Hillsborough - The fight for justice continues

The Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield for the 'Unforgotten 96'

IT IS FA Cup semi-final weekend and fans of Manchester City, Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City will be looking forward to a day out at Wembley.  However, it is time to remember the past and the fight for justice that still continues.  

     On Saturday April 15, 1989, and a sunny Saturday afternoon turned into the biggest catastrophe seen in sporting history.  96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death on the terraces of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium.  They were meant to be going to watch a football match, seeing the all-conquering Liverpool side take on Brian Clough's entertaining Nottingham Forest outfit in an FA Cup semi-final.  The match was stopped at 3.06pm, when it became evident that problems had arisen from the Leppings Lane stand, where the Liverpool fans were located.  Blunders of the first magnitude by Yorkshire police were criticised in the Taylor report, which ended the debacle of stadium disasters in the 80s.  After Bradford and Heysel, this was the last thing football needed.  The Taylor report pushed for all-seater stadiums at all football grounds across the country and it has certainly made things safer.  Sadly, it took the deaths of 96 innocent people for it to happen.  

     22 years on and accusations have been pointed at some.  On Merseyside, there is still a outcry for justice against those responsible for Hillsborough and against a certain daily newspaper, for their front pages in the aftermath that have led to a boycott of this paper on Merseyside.  22 years on and the pain and grief of Hillsborough still hurts these families and many others who lost friends, relatives or even grow up with the personal affections towards Hillsborough.  Being a Liverpool fan myself, I am fully with the campaign to bring the people responsible to justice and it is a campaign that won't go away, no matter what others may think.  

     This afternoon, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, the current first-team squad, players from the fateful day at Hillsborough and some 10,000 Liverpool supporters will gather at Anfield for the traditional Hillsborough Memorial Service.  The fight for justice continues and a message to the 96 is, You'll Never Walk Alone!

Below is a poem I initially wrote for the 20th anniversary in 2009, as my moving tribute to the 'Unforgotten 96.'

UNFORGOTTEN 96

In the middle of April, the sky is blossomed by the sun

FA Cup semi-final day is meant to be full of drama and fun

Families are brought together by an amazing cup run

The reality is a day out at Wembley’s twin towers is only a dream.

For some, they say football is a beautiful game

Other sports like golf and cricket are in comparison, so tame

Players can in an instant go from mediocrity to fame

Whatever happens, we all feel the same.

When fans go to a massive game, they will arrive in a flock

And very quickly, the stadium will be filled block-by-block

Come 3pm, the gates will be locked

So the unpredictable begins, like the roughness of a jagged rock.

Sometimes, mistakes take place

As fans, we feel like tripping over our own shoe lace

The pain and agony streams down our face

Realising the dream is over; our team has felt the pace.

However, football means nothing when disaster rips out

A fateful crush means 96 lives are tragically cut

The pain can be felt through anyone’s gut

And now, we must stick together in an oblivious hut.

Enquiries and appeals have meant we can’t dismiss the pain

The results have meant there can be no gain

And as the sunshine is replaced by the April pouring rain

The gloom around the place feels like we live down the drain.

Twenty-two years on, and justice is still being chased

Hopes of the unforgotten being rested have been dashed

Consequently, we will fight till the bitter end

Waiting for someone under pressure to crack and bend.

For many, we can get on with our lives

But for the 96 families, the grief will remain forever

Nevertheless, support will be there for all, ever and ever

As a community, we stick together, side-by-side.

Now it is time to hold hands and show our united front

Not just Merseyside, but the passionate game we all love

Man and woman, hand-in hand, heading for the move

Anfield waits, to remember the unforgotten heroes

We remember those who Liverpool lost

The game has improved, but at 96’s cost

From the deceased, no e-mails, no calls, no post

Whatever happens though, their unconditional love will remain

THE UNFORGOTTEN 96, You’ll Never Walk Alone!

