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QBE Insurance Phang Nga Bay Regatta sets sail for Chinese New Year
by Peter Cummins
Phang Nga Bay 27th - 31st January
Although the Ocean Marina basically opened the 2006 yacht-racing
season with the first of their monthly events and, further up the coast the
Royal Varuna Yacht Club has already gone into ‘over-drive’, it is really the
Phang Nga Regatta, which sets the pace for the New Year.
According to Regatta President Andrew Craig, a pre-registration of over 25
Yachts has exceeded all prior expectations.
“Our normal experience for this Regatta is that at least 20% of the entrants
‘turn up’ on the day. We hope that this year, the prospective participants
have read and understood that the first 40 Yachts to register are the lucky
ones.” Said Andrew last week
“To ensure that everyone ends up satisfied, we are honing in on the habitual
latecomers to guarantee that no-one will be left out of this spectacular
event,” he added
The Race Committee has already designed the courses that will take the fleet
through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, followed by beach
parties other regattas can only talk about. The first race on Saturday, 28
Jan, will be to Koh Yao Noi, with the aptly named ‘Paradise Resort’ hosting
the party.
 Racing around the
limestone cliffs of Phang Nga Bay (photo ArtAsia/Everingham)
Day 2 will send the fleets round the various islands of Phang Nga, finishing
off at the Sheraton Krabi Resort for the Chinese New Year Party. Day 3 will
consist of a ‘down-hill’ run in the northeasterly to Koh Phi Phi, making
landfall at the Hippy Bar where Raimon Land will once again, be providing
their usual spectacular reception.
The final day will be a run to Ao Chalong and should the current winds
continue, it will allow the faster yachts to show their true colors.
This regatta, the brainchild of media mogul and photographer supreme, John
Everingham, with a whole boatload of quality magazines emanating from his
stable, will, for the first time, be more open to the press and media. As
the four-day regatta will pass through the most spectacular marine settings,
the organizers will provide press images and daily reports on-line for
worldwide media to download.
John’s newest publication, SEA Yachting magazine will provide photographers
the rare chance to capture daily images as the fleet of the expected 35 -40
yachts sails past the towering limestone cliffs of Phang Nga Bay. These will
be uploaded to an FTP site, allowing any interested parties to download them
in a variety of resolutions. Details of the FTP site will be placed on the
regatta website www. bayregatta.com prior to the event. Anybody wanting
special reports or images e-mailed directly should contact
[email protected]
What a way to start the “Year of the Dog”!
Charity Classic goes off with a ‘bang’
P.S.C. 10th Annual Charity Classic 2006
Friday The 20th January 2006: Burapha - I do like it when a good plan
comes together and the day starts with a big bang and what is more ends with
and even larger one. A shotgun start to the day followed in the evening with
the announcement of much needed funds raised for local charities.
The winning team ‘A Slice of Luck’ celebrates
at the 10th PSC Charity Classic.
Firstly let us look at the philosophy of the Charity Classic. Pattaya Sports
Club was founded in 1979, and in 1996 became a government recognized Non
Profit Organisation. Every year local charities are supported from funds
raised by the Pattaya Sports Club and distributed through the charity
chairman, Bernie Tuppin.
Ten years ago, it was decided that the golfers of the PSC would hold an
annual tournament and the proceeds from the event would be directed towards
a special project. Last year the terrible tragedy of The Tsunami was the aim
of the Charity Classic, and 700,000 baht was raised towards this end. This
was far beyond normal and expressed the concern of our members.
This year at the A.G.M. it was proposed, that the total from the 10th
Charity Classic would go towards building a new Chonburi Shelter, operated
and run by The Welfare Department. Any money raised from the golf tournament
would be supplemented by P.S.C. funds up to a total of 1,200,000 baht.
P.I.L.C. & The Jesters kindly agreed to provide support in building the
kitchen and canteen.
 ‘Hole in one’ star
Dennis Willet (left) receives congratulations from the PSC Golf Chairman.
This shelter will be used to take care of abused children, boys and girls,
accident victims with no family support, homeless pregnant women and
battered wives. Up to the present, all lived in one dormitory, with food
cooked and eaten on the balcony. This will be the largest single project
ever undertaken by P.S.C. and is much needed. It is expected that the
project will be completed by the end of next month.
This day starts several months before when the golf committee gets together
and starts to make plans. The committee this year, headed by chairman, Alan
Pearce, and comprising of stalwarts Chris John, Gerry Carpenter and Ian
Edwards worked tirelessly to organize the event and enlist the help of
sponsors.
Lo and behold and as if by magic, several months later crowds of golfers
turn up at Burapha to sign up with the patient officials. And why do they
all sign in at the same time? For the ‘Big Bang’ Shotgun tee off at 0930am
is why. Then it’s like watching the ants run from a nest, all scattering to
far parts of the course; exciting ‘innit’. Bang and off we go.
The course on the day was in excellent condition, and thanks go to Burapha
for their help in preparing fast tricky greens, immaculate fairways and
raked bunkers. So the 144 players in Teams of 4 set off. There were two
teams on each hole and the format was a stableford competition with only the
best three scores counting.
An added attraction to the tournament was the presence of prizes available
on each and every hole. These had been donated by kind sponsors of the event
and it certainly added excitement to the proceedings.
This being a Shotgun start, nearly everyone finishes at the same time, so 5
hours or so later, the changing area was crowded. For those who performed
well, this can be one of the most exciting parts of the day.
The new restaurant was given over to the competition for the day, so whilst
that experienced team of Bernie Tuppin, Ian Edwards and Tony Oakes sorted
out the winning players and teams, the players themselves filtered in there
and got stuck into a fine buffet meal laid on by the Bangpra staff.
In the meantime, Alan Pearce was perspiring and working hard, making certain
all the prizes were in the correct position and that all would go smooth
once the presentation started. It’s tough at the top.
Soon we heard the dulcet tones of the Golf Chairman, informing all that we
were ready to go, and thanking various people and organisations. Amongst
them, the organising committee, in particular Alan, the people who helped,
i.e. Bernie, Herb Schweiterman and Alan Oakes, Burapha and it’s staff and in
particular the many generous sponsors of the event.
Food over, we got down to the main event and the winners with our Emcee
Alan.
In fourth place we had the team, The Camms, players Mike Allidi 36 points,
Anders Kromann 36 points, Matsumoto Masuyuki 34 points and Carstan Lund 28
points, for a team total of 106 points. In third was the team, ‘The
Raiders’, with Bill Knight 42 points, Stu Thompson 39 points, Andy Evans 26
points, and Ray Spurling 26 points, (total 107 points). Just ahead in second
were The 3 Mudscatteers, with Dennis Willet 37 points, Mark Morris 37
points, Larry Ball 34 points and Bill Thompson 33 points, (Total 108
points). Way out in front however was the team, ‘A Slice Of Luck’ with
players Donald Hendry 42 points, Chris Balzi 39 points, Pid Overgren 34
points and Ake Overgren 28 points, (total of 115 points).
