West Brom's 'bogie team' run nothing to do with curses

A hoodoo, bogie team – or whatever other fantasy name they can be called – is essentially that. I don’t buy into them one bit.

If a team is regularly losing to ANother team it’s because one of two things: they’re a better team; or their playing style is hard for the other team to compete with – thus getting the better of said team.

That’s it.

There is no mythical curse that falls over The Hawthorns or The Britannia every time the two teams clash. It’s the fact that Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth et al systematically fouled the game into submission.

There is no mystical veil that encompasses the Liberty Stadium every time the Albion clash with Swansea. That one’s down to them passing WBA off the park.

And there’s certainly no malevolent charm that permeates West Brom’s players when they visit Craven Cottage. WBA get pasted there through fielding an abundance of ineptitude or vertically challenged back-lines.

The furore that follows these ‘bogie teams’ around – where pundits, having conducted their mandatory six minutes of research before punditry, dig out Wikipedia stats about a team’s fortunes – are a load of rubbish, too.

Just because WBA lost a game to Oxford United in 1967, and then lost the next time they played in 1998 (imaginatively) doesn't mean that there’s a curse halting the team’s progress. In 2012 the squad is completely different to the one whom played the previous encounters and therefore the previous match has no bearing on this one.

What there is, however, is a mental block which pervades through from the fans and media to the team whom are lead to believe that they cannot win – and that isn't their fault. They expect to lose because they’re told the fates won’t let them.

It’s a simple fact (now starting to sound like Rafa Benitez’s infamous rant) that tactics and performances - of Billy Jones and Peter Odemwingie particularly - conspired to gift Swansea and unassailable lead. And Stoke’s tactical fouling strangled any life that the Albion line-up picked to combat Stoke City’s size could muster.

No hoodoo, no bogie team – just players not playing well.

The quicker people realise this, the better it can be for all of us to just get on with our team’s ineptitudes. Barcelona must have a curse hanging over everybody else and Queen’s Park Rangers have everyone else’s curse, if we buy into hoodoo hysteria.

“I’m talking about facts…”

Hawthorns becoming managers' graveyard

Roberto Di Matteo walked into the Hawthorns as the king of Europe - but walked out with his head on a chopping block.

Pressure had been mounting on the Italian almost seconds after his appointment, made reluctantly, it seemed, by Roman Abramovic in the midst of a wave of media patronage asking for his promotion from interim boss after winning two trophies.

Walking into the the most vacated seat since musical chairs entered childrens' parties, Roberto Di Matteo took 'interim' charge of Chelsea on 4 March after the sacking of controversial duck look-a-like Andre Villas-Boas.

Di Matteo was never the choice of the draconian owner of Chelsea. That much was always clear and he hardly even needed this slight dip in form as the impetus to sack the Ballon D'or nominated manager.

But, as the now former Chelsea manager Di Matteo has found out once again, when the going gets tough, he gets goin'.

After seven losses in a row when in charge of West Bromwich Albion, Di Matteo was given the sack by Jeremy Peace - who was right to do it. After any manager, anywhere loses seven matches on the bounce they should be expecting the sack, whether they manage Manchester United or Kidderminster Harriers.

And, then in charge of a much superior set of players at Chelsea - with Abramovic forking out more than 80 million pounds this summer - he had a similar run of form, although nowhere near as obviously bad as seven defeats in a row and he found himself with p45 in hand.


Rumour has it that Di Matteo ensconced his team in their Hawthorns dressing room, and was heard to exclaim: "You couldn't even beat them." A slur which seemed a little out of place as 'them' were a team just behind them in the table.

His tenure at Chelsea was the kind of positions dreams are made of in the beginning. A selection of great players at disposal with a "it can't get any worse" remit. To be fair to Di Matteo, he did far better than anyone could have expected, collecting two trophies - one being the most coveted in Europe.

But when times get hard Di Matteo lacks the tactical nous to get teams out of it. Having experienced his stewardship at West Bromwich Albion, many Baggies can confirm he's not the man to stop the rot.


Di Matteo did what he was supposed to do at The Hawthorns in the promotion season. But it's very easy for people to call him a miracle worker when, simply, he took the best squad (Newcastle were the best team) up - following the work of Tony Mowbray and a great scouting job - which is now paying divedens with the latest win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Of course, it could have been messed up and many managers have done that on numerous occasions. But he only did what any number of manager could have done with that squad at his disposal. He did nothing out of the ordinary.

