Flintoff set for boxing debut

Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff is set to make his professional boxing debut against American Heavyweight Richard Dawson at the Manchester Arena tonight.

At 34 Flintoff is 11 years older and two stone lighter than his opponent, but has been training with ex-featherweight champ Barry McGuigan who believes Flintoff has what it takes.

However there are many others who believe that this is a bad idea and I’m with them, I think Flintoff is doing this for all the right reasons, but it’s still a bad idea.

At 34 he’s hardly got a much of a career in the sport whatever happens tonight, and perhaps most importantly he’s not properly trained in that he hasn’t been training like all the other pro boxers who start when their a kid.

Maybe he should have just been content with being an England cricket legend.

Ballon d’Or has to go to Messi

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta make up the three man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d’Or.

You could make a case for Ronaldo and Iniesta winning but the award has to go to Messi, last season he produced a season of football that everybody thought was impossible.

He ended with 73 goals, 50 in the league, 29 assists and is on the verge of breaking Gerd Muller’s 40-year-old record of scoring 85 goals in a calendar year.

If he does win it would also mean another record of four titles, which would be consecutive, and all this at only 25.

Amazingly there are still some who are critical of Messi and say that it’s easy for him being supplied by Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas etc. but look at it from the other side where would Barcelona be without him.

Since the start of the 08-09 season Messi has scored 237 goals in 239 games no-one else in the game, not even Ronaldo, comes close to matching that.  

Leveson recommendations should be introduced

Lord Justice Leveson’s 2,000 page report has split the government over where to go next with regards to press regulation.

Labour and the Lib Dems want to unequivocally back Leveson’s recommendations while Conservatives are opposed to introducing a new law underpinning a new press regulator.

Judging by people’s reactions it seems a lot of people back Leveson, but the press were quick to say if Leveson’s recommendations are put in place we’ll have a state regulated press, nonsense, what Leveson proposes is that there is an independent regulator for the press that is backed by a law that means those who break the rules will be punished.

The whole point of Leveson’s investigation and report was to change the way the press is regulated as they have clearly shown they can’t be trusted to do it themselves, but rather than the press complaining about it, because it’s their own fault, they should sign up to the changes.

It’s like any law if you don’t break it and work within it you have nothing to worry about, it’s not like the changes will give politicians the power to ring editors and say you’re not running this story because I say so.

Draft legislation may be ready within a fortnight and hopefully after this incredibly lengthy and costly process, Leveson’s recommendations can be put on place and the politicians, police, press and public can all move on.  

BBC Sports Personality shortlist named

The shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the year award has been announced, with 11 Olympic and Paralympic athletes nominated.

In full the list is:

1.      Andy Murray

2.      Ben Ainslie

3.      Bradley Wiggins

4.      Chris Hoy

5.      David Weir

6.      Ellie Simmonds

7.      Jessica Ennis

8.      Katherine Grainger

9.      Mo Farah

10.  Nicola Adams

11.  Rory McIlroy

12.  Sarah Storey

Between them the nominees have 8 Olympic and 3 Paralympic gold medals, add to this Andy Murray’s US Open win and McIlroy’s many successes, from winning a 2^nd major to becoming world no.1, and you are faced with an almost impossible decision.

I did say almost, because for me there is only one person who should win and that is Bradley Wiggins.

He became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, which he did drug free, then a few days later he rode in the road race and then won gold in the time trial by 42 seconds, this has to put him above everyone else.

While this factor seems to have become obsolete for this award Wiggins also has a personality, and isn’t just another media trained don’t say anything because it might affect my reputation, sportsman.

In any other year any of the achievements by those listed would have been enough to win, but because it’s been such a special unique year of sport it needs a winner that reflects that and for me that = Bradley Wiggins.   

Vettel makes it three in a row

Sebastien Vettel just about did what he needed to do to win a third straight World Title, he finished sixth at the Brazilian Grand Prix to take the championship by three points from Fernando Alonso.

At 25, this makes Vettel the youngest triple World Champion by six years and makes him the only driver to win his first three titles consecutively.

Although he came to Brazil with a 13 point lead it was a tense race for Vettel after being hit on lap one and having to come from the back of the field, but despite that the rain and bodged pit-stop he made up the places needed.

Unsurprisingly Vettel’s hero is fellow German and F1 legend Michael Schumacher, and the question has to be asked can he emulate, or even surpass, his achievements in the sport.

Vettel is already a triple world champion and still has, if he chooses, at least 10 years more in F1 and with Red Bull’s ability to find that extra pace when they need to, right now you’d have to say he can.  

