Dolton's Domain

Sunday 11th July 2010

2010-07-11T13:09:00.004+01:00

An eventful day yesterday as I went down to Southampton to attend the Labour leadership hustings at the Grand Harbour Hotel.
After a morning campaigning in Eastleigh, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and the Miliband brothers came onto the stage at 11am and ironically Abbott was positioned furthest left, with David Miliband furthest right. The chair of the debate was quick to assure us that lots had been drawn beforehand and the seating arrangements were purely coincidental.
The five leadership hopefuls answered ten questions from members of the audience on a number issues, from the war in Afghanistan to narrowing the gap between the rich and poor, with each getting about two minutes to deliver a sharp reply. Speaking to Ed Balls immediately afterwards he said he thought the format was limited as there was little actual debate, as the candidates weren't able to challenge each other. Nevertheless, I thought the event was useful to Labour members who have yet to make up their mind over who to vote for as next leader, we learnt about where they all stood on a range of issues. For example, David Miliband was very critical of the election manifesto which his younger brother Ed had co-ordinated, whereas Ed Balls defended the "a future fair for all" publication.
Yesterday's hustings also allowed us to look at the body language of the candidates when the other contenders were talking. I tried not to laugh at the look of disbelief on David Miliband's face when Diane Abbott claimed she understood the situation in Afghanistan better than anyone else because she comes from a colony. She also took a swipe at the Shadow Foreign Secretary when she said she has spoken to more troops in Afhanistan than a minister would have and it this point the elder Miliband did not look very happy with the MP he had helped get into the contest.
To get an idea of which hopeful would make the most effort to reconnect the leadership with grass roots, it was best to stay behind afterwards to see who was happy to chat to members. Andy Burnham had perhaps looked the most out of place on stage, seeming tense throughout, but after he spoke passionately about a National Care Service for the elderly I approached him to find out more about the idea and he was much more confident and personable one-to-one. Burnham may not be Prime Ministerial material, but he has some big, radical ideas, with the National Care Service being one of the time. He proposed that those in need of personal care would be subject to a 10% levy on their estate in return for recieving the care they need for the rest of their life, without having to sell up and move to a nursing home. Burnham believes this could have the same impact the introduction of the NHS had in the twentieth century and he also spoke of extending student finance to post graduates so that they could complete unpaid internships, something I quite liked the sound of given my current predicament. The former Health Secretary is unlikely to become the next Labour leader, but with a sense of moral duty and innovative ideas he should be considered in high regard in the shadow cabinet.
The candidate I was most impressed with yesterday was without doubt Ed Miliband and after mauling over it for a few weeks I pledged my support to him after the hustings. He gave a strong performance, was probably the most genuine of the five candidates and was very passionate about the future of the party. His plans for a Living Wage and replacing tuition fees with a graduate tax will appeal to many members, but his biggest strength is his willingness to reconnect with the grassroots of the party, which was shown when he agreed to come for a drink with a few of us activists in Southampton after the event. More than happy to pay for the round, Ed Miliband spent a good 45 minutes with us, asking what voters we spoke to during the election campaign were most concerned about and discussing issues such as climate change and the spending cuts imposed on us by the coalition. He wanted to spend even longer chatting to us, but had to leave to attend a Q and A session in Reading.
Over the last ten years it has been fair to say that the Labour leadership have treated their loyal members with a certain amount of distain, ignoring activists on the dangers of a war in Iraq and the crackdown on civil liberties, but with Ed Miliband as leader it appears that the activists will have more of a say over the future direction of the party and that is why he has my support.
David Miliband is still the clear favourite to succeed Gordon Brown as permanent leader of the opposition in September, but with his younger brother's campaign now gathering momentum it will surely be a close contest.

Saturday 3rd July 2010

2010-07-03T11:52:00.006+01:00

After giving in to the VAT rise last month it was reassuring to see the Liberal Democrats make a stand on voting reform yesterday. The junior partners of the Coalition hope to push through a referendum to replace the archiac first-past-the-post system with the modern and fairer Alternative Vote (AV). Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to announce on Tuesday that a referendum will be held on 5th May 2011, coinciding with local elections. With most Lib Dems supporting AV and the majority of Conservatives against this form of proportional representation this may be the the first real test of the government's solidarity. The proposed referendum could put the Prime Minister on a collision course with his deputy, as according to Nick Robinson David Cameron tried but failed to persuade Clegg that an early vote was an early risk for the coalition.
Under the Alternative Vote, electors rank candidates on the ballot paper in order of preference and if no one achieves 50% of the total vote the least successful candidate is eliminated and their votes are distributed to the balloter's second choice. This continues until one candidate achieves an absolute majority.
Although the purists will argue that this isn't full proportional representation in the same way as the more complicated Single Transferable Vote system, AV is perhap the fairest way in which we can elect our politicians whilst maintaining single member constituencies, thus the close link between an MP and the people they are representing in Parliament can continue.
If the country says yes to AV next May then we will see the most radical ever shake up in our voting system. Over the last century the Conservatives have benefited from first-past-the-post and Cameron has made it clear that his party will be campaigning against voting reform. Could this single issue mark the beginning of the end for the Coalition government?

Friday 2nd July 2010

2010-07-02T10:43:00.006+01:00

I must apologise for my terrible neglect of this blog, its been a very hectic few weeks, the job hunting is taking up much of my time and the last couple of days have been made all the more complicated by making the move from Southampton back to Kintbury, my home village in Berkshire. So where to start on the events of the last three weeks?

The political scene has been dominated by the Coalition's Emergency Budget, announced last week and grim reading for most of us. I found myself outside the Downing Street gates when George Osborne posed with the battered Gladstone box last Tuesday, observing the Right to Work protest organised by the Socialist Workers Party, who attempted to make their feelings known to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with chants such as "NO IFS, NO BUTS, NO PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS" and "WHEN THEY SAY CUTBACK WE SAY FIGHTBACK". There were plenty of armed police there to ensure the situation didn't get out of hand and the protesters were left disappointed that Osborne had to be sneaked out a back entrance, so they then took their rally to the Treasury. He's only been in the job for less than two months, but already Osborne seems to be the most unpopular Chancellor since the Thatcher years and over the next few years I expect to see more uglier scenes as jobs are lost and the cuts properly kick in. One area Cameron and co won't be cutting back on is their personal security, that's for sure.
I'm no economic expert, but since the financial collapse in 2008 I have relied on the wisdom of respected economics professor David Blanchflower to help understand the situation. The Guardian and New Statesman columnist has put his reputation on the line by saying he is convinced that the Budget will lead to a double dip recession. We probably won't know until next year if he is right, but with slow growth in GDP in the first quarter of 2010 its easy to understand his claim that drastic cuts such as the ones being put forward by this government will damage our fragile economy.

With such gloomy ecomonic forecasts for the future it would have been nice if the national football team could have given the country a bit of a lift this summer, but Sunday's dismal 4-1 defeat to Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup put an abrupt end to that much needed escape from reality. In terms of England's performance this has been the worst World Cup in my memory; at least when Argentina knocked out Glenn Hoddle's men at the same stage in 1998 the Lions went down with a fight, eventually losing on penalties. Watching the Germans destroy England in the second half on Sunday brought back memories of sitting deflated with my head down and arms crossed watching Southampton getting turned over most weeks when they were relegated from the Championship in the 2008-2009 season. Fabio Capello wasn't always spot on with his tactics, but I think the reason the team did so badly was because they didn't respect the hierarchy enough, John Terry's press conference a couple of days after the Algeria game is evidence of this. If Capello, a very succesful manager who has won six league titles and the Champions League can't manage England, then who can? I personally think the only man who can command the respect of the players and get them playing with pride again is Sir Alex Ferguson, but at 40/1 the chances of the Scot taking over the English team are slim to none.

At least the anticipation of the new domestic football season will help us forget about a dreadful World Cup. Southampton are huge favorites to win promotion from League One and having spent a fortune manager Alan Pardew knows he has to deliver or he will have to go. Unfortunately I won't be able to renew my season ticket at St Marys this year, but this may be a blessing, as of the six home games I've missed over the last three years Saints have won all of them. Going by this form, they should win every home game this season!

Sunday 13th June 2010

2010-06-13T11:39:00.003+01:00

So the curse of England goalkeepers continues. As half time was approaching in England's opening World Cup game against the USA last night, all was looking good. Steven Gerrard had given Fabio Capello's men an early lead and their opponents had rarely threatened. Then an innocent looking looking Clint Dempsey shot was spilled by Robert Green and the West Ham number one found himself the target of a nation's criticism.
It seems to be common for the keeper to make a howler in a big game; in 2002 David Seaman was lobbed from 40 yards by Ronaldinho in a World Cup quarter final, Paul Robinson miss-kicked a Gary Neville back pass in 2006 away to Croatia during a Euro 2008 qualifyer and then a year later in the return game Scott Carson fumbled a long range effort which proved to be catastrophic to England's qualification chances. After their huge errors the international careers of Seaman, Robinson and Carson all went dramatically downhill, so it will be interesting to see if Green is condemned to the same fate after last night's howler and its a real test of character for him, with David James and Joe Hart both snapping at his heels to play between the sticks in the next game. To be fair to Robert Green last night he did slightly redeem himself after the gaffe, tipping a powerful Jozy Altidore shot onto the post in the second half, but whether that will be enough in Fabio Capello's eyes for him to keep his place against Algeria on Friday remains a big question.
Despite only claiming a draw against the USA last night, England's overall performance wasn't too disapointing. At right back Glen Johnson looked confident going forward, goal scorer Steven Gerrard put in a good captain's shift and after intially struggling against the American's tough physical approach Wayne Rooney showed glimpses of that world class talent we all know he has in the late stages of the game.
It would have been much nicer to have kicked off the campaign with a win, but England do have a habit of starting tournaments slowly and a draw against undoubtedly their strongest opponents in group C isn't a bad result.
Capello will now be preparing the team for Algeria on Friday, a game in which they can't afford to be complacent in. I think the North Africa side will be a tougher test than expected and will be difficult to break down, as were Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 when it took two late goals from Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard to seal victory. Nevertheless, a win will be expected against Algeria is a game which takes on arguably even greater importance now after last night's draw.

Tuesday 8th June 2010

2010-06-08T15:53:00.005+01:00

Caught up in World Cup fever, I seem to have neglected the politics scene on here recently so thought I would look at the state of the Labour leadership contest before going back into football mode.
This time tomorrow we will know if Dianne Abbott, Andy Burnham and John McDonnell will join Ed Balls, David Miliband and Ed Miliband in the scheduled leadership hustings before voting opens in August.
At the moment former Health Secretary Andy Burnham is best placed to be the fourth candidate in the contest, as he needs just seven more MPs to nominate him before 12:30pm tomorrow, whilst Abbott and McDonnell both significantly trail.
Supporters of Abbott have suggested McDonnell should stand aside so that there is a better chance of someone representing the left making it onto the ballot paper and there is now increasing pressure on the MP for Hayes and Harlington after he made a distasteful comment about Margaret Thatcher at a GMB husting yesterday, joking that if he could go back in time to 1980 he would assassinate the former Conservative Prime Minister.
Whilst I am unlikely to support either Abbott or McDonnell if they secure enough nominations I would still like to see one of them taking part in the debates. This leadership contest may well determine who is the next Labour Prime Minister, so it is important party members from across the spectrum have a chance to vote for their preferred candidate, otherwise there is a real of risk alienating sections of support.
It is also a chance to show that Labour are a much more diverse party than the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. When David Cameron and Nick Clegg were chosen as leaders of their parties in 2005 and 2007 respectively they were up against other white middle class men. I don't hugely agree with Diane Abbott's politics and most Labour members I have spoken to aren't very impressed with her, but at a time when women's participation in politics is a big talking point I think having her as part of the debate would legitimise the contest and the eventual winner can say they won a diverse campaign.
We only have to look at the last proper Labour leadership election in 1994 when Tony Blair won ahead of Magaret Beckett and John Prescott, all three candidates had their differences and represented their own sections of the party.
There are a few MPs who are yet to nominate a candidate and I hope that they will lend a hand to either McDonnell or Abbott before tomorrow's deadline to make this a real contest.

Sunday 6th June 2010

2010-06-06T19:05:00.009+01:00

Today I saw One Night In Turin, a documentary on England's 1990 World Cup campaign, in Sainsburys at a decent price and made a spur of the moment impulse purchase. After watching it this afternoon I did not regret it.
This straight to DVD release, narrated by Gary Oldman, is perhaps the best football documentary I have seen as it perfectly encapsulates the most remarkable chapter in the last 44 years of English football.
What director James Erskine, adapting from a Pete Davies book, does so well is set the context for fans such as myself who were too young to remember the sensational events of 20 years ago. In 1990 football in this country was at its lowest point; English clubs were banned from entering European competitions after the Heysel disaster of 1985, people were still shocked from the Hillsborough tragedy the previous year and we appeared to have a government who couldn't care any less if millions fans were deprived from watching their team at the World Cup, as Thatcher and co threatened to withdraw the national team from Italia '90 if behaviour on the terraces didn't improve.
After watching One Night In Turin many fans will agree with the view that England's semi final clash against West Germany was the most significant match in the evolution of our game to what we see today. Ultimately Bobby Robson's men fell short, losing to their great rivals on penalties, but after a most dramatic campaign English pride had been restored.
This film revolves around two huge characters; manager Bobby Robson and star player Paul Gascoigne. I wasn't aware how vilified Robson was in the British press before a ball had even been kicked in Italy, with tabloids screaming for the now national treasure to "JUST GO" and quit for the good of the nation. When Robson sadly passed away last year every football fan mourned the loss and it was this campaign that was the making of him. My generation think of him as the gentle grandad of the English game, so it was quite a shock for me to see him getting angry laying into journalists in this documentary. Robson faced the hostility of the media and bravely led England to their most successful ever World Cup on foreign soil.
As for Gazza, well all I can say is what a character and incredibly talented footballer in 1990. I've heard many experts talk about what a naturally gifted player he was in his younger years, but until I watched One Night In Turin I thought they were all exaggerating. Now I see what a great raw talent he was, but can only wonder about what might have been.
One Night In Turin has its flaws; the reconstruction close ups of player's legs when showing highlights of the games to add drama are perhaps uneccesary and it would have been nice to have included reflective interviews to get a sense of what the campaign meant to key individuals such as Gary Lineker and Chris Waddle, but overall it was enjoyable and I recommend any England fan to watch it before it all kicks off in South Africa on Friday.
Who knows, maybe in 20 years time we'll see a film called "One Night in Johannesburg".

Saturday 5th June 2010

2010-06-05T17:43:00.004+01:00

This time next week many of us will be sitting in front of the television with a pint about to watch England take on the USA in the opening Group C World Cup game which has been so eagerly anticipated. It only comes around every four years and after missing out on the European Championships in 2008 the excitement is even more built up than usual.
With all this preview coverage of the world's greatest tournament I've been reminicising about previous times, watching highlights from classic tournament games and posting my favorite moments to Twitter daily. This will be the fourth World Cup I can remember and the last three have provided me with flashbulb memories. Here are the matches I can recall so vividly from past summers:

1998: England 2-2 Argentina
At the age of eight, the World Cup held in France 12 years ago was the first in which I had become a football fanatic. I can remember getting my first ever pair of football boots a few months before and spent countless hours playing on the "the green" outside my house. This match was on a school night, but my parents knew there was no way they could send me to bed before the end of this huge second round contest.
When Argentina won a penlty early on I recall going upstairs to hide as I couldn't take watching it, but that didn't stop Batistuta coverting from the spot. England levelled 4 minutes later through a penalty of their own and then an 18 year old Michael Owen stunned us all with that wonder goal which announced himself to the world. Argentina equalised from a free kick just before half time and whilst that may have been the last goal of the night the real drama was yet to come. Like many eight year old kids at the time, David Beckham was my idol, so I was absolutely gutted when he was sent off early in the second half for kicking out at Diego Simeone.
We all thought Sol Campbell had won it late on, but his header was ruled out after Alan Shearer was judged to have fouled the Argentina keeper. Ever since then I've always looked straight at the linesman when the team I'm supporting scores, as I learnt on this night to go into wild celebrations only to find the goal has been disallowed is a real kick on the teeth.
The game went to penalties, England inevitably lost and that was my first taste of World Cup disapointment, I should have got used to it then and there.

2002: England 1-0 Argentina
Revenge is a dish best served after four years of waiting as England got one over the team who had knocked them out at the last World Cup in this crucial group game. This tournament was held in the Far East, so most of the games were played in the morning or at lunch time. Luckily, I was on a half term break from school so could watch this game at a gathering of family friends. As half time was approaching lunch was being served, so I went into the kitchen to take my pick from the buffet. As I sat there, someone burst into the room shouting "ENGLAND HAVE GOT A PENALTY" and I jumped up so quickly I didn't realise my arm was still under the table, so ended up hitting my hand against the side. The pain of bruised fingers would last until England got knocked out by Brazil two weeks later, but at the time I was so caught up in the moment I didn't feel a thing.
It was all up to David Beckham, the scapegoat four years previously after his sending off to convert from 12 yards out and he didn't let us down. We held on for a win which felt so good against the team that had reduced me to tears in 1998.

2006: England 0-0 Portugal
I watched every England game of the 2006 World Cup in Germany at the Royal British Legion in Hungerford and altough I wasn't yet old enough to drink there, it was still a great place to watch the big matches as there was always such an amazing atmosphere when the national team were playing.
This Quarter Final showdown took place on a Saturday, a day which I usually worked washing dishes at a local cafe. Fortunately I managed to convince my boss to let me have time off when England were playing, telling him that we wouldn't have any customers whilst the matches were on, so there was no point in paying me (£3.30 an hour!) to be standing around doing nothing.
I finished my shift 15 minutes before kick off, so had to run up to the Legion and got there to find all the seats had been taken, but it was worth standing at the back to sample the atmosphere. The whole pub was singing throughout the game and the language was most colourful when Rooney was sent off in the second half. After losing on penalties once again, the Legion emptied very suddenly amid a huge anti-climax. Good thing I had a Pirate themed party to attend after the game, otherwise the evening would have been very depressing!

In the years to come I wonder what my flashbulb memory of this upcoming World Cup will be. Maybe Rooney's extra time scorcher against Spain on July 11th? We can all dream...

Thursday 3rd June 2010

2010-06-03T11:29:00.006+01:00

Last night I thought I might as well broaden my horizons by accompanying two friends who were off to see Sex and the City 2 and I must say I can see why not many blokes would choose to see it.
I confess that I enjoyed parts of it, there were a few laughs here and there, but all this obsession with clothes and jewellery obviously wasn't my cup of tea. The characters were also a bit too categorised for my liking; there's Charlotte - the dappy one, Miranda - the clever one and of course, Samantha - the crude and sex obsessed one. Does every clique of ladies have their token personalities like this?
However, I can understand why Sex and the City is so immensely popular with the opposite sex. It has emancipated women, given them a voice and let them talk about things that would have previously been taboo subjects. It is quite fitting that the four girls go to Abu Dhabi, where their counterparts are suppressed, though I'm not quite sure how realistic one scene is towards the end when they are rescued from an angry mob by a group of Muslim women to find their new friends are all wearing the "Spring collection" underneath the veil.
There were far too many shots of bulges for my liking, but as I'm not exactly the target audience I shouldn't be too surprised. Any girl who enjoys Sex and the City can't really complain about their boyfriend or husband reading Nuts magazine or going to watch a film to lust over Megan Fox, as I suppose this is their equivalent.
From what I understand this film hasn't been very warmly received. When we left the cinema both Jenny and Hayley claimed it wasn't as good as it's prequel and I have other friends who were critical of this one, describing it as "awful" and atrocious", but this my first Sex and the City experience, so I can't compare it to anything else.
I now feel shamefully unmasculine so am off to watch my History of the FIFA World Cup DVD!

Tuesday 1st June 2010

2010-06-01T13:52:00.006+01:00

As I write this, news is slowly filtering through about the seven unlucky England players who will not be heading out to South Africa for this month's World Cup. An official announcement is not expected to be made for another hour or so yet, but sources tell us that Leighton Baines, Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Michael Dawson, Theo Walcott, Darren Bent and Adam Johnson will all be heading home from the Austrian training camp, whilst the rest fly off to South Africa. The only surprise there is Theo Walcott, who was a shock inclusion when Sven Goran-Eriksson named his World Cup aquad four years ago.
So now we know 23 men who a nation pins their hopes on are, can they write themselves in the history books? Here's how I rate each area out of 10.

Goalkeepers - Robert Green, Joe Hart, David James.
6/10

With just 11 days to go until England's first game against the USA we're still not completely sure who will line up between the sticks. Joe Hart has impressed me the most, having had a great season at Birmingham and he has done well in the two recent friendly games against Mexico and Japan. Robert Green perhaps would've been expected to take the number one jersey this time last year, but he hasn't had the best of seasons with West Ham and he didn't do himself any favours by becoming the first ever England keeper to get sent off against Ukraine last October. David James is just unpredictable. What is worrying is that none of these three men can be described as world class; Italy have Buffon and Spain have Casillas, so this is an area we're definitely lacking in compared to other contenders.

Defenders - Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, Stephen Warnock, Matthew Upson.
7/10

In Ferdinand, Terry and Cole England have three quarters of a defence who have played together regularly on the international stage for the best part of six years and Glen Johnson at right back mades us look pretty solid at the back. Ledley King and Jamie Carragher should be more than capable understudies at centre back, but I'm concerned about the lack of cover for Ashley Cole at left back, with Stephen Warnock having just one England cap to his name.

Midfielders - Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, James Milner.
9/10

Providing Gareth Barry can get match fitness in time, England have one of the strongest midfields in the tournament. Lampard and Gerrard both have a great deal of experience at international level and with Lennon, Milner, Wright-Phillips and Cole all in the squad there are plenty of options on the wings. Michael Carrick did well in 2006, catching the eye of Manchester United, who went on to sign him for £16 million, but I can't help but wonder if he is past his best, as he hasn't even been considered a regular starter for his club recently.

Strikers - Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Emile Heskey.
8/10

As I'm sure you've read everywhere else, Rooney is crucial to any success this summer and looking at his form over the last year he has to be considered as one of the top 5 players in the world at the moment. But who to play alongside him? I think with his excellent record in an England shirt (21 goals in 38 games) Peter Crouch should start, but as is the case in goal, that spot besides Rooney is perhaps one of the areas we are lacking true world class quality. Nevertheless, having scored more goals in qualifying than any other nation England should be sufficent here.

The coach - Fabio Capello.
9/10

The Italian has done a phenomonal job since taking over from Steve McClaren over two years ago, picking up the players when they were at their lowest ebb after failing to qualify for Euro 2008. Capello has instilled discipline into the whole squad and he is not afraid to change tactics when things aren't going right. We're all hoping he can add a World Cup to is already impressive resume this summer.

That gives England an overall score of 39 out of 50 and whilst I haven't looked at other squads in as much depth I think it would be fair to say that only Brazil and Spain would score in their 40s. I'll stand by the prediction I made at the beginning of the year that England will reach the semi finals before losing on penalties to Brazil and talking of the dreaded P word I really hope that Fabio has had the team practicing from the spot. If our first choice taker can miss two in a row (Lampard's miss against Japan on Sunday follows on from his miss in the FA Cup final) then I'm not sure what that says about the rest of the squad. Please no more penalty heartbreak!

Sunday 30th May 2010

2010-05-30T16:02:00.004+01:00

The new government is less than three weeks old, but has already been hit by scandal after David Laws was last night forced to step down as Chief Secretray to the Treasury last night over expenses. It emerged that the prominent Liberal Democrat had used £40,000 to tax payer's money to pay rent to his male long term partner, having previously kept this relationship secret from the public.
The whole episode has undeniably weakened the position of the coalition and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg; Laws was part of the negotiating team which came to an agreement over power sharing in the wake of the inconclusive result of the general election earlier this month and one of his first jobs as a Cabinet minister was to present the £6 billion spending cuts to us earlier this week. But the real tragedy here is that he felt the need to fiddle his expenses to hide his sexuality. I like to think we now live in a Liberal Britain where sexual orientation is irrevelant to career prospects. I don't think anyone who matters would think any less of Laws if he had openly declared he was a homosexual. Over the last 15 years or so we have seen a rise in the number of openly gay politicians, Peter Mandelson, Ben Bradshaw and Alan Duncan to name but a few and they have all managed to get on with their jobs without any prejudice being held against them. I was only made aware a couple of weeks ago that Bradshaw was openly gay and the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appears to be offended that Laws felt the need to hide his sexuality, yesterday asking his followers on Twitter "when is "protecting your privacy" a euphamism (sic) for feeling shameful about who you are?".
Under article eight of the Human Rights Act David Laws is entitled to privacy (just putting recent NCTJ Law revision into practice), but public interest has to be taken into consideration here as he did use tax payers money to help hide his sexuality.
By resigning within hours of the scandal breaking Laws has probably done himself a favour and many, including Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, expect him to return to government in only a matter of time. David Cameron will be relieved that Laws stepped down so swiftly before he could be sent his marching orders. During last year's expenses scandal the then Leader of the Opposition talked tough about sleaze and this would have been the first opportunity as Prime Minister for him to show he wasn't all talk, no action. However, the quick reaction of Laws has made things easier for the government and sparred there perhaps being potential fraction between Cameron and his Deputy Nick Clegg. Now the seal has been broken I wonder who will be the next Cabinet minister to go; if we have constant resignations at this rate they will all be gone by the end of next year!

Wednesday 26th May 2010

2010-05-26T14:07:00.005+01:00

With just 16 days left until the big kick off I think I've caught the World Cup fever. Pubs across the country are proudly displaying the national flag, friends are inviting me to join their sweepstake and Mars have announced themselves as the Official Snack Supplier to the England team, it can only be that time again. The World Cup has become as hyped up as Christmas, except arguably its better than Christmas; we may have to wait four years for it to come along but it lasts longer!
Since the football season ended for my team nearly three weeks ago I've been suffering from football withdrawal symptoms, but luckily on June 11th that big gap in my life will be filled. The prospect of three games a day live on terristrial television is certainly enough to satisfy my appetite for the beautiful game. I look forward to seeing the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi perform on the world stage in front of an audience of billions. I highly anticipate the shock results we can inevitably expect somewhere along the way; can North Korea do the impossible and qualify from the group of death? Probably not, but surely we can expect a small nation to follow in the footsteps of Croatia in 1998 and South Korea in 2002 as the surprise package of the tournament.
As for England's chances of lifting the trophy on July 11th, I'm very pessimistic. In Fabio Capello we may have one of the best coaches in the world who will be expected to reach the semi final stage at least, but I think we're still a top quality goalkeeper and world class striker to partner Wayne Rooney up front short of having a world beating squad. Of course you never know, with good fortune smiling on us it is possible to be triumphant in South Africa and after going out on penalties in five of the last eight major tournaments we've been involved in maybe its about time we had a bit of luck on our side.

