Tag Archives: oldies

Barry Lane and Paul Broadhurst qualify for The Open

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Golden oldies make it through to Open: Lane and Broadhurst qualify for St Annes Old

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UPDATED:

19:05 GMT, 3 July 2012

Former Ryder Cup pair Barry Lane and Paul Broadhurst, aged 52 and 46 respectively, have both made it back into the Open Championship.

Broadhurst, whose round of 63 at St Andrews in 1990 has still to be bettered in any major, won the 36-hole final qualifying event at St Annes Old today with rounds of 70 and 67.

Booking his place: Barry Lane qualified for The Open

Booking his place: Barry Lane qualified for The Open

And with only three of the 72 players going through to Royal Lytham in a fortnight, Lane's second round 70 enabled him to finish joint second with Argentina's Rafa Echenique one behind on six under par.

Lytham will be the 682nd European Tour appearance of Lane's career, only 24 short of Sam Torrance's record.

Making his mark: Paul Broadhurst will be at The Open later this month

Making his mark: Paul Broadhurst will be at The Open later this month

His Open debut came 25 years ago and the last time he played was in 2006, while Broadhurst's debut was in 1988 – he finished as low amateur – and he last qualified three years ago.

Euro 2012: Joe Hart will be our Gordon Banks – England boss Roy Hodgson

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Hart will be our Gordon Banks! England are in safe hands with keeper, says Hodgson

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UPDATED:

23:48 GMT, 5 June 2012

Lining up a putt on the golf course last week, Steven Gerrard suddenly stopped to share something that had happened earlier in the day.

'You should have seen Joe Hart in training,' said England's captain. 'He just makes world class saves, jumps back to his feet and prepares for the next shot like nothing has happened.

'The rest of us are just looking at him, like what the hell was that But it’s just normal to him. Amazing.'

Hart beat: Manchester City keeper Joe is the undisputed England No 1

Hart beat: Manchester City keeper Joe is the undisputed England No 1

Hart is terrific, and one of Fabio Capello's regrets must be that he did not take a gamble with the then 23-year-old and hand him his fourth cap in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup against the USA.

Euro 2012

The Italian manager started the tournament with Robert Green and finished it with David James, when nobody would argue now that the most gifted of the three keepers England took to South Africa watched from the bench, a little bruised that the goalkeeping coach did not even know his name.

Franco Tancredi would call him 'John'.

Two years on and Hart is not only an English champion but the finest goalkeeper England have had since David Seaman at his peak in Euro 96.
Identifying Seaman's replacement after the 2002 World Cup, which marked a fourth consecutive tournament for old 'Safe Hands', was not easy. At Euro 2004, James was Sven Goran Eriksson's first choice. At the World Cup in 2006 Paul Robinson had the job.

Golden oldies: Peter Shilton (far left) and Gordon Banks train in 1974 at Stoke

Golden oldies: Peter Shilton (far left)
and Gordon Banks train in 1974 at Stoke

The disastrous qualification campaign for Euro 2008 ended with Scott Carson in possession of the No 1 jersey and, by the start of the 2010 World Cup, Green was in the role.

Not that Capello selected Green with any great confidence. He agonised over the selection and left it until the very last minute, concerned that Green was a conservative choice when faced with one goalkeeper he feared was a bit too old and another who was a bit too young.

How the keepers compare…

GORDON BANKS

Age on debut: 25 (1963)
England caps: 73
Clean sheets: 41 (56 per cent)

Major tournaments:
World Cup 1966, 1970
European Championship
1968, 1972

Honours: World Cup 1966,
League Cup 1964 (Leicester)
and 1972 (Stoke)

PETER SHILTON

Age on debut: 21 (1970)
England caps: 125
Clean sheets: 75 (60 per cent)

Major tournaments:
World Cup 1982, 1986, 1990
European Championship
1980, 1988

Honours: First Division 1977-78
European Cup 1979, 1980
(all Nottingham Forest)

JOE HART

Age on debut: 21 (2008)
England caps: 18
Clean sheets: 11 (61 per cent)

Major tournaments:
World Cup 2010

Honours: Premier League
2011-12, FA Cup 2011
(both Manchester City)

Roy Hodgson has no such worries this time. Hart is among the first names on his team sheet and someone the England manager likened to Gordon Banks after seeing him secure a clean sheet against Belgium on Saturday. It was his seventh in 15 starts since the last World Cup.

