Another week of high quality European fixtures, and mire than enough games for us to find a winner or two. We sure are due in Europe.
The biggest news in Europe will be the biggest story in football over the next few years, as Europe decides how to react after FIFA decided to play the World Cup in November and December is a blatant who cares for the European league.
If Europe and their star players decided to boycott the event it would be a half-hearted half-arsed event. A tournament to match the bidding process and anything that’s happened since.
Not that if England boycotted it would have made any difference past the first round. Cheap shot yes.
A sadder story than the World Cup is in Italy as Parma continue to postpone games and are on the brink of going completely bust. If they do all subsequent fixtures will become 3-0 wins for the opposition. It won’t affect the title race with Juventus well in front with a 9 point gap after their draw with second placed Roma earlier in the week.
Spain is a little tighter with 2 points separating the two big clubs. All are waiting for the huge clash on March 23 as they meet at the Camp Nou.
PSG’s money has still not got them at the top pf the League in France, but only 1 point is the gap and with a gap starting to open up one can see the money making the difference ultimately.
The Bayern Munich Liga is done and dusted, but there are two non Bayern points of interest – Dortmund’s climb from the bottom to within 8 points of 4th in their current 10th place and the goal scoring form of Bas Dost for Wolfsburg who has earned himself the privilege of being linked with every club in Europe until August.
Elsewhere around the traps there are games worth noting. In Turkey, the two biggest clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahce meet with only 4 points between them. A Vienna derby sounds like some kind of food to confuse Americans, but it is actually the game of the round in the Austrian Bundesliga between Austria Vienna and Rapid Vienna.
That’s enough from us, we’ll let the computer driven information do the rest, except for our finest selections.
Another bumper week of football with a full round of midweek games to go with a weekend full of them.
And, we’re just pitting distance from the next round of games, pardon the pun.
Who won’t be part of the next few games will be Jonny Evans and Papiss Cisse who are up for seven to eight week bans for their feud. Spitting is a pretty ordinary crime, but is the length of the ban too much, and if you’re going to get done for a long time, why not go out in style like this lower division player.
This weekend sees the EPL take another FA Cup induced break, except for losers Spurs and QPR, who face off in the only top flight fixtures for the weekend.
Talking of the FA Cup, we’re getting into the territory of semi finals and an appearance at Wembley. For regular achievers still left in the comp Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal it will be a chance to add a trophy as a back up for missing out on the Top Four. For the range of traditional EPL FA Cup under achievers like WBA and Aston Villa it will be a rare taste, unlike the fixtures which was only played on Tuesday night UK Time.
Surprisingly out of the team left outside the big teams, it is third division Bradford City who were last at Wembley after making the League Cup final a few years ago. On their way to the final they beat Arsenal and Aston Villa, a feat if achieved this time will land them the big trophy, and their long awaiting viewing live on BBC.
Further down in the Championship, the title race is as close as ever as leader Middlesbrough only have 6 points from them to seventh, and all the top 7 have lost at least one game of their last three. Unfortunately as an Ipswich Town fan this means the Tractor Boys are now 7th when a top two looked likely. They must have realised they were on track to over achieve.
At the bottom, Blackpool are getting close to being the first top four division team to be relegated, a feat that has looked and probably has been odds-on for the year since they couldn’t go on pre-season tours as they had no players.
A team who looks on track to replace the Tangerines are Bristol City who have skipped away at the right time of the year. 10 points is as big a gap anywhere in UK or even non Bundesliga European Football, and it should be a formality. Not to be outdone, their cross town rivals Bristol Rovers look to be spending only one year in the Vanarama Conference. It will mean being still 2 divisions behind, but League Two is better than the graveyard of non league football.
In the fourth tier of League Two, just one point separates the top three, and zero the next three. There is a gap of 5 between the dup of trios, but not too big a gap at this time of year. Happily for all, four teams got up and down between divisions 3 and 4.
That’s more than enough Football than anyone could ever want from a website this poor, so we’ll get on with the tips and stuff.
SAT 12:45 UK
FA CUP – BRADFORD v READING
MON 7:45PM
FA CUP – MAN UTD v ARSENAL
SAT 3:00PM UK
CHAMP – IPSWICH v BRENTFORD
CHAMP – MIDDLESBROUGH v NOTTS FOREST.
