F1 title deciders

THE result of yesterday’s Brazilian Grand Prix means that we have a four way showdown for the driver’s world championship for the first time in the sport’s sixty year history.  Come Sunday afternoon in the twilight of Abu Dhabi, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber or Sebastian Vettel will be celebrating world championship glory.

Here are ten fantastic finales from years gone by. . .

1976 – Fuji (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: James Hunt (CHAMPION), Niki Lauda

NIKI Lauda was lucky to survive a near-death experience when he crashed on the classic Nurburgring track and the Austrian was badly burned.  As the season went on, his advantage had been whittled down to nothing, and in the final event at the Fuji Speedway, he pulled off early on, refusing to risk his life in such dangerous conditions.  McLaren’s charismatic Brit James Hunt, now only needed 3^rd to wrap up the title, but suffered a puncture whilst leading.  A late fightback saw Hunt charge back up into the 3^rd spot that he required to snatch the title from Lauda and become 1976 champion.

1981 – Las Vegas

TITLE CONTENDERS: Carlos Reutemann, Nelson Piquet (CHAMPION), Jacques Laffite

HELD at Caesars Palace, a car park decided this 1981 title battle, which in an unremarkable setting saw a thrilling finish.  Williams Carlos Reutemann held a one point lead over Brazilian Nelson Piquet, with Ligier’s Jacques Laffite a further five points adrift.  Reutemann started on pole, but his general inconsistency shone through at the crucial point.  Unhappy with the handling of his car, the Argentine – who is now a leading politician in his home country slipped out of the points.  Piquet scrambled across the line in 5^th place, just ahead of Laffite to snatch his first championship.

1984 – Estoril (Portugal)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Alain Prost, Niki Lauda (CHAMPION)

ALAIN Prost had narrowly missed out on the world championship with Renault in 1983, and heartbreak struck him the following year, by the narrowest of margins.  Prost, now driving for McLaren dominated the Portuguese Grand Prix and won easily.  However, his canny and very experienced team-mate Niki Lauda, leading Prost by three and a half points going into the race only needed a second place to clinch his third championship.  Despite starting only 11^th, Lauda fought through to second place to deny Prost of his maiden title by half a point, still the closest margin ever.

1986 – Adelaide (Australia)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost (CHAMPION)

NIGEL Mansell looked set to button up his first world championship Down Under in 1986, but grave misfortune was to strike the plucky Brit.  A dramatic tyre explosion down the long backstraight finished his chances of winning his maiden title.  Concerned about whether the same plight might happen to the other car, Williams went cautious and pitted Nelson Piquet for fresh tyres.  This handed Alain Prost’s McLaren the lead, the race and as the unlikely outsider – the championship in the most dramatic of all showdowns.

1994 – Adelaide (Australia)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher (CHAMPION), Damon Hill

1994 was a season full of triumph and tragedy.  The shocking death of Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix put a cloud over the whole season, as did allegations of cheating by the Benetton team.  Going into the final event, German supremo Michael Schumacher led Damon Hill by a solitary point, and in the Adelaide race, they went wheel-to-wheel.  On Lap 36, Schumacher made an unforced driving error and smashed into a wall at Wakefield Bend.  An unsighted Hill came around the corner and dived for the inside.  Schumacher turned in and the pair collided.  The Benetton was launched into the air and out of the proceedings, but his actions left Damon with a damaged wishbone and out of the race in the pits.  Schumacher was champion in bitter circumstances.

1996 – Suzuka (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Damon Hill (CHAMPION), Jacques Villeneuve

DAMON Hill was the overwhelming favourite for the 1996 championship, but a catalogue of late-season nightmares gave his rookie Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve a sniff at the title.  Nine points behind, it was always going to be a tough ask for Villeneuve, and although he took top spot in qualifying, a dreadful start saw the Canadian relegated to 7^th.  A right-rear wheel flew off on Lap 36 and left Jacques buried in the gravel.  Hill led from start-to-finish to claim an emotional championship success in his last race for the team, which also left BBC commentator Murray Walker “with a lump in his throat!”

