Wenger The Cock

Aston Villa 2 Arsenal 2

Arsene Wenger is a total cock.

His after match interview with Jeff Shreeves saw him answering like a spoilt child, to the point where you could hear Shreeves getting totally pissed off with the pathetic one-word answers.

No need to look at your tactics Arsene, the ones which leave less defenders than attackers in injury time of a game - no, just come out with some completely pathetic excuse that John Robertson influenced the referee at half time! The only person influencing penalites was William Gallas!

We absolutely battered them in the first half - three attempts against the woodwork, Luke Young and Steve Sidwell going close - something else Wenger incredibly failed to acknowledge. It was a joy to watch us putting them under so much pressure and I felt we were quite superb. Then they score - it couldn't have been any more against the run of play and it was their first attempt at goal.

Robin Hood clearly wore an Arsenal shirt.

When they got the second, and a really good goal too, I felt that might be it. Then we get the "oh so debatable" penalty, smashed in by GB, and it's game on! Fair play to Zat Knight for being in the right place and keeping his strike on target as well, especially being at the critical last stage of the match.

It would have been nothing short of a travesty if we'd lost that game.

Happy Christmas Mr Wenger - you really are a complete knob.

..and finally.

Phil Brown sees his team getting smashed 4-0 at half time and decides to conduct most of the team talk in front of the travelling Hull City supporters.

This seems to have got Brown alot of criticism. Why? Because the little overpaid prima-donnas had to sit in the cold for a while? Because they had to do it in front of fans who gave up their Boxing Day to see their team barely make the effort.

Fair play to Phil Brown - once in a while that's not a bad thing to try. Anyway, I like what Hull are doing - long may they continue to prosper at this level (apart from Tuesday night of course!)

Daniel Xmas Photo!



Barry Hayles Photo!



Caption?

Texas Stadium

Final Game At Texas Stadium Against Ravens

Apart from some freakish possible scores involving other teams and play-off rankings, this is it. The last ever game for the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium will be against the Baltimore Ravens and the way the season has progressed, it's turned into a must-win game as well. The Cowboys really need a victory to keep their chances of playing in the post-season alive.



I've been three times to the old place, the first time in 1997 for an amazing game against the Washington Redskins. Aikman, Smith and Irvin were all playing - but not playing well! With just minutes remaining the Cowboys has scored just 2 field goals and had to start a drive on their own 3 yard line.

People started to leave, fans gave up - knowing a team that had played so badly would never do it. We held on and stayed having travelled this far we wouldn't leave before the end - Troy Aikman then led the team the 97 yards before converting the 2 point conversion as well. 14-14 - the Cowboys stopped Washington instantly and got the ball back and with 4 seconds remaining Chris Boniol kicked the winning field goal!

Crowd erupts - those who left couldn't believe it!

The other two games were against the Reskins again, and the Buffalo Bills in 2003, both resulting in wins but a bit less exciting. 21-14 over the Skins and 10-6 over the Bills where Drew Bledsoe got pounded time and again by the Dallas defence!

The day after we went on the fantastic Stadium tour where my proud moment came when I kicked two field goals on the hallowed turf.

Time has caught up with the old place, even at only 37 years old. Even five years ago you knew it needed a facelift or replacing. The hole in the roof and probably the wealth of superstars that played there gave it an edge it otherwise wouldn't have had. Of course, it used to feature on the opening credits of the soap opera Dallas too!

I hope I see the new Stadium one day - it looks incredible (with incredible ticket prices no doubt too) - well, maybe one day.

There's plenty of nostalgia here too at the Farewell To Texas Stadium website.

As for the amazing new Stadium - Check this out! Wow! Ready for the start of next season, where has the time gone?!


Aston Villa v CSKA Moscow

What a tough draw.

I still feel it was a huge mistake for M.O.N to play such a weak team against Zilina at Villa Park in the third game. With 3 or 4 more experienced players we could have got into a winning position and started taking them off but ended up chasing the game and obviously losing.

