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There has been a major shake up in the world of South African cricket, ahead of their tour in India which starts on February 6th. Coach Mickey Arthur, who was never one to shy away from expressing his personal views, has stepped down from his position, and the board of selectors have also been cleared out. Selectors Mustapha Khan, Craig Matthews and the awesomely named Winky Ximiya have all made way from their position.

The Proteas, who salvaged a Test series draw against England on home turf, could be suffering from a case of political head butting, as Arthur cited too many differences between himself and Cricket South Africa. Apparantly all of this means that he could not take the team in the direction in which he wanted. Corrie van Zyl has stepped in an interim coach, and will lead the national side in their difficult tour in India. There had been many rumblings that Arthur and South African captain Graeme Smith simply did not get, on, but Arthur suggests otherwise, that simply he and the CSA didn’t weren’t heading in the same direction.

Arthur had been at the helm of South African cricket for five years, elevating them to the position of being the best team in the world. Apparently the list of results was not good enough the powers that be, and this caused conflict. South Africa failed to produce in any tournaments in 2009, and the most recent failure to punish England in the Test series, clearly didn’t help matters behind the scenes either. Their world status had appeared to have started to flatter to deceive. The tour in India now takes on extra precendence in which direction the future of South African cricket really takes.

India to win: Evens at Blue Square
Drawn Series: 9/4 at William Hill
South Africa: 3/1 at SkyBet

A lot of the sport around the UK has been cancelled or postponed due to the adverse weather gripping Great Britain and Ireland. As fun as it is to step outside and build snowmen and throw snowballs at younger siblings, the one downside to the sub-zero temperatures and snow fall that has befallen the UK, is that it causes havoc with the sporting calendar. Already on Wednesday, the Carling Cup Semi Final First Legs between Blackburn v Aston Villa, and the much anticipated Manchester City v Manchester United clashes got wiped out, along with Bolton’s trip to the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League. Generously, Arsenal have said that they will pay the costs incurred by Bolton fans who had travelled south for the match, as the game was not officially called off until five hours before kick off. Some plucky travellers had already made their way to London, and the Gunners have admirably stepped up to the plate to reimburse the hardened Bolton fans.

Premier League Matches Off
The Premier League fixture list is leading the way in cancellations, a lot of the major safety concerns over the fans’ collective safety in making their way to football stadia across the nation. League leaders Chelsea have had their game against Hull called off, along with Burnley v Stoke, Fulham v Portsmouth and Sunderland v Bolton. This will give Manchester United the chance to race to the top of the league, if they can win at Birmingham in their match. The St Andrews pitch is fine, and staff have been working around the clock to keep the surrounding areas clear, but there still remains the chance of it being called off if overnight ice plagues the area too much. This is much the case with other matches.

The big Sunday afternoon showdown between Liverpool and Tottenham has also definitely fallen foul of the terrible weather though, and the game between Wigan v Aston Villa is in some jeopardy because of some failing under-soil heating. There will be a morning inspection at the DW Stadium to see if the game goes ahead or not.

Championship, League One and League Two Matches Off
The Premier League, is of course, not the only league affected. The Championship has been hit just as hard, with seven matches called off already, including leader’s Newcastle’s visit to Reading. Such is the chaos, only three matches remain in the Championship at the moment, and these are Cardiff v Blackpool, Coventry v Barnsley and Derby v Scunthorpe.
There are just two games in League One which have survived so far, and they are games involving the top two teams, Leeds v Wycombe and Norwich v Exeter.
If you are the supporter of a League Two team, then you may as well just stay in bed with a hot chocolate, as all matches in the league have been cancelled already. All FA Trophy games have also been cancelled.

Horse Racing Matches Off
The meetings at Ffos Las, Punchestown, Sedgefield and Wincanton have all been called off for Saturday, so you will probably need to get online and play some virtual racing at your online bookmakers, like SportingBet provide, if you need to fill the void. There will definitely be no snow there! Alternatively you can seek out some horse racing from across the pond, as providers like Stan James offer good coverage on US and Canadian meetings. Sunday’s meetings at Hereford and Leopardstown have also been cancelled, as well as Monday’s cards at Taunton and Ayr. Newcastle’s meeting for Tuesday has already been cancelled too. That all pretty much puts an end to the National Hunt racing for the weekend.
Incidentally, Lingfield (which ran on Friday) and Kempton will hold inspections on Saturday morning, and Catterick will be checked on Monday ahead of Thursday’s race card.

