Gary Speed - Rest in peace. (Nov/Dec '11)

In the early hours of Saturday the 26^th November, Stan Collymore made a post on his Twitter page. It was a long account of his battle with depression – how he hadn’t slept for four days, how he was riddled with suicidal thoughts.

It was a tragic coincidence that the next day terrible rumours of Gary Speed’s suicide began to surface.

The news stunned the footballing world, and many outside of it.

In this post-Diana age we are a nation of grief-junkies. Whether it’s an earthquake in Japan or the death of Jimmy Saville, people are all too keen to show their concern in the form of Twitter hash-tags and Facebook statuses.

Yet when it transpired that Speed had hung himself the tributes which followed were borne out of genuine sadness and shock. There were no band-wagon jumpers who wanted to get their fix of public mourning – people, like myself, who had no real attachment or affiliation with the man from North Wales, were completely stunned.

The same day as Speed’s death the game between Swansea and Aston Villa went ahead. The Sky cameras lapped it up – cruelly focusing on a visibly distraught Shay Given as a minutes silence turned into a minutes applause. That evening on Radio 5 Live Robbie Savage was present in his usual role as co-host of the 606 phone-in. The programme began with Land of my fathers in tribute to Speed and when it was Savage’s turn to speak he simply couldn’t, as he broke down in tears on national radio.

‘Why?’ he asked. Why would a man like Gary Speed, respected up and down the country, with a brilliant career behind him and an equally promising one ahead of him – a man with a young family and movie star looks – kill himself?

It is the question on everybody’s lips. From the outside looking in, Speed had it all. This is the scariest, most sombre aspect of his suicide. How tormented, how mentally ravaged must Speed have been for him to take the most fateful of action?

It appears that even those closest to Speed had no idea about his depression. Less than 24 hours before his death he had appeared on the BBC’s football focus – an articulate, likeable, affable man.

Like homosexuality, depression is one of sport’s last taboos. It is obvious that top flight sports people – people who operate in a fierce, pressure cooker of an environment – are likely to be susceptible to mental problems. Yet why can’t they speak about them?

In recent times stories of sporting depression have become more commonplace. Ronald Reng’s biography of German goalkeeper Robert Enke and his suicide was named William Hill sports book of the year. Former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, and German referee Babak Rafati, who was found bleeding to death in a hotel bath just hours before he was to take charge of a Bundesliga fixture, are recent examples of desperate cries for help.

Yet nothing has reverberated or saddened people quite like the death of Gary Speed. Since his suicide five footballers have contacted the Sporting Chance clinic, seeking help. Maybe if Speed’s death can urge people to seek treatment – and shatter one of sport's last taboos – then maybe something positive can come from something so tragic.

Gary Speed should never be forgotten. We can only hope that whatever demons he had have been put to bed.

Goodbye, and rest in peace.

Connacht make Heineken Cup debut. (Nov '11)

Ireland’s fourth province finally have the chance to dine at European rugby’s top table.

With Munster and Leinster securing Heineken Cup victory twice each in the last six years, it’s safe to say Irish domestic rugby’s star is consistently on the rise. Munster have been European heavyweights for much of the last decade - and with players of the ilk of O’Driscoll, D’Arcy and Johnny Sexton - it was only a matter of time before Leinster joined them. Indeed, even Ulster have enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance after reaching the quarter-final stage last season.

Yet as a Sexton master class saw Northampton outgunned in this year’s final, the cheers could be heard out in Galway – not just Dublin – as Leinster’s victory paved the way for Ireland’s junior provincial side, Connacht, to make their first foray into European Club rugby’s premier competition.

It has taken sixteen years of trying but finally the side from Ireland’s wild, windy West have their chance to slug it out with Europe’s finest. It serves as a remarkable achievement for a club who in comparison to their rivals are extremely limited in finances and fan base - and also presents an outstanding opportunity for Connacht to cement themselves as a familiar name on the continent.

The prospect of Heineken Cup rugby may even enable them to hold onto their best talents – the likes of Sean Cronin and Paul Warwick have been lured by bigger sides in recent years. The inevitable loss of their finest players means Connacht’s squad is an eclectic mix of home-groan starlets, such as Tiernan O’Halloran, club veterans like John Muldoon and Michael Swift, and the occasional international in Johnny O’Connor and talisman Gavin Duffy.

Led by club legend Eric Ellwood, Connacht headed into their first game - away at Harlequins – with the all too familiar title of plucky underdogs.

The two sides clashed in last year’s Amlin Cup, with Harlequins subjecting the men in green to two tight defeats. The English side were also enjoying a club record-equalling start to the season after ten consecutive victories.

With this, there was an air of inevitability about Connacht’s 25-17 loss at the Stoop. In an intense, physical battle, Connacht outscored ‘Quins by two tries to one and dominated for much of the game – but the boot of Nick Evans proved to be the difference between the sides.

Yet despite the loss, it was a positive debut for Connacht.

They now prepare to welcome the aristocrats of European rugby – the mighty Toulouse – to the humble Galway Sportsground.

The French giants may have four European Cups under their belts – but not even they will fancy the trip west.

Sir Alex Ferguson - one of a kind. (Nov' 11)

25 years of success – We’ll never see the like of Fergie again.

I’m used to listening to my friends regale me with tales of their football club’s managerial woes. Whether it’s O’Neill in or Hodgson out, the twisted world of modern football doesn’t appear to lend itself to stability.

