![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
Henry Deedes
Henry Deedes edits The Independent's Pandora column. He has previously worked as a journalist for the Daily Telegraph and as an assistant producer at NBC News's London bureau.
What a sorry saga Allen stanford's involvement in English cricket has become. Compare his vile posterings with the generosity of Sri John Paul Getty, whose fortune practically paid for Lord's refurbishment a few years back.
For those unfamiliar with the philanthropist's largesse towards the game, I thoroughly recommend Simon Hughes's interview with the great man which was reproduced shortly after his death in 2003.
A man, it could be said, who gave everything to cricket yet asked for nothing in return.
So, the unlikely pairing of Michael Owen and Newcastle United finally looks almost certain to have come to an end.
Owen has rejected the chance to sign a new contract, which means he will be free to joing another side in the summer on a self-enriching Bosman transfer.
For Newcastle, their most prized asset will leave for nothing. The best of £16m the club paid to rescue him from obscurity at the Bernabau is flushed into the Tyne, and out to sea.
For their fans, whose money has paid the injury-prone striker's reported £120,000 a-week wages while he spent large swathes of his time on Tyneside out on the sidelines, the news will be met with anger, but little surprise.
Not since Gerard Houllier perched beside Roy Evans in the Anfield dug-out has a partnership looked so doomed to failure.
In many ways, Owen has become a difficult fellow to love since he scored that wonder goal in St Etienne 10 years ago.
Liverpool fans became frustrated when it became clear his hamstrings couldn't cope with his blistering bursts of pace. Large parts of his season could be spent on the injury table, whilst his main asset slowly became compromised.
His decision to run down his contract at the club then allowed him to leave for at least half of his real market value. Such a move almost certainly meant the door was firmly closed when he came pining for a return a year later.
It is often said that Liverpool fans regarded Owen as an England player who sometimes played for Liverpool, as oppose to local "God" Robbie Fowler, who was seen primarily as a Liverpool player who sometimes turned out for England.
Newcastle fans could argue that for them, he has been neither.
Owen has rejected the chance to sign a new contract, which means he will be free to joing another side in the summer on a self-enriching Bosman transfer.
For Newcastle, their most prized asset will leave for nothing. The best of £16m the club paid to rescue him from obscurity at the Bernabau is flushed into the Tyne, and out to sea.
For their fans, whose money has paid the injury-prone striker's reported £120,000 a-week wages while he spent large swathes of his time on Tyneside out on the sidelines, the news will be met with anger, but little surprise.
Not since Gerard Houllier perched beside Roy Evans in the Anfield dug-out has a partnership looked so doomed to failure.
In many ways, Owen has become a difficult fellow to love since he scored that wonder goal in St Etienne 10 years ago.
Liverpool fans became frustrated when it became clear his hamstrings couldn't cope with his blistering bursts of pace. Large parts of his season could be spent on the injury table, whilst his main asset slowly became compromised.
His decision to run down his contract at the club then allowed him to leave for at least half of his real market value. Such a move almost certainly meant the door was firmly closed when he came pining for a return a year later.
It is often said that Liverpool fans regarded Owen as an England player who sometimes played for Liverpool, as oppose to local "God" Robbie Fowler, who was seen primarily as a Liverpool player who sometimes turned out for England.
Newcastle fans could argue that for them, he has been neither.
The always readable Stephen Glover has penned a piece in today's Mail calling for the return of Ken Clarke to the Tory frontbench.
There have been a number of voices have expressed a similar opinion over the past few days, some going so far as to suggest Ken should usurp George Osborne as Shadow Chancellor.
At the risk of sounding facetious, they remind me of the same rose-tinted folk who clamour for Terry Venables to be restored to role of England manager.
The appointment of Juande Ramos as coach of Real Madrid has come as a surprise to parts of the football community.
After all, how can he be entrusted with the biggest club in the world when he has just made such a hodge podge of things at Spurs?
It’s a little harsh on Ramos, who had an excellent record at his previous job managing Seville.
Certainly, accusations that Spurs big money signings that arrived during his reign at White Hart Lane brought imbalance can’t be laid at his door – their much maligned former director of football, Damien Comolli, will have to bear that cross.
The Spaniard’s fundamental problem was his failure to get to grips the language.
( Read more... )
After all, how can he be entrusted with the biggest club in the world when he has just made such a hodge podge of things at Spurs?
It’s a little harsh on Ramos, who had an excellent record at his previous job managing Seville.
Certainly, accusations that Spurs big money signings that arrived during his reign at White Hart Lane brought imbalance can’t be laid at his door – their much maligned former director of football, Damien Comolli, will have to bear that cross.
The Spaniard’s fundamental problem was his failure to get to grips the language.
( Read more... )
