In (Partial) Defence of Maria

One of the first posts I ever produced on this blog was on fallen idols in sport, written in the aftermath of the extraordinary Lance Armstrong doping scandal which brought cycling to its knees. I concluded that we ought to be careful with the cult of personality and hero-worship in general. I bring this up, not to directly associate this odious individual with the subject of this article, but to highlight the sheer discomfort of returning to the topic of doping and discussing (on International Women’s Day no less) the revelation that a long-time idol of mine, Maria Sharapova, has failed a drugs test.

There is very little hard information at the moment outside of what Maria herself detailed in a press conference yesterday; that she had failed a drugs test on the 26th January following her defeat to Serena Williams in the Australian Open Quarter-Finals, and that the drug named meldonium which she had been taking since 2006 allegedly for health issues, was recently added the WADA prohibited substances list on January 1st. The substance in question, which is not licensed in the United States or most of Europe, has been on WADAs watch-list for over a year, with it being found in a substantial amount of athletes’ samples, and is said to increase blood flow thereby increasing exercise capacity, which is why it has been banned as a performance-enhancing drug. Tom Fordyce of the BBC wrote rather damningly earlier that:

‘there have been 55 positive tests for meldonium in 2016 alone […] a 2015 study revealed that 724 of 4,316 Russian athletes tested were found to have meldonium in their system.’

It’s a disconcerting statistic, and even more so given the widespread doping allegations in Russian athletics, but right now we have to deal with the facts and wait until the investigation, which will presumably involve consulting the doctor who prescribed her the medication on health grounds and verifying the condition, has concluded.

It’s an extraordinary situation then, when individuals such as Jennifer Capriati come out and claim that Maria ought to be stripped of her previous titles on the basis of taking the drug at all, but since the drug was not illegal until the date of January 1st 2016, her previous wins are completely irrelevant. It’s not a drug that was previously unknown, and been manufactured to deceive the WADA drug testers; the authorities have known that it exists and until the January 1st 2016, deemed it to be legitimate to take. The problem lies in the fact that she continued to take it after this date until the 26th January, and whilst I ultimately do believe that it is the athlete’s responsibility to be aware of what is going into their system and its legalities, does this demonstrate malicious intent and deception? I certainly don’t think so.

The fact is that Sharapova has willingly taken meldonium, either knowing that it was illegal and thereby cheating, or not knowing and being guilty of negligence, and she will face a ban as a result of it. I don’t dispute this, and I think it’s important that we maintain these sanctions in order to reiterate how serious we take doping as a sporting community. However, I think that the ban has to take the circumstances into account and reflect how we want to deal with drugs in sport. Individuals like Justin Gatlin, Dwain Chambers, Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong; they doped without regret and because they could, knowing the consequences of taking drugs which they believed to be undetectable, and with the latter directly implicating and ruining countless lives in the process. These individuals brought utter shame upon their sport, themselves, and tore at the fabric of the sporting world. Sharapova has made a seemingly honest but ultimately stupid mistake, subsequently gone public and apologised, acknowledging her own negligence. She has been transparent, and that’s a rare thing indeed. As someone who has given so much to her sport and taken responsibility for her errors upfront, I do hope the authorities appropriate the correct sanction.

Notts County preview: Sheffield Wednesday (A)

Derry speaks to the press at the new Arnold Town training ground

With a league cup game at Hillsborough on Tuesday night, Shaun Derry reflected upon a positive weekend away at Preston, securing a draw against the promotion favourites. The Magpies did let three points slip, conceding in the 89th minute, but the manager viewed it as a good point away from home and an opportunity to “carry all the good things we did into Tuesday night”.

The Magpies face Sheffield Wednesday, who took three points away at Brighton on Saturday afternoon, return to Hillsborough with high expectations for the season. Notts are also in good form off the back of the pre-season win against Osasuna and the point at Preston, and Derry expects more from his squad: “I’ve always said that I want us to be competitive this year and I don’t want it to be sporadically, I want it to be on a weekly basis.” The cup is an opportunity to string a few wins together; cup runs breed confidence and an excitement amongst the fans which can be conducive to league form. Sheffield Wednesday are the strong favourites and are expected to achieve in the Championship which takes the pressure off the visitors and may allow them to express themselves. Derry expressed the importance of the cup, and the respect which must be given to it in terms of team selection and competitiveness, citing that:

“As much focus is going into tomorrow night [Sheffield Wednesday] as it did into the Preston game…our preparation is going to be as good as it can be”

The pre-match presser took place at the new training ground, based at Arnold Town FC, and Derry acknowledged the usefulness of the facility, commenting that “this is our training ground, our home, our workplace that we can come in every day and I can become a better manager and the players can become better players. It’s a great facility…the players make us better, but this facility makes them better.