One minute my pal’s beloved Sheffield Wednesday are Alan Irvine’s blue and white army, the next minute they’re Gary Megson’s barmy army. If I supported Middlesbrough I’d still only be recovering from Gordon Strachan’s time in charge and if the misfortune of being a Leicester city fan was bestowed upon me I wouldn’t have a clue if my team would even have a manager in the morning – never mind who it might be. Even if I supported the filthy rich Chelsea my head would still be spinning from a post-Mourinho hangover and the legion of pretenders who have failed to fit the special one’s crown.

Not many football fans can say they’ve only ever known their club to have one manager. My mate who follows Crewe Alexandra, if he’s not too busy painting ‘Gradi Out’ on an industrial sized bed-sheet, has been a rare recipient of a lifetime of managerial consistency. Most Arsenal fans of our generation were too busy rolling around in nappies to know who George Graham was and have been weaned on a diet of Arsene Wenger.

Yet nobody has been afforded the privilege Manchester United fans of our vintage have enjoyed.  

For 25 years Sir Alex Ferguson has been the only man to roll with the punches on football’s journey from the murky, hooligan-ridden late eighties to the corporate, prawn sandwich-munching 21^st Century.

For 25 years he has adapted and thrived in front of an ever-changing backdrop, cultivating one of football’s greatest dynasties.

A European Cup Winner’s Cup winner with Aberdeen, in 1986 Ferguson moved to a Manchester United far removed from the global brand it is today. A sleeping giant, United fans had become accustomed to mid-table mediocrity, looking enviously down the East-Lancs road as bitter rivals Liverpool cleaned up the silverware.

After a rocky start – the type that wouldn’t be afforded today - the first trophy was finally clinched, the 1990 FA Cup. The Cup Winner’s Cup followed a year later and the juggernaut was picking up pace. The signing of Eric Cantona was the final piece in a puzzle six years in the making as ‘Dieu’ inspired United to their first league title for 26 years.

In the 19 years that have passed United have won the league 12 more times and are now the most decorated club in domestic football.

He’s ‘knocked the scousers off their perch’, won the battle for supremacy with Wenger’s Arsenal and seen off Abramovich’s new age Chelsea – all whilst keeping faith in a policy of youthful verve and attacking football – an ideology ingrained within the club.

And now, as he fast approaches 70 years of age, he is faced with the task of taming Barcelona and seeing off a revolution at Manchester City before it can properly begin. It’s a challenge he’ll relish.

Sunday the 6^th of November saw him bring in his Silver Anniversary as manager of Manchester United Football Club. As he made his way to the Old Trafford centre circle before the game against Sunderland, the old terrace he first stood before 25 years ago sat proudly with its new name - The Sir Alex Ferguson stand.

It was a fitting tribute for a feat that is unlikely to be repeated.

Hopes of a Generation finally fade. (Oct '11)

Alas, the dream is over. Irish Rugby’s golden generation will never lift the World Cup.

Never again will International rugby’s grandest stage play host to one of its greatest leads, Brian O’Driscoll, and his fine supporting cast - O’Callaghan, O’Connell, O’Gara, D’Arcy et al.

Beaten 22-10 in the quarter-finals by the ruthless, firebrand Welsh, the Webb Ellis Cup was a step too far for a side who secured the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009 – only the second in Irish history.

As ever Ireland - perennial World Cup underachievers - came into the tournament with legitimate hopes of at least a semi-final appearance, despite patchy pre-tournament form.

The Irish campaign began as it ended with a 22-10 score line – a slightly rusty defeat of the USA. After this, they sauntered through the group stages – despatching Russia and Italy with ease and aplomb.  Australia were also beaten in a furious, ferocious 15-9 victory. It was the type of win that had even the cynics daring to believe – they couldn’t, could they?

But it wasn’t to be.

Wales, arguably the most exciting side of the tournament, shattered Emerald dreams. In another brutal, physical battle Wales’ young upstarts were just too good and too fit for Ireland’s old stagers. For Wales, victory was another stepping stone for a side with a bright future ahead of it. For Ireland, it was the end of the road.

Captain O’Driscoll’s post match interview said it all. With a tear in his eye he admitted that this was the end. By winning the group they’d given themselves their greatest chance and their last chance. Now it was gone.

A new generation will now look to take Ireland onwards to 2015. In Cian Healy, Johnny Sexton and the bullish, brilliant Sean O’Brien the future of Irish rugby looks to be in safe hands.

But whatever the future holds, the romantic inside can’t help but rue what might have been for Irish Rugby’s golden generation.

Football and the Big Society. (Oct '11)

Can modern football embrace the concept of ‘The Big Society’? The Mancunion headed to Manchester Grammar School to Investigate.

Britain’s football family could offer a rare example of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Big Society idea in action.

That was the consensus at a Conservative Party conference fringe meeting – “Football and the Big Society” – held at Manchester Grammar School last week.

Over 50 people attended the forum, including Jesse Norman - author of ‘The Big Society’- alongside numerous representatives of the FA and fans groups to discuss the much maligned concept of ‘The Big Society’, and how football offers a key example of how it can work.

Remarkably, with the London Olympics just 10 months away, the forum was the only event to cover sport throughout the three week party conference season - which in itself is a sad indictment of current political priorities.

This apparent lack of political attention and support for sport – particularly at grassroots level – was a key issue for a number of panellists. Jim White – Daily Telegraph columnist and author of the highly regarded ‘You’ll Win Nothing with Kids’ - was particularly vehement in his criticism of the facilities available for young footballers nationwide.  Tracy Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford and an FA qualified coach also lamented the state of the infrastructure available in amateur football.

