Anthony Joshua - Punching Above And Beyond His Weight

Jessica Ennis maybe the poster girl for London 2012 and in the forefront of most peoples’ consciousness when choosing their favoured British athlete for the Olympics. However, there is a boxing colossus hailing from North London, who, well after the Olympic flame makes its circuitous route to Rio, will be talked about in the same reverential terms as our beloved heptathlon.

You cannot but be impressed by Anthony Joshua. At 6ft 6in he’s built like a NFL linebacker but moves in the ring as if was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing – with grace and poise. These commendable assets are accompanied by a left hook that Joe Frazier would be proud of – and ‘Smoking Joe’ had a great left hook!

These skills were in ample evidence when Joshua claimed a silver medal at the World Amateur Championships in October 2011, after losing a thrilling final by a point. Along the way the super-heavyweight defeated Italy’s double and reigning Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle.

Having guaranteed his place in the GB Boxing team, the 22-year-old is not short of confidence when it comes to his prospects at next summer’s Olympics. He said: I’m made for it. I am not overwhelmed by it. Sometimes I think this is what I was supposed to do. I will deal with it all right. I feel I am heading in the right direction.”

Surprisingly, he cites Audley Harrison – who won Olympic gold in 2000 – as an inspiration figure and one of the reasons why he took up the sport just 4 years ago.

“A lot of people have got bad things to say about Audley but for British Boxing he opened up so many gates. I know he didn’t do too well as a pro but he was an ABA, Commonwealth and Olympic champion as a boxer and he is British.”

Regarding his boxing future after the games, the Londoner is in no hurry to make a decisive decision just yet about turning professional.

He said: "I cannot buy the experience I am getting now. As soon as I turn pro I have no other options. I want to get the most out of my amateur career. I am going to an Olympics and then if I was going to turn pro I would have done everything I could as an amateur. I don’t want to rush anything.

“If turning pro is the best thing for me at the time I’ll do it but if going to Rio for the 2016 Olympics and staying amateur is then I would do that.”

Whatever career choice Joshua makes, it seems inevitable that his name is guaranteed to be on the lips of most sporting aficionados before, during and well after Olympics have come to a close.

Boxing Clever For Gold

Adams (in red) seeking Olympic Gold at 2012 Games

The 14th August 2009 is a date very much etched in the mind of Nicola Adams. The Leeds boxer knew then that her lifetime ambition of Olympic glory could now be finally realised. The International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board (EB) announced on this day the inclusion of women’s boxing for the Games in London in the 2012 Olympics. The three weight classes that women would be able to fight included flyweight (48-51kg) – the weight that Adams competed at and over the last 5 years had earned her reputation as a genuine Olympic gold medal prospect for her country.

The 27-year-old opens up to Graff-iti Worth Reading, revealing her personal ambitious leading up to the London 2012, her own route into the sport and her unadulterated optimism for the future of women’s amateur boxing in Britain.

Many boxing experts regard you as our best Olympic Boxing prospect male or female. How do you regard your own chances of winning gold at the London games?
The first task will be to qualify (at the World Championships in May) and provided I do that and maintain my form, I am confident I can do well. I have a good track record (2 world silvers and European gold) and think that if I box my best then I will be difficult to beat.

Who do you consider your main rivals for Olympic gold at the London Olympics?
I think it has to be Cancan Ren from China. I lost to her in the final of the world championships in September 2010. She’s the person I would be most concerned about.

What age did you start boxing and why did you choose that particular sport?
I was around twelve at the time. My mum took me to the gym for exercise. I really enjoyed the sport and I have stuck with it ever since.

If it wasn’t boxing what other sport would you of tried and why?
I have not really tried too many others sports. I have done boxing from being relatively young and it is the thing I excel at.

How did it make you feel to be to the first ever British female boxer win a major boxing title at the European Boxing Championships?
It was amazing. I have got a lot of silvers so to finally win a gold was a breakthrough. The timing was also very good as we build up to the Worlds and then the Olympics.

Who were your childhood boxing heroes and who do you currently admire now either male or female in the sport?
The boxer I enjoyed watching was Sugar Ray Leonard. I loved his style and panache. Among the current crop of boxers, I do admire Amir Khan. I think he’s an outstanding fighter.

Some critics still disregard women’s boxing. What measures in your opinion would it take to change this misconception?
I think the critics are few and far between nowadays and when you do have a discussion with them about it, eventually it becomes pretty clear that their attitude is grounded in chauvinism or they just don’t like boxing outright. As far as I am concerned any arguments over women’s boxing have been well and truly won. We are in the Olympics, the sport is thriving at the grassroots, it is very popular with politicians and policy makers and when it comes to 2012, I think the sport will widen its fan base even further.

How do you see the future of British women’s amateur boxing between now and the next Olympics in Rio in 2016?
I think the Olympics will give the sport a significant boost. It will raise the profile of the sport and I think that will lead to further increases in participation. At the elite end, I hope we will see an expansion of the number of weight categories for 2016.

Do you regard yourself as a role model for females who are considering taking up boxing and what advice would you give for girls wanting to embrace the sport?
My advice would be if you enjoy it then do it. A lot of people do non-contact boxing, which is a great way of getting fit. If you want to progress to competitive boxing then find a good club linked to the ABA and go through the ranks that way.

Boxing is great for fitness but it also delivers a lot of other benefits to people and communities in terms of getting kids off the street and giving them discipline and a focus.