European Tour announces £19m season ending series

The European Tour is introducing a new £19m climax to the 2013 Race to Dubai with a ‘Final Series’ of four events.

The four tournaments will be the BMW Masters, HSBC Champions, Turkish Open and the DP World Tour Championship.

I’m pleased to see that the European Tour has taken a positive pro-active step and are changing their season ending finale, because ever since they introduced the race to Dubai in 2009, it’s always felt like it was missing something.

Particularly this season as Rory won the bonus prize long before the final event and just had to turn up, although he did make it interesting by finishing with five birdies for another win.

While the European Tour has made a big change it remains to be seen whether:

A.    It will be a success

B.     It will dent the dominance of the FedEx Cup Play-offs

C.     It will stem the flow of Europeans who are flocking stateside

Fergie time does exist

It’s well a known notion that Man United have benefited on a number of occasions from referees adding unusually long periods of extra time to the end of their games, particularly when their losing.  

But whereas before this phenomenon was seen as the other teams and fans jealousy of United’s ability to score late goals, research from Opta Sports shows ‘Fergie time’ actually does exist.

Opta found that when United were winning an average of 3 minutes and 18 seconds was added at the end of the 90, but when they were losing that number rose to 4 minutes and 37 seconds, an additional 79 seconds.

As Ferguson likes to play mind games with referees and opposition managers by bringing up incidents from previous games to try and pressurise them, maybe now the refs can get their own back, when Fergie stands on the touchline pointing at his watch demanding another minute that can be their cue to blow the final whistle.

That way we won’t be faced with a situation like when United were drawing 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday and the ref looked content to carry on playing until they scored, which they eventually did 7 minutes later, maybe we’ll soon see the end of Fergie time.  

UKIP couple have foster children taken

A couple have had their three foster children removed from their care because they belong to UKIP.

Rotherham Borough Council said they had concerns about UKIP’s stance on immigration, and local social workers had accused them of belonging to a “racist party”.

Naturally UKIP leader Nigel Farage wasn’t best pleased with the decision saying the couple had been subjected to “appalling prejudice”.

He’s absolutely right the actions of Rotherham Council are crazy, the couple’s decision to support UKIP shouldn’t be of any concern to the council whatsoever.

The couple have been approved foster parents for seven years, so why have their political views become a problem now, hopefully those who took the decision will be making a trip to the job centre very soon.      

Clattenburg cleared over Chelsea complaint

The FA will take no action against referee Mark Clattenburg over a complaint made by Chelsea that he racially abused one of their players.

After an investigation the FA decided that there was “no case to answer” over the allegation that Clattenburg said “shut up you monkey” to midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The FA said the complaint, which was made by fellow midfielder Ramires, was made in good faith.

Is there an initiative at Chelsea that all employees, players, coaches, backroom staff, directors and of course the owner must do all they can to turn Chelsea into the laughing stock of the Premier League, because that’s what’s happening.

There was very little justification for the managerial sackings made by Abramovich, but he could point to the fact that the managers he let go never won the Champions League, and yet he sacks Di Matteo who won the competition after only a few months in charge.

Yes they won’t be winning it again this season, but no team has defended the trophy in the Champions League era not even the Barcelona team recognised as one of, if not the, greatest ever.

Di Matteo’s sacking was laughable enough, and yet Chelsea have really gone that extra mile by accusing a referee of racially abusing one of their players.

It sounded absurd when I first heard it and it has got progressively more ridiculous as the details have been revealed, if Clattenburg abused Mikel then why didn’t he do something on the pitch when it happened, and then after the game why was it his team mate who made a complaint and not him.

The FA can really take a lead and make an example of Chelsea here and punish them to show that you can’t do what you like and expect to get away with it, because their behaviour has been appalling.

EU budget deal maybe out of reach

After more gruelling budget negotiations EU leaders are again struggling to come to an agreement, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying she doubted a deal could be reached.

The budget talks are faltering because most EU members want a budget increase, where as the remaining nations and biggest contributors like the UK and Germany, say a rise in the budget would be unacceptable at a time of austerity.

I happen to agree that a rise in the EU budget is unacceptable at a time when everyone across Europe is having to cut back, and it seems that both sides seem unwilling to back down, meaning a deal probably won’t be reached.

But with 27 members, and more set join, currently in the EU who come to negotiate on matters such as these and who all want to get the best deal for their people and be seen to be standing up to the other nations, is it any surprise they don’t agree.

It’s hard enough to get two world leaders to agree on anything so how can we expect 27 politicians from 27 different nations who come from a variety of cultures and background to agree, the whole thing is deeply flawed.