An overriding theme throughout the forum was the idea that the ‘Big Society’ is an intrinsic part of football’s make up, whatever the level. The ‘Big Society’ is the concept of the social contract between society and the state, and the institutions – sporting or otherwise – which link the two.

Tom Hall, head of policy and development at Supporters Direct, a group campaigning for ‘…the wider recognition of the social, cultural and economic value of sports clubs’, argued that whilst football at the top level may reflect a lot of society’s ills, it also presents a pertinent example of the ‘Big Society’ in action – especially the huge volunteer and community involvement in amateur football.

Whilst the panel gave a lot of credence to community-level football, there was also keen debate on the state of domestic top-flight football - particularly the growing disenchantment of football fans as they become increasingly alienated by commercialised clubs. Sandip Jobanputra, a member of the Manchester United Supporters Trust – M.U.S.T – talked of a desire for fans to become en-franchised in their football clubs, believing the energy and passion they would put into running their club would far surpass that of plutocrat owners.

Whilst this is clear, especially in the case of Manchester United and their crippling Glazer ownership, Norman – MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire – argued that much sort after government intervention to regulate the ownership of football clubs would be politically unrealistic given the expenditure owners often make to procure their assets.

Whilst Robert Sullivan, the Football Association’s head of Social Affairs, championed the numerous schemes the FA have deployed to stimulate grassroots football, the overriding feeling from the panel and audience was that football needs to embrace the concept of the ‘Big Society’ before the game is lost to its audience forever.

Lancashire Claim Championship to End 77 Years of Pain. (Sep' 11)

Lancashire lift Cricket’s County Championship, a victory 77 years in the making…

When Lancashire last lifted cricket’s County Championship way back in 1934 Franklin Roosevelt held the presidency of the United States, George V was the King of England and Adolf Hitler became Germany’s head of state.

Fast forward to 2011 and whilst Das Fuhrer is long gone Lancashire are celebrating being crowned as County Champions once more.

Victory over Somerset in the final session of the season’s final day saw Lancashire finally end a 77 year title drought, lifting a hoodoo many thought would cling to the County forever.

Throughout the last 77 years Lancashire’s squads have been littered with stars, from the home-grown likes of Pilling, Lever, Allott, Fairbrother, Atherton, and Flintoff – to overseas imports Engineer, Lloyd, Akram, Muralitharan, Law and Hooper.

Yet for all the one-day successes and trophies Lancashire’s stars achieved – plus a shared Championship with Surrey in 1950 - none of these illustrious names could ever call themselves County Champions. Lancashire, it seemed, were destined to be forever the bridesmaids.

This year however, everything fell into place. Playing away from their Old Trafford home - which is currently under major redevelopment - Lancashire won ten and drew two of their 16 games, pipping Warwickshire at the last.

There is a brilliant irony in that – on paper at least – it was one of Lancashire’s least glamorous sides which finally broke through the 77 year wall.  The team which beat Somerset on the closing day boasted only a single International cap - and a large contingent of the young squad hail locally, from Blackpool to Chorley and Bury to Preston- a lack of heavyweight names which seemed to benefit rather than burden the side.

It was also a vindication of a policy of promoting youth - a policy which Lancashire, hamstrung by finances in a year in which legal fees nearly bankrupted the club - were somewhat forced into. Unable to afford an overseas professional after Farveez Maharoof departed to join the Sri Lanka squad they promoted a string of home-grown players and reaped the rewards – perhaps a lesson for other counties in the financially restricted arena of domestic cricket.

Throughout the season there were a number of standout performances. But for all the sporadic moments of individual brilliance - whether it was Gary Keedy’s haul of 60 wickets at an average of 23, Kyle Hogg’s 50 wickets and vital lower order runs,  Simon Kerrigan’s 9-51 against Hampshire which kept Lancastrian dreams alive or Glenn Chapple steaming into bowl against Somerset despite a torn hamstring – this was a team victory.

It was arguably no coincidence that Lancashire finally won the title in the year they were playing away from Old Trafford. Historically haunted by the Mancunian weather Lancashire thrived at their temporary home at Aigburth, Liverpool, where the wickets provided lent themselves to results rather than drawn matches.

Next year, Lancashire return to their famous old ground- and somewhere in the grand pavilion the Championship pennant will proudly hang once again.

How long they’ll have to wait for another title remains to be seen, but it’s doubtful Lancashire fans will be suffering until 2088.

England's Indian Summer (Sep' 11)

Ruthless England demolish sorry India to become World number one.

England’s victory in the 2005 Ashes series was breath-taking, captivating - the product of six years of the rebuilding and rejuvenation of English cricket.

 A triumvirate of Duncan Fletcher, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan oversaw a process which helped drag England from test cricket’s gutter – the sensational defeat of Australia a far cry from the 1999 loss to New Zealand which saw them propping up the ICC test rankings.

Yet rather than being a catalyst for dominance, victory over Australia was the swansong of a side soon to fall apart. Loss of form and injury ripped out the soul of the team, and what followed was the nadir moment of an 

Ashes series whitewash defeat in the winter of 2006.

So, the rebuilding process started again - and after a calamitous interjection which saw Peter Moores and Kevin Pietersen flounder as coach and captain - Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss have overseen one of the finest periods in England’s test history.

Under Flower and Strauss, England have won eight and drawn one of their last nine test series – including Ashes successes both home and away against Australia. Total domination – culminating in this summer’s thrashing of India- has seen them soar up the world rankings to number one.

