So, this weekend saw F1 travel to Singapore. If the scenes from last year are to go by then everyone will have watched a very dramatic, maybe even unpredictable turn of events. Yet, it appears that last year’s race was not so unbelievable, merely a mastermind at work, concocting an unheard of race strategy in the heat of the battle. It is believed that only three men were involved in the decision by Renault to deliberately crash the car driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. presenting teammate Fernando Alonso with opportunity to win the grand prix, which he took gratefully.
Both Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds find themselves facing lengthy bans from the sport, with Briatore taking the brunt with a lifetime ban. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has questioned the verdict, suggesting that it is too severe. Yet, surely he does not believe that the sport, which has been continually updating its proceedings over the last couple of seasons in a vain attempt to attract larger audiences, really needs people who try and succeed in fixing races?
Renault, the team at the heart of the scandal, has tried to distance itself from the allegation, pinning all the blame solely on Briatore, Symonds and Piquet. However, the team has still received a two year suspension from the sport. Sponsors of the team are also cancelling contracts with immediate effect, with Mutua Madrilena and IMG both having their names removed from the vehicles for the remaining races of this season.
However, one player in this debacle seems to be getting away scot-free. Piquet was the man in control of the vehicle when he made a conscience decision to drive his F1 car into the side of the track wall, causing mass debris across the track, requiring a safety car to be deployed. Piquet has benefitted from being a socius criminis. In return for his evidence, which will condemn Briatore and Symonds into F1 obscurity, he has been granted immunity from any charge brought against him. Some may say that Piquet deserves this, as he has brought to light one of the largest scandals in F1 history. I am not one of those people.
If Piquet would have brought this act of insanity to the attention of the FIA before he had been sacked for his abysmal lack of driving ability, people may be more sympathetic to his cause. But the fact is he did not. He only had a “change of heart” after getting the boot. It is simply a matter of revenge, a matter not of remorse or bravery at standing up to his team members, a matter of cowardice.
One can only hope that Piquet, although not receiving a ban of any sort from the sport, will not be seen in years to come in the colours of another team. Not only would teams surely have to be careful about how they treat a man who simply could not be trusted, but they would also be gambling on his driving capabilities.
Friday 25 September 2009
Oh, Sol Lonely
So, Sol Campbell has found his distinguished career to be blemished over these last few years by major disturbances both on and off the field. In a bid to rectify his former glory he did what no right-minded man would do, and moved to the mighty Notts County.
Now, with Portsmouth, his previous club, in what can only be described as financial turmoil, the only prospect being relegation from the Premiership, one could assume that Sol’s decision to vacate Fratton Park was indeed a good move. I myself, am not denying that leaving the club is the best option, it is merely who he moved too that is a matter for ridicule. Notts County, with no disrespect towards the club intended but inevitably given, are rubbish. They play their football in the lowest division of English Football League, not a club that fields too many players with 73 caps for England all too frequently.
Yet, that is the calibre of player that Sol use to be. At the height of his footballing career he played for Arsenal, scoring the only goal in a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League Final. Campbell also had two goals disallowed, controversially, for England. One in extra-time against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup; the other in Euro 2004’s quarter final match against hosts Portugal. Both goals were disallowed due to infringements by other members of the team, yet if memory serves me correct, both were negligible.
However, things for Sol started to go downhill not long after he became the first high profile ‘Bosman transfer’ from Spurs to fierce rivals Arsenal. His plight of personal problems off the pitch led at times to disastrous dips in form, weeks away from the training ground and also a potentially, high profile incident in a toilet...But, whatever made Campbell unhappy in the past should not affect the idea that at Notts County he would be making a new start once more. It may even have sparked some life into him, giving Sol a fresh enthusiasm for the sport he has at times, so wonderfully played. It provided him with the opportunity to become a folk legend, the chance to be part of the reigniting of the oldest professional football league club in the world’s status. And he would be joining not only the new, vastly rich, middle-eastern owners, but also former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
So, Campbell walked out onto the turf at Meadow Lane against the height of Morecombe. Yet despite all of his experience, after playing against some of the best strikers in the world, Campbell could not guide his side even to a point, losing in his first game for the Magpies 2-1. There is a chance that life in League 2 was not going to be so cushy after all. His teammates would not have been up to his higher standard of playing, or thinking, the training facilities would not be up to his physically toned specification either, but then again this was all made up for by his higher wage packet. Yet, not even that could contain him, leading inevitably to his departure from the club after only one game.
So, Sol is once again on the downward spiral towards loneliness. His lack of ability to fit in surely played his part in his decision to end his contract prematurely. Yet, if a fellow player joined my team and was getting paid over four times as much as me, I am not sure I would go out of my way to welcome him either.
Now, with Portsmouth, his previous club, in what can only be described as financial turmoil, the only prospect being relegation from the Premiership, one could assume that Sol’s decision to vacate Fratton Park was indeed a good move. I myself, am not denying that leaving the club is the best option, it is merely who he moved too that is a matter for ridicule. Notts County, with no disrespect towards the club intended but inevitably given, are rubbish. They play their football in the lowest division of English Football League, not a club that fields too many players with 73 caps for England all too frequently.
Yet, that is the calibre of player that Sol use to be. At the height of his footballing career he played for Arsenal, scoring the only goal in a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League Final. Campbell also had two goals disallowed, controversially, for England. One in extra-time against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup; the other in Euro 2004’s quarter final match against hosts Portugal. Both goals were disallowed due to infringements by other members of the team, yet if memory serves me correct, both were negligible.
However, things for Sol started to go downhill not long after he became the first high profile ‘Bosman transfer’ from Spurs to fierce rivals Arsenal. His plight of personal problems off the pitch led at times to disastrous dips in form, weeks away from the training ground and also a potentially, high profile incident in a toilet...But, whatever made Campbell unhappy in the past should not affect the idea that at Notts County he would be making a new start once more. It may even have sparked some life into him, giving Sol a fresh enthusiasm for the sport he has at times, so wonderfully played. It provided him with the opportunity to become a folk legend, the chance to be part of the reigniting of the oldest professional football league club in the world’s status. And he would be joining not only the new, vastly rich, middle-eastern owners, but also former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
So, Campbell walked out onto the turf at Meadow Lane against the height of Morecombe. Yet despite all of his experience, after playing against some of the best strikers in the world, Campbell could not guide his side even to a point, losing in his first game for the Magpies 2-1. There is a chance that life in League 2 was not going to be so cushy after all. His teammates would not have been up to his higher standard of playing, or thinking, the training facilities would not be up to his physically toned specification either, but then again this was all made up for by his higher wage packet. Yet, not even that could contain him, leading inevitably to his departure from the club after only one game.
So, Sol is once again on the downward spiral towards loneliness. His lack of ability to fit in surely played his part in his decision to end his contract prematurely. Yet, if a fellow player joined my team and was getting paid over four times as much as me, I am not sure I would go out of my way to welcome him either.
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