Steve Irwin - 1962 to 2006

Most of you would have heard the sad news that Steve irwon, known as the Crocodile Hunter, died off the coast of north east Australia yesterday. He was stung by a sting-ray and was likely to have been killed instantly.

He was quite a character and definently promoted the phrase "CRIKEY" to the world.

He was known here but only gained a sense of popularity over the lat few yers. Previously he was not really well known. I remember his first appearance on TV. He came on a late night chat show and he was talking like such an Aussie, I thought he came straight from 1980. Even some of the panelists were looking amused at how he talked.

But one thing you never doubted was his passion for conservation and protecting wildlife. He brought to the forefront the need for the world to be wary that what we do can have a huge impact on the ecosystem.

He was the Wildlife Warrior.

The Crocodile Hunter

And he died doing what he loved best.

Something fishy at West Ham

Hmmmm.....West Ham United sign two 22 year old Argentinian players who were part of their world cup squad - Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Both players are very good, both players would have cost a bank and then some to buy from Corinthians. Both players are rated as being worth a total of at least 50m pounds!

The Hammers are now expected to be pretty decent and should challenge for the top part of the league given the midfield and strike force of Reo-Corker, Bobby Zamora, Marlon Harewood, Ben Haim etc etc. I am glad the 'Pool played them last week and won coz they are going to be a handful.

Javier would have been a good buy and I know one fellow blogger was looking forward to his signing with MU. You can read his thoughts here. Bad luck buddy!

Still I have some questions and I think something is up and it involves Chelsea.

Chelsea seem to have a penchant for buying players so the big clubs such as MU, the Arse and the Pool can not buy them. Look at Shaun Wright Phillips who has basically sat on the bench and then look at Michael Essien who is unlikely to play a lot given the midfield players they have.

Both Tevez and Mascherano are signed to a company called Media Sports Inc and a shareholder is one Mr Roman Ambranovich - he who owns Chelsea.

Something is up!

There was no way these two guys would go to Arseanal or ManUSA as they would be strengtened and may challenge Chelsea for the league title or heaven forbid, the Champions League. So they go to a decent club but not a real title challenger.

As part of the Hammers team , the Special Dufus and Roman Billionaire can gauge how they adapt to the style and play of the EPL. If they do not turn out like Juan Sebastian Veron then I think there will be a sale to Chelsea for some huge amounts of cash.

Sounds fishy doesn't it!

* * * * * * * *

On another note, the league is in recess which is a shame as i amgoing to miss my EPL this weekend. Yeah MaU are on top but good that the Cheqski have lost a game (thanks to Mark Viduka). Lets hope that lads can get a decent win in the Derby and we can challenge for the title. Oh well.

Lets just hand them the title

After 2 matches of the EPL, ManUsa are at the top of the table with 2 emphatic wins, a 5-1 demolition of Foolham and 3-0 away win against Choketon. With Chelsea losing to Middlesboredom let us just give the EPL trophy to ManUsa.

Coz that is what their fans are saying. They have come out of the blocks and lets forget the other 36 matches plus champs league, mickey mouse cup and FArCup matches they have to play. Just give them the trophy.

After all they won today without Roo-Roo and Paul Scold (suspended) so they are showing the world their quality as true EPL champs aren't they??? Players like John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher have grown so much that they are scoring goals now.

So after 2 matches, the fans are going nuts....and they should be, their team has done well and as sitting on top of the EPL.

yeah........ :-P

The Kuyt lands at Anfield

It has been reported that Liverpool has signed Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt from Feyenoord for a sum anywhere between 9m and 11m pounds. He adds to the stable of players as LFC carries on with the Rafalution.

Currently he is undergoing a medical and has to agree to personal terms and funnily enough he says he pushed back a number of other offers to play with 'pool - sure that is what they all say!!


While he is not a big name striker like $hev$henko or Ruud Van Nestlinginrealmadrid, we have a player who has scored at least 20 goals in the past 4 Dutch seasons and also helps to create a number of goals for team mates.

This is seriously the type of player Rafa Benitez likes - hard working on the pitch and plays for the team.

After the dissapintment of Fernando Morientes, I am a little reserving to explain he is one of the last pieces we need to claim the premiership. It will take him some time to adapt to the EPL but I hope it is a lot quicker and he starts doing good things sooner.

DK also can play on the right and as a striker so that is good with the rotation policy clubs employ to fit in with the various competitions they play in.

DK also can play on the right and as a striker so that is good with the rotation policy clubs employ to fit in with the various competitions they play in.

Of course now we can look forward to a number of articles considering his name sounds like "KITE" such as my attempt and we have to give him a nick name as well. I cannot help thinking of the movie character "Dirk Diggler" from the movie Boogie Nights. Lets hope DK makes like DD when he meets our opponents in the EPL and well you can guess the rest......

5 Things that I did NOT like about Malaysia

I thought a good way to cover the holiday was to p the locals there and list the things I did not like. but do not get your sarongs in too many knots. i will have a list of things I did like and I reckon it will longer. Anyway, the thrashing begins.........