Fans or fan of this weekly blab were rewarded last week if care was taken reading last week’s tips. A 100-1 League One multi saluted, giving riches galore for all those many people. Can we do it again this week? Probably not, won’t stop us though.
It’s finally here, and after an off season full of morning news tsk tsk scandal, men behaving badly, players using different kinds of white lines than the ones on the field and the NRL announcing whatever rules changes that will last for the first three weeks, it’s good to actually have some football to talk about.
Not that the Auckland Nines and Indigenous All-Stars games weren’t tremendous, but it’s only a warm up for the good stuff that is about to start tonight.
The club most looking forward to the start of the season will be the Gold Coast Titans, who will endeavour to turn attention to their on field performances, instead of the off field dramas. The Sharks will also be keen to start a season away from the cloud of the ASADA mess and prove that the injections they took were less effective than the ASADA investigation itself with a strong 2015. Ben Barba, unwanted by the Broncos to allow the contractual Darius Boyd-Wayne Bennett alliance will be the litmus paper to their fightback.
Speaking of Boyd-Bennett-Broncos, it will be the biggest season in a while for Suncorp Stadium stalwarts. Free from Anthony Griffin, Ben Barba and Martin Kennedy, the excuses will be running low this year if the performances and ladder position doesn’t improve from recent seasons. Broncos also need to cement their fans with a looming second SEQ team on the horizon.
The perennial under achievers Cowboys and dangerous floaters NZ will promise much again, and for the sake of rugby league, we hope they go deep into the finals series.
Interesting will be to see how regular finalists Manly and Melbourne go this season, despite great players there could be a changing of the guard this year with the younger sides being a little more mature this season.
Down the bottom it looks a likely battle between Canberra, Gold Coast, St George and Wests Tigers for the spoon. Three of these four have a coach with less than a season under their belt at the club, so the usual path of sacking the boss for bad form may not be first choice this year. Which leaves Ricky Stuart and his special style believing everyone’s against him to be the favourite for first coach sacked.
So, who will win? Are there any surprises for the top eight like Penrith from last year? Who will disappoint? Who should we keep an eye on? All the questions and not a question more will be answered below, conveniently arranged in our prediction order for you to ignore our tips.
Of course there will be better and more professional previews elsewhere on the league, but you landed here which means your expectations are already low. We hope not to disappoint too much.
SOUTH SYDNEY
Prediction: 1st. Premiers.
PLAYER TO WATCH – GREG INGLIS Brilliant as times last year, but not his greatest vintage, the addition of the captaincy will hopefully inspire him to more brilliant Inglis goodness this year.
Hard to argue against the preparation. Win the Auckland Nines. Win the World Club Challenge as easy as you like. OK, two trial draws aren’t wins, but also not losses.
With the noose of a premiership drought now off their necks, Souths may open up a little more this year and reward their fans for such loyalty with back to back titles in the NRL for the first time since Brisbane.
Off field incidents and the loss of Sam Burgess don’t look to have slowed the Rabbitohs juggernaut.
BULLDOGS
Prediction: 2nd.
PLAYER TO WATCH – MORRIS BROTHERS Reunited in blue and white this year, the Morris boys will provide some attacking sparkle to go with the monster pack.
Surprise grand finalists showed their and their coaches finals pedigree by making it to the big day, just falling short with the emotion of Souths big day out.
The side will be one more year wiser, and that may be all they need to make the top 4 and give the premiership a real go this year.
NORTH QUEENSLAND
Prediction: 3rd. Grand Finalists.
PLAYER TO WATCH – JASON TAUMALOLO Already talk of being poached after sparkling form last year, the human cannonball will hopefully deliver more of the same this year. The form at the Auckland Nines shows that is possible.
Hopefully the Cowboys will have learnt from the previous three seasons. 50-50 calls usually go the home teams. Finals can come down to 50-50 calls. Therefore the best way of avoiding an exit at the hands of contentious/awful officiating is to have as many home finals as possible. The best way of doing that is finishing in the Top 4. A feat they promise each year and never seem to deliver. The cycle of their winning squad is turning and like Souths need to capitalise before wondering what if for another generation.
PENRITH
Predcition: 4th
Player to watch: GEORGE JENNINGS Another of the up and coming Penrith young’uns who won the NYC comp in 2013 and which side made Penrith the surprise packet last year.
