City Players Contract Swine Flu

This morning it was confirmed by Manchester City that both Craig Bellamy and Vladimir Weiss had contracted Swine flu.

Both players have been suffering from the H1N1 virus, while a number of other backroom staff members have reported flu-like symptoms and have had samples taken and told to stay away from Eastlands in order to minimize the chances of the spread of infection. A Manchester City spokesman (according to an unofficial site) compared the situation to that of Middlesborough a few seasons back when they had to postpone a fixture and forfeit three points due to player illness.

This flu just doesn't want to go away does it ? Mind you, if theres one thing good thats come from it , its that Bellamy caught it (not a bitter West Ham fan here at all......!)

Student Loan Company - What A Shambles!

We have all been there (well us student's anyway) you get that letter through the post , and you realise theres something wrong, your loan isn't enough, or isn't correct , or the bank account is wrong. They honestly are useless, no other words can describe them!

Many students applied for their loans weeks before the deadline but find themselves without a loan and in financial trouble.

A report found only 5% of phone calls to the loan comapny were answered at the peak of delays, and many students are still without their loans after several key administrative errors.

Some students have had an awful start to uni having to get by on either their overdrafts or parents money or in the worse case scenario next to no money for 13 weeks, and many feel their University experience has been ruined, and i for one agree with them and have the deepest sympathy for them.

The Student Loan company need to get their act together, and quickly....

Tiger - The Plot Thickens

Reports are coming out this lunch time that an "unidentified blond haired woman" has been taken into hospital from the same street that Tiger Woods lives on.

Woods was forced to apologise to his family for letting them down amid speculation about his private life following a story in a US gossip magazine that he had had a 31-month affair with a Los Angeles cocktail waitress.

Unconfirmed from US gossip websites suggest that the lady is Wood's wife, Elin Woods, but these are unconfirmed.

Whatever is going on involving Tiger , its definitely dodgey and he would be best off just coming clean about the matter so he can concentrate and get back to what he does best.......play golf!

Pete Doherty - what a waste of talent

Pete is back in the news again this week after he allegedly threw a beer bottle at a parked car in Germany. Whilst this is hardly a serious crime it comes just a week after he was forced to apologise to Germany as a nation for singing a verse of their national anthem whilst on stage that glorified nazi's and praised the third reich.

Pete is no stranger with the law, hes been arrested countless times on drug charges and assualts but being a so called "celebrity" is let off with a slap on the wrist.

The man is undoubtedly talented, and its frustrating to see someone with talent throw it away, but as with most musicians these days, there is too much drugs and sex and not enough rock n roll....

WINOL week 6 preview

A few ideas for this weeks WINOL.

We have noticed that the visits to the site have dropped since the last bulletin, so this week we are going to work extra hard to get those ratings back up.

Also something that came to my attention was that for example if the bulletin is late due to technical issues the other articles on the site need to be current/up to date otherwise users are going to be tempted to log off. I think also a change of background is needed when reading articles as personally i find them bland, and in need of spicing up maybe with the odd picture. I think the use of pictures in modern day journalism is under rated and is essential to attracting a youthful and modern audience.

Also maybe covering more University sport games could attract a greater amount of traffic as sports students will want to see their teams performance or individual goals/key tackles etc for personal pride.

P.S i know this post doesn't have any pictures either but the computer isn't letting me insert any!!

WINOL - Week 5

Another week of WINOL has gone by and another bulletin has gone out

Sunday evening i emailed all the members of the team detailing several ideas for the upcoming bulletin and on Tuesday i set about following up a story regarding sports teams being banned from BOP.

I got an interview with Jez Davis VP of the university and got some quotes which i added to the article and published to the site for editing. I also did a feature on Avram Grant and his recent appointment as Portsmouth manager.

This saturday Grant and i went and filmed the Winchester FC match this saturday and am looking forward to doing the voiceovers and cutting the video into some good highlights following Winchester's 4-1 win!

WINOL week 6, here we go!

Wenger Vs Hughes - Hand Shake

For me the main sporting event this week was the midweek Carling cup clash between Manchester City and Arsenal.

Man City won the match 3-0 and dominated possesion and were deserved winners, however, as per normal, Arsene Wenger didn't see it that way.

The Arsenal manager, refused to shake hands with opposition manager Mark Hughes at the final whistle leading Hughes to accuse Wenger of "not knowing how to behave."Wenger responded by saying, "On Saturday, I am managing my 500th game at Arsenal and I believe I have shaken hands 497 times. It is a ceremonial courtesy but the most important is not the ceremonial but the courtesy of behaviour."

Personally i thought it was disgraceful behaviour by Wenger, no matter the result, nor the manner in which it came about, you should always shake hands to show respect, and besides it wasn't Hughes running the game or making decisions, he, like Wenger, can only watch from the side.

Wenger should be ashamed at his unsporting behaviour and embarassed at the example he has set for young people who look up to his as a role model.

Hopefully, one day, Wenger will realise, not everything goes your way, and sometimes to be the bigger and better person, you should swallow your tongue and your pride and just show respect.