USA, USA!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's the US Presidential elections tomorrow and it is going to be one heck of a close race. Barack Obama, the favourite according to the polls, could become the first black president in the countries short history. John McCain is looking to upset the odds and keep the Republicans in the White House for another four years.

But why does everyone care so damn much? Will it actually affect you, the everyday Brit, in any way, shape or form?

Obama looks like he would be a good president. He has no desires to go to war with anybody, he spreads a message of hope and he is a positive role model for young, black Americans. But he will still maintain the ‘special relationship’ we have with the States; he will still look after the interests of the rich American oil tycoon; he will still have to deal with Iraq and the ‘credit crunch’; and will always be looking over his shoulder at the Russians, and increasingly, the Chinese.

McCain, despite a lot of reports, is not as ideologically far right as people think. He is a more moderate Republican and his choice of running buddy, Sarah Palin, reflects this as her ‘gun slinging’ roots were needed to appease the more radical end of the party. But he too will inherit the ‘credit crunch’ and Iraq; he will still protect the interests of the wealthy; he will have to deal with America’s decreasing position as a super power; and he too will come over to Britain and ‘kiss ass’ with Gordon Brown.

Whoever wins will not be able to increase taxes, change policies or have a direct affect on British life. They will still be running the same country, run by the same people and will have to appease the same groups in order to maintain their position of supposed power. If you think that an Obama win or a McCain victory will change the way America and its people view the rest of the world then I think you are deluded.

The only way the race for president would interest me would be if it was run by Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell. I want an X-Factor style finals show, where McCain and Obama sing their policies in front of a live studio audience. Then the judges, Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno, Bob Dole and Donald Trump, deliver their verdicts and then it’s up to the public, who have from between House and CSI:Miami to phone in their vote.

In the meantime, previous presidential losers John Kerry, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton give a stirring rendition of the Chumbawanba anthem ‘I Get Knocked Down (But I Get Up Again)’. Then before Ryan Seacrest announces the result, George Bush gives his final performance, a tear jerking version of ‘Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iraq’.

Then the audience falls silent as Seacrest opens a sealed envelope and pauses for an annoying length of time before shouting out: “The new President of the United States of America is…Barack Obama”. The crowd hollers and whoops like only Americans can. Obama falls to his knees, floods of tears streaming down his cheeks. McCain, gracious in defeat, pats the victor on the back before being barged out of the way by hundreds of Obama’s friends and family who have invaded the stage.

Obama then has to compose himself as he is sworn in and a short video clip of his campaign highlights are played. Then, as the winner, he has to give his version of the American national anthem as red, white and blue confetti reigns down on him. That would be enetertainment.

However, as this is politics and not reality TV we will have to make do with one of the Dimbleby’s stood in front of a 3D pie chart instead. Who do I think will win? Obama. But I don’t really care.

Is 'Going Out' All It Used To Be?

I don’t know if I am just getting old before my time but I have become increasingly disenfranchised with ‘going out’ recently. I’m not sure if the novelty of going to new places, trying new things and meeting new people when you first started hitting the town has worn off, or if I just need a big night to restore my faith. Here is a list of what I believe is the 50 worst and best things about ‘going out’:

50 WORST:

1. Hearing the same shit music time and time again, with the DJ putting in his mix tape containing 90s cheese (S Club, Backstreet Boys and 5ive), awful modern R&B (like Rihanna and Nelly Fatardo) and what they perceive as Indie (meaning the Killer ‘Mr Brightside’ and The Fratellis ‘Chelsea Dagger).
2. Your shoes getting covered in that ‘club grime’ which is a mix of sweat, vomit and cheap vodka.
3. Hideously drunk middle aged women falling about the places, screeching along to a Madonna track before ending up arse-over-tit on the dance floor.
4. The smug crowd who think that only they can enjoy themselves, and give you the evils if you even as dare to sing-a-long to a tune or have a dance.
5. Waking up wondering how you managed to empty your wallet of all its money when you had such a bad night.
6. Picking last nights clothes up off the floor and finding chilli sauce and garlic mayo in places you didn’t think were possible.
7. Hangovers that don’t kick in till exactly 3pm the next day, after which you are incapable of doing anything other than monging out on the sofa watching crap TV.
8. Being trapped as a dance floor gate – where everybody seems to be squeezing past you to go anywhere.
9. When your friends turn into Harry Hudini the second you walk into a club and you can’t find them again for the rest of the night.
10. Going to the toilet and being expected to pay someone a pound to turn the tap on for you to wash your hands.
11. Someone spilling snakebite all over your nice white shirt.
12. Picking glass out of your shoe every two minutes.
13. The awfulness of a pint of lager served in a plastic cup – it just doesn’t taste right.
14. Having to re-mortgage your house for a drink on the weekend that cost £1 when you where in on Wednesday.
15. Being charged for entry when the drinks are not free when you get inside, or having to pay to get into a bar, especially one you don’t particularly like.
16. People pestering you to sign up to receive text messages from clubs that end up costing you a fortune to receive when on holiday, only to tell you that Dane Bowers will be live on Saturday.
17. Clubs charging extra because special Z list celebs are there that night
18. Never being able to get a signal anywhere until you leave and get a hundred text messages at once whilst you’re walking past a dodgy looking gang down a dark alley.
19. Everyone has at some point been the only sober person in there group and no matter how hard you try you can’t catch up to your mates.
20. Being forced to pay a fortune for a taxi to somewhere that is five minutes walk away.
21. Waking up with permanent marker in every orifice.
22. Realising what you did last night – or in the worst cases who.
23. Finding yourself tagged in about fifty photos from the night before, including the hideously unattractive, making an arse of yourself and getting partially/fully naked. The last thing you want to see is a picture of your arse on Facebook.
24. Vomiting – plain and simply horrible.
25. Spending the night trying to get even a peck on the cheek from the cock tease you thought you were well on with.
26. Your mates being swifter than you in shotgunning there girls in a group and lumbering you with ‘the whale’.
27. Stumbling home alone – how sad and depressing are you?
28. Even though you’d practised at home and studied the technique for hours, still ending up with half the drink down your shirt when you do a strawpeedo.
29. Not being able to find a single place to just be able to sit and chat.
30. Groups of lads to whom chanting is the only way that they can communicate to each other.
31. The sometimes quiet scary memory loss that cheap vodka can have on the human brain.
32. Going out with more than enough money to have a good night but still visiting a cash machine at least twice.
33. Waking up with a big bruise on your side or a cut on your leg and not having a clue how they got their.
34. Buying someone a drink a never getting one in return. We’ve all bought an attractive girl a drink in the hope of getting something in return and then never see them again; or we’ve all got that mate who disappears like Rio Ferdinand when its time to do a drugs test when its their round.
35. Being so desperate for another drink that you pay on card – even if they are tequila sunrises and you’re on the Pride of Rotterdam.
36. Waking up to find your jeans and shirt in opposite corners of the room, with a solitary sock perched precariously on your lamp. Then when you go downstairs you remember the state you left the living room in, with half drunken lagers cans, half eaten kebabs and half destroyed tables all over the place.
37. The amazing drunken ability to lose or break phones and digital cameras almost as if you meant it.
38. The awkward dilemma of it being freezing cold outside but boiling hot inside the club. What do you wear?
39. Some tit thought it would be a good idea to go out dressed up for their birthday, meaning you have to spend the night in uncomfortable, itchy clothes, having stuff robbed off you and then wake up with face paint all over your bedding.
40. Being stuck with the drunk mate who just won’t leave you alone, chatting shit insistently into your ear.
41. Spending forty minutes plus queuing up to get the coat your wish you hadn’t brought out with you in the first place.
42. The awkward conversations you are forced to have when you bump into people you barely spoke to in school on a night out.
43. Having to walk a paralytic friend home, dragging them home, throwing them into their bed before they are helpfully sick all over you.
44. When you spend a fortune on one item that makes your fancy dress look sensational and you lose it within half an hour of leaving your house.
45. Bar staff who think that just because the person has breasts they must be served first, regardless that they just pushed in front of you in a queue you’ve been in half the night.
46. Having to order about 300 drinks for friends, family members, course mates, associates, chums and well wishers because you managed to get served.
47. Ripping your best shirt trying to scale a fence whilst being a drunken fool.
48. Not being able to wear a hat without it being stolen of you by girls all night, who seem to think it’s theirs if they bat their eyelids at you.
49. Face eaters in the middle of the dance floor – you know who you are.
50. Men who drink Smirnoff Ice. If it’s on offer sure, but not when it cost more than a full tank of petrol and taste like fizzy aids. I can’t say I have ever looked out of the window on a nice sunny day and thought ‘do you know what I fancy, a nice, ice cold Smirnoff Ice’.