Another Hawthorns execution in what's becoming a longer line...

He's not the first manager to lose his job after a loss against West Bromwich Albion. He's not even the first Chelsea manager to lose his job after a loss at the Hawthorns.

The turbulent reign of Di Matteo's predecessor, and former boss Andre Villas Boas ended at The Hawthorns. His side went down 1-0 at The Hawthorns and he was correctly ousted after leaving an almost un-followable demolition job at Chelsea.

Mick McCarthy was sacked after his Wolverhampton Wanderers side was thrashed by Black Country derby rivals The Baggies. This time at the Molineux which became an unforgivable sin for Wolves fans as, it's bad enough they were vastly inferior, but to lose by that margin at home left a lot to be desired.

Whether a loss at the Albion is considered too embarrassing for some managers to continue in their roles is debatable. What isn't, is that managers seem to go often enough at the hands of the West Brom.

Why Albion shouldn't strive for Europa League

Disclaimer: I know this is getting well ahead of where WBA are, but something to ponder...


Europa League football is realistically the highest ambition West Bromwich Albion could have in terms of league finish - but one that they shouldn't strive to achieve.

Champions League football brings untold wealth, kudos and the chance to play in-front of a global audience. Europa League holds (seemingly colder than Tuesday and Wednesday) Thursday nights, in some cases hardly enough money to cover travel and a arduous 21 games to reach the final, of which upon winning you only gain qualification to the same competition.

And, luck depending, teams like Rubin Kazan could be awaiting in the draw which means a trip to central Russia -  around 4000kms away from West Bromwich - could await The Baggies if they managed to get a bad draw.

In all probabilities, much like Newcastle's efforts last season, Albion would valiantly go after glory and be pipped to the covetted Champions League spot by some under-performing North London side and then have an ardous year of European football that no-one is that bothered about.

A squad perfect for Premier League football would be stretched too far and buckle under pressure - the worst part being that The Baggies would probably play a second string and go out with a whimper like Stoke at Valencia.

That woud be the worst part: not actually going for it. Trophies are hard to win and Fulham's plight to the final shows that glory and silverware are there. The Premier League, however, has such a hold over cup competition's team selection that it's now accepted the Europa League is a feeder competition.

Stoke's record of finishing 14th, collecting 45 points - only nine points above the drop zone - during the 2010/11 season which was the same sort of points tally as they had achieved twice previously shows that progression is hard when competing with the Europa League.

It shouldn't be a problem. In all likeliness the great run will fade out as the league campaign goes on and mid table will welcome The Baggies with open arms. But the Europa League holds within it a hard, largely unfulfilling season. One with Steve Clarke's men should hope to avoid.

West Bromwich Albion find their bouncebackability beating Southampton

Boucebackability - a bad word coined by a bit of a bad manager, really, but it does aptly describe West Brom's performance yesterday against a beleaguered Southampton outfit.

Iain Dowie came up with the phrase originally during a Soccer AM interview to encapsulate a side's plight to quickly get over bad results - and, no matter how good or bad the wording is, the message is the same: good Premier League teams get over bad results quickly.

And that's what The Baggies have done.

I recently blogged that West Brom had dropped the perennial loser tag even after losses against Newcastle and Manchester City. They have acclimatised to the Premier League's demands if you are to be successful - in dusting down your top, straightening your shorts, getting the socks above or below the knee (fashion depending) and playing your way out of bad results.

Steve Clarke's men had been unlucky in previous results and had elements of luck in Monday's match against the Saints. Peter Odemwingie's handling of the ball in the build-up to the first goal was evident during replays,  but there was no luck about his second.

Nigel Adkins' troops can feel hard-done-by when thinking back to the first goal, even though it did get played from one side of the pitch to the other before Odemwingie's tame shot hit a lazy Maya Yoshida leg and the deflection proved too much for the sprawling - fourth keeper of the season - Paulo Gazzaniga.

Southampton's defensive frailties were once again signified by Albion's second. Liam Ridgewell pinged a perfect counter-attack ball to the rapid Shane Long - who terrorised Jose Fonte and Yoshida all night with quick, darting runs and intelligent play - whose in-swinging cross was plucked from the air by the lunging Odemwingie.

