World Cup 2014 qualifiers: Copacabana, here we come!

(Q) Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran, South Korea, Netherlands, Italy, United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia, England, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras

ENGLAND held their nerve to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil following a 2-0 win against Poland at Wembley.

The unbeaten Three Lions topped Group H with 22 points, six wins and four draws ensuring Roy Hodgson's men finished ahead of Ukraine by a single point.

Ukraine, who faced San Marino in their last game, were clearly going to win that match, and indeed they were 3-0 up inside 19 minutes, eventually prevailing 8-0.

Therefore, there was real pressure on England to get a positive result last night. Worryingly, the Poles began well on the counter attack with dangerous Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski calling Joe Hart into action before dragging an even better chance wide.

But, far from appearing burdened by their task, England took the game to their opponents from the start.

Indeed, it was quite amazing it took until 41 minutes for England to take the lead, considering the trio of glorious chances which were spurned by Danny Welbeck.

When the goal eventually came, though, it was a moment of real quality. Everton full-back Leighton Baines, supporting the attack brilliantly throughout, sent in an pinpoint cross which talisman Wayne Rooney glanced into the far corner for his 38th international goal and his seventh in six qualifiers.

Still, at just 1-0, the game was far from safe and - backed by 18,000 vocal visiting supporters - Poland continued to threaten intermittently with Gary Cahill blocking from Mateusz Klich.

Lewandowski again forced a stop from Hart before Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saved brilliantly from a curling effort by the outstanding Rooney.

The game was a frantic, and frighteningly open affair and the danger of a 1-1 draw, like in 1973, never felt too far away.

At the same time, though, England had deserved far more than just their solitary goal for their efforts and, with one final push, doubled their lead.

Skipper Steven Gerrard applied the finishing touches to a fraught qualifying campaign, prodding the ball home following a powerful run against a tired defence.

Gerrard, who won his 107th cap, has often been criticised in the past for performing on a different level in the red of Liverpool but this was a moment in an England shirt of which he could be rightly proud.

Similarly, head coach Hodgson could celebrate what he considers to be the pinnacle of his career, although he was not getting too carried away in his debrief today.

After all, holders Spain also confirmed their place at the finals last night with a standard 2-0 win over Georgia, rendering France's 3-0 victory over Finland as irrelevant.

Les Bleus are, therefore, condemned to the playoffs and, such is their lowly ranking, are unlikely even to be seeded.

That fate does not quite apply to Portugal but they, too, must play two additional matches after Russia gained the point they needed in Azerbaijan to qualify automatically from Group F.

The playoffs are hardly a new experience for the Portuguese, though, having been forced into them in their previous two qualification campaigns, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina both times.

Bosnia, then, will have breathed a huge sigh of relief in having qualified automatically for their first ever World Cup as an independent nation, Vedad Ibisevic scoring midway through the second half in a 1-0 win over Lithuania. 

So, in full, the European qualifiers are: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, England, and Spain. 

Contesting the playoffs will be Croatia, Sweden, Romania - who bettered Turkey's result, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, France... and, rather delightfully, Iceland. 

The Icelanders were actually bottom seeds when the qualifying draw was made in July 2011, with a FIFA ranking of 121.

That position has rather improved and they are now at number 54 in the world although, considering some of the opponents they could face in the playoffs, seeing them in Brazil would still be a Nordic fairytale. 

The draw for the playoffs will be made on Monday with the ties played next month. Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Ukraine can expect to be seeded.

---

Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Chile and Ecuador sealed their places in the finals from the marathon South American group, leaving perennial playoff contestants Uruguay in that spot yet again. 

Semi finalists in 2010, Uruguay beat group winners Argentina 3-2 to draw level with the Ecuadorians on points, La Tri having been left without a single away win in the campaign after losing 2-1 to Chile in Santiago. 

Ultimately, though, the Uruguayans defence let them down. 25 goals scored and conceded left them four goals short of a top-four place, although Óscar Tabárez's men are quite used to requiring additional matches. 

Incredibly, La Celeste are in a playoff for a fourth successive World Cup - two of the previous three campaigns were successful and they will start as strong favourites again against Jordan. 

The prize for the luckiest team left in the World Cup simply has to be Mexico. Another defeat, this time 2-1 away to already-qualified Costa Rica, had left the two-time hosts in grave danger of missing out on even a playoff spot with Panama in the process of beating group winners United States.

But, amazingly, the Americans came to the Mexicans' rescue, as two stoppage-time goals by Graham Zusi and Aron Jóhannsson totally turned the tie around for the USA who ran out 3-2 winners.

Panama had dramatically failed to hold their nerve, finishing three points behind Mexico who won just twice and scored just seven times in 10 games.

Their next opponents, New Zealand, who qualified for - and remained unbeaten (with three draws) at - the last World Cup should therefore approach the tie next month with little to fear. Even the Estadio Azteca has rather lost its legend in this dreadful campaign.

Finally, one playoff in Africa which has just begun already looks over after Ghana thumped Egypt 6-1 in what was expected to be a keenly-contested match.

Two goals from Asamoah Gyan leave the Black Stars almost already assured of a place in the World Cup finals for a third successive time. Egypt's wait, which has lasted since 1990, seems likely to go on.

The other African playoff matches were held over the weekend, with the second legs next month. Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, seeking a first finals appearance, both travel away with 3-1 and 3-2 leads respectively.

Cameroon host Tunisia with all to play for after a 0-0 draw in North Africa, while a last-minute Emmanuel Emenike penalty has put Nigeria in control following their 2-1 win over another surprise package, Ethiopia.  

RESULTS

UEFA (Europe)
Group A
(Q) Belgium (P) Croatia

19:30	Serbia	5-1	FYR Macedonia
20:00	Belgium	1-1	Wales
20:00	Scotland	2-0	Croatia

Group B  
(Q) Italy

19:15	Bulgaria	0-1	Czech Republic
19:15	Denmark	6-0	Malta
19:15	Italy	2-2	Armenia

Group C
(Q) Germany (P) Sweden

19:45	Faroe Islands	0-3	Austria
19:45	Ireland	3-1	Kazakhstan
19:45	Sweden	3-5	Germany

Group D 
 (Q) Netherlands (P) Romania

19:00	Hungary	2-0	Andorra
19:00	Romania	2-0	Estonia
19:00	Turkey	0-2	Netherlands

Group E
(Q) Switzerland (P) Iceland

17:00	Cyprus	0-0	Albania
19:00	Norway	1-1	Iceland
19:00	Switzerland	1-0	Slovenia

Group F 
(Q) Russia (P) Portugal

18:00	Azerbaijan	1-1	Russia
18:00	Israel	1-1	Northern Ireland
18:00	Portugal	3-0	Luxembourg

Group G
(Q) Bosnia-Herzegovina (P) Greece

18:00	Greece	2-0	Liechtenstein
18:00	Lithuania	0-1	Bosnia-Herzegovina
19:10	Latvia	2-2	Slovakia

Group H
(Q) England (P) Ukraine

20:00	England	2-0	Poland
20:00	Montenegro	2-5	Moldova
20:00	San Marino	0-8	Ukraine

Group I
(Q) Spain (P) France

20:00	France	3-0	Finland
20:00	Spain	2-0	Georgia

CONMEBOL (South America)  
(Q) Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador (P) Uruguay v Jordan

00:30	Chile	2-1	Ecuador
00:30	Paraguay	1-2	Colombia
00:30	Uruguay	3-2	Argentina
03:15	Peru	1-1	Bolivia

CONCACAF (Caribbean, North & Central America)  
(Q) United States, Costa Rica, Honduras (P) Mexico v New Zealand

02:30	Costa Rica	2-1	Mexico
02:30	Jamaica	2-2	Honduras
02:30	Panama	2-3	United States

CAF (Africa)
Final playoff matches, first leg

17:00

Ghana

6-1

Egypt

Nothing to fear?

