Saturday
Last week in dispatches I mentioned Christine Ohuruogu and how in winning her World 400m gold medal had beaten the-near 30-year-old British record of Cathy Cook.
Team GB Disqualified – Again!
Similarly, British teenage sprinter Adam Gemili produced the good at his first major finals, the 19-year-old finishing fifth in the 200m having earlier only the second Briton – after John Regis – to dip under 20 seconds over the distance by qualifying second-fastest for the final in 19.98.
However the optimism soon passed, which is more than could be said for the Team GB baton in the Men’s 4x100m relay. While Dwain Chambers crossed the line in the bronze medal position, the handover between Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and James Ellington took place outside the designated exchange box. It was the seventh disqualification or non-finish by the British quartet in the last eight major championships. It has become the norm, an occupational hazard. Lacking the individual speed of the Jamaicans or Americans, the Brits have to make up vital hundredths on every exchange, pushing each pass over to the absolute limit.
That is an acceptable excuse if we had been shoulder to shoulder with Usain or with the last Yank on the final leg. But not in being simply the best of the rest …
Sunday
Goal-line technology is now established in the English Premier League, as was proved with Allan McGregor’s save for Hull City against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Techology not all it’s cracked up to?
It’s taken a while, but at least football has now caught up with cricket and rugby. And even hurling, though the Hawk-Eye technology brought in to make goal decisions less speculative itself became the cause of a blatant inaccuracy. Limerick were denied a point against Galway in Sunday’s All-Ireland Minor Hurling semi-final, a costly one as it proved as they would have won the match in normal time instead of losing 0-23 to 0-20 after extra-time.
Those watching, at Croke Park and at home, were amazed at the verdict, although the irony of the video review being sponsored by Specsavers wasn’t lost on anyone. Not surprisingly, Limerick appealed against their defeat. Hawk-Eye managing director Steve Carter apologised for the high-profile mistake and said that it had been caused by “human error”. Who’d have thought highly paid technology developers would have ended up using the same excuse unaided officials have been trotting out for years …
Monday
And a million tickets for the Commonwealth Games are put on sale, with the official website taking registrations for the sought-after briefs. Well, it was when it wasn’t completely jammed, taking over an hour to process even the most basic request. Not what many wanted to experience, nor was the excuse about ‘excess demand’ and that ‘we expected these problems’ that came from high-heid yins within the organising body. So much for the ‘we have learned from London 2012’ churned out so often in the last 12 months …
Tuesday
No Green at Ibrox
Remember those United Colours of Benetton adverts of the early 90’s and how they left people shocked? You don’t even need a poster to have that effect around Govan these days. Just mention Whyte, Brown, Green and now Black cause similar palpations. Today, Green departs Rangers, again, agreeing to stand down as a consultant at Ibrox and sell his shareholding in the club. So Green, the ill-informed straight talking ‘racist’, self-proclaimed saviour of Rangers, detested by fans, branded ‘an embarrassment’ by Ally McCoist, and who laid the blame for his ‘worst Rangers team ever’ comment at the door of Walter Smith, has gone for good, unable to see through his plans for a move to England or the rebranding of i-Brox. And yet, some media outlet, either in print or over the airwaves, will be lining him up as an informed talking head on all things Rangers. Desperate parties together, so to speak …
Wednesday
Celtic return home in the wee sma’ hours from their unsuccessful trip to face Shakhter Karagandy.
Celtic will have to do better
The 2-0 defeat wasn’t in the script, especially to a team which looked like Dundee United and played like a Tony Pulis-inspired Stoke City. But no need for the head shaking and hand wringing just yet. Things might indeed be different if things go horribly wrong at Parkhead next week.
Fine having umpteen millions in the bank after selling off Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper, and to a lesser extent, Calvin Wilson. But at the expense of missing out on another £15m-plus hand out from UEFA? Celtic knew ages ago that triumvirate were for the off and should have had suitable replacements in place before reaching this stage in qualification. Or were they trying to get to the group stages of the Champions League on the cheap?
I mean, do you really have to spend £15m to win the SPFL again? Probably not. Of course, I would still expect Neil Lennon’s men to win next time around against Shakhter Karagandy. And expect the fall-out if they don’t …
Thursday
Ron Atkinson on Celebrity Big Brother!
As I’ve pointed out before, how important sport is to wider TV audience is always apparent when the latest list of victims for the next big reality TV programme is rolled out. Celebrity Big Brother 2013 begins with Ron Atkinson taking on the mantle of sporting ambassador. In amongst the bizarre, the freaks, the chemically and surgically modified, the unknowns, the D-listers and the downright desperate, ,the former West Brom, Manchester United and Aston Villa, oh and Kettering, Cambridge United, Atletico Madrid, Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry City and Nottingham Forest manager should be okay, so long as they don’t introduce Marcel Desailly at the weekend …
Friday
Having banned them and considered them as undesirable rough scallions a week ago, Celtic have backtracked on relocating the Green Brigade having had discussions with fans. Instead the club will now monitor their behaviour on a ‘match-by-match’ basis. No inconceivable then that we could end up with those who inhabit Section 111 being in for one match, out for one match, in for one match, out for one match, in out, in out.
Could be like the hokey-cokey. Oh, let’s not go there …