It's all gone wrong for Romney

South Carolina primary
1 Newt Gingrich 243,323 (40.4%)
2 Mitt Romney 167,417 (27.8%)
3 Rick Santorum 102,113 (17%)
4 Ron Paul 78,036 (13%)

THE RACE to be nominated as the Republican candidate for the presidential election in November took yet another twist at the weekend as Newt Gingrich stormed to victory in the South Carolina primary.

Mr Gingrich won 243,323 votes (40.4%) to finish well clear of previous front-runner Mitt Romney who tallied 167,417 votes (27.8%).

Rick Santorum was in third place with 102,113 votes (17%), and Ron Paul trailed in last place with 78,036 votes (13%). Both of the latter two names can now be pretty much discounted even if that has been a dangerous thing to do so far.

It seems safe to do it in these cases, though, as Mr Santorum is desperately short on funds and will not be able to compete for much longer at a national level.

Meanwhile, the call for an isolationist foreign policy from 72-year-old outsider Mr Paul means he will gain little support outside of the small base which he has already built up.

And so, it now looks like a two-horse race with the conservative Right having finally settled on an Anyone But Romney ticket by backing Mr Gingrich.

That had not looked likely previously with a whole raft of conservatives - from Michele Bachmann to Herman Cain via Rick Perry - all doing well in the polls at some point before fading away.

The moderate former Massachusetts governor Mr Romney had benefited most from all of the uncertainty as some Republicans scrambled frantically for a safe pair of hands.

Mr Romney had looked to have made a lightning-fast start in the process to be nominated by becoming the first ever Republican candidate to carry both Iowa and New Hampshire at the start of an election year.

But that all changed in the run up to the South Carolina poll last week.

First, Iowan GOP officials stripped Mr Romney of his victory in the state, declaring instead that it had no official winner because not all the votes from all of the districts could be verified.

Then, later that same day, Mr Perry belatedly brought his shambolic campaign to an end.

It had all started rather brightly for the Texan governor, despite his late entry into the race, but he quickly faltered following an almighty gaffe when he could not name his key policy during one of the debates.

The bad news for Mr Romney was that, in his concession speech, Mr Perry gave his unequivocal backing to Mr Gingrich, pointing conservatives towards a unity candidate.

Subsequently, former House speaker Mr Gingrich surged from 10 points behind Mr Romney in the South Carolina opinion polls to end up with a lead greater than that himself.

Mr Gingrich had also been helped inadvertently by Mr Romney who struggled, just like those before him, under the pressure of suddenly being favourite.

Certainly, when asked in one of the debates if he would release his tax accounts, a nervy and non-committal "probably" was not the response which the query had demanded.

It was an unconvincing display of political naivety as Mr Romney could hardly have hoped to avoid the question after days of speculation.

But, while Mr Romney has suffered a taxing time in recent days, Mr Gingrich has found that his adulterous past has returned to haunt him.

That matter came to a head after ABC News ran an interview with Marianne Gingrich, the second of the candidate's three wives, with whom Mr Gingrich wanted an "open marriage" after a six-year affair.

And what makes it worse, for those with long enough memories, is that they will remember Mr Gingrich was at the forefront of those who condemned President Bill Clinton for his lack of moral leadership

In his endorsement of Mr Gingrich, Mr Perry said: "Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?"

But, while Mr Perry is right to warn those who wish to cast the first stone, it is difficult to see Mr Gingrich's incredible hypocrisy playing well across America as a whole.

What does seem likely is that this race will continue for some time yet - and at least until Super Tuesday on 6 March when no fewer than 10 states will make their nominations.

Of course, an elongated campaign only serves to reduce the funds available to the winning Republican candidate for the general election in November.

Already, it has been reported that incumbent Democrat president Barack Obama has an election war-chest of more than $240m.

For now, in political terms at least, he can just kick his feet back and enjoy the show.


2012 PRIMARY/CAUCUS SCHEDULE
KEY DATES
3 January Iowa (caucus) - no official winner

10 January New Hampshire (primary) - Mitt Romney

21 January South Carolina (primary) - Newt Gingrich
31 January Florida (primary) - MR

4 February Nevada (caucus)
4-11 February Maine (caucus)
7 February Colorado (caucus), Minnesota (caucus)
28 February Arizona (primary), Michigan (primary)

3 March Washington (caucus)
6 March: Super Tuesday Alaska (caucus), Georgia (primary), Idaho (caucus), Massachusetts (primary), North Dakota (caucus), Ohio (primary), Oklahoma (primary), Tennessee (primary), Vermont (primary), Virginia (primary)
6-10 March Wyoming (caucus)
10 March Kansas (caucus), US Virgin Islands (caucus)
13 March Alabama (primary), Hawaii (caucus), Mississippi (primary)
17 March Missouri (caucus)
20 March Illinois (primary)
24 March Louisiana (primary)

3 April District of Columbia (primary), Maryland (primary), Wisconsin (primary), Texas (primary)
24 April Connecticut (primary), Delaware (primary), New York (primary), Pennsylvania (primary), Rhode Island (primary)

8 May Indiana (primary), North Carolina (primary), West Virginia (primary)
15 May Nebraska (primary), Oregon (primary)
22 May Arkansas (primary), Kentucky (primary)

5 June California (primary), Montana (primary), New Jersey (primary), New Mexico (primary), South Dakota (primary)
26 June Utah (primary)

27-30 August REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Tampa, Florida
3-6 September DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION Charlotte, North Carolina

Ivory Coast and Ghana sense their chance in African Cup of Nations

IVORY COAST and Ghana will line up as favourites to end their wait for success in the African Cup of Nations in the shock absence of some of the continent's biggest hitters.

Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria were all among the teams who failed to navigate the qualification stage of the 28th edition of the competition successfully.

And, amazingly, that leaves Tunisia as the only side in 2012 finals to have won it in the last 20 years after their triumph on home soil in 2004.

Regardless, then, of who the eventual winner is, it is almost certain to be a joyous first experience for a new generation of support.

The Ivorians last won this tournament in 1992 but start as favourites this time with their attack spearheaded by Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, and Yao Gervinho of Arsenal.

Further Premier League class is provided by Manchester City's Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, and Newcastle United's midfield general Cheik Tiote.

But, while Ivory Coast possess plenty of talent and hold the highest FIFA ranking, at number 18, of the 16 competitors, it is second favourites Ghana who have had the most success recently on the international scene.

The Ghanaians reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup and then, in 2010, were only denied a place in history as the first African semi finalists by Luis Suarez's infamous handball for Uruguay.

Of course, much of Ghana's success in South Africa could be attributed to the goalscoring talents of Asamoah Gyan.

The 26-year-old, a scorer of three World Cup goals, is currently plying his trade in the United Arab Emirates on loan at Al-Ain after fleeing Sunderland at the start of the season.

Now, he and his team mates will hope to go one better than two years ago in this competition when they lost 1-0 in the Final to a late Egypt goal. Ghana last won the African Cup of Nations in 1982.

Senegal have never lifted the trophy but will have hopes of changing that record after the brilliant form of their talisman Demba Ba.

The Newcastle forward has been prolific, hitting 15 goals in 17 starts to sit behind only Robin van Persie in the Premier League scoring charts.