Pid Overgren with 34 points, received an individual award for the highest
lady points scorer and Donald Hendry took the men’s prize with 42 points on
count back over Bill Knight
We had one other high spot of the day when Dennis Willet scored a hole in
one at B3; naturally he won the nearest the pin on that hole.
Day over as the happy players departed I had a chat with Alan, not only
chairman of the organisation committee, but also the P.S.C. Treasurer, and
he told me a total between 400,000 and 500,000 baht was raised from the
event... Well Done To All.
Paul hits the Jackpot at Treasure Hill
PSC golf from The Grapevine
Under sunny skies, 29 Grapevine golfers teed it up at the challenging
Treasure Hill golf course from the White tees for their monthly stroke
event. A test it was too, with only our Tankard winner, Paul Petricca (17)
able to answer the challenge with a net sub par round. Paul shot an
impressive net 69, which included an eagle 2 on the 14th followed up by
birdie 3 on 15, the lad was on fire. Runner up in the top flight went to
Fergus Brennan (13) on a count back with 75. In the higher flight, 19+ this
week, the top spot went to our lovable lummox, Colin Cronin (20) with 73,
while 2nd spot went to a surprised Keith Hodges (26) net 79.
 Fergus, Paul - our monthly
Tankard winner, Colin, and Keith
Technical prizes were hard to win this week with Near Pins picked up by
Frank, David, Tom, Nile & Dick, while Paul & Mashi grabbed the Long Putts.
Lucky draws were gratefully received by Dick, Grant, Nigel & Alan,
surprisingly Gordie did not get a call up this week.
A great days golf at a great venue, serves to whet the appetite for next
week already. If you would like to join the group, come on down to the
Grapevine, Soi Regent Maria & sign up, or call Malcolm on 038 361736.
Cheers & Good Golfing.
Bugden dazzles at Crystal Bay
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral
A “full-to-bursting” Crystal Bay was the
venue for the Pattaya Golf Society’s weekly medal event on Tuesday, 17th
January, and the day dawned very hot with little breeze to refresh the large
field. Five ladies were in the field for the first time and they made a very
welcome addition to the group.
The field was cut at nineteen and under and the legendary tough greens and
tightly cut lies on hard fairways made conditions challenging for both
flights. In division two Rob Dolan and Mattias Brandl perspired their way to
net 78’s and were amazed to find they had made the frame as joint
runners-up. A breathless Pat Murphy had beaten them with an equally amazing
net 76.
Better scores were achieved in the top flight as Uwe Schroeder returned to
Pattaya to post a score of net 74 off his new handicap of 8, having had a
successful season in his native Germany. His third place was a reflection of
this improvement. Sunny Khanna was one of only two players to break par, his
net 71 taking second place and Steve Bugden posted a card which saw a slow
start but eleven straight pars to finish a dazzling round of net 70,
representing the day’s best gross of 76. It was a truly fine performance.
Unbelievably he shot no birdies and, as nobody else did either, the large
twos pot was held over.
Ian Howe must have wished the same was true of the Booby Bevy but Mr. Len
saluted the day’s worst net performance with the traditional bottle and Ian
endured his fifteen minutes of fame as he became the first wearer of the
Booby Blouse, a colourful, almost luminous silk concoction, kindly donated
by a relieved Rob Dolan. Once again Crystal Bay had come up trumps for the PGS.
Cunningham pushed hard at Green Valley
Thursday, January 19 marked another
“first” for the Pattaya Golf Society out of the OK Corral. With full courses
at most golf clubs the norm these days, courses are now limiting the number
of bookable places and Green Valley restricted the PGS to only seven groups
for their weekly stableford event. A hasty dawn call to Emerald at Ban Chang
found room for another three groups and a separate competition was arranged
there simultaneously.
And, would you believe it, it worked! Forty satisfied golfers on a
pleasantly warm day, providing fun and skill in abundance. Green Valley was
its usual fine challenge and the greens, slower than expected, posed
problems enough, especially for the second flight, with the cut at 16 and
under.
Harry Cowling, occupying an unaccustomed role in the lower flight, toiled
all day to produce a score of 30 points to take third place, whilst Rob
Dolan and Trudy Chadbourn both posted the flight’s best score with their 32
point totals. In division one the quality of the field showed as Sunny
Khanna drew a curtain on his present stay, scoring 36 points for third
place. He was not quite close enough however to John Cunningham, currently
“running hot”, and his excellent 37 point haul was matched by that of Chaten
Patel, who had the impertinence to throw the gauntlet down to the auld
Scottish master on his favourite course.
There were no twos and a substantial pot was held over until the next round.
Mattias Brandle lost his cell phone on the course but found a frog as
consolation in his sports bag! Kissing it to bring good luck he later found
his device had been returned to Reception and he celebrated with the Booby
Bevy at the presentation.
Results from Emerald had Keith Barr third with 27 points, two behind the
Irish duo of Liam Horgan and Pat Murphy whose scores of 29 points were a
result of frustrations over some bizarre pin positions created by a
mischievous greenkeeper.
Potential golfers are reminded that sign-up sheets are available at the OK
Bar in Soi Rungland for all high season competitions and further details can
be found at http://www.thebunkerboys.com
John Swanson proves he’s no ‘mug’ at Pattaya C.C.
PSC golf from The Cafe Kronborg
Thursday January 19 Pattaya
Country Club, Monthly Mug - Stroke
This always promised to be a day when we did not know what was going to
happen. The Mug was brought forward due to various reasons, and in fact was
the day before the Annual Charity Classic and we knew many players, the
scribe included, did not wish to have two long days on the trot.
 Bjarne presents The Mug to John Swanson (left).
However in this topsy turvy year, 52 players turned up to try and win, and
with only one tee, a long day was promised.
With the fine weather and light winds it was expected that the scores would
be very good, and to win, a little extra would be required. Straight away it
was said, if you did not break 70 you would not be in the shake up. In the A
Flight, 0 to 18, Stuart Thompson won with a net 68, ahead of Bob Benda in
second and Bob Pearce in third on count back. The B Flight, 19 up, was
equally tight, with the winner Arthur Bailey shooting a net 66, ahead of
Dave Richardson in second on count back over Wayne Koch in third, both net
68
So to the main winner, and this was also on count back, over Arthur Bailey,
when John Swanson shot a net 66 and won his second Mug after a gap of 4
years.
T.T.F.N.
The annual 4-man scramble from The Caddy Shack
I.P.G.C. golf with The Caddy Shack
Tuesday January 17, The Caddy Shack held its first annual
4 man Texas Scramble. The venue was the lovely Bangpra country club and
to spice things up, we played off the Blue tees. It also coincided with
Keith’s birthday, and he generously donated some lovely extra prizes so
that no golfer went home empty handed. There were 12 teams entered which
was the maximum we could book at this time of year. 