I have spoken at the House of Commons about these issues to MPs and cabinet ministers. The sport is very popular with politicians because they recognise it delivers a huge amount of good in socially excluded communities.

Aside from boxing what other Olympic events and competitors are you looking forward to watching at London 2012?
Has to be Rebecca Adlington in the swimming. Not only is she a great athlete but a great role model for young women and so down to earth. Like everybody else I am looking forward to watching Usain Bolt on the track.

Dismiss England's Chances at Euro 2012 At Your Peril

It was always expected that Fabio Capello’s team of perennial under performers would qualify for Euro 2012. Suffering England fans that watched this tense encounter in Podgorica would probably not be exactly rushing to their local Waitrose to purchase cases of Cava to celebrate – it was far from a champagne performance.

Indeed the likes of Spain, Holland and Germany will not be resorting to whiskey and Valium at the prospect of England competing in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

The outcome of the match would have been so different if England had performed in the same positive fashion as they did in the first half hour against a Montenegro side who were enthusiastic but nevertheless limited.

England deserved their lead via a brace of goals scored courtesy of the wonderfully inform Ashley Young, and Darren Bent, who partnered Wayne Rooney upfront. England was literally strolling towards qualification with a spring in their step and plenty to spare.

However, it was this hubris that allowed Montenegro back in the game through Elsad Zverotic who halved the deficit at the conclusion of the first half. Still with only 17 minutes remaining England seem to have secured a comfortable victory. It was Rooney’s inexplicable reaction to a collision with an opposition defender that blighted his and England’s evening in the City Stadium. In the end Montenegro deserved their injury time equaliser from Andrija Delibasic that sent his team into the 2012 Euro play-offs.

The post-mortem will inevitably focus on Rooney’s red card and arguably rightly so. But people should be reminded that England never lost a qualifying game and away from Wembley they put in some very commendable performances.

England go into this summer’s tournament with low expectation, which is not a bad thing. England traditionally play better against top sides and there will be plenty of them at the Euros.

More compellingly, with Fabio Capello leaving the job after the Championship and with the Italian having several points to prove after the debacle of the World Cup in South Africa, don’t be too startled that with or without their talisman Rooney, Capello and England maybe the surprise package of the tournament. On second thoughts you may want to put the Cava on ice.

Do Not Excuse The Rioters

Today an independent "communities and victims panel" has launched its investigations in the causes of the August riots and to consider any lessons that can be learnt in order to stop a repeat of the violence, which blighted this country last month.

Those involved in the riots and their apologists will say the root cause behind the disturbances were unemployment, deprivation, police conduct or cuts in the public services etc. These same people would blame the moon, the stars, the deceased Queen Mother; anything as long as they never take any personal responsibility for the looting, robbing and burning that occurred.

There is no justification for this brutish behaviour. I really wish the rioters explain their actions to the people who lives they have ruined. The working class people of all races, colours and creeds who have had their businesses and homes burnt down by jeering mobs. Everything they have worked for gone in the night of unspeakable, stomach-churning violence. It takes intelligence and bravery to build and create something but it takes only a mindless fool to destroy something.

There is incontrovertible evidence that black criminal gangs were initially behind the violence and mayhem. Their excuse was the death of Mark Duggan a fellow gangster. I feel deeply sorry for us, the vast majority of law-abiding black people whose communities have been hi-jacked by these criminals, along with political extremists and apologists. Knife and gun crime is decimating the black community but nobody protests about the hundreds of black people who have died in the last ten years in London alone.

It rankles with me that we have rioters on television with their hoods up, faces covered, trying to explain their senseless actions. They talk of unemployment and precious few opportunities – but why would anybody want to employ these witless morons and what could they be employed for. These imbeciles believe they are entitled to everything materialistically but believe it should be handed to them on a golden plate without them ever getting out of from their duvet cover. They are the ‘golden elephants’ generation.

I nearly cried with frustration and incredulity when a liberal commentator compared the rioters to that of Egypt and Tunisia fighting for freedom. I saw no Egyptian or Tunisian looting their local Dixions or Footlocker for HD TVs and trainers.

We have a gang culture, which for many black boys has become the substitute family, where fathers play no role in their upbringing and black mothers no longer care. Education and hard work is despised and being illiterate is a badge of honour.

I sincerely hope when the ‘communities and victims panel’, finally make their recommendations, they take into consideration the truly decent working class people who were the real victims and not excuse the actions of the brain-dead hooligans.

Be in no doubt that these riots were an attack on the decent working class people of all races. The perpetrators who carried out this wanton vandalism should be punished to the full extent of the law. As working-class people we need to take back our communities from the gangsters, extremists and apologists.

Extremists Hijacking the Black Community

I have heard many comments within the black community condoning this violence. One youth leader even commented that the disturbances were a cry for help from black youths. Utter and total garbage.

It is criminality pure and simple carried out by black gangs whose only thought is greed and avarice. How can you say the looting in Enfield and Brixton which occurred on Sunday night is to do with social deprivation – nonsense.

What we have are black leaders contributing to black anger, and poisoning the minds of young black people against authority. Leaders like Lee Jasper, Simon Woolley (head of Operation Black Vote) and others are trouble makers who get notoriety and media attention off their campaign of spreading lies and keeping young blacks in a constant state of anger by railing against the system and vilifying the police whenever they do their job if a black person happens to be involved in the crime that was committed.