More information can be found on tickets for the game at: http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/tickets/

 

Notts County transfer and pre-season roundup

With the new season looming, it feels like only yesterday that the Magpies secured their League One status with a truly ‘great escape’ on the final day of the season, prompting celebrations amongst the away fans. Notts have needed to recruit over summer, whilst also trimming the squad for financial purposes, to avoid a repeat of last year’s nightmare season. Derry and Abbott have done exactly that, with a plethora of comings and goings from the Nottingham club. The ‘pies have seen regular first-teamer Alan Sheehan leave on a free to Bradford City early on in pre-season which was a blow but one that was expected, with Sheehan’s wages a financial conundrum for the club. Further hampering the ‘pies was Jimmy Spencer’s season-long injury. On a positive note, Roy Carroll signed on a free from Olympiakos following an impressive trial period in pre-season, stringing a series of good performances together and impressing the manager. Carroll’s signing counters the exit of long-term Notts ‘keeper Barthosz Bialkowski who departed for Ipswich in the summer for an undisclosed fee. County have also secured the services of veterans Alan Smith and Hayden Mullins, the latter who played a part in the Magpies survival last season. Two of the youngsters from the academy, Brad McGowan and Harry Andrews have been rewarded central contracts and promoted to the first team which is a boost for the club’s academy. The full list of dealings are as follows:

Ins

Brad McGowan (Academy)
Harry Andrews (Academy)
Alan Smith (MK Dons)
Hayden Mullins (Birmingham City)
Liam Noble (Carlisle United)
Taylor McKenzie (Sheffield Wednesday)
Nicky Wroe (Preston North End)
Cieron Keane (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Zeli Ismail (On Loan From Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Garry Thompson (Bradford City)
Jake Cassidy (On Loan From Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Roy Carroll (Olympiakos)
Elliott Whitehouse (Sheffield United)

Outs

Bartosz Bialkowski (Ipswich Town)
Andre Boucard (Released)
Jamaal Cambell-Ryce (Sheffield United)
Adam Coombes (Released)
Mark Fotheringham (Released)
Andy Howarth (Cheltenham Town)
Joss Labadie (Torquay United)
Malachi Lavelle-Moore (Released)
Dean Leacock (Released)
Gary Liddle (Bradford City)
Romello Nangle (Released)
Gareth Roberts (Released)
Alan Sheehan (Bradford City)
Enoch Showumni (Loan Expired)
Manny Smith (Released)

 

---

 Pre-season results

Notts 2 – 0 Osasuna
Notts 0 – 4 Birmingham City
FC Halifax Town 1 – 0 Notts
Carlton Town 0 – 4 Notts
Notts 1 – 3 Derby County
Rolls Royce Leisure 1 – 4 Notts
Mansfield Town 3 – 1 Notts

 

The Magpies’ curtain-raiser is away at Preston on August 9th. Further information  can be found at: http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/ticket-details-preston-north-end-v-notts-county-sky-bet-league-1-1759489.aspx

 

 

Pre-match: Oldham vs Notts

Grealish speaks to the press ahead of Oldham (Credit: Notts County Football Club)

After a strong 2-0 win against promotion hopefuls Swindon on Saturday, and relegation rivals Tranmere and Crewe failing to pick up points, Notts go into the last game of the season two points ahead of the drop, knowing that a single point away at Oldham will secure their survival, due to superior goal difference. Ahead of the Oldham game, Derry commented that:

It [Swindon] was an elation…this weekend is a huge game though. I don’t want to go with a defensive line-up…we need to play our football which has given us success.

Notts are currently fourth in the League One form table after a phenomenal spell, winning five games out of seven, and rescuing themselves from 10 points adrift at the bottom of the table. The Magpies, despite not needing any extra motivation ahead of their most important match of the season, will have taken note of what Oldham manager Lee Johnson mentioned ahead of the fixture however:

“I want our crowd to go for the jugular and help try to send a team down, without being too disrespectful.”

Notts will miss Hayden Mullins however, who was recalled to his parent club Birmingham earlier in the week, following a spate of injuries at the Midlands club who are also in a relegation battle of their own.County fans will take heart from the kind words said by the experienced Mullins about his young centre-half partner Haydn Hollis, who has become a regular in Derry’s team in recent weeks. It is expected that either Sheehan or Liddle will drop to centre half alongside Hollis, with Roberts or Vela filling their roles respectively, depending on the formation.

