dubai_phil

Uh no, you got all the action apart from their 4,972 near misses

1 min added

Did some of you sign up for the free trial (which has now run out)?

lol Lambert forgot his photo ID for the flight and had to go home to get it Harding forgot his mobile fone And Trottman cr*pped himself on teh wobbly flight, They'd be a mess in the CL flying every week, Jet setters they ain't

Did you try the really obvious thing of trying the 'Pool commentary stream? Saints pplayer is working well down here for a change

I had a buffet lunch at a conference, everything semed to have garlic in it. I now also seem to have a wind advantage. According to Merrrington we are now moooch bitter. Is that a real ale? Lallana scores

FFS where on EARTH are wide midflield players, they have acres of space to run at the FB's and are cutting us to shreds

Sounds like any low flying planes near the stadium could be in danger of being struck by the ball.... Meanwhile, I suppose if you got to fly up there in a Sopwith it would at least be more memorable than a spin dryer..... But somehow I knew we shouldn't have started 4-4-2 we've hardly been in it yet, Brown went down the line dinked it into the box and a soft goal

Avram Grant will be appointed. Then they'll have a problem with his UEFA Pro and will ask for a dispensation And the PL who have had it up to there with them will, to our delight, tell them to fook off and so it will go on

lol Trottman didn't enjoy the flight up. He's just become 19C's hero

I feeel good is that me or the fact they have James Brown playing for them? Surely Lloyd James may finally be able to beat someone for pace

Perhaps he should stick to reviews of the Arts or commentary on Golf, obviously being a travel advisor is a step too far

I do hope the poor souls don't get squashed into economy class on the flight up, after all it's only fit for us masses, not real footballers as the injury to Lampard showed. I think Lambert with his virus and Hammond seeming to have gone off the boil since he took a supposed knock at Brizzle shows that while we have a great team, the "squad" is still very thin and we are possibly pushing players too hard who may need a break to get back to 100% rather than "recovering" or "carrying knocks". A point will be a good result if those two are still less than 100%, not acceptable of course, but good

Actually there's another one coming in March - Hot ITK news! Yep Dubai Soccer 7's is coming, approx 300 teams. The top CL clubs are looking to bring down last year academy scholar teams as well as "Legends" teams. Hamburg appear to have signed KK. A qualifier will be held for the top Local teams, to compete with the legends. Social teams and international social teams will be allowed. Emirates airline will be giving it the full monty in terms of sponsorship and support. Should we get Saints a slot? Couldn't have done it last year, Academy were playing in CCC Downside is that because so many UAE Locals love their football, there won't be any beer allowed in the stands, only in Hospitality or the International Village. Back on the golf Woo hoo just noticed the "crowd favourites" , EmmaCabrera-Bello and Maria Verchenova are listed to play. Unfortunately, Natalie Gulbis isn't down to play this year. Ladies golf, strangely is far more interesting to watch live on a golf course than the men's version, especially when they use their driver off the Tee. That whole technical stuff about upper body rotation, acceleration through the impact and the follow through has been known to cause high blood pressure (amongst the spectators) That whole wobbling thing, not PC but :smt074 at least it keeps your mind off the short skirts and the bending down to pick the ball out of the hole. Interestingly, was chatting to a journalist couple of years ago (there's normally only 10 spectators and one journo at the Ladies events so it wasn't difficult), he let it slip that "allegedly" something like 70% of the players on the Ladies tour "Bat for the other side" so to speak. Well, from that moment onwards, the crowd numbers soared as everyone came along to watch.

And his Caddy Billy Foster and his manager Chubby Chandler (Chubby is the "Agent" for all the top three players in the tournament), his grin was wider than the Cheshire Cat. The nice bit in what, to be honest was a "Victory Procession" for Lee, was the grin and look of disbelief on Ross McGowan's face, just a few weeks ago, he was on the verge of losing his playing card and was considering giving up golf. He then had the round of a lifetime to shoot 60 at the Madrid Masters, hung on to win and suddenly he was in the Race to Dubai. Today, while never really challenging, he played really good golf and picked up a huge cheque for a man who was almost broke in September. Rory McIlroy, obviously that kid will be massive, he fecked it up down here, even to the extent of smashing his club through an ad hoarding on the 7th. The "red mist" had obviously stayed overnight, but after that something magical happened, he realised, WTF, who cares? As a result, at the end, as Westwood sank his 1.6mil pound putt, Rory was actually the first person to reach him and gave him a huge hug. Later, his Dad mentioned that he actually thought it was the best thing that could have happened and it was as if a huge weight of expectation had been lifted from his shoulders. In fact Rory was running round hugging anyone he could find (I sent one of our cute chick volunteers his way his Dad got a glare from Mrs Mum after he laughed when she asked for his autograph & I quipped "actually forget the signature just give her your mobile number" (oops) A few comedy moments, around the 18th as the assembled media all leapt up to get into position for the winning putt, but funniest of all was your on the spot reporter who, finally after it was all over took out his own point and shoot and YIPPEE I was the ONLY person to get the photo of Lee & Rory "embracing" and I sold my first ever photo to the News media (for the HIGHLY valuable sum of 6 bottles of Heineken). A few other anecdotes exclusively for TSW readers, "Freddie" Flintoff's rehabilitation from his knee surgery is going really well, (he followed Lee around all week and the two are having a small party this evening down at Atlantis). For England fans, despite managing to get around the course every day, play golf three times a week, it is sad to report he doesn't think his knee will be ready for the one dayers in Bangladesh (yeah right). It was a really good tournament that ran out of excitement on the last day simply because Lee was just too good, however anyone who has ever watched or tried to play golf has to simply stand in awe of what Westwood did down here. Lee even turned up wearing a "Red Shirt" on the last day (it's a Tiger thing), but the thing is he didn't play like Tiger (who sprays it everywhere) he actually just kept hitting the ball straight down the middle, wonderful display of controlled golf. You'll see his press statements in the press tomorrow, but I mentioned to his caddy, Billy that a certain Lawrie Mcmenemy had used the exact same speech that he had given Lee after the beers - namely how Lee had won 30 tournaments, including 6 in one season, how his competitors this week were nowhere near as good as he could be. Strangely, being from oop north, he didn't realise that the CPS was being called in to investigate a case of copyright infringement. The gist was, Lee had to do this week, was to understand he WAS the best, intimidate the rest of the field and then ignore them. Lee admitted at the conference he knew he would win when Rory said he didn't want to be paired with Lee on the last day. In the world of mind battles that is actually at the heart of golf, that was the moment it was won back on Thursday. The only real excitement was whether Ross McGowan could keep his nerve and cope with the tension to come through and win a pay check that would change his life. He did, and he really couldn't believe it which was nice. A great sporting week in Dubai. Next up, Michelle Wie & Laura Davies at the Dubai Ladies Masters. Will pop back and see if Maria Verchenova pops back over to spend another week with us... ( now THAT is golfing talent and well worth a google) Oh and finally, I feel a really really bad person. Had a beer with Davey (Chris Wood's caddy) who, as I was the only "local" around asked if I knew anywhere that the caddy's could go that was fun and had good music so as to avoid the stuffy after party.... I sent them to the Seaview Hotel ..... oops

