LEE PAYNE

Tag: mark

  • I back Gary Lineker – the BBC have made quite the rod for their own back

    Gary Lineker being taken off the air from his position as the host of the BBC’s Match of the Day is the story that’s dominating the headlines at the moment. The former England striker, who has been the host of the Premier League highlights programme since 1999, is being punished because he won’t apologise for a tweet in which he likened the language used by ministers of the Tory government in relation to its new policy on asylum seekers to “that used by Germany in the 30s”.

    Since then, pretty much every presenter, pundit and commentator has said they won’t work for the BBC this weekend in a display of solidarity with Lineker. This includes his most likely replacement as host Mark Chapman, as well as Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott. This Saturday’s edition of Match of the Day will be broadcast with no presenter or pundits at all, without any of its usual commentators and with no interviews with players or managers. Other BBC shows, such as Football Focus and Final Score, have been pulled from the schedules because they can’t find anyone willing to work on them.

    I will be completely honest with you. I would describe myself very much as left leaning, politically, and I despise the Tory government. I don’t feel that it represents me and I find myself not only unable to support them but frequently disgusted by its actions. I wish for a more compassionate government, one that cares more about its ordinary citizens than the rich and privileged and one that doesn’t actively stir hatred. My wish is that it gets removed from power at the next election.

    I agree with Gary Lineker’s tweet. When you start using terms like “illegal immigrant” you stop using terms like “human being”. You start to think of asylum seekers like farmyard animals, or worse, vermin that need to be exterminated. These are living, breathing human beings with thoughts, feelings and families. They are not making extremely dangerous crossings of the English Channel in small and inadequate boats to get a free house and benefits over here. Most of them are fleeing a war or horrific regime the like of which that we can’t really comprehend in this country. I find it astounding that the government is looking to simply move the problem elsewhere rather than attempt to find out why these people are risking their lives to get here and making an effort to address those problems. This doesn’t mean put them up in luxury homes.

    The uninitiated might be forgiven for thinking that this story is all about a mere football highlights programme on TV and that it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. But it does matter. In removing Lineker from his position, the BBC are effectively saying that you can’t broadcast on their platform if you say something the government doesn’t agree with. And that’s worrying – you might expect this of Russia or China, but not in Britain.

    Remember, Lineker has never used his position as the host of Match of the Day to express his political opinions on the programme itself. Such opinions have always been confined to Twitter. The same Twitter that Alan Sugar has used to share several of his political opinions, a lot of them against the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, plenty of them against the rail strikes and the relevant union leaders involved with them, and the not exactly impartial “DONT (sic) VOTE LABOUR”. Yet, the old boy is still allowed to wave his finger around as the face of The Apprentice on primetime BBC One. Could it be that he gets a free ride because his opinions are in support of the Tory government? I wonder.

    I don’t know where this story will end up, but I do know the BBC have created an entirely avoidable situation. The furore over Lineker’s tweet was just about quietening down when they announced on Friday night that he’d been taken off the air. In doing so, they’ve made quite the rod for their own back. If it makes some people stop and think about what a sorry state this government has brought to country down to, then it might not have been a waste of time.

  • Talking points from England’s brilliant win in the second Test

    England beat the West Indies by 113 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford

    The first international cricket played since the start of the coronavirus pandemic has not disappointed. The Test series between England and the West Indies is level at 1-1 going into the final match on Friday after the home side completed a superb 113 run win today. Here are a few talking points I’ve found from the second Test.

    First innings runs were key

    England were bowled out for 204 in their first innings in the first Test at the Rose Bowl, a match they went on to lose by 4 wickets. They arrived at Old Trafford knowing they needed to post a bigger total and they did so, amassing 469-9 before declaring on the second evening. It was slow going – they took 162 overs to score those runs and Dom Sibley’s 120 came from 372 balls, the third slowest ever by an England batsman in a home Test. I have read a few pieces criticising Sibley for batting too slowly – frankly, that’s ridiculous. England have been crying out for a solid opening batsman ever since the retirement of Alastair Cook and now they’ve got one we must not start moaning at him. Remember, they tried to turn limited overs opener Jason Roy into a Test batsman last summer and the experiment was a total failure. The value of building a big first innings total cannot be overestimated, no matter how slowly it comes.

    Dom Sibley batted for more than nine hours in scoring his first innings century

    Stokes just gets better and better

    What a cricketer Ben Stokes is. We already knew that after last year – England would not have won the World Cup without his innings in the final and he batted them to a quite simply miraculous victory in the Ashes Test at Headingley. The way he has resurrected his career since that incident in Bristol could have so easily killed it has been incredible, and how lucky we are that we haven’t lost a player of his calibre.

    Ben Stokes was the man of the match

    In the first innings Stokes scored 176, but said he was ‘more buzzing’ to have faced 300 balls in his innings because ‘it’s something I never thought I would be capable of doing’. In the second innings, when England were looking for quick runs to set up a winning position, Stokes was sent in as opener and cracked 78 off just 57 balls. Later in the day, after fielding a ball on the boundary off his own bowling at one point, he took the crucial wicket of Jermaine Blackwood on the stroke of Tea – just as the West Indies looked like they might be settling in for the draw. Stokes is quite simply indispensable.