And now, as the sixth-placed Magpies chase a return to European football, owner Mike Ashley has splashed the cash on Ba's national team strike partner Papiss Demba Cisse, signing him from German club Freiburg for around £7.5m.

When Cisse arrives on Tyneside after the tournament, he will take the legendary number nine shirt as worn by Jackie Milburn, Malcolm MacDonald, Alan Shearer and other great Geordie heroes.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, the absence of another of Ba's team mates - Mohamed Diame - will undoubtedly be felt by bottom side Wigan Athletic.

That leaves just two other England-based players to mention: the Moroccan pair, Adel Taarabt and Marouane Chamakh of Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal respectively.

Morocco have a tough task as they search for a first African Cup of Nations since 1976. They begin their campaign against North African rivals Tunisia before taking on co-hosts Gabon and debutantes Niger in Group C.

The other co-hosts, Equatorial Guinea, are another side making their finals debut. They are in Group A along with Libya, Zambia and the Senegalese.

And a third team taking their bow at this stage of the competition is Botswana. The Zebras have been placed in Group D with Ghana, Mali and Guinea.

That leaves only the teams in Group B to confirm: they are Ivory Coast, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Angola.

In the UK, live television coverage of every match will be provided by British Eurosport (Sky 410/411), while ITV4 (Sky 120) will show four "key" games live - Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso in the group stage, one quarter final, one semi final and the Final on 12 February - as well as nightly highlights.


FULL AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS FIXTURES/RESULTS
GROUP A

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 21 Jan, 18:30	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 1-0 LIBYA	Bata
Eurosport	Sat 21 Jan, 21:00	SENEGAL 1-2 ZAMBIA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 25 Jan, 17:15	LIBYA 2-2 ZAMBIA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 25 Jan, 20:15	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 2-1 SENEGAL	Bata
Eurosport	Sun 29 Jan, 18:00	EQUATORIAL GUINEA 0-1 ZAMBIA	Malabo
Eurosport2	Sun 29 Jan, 18:00	LIBYA 2-1 SENEGAL	Bata

Group A Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
ZAMBIA (Q)	2	1	0	5	3	7
EQUATORIAL GUINEA (Q)	2	0	1	3	2	6
Libya	1	1	1	4	4	4
Senegal	0	0	3	3	6	0

GROUP B

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sun 22 Jan, 16:00	IVORY COAST 1-0 SUDAN	Malabo
Eurosport2	Sun 22 Jan, 19:00	BURKINA FASO 1-2 ANGOLA	Malabo
Eurosport	Thu 26 Jan, 16:00	SUDAN 2-2 ANGOLA	Malabo
ITV4*	Thu 26 Jan, 19:00	IVORY COAST 2-0 BURKINA FASO	Malabo
Eurosport	Mon 30 Jan, 18:00	SUDAN 2-1 BURKINA FASO	Bata
Eurosport2	Mon 30 Jan, 18:00	IVORY COAST 2-0 ANGOLA	Malabo

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

Group B Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
IVORY COAST (Q)	3	0	0	5	0	9
SUDAN (Q)	1	1	1	4	4	4
Angola	1	1	1	4	5	4
Burkina Faso	0	0	3	2	6	0

GROUP C

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Mon 23 Jan, 16:00	GABON 2-0 NIGER	Libreville
Eurosport	Mon 23 Jan, 19:00	MOROCCO 1-2 TUNISIA	Libreville
Eurosport	Fri 27 Jan, 16:00	NIGER 1-2 TUNISIA	Libreville
Eurosport	Fri 27 Jan, 19:00	GABON 3-2 MOROCCO	Libreville
Eurosport	Tue 31 Jan, 18:00	GABON 1-0 TUNISIA	Franceville
Eurosport2	Tue 31 Jan, 18:00	NIGER 0-1 MOROCCO	Libreville

Group C Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
GABON (Q)	3	0	0	6	2	9
TUNISIA (Q)	2	0	1	4	3	6
Morocco	1	0	2	4	5	3
Niger	0	0	3	1	5	0

GROUP D

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Tue 24 Jan, 16:00	GHANA 1-0 BOTSWANA	Franceville
Eurosport	Tue 24 Jan, 19:00	MALI 1-0 GUINEA	Franceville
Eurosport	Sat 28 Jan, 16:00	BOTSWANA 1-6 GUINEA	Franceville
Eurosport	Sat 28 Jan, 19:00	GHANA 2-0 MALI	Franceville
Eurosport	Wed 1 Feb, 18:00	BOTSWANA 1-2 MALI	Libreville
Eurosport2	Wed 1 Feb, 18:00	GHANA 1-1 GUINEA	Franceville

Group D Table	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
GHANA (Q)	2	1	0	4	1	7
MALI (Q)	2	0	1	3	3	6
Guinea	1	1	1	7	3	4
Botswana	0	0	3	2	9	0

QUARTER FINALS

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 4 Feb, 16:00	ZAMBIA 3-0 SUDAN	Bata
ITV4*	Sat 4 Feb, 19:00	IVORY COAST 3-0 EQUATORIAL GUINEA	Malabo
Eurosport	Sun 5 Feb, 16:00	GABON 1-1 MALI aet (5-4 to MALI on pens)	Libreville
Eurosport	Sun 5 Feb, 19:00	GHANA 2-1 TUNISIA aet	Franceville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

SEMI FINALS

TV	Date		Venue
ITV4*	Wed 8 Feb, 16:00	ZAMBIA 1-0 GHANA	Bata
Eurosport	Wed 8 Feb, 19:00	IVORY COAST 1-0 MALI	Libreville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

THIRD-PLACED PLAYOFF

TV	Date		Venue
Eurosport	Sat 11 Feb, 19:00	GHANA 0-2 MALI	Malabo

FINAL

TV	Date		Venue
ITV4*	Sun 12 Feb, 19:30	ZAMBIA 0-0 IVORY COAST AET. Zambia won 8-7 on pens.	Libreville

(*this match will also be televised on Eurosport)

SCORERS
3 Manucho (Angola), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Cheick Diabate (Mali), Houssine Kharja (Morocco), Christopher Katongo (Zambia), Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia)
2 John Mensah (Ghana), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Abdoul Camara (Guinea), Sadio Diallo (Guinea), Ahmed Saad Osman (Libya), Ihaab Boussefi (Libya), Mohamed Ahmed Bashir (Sudan), Mudather El Tahir (Sudan), Youssef Msakni (Tunisia)
 1 Mateus (Angola), Dipsy Selolwane (Botswana), Mogakolodi Ngele (Botswana), Alain Traore (Burkina Faso), Issiaka Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea), Randy (Equatorial Guinea), Kily (Equatorial Guinea), Stephane N'Guema (Gabon), Daniel Cousin (Gabon), Bruno Mbanangoyé (Gabon), Eric Mouloungui (Gabon), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Ghana), Mamadou Bah (Guinea), Naby Soumah (Guinea), Ibrahama Traore (Guinea), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast), Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Yao Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Bakaye Traore (Mali), Garra Dembele (Mali), Seydou Keita (Mali), Younes Belhanda (Morocco), William Ngounou (Niger), Dame N'Doye (Senegal), Moussa Sow (Senegal), Deme N'Diaye (Senegal), Khaled Korbi (Tunisia), Issam Jemaa (Tunisia), Saber Khelifa (Tunisia), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia), James Chamanga (Zambia), Stophira Sunzu (Zambia), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia)
1 own goal Bakary Kone (Burkina Faso) for Ivory Coast

England and Pakistan downplay their past

ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss has been at pains to downplay the recent history between his side and Pakistan as they meet for the first time since their stormy series in the summer of 2010.