Tuesday 25th May 2010

2010-05-25T16:04:00.005+01:00

As a big fan of the satirist Chris Morris I was looking forward to seeing his debut as a film director in the new comedy Four Lions last week. However, I left the cinema feeling slightly dissatisfied.
Four Lions tackles the controversial subject of suicide bombers, following the lives of a group British born Muslim men in Sheffield intent on making a statement by killing innocent people. Sure, it doesn't sound like a comedy, but to their credit Morris and his writers, Peep Show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, give us a few laughs. Its the characters that make this film worth seeing, as the "Lions" are so hapless and their actions of pure stupidity provide the comedy element. For example, the two lead men of the group Barry and Omar are entangled in a bitter power struggle and argue endlessly over what their target should be. One confrontation over bombing a mosque ends with Barry punching himself to justify it.
Perhaps Morris got his inspiration for this film from the failed Exeter bomber, described by many as the world's worst suicide bomber. If Four Lions was based on a true story, then surely these guys would take that title.
I enjoyed parts of Four Lions, but I think my dissatisfaction came from the anti-climatic ending, which left me asking "is that really the end".
Maybe I was disappointed as Morris has previously set himself some very high standards which this time he couldn't quite live up to. For those of you not familiar his other work, Morris created Brass Eye in the 1990s, arguably the greatest piece of satirical television ever. Television presenters, musicians and politicians were stitched up by being roped in to talk about cutting edge subjects such as drugs and paedophilia, but with some blatant inaccurate facts. In one episode Morris managed to convince a whole host of public fugures, including Rolf Harris, Noel Edmonds and David Amess MP to convince youngsters not to take a made up drug called CAKE.
One particular episode caused such outrage that it received over 2000 complaints. I was expecting a similar outburst questioning moral decency over Four Lions, but the likes of the Daily Mail have been surprisingly tame this time.
Morris has defended making a comedy on such a controversial subject, comparing Four Lions to Dad's Army, by showing terrorists as "scary but also ridiculous" in the same way the popular BBC sitcom did to Nazis.
Four Lions might not have quite lived up to the great expectations I had of it, but as long as you're not easily offended its still worth seeing.

Thursday 20th May 2010

2010-05-20T12:21:00.006+01:00

The race to succeed Gordon Brown as Labour leader became a real contest this morning when well known back bencher Diane Abbott announced she would be standing.
The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, who in 1987 became the first female black politician to sit in the House of Commons, joins the Miliband brothers, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and John McDonnell in the contest. Whilst the chances of her becoming the next Labour leader are slim (Ladbrokes have put her at 25/1), Abbott is perhaps the most qualified back bencher to put herself in the frame. She already has a recognisable public profile, sitting alongside Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo every Thursday night to analyse contempory political stories on This Week, and as the probable only female candidate she is best placed to win the vote of her fellow women MPs and grassroot members.
The six contenders now have a week to gather the backing of 33 Labour MPs, before the campaig officially begins. With the likes of Alan Johnson, Harriett Harman and Jon Cruddas ruling themselves out of the contest, it looks as though we now have our final list of who will stand.
This is the first proper Labour leadership contest since Tony Blair saw off John Prescott and Margaret Beckett 16 years ago, so it is a real opportunity to positively debate the best way of taking the party forward after the general election defeat earlier this month. Having Diane Abbott as one of candidates means more sections of the party are represented and if she shines in the campaign but ultimately falls short then perhaps a place in the Shadow Cabinet (I'm sure she could do well shadowing Theresa May as Equality Minister) may come calling.
The ballot opens on August 16th, closing on September 22nd, with the winner announced on the first day of the Autumn party conference. I will be keeping an open mind about who to vote for, Ed Miliband has my backing at the moment, but plenty of time for that to change.

Wednesday 19th May 2010

2010-05-19T12:40:00.004+01:00

It has been a very long time since I've blogged about Southampton FC and now that the season is over I thought it would be a good idea to give some player ratings out of ten.
The 2009-2010 campaign has to be judged as a good one for Saints; the club ended their 34 year wait for silverware by winning the Johnstones Paint Trophy in March and whilst most fans would have preferred promotion, all silverware is good silverware and the competition gave us all a cracking day out at Wembley.
Grabbing that last play off spot was just a bridge too far for Alan Pardew's men, but a 7th place finish is some achievement when we consider the ten point penalty and the poor start, with Saints not winning their first league game until towards the end of September.
Next season will be a different story; with the money Pardew has spent over the last year and the opportunity this time of starting on level points with the rest of the league, chairman, owner and supporters will be expecting a successful campaign culminating with a return to the Championship.

Player ratings for the season -

Kelvin Davis - 8 - Continued his great form from the previous season and deserved to be named League One goalkeeper of the year.

Bartosz Biakowski - 7 - Proved to be a competent understudy for Davis and was the penalty shoot out hero in December's JPT win over Norwich.

Greame Murty - 6 - Was Saints best player in opening games, but suffered horrific injury in League Cup and never got going from there. Now released, can't help but wonder what might have been if he had stayed fit.

Lloyd James - 5 - Looked alright in midfield, but showed once again he isn't a natural right back, Pardew was right to let him go.

Jon Otsemobor - 6 - Signed in January on a short term deal, didn't do enough to be rewarded with an extended contract.

Chris Perry - 6 - Did a decent job when needed, a true professional who has served the club well over the last two years.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - A good free transfer, one of the best defenders in the air in this league.

Jose Fonte - 8 - An expensive purchase in January, but has really plugged the hole in defence since coming in and may prove to be worth the money.

Danny Seaborne - 6 - Another January signing, initially struggled but now starting to look more comfortable.

Aaron Martin - 7 - Only started last two games of the season, but has really made an impact and could be a bright star for the future.

Dan Harding - 8 - First signing of the new era, a real bargain as a free transfer and has been solid at left back.

Joseph Mills - 6 - Done well when needed, but usually Harding's understudy.

Michail Antonio - 7 - Showed great potential, a lively impact sub that would be welcome by fans if signed permanently.

Jason Puncheon - 7 - A good January signing who will surely be an important player next season.

Papa Waigo N'diaye - 6 - Came here with big expectations, didn't quite live up to them, but scored the crucial goals which took Saints to Wembley.

Paul Wotton - 5 - Gave one of the worst performances I have ever seen in August's 1-0 defeat at Swindon, has improved since, becoming an ironic "football genius" with the fans.

Simon Gillett - 5 - Couldn't build on his decent showing last season and was often overlooked by Pardew.

Dean Hammond - 8 - Very consistent in midfield, good box-to-box, strong in the air and the right choice as captain.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Most improved player this season, just needs to sort out his discipline.

Adam Lallana - 8 - Great contribution scoring 20 goals from midfield, showed he is one of the most skillful players in League One.

Lee Holmes - 6 - Plauged by injury all season, but did alright when given the chance.

David Connolly - 7 - Another bargain signing, superb work ethic and would have scored higher if he stayed injury free.

Lee Barnard - 7 - Signed in January, poor start to his Saints career, but his goals are now starting to win over the fans.

Rickie Lambert- 9 - SAINTS PLAYER OF THE SEASON - Has been phenomenal, a real goal machine who wins nearly every header he challenges for and is a dead ball specialist. Will be crucial to promotion hopes next season.

Saturday 15th May 2010

2010-05-15T19:41:00.004+01:00

The contest to succeed Gordon Brown as the next Labour leader heated up today when Ed Miliband announced he would stand against his older brother David. This leaves me with a bit of a dilemma over which man would be a better leader?
David has the edge over Ed when it comes to experience, having been a Member of Parliament for four more years and holding the high profile job of Foreign Secretary over the last three years. However, David is perhaps a more divisive figure in the party; described by some as a "heir to Blair", he is unlikely to win the support of Labour's affiliated trade unions, who make up a third of the electoral college which decides the party leader.
Ed is seen by many as a Brownite candidate after he rose quickly through the ministerial ranks due to a close working relationship with the former Prime Minister. However, he is also popular with grassroots Labour activists and may have been persuaded to stand against his brother by party members on twitter and websites such as Labour List.
Another man expected to stand is Gordon's loyal lieutenant Ed Balls, who will probably be the firm favorite with the unions thanks to his friendship with Unite Political Director and fellow Brownite Charlie Whelan. However, it is a well known fact that Balls was not a much loved figure in the Cabinet, so his union support may be cancelled out by the Parliamentary Labour Party vote.
Its early days yet and while at the moment Ed Miliband has my support that may change in the coming weeks. All I can predict at this stage is that the next leader of the Labour party will have either the first name Ed or the surname Miliband. Or perhaps both...

Wednesday 12th May 2010

2010-05-12T14:43:00.004+01:00

The difference in opinion between David Cameron and Nick Clegg was crystal clear when the two men clashed in the UK's first ever televised leaders' debate last month. Back then, who would have thought that they would be hosting a joint press conference in Downing Street.
As I write, the new Prime Minister and his deputy are answering questions in the Downing Street garden, a historical moment when we think that the last person to lead a coalition government was Winston Churchill.
Its all smiles today with Cameron and Clegg looking at ease with each other, however I can't help but wonder how their relationship will change over the coming months. Will they govern together for a whole five years?
Last night I felt I was watching history in the making on television as I saw Gordon Brown honourably stand outside number 10 as Prime Minister for the last time, before David Cameron stood in the same spot about an hour later as our country's new leader. It was a remarkable moment in the modern history of Britain and Gordon's farewell speech was pitched perfectly, striking an emotional chord and even making non Labourites shed a few tears.
For the first time in 13 years Labour have not formed the government, but the mood among party activists appears to be optimistic for the future. Last week's election defeat was by no means a trouncing and after Gordon's resignation we can now look forward to a hotly contested leadership contest. David Miliband is the odds on favorite and will be boosted by this morning's news that Alan Johnson will back him, but I am not going to commit to anyone yet. Ed Balls is expected to be his main challenger and I will assess the strengths and weaknesses of all candidates before making an informed decision on who I want to lead Labour into the next general election.

Tuesday 11th May 2010

2010-05-11T12:34:00.003+01:00

For anyone who actually reads this blog, you must think waiting for updates is like waiting for a bus. You wait for months for an update and now two in two days.

Poor Gordon Brown, can he do anything right? The right wing press (I refer collectively to the Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph) just don't seem to be satisfied with anything he does. They've been calling for Gordon Brown to resign all weekend and when he honourably did the right thing last night the Mail called it "A SQUALID DAY FOR DEMOCRACY" and the Express "THIS SHABBY STITCH-UP". Maybe these editors are just bitter that their shamefully biased election coverage failed to put Cameron in number ten with an overall majority and instead of turning on the Tory leader they look for another scapegoat, one who has had to bear the brunt of plenty of abuse over the last couple of years.
Whether Gordon's resignation paves the way for a Labour/Lib Dem coalition remains to be seen, but I'm glad he did the right thing and hasn't succumbed to hubris syndrome, which his predecessor Tony Blair arguably suffered from.
On the subject of coalitions, I can't help but feel a Lab/Lib coalition will only damage the Labour party in the long term. The best option is to stay in opposition and then pick up the pieces when the Conservatives and/or Liberal Democrats become increasingly unpopular after making savage spending cuts. Plus, to secure an overall majority, Labour would not only have to rely on the support of the Lib Dems, but also the Scottish, Irish and Welsh parties which have a small number of seats in the House of Commons, making the process all the more complicated.
The political situation at this present time feels uncertain, but after the Tories accepted last night that there needs to a referendum on electoral reform I can see a deal being done within the next 24 hours.

Monday 10th May 2010

2010-05-10T17:56:00.004+01:00

I may have neglected this site in the last three months, but the exciting events of the last few days have been enough to get me out of blogosphere hibernation.

In the last hour it has been announced that Gordon Brown will resign as leader of the Labour party. As a recently paid up member of the party I can only see this as being a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Gordon. He has capably managed the economic crisis over the last couple of years and his financial knowledge and experience have ensured the grim situation hasn't been much worse. But after a clear defeat in last week's general election(though once again, it could have been much worse), to carry on as Prime Minister would not be right. As for standing down as Labour leader, I would be happy for him to stay on temporary to ensure some stability, but he has to step aside if we are to herald in a new era dubbed "Next Labour".

There are a number of individuals, such as the Miliband brothers and Douglas Alexander, who I have faith in to pick the party up from last week's defeat and for this to happen Gordon had to honourably stand down. Alan Johnson is another contender, but after his decision to sack chief drug advisor David Nutt last year I question his judgement and what he may do if a member of the Cabinet strongly disagrees with him. Harriet Harman is also an option, but after watching her recent performances as a stand in Prime Minister's Questions I'm not sure she has it in her and Ed Balls may be seen as too Brownite.

Of course its very early days yet, but if either Miliband brother stands in the contest they will most probably get my approval. If both David and Ed decide to stand against each other, however, then that is a much tougher choice...

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

2010-02-23T19:07:00.003Z

Regular readers of this blog (I've been assured there are one or two of you somewhere) will have noticed the distinct lack of activity on here over the last month or so.
Well, I regret to inform you all that I'm going to have to put the blog posts on here on hold at least for the next few months whilst I complete the final stages of my university degree.
In the last few weeks there has been plenty for me to blog about, including the political scene leading up to this year's general election and Southampton's dramatic season, but for now I've decided to concentrate my efforts on the student newspaper, The Solent Speaker. Along with trying desperately to knock together articles on a weekly basis for the Speaker there is also the small matter of the dissertation to complete, as well as bringing my shorthand up to speed, gaining further NCTJs and doing some more work experience to boost the CV before I go job hunting.
But for those of you who will miss my blogging (anyone? no?), don't worry, as I will still be writing a regular blog for www.solentspeaker.co.uk titled The Week At Westminster. On that note, I'll fit in one more plug. Don't forget all you Solent students can pick up your FREE copy of Solent Speaker from campus every Friday, to catch up on what's been going on at uni and in Southampton, courtesy of myself and some very talented Journalism students.
So, for samdolton.co.uk, its goodbye for now, but hopefully not farewell...

Monday 18th January 2010

2010-01-18T20:14:00.004Z

It is not very often that I read something on the Internet which angers and frustrates me, but just learning that Southampton fans have been initially allocated a mere 800 tickets for the trip to Exeter next month has really put a dampener on my evening.
Saints may be given more tickets, but the FA have to review "incidents" from when Exeter hosted Leeds on Saturday. I'm not sure what these "incidents" were, but I can predict that only allowing 800 Southampton fans into the away end at St James Park will be more trouble than its worth.
Southampton have averaged a lot more than 800 away fans at League One games this season and no doubt many will be planning to make the journey to Devon, which is one of the more closer and easier away days to get to in the league this season. I myself was hoping to stay with a friend in Exeter and go to the game on February 6th as part of an enjoyable weekend away. But these plans will be thrown into doubt if I can't get a ticket for the match.
There is an alternative. I know some Southampton fans have already bought tickets for the home end (away fans have to apply in writing for tickets and will probably not find out if their application has been successful until a few days before the game)and this is will only lead to trouble. I for one get very expressive and passionate when watching Saints play and would struggle to contain my emotions for a full 90 minutes, even in the presence of opposition supporters. I'm sure that many of my fellow Southampton fans are the same and I don't think Exeter fans will take too kindly to having opposition fans express themselves in their part of the ground.
I hope the FA will see sense by realising that Southampton need to be given as big an allocation as possible. The away stands at St James Park can hold up to 1,500 fans, with an open terrace open to 1,200 and 300 seats available in The Grandstand, according to the Football Grounds Guide. So there could be space for up to 700 at St James Park on Saturday 6th February that would easily be filled by away supporters.
I understand the police, stewards and other ground staff may find it hard to accomodate a large away following, but when I went to watch Saints play at Leyton Orient in October I noticed that many of the stewards inside Brisbane Road were from Southampton Football Club and I'm sure a similar arrangement could be sorted out between Southampton and Exeter for this occasion.
Saints fans should not be punished for the actions of a few irresponsible Leeds United and this limited allocation could really put a spanner in the works for a good weekend away for myself. Its all up to the FA to ensure fairness for both clubs and their sets of fans.

Sunday 17th January 2010

2010-01-17T16:56:00.005Z

Southampton's trip to Millwall livened up in second half stoppage time as the two League One play off hopefuls shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw yesterday.
Saints looked to have taken all three points after a deflected Rickie Lambert free kick crept into the net in front of the 2,000 travelling fans and with the game almost over, prompting wild celebrations in the North Stand of the New Den. But just seconds later the home side rained on Southampton's parade by immediately equalising with virtually the last kick of the game through Liam Trotter.
A match that looked to be goaless suddenly sparked into life in time added on, but Southampton should be happy to take a point as they were by far the second best team for large periods of the game. Millwall should have taken the lead in the first half, but a wonderful Kelvin Davis double save to deny Alan Dunne then Lewis Grabban's follow up shot kept the scores level going into half time.
Saints improved after the break, their best chance coming after Michail Antonio's low cross was met by Adam Lallana in the penalty box, but Millwall keeper David Forde bravely blocked the close range effort.
The late goals don't reflect the story of the game, which wasn't the most interesting and excitment in the New Den largely came from the cracking atmosphere provided by both the home and and away supporters. Saints fans left London last night dissapointed that their team couldn't hold on to the lead after scoring what looked to be the late winner, but at the same time we all knew our lads had not played well enongh to deserve all three points.

Saints player ratings -

Kelvin Davis - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Made that great first half double save plus another good second save to ensure his side didn't lose this one.

Jon Ostemobor - 6 - A threat going forward in his first game for Saints, however he needs to be quicker at tracking back.

Dan Seaborne - 5 - Looked out of his depth and was forced to make a few panicked clearances.

Jose Fonte - 8 - The best of Southampton's three debutants in defence, seems to be a class act at this level.

Dan Harding - 6 - Didn't have a good first half and was given a hard time by the home fans, but improved in the second half.

Lloyd James - 6 - Did well in build up play, but at times he failed to read the game with some wayward passes.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Was getting stuck in and was perhaps Saint's best player before injury forced him off before half time.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Didn't offer enough going forward when his midfield partner Hammond was subbed.

Lee Holmes - 6 - Looked rusty at first, but gradually eased himself into the game with some good runs and crosses.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Should have buried his second half chance from close range, but apart from that he didn't do much wrong.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Wasn't given much service at all, but reminded us all that he poses such a goal threat from set pieces.

Subs -

Paul Wotton (on for Hammond) - 6 - Was like bringing on another defender, as he was solid but gave nothing to attack at all.

Michail Antonio (on for James) - 7 - Proved once again that he is a very effective impact sub by opening up Milwall's defence with some promising runs and a decent long range effort when brought on.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Lallana) - 6 - Didn't have time to do much so should have been used a bit earlier.

Saints are still twelve points off that play off spot that most fans are hoping they finish in at the end of the season, but for now attention turns away from the league and towards other endevours. Wednesday's trip to MK Dons in the Southern Final first leg of the Johnstones Paint Trophy could put them halfway to Wembley, then on Saturday Pardew's men will look to continue their good FA Cup run when they host Ipswich in the fourth round of the of the world's oldest competition.

Friday 15th January 2010

2010-01-15T14:08:00.003Z

Happy Friday everyone, apologies for my week long absence from the blogosphere, it has been a busy week with exams, but I hope to be able to continue this blog in between dissertation work and everything else.

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war has gathered momentum this week, with Tony Blair's former Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell facing a grilling earlier this week. The investigation was also brought up in Parliament this past week when during Prime Minister's Questions Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg urged Gordon Brown to appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry Committee before this year's general election.
Both Alastair Campbell and Gordon Brown played a significant part in the 2003 invasion, but more than anything, everyone is waiting for Tony Blair to return to the public spotlight in the next few weeks to tackle some tricky questions over his role.
Thinking about how unpopular Tony Blair is in Britain today was got me wondering how it all went so wrong for the former Prime Minister? Historian Dominic Sandbrook writes a regular piece in the New Statesman titled "What If..." where he speculates what would have happened if things in British politics had taken a different path. I can't help but think would have happened if Tony Blair had distanced himself from American foreign policy in those critical days after 9/11 and managed to avoid sending our troops to Iraq. Would Blair still be Prime Minister today?
Let us not forget that at one time Mr Blair was the most popular Prime Minister in the history of British politics. In September 1997, just four months after being elected by a landslide, he captured the mood of the nation when Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car crach with his "People's Princess" speech. After this, Blair had an approval rating with the British public of over 90%, but from here on it was only going to go downhill.
We saw a glimpse of what was to come a few months later when "the Bernie Ecclestone affair" hit the headlines in November 1997. Despite private fears this scandal would signal the end of his career, Blair came through relatively unscathed by claiming he was a "pretty straight kind of guy". In hindsight we can see the irony.
The Ecclestone affair was the first scandal to rock the Blair governments, preceeding the cash for honours scandal, but it is the Iraq war which most of all has put a permanent stain on his reputation.
In January 2003, just months before Britain went to war, Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland wrote an article titled "A leader who has left behind his people". He concluded:
"How will historians look back at this solo stance by Tony Blair? that depends on the outcome of the coming war. But they will either say this was his defining act of great statesmanship - or the decision that ultimately led to his downfall."
Unless he can pull off a miracle in front of the Chilcot Committee, his actions will almost certainly be judged as the latter.

Friday 8th January 2010

2010-01-08T11:40:00.006Z

So after all the exciting developments of Wednesday, Gordon Brown remains Prime Minister and now looks certain to lead his party into the general election. As for the conspritors of the potential leadership contest which turned out to be "storm in a tea cup", Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt's reputation have both been tarnished and their judgement questioned by the majority of Labour party members.
And rightly so. To hold a leadership contest just months before the general election would not have improved Labour's chances of holding onto power one bit. Even if Gordon Brown had won the contest, his authority would have been seriously undermimed. You only have to look back to 1995, when Conservative Prime Minister at the time John Major resigned as leader of his party. He was comfortably returned to the post, but this did not help him avoid a thrashing at the general election two years later.
Labour supporters will be pleased that the majority of MPs, particularly Cabinet members, have a bit more common sense than Hoon and Hewitt and put party unity first. Nevertheless, this whole episode has been damaging to the government and has given the Conservatives some ammunition, with David Cameron seizing the opportunity to point out the deep divides within the party.
Brown may have survived this time, but as was the case with John Major in 1997, it might be certain members of his party who contribute heavily to his downfall. I see Hoon and Hewitt's actions in football terms as booing and jeering the captain of the team as he leads them into a World Cup final. A fitting analogy this year, I think.
Election fever is starting to sweep the nation already, with the Tories launching their pre-election campaign earlier this week. I have seen David Cameron's apparently airbrushed mug appear on posters all over Southampton. Ending today's post on a lighter note, I thought I would link to some spoof poster which can be viewed here. Always importantto keep just a bit of humour in politics!

Wednesday 6th January 2010

2010-01-06T12:42:00.008Z

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I have just got back from running a few errands in town to find Twitter going mad with the breaking news that ex-ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt plan to call a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership.
Now currently listening to Radio 5 Live, I forgot how exciting the breaking of a political story is and there was me thinking today's news agenda would be dominated by the weather!
The former Cabinet ministers have sent a letter round to all Labour MPs, but is this really the right time?
Gordon Brown has just finished his first Prime Ministers Question time of 2010, the biggest year for politics in recent times. From what I have just read, he performed well today and will have been boosted by the news that business secretary Peter Mandelson has finally come out and publicly supported him, but this latest development will come as a huge kick in the teeth.
At first glance, it seems that Hoon and Patricia are both bitter at being left in the cold in recent times and want to claim the glory of removing Brown from office. However, this could all work out in the Prime Minister's favour. If he comes through the leadership ballot unscathed then his reputation will improve, his leadership ability will no longer be questioned and he can strongly lead Labour into the general election.
At the moment though, to me it just looks like a petty display of selfishness from Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, who haven't taken into account the damage their actions will cause to the Labour party in general. And no suprises, Gordon Brown's fiercest critic in his party Charles Clarke has backed their calls.
Listening to the radio now, Labour members are calling in and seem to be dismayed at this breaking news story. One loyal Labour voter has just claimed that Hoon and Hewitt have now handed the election "on a plate" to the Conservatives.
We shall have to wait to see if this all gathers momentum over the next few hours and days, but I'm hoping the Labour party can unite with Gordon Brown leading them into the election, which will definitely be held in the next five months, so surely its too late now for all this doubt.

Monday 4th January 2010

2010-01-04T12:09:00.005Z

Happy new year to all and welcome to 2010. This year is hugely significant for politics, as in a few months time we go to the polls to decide who runs the country in perhaps the most important general election since 1997. Whether its held in March or the more likely date of May 6th, one thing is for sure that there there is a long campaign ahead for all involved.
Kicking off the election year, Tory leader David Cameron this morning identified the NHS has his number one priority and I'm sure Labour will have something to say about this. Expect this to be the general pattern until the election is called; one party announces their plans, other parties fiercely attack it. However, the NHS is one of the minor issues, as I expect this election to be focued around the budget deficit and the future of Britain's economy.
I have have thought of ten questions that won't be answered until the results of the general election are clear-

1. Will we have Labour or the Conservatives controlling the country?
2. Will a single party achieve an overall majority in the House of Commons?
3. Will the Liberal Deomcrats improve on their 2005 performance?
4. In the event of a hung parliament, who will the Liberal Democrats side with?
5. Will last year's expenses scandal see a rise or fall in voter turnout?
6. How many high profile MPs will lose their seats as a result of being implicated in the expenses scandal?
7. How will the smaller parties, particularly the British National Party, fare?
8. How will the first ever televised leaders debate effect the outcome of the election?
9. Will we see any Independent MPs elected?
10. How effective will the Sun newspaper be in supporting the Conservatives?

Of course, I do not know the answers do any of these questions, but one thing I will confidently predict is that this will be the closest fought election since the Conservatives narrowly triumphed over Labour in 1992.
More to come on my views concerning the 2010 general election throughout the year.

Tuesday 29th December 2009

2009-12-29T12:35:00.004Z

With 2010 just days away, I thought I would get my crystal ball out and gaze into the future. Here are my predictions for the next year, just a bit of fun...

Politics
Gordon Brown calls a general election to be held on the first Thursday of May, which the Conservatives win with 327 seats, an overall majority, but only just enough to form a government. This election is significant as it sees the most new MPs enter the House of Commons in its a history, a repurcussion of the 2009 expenses scandal which infuriated voters. Also as a result of the scandal, a number of Independent MPs are elected to the house.
After defeat, Gordon Brown stands aside as leader of the Labour party and endorses Ed Balls as his successor. However, with the support of Alan Johnson, Jack Straw and Peter Mandelson, it is David Miliband who is chosen as leader of the opposition.
The Liberal Democrats gain a few seats, but this is not enough to save Nick Clegg and he is forced to stand down as leader and replaced by Vince Cable.
Cameron's government prove to be popular until the end of the year, when Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announces savage public spending cuts while offering generous tax breaks for the wealthy in his Pre-Budget report. As a result, the Tories opinion poll rating slides dramatically and David Cameron has no choice but to axe his ally Osborne in favour of the more experienced Ken Clarke.

World Cup in South Africa
England ease through the early stages of the tournament with wins in all three of their group games against USA, Algeria and Slovenia. However, Fabio Capello's men struggle in their second round match with Ghana, eventually progressing thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal in extra time. In the quarter finals, England produce their best performance to beat France and set up a semi final showdown with Brazil. Once again though, its penalty heart ache, as the Brzilians win on spot kicks then go on to beat Spain in the final to be crowned world champions for the sixth time. However, England can go home with their heads held high and Wayne Rooney is identified as one of the tournament's best players.

I wonder just how right I shall be. 2010 is going to be an interesting year for sure.

Wednesday 23rd December 2009

2009-12-23T15:37:00.002Z

Keeping up with some of my university friends, I thought I would publish one of my recent essays on the blog. This one is entitled Critically examine the representation of politics in the press since 1979 and its impact on political culture. Merry Christmas to all.

1979 was a hugely significant year in British politics, as Margaret Thatcher’s Conservatives began an 18 year reign in power and changed the political landscape of the UK forever with the birth of Thatcherism. According to Andrew Marr in A History of Modern Britain (pages 381-382) “Thatcherism heralded an age of unparalleled consumption, credit, show-off wealth, quick bucks and sexual libertinism.”
But what effect did the political press have on Thatcher’s government and the governments of her successors John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown?

The most apparent observation looking at the UK Press since 1979 is that it became more partisan and right wing. For example, the Sun, under it’s previous name the Daily Herald, had supported Labour during general elections, but in the four general elections between 1979 and 1992 it came out in full support for the Conservatives.