NEWSPAPERS have nothing to fear from the regulatory Royal charter drawn up by the three main parties at Westminster according to shadow culture secretary, Harriet Harman.

So why, then, is there still so much resistance from the Fourth Estate to the proposal almost a year on from the published report following the Leveson Inquiry?

Leading the charge against, Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre has claimed that the row last week between his paper and Labour leader Ed Miliband showed exactly why politicians should not be involved in press regulation.

Mr Dacre wrote in his own newspaper and in the Guardian: "Some have argued that last week's brouhaha shows the need for statutory press regulation. I would argue the opposite.

"The febrile heat, hatred, irrationality and prejudice provoked by last week's row reveals why politicians must not be allowed anywhere near press regulation."

Indeed, it could be added, perhaps slightly flippantly, that the consensus between the political parties is the perfect reason why the charter should be rejected.

Moreover, this is hardly a lone crusade by the Mail. Inevitably, the Murdoch-owned pair - the Sun and the Times - are against the plans... but then so is the left-wing daily, the Mirror.

The Telegraph and the Express are also opposed - and so, quite clearly, is the editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop following his rant on the latest episode of Have I Got News For You.

The only notable outsiders are the Guardian, which is tentatively in support of the Royal charter, and the Independent, which wrote in an editorial: "To ignore the Royal charter would mock the very democracy the press claims to guard."

And the biggest problem for the press is that this is one of those seemingly rare occasions where the politicians are actually carrying out the will of the majority of the British public.

After all, it must be remembered exactly the context in which the whole debate on the future of the press began.

It began, of course, with the shocking revelations in July 2011 that the now-defunct News of the World had hacked the phone of the murdered teenager Milly Dowler.

Many other complainants had already come forward. The majority at first, like Hugh Grant and JK Rowling, were already in the public eye.

However, after the Dowler revelations, others then became aware that they had also been victims - and many of them, like the falsely-accused Christopher Jefferies, were categorically not.

Ever since, unsurprisingly, the tide of opinion has been against the newspaper industry. On this matter, it had effectively lost the moral high ground.

Yes, the newspapers can point out that the likes of Mr Grant and Mr Jefferies gained recourse in the courts within the existing legal framework - and, in suggesting statutory regulation, this was something which Sir Brian Leveson seemed to disregard far too easily.

But, whatever Mr Dacre and others claim, the above fact is exactly why the Prime Minister David Cameron insisted on a Royal charter, rather than a whole new set of laws.

In other words, the existing framework is generally accepted to work just fine - but there simply must be more done to make the press more accountable.

After all, none of what has actually been proposed would have prevented the Mail from publishing slurs about Mr Miliband's dead father or, more importantly, stories like the Telegraph uncovering the MPs' expenses scandal.

Happily, the draft proposals also include a vital opt-out for local and regional newspapers which even Sir Brian found to be rarely in the wrong.

And all of it is far superior to the rejected newspaper industry's alternative charter - which was frankly little more than a rehash of the failed and discredited Press Complaints Commission.

Quite predictably, there have already been howls of anguish that the proposed Royal charter is the end of the 'free press' as we know it.

This is a pretty bizarre assessment considering that much of the national media is so 'free' that it rests in the hands of just a few wealthy men...

And, sadly for journalism, the cliché that you should not believe everything you read in the papers is particularly true of the reporting of the Royal charter.

The proposals will be put to the Privy Council for final agreement on 30 October.

World Cup 2014 qualifiers: England stay on course

QUALIFIED TEAMS

(Q) Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran, South Korea, Netherlands, Italy, United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia

ENGLAND enjoyed an ultimately comfortable win against Montenegro to stay on course to make it to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

The Three Lions scored four times in the second half and so remain on top of Group H, a point clear of Ukraine, with the Montenegrins and Poland now out of the running.

It all looked rather more precarious at half time. England were being held 0-0, while Ukraine - having beaten the Polish 1-0 in Kharkiv - headed the group by a point with only San Marino left to play.

However, head coach Roy Hodgson will have been pleased to see Wayne Rooney score his 37th international goal, following up on the rebound after club team-mate Danny Welbeck's shot had been saved.

Meanwhile, at the other end, under-pressure goalkeeper Joe Hart saved well to his left from Dejan Damjanović before England doubled their lead thanks to a comical own goal by Branko Bošković.

Nerves were definitely back on display at Wembley when Damjanović diverted Fatos Bećiraj's shot into the net for 2-1.

But, thankfully, England swiftly reasserted their dominance through Andros Townsend's brilliant drive from 25 yards.

And, just to make sure, Daniel Sturridge beat his man down the left channel, winning a clear penalty which he converted himself for 4-1.

Remarkably, this was England's first win against their principal rivals in Group H - but, importantly, one which means the Three Lions will definitely qualify with a home win against Poland on Tuesday.

---

Already there after tonight are Belgium, for their first World Cup appearance since 2002, following a fine 2-1 win in Zagreb against Croatia, courtesy of two goals from Romelu Lukaku.

The unbeaten Belgians - ranked sixth in the world - now lead Group A by an unassailable eight points ahead of their hosts, who have nonetheless secured a playoff spot.

Wales and Scotland, also in Group A, were never likely to feature at the business end of the qualifiers after their frankly terrible starts.

Simon Church scored a late goal as the Welsh beat Macedonia to haul themselves off the bottom of the table and into fourth above Gordon Strachan's Scots who didn't play.

In Group B, Alberto Aquilani scored a last-minute equaliser for already-qualified Italy against Denmark to set up a fascinating tussle for second place.

The Danes are still favourites to be runners-up, given that they face minnows Malta in their last game, but Bulgaria - who play the Czech Republic at home - are level on points and poised to take advantage of any slip-ups.

Nevertheless, whoever makes it might still have not done enough - the worst-performing second-placed side is not even worthy of a playoff.

Matters are much clearer in Group C where Germany sealed their long-anticipated qualification against managerless Ireland. Arsenal's Mesut Oezil scored in the final minute to seal a 9-1 aggregate victory over the fourth-placed Irish.

