My E-World

Are Those Accused Of Riot Related Crimes Getting A Fair Trial?

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:34:48 +0100

In every set of headlines you will find somewhere a story about the latest set of rioters who have faced tough justice. Some 1000+ people across the country are clogging up the legal system forcing courts to open day and night to try and clear the bill. But will they face the fair trial that every citizen is entitled?

Numerous provisions are in place to give each person going through the legal system from investigation to sentence, a fair chance to prove their innocence. These provisions are mainly in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Magistrates Court Act 1980, Bail Act 1976 and the Contempt of Court Act. It is the later that this article will mainly deal with. The Contempt of Court Act means that nothing should be published in any form that could cause a significant risk of unfairness to those proceedings.

Pick up a paper or put rioters in to Google and you will surely find hundreds of pictures of the new public enemy number one. Some are just CCTV images but more alarmingly some are Facebook photos, not of the ‘rogue’ looting or fighting, handling stolen goods or such like but normal pictures. It will not come as any surprise that the pictures chosen are not of the lovable family man type but normally some wannabe gangster pose. These people are now assumed guilty by the millions of readers, eager to shop them in.

Have we not learnt from the mess that surrounded Joanna Yeates’ landlord Christopher Jefferies? The press and public hung the man out to dry, an innocent man who for days was labelled a murderer, his name will be forever tarnished and his life may never be the same. Only last month two publications were found guilty in the High Court of contempt of court for publishing a picture of a murder trial defendant posing with a gun. The High Court found that the publication created a substantial risk of prejudicing the defendant’s ongoing murder trial.

The only difference is that in the two cases above, despite being of public intrigue and disgust, they did not impact the lives of thousands. The sympathy afforded to them will also certainly not be afforded to the accused rioters. The courts are feeling the political and public pressure to ensure that anyone guilty of the atrocity that was the riots, be sentenced with no sentiment. Can we be sure that the evidential burdens are being upheld as strictly as normal? It is of my opinion that we cannot. It is also of my opinion that the courts opening longer hours can prejudice a trial, is someone getting treated with the same at 10am as they are at 10pm? Again I think not. We are seeing people charged with the same offences with very similar involvement, but the end sentences vary by about 3 years. This in itself is not fair. A fair trial includes the lead up to it, the trial itself and the outcome. Such inconsistency is blurring the guidelines and leading to injustice. The outcome will be a series of appeals again clogging up the courts and using tax payers money that is not stretching far enough as it.

We are too keen to bring the rioters to justice that the rules in place to protect the system from its errors of the late 80’s and early 90’s are not being followed strictly enough. Someone who has had his picture branded across The Sun will not get the same treatment as Mr Unknown. We are too keen to ensure all that the rioters are caught that when one is placed in the dock it will ultimately feel like the burden of proof has switched; the defendant is now presumed guilty and must prove otherwise. It is a situation born from knee jerk reactions, a week’s consideration in parliament on court guidelines and urgent press consultation could have prevented the mess that is sure to ensue.

Please not that I am not saying we should be soft on the rioter nor am I condoning their actions. I was as disgusted and ashamed as the next person, I just worry about the impact all this is having on our legal system and the inevitable consequences that are on the horizon. The noble English legal system could soon come under close scrutiny and risk losing some of the high regard it is held in.

London Burning... Birmingham Too...

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:10:08 +0100

Only 4 months ago I was proud to be British and celebrating all the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding. Now I cannot be more ashamed. Last summer the mindless students and gangs infiltrating the students ran London to its knees, now in 2011, our so called civilised society is again being put to shame by riots in London and Birmingham. Why? They claim it is to avenge the death of an innocent man, a man I shall not name purely because I do not want his name linked with this mindless violence. The real reason no one knows. For some it is for kicks, others want the free TV hanging on Ladbrokes wall and for the rest? Maybe an IQ of 5 who knows.