Strauss' men won both the Tests (3-1) and the One-Dayers (3-2) in that tempestuous affair but it was the revelations by the News of the World in the fourth Test at Lord's for which the series will be forever remembered.

The story emerged after the now-defunct newspaper revealed video footage showing cricket agent Mazhar Majeed telling a journalist when no-balls would be bowled.

Majeed had arranged with then-captain Salman Butt, and bowlers Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, for the no-balls to be bowled at specific times. Match footage then showed that this happened exactly as he had described.

Subsequently, at the Southwark Crown Court in November last year, Butt and Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. Amir had admitted both charges prior to the trial.

But, while it would be unkind to suggest that Pakistan had failed to move on since then, it would be just as untrue to suggest the 2010 series finished in the best of spirit.

Accusations started flying all over the place and the then-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt claimed England had thrown the third One Day international.

Strauss immediately refuted the allegations and even threatened legal action if Butt did not withdraw his comments - though the England skipper did admit to playing the remaining matches "through gritted teeth". 

As this gallery on the Guardian website shows, it was not the first time there had been tensions between the two sides - and so it was no surprise that the journalists have been querying how relations are now.

Thankfully, both camps seem ready to leave the tensions where they belong - in the past.

First, Strauss said: "The spot-fixing stuff is something we're desperately keen to move on from. I don't think there's any good that can come from churning it all up again."

And, in kind, his Pakistani counterpart Misbah-ul-Haq said: "I think everybody knows in both teams that we just have to forget the past. Our area of concern is to play good cricket, fair cricket, and that's what we can do."

With that issue put to bed, it is time to assess just how England might do in their first ever Test match in Pakistan's temporary 'home', the Middle East.

Yes, in 2010, a touring England side played there in two Twenty20 matches - winning one and losing the other - but it does not exactly equate to the tough five-day game.

As well as facing a journey into the unknown, England also return to the Test arena having last played competitively on 29 October. In fact, Strauss' side last played a Test match back in August.

Coming into the series, concerns have surrounded their bowling attack with Tim Bresnan ruled out due to an elbow injury and Graeme Swann picking up a leg strain.

However, it is a testament to England's depth that, in the seam department, they can call upon Steven Finn or Chris Tremlett to support Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Meanwhile, the lesser-spotted Monty Panesar has picked up his form and may yet be considered as a second spinner in addition to Swann.

Nevertheless, the lack of practice with the bat showed in the first innings of their first three-day warm-up match against an ICC Affiliates XI.

Only Alastair Cook (76) shone as England declared on 185-8, a deficit of 96 runs. But the Affiliates then gave England the chance of the win with a sporting declaration in their second innings.

Ruthless as ever, Strauss' men took advantage as an improved batting display saw them chase down their target of 261 with three wickets remaining.

The tourists improved further in their second game with Cook (133) again hitting a big score as England gained a 60-run advantage on first innings over a Pakistan Cricket Board XI.

And the bowlers then starred in the second innings as the PCB XI collapsed to 150 all out, giving England a win by exactly 100 runs.

But, while the world number one team will enter the main event full confidence on the back of those wins, Pakistan are a team undoubtedly on the comeback trail.

Indeed, spearheaded by skipper Misbah and the exciting off-spin talent of Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistanis have won their last 10 matches - though it must be noted that these results did come against strugglers Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

After Pakistan, England also play Sri Lanka this winter in a brief jaunt with just two Tests scheduled. There, Strauss' side will face an opponent which has won just one match out of their last 17 in that form of the game.

Most recently, the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 43, their lowest-ever One Day score, on their way to losing by the massive margin of 258 runs against South Africa.

And it now seems extraordinary that, less than 12 months ago, Tillakaratne Dilshan's team were gallant runners-up in the World Cup Final.

Life after the retirement of spin king Muttiah Muralitharan has certainly proved to be difficult for them, indeed.


ENGLAND TOUR v PAKISTAN

Date		Venue
17-19 Jan	First Test: PAKISTAN 338 & 15-0 beat  ENGLAND 192 & 160 by 10 wickets	Dubai
25-28 Jan	Second Test: PAKISTAN 257 & 214 beat ENGLAND 327 & 72 by 72 runs	Abu Dhabi
3-6 Feb	Third Test: PAKISTAN 99 & 365 beat ENGLAND 141 & 252 by 71 runs	Dubai
13 Feb	First ODI: ENGLAND 260-7  beat PAKISTAN 130 (35 ovs) by 130 runs	Abu Dhabi
15 Feb	Second ODI: ENGLAND 250-4  beat PAKISTAN 230 (49 ovs) by 20 runs	Abu Dhabi
18 Feb	Third ODI: ENGLAND 226-1 (37.2) beat PAKISTAN 222 by nine wickets	Dubai
21 Feb	Fourth ODI: ENGLAND 241-6 (49.2) beat PAKISTAN 237 by four wickets	Dubai
23 Feb	First T20: PAKISTAN 144-6 beat ENGLAND 136-6 by eight runs	Dubai
25 Feb	Second T20: ENGLAND 150-7 beat PAKISTAN 112 (18.2) by 38 runs	Dubai
27 Feb	Third T20: ENGLAND 129-6 beat PAKISTAN 124-6 by five runs	Abu Dhabi

ENGLAND TOUR OF SRI LANKA

Date/time (BST)		Venue
26-30 Mar 10:00	First Test	Galle
3-7 Apr 10:00	Second Test	Colombo

Deconstructing the Iron Lady

 The Iron Lady (12A)
Dir: Phyllida Lloyd
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent
Running time: 105 minutes


THE IRON LADY has split the opinion of the critics right down the middle - and many will suggest, not unfairly, that it is quite an appropriate verdict on a figure as divisive as Margaret Thatcher.

But, while I think little for Thatcherism and feel some disdain at the extent to which it sadly pervades British politics today, at the same time I found this biopic rather engaging and also strangely moving.

The film benefits from a simple background plot in which an ageing Mrs Thatcher (Meryl Streep) is being helped by her daughter Carol (Olivia Colman) to clear out the clothes of Mrs Thatcher's late husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent).

We find that Denis is never far away from Mrs Thatcher's thoughts. In fact, she still sees him all of time and his sharp sense of humour ensures that he gets many of the best lines.

In the same way as Denis is close to Mrs Thatcher's thoughts, so are the former premier's political memories, and these are presented in a series of flashbacks.

This device may seem a little contrived for some critics but it logically allows the film to shift time from present to past with a smooth chronology.

We get to see how Mrs Thatcher rose through her party from an unpromising position to win power in the 1979 general election; how she then overcame her early problems in government with decisive victories in the Falklands abroad and at home against the miners.