Sweden, meanwhile, guaranteed a playoff spot thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late winner against rivals Austria in Solna.

In Group D, Netherlands celebrated their qualification from last month with an 8-1 thumping of once-proud football nation Hungary.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick to become his country's all-time leading goalscorer, at the same time leaving Budapest in mourning and Mighty Magyar Ferenc Puskás turning in his grave.

Turkey currently occupy second place - but their final fixture against the Dutch means Romania, who face Estonia at home in the last round of matches, are favourites for the prized playoff place.

In Group E, Switzerland confirmed their third successive World Cup qualification with a 2-1 win against Albania in Tirana.

An underwhelming section could yet have an extraordinary tale with Iceland holding second ahead of Slovenia.

The Slovenians face the Swiss in their last match while Iceland, who were ranked 121 before qualifying began, travel to fellow Scandanavians Norway.

Group F is headed by Fabio Capello's Russia, easy 4-0 winners in Luxembourg tonight.

However, the big result of the night came in Lisbon, where Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by Israel after Eden Ben Basat's goal just five minutes from time.

The draw means Russia will qualify with just a point against Azerbaijan, consigning the Portuguese to the playoffs - again.

Group G is an even tighter two-way battle between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece, who are inseparable on 22 points after respective wins over Liechtenstein and Slovakia.

The Greeks can be more assured of victory on Tuesday, given that they travel to Liechtenstein - but leaders Bosnia, with 29 goals from their nine qualifiers, hold a significant goal difference advantage ahead of their tie in Lithuania.

Last - but certainly not least in the UEFA zone - Spain, the holders of course, will almost certainly have the chance to defend their trophy after a 2-1 win over Belarus in Group I.

The Spaniards need just a point at home to Georgia in Albacete, leaving France - who face Finland - nervously assessing their potential playoff opponents.

---

In South America, Colombia qualified for their first World Cup finals since 1998 after a stunning comeback against Chile.

The Chileans led 3-0 inside half an hour before Carlos Carmona's second booking halfway through the second period turned the match on its head.

From then on, it was all Colombia with Teofilo Gutiérrez and two Radamel Falcao penalties sending the crowd in Barranquilla into raptures. Los Cafeteros are second in the South American group, five points behind runaway leaders Argentina. 

Ecuador are third and likely to qualify after Jefferson Montero's goal earned them a tight 1-0 victory over 2010 semi finalists Uruguay. 

That defeat at altitude means the Uruguayans must beat their age-old rivals Argentina to have any chance of an automatic slot, with even victory unable to secure a top-four spot if Ecuador and Chile play out a draw. 

At the same time, if Uruguay are forced into a playoff, they should not panic too much as they will be expected to beat their opponents from the Middle East, Jordan. 

Also seemingly heading for the playoffs are Mexico after Honduras beat already-qualified Costa Rica to maintain their three-point gap in third, with only rock-bottom Jamaica to come. 

The Mexicans have endured awful form throughout the qualifying process, failing to win any of their first four home matches at their former fortress of an international stadium, the Azteca. 

It looked as if that run might even be extended to five games when Luis Tejada equalised for Panama with 10 minutes remaining. 

But an even later winner from Raúl Jiménez lifted El Tri three points clear of their opponents in the battle for fourth and a home-and-away series against New Zealand.

United States qualified last month and were confirmed as having won the section following a 2-0 victory over the winless Jamaicans.

Finally, the first legs of four playoff matches in Africa took place over the weekend with the winners of each of the ties making it to Brazil.

Burkina Faso, who have never previously qualified, take a lead into their second leg against Algeria but conceded two away goals in a 3-2 victory.

Similarly, Ivory Coast were well in control of their tie against Senegal, scoring two early goals - one from Didier Drogba - on the way to a 3-0 lead.

However, Papiss Cisse kept the Senegalese in it with a last-minute strike which may yet prove more than just a consolation.

In Sunday's matches, Emmanuel Emenike converted a stoppage time penalty for his second goal as Nigeria came from behind to beat Ethiopia 2-1 in Addis Ababa. 

And it is all to play for in the second leg in Yaoundé after Tunisia and Cameroon cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.

The final playoff tie - Ghana v Egypt - has its first leg on Tuesday, with the second legs of all of the matches played between 16-19 November.

RESULTS

UEFA (Europe)
Group A
(Q) Belgium (P) Croatia

17:00	Croatia	1-2	Belgium
19:45	Wales	1-0	FYR Macedonia

Group B  
(Q) Italy

16:00	Armenia	2-1	Bulgaria
18:30	Malta	1-4	Czech Republic
19:15	Denmark	2-2	Italy

Group C
(Q) Germany (P) Sweden

18:00	Faroe Islands	1-1	Kazakhstan
19:45	Germany	3-0	Ireland
19:45	Sweden	2-1	Austria

Group D 
 (Q) Netherlands

19:30	Andorra	0-4	Romania
19:30	Estonia	0-2	Turkey
19:30	Netherlands	8-1	Hungary

Group E
(Q) Switzerland

19:30	Albania	1-2	Switzerland
19:45	Iceland	2-0	Cyprus
19:45	Slovenia	3-0	Norway

Group F

17:00	Azerbaijan	2-0	Northern Ireland
19:30	Luxembourg	0-4	Russia
20:45	Portugal	1-1	Israel

Group G

16:30	Lithuania	2-0	Latvia
19:00	Bosnia-Herzegovina	4-1	Liechtenstein
19:45	Greece	1-0	Slovakia

Group H

17:00	Moldova	3-0	San Marino
19:00	Ukraine	1-0	Poland
20:00	England	4-1	Montenegro

Group I

21:00

Spain

2-1

Belarus

CONMEBOL (South America)  
(Q) Argentina, Colombia

22:00	Colombia	3-3	Chile
22:00	Ecuador	1-0	Uruguay
22:00	Venezuela	1-1	Paraguay
00:00	Argentina	3-1	Peru

CONCACAF (Caribbean, North & Central America)  
(Q) United States, Costa Rica

22:00	Honduras	1-0	Costa Rica
23:36	United States	2-0	Jamaica
02:30	Mexico	2-1	Panama

CAF (Africa)
Final playoff matches, first leg

Sat 17:00	Burkina Faso	3-2	Algeria
Sat 18:00	Ivory Coast	3-1	Senegal
Sun 14:00	Ethiopia	1-2	Nigeria
Sun 17:00	Tunisia	0-0	Cameroon

Miliband v the Daily Mail

Yes, that is Adolf Hitler - with then-Daily Mail proprietor Lord Rothermere I

THE DAILY MAIL hit a new low this week when it made an unbridled series of slurs on the dead father of the Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Ralph Miliband, a Marxist academic, was labelled "an evil man who hated Britain" by the self-righteous right-wing rag on the strength of a diary entry which he had made aged 17.

Naturally, the article upset the Leader of the Opposition who understandably leapt to his late father's defence.

"Fierce debate about politics does not justify character assassination of my father, questioning the patriotism of a man who risked his life for our country in the Second World War," said Mr Miliband.

