Nine Years On From 9/11

New York is leading the tributes and remembrance ceremonies across America on the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States.


Joseph Biden, the US vice-president was amongst those who attended the traditional memorial service held at Ground Zero, where the names of the 2,752 people killed at the former site of the World Trade Centre was read out.  Barack Obama is attending a similar ceremony over at the Pentagon, where another hijacked plane crashed on September 11th 2001.


No other words can describe the feeling that the US and the world feels about these attacks.  See below for some of the UK TV coverage on the day of 9/11.

RIP to those who lost their lives on that shocking day, you will never be forgotten.

Bye Bye Barbara

Tonight, we say goodbye to one of soap’s most loved icons, as Barbara Windsor bows out of EastEnders, after having played the Mitchell matriarch Peggy Mitchell for sixteen years.  Our favourite barmaid could only watch in horror last night, as she saw her beloved pub, The Queen Vic explode in a ball of flame, following a tense stand-off with her estranged son, Phil Mitchell.

Tonight, as the Mitchell family struggle to come to terms with the previous night’s traumatic events, Peggy realises that she must move away and start afresh, if the rest of the family are ever going to move out of her shadow, therefore bringing down the curtain on a glorious and tempestuous time in Albert Square.

Peggy was first cast in Walford back in 1991, and Barbara took over in 1994.  Since then, has been involved in some of the soap’s biggest storylines, from battling breast cancer, regular run-ins with Sharon Watts, and three doomed marriages to the likes of clueless Frank Butcher and the devious Archie Mitchell.  Barbara received the Best Actress gong at the 1999 British Soap Awards, and received a Lifetime Achievement award at the same ceremony a decade later.

After a two-year absence between 2003 and 2005, whilst fighting the Epstein-Barr virus, Barbara returned to EastEnders at the end of 2005.  Last October, she announced her decision to quite EastEnders, so she could spend more time with her family and her third husband, Scott. 

Peggy’s impact on Albert Square and Barbara’s time in EastEnders will never be forgotten.  She is similar to what Ken Barlow is to Coronation Street and Harold Bishop to Neighbours, a true soap icon.  Everyone working at the BBC and those who watch EastEnders will certainly miss her presence. 

Best wishes for the future Barbara.  

No Extra Punishment For Maranello

Ferrari has escaped any further punishment from the FIA for their role in the team orders debacle at July’s German Grand Prix.  After a meeting at Paris on Wednesday afternoon, in which the Italian team was asked to explain its actions infront of the World Motor Sport Council, it has been decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that the team hadn’t breached the regulations to a severe point.

On Lap 48 of the 67-lap encounter, Brazilian Felipe Massa slowed down to allow his team-mate Fernando Alonso past at Hockenheim.  Massa had been told on the team radio by his race engineer Rob Smedley the lap before that “Fernando is faster than you.”  

After the incident, Smedley’s transmission spoke out trouble for Ferrari infront of millions of worldwide television watchers.

“Good lad, just keep it up now, sorry!”

Alonso went onto win the race, but Massa’s expressions on the podium after the race suggested the bitter taste in the Brazilian’s mouth and in our mouths too.  Ferrari insisted that Felipe let Alonso through by his own accord.  They also used the case that Massa was given a similar coded message at the Australian Grand Prix in March, yet then, there was no switch of position, with Massa ending up 3^rd and Alonso in 4^th.

After the race, stewards at the Hockenheim meeting fined Ferrari the maximum possible fine of $100,000 for breach of two regulations:

39.1: Team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited.

151. C: any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motorsport generally" can be punished.

The WMSC upheld the fine and has also agreed to have a look into removing the rather ridiculous team order regulation, put in place when Rubens Barrichello let Michael Schumacher through to win the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix on the very last corner of the race. 

Ferrari can now gear up for their home race, Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix with Alonso sitting 41 points behind McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton in the drivers title battle, and Ferrari 80 points shy of Red Bull Racing in the constructors championship.  However, most will hope that the Maranello team won’t win either championship, in the aftermath of this latest escapade to hinder Formula One’s image, which has been fairly clean in 2010.