'If you look at the top England teams of the past, and the teams that have done extremely well in the past, we have often had a goalkeeper who people have suggested is one of the best in Europe or, in the case of Gordon Banks, one of the best in the world,' said Hodgson.

'I agree 100 per cent with Brian Clough's view on this. He always placed great faith in goalkeepers. He felt having a top goalkeeper got you a lot of points every year. He produces the save that a normal goalkeeper wouldn't and that lifts your team higher up the league.

'It also gives confidence to the defenders, which is another factor. I thought Joe was competent (against Belgium). For long periods he didn’t have a lot to do. When they don’t have a lot to do, they start to practise their kicking. They do the cleverer kicks or the better kicks.

'When they have a lot to do, they are quite happy to throw it out and get a bit of a breather.

'But I agree he will be vital. His form for Manchester City has been superb and when he has played for England he has done very well. If we are to do well there is no doubt we will need Joe Hart in top form.'

Mistake: Hart was third-choice during the World Cup in South Africa

Mistake: Hart was third-choice during the World Cup in South Africa

Hodgson's view on Hart is shared by Gary Neville, who was a member of the England defence during the years spent searching for Seaman’s successor, and he certainly sees the value of having someone of Hart's ability in goal at a tournament.

For Neville, be it in a penalty shootout or during open play, Hart could be the difference between success and failure at the European Championship.

'I’m not being disrespectful to the goalkeepers who I played with,' said Neville last week. 'But we have a great goalkeeper now and that may be the difference.

England rivals watch…

FRANCE go into their Euro 2012 Group D game against England on the back of 21 games unbeaten after two goals from Karim Benzema one each from Franck Ribery and Jeremy Menez secured a 4-0 win over Estonia in Le Mans.

SWEDEN’S Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winner from the spot after Ola Toivonen's opener was cancelled out as they beat Serbia 2-1 in Stockholm.

On Monday they take on UKRAINE, whose 2-0 loss to Turkey was their second defeat in a row.

'Look how we went out in the past. Penalties in two quarter-finals, one second phase against Argentina and a semi-final.

'Now, but for a goalkeeper save or the width of a post, we are in semis and finals. The lines are so fine. So if we get to a quarter-final and our great goalkeeper saves two or three, then we are in the semi-final.

'I’m not saying that our goalkeepers haven't done well in penalty shootouts because it is a little bit of a lottery and we have not been very good at them. But Joe Hart is excellent.'

Indeed he is, in matches and in training, and it is clearly having a hugely positive effect on the defenders.

Hodgson spoke of the confidence Hart gives them and there is no doubt that England have impressed most at the back in their two warm-up games.

Hart is the difference and, in Poland and Ukraine, Hart could be the key.

Michael Carberry"s big step on his road to recovery – Paul Newman

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Carberry's big step on his road to recovery

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UPDATED:

08:26 GMT, 10 May 2012

Wantage Road in Northampton is hardly one of cricket's most evocative venues, even now the old ground-sharing arrangement with the local Cobblers football team has long gone, but it is there today that one of cricket's most uplifting comebacks gathers momentum.

The awful early-season weather may take even more of the glamour away from England Lions' match against the touring West Indies, but for Michael Carberry it is the perfect venue for the latest significant step in his battle to conquer considerable adversity.

If Carberry's first Test cap, gained
in Bangladesh two years ago when Andrew Strauss was given the tour off,
was special then the addition of his second would be truly remarkable.

Road to recovery: Carberry's improved fitness and form could force him back into England contention

Road to recovery: Carberry's improved fitness and form could force him back into England contention

More from Paul Newman…

World of Cricket: The brilliance of England, the year of the donkey and Bumble's Jim Bowen zapper
07/09/11

All we used to hear about was Australia, now everyone looks at how England have done it
31/08/11

Paul Newman: England lose a great character as Badger takes his finals bow
24/08/11

Paul Newman: Golden oldies, transfers and new hero Tim Bresnan
17/08/11

Paul Newman: James Taylor is made for the giant step up to Test cricket
03/08/11

Paul Newman: Spin doctor Mushtaq has earned his stripes as a key cog in the England machine
27/07/11

Paul Newman: No Hugh and cry in Morris success
20/07/11

Paul Newman: Warning! Tendulkar and the Indians are here… the summer is about to get really HOT
13/07/11

VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

For there have been times during
those two years since he scored 30 and 34 opening with Alastair Cook
when far more than his cricket career was in the balance. The Hampshire
opener's very existence was threatened.

