Breathing Relief™ Sport

Arsenals Boxing Day match against wolves has been moved back 24 hours after a proposed tube strike. The match will now be played on Tuesday the 27th December at 3pm. This change means that arsenal now face a hectic time as the move means they have three matches in one week. Their other two matches against QPR and Fullham will commence on their set dates. The strikes will also affect Chelsea who are playing Fullham on the 26th December, but they have chosen not to reschedule. A High Court judge was expected to decide on Thursday whether to halt the planned Boxing Day strike by drivers involved in a pay row.

Also to add to the planned strike on London Underground on Boxing Day, there would have been no services functioning on overground train services into London.

All tickets purchased for this match are still valid for Tuesday, December 27.

Dereck Chisora is a Zimbabwean-born English professional heavyweight boxer, and is a former British heavyweight champion. (He lost his title to Tyson Fury on 23 July 2011). He was also the Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion in 18 September 2010 - 15 July 2011 but once again was succeeded by Tyson Fury.


Up coming fights.

Friday, December 23 -- at Bangkok, Thailand
WBC flyweight title: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam vs. Hirofumi Mukai
WBC light flyweight title: Adrian Hernandez vs. Kompayak Porpramook

Friday, December 30 -- at Palm Springs, CA
Jermain Taylor vs. Jessie Nicklow
Andre Dirrell vs. Darryl Cunningham

Saturday, December 31 -- at Anaheim, CA (Showtime)
IBF light heavyweight title: Tavoris Cloud vs. Zsolt Erdei
WBA super bantamweight title: Rico Ramos vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux

Saturday, March 3 -- at Düsseldorf, Germany
WBC heavyweight title: Vitali Klitschko vs. TBA

Saturday, March 17 -- at TBA, USA (HBO)
Sergio Martinez vs. TBA

Saturday, April 14 -- at Copenhagen, Denmark
WBO super middleweight title: Robert Stieglitz vs. Mikkel Kessler

England’s greatest Fly Half, Jonny Wilkinson, has announced he is retiring. Over his career he has had many memorable games to make him one of the best players in the history of English rugby, his biggest moment was after scoring the winning drop goal in the last minute of extra time against Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.

The 32 year old will go down in rugby history for not only being a strong kicker but all round strong player. I have picked out some of his greatest moments of his career to highlight this great role model and player. Because of a succession of injuries affecting his knee ligaments, arm, shoulder and kidney, Wilkinson's international career was severely disrupted (but this would not stop him). He did not appear again for England after the 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph, until the opening game of the 2007 Six Nations Championship against Scotland on 3 February 2007. In his comeback international match, Wilkinson scored 27 points and was proclaimed Man of the Match.

The following week against Italy, he became the highest point-scorer in the history of the Five/Six Nations Championship.

On 6 October 2007, he also became the highest point-scorer in the history of the Rugby World Cup, kicking four penalties to overtake Scotland's Gavin Hastings in a quarter-final against Australia

In a 2008 Six Nations Championship match against Italy, he became the first English player (and second overall) to score 1000 Test points. He is also the world record drop goal scorer in international rugby with a total of 36

In March 2008, he became the highest international point-scorer, overtaking Neil Jenkins of Wale

Injury forced him to miss out on the 2010 autumn internationals, in the process losing his position as the all-time leading points scorer in test rugby to Dan Carter. However, Wilkinson reclaimed the record during the 2011 Six Nations Championship, a tournament during which he came off the bench in each of England's five games.

Then the unavoidable happened on December 12 2011, he announced his retirement from Test Rugby.

After 91 caps, 1,246 Test points, and one World Cup-winning drop-goal Jonny Wilkinson has retired from international rugby. Does he deserve to go down as the greatest England player of all time?

Yes.

