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By Tom Brown

The English Premiership looks as open as it has for years this season, with a realistic 7 teams battling it out for a top four finish. Manchester ‘Money-Bags’ City, Harry Redknapp’s revamped Tottenham and ever improving Aston Villa are looking to take advantage of the ‘big fours’ early season inconsistency and regular ‘blips’.

However, if you think this is competition for the title, take a look at the second tier of English football, The Championship.

With 15 games gone, just 6 points separate the top 10. Within that top ten, you have a mixture of the relegated trio, early surprise packages who you would have backed to be in battling it out at the lower reaches of the table, as well as the usual clubs that have spent the last few years ‘there or there abouts’.

At the top of the bunch we have pre-season favourites Newcastle. After last season’s embarrassment which saw them relegated from the top tier, in a similar fashion to that of Leeds United only a few years ago, their 1-0 win at Sheffield United on Monday put them right back to where they want to be, and expect to be.

Fellow relegated teams West Brom and Middlesbrough have had fairly strong starts to life in the Championship too, with Roberto Di-Matteo’s new look Baggies flying high in second, and newly appointed Gordon Strachan’s Middlesbrough sitting reasonably nicely in seventh.

All three teams have a different boss in the dugout from the one’s that stood there in disbelief last May, and the squads have been altered a fair bit as well. But after just 15 games, all three teams will still be hoping to secure automatic promotion come the end of the season.

Currently in the playoff positions you have Cardiff and Bristol City, who have been beating around them heights for the last couple of seasons, but have never managed to reach the glamour of the Premiership. However, I personally like the look of Dave Jones’ side this season and can see them pushing for automatic promotion towards the latter part of the season.

Also in the top 6 are promoted side Leicester City, who have been up and down for the last decade of so, but will be hoping to push themselves back to the Premiership after a solid start to life in this seasons Championship.

Finally, there’s QPR. Last season’s early favourites to win the title, after a huge financial takeover, but struggled to sign the players they wanted and flirted around mid table for the whole season. This time around, under the management of ex-Ipswich boss Jim Magilton, the Hoops seem to have put together a squad capable of competing.

The other 4 teams that fill the top 10 positions include Middlesbrough, and typical promotion pushers Preston, who like Cardiff and Bristol City, always seem to be there or there abouts, but never quite have enough to make it into the top flight.

And then there are two teams that were tipped for relegation before a ball had been kicked. Blackpool and Nottingham Forest. Ian Holloway has impressed since becoming boss of the Seagulls and a series of ‘shock results’ have seen his side rise towards the business end of the league.

As for Forest, the foundations have always been there and a recent run of form have seen them in and out of the playoffs in the first third of the season.

But looking at this league, and the inconsistency of almost ‘every’ team, a small run of wins can see a club turn a relegation battle into a promotion push. Even if basement side Ipswich Town, who picked up their first win of the season at home to Derby last weekend, string four or five wins together before Christmas, they will see their season completely turn full circle.

You cannot predict a result in this league. Anyone can beat everyone, and that’s what makes it so exciting. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team who are currently in the playoff zone after 15 games, find themselves in a relegation battle come May, and vice versa. Forget about the ‘big four’ in the Premiership, it seems to have turned into the ‘big twenty-four’ in this seasons Championship.

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By Tom Brown

In previous years, to say that England have been unlucky is an understatement. Since 1990, there have been five World Cups, three in which England have lost agonisingly on penalties, one a narrow defeat against Brazil and another we simply didn’t qualify for. The European Championships haven’t been much kinder either, with the same sort of pattern continuing. But this time around it is different; this time our luck has changed

Fabio Capello has emerged as a national hero, strolling through the qualifying group of next year’s World Cup in South Africa with minimal fuss. However, this wasn’t a group of much difficulty. Croatia were the only recognised football nation we had to contend with, and even they are hitting a downward spiral. But there is still a job to be done, and England did it, spectacularly.

Then to the World Cup draw. Could we ask for a better group? The USA, Algeria and Slovenia. Not exactly anything to be scared of; neither is the possible 2^nd round tie, which at worst will be against an ageing German team but more likely will mean a clash with either Australia or Serbia.

So far, it’s so good. Capello has won every game he SHOULD have won, and quite simply should push England through to the quarter finals. Then the real test appears, one in which we have failed at so many times before.

No England manager, in the history of the game, has had a nicer draw to reach a World Cup quarter finals; and this is starting from the first qualifying game. Capello can become a legend in England; winning the World Cup would certainly do that. Only time will tell, only one man’s luck can run for a certain amount of time, and England will be hoping that this Italians luck will continue for another 7 months at least…

The Tingle Creek at Sandown took centre stage this weekend, and for the third weekend running, Paul Nicholls and his team of chasers stole the show with a win in the highlight. There was also plenty of good Irish racing this week featuring several Grade Ones.

