Using Google Maps I have created my own map with four North-West related stories scattered across my map. Instead of focusing just on Preston I have varied my news stories. There are two news worthy stories, and two sports stories.

I found my stories in the LEP (Lancashire Evening Post) and each story on my map has a link to the LEP website version of the story and other related links, including some YouTube videos.

If the map doesn’t appear the link is:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&g=christie+avenue&ie=UTF8&hq=christie+avenue,+christie+park&hnear=Christie+Ave,+Morecambe,+LA4,+UK&msa=0&msid=117528579815591361412.000479349b84f12ddfe52&ll=54.12865,-2.444458&spn=0.820804,2.463684&z=9

The museum on Sir Tom Finney Way, next to Preston North End’s home ground, Deepdale, is said to be moving to Manchester due to funding problems. Back in 2008 there was talks of moving the museum to the capital but there were protests to this suggestion.

The museum was one of the first things I went to visit when I started University in Preston last year and I’m sure it would not go down well with the people of Preston if the city was to lose one of the most famous museum’s in the world.

The arguments for moving the museum is that in Preston not enough people visit it. If it were moved to a bigger city it would have more visitors. Preston currently brings in 100,000 visitors to the museum but bosses in Manchester think they can bring in four times that amount.

With items such as the 1966 World Cup ball and Diego Maradona’s ‘hand of God shirt’ shirt on show there will be a big fight to keep the‘cradle of world football‘ in Preston.

Links:

 http://www.visitnorthwest.com/preston/national-football.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/8367849.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/08/national-football-museum-preston-manchester

Manager Harry Redknapp looks to have his players playing the way he wants and he has made some good signings to strengthen the squad and make sure his team are worthy of their top four place.

With Liverpool looking very poor this season there will not be a better chance for Spurs to finish the season in a Champions League position.

Tottenham’s only threat may come from Manchester City after their summer spending has bought in some talented players. But if Spurs keep their impressive home form up and contend with the title challengers there should be no reason as to why they don’t keep their top four place come the end of the season.

Links:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1207080/We-break-Big-Four-insists-Spurs-captain-Ledley-King.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/tottenham/6540046/Tottenham-spend-more-on-transfers-than-Big-Four-after-record-profits-of–33.4m.html

Video links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD7PIxHL6G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEz9lgPfSSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpn7PuJdLCs

Personally I think Jenson was the best driver during the season. He still managed to make up many grid places from the start of the race, to the finish line, in the second half of the season. His overtaking and consistent driving was the key to his title success.

Does this mean that overtaking is becoming easier? I think a lot of it is down to the car, but Jenson has proved he is a highly skilled driver. Button has more race wins than pole starts than previous champions Lewis Hamilton and Damon Hill.

Does this make him a better Champion than the other two?

I think it makes him a different driver compared to the other British champions, as he has made his way up the grid in many races to secure crucial points. He has now joined an elite list of driver’s as world champion and I’m sure he will push on from here and continue to compete for the title next year.

Links:

http://www.f1-facts.com/results/season/1996

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2009/oct/19/jenson-button-formula-one-championship-winners

http://www.formula1.com/results/driver/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Formula_One_season

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/10/24/jenson-button-and-lewis-hamilton-how-britains-world-champions-compare/

This team arguably has the same quality as the team that won the greatest prize in footballs history 11 years ago but for some reason they are not working like they should be. The reason for this, Raymond Domenech.

Domenech was put in charge after France were knocked out the 2004 World Cup. Domenech needed pick the team up and get them playing the football that had won them major honours in the past. New talent was coming through and he still had one of the best players in the world as his captain, Zinedine Zidane.

As manager he guided France to the World Cup final in 2006, where we lost out to Italy on penalties in what was Zidane’s last game. He went out with a bang after his famous ‘headbutt’ on Italian Marco Materazzi.

Domenech was criticised during the finals for playing ‘naive’ football after starting very slowly just making it out the group stages. Everyone wanted Domenech to push on for Euro 2008, but France were knocked out again at the group stages.  Many, including myself, wanted Domenech sacked as head coach at this stage but the French Football Federation stuck by their manager.

Now France are in a play off match with the Republic of Ireland to qualify for the World Cup. France had a relatively easy group but still Domenech couldn’t qualify automatically and came second behind Serbia.

I think Domenech plays a defensive team when we have some of the best attackers in the world. He seems to love playing two holding defensive midfielders. But with the strong defense that France have got and the quality in attack they have, why not play one defensive midfielder, either Jeremy Toulalan or Lassana Diarra , alongside Yoann Gorcuff who seems to be the main creator for the French team.

Captain Thierry Henry should partner Karim Benzema upfront, but Domenech decides to leave the Real Madrid striker out and play Toulouse front man Andre-Pierre Gignac. I think France should play 4-4-2 with wingers who can provide width and something different to the game than the narrow defensive game Domenech likes to play.

With top class wingers like Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery, Domenech decides not to play both of them and leave the two defensive midfielders in. Of course he cannot play everyone but in my eyes play one defensive midfielder and let the attacking prowess take control of the game.

We will have to see what team Domenech fields for the return leg at the Stade de France on Wednesday but I sure hope that it’s a team which qualifies for South Africa and has a real chance of competing for the World Cup trophy once again.

If France qualify the media will back off him for a while at least, but if Ireland turn it around in Paris then my summer and every French football fan’s summer will be ruined thanks to Domenech.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1116/1224258921943.html

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,2483_5687766,00.html

All 17 Grand Prixs are shown with where the race was held, the major talking points and the podium places.

Here is my timeline:

http://www.dipity.com/JEngleman

Manchester United have been knocked off the top of the table by Chelsea after being beaten by rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Chelsea beat a Blackburn side that do not enjoy visiting the capital. Their last visit resulted in a 6-2 loss to Arsenal and this time they were humiliated 5-0 by Chelsea.