    Write off Broad at your peril

    Stuart Broad was dropped for the first Test at the Rose Bowl, the first time that had happened to him in a home Test for eight years. The 34-year-old said he was ‘frustrated, angry and gutted’ to have been left out, so when he was brought back at Old Trafford while James Anderson and Mark Wood were rested he was determined to prove a point. On the fourth afternoon, with the draw the most likely result, Broad took 3 wickets for one run with the new ball to turn the game in England’s favour. He took 3-42 in the second innings. His powers are certainly not waning and he is now just nine away from 400 Test wickets.

    Stuart Broad is closing in on 400 Test wickets

    Who do England pick for the third Test?

    The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the English cricket season to include six Test in seven weeks, and the third Test against the West Indies starts in just four days’ time. Do England go with the same eleven, adhering to the old adage that you ‘never change a winning team’? Or are there decisions to be made?

    The batting line up was impressive in the second match, putting a big total on the board in the first innings and being versatile enough to whack 129 in just 19 overs in the second. In Rory Burns and Sibley they have two solid openers, Zak Crawley looks a decent prospect at number three although he is still finding his feet, Ollie Pope is a fantastic young talent and they are all supported by the experienced heads of Stokes and the captain Joe Root, who returned for the second match having missed the first to be at the birth of his daughter.

    The England team and the selectors clearly love having Jos Buttler around, but he just doesn’t seem good enough with the bat in Test cricket to warrant a place in the side. Especially not when a top keeper and perfectly good batsman in Ben Foakes is waiting in the wings. Buttler is a magnificent player in the shorter formats but he still only has one Test century to his name in 43 matches. He was given the perfect opportunity to go full on One Day mode in the second innings as he was sent in to open with Stokes but played on for 0. It won’t happen but I’d pick Foakes ahead of him.

    England may be tempted to bring back Jofra Archer for the decider

    It would seem like insanity to drop Broad again so the question is whether Chris Woakes, Sam Curran or indeed both make way for Anderson, Wood or Jofra Archer. Archer would have played in the second match had he not breached the bio-secure protocols that have enabled this series to take place at all by popping home to Sussex before arriving in Manchester. His pace would no doubt have caused problems to the West Indies batsmen, and England may be tempted to bring him in.

    All in all, this was a superb Test victory for England and one of the most entertaining final days you could ever wish to see. With the whole of Saturday washed out by rain, the home side have done brilliantly well to force a positive result and it feels like they may now have the momentum heading into the third match, which will decide the winners of the Wisden Trophy.

  • #GoodStuff – a few things I’ve been enjoying despite all of this

    There’s a lot going on at the moment that can really get you down. If the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t enough, keeping us away from our family and friends, ruining our plans and making us worry, then the events in the US over the last week or so have only added to the load.

    I am a big Twitter user. I find it useful to keep up with what’s going on, connect with a wide range of people and to try to get my writing seen. However, I find it really difficult to avoid getting into arguments on there. With the topic of race right back at the top of the world agenda, I’ve been coming to blows with some who I feel have truly abhorrent views.

    To drag myself out of that particular tunnel I have started something called #GoodStuff, where I share things that have made me laugh, smile or simply made this whole situation easier to deal with over the last couple of months. Here are my first selections.

    Mark Church’s Garden Cricket

    When sport is your thing, a global virus pandemic bringing the whole thing to a sudden halt for a while is tough. Football and cricket are my two biggest loves and there hasn’t been any live action to watch in this country since March – except in Mark Church’s garden.

    Mark Church is the cricket commentator for BBC London. Usually at this time of year he’d be busy reporting on all of Surrey’s matches, but the coronavirus has left him with a bit more time on his hands.

    He’s been playing in his garden, against his garden furniture. A full schedule of five Test matches, five One Day Internationals and some upcoming Twenty20 games. Some might describe the whole thing as one man’s slow descent into insanity but, trust me, it will put a smile on your face.

    From the kid’s scooter taking a quick single to the rain delay musings of presenter ‘Roy Broadcaster’ to the day/night matches, it’s been a joy. Follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

    Blossoms making music in isolation

    This week I should have seen Blossoms supporting The Killers at Carrow Road, but that’s been rescheduled for next year for obvious reasons. I’ve been a fan of the Stockport band for a while and loved Foolish Loving Spaces, their third album, released in January.

    They haven’t let the fact that they’ve been locked down in different places stop them making music, though. They have recorded some of their own songs and a few covers in isolation, and the results have been incredible.

    My favourite is their cover of Tame Impala’s The Less I Know The Better, with Miles Kane from The Last Shadow Puppets. It sounds great, you’d never know they were recording their individual parts – and at one point drummer Joe Donovan plays a potato peeler. Have a listen.


