The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 25

The Dropkicks get into the swing of the 2007 Air NZ Cup; the Tour de France (aka Tour de Farce); Good deeds done by Curtis Martin; Iraq's win in the Asian Cup; bad 'fan' behaviour in the NRL (league) and NFL (american football); NFL player impersonations; and NRL players other than Willie Mason that the Dropkicks hate.

Download Episode 2007/25.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 20

The Dropkicks look back on the brave Canadian showing against the All Blacks, the thrilling encounter between Australia and South Africa, look ahead to the NZ Netball Championship final, reminisce on the NBA Finals, the US Open and various other sporting events.

Download Episode 2007/20.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 19

The Dropkicks review the second test of the All Black's 2007 international programme against the French (a record drubbing), other international rugby tests, England v. Estonia football, the French Tennis Open, Athlete and Dick of the Week...

Download Episode 2007/19.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 17

International rugby is now upon us, and the Dropkicks take a look at the first match-ups of the year, with Ireland v. Argentina, Wales v. Australia and England v. South Africa. Some motorsport (Indy 500), French Open Tennis, Football (Wales v. New Zealand) and a whole lot of Nintendo Wii Bowling...

Download Episode 2007/17.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 14

It's Super 14 semi-final time, and the Dropkicks are here to guide you through the tense final acts, as well as discussing the intriguing last round of pool play, which saw the top 4 teams change (nearly) after every game. There's also a bit of tennis, some America's Cup, and dick and athletes of the week...

Download Episode 2007/14.

Alan Patridge's World Cup 1994

The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding in this case ... is a football.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 07

The Dropkicks discuss week 6 of the Super 14, some Six Nations (record try-scoring!), Roger Federer's defeat to a 14 year old Russian, Cricket World Cup (hat-tricks galore!), Tiger Wood's death, and Michael Schumacher's surprise return to Formula 1.


Download Episode 2007/07.

Get 'em!

Another great photo from the world of sport:

Valencia's substitute David Navarro (not the guitarist), right, is chased by Inter Milan players after he raced on the field and punched a player at the end of their Champions League first knockout round, second leg soccer match at Valencia's Mestalla stadium

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 06

Actually managing to post the episode to the blog before this week's round of matches? Priceless.

Noizyboy, Sideline Mike and Tall Timber Tibby make do without The Mallet and Mouth of the South this week. In the surprisingly noisy environs of the Wellington Library cafe, the lads discuss the latest round of the Super 14, the Six Nations, and the Vatican World Cup of Soccer - The Clericus Cup.

Download Episode 2007/06.

British v foreign footballers

Another good story from PopBitch, of all places (the previous Quote of the Week story was also sourced from there.) This tells the story of Ian Walker and Espen Baardsen, Tottenham Hotspur's goalies a decade back...

Walker in those days said his greatest ambition was "to be marooned on a desert island with an endless supply of lager, women and Sky TV." Sadly, Ian recently checked into Tony Adams' Sporting Chance Clinic suffering from depression, after a spell in Las Vegas. He visited on a property investment trip but instead met and shacked up with an exotic dancer, without telling his wife and children.

While at Spurs, American-born Norwegian Baardsen took an Open University degree in social sciences and economics. He retired aged 25, saying he had lost his passion for the game and spent a year travelling the world. Baardsen now works for London based asset management firm Eclectica as an analyst, after training at a Hedge Fund. He says his preferred reading is Milton Friedman and Immanuel Kant.

Quote of the day...

From Chelsea's Wayne Bridge (nicknamed 'Trigger', apparently, after the dim-witted character from TV show Only Fools and Horses). After winning the Carling Cup knockout competition, Wayne was reported to have said...

I don't care what happened during the game, we got the three points and that's all that counts.

Nice one, Wayne.

Wayne Rooney: goal v. Portsmouth

Wayne Rooney shows a nice touch when he shapes to cross, or maybe to blast one home, but then chips the goalie from the edge of the goalbox. Nice.



From Manchester United's 2-1 win over Portsmouth.

The Dropkicks - 2007 - Episode 01

Yes, we're back, better, badder, and, thanks to various technical hitches and non-related work deadlines, later than ever.

This week: some Super 14 pre-season analysis, A1GP, Australian Open Tennis, Dakar Rally, World Record Distance Skateboarding, Beleaguered NZ Knights season review, and other bits and pieces...

Download Episode 37.

Auckland City v. Al Ahly - World Club Championships 2006: video highlights

As mentioned the other day, NZ's football champs Auckland City (not to be confused with the Beleaguered NZ Knights, who play in Australia's A-League), were the Oceania representatives at this year's FIFA Club World Cup. Here's the goal highlights from their match against African champs Al Ahly...

Beleaguered New Zealand Knights 'embarrassing'

Now even the NZ Herald is calling them the "Beleaguered New Zealand Knights"! Brilliant.

In the latest twist in the tale of our favourite under-performing football club (won 3, drawn 6 and lost 28 of their 37 matches since the A-League commenced last year) it seems their license is to be revoked (license to shoot? never really had one to start with, did they?), and that the Football Federation of Australia looks likely to hand over running of the club to New Zealand Soccer in the short-to-medium term while new owners for the club were found. From the Herald story...

Speculation is mounting that the FFA snatch back ownership of the Knights' licence with five weeks remaining in the A-League season, as they did with the Perth franchise in March.

The Sydney Morning Herald today said the FFA's patience with the ownership and direction of the under-performing Knights had run out. It would make its move to give potential new owners as much time as possible to bid for the franchise next season.

NZS chief executive Graham Seatter had no idea when or if the FFA would claim back the licence but confirmed he had been asked less than a week ago if NZS would be prepared to assist in the running of the club until their final round match on January 21.

"Why wouldn't we?" Seatter told NZPA.

"At the end of the day it would be an embarrassment if a New Zealand team defaulted at the end of that competition.

"We're committed to make sure that doesn't happen."

Knights management were unavailable for comment this morning.

To the new owners: can we just get more kiwis playing in the side? If a bunch of 'technically limited' NZ amateurs can put on a semi-respectable show at the World Club Champs (losing 2-0 to African champs Al Ahly), then surely we can put together a mostly professional local team that can compete with some Aussie clubs? Surely?

Whoops

What happens when you employ the Dumb & Dumber as your stretcher-bearers...?

Own Goal scores again!

Real Madrid are through to the final 16 of the 2006 European Champions League, thanks to a 1-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest.

"Own Goals" - top scorer for the "Beleaguered New Zealand Knights" (their new, official title) - turned out recently for Steaua Bucharest in their clash against the Spanish football mega-club, and with the help of Steaua defender Banel Nicolita, scored the winning goal in the 70th minute with a deft back pass that went straight into the back of the net.

Here's the moment of horror...



We have but one question? Just what was the goalie doing? Praying to Mecca in the middle of a game?

"I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist."

Following Luton's 2-3 defeat to QPR in England's Division One League over the weekend, Luton Manager Mike Newell decided the female line assistant was to blame...

She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here? We have a problem in this country with political correctness - bringing women into the game is not the way to improve refereeing and officialdom. If you start bringing in women you have big problems. It is tokenism for the politically correct idiots.

Replace 'women' with 'blacks', and 'sexist' with 'racist', to better highlight the sheer idiocy of this statement.

Needless to say, all hell is broken loose in the UK media, Newell has since apologised (or not, depending on how you read it), and it now appears his job may be on the line as a result of his outburst. Idiot.

[Update: one of the better commentary pieces on the affair has been written by Zoe Williams over at Guardian Unlimited.]