Respecting the underdog

The underdog should never be discounted.  It doesn’t matter in any form of life what that could be. 

It could be someone who defeats all the odds to achieve a massive win on the bookies, get an important University assignment in on time against all adversity, or overcoming many hurdles thrown at you to achieve the goal you set out to achieve in life.

Oldham's players celebrate after their historic victory

The message is crystal clear.  Never underestimate the underdog or you could feel the force of it.  And in the world of football as an example, it has to go down as ‘Underdog Weekend.’

Not since 1994 has there been a weekend like it in the FA Cup.  Five Premier League sides have been dumped out of the greatest cup competition in the world by lower league outfits, ranging from play-off contenders in the Championship to non-league footballers – who probably earn a tenth of what the likes of Lionel Messi and John Terry earn in a week.

Supporting the underdog…unless it is your team

Footballers are generally overpaid; there is no getting way around it.  It means some people struggle to respect the game in general, and that is understandable.  In such economic hardship, the sport seems to defy all with more inflated transfer fees, and crazy wages being belted out to players – some who simply have no brains to play the game.

So it is these kinds of weekends that makes the neutral fall in love with football and by supporting the underdog, it makes you feel a lot better.  That is of course unless your team is on the wrong end of a classic cup upset.

I felt that this afternoon.  Sitting down to watch Oldham Athletic v Liverpool on ITV today, I wanted my side to be tested, but to avoid the banana skin upset.  From the moment Oldham took the lead in the second minute, a shock was on.

This is a side in League One in the bottom seven, attracting gates of no more than 10,000 – in a stadium which is classic but certainly outdated.  Yet they put the likes of Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and co to the sword.  Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League but over 90 minutes, anything can happen and it usually does.

Oldham thoroughly deserved their 3-2 victory and advanced into the fifth round.  I’m hurting, because deep down, I knew this was a competition Liverpool could have realistically won, and the effort from some players today (I won’t mention names) was absolutely abysmal.

However take nothing away from unfancied Oldham.  They had a gameplan, rattled the Premier League giants and scored at crucial moments of the game to keep themselves in the ascendancy.  I wish them all the best and they deserve all the credit.

Outwitted and outfought

It wasn’t just Oldham who were upsetting the formbook.  Mighty Tottenham Hotspur – fourth place in the Premier League couldn’t cope with the intimidating atmosphere of Elland Road, Leeds.  The inconsistent Championship side outfought and outwitted their better opponents to win 2-1. 

While Liverpool’s demise to smaller opposition will take most of tomorrow morning’s headlines, Spurs should be ashamed of themselves.  Their team couldn’t be bothered; they underestimated Leeds and paid the price. 

Reigning European champions Chelsea were very fortunate to leave Griffin Park with a replay, after drawing 2-2 with Brentford.  Their performance was again one where they seemed to think they could coast through with something to spare.  

Well if these players in these clubs do not want to give 100 per cent effort for the crest on their shirt, then they know where the door is.  There are plenty of other people who’d love to do the ‘job’ these so-called Premier League megastars do.

Sometimes, the game of football annoys me massively.  Talking about ball boys, diving and the power of infidelity is not what it is all about, it is these moments that bring a smile to the face of many up and down the land.

Vast differences

As a prime example, take Bradford City from League Two.  Their starting 11 for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final at Aston Villa was a value total of just £10,000.  Compare that with a Manchester City squad and a total valuation of over £500million.

The differences are vast, and we all want to find magnificent stories that we can treasure forever.  Bradford’s remarkable journey to the final of the League Cup is one that should never be forgotten.

Villa faced up to that humiliation with another shock defeat on Friday night, going down 2-1 at Millwall which started this dramatic weekend.

Premier League no-hopers QPR were caught napping by Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday, trailing 4-0 at one point before losing 4-2 at home.  The Dons have made the last 16 for the first time, and Harry Redknapp’s response afterwards said it all.

He said: “It was disgusting!”

And perhaps the story of the weekend was Luton Town’s amazing victory at Premier League Norwich City.