After defying bookies, neutrals, and experts last year to finish in the Top 4, Penrith will be hoping to build on their tremendous 2014 which fell a game short of the Grand Final. With more time under the belts of the young Panthers they should have enough to replicate last year’s finish.
ROOSTERS
Prediction: 5th.
PLAYER TO WATCH – BLAKE FERGUSON Another similar risk by the Roosters after Todd Carney, but they will no doubt get the first good year out of him before the inevitable.
With most of the side from last year still in tact, and useful additions, the Roosters should be strong again this year. Interest will be in if their finals dismissal will have any hangover into this year.
NEW ZEALAND
Prediction: 6th
PLAYER TO WATCH: MANU VATUVEI His gives so much and asks for so little. An excitement machine you watch in awe of his big runs and try scoring feats and in horro as a fan if he’s under the high ball.
The enigma that is the New Zealand Warriors will roll on through 2015 with hopefully a better start than usual to ensure they play finals football, as no finals series would be complete without their style of league. The second best team to watch for a neutral after the PNG Hunters in Rugby League, their halfback Shaun Johnson looks in form that will make him the players of the season.
PARRAMATTA
Prediction: 7th
PLAYER TO WATCH: WILL HOPOATE Replacing the Hayne Plane/Train at fullback will show the full range of skills of Hoppa junior this year.
On the back of plenty of Channel 9 broadcasts the Eels will hopefully go one step further than their mini choke at losing the last two games to miss out on the finals.
No Jarryd Hayne who is off to play in the big time of NFL, the pressure will be on Chris Sandow and Corey Norman to come up with enough of a substitute to propel the Eels into the finals this year.
SHARKS
Prediction: 8th
PLAYER TO WATCH: BEN BARBA The highlight amongst some excellent recruitment by the Sharks, he will be very keen to prove that he wasn’t the Broncos main problem last year.
After a few seasons under the shadow of the lightning quick ASADA investigation, the Sharks may feel like the Chief from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and feel free to give the NRL a real go this year.
Ben Barba aside, Michael Ennis and Gerard Beale look like good acquisitions to go with an already strong side that good opinion has as the Penrith Panthers of 2015.
BRISBANE
Prediction: 9th
PLAYER TO WATCH: ANTHONY MILFORD The big signing who has been coming for two years finally gets his chance at the Broncos, and in the famous number 6 jersey. Brisbane’s season will hinge on whether he can provide enough spark alongside their best player from last year – Ben Hunt.
The big news leading into 2015 is the rehiring of Wayne Bennett, instantly increasing expectations of the Brisbane faithful. The recruitment of Milford seems wise, however the jury is out on Adam Blair, and will be interesting to see if the Bennett polish rubs off on some of the more underperforming players of the previous season.
With some of the stars a year older, and a new coach who is a proven winner at the club, the excuses will be thin at the end of the year if they finish lower than fourth, let alone 8th.
MELBOURNE
Prediction: 10th
PLAYER TO WATCH: BILLY SLATER It may be a case or “durr” but the Storms hopes for success are pinned on Slater staying Injury, Suspension, and Origin-fatigue free this year. You get consistency from Cronk/Smith as you’d expect, but Slater will be the difference between finals or not.
MANLY
Prediction: 11th
PLAYER TO WATCH: DALY CHERRY-EVANS/KIERAN FORAN For off the field reasons as well as on, these two will be key throughout 2015. If they both stay Manly look in good shape in the future, if not, future years and this season may mean Manly’s off field drama has finally caught up with them.
Surely with the stars that have left, the players who are looking to move, the angriest coach in the NRL (some achievement with Ricky Stuart still employed) and the usual stuff in the board room, the off field dramas will probably take a hand throughout 2015. We predict a final-less season for the first time in a while for the Sea Eagles, replicating their local member and Prime Minister’s fortunes for the year.
NEWCASTLE
Prediction: 12th
PLAYER TO WATCH: DANE GAGAI A part of a tremendous backline when at full strength, he is the marker of which Newcastle can be measured this year.
Newcastle should be happy to start the year without Nathan Tinkler’s involvement this year, and need only to look to their A League cousins to see what a tremendous effect he can have on a club.
Will there be any hangover from the departure of Wayne Bennett or will the back to the future feel about Rick Stone’s reinstatement bring a finals return this season. Kurt Gidley’s injury status looms as the key as per most seasons.