Derry hopes to bring Mullins back to Meadow Lane in the summer however:

It’s a blow, he was a leader for us, but somebody else will get an opportunity…I would love to bring Hayden back to the club in the summer though.

Looking back on the season, he acknowledged that the club had come a long way since he had arrived at the club, with togetherness of the squad being a prime reason for County’s resurgence. Looking ahead to next season, Derry wants to set out a plan that links the first team closer to the youth team, citing a potential set-up being that

‘I want 19 players who are ready to play for the first team, and the 5 or 6 who are training with the first team but are part of the u18s…I want to speed up the development squad, and then get some more young players into the Notts County team’

The young players involved with the side this season have been instrumental in the battle against relegation and have acquired a considerable amount of experience under pressure, taking them into next season. One in particular has been Jack Grealish, who earlier this week, was nominated for League One player of the month. Speaking to the press, ahead of his final game of the club before he goes back to Aston Villa, he praised his time at the club as being a great character builder:

Everything has changed since I joined County, it has helped my confidence…I have had Alan [Sheehan] behind me and reminding me of my defensive duties!

Commenting on the Oldham game, Grealish admitted: ‘I actually had a dream last night that we stayed up…I didn’t score though!’

League One table ahead of the final game of the season. Credit: (bbc.co.uk/sport)

Derry previews Swindon fixture

Derry speaks to the press. [Credit: Notts County Press Office]

With two games to go of the Football League season, the Magpies come up against a Swindon side which is still vying for a play-off spot. Notts go into the match, one point from safety after taking three points against Crawley on Easter Monday, but suffering a cruel 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate at the hands of Bristol City, on Good Friday. Looking ahead of the tough fixture, Derry commented that:

This game brings up a different type of opposition…Swindon have to come here to win. They will have pressure on them, like us…John Gregory will have wanted to win on Monday, but Crawley didn’t need to win.

Looking back since he took over, the fans played a big part, which he has commented on in this weekend’s ‘The Mag’:

We have had some dark days away from home and here at Meadow lane, but they [the fans] have been right behind us. They will be a driving force for us…we’re the form team; you don’t get given that title, you earn it.

Though the Magpies are sitting one point from safety, they do have a superior goal difference to Carlisle, Tranmere, Colchester and Crewe, who are also battling to avoid the drop into League 2. All four have tough fixtures ahead, so Derry will hope to motivate his players to take at least four points from the next two games and ensure safety, results depending.

18	Colchester United	44	11	14	19	48	60	-12	47
19	Tranmere Rovers	44	12	11	21	51	75	-24	47
20	Crewe Alexandra	44	12	11	21	52	79	-27	47
21	Notts County	44	14	4	26	61	76	-15	46
22	Carlisle United	43	11	11	21	43	72	-29	44
23	Shrewsbury Town	44	9	14	21	41	60	-19	41
24	Stevenage	44	10	9	25	43	68	-25	39

Remaining fixtures

26/04/14

Bristol City v Crewe

Carlisle v Oldham

Colchester v Brentford

Leyton Orient

Notts County v Swindon

29/04/14

Crawley v Carlisle

03/05/14

Crewe v Bristol City

Oldham v Notts County

Tranmere v Bradford

Walsall v Colchester

Wolves v Carlisle

 

Looking forward to next season, the County manager speculated on the state of the pitch, given that Nottingham Rugby, and both the men’s and ladies’ team use the pitch every week, leading to a difficult situation for the ground staff:

‘It’s a Championship facility…I don’t know the contract [with Nottingham Rugby] and I understand that they have a business that they need to take care of too, I understand that…I just need to see what will help us get better and a better pitch will help that.’

Derry acknowledged the revenue that Nottingham Rugby does bring in however, and seeks talks over what can be done in order to help the facility progress.

 

Ellen White Injury blow for Notts County Ladies

After missing the first couple of games of the season, against Arsenal and Everton, Notts County Ladies have announced that striker Ellen White will face a period out of the game with a cruciate ligament injury, after picking it up in the final pre-season fixture against Durham ladies.

The England international was one of the Magpies marquee signings ahead of the new season, so it will come as a massive blow to the team, especially considering the standard recovery period for cruciate ligaments is around six months.

Jess Clarke, usually a wing forward has been selected at center forward in her absence, and has flourished, scoring three goals in the process, but White will be a loss as the season progresses and fatigue sets in.

The Magpies next face Aston Villa at Meadow Lane; Adults £6, Concessions £3

Notts County Ladies 1 – 1 Arsenal Ladies

Notts vs Arsenal

A second-half wonder-strike from England international Alex Scott rescued a point against newly formed Notts County Ladies, on a night at Meadow Lane that boasted a 1,583 strong attendance.