Rugby Union Matches Off
Yep, even those hardened, rugged, tough Rugby players get to miss out on their sporting action this weekend, and can sit at home sipping tea in their gown and slippers. Leaders Saracens will get a break this weekend, as their match with Sale was called off, more due to the safety of spectators than anything to do with the pitch. It will be a quiet weekend in the Guinness Premiership as there is only one surviving fixture there so far, and that is the meeting of Leicester v Wasps (if you’re looking for a good bet on this, then Leicester -7 Handicap with BetFred at 4/5 looks pretty decent). Note that this match has been brought forward to a 3.30pm kick off from its scheduled 5.15 start.

With all this disruption for the weekend ahead, the punter in you need not fret. There is plenty of action still going on around in the British Isles and across the World. Why not take advantage of this, as it a great time to stay indoors and feast your eyes over some indoor sports. It is times like this when it is perfectly acceptable to be an armchair fan.

Snooker On!
The Snooker Masters start on Sunday, with Jimmy White playing Mark King. As a big snooker fan, I want to see him win, but remember to bet with your head and not your heart. King should win it (1/2 at Ladbrokes best price). Tough to call a winner for the tournament from outside Ronnie O’Sullivan (11/4 at SkyBet), but personally I fancy Mark Selby at an each way bet at 10/1 with BetFred).

Darts On!
The BDO Darts Championship is at the semi final stages. Sadly it doesn’t have that precious darting factor of having Sid Waddell’s awesome commentary on the games, as he takes care of the PDC Darts coverage, but all the same, it is a chance to enjoy some top flight darts. Martin Adams (11/8 at Boylesports) is favourite but do not discount top seed Tony O’Shea who is out at a very generous 3/1 also with Boylesports.

Tennis On!
No bad weather down under, or out in the middle East, where all of the new season of Tennis is getting underway on the WTA and ATP Tours. There’s a Rafael Nadal v Nikolay Davydenko final, Andy Murray and Laura Robson taking on Spain in the final of the Hopman Cup, Andy Roddick charging towards the Brisbane Open title, and a dream final in the WTA Brisbane final between Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Clijsters. A nice double would be Clijsters and Nadal to win their respective Final matches (both 8/11 at Stan James).

So, Keep the laptop handy, as this is the perfect opportunity to play with live in-play match betting with your online bookmaker. They should all provide that service, as with Virtual Sports as well (which Bet365 incidentally run a great service of). If you need a bookmaker, then have a quick look around at any of the links on this website, and take advantage of some excellent sign up offers, many of which will involve you receiving some kind of free bet.

Next Bolton Wanderers Manager

As Bolton head into the new year as a relegation occupier, the fans appear to have gotten their own way as those high and mighty at Bolton swiftly gave Gary Megson the boot this morning, leaving the club without a manager ahead of their FA Cup clash with Lincoln City on Saturday.

The Bolton fans, who have been unhappy with Megson’s arrival since day one, won’t be at all surprised with his departure but more relieved as Megson’s unattractive style and tactics has never gone down well with the fans in his two year tenure at the club. Bolton’s failure to hold onto a 2-0 lead against Hull City on Tuesday night, combined with Gary Megson’s decision to substitute the scorer of Bolton’s opening goal, Ivan Klasnic, led to disgruntled fans leaving The Reebok early, and it appeared the disappointing draw with Hull was the last straw as the club aim to get out of the predicament they are in before the January transfer market kicks into life.

With an old departure comes a fresh face but who will take over the reigns at Bolton? For now, Chris Evans (Not the annoying ginger DJ but the Bolton Assistant Manager) and Steve Wigley, will take charge in the meantime until a permanent manager is found. However, it didn’t take some bookies long to open up the ‘Next permanent Bolton manager’ market and we already have a frontrunner in Paul Jewell (5.00 Coral), although former Man City manager, Mark Hughes, has been hotly tipped to jump straight back into management but we don’t see that happening any time soon, especially not at a club such as Bolton Wanderers as that would be one mighty fall from grace after spending gazillions at Man City.

Instead, someone like Gareth Southgate at 17/1 with various bookmakers, seems a more than reasonable punt in what is basically the managerial version of ‘finding a needle in a haystack’. Southgate has expressed his desire to return to management on several occasions since his sacking from Middlesborough just a mere few months ago. I’m not sure if Southgate’s style of management will suit Bolton but he will have January to pick a few of his own providing Bolton hand him a half-decent kitty.

