Transfer Deadline Round-Up

 
The 2012 January transfer window was a rather more sedate affair than it's 2011 predecessor. Money was spent much more sensibly this time around as opposed to being thrown around like a compulsive gambler who had hacked into a free bets website.

Last season's £35 million man, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll, was not on the move again despite reports of an audacious swap deal involving Manchester City's wantaway Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian striker could not engineer a move away from the Etihad and his Manchester misery is set to continue.

Here is a round-up of 10 transfers that took place in January:

Papiss Demba Cisse
Freiburg to Newcastle United for £10 million

Cisse joins up with his international strike partner Demba Ba following a big-money move from Germany.

Cisse scored 22 league goals in his first full season at Freiburg and finished second in the Bundesliga goal scoring charts. He set a single-season goal record by a SC Freiburg player and also for the most goals scored by an African player in a single Bundesliga season.

Magpies fans will hope the “two Dembas” perform better at club level than they did for Senegal at last month's Africa Cup of Nations. Despite being ranked one of the highest nations competing in the tournament, they lost all three group matches with neither Demba scoring a goal.

Gary Cahill
Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea for £7 million

Cahill was linked heavily with a move away from the Reebok Stadium for the past 18 months or so but his valuation of £20 million had seemingly put off potential suitors. But, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season, Manchester United and Chelsea were linked with a transfer window move for the 26-year old.

A £7 million transfer fee was arranged shortly after the New Year with Chelsea but the personal terms appeared to be a sticking point. There was even speculation that Manchester United were going to snatch Cahill from under Chelsea's noses.

But, more than a fortnight after the clubs agreed a fee for him, Cahill became a Chelsea player on 16 January. He is yet to make his debut for the Blues, having been an unused substitute in Chelsea's FA Cup victory at Queens Park Rangers.

Kevin de Bruyne
Genk to Chelsea for £6.7 million

One for the future at Stamford Bridge, 20-year-old de Bruyne joined Chelsea on deadline day but was immediately loaned back to former employers Genk for the remainder of the 2011-12 season.

The attacking midfielder scored five goals and set up 16 more as Genk were crowned Belgian champions last season and the player netted his first senior hat-trick against Club Brugge in October. He is undoubtedly an exciting player in the making and signed for the Blues on a five-and-a-half year contract.

Despite his tender years he has already been capped for the Belgian senior side, making his debut in a friendly loss to Finland in August 2010.

Nikica Jelavic
Rangers to Everton for £5.5 million

With 30 goals in 45 league appearances for Rangers, striker Jelavic was always going to catch the attention of football clubs south of the border. The Croatian was the subject of a £6.5 million bid from Leicester City and a reported £9 million bid from an unnamed club before the August transfer deadline.

Jelavic's future was heavily speculated on throughout January and he was linked with Liverpool, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion. At one stage it looked as though Championship side West Ham United were in for him but the former Rapid Vienna striker confirmed a switch to Everton on deadline day.

Djibril Cisse
Lazio to QPR for £4 million

France international striker Cisse returned to England for a third spell in the Premier League after QPR ended his unproductive stint at Lazio. Mark Hughes's side are short on goals and Cisse began his Liverpool career on fire, scoring 11 goals in his first 23 games and then went on to score 10 goals in 35 appearances during a loan spell at Sunderland.

Cisse was prolific during his time at Panathinaikos, scoring 47 goals in 61 league appearances which prompted a £5.8 million move to Serie A in August 2011. However, just one league goal in 17 appearances – on his debut in a 2-2 draw at Milan, meant he was allowed to switch to Loftus Road.

Bobby Zamora
Fulham to QPR for £4 million

Rumours of a rift between Zamora and his manager Martin Jol saw the tabloid press go into overdrive in January. The 31-year-old striker was linked with Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland but secured a £4 million move to QPR on deadline day.

Zamora became the second striker to arrive at Loftus Road following Djibril Cisse, but like his new strike partner, he has not been the most prolific in front of goal recently. Zamora  scored the winning goal against Arsenal on 2 January, his first for three months and only his fifth of the season.

Nedum Onuoha
Manchester City to QPR for £3 million

It was a busy transfer window for QPR who bolstered their defence with the signing of Manchester City defender Onuoha. Since signing a new five-year contract at the Etihad in the summer of 2009, the Nigeria-born defender hardly got a look in under manager Roberto Mancini. He was a big success during a loan spell at Sunderland last season but played just nine minutes of Premier League football for City this term.

Unsurprisingly, Onuoha was linked with a number of clubs in January, including Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion but he was reunited with his Mark Hughes, his former manager at  City, at Loftus Road.

Tim Ream
New York Red Bulls to Bolton Wanderers for £2.5 million

USA international defender Ream fills the Gary Cahill shaped hole following his £7 million move to Chelsea. The former New York Red Bulls player trained with both Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion during the MLS winter break in December and Owen Coyle saw enough to sign the 24-year-old for £2.5 million.

The defender, a virtual ever present during his two seasons at New York and nominated for MLS Rookie of the Year at the end of the 2010 campaign, cancelled his honeymoon so he could join Bolton.

Marvin Sordell
Watford to Bolton Wanderers for undisclosed fee

Bolton were linked heavily with a move for Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day but saw an improved offer of £7 million rejected. Manager Owen Coyle then swooped for Watford striker Sordell to bolster his shot-shy front line.

Sordell is only in his second full season of senior football and scored eight goals in 26 league appearances this term. At just 20-years-old he definitely falls into the “potential” category but that is what excites Coyle about him signing at the Reebok Stadium.

