London hosting the 2012 Olympics has long since been a news topic worthy of front page headlines. And whilst the spiralling costs and the like ensure it is a much maligned project at the moment, there is no doubt that London is worthy of such an event.
The same year of course, Ukraine and Poland host 'Euro 2012', the European Football Championship. A controversial decision, it was Michel Platini's desire that the tournament be held in Eastern Europe, in order to rekindle the Eastern passion for the sport. Even with that in mind, it was an odd choice, but given recent developments, it has proved to be even more so.
Whilst the Ukranian team put in a performance to be proud of at Wembley last week, albeit in defeat, club football in Ukraine is in turmoil.
Offences such as money laundering, drug dealing and even to the extent of murder are just some of the crimes that are levelled at football club owners in Ukraine. When the Soviet Union broke up, football clubs were seen as lucrative prospects to criminals. The clubs enjoy tax breaks on alcohol and tobacco and provide seemingly perfect cover for money laundering and extortion.
One unnamed prominent club's owner is indeed said to be a head of one such criminal gang, but as he is yet to be prosecuted, nothing can be published about it.
Despite much of the corruption being covered up, however, the situation is improving thanks to Ukranian prosectuors. Two years ago the president of FC Tavriya Simferepol, Premier League club, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for ordering an arson attack and the use of illegal weapons. The same club's commercial manager in in prison awaiting his sentence too.
The BBC reported last week that police said the club was used as the HQ for a criminal gang responsible for murder and kidnapping, but that it is not even considered newsworthy, such is the level of corruption in the game.
Match-fixing is also a big problem. So much so, that for big matches, foreign referees are brought in at the last minute in an attempt to control the situation where possible.
With all this going on in a country in clear economic turmoil follwing the financial crisis, is this country able to host a tournament so large and so prestigious. Stadiums, roads, airports and hotels all need to be built for the event, meaning the liklihood of it actually taking place there becomes smaller by the day.
While Platini's want to spread football throughout Europe, as far and wide as possible may be admirable, the fact remains that the FC Tavriya scandal came to light before Ukraine was chosen, and so UEFA were fully aware of the situation when they selected Ukaine to be hosts.
Rumours of a UEFA contingency plan are just that at present, rumours, but you can bet UEFA will not risk the publicity accusations of corruption and match-fixing in their crown jewel. So whatever problems London 2012 may have, its unlikely a situation akin to Ukraine's will ever rear it's ugly ehad on these shores.
Some big sporting success stories in recent weeks, and so here's a few of them.
First, Federico Macheda announced himself to the world in the most stunning of circumstances, shooting himself into the limelight, and Manchester United back on top of the Premier League.
While Macheda's goal was sublime in it's creation and finish, this goal is perhaps the epitome of calm under pressure. While the goal may not have as much significance as Macheda's injury-time winner, Garfite of Wolfsburg puts his side 5-1 up against a side who have recently humiliated Sporting Lisbon 12-1.
The weekend also saw Andy Murray again confirm his place alongside the very elite of world tennis. Whislt unable to overhaul Novak Djokovic in the rankings, he beats him here in the Final in Miami, taking his record since Wimbledon 2008 to 57 wins and 7 losses, the next best record being that of Rafael Nadal, with 50 wins and 7 losses. He is a man on form.
Then of course last weekend was Grand National weekend, the bill being topped by Mon Mome. A 100/1 outside, winning jockey Liam Treadwell was understandably over the moon. At least he was, until Claire Balding, yes Claire Balding, started having a go at his appearance. The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind.
Not often will you see FC United and Paris Saint-Germain associated with eachother.
After all, one is a club formed as recently as 2005 in the shadow of one of the World, European and Premiership Champions. And while boasting a notable attendance given it's status, plays in Northern Premier League Premier Division, one below Conference North.
The other of course boasts attendances upwards of 40,000, is currently well-placed to end Olympique Lyon's run of 7 consecutive Ligue 1 titles, and boasts Ronaldinho, Youri Djorkaeff and Nicolas Anelka amongst it's alumni.
It doesn't take a genius to work out which is which, but it requires some thought as to the links between the two clubs. Seemingly a football chasm apart, it is in fact their humble beginnings which see the two clubs paths cross. For in fact, FC United could be Paris Saint Germain 30 years ago.
For those who don't know, FC United was born out of frustration Manchester United supporters following Malcolm Glazer's controversial takeover which led to hundreds of supporters briefly defecting from the club. They are affectionately referred to as "The Red Rebels". The way in which the club was formed has attracted attention from all over Europe, with television crews from Holland, France and Germany all tracking the progress of the fledgling club.
