Firstly I would like to say sorry for not posting for six months, but I have been busy with my GCSEs and currently AS levels.
I suppose the main issue in sport at the moment is the Indian cricket racism row. It’s all very complicated, Harbhajan Singh has been accused of calling Andrew Symonds a "monkey" and now Singh has accused Brad Hogg of racial abuse. They have both been banned pending appeals. Quite frankly, Harbhajan Singh has been in trouble for this sort of thing before after an incident with Ricky Ponting, and if he did make another comment, the ICC should quite literally "throw the book at him". There is no room for this type of unsporting behaviour in any sport and anyone found guilty of it should be banned for life.
What followed this should bring the whole of the Indian cricketing game to shame. First, they accuse Umpire Steve Bucknor of giving a number of decisions to the Australians and demand that the ICC replace him. Then upon hearing that Singh had been banned, they decided to suspend their tour until the ICC withdrew the ban. This sort of action should be severely reprimanded, and is highly irresponsible of the Indian Cricket Association. What example does this set to up and coming athletes? If decisions don't go your way, use blackmail to get what you want? It's ridiculous. This could be an under-hand move to try to over-shadow the race row, and it if is, for me, it has worked. In all honesty, if the Indian Cricket Association is going to behave like this, then we don't need them in the game, and they should be banned from competing until they learn to accept punishments and to play by the rules.
Anyway, that’s the end of my cricket rant. On a lighter note, it is nice to see the English teams away from any negative press for a change. In tennis, Andy Murray has won his fourth ATP Tour title at the 2008 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, moving him up to 9th in the World rankings. It’s good to see a Brit finally doing well in, well anything really. No that’s not fair, I mean, Paula Radcliffe’s not bad is she?
Away from tennis, Fabio Capello has started his new job as England football team manager as of Monday. His first job is to travel to the Croatian capital of Zagreb to organise the fixtures for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers on the 31st January. He has already been spotted on scouting missions at Aston Villa v Man United and Luton Town v Liverpool. It’s good to see he has taken by Sven Goran Eriksson’s example by attending matches and making public appearances regularly.
I hope to attend Charlton v Blackpool this weekend and I will hopefully have a report by the end of this Sunday.
Showing posts with label Charlton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlton. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
The Weekends football
So it'll be a United Chelsea FA cup final. Im not sure this is good news or bad. I was kind of hoping that it would be Watford Blackburn so that everyone would say it was an insignificant final, being the first at the new Wembley and next years would be the proper one, like a dress rehearsal. Not to be though, and i suppose it is a good thing, the first final at Wembley being a showcase event, although of course i'd rather it was Arsenal or Charlton.
The Premiership was exiting as usual this weekend, and i think now that the relegation battle has been cut down again - to four teams - only one going down. In my opinion West Ham and Watford are already down and its between Charlton, Sheffield Utd, Wigan and Fulham for the last spot, and i think, although they have the most points from their games out of all those teams, that Fulham will be the team that goes down. Their remaining fixtures are about the hardest they could have at this time of the season, they don't have any 6 pointers and they have tough away games with Arsenal and Blackburn, while they polay host to Liverpool and Middlesborough. I can see them maybe picking up one or three points form the Boro game, and none anywhere else. Its going to be tight but i think the other teams will pick up points elsewhere, Charlton are in form and i think will beat Sheffield United on saturday, and Wigan are looking good, form wise, and i can't see Sheffield going down after their excellent display against West Ham.
As far as Europe is concerned, i think Arsenal have now bagged fourth and could go on to take third although it really makes no difference. And i think Tottenham are looking good for the UEFA Cup spot created by two teams already in Europe being in the FA Cup final. They will join Bolton and Everton, who diserve their places, after two seasons of nearly there or failure as far as Everton are concerned.
To end i'd just like to mention the C-word. Cricket. As i am writing this, England are being destroyed by South Africa in the World Cup and Sajid Mahmood is officially the WORST bowler in the world, EVER!! Two overs at a cost of 28 runs!!! It really is abismal and i'd like to make a protest, kick him out please, why is he in the England squad when we have people like Matthew Hoggard who could do ten times better. The build up to this game had been quite promising, with the whole squad standing up to be counted for once in their careers, bu
t i was a fool to believe it would ever happen. We have all been let down by some very average England cricketers. Although, i did expect better from Kevin Pietersen, out for 3?? Whats going on? He has the England bug thats what. Its like in football. Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Drogba in England shirts and they'd be like two kids having a kick-about at the park. I don't know what it is about England but everyone who plays for them, no matter how good they are, they never seem to be able to gel or get the consistancy they do for club or county. Its the same in all sports. The rugby was an exeption for a year or two, they must have thought they were Australian or something, then they all realised that they aren't meant to play well for England and turned into the shite we all know and see from England teams week in, week out.