Winners of the 4-man
scramble: Don Francis, Steve Nowell, Michael Waltschek and Paul Lavender
First place went to the team of Don Francis, Steve Nowell, Michael
Waltschek and Paul Lavender with a score of 59.3. In second were Phil
Mitchell, Simon Philbrook, Claus Thompson and Bob Patterson with 60.2
and completing the honours with a score of net 61.0 in third, was the
team of Al McGrory, Dave Smith, Matt Anderson, and late reserve Ivan
Molineux; he replaced J.J. Harney who made it to the course and then to
the bar and that’s where he stayed.
Nearest the Pin winners were Bob Philp, Michael Waltschek, Doug Campbell
and Ben Findon. On the 18th hole there was a prize for the nearest the
pin with the 2nd shot which was won by Geoff Hart. Long drives went to
Ivan Molineux for a huge drive of over 300yds on the 7th hole and
another great long drive on the 15th was made by Wilf Latham. When asked
how he managed it he replied “Just like that”.
There is always a last place to mention and with a net 68.2 was the team
captained by Mr Loy who was staggered to learn that he had also won the
Bananas. The buffet put on at the Caddy Shack was excellent with a pig
on a spit and lots, lots more, with most of the golfers wives and family
turning up there was not a seat to be had. I would like to thank Mr Roy
Mitchell and all his staff for making such a successful day for all.
Donald and Mark take
the honours at busy Ban Chang
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday January 17 The Emerald, Stableford
Well here we are, in the ‘New’ Tropical Bert’s, and best of all, over 30
golfers managed to find their way here; it must have been the smell of a
complimentary breakfast. This was the first time food had been served in the
new bar, and all in all a fine job was done. As time goes by, the area
outside will be developed, and this new complex promises to be a fine
facility.
All full, off we went to Bang Chang and onto the Emerald. Much work has been
done on the course and it is now so popular that 5-hour rounds are not
uncommon. Such is life.
Back at Bert’s it was a question of waiting for the players to return from
stops at various hideaways on their way back, so quite late the presentation
was carried out for those that returned, and some of the winners were to
trickle in later for their burger and chips.
The winner of the A Div was Donald Hendry ahead of Eric O’Brien in second
and Bob Noble in third, whilst in the B Div we had one of the mainstays of
our competitions from Bert’s, Mark Brenton winning for the first time ahead
of Colin Cronin and David Swaine... and very pleased he was!
T.T.F.N.
A Div: Winner - Donald Hendry, Second - Eric O’Brien, Third - Bob Noble
B Div; Winner - Mark Brenton, Second - Colin Cronin, Third - David Swaine
Near Pin: Eric O’Brien, Jeff Wylie, Stu Thompson, Donald Hendry, Frank
Kelly, Colin Cronin, Bob Noble, Nile Sheehan, Rod Sutherland (2), Mark
Brenton
Long Put: Eric O’Brien, Frank Kelly, Gordon Everingham
Stephen Lewis finally gets his reward
IPGC golf from The Haven
Mon 16 January
Crystal Bay A&B, Stableford
1st Barry Winton, 4up
2nd Stephen Lewis, 3up c/b 4up
3rd Paul Taylor, 3up c/b 3up c/b6 2up
4th Glyn Nicholas, 3up c/b 3up c/b6 1up
5th Alex Tait, 3up c/b 1up
A disappointing turnout, perhaps due to the competition being Bogey, perhaps
golfers are getting tired of Crystal Bay, or perhaps just because it was a
Monday!
At the end of the day, scores were excellent and what a win for Barry,
playing off 4, which is tough to win, playing Bogey (Matchplay against the
course). He shot a superb 71 gross to take the honors from Stephen, Paul,
Glyn & Alex who all did superbly to tie at 3 up. In the “2”s competition,
Barry Winton shared the division 1 prize, whilst Dave Lee & Roar Berger
shared division 2. Prior to the prize giving, Richard Livingston, the
resident PGA professional, welcomed Chris Volley.
Wed 18 January
Khao Kheaw A&B,
Monthly Medal
Division 1 (0-15)
1st Joe Kirkpatrick, 73
2nd Al Rolnik, 74 c/b 32
3rd Peter Tucker, 74 c/b 35
4th Phil Groves, 75
Division 2 (16plus)
1st Dave Lee, 71
2nd Stephen Lewis, 74
3rd Vance Millar, 77
4th Tony Charlwood, 78
The second monthly medal to be held at Khao Kheaw off the yellow tees and a
huge turnout arrived to do battle for the coveted prize. Scores were
generally disappointing considering the course was in superb condition. Joe
(Joker) Kirkpatrick just nicked the division 1 medal with a pretty solid 73
gross but was pressed all the way by Al & Peter.
In division 2 it was “Spanker” Lee who almost shot the round of his life,
had the “red mist” not descended when he dumped his tee shot in the water on
the 18th! He immediately tee’d up another without thinking about taking a
“drop” and promptly put the second one in the “hogging” and holed out for a
10. Otherwise he played to an 18 handicap, yet still comfortably destroyed
the opposition to take the medal.
In the “2”s competition, Claus Nilsson & Al Rolnik shared the division 1
prize, whilst Dave “Spanker” Lee made the day complete with the only “2” in
division 2. Prior to the presentation, Richard Livingston, welcomed Danny
Pool, Dave Ross and Steen & Birthe Ostergaard. He also welcomed back Peter
Aitcheson, Steve Lockhart, Matt Millar & Harold Gruber before bidding
farewell to Joe Kirkpatrick who is off back to the States to contemplate his
future.
Fri 20 January
Mountain Shadow, Stableford
Division 1 (0-13)
1st David Mather, 42
2nd Doug Campbell, 34
3rd Barry Winton, 32 c/b 19
4th Steve Martin, 32 c/b 18
Division 2 (14plus)
1st Stephen Lewis, 37
2nd Danny Pool, 34
3rd Vance Millar, 32 c/b 20
4th Alan Griffiths, 32 c/b 16
Another welcome visit to Mountain Shadow saw 40 golfers hit the road and a
few Mango Trees, by the look of the scores! David shot the lights out in
division 1 to easily take the honors, whilst Stephen completed a fine week
to comfortably take division 2 honors. Just two players playing to/or
beating their handicaps, the other 38 succumbed to the tough layout and
lightening fast greens!
Wendy Hollingsworth took the honors in the Ladies Division with 28 points
which was pretty good when one looks at the number of guys who failed to
score under 100. There are never going to be many “2”s at Mountain Shadow
and Dave Mather & Barry Winton shared the division 1 prize, whilst Richard
Feltham took the pot in division 2.
Back at the Haven, Richard Livingston, welcomed Anders Nyberg, David Thomas,
Brian Bruce and Steve Martin. As a sign of changing times in Pattaya, with
many accomplished golfers finding their way to The Land of Smiles, it was
particularly nice to welcome Steve Martin, an ex Scottish International
golfer, who played to an extremely high standard back in the 70’s and still
plays off scratch!