Another who will attract a fair few wagers is Alan Curbishley. The former; Charlton Athletic & West Ham manager has now been out of managerial work for some time now, nearly two years in fact, and I could actually see Curbishley on the Bolton touchline. He has relegation stricken club experience after tough spells with Charlton & West Ham, and he was even linked to the England post before Steve McClaren flopped for us instead, so he’s clearly a wanted man.

Also, Darren Ferguson maybe interested in an instant return to management if the call does arrive after the son of Man Utd legend, Sir Alex Ferguson, was controversially sacked by Peterborough in November, despite leading the club to back-to-back promotions from League 2 up to The Championship. Bolton, though, is a big step up for him but he would certainly thrive on such a challenge after leaving Peterborough on bitter terms, and we’re quite confident he would accept the post, but we aren’t sure if the Bolton board would be interested in his services just yet.

There are a whole host of former managers being linked with the vacant post and a whole host more will come soon enough. However, we advise caution as there is always someone who knows a little something and the market can become distorted very quickly. Also, be careful of any loose information. Bookies will jump on an excuse to dramatically lower the price of a possible manager just to entice punters and get them excited. Some common sense and know-how is required in this sort of market.

Our Proposals:

Gareth Southgate (Our more fancied selection) – 17/1 SkyBet

Alan Curbishley – 10/1 WilliamHill

Darren Ferguson – 9/1 BlueSquare

Next Permanent Bolton Manager:

Paul Jewell – 4/1 Coral

Peter Reid – 6/1 VCbet

Mark Hughes – 13/2 BlueSquare

Darren Ferguson – 9/1 BlueSquare

Alen Curbishley – 10/1 WilliamHill

Gareth Southgate – 17/1 SkyBet

Alan Pardew – 16/1 Boylesports

Alan Irvine – 25/1 Coral

Steve Coppell – 25/1 SkyBet

Steve McClaren – 25/1 BetFred

Steve Wigley – 25/1 SkyBet

(There are plenty of others – Too many!)

The legend that is Michael Schumacher is back where he belongs, behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. The 41 year has come out of retirement to secure a drive with Mercedes for the 2010 season. There were speculations that he was about to sit in as a reserve driver last season, and since getting in training for that, the German, seven times World Champion has been tempted back. Schumacher is not just back as a token gesture though, he fully intents to challenge for the Driver’s Championship, currently held by Jenson Button, who won the title for Brawn, which is the Mercedes team re-branded. How easy will it be for him to step back into the sport?

F1 has sped up considerably in terms of lap times since Schumacher retired, and he will have to compete with guys who have been living at the edge of the modern racing times, like Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. He will at least be sitting in one of the most competitive cars on the track, and combined with his own super-competitiveness, he will probably still be some kind of threat. But, he will not only be in a battle against other drivers, but how much will his age affect his performances, when it comes down to racing against men who are predominantly in their twenties?

Other F1 racing news has seen the introduction of Richard Branson’s Virgin team. Branson, who invested heavily last year in Brawn, has spread his wings and is competing under the new Manor team next season, being called Virgin Racing. Driving for Virgin will be Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, and the team are optimistic, yet realistic about their ability to even win one race in 2010. This is highlighted in the price of 150/1 at Blue Square for him to win the Drivers Championsip. Richard Branson has even laid down a challenge to AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes, that the Virgin team will finish ahead of Fernandes’ Lotus team. In a friendly bet, Branson said that Fernandes could come and work on Virgin airlines as a stewardess, if Virgin beats Lotus over the season (and vice versa should he lose).

But all of the hype next season will be focused on Michael Schumacher, and of course, the Bookmakers of the world have jumped all over the news. So let’s take a look around as some of the prices you can get on Mr Schumacher’s return to the glitz and glamour of the Formula One scene. For starters, Schumacher is already at 6/1 with Coral to win the Drivers Championship outright, and he is 8/15 at 888Sport to win a race during the season.