Since forming ahead of the 2005/06 season, FC United have won promotion in each of the following campaigns, twice as Champions and once via the play-offs. This puts them in the UniBond League Premier Division, one below Conference North and 6 below the FA Premier League.
FC United is firmly in its infancy at this moment in time, and it's those very beginnings that it shares with Paris Saint-Germain. Whilst the original 'Stade Saint-Germain' was founded in 1904, in search of a place in the upper echelons of the French league, the club merged with Paris FC in 1970, and in their sole season together, they won promotion to the top division.
The success was short-lived. The mayor's office was none too pleased with the unification. It felt Paris FC had sold out, and was none to pleased with supporting a cluv outside of Paris, no matter how near that place maybe. The mayor's intervention saw the club dissolved. Paris FC were to remain in the top division as a professional football club, and it's offspring, Paris Saint-Germain as we know it today, were to trawl the lower leagues.
Relegated to the bottom division of the League, Paris Saint Germain were now an amateur club. Despite the obvious restrictions however, PSG gained consecutive promotions to the top division, with an ironic twist seeing Paris FC, their illustrious neighbours relegated as they won their promotion.
While Paris FC had yet to bottom out, and continued to tumble through the leagues, PSG went from strength to strength, comfortably establsihing itself as the leading club around the French capital. It moved into the newly refurbished Parc des Princes, ironically once the home of Paris FC, and won French Cups in 81/82 and 82/83, putting the icing on the cake with the 1985/86 French league title.
Following that success, fortunes have been up and down. Highlights include a second League title in 1994, 3 Cup successes in the 90s and indeed A European Cup Winners Cup triumph in 1996. The club has not been without it's trials however.
Recent seasons have seen off-field traumas dramtically effect the on-field performance, and relegation looked certain at points in both 2007 and 2008. Now under the stewardship of Paul le Guen however, the club is once more challenging near the top of the division.
It's a link for FC United to enjoy. Figures at the club have set some illustrious targets for a club that is just recently formed, and they can certainly take heart from Paris Saint-Germain's rise from the ashes. Whether FC United can replicate PSG's meteroic rise and pass Manchester United on the way is of course another matter.
Given the level of domestic and European success the Manchester club have enjoyed, it's certainly unlikely. But sport has a tendancy to write the most unfeesible of stories. Simply nothing is impossible. FC United, 2020 Premier League Champions? You heard it here first!
Even by sport's standards, this weekend was a strange one. Expect the unexpected they always say, but expect it all to happen at once?? They may have to incorporate that into it from now.
A weekend of unexpected results started in the heart of Manchester, as Liverpool recorded the most remarkable of victories in the face of a Manchester United side effectively unbeaten since November 8th. Men (Vidic) normally calm in the heat of battle floundered, and the class of Messrs Gerrard and Torres shone through the dire grey kit and saw them record a stunning 4-1 victory. Alex Ferguson's deluded claim that his was the better side showed all the traits of a man with wounded pride, but rest assured he'll be asking his side to respond like a wounded animal.
The smart money says his side will at the very least claim the Premiership once more, (remember the defeat at Stamford Bridge last year), but Saturday's result sure as hell makes it a more interesting run-in.
Manchester was also the venue for Amir Khan's decision victory over Marco Antonio Barrera. While not Khan's biggest fan, it still irks me to see his victory greeted with boos. Yes it was a little on the calculated side, taking on a legend well past his best, and yes, the fight should have been stopped to leave a 'no decision'. But is any of that Khan's fault? And should he be derided for it? The simple answer is no. Something tells me nothing would have curtailed the boos in any case. But, he beat what was before him, and that is simply all he can do.
The same can technically be said of the Welsh rugby team and Italy as they stumbled past rather than beat what was before them. There was little satisfaction in the stumble though. 1/25 favourites before the game, the Welsh went as far as they could to prove that they are much better when the underdogs, which bodes well for next weekends decider in Cardiff.
England were a side transformed however. The statistics point to an even game, but statistics are just a guideline, and the truth of the matter was that England could have scored more. The French looked dazed. So often they turn it on when you least expect it, but not once did they really threaten England, who made it to the gain-line and beyond on more occasions than I care to remember. Keeping all 15 men on the field was the talk pre-match, but it nearly got to the stage where you were talking about all 15 min scoring come the post-match talk. Second place could yet be theirs.
