Category: Sport

Prior on the Rise

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After his batting heroics in the final test against New Zealand, England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has risen in the ICC Test batting rankings. The Sussex player has achieved the highest ranking of his career to date and finds himself tenth on the illustrious list with only Alastair Cook the other England player in the top ten (7th). To celebrate this achievement, I will look back at what I believe have been Matt’s best batting innings for England.

3) England V West Indies, 1st Test, Lord’s Cricket Ground, 2007

Matt Prior was making his international debut after being selected ahead of Paul Nixon. Coming in at number 7, Prior scored 126* (*= not out) and became the first England Wicketkeeper to score a century on debut. He also became the 17th Englishmen in history to achieve a debut century.

2) Australia V England, 5th Ashes Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, 2011

With the Ashes already wrapped up, England could afford to sit back and relax, this isn’t how Matt Prior reacted to the Ashes victory, and scored his first Century against the Australians. Having struggled in the previous tests for runs, Prior’s century helped England to a highest ever total in an Ashes innings (644). Prior scored the fastest Ashes Century since Sir Ian Botham in Manchester back in 1981.

1) New Zealand V England, 3rd Test, Eden Park, 2013

England had struggled in this match, a game in each the winners would win the series. New Zealand looked on course for the victory as they left England needing 481 to win. The high order Batsman were bowled out quickly; leaving England on 90-4 going into the final day, but Prior managed to take hold of the test and scored 110* meaning England would end the match and series drawn.

Matt Prior can now be regarded as a recognisable batsman- if he wasn’t before, for both Sussex and England. He will hopefully build on his test ranking and become a force to reckon with in the upcoming Ashes series and county season.

Another Disappointing night…

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England fans would’ve woken up this morning still disappointed by last night’s events in Podgorica. After a professional performance at bottom-ranked nation San Marino, the England camp will feel a little despondent after last night’s proceedings.

Like I mentioned before, England comfortably beat San Marino 8-0 at the Stadio di Serravalle. There is an argument still to this day stating that teams such as San Marino shouldn’t be in these qualification tournaments and teams such as England, Germany and Spain do not need these sorts of “training” matches in order to qualify for such an illustrious event (World Cup).

Podgorica is a hostile city in Eastern Europe. Montenegro itself has recently been involved in wars for independence and has a reputation of racism. Crowd trouble was a major factor that worried many ahead of this crucial fixture. This problem occurred earlier in the season when Montenegro played Moldova, as a Firecracker was thrown at the Moldova goalkeeper. This led to a major fine given to the country by UEFA.

Roy Hodgson’s selection was relatively similar to the side that defeated Brazil in a friendly earlier in the calendar year at Wembley. The situation before play was that Montenegro had a two point led over the three lions, although England’s goal difference was superior compared to their opponents. If England lost, then they faced a major challenge to win the group and would most likely have to settle for a play-off place. A win for England on the other hand, would be a significant step towards qualifying for Rio next summer.

The game started brightly for England and in particularly Wayne Rooney (who was sent off 17 months ago against Montenegro). His cheeky chip early on in the match was perfect in every way; too good in fact to go into the net as the ball agonisingly hit the post. England did eventually gain a much deserved lead as Rooney headed home from Steven Gerrard’s corner. The first half was dominated by the team in white, and the score could easily have been three or four- nil at the break.

But the oldest of all the sayings in football seemed to come into effect. Montenegro came out a completely different side, a side that looked more like the ones that the press and media had previously talked about leading up to the game and a team topping the group. The manager had made the side more attacking, making positive substitutions (eventually going 3 at the back!). As each minute passed, England fans were clinging on by the edge of their seats; each Montenegro shot was getting closer towards an equaliser. Vucinic and Jovetic were getting more and more into the game which caused problems for England’s backline.  Eventually, after holding on against constant Montenegro pressure, England lost their lead with twenty minutes to play. A fast paced, in swinging corner was headed by Damjanovic straight at Joe Hart, who could only parry his save downwards towards the penalty area. It was like pinball in the area as England defenders tried to clear the ball but Damjanovic was there to stab the ball into the net. This sent the fans crazy- flares were being set off in celebration.