HILLSBOROUGH VICTIMS

John ALFRED Anderson (62)                                

Colin MARK Ashcroft (19)                                       

James GARY Aspinall (18)                                        

Kester ROGER MARCUS Ball (16)                       

Gerald BERNARD PATRICK Baron (67)             

Simon BELL (17)                                                        

Barry SIDNEY Bennett (26)                                     

David JOHN Benson (22)                                         

David WILLIAM Birtle (22)                                    

Tony Bland (22)                                                          

Paul DAVID Brady (21)                                            

Andrew MARK Brookes (26)                               

Carl Brown (18)                                                         

David STEVEN Brown (25)                                      

Henry THOMAS Burke (47)

Peter ANDREW Burkett (24)                                    

Paul WILLIAM Carlile (19)                                       

Raymond THOMAS Chapman (50)                     

Gary CHRISTOPHER Church (19)                         

Joseph Clark (29)                                                       

Paul Clark (18)                                                             

Gary Collins (22)                                                         

Stephen PETER Copoc (20)                                      

Tracey ELIZABETH Cox (23)                                 

James PHILIP Delaney (19)                                      

Christopher BARRY Devonside (18)                      

Christopher Edwards (29)                                          

Vincent MICHAEL Fitzsimmons (34)                     

Thomas STEVEN Fox (21)                                       

Jon-Paul Gilhooley (10)                                            

Barry Glover (27)                                                         

Ian THOMAS Glover 20)                                         

Derrick GEORGE Godwin (24)                  

Roy HARRY Hamilton (34)                                     

Philip Hammond (14)                                                 

Eric Hankin (33)                                                          

Gary Harrison (27)                                                      

Peter ANDREW Harrison (15)                                   

Stephen FRANCIS Harrison (31)                             

David Hawley (39)                                                    

James ROBERT Hennessy (29)                                               

Paul ANTHONY Hewitson (26)                               

Carl DARREN Hewitt (17)                                        

Nicholas MICHAEL Hewitt (16)                             

Sarah LOUISE Hicks (19)                                         

Victoria JANE Hicks (15)                                                  

Gordon RODNEY Horn (20)                                     

Arthur Horrocks (41)                                                          

Thomas ANTHONY Howard (14)                         

Thomas Howard (39)                                                

Eric GEORGE Hughes (42)

Alan Johnston (29)                                                     

Christine ANNE Jones (27)                                       

Gary PHILIP Jones (18)                                             

Richard Jones (25)                                                       

Nicholas PETER Joynes (27)                                    

Anthony PETER Kelly (29)                                       

Michael DAVID Kelly (38)                                        

Carl DAVID Lewis (18)                                              

David WILLIAM Mather (19)                                  

Brian CHRISTOPHER Mathews (38)                     

Francis JOSEPH McAllister (27)                               

John McBrien (18)                                                       

Marion HAZEL McCabe (21)                                   

Joseph DANIEL McCarthy (21)                               

Peter McDonnell (21)                                                  

Alan McGlone (28)                                                      

Keith McGrath (17)                                                     

Paul BRIAN Murray (14)                                           

Lee NICOL (14)                                                           

Stephen FRANCIS O’Neil (17)                                 

Jonathan Owens (18)                                                 

William ROY Pemberton (23)                                   

Carl WILLIAM Rimmer (21)                                    

David GEORGE Rimmer (38)                                   

Graham JOHN Roberts (24)                                     

Steven JOSEPH Robinson (17)                               

Henry CHARLES Rogers (17)                                 

Colin ANDREW HUGH WILLIAM Sefton (23)

Inger Shah (38)                                                            

Paula ANN Smith (26)                                                

Adam EDWARD Spearritt (14)                                 

Philip JOHN Steele (15)                                              

David LEONARD Thomas (23)                                

Patrik JOHN Thompson (35)                                     

Peter REUBEN Thompson (30)                                

Stuart PAUL WILLIAM Thompson (17)                

Peter FRANCIS Tootle (21)                                       

Christopher JAMES Traynor (26)                            

Martin KEVIN Traynor (16)                                      

Kevin Tyrrell (15)                                                         

Colin Wafer (19)                                                          

Ian DAVID Whelan (19)                                            

Martin KENNETH Wild (22)                                     

Kevin DANIEL Williams (15)                                    

Graham JOHN Wright (17)                                        

JUSTICE FOR THE 96

R.I.P: YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

Big Brother returns - Are you watching?

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

LAST Wednesday, the deed was done; one of Britain’s worst kept television secrets was exposed.  After being buried last summer by Channel 4, rivals Channel 5 have now resurrected Big Brother from its grave, to return later this year.

FORCE: Richard Desmond has taken a gamble, will it pay off?

