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Football / From baller to boxer!

« on: July 16, 2011, 03:59:13 AM »

From left foot to left hookJuly 15, 2011
Email PrintBy Mark Lomas
(Archive) On Saturday night, boxer Curtis Woodhouse takes on WBO Intercontinental welterweight champion Frankie Gavin in what is unquestionably the biggest fight of his career. The pairs' respective roads to this contest could not be more different. While 25-year-old Gavin experienced a glittering career in the amateur ranks, Woodhouse never fought an amateur bout before his pro debut, due in no small part to the fact 'The Driffield Destroyer' spent almost ten years as a professional footballer before quitting to become a full-time pugilist in 2006.



PA Photos
Curtis Woodhouse's pro boxing record reads: Won 15 (10 knockouts), Lost 2
A gifted youngster, Woodhouse burst into Sheffield United's first-team at 17 and became their youngest ever captain two years later, before going on to win four England Under-21 caps and seal a move to Birmingham for the princely sum of £1 million. The midfielder had a brief taste of Premier League football when he made four appearances for Blues in the 2002-03 season, but he was sadly to follow a well-trodden path.

Having promised so much and been tipped for the top, Woodhouse endured a downturn in fortunes. He moved to Rotherham and, although he performed well in the lower leagues with Peterborough, a move to hometown club Hull proved disastrous. He could not reignite his ailing career and, after a short spell with Grimsby in 2006, he called it a day at the age of 26.

"I've no regrets about giving it up, definitely not," Woodhouse tells ESPNsoccernet. "Football was good to me and I'd say I enjoyed 85% of my career. I achieved what most kids dream of in becoming a professional footballer and I'm very grateful and proud of what I did. But I believe I got out at the right time as when I left there was no desire and no ambition to do anything in football anymore. The fire had burnt out and I didn't want to prolong my football career just for the sake of playing.

"It wasn't really one thing that triggered it off, it was just as time went by I slowly but surely started falling out of love with the game. It started off with me not looking forward to training and then when it came to Saturdays I was thinking, 'Oh god, I've got to go and play football today'. I know how mad that sounds because obviously 99% of young boys want to be professional footballers when they grow up, but I remember being involved in some big games and just not wanting to be there at all. It was a gradual thing and it just snuck up on me - I don't know where it came from or why it happened, but it did."

Up until his retirement, many professional footballers could have empathised with Woodhouse's story of failing to make the grade and eventually settling for a life of lower-league obscurity. But the Beverley-born boxing enthusiast was determined not to settle for that fate and, despite footballing mediocrity not being a barrier to a lucrative salary and comfortable lifestyle, he quit to follow an alternative passion.

"I was always a big boxing fan but I just liked watching. It had never been on my mind to give up football for it. Then, towards the end of my football career, this crazy thing started going through my head: 'Shall I give professional boxing a go?' Every time I said it out loud, though, I thought, 'Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?'

"One day, though, I went to see my dad, who ran a pub near Hull's stadium, sat him down and told him I was contemplating becoming a professional boxer. I was playing for Hull at the time and I remember supporters coming in and telling us stories about what they could have been or what they nearly were - you know, how they could have become a footballer if they hadn't injured their knee, or met a girl. My dad just said to me: 'Listen, I hear ten of these stories a day and I don't want you here in ten years' time telling my customers you could have been a boxer. Just go and do it or shut up about it.' Ten weeks later, I made my pro debut. It was my dad who inspired me to do it."



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Eye of the ex-Tiger: Woodhous's exit from Hull City was the beginning of the end of his professional football career
That debut in September 2006 brought a points victory over Dean Marcantonio, made all the more impressive because of Woodhouse's lack of amateur experience. He did, however, have plenty of fights behind him as an inability to stay out of trouble off the pitch saw him develop something of a bad-boy reputation during his football career, and in 2002 he was sentenced to community service after being charged with affray.

"I didn't have a single amateur bout at all - car parks and nightclubs were where I had my amateur experience. I'm certainly not proud of it, but when I was young I did get into more trouble than I should have been. If someone had something to say to me I was one of those people who would never walk away, I was stupid at times but when you're young you do daft things and you learn from them. Now, if I'm out at the weekend I can easily walk away, but when I was 21, my immediate reaction would be to put my drink down and get involved."

Since his debut five years ago, Woodhouse has come up against a number of obstacles in his relentless pursuit of boxing success - his career is a delicate balancing act as his status as an ex-footballer provides both his unique selling point and a significant reason for the fighting fraternity to dismiss him.

This Saturday's opponent, 2007 World Amateur Champion Gavin, is among those who have pounced on Woodhouse's past, recently saying: "Woodhouse played for Birmingham City but I hardly ever saw him because I only watched the first team. He didn't make it as a footballer and he won't make it as a boxer." But Woodhouse believes football has helped him develop the sort of thick skin needed in what can be a ruthless profession.

"I think the main thing I've taken out of football is that I'm used to dealing with pressure situations," Woodhouse explains. "A lot of people want to see me knocked out because they think of me as this footballer trying to force my way into their sport. I'd say normally about 80% of the crowd are booing me, spitting at me, throwing things at me - but I've played at places like Millwall and Cardiff so I'm used to a hostile environment. I can perform under pressure, deal with difficult crowds and not let it bury me; I've played in promotion games, relegation games, cup semi-finals and derby games so I know how to keep my emotions in check and not let the occasion swallow me up.

"Being an ex-footballer is a double-edged sword really - I've had people slam the door in my face and not take me seriously because of my past but I've also had doors open to me because of it. You wouldn't be speaking to me now if I hadn't had a ten-year football career. There have been positives and negatives but I just want the respect of the people in the boxing industry - ask any of my opponents if I'm for real and definitely 12 of them will say yes as 12 of them have been knocked out. There will always be people who will be talking about my football background in the build-up to a fight but once the bell rings normally their attitude will change pretty quickly."

Woodhouse has continued to play football at a semi-pro level - Rushden & Diamonds, Mansfield, Harrogate and Sheffield have all utilised his services since 2007 - with a move to Conference North side Eastwood Town beckoning after the Gavin fight. And non-league football has helped the former England Under-21 starlet rekindle his affection for the game that was once his livelihood.



GettyImages
Curtis Woodhouse played for Birmingham in their first Premier League campaign in 2002-03
"Once football stopped being my career path, I actually started enjoying it more because it was something I chose to do rather than had to do. I missed the atmosphere and the banter in the dressing-room and I missed being around the lads because boxing can be a very lonely game. Now when I play there's a lot less riding on it. I'm not sure my left foot works quite as well as it used to so I don't think I've got it in me anymore to head back to the dizzy heights of the Football League. I still enjoy playing, but there's definitely no professional comeback on the cards.

"For me, knocking someone out is 100% more enjoyable than scoring a goal. There's no feeling like it. I think it's more to do with the preparation that goes into it. I've been training for this fight for ten weeks and you do all that build-up and hard work for that moment. It sounds pretty brutal but once you land a clean shot and you see him go it's a nice feeling. Wayne Rooney likes scoring goals; I like knocking people out. It's just one of those things."

