England

Grand Slam for England?

March 18, 2011 By janebretin Leave a Comment

by Jane Bretin

The pressure is on for the English rugby team as they are set to play their final game in the 6 Nations Tournament in a bid to win the Grand Slam this Saturday.

The England team, that has not won a Grand Slam in eight years, is expecting tough resistance from the opposing Irish team when they play them in Dublin on Saturday. As Brian O’Driscoll, Ireland’s captain, told the RBS 6 Nations’s official website: “It’s always a huge game for us because of the history between the countries”. He added that they would exploit the opponents’ nerves as the pressure will be palpable for the British team.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: MA Friday, Sports Tagged With: 6nations, England, o'driscoll, rugby

Six Nations proves trying for Scotland and Ireland

February 14, 2011 By Patrick McPartlin Leave a Comment

By Shane de Barra

It’s game on at Twickenham in two weeks time when England and France, the only sides still able to claim a Grand Slam, clash in what has the potential to be a Six Nations title decider.

England disposed of a sorry Italy at the weekend 59-13, just a week after putting Wales to the sword in Cardiff. Rugby League convert Chris Aston was England’s star man, claiming four of his side’s eight tries and in the process becoming the first English man to score four tries in a Six Nations game.

Reigning champions France came through a much tougher in test in the battle of the last two Grand Slam winners, when they took on Ireland in Dublin in the first Championship game to take place at the new Aviva Stadium. Despite being out-scored by three tries to one, Irish indiscipline gifted the French some easy points and last gasp defence at the death was enough to see the champions home 25-22.

Wales made the journey north to Edinburgh to take on Scotland at Murrayfield and it proved to be a satisfactory trip. A first half try by winger Shane Williams set the Welsh on their way, although they did have to defend with only 13 men for ten minutes when indiscipline saw both full-back Lee Byrne and second-row Bradley Davies sin-binned.

The Scots could not take advantage however, and created nothing in a performance that has set alarm bells ringing north of the border that a return to the bad old days of recent years in nigh. The second half was a scrappy affair with both sides bereft of both imagination and direction. In the end the game was settled by a neat grubber kick by Wales centre Jonathan Thomas which Williams was again alert to, collecting to score his second try.

But there was to be no heroic Scottish comeback as they limped to a 24-6 defeat.

Filed Under: MA Monday, Sports, Uncategorized Tagged With: England, France, Ireland, Italy, rugby, Scotland, Six Nations, Wales

Fee Hike to Hit Scottish Universities

November 5, 2010 By nicolacd Leave a Comment

By Nicola Dick

Government plans for English Universities to charge £9000 for tuition fees by 2012 could have an impact on Scottish students according to Edinburgh East MP Sheila Gilmore. She believes that in doing so, there will be less spaces for Scottish students due to the attraction of lower fees:

“I’m concerned that young people in England will increasingly want to study in Scotland. This could squeeze out otherwise bright and able Scottish students. I’m also worried that the sky-high costs will put off Scottish students from studying in England.”

Gilmore has also expressed concerns over an introduction of tuition fees for Scottish students. She worries that if they are not, then the quality of Scottish university courses will drop.

There are more worries that this increase of English tuition fees will see a future generation of students in a high amount of debt. Those who come from a wealthy background will only be able to go to university:

“Young adults who can borrow from the ‘bank of mum and dad’ can access home ownership, and now these same people may well be the only ones who can afford to go into higher education. While the Tories and Lib Dem talk of their desire to improve social mobility, their plans announced today will only make it worse.”

Tory Business Secretary, Vince Cable, stressed the reasons for increasing English tuition fees is in order to address the massive deficit. He argued that the need to pay it down within five years, this meant going ahead with their pledge to raise fees.

Gilmore argues again that this raises the issue of cost over quality:

“If the deficit will be paid off by 2015, as the Government insist it will, then why do we need to rush through permanent changes to our university system?”

A spokesperson from Dundee University does not agree with Gilmore’s views on the rise of English tuition fees. They do not think this is the reason English students will be attracted to going to university in Scotland:

“This will inevitably draw students in with Scottish changes coming later than English ones. As well as this though, the actual quality of education and general student experience attracts people up here. I don’t think it will have too big an effect.”

Filed Under: All Politics Tagged With: England, Scotland, students, tuition fees

Project Prevention hits UK with bumpy landing.

