and the 2-2 draw at Coventry City, Boro stayed just a point behind West Brom after a much better performance in the 2-0 defeat of struggling Reading.
Cardiff City, in fourth on 19 points, are arguably the biggest threat to the trio above them, having returned to form with ten goals inside four days.
A disappointing run of five defeats out of six for the Bluebirds was banished by a 6-1 demolition of Derby County and a 4-0 away win at Watford.
The Championship's top scorer Michael Chopra was again in inspired form as he took his season tally to 11 with four in the Derby match.
Those wins helped Cardiff jump above Preston North End, who are also on 19 points after they managed a credible 0-0 draw with West Brom.
Sheffield United, in sixth on 17 points, could also only take a point from their most recent match, 1-1 with south Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster Rovers.
A draw with Donny was perhaps not that surprising a result given that this was Rovers' eighth stalemate in their opening 11 matches.
Leicester City and Bristol City, also on 17 points, are the two teams immediately outside the playoffs but it is Nottingham Forest who look well-placed to challenge.
After a customary slow start, Forest have moved away from the bottom half and are the form team of the division with three consecutive wins.
Billy Davies' side will be looking to prove their credentials against table-topping Toon at the City Ground in the first game after the internationals.
But Forest will hope their television appearance on a Saturday evening against Newcastle does not end in the same way as it did for Ipswich Town, who are now bottom and still without a win.
For the home fans, a 4-0 drubbing spoiled an excellent evening at Portman Road where the north stand was renamed and both sets of supporters celebrated their link to Sir Bobby Robson who died on July 31.
The Tractor Boys then conceded late goals to draw 3-3 with Sheffield United and lose 2-1 to Barnsley.
It leaves them on five points from 11 matches, five adrift of safety, and with pressure mounting on manager Roy Keane, of whom much was expected.
Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United will also be feeling the heat after a 2-1 loss to Forest made it three consecutive league losses and dropped Posh to second bottom.
One of those losses came against Plymouth Argyle who have started to recovery after a torrid opening nine matches in which they picked up just two draws and seven straight losses.
The Pilgrims have turned it around somewhat and followed up that win in Peterborough with another at home against Scunthorpe United.
Paul Sturrock's men remain in the bottom three, however - a point above Posh on a tally of eight for the season.
Playoff competitors in 2008/09, Reading are finding life after Steve Coppell really tough, with the Royals just one place outside the drop zone on 10 points.
New manager Brendan Rogers has seen just two wins all season, both away, as Reading remain without a home win since January.
Meanwhile, Barnsley, Scunthorpe and draw specialists Doncaster will also be looking over their shoulder - all of them are separated from the relegation places by just three points.
League One
Full table
LEEDS UNITED have marched to the top of League One with the only unbeaten record in the top four English divisions.
United retained their position at the summit after a 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic at Elland Road which was watched by 31,838 supporters.
It took Simon Grayson's men to 27 points from 11 matches, three clear of Charlton who stayed in second.
The Addicks' only slip-up so far was a 3-0 loss to Colchester United who have moved up to fourth.
The U's began the season in scintillating form with a 7-1 away humiliation of Norwich City before the Canaries responded by snatching their manager Paul Lambert.
Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is the new manager and he has helped his team establish the best home record in the division and a position just three points off automatic promotion.
Bristol Rovers are still third, a point further ahead, and the Pirates have done well to stay as high after their own loss - of free-scoring Ricky Lambert to Southampton.
But a 5-1 loss to Norwich has dented their goal difference and will have dented their confidence too.
For Norwich, the win showed the extent of the recovery under their new manager since the opening day horror show.
The Canaries are now in seventh, just a place and two points outside the playoffs, and they look ready to make their move.
Milton Keynes Dons currently occupy fifth on 20 points but two wins and two losses from their last four matches show the inconsistency of Paul Ince's side.
Swindon Town are sixth, having recovered like Norwich from a heavy opening day loss.
The Robins have stayed undefeated since, though they have clocked up six draws to be on 18 points. Oldham Athletic are a place behind Norwich but are also on 16 points.
Southampton finally moved into positive points after 11 matches by beating Gillingham 4-1.
The Saints suffered a ten-point penalty for going into administration and have only now recovered the deficit.
Unsurprisingly they remain bottom with just two points and are nine adrift of safety - but Alan Pardew's men will now be able to set about catching some of the other strugglers.