The absence of Master Minded in Saturday’s Tingle Creek was made slightly easier to bare for Paul Nicholls as Sandown-expert Twist Magic led from post to post under an aggressive ride by Ruby Walsh. Twist Magic, who travelled well before coming down two fences out in the race last season, benefited from his stablemate’s absence with a round of accurate jumping, forcing the other four in the field to make errors. Despite Master Minded’s absence it still looked a strong renewal. Well Chief returned after his conquering of the Champion Chaser in the Connaught Chase, Arkle hero Forpadydeplasterer, favourite Big Zeb and Connaught Chase second Mahogany Blaze completed the line-up. Twist Magic seems a different horse at Sandown and none could match his jumping and pace as he won by 15 lengths from a tired Forpadydeplasterer. Big Zeb made jumping errors and finished a disappointing fourth behind Well Chief, for whom the race may have come too soon after his latest win. This was Paul Nicholls’ fifth consecutive Tingle Creek win, an outstanding achievement, and softened the blow of Master Minded’s non-appearance in the race. Twist Magic was cut to 10/1 (Coral) for the Champion Chase. The other big race at Sandown was the Henry VIII Novice’s Chase, won in impressive style by Henrietta Knight’s Somersby. Third in last year’s Supreme Novice, he had made a winning debut over fences and once again jumped impeccably round Sandown to see off the challenge of favourite Crack Away Jack. Under AP McCoy, Somersby barely put a foot wrong winning by two and a half lengths to Emma Lavelle’s horse with Tchico Polos for Paul Nicholls back in third. Edward O’Grady’s Osana further enhanced his reputation under a confident ride by Andrew McNamara to win a useful Novice’s Chase from Dancing Tornado and Fisher Bridge at Naas on Saturday. As a result, Somersby (8/1, William Hill), Crack Away Jack (10/1, Coral) and Osana (12/1, Coral) are all at the fore of the Arkle market.

Paul Nicholls enjoyed a double at Exeter on Friday as Royal Charm – in the Ilfracombe Foodservice Hurdle – and Take The Breeze – in the Harry Dutfield Memorial Novices’ Chase – were both winners. Royal Charm defeated James De Vassy whilst Take The Breeze overcame the useful Bensalem. Another to enjoy a Friday double, this time at Sandown, was Francois Doumen whose French raiders Spunk and Doctor Pat won the opening two races on the card. Manyrivertocross bounced back from a defeat last time out to win the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurlde from Nicholls’ Like Minded and Seven Is My Number put himself in the RSA Chase picture (20/1, William Hill) with an impressive win in the Listed Future Stars Intermediate Chase.

We were treated to high class racing in Ireland this week due to the rescheduled Fairyhouse card being staged on Wednesday. However, Sunday saw the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown and it was the Paul Nolan-trained Joncol (16/1 for the Ryanair Chase) that justified favouritism to take the prize. The highly-rated Aran Concerto disappointed further down the field and Barker fell when in contention. Fairyhouse staged three Grade 1s on a fantastic mid-week card. Pandorama took the Drinmore Novice Chase from Alpha Ridge and Jered whilst Oscar Dan Dan just got up to deny Ninetieth Minute and Healy’s Bar with Catch Me the disappointing beaten favourite back over hurdles in the Hatton’s Grace. The unbeaten Dunguib was the star though as he further enhanced his already glowing reputation with a comfortable seven length success in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle. He is now a best-priced 7/4 (Blue Square) for the Supreme Novices’ (best priced 16/1 for the Champion Hurdle). Other performances of note on Wednesday and Sunday respectively came from the Don McCain-trained mare Alegralil who also maintained an unbeaten record with a comfortable win at Catterick under a penalty. She’s now 14/1 (Stan James) for the David Nicholson race at the Festival. And on Sunday, Our Vic proved a very popular winner of the new totesport.com Chase at Warwick under Timmy Murphy.

Elsewhere, Working Title for Nicky Henderson beat a decent field to comfortably win the SIS Novices’ Chase at Fakenham on Monday. Former decent hurdler Mobaasher returned from a lengthy layoff to win the Beginners’ Chase at Southwell on Tuesday. Runner-up Leac An Scail also took the eye, as did Recif De Thaix for Paul Nicholls as he won the Bell Inn at Tillington Beginners’ Chase at Hereford on the same day in some style. On Thursday, Veiled destroyed an average field in the Leicester Juvenile Fillies’ Novices’ Hurdle but will have gone into many notebooks while doing so and over at Naas there was a winning return for former Supreme Novices’ winner Captain Cee Bee as he beat Zaarito over fences and Torphichen – another to move from the Pipe yard over to Edward O’Grady in the summer – was very impressive on his way to winning the Listed Fishery Lane Hurdle at the same venue.

