The title of this blog references a song by the band Orange Juice ('Rip it up'). If you were an England cricket fan watching the teams performances at the World Cup, you would probably have needed more than an orange juice to watch them.
Yet another shocking and pitiful World Cup tournament ended for England on Monday when they failed to beat Bangladesh. They will fly home after Friday's match against Afghanistan, who on current form you honestly wouldn't back England to beat.
England's 2015 World Cup to date has seen them only beat Scotland and be soundly beaten by Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Big changes need to be made in English cricket as quite frankly they are going nowhere at the moment.
So who should shoulder the blame? There is no one definitive answer to that question. All of the people at the top of English cricket are to blame for causing the team to be the laughing stock of world cricket, particularly in the one day format.
Take coach Peter Moores. His response of 'We'll need to look at the data' after the defeat to Bangladesh was astonishing. Moores seems a nice enough bloke but he is obsessed with data and burying his head in page after page of stats. Quite frankly, being that intense does not endear you to the dressing room and isn't a winning formula to try and win cricket matches. Here's some data for Moores; Ireland have won three games in the tournament and England have won one. With all due respect to Ireland, who have provided some of the greatest ever cricket world cup moments, that's a total embarrassment for England and Moores.
Quite frankly Moores should never have been appointed as coach again. His first spell was hardly a resounding success. Across all formats of the game, he won 27 games out of 68 and led England to only three test series victories out of seven. His second spell has seen him oversee defeats to Sri Lanka in all formats of the game since summer 2014. He just isn't good enough.
However, Moores can't be the sole guilty party in this charade. Managing director Paul Downton looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights most of the time and you have to question whether a man with a test batting average of under 20 is qualified to be managing English cricket. Along with Moores, the pair dithered for far too long to remove Alastair Cook as the one day captain when his confidence was shattered and he was starting to look like a player who had just broken into his local club side.
By taking so long to sack Cook, new captain Eoin Morgan had little to no time to prepare for the World Cup. Morgan has been a disappointment as captain and batsman this tournament but he was hardly given the rightful support from those above him.
Colin Graves takes over as the chairman of the England and Wales cricket board in May from Giles Clarke, who has long outstayed his welcome. Clarke of course made Kevin Pietersen the scapegoat for the Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, banishing from the team. Pietersen has his faults, significant ones to be honest but there is no doubting that he has been shoddily treated by the ECB who needed someone to take the attention off them when they were failing.
Later in 2014, Clarke told England fans to move on from Pietersen's departure. Clearly he wanted to stick to his guns, but couldn't he see that it was and still is hard for fans to accept they will never see a man who helped win them Ashes series, a T20 world cup and countless big games in an England shirt ever again if Clarke had his way.
Pietersen isn't a miracle worker, but he was recently the second highest run scorer in Australia's T20 tournament and it's hard to believe this England team are better off leaving him at home.
National selector James Whitaker should be packing his bags too. Leaving Pietersen aside, Ben Stokes would have provided all round skill for the team and surely Whitaker and Moores can see Jos Butler is batting way too low down at number seven. England are still in the mindset of thinking 300 is a good score in one day cricket.
That stems from Moores, Downtown and Whitaker who were all decent but never great cricketers. They haven't evolved as their sport has evolved and with them in charge England will never win anything.
Graves needs to bin Moores, Downtown and Whitaker upon entering in May, or sooner if he really wants to lay down a marker. Only by wiping the slate clean with new management can the England cricket team even begin to think about prospering again.
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Monday, 9 March 2015
It's time Britain talked up the Davis Cup
Despite being a worldwide event, the Davis Cup has consistently failed to capture the imagination of the wider public. Perhaps it is the convoluted format which involves many different "zones" in promotion and relegation groups or perhaps it is because many of the top players have shunned it over the years.
Compare it to golf's Ryder Cup. That's a tournament players will fight tooth and nail to get into a qualifying spot for and fans are glued to the action over the weekend.
Great Britain's 3-2 win over the United States in Glasgow which was completed yesterday could be a potential turning point for interest in the Davis Cup in this country. Tickets for the Emirates Arena sold out within ten minutes of going in sale last November whilst the crowds roared on their hero Andy Murray (and his teammates) to victory in a stunning atmosphere. Now this needs to be capitalised on ahead of the quarter final tie (at a venue TBC) against France in July.
Remarkably Great Britain have a one in eight chance of winning this trophy despite only having one male tennis player in the top 100 of the world rankings in the shape of Andy Murray.
Since taking over the Davis Cup captaincy in 2010, Leon Smith has performed nothing short of a miracle. His first task was to ensure Great Britain didn't plummet into the lowest depths of the Davis Cup group format, by beating Turkey, which the GB team duly did 5-0.
Since then, Smith has ensured that the country's Davis Cup team has once again become respected with two wins over the USA in the last two years confirming that.
The fact that James Ward, a player who has never been inside the top 100 in the world has managed to beat Americans Sam Querrey (career high ranking of 17) and John Isner (career high ranking of 9) is astonishing. His win over Isner on Friday in Glasgow was even more remarkable considering he came from two sets down against one of the best servers in the game. The nerve and fitness Ward showed in the final set to win 15-13 was something every British tennis fan should have been proud of.
And although they didn't win on Saturday, equally inspiring was Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot's performance against the Bryan brothers Bob and Mike coming from two sets to love down to draw level before losing the doubles tie 9-7 in the fifth.
Whilst there is clearly a massive burden on Andy Murray to win both his singles matches in any tie, captain Smith now has a reliable and hugely spirited team to call upon. Ward has now easily done enough to be considered a Davis Cup stalwart while Murray and Inglot are both in the top 40 of the doubles rankings and had infact beaten the 16 time slam champions, the Bryan brothers twice this year.
Smith's miracle work even extended to a team which didn't feature Andy Murray in it back in April 2013 when Great Britain somehow beat Russia 3-2 after being 2-0 behind after the opening day.
