Sports Ladder (11th - 17th August)

UP - Jo Pavey - Just under a year ago, Jo Pavey was giving birth to her second child. Now, at the age of 40, she is the European Champion over the distance of 10,000m. Jo has been around for years but made us remember her at the Commonwealth Games with a spirited final lap to get a bronze. However, at the Europeans she was even better, sprinting down the home straight to win her first major competition gold medal. Amazingly the word on the street is that Pavey has no thoughts on retiring. An inspiration to mums everywhere.

UP - British Sprinters - A huge congrats to the entire GB squad for their record medal haul but in particular it was the sprinters who shone in Zurich. Adam Gemili and James Dasaolu stormed to victory in the 200m and 100m respectively whilst there was also success for both the mens and womens 4 x 100m teams on the final evening. We did successfully gain a medal in every 100/200m race as Ashleigh Nelson got bronze in the 100m and Jodie Williams claimed a silver in the 200m. Things looking very bright on the track.

UP - Kell Brook - Kell Brook became the most recent Brit to claim a boxing title after winning his fight with Shawn Porter, ending with a narrow points victory. The 28-year-old took his unbeaten run to 33 matches as he became the IBF Welterweight Champion. The victory now firmly tosses Brook in the fray to fight Amir Khan, a highly anticipated bout should Khan fail to land his dream fight against either Mayweather or Pacquiao. Froch v Groves was a great all British affair and I certainly wouldn't object to another one.

UP - Mo Farah - Come on Mo, it's getting boring now. When you see Mo Farah lined up and looking focused on the start line, you just know there can only be one outcome. Once again he has proved his undoubted class, claiming both the 5,000 and 10,000m gold medals at the European Championships this year to become the most decorated non-relay athlete ever in the Championships. This is great and all, but the race we all want to see is still Farah vs Bolt!

UP - Padraig Harrington - Okay so it was largely a mixed week for Padraig Harrington. He may have lost his PGA Tour card after his ninth missed cut this year. Redemption emerged though with a video of his longest drive attempt in the competition at Valhalla the week before as he did what everyone has always wanted to do - a 'Happy Gilmore'. He may have hooked it well left but will still go down as a legend for this brilliant attempt. Hats off to you Padraig! Now focus on your actual golf.

DOWN - Stuart Broad - Like Harrington, Broad had a mixed week. He may have been one of the star men in the fifth and final test against India which England won by well over an innings. However, he unfortunately did it all looking like he had been on a month long binge. A broken nose from the fourth test meant that Broad had intense bruising around both eyes as well as a rather ugly looking nose. He won't care though after the way they battered India in the end.

DOWN - Dani Pedrosa - No one likes a spoil sport but Dani Pedrosa really became party pooper this week when he won the Czech Grand Prix, ending the ten race winning streak of Marc Marquez. The Moto GP title has been wrapped up for a while with Marquez's winning streak so all eyes were on how many records the young Spaniard could break. But alas his teammate Pedrosa drove in to steal the show and to stop the consecutive victories. We'll ignore the fact that Marquez ended up coming fourth, so wasn't challenging anyway.

DOWN - Brandao - What kind of top class idiot headbutts someone in the tunnel after the very first game of the season? Well the answer to that question is the Bastia striker, Brandao. A video emerged from the tunnel after the game where Brandao appears to wait specifically for PSG's Thiago Motta before going 'full-Pardew' and headbutting him. Motta chased Brandao before being broken up with a lot of blood flowing from his nose. Brandao is going to become Bannedao once the French FA deal with him.[Video below]

DOWN - Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad - A commentators nightmare no doubt but the Frenchman had an absolute mare this week after being disqualified from the 3000m steeplechase for opting to run the home straight topless. It would have been a brilliant third steeplechase world title but was instead cruelly taken away after the grumpy Spanish decided they didn't like his antics. He made up for it though a few days later though when he won the 1500m final so it wasn't a completely terrible week.

