When Nobby Stiles, footballer for England and Manchester united, is to sell his 1966 England World Cup winner’s medal, along with a great deal of other memorabilia, he is expected to receive £300,000. The estimate for the medal alone is £150,000. But of what value would it be to you? I wonder which Mr. Stiles values more: having won the world cup, or having the artefacts to prove it. In his position, you would choose the former, as would I, as would Mr. Stiles. This is the case for all of us with a sporting achievement, or nearly all of us. What we value is the moment of winning, and the pride of success, particularly where it is hard-won. Spectators win no prizes, but it is that same feeling that Liverpool fans will remember feeling when they came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in the Champions league final. And if you went out, bought a cup, inscribed ‘world’s best snooker player’ on it and left it on your mantelpiece, it would have no value, because there are no happy memories for it to trigger, no real snooker championship of which it might remind you. What matters to true sportsmen is not medals or money, but to play up and win the game, as Henry Newbolt might have written had he not been addressing cricket. So Mr. Stiles may cherish his medal as a reminder of his success, of the enjoyment of the team spirit and the game, ad of the euphoria of winning the world cup, but intrinsically, it is simply a piece of metal. So we shouldn’t criticise him for selling it. It’s just a piece of metal. It is the memory of ’66 that matters.

The final of the most eagerly anticipated athletic event of the sporting calendar is drawing closer with each minute. The tension is rising. At 19:30 BST…the end…

One would think it’s Armageddon. No, it’s only the World Cup final. But it may as well be Doomsday.

This year’s final features two formidable European teams, Spain (who were early favourites) and the more-surprising Netherlands who have shown real flair and played entertaining, fast-paced football, pulling out some outrageous goals to qualify through each stage.

Spain have been a consistently strong side with smooth passing being the predominant feature of their playing tactics. Under the management of Vicente Del Bosque, they have taken advantage of their readily-available talent. The Spanish approach to football has often been commended by a myriad of footballing experts for majority of the players in the Spanish league are natives, showing a stress on the importance of rearing home-grown talent. Arguably, this is the downfall of the Premier League, which comparatively depends more on foreign players, leading to a weaker national team.

Liverpool’s Fernando Torres has been a massive disappointment this tournament. El Niño has seemingly lost his scoring prowess during the tournament and I predict that he probably won’t start the game on Sunday. Contrastingly, his strike partner David Villa is stealing the show, storming his way up to the Golden Boot for the entire Cup and looks set to nab it. It will be interesting to see what Del Bosque decides to do with his team – fortunately, he has an array of creative midfielders at his disposal.

Spain enter the game with high expectations, both from themselves and the world. After their complete domination in Euro 2008, they were clear favourites for the World Cup this year and have met their minimum requirements. One must consider that the expectation placed on them could shake them as they remain a particularly young side. However, having set a world record of 15 consecutive victories as a unit, the youthful side prove that it is skill and talent rather than experience which succeeds.

Similarly, the Netherlands consists of a young squad directed by Bert van Marwijk, who has barely altered anything of his predecessor’s (Marco van Basten) team. Netherlands qualified with 100% victory record and are so far the only team in the tournament to not have lost a match, which clearly demonstrates their power and could also prove to be a crucial factor in the match – their technical skill may not match that of Spain, but their creative flair may cause an upset for the Spaniards. They are not a particularly favoured team and very few would have honestly chosen them as contenders for the title, despite their big stars such as Robben, van Persie and Sneijder, all of whom are core to the team’s success, flow and creativity. As seen throughout the tournament, it is their moments of genius which give the Dutch team the edge against their opponents.

Surprisingly, the Dutch enter the match with a better history of success, having reached the final twice but unfortunately losing on both occasions. Spain have already exceeded themselves this year, previously only reaching a best of the quarter-finals. Could this be an omen? Will Holland find themselves third-time lucky?

Personally, I don’t think that the Netherlands will topple the might of the Spaniards. Spain have played like champions (despite a temporary blip against Switzerland in the group stages). The Netherlands aren’t as structured as Spain and often rely purely on creative sparks rather than technique, which could prove costly if one of their key players has a bad game. Spain also possess creativity but also have a foolproof plan of passing to cut teams open and ensure an end result.

To conclude, I predict a Spanish win as they have shown that they can still drill out a result in a deadlock (against Germany in the semi-final, where neither side looked to have a particular dominance over the other, although there were sporadic moments of sheer footballing delight). They have both creativity and technique: a winning formula.

