Birmingham

There's been a lot of clamour recently regarding the form of Fulham's Bobby Zamora and whether Fabio Capello should give him a look in England's next friendly international. Well, I'd like to add Birmingham City's on-loan goalkeeper Joe Hart and central defender Roger Johnson into the mix, too.

Having won 20 points out of the last 24, including five wins on the bounce, and boasting one of the tightest defences in the Premier League, isn't it about time Mr Capello paid a visit to St Andrews?

Joe Hart is one for the future. At only 23, he's still learning the game but by now playing regular top-flight football he's progressing at such a rate that Birmingham's manager Alex McLeish is convinced that he should be on the plane to South Africa. Hart has been involved in the squad before but having looked at the other options perhaps it is time to give him a chance.

With David James struggling for fitness, Man Utd's Ben Foster confined to the substitutes bench, and Wigan's Chris Kirkland prone to injury, there's only Paul Robinson of Blackburn and Wet Ham's Rob Green who look certain to go to the World Cup.

As it stands, Hart is the only English goalkeeper playing regular football in the top half of the table, so why not take him as the third choice goalkeeper?

On to Roger Johnson, the strong silent leader at the heart of Birmingham's defence. The recent run of form is largely due in part to his partnership with Scott Dann at the back, and has earned praise from all corners of the media. Again, given his age, he might be one for the future, possibly as replacement for John Terry.

With England's defence looking decidedly dodgy if Terry and Ferdinand are absent, Capello should be looking at a player who has consistently performed at the highest level against the big teams in the Premier League this season, not considering players who are playing in struggling sides, for example Matthew Upson or Bolton's Gary Cahill.

Capello has even tried to convince Jamie Carragher to come out of international retirement recently, despite Carragher and Liverpool having a very indifferent season so far.

There's the argument that these players, with the exception of Cahill, have played international football before and Johnson doesn't have much top-flight experience, but Capello has always stipulated that he picks his squad based on form and with Birmingham City sitting at the top of the form table at the moment what higher recognition is there?

With many so-called experts predicting a long hard slog at the beginning of the season, it’s somewhat surprising to see Birmingham City bothering the top half of the Premiership.

A turnaround in fortunes appears to have coincided with the much publicised change of ownership, and there appears to be a new confidence. As one walks around St. Andrews, you can’t help but do so with a wry smile.

Just one year ago, the club were sitting in second place in the English Championship and were heading for back-to-back defeats against Preston and Reading, respectively.

Whisperings on the terraces criticised manager Alex McLeish, the team, and typically the lack of investment by the board at the time.

This weekend, Birmingham go into a game with West Ham Utd looking to stretch their unbeaten run to eight games and an unprecedented fourth victory in succession. There hasn’t been a level of expectation like this at St. Andrews since the 2003-04 season when Blues were sitting 8th on Boxing Day.

But with the bright lights of European football twinkling within reach comes the added pressure and the false hope that can so easily doom a club and demoralise players and fans alike.

True, if Birmingham beat West Ham, Blackburn and Everton in their next three games, then Blues fans will be forgiven for getting starry-eyed and checking their passports are up to date*.

The fixture list has been kind to Birmingham recently, however, before the end of January they will need to face Manchester United, an in-form Tottenham, and Chelsea twice, plus the added distraction of two potentially difficult FA Cup ties, it might not be long before a lower mid-table finish becomes more realistic.

But would European football next season be beneficial to the club?

You only have to look at the recent fortunes of teams like Newcastle, Middlesboro, Ipswich, and Leeds to realise that heavy expectations come at a heavy price, especially as far as European football is concerned. The prize money is an obvious attraction as is the global exposure, however, with that comes multimillion pound transfers and the hefty wages that go with them. And there's no guarantee that the transfers would work out.

The fixture congestion would also be a problem with the size of the squad that Birmingham have, a couple of injuries, and it's down to the bare bones.

We've seen recently even Manchester United and Arsenal can struggle. European football needs heavy investment at pitch-level, and I don't think Birmingham are quite there…yet.

The team is on a high though, and the fans have found their voice again. The terraces are aglow with optimism, and it’s a good time to be a Bluenose.