And, finally, how she ultimately fell from grace with her party split over Europe and her popularity diminished by her introduction of the regressive poll tax.

There are, of course, scenes throughout the film of Mrs Thatcher debating in the House of Commons and heading her Cabinet meetings. However, none of the issues mentioned above is presented in the context of a political discourse.

For, that is not what this film set out to do - these are, more simply, the sepia-tinged memories of Mrs Thatcher and her thoughts upon them now.

Still, nothing of what I have written yet explains why someone like me - far removed from the Thatcher political philosophy - found the film "rather engaging and strangely moving".

Well, while I am not about to start paying subscription fees to her fan club, even this Thatcher detractor must concede that the drive and ambition which the young Mrs Thatcher showed in rising to the top was remarkable.

In this regard, Streep does fantastically well to convey the conviction and steely determination of the green-grocer's daughter, written off by many even from inside her own party.

Nowhere in the film is this better shown than in the scenes in the Commons where, at the height of her power, Mrs Thatcher's screechy oration was able to control the attention of a rowdy chamber full of men.

However, for me, Streep really excels with her portrayal of the much older Mrs Thatcher as a dementia sufferer in the present.

Dementia is an illness which is no respecter of authority and Streep's accurate representation of how it affects one of the previously most powerful persons in the world is highly commendable.

As you may have guessed, dementia is something which is rather close to home for me. Two of my deceased grandparents suffered from it, and my remaining 80-year-old nanna is also having her final years blighted by it.

I do not think I will ever understand how the brain will allow a person to remember vividly a moment from 30 years ago or more, and yet that same person cannot say what month it is, or what they had for breakfast. 

Oddly, the illness is still largely treated as a bit of a taboo subject when it comes to film and television, and so members of the Alzheimer's Society forums have been heartened to see it highlighted on the big screen.

I can only add my support to this and, consequently, I am happy to concede that Meryl Streep's Iron Lady has found an unlikely ally.

Blaydon gears up for a "proper celebration"

EVERY Geordie will hold the 9th of June close to their hearts - but the Geordie Day coming up in exactly five months is an occasion which should be especially marked on the calendar.

Why? Well, a listen to the opening lines of Geordie Ridley's iconic folk song and ye'll soon kna:

"Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon/
In eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon..."

Yes, Saturday 9 June 2012 will mark the 150th anniversary of the perilous journey in 1862 to the Blaydon Races which was the subject of Ridley's verse.

Of course, for the 32nd successive year, the athletics club - the bumble-bee coloured Harriers - will organise their 5.9-mile run from Balmbras in Newcastle alang the Scotswood Road and reet into Blaydon toon.

Entry for the race usually opens in February and gets full very quickly - in fact, last year, the limited capacity of 4,000 entrants was reached within four days.

However, some folks want a bigger celebration and there is a fully-fledged campaign for the councils of Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne to put their hands in their pockets just a bit.

Additionally, there has been a Facebook page set up with 747 members, and a Twitter feed @BlaydonRaces150 with 1,617 followers.

Most importantly, though, there is a petition to the two councils and local businesses which has so far attracted 1,934 signatories.

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, chief organiser Aidan Oswell explained the reasoning behind the push for a "proper celebration".

He said: "It's important to me, and it's important to the other supporters of the campaign, because there is undoubtedly a very strong and powerful sense of pride within the Geordie community here on Tyneside and across the whole of the world.

"And I think it's important that we articulate that Geordie pride through the celebration of this anniversary."

Negotiations with the councils and other interested parties remain ongoing with the hope of a "significant event" in Newcastle city centre next summer as well as satellite celebrations across the Tyneside area.

But it is not too late to get involved - email DrGibbs@blaydonraces150.co.uk or get in contact via the social media links such as Facebook or Twitter with any contributions.

The Season 2011/12: All eyes on Manchester again in FA Cup Third Round

MANCHESTER takes centre stage again as FA Cup holders City take on 11-time winners United in a mammoth Third Round clash, to be shown on ITV on Sunday.

In one of only two all-Premier League ties - the other being Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers - this isn't exactly David v Goliath.

Rather, it's more like Goliath v Goliath - but, nevertheless, the fixture remains fascinating for analysts eager to establish where the balance of power in the city now lies.

Roberto Mancini's City team will go into the game as favourites, having won 13 and drawn one of their 14 games at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions this season.

By contrast, the Red Devils trail their opponents in the league by three points having hit their worst form of the campaign.

As if Manchester United fans will need reminding, Sir Alex Ferguson's team have lost their last two games, conceding six goals in a 3-2 home defeat to Blackburn and a 3-0 away loss to Newcastle at St James Park.

And, of course, City fans will have no trouble recalling that Rovers' win was not the first by an away side in the Premier League this season.

Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko both struck twice, with the other goals scored by David Silva and Sergio Aguero, as City beat United 6-1 to inflict the worst home defeat in 56 years upon their rivals.

But, while everything so far has pointed to a Manchester City win, Manchester United are never more dangerous than when seeking revenge.

The 6-1 humiliation and two recent league losses mean Ferguson's men are very much a wounded animal and, as such, it would be no surprise if they managed a score draw and gained a replay back at Old Trafford.

ALTHOUGH the Manchester derby will undoubtedly take more than an even share of the limelight this weekend, the Third Round draw threw up plenty more interesting ties.

There are several local matches with Birmingham City hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers early on Saturday in the first of the televised games on ESPN.

Across the other side of the Midlands, Nottingham Forest take on Leicester City in an all-Championship tie - while, in the North West, League Two Macclesfield Town will fancy their chances of a notable upset against Premier League strugglers Bolton Wanderers.

In London, there are also a couple of derbies. Dagenham & Redbridge take on Millwall in an early kick-off before Fulham and League One leaders Charlton Athletic cross swords at Craven Cottage.

The biggest London clubs are all at home with Tottenham Hotspur playing Cheltenham Town on Saturday, and Chelsea repeating their 2010 Final against Portsmouth on Sunday.

Ten-time winners Arsenal do not feature until Monday due to television as they reignite their long-standing north-south rivalry with Leeds United at the Emirates.

This fixture had an airing in the FA Cup at this stage last year with the Gunners winning 3-1 in a replay at Elland Road after a 1-1 draw. However, the Yorkshire club will be putting everything into going one better this time.

While Arsenal complete the weekend's action - their match actually taking place after the Fourth Round draw is made on Sunday afternoon - Liverpool kick it off with a match at Anfield against Oldham Athletic on Friday night.

That tie was moved by Merseyside police because Everton were also drawn to play at home against non-league Tamworth.

Indeed, all but one of the four remaining non-league sides are on the road with the lowest-ranked, Salisbury City, away at Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United, and Blue Square Premier leaders Wrexham travelling to Brighton.

As well as the aforementioned Birmingham v Wolves match, another two of the televised ties feature Premier League clubs visiting sides from a lower division.

Managerless League Two stragglers Bristol Rovers will hope to raise their game against Aston Villa on Saturday night, and free-scoring Peterborough United take on Martin O'Neill's rejuvenated Sunderland on Sunday afternoon.

It really would be a surprise for their to be an upset in either of those two games - and so, instead, look no further than Highbury for possible Cup magic.