Roy Hodgson’s response was to bring on Ashley Young, his only substitution of the game. However, this failed to act as a catalyst and an England revival never materialised. Although Steven Gerrard was close to winning the game for England in the final minute as his free kick was only just pushed over the crossbar by the Montenegro goalkeeper.

In the end, England had finished the night as it had started; they now have to win crucial matches away in Ukraine and home ties against Montenegro and Poland to win the group. Although the three lions are still undefeated, they haven’t beaten any of the “bigger” nations in the group, drawing all three games against Poland, Ukraine and Montenegro. Ukraine and Poland also closed the gap between themselves and the top two as they both won their respective fixtures. The winners of the game between Poland and Ukraine will find themselves only a point behind England who occupies 2nd position in group H.

“It was a game of two halves”.

F1: Australian GP review

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Last weekend, the much anticipated return of F1 didn’t disappoint. The opening round of the championship is one of my favourites, as you don’t know what to expect. Obviously pre-season testing give a slight indication of the quicker cars; but these never do tell the whole story.

The Australian GP in Melbourne is very much one of the most attractive in the F1 calendar. I love this circuit, as its one of the quickest tracks with plenty of excitement.

 

Qualifying had perhaps the most atrocious weathering conditions for many years. Heavy downpours and consistent showers took their tall and many cars were seen losing control- spinning into barriers and into gravel. Qualifying 1 was complete though, as unsurprisingly both Caterham and Marussia locked up the bottom 4 places on the grid, with Williams driver Pastor Maldonado the surprise driver to miss out on Q2, coming an unconvincing 17th on the grid. The rest of the day was a washout, and red flags indicated that the day’s racing ceased for the day and were to resume early Sunday morning.

 

Sunday was much drier, but water still sat on the track. The most surprising incident was by McLaren Mercedes; who had been underperforming all winter. Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh made the decision to switch to super slick tyres to try and increase the pace of the McLaren car. This plan backfired however, and new driver Sergio Perez (making his McLaren debut) finished a disappointing 15th on the grid.  Jenson Button managed to scrap through in 10th to Qualifying 3.

 

Qualifying 3 was dominated in particular by one team. Guess who?! Yes, Seb Vettel again finished pole, with teammate Mark Webber claiming the position next to him on the grid. A Red Bull front row lockout (again).

 

The race itself started as I hoped it would, a Red Bull mucking up. Although I didn’t feel some sympathy towards Mark Webber as it was not only his home race, but possibly his last. He could only watch as his slow start was taken advantage of by opposing drivers such as the Ferrari pairing of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa and Mercedes debutant Lewis Hamilton. Vettel himself though, had a solid start and lead the way in the beginning phrase. As the race played through, team strategies were the key to a successful race. Some worked, and others didn’t. Ferrari brought Alonso in early, and this played to their advantage as they managed to get past current world champ Seb Vettel. Lewis Hamilton’s plan for a 2-stop race backfired when his tyres failed to live with him. He was constantly getting caught up and overtaken and just didn’t have the pace, so he changed to a plan B, perhaps which denied the Briton a dream debut podium with the Mercedes team. Two driver’s plans of action worked magnificently. Firstly, Force India’s Adrian Sutil- who incidentally was making a return to F1 after 12 months out- decided on a 2-stop race and therefore finished an impressive 7th, way ahead of the rather unconvincing McLarens. But the best strategy was that of Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen. He again, managed to complete the race with only 2 stops, and convincingly won the Australian GP; many seconds ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Seb Vettel.

 

Overall, the F1 returned to viewers screens with a bang, maybe not as big as last year, but this will certainly be another season to remember, and possibly could go all the way.

 

 

AUSTRALIAN GP RESULT: 1) KIMI RAIKKONEN, 2) FERNANDO ALONSO, 3) SEBASTIAN VETTEL,

4) FELIPE MASSA, 5) LEWIS HAMILTON, 6) MARK WEBBER,

7) ADRIAN SUTIL, 8) PAUL DI RESTA, 9) JENSON BUTTON

10) ROMAIN GROSJEAN

 

RETIREMENTS: NICO HULKENBURG (DNF), NICO ROSBERG, DANIEL RICCARDIO, PASTOR MALDONADO

Rivals to the end: Brighton v Crystal Palace 2012-13

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Derby days are exhilarating for anyone associated in the game that day. Whether it is the 22 players on the pitch: the two managers: the backroom staffs or the fans cheering on their respective teams. These are the fixtures that many fans pick out firstly because they are the best to be involved in. That’s certainly how I feel whenever Brighton play Crystal Palace.