     Richard Desmond, the multi-million newspaper investor and owner of the station, agreed a lucrative two-year deal with format makers Endemol to bring back the innovative show from oblivion, beating fierce competition from Sky1 for the show rights after Channel 4 ditched it last year.  The series will begin its rebirth with a celebrity special series, with James Cracknell, Andy Gray, Sienna Miller, Anne Widdecome and Jedward being widely mentioned to compete.  This will then be followed by the standard version of the show in which members of the ordinary public will take part to win £500,000 and a ticket to celebrity stardom.

     Marcus Bentley, who has achieved some course of fame for being the narrator of the show, with his rather dull and depressing take on events, is anticipated to return to the same role on this new version.  However Davina McCall will not reprise her role as host, deciding to concentrate on her successful Channel 4 quiz ‘The Million Pound Drop’ and possibly work on a few new projects for the broadcaster.  Speculation is thus rife as to who will be the new face of the show.  Top of the channel’s wish list is former housemate Brian Dowling whilst also being lined up is Kate Walsh, Denise Van Outen, Steve Jones and BBLB host George Lamb.  On another matter, it is unclear as to whether BBLB (Big Brother’s Little Brother) will return in this revival to air on one of Channel 5’s digital networks.

     When Big Brother launched back in 2000, it quickly became a national phenomenon.  It made several household names out of the ordinary people that dared to step into the house such as Brian Dowling, Kate Lawler and the late Jade Goody.  It also was very controversial, always hitting front-page headlines for outrageous events.  The racism row between Goody and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty in the 2007 celebrity series was most damaging, receiving worldwide condemnation and even then Prime Minister Tony Blair was forced to fly to India to deliver a national apology.  After that, BB went into rapid decline as people could no longer trust the show and Channel 4 finally gave it the axe in 2009, airing what would have been its final series last year.

     This is without doubt as massive coup for Channel 5 as it has long needed a signature show for which it could be easily recognised for.  Richard Desmond has said that this is only just the beginning for big changes ahead at the broadcaster.  The one question is will it pay off?  I think it will personally struggle to captivate the audience watching.  However, only time will tell. 

The Finishing Straight - Malaysia (by HappyDude88)

THE second weekend of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship took the teams and drivers to the heat and humidity of Malaysia.  Melbourne had left a lot of questions unanswered, rather than answers being given.  In Sepang, we got a taste of the exciting season we are set to have, and optimism that Red Bull aren’t going to have it all their own way, despite Sebastian Vettel’s formidable start.

     Sure, Vettel won the race and he had enough in reserve if he came under severe pressure I felt.  However, the KERS issues that the team have seem to be a plaguing matter.  It definitely seems that Adrian Newey hates the device and doesn’t want it around.  However, if Red Bull doesn’t run it, then they will be at the mercy of others by nearly half a second a lap.  I personally think KERS is an expensive failure and always have that belief.  McLaren were the only team to make it work in 2009 and I honestly don’t see any benefit this year, except the environmental impact it is supposed to have.  The reliability of the device has been questioned by some, and it is clear this is a problem that needs sorting out for Red Bull.  With the device not working, Mark Webber was made to look like a granny pushing a supermarket trolley around Sainsbury’s at the start!  True, he did bog down off the line, but through little fault of his own, the Aussie was down to tenth from third on the grid by the end of lap one.  Midway through the race, Vettel’s race engineer gave him a message which stated ‘DO NOT USE KERS!’  Although the system restored itself and Sebastian could partially use it in the closing stages, Newey and his designers need to get on top of KERS.  It will certainly cause some problems for them in Shanghai this weekend, especially with the longest straight on the Grand Prix calendar to contend with.

     The other main talking point to come out of Malaysia was the contentious clash between arch rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.  The flashpoint moment of an action-packed race came with ten laps to go.  Hamilton was struggling on his harder compound Pirelli tyres and the Ferrari was faster.  Allegedly, Hamilton used aggressive defending tactics to keep Alonso behind, although the evidence doesn’t seem to support this.  Out of turn three and Alonso got too close to the back of the McLaren and ploughed into the back of Lewis.  The damage to Alonso’s car (a new front wing required) wrecked his chances of getting on the podium.  However, the Spaniard was his own enemy in this, as he completely misread and misjudged the situation, probably more surprised with Hamilton’s lack of speed off turn two.  It had echoes of an incident between the pair in Bahrain in 2008 and Ferrari clearly had feelings, although they didn’t express them publicly, that Hamilton had brake-tested their no.1.  The stewards, advised by former Benetton and Dallara driver and multiple Le Mans winner Emmanuelle Pirro elected to give Alonso and Hamilton both 20 second penalties after the race.  The penalties are totally unjustified and unnecessary and it disappointed me that such action was taken.  Maybe Pirro and the stewards had evidence, like telemetry traces etc that suggested such a penalty was required.  However, to the viewer’s naked eye, it was no more than a racing incident and at worst, Alonso should have received a reprimand.  To make matters worse, Hamilton loses a place, but Alonso kept his sixth place.  Why was Hamilton exactly penalised boggles my mind totally!

