Terry Told to Take a Break

Moment of controversy

The English Football Association has confirmed that Chelsea’s John Terry has been stripped of his English captaincy until further notice.

The controversial London-born hardman is currently facing allegations of racial abuse, dating back to October in an incident at Loftus Road, involving Anton Ferdinand.

The 31-year-old centre-back has pleaded not guilty to charges that have forced the FA to remove him from his duties and not for the first time.

Terry was disciplined in similar fashion two years ago, following allegations of an affair with former teammate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend, but was surprisingly reinstated just thirteen months later.

Capello backed Terry

With the current case adjourned until July 9^th, the FA released a statement informing the media that, “it is in the interests of all parties that John has the responsibilities of captaincy removed at this time.”

  

The FA based the decision on the, “high profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch”, teamed with the demands of the role prior to and during Euro 2012.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson echoed these sentiments, admitting, “It would have been impossible for John Terry to have continued as captain with this charge over his head.”

Terry in trouble

Fabio Capello has publicly stated his view that Terry is innocent until proven guilty and that he should remain available for selection as England captain.

However, the manager was not involved in the board meeting, which unanimously voted for Terry to be stood down, though the FA were keen to reiterate that, “This decision in no way infers any suggestion of guilt in relation to the charge made against John Terry.”

It is understood that Capello respects the authority of the board and will retain the power to select the successor.

FA Chairman David Bernstein is insistent on a zero-tolerance policy on racism and was encouraged by senior members of the committee to take definitive action over the sensitive nature of this case.

Terry maintains the backing of Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas who insists, “John is a person of good mental strength and great personal convictions.”

Owing to a knee injury, Boas is unable to select his captain for tomorrow’s clash with bitter rivals Manchester United, a contest that would have seen him go head-to-head with Anton Ferdinand’s brother, Rio.

Ferdinand says no

Primed by some sections of the media as an obvious candidate to take over as England skipper, Ferdinand has openly refused to take on the role, stating, “I just want to concentrate on playing for Manchester United.”

Ferdinand was controversially removed as captain when Terry was initially reinstated, adding to possible tensions, but amidst all the hype,  Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has advised his player to “rise above” the media frenzy.

Ferguson even suggested that if Terry were to face United, Ferdinand “has got nothing to be ashamed of if he does decide to shake John Terry’s hand.”

Whilst journalists across England jump for joy as yet another scandal in the football world unfolds publicly, genuine fans of the national team will be nothing short of seriously concerned, with Euro 2012 looming.

After a woeful performance at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, high expectations will fall on England’s shoulders, who are still to add to their solitary success in major tournaments, dating back forty-six years.

England fail at World Cup '10

An apparent division within the camp lead to failed performances in South Africa and England fans must be feeling apprehensive that similar excuses may be reused if the national side once again fails to deliver.

As with England’s repetitive disappointment, there appears to be an unpleasant familiarity to the latest chapter of the John Terry saga.

Written by Dom Wallace

Ali's Dundee Dies Aged 90

Dundee will be missed

Yesterday, the boxing world was in mourning upon learning of the death of one of the all time great personalities within the sport.

Angelo Dundee, most famed for his work alongside Muhammad Ali over the best part of two decades, passed away at the grand age of 90.

Born in Philadelphia, America’s most famous cornerman reportedly suffered a heart attack following a blood clot at a hospital in Florida.

All his relatives were present and his son, Jimmy Dundee acknowledged, “It was the way he wanted to go... All the grandkids were there.”

Dundee worked with a total of fourteen world champions including greats such as George Foreman and Jimmy Ellis in an illustrious career.

Dundee was also in Sugar Ray Leonard’s corner for his biggest bouts including fights with Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez and Thomas Hearns, during which he famously yelled, “You’re blowing it, son. You’re blowing it,” motivating Leonard to knockout his opponent.

Leonard's corner

He will, however, always be remembered for his relationship with Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, which blossomed from the moment they met.

Ali won Gold in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, after which Dundee took him under his wing and four years later he became world heavyweight champion after defeating Sonny Liston.

Dundee helped Ali mastermind two of his most memorable victories, including the defeat of George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, a fight that was dubbed ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’. Ali also beat Joe Frazier in The Philippines in 1975 in the so-called ‘Thriller in Manila’.

In strange circumstances, Dundee played an even bigger role than usual for Ali during his London-based bout with Brit Henry Cooper in 1963.

They were never far apart

Having been knocked down by Cooper and saved only by the bell, Dundee fashioned a rip in the boxer’s glove in order to buy Ali more time to recover. Needless to say, Ali went on to be victorious thanks to such ingenuity from Dundee.

Muhammad Ali had a unique career, often accompanied by controversy, throughout which Dundee never let his loyalties wonder.