WESTS TIGERS
Prediction: 13th
PLAYER TO WATCH: LUKE BROOKS With a coach like Taylor in your corner it will be interesting to see how the up and coming halfback fares this year. Will he confirm his promise or disappear like a Joe Williams.
After finally removing Mick Potter after what seemed inevitable for most of last year, it doesn’t bode that well that the prospective coaches awere Jason Taylor, Anthony Griffin and Nathan Brown.
Whether Jason Taylor can mould the young team into winners remains a mystery. They’ll be a better chance if he doesn’t make it all about himself this year.
ST GEORGE
Prediction: 14th
PLAYER TO WATCH: Josh Dugan/Benji Marshall After redeeming themselves in the latter half of last season, it will be interesting to see if the progress is maintained and one of the two can stay out of trouble.
Probably a little harsh to predict them as low as 14th, but it all depends on our players to watch as well as Gareth Widdop to prove us wrong. Another factor is another of those situations with a player announcing a new club for next year before this year has started. A situation hopefully the NRL can sort out for the future, and just adopt what the AFL does, like most of the decision process at NRL headquarters.
GOLD COAST
Prediction: 15th
PLAYER TO WATCH: GREG BIRD/DAVE TAYLOR & Co. With court cases looming and presumption of innocence still in place, it will be the most important thing to keep an eye on for Rugby League in the first few weeks.
As much as they will say the opposite, the financial and recreational off-field dramas will have had an effect on this season, and the size of it remains to be seen. Without the big names caught up in the white lines fever, the Titans look like a bottom four team this year.
CANBERRA
Prediction: 16th
PLAYER TO WATCH: MITCH CORNISH Another young gun who could learn a thing or two from their halfback coach this season.
It’s hard for Canberra to attract players to their club, just as it is hard for the neutral to be that enthused by the Raiders. Usually condemned to the late night or Sunday/Monday timeslots on Fox, the Raiders will be their usual invisible self for the average NRL fan until their usual pity Origin affected TV game.
With a schedule so packed it leaves very little elbow room, except for Mile Jedinak, we cram in another edition of the Gurgler’s Own Goal.
There’s four divisions of action awaiting this Tuesday and Wednesday night (UK Time) and all the big boys are playing after Chelsea and Spurs return from the League Cup final on Sunday.
Chelsea have 5 points in hand after Man City lost at Liverpool on Sunday in a double win for them on the day. They go to West Ham hoping for less of the 19th century football they complained about last year from the Hammers. A loss for Big Sam will probably put the icing on the arse cake he is rumoured to already know he’s going to get at the end of the year. With a best season in many years, some are hard to please.
Further down the pyramid in the Championship, losses to 4 of the top 6 has jumbled the order and tightened up the promotion chasing pack, and catapulted Norwich to 3rd on the back of 6 straight wins. Can’t get too much worse for an Ipswich fan whose team was 3rd and replaced Norwich in 6th, and completed another double loss to their main rival. At least it’s better than the usual mid table mediocrity at this point of the season.
League Ones and Two also have full fixtures and in League One Bristol City look to have skipped away at the important time of the year with an eight point gap. Further down in League Two is tighter, but with a winner like Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank in charge of leaders Burton, it looks likely they’ll move up a peg this year.
Now for the all important fixtures and tips. Might we add if you have a look at last weekend’s tips you’ll see a successful League One multi at 100-1 got up against usual trends. Anyone looking for lightning to strike twice keep reading.
A rest day in the World Cup yesterday allows us to catch up and deliver our weekly wrap up of what has happened in the last week of the World Cup.
This week saw Australia’s momentum halted as their batsmen choked, but nearly pulled off an amazing win they would not have deserved. Talking of momentum, all of the good from Chris Gayle’s swashbuckling double hundred dissolved with an innings of less runs but more spectacle courtesy of AB de Villers.
Plenty of other stuff happened including a first win for Afghanistan and Ireland made it 2/2 at the Gabba.
Plenty of this and not much more in our wrap up below. We’ll give you just enough to stay ahead of the watercooler talk.