Louis Saha
Everton to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer

Perhaps the strangest transfer of the day was striker Saha joining Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. One goal in 18 appearances for a mid-table side is hardly going to excite Spurs fans whose team still have ambitions of winning the Premier League this season.

The former Fulham and Manchester United striker has not scored a Premier League goal for 942 minutes but there is plenty of time to put that right having signed an 18-month contract at White Hart Lane. His arrival saw midfielder Steven Pienaar rejoin Everton in a loan move, just 12 months after switching to Spurs in a £3 million deal.

Bolting His Way to London Olympics Gold

Written by Rod Crowley: With the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics just over six months away, the event that is still capturing the imagination of the general public is the mens 100m.

This of course is due to the promise of seeing the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, retain his crown and beat off the growing number of rivals that his performances over the last few years has inspired.

On his day, Bolt is clearly in a world of his own, but even he can fall foul of the uncompromising and ruthless rules of sprinting which disqualifies any athlete after one false start. The athletic authorities cruelly denied the world of witnessing a potential world record when they disqualified Bolt for a quick start in the final of the world championship 100m in Daegu, South Korea back in the summer.

That race in fact was won by his compatriot Yohan Blake, who won in a time of 9.92 a season’s best and a time that has earned him the right to be the second favourite behind Bolt to win the London Olympics 100m Gold.

Athletics in fact has never been a serious betting sport, but with the ever growing online betting facilities now available, the London Olympics will have a number of markets created. The main one of course will be the mens 100m and even now this particular market is taking money.

The Bookmakers quite understandably have Bolt as the hot favourite in the 100m odds, currently at 4/9! Blake is considered only an 11/2 option, while Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, both long standing rivals of Bolt’s are 13/2 and 7/1 respectively. However, outside of these four, it is a case of forget the rest as the bookmakers do not believe that anyone else can win the race.

Bolt is the current Olympic champion and is also the world record holder with a time of 9.58 which he achieved in the world championships in Berlin in 2009. This 100m time puts well clear of the best ever time recorded by Blake whose 9.82 would put him well behind in a 100m sprint.

Asafa Powell, also from Jamaica has a best time of 9.72 but at 29 years old he is probably past his best and is no longer a match for Bolt, although it should be pointed out that he has finished in front of Bolt on a number of occasions at the less important meetings, but has a reputation of being fazed when it comes to major finals.

Meanwhile Tyson Gay, who has bravely carried the ‘stars and stripes’ on his shoulders in the wake of the Jamaican sprint dominance, has a best recorded time of 9.65, making him the second fastest of all time in the 100m.

He won the world championship in 2007 but has yet to race in an Olympic games final due to injury. In fact Gay suffered with a hip injury during 2011 and missed the world championships.

He is now back in full time training and is set to make one last attempt to better Bolt but at 29, like Powell he is beyond his absolute best.

It looks set therefore that the ‘Blue Riband’ event of the London Olympics, which will be over in less than ten seconds will be won by the aptly named ‘Bolt’ unless of course the over-zealous nature of the sprint laws or an injury get to him again.

In essence, If Bolt runs, he wins and should be regarded as the nearest thing to a gold medal certainty than any other competitor in any of the other Olympic sports.

England Collapse In First Test Against Pakistan

Written by Rod Crowley: Were the England cricket team, their fans and the media far too optimistic for their own good when believing that they could beat a Pakistan team on a pitch that is completely suited to sub-continent teams?

After all, England’s record in test match cricket in recent years on the sub-continent has been dismal, so why should we have expected anything other than the humbling the England team were given in the first test in Dubai?

Perhaps it is because England are now the number one test cricket nation in the world and have a team that can bat in depth with a bowling line-up that is arguably the best we have had since the Botham/Willis era.
This match proved if nothing else that rankings are futile in cricket, because outcomes of matches are decided on the surfaces of the pitches and whilst England would have possibly reversed the result at Lords they were simply outclassed by Pakistan on a sub-continent style Dubai pitch.

Perhaps the rankings should carry a caveat with something like “England are the best test cricket team in the world but not in the sub-continent", that would certainly make more sense, particularly should they lose the second test which starts on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

There is no doubt that the 10 wicket massacre sent shockwaves through the England camp and although plenty of blame can be placed upon the poor decision making of the England batsmen, the match was really lost by the bowling feats of Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul. Add to the mix that four of the Pakistani batsmen made fifty or more tells its own story.

There was also the small matter of national pride for England to contend with. Pakistan are remain extremely embarrassed by the spot fixing scandal that saw three of their top players jailed for the parts that they played and knew that victory over England would go a long way to burying that nightmare.

Perhaps in some respects England were lucky that the spot fixing scandal happened otherwise they would have been up against an even stronger team.

Only Matt Prior, Graeme Swann and possibly Jonathan Trott can come away from the first test with any batting credit, which is quite embarrassing as two of these three players bat in the lower order. Swann of course also weighed in with four wickets and Prior, proving to be an outstanding wicket-keeper these days took three catches.

For Pakistan and England cannot say they were not warned, Ajmal was always the man that could destroy them and he did just that. In fact he was a revelation coming away from the match with ten wickets, seven of them in the first innings which more than anything else was the reason why Pakistan won so convincingly.

Gul of course ripped out the top order of the England batting line up in the second innings with a devastating spell of bowling where only Trott managed to handle him. He was helped by three further wickets from Ajmal and three from the unorthodox spin of Abdur Rehman.

In the batting stakes Pakistan managed to ‘run considerable salt into England first innings wounds’ by managing an opening wicket stand of 114 between Mohammad Hafeez and Taudeeq Umar.

