The UEFA Europa League - Is there any point in it?

By Simon Wright (Personal viewpoint)

EUROPE’s second premier club competition began last night, as the third edition of the UEFA Europa League returned.  However, is there any prestige in this competition for let’s be honest; the second-rate sides in European club football.

     The UEFA Europa League made its debut on the football scene in the 2009/10 season, following the decision to restructure the even worse UEFA Cup.  Back in the 90s, there were three European competitions, which were merged into two in 1999, when the Cup Winners Cup was ditched.  The old UEFA Cup format had an opening first round, a tedious and pathetic second group phase where losing two of your four group matches was normally okay to progress, then more knockout football until a predictably drab final.  British success in this competition was fairly normal though, with Liverpool winning it in 2001 following that amazing 5-4 final against Alaves in Dortmund.  Both Celtic and Middlesbrough made it all the way to the final and if it wasn’t for UEFA Cup glory in 2003, the name Jose Mourinho would still largely have been unheard of. 

     The new format of the Europa League does make the competition a bit more entertaining to watch, despite the demanding schedule.  Four qualifying rounds are followed by 48 teams proceeding into a typical group stage.  Twelve groups of four teams, with the sides competing playing each other home and away, like the Champions League.  After Christmas, the 24 sides that ended first and second go into the third round, joined by the eight ‘lucky losers’ who finished third in their UEFA Champions League groups.  From there on, knockout football takes place until the final at the beginning of May, which this year, will be held in Bucharest, Romania.  The final play-off round this year saw the likes of AS Roma, Sevilla, Panathinaikos and Palermo knocked out before even reaching the group phase; teams you would expect to be around in the final reckoning.

    This season, Britain will be represented by five sides.  After winning the Carling Cup in February, Birmingham City enter Europe, despite playing in the Npower Championship.  After reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham start rightfully as favourites.  Two years after their historic run to the final in Hamburg under Roy Hodgson, Fulham are back in the Europa League, with Martin Jol in charge.  Stoke City embark on their first continental campaign in over 40 years, a fitting reward for their run to the FA Cup final last season.  Finally, Celtic earnt a reprieve into the competition, after the side that beat them in the final playoff round; FC Sion, were expelled for fielding ineligible players against the Scottish side.  However, it wasn’t a great start for the British teams last night in the opening set of fixtures.  Celtic lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid, Fulham were held 1-1 at home by dangerous Dutch side FC Twente, Birmingham got soundly beaten 3-1 at home by last year’s uninspiring runners-up Sporting Braga, Tottenham escaped with a 0-0 draw from Greece against PAOK Salonika and Stoke held Dynamo Kiev to a 1-1 stalemate in the Ukraine, coming so close to a historic win.

     With the extra demand on playing Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons every fortnight, most Premiership managers will see it being a poisoned chalice rather than a reward to play in the UEFA Europa League and I can’t blame them.  For example, my team Liverpool missed out on European football this season for the first time since 2000.  Although the club won’t get any of those special Euro evenings at Anfield, lose a bit of income from television revenue and ticket sales, it is predicted that Kenny Dalglish will see a major benefit for not being in an extra competition which, providing going all the way, will consist of another 20 matches!  Not only does it mean that Liverpool can focus more on the domestic cup competitions, but it provides a far clearer run than say Tottenham in the fight for fourth place in the Premiership. 

     Despite the added demand, I’m disappointed that many clubs, not just English ones don’t treat the competition with the respect it does deserve.  Once you are in it, you should do what you can to win it and it can provide memorable moments for the fans.  The UEFA Europa League is the perfect competition to blood some of the youngsters in your squad into battle.  Harry Redknapp has sent this message across already, by controversially leaving the gifted Rafael van der Vaart out of his 25-man Europa squad until the knockout stages at the earliest.  Although I admire Harry’s determination to play the youngsters, he hasn’t got the right balance.  After all, the fans and TV viewers want to see the likes of Bale, Lennon, van der Vaart, Defoe and Modric – not Livermore, Kane, Obika and Cudicini.  Youth policy has worked in this competition before.  Chris Smalling would never got his move to Manchester United had he not featured for Fulham in the early stages of the 2009/10 competition and Hodgson used the group stages to gives the likes of Martin Kelly, Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing a chance in Liverpool’s first team last season; without compensating for a swift early exit too.  I love to see youth given a go, but it is frustrating to see some treat it better than others and that leads me to the question; if you don’t want to take it seriously, don’t bother qualifying for it.