That's what cost us this ultra-hard draw - not fielding the even weaker side against Hamburg which I could understand.

Anyway, I have bad memories when I was a kid of seeing the other side from Moscow (Spartak) getting a last minute winner at Villa Park and knocking us out after we'd drawn 2-2 over there. Anyone remember Mark Walters fantastic strike in the away leg?

Oh well, we'll worry about it more in February!

K/Boxing Grading

How Long Is A Black Belt Kickboxing Grading?

Just a shade over three hours in this case.

I was expecting hell so anything less than that would be a bonus. It was good to be grading with people we knew and had trained with for ages - plus the examiners - though fearsome in their suits - were all familiar to us all too.

Everything was there and it was so tough physically. We all had moments where we were either sick or totally gasping for breath but everyone battled away and did what they had to do.

So much of the grading is mentally based - about 90 mins or so in we were sparring and maybe knew the "2 onto 1" section was coming up where we expected to spar everyone else in survival mode. No! In walk 3 fresh full-contact fighters ready to whip our knackered sorry butts!! That was harsh!

It's easy to forget things you've been taught when you're cornered and taking shots from two angles. I ended up covering up too much but moved about reasonably well apart from that. I was happy with the wood-breaking at the end and fortunately broke first time with an elbow strike and a spinning back kick.

As I sit here now I'm in much-expected pain all over. My knee was worrying me but it ended up being a hip bone which gave me the most problems - it started getting really painful just 2 hours before the grading when shopping in Tesco - Oh great, thanks alot body!

Anyway, everyone did so well and it was a real good team effort with everyone encouraging and helping when others needed it. Well done to all concerned! Mr Champion said at the end that we'd all worked very hard and it had been a pleasure to grade us - great words for us from someone such as himself!

My main goal was not to let myself down and more importantly Mr Paradine and Mr Carter. I've trained hard all year but in the last six weeks I've been down the GMAX gym every Wednesday night for extra work which I know helped me during the grading. I'm going to relax now for a few days and get back into it next Saturday.

Now, much like the Taekwondo black belt grading, we sit and await our news - it could be a long wait.....


Daniel's Rapid Progress

At 3 years and 7 months, his progress is pretty amazing.

His level of speech is unbelievable at times - whilst eating tea the other night he was after some of my food and had forgotten to say please. I said "what's the magic word?" to which he replied - "Abracadabra". Couldn't really refuse could I?!

Daniel is still enjoying training on a Saturday at the club and continues to do well under Kate's watchful eye! He doesn't realise that it's an English champion training him (after Kate beat Louise Tanner in their re-match last weekend). Anyway, he got his first first official GMA t-shirt the other week which he doesn't like taking off!



We got his school application form this week (how's that for making you feel old?) - another reminder of his progress. Now Christmas is approaching and he's aware of Santa, Advent calendars and all things festive!


Everton 2 Aston Villa 3

I walk in, I'm knackered after three hours of torture - but it's 1-1 and I've got the whole second half to watch.

Ashley capitalises on a defensive howler and we're looking good but for the last 15 minutes we're under the cosh and taking a battering. I still thought we'd hold out but with 40 seconds left Lescott bangs one in after Martin Laursen missed probably his only header of the game. I'm gutted, I just cast believe we've done this again!

Lescott feigns throwing his shirt towards the Villa fans and their players spend the next 45 seconds celebrating for which the referee rightly adds on time. Daniel asks me "whats wrong Daddy" as I'm holding head in hands!

Some seconds later were jumping around the room as Laursen wins another decisive header and Ashley beats a defender and whips in a winner. Mass celebration! Daniel shouts "It's a goal!!"

Lescott isn't offering his shirt to anyone anymore now and wonders off the pitch - such a shame. A fantastic ending and three points in a game where overall we've been under pressure - that's the way to do it!