Undaunted, the Mail justified the story on basis that Ralph Miliband's hardline left-wing stance would have heavily influenced his son.

And, of course, it came in the context of 'Red Ed' having delivered an impassioned, slightly more left-wing, party conference speech in favour of freezing energy bills.

Indeed, in an extraordinary twist, the Mail - having refused to apologise - has now demanded an apology itself from the Labour party for the accusation that its Ralph Miliband article had been motivated by anti-Semitism.

Most of the flak, however, has deservedly headed in the newspaper's direction - and it has not just come from  left-wing political circles.

The affair prompted prominent right-wing broadsheet the Telegraph to republish their Ralph Miliband obituary, a fair-minded review which referred to him as "an inspiring teacher of politics and an internationally renowned figure of the British Left".

Meanwhile, a minister from the Thatcher cabinet, Lord Moore, accused the Mail of "telling lies" about his former tutor.

The current Conservatives - aware that the ill-timed furore was overshadowing their conference in Manchester - were generally a bit more reserved.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague both supported Mr Miliband's right to defend his father, without further commenting on the Mail article.

However, Deputy PM Nick Clegg did not hold back, referring to the paper as "overflowing with bile".

Of course, he and the Liberal Democrats had come under attack by the paper during the 2010 General Election campaign, partly for him having the audacity of being married to a sweet señorita from Spain.

The general consensus in the Westminster village - and perhaps the country at large - was that the story had backfired, and that Mr Miliband had received sympathy and support for his stance, despite his ongoing dreadful approval ratings.

Indeed, the view against the Mail newspaper group became even more entrenched when it emerged two journalists from sister paper, the Mail on Sunday, had intruded into a private memorial service for Mr Miliband's recently deceased uncle.

Action has at least been taken at the weekly publication - the reporters have been suspended and editor Geordie Greig has issued an apology.

Yet, still, Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre remains unmoved.

It is an incredible state of affairs, considering that, while the story is shameful in itself, it is actually unbelievably hypocritical as well.

For, while Ralph Miliband fled the Nazis in 1940, the then-Mail owner Lord Rothermere, Harold Harmsworth, famously sent gushing telegrams to Adolf Hitler and even met with him.

But, then, supporting far-right parties is not just something which the Mail did in the dark pre-WWII era.

As recently as last year, a columnist at the Mail, Richard Waghorne, ridiculously supported the leader of the French Front National, Marine Le Pen, in the presidential election.
 
At least, the media furore has meant that, on this occasion, the Mail has not got away with some pretty ignominious journalism, with social media gallantly leading the response.

The Twitter hashtag '#mydadhatedbritain' produced several comic gems, all of which - without exception - were laced with sarcasm.

Meanwhile satirical site Us Vs Th3m has created a quiz which allows you to determine just exactly how hated you are by the Mail...

Why not try it for yourself?... although, after this week, Mr Miliband hardly needs a quiz to find out where he stands.

Underdogs Durham defy the doubters

DURHAM secured a third County Championship title in six seasons after skipper Paul Collingwood and his ferocious bowling attack produced a storming second half of the season. 

The campaign included a club-record five consecutive wins as Durham defied the doubters to rack up 10 top-flight victories, three more than any other team. 

But, despite opening with a win against Somerset, England's most northerly county cricket club actually suffered a rather sleepy start to the season. 

Well-beaten away against Warwickshire, captain Collingwood was stunned when Yorkshire successfully chased down a target of 336 to make it two defeats out of three. 

Yorkshire reached their mammoth total thanks in no small part to Joe Root who hit 182 - and put himself in prime position for an Ashes call-up. 

Durham responded well, with impressive consecutive away wins at Trent Bridge against Nottinghamshire and the Oval against struggling Surrey. 

But that progress was checked by successive draws in a rain-affected match against Middlesex and on a typically flat track at Taunton against Somerset. 

Safely nestled in mid-table, Durham had already defied the bookmakers and many preview writers who had put them down as favourites for relegation. No one was thinking much about the title, though. 

Then, in a remarkable game of twists and turns at the Riverside, Durham avenged their early-season defeat to Warwickshire, sneaking home by just 11 runs. 

Requiring 257 to complete the double, an eighth-wicket stand between Jeetan Patel and Ateeq Javid had brought the target within 25 runs. 

But Graham Onions and Ben Stokes combined to remove the final three wickets just in time. 

For the next match, Onions was away on England duty, of sorts, but it mattered not. 

Derbyshire had found the season tough going so the last thing they needed was to face Chris Rushworth on his 27th birthday and in the form of his life. 

Rushworth finished with match figures of 10-103 as a crushing victory set up Durham for a late-season tilt at the title.

First, though, Durham failed twice with the bat to go down to defeat inside three days at Middlesex - though this was probably their toughest match left on the fixture list. 

A home match next against Surrey was ideal, and - still without Onions - two young bowlers Jamie Harrison and Mark Wood hit their stride, each taking a five-wicket haul in the two separate innings. 

In doing that, they set up the biggest win of the season - by an innings and 144 runs - as Durham headed to the North Yorkshire coast in fine spirits. 

The match against Yorkshire at the out-ground in Scarborough was absolutely pivotal to the season as a whole. 

The two northern rivals had become the primary challengers for the Championship crown - although, with Yorkshire ahead by 25 points going into the contest, Durham were undoubtedly more desperate for the result. 

Things started badly for Durham who found themselves 5-2 inside the first three overs but a trio of centuries from Stokes (127), Mark Stoneman (120) and Michael Richardson (102) contributed to a massive total of 573. 

Yorkshire crumbled under the scoreboard pressure with nine wickets and a run out shared equally between Rushworth, Harrison, Stokes, Wood and the excellent Scott Borthwick. 

Asked to follow-on, the White Rose county made a much better job of it second time around, Phil Jacques hitting 152 to bring the draw back into the equation. 

But a second collapse on the final day saw Yorkshire slump from 283-1 to 419 all out, leaving Durham enough time to chase a target of 121. 

Borthwick starred with the bat, scoring 65 off 85 balls, as Durham delivered a huge statement of intent by collecting maximum points from a very tough match. 

Just three days later, Collingwood's men went top for the first time, beating the Championship's early pace-setters Sussex inside three days as Onions picked up seven wickets in the match on his return. 

Then, Midlands pair Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire were well and truly routed by the Durham bowlers. 

First, Derbyshire looked to be putting up some kind of fight as Durham achieved only a 27-run lead on first innings. 

But Onions then took 5-23 in the second innings, including a spell of 5-4 in 41 balls, for match figures of 9-85. Derbyshire were out for 63, and Durham were on the brink. 

The title came at home and it came in style. This time, the wickets were more shared out - three each for Onions, Rushworth and Harrison, and one for another impressive youngster Usman Arshad - but the result was the same: Nottinghamshire were all out for 78. 

With Durham 45-5 in reply, meaning 15 wickets had fallen in the first 48 overs of the match, a mandatory pitch inspection - and possible points deduction - became a real danger. 