They rail against a system that imprisons black people while at the same time they are creating the conditions that induces black people to turn to a life of crime. They are bloodsuckers feeding off the discontent they help create. Tell people they are being downtrodden enough times and they start believing it. Tell someone that successful people owe them a living enough times and they start believing it.

People are owed only the chance to pursue their dreams, but they are not owed a cradle to grave existence, as many seem to think. Those who are successful didn't become successful by roaming the streets burning up what others worked so hard to achieve.

The majority of those who organize these riots are gang members and drug dealers that are killing their own people. They keep young people in their neighbourhood in a constant state of anger and despair, which furnishes the gangs a ready supply of drug using customers.

NOTE: Saturday 6th August 2011 in Tottenham is when the decent law-abiding Black Community died replaced by extremism, drugs, crime and violence

It came as a surprise to many that the peaceful protest on Saturday evening would erupt in the worse disturbances since the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985.

The spark was the shooting dead by police of Mark Duggan on Thursday 4th August after an exchange of gunfire between the victim and police. What we know is that the man was carrying a gun and he shot at police, before the police returned fire.

Be in no doubt that the vast majority of black people in this country are sick and tired of gun and knife wielding gangsters destroying and terrorising our communities.

It might not of come to many people notice that in the early hours of Saturday morning another black man was gunned down in South London. A murder statistic to add to the numerous other fatalities of men, women and children in our community.

I find it inconceivable that any other section of society in this country would allow their brothers and sisters to murder one another in such numbers. However, the black community are strangely apathetic and indifferent to the high murder rate that we inflict amongst ourselves.

The only time that some of us become animated over a death is when we can attach our prejudices and grievances to an authority (like the police), as in the case of the police shooting of Mark Duggan. As I say most of the black community want the likes of Duggan and his ilk off our streets. But there is an extremist minority who ferment anger and disinformation to stir up certain sections of the community. They have hijacked our community for their own nefarious objectives to tear down our neighbourhoods through violence, mayhem and looting. And on Saturday 6th August 2011 they succeeded in their endeavours.

Be in no doubt this large-scale rioting was not spontaneous; it was planned with young people coming from all parts of London and beyond. What is so depressing is that we have a generation of youths who have grown up in dysfunctional families with no male role models. They move into gangs, rejecting the norms and values of society and who see crime, drugs and violence as the rule. These teenagers, some as young as seven, have become the foot soldiers of the extremists. Hence you saw gangs of black youths on Saturday night setting buildings on fire (not giving a damn if residents were still inside), looting and robbing without constraint until the early hours of the morning.

The extremists would say and have said that the unprecedented disturbances is a direct consequence of years of heavy handed policing within the area, and the shooting of Mark Duggan was the final straw. People have also alluded to the recent deaths in police custody i.e. David Emmanuel (aka Smiley Culture) as other factors, along with poverty, deprivation and unemployment.

This is all complete nonsense. Most people who rioted would not of known who Mark Duggan was. For many it was an opportunity in the dead of night to go on a destructive spree.

Extremists have stated that the behaviour of law enforcement is the root cause. Again this is not true. The police are not the issue here and never have been. The problems lay deep-rooted within the black community. It stems from the self-destruction of the traditional black family. Young men growing up without father figures alongside a growing and seemingly unstoppable gun and knife sub-culture. The traditional work ethic and education are rejected out of hand substituted with greed, instant materialism and obtaining these rewards at any cost either individually or in gangs. As yet the black community are unable or unwillingly to solve this devastating problem. The residents of Tottenham, as in most inner city areas of London live in complete fear of these feral youths.

The police are between a rock and a hard place. They are there to stop these gangs killing one another. But with the availability of guns and black people willing to use them indiscriminately, the incident that occurred last Thursday is inevitable. With so many young black people descending into drugs, crime and violence the future looks very bleak. In so many ways we have not moved on and in fact gone backwards since the disturbances of the early 1980s.

The Duggan case has gone to the IPCC for investigation. However the supporters of Mark Duggan would not accept any outcome other than the fact he was murdered in cold blood execution style by the police. The IPCC are in a no win situation.

What is another sorry disappointment is that many black leaders have simply acquiesced to the extremists within the community. These eminent spokespersons of various organisations talk in reverential terms about Mr Duggan as if was a respected pillar of the community instead of a thug who carried a gun.

There is no light at the end of the tunnel not even a flicker as I am afraid similar riots will occur again. The extremists know full well, all they need to do is to exploit a situation of a black death in police custody or a police shooting. They will use inflammatory language and disguise their protests as seeking justice for the victim. But all along their agenda are chaos, anarchy and making areas no go zones for police. When the burning, looting and robbing is over the extremists will have the effrontery to speak on behalf of the black community and say why everybody else, apart from them, was to blame for the widespread rioting.

In the aftermath the decent law-abiding black citizens have to pick up the pieces of their shattered communities, which took years to build and nurture, but only a night to destroy by gangs of marauding youths. The other negative fall out is that race relations between blacks and other races have deteriorated permanently. Other communities fear black people. When you have fear hate quickly follows. Black people have now become pariahs in this society.

We have a struggle on our hands as to the soul of the black community. As Saturday night clearly illustrated the fanatics have won and the honest, hard working Afro-Caribbean majority in this country have been cast adrift. Truly, the criminally insane have taken over the asylum.

RIP: Black Community – 6th August 2011

'No We Can't' - Failure of Obama's Presidency

Viewing the debt crisis from across the pond it seems from my prospective that Obama has simply not shown any leadership throughout this whole saga. He has allowed the Republicans, and Tea Party especially, to dictate the terms whilst he has been largely on the back foot.