No, not the one in London which has been turned into blocks of flats, but Fleetwood Town's 5,500-capacity stadium in Lancashire.

Expect a full house as the ambitious Blue Square Premier side take on Blackpool from just eight miles down the coast. If there's a derby worth keeping an eye on this weekend, it's that one...


FULL FA CUP THIRD ROUND FIXTURES

	Friday 6 January
20:00	LIVERPOOL	5-1	OLDHAM ATHLETIC
	Saturday 7 January
15:00	BARNSLEY	2-4	SWANSEA CITY
12:30	BIRMINGHAM CITY	0-0	WOLVERHAMPTON W	ESPN
15:00	BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	1-1	WREXHAM
17:30	BRISTOL ROVERS	1-3	ASTON VILLA	ESPN
15:00	COVENTRY CITY	1-2	SOUTHAMPTON
15:00	CRAWLEY TOWN	1-0	BRISTOL CITY
15:00	DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE	0-0	MILLWALL
15:00	DERBY COUNTY	1-0	CRYSTAL PALACE
15:00	DONCASTER ROVERS	0-2	NOTTS COUNTY
15:00	EVERTON	2-0	TAMWORTH
15:00	FLEETWOOD TOWN	1-5	BLACKPOOL
15:00	FULHAM	4-0	CHARLTON ATHLETIC
15:00	GILLINGHAM	1-3	STOKE CITY
15:00	HULL CITY	3-1	IPSWICH TOWN
15:00	MACCLESFIELD TOWN	2-2	BOLTON WANDERERS
15:00	MIDDLESBROUGH	1-0	SHREWSBURY TOWN
15:00	MILTON KEYNES DONS	1-1	QUEENS PARK RANGERS
15:00	NEWCASTLE UNITED	2-1	BLACKBURN ROVERS
15:00	NORWICH CITY	4-1	BURNLEY
15:00	NOTTINGHAM FOREST	0-0	LEICESTER CITY
15:00	READING	0-1	STEVENAGE
15:00	SHEFFIELD UNITED	3-1	SALISBURY
15:00	SWINDON TOWN	2-1	WIGAN ATHLETIC
15:00	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	3-0	CHELTENHAM TOWN
15:00	WATFORD	4-2	BRADFORD CITY
15:00	WEST BROMWICH ALBION	4-2	CARDIFF CITY
	Sunday 8 January
15:00	CHELSEA	4-0	PORTSMOUTH
13:00	MANCHESTER CITY	2-3	MANCHESTER UNITED	ITV1
15:30	PETERBOROUGH UNITED	0-2	SUNDERLAND	ITV1
15:00	SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY	1-0	WEST HAM UNITED
	Monday 9 January
19:45	ARSENAL	1-0	LEEDS UNITED	ESPN

THIRD ROUND REPLAYS

	Tuesday 17 January
19:45	BOLTON WANDERERS	2-0	MACCLESFIELD TOWN
19:30	LEICESTER CITY	4-0	NOTTINGHAM FOREST	ESPN
19:45	MILLWALL	5-0	DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE
20:00	QUEENS PARK RANGERS	1-0	MILTON KEYNES DONS	ITV4
	Wednesday 18 January
19:15	WREXHAM	1-1 aet 4-5 pens	BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	ESPN
20:00	WOLVERHAMPTON W	0-1	BIRMINGHAM CITY	ITV1

FOURTH ROUND

	Friday 27 January
20:00	EVERTON	2-1	FULHAM
19:45	WATFORD	0-1	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	ESPN
	Saturday 28 January
15:00	BLACKPOOL	1-1	SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
15:00	BOLTON WANDERERS	2-1	SWANSEA CITY
17:15	BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	1-0	NEWCASTLE UNITED	ESPN
15:00	DERBY COUNTY	0-2	STOKE CITY
15:00	HULL CITY	0-1	CRAWLEY TOWN
15:00	LEICESTER CITY	2-0	SWINDON TOWN
12:45	LIVERPOOL	2-1	MANCHESTER UNITED	ITV
15:00	MILLWALL	1-1	SOUTHAMPTON
12:00	QUEENS PARK RANGERS	0-1	CHELSEA
15:00	SHEFFIELD UNITED	0-4	BIRMINGHAM CITY
15:00	STEVENAGE	1-0	NOTTS COUNTY
15:00	WEST BROMWICH ALBION	1-2	NORWICH CITY
	Sunday 29 January
16:00	ARSENAL	3-2	ASTON VILLA	ESPN
13:30	SUNDERLAND	1-1	MIDDLESBROUGH	ITV

FOURTH ROUND REPLAYS

	Tuesday 7 February
19:45	SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY	0-3	BLACKPOOL	ESPN
19:45	SOUTHAMPTON	2-3	MILLWALL
	Wednesday 8 February
19:45	MIDDLESBROUGH	1-2 aet	SUNDERLAND	ITV1

FIFTH ROUND

	Saturday 18 February
12:30	CHELSEA	1-1	BIRMINGHAM CITY	ESPN
15:00	EVERTON	2-0	BLACKPOOL
15:00	MILLWALL	0-2	BOLTON WANDERERS
15:00	NORWICH CITY	1-2	LEICESTER CITY
17:15	SUNDERLAND	2-0	ARSENAL	ITV1
	Sunday 19 February
12:00	CRAWLEY TOWN	0-2	STOKE CITY	ESPN
16:30	LIVERPOOL	6-1	BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION	ESPN
14:00	STEVENAGE	0-0	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	ITV1

FIFTH ROUND REPLAYS

	Tuesday 6 March
19:45	BIRMINGHAM CITY	0-2	CHELSEA	ITV1
	Wednesday 7 March
19:30	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	3-1	STEVENAGE	ESPN

SIXTH ROUND

	Saturday 17 March
12:45	EVERTON	1-1	SUNDERLAND	ITV
17:30	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	A-A	BOLTON WANDERERS	ESPN
	Sunday 18 March
14:05	CHELSEA	5-2	LEICESTER CITY	ESPN
16:00	LIVERPOOL	2-1	STOKE CITY	ITV
	Tuesday 27 March
14:05	TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR	3-1	BOLTON WANDERERS	ESPN

SIXTH ROUND REPLAYS

	Tuesday 27 March
19:45	SUNDERLAND	0-2	EVERTON	ITV

SEMI FINAL DRAW Ties to be played at Wembley on 14 & 15 April
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
Liverpool v Everton

Romney wins narrowest Iowa vote in history*

Iowa caucuses
1 Mitt Romney 30,015 (24.62%)
2 Rick Santorum 30,007 (24.61%)
3 Ron Paul 26,219 (21.51%)
4 Newt Gingrich 16,251 (13.33%)
5 Rick Perry 12,604 (10.34%)
6 Michele Bachmann 6,073 (4.98%)

REPUBLICAN presidential hopeful Mitt Romney leads the race for his party's nomination after an important early win in the Iowa caucuses(*see postscript at the end of this article).

Former Massachusetts governor Mr Romney (24.62%) won by just eight votes from Rick Santorum (24.61%). Ron Paul, on 21.5%, was trailing in third.

Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, managed only 13.3% but he still finished ahead of Rick Perry (10.3%) and Michele Bachmann (5%).

Front-runner Mr Romney will hope this is the first of many poll wins as he seeks the approval of the Republican party ahead of the National Convention in Tampa, Florida in August.

There, one of the contenders will be confirmed as the candidate who will run against incumbent Democrat President Barack Obama in November.

It should be noted that Iowa is important only because it is first. It is not first because it is particularly important.

The Mid-west state has only a small number of delegates and technically no delegates were elected today anyway, only delegates to county conventions who in turn elect delegates to an Iowa State Convention.

Nevertheless, even a narrow victory comes as welcome news to Mr Romney who will now carry momentum into the next contest on 10 January in New Hampshire, where he already holds a big lead.

If the multi-millionaire businessman wins there, as expected, he would become the first ever Republican candidate to carry both Iowa and New Hampshire in the caucuses and primaries.

And that would give him a huge boost heading into Super Tuesday on 6 March when no fewer than 10 states will vote in primaries and caucuses.

It is perhaps no surprise that Mr Romney has emerged as the front-runner given his ability to appeal to moderates and independents.

However, his success has caused a crisis on the conservative right of the Grand Old Party.

This political nightmare for the right has been exacerbated by their sheer inability to settle on an 'Anyone But Romney' ticket amid wave upon wave of negative campaigning.

Ms Bachmann was the first to sit atop the merry go-round. Backed by the Tea Party movement, her support peaked last July before she was overshadowed by Mr Perry’s entry to the race.

Mr Perry then faded after poor performances in debates, and he was replaced in turn by the pizza magnate Herman Cain.

Mr Cain surged in October, but support soon fell away after he became embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment, leading to his withdrawal at the start of last month.

Next, Mr Gingrich briefly challenged Mr Romney in the polls - but, having been married three times and admitted adultery, the former struggled to compete with Mr Romney's apparently clean-cut image.

And so we finally reach the present situation where Mr Romney's closest rivals are Mr Santorum and Mr Paul. Even for Mr Santorum and Mr Paul, this has been a bumpy ride, though.

Mr Santorum has come under fire from small government exponent Mr Paul for being a big spender. The 76-year-old Mr Paul has had to contend with the revelation that racially-offensive newsletters were published in his name.

Mr Paul claims not to have read them, never mind written them, but it is little wonder that the Republicans are being cast as a bunch of loons by some in the British media.

On that basis, then, you would think that this contest would be rather irrelevant, only choosing who loses the general election to Mr Obama.

Not so. For the Republicans' crisis of confidence is actually borne out of a belief that they can beat Mr Obama whose popularity ratings have been consistently poor.

Mr Obama enjoyed positive approval for the first few months of his presidency as he vowed to clear up the mess left at home and abroad by his predecessor, George W Bush.

But the honeymoon period did not last long and, having been elected with a mandate to change America and provide a fresh start, Mr Obama has disappointed at best, and failed at worst.

Dealt a poor hand by the world economic situation, he has had to deal with high unemployment while his flagship healthcare reforms were watered down at the request of members of his own party.

Subsequently, the Democrats lost control of the House in the mid-term elections, though it could have been worse: they did at least retain control in the Senate.

Abroad, Mr Obama took a risk by involving US forces in another war by bombing Libya, and troops remain in Afghanistan.

Moreover, the increased dropping of drone bombs on Pakistan has caused a breakdown in diplomatic relations there, and his promise to close down Guantanamo Bay has still yet to be fulfilled.

On the positive side, US troops are finally out of Iraq, and the president will also receive credit for the removal in 2011 of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and Osama bin Laden.

The latter resulted in wild celebrations from liberals and conservatives alike, coming as it did just months before 10th anniversary of 9/11.

It definitely represented a high point for the Obama administration so far but will it be enough for him to secure a second term?

Looking at the candidates for the GOP again, Mr Romney - as the most moderate - is probably best placed to go up against Mr Obama in the autumn.

But, if the challenger cannot even guarantee votes from his own fractious party, Mr Obama will not be sitting too nervously just yet - regardless of what his personal ratings currently show.

*POSTSCRIPT (added 19/01/2012)
(See entry at 10.25am on Guardian liveblog for South Carolina primary)
At a news conference on 19 January, the Iowa Republican Party announced that, of the votes that could be counted, Rick Santorum (29,839) actually had 34 more than Mitt Romney (29,805) in the final tally. Ron Paul (26,036) was still in third place.
However, no official winner has yet been renamed for the state because results from eight of the Iowa's 1,774 precincts are missing.

2012 PRIMARY/CAUCUS SCHEDULE
KEY DATES
3 January Iowa (caucus) - no official winner

10 January New Hampshire (primary) - Mitt Romney

21 January South Carolina (primary)
31 January Florida (primary)

4 February Nevada (caucus)
4-11 February Maine (caucus)
7 February Colorado (caucus), Minnesota (caucus)
28 February Arizona (primary), Michigan (primary)

3 March Washington (caucus)
6 March: Super Tuesday Alaska (caucus), Georgia (primary), Idaho (caucus), Massachusetts (primary), North Dakota (caucus), Ohio (primary), Oklahoma (primary), Tennessee (primary), Vermont (primary), Virginia (primary)
6-10 March Wyoming (caucus)
10 March Kansas (caucus), US Virgin Islands (caucus)
13 March Alabama (primary), Hawaii (caucus), Mississippi (primary)
17 March Missouri (caucus)
20 March Illinois (primary)
24 March Louisiana (primary)

3 April District of Columbia (primary), Maryland (primary), Wisconsin (primary), Texas (primary)
24 April Connecticut (primary), Delaware (primary), New York (primary), Pennsylvania (primary), Rhode Island (primary)

8 May Indiana (primary), North Carolina (primary), West Virginia (primary)
15 May Nebraska (primary), Oregon (primary)
22 May Arkansas (primary), Kentucky (primary)

5 June California (primary), Montana (primary), New Jersey (primary), New Mexico (primary), South Dakota (primary)
26 June Utah (primary)

27-30 August REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Tampa, Florida
3-6 September DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION Charlotte, North Carolina

Index 2011

FOOTBALL
Season 2010/11
08.01 FA Cup Third Round: Ronnie f*cking Radford, Immortalised
10.01 Club-by-club half-time verdict
24.01 Berbatov hits another treble
16.02 Rooney reduces Manchester United's title rivals to one
27.02 Carling Cup: Martins benefits from last-minute Arsenal mix-up
04.04 Rooney banned for hat-trick rant as Manchester United move in on title
16.04 FA Cup Semis: Manchester City and Stoke City end their long wait
03.05 Chelsea eye chance to take title lead
14.05 FA Cup Final: Toure strikes as Manchester City end their barren run
19.05 Survival Sunday calculations
24.05 Birmingham and Blackpool drop in dramatic finale
31.05 Swans soar after Sinclair hat-trick
Season 2011/12
06.08 The Championship 2011/12
13.08 The Premier League 2011/12
30.08 Manchester clubs make big early impression
20.12 All eyes on Manchester at the halfway stage
Euro 2012
25.03 All to easy for England in Cardiff
03.06 England escape with draw against Swiss
02.09 Deutschland uber alles
06.09 Narrow win edges England closer
07.10 Rooney sees red as England qualify
11.10 Scotland slump out while Irish enjoy the rub of the green
16.11 Ireland exorcise playoff hoodoo
02.12 Finals draw
FIFA
01.06 Blatter gets four more years
30.07 World Cup 2014: England draw both Euro hosts
11.11 FIFA were wrong in poppy wrangle
Copa America
01.07 Argentina hope home advantage ends 18-year wait
25.07 Suarez and Forlan fire Uruguay to victory

