Sports News Football Inside Information Horseracing Free Bets

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:09:00 +0000

King Tuts aka. The Professional Dole Mite coming at ya from the Wah Wah Hut, the inside word on all the latest movie releases even before they come out, thanks to our friends at the pirate bay. Sports news and critics, cool movie clips, quote of the week, competitions, blogging tips and tricks, and not least the dole mite blog. Come on in and make yourself at home, the Wah Wah Hut can accomodate all. Have fun and play nice folks. If you notice any typos, it's because I will of probably canned some wine in whilst writing this!

Ursula Martinez is a 'genuwine' certified star, google her and watch some footage of her shows, absolutely amazing. I just had to put her on the homepage, she deserves more publicity, but unfortunately her performances tend to be for a more mature audience, otherwise I'd of given you a clip.

Ursula is a London based writer, performer and cult cabaret diva. She studied theatre at Lancaster University and began her career in experimental theatre, working with companies such as Forced Entertainment and The Glee Club. In the mid 90’s, she began performing solo on the London club / cabaret circuit and very quickly made a name for herself.

Martinez then combined her experimental theatre background with her cabaret experience. Together with collaborator Mark Whitelaw she produced A Family Outing, a highly original, autobiographical theatre show starring herself and her parents, which was a huge success at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Two years later Martinez and Whitelaw produced a second theatre piece entitled Show Off, which toured a number of international cities and festivals including Sydney, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Belgrade, Budapest, and Lisbon. They created a third show OAP, which together with the previous two, forms a trilogy of work exploring self-obsession, identity and the artifice of performance. This trilogy, entitled Me, Me, Me! was presented at The Barbican in October 2006 as part of B.I.T.E.

Now an established international artist, regularly supported by the British Council, Martinez continues to produce live performance, both solo and collaborative, for theatre, cabaret, site-specific, installation and nightclub. Her latest piece, Office Party, is a collaboration with writer/comedian Christopher Green, and will premiere this December at The Barbican, London.

Martinez is an original cast member of the contemporary circus/cabaret phenomena La Clique and performs regularly for virtuoso variety vamps Medium Rare.

She is also an associate artist with iconoclastic performance provocateurs Duckie, with whom she created the smash-hit Olivier Award winning show C’est Duckie! Martinez has also made several short films including Oh Baby! (1997 Dick Award runner-up) and Venkel’s Syndrome, which premiered at the Berlin International Film festival and won the Silver Spike Award at the 2001 Valladolid International Film Festival.

DOG OWNERS - Never lose your TV remote control again. Simply cellotape it to the back of your dog, and hey presto! Whistle, and the device is at your beck and call! This can also apply to hot drinks, after intense training.

FEEL - a bit like God for the day by making some little people out of plasticine, and then judging them harshly.

TRAMPS - Avoid being constantly moved on, by sleeping outside department stores and telling the police you are simply queuing early for the sales.

CONTACT - lens wearers. Keep your eyes snug and warm this winter by adding a few drops of chilli sauce to your cleaning solution.

KIDS - Threading a piece of string through a ping pong ball and painting it brown is ideal for a fun game of conkers that conforms with the 1974 Health & Safety Act, section 52, paragraph c.

SMOKERS - Take a tip from tumble dryer users. Enjoy a crafty fag at your desk by attaching a flexible vent hose to your face and running it out of the office window.

HOUSEWIVES - Make the normally mundane task of switching the central heating on a little more exciting by singing 'The heating's on' to the tune of 80s hit The Heat is On by Glen Frey as you are doing it.

OLD PEOPLE - Save having to get a flu jab each year by not queuing outside the Post Office every Tuesday morning in the pouring rain an hour before it opens. They won't run out of money.

COURIERS - The address on the side of the carton holds many gems of information, for example, the name of the town as well as the street. because, believe it or not, there is more than one Chester Street in the country.

TAME - budgies and parrots easily by replacing their grit with iron filings. Then hold a large magnet, and they will sit happily on your hand for hours.

Tetris Online Arcade Games

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:40:00 +0000

This is one of the all time classic games and it was Alexey Pajitnov who created Tetris® on an Electronica 60 while working for the Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Tetris was released in the United States in 1986. The game's popularity was tremendous, and many were instantly hooked - it was a software blockbuster. Featuring… (more) High Scores!

Up arrow to rotate shapes, down arrow to drop shape faster, "P" to Pause/unpause game, "Q" to quit, "M" to Mute/unmute sound. "Z" and "X" can also be used to rotate shapes.

Space Invaders

Andy Murray Meets 'The Fed' In Dubai

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Britain's Andy Murray will face world number one Roger Federer in the first round of next week's ATP Barclays Dubai Championships.

Federer, the defending champion, has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the Australian Open semi-finals on January 25.

Murray, currently ranked 12th in the world, has already enjoyed two tournament triumphs on tour this year, in Qatar and Marseille.

However, the Scot's form has been erratic and he fell at the first hurdle in Melbourne and in the recent ATP event in Rotterdam.

Murray has met Federer twice before. In the 2005 Thailand Open final, the Swiss emerged victorious but Murray avenged that defeat 10 months later at the Cincinnati Masters. The victor will face the winner of the tie between Rainer Schuettler and Fernando Verdasco in the second round.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are also in a high-quality field and are seeded to meet each other in the semi-finals.

The tournament gets under way on this Monday.

Space Invaders - Retro Arcade Games

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:03:00 +0000

An all time classic, Retro Space Invaders, you can't get anymore retro than this classic shoot-em-up game. It's a simple game with simple graphics, but it has one of the most vital assets for any computer game: gameplay.

Modern games seem to forget this with their fancy "3D graphics" and "millions of dollars". All you need is a pointy green thing which shoots… white stuff at a rampaging invasion of wobbling blobs. They don't make 'em like they used to. Featuring High Scores!