November 3, 2010 By langlands Leave a Comment

By Luke Langlands

“If every drug addict woman got into treatment and got clean it would be wonderful, but that’s not the reality…money motivates people – it’s a bribe”. These are the words of Barbara Harris – the founder and head of Project Prevention – the US organization set-up to “bribe” drug addicts into sterilization for $300. Harris is now plying her trade in the UK, with a recent visit to Glasgow and more planned in the future.

A tale of two floods

November 20, 2009 By carterupm Leave a Comment

by Leroy Carter

The recent flooding in Dumfries and Galloway and north England has been high on the media agenda. Given the levels of coverage you could be forgiven for thinking that Armageddon was nigh.

On the face of it looks like a national disaster. But is it really? One fatality. No towns swept away.

Two weeks ago 158 people died in El Salvador as massive flooding occurred in the provinces of San Salvador and San Vincente. You would have had to search hard to find much of a mention in the UK press.

Historically flooding is the most widespread and devastating natural disaster known to man. The death-toll can be astronomical. The four worst floods in history have all occurred on the Huang He (Yellow) River in China.

In 1931 its banks burst and the floodwaters and related conditions such as disease and starvation killed an estimated 900,000 people.

You have to go much further back in history to see the last time England was inundated to such a massive scale. In 1099 the country suffered its worst ever flood.

High tides and stormy conditions contributed to the deaths of an estimated 50,000 people as the level of the Thames rose and flooded London’s congested slums.

Paul Beck is the Operations Manager of Operations Mobilisation, a company that provides aid relief to disaster areas in the Third World.

He was recently in the Philippines reacting to September’s flooding that saw 80% of the capital, Manila, covered in water.

Mr Beck explained about the contrasts between Scotland and Philippines in terms of flooding.

He said: “The first things we must look at are the environmental differences such as degradation and deforestation that lead to differences in the in the severity of flooding in the Philippines and Scotland. The taking down of trees in the Philippines affects the ability of the land to drain water.

“Another major difference is that building permission and planning permission are much weaker in the Philippines than here. The poorest people are those most affected as slums are built on the sides of rivers. No permission has been sought and they are built illegally and never pulled down.”

Mr Beck added: “The slum dwellers build shacks that are not meant to keep out heavy amounts of water. Our buildings in Scotland may get flooded but rarely anything worse. In the Philippines buildings are simply swept away.”

The recent flooding was a result of tropical storm Ketsana that struck the capital. The death toll reached 1,100 with thousands more missing.

Manila saw its heaviest rainfall in over 40 years and emergency services were swamped as the city disappeared underwater.

photo by ABS-CBN News Online's Photostream

According to Mr Beck this year has been especially harsh as typhoons of great frequency and high severity batter the northern Philippines.

In Scotland we see a very prompt and efficient response to flooding despite its relative passivity compared to the tragedy in the Philippines. The response there is disjointed and chaotic in comparison.

Paul Becks explains why: “We see many differences in the government response of Scotland and the Philippines.

“The primary factor is in the amount of finances available. The second factor is in the ability of the relief effort to reach affected areas and to identify exactly where aid is required.

photo by cheltenhamborough@flickr

“In Scotland we have complete records. We know where people live and who has been affected. In the Philippines it is much more difficult.”

He added: “There are no real records and relief efforts have no idea how many people live in each area or where those groups most at risk are.”

Flooding affects people all over the world but it would appear that we are luckier than most, but it is all relative, and flooding does have a big impact on our country.

Richard Brown, Head of Hydrology at the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, said: “It may not seem as severe on a global scale but flooding does cause huge problems for Scotland.

“Last week the Inverness and Aberdeen rail-links were closed down and we see many trunk roads closed due to landslides.”

Mr Brown also defended the media’s coverage of UK floods: ”The media dosen’t over-react and it is needed to publicise the floods and make people aware. We have seen fatalities in the past. I don’t think that we over-react as a nation due to the scale of the problems facing us.”

Filed Under: Life and Society, Uncategorized, World In Depth Tagged With: Dumfries, England, flooding, floods, Galloway, Ketsana, Manila, Operations Mobilisation, SEPA

From the back of the net to the internet.

October 7, 2009 By Julia Leave a Comment

By Julia Bruce

courtesy of the independent.co.uk

For the first time in British football history the England qualifier will be streamed live to viewers online across the UK. The move from television to online comes after the demise of the pay for tv sporting channel Setanta earlier this year.