     This season’s competition does have the likes of Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Schalke 04 and PSG – but they aren’t the Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and AC Milan of today’s world.  I think UEFA have found the right balance and don’t need to make swift changes to the UEFA Europa League.  It works well but should be taken far more seriously.  Otherwise, you have to question its general worth.  Channel Five don’t bite!

Plato walks away from high-speed crash

British Touring Car champion and presenter of Channel Five motoring show Fifth Gear, Jason Plato walked away unscathed from a dramatic and scary-looking crash this afternoon at Donington Park.

     Plato, driving a Chevrolet Cruize was clipped by the Airwaves Ford of Liam Griffin just moments into the start of the second of the day's three race meetings.  The most successful driver in BTCC history was powerless to prevent his car careering into the gravel trap, before submerging a grass bank at the high-speed Craner Curves.  Although he hit the bank at an acute angle, his car flipped into a serious of dramatic barrel-rolls, before coming to rest in the pit.

     The defending champion, who was trying to salvage something from a disappointing meeting, having had his first race ruined by a puncture, unbuckled himself from the wreckage of his Chevrolet and walked away uninjured, to the relief of his wife, family and team.  The car was completely destroyed however.

     However, less than four hours later, the mechanics did an amazing repair job to get their man out for the final event of the day and Plato charged through to a stunning sixth place finish.

     Who said motor racing drivers had no brains?  After this, there is one thing that Jason Plato has and that's plenty of courage after walking away from one of the most dramatic crashes in the history of the British Touring Car Championship.

25 Years of Neighbours - When Neighbours Become Good Friends!

TOMORROW in the UK, the legendary Australian soap Neighbours reaches its 6,000 episode.  To mark the occasion, the bosses at Ramsay Street have come up with a ‘Who Dunnit?’ storyline, which will see the evil Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) be pushed off the balcony at the Lassiters complex.  It also marks the 25^th year of a show, which has been on Channel Five since February 2008, and has given us some iconic and inspirational moments.  The residents of Erinsborough have had it all happen to them down the years, and here are fifteen of my memories from the Ramsay Street years.

Scott and Charlene’s Wedding                                                  1987

The real heyday for Neighbours was in its early days, the 1980’s.  Just two years into its birth came the wedding of the decade, even more popular to some than Charles and Diana.  Nearly 20million UK viewers tuned into the BBC to watch the wedding of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell.    Every member of the cast featured in this romantic and groundbreaking episode, which of course set the stone for the legendary careers of Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue.  If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eyes, nothing will.

Susan and Karl get married in London                                    2007

If there is one Neighbours couple that have been through the mill, it must be Karl and Susan Kennedy.  In March 2007, they went to London, where Karl proposed to Susan on the London Eye, which she delightfully accepted.  In a week which starred cameo roles from Emma Bunton, Neil Morrissey and Michael Parkinson, Karl and Susan got married on the River Thames, the third time that they had got married.  However, the wedding was overshadowed by the reappearance of Karl’s former flame and Susan’s bitter enemy, Isabelle Hoyland.  Izzy went into labour during the wedding, with the baby delivered by the faithful Doctor Kennedy.  Susan would find out that Karl was the father of Izzy’s baby, as the pair had a one-night stand whilst Karl was on prescription drugs to help him sleep.  Now that was a dramatic wedding if there ever was one!

Jim Robinson Suffers A Heart Attack                                       1993

Alan Dale has gone onto great success in hit US shows such as Ugly Betty, The O.C and 24, yet has a habit of having characters that end up dying from a heart attack.  His most dramatic death though came in April 1993, when his character in Neighbours, Jim Robinson was written out of the show in smashing fashion.  Dale had disagreed with the producers of the show over his salary, and consequently, his contract wasn’t renewed.  In the show, Jim began a relationship with Fiona Hartman, who was after one thing, his wealth.  Cue several confrontations between the Robinsons and Hartman’s and the stress became too much for Jim, who collapsed in the kitchen floor, flying over a fruit bowl and succumbing to a heart attack.  Rather than help the other half, the deceitful Fiona transferred Jim’s money over to her account and allowed Rosemary Daniels to discover the body instead!  Pure gratitude!

