January 2009 Archives

Look at me! Updating my blog on a regular basis, aren't I crazy!!

Actually, so much has happened since Wednesday that I felt I had too, its one of the big misnomers that people have about radio presenters that we have lots of time on our hands, but I promise you, while some might, I made a conscious decision to fill my every hour of my day with productive stuff................kind of!

Anyway - since Monday I returned to the slopes of the Mighty Tamworth Snowdome with my instructor AT, and I can't believe it, but after only two lessons I have now reached the stage where I am what is known as a "recreational Boarder" i.e. I can hit the slopes, even do the black runs without any fear!

Look at me! Updating my blog on a regular basis, aren't I crazy!!

Actually, so much has happened since Wednesday that I felt I had too, its one of the big misnomers that people have about radio presenters that we have lots of time on our hands, but I promise you, while some might, I made a conscious decision to fill my every hour of my day with productive stuff................kind of!

Anyway - since Monday I returned to the slopes of the Mighty Tamworth Snowdome with my instructor AT, and I can't believe it, but after only two lessons I have now reached the stage where I am what is known as a "recreational Boarder" i.e. I can hit the slopes, even do the black runs without any fear!

So we had a weekend of vital cup clashes in the world of football and my beloved egg chasing, but while drama was high on the menu, there were not a lot of my favourite type of results around, the magical CUPSET! Well apart from Swansea dumping out the holders Pompey, which was always on the cards and kudos to Kettering and Torquay (who were my tip for a giant-killing) for playing their socks off, if only football lasted 85 minutes hey!

Saturday afternoon for me on the Offside show was immense, as the goals were flying in, and for the first time I was involved in the Sunday Mercury's live blog, an awesome concept that involves journalists reporting live from every West Mid's ground, me being the geek and updating you on all the other major scores and facts, and banter from all and sundry! Missed it? Well don't miss out next week's fun and games, just go to the sport section of the website from 2pm on Sat and log in to join in plus of course make sure your listening to Offside on Kerrang from 1pm!

Well, I have been harping on about the Villa team spirit for the last few weeks, and how I could see them being the new 4th best club in England, displacing my beloved Arsenal, but who would have guessed that at almost the end of Jan they would only be 3 points of the top???

Well probably a smug Villa fan, but I tell you what, with the 'Pool seemingly getting stuck in quicksand after Rafa's rant the other week, and Chelsea by all counts self imploding (who would have said even a month ago that they would be leaving out Drogba from the squad!), I am tipping them to be dark horses for the title!

On Saturday afternoon, as soon as my Offside show had finished on Kerrang, I hurried round my good, but hairy, friends OJ's (from the drive show with Kate Lawler) house to watch our beloved Leicester Tigers play Northampton in the old egg chasing Premiership.

I wish I hadn't, not because OJ's beard was making me long for my beloved (now travelling the world to find itself) moustache, nor because he had terrible wind (of course it was your phone on vibrate mate!), but because the next 80 minutes of rugby action filled me with dread.

Yes we lost, which on paper may not be that bad, but it was the manner in which we failed to beat our recently promoted rivals that genuinely sent a chill down my spine. Normally a very vocal supporter (just ask any of my neighbours, they normally go on holiday if they know there is a rugby game on!), I sat in almost silence, as I watched us get torn apart by a very talented Ben Foden and his team.

There was so much lacking from the Tigers performance in their 17-13 defeat to their East Midlands rivals that I generally could not get excited, which trust me, is a rarity indeed!

Sure we were in it till the final whistle thanks to some terrible kicking (my arthritic dog would have nailed more than he did) from the otherwise impressive Myler playing 10 for Saints, but at no point did we look like we were going to rip through their defence, or even build a steady platform on which to launch a game winning attack. I know I have had a good run as a Leicester fan, having won so many titles, and played some awesome rugby along the way, but the team that took the field on Saturday was like no side I had seen pull on a Tigers shirt for ages.

Julian White did his usual one man demolition job of the Northampton scrum up front, and Geordan Murphy as always looked world class at full back, but the rest of our backs were more toothless than an 80 year old Thai hooker, and I just could not see how we were ever going to cross the game line at times.

That's right folks I have been waxing lyrical with my good friend Jonny Greatrex about who will do what and when in the sporting world this year.

Watch the video now!

First up - Happy New Year!!!!! I had a pretty crazy Christmas, working over the whole period at Kerrang, but I am pleased to say that Santa Claus somehow managed to find me and delivered me a whole world of pants and socks (I think I am the only person that actually wants socks for Xmas, having never actually bought any myself!) and I had the very traditional Xmas dinner of Steak and left over Chinese takeaway, which was actually rather yummy!

The incredible amount of sport over the festive season was another present that I lapped up, rather enjoying the Villa vs. Arsenal game on Boxing Day, but it is now, that we are fully into 2009 that things are really happening.

I had the pleasure of reporting on the FA Cup third round on Offside Saturday afternoon, and it must be said, you can understand why it is regarded as the best cup competition in football. I love the fact that you get non league plumbers, traffic wardens, and postmen turning out against the Premiership elite, although I don't know how they resist the temptation to kick their overpaid opposition half way to the moon and back (I know I would), and of course it provides the kind of underdog story that all sport fans dream about.

From the first game when Hartlepool knocked out Stoke, to the incredible finish at Stamford Bridge where Southend earned a replay against a Chelsea side who will not relish the return match in Essex, it was an incredible day!

I even had my Mystic Meg hat on and predicted that Nottingham Forrest would beat Man City at Eastlands (if you would like me to pick your lottery numbers, form an orderly queue outside Kerrang Towers!) simply due to the fact they had their new manager Billy Davies in the stands, and I, for some reason, just thought that the superstars in light blue would not relish this kind of scrappy battle in the freezing cold.