Hess deserves credit for Dover's success

I think the only way you can describe Dover Athletic’s charge to the Ryman Premier League title is ‘stunning’.
The Whites, under the leadership of former Gillingham legend Andy Hessenthaler, romped to the league title with a 6-0 win against play-off hopefuls Sutton United last Saturday.
You only have to look at the stats and the league table to see how dominant Dover have been this year. As it stands, the Whites have won the title with five games remaining, had just three league defeats and are on the verge of clocking up 100 points.
Many people were convinced Dover would win the league at Christmas as they boasted a lead of 25 points over their nearest rivals Staines Town. However, Hessenthaler knew the job was nowhere near finished.
A lot of credit has to be given to Hessenthaler. He has gathered a group of players who fight for every cause and to top it off, play attractive football. People will say the Dover boss has had a large budget, but at the end of the day, a team wins a title not a group of highly talented individuals. A team with an incredible work ethic is certainly what Hessenthaler has produced.
With Dover’s history full of highs and lows, what is happening at the club must be a delight for the large army of Dover supporters. They know all too well how close the club came to folding so as a football fan I am pleased for them.



I suppose the real test for Dover will begin next season in Blue Square South, where the level of football will rise again. However, after watching the Whites’ relentless charge to promotion this season and the level of football they can produce, I doubt they’ll struggle next year.
In fact, I think if you put the Dover squad in this year’s Blue Square South they would have finished not far short of the play-off positions, which just goes to show their class.
Hessenthaler has shown his eye for players this season with the arrivals of the lively Jerahl Hughes and the experienced Guliano Grazioli, who have helped Dover keep a step ahead of the competition. I am sure he is already thinking about who he would like to bring to the club for a brand new adventure, which begins in August.
I have to agree with Dover chairman Jim Parmenter when he said it is a special story unfolding at Dover and it will not be long before we will all be talking about the Whites in the Football League.

World Cup winner's final blog

WINNING the World Cup was an amazing achievement and I think it’s going to take a while before it finally sinks in that we are world champions.

It was a really tense final against New Zealand and it shows how pressure can get to you because usually we would have no problem in chasing down a score of 166. The main thing is we managed to get over the line and it was an amazing feeling lifting the trophy. It completes four years of hard work building up to this.

It felt a bit strange leaving Australia the next day and to be honest I am already having withdrawal symptoms from the girls in the team. I spent so much time with them, as we all shared rooms, so I’m already looking forward to getting back to training.

When we arrived back in London, somebody told us there were cameras waiting for us which was a bit of a surprise. It was quite funny actually, as we were all having a bit of a laugh walking through the airport then we heard about the cameras so we had to make ourselves look presentable. We had a police escort which was a strange thing for us as a team, but it was nice to have a bit of a welcome back when we returned to England.

We then went to Lord’s where there were some more media, but I think it was just nice to get recognised for our achievement.

Our fitness coach has given us a week off training, but then we’ll be back gunning to add to our trophy haul with the ICC Women’s World Twenty20. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks but we all realise how big a part we play in raising the profile of the women’s game and we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels.

Greed in football knows no boundaries

I IMAGINE it’s been a pretty good week for the top brass at the Premier League. Not only have they got away without the slightest bit of criticism over the Carlos Tevez affair, but they’ve saved themselves a few bob in the process.

West Ham and Sheffield United settled out of court last week with a figure of £20 million over five years believed to be paid to the Blades by the Hammers. In itself it looks like an admission of guilt from West Ham’s hierarchy, but for most football fans after two years of hearing the same story over and over again, it felt like the end, or so they thought.

Now former Blades manager Neil Warnock and his Sheffield United team of the time are threatening to sue West Ham for loss of earnings. There is an argument that they have a case, but where does this end? Surely Sheffield United supporters have a case for missing out on watching Premier League football.

While it appears West Ham were not as forthcoming with the facts about the third party involvement in the signing of Tevez in 2007 as they have led us to believe, they were punished at the time of committing the crime. £5.5 million by the Premier League to be exact. Should they have been docked points at the time which would have certainly seen them relegated? The answer after this week’s out of court settlement appears to be yes.

With West Ham eight points shy of safety when the Premier League made its announcement two years ago, clearly the thinking behind the decision was that the Hammers were already doomed, so a fine would be more appropriate. That was the Premier League’s decision made at the time, right or wrong and as far as they were concerned they paid their dues. The fact Sheffield United failed to stay up was as a result of their own shortfalls over the course of the season, including being unable to beat Wigan Athletic – a team in a similar position – on the last day of the season.

Rather than launching a campaign for compensation – a figure they believed to be in the region of £50 million – from West Ham, why on earth didn’t they put all their efforts into campaigning against the Premier League’s decision. Kevin McCabe and Sheffield United never gave up, and fair play to them for that, but surely their efforts would have been better served in trying to actually regain Premier League status, rather than chasing the pound note.

Will £20 million, at £4 million a year, get them back in the Premier League and will it all be spent on trying to do so? Who knows. But one thing is for sure, the Premier League have got away with making their decision scot-free and allowed one of their clubs to carry the can for it.

What do you think?


Glenn Pearson

Has standard of football dropped this year?

I'VE seen my fair share of Ryman Premier games this season and I have to say the standard of the division doesn't appear to be anything like it was last year.

Dover Athletic are head and shoulders above the rest and deserve to win the league, but what of the rest below? Last season the division was so close, with just a handful of points between the teams battling for the play-offs and those fighting against relegation.

Carshalton flattered to deceive last season, but have improved this campaign and are one of the better footballing sides in the Ryman Premier. Under Terry Yorath, Margate have looked to pass the ball and Maidstone earlier in the season looked a side that could move the ball.

The amount of times you see games in which teams are so wasteful with the ball and with the majority of players looking to play direct, it's not made for good viewing.

It seems these days, despite the wishes of their managers, some players are happy to just get rid of the ball. Perhaps Dover's short time in the division might give other teams something to think about for next season.