But, so many times, sides don't capitalise on weaknesses and Albion did. Southampton had their moments. Talisman Ricky Lambert should have done better with a header at goal from the six yard box. But, on the whole, the McOlsson axis of stand-in skipper Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley held firm.

Claudio Yacob was restored to central midfield alongside action-man partner Youssuf Mulumbu who should have taken the 'man of the match' award.

Too often are forward players who notch up a goal giving precedence over better performers because of the plaudits of goal-getters, and this is such a case. Mulumbu was diligent, hard working and passed around the pitch, long and short, with great authority. Not to mention bossing Morgan Schneiderlin on numerous occasions.

And here's West Brom, so long the nearly men, picking up the results they should be picking up. They deserve the equal fourth standings and fans are reveling in new found Premier League stability and status as "Pride of the Midlands, we know what we are."

Here's to Premier League mediocrity; long may it continue.

West Bromwich Albion shake the perennial loser tag

Today starts a new chapter in The Black Country Prophet. Every Tuesday will feature the #WBAFC blog and here's the first foray. 

Flashback – it suddenly feels like the Megson Premier League era again.

Valiant, courageous performances, pressing teams, creating chances – not taking them – and eventually losing to a shot deflected in off some inadvertently placed arse.

St James’ Park marked a second successive last minute loss for West Bromwich Albion and the only saving-grace is that the Baggies’ form up to this point has been, generally, so sensational that these losses can be soaked up by previous performances.

The warning signs are there, however. The hallmark of a good side is that they win when they’re playing badly and, equally, a bad team picks up zero points when they should be accumulating them.

From 30 minutes onwards at the home of the Magpies, West Brom looked a great, great side. After stand-in-skipper Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley’s failings for Demba Ba’s opener, they were imposing and a pillar of strength. In Claudio Yacob’s absence, the midfield, and in particular Yousuf Mulumbu, dominated their counterparts who were sidelined to a few Hatem Ben Arfa mercurial runs.

And then up-front, Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long ran the Newcastle back line into submission at times and the midfield’s good play created a great array of chances for the largely profligate forwards.

The week previous, against 10-man Manchester City, the Baggies had taken the champions to the wire. At 1-1 the Midlands side were on-top and pushing for the win; but, inevitably, to a last minute counter attack, conceded to Super Sub who doesn’t want to be called Super Sub, Edin Dzeko’s late strike.

Inevitable. Well it was. It was an inevitability in the Megson and Mowbra eras – where the Albion were the plucky losers – the relegation fodder who trumped up to the established Premier League sides’ grounds, put in a great account of themselves but go back to The Hawthorns empty handed.

That, now and hopefully for the foreseeable future – under the former stewardship of technical director Dan Ashworth and a succession of good managers and good managerial planning – is Albion’s past.

The West Bromwich side have shaken the tag of perennial yo-yo team which has dogged them in both psychology and points since Gary Megson took the forlorn side and made them hard-to-beat. And now, as a proven, solid Premier League side WBA can absorb these hard to take defeats because, not only are the points in the bag already, but there is promise of good results in the future.

The Baggies are a good Premier League side. They’ve taken the better sides of the Barclays Premier League, taken points from them, and made them anxious and aware of the hardship posed when playing the Midlands’ finest team.

And that’s the difference. That’s why I still wanted to punch the laptop screen when Papiss Cisse’s backside took the plaudits from the encounter but I knew it wasn’t the end of the world. And that’s why, as Steve Clarke said in his post-match interview, we’ll win more games than we’ll lose if we play like that.

iPhone hype, innit.

People camping outside Apple stores across the globe to get their iPhone milliseconds before someone else is pretty sad.

It's not the desire to own the latest bit of technology but the need to camp out, ensuring  your place as 15th person to get your hands on one from the Birmingham area or wherever your local Apple store is, but the lengths to get it which is deplored.

It's a phone, ultimately.

But then again, you look at what you get in an iPhone or smartphone these days and its pretty impressive.

Rewind the clocks back ten or so years and, to have the same amount of gadgets on one item, measuring 4.87 inches (123.8 mm); the width is 2.31 inches (58.6 mm); the depth is 0.30 inches (7.6 mm); and the weight is 3.95 ounces (112 grams) you would need:

A laptop,

an Mp3 player,

a radio (if your Mp3 player didn't have one,)

an internet connection,

a newspaper,

a book,

a Gameboy

a DVD player and DVDs, if your ten-year-old laptop didn't have a DVD drive and

oh, a phone, which to play Snake, phone and text on would have probably been thicker than the iPhone.