The Waterhole Explosion                                                            1993

Now when you can smell gas, then you have a problem, and the last thing you want to do is ‘Don’t know, best leave it to the experts!’  Famous words from Brad Willis, who got entangled up in a massive explosion that gutted The Waterhole pub, as it was known then.  Brad and his wife, Beth ends up in the cellar when they suspect a leak, but decide to leave the issue to people who know their stuff.  The Waterhole, owned by Annalise Hartman explodes seconds later in spectacular fashion, throwing the owner to the ground.  Coffee shop assistant Stephen Gottieb was tragically paralysed in the explosion, whilst Beth and Brad luckily escaped with minor injuries.  Annalise was dismissed from her position, as she had known about the gas leakage, yet failed to report the incident and The Waterhole was no more.  Lou Carpenter would take over the damaged site, for a new watering hole that went the same way a decade later.

Madge Dies                                                                                        2001

One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the show’s history was the sad final scenes of Madge Bishop in the summer of 2001.  When Helen Daniels passed away in 1997, Madge took over as the matriarch of Ramsay Street.  Together with husband Harold (Ian Smith), they became one of the most famous couples in soap history.  Sadly in 2001, Madge contracted terminal cancer.  She spent her last days in her bed at No.24, with many of her close friends, Susan, Karl and Lou saying their emotional goodbyes.  With Paul and Tad, the two children that they had fostered and a emotional Harold, Madge quietly passed away in Harold’s arms, in an episode that was so emotional.   

Drew’s Death                                                                                    2002

Libby Kennedy and Drew Kirk were the golden couple of Neighbours at the start of the millennium.  They had to overcome several obstacles to tie the knot, and their wedding was just as tear-jerking as Scott and Charlene.  In 2002, the couple were considering a move to Oakey and are down in the vicinity, when Drew falls off a horse.  It looked like an innocuous incident, but sadly, the injuries are too great and Drew succumbs to liver damage and a brain haemorrhage.  The funeral was just as sad and Libby was never the same person again, until her departure two years later.  She returned in 2008, and is as strong as ever.  A failed marriage to Daniel Fitzgerald has followed, but Libby’s true love was always Drew.

Lassiters Goes Up In Flames                                                       2004

The 2004 season finale saw the planned wedding of Isabelle Hoyland and Karl Kennedy end up being cancelled at the last moment, as Izzy gets cold feet.  Despite not getting hitched, Karl gives Izzy a second chance, but the main incident of the night is yet to happen.  A mysterious figure in black sets fire to the storeroom in Lou’s pub.  The fire spreads very quickly, engulfing Harold’s Coffee Shop in the process.  The pub collapses, with Stu Parker and Cindi still trapped inside, although both will be found alive and well.  An explosion at the Coffee Shop knocks Max Hoyland out unconscious, to Izzy’s grave distress.  Right at the end of the episode, Paul Robinson returns to Ramsay Street, almost totally unnoticed. 

The Plane Crash                                                                               2005

To celebrate Lassiter’s anniversary, Paul takes a plane into the sky for a joy flight.  Several regulars including Isabelle Hoyland, Elle Robinson, Connor Harvey, Dylan Timmins and Sky Mangel are all aboard the flight.  One of Paul’s enemies, later to be discovered as his twisted son, Robert Robinson plants a bomb on the plane, which explodes in mid-air.  The wreckage ends up in the sea.  A dramatic rescue follows afterwards, with the residents who didn’t travel on the flight such as Max, Karl, Janelle and Harold awaiting news of their loved ones.  Sadly for Harold, his family of David, Lilijana and Serena Bishop all perished in the disaster.  Harold vowed revenge and it would be on an unsuspected Paul. 