The president figured that he could come to some form of agreement and compromise with the Republicans in the same way as his predecessor Bill Clinton did. He must now realise that many in the GOP hate him and would do anything to bring him down, even taking America to the brink of economic disaster. There is still a significant faction in the Republican party who still believe Obama was born overseas, is a Muslim and a ‘red under the bed’ socialist. He must concede that he has no friends in the GOP and start fighting accordingly if he ever wants to be re-elected President. At time of writing is Poll figures are at an all time low and any of the Republican nominees wishing to stand for President would wallop him.

The only positive is that the election is not now but in 17 months time. It is time Obama shows some gumption and start leading. It will take a lot to pull this around and much will depend on the state of the economy. If unemployment is still hovering between 9 and 10 per cent then the Republicans will be able to nominate a comatose jellyfish for President and still win by a landslide come November 2012.

Nadal Versus Federer - Who is the Rightful King

As with many tennis fans I am eagerly looking forward to Wimbledon commencing on 20th June (now in its 125th year). With Andy Murray playing so well in the Aegron Championships at Queens Club there is a realistic prospect that the Number 4 seed in the world could lift the mens All England Championship Trophy come the 3rd July.

However, in order to do so he would have to inevitably overcome the ‘master blaster’ Rafa Nadal – who I consider debatably the best tennis player of all time.

Some may consider this view preposterous as the ‘King of Tennis’ still reigns in the shape of the Swiss maestro Roger Federer. Please can I make this crystal clear that I am a great admirer of Roger Federer and have some sympathy with the view that Federer is probably the best player ever to walk onto a tennis court. There certainly has never been such an elegant player with more beautiful form and strokes or all around game. Tennis has never seen another player like Federer who can move with such grace and speed, and who never seems to break a sweat or get his shoes and socks dirty as his feather-light footwork carries him ballet-dancer like around the court.

With his classic strokes (updated for today's new power game), Federer would easily have been at home among the players of William Tilden, Jack Crawford and Fred Perry, playing with wooden rackets and adorned in cream long pants. With the most major Grand Slam singles titles ever at 16, you would need to have the adversary skills of John Mortimer's fictional barrister character, Rumpole of the Bailey to argue against the many who have anointed Federer as the “Greatest of All Time”.

However, with the demolition by Rafal Nadal over Federer in 4 sets in the French Open Final the assertion of the Ferderer’s supporters of him being the best ever deserves closer scrutiny. It would be erroneously to just believe Nadal is just the “King of Clay” he is far more versatile than that.

Looking purely at statistics only, Federer has lost for the 17th time overall to Nadal whereas the Spaniard has lost to the Swiss 8 times. In Grand Slam Finals, Nadal holds a decisive 6-2 edge over Federer. Nadal is also the youngest player of the open era to win a career Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Slam singles titles) and the second male player (Andre Agassi is the other) to win a Career Golden Slam (all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold medal). He has also won three Davis Cup Finals as part of the Spanish team. By comparison, Federer has never won a singles Olympic Gold medal or won a Davis Cup Final for his country.

Nadal, who just turned 25 years old, now has won 10 Grand Slam singles titles, only 6behind Federer who turns 30 in August. They also have to contend with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both 24, who are seeking to usurp their throne. No one can predict how many more Grand Slam singles titles Roger has left in him, or how many more years Rafa's extreme physical style of play will allow him to continue before his knees finally give out. Can Rafa eventually eclipse Roger's record-breaking 16 Grand Slam titles? Time will tell.

I believe it's hard for Federer to be considered the greatest player of all time when he's lost to Rafa more than twice as many times as he's beaten him. It could be legitimately considered that Federer might not be even the best player of his own era. Rumpole of the Bailey could certainly argue the case.

No 'Arab Spring' for FIFA

As a keen follower of the most watched sport on the planet it breaks my heart to witness Sepp Blatter being re-elected for another 4-year term as Fifa President as was the case on the 1st June 2011. This ‘North Korean’ style coronation of Blatter was set amongst a backdrop of fierce allegations of corruption, in particular for me, Qatar's outrageous victory in securing the the World Cup in 2022.

Unquestionably, Qatar’s landing of the World Cup was secured by bribing corrupt Fifa officials to the tune of millions of dollars to vote for their bid.

The most obvious choice in most observers eyes for hosting the World Cup in 2022 was either United States or Australia with the former being firm favourites to win the bid. Therefore, it came an enormous surprise to many when Qatar became the first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup.

This unfathomable decision by Fifa has to be in my mind put into context why this result flies in the face of common sense. First, Qatar, which has never qualified for the competition is the smallest nation (with less than 2 million people) to host a World Cup. Second, Qatar has a very harsh climate during the summer – which inevitable poises problems for most teams participating. Third, the country has no football history or pedigree – it is not a powerhouse in Asia when it comes to the sport, and they have yet to win a serious competition in that region. Forth, supporters arriving for this prestigious event in 2022 will not be permitted to consume alcohol (Qatar is a Muslim country and drinking in public is strictly prohibited). Lastly, if you are Gay – remain in the closet - as homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

Peoples concerns about the transparency of the 2022 World Cup bidding process was further strengthened when the Asian Football Confederation President Mohammed Bin Hammam was accused of offering bribes to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa chief.

