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The fight against the Klitschkos is 'back on' says David Haye

• Briton says talks have resumed between both camps
• 'We are trying to make it happen,' says Haye




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 3 March 2011 00.50 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    David-Haye-007.jpg
    David Haye is hoping to fight one of the Klitschko brothers before he retires in October. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA David Haye is confident of fighting one of the Klitschko brothers this summer after declaring their much-hyped bout was "back on".
    The WBA heavyweight champion, who has vowed to retire in October when he turns 31, looked set to end his career without fulfilling his pledge to unify the division when a fight with Wladimir Klitschko fell through after the Ukrainian agreed to take on Dereck Chisora.
    But talks between Haye's camp and the two brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, have now resumed, and Haye believes a fight could happen in the summer, possibly in July.
    "We are back on. We are trying to make it happen," he told The Sun. "We went a long while with nothing from their side, then all of a sudden we got a phone call from Klitschko's camp. They made contact with us, which I believe now shows they do want this fight to go ahead."
    Haye believed earlier this year he had a deal in place to take on Wladimir, before talks collapsed after the announcement of the Chisora fight.
    Owing to that, Haye is due to defend against mandatory challenger Ruslan Chagaev, who has problems getting licensed due to suffering from hepatitis B, with unbeaten Russian Alexander Povetkin the next highest-ranked opponent.
    Haye has previously questioned Wladimir's suggestion he could meet Chisora in April and fight again two months later. But should it pan out that way, it would enable the Englishman to possibly face one brother in the summer and the other in September or October before retiring.
    Haye's manager and trainer Adam Booth had said on Wednesday: "It's still a bit premature at the moment, we're still swimming through the quagmire of boxing negotiations."

 
Six Nations 2011: Ben Foden warns England of dangerous Scotland

&#8226; Scots will try to close game down at Twickenham
&#8226; Grand slam would send signal to World Cup rivals





  • Robert Kitson
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 March 2011 22.00 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Ben-Foden-England-Scotlan-007.jpg
    England's Ben Foden says Scotland will relish being the underdogs in the Six Nations clash at Twickenham. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images Ben Foden believes a Six Nations grand slam would send a serious message of intent to all of England's major rivals ahead of this year's World Cup but has warned against underestimating Scotland's desire at Twickenham on Sunday week.
    Unlike his manager, Martin Johnson, who is refusing to look further ahead than the Scotland game, the 25-year-old full-back freely admits that a first Six Nations title since 2003 &#8211; when England also hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup &#8211; would have a hugely positive effect on the squad's confidence.
    "We know that if we can get these results against Scotland and Ireland it will put us in a really good place come the World Cup," said Foden, whose second-half try helped secure a 17-9 win over France last Saturday.
    "We'd love to be the top side in the northern hemisphere approaching the World Cup. If you want to go over to New Zealand and win you really need to be firing on all cylinders but if we manage to get the right result against Scotland it's exciting times ahead. Equally, though, we know it'll make Scotland's Six Nations campaign if they can beat us in our own backyard."
    Foden caused some ripples prior to last month's game in Cardiff when he referred to Wales as England's "little brother" and remains braced for a potential Celtic backlash. "I meant it geographically. The Scots would be the middle brother, wouldn't they? Scotland are a very proud country and there is no love lost between the two of us.
    "There have been occasions in the past when Scotland have managed to dash the grand slam hopes of the English. They'll like the underdog factor and being able to approach the game with a 'nothing-to-lose' attitude. Everyone wants to beat England and it's not going to be a hard game for them to get up for."
    The ever-chirpy Foden, though, reckons England are equipped to handle whatever comes their way. "We're a confident squad that thinks we can go on and do good things. We've embraced the tag of favourites and hopefully we can continue to do so.
    "We believe every game is ours to lose rather than another team's to win. We feel that if we get things right then, hopefully, the result should follow.
    "We've got players on form, we've got confidence, we've got a good mix of experience and youthfulness. It's like cogs on a wheel. Everything is fitting into place and the cogs are turning nicely.
    "Before the French game there was pressure that a lot of players hadn't felt before, including myself.
    "To come out the other side with a victory and still be unbeaten was massive for us. You feel like you're playing with your mates, rather than 15 guys who've been thrown into a room together."
    Having also spent time with several Scottish players at Northampton, Foden, who is set to win his 14th cap next week, believes he has a fair idea what to expect from Scotland. "I'm sure their camp isn't the happiest but they had a pretty successful autumn campaign and turned over South Africa in November.
    "I'm sure Andy Robinson will be frustrated by their results this year and I know the kind of characters people like Joe Ansbro and Sean Lamont are. They won't shy away from the competition. We know they'll easily get up for this game. They'll probably go in thinking England will go into their shells and try to strangle the game like we did against France but, with the squad we've got, I think we'll still try to play a bit of rugby."
    France's defence coach, Dave Ellis, however, has warned England not to assume the title is already in the bag. "I think Scotland still have something to offer," said the Yorkshire-born Ellis. "It's never easy against them ... under Andy Robinson they're playing a more expansive game and, on occasions, they looked quite dangerous against Ireland.
    "As for England's final game, Dublin's a very difficult place to go and win. The Irish are always tough there, they're defending well and they'll cause problems, particularly at the breakdown."
    England's players, who have spent the last couple of days on a squad mini-break in Oxford, will disperse on Thursday before re-grouping at their base in Bagshot to prepare for their final title push.
    "We've got a really strong squad of 32 now, not just 15 players," Foden said. "The young guys coming through are very talented. They've been thrown in the deep end but a lot of guys are swimming. I think it gives confidence to other young players that, when their chance comes, they'll also take it with both hands."

 
Ancelotti won't quit Blues cause


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Updated Feb 21, 2011 6:51 AM ET
Carlo Ancelotti reckons only three of his Chelsea players are at their best, but he has no intention of quitting as the pressure builds.
Chelsea's FA Cup penalty shoot-out exit at the hands of Everton at the weekend has intensified the pressure on Ancelotti.


Though the Italian secured a historic Double for the Blues last season in his first year in charge at Stamford Bridge, this term is in danger of petering away.
Ancelotti's side lie 12 points behind Manchester United in the Premier League and the Champions League is now their only realistic chance of silverware this season.
Speaking after being knocked out by Everton on Saturday, Ancelotti was at pains to stress that qualification for next season's Champions League would still represent a successful season for the club.
And, when asked if he would ever consider resigning, the former AC Milan coach said: "No, not me.
"I have never quit, resigned or walked out and I'm not in the mood to quit now.
"I don't have to consider my position. It is the owner that has to consider my position, not myself.
"I just have to work and try to do my best. This is football, you have to be able to manage at this moment with confidence."
Chelsea face FC Copenhagen in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie on Tuesday and Ancelotti is targeting a positive performance in Denmark.

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"The Champions League is not easy, but it will bring a lot of motivation for every one of us," he continued.
"We have to have the right pressure. We have to play against Copenhagen. We have 180 minutes to win this game."
He added: "Chelsea won't go out against Copenhagen. I think we have the possibility to win against Copenhagen."
Ancelotti will need his players to step up their game if they are to beat Copenhagen but he believes only Petr Cech, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic have been playing anywhere near their best.
He said: "How many players are playing near the top of their level at this moment besides Cech? Ivanovic, who is playing consistently. Terry.
"A couple are not at 100 per cent fitness. Frank Lampard played well against Everton.
"We have lost confidence in our play, we have no continuity. That is the reason for these results.
"Saturday was not good, we are disappointed. But the performance was good, we worked hard for 90 minutes. We created 10 chances.
"We have to stay together, work hard."
Chelsea travel to Denmark for their last 16 clash with Copenhagen on Tuesday night, hoping for a positive result to leave them with something still to play for this term.
 
Fabregas hopeful of making Barcelona match


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Updated Mar 2, 2011 3:45 PM ET
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is running without pain after a hamstring injury and is confident of making the second leg of the Champions League last-16 match against Barcelona.