Chelsea have slipped up against Wigan and Aston Villa this season but look to have put these defeats behind them. They have scored nine goals in the past two matches and seem to be gelling well under new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Manchester United have lost to Burnley and now Liverpool. The United side has taken a major blow losing star man Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer. Sir Alex Ferguson bought in Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen but neither are world-class. Ok, Sir Alex may mould Valencia into a star player like he did Ronaldo and others in the past, but at the minute Valencia isn’t having the impact on the game that Ronaldo had.

United will do well this season but could miss out on silverware because that spark is missing. Yes there is a brilliant squad with lots of experience but if Wayne Rooney gets injured I can see them struggling. The gaffer will need to bring in reinforcements in January with the £80 million received for Ronaldo.

Liverpool have put their recent defeats behind them to beat rivals United without influential skipper Steven Gerrard. They now look set to continue with title contention. The only problem with Liverpool is that if they lose both Gerrard and Fernando Torres they don’t look like winning a game. They are a different team without these two players and never look a threat.

Arsenal have had a great start to the season but drew at the weekend throwing away a two goal lead to earn a point at Upton Park when really they should have left with all three. Arsene Wenger has got his team playing superb football and they also look like mounting a serious title challenge.

Manchester City and Tottenham look the most likely teams to break into the top four, but both slipped up this weekend. City, like Arsenal, threw away a two goal lead to draw with Fulham and Spurs lost at the Lane to Stoke. If both teams can continue with their fine form the top four may be broken into.

If the results keep chopping and changing as they have been then the top four will be continually changing throughout the season up untill the very end. Just what we want as football fanatics.

His 5th place finish meant he had secured the title with one race to go. Fellow Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello could only manage a 6th place finish despite starting the race on pole. After starting 14th on the grid, Button made up nine places to overhaul his fellow Brawn GP teammate and claim the Drivers’ Championship.

In a season that has been full of events  Button can drive the final race in Abu Dhabi knowing whatever happens he will be Champion. Brawn GP have also won the Constructors Championship in their debut season in F1.

He has taken the crown from fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton who also won the title in Brazil this time last year. Hamilton could not continue his winning streak due to poor performances in the beginning half of the season. He had problems with his car and never really looked a threat during the races.

In a season where we were expecting Ferrari and McLaren to once again dominate, we were introduced to the team of Brawn GP who had taken on Jenson Button after his Honda team left the sport. The two powerhouses of the sport were overtaken by Brawn and Red Bull at the top of the Constructors Championship.

Ferrari have had a horrible season with the near fatal crash of Brazilian Felipe Massa. They never posed a threat to Brawn or Red Bull but I’m sure they will come back fighting again next year with a fully fit and raring to go Massa.

Button’s triumph is mainly thanks to his first seven races which produced six wins. After an excellent start to the season Button then had a little blip finishing low in the points in five races, including a retirement in the Belgian GP. With things looking a bit tense Button had to up his game to win the title, and so he did. He has made up places in the last four races gaining him vital points. His good end to the season means he goes to Abu Dhabi the Drivers Champion and can race knowing nothing can change that!

A win in the middle east will top off what has been a super season for debutants Brawn GP and world champion Jenson Button.

There are many new Englishmen emerging in the Premier Lague, and with an aging 1st team I feel there should have been a shuffle in the squad to give a chance to those who may make it to South Africa next summer.

It’s not like England needed to win these next two games, they had already qualified for the tournament. This is even more of an excuse to give other players a chance to shine on the international stage.

There are players like Gary Cahill, Darren Bent and Tom Huddlestone who were not called up to the squad but have real potential to be at the World Cup. All three of these players are playing superbly for their teams in the Premier League so why hasn’t Capello called them up to the England squad?

There are also players like Ashley Young and Michael Carrick who have been called up to the squad but very rarely feature in the match. Ashley Young has proved that he is worthy of representing England at the highest level by being a huge threat week in week out for Aston Villa. Michael Carrick is almost always picked to be in the England squad but is never in the starting eleven. I find this amazing as Carrick has won more honours in the heart of the Manchester United midfield than Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard put together. Capello has given Gareth Barry the chance, so why has Michael Carrick not been given the chance to show what he can do in an England shirt?

Im sure the club managers are agreeing with me, as their star men are playing games that may risk injury, knowing England have an automatic place into the World Cup. Of course pride is at stake and we want to win, but any England player playing a competitive match will want to win and will want to give the manager something to think about.

Wayne Rooney played in the 1-0 defeat to Ukraine on Saturday but has picked up a knock which has ruled him out of the Belarus game and may rule him out of Manchester United’s game against Bolton in the Premier League. Im sure Sir Alex isn’t to happy about that.

I know Capello is the right man for the job and that England have something to prove on the World Stage after going so long without silverware in a major competition but why, when already qualified, has he not given a chance to the up-coming England talent who want to prove to the manager that they are worthy of their place on the coach to South Africa.

This summer has given us many sports stories with the departure of the best footballer in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to City’s Saudi millions causing Sir Alex to sweat.

This could all mean one thing. That we are in for a cracking Premier League title race that may involve more than just the top four lifting the crown at the end of the season.

Will United still prove to be the best even with the loss of key players and risky buys? Will Chelsea and their new manager bring the title back to the West end of London? Can Liverpool mount another serious title threat after loosing a key player in the heart of their midfield? Will Arsenal get anywhere close after a number of years without silverware?

Can the richest club in the world Manchester CIty upset their biggest rivals and steal the title and take it to the other half of Manchester? Or could it be the likes of Spurs or Villa breaking into the ‘top four’?

I look forward to seeing how it progresses!