*Picture: Mahmood trying to do the YMCA, i'm sure he'd be better at it that Cricket.
The Premiership was exiting as usual this weekend, and i think now that the relegation battle has been cut down again - to four teams - only one going down. In my opinion West Ham and Watford are already down and its between Charlton, Sheffield Utd, Wigan and Fulham for the last spot, and i think, although they have the most points from their games out of all those teams, that Fulham will be the team that goes down. Their remaining fixtures are about the hardest they could have at this time of the season, they don't have any 6 pointers and they have tough away games with Arsenal and Blackburn, while they polay host to Liverpool and Middlesborough. I can see them maybe picking up one or three points form the Boro game, and none anywhere else. Its going to be tight but i think the other teams will pick up points elsewhere, Charlton are in form and i think will beat Sheffield United on saturday, and Wigan are looking good, form wise, and i can't see Sheffield going down after their excellent display against West Ham.
As far as Europe is concerned, i think Arsenal have now bagged fourth and could go on to take third although it really makes no difference. And i think Tottenham are looking good for the UEFA Cup spot created by two teams already in Europe being in the FA Cup final. They will join Bolton and Everton, who diserve their places, after two seasons of nearly there or failure as far as Everton are concerned.
To end i'd just like to mention the C-word. Cricket. As i am writing this, England are being destroyed by South Africa in the World Cup and Sajid Mahmood is officially the WORST bowler in the world, EVER!! Two overs at a cost of 28 runs!!! It really is abismal and i'd like to make a protest, kick him out please, why is he in the England squad when we have people like Matthew Hoggard who could do ten times better. The build up to this game had been quite promising, with the whole squad standing up to be counted for once in their careers, bu
t i was a fool to believe it would ever happen. We have all been let down by some very average England cricketers. Although, i did expect better from Kevin Pietersen, out for 3?? Whats going on? He has the England bug thats what. Its like in football. Put Cristiano Ronaldo and Drogba in England shirts and they'd be like two kids having a kick-about at the park. I don't know what it is about England but everyone who plays for them, no matter how good they are, they never seem to be able to gel or get the consistancy they do for club or county. Its the same in all sports. The rugby was an exeption for a year or two, they must have thought they were Australian or something, then they all realised that they aren't meant to play well for England and turned into the shite we all know and see from England teams week in, week out.*Picture: Mahmood trying to do the YMCA, i'm sure he'd be better at it that Cricket.
Thursday, 12 April 2007
UEFA Cup and Operation Ewood
Firstly i would just like to say that Totenham put up a very brave performance agianst an excellent and tactically astute Sevilla side. They fell apart in the first ten minutes, which cost them, big time. Had they not conceded so early on, i think they would have definately gone on to win the tie. However Sevilla did deserve to win in the end i think, Juande Ramos, the Sevilla boss, getting his tactics spot on. These being to go out all guns blazing, snatch one or two goals and then sit back. It worked perfectly. Its a shame Totenham are out, and i do genuinely mean that, despite having such a keen dislike to them, considering Arsenal are my family team. They played excellently during this years competition and deserved to get this far, I have enjoyed watching them.
Moving on to some good news that i found out on Saturday in the Charlton programme, they have announced Operation Ewood! Its brilliant news considering the success of last years Operation Riverside. It will be great to see so many travelling Charlton fans there, and who knows there will probrably be more of us than them. Ill certainly be going. Balckburn will be shocked at the turnout.
It strikes me that in a few years time, the Premiership will be entirely foreign owned. The next target of corse being Arsenal and Kroenke Sports Enterprises buying further into the club. They are thought to be close to securing one of the club's majority shareholders Danny Fiszman's shares, in excess of 25%, which would take them well over the 30% threshold needed to make a formal bid. I dont know whether this is good or bad news. It means more oney and therefore better players in the Premiership so its probrably a good thing but im not convinced.
Moving on to some good news that i found out on Saturday in the Charlton programme, they have announced Operation Ewood! Its brilliant news considering the success of last years Operation Riverside. It will be great to see so many travelling Charlton fans there, and who knows there will probrably be more of us than them. Ill certainly be going. Balckburn will be shocked at the turnout.