Carberry's recovery from blood clots
on his lungs to the point where he can again push his claims to be next
in line behind Strauss and Cook in the Test openers pecking order is one
of the most positive stories in English cricket.

The fact that you have not heard too
much about it is down to this private man's reluctance to talk about
the dark days when the success he found with Hampshire and England,
after failing to establish himself at Surrey and Kent, looked like
being cut tragically short.

Carberry, 31, stepped warily into the spotlight and made it clear that he would rather not speak about the illness that struck towards the end of 2010 but from which he had sufficiently and rapidly recovered by August of last year to score a triple century at the Rose Bowl against Yorkshire.

'It's been a long road to get back but I'm pleased to be here,' said Carberry, lifting the Northampton gloom.

'It's been difficult. It always is when you've been out of the game but
I'm glad to be back and scoring runs. Yes, I guess there were times
when I thought I wouldn't be back but where there's a will there's a way
and it's about state of mind.

'When
you cross that rope you have to put that (fears over his illness) to
the back of your mind. It's something that happened two years ago and I
like to keep it private. I want to be known for my cricket rather than
what I constantly have to do to stay on the field.'

It was the only real insight into what he still has to go through to prolong his career but privacy is his prerogative.

On target: Carberry played two Tests in Strauss' absence back in 2010

On target: Carberry played two Tests in Strauss' absence back in 2010

Joe Root, also in action for the Lions, may be considered the long-term successor to Strauss but if the England captain were to break a finger at Trent Bridge today it is Carberry who would be almost certain to step in for him at Lord's in the first Test next week.

And that is worth shouting from the Wantage Road rooftops.

Sammy's smile might not last

Darren Sammy was smiling yesterday as he stood in the rain and promised that the last of his missing troops, Narsingh Deonarine, will finally arrive today after visa problems to complete the West Indies tour party just a week ahead of the first Test. But their captain must surely be fearful of what lies ahead.

The tourists, deprived of key men because of the Indian Premier League and Caribbean cricketing politics, were denied proper practice at Hove by the elements and face further frustration at Northampton.

All smiles: But West Indies captain Sammy is missing a host of players

All smiles: But West Indies captain Sammy is missing a host of players

It will be a miracle if they provide meaningful opposition to England in their three-match early 'summer' series.

Diplomatic: Former Glamorgan opener James

Diplomatic: Former Glamorgan opener James

James plots The Plan

No-one is better qualified to write about the impact Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower have had as England coaches than Steve James.

The former Glamorgan opener and now one of the best cricket writers formed a firm friendship with Fletcher when he played under him in Cardiff, and has been a confidant of the Flower family for more than 20 years.

So The Plan – How Fletcher and Flower Transformed English Cricket, published next week by Bantam Press, is the most insightful cricket book of the year.

I can confirm, having been given an advance viewing of it, that it is required reading for anyone interested in how England rose from the very bottom of the Test world in 1999 to the top of the tree last year, with the two Zimbabweans being the key figures.

James has also trodden a diplomatic path in ensuring that the two, who are far from close, receive equal credit in the England success story.

Bumble's final word

The season has begun and it all kicked off at Headingley where Yorkshire could not get rid of Ajmal Shahzad quickly enough.

Now he has crossed the Pennines where the bottom line is that Lancashire have got themselves a cracking cricketer on loan.

I can tell you that both Andy Flower and Peter Moores rate Shahzad and, even though Yorkshire seem to feel differently, believe him to be a splendid chap. This is massively Lancashire's gain and Yorkshire's loss.

Masters 2012: Live coverage of day two

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THE MASTERS LIVE: All the action as it happens on day two at Augusta National

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UPDATED:

13:08 GMT, 6 April 2012

THE MASTERS – ESSENTIALS

Click here for a hole-by-hole guide

Click here for a full list of tee times

Click here for the live leaderboard

Thursday was a thriller, can Friday produce the fireworks

Stick with Sportsmail for the best live coverage of The Masters as we bring you all the action as it happens with latest scores and the best pictures from Augusta National.