In my opinion Qatar should be disqualified from hosting the World Cup, since Bin Hammam was the alleged principle instigator behind buying the votes by using his country's money and influence. It was reported that at least two Fifa officials from the Ivory Coast and Cameroon respectively were each paid $1.5 million to support Qatar's bid for the tournament. With a groundswell of popular support across the globe, it is time for Fifa to make a bold decision and take back Qatar's 2022 dream away from them. Fifa has since opened an internal inquiry into Qatar’s bid, and a re vote on the 2022 World Cup remains a possibility.

For me the way forward for this wayward organisation is that from now on Fifa officials should be vetted as rigorously as any other public servant or politician and a 2-year term limit should be placed on all senior posts including the position of Head of Fifa. I am not the only who thinks Sepp Blatter has outlived his usefulness as President of Fifa.

Obama Got Osama (And the Republicans)

As a British observer looking from the outside in, it seems from the time that Barack Obama took the oath of office, as the first African – American President, Republicans made destroying him politically their number one priority. In doing so they have made a variety of outlandish threats and predictions accusing the president of wanting death panels to socialism.

However the recent news events destroyed three of the top lies told by Republicans to try and bring down the president - no matter what the cost to the country.

1. President Obama is soft on terrorism/won't protect the country/is a Muslim sympathizer. From the time Obama took office, he has had to contend with a Republican campaign to portray him as weak on national security. The attacks really took off after the unsuccessful attempt by the "underpants bomber" on Christmas Day 2009.

However, Obama has been more aggressive than his predecessor was in targeting and killing terrorist group leaders, including authorizing more drone attacks. Then, putting nearly 10 long years of frustration to bed, Obama authorized a daring and well-planned operation to kill Osama bin Laden at his retreat in the suburbs of Islamabad.

And while terrorists may be able to strike in the United States no matter what precautions are taken by the president, it is telling that the greatest domestic terrorist attack of the last 100 years took place on President Bush's watch. Based on recent events, Republicans will look idiotic if they again try to engage in scare tactics based on an idea that Obama isn't capable of keeping the American people safe.

2. President Obama wants to raise taxes. These attacks were works of pure fiction, given that Obama campaigned that he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making more than $250,000 per year, and would cut taxes on most families below that range. And he has done exactly what he promised. But despite the fear mongering tactics of Republicans who promised the American people Obama wanted raise their taxes, he has been a tax-cutting president.

3. President Obama wasn't born in the United States. On April 27 2011, as unnecessary as it was, Obama released his long-form birth certificate, putting the issue to rest once and for all.

The release of Obama's birth certificate has given Americans a lot of questions to ask themselves: Why did Republicans spend so much time on a patently ludicrous accusation, even while the country was grappling with important problems, including a struggling economy, two wars, and national security. What does it say about a party that would conduct its business that way?

I have no hope that the Republicans will change how they operate. But I do hope the American people have taken notice and will react accordingly.

A Sense of Place

For me, there's only one location where I genuinely feel a sense of place - Lord's Cricket Ground.

I can still vividly remember venturing there as an impressionable 14 year old for trials with Middlesex Cricket Club as an aspiring batsman and an occasional spin-bowler.

Entering the gates on the morning of the trail was an exhilarating experience. The smell of linseed oil being liberally applied on cricket bats punctuated the atmosphere. I thought to myself yes, this is where I truly belong.

Up to that stage cricket had been my life. Every ounce of me wanted to become professional cricketer, and the cathedral of cricket, Lord's, was the place I wanted those fantasies to become reality.

I would often dream of striding elegantly across the perfectly manicured and hallowed turf of this famous cricket ground, in my creased ironed whites, bat in hand, ready to commence war with the best bowlers in the world.

It soon dawned on me that my fellow contemporaries all shared the same dream. I rapidly realised I was a Stockport United to their Barcelona. I was way out of my league. I was inconsolable for weeks.

Thirty years on, Lord's still generates a tingling sensation in the back of my spine whenever I attend a match. It’s still a place where I feel I belong – but now only as a mere spectator.

Demise of Terrorism - Don't Count your chickens yet!

It was seven in the morning on Monday 2nd May when I woke up to the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

I was ambivalent to the news as I never consider Bin Laden, for many years now, a significant player in al Qaeda terrorism. There was much jubilation across the United States when the news broke.

For President Obama this can only help his re-election in 2012 - the man who gave the order to kill/capture the ultimate bogeyman in the eyes of many Americans.

A note of caution for the President. He many bask in the glory with the inevitable sharp rise in his poll ratings. However, the first President Bush won the first Gulf war against Iraq but was soundly beaten by Bill Clinton at the following presidential election. A week is a long time in politics let alone 18 months. There is also the probability of revenge attacks which may diminish the feel good factor that many Americans are feeling now and call into question President's security credentials

Beware Mr President your second term in office is far from guaranteed.

Black Community - Fighting The Wrong Enemy

The march that took place on Saturday 16 April to demonstrate against police deaths in custody illustrates the lack of self-awareness and insight of the Black community.

Thousands march on behalf of Smiley Culture and others who have died in questionable circumstances but tell me who is marching for the five-year-old girl who is critically ill in hospital after being shot by teenagers in Stockwell. For that matter who is protesting after another teenager - 15-year old Negus McLean was fatally stabbed in Edmonton - the fifth black teenage murder victim in London this year. In this same period we have had the conviction of two men for the machine gun murder of 16-year old Agnes Sina-Inakoju in a Hoxton takeaway last April. Who is crying for her?

There should be a million-man march demonstrating against crime, drugs and violence, which is tearing the Black community apart. However, it seems that apart from the above victims' families we as a community don't give a damn or we choose to look the other way.

