Chieftains And Warriors Earn Good Wins

It's been a fortnight or so since Pete Lewis has updated us on the Chelmsford Chieftains and their second-string team the Warriors.

Thankfully he's back this week to give us the latest news to do with the teams as they both gained good wins. Chieftains were hosts to the MK Thunder from Milton Keyens. Thunder were looking to improve on their calamitous 16-3 home thrashing by league leaders Invicta Dynamos on Saturday night.

Looking to build on their hosts nerve's, Chieftains started the quickest and quickly camped themselves around the Thunder net, ably guarded by Mark Woolf. Chelmsford were peppering Woolf's net with shots from all over the ice but none found their way past the excellent goalie.

Against the run of play, the Thunder took a shock lead when some poor defending and some mix-ups around the net allowed Connor Goode to slot home into the almost empty net to silence the Riverside crowd. The lead was short-lived though as the impressive Darren Brown quickly equalised on 10:43 with a lucky bounce off Woolf's pads and the post. That was the end of the scoring in a first period which Chieftains dominated.

The second period began brightly for the Chieftains with Danny Hammond taking the lead for the home side at 26:08 when Brown slid the puck to Hammond to fire home from in front of the net. Just over 4 minutes later it became 3-1 when Aaron Connolly rifled his shot into the net thanks to the hard-working duo of Richard Whiting and Ross Brears setting up the youngster.

Alex Staples continued to be a solid and dependable defenceman throughout the game and made some nice saves to turn defence into attack. BT Williams stationed himself in front of Woolf around the 37minute mark and when the puck fell to him, he made no mistake in slotting it home. The Chieftains superiority showed in abundance this period with a shot count of 28-4 in the Essex sides' favour.

Into the third and final period Slovak Jerry Pavlus notched his 18th goal of the season thanks to Brown once again and also Blaho Novak who battled hard throughout the game and was unlucky on many occasions not to be amongst the scorers. With just under 10minutes to go in the game, comical defending from Matt Roberts who tried to check Ross Brears into the boards and missed his hip check entirely, allowed Brears to skate in on Woolf from centre ice and he coolly finished with some ease to end the scoring at 6-1.

After the game head coach Dean Birrell had this to say: "We got 65 shots in on Woolf tonight and he played a blinder against us, as he always does. He would have been low on confidence after their drubbing the night before, but he bounced back tonight and ended with a save percentage of 90. Having said that, some of the shots we did put in on Woolf were not great and we've got to work on that as we head into the play-off run-in and the play-offs themselves.

I thought we dominated the Thunder across the ice and there were some good individual performances tonight that brought the team together. It would be unfair to single anyone out tonight as right across the team the boys performed pretty well after a bit of a stutter to start with".

Meanwhie the Warriors were down in Lea Valley to play the Lions. Due to commitments to the under-18s team the Warriors arrived in East London with only 11 players, however this did not faze the team as they raced into a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period with Ben Osborne, Sean Martin and Tom Foskett netting. The remainder of the game was dominated by the Warriors as Foskett and Lee Hounslow grabbed hatricks. Further goals were scored by Martin and Adrian Woodyard with the Lions scoring three goals to try and limit the damage already done..

Man of the match Foskett said after the game "I give my all whenever I get the chance. A lot of the guys on the ice tonight really stepped their game us as we knew we hadn't had a game for a few weeks and were a bit rusty. We're a good bunch and it's nice to take a man-of-the-match award in games like this where players have to step up to the mark".

Catching Up With The 'Side: Overcoming Winter Postponments!

It has been quite a while since we've heard from Barkingside FC, one of SportTrades adopted clubs this season. Thankfully SportTrades Adam Dennehey is able to give us an update on the team this month.

Last time that I updated you on the team in December, it came in horrific circumstances which involved captain Alex Carter broke his fibia, tibia bones as well has dislocating an ankle during a game away to Clapton FC in league competition. He was admitted to Newham General Hospital and after a stay there has now been discharged. As expected he's been ruled out for the season but is omptimistic that he'll be able to play football again. Of course this will be a massive goal for him to do, but everyone at the club is fully behind him and wish him the best.

