Welcome to That Friday Feeling folks, it’s that time of the
week where we delve in to the world of sport and combine a glance at the week
just gone with a stare of anticipation at the week ahead.
Get involved as always on Twitter and, crucially, enjoy.
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| Becks' Appeal 'off-pitch' |
The decision by David Beckham to retire from football at the
end of this season is one that will cause few ripples on English shores. Ever
since ‘Golden Balls’ swapped Manchester for Madrid – or even more so Madrid for
Los Angeles – he has had little impact on the footballing conscience of
Britain. Beckham’s career will be remembered by two distinct phases – ‘The Manchester
United years’ and ‘adventures abroad’ – largely due to the fact he performed
better, seemingly, in the former rather than the latter. Never blessed with
outstanding pace, Becks showed that with unerring accuracy players could still
be an asset in the modern game. All the while, however, ‘Brand Beckham’ was developing
at a fascinating rate, and it is for this that he will be remembered most. He
won the hearts of a nation (mostly women, but the odd bloke) with some rescue
missions in an England shirt, of which he is the most capped outfield player;
however his playing ability will forever be overshadowed by his commercial side.
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| Let's K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Smith) |
One has to question the wisdom of the Rugby Football League’s
proposal to once again alter the format of the sport in Britain. The RFL has
proposed a restructuring of the current three tier system – which currently consists
of 14 ‘licensed’ clubs in the Super League, 14 in the Championship and 9 in the
Championship 1 – to accommodate a 12 team two league system which then splits
in to three leagues halfway through the season. Confused? You’re not the only
one. Former England coach Tony Smith is beyond puzzled and believes that the new
system would create mayhem. When British players are chasing, not only the sun
but the dollar Down Under, is now a time to give them an extra reason to exit
the competition?
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| Cav: Quickest Step |
Mark Cavendish described the 100
th win of his
career – a typically frantic sprint finish – as ‘beautiful’. This is perhaps
not the word which most would use to convey the feeling of crossing the line of
the 12
th stage of the infamously hard Giro d’Italia tour when rain
is lashing down on aching legs, burnt lungs and acid-laden muscles. However, after
over three hours in the saddle – admittedly a stroll for such athletes – ‘the
Manx Missile’ romped home in familiar fashion for his relatively new team,
Omega Pharma – QuickStep, on a trechourous stage to Treviso. Although, Sir
Bradley Wiggins has retired with a chest infection, it is testament to the pair
that they are raising the profile of the sport to the point where their
inclusion, or withdrawal, of cycling races other than the famous Tour de France
are considered important in the sporting press.
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| The Incredible Hulk's bigger brother |
And finally...It was a case of “cobblers!” for Northampton
Town forward Adebayo Akinfenwa recently when he was stopped by police. The
heavyweight forward, who tops the scales at around the 15st mark, has gained
cult status across the game’s lower leagues in recent years for his big frame
and even bigger goals tally. Ahead of his side'
s clash with Bradford City in the
play-off final on Saturday, the big man explained why the old bill may think he
was playing at Wembley in a different sport:
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