Back in June, when the 2012-2013 fixtures were released; my initial move was to seek out the two dates for the Palace games. As a Brighton fan, it was always the home match at the Amex on the top of my priority list to find. The fixtures were confirmed as Saturday 1st December 2012- up at Selhurst Park, and then back at the Amex on Sunday 17th March 2013.

The game in December was nothing more than painful for any Brighton fan such as me.  Lewis Dunk dismissed after 8 minutes really killed the match as a spectacle, as it was always going to be difficult to hold on a man down with near enough a full 90 minutes to play (if you include additional time). Two Glenn Murray penalties and a Yannick Bolasie goal gave Palace a 3-0 victory. All in all, that was a day to forget for the seagulls.

But yesterday saw a chance for us to gain revenge on that awful day. 3 months of painful banter with mates who were Palace fans were hopefully going to be silenced by an Albion victory. It all started a bit equally, with Palace midfielder Jonathan Parr having the best opportunity to score early on, if it hadn’t been for a fine Tomasz Kuszczak save. He also denied Matthew Upson from both total embarrassment and anger from Brighton supporters after his misjudged header was clawed away from goal by the Polish keeper.

Then there was a 5 minute window that will be forever in Albion fans’ memories- or certainly in their minds for the next few years. A pinpoint perfect cross by winger Will Buckley was tucked home by January signing, Leo Ulloa. He sent the Albion fans into raptures. A few minutes later, Buckley was again involved when he was brought down by an unfair challenge by Palace central midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi. The two players standing over the ball were Spanish pair Andrea Orlandi and David Lopez. Initially, many anticipated a left footed strike by Orlandi, but David Lopez took the chance on, and his right foot curler flew past the wall; the palace keeper and found the top corner of the next (courtesy of the underside of the Crossbar). Brighton found themselves 2-0 up going into the break.

The second half started just as the first half ended, with a well created Brighton attack ended by a quality finish by Leo Ulloa; his second of the game and 5th in his last 2 matches at the Amex. He rifled the ball home after it was cushioned down perfectly by Orlandi. It could’ve been 4-0 hadn’t it not been for a fine double save by Juliano Speroni. He first denied Leo Ulloa for his second successive hat-trick at the Amex and then saved Buckley’s rebound. Brighton held on comfortably for a 3-0 win and a first rivalry win since Gus Poyet’s reign began back in 2009.

Revenge is bitter sweet.

The Six Nations Decider: Wales V England

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Saturday could see England win their first Glam Slam since 2003 in the six nations if they beat Wales in Cardiff. Stuart Lancaster’s men will be hoping that they can follow in the footsteps of the side that went on to win the Rugby World Cup when Jonny Wilkinson scored the famous drop kick to beat Australia 10 years ago.

England had impressed in the first three games of the tournament, beating Scotland and Italy at Twickenham and an impressive display in Dublin against the Irish. Key individuals have impressed many during the competition including young Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilangi and Captain Chris Robshaw. However, last week’s victory over Italy was not as straight forward as anticipated; and improvement will be needed if the Englishmen are to complete the Grand Slam.

Wales aren’t ever going to be easy opponents for England, especially at the Millennium Stadium, but the fact the Welsh still have a chance of winning back-to-back championships gives them that little incentive to push for victory. Since there disappointing defeat to the Irish on week one, the Welsh team have improved immensely, scoring the highest amount of tries in the tournament. They will be hoping to be the first team to win successive titles since France back in 2006/2007.

Come Saturday evening we will have our champions, and even if people complain the rugby has not been of high standard in this year’s competition, I would expect many such as myself to anticipate a good physical match between two very good rugby sides, who incidentally will meet in the pool phrase when the Rugby World Cup comes to our shores in 2015.

Is Wayne going or staying?

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This week saw a lot of controversy surrounding Manchester United Football Club. The sending off of Nani left Sir Alex Ferguson fuming and reluctant to report to the media after the game. Rio Ferdinand escaped a disciplinary charge after his sarcastic clapping in front of the Turkish ref at the end of the game.  But the most considerable controversy was Wayne Rooney’s surprise dropping from the starting eleven, igniting gossip of his future at Old Trafford hanging in the balance.

