Tag Archives: sportzfan-radio

Punting

Gelding’s tips for 15 January 2011

Leave a comment

The Gelding’s attention is on Flemington this fine Saturday and isn’t it wonderful to see the sun shining!

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Flemington

Race 3 Horse 1 – Warm Love (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 4 Horse 4 – Fashion Black
Race 5 Horse 2 – Verdasco (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 6 – Lord Pindari

You can hear me discuss all today’s racing results with the Professor from 12.30pm tomorrow on Sportzfan Radio broadcast on 88.3 Southern FM.

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

News, Sports

Asian Cup – Australia vs India….An upsize without the Big “Mac”

Leave a comment

Australia commenced its Asian Cup campaign with a 4-0 romp against a technically inept India in the early hours of Tuesday morning.  Nevertheless, the Socceroos’ passing game and strike rate needs to improve if we are to progress to the semi finals and beyond of this tournament. 

Socceroos’ coach, Holger Osieck employed an expansive 4-4-2 formation opting for Cahill and Kewell up front (the latter surprisingly in favour of Scott McDonald) and Brett Emerton and Holman pushing high down the flanks and Mile Jedinak partnering Jason Culina in the centre of the park in front of a defensive back four. 

The positives included:

  1. Two goals from Mr Consistency, Tim Cahill, who is surely Australia’s most important player and is now on par to becoming Australia’s highest goal scorer.  The ‘F Word’s man of the match.

2.   A lively performance from Brett Emerton in both defence and attack on the right hand side of the  park.  Cahill’s first goal came from an Emerton delivery, as did Holman’s headed goal.

3.   A fully fit and firing Harry Kewell who scored with a beautifully struck shot.

There were, as alluded to earlier, some concerns though….:

  1. A sloppy and wasteful second half.  Yes, the game was arguably in the bag by then, but the passing left a lot to be desired at times and the crosses did not always find their intended target.  Further, Australia may rue the goalscoring chances it missed if Group C comes down to goal difference.
  2. An inept passing game.  For much of the 90 minutes the Socceroos preferred a long ball game to take advantage of the small Indian players, rather than employ an intimidating, short and quick passing game.  This tactic will not be successful against the pacy and technically sound South Koreans.
  3. Scott McDonald.  “The Mac” lacks bite in attack and yet again, failed to open his goalscoring account for the Socceroos after 22 games.  Against a country ranked 142nd in the world, no less.  Scotty appears incapable of scoring even in the “House of the Rising Sun”.  One must now wonder if he will be given another chance.  Burns, and even Kruse must surely be given a look in….

In short, Australia’s performance was sound and solid but it is hard to imagine the Asian Cup’s other heavyweights “quaking in their boots” after this performance. 

But at least there were clear signs from the players and coaching staff that this team is determined on making up for the disappointing failure of 2007. 

Tougher tests await in the shape of the South Koreans who put in an excellent performance against Bahrain, comprehensively beating them 2-1 and playing the last part of the game with ten men.

I wait with bated breath….

Punting

Gelding’s tips for 11 December 2010

Leave a comment

The Gelding’s attention is firmly focussed on VRC headquarters at Flemington today featuring the Western Health Cup.  Hopefully the rain will stay away long enough to make it an enjoyable day at the track.

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Flemington

Race 4 Horse 4 – Aloha (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 5 Horse 4 – Right Fong
Race 6 Horse 15 – War Ends (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 4 – Gold in Dubai

You can hear the Gelding discuss today’s winners and losers with the Professor on Sportzfan Radio every Sunday at 12.30pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding

News, Sports

From the colony to the colonised….Football’s not coming home but to new frontiers….and without a dose of “Fair Play” (Part 2)

1 Comment

So, too 2022….

Millions of football fans around the world are still wondering how Qatar ultimately won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup. Yet in the end FIFA was seduced and “sold” by Qatar’s promise of a high-tech tournament. 