By Oliver Lincoln

World Cup preparations can begin in earnest for Fabio Capello after a favourable draw gave England a boost in the group stages. As good as the group stage draw is, things will get very tough from the second round onwards, after group D, the group where the runners up will play England in the second round, turned out to be one of the toughest groups drawn.

After drawing the USA, Algeria and Slovenia, England should rightly expect to be crowned group winners, having said this, the first game against the USA will not be easy and every country in the world knows how important it is to get off to a good start, so England will need to be ready to go right from the off.

But it is fair to assume that England will finish top and then depending on the group D results, it could be a headline making second round tie against Germany. That is if Germany finish second in a difficult group including Ghana, Australia and Serbia, all of whom could give England a tough opening knockout game. Ghana with Michael Essien, Serbia who easily finished top of their qualifying group and Australia with various premiership players, but as every manager says, you have to beat the best to be the best.

Going into the draw, I think everyone predicted England should at the very least be targeting a quarter final position and now after the draw, it is possible to foresee a game against France in the quarters, which again is a difficult game that maybe England might be favourites in but never the less it shows just how tough it is to win a World Cup.

So not wanting to put a downer on a mainly positive draw, but an easy group stage might just be hiding a very difficult rest of the tournament but when June 2010 comes around, you can bet that the whole country will be dreaming of World Cup glory.

Looking at the rest of the draw, one group in particular stands out, Group G or going by its unofficial name, the group of death. Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal are joined by North Korea in a group which will be the one to watch throughout the first couple of weeks. Even though it looks tough for Brazil, personally I think they will still finish top as I would compare them to Chelsea, as they will just power past teams, not scoring a great deal but defending well as a team, something that Dunga has introduced to the team.

Ivory Coast will be the dark horses of the competition and if Drogba continues his stunning form then they could definitely put a big team out of the competition at the group stages. Which could be Portugal, who rely heavily on Ronaldo and had to qualify through the play offs. Whatever happens, the draw has truly started the countdown to June 11^th 2010 when the World Cup kicks off.

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By Tom Brown

There has always been characters in football; players who catch the eye not only for their ability with the ball, but their ability to entertain football fans in an entirely different way. In the 90’s there was Paul Gascoigne (aka Gazza), who although a genius on the pitch, was something else off it. From having all day ‘benders’ with comedian Danny Baker in foreign territory, to terrorising referee’s with acts of ‘stupidity’ that not many other people could get away with. This decade has been the rise of another one of these idols, in the name of ‘Jimmy Bullard’.

Bullard, now 31, is a cockney lad who started his professional career at West Ham United. He only became pro at the late age of 20 after signing for the Hammers from non-league side Gravesend, but never actually made a first team appearance. He was soon shipped out to Peterborough, where he made a name for himself, before signing for Wigan Athletic and gaining three promotions with the club, ending up with a place in the Premiership.

Fulham noticed the flair of Bullard and paid £2,500,000 for him shortly after his arrival in the top flight, but his career at Craven Cottage was plagued by injuries and he moved up north and signed for Hull City. Like at Fulham, injuries halted his progress and it’s only recently that he is back playing again and currently turning the Tigers’ season around.

Previously a painter and decorator, Bullard has always been a joker, whether it has been on the football pitch or off it. During a large pile up, which resulted in a goal mouth scramble at the JJB Stadium, whilst playing for Wigan against Everton, the ‘clown’ ran twenty yards to ridiculously leap straight over the mêlée and leave thousands of spectators laughing, amused by his child-like antics.

The midfielder was even rewarded for his crazy antics by football chat show Soccer AM in 2006, as they named the back door after him, after he hilariously ran the length of the pitch in a game against Arsenal when the floodlights went out in order to score. The ‘Jimmy Bullard Back Door’ still stands now, and the cockney is considered somewhat of a legend on the Saturday morning television show.

With a similar personality to Gazza, as well as similar injury problems that has kept him out of the game for long spells in recent times, Bullard couldn’t resist even making a joke out of Sky Sport’s new player profiles. Each player is simply asked to turn around and walk towards the camera, before stopping and standing stationary for five seconds, but obviously Bullard saw this as a bit of excitement and another chance to perform a prank. Before eventually ‘nailing’ the routine down to a tee, albeit wild dance celebrations to acknowledge he had finally performed the simple task correctly, the Hull midfielder jokingly made three outrageously funny poses, including one with his shorts pulled up to above his belly button; these can be seen here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awXjKrHmEdw).

