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By Alan, on May 17th, 2012
A huge number of new members joining sports leagues in the UK has been recorded by the social sports club, Go Mammoth. The group said this is largely because people are gaining an interest in sport with the approach of the Olympic Games.
Go Mammoth have 20 venues across the city and just in this year alone they have introduced 10 new sports leagues. So far, they have estimated that there has been an increase of over 160 percent of new members to their clubs. It is estimated that they will be establishing a further 20 new leagues before the year is out.
Luke Mohr, founder and MD of Go Mammoth explains; “In the last 6 months we’ve seen a huge increase in demand for our sports leagues across the board – when we ask new members what made them want to join there’s obviously a myriad of responses from getting fit to meeting new people but a huge number are also telling us that the increasing buzz of the Olympics has inspired them to go out and get active, rather than just heading straight to the pub when 5:30 comes.”
The Olympic spirit has really started to grip Londoner’s In fact, over 65% of new members at Go Mammoth stated that living or working on the doorstep of the Olympic village had been either the main or a contributing factor in their decision to join one of the sports leagues. Mohr goes onto say;
“Our Netball and 5 A Side football leagues are always popular but our less traditional sports like Dodgeball, Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee are also experiencing significant growth – we see this as a sign that the Olympic spirit has really started to grip Londoner’s! Its great to see new members who may not have played any sport since their PE lessons at school getting involved, trying out new things and getting fit in the process.”
Go Mammoth, which, blends elements of a sports and social club is based on a concept Mohr saw working successfully in North America before founding the London club in 2010. Starting with just 4 leagues and 1 member of staff the club now operates leagues at 24 venues across London with 1000’s of members who take part in weekly leagues of indoor and outdoor sports including Football, Netball, Touch Rugby, Basketball, Dodgeball, Ultimate, Beach Volleyball and Softball.
More information about the club is available at www.gomammoth.co.uk and www.facebook.com/gomammoth
By Alan, on May 15th, 2012
 Sporty bump is the place to go for your maternity sportswear Some new maternity fitness trousers have been said to be very comfortable, and perfect for expectant mothers who want a combination of work and play. Sporty Bump, are a company in the UK that are entirely dedicated to maternity sportswear and they have recently made the announcement that they are going to be expanding their already excellent range to include maternity fitness trousers.
These trousers are designed by the company not just for pregnant women, but also for women who want to regain the shape they have lost while they were pregnant. The trousers are made with mothers in mind and you won’t find a better company providing sports clothing for expectant, and recent, mothers.
These trousers are not just affordable at just less than £30 but they are also practical for all different sorts of exercises, especially those that are popular post-pregnancy, or during pregnancy, such as yoga and Pilates. The trousers have a waistband that can roll over a pregnancy bump and will expand as you progress in the your pregnancy.
The trousers will remain comfortable right up until the day you give birth, and once you have given birth, they will still fit as they will shrink back to a smaller size. The company producing these is called Sporty Bump in the trousers come in the classic black that the company had become known for.
Sporty Bump’s spokesperson, Lesley Singleton, comments, “Our ethos has always been to provide pregnant and post-natal women with a stylish, comfortable range of sportswear and the new maternity trousers are in keeping with our aim – women were telling us they loved the collection, but that comfortable, affordable, long-lasting, bump-accommodating trousers were still tricky to find. We’re confident our designers have created the ultimate practical, stylish trouser, which will stand the test of time whilst perfectly complementing the rest of the Sporty Bump range.”
In the four years since launch, Sporty Bump has proved popular with pregnant celebrities across the UK. TV presenter Sarah Cawood recently described the clothes as “Cute, wearable and incredibly comfortable” while former Sporty Spice Girl, Melanie C said the Sporty Bump range was “perfect during my pregnancy and… handy while I’m working towards my old shape”. Diet and fitness expert, Rosemary Conley even used the clothing in her ‘exercise during pregnancy’ video shoot:http://youtu.be/6miI3ytSK1E
The maternity trousers are the sixth item in Sporty Bump’s basics capsule collection, which includes On The Bump Shorts (£16.50), Under The Bump Capri Trousers (£19.50), Cross-over Top (£24.50) and Racer Back Vest (£24.50). The Sporty Bump range also includes the award-winning Robe-Around* (£20), an innovative towelling wrap-around robe featuring a clever pleat which expands with the growing baby bump.
The maternity trousers are 92% cotton, 8% Lycra, machine-washable and cost just £29.50 plus p&p. They’re available in S (8-10), M (12-14), L (14-16) and XL (16-18) in both lengths and are on sale now at http://www.sportybump.com
By Alan, on May 11th, 2012
Over the past year the Ticketmaster system that has been set up to sell tickets for the Olympic Games has been plagued by problems. However, the system has recently been redesigned in order to prevent it from crashing in the future and it has been shown to be more than capable of dealing with the increased load it has been seeing as people scramble to buy tickets for some of the most popular events including the ceremonies and the finals of the various sports.
Sales started happening last Friday at 11 AM and the tickets are only going to be on sale to those who tried to buy tickets the first time, but were unable to because of the system failures. So far, it seems like everything has gone very smoothly.