What do you think? Are there teams out there playing good football?

Glenn Pearson

Lydia Greenway's KOS Blog - entry six

Wednesday's game against Australia was our last before what will be the biggest one of our lives on Sunday, the World Cup final.

Playing Australia and knowing we were already in the final with them not being in it was a surreal feeling. This feeling did not last long though; this game was never going to be taken lightly by any of us. We wanted to win.

Winning the toss we were in to bat and off to a good start with a four off the first ball. Caroline [Atkins] and Sarah [Taylor] got us to 18, before the first wicket fell. Claire Taylor (Tails) joined Sarah and it wasn't long before the next wicket fell.

Our captain Charlotte [Edwards] came out to join Claire, with myself next in. The crowd was the biggest and noisiest one of the tournament so far (2,214) and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Lottie was out and I was in and at 50 for 3 we were struggling. Tails and I knew we had a tough job ahead of us to consolidate but also keep the scoreboard ticking. We managed to do this and got us to 106 - 3 of 30 overs until I was stumped for 22.

I was so disappointed to be out because I felt if Tails and I were still in with 15 overs to go we could look to play more shots and up the run rate. From then on there was a steady fall of wickets and we never got ourselves into the position where we could go on and put the Australian fielders and bowlers under pressure. We finished on 161 all out.

There was no time to dwell on our batting performance and we knew we had to hit the ground running and get early wickets. We also had a change of tactic and opened with Laura Marsh, our off-spin bowler. We felt if we could put pressure on the batters early and force them to play shots against spin we could be in with a chance.

Unfortunately for us this didn't happen and credit to the Australians, they came at us hard and at 60-0 they were in a strong position. We weren't going to give up without a fight and we managed to get a couple of wickets. This however only delayed the time in which they got the runs; the game was won by the Aussies in the 34th over.

This was by far our worst performance of the tournament and with the World Cup final only a couple of days away we are getting our heads down and working on putting things right.

On a personal note I was pleased with the start I got batting but so disappointed in the timing of how I got out. Fielding-wise I was happy with how I fielded and happier still when I got fielder of the day. This is something our Assistant Coach Jack started last summer - whoever he thinks fields the best on the day gets a cuddly toy!! This time it was a boxing kanagaroo!

That evening Beth [Morgan] and I caught up with some friends and went to a lovely Greek restaurant not far from our hotel, although it was a bit posher than we thought and, though we probably didn't fit in with the attire (cocktail dresses and suits!) we went in anyway and the food was lovely.

Now all our focus is on Sunday and I know that our whole squad will be doing everything we can to bring the World Cup back home with us.

FIA decision is backward step

IN my opinion, the new points system introduced by the FIA is another backward step for Formula One which has seen far too many changes in the last few years.

The latest rule change to follow a whole raft for the 2009 season, will see the driver’s title decided by the amount of wins. This is nothing new in many ways. The amount of wins a driver recorded in a season was always used as a tie-breaker if two or more drivers ended the season on the same points. The new rule has sparked once again more controversy, which the sport is becoming more renowned for than the actual racing it is supposed to be about.

Not only has this been sprung upon teams a mere two weeks before the opening round of the season in Australia, but it really does not solve a problem. In fact it seems the FIA have tried to solve a problem, which just isn’t there to begin with.

I admit the current points system does not really work in the sense that a win is not rewarded with enough points - just ten in fact. Drivers, who are consistent seem to reap the rewards as a second place finish earns eight points and third pick up six.

Introducing the wins system means drivers will try harder for victories, but it will hurt smaller teams. Teams who are unlikely to win races may lose out if we have a situation like Brazil 2003 where the Jordan team won a race. The driver would be immediately above the pecking order of other drivers who finish regularly in the points because he has won a race with the new system. With the economic climate as it is, every finish will be crucial for prize money.

However, the situation we could be handed with, which would be a detriment to the sport is this: If one driver is so dominant he may win - let’s say nine races out of the 17 - which would be easily enough for the title. This would mean the driver would not need to try for the remainder of the year contributing to a boring season. Under the old system he would have to keep going right down until he had made the title mathematically safe.

The changes have sparked a mixed reaction from drivers with Williams’ Nico Rosberg labelling the system ‘nonsense’ and Jenson Button has said that once drivers have got enough wins they will stop trying.

If the new system was used last year, Felipe Mass would have won the title and not Lewis Hamilton. The way I look at it is Formula One should be about the racing. The most successful and consistent driver over the season should be the champion.

I for one just can’t understand why a sport has to be tampered with so much so that we have lost the true essence of what Formula One is; man and machine combining to be the best.

Tom Howard

Lydia Greenway's KOS blog - entry five

WITH another convincing win under our belts we were keen to continue to improve our game for our next challenge, Pakistan. Although on paper and past results we should easily beat them we were not going to take any games lightly.

Winning the toss the Pakistan captain elected to bat. Their openers came at us and it would be fair to say we were a bit surprised that they managed to achieve 50-1 off 18 overs. We thought we were in for a tough game. This feeling changed though when the spin twins came on. With the Pakistanis reluctant to use their feet they found it hard to get the ball away, so much so that we put in a short leg, and it was me who was the lucky one who got put under the helmet!

Holly (Colvin) and Boggy (Laura Marsh) gave them nothing and Boggy deservedly finished with five wickets for next to no runs. They were eventually bowled out for 78, something we were all pleased with. Going into bat we felt confident. Ebony (Rainford-Brent) and Sarah (Taylor) opened and got us off to a solid start. The wicket of Sarah brought Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) to the crease who always looked comfortable. The Pakistanis were bowling well and then another wicket fell, which brought me to the crease to join Lottie and I helped her finish the job off. Winning this game meant we went through to the Super Six stage where we play the top three teams from the other group.

With only a day in between games we had a light training session to prepare ourselves as best as we could for what was going to be our biggest game of the World Cup so far. New Zealand are always tough competition and in our team meeting that night their batting order confirmed this.