50 BEST:

1. Dancing like nobody’s watching.
2. Your whole house meeting on the landing or in the living room to piece together what happened last night.
3. Finding random mates on the sofa.
4. Chatting absolute shit for an entire evening.
5. Devising brilliant plans, ideas and schemes that you know the next day you will not remember or will realise are terrible.
6. Reading some humorous graffiti in the toilets.
7. Taking advantage of someone passing out by writing all over them, balancing stuff on them and, in exceptional cases, concocting fake faeces to convince someone they had shit themselves.
8. The night the DJ seems to be playing your Ipod.
9. When you go out in fancy dress and everyone loves it.
10. Checking Facebook next morning to find yourself in a gem of a photo and commenting on it.
11. Watching your mate strike out.
12. Drunken karaoke – you can’t sing Wonderwall at the best of times but you convince yourself you are Oasis.
13. Manufacturing fake photographs – classics include the ‘laughing at a funny joke’, the ‘pointing to something in the distance’ and the ‘pretending to be deep in thought’.
14. Being so hilarious and generally class that people you only just met that night immediately add you on Facebook.
15. Staying in a club or bar till closing time, occasionally doing the ‘one more song’ chant.
16. Knowing the manager/bouncer so they let you in for free.
17. Finally managing to defeat Noel Edmonds and winning some money on the itBox.
18. Writing general abuse all over your mates T-shirts and pen raping randoms on nights like Carnage.
19. Getting into random peoples pictures, or getting a picture with a random, e.g. a random with a boss afro.
20. Cracking a joke with such brilliant timing and perfect delivery that it becomes legend amongst your group of friends.
21. Pulling out the old skool dance moves such as ‘sowing the seeds’, ‘the mash potato’ and ‘the water jet’.
22. When the DJ plays that song you haven’t heard in ages, the one you download the second you wake up.
23. Enjoying a good rave.
24. Watching a smashed mate pull something that better resembles a member of the animal family than a member of the opposite sex.
25. Playing drinking games for hours until everyone is good a smashed.
26. Pissing yourself to jokes that nobody else gets and probably aren’t even funny.

27. Waking up with a random balloon, flower, pair of sunglasses or any other type of cool steal from the night before.

28. The wonderful sensation of winning a drinking race.

29. Watching your mate tell a girl he would ‘shag her brains out’ because you were playing the ‘Tell Her’ rule.
30. The rare occasion the DJ plays your request or reads out your shout-out.
31. Getting good and sweaty, taking your top off and banging into each other in the Drum n Bass room.
32. Stealing a traffic cone or road sign – you must do it at least once in your life.
33. Waking up with your phone and a wallet that still has money in it.
34. Watching scatty kids from four years below you get ID’d as you stroll in unchallenged.
35. Dancing in a big group.
36. Being ‘asked kindly to leave’ by bouncers because you’ve been found asleep on the club stairs.
37. Knowing the bar staff and getting free drinks. Best example of this was a mate who was leaving his bar job and moving away so he gave us bottles of wine free all night.
38. The ‘what happened last night’ text.
39. Going up to a group of girls and being the one who manages to pull the fitty.
40. Seeing someone fall flat on their face. Even funnier when it’s a girl, and even funnier if you know them.
41. Clinging onto each other belting out whatever anthem is playing. A demonstration of solidarity and awful singing.
42. Bumping into someone you actually like and haven’t seen in ages.
43. Over bumming somebody because you’re drunk and for some reason think they are the Messiah.
44. Getting ‘the mate who doesn’t come out much’ blind drunk.
45. The very rare instance where you are the one who get chatted up.
46. Being the drunkest of your friends. Or the drunkest people in the pub/bar/club.
47. The hungover phone call the next morning where you tell people how big a tit they made of themselves, and they tell you how big of a tit you where.
48. Challenging another group of lads in the pub to a drinking contest and winning triumphantly.
49. Having gotten totally sloshed the night before, getting up and getting straight back on it like a true champion.
50. Striking gold and pulling someone universally regarded as a ‘fitty’.