It is unlikely Woodhouse will ever earn the level of recognition reserved for dual-sports success stories like Denis Compton (legendary England cricketer and Arsenal footballer), Manfred Burgsmuller (West Germany striker and then the oldest professional American football player in history) and Rebecca Romero (Olympic gold medallist at both rowing and track cycling), but the midfielder-turned-mauler most certainly deserves respect for bravely following his heart and taking what was a genuine step into the unknown.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Curtis Woodhouse is sponsored by White Stone Solicitors and will be in action against Frankie Gavin at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday July 16.

2

What about Track & Field / Ato Boldon helps Patrick Peterson, others in NFL draft prep - NFL - SI.com

« on: April 14, 2011, 06:37:24 PM »

Ex-Olympic sprinter Boldon helps LSU's Peterson, others in draft prep
   
Story Highlights
Patrick Peterson credits Ato Boldon for helping him run a 4.34 in the 40
An ex-Olympian, Boldon is in his second year of training draft prospects
Boldon also trains current NFL players; lockout could help business
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By Nick Zaccardi, SI.com
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Patrick Peterson ran the second-fastest 40 at the combine and is projected to be a top-10, or potentially top-5 pick.
Patrick Peterson ran the second-fastest 40 at the combine and is projected to be a top-10, or potentially top-5 pick.
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They say speed can't be taught. Tell that to the fastest first-rounder in the NFL draft.

Patrick Peterson is the last prospect that needs a lesson in running, but that's just what the dynamic cornerback from LSU signed up for before the Scouting Combine. Through a combine prep service, Peterson worked with four-time Olympic sprint medalist Ato Boldon, whose business venture involves preparing players for those make-or-break four-and-a-half seconds of the pre-draft process: the 40-yard dash.

"I believe [Boldon's tips] made me faster and helped me drop my 40 time significantly," said Peterson, a projected top-10 pick, by phone while visiting Denver, which owns the No. 2 pick.

Boldon's credentials shine. He won bronze in the 100 and 200 at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, then took home silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200 at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Boldon, 37, brought Peterson and about 15 other draft hopefuls up to speed on the track at Florida Atlantic University a couple months ago. Last year, Boldon had a couple clients go to the combine but neither posted notable times. This year was a different story.

"My results were kind of crazy," Boldon said.

To wit:

• Peterson ran a 4.34, tied for No. 2 overall

• Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott also ran a 4.34

• Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew ran a 4.97, second-best among offensive linemen

• Arkansas State tackle Derrick Newton ran a 5.01, good for third-best among offensive linemen

Boldon said his guys shave an average of two-tenths of a second off their 40 times after a few weeks of every-other-day sessions. The program isn't just repetitive sprints. First comes film study of Olympic sprinters. Maurice Greene and Tyson Gay jumping out of the blocks correlates to running the 40.

"The first 20 yards, how they come out of the three-point stance into running -- there's a way they're taught to transition from down to up," Boldon said. "That's something that started in my group 15 years ago when I was a track athlete."

After technique, Boldon turns to endurance training. Even in a 40, stamina is an issue. So his athletes train by running 60.

"The first time I went to the combine [in 2010], I realized half of those guys were almost out of gas by the time they got to 40," Boldon said.

Peterson was Boldon's prized pupil. Like an agent seeking the No. 1 overall pick, Boldon wants the fastest of the fastest, if for nothing else than personal satisfaction. Chris Johnson's combine record -- 4.24 -- is stuck in his head, and he would like to see that mark fall by way of one of his clients.

"I thought Chris Johnson's record was really under threat," he said of Peterson. "If I give Patrick an instruction, I immediately see it shown back to me in what he does. It was kind of a dream. I was joking with my family, if I had 20 to 25 of him, I could rule this business. He is the most coachable athlete I've had in track or football."

Peterson's biggest improvement with Boldon may be measured by pounds, not fractions of seconds. Listed at 222 on his 2010 LSU bio, he trimmed to 210 by training's end. But at the combine, Peterson was back up to 219 pounds, too much of a difference to challenge the record. Johnson weighed 195 when he ran the 4.24 in 2008.

"4.34 while nine pounds heavier, I'll take that," Boldon said.
Ato Boldon is a four-time Olympic medalist and finished second in the 100 at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Ato Boldon is a four-time Olympic medalist and finished second in the 100 at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Getty Images

Boldon's brand is booming. Along with combine prep, he trains NFL veterans like Kris Jenkins and Cullen Jenkins in the offseason. A prolonged lockout may breed more clients, though it could also create conflict as Boldon transitions to doing more of his other job, track commentating, this summer.

Boldon isn't the only former sprinter training NFL clients. Michael Johnson, who torched Boldon at the Olympics, operates a center for prospects in Texas. Johnson is less hands-on but landed Ndamukong Suh last year. They're both following Loren Seagrave, the veteran track coach who worked with draftees for two decades while also taking on sprint reclamation projects Ben Johnson and Justin Gatlin.

Inevitably, football players want to know how they stack up to Olympic medalists. Boldon said he's been challenged to races by his players, but he doesn't oblige.

"I'm smart enough to know I'm 37 and been retired for seven years," said Boldon, who never considered giving football a try nor timed himself in the 40 (though he did the math and said Usain Bolt's 40 time would be in the 4.0-4.1 range).

Peterson didn't request a race against Boldon -- he's pretty confident who would win -- but did make a different offer: for Boldon to be part of his entourage at Radio City Music Hall on April 28.

That offer was accepted, quickly.

"For a guy like me who has been around the world, been there, done that for everything ... When his agent told me that, I was like, don't kid me," Boldon said. "Now that I have my ticket, headed to New York, I'm like, wow, it's not some place I ever thought I'd be."

3

Football / Evidence of The Supreme Intellect Of Some Football Players

« on: February 26, 2011, 11:33:51 AM »

Evidence of The Supreme Intellect Of Some Football Players
By
Saed Khatib
(Contributor) on February 26, 2011

168 reads

3 comments

1 like
CARSON, CA - FEBRUARY 24: David Beckham #23 of the Los Angeles Galaxy controls the ball during a shooting drill during training at The Home Depot Center on February 24, 2011 in Carson, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) One of the current "intelligent" players.
Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

HUMOR — Avid football fans may look up to successful players, and consider them as role models.

Some are worthy of the fans' respect, and they merit it by displaying a high level of intelligence, discipline and commitment.

However, we realize that there exists a multitude of athletes who are both arrogant and haughty for no apparent reason at all.

Many of them have made remarks and quotes that we will remember forever, looking at how funny and ridiculously insipid some of them are:

 

'I would not be bothered if we lost every game, as long as we won the league.'
* Mark Viduka

Very wise of you Mark.. intelligence


'We lost because we didn't win.'
* Ronaldo

Seriously, Ronaldo?


'I was watching the Blackburn game on TV on Sunday when it flashed on
the screen that George (Ndah) had scored in the first minute at
Birmingham. My first reaction was to ring him up. Then I remembered he
was out there playing.'
* Ade Akinbiyi
Do you admire a football player more if he has wit?
Yes No Submit Vote vote to see results

      Do you admire a football player more if he has wit?
    *
      Yes
      91.7%
    *
      No
      8.3%
      Total votes: 12

I have a weird feeling that he wouldn't have been able to answer that call..

'Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well,
he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best
manager I've ever had.'
* David Beckham

Once again, Beckham displays his astuteness.