1997 – Jerez (Spain)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve (CHAMPION)

JEREZ was the setting for the final race in 1997, with Michael Schumacher holding a one point lead over Jacques Villeneuve.  It started with an amazing qualifying session, when the two title contenders and Heinz-Harald Frentzen set the same exact time of 1.21.072.  In the race, Schumacher got away better and led Villeneuve until Lap 47, when the Canadian pulled off a brave lunge down the inside of the Ferrari at Dry Sac corner.  Schumacher repeated his 1994 actions and deliberately turned in, but it was his car that ended in the gravel and out of the event.  Villeneuve limped around to finish 3^rd and clinch the championship in only his second season in the sport.  Schumacher was excluded from the final standings for his actions.

1999 – Suzuka (Japan)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Mika Hakkinen (CHAMPION), Eddie Irvine

EDDIE Irvine’s big chance to win the drivers’ championship was in 1999, when Michael Schumacher broke his leg at the British Grand Prix.  Schumacher returned for the final two races, and helped Irvine win in Malaysia to take the title battle to the wire, with the Ulsterman four points clear of Mika Hakkinen.  At Suzuka though, previously an Irvine expert track, he struggled – crashing heavily in qualifying and finishing a distant 3^rd in the race, over a minute off the winner.  Schumacher took pole position, but Hakkinen beat him off the grid and dominated from there to win and become a back-to-back champion.  Irvine went to Jaguar for 2000 and his career dithered into oblivion.

2007 – Interlagos (Brazil)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen (CHAMPION), Fernando Alonso

THE 2007 season was a sensational season, as McLaren and Ferrari battled for supremacy.  In his rookie season, Lewis Hamilton looked set to complete the incredible story, as he was four points ahead of his team-mate Fernando Alonso going into the final round.  Sadly, it all went wrong in Brazil for Lewis, who went off on the first lap trying to pass Alonso, then lost nearly 45 seconds when his gearbox got stuck in neutral.  Seventh place was all he could manage, whilst his tempestuous team-mate Alonso was third.  However, the outsider, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen – who had been 17 points behind Hamilton with two races to go, won the race after Felipe Massa backed off and let him through at the final round of stops.  It was enough to give the flying Finn a very unlikely title success.

2008 – Interlagos (Brazil)

TITLE CONTENDERS: Lewis Hamilton (CHAMPION), Felipe Massa

FOR the second successive year, Lewis Hamilton went to Sao Paulo seven points clear of a Ferrari driver.  This time, it was the local driver Felipe Massa.  Massa went into the weekend with nothing to lose and was in total command, taking pole position and surviving a variable condition race to win.  Hamilton ran a secure 4^th for most of the afternoon, only requiring 5^th for the title.  A late rain shower saw Lewis drop behind the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel and down into sixth spot.  Luckily, Timo Glock’s Toyota (on dry tyres) was left stranded by the late downpour and the McLaren was able to pass on the last corner of the last lap to clinch the championship in the most unbelievable manner.

The X-Factor - One year since Jedwardgate

BY JASON WRIGHT

SUNDAY November 8 2009 – it’s just gone 9:00pm and Britain has just perhaps witnessed one of the most shocking events in reality television history.

Irish twins John & Edward Grimes, otherwise known as Jedward, had pulled off a huge shock by surviving the axe from The X-Factor after being in the bottom two.  To say it was a surprise in this situation is a massive understatement considering who had just been eliminated at their expense.

Jedward had the whole nation talking since their first audition for both their unique hairstyles, seemingly lack of singing talent and thus their rather comical personality.  Simon Cowell took an instant disliking to the twins whereas the other judges, especially Louis Walsh for the Irish connection, saw some potential in them to start with.  Cowell famously later described them as “vile, little creatures” at bootcamp and after advancing to judges’ houses, he said to Louis “If I get them, I won’t let them on the plane. I can’t even look at them!” Fortunately, Simon didn’t get the groups but Louis did and so through they went into the live finals.

As the live finals began, the press and viewers had already gotten tired of their antics and wanted them out sooner rather and later.  Performances of Robbie Williams’ ‘Rock DJ’, Britney Spears’ ‘Oops I Did It Again’, Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’ and Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ were all put to shame.  Simon Cowell soon took his bitterness to new heights when he declared he would flee the country if they won.

In comparison, Lucie Jones, an 18-year-old student from a small village on the outskirts of Cardiff, had already gained a mass following after a sensational first audition and sailed through into the live finals.  Considered as one of the favourites, huge pressure was on her to deliver and she didn’t disappoint.  The first three weeks didn’t provide classy performances but they were just as strong enough to be at the front end of the field.