However, Collingwood put the acceptable quality of the pitch in perspective, combining with his predecessor as captain, Phil Mustard, in a stand of 121. 

Nottinghamshire, too, batted better in their second innings but their total of 246 still left Durham only 69 runs to chase. 

There was one over left in the day - and the possibility of eight more - when Stoneman and his fellow opener Keaton Jennings took to the crease. 

But, despite a bright, sunny evening, Collingwood was aware that - with two days left in the game - there was no need to rush.

Durham declined the option of taking the extra overs, returning instead for a third day which was free to attend for spectators. 

Rain delayed the start of play but, Durham were not to be denied - and the celebrations were in full flow by 2.30pm after Stoneman had knocked off the winning runs. 

In their final match, the newly-crowned champions lost to Sussex in Hove by six wickets for only a second Championship defeat since the end of April.

Indeed, since Collingwood's appointment, Durham have won 14 County Championship matches out of 22, a record which has taken the club from winless and bottom of the league in July 2012 to champions in September 2013. 

Following their battle of survival last year, little was expected of Durham in this campaign - and, although many pundits are now wiping egg of their face, their low expectations were understandable. 

For a start, Durham began the season with a deduction of 2.5 points for breaking salary cap regulations in 2012 and ongoing financial problems even left them going cap in hand to the county council for help. 

There was no chance of being able to afford an overseas player and a budget pre-season featured a climb up Ben Dubh near Loch Lomond to build fitness. 

By the middle of the season, things were looking worse again. The club's all-time leading run scorer Dale Benkenstein had succumbed to a shoulder injury and, more catastrophically still, the club's long-serving director of cricket, Geoff Cook, suffered a cardiac arrest while out running on a towpath adjoining the Riverside. 

Cook spent five days in an induced coma and had to watch the rest of the season unfold from afar. But Collingwood, a three-time Ashes-winning hero, stood firm.

The 37-year-old is a local captain of a team with its roots very much wedded to the north east. Gateshead-born Onions went to my secondary school in Blaydon, while Borthwick, Stoneman, Mustard and Rushworth all hail from the north east too. 

Meanwhile, the likes of Stokes, Harrison and Arshad may be from further afield but all of them rose through the ranks of the Durham Academy.

It is all so far removed from Durham's early years in the County Championship. 

At just 21 years old, the north easterners are still its newest members - and, in the first seven seasons, never finished above 14th out of 18 teams, thrice finishing bottom. 

In 1999, the English Cricket Board decided to split the Championship into two divisions and, amazingly, Durham finished eighth to make it into the top flight of the split. 

Inevitably, though, Durham were immediately relegated and then spent five seasons milling about the second division before promotion in 2005. 

A remarkable final-day survival in 2006 saw Durham finish just half a point above the champions from the previous season, Nottinghamshire, who were promptly relegated. 

Then, in 2007, Durham won their first major trophy, thrashing Hampshire by 125 runs in the final of the 50-over Friends Provident trophy at Lord's. 

Better was to come with remarkable back-to-back successes in the County Championship in 2008 and 2009 while, off the pitch, the Riverside has been developed into a ground of international stature, culminating in it hosting the fourth Test of this summer's Ashes series. 

It is not too much to say that none of this would have been achievable without the foresight and ambition of Cook - and Collingwood was quick to acknowledge that. 

"I know every man in the dressing room wanted to do it for Geoff," said Collingwood. 

"For Durham to win the title three times in 21 years – many good players don't win it at all – a lot of it has to go down to Geoff."

Cook, who has said he will re-evaluate his future at the end of the season, is nevertheless on the mend - but, even if he does retire, he leaves Durham in fine shape - on and off the field.  
  
MATCH-BY-MATCH Durham's March to the Championship
WLLWWDDWWLWWWWWL

Dates	Fixture	Venue	Result	Points	Total
10-13 April	Somerset (H)	Riverside	won by 42 runs	18.5	-
17-20 April	Warwickshire (A)	Edgbaston	lost by 318 runs	5	23.5
24-27 April	Yorkshire (H)	Riverside	lost by four wickets	4	27.5
29 Apr-2 May	Nottinghamshire (A)	Trent Bridge	won by six wickets	22	49.5
10-13 May	Surrey (A)	The Oval	won by five wickets	21	70.5
22-25 May	Middlesex (H)	Riverside	drawn	8	78.5
6-9 June	Somerset (A)	Taunton	drawn	9	87.5
12-14 June	Warwickshire (H)	Riverside	won by 11 runs	21	108.5
8-11 July	Derbyshire (H)	Riverside	won by 279 runs	21	129.5
2-4 August	Middlesex (A)	Lord's	lost by six wickets	3	132.5
22-25 August	Surrey (H)	Riverside	won by an innings and 144	23	155.5
28-31 August	Yorkshire (A)	Scarborough	won by seven wickets	24	179.5
3-5 Sep	Sussex (H)	Riverside	won by 285 runs	20	199.5
11-14 Sep	Derbyshire (A)	Derby	won by nine wickets	22	221.5
17-19 Sep	Nottinghamshire (H)	Riverside	won by eight wickets	21	242.5
24-27 Sep	Sussex (A)	Hove	lost by six wickets	3	245.5

Other competitions
Clydesdale Bank Pro40 Finished fourth out of seven in group stage (W7 L4 NR0)
Friends Life T20 lost in QF to Northamptonshire by 36 runs. Finished third in group (W6 L4)

FINAL STANDINGS County Championship Division One

Pos	Team	W	L	D	Bat	Bowl	Points
1	DURHAM	10	4	2	36	46	245.5*
2	Yorkshire	7	2	7	49	39	221
3	Sussex	5	3	8	45	39	188
4	Warwickshire	5	2	9	37	42	186
5	Middlesex	6	5	5	32	39	182
6	Somerset	3	5	8	33	41	146
7	Nottinghamshire	2	5	9	47	40	146
8 (R)	Derbyshire	3	10	3	31	34	122
9 (R)	Surrey	1	6	9	36	37	116

*Durham were deducted 2.5 points for breaching salary cap regulations in the 2012 season

Promoted from County Championship Division Two Lancashire, Northamptonshire
Points scoring in the County Championship (max 24 points)
Win 16 Draw 3 Loss 0
Batting
200-249 runs - 1 point
250-299 runs - 2 points
300-349 runs - 3 points
350-399 runs - 4 points
400+ runs - 5 points
Bowling
3-5 wickets - 1 point
6-8 wickets - 2 points
9-10 wickets - 3 points
Batting/Bowling points apply for first 110 overs of the first innings only

Turning 30 in Prague: a perspective

Time ticks by... the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square, Prague

THE BEAUTIFUL surroundings in the city of Prague are where I decided to celebrate my 30th birthday, a choice inspired by two previous visits to the Czech capital.

Prague is a magical place to someone like me, someone who fancies himself as a bit of an amateur history buff and a big fan of quality beer.