POOL A
Pos
Team
Matches
Won
Lost
N/R
Net RR
Points
1
New Zealand
4
4
0
0
3.59
8
2
Sri Lanka
4
3
1
0
0.13
6
3
Bangladesh
3
1
1
1
0.13
3
4
Australia
3
1
1
1
-0.31
3
5
Afghanistan
3
1
2
0
-0.76
2
6
England
4
1
3
0
-1.20
2
7
Scotland
3
0
3
0
-1.74
0
POOL B
Pos
Team
Matches
Won
Lost
Tied
N/R
Net RR
Points
1
India
3
3
0
0
0
2.63
6
2
South Africa
3
2
1
0
0
1.26
4
3
Ireland
2
2
0
0
0
0.34
4
4
West Indies
4
2
2
0
0
-0.31
4
5
Zimbabwe
4
1
3
0
0
-0.72
2
6
Pakistan
3
1
2
0
0
-1.37
2
7
UAE
3
0
3
0
0
-1.33
0
PAKISTAN 7/235 (50) def ZIMBABWE 214 (49.4)
STAR MAN: MOHAMMAD IRFAN 4/30 (10) The big fella set the platform for Pakistan to defend a terribly low score.
This was probably seen as a lost opportunity for Zimbabwe who did very well to restrict Pakistan to just 235. At one stage in the middle of the innings Pakistan were travelling at less than 3 an over and looking unlikely to break 200 and wake up the crowd.
Zimbabwe in reply looked like possible winners until the 4th wicket fell and a steady rain after that cost them 2 points that would have also condemned to an early exit, and lord knows what punishment back at home. Thankfully for them they play in the UAE.
SRI LANKA 1/312 (47.2) def ENGLAND 6/309 (50)
STAR MAN: KUMAR SANGAKARRA 117 off 86 Sure he didn’t score more than Thirimanne, but with our bet on him for most runs for the Cup, and consecutive centuries must count for more.
Just when things looked like going England’s way – scored 309 for 6 in 50 overs, and made the Sri Lanka attack looked a little ordinary – and the day after Australia were almost embarrassed as badly by New Zealand, they came crashing back to earth with a masterclass of one day batting from Sri Lanka.
It always looked under control for Sri Lanka, and England now face some kind of battle to make it past the first round. Only upside is a few more weeks break for the Ashes.
INDIA 1/104 (18.5) def UAE 102
STAR MAN: RAVI ASHWIN 4/25 (10) With not many runs to chase it was always going to be the pick of the bowlers to nab star ma. Not a bad effort on the WACA pitch.
UAE became instantly unpopular when they won the toss and elected to bat thereby costing the loyal fans in Perth at least half a day – on paper. And so it proved as the UAE were bundled out for the tournament’s lowest score thus far, and India did it as easy as they pleased. The game little more than a practice match for the Indians, who look interested in cricket again, and building nicely into the tournament.
NZ 9/152 (23.1) d AUS 151 (32.2)
STAR MAN: TRENT BOULT – 5/27 Destroyed the Australian middle order with a spell of 5/1 at one stage, ripping the heart out of Australia, and viewers in Australia who were settled in for the day/night, not just the day.
You could see the NZ win coming given their great form thus far and the home advantage, but one couldn’t see the manner of the victory. Especially with Australia at 1/90 and cruising. Then, the Emperor of disappointment Shane Watson started the collapse which at the end saw Australia only adding another 16 runs for 8 wickets, with an array of superb bowling and some ordinary batting. Like last summer against England, Brad Haddin gave Australia some hope of posting a score that would take the game into the night section of the day/night fixture. As it eventuated, it was almost enough.
Some typical swash-buckling from Brendon McCallum made the NZ win look a mere formality, but wickets either side of the half time break gave the Australians hope. No more were forthcoming until Anderson left with the score 5/131, and even then with only 21 to get it still seemed no problem. Mitchell Starc stepped up and got the Aussies within a sniff, and then a fully blown snort of victory with NZ 9/146. It was however only a 6 away from victory, and that is exactly what happened and the Kiwis took victory.
It leaves NZ in a great position to top the group, and Australia walking a tight rope with England with any more losses relegating them to a lower rank for the knockouts and the possibility of missing it all together.
Special mention for Glenn Maxwell’s choke towards the crowd. It may have been funny if Australia won. Pot kettle from the man whose 1 wicket matched his total of runs.
SAF 5/408 (50) d WI 151 (33.1)
STAR MAN – A B de VILLIERS 162 (66) Not the hardest pick with the fastest 150 of all time. Further ramming home the quality is the fact that the last 50 came off just 12 balls. unreal.