The Spain midfielder came off injured early in Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League win over Stoke on Feb. 23 and was considered a doubt for the return match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
But in his column in Arsenal's matchday program ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient, Fabregas says he could even return for the league match at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
Fabregas says "I'm running, getting better and don't sense any pain at the moment ... perhaps I'll have a chance for Saturday."
Arsenal beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg.



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  • Report Abuse karlosthejackal
    • 3/2/2011 10:53:36 PM
    Cesc starts against Barca...no-doubter!!

    Hopefully he has his passing boots on and polished up.
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 8:10:00 PM
    Guys, Pink boots is 20 seconds slow and makes all the wrong runs. yes he got the goals and does score some good goals but he needs to improve and stop talking.
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 8:08:46 PM
    @bluesfan no worries, I laugh as well. I was more laughing at the fact that they put the match as clash of the giants. This is more like a Daddy spanking his naughty child.
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:43:38 PM
    Cham could use the boost. The Dane, though - after making that second goal, I couldn't see anyone else on the pitch. Then it occurred to me that Bendtner was standing near the camera: I thought it was an alpace wool blanket - but it wasn't!!
  • Report Abuse Stevel024
    • 3/2/2011 4:43:02 PM
    I mean it's against Leyton Orient so I still don't expect much from Bedtner when he's playing against the top teams...

    Chamakh though, I still have hopes for
  • Report Abuse BluesFan7
    • 3/2/2011 4:39:31 PM
    Congrats to you as well for handling those bums. Maybe its a confidence boost for Bendtner & chams.
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:32:50 PM
    Larry: Nasri came on because Rosicky had his bell rung and went off. Other than that, I don't know... at least the youngest youngins got to stay on (Henderson & Miquel) and play. And they played pretty well!
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:30:53 PM
    BluesFan7: we know who were giants yesterday though, don't we? Congrats again on the great win at the Bridge!
  • Report Abuse BluesFan7
    • 3/2/2011 4:13:30 PM
    Ahh.. I'm just kidding ATL.. I thought even a gunner would have found that funny. I guess you don't read into sarcasm too well....

    And what is a Gaint?
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 4:06:25 PM
    @Bluesfan7, search Chelski's trophy cabinet and see if you see 13 league Champs Cup, and 10 FA cups to say the least. You should be happy the blues can are able to buy some trophies with the Russian Mafia's money.

    E@ Larry and co. Wenger brought those on to boost their confidence after the CC defeat. They needed to feel a lil better. That will get them ready for Sunderland and Barca. Pink boots is coming up but I still think he is too slow for the Arsenal style.
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Nicklas Bendtner upstages Marouane Chamakh in Camp Nou audition

The Danish striker's hat-trick against Leyton Orient puts him in pole position to fill the void caused by Robin van Persie's injury



  • Arsenal-Nicklas-Bendtner--007.jpg
    Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner scores their fourth goal from the spot to complete his hat-trick in the FA Cup replay against Leyton Orient. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA When Arsène Wenger relates "bad news" about an Arsenal injury and suggests that he will be out for "the next three weeks, for sure", seasoned watchers of the manager tend to double the estimate. Especially when the player is Robin van Persie.
    Whenever Arsenal lose the injury-prone Dutchman, it hurts but the pain is compounded this time around. Van Persie had been in supreme touch and the fixtures keep getting tastier.
    The Champions League return against Barcelona at Camp Nou looms next Tuesday and the club now have an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United on Saturday week.
    This fifth-round replay against League One Leyton Orient had a low-key feel, although not for the 9,000 travelling fans, who watched their team flicker briefly in the early running. But for Arsenal's stand-in strikers, it represented an audition. Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner had claims to press.
    It might have irked Bendtner that Chamakh, left, got the nod as the central striker, with him being asked to forage from the right. Bendtner has said on many occasions that he is not comfortable on the flank. He would hate for his greater versatility to count against him. Yet the Dane was undeterred as he went about upstaging Chamakh.
    His hat-trick performance featured some of the usual foibles that can, on other days, infuriate the crowd. But his goals were of the highest order, particularly the second, which he curled with dead-eyed precision from 20 yards, having popped up on the left. He embraced his licence to roam. His 30th-minute leap and headed finish were ripped from the pages of the old-fashioned No9's manual.
    Bendtner scored at Camp Nou last season, as Arsenal threatened to pull off a famous upset before they were taken apart and he is the favourite to start ahead of Chamakh.
    The Moroccan, who arrived last summer from Bordeaux, began his Arsenal career in encouraging style. He had 11 goals in all competitions by the end of November but, until this game, he had not scored since.
    He admitted a few weeks ago that "by the start of January, I had completely lost my edge" and he added that he was benefiting from being taken out of the firing line.
    Bendtner might never lack confidence but Chamakh looked tentative here, too measured in his passing, as though fearful of making a mistake.
    There was a period in the first-half when all of his lay-offs went awry and this was after he had enjoyed the tonic of steering home the opening goal to end his three-month long scoring drought. He was hustled off the ball all too readily by Orient's centre-halves and the cobwebs remain.
    Despite the comfort of the evening, the crowd expressed their frustration at his sloppiness. It felt significant that Wenger withdrew Bendtner but kept Chamakh on for the full 90 minutes. Wenger sorely needs his supporting cast to step up as the matches come thick and fast and the injuries mount, particularly the muscle strains. Tomas Rosicky became the latest casualty when he was helped off after 62 minutes with mild concussion.
    Wenger had missed seven players at the outset due to various ailments. One of them, Cesc Fábregas, who has a hamstring problem, said that he was "running, getting better and not sensing any pain at the moment". Wenger said the midfielder would not feature against Sunderland on Saturday but, to Fábregas's mind, there is no doubt about Barcelona.
    Wenger, though, painted a less than optimistic picture about the defender Thomas Vermaelen, the long-term achilles absentee. "We have to be patient," he said. "I don't want to put him under any pressure and anyway, we are in March now and he has not played since September so it will take him a while to get back to a competitive level."
    Bendtner is at his level. Chamakh labours.

 
Nani: Fast start can stun French


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 10:05 AM ET
Manchester United winger Nani is convinced the key to victory over Marseille in three weeks' time is to make a fast start.
Wednesday night's goalless draw at the Stade Velodrome means United will almost certainly have to beat the French champions at Old Trafford on March 15 if they are to seal a Champions League quarter-final berth.
It is not a task that looks beyond them on the evidence of Marseille's performance but it is clear Sir Alex Ferguson's men will have to play with a greater degree of urgency.


"We need to make sure we are positive and strong from the start in the next game and do our best to try and score an early goal," said Nani.
"Our performance last night wasn't the best.
"We worked hard but sometimes things don't turn out how you'd hope.
"We have another opportunity to get the job done in the next game and with our supporters behind us we know we have a fantastic chance."
Before they get the opportunity however, United face a series of fixtures that will determine much about their quest for silverware on the domestic front.
On Saturday, they head to Wigan looking to re-open a four point gap on Arsenal ahead of trips to Chelsea and Liverpool, before tackling the Gunners themselves on March 12 for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, providing Arsene Wenger's men dispose of Leyton Orient next week.
The magnitude of these fixtures is certainly not lost on Nani.
"We have some massive games coming up," he said.
"The next few weeks are going to be very important for us.
"We are focused on winning every game because we know the results in the next few matches could prove decisive."
 
Fergie: Marseille stalemate fine


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 7:14 AM ET
Sir Alex Ferguson declared himself satisfied with Manchester United's 0-0 draw in Marseille even though he realises it is a perilous scoreline.
Ferguson admitted it had been poor entertainment for the spectators, with neither side threatening to break the deadlock in Wednesday night's Champions League round-of-16 first-leg tie at the Stade Velodrome.