“After 1979 Conservative papers dominated at all three market levels. Not only did they have the support of the downmarket leader, the Sun, but they dominated even more strongly in the upmarket and midmarket. This meant that pro-Conservative papers day after day (as well as during elections) were leading the news agenda for the press, and inevitably, to at least some extent, for television and radio as well.”

- Newspaper Power: The New National Press in Britain, Jeremy Tunstall

Perhaps the obvious explanation for the sudden right wing press was the emergence of proprietor Rupert Murdoch, who by 1981 had acquired both the Sun and The Times. The Sun replaced the Labour supporting Daily Herald in 1964 and by 1979 Murdoch’s tabloid had displaced the Daily Mirror as the circulation leader. As well as the support from the Sun, the Conservatives could also rely on the backing of midmarket papers the Daily Express and Daily Mail, along with the upmarket titles the Daily Telegraph and Murdoch’s Times for all four general elections up to 1992. In contrast, Labour only had the support of one tabloid and one broadsheet during this period, the always loyal Daily Mirror and Guardian respectively.

However, during the miner’s strike of 1984 the Guardian and Daily Mirror joined the right wing press in becoming hostile towards the miners and supporting the government. This is a true testament as to how right wing the press had become in the 1980s, as the only support the miners had was from the small far left publication the Morning Star.

Margaret Thatcher could rely on the right wing press, particularly the newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch, to support her government throughout her premiership, according to Andrew Marr:

“... papers like the Sun and the Sunday Times proved far more effective public advocates of her (Thatcher’s) revolution than most Tory politicians. She in turn courted them and used them against nay-sayers and ‘wets’ in her own government.”

- My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism, page 186, Andrew Marr

This suggests Margaret Thatcher could use the press as a tool to persuade the public to keep her in power and Murdoch’s publications were even more effective than individuals in her own party in doing this. In fact, it appears Thatcher had such a grasp on the press that she could use it to discredit ‘wets’ in her own government, a term used by Thatcher to describe those who supported the ‘one nation’ consensual approach to politics often associated with Benjamin Disraeli (definition of a ‘wet’ from Dictionary of British Politics, page 296, by Billy Jones).

So the alignment of a right wing press from 1979 was largely down to the political beliefs of the most powerful proprietor (in terms of newspaper circulation) Rupert Murdoch.

“According to Neil (Andrew, editor of the Sunday Times from 1983 to 1994), ‘Rupert expects his papers to stand broadly for what he believes: a combination of right-wing republicanism from America mixed with undiluted Thatcherism from Britain’.”

- Power Without Responsibility, pages 70-71, James Curran and Jean Seaton

This goes a long way towards explaining the sudden right wing shift in the UK press in the initial period from 1979.

The relationship between the government and the press during the Thatcher era had its benefits for both parties involved, according to Raymond Kuhn:

“Prime Minister Thatcher, for instance, benefited from the adulatory support of an overwhelming majority of national newspapers during the 1980s. Not surprisingly, the government calculated that a system based largely on the rights of newspaper proprietors to run their newspapers as they saw fit was perfectly consonant with the Conservative’s electoral self-interests.”

- Politics and the media in Britain, page 33, Raymond Kuhn

So in return of remaining loyal to Thatcher the right wing press were largely rewarded by being exempt from reform and censorship. This was a very convenient relationship for both sides; the government could expect not to be criticised and held to account, whilst proprietors had much freedom from regulation and state intervention.

But as Britain moved into a new decade the political press alignment began to change. Margaret Thatcher was forced out of office by her own party in November 1990 and her successor John Major could not expect as much support from the press. Murdoch’s newspapers, the Sun and The Times, along with the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Daily Express, continued to support the Conservatives during the 1992 general election, but by the mid 1990s the press gradually became less supportive of the government and far more critical.

The turning point was perhaps ‘Black Wednesday’, September 16th 1992, when Britain was forced to withdraw the pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. This embarrassing episode of devalued currency was met by heavy criticism from newspapers who had up until now been very loyal to the Conservative governments since 1979, with the Sun leading the backlash against the government the morning after Black Wednesday with the headline “NOW WE’VE ALL BEEN SCREWED BY THE GOVERNMENT”, a sharp contrast from the unquestioned support it gave the Conservatives during the election campaign just five months previously.

But the worst was still yet to come for John Major and his government when the press exposed the sleaze of established political figures in the Conservative party.

“In November 1993 Major circulated a memo inviting ministers to come up with ideas around the theme of ‘back to basics’, which was the focus of his Conservative Party conference speech. Interpreted by some right-wingers and journalists as a campaign for a return to family values and traditional sexual morality, it backfired badly. Between October 1993 and February 1994 eight MPs, some of them ministers, were exposed by the tabloids as currently having or having had illicit sexual affairs.”

- Dictionary of British Politics, page 258, Bill Jones

It was the tabloid press which brought these affairs to the attention of the public. However, the most extreme example of sleaze was exposed in late 1994 when The Guardian revealed that Conservative MP Neil Hamilton had received payment from wealthy business Mohamed Al-Fayed in return for asking questions in the House of Commons about Mr Al-Fayed’s rejected passport application. Although it was the consistently left wing Guardian newspaper that exposed the cash-for-questions scandal, this period in the political press showed that newspapers were once again the ‘fourth estate’ which held the powers that be to account and this was something that had been somewhat missing from the press during the Thatcher years.

By 1997, it would be fair to say that the political press could no longer be characterized by being pro-Conservative, after circulation leader the Sun ditched the Conservatives and began to support Tony Blair’s New Labour just weeks before the general election of that year. When the Sun switched its allegiance in March 1997, the Conservatives were hugely unpopular in the opinion polls (thanks largely to the economic repercussions of Black Wednesday and the sleaze stories all over the tabloid press), so this suggests that representation of politics in the UK press, particularly in the Sun is formed by public opinion.

Examples of the Sun following the mood of its readers can be found more recently too. In September 2009, with Gordon Brown’s Labour government 11 points behind the Conservatives in the latest opinion poll, the Sun claimed “Labour’s lost it” and made the “historic announcement” that after 12 years they will no longer be supporting Labour. Whereas rival tabloid paper the Mirror has always stuck by the Labour party, the Sun appears to float between Labour and the Conservatives, depending on who is more popular with the public and therefore more likely to win the next general election.

The Daily Mail and Murdoch’s other title The Times also dropped the Conservatives in favour of Tony Blair and Labour, so the pro-Conservative press of the 1980s which had played a key role in helping Margaret Thatcher stay in power was now no more.

By the mid 1990s press alignment had changed completely from the previous decade. Peter Hitchins, at the time a journalist for the Daily Express, described this transformation of newspaper’s political position as “a move from a ‘Tory’ press to a ‘Tony’ press” (Packaging Politics, page 142), as the increasing unpopularity of Major’s government benefited Tony Blair, who was being backed personally by The Sun and other publications.

On 17th March, 1997, just weeks before the general election, The Sun led with ‘The Sun Backs Blair: Give Change A Chance’, suggesting that the individual Tony Blair had made his Labour party electable. This was a huge contrast from five years previously, when The Sun carried out a ‘character assassination’ of the then Labour leader in the build up to the 1992 general election, which the Conservatives won by 65 seats.

The Sun were hugely critical of Neil Kinnock in this campaign and editor Kelvin McKenzie, under the watchful eye of Rupert Murdoch, would go to extreme lengths in order to ensure the electorate didn’t vote for Kinnock as Prime Minister. For example, weeks before polling day, The Sun ran a feature on “Kinnock flee zones” (Political Communications: The General Election Campaign of 1992), advising their readers of parts of world they could go into hiding if the Labour leader became Prime Minister. And on 9th April, 1992, the day of the general election the newspaper’s front page screamed “If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights” (Political Communications: The General Election Campaign of 1992, page 144).

However, it wasn’t just the Sun who were using individuals to persuade readers who to vote for.

“Neither the Sun or the Mirror had a consistent practice of referring to a Kinnock/Major government rather than a Labour/Conservative government. But each attached the leader’s name to stories that were not in the direct sense ‘about’ him.”

- Political Communications: The General Election Campaign of 1992, page 144, Colin Seymour-Ure

The practice of referring to individuals rather than their respective parties perhaps suggest that representation of political culture in the 1990s had an added emphasis on personality. The Labour party under Kinnock in 1992 had changed by 1997 when Tony Blair faced the electorate, but the fact that it was Blair leading the Labour party and not Kinnock helped convince Rupert Murdoch that his publication should support them.

“Blair wasn’t Kinnock, whom Murdoch and his lieutenants thought wholly unequipped for the premiership… the Sun’s attitude to the Labour leader, if not to the Labour Party, noticeably mellowed.”

- Political Communications: Why Labour Won the General Election of 1997, pages 116-117, David McKie

It was no secret that Tony Blair and other key figures in the party worked hard to win the backing of Rupert Murdoch (there are number of entries in the diaries of Blair’s spin doctor Alistair Campbell, The Blair Years, in which the two meet Murdoch and his staff) and this contributed to Labour winning the 1997 general election and forming a government for the first time in 18 years.

However, Blair’s Labour government became notorious for using spin as a defence mechanism against the press. According to the Dictionary of British Politics (page 265), spin is “the process by which messages are changed or otherwise massaged by politicians, especially by specialist spin doctors.”

The government of the late 1990s and early years of the 21st century became synonymous with its excessive use of spin, with Blair’s press secretary Alastair Campbell and key cabinet minister Peter Mandelson in particular implicated as making New Labour the party of spin, but Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary Bernard Ingham had previously used this concept in British politics.

“Ingham pressed on her (Thatcher) his own carefully edited highlights and lowlights of the morning’s papers. As like as not, this would include the consistently supportive tabloid the Sun, which was vital for the almost sexual stimulation of the new C2D2 aspirant middle-classes that were to keep her in power for more than a decade…”

- The Death of Spin, page 16, George Pitcher

New Labour, above all Alastair Campbell, were quick to embrace this idea of spin by taking control of and dominating the news agenda to portray the government in the most favourable light possible.

“The government information machine which Campbell controls is by far the most powerful and coherent in British peacetime history. The attention to detail is awesome. No stone is ever left unturned so that the government can get the message it wants to the British voting public.”

- Alastair Campbell: New Labour and the Rise of the Media Class, pages 1-2, Peter Osborne

The government’s concentration on the flow of information is an important part of political culture and was to the dismay of the press, whose job was made harder by the state paying every bit of attention to how news was released. But to the delight of many, New Labour’s use of spin backfired in September 2001 and in July 2002 Blair was forced to admit to the chairs of parliamentary select committees that his government “had been too obsessed with spin” (Dictionary of British Politics, page 265)

Press awareness that spin had been overused was triggered by the events on 11th September, 2001 when terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in New York and Washington DC. On this day, government spin doctor Jo Moore sent an email around the Department of Trade and Industry that it would be a good day to bury any bad news, as it would be overshadowed by the tragic events in America on the day’s news agenda. This email was leaked to the press and met with “concern at such a cynical and opportunistic attempt to manage the news” (Packaging Politics, page 3, Bob Franklin).

Bob Franklin claims that this was when it became clear that the government had become so conscious of how they were perceived in the press that they had to dominate the news agenda:

“While this incident attracted widespread media attention and understandable public opprobrium, the significant revelation of this story of this story was not the moral misjudgement or culpability of an individual government spin doctor, but the extent to which politicians’ determination to set the news agenda, to use media to inform, shape and manage public discourse about policy and politics, have become crucial components in a modern statecraft which I wish to describe as the packaging of politics.”

- Packaging Politics, page 3, Bob Franklin

This idea of “packaged politics” has become a vital component of political culture and suggests that in the UK, particularly in the period from 1997-2001, it is not the press which set the news agenda, but in fact, the government.

More recently, the emergence of online blogging may mean that the political press are now as much the story as the politics they are supposedly reporting. A fresh example includes the Sun in November 2009, when the paper lambasted Gordon Brown after he had spelt the name of a soldier killed in Afghanistan wrong when writing a letter of condolence to his mother. The Sun used this to try and discredit Brown, but other titles such as the Guardian picked up on this and were highly critical of the way they exploited the grief of a soldier’s mother to attack the Prime Minister.

Media analysts such as Guardian columnist Roy Greenslade ensure that its not just the state that are held to account, but also the political press and this added online presence has changed the landscape of political culture. Also, stories such as the one the Sun ran recently which attacked the Prime Minister’s handwrittng indicate that political culture has shifted from emphasis on party policy to less trivial matters such as spelling names correctly.

In conclusion, I think that representation of politics in the UK press since 1979 can be divided into three periods. The press of the 1980s can most definitely be characterised as right wing, but shifted to the left when Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister in November 1990. Then, the early to mid 1990s saw an increased stress by the press of the individual who was governing or potentially governing, as we saw the characteristics of John Major, Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair closely examined by the political press. This focus on character has continued into third period of political culture I have looked at, the post 1997 years, which can be summed up as an age when UK governments and political parties appear to be obsessed with the management of news.

As for political culture, it has changed drastically since 1979 and we could say that the recent Sun story on Gordon Brown’s condolence letter exemplifies the fact that the priorities of what the UK press consider to be important today is very different to what was considered important 30 years ago.

Monday 21st December 2009

2009-12-21T11:37:00.009Z

In the last of a three parter on my review of the decade, here's my picks from the last ten years of football.

Team of the decade - Manchester United
The noughties have seen Chelsea go from underachievers to one of Europe's strongest teams, thanks to Roman Abramovich's billions, but Manchester United have won six Premier League titles and a European Cup in the last ten years.
The decade started well for them with two league crowns, but they suffered a blip in the middle of the noughties with Arsenal, then Chelsea becoming the the leading teams. But credit to Sir Alex Ferguson, he rebuilt the team around upcoming stars such as Wayne Rooney and the now departed Cristiano Ronaldo whilst still managing to get the best out of veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and they've come back stronger than ever. Manchester United were the team of the 1990s and this decade hasn't been as easy for them, but they're still the team to beat. It will be interesting to see if their great rivals Manchester City can take the crown from them in the next ten years.

Player of the decade - Thierry Henry
The Frenchman's reputation has suffered in recent weeks after the 'Hand of Gaul' scandal, but even his harshest critics can't argue that he's been simply magnificent over the last ten years. Arsenal brought him to the Premier League in 1999 for £10.5 million and he went on to light up Engish football, helping the Gunners to the double in 2002 then spearheading them to the title in 2004 undefeated. His best years appeared to be behind him when he moved to Barcelona in 2007, but that hasn't stopped him helping the Catalan club to a Champions League title earlier this year. Henry is a genius with the ball at his feet and he has scored some truly remarkable goals this decade.

Game of the decade - The 2006 World Cup Final
July 9th, 2006, at the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on the biggest stage of them all. Italy take on France to determine who will be crowned world champions. Zinedine Zidane gave France the lead after seven minutes from the spot with an audacious chip that went in off the cross bar. Italy levelled on 19 minutes through Marco Materazzi.
The game would remain 1-1 going into extra time, but it was both goalscorers who would be involved in the most shocking incident I have ever witnessed in a football game. The best player of his generation, Zidane was playing in his last ever game and this could have been a sweet swansong. However, the Frenchman's last ever act in football was to headbutt Materazzi after the Italian appeared to have goaded him verbally. Zidane left the field for the last time ever after being given the red card and Italy went on to lift the famous trophy after winning 5-3 on penalties.
The World Cup Final of 2006 was football drama at its finest that could not have been written. Let's hope next year's final in South Africa is just as entertaining.

That concludes my review of the last ten years in the world of journalism, politics, entertainment and football. Anything you strongly disagree with? Let me know and we shall debate it endlessly!

Friday 18th December 2009

2009-12-18T17:56:00.003Z

Following on from my post last week, here are some of my favorites from the past decade, this time from entertainment.

UK Television programme of the decade - The Thick Of It
Fly-on-wall satire seems to have been the flavour of British comedy in the noughties and Armando Iannucci's dark political comedy just pips The Office as my favorite programme of the last ten years. Premiering on BBC4 in 2005, two series and two one off specials episodes later, The Thick Of It shows no sign of wanning and looks set to continue with an election special next year. For more information about the latest series, check out my blog entry from Monday.

US Television programme of the decade - The Sopranos
I'm not a huge fan of American TV, but after going through a phase of watching gangster movies a few years ago, I thought I would check out this popular HBO programme. I got into The Sopranos straight away and enjoyed all six seasons of the show, which ran from 1999 to 2007. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is a made member of the mafia who has difficulty juggling his two "families", with the wife,kids and mother on one side and his New Jersey crew on the other. The gripping storylines, the relationships between the many characters, the extremely dark humour and the subtle references to The Godfather films all make The Sopranos a TV programme of the highest quality.

Comedian of the decade - Jimmy Carr
I went to a live Jimmy Carr performance in 2005 and have been a huge fan of him ever since. His borderline, risky style encapsulates the British comedy scene of the last decade and a few of his jokes have got into trouble in the past, but you can't help but laugh. Sometimes I feel slightly guilty at laughing at his jokes and can see why people might get offended by them, but his deadpan tone and clever puns make him the funniest man to arrive on the scene in the last ten years.

Film of the decade - The Football Factory
A number of football hooligan films have been released in the noughties, such as Green Street, Cass, Away Days and most recently The Firm. But The Football Factory was the original football violence film to become popular and anyone who regularly attends football matches will be able to identify with the characters. Among others, there's the main character Tom Johnson, played by Danny Dyer, who sees hooliganism as a way of escaping from his medicore life, veteran Brighty and out of control youth 'Zeberdee'. The clever yet realistic dialogue, dramatic fight scenes and quality sound track put The Football Factory at the top of my list of favorite films of the decade.

Next week I will be picking who I think are the best football team and players are of the noughties, plus revealing what the game of the decade was for me.

Wednesday 16th December 2009

2009-12-16T09:24:00.011Z

Southampton progressed to the southern final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the most dramatic fashion last night after beating Norwich City on penalties at St Mary's.
Saints were just seconds from being knocked out of the competition after trailing 2-1 going into stoppage time, but a last gasp goal from Papa Waigo N'diaye took the game to penalties. Substitute Wayne Thomas converted the decisive spot kick to give his side a 6-5 penalty win and set up an area final tie against MK Dons.
The hosts started the brighter side and took a well deserved lead on 14 minutes when Papa Waigo beat City's offside trap to go one on one with the 'keeper. The Senegalese international kept his composure and slotted the ball under the advancing Fraser Foster to make it 1-0.
The opening goal seemed to spark Norwich to life and they equalised on 33 minutes through Gary Doherty from 10 yards out.
The visitors were by far the stronger team in the second half and went 2-1 up 10 minutes after the restart when Chris Martin finished from close range after the Saints defence failed to clear the danger.
Southampton looked dead and buried and became increasingly frustrated by City's questionable time wasting tactics. But in the third minute of time added on, Rickie Lambert won a crucial header in the Norwich area, allowing Papa Waigo to finish low from six yards out, taking the game straight to penalties.
It took 16 spot kicks to separate the two teams in front of a noisy Northam stand. Lloyd James and Michail Antonio both missed from 12 yards out, but Bartosz Bialkowski's three penalty saves ensured that Wayne Thomas could send Saints through to the area final and he did just that.

Saints player ratings-

Bartosz Bialkowski - 8 - Made a great first half save and proved to be the shoot out hero.

Lloyd James - 6 - Held his position well at right back this time, but missed in the shoot out.

Chris Perry - 7 - Made an important goal line clearance in the second half and led the back four well.

Neal Trotman - 6 - An improved performance after his horror show against Brighton a few weeks ago.

Dan Harding - 7 - A real threat going forward and didn't neglect his defensive duties.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Struggled to get involved, subbed at half time because of injury.

Jacob Mellis - 6 - Started brightly but faded in the second half.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Covered the width of the pitch well, particularly in supporting Harding on the left wing.

Papa Waigo N'diaye - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Scored the two all important goals and capped a good performance by converting his spot kick.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Played in a more central position than usual and looked comfortable there.

Rickie Lambert - 7 - Dominant in the air as always and stepped up confidently to score Southampton's first penalty.

Subs -

Paul Wotton (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Didn't play great after coming on for the whole of the second half, but made amends by scoring in the shoot out.

Michail Antonio (on for Mellis) - 6 - Caused problems for the Norwich defense down the right, but will be dissapointed to have missed a penalty.

Wayne Thomas (on for Perry) - 7 - Reliable at right back in the closing stages and kept a cool head to covert the winning spot kick.

After last night's drama, Saints now have three days to recover before travelling to Yorkshire to take on League One leaders Leeds United in what will be a difficult game.

Monday 14th December 2009

2009-12-14T18:34:00.005Z

The third series of The Thick Of It came to a close on Saturday and I am of the opinion that it is the greatest comedy of this decade.
I'm a big fan of The Office and The Thick Of It creator Armando Iannucci (he doesn't like his name spelt incorrectly, as we found out at the recent Comedy Awards ceremony) has taken the fly on the wall style of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's sitcom, added some fascinating characters and put them into some interesting political scenarios.
For those of you that haven't seen The Thick Of It, it's a dark political comedy set in the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship. It could be compared to the immensely popular Yes, Minister sitcom of the 1980s, but it is certainly not as family friendly.
This most recent series follows the newly appointed Secretary of State for the Department Nicola Murray (Rebecca Front), who provides the cringe worthy comedy with her exceptionally poor social skills and general lack of organisation. Her job is made all the more harder by haplessness of her civil servants and special advisors.
The real star of the show though, most will agree, is Peter Capaldi, who plays the foul mouthed Director of Communications Malcolm Tucker, one of the greatest comedy characters ever created. Anyone who has had an authoritarian Scottish boss will identify with Tucker immediately, who manages to make swearing a form of art. Some of the lines delivered by Capaldi's character are among the most witty, sharpest and cleverest we've ever heard on television.
I enjoyed this series as the situation the characters get themselves into each week get all the more ludicrous, yet we are reminded of the current New Labour government. For the first time, we get more of an insight into the character of Malcolm Tucker, who appears to have lost his job at the end of penultimate episode, but I shall say no more as I don't want ruin to the ending for anyone who hasn't yet seen it.
My favorite episode this series sees Richard Bacon interview Nicola Murray and her counterpart, the shadow minister of social affairs and citizenship Peter Mannion (Roger Allam). We watch in amusement as both politicians crash and burn on live radio. Whilst this is happening, rival spin doctors Malcolm Tucker and Stuart Pearson have a shouting match over who can release the most damaging story to the tabloid papers.
Towards the end of the series we are introduced to Malcolm's arch enemy and the PM's new fixer, Steve Fleming (David Haig). One character describes Fleming as having "obsessive repulsive disorder" and I think this sums him up perfectly.
It's great to see the characters from previous series return; Glenn and Olly (James Smith and Chris Addison) still have their competitive relationship, Terri and Robyn (Joanna Scanlan and Polly Kemp) still have time to mess things up as press officers and the overly polite Julius Nicholson (Alex MacQueen) is now a Lord, but still has the power to be a thorn in Malcolm Tucker's side. However, it was a shame there was no return for Jamie MacDonald, a younger and even angrier version of Malcolm Tucker, as he was in my view the star of the film spin off, In The Loop.
After watching the season finale on Saturday, it looks as though there will be an election special of The Thick Of It some time next year and I'm already looking forward to it.
Iannucci's programme surpasses the work of Gervais and Merchant in terms of comedy genius and that is why The Thick Of It just pips The Office as my favorite comedy of the last decade. If you want to see what all the fuss is about then catch it on BBC iplayer now, the more you watch it the better it seems to get.

Saturday 12th December 2009

2009-12-12T18:26:00.004Z

Saints overcame a resilient Tranmere Rovers to eventually run out 3-0 winners at St Marys this afternoon.
Rovers made the long journey south appearing to be playing for the draw and frustrated the home side in the first half by breaking up the flow of the game and limiting their opportunities. Whilst the visitor's failed to get many of their shots on target, Southampton's best chance of the half came on 37 minutes when Rickie Lambert's low shot was saved well by Tranmere keeper Luke Daniels.
Saints upped their game in the second half and on 51 minutes Dan Harding broke the deadlock, his powerful shot from the left of the penalty area flying into the net.
The hosts then had the chance to double their lead 12 minutes later when Tranmere defender Marlon Broomes handballed in the area. As Rickie Lambert stepped up to take the resulting penalty the home fans seemed certain there was only going to be one outcome. They were proved right, as the in form striker sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-0. Lambert then scored his second of the game on 70 minutes by scoring a beautiful free kick from 25 yards out which hit the top corner.
So at half time, it threatened to be a frustrating afternoon for Southampton, but a much improved second half performance ensured Saints made it five wins from five games.

Saints player ratings-

Bartosz Bialkowski - 6 - Didn't have much to do at all, could have had the day off.

Lloyd James - 5 - Seemed to have forgotten that he had been switched from midfield to right back, looked a liability there.

Chris Perry - 7 - Another solid performance from the veteran, strong in the air at all times.

Jadhi Jaidi - 6 - Hesitant to get stuck in, but appears to be forming a good defensive partnership with Perry.

Dan Harding - 8 - Perfect finish for his goal, made some well timed challenges late on.

Michail Antonio - 6 - Wasn't too involved in the game, but showed glimpses of his skill on the right.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Play very deep so wasn't much of an attacking threat, but protected the back four well.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Present in attack as well as defence and drove the team on as captain.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Had his moments and linked up well with Harding on the left.

David Connolly - 6 - Made some good off the ball runs but didn't take his chances in front of goal.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Dominant in the air, spot on from 12 yads out and capped a great all round performance with a lovely free kick.

Subs-

Paul Wotton (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Took over from Schneiderlin in protecting the defence.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Connolly) - 6 - Made some good runs, but was caught off side a few times as usual.

Jacob Mellis (on for Lambert) - 6 - Played his familiar role as the token late substitute.

Saints have a big week ahead as they host Norwich on Tuesday in the Johnstones Paint Trophy semi final before travelling to Leeds next Saturday in a showdown between arguably the two strongest squads in League One.

Friday 11th December 2009

2009-12-11T16:27:00.004Z

In three weeks time we shall enter 2010, a brand new decade, so I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the last ten years by picking out some of my favorites in journalism, politics, entertainment and sport from the 'noughties'.

Today I start with journalism and politics-

Politician of the decade – David Cameron
I thought I should get the most controversial category out the way first. As regular readers of my blog will know, I’m very sceptical of a Cameron led Conservative government after next year’s election, but given the state the Tory party were in ten years ago he has done well to make them electable. Since becoming leader of the opposition in 2005, I think Cameron has made genuine attempts to modernise the old fashioned, traditional party (though he could do himself a favour by breaking his alliance with George Osborne) and he has shown strong leadership, especially recently by taking a tough line on the expenses scandal. I’m sure my Labour supporting friends won’t like this, but I can’t think of any Labour politicians who have done consistently well in this decade, though I’m always open to suggestions.
Of course, as we move into the next decade, Cameron has some tough challenges ahead…

Journalist of the decade - Andrew Marr
Andrew Marr has been described as “the ideal history teacher that most people never had” and this is a true testament to his great books and television programmes. The two books I own by Marr, My Trade and A History of Modern Britain perfectly inform the reader on the ins and outs of journalism and the changing face Britain over the last 60 years respectively, using simple and understanding language. As for his television programmes, they give the viewer a colourful history of modern Britain by presenting information in a unique and interesting way. Andrew Marr has also been Political Editor of the BBC this decade and now has his own Sunday morning show. He has remained politically impartial at all times, something which other political commentators in the media should maybe take on board.

Journalism book of the decade – Piers Morgan – The Insider
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t stand Piers Morgan, as he is perhaps the most repulsive personality on television, but any budding journalist should read his diaries from his time as editor of the News of the World and the Mirror. Released in 2004, The Insider looks back on the scandalous period between 1994 and 2003, focusing on the key events of this time. The anecdotes give a brilliant insight into the murky world of tabloid journalism.