However fickle football can be, it's best to enjoy the good times while they’re here.

Europe isn’t going anywhere, so it might be wiser to wait a season or two before that little adventure begins, but no one said you can’t dream a little…

*I’ve checked and mine is!

The outspoken views of Tartan Army chief Alan Duncan about Scotland fans reacting angrily to the potential return of Barry Ferguson and former teammate Allan McGregor to the international fold—just months after their lifetime bans by the Scottish Football Association—are absurd.

Yes, the two men’s actions—of early morning drinking at Cameron House—midway through a Scotland camp were inexcusable and their actions of gesturing to fans and media alike at Hampden a few nights later—a sure fire sign footballers think with their feet and not their heads, but just as inexcusable—is allowing Scotland’s decline into the abyss continue because grown men cannot forgive or forget.

The pair were not the only players drinking that night (or morning, to be more accurate), and probably felt victimised by both the fans and the media, but they never once denied their guilt and took their eventual bans on the chin.

Birmingham’s Rock

Barry Ferguson moved south from Rangers in the summer and has once again proven his credentials as a quality football player with Birmingham City in one of the world’s toughest stages—the English Premier League.

One of Scotland’s evident problems is the lack of experience at the highest level, yet Mr. Duncan and his associates do not want to see the return of probably their most decorated domestic player days after an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to an under-strength Wales side.

The 31-year-old midfielder has won it all in Scotland, including five Scottish Premier League titles, five Scottish Cups, five Scottish League Cups, and even led his side to a UEFA Cup Final. The 45-time capped Scot should be let back into the national setup to add experience and talent to a squad apparently lacking in either.

Far too many players in the squad have never played in Europe and are plying their trade in the championship in England.

George Burley made some fatal mistakes in his tenure, including losing the best goal keeper in Scotland (McGregor), a former captain (Ferguson) through bans, and the most prolific striker in British football (Kris Boyd) thanks to international retirement.

A country as small as Scotland simply cannot cope with losses of that stature.

Scotland’s Best Shot-Stopper

Ferguson was not the only player mentioned by Duncan, and in 27-year-old McGregor, he wants to sideline the best keeper playing in Scotland. With Scotland number one Craig Gordon of Sunderland looking increasingly fragile through injury, it is utter madness to ignore the only other goalkeeper in his class, especially with David Marshall lacking the consistency to perform at the highest level.

If Scotland wants to start afresh, then that means starting afresh—with Ferguson and Rangers duo McGregor and Boyd welcomed back into the international frame.

Alan Duncan does not speak for every Scotland fan with his narrow-minded views, as Scotland with the “boozegate” pair would be a better Scotland and Scottish fans should remember not to put pride over success; as pride has never qualified for a major tournament.

Diving, or gaining an unfair advantage using theatrics if you prefer, has been the focus in English football once again this week. During the Liverpool vs Birmingham City game on monday night we saw another example of this disgusting behaviour.

With Birmingham 2-1 up and just about coping with the intense Liverpool pressure, David Ngog got between two players and headed for the byline when Birmingham skipper Lee Carsley slid in with an attempted tackle.

With Ngog seemingly going nowhere, some may question Carsley’s decision to slide inside the penalty area, but Ngog took a swan dive, and with television replays showing no contact from Carsley, Liverpool were nonetheless awarded a match-saving penalty.

Unfortunately this kind of action occurs too often, for example, earlier this season Arsenal’s forward Eduardo was found to have dived to earn a penalty in a Champions League tie against Celtic, UEFA subsequently issued a three-match ban after the incident following public uproar but then backed down when Arsenal objected.

Surely if diving and cheating is to be stamped out of the English game then we need to show these players that it will not be tolerated? I’m all for retrospective punishment, it works in rugby union, so why not football? The same could be said for video referees. Would a football supporter really mind if a game overran by ten minutes while video footage was used to sort out contentious decisions?

UEFA has already been trialling goal line referees in this seasons Europa league so maybe that’s a way forward? But why flood the pitch with more officials when a video referee would be more practical?