A doubles win on the Saturday from Jonny Marray and Colin Fleming gave the team hope, before Ward then ranked 214 in the world stunned Dmitry Tursunov, a former top 20 player in five sets before Dan Evans, then ranked at 325, beat Evegny Donskoy, who was ranked 245 places above him to complete the comeback.
Now two years on Britain stand a genuine, if still unlikely chance of winning the trophy for the first time since 1936. Andy Murray may well break another long standing record that has unfortunately stood since the heyday of Fred Perry, just like he did when he became the first British male to win Wimbledon for 77 years in 2013.
A 2015 Davis Cup win might not carry the same celebrations and it probably wouldn't even register in large parts of the country but the crowds in Glasgow were fantastic and helped to defeat the Americans. Now more people are needed to turn up the volume for the match against France, which will be tough considering they have Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet on board.
Much has been said of the country not capitalising on Murray's Wimbledon success and much of what has been said is true. If Britain were to win the Davis Cup or even reach the final, that would be a magnificent team achievement against all the odds.
It's time to spread the word about Leon Smith's British team and make them household names.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Darren Clarke is the right man for Europe
The European Ryder Cup team and supporters will again hope the luck of the Irish is smiling on them when they head across the pond to defend the trophy next year.
That's because the selection committee who had to choose the next captain have made the unanimous choice to pick Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for the match at Hazeltine, following the hugely successful stint of Dubliner Paul McGinley who led Europe to a resounding success at Gleneagles last year.
Clarke was selected ahead of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who threw his proverbial hat into the process very late on. Clarke was always the favourite though and the announcement at lunchtime today that he had been given the nod was no surprise.
Jimenez and Bjorn certainly have their credentials and it will be a major shock if one of those two don't get the nod to lead Europe in the 2018 match in France. However, 2016 will be Clarke's time as Europe look to win the trophy for a fourth time in a row.
The selection committee have made the right call for a number of reasons.
Clarke was the players choice and the committee would have been foolish not to listen to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer who had backed Clarke for the role. They are all more than likely to be lining up at Hazeltine so if Jimenez had been picked, then he would have faced an uphill battle convincing his players that he was the right choice. Poulter and another likely Hazeltine participant Sergio Garcia took to Twitter to congratulate Clarke, showing the standing he has among Ryder Cup stalwarts.
Whilst playing records of Ryder Cup captains is perhaps not such a big issue after McGinley's success at Gleneagles, Clarke's record will stand the test of time. An Open Championship victory in 2011 followed up two World Golf Championship victories, one of which was a World Matchplay win over Tiger Woods in his prime in 2000. Those wins have earned him the respect of golf fans around the world and crucially in America where he is a well-known and popular figure who won't be the subject of abuse by the partisan Hazeltine crowd.
Clarke's Ryder Cup record is also up there with the best having won 10 out of his 20 matches which he played in five straight Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2006, when he was on the winning side four times. Compare that to Jimenez who has won only four of his 15 Ryder Cup matches to date.
And who can forget Clarke's hugely emotional performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup only weeks after he lost his beloved wife Heather. For him to deliver three points out of three was extraordinary and showed his passion for the event, a passion he'll showcase a decade on from that edition at The K Club as captain.
As someone who has been a stalwart of European golf for the last two decades and someone who like McGinley before him has the support of Europe's leading lights, then it's time to pour a pint of Clarke's favourite Guinness and celebrate his appointment.
That's because the selection committee who had to choose the next captain have made the unanimous choice to pick Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for the match at Hazeltine, following the hugely successful stint of Dubliner Paul McGinley who led Europe to a resounding success at Gleneagles last year.
Clarke was selected ahead of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who threw his proverbial hat into the process very late on. Clarke was always the favourite though and the announcement at lunchtime today that he had been given the nod was no surprise.
Jimenez and Bjorn certainly have their credentials and it will be a major shock if one of those two don't get the nod to lead Europe in the 2018 match in France. However, 2016 will be Clarke's time as Europe look to win the trophy for a fourth time in a row.
The selection committee have made the right call for a number of reasons.
Clarke was the players choice and the committee would have been foolish not to listen to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer who had backed Clarke for the role. They are all more than likely to be lining up at Hazeltine so if Jimenez had been picked, then he would have faced an uphill battle convincing his players that he was the right choice. Poulter and another likely Hazeltine participant Sergio Garcia took to Twitter to congratulate Clarke, showing the standing he has among Ryder Cup stalwarts.
Whilst playing records of Ryder Cup captains is perhaps not such a big issue after McGinley's success at Gleneagles, Clarke's record will stand the test of time. An Open Championship victory in 2011 followed up two World Golf Championship victories, one of which was a World Matchplay win over Tiger Woods in his prime in 2000. Those wins have earned him the respect of golf fans around the world and crucially in America where he is a well-known and popular figure who won't be the subject of abuse by the partisan Hazeltine crowd.
Clarke's Ryder Cup record is also up there with the best having won 10 out of his 20 matches which he played in five straight Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2006, when he was on the winning side four times. Compare that to Jimenez who has won only four of his 15 Ryder Cup matches to date.
And who can forget Clarke's hugely emotional performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup only weeks after he lost his beloved wife Heather. For him to deliver three points out of three was extraordinary and showed his passion for the event, a passion he'll showcase a decade on from that edition at The K Club as captain.
As someone who has been a stalwart of European golf for the last two decades and someone who like McGinley before him has the support of Europe's leading lights, then it's time to pour a pint of Clarke's favourite Guinness and celebrate his appointment.
Saturday, 17 January 2015
Five men to follow at the Australian Open
The 2015 tennis season gets "properly" underway in the early hours of Monday morning as the Australian Open, the traditional first Grand Slam of the Year begins.