On the pitch not alot as happened for the team since December as alike alot of non league football clubs they were affected by the poor weather and have had what seems like millions of postponments for their games. Their Oakside stadium, which also plays hosts to Redbridge FC matches has had alot of games postponed by the weather. The ground is situation at the bottom of a hill so there is often more draingage that you'd imagine on a pitch at non league level.

This month finally saw some football at the Oakside when Barkingside beat Bowers & Pitsea 3-2 in the league. Due to family issues I didn't see that match, but was present for their thrilling 4-2 win againgst Southend Manor when Sean Thomas scored a hatrick as a second half sub to cap a memorable victory for the team. It was all the more remarkable given the fact the team were 2-0 down at half time and the quality of play in the second half was probably as good a 45 minutes that you're see all season. Side's midfield worked wonders with Liam Burgess, Abs Thompson and Fabian Batchelor not missing one pass in the second half. Side's goalie Jason Willis also pulled of some tremendous saves with the score at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go so he should get some credit.

Although 'Side have gone out of the league cup that they won last season, they are still in with a chance of winning the Gordon Brasted cup which they have been losing finalists twice in the last five years. Sitting currently 6th in the Essex Senior League, they have three games in hand againgst leaders Burnham Ramblers, so should be looking to make up the ground on Burnham over the next month.

In other news regarding the club, on the afternoon of the club's home game with Clapton, Saturday 10th April 2010, The Testicle Tour will visit Oakside to perform their own unique version of a penalty shoot out using large pink fluffy testicles.

The Testicle Tour is a testicular cancer awareness campaign that was created by Darren Couchman and Richard Miller. Their aim is to raise the profile of this illness in a funny, light hearted way and also raise monies for the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign.

At half time during the game against Clapton, The Testicle Tour, along with some of the clubs players, will stage a penalty shoot out competition but they will use one of the large fluffy testicles instead of a football. It promises to be a spectacle but at the same time it will deliver an important message to the fans; men should be more aware of testicular cancer and carry out regular self checks.

For more on this check out Barkingside's official website @ http://www.barkingsidefc.co.uk/. To find out information on The Testicle Tour go to the campaigns official website http://www.onelumportwo.org.uk/.

Sol y Futbol: The Rojillos Run Ends

Ian Lane reports as The Rojillos fall at Conquense. The lack of Sun on their backs proved to make things difficult as their good run of late came to end.

CONQUENSE 2 LANZAROTE 0

22nd February 2010

A goal in each half put an end to Lanzarote´s great run of form. Without Captain Vladimir, striker Jonathon Torres and midfield maestro Rubén Rodriguez as well as longer term injuries of strikers Rosmen and Ian Robinson the journey 200 kilometres from Madrid was always going to be a difficult task.

The Rojillos are not good travelers. Lanzarote´s daytime temperatures rarely fall below 20 degrees, so to be greeted on a cold Sunday morning with rain and a howling gale with pockets of snow dotted around the pitch did not particularly suit the Conejeros.

Enough excuses. Since the January transfer wheeling and dealing Lanzarote now have a squad capable of living in Spain’s third tier of football. They were simply outplayed by a side pushing for promotion, and indeed with this win Conquense have moved within one place and one point from the play offs.

From the first minute the home side took control of the match and the Lanzarote goalkeeper Vilches knew he was in for a busy morning. In the seventh minute Lanzarote´s defence frailties rose to the surface once more. A corner swung in from the left bobbled around the six yard box and the Rojillos had three opportunities to clear the ball but Conquense didn’t hang around for the fourth, as midfielder Cubillo blasted home from close range to put his side at ease with an early 1-0 lead.

In the 33rd minute Vilches saved brilliantly with his feet preventing striker Gato doubling his sides lead with a strike from eight yards. Vilches came to the rescue again just before half time with another great save from centre forward Oscar Silva when the Conquense striker found himself with just the keeper to beat.

Lanzarote came out for the second half with a completely different attitude and Conquense were forced to retreat. Defender Juachi put through new boy Raul Torres but his good strike was well saved by the local keeper Martinez.

On the hour mark striker Carlitos header inches over and a few minutes later defender Moncho found himself with a free header from a corner but his powerful effort fell straight into the keepers arms.

