Favourites from 'The Friendly Derby: Liverpool V Everton

As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a huge Liverpool fan. I do try to not show my bias, but sometimes it's quite difficult; particularly on the weekend where the Merseyside derby comes around. So, here are my favourite moments from the greatest derby match of all from over the years.

The first clip comes from 2001, which apart from 2005 has been the most successful year in recent history as we won a magnificent cup treble. I think the greatest success from that time was Gerard Houllier bringing Gary McAllister to the club. He might have been coming to the end of his career, and only stayed at Anfield for two years, but the lessons he was able to pass on to the younger players at the club was invaluable; as this clip shows, particularly around the 4.00 mark. 

As I was born in the late seventies, my footballing memories really start around the mid eighties. Liverpool were in their heyday then so these memories are great, and perhaps the one that really sticks in my memory is the 1986 FA Cup final. Liverpool went behind in this game to a goal from Gary Lineker, but then the fight back began.

Goals from Ian Rush, Craig Johnston and Rush again save the day. From the moment I saw Alan Hansen climb the original Wembley steps to lift the FA Cup that day I was hooked. Ultimately, I support Liverpool because my Grandad does; and although there are as many Blues in my family as Reds, there was always only ever one team for me.

Having lost the 1988 final to Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang' after John Aldridge missed an early penalty, the determination to win back the trophy the following year must have been huge. Unfortunately, ninety six fans did not come home from the abandoned first semi-final to see us win the cup back. Those fans will never be forgotten, and you can see in the clip below what it meant to the players to try and bring the trophy home for the lost loved ones.

Stuart McCall tried his hardest for Everton, but there was really only to be one winner that day. John Aldridge banished memories from the year before by scoring first, and two goals from our perennial hero Ian Rush saved the day. In a a way, it was incredibly fitting that the final was against our closest rivals. These rivals were our closest allies in those most difficult of times, as there will have been Everton fans who lost relatives on April 15th 1989 at Hillsborough, and the city grieved as one. The ninety six have now got the truth they deserved, and justice is well on its way too. #YNWA

And so to the first of this year's fixtures. There is absolutely no disguising that Everton have had the better start to the season. After all, the table doesn't lie. Liverpool may be six points and eight places behind our neighbours, but we are starting to hit a bit of form. Three clean sheets and seven points from the last possible nine is good, but we have only scored twice in those games which will need addressing. With Nuri Sahin and Oussama Assaidi coming more in to the fold, as well as Raheem Sterling's fantastic start to the season, I think we are due a few goals. Everton have five points from their last three games, but they have scored six so the Reds back four will need to have their wits about them. With the game being at Goodison Park, if you offered me a draw now I'd probably take it. It is always an intimidating place to go, and with us having so many young and inexperienced that could be overawed the result is difficult to predict. I'll go for 1-1 and hope for the best. Come on you Reds!

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Brook beats 'El Tigre' Saldivia to set up mouth-watering world title clash

Future welterweight king?

  Atfter Kell Brook's last time out when he struggled to get over the line against Carson Jones, things could not have looked more different last night at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield. Since the July clash with Jones where Kell struggled to hang on to his unbeaten recored, the 'steel city star' has engaged the services of a strength, power and conditioning coach and also a nutritionist who have made a world of difference. Kell had trained for a long hard fight against Saldivia, as you might expect for a world title eliminator, but his superior power was evident from very early in the fight. A stinging uppercut in the first round sent the Argentine to the canvas, and Brook's intent was obvious from there on in. The barrage continued through the second round, and a straight left at the beginning of the third signalled the beginning of the end. After such a systematic defeat, in hindsight it seems difficult tio believe that Hector Saldivia was rated third in the IBF rankings, which perhaps enhances Brook's victory and stature moving on to a world title fight. It looks likely that Kell will face Devon Alexander who defeated Randall Bailey in New York later on the same night to win the IBF Belt. By all accounts it was a dire affair with more clinching than punching, that will no doubt inspire the Yorkshire pugilist to believe that he can wrestle the world title from the American early in 2013. 

Kell Brook and Amir Khan in the Sky Sports studio for 'Ringside' recently

 If Kell can become a world champion, there are some huge fights out there for him. He has made no secret of wanting ro tear Amir Khan to pieces. And there is also the golden carrot of a fight with the returning Ricky Hatton; if The Hitman does the business in November. How near can Special K get to the top of the world rankings? Only time will tell, but he has now put the foundations in place and we will all find out next year. Good luck Kell.