The United forward is now 27, and has been considered a vital first team player in past seasons. He would’ve played either up front, or moved into a deeper or wider role, but the Englishman was considered the first player on Ferguson’s team sheet.

But this season, he hasn’t cemented a place in the first team since the arrival of Dutchmen Robin Van Persie; and young Danny Welbeck, who is developing more and more into an influential player in the red jersey. Wayne Rooney did suffer a horrific gash on his leg in a game against Wigan Athletic earlier in the season, which kept him out for a month. Wayne Rooney hasn’t been as prolific in front of goal either this season, only scoring 14 goals this campaign compared to 34 that he scored last season.

As newspapers claim that Rooney could be on his way, major European clubs have been reportedly interested in the England forward- including massive spending Paris-Saint Germain and fierce rivals Manchester City and Chelsea.

Since joining Manchester United as an 18 year old back in 2004, Wayne Rooney has gone on to score 195 goals in 393 appearances in a red devils shirt.

Personally, I think we will still be seeing Wayne Rooney in the famous red shirt next season. The England international hasn’t come out publically saying he is unhappy and Sir Alex has claimed that he will be keeping the 27 year old at Old Trafford.

The Perfect Match :Build up part II (Giggs: 1000 not out)

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Think back three weeks ago and I wrote a match preview on the eve of the “perfect match”; and the game certainly didn’t disappoint. The two teams battled it out on a cool Wednesday evening in Madrid. With end to end action, the two giants couldn’t be separated and the game finished 1-1, a reasonable result for both clubs although united must have felt happier than their Spanish counterparts.

So three weeks on and I again cannot justify a guaranteed result tomorrow night. Manchester United know that they will qualify into the quarter finals if they do not concede- but this is hugely unlikely due to the sheer power, speed and quality of the Real Madrid counter attacking mentality.  Jose Mourniho wasn’t too unhappy by the result, and knows a win would be enough to see the most successful team in European competition go through to the last 8. Mourniho will also bear in mind that the away goals rule applies and if Madrid score twice, United will have to win the game to win the tie. To score 3 goals against the Spanish champions is a very daunting challenge and one United will hope to avoid.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be without Phil Jones tomorrow night, a man who was so crucial for the red devils in the first leg. This will mean that Johnny Evans or Chris Smalling will probably partner Rio Ferdinand at centre back. A man who must be credited for his outstanding performance in the Bernabeu is Spanish Goalkeeper David De Gea. He made some fantastic saves to keep United from losing the first match and you would have to feel that the Spaniard will be busy again at Old Trafford.

Real Madrid will be boosted by the return of captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The Spain no.1 is recovering from a broken hand he suffered in a La Liga clash. I expect to see a similar side to the one that played in the first game, possibly a start for Higuain in place of Karim Benzema. But one man who will play for sure is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese will again be hoping to spoil United’s dream by scoring at his former home. The Spanish giants will also have a morale boost after defeating fierce rivals FC Barcelona twice in a week. There is a sense this Madrid side will be tougher than the one that Ferguson and his men faced three weeks ago.

The score is currently 1-1, so a 0-0 would see United through, but like I said before, I think a 0-0 is out of the equation when you analyse the attacking quality of both sides. Old Trafford will be buzzing tomorrow evening and this may impact the players- especially the Man United players- to help guide them to victory. I think personally you can cancel out extra time and penalties as well due to the fact I think tomorrow will be more of a goal fest and 1-1 will not be the final score.

Finally, I would like to mention that Ryan Giggs is set to make his 1000th appearance in professional football. This is an outstanding achievement made the Welshman. Now 39, the winger has just signed a new one-year-contract that will keep him playing into his 40s. He is the only player to have appeared and scored in every season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. He is also won the most honours in the history of any British footballer. He has a creditable 24 trophies to his name with Manchester United, including 12 Premier Leagues, 4 FA Cups, 4 League cups, 2 Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup.  I don’t think we will see another player hit this landmark. Congratulations Mr Giggs.