1. TRAFFIC - look I am a traffic engineer so my life is spent dealing with traffic, but the way people drive there. GEEZ!!! There is no such thing as courtesy and the aim appears to be cutting in and out but not giving way to any other motorists. I can not drive in KL. I would be stopping and starting and giving way to much. But I may have brought some of those habits back here. I seem to be cutting lanes a lot these days - although i do indicate!

2. ITS GETTING HOT IN HERE - Actually the weather was a lot kinder this time around that last time due to the rains. But when the sun shone and broke through the haze/mist/clouds, MAN did I feel the heat. But thank god there are air conditioners, thank the gods alright!!

3. Did I mention the traffic!

4. The Mexican Restaurant on Heritage Row - we went there for dinner for my mum-in-law's anniversary of her 21st birthday and there were about 4 tables occupied. We ordered food and some tequila's. i had 3 shots and was still sober. After an hour our food did not come. Really bad I say - someone must have been in the kitchen reading the recipe book on how to make Fajita's!

5. PARIS HILTON @ No 2 of your charts - what is wrong with you people. How can this blonde, non-talented BIMBO hoochie have her song at number 2. Be ashamed, be very ashamed, hold your heads for this to occur. Seriously, what is wrong with the listeners in your country. She has no talent in anything except for certain types of activities in certain type of movies. All she does is do nothing!! and you have her at number 2 in your musical charts.

Look that really is the biggest thing that p'ed me off...and the number of times they play it on the radio!!

Shame Malaysia SHAME

Thursday football talk

I have not had time to write about the trip to Malaysia out I wanted to quickly talk about the overnight internationals and the upcoming EPL season.

First thing is that Australia has qualified for the Asia Cup next year which will be held in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and MALAYSIA. The game was pretty poor as they were made up of a group of young guys who play in our national competition the A-League. From the standard of passing I see why they play here and not in Europe. It was average but come the Asia cup, we should get the regulars in.

Which bring me to hoping they get grouped with Singapore or Malaysia (more so the latter) as it is likely that their games will be played in the land of my birth. Then I can start a football odyssey and go to their matches. It shall be great fun to partake and catch up with all. Now I have to convince Metria to come along. She can visit her friends and I can happily watch football. Steven – you should come as well!

Steven is my beloved cousin, a fellow Liverpudlian supporter (a great bloke then!!) and an Englishmen. His national team destroyed the Greeks via a 4 goal whooping. But beware of Greeks conceding goals. Actually not much should be read into the game as it was a friendly. See they are grouped with Russia who are managed for my nominee for “Australian” of the Year Guus Hiddink. And they better be careful, they may be in for a rude surprise!

Still the team looked a lot better with the new set up. Defoe as a striker was ordinary. But Stevie on the right worked well and Lampard played good in central midfield with Owen Hargraves as the holding player. There was more cohesiveness on the pitch and the first half was really good. Too bad they show this form 6 weeks too late and not when it counted. Oh well….

Lastly, I am looking forward to the start of the EPL season. Finally footy is back and we can look forward to weekends staying up late and watching matches. Sadly there is no fun as I expect Chelsea to win it all followed by LFC, then a gap to a combination of Arsenal, ManUre, Newcastle and Spurs.

But again Chelsea can not be considered a big club, we know the reason why the have won so much yet they have not managed to win a cup apart from the Mickey Mouse one – same as MU. All that money has ruined the game and of Roman leaves I hope the club falls coz they are not real, they are fakes and deserve all the supporters who have joined them after jumping off the MU bandwagon!

A sad ending to the trip

A sad event occurred last night as we were returned home. My nani/grandmother (my mum's mother) passed away. She left this world at about 9pm last night (11pm here in Melbourne) and I found out about it this morning.

It only took a few moments for the memories of her to engulf me and this wave of emotion overcame me. My thoughts are primarly of the first 6/7 years of life, when she used to look after me, my cousins and my brother and sister. The memories from ym childhood are centrered around spending times with my cousins but during the working week I remember my nani used to look after us.

Although sad that her long life has come to an end, I feel happy that she passed away last night while my mum and aunts were around. She was due to return to her nursing home today and to pass away there would have been terrible and unfair.

Last night she was blessed, she was with her some of her family, her daughters who came down from Australia (my mum) and England (my aunt of course). If my mum and Aunt were not there she would have been at the nursing home.

The last 2 weeks she has been surrounded by her daugthers and some of her grandchildren, and although she may not have been able to see us or communicate with us, I hope she could FEEL us! Feel her family were around and that she was loved. I think that she sensed/knew that she would be returning to the nursing home today and would be alone. When she left this world, she left knowing her family was with her. That feels right and kind and correct in a way.

I knew when I left my Aunt's house that this would be the last time I would see her alive. But to have this happen after 24 hours is a shock.

So rest in peace Naniji. You leave the world with 5 daughters, 3 sons, 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren and growing!