And, whilst he understands United are vulnerable to the away goal at Old Trafford in three weeks' time, Ferguson is sure his team will come through.
"On our ground, we will be much better," he said.
"Scoring away from home is always important and we didn't do that tonight.
"You always worry at this stage of the season because there are no bad teams left in the competition.
"But we will have two or three players back and whilst we won't be taking anything for granted, this result is fine."
Darren Fletcher had United's best opportunity, a first-half snap shot from the edge of the area that Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda managed to keep out after originally being wrong-footed.
Apart from that, it was drab fare, with neither side looking like getting a winner.

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"Marseille made sure they did not lose," Ferguson reflected.
"It was a poor game for the spectators. Nothing happened."
Ferguson's words of praise were reserved for central defensive partners Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling, who once more produced a mature performance in Rio Ferdinand's absence.
Wayne Rooney also earned plaudits from his manager after an industrious shift on the left wing.
"He did what we wanted him to do," said Ferguson.
"The way we normally set up, with Nani or Ryan Giggs on the left, gives us more natural width.
"But Wayne worked hard, as he always does. He has great spirit but he was better when we played him through the middle in a 4-4-2 at the end."
Ferguson was also pleased with the manner with which Patrice Evra handled a difficult return to his homeland.
As a former Monaco player, Evra was always likely to be targeted by the Marseille fans.
However, his involvement in the World Cup strike wrangle made him public enemy number one.
"I expected it - and so did Patrice," said Ferguson.
"But he wasn't affected by it and he put in a strong performance. I had no worries about that."
Whether UEFA take any action over the missiles thrown into the visitors' penalty area - including a golf ball - remains to be seen.
However, whilst United did reach the Champions League final in 2008 after securing a goalless draw away from home in Barcelona, they have also lost from this situation.
"Fifty percent of the job is done," explained Marseille coach Didier Deschamps.
"We didn't concede, although maybe we should have pushed forward a bit more towards the end of the game.
"We know the away game is going to be complicated for us but hope is still alive, even if I think Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United will be happy with this result."
 
Fabregas hopeful of making Barcelona match


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Updated Mar 2, 2011 3:45 PM ET
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is running without pain after a hamstring injury and is confident of making the second leg of the Champions League last-16 match against Barcelona.


The Spain midfielder came off injured early in Arsenal's 1-0 Premier League win over Stoke on Feb. 23 and was considered a doubt for the return match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
But in his column in Arsenal's matchday program ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient, Fabregas says he could even return for the league match at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
Fabregas says "I'm running, getting better and don't sense any pain at the moment ... perhaps I'll have a chance for Saturday."
Arsenal beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg.



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  • Report Abuse karlosthejackal
    • 3/2/2011 10:53:36 PM
    Cesc starts against Barca...no-doubter!!

    Hopefully he has his passing boots on and polished up.
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 8:10:00 PM
    Guys, Pink boots is 20 seconds slow and makes all the wrong runs. yes he got the goals and does score some good goals but he needs to improve and stop talking.
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 8:08:46 PM
    @bluesfan no worries, I laugh as well. I was more laughing at the fact that they put the match as clash of the giants. This is more like a Daddy spanking his naughty child.
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:43:38 PM
    Cham could use the boost. The Dane, though - after making that second goal, I couldn't see anyone else on the pitch. Then it occurred to me that Bendtner was standing near the camera: I thought it was an alpace wool blanket - but it wasn't!!
  • Report Abuse Stevel024
    • 3/2/2011 4:43:02 PM
    I mean it's against Leyton Orient so I still don't expect much from Bedtner when he's playing against the top teams...

    Chamakh though, I still have hopes for
  • Report Abuse BluesFan7
    • 3/2/2011 4:39:31 PM
    Congrats to you as well for handling those bums. Maybe its a confidence boost for Bendtner & chams.
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:32:50 PM
    Larry: Nasri came on because Rosicky had his bell rung and went off. Other than that, I don't know... at least the youngest youngins got to stay on (Henderson & Miquel) and play. And they played pretty well!
  • Report Abuse Arsenal_til_I_die
    • 3/2/2011 4:30:53 PM
    BluesFan7: we know who were giants yesterday though, don't we? Congrats again on the great win at the Bridge!
  • Report Abuse BluesFan7
    • 3/2/2011 4:13:30 PM
    Ahh.. I'm just kidding ATL.. I thought even a gunner would have found that funny. I guess you don't read into sarcasm too well....

    And what is a Gaint?
  • Report Abuse ATLGUNNER
    • 3/2/2011 4:06:25 PM
    @Bluesfan7, search Chelski's trophy cabinet and see if you see 13 league Champs Cup, and 10 FA cups to say the least. You should be happy the blues can are able to buy some trophies with the Russian Mafia's money.

    E@ Larry and co. Wenger brought those on to boost their confidence after the CC defeat. They needed to feel a lil better. That will get them ready for Sunderland and Barca. Pink boots is coming up but I still think he is too slow for the Arsenal style.
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Once Kevin O'Brien started swinging, England were out in the street

Punch-drunk England brought low in World Cup by Irishman who backs his ability to hit the ball as hard as he can


England-Ireland-World-Cup-007.jpg
Trent Johnston is mobbed by team-mates after Ireland's magnificent World Cup victory over England. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images I've no idea if Kevin O'Brien is religious or not but watching him at work against England was enough to make a man believe in miracles. Perhaps he said a little prayer to St Jude before he walked out to bat. Jude, after all, is the patron saint of lost and desperate causes. You can pick him out in pictures because, appropriately enough, he is always carrying a cudgel.
Ireland were 106 for four when O'Brien walked out to the wicket and there were just 166 balls left to score the 222 runs needed to complete the largest successful run chase in the history of the World Cup.
Graeme Swann was tying the team in tangles, in the thick of a spell that took three wickets for six runs in 14 balls. Good luck and, more likely, good night. Did O'Brien think Ireland could win the game?
No. He said so himself after the match as he sat grinning in front of a room of gobsmacked hacks. His explanation for one of the most startlingly violent innings in the history of cricket was deliciously simple: "I just back my own ability. If the ball's there to hit, I try to hit it as hard as I can."
That, it turned out, was very hard indeed. O'Brien started swinging like a pair of saloon doors and it was England's bowlers who were being given the bum's rush, thrown out headfirst into the street.
He struck six sixes, one of them the longest that has been struck in this tournament yet, sailing high into the night sky and landing 102 metres away in the concrete terraces, where it sucked 50 or so standing spectators together to try to take the catch that England couldn't.
There were a lot of honorary Irishmen here, almost as many as you'll find in New York on St Patrick's day. For a small crowd they made an awful lot of noise.
It would be wrong to put it all down to dumb luck. O'Brien took a calculated risk by starting the batting powerplay in the 31st over, though admittedly he did not have much of a stake to lose. The haymakers he threw in those five overs brought him three sixes and six fours. When the assault was over, England were punch-drunk.
But O'Brien did not get carried away. He had nous enough to look up at the scoreboard and see that his team needed 80 from 72 balls. At that point, he says, he realised that Ireland could win so long as they kept their cool. From then on he only hit one more four. Otherwise he contented himself with ones and twos.
This was not a fluke. Ireland played some of the best cricket this competition has seen, or is likely to see. They knew exactly what they were doing. Alex Cusack hit any bad balls to the ropes and otherwise just made sure O'Brien had as much of the strike as possible. When he fell, John Mooney took up the attack while O'Brien throttled back, playing it safe as the settled batsman.
For a man who spent last season playing club cricket for Railway Union in the Leinster Premier League, this could be a life-changing innings for O'Brien. He has just made a hell of an impression on a whole host of IPL talent scouts. It remains to be seen whether or not the result was enough to change the fate of the Associate teams, who are due to be excluded from the next World Cup. It is surely going to be a lot harder to kick them out after this. Ireland's victory put one over on the entire ICC, never mind England.
And what of England? The truth is that they cooked it. O'Brien turned up the heat to the point where Andrew Strauss and his side could not handle it. They may yet make the quarter-finals but not without changing the team. Even the top-order, the one part of the side who have shone in their three matches so far, were guilty of some shockingly soft dismissals.
Strauss made plenty of noise in his post-match press conference about the flat pitches they have been playing on but as O'Brien said: "I just knew that if I could stay there and I got a few boundaries away, we could get on top of the English bowlers as teams in this tournament have done. They didn't really know what they were up to with their bowling plans and we took advantage."
Under pressure their bowling was clueless and their fielding appalling, just as it had been against the Netherlands. Add to that a malfunctioning middle-order and &#8211; as Mike Selvey pointed out in his shrewd recent piece &#8211; you have a team who look a long way short of being title contenders. The curious part of it is that these are the very same aspects of their game that served them so well in the Ashes &#8211; the bowlers understood the pitches and had plans for the batsmen, the fielding was razor sharp.
In the last four days England have played their part in two of the greatest matches in the history of this competition. That, you would guess, will be small consolation.
As for Ireland, they intended to party "long and loud" into the night. The biggest dilemma they will face in the next few days is whether or not to get rid of those hideous haircuts. Superstitious it may be but they would be fools to change them now.