I always maintained Australia was arguably punching above its weight in trying to secure the hosting rights to 2022, yet I also consistently argued we had a solid bid and our real and only rival, and favourite, was the United Sates of America.  Exactly how the tiny Emirate state which has a climate conducive to hell on earth and its capital, Doha, is according to Lonely Planet, “the dullest place in the world” secured the rights over the mighty United States is about as impressive and moreover, believable as me getting lucky with Megan Gale.

And Jennifer Hawkins.

On the same night…..

Not only did the win leave me breathless, but more so, the gravity of same – 11 votes in the first round to the United States’ 3….14 votes in the fourth round to the United States’ 8!

Some of the reasons why I was, and will continue to be shocked by the Qatar win include:

-Heat – the average temperatures in June and July are a whopping 41 and 46 degrees celsius, respectively;

-Potential terrorist attacks/threats;

-The fact there will be ten stadiums within a 25 kilometre radius of Doha which was deemed incapable of hosting the (2016) Olympic Games only last year; and

-Restrictions on the consumption of alcohol. 

To counter these problems Qatar has promised, amongst other things:

-Airconditioned stadiums which will be solar powered and therefore, carbon neutral.  What effect will airconditioning have on the “ball”?  It may make the Jabulani (which was used at this year’s last World Cup and branded by many as like playing with a beach ball), appear “normal”?!; and

-Fans will be able to drink alcohol in specially designed areas called “fan zones”.  Will Doha, I mean Qatar, have room to fit these fan zones? Will they be air conditioned too?!

I’ll believe it when I see it. 

For now, it is a fictional tale. 

Just like Qatar’s bid video which was largely set in the future and the country shown as it “might” be in 2022.   

The abovementioned concerns are shared by many, including FIFA.  In fact, Qatar received the worst technical report of all the bidding nations from FIFA (for instance, FIFA labelled the punishing heat “a potential health risk”) and was the lowest ranked by FIFA’s own independent inspectors.

Yet FIFA still awarded Qatar the World Cup!

In the words of Paul Dalligan, “I have now seen it all”.

So, too the conspiracy theories…..I’m no investigative journalist but the following just doesn’t wash with me:

-How secretive was the voting when Qatari state owned broadcaster, al-Jazeera reported the result before Sepp Blatter opened his envelope and informed the world? And what of Qatari officials who were reportedly seen embracing one another and appeared relaxed in the lead up to same whilst Frank Lowy looked like he needed a year’s supply of Gastro Stop to curb his anxiety?

-What did Mohamed Bin Hamman say to Reyanld Temarii (the Oceania member who was suspended from voting for his part in an undercover newspaper sting) when he met him in Kuala Lumpur last week and shortly thereafter, Temarii stated he would proceed with his appeal, thereby allowing Oceania not to be represented in the ballot? Lest we forget that Temarii was quoted as saying he would have voted for Australia.  To add salt to the wound, Hamman supported Temarii’s decision (to proceed with his appeal).  

-The fact the Qataris were able to sponsor the Confederation of African Football Congress on 29 January 2010 and in doing so secured “exclusive” rights to make presentations to African delegates, including FIFA executive committee member, Issa Hayatou.  Does that name sound familiar?! If not, read my last blog!  In short, he has been accused of accepting bribes in the past! Australia, and the other 2022 bidding nations, could only attend the event as “observers” and could not organise press conferences.

Which brings me to my final point….

The integrity of the World Cup bidding process has been damaged and the system of bidding within FIFA ranks must change.

Transparency is needed. 

In awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar (and the 2018 World Cup to Russia) does FIFA really care about the fans who have made the game what it is today? It would appear not.  FIFA does not appear concerned if a supporter is subjected to a violent racist attack in Moscow or another dies of heat exhaustion whilst playing, “Let’s find the nearest watering hole” in Doha. I have no doubt that any of the other bidding nations would have delivered a better experience for the football fan than the eventual winners.

The “beautiful” game and its loyal fans, stands to lose.  