In other sport, (McLaren the F1 team, not Steve) declared themselves 'lacking competitivity', which will be a blow to Hamilton's great hopes. It should make for an interesting Championship. Brawn GP, Ferrari and Renault all look quick and slick in testing, but nothing is going to deter me from my January prediction that Fernando Alonso will reign again in 2009.
All in all, it was an excellent weekend (what weekend isn't?) in sport, and for those of you who missed it, merely confirmed my suspicions that British teams need to be the underdog to perform. Why? We'll probably never know, but it makes for great, unpredictable drama.
Rarely has a sporting week highlighted an element of the British sporting psyche so much. As fans, we expect so much and as a sporting nation, we occasionally deliver - but almost always when it is unexpected.
It seems that the majority of British sports teams or sportsmen and women need an environment which does not expect a result, unless that result is defeat. It is an old British adage to prove people wrong, and it is apparent in the sporting world, that is certain.
The English cricket team are the architype for this. When they are fancied for a result, or backed to win the Ashes, you can be guaranteed a middle-order collapse is just around the corner. The most recent series which finished yesterday in the West Indies' 1-0 victory only goes to prove the theory too.
Throughout the series England toiled both with the bat and ball and never looked like inflicting real damage on the West Indies after the extraordinary collapse for less than 60 in the First Test's second innings. Yesterday was written off to end as a draw - and yet England rallied to almost produce the most remarkable of results. They took 8 wickets after lunch for the first time in the series and looked at extreme ease with the bat before it, especially in the hands of Prior and Pietersen.
Ensuring that the stigma is not just attached to the English of course is the Welsh rugby team. October 2007, lambasted as World Cup flops, and just 5 months later they are Grand Slam Champions. Fast forward to this year's Six Nations, they are big favourites and beat Scotland before struggling past England. For once, they go to Paris in expectation and not hope and come back with their tails between their elgs.
Then there's Liverpool. Written off at the beginning of the season in the Premiership, they strung win after win together to sit top of the tree coming into the New Year. A few Rafa Benitez quotes later however, and they trail Manchester United by 7 points, having played a game more. Home and away they failed to beat Stoke City this year, not managing a mere goal. Pit them against Real Madrid, the European ginats however, and they romp home with a 5-0 aggregate win, having taken the honours in both legs.
Andy Murray reached the US Open Final last September against all odds and was somewhat prematurely installed as joint favourite with Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. This happened to the bemusement of the other 3 members of the World's top four. Those 3 ended up making up 3 out of the 4 semi-finalists, and Murray went home before the second week began.
You've only got to look at previous sporting heroes to see that British sporting history is littered with these stories. Colin Montgomerie never having won a Major, no Six Nations title for Ireland since 1985, Tim Henman no Grand Slam and the list runs on and on.
For even when there is sporting success in abundance as there was in 2008, it's hard to argue that the majority of those successes were not a surprise.
So why is this true? Are the fans and media guilty of putting too much pressure on Britain's sporting jewels? Or are we a nation of bottlers? Thoughts below please.
Joe Calzaghe reitred undefeated last week. Most experts and fellow fighters declare him the best British boxer of his generation and all advise him to stay retired. However, even at the moment he chose to announce his retirement he could "never say never" to the potential of a comeback.
Sport is littered with these stories. All-time greats coming back until they've ruined their legacy. The greatest, Muhammed Ali couldn't resist it, neither could Michael Jordan or Martina Hingis and Lance Armstrong was added to that list a short while ago.
Frank Warren suggested Calzaghe would return if the money was right. A naive comment made by a man currently embroiled in a legal battle with his former charge. To suggest that Calzaghe, a man who has only ever publicly spoken of his desire to win and not earn, would be motivated by money was foolish. Calzaghe is as down-to-earth a sportsman as you are likely to find these days, choosing to train in a gym in Newbridge with his father over any comfort that his money could buy him.
So if money is unlikely to be a reason for a Calzaghe comeback, what would be? Why have those aforementioned sportsmen and women come back?
When Lance Armstrong announced an end to his retirement people asked the same question: Why? He's worth over £100million, so probably not that then. He won the Tour de France 7 times in a row, so it's unlikely to be to satisfy a feeling of under-achievment. He claimed it was to raise awareness of the global battle against cancer, but coming from a man who has raised nearly £150 million for cancer research, this claim could be hollow.
In no way am I doubting his integrity but just as with all those other sportstars who have come back, there's more to it than that. Lance Armstrong has a global profile and if he wanted to step up his campaign, he could without riding again.