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Classy Price finishes Audley.....for good?

Future world-heavyweight champion?

On Saturday night In Liverpool at the Echo Arena, around 8500 people saw David Price destructively end the career of former Olympic champion Audley Harrison. Regular readers will know that I predicted this last week, (I said it wouldn't go more than four rounds) but to be honest you don't need to be a genius to see that coming. I think Audley Harrison's PR team would be able to convince turkeys to vote for Christmas. For all the rubbish they have spouted over the years, I think their achievements in the last twelve years or so deserve more recognition than those of their employer. 

Price will now move on to a fight with former European heavyweight champion Matt Skelton on December 8th. I would see this as a stepping-stone fight to keep Price active rather than any sort of real test. It may last a bit longer than the Harrison bout on Saturday, but the result will be much the same. The real test will come early next year with the anticipated fight with Tyson Fury. The Manchester based fighter had plenty to say on television last night, including calling Price a plumber as well as saying he would fight Tony Bellew in between rounds. Price's promoter Frank Maloney offered Fury £500,000 to fight Price in the immediate aftermath of the fight last night, and Fury responded in with a rant in somewhat bad taste saying that if they didn't have the money they were in trouble. Fighting Tyson Fury may well be a step up from the likes of Harrison and Skelton, I think Price has the ability to go right to the top and could well be a world champion in 2014. 

Comments from Fury's promoter Mick Hennessy make me think that they might avoid fighting Price for a second time. Hennessy said 'Tyson is ranked No 4 with the WBC at the moment, he's had a lot more fights (than Price) so he’s in firing range for a world title,' 'I think Tyson could be a world champion by next summer. The Price fight, when it happens, Tyson will take him out. It would be better if it was for a world title but we've got to see Price get hit on the whiskers and see how he reacts. Tyson put David Price on his backside when he was a 17-year-old novice with a handful of fights. David Price was much older and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist whereas Tyson was, by his own admission, a fat, out of condition fighter. Tyson is a bigger man, he's a better athlete, he's got more ability and when the time comes he'll do a serious job on David Price.' 

Fury definitely has the chin to go in to the latter rounds with Price, but I am quite confident that Price's skill and power would see him come through the fight by a late round KO. It would seem that if Hennessy is prepared to make the fight happen, he wants Fury to be a world champion first. This might end up being Price's route to becoming a world champion. If you ask me, below the Klitschko brothers there is not too much class in this division so Fury should be able to capture a version of the title. Despite his mouthy bravado I still think he will duck Price when it comes to it but only time will tell. Next week sees Kell Brook take on Hector Saldivia in an eliminator for a world welterweight title fight, so it could well be more boxing next week!

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A shoe-in for Team of the Year at the BBC sports personality awards?

 
Having been out of the sports blogging loop due to the birth of my first son, there's a fair bit to catch up on! There are not many things that would have kept me away from the Ryder Cup, but I'm deliriously happy to say that the arrival of my little boy did. Well done Team Europe! I'd say that the performance of Team Europe in the singles on Sunday is well up there with the best come backs of all time. I am not quite sure whether it tops Liverpool's second half performance in the Champions League final in 2005, but it is certainly equal in my mind. I think the team as a hole performed fantastically well in the face of the extreme adversity brought by the partisan home, but I have to give particular plaudits to Ian Poulter. He showed tremendous mettle through the entire weekend, and gave the other lads the platform to release the shackles and play without fear. I hope he can use this performance as an inspiration to shine in the majors when it's just him and his caddie against the rest. He has proved now that he has the full game to follow Rory McIlroy on the major trail!

One other thing that's happened in the recent sporting past, is Lewis Hamilton's move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 F1 season after signing a three year deal with the Silver Arrows. Many have been critical of the move and suggested that it is just for the financial benefits. I agree with David Coulthard who said that the move is necesary for Lewis to mature as a driver. As everyone knows Lewis has been with McLaren since the age of thirteen, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he hasn't quite shed some of the child-like characteristics usually seen in adolescence. I am quite sure that once he makes the move, Lewis can mature in to the driver everbody knows he can be, and at the same time he can be the catalyst to take Mercedes on to the next level. I don't think Merecedes have ever lacked ambition, and although the progress maybe hasn't been as rapid as they may have liked, it will come. After all, next year will only be year four in the project and companies like Mercedes employ people like Nick Fry and Ross Brawn to settle for second best. It will also help that he's been friends with future team-mate Nico Rosberg since their karting days as team-mates. 

