Views From The Armchair

"Views From The `Footiemad` Armchair
Diary Of A Season October 2005

Saturday 1st October 2005
"You don't need a licence to drive a sandwich." (Film Quote)
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Since 1965, nine men have been knighted for services to football. Who, in 2004, was the most recent?
Trevor Brooking: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Smash And Grab: I've just finished watching the Sunderland v West Ham game, or at least the second half, and can only yet again marvel at how this wonderful game keeps surprising us. I missed the first half, although according to the commentators it was largely uneventful, however for almost half an hour, West Ham were constantly being torn apart by Sunderland and I counted three occasions when the penalty area resembled a giant pinball machine with the ball bouncing around all over the place. Then came the Hammers equaliser, albeit well taken, and the game took a sudden turn as West Ham looking more likely to snatch a winner. In many ways, the second half typified the English game with chances at both ends, fast paced football and tempers flared and yes, it was good to watch as a neutral. Not sure how Sunderland fans would feel though?

Charlton Slip: Another good day for Chelsea? Well yes in a way as second placed Charlton blew a two goal lead and lost at home to Spurs, who are rapidly becoming the unpredictables of the league, although I maintain that they'll qualify for Europe this season. Now whether Chelsea can capitalise tomorrow at Anfield remains to be see, however they'll surely be happy to see Charlton lose ground, even if Spurs are coming up on the rails. As for Man United...

When Rooney Scores... United always win. That's the latest stat from Sky which reminded me of that Ian Rush stat from the 80s that Liverpool never lost when he scored. Anyway, I digress here as United came from behind to go ahead at Fulham, only to be pegegd back before taking the lead again. Phew! And all before half time. As so often happens, the second half saw no more goals, although it sounded as though United were back to their best and playing a 4-4-2 formation which hopefully will mean that their poor success starved fans will stop bleating.

Happy With 0-0: Call me mundane, but yes, I was okay with a goalless draw at Watford who were just a point and a place above us. After the last three seasons, anything remotely near the top six will do me for now and it's good to see our defence staying strong with seven clean sheets in eleven games now I believe.

Sunday 2nd October 2005
Magnum Force was the sequel to which classic Clint Eastwood film?
Dirty Harry: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Which unlucky feat was `achieved` most recently by Everton in 1986, Man United in 1995 and Arsenal in 2001?

The Early Bird Bores The Prem: Man City v Everton will go down in Prem history, not as the most drab game (although it came close) but for the match with the earliest ever kick off time of 11:15am, although that could change in the future. The crowd were half asleep as 42,000+ sounded like half a dozen in a graveyard and when commentator Alan Parry mentioned that the match was `livening up`, it was down to three passes being strung together. That said, the opening goal from Danny Mills could hardly have been more out of context to the game as his long range effort ripped into the net. So, one point from seven for Everton and they face Spurs and Chelsea next!

Taylor Made: Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor is experienced enough to know that football has a habit of kicking you in the goolies just when things seem to be going along swimmingly and that was never more evident than at Highbury today. Down to ten men since the 24th minute, Birmingham and Taylor in particular, performed superbly with the keeper saving a penalty and making two stunning saves as well as a number of more routine ones. Then comes a speculative long range effort that takes a deflection and bobbles over him as he tries to re-position himself. Very harsh as the luck deserted him when he most needed it. He was still Man of the Match (MVP to any readers from across the pond!) by a mile though.

Chelsea Hit New Heights: Eight wins from eight now for Chelsea as Liverpool were humiliated at Anfield, the 4-1 defeat their biggest in 36 years at home. When I saw that Didier Drogba was starting, I have to admit that I couldn't believe it, especially after his display on Wednesday. I now know why Jose Mourinho is the boss and not me (although probably more reasons than just that one!) as Drogba played a blinder and was involved in all four goals. Once Frank Lampard had scored the opener from the penalty spot, it was hard to accept that these were the same two clubs that sent us to sleep four days ago and you really couldn't take your eyes off of it. Liverpool weren't poor, it's just that Chelsea were clinically effective and on this showing at what must be one of the hardest games of the season on paper, they really will take the footballing equivilent of a Chiefton Tank to stop them winning the league at a canter.

Monday 3rd October 2005
"In my heart the fire's burning. Choose my colour, find a star. Precious people always tell me. That's a step a step too far." (Song Lyric)
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Who took charge of Rochdale in 1988 to become the first foreigner to manage an English league team?