     After an unsuccessful start in Australia, the DRS system, which is such a horrible word by the way to describe the movable rear wing, came into its own in Malaysia.  We saw some tremendous battles down the field, and enough overtaking opportunities to last a season.  What pleases me is that DRS will allow drivers the chance to pass, without making it a simple overtake.  With the KERS effect, we do see some easy overtaking, but that can’t be helped, especially if a faster car is miles quicker than a backmarker for example.  The Pirelli tyres also played their part in Malaysia.  Hamilton and Webber both had to make four stops and everyone else had to make at least three visits for tyres.  The tyres are doing the job required and it is making the racing far more exciting.

FLYING: Petrov auditioned to be a Red Bull driver, but he failed!

     He had a frankly embarrassing start in Melbourne, but Nick Heidfeld came to form in Malaysia and recorded a fine podium finish for the Lotus Renault team.  Off the back of Vitaly Petrov’s successful podium in Australia, this proves that the team have overtaken Mercedes GP to be the fourth fastest team in F1.  In fact, some would argue that they are quicker than Ferrari too at the moment.  The starts of Heidfeld and Petrov were simply fantastic.  Whilst the McLaren’s and Ferrari’s diced on the inside of turn one, the Renault’s flew past the lot of them on the outside line.  Heidfeld showed some feisty aggression against Hamilton in the first corner, which was pleasing to see.  Nick is a very consistent driver, but has been criticised for not having ‘that’ cutting edge in the past.  In Malaysia, he showed a lot of grit, determination and panache in his driving.  He deserved his podium and it must make Robert Kubica partially sick.  Of course, Kubica, who still must be in such intense physical pain, will be delighted to see Renault doing so well, but I bet he’s wishing he would be there getting the results for himself.  Saying that, Lotus Renault still need to put together an error-strewn weekend for both drivers.  Petrov had a tough race and made a dramatic exit with four laps to go.  The Russian ran wide in Turn 8, hit the grass, then rather stupidly kept his foot firmly on the accelerator pedal, which led to his car going airborne spectacularly.  To add to this, the impact was so severe that it snapped his steering column.  Petrov has already a lot more maturity this season, but he does need to cut out the basic elementary errors such as this and it was a clumsy error to say the least.

     Hispania Racing were a total disgrace in Australia, but I was pleased to see them race creditably in Malaysia.  There is still a load of work to do and both cars failed to finish, but Vitantonio Liuzzi kept in sight of the two Virgin cars, which shows they can actually build a proper racing car.  However, Narain Karthikeyan looks terrible.  He is simply out of his depth in the sport and is simply there at Hispania to pay the bills.  Considering no team found him employable for five years after his Jordan excursions in 2005, it feels odd to see Colin Kolles pick him over the likes of Christian Klien and Bruno Senna amongst others.  In fact, I think Sakon Yamamoto could do a better job than Karthikeyan!

ROLLING: Mercedes seems to be going backwards, not forwards

     Heads will be rolling very soon at Mercedes GP after another dire weekend.  Michael Schumacher did muster a couple of championship points together, but even Schumacher is struggling to cope with the chassis he has on his hands.  Mercedes GP produced a poor car last year, and stopped developing mid-season.  How have they managed to produce an even worse car this time around!  To see drivers like Schumacher and Nico Rosberg struggle around in a terrible car is a sorry sight.  If anyone can turn it around, it is Ross Brawn for sure.  However, the board at Mercedes will not accept this underachievement again, and managerial changes may have to be made, to make sure that they don’t go down the route of other underachievers, Honda and Toyota in recent years.  At least Williams are independent and don’t have to worry about this, but a Morris Minor seems to have more chance to finish a Grand Prix at the moment than a Williams.  Rubens Barrichello’s body language says it all.  Of course, he will work extremely hard to turn around this depressing situation, but 15^th and 18^th on the grid was not what the team were expecting, especially after a very strong pre-season.  Barrichello picked up an early puncture and then retired with a hydraulics failure.  Pastor Maldonado is lacking race distance and only managed eight laps in Malaysia before an engine problem forced the rookie onto the sidelines.  Perhaps the money problems Williams are suffering is starting to harm their on track performance and reliability.