Both went beyond fifty with Hafeez top scoring for his team with an excellent 88. There were also fifties for the captain Misbaq ul Haq and Adman Akmal.

Lancaster Names Inexperienced England Squad For 2012 Six Nations

 

Written by Rod Crowley: A 32 man squad described as the most inexperienced squad for 50 years have been selected by England’s Head Coach, Stuart Lancaster for the forthcoming Six Nations.

There are an incredible 15 changes from the squad chosen by former Head Coach, Martin Johnson that went to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Among those left out were usual first teamers, Mike Tindall, Mark Cueto and Nick Easter and in comes nine first time call ups including as expected Owen Farrell, Ben Morgan and scrum half Lee Dickson.

Lancaster spoke with great enthusiasm about his immediate plans using the buzz term of a ‘leadership group’ within the squad that he intends to nurture when training begins in earnest. He did stop short of naming his captain but hinted that the likes of Chris Robshaw, Dylan Hartley, Tom Wood and even Toby Flood were names that he was considering.

Lancaster was also at pains to point out that he wants the “England team to become the very best and to beat those who are currently rated as the very best”. Ambitious yes but strong words from a seemingly highly committed Head Coach.

He expressed no real concerns about the huge change his selection has already bought about, making it clear that any player selected was in on merit and most were already in the thoughts of the outgoing coaching team.

Forwards

M Botha – Saracens 

C Clark – Northampton

A Corbisiero – London Irish

D Cole – Leicester

T Croft – Leicester

T Wood – Northampton

L Deacon – Leicester

P Dowson – Northampton

D Hartley – Northampton

C Lawes – Northampton

J Marler – Harlequins

L Mears – Bath

B Morgan – Scarlets

T Palmer – Stade Francais

C Robshaw – Harlequins

M Stevens – Saracens

R Webber – Wasps

D Wilson – Bath

Backs

C Ashton – Northampton

B Barritt – Saracens

M Brown – Harlequins

L Dickson – Northampton

O Farrell – Saracens

T Flood – Leicester

B Foden – Northampton 

C Hodgson – Saracens

C Sharples – Gloucester

J Simpson – Wasps

D Strettle – Saracens

M Tuilagi – Leicester

J Turner-Hall – Harlequins

B Youngs – Leicester

Of the newcomers, it is Farrell who has captured the most imagination. Likened in his kicking ability to the great Johnny Wilkinson, Farrell is the son of former England player, Andy Farrell who will be assistant Head Coach to Lancaster in the training set up. Farrell the son has been playing inside centre for Aviva Premiership champions Saracens, but is equally adept at playing fly half. He is quick, has a great pass, a silky side step and is not scared to get stuck into the opposition. The 20 year old is set to be an England player for a very long time.

England kicks off their Six Nations campaign in a Calcutta Cup match against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 4th. How the new look side performs will be something fans and press will be anticipating with bated breath but it is good to see that changes have been made after the World Cup display and time must be given to both the management and players as the team looks to move forward. Their full programme of games is as follows:

4th February – Scotland v England

11th February – Italy v England

25th February – England v Wales

11th March – France v England

17th March – England v Ireland

Judd Trump Can Land Masters At Alexander Palace

Written by Rod Crowley: Having become the home to the PDC World Darts Championship, the Alexander Palace in London will now play host to the prestigious World Masters Snooker Championship, which gets underway on 15th January.

The top 16 players in the world will do battle over the week and although it is not a ranking event, a top prize of over £150,000 ensures that the game's best players are all out to win.

As is the case ahead of any major snooker tournament, it is Ronnie O’Sullivan and world champion, John Higgins who are the favourites to win the title. The snooker betting makes O’Sullivan and Higgins the joint 11/2 favourites with twice winner and current world number one, Mark Selby, next best at 13/2 alongside 2011 world finalist and recent UK Championship winner, Judd Trump at 7/1.

Last year’s winner Ding Junhui will have the somewhat difficult task of taking on O’Sullivan in the opening match of the first round on Sunday, which effectively is a repeat of the 2007 final which the "Rocket" won with ease 10-3. 

Higgins meanwhile will be taking on resurgent Welshman and the winner in 2000, Matthew Stevens on Tuesday, while Trump takes on Stuart Bingham on Monday with Selby up against Stephen Lee on Wednesday.

With so much hype around concerning O’Sullivan, it is worth considering that he has not won a ranking event for over two years and although he showed signs of coming back to some sort of form in the recent UK Championship, he still found himself outgunned by Trump in the last 16. 

On the plus side, O’Sullivan has made the final of this event five times in the last seven years, winning three of the so cannot be ruled out of winning again.

Trump went on to win the final after beating O'Sullivan where he defeated the controversial Mark Allen 10-8 in the final. Allen from Northern Ireland, found himself in trouble with World Snooker’s Chairman, Barry Hearn, during that event, accusing Hearn of spoiling the tournament by shortening the length of the individual matches. However, the two men have made friends and Allen will come to the "Ally Pally" in determined mood and looking to go one better. 

He plays 2010 World Champion, Neil Robertson in the first round, another player who is beginning to find his best form.

Mark Williams, who has proven over the last two years that it is never too late for a snooker player to make a comeback, will open up his campaign on Sunday with a very difficult match against Scot, Stephen Maguire. Welshman Williams is now ranked at number two in the world and has won the Masters twice before. 

He would like nothing more than to win a third title but knows that he will have to pull out all the stops to beat Maguire who himself will be lookign to start the year with a good showing on the green baize.