Press Space Bar to fire, move left and right using your arrow keys. P to pause, Q to quit.

Tetris

American NFL Updates

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Formula One News

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Tennis Round Up

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Murray Meets Federer In Dubai

Britain's Andy Murray will face world number one Roger Federer in the first round of next week's ATP Barclays Dubai Championships.Federer, the defending champion, has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the Australian Open semi-finals on January 25.

Horse Racing News

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Horseracing - Binocular Is Adonis Star

The Nicky Henderson-trained Binocular boosted his Cheltenham claims by maintaining his unbeaten record over jumps in the Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle at Kempton. However, the 8-11 shot was made to work hard for his success as Pierrot Lunaire proved a persistent challenger.

Boxing Latest

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Floyd Mayweather Bangs Out Hatton

A courageous Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton gets dumped to the canvas by a masterful Mayweather. Now thats gotta hurt. Round by round action, reviews and interviews. Oh and Jo Cortez is a prick!

Klitschko Wins Unification Bout

Wladimir Klitschko blamed his rival Sultan Ibragimov's defensive style for producing a disappointing fight on the night he was proclaimed the first unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.

Football News

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Man Utd Run Riot At St James Park

Manchester United capitalised fully on Arsenal's slip by crushing Newcastle 5-1 on Tyneside to move within three points of the Gunners.Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo both netted twice as the Red Devils piled on the agony for Kevin Keegan's struggling Toon.

Tottenham Clinch Carling Cup Victory

Spurs made the brighter start to the showpiece but wasted a host of chances before Didier Drogba, who sent a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide on 33 minutes, made no mistake six minutes later, steering an effort around the wall to leave Paul Robinson flat-footed.

Benitez Happy With Board Backing

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is happy with the support he has been receiving from the club's co-owner Tom Hicks. The Spanish tactician has been under immense pressure recently over their disappointing Premier League campaign.

Sven On Man City Pressure

Sven-Goran Eriksson accepts the pressure and expectations surrounding his Manchester City side are growing - but that is just how he likes it. City's stunning derby success over Manchester United a fortnight ago - the club's first at Old Trafford since 1974 - has left them in strong contention for a European place.

Tottenham Win Carling Cup

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:07:00 +0000

Jonathan Woodgate's headed goal in extra-time gave Spurs a 2-1 victory over holders Chelsea in the Carling Cup final.

Spurs made the brighter start to the showpiece but wasted a host of chances before Didier Drogba, who sent a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide on 33 minutes, made no mistake six minutes later, steering an effort around the wall to leave Paul Robinson flat-footed.

Drogba's goal saw him become the first player to score in three League Cup finals - but Spurs drew level on 70 minutes when the linesman spotted a handball by Wayne Bridge in the 18-yard box.

Referee Mark Halsey pointed to the spot, and Dimitar Berbatov kept his cool to slide the spot-kick home.

The goal sparked a concerted push for a winner by Juande Ramos' troops - but the Blues held firm to force an extra 30 minutes. Spurs kept their momentum going in the extra period and took the lead on 94 minutes, when Jermaine Jenas floated a free-kick into the Chelsea box. Woodgate glanced the ball onto Cech's gloves and it rebounded off the Spurs defender's face and into the net.

Robinson then pulled off good saves to deny Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole in the dying stages and secure glory for Ramos' heroes.

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane described the outcome as a "dream come true". He told Sky Sports 1: "Hopefully this is start of something special, hopefully we can kick on now. It's special for the fans."This was a massive test for us and it's unbelievable and a dream come true to come out as winners. I dreamt of this moment as kid and I'm speechless."

Matchwinner Woodgate said: "I don't really go up for corners but I took a chance and was able to get my head on it and luckily it went it. "I think we were the best team and hopefully we can push on from this next year. Chelsea are a top side and they showed that today but we did it." Ramos was "happy because the people (fans) are very happy" while captain Ledley King hailed the "spirit" of his side.

Chelsea boss Avram Grant felt his side were unlucky to lose the match but called on his players to regain focus for the challenges ahead. He told Sky Sports 1: "I think even in the second half Tottenham were not in the game and that we were the better side.

"The penalty put them back in the game and that turned the match. The second goal was from a set-piece so we are disappointed. "I did not think it was a penalty. Wayne Bridge could not keep his hand behind his back when he was challenging for the ball and you saw it was not the referee who gave it but the linesman.

"It was always going to be close because cup finals are like this and it was not a great performance from both teams. We tried to score a goal and keep it tight but we lost."

Horseracing News - Binocular Is Adonis Star

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:18:00 +0000

The Nicky Henderson-trained Binocular boosted his Cheltenham claims by maintaining his unbeaten record over jumps in the Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle at Kempton.

However, the 8-11 shot was made to work hard for his success as Pierrot Lunaire proved a persistent challenger and only went down by a length and a quarter. Zanir was 11 lengths away third. Winning jockey Mick Fitzgerald said: "He will have learned an awful lot. I kept to the inside all the time. He didn't jump as well coming back on this quicker ground and that may have just caught him out. He will have learned a lot."

Looking to the Festival, where the winner holds entries in the Supreme Novices' and Triumph Hurdle, Fitzgerald said: "The Triumph is on the stiffer of the two tracks and he seemed to need every yard today. He's a very game horse and that's what I like about him. He looked under pressure and jumped badly for one of ours, but he kept battling."

Henderson added: "Mick said he didn't jump as well as he ought to have. He schooled superbly the other day and we thought he wouldn't need to see a hurdle again but we will have to do something about that."

Monet's Garden Aintree Bound

Monet's Garden is almost certain to bypass Cheltenham in favour of a trip to his beloved Aintree and the John Smith's Melling Chase three weeks later.