But on the fourth week, Rock week, she well and truly arrived in the competition with an amazing rendition of the Guns ‘n’ Roses song ‘Sweet Child of Mine’.  It gave the whole package, the voice, the style and the appearance and it seemed to sway Lucie away from her intention to perform ballads and switch to more of a teen pop persona.

The following week, movie night, Lucie proved again her sudden change in style performing ‘This Is Me’ from the Disney film Camp Rock.  It received rave reviews from the judging panel and installed Lucie as a real favourite to win the entire show.  Meanwhile, Jedward once again gave a stand-out performance for all the wrong reasons with their take on ‘Ghostbusters’.  Yet despite this, not for what would be the first time this weekend, Simon stunned everyone by commenting that it was “sort of good”.

Come the results on the Sunday, everyone expected Lucie to get through on the public vote easily but what happened next was to astound everyone as she ended up in the bottom two.  However with her opponents being Jedward, it would be a setback in her chances of winning but should still ease through. Or so everyone thought?

Lucie performed ‘One Moment in Time’ by Whitney Houston in the sing-off whilst Jedward reprised their week one performance of ‘Rock DJ’.  Comparing both songs together and it was simply no contest as to which was the better.  After both Louis and Dannii Minogue, who was mentoring Lucie, saved their acts and sent the other home, Cheryl Cole chose to send home Jedward, making it 2-1 in their favour of leaving and Simon having the casting vote.  Those who despised Jedward were now surely reaching for the champagne bottles, ready to pull off the corks and celebrate their demise.

Simon’s speech before making his decision though seemed to scratch a few heads. “I’m not surprised that both of you are in this situation tonight. Having said that, I don’t think any of you can win.” he spoke before going completely against everyone’s wishes by voting to save the twins and force deadlock on the panel.

But why did Simon really take it to deadlock?  That may never be fully explained but there are two possible theories. Number one was to prove to the twins that they were never liked by the public and Number two was simply to give Lucie a test of character.  Unfortunately in this case, this leans more to theory number two as she received the least amount of votes and was eliminated.  She was rightfully left upset and in tears and the audience symphonised with her by booing and jeering Jedward off the stage.

It was without doubt dubbed as ‘The Night the X Factor Died!’  Across the next seven days, the papers and press slammed both the show and Simon Cowell for his actions.  Famous faces also gave their opinion of discontent; Lily Allen publicly announced she would never watch the show again.  Sting branded the programme as “hypocritical”.  Even Cowell’s protégé, Leona Lewis described the show was “no longer a music contest”.  Reports also surfaced that both Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole did not speak to Simon at all in the week’s build-up to the next show though this was never confirmed as true, but frankly who could blame them?

Why didn’t the media regulator Ofcom investigate into the result?  To be honest, they should have done.  If they received 3,000 complaints about the outcome, a situation like that should be investigated at the very least, even if there really wasn’t anything wrong with the voting that weekend.

Despite promises of there still being a very strong competition and five weeks of singing to come, the majority of the viewing public was now cheated of not having Lucie around.  Following her exit, the viewing figures for the show declined sharply week on week as several people switched to the rival show, Strictly Come Dancing.  Eventually, compared to the 14-15 million peaks that the show was getting in the early stages of the live finals, they reached a new low of 12 million, and worse still, it was on the first night of the final weekend.  Beating Strictly in the ratings by just under one million that night compared to be regularly two million ahead before just proved how much it hurt the show.

For Simon, the backlash continued and a successful Facebook campaign was set-up which got the 1992 hit ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage against the Machine to the Christmas No.1, previously saved for the X-Factor winner guaranteed.  Although Cowell and the winner of last year’s show Joe McElderrey took it on the chin, this must have hurt Simon deep down, but something he deserved for his incredibly bad judgement on that November evening.

Every person always tends to ask the question of ‘What If?’ at this situation.  What if Lucie had survived from competing in the sing-off that night?  Could she have gone on to win?  With strong competition last year from McElderry, Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon, it is hard to give a definite yes or no.  There is no doubt however that she would have been up there and would have been expected to at least reach the final. Whatever the case, staying in the competition longer would have certainly enhanced her chances of having a successful music career as given her new lease of taste in music during the show; she could be easily compared as the British version of Miley Cyrus.