DOWN - Crystal Palace - Last week Mark Robins dropped down the Sports Ladder for leaving Huddersfield after just one match of the new season. Tony Pulis decided he fancied topping that by leaving two days before the season even started. Pulis had cemented himself as a cult hero after guiding Palace to an incredible 11th in the League since joining in November but clearly something went wrong behind the scenes as he has gone, leaving one great relegation-threatened mess.

Sports Ladder (8th April-14th April)

UP - Liverpool - If you had said to me at the start of the season that Liverpool would win the Premier League I would probably have laughed at you. This Sunday, a 3-2 victory over Manchester City has left fate entirely in their own hands now though, as if they win their remaining four games they win their first title in the Premier League era. Not only do they thoroughly deserve it but as an Englishman nothing would please me more than to see Gerrard collect a winners medal.

UP - Bubba Watson - An emotional Bubba Watson earned himself a second green jacket this week after a marvellous Masters victory in Augusta. The big hitting American played a masterful weekend to win for the second time in three years, the first player to do this since Phil Mickelson in 2006. His all-guns-blazing approach won him yet more fans as he successfully held off the challenge of rookies Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt to celebrate with an eight under par victory.


UP - Sir Dave Brailsford - It comes with a heavy heart that Sir Dave Brailsford has had to step down from his position as performance director of British cycling. This decision comes after he led Team GB to sixteen medals across the last two Olympic games, a remarkable feat from the man so focused on detail. We will still see his face dotted around as he takes on a more permanent role with Team Sky where he has already won two yellow jerseys with Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.


UP - Manny Pacquiao - This week Manny Pacquiao fought hard to claim yet another title in his eighth different weight division. Pacquaio added his 56th victory to his illustrious career with a points victory over Timothy Bradley. The Filipino was in control throughout much of the bout and gained revenge for his controversial 2012 defeat to Bradley. His welterweight title now frees the path for a reopening of negotiation between his camp and Floyd Mayweather's for the potential fight of the century.


UP - Zoe Smith - A story that slipped quietly under the radar as weightlifter Zoe Smith became only the second British woman ever to gain a European medal as she claimed bronze in Tel Aviv. Smith's achievement is all the more impressive considering she was competing in just her first competition since London 2012 after a serious of injuries kept her out for well over a year. Smith will now turn her head towards the Commonwealth games in Glasgow next year.


DOWN - The Sunday Sun - Say what you want about the Sun, it may have a bad reputation for various reasons, but what a hilarious headline on the back page of the paper this Sunday. After Alan Pardew criticised the media for his sides disappointing form, the Sun responded by listing Pardew's defeats and also his headbutt on David Meyler and taking rather sarcastic credit for these actions. My respect levels for the Sun definitely went up after this little escapade.

DOWN - Mo Farah - So we were all going to love Mo regardless of his result in the Marathon, but after he built up his own chances so highly it was inevitable that there was a little bit of disappointment when he failed to finish in the top three. Farah crossed the line in a credible eighth place but failed to beat the British record that he desperately wanted, finishing over a minute slower than Steve Jones' record. It may be sometime before we see another MoBot.

DOWN - Chris Hughton - Another one bites the dust. Premier League managers have been dropping like flies this season and another one has met their unfortunate fate this week as Chris Hughton joined the casuality list. On Monday he was sacked by the board with just five games to go including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal so its going to be a tough job for step-in coach Neil Adams. For me this is the right decision at completely the wrong time.

DOWN - Masters Favourites - Another fantastic Masters tournament comes to an end but this one will go down as the tournament of the outsiders. Tied in second was a pair of rookies, Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt and the veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez was in fourth. Hardly names we were expecting to see there and even Bubba Watson was not spoken about in the build up despite winning two years ago. Another poor tournament for Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and the likes. We are definitely in the years of the underdog.