Norway last month joined together in times of tragedy, the Scandinavian country showed real unity. In Britain the ‘Big Society’ has shown how it is fragmented, disrespectful and nowhere near the social levels shown by our better neighbours.

No words can describe how those innocent people must be feeling having seen their lives go up in flames. No words can describe how courageous the emergency services have been tonight. More importantly no words can describe how appallingly late the response of the British government has been, no words can describe how mindless those causing havoc are and no words can describe the long lasting damage tonight will cause.

I have seen various links posted on Twitter of Nick Clegg proclaiming that if the Conservatives get in then the rioting will return, at least the spineless deputy got one thing right.

News Corp Falters As Cameron Does The Tango

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:33:57 +0100

Wednesday 6^th July 2011, the day David Cameron was backed into a corner, the day that potentially marked the beginning of the end for The News of the World. In Prime Ministers Questions up stood the leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband, what followed was truly unique. The man, who many have criticised for lacking the attacking bite needed to succeed, successfully demanded that we have a fresh inquiry into the phone hacking saga.

What was the cause of this remarkable day? A daily set of fresh revelations, each as disgusting as the previous and the next, of phone hacking by the News of the World. Victims include the families of the 7/7 bombings, families of fallen armed forces personnel, Miss X a rape victim, celebrities and murdered school girl Milly Dowler. A previous inquiry and police investigation have since been found to be failures, of worryingly epic proportions.

It is alleged that Nick Clegg and David Cameron are at loggerheads on how many inquiries need to be held and just who is to chair them. It seems obvious that we need a purely neutral head, one with no bias at all, if that is possible. A member of the judiciary would seem the obvious choice but as per usual only time would tell.

Even before Ed Miliband stood up, corporate partners of the News of the World were distancing themselves, Lloyds Bank were amongst the first to declare that they would not be advertising in the paper from Sunday. Ed Miliband was only half way through his first attack when share prices in BSkyB and News Corp began to decline, showing the wider reaching consequences of what was unfolding today.

To make the day worst for News Corporation, Ed Miliband took the brave step of turning against Rupert Murdoch’s empire. The Labour leader called for the resignation of News International’s chief executive and former Editor, Rebekah Brooks, and demanding the BSkyB takeover decision is to be referred to the Competition Commission. Jeremy Hunt only gave the provisional all clear for the deal last Friday, subject to a seven-day consultation over plans to make Sky News as a separately listed company to ensure the fears over media plurality are dispelled.

Red Ed stated that “The public will react with disbelief if next week the decision is taken to go ahead with this deal at a time when News International is subject to a major criminal investigation.” Simon Hughes, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats suggested that Ofcom should be asked to assess whether News Corp were ‘fit and proper’ to take control in light of the circumstances, and if found not to be then the merger should not go ahead.

Cameron announced the inquiry or inquiries would be held, and rightly so that we should not rush into the inquiries in order to get them right. It is of my opinion that we need an inquiry into how this practice of hacking was started and just how it carried on for so long under our noses. A second should look specifically at how the previous inquiry and police investigation were so flawed and a third should look at how we can regulate the media tighter in the future.

I welcome your opinions on this, you can reply on here or to my Twitter @LegalHodge

My Sunday notes - also available on legalhodge.wordpress.com

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:40:00 +0100

Olympic Stadium Controversy and Opinion

It was rather inevitable that the somewhere along the line, the media would dig up more damaging stories related to a small event taking place next year, goes by the name of the Olympics I think? The latest sting comes from the Sunday Times who claim to have seen evidence linking Olympic Park Legacy Committee (OPLC) director, Dionne Knight, accepting payments from West Ham United amounting to £20,400 prior to the decision on who will take the ground after the games have finished. Ms Knight is also in a relationship with West Ham director Ian Tompkins.