The recalled winger Toñito had a good shout for a penalty waved away midway through the second half and in the 83rd minute the home side eased their worries with the all important second goal. Good combination play from the forwards gave Martins a clear strike and with just the Lanzarote keeper to beat the centre forward comfortably gave his side a 2-0 lead.

That goal completely deflated the spirits of the Rojillos and with seven minutes remaining there was no way back against a side who on average concede a goal a game.

On the positive side fellow relegation strugglers did not fair any better. Lanzarote still remain second from bottom but are still only a point from safety. The next few weeks will prove decisive as the Rojillos will be up against a host of teams in and around relegation trouble. First up is a home game against Cacereño who lie in 14th position three points above Lanzarote with 30 points. If any other incentive is needed then the 5-0 thrashing Lanzarote suffered to the hands of Cacereño in the first round of games should be sufficient.

The good news is that Vladi, Jonathon Torres and Rubén Rodriguez all look set to return and if all play well then Cacereño will be in for a tough day.

Where the Turf meets the Surf.

SportTrades are delighted to announce a partnership with Brighton Racecourse. We will be helping Brighton sell advertising at track side, along the winning straight and just beyond the winning post. Prime locations without doubt!

Racing at Brighton goes under Starter’s orders on the 20th April right through to October, including the very popular 3 day August Festival which expects to attract over 100,000 visitors. The track will hold 22 meetings this season and advertising costs only £2000 + VAT, which is exceptional value. The course has welcomed approx 350000 visitors each season in recent years, with attendances growing year on year. Predicted figures for 2010 are 43000 per meeting, throughout the season. Racing at Brighton is also covered by Satellite Broadcasters, which will add another 6 million viewers to the list of people watching racing by the surf.

Brighton Racecourse celebrates 227 years of racing in 2010. Racing and the course have progressed a long way since the first meeting on White Hawk Down in 1783. The opportunity is there for you and your organisation to be a part of the continued growth of Brighton racecourse, while at the same time developing your own brand’s awareness to a vast number of racegoers and television viewers across the UK and beyond. With the purchase of an advertising board in a prominent location along the final furlongs of the course, that is open 365 days a year for a variety of events, your company will certainly be amongst the favourites for the horse racing public. For further information and to discuss these fabulous opportunities in more detail, please contact us at sales@sporttrades.co.uk

Sunderland Ladies Super League Place Unlikley

SportTrades are fans of Women's Football and through our dealings with the organisation Girls In Football, led by Polly Courtney know that there is great potential in the Women's game.

The popularity of the sport is probably at an all time high with the England women's team doing well on the international and european scale. Added to that there is a Super League coming in next year which will help pump more money into the women's game and help the overall standard of football improve.

Another of the requirements is that clubs must match the £70,000 a year that the FA is prepared to give each team for the first two years of the league's operation. "We can't afford to pay our players expenses, let alone £30,000 a year," said the Sunderland chairman, Maurice Alderson. "We run our whole club on less than half of that. I love the concept of the league and I'd love be part of it, but it's going to be very difficult."

The FA wants each club to pay its top four players an annual salary of £20-30,000, a demand that the new league's project leader, Sally Horrox, admitted might deter some of the prospective founder members a couple of months ago.

"My one concern," said Horrox, "is that we might be scaring a few of the clubs off. But we are raising the bar for the women's game and we are serious about player payments and other minimum requirements."

The Premier League leaders, Sunderland, have been given a “kick in the teeth”, said their chairman, Maurice Alderson, after learning that his club’s hopes of becoming a founder member of the Football Association’s Super League have been dashed.

“With the help of Sunderland FC,” said Alderson, “we put in a very strong bid and not for one moment did I think we wouldn’t get in. We’re top of the league, we reached last season’s FA Cup final and we've got nine current internationals at various age levels. To have all that on top of a bid backed by a Premiership club and get turned down is devastating. We've been kicked in the teeth.”

Sunderland’s neighbours Newcastle United, who play in the Northern Division, have also been informed that they will not be one of the Super League’s eight clubs, the identities of which will shortly be revealed by the FA.