I loved the quote at the weekend from Wigan boss Paul Jewell who, in his post match interview following the win against Bolton, said, "Forget second place, some of my lads are talking about winning the damned thing!" Clearly he's talking with tongue firmly in cheek, however you can excuse Wigan their outlandish optimism. I was one of those who thought they might do okay, but would still go down, although I did state that they would surprise a few teams. Privately, Jewell is surely delighted at their start, although is looking no further than getting enough points on the board to escape relegation, anything better is a bonus. At the moment, let the players and fans enjoy their excellent start as you only have to look at Barnsley and Swindon - and more to the point, where they are now - to see how quickly Premiership success can go sour.

During the weekend, I had to deliver a few papers to some houses right on the edge of town. In fact, from their gardens and driveways, all you can see is fields. So, at an hour when it's not quite dark, but not yet light enough to properly see where you are going, I decided to walk down one particular driveway rather than drive and run the risk of waking the residents up. No problem there and having delivered their paper, I turned around only to be see a pig staring me in the eyes from only a few yards away! I'm sure I took a few, instinctive, steps backwards and probably uttered something along the lines of "Oh, golly gosh!" before the realisation struck me that it was a life-sized ornament! The reason I didn't see it when I went down the drive was that, from the entrance, it was hidden by a bush, however it was there in all it's glory from the other direction. Never again will I look at a real pig in quite the same way!

Tuesday 4th October 2005
"It will tear your soul apart." (Film Tagline)
Hellraiser: Correctly answered by kirstymd

In December 1992, who became the first player to score 200 goals in the SPL?

And so football goes to sleep for a few days as we build up to the `vital` World Cup Qualifiers with England facing home games against Austria and Poland. Some experts are leading us to believe that England need to win both games to reach WC2006 - not true! Poland only have one game left and if England beat them at Old Trafford, then England will be top regardless of what happens against Austria. Admittedly, a win on Saturday against the Austrians will leave England just needing a draw against the Poles, however even if England LOSE both games (highly unlikely) they are still almost certain to get through as one of the best runners up. So, whilst all around go on about how crucial the games are over the next eight days, England are almost there anyway, so relax and enjoy a few football free days. I mean, even England can't screw this up now. Can they?

Wednesday 5th October 2005
"So I must leave, I'll have to go to Las Vegas or Monaco and win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same." (Song Lyric)
Money, Money, Money - Abba: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

What Wembley `first` happened during England's 4-1 win against Spain in November 1955?

Today's football headlines seem to be a combination of Ashley Cole's injury, Rio Ferdinand stating that it would be a disaster if England failed to qualify for WC2006 (yes it would and yes they will!) and Wayne Rooney being hit in the gonads! None of which are overly exciting, so it's time to have a whinge at the Daily Mail instead. As someone who grew up watching the likes of Morecambe and Wise, Dick Emery and the Two Ronnies on TV, it was sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker yesterday. Most papers have something about him on the front cover and inside the pages today, however whilst the Mail do have a front page dedicated to him, why did they insist of putting a photo which as they proudly state, was one of the last to be taken of the comedian. He looks ill, pale and gaunt and nothing like his golden days of the 60s, 70s and 80s which the other papers have taken their snaps from. Such a shame that the Mail felt it best to put that on the front of their paper. And finally...with us still talking about comedians of thirty plus years ago, it makes you wonder how many of today's comics will still be talked fondly of in 2035!

As if the mutant, ceramic pig wasn't bad enough at the weekend, one of our papergirls didn't help my blood pressure today when she brought her friend along to help her and her mate was carrying a baby! It was obviously very young, albeit I only saw it originally from a distance, as it was wrapped in a blanket and being carried in her arms. With thoughts of Social Services being on to us like a shot, it came as some relief when she got nearer and I realised it was one of those `toy` ones given out by schools to let teenagers know what it's like to raise a newborn! Good idea from the school, but for a few seconds, I was panicking!

Thursday 6th October 2005
"You had an affair with a girl who threatened to kill herself and now there is a presence in our house." (Film quote)
What Lies Beneath: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In 1990, Austria were famously beaten 1-0 by which European football minnow?