Sunni day at Noble Place
PSC golf with The Bunker
Monday January 16,
Khaow Kheow
The Bunker played a Medal competition at Khaow Kheow, the field
was split into two divisions with the cut at 18 and under. B division saw a
tie for first place between Rod Stevens and Jan Von Spelling both with
scores of net 69 while third place went to David Johnson with net 71.
In the A division Tony Scambler and Nile Sheehan tied for second place with
net 72 but P J Redmond won fist prize with a welcome return to form shooting
a fine score of net 71.
Near pin prizes were won by John King, Tony Scambler, Charlie Gooch and Thea
Von Spelling.
Wednesday January 18,
Noble Place
Sunni’s Khanna and Ruthsip took the honours in The Bunker Boy’s
Stableford competition at Noble Place on Wednesday; Sunni Khanna winning the
A division with 40 points and Sunni Ruthsip taking first prize in the B
division with 38 points
Second in the A division came William Macey with 35 points followed by
Gordon Melia and Cyril Wallwork who shared third place with 34 points each.
Second and third in the B division were claimed by George Redgewell and
Roger Foley with 37 and 34 points respectively.
Near Pin prizes went to Geoff Parker, Roger Foley and Cyril Wallwork making
a successful start playing with The Bunker.
Friday January 20,
Pattaya Country Club
Pattaya Country Club hosted The Bunker’s Medal competition on
Friday and saw some splendid scores posted with the best of the day being
returned by William Macey winning the A division with a superb net 65.
Second came John King with a three under net 69 and in third place was
Charlie Gooch with a net 70.
In the B division Brian Rought and Mick Ramshaw tied for third place with
net 73, Jan Von Spelling grabbed second spot with net 70 but old-timer
George Redgewell put them all to shame; the 75 year old playing off handicap
25 shot a superb net 68 to win first prize.
Near Pin prizes were claimed by Jan Von Spelling, William Macey, George May
and Scotsman Graeme Preston (having a rare bit of success!)
‘Big E’ and ‘Baby Hughy’ bag the better-ball
IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s
Sunday January 15
Green Valley - White Tees,
Stableford
1st A Flight: Simon Philbrook, 40 points
2nd A Flight: Tom McManus, 37 points
3rd A Flight: Jim Wickstrom, 37 points
1st B Flight: Claus Birk Thomsen, 39 points
2nd B Flight: John Hillier, 38 points
3rd B Flight: Dave Mather, 36 points - Joe McArdle
1st C Fligh: George Jackson, 38 points
2nd C Flight: Peter Emslie, 37 points
3rd C Flight: Dave Porter, 36 points
1st D Flight: Dene Airey, 42 points
2nd D Flight: John O’Neill, 37 points
3rd D Flight: Mike Loewen, 37 points
NP’s: Went missing
2’s: Jim Wickstrom, Brian Holden, Rick Sharp, Joe McArdle, Colm Mullen,
Colin Davis, Alec Hoare
Dene Airey was the Man of the Match with a D flight winning 42 points off
his 18 handicap. If Dene ever has the opportunity to play consistently and
work on his game a bit there is no telling how low his handicap can go. Dene
was five clear of the tandem of Irish John O’Neill and Sugar Shack mate Mike
Loewen, himself a player who could make a pronounced handicap move.
A Flight was led in by Simon of Philbrook who was three clear of the higher
handicapper of the McManus brothers, although it is still only an 8, and
everyone’s favorite Canadian Mountie, Jim Wickstrom. CBT edged Johnny
Hillier by a single tick in B Flight and Dave Mather put a count back on The
Leprechaun, Joe McArdle. One Ball was atop C Flight with 38 points, one
ahead of his eminence, Peter Emslie, and yet another ahead of Dave Porter.
Sorry about them Near Pins, they are out there somewhere.
Monday January 16
St. Andrews 2000 -White Tees,
Stableford
1st A Flight: Bob Patterson, 36 points
2nd A Flight: Doug Holingsworth, 36 points
3rd A Flight: Simon Philbrook, 35 points - Le Noury
1st B Flight: Keith Meehan , 35 points
2nd B Flight: John Horton, 35 points
3rd B Flight: Chaten Patel, 34 points - Brian Lee
2’s: Simon Philbrook, Chaten Patel, Ed Melott
Non-2: Klaus Schackt
The next two days saw a title slot bid by the Senator and “He that drives
the Pink Cadillac”. Their bid was only thwarted by this scribes penchant for
alliteration. The Senator, snuck one by the caliph of Oman on count back,
whilst Simon of Philbrook stepped to the pay window for the second time in
two days, much to the chagrin of Monsieur Peter Le Noury, who fell victim to
a count back.
Keith, the owner of a pink Cadillac convertible, mimicked his A Flight
counterpart with a count back over another fellow more accustomed to wearing
robes, John Horton. The Rajah edged the patriarch of the Lee household with
the flavor of the day, a count back.
Did I mention Klaus’s non-2?
Wednesday January 18
Crystal Bar C & A - Blue or White Tees,
Stableford
1st Blue Flight: Bob Patterson, 31 points
2nd Blue Flight: Chuck Carriere, 30 points
3rd Blue Flight: John McHugh, 30 points
4th Blue Flight: Chris Fox, 30 points
1st White A Flight: Colin Davis, 38 points
2nd White A Flight: Brian Lee, 38 points
3rd White A light: Ed Melott, 37 points
1st White B Flight: Keith Meehan, 39 points
2nd White B Flight: Bob Lindborg, 37 points
3rd White B light: Dave McFeely, 36 points
NP’s: Blues: #A3 -Peter Le Noury. Whites: #A8 - Bob Dibben
2’s: Blues: Bob Patterson. Whites: Dave Tanner, Bob Dibben, Brian Wilkinson,
Keith Meehan
I told you they could have been the title guys, as the The Senator made it
two in a row by winning the apparently grueling Blue tees of Crystal Bay,
with a modest 31 points, and Keith winning B Flight off the shorter
configuration. Bob led a knot of three players at 30 points. Newly arrived
Chuck Carriere had the best of that count back, with Johnny McQ in third and
Capt. Chris Fox in the rare fourth slot.
Keith led the Guru of Green Valley by two points in White B Flight, with
Irish Dave McFeely another one back. The Donkey, quiet recently, thank god,
nicked, on count back, Brian Lee, who is now winning and placing a couple of
times every week. Hawaiian Ed Melott rounded out the premier Flight of the
White Tee Division.