Back to reality though and despite this debacle, Lucie still has a bright future ahead having signed a modelling contract and currently going through a successful stint at the West End in Les Miserables.  However, she is still after getting a recording contract, though this sadly doesn’t look possible.  If I was working for a music company, even if it wasn’t well known, I would 100% take a chance on her.

As with Jedward, things also look on the up, having earned a No. 2 single at the start of the year and an album, which fortunately didn’t get No.1 in the charts, following shortly afterwards.  They’ve also become big personalities on TV, including a show of their own on ITV2.  Surely, we will see them becoming ITV’s next biggest double act in years to come, hopefully not in my view but that really does seem like happening.

In closing, we will certainly be talking about this for many more years to come.  Although Lucie was the biggest loser that night, she and unfortunately Jedward have both emerged as winners, both with different and bright futures ahead of them.  Unless a similar trait is pulled off by this year’s novelty act, Wagner, who credit to Jedward, I can stand hearing them more than him, this will be forever known as the darkest night in X-Factor history.

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - The Bull charges to maiden Constructors title

RED Bull Racing secured their maiden constructors title in Brazil today with a 1-2 finish, with Sebastian Vettel winning in Sao Paulo.

The German led home Mark Webber to the team’s fourth maximum of the season, giving them a sufficient enough advantage over its nearest rivals McLaren and Ferrari to wrap up its maiden title.  Both Red Bull drivers could still win the ultimate prize, though Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished 3^rd in Interlagos, carries an eight point advantage into the final event in Abu Dhabi next weekend.  Lewis Hamilton still holds a mathematical chance, though he needs a miracle now to feature heavily in the final reckoning, but Jenson Button’s hopes completely disappeared, on an afternoon where the weaknesses of the McLaren were heavily shown up.

From the moment Vettel edged up the inside of the surprise pole sitter Nico Hulkenberg into the first corner, the rest of the field had no chance.  Webber quickly followed his team-mate past the Williams on the opening circuit, and by the time Alonso had forced his way past Hamilton and Hulkenberg, he was already the best part of 12 seconds behind, and with little hope of wrapping up the championship today.  Red Bull’s significant advantage was narrowed when Vitantonio Liuzzi crashed his Force India heavily at turn two on Lap 51, but the amount of traffic that Alonso had infront of him when the Safety Car came out quickly dashed those hopes.  Vettel’s pace was so strong in the closing stages, that it was clear that he had more in the tank.  His fourth win of the season keeps him in the hunt, even if he is 15 points behind Alonso in the points.  Webber would have liked team orders to help him out, but on the day, the Australian was simply not fast enough to match his red-hot young charger.  How the team will manage the situation next weekend will be interesting to see. . .

Hamilton finished a distant fourth, as even a tactical second pitstop failed to get him anywhere near the podium positions.  Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, Lewis complained all day on the team radio of a lack of grip from his tyres.  His frustration after the race in the post-race interviews seemed to highlight how disappointed he has been with McLaren’s slow development in the second half of the season.  Team-mate Button, who won the crown here in Brazil twelve months earlier made an early stop that  cleared the midfield gaggle and meant he finished right on the tail of his team-mate, after starting a disappointing 11^th on the grid.  Jenson could count himself lucky to even be racing, after being nearly caught in an armed attack after his bulletproof car was ambushed after qualifying on Saturday night. 

Hulkenberg fell back after his stunning Saturday show, and finished a lapped 8^th.  However, his stock has risen in the F1 paddock this weekend, and put increased pressure on Rubens Barrichello’s future with the Williams team.  The Brazilian’s rotten luck at Interlagos continued, with a poor pitstop and contact with Jaime Alguesuari led to a mid-distance puncture.  He could only finish in 14^th at the finish.  Fellow countryman Felipe Massa also had another difficult race, with three pitstops and various run-ins during the race, leaving him trailing in 15^th at the chequered flag.  The two Mercedes cars of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished 6^th and 7^th, whilst the final points went to Robert Kubica and Kamur Kobayashi.  There was a staggering reliability rate at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with 22 cars making the finish.  Only Liuzzi and the Virgin Racing of Lucas di Grassi failed to see out the full distance.

Four men can still win the title, and only seven days to wait.  The grand finale under the twilight skies in Abu Dhabi is something that everyone will be looking forward to.  Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, who are you backing?

UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 - Sensational Spurs stun Champions

WITH 53 goals in this week’s UEFA Champions League matches, there was plenty of action and drama.  Take a bow Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the first three teams to qualify for the knockout stages, whilst Partizan Belgrade, Buraspor and MSK Zilina now have no hope of progressing past the group stages.  However, it was another debut club that rocked Europe this week. . .

It was another glory night for the new Welsh wizard Gareth Bale, as he tore Inter Milan to shreds for the second time in a fortnight.  Bale led Spurs to a famous 3-1 win over the European Champions, leaving them top of Group A.  Returning from suspension, Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring from Luka Modric’s wonderfully executed pass.  In the second half, Bale took over, leaving the likes of Maicon and Lucio trailing in his wake.  His first tormenting run and cross set-up Peter Crouch for a tidy goal.  A great goal from Samuel Eto’o gave Inter hope with ten minutes to go, but Rafa Benitez could only look on as Bale went on another breathtaking run down the left-hand side and produced the perfect pass for Roman Pavyluchenko to wrap it up.  A win against Werder Bremen in three weeks time wraps up qualification for Tottenham, who have bought something fresh to this year’s competition. 

Whilst Tottenham were producing the performance of the tournament so far, North London rivals Arsenal had an off-night in the Ukraine, losing 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.  Arsene Wenger only took 18 players with him, due to injuries, though he will be disappointed with their lack of maturity here, especially as he still had Samir Nasri, Thomas Rosicky and Jack Wiltshire in his starting eleven.  Theo Walcott did have the Gunners infront after ten minutes, with his own devastating pace leading to a crisp finish after a magnificent counter attacking move.  By half-time, Arsenal’s stroll through the group had come to an abrupt halt against a Shakhtar side that looked totally different from the team that surrendered so meekly at the Emirates two weeks earlier.  Jadson’s free-kick was turned into his own net inadvertently by youngster Craig Eastmond.  Then, a terrible error by Gael Clichy allowed Darijo Srna to cross for ex-Arsenal striker Eduardo to score with the last kick of the first half.  Arsenal weren’t disgraced, but will need to dismiss themselves of these slip-ups, especially when it matter so much more in the latter stages.

On a mild November night in London, Chelsea’s progress was never in doubt, coasting to a 4-1 triumph over Spartak Moscow, which seals their progression from Group F.  Only a point is needed now to secure top spot too.  Carlo Ancelotti took the opportunity to rest John Terry and Michael Essien, and after a subdued first half, Chelsea clicked into top gear in the second half.  Nicolas Anelka opened the scoring from a tight angle that looked almost impossible to establish a lead.  Didier Drogba, making his fashionably late entrance into the Champions League scored a penalty shortly afterwards, before Branislav Ivanovic scored two goals that even Drogba would be proud of.  Although Bazhenov scored a consolation for the visitors, Chelsea’s first Champions League goal conceded in 300 minutes, it was another stroll in the park for the English champions.

A far superior Manchester United virtually secured their traditional passage through, with an emphatic 3-0 win in Turkey against Buraspor.  Frustrated in the first half, United took command in the second half once Darren Fletcher broke the deadlock.  Gabriel Obertan scored his first United goal in some style, with a ferocious effort, before Bebe netted on his European debut.  This was a comfortable win for the pacesetters in Group C.

However, Rangers now face a massive task to join United in the knockout stages after losing 3-0 in Spain to Valencia.  It was a very busy night for Allan McGregor, who produced a series of cracking saves, but he couldn’t prevent Roberto Soldado scoring two goals, and a fine stoppage time volley from substitute Ricardo Costa, that wrapped up proceedings.  Steven Naismith did hit the post twice for the Scottish league leaders and the scoreline was harsh on Rangers, but it was a very disappointing and potentially costly result.

Jose Mourinho returned to the San Siro and witnessed his Real Madrid side advance into the knockout stages, after they rescued a point against AC Milan.  It was a thrilling match, with Milan turning the game on its head through two more goals from one of the deadliest poachers in the European game, super sub Flippo Inzaghi.  It was Real’s own sub, Pedro Leon who scored a stoppage time equaliser that still leaves Milan with work to do, in joining Madrid to go through from Group G. 