The north-east will therefore not be represented in the league, which is set to start next year. “At a meeting about the league two and a half years ago,” said Alderson, “the FA showed a big map of England but the northern-most city they highlighted was Leeds. When I pointed it out I was told it was ‘just an oversight’, but I'm wondering now if we were ever intended to be included.”

The FA declined to respond to Alderson’s comments. “We are still at the adjudication stage of the application process and at this time we will not comment on any individual club’s application,” a spokesman said.

Sunderland were not in action on tuesday, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal, who progressed to the semi-finals with a 5-0 win against Doncaster. Everton also reached the last four, beating Blackburn 2-1. The other quarter-finals will be played next Sunday.

It's a big blow for Sunderland who have performed well this year. In terms of the north-west region it's a big blow as it's vital that the money from the league gets spread around the country and ideally the clubs awarded places in the competition should be spread around the country. It will also be a big blow to teams who should be getting the support from the FA and it will mean that they will find it hard to compete in the game and hold onto any good players if they're not given the opportunity to step up.

The Super League is a great concept and it will be giving the women's game a great platform to showcase itself. With several television companies rumoured to be intrested in wanting to broadcast matches, there will be television money going to those clubs in the league. What this could mean is that instead of helping the game, rather sadly some clubs could get left behind and the gaps between the top and lower teams will get even bigger. In any sport there will be casualties but it's imperative that clubs who don't get into the league are still kept financially secure so that when more places are open, clubs can fill them with confidence.

USF1: A Big Opportunity Lost for Formula 1?

With the news of the last few nights that the USF1 Formula 1 team, led by Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson, looks doomed, I thought that I would round up the full ratifications of the teams expected failure to make the grid this season.

First, the whole USF1 concept gathered a lot of European skepticism ever since Windsor announced the team on Feb. 24, 2009, because they could all see the difficulties that the team has had over the last couple of months.

Foolishly perhaps, I wanted to see the team make the grid. Therefore, I have followed its progress (or lack there of) throughout the offseason just as much as I've followed the progress of the other new teams who have also suffered problems.

Campos Meta, run by Adrian Campos, also has had their problems. But according to creditable sources, they have been rescued by a new investor that is rumored to have secured the team's place for the new season. This new investor, ironically, is rumored to be Chad Hurley: the founder of YouTube. Hurley is one of the main investors in USF1 with the millionaire annoyed at the team's lack of progress looking to move onto the struggling Spanish team.

The main criticism of USF1 was always the fact that being based in America would hurt them in the long run. Why? Because they would be away from F1's European heartland, and would be behind other teams in car development. I think that’s a valid argument. But at the same time, after the initial announcement in February when the team was launched, they had a few more months even before they were announced as one of the new teams.

That being said, both Windsor and Ken Anderson have lots of connections in the world of Motorsport. And knowing that the team was going to be based in America, when they were announced as one of the new teams, they still had plenty of time to pull things together.

One of the main problems was the fact the team was called "USF1," which implied that the team would be fully American despite the fact that Windsor, of course, is British. Although the team said it wouldn't favor American drivers, with the team having '"US" in the title it would (and has) make the team look slightly weaker if they didn't have an American driver in their lineup or at least an established name in the sport.

Of course, a driver’s nationality is not the most important thing to an F1 team. However, it's good for national pride if you have a driver from the same nationality as the team.

Perhaps looking back, the team should not have called its USF1: it could still have maintained its "American" background, but not as boldly as it did. Looking around the Internet over the last couple of weeks, there are not too many American/North American drivers with an FIA Super Licences.

Every driver needs a Superlicense in order to race in the sport, although in recent years when push comes to shove (eg. Kimi Raikonnen in 2001) a driver does not necessarily need one to compete.

In fact today, Lotus Racing's test driver, Fairuz Fauzy, qualified for his FIA Super license by completing a required amount of laps driving the team’s 2010 car at Jerez. With that in mind, it shows that had the team got its car finished on time, it could have turned up for the tests. Also, the team's driver(s) could have completed sufficient laps to earn that license.

The signing of Jose Maria Lopez brought a few snickers from the media. Lopez had been racing in Argentina for the last couple of years at Touring Car Level after being released from the Renault Drivers Development scheme in 2006.