Scott Rendell scored the only goal as the non-league side won 1-0 at Carrow Road.  They became the first side from the non-league to knock out top-flight opposition since Sutton United from the GM Vauxhall Conference beat Coventry City from Division One 2-1 in 1989.

Upsets aplenty

I will leave you now with highlights of some of the biggest giant-killing upsets in FA Cup history.  Supporters of big teams should look away now.

Congratulations to Oldham Athletic, Luton Town, Bradford City, Milton Keynes Dons, Brentford, Millwall and Leeds United on their incredible results in the last seven days.

You have proven that the romance in cup competitions is very much still alive. 

Football….some game.  Never underestimate the power of the underdog!

Categories: 1994, Brentford, Championship, FA Cup, Lionel Messi, Liverpool, Oldham Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Underdog, Wages

Autosport International Show 2013 – Stars and cars make up for lack of general content

By Simon Wright

The NEC in Birmingham hosted the annual motorsport exhibition, Autosport International from 10 – 13 January 2013. 

I went on Saturday, 12 January, the 10^th successive year I have been to the event that often is seen as the official start of the motorsport season.

Last year’s exhibition was the best in the proud history of the show.  12 months on, it was going to be difficult to beat this. 

Ultimately there were many cars for the public to see, and some top motorsport stars, but the lack of general content was noticeable to see.

Stewart leads the star guests

Leading the star guests at Autosport in 2013 was three-time world Formula One champion Sir Jackie Stewart.

The SF1 from 1997 was in attendance - beginning the team now known today as Red Bull

Stewart gave several interviews throughout the weekend, and was also around to promote his own collection of great racing cars.  Features included his three F1 world championship winning machines from 1969, 1971 and 1973, as well as the SF1 – Stewart Grand Prix’s first car in Formula One in 1997, which metamorphosed into Jaguar and lastly, the hugely successful Red Bull venture.

Scotland’s Paul di Resta also made an appearance for the second successive year.  Di Resta had a tough second season in F1 last year, but is ready to improve on his results with Force India, and seemed in good spirits.  He was the only Grand Prix driver to turn up in 2013.

Jake Humphrey was a big attraction, as he prepares for a new career

Outgoing BBC F1 anchor Jake Humphrey was also around, sharing F1 Racing Grid interview duties with Sky Sports F1 HD commentator David Croft.  Humphrey admitted that he found the 2012 season frustrating to watch, especially as the Beeb don’t have the live central contract anymore, and was surprised to hear that Lee McKenzie was overlooked for the presenter gig in 2013.  Jake’s replacement will be the unattractive Suzi Perry – who used to front MotoGP for the channel, but not since 2009.

Johnny Herbert and Anthony Davidson were also guests of honour, representing Sky as it continues to go from strength and strength.  There were also appearances from World Touring Car champion Rob Huff, DTM racer Andy Prialux, reigning BTCC champion Gordon Shedden and TV presenter Steve Rider.

Racing Grid lives upto expectations
The F1 Racing Grid, which has been a real letdown in recent years was a major plus point this year.  There were lengthy and amusing Q&A sessions between the presenters and the hundreds of fans who flocked to the NEC.  Croft, Herbert and Davidson played a version of the Sky Sports F1 Buzz Game, and Croft even spotted my nodding when I agreed with Davidson’s viewpoint that Nico Hulkenberg would have been a better fit at McLaren, rather than Sergio Perez. 

Testing the reactions with Pirelli was an enthralling experience

Grand Prix tyre supplier Pirelli was back, and allowed fans to test their instant and lightning reactions with the ‘Reactor Game.’  Each person taking part would donate £2 to Great Ormond Street Hospital, and had 30 seconds to see how many times they could press a variety of buttons that flashed up on the stand.  I did this three times, and got a high score of 33 – which was an excellent effort.  I have to say, I got very competitive and felt the high adrenaline buzz from taking part.

There were some flashy road cars from the likes of McLaren and Porsche at the show, along with plenty of go-kart and touring car models, plus a lovely tribute to former World Rally champion Richard Burns.