There was no doubt that all the girls were up for the game and although there were a lot of nerves around there was also a lot of excitement. We won the toss and decided to bat first on a wicket that we thought would deteriorate throughout the day. It became clear that the wicket was a grafting one and this is exactly what Caroline (Atkins) and Charlotte did. Even though we got off to a relatively slow start we set it up so that we still had a lot of wickets in the last 10 overs, which incidentally were brilliant. Jen (Gunn) and Beth (Morgan) hit the ball to all parts of the ground with Jen hitting one of the biggest sixes I have seen for a while. We finished on a score of 201-5, something we were more than happy with. We knew though that this game was only halfway through.

It was important to keep the bowling tight early and create pressure which is what both Nunny (Katherine Brunt )and Isa (Guha) were doing – anything under four runs was good for us. Throughout the whole game we never relaxed or thought the game was won, but with some brilliant bowling again form Holly and Laura the run rate was creeping up and wickets started to fall. We eventually got over the line and the kiwis fell short by 31 runs.

This was definitely our biggest win so far and with news filtering through that the Indians had beaten the Aussies our spirits were lifted even more. The results mean that if we beat the West Indies tomorrow we are definitely in the World Cup final. As exciting as this is though we are still looking to improve and our only focus now is beating the West Indies.

Personally I have been pleased with my own contributions, both batting and fielding-wise, but like the team I still want more. Off the field spirits have been high. My roomie (Beth Morgan) and I have been regular viewers of CSI and seem to have fallen into a bit of a routine – dinner is never complete until we have visited the local 7/11 convenience store where we buy a paddle-pop each (very nice ice-cream). It’s obviously very low in fat and GI! It’s virtually one of our five daily fresh fruit and veg portions – that’s what we keep telling ourselves anyway!

Also Anya Shrubsole is a new woman – we all chipped in $5 for a makeover. The money paid for a haircut and highlights and some of the girls learnt their saloning skills for free! This included eyebrow plucking and make up tips. Jealousy probably isn’t the word but I don’t remember being the youngest member of the squad and having perks like that!

Lydia

Gills draw leaves more questions than answers

IT’S impossible to tell now whether the 2-0 lead Gillingham squandered against Shrewsbury will come back to haunt them come May, but it did bring everyone at Priestfield down to earth with a bump.

The atmosphere was terrific on Tuesday night as Simeon Jackson’s late penalty saw off Darlington. The boot was on the other foot against the Shrews, who scored twice in the last 12 minutes to pinch a point.

A week ago most fans would have probably settled for four points from two games against promotion rivals. The results have after all kept Gills right in the mix – only goal difference is keeping them out of the automatic spots and there is a useful, if fragile, three-point cushion over Bradford just outside the play-offs.

The draw also extended the club’s unbeaten run to seven games, the longest sequence for almost four years.

Yet there is just a nagging feeling that sides destined for automatic promotion do not give away two goal leads at home, regardless of the opposition or the concession of a soft penalty.
Crucially it used up a precious home game. Of the team’s remaining nine fixtures, six are away from home. While the form on their travels is light years better than even six months ago, they have not beaten any of their rivals away from home and there are still trips to Brentford, Wycombe and Rochdale (all in the top four) to come.

Perhaps the biggest problem to come out of the game is injury concerns to Simon King and Andy Barcham. Both are essential to the club’s promotion hopes but had to be substituted after taking knocks to already bodies already struggling after a tough season.

The pair may yet appear at Notts County on Tuesday, but there must now be a genuine worry about their involvement in critical games to come. Gills boss Mark Stimson admitted afterwards every game the influential duo played now was a risk, but one they have to take.

David Pritchard

What we've been up to

IT'S been another busy week for sport around the county as Gillingham head for the business end of the season and Kent exclusively revealed to us their interest in Aussie seamer Stuart Clark.

Not only have we been putting together pages for our Kentish Saturday Observer and Kent on Sunday, our sports team have been out in the field with our video camera.

Here's what we have been up to:



Glenn Pearson

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS blog - entry four

AFTER winning convincingly in our first game against Sri Lanka we still felt we had a lot of work to do to get us playing the way we wanted to in our next game against India.

The challenge was set and our coach, Mark Lane, wanted us to improve in all areas of our game. On the morning of the game we were buzzing and really eager to get started. We won the toss and put them in.

After beating them 4-0 in the summer we felt it would be good to put them under pressure straight away. This is exactly what we did as Nunny (Katherine Brunt) and Ish (Isa Guha) put the pressure on from ball one and with some fantastic spin bowling from Holly Colvin in the middle they never got away from us. If it wasn’t for their number 10 batter, Amita Sharma, they would have been all out for 130. But some imaginative shots from her and a record tenth wicket partnership of 43 got them to 169 all out.

We had done a good job, but knew the game was far from over. Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) and Squirt (Sarah Taylor) got us off to a good, solid start and at 40-odd off 10 overs we were looking comfortable. The first wicket of Squirt brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who was on the back of a very good hundred. When she came in, it looked like she could have scored another ton for us! The girls upped the run rate and the game was won in the 39th over.

On the whole we were very pleased with such a convincing win but we are still keen to keep on improving. Personally I was pleased. Although I didn’t bat, I took three catches so it was good to have made some sort of contribution to the game.

Our next game is against Pakistan who we are not going to take lightly – again we will look to improve and be ruthless.

Off the pitch I have just had a deep massage on my legs to ensure they’re up for tomorrow’s challenge and not too heavy. We all get one at regular intervals throughout the tour to help our muscles recover and keep us in peak condition as the games come thick and fast. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

I also managed a quick cup of tea with my Mum and Dad which was good. They came to the game yesterday and it was good to hear our Barmy Army cheering loudly for us!

England take on Pakistan on Thursday.

If you would like to leave Lydia a good luck message during the World Cup post a comment below.

Who would make your all-time Kent XI?

WE carried a feature in this weekend's Kent on Sunday featuring Henry Blofeld's all-time Kent XI. The BBC Test Match Special commentator told us who would be on his team sheet for a one-off game. You can read his Kent XI by clicking here.