I write this contemplating whether or not to go out tonight. What to do?

Please comment if you agree with any of my loves or hates and tell me your favourite/worst things about ‘going out’ too.

Hallam's hockey too hot for Uni

*Hockey names again in brackets after real names for members of The University of Sheffield Hockey Club

The University of Sheffield Men’s Hockey 1^st team were comprehensively beaten 5-1 by Hallam at Abbeydale on Varsity Finals Day.

Hallam were in complete control of the game almost throughout as Uni gave an unusually lack lustre performance in front of a noisy crowd.

The first fifteen minutes were poor with both sides guilty of some fairly sloppy passing. Uni had a few half chances with forward John Hamilton (Lambrini) and Captain Richard Beeching (Popeye) sending reverse stick shots wide.

But in the sixteenth minute Hallam got on top. They won a penalty flick and a weak effort from Hallam’s Dafydd Charles’ crept agonizingly between Uni keeper Sam Harrison’s (Shitbreak) legs.

Things got worse for Uni moments later when a long corner saw Charles get his and Hallam’s second goal, firing in from a tight angle.

Uni tried to respond with Rob Miller (Nailgun) steering a shot wide from a Carl Ward (legless) cross, but Hallam dominated the half.

Uni’s frustration was clear to see when substitute Tom Oliver (Buca) was green carded for a rash stick tackle before half-time.

Being 2-0 down at half-time left Uni looking for a foothold in the game and they almost got a goal back two minutes in, Ronak Patel (Boyzone) and Chris Abbo (Smash) unable to steer in a free hit.

Uni did get a goal back five minutes into the second half. Beeching’s (Popeye) short corner was cleverly worked by Miller (Nailgun), whose cross was flicked in by Hamilton (Lambrini) to make it 2-1.

Hallam responded instantly when Captain Alex Bailey turned in Charles’ short corner just minutes after Uni had pulled one back.

With the score at 3-1 Uni had to attack, changing formation to play three at the back. However, they could not turn their possession into chances and the sloppy passing that plagued them in the first half began to creep back in.

Hallam always looked composed on the ball and a danger on the counter attack. They added two more goals before the end, with a cheeky lob from Andy Mills and a breakaway goal from Tom North.

After the match Hallam Captain Alex Bailey said: “After being 3-1 up at half-time last year it was a killer blow to lose. When we came in 2-0 up this time we knew we wouldn’t let it slip.”

Frustrated Uni Captain Richard Beeching (Popeye) gave his post-match thoughts: “We’re disappointed but it was their year. You could tell they were better trained than us and we need more coaching if we are to compete.”

Line-up:

• GK – Sam Harrison (Shitbreak)
  
• RB – David Harvey (Tripod)
  
• LB – Carl Ward (Legless)
  
• CB – Matthew Harrison (ASBO)
  
• CB – Chris Abbo (Smash)
  
• RM – Ben Hearne (Ringsting)
  
• LM – Richard Beeching (c) (Popeye)
  
• CM – Rob Miller (Nailgun)
  
• CM – Oscar Evans (Poo Leg)
  
• CF – John Hamilton (Lambrini)
  
• CF – Ronak Patel (Boyzone)
  
• SUB – Chris Hazell (Pistachio)
  
• SUB – Joel Harrison (Swede)
  
• SUB – Tom Oliver (Buca)
  

Goal Scorers: Hallam – Dafydd Charles 2, Alex Bailey, Andy Mills, Tom North; Uni – John Hamilton (Lambrini)

Man of the Match: Uni – Oscar Evans (Poo Leg); Hallam – Dafydd Charles

Uni Men's 2s hammer Hallam

*For all Sheffield University Hockey players who don't know peoples non-hockey names I've put them in brackets.

