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The stadium issue has again come center focus in the South Africa’s 2010 plans. In the past, they have had problems with environmental concerns, lack of construction material and the diversion of funds from other needs (such as building hospitals) in order to pay for the new complexes, but now the issue is wages.

Hundreds of workers at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban have stopped working due to poor pay. They have gone to town hall to demand a minimum wage of $1.60 an hour plus project bonuses of $222 a month in addition to safety improvements. Workers at the other stadiums have threatened to join those at Durban in a sympathy strike if their conditions are not met.

In addition, the union has threatened disruptions to the 2010 preliminary draw scheduled in Durban on Nov. 25.

With just about two years remaining till these stadiums are suppose to be operational, any strike could make it difficult to meet the completion date. Also, South Africa 2010 has been getting much better PR over the last few months, but if a strike happens, expect that to change.

Labels: 2010 World Cup, 2010 World Cup news, FIFA, South Africa, Stadium, World Cup

Source: Strike threatens 2010 World Cup stadiums

15 November 2007 VIDEO: Peter Crouch exclusive The Liverpool striker looks back on the defeat in Moscow, and says everyone still believes they can make it to Euro 2008. Austria v England
International Friendly
8pm, Friday 16 November 2007
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Live on Sky Sports

Peter Crouch says that he and his England team-mates still believe they can qualify for Euro 2008, and that playing Austria will provide the perfect preparation for the crucial match with Croatia at Wembley.
The Liverpool striker has grabbed four goals in the qualifying campaign and remains confident that the Three Lions can make it to the European Championship Finals next summer.

Speaking exclusively to TheFA.com, Crouch said: “I think we’ve believed all the way through. We had a bit of a sticky start to qualifying but we’ve certainly improved since then.

“We’re playing some good football now and it’s a shame that we’re relying on other teams, but we’re certainly confident that we’ll get the right result and hopefully the other teams will do us a favour.”

England’s defeat in Moscow last month meant that qualification was no longer in their hands, and Crouch admits that everyone in the squad is determined to put that result behind them in these two games.

“It’s a big factor. Before that game everyone was happy with the way we were playing. We had a few 3-0 wins and we were playing some great football.

“For a large part of the game in Russia we played very well, but it was just a mad ten minutes. I would say that was a hiccup and hopefully we can put that behind us with these two matches.”

With a friendly in Vienna first up for the squad, Crouch believes it will be an ideal preparation for the crunch clash with Croatia at Wembley five days later.
“Austria is an important game. It’s important that we approach it in the right way.

“The most important part of these ten days is next Wednesday, but any game for England is a big game and on Friday we’ll be looking to get the right result and go out there with a positive frame of mind.

“It’s a chance for the manager to look at a few players and the systems in preparation for the Croatia match. It’s good preparation and I’m sure it will help us as we prepare for Wednesday.”

Source: Crouch: ‘We still believe’

15 November 2007 VIDEO: England train ahead of Austrian trip England trained for the first time since they joined up ahead of the games with Austria and Croatia.
Austria v England
International Friendly
8pm, Friday 16 November 2007
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Live on Sky Sports

 
Wednesday saw the England squad take part in their first training session since joining up ahead of the game with Austria on Friday and the crucial Euro 2008 Qualifier against Croatia next Wednesday.

With only Shaun Wright-Phillips and Owen Hargreaves absent as a precaution, the team were put through their paces at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground.

After firstly backing the PFA’s ‘One Goal One Million’ campaign before their warm-up, the players then embarked on a light jog before being given their instructions by Head Coach Steve McClaren.

A small sided exercise then ensued with the players working on various moves, routines and sequences with players such as Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole all showcasing their talent.

The squad flew out to Vienna for their friendly game with Austria on Thursday afternoon and preparations for that match and the Wembley date with Croatia on Wednesday will continue there.

See exclusive footage of England’s first training session right now and be sure to return on Friday for a second film of their preparations.

Source: England’s training return

Robert Wickens

Robert Wickens will make his A1GP race debut with Team Canada next weekend when the series resumes in Malaysia.

The 18-year-old recently took part in the rookie practice last month in the Czech Republic and impressed team officials by setting the fastest time in the second part of the session.

"I’m ecstatic to be making my race debut for A1 Team Canada," said Wickens. "I’ll head into the weekend like any other and hopefully with a pair of strong performances in the Sprint and Feature races we’ll open our points account for the season."

Wickens will be just the fourth driver in the history of A1GP to race for Canada, joining Patrick Carpentier, Sean McIntosh and James Hinchcliffe, who competed in the first two races of the year but failed to score any points.