That's one big rugsack you'd have to carry around to have all that gear accessible.

So, is it so bad?

Imagine if ten years ago, someone had said to you "If you camp out for a day or two I'm going to give you all this stuff for £529, and it's going to be palm-sized.

I think the only reason that it's now laughed at, a joke, and the iPhone queues' inhabitants are the joke is because they're the people who have to have the latest updates. It's only a joke because the advancements are so slim compared to the last version.

But if we look at it over a ten-year period, it's pretty impressive.

Now here's Samsung's attempt to mock Apple queuers. Seems a bit bitter to me. I don't remember anyone queuing up for the Galaxy SIII?

Viva iPhone!

Joe Hart's post Real Madrid interview great for game

It's only a month or so since the Olympics have ended and everyone had enjoyed the frank, emotional and refreshingly open interviews from the athletes.

Gone were the emotionally open as a piece of wood interviews from the top, PRed up to their eye balls, players who speak in cliches and semantically null dross, quite often.

Fans have been ready for a new impetus in interviews; a changing of the ethos from players, whose comments are awaited, analysed and analysed again.

Then Manchester City throw away a lead against Real Madrid, who deserved to win handsomely, incidentally.

Real had 28 shots on goal with 16 on target to City's respective 8 and 5.

It would have been a smash and grab, but, not to belittle the win it would have been: it would have been a fantastic result for Manchester City and would have vindicated their style on the night.

Immediately after the match Hart is pulled in for a post-match interview. Joe's a refreshing character. He's to the point, honest and open. And what he actually said in the interview was quite expected stuff. He was disappointed.

Whether a side has been outclassed or not, leading with five minutes remaining should at least garner a point and, if you're Manchester City, leading with five minutes to go should mean a victory.

But, no. A Kompany, Hart misdemeanour meant Ronaldo settled the tie during injury time, bringing all three points back to the Bernebeau.

Kompany ducked out the way of the shot. And, with personal experience in those sort of split-second head retractions, I know it can leave you no time to react at all.

The City skipper was too deep firstly, and then ducked his head as Ronaldo's so-so shot went towards the middle of the goal. But, retracting that head, leaving the keeper unsighted gives him the seven yards from it whistling past Kompany to react.

Not enough.

Then when asked his opinion in the interview he said what he thought - it wasn't good enough. If City want to win competitions such as the Champions League, they have to close out games.

They didn't, he said so and he didn't say much more. He said he couldn't take a positive and there was little positivity to take from the game in the end.

If they had smash-and-grabbed a point, or maybe the three then the defensive resilience and Hart's own performance would have earned praise. But losing in that fashion means there is little positivity and City have now probably surrendered top-spot to Real in the group already.

Maybe it's the media just searching for a story out of nothing, but I'm sure Roberto Mancini's remark of 'Joe should leave the criticising to me' was again a first-time response from the Italian and he bears no real grudge.

After all, Hart only said what we've all said after losing to the Dog and Duck in the last minute on a sunday. Although our gripes could likely be from a bobble on the pitch or a dodgy linesman.

Fair play, Joe Hart. More of that please.

Paralympics day 10 review - the interviews

Eleanor 'Ellie' Simmonds once again raised the bar and the roof yesterday (September 8) in the Aquatics centre. 

The Aldridge born swimmer, who swims in the SB6 class, took to the pool again for the final leg of her 4 main events.

Having taken a bronze in the 50m Freestyle, the pressure was on Ellie, as it's widely thought that she's better over longer events.


She broke the Paralympic Record in the heats, but, as has happened many times before in these games, that's was immediately re-broken; this time by Ellie's American rival, and the favourite, Victoria Arlen.

Arlen won and again broke the World Record in doing so. That gave Simmonds little chance of ever winning but she took silver, making sure that for the fourth time she's standing on that podium. Maybe not atop it, but her medals won't be just clinking together when hanging around her neck but creating a full blown orchestral sound.

The Olympics and Paralympics have together provided some fantastic, honest interviews which have bore all the conventions of a drama.


So many fans are now all too familiar with wooden football interviews where it's plainly obvious that a press officer is standing feet away censoring their words with frowns and hand gestures.