It is claimed that Ms Knight informed OPLC of her relationship with Mr Tompkins but not the fact she held a ‘consultancy’ position with one of the bidders that she would help decide upon. Why Knight thought this to be reasonable behaviour is beyond me. It is clear from her position that she is a clever woman who will know her duties better than most, so to act in such a glaring conflict of interest and not think to declare it, will only raise eyebrows of intentional wrong doing.

Tottenham Hotspur FC, in light of these revelations is urging the bid to be reopened. Now they would seem to have a prima facie case, but the plans presented by the London rivals grate on me somewhat. The Olympics are a once in a lifetime event and the finance and facilities, on top of the games should provide a firm foundation to inspire the next generation of British athletes. Tottenham Hotspur FC in their plans, intend to demolish the stadium and build a new one on the grounds minus the athletics facilities. This will cost between £200m and £300m.

The alternative for ‘Spurs’ would be to renovate White Hart Lane which they claim, will require a grant of £40m from the government. I struggle to see how a renovation could be so unaffordable compared to the demolishment and rebuilding of a stadium. West Ham intends to keep the athletics track, thus keeping part of the legacy and a stage for a plethora of sports to showcase their finest talents.

It is early days for this story and one that needs to be closely tracked, but I just hope in the interests of the 2012 Olympic legacy, that West Ham can keep the stadium. This does not mean that I condone the alleged acts of West Ham FC or Ms Knight, and if wrong doing is proved their needs to be sanctions, but do not deprive future generations because of two mindless individuals.

Potential clash with the EU ahead?

Grant Shapps, the housing minister will publish government plans to ensure priority is given to the ‘local’ people when it comes to council housing and benefits. This aims to replace the current system based on need. If this is passed, as I am sure it will be just in time to become a vote winner at the next elections, I cannot see it being 12 months before a legal challenge is issued. The precedence is already there that you cannot make it harder for an EU national to claim access to such rights, than a person born in that country. European Court precedence is also now more regularly becoming used for Non EU nationals as well as EU nationals. It will be interesting to see how long before such a case would arise if this is passed or even if it is debated in parliament prior to the enactment.

Suitability over nationality

It was a common agenda for the previous and now current government, British jobs for British workers. Sounds good for the 17 year old with no qualifications walking through the Job Centre doors to sign on. In reality it is an idealism that if forced in to action would only set back Britain, not jump start the economy like hoped.

The truth is that foreign nationals are getting the jobs because yes they are cheaper but also for the majority, they are better equipped. Either way, it should not be about nationality but about suitability to a position. Why should an Englishman get a job over an Iranian, merely because of where he was born? Such criteria are fundamentally wrong in the free world that the west tries so hard to pursue.

If we start pushing the British into jobs, especially in areas of high ethnic diversity, where they are not as suited as the foreign worker, ultimately the position will not be fulfilled as well, thus the company does not perform as well as it could. It may sound petty and out of proportion but in times of austerity where staffing levels are down to the bare bones, it does just take one person to slow down or grind to a holt an organisation. If just 1 in 10 companies suffer from this, it is a major impact on the British economy as a whole.

What we need to be doing, is ensuring when pupils leave compulsory education at 16, they are already equipped with the key skills and values that will land them a job. As for those out of the system we need schemes to help them become more employable. If such actions are taken, no one need fear the foreign workers taking ‘our’ jobs because we will be equally if not better equipped to secure the position.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:45:55 +0100

The long awaited and much debated Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill was announced today, with a very last minute adjustment, the name. The name at the 11^th hour was amended to include ‘Punishment of Offenders’. Already the Bill has been accused of “economic cleansing” by JUSTICE, and with many more showing their concerns that it leaves those who need it the most uncovered. This article does not aim to cover the whole Bill, if it did, we could be here until next week discussing it. Instead it offers an overview of some of the aspects of the Bill.

Despite the delays and the last minute tweaks the Bill still seems far from being complete with a mandatory sentence for repeat serious violent and sex offenders missing and the provision stating the delay of the release of such offenders until they are two thirds of the way through their sentence is also missing. Further missing are the proposals to criminalise squatting and provide a new safeguard for householders and others who apprehend burglars. This would lend to the suggestion that these measures were only agreed in the dying moments before the publication of the Bill. I wonder just how much thought and detail has gone in to these provisions, are they ready for the scrutiny about to come at them?

