In 2003 Dwain Chambers was tested for illegal drugs and found guilty of taking the anabolic steroid THG. He was banned from running worldwide for two years and given a lifetime Olympic ban.
Yesterday, he was selected to run for Britain.
What a fine example to set to youngsters. "Take illegal drugs, it doesn't matter - you can always come back."
The whole thing stinks...
Showing posts with label Sport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sport. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Keep Arsenal English
Once again my club is on the front pages of the national newspapers for reasons that have nothing to do with football.
Former vice-chairman David Dein who was sacked in April has sold his shares in Arsenal for £75million to a Russian chap and then become chairman of the company, Red and White Holdings, set up for the shareholding.
Dein wanted the club to be taken over by the American Stan Kroenke because he believes that the club cannot compete unless there is a huge injection of cash - from a foreign buyer.
The Arsenal board has signed a memorandum agreeing not to sell until April 2008 at the earliest. Will they sell then? I hope not.
Do foreign buyers actually make any difference? Chelsea have won the premiership and the FA Cup twice each since they were bought by Roman Abramovich in 2003. It is generally agreed that the Russian oligarch has put money into the club.
On 6 February 2007 Liverpool were bought by two American businessmen, George Gillett and Tom Hicks. It is obviously too early to say if that purchase has had any positive effect on the Anfield club.
When Malcolm Glazier bought Manchester United on 12 May 2005, against the wishes of many fans, his supporters claimed that he would invest in the club. As far as I am aware that has not happened.
Back to Arsenal.
The board has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in the new Emirates Stadium. It is a long-term plan that won't see money recouped for several years. Why would they sell to a foreign businessman so that he can benefit from all their hard work? Unless he paid well over the odds, it would not make sense to them. If he did pay over the odds to compensate for future losses, it would not make sense to the business tycoon.
I hope that they don't.
Friday, 26 January 2007
The price of watching
This season I have twice visited the Emirates Stadium to see my beloved Arsenal. Each time the visit set me back £35 which works out at around £4.40 every 10 minutes or so.
The first time I went to Highbury it set me back £2.50 (well, actually it set my Dad back a fiver since he paid for the tickets). That's a rise of 1,300 per cent.
Today a report is published that says that the most expensive ticket at Arsenal this season costs £94 for "Category A games". That would be an increase of 3,660 per cent (if I had paid).
The report blames the phenomonal rise in watching sport on the building or development of stadia and exorbitant wages paid to players.
Here's a radical plan: cut the players' wages.
If no club paid £70,000 a week to often mediocre players and offered a good but resonable salary - say, £100,000 a year, then that would still enable them to have a very nice lifestyle. They would still be paid double or triple what the people on the terraces earn.
Will it happen? Will it 'eck as like!
The first time I went to Highbury it set me back £2.50 (well, actually it set my Dad back a fiver since he paid for the tickets). That's a rise of 1,300 per cent.
Today a report is published that says that the most expensive ticket at Arsenal this season costs £94 for "Category A games". That would be an increase of 3,660 per cent (if I had paid).
The report blames the phenomonal rise in watching sport on the building or development of stadia and exorbitant wages paid to players.
Here's a radical plan: cut the players' wages.
If no club paid £70,000 a week to often mediocre players and offered a good but resonable salary - say, £100,000 a year, then that would still enable them to have a very nice lifestyle. They would still be paid double or triple what the people on the terraces earn.
Will it happen? Will it 'eck as like!
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Vicky's Going to Hollywood
So the Beckhams are off to Tinseltown and he is to play for LA Galaxy while she peruses the midfield that is Melrose Avenue.
In today's Daily Mirror Karen Yallop, the wife of team captain Frank gives her views on her husband's new teammate's wife. I think Mrs Yallop doesn't know anything about Mrs Beckham.
Mrs Yallop says: "The players' wives are all lovely. There's no bitching, no cliques, no competing about clothes or fame or anything like that."
Victoria famously kept herself separate from the other Wags during the 2006 World Cup, socialising only with Cheryl Tweedy who was nicknamed Mini-Me as a consequence.
"When I lived in the UK, I worried about what I'd wear to Frank's game on Saturday.
It's not like that here. The wives turn up in jeans and trainers. We chat about our kids, the game and normal family things. Not designer clothes, hairdos and handbags."
I doubt in recent years that Victoria has ever worn a regular, non-designer, pair of jeans.
"Our husbands are away a lot - it's not like in England where an away game is a two-hour drive away. Here it can mean a very long flight. So the wives all get together to watch the games on TV while the children play. I often put on functions - it's a happy ship."
See point one about Victoria's social habits.
"If she is like me, it'll be the small things she'll miss from home. Cadbury's chocolate is the main thing for me - over here chocolate is much more grainy and sugary."