Their first target will be second-bottom Wycombe Wanderers who have struggled to adapt since their promotion with just a win and three draws, leaving the Chairboys five points adrift.
Tranmere Rovers also look early candidates for the drop after suffering the humiliation of being 4-0 down to Millwall inside half an hour.
The match finished 5-0 to the Lions and it is not the first time John Barnes' team have been well-beaten.
Indeed, Rovers have conceded a massive 26 goals and have a goal difference of -17, as well as being four points from safety.
Brighton and Hove Albion are the fourth team in the relegation places with nine points, but the Seagulls have a game in hand on three of the four clubs above them, all on 11 points.
Those clubs are Stockport County, Carlisle United and Yeovil Town. Gillingham are also on 11 points, but - like Brighton - have only played 10 matches.
League Two
Full table
BOURNEMOUTH's perfect home record has helped put the Cherries two points clear at the top of the basement division after the opening 11 matches.
Five wins out of five at Dean Court and 10 points from six matches on the road have given Eddie Howe's men 25 points, an excellent start to the campaign.
Their nearest rivals remain Rotherham United on 23 points and Dagenham & Redbridge on 21.
But the Millers have won just two of their last five matches and the Daggers have taken just two points from their last three.
That will give the chasing pack in the playoff positions some hope. Barnet lead the challenge in fourth, level on points with Dag & Red.
The Bees recovered well from their 3-0 loss to Rotherham to beat the Daggers 2-0 and Grimsby Town 3-0.
Shrewsbury Town, in fifth are also on 21 points, and look set for another promotion push having taken 10 points from their last 12.
Notts County, in sixth, and Rochdale, in seventh, are just behind on 20 points. The Magpies thus remain well-placed for a promotion bid but it has not all been plain sailing at Meadow Lane.
Former England defender Sol Campbell lasted just one match at this level before he tore up his contract after the 2-1 loss in Morecambe.
Finally, it transcended into a war of words between Campbell and the new board. Campbell claimed he was promised other top players would be brought in but the Magpies regime said it was a long-term process.
As almost a polar opposite of that surreal course of events, Rochdale are happy to be challenging once more for a promotion which never seems to come. The Dale have spent 35 years of trying to gain promotion from the basement division.
More worried about dropping out of the league altogether must be Darlington whose position is looking increasingly desperate.
In administration all summer, the Quakers lost their best players and a shadow squad has taken just two points from their opening 11 matches.
The team has also lost experienced manager Colin Todd after he agreed to step down but new man Steve Staunton has a huge task to save a club already eight points adrift.
Torquay United join Darlo in the drop zone but the newly-promoted Gulls are not in half the trouble, even though they have taken just eight points from their 11 games.
Grimsby Town are just one place above Torquay and will be familiar with this struggle, having endured it for most of last season.
Indeed the Mariners finished third bottom and effectively only stayed up because of Luton Town's huge points deduction.
Just above Grimsby are three clubs on 11 points including managerless Northampton Town and Hereford United, both of whom were only just relegated from League One last season.
Burton Albion's first ever league season is going comfortably enough. The Brewers are nestled in mid-table with 15 points from 11 matches.
Blue Square Premier
Full table
OXFORD UNITED have begun their quest to regain league status in some style with 36 points from their opening 15 games.
The U's have dropped just two points at home all season to lead the table by six points from Kettering in second.
The Poppies form has not gone unnoticed and there are reports that Luton Town want Kettering boss Mark Cooper to become their new manager.
But Kettering's ambitious chairman Imran Ladak says that no approach has been made by the sixth-placed Hatters who lost their league status last season after a 30-point deduction.
Stevenage Borough are in third, three points behind Kettering but with a game in hand, and York City are making their first promotion bid for three seasons.
The Minstermen are unbeaten in 10 matches and that has took them to fourth in the table on 26 points with a game in hand on all their rivals except Stevenage.
Mansfield Town round off the playoff places in fifth, also on 26 points, as they aim to regain the league status which they lost in 2007/08.
But it all looks rather hopeless for Chester City, who lost their league status for a second time last season.
City look destined for the regional leagues after starting the season on -25 points, though they have managed to reduce this to -13 after 14 matches.
Hayes & Yeading are second-bottom on eight points from the same number of games, and Ebbsfleet United are only one point better off. Both teams are yet to win at home this season.