It's still fairly quiet on the football front, apart from the build up to Saturday and predictions about who will play and who won't, so it was refreshing to watch Stevenage take on Dagenham and Redbridge last night and actually see an enjoyable, entertaining game as a neutral. I didn't see the stats at the end, but shots at goal must have been double figures for both clubs as attack seemed to be the best form of defence. It was all about two teams going for a win rather than hoping to avoid defeat and as an advert for the Conference, it was top notch. It ended 2-1 to Stevenage and that included an own goal, a disallowed goal, followed almost instantly by an equaliser and a stoppage time winner. Lets hope a few league managers took note.

When we were at school, one of the oft mentioned topics of discussion in the playground was what jobs our parents did and, more to the point, what the parents of our friends did. Obviously you'd jazz it up a little to make things sound more exotic than they were, however my father worked in a printing factory and that was that, no fancy names. So, it didn't occur to me that the kids of today should be any different until my daughter came in yesterday and mentioned that they'd been talking about me at school, although not to do with my job! According to one of her friends, I'm short, which is fair enough as when God gave out height, I was close to the back of the queue and I'm also young! Now, this was a shock as I have a birthday approaching with is getting ever close to 40 (not quite yet though), so this was quite a compliment. I can only assume that the skin moisturiser that I use is working!! That was a joke by the way...

Friday 7th October 2005
"Freeze? I'm a robot. I'm not a refrigerator." (Film Quote)
Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

To date, who is the oldest outfield player to appear in a Premiership game?

According to at least one paper today, Wayne Rooney and fiance Colleen whatshername are getting prepared to move into their new, custom built �4m mansion. Fair play to them. They have their faults, however the cookie of life has crumbled nicely for them, so fair enough. That said, you wonder if the god of common sense has passed them by as, according to the radio (unless this was a wind up), they are having a marble hall inside the main entrance and their initials carved in the marble for all to see when they arrive. Now putting aside the possibility of later selling the house and, the chance that the couple could split up, I'm wondering whether a big WC motif, carved into a wall is the best idea...!

I've never been one to follow politics to any great degree. I mean, I'll watch the news and get an idea of who is running the country, but I have no idea what they believe in if they are `far right` or `left wing`. In fact, the closest I get to taking an interest is watching Yes Minister (which I love!) on DVD. So, when I heard George Bush on the news stating that he talks to God and that He told him to invade Iraq, I did wonder a bit about his state of mind. Now before I get lynched by churchgoers everywhere, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this at all and many take comfort in their beliefs. However, it might be worth someone telling the world's most powerful man that publically admitted that "God told me to do it!" is usually a one-way ticket to the men in the white coats. It could be worse, he could be getting messages from Elvis.

Weekend Of 8th and 9th October 2005
"Churches and steeples, big city people. I wanna know something to hold. Walk down the track, to the old railroad track. I wanna leave something to see." (Song Lyric)
This Is Your Land - Simple Minds - Correctly answered by kirstymd

Alan Mullery was the first ever England player to be sent off, but against which nation did he see red in 1968?
Yugoslavia: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

WC2006?? We'd probably have been humiliated by Togo anyway!: Yes, Scotland's WC dream is effectively over after losing 1-0 at home to Belarus. It's only the third time we've lost a WC qualifier at home and only the second competitive game that Belarus have won away and their first for ten years! In truth, qualification looked unlikely from the start under Berti Vogts and only the arrival of Walter Smith gave hope. But, much like Leeds, Scotland have a habit of raising the hopes and then kicking you in the short and curlies when you least expect it. On the day, Belarus were the better side and could have easily scored four or five before half time, however I'll console myself with the fact that things do look brighter for the future than anytime in recent history and as far as today's game went, we did dominate the opening 17 seconds.

Becks At The Double: As England beat Austria 1-0 and stand on the verge of qualifying, captain David Beckham wrote himself into the record books as being the first player to be sent off twice for England, or at least until Alan Smith goes OTT in the future again. I didn't see any of the game as the first half clashed with the second half of the Scots game and then I had to go back to work for an hour, so I can't comment on the performance or indeed the red card, which was apparently for two unlucky bookings, however despite how good or bad the the performance was, it's worth remembering that at this stage, it's better to play poorly and win, than play well and lose.

Irish Hope: Speaking of which, the Republic somehow scraped a 1-0 win in Cyprus, despite the home side dominating the first half and making keeper Shay Given man of the match. This group is so tight that three points is like gold dust and, whilst at the time of typing, the two evening games are not yet complete, Ireland's home game on Wednesday with fellow hopefuls Switzerland looks set to be a cracker. So, with England just about there (and may well be by the time you read this), it wouldn't hurt to cheer on the Irish and tune in for what will surely will a nerve shreading night.