It was only a matter of time before we saw the end this particular era of television viewing. According to the Independent, Andrew Crocker, Performs Executive Chairman told the BBC “The world is changing…this is a classic example of it. It’s exciting. Anyone who wants to come on a journey with us should sign up – they will enjoy it.”

The away game against Ukraine on Saturday will be shown through Media group Perform, and the independent will also be streaming the match. There is a maximum of one thousand viewers to ensure the sight does not crash, but questions of quality of viewing have been raised, especially in the current era of high definition television, sky plus, and many other “luxury” viewing facilities.

Are football fans across the nation willing to forgive the quality of image in order to see the action first hand, and what will happen to our nations trustworthy, high quality, broadcasting outlets if the online television phemomenan continues to thrive?

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: England, Football, online streaming, Ukraine

Hadden disappointed with result

March 16, 2009 By stewartprimrose Leave a Comment

By Stewart Primrose

Listen Here:

Ireland's Brian Carney runs with the ball courtesy of irishrugby

Scotland coach Frank Hadden feels his side should have won their latest 6 nations encounter, this time going down 22-15 against Ireland.

Scotland took a half time lead and were the better of the two sides but Ireland stepped up their game, only needing the 1 try to maintain their grand slam hopes.

“We had the game by the scruff of the neck. said Hadden

“The gap between the sides should have been greater in the first half.

“In the second half, Ireland did what they do very well, which is squeeze the life out of teams.”

The pressure has been mounting on the Scottish coach who yet again only has 1 win to his name in another championship. This came over the perennial wooden spooners Italy. Many pundits believed Hadden had to at least secure 2 victories to save his job. Scotland’s last match comes at Twickenham against England.

I’ve never, ever felt that kind of pressure because it’s all about focusing on the performance and the training,” said Hadden about speculation over his post.

“But I accept the discussion is inevitably going to be there because that’s not enough matches won.”

Scotland started the brighter of the teams and took a 12-9 lead at half time thanks to 4 penalties by Chris Paterson. After the break though, Ireland rallied and Jamie Heaslip touched down with the only try of the game to give Ireland the lead, which they never surrendered. This was aided by an O’Gara conversion, drop goal and penalty.

Ireland now only need to beat reigning champions Wales in Cardiff to give them their first Grand Slam for 61 years.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, grand slam, chris Paterson, Jamie Heaslip, try

Minimum Prices for Alcohol to be set

March 16, 2009 By elizabethgorrie Leave a Comment

photo courtesy of smh.com

Pressure is increasing on the government to set minimum prices for alcohol in England, following the publication of Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson’s annual report.

This follows similar proposals made by the Scottish Government earlier this month.

According to Sir Liam: “Cheap alcohol is killing us like never before”. He hopes that setting a minimum price for alcohol could lead to over 3000 fewer alcohol related deaths and cut hospital admissions by 100,000 every year. 2007 saw 8724 alcohol related deaths in the UK alone.

If ministers at Westminster pass this proposal a minimum price of 50p could be set per unit of alcohol. This would make it illegal to sell a standard bottle of wine for less than £4.50. The price of an average six-pack of lager would increase to £6.00; almost triple the current supermarket price.

However, it is understood that Sir Liam’s proposal is likely to be rejected after it was met with strong opposition from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He is concerned over the effect minimum price setting will have on “responsible drinkers”.

Scotland’s own plans were dealt a blow over the weekend after the Scottish Whisky Association voiced concerns over the legality of setting minimum alcohol prices.

Nevertheless the Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon insists that this move is still under consideration in both Scotland and England:

“Alcohol misuse is a major problem north and south of the Border, and we welcome reports that the UK government are taking the first steps in following key aspects of the Scottish Government’s proposals. As in the ban on smoking in public places, it is clear Scotland is again ahead of the game”.

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: alcohol, England, Gordon Brown, Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland, scottish government, Scottish Whisky Association, Sir Liam Donaldson, Westminster

Super six set for battle

February 4, 2009 By stewartprimrose Leave a Comment

By Stewart Primrose

The RBS Six Nations tournament kicks off this weekend and is set to be one of the most exciting since ever.

Rugby at this time off year captures the imaginations of millions, whether they are fans of the sport or not. Although the Tri Nations has a higher quality of player, rugby clubs throughout Western Europe will be full and the beer will be flowing. And this could be the closest championship since Italy’s inclusion back in 2000, with Europe’s elite six expecting to thrill fans across Europe.