With huge cuts in legal aid clearly evident, Anthony Hurndall, founder of the Centre for Justice told The Guardian today that “This is a further erosion of one of the three central pillars of the welfare state – free access to justice. It is reported that more than 500,000 people will no longer qualify for legal aid under the proposed changes and it will be abandoned all together in areas that have long been assumed as safe from attack.” Mr Hurndall also went on to suggest it would negatively impact the Big Society notion being pushed by the Prime Minister. Ken Clarke in his ministerial statement this morning tried to allay such fears as he announced that “Fundamental rights to access to justice will be protected through retention of certain areas of law within scope and a new exceptional funding scheme for excluded cases.” How this works is still to be seen. The Current scheme may not have been flawless, but to many it gave the access to Justice they deserve.

In the criminal law scene, advice at a police station seems to be subject to an attempt to cut funding here. Section 12 states that Initial advice and initial assistance are to be available to an individual who is arrested and held in custody at a police station, IF he passes the section 20 financial resources test but in particular the Director MUST have regard to the interests of justice test. This has in a narrow reading, removed the free advice everyone is entitled to at a police station. However one could give it a wider reading, with the interests of justice test clearly taking priority, surely it is always in the interests of justice to be given legal advice at the police station, even if only by CDS Direct. It concerns me that such a key part of the system could be cut like this if on a narrow reading, it would be a nightmare to work consistently over the country as well as creating havoc in the courts as provisions such as s34(2A) Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 rely on the suspect having advice. I appreciate Ken Clarke has said that legal aid will be retained where life or liberty is at stake as well as special needs cases, but will this be the case in the narrow reading of s12 as it is?

In the same part of his speech he did disclose that legal aid is being withdrawn from most private family law cases and squatters. You can look this in a number of ways, and I know many have, why should a squatter get help to keep your Land? But who are we to hinder the squatter’s legal right? Moreover for a long time it has been said that Mediation should be the way to sort out family dispute, but removing legal aid can only add heat to a volatile situation, when children are involved is this fair? Is this fair regardless of the presence of children?

Other proposals include:

· Drug free wings. It would be naive of me to suggest Jails are drug free and shall remain that way, but surely the whole prison should be drug free and we should be working to eradicate drugs. By the introduction of drug free wings we are admitting defeat in cleaning out our prisons.

· Eradicating indeterminate sentences in favour of pushing the life sentence more.

What it seems to me, in this austerity drive that has engulfed Europe is that we are desperate to make cuts to save pennies and pounds. In the process already damaging cuts have been made, including to crucial services such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. Now the biggest blow of them all in the face of cuts to Legal aid, the key cog in the access to justice, this on top of making Conditional Fee Agreements harder to get. The outcome is still to be seen, after all the Bill has not even been passed yet. It just concerns me, lawyers, journalists, bloggers and academics alike that the latest events will force justice out of the hands of those in needs, leading to greater injustices, and consequently higher legal bills. This Bill is late, incomplete and smacks of class inequalities. For now many people will offer an opinion but we are at an early stage, I am sure as the process goes further and we get closer to the complete and final version, myself and many more will be able to give a more full and proper opinion and analysis, until then it is a waiting game with the life of millions in the balance.

The Bill can be viewed in full here

Sorry!

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:25:29 +0100

Sorry I have not updated this for a while, but recently moved house and as such I had no internet (still not got it there either - another story for another day). I have the completed Injunction post ready for as soon as my router arrives! Although due to recent developments it has been cut short with a slightly different angle than first planned but may be worth a read if you feel bamboozled by all this malarky in the press.

The PACE and Media post is also well under way to being finished so hopefully next week expect a double update!