His act last weekend however has to go down as the best, and probably the funniest thing he has ever done. After scoring the equalising penalty at Manchester City for Hull towards the end of the game, Bullard ran towards his visiting fans before ordering all of his players to sit down right in front of them, pointing the finger at them as manager Phil Brown did almost a year ago during half time. Brown of course performed a controversial team talk on the pitch during the same fixture last season, after Hull found themselves embarrassingly 4-0 down at the break. There was media frenzy about the whole situation and Brown got a lot of criticism from pundits, fans and even some of his own players. However, he enjoyed Bullard’s re-enactment as did every fan at the ground, and watching it on Match of the Day later that evening.

Not many players would think about doing that, for whatever reason, let alone doing it. But this is Jimmy Bullard. Constantly messing around during interviews and training sessions, there is a bit of Gazza in the East London boy. Bullard is yet to however make an impact at national level like Gazza, despite being picked for two England squads, the midfielder never managed to get on the field. Football is a ‘serious’ game, with the financial dealings changing the game into more of a business rather than a sport, and the game needs characters like Bullard to keep the fun aspect within the sport. Despite all this, Bullard is a highly talented player. Although only being back in the first team for a month, he has picked up three man of the match awards and pulled Hull out of the bottom three with some outstanding individual performances. Who knows what he is going to do next…But wouldn’t he be a great addition for England’s World Cup squad next summer, even if it was just to keep a smile on people’s faces when we eventually go out in the quarter finals via a penalty shoot-out!

By Oliver Lincoln

Merseyside hasn’t been a happy place to be in the football world recently, after Liverpool exited the Champions League group stage with a game to spare not to mention dropping off the pace in the Premier League. While Everton have been struggling with injuries and after losing back to back against Hull and Liverpool, their plans for a new stadium were rejected planning permission.

So what could solve the misery on the Mersey, one suggested solution is a ground share. Both Merseyside teams have been looking to move grounds for a few years now and without a new bigger stadium both sides will fall behind the Arsenal’s, Manchester United’s and even Tottenham’s of this world, who have large amounts of money coming in with every home game.

However when Everton last week suggested a ground share, in the style of the San Siro and the two Milan’s it was rejected by their neighbours and rivals Liverpool. On the other hand with Rafa Benitez’s side also struggling to find a new home, might it be better for the two sides to compromise and help each other out with a great new stadium on Merseyside.

The Milan derby hasn’t lost any of its rivalry even though they share the same stadium and both Milan sides remain constants in the Champions League and without a new stadium it is very possible that both Liverpool and Everton could get left behind, it already looks like David Moyes might have reached the glass ceiling at Goodison and Liverpool are having one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

Arguments against it include whether or not Liverpool and Everton have the same needs, like, for example, sizes of shops in the stadium, hospitality areas and the personality of the stadium, pointing towards the big grey San Siro as a negative example, but these are all side issues that can be dealt with in the planning, what is the main issue is the rivalry between the two sides and whether or not they can push that to one side and come to an agreement.

In my personal opinion, I don’t think either side can afford not to move in to a ground share. Liverpool don’t have the money to build a new stadium and any hope of a new owner looks bleak at best especially since Dubai’s financial troubles and if this season a top 4 finish doesn’t happen then the money issues at Anfield will greatly intensify. So far this season, it looks as if David Moyes may have taken Everton as far as he can without further financial backing that either a new owner or a new ground could bring.

While Liverpool may be resisting the joint stadium, if things don’t go to plan this season, results could force their hand and bring about an acceptance of Everton’s offer. Goodison is clearly not big enough to hold Everton’s ambitions and in David Moyes they have a manager who has equally high ambitions and he probably couldn’t get a better club so he would be wise to stick with the project that he is in with Everton. Liverpool’s troubles have been well documented and look like having to sell before they can buy so the question is, can both of these sides realise that they need to stop being stubborn and think rationally about how realistic their own stadium plans are, if it’s a negative realisation then a shared ground could well be the way forward.

It was Hennessy Gold Cup day at Newbury on Saturday, the feature of a three day meeting of great racing alongside the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. Earlier in the week also, we’d seen movers and shakers in the Cheltenham Festival markets as the National Hunt season really kicks into top gear.