"Robert was certainly impressive in the Brno rookie session," stated team manager Simon Cayzer.  "Considering he had limited time in the car and didn’t know the circuit he acquitted himself extremely well, especially in comparison to someone like Adam Carroll who was in a car with a similar set-up – a fact we know as we work together on engineering with A1 Team Ireland. 

"We don’t feel our results to-date have been a true reflection of where the team’s at so we’re going to Malaysia intent on scoring two top-ten finishes."

Source: A1GP: Wickens takes the wheel for Canada

DAVIE, Fla. — Ricky Williams arrived at the Miami Dolphins complex riding in a team van late Thursday morning, ready to resume his NFL career after a 1-year suspension — if the team wants him.

Williams’ suspension ended Wednesday when he was reinstated by the NFL. The announcement came only hours after Dolphins coach Cam Cameron decided to give the quarterback job to rookie John Beck, who will make his NFL debut Sunday at Philadelphia.

The back-to-back developments might provide exactly the sort of shakeup a winless team needs. Cameron was mum regarding whether the winless Dolphins want Williams back, but linebacker Joey Porter said he would love to have the 2002 NFL rushing champion as a teammate “just because we’re 0-9.”

“I don’t care who you got … if you could run the ball like Ricky did,” Porter said. “I mean, right now I’d do anything for a victory.”

Williams, who has played in only 12 games since the start of the 2004 season, arrived at the Dolphins’ complex to meet with Cameron. The first-year Miami coach said he talked with Williams by phone for “five or six minutes” Wednesday, but hadn’t made a decision about activating him.

“I want to see where he is, and also let him know where we’re headed, and we’ll go from there,” Cameron said.

Williams’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, said the Dolphins were noncommittal with him previously regarding the running back. But following the reinstatement announcement, Steinberg was encouraged by a phone conversation with Matt Thomas, the team’s general counsel-football administration.

“His indication was they were interested in Ricky,” Steinberg said. “The spirit of the discussion was welcoming. It was a very similar discussion to what you would have regarding a draft choice or any returning player. The only contingent was whether they would have him practice Friday or Monday.”

The trading deadline has passed, leaving the Dolphins with limited options. They could cut Williams, or keep him but not play him and hope to trade him in the offseason. Another alternative: Work him into an offense that has scored one touchdown in each of the past two games.

Regardless, there will be a new look to the backfield. Barring injury, the plan is to start Beck in the final seven games, Cameron said.

Clayton: Ricky To Rescue

With a rookie QB starting, the Dolphins might have to activate Ricky Williams, John Clayton writes. Blog

“John has made tremendous progress in the last month,” Cameron said. “The timing is right.”

Beck, a second-round draft pick from BYU, will become the 12th quarterback to start for the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired following the 1999 season.

“I just want to be smart with everything I do,” Beck said. “Obviously the first game you don’t want to try to do too much, but also you can’t hold back. So I’m going to try to find that balance.”

Handing off to Williams would likely make Beck’s job easier, but the Dolphins may fear getting burned once more by the mercurial running back.

Williams, 30, was suspended in April 2006 after violating the league drug policy for the fourth time. His return was delayed when he tested positive again for marijuana last spring.

He played in the Canadian Football League last season and applied for reinstatement Oct. 1.

Williams is eligible to attend team meetings and practice immediately, but the earliest he would be allowed in a game would be against Pittsburgh on Monday night, Nov. 26. The team will have a roster exemption for up to two weeks if and when he starts practicing.

With or without you

Since the Dolphins traded for Ricky Williams prior to the 2002 season, he has played 43 games in a Miami uniform and missed 46 games due to suspensions or coming back from suspensions.

With Ricky Without Ricky Games 43 46 W-L 26-17 12-34 Rush YPG 132.1 100.5 Total YPG 328.7 300.0

Williams rushed for 3,225 yards in the 2002-03 seasons after being traded to the Dolphins from New Orleans. He retired in 2004, sabotaging that season for Miami, and traveled in India and Australia before returning to the Dolphins in 2005, when he ran for 743 yards alternating with rookie Ronnie Brown.

Brown is on injured reserve, leaving the Dolphins thin at running back.

As part of the NFL drug treatment program, Williams underwent therapy for the past 5 months in Boston and benefited from the treatment, Steinberg said.

“This is the program working exactly as it should — treating a player for an underlying life problem in a positive and sophisticated way, and returning him to health,” Steinberg said. “The Dolphins, or whatever team, is getting a highly motivated player with a new lease on life.”