Political film of the decade – In The Loop
Afraid I’m going to have to be lazy and link to my blog entry from 24th August, read the second part of the entry. If you wish to know more about this excellent film then watch it, you won’t regret it.

Next week, my picks from the last ten years in entertainment.

Wednesday 9th December 2009

2009-12-09T10:07:00.008Z

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling delivers his pre-Budget report this afternoon and it is expected to attack bank bonuses in The City.
I'm sure most of us will be pleased with the news that these high flying bankers, who are partly responsible for the economic mess we're in, will receive a 50% tax on their bonuses. Inevitably, the bankers will kick up a fuss about having their bonuses taxed so heavily, but it is not as if they're starving. After all, this income is additional to their large salaries and it is not as if they have done such an outstanding job in the last couple of years that they deserve a huge bonus. This is why bankers now fall into that band of least respected professions, along with estate agents, politicians and journalists.
In the last year, bankers have been vilified in the press and I can't help but feel this is justified. Earlier this year, former RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin came under fire after his £650,000 a year pension was revealed to the public and "Fred the Shred" is just one of the culprits.
Banking should be like any other job, where big bonuses should be performance related and shared out only if the company concerned has been successful and with many people in the the country struggling financially this Christmas, it is absurd to think that millions of pounds will be split between a few individuals.
Darling's third pre-Budget report as Chancellor will also tackle the problem of youth unemployment and is good to see the young people without jobs are not being neglected, though it will be a tough task finding jobs for the million or so aged between 16 and 24 that are unemployed.

Sunday 6th December 2009

2009-12-06T14:15:00.006Z

Tory leader David Cameron this morning slammed Gordon Brown for bringing the issue of class into politics, but I think Labour need to do this if they are to have any chance of winning next year's general election.
The PM said that the Tories tax policy had been "dreamed up on the playing fields of Eton" and lets face it, he's not exactly wrong there. Shadow Chancellor George Osborne claimed in his autumn party conference speech that "we're all in this together", yet he would give the wealthy a break by raising the inheritance tax threshold. This benefits the 18 millionaires in the shadow cabinet, their fellow well off friends and of course, the party donors. So how are we all in this together then?
With the general election due to take place in the next six months, Labour have to play dirty if they are to catch up with the Conservatives in the polls.
Osborne's inheritance tax plan puts a real cog in the wheels of motion in Cameron's attempts to re modernise the Tory party and this policy is designed to appease the old, traditional wing of Conservatives. But these sort of policies put off the non wealthy floating voter such as myself, who in troubled economic times such as now want to see the rich taxed slightly more heavily (I'm talking about minimalistic measures here, before any one starts calling me a communist!).
Osborne wants to reduce Britain's budget deficit, but he's not going to achieve this with his inheritance tax plans, which will benefit just 2% of the population. Instead he will cut vital public services which will effect more than 2% of the country.
Gordon Brown needs to capitalise on these questionable Tory polices, even if he has to "petty" and "spiteful" to do so. There are other Tory weaknesses that can be exposed and I'm sure with Alastair Campbell aiding Labour's cause these weaknesses can identify areas to attack. Whether you love or hate Blair's former spokesman and spin doctor, you can't argue that he will be important in manipulating the media and thus persuading floating voters not to vote Tory.
The New Statesman have been able to identify Conservative weaknesses, with one of them being the inexperience of George Osborne. The shadow chancellor has no real background in economics, yet in six months time he could be running the country's finances. I for one would rather see shadow business secretary Ken Clarke moved to the post, as he has experience as Chancellor of the Exchequer in John Major's 1990s government, but Osborne is a close ally of Cameron, so I can't see this happening.
Gordon Brown appeared to have the upper hand over David Cameron in Wednesday's Prime Ministers Questions, but with the pre-Budget report due this week he faces a tough task of maintaining Labour momentum.

Thursday 3rd December 2009

2009-12-03T10:19:00.005Z

England's World Cup hopes will be boosted by yesterday's news that they will be seeded for tomorrow's draw.
This means when the group stages for next summer's tournament are drawn, they will avoid playing, among others, current holders Italy, reigning European champions Spain and the mighty Brazil.
However, despite being seeded, Fabio Capello's men could still face difficult competition in South Africa. Here's what I think is the worst case scenario for the draw:

England
Mexico
Ivory Coast
Portugal or France

England will want to avoid being drawn in the same group as either Portugal or France, who despite both scraping through qualification were impressive during the 2006 World Cup. They will hopefully also avoid Ivory Coast, who are perhaps the strongest African team in tomorrow's draw and have a number of quality players such as talented brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure, as well as Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. They would also prefer not to have to play Mexico in the group stages, as they have reached the second round of the last four World Cups.

England will want a draw that looks something like this instead:

England
New Zealand
Algeria
Slovakia

No disrespect to New Zealand, Algeria or Slovakia, but they are all relatively unknown on the World stage and every seeded team in the tournament will be hoping to have them in their group as the whipping boys, but who knows, one of these teams might turn out to be the surprise package.

Whoever England are grouped with in tomorrow's draw, the whole country will be expecting them to qualify for the latter stages of the World Cup. It is not until the knock out rounds that the competition really begins to get serious.

The draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be made tomorrow evening and coverage starts on BBC Two from 5:15pm.

Wednesday 2nd December 2009

2009-12-02T10:07:00.002Z

After last night's 1-0 win at home to Wycombe Wanderers, Southampton climbed out of the League One relegation zone for the first time this season.
Rickie Lambert's goal four minutes before half time was enough for the home side to take all three points in a game that perhaps should have been won by a much bigger margin.
Saints had all the chances to take the lead in the first half, with Adam Lallana and Papa Waigo coming close, but the deadlock was finally broken in the 41st minute when Waigo latched onto a long ball forward then cut back for Lambert to slam the ball into the bottom corner of the goal from ten yards.
The second half was very much the same story, as Saints looked to double their advantage, but a string of saves from visiting keeper Scott Shearer and and a couple of near misses from substitute Michail Antonio kept the score respectable for Wanderers.
Last night's game was by no means a classic and Saints fans will have left St Marys wondering how their team only won by one goal, but a victory is what is most important and lifts Southampton up to 20th in the league.

Saints player ratings-

Bartosz Bialkowski - 7 - Showed he has safe hands and made a good second half save.

Greame Murty - 7 - Much more solid and reliable at right back than Lloyd James.

Chris Perry - 8 - Great to see him back in the side, he was strong in the air and positioned perfectly at all times.

Radi Jaidi - 6 - A bit shaky at times, but made some important clearances.

Dan Harding - 7 - Made a crucial headed clearance late on, was reliable at left back.

Lloyd James - 6 - Looked much more comfortable in midfield than at right back.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Covered a great amount of ground as the box to box midfielder.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Played some beautiful cross field passes and got stuck into tackles.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Looked a natural winger when he ran at defenders down the left.

Papa Waigo N'daiye - 7 - Caught offside countless times, but played a pivotal role in the goal.

Rickie Lambert - 7 - Perfect, low finish for what proved to be the decisive goal.

Subs -

Michail Antonio (on for Papa Waigo) - 7 - Ran constantly at the opposition and could have added to the score.

Paul Wotton (on for James) - 6 - Came on to overload the midfield and limit Wycombe's chances.

Jacob Mellis (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Brought on late simply to run down the clock.

Last night's win lifts Saints outside the relegation zone and now that one hurdle is cleared fans will want the team to push on for a play off place. Twelve points separate Southampton and Bristol Rovers in 6th place and results in December can often go a long way towards shaping the second half of the season. A win away to Walsall on Saturday could help push them that little bit closer to the play off places.

I only managed to make it to three games in November, but have still kept an eye on the ratings for each player to decide my player of the month:

=1. David Connolly - average rating 7.0, from 3 games
=1. Adam Lallana - average rating 7.0, from 3 games
=2. Dean Hammond - average rating 6.66, from 3 games
=2. Dan Harding - average rating 6.66, from 3 games

So Adam Lallana and David Connolly are tied on ratings for my player of the month, but after witnessing Connolly's wonder goal against Norwich he gets a slight edge and wins my vote as Saints player of the month.

Tuesday 1st December 2009

2009-12-01T11:48:00.002Z

Yesterday the 10 person shortlist for the BBC Sport Personality of the Year was released and I must say there are some strong candidates in the frame.
We have Andrew Strauss, who led the England cricket team to victory in the Ashes over the summer, or Jensen Button, who ensured a British driver would win the Formula One championship for the second year running. Another leading contender is newly crowned WBA Heavyweight champion David Haye.
However,when I saw the list late last night I overlooked all these big names and instantly decided who would get my vote. Ryan Giggs.
The Manchester United winger, who turned 36 over the weekend, has a great chance of being the first footballer since David Beckham in 2001 to win the award.
It is amazing to watch Giggs play week in, week out and still have the same passion and enthusiasm he had when he first burst onto the scene as a teenager nearly 20 years ago. Since then, the Premier League has been graced by immense talent such as Eric Cantona, Theirry Henry and most recently Cristiano Ronaldo, but none of these stars have performed as consistently as Giggs for so long.
The odd injury hit spell aside, he's never had a poor season at Manchester United and incredibly he seems to be getting better and better still. His performances over the last year have been top notch and its a great sight to see a player of Gigg's age run up and down the wing all game like a 21 year old. One game which particularly stands out for me was September's Manchester derby, which saw United beat their great rivals Man City 4-3 in a thrilling game. Giggs was outstanding on this day and seemed to be at the heart of every attack his team made.
Ryan Giggs is in my opinion the greatest Sports Personality not only to emerge in the last 20 years, but also to stay on top of his game for such a long period of time. If you love attractive attacking football then I urge you to vote for Ryan Giggs as this year's Sports Personality of the Year.

Friday 27th November 2009

2009-11-27T14:11:00.007Z

Reading the latest issue of the New Stateman this morning has got me thinking about the possibility of a hung parliament after next year's general election.
The left wing current affairs magazine has suggested that if Labour remain the largest party in the House of Commons, yet still don't hold over half the seats in the house (unlikely, but not impossible) then we could see a pact with the Liberal Democrats. This alliance would last for two years and then a "Who Governs Britain" election similar to what we saw in 1974 would be held, which would result in a majority government being formed.
Whilst a Labour victory at the next general election doesn't look likely at this moment in time,(despite narrowing the gap, they are still six points behind the Conservatives according to the latest opinion poll), I like the idea of some of the most influential members of the Liberal Democrats being part of the government, as few would argue that Vince Cable would be a much more responsible Chancellor of the Exchequer than current imcumbent Alastair Darling or Tory Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
During this year's party conference season, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg hinted that his party did not want to be part of a coalition government (see blog entry 24th September, but he appears to have softened his stance in recent months by saying "the party which has got the strongest mandate from the British people will have the first right to seek to govern".
Experts are now in agreement that the general election of 2010 will be held on Thursday 6th May (I was told by a fairly important source earlier this year that the election would be brought forward to November 2009, that wasn't very accurate at all!), but if we do see a hung parliament then it will be a few days before we know for sure who will form the next government of Great Britain.
The latest opinion polls all add a very interesting edge of speculation into the build up this this huge upcoming general election, but what are the chances of a hung parliament?

Monday 23rd November 2009

2009-11-23T16:02:00.007Z

I can't help but laugh at how political parties have recently been using popular culture, particularly The X-Factor, to the get their message across.
The Tories last night jumped on The X-Factor bandwagon by launching a poster portraying prime minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alastair Darling as the act Jedward, who were voted off the show last night. The photo shopped pictures of Brown and Darling are accompanied by the text "Jedward are gone but we're still left with... Deadwood". I find it quite amusing that the Conservative HQ have been waiting for weeks and weeks until Jedward had left the show before releasing this poster.
But to looking at it from a cynical point of view, this poster is just pathetic tit for tat retaliation from the Tories after Labour recently released their own Jedward poster showing Tory leader David Cameron and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne as the annoying Irish twins with the tag line "You won't be laughing if they win".
Using John and Edward on a political poster was amusing when Labour did it first, but the Tories are simply regurgitating a recent joke in such an unoriginal way. Its lazy work from the Tory PR machine and they're going to have to do better than this in the next few months.
And let us not forget that it was Conservative Leader Cameron who said Jedward were his favourites to win X-Factor (after their exit last night he was pretty wrong there), whereas Gordon Brown (who satirists such as the brilliant Jon Stewart have compared to another of this year's reality TV sensations, Susan Boyle) said Jedward were "not very good".
All this use of popular television in politics has got me thinking about the future.
Perhaps soon we will see former MPs as contestants in I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. I for one would start tuning in to see former politicians being forced to eat insects and stick their heads in tanks filled with all sorts of horrific creatures.
However, George Galloway didn't do himself many favours when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother a few years ago. It is quite ironic that he formed the Respect Party, as he lost a lot of his self respect when he went on the show and had to do his best impression of a cat.
Maybe this link between popular television and politics needs to be established to increase turnout during elections. After all, programmes such as The X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent seem to generate a lot more interest, particularly among young people, then an election does.

Saturday 21st November 2009

2009-11-21T18:09:00.007Z

Southampton were twice pegged back as they drew 2-2 with Norwich City in an entertaining game at St Marys this afternoon.
Saints started strongly and took the lead after just 11 minutes when Adam Lallana struck low from David Connolly's well timed through ball. The home side then did well to limit Norwich's chances and went into half time with their lead still intact.
But Norwich came out fighting after the break and won a penalty minutes into the second half when a clumsy Lloyd James challenge brought down Chris Martin in the Saints area. Keeper Kelvin Davis did well to push Wes Hoolahan's penalty onto the post, but the Norwich midfielder was on hand to tap in the rebound to make it 1-1.
At this stage the game could've gone either way, but Saints seized the initiative, with David Connolly's curling shot flying straight into the top corner on 65 minutes to put Southampton ahead for the second time in the match.
However, Norwich equalised again 10 minutes later after Davis could only parry Chris Martin's long range effort, allowing Stephen Hughes to slide in the loose ball.
Both sides had opportunities to grab a late winner, but the game finished 2-2 in what seemed a fair result, despite Saints twice taking the lead.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Made a few good saves, but at fault for Norwich's second goal.

Lloyd James - 5 - Made a terrible challenge to concede the penalty, a liability at right back.

Neal Trotman - 5 - A bit of a calamity, once again showed he has a lot to learn.

Radhi Jaidi - 6 - An improved performance from Sunday, cleared up most of the mess.

Dan Harding - 8 - Found himself a lot of space going forward and tracked back to make some great tackles.

Michail Antonio - 6 - Was neutralised by the Norwich defence and never really had an opportunity to run at them.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Pretty anonymous in the middle of the park.

Dean Hammond - 7 - The new captain bossed the midfield, lead the team well.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Finished well for the first goal and put in a good shift.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Didn't get too involved in the game, as he saw little of the ball.

David Connolly - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Set up a goal, scored a beauty, great all round performance from the Irishman.

Subs-

Greame Murty (on for Antonio) - 7 - Great to see him back from injury, much more reliable than James at right back.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Lambert) - 6 - Didn't bring much of an attacking threat to the game.

Jacob Mellis (on for Lallana) - 6 - No time to make an impact.

This result still leaves Saints four points from safety in League One with a midweek trip to Hartlepool waiting ahead, before taking on Northampton in the second round of the FA Cup next Saturday.

Friday 20th November 2009

2009-11-20T10:51:00.008Z

The big controversy in the football world this week has been France's qualification for next year's World Cup, after they beat Ireland in a two legged play off. Arsenal's William Gallas bundled home the decisive goal in Wednesday's 1-1 draw in Paris, but it was obvious to all that Barcelona striker Thierry Henry handled the ball twice in the build up to the goal.
The Irish FA are understandably outraged that their place at the 2010 World Cup has been denied by such an injustice and yesterday asked FIFA for the game to be replayed. However, I've just read that their request has been turned down by the governing body.
After England, Ireland are my favourite country (my family emigrated from there many,many years ago and it is a very nice place to visit) so I would've loved to have seen them at next year's World Cup, but going ahead with a rematch would have been more trouble than it was worth for FIFA. Obviously, the French FA would not have been too happy about having to play the game again after seemingly being assured a place in South Africa at the final whistle of Wednesday's game and let us not forget that there have been very similar incidents to this one which have not resulted in games being replayed. One example that stands out is Mexico in 1986, when Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" helped knock England out of the World Cup.
As for the bad guy in this whole incident, Thierry Henry, he will be vilified in the Irish press in the same way Maradona was in the British press in '86. But to be fair to the talented Frenchman, there was a lot a at stake in Wednesday's game and there are not many of us who would own up to cheating if there was a place at the World Cup Finals at stake. I see myself as a very honest individual, but I have to admit that if I was in Henry's situation, my gamesmanship and will to win in the heat of the moment would probably overrule my sense of fair play.
However, there is no doubt that the Irish have been victims of poor officiating; the whole stadium except the referee and linesmen saw Henry clearly handled the ball. When the dust has settled though, Giovanni Trapattoni's team have to pick themselves up, put this difficult episode behind them however hard it is to take and concentrate on future endeavors.

Tuesday 17th November 2009

2009-11-17T12:32:00.011Z

A new ICM poll published in The Guardian today claims that David Cameron has an approval rating with the British public of 48%, but I wonder if this is enough?
The Torys will be pleased that Cameron is 16 points ahead of Gordon Brown as someone who has what it takes to be a good Prime Minister and their party still have a 13 point lead in the polls over Labour. However, this latest poll suggests that Cameron has the approval of less than half the British public. A certain Mr Gordon Brown had an approval rating of 48% in August 2007, two months after he took over from Tony Blair as PM and look how that has changed.
When Tony Blair became Prime Minister in May 1997, his approval rating was nearing 70%, so despite the seemingly comfortable lead in the polls Cameron and the Tories still have a long campaign ahead before they can guarantee victory in the next general election. Harold Wilson once said "a week is a long time in politics", so seven months (the general election is most likely to be held in June next year) is even longer.
Of course, Cameron can rely on the help of his friends at the Sun, as I expect the newspaper's smear campaign against Gordon Brown will intensify over the next few months. We've already seen the daily tabloid try to discredit Brown in any petty way possible, after blowing a story out of proportion last week about the Prime Minister making a couple of spelling mistakes in a condolence letter to a Mother whose son was killed in Afghanistan. Speaking as someone who has had their name spelt incorrectly in the Sun (its DOLTON, not Dalton!), this is unbelievable hypocrisy.
Thankfully, this smear on Brown backfired against the newspaper, but this won't stop them from launching more attacks in the build up to the election.
In 1992 we saw the "character assassination" of the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock, with some ridiculous "stories" published in the Sun, including the special "Nightmare on Kinnock Street" edition and the election day headlined edition "If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights".
Current Sun editor Rebekah Wade isn't quite as mad and radical as the editor in 1992 Kelvin MacKenzie was, but I still think the newspaper will do all they can to discredit Brown to ensure a Conservative victory.

Sunday 15th November 2009

2009-11-15T22:53:00.006Z

Southampton's eight game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end earlier today as they went down 3-1 to Brighton in a very disappointing performance.
In front of Sky cameras, Saints were expected to take all three points, but there was room for complacency and on 16 minutes Glenn Murrays's volley gave Brighton the lead and silenced St Marys.
It was Murray who doubled the visitor's lead just minutes later, tapping in from close range after his initial shot had hit the post.
Saints pressed hard to get back into the game and were rewarded a penalty just before half time when Adam Lallana was fouled in the area. Rickie Lambert made no mistake from 12 yards out to halve the deficit going into half time.
Saints searched for the equaliser in the second half, but thanks to some good Brighton defending it never came and by committing more men forward they were left vulnerable at the back. Brighton took advantage of this five minutes from full time when Liam Dickinson ran to the byline then cut back for Dean Cox to strike and ensure victory in Gus Poyet's first game in charge for the Seagulls.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Made a great second half save to prevent further embarrassment for his team.

Lloyd James - 5 - Got skinned at right back far too often.

Radhi Jaidi - 5 - His lack of pace was exposed today by Brighton's fast attack.

Neal Trotman - 4 - Played a shocker and was subbed at half time to the relief of many.

Dan Harding - 5 - Not on top of he game, perhaps effected by booed by fans of his former club.

Dean Hammond - 6 - Didn't take control of the game like he often does.

Morgan Schneiderlin 6 - Played some good cross field balls, but that was about it.

Michail Antonio - 6 - Good long throws, but very poor crossing.

Adam Lallana - 7 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Put in a lot of effort which would have paid off if his team mates showed the same enthusiasm.

David Connolly - 6 - Did plenty of running, but didn't see much of the ball.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Didn't look fully fit and wasn't very involved in the game.

Subs-

Wayne Thomas (on for Trotman) - 6 - Did better than the man he replaced.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Antonio) - 6 - Found space on the right, but didn't receive the ball.

Joesph Mills (on for Harding) 6 - Not enough time to make an impact.

Southampton fans expected much better than this and I think the players were thinking they could walk it too. After going on a decent unbeaten run, there was a lot of complacency, but hopefully this result will have brought them down to Earth and made them realise that you don't win games just by turning up and have to work hard for victory.
Saints are next in action on Saturday at home to Norwich and fans will be expecting a much improved performance from today.

Thursday 12th November 2009

2009-11-12T10:07:00.007Z

Southampton last night progressed to the area semi finals of the Football League Trophy after a 2-1 victory against a very poor Charlton Athletic side.
Saints had the better of the opening exchanges at a half full St Marys and it looked only a matter of time before they would break the deadlock. The inevitable happened on 34 minutes when a Lloyd James corner eluded the Charlton defence and Wayne Thomas was on hand to finish from six yards out.
The home side could have been 2-0 up minutes later when Michail Antonio hit the post, but the half time whistle blew with Saints with a one goal advantage having been the stronger side by far.
Charlton never really looked like equalising in the second half and it was no surprise when Saints went 2-0 up when Rickie Lambert's powerful long range effort hit the back of the net on 63 minutes.
Charlton were able to pull one back in stoppage time, with Leon McKenzie questionably onside to reduce the deficit, but Saints held on to advance to the next stage of a competition that they have a great chance of winning.

Saints player ratings-

Bartosz Bialkowski - 7 - Handled well in the rain and made a good save late on.

Looyd James - 7 - Great in swinging corner to set up the first goal, passed the ball well throughout.

Radhi Jaidi - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Won practically everything in the air, limited Charlton's chances.

Wayne Thomas - 7 Was in the right place at the right time for his goal, a bit shaky when moved to right back.

Dan Harding - 7 - Mr reliable once again didn't disappoint.

Michail Antonio - 6 - Needs to work on passing and crossing, unlucky to hit the post.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Made an excellent first half tackle to start a counter attack, took a knock so was subbed at half time.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Played just behind the strikers at times and created a few chances, captained the team very well.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Showed glimpses of his skill in this televised game, which may attract the attention of several Premiership clubs.

David Connolly - 7 - A real live wire, ran his socks off as always.

Rickie Lambert - 7 - Quality low and powerful strike for the second goal, shows no sign of stopping this brilliant goalscoring form.

Subs-

Neal Trotman (on for Schneiderlin) - 7 - Came on at half time to continue his solid defensive partnership with Jaidi.

Papa Waigo N'diaye - 6 - Was energetic, but perhaps didn't do enough to force his way back into the starting XI.

Jacob Mellis - 6 - Had very little time to make an impact.

After this victory, the Football League Trophy may become a priority for Saints, as they only have an outside chance of making the play offs this season and a trip to Wembley is always a good day out for the fans, no matter what competition it is.
Southampton will be playing in front of Sky cameras for the second time in a week on Sunday when they host Brighton, as they look to finally climb out of the relegation zone.

Wednesday 11th November 2009

2009-11-11T10:00:00.007Z

The brilliant BBC sitcom The Thick Of It made a welcome return to form in Saturday's episode.
The award winning political comedy, now in its second series, had been the subject of critical reviews by The Times and The Guardian, but I think the third episode of the series recaptured the wit and genius that was very slightly lacking from the first two episodes of this series. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed every bit of the second series, but like so many other successful and popular sitcoms it had so much to live up to from it's introductory series.
For those of you not familiar with Armando Ianucci's latest hit, The Thick Of It follows the drama in the fictional government Department of Social Affairs. Every week, a different catastrophe happens and its up to the minister and his or her special advisers to clear up the mess or incur the wrath of Director of Communications Malcolm Tucker, who is modelled heavily on Alastair Campbell.
For example, episode two of the new series saw minister Nicola Murray find out her department had lost the immigration records of 170,672 people. And in the episode which was shown last Saturday, the minister prepares her speech for the annual party conference by trying to exploit the situation of Julie Price, a widow the department want to use as their photo opportunity and "people's champion", but of course, things don't exactly go to plan.
What I love about The Thick Of It is the razor sharp dialogue which takes swearing to a whole new level. Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi, swears in almost every line, but does it with such wit that it almost becomes a form of art. Tucker is one of the greatest comedy characters to hit our screens lately and has been the biggest success of the show. The Guardian have even compiled a list of his top ten quotes from the first series and the Spinners and Losers Special.
I also like the embarrassing situations which the Department of Social Affairs get themselves into week after week. whilst watching it I can't help but feel that most of the episodes are exaggerated parodies of messy incidents this New Labour government have got themselves into over the last twelve years.
In my opinion, The Thick Of It is the best comedy since The Office. It may not be to everyone's liking, but if you like fly-on-the-wall "mockumentaries" and politics, then chances are you'll love this programme and its spin off film In The Loop (see blog entry from 24th August).
The second series of The Thick Of It continues with the fourth episode on Saturday at 10:10PM on BBC2.

Tuesday 10th November 2009

2009-11-10T16:37:00.005Z

Apologies once again for a bit of "churnalism", but I thought it was about time I updated this blog with something and saw one of my course mates had put some of his university work on his blog. So here's my chapter review of Contradictions in Capitalist Media Practices, by Colin Sparks, an assessed piece of work for the Journalism Media Culture and Communications unit:

A few weeks ago I noticed newspaper The Socialist being sold at a stand. Being open to all sorts of different publications, I purchased a copy and soon found it was one of those socialist viewpoints “you have to hunt out” which Colin Sparks mentions in his chapter on Contradictions in Capitalist Media Practises.

Sparks, who looks specifically at Journalism and Popular Culture as well as Communism and Capitalism in the media, takes a radical mass media criticism stance to launch an attack on the capitalist media. He clearly highlights the fact that the media are no longer the ‘fourth estate’ which was identified in the nineteenth century, but now work hand in hand with government and large corporations in order to maximise audience and profits.

Sparks indirectly challenges the view of the press as the ‘fourth estate’ by saying that even journalists from tabloid newspapers such as The Sun and Daily Mail “enjoy just as good relations with the political elite as those of posh papers and sometimes even better”. He gives the example of “when on the day she was appointed new editor of The Sun, Rebekkah Wade, was rung up, in succession, by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Blunkett, each of them eager to establish good relations with this powerful figure”. This evidence of a close working relationship between the press and politicians suggests that newspapers are no longer the ‘fourth estate’ in place to hold the powers that be to account.

The author puts emphasis on the role of capitalism in the bourgeois media and his views are supported by the work of Raymond Williams in the 1960s, who claimed that advertisers have the power to limit press freedom, as fifty to seventy per cent of newspaper revenues come from advertising. But perhaps the role of advertising is slightly overlooked by Sparks in this chapter. Take The Socialist newspaper as an example; It is only a twelve page weekly paper, but because of its anti-capitalist position, the twelve pages contain no advertising at all. Instead, The Socialist has a cover price of 70p, which is a lot when we compare it to Britain’s best selling newspaper The Sun, which has a cover press of 30p and is owned by the hugely powerful Rupert Murdoch, a frequently mentioned individual in the chapter. However, Sparks does recognise that “the media are primarily businesses”, so with the exception of newspapers such as The Socialist they have to make profit.