Mark “The F Word” Fiorenti

News, Podcast, Sports

From the colony to the colonised….Football’s not coming home but to new frontiers….and without a dose of “Fair Play” (Part 1)

Leave a comment

“And the host of the 2018 World Cup is….Russia…

And the host of the 2022 World Cup is….Qatar”

 When the abovementioned hosts were announced just after 2am last Friday morning, I no longer needed my shot of espresso to wake me up. Rather, I needed something to drown my sorrows.

If that wasn’t enough, I became nauseous when I learnt:

  1. England was out in straight sets and finished dead last in the voting for 2018;
  2. Australia was out in straight sets and finished dead last in the voting for 2022; and
  3. The icing on the cake….the results was allegedly known approximately one hour before the tournament.  So much for a secret ballot….

I can read the headlines already…. FIFA president Sepp, or should I say Gall, Blatter is remembered as the man who took the World Cup to Eastern Europe and the Middle East (along with Africa). 

What won’t be widely reported is that Qatar’s victory gives him a reprieve, for had the World Cup not gone to Qatar, Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam (Qatar’s bid chief, no less) would have allegedly challenged Blatter for the FIFA presidency.  Blatter will now serve a fourth term as FIFA president.

So Hamman gets the glory of winning the World Cup for Qatar (a nice ego check) and Blatter gets to keep his job (and leave a “legacy” behind).

Nice wok guys – ego and political aspirations first, most logical choice and delivering fans a better footballing experience, a distant second.

To 2018….

Russia won the vote in a landslide victory in as early of the second round of voting, whilst England, a favourite, was miraculously sent packing after securing only two votes!

Nevertheless, in the weeks leading up to the vote, Blatter himself stated, “England can organize the World Cup tomorrow” boasting of its numerous world class stadia and the necessary infrastructure to deliver the world’s biggest sporting event.

And what of Russia…? FIFA’s own inspectors graded the bid as a “medium” operational risk and did not appear concerned by:

  1. Travelling distances between host cities;
  2. The need for extensive investment in infrastructure; and
  3. The problem of racism amongst Russian fans (read – the banner erected by Lokomotiv Moscow supporters that abused Peter Odemwingie when he moved to West Bromwich Albion).

I can only guess FIFA didn’t appreciate England’s media recently uncovering new evidence about bribery claims regarding four of the men who voted last Friday morning.  Three of those men, Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou, Brazil’s Ricardo Teixera and Paraguay’s Nicolas Leoz were accused of accepting bribes in the 1990’s and the fourth, CONCACAF President, Jack Warner was treated to a renewal of old allegations from earlier this year when he allegedly sold thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market for personal gain….but more on the issue of bribery and these shady characters, namely Hayatou, in Part 2….

It’s a travesty to think that the country which gave the world the beautiful game and continues to give so much to the world through its highly successful league – the most widely followed in the world, no less, scored so miserably in the voting last Friday. 

England must now wait in excess of 60 years before football comes home.

I’m all in favour of FIFA’s legacy argument and desire to sail into unchartered waters, but in order to move forward one must also acknowledge and pay respect to our past.  Further, a nation should be awarded the World Cup on its respective merits.

England would have been a logical, fair and timely choice.

It appears reputation means nothing in FIFA’s murky corridors of power. 

Mark “The F Word” Fiorenti

Podcast

Sportzfan Radio #182.2

Leave a comment

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!5 December 2010 182.2 – Daniel and the Professor talk ABL and in particular the ‘rivalry’ round and ask how you can have a rivalry after three weeks of a new league. The Panel talk about whether the ABL will be a success. Stan is not so sure as there have been six or so attempts at starting a league over the years. The Professor believes with the MLB putting money and young talent in, it has its best chance. Some of the up and coming players include Quincey Latimore.