The tribute of cars to the late Richard Burns was the main highlight

Burns display was main highlight
Burns won the WRC title for Subaru in 2001, but sadly lost his fight against cancer in 2005, after being forced to retire from the sport due to ill health.  Some of Richard’s famous cars were in attendance, including his British Rally entries, the Subaru he drove to the title in 2001, and the Peugeot 206 with which he was leading the 2003 title race until his health declined. 

It was a popular part of this year’s exhibition and is a sad reminder of rallying’s fall from grace.  Both Burns and Colin McRae are no longer with us – the last two World Rally British champions – whilst Sebastian Loeb’s decision to walkaway might end his domination over the past decade, but means there is a severe lack of quality in the 2013 championship.

The Live Action Arena didn’t disappoint either.  Louise Goodman and some bald guy (his name is not familiar!) were the hosts for the usual thrills and spills.  Stunt driver Terry Grant put on another tremendous show with his own tribute to James Bond.  The McLaren Autosport nominees were in attendance, and there was a good luck message from the Road2Recovery rally team, who were involved in a tragic accident on the Dakar Rally last week. 

'Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing!' - Classic Kimi

Not enough choice
Unlike last year though, it seemed like the amount of space had been condensed and there wasn’t as much to see.  There was a lack of book and DVD stalls, so if you wanted to take something away as a souvenir, clothing was your best bet.  I think I made the right decision to buy a black Kimi Raikkonen top, with his famous radio message from Abu Dhabi last year painted in the gold Lotus colours.  ‘Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing’ really does get the message across.

Many manufacturers were missing too.  The powerhouses from Japan, France and Germany were conspicuous by their absence.  Although Britain is in the midst of some freezing temperatures and snow at the moment, it would have been nice from a fan’s perspective to see more choice.  

The economic recession is probably the main factor though.  Many businesses are struggling after Christmas, and notable names like DUKE video were missing this year – suggesting they couldn’t afford to make it to Birmingham in 2013.

All in all – 2013 was a good and entertaining exhibition, but it struggled to match the success of 2012.  That probably won’t stop me though from making the annual pilgrimage again to Autosport International in 2014.  

Categories: Autosport International Show, BBC, Birmingham, David Croft, Formula One, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Jaguar, Jake Humphrey, January, NEC, Paul di Resta, Pirelli, Scotland, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sky Sports F1

A gamble that needs to be taken

With the Christmas festivities firmly behind us, I have had to make some big decisions over my short-term future, and this means taking a risk which I feel I need to make.

Saturday's trip to the Autosport show was a refreshing break

Since my freelancing contract went down the plughole with Total Football Magazine, I have felt a sense of worry and emptiness – wondering where the next break will come.  The decision of accepting only paid work might not be helping, but that is something I won’t change.

With the job market as it is today – it means I am now 95 per cent certain of making a return to studying later in the year. 

Total frustration

With a 2:1 degree from the University of Northampton, I really believed something would have turned up by now. 

I was aware of how difficult the job market is at the moment.  There were going to be rejections, and some applications would be sent off and you wouldn’t hear anything.  Media is a competitive industry, so the days of walking into a position a decade ago are now a thing of the past.

However, having done over 100 applications in the last 12 months, at least 85 of those were media/admin based, I have become increasingly disillusioned.  I haven’t had a single interview for a media position and despite even attempting to get some income in a retail position – my qualifications rule me out of anything here. 

This means other alternatives had to be explored.  Since the middle of November, the possibility of returning to studying has been in the back of my mind, and the general insecurities I was feeling has seen this thought only get stronger during December and into January.

I think my qualifications aren’t good enough, because I have tried everything else – apart from possessive nagging, and that is not going to win you a job.

So it was time to get a plan into gear for the future.

Taking a step back

Last week, I drew up a shortlist of 10 possible courses and spent the day researching information about them, along with case studies, module guides and the type of qualification I need.

In media, if you don’t have an NCTJ accredited qualification, you are fighting a losing battle.  The only way I can do this is by doing one.  Typically, my undergraduate University course was not NCTJ accredited – one of only four I think in the entire country!