 
Van Persie out of Barca trip


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Updated Mar 1, 2011 12:48 PM ET
Robin van Persie will miss Arsenal's Champions League trip to Barcelona after being ruled out for at least three weeks with a knee injury.
Van Persie sustained the injury in Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat by Birmingham.
However, Arsene Wenger described Cesc Fabregas as a "possible" for the Nou Camp trip after revealing he is making quick progress in his rehabilitation from a hamstring problem.

Tue., Mar. 8​
Barcelona vs. Arsenal
Shakhtar vs. AS Roma
Wed., Mar. 9​
Schalke vs. Valencia
Tottenham vs. AC Milan
Tue., Mar. 15​
Bayern Munich vs. Inter
Man Utd vs. Marseille
Wed., Feb. 16​
Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Losing Van Persie is a seismic blow to Arsenal's hopes of staging another upset against the Spanish champions.
The in-form 27-year-old Holland striker sustained the injury in the act of scoring Arsenal's equaliser during the 2-1 defeat at Wembley.
The goal was his 13th in 11 games - a haul that includes the equaliser against Barcelona in the first leg, which the Gunners edged 2-1.
"Unfortunately, we had bad news on the scan and he will be out for the next three weeks for sure," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
"It could be longer. The shortest delay we can imagine is three weeks, so he is definitely out for Barcelona."
The loss of Van Persie has been slightly tempered by the encouraging update on Fabregas' fitness.
The Spain midfielder sustained his hamstring problem against Stoke last Wednesday but has responded well to treatment.
He will definitely miss Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient and Saturday's Barclays Premier League showdown with Sunderland, but could return for Barcelona.
"Cesc is looking possible [for that game]. He is making quick and good progress. It is possible," said Wenger.
Theo Walcott, who had already been ruled out against Barcelona, remains a fortnight away from recovering from his sprained ankle.
"He is out. We said from the day he got the injury against Stoke you could count three weeks," said Wenger.
Alex Song incurred a knee problem against Birmingham and will miss the tie against Orient tomorrow, but should return against Barcelona.
Laurent Koscielny is nursing a minor hamstring problem and will be rested for the replay
Manuel Almunia will start in goal with Wojciech Szczesny on the bench and midfielder Abou Diaby is expected to feature.
"Alex Song has a knee problem. From his scan we had good news, it is only blood from a kick on the outside of his knee," said Wenger.
"He is out for Leyton Orient and has a very small chance for Saturday. But he has a good chance for Barcelona.
"Koscielny has a tight hamstring. There is a little bit of fatigue in there as well so we will give him a breather.
"Almunia needs games so he will play, but Wojciech is all right and will be on the bench.
"Diaby was not in the squad on Sunday. I was cautious with him.
"He has missed many games this season and I did not want to take a gamble with the intensity of a cup final. He will play tomorrow night."
 
Cole 'desperate' for Euro glory


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Updated Feb 25, 2011 7:14 AM ET
Ashley Cole is desperate to make up for Chelsea's shock FA Cup defeat to Everton by helping them finally win the Champions League.
Tue., Mar. 8​
Barcelona vs. Arsenal
Shakhtar vs. AS Roma
Wed., Mar. 9​
Schalke vs. Valencia
Tottenham vs. AC Milan
Tue., Mar. 15​
Bayern Munich vs. Inter
Man Utd vs. Marseille
Wed., Feb. 16​
Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Cole, whose miss from the spot allowed Phil Neville to win last Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round replay, began the process of redemption in Tuesday night's Champions League last-16 first-leg win at FC Copenhagen.
But with the Barclays Premier League title all but surrendered, nothing less than fulfilling Chelsea's long-held dream of lifting the European Cup will do for Cole this season.
"It is something not many players from here have won so it means a lot to us," said Cole, a runner-up in 2006 with Arsenal and two years later with Chelsea.
"I have been in the final twice and defeated twice and it is not a good feeling.
"Hopefully this season will be different, it will be one to remember.
"I am just desperate to win the Champions League and if I can do it in a Chelsea shirt that will be an amazing achievement for me.
"After starting the season so well, we then had this dip in form, it wasn't going for us, and of course it has left us where we are now.
"It is not a good position for us, we know we have to do better, we want to do better.
"We are out of the FA Cup, the Carling Cup, we're never going to give up on the league but the Champions League is probably now the main focus for us to win because obviously not many people here have won that one."
Of his penalty against Everton, which he blazed high over the crossbar, England left-back Cole told Chelsea TV: "It's one of those things.
"Every day in training I take penalties and I score. I didn't mean to go that high obviously. I thought the goalie was going to dive that way so I tried to put it above him.
"It was not a good moment for me but I just have to keep going now and try and make it up for the team."
 
Rooney unfazed by wing role


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 10:04 AM ET
Wayne Rooney insists he has no problem being shunted onto the left wing for Manchester United's drab Champions League draw with Marseille.
Like most of his team-mates, Rooney did not get a decent sight of the home goal at the Stade Velodrome and never looked like adding to his single European strike this season, which came against Rangers at Ibrox in November.
However, many critics feel United would have stood more of a chance if Rooney had been deployed in a more orthodox central role, which only happened following the introduction of Paul Scholes 18 minutes from time.


Playing on the left is not something the 25-year-old is entirely unused to.
He did it on a regular basis during the latter months of Cristiano Ronaldo's time at United, when Sir Alex Ferguson opted to use the former world player of the year as a central striker.
And whilst Rooney would prefer to play down the middle, given Ferguson had to juggle a team struck by injuries to seven senior players, he has no complaints.
"We've got a lot of injuries at the minute, so I don't have a problem [playing on the wing]," Rooney told UEFA's website.
"It was quite a difficult game for us. Marseille didn't cause us many problems but we didn't create as many chances as we'd have liked either.
"We had a few big players missing and I think they would have made a difference had they been here."
Ferguson is hoping to have most of them available for the second leg in three weeks' time, including Antonio Valencia, who has been out since September.
And, with United's task relatively straightforward, only a win is certain to take them into the last eight, Rooney feels his team-mates have every reason to be confident.
"We've got Marseille at home now and we know that if we beat them we're through to the next round," he said.
"We're confident at home and we have to be positive."
 
Bayern chief bullish on chances


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 10:16 AM ET
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge feels Bayern Munich are on the verge of knocking out Champions League holders Inter Milan after a 1-0 first-leg win.
Mario Gomez's last-minute goal at the San Siro on Wednesday night has put the Bavarians in the driving seat of the last-16 tie and Rummenigge says they should now be able to finish the job off in the Allianz Arena on March 15.


