The Sporting calendar

Football legend Bobby Robson has lost his long battle with cancer.
A true hero of the modern game, Robson was and remains a firm favourite with everyone involved in the sport, fans and players alike.

With Ipswich Town, Robson took on and beat some of the best Liverpool teams, winning the FA CUP, UEFA cup, and were twice runners up in the league, with a style of football that is still played at Portman Road to this day.
Success with Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and PSV Eindhoven followed, but it is for his achievements as manager of England in the World Cup finals that I will always remember him.

In 1986, Mexico, we watched as his team of established and younger players turned up the heat on the rest of the world as we battled through to the quarter-finals, facing the “mighty” Argentina and Maradonna in his prime.
Despite the gulf in experience and skills, England more than overcame their nerves, after the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the world class strike from the world’s best player, England set about the so called giants of the world game.
John Barnes was introduced on the left wing, feeding the ever more threatening Gary Linekar, England managed to pull it back to 2-1.
Then with just seconds remaining, Barnes curled a cross in which beat the keeper and curled agonisingly across the front of goal, just beating Linekar’s outstretched boot. The chance had gone and England were out, beaten by a goal which was clearly handball.

After a disappointing performance saw us knocked out of the European championships in 1988, Robson took charge of the England team at the Italia 1990 World Cup finals.
What a roller coaster ride we had!
Who can forget Nessun Dorma?
The edgy 1-0 win over egypt with a Mark Wright goal that saw us win the group – The last second David Platt goal against Belgium that took us through to the quarter finals.
The brilliant Roger Milla and the Cameroon team that came so close to knocking us out, we broke their hearts and won through 3-2 after extra time.
The real challenge was about to come. Desperate for revenge against Argentina for the “Hand of God” – this side had Maradonna, but they were nothing like the team that we had faced four years earlier in Mexico.
Between us and our glorious revenge, was West Germany, perhaps the worst team to come up against in a World Cup finals match!

West Germany were not lighting up the tournament, their team was ageing but still dangerous, as all German national sides are.
At the end, only a penalty shoot could deny us, as devastating as it was, thankfully West Germany went on to beat Argentina in the final.

For all of us, just simple fans, who were not even born in 1966 when England triumphed, this was our ’66!
It was a great occasion enjoyed by millions of England fans all over the world, all created because of a small group of players, picked and motivated by Bobby Robson.

A true gent of the game, a very humble and honest man, who did everything he could to encourage players of all levels, ages and nationalities. Bobby Robson never forgot his roots and the fans, always showing great humility.
Rest in peace Bobby, you will be sorely missed.

How many times must the humble English cricket fan despair at the tactics used, in their attempts to wrestle the Ashes from the Aussies?
Due to hospital visiting here, I only managed to catch brief highlights and some of the final days play in Cardiff, during the first Ashes test match.

The fielding during Australia’s first innings was utter rubbish!
Why on earth play two spin bowlers, yet have no fielders around the wicket to pressure the batsmen?
With Vaughn as captain, we wrestled the Ashes back with exciting, challenging cricket, team selections varied only slightly and everyone of England’s players, played their part in winning the series.
If things were not working in the field, Vaughn changed or made subtle changes to them, listening to his bowlers and pressurising a great Aussie side into mistakes.

With Strauss as captain for the first test in Cardiff, I saw none of this. England lacked bite.
To win the Ashes, you have to deserve it!
England players looked to be on a casual warm up game… this is the Ashes – how much more incentive do they want?
Our bowling was weak and a good ball was too often the exception. Bowling too wide, to predictable and too often, easily read.
No surprises, no threat and no pressure!
Not good enough England. Bowlers set the field with a captain making small adjustments. Vary the pace, spin at one end – pace at the other.
Only by consistantly putting the ball in danger areas accurately can we turn the tide.

If our bowling lacked bite, our batting lacked common sense.
A simple message should be sent out to our batsmen, keep it simple, play percentages!
Stop trying to look like a hero, play cautiously and frustrate the Aussie bowlers, make them work at least!
Then once they start to change tactics to get your wicket, start playing them, with a controlled bat, picking your shots off their mistakes and start building a decent score.

If I see one more England batsman play a sweep shot against the spin I’ll scream!
Enough with the heroics, play with common sense and use your head!

At least in the next Ashes test at Lords on Thursday, we will have Graham Onions back in the attack and maybe some variety?

Thomas Haas is currently playing Djokovic on court number one, at Wimbledon.
Haas is sporting-calendar’s tip to win Wimbledon this year.

Why the confidence in the 29th seed?
He has a great serve and an excellent grass game, but most of all, he serves and volleys, which since the days of Borg – Connors – MacEnroe, right up to Edburg, has been the one weapon that gets results on grass.

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