Higgins Cleared of Match-Fixing

Former world snooker champion John Higgins has been cleared of fixing matches, but has been fined £75,000 and banned from the sport he loves for six months.  In May this year, Higgins was secretly filmed by the News of the World, agreeing to fix frames on purpose in Kiev. 

The meeting had been set-up by Higgins manager Pat Mooney.  However, the match-fixing allegation was thrown out, after investigators accepted Higgins explanation that he only agreed to the deal, because he was in a “intimidating atmosphere” and had no intention whatsoever of following the deed through.

As the Scot, world champion twice has been suspended from the sport since the allegations broke cover in the days leading up to the World Snooker Championship final in Sheffield, he is clear to play again from November onwards.  Mooney has since resigned his position for his role in the scandal.  After the two-day hearing, Higgins read out the following statement:

"This has been a traumatic time for me and those close to me."  "I am pleased (it has been) concluded after a thorough investigation that I was not guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention of fixing a match and no intention of doing anything corrupt.  "In November I will return to snooker with a stronger determination to succeed and I plan to hold up many trophies and the coming years."

There is no doubt that John Higgins has lost a load of fans and mutual respect from some of his closest friends in the game.  However, his explanations seem valid and I hope he has learned his lessons from this scandal which is something that the sport simply didn’t need.

Previous Explosive Soap Fires

As we prepare to say goodbye to the Queen Vic as we know it, it is time to look back at some of soap's biggest and fiery pub fires.  Tomorrow night, EastEnders will provide the latest drama in this long tale, but it won't be the first, nor the last.


EastEnders - The Queen Vic - 1992
Phil Mitchell sets fire to the Queen Vic tomorrow night, but he is sixteen years too late.  His brother Grant did it back in 1992, desperate to claim on the insurance.  However, his estranged wife Sharon was in the building at the time of the blaze.  Grant eventually went to jail for a while and Sharon ended up having an affair with Phil.  Now, that's brotherly love for you.....

Hollyoaks - The Dog in the Pond Explosion - 2006

Sam Owen had escaped from prison and wanted revenge on Sophie Burton for setting him up and putting him in jail.  When he kidnapped his sister Nicole and found out that his brother Russ was sleeping with Sophie, it got Sam even more angry.  So, he took a lighter and a can of petrol to The Dog in the Pond, when Russ was meant to be meeting Sophie.  After a tense struggle between Sam and Sophie, and a vain attempt from Calvin Valentine, the pub exploded in a bull of flame.  Sam, Sophie, Mel Burton and students Olivia Johnson and Joe Spencer lost their lives.  This explosion storyline was under the guidance of Bryan Kirkwood, now the producer of EastEnders.

NOTE: The music used is from the BBC America edition, 'Club Foot' by Kasabian was used on the Channel 4 edition.

Coronation Street - The Rovers Return - 1986

Coronation Street's famous bar, The Rovers Return is not totally extinct to fire.  In 1986, the pub went up in flames, after Jack Duckworth fitted a damaged fuse which only had the potential to cause a deadly explosion.  The quick reactions of Sally and Kevin Webster saved the life of landlady Bet Gilroy, who was sleeping upstairs at the time of the blaze.

Neighbours - Lou's Place - 2004

The 2004 season finale of Australian soap opera Neighbours proved to be one of the most dramatic in the show's established history.  A mysterious individual set fire to the storeroom at Lou's Place, which led to the whole Lassister's complex being set alight.  Max Hoyland was knocked unconscious, whilst Stu Parker and his girlfriend Cindi were trapped in the rubble of the collapsed pub.  Harold Bishop's coffee shop also went up in flames and the end marked the return of Erinsborough's golden bad boy, Paul Robinson.

Rooney Plays Away - Why Are Footballers Caught Cheating?