Gateshead complete the relegation places on nine points, though it could get worse for the Tynesiders if they fail in their appeal against Hayes being awarded the three points from their abandoned match.
Gateshead did not re-take the field after a severe injury to one of their players caused a delay in the match.
If the Conference's decision is upheld, Hayes will move to 10 points while Gateshead will replace them in second-bottom on eight points.
Full table
CHELSEA returned to the top of the Premier League by beating Liverpool at Stamford Bridge while their Manchester rivals both slipped up.
Carlo Ancelotti's men recovered from their surprise loss at Wigan Athletic on the previous weekend to beat the Reds 2-0 with second half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda.
Chelsea are two points clear on 21 points from eight matches but the defeat will once again call into doubt sixth-placed Liverpool's title credentials.
This was their third loss this season after losing only twice in finishing second in the last campaign.
And Rafael Benitez will not be pleased to hear that the last time a club lost three of their first eight but still won the league was back in 1968-69.
That was the last time Manchester City won the league and Mark Hughes' men are well-placed to launch a challenge this time around.
City are fourth on 16 points with a game in hand on all the clubs around them.
Victory in that game will take them level on points with Manchester United to whom they lost 4-3 in the first derby of the season in controversial circumstances.
A thrilling match at Old Trafford saw City come from behind three times with two excellent goals from Craig Bellamy before Michael Owen won the contest in the 96th minute
This was despite only four minutes stoppages being announced, although it was later explained that the additional time came from City's final goal celebration which came on the 90th minute.
United may be second and only two points adrift of Chelsea but have shown their vulnerability this season on a few occasions, not least in the latest match when another late goal saved them from a home defeat to Sunderland.
Tottenham Hotspur are in third with 16 points after a 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers this weekend.
But Spurs have had their own weaknesses exposed in recent losses to superior opposition in Chelsea and United, and north London rivals Arsenal are only a point behind in fifth.
The Gunners' also have a game in hand and their tails are up after a 6-2 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers gave them a sixth consecutive win in all competitions.
Liverpool round up the top six on 15 points with Aston Villa and Sunderland heading the chasing pack in seventh and eighth on 13 points. Villa have a game in hand.
At the bottom, Portsmouth set an unwanted Premier League record by losing their first seven matches before a win came at the eighth attempt, 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And further good news for Pompey came on Monday when Saudi business tycoon Ali Al Faraj completed his takeover.
This should at least ensure there is no repeat of the embarrassing situation when no Pompey staff, including the players, were paid last week.
But only one team in history has survived the top flight having had such a poor start - Liverpool, 110 years ago - and the south-coast club remain four points adrift of safety for now.
Pompey's first target will be to catch second-bottom West Ham United on five points, their worst start since 2002/03 when they last went down.
It could have been worse for the Hammers but a late equaliser against ten-man Fulham spared their blushes and brought to an end a run of four defeats in league and cup.
Hull City are the third team in the relegation zone, courtesy of their woeful goal difference which, at -12, is unsurprisingly the worst in the league.
There are actually four other teams on seven points but the Tigers' heavy defeats against Liverpool (6-1), Spurs (5-1) and Sunderland (4-1) may prove costly in the long run.
Of those other teams, Phil Brown's best bet may come in the form of fourth-bottom Wolves, who lost their third match in a row to Pompey who previously could not buy a win.
Blackburn Rovers and Fulham have made slow starts while Birmingham City's difficulties in front of goal are preventing them from moving any higher.
This was demonstrated most recently in a 2-1 loss to their more unfancied, promoted rivals Burnley.
The Clarets are ninth on 12 points having won all their home matches and lost all their away games.
The Championship
Full table
NEWCASTLE UNITED stayed at the top of the Championship despite taking just two points from their last two matches, both of which were at home.
The Magpies came from behind to draw 1-1 with Queens Park Rangers and were then held 0-0 by Bristol City in the space of four days.
It prevented them from stretching the lead to any more than three points after all their rivals slipped up in recent weeks.
West Bromwich Albion are second, three points behind, but the Baggies have picked up only one point out of nine since their 5-0 thrashing at Middlesbrough.
Despite that humiliating home loss, and the 2-2 draw at Coventry City, Boro stayed just a point behind West Brom after a much better performance in the 2-0 defeat of struggling Reading.
Cardiff City, in fourth on 19 points, are arguably the biggest threat to the trio above them, having returned to form with ten goals inside four days.