The crux of the matter is that he and others who have made comebacks like him will all have thought it still within them to produce the goods. They look at the contenders of today and still think: 'I could beat you'. That desire is what separates the great from the good.
An average man in an average job will finish work and retire in his sixties. Sportsmen tend to retire in their thirties, half-way to the stage where they feel like stopping.
Calzaghe was right to say 'never say never' - if he didn't he'd risk sounding a fool months or years down the line. He doesn't know how he'll feel in a years time, a little bit bored, watching Chad Dawson or another 'pretender' holding the belts that were previously his.
He's best off out of it, in the same way Jordan, Ali and the like were. But you try telling him that.
To look at Martin Johnson's face on Saturday, was to look at a man being worn down. The expression suggested a heavy defeat not a 25-point victory, but it was of course the manner of the victory that will have disturbed him.
In the same way Heath Ledger's Joker haunted Summer '08 with the immortal words 'Why so serious?', Gatland fired an immediate warning following Wales' victory: 'It is a good position to be in' he said, 'There are a lot of things we can improve and work on.' Johnson will of course hope Gatland's words were also for the cameras, but the way Wales swatted Scotland aside will mean England go to Cardiff in hope, not expectation.
Had Italy not decided to ludicrously experiment with Bergamasco at scrum-half, they might have been celebrating a famous result - England were bad, Bergamasco was worse.
Rafa Benitez wore the very same look until Fernando Torres came to his rescue a minute from time. Rafa probably wouldn't look so worried if he didn't a) Buy a £20million striker and then sell him for £8million less 6 months later, b) leave his best players on the bench in big games and c) have that goatee.
Sir Alex never messes with hairstyles or facial hair and he couldn't look less serious right now, even though you know he is on a mission. He even managed a laugh and a joke about Giggs' winning goal, suggesting it 12 years since the last goal with his right foot, when he knows full well it's longer than that.
The managerial merry-go-round stopped twice yesterday, first on the South Coast and then in the capital. Big Phil and Tony Adams were the unlucky men, and their respective clubs now begin the search for saviours.
Adams claimed to be 'surprised' more than anything, but given his managerial record during his tenure and prior to it, it really wasn'tt hat surprising. And whilst Big Phil's Chelsea were world-beaters in late summer, hapless displays against big contenders and the small fish sealed his fate.
Linked to the Chelsea job are the usual suspects (Hiddink, Mancini, Riijkard), plus an old friend, Avram Grant. Seriously. In all fairness, he never deserved the sack in the first place, but only in the crazy world of football could such a turnaround be possible. Not good enough in June, Abramovich wants him to complete a similar damage-limitation job to the one he did following Messiah Mourinho. If Avram grants him his wish (sorry), be sure to watch out for an interesting end to the season.
Portsmouth of course are not quite on the same playing field, and Alan Curbishley and the like are the names trotted out for this one. Anyone linked would do well to stay clear. No-one can do the job Harry Redknapp did except Harry himself and Portsmouth are plummeting.
In other sport, the England cricket team did it's very best to defy belief and scale new lows, barely making a 50 total in their second innings. Alastair Cook claims that no major changes are necessary, but anyone who takes that seriously needs to re-watch that second innings again, and again in case they blink and miss it.
Super-Middle and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe retired undefeated, although he did say "never say never" to the prospect of a comeback. Having defeated everyone put before him in the last 20 years, he joins legends Floyd Mayweather and Rocky Marciano as undefeated fighters at the very top of the game. He is rightly the Pride of Wales.
Bonne semaine!
Most Britons will remember the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona for Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell. You can't blame them, both athletes won gold and so came home to deserved praise. I don't remember too much of the games myself, but one story always stuck out in my mind.
Derek Redmond smashed the British 400m record at the tender age of 19, but was robbed of the chance to win Olympic Gold in Seoul, 1988. Just 10 minutes before the 400m final, he ruptured his achilles tendon, and spent a painstaking year in and out of surgery. Nursing himself into form and fitness took even more time, but come the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, he was a British medal hopeful .
His preparation for the final was the same as with any race: going through the approach and tactics of the race with his biggest fan, his father.
For those of you that don't already know the story, it's below. Commentator David Coleman said he got 'the biggest cheer of the games', and rightly so. Because whilst speed and strength can be measured and rewarded with medals; heart, grit, determination and courage cannot.