There was an inseparable bond between trainer and boxer and one that Ali will never forget. In the forward to Angelo Dundee’s book, he wrote, “He let me be exactly who I wanted to be and he was loyal. That is the reason I love Angelo.”

It is even claimed Dundee provided Ali with lines during his less poetic moments, although the former champion would be unlikely to admit this.

They say that behind every good man there is a great woman. Well, behind every good boxer there is a great trainer, but Ali was not good, he was sensational.

 

Legends of boxing

Angelo Dundee, deservedly inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994, was summed up perfectly by promoter Bob Arum:

“He was wonderful... the whole package... the greatest motivator of all time. No matter how bad things were, Angelo always put a positive spin on them. That’s what Ali loved so much about him.”

Written by Dom Wallace

English Batsmen Carry the Burden

In the first Test, a pitiful batting performance saw England reduced to an embarrassing ten wicket defeat in Dubai, handing Pakistan a comfortable 1-0 lead in the three match series.

Gul ruins England's top order

Trailing by 146 runs, England made a woeful start with Umar Gul (4-63) claiming the wickets of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen with ease.

Spin bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman then ripped through the lower order, picking up three dismissals each, disposing of England for a mere 160.

Ajmal made history with seven lbw’s in a Test, helped by a seemingly clueless England’s top six, who mustered only 143 runs between them.

Unsurprisingly, Pakistan’s opening batsmen casually knocked off the 15 runs needed to ensure their team strolled to victory.

Jonathan Trott became the fourth-fastest English batsman to exceed 2,000 Test runs, an achievement largely overshadowed by a performance that left pundits questioning the legitimacy of England’s standing as the world’s number one Test team.

Rehman and Ajmal wreak havoc

The mood in the English camp was one of frustration and disappointment, but with a strong belief that things could only get better. 

They were wrong.

England disintegrated into a pathetic excuse for a cricket team, throwing away the second Test and losing the series in Abu Dhabi.

Monty Panesar had produced a sterling bowling display, picking up 6-62, with Pakistan making just 214.

Chasing a paltry 145, England’s batsman once again failed miserably to deal with Pakistan’s spin attack, coming unstuck in attempts to play off the back foot, with Abdur Rehman claiming 6-25.

Only Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior hit double figures as England were laid out for 72, their lowest total against Pakistan, putting to waste their superb bowling efforts and shocking many spectators.

Geoffrey Boycott exclaimed, “I’ve seen some bad performances over the years, but that’s as bad as I’ve seen. I couldn’t find any excuses and I wouldn’t want to.”

Panesar's bowling to no avail

The former England batsman was aggravated to the point of singling out individuals, saying of Eoin Morgan, “If he is a Test player, I’m going to eat that famous hat. You’d have to see it to believe how bad it was.”

Whilst bitterly upset at the outcome, Andrew Strauss insisted, “No-one in our camp is waving white flags or anything like that.”

He spoke intriguingly on the subject of players taking their places for granted, suggesting that, “...you can’t under-perform forever. There is pressure on all of us to perform.”

The England skipper, who has failed to reach 50 in any of his last fourteen Test innings, added, “No-one has a God-given right to represent England.”

Pakistan have never recorded a whitewash over England, but they head into the third Test firm favourites and will be keen to make history, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq knowing, “It will be a big achievement for the team.”

England have had bowling success, fielding two spinners and two pace bowlers, one of which, James Anderson, reiterated his teams focus on returning to winning ways.

Strauss overdue a big score

He remarked, “We don’t want to be one-hit wonders, get there, have six months of lapping up everyone saying how good you are, then disappearing.”

Pessimists would suggest that on current form and given the outcome of the first two Tests, that England stand to be humiliated.

Optimists would remind you that even if England lose the third Test, South Africa must also defeat New Zealand 3-0 next month for the current leaders to be knocked off their perch.

Others may be inclined to put aside the importance of rankings and concentrate on performance. After all, even if England snatch this last Test, but fail to perform with the bat again, certain players will find themselves under a rather intense spotlight, including Strauss himself.

Written by Dom Wallace

You Must be Djok-ing

Djokovic eventually claims the title

On Sunday the global sporting world was mesmerised by the most enticing match in tennis history, as Novak Djokovic triumphed over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final, following a five-set humdinger.

World number one Djokovic solidified his position at the peak of men’s tennis, prevailing over his Spanish counterpart (5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 5-7 7-5) in an engrossing contest, lasting a record five hours and fifty-three minutes.

Certain sections of the media were questioning the Serbian’s ability to live up to expectations this season after unprecedented success last year.

If anyone still had lingering doubts about Djokovic’s raw talent, his super-human achievement of victorious, back-to-back five-set matches totalling ten hours and forty-three minutes, extinguished such unfounded scepticism in style.