"If we don't make the mistake of feeling too secure, then we have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals," said the Bayern chairman on his club's website.
Rummenigge witnessed an entertaining game in Milan which he said "could have ended 4-4", but he felt the game was decided by his side's superior desire for revenge after losing to Inter in the final last year.
"I said before the game that this was going to be an even match, and that was reflected in the game," he said.
"We were able to move up a gear in the second half whereas Inter had problems.
"It was a different Bayern to the final last year. We were more motivated to reach our goals today and we did not have only this one chance, but also hit the post twice.
"We were simply better in the attack than back then."
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said Gomez's goal could give a boost to the team for the rest of the season, and he has already started thinking about winning the competition.
"Certainly it is better to go into the second leg like this," he said.
"After today's game, we can look more positively to the future.
"Our aim is to go through to the next round of the Champions League and we also want to win the cup."
 
Bale on track for Milan clash


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 2:09 PM ET
Harry Redknapp admits Gareth Bale could be fit for Tottenham's Champions League clash with AC Milan after the winger's return to training.
Redknapp had to do without the Welsh star for last week's first leg at the San Siro due to a back injury but the 21-year-old wide-man is now back in training.
Spurs do not have a Premier League game this weekend so Redknapp has taken the opportunity to take his squad to Dubai for some warm-weather training.

Tue., Mar. 8​
Barcelona vs. Arsenal
Shakhtar vs. AS Roma
Wed., Mar. 9​
Schalke vs. Valencia
Tottenham vs. AC Milan
Tue., Mar. 15​
Bayern Munich vs. Inter
Man Utd vs. Marseille
Wed., Feb. 16​
Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Tottenham visit Wolves next weekend before facing Milan on March 9 and Redknapp believes Bale may be ready in time.
"We're hopeful," he said. "He's back training and we'll look at him tomorrow (Friday).
"He's starting to run and do some work with the fitness coaches, so he could be available. We need him, he's a big player for us.
"It's not a holiday, we're going to train and work hard," Redknapp added.
"We've got a few injured players and we've brought them all along, and hopefully a bit of sun of Gareth Bale's back, and a few of the others, might do them good."
Despite Bale's absence, Spurs still managed to pull off a thoroughly-deserved 1-0 win in Milan to continue a memorable European campaign.
It began with a woeful start in their qualifier against Young Boys before they recovered to win 6-3 on aggregate. They then topped a group featuring Inter Milan, beating the holders and setting all sorts of scoring records along the way.
Spurs are now on the brink of the quarter-finals but Redknapp warned the job is not done yet.
"We went to Young Boys first game, were 3-0 down after 20 minutes and I thought 'well, this is the end of our European campaign'," he said.
"But we came out of that one then won the group and now we've got a chance to reach the last eight.
"But it's still not over this tie. They'll be coming to White Hart Lane and they've got forwards that can hurt you so it's still going to be dangerous.
"We've just got to keep going. I think everyone just wanted to avoid Barcelona really, but then Arsenal are in a good position and could go there and turn them over. It's not impossible, it's all to play for.
"I watched Bayern Munich last night get a good result at Inter Milan (1-0) so you'd have to say the two favourites are Barcelona and Real Madrid."
It is all a far cry from when Redknapp stepped into the Spurs hotseat following the sacking of Juande Ramos in October 2008, with the team bottom of the Premier League.
"It's been unbelievable, from where we were when we started out to where we are now," said Redknapp. "We've been lucky, it's been upwards all the way.
"But you never know in this game, you can have a great run then a couple of defeats and suddenly it all turns."
 
Villa sure Barca will beat Arsenal


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Updated Feb 24, 2011 6:54 AM ET
Barcelona striker David Villa is convinced his side will beat Arsenal to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League next month.
Villa gave a dominant Barca side the lead in the first leg at the Emirates last Wednesday, only to see Arsenal hit back to claim what had looked an improbable 2-1 victory through second-half goals from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin.


And Barca, semi-finalists or better in four of the last five editions of the Champions League, will need to overturn that deficit to seal progress at the Nou Camp on March 8.
But Villa, speaking at the launch of a new Adidas boot in Barcelona on Wednesday, believes a similar performance at home will be enough for Pep Guardiola's side.
"I think that if we do things like we did in London, we will be on the right track," he said.
"We will go through to the next round, I'm sure, because we were far superior in everything except for the result (at the Emirates)."
Villa and his team-mates missed a host of clear-cut chances in London, though, and the Spain forward knows passage to the quarter-finals will depend on their shooting accuracy in the second leg.
"We need to perform better in front of goal," he said.
"If we do that we will go through."
The second meeting with Arsenal has been given extra spice by the Gunners' controversial signing of 16-year-old Barca midfielder Jon Toral this week.

Tue., Mar. 8​
Barcelona vs. Arsenal
Shakhtar vs. AS Roma
Wed., Mar. 9​
Schalke vs. Valencia
Tottenham vs. AC Milan
Tue., Mar. 15​
Bayern Munich vs. Inter
Man Utd vs. Marseille
Wed., Feb. 16​
Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

That move has angered the Catalans, who remain unhappy about Arsenal's capture of their former youth player Cesc Fabregas in a similar deal back in 2003.
Villa, though, says none of that is on the Barca players' minds at the moment.
"We are thinking about Mallorca (this weekend's Primera Division opponents) - that's what we're concerned with right now," he said.
"The rest, for the moment, is still far away.
"The Arsenal match is a very important match that we have to prepare for, but before Arsenal we have others and right now, the nerves, the worries and the desire to play are centred on the game against Mallorca."
Barca maintained their five-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga with a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night and also face Jose Mourinho's side in the final of the Copa del Rey in April.
And while Barca coach Guardiola - who signed a new deal yesterday to remain at the Nou Camp until summer 2012 - has played down talk of winning a league, cup and Champions League treble, Villa believes anything is possible for the Catalan club.
"We can fight for the treble," he said.
"We are playing for three titles at the moment, and we are going to try to go step by step, with humility, to try to win all three.
"It will take a lot of hard work, but we are still alive in all three competitions and we are going to fight until the end in all three - we can only promise that."
Villa's goal against Athletic means he has scored in the last three games - his best run so far as a Barca player.
"I'm happy with my form and the numbers, although I'm more concerned with how people have reacted to me," he said.
"That tells me I'm doing well."
The 29-year-old is also delighted at Guardiola's contract renewal, even if it is initially only for one more year.
"It's great news for the club," he said.
"He prefers to sign yearly contracts and that's what works for him, but I would love to play for Guardiola for the rest of my career."
 