Friday January 20
Eastern Star - White Tees,
2-Person Better Ball - Stableford
1st Flight: Hugh Bagby & Eric O’Brien, 42 points
2nd Flight: Phil Mitchell & Jim Wickstrom, 41 points
3rd Flight: Colm Mullen & Roger Koehler, 41 points
4th Flight: Tom Breslin & Arthur Hancock, 40 points - Thornton/Holmes
Near Pins: #3 - Mark Williamson; #13 - Roger Koehler
2’s: Phil Mitchell, Roger Koehler, Tom McManus; John O’Neill; Claus Birk
Thomsen,
Sugar Ray Handford
There were our title boys, who are pound for pound, two of the biggest
things in golf today. Is this the pot calling the kettle black? Oh, hold it,
the scribe doesn’t golf anymore, so it is accurate. Somebody wanted me to
say that instead of breaking up the field into Flights by handicaps we
should do it by weight divisions. (Sound of guffaws and knee slapping) Come
on your killing me! Well anyway, they won the whole shooting match by a
point over the count back separated duets of Flipper and Dudley Dooright,
and Colm and Roger. Tommy Breslin teamed with Ban Chang’s Arthur Hancock to
edge Roy Thornton, MBE, and Richard Holmes.
League leaders fire doused by Fire and Gas Pattaya
Paul Crouch
The scorching form of Fire and Gas Pattaya continued this week with an
impressive 2-1 win over the current league leaders and never to have been
defeated Londoner from Bangkok. Under the close scrutiny of inspirational
sponsor Paul Farnworth, the Fire and Gas team put on a battling performance
that unnerved the usually confident and clinical Londoner.
With three wins on the trot now, and the rekindled form of previous seasons,
Fire and Gas are slowly moving into the top half of the Bangkok Casual
League putting heat on their local rivals from Chonburi and other Bangkok
teams who may have written off the ‘Firemen.’ Team captain Phil Drake was
quoted as saying after the match, “it feels good to climb that ladder and
let the teams from the ‘Big Smoke’ know we mean business.’
The game started very evenly with the ball moving quickly from end to end.
The Londoner settled into their football earlier though, passing the ball
well from the back and through the middle to their two dangerous front men.
After 20 minutes a neat cross from the right found the head of the Londoner
striker and the first goal was scored past the outstretched Lee in goal.
This was the alarm call that Fire and Gas needed, picking up their game and
marking the opposition a lot tighter. The score remained 1-0 to the Londoner
at half time.
The second half was a much more equal half as Fire and Gas matched the
league leaders for effort and determination to win the game. The equalizing
goal came from a pinpoint cross from Alan Mulberry that found the head of
‘Captain Marvel’, Phil Drake, who cunningly guided the ball into the bottom
corner of the goal, 1-1.
The impetus was now with the ‘Firemen’ who could smell the sweet scent of
victory as the Londoner resorted to a longer ball approach and began to lose
their usually impressive composure on the pitch. More spaces were created up
front for the two Fire and Gas front men as the Londoner looked for a
desperate winner to maintain their top spot. Korean Lee was able to exploit
the spaces and won a number of dangerous free kicks close to the box. As the
Fire and Gas man himself (Paul Farnworth) always says, “You play with
matches, expect to be burnt!” One of these free kicks eventually found the
net from a beautifully curling effort by Lee, 2-1 with 10 minutes to play.
Strong defending and a huge desire to win by all the Fire and Gas players
kept the opposition away from the goal, with minimal threat and very little
for Tomas to have to save in goals. The final whistle blew on a close game,
battled out between two teams that played with a lot of passion.
Many thanks go to our generous sponsor and Chief Fireman, Paul Farnowrth,
for supporting the team. Phil Drake and Alan Mulberry for all their
organization. For further information on the progress of Fire and Gas
Pattaya or to be involved in the club please visit www.somtam.com.
Romario scores four as Seaboard FC beat the Germans
Seaboard FC traveled to Bangkok last Saturday for a potentially difficult
MBMG Bangkok International Football League fixture against the German All
Stars. Seaboard had managed to overcome the Germans 4-2 at Horseshoe Point
earlier in the season in what was a keenly contested match.
Manager Rick Bryant was forced to make changes to the side that had enjoyed
an excellent 9-0 victory the previous Saturday with top scorer Mark Brittain
and defender Dave Brown not available. He opted to bring in young Jake Baker
for only his third start of the season to partner Paul Derbyshire up front
and Peter Mewes returned to cover the vacant left back position.
The game kicked off in brilliant sunshine and fitness was obviously going to
be a factor due to the hot conditions.
Seaboard were to be the first to show and Danny Stevens was to see his shot
saved by the German keeper in the opening minute. Seaboard should have taken
the lead 1 minute later, when a long ball out to the left from Lee Homer was
controlled by Ernest Romario who cut inside two defenders before shooting
across the face of the goal and wide of the far post. This was to prove to
be the last pressure exerted on the German defence by Seaboard for some
time.
The Germans were soon to get into their stride and began enjoying the
majority of possession within the middle of the park with the Seaboard
midfield duo of John Campbell and Craig Banks failing to have their normal
dominance. For all their possession, the Germans were still not able to
trouble the Seaboard keeper Mark Coombs with central defenders Brian Wilkins
and Lee Homer getting in some crucial tackles.
On 18 minutes Seaboard did manage to trouble the German defence again when
Campbell picked up a loose ball deep in his own half and ran forward 40
yards before feeding Stevens whose cross was deflected out for a corner.
Further efforts from Romario and Stevens were to come to nothing and
Seaboard appeared to be running out of ideas.
Seaboard eventually broke the deadlock on 37 minutes when Banks delivered a
long ball to Romario who brilliantly controlled it on his chest and he ran
on to drive the ball past the German keeper. This was to prove to be the
last action of note of the half and Seaboard went in 1-0 ahead.
Manager Bryant had clearly read the riot act for his side’s lackluster first
half performance and his team emerged for the second half early and looking
more fired up than at the start of the game.
Seaboard immediately took the game to the Germans and Keng forced the German
keeper into a fine save after latching on to a neat layback from Romario
following another one of his jinking runs. It was Derbyshire next who almost
opened his account but his shot came crashing back off the crossbar with the
keeper well beaten.
11 minutes into the second period the Germans managed to get their first
shot on target but this was comfortably turned over for a corner by Torn the
substitute keeper.
Seaboard struck the woodwork again 5 minutes later when some neat play from
Stevens saw the ball run loose to Romario in the box. His drive thundered
off the inside of the post and rebounded to Derbyshire who shot over from 16
yards out.
It was time for young Kirrill Giyasov to make only his second appearance for
Seaboard and within seconds of coming on, he used his pace to race down the
right wing and cut inside before shooting just wide of the upright.
Seaboard finally doubled their lead halfway through the second period when
Derbyshire neatly turned his defender and ran on from 30 yards out to drive
past the onrushing German keeper. Three minutes later it was 3-0 when
Derbyshire headed in his second of the game off the underside of the
crossbar following a cross from Romario.
Romario was to get his second and Seaboard’s fourth of the afternoon 2
minutes later when he managed to outpace three defenders and slide the ball
under the keeper into the net. Sixty seconds later it was Romario again
working his magic and with an almost identical move, he outpaced the German
defence before this time going past the German keeper and slotting into the
empty net to complete his hat trick
Romario had still not finished and two minutes from time, he skillfully
controlled on his chest before driving home to make the final score German
All Stars 0 Seaboard FC 6.