India had arrived in England as the world’s best. They left not only without that mantle, but also with little pride intact. Whilst Indian hopes were hindered by the loss of star bowler Zaheer Khan to injury, only Rahul Dravid rose above and produced beyond the abysmal dross India served up all summer.

Yet this shouldn’t take away from England’s victory.  For whilst India were woeful, England were majestic.

The scale of England’s achievement should not be underestimated.  Not only did they reach the number one spot by beating the supposed best team in the world, it was also only the seventh time in Test match history there has been a whitewash in a series of four games or more.

It was a team performance of the highest calibre. At some stage nearly every individual made a significant contribution – there are no passengers in this England side. The batsmen consistently posted unassailable first innings scores, the bowlers took 20 wickets in every game and only once did they allow India’s batsmen to eclipse 300 runs.

Individually, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Stuart Broad were England’s outstanding performers – Pietersen and Bell amassing over a thousand runs between them, Broad’s Trent Bridge hat trick the series’ champagne moment.

Under Strauss and Flower England have developed a winning mentality akin to the Australia of McGrath, Warne et al. They head to the sub-continent this winter as the world’s best, confident that unlike 2005 this is the start of a legacy, not the end.

Northern Ireland's Golden Year (Sep' 11)

The final major of the golfing year may have been an anti-climax from a European perspective, but 2011 was a year to remember.

The 2011 major calendar was bookended by disappointment – Rory McIlroy’s capitulation from a seemingly impregnable position in the US Masters and Keegan Bradley’s play-off victory in the USPGA – but in-between came two moments to savour.

The year’s opening major – The Masters – was won by South African Charles Schwartzel, but it was Mcilroy who made the headlines at Augusta. The young Belfast man went from the sublime to the ridiculous, storming to -12 over his opening three rounds only to see his four shot lead disintegrate after a final round 80. In contrast tournament winner Schwartzel finished his weekend with a stunning 66 – including four birdies in the final four holes – holding off Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott, as well as a resurgent Tiger Woods, in the process.

The headlines focused on McIlroy however, and whether at the age of 21 he possessed the mental resilience to match his precocious talent.

Yet two months later at Congressional Country Club, McIlroy became the youngest winner of the US Open since 1923, smashing records and silencing doubters in the process.  Memories of his Masters meltdown were banished as rounds of 65, 66, 68 and 69 saw him romp home eight shots clear of the field - his final score of -16 the lowest in tournament history.

Hyperbole followed, as golf’s poster boy - the new Tiger Woods - was lauded from Holywood Northern Ireland to Hollywood California.

But it was another, rather unlikely, Northern Irishman who stunned the galleries at the British Open. Royal St. George’s, in England’s Deep South (a 600 mile round trip for this intrepid, slightly stupid, reporter) was wet and wild – undulating, windy and a far cry from the pristine conditions at Congressional McIlroy revelled in. It proved however the perfect stage for Darren Clarke – almost twice the age of his compatriot - to win his maiden major championship.

Clarke – one of golf’s most likeable characters – was playing in his 20^th Open championship, and his final score of -5 saw him fend off Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickleson to become the first man from the home nations to lift the Claret Jug since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

The image of Clarke sitting proudly with the famous old trophy and a pint of Guinness epitomised the spirit of golf’s most famous tournament – his victory the perfect tribute in a week the sport’s  great and good gathered to pay homage to the late Seve Ballesteros.

The year’s closing major, the USPGA, was dominated by America –  Bradley defeating Jason Duffner at Atlanta in a three hole play-off – Luke Donald and Lee Westwood the only British interest finishing five shots off the leaders at -3.

But this couldn’t dampen another fine, fairytale year for domestic golf, as Northern Irishmen old and new illuminated the world stage.

A Sporting Eductation (Piece for 'Uncovered - Manchester' Sep' 11)

Manchester’s standing as the country’s most popular university is not only down to the quality of education on offer. The city is also a world class venue for watching sport.

Manchester’s position as the undisputed capital of the North and England’s second city encompasses numerous cultural and social mediums - none more so than sport.

The 2002 Commonwealth Games presented a watershed moment, providing the perfect opportunity to showcase the culmination of the city’s marked transformation from post-industrial city to thriving metropolis.

The major sporting draws in Manchester, however, long predate any legacy left by the 2002 games.

‘Perhaps time will separate us, but nobody can deny that here, behind the windows of Manchester, there is an insane love of football, of celebration and of music’. These words, from United legend Eric Cantona, would be echoed by Blues as much as Reds.

The city has a feverish passion for football, and the cross-city rivalry between City and United is becoming ever-fiercer, largely due to the fact that for the first time in decades both sides have legitimate claims to domestic and continental success.

2011 saw City emerge from a 35-year wilderness in which they didn’t win a single trophy - their FA Cup victory over Stoke saw a much longed for piece of silverware provide the first glimpse that the petro-millions pumped into the club by gluttonously wealthy Abu Dhabi owners are starting to reap returns.  

And now City fans head into the 2011/12 season with an optimism not seen for years. The marquee signing of Sergio Aguero has helped allay fears of talisman Carlos Tevez’s potential departure as City venture into the promised land of the Uefa Champions League for the first time. Nearly all City games go on general sale, with only the Manchester Derby in high demand, and tickets can be purchased by University students for as little as £10.

Manchester attracts thousands of students from across the globe, and one thing they all have in common is that they’ve heard of Manchester United. As City were finally lifting their hoodoo at Wembley, United were at a rain soaked Ewood Park lifting their nineteenth league title and thus becoming English domestic football’s most successful side – overhauling bitterest rivals Liverpool in the process.