Got any thoughts you'd like to share Email in your comments to chris.cutmore@dailymail.co.uk

LEADING THE WAY AT AUGUSTA

-5 Lee Westwood
-4 Louis Oosthuizen
Peter Hanson
-3 Paul Lawrie
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Francesco Molinari
Jason Dufner
Ben Crane
Bubba Watson

Click here for the full leaderboard

2.00: More good news for the golden oldies. Sandy Lyle, he of the little jig on the 18th green when winning here in 1988, has just birdied the second.

But the Big Scot has a bit of a way to go before he can think about making the cut. In fact, not much more than a casual 60 will do for Lyle after he shot 86 on Thursday. Ah, 86 – now that's a score I can relate to!

Birdie on the second for England's Simon Dyson too. He also has work to do to make the cut.

1.57: These young whippersnappers could learn a thing or two from Ian Woosnam.

The Masters champions of 1991, now a sprightly 54 years of age, has just showed the new kids on the block how to do it by scaling the previously unconquerable summit of the first hole with a birdie three.

That's just the fourth birdie on the hole this week. Woosie now four over.

1.55: And it's another birdie for Laird – he's off to a flyer with a three at the par-four third, Flowering Peach. He's two over.

1.51: Oosthuizen gets through the first unscathed – a solid par to start the South African's second round and he stays at four under par.

1.44: And Laird turns his solid start into somethingrather promising indeed – he's birdied the par-five second, Pink Dogwood, to move to three over par.

A reminder – all players within 10 shots of the leader will make the cut – currently, only eight players are below that mark, but expect that to change.

1.36: Here's the first of the leaders: Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen steps up onto the first tee, with Lee Westwood's lead in his sights.

1.35: Yep, it's certainly damp and cold out there at Augusta. Not much fun for the early starters. And they're being hit by a double whammy – the first played as the hardest hole on the course during round one.

In the trap: Italian Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari chips out of a bunker to the first green

In the trap: Italian Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari chips out of a bunker to the first green

In fact, holes 1, 4, 5 and 7 ranked among the top seven toughest on the course, so making it to the 8th tee level par looks like a very solid platform for a good round today.

1.22: Solid start for Scot Martin Laird – he's level after one – shame about the 76 yesterday though.

Also an opening par for yet another of those remarkably-named American golfers.

Here's a tip for prospective parents over the pond: give your kid an improbable name like Chez Reavie and he'll almost certainly end up as a golf professional.

Chez – who may or may not have been a character in the hit musical, Grease – is seven over, though, and facing a real battle to make the cut.

1.14: And if you wanted signs that Augusta isn't going to play fair today then how about this: there have been two double bogeys on the first hole already. And only three players have hit a putt in anger so far.

Bad news for Fernandez-Castano and Verplank fans – your men have both had sixes at the opening hole – that's the 445-yard par-four known as Tea Olive round these parts.

Meanwhile, playing partner O'Hair is tearing up the fairways at a rollicking level par after one. It's all relative, you see…

In action: Scotland's Martin Laird hits from the fairway to the second green during the second round

In action: Scotland's Martin Laird hits from the fairway to the second green during the second round

1.10: There's a long way to go yet but the question on everyone's lips after such an imperious first round is: will Westwood be blown off course

Well, he might – literally.

Reports of a change in the weather today in Georgia are coming through. It's relatively cool – the mercury is set to reach only around 18 degrees – but most worryingly things are set to get a little blowy out there. Augusta is set for gusts of up to 25mph today.

1.00: As alluded to below, It wasn't the best day for England's world No 1 yesterday. If you missed the action from scorecard-gate, check out this report on the day's action from Sportsmail's Golf Correspondent, Derek Lawrenson.

12.55: Just to complete this afternoon's tee times: Scotland's Paul Lawrie (-3) is out at 4.19 and American whizkid Keegan Bradley (-2) is up at 6.31.

Tiger Woods tees off at 6.42 in the penultimate group, while Luke Donald brings up the rear – hopefully only in temporal rather than scoring terms – at 6.53.

12.50: Day two is underway…

12.48: Some other notable tee times for you: Louis Oosthuizen, joint second behind Westwood, is the first of the leaders out. The South African tees it up at 1.34, alongside Graeme McDowell. Ian Poulter is in the following group at 1.45. American Ben Crane (-3) follows at 1.56.