AV - A time for a change

Thu, 05 May 2011 11:25:15 +0100

Today, May 5^th 2011 presents the nation with a once in a generation and even possibly for some, a once in a lifetime chance to vote in a referendum on what method we use to select our government. Today there is no excuse of ‘what is the point?’ or ‘no one will listen to me anyway!’ If you fail to vote, you cannot complain. Democracy is all about the people and what the people want, but in recent times we have been let down by a succession of governments getting in with less than half of the countries support and therefore not giving the greater number what they want. Now I am not saying that a change to the Alternative Vote (hereafter AV) will change this but it may just help. To add a bit of cynicism to the latter comment, even after a yes vote win, the change will only occur if parliament can agree on the Boundary realignments.

First of all a quick explanation of the two methods. First Past The Post (hereafter FPTP) is the method that we currently use and to put it simply, the man with the most vote wins. Although this on the face of it may seem fair, over time it has been exposed to many flaws, some of which will be covered later on. AV is where you rank the candidates, as many as you wish, in ascending order of who you want in, so the person you want in as first choice is number one, second choice is number two and so on. The winner is the one who reaches 50% of the votes, based on a number (or if a landslide then a single) round. The number 1 votes are added, if one candidate has 50% of the votes they win if not, then we go to a second round. In this round the person with the least votes is eliminated and those who voted for them as their number one choice will have their second preference added to the candidates name and this is repeated until someone reaches 50% of the votes.

With the methods explained, time to look at the argument for AV.

FPTP is out of touch. An MP can get elected with less than a third of the votes. This in effect allows them to do just enough in the campaign and if successful their term in power, to secure (re)election. They can afford to push through policies against the will of the majority knowing that they may need only three out of every ten people to vote for them. This has created in certain areas a seat for life and therefore for the lucky man (or woman) in that area, a job for life without the need to really worry about the consequences of his actions locally or nationally. Indeed it is true that unless a huge scandal breaks out, the MP will keep his head low and the majority of his constituents, especially in times of low voting turn outs, will not even know who their MP of maybe 20 years is!

The wasted vote argument has come to the fore with FPTP, as previously discussed some seats are renown for being safe and therefore many will think that there is little point in voting. The result can appear a foregone conclusion leaving many feeling unmotivated to vote or even end up having to vote tactically to stop one party rather than voting for what and who you believe in. AV allows us to pick the person we really want to win but as well we can rank them so we get in effect a second, third and forth vote where our first choice does not make it. Alternatively if you only wish to vote for one so no one can say you backed another who you later dislike, you can! Your choice as democracy meant it to be.

It will help keep the country unified and peaceful with no risk of extremists getting in. BNP have got in to town halls under FPTP even though the majority want them out

AV is good enough for the politicians so why not us? All the main party candidates were elected to represent their party by this method. Charities, unions, organisations and businesses also use it to elect people to positions. They all try to come across as men of the people, so let the people have equality in votes and to use the method deemed good enough for the people we wish to vote upon.

Millions of people already vote using this method, if it was such a disaster as the No campaign would make out then why would it be in place in those countries? Furthermore the No campaign keeps stressing the need for expensive counting machines. The same machines that we rejected the use for in FPTP, we did not need them then, we do not need them now and we will not need them in the future! You merely need a group of counters with a pencil and paper, just like we currently use. This economic argument is a sign of the opposition plucking at straws to fend off a method that would see them under greater pressure and scrutiny.

The impact of a yes vote today is one small effort, for one small change that will create a huge difference. MPs will have to work harder to secure that 50% mark, meaning more policies for us, more time for us and hopefully a working model of why democracy is the model the world should be using.

AV is a very British reform. It goes against the norm . Yes most countries use FPTP but most European countries use the Euro, we do not. We do not need to follow suit and any argument that we should is laughable and desperate. We get to keep what works with our constituency ties but it will improve the relationship between the people and those who are paid by the people to represent the people.