The Panel also discuss emails including the Gabba’s entry restrictions for bags.  Daniel wants to know how Wayne Bennett won the coach of the year award over Mick Malthouse.  Paul Dalligan weighs in with his opinion and believes Wayne Bennett is not only head and shoulders above all other coaches in the NRL, but he also gives his team an ‘x’ factor, so much so that he would love Wayne to coach the Rabbitohs.  Paul believes that Benji Marshall deserved his Golden Boot award and whilst the Professor queries whether the NRL are serious about arranging a World Club challenge in Las Vegas Paul thinks it is a good idea.  Although Paul yet to get to a Melbourne Aces game due to wash outs, he thinks it is a bit early for a rivalry round in ABL. 

Dr Leslie follows Paul’s segment this week and leads into a discussion of the NBA by the Professor and Daniel.  The Professor is amazed that the Knicks are 11-9 and struggles to remember the last time they started a season so well.   Axel is a huge fan of David Robinson…the General….no make that the Admiral.  Daniel believes the Knicks may make the playoffs but it depends on whether they go after Carmelo Anthony.  Daniel finds a way of bringing his team the Clippers into the discussion even though they are on the bottom of their division.

Sean Callanan looks at how social media was used in the World Cup bid and whether Australia used it effectively.  He believes it worked engaging fans but not in getting votes.  Sean reveals he did the ‘shimmy’ at the U2 concert and was rcognised as ‘the shimmy guy’.  The twitter handle ‘the Ashes’, is owned by a US woman who doesn’t know anything about cricket and she is getting cross about people tweeting her about cricket.  Sean will pluck the best three or four tweets he sees over the coming weeks to talk about on Sportzfan Radio.  He is considering bringing out a ‘how to’ shimmy dvd for Christmas.

Punting

Gelding’s tips for Caulfield 4 December 2010

Leave a comment

The Gelding’s attention returns to his home track at Caulfield today for the 65 Roses Victoria Cup meeting.

With the weather on the improve, punters should be on the look out for good track specialists.  The Gelding has been closely following the form of trainer Peter Moody and three of his selections today are trained by him.

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Caulfield

Race 2 Horse 4 – Shant
Race 3 Horse 2 – Tampiko (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 6 – Oregon Spirit (also for the ladies from the Tennis club)
Race 8 Horse 2 – Lady Gaga

Remember you can hear the Gelding talking racing on Sportzfan Radio at 12.30pm Sundays at 88.3 Southern FM.

Good luck and good punting.

The Gelding

Sports

Australia comes last in World Cup 2022 bidding

1 Comment

I suppose the good thing about all of this is that we can stop talking about the World Cup until it comes time for the Socceroos to qualify for 2014.  Rather than give my own thoughts I thought I’d include some from my fellow Sportzfan radio panelists that have crossed my desk since the decision was made earlier today.

Daniel Eade – With Australia unsuccessful after its $45million bid was rejected by the FIFA voting panel, will the A-League survive?

Do we blame Julia Gillard? The Computer Animated Kangaroo? Paul Hogan? The Marketing Department who green-lit the ‘Bid’ video?

So once again, Sportzfanradio made the correct call before everyone else.  Well the Professor and Fiorenti called it.  They just made sense to me so I agreed with them.

Paul Hogan appeared in the commercial and he got the Taxman off his back. Coincidence?

Sean Callanan – For mine it was always a long shot but I think it is a bit like the old sporting adage you have to lose one to win one. Or in the case of Qatar have so much money no one will care about sunburn.

Paul Dalligan – I don’t think it is far removed from the AFL with their planned $300 million kitty to conquer Western Sydney

I know the Olympics bid was public money, whereas the AFL’s riches have been raised from the game but you can’t conquer new seas if you are afraid to turn your back to the shore

For Mr Democracy Obama to describe the 2022 decision as “wrong”, perhaps we didn’t lose on merit but were defeated by much more sinister forces!

Mark Fiorenti – Disappointed but like I said yesterday and will continue to say, I don’t think the financial report was the be all and all.  If it was Qatar wouldn’t have won the bid – in a landslide, no less.  The report placed them at 2nd last, yet they scored 11 votes in the first round!