Lopez is not necessarily a bad driver, but with USF1 even at the time of Lopez's appointment looking shaky of making the grid in Bahrain, perhaps the team should have appointed an older wiser driver. It would have given the team some credibility in the face of the media and fans.

With drivers like Jacques Villeneuve, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Christian Klien all on the market, the team perhaps should have taken a risk and gone out for one of them. Having someone of that caliber would have been good for development of the car, which is so important for a new and small team. But it would also have made things easier in attracting sponsors to invest into the team. With a creditable driver leading the team, it would have attracted more national and local media exposure.

Villeneuve would have been the team's dream-driver, and with his popularity in the states, Europe, and in F1, would have brought immediate income to the team. Also, with an established driver on board, it would have made it easier to sign a second driver for the team.

Of course, the team never had the money to sign an established driver and it had to go for the "pay driver" in Lopez, who was backed by the Argentinian government and other minor sponsors. Had the team planned the project better, it would never have gone for someone of Lopez's quality and would have ensured that their driver choice would have been focused more on quality than 'money' quantity. That's not to say the team didn't try that though.

The team also promised that its car was going to be designed and built with innovative on the car that would be different to the other teams. It was claimed that they would be bringing in concepts that had been used on Indy/Champ Cars and that they would be using these within the rules.

Formula 1 is a sport that showcases itself as the most technically advanced sport in the world. In terms of the sport, it is always interesting to see different ways of building a team car and not only potentially be interesting for the sport, but for the automobile industry which has strong relationships within the sport.

In terms of the American market, which for years Bernie Ecclestone has never been able to master: it’s a big blow, as American companies might not want to get involved. The news also means that any future bid by an American owned F1 project will just be laughed at and won’t gather any support worthy to get selected as a future F1 team. It’s a shame for the American public who have been treated badly, as have the workers at the factory in Charlotte, N.C.

Windsor promised that the team would look to have a great relationship with the fans and as well as the team having a website, they have also stepped into social media like Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Videos of the development of the car and interviews were put on YouTube whilst photos and short messages were put on Facebook and Twitter to help gather the team some support. Even with that, very little has been heard on those networks in the last couple of weeks when it looks from the outside that the team does not care about the supporters, who are losing interest in the team. That, of course, does not look good for prospective investors in the team, who may see little real need for the team to exist.

With Formula 1 looking to move away from its historical European base, this was a great opportunity missed for the sport to increase its profile in the 21st century. There could have been countless big American-based multinational companies looking to get involved in the sport and of course with USF1 involved the chances of a US Grand Prix would also have greatly improved.

The sport has never really recovered after the disaster that was the 2005 Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Ind. In that Grand Prix, Michelin had tire issues and only six cars raced in front of almost a sold-out crowd.

There are more than a few American drivers waiting in the wings for a chance in the sport like JR Hildebrand, Jon Summerton, and Alexander Rossi. Rossi is clearly a future star and is doing well in the GP2 Asia series.

Ex-Torro Rosso driver Scott Speed should not be forgotten either. He is experienced and now, as a mature driver, could have been tempted back in the future.

Following in the footsteps of Villenueve, is the young Canadian Robert Wickens who is racing in the FIA F2 Championship. He is an option for the sport in the near future as well.

However, perhaps all the blame shouldn't rest on Windsor and Anderson's shoulders. The selection process that the FIA used in selecting the new teams should also come into question as with Campos and USF1 struggling, it appears that other candidates such as Lola, Prodrive, and Epilson Euskadi should have been accepted.

Another problem that all the new teams had to deal with was the fact that the actual regulations for the 2010 season were not finalized until the FOTA/FOM argument was settled over the summer. This definitely did not help USF1 or Campos and certainly set them back. There were also issues with Cosworth engines not being delivered on time.

Overall, it looks like it is going to be a sad and complicated end to the USF1 project that looked slightly flawed at the start. It is a real shame for the American public who I am sure would have taken great pride in seeing a car designed and built in the United States representing them on the world scale.