My Prediction: Manchester United 3-2 Real Madrid (4-3 on Aggregate)

Formula One 2013: The Drivers…

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The 2013 Formula One Championship is shaping up to be one of the most tightly fought contests since its establishment back in 1950. Here is a lowdown on the contenders…

Infiniti Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel: The current World Champion has won the honour 3 years on the bounce and is searching for a fourth. The young German holds a number of records such as youngest driver to win a GP and is the youngest ever triple world champ. Bookies have been making him the favourite for the championship crown.                                                                                                                                         Mark Webber: Possibly the most loved F1 driver to have never won the world championship. The Aussie will be looking to mount a more serious challenge on the title after finishing a disappointing 6th position last term. He waited the longest to win a GP, failing 129 times before he eventually won a race.

Scuderia Ferrari
Fernando Alonso: The speedy Spaniard led most of last season, before Vettel turned up the gas in the last few races, and the 2012 runner up will be looking to go one better this time around, question is; will the Ferrari 138 be as competitive as last year?              Felipe Massa: Long-serving Felipe hasn’t really come close to the title since finishing runner up back in 2008 to Lewis Hamilton. This season; he will be hoping to rekindle that form that saw him narrowly miss out on a maiden title five years ago.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Jenson Button: The longest serving racer in F1 on this year’s grid, Button will be using his experience to try to win his 2nd Drivers Championship. The Briton struggled with the McLaren car last season due to technical errors. Will this season’s car be more consistent or will it be more disappointment for the 2009 world champ?
Sergio Perez: After impressing for Sauber, Sergio Perez was linked heavily with a move for Ferrari, but the Mexican has moved to the Woking-based team looking to be in contention for his first world championship come November. The 23 year old will be hoping to become third youngest world champion in history. He replaces Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.

Mercedes Petronas
Lewis Hamilton: Lewis has faced mixed criticism since moving from McLaren to Mercedes in the winter, but Hamilton believes Mercedes and himself can challenge for the drivers and constructers championships. The Brit has won the championship once back in 2008 and will be hoping for a dream debut season for the silver arrows.
Nico Rosberg: The German grew up with Lewis through karting so their partnership should be a good one. The German has had mixed results since joining Mercedes in 2010. He won in China last season but never mounted a serious enough challenge then many thought in 2012.

Lotus Renault F1
Kimi Raikkonen: The Fin could be credited to having a successful comeback season with Lotus last term, finishing an impressive 3rd. The “iceman” has won the championship back in 2007 whilst driving for Ferrari and he will be hoping to go two better in this season run in.
Romain Grosjean: The Frenchman had a relatively good but controversial 2012. He grabbed the headlines for many different things. He finished 3rd in Bahrain, his best finish to date in Formula One. But he can also be wreck less at times, famously remembered for nearly taking Fernando Alonso’s head off in a first corner incident at the Belgian GP.

Williams Renault F1
Pastor Maldonado: Another successful season for a relatively unknown F1 driver last season, the Venezuelan finished a respectable 15th with 45 points, far better than his debut back in 2011. The Williams driver claimed his first victory at Catalunya and will be hoping that he can find his feet in the sport and aim for a top 10 finish this season.
Valtteri Bottas: This is Bottas’ debut season in Formula one- replacing Bruno Senna at Williams. The Fin will hope to follow in the footsteps of Kimi Raikkonen and win a world championship in the future- this season however it will mainly be finding his feet. He has been the Williams test driver since 2010.

Sahara Force India
Paul Di Resta: The Scot has seemed to have come into his own since debuting for Force India in 2011. He was considered as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton at McLaren but that move never materialised and Di Resta will be hoping to score higher this season to show he can be considered a replacement driver at a bigger team.
Adrian Sutil: Sky sources say that Sutil will be returning to Force India and F1 this season after 2 years out, replacing Nico Hulkenberg. The German has just served a ban for an incident in a Shanghai nightclub but will be hoping to make amend for his actions.

Sauber F1
Nico Hulkenberg: Another German driver, but not as prolific. He spent last season at Force India, finishing mid-table. But since moving to the Swiss based team (replacing Kamui Kobayashi) he hopes to make more of a name for himself.
Esteban Gutierrez: Another debutant, Gutierrez will hope to adapt to F1 quickly. The Mexican has impressed in testing for the Swiss team and will hope to take this opportunity with both hands. He replaces fellow Mexican Sergio Perez who left to join McLaren.