As a cricket fan myself, it got me thinking as to who I would choose if persuaded to do so. Henry's Kent XI is filled with players that will live long in the memory of all Kent fans, but I would have to plump for players that I have actually witnessed playing the game.

I have no doubts it would have been an absolute pleasure to have witnessed Derek Underwood bamboozle the opposition’s batsmen and watch Les Ames and Colin Cowdrey take bowling attacks apart.

I unfortunately missed their era and so have instead plumped for a Kent XI that I have actually witnessed play at St Lawrence.

1) Rob Key (1998-present) If he just misses out on “Blowers’” XI then he fits perfectly in mine. Took to captaincy well and the constant calls for an England return tells of his recent batting form.

2) Mark Benson (1980 – 1996) Known for his ability against the quick bowlers and led Kent well during his spell as skipper.

3) Martin van Jaarsveld (2005-present) The South African has been the one steady batter in the current line-up. Scored more than 1,000 runs in his first two seasons and was named PCA Player of the Year in 2008.

4) Aravinda Da Silva. (1995) Tough choice between ‘Ari’ and Carl Hooper, but the Sri Lankan just gets the nod, maybe just for that sparkling innings of 112 in the 1995 Benson and Hedges Cup final.

5) Trevor Ward (1986-1999) Usually opened the innings for Kent but is brought in to toughen up my middle order. A regular heavy run scorer in the Kent side.

6) Mark Ealham (1989-2004) Ealham snags the all-rounder’s spot in my side. A good medium pace bowler who could nibble it both ways and could demolish any bowling attack in the world when in form.

7) Geraint Jones (2001-present) Tough choice between Jones and Steve Marsh for the wicketkeeper’s spot, but Jones just gets it for his batting.

8)Min Patel (1989-2008) Patel played more than 200 games for the county and for the majority of the time as the club’s number one spinner. Also handy as a late order batsman.

9) Dean Headley (1993-2001): Deano will be long remembered
by all Kent fans for his displays for both the county and England.

10) Richard Ellison (1981-1993) He took 71 wickets in a county season and also claimed ten wickets against Australia in 1985.

11) Duncan Spencer (1993-1994) A controversial inclusion but I witnessed ‘that spell’ against Viv Richards at St Lawrence in 1993 and for the West Indian to describe him as the fastest he has ever faced is good enough for me.

Glenn Pearson

What do you think of these two line-ups? Let us know your thoughts and your Kent all-time XI by leaving a comment below.

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS Media blog - entry three

AFTER a convincing final warm-up match against the West Indies we went into our first official World Cup match with confidence and eagerness. We haven’t played Sri Lanka since 2005 when we beat them, so we were looking to do the same again.

They won the toss and put us in, which we were happy with. We were playing down in Canberra which brought back memories for Jen (Gunn), Isa (Guha) and I as it was where we had our first taste of Australia with the England under-19 team. Unfortunately for me though it was also where I dislocated my finger!

Our openers Squirt (Sarah Taylor) and Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) got us off to a good start. The boundary was short and the outfield was fast, both of which we took full advantage of. The score was 80 off 18 before the first wicket fell; this brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who joined Shaggy and they kept it ticking along nicely.

Our aim was to reach 300 which was well within our capabilities. Shaggy was bowled just after reaching her 50, which brought Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) to the crease. She and Tails looked at ease and were scoring quickly until Lot was trapped lbw for 27. I came in with 15 overs to go and was eager to keep the score kicking along. I took longer than I would have liked to get off the mark but felt good when I got my eye in. I finished on 32 not out which was good but it should have been off less balls at that stage of the game.

Tails batted brilliantly but was unfortunately out for 101. We made 277-7 and before we headed out to field, Lottie set a challenge of keeping them to less than 100. The Sri Lankan openers got their team off to a solid start and played some good shots, however some of their shots didn’t have much power and it was frustrating when they weren’t going to hand. The Sri Lankans made 177-7 off their 50 overs, which, even though we won we were disappointed with. Too often our fielding was sloppy and we lacked energy in the field.

There was some good bowling from Jen (Gunn) and Boggy (Laura Marsh) but on the whole we know we can do much better and need to be tough on ourselves and keep improving. As for me I am going to look to improve my strike rate in every game to ensure I do all I can to get England into a winning position.

Off the field it was great to see more of the “Barmy Army” arrive, aka our families! They all get on really well and when they are at full strength and full volume can give the real Barmy Army a run for their money!

On Tuesday we have India so training on Monday will be intense and we will again be looking to improve all areas of our game.

Gills must beware Accrington

Accrington Stanley may be more famous for a 1980s milk advert than anything they’ve done on a football pitch, but it would be unwise for Gillingham to take them lightly on Saturday.

With potentially huge games at Priestfield against Darlington and Shrewsbury next week it would be easy to dismiss a meeting with one of the division’s minnows as an easy game.

And minnows they are – with average gates only around 200 higher than Dover Athletic in the Ryman Premier. Along with fellow potential strugglers Morecambe, Chester and Barnet, they probably privately rejoiced last summer as points penalties were handed out to three clubs, effectively giving them a free season in League Two, barring a catastrophically-low points haul.

Without those deductions Stanley would be fourth bottom, flirting with a return to non-league. As it is they are maybe only a couple of victories away from ensuring their presence in the division for next season.

They are the division’s joint lowest scorers, averaging less than a goal a game, and are without a win in their last seven games.

Sounds easy for Mark Stimson’s men, who can extend their unbeaten run to a season-long five games if they avoid defeat at the Fraser Eagle Stadium. Despite not playing well in recent weeks they have hauled themselves back into the play-offs and a win against Accrington would set them up nicely ahead of the crunch games next week.

But if Gills have kept an eye on developments elsewhere in League Two over the last few games then they will be wary of even the most benign-looking games. To some extent they are only in the play-off places because of a series of unexpected results affecting their rivals in recent weeks.