It is so much simpler and straightforward to blame the police and other state institutions for the lack of progress we as a community have made in comparison to other ethnic communities over the last 30 years.

In reality the biggest obstacle to our advancement and perceived oppression has never been the police or other agencies but OURSELVES and always has been. At the very heart of our failure in my contention has been the breakdown of the family - black boys being raised in homes where education, hard work and morality are frowned upon. Instead immediate gratification and rampant materialism is everything and obtaining it by any means necessary is seen as the norm. It is no wonder that we have so many young black children being shot or stabbed on an almost daily basis and the black parents of these children don't seem to care and the black community as a whole is totally apathetic.

It's easy to rage and vent your anger against the 'system' and blame it for all our ills. However, when it comes to analysing for instance black gang violence, we are afraid to take responsibility for an issue, which is completely of our own making.

Rest assured I support the deaths in custody march and would like to see a full and thorough independent investigation. But be in no doubt the biggest problem facing the black community is the feral youths who have no qualms in spraying gun fire in public places, and their parents who ignore or condone their actions.

If we do not take full responsibility and combat this malevolent cancer then the consequence is that the black community will be feared, ostracised and hated by all sections of society and we would only have ourselves to blame. Unfortunately, I see no evidence of parents wishing to take responsibility of stopping their children turning to gangs and equally I have witness no proof of the wider black community taking this issue seriously. I fear for the future.

Black Community - Self Destruction

I was utterly depressed when I read about the shooting incident which occurred on the night of the 29 March in Stockwell, where an innocent man and a young girl were seriously injured.

To have young black boys not only having access to guns but also willing to use them in such an indiscriminate manner is beyond belief. What goes through these boys' minds God only knows? The sad fact is that this is not an isolated incident and these outrages will continue. For me the obvious question is where are the parents of these boys in all this.

Most of these incidents in London and other inner cities across the country, the common denominator are that the victims and perpetrators are young and black. However, in this situation two innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire. Over the years many initiatives and much government expenditure has been ploughed in trying to turn the tide of violence plighting the black community. But yet black-on-black crime spreads like an incurable cancer.

As this crisis deepens, black leaders have put the responsibility on teachers, blamed it on racism, unemployment and even slavery. However few if any never approach the heart of the matter. A stable nurturing family can help a black child beat all those obstacles and come out a decent and responsible member of society.

It is time (30 years too late in my opinion) for black people to look at their parenting skills. If black families and communities do not take as their responsibility to help keep black boys from getting astray, it makes it frankly impossible for the rest of the wider society, from law enforcement agencies to business to government to help.

Too many black "baby fathers" make children as trophies and do nothing to raise them or show them decent masculinity. There are black mothers who are also violent and hopeless and do little to stop their sons (and sometimes daughters) being drawn into the pervasive black sub-culture of drugs, rap and violent crime.

The government needs to get tougher on the failing black parents of criminal children and force them to attend classes. Black children are vastly over-represented in penal institutions and foster care. Black families must bite the bullet and start taking responsibility for their children and not blame society for the truly chaotic situation that they have themselves created. It is only when black parents, along with black community leaders, black politicians and the wider black community realise this, and only then will this tragic descent into complete self-destruction be halted. The culture of non-responsibility and self-denial among Afro-Caribbean people needs to stop or else black people will become pariahs in society; feared and hated by all.

Black Denial Black Responsibility - Smiley Culture a Case in Point

I was saddened to read about the death of Smiley Culture - real name David Emmanuel. However, it seems obvious to me that people behind this drive for a separate independent investigation into the death of Smiley Culture have their own political agendas.

The likes of Mike Franklin and Lee Jasper who are taking the lead in wanting a dual inquiry, I believe are exploiting the singer's death for their own reasons and it has very little to do in getting behind the real cause behind Smiley Culture's demise.

Its is plain that the likes of Franklin and Jasper have already made up their minds irrespective of what The Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation may bring up. They want to believe the artist was murdered by police officers and feed this message to the Black community, in order to stir elements within the community for direct action towards the police. Lee Jasper has previous form for this.

Franklin and Jasper's motives are quite simple - to achieve political power and kudos not only within the Black community but wider society as well. They are the people that governments would go to with lucrative contracts to speak on behalf of Black people. One thing is for certain is that they and their ilk don't speak for me and for millions of other Afro-Caribbean people making a honest living in this country.

Unfortunately, we are a community who are willing to indulge them and embrace their message. If as black people we were so concerned about violent black deaths we would only have to look internally and see young men and women being stabbed and shot on an almost daily basis on our very streets. But this would mean examining ourselves, taking accountability - cease the culture of denial - but we are not ready to take responsibility for any of our actions. When we realise that we have to stop seeing ourselves as victims and not blaming society for all our ills is then and only then we can progress and prosper.

I wish as many people turned up at Brixton Town Hall in an animated fashion every time a black teenager lays dieing on a London pavement as a result of a gunshot or stab wound. But this would never happen as someone may tell the unpalatable truth that we have only ourselves to blame for this carnage happening in our own community.

It is so much easier and simpler to look at the death of David Emmanuel and have our so called community leaders lead our moral indignation in order to seek the 'truth' surrounding Emmanuel's death. In reality this is not about the truth and never will be. Its about victim hood and searching for scapegoats to blame. We have been doing this for the last 40 years - whether its education, crime, jobs or mental illness - someone has to be answerable. God forbid that we take an introspective examination of ourselves.