A very difficult tournament to predict the winner, however, form and confidence are always major factors and there is no player on the circuit currently that has more of either than Judd Trump and he can start the new year where he left off in 2011.

Women's Tennis Set To Remain Wide Open In 2012

 

Written by Rod Crowley: Predicting the likely outcomes of Ladies Tennis these days, certainly with any degree of certainty is becoming increasingly difficult. Retirement, injuries, attrition and even age have taken their toll on those players who had established themselves as among the best in the world in recent years.

Players such as Henin, Kuznetsova, Dementieva, Pierce and even Venus Williams are no longer around or are fading fast from the world stage. Their potential replacements, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Marion Bartoli and  Dinara Safina have all come and gone backwards since leaving a top list of thoroughly decent players but no real supreme champion among them.

Of course Serena Williams is still there but for how much longer? She missed much of 2011 through illness and although she reached the final of the US Open she was no match for the current number six in the WTA world rankings, Sam Stosur of Australia. Stosur of course was winning her first Grand Slam title emulating the first Grand Slam wins of Li Na who won the French Open in May and Petra Kvitova who triumphed at Wimbledon in July.

Belgian Kim Clijsters a player who has clearly benefitted by the loss of so many of her early career rivals did win the Australian Open in January giving her a fourth Grand Slam title. However, she got herself injured at the French Open where she lost in the second round and has hardly been seen since, missing out on both Wimbledon and the US Open. It is interesting to note that Clijsters now sits at number 13 in the world one place behind Serena.

Of course 2012 will start with the world number one Caroline Wozniacki still looking for her first Grand Slam crown. She will get her first opportunity in Melbourne at the Australian Open in January, and knows that to justify her position at the top she really does need to win. Clijsters is said to be fit again and will defend her crown while Serena will come to the tournament as the favourite to win her fifth Australian Open title.

We must not of course forget Maria Sharapova, who consolidated her comeback last year by finishing at number four in the world. She is also a past winner at the Australian Open, taking the crown in Melbourne in 2008 and was also runner up there to Serena in 2007.

Sharapova was always considered to have the potential to be one of the ‘greats’ of the game, especially after her stunning victory over Serena in the final at Wimbledon in 2004 when she was only 17 years old.

However, injuries, setbacks and contractual differences all led to her never quite realising this potential and she is still looking to add to the three Grand Slam titles she has already claimed. She did reach the final again at Wimbledon this year but was beaten in straight sets by Kvitova. She should be a major force on the circuit in 2012 but whether or not she will get back to her absolute best remains to be seen.

If there is one player who could take the woman’s game by storm it is indeed Kvitova, but she will need to learn consistency, something that her game has been lacking for some time. For instance, following her Wimbledon success she was promptly knocked out of the US Open in the first round. She certainly has the game to be a number one player and will start the New Year as the official number two.

World number three, Victoria Azarenka is another player thought to be a potential ‘Grand Slam’ winner, but so far she has failed to reach a final, although she was a semi finalist at Wimbledon. She wins regularly on the tour itself and has an outstanding game that should be good enough at the very top, all she needs to do now is prove it by claiming a first ‘Slam’ in 2012.

The 2012 year could well see a repeat of 2011 with four different "Grand Slam" winners and a new world number one, but who they will be is anyone’s guess

Stuart Lancaster Appointed England Temporary Head Coach by RFU

Written by Rod Crowley: Whether he wants the job on a permanent time basis or not, Stuart Lancaster will be the first man to be seriously considered by the RFU as the successor to recently resigned Head Coach, Martin Johnson. The 42 year old has been given the job of caretaker Head Coach for the 2012 Six Nations tournament which, if successful, will at the very least put him on the shortlist for the job on a permanent basis.

Lancaster, who coached an England XV back in June in their victorious game against the Barbarians, has also been in charge for the last ten games of the Saxons, England’s second team, impressively winning nine of them as well as lifting the 2010 Churchill Cup. Prior to that he had been Head of Elite Player Development at the RFU appointed following a successful two year stint between 2006-08 as Director of Rugby at Leeds.

Specialising on offence, Lancaster will be taking charge of the backs as well as England’s overall strategy during the Six Nations. He will be assisted by Saracens first team coach, Andy Farrell and will leave the job of scrummage coach in the hands of Graham Rowntree, who is the only member of Johnson’s coaching team to remain in post.

Certainly there is plenty to be excited about with this new set up, particularly as Lancaster is a hugely respected figure within Rugby Union while Farrell is working wonders at Saracens currently and Rowntree came out of England’s disastrous World Cup campaign with a huge amount of credit.

England fans will obviously want to know at the earliest what players from Johnson’s World Cup squad will be included in Lancaster’s Six Nations plans but he is known to be very keen on backs such Ugo Monye, Shontayne Hape, Ben Foden and Chris Ashton, whilst in the forwards he will be keen to give prop Alex Corbisiero a chance and is said to be in favour of replacing Lewis Moody as both captain and open side flanker with Northampton’s outstanding Tom Wood.

Team discipline on and off the pitch will be huge issues for Lancaster, who is known for his fiery nature and his attention to detail. He is also a very good motivator who uses the well known ‘stick and carrot method to great effect. One to one meetings with all the players will become a feature of England training in which he leaves players under no doubt of the job that they have been selected to do. He is also a coach that likes nothing more than getting on the pitch to practice with the players and he is not frightened to mix it within reason.

His first match in charge will be the Calcutta Cup encounter with Scotland on February 4th, followed by a trip to Rome before taking on Wales at Twickenham. Their fourth game will come in Paris against Rugby World Cup runners up, France before playing the final game of the tournament against Ireland at Twickenham on, of all days, St Patrick’s Day, March 17th. 