Last Saturday not many would have foreseen Shrewsbury to get thumped at lowly Macclesfield last weekend, likewise Bradford at Notts County or Morecambe holding former runaway leaders Wycombe. Tuesday night brought more tales of the unexpected, with Barnet beating Rochdale and Chesterfield winning away at Bury.

The fact is, no team has been consistently good enough to seize the initiative and waltz off towards the League Two title. While many will bemoan the lack of quality, what it does provide is a fantastically unpredictable league where anything is possible.

Gills, or anyone in the division for that matter, are simply not good enough to take anyone lightly and get away with it. Fortunately Gills boss Mark Stimson is aware of that fact:


David Pritchard

Reborn series set to nurture future F1 stars

With motorsport hit hard by the global recession, Brands Hatch provided a light at the end of a dark tunnel with the launch of the reformed Formula Two Championship this week.

Circuit owner Jonathan Palmer unveiled the new F2 car and the series details to the media at Brands Hatch’s season launch. The series was popular during the 70’s and 80’s, with Palmer winning the penultimate drivers’ title, but has a new look for its revival after 25 years.

On paper the car it is not on the same level as the machinery used in GP2, the current Formula One feeder series, but the closer you look at the championship the more it makes sense.

The 24 drivers will compete in an identical car designed by the Williams Formula One team at circuits all over the world. The prize for the champion is an F1 test with Frank Williams’ outfit.

One of the most attractive factors is the cost. To complete a season in the series will take £200,000 which may seem a lot, but in motorsport terms it is peanuts – half that of a full season in Formula 3 and a quarter of the price for a GP2.

The credit crunch has already claimed several victims, including F1’s Super Aguri team, Kawasaki in Moto GP and Subaru’s World Rally team. In the harsh climate the series to be run by Palmer and his MotorSport Vision team could be the saviour of many Formula One hopefuls.

With uncertainty over the length of the current recession, the series could be an extremely clever move by Palmer and he believes it will become the new breeding ground for the next wave of Lewis Hamiltons.

With the first race in Valencia two months away, the championship is certainly something to keep an eye on this season.

Looking ahead to the 2009 season at Brands Hatch the usual suspects are there with the British Superbike Championship, British Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship, A1 Grand Prix and DTM all returning to the Kent circuit.

One notable absentee will be the World Superbike Championship, which ends its 16-year association with the series following a rise in the fee from the organisers.

It will be a shame for Kent fans as it regularly attracted 100,000 through the gates and with local rider Shane Byrne competing this year it has come as a double blow. However, as Murray Walker used to say ‘anything can happen in Motorsport and it usually does’, so do not rule out a comeback in the future.

Tom Howard

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS blog

In the second of an exclusive blog, Kent and England all-rounder Lydia Greenway writes from Australia ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup.


After having a convincing win against New South Wales we knew our final warm-up game against Australia was going to be a tough one.

The Aussies are always very competitive but going into the game we felt confident and eager to get amongst it.

Winning the toss we put them in. This is something we have done in the past as we feel confident as a team about chasing down the runs.

Their openers got off to not a bad start but our first breakthrough came from a great caught behind by Squirt (Sarah Taylor) off Isa Guha’s bowling. This brought their captain Karen Rolton to the crease. She didn’t last long as Nunny (Katherine Brunt) was straight on the money and got her first ball LBW.

Next in was Lisa Sthalekar who was run out going for a third run by a magnificent throw from Nicky Shaw from the boundary. Alex Blackwell was the rock of their innings, making 91 not out.

We were pleased to restrict them to 214 with some great bowling in the middle, but also from our spinners, Boggy (Laura Marsh), Hol (Holly Colvin) and Lot (Charlotte Edwards) at the end.

Our batting didn’t get off to the greatest of starts with Squirt getting out first ball of the innings to Emma Sampson. This brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who rebuilt well with Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) and got us back on track with our chase of just over four an over.

Up until the 30th over we looked comfortable but we fell short by 20-odd runs. The words “frustrated” and “disappointed” were an understatement of what we were all feeling.

There was however no to time to dwell on our mistakes, only time to reflect and move forward in time for our final warm-up game against West Indies. We had training the day after we lost to the Aussies and we all went quietly about our business but with a lot of intent after seriously motivating words from our coach. We beat the West Indies comfortably by 116 runs on Wednesday and now we feel ready to get our World Cup campaign on the road.

Off the field my parents have arrived in Sydney for the World Cup. It’s been great to see them and catch up as I haven’t seen them for ages because I have been playing over here since October. They’re staying out at Coogee so they can go to the beach on a regular basis and we’ve had a couple of catch-up meals together.

It’s been great staying in Sydney as I still get to see all my friends that I have made playing cricket over the past couple of years. We’ve managed to see them pretty much every other evening and now we’ve moved into our new hotel we’re all regulars at the Max Brenners Chocolate café just round the corner!


Lydia Greenway will be exclusively blogging for KOS Media from Australia where the England women’s cricket team are challenging for the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Farbrace in lucky escape

“SOME people believe football is a matter of life and death...I can assure you it's much, much more important than that”, legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once famously said. If you swapped the sport then there are many in cricket-mad Pakistan who would go along with that sentiment, but its folly was brought into sharp focus by events in Lahore this morning.

Former Kent coach Paul Farbrace was caught up in the carnage after the bus he was travelling in was ambushed in a terror attack. The 41-year-old had a hugely lucky escape and it will probably only take days to recover from the shrapnel wound in his arm, but the damage done to the sport in cricket-mad Pakistan will cut far deeper.

The popular figure, who was first a player at Kent before returning to become a coach at the club’s Academy, left in July 2007 to become assistant coach with Sri Lanka. He was accompanying the team as they made their way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test when the attack happened.

Reports suggest the attack was pre-planned and in retrospect it is astonishing that more people were not killed. Tragically six policemen died in the assault, but the figure easily could have been far higher.