CRICKET
End of Ashes series 2010/11
03.01 England win Ashes series after handing out another thumping
07.01 Statistics show England dominance
05.02 Australia win the One-Dayers. No one notices.
Cricket World Cup
18.02 Group A preview
18.02 Group B preview
19.02 Full results
02.03 Record-breaker O'Brien helps incredible Ireland beat bungling England
11.03 Bangladesh defeat leaves England hopes on a knife edge
20.03 England progress against Windies as Aussie run ends
30.03 Co-hosts battle for world crown
02.04 Dhoni leads India to World Cup glory
Summer 2011
26.05 England face finalists in tough summer schedule
09.07 England scrape Sri Lanka series wins
23.08 England whitewash India to seal number one spot
04.11 Pakistan cricket scam puts ICC in the dock

FORMULA 1 2011
19.04 Hamilton halts Vettel's speedy start
31.05 Vettel streaks clear as Hamilton snaps
14.06 Senna-sational
10.07 Alonso seals Silverstone win but Red Bull retain control
29.07 BBC breaks the chain
04.08 Button excels in the wet again
13.10 Vettel completes the inevitable: stats
29.11 Team-by-team review

RUGBY WORLD CUP
08.09 Preview: Can New Zealand hold their nerve?
09.09 Complete results and fixtures
01.10 England break Scotland's brave hearts
09.10 England flop to France - Wales, Wallabies and All Blacks advance
15.10 New Zealand face yet another French test
24.10 New Zealand end 24 years of hurt

WORLD SNOOKER
15.04 Odds against Robertson and the Rocket
25.04 Selby breezes into the quarters
01.05 Trump fairytale faces Final test
01.05 Higgins holds his nerve to win fourth Crucible title

OLYMPICS/ATHLETICS/SPORTS PERSONALITY
21.04 BOA backs down in funding wrangle
18.05 Detailed torch route announced
28.07 One year to go
04.09 Mo Farah flies to join Greene with gold
22.12 Manx Missile Cavendish odds-on for SPOTY prize

NON-SPORTS COVERAGE
MEDIA
27.01 Gray and Keys over-step the line in NewsCorp's annus horribilis
01.04 Ah, tits! Daily Sport goes bust
25.05 Superinjunction farce leaves Giggs exposed
06.07 How low can the News of the World go?
19.07 Murdoch empire starts to fall apart
27.10 Private Eye still packs a punch at 50

POLITICS
May elections
21.02 AV debate divides opinion
05.05 Full results: AV referendum and English councils
05.05 Full results: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
07.05 UK rejects AV as Lib Dems crumble
Party conferences
21.09 Fighting talk from the Lib Dems has come too late
30.09 Miliband still struggling to make an impression
06.10 Cat fight overshadows Conservative conference
Other events
14.01 Miliband makes his breakthrough in Oldham
21.01 Resignation season
04.03 Barnsley Central destroys last remnants of Clegg's credibility
21.03 MPs back Libya action but confusion reigns over Resolution 1973
23.03 Osborne will not be judged on this Budget
08.08 London's burning
15.10 Fox falls on his sword
17.12 Labour relief at Feltham result

MUSIC
14.05 Eurovision: Azerbaijan surprise leaves Britain feeling Blue
20.06 Glastonbury and the Hyde Park hiatus
04.07 Glastonbury and Hyde Park: Mud, sweat and beers
26.12 Merry Christmas to the Military Wives

MISCELLANEOUS
11.02 Best foot forward
09.04 Grand National: McCain legacy continues with Ballabriggs victory
27.04 25 years on, Chernobyl continues to cast its shadow
27.04 The alternative Royal Wedding
09.06 Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road
11.11 Remembrance Day, lest we forget
31.12 Index 2011

Merry Christmas to the Military Wives

THE MILITARY Wives comfortably sealed the coveted Christmas number one spot, the Official Charts Company announced yesterday.

Victory for the wives became inevitable after their charity record 'Wherever You Are' became the fastest-selling single in six years.

Indeed, after two days of last week, it had outsold its nearest rival - 'Cannonball' by X Factor winners Little Mix - by a margin of six to one.

And, in the end, it sold 556,000 copies, which was more than the rest of the top 12 combined.

Little Mix, who were the first ever group to win the ITV competition and who were number one last week, sold 117,000 records in the run-up to Christmas Day.

But the result means for the second time in three years that the X Factor winner has failed to reach number one at Christmas after Joe McElderry finished behind Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' in 2009.

In an unfortunate geographical coincidence, the beaten McElderry is from South Shields in Tyne & Wear, and so are two of the four members of Little Mix.

There was nothing more in it than that, though. Indeed, the Military Wives are fully deserving of their number one spot as their record struck the right note with the country at large.

Even the Treasury - at the request of Oliver Colvile, Conservative MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport - felt compelled to waive VAT on the sale of the record.

Announcing the decision, Chancellor George Osborne said: "Our armed forces demonstrate incredible commitment to the nation and make sacrifices for all of us.

"The Military Wives Choir is doing a great job of raising money for this hugely worthy cause."

As Mr Osborne notes, proceeds from Wherever You Are were split between two charities, the Royal British Legion and the SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association).

And the fact is that the 100-strong choir had a more interesting back-story than, with respect to Little Mix, just another reality television show winner.

Their appearance on the BBC programme The Choir with Gareth Malone culminated in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and the lyrics of Wherever You Are were taken from love poems, written between the women and their absent husbands.

Meanwhile, the Little Mix record producers hardly help themselves, releasing 'Cannonball' a week too early with this year's number one actually announced on Christmas Day itself.

But while that at least allowed the Little Mix girls to wake up on Christmas morning in the number one slot, it will be the Military Wives who will deservedly go into the record books.

A Merry Christmas to them, and indeed to all of my readers. More from me in 2012!