'I've had 14 bookings this season - 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of
which were disputable.'
* Paul Gascoigne

Hey Paul, why do I have the feeling that you never passed Mathematics in Elementary school?

'I'd like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.'
* Mark Draper

Yes, Mark, and I want to play for the French team called Roma.


'I faxed a transfer request to the club at the beginning of the week,
but let me state that I don't want to leave Leicester.'
* Stan Collymore

That's a bit ironic, Stan.

'Without being too harsh on David Beckham, he cost us the match.'
* Ian Wright

I'm sure Beckham didn't take that as a harsh claim.


'I'm as happy as I can be...but I have been happier.'
* Ugo Ehiogu

Ugo, I'm happy for you.


'Leeds is a great club and it's been my home for years, even though I
live in Middlesborough.'
* Jonathan Woodgate


'I took a whack on my left ankle, but something told me it was my
right.'
* Lee Hendrie

Strong power of instinct you got there, Lee.


'I couldn't settle in Italy...it was like living in a foreign country.'
* Ian Rush

Looking at the fact that you're not Italian, Ian, actually makes Italy a foreign country.


'I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet.'
* David Beckham

Does not the term christened give you a clue, David?


'The Brazilians were South American, and the Ukrainians will be more
European.'
* Phil Neville

Your knowledge in Geography is quite impressive, Phil.

'The opening ceremony was good, although I missed it.'
* Graeme Le Saux

Glad that you enjoyed the ceremony, Graeme.

 

'One accusation you can't throw at me is that I've always done my best.'
* Alan Shearer

That's a cruel accusation, Alan.

'I was surprised, but I always say nothing surprises me in football.'
* Les Ferdinand

Can you explain that to me, Les?

' There's no in between - you're either good or bad. We were in between.'
* Gary Lineker

Define that, Gary.

'Sometimes in football, you have to score goals.'
* Thierry Henry

I have an impression that goals can change a game's result.

 

I hope you enjoyed the humor that football stars were generous enough to offer.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/620687-evidence-of-the-supreme-intellect-of-some-of-football-players

4

Football / Keeping up with Royston Drenthe

« on: November 05, 2010, 06:08:25 AM »

6. Osasuna (13th) - Hercules (14th): 1.

Hercules' Royston Drenthe

GettyImages

Hercules' Royston Drenthe has been in hot water with the police

Up to last week, life was bright and beautiful for the great, the one, the only Royston Drenthe. His impressive physical effort on the pitch, even if a tad bit chaotic, had earned him a starting spot in his new club, Hercules, as well as the full support of the alicantinos. For a Real Madrid reject who barely played last season, there were plenty of reasons to celebrate, right?

And some kind of celebration must indeed have happened between the end of Hercules' Cup tie against Malaga last Wednesday and 6.30am of the following day, the time at which Royston Drenthe's Audi was pulled over by two cops after having passed through not one, nor two, nor three, nor four, nor five ... but SIX red lights, at the flabbergasting speed of 180km/h.

Royston argued with and insulted the cops, and then explained that he had to take his female companion - lying asleep in the backseat of the car - to the hospital, as she was 'very ill'. The cops took a look at the girl, saw that she was just a bit drunk, and proceeded to escort Drenthe to the police station. The best of all this? Hercules decided not to fine the Dutchman to avoid "altering the great internal atmosphere in the squad". Great indeed.

Given that Hercules players, supporters, technical stuff and, of course, the local media have been discussing Royston in detail during the whole week, I doubt they even know they're due at Pamplona on Sunday. Great chance for Osasuna to get three easy points.

5

What about Track & Field / In terms of technique who is your favorite female sprinter?

« on: July 25, 2010, 11:27:01 AM »

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and choose Irina Privolova.....
note I didn't say who you would sleep with lol  .... (although Cheryl Taplin back in the day would be on top of my list ahem just by the way)

6

Football / Two man bicycle kick!!

« on: April 23, 2010, 04:01:14 PM »

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/sow_experts/post/The-two-man-bicycle-kick?urn=sow,236168

7

Football / Waddle unimpressed with Walcott ... he doesn't understand the game!

« on: March 04, 2010, 07:32:48 AM »

Waddle unimpressed with Walcott


Former England winger Chris Waddle believes Theo Walcott "doesn't understand the game" and should not be in the international reckoning.

Walcott made a bright start in England's 3-1 win over Egypt on Wednesday, bursting past defenders to create a simple chance for Frank Lampard, but he struggled in the aftermath and was eventually substituted early in the second half after repeatedly running into trouble.

It has been a difficult season for Walcott and, a fortnight before his 21st birthday, many feel he has yet to show any real development since leaving Southampton for Arsenal in 2006 and Waddle, who won 62 caps for his country, has now suggested there is little hope he will fulfil expectations.

"People keep saying he's young but Wayne Rooney understood the game at 16, 17," Waddle said. "I've never seen any difference in Theo Walcott since he was at Southampton and broke into the team at a very young age.

"I've never seen him develop. He just doesn't understand the game for me - where to be running, when to run inside a full-back, (when to) just play a one-two."

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Waddle said: "It's all off the cuff. The ball comes to him and if he gets a good first touch he might be on his way if he shows pace, but he has a plan in his mind before the ball comes to him.

"He's not looking as if to think, 'This is where I want to be, this is where I want to go, and this is what I'm going to do'. It just seems to be all off the cuff.

"People keep saying to me, 'Oh he's young and he'll learn'. I keep thinking, 'Fabregas has learnt and he's young, Rooney has learnt... they all read the game so well'.

"I just don't think he's got a football brain and he's going to have problems. Eventually he could play up front, but would he know where to run? Let's be honest, good defenders would catch him offside every time.

"I just don't know whether he studies the game, learns the game, or what. He's at a great club where they play fantastic football week-in, week-out, and I'm just surprised he's never developed his game."

Waddle admits that he was surprised to see Walcott in the squad ahead of in-form Manchester City winger Adam Johnson and does not feel the hat-trick he scored against Croatia warrants his continued inclusion.

"I'm surprised Walcott was in the squad," Waddle said. "He doesn't play a lot of football, he hasn't done anything. He hasn't done anything for a long time and I think Croatia was a one-off.

"I just think he's got a lot to learn. I've been more impressed by Adam Johnson at Manchester City than Theo Walcott."

Former England boss Graham Taylor agreed with Waddle. "I'm not going to be in any disagreement at all," he said. "I haven't seen the improvement of Theo Walcott in terms of what Chris is saying of reading the game. I just haven't seen it. I just see a problem there."

8

Football / Chelsea Hood rats at it again this time is Ashley Cole lol

« on: February 23, 2010, 09:37:20 AM »

Cheryl Cole: Ashley is like a stranger to me know

Cheryl Cole’s glittering career has put her at the pinnacle of the showbiz world,But the string of sordid allegations about husband Ashley have plunged her into the depths of despair.And those close to the 26-year-old X Factor judge are worried that the scandal is taking a terrible toll.

A source said: “Friends are becoming increasingly concerned for Cheryl.

“She is eating very little. She is beset with worry. And she is hardly sleeping.

“How much more can she take? She must be asking herself when will all these girls stop speaking out? Could she honestly ever trust Ashley again?