The grey took fourth in the Ryanair Chase last year and is a general 10-1 chance for this year's renewal, but trainer Nicky Richards had been keen to miss the Festival in favour of an outing at Liverpool.

His 10-year-old has shown a distinct liking for the Mildmay course and is unbeaten over fences there having claimed Kauto Star's scalp in October in addition to his Melling Chase victory last season.

"It is nearly 100% certain that he won't run at Cheltenham this year," said Richards. "There isn't that long between Cheltenham and Aintree this year, so we'll just go to Liverpool - he knows his way home around there!"

Michael Ballack Not Afraid Of Change To Succeed

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:44:00 +0000

Michael Ballack is determined to prove why he shunned the good life at Bayern Munich for the challenge of English football.

The Germany captain was vilified during his first season at Chelsea when he struggled to adapt to the pace and strength of the Premier League. Ballack was just beginning to find his best form when an ankle injury robbed him of a place in the FA Cup final last season and left him sidelined for eight months.

Now he is hoping to put all that heartache behind by playing against Tottenham in the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

Ballack declared: "I had some ups and downs and a long injury as well. After the injury I had to start again.

"Eight months is a long time. I want to show in the next weeks and months why Chelsea bought me. It is not easy if you change country.

"It is not an excuse. I am happy with my play. In the first year, Chelsea had a different style of playing.

"I came from Munich and in Munich I was the main player. Here we have a lot of big players so my style and the way of playing changed a little bit.

"Chelsea won the title twice and you have to adapt and change. Every player needs time. Now I am here and everybody gives the ball to me. "Everybody wants to play well and you want to prove yourself. "I got a lot of criticism especially in the first months but I know what I can do.

"I know I am a good player. You don't become a bad player overnight. It is all about the team and how to learn playing with Chelsea. "The first year was getting better for me. I had some good games but then I got injured and had to start again.

"But I am happy now. I see also that it is getting more difficult because we have a lot of good players. But I was very focused and I could deal with the criticism."

Ballack never had any fears that he would not return from the ankle problem that put him out of action for eight months but knew the longer it went on the more frustrated he became.

He added: "I know some players who were injured for over a year and may have had that mind set but mine was too short.

"It was frustrating for me and difficult not to make big steps forward after six months. But I never thought I would not come back."

Coach Avram Grant is full of praise for the German midfielder and accepts that, after his injury, they need to keep him fresh.

He said: "Michael Ballack was injured a long time. It was not easy. We need to keep him fresh all the time. We don't play him a few games in a row as he is dangerous.

"He is a very intelligent player with a good commitment to the game. It is his life. He has a lot of qualities and that is the main thing that is important. As long as Michael Ballack is not lazy it is good for the team."

Klitschko Defeats Ibragimov

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:35:00 +0000

Wladimir Klitschko blamed his rival Sultan Ibragimov's defensive style for producing a disappointing fight on the night he was proclaimed the first unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.

Klitschko easily outpointed Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night to regain the WBO title and add it to his IBF/IBO belts with his 50th professional victory (50-3, 44KOs).

Claiming an unanimous decision (119-110, 117-111, 118-110) he handed a first defeat to Ibragimov in what was the first unification contest the division has seen since 1999, when Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in the same arena.

While history was made, it was otherwise a night to forget as Ukrainian Klitschko and Russia's Ibragimov, who now slips to 22-1-1, served up a dreary contest punctuated only sporadically by significant moments of action.

"Ibragimov didn't do much to engage in the fight," Klitschko said afterwards. "I'm happy to have three belts and to get the WBO belt back as it was the first belt I had."
While agreeing with his fighter about Ibragimov's negativity, trainer Emanuel Steward said Klitschko could also have contributed more with his
performance.

"Wladimir could have thrown more punches but I'm not disappointed because Ibragimov is a very difficult fighter because of his style," Steward said.

"Wladimir said Ibragimov kept leaning back and that was why he was having trouble going after him."He's a very difficult guy to fight, very careful."

With a four-and-a-half-inch height advantage, the six-foot six-and-a-half-inch Klitschko kept Ibragimov at arm's length throughout the opening rounds, patting down the Russian southpaw's leads while throwing only occasional left jabs of his own, keeping his right hand in reserve for fear of being caught off balance.

The tactics soon began to wear thin on many fans in the 14,011 crowd as sporadic boos rang out around the arena.

In the build-up to the fight Klitschko had described Ibragimov as not impressive but very effective and he seemed intent on emulating his rival.

Round seven saw both fighters open up a little, Klitschko landing a rare big right to the crouching Ibragimov's left temple while the Russian replied with a clean left to the Ukrainian's ribs. But the pair reverted type soon after and the jeers increased.

Klitschko again hurt his man with a right hook to the head midway through the eighth and this time followed up by landing another. Ibragimov hit the canvas soon after, although it was due to a push rather than a punch but at least the boos subsided.

Ibragimov, though, had trudged back to his corner and his mood was not improved as the ninth got underway. Klitschko burst into life once more, sending the WBO champion backpedalling into a neutral corner with a left jab-straight right, left jab-right hook combination that knocked the Russian onto his haunches and between the ropes.

Both fighters hit the floor in the 10th round as Ibragimov bundled Klitschko onto his back and landed on top of him and it provoked the most open exchanges of the fight as the champions finally traded blows.

Klitschko remained the dominant fighter, however, and again bore down on Ibragimov in the 11th round, picking his rival off intermittently with isolated left jabs and finishing the round by snapping the Russian's head back with a right hook just before the bell.

All Klitschko had to do was ride out the final round but the final three minutes only brought a return of the booing.

Ibragimov said he had been just as frustrated, saying of Klitschko: "He didn't jab, he chopped and grabbed throughout the fight. "I didn't see his right hand until the last two rounds. "I wasn't hurt during the fight but I did feel he was winning."