TV OD is OK for sport addicts

Worried about too much sport on television? Me neither



  • TV-007.jpg
    Break out the old analogue, there's a scheduling clash &#8230; Photograph: Nicholas Rigg/Getty Images There was a time when we all thought the universe was about to end, and the thing that would cause the extinction of all life as we knew it was called Game 39. It sounded like a code for a nasty form of CIA rendition, or the title of a Hollywood blockbuster in which Clive Owen runs around with a semi-automatic and a puzzled look. Three years later, the Premier League all but denies such a proposal existed. Game 39? You all dreamt it. You did. Now look into this neuralizer &#8230;
    Before it disappeared into the great Never-Was, Game 39 became the focus for the widely accepted truism that fixture scheduling has gone mad, and that TV has too much control over sport, cramming the schedules until they become a travesty. It's certainly easy to feel that way this time of year, as Champions League, cup games and league games stack up nose-to-tail and the big teams spend more time on the road than Bon Jovi. The Carling Cup final is not even given the dignity of its own special day, but instead finds a couple of major Premier League fixtures muscling in like a bride being upstaged by her busty cousin from Rotherham.
    Meanwhile we watch the cricket World Cup lumber on, thanks to the International Cricket Council, architects of the biggest folly since Brighton Pavilion. Sure, we're welcoming it now that it's only just unpacked its bags. But you just wait &#8211; in a fortnight, when you're exhausted with the effort of entertaining it and it still shows no signs of moving on, you'll be ruing the day you invited it into your home.
    And so we repeat the shibboleth that TV money &#8211; and programme schedulers &#8211; are murdering "the game" (football/golf/snooker/water polo &#8211; delete as appropriate), lining up games in ridiculous time slots, devaluing competitions even as they overwhelm the airwaves. It's an argument I frequently repeat myself, but I now can't escape the feeling that there's something a teensy bit hypocritical about it. If TV is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, we can't deny that we're the ones sharpening the blade, handing them the knife, and watching the spectacle in HD.
    The greatest danger of cramming too many important fixtures into a month-long period isn't, I suspect, that we'll debase sport and lose our joy for it altogether, but that a large percentage of the population will stop going out and, ultimately, showering, while running up such exorbitant takeaway bills that we bankrupt ourselves.
    Are we genuinely worried that there's too much sport on telly? Look at our reaction to scheduling clashes: we love them, because they give us a chance to prove our mettle. Show me the sports lover who didn't proudly contract RSI as they channel-hopped between Arsenal v Birmingham and the nailbiting final overs of England v India on Sunday. We thrill to those glorious weekends in July when Wimbledon, the British grand prix, World Cup matches and one-dayers collide in a messy explosion of patriotism, when you have to drag the old analogue telly down from the loft and set it up alongside the plasma and the laptop just so you've got enough screens to show everything at once.
    The timing of fixtures has always been at the mercy of some vested interest or other. Football started as a game played on Shrove Tuesday &#8211; in other words, early fixtures were determined by the ecclesiastical calendar. And while the idea that 3pm on Saturday is the appropriate time for professional fixtures is a charming one, relatively few of us are now emerging from the mines and the factories at that time so I don't see why we're so wedded to it. We're a country that buys our milk and cereal from 24-hour supermarkets on the way home from all-night drinking sessions, so it's hard to see why we struggle with midweek games, or think that the Six Nations' Friday start is an abomination.
    Who says the current timings are particularly convenient anyway? I would like to complain to the schedulers about the England v France game climaxing at 6.30pm on a Saturday, when any self-respecting woman with a social life is getting ready to go out. Watching the game in the mirror while you're putting on your make-up means that you spend half your time yelling "forward pass" at your reflection. Plus, thanks to the fact that I was using a particularly noisy hairdryer during the second half, I thought we'd scored two more tries than we had, and that there was a point to Mike Tindall after all.
    Don't even get me started about the decision to play the India v England game under floodlights. That game reached its conclusion slap-bang in the middle of a church service I was at on Sunday afternoon, so the entire front row had to pretend to listen earnestly to the vicar while guiltily shielding their iPhones from his eyeline. At least his sermon got a good reception &#8211; I'm not sure people often punch the air in church.
    Anyway, it doesn't matter. Some day soon all sport will be played in the Gulf, on a purpose-dredged island; games will be played throughout the night and the time zones of the world rearranged to create an optimum viewing experience for all. On that joyfully dystopian day, we'll sit in our living rooms watching sport dribble endlessly from our tellies into our brains. Let's just hope takeaways are cheaper by then.

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    Comments in chronological order (Total 13 comments)


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      HarryMalarkey       3 March 2011 12:30AM

      channel-hopped between Arsenal v Birmingham and the nailbiting final overs of England v India on Sunday.
      ​
      It was fantastic. Two TVs in the same room, commentary on cricket and mute on football, about 15 of us crammed in. Best sport day for weeks.

    • 60x60.png
      eutherock       3 March 2011 1:07AM

      Great piece. And you're right, the water polo fixture lists nowadays are an insult to the millions of British fans who now have to set their alarm clocks to watch exciting competitions like last year's Serbia-Croatia final.
      Not sure about bemoaning the scheduling decisions of the cricket World Cup organisers however. I'm sure, ohh, about a billion Indians - in India - were pretty happy to have the game played at night.

    • no-user-image.gif
      kieran216       3 March 2011 1:42AM

      Enjoyable piece - Sometimes I agree that there is too much sport on TV (see spacing out of Champions League over multiple weeks last two years), but when the celestial bodies arrange themselves it can make for fantastic days in the pub!
      So..... everyone's favourite sporting days (I mean multiple fixtures in one day, not the day your team won the cup) - please add.
      I'll start with 19th November 2005 (had to do a bit of googling to confirm date).
      This was an almost perfect sporting day spent in the bars of Glasgow's West End on a cold early winters day:
      Beginning with a morning Rugby League Tri-nations clash between Aus and GB (GB lost sadly), followed by an Old Firm SPL match (always good fun regardless of quality), followed by England Vs NZ Autumn International, topped off with the evening El Clasico (The one where Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation at The Bernabeu).
      As far as I remember all were pretty decent (don't think the Old Firm was much cop quality wise, but can't quite remember). The key of this day was that there were, as far as I remember, no overlaps at all, meaning all could be given full attention.
      Anyway that's to get the ball rolling, one of my favourite sporting pub days. Wade in folks, there are probably plenty more 3/4 classic fixture days.

    • 60x60.png
      Cameldancer       3 March 2011 1:43AM

      Plus, thanks to the fact that I was using a particularly noisy hairdryer during the second half, I thought we'd scored two more tries than we had, and that there was a point to Mike Tindall after all.
      ​

      Excellent...

    • 60x60.png
      sleepyfingers       3 March 2011 2:58AM

      Catherine Bennett must be spinning her top at that article....
      I like to have lots of live sport on the telly. It beats watching re-runs of 'Grand designs' when the schedules are dead (which they are between 7.30 and 9.00 every evening).
      Pete

    • no-user-image.gif
      Cyahrem       3 March 2011 3:10AM

      An enjoyable read.
      "We thrill to those glorious weekends in July when Wimbledon, the British grand prix, World Cup matches and one-dayers collide in a messy explosion of patriotism,"
      How very true. Throw in the Olympics/Athletics World Championships/Commonwealth Games and I think you've got the big five.
      Days of planning once the full sporting collision becomes apparent then hours ignoring phone calls on the day from mother/partner/friend who amazingly is unaware any sporting event is even taking place that day. I'm sure they do it on purpose.
      That said, it must be hell for those not interested in sport.

    • no-user-image.gif
      BombedOutCathedral       3 March 2011 4:39AM

      Agree with what you're saying and am only commenting at risk of sounding like a wanker, but "shibboleth" doesn't mean what you think it means and that's not because it's "one of those words like disinterested and uninterested, etc., it actually has a very specific meaning which you can check out in the original Bible story, or, even better as I'm not actually a God-botherer, an excellent poem by the sadly deceased-before-his-proper-time poet Michael Donaghy (yes, it's called "Shibboleth".
      I know, I know, but just sayin' like

    • 60x60.png
      ayleshamlad       3 March 2011 5:19AM

      The term originates from the Hebrew word "shibbóleth" (&#1513;&#1460;&#1473;&#1489;&#1465;&#1468;&#1500;&#1462;&#1514😉, which literally means the part of a plant containing grains, such as an ear of corn or a stalk of grain[3] or, in different contexts, "stream, torrent".[4][5] The modern usage derives from an account in the Hebrew Bible, in which pronunciation of this word was used to distinguish Ephraimites, whose dialect lacked a /&#643;/ sound (as in shoe), from Gileadites whose dialect did include such a sound.
      Just to save you the bother of a google ...

    • 60x60.png
      Briantist       3 March 2011 7:43AM

      [Pizza] Bread and Circuses - at least the Roman Plebs needed the calories because they had active lifestyles.
      It's very funny that there is an inverse proportionality between the amount of sport watched on TV and signs of either brain or body activity.

    • 60x60.png
      ammypam       3 March 2011 7:54AM

      The more people who watch sport, the fewer who play it.
      I once went out with a busty girl from Rotherham. I suppose a lot of people have.