Whilst this victory was slightly soured by a comprehensive mauling at the hands of FC Barcelona in the European Cup final, United’s championship win was a landmark moment – the product of twenty years of utter dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson.  With over £50 million spent on new signings Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David De Gea, United are again strong favourites for the title - although they will hope to address a pressing lack of manpower in central midfield.

Whilst tickets for games at Old Trafford are in much higher demand than at Eastlands, numerous games will be available on general sale for University students.

Dominant though football is, Manchester’s sporting obsession runs far wider. A stone’s throw – or cover drive – away from Old Trafford football ground lies its namesake, the home of Lancashire Country Cricket Club. The ‘other’ Old Trafford is currently in the midst of a multi-million pound re-development, the aim of which is to bring Test Match cricket – and more pertinently a 2013 Ashes fixture - back to the North-West.

At the time of writing, Lancashire are pushing for a historic first outright County Championship in 77 years.  Whilst little of the season’s calendar falls in term time, a trip to the cricket costs a pittance in comparison to the football and is something students should consider.

Manchester also offers first class rugby, with the home of Premiership side Sale Sharks a short train journey away in Stockport. The side have flirted with relegation in recent seasons but a radical overhaul in personnel could see a change of fortunes in the coming season. Tickets are readily available, and with most fixtures played on a Friday evening a trip to Edgeley Park is the perfect way to kick-start the weekend.

That the UK is currently on top of the world in competitive cycling is largely due to the Manchester Velodrome – home of the National Cycling Centre, which has seen likes of Hoy, Pendleton and Wiggins rise to Olympic prominence.  This is coupled with The Great City games – an event which sees Deansgate, one of the city’s main shopping streets, transformed into an athletics track. The likes of Usain Bolt, alongside thousands of amateurs, take part every year – making it one of Manchester’s premier sporting events.

Across the calendar Manchester is home to a vast range of regional, national and international sporting events. The city may be football crazy, but it loves its other sports too.

Schalke 04 0 - Manchester United 2 (April/May 2011)

United Supreme in Sunny Gelsenkirchen.

The Semi-Final of the European Cup usually offers fans the romance of visiting the continent’s glamorous powerhouses – Milan, Munich, Madrid et al; yet the thousands of Manchester United fans who descended upon Germany for their team’s first leg tie with Schalke 04 found themselves in lowly Gelsenkirchen – a place more akin to Crewe than Catalunia.

 A small industrial city located in the Ruhr area of Western Germany, Gelsenkirchen’s 250,000 population take great pride in their football team which remains rooted in the heart of a working class community – a place of little to do, but a football hotbed nonetheless.

Many reds making the trip shunned a stay in Gelsenkirchen, some opting for Dusseldorf and Dortmund, some Amsterdam, but those who didn’t – ourselves included – were met with extreme hospitality and people almost as enthusiastic about United as they were ‘Die Konigsblauen’. On how many away trips could you enjoy a lock in at a local pub, singing United songs with locals and pulling your own pints?

Yet no matter where they stayed, come Tuesday – match day – Gelsenkirchen was Red. With the weather almost as gorgeous as the beer being liberally sunk, the town’s streets were awash with United fans, getting on with their German counterparts, and perhaps unusually, even the police.

As the sun dropped Reds descended upon Schalke’s hugely impressive ‘Veltin’s arena’ - infamous as the stage on which Wayne Rooney’s stamp and Cristiano Ronaldo’s wink ended England’s campaign in the 2006 World Cup. Located on an industrial estate a short tram ride from Gelsenkirchen, the stadium is an impressive monument to the efficiency and style of modern German football – the majority of stadia erected for the World Cup cost less than it took the FA to build the ‘new’, lifeless Wembley.

The 61,000 crowd normally pay as little as 10 Euros to watch their side, and whilst the capacity was slightly reduced to accommodate UEFA’s archaic stance on safe standing, the atmosphere was vociferous. Fans of Schalke have the reputation - along with bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund - of being the best in Germany, and the noise created by a sea of blue and white was immense.

On the pitch however, United were the dominant force. The opening 45 minutes saw only the exceptional Manuel Neuer stand between the Reds and a considerable half-time lead, with chance after chance thwarted by the excellent German. With the evergreen Raul and tricky Jefferson Farfan consistently on the periphery Schalke barely had a kick - United delivering a master class fitting of potential European champions.

The second half continued in a similar vein, and just shy of 70 minutes Ryan Giggs was the man to finally beat Neuer. Cue bedlam in the eastern corner of the ground housing the travelling support.  Barely had the chaos ceased when Rooney scored United’s second. United’s 2,500 fans were delirious, Schalke’s were silenced. Two away goals, a potentially unassailable lead.

As United fans filed out of the ground songs of Wembley and scarlet ribbons worn in May boomed in the warm German night. Schalke fans seemed stunned at their team’s non-performance, and the ease in which they were swatted away in a performance which Alex Ferguson cited as one United’s finest in Europe.

Back in town fans waxed lyrical about a brilliant trip and a brilliant performance. Whilst it looks like the formidable Barcelona await, a performance like this could topple anybody.

We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wembley. Again.

F1 Season Opener - Melbourne (March/April 2011)

Vettel Cruises to Victory in Season Opener.

The opening race of the 2011 Formula One season saw Sebastian Vettel begin the defence of his world title in breath-taking fashion, as he stormed to a comprehensive and impressive victory in the Australian Grand Prix. Vettel - who led from pole-to-flag in Melbourne - has now led every lap of the last 3 Grands Prix, and looks the man to beat in a Red Bull car which once more appears streaks ahead of the rest of the field.