After making the World Cup Final, it is France who are the favourites in the six nations betting to win the tournament at odds of 2/1. Wales, who reached the semi finals are second favourites to win at 11/4 with England rated a 10/3 chance ahead of Ireland (13/2) and Scotland (25/1) and whilst they may have their work cut out to prove doubters wrong, the England players aren't a bad collective of players and if rejuvenated under the guidance of Lancaster, then a challenge Six Nations would not be a surprise.

Underestimating Peterson Cost Khan His World Title

 

Written by Rod Crowley: There are very few boxing fans anywhere who would disagree that the Amir Khan v Lamont Peterson fight for world light-welterweight championship was a cracking encounter. There are however, many who would disagree with the outcome which awarded the American Peterson the verdict by majority decision after 12 thunderous rounds and in somewhat controversial circumstances.

It was certainly a decision that will divide opinion with the first salvo being fired by Khan himself who stated at the end of the fight that he thought he was fighting both Peterson and the referee, Joseph Cooper. He may of course have a point but his constant pushing and holding infringements cost him two in rounds seven and 12 and although he had Peterson of the deck in Round One, it was not enough on at least two of the judges’ cards to redress the balance.

It is certainly true that Khan was the better boxer, his dazzlingly speed and accuracy at times had a mesmeric effect on Peterson but the American showed far more determination, spending plenty of time chasing the back-peddling Khan around the ring. It was probably this more than anything else, that swayed the judge’s decision but he also hurt Khan with a number of jaw trembling upper cuts, followed by overhand rights and a host of hefty blows into the solar plexus that forced Khan to continually retreat.

Peterson also had a very vociferous home crowd behind him in Washington DC, which brings into question the match making qualities of Khan’s handlers. The fact that Khan lost in what was a very commendable voluntary defence of his two world crowns was bad enough but to lose them in the home town of his opponent was either a show of extreme boxing arrogance or match-making madness but it was a decision that certainly had a significant influence on the outcome of the fight, whether it was the support, the bias of judges or a combination of both.

It makes one believe that the Khan team underestimated Lamont Peterson, it was obvious to most that Peterson is not only a decent fighter, beaten only once which came at the hands of Timothy Bradley for the WBO Light-Welterweight title exactly three years earlier, a title that Bradley still holds. They also failed to appreciate that Peterson had never been stopped and although not the biggest puncher in the world, he has great timing. However, an even more important fact that Khan's people forgot to acknowledge is the fact the Peterson is a Washington DC folk hero and he was going to be no pushover on home soil.

Peterson's success in the Boxing ring is seen as a genuine "rags to riches" story that the folks of DC love to hear about and it is why they have adopted him as one of their heroes. A fight in DC therefore, in hindsight, is one that Khan's team must be questioned about.

That said, Khan in fact started the bout very well and possibly could have won it in the opening round. He had Peterson down twice, although the first of those was ruled a slip by the referee, there was however no doubt about the other. The dogged Peterson was up quickly and although bamboozled by the speed of Khan’s fists, held on grimly until the bell sounded.

After that, the fight effectively became a brawl, with both men connecting regularly with Peterson able to bring Khan down to his level. Each time he struck Khan on the chin, Khan began to anger the crowd by showboating and taunting. It was as if he was trying to make the point that his renowned "glass jaw" that was so brutally exposed in his first round knock-out defeat by Breidis Prescott three years ago, had somehow metamorphosed into granite. Nonetheless, Khan stayed on his feet throughout the 12 hectic rounds but to little avail come the final bell.

The three judges scored the fight 113-112, 113-112 for Peterson and 114-111 for Khan, a majority decision for the American, made good by the two deducted points. 

Peterson was quick to confirm that he would be delighted to give Khan a re-match next year sometime but whether or not that happens and particularly whether it takes place in Washington DC or not remains to be seen. Team Khan will not be underestimating Peterson again!

Can Donald Fight Off McIlroy To Finish Top Of Race To Dubai & Complete The Money List Double?

 

By Rod Crowley: The 2011 "Race to Dubai" reaches its conclusion this week with the Dubai World Golf Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates and at the end of the four days, there will be two champions crowned, firstly the winner of the tournament itself and the 2011 winner of the "Race" itself, which was previously known as the European Tour Money list, will also be decided.

It is even possible that the same golfer could be crowned both! The event is only open the top sixty players on the tour and with $10,000,000 up for grabs in prize money, including $1.6 million to the winner, a competitive end to the season is guaranteed. 

Twelve months ago, the Race to Dubai was won by Martin Kaymer but it was Sweden's Robert Karlsson who won this final tournament.

Having played most of his golf on the US PGA Tour this year, Karlsson only managed to qualify in 42nd place which means he is well out of contention of topping the money list whilst Kaymer, although consistent form on the tour in 2011 is currently in third place he is unable to overtake the current leader, Luke Donald.

Donald has also played much of his golf in the States this year but his performance have seen him establish a comfortable lead at the head of the Race to Dubai having earned €3, 856,394 from just 12 tournaments! World number one, Donald, also finished top the money list on the US PGA Tour and could become the first man in history to win both the American and European Tours in the same season.

His consistency has been truly remarkable with four wins and a host of high placed finishes, which has kept him at the number one spot in the world golf rankings for most of the year even though a major win still eludes him.

Fittingly, the only man who can leapfrog Donald in the Race to Dubai is the current world number two, Rory McIlroy, who will need to win the final tournament this weekend and hope that Donald does not make the top ten. Any other outcome would result in Donald winning.