But how will each team fare? Will Wales defend their crown and continue to sing in the Valleys, or will the Irish eyes be shinning? And what for Scotland? Can they get that elusive victory at Twickenham? Either way many of the home nation players will be looking to boost their chances of being picked for the Lions tour to South Africa this summer.

Here is a run down of each team, plus a few players to watch out for. Let the games begin…

England

Andy Goode will play ahead of Cipriani

Martin Johnson will be looking to improve on England’s Autumn International performance in his first Six Nations as coach, starting with dropping Danny Cipriani in favour of Andy Goode. Johnson will be going back to basics by playing a tactical and territorial game. Once their fall back tactic, this looks to be their new plan A.

He is still to shore up the midfield after Will Greenwood’s departure and the current pairing of Ricki Flutey and Mike Tindall have yet to find their feet at international level.

Anything less than three home wins will be seen as a failure for England.

Key Man
Danny Care: This is a tough one as there are no real superstars in the team. The scrum half had a good 2008 and England will need him to be on top form to have a successful Six Nations.

My Prediction – Fourth

France v Wales could be crucial

France

They face a tough opening match at Croke Park, which could determine how their campaign will be fought. They have picked a more conservative squad than in recent years. With Shabal in the second row they add a lot of muscle and aggression, but weaken their lineout as a result.

Poitrenaud sums up the French team. Brilliant one day, disastrous the next. Coach Marc Lievremont will be seeking consistent performances from his squad. They will miss the mercurial talents of Freddy Michelak and the team will have to step up if there is going to be a new generation of French flair.

Key Man
Yannick Jauzion: A deadly mix of pace, balance and precision passing. He could be not only a match winner but a Grand Slam winner.

My Prediction – Third

Ireland

Inconsistency has been the main theme for the Irish in recent years. Coach Declan Kidney will have to rectify this in 2009. There are a few promising young players coming through including Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald and these will add impetus to ageing stars like Brian O’Driscoll. The centre is no longer the devastating attacking force he once was, but is still strong in defence.

The Irish need to get off to a good start

The front five remain strong and in David Wallace they have one of the best back rows in the tournament. They have a decent fixture list with England and France at home. Wales at the Millennium Stadium may prove to be a game too far for their Grand Slam hopes.

Key Man
Ronan O’Gara: Some say the stand off dominates games, others say he fails to inspire. He needs to take the ball up to the game line and throw those defence splitting passes we all know he is capable off.

My Prediction – Second

Italy

As in any year the Italians aspire to just the one win. This year they could struggle to achieve this as they have no recognised half backs. There have been several stop gaps with centre, Paz, asking coach Mallet to stop playing him out of position.

Italy do have some genuine world class players in Prop, Castrogiovanni, Sergio Parisse and Bortolami.

They may surprise Ireland in Rome, but apart from that Murrayfield may prove yet again to be their only hope of avoiding that dreaded wooden spoon.

Key Man:
Sergio Parisse: One of the best players in the tournament. If he hailed from New Zealand he would be a household name. He is a top performer for club side Stade Francais and is easily the Italian’s best player.

My Prediction – Sixth

Scotland

Scotland have 3 home matches

Scotland will be looking to improve on last year’s performance on one win, albeit against England. Scotland has still to field a backline capable of worrying an international defence since the turn of the century. However there is a degree of optimism this season with Tom Evans emerging as a genuine try scorer. There is also a new pace and creativity in the centre.

These players are untested at the highest level so it could go either way. There is still debate about the number ten jersey – Godman’s flair versus Park’s boot and reliability, but Godman could galvanise the exciting backline if he is in the starting lineup.

A key to Scotland’s success will be the powerful forward pack – a match for any team – and contains some genuine world-class players. They will have to create quick ball to allow the backline to function. Maybe then Scotland can start crossing the try line.

Key Man
Mike Blair: The IRB world player of the year nominee can make Scotland tick. His roaming runs and crisp delivery must free up the midfield runners and build on the quick ball if Scotland are to start chalking the teams off their list. The captain needs a big tournament to boost his Lions credentials and his nation’s chances.

My Prediction – Fifth

Can the Welsh make it 2 in a row?

Wales

Without a doubt the most talented team in the competition. They were the only northern hemisphere team to beat one of the big three in the autumn, pushing South Africa close and beating Australia.