Four time champion Novak Djokovic is favourite for the men's title with Roger Federer who won his 1000th game recently and fit again Rafael Nadal not far behind. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka is sure to want a say as well.
Here are five men though that could also be making headlines in Melbourne over the next couple of weeks.
Andy Murray
It might seem an obvious choice to pick the man from Dunblane, but as Murray enters 2015 he stands at somewhat of a crossroads in his career. A difficult 2014 saw him struggle to reach his best form after returning from back surgery, though in the latter half of the season he did win three titles in the space of five weeks to ensure he reached the World Tour finals in London. A thrashing by Federer at the O2 ensured a terrible end to the year, in which he failed to reach a slam final for the first time since 2009.
Having kept faith in coach Amelie Mauresmo for now, the early signs in 2015 have been good for Murray. He might only have played in exhibition matches, but he notched up an impressive win over Nadal in Abu Dhabi as well as winning all three of his singles matches at the Hopman Cup.
In the close season, Murray made the tough decision to part ways with long time coach and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu as well as fitness coach Jez Green. Comments in recent days suggest Murray thinks he's in ideal shape to try and win a tournament at which he's reached the final at three times. He'll need to be fully fit as he's been handed a tough draw, which potentially pits him against his Wimbledon conqueror from last year Grigor Dimitrov in round four and then the trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic from the quarters onwards.
Murray does love the Melbourne hardcourts, but with the tough draw and the fact he is still searching for his best game, he heads into the tournament with an outside chance.
Kei Nishikori
The man from Japan made himself known to the wider public when he made it all the way to the US Open final last year before losing out to Marin Cilic. His victory over World Number one Novak Djokovic in the semi final showed all his capabilities as a top player and his form last year means he goes into this tournament as world number five and as a serious contender.
Coach Michael Chang has brought a new belief and aggression to Nishikori's game which enabled him to win four titles in 2014. His best run in Melbourne is a run to the quarter finals in 2012 but he is a much more dangerous prospect now as shown by wins over Djokovic, Federer and Murray last year.
A tricky first round tie against Spain's Nicolas Almagro awaits but Nishikori remains a great outside bet for the title.
Grigor Dimitrov
After starting to realise his potential in 2014, the big question now is can Dimitrov win a slam in 2015? He got into the world's top eight last year and is currently ranked 11th but has been tipped by John McEnroe to be the next new Grand Slam champion.
He showed his capabilities last year winning titles on three different surfaces as well as defeating defending champion Andy Murray at Wimbledon on his way to the semi finals. He also made the quarter finals in Melbourne in 2014 taking Nadal to four sets.
There are still big question marks over Dimitrov and whether he has the consistency and attitude of someone like Nishikori to go all the way in a slam as his form in the second half of 2014 tailed off badly meaning he missed out on the world tour finals in London. It seems inevitable that he will win a slam but he's been hyped up for so long, its easy to forget he's only 23.
The draw hasn't been too kind to him with a first round tie against the energetic Dustin Brown potentially giving him a few headaches. A third round tie against David Goffin is a potential banana skin, but get through that and he could face Murray who will be keen to avenge his Wimbledon loss so he faces tough ties to even make the last eight in Australia, but on form he is more than capable of going deep into the tournament.
Dimitrov is frustrating and exciting to watch in equal measure, so that's why his progress is well worth following.
Nick Kyrgios
The Australian youngster who is still only 19 stunned the tennis world when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year which included a winning shot he played through his legs. The teenager also defeated Richard Gasquet, a top ten player and 2007 Wimbledon semi finalist in the second round, leading to him being labelled as one of the stars of the future.
He subsequently made the third round of the US Open before skipping the rest of the season, saying he was burnt out. Fresh for 2015, big things are expected of Kyrgios who is now in the top 50 in the world. Winner of the junior title in Melbourne two years ago, he'll be hoping to make a big impression in the main draw. With a potential match up against Ivo Karlovic in round two, it won't be easy but with a home crowd backing him, he could be a surprise package down under.
David Goffin
Now ranked 22nd in the world, the Belgian won the comeback player of the year award in 2014. Having burst on the scene in 2012 when he reached the fourth round of the French Open after only getting in as a 'lucky loser', Goffin's career didn't go upwards as planned as he slipped to 110th in the world rankings.
However, a first round defeat by Murray at Wimbledon last year spurred Goffin on to finally realise his potential. Between July and August he won four successive tournaments and although three of them were at Challenger level, winning 20 matches in a row took some going.
He then followed that up by winning the ATP final in Metz beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga along the way before reaching the Swiss Indoors final in October.
He'll be looking to get past the first round for the first time in Australia but with renewed confidence, he'll be feeling good about his chances.
My pick for the title remains Novak Djokovic, who excels on these courts but Nishikori is a great outside bet.
Four time champion Novak Djokovic is favourite for the men's title with Roger Federer who won his 1000th game recently and fit again Rafael Nadal not far behind. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka is sure to want a say as well.
Here are five men though that could also be making headlines in Melbourne over the next couple of weeks.
Andy Murray
It might seem an obvious choice to pick the man from Dunblane, but as Murray enters 2015 he stands at somewhat of a crossroads in his career. A difficult 2014 saw him struggle to reach his best form after returning from back surgery, though in the latter half of the season he did win three titles in the space of five weeks to ensure he reached the World Tour finals in London. A thrashing by Federer at the O2 ensured a terrible end to the year, in which he failed to reach a slam final for the first time since 2009.
Having kept faith in coach Amelie Mauresmo for now, the early signs in 2015 have been good for Murray. He might only have played in exhibition matches, but he notched up an impressive win over Nadal in Abu Dhabi as well as winning all three of his singles matches at the Hopman Cup.
In the close season, Murray made the tough decision to part ways with long time coach and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu as well as fitness coach Jez Green. Comments in recent days suggest Murray thinks he's in ideal shape to try and win a tournament at which he's reached the final at three times. He'll need to be fully fit as he's been handed a tough draw, which potentially pits him against his Wimbledon conqueror from last year Grigor Dimitrov in round four and then the trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic from the quarters onwards.