    Elis and John’s Isolation Tapes

    I’ve been a big fan of Elis James and John Robins for about three years now. At the time, they presented the 1pm-4pm slot on a Saturday on Radio X and the start of their show would coincide with me driving home from work.

    I really liked how the show was basically two mates having a chat. They talked about all kinds of stuff, and it never felt forced or fake. They’re both comedians by trade, Robins an Edinburgh festival fringe comedy award winner and James a proud Welshman who now does a lot of gigs in the Welsh language.

    I started listening to the podcasts of their radio show and have done ever since. I went to see them at the UEA in 2018 when they released a book and did a tour of the country to promote it. At the end, I even got my copy signed!

    My signed book

    Last year they moved to BBC Radio 5 Live and during the pandemic they’ve been recording extra episodes called The Isolation Tapes. I’ve found them a wonderful slice of normality amidst the chaos.

    #514 – Chinese Geese, Caribbean Soaks and Emre Can Headspace – Elis James and John Robins

    It’s limbs in the studio as a box of brownies and a couple of books have lifted Elis out of a funk. What great news for bookworms with low blood sugar. But the internal glucose alarm isn’t the only one going off as a fire alert causes chaos. We also get psychological as the boys unpick the idea of the inner monologue, and with that the terrifying engine steering John under the bonnet. Would Freud enjoy this? Potentially. Would it frighten him? Almost certainly. And from brains to bodies, the show gets panned as the least erotic thing possible, whilst we have a couple of fantastically zoological Mad Dads.It’s elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk or 07974 293022 on WhatsApp if you’ve got any comments on the above. But please nothing too close to the erotic bone. Keep it PG.
    1. #514 – Chinese Geese, Caribbean Soaks and Emre Can Headspace
    2. #513 – John Laughter, Alan Giggles and Pierre Novellie
    3. #512 – Stasi Mealtime, Clown Stance and There’s A Lot Going On With You
    4. #511 – Chorister Humour, The Veg Guesser and What a Husband!
    5. #510 – It’s Not A Drawer, Creosote i Bumry and The Spirit of Shelford

    I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at some of the things that have been keeping me going during this difficult time. Stay safe everyone.

  • Same old story on day of change at Carrow Road

     

    noblegoal
    John Ruddy isn’t saving that.

     

    Another day, another disappointment. Norwich City put in a strong shift on Saturday and worked hard to get themselves 2-0 up – but this is no longer the time to be taking the positives. We need to win, we need points and we need to stop the rot.

    For the West Ham game, a lot had been changed at Carrow Road. I don’t just mean the team selection (three alterations from last week) or tactics, but pretty much everything. The players walked out to Kasabian instead of Kanye, we were treated to live opera in the centre circle before kick-off, and – that sure sign that things aren’t going well – clips of the commentary of some of the club’s greatest moments boomed from the speakers in an attempt to fire us up. That last one, in particular, made it feel like the last few months of the Hughton reign all over again.

    I try to be as fair as possible when forming my opinions on City. I’ll leave it a few hours after a draw or defeat before I pass comment, so I can be sure that what’s going through my head isn’t just in the heat of the moment. I still feel that on Saturday Norwich were the better side and did not really look threatened until West Ham scored their rather fortunate first goal.

    We came racing out of the blocks and while we didn’t manage to score in the first few minutes, the approach was correct. West Ham had gone all the way to the end of extra time with Liverpool in their FA Cup fourth round replay just four days previously. They had injury problems. City went out to get on top from the start.

    Robbie Brady scored an excellent goal, which hopefully signals a return to form for him, and the exhilaration around Carrow Road was palpable. There was an even bigger outpouring of joy when Wes Hoolahan doubled the lead. What a position we were in – 2-0 up, 25 minutes to go – would we get a better chance for a Premier League win?

     

    312acb1b00000578-3445675-image-a-71_1455381419040
    Robbie Brady gave Norwich City the lead but it wasn’t to last.

     

    Nearly ten minutes later, when West Ham scored, there was a definite feeling around the ground of despair. They had only made it 2-1, but there was an air of ‘here we go again’ as if the crowd just knew that the Hammers would go on to equalise. Or worse.

    The defence was blamed again – but I’m not sure that’s fair this time. Brady made a superb tackle on Victor Moses, but the West Ham substitute got a bit of luck and managed to shoot. The shot was well saved by John Ruddy (who played well on his return to the side, I thought) but the rebound fell kindly for Dimitri Payet. For the equaliser, perhaps Timm Klose could have been slightly stronger but it was a well-spotted pass and a great strike from Mark Noble. I just think it’s too easy at the moment to blame the defence for every goal we concede. Sometimes you have to admit the opposition forced their way through.

    In the end, we had to settle for a point. A point that we say we probably would have taken before the game, but having been 2-0 up it feels like a defeat. City missed the chance to end this horrible winless run and build confidence going forward. Before Saturday’s game, I attempted to predict the outcomes of Norwich’s thirteen remaining games. I came up with three wins, three draws, and seven defeats – ending with 35 points. It’s unlikely to be enough to stay up.

    The worrying thing is I predicted a draw with West Ham…