Bayern Munich also sealed their place through into the next stage, after they outclassed CFR Cluj in Romania, winning 4-0.  Bayern are already ten points behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and with Arjen Robben, Miroslav Klose and Ivica Olic all out injured at the moment, Louis van Gaal has lots of problems domestically.  However, Mario Gomez hit a hat-trick in this masterful performance.  Another team out of their depth in the Champions League is MSK Zilina, beaten 7-0 at home by Marseille in Group F.  There was a hat-trick from Andre-Pierre Gignac, as Marseille became the first team to score seven away from home in the Champions League.  Lyon lost their 100% record on Tuesday night in Group B, going down 4-3 in Portugal to Benfica, who were 4-0 with 15 minutes to go.  Talented winger Fabio Coentrao was on target twice for the home side and a feisty meeting in Denmark saw FC Copenhagen draw 1-1 with Barcelona in Group D, which saw coaches Solde Solbakken and Pepe Guardiola have a bust-up at full-time.  

For some, the dream of reaching Wembley is already over, but for others, they have sent out their fearful messages and it’s looking good for all four English clubs to progress past Christmas.  Matchday four though belongs to Tottenham Hotspur and its wonderful Welshman, Gareth Bale.  

BBC blacked out by NUJ walkout

MANY BBC programmes have or will be affected in the next 48 hours, after thousands of journalists walked out, following rows over pensions.

Little has run to schedule, as many of its staff, some highly-established members amongst them took to the picket lines in the early hours of the morning.  On the radio, BBC Radio 4’s flagship programme, the Today show was replaced between 6am and 9am this morning by pre-recorded documentaries.  Meanwhile, over at 5 Live, their normal schedule also went because of the strikes, with its Breakfast show taken over by pre-recorded interviews and repeats of previous shows.  Other radio services, both local and national have also been severely affected.

Meanwhile on the television, BBC2’s Newsnight programme, scheduled for 10.30pm tonight is not expected to air and the BBC News channel has been running a very basic service today.  The one o’clock news wasn’t presented by any of the normal regular presenters, and BBC Breakfast also ran a reduced show from the BBC News studio.  It is likely that the regular of the 10pm news slot on BBC1, Huw Edwards will not present the news tonight.  On the internet, the BBC News website also had a restricted service, with many blogs and opinions being left untouched from yesterday. 

So, why are there all the problems?  Well, all the journalists who have walked out under the NUJ banner (National Union of Journalists) are not worried about programme cuts; it is about the planned alterations to their pension schemes.  The BBC insists that changes have to be made in order to cut the broadcaster’s £1.5billion pension deficit.  They will keep talking, but insist that no money is on the table.

More strikes are planned for November 15 and 16, and the NUJ is also threatening a more damaging walkout at Christmas.  The NUJ’s argument is that journalists at the BBC would “pay more, work longer and receive lower pensions.”  Fiona Bruce, Tony Livesey, Victoria Derbyshire and Simon Mayo are among those journalists who are believed to be on the picket lines outside Television Centre and Bush House.

The BBC’s director general Mark Thompson insists that the new pension scheme on the table is ‘fair.’  However, despite the Beeb saying that they have measures in place to limit the disruption, this isn’t a good image it is promoting.  Thompson has got a lot of head scratching to do if he wants this issue to be solved quickly and peacefully.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (30th October - 1st November)

THE final weekend in October provided plenty of Halloween horrors, as the clocks went back.  Here is a round-up of the great action.

Saturday 30^th October: Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

MARK Clattenburg awarded one of the strangest goals in FA Premier League history to Manchester United, in their routine victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford.  Nemanja Vidic’s perfect header on the half hour had Spurs behind, who have not won away from home at any of the ‘big 4’ (Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd) since August 1993.  However, it was the second goal that caused all the controversy.  Nani went down dramatically from Younes Kaboul’s tug on his shirt.  He handled the ball on the deck and a free-kick was awarded.  Not according to Clattenburg though, who allowed the Portuguese winger to roll the ball away from a startled Hereulho Gomes and into a vacated net.  Confusion and confrontation reigned, but the ‘ghost’ goal was eventually given, much to the staggering of Harry Redknapp.  United can count their blessings, in a game full of entertainment, which saw Gareth Bale, Nani, Roman Pavyluchenko and Ji-Sung Park all hit the woodwork.