The choice has been narrowed done to three - a sports journalism MA in Sheffield, a fast-track NCTJ in Brighton or a sports PR one-year degree in Manchester.  All three have really interested me, and I’m pleased to have already narrowed my options down so quickly.

I’m not going to lie.  When I finished my BA journalism degree at UoN in May last year, I thought my studying days were over, and I had no interest in taking an MA.  Now I realise that if I don’t, the chances of making a significant breakthrough in my career could be in ruins.

It is taking a step back, but could lead to two steps forwards.  I have also decided that should this avenue not work either, and I still can’t get into the paid media world in 2015 – I will leave the country and set-up base elsewhere in the world. 

Cyprus is a place I’d love to explore and I saw a possible future in Fuerteventura when I went on holiday there in August 2011 – possibly in the property ladder. 

Formulating a plan

Some will approach life with a hands-on approach, others just want to travel and some don’t care where they end up.  At the end of the day, we all have different aims and targets.

My character means I need to be settled and have a plan for the future.  I really struggle with no stability and a lack of security.  The last six months have proved this clearly. 

Now that I have formulated a plan, I feel more relaxed and happier, knowing that I have something to aim for. 

I still need to investigate the funding requirements for a return to Uni.  It will be expensive and I’m going to need some handy financial support for this to work out.  Only when I do this research, and that will be very soon – will I definitely know that I will be going back to studying.

I haven’t quite given up on a full-time paid media position yet.  I will still apply until around May for positions of interest, in the hope that something turns up – and only one of the three courses I have on my shortlist requires a guaranteed deposit and effectively a lockdown. 

This will be a challenge for me, but in the words of racing driver Lewis Hamilton; “I don’t think in my whole life I’ve chosen the easy road, I’ve always generally gone down the hard road.”

I went to University in 2009, not 2007 because I wasn’t ready.  Two years at Milton Keynes College made me ready for that – so that was a harder route, but the right decision.

University at Northampton had its trials and tribulations and at times, I did my degree the hard way – but the results paid off with my final degree classification.  I don’t do easy.

And I believe that if you want to succeed in today’s world, then you have to either chase the dream or work really hard for it.  

Categories: Brighton, Character, Future, Media, Milton Keynes, NCTJ, PR, Security, Sheffield, University

New Year resolutions

We are now 12 days into 2013.  2012 gave us all plenty of great memories – both personally and publicly, and it is a year that I am sure none of us will forget in a hurry.

Did you make any New Year resolutions and have you stuck to them, or broken them already?

My record in this department is mixed.  I never kept them growing up, but succeeded in 2011 with a plan of controlling the amount of alcohol I would have per week.

Last year’s resolution was not great.  I vowed to watch one news bulletin every day, whether that be BBC, ITN, Channel 4, Five News or Sky News.  It lasted 10 days, and I know the news is normally a depressing thing to watch but in reality, I should have done better with this.

By the end of last year – my lack of stability and security led to me making several misjudgements, and I really wasn’t happy with my personality either.  So, rather than make one resolution, I decided to go for an ambitious target of eight in 2013. 

The chances were that two of these wouldn’t see the year out, but I want to stick to these for as long as I can, and my target is for five to at least see out the year.

So – here are the eight resolutions I have made and how I have fared so far in 2013.

1. Limit my use of Facebook

This is priority number one.  It’s true; Facebook has at times taken over in a big way.  When you start feeling insecure about a number of things – ranting on social media is not the right way to go about things.  Trust me; I have learnt this the hard way.  

I have taken breaks from this before, lasting from a week to a month in November 2011 – and although I stayed away for these periods, I always came back and slipped into old habits.

My target for 2013 is to only use Facebook for one hour per week – limiting my status updates, and focusing more on published links, radio show promotions and YouTube video clips.

Two weeks in and I have stuck to this just.  There are no restrictions to Twitter and LinkedIn, but this had to be done and I hope to keep it up.

2. Exercise more

The exercise bike could & should get a lot of extra work this year...

Back in the college days, the best description for me was ‘couch potato,’ because that is what I was.  I use the home gym frequently in summer, but not enough in winter – and my lack of general fitness is a concern.