Of course, a 30th birthday is seen as a bit of a landmark, usually signifying an end to sprightly youthfulness and the onset of middle age.

I have no doubt that it was all in good humour - but a September birthday has the consequence of me being one of the oldest in my school year and, among my long-term friends on the trip, there were inevitable 'old man' jokes at my expense.

Additionally, one of my cards warned that it was "all downhill from here" - and, in certain senses, that prediction looks rather grimly accurate.

A difficult morning in Prague was described brilliantly by one of my friends as "the hangover of [my] past 29 years".

But, while I have noticed my hangovers nowadays hit me worse than ever, I have found that there are actually some advantages to my advancing years.

It is an unfortunate fact that my 20s, and particularly my late 20s - while featuring so many fantastic memories that it would be impossible to list them all - have also been set in the context of my issues with panic and generalised anxiety.

Last year, ridiculously, I almost missed the trip of a lifetime to Thailand, and the most significant repeat episode this year left me dangerously dosed up and debilitated in Dublin on diazepam. It later even affected my ability to work, too.

Indeed, my head was so all over the place that I even stopped doing something which I find that I really enjoy: writing this blog.

Thankfully, I backtracked on that particularly rash decision and I am still getting help through a therapist with the underlying causes of my anxiety.

Specifically, it is a lack of self-confidence derived from the core belief that I just cannot and will not cope with the various challenges which life will always throw at me.

Now, of course, there is a whole stack of evidence in my life to the contrary of that belief - and my sessions with the practitioner aim for me to focus on this. They also challenge and rid me of certain 'safety' behaviours which I consider help me but actually ensure my problems persist.

Armed with the facts, it is amazing just how far a different perspective in life can take you.

This summer, I visited three other capital cities - Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia, and Ljubljana in Slovenia - with barely an ounce of anxiety, and happily my visit to Prague was a similarly unspoiled experience.

I drank in various beer halls - U Medvídků, U Fleků, and U Vejvodů among my favourites, and visited the excellent Klášterní Pivovar Strahov and the unmissable Beer Museum - twice.

I went to the Museum of Communism, amusingly situated next to McDonalds, and - across the glorious Karlov Most - to the Franz Kafka Museum to learn about a writer even more tortured by his inner demons than myself.

Finally, I scaled the heights of the Powder Tower, and then Prague's most famous landmark, the medieval Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square.

Yes, it was rather apt that the entry into my 30s was marked in a place so indelibly linked with the passing of time.

And, as I reflect on this most special of birthdays, I will confidently predict to give myself an easier ride in my 30s than my 20s.

It is time to ensure turning 30 in Prague was simply a milestone in life - and not another millstone.

Thank you to all my family and friends who have listened to me, helped me out, and just asked me how I was. The cloud is lifting and I am getting better at this crazy thing called life.

The Season 2013/14: Mackems ditch Di Canio

ROCK-BOTTOM Sunderland became the first Premier League club to sack their manager last night with the seemingly-inevitable early departure of Paulo Di Canio.

Di Canio had overseen a complete squad overhaul in the summer, with 14 incomings and 10 outgoings in total, as he sought to improve the Wearsiders following their lowly 17th-placed finish last season.

But, despite the new squad roll call, the same old problems have remained at the Stadium of Light.

Steven Fletcher's dislocated shoulder and the sale of Stephane Sessegnon to West Bromwich Albion has left the team woefully short of firepower alongside a defence, shorn of the sold Simon Mignolet, which just cannot be relied to keep a clean sheet.

It is little wonder then that Sunderland have struggled this season, taking a solitary point in the Premier League from their visit to Southampton.

The last three games have all been defeats, each of which have resulted in an increasingly-bizarre reaction from Di Canio.

Following the 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace, Di Canio fumed at the "pathetic goals" which his team had conceded, criticising club captain John O'Shea for giving away a penalty and getting sent off.

Then, in the Arsenal home defeat by the same score, the Italian admitted he had invited referee Martin Atkinson to send him off, which Atkinson promptly did.

Di Canio saved his most bizarre move of all for the full time whistle at the Hawthorns after a match in which Sunderland had been comprehensively beaten by West Brom, with Sessegnon inevitably scoring.

Striding across the pitch, Di Canio faced up to the away supporters, asking them to keep their chin up despite the team's poor form. This gesture was a world away from his knee-sliding celebration at St James Park in April.

Indeed, it is now strange to think that it had all started so well for him in his first top-flight managerial position.

A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in his opener showed plenty of promise before Sunderland then pulled off their biggest win in the Tyne-Wear derby since 1979. This was followed up by a win in his first home game against Everton.

Since then, though, Di Canio has only tasted victory once more with Sunderland - and that was at home against Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup.

In the Premier League, the Black Cats are now without a win in nine games stretching over the two seasons, having limped over the line in the last campaign without actually getting to 40 points.

That mark looks a long way off again right now, and their next two league fixtures are at home against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Still, having seen so much transfer activity, it was a surprise not to see Di Canio get at least until around Christmas time.

But American owner Ellis Short can be a ruthless character, as witnessed when boyhood supporter Martin O'Neill was dumped in March following a string of similarly poor results.

Clearly, Short - realising Di Canio's loose-cannon approach was never going to work long-term - has cut his losses at an early stage, petrified that the Black Cats might already be getting cut adrift.

Nevertheless, a myriad of problems remains. The fact that the club has confirmed that there is no shortlist to replace Di Canio shows that this was a move which they did not expect to have to make.

And, then, the new manager - whoever he is - will have to come in and buck up the ideas of a squad brought in largely by Di Canio.

Meanwhile, the former Swindon Town boss will now presumably head back to the lower leagues with his tail between his legs, though few should lament his failure as a top-level manager.

Woody Guthrie once wrote "All of you fascists bound to lose" - a song covered by Billy Bragg in 2000. It looks as if they were right again. Ciao, Il Duce!

THAT PAULO DI CANIO REVOLUTION IN FULL...
Three wins from 13 games in 175 days:
2012/13

7 Apr	Chelsea (A)	L1-2
14 Apr	Newcastle United (A)	W3-0
20 Apr	Everton (H)	W1-0
29 Apr	Aston Villa (A)	L1-6
6 May	Stoke City (H)	D1-1
12 May	Southampton (H)	D1-1
19 May	Tottenham Hotspur (A)	L0-1

2013/14

17 Aug	Fulham (H)	L0-1
24 Aug	Southampton (A)	D1-1
27 Aug	Milton Keynes Dons (H) [LC]	W4-2
31 Aug	Crystal Palace (A)	L1-3
14 Sep	Arsenal (H)	L1-3
21 Sep	West Bromwich Albion (A)	L0-3

[Overall record: P13 W3 D3 L7 Win% 23.08]

GNR 2013: Farah tastes defeat on the South Shields sea front

The Tyne Bridge adorned for the first time with the Great North Run sign

DOUBLE Olympic champions Mo Farah took to the mean streets of the North East for the first time today but his bid for victory in his maiden Great North Run ended in defeat.