England Fans Player of the Year

Naturally as we had towards the end of the calendar year, it is time to dust off all the trophies and awards. The English FA are getting in on the act, asking England football fans to choose who they believe has been the national side’s best player of the year. England have had a successful year under Fabio Capello, qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, with only one defeat in their Qualification Group. Capello, who is a tactician probably unlike any other England has ever had at the helm, has brought a larger degree of confidence, which has seen them grow into a world force. At full fitness England have a team to compete, at least going forward where they have been scoring freely all year. Wayne Rooney of course leads the field in that area, ably backed up from midfield by Frank Lampard. Those two players are the stand-out leading candidates to take the England Fan’s Player of the Year. The work undertaken at the back is often overlooked when it comes to voting, and certainly only Chelsea’s John Terry and Ashley Cole have stood out in the England defence.

Voters will need to go the FA’s website in order to cast their vote, but as always, this is a great opportunity for Bookmakers to open a market. John Terry, Frank Lampard and Glen Johnson are the three players who have made the most appearances in the last twelve months, playing 10 out of the 11 matches. Not one player has appeared in all twelve matches. So who is likely to win the award? It looks as if it will come down to two players, Lampard and Rooney as they have been the most consistent and outstanding performers through the World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign. Steven Gerrard’s injury will keep him out of the genuine running, while Jermain Defoe’s impressive displays have all come off the bench.

England Fans Player of the Year Betting
Wayne Rooney – 1/8 at Blue Square
Frank Lampard  – 8/1 at 888Sport
Steven Gerrard – 14/1 at Blue Square
Jermain Defoe – 16/1 at 888Sport
John Terry – 20/1 at Blue Square
David Beckham – 33/1 at 888Sport

It will be an exciting day of sports on Sunday, when the Pukka Pies UK Championship of Snooker draws to a conclusion, along with the 9-ball Pool Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas, Liverpool and Arsenal will have finished their big Premier League match, and the evening will be rounded off with the Sports Personality of the Year from Sheffield.

The Sports Personality of the Year is the end of calendar year award ceremony which gives the British public the chance to vote for the sporting icon who best represents capturing the imagination of the public. With a strong cast of 10 this year, it shows that Britain continues to be well represented across the world at the top of the highest level of sports. So who represents the best chance of picking up the honourable prize of being Britain’s favourite sports star of the year?

There is one clear favourite, and that is F1 Driver Jenson Button, who, on the back of a spectacular driving start to the season, won the Driver’s Championship for the first time. He had a strong, blitzing start when he won 6 out of the first 7 Grands Prix. It was then a strong battle of determination and resilience for Button to get to the finish line of winning the title. Other driver’s started to come back into form and Button had to dig really deep, but he showed a lot of control and composure to get the job done in the end. The victory in winning the F1 Driver’s Championship, means that Button joins an elite list of British Driver’s who have won the title. It is the pinnacle of driving in a dangerous sport, and that is what will likely give Button the edge on Sunday night.

One person, from Athletics, which is represented well  this year, who could come close to beating Button, would be Jessica Ennis. Despite missing out on the Olympics due to injury, she roared back to a massive personal best at the World Athletics Championships, when she led all the way from the first to the seventh event. The Heptathlon is one of the toughest, most gruelling sports in women’s Athletics, and it is a field which the UK has done well at before, with the might of Olympic Gold medallist Denise Lewis. Lewis though could only manage runner’s-up twice in the Sports Personality of the Year, and for Ennis to come in a take it would be momentous, but she is a great future hope of British Athletics.

Ryan Giggs, Manchester United’s long serving winger, could be in the running. He is the epitome of professionalism, serving his club and country at all levels, with the minimum of fuss, which has seen him win everything on the domestic and European level. He is the most decorated active footballer in England, and at the ripe old age of 36, still plies his trade with the enthusiasm of a teenager. He has played alongside some of the best in the world, like David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Ruud Van Nistlerooy and keeps going with the current young crop, like Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick. Has he won enough in the year to take the Sports Personality of the Year? Truth be told he is probably more personable and down to earth than the Playboy persona of Jenson Button, and he did win yet another Premier League medal.