Contradictions in Capitalist Media Practices echoes much of what O’ Connor says in his chapter on Institution, from the book Raymond Williams: key thinkers in critical media studies). Both Sparks and O’ Connor discuss three broadcasting systems and how they operate politically, but what Sparks does which O’ Connor fails to do is give examples of broadcasting politics in different countries. He explains how, in the UK, the BBC tries to reflect the views of political parties impartially, whereas in France Charles De Gaulle used the media as “the outright tool of government”. I was interested to learn about another broadcasting model, where political parties have their own designated TV channel. This system was in place in Italy up to the 1990s. By giving examples of different systems Sparks makes them easier for the reader to understand.

I like how this chapter highlights the power newspaper owners have, as Sparks points out that Murdoch uses this power to regularly intervene in the editorial direction of The Sun. This is an important part of the chapter, because it shows how capitalists such as Rupert Murdoch have great control of the media.

In contrast to Murdoch’s publications, “Newspapers and other media can and do adopt a wide range of positions, while remaining entirely within the framework of capitalism”, as Sparks explains. Here he is perhaps referring to the Mirror, a paper for the working class which has always supported the Labour party, but still exists within the capitalist framework because it is making money. This is what differentiates Mirror from another left wing newspaper The Socialist.

A criticism of this chapter is that Sparks doesn’t give much history of how the relationship between the media and capitalism has developed over time. He does acknowledge that “the mass media are relatively recent phenomena and have been closely linked to capitalism and the development of the state system” and that “as capitalism has developed and changed, so too have the media”. However, this is far too vague for me, as I always like to be informed of the historical context of an idea or concept.

To his credit though, Sparks does give a balanced argument by producing good evidence of how the media does revolt, such “the run up to the invasion of Iraq (in 2003), when some sections of the media seem to launch outright offensives against government policy”. Here he is most probably referring to the BBC and the Mirror.

I also like how Sparks briefly looks into anti-capitalist models in other countries, such as Sweden, where there is “a system designed to support weaker newspapers and promote diversity of ownership”.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading Contradictions in Capitalist Media Practices because most of all I found it very thought provoking; When Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister she wanted to destroy socialism. Nearly twenty years on from when The Iron Lady left office, there is no clear indication to suggest whether socialism has been destroyed in society, but we could say she has destroyed the socialist media. Those were my thoughts when I bought my copy of The Socialist and the man selling it said to me: “We socialists have to stick together; there aren’t many of us left now”.

Wednesday 4th November 2009

2009-11-04T13:10:00.011Z

Last night was back in Hungerford to listen to former journalist and Member of Parliament Martin Bell promote his new book, A Very British Revolution.

The book focuses on this year's expenses scandal in the House of Commons, which saw hundreds of MPs claim outrageous expenses with the tax payer footing the bill. Martin Bell is perhaps more qualified than most to analyse the scandal after he became an Independent MP in 1997, ousting the disgraced Neil Hamilton by campaigning for trust and transparency in British politics.

Interestingly, Bell implicated civil servants from the fees office of the House of Commons for their part in the whole controversy, as they advised the MPs on how to maximise their allowances. He claimed the fees officers were warned as early as 2002 that a scandal over expenses was just around the corner, but this was ignored. The final warning came last year when Derek Conway hit the headlines after paying his son Freddy out of his expenses when there was no record of Freddy having done any Parliamentary work. The latest expenses scandal broke months ago, but no one from the fees office has yet to be sacked.

Mr Bell also had some interesting things to say about the House of Lords, as it was the upper chamber that stopped MPs from being exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. If members of the Commons had gotten their way, The Daily Telegraph would have been unable to obtain the information on their extravagant expenses, so they would not have been held to account like they have been. So do those who think the House of Lords should be abolished, maybe this whole episode suggests it still has a place in modern democracy to stop our unruly MPs from getting away with murder.

At the end of the 45 minute talk last night, I asked Mr Bell if it was possible to be elected as an Independent MP without having much of a public profile, as he is hoping more Independent MPs are elected next year. He responded by saying that anyone hoping to become an Independent in the House of Commons needs to be well known in the constituency they are standing in, must have a good cause and be up against a vulnerable MP, such as one who has been disgraced and has fallen out of favour with their constituents (there's plenty of them about at the moment, so watch this space). I'm undoubtedly too young and inexperienced to stand as an Independent at the next general election, but maybe one day this bit of advice may be useful...

October was a very good month for Saints, with Alan Pardew's men winning four out of five of their league games. Here are my top three rated players of the month, based on the games I've watched:

1. Adam Lallana - average rating 8.25, from 4 games

2. Rickie Lambert - average rating 7.75, from 4 games
3. David Connolly- average rating 7.5, from 2 games

Adam Lallana edges out Rickie Lambert to be my player of the month for October. Lallana has been in fine form, scoring 4 goals from the left wing. The only worry for Saints fans though is that his great performances will attract the attention of clubs in the Championship and even the Premiership. Whether Lallana stays at St Marys in January may be crucial as to where Saints finish in the league at the end of the season.

Sunday 1st November 2009

2009-11-01T11:58:00.005Z

A thrilling game finished 2-2 at Brisbane Road yesterday as Southampton came from behind to take a point at Leyton Orient.
The hosts got off to the perfect start, scoring in the second minute when Tamika Mkandawire's header looped into the top corner beyond the reach of Kelvin Davis.
Saints piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but Orient were able to see out the first half with their 1-0 lead still intact.
The visitors found themselves 2-0 down on 56 minutes after being hit on the counter, with Neal Trotman putting the ball into his own net from a Andros Townsend cross.
Saints manager Alan Pardew then switched formation to 4-4-2 for the second game in a row and once again this had an effect on the result. Southampton finally took their chances 15 minutes from full time to pull back a goal, Rickie Lambert converting Adam Lallana's low cross from seven yards out. At this stage the vocal 3,200 travelling support could sense this would be the start of a great comeback and they were not disappointed, Lambert again was the man of the moment by scoring the equaliser on 84 minutes. The in form striker found the top right hand corner to spark wild celebrations from Saints fans and even a small scale pitch invasion.
Saints perhaps may have grabbed a late winner but for some last ditch Leyton Orient defending, but after being 2-0 down, the massive travelling support were happy to take a point as the final whistle sounded.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Didn't have much to so apart from pick the ball out of the net twice.

Lloyd James - 6 - Again was better going forward once Antonio came on, needs to work on corners.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Won practically every aerial challenge, very solid.

Neal Trotman - 5 - Sloppy at times and at fault for both goals, still has a lot to learn.

Dan Harding - 7 - Back to his usual workman-like and reliable self.

Paul Wotton - 6 - Made some good passes, but was rightly sacrificed in favour of a 4-4-2 formation.

Dean Hammond - 6 - Didn't cover as much ground as he usually does, perhaps he wasn't fully fit and rushed back from injury.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Got himself involved in the game, really needs to work on his finishing though.

Papa Waigo N'Diaye - 6 - Should have tried to run at the opposition more often like his replacement Antonio did.

Adam Lallana -7 - Set up Lambert's first goal, but wasted a few good opportunities.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Showed why he is considered one of the best strikers in the league with two great finishes.

Subs-

David Connolly

Micheali Antonio (on for Papa Waigo) - 7 - Dangerous on the right and not afraid to take on opponents.

David Connelly (on for Wotton) - 7 - Ran his socks off for the team, impressive once again.

After this game there will be pressure on Alan Pardew to ditch the 4-5-1 formation in favour of 4-4-2 and start with Antonio and Connolly. Saints fans would've hoped for a win before the game, but after being 2-0 down we left the ground in high spirits and singing the Rickie Lambert song loud and joyously.
There's now a two week break from League One football, but Southampton will be in action again on Friday when they have a tricky FA Cup first round tie away to Bristol Rovers.

Wednesday 28th October 2009

2009-10-28T10:01:00.003Z

So Gordon Strachan returned to English football on Monday after taking over as manager at Middlesbrough.
Before the press conference announcing the appointment, Sky Sports News said something along the lines of "well he may have done a good job at Celtic, but he hasn't been very successful in England with Coventry and Southampton". I didn't know whether to be insulted by this, as Strachan is undoubtedly the most popular manager Saints have had since Lawrie McMenemy left the post in 1985. 'Wee Gordon', as he became affectionately known as, took over as Southampton manager in October 2001 and within 18 months had guided the club to only their second ever FA Cup final and their highest ever Premier League position of eighth. During his spell as manager, Strachan managed to bring out the best of James Beattie, who scored 23 league goals in the 2002-2003 season and signed fan favourites such as Michael Svensson, Brett Ormorod and Fabrice Fernandes. I'm sure most Saints fans will agree that the club started to go downhill the day Strachan left in February 2004.
Strachan may not have had much success at Coventry, but it is a bit harsh to say he was unsuccessful at Southampton.
The following Gordon Strachan quotes have appeared all over the Internet, but I don't think they ever get old, so in some classic 'churnalism', here's my top five soundbites from the charismatic Scotsman:

5. Reporter: "Gordon, could we have a quick word please?"
Strachan: "Velocity" (walks off)

4. (On Wayne Rooney getting into England squad) "At 17 you're more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than Sven-Goran Eriksson."

3. Reporter: "Gordon, you must be delighted with that result."
Strachan: "You're spot on! You can read me like a book."

2. Reporter: "You don't take losing too lightly, do you Gordon?"
Strachan: "I don't take stupid comments lightly either."

1. "I've got more important things to worry about. I've got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today. That can be my priority rather than Agustin Delgado."

Sunday 25th October 2009

2009-10-25T14:33:00.005Z

Southampton's great winning run continued yesterday as they beat MK Dons at St Marys, winning 3-1 for the third game in a row.
The hosts were by far the better side in the first half, but the visitor's long ball tactics paid off just before half time when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Jason Puncheon converted to give Dons the lead against the run of play.
Early in the second half Saints manager Alan Pardew made two subs and switched his side's formation to 4-4-2, with David Connelly and Michaeli Antonio coming on for the ineffectual Paul Wotton and Papa Waigo. This appeared to have a huge effect on the outcome of the game and it wasn't long before Saints equalised, Dean Hammond finishing from a Lloyd James cross for his second goal in two games.
This seemed to give the home crowd a massive lift and suddenly the fans were starting to really get behind the time and cheer them on to win the game. They weren't left disappointed, as Rickie Lambert put Saints in the lead on 73 minutes from close range and after some nervy moments David Connolly put the game beyond doubt with virtually the last kick, capitalising on some sloppy MK Dons defending.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Collected well from crosses, but his kicking wasn't up to standard.

Lloyd James - 7 - Became a threat on the right once Antonio was brought on and played a part in two of the goals.

Radhi Jaidi - 6 - Won nearly everything in the air, but was perhaps lucky not to be sent off in the build up to Don's goal, as he was the last man.

Neal Trotman - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Don's aerial attacks and limited their opportunities on the ground.

Dan Harding - 6 - Not his usual solid and hard working self.

Paul Wotton - 6 - With the opposition playing the ball in the air so much it was difficult for him to get involved.

Dean Hammond - 8 - Took his goal well and got back to defend competently once his team had taken the lead.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Made some good passes and formed a decent partnership with Hammond once again.

Papa Waigo N'Daiye - 6 - Wasn't having much impact on the game so was rightly subbed quite early.

Adam Lallana - 8 - (MAN OF THE MATCH) Played with such flair and was at the heart of many of Saint's attacking moves.

Rickie Lambert - 7 - Did his job by grabbing a goal, continuing his great form.

Subs-

Michaeli Antonio (on for Papa Waigo) - 8 - Changed the game when brought on, was very lively down the right.

David Connolly (on for Wotton) - 8 - Has only been here a few weeks, but is already playing like he really cares about the club, a true professional.

Joseph Mills (on for Lallana) - 6 - Brought on to steady the ship late on and did exactly that.

All due credit to Alan Pardew for switching tactics when things weren't going right, after a difficult start he's really winning over the supporters now.
Saints are expected to take more than 3,000 fans to London next week as they take on Leyton Orient. The large away support will be hoping for a win which could see their side climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.

Friday 23rd October 2009

2009-10-23T11:01:00.006+01:00

I don't agree with many things the Daily Express says, but I can't argue against their front page lead this morning saying "Nick Griffin is a disgrace to humanity".

After all the hype, British National Party leader Nick Griffin was a panellist on Question Time last night and, as predicted, he was intellectually humiliated.
From the opening question, he looked an idiot and way out of his depth up against the likes of MPs Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, as well as playwright Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsi.
With the BNP recently being criticised for hijacking Winston Churchill for their campaign, Griffin tried to justify this by claiming that if Churchill were alive today he would support the BNP, concluding with some irrelevant rubbish about how, during the Second World War, his Father fought in the RAF, whilst Jack Straws Father was in prison for refusing to fight Hitler.
I could feel my blood boil watching Question Time last night when Griffin smirked repulsively when talking about the Holocaust. Trying to make light of such a serious issue like he did last night makes a complete mockery of politics.
Chris Huhne pointed out that the BNP's ethos is all about finding people to blame and at this stage I couldn't help but think about Hitler and the Nazi party blaming the Jewish people for Germany's difficulties in the 1930s, much like the BNP today blame ethnic minorities for everything wrong with Britain.
Griffin complained that he was misquoted when his outrageous sound bites were brought up, yet these quotes have been recorded. It was obvious that most of his facts were either untrue or completely made up. For example, Griffin claimed a poll revealed that 84% of the British public agreed with his party's immigration policy, yet when he was asked to name this poll he said he couldn't remember. You would've thought he'd be able to remember the name of such a significant poll for his party if it does even exist, which is highly unlikely. What an amateur!
British National Party members can't complain about the hostile reception that Griffin received from the audience and the other panellists last night, as I imagine the majority of BNP members want to create that type of hostile atmosphere for any British individual that isn't white.
At least this whole episode has made the general public interested in politics again. People, particularly the younger generation, who usually couldn't care less about political issues tuned into Question Time last night. This may help produce a better turnout for the next general election. Whilst researching for my dissertation this week, I discovered that the turnout for the 1945 general election was 72.8%, back in the days when the only form of broadcast was radio. Fifty years later in 2005, we had much more access to politics with the emergence of 24 hour news channels and the Internet, yet the turnout for the general election that year was only 61.4%. Perhaps publicity for a a vile, morally corrupt party such as the BNP may be what's needed to engage people in politics again.

Wednesday 21st October 2009

2009-10-21T10:02:00.009+01:00

Tomorrow night will be a landmark for political television when British National Party leader Nick Griffin appears as a panellist on BBC's Question Time.
This has been a red hot topic of discussion in the last month, but after all the build up we'll finally get to see if Griffin can hold his own against Jack Straw and Chris Huhne, front bench politicians from Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.
The big controversy has been over whether the BNP should be allowed to be represented on one of the BBC's most watched political programmes, but the sad reality is that after winning two seats on the European Parliament earlier this year (see blog entry 8th June) the BNP are a legitimate party who have to have air time for the sake of the BBC's political impartiality ethos. As much as I disagree, the BNP are a legal party (surely their legitimacy calls for stricter rules on what a legal party can be) and despite the majority of their supporters being racists and extreme patriots, they still, worryingly, have a growing following.
The best we can hope for tomorrow night is that Nick Griffin is intellectually humiliated by competent political debaters in Jack Straw and Chris Huhne and as a result his supporters will start to see sense.
Surely it can't be too difficult to show up Nick Griffin. He is, after all, a man who thinks the Holocaust never happened, has said earlier this year that "there's no such thing as a black Welshman" and is perhaps fortunate not to be convicted of inciting racial hatred. To put it simply, Griffin is probably the most vile human being in Britain today. Straw and Huhne, along with the other panellists, have a responsibility to show him up as this on tomorrow night's Question Time. Please don't let us down.

Sunday 18th October 2009

2009-10-18T13:55:00.008+01:00

Cameron is in real danger of being labelled a hypocrite by reportedly rejecting a series of televised leaders debates with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.
After weeks of goading the PM to take part in the debate, it could be the Tory leader who bottles it, as he only wants one debate, whereas Labour want six while the Lib Dems want three.
In recent weeks I've been praising Cameron and was going to blog today commending him for threatening to withdraw the whip from Tory MPs who refuse to pay back their expenses, but if he turns down a multiple scheduled televised debate then it could seriously damage his reputation. It almost looks as though he's conceding defeat, he's been criticised in the past for lacking substance, so perhaps he's scared the Tories will be shown up if more than one debate takes place, with some critics suggesting the weak link could be Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
The majority of the country want to see this happen, if only one debate goes takes place, so let's hope the three party leaders can sort this little squabble out and it can all go ahead.

Unfortunately I didn't make the journey up north to watch Southampton beat Oldham 3-1 yesterday, but that didn't stop me from celebrating like a mad man when I saw Alan Pardew's men were 2-0 up at half time.At last things are looking up for Saints, that's three straight league victories now and after a slow it just goes to show that patience is a virtue. A month ago a few fans sitting around me at St Marys were moaning that Pardew should be sacked, but now the various new faces have settled, the boss has discovered his strongest team and the football being played in the last few games has been appealing to the majority.
I'm sure most fans will agree now that the current Saints squad which is slowly climbing up League One would beat the under motivated, uninspired side which was relegated from the Championship last season. Neal Trotman and Radhi Jaidi would easily neutralise the threat of David McGoldrick, Papa Waigo would torture Rudi Skacel down the wing, whilst up front Rickie Lambert would be too much for Olly Lanchashire to handle. And of course the chairman/manager partnership of Nicola Cortese and Alan Pardew is far more popular than Rupert Lowe and Jan Poortvleit.
Next weekend Saints host MK Dons, a team I have much reserved hatred for because of their franchise ways.

Thursday 15th October 2009

2009-10-15T10:35:00.007+01:00

England's World Cup qualifying campaign ended well last night with a 3-0 victory at home to Belarus. Now Fabio Capello has to decide who he will take to South Africa next summer. Here's who I would take:

Goalkeepers- Robert Green, Paul Robinson, David James.

Defenders- Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Wayne Bridge.

Midfielders- Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole.

Strikers- Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Carton Cole, Darren Bent

Obviously there's still time for all this to change and a drop in form for the likes of Carlton Cole or Darren Bent may give Michael Owen or Emile Heskey a chance to get into the squad. Joe Cole hasn't played many games for Chelsea recently, but I think he'll get some more match time in the next few months and seal a place at the last minute. Wes Brown may seem an odd choice, but I couldn't think of anyone else to cover Glen Johnson at right back.

Unfortunately I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, so haven't been able to justify my inclusion of every player, but if anyone strongly disagrees with my selection choices then please comment below and we can engage in debate!

Sunday 11th October 2009

2009-10-11T14:26:00.006+01:00

All three main political parties have now held their Autumn conferences and the polls strongly suggest we will have a Conservative government after the general election, with the Tories holding a healthy 19 point lead.

However, David Cameron will not take this for granted and he should know that he's not guaranteed his place in Downing Street. It is going to be extremely difficult for Labour to cling onto power, but I think they can still limit the damage. As I discussed earlier this week, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's proposed public spending cuts did not seem to go down very well, so there are definitely Tory weaknesses.

A very good point was raised on Question Time on Thursday that the Conservative slogan this week has been "we're in this together", yet they plan to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £2 million, so only the richest will benefit. Leading on from this, Home Secretary Alan Johnson attacked Cameron this morning on the Andrew Marr show after the leader of the opposition blamed big government for social breakdown. Mr Johnson pointed out that these remarks harked back to Thatcher's "laissez-faire" ideology of the 1980s. This constant reminder of Thatcherism may be Labour's best strategy to deter the electorate from voting Conservative. I wasn't around in the 1980s, but know for a fact I would not like to live in a country where there is little state intervention and the rich only get richer whilst the poor only get poorer.

I appreciate Cameron's honesty when he said in his keynote speech this past week that there are tough times ahead, but I'm still weary we may one day again have Tory government like the one in the 1980s that attempted to destroy socialism. At least Cameron has tried to distance himself from Thatcher by acknowledging that society does indeed exist.

Gordon Brown can take consolation from the fact that he has the full support of key members of his Cabinet, including Peter Mandelson, arguably the star of this year's Labour party conference and Alan Johnson, who has always been popular within the partty and is Brown's likely successor as Labour leader.

Left wing magazine The New Statesman recently pointed out that the shadow cabinet is hugely unrepresentative of Britain, with 18 of its 32 members being millionaires and they seem to be protecting their own interests by announcing the proposed inheritance tax threshold increase mentioned above. As well as this, one or two of them don't seem to be too well informed, after shadow home secretary Chris Grayling called the appointment of Gen Sir Richard Dannatt as a defence advisor a "political gimmick from Labour". Dannatt was appointed by the Conservatives, so Grayling is obviously not in the loop, but maybe that's for the best!

There's still a long way to go before the election. With Labour trailing so badly in the polls it would be suicidal for Brown to call an election any time soon and will probably want to wait until the latest possible date, so it looks as though we'll be deciding Britain's future in June 2010. With the football World Cup in South Africa also kicking off in the same month, next June should be an exciting time to look forward to.

Saturday 10th October 2009

2009-10-10T14:54:00.005+01:00

Southampton's win less away run came to an end last night with a 3-1 victory at Southend.
The heavy rain at Root's Hall added a new dimension to playing conditions and Saints took advantage of this on seven minutes when Neal Trotman poked home from close range after the ball had slipped out of the hands of Southend 'keeper Steve Mildenhall.
The home side levelled 20 minutes later from a George Friend free kick, but Saints soon restored their lead through Adam Lallana after Southend had failed to clear a corner. Lallana then gave Saints a two goal cushion just before half time, finishing well after Rickie Lambert flicked on a long Kelvin Davis goal kick.
there were no goals in the second half, but the 1000 plus loud travelling fans won't complain as they saw their side limit the opponent's chances and even create further opportunities to add to the lead.
I was very satisfied with last night's performance. This season Saints have had a tendency to concede late goals, but after conceding a third it never looked like there was any way back for Southend. The front line of Waigo, Lambert and Lallana once again looked lethal and the defensive partnership of Trotman and Jaidi seemed more stable then the Thomas and Perry, who were paired together for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy penalty win against Torquay on Tuesday.
It was great to see Saints win their second league win in a row now and this is the first them I've seen them win away since the 2-1 victory against Reading last November, so all in all it was a very good evening.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 7 - Didn't let the difficult conditions effect him, his long goal kick led to Saint's third goal.

Lloyd James - 7 - Made some good crosses into the box and seems to have established himself as the team's corner taker.

Neal Trotman - 7 - Reacted quickly in the opposition's box to notch his first goal for the club, much improved at closing down after getting a rollocking from his boss on Saturday.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Neutralised the majority of Southend's attacking threats.

Dan Harding - 7 - Defended competently and linked up well with Lallana down the left hand side.

Paul Wotton - 7 - Made some good tackles and seems to have improved his passing.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Held the team together in the middle like he usually does.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Terrible attempt at winning a penalty by diving in the second half, but played his part in Saint'second goal.

Papa Waigo N'Diaye - 8 - Showed more glimpses of his quality and still managed to make some good runs despite the flooded surface.

Adam Lallana - 9 - Deserved his two goals and caused trouble for Southend all night by cutting inside from the left wing.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - Didn't get on the score board, but assisted in two of the goals, he has really improved in fitness since joining.

Subs-

Michali Antonio (on for N'Daiye) - 7 - Unlucky not to win a penalty late on after going on a mazy run before being stopped abruptly in the area.

Chris Perry (on for Wotton) - 6 - Steadied the ship when brought on to ensure no late goals were conceded.

Joseph Mills (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Had little time to make any impact.

Saints now have the week off before travelling to Oldham next Saturday, where they will hope to continue their winning run to pull themselves off the bottom of the table.

Tuesday 6th October 2009

2009-10-06T13:15:00.005+01:00

The Conservative party conference in Manchester is already in full flow, with leader David Cameron due to give his keynote speech later this week.
A year ago I was in support of a Conservative government, but recently I have become very sceptical of the party.
Although many will disagree, I trust David Cameron, I think he's genuine, but his similarities to Tony Blair make the general public very weary of him. He seems to have the right priorities should his party get into power, such as protecting the NHS (not all Tories are nasty and uncaring like Daniel Hannan, see blog entry 14th August) and improving state schools in the poorest areas, he just needs to find the right policies to achieve his vision for Britain.
However, I'm unsure of David Cameron's party as a whole, particularly his Shadow Cabinet. The majority of the Shadow Cabinet are millionaires, yet some still claimed extravagant expenses, such as Chris Grayling and Michael Gove, who were found to have 'flipped' their second homes. It's quite concerning that we could be governed by millionaires who are still greedy enough to claim petty expenses. My local MP Richard Benyon is a wealthy man, but he resisted the temptation to dip his hand into public money for expenses and was one of the MPs not implicated at all in the scandal. If Cameron wants to restore trust to politicians he should think about who he has in his Cabinet if the Tories win the general election. Perhaps getting rid of one or two of these dodgy Shadow ministers and replacing them with honest, respected MPs such as Richard Benyon would send out the right message. Alan Duncan was removed from his post of Shadow Leader of the Commons recently after saying some very stupid things (see blog entry 8th September), but I think Cameron needs to go further than this to restore public trust.
Another concern with this Shadow Cabinet is that they're out of touch with Britain. Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said a Tory government would be "sympathetic" for a request for thousands of more troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. Now from what I understand most of us want our brave soldiers out of the war zones as soon as possible. It should be a priority providing the right equipment to the soldiers already out in Afghanistan and Iraq, not sending more to war.
And recently Shadow Home Secretary compared Britain's streets to US television show The Wire, set in Baltimore. I've never seen The Wire, but I'm pretty sure we have a lower crime rate then the murder capital of America. There might be a problem with knife crime, but this comparison is completely over the top suggests how out of touch the Shadow Home Secretary is.
The next General Election is there for the Conservatives to lose and after Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne's speech today they may have just lost the support of a few people. The proposed public spending cuts will not have gone down well with those approaching their pension or public sector workers, as Nick Robinson blogs on the BBC website.
This week's conference is a big chance for the Conservatives to persuade the electorate to vote for them, but so far I'm not convinced.

Monday 5th October 2009

2009-10-05T11:02:00.008+01:00

Saints finally moved into positive points on Saturday with a very convincing 4-1 win at home to Gillingham.

Southampton dominated the early stages against average opposition so it was no surprise when they took the lead on 13 minutes, Rickie Lambert volleying home from a Dean Hammond cross. However, the away side made a rare opportunity count 10 minutes later with Luke Rooney equalising from the edge of the penalty area.

It could have been one of those frustrating afternoons which Saints fans have become accustomed too recently, but the lead was restored on 35 minutes when Papa Waigo scored his first goal for the club (the goal on Tuesday has been officially confirmed as Lambert's), finishing well from six yards out.

And Saints went 3-1 up just before half time through Adam Lallana, bringing a very satisfying first half to a close for the home side.

The second half wasn't quite as entertaining, but few will complain, as Saints added a fourth late on, Lallana scoring his second of the game.

This was undoubtedly Southampton's best performance of the season so far. The attacking trio of Lambert, Lallana and Waigo looked unstoppable and Gillingham created very few chances.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Didn't have much to do, but there when he was needed.

Lloyd James - 7 - Looked comfortable at right back, held his position well.

Neal Trotman - 6 - Has to take the blame for Gillingham's goal as he failed to close down.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Solid all match and an aerial threat from corners.

Dan Harding - 8 - Fast becoming a real fan's favourite for his persistence in tackling.