Monday 10th October 2005
In which 2005 thriller starring Bruce Willis, did his real-life daughter Rumer play his on screen daughter?
Hostage: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In the 12 years of the `New` division one between 92-93 and 03-04, only one club won the title more than once. Which club?

Only Brazil have a better squad than England according to Michael Owen after qualification was secured for the finals next year. That may or may not be true and I'm sure the likes of Argentina and Italy would have something to say on that, however having the players is only half the battle, having a manager and a system that gets the best out of the players is the trick. No-one would argue that, on paper, England are far superior to Northern Ireland, yet it didn't pan out that way in Belfast last month. Of course, Owen is only saying what the public want to hear as it would do little for anyone if he said, "Well actually, if we get to the last 16 in Germany it'll be a bonus!" I felt that in 2002 and 2004, England had the players to win it and the same could be true in 2006. As we know, it's not quite that simple.

Tuesday 11th October 2005
"I sold my soul for the second time, cos the man don't pay me. I begged my landlord for some more time, he said "Son, the bill's waiting."" (Song Lyric)
The Importance of Being Idle - Oasis: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In the 1920's, Huddersfield won three top flight titles in a row. Who are the only three clubs to have repeated the feat since?

Yorkie Pride: From experience, local derbies tend to be dire, drab affairs or end to end battles which keep even the neutrals on the edge of their seats. So, whilst on paper, Bradford v Huddersfield had all of the appeal of watching paint dry (Indeed I double checked that it wasn't a rugby match!), it turned into a cracker. Three goals, two of which were brilliant free kicks and enough chances, especially first half, to keep the interest high throughout. Add to the mix a few ex-Prem players who I thought were firmly placed in the `Where Are They Now?` file and a superb atmosphere, especially from the away fans, and you had a good evenings entertainment. It's just a shame that many people probably didn't bother watching! Never judge a book by it's cover and all that.

"Oh Wow!!!": So came the strangled yelp of delight from not one, but TWO, of our paperboys this morning as they started reading the various mags and papers on their rounds! Naturally, yours truly thought that these 14-year olds were reacting to a headline on the back pages regarding England or the launch of a new console or XBox 360 game. But no, to my eternal surprise, I couldn't have more wrong as I spotted that they were looking at the front cover - and then inside - the new Radio Times. So when I asked what all the excitement was about, I was told it was down to the Mitchell brothers returning to EastEnders! PC and console game designers need to get cracking on the PS3 version of EastEnders!

Wednesday 12th October 2005
In 1989, which was the first feature length movie to star Wallace & Gromit?
A Grand Day Out: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In Saturday's win against Austria, England didn't have a single Man United player in the starting line up for the first time in nine years. Who were the opponents the last time this occurred?

So, Sven has announced that he will not quit his job due to criticism as he is too stubborn. Good for him. If the results were consistantly going against England or they had struggled to qualify for the World Cup, then I would perhaps have some sympathy for the fans, however many of them at the moment want their proverbial bread with jam on it. Okay, we would all love our clubs or countries to qualify with all guns blazing amid sensational performances and scintillating football, but things don't work that way and it's seemingly not enough nowadays just to qualify for the finals having lost just once. In fact, in a different group tonight, Israel could go out without losing at all. So England fans, be grateful for qualification and look forward to June 2006. If they win the world cup with a series of drab, boring 1-0 wins, will they still be complaining then?

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 15 years, we all know that various foods are good and bad for us. Eating this increases brainpower, whilst drinking that decreases energy, blah, blah blah. Basically nothing is good for you and everything is bad for you. So it was interesting to read about a lady in the paper who managed to increase her boob size by three sizes, not by working out, but by drinking cappuchino! Of course, experts are falling over themselves to tell us that this wouldn't work for everyone (although cappuchino manafacturers will doubtless try and cash in, and why not!), however it remains to be seen what it would do to the male of the species. Personally, I'll stick with Pepsi and Tetley. Not together I hasten to add.

Thursday 13th October 2005
Anthony Edwards, Michael Ironside and Rick Rossovich all starred in TV's ER. However for which 1986 blockbuster film did they also appear together?

In the 2002 World Cup Finals, two games went to a penalty shoot out. Which nation was involved in both?