As for the others: Beth Tweddle, similarly is just as deserving. As a gymnast, she is a double Gold Medallist, at a sport that Great Britain has never really excelled at. She is a stand-out perfomer and something of a pioneer in bringing the best of gymnastics to the nation. It is not one of the most glamorous sports, and therefore she may fly under the radar a little bit when compared to likes of F1 drivers and footballers. What of Britain’s great Tennis hope, Scot Andy Murray. Yes, he has excelled again, pushing for the World Number One spot, but only holding the second seed for two weeks. He faded away a little towards the end of the season, but still without a Grand Slam title, has he done enough to capture the public’s heart? A win at Wimbledon would have made him a shoe-in for the award. England Cricket Captain Andrew Strauss led his country with dignity to regain the Ashes over Australia in the summer. As skipper, he has led with the utmost professionalism and decorum that is expected of a national cricket captain. Perhaps if England had performed better in the subsequent ODI Series against Australia, had put up more of a fight in the Twenty20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy, then he would be a stronger candidate. Tom Daley could  sneak the Sports Personality of the Year Award, simply only from the point of view that he is a smart looking young man, with a picture perfect smile, who has taken on and beaten the world at the tender age of 15. Will draw a lot of votes simply because of becoming a world champion at a young age.

Remember it is the public who can vote for their favourite sporting star on Sunday night, during the award show. Latest Odds for Sports Personality of the Year Betting:
Jenson Button – Evens at 888Sport
Ryan Giggs – 11/4 at Bet365
Jessica Ennis – 11/2 at BetFred
David Haye – 25/1 at BetFred
Mark Cavendish – 33/1 at BetFred
Andrew Strauss – 40/1 at BetFred
Beth Tweddle – 50/1 at SkyBet
Tom Daley – 125/1 at Boylesports
Andy Murray – 200/1 at Ladbrokes
Phillips Idowu – 250/1 at SportingBet

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year takes place on December 13th, and the shortlist of 10 looks to be one of the strongest for years. It will be down to the public to take a vote on Sunday evening as to who is in tge favour of the UK public at the end of year showcase, which celebrates the best of British sports. Olympic Cyclist Chris Hoy won last year’s main event, which is awarded to the person whose actions have best captured the public’s imagination. Names such as Steve Cram, Linford Christie, Steve Redgrave, Jonny Wilkinson, Kelly Holmes, Zara Phillips and Andrew Flintoff are all on the honour roll, and this year sees 10 new names vying to join the list.

The nominees are:

Ryan Giggs
The Manchester United winger has seemingly found a new lease of life at the ripe old age of 36, and he continues to prove his value to the English Champions. Incidentally, Giggs is the most decorated footballer in the history of English football, and it wasn’t until earlier this year, his play was rewarded by receiving the PFA Player of the Year for the first time. All of his professional honours have come with Manchester United, after being an apprentice at Manchester City. Last season’s title saw Giggs win his 11th Premier League winners medal. Not since 2005 has there been a footballer in the final 10 for the Sports Personality of the Year.
Ryan Giggs to win: 5/2 at Paddy Power

Jenson Button
Coming from nowhere, Jenson Button won the Drivers World Champions in Formula One this season. He completely blitzed the beginning of the season, driving for BAR Honda. Despite hitting a sticky patch in the middle of the season, some composed driving still got him the title even if the wins were not so forthcoming. Button adds his name to a long line of British drivers who have won the top prize in racing driving. The F1 driver is clear favourite to win the Sports Personality of the Year for 2009 on the back of his achievement.
Jenson Button to win: Evens at BetFred

Mark Cavendish
Another Great British cyclist up for an award. The British Cycling team won the team event last year, and Cavendish continues to represent the standing of the British cyclists in the world. Cavendish made a fantastic appearance in the Tour de France this season, where he won a total of six stages, including becoming the first British Cyclist to win the Champs-Elysees stage. Winning many races through the season, Cavendish has also made his mark on track racing too.
Mark Cavendish to win: 33/1 at SkyBet

Tom Daley
The youngest person in the running for the Sports Personality of the Year. At the tender age of just 15, Daley was becoming a World Champion diver in Rome, beating the then defending World Champion. He looks to have an amazing future ahead of him in the sport, after finishing in the top ten in two events at the Beijing Olympics. Tom Daley won the Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2007 and his popularity could see him pinch the exclusive double, by winning the full award.
Tom Daley to win: 125/1 at Boylesports

Jessica Ennis
Another World Champion athlete. Competing in the heptathlon is somewhere near the pinnacle of women’s sporting achievements, as it requires rounded and honed skills in seven Olympic sports. The heptathlon comprises of the 100m hurdles, 200m sprint, 800m, long jump, high jump, shot putt and javelin. Although she missed out on the Beijing Olympics because of an injury, she roared back into action to take gold at the World Athletics Championships. Ennis represents excellent gold medal hopes for the London Olympics, looking to forge a career as successful as fellow Brit, Denise Lewis in the event.
Jessica Ennis to win: 6/1 at 888Sport