A disappointing run of five defeats out of six for the Bluebirds was banished by a 6-1 demolition of Derby County and a 4-0 away win at Watford.
The Championship's top scorer Michael Chopra was again in inspired form as he took his season tally to 11 with four in the Derby match.
Those wins helped Cardiff jump above Preston North End, who are also on 19 points after they managed a credible 0-0 draw with West Brom.
Sheffield United, in sixth on 17 points, could also only take a point from their most recent match, 1-1 with south Yorkshire neighbours Doncaster Rovers.
A draw with Donny was perhaps not that surprising a result given that this was Rovers' eighth stalemate in their opening 11 matches.
Leicester City and Bristol City, also on 17 points, are the two teams immediately outside the playoffs but it is Nottingham Forest who look well-placed to challenge.
After a customary slow start, Forest have moved away from the bottom half and are the form team of the division with three consecutive wins.
Billy Davies' side will be looking to prove their credentials against table-topping Toon at the City Ground in the first game after the internationals.
But Forest will hope their television appearance on a Saturday evening against Newcastle does not end in the same way as it did for Ipswich Town, who are now bottom and still without a win.
For the home fans, a 4-0 drubbing spoiled an excellent evening at Portman Road where the north stand was renamed and both sets of supporters celebrated their link to Sir Bobby Robson who died on July 31.
The Tractor Boys then conceded late goals to draw 3-3 with Sheffield United and lose 2-1 to Barnsley.
It leaves them on five points from 11 matches, five adrift of safety, and with pressure mounting on manager Roy Keane, of whom much was expected.
Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United will also be feeling the heat after a 2-1 loss to Forest made it three consecutive league losses and dropped Posh to second bottom.
One of those losses came against Plymouth Argyle who have started to recovery after a torrid opening nine matches in which they picked up just two draws and seven straight losses.
The Pilgrims have turned it around somewhat and followed up that win in Peterborough with another at home against Scunthorpe United.
Paul Sturrock's men remain in the bottom three, however - a point above Posh on a tally of eight for the season.
Playoff competitors in 2008/09, Reading are finding life after Steve Coppell really tough, with the Royals just one place outside the drop zone on 10 points.
New manager Brendan Rogers has seen just two wins all season, both away, as Reading remain without a home win since January.
Meanwhile, Barnsley, Scunthorpe and draw specialists Doncaster will also be looking over their shoulder - all of them are separated from the relegation places by just three points.
League One
Full table
LEEDS UNITED have marched to the top of League One with the only unbeaten record in the top four English divisions.
United retained their position at the summit after a 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic at Elland Road which was watched by 31,838 supporters.
It took Simon Grayson's men to 27 points from 11 matches, three clear of Charlton who stayed in second.
The Addicks' only slip-up so far was a 3-0 loss to Colchester United who have moved up to fourth.
The U's began the season in scintillating form with a 7-1 away humiliation of Norwich City before the Canaries responded by snatching their manager Paul Lambert.
Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is the new manager and he has helped his team establish the best home record in the division and a position just three points off automatic promotion.
Bristol Rovers are still third, a point further ahead, and the Pirates have done well to stay as high after their own loss - of free-scoring Ricky Lambert to Southampton.
But a 5-1 loss to Norwich has dented their goal difference and will have dented their confidence too.
For Norwich, the win showed the extent of the recovery under their new manager since the opening day horror show.
The Canaries are now in seventh, just a place and two points outside the playoffs, and they look ready to make their move.
Milton Keynes Dons currently occupy fifth on 20 points but two wins and two losses from their last four matches show the inconsistency of Paul Ince's side.
Swindon Town are sixth, having recovered like Norwich from a heavy opening day loss.
The Robins have stayed undefeated since, though they have clocked up six draws to be on 18 points. Oldham Athletic are a place behind Norwich but are also on 16 points.
Southampton finally moved into positive points after 11 matches by beating Gillingham 4-1.
The Saints suffered a ten-point penalty for going into administration and have only now recovered the deficit.
Unsurprisingly they remain bottom with just two points and are nine adrift of safety - but Alan Pardew's men will now be able to set about catching some of the other strugglers.
Their first target will be second-bottom Wycombe Wanderers who have struggled to adapt since their promotion with just a win and three draws, leaving the Chairboys five points adrift.
Tranmere Rovers also look early candidates for the drop after suffering the humiliation of being 4-0 down to Millwall inside half an hour.