The University of Sheffield Men’s Hockey 2^nd team proved to be too much for their cross city rivals, beating Hallam 4-0 at a chilly Goodwin on Monday night.

Both sets of supporters were in full voice despite the rain and low temperatures, but Uni’s fans and players dominated in a feisty encounter.

The first twenty minutes were cagey, with both sides looking nervous. Hallam started the brightest but Uni began to dominate possession although not creating any clear cut chances.

Hallam finally succumbed to the pressure from a well worked short corner. Right midfielder Kiagh Bridges (Foetus) fired in a cross to the far post where Captain Michael Husk (Husky) was on hand to slip it past the keeper.

But Uni’s joy was short lived when right back Andrew McGuire (Short Arse) was yellow carded for arguing with the umpire, leaving his side a man down whilst he cooled off in the sin bin.

Hallam looked to assert their man advantage but it was Uni who struck again midway through the half. Another short corner was worked cleverly as Bridges (Foetus) played a slick one-two before flicking the ball home to double his sides lead.

Despite being a man short Sheffield University continued to dominate and Bridges (Foetus), Husk (Husky) and Chris Dunning (Sniper) all missed decent chances before leaving the field at half-time with a 2-0 lead.

The second half was extremely scrappy and Hallam had their centre midfielder yellow carded for a barge on Dunning (Sniper) in the first five minutes.

Uni made the man advantage count minutes later when Tim Watkin (Widowmaker) scored with a smart finish between his legs to extend the lead to three goals, and Uni almost had a fourth moments later but Angus Roses’ (Cockfoster) strike was disallowed.

Things began to boil over with Dunning (Sniper) seeing yellow following a heated confrontation and substitute Sam Favager (Flange) exchanged words with Hallam’s No.2.

Hallam’s best period of the match came after an hour when they fired a short corner wide and forced Uni goalkeeper Pete Clark (Velcro) into a great double save in order to preserve his clean sheet.

But in the dieing moments Husk (Husky) and McGuire (Short Arse) combined down the right and McGuire’s (Shirt Arse) cross was eventually turned in by Rose (Cockfosters) to give Uni a convincing 4-0 win.

After the match a beer soaked Captain Michael Husk (Husky) said: “We where pretty good and we completely dominated the game. Everyone upped their game and put in 110% when we were a man down.”

Line-up:

• GK – Pete Clark (Velcro)
  
• RB – Andrew McGuire (Short Arse)
  
• LB – Richard West (Dutch Oven)
  
• CB – Evan Moore (Jizzum)
  
• CB – Michael Husk (c) (Husky)
  
• RM – Kiagh Bridges (Foetus)
  
• LM – Ben Meaton (Loner)
  
• CM – Chris Dunning (Sniper)
  
• CM – Chris Swales (Sheep Shagger)
  
• CF – Tim Watkin (Widowmaker)
  
• CF – Angus Rose (Cockfoster)
  
• SUB – David Clarke (Trenchfoot)
  
• SUB - Sam Favager (Flange)
  

Goal scorers: Michael Husk (Husky), Kiagh Bridges (Foetus), Tim Watkin (Widowmaker), Angus Rose (Cockfoster)

Man of the Match: Michael Husk (Husky)

Uni Lose in Varsity Swimming

The University of Sheffield Swimming Team were soundly beaten by there Hallam counterparts in their Varsity fixture, losing 15.5 points to 7.5 at Ponds Forge on Wednesday.

The swimming event consisted of 23 races, five of which were team races, and Uni struggled to compete with Hallam’s superior stamina and conditioning.

Things were close during the 50m races as the score stood at 7-5 in favour of Hallam, with Hallam’s victory in the Men’s 50m Breast Stroke being the difference between the two sides.

However, in the longer 100m races Hallam’s longer training hours and professional coaching proved to be the difference. Men’s Captain Matthew Grainger said: “We have some talented swimmers but having less training than Hallam means we have less stamina than them.