After a strong pre-season against the likes of Reading Ladies, and off the back of a 2-1 win against Coventry in the FA Cup on Sunday, the Ladies ‘pies faced Arsenal in their first league game. Arsenal, much like County, are very much a new-look side, seeing around six departures over the summer, importing Japanese internationals Ohno and Kinga, who both looked sharp as the match went on.

In fact, it was Notts who started better, despite missing forward Ellen White. Instead, Jess Clarke played up front, and put in a fantastic effort, going close early on with two good efforts.

Clarke looked dangerous all night and scored after 27 minutes. The ball was threaded through to her feet, and after pivoting on the spot, curled the ball around the Arsenal ‘keeper.

The game fluctuated in possession early on, with both new-look teams trying to settle into the match and win the midfield battle. The Lady Magpies were shading it, however, and dangerous runs from Sweetman-kirk, Susi, and Clarke had the Arsenal back four pinned down, making great tackles.

Not long after the goal, Arsenal went close after a cross from the corner flashed across the goal. Any contact from either team would have sent it in, but it eluded all.

The Arsenal goalkeeper, Byrne, was forced to make another great save when Susi latched onto a dangerous ball; the ‘keeper spreading herself and denying County a deserved second.

Arsenal began to get more into the game as it approached half-time, keeping good possession, but ultimately not giving Carly Telford too much to do in the County goal. Notts did have an appeal for handball turned down, but the score was 1-1 at HT.

Shelley Kerr’s Arsenal side came out a different animal in the second half, and from the first minute, began to trouble the Magpies, forcing a fantastic diving save from Telford.

Arsenal’s goal eventually came in the 53rd minute, with Ohno’s initial strike blocked with a last gasp dive from Bradley, but the ball trickled back out to Alex Scott on the edge of the box, who smashed the ball over the County ‘keeper and into the top corner.

Five minutes later, Arsenal veteran Kelly Smith spurned an opportunity to put the away side ahead, and after that, the game settled down, with possession fluctuating, much like the early portion of the first half.

Arsenal were shading the half however, and showing their strength in depth, brought on some useful substitutes such as Anouk Hoogendijk, the stadium announcer, just about managing to pronounce her name!

Kelly Smith rattled the ‘County bar with 20 minutes to go, with the ball dropping down, arguably over the line, but with no goal-line technology available, the officials adjudged it did not in fact cross the line.

The Magpies had a solid shout for a penalty turned down shortly after, with Alex Scott appearing to bring Susi down right in front of goal, much to the consternation of the Derek Pavis stand! No penalty was given, however.

Arsenal once again failed to finish off the job, with the ball hitting the bar, and getting cleared off the line twice, before a shot was subsequently blocked and scrambled out for a corner. This was the last real opportunity for both sides and the match ended 1-1.

The Magpies, although disappointed to not hold onto the win, must be delighted to hold an Arsenal side which has dominated in recent years, winning the title in the past nine of ten years. Missing Ellen White was a crucial loss for the home team, with Jess Clarke deservedly winning player of the match, but looking understandably tired towards the end.

County suffered two more injuries, with Katie Hoyle and Anna Green both suffering troubling-looking injuries.

The Lady ‘Pies now look to Sunday when they travel to Everton

 

 

Notts County Ladies thrash Reading ahead of FAWSL opener

With just over two weeks to go until the FA Women’s Super League opener against Arsenal, Notts County Ladies ran out comfortable 7-0 winners against Reading Ladies, with Ellen White putting the Reading defense to the sword with four goals to her name.

The newly branded club, previously Lincoln Ladies were confident going forward but also maintained a solid back line with Sophie Bradley vocally marshaling the team from the back, keeping the Reading attack at bay and giving County Goalkeeper Telford, and later Draycott very little to do.

The Magpies looked the better footballing side early on and Jess Clarke struck with a wonderfully curled strike into the top corner, following White’s chest down. Reading’s Pond then conceded a penalty after a robust challenge, and Ellen White got her name on the score sheet with her first goal of four!

Reading began to get into the game with some good possession football towards the end of the half, but were ultimately unable to fashion any chances in front of goal due to a pressing game from County.

The County Ladies came out into the second half and began to stamp their authority onto the match, with White finishing with a strong header. She later combined with Clarke again with a silky pass to give her fellow striker a brace for herself, with both girls on two goals each.

White, however, would be the forward to complete her hat-trick, with the best goal of the match. The ball was drilled into her feet, but White finished with finesse, taking the ball first time and curling it over the flailing Reading goalkeeper, to make it a comfortable 5-0 to the home team.