It all had a chilling echo of the Munich Olympics in 1972, where Israeli athletes were specifically targeted. On this occasion fortunately Farbrace and the Sri Lanka team were able to walk away from their ordeal, but Pakistan will be bracing itself for the consequences.

The series was only taking place as a result of India’s decision to pull out of a tour following terror attacks in Mumbai three months ago. Sri Lanka were there as a favour to their hosts, which makes this morning’s events all the more galling.

Security was high but clearly not sufficient and it may be some time before another team dares touring Pakistan. In the immediate aftermath there is talk of banning teams visiting altogether for the foreseeable future, with Pakistan playing their ‘home’ tests in neutral countries – including England.

Longer term the consequences are likely to jeopardise the country’s joint hosting of the World Cup in 2011. Ultimately depriving the people of Pakistan the chance to stage cricket’s biggest event could be the biggest tragedy of all, but contrary to Shankly's view, it is simply not worth the risk.

David Pritchard

Difficult day for Shakey

It must have been an unusual day for Shane Byrne to leave Australia without a single point from the opening round of the World Superbike Championship.

The Sheppey rider dominated the British Superbike Championship last year on his way to his second title. However, last season’s success would have seemed a long time ago, as two crashes on Sunday saw his opening round end prematurely.

After a successful 2008 season, Byrne was rewarded with a ride in the World Championship with Sterilgarda Ducati. Judging by the formbook at the time it seemed to be a good move for Shakey and one that would give him the chance to shine in the series.

However, it was always going to be a tall order for Shakey at the first round in Australia. He went into the meeting on the back foot with his team unable to compete in a three-day test session earlier in the month.

With the World Superbike Championship being won or lost on fractions of seconds, track time is imperative and Byrne had little going into the event.

In many ways I believe the first race was a shock for Byrne as he got to see just how competitive the series is. However, he will probably feel slightly aggrieved to see Leon Haslam, who he beat on many occasions last season in BSB, finish on the rostrum in third place.

With just two races gone this season it is far too early to write off Byrne’s and the Sterilgarda team’s chances. In an official test in Portugal in January, Byrne topped the time sheets, which shows he has the speed and skill to compete at this level and win.

As he settled down in the second race on Sunday you could see glimpses of his class, as he rose up to 11th place, passing five bikes in as many laps, before he retired.

I feel the true form of Byrne will be back, when the series heads to Qatar for the next round on March 14.

Resilient Gills still in promotion race

On an afternoon of unexpected results in League Two, Gillingham held their nerve to show why manager Mark Stimson is adamant his side can still win automatic promotion.

His side’s 1-0 win against Bournemouth was far from a classic – I for one wouldn’t fancy putting together a highlights package – but as the season enters the final two months points really do make prizes.

The scrappy victory echoed the 3-1 win against Macclesfield a week earlier, although the Cherries posed far more problems. In both games for long spells Gills flattered to deceive, but when they had to they showed the necessary resilience to send the visitors packing empty-handed.

How some of their rivals would have craved a scrappy three points. Wycombe, who at one stage were waltzing their way to the title, are now looking nervously over their shoulder as their slump continued with a goalless draw at Morecambe.

Bradford, so clinical in their dissection of Gills at Priestfield earlier this month, were slapped 3-1 by Notts County. It was worse for Shrewsbury, hammered 3-0 at Macclesfield.

With Darlington’s points deduction also changing the shape of the top half, Gills now sit sixth and in the play-off positions for the first time in a month.

The pack of promotion hopefuls, which numbered as many as 14 at the start of the season, has probably now shrunk to nine. Darlington could yet clamber their way back by winning their games in hand, but Dagenham & Redbridge are on the ropes three points adrift after a 2-2 draw with Chester.

After a run of games against sides in the bottom half, Gills have duly revived their hopes. Really it was the least they had to do ahead of a tricky run-in where they will face the majority of their rivals.

Can they be considered serious automatic promotion contenders? Amazingly, even after 33 games it is difficult to say. They have been on the fringes of the top seven all season, but have never put together a sustained run of form to ever get comfortable.

Significantly though, few other teams have been able to do so either. As a result Gills have played snakes and ladders with most of the teams mentioned above. It should be a fascinating climax to the season to see just who can hold it together long enough to book their place in the final shake-down.

David Pritchard

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS blog

In the first of an exclusive column for KOS Media, Kent and England all-rounder Lydia Greenway shares her experience of preparing for the ICC Women's World Cup.

THE ICC Women’s World Cup has been a long time coming for us. After being knocked out in the semi finals four years ago we feel we are a much improved outfit in all areas of our game.

Four of us have been lucky enough to continue our final preparations in Sydney where the World Cup will be hosted. Myself, Isa Guha, Beth Morgan and Holly Colvin have been playing grade cricket over here since October. It is a highly regarded league with several Australian internationals featuring in the teams.

Playing on the wickets and getting used to the conditions out here has been invaluable. The four of us have also been living together so training sessions have been brilliant.

The time has flown by and it’s hard to believe that the rest of the team have been here for six days already. Our first official game is on March 7 against Sri Lanka. Before that though we have three warm-up games, one of which was today against New South Wales who are state champions. Although they were missing key players, who have joined their Australian team mates on a camp in Canberra, they still put out a good team.

Our aim for this game was to hit the ground running; training over the last few days has increased with intensity so there were to be no excuses today. On a greenish wicket we were asked to bowl first which more than suited us. Nunny (Katherine Brunt) and Ish (Isa Guha) got us off to a great start and in no time at all we had them three down. New South Wales never really recovered and we had them all out for 99.

It was great to see our bowlers hitting their areas, especially Nunny who gave the batters next to nothing with a few balls whizzing around their ears every now and then. Our batters did a great job too with the openers putting on a stand of 59 before being retired to give others a bit of time at the crease.

All in all it was a pleasing win but we still know we are not 100 per cent yet and want to keep improving in each game we play. On Monday we face the Aussies in our first official warm-up game, so we’ll be preparing for that over the weekend.