Team Profile: Gemany

Over the course of the World Cup I shall try to collect team profiles of teams that seem to have struck a chord, highlighting their key player in attack, midfield and goal. After their 4-0 demolition of Australia, I believe Germany have been deemed worthy to be put under the microscope first…

Goal Keeper:Neuer Team:Shalke 04 Age: 24

Neuer isn’t admittedly Germany’s top-choice keeper, and to no level a goalkeeping superstar in comparison to the likes of Cassilas and Buffon.After the tragic suicide of Germany’s top choice ofkeeper Robert Enke and a rib injury to Rene Adler the Germans now rely on Neuer to keep their goalmouth safe. Neuer is however a safe pair of hands, and I believe unlikely to commit the sort of horrific mistake that Robert Green did in his first, as he has had experience of playing in the Bundesliga since 2005 for Shalke and even won the award for best goalkeeper in 2007.

Defense: Lahm Club: Bayern Munich Age:26
Philip Lahm has been chosen as the captain of Germany after Michael Ballack’s ankle injury. In the Australia match he proved to be a valuable player, as a solid defender, as seen in Australia’s first serious chance against Germany, and also an attacking force, as shown in his assist to Klose’s goal. He has filled the gap left by Ballack as a leader well and has experience, from Fifa 2006 and Euro 2008 that many of the younger players on the team don’t have.

Midfield: Ozil Club: Werder Bremen Age:21
Mesut Ozil was my Man of the Match in the Australia game, and Man of the Match for many other pundits and spectators alike. His passing was key to Germany’s attacking play, and he is an important playmaker in the German team. This tournament he has the potential to be one of the players who makes the tournament, especially as before this World Cup he was unheard of in the UK. His passing and attacking vision makes him a bastion upon which the German midfield can be based, and he is crucial to the progression of the German team throughout the tournament, especially without Michael Ballack.

Attack: Podolski Club: Bayern Munich Age:25
It was a tough decision whether to talk about Klose or Podolski, as both attackers have scored numerous goals for Germany. However, I decided to talk about Podolski as Klose has been off-form in the run-up to the tournament and apart from his excellent header in the game he missed quite a few sitters, showing a lack of confidence in front of goal slightly like Emile Heskey’s. Podolski has 39 international goals to his name, the Best Young Player Award of the World Cup 2006 and featured in UEFA’s Best Team of the Tournament in 2008. Along with his traditional role as a striker, Podolski has played on the Left Wing and is a versatile asset to the German team. When it comes to international tournaments Pdolski had been exceptional and will hopefully further enlighten us this World Cup

Overall: Under the management of Joachim Loew the German team has been pit down as underdogs in the books of many football pundits, especially without Michael Ballack. However, in their first match of the tournament they showed they do have potential to get far in this world cup. In my view they are on the easy side of the draw, and they won’t be pitted against Spain or Brazil until the Final itself. The best team they could encounter on the way would be England or Argentina. Their possible route to the final, therefore, and their clinical attacking play, coupled with a relatively solid defense, means they are indeed still a force to be reckoned with…

Odds To Win (Before World Cup): 14/1
My Reckoning: Semi-Final

George Varley comments on England’s win at Lords:

England beat Bangladesh in the end comfortably. Trott cashed in against, let’s be honest a weak attack making an impressive 217, emphasizing his test match calibre. Captain resolute returned making 83 and 82, very solid. On the surface it looks like a comprehensive victory, and had one walked past a news agent and read: England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets, one would be calmly satisfied and relieved to see we can still beat the worst team (bar Zimbabwe) playing international test cricket today. So…

That is why I’m now going to state my opinion. That it was England’s worst performance since the 2007 Ashes in Australia. We created opportunities, then destroyed them, had the opposition under real pressure, then let them slip away like an owl might an elusive vole. It was weak in all departments for me. The runs made by Strauss and Trott total to 424 out of 668. That is not a team performance.

Cook got in twice, may have been a bit unlucky with his dismissal in the second innings but failed to push on. Eoin Morgan, one of the stars from the IT20 in the Caribbean showed, in my opinion why he is a one day specialist, wafting after a fullish ball on 43 and edging it to the keeper. He is great in one day cricket, so let’s leave him there. Prior, Bell and “Our new Flintoff” Bresnan showed their irresponsibility in getting in and failing, like Cook to really progress. I leave Pietersen out of this list, for a run out cannot be blamed just on one man.