European heavyweight title fight result scandal in Helsinki  

Promoter Frank Warren was fuming after claiming that Derek Chisora’s points defeat by Robert Helenius was one of the worst decisions that he had encountered for a long time. Derek Chisora, a user of the Breathing Relief Nasal Dilator when training, fought one of his best fights to date and the points decision in favour of Helenius was branded by trainer Freddie Roach as just terrible. Warren will lodge an objection with the European boxing union and supply a recording of the fight. He feels sure that he will have the support of the British Boxing Board of Control and his claims in demanding a rematch.

Gary Speed, the manager of the Wales national team was found dead by his wife in their mansion on Sunday. The police have confirmed that the 42 year old’s death was suicide by hanging. Only hours earlier he was on the BBC1 football focus talking about his hope for next year.

At the Welsh Assembly building in Cardiff, flags were flying at half-mast today in respect and fans and friends show their support by putting down flowers and shirts outside the ground where he use to play. This has been a shocking event for everyone in the sporting world.

A man draped in Celtic top could be viewed strolling on to the bus with what resembled a carrier bag brimming with bananas. In an era when men sported Graeme Souness moustaches and Frank McAvennie mullets as standard practice, the sight of fruit in Glasgow seemed like an odd occurrence, even before the latest helping of a touchy fixture that has never ceased to throw up large sequences of unplanned mayhem.

It later transpired that the bananas were intended for the black player Mark Walters, a winger who had signed for Rangers from Aston Villa hours before the match.
The bananas shamefully lay strewn before a drenched 'Jungle' area of the old Celtic Park, a spot not far from where Celtic's enthusiastic band of supporters known as the 'Green Brigade' can be found on match days in the revamped ground. This singing section of ultras support the team while also making their political feelings on wider issues, especially relating to the political make-up of Ireland, be known.

It has been 23 years since Walters was racially abused at Celtic Park. With a mission statement that describes itself as 'a broad front of anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-sectarian Celtic supporters', it is perhaps inconceivable that a member of the Green Brigade or the wider Celtic-minded family would racially abuse a player, but old habits die hard in small splinter groups of the Glasgow club's vast support.

Celtic have endured problems policing IRA chants away from home, but their emergence on their own doorstep in recent times is something that must be handled with the realisation that while they may be offensive/illicit and unwanted, such chants may not be illegal.
This morning I heard on the radio that racism is not in the game of footballs anymore but has it really changed much from 23 years ago. Society has but it seems that a handful of football fans and maybe even some plays will be staying in there primitive minds.

By Sophie Mccormack

A massive defensive effort saw England cling on to a shock 1-0 win over world champions Spain in a friendly match at Wembley. The game saw 3 yellow cards and a whopping 8 substations.
England snatched an unlikely win against the world champions Spain with Frank Lampard's header proving to be a historic moment among the England fans.
Much of the crowd at Wembley had gathered to see the world champions rather than their own team. However, the English support provided England with a boost in confidence.
It was a well-organized, functional home side who worked hard for their victory. Scott Parker was tackling all over the pitch; Joleon Lescott was solid in defence while Frank Lampard provided his trademark goal to deem Vincent Del Bosque side to an unlikely defeat.
However, the first half was a boring affair. Spain couldn't find the incision required to work past the English defence, and their only clear cut chance fell to Sergio Busquets whose many qualities doesn't involve clinical finishing, England's sole shot came from Lampard, who had a pop from a distance as he was without passing options.
The second half served for a much more entertaining contest. England ventured out more from their comfort zone, and it was from a set piece that the winning goal came. James Milner's whipped in a free kick, which Darren Bent headed onto the post. Pepe Reina, coming on at half-time, was committed and as the ball rebounded, Lampard was the first to react heading it in from all of three inches.
England was still content to sit back and attack on the counter while Spain marauded forward in search of the equalizer. David Villa was unlucky to see his half-volley come back off the post, while substitute Cesc Fabregas missed a sitter late in the game.
England defended for all they were worth, and at full time, they would have been content with their victory which was just about deserved.

Fifa has agreed that the England, Scotland and Wales teams can wear poppies on black armbands during the upcoming internationals. As an alternative to having embroidered poppies on their shirts, the FA had previously said England players would wear black armbands during the game and lay a wreath on the pitch during the national anthems.