There's something special about a bitter rivalry. No matter what anyone says, it's no fun seeing one man or one team dominate a sport or a division. The greatest sportsmen are only considered to be so because of the almost equally great rivals they beat.
The best sport served is when two bitter rivals clash, inspiring eachother to greater heights. Having witnessed just that on Sunday during the Australian Open final, it got me thinking as to what have been the truly great rivalries in sport.
RAFAEL NADAL & ROGER FEDERER
While Nadal holds the overall advantage in meetings between the two, leading 13-6 at present. 9 of those victories have come on clay, a surface which Nadal has ruled for some time, including an 81 match winning streak which Federer ended. The two have formed 7 Grand Slam final line-ups, with Nadal taking this score too, at 5-2.
The last two finals they've contested, at Wimbledon (2008) and the Australian Open (2009), have been hailed as two of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all-time. The Wimbledon final lasted a record 4 hours and 48 minutes, which Nadal took 9-7 in the final set in near-darkness. At the Australian Open, another 4hour marathon gripped tennis, and Nadal prevailed once more, taking the decider 6-2. Both defeats prompted tears from a disconsolate Federer, who couldn't even finish his runner-up speech at the Australian Open.
While Nadal enjoys the greater overall lead, you can be sure Federer, considered by many to be the greatest player of all-time will be back, and gunning to re-claim his Wimbledon title this summer. The tennis world awaits.
CELTIC v RANGERS
Whilst many regard the biggest football derby to be River Plate v Boca Jrs or Barcelona v Real Madrid, for me it had to be the Old Firm derby.
Dating back to 1888, no other football derby holds such tradition, scalding passion and hatred as these two. While the sectarianism maybe vile, it produces a charged atmosphere that portrays sport at its rawest.
The statistics only serve to back up the intensity of the politics and violence. Rangers are marginally ahead in these stakes, with 152 wins to 138 after 381 clashes over 120 years in all competitions. Celtic have enjoyed the most recent success however, taking the title back to Celtic Park in the last 3 seasons.
Despite the fact there is a minimum of 4 derbies each season, each match is approached with an equal measure of intensity and hospitals report admissions to increase by 9-fold on derby day. Football's biggest derby.  ALAIN PROST & AYRTON SENNA
Two of the all-time great drivers were also a pair that pushed eachother to the limits of their ability and morality. How Formula 1 could do with a rivalry such as this today. These two truly detested eachother and went to extraordinary lengths to beat the other. Prost was the ultimate winner, finishing ahead of Senna 54 times to 50 in 116 races, and collecting 4 drivers championships to Senna's 3.
There are other stories to be told however, none more so than the conclusion of the 1989 World Championship. With Senna needing to finish ahead of Prost to take the title, the two then-teammates locked wheels as the Brazilian tried to pass the Frenchman. Prost's race was over while Senna re-joined to take the chequer flag. Cue outrage when Senna was disqualified for rule infringement, leaving Prost the 1989 World Champion. That, however is just the tip of the iceberg.
ALI v FRAZIER
Arguably the greatest ever sportsman took part in what is widely-acclaimed as sports greatest rivalry. They had 3 fights, each of which was bigger than the last, and all 3 bigger than boxing itself. Ali, was a flamboyant, anti-war Muslim whilst Frazier was a blue-collar conservative. Ali branded him with the names 'Uncle Tom' and 'gorilla' and they brawled outside of, as well as inside the ring.
While Frazier took the first of the fights, Ali took the final two, including the 'Thrilla in Manilla'. In total they fought 41 out of a possible 42 brutal rounds, with two of the fights going the distance. In the final bout, Frazier, eyes swollen couldn't come out for the final round, leaving Ali World Champion.
The two never got on, Frazier never forgiving Ali for his slurs and taunts which included the infamous "It will be a killa...and a chilla...and a thrilla...when i get the gorilla in Manilla." A Classic, timeless rivalry.
FISCHER v SPASSKY
The most interesting and probably intelligent rivalry of all-time. No match-up has ever before been representative of so much. With the Cold War and arms race at the forefront of everyone's minds, these two represented their countries in a way that would be unthinkable nowadays. The Soviet Union, under Breznhev's rule was a communist country, whilst the USA under Nixon was venomously against it. Here was an American and a Soviet competing in a sport almost completely dominated by the Eastern Europen nation. Chess.
Bobby Fischer (USA) was the first man from outside the Soviet to even challenge for the World title, but it took the US government's intervention to persuade him to travel and play. He was reknowned for being a difficult man but Fischer eventually declared he was chosen 'to teach the Russians some humility'.