 Vettel’s dominant display, in which he didn’t even require the use of the ‘Kers’ energy recovery system, is surely an ominous sign to his fellow drivers. Yet despite this, Lewis Hamilton’s second place finish has been met with a mixture of pleasure and relief by his McClaren team – his podium finish perhaps helping to allay pre-season fears that both he and Jenson Button would be facing a season in an uncompetitive car.

Button himself delivered a solid drive, finishing in 6^th place, but was left to rue a drive through penalty incurred after he cut a chicane trying to overtake a frustrating Felipe Massa. For both McClaren drivers it was however an encouragingly competitive start to the season, after a poor pre-season marred by a worrying lack of pace and reliability.

Renault also started solidly, with Vitaly Petrov finishing in third place. Petrov’s drive will serve as solace for a Renault team without the services of the highly talented Robert Kubica - currently recovering from near career ending injuries suffered in a rallying accident.

Ferrari endured a relatively low-key start to the season, with the brooding Fernando Alonso pipping Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Mark Webber into fourth place at the death, whilst Felipe Massa was somewhat off the pace, finishing in 7th position.

Massa had finished the race in 9^th, but was moved up to 7^th by virtue of the Swiss outfit Sauber facing disqualification for infringing technical rules. Sauber’s drivers, Kamui Kobayashi and Formula One debutant Sergio Perez had both enjoyed exceptional races – finishing 8^th and 7^th respectively –  and the 21 year old Mexican received particular plaudits, with Eddie Jordan citing it as ‘one of the finest debuts I have ever seen’.

But this was Vettel’s race. Whilst the German - who last year became the sport’s youngest ever World Champion – has been quick to deflect any talk of a season of dominance, his domineering display could well prove a sign of things to come throughout the 2011 season.

Gary Neville is a Red (February 2011)

Last of a Dying Breed.

In a game played by a merry band of mercenaries, the ‘one club man’ is a dying breed. The messed up world of modern football, it seems, doesn’t allow for loyalty – and if the past month has taught us anything – it’s that you can never trust a footballer. One minute they are an epitome of badge kissing loyalty – the next they are leaving the club they so professed their love for with all the subtlety of a bank robber clutching a swag bag.

That’s why the concept of the ‘one club man’, alien to so many professionals, is to be cherished - because they are truly few and far between. Last week, Gary Neville’s retirement signalled the end of the road for one of the last remaining bastions of a saner game – a man completely tied to his profession and his football club.

Neville was a product of Manchester United’s famous youth cup winning team of ’92 – a peerless side containing David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt – and made his first team debut against Torpedo Moscow later the same year. What followed was a career which saw him amass 602 United appearances, eight League Titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, a European Cup and the World Club Championship.

Neville remains England’s most capped full-back, and was the embodiment of Alex Ferguson’s and United’s philosophy. He expected the highest standards – he shared Ferguson’s relentless desire for success – and it was this desire to win, coupled with an insatiable love for his team which ensured ‘Red Nev’ was so worshipped by United fans, and vilified by those at Anfield and Maine Road. Never one to hold his tongue, Neville never made secret the fact that the feeling is entirely mutual. The vitriolic abuse hurled at him by United’s great rivals merely stoked Neville’s fire, his badge-clutching sprint to taunt Liverpool fans after Rio Ferdinand’s late winner in 2006 an example of the passion coursing through him – Neville, in essence, was a fan who was talented enough to be playing for his football club.

Hatred often blinkered opinion on Neville’s playing ability. An easy scapegoat in an England shirt, many discarded Neville as an average player who merely worked hard. They were wrong – Neville’s crossing paled only in comparison with that of David Beckham – his old mate he would forever be scampering past on the overlap – and with whom he formed a formidable right-wing partnership.

Love him or hate him, as most people do, every fan longs to have a Gary Neville in their team. Snarling, angry, passionate, intensely loyal and above all a quality player – ‘The best English right-back of his generation’ – as Sir Alex says.

Neville’s retirement suggests the ‘one club man’ is closer to extinction. There aren’t many left. As Neville walks away into Old Trafford history, only Giggs and Scholes – the final members of the matchless crop of ’92 – remain.

MUFC - PIKs (November/December 2010)

Glazers Clear PIKs, But How?

Manchester United’s financial results for the first quarter of 2010/11, released earlier in November, were nothing out of the ordinary – confirming trends shown in the full year results – with increasing revenue sadly, predictably, offset by heavy interest payments on the club’s mountain of debt.

What offered far more intrigue however, was the news of the Glazer family’s intention to clear a substantial chunk of the debt on the 22^nd November, by clearing £220 million worth of Payment in Kind (PIK) loans.

The PIK loans have been seen as a ‘ticking time-bomb’ under Old Trafford – the element of the debt which could have the most disastrous effect on the club, given the punitive rate they accrue interest – 16.25%. Indeed, were they left until maturity in 2017, they would have totalled more than £600 million.

Whilst these loans have existed since 2006 (when they amounted to a ‘mere’ £138 million), they first came under widespread public scrutiny earlier this year, when the club’s January bond issue revealed that the Glazers were entitled to draw up to £127 million directly from the club’s cash flow in order to help pay off them off. It was this revelation, amongst others, which served as a catalyst for the well-publicised ‘Green and Gold’ campaign staged by United fans hell-bent on unseating an American ownership which seems intent on leeching every last penny from the club and its supporters.