Finn. Like most people, I know little about the Middlesex quick. Only that he is twenty, and Middlesex’s youngest ever debutant. Good signs I tell myself. Initially I thought Finn was gaining the credit for taking rather irrelevant wickets in the first innings, that of Bangladesh’s number 7 for example. However he plucked the top three Bangladeshi’s in their second innings, proving me wrong. As debuts go, I’m excited about the figures of 49 overs, 9 wickets for 187.

Three men showed they are really solid performers at Lords over the last five days: Strauss, Finn and Trott. But a Bangladesh side who put on 185 for the first wicket are no pushover. Tamim in particular providing impressive resistance. I think the second test will be more interesting than some imagined.

After every football season comes the summer transfer window. It provides entertainment and excitement for the fans even when there are no actual matches. All the transfer rumours that have been speculated about in the media now build up to the climax: Let’s look at who is likely to move or stay.

Francesc Fabregas
I’d like to start off with Fabregas. He’s been at Arsenal for 7 years, and under Arsene Wenger, he’s grown up to be one of the best centre midfielders in the world at the age of 22. However, even though he shows his abnormal talents and is praised for it, he has won 2 trophies since he’s been at Arsenal. I understand why he expresses his will to leave Arsenal.

Destination:
The most likely destination seems to be Barcelona, his mother team, the ‘Dream Team’, the club that has won more trophies in a single season than Fabregas’ total career trophies. Barcelona are expressing their great interest for the Spanish, who could be the replacement of aging Xavi.

Fee:
The likely fee is around 40m but Arsenal would be looking for about 50m – 60m.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Barcelona have recently recruited David Villa, which means that Ibrahimovic will have more competition, and probably have the lower grounds, looking at his performance in his first season. He’s most likely to move and his agent is already looking for new clubs.

Destination:
He’s been snubbed by Real Madrid, so the only places left for him are Man City and Arsenal (trade deal with Fabregas?). It’s speculated that A.C. Milan are interested in buying him, but considering the fee, they probably wouldn’t.

Fee:
I’ve heard that Barcelona are asking for ?50m, but that’s not realistic unless

it’s Man City looking for him. Trade deal with Arsenal would still mean that Barcelona would have to add cash to the deal. Other smaller buyers would be willing to offer ranging from ?25m~?35m.

Sergio Aguero

The Argentinean forward is a target for many big clubs. Following the footsteps of Fernando Torres who had previously worn the Atletico Madrid shirt, it’s about time for him to move. The main attraction is that he is young, and has the potential to become even better in the future. As Atletico Madrid did appallingly in the league this season, it’s likely that Aguero himself would want a transfer.

Destination:
Chelsea have been made favourites over the last year or two to sign the striker, but other clubs such as Real Madrid and Liverpool would be tempted too. Though, Real would be risking a conflict with their local rivals, and Liverpool have a financial problem which could prevent Aguero’s transfer.

Fee:
I think the reasonable fee for the player is 30m (considering the prices clubs pay for new players these days) but as he is young, Atletico Madrid will be wanting a higher price, up to 45m. At this cost, Man City also come in as contenders.

Steven Gerard

He is another player who might leave because of his team’s poor performance. Liverpool finished the season in 7th, which is their worst result under Rafael Benitez. The team has managed to win no trophies yet again, and lost to teams like Reading. It is reported that Steven Gerard has lost his patience, and wants to leave Anfield for glory. Jose Mourinho’s move to Real Madrid is another factor in this affair. He’s still Liverpool captain though, and his responsibility might hold him back.

Destination:
Real are eyeing him, and now that Mourinho is at Real, he would be a top target for the team. Other reports suggest Barcelona, but that’s unlikely since Barcelona are also linked with Fabregas, who is the more obvious choice. Chelsea and Inter are among the favourites, and they would have enough money to buy him. Inter Milan, however, might feel that they’ve got enough central midfielders.

Fee:
I can say that he would be worth around 40m, but depending on the buyer, it might range from 30m to 50m.

by Ricky Won

Michael Schumacher has been off-form; the world had begun questioning his ability, his reactions and his desire to win. The world wandered how a seven-time world champion could possibly want any more. His string of results have been a scattering of double digits followed by two sixth placers. However, so far this season there has been no champagne sprayed, no ecstatic winning jumps from Schumacher.

Admittedly his car hasn’t been as fast as last year’s Brawn GP, however one can’t argue that it is the car’s fault. The fact that Schumacher’s partner Nico Rosberg, the so-called Britney of the F1 world, is currently third in the World Championship shows that the Mercedes car is good enough to win.