It strikes me that in a few years time, the Premiership will be entirely foreign owned. The next target of corse being Arsenal and Kroenke Sports Enterprises buying further into the club. They are thought to be close to securing one of the club's majority shareholders Danny Fiszman's shares, in excess of 25%, which would take them well over the 30% threshold needed to make a formal bid. I dont know whether this is good or bad news. It means more oney and therefore better players in the Premiership so its probrably a good thing but im not convinced.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Charlton versus Reading match report
As promised, here is my match report from the Charlton v Reading game... have a read, let me know what you think...
NO HAIR RAISER!
Nervy affair causes Pardew to reflect on some “Grey Matters”
By James Warner
“This job is reflected in our hair colour” – wise words from one grey haired Alan Pardew after his side failed to capitalise on fellow relegation strugglers having dropped points. His side had the chance to pull clear of Sheffield United who now have, what could prove to be, a very valuable game in hand, but they showed promise throughout the game without never looking like scoring, they had the build up, most of it coming from counter-attacking movements, but they could not find the clinical finish.
This really was a crunch tie for both these teams, Reading wanting to push for Europe in their first ever season in the top flight and for Charlton, battling to avoid the drop.
The Charlton fans seemed up for the game even before the teams set to the field with cries of “We are staying up” echoing around a packed Valley. They have been Charlton’s twelfth man through out this campaign and even when things where looking beyond repair, they kept their team going. The term is used a lot but they really have been superb.
Right from the word go the players looked to be responding in kind to the fans support, winning an early corner, from which Talal El Karkouri was inches from tucking away, the ball smashing the crossbar and rebounding agonisingly close to the goal line.
The players had previously been on the back foot for the first few minutes but this was a spur for the next ten minutes of Charlton pressure, in which Darren Bent nearly found Ambrose after a break was made by the other Bent, Marcus. With Reading clearly on the back foot, Coppell looked disjointed.
He must have scared the players into a reaction because by this time Reading where swinging the pendulum right back the other way, and by the time Alex Song received and early booking, Charlton where looking rattled. Reading came close with a dazzling run by their speedy Korean, Seol, forcing Scott Carson into a decent save. By the time the half time whistle went, you could almost feel the frustrating outcome of this game as if it had already happened, Graham Poll not helping matters, giving needless free kicks, and slowing down the tempo and flow of the game.
As the second half kicked of, Charlton fans where not at their usual selves, becoming drowned out by a newly awaken set of Reading fans in the corner of the Jimmy Seed stand.
The increasing frustration was beginning to tell on the players as Song was pulled up for one or two niggling fouls. He had to be careful. Alan Pardew had to do something but with two substitutes already having been used, and a player about to be sent off for persistent fouling, he replaced Alex Song with Matt Holland. This seemed to lift the fans spirits a bit and the players too, tackles flying around and players committing themselves to the job in hand. Souleymane Diawara was having an absolute stormer at the back for Charlton and that didn’t change as he continued to make last ditch tackles and clearances.
Twenty minutes to go and at last some action, Darren Bent down the Charlton right, tries to win a corner from Bikey, only to have the ball rebound and hit him in the face and go behind for a goal kick. The game was really starting to become a bore. And it really did seem like it was going to be a famous bore-draw. Or rather not so famous.
The game sprung to life again with a fierce effort from Nicky Shorey which saw Carson scrambling across his goaline, followed by a chorus of “Shorey for England” from the Reading fans. Then a minute or two later, Hunt was found unmarked at the back post, but the Irishman failed to capitalise, summing up an evening of missed or even uncreated chances for both sides.
The frustration began to tell on all the fans faces as both teams seemed to be settling for the draw, one last chance to snatch the points perhaps, as Luke Young comes bursting down the right flank, only Zheng in the box but he managed to find him with an inch perfect cross, only for the China captain to blow his moment of glory with a tame effort straight into the hands of Marcus Hahnemann. I could see looks of disappointment on the faces of every Chinaman in the ground.
Towards the end El Karkouri suffered a rare rush of blood to his usual cool and collected head, as the Moroccan shoved Shane Long in the box, causing rushes of blood elsewhere with Charlton hearts in mouths. Graham Poll, unusually, giving nothing on this occasion.