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Source: Reinstated Williams arrives at Dolphins complex

Fordham lost 10 stone after health problems forced him to give up darts

Less than a year ago, 31 stone Andy Fordham was rushed to hospital after suffering from chest pains and breathing problems prior to competing at the World Darts Championship.

The 45-year-old had 18 litres of fluid drained from his lungs and was in hospital for three weeks.

However, things went from bad to worse for the 2004 BDO champion when he suffered a minor stroke a day after his release.

But Fordham is now set to make his first appearance on a British oche since his turn at Frimley Green last January, at the Winmau World Masters in Bridlington.

And there will be 10 stone less of him.

“When I look in the mirror now, I feel small and fragile. My wife says I’m not half the man I used to be, and she’s not kidding,” said Fordham, who has given up the 25 bottles of beer he used to drink before a match.

“I don’t drink any more. I haven’t touched a drop since 8 January, when I went for a ride in that ambulance, and these days I only drink alcohol-free lager.

“I wasn’t able to play darts for seven or eight months, and even now I can only practise for an hour at a time, so I’m not expecting any miracles in Bridlington.”

Fordham, who began his comeback in Turkey two months ago, will be hoping to win one of the last four qualifying places on offer for next January’s BDO World Darts Championship.

“If it goes well, and I qualify for the world championship, but if I don’t make it this time, hopefully it will still be a stepping stone to better things in the long term,” he added.

“When you’ve been away for as long as I have, you don’t set too many targets. It’s just good to be back.”

Source: Slimmer Fordham’s darts return

The Australian Open director Craig Tiley announced that the tournament will adopt a three-plus-one challenge system for Hawk-Eye, which means that players will get three incorrect challenges per set and a fourth challenge if it goes into a tiebreaker (a change from this year’s two-plus-one system). In this way it will be highly unlikely that players run out of challenges.

Additionally, the Hawk-Eye technology will be used in Vodafone Arena too, and not only in the Rod Laver Arena as it was the case before.

The 2008 Australian Open will take place January 14-27.

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Source: Players to have more challenges at 2008 Australian Open

According to The Times, Becks is set to return to England. No, we’re not talking about a sensational career turn-around for the ex-England captain, but rather an arrangement of opportunity: Beckham will be given the chance to keep his fitness level up during the Major League Soccer Winter break, and all reports seem to suggest he’ll be doing it with Cesc Fabregas & friends.

The Los Angeles Galaxy player has made his main objective to help England qualify for the next Euro 2008 championship, and by the same token reach 100 caps with the national team (Becks is currently at 97). For that reason, the ex-Manchester and Real Madrid midfielder had asked permission to the Galaxy to train in Europe during the Winter break, to which the Los Angeles club agreed. Beckham received proposals from Tottenham & Watford in addition to Arsenal, all clubs with training grounds close to Becks’ Hertfordshire residence, but has apparently accepted Arsenal’s proposal because of his good relationship with Arsène Wenger.

The only condition the LA club has imposed on the English player, is that he must report for duty for any friendly exhibition matches the Galaxy will be playing until February, the month in which the MLS will resume. They have also forbidden Beckham to go out on loan to an English club during the break, which prompted Becks to find this alternative solution.

It must be noted however that England’s chances, and by the same token Becks’ hopes of reaching the century mark (Beckham would then become only the 5^th Englishman to reach a century of international caps), are hanging by a very thin thread, as adequately summarized by The Times’ Chief Sports Correspondent, Matt Dickinson:

Beckham’s fate, like that of England’s coach Steve McClaren, depends heavily on the result between Russia and Israel in the Euro 2008 qualifying tie in Tel Aviv Saturday night. Victory for Russia will probably end McClaren’s tenure – and with it Beckham’s international career. (…) If Russia fail to win however and England beat Croatia at Wembley next week, Beckham would expect to be involved at Euro 2008.

(…) Beckham’s eagerness to train through the winter months may wane if McClaren is out of a job by next Thursday morning. It is hard to see a new England manager involving the former captain in his plans for the 2010 World Cup, given the player’s age and the complications that come from being based on the West Coast of the United States.

Note that the game England vs. Croatia (21 Nov 07) will be blogged live here on Soccerlens if Israel get at least a point against Russia on 17 Nov 07. For a preview of the game, check out our England v Croatia, Euro 2008 Qualifier post.

