Neville back in action with Leeds

Not Phil or Gary but the one who plays netball, yes Tracey is turning out for Leeds Carnegie in the new Netball Superleague season. Never seen a netball match, it's one of those activities that are shunted off by the media as "Other Sports" so you barely know of its existence. However Sky Sports are showing live matches, the first is this Monday. That's Mavericks v. Team Bath in a time clash with Coronation Street. But, anything that keeps golf off the telly is to be applauded. Other facts : the league of eight teams is being sponsored by The Co-operative, and there is no team based in Manchester. Do you detect an American soccer influence here with the logo and clubs called Northern Thunders and Brunel Hurricanes.
England Netball
Sky Sports Netball

P.S. Tracey Neville is possibly the only netball player to have her name mentioned in a football song (third verse of Gary Neville is a red)

Pavarotti

Watched three tribute programmes to Pavarotti tonight. You remember how good he was. Football, opera, pasta and maybe pies. He once bought a Black Cab and took it back to Italy, don't know if he ever drove it round the streets of Modena - a small town famous for making balsamic vinegar. It was raining when I went, we bought too many dried porcini mushrooms, it got lost in translation at the market. Saw a signed photo of his at a hotel in Riccione, he may have stayed there on the 5th floor.

Euro Hockey Semi Final

Hockey International
Got myself down to the stadium at Belle Vue, Manchester. Direct bus 168, so now I can have a few pints sat in the sunshine. Watched Nederlands v. Espana (3-0) for my first ever hockey match. It's great. Friendly atmosphere, fast paced game full of skill, stamina and speed. I'm converted. Still be watching football but hockey is now my other sport. Saw the team from Azerbijan and Ukraine waiting for their bus back to wherever.

Watching Hockey

Hold my hands up to ignorance, didn't even know this hockey tournament was taking place in my own city. Didn't know the rules, but the Biffa herself brought me up to speed. So Tuesday evening by chance stumbled on to Eurosport and watched England v. Nederlands Women's Hockey match. The Dutch obviously play in orange, and England lost 1-0 but still go to the semi-final. It's actually a sport I can watch - fast, lots of skill, even has penalties and corners but not as a footie fan knows them. In two minds whether to go on Thursday, or just be lazy and tune into Eurosport.

A Day at the cricket

Old Trafford - 8th June 2007. 2nd day, 2nd test against the West Indies. A hot, roasting day. Had to give up for an hour in the afternoon because of the burning sun and take the shade. Discovered a little museum under the stands. The usual cabinets of trophies, newspaper cuttings and a great collection of old cricket bats from past greats that had gone very dark brown with age. Well the match progressed well - saw West Indies batting collapse in half an hour (about 1715 until 1745h). Drank slowly and steadily, two mile walk to a pub afterwards. I think if you were doing more than a day you'd need a lot more stamina and a lot less drink.

Ireland v. England

You're not going to see this again for a while.
a) ireland are playing england at cricket (surprise)
b) it's the last eight of the world cup (surprise)
c) cricket is on the news in ireland (surprise)
d) ireland is more sports crazy than manchester (no surprise)
e) england only just win, again (no surprise)

World Cup Cricket

The 16-team special in the Caribbean will last 48 days with 51 matches broadcast live to an estimated world-wide audience of 1.5 billion people. It doesn't get bigger than this.

What I like are the minnow teams. Must be great if you're player and you have a warm sunny winter break and a game against a major team. So who are the minnows : Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, and Scotland. Live on Skysports and radio commentary from the BBC as usual.

Sharks v. Ospreys

Went to my first ever Rugby Union match. Sat high up in the Printer Stand at Edgeley Park (Stockport County) and saw the Ospreys beat Sale Sharks in the Heineken Cup. Distinct lack of chanting, lots more injuries - one player stretchered off to an ambulance. An interesting afternoon that started on a good note when Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0.

Eurosport Blog Spam

Europort web site offers free blogging. It used to be light weights who made a few posts on something like Brazilian football and then stopped. Now it's full of spam bloggers who generate a lot of text to try and sell you ativan. Don't go there it's for people who've opted out of life. Then I spotted the Annabele Croft blog of the Australian Open Tennis game. She's kept it going for 5 days. I reckon she'll be having a big 40th birthday party this year with loads of tennis chums.
Annabele Croft
Eurosport Blogs