Barry's Beef

Super ugly Chris Adamson, generously labelled on Wikipedia as the 'worst goalkeeper in the English league'*, is one of five players not to have his contract renewed**. Joining Adamson are Steve Adams, a man with an intimate knowledge of the treatment room; Barry Corr, who will porbalby sign permanently for Paul Sturrock's Swindon; Andy Broadbent and John Hills, who I rate quite highly but who has been injured for most of the season.
Four players have been offered new contracts: club captain Lee Bullen; superstar Deon Burton; shit-hot Steve McLean and youngster Sean McAllister***

* before some goon removed this deserved epitath.
** this is not hte first time Adamson has been released by Wednesday, but last time Sturrock failed to get a back-up keeper and ended up re-signing the hapless one.
*** at the ripe old vintage of 28, I can call him a youngster.

Labels: Andy Broadbent, Barr Corr, Chris Adamson, Deon Burton, John Hills, Lee Bullen, Sean McAllister, Sheffield Wednesday, Steve Adams, Steve McLean

You know things are getting back on track when you start hitting the big darts, the big finishes and the crowd starts to dig it. To set the scene it was a winner stays on between myself, the Lord Lucan and Deep V. Things started to hot up when Deep V, out of nowhere, banged in a 138. Up to the oche stepped 'the Hotstepper', my Ini Kamoze inspired darts nickname, and replied with a 121 outshot. Nice little treble 20, treble 15, double 8 (see pic). Thanks and goodnight. Up stepped the Lord Lucan who spanked a 140, 'the Hotstepper' responded with a 123 (narrowly, very narrowly missing out on a first ever maximum). Left on 115 and buoyed by my earlier outshot, my hopes were dashed by Lucan taking out 74. This is unheard of darts. Deep V then vanquished the Lord Lucan with a double 17 out. Deep V then fell victim to a double 16, first dart out and point combo.
Then off to the Rugby Tavern, Holborn for top of the table Wednesday's game against Leicester City. I think I have some previous with Leicester. I think I have previous with most of the teams due to my habit of losing my cool at times. Believe, I'm always cool though. Well, I contributed to Wednesday quickly finding themselves 3-0 down (my part of our doubles leg will go down in the books as a really, really bad leg of darts), 3-0 rapidly became 5-1 and the Owls were staring down the barrel of an old-fashioned kicking. I then found something approaching form and won my singles after my opponent had, what must have been, over 30 darts at the double. Single 10 and double ten pulled it back to 5-2 and then two more legs reduced the deficit to one. Sadly, it was a bridge too far and the next leg went to Leicester and the victory was theirs. Wily Foxes. Beer leg went to Wednesday though, so the night ended on a high. Literally.

Labels: 121, Deep V, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, the Hotstepper, the Lord Lucan

As I am in an incredibly sparkly mood today, please enjoy this. Shame they didn't get the initial pass in the Johnson goal, but what a goal! And Chris Brunt? Hero.

Labels: Chris Brunt, Jermaine Johnson, Sheffield Wednesday

I think I have probably said so before but West Ham are my second team, so I haven't particularly enjoyed seeing them lurch from disaster to disaster. Yet Sunday's cataclysmic balls-up against Tottenham was truly a sight to behold. It was pretty funny. I joined at half-time with West Ham 2-0 on Spurs. Two excellent goals toom the second of which was Carlos Tevez's first in the Premiership. And just when things were going great, they hit the self-destruct button. Firs up Lee Bowyer hacks down Aaaron Lennon and Jermaine Defoe slots the resultant penalty away. Then Teemu Tainio volleys in from the edge of the area 2-2 and it's going Pete Tong. Enter stage left Bobby Zamora, the former Spurs player. He comes on as a sub and, with his first touch, heads West Ham back into the lead. 85 minutes gone. 3-2 West Ham. Game over and three much needed points. Then Dimitar Berbatov knocks in a free kick to level it up at 3-3 and with West Ham going hell for leather for a winner, they get the sucker punch. Of all the players, Paul Stalteri grabs the winner for Spurs. That was the most exciting half of football I can remember.



But back to my favourite topic, the Championship, and Sunderland win again. They are flying up the league. Birmingham win, Derby thump Colchester and Wolves resurgence continues. It really is an excellent league. Sheffield Wednesday build on their win over Southend by dispatching lowly L**ds 3-2. Lowly L**ds, it's a nice turn of phrase to type. And many thanks to Goodstuff for sending me this rather amusing pic.

Labels: Birmingham City, Derby County, L**ds Utd, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, the Championship, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanders

Yes I am sure you have all been long wondering how the London Owls darts team have been fareing in recent times. Well let me put you out of your misery. Wednesday remain top of the league and, last night, vanquished Rotherham 7-4. Things started well as the Owls raced into a 3-0 lead (801 team leg and the first two 601 doubles - yours truly knocking in the double in the first doubles leg) then pegged back to 3-1 only to accelerate to 6-1 (including your Bovine chucker winning his 501 singles leg). Wednesday took their foot off the pedal allowing it to slip to 6-4 only to win the beer leg to run out 7-4 victors.
Thereafter followed a few doubles matches between the Wednesday boys, although with 5 of us left it need a closest to the Bull to decide who would chalk. Beefy only puts his first dart straight in the bullseye and then next game to determine the scorer he does it again. That's top darts.

Labels: bullseye, darts, Sheffield Wednesday

Despite the air of inevitability, I am very sad to see Madjid Bougherra leave Sheffield Wednesday to sign for Charlton. Despite playing only 29 times for Wednesday, he really did look the business. When so much credence is given to Rio Ferdinand's alleged ability to bring the ball out of defence, I think people will be surprised to see Magic actually do this. For the records Magic cost Charlton £2.5 million and Rio Ferdinand has demanded transfer fees currently totalling £48 million. Yes, Magic is prone to give the ball away after skipping around about 3/4 opposition players, but he'll improve and I hope he does enough to keep Charlton up.
He'll be sorely missed as will Drew Talbot, who signed for Luton and made his debut in the televised match at Blackburn. Luton were hopelessly outclassed, but I thought Talbot looked very capable and a snip at £250,000.
Magic's place in the Wednesday squad looks set to be filled by Mark Beevers, who apparently has oodles of potential. The 17 year old may even make his debut at Southampton on Wednesday. And the last time Wednesday played Southampton? Well look here - and Hepatits Boy, you cannot hate this man!

Labels: Drew Talbot, Madjid Bougherra, Mark Beevers, Mark Crossley, Sheffield Wednesday

And in all the excitement I nearly forgot to mention that on Christmas Eve, the Mighty Owls salvaged a point thanks to a last-minute equaliser by Mark Crossley, the Wednesday keeper. Here it is, you'll have to wade through some truly horrendous Wednesday defending but there are two more classy, classy strikes form Glenn Whelan.
Another quality headline and many thanks to Big Johnnie and my beloved for toasting Mark Crossley for the rest of the night. And to Hepatitis Boy - just cos he may have shagged your mate's missus, you cannot hate Mark Crossley. A grudging respect perhaps, but you cannot hate that man. It's impossible.

Labels: Glenn Whelan, Mark Crossley, Sheffield Wednesday

Last night saw the London Owls continue their awe-inspiring early season form vanquishing Leicester City 8-3. Regulars will be overjoyed to learn that my humble-self, Mr Beef played pretty well last night and managed to only get into one verbal contretemps last night. Of course, I was entirely in the right. So that Wednesday 3 and 0 as our American comrades would say. Could it be our year?

Labels: darts, London Owls, Sheffield Wednesday