Cheryl is measured in everything she does and never takes decisions lightly.But he has made her look a complete fool and Cheryl knows it.

“She doesn’t now want to look a total mug by accepting his behaviour.”

The tearful Girls Aloud beauty told one friend: “I’ve had enough. It feels like there is no way back. I simply just don’t know which way to turn any more. He feels like he’s a stranger to me.”

Two new women came forward at the weekend to claim they had slept with Cole, who earns £100,000 a week.It means he is accused of bedding four different girls and sending indecent pictures of himself to another.

Cheryl, who flew to America last week, has put on a brave face in public. But in the privacy of her Los Angeles hotel room she is said to be so distraught friends are having to comfort her. Yesterday she emerged for a recording session in Santa Monica. On an earlier visit she had worn a T-shirt with the words “I left my heart in Beverly Hills”.

Meanwhile Cole is recovering from a broken ankle at home in Guildford, Surrey. Mum Susan is with him. American Ann Corbitt and model Alexandra Taylor yesterday became the latest women to claim they had slept with the defender.

He is said to have bedded Ann last July while Chelsea were on a US tour.The 28-year-old local government worker said Cole sent her an explicit picture of himself before sneaking her into the team hotel for unprotected sex.

She said: “I was very taken aback by how intimate he was and how needy he was. It was like having sex with a boyfriend, someone who loves you.

“Ashley took my clothes off and was incredibly attentive.He was a creative and adventurous lover. When we went to sleep he wanted to snuggle up close.”

“I don’t like sleeping like that and he made me too hot. But even when I moved to the other side of the bed Ashley still wanted to hold hands and have contact. It was very sweet.”

Ann said she was introduced to Cole, 29, by a friend at a Seattle hotel before Chelsea played a local team. Ann claimed she was not initially impressed by Cole and had no idea he was famous.But she said he was persistent and she ended up kissing him after a trip to a bar.When the evening was cut short because of a curfew imposed on the players, Cole allegedly begged her to go to his room.

Ann said that when she later asked him about using a condom Cole looked completely shocked.

She said: “He told me he couldn’t believe I asked.

“He said having a condom would suggest he was banking on sex.”

Ann claimed they had sex that night before falling asleep and then once again the next morning before she left.She claimed he did not reveal he was married and she only found out after checking him out on the internet.After Cole learned news of their alleged night together was about to leak out he is said to have panicked.

She said he he rang her repeatedly and even got Chelsea’s Head of Communications Steve Atkins to email her with advice on how to deal with inquiries.

During one tearful conversation with Ann, Cole is said to have pleaded: “I can’t lose my wife over this. If I lose my wife, I don’t want to live.”

Alexandra claimed she had sex with the footballer just hours after he had said goodnight to Cheryl following their first official date in October 2004.Cole was first accused of cheating on Cheryl in January 2008. Hairdresser Aimee Walton, 22, said he drunkenly bedded her at a friend’s flat.

Cole’s father Ron, has condemned the footballer’s treatment of Cheryl.

Ron, 52, who lives in Australia, said: “This is as though Ashley is asking Cheryl to divorce him. I can’t say I’d blame her if she did. Cheryl has been shamed by what Ashley has done.”

Cheryl and Cole both refused to comment yesterday.
   
February
22
2010

http://cherylsource.org/

9

Football / The Premier League's Christmas turkeys ...... (A Trini make de list)

« on: December 26, 2009, 06:47:59 PM »

The Premier League's Christmas turkeys
By Norman Hubbard
(Archive)
December 24, 2009
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 As the season approaches the halfway point, there are players at every club who can only hope that the second part of the campaign goes rather better than the first. Some have lost their place or their way, others have merely mislaid their fine form while fitness eludes them. But all, for varying reasons, must do better.


Arsenal: Eduardo da Silva

One incident stands out in the season of Arsenal's Croatian: the tumble against Celtic that initially earned him a ban and has made him a target for opposing fans. But it also proved a rarity - a moment involving Eduardo that resulted in a goal. A pair of Premier League strikes is a paltry return for such an accomplished finisher and it is significant that Arsene Wenger has preferred to deploy Andrey Arshavin out of position as the lone striker rather than select Eduardo. Sadly, he has yet to prove he can recapture the potency he displayed before his left leg was broken and his ankle dislocated in such horrific fashion in February 2008.

Aston Villa: Habib Beye

Perhaps it is a consequence of spending his playing career taking them on, but Martin O'Neill appears to harbour a distrust of full-backs. It is far from uncommon to see midfielders or centre-backs filling in for them while the supposed specialists sit on the bench. Summer signing Habib Beye is the latest to fail to impress O'Neill: five games have brought one red card while he now appears to rank behind both Luke Young and Carlos Cuellar in the pecking order.

Birmingham City: Franck Queudrue

It is harsh to single out anyone at the Premier League's great overachievers for criticism, but Birmingham's unforeseen exploits have had little to do with Franck Queudrue. The French defender featured in their underwhelming start to the season, but injuries cost him a place before their five-match winning run began. While Liam Ridgewell may be a makeshift left-back, Queudrue faces a battle to recapture his place.

Blackburn Rovers: Nikola Kalinic

The future of Croatian football, according to Slaven Bilic, Nikola Kalinic may have a similarly sizeable role in the next few years at Blackburn. The present, however, has been rather less stirring. The misses on his debut at Sunderland proved unfortunately auspicious and the £6 million striker is still awaiting his first Premier League goal, though he was incorrectly denied it at Old Trafford.



Bolton Wanderers: Johan Elmander

At the Reebok, it may as well be termed "The Johan Elmander Award For Underachievement". But Elmander hasn't simply had a poor start to the season: it has been a continuation of his underwhelming displays from the previous campaign. In all, 2009 has brought just two league goals, both in defeats. It is as well for Bolton that Ivan Klasnic is taking his chances with rather more aplomb.

Burnley: Steven Caldwell

Plenty of plaudits have been directed at Burnley, but too few have come the way of a porous defence, especially after away matches. Steven Caldwell, who was injured for their early-season victories, is a case in point: a committed character and respected for his leadership, he is yet to show he possesses the reliability needed in the Premier League. Too many mistakes have been made; some, most recently by Wolves' Kevin Doyle, have been punished.

Chelsea: Petr Cech

It has become tiresomely familiar in recent years to hear one of his Chelsea colleagues proclaim that Petr Cech is the world's best goalkeeper. This season, however, such assertions have appeared increasingly incorrect. While Chelsea have appeared unstoppable at times, their setbacks have tended to coincide with goalkeeping mishaps. Cech's errors have been a common denominator in Chelsea's three league defeats, at Wigan, Aston Villa and Manchester City, as well as the 3-3 draw with Everton.

Everton: Marouane Fellaini

More than a year into his Everton career, Marouane Fellaini remains an enigma. Is he a support striker, a holding player or a box-to-box midfielder? For much of the campaign, when goals were scarce and his impact was negligible, the answer was simpler: he was an underachiever. A determined display in the Merseyside derby defeat seemed to herald an improvement from the Belgian. Everton must hope it is sustained; if not, when they finally have sufficient players available, the club record signing could be on the bench.