Watching golf on telly these days, they have all these stats and computer graphics running. Was interesting to see that at work last few days. The whole Drive distance thing is interesting, the players drive off the tee and then this little chap jogs off up the course pulling a tape measure.... Was how I thought it must work. Actually, they have a whole army of spotters on the course, armed with what looks like a surveyor's pole. That holds a GPS. They walk out to each ball, mark it with the GPS and radio in to a control room. They then enter the data into a computer. Along with stickmen, they have a whole bunch of little blokes with radio sets who then report back along the lines of "Number 27, Hole 4, Westwood to putt first birdie, McGowan birdie". Then, you have your on course commentators, Howard Clarke, Ken Brown, Julian Tutt. They talk in hushed tones telling you how much break the putts have as if they are standing on the green itself. Actually, they have a notebook with the details of each hole, and are fed the information back from the computer centre. They are normally standing under a tree somewhere on the fairway. On a few of the holes here they cannot actually even see the green and the putts. That computer graphic that shows the flight of the ball and the angles of ascent and descent actually needs 4 blokes working on computers to create. They stuck them into a little space under a bush with their laptops getting pasted with dust as the muppets stagger past froom the bar to the bathrooms. "The powers that be" are very unhappy today with the idiot who came up with the idea to place the bar alongside the 17th Green. Global tv coverage included shots of exceedingly drunk and obnoxious tw*ts, singing loud and abusive songs including some about Poulter and shouting out so the world could see what "big and clever men they were. Oh dear, just the image a Muslim country wished to portray. Westwood will win it today unless he has a total brainf@rt. The media havbe it about right, he has found a way to get into some form of total concentration zone. He finished his round last night but was the only player back out on the practice range where he spent at least an hour with his coach

I just wish to point out, for the record, that EoA did get the scoop on this story at the event, and that your on the spot correspondent did actually mention it in the OP :smt074

Burn the Happy Clappy, burn the Happy Clappy...... Oh well, look on the bright side, another Correct Score in the prediction league. (thanks to a typo) Was too tired and hungry to listen to more than about 30 minutes but we did seem to be very slow out of the blocks at half time. Perhaps they did suss us out and we paid the price. No idea Still saves me worrying about airmiles for the playoffs :mad:

And finally, Rob McAffrey has just started writing a column for the new "Serious Paper" down here, The National. Very Broadsheet. Entertaining comment about MLT and he confirms Eric's ITK 'ness re Matt's tipple http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091121/SPORT/711209846/1078&template=columnists ......Thankfully, the pre-show banter, red light adrenalin and the fact that Matt would make a sloth look like Usain Bolt in a nightclub..........

feck, time for dinner have only heard two goals for them so far

You are the winner of this week's ITK award.... What the FECK are we doing how have they not scored in the last 30 seconds?

Pen Narwich Yellow for James. Did we forget to come out in the second half? Who said we should man mark Houlihan? Don't tell us tell AP

You are fired and you're walking back from Abu Dhabi....

Tough call, should I stay here for the second half, watch Hull come back from the dead, see England get walloped at rugby or watch myself being on tv at the golf..... no contest, more Guinness and on here it is.

Good day today, talk about watching a grown man cry. McIlroy plays well, gets himself into contention by being aggressive. And then the inexperience of youth steps in, all the Press are nodding wisely "The Inexperience of Youth" he keeps attacking the really hard holes, pops it into the water and never recovers, he drops 3 shots in 3 holes and Westwood is away and odds on to win the full 1.6 mil quid tomorrow. Rory's caddy had the look of a man who just watched his 10% - 160k disappear in smoke in the space of 20 minutes. Well played today to Ross McGowan as well coped very well with big crowds and the pressure of being in contention. Only a couple of months ago he was in danger of losing his playing card. One snippet today, MLT played The Els course on the Sunday after the "dinner evening" he shot 6 birdies.