Manager Rick Bryant was the first to admit that his team’s performance had
been below par and that 6-0 flattered his side. However, he was quick to
point out the impressive performance by 16 year old Giyasov who clearly has
a bright future in the game.
It is now 7 consecutive wins for Seaboard but they will have to play better
if they are to get anything from next weeks game against the leagues second
placed side, the Winking Frog.
Seaboard’s next game will be at Horseshoe Point against the Winking Frog on
Saturday 28th January, kick off 4:00pm.
Seaboard FC have been fortunate enough to secure the sponsorship of AGS Four
Winds International Movers and Cranes and Equipment Ltd. Europe-Middle
East-Asia for this season and would like to thank them for their continued
support.
Anybody who could be interested in joining Seaboard FC, whether their stay
in Thailand is for a long or short period is more than welcome to come down
to the football pitch in Naklua every Tuesday evening at 6:30pm, contact us
at seaboardfc @hotmail.com or call Peter on 01 810 1470.
The Road to Super Bowl XL (part four)
by Howie Reed
Well ‘Holy Moses’... The “Moon is blue”, there’s going to be a ‘Month of
Sunday’s coming up in June” and the National Football League finally got
around to admitting it. Mid week headlines in the USA Today blared “NFL: -
Refs got it wrong in Indy”... It’s always good for a newspaper to state the
obvious.
The NFL has admitted that their referees got one call wrong in the
Pittsburgh-Indianapolis game. They ignored the other calls that were equally
as bad but operating under the theory that a “little confession is good for
the soul”, it can only be assumed that the NFL now feels itself cleansed.
It’s also possible that the initials NFL could be changed to “No Fine
Linebackers.” Steelers Linebacker Joey Porter gave his slant on the
officiating.
“That was an interception. If they had gotten us to overtime I’m sure they
would have figured a way to cheat us. It’s tough enough beating the Colts
but when you have to battle the referee’s too, it’s almost impossible.”
The Steelers didn’t have that problem against the Denver Bronco’s. The ref’s
were seen but not heard and that’s the way it should be. As the good folks
of Thailand were getting ready to start a 15-day celebration for Chinese New
Year, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a head start on the year of the “Dog.”
Denver was favored by 3 points, which Pittsburgh ignored on their way to a
34-17 win and a trip to Super Bowl XL. The Year of the Dog should have been
a tip off for those that were making friendly wagers on last weeks
Championship games. Their joy would have been short lived as the Carolina
Panthers stunk the joint out when they faced the red-hot Seattle Seahawks at
Qwest Field.
The Steelers become the first team in NFL history to beat the number #1, #2
and #3 seeds on the road to the Super Bowl. Yes the 1985 New England
Patriots won three on the road but they didn’t beat top seeds. If for some
reason you had traveled down to the local video store and checked out “How
to play Pro Football 101” you would have gotten a record of what Pittsburgh
did for three quarters of the game against the Denver Bronco’s. It might
well have been the best three quarters of football this century. O.K. so
it’s only 2006.
Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger had a super game completing 21 of 29 passes
for 275 yards with 2 touchdowns. The Denver defense plan was to stop
Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward. They did neither. Pittsburgh
used 7 receivers with ‘unknown’ Cedrick Wilson leading the way with 5
catches for 92 yards and one TD. After a quiet first quarter leading only
3-0, Pittsburgh broke loose in the second for 21 point building a 24-3 half
time lead.
The Steelers defense did exactly what they wanted to. They shut down the
Bronco’s running game (97 yards) and forced the game on to the back of
Bronco QB Jake “The Snake” Plummer. Plummer had been advertised as a more
mature QB under Coach Mike Shanahan. “He doesn’t make the stupid mistakes
any more.” That was during the season. On this day in Denver, Plummer would
throw two interceptions while fumbling twice and loosing both.
The Bronco’s did mount a small charge in the 4th quarter but by that time
the party was over for Bronco fans everywhere. “Out schemed, out played and
pushed around all day, the Broncos (14-4) shuffled off to their locker room,
heads down, after their first home loss in 10 tries this season”, was the
way one writer described the Bronco’s fate.
“They had a great game plan,” said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, now 2-1 in
AFC title games. “They were very well-coached and played a big game today.”
The Steelers, of late have not been able to win playoff games at home. That
wasn’t a problem this year mainly because they didn’t have any games at
home. Everyone in the black and yellow had a hand in the win. Jermore
Bettis, whose fumble last week almost sent them home, had a good day running
and also scored a touchdown. He also had one called back. On the defensive
side, Troy Polamalu, he of the flowing black locks, was again the man. He
did it all. The Steelers were almost perfect. They had to be.
It’s said that there are no secrets in pro football. Not necessarily true.
All year long ‘critics’ were saying that the Seattle Seahawks were winning
only because they played in the worst division in the NFL. The critics were
half right. They were wrong about the Seahawks.
They won because they are good... really good. They laid a pasting on a
Carolina Panthers team that had been on a roll. The 34-14 final score is no
indication of how well Seattle played. Matt Hasselbeck did everything right,
pulling the trigger on the “Hawks” offensive. He threw for 219 yards, with 2
touchdowns while going 20/28 in passes. For good measure he was the second
leading rusher for Seattle with 27 yards on 6 scampers. During the week
leading up to the game the physical condition of league offensive MVP Shaun
Alexander was in question. Alexander answered all the questions with 132
yards on 34 carries with 2 TD’s.
Carolina’s defense wasn’t as bad as the 34-points it gave up might suggest.
The Carolina offense was a different matter... it was dreadful. QB Jake
Delhomme threw three interceptions while generally being rushed off his feet
by the Seattle defensive line. Early in the game when RB Nick Goings went
head-to-head with Seahawk linebacker Lofa Tatupu, a rookie from USC, the
Panthers running game went from being “iffy” to none existent... zero, zip,
nada!
Jamal Robinson then became the Panthers running game. The 4th year pro had
only carried the ball 14 times all year with 10 of those coming in mop up
duty against Atlanta in the final game. That left the Panther hopes on Steve
Smith. Seattle knew they had to stop Smith and they did. He caught only 5
passes for 33 yards. He fumbled late in the 4th quarter to compound the
indignity. Smith did however, have one punt return for 59 yards and a
touchdown... The Seahawks are “for real”
Meanwhile, the Super Bowl odds, after the departure of both Indianapolis and
New England from the scene, made a major correction. Previously, the AFC
with the Colts and the Patriots were favored over the NFC by 7 points. When
those two teams went bye-bye the odds shifted in favor of the NFC by 3
points. That was an 11-point swing toward the then remaining NFC teams,
Carolina and Seattle. Hard to understand but right after both Championship
games, the Pittsburgh Steelers were favored by 3 points over the high flying
Seattle Seahawks for Super Bowl XL.