By the way at the time Emmanuel's arrest he was on bail for conspiracy to supply cocaine. This will be lost when he is feted as a hero in the Black community in the same light as Nelson Mandela - madness indeed.

Tour of the Old Bailey

“The law of the wise is a fountain of life”. “The welfare of the people is supreme”. These are such two of the memorable proverbs, which encircle the magnificent Grand Hall, located in the main entrance of the Central Criminal Court, more commonly known as the Old Bailey. This was where on a bright, sunny March afternoon, I and seven others in my tour group had the unique opportunity to tour this historical site and gain a brief glimpse of the day-to-day workings of one of the most famous and revered courts in the land.

The tour guide greeted our group on our arrival. She enthralled us all by detailing the history of the court, with its origins being trace back to the 14th Century. The original building was destroyed in the 1666 Fire of London but was rebuilt in 1674. In 1834 the Old Bailey was renamed the Central Criminal Court. The present building is assembled on the site of the notorious Newgate Prison.

Our visit began with us descending to the basement where in the 19th century the condemned would be led along 'Dead Man’s Walk' between Newgate prison and the court. Riotous crowds we were told would gather and pelt the condemned with rotten fruit and vegetables. Another landmark we were shown was the shard of glass, which is embedded and preserved as a reminder after The IRA exploded a car bomb outside the courts in March 1973.

We were introduced to The Recorder of London Judge Peter Beaumont QC. He gave us a captivating insight into his work and the work of the other 16 senior judges who sit in judgment at the Old Bailey. We were invited to sit in his court whilst he summed up a terrorism case. We also had the chance to view witness testimony and cross-examination in a well-publicised murder case presided over by Mr Justice Bean.

The tour guide was fascinating as well as informative. I would definitely recommend this visit to any tourist or native Briton who has any remote interest in this country's legal history.

IBEROTEL IL MERCATO HOTEL REVIEW

As the pick-up coach meandered from the airport slowly making its way towards the centre of IL Mercato Promenade, it was then I first clapped eyes on Iberotel IL Mercato Hotel. Although it was near midnight, there was no mistaken this newly built property’s grandeur and elegance. I knew instantly from my first sighting that I had chosen wisely to spend the next fortnight from the 25 October to 8 November 2010 here.

The Iberotel IL Mercato had only been opened since October 2010. Although a contemporary building, the features, decor and design were clearly inspired by classical Roman and Venetian architecture. You could not but be impressed as guests as you made your way for the first time into the lobby, an area that reminded one of the Renaissance periods in Florence.

The check-in at reception was efficient, courteous and quick. I was in my superior room with a balcony looking out towards the front of the hotel in less than 10 minutes from the time I entered the property.

The room was spacious and stylishly furnished. The queen size bed and pillows were comfortable. There was enough satellite television programmes in English on the large flat screen TV to keep you amused if you wanted just to chill-out in your room. The air-conditioning worked without any hiccups, which was a godsend especially in the Egyptian afternoon heat.

There was a mini-bar (in a form of a fridge) but unlike the In-room safe, this was not free and quite expensive. I did mention to hotel management that I felt that the mini-bar should be part of the all-inclusive package but to no avail.

The shower/tub bathroom was well appointed with quality toiletries provided by the hotel. During my stay there was the issue of the water in the bathroom being slightly discoloured. The brownish-yellow water that gushed from the taps I was told was due to hotel plumbing not being flushed out properly. I was reassured that the situation was being rectified. The water discolouration was still an issue when I departed.

There were two restaurant/food options in the hotel. You had the Giardino, on the lower ground floor, which serves buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Terrazzina bar located on the hotel’s roof top served up late breakfast, a range of snacks and afternoon tea. The food in general was exemplary. There was much variety, catering for wide range of culinary palettes. I never got bored with the menu once. The only criticism, which came from many guests, was occasionally the cuisine was luke-warm to cold and needed to be re-heated. I understand the management was looking into this problem. Mr Aldo the hotel manager told me that at least one if not two a la carte restaurants are in the process of being built along the promenade accompanied by a sports bar all for the benefit of guests.

Similarly, there is no health spa at present but its being constructed, to be finished by the end of March. There was laughably what they described as a fitness centre, but in reality there was not enough room to swing the proverbial cat unless the feline had a helmet, body armour and a good constitution. However, again I had been reliably informed that the fitness room would be expanded and renovated by March or April of this year.

The three swimming pools (a fourth was also being assembled), two on the rooftop and one on the lower ground floor were luxurious and gave guests a marvellous choice. The pool on the lower ground floor was near Olympic size. All three are heated in the winter.

For young people there was very little entertainment and I would not recommend this property for families with kids. Essentially, the focus of the hotel is directed towards adults and attracting business people for conferences and seminars. Similarly, if you are searching for a conventional beach resort hotel I would not chose this one. There is an overabundance of other properties within Sharm El Sheikh that would provide for your needs far better. In essence this is a city hotel wanting to attract Company Executives who are on business within the region. However, saying that if you adore luxury, splendour, finery and you don’t mind not having a beach on your doorstop (like myself) you will not go far wrong with this hotel.

The IL Mercato do run a free shuttle bus service to a beach, but it’s not particularly private, it’s overcrowded and not to a standard of what you expect from 5 star hotel property. I understand that a new beach area is being sought just for the use of IL Mercato guests. That would be a positive step in the right direction.