Harold Strangles Paul                                                                    2005

Harold Bishop is struggling to cope with the loss of his family in the plane crash, and when Connor Harvey turns his back on him to reunite with his close friends, Stu Parker and Toadfish Rebecchi, Harold is left with nothing.  With Lou away and Sky not being much support either, Harold finds a letter than David had written, damming in his hatred for Paul Robinson (Paul had an affair with David’s wife Lilijana earlier that year.)  Harold heads over to No.22 and sneaks in, while Paul is on the phone to his son, Cameron.  As Paul hangs up, Harold grabs him around the neck and strangles his grip on Paul, until he collapses unconscious onto the floor.  One of the most surprising attacks in Neighbours history!

Stingray’s Death                                                                               2007

Sky Mangel’s baby, Kerry badly needs a transplant to beat leukaemia.  Kerry’s father, Dylan Timmins is unable to proceed with the transfusion, due to a sample that doesn’t match.  Dylan’s brother and Sky’s boyfriend Scott ‘Stingray’ Timmins steps forward, and after a few moments on the operation table when it looked like he might not make it, the transfusion is a success and Stingray makes a swift recover.  Sadly, fate takes a decisive blow and at a birthday party for his mum, Janelle, Stingray sits down and despite the best efforts of the Timmins family, they look on devastated as they realise that Stingray has passed away for the surgery complications. 

Bridget Passes Away                                                                      2009

Another traumatic death in Erinsborough occurred last year, when the very popular Bridget Parker passed away in hospital.  Bridget was involved in a car crash with her family, when father Steve attempts to swerve away from a loose horse.  Although she made out of the crash unscathed, Bridget collapses with baby India in her arms, and when found by Steve, is rushed to hospital for urgent surgery.  It looks like she has survived the worst, but a dream that she has seems to confirm terminal injuries.  Bridget goes into cardiac arrest and soon afterwards, Karl and Dr. Newton have to reveal the heartbreaking news.  Bridget’s husband Declan Napier, Steve and Miranda Parker struggle to cope with this horrific news.  This storyline spelt the exit for the Parkers, who left shortly afterwards.

Susan Finds Out About Karl & Sarah                                        1998

When the Kennedy family moved into Ramsay Street in 1994, we all knew the fireworks that were going to happen over the next sixteen years.  The first test of Susan and Karl’s happiness came in the season finale of 1997, when Karl had a secret moment with his secretary, Sarah Beaumont.  Temptation got the better of Karl for six months, and when Susan found out, via neighbourhood gossip at the wedding of Ruth and Philip Martin, Susan gave her guilty husband one huge slap!  After time apart, they did reunite, but the previous trust in their marriage had been well and truly shattered.

Harold Disappears                                                                           1991

In September 1991, Harold Bishop disappeared and vanished off the screens of Neighbours for five years.  Harold and Made had gone out to sea, and Harold was having a caricature of him drawn.  The last we see of him, is smiling and waving to a besotted Madge.  Then, he get washed out to sea and when his famous glasses are discovered, it is believed that he drowned, though a body was never recovered.  Harold reappeared in 1996, spotted by Helen Daniels whilst working for the Salvation Army.

Toadie and Dee’s Wedding/Dee’s Death                              2003

Toadfish Rebecchi has been one of Neighbours most well-loved characters, but he has never really been in luck when it comes to romance.  It looked like he had found his true happiness, when he met Dee Bliss.  Despite a couple of hitches in the lead-up to their wedding, including Toadie being tied up naked to a lamp-post on his stag night, the wedding day went through without any problems.  That was until they drove off for the honeymoon.  On the way to the airport to grab a flight to the Maldives, Toadie lost control of the car when he leaned over to kiss his new bride.  The car skidded and went straight over the edge of a cliff.  Toadie managed to scramble out, but Dee was never found, and although a body was never recovered, was presumed dead.  What a tragic end to an almost perfect day.

Karl and Izzy’s Break-Up                                                               2005

Karl Kennedy was an absolute fool for giving Izzy so many chances, as she was able to walk all over him.  Her lies came back to bite her for good in 2005,  when she claims that Karl was the father of her baby which she lost, when it actually wasn’t.  When her brother Max confronts her in the office of Scarlett Bar, Karl, having just bought holiday tickets for the happy couple overhears every word.  Despite a vain attempt to sort things out, Karl leaves a devastated Izzy on the ground outside the bar, humiliating her infront of Max, Steph, Paul and Susan.  This storyline marked the start of Neighbours 20^th anniversary week.