The Hennessy was the highlight of the week and the reappearance of Denman who was looking to re-take his crown of two years prior drew in the Newbury crowds in their thousands. The task facing Denman was immense. Since his heart problems of last season, questions have inevitably risen as to whether he will ever recapture the form with which he previously won both the Hennessy and the Gold Cup in 2007. He had to carry 11st 12lbs on testing ground, giving weight to what was convincingly the most talented Hennessy field for some time. And didn’t he just. Ridden positively by Ruby Walsh, Denman jumped with his usual zest, and when challenged alongside by stablemate What A Friend under Sam Thomas at the last, ‘The Man’ found plenty to power to the line under his significant burden to win by three and a half lengths. Denman’s incredible win came off a 13lb higher mark than his 2007 win, which was rated as one of the best handicap wins at the time. He joins only Arkle in winning the race off top weight twice. He is now a best-priced 5/2 (Blue Square, Paddy Power) for the Cheltenham showpiece and has very much thrown himself back into the equation alongside Kauto Star. He reportedly next returns to Newbury for the Aon Chase.  Nicholls and Walsh teamed up for an impressive performance of a different kind from Big Bucks in the Long Distance Hurdle. The defending World Hurdle champ stalked long-time leader Lough Derg before needing only a tickle of the reins to be pushed out to the line. He’s now a best-priced 5/4 (Ladbrokes) to defend his title at the Festival. The Newbury crowd also saw good performances from the Nicky Henderson-trained pair Finian’s Rainbow in the opener and Fairyland in the Gerry Feilden Hurdle. The former’s 15-length success over the talented Sereth caused bookmakers to put him in the Supreme Novices’ market (25/1, Totesport) and what was the Ballymore Hurdle (20/1, Coral).

At Newcastle, the feature was the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in which Binocular and Solwhit, both at the top of the Champion Hurdle ante-post market, seemed to have it between them. But the seven-strong field went no pace throughout and the race turned into a sprint in which Noel Meade’s Go Native came out on top from Sublimity. Solwhit ran on into third for an Irish one-two-three with Binocular disappointing back in fifth. The winner was shortened to 12/1 (Ladbrokes) whilst Solwhit (6/1, William Hill) and Binocular (11/2, Totesport) were both eased slightly for the Champion Hurdle. Last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Weapon’s Amnesty has now gone chasing and broke his duck at the third attempt in the Robins and Day Peugeot North East Novices’ Chase. Trying fences over 3 miles for the first time, his jumping was much improved and that could be the key to him as he won going away (25/1 for the RSA Chase, Coral). There was an impressive performance by Nicky Henderson’s Quantitativeeasing under AP McCoy whose hurdling debut could not have been more taking. He was installed into what was the Ballymore betting at 16/1 (Paddy Power). Beat The Boys continued Nigel Twiston-Davies good form winning the Rehearsal Chase in the last at Newcastle.

At Newbury on Friday there were good hurdling debut performances by Royal Mix for Paul Nicholls (33/1 for the Triumph Hurdle, Totesport) and Bellvano for Nicky Henderson (10/1 for the Supreme Novice, Ladbrokes). Both won at odds-on and both trainers rate them as good prospects for the season. The highlight of Newbury’s Friday card was the chase debut of 2008 World Hurdle runner-up Punchestowns. Under Barry Geraghty’s steering the 2/9 favourite jumped impressively and came away to a seven length victory over outsider Marty’s Mission. The performance earned him best-price quotes of 5/1 favourite for the RSA Chase (Ladbrokes) at the head of the market.

On Thursday, it was Michel Le Bon’s turn to promote his RSA Chase credentials when defeating Nigel Twiston-Davies highly rated Petitfour (beaten when unseating two out) in the GPG Novice’s Chase. His jumping was far from perfect and bookmakers weren’t as taken with his performance as they were with Punchestowns the next day and as a result  give him a best price of 20/1 (Coral) for the 3 mile event. Elsewhere on the card, Exmoor Ranger won the Racing UK Handicap Chase for the returning Josh Guerriero, fulfilling some of the promise he showed as a novice for Victor Dartnall, and there was a taking performance from Nicky Henderson’s Oscar Whisky in the bumper.

Other performances of note throughout the week include Whiteoak’s reappearance in the Starlight Children’s Foundation Mares’ Hurdle at Kempton on Monday. She beat Amber Brook by seven lengths to continue the red-hot form of the McCain/Maguire team. She was given quotes of 16/1 (William Hill) for the World Hurdle and around 6/1 for the Mares Hurdle at the Festival.

On Sunday, Washington Irving – a former Aiden O’Brien stable tenant on the Flat – won most impressively for Howard Johnson and Denis O’Regan on testing ground at Carlisle and was given quotes of around 25/1 (Victor Chandler) for the Supreme Novice.

Finally, Conduit ran the final race of his fantastic career in the Japan Cup on Sunday but was beaten into fourth by Vodka.