The sorry state of sport

I cannot bury my head in the sand any longer; I would like to pretend that the Olympic sports were beyond the scandals such as the one that recently engulfed FIFA - sadly it has become evident that they are on a par. Last week Michael Johnson admitted he feared that the recent doping convictions, and subsequent cover ups, would be more damaging to athletics than the corruption scandal was for football.

The timing could not have been worse for the sport and its athletes with the Olympics only a few months away. It is still undecided as to whether the Russian athletes will be allowed to compete this summer and now many of the British stars are voicing their concerns in the hope of extending the ban. There are so many questions. Even if the Russian team are now clean how can their competitors trust the system to monitor and eliminate the cheats? It was fraud on a national scale with seemingly all athletes from track and field taking part in the organised illegal performance enhancing drug programme. The scary part for me as an onlooker is the fact that so many knew exactly what was going on and nothing was done to prevent the careers of clean athletes being ruined.

It is the athletes themselves who are the victims in this. Spectators and athletes alike will be left questioning how many of the results we see in Rio this summer will be purely as a result of talent and hard work. I also feel for the Russian athletes as it seems that if they wanted to represent their country they had very little choice but to take drugs, I cannot imagine being in that situation.

The floodgates have opened and allegations of cheating and corruption are appearing left, right and centre in sport. Tennis has been the latest to fall foul with investigations into match fixing currently underway. I just hope none of this overshadows the clean athletes and their performances.

A late education

Never has the powerful influence of performing arts been more apparent than with the sad passing this week of two greats - musician David Bowie and actor Alan Rickman, both aged just sixty-nine. Tributes to these influential men have been flowing in and the public’s emotional outpouring has been shared across all forms of media. Beyond the obvious and immediate sadness of any death come the unanswered questions, the untold stories and often regret.

Growing up I had very little exposure to music and film; consequently I have to admit that I was not subjected to the influence of these men and their remarkable talents. The public grieving over the past week has genuinely opened my eyes to the powerful impact of their work on so many.

A large part of my musical taste was shaped by what I heard on the radio including the weekly chart show which I would record on my cassette player. If I were a teenager today, I would undoubtedly be more conversant with the music of David Bowie as his songs made up a whopping twenty five percent of last weeks sales. Testimony to the power of the media, the unexpected influence of death and the ability of great music to span generations. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and digitised back catalogues, I can discover the works of these artists all for myself and their fantastic contribution to culture will always be remembered.

As a child growing up my focus was purely on doing. I loved sport but only the partaking and this was partly due to having no television at home. I do not feel I missed out on a great deal except perhaps the wonderful music of David Bowie - the first time around. Time to update my playlist.

A football first

Until last Friday I had never watched BBC’s Match of the Day. That might have some of you spitting out your breakfast with shock but those who know me will understand my love rugby far exceeds my affection for football. I was keen to break the mold last week to support Exeter City in the FA Cup. I am an incredibly proud Devonian, combine that with a chance to get behind the underdog and I was happy to become a temporary armchair supporter.

This game caught the eye of thousands and gave Exeter City the opportunity they were ready to embrace. Through to the third round they were drawn against one of the top Premiership sides, Liverpool, seventy six league places above them. The FA Cup is the one opportunity the lower level clubs have to shake things up against the multimillion pound professional clubs, as Exeter’s manager Paul Tisdale put it “we have nothing to loose”, and they certainly proved it.

The Devon team hosted Liverpool at their central Exeter ground St James Park; the mud bath and nine thousand capacity stadium a million miles apart from Anfield. The Grecians used the home support to their advantage and rattled the visitors cage with an early lead. Liverpool quickly retaliated equalising just minutes later and suddenly looking the more dominant force. Minutes before half time Exeter still unfazed took the score to 2-1 with a single kick from the corner putting the pressure back on.

The game ended with a two all draw, a dream come true for the club and its supporters. The initial disappointment of not maintaining that lead will have soon washed over as the team prepare for the rematch at Anfield, in less than ten days time. Not only is this another opportunity to put Devon and Exeter City on the football map, it is a chance for the club to benefit financially. It has been suggested the club could be up to £1M better off after their trip up North.

Dry January

I sympathise with anyone born in January. Not only is it a dark and dismal time of year, it also falls directly after the party season when most of us are recovering financially and physically. A friend of mine has his birthday on New Years Eve. I used to feel sorry for him losing his special day amidst the nation wide celebrations, I now realise the benefits. There is no need for any forward planning or to even arrange an event, all of your friends will be keen for any type of party. A friend’s sister on the other hand was born only two days later and what a difference that makes. The 2^nd January has to be the most challenging date to arrange a party and entice your guests to let their hair down on the same scale. For starters the trend of a “dry January” is growing in popularity and only two days in most people’s will power should still be holding strong. This is then compounded by money-saving nights in accompanied by the various television offerings we are spoilt with this month. I am speaking from personal experience right now - I am happy to pack away my glad rags for at least a few weeks and replace them with warm pyjamas and a cup of hot chocolate.

The grey wet days we have been experiencing do not encourage you to venture out to the bars and restaurants or don your trainers and stick to those “get fit and healthy” resolutions. I must admit I am a slight fair weather fairy and most notably when it comes to riding my bike. On a serious note, cycling in some of the wind and rain we have seen recently would be irresponsible but thankfully there are still plenty of indoor options - so no excuses.

Time for a holiday

I am ready for a holiday. This Christmas at home in Devon has lived up to my expectations and even exceeded them; as a result I think I need some time to recover from all the excitement and social activity. The action packed week has helped me to realise just how many people I must have missed whilst spending last Christmas abroad. I have managed drinks, suppers, and walks with friends who are back from Dubai, Vancouver, Edinburgh, the Hague and even those in England that I rarely see. I am one of those fortunate people that has not needed to work over the festive period; instead my diary has been carefully managed to optimise every single minute with a social activity. One afternoon in Exeter would be the prime example. My friend and I perfected the art of the social butterfly as we attended three parties between 5pm and midnight - I must admit I was not the driver that evening.

Christmas day itself was no exception. My boyfriend and I strategically squeezed in three separate Christmas’ and therefore three sets of present opening and eating. The morning began at home, with my parents, opening stockings and presents over breakfast, before loading the car with more gifts to take up to my boyfriends family near Exeter. After plenty more festivities there we then drove west to Cornwall for the main event hosted by my sister. It was a fun yet incredibly full day that I would not have changed.

The next day I headed back up the road to Sandy Park for my first ever boxing day rugby match. A sell out crowd during the Christmas period was the perfect recipe for an incredible atmosphere. The Exeter Chiefs delivered the goods and put the icing on the cake for all of the home supporters as they delivered a nail biting win over visitors Sale Sharks. The Chiefs now remain second in the table as we head into what promises to be an exciting 2016.