The match lasted 2 months before Fischer won 12.5-8.5 in sport's most cerebral game. Following victory, Fischer chose to never defend his title after the Federation refused to comply to his match demands.
The feud made chess popular, however. Coverage of the match was spread over the front pages and America celebrated a Bobby Fischer Day in his honour.
In 1992, Spassky and Fischer played out a re-match in Belgrade, which was dubbed 'The Revenge match of the 20th Century. Despite having not played publicly for 20 years, Fischer once more emerged victorious with 10 wins to 5, adding insult to an already personal rivalry.
OTHERS
-Honourable mentions must go to the Boca Jrs v River Plate derby one of our columnists touched upon as well as the Barcelona v Real Madrid derby which always grips Spain.
-Borg v McEnroe - never a dull moment when these two were fighting it out on the tennis court, and while their match-up was tied at 7-7, McEnroe took 3 of the 4 Grand Slam finals they played in. Advantage McEnroe.
-The Ashes (England v Australia) - not so much a hotly contested rivalry in the past 20 years as an opportunity for Australia to gloat over England, with the 2005 triumph being the sole comfort to English cricket fans.
-America v Europe (The Ryder Cup) - Golf is not a sport usually associated with bitter rivalries and a winner-takes-all attitude. Outside of the Ryder Cup at least. Here, it has all happened. From prank phone calls to invaded greens, this rivalry has over-spilled on many an occasion, and there is almost invariably a bitter swipe from the losing side.
That's it from me, but have I missed any? What are your favourite rivalries and derbies? Please leave your thoughts below.
OK, this week has pushed things to the limit in places. The biggest one, I'll leave til last.
Let's start with the Scottish Football league. No, I didn't mean the whole league has gone on too long (at least not at first). I am in fact referring to the never-ending penalty shoot-out between Celtic and Dundee United last night. Perhaps embarassed at having played out a dull 0-0 draw, the sides put it right with an 11-10 penalty shootout thriller. Celtic finally prevailed with Willio Flood (ironically about to become a Celtic player!!), missing his second spotkick of the shootout. Now if ever there was anything to get you a higher signing on bonus, that might just be it!
Rafa Benitez's tenure at the helm of Liverpool is next on the list, it's gone on 4 years too long. He should have bowed out with the European Cup. This is a man seemingly more hell-bent on self-destruction than Amy Winehouse. Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit though. Maybe he's actually bribing the owners to give him the contract he wants. He'd do better by spending £20 million on someone he intends to be a member of the first team squad.
"See what I do weeth no contract Senor Hicks - I take off Mr Gerrard and replace him with Nunez, Bellamy, Paletta, Robbie Fowler errr I mean Keane. Give me what I want."
You haven't thought it through Rafa, honestly. Stop making the strangest decisions since Arsene Wenger bought Francis Jeffers and Pascal Cygan (where's he?), and you might win the title. And if that happens, you'll get to write your own contract.
David Beckham's will-he, won't-he permanent transfer to AC Milan is dragging on isn't it. You could see it coming a mile off too. At first it was all 'No, no way, I'm an LA player, and that's the way I'll stay', the next minute AC are meeting with Beckham's advisors. You can't imagine LA Galaxy being too pleased with it all. Trusting someone with your prize posession for a little while and them trying to steal it on the cheap is not the best way of saying 'thank you' apparently.
And so Golf's Jimmy White is the new Ryder Cup captain. Having ruined more leads than an over-zealous rottweiler, Colin Montgomerie will want to put that to bed by winning the Ryder Cup back in 2010. Montgomerie and one of the potential team-members, Ian Poulter, have come to blows on several occasions.
The major argument came over the Cup itself but was lovely to see Poulter come out and back him completely: "We've had our little ding-dongs, but he is such a great person, and as captain, you would perform for him" Poulter said, over-doing it with the praise. That must be re-assuring for Montgomerie to hear, especially when Poulter would have no reason to say it if he didn't mean it, nothing to gain whatsoever...
We all went a bit far with installing Andy Murray as favourite for the Australian Open. And as most Great British sportsmen do, he duly obliged by losing to someone he'd never ever lost to before - how many people thought that was a sure-thing? Yep, me too.
And finally Jimmy Bullard, hopefully with tongue in cheek said this week, upon clinching his £5million transfer: "Hull are the biggest club I've played for." Enough said.
OK, so that's enough from me I think (Though I may have been onto something with the Scottish league) Any thoughts?
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