Three Grand Slams remain this season and if any of them come close to this dazzling spectacle, especially with the ‘fab four’ around, tennis fans worldwide have serious reason to be more than a little excited for what is to come.

Both players were magnificent

Some believe Djokovic will go on to win the French Open and that this victory will give him the confidence to beat Nadal on clay.

Former world number one Pat Cash suggested a stunned Nadal must be thinking, “If I can’t beat this guy now, when am I going to beat him? After all that time this guy is exhausted and I can’t finish him off.”

Whilst it would be fair to claim Novak Djokovic as an addition to the all-time greats of the tennis world, one must acknowledge the professionalism of Rafael Nadal, who also showcased incredible skill, staggering physical fitness and a superb graciousness in defeat.

This was one of those rare, historical sporting occasions that managed, for a moment in time, (a five hour and fifty-three minute moment to be precise) to capture the interest, not just of tennis fans but all sports fans across the globe.

Djokovic may have clasped the trophy, but Nadal will take equal credit in the wake of a remarkable contest, where the only real winner was tennis.

Written by Dom Wallace

More Sports for You

England look to retain 6 Nations crown

Primarily, I'd like to express great appreciation to all those who are following me, visiting my page and spreading the word to help get this project on it's a feet.

So far, I've had a great response with over 200 hits in the first 2 days and already 25 followers on board with the numbers growing as you read.

My aim is to bring you a fusion of factual accounts and hot discussion topics so you can be informed and encouraged to involve yourself in current affairs of the sporting world.

Chisora vows to defeat Klitschko

So far, the most frequently asked question is: "How many sports are you covering?"

The answer to this is simple - as many as possible.

Having just undertaken the early stages of Sport 4 Thought liftoff, I shall endeavour to cover as many of the big sporting events as I possibly can.

Some of the big upcoming fixtures for February include:

• 6 Nations Rugby
• American Football (The Superbowl)
• Boxing (Vitali Klitschko vs Derek Chisora)
• Football (Premiership & European Leagues)
• Golf (USPGA Tour)
• Tennis (Davis Cup & ATP Tour)
• Test Cricket (International Twenty20 Series & International Triangular Series)

Patriots to do battle with the Giants

If you have a burning desire to hear my views or indeed broadcast your own on any other sports related events that I haven't touched on, please do not hesitate to contact me here on Sport 4 Thought in the comments section.

Alternatively you can follow my rants on twitter @sport4thought or contact me direct using my email: sportfourthought@gmail.com

Happy reading folks and may the best team win.

Written by Dom Wallace

Red-Hot Spurs on Fire for Happy Harry

On a chilly winter evening in the capital, Tottenham reignited their title ambitions with another classy performance, which left a struggling Wigan side out in the cold at the foot of the table.

Gareth Bale continued to shine for Spurs with a neat chest and athletic volley into the Wigan net following an exquisite cross-field through ball from Luka Modric.

The nimble Croatian doubled the lead for the home side with an instinctive, turning half-volley from outside the box.

Bale celebrates first goal

The second half failed to wow the crowd, until Bale struck an individual effort into the far corner, before James McArthur squeezed in a deflected consolation for the visitors.

Wigan could and should have made the finish less comfortable for Spurs with Conor Sammon unable to convert a Ronnie Stam cross from six yards in the closing minutes.

Despite a few carless moments, Tottenham exhibited enough quality and belief to pick up their first victory in three league outings and showcase why they deserve to be a mere five points off the pace.

The opening half hour was, as expected, dictated by Harry Redknapp’s side, although two headed attempts by centre-back Younes Kaboul were all they had to show for their dominating of possession.

Wigan had glimpses of hope with Ronnie Stam delivering dangerously into the box and Victor Moses penetrating the nucleus of the Spurs backline, but an obvious lack of execution was all too evident.

As was always on the cards, Tottenham eventually broke the deadlock with a fantastic display of skill.

Modric eliminated The Latics’ defence with a pinpoint pass to Bale, who lost his man in the process of chesting the ball down to volley passed Al Habsi. The effortless finish complementing the preciseness of the assist.

A devastating duo

The sought-after Modric then demonstrated his own goal-scoring abilities, instinctively propelling a ricochet into the bottom corner with apparent ease.

Following an irresistible first half performance from Spurs, the Wigan contingent trundled off for half time refreshments with a sense of doom for the impending second half.

Despite a near miss shortly after the interval, courtesy of the head of Emmanuel Adebayor, the N17 faithful became impatient with Tottenham appearing content to sit on their lead.

However, Bale once again produced something from nothing whilst appearing to have his sight to goal obscured; he shifted onto his left in a flash and with minimal backlift, fired a rasping nail into the far corner of Wigan’s coffin.

With Roman Pavlyuchenko signing for Lokomotiv Moscow and Jermaine Defoe already sidelined, Cameron Lancaster was handed his Spurs debut after Adebayor joined Rafael Van der Vaart and Kyle Walker in limping off.