My plan was to do some stretches at least in the winter months, before doing longer gym routines in the spring and the summer.

Unfortunately, this hasn’t started yet – so it is a fail, but it is something that I want to start soon.

    

      3. Stop being so paranoid

This was a big problem that needed to be ratified.  I often got paranoid about the smallest things – and it got as ridiculous as thinking I had done something wrong, when I probably hadn’t.

This also involved taking things far too personally, over-hyping arguments and even getting concerned if I didn’t get a reply back to a message.

The amount of paranoia I had was so crazy, things had to change and for the better.  In 2013, I am aiming to relax more, not worry so much about the small things and appreciate more what I have at my disposal – both in terms of friends and family.

Already I feel like I’m making progress on this front.  I like to generally think I’m a nice, caring individual but at times, I act like the biggest clown around.  This year – that won’t happen.   

4. Watch my choice of words

In today’s day and age, it is important to have two personas in my view.  That is both a personal view and a professional stance.  Mixing up the two can lead to trouble, especially with the use of words, particularly explicit language.

This is a bad habit I have picked up throughout my education and needs to stop.  I know that swearing is wrong and we all do it.  I probably will still have moments where I utter the wrong word, but more control needs to be shown.

This is a trial and error resolution.  I’m doing what I can in January, but if I say the wrong type of language, I feel guilty.  In February, I’m considering setting up a ‘Swear Jar,’ so if I say a bad word – I have to put some money into the jar and then, I give it away to a good cause.  It is the only way I will learn.

5. Start to support a charity

This is something I would like to invest in, and especially once I get the paid breakthrough in media, whenever that will be. 

I haven’t decided which charity to get involved in and how this will be done yet, but it is a venture that not only I would like to do, but feel it could be a good thing to have on a CV.  Plus, it will be worth it to some who aren't so lucky. 

6. Be less controversial

In my life, I always have had a strong opinion on many topics in current affairs, and this can range from questionable refereeing decisions in football to the latest wrangle in the coalition government, and that is despite not having any serious interest in politics.

Taking a phlegmatic approach to things that you simply can’t control, rather than act like it is the end of the planet is the best way forward.  I will still agree/disagree with decisions/principles/proposals – but hearing both sides of the argument would be wise.

I feel like this resolution is on track – although I can’t help think that the future of the coalition isn’t great when David Cameron compares his relationship with the Liberal Democrats to a tin of Ronseal!  That wouldn’t fulfil anyone with much confidence.

7. Learn shorthand/a new language

Learning shorthand is something I need to do

As a trainee journalist, shorthand is still a practical and useful skill to have.  I did a brief bit of training right at the end of my UoN journalism degree, and even purchased a book to do it in my own time.  Then the Total Football position came up, and I completely forgot about it after mid-June.

I’ve been hoping to learn a new language too over the past few years, but never stuck to it.  So, these are two things I would like to start and have a firm grip on by the time 2013 concludes.

The bad news is – I haven’t started either yet so this is already broken.  However, this doesn’t mean I won’t do it either.  I still could do with learning both, and that is something I will be starting real soon.  However I have said this before, especially about the new language…

8. Keep caffeine levels down

I had a high amount of caffeine in my diet in 2012, especially if I was having an energy drink and a can of fizzy drink in the same day.

So in 2013, I’m limiting my caffeine drinks to one cold drink + two hot drinks.  Trying decaf coffee is something I have already done and it still has a nice taste, just without the high caffeine boost which is a good thing.

At the moment, I have stuck to this so far – so I’m pleased with this.

My diet has never been the best, and is something I want to work on in the long-term.  It won’t happen overnight so if I can control this area in 2013, I will be delighted.  I can move onto another aspect in 2014.

So there you have it, I want to make plenty of changes.  Two of these eight have already been broken, but it could be worse – it could have been eight from eight.  So I’m relatively happy with how my New Year Resolutions are going so far.  I hope I can keep this up longer-term until the end of the year.

Categories: Alcohol, Charity, College, CV, Decaf, Exercise, Facebook, Language, New Year, News, Personal, Professional, Resolutions, Shorthand, Social Media