Surprisingly however, it has been revealed that contrary to the fears of supporters, no money will be taken from the club to facilitate the debt repayment, with a comment from the club’s board confirming ‘there has been no dividend of club cash’.

This raises the question then, of just how the Glazer family have acquired the money to repay the loans – which are actually held against their venture Red Football Ltd – rather than Manchester United Plc itself.

There seem to be three main avenues through which the funds could have been raised. Firstly, they could have sold off some of their other assets and businesses – although this appears unlikely given the parlous state of their heavily mortgaged shopping mall ‘empire’ in America. There are also suggestions that they have sold a small stake of the club to a third party, again seen as unlikely as it would be unusual for investors not to reveal their identity publically.

By far the most likely suggestion is that they have simply refinanced the PIKs with a new loan, which will gather interest at a much less painful rate.

Whilst they have managed to clear the PIKs, they have eliminated only a small amount of the huge debts looming over the club. The Glazer’s lack of transparency over their financial dealings is frustrating for fans, who deserve to know how their club – which has already been savaged enough – is being run -  a sentiment highlighted by the Manchester United Supporter’s Trust – ‘What have they got to hide? No more secrecy. No more spin. Tell the fans the truth.’

Haye V Harrison (November 2010)

Haye Batters Helpless Harrison

David Haye successfully defended his WBA heavyweight title, after a comfortable 3^rd round defeat of Audley Harrison in Manchester. After two mundane opening rounds Haye came alive in the third, battering a helpless Harrison who managed to land only a solitary punch throughout the fight.

Defeat leaves Harrison to muse over his future in the sport – whilst Haye must now pursue a career defining series of fights against the Ukraninan Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.

Marketed as ‘The best of enemies’, the fight was seen as the biggest all-british heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis defeated Frank Bruno in the ‘Battle of Britain’ in 1993.

Lewis had been present at the weigh-in at Salford’s Lowry Centre, where Harrison tipped the scales at just over 18 stones – a staggering 3 stones heavier than his opponent, who at just over 15 was lighter than his previous title defence against John Ruiz in April.

It was this vast weight advantage which fuelled any hope of a Harrison victory and a major upset, but ultimately, Haye’s superior speed and power put pay to Harrison’s hopes.

As he entered the ring, the southpaw was greeted by a chorus of boos – the 20,000 sell out crowd confirming popular opinion that Harrison’s title shot was completely undeserved.

The boos continued after a tentative opening round. Haye prowled around the ring, probing but failing to test Harrison, who was reluctant to drop his gloves - constantly on the back foot.  The second continued in a similar vein, and again boos rang around the MEN arena, with neither fighter willing to engage.

The third however saw the fight – and more pertinently Haye – spring into life. A Barrage of blows rocked Harrison, and he hit the canvas halfway through the round. He managed to stumble back to his feet on the count of 8 but Haye was ruthless and clinical, and after a huge right the referee stepped in to end the mismatch.

Haye was quick to console his opponent, who surely now faces retirement after yet another woeful performance, in a professional career which has simply failed to kick on from gold medal victory as an amateur in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Haye’s stock, however, has never been higher. He has the potential and the opportunity to unify the world heavyweight championship for the first time since Lewis – British boxing’s last great heavyweight- did the same 11 years ago.

Only the Klitschkos stand between David Haye and the chance to collect the WBL, WBO and IBF titles. Haye has stated he will do ‘everything in his power’ for a fight, a sentiment echoed by Vitali who is ready to fight Haye ‘in the US, Germany or Great Britain’.

It is a fight both camps – and heavyweight boxing in general – are desperate for. Haye has declared his intent to retire before his 31^st birthday next October. He has the chance to be one of British boxing’s greats – but only 11 months to do it.

Manchester Derby - Match Report (November 2011)

Dour Derby Dampens the Hype.

With hype surrounding the Manchester derby at an all time high, there was an air of inevitability around Wednesday night’s fixtures failure to deliver, as City and United played out a 0-0 draw in a very cagey and dull affair at Eastlands.

Much pre-match talk surrounded the sparse selection of players available to Sir Alex Ferguson after a virus had swept through United’s ranks. However, Ferguson was able to field a largely full strength-side, with only Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs - who missed a derby match for the first time in 19 years –the notable absentees. It was United who were by far the better side, yet for all their superior possession and composure they lacked the cutting edge and spark required in the face of a very negative City side.

The opening half rather dampened pre-match expectations, with neither side able to conjure any real opportunity of note. Patrice Evra offered United’s best opportunity of the first half early on, manoeuvring a small opening in the City box but seeing his shot comfortably saved by Joe hart. The game plodded on at a placid pace, and predictably it took Carlos Tevez, a player deified and vilified across Manchester to liven proceedings. He had City’s closest effort of the match - but saw his free-kick clawed out of the top right hand corner by United’s Edwin Van Der Sar. He followed this with a brief confrontation with Rafael Da Silva - but this case of mild handbags was as fiery as the encounter got, with it never once threatening to boil over in stereotypical derby fashion.

The second half settled into a relatively predictable pattern, with United dominating possession and City only threatening sporadically through Tevez and David Silva – an acrobatic Dimitar Berbatov effort was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock.

Both managers suggested afterwards that they were content with the result, yet ultimately it was a game which suggested neither side are quite where they would like, and ought, to be.

Roberto Mancini’s insistence on such a cautious and defensive set-up, particularly at home, is difficult to fathom, and despite all the oily money pumped into his squad, an over reliance on Tevez to provide City’s drive and verve will surely hinder any legitimate claims for a place on English football’s top table.