CLASSY: Vettel was Mr. Cool in Malaysia

    My driver of the weekend in Sepang was the winner, Sebastian Vettel.  Nick Heidfeld, Paul di Resta and Jenson Button all put in very notable performances, whilst Webber’s race effort, considering he was being hampered by no KERS and a four stop race was pretty impressive.  However, Vettel was once again in a class of one.  In qualifying, the pressure was on, especially against a fired-up Hamilton.  Once again, he produced the perfect lap to snatch pole position in a dramatic and nail-biting qualifying session.  In the race, he did brilliantly to handle the issues he had with KERS and the degrading tyres to handle Button and Hamilton from a fairly safe distance.  With 50 points out of 50 in the bag, Sebastian Vettel has already set the solid foundations down for a world class season.  He looks so relaxed and calm and it will take a lot to beat him this season.  Can the opposition respond positively in China?  I hope so, but Vettel turns up as the formidable favourite.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (9th - 11th April)

THERE was no change at the top or bottom of the Premiership table on a fairly predictable weekend.  However, it still kept things very intriguing in a variety of issues down the league.

CLINCHER: Van Persie sets Blackpool on their way to another loss

    At the bottom of the table and another defeat for Blackpool leaves Ian Holloway’s men in deep trouble.  Their open defending was exposed by Arsenal at Bloomfield Road, who strolled to a 3-1 win on Sunday.  Both Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue helped themselves to rare goals in the first half.  After the break, Blackpool showed more fight and Gary Taylor-Fletcher bought them back into the game, with his first goal since January.  They were also denied a couple of possible penalties, but the Gunners two goal lead was restored in the last 15 minutes by the clinical Robin Van Persie.  The win keeps Arsenal seven points adrift of Manchester United in the title race, with a game in hand.  As for United, they never really needed to break sweat against Fulham, coasting to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford to record their 12^th successive home Premiership win.  In the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov returned to the starting eleven and scored the opener to maintain his place at the top of the Premiership scoring charts.  Antonio Valencia nodded in the second, who kept Sir Alex Ferguson happy, after his highly-fancied horse What A Friend pulled up in the Grand National.

     In the relegation scrap, it was Aston Villa who had the best weekend.  In a dismal game at Villa Park, Gerard Houiller’s side recorded a crucial 1-0 success over Newcastle United.  The game was settled by a James Collins header midway through the first half.  The relief on Houiller’s face at the final whistle was clear to see, as Villa move five points clear of the drop zone.  Midlands rivals West Brom can begin planning for top flight football again next season, as Roy Hodgson’s minus touch continues at the Baggies.  They came from behind twice to overcome Sunderland 3-2 at the Stadium of Light.  Paul Scharner netted the winner in a nervy game, which was full of chances for both teams.  An own goal from Nicky Shorey had put Sunderland infront, which was cancelled out by a Peter Odemwingie scrappy effort.  Phil Bardsley’s spectacular free-kick had the Black Cats back ahead, before Yusuf Mulumbu bought Albion back on level terms.  Scharner’s winner sees West Brom now sitting comfortable in mid-table.  However, Sunderland have now lost eight of their last nine Premiership games and have gone to pieces since Darren Bent’s shock departure to Aston Villa in January.  At Molineux, a first half onslaught from Everton keeps Wolves firmly rooted in the bottom three.  Everton won 3-0, to make it 12 points from their last six matches.  Jermaine Beckford found the net from the Toffees first attack and from that point on, Wolves lacked the fight to compete.  Phil Neville hit his first goal in three years and Russian international Diniyar Bilyadetinov produced a strike that someone saw the net remain intact on the stroke of half-time.  The lack of desire and communication with Wolves must have Mick McCarthy worried in the dying stages of a gripping season.