Wayne Rooney answered some of his doubters last night, with an excellent performance in England’s 3-1 Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland.  The Manchester United striker scored his first goal for the Three Lions in over a year and after a miserable summer in South Africa and a lacklustre start to the new Premiership campaign with his club, he looks to be back to his best.  However, it’s his scoring off the pitch that is making the headlines.

Tabloid newspapers the Daily Mirror and the News of the World reported on Sunday that Rooney had been playing away and sleeping with another woman, allegedly a prostitute in Spain.  It is also alleged that Rooney had paid this mysterious woman over £1,000 for steamy sessions, whilst his wife, Colleen was carrying his child.  True or not, this latest escapade adds to the list of high-profile footballers who have been caught out in their private lives this year.

First in January, the then England captain John Terry was reported to be having an affair with model Vanessa Perroncel, who was involved with Terry’s former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.  In March, Bridge decided to retire from international football, as he couldn’t play in the same team as Terry.  England boss Fabio Capello had little alternative in sacking Terry as England captain, replacing him with Rio Ferdinand.  Soon after this news broke out, Terry’s high-profile team-mate at Stamford Bridge, Ashley Cole had a barrage of tabloid reports, suggesting he’d had sexual relations with at least five women.  This was the final straw of his tense four-year marriage with the X-Factor judge and Girls Aloud sensation Cheryl Cole and a divorce was granted last week in the High Court.  Last month, it was Tottenham’s lanky striker Peter Crouch who came under fire for having relations with several women in Spain.  Although still together, it has severely damaged Crouchie’s previously clean reputation and his relationship with the model Abbey Clancy.  Now, with Rooney under the spotlight, you begin to wonder how many more footballers will have their private lives turned under the screw before the end of the year.

Capello and Rooney’s personal sponsors, Nike, Coca Cola and EA Sports have all backed Wayne publicly, insisting that it is just a ‘private matter.’  Surprisingly, his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson has remained quiet under the matter, and he is bound to face a grilling from the journalists at his traditional pre-match press conference at United’s training ground, Carrington on Friday morning. 

Some of the blame has been shifted onto the media, and news spreads fast nowadays, especially with the social networking generation.  Also, clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and especially Chelsea need to draw a line under these issues and tighten their policies when it comes to their highly-paid superstars going out to posh restaurants and flashy nightclubs in town.  Then, there’s the matter of the women involved, some seem to be in the game for having a good time and even launching ‘a career’ out of these saucy stories.  However, it is the footballers who need to trend a tight line.  One step out of line and the media have the capability of blowing the whole story out of proportion.  It takes two to tango, and maybe footballers should be setting a better role model to their idols, such as young children.  If these kids see these stories, they are going to think it is okay for them to do at an older age.  There can be no doubt that these are distasteful stories and they will get people interested, but it does set a very bad example for younger generations.

Rooney may have got through the initial stage with flying colours, but it will be interesting to see how Ferguson handles his troubled star, especially as Rooney is bound to get an absolute pasting this weekend.  Manchester United only head down to Merseyside on Saturday lunchtime to play his former club, Everton, who have never forgiven Rooney for his move to Old Trafford for £27million six years ago.  It could well be a spicy occasion and a very tricky afternoon for Rooney to keep his discipline in check.

Tomizawa Tragedy At MotoGP Meeting

Motorcycling is in shock tonight, after the tragic death of promising 19-year old Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa.  Tomizawa died in hospital from fatal head injuries, suffered during a Moto2 event on the Misano circuit in San Marino. 

Moto2, which is the class below the premier MotoGP circuit, was hosting the twelfth round of the season and Tomizawa was 7^th in the championship standings, having won the season opening event in Qatar.  He was in the leading bunch when he came off his bike on Lap 15.  Tragically, he was then hit by Italian Alex de Angelis, an experienced MotoGP rider and Britain’s Scott Redding.  Both Redding and de Angelis were propelled into the gravel trap and though Redding suffered minor concussion, both riders escaped serious injury.