This is not a referendum on Nick Clegg, do not treat it as so. In fact Nick Clegg does not want AV he wants Proportional Representation. Vote today even if you never have before and never will again. This chance of one small change may never happen again, it could well be a last chance to start pulling politicians in to line and getting what we voted for.

The future!

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:35:00 +0100

Well after 171 pages views some of you must be returning so here is a little preview of what to expect in the coming weeks.

In no particular order, the topics that will remain completely royal wedding free are:

Super Injunction
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill
AV – a complete(ish) view
The clash of PACE 1984 and the media
My view on the welfare state
Is the apprenticeship the new degree?

All that plus some football insight/banter and anything else that springs to mind.

The 30 Day Football Challenge Days 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:39:21 +0100

Well this failed epically due to a hectic life style so in short will wrap this up tonight. Leaving me free to blog on more pressing current affairs, recent sport, legal topics and of course me!

Day 21 - your favourite player before your lifetime

Mr Duncan Edwards. The Dudley born man played for Manchester United and England. He was a tragic victim of the Munich air disaster.

Day 22 - a game you’d love to play in

The Manchester derby, full of passion. Being a life long United fan I would know just how much this game means to the club, fans and should mean to the players. Shame some of the foreign imports do not.

Day 23 - a manager you want as your best man at your wedding

Sir Alex Ferguson… need I say more? One of the greatest managers of all time along side Sir Matt Busby.

Day 24 - a manager that you want to speak at your funeral

Ian Holloway - This man if his managerial career fails could easily be a stand up comic!

Day 25 - a player/manager that makes you laugh

Well Ian Holloway would of been the answer. However I would feel a cheat to pick him now after the last answer. Second answer would have to be the special one mourinho!

Day 26 - your favorite football ground

I would love to say Old Trafford for all those amazing games I have seen there. Nonetheless I am tempted to think outside the box here. Wembley new is an impressive stadium but certain aspects just lose the romance of it. Wembley old is a different story all together. The history attached, the moments I have had there, the atmosphere all made this place truely special. Walking over Wembley bridge for the first time seeing those twin towers was a feeling I will never forget.

Day 27 - a player you wish you could be

Beckham - really grown as a man as well as a player. From the wreckless youth days of picking up THAT red in the 1998 world cup to England captain, Marketing genius and all round global superstar and family man.

Day 28 - a player that you look at and wonder how they made it

Ade Akinbiyi… Just how?!

Day 29 - a player from your childhood

David Ginola or Zola either were footballing gods at their peak.

Day 30 - the best away day of your life

Germany 1-5 England 2001 the night that gave rise to Sven being hailed as a god and England again looked like world beaters!

Sorry this has been cut a tad short and probably not been given the attention it deserved but time has conspired against me here. That was my 30 days of football and those of you unlucky ones to have read it, thank you (and sorry)

The 30 Day Football Challenge Days 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:46:16 +0100

Day 15 - a player that inspires you

Roy Keane if only he was still playing, much of my game is moulded on him. However out of todays lot, probably Chris Smalling, from Van driver to Champions League player in a few years, just shows what you can do if you work hard and put your mind to it!

Day 16 - a player that you used to love but now hate

Heinze or Tevez - Both disrespected the club that helped make them reach their potential. Especially Heinze who was relatively unheard of before his move! Both shocked the clubs faithful who adored them by signing for or at least trying to sign for a rival! (Tevez to City and Heinze attempted to go to Liverpool)

Day 17 - a player your team are constantly linked to

Huntelaar - A record in Holand that would make any defence cry however since he left his motherland he has faltered and slowly the reports are dimming but even still you always get the one!

Day 18 - a player you wished your club had signed

Scott Parker - The Lad nearly rotted at Chelsea and would of easily commanded a place along side Keane and Scholes when he moved from Charlton and would of probably been an England regular too!