The Jekyll & Hyde of cricket – West Indies – were handed the equal biggest World Cup loss of all time on the back of the masterclass of batting from AB de Villiers. Sure it’s hard to stay motivated after being pasted like that, but with the Windies unlikely to win all their remaining games and already losing to Ireland, the Net Run Rate may be important to make the knockout stage.
Special mention to spinner Tahir whose 5 wickets may have got more gloss on another day, and helped South Africa contain their opponents to a total score less than their best batsman’s.
SL 1/332 (50) d BAN 240 (47)
STAR MAN: DILSHAN 161 (140) & 2/35 As good a haul as you could hope from an opening batsman.
Doesn’t get much more comprehensive against one of thestronger nations than Sri Lanka’s easy win. Combine their two most recent games and Sri Lanka are 2/644, a score more likely to be seen a dusty sub continent test match against India.
AFG 9/211 (49.3) d SCO 210 (50)
STAR MAN: SHENWARI 96 (147) So close to a deserved 100, who at least got the win as a second prize.
A guaranteed first time World Cup winner from this game, and the minnows didn’t disappoint. The spoils could have gone either throughout, and as it was Afghanistan snuck home with 3 balls to spare and on their last wicket.
Scotland will see it as a lost opportunity as they had the Afghans 7/97 and 8/132, but couldn’t close it out.
IRE 8/279 (49.2) d UAE 9/278 (50)
STAR MAN: SHAIMAN ANWAR 106 (83) Any UAE who scores a 100 at better than a run a ball deserves more than our Star Man award, but he can still have it.
Another minnows battle that went down to the wire and looked to go either way throughout. A star innings from UAE star man set Ireland a total that would require the second biggest chase ever at the Gabba.
And for the hearty yet small Gabba crowd for one of their two World Cup games, this is exactly what the Irish did, giving backbone to their upset win over the Windies.
WI 2/372 (50) d ZIM 289 (44.3)
STAR MAN: CHRIS GAYLE 215 (147) With a first World Cup double hundred Chris Gayle fulfilled his contractual obligation of one decent performance per tournament. Hopefully for the Windies, he may go for extra credit with a second.
When the West Indies lost their first wicket on 0 it looked like another glass of vintage Windies choke would be poured. Even at 150 in the 31st over few could have seen the hurricane that arrived soon after from Chris Gayle.
Zimbabwe did well to get within a hundred, but it was never likely.
Special mention to captain Jason Holder who looks like the only West indian trying every match.
Welcome to another new, or to be more honest , rehashed thing from the old website that we’ve upgraded in the hope of getting more interest. We call it Pointless Polls, and it is as the title suggests…a range of Pointless Polls.
The internet is full of opinion and views on inane items of news and culture/sport, this website being on of the worst examples, so why not cram a little more fluff into the internet as we demand answers from our readers on the questions that really matter.
This time in honour of The Village People landing on our shores and performing up a storm, we want to ask the punters which Village Person they prefer.
So feel free to answer and choose one of many of the Village People in our poll, handily located on the sidebar – that thing to the right.
After a long, very drawn out affair, we have finally awarded our inaugural Golden Turpie award for The Gurgler’s Man of the Year to Reggie the Rabbitoh.
After the website crashed in late December due to the many, many entries, we allowed another few weeks for final votes.
So Reggie the Rabbitoh has added the Golden Turpie to the NRL Premiership, Auckland Sevens and World Club Challenge wins in the past 6 months. Fans of The Gurgler were sympathetic to the many years of misery, and have rewarded the loyalty with 31% of the votes going to the lovable mascot.
Funnily enough, another non human came second with our readers appreciating the effort Alksander Orlov has made in making cheap insurance interesting and entertaining.
Further down, true Aussie icons Honey Badger and Alby Mangels Jnr polled well without winning. There may be another chance this year given their best work lies ahead.
And the German World Cup coach and Commentary doyen Riche Benaud brought up the rear. Richie ended up on 2% which is a very coincidental amount given his love of anything two related.
We’ll see you later in the year for another round of nominations.
Given the justifiable outrage at the live Greyhound baiting 4 Corner expose recently, and the inevitable conga line of tsks tsker and people crying for us to think of the children and have a Greyhound Racing ban, we think instead of cancelling all dog racing, maybe we could give it a quick upgrade to make it more family friendly or less offensive for those who are concerned Greyhound racing is evil.
Don’t get us wrong, we don’t like live baiting, and maybe in this PC world the sort of replica rabbit used to lure the dogs into running could be seen as wrong too, so why not replace the current lure with a few of our suggestions.
