Category: Sport

Earnshaw wants back in the Welsh side

Mar. 06 Sport no comments

In a move that has received extensive coverage in current sports and betting news, Former Premier League striker Rob Earnshaw has confirmed he still harbours hopes of playing again for Wales after making his debut for MLS side Toronto FC last weekend.

Earnshaw played 85 minutes on his first appearance for the Canadian side but failed to convert a handful of chances as his team lost to Vancouver 1-0. It was nevertheless a promising performance and fans in the Premier League betting world are expecting a big season ahead for the 31-year-old.

Evidently the striker is also confident of making an impact in American soccer, which could earn a return call-up from Welsh boss Chris Coleman.

“I love playing for Wales. I’m never going to give that up,” Earnshaw, who hasn’t played for the national side since last August, told BBC Sport.

“The reason I actually came out here was to carry on my Wales career. I spoke with Chris Coleman at the end of last year and he said ‘listen, go and play games and you’ll be involved’.”

Indeed, while some fans argue playing in the MLS is a means to seeing out your career in obscurity, many others agree the games Earnshaw will get for Toronto can greatly boost his chances of playing for Wales again.

His fitness, match sharpness and hunger will all be rekindled in the MLS after spending the last few months without a club. Since dropping out of the Cardiff first team, the 31-year-old joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on loan but failed to make a major impact and was soon back in his home country.

After discussing the Toronto opportunity with Coleman, it is clear Earnshaw can benefit from a stint in the MLS and his presence in America can only aid his chances of playing in the famous Welsh shirt once more.

All Blacks Stunned by England Win

Dec. 03 Sport no comments


England’s emphatic victory over New Zealand at the weekend was a major sporting achievement that even the most optimistic Rugby Union fan could not have predicted. The Twickenham crowd were treated to an outstanding display with the home team dominating both up front and behind. Stuart Lancaster can take great pride in honing a side that never looked like losing once play had begun, and that simply tore apart a strangely lacklustre All Blacks team that struggled throughout. The New Zealand side duly came to the end of a 20 game unbeaten run.

Early Lead

England drove to an early lead in the second half thanks to the inspirational play of Owen Farrell, a man who can be credited with waking the team up and bringing them into the game. 15-14 was the score with half an hour to go, and even with England playing well onlookers could be forgiven for remaining confident that the mighty All Blacks would change gear and cruise ahead to victory. It didn’t happen; instead, England simply out-performed the New Zealand side in a manner that was both refreshing and exciting to witness, and came home 38-21 – a resounding victory in every way.

Farrell to the Fore

Farrell’s kicking and his one to one play with Dan Carter, a man expected to overshadow him, was the key to a great game, and English rugby can now stand proud once more. Narrow defeats against Australia and South Africa in recent weeks had not been promising, but this time the team seemed to simply get on with it and make it happen. With the 2015 World Cup to be held in England this was a timely victory, and one that means the host nation can be considered genuine contenders if such form is to continue.

Olympic Legacy Won’t Save North East Swimming Pools

Nov. 14 Sport no comments

The success of the London 2012 Olympic Games has been much talked about, but with controversy over the future of the Olympic Park and arguments about the true cost of the games continuing, it is the rest of the country that is beginning to feel the pinch. The North East played host to Olympic football, with Newcastle United’s legendary St James’ Park as one of the chosen venues, and the region has a long history of producing Olympians, not least in the world of swimming.

City Pool to Close?

The irony of the Olympic successes is soundly expressed in the problems facing Newcastle’s swimming pools, not least the City Pool, a facility that has produced a selection of internationally successful swimmers and one that now faces closure. Escalating costs and, according to councillors, an over-provision of swimming pools in the region threatens to end the City Pool’s long and illustrious association with top-level athletes.

A Massive Shock to the Club

The City of Newcastle Amateur Swimming Club, which is based at City Pool, is in shock at the news. Head Coach Louise Graham said:

“The news of the threatened closure has come as a massive shock to the club and our swimmers. It is ironic that in 2012 Newcastle’s Olympic legacy threatens to be the closure of the City Pool, the home to the city’s Swimming Club and some of the region’s best swimming talent.”

Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, on a recent visit to the region, expressed his concern that closing the pools would pose a threat to the strong sporting tradition that pervades in the North East, and called on the council to consider its options.

Over-Provision of Pools

Tony McKenna, Head of Leisure Services, did not agree, explaining:

“In the case of the City Pool, the building requires such a lot of investment that it is difficult to envisage any organisation wanting to run it as a pool, and the council isn’t in a position to fund the capital work needed. Consequently, we think the only viable option is to close the pool. This isn’t something that we want to do, but we need to do it to strike a balanced budget and continue to support swimming across the city. The University of Northumbria pool is open to the public and is on the same street, some 250m away from the City Pool. It’s a two-year-old, state-of-the-art facility which will welcome displaced swimmers form the City Pool with open arms. The two pools run by community organisations in Fenham and Jesmond will also continue to provide opportunities for swimming in the city.”

The Olympics may have been a raging success, but it would appear that the North East is going to suffer some serious cuts in its leisure facilities.

Chelsea Complaint against Referee

Oct. 29 Sport no comments


The ongoing problem of racism in Premiership Football took a new turn over the weekend with Chelsea lodging a formal complaint about the behaviour of Mark Clattenburg, the referee during a heated match against Manchester United. The complaint alleges the use of ‘inappropriate language’ towards two Chelsea players in a fraught game that ended at 3-2 to the Manchester club. It is understood that the complain centres at least partly around the use of racist language by the referee.

A spokesman for Chelsea F.C. explained:

“We have lodged a complaint to the Premier League match delegate. The match delegate will pass the complaint to the Football Association.”

In a standard match all four of the match officials wear microphones and an earpiece that allows them to hear what each is saying. However, it is understood that these conversations are not recorded. The Professional Game Match Officials, the organisation that represents referees, stated that it was aware of the complaint and that Clattenburg would comply fully with the investigation.

Steward Hurt by Thrown Object

The match also saw a steward apparently injured by an object thrown from the crowd, as well as two Chelsea players – Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres – sent off in the space of a few minutes. There was also the subject of a controversial goal by United’s Javier Hernandez which the Chelsea contingent are convinced should not have stood. One of the players believed to be involved in the complaint about the referee is Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi.

Racism has loomed large in football news of late with the ‘Kick it Out’ campaign being controversially snubbed by noted coloured players, and also with regard to Chelsea’s John Terry and alleged racist insults, for which he was acquitted by the courts. The Football Association, however, later found him guilty of the accusations.

Clattenburg, who lives in Durham, is one of the leading referees in the English game and regularly officiates at matches in Europe, and was prominent in the Olympic football competition this summer.