It was a very close-run thing, though, as Farah and winner Kenenisa Bekele treated the chilly South Shields crowd to a thrilling sprint finish.

For much of the race, Farah and Bekele had been joined by the legendary Haile Gebrselassie who was still competing aged 40, ultimately setting a new world record for his age-group.

Between them, the trio can boast no fewer than seven Olympic gold medals and they set off at an impressive pace, completing mile seven in just 4:21.

That pace seemed to catch out Bekele a little but, while he dropped about 20 metres behind, he made sure not to fall completely out of contention - and he was back in touch for a climactic finish.

Indeed, Bekele was first to make a move, pulling away down a steep slope in mile 12 - something which would have been rather unfamiliar to track star Farah.

But, still, Farah would not give up - and, as Gebrselassie faded to third, the stage was set for the Briton to chase down the lead.

Closer and closer came Farah but the tape was also coming closer and closer for Bekele. It was really unclear just which one would come first.

However, after a couple of anxious looks over the shoulder and a defensive weave across the path of Farah, one final kick would prove enough for Ethiopian Bekele to complete the course in 60:09.

Farah, just a second behind, was left only with the rare and bitter taste of defeat, though undoubtedly also with a hunger to road race again.

Meanwhile, in the women's elite race, an exciting finish of a different sort developed.

Unlike in the men's competition, there was no doubt who was going to win - Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo was well ahead of all of her rivals.

Instead, it was Jeptoo against the clock as, despite the dreary conditions, she chased down Paula Radcliffe's half-marathon record of 65:40, set in the 2003 Great North Run.

Radcliffe, who was on commentary duty today for the BBC, will have breathed a sigh of relief when Jeptoo crossed the line.

It was not quite quick enough, five seconds off the record to be accurate, though still the third-fastest time in history.

In the wheelchair races, the Tyneside crowds could cheer home success - in both the men's and women's events.

Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir (43:06) took the men's event for the fifth time, a feat matched by Shelly Woods, who finished in 54:28.

But, of course, the Great North Run is not just about the elite athletes. Today, another 55,000+ runners, joggers, try-hards, and never-give-uppers also crossed the line in South Shields, raising millions between them for charity.

Little did Brendan Foster know just how big the Great North Run would become when he devised the first edition in 1981.

As Foster freely admits: “To be honest we had no idea if anyone was going to turn up at all

"But they did. And it’s just grown. When we reached 40,000 entrants a few years back, someone said that’s it, we can’t get any bigger. But we have."

Now, the run is constantly over-subscribed and attracts regular praise for its level of organisation.

And next year's entrants have the added incentive of the possibility of being the millionth person in the race's history to cross the line, the very first mass-participation event set to reach landmark.

Amongst the throng this year for the second time was my sister, Helen, a keen runner as she amply demonstrated in comfortably breaking the hour-mark in the Blaydon Race.

My sister was running for a brilliant charity, the Alzheimer's Society, a cause close to all of our hearts in our family, given that dementia has blighted three of our grandparents' latter days.

Dementia, which affects approximately 800,000 people in the United Kingdom alone, does not discriminate between the victims which it chooses.

It is a harrowing, often drawn-out illness without a known cure - and much more scientific research needs to be done to solve the enigma or at least stem the tide.

This is where the Alzheimer's Society comes in - but, of course, research requires money and so it feels only right that I should annotate this blog posting with my sister's JustGiving page.

Helen was very proud to represent the Alzheimer's Society today and she did them proud, finishing in a personal best time of two hours and 12 minutes.

A brilliant effort on a day which - even when the sun does not shine - never fails to show Newcastle and Tyneside in anything but a fantastic light.

For Nanna x

World Cup 2014 qualifiers: Hodgson satisfied by Ukraine stalemate

WORLD CUP 2014 QUALIFIERS
(Q) Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran, South Korea, Netherlands, Italy, United States, Costa Rica, Argentina

ENGLAND stayed on course to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after a 0-0 draw against Ukraine in Kiev kept the Three Lions on top of Group H.

The drab stalemate puts England on 16 points, one clear of both Ukraine and Montenegro, with two matches left.

Roy Hodgson's men host the Montenegrins and Poland in back-to-back games at Wembley in October, and so can be confident of completing the job.

But the veteran head coach was forced on the defensive after a match of few chances brought more criticism from legendary striker Gary Lineker.

Match of the Day presenter Lineker described the performance as "awful" on Twitter, adding: "What happens to some of these players when they pull on an England shirt?"

And, while Lineker has since sought to clarify his comments, Hodgson was still far from happy, noting "He has done it for a second time".

Lineker had earlier suggested England's tactics in the drawn friendly against Ireland in May were "a step back to the dark ages".

Now, in the past of course, England have sometimes qualified with ease but still underperformed on the big stage - and, having failed to beat anyone other than minnows Moldova and San Marino in the group so far, Hodgson will have to hope the opposite also holds true.

Being realistic, though, it is difficult to see either England or Ukraine going too far in the tournament with performances like the one from this week.

At least England are still likely to qualify, which is more than can be said for the other home nations at this stage.

Incredibly, Scotland were the very first team from the European qualifiers to be eliminated - before even San Marino and the Faroe Isles - though, in fairness, the appointment of Gordon Strachan has seen an upturn in their fortunes in Group A.

Wales are now bottom of that group following a 3-0 home defeat against Serbia despite which coach Chris Coleman has expressed a desire to remain in his role.

However, the most humiliating result by a British team came from Northern Ireland, beaten 3-2 by Luxembourg after conceding two late goals. It was Luxembourg's first World Cup win since 1972.

Things are not quite as bad as that south of the border but two defeats against Sweden and Austria this week leave Ireland requiring a series of extraordinary results to reach the Rio beaches.

On the back of a poor effort in Euro 2012, in which the Irish had the worst record of all 16 competitors, it was perhaps little surprise the successive losses spelt the end for Giovanni Trapattoni.

Yes, the Italian coach may have got some good results for a while but, once they dried up, his safety-first tactics were never likely to help him preserve his position... 

--

Elsewhere around the world, there are now 10 teams assured of a World Cup place next summer, including hosts Brazil of course, and the first qualifiers from Europe - World Cup 2006 winners Italy and 2010 runners-up Netherlands.

Overnight, United States, Costa Rica and Argentina also sealed their place in their respective qualifying zones, with the Americans beating Mexico 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio.

It is a result which leaves the Mexicans in danger of missing out on their first World Cup finals since 1990, when they were banned for fielding an ineligible player in a youth competitions.

Given the availability of three automatic places, and the fall-back option of a playoff against Oceania winners New Zealand, it would still be amazing if Mexico failed to make it.

But then no one would have expected them only to win one match out of eight so far, and none at home in their former fortress, the Azteca.

Definitely going to the World Cup from Asia are the final group stage winners, Iran and Japan, and their respective runners-up South Korea and Australia.

Meanwhile, Jordan will aim to join them and qualify for their first World Cup, the Middle East team having won an extraordinary fifth-place playoff against Uzbekistan this week.