Lydia Greenway will be exclusively blogging for KOS Media from Australia where the England women’s cricket team are challenging for the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Credit where credit's due

A FEW weeks ago Kent’s top referee, Steve Bennett, was involved in a tabloid newspaper ‘sting’ for making comments about Premiership footballers.

The Orpington-based ref claimed some top Premier League players had visited him before games and asked for a yellow card to ensure they would receive a ban and thus miss out on a game over Christmas.

It was hardly revelation of the century was it? You could imagine certain players being uninterested in a midweek trip to Hull or Bolton on a cold, rainy night and doing what they can to miss out on it.

Bennett, who was taped making these claims by an undercover reporter, was expected to explain his comments, but it looks as though he hasn’t let it get to him at all.

He refereed the midweek FA Cup game between Middlesbrough and West Ham and put in a very good performance. True, it wasn’t a particularly dirty game, but he allowed the game to flow and got pretty much all the decisions right.

What I found most interesting was how he chatted with the captains in the tunnel before the game and other players throughout the game. Some people have a problem with the referee being ‘friendly’ with the players, but I can’t see why. He was able to let the game run and when a player did commit a foul he let them know they were walking a thin line. The fact the commentators barely mentioned his name is testament to how he contributed.

Referees get a lot of stick when they make questionable decisions, but you barely hear a mention when they do their job well. Bennett is due to finish his career refereeing at the top level at the end of the season as he has reached the mandatory age set by the Premier League. Hopefully he will be able to take his knowledge and experience of the game into coaching other referees which I’m led to believe he is hoping to do after hanging up his boots.

Glenn Pearson

Fleet set for another Wembley date?

After all the talk about myfootballclub membership renewals dominating the headlines last week it can be easy to forget about the football at Ebbsfleet United, but the team sent out a significant reminder on Tuesday by refusing to give up on their FA Trophy crown.

It is true that MyFC memberships have suffered a significant drop, but on the pitch Liam Daish’s side showed what they are capable of with a thrilling quarter-final replay win against Wrexham. Fleet showed their mettle by coming back from a goal down to record a 3-1 victory with stunning goals from Luke Moore and John Martin.

The game had everything: drama, passion, goals, atmosphere and Daish was rightly delighted with his side's display. It provided a stark reminder of their run to the trophy final at Wembley last year. Just thinking about it this season and last season are extremely similar. Last year Fleet battled their way through to the quarter-finals where they met Burton Albion, which they took to a replay only for Stacy Long to pop up with an extra-time winner at Stonebridge Road.

This year Burton have been replaced by Wrexham and the Fleet now face high-flying Stevenage Borough in the semi final, a similar test to the title-bound Aldershot last year.

Looking at the draw Fleet could play either AFC Telford or York City in the final at Wembley, which is by no means a certain victory, but Fleet would be seen as favourites.

However, before everyone starts to dream of Wembley, Fleet have to beat Stevenage. On paper and looking at the league table Borough should win. But in the FA Trophy Fleet seem to have an extra gear, just as they had last season, and have beaten Stevenage 3-0 and 4-0 in meetings earlier this season.

Daish has admitted his side will be seen as underdogs, but what last season showed us is Fleet relish the status and should not be underestimated.

However, one disappointment is the players and management produced perfect football at times in front of just 992 fans. The supporters who did turn out were brilliant as usual and really lifted the team when it was needed. The club has real potential with its ambitions of a new ground and there is no reason why they cannot break into the Football League in the future.

I know there is an economic crisis, but I find myself asking, where are those 26,000 who made the trip Wembley last May and who will no doubt come out of the woodwork if they return for the showpiece this year?

Tom Howard

Message boards are not for the faint-hearted

THEY can be brash, reactionary, often incoherent, occasionally downright libellous but increasingly harder to ignore.

Internet message boards for football fans are a relatively new phenomenon but have quickly become an addiction for many. Whereas once information about your favourite club would be gleaned from the match programme or conversations in the pub, technology has revolutionised the way fans interact with each other.

On the face of it this can only be a good thing for all parties – fans feel more informed about their team, which encourages loyalty, strengthening the support. At their best they can be an invaluable source of information, especially at lower levels, and give another outlet for terrace humour – famously former Gills defender Guy Butters was once put up for sale for £5 by fans while at Brighton.

However, there is a darker side to the boards, which all too often threatens to undo all of the benefits. With virtually all contributors using pseudonyms, some use several, it gives anyone with an axe to grind a free rein to peddle their often extreme opinions.
If you look hard enough it will not be long before you find something critical about any player. While they can be over the top, it is mostly nothing worse than you would overhear in conversations at the pub, but because the posts are permanent and can be read hundreds of times they can easily cause lasting offence.

The biggest problems come when players, managers or club staff cross the line and read, or even contribute to message boards. Gillingham striker Mark McCammon admitted last week he had been stung by derogatory comments he had read while out injured.
His manager, Mark Stimson, probably has the right approach when he advises his players to stay clear of them.

With big clubs who have thousands of fans paying to watch them every week it is easier to brush off the criticism, but at non-league level it can become more corrosive. Message boards may only have a handful of people who regularly contribute and it can be far too easy to get dragged into a slanging match with each other.
This is particularly a problem when the forums are attached to the club’s website, with players or board members contributing. While it can start off with admirable intentions of keeping everything at the club transparent, there are certain things within a club which have to remain confidential.

Herne Bay and Folkestone Invicta have had problems this season as the lines have been blurred between official news and comments on their forums. This week the normally unflappable Ashford Town boss Steve Lovell launched a stinging rebuke on the club’s official site about comments he read on the club’s forum.

There’s little doubt message boards will have an increasingly important role to play, but to avoid a lot of the problems perhaps it is best to keep them independent. Fans’ forums should be for fans, anyone who is intimately involved with a club and is of a sensitive disposition should probably avoid them altogether.
One example of an independent message board that works well is the thriving Kent League forum. It is not attached to any club and is a useful meeting point for fans from all 17 clubs in the division.

David Pritchard

Are Ashford Town good enough to go up?