Murray does love the Melbourne hardcourts, but with the tough draw and the fact he is still searching for his best game, he heads into the tournament with an outside chance.
Kei Nishikori
The man from Japan made himself known to the wider public when he made it all the way to the US Open final last year before losing out to Marin Cilic. His victory over World Number one Novak Djokovic in the semi final showed all his capabilities as a top player and his form last year means he goes into this tournament as world number five and as a serious contender.
Coach Michael Chang has brought a new belief and aggression to Nishikori's game which enabled him to win four titles in 2014. His best run in Melbourne is a run to the quarter finals in 2012 but he is a much more dangerous prospect now as shown by wins over Djokovic, Federer and Murray last year.
A tricky first round tie against Spain's Nicolas Almagro awaits but Nishikori remains a great outside bet for the title.
Grigor Dimitrov
After starting to realise his potential in 2014, the big question now is can Dimitrov win a slam in 2015? He got into the world's top eight last year and is currently ranked 11th but has been tipped by John McEnroe to be the next new Grand Slam champion.
He showed his capabilities last year winning titles on three different surfaces as well as defeating defending champion Andy Murray at Wimbledon on his way to the semi finals. He also made the quarter finals in Melbourne in 2014 taking Nadal to four sets.
There are still big question marks over Dimitrov and whether he has the consistency and attitude of someone like Nishikori to go all the way in a slam as his form in the second half of 2014 tailed off badly meaning he missed out on the world tour finals in London. It seems inevitable that he will win a slam but he's been hyped up for so long, its easy to forget he's only 23.
The draw hasn't been too kind to him with a first round tie against the energetic Dustin Brown potentially giving him a few headaches. A third round tie against David Goffin is a potential banana skin, but get through that and he could face Murray who will be keen to avenge his Wimbledon loss so he faces tough ties to even make the last eight in Australia, but on form he is more than capable of going deep into the tournament.
Dimitrov is frustrating and exciting to watch in equal measure, so that's why his progress is well worth following.
Nick Kyrgios
The Australian youngster who is still only 19 stunned the tennis world when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year which included a winning shot he played through his legs. The teenager also defeated Richard Gasquet, a top ten player and 2007 Wimbledon semi finalist in the second round, leading to him being labelled as one of the stars of the future.
He subsequently made the third round of the US Open before skipping the rest of the season, saying he was burnt out. Fresh for 2015, big things are expected of Kyrgios who is now in the top 50 in the world. Winner of the junior title in Melbourne two years ago, he'll be hoping to make a big impression in the main draw. With a potential match up against Ivo Karlovic in round two, it won't be easy but with a home crowd backing him, he could be a surprise package down under.
David Goffin
Now ranked 22nd in the world, the Belgian won the comeback player of the year award in 2014. Having burst on the scene in 2012 when he reached the fourth round of the French Open after only getting in as a 'lucky loser', Goffin's career didn't go upwards as planned as he slipped to 110th in the world rankings.
However, a first round defeat by Murray at Wimbledon last year spurred Goffin on to finally realise his potential. Between July and August he won four successive tournaments and although three of them were at Challenger level, winning 20 matches in a row took some going.
He then followed that up by winning the ATP final in Metz beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga along the way before reaching the Swiss Indoors final in October.
He'll be looking to get past the first round for the first time in Australia but with renewed confidence, he'll be feeling good about his chances.
My pick for the title remains Novak Djokovic, who excels on these courts but Nishikori is a great outside bet.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
How Gary Anderson became World Champion
Scotland has a new world champion. And we should all be shouting the name of Gary Anderson from the rooftops.
The 44 year old from Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders was crowned Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world champion after a thrilling 7-6 victory over the greatest ever darts player, Phil "The Power" Taylor at the Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday night.
The chance to lift the world championship trophy had been a long time coming for Anderson. Although he had only previously only reached one world final in 2011 when he lost to Adrian Lewis, the Scot was regularly heralded as the best player to never win a world title.
That was because of his terrific form over a number of years, including a win in the final of the 2011 Premier League as well as wins in the World Darts Trophy and the International Darts League in 2007. He also came into this year's World Championships in terrific form having won the Players Championship just before hand as well as notching up semi final appearances at the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay.
Anderson didn't have it plain sailing in London though, far from it. American Scott Kirchner with his ludicrously slow style of play unnerved Anderson in round one, making him average only 86 in a nervous match.
Round Two saw Anderson on the brink of defeat at one point against Dutchman Jelle Klaasen. He was 3-1 down in a race to four and was a leg away from an early exit before roaring back to win 4-3.
Further battles had to be overcome against Spaniard qualifier Cristo Reyes in the third round where he was a set down early on. Anderson's best performance so far came in the quarter final against Peter Wright which set up a semi final against reigning world champion Michael Van Gerwen, whom Anderson lost to into the third round of the 2014 event, despite leading 3-1.
It looked as though history was going to repeat itself, as Van Gerwen fought back to level at 3-3, after being 3-1 down. This time though, it was him that let Anderson in who ended up averaging 102 and hitting one out of two on the doubles to win 6-3 in an impressive display.
The small matter of 16 time world champion Taylor awaited in the final. Anderson came out the blocks firing and quickly led 2-0 and then 3-1. However, he lost a grip of the match and combined with some Taylor excellence, he found himself 4-3 down. Taylor allowed Anderson to draw level at 4-4 when he missed three darts for the set.
Then came a horrific run of luck for Anderson as he endured several bounce outs, the worst being when a third dart knocked the previous two out of the treble 20 and he ended up scoring zero. He was also put off by a fan whistling from the crowd which made it all the more remarkable when he won the set and the next to lead 6-4 and be on the brink of success.