Paul Wotton - 7 - Got stuck in well and protected the defence competently.

Dean Hammond - 7 - With Wotton performing defensive duties in midfield Hammond was free to become a creative spark.

Jacob Mellis - 7 - More effective in the middle, showed some of his potential in the first half when he hit the post.

Papa Waigo N'Daiye - 8 - Showed at times he is real quality and finished well for his goal.

Adam Lallana - 9 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Ran Gillingham ragged down the left, judging by this performance he is one of the league's top players.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - Worked hard and deserved his goal, his best performance in a Saints shirt so far.

Subs-

Simon Gillett (on for Lallana) - 6 - Didn't have much to do, but played with his usual determination.

Lee Holmes (on for N'Daiye) - 6 -Brought on late, got a good reception from the St Marys crowd as he continues his comeback from injury.

Matt Paterson (on for Lambert) - 6 - Had too little time on the pitch to make an impact.

It was great to leave the ground on Saturday with that winning feeling and now we're finally out of minus points hopefully we can swiftly claw our way up the table.

Its a busy week ahead for Saints; tomorrow they play their first ever game in the Football League Trophy at home to Torquay before travelling to Essex on Friday to take on Southend.

Thursday 1st October 2009

2009-10-01T10:05:00.012+01:00

The Sun yesterday claimed to have made a "historic announcement" by ditching their support of the Labour Party.

There's no doubt that this was a huge blow for the government, as The Sun is the biggest selling daily paper, but I can't say I'm too surprised by their decision. Labour seem to have been hit hard by the announcement, which dominated the agenda at their party conference in Brighton yesterday.

A MORI report suggests that Labour have fallen behind the Liberal Democrats in the polls, the first time they're the third most popular party since the dark days of 1982. There may be a defeatist attitude among party ranks at the moment, but I would like to think the battle for power isn't over yet, despite the Conservatives huge lead in the polls. The Mirror may not have as many readers as The Sun, but I'm sure it will still support Labour through the tough times and if a successful campaign is launched in the days in the lead up to the general election they may still cling onto power. I must say I was very impressed with an article written by manifesto coordinator Ed Miliband in this month's New Statesman, as they seem to be thinking about rebuilding the economy with practical solutions:"We are helping to build the automotive industry of the future with our support for electric cars. But the Labour manifesto will go further pursuing an active industrial policy to build the economy of the future."Things seem to be better thought out than the Conservatives, though perhaps next week they will unveil their plans at their conference for rebuilding the British economy. However, I do wonder if there will be more to it than just public spending cuts.Going back to The Sun now, which yesterday included a poster with statistics listing all of "Labours failures". They focus on these studies which claim that Britain are generally the unhappiest out of 21 countries in Europe. However, I'll bet that the average working class person is happier now than he or she was in the 1980s when Thatcher's Conservatives were in power. I wasn't alive for most of the Thatcher years, so I can't see the full picture, but I don't see people rioting over mine closures and poll tax today.

Labour have a lot of work to do if they're to stay in power, but they can always hope that the Tories have peeked too early and we all know that its not over until its over...

Saints may be struggling in League One at the moment, but a piece by Paul Fletcher on the BBC website can put fan's minds at ease that things behind the scenes are better than they've been in years. Fletcher interviewed Executive Chairman Nicola Cortese, who seems to have the ambition to take the club forward. After years of boardroom politics I'm pleased that finally Saints have a owner in Markus Liebherr and a Chairman in Cortese who can work well together.

Here's the top rated Saints players based on games I've seen for October:

1. Dean Hammond - average rating 7.5, from 4 games

2. Neal Trotman - average rating 7.25, from 4 games

3. Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert - average rating 7.0, from 4 games

So Dean Hammond gets my vote for Saints player of the month. The former Colchester captain has been energetic in the middle of the park, covering a lot of ground as a box to box midfielder. He was my man of the match in the 2-0 win against Yeovil, Saints only league win this season.

Wedneday 30th September 2009

2009-09-30T09:59:00.003+01:00

Saints unbeaten home record came to an abrupt end last night after losing 3-2 to high flying Bristol Rovers. The visitors fell behind twice, but were able to stay in the game and grab a winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
Southampton started the brighter side and deservedly took the lead on 34 minutes when Adam Lallana finished from close range after some good build up play. But Rovers pulled themselves level before the end of the first half, with Chris Dickson rounding Kelvin Davis to comfortably slot home.
Saints went ahead for a second time early in the second half, with Papa Waigo being credited with his first goal for the club, making sure the ball went over the line after Rickie Lambert's header had hit the bar. After the game the referee confirmed the ball had already crossed the line before Waigo touched it, but the crowd at St Marys were not too fussed and enjoyed seeing the Senegalese international celebrate with his trademark dance.
However, Bristol Rovers equalised for a second time on the night when Jo Kuffour took advantage of Saint's complete failure to deal with a left wing cross to make it 2-2.
Both sides had opportunities to take the three points, but it was Rovers who went home with the victory, Andy Williams scoring from a great long range effort in the 5th minute of stoppage time.
From a Saints point of view, there are some real concerns over the team's inability to kill off the game. Both times after taking the lead, the players seemed happy just to sit back and let the opposition attack when they should have been pressing for further goals.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 5 - Was caught out of position for Rover's first goal. Everyone makes mistakes, but when the 'keeper does it proves to be more costly.

Lloyd James - 6 - Played some good balls into the Rover's box, but was playing too far forward for a right back.

Neal Trotman - 6 - Competent, but didn't deal with the threat for Rover's second goal.

Radhi Jaidi - 6 - Dominated in the air, however there are some concerns over his lack of pace.

Dan Harding - 6 - Worked tirelessly as always, error prone at times though.

Papa Waigo N'diaye - 7 - Always an attacking threat, caused problems for Bristol Rovers down the right wing.

Dean Hammond - 6 - Was booked for diving, then didn't back quick enough to help prevent Rover's first goal.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Some good long range passing, but didn't have a huge effect in the middle of the park.

Jacob Mellis - 5 - Did plenty of running, but was terrible every time he got the ball.

Adam Lallana - 7 - A great composed finish for the first goal, was Saints main creative spark.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Was heavily involved in both goals against his former club.

Subs-

Joseph Mills (on for Mellis) - 6 - Didn't have much effect on the game.

Marek Saganowski (on for Waigo) - 6 - Never really got going.

Paul Wotton (on for Schneiderlin) - 6 - Worked hard when brought on for the last few minutes, but couldn't help prevent the late winner.

So after grabbing a late equaliser away to Carlisle on Saturday, last night it was Saint's turn last night to feel the pain of conceding in stoppage time. I'm sure I'm not the only one worried about the player's fitness and concentration, the majority of goals conceded this season have been towards the end of the game.
We go into October still on minus points, not what we were expecting at the beginning of the season but a win at home to Gillingham on Saturday will finally put Saints into plus figures.

Apologies if there are a few inaccuracies, the Saints official website is down, so I haven't been able to check the match facts, all of this is written from my memory of last night's game.

Monday 28th September 2009

2009-09-28T11:24:00.008+01:00

Labour this week hope to convince the electorate they should stay in power with their annual party conference in Brighton.
The big issue so far has been about Gordon Brown's health, with Andrew Marr 'intrusively' quizzing the Prime Minister about whether he has been on prescribed medication to help with the pressures of the job. Once again a row has erupted between Labour and the BBC (remember The Hutton Report), but this time I'm going to have to take the side of the politicians. It appears the rumours of the PM using painkillers circulated from an Internet blog, which isn't the most trustworthy source of information. I'm sure if I had enough people reading this blog I could make up some crazy rumour which I could convince the world to be true. If this blog is the only source of information the BBC had on Brown's health, then perhaps it wasn't a very suitable subject area for Andrew Marr's interview yesterday.
Lord Mandelson has slammed the rumours as mere "right wing smears and slurs" and not for the first time in recent weeks I find myself agreeing with 'The Prince of Darkness' (see blog entry 17th September), as there appears to be no concrete proof. You never no, these "slurs" may work in Brown's favour, as I think he does need to show he has a human side to relate to voters.
Key individuals involved with Labour, including John Prescott, have expressed concerns over the defeatist attitude within the party, but this week is a chance to inject some much needed confidence.
I'm one of the many who need to be convinced to vote Labour and as well as the autumn conference, the election manifesto could persuade potential voters to mark a cross next to their party come the general election. Environment Secretary Ed Miliband is the man who has the job of manifesto coordinator, an "impossible task", acc ording to the BBC. Mr Miliband follows me on twitter, so on the very slight chance he's reading this (I don't expect him to be, he is after all, a very busy man), all the best, if you're manifesto appears to me the most appealing then you may have my vote. A year ago I had no intention of voting Labour, but after much pondering and influence from my left wing friends every day there is more and more chance I will vote for them on election day.

Going back to the issue of BNP leader Nick Griffin appearing on Question Time (see blog entry 7th September), I'm pleased to see Justice Secretary Jack Straw has announced he will appear alongside Griffin on the BBC panel show. Surely Straw is a much more able and intelligent debater than this fascist and will show him up to be the lightweight amateur that he is. I hope to see some other capable debaters from the the Conservative and Lib Dem frontbenches join Straw in the argument against fascism. As long as the anti fascist protesters don't grab the headlines then on 22 October Griffin will be exposed as an idiot for everyone to see.

Thursday 24th September 2009

2009-09-24T15:25:00.010+01:00

Nick Clegg yesterday drew the Liberal Democrat conference to a close with a speech which clearly indicated he wants to become Prime Minister.
With the possible likelihood of a hung Parliament after the next general election, the Conservatives and Labour may both look for a deal with the Liberal Democrats, but Clegg has stated he wants to be the man in number 10.
However, opinion polls since July put the Lib Dems on an average of 18.7%, which is 7% behind Labour and 22% adrift of the Conservatives, which suggests the electorate aren't in favour of a Liberal Democrat government. Realistically, I can't see the Lib Dems, who haven't had a Prime Minister since coalition leader David Lloyd George was ousted in 1922, returning to power any time soon and I think a successful election for them would be just improving on their 22.6% share of the vote from four years ago.
It is difficult to foresee when the Liberal Democrats will challenge Labour and the Tories for power. Lib Dem MPs weren't implicated in this years huge political story, the expenses scandal as much as other MPs. According to the BBC website, The Daily Telegraph exposed 12 Liberal Democrat MPs of abusing the system, compared with 112 Labour MPs and 80 Tory MPs ,but there are far less Lib Dems in the House of Commons and the claims of some key individuals in the party, including home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne (who claimed £119 for a Corby trouser press), were brought to public attention. If the Lib Dems had no dodgy expenses claims they could have labelled themselves as the clean and fair party and may have won over the electorate at a time when trust in politicians is at an all time low, but it looks as though all MPs, no matter what party the represent, have been tarred with the same brush. The expenses scandal could have been the big opportunity for the Liberal Democrats to challenge for government, but their poll rating hasn't significantly improved since the story broke, so it looks like they will remain as the third party of the House for some time yet.
So the Liberal Democrats have made their intentions clear in their last autumn conference before the general election. Next week the Labour party will be in Brighton for their conference as they look to convince voters that they should remain in power for a fourth consecutive term.

Monday 21st September 2009

2009-09-21T16:24:00.009+01:00

The political party conference season has kicked off this week with the Liberal Democrats in Bournemouth. I like to see myself as a politically motivated journalist, but not in the party political sense. On this blog at least, I try to be impartial. However, as a supporter of democracy, if there was a general election tomorrow I would have to vote so would most likely vote for the Lib Dem party, so I'm taking a particular interest in this conference.
Unfortunately I've been working today, so missed the keynote speech by Dr Vince Cable, the man who I think should be leading the party. But just reading up on the speech, I agree with their plans to tax owners of £1 million plus homes. Only 250,000 people would be affected and the proposed 0.5% annual levy would raise £1 billion. No doubt, the Conservatives aren't going to like this idea, but I'm sure those with a £1 million home can afford to pay the levy.
Dr Cable is a credit to his party and its a shame he's a member of the country's third party, as he would be very useful in government. I don't like the idea of a coalition government, but at least if we ever were to have one in the near future it would give Cable the opportunity to run the economy, I'm certain he would do a better job than Alastair Darling or George Osbourne. This is the man who forecast the credit crunch long before the economic collapse last year, if only the powers that be had listened to his warnings.
Vince Cable is probably the most respected individual in the House of Commons and I have nothing against Nick Clegg, but I think having Cable as leader of the Liberal Democrats could be worth plenty of more votes.
All three major party conferences this Autumn will focus on public spending cuts and today the Lib Dems have made clear what services they would cut, I agree with them that Trident should be scrapped.
However, the Lib Dems are treading on dangerous ground if they abandon their pledge to abolish student tuition fees. When I interviewed a Lib Dem councillor last year, I asked him why a young person should support his party and he reminded me that they are the only major party which consistently pushes for the abolition of student tuition fees. I think its safe to say that a large slice of Lib Dem voters are students, so abandoning this pledge will cost them in the polls. And today's students are tomorrow's politicians, company chairmen and newspaper editors, so it will be good to keep them in their good books. There is growing pressure on targeting students to fill the hole in the budget deficit after a report from business leaders says students should accept higher tuition fees and pay more for their loans, but we shouldn't discourage young people from going to university and gaining a degree.
That's all for me for now, I look forward to updating this blog more during the conference season.

Saturday 19th September 2009

2009-09-19T17:29:00.006+01:00

Saints finally won their first league game of the season after a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Yeovil this afternoon.
Penalties in each half from Rickie Lambert were enough to ensure three points in a game which Saints controlled from the start. The home side started out stronger and won a penalty just after 15 minutes when Marek Saganowski was fouled in the box. Lambert made no mistake from 12 yards out and despite some pressure from Yeovil, Southampton went into half time with the lead. Lambert then effectively killed the game off on 51 minutes with his second penalty which came about from a Yeovil hand ball in the area. With Saints 2-0 up the St Marys crowd could relax and enjoy themselves as the away team rarely threatened to pull one back.
To be fair, at the time I didn't think either penalty should have been given (I'll take a proper look at the highlights tomorrow), but after no wins in our first seven games I would've taken a win today in any shape or form.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 7 - Made some good saves when called into action and collected well from crosses.

Wayne Thomas - 6 - Did what was needed to be done at right back, offered little going forward though.

Neal Trotman - 7 - Strong in the air, but wasn't kept too busy by the Yeovil attack.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - Formed a good partnership with Trotman, encouraging home debut.

Dan Harding - 8 - Didn't put a foot wrong and played some good long balls down the left wing.

Lloyd James - 6 - Played some good passes, but some poor balls as well.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Made some great runs and put a few decent tackles in too.

Dean Hammond - 9 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Brilliant box to box play, protected the defence and was a creative spark.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Made some good runs and was an important component of the counter attack.

Marek Saganowski - 8 - Worked tirelessly and formed a strong partnership in attack with Lambert.

Rickie Lambert - 8 - Spot on with both penalties, played better than last week as he wasn't stranded up front on his own today.

Subs-

Jospeh Mills (on for Schneiderlin) - 7 - Energetic, made a crucial six yard box interception late on.

Papa Waigo N'Daiye (on Marek Saganowski) - 7 - Showed a glimpse of his skill with some creative attacking play.

Paul Wotton (on for Thomas) - 7 - Won the ball and kept it well in the middle of the park.

So there is a lot of positives to take from today's game, now with their first win under their belts we're all helping Saints can go on a winning streak, starting with the long trip to Carlisle next Saturday.

Thursday 17th September 2009

2009-09-17T13:55:00.006+01:00

No matter who is in government after the next general election, the chances of heavy public spending cuts are looking more and more likely, with Lord Mandelson hinting this week that Labour cannot solve problems simply by throwing money at them.
The debate over which services will be cut will be brought up constantly in the build up to the election and has become a big issue already. Conservative leader David Cameron will decrease ministerial pay and reduce the number of government cars if he becomes Prime Minister, but these cuts won't make huge savings.
Now I'm not a huge admirer of Lord Mandelson, but I think he's spot on with these alleged suggestions that the Trident nuclear submarine programme and ID cards could be abandoned or delayed to save money. Introducing compulsory ID cards costing £100 is hugely unpopular, I'm yet to meet someone who is in favour of the idea, its seen as just another way of taking away civil liberties and a complete waste of money.
Opposition will welcome abolishing ID cards, but failing to renew Trident will no doubt split opinion. We know the Liberal Democrats are not in favour of renewing the nuclear deterrent system, with Nick Clegg believing the world has moved on. I can't imagine the Tories will approve of this though, as the traditional Conservative wants Britain to continue to be a world superpower which they believe can only be achieved if Trident is renewed.
I don't see a need for Trident to be renewed, as its a luxury which we can only afford when finances are more stable. I would much rather see the money saved from Trident go towards providing our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq with proper equipment.
It will be interesting to see which public spending cuts will be announced over the next few months.

Going back to my blog on a televised leaders debate in the lead up to the election (see September 3rd entry), Gordon Brown is considering the offer, which Cameron and Clegg have already accepted. Sky has said they will leave an empty chair where Brown would have sat if he refuses the debate and this will be embarrassing for the Prime Minister, so its important for him and his party he takes up the offer. However, whilst doing some research for my dissertation last week, I was interested to find that in the build up to the 1992 general election Prime Minister at the time John Major refused to take part in a TV debate. Major and his Conservative party were still in power after Britain went to the polls, which suggests that if Brown spurns the opportunity to go head to head with his counterparts on live television it won't be the be all and end all.

Sunday 13th September 2009

2009-09-13T12:03:00.003+01:00

Saints ended Charlton's 100% league record yesterday with an entertaining 1-1 draw at The Valley.
The away team, whose 3,000 traveling fans created a great atmosphere, took the lead towards the end of the first half when Adam Lallana converted a low Wayne Thomas cross. But Charlton rallied in the second half when Deon Burton capitalised on a defensive mix up to equalise from close range within 5 minutes of the restart. Southampton then rode their luck a bit, with the home team having plenty of opportunities to kill the game, but were denied by the woodwork. In reflection, a draw seems a fair result, Saints played better in the first half, whereas Charlton looked stronger in the second half.
One concern for Saints fans after today would be the team's lack of confidence in front of goal. Plenty of opportunities were created in the first half, but there was no composure in the penalty area. The 4-5-1 tactic adopted by Pardew for this game suggests a priority was avoiding defeat, rather than taking all three points, as Lambert didn't get much support from the midfield.
Southampton are the first team to take any points from table topping Charlton, so this is a positive and something to build on in the next few games, as they look for their first league win of the season.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 6 - Didn't take the cross that led to Charlton's goal, but redeemed himself later with a good near post save.

Wayne Thomas - 6 - Played a good ball into the box for Lallana to score, but was lacking defensively.

Chris Perry - 8 - Dominant in the air, outstanding considering his limited height.

Neal Trotman - 8 - Another encouraging performance from the Preston loanee, like Perry he won most of the balls in the air.

Dan Harding - 7 - Showed grit and determination, not afraid to get stuck in.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Took his goal well, was a constant attacking threat.

Dean Hammond 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Was always involved in the action, covered a lot of ground in protecting defence and setting up attack.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Played some good long balls and had a few shots on goal from a distance.

Lloyd James - 6 - Was solid, but didn't offer much in attack, would've preferred to have seen another striker instead of packing the midfield with him.

Joseph Mills - 6 - Struggled to cope with Charlton's physical approach and took a few knocks, but tried hard to be involved in the game.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Looked isolated up front on his own, always outnumbered by the Charlton defence.

Subs-

Radhi Jaidi (on for Perry) - 6 - The debutant gave confidence to defence when brought on, wasn't afraid to get forward.

Jacob Mellis (on for Mills) - 6 - Best used as an impact sub, unlucky not to win a penalty late on.

Papa Waigo N'diaye (on for Lallana) - 6 - His very brief appearance delighted the away crowd, made a good tackle in stoppage time to prevent a Charlton counter.

I can't complain too much about an away point against the promotion contenders, it was an enjoyable day out, but Saints are still looking for their first league win, which we all hope will come at home to Yeovil next Saturday.
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A special thank you to Martin Barrett for sorting out the website and linking my old page to this blog. If anyone needs a professional website created then visit http://www.mediapictures.co.uk/ for more information.

Tuesday 8th September 2009

2009-09-08T14:34:00.014+01:00

Tory MP Alan Duncan has been demoted from shadow leader of the Commons after the comments he made last month whilst being secretly filmed. Duncan caused a stir in the wake of the expenses scandal by claiming MPs were expected to live off "rations". He will now take on the role of shadow prisons minister, while former transport secretary Sir George Young replaces him as shadow leader of the Commons.
I'm sure Tory leader David Cameron was reluctant to demote Duncan, who is seen as part of the modern and liberal wing of the party. He is the first openly gay Conservative MP, which means he has a big following in the gay community, so plays a big part in helping the party appeal to that area of the electorate. However, this whole "MPs living off rations" business was one gaff too many for Duncan, who has been heavily implicated in the expenses scandal. He has a big public profile thanks to his regular appearances on Have I Got News For You, a show which has seen him been ridiculed on due to his role in the scandal.
This is the second time this year Alan Duncan has attracted negative media attention after opening his mouth and saying the wrong thing. In April he made some questionable comments about Miss California USA 2009 publicly opposing same sex marriages on Have I Got News For You.
This expenses scandal is no doubt the political story of the year and refuses to go away. Cameron has pledged to cut costs by ending subsidised food and alcohol for MPs and cutting ministerial salaries if he becomes Prime Minister. This continues to ask the question are Members of Parliament paid too much or too little for the amount of work they do? Ministers, who have many more responsibilities than the average MP, can earn between £92,000 and £139,000 a year, a nice amount to take home, but not as much as investment bankers, footballers Chief Executives of some firms.
A political expert I spoke to recently about the matter of politicians pay said that MPs are poorly paid and he was not surprised that they had been abusing the system by claiming expenses on ridiculous purchases. However, I'm sure the general public will feel it should be an honour and a privilege to serve the UK in Westminster and the amount MPs get paid should not be an issue.

This week I've been re watching the brilliant BBC sitcom The Office on DVD and had forgot how genius the show is. At the time, the fly on the wall format of the show was unique and groundbreaking and has been copied on many other shows internationally. Ricky Gervais has since gone on to make it big in America, but he'll do well to write anything better again than The Office. There are some truly cringe worthy moments when you watch David Brent's antics through your fingers and think "what the hell is he doing?!?" and everyone knows a Gareth Keenan. In fact, just the other day my friend was telling me he works with a "Gareth" at Somerfields and from what he tells me there are many similarities between the fictional office worker and the supermarket checkout assistant. The Office was first shown on our screens in 2001 and I believe that since then the only sitcom that has come close to the genius and brilliance of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's work is The Thick Of It, which also goes with the fly on the wall style, but set in a government department. If you liked The Office then chances are you'll love The Thick Of It as well.

Monday 7th September 2009

2009-09-07T17:18:00.007+01:00

The British National Party have made the headlines again after it was revealed the BBC may invite their leader Nick Griffin to appear as a panellist on Question Time.
This has caused a bit of an uproar and many feel the BNP shouldn't be allowed to have their views represented on one of the BBC's most watched political shows. Griffin is bound to get a hostile reception from the audience, maybe similar to what we saw when he was pelted with eggs at Westminster after being elected to the European Parliament (see June 9th post on here).
But perhaps the best way to approach this character is to give him an opportunity to debate so he can be showed up as a lightweight politician whose party only get so much media attention because of their far right beliefs. What we need are a few senior MPs and one or two other political experts to appear on Question Time with Griffin to engage in debate with him and show that his ideas won't work in a modern Britain without causing a small civil war. Add a few intelligent members of the audience to ask questions and a decent chair in David Dimbleby and we have all the ingredients for demonstrating to everyone that Nick Griffin is not a politician, but an idiot whose ideas will simply not work.
I have nothing against the anti fascist protesters who threw eggs at Griffin back in June, but I think that if he does appear on Question Time they should let him speak and hopefully get then he will be shown up as the lightweight that he is who only gets more attention than other small parties because of his controversial opinions.

Sunday 6th September 2009

2009-09-06T15:02:00.006+01:00

Saints are still looking for their first league win of the season after drawing 0-0 at home to Colchester yesterday in a very boring game.
The visitors had Kemel Izzet sent off in the first half, but Saints failed to make the numerical advantage count and were reduced mainly to long shots.
This has been a very disappointing start to the season, no wins, four draws and two defeats, a win is desperately needed soon to build confidence at St Marys. New loan signing Papa Waigo was unveiled to the crowd before the game and most of us are hoping he can inspire his under performing team mates to victory. There was a real lack of creatively yesterday and the final ball into the box was always poor for Saints. On the plus side, things look to be improving defensively, with Neal Trotman playing well at centre back and new signing Radhi Jaidi will add steel to the back four.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 7 - Didn't have much to do, but as captain was constantly giving instructions to team mates trying to motivate them.

Wayne Thomas - 7 - Much better at right back than at centre back, looked a threat going forward.

Chris Perry - 7 - Dealt with rare Colchester attacks effectively, always in the right place at the right time at the back.

Neal Trotman - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Strong in the air and competent on the ground, hardly put a foot wrong.

Dan Harding - 6 - Did OK, but nearly gifted Colchester a goal with a poor clearance in the first half, resulting in them hitting the bar, which was their best chance.

Jacob Mellis - 5 - Hardly saw the ball, had little effect on the game before being subbed at half time.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Solid as the holding midfielder, limited his former side's opportunities in the final third of the pitch.

Lloyd James - 6 - Looked much more comfortable in midfielf rather than at right back, passing was hit and miss.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Energetic on the left wing in the first half, has less impact on the game in the second half when moved.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - I expected better from him, didn't connect often with crosses into the box.

Matt Paterson - 4 - Missed two great first half chances and was caught offside far too often.

Subs-

Joseph Mills (on for Mellis) - 5 - Made some good runs, but terrible at crossing.

Jake Thomson (on for Paterson) - 5 - Played some dreadful passes, very ineffectual.

Morgan Scheiderlin (on for Perry) - 6 - Solid defensively, but offered very little threat in attack.

Worrying times at St Marys, most of us were expected Saints to be out of minus points by now, but they still sit firmly at the foot of the League One table on -6. Next Saturday we travel to London to watch Saints take on Charlton, who are top of the league and have won all six of their games so far this season. If there's a time to turn around this dismal form its now, I'll be going to the game to support the team, but I suppose if we don't expect much we won't be too disappointed!

Thursday 3rd September 2009

2009-09-03T00:23:00.013+01:00

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything political on this blog, so here goes…

Sky are trying to sort out a live televised debate between the leaders of the three big parties in the lead up to the next general election, which I think is a good idea and would add an extra dimension.
One of the most interesting parts of the US Presidential election is the live televised debate, as seen last year when Obama and McCain went head to head and attracted large audiences. Many will agree that seeing Brown and Cameron clash at Prime Minister’s Questions on a Wednesday afternoon is as entertaining as British politics gets and that we need this entertainment to engage more potential voters.
Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have stated they are keen for televised leader’s debate so the pressure is now on Gordon Brown to accept their challenge. Ever since he failed to call an autumn election almost two years ago Brown has been seen as a bottler so this is the perfect opportunity for him to prove his doubters wrong. I’m sure Tony Blair would’ve relished taking part in a televised debate with his opponents, but as we know, his successor prides himself on substance over style.
Brown’s party will be behind him and will want him to take on the leaders of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. On his twitter account, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott claims “Gordon can beat Cameron any day of the week. Doesn’t need to go on Sky to prove it.”
And my friend Sam Elliott, a member of the Labour Party, thinks Brown should “accept the debate and show Cameron to be the same old tax-cuts-for-the-rich Tory that he is.”
Prescott also argues that if the debate takes place, it should take place on BBC television and not on Sky and I agree with him. I think Jeremy Paxman would be the perfect candidate to chair the debate between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, as we all know Paxman would not let any of them off the hook and make sure all three answer the question being asked.
We’re just waiting now for Gordon Brown to accept the challenge laid down before him, a televised debate could really get the public’s interest before the general election, so watch this space…

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

2009-09-02T14:15:00.008+01:00

The transfer window closed yesterday and, as expected, there were no huge surprises on the scale we witnessed on last year's deadline day.
The biggest deal of the day was Niko Kranjcar's move from Portsmouth to Tottenham, Harry Redknapp raiding his old club for yet another player, not that I'm complaining though!
Saints have made one addition to their squad, finally announcing the signing of Tunisian centre back Radhi Jaidi this morning, subject to work permit clearance. At 6'4", he should plug the hole at the back and will go some way towards solving the defending set pieces problems. If only he had been signed earlier in the summer.
It would have been nice to have signed a striker and winger as well, but if Marek Saganowski starts to show a bit more commitment and Pardew uses Lee Holmes effectively on the left then these issues will be resolved.
Pardew hasn't brought in a replacement for the injured Greame Murty at right back, but the loan window for League One clubs reopens in a week and Wayne Thomas can be played there until Murty returns.