When medics got on the scene though, it was quite clear that Tomizawa was in an awful state, with reports circulating that he had hit his head on the track, before being struck at full speed by the other riders.  He was rushed into hospital and quickly got placed into an induced coma, but a statement on the MotoGP website confirmed his death at 1.20pm UK time from “subsequent cranial, thoracic, and abdominal trauma.”

The Moto2 race was stopped and restarted, won by Spain’s Toni Elias.  Despite the reluctance of some MotoGP riders, it was agreed that their race went ahead, which was comfortably won by Honda’s Dani Pedrosa.  Jorge Lorenzo finished second to keep a comfortable championship lead, with his Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi on the podium at his home event.  Despite all the top-class riders knowing that the accident was bad, none of them knew the severity of Tomizawa condition until after the race.  As a mark of respect, celebrations were muted and no champagne was sprayed on the podium.

This is the second death at motorcycle events in two weeks, after 13-year old Peter Leinz was killed in a warm-up event for the Indianapolis MotoGP event last Sunday.  Like Tomizawa, Leinz was also hit by another rider.  It is the first death on the proper MotoGP circuit since Dajiro Kato lost his life two weeks after a smash in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Like the rest of the MotoGP paddock, my thoughts go out to the family and friends of Shoya Tomizawa.  A promising talent, whose dreams of success will turn out to be tragically unfulfilled.

SHOYA TOMIZAWA (December 10^th 1990 – 5^th September 2010) RIP

Blair Publishes His 'Journey'

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has published his memoirs, and the book called ‘A Journey’ will make grim reading for his predecessor Gordon Brown.

Mr. Blair claims that his old ally, put him under “relentless personal pressure” and under his guidance, he was always convinced that the Labour party would lose May’s General Election.

Also in his memoirs, Blair, who has been out of UK politics spotlight since stepping down in June 2007 said that he did not regret going into war in Iraq in 2003, and also opens up about his feelings on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and a surprising omission regarding a drinking problem when under scrutiny.

‘A Journey’ is well on course to become a bestseller and most bookshops are selling the book at half-price, with Waterstones already coming out in saying that Blair’s book is the fastest-selling autobiography of all time.  All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Royal British Legion, in aid of the injured troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is a must-read and I am for one looking forward to reading a detailed extract from a man at the top of his power for thirteen years.  

To many, Tony Blair will be seen as a controversial man, one who made some damming errors of judgement in his time in office.  However, his legacy shouldn’t be forgotten.  He built up New Labour and put the country back into some form of security and strength after years of doomed Conservative government. 

Blair’s book, ‘A Journey,’ is now available at www.amazon.co.uk for £12.50.

Some Say He Is Called The Stig....Others Say He Is Ben Collins!

Some say that he thought Star Wars was a documentary, and others will say that he is illegal in 17 US states.  All we know is that he is called Ben Collins.

Collins, a former NASCAR and Le Mans driver, now turned stuntman was revealed on Wednesday afternoon as the face of The Stig, the mystery driver on the BBC2 hit motoring show, Top Gear.  This was after the BBC failed to get a court injunction at the high court which prevented Collins from publishing his autobiography.  The reason for this is unclear, as the judge will give a private reason for the refusal of the injunction in a fortnight’s time. 

Collins was the stunt driver on the recent James Bond movie, ‘Quantum of Solace.’  The mystery of ‘The Stig’ has always been unclear to viewers, as he is dressed in white racing overalls, with a darkened visor and helmet.  His role is to test fast sports cars and new road models around the Top Gear testing track.  He also has appeared in some of Top Gear’s most famous challenges alongside regulars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

There has been speculation that Damon Hill, president of the BRDC (British Racing Drivers Club) had been secretly holding the role in his spare time.  Last year, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher appeared as ‘The Stig,’ in a publicity stunt for one episode, in an attempt to fool the intrigued viewers.  Ben Collins, who is from Bristol, has actually held the role as ‘The Stig,’ since 2003.  He is only the second ‘Stig’ on Top Gear, with the first being the ex-Grand Prix pre-qualifier Perry McCarthy.  McCarthy held down the role for two years, but was sacked after his identity was revealed.  You can only imagine that Collins will be heading in the same direction.