Rafa Benitez Happy With Backing

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is happy with the support he has been receiving from the club's co-owner Tom Hicks.

The Spanish tactician has been under immense pressure recently over their disappointing Premier League campaign.

Their form was such that Hicks and co-owner George Gillett revealed they spoke to Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible replacement for Benitez.

However, The Reds' midweek success over Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League eased the pressure on the former Valencia coach, who claims his relationship with Hicks could not be better.

"After the meeting we had then, everything was clarified and I have had the support of Tom Hicks," said Benitez.

"Almost every week - not every day, but before or after a game - he contacts me.
"He sends e-mails saying: 'Come on', 'Well done' and 'You can do it'. Very positive. I e-mail him back saying 'Thank you'.

"After Barnsley he said 'Come on, keep focused on the Champions League'. He is very supportive.
"My relationship with Tom is good and I don't have a problem.

"It was a misunderstanding before and I think he understands all the things I was telling him before.

"I am a fighter, I have always been a fighter so when we had the problems I was fighting. When everything was much better I was really focused.

"I don't have any concerns. I am trying to concentrate on football."

"To win the Champions League is difficult. Against top sides you can play really well and lose."

"It's important to finish in the top four and progress as much as you can in the Champions League."

Sven Happy With Man City Pressure

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Sven-Goran Eriksson accepts the pressure and expectations surrounding his Manchester City side are growing - but that is just how he likes it.

City's stunning derby success over Manchester United a fortnight ago - the club's first at Old Trafford since 1974 - has left them in strong contention for a European place.

But the jostling for positions among the Barclays Premier League's chasing pack remains intense with Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Blackburn all battling it out with City.

Eriksson is determined to bring European football to the City of Manchester Stadium, in the UEFA Cup or even the elite Champions League, and is relishing the challenge ahead.

"It is a dream to play in the Champions League next season, of course it is, but it is a dream for Everton and other teams as well," said the Swede, whose side host the Toffees on Monday.

"Playing in Europe would be extremely good, the UEFA Cup as well, so we are going to try to do it.
"There is pressure but that is good. It is not good to work with a football team when there is no pressure on yourself - the pressure should be there.

"It is up to us whether we want to play in Europe or not. The position we have now is good."
Eriksson will have almost a full-strength squad available to face Everton following the return of Vedran Corluka and Elano from suspension.

With exciting teenage midfielder Michael Johnson also back in contention following a two-month lay-off, Bulgaria striker Valeri Bojinov is now City's only absentee.

The competition for places is not making former England boss Eriksson's job any easier but he welcomes the extra difficulties.

Eriksson said: "Hopefully we will not have any more big injuries before the season finishes.
"It is now not easy to make the first XI and it is not easy to make the XI plus the bench either.

"To touch a team that wins at Old Trafford? I don't know. Maybe... maybe not. We will see.

"But it is good to have decisions. It is good for everyone at the club, even the players.

"It is good to have competition for places. Many times during the year there hasn't been competition.

"The rest of the season is very important and to have a big squad is very good." Due to their early elimination from the FA Cup, City have had plenty of time to savour their derby victory.

Eriksson believes the break has done his players good and he expects them now to build on their win over United to tackle the final 12 games of the season with renewed vigour.

"I would have preferred to play in the FA Cup but unfortunately we didn't do that," Eriksson said. "But I think the break came at the right moment - we needed that, maybe not physically but mentally.
"United was an extremely good performance from us. If we could play like that every week with the same spirit and attitude, it would be very good.

"If we thought the season is over we could pack up and go home but I hope we are more clever than that.

"I know that all the players would like to play in Europe next season and to do that we need to finish the season in a very good way."

David Moyes' Everton began the weekend in fourth place and head into the game in good spirits after a thumping UEFA Cup win over Brann.

Eriksson added: "I saw Everton on Thursday. They are playing good football, scoring six goals. It will be a very difficult game.

"David has been doing a great job with that club, playing in Europe. They have played Champions League as well. That is a fantastic achievement."

Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:18:00 +0000

Ricky Hatton's extraordinarily brave bid to wrest the WBC welterweight title from Floyd Mayweather ended when he was dramatically knocked out in the 10th round in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Mayweather clattered Hatton to the canvas via the ring post with a left hook and after the Ricky clambered gamely to his feet, the champion finished the job with another huge left hand.

Hatton had attempted to outhustle Mayweather from the start but his tactics seldom worked and the American held a huge points advantage by the time the fight was stopped.

Ricky's fans continued roaring their hero's name as he was counted out on his back on the canvas before he was helped back to his corner on unsteady legs, but soon recovered.

The fans had not stopped cheering since Hatton arrived in the ring while Mayweather was booed to the rafters as he clambered into the ring to the sound of 'Born in the USA'.

Mayweather landed the first meaningful punch with a swinging left hook in the opening seconds, but Hatton raised the roof when he landed a left hand which caused the champion to momentarily lose his balance.

Another clean left from Mayweather cracked home before the bell ended an action-packed first round, which Hatton perhaps shaded, and Mayweather headed back to his corner in some discomfort.

Hatton continued to stalk his opponent in the second round, taking the champion further out of his comfort zone, but increasingly leaving himself open to the champion's tremendously accurate left hands.

The furious exchanges continued into round three, when Hatton barged his opponent to the ropes and dug in under the watchful eye of referee Joe Cortez, who was an interfering old fart, obviously well schooled on the Hitman's style, on a mission to upset Ricky's gameplan.

Hatton fired a superb jolting jab in response to another Mayweather swing but Mayweather responded with a cracking right hand and Hatton went back to his corner with blood seeping out from a cut above his right eye.