The progress came after Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron wrote to Fifa asking that England be allowed to wear shirts embroidered with poppies. The Fifa bans political, religious or commercial messages on shirts.

The Fifa announcement of the compromise came shortly after it was revealed that the Duke of Cambridge had written a letter to world football's governing body in his position as president of the FA.

England and Wales have agreed to the compromise. Scotland will consult their opponents before making a decision. England will be wearing the armbands in Saturday's friendly against Spain.
England and Wales' rugby league players will be wearing poppies on their shirts this weekend, along with the other two teams - Australia and New Zealand - involved in the Four Nations.

To assure us that the FA are doing enough for remembrance day they have relisted a list of what will be happening to show their respect and mark Remembrance Day in a number of ways.

1. The England players will wear black armbands during the Spain game on Saturday. These armbands will have poppies on them
2. The FA will place a poppy wreath on the pitch during the national anthems
3. There will be a one-minute silence ahead of kick-off
4. Players will wear training tops with embroidered poppies on match day
5. Players will wear poppy-embossed anthem jackets during the national anthems
6. Military representatives will be in the presentation party prior to kick-off
7. The FA has donated 500 England v Spain tickets to 'Tickets for Troops', for members of the Armed Forces, and 1,000 tickets for the England v Sweden game on Tuesday (this is standard FA policy for Wembley matches)
8. The England senior squad will train at Wembley on Friday ahead of the Spain game. They will observe the two-minute silence at 11am, all wearing training tops embossed with poppies. This session will be broadcast live
9. The training tops embossed with poppies will be passed onto forces' charities post-match as auction items for fund raising
10. The poppy will be visible around Wembley on Saturday, on the scoreboards and advertising boards, and poppy sellers will be in the stadium to allow supporters to donate to the poppy fund and show their support
11. On Thursday, England Under-21s play Iceland in Colchester and England U19s play Denmark in Brighton. All players and staff will be wearing poppies pre- and post-match
12. Both the Under-21s and U19s will observe a one-minute silence, too, at their games - the Under-21s will do so alongside troops from Colchester barracks.

This list was taken from the FA website: http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/search?s=poppies

WWE is not a sport I partially watch much of, or know much about. Although for Halloween I made a special exception to watch it, and I hope for those of you who read this will agree this is not one to miss. Not only is he the biggest Muppet. He’s the biggest Muppet in the world. Kermit the frog and miss piggy guest star for a Halloween special in the WWE fighting ring.

Kermit - “and I thought our show was weird.”

http://www.skysports.com/skysportsnews/video/0,,13987_7285177,00.html


By Sophie McCormack

England and Saracens scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery. The 28-year-old damaged his anterior cruciate knee ligament during Sunday's LV= Cup clash with Exeter. Wigglesworth, who was part of England's World Cup squad, will miss the whole of the 2012 Six Nations championship. It's one of those horrible rugby injuries," added McCall. He was operated on Wednesday afternoon. He'll be out for seven to nine months.

""He's been brilliant for Saracens. I thought he was very good in England's World Cup warm-up matches and in the game time he got in the World Cup, and he came back confident and buzzing to play. He's a player who has worked incredibly hard to get back into English contention and he did that because he deserved it.
McCall – ‘Unfortunately these things happen. It's the first injury he's ever had, the longest he's been out is two weeks so we feel desperate for him but we know he'll bounce back’

Nicola Adams became the first British woman to win a major boxing title with victory at the European championships.

NICOLA ADAMS
Born: 26/10/82
From: Leeds
Class: Flyweight
Weight: 51kg
Club: Haringey ABC
Career so far:
Euro silver medal, 2007
World silver medal, 2008
World silver medal, 2010
Euro gold medal, 2011

England's Adams, who is part of GB Boxing's Olympic squad, beat Sarah Ourahmoune of France 15-8 in the flyweight final in Rotterdam. There were also silver medals for Lynsey Holdaway of Wales and England's Lisa Whiteside in non-Olympic categories.