In response to the disappointing outcome, the BBC said this in a statement:

"The BBC brought this action as we believe it is vital to protect the character of the Stig which ultimately belongs to the licence fee payer.

"Today's judgement does not prevent the BBC from pursuing this matter to trial and the BBC will not be deterred from protecting such information from attack no matter when or by whom it should arise."

Whether a new ‘Stig’ will be around come the time of the new series in January 2011, alongside Clarkson, May and Hammond is unclear.  In the meantime, Ben Collins autobiography is to be released on September 16^th and will be published by Harper Collins.

A Fond Farewell To GMTV

Today marked the end of an established era in breakfast television, as GMTV bid a fond farewell to our TV screens after seventeen years of dedicated and professional breakfast TV.

GMTV (Good Morning Television) started on Friday 1^st January 1993, and has been presented over the years by the likes of Fiona Phillips, Eamonn Holmes, Michael Wilson, Anne Davies and Ben Shepherd.  Today, it was former Sky News presenter Emma Crosby, Richard Arnold and Andrew Castle who bought down the curtain on such an emotional day for everyone involved with the company.

GMTV took over from the very popular TV-AM as the ITV breakfast franchise, following the controversial 1991 ITV Franchise Awards, which spelt the death knell for regional television symbols across the corporation.  GMTV will be replaced by Daybreak on Monday, which will be presented by new recruits from the BBC, Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley.  Some of the GMTV regulars, such as Dr. Hilary Jones, Kate Garraway and John Stapleton will still be around on the new breakfast show, though whether it will have the success that GMTV has created for a national audience is hard to say.

In the show’s final moments, Castle said the following:

"Like all families there have been squabbles along the way, but there have been no shortage of love, effort and perseverance, and we just want to say to the viewers who have been with us loyally for a long time, thank you so much."  "Fingers crossed for them, really good luck."

Thank you GMTV for giving us so many memories, you will profoundly missed by everyone.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (28th - 29th August 2010)

Three weeks in and it is still very early days in the 2010/11 FA Barclays Premiership.  Here is a round-up of the action from the final weekend in August.

Saturday 28^th August: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal had to show a lot of grit and fight to overcome a determined Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.  Theo Walcott continued his flying start to the new domestic campaign, firing the Gunners ahead on twenty minutes.  Seven minutes later, Mame Diouf levelled the game up with his first goal for the club, since his loan deal went through from Manchester United.  Andrei Arshavin scored the winner midway through the second half, and despite losing Robin van Persie to an ankle injury, Arsene Wenger’s side did well to pass a very stiff test in Lancashire.

Sunday 29^th August: Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Birmingham City

Ten man Bolton Wanderers produced a stirring comeback from two goals down, to rescue a draw with Birmingham City at the Reebok.  Birmingham looked in complete control with an hour gone, ahead inside of three minutes courtesy of a tap-in from centre-back Roger Johnson, his first goal in Birmingham colours.  A moment of madness from Juusi Jaaskelainen which saw the experienced Finnish goalkeeper slap Johnson in the face resulted in a deserved dismissal.  Craig Gardner then bundled home a scrappy second goal, but Owen Coyle’s side are made of sterner stuff nowadays and did exceptionally well to battle on.  Kevin Davies won a lucky penalty and converted it and with fifteen minutes remaining, substitute Robbie Blake hit a wonderful curling free-kick to ensure a share of the spoils.

Saturday 28^th August: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Wigan Athletic

Tottenham suffered a dreadful European hangover, as Wigan Athletic secured a priceless victory at White Hart Lane, which gave under-fire Roberto Martinez some much-needed confidence to perform at the top level as a manager.  The only goal of the match was scored by Hugo Rodallega with ten minutes remaining, as Tottenham looked sloppy, lacklustre and got what they deserved, which was nothing from the game.