Hatton landed a fine body shot but Mayweather began picking up the pace in the fourth round, jolting home a left hand and two rights over the top which forced Hatton to take his first backward steps.

Things looked grim for Hatton but to his enormous credit he stuck resolutely to his painful game plan in the fifth, and was at least continuing to succeed in dragging the champion into a tear-up. Hatton's aggression alone probably shaded the scrappy fifth, and landed a good right in the sixth before a shot to the back of the head knocked Mayweather half through the ropes and brought Hatton a one-point sanction from referee Cortez.

Hatton responded by briefly showing his backside to Mayweather before setting about the champion with renewed vigour, wrestling him into the ropes but still being picked off by Mayweather's cleaner shots.

Hatton had promised to rough up Mayweather as much as possible - and he was clearly walking a fine line with Cortez through a number of infringements. Meanwhile he continued to drop further behind on the scorecards.

Mayweather ended round seven with a flourish, jolting Hatton's head with two booming right hands, and stepped things up further in the eighth, slamming home a right from which it was a minor miracle that Hatton was able to stay upright.

There was worse to come for Hatton. Mayweather crashed in a left hand and jerked Hatton's head as he had him in all sorts of trouble in the corner. Amazingly, Hatton looked unfazed and fired back with a right of his own.

Cortez paid Hatton close attention at the end of the round but Hatton insisted: "I'm OK", and strode out to continue his seemingly fruitless quest, but lacked the clean work required to bring him back into the fight.

Early in the 10th, Mayweather finally dropped Hatton with a sweeping left hook which sent the challenger clattering head-first into the ring post then down for a count of eight.

Hatton gamely got back to his feet but Mayweather responded by smashing him back to the canvas, and referee Cortez wisely waved his extraordinarily brave bid off one minute and 35 seconds into the round.

As if to underline the futility of Hatton's quest at that point, two officials were scoring the fight 89-81 in the champion's favour, and the second had him leading 88-82.

To sum up the evening in short, the yank's knew what they were doing, the ring was made oversize so Floyd could run away. The fighters entrance's couldn't have been more contrasting, Mayweather came in with his greatest knockouts on the large screen in an attempt to stir the crowd and gain vocal support. Hatton came in with his usual 'Blue Moon', but no big screen.

The crowning glory was the pathetic performance of referee, Joe Cortez. I watched this with a friend, after 30 seconds of the first round I turned to him and said 'this w****r's gonna take a point off' my friend replied 'Hattons going to have to knock him out to win'. Sure enough the point came off. In the end it was all irrelevant as Mayweather completely outclassed the gallant Ricky, but it does leave a bitter taste in your mouth, as everything was calculated and stacked against Hatton even before the off.

Wladimir Klitschko Unification Bout

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:06:00 +0000

History will be in the making on Saturday night when Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov meet at Madison Square Garden.

The clash between Klitschko (49-3, 44 KOs), the IBF heavyweight champion, and WBO counterpart Ibragimov (22-0-1, 17 KOs) is the first unification contest the division has seen since 1999, when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield.

This has prompted Kery Davis, the head of boxing at fight broadcaster HBO to comment, "Unifications are rare, heavyweight unifications are even rarer".

So rare that Klitschko promoter Tom Loeffler had to be reminded by fight co-promoter Leon Margules that even his fighter, embarking on his 53rd professional fight, had not been involved in this sort of occasion before.

"I was talking to Leon Margules and I asked, 'Is this the biggest fight you've ever been involved in?"' Loeffler said at Wednesday's final pre-fight press conference.

"He said, 'Of course, and it's also the biggest fight you've ever been involved in, too."'
Both fighters are also aware of the importance this fight has in restoring credibility to a long-troubled division in a much-maligned sport.

"To be the heavyweight champion means a lot," Klitschko said. "The title is very special and is different than other titles in sport. The heavyweight champion can use that title to inspire people outside of the ring all over the world.

"I am determined to win this fight. I am not looking beyond that. That is my determination and goal - to clean up the heavyweight division with each fighter I face." Standing at 6ft 6in, the 31-year-old Klitschko enjoys a four-inch height advantage over Ibragimov, 32.

But he is wary of the Russian's relatively quick feet and effective rather than entertaining style. Ibragimov weighed in at 219 pounds for the second straight fight. Klitschko weighed in at 238 pounds, his lightest fighting weight since beating another "small" southpaw, Chris Byrd, in 2000. "I'm the lightest I've ever been but I feel strong and energetic," Klitschko said after Thursday's weigh-in.

"I feel great. The weight was a result of intensive training with fighters who were all at least one weight class below me."

Ibragimov certainly has handled big men before, taking his title from the 6ft 4in Shannon Briggs and stopping 6ft 8in Lance Whitaker.

Trainer Jeff Mayweather, the uncle of current pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr, certainly thinks Ibragimov has the goods to upset the favourite.

"I have the heavyweight champion, he's the right guy with the right temperament," Mayweather said.

"This is the opportunity I have waited my whole life for. It has brought me out of the shadows of being the other Mayweather."

Liverpool Beat Middlesbrough

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Liverpool have serious defensive problems ahead of their Barclays Premier League League clash with Middlesbrough.

Jamie Carragher is ruled out due to a one-match suspension, while new signing Martin Skrtel is unlikely to have recovered from an ankle injury. Danish defender Daniel Agger has finally been given the go-ahead to start playing again after a length metatarsal injury, but he is not ready for a senior return just yet.

It means that Sami Hyypia is the only fit central defender, and that could see full-back Alvaro Arbeloa pressed into action alongside the veteran Finn.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will make late checks on Robert Huth and Tuncay Sanli.
The German international missed the FA Cup fifth round trip to Sheffield United with a foot problem but could return at Anfield, while Tuncay is back in training after a hamstring problem.