Irish Eyes Aren't Smiling: So close and yet so far for the Republic last night as their goalless draw at home to Switzerland gave the visitors second place and resigned the Irish to third and World Cup elimination. But was it really that close? Well actually, I could count the number of chances for Ireland on one hand - notably Ian Harte's early header wide, Kevin Kilbane's header at the keeper and Steven Reid's deflected cross that needed tipping over. Okay, the Swiss didn't create much more, although Frei's header wide was even worse that Harty's effort, but then they didn't have to. For the majority of the game, they looked the better side and only late on did Ireland really get up a decent head of steam. So, as the inquests begin and the betting opens as to how long before boss Brian Kerr quits, it's worth remembering that they didn't really get eliminated last night, the real damage was done in both games against Israel when the Irish somehow managed to draw two games that they should have won.

Top Spot For England: As the dust settles and the doom and gloom brigade anxiously await the next international, England actually topped their group which will doubtless do little to ease the minds of those who think that Rooney and Co will lose to Angola in their opening game next summer. I didn't see the game, aside from occasionally channel changes to see what the score was, but general consensus was that the performance and result was a marked improvement from recent games. So, here's a thing. Why not spend the next nine months actually backing the players and management for a change? After all, you need to get behind someone before stabbing them in the back!

The Future's Bright? Scotland ended their campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win in Slovenia so despite Saturday's blip, I still have high hopes for the Euro 2008 qualifiers which will start in around a year. Whether it'll prove to be another false dawn or whether there is genuine reason for hope remains to be seen, however it will be the first set of qualifiers for a while that will start with real optimism for the Scots.

Friday 14th October 2005
"Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold until you find it there and lead it back home." (Song Lyric)
Bring Me To Life - Evanesance: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Which now defunct newspaper sponsored the football league briefly in the mid 80s?
Today: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

So far this season, one buzzword, or phrase to be precise, has seemingly entered the world of football-talk without any warning. I'd not heard it said in any circles prior to the summer, yet since, you can hardly watch a football programme on the box without hearing it mentioned. The phrase in question is of course, "Hit The Ground Running!" and various similar variations. Now, when I first heard it, I misunderstood it's meaning completely and was flumoxed by the context that it was being used, however I've since realised that it actually means, `To Do Well` or `Will Do Well` or `Has Done Well` etc etc. Silly of me really, yet I still cannot see where the phrase comes from or why it should mean what it does. To me it implies that someone or a club has flopped badly after a decent start. But then, what do I know?

Saturday 15th October 2005
"I'd rather make the mistake of believing her, than the bigger one of not." (Film Quote)
The Interpreter: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In 1987, who became the first Scottish club to install a plastic pitch?

Quick Fire Chelsea: When I glanced at the half time scores today, I actually believed that this would be the day that Chelsea would lose either their 100% record or even their unbeaten record. Bolton are a tricky team to play against at the best of times and with them a goal up at Stamford Bridge - where they drew 2-2 last season - I thought that this could be it. Half an hour later, it was a matter of how many Chelsea would end up with! Four Chelsea goals and a Bolton red card in a crazy nine minute spell turned the game completely around and if there is still anyone left that doubts Chelsea's strength, then they'll probably feel differently now!

Hats Of To Spurs And Wigan: Especially the latter who kicked off early and went second, albeit temporarily after their win against Newcastle. Okay, the visitors should have had a penalty and looked to have scored when Alan Shearer's header seemed to cross the line, but that's football and Wigan, relegation probables two months ago, are up with the elite and that band of clubs includes Spurs who went second at the end of the day after beating Everton, who themselves are getting further up that famous creek with a famous article week by week. Even their own fans must wonder what's gone wrong after last season's dizzy heights.

Differing Fortunes: For Arsenal and Man United! The Gunners blew a lead at lowly West Brom and lose further ground on the top clubs. Blame it on injuries if you like, but Arsenal's continual insistance on trying to score the perfect goal is costing them big time. Fair play to Albion who disappear out of the bottom three as Everton become a blip in their rear view mirror. They'll want to avoid a last day blood pressure test as they endured in May, so these sort of wins are priceless. As for Man United, no problems at Sunderland as they eased to a 3-1 win and moved ominously up into the top four. Since that home defeat against Blackburn, United haven't put a foot wrong and even with Chelsea doing their steamroller impression, it would be daft to write United off yet.