Courtney Sweetman-Kirk added the sixth with a powerful strike, and White completed the rout with her fourth goal a few minutes from time.

 

 

With season tickets available at £30 and £10 for adults and children respectively, and family season tickets available for £70, now is a great time to get down to Meadow Lane and support the Ladies!

‘Write us off at your peril’ – Derry

The next week is season-defining for Notts County, and arguably the most important week in the club’s recent history, as the Magpies fight to avoid the drop. They play host to Carlisle at Meadow Lane this weekend, with Crewe and Colchester to follow on Tuesday and the following Saturday respectively.

Following the disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Tranmere, with a wonder goal late on bagging the three points, Derry commented retrospectively saying ‘If you were a neutral and didn’t know where we were in the table, you would have said we were the better team. It was a tough defeat to swallow, but we come to Meadow Lane on Saturday and it’s a huge game for both teams.’ Carlisle stand seven points ahead of County, so three points for the Magpies would be an invaluable coup in the race against the drop. On whether Notts can avoid slipping into League 2, Derry added:

‘Write us off at your peril…I think the front four are going to be the difference. I know we are going to stay up. It comes from the heart and from within.’

Greg Abbott, of course, has a fraught history with Carlisle United, having been sacked earlier in the season and whilst the three points are the most important facet of the match, a win against his old club would no doubt be an added bonus. As well as that extra motivation, his knowledge of the club gives the Magpies a tactical advantage: ‘Greg knows them inside-out and I’ll be guided by him this weekend over the threats that they possess’.

Ronan Murray also spoke ahead of the game against Carlisle on Saturday, expressing his dejection at the loss at the weekend, but was in a positive state of mind, having come back from a three week suspension after his red card at Peterborough: ‘That was probably the hardest period of my career, having to sit and watch…I let the lads down massively and owe them a lot’. He repaid the fans and his fellow players with a positive performance against Tranmere, and despite the defeat, was upbeat about the opportunities against Carlisle and Crewe to put pressure on other teams. He added: ‘You are probably not going to see the prettiest game of football, but we need to win on Saturday, it doesn’t matter how we win. It’ll put pressure on other teams and we’ll be on a run.’

And with nine games to go, the next three matches in the space of seven days will ultimately define County’s credentials to stay in League One.

England victory poses more questions than answers

A late Sturridge goal wrapped up a fairly unconvincing win over Denmark for England, with Southampton duo, Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw, shining amongst the squad.

With this evening’s friendly against Denmark being the last opportunity for Hodgson to field a team prior to the world cup, England were looking to try and fill the vacant roles in the team, with the main area of discussion being who will fill the replacement role for Leighton Baines, who unless injury hindered by injury or an awful dip in form, looks to command the left-back jersey. However, the midfield is a mess, but not for the usual reason England have faced in the past of seeing the same tired old faces filling the same roles month-in, month-out, but there are no players, aside from Gerrard, who have made the role their own. Hodgson has a great dilemma of who he is going to play with Gerrard, with players available such as Carrick, Cleverley, Wilshere, Lallana, Barkley, Henderson, and Oxlade-Chamberlain who has even shown he can play centre-midfield for Arsenal of late. The problem is, none of them have truly staked their claim for the role. We haven’t seen enough of Barkley, Carrick and Cleverley are woefully out of form, Chamberlain has just come back from injury, and Wilshere’s glass ankles look set to break at any given moment.

It isn’t all doom and gloom however. In fact, it is pleasant to see that there are a wealth of candidates for England places, which is not the privilege that England managers have enjoyed in recent years. The problem is that the World Cup is in less than 100 days and Hodgson does not have a settled first XI; suffice to say, when the squad of 22 is announced, there will inevitably be great disappointment.

My questions would be the following: Who is going to partner Cahill at centre-back, if indeed Cahill makes the squad? Who will play in the centre of midfield with Gerrard? And how will Roy accommodate Sturridge, Rooney and the wealth of attacking options England also possess without upsetting the balance of the team, as seen tonight? Also, are there any players who may make the final squad who are not in contention at the moment, such as messrs Kevin Nolan, Steven Caulker and Michael Dawson?

My first eleven, form and injury depending are as follows. Let me know your thoughts on the first XI in the comments below, or on the Facebook page.

1.   Hart
2. Johnson
3. Cahill
4. Dawson*
5. Baines
6. Sterling
7. Gerrard
8. Wilshere
9. Lallana
10. Rooney
11. Sturridge

 

*If they F.A ended their spat with John Terry, I would pick him. He’s the best English centre-back by a country mile.