David Wheater is available before sitting out Wednesday night's FA Cup replay through suspension, but Lee Cattermole (knee) and Chris Riggott (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.

Teams:

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Riise, Aurelio, Pennant, Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Babel, Benayoun, Kewell, Crouch, Torres, Kuyt, Alonso, Itandje.

Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Turnbull, Young, Grounds, Pogatetz, Huth, Wheater, Arca, Rochemback, Boateng, O'Neil, Downing, Tuncay, Johnson, Aliadiere, Alves, Mido, Lee.

Post Match Reaction - Results

Fernando Torres piled more agony on Middlesbrough as his splendid hat-trick won this game for Liverpool, adding to the stunning 30-yard effort that claimed a point at the Riverside last month for Rafael Benitez's side.

The Spaniard has become the first Liverpool forward to hit 20 goals in a season for five years, his total now being 21 since his £20million move to Merseyside. But Liverpool were made to fight for the win that takes them back into fourth spot. Tuncay Sanli's header gave Boro an early lead before Torres struck twice in two minutes before the break.

He completed his hat-trick, the second since he arrived at the club, on the hour. But Stewart Downing kept his side in the game with a goal in the closing minutes. However any chance Middlesbrough had of grabbing a point was ruined when Jeremie Aliadiere was sent off after an incident with Javier Mascherano.

Liverpool decided on Alvaro Arbeloa as the stand-in for the suspended Jamie Carragher. Martin Skrtel was only considered fit enough for the bench after an ankle problem.

A ninth minute free-kick from Downing curled into the box for Tuncay to head home, to the dismay of a static Liverpool defence who assumed he was offside. Mascherano's positioning on the back post disproved that theory.

Liverpool's response was scrappy, to say the least. The closest they came was when Dirk Kuyt fired over after a Ryan Babel run and cross.

From a side who had outshone Inter Milan in midweek, Liverpool had reverted to their former self.
Passes were going hopelessly astray, with possession constantly conceded and not a hint of rhythm.

It took Torres to pull Liverpool together. Jose Reina's clearance on 28 minutes was headed by Julio Arca straight to the Spaniard.

He raced away, went round Mark Schwarzer and then found the net with his right foot. Sixty seconds later Torres struck again. Fabio Aurelio found the striker in midfield and Torres lashed home a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Aliadiere was booked for a foul on Aurelio, before Tuncay thought he had equalised, sending a Downing cross past Reina on 34 minutes.

But referee Lee Mason ruled the Boro man had used his arm and booked the forward. Boro were still in the game and put Liverpool under pressure early in the second period.

On 53 minutes Reina and David Wheater were booked after an incident at a corner. The Boro defender looked to have flicked his heel at the keeper, who reacted angrily. Six minutes later Boro sent on an extra striker in Mido, replacing Gary O'Neil.

Liverpool, without Carragher, had not looked comfortable in defence all afternoon. But again Torres bailed them out when he completed his second hat-trick for the club, the first being at Reading in the Carling Cup in September.

On 60 minutes, Kuyt's hard graft in defence saw him win the ball and launch a 50-yard angled ball towards the Spanish striker. It looked like Wheater would comfortably tidy up the situation, but with Schwarzer almost alongside him now, there was hesitation between the pair and Torres took advantage to hook the ball home from the edge of the box into an empty net.

Yossi Benayoun came on for Babel before the restart, and Fabio Rochemback was booked for a foul on Torres. Torres was on a roll by now and took a Steven Gerrard pass before outpacing Emanuel Pogatetz and forcing Schwarzer into a good save to his right.

John Arne Riise came on form Kuyt on 73 minutes, the hard-working Dutchman getting a well-deserved ovation from all sides of the ground. Middlesbrough got themselves a lifeline on 83 minutes when Downing got in behind Benayoun on the left to run on into the box before beating Reina from a sharp angle.

But three minutes later Aliadiere was sent as he slapped Mascherano after an exchange between the pair on the touchline. The Liverpool man seemed to have patted the French youngster on the cheek a second earlier.

Two minutes from time Luke Young was booked for tripping Mascherano from behind.

Football - Arsenal v Birmingham City

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:13:00 +0000

Premier League leaders Arsenal will have both leading scorer Emmanuel Adebayor (stiff neck) and winger Alexander Hleb (foot) available for the trip to relegation battlers Birmingham.

Manager Arsene Wenger also confirmed that goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will be back in the squad after being laid low with a virus, leaving him with a choice between the Spaniard and Jens Lehmann.

Centre-back Kolo Toure (calf) is definitely out, so Philippe Senderos should continue at centre-half.
Theo Walcott could also start - but Emmanuel Eboue (suspended), Robin van Persie (thigh), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Abou Diaby (calf) and Johan Djourou (groin) are out.

Birmingham will be boosted by the return of joint top scorer Olivier Kapo for the visit of Arsene Wenger's side.

The former Juventus player missed the 1-1 draw at West Ham a fortnight ago while serving a one game ban for incurring five bookings.

Blues boss Alex McLeish admits he is still searching for the right combination upfront with Garry O'Connor, Cameron Jerome and Mikael Forssell all in contention to partner James McFadden.
But he will take heart from City's 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium last month as his side search for their first win since Boxing Day.

Teams:

Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Senderos, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Flamini, Fabregas, Hleb, Adebayor, Eduardo, Lehmann, Bendtner, Denilson, Gilberto, J Hoyte, Traore, Song.

Birmingham (from): Maik Taylor, Doyle, Kingson, Kelly, Ridgewell, Martin Taylor, Jaidi, Murphy, Queudrue, Larsson, Muamba, Johnson, Nafti, McSheffrey, Kapo, Jerome, O'Connor, Forssell, McFadden, De Ridder, Parnaby, Schmitz.