1 – A FOUR CORNERS LOGO
Given the programs effect on the industry, I’m sure there are trainers who would love the chance to train their dogs to catch a rubber or plastic 4 Corners logo.
2 – A BAD OF DOG FOOD
Not only a safe and nutritious option for the Greyhound, the advertising and sponsorship possibilities are endless. Well, endless for Greyhound Racing. We recommend Goodos.
3 – TENNIS BALL Why not go back to a normal dogs roots and just have a tennis ball dangling around the track.
4 – A STICK Given the finances around Greyhound racing, escpeially after these recentr troucles, maybe just a stick could be used, which could be sourced from anywhere for nothing.
5 – MICHAEL SLATER HAND PUPPET
Now this won’t have an actual hand in it, nor does it need to be Michael Slater, but it could be anyone who is hated by the Greyhound community, or once again used as a commercial pathway. Let’s say a Twitter poll each week to decide who should be the Greyhound lure for the next meeting. Would create hashtag madness every week.
6 – A PINATA FULL OF SCHMAKOS
Going a little further than the hand puppet is the piñata, which could be filled with anything, but schmakos is the best option to keep the dogs running. Unlike the current lure which when the dogs catch it hurts their future racing option, the piñata with its internal bounty of goodness would be a good reward for catching the prize. And really who wouldn’t want to see the footage of the dogs catching and destroying the piñata. Especially commercial news which this would provide hearty filler and many guffaws for the weekend morning news bore fests.
A week after the English Premier League signs off on a new record deal for TV rights, 2 of their team in Europe are out, another two on life support, and only Chelsea in some kind of position to progress. Does the amount of money or the European achievements determine the best league in the world? We don’t care about either, we just like the EPL as most games every week are compeditive and allow us our opportunity to continue placing losing multis every week.
The biggest surprise was Arsenal getting their pants pulled down at home to Monaco, which led to the usual complaints about Arsene Wenger, and plenty of Wenger Out calls. Nothing is likely to change, and the powers that be have already promised another 50 million to spend in the UK summer. Sure it’s about a fifth of what Manchester United will get to spend, but it will cover at least one more midfielder that they desperately need. As an Ipswich Town fan we hope they stay away from Tyrone Mings.
Manchester City’s loss to Barcelona wasn’t too big a surprise given the Spanish side’s European pedigree, and Spurs and Liverpool have thrown away good chances at Silverware in Europe.
Talking of silverware, the first piece of it in England is up for grabs this Sunday with the League Cup final at Wembley. Many will wonder if Spurs can repeat the spanking handed out to Chelsea last time they met, the same amount will probably wonder if the Thursday away game in Europe will hurt their chances. There’s also the worry that Jose Mourinho will blame everybody and claim a conspiracy if they lose the game. We don’t think it will be a worry for him, a Chelsea victory looks likely.
Further down the leagues and 7 of the Championship’s top 8 all won in midweek to keep the top as tight as it has been in a lot of years. just 3 wins separates 2nd to 8th with another one to Derby. Noone else looks likely to get in the promotion mix, although Nottingham Forest’s turnaround under new manager Dougie Freedman will be taken seriously if it continues.
Down the bottom of the division the bottom 4 all plays each other with 2nd last v last and 3rd last v 4th last. A loss for last placed Blackpool could just about sign their demise to the third division. A pair of genuine 6 pointers you won’t find anywhere else in Football this weekend.
League One is all about manager changes with Peterborough and Coventry dispensing of their managers, and Barnsley pinching Oldham’s main man leaving them managerless and a total of three teams without a boss. A total of 6 axings since February proved that League one is not all that fair from the Championship after all.
League Two is the quietest of all the four, which is business as usual, Burton lead this division with former Chelsea man Hasslebank in charge At the other end Hartlepool need to win and win plenty to avoid a drop into the abyss of the Vanarama Conference league.
EPL
SAT 12:45PM UK – WEST HAM v CRYSTAL PALACE
SUN 12:00PM UK – LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER CITY
SUN 4:00PM UK – LEAGUE CUP FINAL – CHELSEA v SPURS
CHAMPIONSHIP
SAT 3:00PM UK – ROTHERHAM v MILLWALL
SAT 3:00PM UK – WIGAN v BLACKPOOL
SUN 2:05PM UK – NORWICH v IPSWICH