THE more I look at the Ryman South table the more I start to wonder who will win the all important promotion spots to the Ryman Premier League next season.

With the top eight sides separated by just six points, it just goes to show how competitive the league is this season. Three Kent sides occupy places in the top eight with Cray second, Ashford sixth and Sittingbourne seventh, but a team is yet to grab the league by the scruff of the neck.

After witnessing Ashford lose 2-0 to Cray Wanderers on Saturday and 4-1 to Whitstable Town last Tuesday, many people would say the Nuts and Bolts are out of the race.
Let’s look at the facts. Steve Lovell’s side have played more games than their rivals and are four points adrift of league leaders Kingstonian.
Ashford have also got to play four of the top eight in their remaining 11 games which include Merstham, Fleet Town, Worthing and finally Kingstonian on the last day of the season. Although these games are tough, winning them could be what decides this year’s Ryman South title.

The game against Cray was one of the worst performances of the season and Lovell was quick to admit his side did not compete. There is no doubt Ashford are a good side. To go 15 unbeaten in this league is a real achievement.

However, if Ashford are to mount a serious challenge then Lovell’s players will have to dig deep, fight for every ball and win every header, which was lacking on Saturday.
When looking at the contenders for promotion, two clubs come to my attention as to whether they could make it in the Ryman Premier. The two are Kingstonian and Ashford, both clubs who have fantastic facilities.

Ultimately to make it in the Ryman Premier, ambition and strong financial backing is required. At Ashford these boxes are most definitely ticked.

Tom Howard

King is vital to Gillingham's hopes

Mark Stimson stopped short of calling Saturday’s game against Macclesfield a ‘must-win’ for his side, but make no mistake three points were absolutely vital to Gillingham’s promotion hopes.
Mathematically speaking, of course it is far too early to speak in such terms – there are still 42 points to play for between now and May. But from a psychological point of view it was vital to return to winning ways.

While Gills have not been higher than fourth in League Two this season they have always been in the pack. After picking up just four points from a possible 15, anything other than a victory against the lowly Silkmen risked being cut adrift for the first time. Fortunately they are still in the mix, despite not hitting top gear.

Simon King was possibly the only Gills defender whose reputation was enhanced by Tuesday night’s 4-4 draw with Aldershot. The centre-back, who was ruled out of the game with an ankle injury, returned to great effect against Macclesfield. Still not 100 per cent, he made several crucial blocks in the first half and even opened the scoring in the first two minutes.
King is undoubtedly crucial to Gills hopes this season, but so could Mark McCammon, who was excellent in his first start since October. The tall striker’s career at Priestfield has verged on the calamitous, beginning with his first training session when he twanged a hamstring.

McCammon is still probably four or five games from being fully fit, but for the first time he showed flashes of why Stimson signed him. Barcham will quite rightly get the plaudits for his two goals but it was McCammon who laid the foundations, winning countless flick-ons for others to profit from and set up the second goal, albeit in clumsy fashion.

If – and it’s a big if – he can stay fit, then McCammon could turn into a key player and on paper is the perfect foil for Simeon Jackson.

It would be a mistake to read too much into a victory against a mediocre Macclesfield. Gills had to win and they did. Nothing more, nothing less. They are still in the pack but with huge games against Darlington, Shrewsbury and Brentford coming up next month ahead of an equally tough run-in, victory against Bournemouth next Saturday is also essential.

David Pritchard

Gillingham reporter

Kent to reap the rewards

It's difficult to actually figure out how Kent managed to get themselves relegated in the County Championship last season. With Rob Key at the helm, they have as dynamic a captain you will find in the domestic game, together with a group of talented young cricketers that have not failed to catch the eye of the England selectors.
Earlier this week Amjad Khan was called up to the full Test squad as cover for the injured Andrew Flintoff having left fellow team-mates Joe Denly and Key in New Zealand with the Lions squad.

Now Robbie Joseph has been called as a replacement for Khan ensuring there are still three Kent players in the Lions squad. The England Lions are finally being used as they should - as a back up to the main England squad and with three (four including Amjad) Kent boys included, the future bodes well for the county. But with all this talent at their disposal it makes you wonder how they were relegated at the end of last season for the first time in their history.

It's amazing to see just how far Joseph has come over the course of the last year. I remember seeing him as a raw 15-year-old in the nets at St Lawrence and you could tell he had a bit about him even then. It was probably his pace that was most impressive. Having made his First Class debut a few years later, his career seemed to stagnate with injuries, loss of form and it appeared to me that he had lost a yard or two of pace.

After overcoming injury before the start of last season, Joseph worked really hard in pre-season under the watchful eye of director of cricket, Graham Ford. The South African and coach Simon Willis, spent many an hour on the field working with Joseph before games and in between innings to get him back on track. They performed the same service for Khan.

With those two spearheading the Kent attack in Division Two, and Key and Denly at the top of the batting card, surely it should be an instant return, Shouldn't it?

Glenn Pearson

It's been a busy day on the KOS Media sportsdesk as we put together the finishing touches to our Kent on Sunday sports pages. A number of worthwhile stories have hit the headlines this week (which you can read at www.kentnews.co.uk) and it's my job to decide which ones we go with for the weekend's paper.
It proved a difficult decision with a number of stories involving Kent Cricket Club, Ebbsfleet United and of course the Gills, but I think I've plumped for the right one as our back page splash. Have a look for yourself and let me know in the comments section below.

It's another hectic weekend with another action packed fixture list and again we'll be out there reporting on some of the biggest games across the county.
Our Gills reporter, David Pritchard, will be at Priestfield to watch Mark Stimson's side take on Macclesfield and will be providing live match updates on our website. Fellow reporter Tom Howard heads to Homelands for what promises to be a competitive Kent derby between Ashford and Cray Wanderers, while yours truly will be at Hartsdown Park to watch Margate take on Boreham Wood.

Why not post a comment to let us know where you are heading at the weekend.

Glenn Pearson
Sports editor