 
TV OD is OK for sport addicts

Worried about too much sport on television? Me neither



  • TV-007.jpg
    Break out the old analogue, there's a scheduling clash … Photograph: Nicholas Rigg/Getty Images There was a time when we all thought the universe was about to end, and the thing that would cause the extinction of all life as we knew it was called Game 39. It sounded like a code for a nasty form of CIA rendition, or the title of a Hollywood blockbuster in which Clive Owen runs around with a semi-automatic and a puzzled look. Three years later, the Premier League all but denies such a proposal existed. Game 39? You all dreamt it. You did. Now look into this neuralizer …
    Before it disappeared into the great Never-Was, Game 39 became the focus for the widely accepted truism that fixture scheduling has gone mad, and that TV has too much control over sport, cramming the schedules until they become a travesty. It's certainly easy to feel that way this time of year, as Champions League, cup games and league games stack up nose-to-tail and the big teams spend more time on the road than Bon Jovi. The Carling Cup final is not even given the dignity of its own special day, but instead finds a couple of major Premier League fixtures muscling in like a bride being upstaged by her busty cousin from Rotherham.
    Meanwhile we watch the cricket World Cup lumber on, thanks to the International Cricket Council, architects of the biggest folly since Brighton Pavilion. Sure, we're welcoming it now that it's only just unpacked its bags. But you just wait – in a fortnight, when you're exhausted with the effort of entertaining it and it still shows no signs of moving on, you'll be ruing the day you invited it into your home.
    And so we repeat the shibboleth that TV money – and programme schedulers – are murdering "the game" (football/golf/snooker/water polo – delete as appropriate), lining up games in ridiculous time slots, devaluing competitions even as they overwhelm the airwaves. It's an argument I frequently repeat myself, but I now can't escape the feeling that there's something a teensy bit hypocritical about it. If TV is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, we can't deny that we're the ones sharpening the blade, handing them the knife, and watching the spectacle in HD.
    The greatest danger of cramming too many important fixtures into a month-long period isn't, I suspect, that we'll debase sport and lose our joy for it altogether, but that a large percentage of the population will stop going out and, ultimately, showering, while running up such exorbitant takeaway bills that we bankrupt ourselves.
    Are we genuinely worried that there's too much sport on telly? Look at our reaction to scheduling clashes: we love them, because they give us a chance to prove our mettle. Show me the sports lover who didn't proudly contract RSI as they channel-hopped between Arsenal v Birmingham and the nailbiting final overs of England v India on Sunday. We thrill to those glorious weekends in July when Wimbledon, the British grand prix, World Cup matches and one-dayers collide in a messy explosion of patriotism, when you have to drag the old analogue telly down from the loft and set it up alongside the plasma and the laptop just so you've got enough screens to show everything at once.
    The timing of fixtures has always been at the mercy of some vested interest or other. Football started as a game played on Shrove Tuesday – in other words, early fixtures were determined by the ecclesiastical calendar. And while the idea that 3pm on Saturday is the appropriate time for professional fixtures is a charming one, relatively few of us are now emerging from the mines and the factories at that time so I don't see why we're so wedded to it. We're a country that buys our milk and cereal from 24-hour supermarkets on the way home from all-night drinking sessions, so it's hard to see why we struggle with midweek games, or think that the Six Nations' Friday start is an abomination.
    Who says the current timings are particularly convenient anyway? I would like to complain to the schedulers about the England v France game climaxing at 6.30pm on a Saturday, when any self-respecting woman with a social life is getting ready to go out. Watching the game in the mirror while you're putting on your make-up means that you spend half your time yelling "forward pass" at your reflection. Plus, thanks to the fact that I was using a particularly noisy hairdryer during the second half, I thought we'd scored two more tries than we had, and that there was a point to Mike Tindall after all.
    Don't even get me started about the decision to play the India v England game under floodlights. That game reached its conclusion slap-bang in the middle of a church service I was at on Sunday afternoon, so the entire front row had to pretend to listen earnestly to the vicar while guiltily shielding their iPhones from his eyeline. At least his sermon got a good reception – I'm not sure people often punch the air in church.
    Anyway, it doesn't matter. Some day soon all sport will be played in the Gulf, on a purpose-dredged island; games will be played throughout the night and the time zones of the world rearranged to create an optimum viewing experience for all. On that joyfully dystopian day, we'll sit in our living rooms watching sport dribble endlessly from our tellies into our brains. Let's just hope takeaways are cheaper by then.

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    • no-user-image.gif
      HarryMalarkey       3 March 2011 12:30AM

      channel-hopped between Arsenal v Birmingham and the nailbiting final overs of England v India on Sunday.
      ​
      It was fantastic. Two TVs in the same room, commentary on cricket and mute on football, about 15 of us crammed in. Best sport day for weeks.

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      eutherock       3 March 2011 1:07AM

      Great piece. And you're right, the water polo fixture lists nowadays are an insult to the millions of British fans who now have to set their alarm clocks to watch exciting competitions like last year's Serbia-Croatia final.
      Not sure about bemoaning the scheduling decisions of the cricket World Cup organisers however. I'm sure, ohh, about a billion Indians - in India - were pretty happy to have the game played at night.

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      kieran216       3 March 2011 1:42AM

      Enjoyable piece - Sometimes I agree that there is too much sport on TV (see spacing out of Champions League over multiple weeks last two years), but when the celestial bodies arrange themselves it can make for fantastic days in the pub!
      So..... everyone's favourite sporting days (I mean multiple fixtures in one day, not the day your team won the cup) - please add.
      I'll start with 19th November 2005 (had to do a bit of googling to confirm date).
      This was an almost perfect sporting day spent in the bars of Glasgow's West End on a cold early winters day:
      Beginning with a morning Rugby League Tri-nations clash between Aus and GB (GB lost sadly), followed by an Old Firm SPL match (always good fun regardless of quality), followed by England Vs NZ Autumn International, topped off with the evening El Clasico (The one where Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation at The Bernabeu).
      As far as I remember all were pretty decent (don't think the Old Firm was much cop quality wise, but can't quite remember). The key of this day was that there were, as far as I remember, no overlaps at all, meaning all could be given full attention.
      Anyway that's to get the ball rolling, one of my favourite sporting pub days. Wade in folks, there are probably plenty more 3/4 classic fixture days.

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      Cameldancer       3 March 2011 1:43AM

      Plus, thanks to the fact that I was using a particularly noisy hairdryer during the second half, I thought we'd scored two more tries than we had, and that there was a point to Mike Tindall after all.
      ​

      Excellent...

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      sleepyfingers       3 March 2011 2:58AM

      Catherine Bennett must be spinning her top at that article....
      I like to have lots of live sport on the telly. It beats watching re-runs of 'Grand designs' when the schedules are dead (which they are between 7.30 and 9.00 every evening).
      Pete

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      Cyahrem       3 March 2011 3:10AM

      An enjoyable read.
      "We thrill to those glorious weekends in July when Wimbledon, the British grand prix, World Cup matches and one-dayers collide in a messy explosion of patriotism,"
      How very true. Throw in the Olympics/Athletics World Championships/Commonwealth Games and I think you've got the big five.
      Days of planning once the full sporting collision becomes apparent then hours ignoring phone calls on the day from mother/partner/friend who amazingly is unaware any sporting event is even taking place that day. I'm sure they do it on purpose.
      That said, it must be hell for those not interested in sport.