King Eddie Revisited: Burnley v Leeds always conjures up memories of an astonishing goal at Turf Moor around 1970 when Eddie Gray dribbled around any number of Burnley players before crashing the ball into the net. Of course, that was a op flight game and today's wasn't, however we came from behind to win 2-1 and move us up to fourth. Yes, that's FOURTH! We're in nose bleed territory guys!

Sunday 16th October 2005
"Living on free food tickets. Ordering the milk in the hole in the roof where the rain comes through." (Song Lyric)
Love Of The Common People - Paul Young: Correctly answered by Al Pike

Which club has previously played at grounds called The Meadows, Parkside and Gregory?

Second City Pride Of Place: Goes to Aston Villa for a change! Usually in the Birmingham-Villa derby games, the Blues take control and end up on top, however at St Andrews today, Villa turned the derby form book and the Prem form book on it's head to win thanks to a Kevin Phillips goal. Equally unusually, the game wasn't on the box, although that may have been down to the midday kick off time, not that it's stopped Sky in the past, note the 11:15ko a couple of weeks ago, so I cannot comment on whether it was deserved or otherwise, however what it does do is give David O'Leary some much needed breathing space after an opening to the season that's seen just one win in eight games. It'll also give him some time from the fans!

Two Mancs In The Top Four: Yes, whilst it's normal to see Man United in the top four, it's not quite so usual to see City breathing down their necks, but they are after beating West Ham 2-1 in a game that could, and maybe should, have been over well before Bobby Zamora scored a stoppage time consolation. City were largely dominant and the fact that the Hammers didn't have a shot at goal until four minutes into the second half speaks volumes. Only late on did they look like scoring, by which time City had blown a hat full of chances, but that seems to be a common theme for them this season. Andy Cole still looks sharp, even now he's turned 34 and although his second could have been scored by most of us, his first was as good as you'll see this season as regards precision and subtlety is concerned. Man City and Spurs in the top four! What is the world coming to?

Monday 17th October 2005
Which child star has appeared in the following recent films? War Of The Worlds, The Cat In The Hat, Hide and Seek and Man On Fire?
Dakota Fanning: Correctly answered by kirstymd

Against which club last season did Middlesbrough play their first ever UEFA Cup game?

Two main stories dominate today, both concerned with the weekend games. Firstly, Aston Villa boss David O'Leary who, following his club's win at arch rivals Birmingham, ran across the pitch to celebrate in front of the directors box, which included his own boss, Doug Ellis. Sadly, in these politically correct days, celebrating in front of your own directors is not permitted and it seems as though he'll get hauled in front of the FA for crimes against football. It's a shame that few of these big-wigs have experienced top flight football and the joys and despair that goes with it. If they had, then perhaps they'd appreciate the enjoyment of winning such a big game in the top flight for the first time since 1987.

Aside from that, we have Bolton boss Sam Allardyce having a moan at Chelsea's Michael Essien for feighning injury and avoiding a red card in the game on Saturday. In truth, his tackle on Tal Ben Haim was bloody reckless and deserved a red and it seems that ref Rob Styles has now admitted that he made a mistake, however Allardyce feels that by pretending he was injured in the tackle, Essien got the sympathy vote and was only booked. Maybe there's some reality in that and due to video replays, justice may yet be done, however it's worth remembering that a couple of hours before the Chelsea game, Wigan's Lee McCulloch was shown a straight red for his tackle on Newcastle's Emre - a challenge that was not as bad as Essien's - and despite being genuinely injured, he was still red carded! Finally on this point, during the Chelsea-Bolton game, did anyone else notice the Chelsea player waving an imaginary card after Ricardo Gardner's handball that saw him sent off? Well, the player doing the waving was...Essien!

Tuesday 18th October 2005
"The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in. Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin. Engines stop running, but I have no fear." (Song Lyric)
London Calling - The Clash: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

During their ground sharing days of the 80s and 90s, which two clubs did Charlton share with?
Crystal Palace and West Ham: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd & Matt Robbins

London Pride Shared: Two of London's unfashionables met at The Valley and to be fair, Charlton and Fulham put on a decent show for the 1-1 draw. Okay, it never reached `edge of the seat` excitement level, but there were chances at either end and it was a fair way to spend an hour and a half. Fulham will surely be more pleased with the point as it lifts them out of the bottom three, however the fact that they lost the lead could equally wrangle with them. For their part, Charlton are in danger of undoing all the good work at the start of the season as they've now collected one point from their last two home games and although one was against Spurs, they were two-up in that one. Maybe it's just a blip, however they'll want to get out of it asap. Their next game is winable - away to Portsmouth.