So, there you have it, 15 of the best memories from the first 6000 episodes.  Here’s to the next 6000, because this is the show when ‘Everybody needs good neighbours, because with a little understanding, you can find the perfect blend!’

Neighbours - 25 Years of Opening Titles

ICONIC Australian soap Neighbours is approaching its 25th anniversary and the opening titles have changed so many times, you'd begin to lose count.  On the eve of the 6000th episode, to be shown on Channel Five tomorrow, here is a lookback at previous titles


There will be a blog later on some of my favourite moments from 25 years of pure drama on Ramsay Street.

Big Brother Disappears - Has It Gone For Good?

Big Brother is very similar to Marmite.  People either love it or hate it.  I was one of those in the latter category, but one thing that can’t be denied is that it made the significant breakthrough for reality television.  After a decade of rows, relationships and raunchiness, Big Brother departed from Channel 4’s screens on Friday night.

The last series that was recently aired was an Ultimate Edition of the show, which saw the return of some of BB’s most famous housemates including Ulrika Johnson, Chantelle Houghton and Nikki Grahame.  Friday’s show was won by Brian Dowling, who won the second series of the show, back in 2001.  Dowling was shocked to be revealed the winner by the host of the show Davina McCall, as he won the show against Grahame on a public vote.

Big Brother was created by Endemol, who are also behind other Channel 4 hit-shows 8 Out of 10 Cats and Deal or No Deal.  Its idea was to throw strangers into a house together and have them being watched by the public.  The winner of the show would earn £100,000 in cash.  Immediately from its inception in the year 2000, the show has been a major hit with many fans, though it hasn’t been any stranger to criticism from the media and government ministers. 

Big Brother has often been in the media spotlight and the tabloid newspapers have loved covering each series every summer.  Television broadcasters also have enjoyed reporting on Big Brother and it has often made the headlines.  Its most talked about moment of controversy came in the Celebrity edition of the show in 2007.  Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was the victim of racist abuse from fellow housemates Jo O’Meara, Danielle Lloyd and Jade Goody.  OFCOM received nearly 45,000 complaints over the incident, whilst Channel 4 received 3,000 further complaints.  The broadcaster took a lot of stick from government ministers about its lack of involvement with the show and not protecting Shilpa’s integrity.  Shilpa went onto win the series, but the show’s reputation was tarnished for good.  The Carphone Warehouse terminated its sponsorship contract with Channel 4, the Celebrity edition was postponed for a year and viewing figures slowly declined. 

The most famous housemate in Big Brother’s reign was Jade Goody.  Despite being fully involved in the Shilpa Shetty racism row, Jade was loved or loathed by the nation.  She appeared in the third series of Big Brother, and her career took off in the media industry afterwards.  She won over the hearts of many with her cancer battle and despite being brave in battling the illness and highlighting the work that cancer charities do, she passed away on March 22^nd 2009.  On Friday night, Channel 4 screened a fitting tribute to the late and brave Jade Goody.  Although she wasn’t my favourite person in the world, her fight to battle the illness was remarkable and that she took some courage and determination on her part. 

There have been 11 regular editions of the shows and over 1000 episodes in the UK, plus various editions of the celebrity format.  Its peak came in 2002, when 9.2million on average watched the series, won by Kate Lawler.  Others winners include Nadia Almada, Brian Belo, Sophie Reade and Craig Phillips. 

There has been talk that the reality show could return next year, especially if Richard Desmond can strike a deal with Endemol to bring the show to Channel Five.  However, there is no doubt that Big Brother has had a major impact on television in the 21^st century, no matter of the differing opinions.  I hope we have seen the last of it, but that’s largely down to the stale content it was producing, rather than pure bitterness.  Whatever happens next, whether it returns on a different channel or not, it has cast a major legacy and Channel 4 will do very well to find a replacement show that will take on the mantle and achieve the high ratings that Big Brother managed.  