So it's great to hear interviews where emotions are laid on the line - and non more so than the emotional powerhouse Will Bayley, who was inconsolable after his final defeat to Wollmert of Germany.


Bayley said afterwards: “ I've trained six hours a day for the last six years for this moment and I’m sorry I let everyone down who’s come to support me today. But I’ll never give up. I’ll win the individual gold one day."


To have an athlete apologize for grabbing a silver medal is something which really tweaks at the nation's heart-strings and Bayley, along with some other heart-felt, disconsolate interviews from despairing athletes, have made the games.


Then we can go back to Ellie, who seems to have been 'chuffed' with most of the goings-on in these games.

Her interviews have exuded emotion. We've experienced the smiles, tears, laughs and all had the chance to live through her emotions and really get in touch wit the events.

And, as much as Swansea want to claim Ellie with their gold post box - they don't say 'chuffed' in Swansea. That's the hallmark of a Walsall girl.

And then, if there was any need to re-affirm that, she followed that with: "I treated myself to a full-blown McDonald's [after the race] and now I'm going to eat these pancakes."


That's Walsall all over.

Paralympics day 9 review - Channel 4's 'live' broadcasts

The sport has been fantastic and we've all had our eyes opened, to some level, to the great platform that is the Paralympics.

And I've resisted the British temptation to find something to whinge about for so long, but today I'm going to unleash.

Channel 4's coverage: fine when the events are in the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre or the velodrome, but virtually anywhere else and getting picture within four hours of the event is an achievement, never mind live picture.

Boccia, a sport which Jon Snow championed in his eponymous 'Jon Snow's Paralympic Show', has been virtually invisible.

Then at Brands Hatch where some of the most anticipated events have been occurring, with Alex Zinardi and Sarah Storey being just two of the much sought after athletes, there has been little but Ned Boulting reporting on events.

As much as I like Ned Boulting, ( :/ ) I want to see some picture. As the Paralympic broadcaster, it would be nice of they broadcast the events of, I don't know, the Paralmpics, maybe?

Moaning aside...

If you love sport for drama, exhilaration, feats of brilliance, then find the Women's 4x100m Medley final from last night.

The race again, like most disabled team sports, works on combining the abilities of the players into a pre-determined points total, to ensure fairness. Stronger swimmers obviously constituting a higher proportion of the points allowed.

But the tactics involved - namely who goes when - is up to the team.

So the race's lead changes hands multiple times. The final straight where Louise Watkin closed in on the three teams ahead of her, USA, Australia and Russia, claiming the silver was sensational TV.

And it's worth finding for Bob Ballard's commentary. His emotions pour out and his enjoyment transcends the medium and permeates its way into your viewing. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

Paralympic Thriller Thursday day 8 review

Working for ITN - logging the events and getting to watch some top-notch sport in the process.

Dubbed as #ThrillerThursday, and, boy, did it live up to that billing.

If the Olympics delivered its promise on Super Saturday, with Jessic Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all taking gold, Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and David Weir delivered and refused the tip.

The Olympic Stadium in all its glory

It was that much of an unparalleled Paralymic achievement for Great Britain - on home soil.

Cockroft and Weir, as brilliant as they were in taking gold, were expected to take the top-spot.

But Jonnie Peacock, who was the fastest qualifier - still had the 'inexperience' tag being hung around his neck before he had the chance to get a medal around there.

Cockroft had destroyed the field once more, taking a Paralympic Record with her in claiming the golden athletic achievement of the sprint double.

Weir, some time later, followed and built the Olympic Stadium's crowd into a frenzy with his patented tactical hanging back and pouncing with a sprint finish, overhauling his friend Marcel Hug in the final 100m to claim his third gold.

And then came Peacock. He was a little unknown. He'd said himself he wondered if, among the poster-girls and boys, "people knew who he was".

Well, it certainly seemed like it when the PA system was pleading for the crowd to be quiet and mute the 80,000 strong cheering "Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."

Then came the silence. Eery silence as the sprint starts got into the blocks, balancing their prostheses, getting into optimum explosive positions.

The gun went off, but pandemonium - Alan Oliviera had wobbled and a 'faulty start' had been called, signified by the green card.

"Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."

Jonnie, having darted out the blocks by 10 metres, put his finger to his lips. He needed his focus. He needed to drink-in just one sound at that time - the sound of the gun.