Rory McIlroy heads out looking to imprive on his score of one under par at 3.35, alongside dangerman Watson. The glamoputr group of Hunter Mahan (par), Peter Hanson (-4) and Phil Mickelson (+2) follows at 3.46.

12.45: The first group – Scott Verplank, Sean O'Hair and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano- are just five minutes away from getting the second round underway.

12.40: I'm sure you need little reminding, but none other than Lee Westwood, England's world No 3 leads the Masters after a sparkling 67 on Thursday. Surely there would be no more popular winner than the jovial Worksop native. But that's all a long, long way off – particularly when Rory McIlroy is a mere four shots back, Tiger Woods is five adrift and the likes of big-hitting Bubba Watson just two strokes behind.

Westwood gets his second round underway at 2.40. We'll bring you all the news as it happens, hole-by-hole.

12.30: Afternoon. Feeling a little bit excited about day two at the Masters Thought you might be. Augusta National might limit the TV and radio coverage (the blighters) but you can keep up to date with all the latest scores and breaking stories right here.

Lee Westwood is the leader after round one of The Masters

Rio Ferdinand hails return of Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes

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Rio raving about Scholes and Henry as Manchester United defender welcomes back oldies

Rio Ferdinand is delighted two of his top five Barclays Premier League players are treading the boards on the biggest stage once more.

After making his mark on a second debut for Arsenal, Thierry Henry was followed onto the goalscoring chart by Paul Scholes on Saturday when the veteran midfielder set Manchester United on their way to victory over Bolton.

On Sunday, the pair will go head to head at the Emirates, as United head to Arsenal knowing they cannot afford to slip any further behind title favourites Manchester City.

Just like the old days: Rio Ferdinand hailed Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry

Just like the old days: Rio Ferdinand hailed Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry

The build-up is bound to include memories of great deeds from Henry and Scholes. And Ferdinand concedes there are plenty.

'It is great to see two of the best players come back,' said the veteran defender.

'If I was going to name a top-five list of players to have played in the Premier League, Scholes and Henry would be in there.

'It's fantastic for Arsenal, of course, just as it is for us to have Scholes back.

'Hopefully he's going to help us get over the line and win another couple of trophies.'

Sir Alex Ferguson reintroduced Scholes to his squad for the FA Cup tie against City without informing any of his playing staff.

Ferdinand did try to unearth the information, but, typically, Scholes was not forthcoming with any details.

Still got it: Paul Scholes

Home again: Thierry Henry

Couldn't stay away: Paul Scholes (left) and Thierry Henry are back in the big time

'I spoke to Scholesy a few weeks beforehand and asked him if he was coming back but he doesn't give anything away,' he said.

'When he met up with the squad the day before the City game, I asked him again if he was in the squad but he said he was coming to watch as part of the staff.

'I had an inkling he might be back though because he trained the day before with us but it wasn't until the kit man told me before the game that he had brought his gear that I knew for certain.'

Scholes' return has been greeted with mixed feelings, with some arguing it is a regressive step for a club trying to win a record 20th title.

The 37-year-old's two performances so far have been patchy, although he retains a calmness in possession that Ferdinand does not feel many could exude after six months out of the game.

'There are only a handful of players on the planet who could do it,' said Ferdinand.

Comfortable on the ball: Ferdinand compares Scholes to Andres Iniesta

Comfortable on the ball: Ferdinand compares Scholes to Andres Iniesta

'Iniesta, Xavi, Messi. They are the type of players who can come in at any time and look as though they could just play football at the drop of a hat at the top level. The game is so natural to them.'

And having spent so long as a team-mate, Ferdinand is acutely aware of the spin-offs that will benefit the younger members of Ferguson's squad.

'It's fantastic for the club and the team,' he said. 'More importantly, for the young players learning their trade – especially our midfielders – they can see a top player at work.

'His experience is invaluable, as well as his calmness on the pitch and his know-how of the game.

'When you've got wingers like ours and forwards who want to get in behind the defenders and attack teams, a player like him who can put the ball on a sixpence is great.'

Ferdinand is confident of being fit for the Arsenal game, and wrote on his Twitter page ON Tuesday afternoon: 'Just dispelling the rumours that I'm a doubt for sunday! Trained with the team as normal since the game saturday! Coaches ran us hard 2day!'