Day 19 - a favourite football chant

Take me Home United Roads by the Old Trafford Faithful or Drink a Drink to Eric the king. Both have videos attached below (Both from my favourite pre match bar - Bishops Blaize)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLZY8DihSZU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQP6IuPTPR8

Day 20 - a player you’d love to punch when you’re angry

Henry for his pure arrogance! Although that is probably hypocritcal when United fans adored Ronaldo and Cantona!

The 30 Day Football Challenge Days 13 and 14

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:34:49 +0100

Day 13 - A team that is a guilty pleasure

Derby County - Kind of sad but purely for FM reasons. 3 games in a row I have started with them now so always keep my eye out for them!

Day 14 - A team that no one would expect you to love

Arsenal - Always there of thereabouts come the end of the season with relatively little spent on the team. Some of the football they play is out of this world and this has been the same now for about 15 years. The fact Keown and Adams have gone does help!

The 30 Day Football Challenge Day 12

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:17:54 +0100

Day 12 - A player from your least favourite team

Dennis Bergkamp - A bit of a cheat answer here as the rivalry between United and Arsenal has long died down from the days of Food fights, Keane v Viera and Ruud Van Nistelrooy v Keown. However at the time he was there, the rivalry was huge.

This man was a magician with the ball. Sadly useless for away European games with a phoebia of flying, however it must be said that he did overcome this for the real big ones. To me better than Henry for pure ability and compared to Henry very underestimated.

His Top 10 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca7Ds692ZMI

No copyright infringements intended by youtube link posted.

The 30 Day Football Challenge Day 11

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:46:00 +0100

Day 11 - A player from your favourite team

Well young Hernandez has just popped up with a peach in the champions league so he would be a current favourite. Nonetheless I will go for Darren Fletcher.

Not so long ago he was the one I was ridiculed for liking. Wasting time on the ball, lacked passing ability and tackled like Scholes. Yet he has matured in to a midfield general perfectly capable of filling the gap left by Roy Keane. Hard as nails and breaks up play. He has scored some cracking goals (albeit not regularly) and can pick a decent short pass out.

With age on his side, only more can come from Scotlands best prospect.

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 10

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:51:11 +0100

A match that (almost) made you fall asleep

England v Algeria 2010 World Cup… need I say more?!

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 9

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:49:45 +0100

hmmm not really done one a day here… busy life and all sorry!

Day 9 - A player who made the biggest ever howler

Massimo Taibi and Vidic would be obvious contenders. However this time I am going to go for Tim Howard.

Qualification was all but sealed for the United provided they could keep the score the same. Sadly a silly free kick cost United dear as it resulted in them being knocked out. Tim Howard broke every rule in the manual as he failed to palm the ball out of either dangers way or for a corner. Instead he hit it back in to the congested box leaving a simple tap in. Jose Mourinho and his Portuguese side went on to lift the trophy.

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 8

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:05:44 +0100

The Player who scored your favourite goal

This is possibly the toughest one yet. Over the years I have seen many a great goal. Great for the team play, the individual effort or even just the goal itself. Early goals that spring to mind include Joe Coles stunner v Sweden, Beckham’s free kick v Greece, when Giggs skipped by the Arsenal defence in the FA Cup.

The winner however has to be Michael Owens goal against Argentina in the 1998 France World Cup. Despite England going out on penalties and Diego Simeone making a meal of Beckham’s petulance to earn the future skipper a red card, the young lad from Cheshire scored one of the goals of his career as he ran through the Argentines as if they weren’t there. He added the coolest of finishes that you would normally see from a man with 10 years experience on Owen at the time.

It should of signalled the start of England’s golden generation. Sadly the generation at international level never really lived up to the billing. Beckham undoubtedly the most successful player of the time, but the rest faded when they pulled on the three lions shirt.

Owen has since been plagued by injuries and no manager did get the best from a Lampard Gerard midfield. Nonetheless a great goal.