Marco Pantanella writes for the mCalcio blog

Source: David Beckham Set to Train with Arsenal

Is Alexandre Burrows a smarter hockey player than Jaromir Jagr in any way? The idea sounds outrageous. How could a third-year Vancouver Canuck who agitates and brings energy in a third- or fourth-line role compare to a five-time Art Ross Trophy winner? But the reality is that if Burrows doesn’t use his head and play smart, disciplined hockey every night, the 26-year-old left winger could find himself in danger of losing his job, whereas a superstar like Jagr can afford to lose focus for a game here or there.

Burrows, earning just above the NHL minimum at $483,333 US this season, got a stern message from Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault at training camp in September. Vigneault, who previously oversaw Burrows with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, told the media: “His season last year was below what we anticipated. We made that very aware to him at the end of the season. And he’s conscious and aware he needs a very solid training camp if he intends to start with us this year.”

Happily, the 6-1, 190-pound native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec responded the right way. Burrows, who suited up for the ECHL’s Columbus Inferno as recently as 2004-05, has played in all 17 of Vancouver’s games so far. With two goals and four assists, he’s well on his way to career-best numbers after notching just nine points last season. But while Burrows may occasionally enjoy an offensive outburst like the hat trick he scored against Los Angeles on March 27, 2006, he knows his greatest value is as a shot-blocker in his own end and as a committed forechecker in the offensive zone.

HockeyAdventure.com caught up with Burrows in Vancouver’s workout room after a 1-0 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers at GM Place on November 14.

HockeyAdventure.com: You’re getting opportunities this season as a penalty-killer, and tonight, the team was perfect in that department. What’s the key to making the PK work so well?

Alexandre Burrows: I think on the penalty kill, our coaching staff is doing a good job. Rick Bowness is really taking pride in it and putting a lot of time into it, making sure we know what we’re doing out there, making sure we’re putting our sticks in passing lanes and our bodies in shooting lanes. Obviously, I think Trevor Linden and Willie Mitchell know what they’re talking about on the PK, and that always helps. We just have to keep focused and we’ll be OK on the PK.

HockeyAdventure.com: You’re getting about 13 minutes of ice time a night. How happy are you with that?

Burrows: I’m having a blast right now. For me, I think 13 minutes, or just getting into double digits, is always good. I feel right into the game, and I feel like I make a difference every night. Especially in those one-goal games, there’s got to be someone who’ll step up every night and make a difference. The ice time helps me, and hopefully I’ll be able to help the team.

HockeyAdventure.com: So many of Vancouver’s main D-men are out with injuries right now, like Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa. As a forward, do you find yourself coming back deeper than maybe you normally would?

Burrows: For sure. We’ve got younger guys on the back end right now, and I think we’ve changed our game plan a little bit. We want to help them out and give them good support, so they can make the easy five-foot pass instead of the long stretch pass. Guys like Luc Bourdon and Alex Edler are playing really well for us. We just have to keep helping them and find a way to score goals now.

HockeyAdventure.com: Looking at your stats, one thing that jumps out is that you only have six penalty minutes this season. How does it feel to be a potential Lady Byng candidate?

Burrows: [laughs] No, you know, early in the year, we took a lot of minor penalties, and we talked about it. We want to stay out of the box, and I didn’t really want to get undisciplined or dumb penalties after the whistle. So I think I still want to get under people’s skin, but without taking penalties. That’s the right thing to do.

HockeyAdventure.com: With the abrasive type of game you play, what sort of mental preparation do you do before each game?

Burrows: It’s always the same. I try to visualize as much as possible, and think about what I’m going to do out there: defensively, in the neutral zone, and in the offensive zone. I try to anticipate the other team’s tendencies. I know that I should have a few minutes on the PK every night, so I try to think about the other team’s power play and what kind of players I’ll be facing. If they have a big shot like Dion Phaneuf or Sheldon Souray on the point, for instance, then I have to think about getting in those shooting lanes. I just make sure I’ll be ready for the game.

HockeyAdventure.com: Jarkko Ruutu played a style much like yours for several years with the Canucks. What did you pick up from him when he was here?

Burrows: I remember I played on a line with Jarkko for about my first 15 or 20 games in the NHL, along with Kes [Ryan Kesler], and I had a lot of fun playing with those two guys. They brought a lot of energy, they skated well, and they loved to get in on the forecheck. That’s what Jarkko taught me. He was always a happy guy. He was on the fourth line, but he always had a smile and he always worked hard, and I think guys appreciated him around the room.

HockeyAdventure.com: Luc Bourdon seems to be getting more and more comfortable as an NHLer. What have you been doing to help him make the transition, apart from spotting him on the bench press like you were a few minutes ago?