If the team does fold, it's a shame for the sport, which will, as a result suffer in the short and long-term in the States. Fans unfamiliar with the sport will lose interest, and sponsors will not be willing to get involved. There are small rumours that the team could be merged with Campos and that they could just buy a chasis from Dallara. If there is any truth in that, that would still be a failure in most people's eyes and tarnish the original concept of the team.

It's also a huge blow to the FIA, who will have missed out on a huge opportunity as well, which will embarrass them greatly. Regardless of USF1, I hope that an American driver does get involved in the sport. The whole escapade should though be remembered and should always be thought about for any future investment/team looking to get involved in the sport to learn from.

Sol y Futbol: Lanzarote Fight for Survival Continues

Sol y Futbols Ian Lane reports from Arrecife on UD Lanzarote's fight for survival, which is looking a better prospect now than at any time over the course of the season.

LANZAROTE 3 RACING SANTANDER B 0

15th February 2010

Thirty seven minutes was all it took to blow away the Primera Liga sides B team and to carry on this astonishing turn around of form for U.D. Lanzarote. The opening goal came after only five minutes. Carlitos received the ball near the penalty spot and on the turn cleverly passed the ball into the right hand corner of the net beating the outstretched Racing keeper Pablo and giving his new club a 1-0 lead.

The Rojillos were not content and went in search of a second. In the 14th minute Rubén Rodriguez split his opponents defence with an inch perfect pass and Ayoze Pérez blasted goal bound from 12 yards, the goalkeeper couldn’t hold his stinging shot and Jonathon Torres as ever was there doing what a striker should do and toe poked home giving his side a comfortable 2-0 cushion.

The visitors almost caught Lanzarote off guard in the 24th minute when a quick break saw right winger Uri with a possible one on one with the Rojillos keeper but his first touch let him down and his shot drifted aimlessly across the goal.

The passing and movement from the home side was at times electric and manager Carmelo Hernández was urging his side to put the game to bed before half time. Rubén Rodriguez was having another outstanding game and nutmegged his opponent with a pass to Torres who in turn released Ayoze but his powerful strike went wide hitting the side netting.

Carlitos was proving to be a real handful for the Santander defence and never more so than in the 35th minute when he latched onto a through ball and was brought down inside the area, the Ref immediately ordered a spot kick. The sweet left foot of Rubén Rodriguez sent the keeper the wrong way as he buried the ball into the bottom right hand corner and Lanzarote were flying with a 3-0 lead.

The visitors had a great chance to reduce the deficit five minutes before the break. Uri beat his defender and cut the ball back from the right wing to his centre forward Docal. His strike was powerful and accurate but the Lanzarote keeper Vilches saved brilliantly with his feet making sure his side went into the break with their three goal advantage in tact.

As expected the Rojillos were a little more subdued after the interval though just before the hour mark Lanzarote were presented with four very good chances within the space of ten minutes. Rubén hit the first high over but five minutes later he caught the ball cleanly on the volley and only a fantastic save from Pablo denied his 20 yard strike from going into the top left hand corner.

A minute later and this time Torres was denied from eight yards as the Racing keeper saved well tipping the ball over the bar. Two minutes later and Rubén put through Torres. An accurate chip from 30 yards was all that was needed as the keeper had been caught in no mans land but unfortunately Torres chipped over but well wide.

With 20 minutes remaining Lanzarote decided enough was enough and took off their inspirational captain Vladi who had been carrying a knock then Rubén and Torres were also rewarded with an early shower as the game fizzled out with Lanzarote comfortable winners.

Lanzarote could live to regret not scoring a fourth. Racing beat the Rojillos by the same score line early on this season and should it go down to points and goal difference between the two sides Lanzarote would be relegated. If Lanzarote would have scored four they would have been safe as these are the rules that apply in Spanish football.

The Rojillos form of late has been devastating and over the last seven games they lie second in the form guide only bettered by the runaway leaders and Copa del Rey giant killing experts Alcorcón by a single point. Nevertheless the Rojillos still remain second from bottom but are now just two points from safety.

Next week Lanzarote will travel to the Spanish capital to face sixth placed side Conquense. The Madrid side are also in good form with only one defeat in their last seven outings and are sitting only two points off the play offs.