One final note, the referee in charge of that game on Monday, Peter Walton, will not be officiating in the Premier League this weekend having been dropped from the fixture list by his bosses, which begs the question, why hasn’t Ngog been punished also?

This Day in History—Oct. 24

Colorado on Oct. 24—5-10

1891 – Colorado Mines – L 10-6;

1903 – Nebraska L – 31-0;

1908 – Colorado State – W 8-0;

1925 – Utah – L 12-7;

1931 – Colorado State – L 19-6;

1936 – Colorado State – W 9-7;

1942 – Colorado State – W 34-7;

1953 – Oklahoma – L 27-20;

1959 – Arizona – W 18-0;

1964 – Nebraska – L 21-3;

1970 – Missouri – L 30-16;

1981 – Iowa State – L 17-10;

1987 – Oklahoma – L 24-7;

1992 – Kansas State – W 54-7;

1998 – Texas Tech – L 33-17.

Oct. 24th—Colorado—best game on this date

No. 9 Colorado v. Kansas State— Oct. 24, 1992

[The Buffs in 1992 were looking to "four-pete" as Big Eight champions, and were undefeated through the first part of the 1992 season. A 24-24 tie with Oklahoma had dropped the seventh ranked Buffs to ninth, but kept in tact the Buffs' title hopes.]

The 24-24 tie was satisfying only because of the comeback.  The Sooners had been struggling in 1992, but the Buffs made Oklahoma look like world-beaters in surrendering seven turnovers.  “I feel very fortunate to get out of here with a tie under the circumstances,” said McCartney in his post-game comments.  “This keeps us unbeaten (5-0-1, 1-0-1 in Big Eight play) and keeps alive a lot of the things we want to do this season.”

Oct. 24—Boulder No. 9 Colorado 54, Kansas State 7

The ninth-ranked Buffs controlled an entire game for the first time in 1992, dominating Kansas State 54-7.  Colorado scored early and often, lighting up the scoreboard on seven of its first 11 possessions in cruising to a 30-0 halftime lead before a sold-out Folsom Field crowd of 52,235.  The Wildcats, with a respectable 3-2 record coming into Boulder, left town without an offensive touchdown, scoring only on a an interception return after the game was well in hand. 

”It would be an understatement to say that the defense was dominant,” said McCartney. “The fact of the matter is I can’t remember a time our defense was so dominant in a game.”  The numbers backed up the Colorado head coach.  Kansas State was held to three first downs (zero- for-10 on third down attempts), and 16 total yards.  The ineptitude of the Wildcats led to thirteen punts, 10 of which were returned for 167 yards by senior cornerback and kick return specialist Deon Figures.  Both of Figures’ numbers set school records, with the yardage record surpassing a mark set by Byron “Whizzer” White against Utah in 1936.

On offense, Kordell Stewart returned to the helm (despite a broken wrist) to lead the way, passing and running for first half touchdowns.  Also noteworthy on a day when McCartney could afford to scout out his young talent, two freshmen scored their first career touchdowns for Colorado.  Running back Rashaan Salaam scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter, while Duke Tobin connected with wide receiver Rae Carruth on a 20-yard scoring strike to close out the scoring in the fourth.

The Buffs were now 6-0-1, 2-0-1 in conference play.  As fate would have it, when the Associated Press poll came out the week after the Kansas State game, Colorado was tied for 8th in the nation with 1,046 total points.  The team the Buffs were tied with?  It was none other than the opponent up next on the calendar—the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

[The Buffs would fall to Nebraska in Lincoln, 52-7, in the "Halloween massacre" the following week. The Buffs would win their remaining Big Eight games to finish the regular season with a 9-1-1 record, 5-1-1 in Big Eight play. A 26-22 loss to No. 6 Syracuse in the Fiesta Bowl would drop the Buffs to 13th in the final polls.]