“Over 100m there muscle stamina shows. We are working on getting more pool time via the Elite Funding Programme and are hoping to keep our coach who helped us prepare for Varsity on a full time basis.”

Sheffield Hallam’s female swimmers dominated there events winning both the 4x25m Team Front Crawl and 4x25m Team Medley, as well as eight out of nine of the individual events.

The University of Sheffield’s only victory in the women’s events came in the 100m Backstroke, with former national competition swimmer Rebecca Hobson winning impressively.

Matthew Grainger came close to delivering the same result in the Men’s 100m Backstroke in the closest individual race of the day, being piped to victory in the last few metres.

However, the event was run in a good spirit and this shone through in the last race of the day, the 6x25m Freestyle in which everybody from both clubs competed. Three Hallam Men’s swimmers even raced in ladies swim suits.

The race was called a draw in a spectacular finish to a day of improvement for the Uni Swimming Team. Women’s Captain Sophie Stenton said: “It was a big improvement on last year. We are going to celebrate our achievement at Juice tonight.”

Elsewhere in the pool the Men’s and Women’s Canoe Water Polo ended with a point to each side, with Uni’s Men winning 4-1 and Hallam’s Women securing a 2-0 victory in a close contest.

Radio Star

As someone who is used to being on the radio on a Saturday morning you'd think that having the weekend off at home for my birthday would be a welcome treat. Especially with me not having to get up at stupid o'clock in the morning for the Cosner and Tibsy Show on Sheffield Universities Sure Radio.

However, whilst in the car on the way to play hockey for my Dad's team I was listening to the second best show on the radio (after my own of course), Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live. As a regular podcaster of the show I was pleased to catch the show live for a change, which gave me a chance to participate in their Question Two competition. This is where the panel give their answers to the shows second question and then presenter Colin Murray throws it open to the listeners to text or email in their suggestions.

This week it was for sports people as musical instruments. Ian Stone came up with the funniest on the panel by suggesting David Ginola as the French Horn. However, I had thought one up of my very own. I whipped out my phone and began to text away my witty retort.

After Lindsey Horne's match day travel report Colin started to read out a couple of the listener’s answers. Then I hear it, "Derby County are a recorder as they are easy to play", Murray said in his delightful Northern Irish brogue. But my delight was short lived when instead of hearing my own name, I hear some randoms.

Someone, equally as funny as me, had gotten in before me. The one time I tune in live and can text in my hilarious answer it was stolen from me. And to cap it all we got battered 8-0 in the hockey.

Earthquake

What a bizarre turn of events. I am just about to dose off to sleep after reading when there is a huge crash against my far wall. At that moment I thought that some drunk had smashed into the wall next door, but the room continued to shake.

My next thought was earthquake. But this is England, not California, we don’t get earthquakes. Maybe it was a really strong gale, or a gas pipe had exploded. Or maybe, just maybe, it was an earthquake.

I get out of bed, my shot glass collection all over the floor, and wonder if I had just experienced my second earthquake. My first, my mum has told me, was in 1990 when I was just two years old. She had just put me down for a nap when the earth began to shake. She rang the police who confirmed it was an earthquake.

This morning’s quake weighed in at 5.2 on the Richter scale at its epicentre in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, and could be felt as far as Bangor in Northern Ireland, Haarlem in Holland, Plymouth and Edinburgh.

Many houses around the country suffered damage and a student in Barnsley broke his pelvis as a result. Our house saw no damage whatsoever. Which is a shame for our landlord as he can’t shift the dump and would have loved it if it had fallen down. Doubt we would have.

Eduardo and Taylorgate - My Thoughts on 'That Tackle'

Saturday’s midday fixture should have been a tale of a dramatic late equaliser from Birmingham's James McFadden, securing the Blues a precious point and throwing Arsenal's title hopes back into the air.

Unfortunately, the 2-2 draw was marred by the terrible injury sustained by Arsenals new Brazilian born Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva. The tackle by Birmingham central defender Martin Taylor has drawn comment from all corners and I thought I would give my two cents.