Adams had already beaten Ourahmoune this year on her way to winning the European Union Championships in June, but a repeat looked uncertain when she trailing behind 2-0 after the first round and 4-3 after the second. However, a more hostile Adams took charge in the third and managed to take the lead at 9-6 going into the fourth.

Adams had been the first English female boxer to win a medal at a major tournament when she won European silver in 2007, and has since collected two silvers at world level, but this was her first experience of gold in a major tournament.

And having not won a European medal since Adams in 2007, England ended the week in Rotterdam with a best-ever haul of four.

Adams finished by saying:
"I said before the tournament I was hoping to get gold. I was determined and would not be denied and I'm bringing this gold back to England. I was down after the first round but, again, I was determined.”

PARK PAYS OFF!

At the Emirates, Arsenal beat Bolton by two goals to one moving them two steps forward to the quarter finals. Wengers choice to play Park paid off as both Park and Arshavin scored goals.

Bolton made eight changes to the side (that was beaten by Sunderland) for the weekend Carling Cup fourth round fight at Arsenal. Only Gary Cahill and Darren Pratley kept hold of their places at the Emirates.

Arsenal changed all 11 players from the team that beat Stoke City. The Arsenal fans were glad at the return of Vermaelen after his long injury spell.

The Chosen Teams

Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Gardner, Tuncay, Pratley, Muamba, Mark Davis, Kakuta, Klasnic.
Subs: Eagles, Reo-Coker, Blake, Jaaskelainen, Ngog, Wheater, Riley.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Yennaris, Squillaci, Vermaelen (c), Miquel, Coquelin, Frimpong, Benayoun, Chamberlain, Arshavin, Park.
Subs: Mannone, Ryo, Aneke, Boateng, Meade, Ozyakup, Watt.

In the 8th minute of the match Arsenal acquired their first chance for a goal as they got a corner. Arshavin took the corner and found the head of Miquel, but the defender’s header did not find the target and went wide.

During the 27th minute of the game a Yellow Card (the only one of the match) was given to Sébastien Squillaci. Obtained after he cut off a Bolton attack on the half way line.

The 47th minute saw its first goal of the game as Fabrice Muamba the previous Arsenal man put Bolton up 1-0, Muamba made a good run holding off a pass. He sooner or later put it in to the path of Pratley who took two touches and tapped it back to Muamba who fired the ball into the top of the net.

The 53rd minute and Arsenal secured back an equalizing goal to make 1-1. Arshavin charged towards Knight, he smashed a shot hard into the bottom corner through the legs of Knight who tried to block but didn’t stand a chance.

The 56th minute Goal scorer Arshavin again picked up the ball and ran at the Bolton defence. This time he played to Park (finally gets himself onside) who was 15 yards from the goal and he easily finished, moving the ball past Bogdan finally scoring another Goal! 2-1 Arsenal.

The game saw four minutes of extra-time. Arsenal still controlling the game. Although Wenger was moaning about the amount of stoppage.

Final score 2-1 to the Arsenal and well deserved too.

Arsenal and Bolton first played each other way back in 1899 and this will be their 132nd match against each other. But it’s the first time they have met in the League Cup.
For Bolton, the game is perhaps a welcome break from their league woes. Wanderers are third from bottom of the table and Sunday's home defeat against Sunderland was their third loss in four matches.

One of those defeats was against Arsenal, who beat them 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium only last month. Having also recently been hammered 5-1 by Chelsea and 5-0 by Manchester United, Bolton are possibly sick of the sight of the top flight's heavyweights.

A win tonight would see them reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2005-06 season. It would also see Arsenal lose out on a place in the last eight for the first time in nine years. The Gunners are yet to lose at the Emirates Stadium in the League Cup. They have won their last seven home matches in this competition, scoring 21 goals in the process and conceding only two. Arsenal last went out at the fourth round stage in November 1999, when they lost at Middlesbrough on penalties.

Wenger – ‘I know Park will prove his worth’ let’s hope he proves it tonight and keeps arsenals hopes alive.