 

…and you can add to that “no one cares about not being allowed to drink alcohol at the world’s biggest sporting event”.

 

I agree with the comment “you have to lose one to win one” quote Sean.  How many times did Sydney/Aust lose the Olympics before they/we actually won it? Three times from memory.

Some tweets from last nite –

  • Doesn’t Russia constantly Snow? If movies have taught me anything, it’s that it’s always snowing in Russia.
  • I won!! Soccer is so boring. Give me AFL.
  • Andrew Demetriou is laughing and smoking a big fat cigar.
  • LeBron James is taking his talents to Qatar.
  • This might be a silly question, but does Qatar even have a soccer team?
  • Is Chewbacca from Qatar?
  • Both ‘Quatar’ and ‘Katar’ are trending. People are stupid
  • The AFL should’ve expanded to Qatar instead of Western Sydney.
Sports

Australia’s 2022 World Cup bid becomes a Greek tragedy

Leave a comment

Professor’s Rant #4

I’ll start this rant by repeating what I said on Sportzfan Radio last Sunday (see show #181.2) – I would love Australia to get the 2022 World Cup (a view shared by The Gelding, but not Daniel or Stan – is that OK Daniel?). 

The report on the assessment of finacncial return to FIFA  from each of the bidding countries, which has only been recently released (more about that later), seems to be a fatal blow to our chances. 

Given the findings of the report, what are the chances of Australia getting the nod when the vote is held in the early hours of tomorrow morning?  Zero, zilch, zippo, naught, nil, zip.  Get the picture?

Why?  It comes down to simple mathematics – which Board would vote for an option that reaps the least (that’s right, the least) profit for it?  Think about that question for a second or two…now roll it around……easy to answer when you consider it.  Let’s for good measure add that the favourite in this five horse race is the USA ,who just happens to be the country that reaps the most reward for FIFA if they are to be successful with their bid.  The answer becomes a no brainer!

Even if I am wrong and the USA aren’t successful, there are still three other bids that make more money for FIFA.  I can’t see a kangaroo, Hoges and Julia Gillard making up for the giant cash shortfall. 

Ask yourself this further question should you still be struggling with the economics of the situation.  If you were a share holder in FIFA Inc., would you want the voters to vote for a bid that would give you the least money in your pocket to pay increasing mortgage rates and rising electricity and gas bills?

Yet another question.  If FIFA had released the report much earlier (ie when bidding opened) would Australia have run as hard or invested as much money.  I think not!  Synics like me wonder why the findings of this report have only come to light in the last week of the process.  You don’t need to be a Rhodes scholar to work that one out.  Why would FIFA reveal findings that would stifle the competition?  Another no brainer – they wouldn’t.

On Sportzfan Radio, we have queried from the start the wisdom of making such a large investment in a bid that was against the odds from its very beginning.  We felt the money would be far better spent putting resources into growing the game at the grass roots level and enhancing the A League and its teams.  Make no mistake, the local product needs to improve significantly if we are to be rated a credible force in world soccer.

So in the end, what will we have?

Nothing for $45 million dollars.  Shareholders just love that sort of equation!

To quote Paul Dalligan “ah, yep!”

Punting

The Gelding’s tips for 27 November 2010

Leave a comment

The Gelding’s attention turns to Sandown this Saturday where the track could well be heavy after the overnight rain.  Sure to be plenty of scratchings so check the form guides carefully for wet weather runners.

As always the bets are on an each way and all up basis.

Sandown

Race 1 horse 10 – Trysta
Race 2 horse 3 – Overtake
Race 6 Horse 6 – Sheedy (for the ladies at the Tennis club)
Race 7 Horse 6 – Tamtiko (also for the ladies at the Tennis club)

You can hear the Gelding discuss the winners and losers at the track every Sunday on Sportzfan Radio at around 12.30pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

Good luck and good punting!

The Gelding