Crozier Laughs Off Desmond's Ambitious Plans

ITV boss Adam Crozier has laughed off the plans of Richard Desmond, as the Northern & Shell owner begins to stamp his authority on five.  Desmond has made cheeky bids to poach Coronation Street and the X-Factor.  When asked about this, Crozier said the following:

“Richard thanks for trying.”  “There’s a very short answer to that and it’s a very large no.”

Crozier was responding on the day when ITV announced its recent figures, as they try and bounce back from testing times, due to the recession.  ITV’s audience share stands at an average of 24.1%, compared to Five’s meagre audience share of 4.2%.  Crozier, the former chief executive of the FA during Sven-Goran Eriksson’s dismal reign as England coach and the figurehead of crisis-hit Royal Mail took over in March this year, after the departure of Michael Grade.  Grade labelled the recent recession as “the worst recession in living memory,” which saw slump in advertising revenues and cutback made in ITV’s regional news output.  Crozier insists that ITV are making a very strong recovery and hints that the recently poaching of former BBC stars Adrian Chiles, Jonathan Ross anc Christine Bleakley signal changing times ahead.  He also aims to oversee the launch of 3 new HD channels which will available exclusively to customers who subscribe to Virgin Media and BSkyB.  The first of these should be available to consumers this October.

Desmond paid £103.5million to buy Five last month from the German company, RTL.  Having made his money through adult television channels, plus his ownership in OK! Magazine and the Daily Express, Desmond has had to make significant and expected cuts at the channel, including the departure of seven senior members of staff, which was confirmed this afternoon.  Nevertheless, he plans to expand on the possible potential of Australian soaps Neighbours and Home & Away, both struggling to compete with the major UK soap opera players.  He has also signed exclusive deal with Warner Brothers to produce films for the channels, aims to improve on Five’s radical coverage of the UEFA Europa League and has plans to poach the highly controversial Panorama show and the doomed Big Brother, which is due to leave Channel 4 screens at the end of this month.

This move to poach some of ITV’s top shows was never ever going to be a reality, but it already shows Desmond’s commitment and desire to turn the fortunes of five around.  

Daring Desmond Buys Out Five

The future of Channel Five has been secured for now, after it was taken over last week by Richard Desmond, the owner of the Daily Star and the Daily Express.  Desmond’s company, Northern Shell completed its takeover with immediate effect from the German broadcaster RTL, in a deal worth an estimated £104 million.  RTL confirmed that a pick-up in the UK advertising revenue convinced them that it was the right time to sell.

Mr. Desmond, who has also indicated that he’d like to buy The Sun newspaper off Rupert Murdoch and News Corp of recent times, was delighted with his new acquisition:

“I am delighted to have taken over as ownership of the network, and know with the right leadership, drive and investment; it can go from strength to strength as a competitive broadcaster and a modern player for the big consumer.”

Richard Desmond has had a very enterprising career in the media industry since he left school with very few academic qualifications.  By the age of 21, he owned two record shops, and acquired the rights to the Daily Express in the year 2000 – through money that he had made in the adult entertainment market.  Under his ownership, the Daily Express and OK! Magazine seem to have thrived underneath his ownership, both on a content and commercial basis, which will make this move very positive for Dawn Airey, the chief executive of Five.

Channel Five was launched by the Spice Girls on March 31^st 1997, but was hit very hard by the slump in advertising revenues during the recession last year.  It has managed to rebuke several attempts and suggestions for a merger with Channel 4, but has struggled to make an impact on the major players in the terrestrial market.  Five is currently home to CSI, Flash Forward, UEFA Europa League Football and Australian soaps Home & Away and Neighbours. 

It is likely that Desmond will make significant cuts to begin with, like he has with the Daily Express.  However, he has already indicated that he wants to bring back Top of the Pops, and possibly attempt to revive Big Brother, currently in its final series with Channel 4.  It will be very interesting to see how things work out, but whilst RTL were only in the game for a moneymaking venture, Desmond’s takeover can only be seen as a positive step forward for Five.  Not only has it secured its future, which has been questionable for some time, but it will give them the stepping stone to start competing heavily with other channels in public broadcasting.