Taylor wasn't done yet though and some blistering darts set up a nail biting 13th and final set. It was Anderson who found his form at the vital moments and with a double 8 sealed his place in darting history, finally.
Anderson's sheer determination and will to win have to be admired. He said last year when he let that lead slip against Van Gerwen, that the next year would be different and he has delivered big time on that statement.
Anderson has also had personal tragedies to deal with over the last few years. His brother Stewart died of a heart attack aged just 35 in September 2011 and his father Gordon died in March 2012. Naturally Anderson found darts tough after those losses, but now he is reaping the huge benefits of relaxing on stage and enjoying his job.
I had the pleasure of meeting Anderson once. I played a leg of darts against him (he took out 135 on the bull to beat me) but he said well played and did the same with everyone who took him on in Coral that day in 2013. He was happy to chat away with fans and sign autographs.
Gary Anderson is one of the good guys who has had to wait for his success, but he knew he'd have his chance some day and he wasn't going to let it slip.
I'll be a rare Scot in the crowd at Leeds in February on the opening night of the Premier League cheering him on as world champion, but the atmosphere inside Glasgow's Hydro Arena a month later will be electric to welcome back 'The Flying Scotsman'.
Gary Anderson truly deserves his spot in Scottish sporting folklore alongside his darting hero Jocky Wilson.
The 44 year old from Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders was crowned Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world champion after a thrilling 7-6 victory over the greatest ever darts player, Phil "The Power" Taylor at the Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday night.
The chance to lift the world championship trophy had been a long time coming for Anderson. Although he had only previously only reached one world final in 2011 when he lost to Adrian Lewis, the Scot was regularly heralded as the best player to never win a world title.
That was because of his terrific form over a number of years, including a win in the final of the 2011 Premier League as well as wins in the World Darts Trophy and the International Darts League in 2007. He also came into this year's World Championships in terrific form having won the Players Championship just before hand as well as notching up semi final appearances at the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay.
Anderson didn't have it plain sailing in London though, far from it. American Scott Kirchner with his ludicrously slow style of play unnerved Anderson in round one, making him average only 86 in a nervous match.
Round Two saw Anderson on the brink of defeat at one point against Dutchman Jelle Klaasen. He was 3-1 down in a race to four and was a leg away from an early exit before roaring back to win 4-3.
Further battles had to be overcome against Spaniard qualifier Cristo Reyes in the third round where he was a set down early on. Anderson's best performance so far came in the quarter final against Peter Wright which set up a semi final against reigning world champion Michael Van Gerwen, whom Anderson lost to into the third round of the 2014 event, despite leading 3-1.
It looked as though history was going to repeat itself, as Van Gerwen fought back to level at 3-3, after being 3-1 down. This time though, it was him that let Anderson in who ended up averaging 102 and hitting one out of two on the doubles to win 6-3 in an impressive display.
The small matter of 16 time world champion Taylor awaited in the final. Anderson came out the blocks firing and quickly led 2-0 and then 3-1. However, he lost a grip of the match and combined with some Taylor excellence, he found himself 4-3 down. Taylor allowed Anderson to draw level at 4-4 when he missed three darts for the set.
Then came a horrific run of luck for Anderson as he endured several bounce outs, the worst being when a third dart knocked the previous two out of the treble 20 and he ended up scoring zero. He was also put off by a fan whistling from the crowd which made it all the more remarkable when he won the set and the next to lead 6-4 and be on the brink of success.
Taylor wasn't done yet though and some blistering darts set up a nail biting 13th and final set. It was Anderson who found his form at the vital moments and with a double 8 sealed his place in darting history, finally.
Anderson's sheer determination and will to win have to be admired. He said last year when he let that lead slip against Van Gerwen, that the next year would be different and he has delivered big time on that statement.
Anderson has also had personal tragedies to deal with over the last few years. His brother Stewart died of a heart attack aged just 35 in September 2011 and his father Gordon died in March 2012. Naturally Anderson found darts tough after those losses, but now he is reaping the huge benefits of relaxing on stage and enjoying his job.
I had the pleasure of meeting Anderson once. I played a leg of darts against him (he took out 135 on the bull to beat me) but he said well played and did the same with everyone who took him on in Coral that day in 2013. He was happy to chat away with fans and sign autographs.
Gary Anderson is one of the good guys who has had to wait for his success, but he knew he'd have his chance some day and he wasn't going to let it slip.
I'll be a rare Scot in the crowd at Leeds in February on the opening night of the Premier League cheering him on as world champion, but the atmosphere inside Glasgow's Hydro Arena a month later will be electric to welcome back 'The Flying Scotsman'.
Gary Anderson truly deserves his spot in Scottish sporting folklore alongside his darting hero Jocky Wilson.
Monday, 15 December 2014
What more did Rory McIlroy need to do to win Sports Personality of the Year?
In the grand scheme of things, Rory McIlroy is hardly going to lose much sleep over losing out to Lewis Hamilton in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award last night. He will be aiming to win far bigger things in his career, like The Masters in April next year where he will aim to complete golf's Grand Slam of Majors by the age of just 25.
And Hamilton too has a world title to defend in 2015. Last night's award was a welcome bonus to him in a year when he has responded in the best possible fashion to critics.
However, Hamilton winning was the wrong result in the celebration of 2014 in sport. Let me put a few things straight first of all. I don't hate Formula One. I'm not an avid fan but I have always been a keen follower of something I wouldn't hesitate to call a sport. And Lewis Hamilton's achievements in winning a second World Title are something to be celebrated by British sports fans. And I accept that last night that it was a public vote and the public made their voice heard.
But for him to beat McIlroy by a considerable distance last night (Hamilton earned 209,920 votes to McIlroy's 123,745) was a baffling endorsement by those who voted. Hamilton may have shown critics this season that he could win in a Mercedes Car, but McIlroy also kept his critics quiet this year after a 2013 in which he struggled for form (he only won one tournament all year) and also got himself involved in legal battles and even walked off course during a tournament.