McIlroy has also had a remarkable year, the highlight being his record breaking victory at the US Open in June, earning the 22 year old a first "Major" and huge acclaim in the process.

There are many golfing commentators who believe that McIlroy can reach the same heights that Tiger Woods has done and the Ulsterman heads to Dubai on the back of a great win in Hong Kong last weekend and is the favourite amongst bookmakers to win but Luke Donald is also amongst the front runners.

Luke Donald, who suffered the loss of his father recently, during the same week as his wife gave birth to their second daughter, only returned to playing last week.

He was one of 12 golfers invited to compete in the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City but could only manage seventh place, leaving some questioning his frame of mind and current form. However, he knows what is on the line this week and he will be surely be in determined mood to deny McIlroy his slim chance of finishing ahead of him.

Winner for the second successive year in Sun City was Lee Westwood, who in the process broke the course record with an amazing third round of 62. He too has been in terrific form for most of the year which has secured him, along with Donald and McIlroy, in the top three in the world golf rankings.

Westwood won both the tournament and the Race to Dubai in its inaugural year in 2009 and although he is too far behind Donald this year to top the list, he still poses a major threat to both Donald and McIlroy in the tournament.

Socrates Dies Aged 57

Former Brazilian captain Socrates had died in hospital when being admitted for food poisoning after eating a meal at a hotel. The hospital then placed the midfielder in intensive care after it was discovered he had suffered septic shock resulting from an intestinal infection in which bacteria from an infection seeps into the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body.

The idol of the 1982 World Cup had been rushed to hospital on Thursday, it was the third time Socrates has been taken to hospital since August when he spent nine days there due to a digestive haemorrhage caused by excessive drinking.

Socrates who racked up 60 caps for his country scoring 22 goals, played for Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.

The bearded, lanky Socrates, a leading player of his era played alongside fellow midfielder Zico.

Socrates spent most of career at Brazilian side Corinthians, with spells with Botafogo, Fiorentina, Flamengo and Santos, while in 2004 he famously came out of retirement at the age of 50 to make a one-off substitute appearance for English lower-league side Garforth Town.

Cotto-Margarito II

 

By Peter Wells: In a weekend full of intriguing rematches its undeniable that Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito is the biggest of the lot. The controversy of the last fight won't be settled after this fight but it will defiantly die down a bit.

The first fight I remember very well, and not for all the same reasons as everyone else. After watching the build up to Ricky Hatton-Floyd Mayweather, I had suddenly fallen for boxing. I then brought my first Boxing Monthly magazine and there was a preview of Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito. I watched all the build up on HBO and was shocked when I saw that Margarito had won the next day. It's hard to imagine that that was over 3 years ago now.

I was even more shocked when I watched Mosley-Margarito on Setanta Sports and saw Toni annihilated the way he was. But it all came clear later when it was announced that Antonio Margarito was caught with illegal padding in his hand wraps. It left him and trainer Javier Capetillo banned for a year in America, but the reminder will last forever.

HBO 24/7 was solely built on the hand wrap scandal and whether or not Margarito used those hand wraps in their first fight. Watching the fight though shows it was more to do with Margarito's resilience and continual pressure that stopped Cotto, he was out on his feet at the end and all it needed was a few solid punches to finish him off. Illegal hand wraps or not I feel the conclusion of that fight would have been no different.

This fight though could be a lot different, Cotto seems to have moved on better, picking up the WBA Light Middleweight title. Both have lost to Manny Pacquiao since but Margarito's defeat which was over a year ago seems to have had more effect.

Still Antonio's all pressure style will cause Miguel problems all over again. Cotto can get a large lead by round 7 but then Margarito will come back, and at 153lbs his punches could be very effective. Cotto may hit the deck late on but if he survives could sneak a very tight decision.

Rios-Murray: Rios loses title and may lose unbeaten record after failing to make weight

By Peter Wells: You have to give it to Brandon Rios, after failing to make the weight yesterday, he still for now wants to carry on with the fight. By the time you read this the fight could be off and this preview will be completely irrelevant, but for now it is still on. Brandon has already been stripped of his WBA Lightweight title but may lose a lot more if John Murray defeats him tonight.

I hadn't gave John much of a shot when first reviewing this fight but now it becomes a chance he can't miss. Brandon Rios will come out like the warrior he is and taking out Murray early may be his best bet. Murray will make him miss early and when the time is right and Rios starts to slow down, John can step it up and force a stoppage in 8 rounds or less.

Wolak-Rodriguez II: Pawel and Delvin may have two contenders for fight of the year

By Peter Wells: In a card that is packed with great fight, this one may just be the best of them all. Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez have already dazzled us once on ESPN, but they've now been upgraded to HBO PPV undercard. Wolak come forward style always makes for classics and also his none stop punching forces his opponents to trade blows. That's exactly what he forced Delvin to do last time out as Rodriguez boxed off the back foot landing impressive counters.

The result was a satisfactory draw, and while the fight will be the same, the result may not. Wolak's eye swelled up like a golf ball last time and it'll probably look similar this time out, as he has a habit of swelling. I see Wolak pushing a little more this time though and maybe adding a bit more head movement to his game. The 12 rounds may help him a bit more as well, so i see Wolak winning in a close entertaining fight.

Agbeko-Mares II: Joseph Looking To Get Revenge

 

By Peter Wells: It's hard to believe it was only in August that Abner Mares controversially defeated Joseph Agbeko in the Bantamweight tournament final. Just before writing this preview I was thinking that the first fight had happened in the first half of the year as so much has happened since that fight that put a black spot over refereeing.