Saturday 28^th August: Blackpool 2-2 Fulham

After a 39-year absence, top-flight football returned to Bloomfield Road and it witnessed a cracking encounter, as Blackpool and Fulham shared a point apiece and four goals.  Fulham, now having drawn their first three games went infront through Bobby Zamora, though a shoulder injury has now ruled Zamora out of England’s first two Euro 2010 qualifiers this week.  A cataclysmic own goal from John Pantsil put the Seasiders on level terms and they went into a deserved lead, through loan signing from Derby County, Luke Varney.  A clinical late equaliser from Nigerian international Dickson Etuhu earnt the Cottagers a draw but Ian Holloway will be delighted with the response by his players, after last week’s drubbing at the Emirates and the League Cup exit in Milton Keynes last Tuesday.

Sunday 29^th August: Aston Villa 1-0 Everton

After a dreadful week on a domestic and international basis, Kevin McDonald’s final caretaker game in charge of Aston Villa ended with a fortuitous win over a wasteful Everton at Villa Park.  The sole strike came after nine minutes, after Ashley Young took advantage of an air shot by Maroualine Fellani to feed in his namesake, Luke Young.  The right-back took his goal with some aplomb, enough to lift Villa into fourth place in the Premiership table and stake McDonald’s chances of getting the vacant position on a full-time basis.  Poor finishing from Everton’s attackers and brilliant goalkeeping from veteran Brad Friedel made it a very frustrating day for David Moyes’s side; the Toffees now only have one point from three matches.

Saturday 28^th August: Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United

After a fruitless summer, Wayne Rooney ended the longest goal scoring drought of his career, by scoring a penalty in Manchester United’s Saturday evening stroll against a West Ham side that seem to get worse with every passing week.  Rooney’s penalty after 33 minutes broke a 13-game drought and set Sir Alex Ferguson’s men on their way, with further goals from Nani and an acrobatic effort by Dimitar Berbatov putting the seal on another impressive performance.  Avram Grant has the big test to steady the ship for the Hammers and it only gets easier for him, Chelsea is next after the international break.

Sunday 29^th August: Liverpool 1-0 West Brom

In nine attempts, West Brom have failed to score a Premiership goal against Liverpool, but their hard-working approach nearly frustrated Roy Hodgson and the Anfield crowd on Sunday afternoon.  Watched on by new signings Paul Konchesky and Raul Meireles, Liverpool lacked the fluidity required, but a first goal since April for Fernando Torres was the difference between the two sides.  James Morrison was sent off in stoppage time for a terrible lunge on Torres.

Saturday 28^th August: Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City

For once, Chelsea didn’t actually win by six clear goals, though they always were in command against a Stoke side, yet to get a point so far this term.  Frank Lampard had a first-half penalty saved comfortably by Thomas Sorensen and then limped off and out of England’s Euro 2012 qualifiers.  However, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba continued their impressive form, each scoring as the champions remained the only team to remain 100% after the first month.

Sunday 29^th August: Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City

The first blip on the Manchester City radar came on Wearside, where a stoppage time penalty from the reliable Darren Bent sank Roberto Mancini’s multi-millionaires.  Carlos Tevez chalked up an early contender for miss of the season, firing over with a gaping net to aim for in the 10^th minute and after that, City never recovered.  A push on Bent by Micah Richards in the box, led to the England striker’s opportunity, which he dispatched underneath Joe Hart’s body for a massive result for the Black Cats.

Saturday 28^th August: Wolves 1-1 Newcastle United

Both sides were fairly satisfied with the final outcome at Molineux, which saw Wolves and Newcastle dispute a hotly-contested 90 minutes, which ended all-square.  Whilst Karl Henry and Joey Barton seemed to be having their own private duel throughout, the goals were scored by the in-form Sylvain Ebanks-Blake for Wolves and Andy Carroll for Newcastle, a goal in each half.  Wolves remain unbeaten, Newcastle probably the happier of the two sides with the point.