If that was McIlroy's worst year as a professional, then he returned in 2014 with a bang and became completely unplayable no matter how good his challengers were playing. In the same week he split from fiance Caroline Wozniacki, he won the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Cha at Wentworth, coming from seven shots behind on the final day to win.
And then came his unbelievable performances over the summer, starting at The Open Championship at Hoylake. He led the field from start to finish, holding off challenges from two world class golfers in Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia on the final day which showed for all his brilliant play on the first three days, he had the capabilities mentally to win golf's oldest prize as well.
Many people would have rested on their laurels after winning an Open Championship, but not the man from Northern Ireland. After a week off, he again overhauled Garcia, this time at the World Golf Championship event at the Firestone Club in Ohio. Trailing by three shots going into the final round, McIlroy was at his imperious best on the final day shooting a 66 to win his maiden World Golf Championship event.
And the week after that, McIlroy completed one of the most remarkable spells in golfing history by winning the US PGA Championship for a second time in three years. Again, he faced the stiffest competition on the final day from Fowler, five time major champion Phil Mickelson and the player of 2013 Henrik Stenson who all passed him on the Sunday as McIlroy faltered on the front nine. However, an eagle on the tenth hole sparked him into life and seemed to put the jitters on the other contenders playing ahead of him.
Two more birdies at 13 and 17 followed by a par on the last sealed a second Major of 2014 for McIlroy which led Jack Nicklaus, the winner of 18 Majors to say that he has the opportunity to win 15 or 20 Majors in his career.
He capped an incredible year by playing a vital talisman role as Europe defended their Ryder Cup trophy at Gleneagles in September. He delivered three points for his team, including an incredible 5+4 singles win over Fowler, a match in which he was six under par through the first six holes.
Add in that he returned well and truly to the top of the World Rankings, won the money lists on both the PGA and the European Tour and won the PGA Tour Player of the Year, then you have to wonder what more McIlroy had to do to win the public over last night.
Hamilton is clearly a supremely talented driver, but his only true competition was his teammate Nico Rosberg, whereas McIlroy has to contend with challenges throughout the year from numerous brilliant golfers.
McIlroy's clubs help him to a certain degree, but certainly not to the extent Hamilton has in having the best car on the grid every time he lines up for a race.
Clearly Hamilton's achievements were more fresh in the voting public's mind than McIlroy's but it is hard to argue with those who say that if he has another stellar year in 2015, McIlroy should consider appearing via video link like 2013 winner Andy Murray did.
So for those who feel Hamilton was the worthy winner last night, I ask what more did McIlroy did need to do in 2014 to get you voting for him? Did he have to win all four Majors?
Or is it a case this year, that the misleading word "personality" in the award's title really did come into it for once?
And Hamilton too has a world title to defend in 2015. Last night's award was a welcome bonus to him in a year when he has responded in the best possible fashion to critics.
However, Hamilton winning was the wrong result in the celebration of 2014 in sport. Let me put a few things straight first of all. I don't hate Formula One. I'm not an avid fan but I have always been a keen follower of something I wouldn't hesitate to call a sport. And Lewis Hamilton's achievements in winning a second World Title are something to be celebrated by British sports fans. And I accept that last night that it was a public vote and the public made their voice heard.
But for him to beat McIlroy by a considerable distance last night (Hamilton earned 209,920 votes to McIlroy's 123,745) was a baffling endorsement by those who voted. Hamilton may have shown critics this season that he could win in a Mercedes Car, but McIlroy also kept his critics quiet this year after a 2013 in which he struggled for form (he only won one tournament all year) and also got himself involved in legal battles and even walked off course during a tournament.
If that was McIlroy's worst year as a professional, then he returned in 2014 with a bang and became completely unplayable no matter how good his challengers were playing. In the same week he split from fiance Caroline Wozniacki, he won the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Cha at Wentworth, coming from seven shots behind on the final day to win.
And then came his unbelievable performances over the summer, starting at The Open Championship at Hoylake. He led the field from start to finish, holding off challenges from two world class golfers in Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia on the final day which showed for all his brilliant play on the first three days, he had the capabilities mentally to win golf's oldest prize as well.
Many people would have rested on their laurels after winning an Open Championship, but not the man from Northern Ireland. After a week off, he again overhauled Garcia, this time at the World Golf Championship event at the Firestone Club in Ohio. Trailing by three shots going into the final round, McIlroy was at his imperious best on the final day shooting a 66 to win his maiden World Golf Championship event.
And the week after that, McIlroy completed one of the most remarkable spells in golfing history by winning the US PGA Championship for a second time in three years. Again, he faced the stiffest competition on the final day from Fowler, five time major champion Phil Mickelson and the player of 2013 Henrik Stenson who all passed him on the Sunday as McIlroy faltered on the front nine. However, an eagle on the tenth hole sparked him into life and seemed to put the jitters on the other contenders playing ahead of him.
Two more birdies at 13 and 17 followed by a par on the last sealed a second Major of 2014 for McIlroy which led Jack Nicklaus, the winner of 18 Majors to say that he has the opportunity to win 15 or 20 Majors in his career.
He capped an incredible year by playing a vital talisman role as Europe defended their Ryder Cup trophy at Gleneagles in September. He delivered three points for his team, including an incredible 5+4 singles win over Fowler, a match in which he was six under par through the first six holes.
Add in that he returned well and truly to the top of the World Rankings, won the money lists on both the PGA and the European Tour and won the PGA Tour Player of the Year, then you have to wonder what more McIlroy had to do to win the public over last night.
Hamilton is clearly a supremely talented driver, but his only true competition was his teammate Nico Rosberg, whereas McIlroy has to contend with challenges throughout the year from numerous brilliant golfers.