     West Ham United and Wigan Athletic also remain in the bottom three, after defeats at the weekend.  The Hammers were left ragged by Bolton’s loan star Daniel Sturridge.  Sturridge scored another double in Bolton’s 3-0 win; his goals were both stunning strikes in a fabulous individual performance.  Roman Abramovich must be wandering whether he could have saved himself £50million now, when Fernando Torres struggles continue at Stamford Bridge.  Torres did play a part in Chelsea’s winner against Wigan, but it was so illegal that it seemed remarkable he got away with it.  Torres clearly impeded Ali Al-Habsi in a goalmouth scramble, acting like a kid pushing in a Year 3 PE line!  It was criminal play of the highest calibre!  In the confusion, Florent Malouda turned in the winner in an unremarkable 1-0 scoreline.  Chelsea would have scored more had Al-Habsi not been in outstanding form.  

PAINFUL: A bad night for Manchester City and Mancini at Anfield

     Chelsea leapfrogged above Manchester City, who crumbled to a spectacular 3-0 defeat at Anfield last night.  Liverpool had a rampant approach to their gameplay and it left City startled.  Andy Carroll scored two special goals, his first for Liverpool and Dirk Kuyt added another midway through the first half.  Three goals in the first 35 minutes, combined with what looks like a serious torn hamstring for Carlos Tevez and it made for a nightmare evening for Roberto Mancini on Merseyside. 

     In the other two matches this weekend, Blackburn and Birmingham shared a point apiece in a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.  Junior Hoillett saved the day for Blackburn, equalising in stoppage time at the end of the first half.  This came after Lee Bowyer had scored with the first serious attack by either side in the 30^th minute.  It was a fair result, but stretches Blackburn’s winless run in the Premier League to nine matches.  At White Hart Lane, Peter Crouch went from zero to hero in an amazing first half.  Crouch scored twice in Tottenham’s topsy-turvy 3-2 success over Stoke City, with all five goals coming in a pulsating first half.  Luka Modric also found the net for Tottenham.  Stoke’s seventh successive away defeat in the Premiership wasn’t help by Jonathan Walters hitting the post from three yards out with the goal gaping at his mercy.  It has to be a leading contender for miss of the season.  Matthew Etherington, with a great solo goal after an amazing run and Kenwyne Jones were on target for the Potters. 

     With the FA Cup semi-finals taking centre stage this weekend, attention will no doubt be focusing on the Wembley final four.  However, with Blackpool v Wigan, West Ham v Aston Villa and Arsenal v Liverpool on the agenda, there is still plenty to look forward to this weekend in the Premiership.  

2011 John Smith's Grand National - The McCain legacy continues

THE McCain legacy at Aintree continued at the weekend, as Donald McCain, song of Ginger trained the winning horse to victory at the John Smith’s Grand National.  The 14-1 shot Ballabriggs, ridden by Jason Maguire continues the happy tradition of winners in their stable.  Ginger McCain was the figurehead behind Red Rum’s three successes in the 1970s and came back to win again with Amberleigh House in 2004.

CLEARED: Ballabriggs overcomes the last hurdle on his way to victory

     For Maguire, it was a sweet moment too, as he won the race for the first time; having narrowly missed out on riding Silver Birch to glory in 2008.  Oscar Time came second, also at 14-1, whilst Tony McCoy steered last year’s winner Don’t Push It to third place, despite being the heaviest horse in the field.  The pre-race favourite, the Midnight Club finished in sixth after a bad mistake in the early stages.  He went off as the 15-2 favourite and was jockeyed by winner of the national twice, Ruby Walsh.  In one of the closest national finishes in recent years, it looked like Oscar Time might just edge Ballabriggs out, but Maguire found extra reserve to hold on and clinch victory.  It completes a wonderful year for Oscar Time’s jockey, Sam Waley-Cohen.  Cohen, who is still an amateur jockey, has already won the King George VI and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run this season, and came so close to pulling off an incredible hat-trick.

    The demands that the Grand National has on the horses were sadly evidently shown at the weekend.  Two nasty falls at the fourth fence and at Beacher’s Brook saw fatal injuries to horses Ornais and Dooneys Gate.  This meant for the first time ever in the history of the national, these fences were skipped by the jockeys second time around, meaning they only jumped 28 instead of the traditional 30.  For the trainers and jockeys of these horses, it is such a heartbreaking tale and reminds us not just how cruel sport is, but how irrelative it is in the face of such overwhelming tragedy. 