Do They Ever Learn?: I see today that Middlesbrough's Abel Xavier has been tested positive for drugs. Without meaning to be judge and jury here, my only thought is `Have they really no sense?`

I caught a snippet of a story of the radio yesterday about a certain World Championships that was held over the weekend and can't believe that I didn't know about it before. Apparently, the World `paper, scissors, stone` Championships took place, I believe in Canada, at the weekend! Most kids would have surely have played this at one stage in their childhood when `paper wraps stone`, `scissors cut paper` or stone blunts scissors`, however it's hardly a game of skill, yet there is a World Championships for it! I wonder why England didn't try and host it and unless there's a genuine reason, they should surely go for the forthcoming World Hide And Seek Tournament, not to mention the 2007 `Grandma's Steps` competition!!

Wednesday 19th October 2005
The outdoor prison scenes for which film were shot at the dilapidated Mansfield State Reformatory in Ohio?

Thierry Henry's first Arsenal goal came in his eighth game for the club, a 1-0 away win at which club who are no longer n the Prem?

King Henry The 185th - Sparta Prague 0 Arsenal 2: You have to hand it to Thierry Henry. 186 goals in an Arsenal career spanning just six years, beating Ian Wright's record of 185 and will probably extend it well into the 200's, contract talks permitting. His first against Sparta last night was absolute class, a neat back heel to control a long pass and then a brilliant curling finish with the outside of his boot. The camera angle from behind Henry shows the extend of the curl perfectly. It was also nice to read Ian Wright's comments this morning, congratulating Henry on his achievements and there will many who will echo those thoughts. On a team level, Arsenal's win puts them on the verge of making it into the knock outs, something that they have previously struggled with, yet will surely cement in the home game with Sparta in two weeks.

Red For United Again - Man United 0 Lille 0: For the first time in four years, Man United fail to win a home group game in the Champions League and to be honest, they rarely showed any signs that they looked likely to beat the French outsiders. Okay, Ryan Giggs hit the post in the first half, but how many saves did the away keeper have to make during the game? I'd be surprised if it was more than three. Passes going astray, frustration from players and fans alike (note the boos at the final whistle) and another red card as Paul Scholes put in two traditional Scholes-type tackles and was rightly sent off. United have two problems in Europe now. Winning at least one of their two remaining away games and keeping all eleven men on the pitch! For the first time in an age, qualification into the knock outs doesn't look clear cut for United.

Thursday 20th October 2005
"Draw people smiling, dogs running, rainbows. They don't have meetings about rainbows." (Film Quote)
The Sixth Sense: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In the Champions League last season, Chelsea scored four in a game on two occasions, but against which two European giants?
Barcelona and Bayern Munich: Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

Awesome Foresome for Chelsea - Chelsea 4 Real Betis 0: Another day and another thumping win for Chelsea. Coupled with last Saturday, they seem to have perfected the art of lulling the opposition into a false sense of security and then blasting them with both barrels. It happened against Bolton at the weekend and for the first twenty minutes last night, it seemed possible that Betis might spring a surprise - and then the goals began. From the sublime - Joe Cole's finish - to the ridiculous - Ricardo Carvalho capitalising on a schoolboy error from the keeper - Chelsea went through the range, culminating in a brilliant goal from Hernan Crespo, but made by one of the best first time crosses you'll ever see from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Maybe, somewhere there is a chink in the armour, but finding it is another story!

Can We Play In Europe Every Week - Anderlecht 0 Liverpool 1: Whilst I didn't see Liverpool winning their second goal on the bounce thanks to a Djibril Cisse goal, it was interesting to hear boss Rafael Benitez confirm what most of us knew a while back, that the European style suits Liverpool far better than the Premiership `up and at em` routine from opponents. This is confirmed by the stats as Liverpool can almost match Chelsea in the CL this season (and of course last season speaks for itself!) yet they cannot hit form in the domestic league. So while Benitez has spoken the truth, I'm not sure it's a wise move to give future opponents the benefit of his wisdom!

Thats All Folks!

Well, for now anyway! For circumstances beyond my control (long story), the diary is taking an enforced rest for a few days. It'll be back either at the end of this month or the beginning of November. Thanks for reading.

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