In the end, both sides will probably settle for a point though in truth, three would have been better all round. If Charlton’s season ends like this, Pardew will have no hair left to turn a different colour. Not exactly what you would call “hair raising”.
On the other hand it was another well earned point on the way to Charltons Premiership survival.
©James Warner 2007
NO HAIR RAISER!
Nervy affair causes Pardew to reflect on some “Grey Matters”
By James Warner
“This job is reflected in our hair colour” – wise words from one grey haired Alan Pardew after his side failed to capitalise on fellow relegation strugglers having dropped points. His side had the chance to pull clear of Sheffield United who now have, what could prove to be, a very valuable game in hand, but they showed promise throughout the game without never looking like scoring, they had the build up, most of it coming from counter-attacking movements, but they could not find the clinical finish.
This really was a crunch tie for both these teams, Reading wanting to push for Europe in their first ever season in the top flight and for Charlton, battling to avoid the drop.
The Charlton fans seemed up for the game even before the teams set to the field with cries of “We are staying up” echoing around a packed Valley. They have been Charlton’s twelfth man through out this campaign and even when things where looking beyond repair, they kept their team going. The term is used a lot but they really have been superb.
Right from the word go the players looked to be responding in kind to the fans support, winning an early corner, from which Talal El Karkouri was inches from tucking away, the ball smashing the crossbar and rebounding agonisingly close to the goal line.
The players had previously been on the back foot for the first few minutes but this was a spur for the next ten minutes of Charlton pressure, in which Darren Bent nearly found Ambrose after a break was made by the other Bent, Marcus. With Reading clearly on the back foot, Coppell looked disjointed.
He must have scared the players into a reaction because by this time Reading where swinging the pendulum right back the other way, and by the time Alex Song received and early booking, Charlton where looking rattled. Reading came close with a dazzling run by their speedy Korean, Seol, forcing Scott Carson into a decent save. By the time the half time whistle went, you could almost feel the frustrating outcome of this game as if it had already happened, Graham Poll not helping matters, giving needless free kicks, and slowing down the tempo and flow of the game.
As the second half kicked of, Charlton fans where not at their usual selves, becoming drowned out by a newly awaken set of Reading fans in the corner of the Jimmy Seed stand.
The increasing frustration was beginning to tell on the players as Song was pulled up for one or two niggling fouls. He had to be careful. Alan Pardew had to do something but with two substitutes already having been used, and a player about to be sent off for persistent fouling, he replaced Alex Song with Matt Holland. This seemed to lift the fans spirits a bit and the players too, tackles flying around and players committing themselves to the job in hand. Souleymane Diawara was having an absolute stormer at the back for Charlton and that didn’t change as he continued to make last ditch tackles and clearances.
Twenty minutes to go and at last some action, Darren Bent down the Charlton right, tries to win a corner from Bikey, only to have the ball rebound and hit him in the face and go behind for a goal kick. The game was really starting to become a bore. And it really did seem like it was going to be a famous bore-draw. Or rather not so famous.
The game sprung to life again with a fierce effort from Nicky Shorey which saw Carson scrambling across his goaline, followed by a chorus of “Shorey for England” from the Reading fans. Then a minute or two later, Hunt was found unmarked at the back post, but the Irishman failed to capitalise, summing up an evening of missed or even uncreated chances for both sides.
The frustration began to tell on all the fans faces as both teams seemed to be settling for the draw, one last chance to snatch the points perhaps, as Luke Young comes bursting down the right flank, only Zheng in the box but he managed to find him with an inch perfect cross, only for the China captain to blow his moment of glory with a tame effort straight into the hands of Marcus Hahnemann. I could see looks of disappointment on the faces of every Chinaman in the ground.
Towards the end El Karkouri suffered a rare rush of blood to his usual cool and collected head, as the Moroccan shoved Shane Long in the box, causing rushes of blood elsewhere with Charlton hearts in mouths. Graham Poll, unusually, giving nothing on this occasion.
In the end, both sides will probably settle for a point though in truth, three would have been better all round. If Charlton’s season ends like this, Pardew will have no hair left to turn a different colour. Not exactly what you would call “hair raising”.
On the other hand it was another well earned point on the way to Charltons Premiership survival.
©James Warner 2007
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Welcome
Hello, Welcome to my blogging page. My name is James Warner and i would like to hope i can become a Sports journalist in the future, this is kind of why i have decided to set this up now. I have already written one match report which i will post on here in 1 or 2 days time for everyone to have a look at. My mum works for the PA (Press Association) which may help me to add various contacts and it was suggested to me that i have a go at blogging, so i thought, why not?