The evening entertainment on the initial nights of my arrival was at best poor and at times embarrassing. It was a bloke – who seemed to be totally disinterested – singing very poor karaoke. You needed to consume several gin and tonics just to endure the noise. Thankfully, it did improve over time with far better singers and theme nights (i.e. Arabian dancers – very entertaining).

I would like to give a massive thanks to the hotel’s animation team under the sublime leadership of Jack. The team did their utmost to get guests involved in various activities throughout the day and equally significantly not hassle anyone who did not want to participate.

Along with the animation team the rest of the employees were excellent from the cleaners, security personnel, bar staff to the head of the hotel Mr Aldo. I could not fault any of them. I was treated like royalty and in many ways you expect that from a hotel of this standing. Speaking to other guest the view of their treatment did not differ from what I experienced.

Outside the property the IL Mercato Promenade like the hotel itself is not yet completed, but again like the hotel it has vast bags of potential and will offer an excellent and varied selection of cafes and restaurants when all constructed. I spent many an evening sitting in one of several street cafes watching sport on large screen TVs whilst smoking a Shisha (water pipe). Apart from the entertainment at the hotel and along the promenade, if you prefer going further afield, Naam Bay is no more than 10 minutes taxi drive away where you could dance from dusk till dawn at the many night clubs. My favourite amongst them was the Hard Rock Café closely followed by Pacha. It’s worth a visit if that’s your scene.

In conclusion, the harsh truth is that this is not at present a top-notch 5 star property. Much construction still needs to be undertaken to get to this goal. But undeniably, under the shrewd and excellent stewardship of the hotel manager Mr Aldo, I have no doubt that this will be only a matter of time and when it does I believe it will rank alongside the very top hotels in Sharm El Sheik.

The hotel management has informed me that March/April will complete most if not all the works planned. I like this hotel so much that I intend to go back and review this property around this period to see if my prediction of it rivalling with the Four Seasons and the Royal Savoy hotels is realised.

I would highly recommend booking this hotel now to anyone who prefers lavishness, sumptuousness and opulence at a bargain rate. Be in no doubt that as soon as this magnificent hotel is fully functional and the teething problems solved, the prices are going to skyrocket to the stars and beyond.

The Egypt Diaries - Monday 8th November 2010

Last day - decided not to do any exercise. Said goodbye to the animation team. Unfortunately, today was for most their day-off. I had a temporary tattoo done by the swimming pool and poised for pictures with 2 of the female animation team. I then took pictures of the hotel inside and out.

I bid farewell to Mr Aldo and for the last time said how much I enjoyed my stay at the Il Mercato.

Had a robust conversation with Natalya about various aspects of the property. We eventually came to the conclusion to agree to disagree about areas of the hotel which could be improved upon but which she clearly did not think needed to be. Of the many subjects discussed the two which drew most heat was first bringing food into the hotel and second 24 hour all inclusivity (I felt that the mini-bar in the room should be free). I said that my review would be constructive and very positive about Il Mercato. She and I left on good terms.

Dreading the flight back and what awaits me. I know that I have been broken into by my toerag of a neighbour that I have mentioned in my previous diaries. I need to brace myself and expect the worse.

The Thomson plane home was not particularly comfortable. It was akin to me riding my obstinate camel in the dessert. I sometimes feel that Thomson should get rid of the seats and install hand rails and be done with it.

I had no need to worry my flat was in the same condition as I left it 2 weeks ago. All that stress was for nothing and it did put a cloud over my holiday. My most sincere apologies to my neighbour he's not a bad guy after all - he helped me up the 3 flight of stairs with my heavy suitcase on my return - Top Bloke!

The Egypt Diaries - Sunday 7th November 2010

Sweated like a stuff pig whilst running or more to the point jogging very slowly around my preferred route. When I get home its powered soup and fruit until I am 10 stone something.

No exaggeration but during a 24 hour period at least a dozen staff ask how I am doing and am I enjoying the hotel and its facilities. My stock answer is always the same: 'great', 'wonderful', 'brilliant'. I have this nefarious thought that if I stray away from my scripted answer I may form part of the extensive building work - buried underneath the 4th swimming pool.

Tarek my tour guide visited me at the hotel to apologise for the conduct of the person I moaned about on the Cairo trip. He convinced me like a seasoned snake oil salesman that the price I paid was VFM. On reflection I had to admit it was, and apart from the behaviour of a member of staff and some ill-mannered passengers it was indeed a memorable visit. I must confess also that I for my sins purchased a bottle of musk whilst at the perfume shop - I was guaranteed that it would pull the ladiezz! - hasn't worked.

After returning from the Internet cafe and bank I had a siesta which was ably assisted by a brace of my favourite holiday tipple of whiskey and 7-up.

I watched in admiration Diana playing before dinner. I was equally impressed after my meal by the Arabian dancers which the hotel hired for the evening. Undeniably, that from the beginning of my vacation till the last night of my stay, the hotel entertainment has immeasurably improved.

Went to the Bus Stop bar and played pool. The costs of entering Pacha was for me prohibitive. Thus headed to the Hard Rock. To my pleasant astonishment Tom and his friend were there. Surprisingly, both were good dancers (or at least enthusiastic). I joined them and all 3 of us were there until the lights went up at 4.00am. The last song of the night was Gangster Paradise by Coolio which we danced and sang to with great gusto. We promised that we would meet up in London to continue our foray into the world of disco. I mentioned Tiger Tiger they looked at me in disgust - we're not going there that's for certain.