Best Games in College Football History— Oct. 24   

1964— No. 5 Nebraska 21, Colorado 3

Colorado was only 1-4 on the 1964 season coming into the contest against the undefeated Cornhuskers, but the Buffs hung tough for much of the game. CU was up 3-0 in the second quarter, when Buff defensive back Hale Irwin almost intercepted a pass from Nebraska’s Bob Churchich, but the ball instead fell into the arms of Huskers’ halfback Kent McCloughan, who took it in for a 53 yard touchdown and a change in momentum. Another familiar name, Frank Solich, scored the second touchdown for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers went on to win the Big Eight, but fell to second-ranked Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to finish with a 9-2 record, sixth in the final poll (taken before the bowl game).

1970 – No. 8 Stanford 9, No. 16 UCLA 7

Before 83,518 fans, the largest crowd to see UCLA play an opponent in the L.A. Coliseum other than USC, the Cardinal held on to beat the Bruins. UCLA did hold Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career, but a 42-yard pass from Plunkett to Randy “The Rabbit” Vataha (later known as Ahmad Rashad). The win gave Stanford its first sweep of USC and UCLA in 13 years. Stanford would go on win the Pac Eight, defeating Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 27-17, to finish 9-3, ranked eighth. Quarterback Jim Plunkett won the Heisman trophy in 1970, besting Joe Theismann from Notre Dame and Archie Manning from Mississippi.

1981—No. 15 Nebraska 6, No. 19 Missouri 0

There had not been a scoreless tie involving a Big Eight team in 14 years, but the Cornhuskers and Tigers came close. Nebraska scored until the last series of the game, with quarterback Turner Gill engineering a drive which was culminated with a three yard score by fullback Phil Bates with 23 seconds left. Nebraska sacked Tiger quarterbacks ten times, and held Missouri to 85 yards rushing.  Nebraska would make it to the Orange Bowl, but fell to national champion Clemson, 22-15, finishing the 1981 season 9-3, ranked 11th. Missouri wound up in the Tangerine Bowl, with a 19-17 win over Southern Miss earning the Tigers a final ranking of 19th.

1987— Alabama 41, No. 8 Tennessee 22

If it was the third weekend in October, it was time for the annual blood-feud between Alabama and Tennessee. The game, played in Birmingham, was the first-ever night game in the series, and the Crimson Tide dominated the top ten Volunteers. Running back Bobby Humphrey had 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead Alabama back into the polls. The Crimson Tide would rise as far as 11th , but season-ending losses to Auburn and Michigan (in the Hall of Fame Bowl) left the 8-4 Crimson Tide out of the final rankings. Tennessee, meanwhile, would rebound to finish 14th after taking out Indiana, 27-22, in the Peach Bowl.

1998—No. 8 Texas A&M 17, No. 25 Texas Tech 10

In a battle between tailbacks, Aggie Dante Hall got the best of Red Raider Ricky Williams, as A&M defeated its hated rival. Texas A&M used the win as a springboard for its second consecutive Big 12 South title. In 1998, Texas A&M won its first conference championship, upsetting Kansas State, 36-33, before falling to Ohio State, 24-14, in the Sugar Bowl, to finish 11th. Texas Tech earned an Independence Bowl invitation, finishing 7-5 (and unranked) after a 35-18 loss to Mississippi.

Here is a rundown of today’s college football odds and point spreads from ATS Consultants for October 1st 2009. If you are looking for free college football betting picks on a daily basis be sure to sign-up for the ATS newsletter, featuring unmatched sports wagering information, free picks and expert analysis.

Two games on the Thursday menu tonight, and they both should be entertaining. West Virginia hosts the disappointing Colorado Buffaloes in Morgantown. West Virginia lost a lot, but coach Bill Stewart still has the Mountaineers in contention. Dan Hawkins may be down to his last chance in Boulder, and he needs a signature win badly.

The other game tonight is a Conference USA tilt between Southern Miss and UAB. The Golden Eagles are back at the top of the standings, and didn’t miss a beat with the coaching change. They should be able to handle UAB tonight in Birmingham.

College Football Betting Odds & Point Spreads: October 1st 2009
Click Here for live college football odds

Colorado +17 vs. West Virginia -17 (Over/Under 54)
Southern Mississippi -10 vs. UAB +10 (Over/Under 59)

ATS Consultants is a featured sports handicapping firm on Touthouse.com. If you are looking for free college football picks or updated NFL football betting lines be sure to visit Touthouse.com on a daily basis

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—The Birmingham Barons received an extra day in Jacksonville after taking the field Saturday night.  But it wasn't due to a series comeback.