Fulham: Bjorn Helge Riise

A Riise has scored in a Fulham game this season. Sadly for Roy Hodgson's team, it is not the one employed by the Cottagers. While John Arne Riise struck for Roma against them, goals are not the only thing to prove scarce for his younger brother. Appearances in the Premier League have been limited, with the Norwegian seemingly deemed a Europa League specialist, and it was damning that, a matter of weeks after he was recruited, Hodgson bought Damien Duff, another who can operate on either flank.

Hull City: Ibrahima Sonko

Arriving seemingly the product of a desperate search for a centre-back after Michael Turner's sale, Ibrahima Sonko has done little to correct that assumption since his September signing. In his five league games, Hull have shipped 15 goals and the Senegelese's performance at Liverpool in September must rank among the most disastrous defensive displays of the campaign. It is no coincidence that Hull have become harder to beat since Sonko was omitted. The consolation for them is that, as Sonko was only borrowed from Stoke, he can be returned in January.


Liverpool: Andriy Voronin

Andriy Voronin is not alone in underperforming at Anfield this season. Nor is he the only convenient scapegoat among Rafa Benitez's poorer signings. But Voronin has been so spectacularly awful that it would appear unfair to select a finer performer, such as Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher or Emiliano Insua, who fell below his best when Liverpool's No. 10 shirt has been worn by a player who must belong among the worst in the club's history. Voronin has failed to score in 12 appearances this season: the nadir appeared to be the Champions League draw in Lyon, and he has not been seen since. Thankfully.

Manchester City: Joleon Lescott

Signed as the even richer man's John Terry, Joleon Lescott is looking a poor impression of Everton's dynamic defender. Having dovetailed neatly with Phil Jagielka at Goodison Park, his failure to gel with Kolo Toure at Eastlands would be unfortunate, even without the burden of a £22 million price tag. A lack of conviction has characterised both Lescott and much of the City defending. Even getting injured, ruling him out at a time when Toure is preparing to go to the African Nations Cup, hardly helped Mark Hughes. With a new manager in Roberto Mancini, the third most expensive defender in the world's time as a first-choice may have already ended.

Manchester United: Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United have kept two Premier League clean sheets with Michael Carrick in the defence and one when Rio Ferdinand has played. Following that rather simplistic logic and suggesting it makes the midfielder a more reliable centre-half than the England vice-captain would be facetious, but it is nonetheless a sign of Ferdinand's travails. Hampered by calf and back problems, the casual approach that characterised the younger Rio have crept back into his game. Mistakes in the Manchester derby did not prove costly, but being left in the slipstream of semi-fit Fernando Torres certainly did.

Portsmouth: Aruna Dindane

Pleasing performances have produced too few results for Portsmouth. It doesn't require expert analysis to discover why. Aruna Dindane, borrowed from Lens to replace Peter Crouch in the forward line, has displayed pace and trickery without the clinical touch required in front of goal, with the notable exception of the game against Wigan where he scored a hat-trick. More typical, however, were two sadly incompetent efforts to score against Tottenham: while others have entered the goal of the season contest, Dindane has more chance of winning a miss of the season competition.

Stoke City: Ricardo Fuller

He is among the finest signings in Stoke's recent history, but Ricardo Fuller's contribution to the current campaign has been less distinguished. While two other strikers - the benched Tuncay and the allegedly butted James Beattie - have dominated the headlines, Fuller's goal drought has presented other problems. Just one strike, against Portsmouth, is a meagre return for a forward who proved last year that he can record a double-figure return in the top flight.


Sunderland: Anton Ferdinand

Completing a Ferdinand family double, Anton seems to have gone backwards in the last year. It is 16 months since Roy Keane spent £8 million on him but Steve Bruce has committed much of his time on Wearside to signing other centre-backs, whether Michael Turner, John Mensah or Paulo da Silva. Shunted out to right-back for some of the season, Ferdinand has been on the bench at times. On the field, whether needlessly conceding a penalty against Burnley or unluckily scoring an own goal at Old Trafford, he has done too little to advance his cause.

Tottenham: Robbie Keane

Scoring four times in one match and approaching the New Year with a respectable return of around a goal every other game, Robbie Keane is scarcely a typical candidate for such unwanted awards. But, besides a particularly profitable afternoon against Burnley, Tottenham's captain has been overshadowed by Jermain Defoe and, at times, displaced by Peter Crouch. There is a sense that the team is better balanced by the combination of bigger and smaller strikers and Harry Redknapp's occasional attempts to incorporate the Irishman on the left of midfield have been unconvincing. Organising the controversial Christmas party may not have been a great career move, either.

West Ham: Luis Jimenez

Players recruited from Inter Milan will automatically arrive with a level of expectation but Luis Jimenez, like many of his West Ham team-mates, is yet to deliver. While he brought the promise of flair from the flanks, too many of his performances have been forgettable cameos. His sole goal came from the penalty spot and Alessandro Diamanti, perhaps better suited to the role of a catalyst, appears the preferred choice as impact substitute.

Wigan: Jason Scotland

Perhaps Roberto Martinez underestimated the Premier League; perhaps he overestimated the shining lights of his Swansea side. Whichever, Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez rank as the least effective of his arrivals at Wigan. The striker's plight is particularly pronounced: though he has struck post and bar, he still has not hit the back of the net.


Wolves: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

Some strikers are unable to bridge the sizeable gulf between the Championship and the Premier League. For Wolves' chances of retaining their top-flight status, it is to be hoped that Sylvan Ebanks-Blake does not fall into that category. Prolific at lower levels, he has struggled to reproduce that form in the top flight and is yet to strike in open play. It did not help that Ebanks-Blake began the campaign on the sidelines, but Wolves need him to end it on the scoresheet.

10

Football / Anybody have a download of the T&T vs Italy game?

« on: September 28, 2009, 09:10:03 PM »

I didn't see the game but very keen on checking it out ......!!!!!

11

Football / Why has Ronaldo Flourished and Quaresma struggled?

« on: February 10, 2009, 06:04:56 AM »

QUARESMA BIDS ARRIVEDERCI TO INTER
Trading on reputation

They were supposed to be the twin terrors on the wings?


By Dominic Raynor
(Archive)

February 4, 2009

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During their time together at Sporting Lisbon Ricardo Quaresma and Cristiano Ronaldo were comparable young wingers destined for the top. In fact Quaresma was probably the more famous of the two; but while his former colleague has gone on to win the Ballon D'or, the Inter Milan winger has been lumbered with the Bidone d'Oro and booed out of his club.

GettyImages

€18.6m Ricardo Quaresma has failed to impress at Inter Milan.

The Bidone, or Golden Bin, is awarded annually to Serie A's worst player and after barely four months in Italy, following his €18.6m transfer from FC Porto in September 2008, listeners of RAI Radio voted Quaresma as the donkey of the league. In the eyes of the Italian fans his mediocre performances on the pitch simply did not justify the large transfer fee that took him to the San Siro.

And the treatment the 25-year-old received from his own fans at the San Siro during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Torino confirmed to the Portugal international that his future lay elsewhere. While the league leaders conceded ground in the title race Quaresma's every touch was greeted by boos.

The following day, transfer deadline day, Chelsea hijacked Tottenham Hotspur's last-gasp deal to offer the winger a way out of his Italian nightmare and chance to get his career back on track in the Premier League, under the tutelage of former mentor Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Chelsea's former Portugal boss worked with Quaresma at international level and although he was certainly not a first team regular for Scolari his loan deal under the Brazilian at Stamford Bridge represents Quaresma's best chance to prove his crtics wrong at a top-level club.