DOWN - Barcelona - Talk about the wheels coming off. After an enforced eighteen month transfer embargo last week, Barcelona proved that this was a monumental problem after effectively dropping out of two competitions. The midweek defeat to Atletico Madrid meant Barcelona failed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007. They then followed this up with a 1-0 loss to Granada to fall four points behind Atletico Madrid. It seems that the Catalans are crumbling.

Sports Ladder 2013

UP - Andy Murray - I know it's an obvious choice, but realistically he is one of the main reasons 2013 will be remembered as a sporting year. His Sport's Personality of the Year award from earlier this year was never really in doubt following his Wimbledon title. His men's singles title was the first won by a Brit in 77 years, exception not only for the achievement, but also the way he dispatched the World number one Djokovic in just three sets. He also reached the Australian Open final and will be looking to add to his Grand Slam titles in 2014

UP - Mo Farah - I think his achievements went quietly under the radar this year but what he achieved was simply breathtaking. By winning both the 5,000 and the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Moscow he achieved the double-double following his victory at the London Olympics. This year was more challenging as, following his Olympic golds, he became the hunted member of the field. Despite this he still managed to walk away with the golds, and also Steve Cram's European 1500m record. Let's all do the MoBot.

UP - Ben Ainslie - It is hard to find words to describe the incredible nature of the comeback orchestrated by Ben Ainslie in this years America's Cup is something that will go down in, not only Sailing legend, but sporting legend. With the American team having succumbed to an 8-1 deficit against the Kiwis, Ainslie's recent appointment as a tactician was founded to be an inspired decision.. The Cup was turned around as Ainslie guided them to a 9-8 victory overall. Certainly gives Liverpool's 2005 Champions League final a run for its money.

UP - Chris Froome - I spoke about Farah's achievements going under the radar but sadly I think Froome's went even lower. Froome suffered from the fact that Sir Bradley Wiggins won it a year before; a victory that would not have been achieved without his help. This year, not only did Chris win, but he annihilated the rest of the field, blowing them away in numerous mountain stages. What we all want to see in 2014 is Froome vs Wiggins as the Tour starts in England.

UP - Tai Woffinden  - Many people will not have heard of Tai Woffinden, but this year he became only the 8th Brit ever to win the Speedway World Championship. For many he was a surprise exclusion from the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist but sadly this highlights the decline of Speedway's popularity. Nevertheless, Tai's achievements cannot be understated, as he became the first Brit to win since 2000. Hopefully his victory will increase popularity in the sport.

DOWN - Luis Suarez - In the 2013-14 season Luis Suarez has been simply incredible. Scoring goals left, right, center and just about every other way possible. However, let us not forget that Suarez committed the downright bizarre at the tail end of last season when he took a mouthful of Branislav Ivanovic's arm leading to a ten match ban. As much as I admire Suarez for his outstanding footballing ability, he is hardly the model professional and that must not be forgotten.

DOWN - Formula One - Sebastian Vettel won this years title and he must be commended for that but the car changes for next season cannot come soon enough. Formula One really did hit a low point in terms of viewer interest this year. Vettel's dominance is fine if everyone is racing on a level field but the Pirelli tires have meant that the drivers have not been able to race. Outstanding drivers such as Hamilton have been unable to drive at their fluent best and it is damaging the sport. Roll on 2014 and an F1 shake-up.

DOWN - Stephen Lee - Match-fixing was a prominent concern throughout 2013. It struck Football, Cricket and NASCAR during this year but the most widely reported was that of Snooker player Stephen Lee. Despite still professing his innocence, Lee was found guilty and sentenced to a twelve year ban from the professional snooker circuit. It is obviously a problem throughout a number of sports, but hopefully with its increased presence in the media it will become less of an issue in the coming years.

DOWN - Lance Armstrong - The Lance Armstrong affair made my list despite largely happening last year although my interest in it stems from my current reading of Wheelman by Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell. However it is relevant to this year as it was in January when he first confessed to drug-use in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. It is one of sports greatest ever controversies and will remain so for many years to come. On a more personal note for me, it certainly ruins his 'inspirational' scene in the film Dodgeball.