Back in the blocks. "Set," the gun shot lead to a wave of prostheses clattering and, as if in tandem, the expectant crowd's eruption.

He was in front from the drive phase: head down, pushing those knees up.

His head rose, searching for sight of the line. Arms powering the torso through, knees still driving and then came the line. Peacock crossed, not sure whether he had won, dreamt he'd won, or been pipped on the line.

Everyone new but they didn't know. It was a paradox, waiting for the board. Lights would lead the way.

The crowd was in agony. They all knew but it wasn't real. Not yet. Peacock was anxious, too.

A nervous look around. He knew, but he didn't know.

Bu he'd done it. Peacock had won it, taking the premier event in any athletics competition: the 100m sprint.

He clutched his friend, his rival, Oscar Pistorius. He'd beaten the biggest star is disability sport and in the process confirmed himself as "familiar in their mouths as household words", (Shakespeare, Henry V).

"Peacock, (dum, dum, dum) Peacock."

*video to follow

Paralympics day 7 review

Yesterday introduced me to the best that wheelchair sport has to offer.

A lot of wheelchair sports pale in comparison their able-bodied counterparts. Wheelchair basketball, for instance. Although high scoring, multi-talented, fast paced, it's limited.

Once a player is in position for a shot there is no way that a defender can block the attack. No contact rule coupled with the limitations of wheelchair play means when in position, there's nothing a defence can do - and ineptitude in front of the basket is normally why a team loses.

Wheelchair rugby, which is more akin to american football, is totally different. Fast paced, ruthless, a reckless disregard for the fragility of opponents - it has it all.

Thrills, spills, and unbelievable speed.

The mo-hawked warrior, David Anthony, was the stand out performer for me.

Although Phipps and Brown were very, very good at times, Anthony is the kind of athlete that makes you get off your seat and cheer.

In the world of football everyone celebrates Barcelona's 'Catalan carousel' style. And, although most people agree it's the way football should be played, it doesn't quite match up to the excitement that a darting run, pin point pass and rocket goal can bring.

Barcelona's play results in a clap and recognition of fantastically deft play, where a Premier League style gets people off their seats in reverence, excitement.

And that's what wheelchair rugby offers opposed to its rival sports.

The smashes are brutal. Phipps upended an American, illegally I might add, and sent him tumbling across the polished court. He took his punishment - it was an act of frustration - but the American got on with it.

If that behaviour happened in the street it would be deplored, abhorred; rightly so.

But these guys are happy to take the spills to make the thrills even better.

We may have lost to the overwhelming favourites, but we gained another notch in disability sport's widening belt.

Anyone for tennis?

There also needs to be a special mention for Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne - claiming silver in the Men's Quad Doubles.

A lot of the tennis is played from the baseline with lofted returns. But Norfolk, a wizened campaigner, who played tennis before his tragic accident, has the tennis skill and acumen of a able bodied player.

Watching Norfolk charge the net, knowing the exact position is chair would need to be to play his sliced volley winner was fantastic. It was the play of a tennis genius.

To simply get about the court and have a contested, fairly lively game of a tennis is one thing, but to see a leveled game with thrills, spills, lobs, volleys was something else.

Great television, great tennis.

Paralympics day 6 review

West Bromwich Albion's blind footballer Darren Harris crashed out of medal contention with the GB men's 5-a-side team as they lost to Iran 1-0.

The team needed to win by two clear goals to progress but, despite having numerous chances, failed to covert any.

It was a different football tournament but the same outcome. However resilient, hardworking and filled with good play, for England penalties are, and forever will be, their undoing.

I'm not here saying that the blind 5-a-side football team should be bagging these penalties.

They're up against a goalkeeper with full sight. It's incredible that they score any.

But, Iran scored one of theirs and we didn't score ours.

Great Britain had four penalty attempts, with one missed by 41-year-old talismanic captain Dave Clarke and three by penalty specialist Dan English.

The match was fraught with chances, too. Captain, talisman, in his swan-song tournament, Dave Clarke captained the side with intent and probing runs - drawing great saves from Iran's goalkeeper, but, crucially, missing finding the net.

Overall, it was a great show from the lads and did wonders for promoting the sport.

But, as we know all too well, nothing quite promotes a sport like a title, a medal - gold, preferably - and that was all that was lacking from Clarke's men.