This week in boxing we see the heavyweight clash between David Price and Audley Harrison. I can't see the fight gong to far past four rounds or so. He hasn't exactly been bathed in glory in his twelve years as a pro, and he's been down once or twice! I think Price's big bombs will be far too much for Harrison to deal with. Hopefully that will then bring the curtain down on the farce that has been Harrison's career as a pro. Even my brother, who I consider to certainly be more of a boxing nut than me, admitted that he gets sucked in by the hype every time. All suggestions for forfeits will be considered. That's how confident I am that Price will win, and it will be funny to see what people can come up with. Reply via email, facebook or twitter on the links below. 

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Ryder Cup 2012 Medinah Country Club, Illinois

 

This coming week brings the most enthralling week of golf in the calendar. The Masters and The Open are definitely special in their own way, but there is something about the dynamic of playing for a team that brings an extra bit of spice to the competition as well. Europeans have somewhat dominated the golf world for the last few years, but the last thing that Davis Love III and his team will want is for Europe to come in to their back yard and give them a tonking! In my humble opinion Europe do have the slight edge but there is really not a great deal in it. It could very well go down to the last match on Sunday to decide this years winners. No doubt, the 'in the hole' brigade will play their part as well. I won't deny that it does drive me to absolute distraction when Tiger Woods is teeing off on a 600 yard Par 5 to hear that being screamed. Not that he could ever say so, but it must drive Tiger to distraction as well! Europe might have the world No. 1 in Rory McIlroy, but the No. 2 Tiger Woods has just a little pedigree as well. What's more, his form has been getting better and better this year. The teams might be incredibly even on skill, but Europe definitely have the edge in experience; Team USA have four debutantes in Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker against Europe's one, Nicolas Colsaerts. The Belgian might not have any Ryder Cup experience, but as the winner of the World Matchplay this year, this will give him some idea of what is required. The one thing that can't be replicated is the ferocity of the crowd. That roar as you step on to the first tee will be louder than anything any golfer will experience at any other tournament; particularly for Team Europe, as it will be a fiercely discouraging roar rather than one of support. As much as I want Europe to win for the memory of one of their greatest ever players Seve Ballesteros, I would not be as bold as to say I think they will win. I do hope Europe can be inspired by Seve's memory as they were by the man himself. At the time of writing, Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker tee off at East Lake in Atlanta as co-leaders (at -8, two clear of the field) in The Tour Championship in about an hour and a half. It could end up being a shot in the arm for one and crushing for the other but only time will tell. McIlroy, Watson, Woods and Furyk are not too far behind, and one of them is more than capable of mounting a charge through the latter stages.  Which ever way it goes, you can be sure there will be twists and turns along the way. I can't see either team running away with it, and I can't wait! 

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Hillsborough verdict and the return of The Hitman

After 23 long years, the truth has been uncovered; now it's time for justice.

This week the truth about what really happened at the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough in 1989 came out. Many people have discussed it at length this week, as it has been headline news on the front pages as well as the back pages, so as emotional as I feel about it I don't want to dwell too much on the past; the 96 will never ever be forgotten, but now is the time for looking to the future. Even if the future is campaigning for the people who did do wrong on 15th April 23 years ago to be held accountable for their actions, as well as those who covered it up and prolonged the pain for the victims' families.  I find it hard to think that criminal charges won't be brought, particularly in the face of such compelling evidence against certain organisations and the individuals within. Although the ninety-six will always be in our hearts forevermore, I hope that the families, the city and the club can move forward; I can think of no greater tribute to the fans that did not come home that fateful day, than to start bringing trophies (and particularly the Premier League!) back to Anfield on a regular basis. I would like to finish this section by thanking all the fans of other clubs, that have sent messages of support to our club throughout this week. Unfortunately there have been a few moronic idiots that deny the verdict of the independent panel, but the support from the football family has been fantastic. 

Also this week, former two-weight boxing world champion Ricky 'The Hitman' announced he will be coming out of retirement for a fight against an unnamed opponent in November. It has to be said that Ricky dominated the light-welterweight division before moving up to welterweight so he has nothing to prove. At his peak Ricky beat the pound-for-pound No 1 Kostya Tszyu, as well as claiming the WBA welterweight belt from Luis Collazzo before losing to two of the best pound-for-pound pugilists the planet has ever seen (or might ever see!) in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio.That said, you can understand that from a pride point of view why he would want to prove to himself as much as anybody that he is better than the devastating two round defeat to Pacquaio showed. Here is Ricky's press conference.