The match finished 5-0 to the Lions and it is not the first time John Barnes' team have been well-beaten.
Indeed, Rovers have conceded a massive 26 goals and have a goal difference of -17, as well as being four points from safety.
Brighton and Hove Albion are the fourth team in the relegation places with nine points, but the Seagulls have a game in hand on three of the four clubs above them, all on 11 points.
Those clubs are Stockport County, Carlisle United and Yeovil Town. Gillingham are also on 11 points, but - like Brighton - have only played 10 matches.
League Two
Full table
BOURNEMOUTH's perfect home record has helped put the Cherries two points clear at the top of the basement division after the opening 11 matches.
Five wins out of five at Dean Court and 10 points from six matches on the road have given Eddie Howe's men 25 points, an excellent start to the campaign.
Their nearest rivals remain Rotherham United on 23 points and Dagenham & Redbridge on 21.
But the Millers have won just two of their last five matches and the Daggers have taken just two points from their last three.
That will give the chasing pack in the playoff positions some hope. Barnet lead the challenge in fourth, level on points with Dag & Red.
The Bees recovered well from their 3-0 loss to Rotherham to beat the Daggers 2-0 and Grimsby Town 3-0.
Shrewsbury Town, in fifth are also on 21 points, and look set for another promotion push having taken 10 points from their last 12.
Notts County, in sixth, and Rochdale, in seventh, are just behind on 20 points. The Magpies thus remain well-placed for a promotion bid but it has not all been plain sailing at Meadow Lane.
Former England defender Sol Campbell lasted just one match at this level before he tore up his contract after the 2-1 loss in Morecambe.
Finally, it transcended into a war of words between Campbell and the new board. Campbell claimed he was promised other top players would be brought in but the Magpies regime said it was a long-term process.
As almost a polar opposite of that surreal course of events, Rochdale are happy to be challenging once more for a promotion which never seems to come. The Dale have spent 35 years of trying to gain promotion from the basement division.
More worried about dropping out of the league altogether must be Darlington whose position is looking increasingly desperate.
In administration all summer, the Quakers lost their best players and a shadow squad has taken just two points from their opening 11 matches.
The team has also lost experienced manager Colin Todd after he agreed to step down but new man Steve Staunton has a huge task to save a club already eight points adrift.
Torquay United join Darlo in the drop zone but the newly-promoted Gulls are not in half the trouble, even though they have taken just eight points from their 11 games.
Grimsby Town are just one place above Torquay and will be familiar with this struggle, having endured it for most of last season.
Indeed the Mariners finished third bottom and effectively only stayed up because of Luton Town's huge points deduction.
Just above Grimsby are three clubs on 11 points including managerless Northampton Town and Hereford United, both of whom were only just relegated from League One last season.
Burton Albion's first ever league season is going comfortably enough. The Brewers are nestled in mid-table with 15 points from 11 matches.
Blue Square Premier
Full table
OXFORD UNITED have begun their quest to regain league status in some style with 36 points from their opening 15 games.
The U's have dropped just two points at home all season to lead the table by six points from Kettering in second.
The Poppies form has not gone unnoticed and there are reports that Luton Town want Kettering boss Mark Cooper to become their new manager.
But Kettering's ambitious chairman Imran Ladak says that no approach has been made by the sixth-placed Hatters who lost their league status last season after a 30-point deduction.
Stevenage Borough are in third, three points behind Kettering but with a game in hand, and York City are making their first promotion bid for three seasons.
The Minstermen are unbeaten in 10 matches and that has took them to fourth in the table on 26 points with a game in hand on all their rivals except Stevenage.
Mansfield Town round off the playoff places in fifth, also on 26 points, as they aim to regain the league status which they lost in 2007/08.
But it all looks rather hopeless for Chester City, who lost their league status for a second time last season.
City look destined for the regional leagues after starting the season on -25 points, though they have managed to reduce this to -13 after 14 matches.
Hayes & Yeading are second-bottom on eight points from the same number of games, and Ebbsfleet United are only one point better off. Both teams are yet to win at home this season.
Gateshead complete the relegation places on nine points, though it could get worse for the Tynesiders if they fail in their appeal against Hayes being awarded the three points from their abandoned match.
Gateshead did not re-take the field after a severe injury to one of their players caused a delay in the match.
If the Conference's decision is upheld, Hayes will move to 10 points while Gateshead will replace them in second-bottom on eight points.
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