Sunday 31^st October: Newcastle United 5-1 Sunderland

IT WAS a Halloween horror show from Sunderland, as Newcastle ripped their great neighbours to pieces at St. James Park, recording the biggest Tyne & Wear derby win since 1956 in the process.  Toon captain Kevin Nolan scored a memorable hat-trick, and there were two goals from Shola Ameobi too.  Former Magpies defender Titus Bramble got a straight red card in the second half for scything down the magnificent Andy Carroll, and then he was waved off sarcastically by the home fans.  Darren Bent scored a meek consolation in stoppage time for the visitors, but this was truly a day that Steve Bruce will want to forget ever existed.

Saturday 30^th October: Wolves 2-1 Manchester City

ROBERTO Mancini looked on in disgust, as his players Vincent Kompany and Emmanuel Adebayor had a near pitch bust-up at Molineux.  Their argument overshadowed a great Wolves display, as they recorded only their second win of the season.  Nenad Mijias and David Edwards were the scorers, cancelling out Adebayor’s early penalty after David Silva was fouled by Richard Stearman.

Saturday 30^th October: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Chelsea

CHELSEA struck lucky to leave Ewood Park with three points, after a plucky performance.  The Blues left it late to win in Lancashire, with Branislav Ivanovic heading the winner in from Yuri Zhirkov’s cross with just four minutes to go.  Earlier, Benjani headed Blackburn into a deserved lead, before Nicholas Anelka equalised.  Sam Allardyce will look at this as a missed opportunity, as both Mame Diouf and Jason Roberts missed chances that a clergyman could have scored with their eyes shut!  Rovers slip into the bottom three.

Sunday 31^st October: Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Liverpool

LIVERPOOL’s first away win in the Premiership since the end of April was much-needed and like Chelsea, they snatched it at the Reebok.  In a mundane match against a lacklustre Bolton side, the winner came with four minutes to go.  Fernando Torres, who missed a glaring chance in the opening exchanges, played through Argentine Maxi Rodriguez, who coolly finished underneath Juusi Jaaskelainen.  It was an unlikely winner, but it records an 8^th successive Premiership win over Bolton for Liverpool and lifts Roy Hodgson’s side into the dizzy heights of mid-table.

Monday 1^st November: Blackpool 2-1 West Brom

BLACKPOOL recorded their first home victory in the top flight since 1971, helped by a lack of indiscipline from a West Brom side, which missed the chance to break into the top four.  Pablo Ibanez was dismissed for the visitors on 11 minutes, for a foul on DJ Campbell in the penalty area.  This red card has since been rescinded on appeal.  Charlie Adam scored the spot kick and when Gonzalo Jara lunged in on Luke Varney before half-time, Albion ended up being down to nine men.  Varney doubled Blackpool’s lead and although Youssouf Mulumbu curled in a late consolation, Blackpool fully merited the three points that lift them back into the top half of the table.

Sunday 31^st October: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

LOCAL pride remained intact in a dull Second City derby at Villa Park.  Villa had the best of the chances, with Ashley Young hitting the post and Ben Foster being tested by Barry Bannan and Nigel Reo-Coker.  A well-organised Birmingham will be far happier with the point, whilst Gerard Houillier must be worried with the lack of goals, Villa drawing a blank for the third successive league match.

Saturday 30^th October: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United

ARSENAL snatched a crucial victory in the dying stages against struggling West Ham, to keep in touch with leaders Chelsea.  The under-fire Robert Green was in superb form at the Emirates, producing a number of top-class saves as the Gunners struggled to breakdown the bottom side in the Premiership.  Alex Song broke the resistance, heading the winner past Green from Gael Clichy’s cross with just two minutes to go.

Saturday 30^th October: Fulham 2-0 Wigan Athletic

FULHAM were outstanding against Wigan, recording only their second win of the league campaign so far.  American Clint Dempsey scored twice in the first half against a dreadful Wigan side.  Wigan’s unpredictability must concern Roberto Martinez, who have the ability to play like a top six team, or a side that faces relegation to League Two.  Fulham’s excellent day was complete with a late cameo role for Andy Johnson, his first game since January after a fraught spell on the sidelines through injury.

Saturday 30^th October: Everton 1-0 Stoke City

STOKE’s resistance was broken in a game that will never be remembered as a classic, by any stretch of the imagination.  Yakubu scored the winner, reacting quickest to Tim Cahill’s shot hitting the post.  Stoke will feel aggrieved though to have a goal disallowed, when Tuncay was adjudged to have fouled Leighton Baines.  Television replays indicate that Baines was caught in two minds, and lucky to get away with such a dithering error.