Abner Mares won the fight against his handicapped opponent, to take the IBF belt around his waist. Below that waist is where most of Mares' shots landed. The referee might as well have worn an Abner Mares shirt, as he painfully refused to deduct a point for these clear illegal blows. But, that wasn't the worst thing he did in the fight, as when in full view of the ref, Mares landed a blow lower than all the rest and as Agbeko went down in pain, the ref called a knockdown. I could easily tear apart this referee all week but I feel his name shouldn't be mentioned in boxing ever again.

The rematch should give us the real truth as to who is better, and that is still a very hard one to call. Agbeko struggled early with the younger man's speed but came on impressively and some feel he could have nicked it.

Both fighters have said in the build up there will be no low blows this time, but I have to wonder whether Mares' tendency to go to the body makes him unable to keep all those punches about the belt line. One thing is for sure is that he won't get away with it this time and a disqualification can't be overlooked in this fight.

But I’d prefer to imagine a clean fight which I see Mares winning in a close, action packed contest. Agbeko can make a fight of it but I feel Abner's speed and skills should be enough to keep him the title and win him back a few fans.

Rory McIlroy or Darren Clarke - Who's Had A Better...

By Daniel P from Wish.co.uk

The year 2011 has, without a doubt, been Northern Ireland's best for golfing triumphs. Darren Clarke's success at the British Open and Rory Mcilroy's US Open victory were the highlights of this great year. Both are nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011.

Little wonder that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, has expressed his support for the region to host the Open: "As well as world-class golfers there are world-class golf courses in Northern Ireland and It would be great to see the Open played here" Over 150,000 people are members of golf clubs in Northern Ireland and anyone one of them could become the next Clarke or Mcilroy. But who's had the better year? That's the question we'll be answering in this article.

At the age of 43, Darren Clarke is the older of the two golfers. He's a golfing veteran, having started his career playing collegiate golf for Wake Forest University in the US and went professional in 1990.

Like Mcilroy, he was a promising young golfer set to make his mark. He finished joint 64th at the 1991 British Open and came second at the 1992 Honda Open. He won his first European Tour in 1993 and again in 1996.

In 2000, he defeated Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championship and won another European Tour in 2001. However, 2004 - 2007 proved to be his most difficult years; a combination of personal difficulties and a loss of form led to a slump in success.

2008 saw a resurgent Clarke winning the BMW Asian Open and coming second in the 2010 Joburg Open. 2011's British Open win was the icing on the cake for this golfer's long and distinguished career. He had tried to win it for over 20 years and it was a well deserved success.

Clarke proved that older golfers can still make their mark. You don't have to be a Mcilroy, Woods or Day. For that reason, it could be argued Clarke has had the better year.

The argument might have swung in favour of Clarke were it not for his young rival, Rory Mcilroy. Often compared to Tiger Woods, he turned professional at just 17. He made a name for himself with successes on the European circuit, winning at the Madrid Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Victories at the 2009 US Open and 2010 Quail Hollow Championship cemented his reputation further.

It was in 2011 that Mcilroy really made his mark. At 22, he was the youngest player to win the US Open since Tiger Woods' 1997 victory. His 268 aggregate score was the highest US Open record yet, beating records set by Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.

Further success came with a win at the Shanghai Master's, taking home the $2 million prize and a fourth-place finish at the WGC Champions tournament.

This success at such a young age shows that Mcilroy has had the better year. More success is to come and he could eclipse Woods as the best golfer of his generation.

A Sports Personality of the Year win would help re-affirm his talent as one of the best golfers in the world.

Who has had the better year? Veteran Clarke or young gun Mcilroy?

Whilst Clarke's British Open win was the pinnacle of a long and distinguished career, Mcilroy's record beating US Open victory at the tender age of 22 makes it the better year for him in my opinion.

Suunto Watches: Every Athletes Best Friend

By Barrie Smith: If you want accuracy and performance for you watches, then Suunto watches are the perfect match for you.

Suunto watches are from the same maker of the first liquid filled compass. They have been using the latest technology when making compasses and dive instruments and they have used the same concept when they decided to invade the watch market as well.

Their watches are the best when it comes to accuracy and performance as the makers of Suunto watches put special care and attention to even the finest details in every watch that they create. No wonder this brand has been rewarded several times to be the official watch for various sports and equestrian events.

Suunto watches are versatile since it offers many uses other than just tell the time. Suunto watches have sport-specific computers and extra features like a compass, a GPS, barometer, thermometer and even heart-rate monitors which have been designed with the athlete in mind. They have line of watches for sports enthusiast such as scuba diver, runner, mountaineer, hiker and many more.

These added features are very important to athletes as it helps them analyze and improve their performance in whatever sports they are in. Let us take for example Triathletes. It is no joke to join a Triathlon and intense workout and exercise is needed to be done by triathletes to prepare them for the big event. That is why for these athletes, a device that can give them accurate measurement of their workouts, their targets, goals, progress and the like is really important.

Let us take for example the Suunto M5 watch, which can be a triathlete’s best friend as it has functions that will guide him in his training program. Features such as real-time intensity guidance when working out, tracking of speed and distance, real-time calorie counter, exercise instructions, training program and many added features that gives an athlete accurate reading of his progress during his training which can help him improve his performance.

Since Suunto watches are equipped with sports-specific computers, it allows the recording of times and history of training onto the watch so the athlete can always go back to check the record to ensure that progress and targets are being achieved. These data can even be downloaded to computers to do more statistical manipulation and recording which can also play a big role in preparing the training program for the athlete. The more accurate information an athlete can gather during his training using this device, the better informed he will be of his progress so he can adjust his training plan to meet his goals.