     Consequently, on such a hot and humid day in Liverpool, celebrations had to be kept at a minimum in respect.  However, many congratulations go out to Jason Maguire and Ballabriggs, who have kept the tradition of success going in the McCain family.  They are born winners; it is as simple as that.

You only live once!

SO THAT’S IT, the latest academic term at University is finished and Friday afternoon was the perfect reflection of the term; ‘You only live once!’

     I had personally worked so hard over the previous week to keep in control of the upcoming workload.  In fact, I look back at the week with a lot of pride and satisfaction.  Everything on my course from my perspective seems to be under control, which is a good feeling.  Although I can’t relax totally over the Easter holidays, I don’t have a load of unnecessary pressure underneath my shoulders.

     Last week, I proved that I don’t just talk and produce rubbish.  My group has put together an outstanding documentary for a module which requires journalists to explore more about film styles and techniques.  Our documentary was based on a common everyday problem wherever you go around the country, especially at colleges and Universities.  The University of Northampton was used as the prime example, and it does have; let’s say some situations that leave students incredibly frustrated.  We feel that a perfect counter-balance has been struck, highlighting a point which the University need to address, and promoting the student’s struggles and disapproval combined with how the new parking charges cope from an official viewpoint.  Major thanks have to go to the incredible Tamika, who had to put up with my obsessive ability at attempting to produce the perfect edit.  She has taken on a leading role in our production and I have been massively impressed by her dedication to the documentary.  Hopefully, we will get the final grade we deserve.  The final version can be seen on YouTube here: 

    The most boring piece of work was to produce the 1500 essay on a law that has affected working journalists since it came into force.  I know it is important to have supreme knowledge of these laws, especially if anyone wants to make it a success in the world of journalism.  Nevertheless, that still doesn’t hide the fact that studying these laws is extensively boring.  I hope no-one else mentions the 1998 Human Rights Act to me now, because I don’t want to know! 

REFRESHMENT: The perfect drink in the perfect weather, don't mind if I do!

     Friday afternoon bought absolutely gorgeous weather, which did make studying rather uncomfortable.  When I found out that some of my course mates had disappeared to the SU to sit in the sun and have some drinks, it made me jealous.  When I wrapped up at 3pm, I thought; ‘You only live once!’  I joined the party and it was great.  After such a hard-working week, which had seen me spend 21 hours of my own time in squeezing the best I could out of some tricky subjects, I took the approach that I needed some strong alcoholic drinks to wrap up a term that has provided success and traumas for me.  There are some wild characters on my course and others who are just pure sweet.  It was nice to spend to spend some time with my mates in a slightly different capacity to normal.  Farida was rebelling against her unfortunate run of bad luck, which has blighted the strong, hard-working abilities that she has traditionally shown.  She seemed excited to see anyone, bouncing down the road when she spotted Ellie.  Farida began to shout her name constantly when she approached us.  You could tell how excited she was.  The free spirit that Farida is means that life simply will never be dull!  We ended up chilling on one of the nearby fields in the fantastic weather.  Farida and another of my friends, Shamina ended up having a hilariously funny beer fight!  Together, these two individuals can be a very lethal double-act!  Friday felt like the perfect day!

     There’s no point holding back at all times.  Staying secure is important and taking risks all the time is a real gamble.  However, you don’t want to do one or the other.  Finding the right balance is the best input to life.  After all, ‘You only live once!’  Plus, you need to make the most of your opportunities offered to you, otherwise, where exactly are you going to go in life.   

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix - Champ Vettel continues perfect start

SUCCESSION: Sebastian Vettel can't be beaten in 2011 so far

SEBASTIAN Vettel overcame KERS problems and degrading tyres to win the Malaysian Grand Prix today.  The world champion led for most of the race from the pole position in Sepang to make it two wins from two in 2011, and earn his fourth successive victory.  Britain’s Jenson Button finished an excellent second, but it was a day to forget for Lewis Hamilton, who wound up in the stewards room after another clash with arch enemy Fernando Alonso.