During the coming week over 900,000 tickets are going to be made available for sale to around 1 million people who did not get tickets the first time. It is expected that all of these tickets are going to sell out very quickly and for those who want to secure a ticket they are going to have to be very quick off the mark.
Because the tickets are being sold on a first-come first-served basis, it is expected that the load on the ticket website servers is going to be intense. This is what caused problems the first time round and many people are worried that it will happen again. However, with the improved system it does seem as if this is quite unlikely.
Until now, it was not known how many tickets were available for each different type of sports, but the company responsible for selling the tickets has just released information. Most tickets are available for volleyball with 75,000 still being available.
By Alan, on May 10th, 2012
A revolution is taking place in football, but it is certainly not one that is happening very quickly. It is expected the decision is going to be made by Fifa in early July, just after the final of Euro 2012. It is going to make a decision about which of the two goal-line technology systems are going to be put into effect in football games.
This system is something that has been seven years in the testing and it is something that is going to be widely welcomed by most who are interested in football. Despite having been planned for so long, it is not thought that either company are going to have the technology ready for the beginning of the Premier League competition which starts in late August. The two companies who are offering the technology are Hawk-Eye and GoalRef.
It is thought that the widest use of this technology is first going to be in the United States for the Major Soccer season which starts in March next year. Before it sees full introduction into the UK, it is likely that a couple more years will pass and it will be ready for the World Cup in 2014. Goal-line technology is something that has been encouraged by the Football Association for some time and they welcome its addition to the Premier League.
Testing is just being finished for the technology and if it works Fifa will shortly be making a decision. Until now, the technology has only been tested with dummies, rather than real players, and this next stage of testing is going to be the most decisive in its use. Which system individual leagues want to implement is going to be up to each of these leagues, Fifa is just going to state whether the systems are acceptable.
By Alan, on May 5th, 2012
Bill Miller, the American businessman, has recently made an official statement that he is the preferred bidder by the administrators of Rangers. Mr Miller commented, “It is a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to buy this great football club. I feel very honoured that the sporting institution feel that I am a great candidate to take over the club.
“I think what has recently happened to the team is outrageous and all the players, supporters and staff must be very disappointed. If I become the owner of this spectacular football club I’m going to make sure that it will never run into this sort of situation again. I will be running the club with a great deal more fiscal discipline and this will mean that we meet all regulations and never fall into financial trouble again.
“I feel that I am able to offer this football club a brand-new start and create a team that fans will be proud of. As soon as I take over, we will be able to put this disastrous chapter in the club’s history behind us and move on to our bright future. I want to do all this without losing any of the great tradition and history seen at the club.”
By Alan, on May 3rd, 2012
Myroslav Dykun is about to have a drugs test which is going to confirm whether he has been taking amphetamines. British Wrestling has said that they are going to issue him a very hard punishment if it is found that he has been taking the illegal drug.
The wrestler is one of Britain’s greatest hopes for achieving a medal in the 2012 Olympics and the preliminary test suggested that he has taken the drugs and has because of this preliminary test been suspended.
The second test is going to verify these results and it is expected to be completed in two weeks. If it is found that he has been abusing drugs he is probably going to receive a ban which is going to last for two years and is going to seriously dampen the hopes of British wrestlers to achieve Olympic success.
The Chief Executive of British Wrestling, Colin Nicholson has stated, “If we find out that this wrestler has been taking drugs then we are going to punish them severely. There is no place for drugs in the sport and we want this to be a lesson to other wrestlers who consider doping. We are very disappointed in his decision to take drugs and this is something that is absolutely intolerable in British wrestling.”
The result of this failing of the preliminary drug test means that all his funding has been cut and he’s been suspended from competitions. If he tests positive then he is not going to be able to compete in the Olympic Games and it will severely affect his career.
Mr Dykun was born in the Ukraine and came to the UK in the 2003 to compete in the 66 kilogram category. He came to the country as part of an initiative that was going to help wrestlers from Eastern Europe improve their medal prospects in events such as the Olympic Games.
The anti-doping agency in the UK has confirmed that they are pursuing a case of doping but have not revealed any names, however it is largely expected to be the wrestler they are looking at. The legal director for the anti-doping group has said, “We seriously think that there could be a violation in this case, but we’re currently bound by confidentiality agreements and we need to be 100 percent sure we are correct before we make any allegations. Right now we cannot make any further comment.”
By Alan, on April 28th, 2012
Jessica Ennis will attempt to put a large gap between her and her rivals, Nataliya Dobrynska and Tatyana Chernova, when she meets up with them in Austria for the pre-Olympic heptathlon meeting. Ennis will be attempting to get her third consecutive victory against to the two on May 26th and May 27th and stated that the pre-Olympic event should be a good judge of how everyone is going to perform when the Olympics actually roll around this summer.
Despite the fact that it was at this very location that Ennis found out she had a stress fracture that kept her out of the last Olympic Games she said that she tries not to reflect on that awful time. Ennis stated that it was a large setback, but it has taught her how to deal with roadblocks and stated confidently that now the little setbacks do not seem insurmountable anymore.