The problem for Quaresma is that he has never really flourished outside of Portugal. At Sporting Lisbon he was the star, ahead of the younger Ronaldo, and cemented his reputation by helping the club to win the Portuguese Liga and Cup double in his debut season in 2001/02. By 2003 both he and Ronaldo had secured high-profile moves to two of Europe's biggest clubs; 18-year-old Ronaldo joined Manchester United while 20-year-old Quaresma went to Barcelona.

While his peer started to flourish at Old Trafford, Quaresma failed to transfer his quality to the Spanish Liga. He scored on his debut in a friendly against AC Milan but that proved to be a false dawn and his time at Barcelona was largely disappointing.

The Lisbon-born winger made more substitute appearances than starts during his single season at the Camp Nou and his frustration entered the public domain when he claimed he would never again play under Barca boss Frank Rijkaard.

Fortunately for the hot-headed youngster Barcelona were desperate to sign Porto's newly-crowned Champions League winner Deco and Quaresma was quickly thrown into the deal as a makeweight.

Back in Portugal, Quaresma rediscovered the trademark speed and grace that earned him the nickname "mustang" and the trickery and dribbling skills that had brought comparisons with Ronaldo. Once again he marked his debut with a goal, although Porto lost the 2004 UEFA Super Cup 2-1 to Valencia, and back on familiar turf his form continued, rather than stuttered as it had in Spain.

Despite the break up of Porto's Champions League winning side and the loss of manager Jose Mourinho to Chelsea Quaresma helped the transitional club reach the last 16 of Europe's premier competition. The following season, under new manager Co Adriaanse, the winger won his first silverware since his debut season at Sporting; another Portuguese Liga and Cup double.

GettyImages

Ricardo Quaresma and Cristiano Ronaldo on international duty.

With confidence restored Quaresma flourished at the Estádio do Dragão and broke into the Scolari's national team squad. He missed out on World Cup 2006 after playing in the qualifiers but did make the final 23-man squad for Euro 2008, although he was used sparingly by Scolari, who perhaps had reservations about the winger's ability away from the home turf of Portugal.

Back on the domestic front Quaresma wracked up two more Liga titles and was playing so well in 2008 that he was linked with various big money moves. "If someone offers £25 million, there will be little we can do," Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa said.

Quaresma was initially tipped to return to Spain, this time with Real Madrid, but it was Internazionale who eventually paid €18.6m for the wide man. Quaresma once again started his new venture brightly. He was voted Man of the Match on his debut in a friendly against Locarno and scored with a trademark trivela shot with the outside of his foot in his first Serie A game.

However, despite the presence of fellow Portuguese Mourinho as Inter's manager his performances once again dipped on foreign shores. Eventually Quaresma was dropped from Inter's Champions League squad for the second phase of the competition and the winger bid arrivederci to the San Siro.

Rather than heading back to Portugal to once again to rebuild his confidence, Quaresma took the brave step of testing himself in the Premier League - a decison possibly influenced by the success former Sporting team-mate Ronaldo enjoyed in English football, while he floundered in Italy and Spain.

as a cosequence the deal with chelsea was struck and if we look at it in a positive note, it could be a deal that suits both parties. The Blues are desperate for a winger, given the season-long injury to Joe Cole and the disappointing contribution of Florent Malouda, and Quaresma is desperate to impress, so that his loan deal becomes permanent.

But on the negative side, Chelsea, a club once flush with cash, now appear to be scrabbling around for scraps in the Golden Bin and Quaresma, who is desperate for a final chance to prove his quality outside of the Portuguese Liga, is unlikely to be the man to get the Blues faltering title challenge back on track.

Either way, the 25-year-old winger has earned his move to Chelsea on reputation, not current form, and following his time at Stamford Bridge the midfielder's next move will have to be based on ability. Simply put, Quaresma's career depends on him being a success in the Premier League.

12

Football / Anyone has a dowload of he TT vs Cuba game torrent?

« on: November 21, 2008, 12:06:20 PM »

Need to get a copy of that didn't get to see the game .....Worm? Small Mag?

13

Football / Anybody have a copy of the game so we can download it online?

« on: June 04, 2008, 10:45:58 AM »

Two days gone and i eh see the game yet i under presshah i cyah critique nothing cuz i ent see nothing ....

14

What about Track & Field / Question for ATO...!

« on: February 06, 2008, 01:19:40 PM »

Hey Ato , I have a question for ya and I hope I don't sound silly asking it but do you see the benefits on athletes on using YOGA  I actually attended my second ever yoga class and it was an eye opener. It would seem to me there are flexibility benefits among other things ..a lil insight here ...have you ever used it?

15

What about Track & Field / Info on Marcus duncan

« on: January 07, 2008, 10:47:54 AM »

http://www.directathletics.com/athletes/track/753988.html

16

Football / Owen: Pressure always gets to England

« on: November 25, 2007, 10:00:53 PM »

England striker Michael Owen believes the national side struggle to cope with pressure.

England will miss their first major tournament since 1994 next year after their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign ended in disappointment last Wednesday.

Croatia applied the killer blow by winning 3-2 at Wembley and Owen feels his team-mates were affected by fear.

Owen, who missed the match through injury, told the News of the World: 'I keep returning to one factor when analysing what's gone wrong - fear. Or pressure. They amount to the same thing.

'We have a very demanding fans and a media who expect a great deal from the England team - and rightly so.

'How we as players cope with that is where the problems lies.

'I watched the game on Wednesday night and so often it broke down purely because of pressure.

'It came down to the pressure of making a mistake when it really mattered. If we'd won the games we should have, we wouldn't have ended up putting that kind of pressure on ourselves. It was our own fault.

'The best sportsman can deal with it, someone like Tiger Woods thrives on it.

'When you play at this high level, 99% of your performance level takes place in your head and that puts a big onus in coping mentally.

'When fear takes over, you start to do things wrong and take the easy option which in our case is lumping the ball forward to the front men.

'I'm not absolving myself from blame just because I was not playing. What must be addressed as much as anything is our psychological preparations.'

Newcastle star Owen has scored 40 England goals in 88 appearances but missed the Croatia encounter after suffering a thigh injury in a friendly against Austria the previous week.

17

Football / The best scoring combinations to play the game ? Local and International

« on: October 24, 2007, 11:02:56 AM »

I wanna give man a lil leeway too it could be a midfield forward combo as well
Obviously I'm going with Yorke /Cole , Diego/Careca , Romario/bebeto  just to name a few...locally I liked Leonson and Philbert Jones

18

Football / Flex ..! Contact info for Ivor Cumberbatch 43gls 13assists in 12 games for u17

« on: June 08, 2007, 06:05:42 PM »

I hope he is the right age I believe this is his coach 
OLU SAPARA
   
Fax:    718-467-3692
Phone:    718-774-0300(W)
DOE email:    OSapara@NYCBOE.NET

http://www.psal.org/psalsports/soccer/psal_socstats.asp?sportid=012 he from laventille

19

What about Track & Field / Marcus Duncan retains 100m njcaa title gets third in 200m

« on: May 23, 2007, 12:18:11 AM »

Marcus Duncan retained his National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Championship men's 100 metres title with a personal best 10.26 seconds run, at the Veterans Memorial Stadium, in Kansas, USA, yesterday.