     Vettel led from the outset, but Red Bull’s advantage from the Australian Grand Prix wasn’t as clear-cut in Kuala Lumpur.  They had KERS fitted on their cars for the first time ever and both cars had problems.  Without the extra horsepower, Mark Webber was a sitting duck on the startline and got bundled down to tenth from third on the grid.  At half-distance, Vettel was told by his race engineer to not use KERS anymore.  At this stage, Hamilton had the potential to win the race, but his tyres wilted and the young German started to pick up the pace in another awesome drive.  Although Button was a late threat, Sebastian always had enough in hand against the 2009 champion to cruise across the line and achieve his second straight win in Malaysia. 

CLASH: The moment when Alonso's wing disappears

     Button and Hamilton were the closest challengers, but both lacked the pace when required to make the killer blow.  Hamilton was held up by the fast-starting Nick Heidfeld for the first stint, which gave Vettel a ten second head start.  When that gap closed, Lewis went for the harder of the two Pirelli compounds earlier than expected and the gamble backfired.  On lap 43 and 44, he got entangled in a battle with his bitter rival Alonso, which ultimately ended in tears.  After some clean and exciting driving, Fernando misjudged the McLaren’s speed exiting Turn 3 and ran into the back of Lewis.  The result saw the Ferrari limping back to the pits with a damaged front wing, which cost Alonso a certain podium.  Hamilton was already in trouble before the collision, and a fourth trip to the pits in the closing stages finished his race totally.  After the pair crossed the line sixth and seventh, they were hauled up to see the race stewards afterwards to explain the crash.  Both were giving 20 second time penalties, which kept Alonso in sixth, but pushed Hamilton back to eighth in the final classification.  Fernando got his penalty for causing the crash, whilst Hamilton received his for aggressive defending driving against the Spaniard on the previous lap.  Hamilton’s poor body language afterwards suggested some serious questions would be raised in a tense McLaren debrief afterwards.  Button made a slow start and struggled to find a consistent rhythm in the early stages.  He was passed brilliantly by a fired-up Alonso after the first stops and although he handled his tyres better than others around him, had lost too much time to Vettel by the time he started setting quicker lap times.

POINT: Heidfeld made his, to secure his third career Sepang rostrum

    After his abysmal start, Webber did well to fightback to fourth, considering he had a malfunctioning DRS system, no KERS all race and four pitstops to contend with.  He finished on the tail of Heidfeld, who sealed a second successive podium for the Lotus Renault team.  Heidfeld qualified sixth and made one of the best starts of his career, on a weekend when he proved he was a very adequate stand-in for the injured Robert Kubica.  His pace was consistent throughout; wrapping up his third podium in Sepang in the process.  Team-mate Vitaly Petrov made the most spectacular exit of the race.  The Russian was running a solid seventh, when he ran wide onto the grass at Turn 8, kept his foot on the throttle and was launched airborne in a spectacular incident with just four laps to go.

     Felipe Massa produced a solid drive to finish fifth.  Massa beat Alonso, which will go down well for his confidence and only a poor first pitstop cost the Brazilian the chance to fight it out with Heidfeld and Webber for the final podium position.  Kamur Kobayashi was promoted to seventh by Hamilton’s penalty.  The Japanese driver won an entertaining scrap with Michael Schumacher, which seemed to last all race.  Schumacher made a superb start to split the Ferrari’s on the first lap, but fell back rapidly afterwards, with a car that simply isn’t up to standard.  Michael still wound up ninth for the team’s first points of the season.  Already though, it looks like being another tough campaign ahead for the seven-time champion.  At least he beat Nico Rosberg, who was a dismal 12^th and didn’t look interested all afternoon.  The final point for the second consecutive race went to Paul di Resta, who had a consistent afternoon and once again, beat his highly-rated team-mate Adrian Sutil.  Amongst the retirements were both Hispania cars, which competed solidly in their first start of the season and both Williams.  Pastor Maldonado has only managed 18 laps in two races this season and Rubens Barrichello’s day was ruined by an early collision with Sutil which left the Brazilian limping back to the pits on three wheels.  With lack of pace and reliability simply non-existent, these are very tough times for Williams.

    It isn’t long for the next race, with the Chinese Grand Prix only seven short days away.  The challengers saw chinks in Red Bull’s armour, which is encouraging for the season ahead.  So too was the DRS system, which provided the epic racing that Melbourne simply failed to deliver and the degradation of the Pirelli tyres, which came into their own in Sepang.  However, Sebastian Vettel is building up a healthy lead already, and it seems like it will take a lot to stop him in 2011.