First of all, I would like to wish Eduardo all the best and I hope his recovery goes well. The pictures of his leg break were extremely disturbing, so much so that only Match of the Day showed them during their analysis of the game. In a rather cathartic way I had wanted to see it as everyone had been banging on about it all day, but now I have I wish to erase it from my memory.

Hopefully Eduardo will grace a football pitch again, especially having just landed his dream move to the Premier League leaders. He had just begun to find his feet in the Premiership and form a deadly partnership with Emmanuel Adebayor. He will now miss the rest of the season, as well as Croatia’s Euro 2008 campaign, but hopefully that will be all he misses out on.

The reaction to this injury has been huge but it is hard to justify what Arsene Wenger said about Martin Taylor. Wenger initially called for Taylor to be banned from playing football for life. He later retracted that statement saying: "On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game in the heat of the moment."

However, I do agree with one comment he made when he said that the incident followed an increasingly used tactic and mentality by his opponents that “to beat Arsenal you have to kick Arsenal.” I do think that this is the perception of many teams in the Premiership, and Arsenal do get roughed up from time to time.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want football to become a non-contact sport. I just feel that Arsenal have become such as masterful side at times that managers and players may feel the only way to stop them is to boot them up in the air. This mentality could cause players to become excessively aggressive against the Gunners and maybe that played a part in this unfortunate incident.

The other reaction which caught my eye was that of Birmingham’s right back Stephen Kelly. The Republic of Ireland international was quick to defend his team-mate saying: “It was harsh Tiny (Taylor) being sent off. Tiny has gone in and it wasn't a malicious tackle and the reason the ref has sent him off is because he has seen Eduardo has broken his leg.

“I don't think you can send a player off for that. That's football. It can happen. It is an accident. Tiny didn't go in two-footed. He didn't lunge. He didn't dive in. Everyone knows what Tiny is like. He is such a nice bloke. He has not got a malicious bone in his body so it was very harsh for the ref to see the broken leg and then send him off because of that.”

This did interest me as I think Kelly has missed the point somewhat. I accept that the tackle was neither two-footed nor a lunge, and possibly the horrific injury prompted referee Mike Deane to pull out his red card. I am also confident that Martin Taylor did not go into that tackle with the intent to cause Eduardo any injury; I just think the striker has been terribly unlucky to suffer such a break.

However, Taylor’s challenge was for me a definite red card. His studs were raised as he went into the tackle and that should constitute a red card, regardless of what happened to the player on the other end of it. These sorts of tackles have become a menace to the modern game just the way diving did a few years back. It needs, if you excuse the pun, stamping out.

What I hope is that Taylor is given a ban on a par with his crime. However, he should not be made an example of just because Eduardo suffered a career threatening leg break. What should happen is what should always happen after one of these raised studs challenges; the player should get a three match ban. Consistent implementation of this would help cut out the two-footed lunge and avoid such career ending tackles.

Taylor has visited Eduardo in hospital and spoke to him, offering his sincere apologise. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish spoke of Taylor’s distress after the match and I think it is clear that he wasn’t out to end Eduardo’s career, unlike Roy Keane’s admission in his autobiography about his challenge on Alf Inge Haaland.

The best we can hope for from this terrible event is that Eduardo can get back playing football and try and add to his 12 goals in 30 appearances for the Gunners, and that players start to realise the consequences of the increasingly nasty, high and dangerous tackles that have put a cloud over what has been an interesting and exciting season thus far.

The Cosner & Tibsy Show

I do a radio show every Saturday, 9-10.30am, with my friend and housemate Jim. On the show we go by the names of Cosner and Tibsy. We had a great time doing it last year and are back with an even better show.

We play power ballads and sing-a-long tunes to brighten your morning and get contributions from our producer Rohan and our comedy pal Solve. We are currently working on new features but had great success last year with weekly features like Who Would Win? and Adam's Drunken Stories.

If you want to check us out you can by going to www.sureradio.com at 9am on a Saturday, or you can listen to it on playback by visiting the same website and selecting the schedule, find our name and listen at your leisure.

Check us out!