Phillips Idowu
Look, another World Champion athlete. The triple jumper, like Jessica Ennis, leapt his way to glory in the World Athletic Championships as well. He set his personal best and destroyed an experienced and talented field. The colourful character, who likes red hair and piercing, narrowly missed out on gold at the Beijing Olympics, but showed his level of progression and development in becoming the World Champion in the event. One other British triple jumper has won the Sports Personality of the Year, and that was Jonathan Edwards.
Phillips Idowu to win: 250/1 at Sporting Bet

David Haye
Britain has a proud history of boxing, and David Haye bookmarked his place in it this year, by becoming Heavyweight Champion of the World. Having recently beaten the enormous, towering Nikolai Valuev on points, the “Haymaker” put on a fine display of his technical ability and crafts in order to realise his dream. Already having become World Champion at Cruiserweight a couple of years ago, Haye took his profession to the next level, stepping up to the glory stage of Heavyweight, and becoming Britain’s 6th champion in the field.
David Haye to win: 20/1 at Bet365

Beth Tweddle
Yes, Britain has a World Champion gymnast. Tweddle stunned home crowds to win at the World Championships, coming back after a fall. She stunned crowds and judges with a spectacular floor performance, adding another title to the double gold she had already won at the World University Games. This is not the first time she has been in the running for Sports Personality of the Year, as she finished in third place in 2006. With all of her achievements, this could be her year.
Beth Tweddle to win: 66/1 at Boylesports

Andrew Strauss
England’s cricket captain led his troops to victory in the Ashes over Australia in the summer. England managed to reclaim the Ashes from their great foes, despite not having the formidable presences of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen for the full series. As well as being captain, Strauss has been one of, if not the most consistent England player in both Test Matches and One Day Internationals. He has seen his side struggle at times, but the personable man keeps going, trying to do his best for country. Through all of his service, he would be a deserving winner of Sports Personality of the Year.
Andrew Strauss to win: 33/1 at Bet365

Andy Murray
Britain’s next great tennis hope. Murray added six titles to his repertoire this season, with two of them being majors. This shows a great step up for the Scot, whom his peers seriously fear as a potential threat going into any tournament, and has nearly reached number one in the world rankings. Murray comfortably finished in the top eight highest earning players on the ATP this year, but British tennis fans will still be hoping that he can win at Wimbledon at some point during his career. He has only made it to the final of one grand slam, but there are a lot of positives ahead for young Murray. In 2004, he won the Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Andy Murray to win: 200/1 at Ladbrokes

The show is broadcast live on Sunday night from the Sheffield Arena, where viewers can place their votes for their favourite British athlete of the year. It will round off another wonderful year of sport for Britain, and awards in other categories which will be handed out will include the Young Personality of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

For someone renowned as one of the world’s best drivers, it’s hardly surprising that Tiger Woods‘ argument with a tree and a fire hydrant outside of his Florida home has captured the imagination of the world’s media. Especially as speculation seems to be mounting that his early hours collision may not be all it seems. Let’s be honest, despite golf being a big part of the family’s life, it was a bit of a coincidence that the first thing that came to hand for wife Elin when she was trying to break Tiger out of his damaged auto was a golf club. The next question that comes to mind is why break a rear window to fashion an escape – no wonder Woods couldn’t steer properly if he wasn’t sat in the front seat! The theory, of course, is that Tiger’s facial injuries weren’t caused by his crash, more by an irate Mrs Woods who apparently isn’t too pleased about an alleged romance between her husband and New York night club hostess Rachel Uchitel. The couple’s reluctance to speak to police has further fuelled the fire of gossip columnists, which must be very disconcerting for the Woods family who value their seclusion much more than most celebrities (they even holiday on a yacht called ‘Privacy’ for goodness sake). So, then, it wasn’t really a shock when Woods opted to withdraw from his own event, the Chevron World Challenge, in Thousand Oaks in California this week, announcing at the same time that he wouldn’t be resuming his career until 2010. World ranking points are at stake at the Sherwood Country Club, however, so this is no end-of-season shindig and new European number one Lee Westwood has been installed as favourite, with Paddy Power, Victor Chandler and extrabet all offering the Englishman at 13-2. Anthony Kim knows this course like the back of his hand and could be interesting at a general 11-1, but Padraig Harrington looked to be running into form in Dubai last time and Coral’s 8-1 could be the call.