Probert misses lunge

Redknapp will therefore be especially thankful his free transfer of Louis Saha was successful. He said of the 33-year-old Frenchman, "I like Louis. He is bright, sharp, got good movement and I think he'll do well for us."

The only controversial incident involved Benoit Assou-Ekotto who floored Franco Di Santo with a reckless lunge, catching the forward high up the shin, yet the incident went apparently unnoticed by referee Lee Probert, who took no action against the defender.

Roberto Martinez was incensed, "I think it was a definite red card and we are very fortunate he's only got a minor injury. A red card would have given us more momentum.”

Wigan got a deserved consolation for their efforts after Moses freed McArthur whose deflected chip looped over Brad Friedel.

They should have added a second moments from time, with Stam causing problems down Tottenham’s left flank and must take heart from their second half performance if they are to drag themselves up, out of the drop zone.

Martinez admitted, "I do think we deserved a lot more but in the next fifteen games we need to perform in the manner we did in the second half."

This was a welcome victory for Spurs and Redknapp who has been in court on charges of tax evasion recently. He joked, "I've been sitting down all week. I kept dancing around like a two-year-old! It was nice to get on my feet again. The fans were great, I appreciated it.”

Redknapp in high spirits

In a positively jovial mood, the so-called wheeler dealer of the football world reminded all Arsenal fans, “We're thirteen points ahead of Arsenal now, it's a nice lead.”

The Tottenham manager was quick to pour praise on Gareth Bale who had another dazzling performance. Luka Modric was also outstanding and Redknapp will know just how crucial that pairing will be for the success of the club, not only this campaign, but for seasons to come.

Bale and Modric form part of what is currently considered the best midfield in the English Premier League, but in a strange irony, many believe that how well they perform and therefore how much success they bring themselves at Tottenham, may dictate their desires to remain at the club.

Sitting third, just five points behind Manchester City and still in the FA Cup, Spurs fans need not panic just yet, but the summer is a long way off.

Written by Dom Wallace

United Hope City Come Unstuck at Toffees

Inconsistency has been at the heart of Manchester United's lacklustre season thus far and with a spirited win at the Emirates, despite sporting a depleted squad through injury, one had reason to believe the champions stood to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

De Gea fails under high ball

However, with David De Gea's reoccurring inability to deal with the high ball and a lapse of concentration from captain Evra two minutes from time, The Kop was treated to a sweet victory over their bitter rivals.

United had dominated possession for long periods, but lacking the potency of Rooney and with a reliance on the enthusiasm of young gun Welbeck, United failed to create an abundance of clear cut chances. Liverpool were outplayed and chasing the ball for the majority of the game but when it mattered that man Dirk Kuyt once again pounced to pour more misery on United's campaign.

Tonight, The Red Devils will still have one eye on Merseyside, in hope that Everton can salvage something against a Manchester City side that have only been victorious on three of their last eight outings in all competitions.

All three victories have been in the league however and David Moyes' men have only mustered as many wins at Goodison all season. Everton go into the game having failed to score more than once in their last ten premier league games and without a backbone of senior professionals including Jagielka, Distin, Rodwell and Osman.

Captain Kompany set to return

 The Citizens have netted as many times this season as they did in their whole campaign last year and will welcome back skipper Vincent Kompany from suspension.

Old Trafford will welcome back Rio Ferdinand to a United team that boasts only two victories from their last four premier league fixtures. Although, it may be more of a concern that they are likely to continue without Wayne Rooney, who Ferguson will not rush back from an ankle injury sustained against Arsenal.

It is the first time in premier league history that United have been eliminated from both Champions League and FA Cup competitions at this stage in the season. Retaining the Premier League title is the name of the game for the champions now and they start the race to the finish line against a notoriously physical Stoke City side that will be playing to win.

Stoke still remain in two cup competitions, although only one victory in the last six league matches suggests the players are feeling the strains of such demands. To boot, Stoke's last win at Old Trafford was nearly thirty-six years ago so the Stretford End will be expecting nothing less than the full three points.

City face the next six premier league fixtures against teams from the lower half of the table so will be aiming for three points tonight to set them on their way to opening up the gap even further between themselves and United.

Moyes and Mancini see eye-to-eye

However, with relations still strained between City and Everton since the Lescott affair, United hope a hostile Goodison crowd will rile up The Toffees enough to take the game to their opponents, providing the fearless approach that has upset the league leaders on more than one occasion recently.

The current champions will know it is how they perform that really counts, rather than relying on others and will be keen to go on a winning streak of their own. They will welcome any slip ups from their Noisy Neighbours but know from experience that they must begin to perform more consistently in this second half of the season to ensure their only hopes of domestic silverware remain alive.

Written by Dom Wallace