With a week to go those odds will probably change. Who will win the coveted
Vince Lombardi Trophy emblematic of supremacy in the National Football
League?
Tune in next week.
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
Is anything scarier than being able to tell the future?
Well yes, still being thirsty at closing time is right up there but
knowing what’s coming is not good. Is it possible that The Square Ring
can see into the future? Well maybe. Last week we wrote about Corrales-
Castillo. The bit focused on Castillo’s problem making weight and ended
with “At the 30 day weigh in Castillo weighed 148. Whoops.” Well
“whoops” turned into Corrales injuring his ribs which cancelled the
bout.
“Do you think that Castillo’s problem making weight had anything to do
with the fight being cancelled?” Nope. Corrales is a stand up guy and if
he says he’s injured, he’s injured. There is a variable in play here. If
Castillo would have come up with an ‘injury’, as many Mexican fighters
that train in Mexico do when they’re not in shape, then it could have
been written that “there’s something rotten in France and it isn’t the
cheese.” (Never pass up a chance to slam the French.)
That didn’t happen. On the other hand Corrales is now with promoter Gary
“The Gas Bag” Shaw. Nothing is beneath him. So you pays your money and
takes your choice.
In the January 13 edition of The Square Ring you also read, “Have to
think that Rakkiatgym is in the deep end of the pool and can’t swim.”
Bummer, but I was right again. Fahproakob Rakkiatgym (52-4) had his shot
at the IBF feather title and blew it.
He lost a UD (108-118 all around). The Square Ring had it (112-117) to
Valdemir Pereira (23-0) last Saturday morning in the USA at the world’s
largest casino. He “crapped out”. He busted a pat 19. He actually lost
the fight in the second round when Pereira landed a good left which was
followed by a plethora of punches that landed on various parts of
Rakkiatgyms’ body. After that 10-8 round, Rakkiatgum might have won the
3rd but then just didn’t do enough to win the other rounds
In the later stages of the fight he was posing rather than attacking the
defensive style of Pereira that cried out “Hit me”. Rakkiatgym wasted
energy by pounding his own chest and motioning Pereira to “come on in
and fight”. That may impress crowds in Thailand but fell on stony eyes
in the USA.
It was a terrible effort. Pereira fought the left-hander wrong but
Rakkiatgym never took advantage of the opportunity. I know the referee
Eddie Cotton missed a lot of low blows and Rakkiatgym didn’t under stand
his commands but that aside, Rakkiatgym lost a golden opportunity to be
World Champion..
How good a fight was Erik Morales (48-3) vs. Manny Pacquiao (40-3-2) on
Sunday morning Pattaya time? It was a barnburner. The fight was shown
live in the Philippines at 8am to packed crowds that had to be “over the
moon” at the outcome. They had to be happy as “their guy”, Manny
Pacquiao, who most thought lost 4 of the first 5 rounds, rallied late
taking the next 5 until he scored a TKO at 2:33 of round 10.
For the first time in his career Morales was knocked down and the first
time to be stopped. . In the final days leading up to the fight Pacquiao
said, “He didn’t see the best of me last time, but rest assured he’ll
see the best of me this time, I don’t know how I’m going to beat him,
but I will win.” He was telling the truth... next for the Pacman? Maybe
a re match with Marco Antonio Barrera but for now Manny is a king
without a crown, as he holds no world titles? Does he care? Not a whit.
Local guy, WBA #2 Denkaosan Kaovichit (33-1,14 KOs) kept his PABA fly
title with what was expected to be and was an easy decision over Jerry
Pahayahay. How easy was it? How about 120-108, 120-108, 119-109. All
things considered, the challenger did ok, as he’s 2-14 since 2002. One
writer typed, “the local news reported that the Thai fighter mostly
controlled the bout with his superior skills.” Oh really?
The Pride of Pattaya, that would be Dapper Dave Stewart, had his British
title eliminator junked just the day before Corrales-Castillo went
bye-bye. “Sorry to say, the fight is off. Danny Hunt pulled out today...
again. I don’t know the reason, so he’s now out of the equation. The
rules are that he can’t fight in an eliminator for at least a year. Once
again, the pyramid of effort collapses!”
For a boxer you got to love, The Dapper One’s use of the term “pyramid
of effort” is great stuff. The Square Ring has no idea why the fight was
cancelled but one of our readers does. Patrick the Flying Frog of the
best Belgium restaurant in Pattaya has the answer. In his letter to Dave
he wrote: “Hi Buddy, sorry to hear that, but please don’t give up, there
will be more opportunities this year. I think he’s chicken stuff and
felt some loosing coming on?”
There are things in life that men like to keep secret. If you had a
boxing record of 38-7 and had challenged for a world title on four
occasions would you brag about beating a guy that was 3-5? Nope, you’d
take the money and run like a bandit. Well that’s not the Japanese way
as reported by Joe “Da Bomb” Koizumi. “Former four-time world
challenger, Hiroyuki Sakamoto (38-7, 28 KOs), made a successful return
to ring warfare as he floored Thailand’s Marnkornthong Polsongkhram
(3-5, 1 KO), four times and secured a fine TKO triumph at 1:04 of the
third session “
Now for the rest of the story: The Thai’s official record was 0-2.
Sakamoto’s returned after being TKO’d in May of last year. He lost title
shots to Stevie Johnson, Cesar Bazan, Takanori Hatakeyama and Masakazu
Satake. He’s back I but doubt that anyone cares.
Good guy David Tua, aka The Tuaman, may actually escape from the
financial wrangling with former managers Kevin Berry and Martin Pugh.
One writer called the latest round of Tua against “et al;” a 10-8. “ A
New Zealand judge has ruled that Tua’s exclusive management agreement
with Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh was terminated in October 2003. Pugh
and Barry had argued unsuccessfully that Tua had breached his contract.
Still to be resolved are several financial issues, including proceeds
from the multi-million dollar sale of some beachfront property north of
Auckland. As the Tuaman prepares for his fight in the USA on February 24
he said in a radio interview, “Now I can finally get back in to the ring
and just be completely focused again.”
Me? I can retire to the lounge as another column is in the books. About
time Jeeves... yes a very cold result of the brewers art will do me
fine.”
The Beautiful Game?: Sign here, and here, and here
Riz Taylor
In a classic encounter between flash Londoners and gritty Northerners at
Goodison Park on Saturday it was Everton that snatched all three Premiership
points. James Beattie’s opener and some desperate defending were enough to
condemn Arsenal to their sixth away defeat of the season; form which is
unacceptable for a side supposedly chasing the league title.
Whilst Everton’s spirited performance brought them a fourth successive
Premiership win that takes the club well into the safety zone, it’s no
exaggeration to suggest that Arsenal’s season is turning into a disaster.