Millenium Stadium, Cardiff
Saturday, November 7
Kick Off 5.15pm

Wales have the formidable task of trying to overturn over 50 years of history, by beating the All Blacks at the Millenium Stadiium. It has been that long since Wales recorded a victory over the Kiwis. Wales coach, New Zealander Warren Gatland, has poked holes in the might of his native country, stating that they have lost four of their last ten games. Six of those games though were in the tri-nations, facing off against South Africa and Australia, the best teams in the world. That is a huge difference to playing nations like Italy and Scotland. The four New Zealand defeats total up as three against South Africa and one against France.

The New Zealanders will be cheered by the news that superstar centre Dan Carter is back fully fit after some injury worries. Carter, one of the world superstars of Rugby Union, is a key player for the All Blacks, and has the ability to win a game on his own. Wales won’t be happy to see him, as Carter alone in just five matches against the Welsh, has scored 92 points. The Kiwis are in Europe for four tests, including France, Italy and England. They will be hoping that they are not too game rusty ahead of the tour, but whenever a Kiwi side

Wales will be missing winger Mark Jones, as it was announced this week that the Llanelli Scarlets captain will not see any action for a good three months after undersigning surgery. One thing that is not on the Welsh side, is the size of their backs. When you line up against a New Zealand outfit, you know that you are going to be faced with a brick wall of black. With neither winger nor full-back scaling the heights of 6 foot, the return of Dan Carter to the All Blacks team is all that more important. Carter can kick the ball and land it on a dime, and he will certainly test the vulnerability that Wales will have aerially at the back.

James Hook will be playing at full-back, not his normal position, and that will make him even more of a target. The strength of Wales will come into play when they start running with the backs, and using their speed to get wide. It is unlikely that they will have the power and skill to take on the Kiwis up front. But the Kiwis can hurt teams from all angles of the pitch, with their running, their kicking and control up front. While it has been a long time since they have won the World Cup, another point Gatland stresses which shows that New Zealand are fallible, the Southern Hemisphere games is still a lot more explosive and dynamic than that of the Northern Hemisphere. There will be a class difference, and it could all be seen in the shirt worn by Dan Carter.

Wales to win: 9/2 at SkyBet
Draw: 28/1 at Paddy Power
New Zealand to win: 1/5 at Coral

Wales: J Hook (Ospreys); L Halfpenny, T Shanklin, J Roberts (all Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), G Cooper; G Jenkins (both Blues), M Rees (Scarlets), P James, AW Jones (both Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Powell, M Williams (both Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: H Bennett, D Jones, B Davies, D Jones, M Roberts, J Davies, T James.

Jenson Button secured the 2009 World Championship with a superb drive in Brazil, which combined controlled aggressiveness and a touch of flair. Button, starting back in 14th, was handed a boost when there was a bit of mess at the start of the race, which saw three drivers ahead of him have to retire. Button’s goal was to not finish more than 6 points behind team-mate Rubens Barrichello, and with some pit-stop strategy and some nice overtaking manoeuvres, Button held on comfortably to finish 5th, three places ahead of Brazilian Barrichello, who suffered a late puncture. Red Bull’s Mark Weber won the Grand Prix itself, with Lewis Hamilton coming in third.

This marks a big turnaround in the fortunes of Button, who was hailed as a potential champion when he first entered into the world of Formula One, but his status fell away after some early promise, not being able to secure a drive in a car which could propel his ambitions. Then he was upstaged a bit by that other Brit Lewis Hamilton. Now however, Button is a valued member of the Brawn team, he has had the equipment and has shown his worth as he is crowned World Champion, and his team Constructors Champions.

There is still one race left in the season, in Abu Dhabi, but it will be more of a celebration showcase, as everything has been settled. This will be some great closure for Button, who started the season so strongly by winning six out of seven Grands Prix. There then came to be what appeared to be a little lack of confidence, as podium finishes deserted him as his lead was consistently being chipped away at. He did pick his form back up over the past few races, and this fifth placed finish from fourteenth on the grid wraps up his season perfectly, as he displayed all the characteristics of a champion, making some stunning, brave and decisive overtaking decisions.

Britain has another Forumla One World Champion and his name is Jenson Button. If you want to back the Brits again to keep the trend going, then prices are already out for the winner of next year’s championship.
Lewis Hamilton – 5/2 at SkyBet
Jenson Button – 12/1 at Stan James