Chocolate, Victoria Beckham, same sentence? Unlikely.
"Frank misses his HP Sauce but his parents send that. So although I can't compete with Victoria's famous friends like Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, and can't talk about my couture clothes, if she ever fancies bangers and mash with Heinz beans and brown sauce, she's very welcome."
Please, Mrs Yallop, don't hold your breath. I can't ever see the super skinny Vicky tucking into bangers and mash.
"The football scene over here is very different. They sing but they don't chant rude songs like they do in England so Victoria needn't worry."
Phew, no more chants of "Posh Spice takes it up the arse" to contend with.
"The wives don't discuss money though, we're not impressed by flashiness. We just talk about our lives."
Asking Vicky B not to discuss money might be difficult although she does love talking about her life.
"If she ever wants Heinz beans on toast and PG Tips tea, my door's always open."
Hmm, don't think so...
Despite the money, I don't think the Beckhams know what they have let themselves in for. This is going to be fun.
In today's Daily Mirror Karen Yallop, the wife of team captain Frank gives her views on her husband's new teammate's wife. I think Mrs Yallop doesn't know anything about Mrs Beckham.
Mrs Yallop says: "The players' wives are all lovely. There's no bitching, no cliques, no competing about clothes or fame or anything like that."
Victoria famously kept herself separate from the other Wags during the 2006 World Cup, socialising only with Cheryl Tweedy who was nicknamed Mini-Me as a consequence.
"When I lived in the UK, I worried about what I'd wear to Frank's game on Saturday.
It's not like that here. The wives turn up in jeans and trainers. We chat about our kids, the game and normal family things. Not designer clothes, hairdos and handbags."
I doubt in recent years that Victoria has ever worn a regular, non-designer, pair of jeans.
"Our husbands are away a lot - it's not like in England where an away game is a two-hour drive away. Here it can mean a very long flight. So the wives all get together to watch the games on TV while the children play. I often put on functions - it's a happy ship."
See point one about Victoria's social habits.
"If she is like me, it'll be the small things she'll miss from home. Cadbury's chocolate is the main thing for me - over here chocolate is much more grainy and sugary."
Chocolate, Victoria Beckham, same sentence? Unlikely.
"Frank misses his HP Sauce but his parents send that. So although I can't compete with Victoria's famous friends like Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, and can't talk about my couture clothes, if she ever fancies bangers and mash with Heinz beans and brown sauce, she's very welcome."
Please, Mrs Yallop, don't hold your breath. I can't ever see the super skinny Vicky tucking into bangers and mash.
"The football scene over here is very different. They sing but they don't chant rude songs like they do in England so Victoria needn't worry."
Phew, no more chants of "Posh Spice takes it up the arse" to contend with.
"The wives don't discuss money though, we're not impressed by flashiness. We just talk about our lives."
Asking Vicky B not to discuss money might be difficult although she does love talking about her life.
"If she ever wants Heinz beans on toast and PG Tips tea, my door's always open."
Hmm, don't think so...
Despite the money, I don't think the Beckhams know what they have let themselves in for. This is going to be fun.
Saturday, 6 January 2007
Gunners overcome the Addicks
Tuesday night and I was at the Emirates Stadium for the Premiership tussle with Charlton Athletic, the team supported by my Dad.
It was a grudge match between the managers - our own Arsene Wenger and new Addicks boss Alan Pardew. They had clashed when Pardew celebrated with too much enthusiasm West Ham's winning goal against us when he was boss at Upton Park and the two came to blows. Pardew spent the entire match on the touchline while the ever cool Monsieur Wenger watched the game from his usual seat in the dugout. The Arsenal crowd helpfully sang: "Arsene, give him a slap/ Arsene, Arsene, give him a slap".
Charlton seemed to take an age with their free kicks but once Arsenal took the lead there was only ever one team in it.
Two goals from Robin van Persie, a return to the first team for Thierry Henry and 4-0 thank you very much.
So this season my visits to the Emirates have produced first three, then four goals. Let's hope it is five next time...
It was a grudge match between the managers - our own Arsene Wenger and new Addicks boss Alan Pardew. They had clashed when Pardew celebrated with too much enthusiasm West Ham's winning goal against us when he was boss at Upton Park and the two came to blows. Pardew spent the entire match on the touchline while the ever cool Monsieur Wenger watched the game from his usual seat in the dugout. The Arsenal crowd helpfully sang: "Arsene, give him a slap/ Arsene, Arsene, give him a slap".
Charlton seemed to take an age with their free kicks but once Arsenal took the lead there was only ever one team in it.
Two goals from Robin van Persie, a return to the first team for Thierry Henry and 4-0 thank you very much.
So this season my visits to the Emirates have produced first three, then four goals. Let's hope it is five next time...
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