September 2008 Archives

It's not often that I manage to go a whole weekend without having something to cheer, this may be due to the fact that I have, from a young age, supported Arsenal at football, Leicester Tigers in rugby, and Surrey in Cricket, but this weekend was about as bad as it can get!

Surrey managed to get them relegated from County Cricket's first division, a result which although it was written on the cards a few weeks ago, is a huge shock, as they only won the 1st Division championship back in 2002, and romped to the Division 2 title two years ago, and have perennially been one of the major forces in the domestic scene.

Ah well, at least it was an exciting end to a tournament that is constantly getting stick from the powers that bad to be reformed, as it has no relevance today, something that seemed complete nonsense as with the final round of games being played, the title could have gone to no less than 5 teams, although trying to keep track of which team needed which bonus points, who was going to win, and what that would do to the table was about as easy as juggling chainsaws, blindfolded, while walking across the grand canyon on a tightrope - in slippers - you get the point!

Sunday afternoon, 2pm, and I settled down to watch my first Baggies vs. Villa match since moving to Birmingham, and I wasn't disappointed! I had heard of the passion involved in this game, and it was great to see first hand how much it means to the fans, players, and especially the managers, as Marin O Neill resembled a kangaroo on steroids with the amount of jumping up and down he did on the sidelines.

The fans created an incredible atmosphere within the Hawthorns, and with Villa playing their 3rd game in 5 days, an upset was on the cards, but it was not meant to be as the naivety of centre back Leon Barnett cost the Baggies the game.

I feel sorry for Barnett, he wasn't due to play until Meite injured himself in the pre game warm up, but there is no excuse for his terrible marking that led to Carew's goal, and I can think of better players to pass the ball to unmarked about 20 yards from goal than Agbonlahor.

Credit though to West Brom for fighting to get back into the game, and Morrison's goal was no more than they deserved, but it has to be said, Villa are very much looking like a team that will seriously challenge for the Champions League places, while the Baggies do not look like a side destined for trouble - yet!

Kerrangfest tastic!

Wow! I am still buzzing from the awesomeness that was Kerrangfest on Sunday here in Brum! I was lucky enough to be hosting most of the day, and thanks to everyone that came down, I kid you not when I say that bouncing with 20,000 people in Centenary Square to the Levellers will go down as one of the best moments in my life!

Also on a more surreal note I was asked by various young women to sign bits of there body in permanent marker, I almost felt famous, until they asked why I had signed it Luke and not Johnny Doom, I then pointed out he was the other long haired rock presenter, and I hoped that the ink wasn't permanent, it was - doh!

Finally, I can be all manly once more I can walk with my head held high and stick my chest out and be proud.

No I haven't shaved off my ridiculous moustache, but karmic balance in the world is once more restored as thirty men chased an egg shaped ball around a grassed rectangle wearing Lycra. Yes, the Guinness Premiership Rugby season returned on Saturday and thank goodness for as much I love all my sports it is the Chasing of the Egg that must reside up on the sporting throne in my mind as king of all.

And there can be no doubt why, for while the England footballers out in Barcelona showed once more that something is not right with the sport at the top level, and that our footballers have about as much national pride as a sandwich, the men playing rugby on Saturday afternoon gave us an amazing spectacle!
I have played football for years but never will it surpass rugby as my favourite sport while it is played by boys who have absolutely no idea of what being a man is all about.

One of my favourite days of the year has been and gone, the day that all the talk and hype ends, and where footy managers either put up or shut up.

But, let's be honest, most transfer day deadlines are the most boring, overhyped event ever, with only a handful of deals done and none really that will change the course of the season.

Well, that was before Manchester City became the richest club in the world.

Yes that's right. Forget Abramovich's Blues, forget the Galacticos at Real Madrid, because there is a big new player in football, and for once, it's the blue side of Manchester.

Not only did the ADUG group, who have taken over Man City, suddenly turn the day into a transfer frienzy but for the first time, someone nicked a player from right under Roman's nose.