In the pool

As ever the 50m of water perched next to the Olympic Stadium delivered for Britain's medal tally.

Walsall's Ellie Simmonds was, again, one of the super swimmers to brandish a medal at the end of the night.

Only bronze this time but this was her weakest event and to grab a bronze in the 50m Freestyle shows that she's a woman with a monstrous engine - although it's more suited to longer distances.

And former professional swimmer Heather Frederiksen took the gold in the 100m backstroke.

Back in the stadium

One of the unsung talisman of the games is taking the track by storm.

David Weir - wheelchair racer supreme - took his second gold in the 1500m. Weir is a down-to-earth London boy who's skipped the limelight for training and it's paying off sensationally.

The race was a compact group, with favourites bunched at the top, playing a game of box-in cat and mouse.

Then the bell which signifies the last lap acted as a red rag to a bull and Weir catapulted, accelerating himself into the lead - where no one could catch him.

Supposedly, climbing hills is like continually bench pressing your own body weight. Well, there's no hills in the Olympic Stadium but there are other athletes and Weir's marathon racing provided him with the acceleration that is simply too much for the field.

Great work, Dave.

Paralympics day 5

Working for ITN - logging the events and getting to watch some top-notch sport in the process.

Walsall's own Ellie Simmonds lit up the Aquatic Centre once more, crushing the World Record in the Women's 200m Individual Medley in the morning AND again in the final.

And to make it better she's a real Walsall girl at heat. Ellie's constantly 'chuffed' with her performance and, to a Black Country onlooker, it's great to hear.

Simmonds, still 17, was the poster-girl for these games, adding pressure to her plight.

But she's quashed all thoughts of over-hype by claiming double gold, adding to her previous double gold haul in the Beijing Paralympics - when she was just 13.

With four different strokes, the 200m, Individual Medley race takes its time to play out, as people's strengths put them in the lead at different times in the races.

But, when it really counts, there's Simmonds and her motoring past competitors in the final stretch is amazing to see.

She hangs back, like a predator, waiting for the right time to pounce. That time's on the freestyle length. The last length. 50 metres of pure speed. It's the equivalent of seeing Subaru Impreza race past a souped up Vauxhall Nova when Simmonds cruised past Oksana Kruhl to claim the gold, breaking the world record she'd set in the previous heat.

That was all topped off by Telford's Micky Bushell. Told he would probably not ever be able to move, he now moves faster than anyone else in his class, in the world.

He lit up the Olympic stadium, claiming gold in his T53 100m sprint, clocking in at 14.75 seconds he was well ahead of the pack.

Inspirational stuff.

Horsing about

Another GB sport we prosper in - Equestrian activities. That's the horse dancing one.

As you can tell my expertise is limited, but well done all round. Although 11 time Paralympic champion Lee Pearson only (like it's a bad thing) added bronze to his collection, he still had a great day as did Natasha Baker, winning her second gold in 48 hours.

With more to come tomorrow, we can only hope for more GB successes.

Paralympics day 4

Working for ITN - logging the events and getting to watch some top-notch sport in the process.

A new phenomenon gripped me today. Paralympic relay swimming. What a fantastically exciting event.

With Olympic relay swimming, basically, in finals, the strongest swimmers all head out and the favourites are head to head for most of the race, and only minimal deficits are closed by the better swimmers.

Not in Paralympic relays.

They have to choose a squad from all of their swimmers, of all kinds of disabilities and abilities, who total 34 points. An S10 athlete, who is deemed the most physically able, costs the most points (10) to use while a S5 swimmer, who may have co-ordination problems and be slower, costs the less points (5).

The real battle comes with tactics.

Choosing who goes when, when you want your leads built up and who you want anchoring and bringing it home is all very important and can win you a race.

Although you're fully aware throughout the whole race that the lead will change due to tactics, it's still surprising when a lead disappears.

It's that human emotion to always want to lead which makes it agonizing yet exciting.

Our GB boys didn't win the final, but as they'd competed - and competed so well - earlier in the heats, the performance were all the more better.

Great, great sport.

Classification gone mad

The Women's Discus medal mix up, where factored scores had lead officials to award the wrong medals - even giving the wrong medals out - has lead to an unprecedented act.

The Women's Discus has now awarded 2 golds, a silver and 2 bronze medals, even though they now actually know the rightful winners.