Latest:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made three changes for this afternoon's Barclays Premier League trip to Birmingham.

The fit-again Manuel Almunia returned in goal in place of Jens Lehmann, Philippe Senderos replaced calf injury victim Kolo Toure and Theo Walcott came in for the suspended Emmanuel Eboue.

Alex McLeish's Blues were boosted by the return after suspension of Olivier Kapo, the former Juventus player taking over on the left flank from Gary McSheffrey.

The Gunners were defending an unbeaten league run of 10 games, while Birmingham were seeking their first win since Boxing Day.

Post Match Reaction - Results

Arsenal lost Eduardo with a serious injury as their title surge suffered a blip with a 2-2 draw at 10-man Birmingham on Saturday lunchtime.

A penalty from James McFadden deep into injury-time gave the Blues a share of the spoils from a dramatic encounter.

Theo Walcott's second-half brace had looked certain to give Arsene Wenger's men full points after they'd gone behind to a first-half free-kick from McFadden.

The afternoon started disastrously for the Gunners when they lost Eduardo less than three minutes in, following a tackle by Martin Taylor.

Taylor was sent off leaving the Blues to play the remaining 87 minutes with 10 men while Eduardo was taken straight to hospital.

Wenger's misery deepened on 28 minutes when McFadden curled a free-kick past Manuel Almunia to put the Blues 1-0 ahead.

Arsenal came out intent on putting things right after the break, and within five minutes of the restart they were level.

Walcott poked the ball home to level things up after Emmanuel Adebayor had beaten Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor in an aerial challenge.

And just five minutes later the turnaround was complete as Walcott cut in from the right and fired a low left-footed shot past Taylor.

But Birmingham stuck to their task and deep into injury-time Gael Clichy was penalised for a foul on Stuart Parnaby and the referee pointed to the spot.

McFadden converted confidently leaving Arsenal captain William Gallas in tears after missing the opportunity to go eight points clear of Manchester United.

James McFadden's Reaction

James McFadden hailed Birmingham's spirit after his last-gasp penalty salvaged a 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw against Arsenal in a game marred by a sickening injury to Eduardo da Silva.
Gunners striker Eduardo suffered a suspected broken leg following an horrific challenge by Blues defender Martin Taylor inside the opening three minutes.

Taylor was rightly dismissed but the 10 men led at half-time thanks to McFadden's free-kick.
Arsenal made the extra man tell after the restart, Theo Walcott scoring his first Premier League goals with a brace.

The leaders looked like going eight points clear of Manchester United temporarily but Gael Clincy's rash stoppage-time challenge on Stuart Parnaby - in which he appeared to get the ball - handed McFadden his second from the spot.

The Scotland forward, who admitted he had been "nervous" stepping up for the penalty, told Sky Sports 1: "When they got the two goals, it looked as if we were out the game but we fought back and showed great spirit.

"We need to start winning but a draw like that's better than a win."

On the injury to Eduardo, McFadden added: "I've not seen the tackle but it was a terrible injury. I've seen his leg and it didn't look too clever.

"You just have to get on with it at times when things like that happen."

Blues boss Alex McLeish revealed Taylor was "distraught" about his tackle on Eduardo but insisted the defender had no intention of hurting his opponent.

"Martin's distraught about the lad's injury," McLeish said. "It's certainly not in Martin Taylor's make-up at all to commit a malicious tackle." McLeish applauded his players' never-say-die attitude after he instructed them to go for broke late on. "The players' commitment was fantastic," he said.
"Taking the lead was probably unexpected but what a great goal it was. "We looked comfortable up to half-time.

"We probably got a wee bit casual. I thought it's going to be a long second half. "We were prepared to lose it by a heavier margin but boldness, I think, got us a point."

Man Utd Deep Fry Newcastle Utd

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Ryan Giggs is expected to recover from a knock in time for Manchester United's Barclays Premier League match against Newcastle on Saturday.

The Welsh winger suffered the slight injury in midweek during the 1-1 draw against Lyon in midweek. Apart from Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a full-strength squad to call on.

He may decide to freshen things up with Carlos Tevez pushing for a place in the starting line-up after scoring the equaliser in France.

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan will be without Stephen Carr and Emre.

The Irishman is out with a hamstring problem, while the Turkey international has a calf strain.
Striker Obafemi Martins, who returned from the African Nations Cup with an ankle injury, will miss out once again, although Charles N'Zogbia is available after serving a one-match ban and goalkeeper Shay Given has returned to training after a groin problem.

Teams:

Newcastle (from): Given, Harper, Forster, Beye, N'Zogbia, Enrique, Cacapa, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Butt, Smith, Milner, Duff, Barton, LuaLua, Owen, Viduka, Ameobi, Carroll.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Anderson, Scholes, Hargreaves, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Kuszczak, Saha, Carrick, Nani, O'Shea, Fletcher, Park, Simpson.

Post Match Reaction - Results

Manchester United capitalised fully on Arsenal's slip by crushing Newcastle 5-1 on Tyneside to move within three points of the Gunners.

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo both netted twice as the Red Devils piled on the agony for Kevin Keegan's struggling Toon.

Rooney opened the scoring midway through the first half, capitalising on some shambolic defending by the home side to slot home a Ronaldo cross.

And the Portuguese doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time, running onto a Michael Carrick pass before sliding the ball home.

Ronaldo made it 3-0 early in the second half, taking advantage of a slip by Steven Taylor to round Steve Harper and score.

Abdoulaye Faye did grab a consolation for the Toon 11 minutes from time, but that only served to sting the visitors back into action.

And Rooney added their fourth soon after with a delicious curling shot from just outside the box. Then in injury-time Rooney turned provider to set up substitute Louis Saha for the fifth.