Likewise, United’s inability to create any real opportunities suggests there is a Wayne Rooney shaped hole in the team waiting to be filled once more; and whilst they remain unbeaten in all competition thus far, it will irk Ferguson that Chelsea were able to sneak further ahead despite such a dominant display.

It was a derby which won’t live long in the memory, and whilst honours remained even, it is United who remain Manchester’s dominant force.

Rooney Myth Shattered. (October/November 2010)

Redemption a long way off for Wayne.

In October 2002, as David Seaman floundered and Goodison Park rocked, English football’s most precocious and brilliant talent revealed itself. Wayne Rooney, a snarling, ferocious, 16 year old Scouser scampered and bullied his way around the pitch. He was a throwback to a saner, simpler game – modern football’s shining light.

Yet fast forward eight years, and on the verge of his 25^th birthday Rooney completed the transition from man of the people, to mercenary. One week was all it took to tarnish forever a reputation which had ceased to stop blossoming ever since it’s barnstorming introduction.

‘The Boy’, as Sir Alex Ferguson still so pertinently calls him, has sadly proved himself to be the antithesis of everything we believed him to be. His apparent love for the game - the constant desire to have the ball at his feet at every opportunity – set him apart from many. Granted, he was never perfect - he was petulant and fiery, often immature and short tempered – but he was honest, quiet off the pitch – devoid of the evils which plague modern football.

Or so we thought.

Alas, the myth has been shattered. Fans had, begrudgingly, turned a blind eye to a lifestyle which has ultimately put pay to the prolonged years of excellence we all hoped for. At 25, Rooney is already facing the twilight of his playing career as his expiry date creeps ever closer. He smokes, he drinks, he urinates in the street and is so liberal in his use of prostitutes he has become regular tabloid fodder.

His recent actions however - his open and public betrayal of his club, teammates, fans, and manager - have really stung the supporters who used to love him. His open desire to leave Old Trafford hurt – and it wasn’t just because United were about to lose their talisman to City.

It was because many fans - who really should have known better – bought into the romance that surrounded Rooney’s on field exploits. He was different, so we believed. But soon enough that idle fantasy was punctured, and a tawdry, greedy world was rubbed in our faces, leaving us feeling stupid, and well, a bit dirty.

 

United have emerged from last week’s murky saga three-points better off and have proved to the world their ambition and prestige – which Rooney so openly questioned - remains, by holding onto their prized asset on a lucrative contract.  Rooney, however, has upon him an indelible stain that will take a long time to remove – no longer is he the everyman.

Rooney spent the team’s vital victory over Stoke City sipping champagne in Dubai. This is a player who seemingly no longer wears his heart on his sleeve, but in his wallet. Redemption is a long way off for Wazza.

Sale's Rebuilding Process Slowly Underway (October 2010)

Sale Look to the future after Devastating 2010.

Two consecutive demolition jobs on the continent, 97-11 and 56-9, would normally serve as a dangerous warning to Europe’s rugby elite. However, for Sale Sharks, scoring 153 points against European minnows can’t be seen as a groundbreaking triumph. If anything, it gives an indication of how the North West side have gradually slipped from the top-table of European Rugby.

This time last year Sale clashed in Europe with Heineken cup winners Toulouse, and Challenge Cup winners Cardiff Blues – both sides rammed with the best French and Welsh talent. The last week has seen the Sharks face relative unknowns in the Amlin Cup - Spanish side Cetransa El Salvador from Valladolid and Italians Petarca, who play their home games in Padua.

This drastic transformation in opposition is thanks to a disastrous 2009-10 season. Languishing near the bottom of the table, Sale only avoided relegation on the penultimate weekend of the season, finishing in 11^th place. The struggling side were a far cry from the team which trounced Leicester Tigers 45-20 at a rain soaked Twickenham only four years earlier, securing Sale’s first Premiership title.

That memorable victory in 2006 offered the perfect platform for Sale to push for domestic domination, and arguably to transform domestic success into European triumph. Indeed, Sale’s prestige and popularity soared, and an influx of World class players arrived, leaving Edgeley Park home to the strongest squad in the country.

Phillipe Saint Andre -  the then Director of Rugby - backed financially by Brian Kennedy and having achieved his goal of bringing the title to the North West, attracted some of the clubs most stellar signings – in particular that of Luke McAllister, the New Zealand star signed from the Auckland Blues. However, a string of injury hit seasons and several near misses have meant Sale are yet to return to Twickenham. The departure of Saint Andre at the end of the 2008/09 season was devastating, given that the likes of McAllister, Jason White and Sebastian Chabal - amongst numerous others - all followed him out of the door.

What followed saw a heavily depleted squad and a torrid term. However, not all is in ruin. Led by the youngest captain in the club’s history, and one of England’s finest young players – James Gaskell – the 2010/11 season could prove to be far healthier (despite the 20 year olds current spate of injuries).

Under new coach Mike Brewer Sale have made an admittedly average start to the season - winning just two from five. Yet new additions to the squad, such as Leinster import Kyle Tonetti and Sale Jets graduate Tom Brady – coupled with the return from injury of Matthew Tait and the talismanic Charlie Hodgson – suggest a much improved season is impending.

This, allied with the announcement that dwindling attendances are to be tackled with a marquee game at Bolton’s Reebok stadium in the New Year – a targeted sell out – indicate all signs point to a recovery from the 2009/10 nightmare. Perhaps the Sharks will be smelling blood - once more.