McIlroy's clubs help him to a certain degree, but certainly not to the extent Hamilton has in having the best car on the grid every time he lines up for a race.
Clearly Hamilton's achievements were more fresh in the voting public's mind than McIlroy's but it is hard to argue with those who say that if he has another stellar year in 2015, McIlroy should consider appearing via video link like 2013 winner Andy Murray did.
So for those who feel Hamilton was the worthy winner last night, I ask what more did McIlroy did need to do in 2014 to get you voting for him? Did he have to win all four Majors?
Or is it a case this year, that the misleading word "personality" in the award's title really did come into it for once?
Friday, 5 December 2014
Why Ally McCoist must do walking away
I take no pleasure in writing this article. Ally McCoist was one of my early footballing heroes and I loved his cheeky chappy persona on programmes like A Question of Sport.
However, like many other Rangers fans I have now reached complete breaking point with Ally McCoist, the football manager. Wednesday's 3-2 defeat against Alloa was the latest in a long, long line of results that have embarrassed a club which still has the second highest wage bill in Scotland since McCoist took over as manager in 2011.
The manner of defeat at Alloa was nothing short of a disgrace. To lose a match against a team of part-timers, who had been working during the day with a comfortable lead with 15 minutes to go, shows the lack of confidence and standards that have been built into this McCoist Rangers team. To start the ball rolling on why he must go, consider the fact that Rangers have had three years of opportunities to win the Challenge Cup in various guises, and have failed every time.
The main problem right now is that due to the clubs perilous financial state, Rangers cannot afford to sack McCoist and coaches Kenny McDowell, Ian Durrant and Jim Stewart. So that's why one of the all time greatest Rangers players and a man who held the club together during the dark days of administration and liquidation in 2012, must walk away for the good of the club.
To put it simply, Ally McCoist is just not cut out to be a football manager. He played a vital role with Walter Smith, firstly with Scotland and then when the pair returned to Rangers as a coach. He was the one players could turn to when they needed a boost in their spirits. But not all assistant managers have what it takes to take the step up to be the main man and McCoist falls into that category.
The demotion to division three offered Rangers and McCoist a wonderful opportunity to rebuild the club and implement a new footballing strategy at the club. Instead he signed many SPL players on high wages, rather than giving youngsters the chance of a lifetime to give their all in a Rangers jersey and compliment them with players that knew what the likes of Division Three was about. Signing a Brazilian defender (Emilson Cribari) to play in the lowest tier of Scottish football sounded like the start to a bad joke.
Whilst McCoist can argue that he won the first two stages of the journey back to the top with ease, it is with respect to these teams that anyone could have led Rangers to the Division Three and League One titles. What was remarkable was the amount of slip-ups Rangers had on the way to the titles and the amount of games where the team scraped over the line against part-time opposition. In Division Three, Rangers didn't win an away match until the end of October and went through a spell of only two wins in six matches at one stage.
Home losses to Annan and Peterhead occurred and there was only one win in four matches against Stirling Albion (McCoist lost to a Stirling Albion side in October 2012 who didn't have their manager on the touchline as he was getting married). The home defeat to Annan showed how poor Rangers fitness was even against part-time players and the lack of effort to try and avoid a humiliating home defeat was hardly there. That result occurred in March 2013. Watching the game on Wednesday night, that attitude hasn't changed the club and that stems from McCoist.
Whilst many blame the board for staying away from Ibrox, I can't help but think that McCoist's style of play is also ensuring that fans are not turning up to the stadium in their droves. To put it mildly, Rangers have been consistently tough to watch under McCoist during his time in charge. A couple of wins over Celtic, fine cup performances against Motherwell and Kilmarnock and a couple of thumpings in the lower leagues aside there haven't been many enjoyable performances to view under McCoist. He has no concept of implementing a style and just thinks his players will go out and win a game.
His tactics are outdated and clueless in the modern age. Long balls were bread and butter for lower league defenders and the fact that fans are continuing to see those 'tactics' in the Championship against better sides, shows McCoist's inability to change a game. And as for his gold-medal attempts at arm folding on the touchline when a game is going wrong, I find that truly remarkable for someone who loves the club as much as someone sitting in the stands.
Where is the reaction to get the players going again? Where is the rage at conceding a soft goal? Sometimes there is barely any show of emotion when the opposition concede which is unacceptable.
McCoist may have managed to beat three top flight sides in cup competitions this season but overall his big game record is awful. As mentioned earlier, he's had three opportunities to win the Challenge Cup and he's failed every time with the worst moment coming in the final against Raith Rovers this year when he started players who were clearly unfit and he paid the price as Raith won 1-0.
Cup games against Dundee United (twice), Inverness and Hearts (twice) and Hibs also show his inability to pit himself against the best and truly get the best out of his players when it matters. That was prevalent when many senior players lost their discipline at Tynecastle when Hearts won 2-0 a couple of weeks ago. The ill discipline of many players at the club shows that they feel they can get away with a lot of things under McCoist. Look at Ian Black even betting against Rangers. Would that have happened under Jock Wallace, Graeme Souness, or even Ally's mentor Walter Smith? I very much doubt it.
Right now, Rangers are a shambles on and off the park. McCoist is largely responsible for the mess that has been created on the park this season which leaves the side nine points behind Hearts before Christmas. For me, McCoist is now in a similar position as to which David Moyes was at Manchester United last season.
Rangers may well go on an eight game winning streak again like they did after the loss to Hibs in September, but McCoist is always one bad result away from a crisis now. A draw and defeat to Alloa and a defeat to Hearts in the last three weeks has now multiplied the anger ten fold. When a manager knows he is in that position with the fans, then it is going to be uber hard to turnaround those feelings and a deficit in the league.
I met McCoist once and I have no problem in admitting I was slightly starstruck even at the age of 20. I found him to be nothing but a gentleman and countless others have told me similar tales.