Everton Tear Man City Apart

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:47:00 +0000

Joseph Yobo will return to Everton's squad for the clash with Manchester City at Eastlands having been left out of the UEFA Cup triumph over Brann on Thursday.

Yobo was on two bookings in Europe and another caution would have ruled him out of David Moyes' side's next match in the competition. He also had flu, and Moyes opted not to take any risks with the Nigerian defender.

Mikel Arteta is struggling with a slight problem regarding the groin injury that kept him out of the first-leg of the tie last week but that did not stop him completing the 6-1 victory over the Norwegians this week.

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has close to a full-strength squad to choose from. Elano and Vedran Corluka are both available again after missing City's derby win at Manchester United two weeks ago through suspension.

Midfielder Michael Johnson is also back in contention after returning to training following a two-month lay-off with an abdominal injury.

His return means summer signing Valeri Bojinov, who underwent a knee operation earlier in the season, is now City's only absentee - but he too is now back in training.

Teams:

Manchester City (from): Hart, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Vassell, Ireland, Hamann, Jihai, Elano, Corluka, Fernandes, Petrov, Garrido, Benjani, Caicedo, Geovanni, Johnson, Mpenza, Sturridge, Etuhu, Isaksson.

Everton (from): Howard, Hibbert, Neville, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Valente, Baines, Arteta, Carsley, Osman, Cahill, Fernandes, Pienaar, Johnson, Yakubu, Anichebe, Vaughan, Wessels.

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The Great Chocolate Caper

noreply@blogger.com (panther) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:19:00 +0000

During the past couple of months I have purchased a number of decidely sub standard chocolate bars, which I find quite apalling the amount of money the manufacturers make. So as I blatantly have an awful lot of free time on my hands, my mind tends to need some stimulation, a few days ago I decided to see what freebies I could obtain from the perpetrators of such hideous crimes.

Below are three letters I sent first class recorded mail to the offenders, now I'm merely suggesting anyone else who feels aggrieved with the poor quality of their purchase should send a copy off in complaint and wait for the free goodies to drop through the letterbox. I'll keep you posted with the progress.

I bet It's a laugh a minute working in the complaints department of Cadbury's, the amount of humourous letters they receive. Always try and leave a funny ending tag, like 'yours hungrily', they'll probably take pity on you and send some free vouchers.

N.B Please feel free to copy and paste any template you wish and post your results on the comments page.

FAO: Todd Stitzer
Cadbury Trebor Bassett
PO Box 12,
Bournville
Birmingham
B30 2LU

Dear Mr Stitzer,

As a regular purchaser of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in the UK, and with many friends who live in various parts of Europe and the rest of the world, I have wondered why the popularity of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is not on the same scale as it is here in the UK. The choice of chocolate for many of them is either Galaxy or Milka, and I seem to be the only one fighting the Cadbury corner. However, on a recent journey to the Czech Republic, I discovered why Cadbury’s chocolate is as popular as Bernard Manning. Similarly to the foul mouth comedian, the chocolate I purchased was nothing short of a bad joke, leaving a bitter taste in one’s mouth.

When on holiday or on business trips, I don’t normally eat chocolate, or choose to eat local chocolate. However, due to my experience of cuisine in the Czech Republic being quite poor, I chose to purchase a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in a local store, to regain some kind of home comfort. As you can visibly see by the enclosed bar, the texture is similar to cooking chocolate, and it tastes similar too. I was under the impression that Cadbury’s chocolate would taste the same, or virtually the same worldwide, although it seems I have been mistaken.

I would like to inform Cadbury’s that their brand name in countries other than the UK and probably Ireland is seen as a (bad) joke, and is ruining their brand image. Also, I feel Cadbury’s is making a very poor attempt at representing British chocolate and contributing to the negative attitude the rest of the world has on British cuisine.

If Cadbury’s are attempting to break into new markets then I suggest some other kind of market manipulation. Introducing Curly Wurly’s, that are caramel based and from the economy line of Cadbury’s would be a suggestion, if the same standard of chocolate were to remain the same in countries other than the UK.

It would be appreciated if you could respond to my comments at your earliest convenience.

Yours Hungrily,

King Tuts

Nestle Consumer Services
PO Box No 203
York
YO91 1XY

To whom it may concern,

I recently purchased a bar of Aero (enclosed) only to find a small stone was embedded in the chocolate bar. The evidence of this is visible in the wrapping paper. I have unfortunately since misplaced the stone, although the evidence of poor manufacturing is evident by viewing the remainder of the chocolate bar.

As a regular purchaser of Aero chocolate, I find this totally unacceptable, and although I feel as though I am unfortunate for finding this, I am glad a small child did not attempt to consume the chocolate bar, and the consequences that may have arisen from such an event.

It would be appreciated if you could reply at your earliest convenience, stating what you intend to do to resolve this matter.

Your Disheartened Chocolate Muncher,

King Tuts

Masterfoods
Melton Mobray
Leicestershire
LE13 0BR

To who it may concern,

I recently purchased a multipack of Twix (enclosed) only to find several manufacturing faults with the chocolate bars. The evidence of this is visible with the enclosed package. I have unfortunately eaten some of the bars before discovering the manufacturing fault with the remainder of the multipack, although I feel the manufacture and packaging of your products should be more closely monitored to retain product freshness, and to eliminate all possibilities of food poisoning due to stale or inedible products.

As a regular purchaser of Masterfood chocolate, I find this totally unacceptable, and although I feel as though I am unfortunate for finding this, I feel the obvious lack of care and attention could have resulted in a more serious consequence, such as manufacturing parts entering the product, as it seems this may have been a possibility in this or other batches.

It would be appreciated if you could reply at your earliest convenience, stating what you intend to do to resolve this matter.

Yours Faithfully,

King Tuts