    • no-user-image.gif
      BombedOutCathedral       3 March 2011 4:39AM

      Agree with what you're saying and am only commenting at risk of sounding like a wanker, but "shibboleth" doesn't mean what you think it means and that's not because it's "one of those words like disinterested and uninterested, etc., it actually has a very specific meaning which you can check out in the original Bible story, or, even better as I'm not actually a God-botherer, an excellent poem by the sadly deceased-before-his-proper-time poet Michael Donaghy (yes, it's called "Shibboleth".
      I know, I know, but just sayin' like

    • 60x60.png
      ayleshamlad       3 March 2011 5:19AM

      The term originates from the Hebrew word "shibbóleth" (&#1513;&#1460;&#1473;&#1489;&#1465;&#1468;&#1500;&#1462;&#1514😉, which literally means the part of a plant containing grains, such as an ear of corn or a stalk of grain[3] or, in different contexts, "stream, torrent".[4][5] The modern usage derives from an account in the Hebrew Bible, in which pronunciation of this word was used to distinguish Ephraimites, whose dialect lacked a /&#643;/ sound (as in shoe), from Gileadites whose dialect did include such a sound.
      Just to save you the bother of a google ...

    • 60x60.png
      Briantist       3 March 2011 7:43AM

      [Pizza] Bread and Circuses - at least the Roman Plebs needed the calories because they had active lifestyles.
      It's very funny that there is an inverse proportionality between the amount of sport watched on TV and signs of either brain or body activity.

    • 60x60.png
      ammypam       3 March 2011 7:54AM

      The more people who watch sport, the fewer who play it.
      I once went out with a busty girl from Rotherham. I suppose a lot of people have.


 
El-Hadji Diouf's sending off sparks mayhem at Old Firm cup tie






Scottish Cup R5 replay

Celtic 1
  • Wilson 48
Rangers 0


  • Ewan Murray at Celtic Park
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 March 2011 21.57 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Celtic-v-Rangers-007.jpg
    Rangers' Maurice Edu, left, competes for possession with Celtic's Gary Hooper during the Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA An Old Firm tear-up was overdue. This Scottish Cup tie comprehensively offset the season's earlier Glasgow derbies, which had been notable for football. Rangers were not only eliminated, they ended with three of their players having collected red cards. Two of them, for Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra, were solely on account of fouls. There remained scope for El-Hadji Diouf, whose introduction to Scottish football had hitherto been tame, to highlight his wilder tendencies.
    The Rangers striker remonstrated with the referee after the full-time whistle to collect a second caution. Celtic's manager Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist, the Rangers assistant manager, then had a furious exchange. Rangers manager Walter Smith pointed the finger at Lennon. "Alistair [McCoist] was quite angry that Neil was being aggressive towards one of the Rangers players [Diouf]."
    It proved a fitting ending to a toxic encounter. Given that the pair will most likely be direct rivals next season when McCoist takes on the manager's role, the spat had added significance. Lennon avoided post-match media duties. His assistant Alan Thompson claimed a "hard shoulder" from Diouf on the Celtic physiotherapist before half-time sparked the first chapter of the madness. On Rangers' discipline, Thompson added: "Any team that gets three red cards in one game, I'm sure it will be looked at."
    After the match Smith refused to condemn his team, citing the red cards for Whittaker and Bougherra as harsh. On Diouf Smith added: "He is an easy target for criticism. He gets himself wound up, as obviously he did at the end of the game."
    Rangers crossed Glasgow in search of retribution for a 3-0 SPL humbling here 10 days earlier. But from the moment Whittaker walked, nine minutes before half-time, that prospect ended. Celtic's elimination of their oldest adversaries from the Scottish Cup merely endorses the growing sense of who is presently Glasgow's dominant force.
    The Rangers policy was one of containment. That worked pretty well in the opening exchanges, with a Ki Sung-Yueng long-range effort the total of Celtic's attacking exploits. At the other end, Diouf had fleetingly proved his football talent should not be overlooked despite his regular acts of madness.
    But his alter ego soon came to the fore. As Whittaker saw red on account of a second caution &#8211; the midfielder received bookings for fouls on Ki and Emilio Izaguirre &#8211; Diouf sought out the fourth official and Lennon. A contest which had hitherto simmered had suddenly boiled over. Dangerously for Rangers given his questionable temperament, Diouf collected a yellow card for his role in proceedings.
    Goading from the Celtic assistant manager Johan Mjallby towards Diouf as the teams left the field at the interval prompted a tunnel rumpus. Amid all of this nonsense, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the first half had been dismal.
    The hosts began the second period with an obvious policy of enforcing their personnel advantage. It took them just three minutes to do exactly that. Mark Wilson's fierce attempt was blocked by the head of Sasa Papac on the Rangers goalline. The Celtic full-back bounced the rebound off the ground and into the net.
    Goal action was subsequently at a premium but drama was not. Bougherra was lucky to escape a straight red card for standing on Gary Hooper's ankle but the yellow he collected later counted following a challenge on Kris Commons. It was all too much for Diouf, whose playing to the gallery only added to Celtic's glee.

 
El-Hadji Diouf's sending off sparks mayhem at Old Firm cup tie






Scottish Cup R5 replay

Celtic 1
  • Wilson 48
Rangers 0


  • Ewan Murray at Celtic Park
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 March 2011 21.57 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Celtic-v-Rangers-007.jpg
    Rangers' Maurice Edu, left, competes for possession with Celtic's Gary Hooper during the Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA An Old Firm tear-up was overdue. This Scottish Cup tie comprehensively offset the season's earlier Glasgow derbies, which had been notable for football. Rangers were not only eliminated, they ended with three of their players having collected red cards. Two of them, for Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra, were solely on account of fouls. There remained scope for El-Hadji Diouf, whose introduction to Scottish football had hitherto been tame, to highlight his wilder tendencies.
    The Rangers striker remonstrated with the referee after the full-time whistle to collect a second caution. Celtic's manager Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist, the Rangers assistant manager, then had a furious exchange. Rangers manager Walter Smith pointed the finger at Lennon. "Alistair [McCoist] was quite angry that Neil was being aggressive towards one of the Rangers players [Diouf]."
    It proved a fitting ending to a toxic encounter. Given that the pair will most likely be direct rivals next season when McCoist takes on the manager's role, the spat had added significance. Lennon avoided post-match media duties. His assistant Alan Thompson claimed a "hard shoulder" from Diouf on the Celtic physiotherapist before half-time sparked the first chapter of the madness. On Rangers' discipline, Thompson added: "Any team that gets three red cards in one game, I'm sure it will be looked at."
    After the match Smith refused to condemn his team, citing the red cards for Whittaker and Bougherra as harsh. On Diouf Smith added: "He is an easy target for criticism. He gets himself wound up, as obviously he did at the end of the game."
    Rangers crossed Glasgow in search of retribution for a 3-0 SPL humbling here 10 days earlier. But from the moment Whittaker walked, nine minutes before half-time, that prospect ended. Celtic's elimination of their oldest adversaries from the Scottish Cup merely endorses the growing sense of who is presently Glasgow's dominant force.
    The Rangers policy was one of containment. That worked pretty well in the opening exchanges, with a Ki Sung-Yueng long-range effort the total of Celtic's attacking exploits. At the other end, Diouf had fleetingly proved his football talent should not be overlooked despite his regular acts of madness.
    But his alter ego soon came to the fore. As Whittaker saw red on account of a second caution – the midfielder received bookings for fouls on Ki and Emilio Izaguirre – Diouf sought out the fourth official and Lennon. A contest which had hitherto simmered had suddenly boiled over. Dangerously for Rangers given his questionable temperament, Diouf collected a yellow card for his role in proceedings.
    Goading from the Celtic assistant manager Johan Mjallby towards Diouf as the teams left the field at the interval prompted a tunnel rumpus. Amid all of this nonsense, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the first half had been dismal.
    The hosts began the second period with an obvious policy of enforcing their personnel advantage. It took them just three minutes to do exactly that. Mark Wilson's fierce attempt was blocked by the head of Sasa Papac on the Rangers goalline. The Celtic full-back bounced the rebound off the ground and into the net.
    Goal action was subsequently at a premium but drama was not. Bougherra was lucky to escape a straight red card for standing on Gary Hooper's ankle but the yellow he collected later counted following a challenge on Kris Commons. It was all too much for Diouf, whose playing to the gallery only added to Celtic's glee.

 
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