But it takes more than being a nice gentleman to be a successful football manager. I'm afraid McCoist is becoming more and more like a modern day John Greig. A legendary player but not cut out to command respect in a dressing room.
That soundbite in the days after administration; "We don't do walking away" has become a noose around McCoist's neck. It's time he loosened its grip and shows a bit honesty towards the fans and say "I'm just not up to the job."
If he did that, then he will protect his legacy which is in some danger of being ruined currently.
However, like many other Rangers fans I have now reached complete breaking point with Ally McCoist, the football manager. Wednesday's 3-2 defeat against Alloa was the latest in a long, long line of results that have embarrassed a club which still has the second highest wage bill in Scotland since McCoist took over as manager in 2011.
The manner of defeat at Alloa was nothing short of a disgrace. To lose a match against a team of part-timers, who had been working during the day with a comfortable lead with 15 minutes to go, shows the lack of confidence and standards that have been built into this McCoist Rangers team. To start the ball rolling on why he must go, consider the fact that Rangers have had three years of opportunities to win the Challenge Cup in various guises, and have failed every time.
The main problem right now is that due to the clubs perilous financial state, Rangers cannot afford to sack McCoist and coaches Kenny McDowell, Ian Durrant and Jim Stewart. So that's why one of the all time greatest Rangers players and a man who held the club together during the dark days of administration and liquidation in 2012, must walk away for the good of the club.
To put it simply, Ally McCoist is just not cut out to be a football manager. He played a vital role with Walter Smith, firstly with Scotland and then when the pair returned to Rangers as a coach. He was the one players could turn to when they needed a boost in their spirits. But not all assistant managers have what it takes to take the step up to be the main man and McCoist falls into that category.
The demotion to division three offered Rangers and McCoist a wonderful opportunity to rebuild the club and implement a new footballing strategy at the club. Instead he signed many SPL players on high wages, rather than giving youngsters the chance of a lifetime to give their all in a Rangers jersey and compliment them with players that knew what the likes of Division Three was about. Signing a Brazilian defender (Emilson Cribari) to play in the lowest tier of Scottish football sounded like the start to a bad joke.
Whilst McCoist can argue that he won the first two stages of the journey back to the top with ease, it is with respect to these teams that anyone could have led Rangers to the Division Three and League One titles. What was remarkable was the amount of slip-ups Rangers had on the way to the titles and the amount of games where the team scraped over the line against part-time opposition. In Division Three, Rangers didn't win an away match until the end of October and went through a spell of only two wins in six matches at one stage.
Home losses to Annan and Peterhead occurred and there was only one win in four matches against Stirling Albion (McCoist lost to a Stirling Albion side in October 2012 who didn't have their manager on the touchline as he was getting married). The home defeat to Annan showed how poor Rangers fitness was even against part-time players and the lack of effort to try and avoid a humiliating home defeat was hardly there. That result occurred in March 2013. Watching the game on Wednesday night, that attitude hasn't changed the club and that stems from McCoist.
Whilst many blame the board for staying away from Ibrox, I can't help but think that McCoist's style of play is also ensuring that fans are not turning up to the stadium in their droves. To put it mildly, Rangers have been consistently tough to watch under McCoist during his time in charge. A couple of wins over Celtic, fine cup performances against Motherwell and Kilmarnock and a couple of thumpings in the lower leagues aside there haven't been many enjoyable performances to view under McCoist. He has no concept of implementing a style and just thinks his players will go out and win a game.
His tactics are outdated and clueless in the modern age. Long balls were bread and butter for lower league defenders and the fact that fans are continuing to see those 'tactics' in the Championship against better sides, shows McCoist's inability to change a game. And as for his gold-medal attempts at arm folding on the touchline when a game is going wrong, I find that truly remarkable for someone who loves the club as much as someone sitting in the stands.
Where is the reaction to get the players going again? Where is the rage at conceding a soft goal? Sometimes there is barely any show of emotion when the opposition concede which is unacceptable.
McCoist may have managed to beat three top flight sides in cup competitions this season but overall his big game record is awful. As mentioned earlier, he's had three opportunities to win the Challenge Cup and he's failed every time with the worst moment coming in the final against Raith Rovers this year when he started players who were clearly unfit and he paid the price as Raith won 1-0.
Cup games against Dundee United (twice), Inverness and Hearts (twice) and Hibs also show his inability to pit himself against the best and truly get the best out of his players when it matters. That was prevalent when many senior players lost their discipline at Tynecastle when Hearts won 2-0 a couple of weeks ago. The ill discipline of many players at the club shows that they feel they can get away with a lot of things under McCoist. Look at Ian Black even betting against Rangers. Would that have happened under Jock Wallace, Graeme Souness, or even Ally's mentor Walter Smith? I very much doubt it.
Right now, Rangers are a shambles on and off the park. McCoist is largely responsible for the mess that has been created on the park this season which leaves the side nine points behind Hearts before Christmas. For me, McCoist is now in a similar position as to which David Moyes was at Manchester United last season.
Rangers may well go on an eight game winning streak again like they did after the loss to Hibs in September, but McCoist is always one bad result away from a crisis now. A draw and defeat to Alloa and a defeat to Hearts in the last three weeks has now multiplied the anger ten fold. When a manager knows he is in that position with the fans, then it is going to be uber hard to turnaround those feelings and a deficit in the league.
I met McCoist once and I have no problem in admitting I was slightly starstruck even at the age of 20. I found him to be nothing but a gentleman and countless others have told me similar tales.
But it takes more than being a nice gentleman to be a successful football manager. I'm afraid McCoist is becoming more and more like a modern day John Greig. A legendary player but not cut out to command respect in a dressing room.
That soundbite in the days after administration; "We don't do walking away" has become a noose around McCoist's neck. It's time he loosened its grip and shows a bit honesty towards the fans and say "I'm just not up to the job."
If he did that, then he will protect his legacy which is in some danger of being ruined currently.
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