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 7

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:58:00 +0100

A song that reminds you of a certain match - The Belfast Boy – Don Fardon

The Match: Manchester United v West Brom – Carling Cup

The Belfast boy is the song about a football genius, a wizard with the ball, hero to millions, the man who was said to be ‘simply the best’ – George Best. Prior to the cup game a memorial was held for the late George Best. It was one of the most emotional matches I have ever been to, the chants for the United legend reverberated around the ground for the entire 90 minutes.

It was a fitting tribute to the man who graced our turf for many years, bringing with him success on club and personal levels. This is one match that I will never forget and whenever I hear The Belfast Boy it always brings back memories of that cold night, Old Trafford mourned the loss of one of its family.

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 6

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:17:22 +0100

Day 06 – A match that reminds you of somewhere

Kidderminster Harriers 1-5 Swansea – 26/12/04

A rampant Swansea destroyed relegation bound Kidderminster. A mixture of poor finishing by the Harriers and a couple of howlers that Ryan Clarke would like to forget, gave the Swans a late Christmas present.

The place this match reminds me of is Indonesia. That morning Mother Nature once again flexed her muscles to devastate the Indonesian coast. The series of tsunamis was triggered by an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean around 1am local time. Over 230 000 people were killed over 14 countries as many coastal communities were simply not prepared or developed to cope with the 30 metre high waves. Sri Lanka, India and Thailand also got pelted by the murderous waves.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1 and lasted between 8 – 10 minutes. It is believe that the pure force of the quake caused aftershocks as far away as Alaska. It is further believe that the quake was the catalyst behind the April 2005 eruption of Mount Talang.

The 30 Day Football Challenge - Day 5

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:53:35 +0000

Day 05 - A Match That Reminds You of Someone

Man Utd 3-2 Bayern Munich (Agg 4-4) - Wednesday 7 April 2010

Quick and simple one today! This game reminds me of my girlfriend Stacey. This was the first match I saw whilst with her and I remember her texting me saying she knows the score from TV but so confused as to why we have gone out. This itself was a miracle as she is a football hater and vowed to not take any notice of the match!

Brief over view of the match…

Arjen Robben’s late strike destroyed Manchester United’s hopes of reaching a third successive Champions League final as Bayern Munich went through on away goals.

Rooney set up Darron Gibson’s opener after just three minutes. Then United looked to ease in to the last four when Nani turned in Valencia’s cross four minutes later to put them ahead in the tie.

Bayern were being played off the pitch and Nani added United’s supremacy when he scored his second as half-time approached. Bayern took hope however when Ivica Olic took advantage of poor defending to bundle home a crucial goal before the interval.

Bayerns cause was helped when Rafael was sent off after 50 minutes following his second yellow card for a foul on Ribery. Although inevitable, United fans and players were fuming with the Germans sides reaction.

Bayern started to really turn the screw now and Robben’s wonder goal capped a period of pressure to grab an away goals lead. To this United had no responce and crashed out of Europe.

30 Day Football Challenge - Day 4

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:03:05 +0000

Day 04 - A Match That Makes You Sad

Cameroon 1-0 Colombia - 26 June 2003 - Confederations Cup Semi Final

Two of the under dog nations in the competition were battling it out for a slot in the final of a competition regarded as the dress rehersal for the World Cup*.

Cameroon had edged out Colombia by a narrow margin in a hard fought game. However celebrations were prematurely halted as the footballing world stood in shock and grief that Marc-Vivien Foe, who had collapsed in the second half, had died.

Highly regarded throughout much of the world, the former Man City man had fallen to the ground unchallenged. The game immediately stopped for treatment to be administered before being stretchered off and receiving further treatment, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter lead the tributes to Foe: “FIFA and the whole family of football are shattered by this unbelievable tragedy… Football has lost a remarkable player and a remarkable man.”

Manhester City have since retired the No.23 shirt in his honour.

It is moments like this when you realise how precious life is and to grasp every second of it as if it is your last.

*This became the case in 2005. Prior to this it was every 2 years.