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Riddle Writes with John Riddle
Kicking off again!
The greatest football show on earth is back and the question all fans are asking is can anyone stop Manchester United?
Recent title successes for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team has put Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal in the shadow of the Old Trafford giants but no club in the history of the Football League and now the Premiership, has ever won four league titles on the trot.
United begin their defence of the title at home to Birmingham City which will be seen by many as three easy points but looking back over the record books United drew their opening games in 2007 against Reading, and in 2008 against Newcastle United. The United v City game is live on Sky.
On the subject of City, can the millions spent at the blue side of Manchester have a real impact on the top four? City fans seem to think so but I am not sure they can repeat the success of Chelsea for example who bought their way to victory. Things have slightly changed since the “special one” did his special thing at Chelsea, so we watch with great interest. Mind you, they didn’t do too badly in Charity Shield last week, did they?
Tottenham Hotspur face Liverpool on Sunday at 4pm following the United game and a result for Steven Gerrard’s men will send out an early warning that the Reds are up for the challenge.
On Sunday 30th August, we get the chance to test Manchester City’s credentials when they visit Portsmouth and by the end of the month we will also have sized up the potential of Arsenal, who visit Man United. What is certain is that football fans are going to have one hell of a season.
Sad to say that may not apply to those fans from the north east of England who had a “annus horribilis” last season with Newcastle United and Middlesborough dropping through the relegation trapdoor into the Championship.
No new owner has been found for Newcastle, the star players are apparently being sold off, Alan Shearer has gone back to join Gary Lineker, Alan Hanson and “Lorro” on “Match of the Day” and with less than a week to go before the start of the season - a new manager still hadn’t been appointed. You could be excused for thinking that the passing of Sir Bobby Robson distracted the “Toon Army” and the management at St. James Park.
Even with the apparent lack of preparation for the new season they are still one of the bookies favourites to return to the top flight. The attitude “we are too good” to be in the Championship I seem to recall was uttered by many Leeds United fans and they dropped like a stone from European Football to the First Division where they still languish, playing the likes of Hartlepool, Exeter, Gillingham and Stockport County. That should infuriate fans from the north east, south west, Medway towns and Lancashire.
On the subject of Gillingham FC, I had reason to talk to one of their fans recently who also supports Derby County (don’t ask). He thinks that the second “Clough Dynasty” may well signal a revival at County who he hopes will one day grace the Premier League again. I think there is more chance of that happening than one day watching Gillingham v Hartlepool in the Premier League.
But it’s a new season, new challenges and I am relishing reporting back on games from England and Scotland.
I will be popping up north of the border to take in a Morton game, where I am a shareholder at the Greenock club.
Don’t get up there are often as I might but now that Nardini’s, Scotland’s most famous ice cream parlour and restaurant has re-opened at Largs, I have an excuse. Some of the old façade has been retained just like it was when Largs most famous son Lou McCari frequented Nardini’s.
Lou, of course, went on to play for Celtic, Manchester United and Scotland picking up a plethora of trophies. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lou in his first day in the job at Huddersfield Town, which seems like a life time away.
Celtic and Rangers will fight it out north of the border and their monopoly once again will prompt suggestions that they should join the English Premier League. Your thoughts on this subject would be appreciated.
The Ashes series between England and Australia has kept cricket lovers enthralled during the summer. It was a series that had everything from whinging Australians to a victory for England, injuries, a sprinkling of centuries, tumbling wickets, humiliation and of course rain, all culminating in the final 5th Test at The Oval before we embark on a series of one day games.
If England regain the Ashes it will go a long way to avenging the last defeat. Of course England needed to win the Leeds Test to claim the Ashes and the Aussies went all out to ensure they didn’t. England were humiliated in the first innings, skittled out for 102 and fairing little better in the second innings. In a word humiliated. The Ashes road show now moves to the Oval for the grand finale.
“Super Mum” might be the expression that comes to mind when we think of the first Scot to win a major event in golf when Catriona Mathew closed with a one over par 73 to win the Rioch Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham St. Annes. The 39-year-old from North Berwick, who gave birth only 12 weeks ago to second daughter Sophie, started the final round three shots clear and finished three shots clear of seven time major champion Karrie Web. Magnificent effort and there may be even more accolades coming to North Berwick as they reach the finals of the Beautiful Scotland competition to find a representative from Rothesay, Largs and others to see who will represent Scotland in the Britain in Bloom.
No one can say we don’t bring you variety in The Paper, cricket, golf, the re-opening of an ice cream parlour in Largs, Britain in Bloom and the odd mention of the beautiful game.
So whether you are into resting your balls on t’s, sucking on a “99” with a Cadbury’s flake or sniffing the hollyhocks on your way to the match, you have a brilliant time until we meet again.
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