Sony ends the cassette Walkman era

JAPANESE electronics giant Sony has closed a prestigious chapter in technological history, as it recently finished production of its groundbreaking Walkman.  It is now likely to be stored into museums as precious exhibits.

Sony has confirmed that the last models of the Walkman in Japan were shipped out in April this year, and no more will made.  To meet the required orders from Europe and Asia, the final productions will be made from a factory in China, though this is only thought to be a short-term measure.

The Walkman stepped upto the global scene in 1979, and has been a major success for Sony, with only the PlayStation’s birth in 1995 has come anywhere close to being a major sales figure for the giant.  Worldwide, over 200million walkmans have been sold, but as time and technology has gone on, so the Walkman has begun to age.  First, it was overtaken by the portable CD player, then the mini-disc player and lastly the MP3/I-Pod generation, which hit the headlines back in 2001.

It may look bulky to many now, but the Walkman was a pioneering piece of electronic kit, at a time when technological advances were far slower than what they are in today’s world.  Some ‘vintage’ editions have been sold on for thousands of pounds, and despite lacking the features of today’s music players; the Walkman has made its impact and with it, provided many fans and memories.

It may be out-of-date and soon to be out of production, but the Walkman’s legacy on our technology world will never be forgotten.

Democrats Set For Damming Mid-Term Losses

BY SIMON WRIGHT & TAMIKA SHORT

BARACK Obama and his Democratic party face massive losses in America today, as millions of Americans vote in the mid-term elections.  What will the affects be from these results?  Simon Wright and Tamika Short investigate.

The final opinion polls indicate that the Republican Party is likely to gain control of the House of Representatives, whilst the Democrats majority in the Senate will be severely cut.  As America struggles to recover from the great recession, energy and enthusiasm seems to be edging onto the right-hand support, unlike in 2008.  Sky News political editor Adam Boulton commented on his blog the general feelings of the nation; “The mood for change is strong and Obama is no longer the change candidate.”

Up for grabs are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 seats in the Senate.  Should the Republicans gain a majority, then Obama’s power within congress will sharply decrease, which means his controversial measures on healthcare reform and financial bailouts will struggle to be passed.  However, American Studies expert at the University of Northampton, David Waller doesn’t think it will affect Obama’s worldwide position too much; “Obama still has some cards up his sleeve, as this is a domestic situation, not an international scenario.  It won’t affect any of his foreign policies.”

The Democrats took control of both houses in the 2006 mid-term elections.  The US president has been campaigning across the weekend on many nationwide radio stations.  Former president Bill Clinton and Obama’s wife Michelle have also been making desperate final pleas to undecided voters.  Currently, nationwide polls suggest the 55% of American people will vote Republic, compared to 40% Democratic, with 5% undecided.  Should these polls be accurate enough, it will be the worst mid-term election losses in more than 60 years. 

It is not the first time that a current president has suffered in these polls.  In 1994, Bill Clinton saw the Democrats lose 52 seats, yet the Republicans failed to usurp him from power in 1996.  Republican Ronald Reagan also had a bad mid-term loss in the 1980’s, yet held on for two terms.  Consequently, these results aren’t likely to have a terminal blow for Obama’s chances in regards to a second term in office.

Barack Obama – Eight facts about the US president

-          Born in Hawaii on August 4 1961.

-          Studied a law degree at Harvard University.

-          Worked as a civil rights lawyer in Chicago.

-          Obama was elected to the US senate in 2004.

-          He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992-2004.

-          He is a devoted Christian and is the first ever African-American president.

-          He follows American football closely, a fan of the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.

-          Barack Obama was the surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Political Power

BARACK Obama defeated Republican candidate John McCain to become the first black president of the United States.  He was sworn into power in January 2009.  During his first year in office, he has battled to reform healthcare in the United States, amid strong criticism.  He has also been trying to achieve new agreements on nuclear disarmament and climate change, though with little breakthrough so far.  He has been criticised for his slow responsive actions towards the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  Obama’s tactics for deploying an additional 30,000 troops on the war in Afghanistan and support for building a Muslim memorial on the site of the World Trade Centre have also come under-fire.  However, it is the economic recovery that will probably play the major dynamic of Obama’s political power.