It took a year for Ennis to recover after she was forced to sit out the 2008 games, but over the last two years she has successfully come back to be a dominating champion of the sport. In 2009 and 2010 Ennis came back strong from her lay-off by winning world titles both indoors and outdoors and also taking home the title at the European Championships.
She could almost be called the reigning champ if not for the fact that she was beaten by Chernova in Korea last year at the world championships. Dobrynska also beat her in Turkey last March making this competition one that she will have to fight hard to win. Although her rivals are so close to her in skill, Ennis stated that she enjoys the competition because it gives her something to work towards and helps motivate her to push through training and competitions.
By Alan, on April 27th, 2012
Glen Mills agrees that it is possible that Usain Bolt, one of the greatest sprinters of all time, possibly could get his 100m record of 9.58 seconds even lower, but he stated that it would only be done in the best of conditions and London is simply not going to offer that.
Mills also said that the London athletics schedule is so odd that Bolt does not even feel much like taking on the sprint and 4×400 relay, but in an effort to keep the three titles that he won in Beijing for the 100m, 200m, and sprint relay he will still show up.
Mills also confirmed that Bolt was not injured in a charity football match as there are many rumors floating around right now and stated that his client was feeling great and ready to take on the Kingston Olympic race coming up in a week.
He also added that Usain has promised to show even more potential than in previous years and therefore audiences should be ready to see some incredible feats from the runner. In other words, it looks like the living legend is ready to perform the way most expect him too.
Also interesting was the fact that Mills actually confirmed that Yohan Blake, who took the 100m title last year due to a false start by Bolton, was actually training to take on the 100m, 200m, and sprint relay.
Blake is said to have run the 100m in 9.9 seconds over the last few weeks and Mills is expecting to see a solid performance from his this year. Audiences might see Blake in the 4 x 400m in London over Bolt because while Bolt would love to take the track in London for a stab at four gold medals, the timetable set would possibly compromise his sprint relay so it is unlikely he will do so.
By Alan, on April 20th, 2012
The Arsenal keeper insists that the resurgent Gunners definitely have the momentum and the confidence to achieve Premier League glory in 2013. Arsenal’s strong finish to their recent campaign proves that they have what it takes to compete for the 2013 Premier league title, claims Wojciech Szczesny.
Nine out of ten of the last league matches that the Gunners played were won, and Arsenal have the chance to move clear of 4th place by 8 points if Wigan get defeated at the Emirates Stadium. Key to the resurgence of the Gunners this season has been the improved defending skills. The 3-0 victory against the Wolves on Wednesday was the 5th clean sheet in the last seven games played.
Arsenal just made the worst start to the season, in 58 years, although they have spectacularly recovered. Arsenal now have exactly the same tally as this time last season when they started off a lot better. Szczesny claims the turnaround by Arsenal that has just been witnessed can provide a good platform for future success for the team.
Koscielny has been suspended and Gibbs playing also looks doubtful so this means that Santos and Djourou are set to be the defence. In recent weeks, a settled back four has been playing which has eased the pressure a little bit. Wenger faced a dilemma when deciding who should play left wing at the moment, as Ramsey and Benayoun have both performed well there, although Wenger has admitted that Ramsey was only a short-term solution.
By Alan, on April 19th, 2012
Encounters with Wembley appear to have a tendency for leaving Kenny Dalglish with a sore head. After the 1989 final FA cup game, he was accidentally hurt by a supporter that was trying to chair him across the field. On Saturday, being berated from the press as he was cornered after the game, it was questions that were making his head sore. It didn’t look much like he was a victor that was holding court, during this particular meeting.
Before Dalglish fumbled with the door and vanished, it’s clear to see how much strain trying to salvage Liverpool has put Dalglish under. Liverpool’s ascension to the cup final was not something that Daglish could take much enjoyment in – for most of it they looked like they were eleven players trying and failing to reassemble their team. The journeys that Liverpool have taken to reach two Wembley cup finals have allowed them to surpass both of the Manchester teams, Stoke City and Chelsea.
When Jamie Carragher recovered from gifting the Everton opener, the calamity that it was, he observed that there must be something in Liverpool player’s DNA that allowed them to pull through right until the end.
Carragher also said that he didn’t believe the recent win at Wembley was anything to do with Liverpool’s abilities, or its players, and that it was more about character. Every season that goes by, without the success of Liverpool’s Champions League history is widening the chasm that’s growing between the elite teams and Liverpool. Liverpool just aren’t matching their Champions League success.
“The teams which are at the top of the Premier League table are obviously the best teams, however, in one-off games Liverpool really does have something to offer. There’s something inside Liverpool players, a determination that grants the team success. It’s not something that can be pulled out of the bag every day though, no-one could do that.”
At the moment, Liverpool just don’t seem to be living up to everything that they have to offer. Hopefully the recent win at Wembley can give Dalglish enough respite to work on the team and allow Liverpool to gain a win that feels a little more substantial next time.
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