This simply leaves one to wander whether Schumacher has aged beyond the point of return, and whether his lightning fast reactions have slowed and he has lost his natural talent and instinct to race. It could even be valid to say his comeback, as some have feared, has been an embarrassment and a pointless attempt at re-creating what had been.

I have had my fears, however I am now filled with hope. Schumacher’s performance in today’s Spanish GP qualification and yesterday’s practices show he still can race against drivers who are almost half his age. For the first time this season, Schumacher has managed to beat Rosberg in qualifying. He showed impressive pace through high-speed corners and has shown an adaption to the 2010 car that he hasn’t shown before. The car has also adapted to him with its new chassis and other improvements.

Hopefully tomorrow Schumacher will prove that his comeback is worth it, and that he is still the great driver he used to be. Tomorrow is Schumacher’s chance to prove that we have been wrong. If he can seize this chance the world of F1 will breathe a sigh of relief that he is back on form and if he doesn’t we will continue questioning and wandering…

In the 60′s, 70′s and early 80′s there was a surge in the film industry. Any person with a script and a camera had their shot at glory. As a result of this not every movie was top notch. Hence the rise of b movies. These were usually sleeze filled, gore fuelled tales of rabid zombies and man-eating women. Not to mention the sex and nudity added in to attract a larger audience.

”Classic” films like ‘I Drink Your Blood’ and ‘Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!’ are making come backs. The satanic ritual in ‘I Drink Your Blood’ has been coppied in many new movies, including blockbusters like ‘Jenifer’s Body’ . The b movie tribute star, Quintin Tarantino, is filminga remake of Pussycat to place ontop of his b movie mantle piece along with ‘Grindhouse’, ‘Jackie Brown’ and his Kill Bill series. New films like ‘Bitch Slap’ are reviving the old genre and even restoring it too its former glory.

Sleeze is back. Embrace and enjoy it.

 And the 2009 release “Bitch Slap”:

Steven Gerrard, Jonny Wilkinson, Alistair Cook, Barry Middleton. Sorry who? Who can actually claim they know who Barry Middleton is, or the Mantell brothers – Simon and Richard, Ashley Jackson, James Fair or Glen Kirkham. To most people these are just names, but to hockey players nationwide they are an inspiration. Just on Saturday England beat India 3-2 to progress to the semi-finals of the Hockey World Cup 2010, the first time that they have ever reached the world cup semi-finals away from home. They beat Australia last Saturday for the first time in 25 years and have also secured victories against South Africa and Pakistan so far in the competition; now only three games stand between England and the prestigious World Cup trophy, with one pool game remaining against Spain today. That is more than can be said for many other of England’s national sports. Football, rugby and cricket are most often considered to be England’s national sport, but we’re not actually terribly good at any of them! We have only reached the semi-finals of the football world cup twice, and yet every year the hype is that this year it’s our year, and football is coming home. We are marginally more successful at rugby, what with the results of the last two world cups, and the ashes win of last summer did us some favours in the cricket department – but since then things have been pretty much all downhill again.

Hockey however is another story. England men were crowned European Champions in August 2009 and the women were placed a notable 3rd, and this crucial victory in the group stages of the men’s World Cup has booked a place in the semi-finals of the second big tournament in just over 6 months for the men.
Hockey is the one of the fastest growing sports amongst youngsters in England today and surely this achievement that our boys have made, progressing into the final four of a tournament when they are ranked 6th in the world currently, having beaten the tournament favourites already, will only do more to encourage the young people of the nation to take up this emerging sport! All those who are in favour of replacing England’s national sport with hockey raise your right hands now, for hockey is the future, and it’s about time our boys went out and won something, and the nation actually heard about it!

England’s final group game vs. Spain can be viewed live at 11.05am 8/03/10 (Monday) at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/hockey/7300697/Hockey-World-Cup-2010-Watch-England-live.html.

“His arms are like tree trunks, his legs are like forests”

“There’s no way I would ever share a room with him”

This can only be one man : Nikolay Valuev. The giant takes on our very own David Haye in Nuremburg on 7 November.

Londoner Haye, 28, called WBA champion Valuev a “circus show freak” at a news conference on Monday, before adding the Russian “doesn’t smell too sweet”.

“I always fight better when my opponent’s angry,” said Haye.

“I’m going to get him in a position where he really wants to not only beat me but to kill me.”

It’s set up for a spicy encounter – cardboard cut outs beware.