If it was up to me, here's the strongest team I would put out:

In Goal------------------ Davis -----------------------

Defence --- Thomas -- Jaidi --- Trotman ----- Harding

Midfield -- Mellis -----Hammond --- Lallana ---- Holmes

Up front------------ Lambert------ Saganowski --------

I imagine Pardew would opt for something similar, but based on his team selection so far this season he seems to prefer playing Adam Lallana on the left wing and partnering Dean Hammond with either Lloyd James, Paul Wotton or Morgan Schneiderlin in central midfield. However, I think Lallana is more effective playing through the middle and Holmes will give the team the width that is needed.
Saints are at home to Colchester on Saturday and really need to pick up their first league win of the season soon.

Monday 31st August 2009

2009-08-31T22:40:00.006+01:00

In just under 18 hours the transfer window slams shut and English clubs will no longer be able to buy players. Managers up and down the country will be looking to make a few last minute deals before 5pm on Tuesday, but I think there will be an anti climax.
It will take a lot to beat last season's summer transfer deadline day, when Manchester City were taken over by billionaires and just hours later smashed the British transfer record by signing Robinho from under the noses of Chelsea. They also made an audacious attempt to sign Dimitar Berbatov, but the Bulgarian striker eventually completed his move to Manchester United after months of speculation.
So I can't imagine any huge transfers on the scale we witnessed last year happening tomorrow, but lets hope I'm proved wrong. Most important for me is that Southampton boost their squad, as they're still looking for their first league win of the season. I think a right back (possibly on loan to replace the injured Greame Murty), centre back, winger and striker are all needed, but I can't see four players signing tomorrow, once again I hope I'm proved wrong though.

Over the weekend I watch The Damned United on DVD, a brilliant film which tells the story of Brian Clough's ill fated spell as manager of Leeds United in 1974. Michael Sheen plays Cloughie perfectly and gets all his mannerisms down to a tee. Interestingly, some of the best scenes are the deleted ones that come as a bonus with the DVD, my favourite one being when Clough burns his predecessor Don Revie's desk in the club car park to get rid of his legacy.
Brian Clough's family were upset with the film as well as David Peace's novel which the film is based on, but I think Sheen gives credit to the great man. After watching this film Its certainly clear that there are very few larger than life characters like Clough left in the game today.

Friday 28th August 2009

2009-08-28T14:44:00.007+01:00

With it being nearly a year since I did work experience at Channel Four News (see work experience diary), I thought I would add my brief television appearance to this blog. Also, I'm hoping to change the website hosting the clip, samdolton.co.uk, so by uploading it onto here it stays alive online. Enjoy!

Thursday 27th August 2009

2009-08-27T15:47:00.009+01:00

Tory MEP Daniel Hannan has put his foot in it once again and embarrassed his party by claiming his political hero is the racist Enoch Powell.
Following on from his comments earlier this month which criticised the NHS (see August 14th entry of this blog), I can't help but feel that Hannan is pushing his luck with Conservative leader David Cameron, who is trying to modernise the party. It seems to me that Hannan is testing Cameron and seeing how far he can take things before being disciplined and possibly expelled from the Conservative party. He is making a more outrageous right wing statement every week that if he carries on at this rate he'll soon be praising the work of the BNP.
Hannan attracts such bad publicity for his party that it makes people such as myself who are still undecided about who to vote for in the next General Election very skeptical about voting Tory. Its a great shame that as an MEP for South-East England he is representing me in the European Parliament, its individuals such as him that persuaded me to vote for the Green party in June's election. The more David Cameron dissociates himself with this egotistical, attention seeking, right-wing idiot the better chance he has of becoming Prime Minister after the next General Election.

Since the start of the football season, I've been giving Saints players a rating out of 10 for every game I've seen them play. Since I won't be travelling to Stockport on Saturday, Tuesday's Carling Cup defeat to Birmngham was my last Saints game this month. Here are my top three rated players for August:

1. Dan Harding - average rating 7.75, from 4 games
2. Kelvin Davis - average rating 7.5, from 4 games
3. Greame Murty - average rating 7.0, from 2 games

So, based on the games I've seen, Dan Harding is my Saints player of the month. The left back appears to be Saints most effective summer signing so far, lets hope he can keep up this form. Last year's player of the season Kelvin Davis has had another good month, but at this level its slightly concerning he's still being kept busy in goal, hopefully the defence will improve to give him more protection.
Greame Murty has looked really solid at right back from the games I've seen him play for Saints, but it looks like the knee ligament injury he suffered on Tuesday will keep him out for a while. Pardew needs to sign another right back, as I'm not convinced Lloyd James's best position is in defence.

Murty was scheduled to meet fans at West Quay this afternoon, but his injury meant Matt Patterson took his place alongside Rickie Lambert to sign autographs. I went to meet the two strikers earlier (see picture below), nice lads, felt a bit sorry for Patterson as everyone wanted to chat to Rickie Lambert and weren't too interested in talking to him.

Above: Me posing with strikers Rickie Lambert and Matt Patterson at the Saints West Quay store earlier today.

Wednesday 26th August 2009

2009-08-26T14:04:00.010+01:00

Last night's Carling Cup game between West Ham and Millwall was marred by violent scenes between fans both inside and outside the ground.
A lot has already been said about the actions of the supporters, but I think the situation should have been handled better by the police.
When the draw for the Carling Cup 2nd round was made a couple of weeks ago, I remember watching it in the pub and straight away we all said there would be trouble in this game. Surely if we could have predicted riots then the Metropolitan police could have worked it out.
There was a police presence around Upton Park last night, but the fact that back up had to be called shows that not enough police were on the scene to begin with. When Millwall came to St Marys earlier this month (see video at bottom of this post) Southampton city centre was packed with police (it was just like watching The Bill!) and apart from the incident outside Yates on that day, the operation was a success.
After watching footage of last night's game, I was surprised there weren't more stewards in Upton Park to prevent the pitch invasion when West Ham equalised. I would've expected stewards to form a wall between the stands and the pitch, but there were gaps which allowed fans to get onto the pitch. If necessary, the cost of extra policing and stewarding could be charged to both clubs. This was done last season at Southampton when Rupert Lowe spent £60,000 extra on policing at games until the end of the season after protests during Saint's home defeat to Doncaster in January.
Both West Ham and Millwall have very passionate sets of supporters and this is probably the fiercest off field rivalry in British football. Just look back to the clashes between West Ham's Inter City Firm and Millwall's Bushwackers in the 1980s for further evidence.
Lets just hope last night's scenes don't effect England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Above: A heavy police presence prevented trouble when Millwall played Southampton earlier this month.

Tuesday 25th August 2009

2009-08-26T00:25:00.006+01:00

Saints played well tonight and were unfortunate to get knocked out of the FA Cup, losing 2-1 at home to Birmingham.
Southampton outplayed their Premier league counterparts and heavy pressure paid off just after half time when Adam Lallana curled a well struck shot into the top right corner. The home side looked like doubling their lead, but the Blues equalised against the run of play through Lee Bowyer on 76 minutes. Lee Carsley grabbed a late winner from close range for Birmingham and after that Saint's heads dropped and there was no way back into the game.
Most worringly for Saints is the injury to right back Greame Murty, who faces a long spell on the sidelines with what looks like knee ligament damage. Murty was stretchered off the pitch with oxygen in the second half.
The result wasn't right, but I didn't have high expectations for tonight so I'm pleased Saints managed to outplay a Premier league side.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Made some good saves, two particularly good ones from free kicks.

Greame Murty - 7 - Was coping well with Birmingham attack until horrific looking injury, result may have been different if he stayed on the pitch.

Chris Perry - 7 - Was usually in the right place at the right time to clear most danger.

Wayne Thomas - 6 - Did OK, but not as competent in the air as Trotman was on Saturday.

Dan Harding - 8 - A real threat going forward and didn't neglect his defensive responsibilities.

Jacob Mellis - 6 - Showed some creative spark, but slightly lightweight.

Lloyd James - 6 - Looked much more comfortable in midfield before he was moved to right back.

Paul Wotton - 6 - Much better than last week's performance at Swindon, worked hard in midfield.

Adam Lallana - 7 - Great goal, but perhaps not as effective on the wing as he would be in central midfield.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Often out of position, drifted into midfield when he should be playing more forward.

Marek Saganowski - 7 - Worked hard, but is that because he's looking to move before the transfer window closes?

Subs-

Simon Gillett (on for Murty) - 6 - Saw little of the ball and didn't get characteristically stuck in.

Morgan Schneiderlin (on for Wotton) - 6 - Didn't provide the attacking threat that was needed after going 2-1 down.

Matt Patterson (on for Saganowski) - 6 - Made little impact when brought on late.

Saints travel to Stockport on Saturday and I'm sure if they play as well as they did tonight then they will finally get their first league win of the season.

Monday 24th August 2009

2009-08-24T12:12:00.009+01:00

I finished reading Matt Le Tissier's autobiography Taking Le Tiss yesterday and as expected, its a great read. Le Tiss spent his whole career at Southampton Football Club at a time when they had numerous managers and an arrogant, pompous Chairman in Rupert Lowe. We find out that the late Alan Ball was Matt's favourite manager to play under, while Ian Branfoot, Greame Souness and Glenn Hoddle were not so popular with "Le God". We also great a great insight into Matt's team mates over the years, with amusing anecdotes about the likes of Jimmy Case, David Speedie and Richard Dryden.
Its clear from reading this book that Matt Le Tissier is as big a fan of Saints as any one else and has been hurt by the club's recent downfall. The harshest words in his book are reserved for Rupert Lowe and I'm sure most fans will agree 100% with what he says about the pompous, egotistical toff.
This book is a must read for every Saints fan, who can relive the glory days by reading about Le Tiss reflecting on his best moments and favourite goals.

Last night I watched Armando Iannucci's political comedy In The Loop on DVD, the funniest film I have seen this year. Having already watched the film at the cinema a few months ago I knew what to expect, but I loved it just as much as watching it first time.
In The Loop is about the diplomatic relations between the UK and America in the lead up to a war not too dissimilar to the Iraq conflict. In England, the plot follows the hapless Minister of International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), who is made to support the war by the Prime Minister's brutal enforcer Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). Across the Atlantic, US Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomacy Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy) and Major General Miller (James Gandolfini AKA Tony Soprano) try to avoid going to war.
The script is excellent and takes swearing to a whole new level, particularly the lines of Malcolm Tucker and his "attack dog" Jamie MacDonald (Paul Higgins), who takes his anger over a leaked document out on a fax machine in one particularly funny scene.
In The Loop is a great parody on the diplomacy over the Iraq war, which involved the infamous "dodgy dossier". This situation can be likened to that one and it shows that politicians will spin intelligence to support their actions which otherwise would have little evidence to back up.
Like The Thick Of It, the TV programme its based on, In The Loop is a must see film for any one with even the slightest interest in politics, diplomacy or international relations.

Saturday 22nd August 2009

2009-08-22T17:35:00.006+01:00

I think the word average best describes Saint's performance in the 1-1 draw at home to Brentford this afternoon. There was some good play, but not enough was done to secure the three points.
Saints dominated the first half, but failed to get many shots on target. The second half looked to be the same story, but Dan Harding broke the deadlock for the home side on 73 minutes, scoring his first goal for the club. The left back controlled a Rickie Lambert header and fired in from three yards out, much to the relief of the majority of St Marys.
17 minutes were left to hold out for victory, but this is Southampton we're taling about and after scoring I couldn't help but feel our celebrations would be short lived. Brentford restarted looking for the equaliser which they deservedly got eight minutes later. Ryan Dickson was given a ridiculously easy passage down the left flank and he crossed for Cleveland Taylor to score from a diving header. Both teams had chances to win the game late on, but the game finished even with the away side by far the happier.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 7 - Steadied the ship when Brentford threatened to nick a winner in the final minutes.

Lloyd James - 5 - Has to take the blame for Brentford's goal, looked too scared to tackle Dickson.

Chris Perry - 6 - Read the game well as always, which made up for his lack of pace, but still a liability in the air.

Neal Trotman - 6 - At last Saints have that ball winner in the air they so desperately need, but he really should have headed home from a corner in the first half.

Dan Harding - 9 - MAN OF THE MATCH - Great tackling, good crossing into the box and capped another impressive performance with his first goal for Saints.

Jacob Mellis - 6 - Full of energy again, but perhaps burnt himself out too soon and was subbed at half time.

Dean Hammond - 6 - The debutant didn't make a huge impact on the game, but was a lot more effective in central midfield than Wotton was against Swindon on Tuesday night.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - His chances were limited to long range efforts.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Often made the wrong pass when he should have gone for a better option.

Matt Patterson - 5 - Showed a total lack of composure in front of goal and was rightly subbed at half time.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Had a few opportunities, but didn't chase the ball enough.

Subs-

Jake Thomson (on for Mellis) - 5 - Made a few good runs, but gave away possession in dangerous areas and was humiliated by being nutmegged late on.

Marek Saganowski (on for Patterson) - 5 - Had little impact on the game when brought on at half time.

Gregorz Rasiak (on for Lambert) - 6 - Didn't have time to effect the outcome of the match.

Very worryingly, that's just 2 points from Saints first 4 games, still on -8. I hate to say this, but if the team don't put more points on the board soon then we could have another relegation battle on our hands, its obvious Pardew needs to add to the side further with another centre back, a natural winger and a strike partner to bring the best of out Lambert.

Friday 21st August 2009

2009-08-21T13:59:00.004+01:00

The big news story this week has been Scottish Government's decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer.
The Libyan man, who was convicted of killing of murdering 270 people when Pan Am flight 103 exploded in 1988, was freed by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill yesterday. This decision has provoked an angry reaction, most notably from US President Barack Obama.
But an issue here is should Scottish Government be given the power to release convicted terrorists? Since New Labour devolved power from Westminster and Whitehall, Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament have been given more responsibility in legislature that previously would've been made in London. Perhaps this whole incident suggests that devolution is not a good idea and sensitive cases such as this one should be handled by Whitehall.

Sorry to keep it so short today, must get back to reading my book!

Thusday 20th August 2009

2009-08-20T13:57:00.009+01:00

I've just got back from the book signing of Matt Le Tissier, as he promotes his autobiography, Taking Le Tiss, out today. It was great to finally meet the legend, who is as genuinely friendly in person as he appears to be in front of Sky cameras. I was also pleased my tribute to Le Tiss made it into the book in the What The Fans Say section, my entry is on page 308!
Whilst waiting for two hours at St Marys to meet Le Tiss, I was thinking how this book would compare to the other football autobiographies I've read. Here's my top five-

5. Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino-
This may seem a strange choice for my top five, Ireland international Cascarino was hardly the most legendary or controversial player in the game. But after reading good reviews about this book, I took it away on holiday with me a few years ago. Cascarino is completely honest about his career in his book and reveals that he doesn't actually have any Irish blood in him, despite being one of the countries most prolific goalscorers. The detail Cascarino goes into about his self doubt and gambling problems make this book stand out from the average footballer autobiography.

4. Farewell but not Goodbye: Bobby Robson-
The passing away of Sir Bobby last month highlighted just how respected the former England manager was in the game. This book was a very good read and without the scandal and controversy that most autobiographies include. There are some very interesting stories about his time as England manager, as well as a few good anecdotes involving Ipswich, Newcastle and the clubs he managed on the continent.

3. My Manchester United Years: Sir Bobby Charlton-
Sir Bobby Charlton is perhaps the greatest Englishman to ever play the game and here he tells the story of his club career. Charlton talks of the Busby Babes, the tragic Munich air disaster of 1958 and the rebuilding of the Manchester United squad which led to triumph in the European Cup in 1968. The chapters concerning the Munich plane crash are particularly moving and the reader has great empathy for the man who lost some of his closest friends and is still haunted by it today.

2. Cloughie: Walking On Water (Brian Clough)-
Brian Clough is undoubtedly the most charismatic man to ever be involved in English football and this book focuses on his playing career, his successful spells at Nottingham Forest and Derby and his failures at Leeds United. "Old big head's" larger than life personality is apparent throughout the book and he is frank when giving opinions on the individuals he came across in his career and the current state of the game.

1. Keane: The Autobiography (Roy Keane)-
I'm not a fan of players writing books before they've even hung up their boots, but this book caused such controversy when it was released in 2002 that it has to go straight to the top of my list. Keano talks about the numerous fights he's been involved in over the years, how he purposely tried to injure another player and gives his side of the infamous bust up with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy before the 2002 World Cup. Keane is a remarkable character and is more than happy to criticise anyone he disagrees with in this book, including his own team mates.

I wonder where Le Tissier's book will rank alongside these, I've already made a start on it and will try and finish it as soon as possible so I can post a review on here shortly.

Wednesday 19th August 2009

2009-08-19T13:26:00.005+01:00

Last night Saints lost their second game in three days, going down 1-0 at Swindon in a very disappointing performance.
Over 3,000 away fans made the short journey, a very good travelling support for a midweek game, but the team couldn't match the fan's passion and enthusiasm.
Swindon scored early in the first half from a corner through Sean Morrison, again no one in a Saints shirt dealt with the aerial threat. Despite having most of the game to equalise, there was no sense of urgency at all. Saints sat back and played as though they were 3-0 up, I lost count the number of times the ball was played back to 'keeper Kelvin Davis when they were better attacking opportunities up the field. Pardew has to take some blame for the defeat, his tactics were negative and he introduced substitutes too late in the game to make an impact.
Fair play to Swindon though, they continued to attack after going 1-0 up and defended well to get the win they deserved.

Saints player ratings-

Kelvin Davis - 7 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Kept the score down once again, different season and a different league, but the same old story.

Lloyd James - 5 - Went forward too often, leaving his flank exposed.

Oliver Lanchashire - 4 - Clumsy as always, looked a big liability.

Wayne Thomas - 5 - Disappointing, didn't give the team the assurances that was needed in defence.

Dan Harding - 6 - Saint's best defender, cleared up the mess the others failed to.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Made some good forward runs, but still no end product.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 5 - Was lacking both in attack and defensively.

Paul Wotton - 3 - Had a very bad game, was skinned far too often and hoofed the ball away on the rare occasions he was in possession.

Jacob Mellis - 6 - Looked lively in the first half, subdued in the second half.

Matt Patterson - 5 - Too lightweight, again he was shoved off the ball far too easily.

Rickie Lambert- 6 - Had a few chances, didn't get enough support from midfield.

Pardew brought on the subs too late, so I can't give them a rating.

Brentford at home on Saturday, still on -9 points, the only way is up!

Sunday 16th August 2009

2009-08-16T10:01:00.003+01:00

I just hope Saints boss Alan Pardew realises he needs to strenghen the squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Yesterday's 3-1 defeat at Huddersfield was unacceptable and after watching the goals this morning its clear Southampton need a defender with good heading ability.
Chris Perry has been a dedicated servent since joining the club permanently last year, but the former Tottenham centre back is in his mid thirties and his lack of pace is apparent. He also struggled to cope with Huddersfield's aerial threat which helped them score their second and third goals yesterday and I'm sure many other teams will try and play a direct game against Saints this season now they've spotted the weakness.
Another centre back, Oliver Lanchashire, is still too inexperienced, even for league one and could benefit with a loan spell at a league two club.
The best news for Saints fans this week was the £1 million signing of Rickie Lambert from Bristol Rovers, surely one of the best strikers in the league. Rickie has started well, with two goals in as many games and has the potential to become a real cult hero at St Marys. Hopefully Pardew will bring in another striker to play alongside Lambert, as both Saganowski and Rasiak don't look interested in playing for the club and clearly wanted to get out as soon as possible.
A big game for me personally up next on Tuesday, as Saints travel to Wiltshire to take on Swindon. With a few of my mates being huge Swindon fans, this is an opportunity to gain some early season bragging rights.

Friday 14th August 2009

2009-08-14T16:16:00.005+01:00

Parliament may be in the middle of its summer recess, but that hasn't stopped the breaking of a big political story this week, after Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan has said some strong words about the NHS. The contraversy comes after President Barack Obama faces opposition from the right wing over plans to implement a National Health Service in America.
In the wake of the comments by Hannan, I think Health Secretary Andy Burnham was right to label him unpatriotic today. The introduction of the NHS in 1948 was one of the great achievements of the twentieth century that British peope should be proud of. It may have a few problems and has been reformed over the years, most notably by Thatcher in the 1980s, but the core principles of providing a free, universal health care system for everyone remains today.
In my view I think Daniel Hannan has a huge ego and will open his mouth without thinking properly in order to get some media attention. Refer back to my blog from March 26th this year for details on his extreme attack on Gordon Brown.

I write this from the office of the Newbury Weekly News, as I complete my last day of work experience here. I have thoroughly enjoyed the week, its been great working at a local newspaper at "the heart of the community", as their slogan says. Its been good to get some work published both online and in print and this week has given me a good indication of what I want to do when I graduate next year. I've also found out that I must definately learn shorthand!

More updates to come on Saints' start to the season when I'm back in Southampton next week.

Saturday 8th August 2009

2009-08-08T17:05:00.004+01:00

Saints kicked off their League One campaign earlier today with a 1-1 draw at home to Millwall in front of Sky cameras.
The atmosphere at St Marys was electric, with both sets of supporters doing their bit to cheer their teams to three points to start the season. Of course, Millwall fans have a reputation for trouble and this was reflected by the strong police presence around Southampton this afternoon. Apparently there were a few arrests outside The Square in the town centre after the game, but apart from that I believe there weren't too many problems.
On the game now. Saints dominated the first half, continuing to pile the pressure on Millwall in the second half and were rewarded when Matt Patterson scored his first competitive goal at St Marys five minutes after the restart. However, the home side sat back after going 1-0 up, so it was no surprise that Millwall equalised 16 minutes after going behind. Before that, Kelvin Davis saved a penalty, but Southampton's defence was exposed from a corner and failed to deal with the danger to watch Abdou head home.
After scoring, Millwall seemed to rally and both sides had opportunities to grab a winner, but at the final whistle 1-1 seemed a fair result based on the second half. Perhaps if Saints had made their chances and possession count in the first half they may have picked up three points.

I've given each Southampton player a mark out of 10-

Kelvin Davis - 8 - Saved well from the penalty, dealt with most Millwall threw at him.

Greame Murty - 7 - Composed at right back on Saints debut, his long throws in the Millwall penalty area constantly threatened and led to Patterson's goal.

Wayne Thomas - 7 - Very strong in the air, remained solid when Millwall attacked late in the game.

Dan Harding - 8 - MAN OF THE MATCH - The debutant read the game well, restricted opprtunities for Millwall down their left flank and made some great passes out of defence.

Lloyd James - 7 - Looked comfortable in the right midfield role which he rarely plays, could be used there again.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Recovered well from an early knock, nearly scored twice from long range efforts.

Paul Wotton - 6 - Didn't boss the game in the middle of the park as much as he should have.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Had little influence on the game, but perhaps too much is expected of him.

Matt Patterson - 7 - Good close range finish for his goal, but needs to improve in the air.

Marek Saganowki - 6 - Unlucky to have a first half goal ruled out for a foul on the Millwall 'keeper, he was a constant aerial threat, but didn't do enough running for the team.

Subs-

Oscar Gobern (on for Patterson) - 6 - Should've done better with a goal scoring opportunity late in the game.

Simon Gillett (on for James) - 4 - Gave the ball away too much in dangerous areas.

Jake Thomson (on for Schnedierlin) - 6 - Made little impact when brought on for the last few minutes.

So the point puts Saints on -9 now, with a Carling Cup game at home to Northampton coming up, then trips to Huddersfield and Swindon.

Sunday 2nd August 2009

2009-08-02T14:09:00.010+01:00

Over the past couple of days football has been mourning the loss of one of it's most loyal servents, Sir Bobby Robson.
The great man will always be remembered as England's most successful manager since World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey and tributes have been pouring in from every big name in football, stating what a gentleman he was. So why was Sir Bobby Robson regarded as one of the illustrious individuals in football?
After a notable career as a player with Fulham and West Bromich Albion with included representing England 20 times, Robson guided Ipswich Town to a UEFA Cup, an FA Cup and two 2nd place finishes in the First Division. This led to his appointment as England manager in 1982 and his team fell at the Quarter Final stage of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico thanks to the cheating and brilliance of Diego Maradona's Argentina.
The World Cup 1990 campaign in Italy is England's most successful since the triumphs of 1966 and saw Robson's side lose on penalties to eventual winners West Germany at the semi final stage. This achievement is even more special given the fact that, with the exception of Gary Linekar and Paul Gascoigne, the England team wasn't full of world class players like it is today. More recently, the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan and Sven Goran-Eriksson have had far more talented players at thier disposal than Robson did yet they have all failed to reach the semi finals of a major tournament.
After managing the national team, Sir Bobby became one of only a handful of English managers to do well on the continent, with success at Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Barcelona in the 1990s.
In 1999, a glittering career was coming to an end, but there was still time for Robson to make a further impact in football, when at the age of 66 he was appointed manager of the club he supported as a boy, Newcastle United. He quickly changed Newcastle from a medicore mid table side to genuine title contenders. In my opinion, the day Robson was sacked in 2004 was the day things started to go downhill for the North East club.
Robson's service to the game and achievements were recognised in 2002 when he was knighted.
He has fought bravely with lung cancer and his death on Friday at the age of 76 was a sad day for football. Tributes from top names in football such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho portray Sir Bobby as not only a great manager, but as the nicest bloke in football who always had time for his fellow professionals.
Yesterday there was a minute silence at football grounds across the country, including QPR vs Southampton, the game I was at and the sadness of fans upon hearing of his death is a true testament to how much Sir Bobby Robson was loved and respected. May the great man rest in peace.