Manx Missile Cavendish odds-on for SPOTY prize

BBC Sports Personality of the Year is on BBC One at 8pm tonight. The candidates for the main award are:
Mark Cavendish (cycling)
Age: 26
Place of birth: Douglas, Isle of Man
Achievements: Cavendish won five stages of this year's Tour de France, bringing his total of stage wins in the gruelling race over the past four years to 20. He became the first person to win the final stage on the Champs-Elysees three years in a row as he sealed a first ever green jersey triumph for a British cyclist in the history of the event.
Devil's Advocate: A cyclist as favourite in a non-Olympic year would usually come as a surprise but, such are Cavendish's achievements in the Tour de France, no one would be shocked at the outcome if he wins.
Odds: 1/3 fav

Darren Clarke (golf)
Age: 43
Place of birth: Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Achievements: Clarke finally won his first major in 2011, and it proved to be a special victory, coming in this year's Open Championship at Royal St George in Sandwich. In an emotional post-victory speech, Clarke dedicated his win to his two children and late wife Heather, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006. He said: "In terms of what's going through my heart, there's obviously somebody who is watching from up above there, and I know she'd be very proud of me. But I think she'd be more proud of my two boys and them at home watching more than anything else. It's been a long journey to get here."
Devil's Advocate: Clarke's victory came from out of the blue and may be regarded in time as something of a one-off. Also, there are fears of a three-way golf split and a two-way Northern Irish golf split in the vote.
Odds: 5/1

Mo Farah (athletics)
Age: 28
Place of birth: Mogadishu, Somalia
Achievements: Farah provided the highlight of the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea for Team GB by taking the silver medal in the 10,000m, and then, with brilliant timing, the gold in the 5,000m. He became the British man to win a global title over either distance.
Devil's Advocate: Farah and his coach Alberto Salazar have stated on record explicitly that their work will not be done until the Somalia-born athletes has won both the 5,000m and 10,000m in the Olympics. If Farah manages to do that at London 2012 then it would be hard to bet against him for next year.
Odds: 12/1

Rory McIlroy (golf)
Age: 22
Place of birth: Carryduff, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Achievements: McIlroy recovered from a horrible final-day collapse in the first major of the year at the US Masters to become the youngest winner of the US Open since 1923. McIlroy carded a record score of 16-under-par for an eight-shot win to carry off his first major and the young Northern Irishman also moved to a new career-high number two in the world rankings in November.
Devil's Advocate: Like Clarke, McIlroy will be worried about how the golf vote is likely to be split - but, unlike Clarke at least, McIlroy's age gives him the chance to take Tiger Woods' place and dominate his sport for years to come.
Odds: 16/1

Luke Donald (golf)
Age: 34
Place of birth: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Achievements: Donald became number one golfer in the world rankings after winning the BMW PGA Championship in May 2011. He later completed a historic double by winning both the PGA Tour money list and the European Race to Dubai, becoming the first ever player to do this. Finally, he also won the PGA Player of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year awards, becoming the first Englishman to win either award.
Devil's Advocate: Donald deserves his number one ranking on the basis of his great consistency, just like Clarke and McIlroy until this year, the Englishman will continued to be dogged by the lack of a major title.  
Odds: 16/1

Alastair Cook (cricket)
Age: 26
Place of birth: Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Achievements: Cook made a mockery of Australian predictions that he was a weak link in the England batting line-up by proving instrumental in the successful defence of the Ashes, a first victory Down Under for England since 1986-7. The Essex batsmen scored 766 runs in the five-match series at an average of 127.66 - second only to Wally Hammond in the 1920s. Additionally, he occupied the crease for over 36 hours, a world record in a five-Test series and an English record even including six-Test series. Back home, Cook was part of the side which beat Sri Lanka 1-0 and India 4-0 on the way to becoming the best team in the world, and he also won his first series as national team captain in the One Day Internationals, beating Sri Lanka 3-2.
Devil's Advocate: Cook looked less impressive as ODI captain in the 4-1 defeat to India which followed the Sri Lanka win but he is a young captain and will learn from his errors. Perhaps more crucially, the Ashes win was almost a year ago and England have not played since September, meaning Cook has hardly featured on the sports' pages recently.
Odds: 66/1

Andrew Strauss (cricket)
Age: 34
Place of birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Achievements: Strauss led England to successive Ashes victories, captaining the side to three innings victories in the first successful tour in Australia since 1986-7. Strauss played his part Down Under, averaging 43.85 with the bat - but perhaps his finest moment as national team skipper came this summer as his team finally reached the peak of the world rankings after beating India 4-0.
Devil's Advocate:
Odds: 200/1

Dai Greene (athletics)
Age: 25
Place of birth: Felinfoel, Carmarthernshire, Wales
Achievements: After Mo Farah (above), Welsh hurdler Greene won Team GB's only other gold medal in the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, taking the title with a fine comeback in the 400m hurdles. He is the current holder of European, Commenwealth and world titles in his discipline.
Devil's Advocate: It may seem a little unfair, and certainly does not detract from Greene's achievement, but it is unlikely for an athlete to win SPOTY in a non-Olympic year.
Odds: 200/1

Amir Khan (boxing)
Age: 25
Place of birth: Bolton, Lancashire
Achievements: Having earlier beaten the previously unbeaten Irishman Paul McCloskey in April, Khan unified the IBF and WBA light-welterweight world titles by beating American Zab Judah in May with a KO in the fifth round.
Devil's Advocate: Khan hardly helped his cause within the last two weeks after losing his titles to Lamont Petersen in a split decision even though, controversially, the Bolton boxer was twice deducted two points by referee Joe Cooper for pushing.
Odds: 250/1

Andy Murray (tennis)
Age: 24
Place of birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Achievements: Murray enjoyed perhaps his most consistent year yet, reaching the last four of all of the Grand Slam tournaments, including the semi finals of the French Open for the first time. He made the final of the Australian Open for the second successive year, and finished the season with a flurry of wins in the Far East, winning in Thailand, Japan and Shanghai.
Devil's Advocate: Like Donald (above) in the golf, for all of Murray's consistency in the season as a whole, the Scotsman's lack of a Grand Slam title remains a problem. Murray also had to pull out of the end-of-season ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London.
Odds: 250/1


OTHER SPOTY PRIZES
England's cricket team should make it a hat-trick in the Team of the Year award, having won as recently as 2005 and 2009, after retaining the Ashes abroad with three innings victories then becoming the best team in the world.

Following on from that, Andy Flower has a good chance of being named Coach of the Year with his main rival, Graham Henry, discounted on the basis that the award relates to British sport.

It would be a shame then if Graham Henry could not represent New Zealand's Rugby World Cup win by taking the Overseas SPOTY Award, and it is unfortunate that fly half Dan Carter was injured for so much of the tournament, otherwise he would have undoubtedly been a very strong candidate. This is a very competitive year for the Overseas Award with Novak Djokovic's year in tennis and Sebastian Vettel's dominance of F1 ripe also for selection.

Finally, of the main awards, the Young SPOTY Award is between:
- Seventeen-year-old cyclist Lucy Garner who became the junior road race world champion in Copenhagen in 2011, making her Britain's first medallist in the event since Nicole Cooke, who claimed victory in 2000 and 2001. What chance a cycling double tonight?
- Seventeen-year-old Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds who won four medals in individual events at the IPC European Swimming Championships in Berlin - two gold, a silver and a bronze. Simmonds previously won the award in 2008.
- And golfer Lauren Taylor, also 17. Lauren won the 2011 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush and became the youngest ever winner, breaking a record that had stood for 112 years. Perhaps she will make up for Clarke, McIlroy and Donald if they fall short.

There will be three other awards given at the ceremony at the BBC in Salford - the Helen Rollason Award, for someone who has shown "outstanding achievement in the face of adversity"; the Unsung Hero Award, for someone who "has given their time and talents for free to enable others to participate in sport"; and the Lifetime Achievement Award which has been won this year by Sir Steve Redgrave, Britain's greatest ever Olympian.