Aside from being the best precision instrument, Suunto watches are also durable and are water resistant which is what athletes need as their activities and training are intense so they need a watch that can last and stand the extreme conditions that they will be exposed to.

No matter what kind of sports you are in, Suunto watches will give you the durability, accuracy and the precision that you need to help you improve your game.

McCoist Hoping Sectarianism Won't Drive Lafferty Away

Ally McCoist is hoping sectarianism which remains a problem in Scottish football will not drive Kyle Lafferty away from the club. The player had been targeted after his car window had been smashed in a petrol station last week.

Celtic striker Anthony Stokes also had been targeted recently, where previously Neil Lennon was sent an explosive device earlier in the year and Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt  were sent bullets in the post.

Speaking about the sectarian attacks, McCoist said; "I think we are all sick of it (sectarian attacks). So Kyle's no different from the rest of us," he said.

"Anthony Stokes' window gets panned in, and Kyle gets his car done. It's a sad reflection on society but I still think we are getting better.

"But I don't think what has happened would stand in the way of Kyle signing a new deal. I would certainly hope not anyway."

Kyle Lafferty aired his frustration at being targeted by thugs during in what should be a special moment in his life.

"I'm doing okay, but I'm sick of all this nonsense - there's no need for it," he said.

"All I want to do is concentrate on my football with Rangers  and my relationship with Nicola, and I can't wait for the birth of our baby in three weeks' time.

"These are exciting times for me and I don't need them ruined by incidents like this."

Vitali Klitschko Offers To Fight David Haye In March

It had been rumoured that David Haye could be coming out of retirement to fight Vitali Kiltschko in March, it was thought that Haye’s management team had been in negotiations with Vitali’s team to make the fight happen between the two.

Vitali Klitschko’s management team has today confirmed that they have made David Haye an offer to fight and have insisted that the ball is now in Haye’s court.

"Team Klitschko is in negotiations with Haye and has made him an offer," a management official for the Ukrainian brothers told Reuters on Tuesday. "Now the ball is in Haye's court."

David Haye lost a points decision to Vitali’s brother Wladimir in July, citing a broken toe the reason he could not perform on the day.

The Londoner tried to get Wladimir to agree to a rematch, but the calls fell on deaf ears.
The Hayemaker officially retired from boxing on his 31st birthday in October, something the fighter always suggested he would do.

Haye has claimed after retiring that he merely retired from fighting anyone without the Klitschko name, Vitali has always said that he would like the opportunity to fight Haye and do what his brother failed to do, which was knock the Hayemaker out.

Joey Barton Reveals Why Newcastle Forced Him Out

Joey Barton has revealed why the Newcastle board forced him out of the club. The former Newcastle man was bombed out of the club during the transfer window to Queens Park Rangers.

Barton moved to West London in August after being placed on the transfer list by Newcastle following a Twitter rant in which he criticised the club's board and how club was being run.

The midfielder has always publicly spoken out against owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias. The 29-year-old has now claimed that other big-name players left the North East club after a bonus dispute.

Barton claimed he is not bitter after leaving the club and is happy see Newcastle performing well on the pitch this season.

Speaking on QPR’s podcast Open All R's, he added; "Newcastle, as a playing squad, were the only club in Premier League history not to sign a bonus sheet. It was unprecedented,"

"We refused as a playing staff (to sign) as they tried to railroad the players into signing a bonus sheet.

"In their opinion we were a paid workforce. They thought we were Sports Direct and we should do what the subordinates at Sports Direct do, forgetting they were dealing with 20-odd egos, probably 10 self-sufficient men in a position to make a number of different judgements.

"Myself and the bigger-name players at the time advised the playing staff because we were head of the playing committee not to sign the bonus sheet and that filtered back to boardroom level.

"It's no coincidence that I was given away.

"It's all about power and control. They are running the football club and it's going really well for them at the minute but that's more a testament to the players and the fans, and also the manager (Alan Pardew ). The manager has been different class."

Alan Shearer Shocked and Numb At Speed's Death

Alan Shearer has spoken for the first time about the death of his close friend Gary Speed, the former Newcastle and England striker has been left feeling numb since the news that his former team-mate had committed suicide while at home yesterday morning with various news sources revealing the player hung himself.

Alan Shearer was with Gary Speed on Saturday on television before he headed off to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Newcastle, which is now the last time he saw Gary Speed.

Shearer said: "We were arranging next weekend. He was coming up to stay at my house with his wife and we were going up to various charity dinners on Friday and Saturday.

"We left the studio at half past two and I walked over to Old Trafford  to go and watch Newcastle.  I shook his hand and said, 'see you next weekend' - and unfortunately I won't.

"It's incredible. I'm still numb and still shocked like everyone else. You read things in the newspaper and it doesn't happen to one of your best mates.

"I'm just so sad and shocked and feel for (Speed's wife) Louise and his two boys and mum and dad."

Recalling his last moment with his close friend Shearer added: "I was with him and he was happy and joking and we were having a normal mickey-take like we do out of each other, and having a laugh and a joke about our golf trips and holidays that we went on together last year, and planning our next holiday in Portugal next summer with our families and kids."

Shearer became close friends with Gary Speed when Kenny Dalglish signed the Welshman at Newcastle, with Shearer describing his team-mate as "a great footballer and a model pro".

Shearer added: "You're bound to have arguments along the way in football, but no-one ever did with Gary - no-one had a bad word for him.

"He was an incredible guy who you could rely and depend on. Everyone loved him... he was loved because that's the type of guy that he was - he got on with everyone and everyone respected him."