DOWN - Oscar Pistorious - I don't think I will ever forget the morning I awoke to the news that Oscar Pistoroius had shot his girlfriend. Whether it was intentional or not we may never know but it was a truly shocking moment. Pistorious was a role model for a number of disabled athletes and has left a huge whole in the hearts of idolising fans. It will be really quite intersting to see what the verdict is of the 2014 trial.

Sports Ladder (12th-18th August)

A new weekly blog I intend to do as often as possible. The point of the blog will be to revisit the weeks top stories and see who has gone up and down in the opinion of the public. I shall try to incorporate as many sports as possible and do it every week but this shall not always be possible (For instance, next weekend I shall be at Reading Festival so I will not be able to write one). ENJOY!


UP - Mo Farah - What a week for the British athlete. Completing the Double-Double (5,000 and 10,000 metre Olympic and World titles) and being described as Britain's greatest ever athlete by Brendan Foster, Farah can relax and spend time with his ever-supportive wife and children. Watch out for Farah vs Murray at this years Sports Personality of the Year.

UP - England Cricket Team - England had already retained the Ashes but this week they won it. Outstanding bowling from Stuart Broad, gaining himself eleven wickets in the fourth test, was the main reason for the victory. Now Cook and the boys will be looking to win the fifth and final test and claim a 4-0 Test victory.

UP - Rickie Lambert - The week of his life. Not only did he score a 90th minute winner for Southampton yesterday, he also scored with his first touch on his England debut midweek. He described it as a 'dream come true' and will be looking to retain his place in the England team. The 'rags-to-riches' striker gained a lot of public support this week.

UP - Barclays Premier League - After the relentless tedium of the Bale/Suarez/Rooney transfer sagas over the last month or so, the Premier League finally regained my attention on the opening weekend. A weekend full of penalties, debut goals and a few upsets has certainly reminded us why the Premier League is the greatest League in the world.

UP - Anna Nordqvist - As Europe head towards their first Solheim Cup victory on American soil, a special mention must go to Anna Nordqvist. On the par three 17th, Nordqvist scored the first ever Solheim Cup hole-in-one to win the four ball 2&1 and give Europe momentum on a fantastic Saturday. They go into the final singles day on 10 and a half points to America's 5 and a half.


DOWN - Marion Bartoli - Only 40 days after winning her maiden Wimbledon title, Bartoli announced a shock retirement, claiming that physical pain was the reason for her decision. After troubles with the French Tennis National body over the last few years it will be a shame to lose Bartoli's unorthodox style from the sport.

DOWN - Lee Westwood - After finishing way off the pace at the PGA last weekend, Westwood went on a rather embarrassing tipsy outburst on twitter, attacking 'girly boy trolls'. A rather sad way to end what has been a relatively successful year. Come on Lee, you don't need to get sucked in by the twitter trolls, you are an excellent golfer and your time will come.

DOWN - Farnborough FC - I couldn't ignore my local team Farnborough FC. This week they took part in the most bizarre sponsorship deal I have ever seen, with all the players and managers changing their names, by deed poll, to that of a famous player. What a lesson in why not to let your club go into administration. Farnborough FC are now a national joke club.

DOWN - Arsene Wenger - Oh Arsene, don't make promises you can't keep. Despite promising to spend big this summer, he has spent less than I did in Tesco's earlier today and paid the price with a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa yesterday. With fans restless and Wenger into the last year of his contract, are we seeing the end of Arsene's Arsenal?

DOWN - Yelena Isinbayeva - Russia's athletics sweetheart dropped considerably in the opinions of many Britons  this week after her verbal disapproval with other athletes protest against new 'anti-gay' laws in Russia. Despite saying she was misunderstood she has not apologised for her remarks and her inspirational role-model status may be dropping with many Global fans.