Wednesday 29th July 2009

2009-07-29T16:51:00.008+01:00

Whatever happened to loyalty in football? Gone are the days when players would ply their trade at the same club no matter the circumstances surrounding the club.
With Saint's relegation to League One, all the big names, with the exception of Kelvin Davis and Adam Lallana, seem to to be queuing at the door to leave. Stern John today turned down a very generous offer to stay at St Marys and will look to move to a Championship club, most likely Crystal Palace, on a free transfer. In addition to this, Polish duo Marek Saganowski and Gregorz Rasiak are expected to move on within the next few weeks and it seems such a shame that the three outfield players most adored by the fans are willing to pack their bags and move to a club in a higher division without giving a moment's thought.
Of course, its all about money now and I'm pretty sure 99% of all professional footballers would rather have the big fat pay packet than be classed as a club legend by thousands of fans. Premiership footballers such as Ashley Cole are the worse offenders, but they've set the standards for others in the lower divisions.
Another sad state of affairs from a Saints perspective is the news today that ex 'keeper Antti Niemi is in talks to come out of retirement to play for Portsmouth. The former Finland number one is regarded by many Southampton fans as the best goalkeeper to play for the club in the Premiership era and it will be a side sight to see Niemi line up for our bitter rivals. However it does make me laugh that despite this apparently revolutionary takeover at Pompey, they still have to bring a 37 year old injury plagued 'keeper way past his best out of retirement. It doesn't look like we'll be seeing the likes of Iker Casilla or Gianluigi Buffon between the sticks at Fratton Park any time soon!
On the subject of player loyalty to their club, Matt Le Tissier's highly anticipated autobiography is scheduled to be released on August 20th. It will be a must read for every Saints fan.
More updates coming soon as we prepare for the new football season, including my reflections on our trip to Loftus Road on Saturday to watch Southampton take on Queens Park Rangers in a friendly.

Saturday 25th July 2009

2009-07-25T18:12:00.010+01:00

This afternoon, for the first time since April 13th, Southampton FC won a game of football, albeit in a friendly against a very average Hearts side. Having just got back from the 3-0 win at St Marys, I was pleased with the result and the performance to go with it.
Goals from Adam Lallana and two from substitute Gregorz Rasiak ensured Saints won their first game under new manager Alan Pardew and hopefully the winning mentality can continue into the new season. The results in pre season are usually relatively unimportant, but after losing 5-4 to non league Salisbury on Tuesday and 4-1 to Ajax last Saturday, three goals and a clean sheet will have boosted the team's confidence, two weeks before kicking off the League One season at home to Millwall.
Triallist Greame Murty looked solid at right back, new signing Dan Harding played well at left back and it was great to see striker Stern John back in a Saints shirt after spending most of last season on loan at Bristol City. A few first team players may leave before the season starts, but I'm confident that adequate replacements will be brought in, with Saint facing the challenge of starting the campaign on minus ten points.
After a disappointing pre season results wise, I think the difference today was the presence of Pardew on the touchline and hopefully he can drive the team forward throughout the season.

Monday 20th July 2009

2009-07-20T17:02:00.005+01:00

Now that I have the Internet at my new house it looks like I have no excuse to not update regularly, so after a long time away, here goes..

For the first time in years the dark cloud above St Marys has been lifted and Saints fans can finally be optimistic for the future. After coming within a whisker of going out of business, Swiss billionaire Marcus Liebherr bought Southampton FC a couple of weeks ago, making them the fourth richest club in the country behind Man City, QPR and Chelsea.
As a Saints fan I can tell you that it feels great to be supporting a club that isn't threatened with financial difficulties and ran by people who appear to put the fans first. It might take a few seasons to get back into the Premiership and I'm not expecting any huge multi million pound signings for a while yet, but its good to know the new owners have a long term plan for Southampton.
Saturdays friendly against Ajax at St Marys was a celebration that the club had survived administration and despite the fact the team were clearly outplayed by much superior opposition, as the 4-1 scoreline reflects, there's a sense of relief there is still a club here to support.
Aside from the takeover being completed successfully, perhaps the key moment of the summer for Saints will prove to be signing captain Kelvin Davis to a new three year contract. Davis was in great form against Ajax on Saturday, keeping the score fairly respectable like he did on so many occasions last season. A few fans in the Northam sang his name non stop in the second half when he took his place in goal behind he stand and I would like to think the plaudits he's received from the fans has played a key part in keeping him at St Marys.
Graeme Murty is on trial at Saints and I would love to see the former Reading captain tied down to a full time contract. Murty spent 11 years at Reading and is being rewarded for his commitment with a testimonial at the Madejski stadium tonight. Saints could really do with his experience at right back.
Only time will tell if Alan Pardew will be a success at Southampton, but his record at third tier level with Reading speaks for itself, as he took them to a play off final in 2001, then the following season achieved automatic promotion. His presence in the stands at St Marys on Saturday went down well with the fans and the majority of us have faith in him.

Apologies about the lack of political content in this post, but with summer recess starting in Westminster tomorrow I don't expect much news from Parliament for a while. In the mean time, I'll be focusing on Saints as they complete their remaining pre season friendlies before kicking off League One against Millwall on August 8th.

Thursday 2nd July 2009

2009-07-02T11:28:00.004+01:00

Sorry about the lack of updates recently, I was working all last week and this week has been very chaotic with moving into the new house. We haven't yet got Internet sorted in the new house (I'm sitting here in the Solent uni computer room), so I'm afraid I might not be able to update for a while. In the mean time, here's a piece a wrote back in December on the subject of Prime Minister's Questions for a Reporting Government assignment. Enjoy!

Its 11:55am on a Wednesday and the majority of Westminster is getting ready for the biggest media event of the week; Prime Minister’s Questions. The news channels are preparing for half an hour of intense debate, millions of people tune into The Daily Politics just for this constitutional occasion and as soon as Andrew Neil says “and now over to The House of Commons” we can expect fireworks.
Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) has been used to hold the Government to account since being permanently introduced by Harold MacMillan in 1961 and after recent reforms by Tony Blair it still remains the most watched Parliamentary event in an average week. In its 47 year history we have seen some classic battles between the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition, from its early beginnings in the 1960s right through to today, when Gordon Brown steps up to the dispatch box to face questions from leader of the Conservatives David Cameron every Wednesday.
It is sometimes the only time we see the House of Commons full on both sides. MPs make a special effort to be present and viewers at home can watch proceedings on a number of different channels, including three different BBC channels (BBC News 24, BBC Parliament and on The Daily Politics on BBC Two).
So why does this routine event attract so much media attention? Shadow Chancellor George Osborne argues we should be proud of PMQs as no other leader in any other country in the world subjects themselves to a weekly inquisition, where any subject could be brought up by backbench MPs.
However, not everyone is a fan of it. Joe Ashton, MP for Bassetlaw claimed during the 1997 reform process that the “Chamber sounded like animals in a zoo” during PMQs and can it could be said this is true; we often tune into PMQs on a Wednesday afternoon not to see intelligent political debate before us, but elected members of Parliament shouting and jeering at each other across the house.
But perhaps this is what we have to expect from the House of Commons. It is, after all, Speaker John Bercow's job to keep the house in order and he faces his biggest challenge during PMQs.
Before 1997, PMQs took place during two 15 minute slots on Tuesday and Thursdays. Tony Blair changed this almost as soon as he became Prime Minister by allocating half an hour of his time to questions at 12pm on Wednesday. This was part of his grand plan to dominate the national news agenda. Blair was a natural performer and one of his greatest strengths was answering questions spontaneously and the new time slot meant he could release a sound bite which would be reported on the lunch time news.
In fact, the differences between Blair and his successor Gordon Brown become obvious when comparing their performances during PMQs. Whereas Blair excelled in this area and could give a satisfactory response to almost any question asked by an opposition MP, Brown has struggled to make an impact since becoming Prime Minister in June 2007. Perhaps the most cringe worthy moment for Brown during Prime Ministers Questions came recently when he accidentally claimed to have “saved the world”. Of course, he meant to say his Government had saved Britain’s banks from the credit crunch, but this simple slip of the tongue prompted much laughter from the other side of the house and it was replayed an hour later on the lunchtime news.
If Tony Blair had made a similar mistake during his premiership then it would be likely he would recover by making light of the situation, but Brown’s lack of performance skills only enhanced his reputation as a faltering leader. Some critics suggest this may be that defining moment that everyone remembers from Brown’s time as Prime Minister.
Presenter of Channel Four News Jon Snow believes Tony Blair has been the best performer in the history of PMQs. He says:
“Although Blair would have done better to abandon the charade altogether, he was a complete master of PMQs and performs brilliantly, wiping the floor with the opposition most times. But that was because Blair was an ‘actor barrister’, absorbing a brief easily and acting it out with a keen sense of timing.”
It is clear that Tony Blair had the right skills to succeed during Prime Minister’s Questions, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a better Prime Minister, as Snow points out:
“His performance during PMQs hasn’t prevented his reputation withering since his retirement. You never hear anyone calling for the return of Tony Blair.”
The question of whether PMQs is the most effective way of holding the Government to account has split the media, but Jon Snow is one of those who firmly feels there are better alternative methods. He says:
“Individual MPs only get one question each, meaning there is rarely any ‘follow up’, so the Prime Minister neatly avoids the awkward detail.
“PMQs is far more a matter of theatre than of genuine inquiry and suggests the PM is in some way more held to account than he really is.”
But what do the Members of Parliament themselves think about Prime Minister’s Questions? It is true that the House of Commons is more or less at full capacity for that particular half-hour on a Wednesday afternoon and according to one Conservative back bencher PMQs may not be the best way of holding our Government to account, but it still holds some importance.
Richard Benyon was elected as MP for Newbury in 2005 and has been involved in PMQs a number of times, most recently asking Gordon Brown a question about child welfare. He says:
“When I entered Parliament, I thought Prime Minister’s Questions would be the most pointless half-hour of the week. I still hold that opinion to a point, but have slightly tempered my view in light of experience.
“For the leader of a major, developed democracy to have to come to Parliament every week for half an hour to face pertinent questions and a confrontational atmosphere is a good way of reminding the most powerful in the land they are, after all, mortal.
“The problem is the Prime Minister rarely answers any question.”
Benyon has had personal experience of having his question not answered directly by the Prime Minister. On 26th November 2008 he asked Gordon Brown why a report into the death of Baby P wasn’t made available for the public to read. Brown quickly put an end to this matter by saying the report was confidential, but the Opposition Children’s spokesman was allowed to read it. This clearly supports Jon Snow’s view that back bench MPs contributions during PMQs are largely ineffective due to the lack of follow up questions.
So we’ve established that Prime Minister’s Questions doesn’t effectively hold the Government to account, but there is no doubt this Parliamentary event provides great entertainment. From the days of Macmillan right through to today with Brown, the performances of Prime Ministers are critically assessed by the media and there is no doubt that PMQs has provided us with many memorable moments over the years.

Saturday 20th June 2009

2009-06-20T13:39:00.005+01:00

Frustration. I think that one word sums up being a Southampton fan at the moment. We've waited three weeks for the Pinnacle consortium takeover to go through, but the deal hit a snag yesterday, on the last day of exclusivity for Pinnacle, over negotiations with the football league. An emergency meeting on Monday concerning the ten points deduction imposed on Saints by the football league looks likely to make or break the deal.
I can't stress how much I want the Pinnacle deal to go through, for the simple reason that Matt Le Tissier looks set to become chairman if negotiations can be completed successfully After having to put up with Rupert Lowe for so long, its important Saints are now looked after by someone who actually cares about the club and its clear Le Tissier loves Southampton FC as much as the fans love him.
A rival consortium is waiting in the wings should the Pinnacle bid fail, fronted by businessman Marc Jackson. I'm wary of this Marc Jackson character, not just because he looks like Newcastle owner Mike Ashley (who has had a disastrous tenure at St James Park), but Jackson was linked with a takeover of AFC Bournemouth less than a year ago, which suggests he just wants the novelty of owning a football club.
Lets hope the Pinnacle bid is triumphant and the ever growing complicated situation can be resolved in the next few days.

In other Sport news, the Wimbledon tennis championship begins on Monday, with huge pressure on Scotsman Andy Murray to be the first Brit to win the mens tournament since Fred Perry in 1936. After world number one Rafael Nadal dropped out due to injury yesterday this may be Murray's best chance of winning Wimbledon and he'll be full of confidence winning the Queens tournament last weekend. Ladbrokes have put Murray as second favourite behind Roger Federer, but with Nadal injured this a huge opportunity for Murray to win his first grand slam title.

Thursday 18th June 2009

2009-06-18T15:40:00.003+01:00

I've awoken this afternoon to the sensational news that Kevin Keegan may be installed as new Saints manager if this Matt Le Tissier backed takeover is finally completed tomorrow. This would be great news for the club after a dark period. Keegan is a huge name in football, his teams have a reputation for playing attractive, attacking football and older fans will remember his brief, but successful spell has a player on the south coast in the 1980s. Attendances at St Marys have been dwindling recently, but the "Keegan factor" could be just what is needed to get the crowd back watching their team, who this season play third tier football for the first time in 50 years.
One of British football's most decorated players, "King Kev" has had mixed results as a manager. He's fondly remembered at Newcastle, but his time in charge of the England team is probably best forgotten. He has experience at this level of football, having helped Fulham to the old division one championship in 1999, before leaving to takeover the national team.
Keegan's second spell as Newcastle manager last year started poorly, but he was starting to turn things around at St James Park before a disagreement with owner Mike Ashley saw him walk out. I'm confident Newcastle wouldn't have been relegated last month if there had been more stability and Keegan had stayed.
Of course, this is still only speculation, but it could realistically happen. Keegan went to third tier club Fulham in 1998 after managing a Premiership club and he'll be welcomed with open arms by the majority of Saints fans I'm sure. Lets just hope we're not all getting excited for nothing, Saints fans deserve some good news for once after recent events. Tomorrow is judgement day, as the Pinnacle group's 21 day exclusivity period will expire if a deal is not sealed. Talk about leaving things to the very last minute! Lets keep our fingers crossed over this news, I shall most probably update over the weekend.

*Facts in this post were checked on www.soccerbase.com, a great site for football anoraks such as myself!

Saturday 13th June 2009

2009-06-13T17:50:00.005+01:00

Looks like David Miliband has been stirring things up again! The Foreign Secretary has claimed in The Guardian that he nearly resigned from the Cabinet along with James Purnell last week. The timing of this has been criticised by John Prescott, who questions Miliband's motives. We all know that David Miliband wants to be Prime Minister, something which became clear last summer when he outlined his vision for Britain in an article in The Guardian without mentioning Gordon Brown. However, Miliband won't stand against Brown any time soon when he knows Labour have very little chance of winning the next general election no matter who leads them.
I predict, as do Labour supporters I have spoken to about this matter, that Miliband will bide his time and attempt to become leader of the Labour party in a few years time when the party are in opposition and Cameron's Conservative government start to become less popular with the electorate.
I'm confused as to why David Miliband has come out and said now that he "nearly" stepped down as Foreign Secretary. The Convention of Collective Responsibility means that all members of the government must agree with the policy of the government and if they don't they must remain silent in public or resign. Miliband seems to be sitting on the fence, making it unclear whether he agrees with government policy and its leader or not. To me it looks as though he's only staying in the post to protect his future leadership ambitions.

There's a worryingly lack of news on the Saints takeover front, but the big football story this week has been Cristiano Ronaldo's likely transfer to Real Madrid, after Manchester United accepted their £80 million bid. I think its about time United and Ronaldo parted company, its obvious the relationship between club and player has been under strain recently and this was made apparent when Ronaldo threw a tantrum after being substituted against Manchester City last month. For me, it looked certain he would be leaving Old Trafford this summer when he criticised Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics after United's Champions League final defeat. Jaap Stam, David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy to name but a few will tell you that when you face up to The Boss then you don't tend to stay at Manchester United much longer!
With the transfer looking inevitable, United are already planning for life without Ronaldo, with reports today claiming they're after Wigan's Antonio Valencia as a replacement. I haven't seen too much of Valencia, but his statistics of just seven goals in 83 appearances suggests they'll need to buy someone else as well as Valencia to replace Ronaldo's ability to score plenty of goals. After all, I imagine £80 million could buy almost any player in the world (with perhaps the exception of Lionel Messi), so watch this space...

Tuesday 9th June 2009

2009-06-09T20:37:00.000+01:00

Leading on from my post about Nick Griffin yesterday (sorry to sound like a broken record), I was glad to see him pelted with eggs by anti fascist protesters outside Westminster this afternoon.
This has been the big debate of the day; were the protesters right to deny Griffin the chance to conduct his press conference? Well, maybe his location for the press conference could've been better. The lawn outside Westminster is usually only used by the big political parties to speak to the press. His sheer arrogance is so apparent here by the fact that he thinks he and his fascist party are now the political mainstream, just because they now have two elected MEPs. If Griffin wants to preach his racial hate like Hitler he should've chosen a more private location.
And the protesters only threw eggs at him, not bricks or hand grenades. If I was there at that moment I would've happily joined the "Nazi scum off our streets" chanting. Well done to the anti fascist group who organised the protests. They weren't denying free speech like many people have suggested, they were stopping a fascist leader from preaching is immoral and socially unacceptable views.
Nick Griffin was on more4 news tonight being interviewed by Alex Thomson. He denied that he ever claimed that the Holocaust never happened on The Cook Report in 1997. Footage of The Cook Report all over YouTube suggests otherwise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X8QQwU00Jk).

I don't wish to spend any more time blogging on this scumbag, so will move swiftly on...

I'm still checking the Internet several times a day to see if the Matt Le Tissier backed Pinnacle group have successfully completed their takeover of Southampton Football Club. It will be difficult to relax until the deal is set in stone, but meetings last week between the prospective new board and current manager Mark Wotte suggest the Dutchman won't be in charge of the first team next season.
I would love to see Paul Tisdale become Saints manager, a young manager who has won back-to-back promotions with Exeter City and a former Saints player in the Premiership years. Of course, a return to St Marys for Gordon Strachan would be a dream come true, but we have to remain realistic. A few people have suggested Paul Ince should take charge next season, as he has a proven track record in the lower leagues with Maccesfield and MK Dons. However, I would be very skeptical of this appointment, as he may jump at the chance to move to a club in the divisions above, like did when in charge of both Maccesfield and MK Dons.
Just as long as Rupert Lowe doesn't ever return I'm optimistic the long road to recovery for Saints can begin from next season.

Off to watch Jack Dee Live at the Apollo now (its on Dave, I'm not actually going to the live event unfortunately), I seem to be on a roll with updates, three days in a row now, lets hope I can keep this run up!

Monday 8th June 2009

2009-06-08T13:53:00.000+01:00

The European election results last night was a very sad day for British politics. I'm not talking about Labour's dismal, though somewhat expected, showing in the polls. Or the fact that only a third of the electorate in Britain turned out to vote. What makes last night's results so terrible is that Britain will be represented in Europe by two fascists of the British National Party.
I'm all for free speech, its the most important concept of a liberal society, but the BNP's view are simply racism disguised as politics. I understand voter's anger over the recent expenses scandal in Westminster, but there are alternatives to voting for a modern day Nazi party. Aside from the three main parties in Britain, ballot papers up and down the country included the Green party (which I voted for), the Christian People's Alliance, the Socialist Labour party, Libertas and many more. As much as I disagree with UKIP, even they would've been a better choice than the BNP.
What makes this whole ordeal worse is that Britain will be represented in Europe by perhaps the worst human being in the country, excluding murderers, rapists and paedophiles, Nick Griffin. If you thought your MP was bad, you should be lucky you haven't got this c**t (my apologies for lowering the tone, no other word describes Nick Griffin better) representing your constituency in Westminster. This is a man who claims the Holocaust never happened and has been arrested on suspicion of incitement to racial hatred, though unfortunately never convicted.
In Southampton in the early hours of this morning the results of the European election for the South East region were announced. When it was announced the BNP had amassed 101, 769 votes in this region there was huge uproar in the conference room of St Marys stadium, followed by a man shouting "f***ing fascists". I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who views the British National Party in this way and it was comforting to see anti racist protesters attempt to stop Nick Griffin from entering Manchester City Hall on television last night.
Hopefully the electorate will see the BNP for what they are and despite now having two MEPs it is only the minority who agree with their extreme right wing views. However its a shame that on the weekend in which commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings against a fascist enemy it is a new, modern fascist, this time British enemy to equality and liberalism which will be celebrating election results.

Sunday 7th June 2009

2009-06-07T15:01:00.000+01:00

Its been a disastrous week for Gordon Brown, but the worst may be yet to come, as tonight the results of the European election are announced, with Labour themselves expecting "terrible" results.
I think the real key moment this week was when Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell resigned. We had already seen Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears step down from the Cabinet, but the feeling is they were pushed rather than jumped, after being implicated in the recent expenses controversy. It is true that Purnell was also involved in this expenses scandal, but so were most of the Cabinet, I'm sure Gordon Brown wouldn't have wanted a bright young Minister such as Purnell to step down.
The real dagger in the heart for Brown was James Purnell's resignation letter, printed on the front page of Friday's edition of The Times, in which he states he believes Brown's leadership "makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely."
Purnell then calls on Brown to resign as leader "to give our party a fighting chance of winning", a direct plea for our Prime Minister to step down from a now former member of his own Cabinet.
Whether we will have a new Labour leader in the next couple of months in hard to tell, but I would think with Brown's stubborn personality he'll want to fight on until next May and call a general election in which he'll have no chance of winning.
And I imagine after this week Tony Blair is sitting at home with a great big smile on his face.

4th June 2009

2009-06-04T15:05:00.000+01:00

Hazel Blear's resignation from the Cabinet this week will come as a surprise to few after Gordon Brown singled out her expenses claims as "totally unacceptable", but now Blear's may have to give up her seat before the next general election for the good of her party.
Last night Channel 4 news went to her constituency in Salford and interviewed working men who had voted Labour their whole lives who said they wouldn't vote for Labour if Hazel Blears stood for re-election. With polls hinting at a possible hung parliament after the next general election, every seat may prove to be crucial, so the Salford Labour Party may have to ask Blears to step down if they wish to hold onto the seat.

Gordon Brown has come under great pressure, with backbenchers asking for a leadership contest, but is any one going to step up to the challenge. I believe Jack Straw and Alan Johnson are the only Cabinet members who could take on the role and this won't happen until Brown voluntarily stands down , as both have publicly supported his leadership recently.

The other big political story this week is the news that Jacqui Smith will quit the Cabinet. Sam Elliott has been reflecting on her tenure as Home Secretary at www.partlypoliticalbroadcast.co.uk.

Many apologies about not updating this in months, with no university to keep be busy over summer I have no excuses now, so will try harder!

2nd April 2009

2009-04-02T21:30:00.001+01:00

We've been dreading it all season, but after the events of the last two days its finally happened; Saints have gone into administration. The man being brought in to run the club Mark Fry claims the club in serious jeopardy of folding before the end of the season. If this happens it will be a tragedy not just for the city of Southampton, but for English football in general.

No club deserves to cease to exist (not even Pompey) and Southampton FC have a great history, bringing much to the British game. Saints previous FA Cup winners, spent 27 consecutive years in top flight football before relegation in 2005 and are statistically the 12th best Premiership team since the league's rebranding in 1992. You also have to look at the players that have come through the youth ranks, names including Mick Channon, who scored 21 goal for England and Alan Shearer, one of the best players in the world in the 1990s. Not forgetting Matt Le Tissier of course, one of the most talented, loyal, professional players ever to grace the game and devoted his entire career to the club. I believe Theo Walcott will one day become one the best players in the world and if the lad does make it he has Southampton FC's excellent youth academy to thank.

Then theres the fans. I'm sure I won't be the only one shedding a few tears if the unthinkable does happen and Saints cease to exist. I know people who have supported the team for more than 50 years, attending The Dell then St Marys week in, week out and to take away their beloved club would take away a huge part of their lives. I wasn't at the FA Cup Final in 2003, when Saints narrowly lost to Arsenal, but anyone who made the trip to Cardiff will tell you how passionate the fans were that day and made a strong case for being among the best in the country.

As supporters we can do our bit. Now that Rupert Lowe has finally gone, I expect to see all these stay away fans make an appearance at St Marys on Saturday, we need to fill the ground if we're going to show potential investors we're worth investing in. And I hope it won't just be The Northam singing their hearts out for the lads, as it usually is, we need more involvement from The Chapel, The Kingsland and The Itchen to create a real atmosphere. Any Southampton fans reading this, I hope you will be singing When The Saints Go Marching In at St Marys on Saturday, giving your full support to the team. And on the very slight chance any millionaires looking to buy a football club are out there reading this, I beg you to invest in the Saints, we've got some tough times ahead, but if you save us now and we one day reach the top again, you will be deserving of a place in Saints folklore among the likes of Ted Bates, Lawrie Mac and Matt Le Tissier.

I have a lot more to say on this matter and will update again soon, but for now I'm off to watch The Inbetweeners.

Monday 30th March 2009

2009-03-30T14:07:00.000+01:00

What is Madonna thinking? This weekend's news has been dominated by her sick publicity stunt of adopting four year old Mercy, a deprived child from Malawi in Africa. I could understand if Mercy was an orphan, but the fact that she is being looked after by her father and uncles and Madonna is taking her away from her family puts an immoral twist on this whole saga. If Madge wanted to adopt an African child then she should start looking by in an orphanage perhaps. The newspapers have described this as a "shopping trip to Africa" and this is exactly what it is. Angelina Jolie has recieved much media attention after adopting three children in recent years and Madonna is clearly hoping for the same kind of attention. She hardly spends any time looking after her first adopted child David, who no doubt spends most of his time in the care of nannies and this is just another photo opportunity for Madonna. Also, the adoption process is long and complicated and most people wishing to adopt will spend years on a waiting list, but Madonna being Madonna gets to bypass the queue and jump straight in. This is exploitation of children by celebrities at its very worse.

In other news, I see a pattern emerging with female New Labour cabinet members being embarassed by their husbands. In 2006, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at the time Tessa Jowell was heavily scrutinised by the press after her estranged husband David Mills was investigated for tax fraud in Italy. This incident put great pressure on Tessa Jowell and threatened to ruin her political career. Now, three years later, home secretary Jacqui Smith has been embarassed by her husband after he watched pornographic films and claimed them on her expenses. I think Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Hariett Harman needs to make sure her husband stays out of trouble if she wants to live up to her ambitions of one day becoming leader of the party, as we've seen all too clearly how these New Labour husbands can so easily publicly humilate their wives.

I was pleased to see Wayne Rooney score twice in England's 4-0 win over Slovakia on Saturday. It looks as though he's finally starting to fill his potential on the international stage. When young Wayne announced himself to the world at Euro 2004, there was a real sense of optimism that he was the future of the England game and the World Cup in South Africa next year may be his chance to prove his worth, providing he stays injury free. On his day, Rooney is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but he needs to perform well in an England shirt against the biggest teams on the biggest stage, so next year is his big opportunity to prove to everyone he is world class. After what we saw from Rooney on Saturday, lets hope for more of the same.

Thursday 26th March 2009

2009-03-26T20:39:00.001Z

I'm always being told that the internet is the future of journalism and events this week have provided strong evidence to support this. Conservative Member of European Parliament Daniel Hannan launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Gordon Brown, pinning blame on him for the current economic troubles. The three minute Strasbourg speech, in which Brown was present, was initially not reported by the BBC, ITV or Sky, but became a massive hit on YouTube within hours. It just goes to show how the internet has changed news.

The speech itself was interesting. Of course its going to be critical as Hannan is a Conservative, but he really goes all out in attacking Brown and his government and this is definately a news worthy story. The last line ,"you are the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government" may have been taken from John Smith's attack against John Major in 1992, but perhaps it is suited to the current situation and while everyone may not agree with Hannan's views his public speaking skills can't be criticised. Daniel Hannan represents the South-East in the European Parliament and this will definately influence the very few voters, myself included, who will turn out for in the European elections in June.

My local MP in Newbury Richard Benyon recently raised a very good point in his blog regarding the RBS business going on at the moment.
"I am cynical enough to see the dead hand of spin doctors in this. Sir Fred’s behaviour gave the press a classic hate figure for the country to vilify while with less coverage, the Government announced another £25 billion of support for his erstwhile employers."
Sir Fred Goodwin has certainly been on the recieving end of much hatred in recent weeks and its clear to see now that the government welcome the change in direction of hatred and blame. "Fred the Shred" has taken Gordon Brown's place as scapegoat for now, but I wonder how long it will be before this changes.

Thats all from me for now, I shall try to update over the weekend.