Shane Williams is back from injury which will be a massive boost for Coach Warren Gatland. Roberts and Henson will provide a good mix of muscle and skill in the midfield and both James Hook and Steven Jones are capable match winners.

Pivotal to their success is the back row trio – Martin Williams, Andy Powell and Ryan Jones all complement each other and the rest of the Welsh side.

They could sneak the Championship on points difference, but watch out for a hiccup at Murrayfield this Saturday.

Key Man
Ryan Jones: The defensive lynchpin, ball carrier and inspirational leader. He’s also tipped to lead the Lions this summer. His performance last year was awesome and the same will be required again.

My Prediction – First

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Croke Park, England, february sports events, France, Ireland, Italy, Martin Johnson, Millenium Stadium, Murrayfield, rugby, Scotland, Six Nations, sport, Stade de France, super six, tri nations, Twickenham, Wales

Captain Pietersen quits in England turmoil

January 8, 2009 By hartypar Leave a Comment

By Ross Hart

English cricket is in turmoil as captain Kevin Pietersen resigned and coach Peter Moores was sacked in dramatic fashion yesterday.

Batsman Andrew Strauss will captain England for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies, which starts on January 25^th with a warm up match against a St Kitts and Nevis Invitation XI before the first test in Jamaica on February 4^th.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said that there had been an “irretrievable breakdown” in Pietersen and Moores’ relationship and that the squad had been split as a result.

In a statement, Hugh Morris, managing director of the ECB, said: “The England and Wales Cricket Board has late this afternoon accepted, with regret, the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as England captain.

“Kevin recognised that in the present situation it was impossible to restore the dressing room unity, which is vital, if England are to win the forthcoming tour to the Caribbean, the ICC global events or regain the Ashes in the npower Ashes Test series.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Andrew Strauss, Ashes, Australia, cricket, ECB, England, England and Wales Cricket Board, Hugh Morris, India, Kevin Pietersen, Peter Moores, Pietersen resigns, West Indies

Football league adopts ‘home-grown’ rule

December 18, 2008 By graememacleod Leave a Comment

By Graeme Macleod

The Football League in England has voted to introduce a ‘home-grown players’ rule from the start of next season.

At an extraordinary general meeting in Derby, the majority of league clubs voted in favour of the rule’s introduction.

The new legislation will mean that a minimum of four players in a club’s 16-man matchday squad must have been playing domestic football in England for at least three years before they turn 21-years-old. These players can be of any nationality.

The new scheme is likely to come into force at the start of the 2009-10 season. It is in line with UEFA recommendations, but not FIFA’s proposed ’six plus five’ rule.

Football League chairman Lord Malwhinney told Sky Sports: “League clubs are at the forefront of developing young playing talent for the domestic game.”

“As a result of today’s vote, those players being developed will have a greater chance to demonstrate their talent at first-team level.”

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: derby, England, Fifa, Football, football league, home-grown players rule, lord malwhinney, UEFA

England postpone India cricket tests

November 27, 2008 By hartypar Leave a Comment

By Ross Hart

Picture courtesy of Anthony Devlin/PA

The England and Wales Cricket Board have postponed England’s final one day matches against India in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai.

101 people, including six foreign nationals, are reported to have been killed in co-ordinated attacks by gunmen across the city, which was due to host a test match between the two countries from December 19.

The England squad will remain at their hotel in Bhubaneswar, 580 miles east of Mumbai, for at least 24 hours as the ECB and their Indian counterparts continue talks as to whether the remaining games will be played.

In a statement, the ECB’s managing director Hugh Morris said: “On behalf of the board and the England team, we would like to express our condolonces to the families and friends of those people who were killed or injured in last night’s attacks.”

Mr Morris added that “the safety and security of the England team is of the utmost importance to the ECB”. They will continue discussions with Indian officials over the next 24 hours.

England are 5-0 down in the seven match series, with the sixth game due to take place on Saturday and the final match scheduled for December 2.

Kevin Pietersen’s side are also due to play a three day match from the 5th of December before taking on two test matches from the 11th, but the future of these remains uncertain.

The inaugural Twenty20 Champions League tournament due to start in Mumbai next Wednesday has also been postponed in the wake of the attacks.

English county side Middlesex were due to take part in the competition but delayed flying to Mumbai, while two participating Australian teams were stopped from travelling by the Australian cricket authorities.