The Trinidad and Tobago/Central Arizona College sprinter got to the line ahead of Hutchinson Community College student Teddy Poole, the American athlete earning second spot in 10.32 seconds. Another American sprinter, South Plains College student Aaron Smith III, bagged bronze in 10.38.

Duncan was also the defending champion in the men's 200m. However, he had to settle for bronze, yesterday. The 20-year-old athlete completed the half-lap trip in 20.75 seconds, the same time recorded by silver medallist Dwight Mullings-a Jamaican attending Essex County College. Poole topped the field with a 20.48 seconds run.

In the 100m preliminaries, Duncan had clocked 10.32 seconds to lead all qualifiers into the final. He was second fastest in the 200m qualifying round, clocking 21.26 to Poole's 20.81.

T&T's Sandino Nero returned a time of 32 minutes, 33.05 seconds to finish eighth in the men's 10,000m. The Colby Community College student also competed in the 5,000m, copping 16th spot in 16:09.19.

20

Other Sports / NFL Giants Strahan ordered to pay ex-wife $15 million interesting read

« on: January 14, 2007, 08:15:03 AM »

 
January 13, 2007

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- New York Giants star Michael Strahan was ordered to pay his ex-wife $15.3 million -- more than half his net worth -- in keeping with the couple's prenuptial agreement.

Under the agreement, Jean Strahan was entitled to 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married.

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"She's grateful to the court," Jean Strahan's lawyer, Ellen Marshall, told The Associated Press on Saturday. "She looks forward to her future, raising their children and moving forward."

A call to Michael Strahan's attorney, Robert Penza, and his agent, Tony Agnone, were not immediately returned.

The NFL star had contended he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year. But state Superior Court Judge James Convery disagreed, ruling "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds."

In addition to the $15.3 million, Convery awarded Jean Strahan hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support. The couple married in 1999.

"It pays to tell the truth, and I told the truth," Jean Strahan said in Saturday's New York Post. "I never asked for a penny more than the prenup that Michael and his lawyers wrote and made me sign. And all I ever asked for was that to be upheld."

 

21

Football / Glen hurt again...!

« on: August 24, 2006, 03:33:21 AM »

Donovan's 2 OT goals vault Galaxy into Open Cup Semis
AP

CARSON, Calif. -- Landon Donovan scored two overtime goals to lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 3-1 victory Wednesday night over the Colorado Rapids in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

Donovan scored the go-ahead goal in the 93rd minute when he passed the ball wide to midfielder Quavas Kirk, who crossed the ball back. Alan Gordon just missed a header before Donovan chipped it in from close range.

Donovan finished off Colorado with another goal in the 115th minute after a Peter Vagenas pass set up a breakaway.

Kirk also scored his second goal in U.S. Open Cup competition in the 45th minute. He raced past Colorado defender Eric Denton and fired a 12-yard rocket to tie the match. Colorado's Clint Mathis scored in the third minute when he split the defense to find some open space. Receiving a pass from Kyle Beckerman, he controlled it with his right foot and then kicked it past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

Colorado forward Jovan Kirovski almost added to the lead in the 18th minute when he received a pass from Fabrice Noel but his 10-yard shot bounced off the right post and into Hartman's hands.

The Galaxy will host Houston in the semifinals on Sept. 6 at Home Depot Center. The defending champion Galaxy advanced to their fifth semifinal in six years.

Galaxy forward Cornell Glen left the match in the 37th minute due to a strained left knee. It was Glen's first match with the Galaxy since April 29 due to the World Cup and injuries. Donovan was Glen's replacement.

22

2006 World Cup - Germany / Denzil must NOT play against paraguay

« on: June 15, 2006, 01:13:38 PM »

He really looks out of his depth and is losing his one on one defensive battles not to mention giving us nothing going forward i hate to admit it but beenie make an out with theobald and he also made his changes too late muct too late

23

Football / How about trying kenwyn Jones in the centre of defense?

« on: June 01, 2006, 11:32:10 AM »

I think he has all the qualities you'll need as a centre back and he is taylor made to replace marvin andrews if needed....just my 15 cents plus he is not actually racking up the goals although his presence up top is welcomed.

24

Football / That TT uniform is horrible but that apart

« on: November 13, 2005, 12:35:34 PM »

The fellas seem intimidated a bit they never got into their flow but They'll do better on the road it's do or die i mean it could be worse what if birchie hadnt hit that snorter to equalize.....hats off to that man sah what a find for us what a find....kenwyn look ok when he come on otis looked ok got into the game too late...carlos crosses will come I still have the faith ....I going down till the last second...socawarrior till I enter the afterlife and then some....

25

Jokes / Why long distance relationships dont work

« on: October 29, 2005, 06:27:50 AM »

http://media.putfile.com/Girl-Caught-Cheating

26

Football / Tringlish (Birchall) practicing his victory dance after scoring vs bahrain

« on: October 29, 2005, 04:44:46 AM »

Fellas birchie have real skill ayah......
http://media.putfile.com/Everybody_Dance_Now

27

General Discussion / You're child of the 80's and 90's if.....

« on: October 27, 2005, 11:49:34 AM »

If you were a child of the 80s and early 90s in Trinidad, you might remember:

    * giving someone and receiving a meggie
    * collecting empty tic-tac containers for the smell, filling them with water then drinking it
    * you filled empty orchard cartons with air and jumped on it to make a popping noise to scare someone
    * you screamed at the faintest sound of thunder
    * getting licks with a guava whip or a wooden ruler with a metal strip on the side
    * when push point pencils were in style
    * when stationery on a whole was in style, nice erasers were prized: scented and colourful, sharpeners shaped like hamburgers or mechanical pencil and pilot pens, fine-point preferably
    * when 'Bata' was not in style but you had to wear one anyway
    * carrying ah lunch kit with a thermos flask inside
    * reading Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys, Judy Blume, Sweet Dreams or Sweet Valley High.
    * wearing VERY ying, very short, very tight khaki pants to school
    * wearing socks with frills
    * wearing panties with frills on the back
    * the Coca-Cola yo-yo craze
    * how handwriting was a big thing in primary school among girls, you wrote extremely small and extremely neat with care
    * at some point in time, having to ask someone or be asked:

a. if yuhfather is a glass maker

b. if yuh have ants in yuh pants

c. if yuh mo nkey glands acting up

    * you loved pencil cases and you wanted a nice one shaped like a giant pencil with a zip on one end
    * holding hands with a another girl or boy to go somewhere on an outing
    * (everybody, find ah partner!) meant that he/she was your good friend
    * you were a Brownie or a Cub Scout,
    * no one was quite sure what 'Red Cross' people did except you called them if somebody fell down
    * having your skin stained for days with iodine after you fell
    * boys making guns out of paper and shooting each other
    * saying "ABC, ketch ah crab, put it in ah paper bag" to some First years or Second years
    * you read "Lucky Dip" and West Indian Readers
    * pennycools costing 25 cents
    * getting excited over the sight of three red beans sprouting on a wet piece of toilet paper in an old mayonaise jar
    * eating condensed milk from the can, tomato balls, paradise plums, chilibibi and planter's snacks
    * wearing poppies on Poppy Day was a fashion statement
    * cheese paste sandwiches with food colouring on Kiss bread cut in triangles
    * playing "in ah fine castle, do you hear my sissy-o", "I lost my glove on a Saturday night and found it Sunday morning..."
    * the smell of whitening your shoes
    * in primary school, you methodically collected eraser shavings
    * Netball, Rounders and cricket was serious business!
    * reciting time tables
    * you played catch, red-light/green-light, there's a brown girl in the ring and hand clapping games till your palms stung
    * a re-fashioned balloon was called ah chikey-chong
    * You been to Cleverwoods at least twice for a class outing.
    * Who had the most and prettiest Barbie dolls used to run tings
    * you made those fortune telling finger toys from copy book paper
    * You used to recit the National pledge everyday, "I solemnly swear to dedicate my life to the service of my God and my country..." But you cyar remember it now!
    * having to religiously support some curry-q, bar-b-q or chinee q for the school
    * singing parang in a school Christmas concert or a folk songs "mangoes...mangoes....."
    * if you went to Catholic primary school: prayers, prayers and more prayers.

 

Teens of the 90s (early to mid) in Trinidad, you might remember:

    * fellas got an earring too-just one
    * football limes and Intercol
    * no matter where you went to school, Trinity College seemed so far away
    * your identity was defined by your school, there were girls and
    * then there were "Convent girls" (be that good, bad or indifferent)
    * red band maxis and their hard pong
    * you hoarded coloured ink pensyou stressed about SBAs in Form 4 and 5 if you travelled home, you had to lime first before you got there CXC lessons and
    * the lessons' lime boys hitting school desks to start a chanting session maxis and
    * maxi conductors were the scourge of Secondary school in these days, parents were always complaining about them you knew at least one girl who was "dealing" with a maxi-man Knight Rider,Street Hawk and Mc Gyver

If you remember any of these, you my friend are a child of the 80s and early 90s in sweet Trinidad

28

Football / The best players of different generations of TT football squads on current team

« on: October 26, 2005, 11:58:56 AM »

I was analysing the current team a littrle bit...and i came up with a few observations of the best players from various talented youth teams

1996 olympic qualifying team...stern john , marvin andrews, avery john , dennis lawrence (he didnt make the final 18) notable absentees...arnold dwarika, jerron nixon (injured before the final), shawn garcia( most talented sweeper in years)

2004 olympic qualifying team scott sealey , kenwyn jones, silvio spann, colin samuel (wasnt released)

Strike squad Latas and Yorke

youth world cup team .Captain dwight yorke and jerron nixon, angus eve, clayton ince

TT under 16 team that came second in qualifying for the youth  world championships...Russel latapy

2000 olympic qualifying team
Carlos edwards, brent sancho, brent rahim

I know I missed a bunch fellas feel free to put them in

29

Football / People trying to stop George Weah becoming president

« on: September 05, 2005, 07:53:05 AM »

LIBERIAN ELECTION
Mr. George goes to Monrovia

With less than two months to go before elections, former soccer superstar George Weah's bid to become Liberian president was in danger of being derailed by opponents.

Electoral officials were considering a petition to disqualify Weah on the grounds that he holds French citizenship. The Liberian-born Weah took out French citizenship while playing in France - which his opponents argued meant he had renounced his Liberian citizenship since the West African country doesn't allow dual citizenship.

''What they are saying is a joke,'' the 38-year-old Weah told Reuters. ''I am a Liberian, I cannot go to court to reclaim my Liberian nationality. I have not renounced my Liberian citizenship. Even if I had a French passport, I have not renounced [my Liberian citizenship], so I cannot go to court.

''Why is it now that the people who say I am not a Liberian are coming out? Why did they not come out when I was captain of the national team, and when I served as a goodwill ambassador for this country?''

As captain, Weah underwrote the expenses of the Lone Star, the Liberian national team. He has been a representative promoting the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

Weah's efforts were further complicated by a decree by the Liberian government that banned all public demonstrations before the Oct. 11 election designed to return Liberia to democracy after 14 years of civil war.

The decree followed a call by the pro-Weah Yana Boys Association to hold a mass street demonstration to protest the attempt to disqualify Weah, whose Congress for a Democratic Change (CDC) party is one of 27 parties offering candidates for president.

Weah said there had been a ''spreading of rumors, gossip, propaganda, misinformation and the brewing of tension,'' and he needed CDC supporters to set the record straight.

Weah's climb from the shantytowns of Monrovia, the Liberian capital, to stardom in Europe made him a hugely popular figure in Liberia.

Liberia's civil war began on Christmas Day 1989 and continued until president Charles Taylor flew into exile in Nigeria in August 2003. A transitional government has ruled ever since.

Weah's career coincided with the civil war that took the lives of an estimated 200,000 Liberians. It's been said his success was the only positive development in the West African nation in two decades.

He debuted for French club Monaco in 1988 and later played for Paris St. Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille. In 1995, Weah became the first African to win the European Player of the Year award. After a brief stint in the United Arab Emirates, he retired in 2002 and moved his family from New York, where his wife, Clare, was raised, to Miami.

After retiring, Weah, popularly known as ''Mr. George,'' opened businesses in Miami and Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. Most importantly, he launched Clare TV (named after his wife) and two radio stations, which have given him great clout.

Liberia was founded by freed slaves living in the United States who returned to Africa in the early 1800s, and it gained its independence in 1848.

Weah says it's time Liberia, Africa's oldest independent republic, changed.

''Look, we've been independent 157 years and yet we've never developed,'' he told the Paris magazine France Football. ''I dream of big things for our country. It has to regain its dignity. Modestly, I believe I'm best placed to do the job.''

Weah's critics argue he doesn't have the education to lead his country, though many of his countrymen believe that isn't necessary.

''Look at how all the intellectuals wrecked our country,'' a Liberian told the BBC earlier this year. ''How could George do any worse?''

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Football / Fellas after last night's game lets go easy on Stern and try to support him more

« on: August 18, 2005, 10:57:31 AM »

Our starting strike force has to be Kenwyn and Sealey that is a a fact but I I watched Stern play and the truth be told i think for once i put myself in his shoes.....and a great sense of sadness entered my head....I will be honest i dont think he'll be the player he once  was he doesnt seem to have it physically but above all father time has caught up with him mentally because the desire to get back to where he was is there but the desire to replicate the type of effort it will require to get back isnt there because at 28 it's gonna be much harder. It's so funny how things  reveal themselves....I've often said that when stern isnt scoring goals he isnt doing anything else and now that he isnt scoring his shortcomings are blatantly revealed.
But i imagine the pressure on him is enormous and mental pressure is something with maddening dividends if not handled well..........I maintain that he should not be starting right now and i think he needs to sit a bit to help him get back to his old self firstly because he'll be pushing to get back out there and also with him out of the spotlight it will give him a lil more space to breathe....he's under pressure guys and  we need to turn our anger into support....thats not to say that if he plays a bag of it i wont reveal it but he needs to know that we support him and we're simply disappointed because he isnt doing the things that we know he can do....but i support him just like i support the rest of my national team ...just a few candid thoughts