The Gunners are playing in their final season at Highbury but find
themselves in unfamiliar territory slightly earlier than expected. Currently
25 points behind leaders Chelsea in fifth position, the more immediate
concern is chasing down the resurgent Tottenham who deservedly sit above
them in fourth. More bad news - Patrick Vieira is sorely missed, Ashley Cole
is off to Real Madrid, Thierry Henry still might not sign a new contract
despite suggesting otherwise, and Dennis Bergkamp is approaching his 94th
birthday.
Miserable times, then? Well, perhaps not. Two pieces of recent news signal a
bright future, and should prove enough to stop Arsenal fans throwing
themselves from the nearest Soi Buakhao roof, for the time being at least.
Last week the Gunners announced that after settling into the new Emirates
stadium come next August they’ll be generating not just more money per home
game than Manchester United, Chelsea and the rest of their domestic rivals,
but more than any club on earth. It’s a remarkable boast, but sure enough
150 prawn sandwich boxes have already been sold, as have the entire
allocation of season tickets. The club will also continue to sell 12,000
matchday tickets, just as they currently do at Highbury.
“Our gate income in the new stadium will probably be the highest in the
world,” said the club’s managing director Keith Edelman. That will be
because we will have 60,000 fans and we’ve got higher-priced tickets and
more premium tickets than any other club in the UK.”
Only in today’s game will you find a club allowing its managing director to
publicly celebrate its high-priced tickets, but this is the new world in
which we live. Arsenal are clearly managing well and covering a huge outlay
on the new stadium, and the smug suits celebrated their accounting skills by
handing manager Arsene Wenger a wad of cash to spend at the winter sales.
And spend it he did. In came Vasiriki Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Adebayor from
Auxerre and Monaco respectively (I should get a bonus for having to type
those names) who are both hailed as huge prospects for the future, but their
arrival was muted in comparison to another signing that took the idea of
planning for the future to the very limit.
At just sixteen years of age he’s not old enough to drive a car, yet Theo
Walcott arrived at Highbury last week with a big price tag and even bigger
expectations riding on his young shoulders. A part of Southampton’s
successful youth side that were beaten in last year’s FA Youth Cup final,
Walcott has progressed through the ranks and impressed the Arsenal manager
enough to shell out what could reach 12 million pounds - a staggering amount
for a youngster who had made just five senior appearances in the
Championship for the Saints.
It’s a huge gamble, and young Theo will be wary of following in the
footsteps of other English talents that have failed to impress at Arsenal.
Wenger’s last English signings were Richard Wright and Francis Jeffers, both
of whom were quickly shown the door, whilst Matthew Upson, Jermaine Pennant
and David Bentley have all had to look elsewhere for first-team football.
Walcott’s potential is said to be enormous, though, and Wenger was quick to
point out his confidence in his new signing.
“You have to accept that when you take a boy at 16 it is a huge gamble, and
I am ready to take that gamble because of the vibe I feel,” he said.
Inevitable comparisons will be made with Wayne Rooney, who also made his
name at a young age before a big money move, but Walcott is said to resemble
the style of his hero Thierry Henry rather than the United forward. “Wayne
Rooney has achieved a lot, and I want to be cautious with comparisons. But
he has the same ingredients at the same age to be a big prospect for
England,” said Wenger.
Although Chelsea were willing to better any offer, Walcott signed for
Arsenal thanks to Henry’s presence at the club and the better chance of
first team football. Arsenal’s vice-chairman David Dein revealed the amazing
lengths that he went to in signing the youngster, who in theory could sign
for another club next week if he so wished, such are the rules governing the
movements of young players.
“Until he signs a professional contract, a club is exposed,’ said Dein. “You
can’t become a professional until you are 17, so we could only sign Theo as
a scholar. As such, the situation is not secure.
“We are exposed, but we’ve done everything in our power to make sure we are
protected,” he continued. To make sure we had a bulletproof deal, there were
no less than 10 sets of documents and everyone had to sign so many things
there was a total of 84 signatures. It is the most I’ve known in any
transaction. This goes into the football world record department.””
Along with their huge ticket prices, Arsenal clearly plan to battle the
financial dominance of Chelsea by snapping up young talent as early as
possible. Only time will tell if Wenger’s huge gamble will pay off, but if
young Theo progresses as expected he’ll have to become more and more
familiar with signing his own name.
Eriksson’s
Embarrassment
By now you’ll have heard all about the News of the World’s
entrapment of Sven Goran Eriksson by their ‘Fake Sheikh’ Mazher Mahmood a
fortnight ago. The England coach was coaxed into revealing key information
on his senior players and even plans for his own future after England’s
World Cup campaign by the reporter who posed as a wealthy Arab businessman.
The ‘sting’ follows other embarrassments in the Swede’s private life that
include affairs with TV personality Ulrika Jonsson and FA Secretary Faria
Alam which were leaked to the newspapers.
Yet am I alone in thinking that the supposed scandal revealed very little of
genuine interest? Michael Owen’s unhappiness at Newcastle, Beckham’s desire
to win trophies and Rio Ferdinand’s tendency to be lazy are hardly
cornflake-choking revelations, and while the News of the World has sold a
few extra newspapers its attack on the England coach just five months before
the World Cup is disgraceful.
But even more disappointing is Eriksson’s decision to sue the newspaper for
“breach of confidence” which will no doubt take up a proportion of his World
Cup preparation time.
Here’s a personal message to Sven: Get over it! You were caught out, now get
on with your job and stop moaning. But whatever you do, please don’t leave.
The thought of Steve “No wins since November” McLaren at the helm of the
England team is even more disturbing than any remark you could ever make.
That said, at the time of writing Eriksson is due to face the FA over his
claims concerning corruption in the game that follow allegations by Luton
and QPR bosses Mike Newell and Ian Holloway. Football? Corrupt? Never.
New league with
14 teams gets underway
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
200 Bowlers -
Rich, Leo, Mai & Malcolm (Lance not present)
The new Pattaya Sports Club Friday league got underway on 20 January with 14
teams launching their bowling balls and hoping to come out a winner at the
end of 30 weeks.
Friends got off to a good start winning all four points from Shenanigans.
Lance led Friends with games of 202, 189 and 202 for a 593 series. Grape
Vine, led by Bill Key’s 524 series, also got off to a four point sweep over
Brother D. Kran rolled a 547 series to lead Café Kronborg to a four point
win over Jack & Tar. Mai had a 200 game and 545 series for Jack & Tar. Spare
bowler Rich had a good day bowling games of 174, 189 and 211 for a 574
series. Café Ole had the best team bowling of the day as they won three
points from House of the Golden Coin. Teuvo had a 533 series, Udom 525 and
Dang knocked down 510 pins for Café Ole. Mio led Golden Coin with a 515
series. Leo led Three Sisters to a three point win over Domicil as he rolled
a 218 game and had 539 pins total. Mai’s Thai Restaurant and VFW Post 9876
split their match at two points each and Jim, VFW, had a 527 series. New
team, France, took three points from another new team PSC 1 (No sponsor
yet).
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