Having already dug themselves into a hole in the Southern League South Division playoffs, down 0-2 in a best-of-five series, Mother Nature delayed the Barons' fate with torrential downpours before the first inning could be completed Saturday.  When play resumed Sunday, the Jacksonville Suns piled on runs early and disposed of the Barons 12-2 for a series sweep and a divisional crown.  Birmingham has now fallen victim to an opening round sweep in its last three playoff appearances, including 2005 to Jacksonville, and last year to Mississippi.

Barons second baseman C.J. Retherford powered a solo home run off Suns right-hander Brad Stone in the top of the first inning Saturday to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead and a glimmer of hope.  Stone, who had given up just three long balls during the regular season, then retired the next two batters in what would be his only inning of work.

One out into a miscue-laden bottom half of the inning, which featured back-to-back wild pitches by Barons starter Matt Long, umpire crew chief Craig Barron suspended play with the bases loaded.  Birmingham manager Ever Magallanes and pitching coach J.R. Perdew each gave Barron an earful about the delayed timing of the call for the tarp, resulting in Perdew's ejection.

Long, who went 4-0 in August with a 1.76 ERA, admitted having difficulty gripping the ball in order to execute his pitches.

While the game was delayed, it wasn't officially called and postponed for nearly two and a half hours.  When the teams took the field in drier conditions Sunday, rain couldn't mask the mismatch.

The Barons (92-47, regular season) opted to hand the ball to Justin Cassel to complete the first inning Sunday.  Although he recorded both remaining outs by strikeout, Cassel gave up a two-RBI single to Suns second baseman Kevin Randel—both runs being charged to Long.  Randel led Jacksonville at the plate, going three-for-five with a pair of doubles and four RBI.  The 28 year old was a thorn in Birmingham's side throughout the series (6-for-13, six RBI).

The damage may have been minimized in the first, but Cassel capsized in the second, scattering four consecutive doubles in a five-run inning.  Magallanes turned to Cassel even though the right-hander had allowed six runs in six innings in his last appearance at The Baseball Grounds at Jacksonville on July 28.

Jarrett Santos replaced Stone and turned in one of his best performances in a Suns uniform.  Southern League hitters faced him with ease during the second half of the regular season, hitting .359 against the righty.  But his composure and command was on display Sunday, as Stone gave up just three hits and fanned three over four shutout innings to get the win.

Birmingham was given few opportunities to chip away at Jacksonville's lead, but they went 0-for-6 as a team with runners in scoring position.  And compared to the Suns' eight extra-base hits, the Barons produced just one—Retherford's first-inning blast.

The visiting team simply couldn't produce an answer to Jacksonville's offensive attack, proving the old adage that great pitching beats great hitting.  In 2009, the Barons led the Southern League in almost every offensive category, a near-total reversal from last year's meager production at the plate.

But they met their match in the Suns pitching staff, a group that led the Southern League in ERA and surrendered the fewest hits and runs as a team.  The heavy hitters in Birmingham's lineup were rendered ineffective Sunday, and throughout the series, as the team hit a paltry .200 (20-for-100) in three games.

Third baseman Dayan Viciedo, who signed a four-year, $11 million contract with the White Sox last November, contributed only three hits in the series and failed to drive in a run.  The 20-year-old Cuban, who hit .280 with 12 homers and 78 RBIs this season, struck out swinging twice on Sunday and four times for the series.

Magallanes kept leadoff hitter Jordan Danks atop the lineup Thursday through Sunday despite the center fielder's marked decline in production of late.  Danks went 0-for-12 with four strikeouts in the series, following an August and September when he combined to hit .157 (14-for-89) with only three extra-base hits and just one stolen base.

As the Barons disband until spring training, the Suns advance to the Southern League Championship Series to face the Tennessee Smokies. Tennessee (82-58, regular season), led by first-year Double-A manager and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, claimed the North Division series in four games against Huntsville.  Game One is set for Tuesday night at Jacksonville.