Ricky was quick to say that he wanted to earn the right to fights at the top level, but there are certainly some hum-dingers out there if he proves his worth. A fight against Paulie Malignaggi seems likely at some point in the future; after all Hatton knows he can beat the American who has never had the greatest punch power. From there, there are huge domestic money spinners against Amir Khan and Kell Brook to consider. One fight I would like to see is Hatton v Junior Witter, just so Hatton can shit him up for good. If only his boxing was as good as his mouth! As current British welterweight champion this match up is probably a real possibility. Hatton says he is in the best pre-fight shape of his life following his training with Bob Shannon who has been using 'old school' methods which favour Ricky's approach. I think that now Ricky's head is right, we may even see the best Hitman that we have ever seen. Most of all, I hope that Ricky gets what he needs from his comeback. Roll on November 24th. 

As a final note, congratulations to Andy Murray for winning the US Open on Monday. May that be the first of many major wins now he has got the proverbial monkey off his back. It is a shame that we have to wait until the Australian Open in January to find out. 

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The future's bright for football and fight nights!

I have to admit that after hearing the starting XI for England's game in Moldova in I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by some of the weekend's sport; Along with international football, I'd become quite disillusioned with boxing for some time as well. Firstly, thanks to Roy Hodgson, and later on I'll make mention of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport.

After deciding not to watch the match live, mainly because watching England has become somewhat tedious in recent times, I did decide to watch the highlights. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Was the football mistake free? Certainly not, but the freedom and fluidity of the play was definitely inspiring from a fans point of view. In hindsight I think the injuries to Andy Carroll, Ashley Cole and Gareth Barry may have been a blessing in disguise. These omissions forced Hodgson to play Leighton Baines, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tom Cleverley who played with a youthful exuberance that we haven't seen in a three lions shirt for quite a while. It also meant Jermain Defoe was tasked with the striker's role, and although he might have had a goal or two more on the night, his talent and club form over a number of years mean this chance is overdue in my opinion. I think Defoe is the most gifted natural English striker the Premier League has seen since Alan Shearer retired and I think his movement gave focus to England's play. It was also good to get a positive answer to the eternal midfield Gerrard/Lampard question. They may not be the long term answer to England's midfield, but at least we now know that two genuine midfielders can play together in harmony using good judgement to know when to go forward and when to sit deep. Gerrard tended to sit deeper while Lampard was making runs beyond Defoe and Cleverley as he did to head in Glen Johnson's cross for his second goal. Albeit England are still work in progress, their campaign could not have got off to a better start, so hopefully the good work will continue against Ukraine on Tuesday at Wembley. John Terry is the only doubt, but either his club-mate Gary Cahill or Phil Jagielka should make an able deputy. (If Jagielka plays, hopefully we don't hear any ridiculous pronunciations of his name!) 

As well as the football on Friday, the first big boxing show of the season was incredibly refreshing as well. Having heard an interview earlier in the year with Matchroom Sport's Eddie Hearn, he said that he was intending to bring genuine 50/50 fights to the public. He did this firstly with Kell Brook v Carson Jones in July where the Sheffield pugilist came through one hell of a gut-checker, and continued last night at Alexandra Palace with the excellent 'London's calling' show. This saw Erick Ochieng, Lee Purdey and Tony Bellew all win in enthralling fights, and creates a buzz and excitement for the coming boxing season. Perhaps Carl Frampton v Steve Molitor in a couple of weeks in Belfast is the prime example of Hearn's policy, and with the continuing Prizefighter series, Brook v Saldivia and Froch v Mack on the horizon it certainly whets the appetite. Perhaps the only blot on the weekend was that Darren Barker had to pull out of his fight, but hopefully the Londoner can get over his recent arm injury and get back in the ring soon. I have seen some talk that he should retire, but I think he is one of the classiest middleweights out there and the sooner he is back in the ring the better. Over the next two years Matchroom will provide Sky with twenty shows a season to bring to air, so hopefully fight fans will see 'deeper bills with more title fights and more competitive fights in packed out arenas' as promised. Thankfully for boxing, the future's bright....the future's Matchroom. I for one am glad that I don't have to see the over inflated ego's of boxers from other stables (no names mentioned!) win easy fights any more.