Scuderia Torro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne: the Frenchman starts his second season in the Torro Rosso driving seat. Vergne impressed last year and claimed some points for the team known for preparing younger drivers before a possibility for driving for a bigger team such as Red Bull.
Daniel Riccardio: Daniel also reclaims his seat as Torro Rosso go into 2013 unchanged. Riccardio, like Vergne, had a relatively good debut season with the team, enhancing his reputation as a F1 driver.

Caterham F1
Charles Pic: Still finding his feet in the sport, Charles had a season of getting used to the car and dynamics of Formula One racing at a team who aren’t going to compete for the title. He moved to Caterham in the winter and hopes to help the team catch up with the middle order teams. Pic replaces Heikki Kovalainen.
Giedo Van der Garde: The first Dutchman in F1 for a number of years now, it will be a good opportunity for Van der Garde to show off his potential in the sport after impressing as test driver in 2012. Van der Garde replaces Vitaly Petrov at the Malaysian based team.

Maurssia F1
Luiz Razia: The first of a new driving partnership at the Russian team, the Brazilian is hoping to cope with the world of Formula One. He replaces Timo Glock at Maurssia after the German left by mutual consent earlier in the winter.
Max Chilton: The fourth Brit in this seasons competition, Chilton will hope to be able to find a consistently at Maurssia and find a better, more competitive team in years to come.

Overall there have been many changes in the driving line up for this season’s championship; who will win? We’ll just have to wait and see…

BALE: world class?

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Gareth Bale is at the centre of the footballing world at the moment. Let’s be honest, he is scoring for fun at Spurs. He is in the form of his career and he is quite possibly the best player in Europe right now. He is one of the biggest success stories of this generation. But should the Welsh winger be considered as World Class?
People could say yes. Like I said he is in the form of his life. He is consistently performing at the highest level which he struggled to have in seasons gone by. Gareth Bale torments full backs all across Europe. We saw this on the big stage a few years ago in the Champions League; where he utterly destroyed Inter Milan full back Maicon in the San Siro (a game in which the Welshman scored a hat-trick). Every week domestically, he seems to be scoring wonder goals with ease, including last nights’ winner against West Ham United. He has grown stronger mentally and physically. He is strong on the ball and has fantastic movement off the ball.
Other footballing fans would disagree, saying that he isn’t world class. Compared to the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale isn’t as consistent or technically as good. Ronaldo and Messi for the past couple of seasons have always scored at least 30 goals a season and grab the headlines in every game. Gareth Bale has been quiet in certain games against the bigger teams in the past although now he seems to be coping against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.
After being asked about his own thoughts on how good he is; Gareth Bale last night told Talksport Radio “I’m just focusing on playing my football, at the moment I’m enjoying my Football and if people in the media want to say stuff about me its fine, I can’t stop that”. This shows that Gareth is a down to earth guy, not really paying much attention to the media and is fully focused on himself, the team and more importantly his football.

Addio Di Canio

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Last night saw Paulo Di Canio resign from his managerial post at Swindon Town football club. He brought to the club a new mentality, and has improved the players since taking over the club in May 2011. When Paulo took over the club, they were in a tough situation; they were in a difficult position financially and had just been relegated to the fourth tier of English football (Npower League Two). But he was determined to gain promotion back into League One and possibly to the Championship the season next.

Di Canio’s side triumphed in League Two, winning the league in the process.  Di Canio’s men were playing attacking, attractive football and for League Two, the quality that the players were producing was top quality. This season, the Italian started the season well, knocking out championship side Brighton and Hove Albion of the league cup comprehensively 3-0.  It got better for the league one side when they knocked out Premier League Stoke City in the same competition. The team have been flirting with the top of the Npower League One table most of the campaign, and currently sit sixth position, 3 points off the top.    

There have been famous spats between Di Canio and some of his players in the Italians 22 month reign. In 2011 (7 games into his managerial career at the County Ground), he had a confrontation with striker Leon Clarke in the tunnel after tasting defeat to Southampton in the League cup. This season, he had an argument with young Goalkeeper Les Foderingham after substituting the shot stopper after 20 minutes for an error that led to the opposition scoring.

Di Canio leaves the promotion Contenders with a decent record. He won 54 of his 95 games in charge of Swindon which leaves him with a win percentage of 56%.