Burrows: Well, Luc’s not from Quebec like myself, he’s from New Brunswick, but he speaks French, and that’s why we get along really well. You know, Luc has tremendous potential. He’s a young guy with a lot of talent, and it’ll just take a little time for him to become a really strong D-man in this league. Right now, he’s proving he’s able to play at this level. I think that one of the things he learned with Manitoba is that sometimes less is more. He doesn’t try to go coast-to-coast or make those big passes through the middle now. He just makes sure he makes the smart, easy play, and that’s really paying off for him. He’s a strong guy, he plays well one-on-one, and he’s got quick feet.

HockeyAdventure.com: A few fun questions for you. What was the last movie you saw?

Burrows: Probably Saw IV. Me and my girlfriend, we saw a few of the other Saw movies, and it was close to Halloween, so we decided to go see a horror movie. It wasn’t that great, though.

HockeyAdventure.com: What Vancouver restaurants have you visited recently?

Burrows: I went to Whineo’s a couple of nights ago. I also checked out Glowbal on the weekend.

HockeyAdventure.com: How about the last time you beat a teammate in an off-ice game?

Burrows: [grins] Hmm, let’s see. I haven’t really played much Xbox lately. I know Kes gave me a beating the other day on The Bigs on the Xbox 360. But at poker, I beat Willie [Mitchell] all the time on the plane. We also have a new game called Schnarples, and I always give Luc and Jannik Hansen a beating. So that’s probably the one where I’m doing the best against my teammates.

HockeyAdventure.com: Looking at the team overall, you guys really took until Christmas last year to find your game. Even with all the injuries, do you get the sense that you’re turning the corner a little bit earlier this year?

Burrows: We have to. We talked about it. I don’t think we’re going to go on a run like we did last year. We won 32 games after Christmas, but those kind of runs are tough to do every year. We need to make sure we play a lot better right now, and just keep working hard. We turned the corner last week by winning those three games, but we can’t be satisfied. We have to keep looking ahead and making sure we win games. The standings are so tight. You win two games and you’re right back in, you lose two and you’re out of the picture. Staying focused and playing hard, we should be all right.

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Source: Burrows bringing energy plus smarts to Canucks

By: malo

The common image for trauma and traumatic experiences usually encompasses the negative extremes of life. Rape, childhood abuse, war, mass destruction, and natural disasters are all seen as the causes of trauma. They are valid causes, to be sure, but they are not the only reasons. Certainly, they are the ones that have cast the greatest shadow over the collective popular consciousness, with things like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) becoming more and more common knowledge. The images of Vietnam war veterans still unable to adjust to civilian life after so much time also take home with them things from the event as a grim reminder. However, people are still unaware of another piece in the puzzle. One that has potentially deeper consequences for the traumatized than PTSD.

Originally, the sorts of things covered by trauma were limited in scope. Originally, it only covered men who had survived the horrors of war and had their mental health permanently scarred by it. In some circles, this was referred to as “shell shock,” after the artillery shells that were frequently used to bombard infantry positions. Later on, it became one of the cornerstone examples of PTSD. In the 60s, the definition of emotional and psychological trauma was expanded to include women who had been battered, abused, or raped. This aspect came to also include children, who were just as likely to receive abuse and ill treatment as women were, and were often less likely to struggle effectively. In the 90s, the decade when so much research into neurology and the brain happened, the term “psychological trauma” came to cover an even wider range.

Research indicates that trauma may manifest in a person even if that person hasn’t endured extreme circumstances. Even something as relatively mundane as being rejected by someone or being involved in a car accident can be traumatizing to the right psychological framework. Previously, people could only be recognized as traumatized if there was physical harm involved, or a great risk of physical harm. Under the current definition, physical harm need not be present and, in a number of documented cases, the chances of being physically affected by the traumatizing event are statistically minimal.

It has been found that the events themselves are not the critical points, but how the individual perceives the events. This would explain why not all war veterans suffered from PTSD and why only a small percentage came back with irreparable harm done to their psyches. Studies have also learned that traumatic experiences tend to have certain factors in common between them. Chief among these factors is the unexpected nature of the event. Another factor is the lack of preparation for dealing with the event, which is to be expected due to the unpredictable nature of it. Finally, there should be a sense of loss of control over what happens.

Some people have stated that it is difficult to discern stress from emotional or psychological trauma. The symptoms are highly similar, even to trained experts in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. The best way to differentiate between the two would be to observe the details of the outcome. Most people who are merely stressed are able to talk about the problem and recover from triggers faster, while the traumatized cannot.

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Source: An Analysis Of Trauma