Following two 1-1 draws, and extra time in the second leg, Jordan eventually prevailed 9-8 in a penalty shoot-out with no fewer than 20 spot-kicks.

Their final hurdle will be the fifth-placed South American team, likely to be 2010 semi finalists Uruguay or Ecuador after the latest round of matches officially knocked out long-time stragglers Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay.

As mentioned, Argentina have made it through easily, losing just once in the marathon format so far.

Colombia face Chile next month, with the victors also certain of making it - while Ecuador-Uruguay on the same night will go a long way to deciding who faces those extra games against Jordan in November.

Also reaching its climax is the African qualifying competition. The group stage has now been completed with the 10 winners to be drawn in playoffs on Monday to determine the five qualification places.

The seeded teams in the draw, based on September's FIFA rankings, are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia - who only got through to this stage after Cape Verde were thrown out for fielding a suspended player in one of its matches.

In the unseeded half of the draw, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal and surprise package Ethiopia await their fate.

For Egypt, a finals appearance would be their first since 1990. Burkina Faso and Ethiopia have, of course, never been to the World Cup.

The next two round of matches will be played on 11 and 15 October. The European and North American and South American group phases completed and the identity of 11 more qualifiers will be discovered.

Links to full Group Tables/Results FIFA World Cup - Wikipedia

Tokyo to stage IOC's 2020 vision

 

	First	Run-off	Final
Tokyo (JPN)	42	-	60
Istanbul (TUR)	26	49	36
Madrid (ESP)	26	45	-

TOKYO will stage the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 after beating Istanbul and Madrid in a vote at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires last night.

The Japanese capital, which has hosted the Summer Olympics previously in 1964, was seen as the favourite before the ballot, having successfully allayed concerns about the nuclear fallout from Fukushima.

Japan was a safe choice for the IOC, after the still potentially risky decisions in favour of Sochi and Rio de Janeiro.

The Asian powerhouse has the world's third-largest economy by GDP and has hosted big sporting events in the past, including the football World Cup in 2002, and two Winter Olympics in 1972 and 1998. Just a year before the Olympics arrive back in Japan, it will also host its first Rugby World Cup.

As a city, Tokyo will not have too much to do to be ready for 2020. Except for the planned renovation of the National Olympic Stadium, this should be a relatively stress-free seven-year build-up - and this was ultimately the decisive factor in the IOC vote.

Pity poor Madrid - defeated now in three successive bids to bring the Games to the Spanish capital, a desire so desperately borne out of Barcelona being such successful hosts in 1992.

Since then, though, the Spanish economy has boomed and busted - worse than many in Europe with as much as a quarter of the population unemployed. Youth unemployment has been particularly bad.

The Madrid bid tried to counteract that by promising a budget Games with over 80% of its planned venues having already been built. But, one of its slogans - "a realistic bid for realistic times" was not exactly awe-inspiring.

Indeed, according to Olympic historian Robert Livingstone, the no-frills approach would not exactly have been music to the committee's ears. "The IOC doesn't like cheap. It likes monuments to the Olympic movement," he said. 

Nevertheless, it was still a surprise to see the Spaniards ousted in a run-off vote following a dramatic first round tie with Istanbul.

Even the presence of a Crown Prince Felipe, a former Olympic sailor, could not swing the vote, though - with the need for a first round run-off, Istanbul must have known it was up against it.

After all, the Turkish capital had endured a difficult run-up to yesterday's vote. Political unrest this summer had put the government in a poor light following the deaths of eight people and over 8,000 injuries amid accusations of police brutality.

Some of the protests were at proposed Olympic sites, with economic concerns again among the demonstrators' grievances.

Moreover, a series of doping scandals involving Turkish athletes came at the worst possible time (though doping was an issue which also hampered the Madrid bid). 

Ultimately, then, for a fifth time, the outstanding attraction of hosting the Olympics on two separate continents at the same time had been outweighed by far more pragmatic concerns.

Not that the Tokyo bid had been entirely worry-free, of course, despite the weakest field of candidates for over 30 years.

In fact, with only three finalists, this was the fewest number of candidate cities for a Summer Olympics since Seoul beat Nagoya in 1981.

The Japanese may have lost back then but they succeeded this time after tackling their main issue - Fukushima - head on.

Bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda was at pains to stress that the high-profile nuclear leak is under control.

"The radiation level is absolutely safe. The 35 million people in Tokyo are living in normal conditions. There is no problem. Not one person in Tokyo has been affected. Tokyo and Fukushima are almost 250km apart," he said in Buenos Aires.

Takeda's comments were echoed by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said: "Let me assure you the situation is under control. It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo."

Next, the IOC session will move onto two other big selections. Today, three sports - baseball, squash and wrestling - compete for a place at the 2020 Games.

With Japan's victory in the bidding process and an Olympic history which goes back to ancient times, wrestling is the strong favourite. An announcement will be made at 5pm BST.

Finally, on Tuesday, the IOC will elect a new president to replace the outgoing Jacques Rogge.

For this, there are six men, and no women, standing. They are: Thomas Bach of Germany, Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico, Wu Ching-kuo of Chinese Taipei, Denis Oswald of Switzerland, and Sergey Bubka of Ukraine.

Bubka is easily the most famous name on the list, having won the pole vault in Seoul with an Olympic record, but Bach - who also won gold as a fencer in Montreal 1972 - is favourite for the role.

Bach would largely be seen as an extension of Rogge, the quiet 71-year-old Belgian surgeon. Asked to reflect on his time at the top, Rogge was characteristically modest.

"I did my duty," he said. "I did what I had to do. If it has benefited the IOC, I'm happy." Almost as happy as the Japanese today, perhaps.


SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES HOSTS
†= Cancelled due to WW1 or WW2

1896	I	Athens, Greece			1960	XVII	Rome, Italy
1900	II	Paris, France			1964	XVIII	Tokyo, Japan
1904	III	St Louis, USA			1968	XIX	Mexico City, Mexico
1908	IV	London, UK			1972	XX	Munich, West Germany
1912	V	Stockholm, Sweden			1976	XXI	Montreal, Canada
†1916	VI	Berlin, Germany			1980	XXII	Moscow, Soviet Union
1920	VII	Antwerp, Belgium			1984	XXIII	Los Angeles, USA
1924	VIII	Paris, France			1988	XXIV	Seoul, South Korea
1928	IX	Amsterdam, Netherlands			1992	XXV	Barcelona, Spain
1932	X	Los Angeles, USA			1996	XXVI	Atlanta, USA
1936	XI	Berlin, Germany			2000	XXVII	Sydney, Australia
†1940	XII	Tokyo, Japan then Helsinki, Finland			2004	XXVIII	Athens, Greece
†1944	XIII	London, UK			2008	XXIX	Beijing, China
1948	XIV	London, UK			2012	XXX	London, UK
1952	XV	Helsinki, Finland			2016	XXXI	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1956	XVI	Melbourne, Australia			2020	XXXII	Tokyo, Japan