A very embarrassing mix up all-round. I don;t know how the original gold medalist, who retains her tangible, material medal, but for the history books is down as a silver medalist, can actually accept that.

Just give out the official medals - and cut this PC crap.

Great drama all day in the velodrome as well. If there's anything we Brits know what to do, it's ride a bike around a track.

Fantastic game of cat and mouse by Maclean and Kappe versus Storey and Fachie with Maclean piloting to the win.

Tandems aren't usually meant to be exciting. Not saying I'll be rushing out to buy one but they look alright speeding around a track.

Faster than Farah...

Who could forget David Weir - the fastest man on three wheels.

It was a tense 5000m where one of the games' hottest prospects had to deliver and he did.

Cagey, tense, lead swapping - but, curiously, never taken by Weir. He hung back, poised, not wanting to draw attention to himself, pouncing a the right time, 200m before the line and no one could deal with his power.

Hats off to you, Dave. It was special and every bit as special as Mo Farah's race.

Well, it was two minutes quicker, anyway.

Paralympics day #3

Walsall's Ellie Simmonds lit up the aquatics centre with a barn-storming swim against controversially classified rival Victoria Arlen.

Simmonds played a beautifully crafted race, letting the American do the pace-setting for all but the last 70 metres where the Black Country swimmer burst ahead, claiming the gold in a new world record time.

She shaved five seconds off the current world record, going five seconds faster than her Paralympic Record, which she had set earlier in the heats.

Ellie Simmonds had stormed through the water this morning in her 400m Freestyle race - setting a new Paralympic record in the process.

Fastest man on half legs

Richard Whitehead - wow. The 36-year-old Nottingham man - who was built up to be able to fall over, get up and still win gold, delivered.

And he delivered in some style.

It was simply amazing to see an athlete with straight, above knee prosthetic legs at the starting blocks. The athletes using these type of prosthetics tower above their traditional, kneeling in blocks opponents. And that towering was a precursor for Whitehead's dominance.

He languished behind for the first 120 metres; his choice of prosthetic slowing him down. But once he hit that straight he really stormed through the pack - setting a new world record in the process.

The less good...

Houssein Omar Hassan. He may not be a household name, nor might he ever be. But we've all been in a contest where we're out of our depth and most can empathize with this, Djibouti *checks spelling* athlete.

He ended up finishing 7 minutes behind the main pack, in excess of 11 minutes. The heat winner had already left the track 

Working for ITN - logging the events and getting to watch some top-notch sport in the process.

Paralympics day #1 and #2

Working for ITN - logging the events and getting to watch some top-notch sport in the process.

Paralympics blog: day #1

Records are tumbling in the pool and preconceived stuff is surely joining the records in the history books.

The Paralympics are here and it's all about showcasing disabled athletes - who are athletes foremost and disabled second.

Factored times. It might be something that ill informed people would cry is a conspiracy - but for the cycling, in particular, factored times have been quite important. As the athletes are categorised according to the severity of their disability. C1-3 with C standing for cycling and 1 to 3 denoting the level of disability, the more disabled athletes get a 'factored time', which can be as much as 80% of their time. This means 20% of their time can be taken off their actual time. 

Confusing?

Could be.

There's no confusion about uni-hand Sarah Storey who absolutely smashed her Polish opponent in winning gold in the pursuit.

She didn't even need half of the designated distance to beat her opponent, catching her which wins the race.

Day #2

Well there's no doubt who stole the show today. And unfortunately it wasn't for sporting prowess.

Jody Cundy - gold medallist in Bei Jing in the 1km time trial with a time of 1 minute 5.466 seconds - was a hot medal prospect and, going as one of the last riders, all eyes were on him as fellow Brit Jon-Allan Butterworth had only attained silver medal slot.

It has come to light that Cundy was, in fact, at fault and the ruling was correct. But, with other riders false starting, including the American Joseph Berenyi who went on to get gold, questions have to be asked to why video isn't called in to clarify.

As Cundy was heart exclaiming: "I've wasted f***ing four years".

Quite right.

He may have been in the wrong, but if others are getting away with the same offences, there are legitimate claims into the fairness of the judging systems in place.

But McFly fanatic Hannah Cockroft, the fastest woman on 3 wheels in the world, claimed gold in the 100m wheelchair sprint and fair-play to her. 

She goes out of her way to seem normal but she's anything but.

She's a 'Superhuman'.