A bit more about me, i live in Ramsgate kent but am from nearer south London and i spend most of or a lot of my free time at football matches. I have to admit that i probrably should cut back a bit but why? I enjoy it.
The weekend just gone was another football packed few days, starting with my first visist to manchester and the City of Manchester Stadium or what is now known as Eastlands. Of course this was to see Charlton play, a game which had nil-nil written all over it and i knew it, nearly everyone knew it but we were all determined not to show it. We had some belief, not much mind you. Of course, it did disappoint, with the highlight of the game coming when a Manchester City fan had to be woken up after the final whistle, which just about summed up the whole day, boring tiresome and not really worth it. The only other time i was smiling was when a steward kept repeatedly saying "could you take your seats pleeeeease?" in a highly amusing Manc accent, only for Charlton fans to reply "stand up if you love Charlton" or "if your staying up", or "yeh o'corse mate, where'd you wan' it takin'?"
The next day was not a very succesfull but eventfull day. Being woken by my phone and a friend on the other end asking me if i wanted to go and invade the pitch at Dagenham and Redbridge, and so being the hooligan that i am i of course obliged and we made our way up to Dagenham. We worked out that we would be around 20mins late after kick off but this was not the case, due to unforseen train hiccups (bloody London transport) and an unlicenced taxi driver trying his hardest to charge us 20 quid for a 10 minute drive, we turned up at the ground 15 minutes before the end, then we discover that the game was a sell out, well who would have thought it, the first time Dagenham are going to get promoted to the football league, a sell out??? NEVER!!! I could have killed my mate. We found a side gate and slipped in but nothing much happened until the final whistle. Then i found myself covered in champaigne and being bundled left, right and centre as we invaded the pitch. Good fun it was.
Monday and another football match, a good game, Charlton v Reading, but obviously after the weekend i'd had i could have put my house (if i had one) on it being nil-nil! How could i not see it?? Oh well. There's always next time, as they say. The highlight has got to be after the game when i ran into Alex Song, and Souleymane Diawara! Got their autographs and then saw the Reading team bus leave, minus Steve Coppel who left on his own in his Bentley.
Match report of this game will follow shortly...
A bit more about me, i live in Ramsgate kent but am from nearer south London and i spend most of or a lot of my free time at football matches. I have to admit that i probrably should cut back a bit but why? I enjoy it.
The weekend just gone was another football packed few days, starting with my first visist to manchester and the City of Manchester Stadium or what is now known as Eastlands. Of course this was to see Charlton play, a game which had nil-nil written all over it and i knew it, nearly everyone knew it but we were all determined not to show it. We had some belief, not much mind you. Of course, it did disappoint, with the highlight of the game coming when a Manchester City fan had to be woken up after the final whistle, which just about summed up the whole day, boring tiresome and not really worth it. The only other time i was smiling was when a steward kept repeatedly saying "could you take your seats pleeeeease?" in a highly amusing Manc accent, only for Charlton fans to reply "stand up if you love Charlton" or "if your staying up", or "yeh o'corse mate, where'd you wan' it takin'?"
The next day was not a very succesfull but eventfull day. Being woken by my phone and a friend on the other end asking me if i wanted to go and invade the pitch at Dagenham and Redbridge, and so being the hooligan that i am i of course obliged and we made our way up to Dagenham. We worked out that we would be around 20mins late after kick off but this was not the case, due to unforseen train hiccups (bloody London transport) and an unlicenced taxi driver trying his hardest to charge us 20 quid for a 10 minute drive, we turned up at the ground 15 minutes before the end, then we discover that the game was a sell out, well who would have thought it, the first time Dagenham are going to get promoted to the football league, a sell out??? NEVER!!! I could have killed my mate. We found a side gate and slipped in but nothing much happened until the final whistle. Then i found myself covered in champaigne and being bundled left, right and centre as we invaded the pitch. Good fun it was.
Monday and another football match, a good game, Charlton v Reading, but obviously after the weekend i'd had i could have put my house (if i had one) on it being nil-nil! How could i not see it?? Oh well. There's always next time, as they say. The highlight has got to be after the game when i ran into Alex Song, and Souleymane Diawara! Got their autographs and then saw the Reading team bus leave, minus Steve Coppel who left on his own in his Bentley.
Match report of this game will follow shortly...
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