Thank you 2012 for the best British sporting year ever!

Long road to justice for Hillsborough victims will hopefully end soon

I wanted to write a few belated words about this year’s Christmas number one by the Justice Collective, a cover of the Hollies classic ‘The Road Is Long’, which is a tribute single for the 96 Liverpool fans killed in the Hillsborough football disaster in 1989.

Whilst being a Liverpool red means impartiality on this issue remains impossible, I hope this number one and the fresh court inquest ordered into the tragic events after clear evidence showed police tampered with witness reports and statements, means the ‘long road’ mentioned in the song’s first line that the victims’ families have trodden chasing justice and the truth, is getting shorter by the day.

Darts is still just a beautiful game

The post-Christmas run towards New Year means that World Championship Darts (both versions) will be adorning our screens as we nurse overindulgent bellies. And its two biggest stars with a total of 18 world titles between them (refer to earlier bracket), Stoke’s Phil Taylor and Holland’s Raymond Van Barneveld are sure to provide a festive treat during their semi-final clash later today.

The matches, extravagant entrances, player camaraderie, over the top MCs and jovial carnival atmosphere generated by the spectators, help create the spectacle, tension and drama that darts provides and I’m continually surprised at the amount of friends – both male and female – who are sucked in. I’ve been among them for many years and will continue to be and whilst the BBC and Sky Sports broadcasters might not agree, darts is NOT a sport. I’d put snooker in that hat too.

According to the Oxford Dictionary definition, sport is ‘an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment’. Great game but darts sport it is not. But for the sheer entertainment it provides, it certainly hits the bulls eye.

English rugby can’t afford to exile players across the channel

After watching a Toulon team containing England internationals Jonny Wilkinson, Andrew Sheridan and the Armitage brothers overpower Sale in their latest Heineken Cup pool match, it remains to be seen whether Stuart Lancaster and the England rugby board stick to their rigid policy of not selecting anyone playing in France.

England’s developing squad and recent win over the All Blacks notwithstanding, all four of the above would certainly be included in any debate for England’s 2013 Six Nations squad. The RFU’s stance is understandable, as they want to centrally contract players so they can manage and prevent injuries, and ensure they are available for all England training and development days.

But whilst the Australian and New Zealand national teams insist on the same, the South Africans don’t and it hasn’t harmed them – quite the opposite. As internationals such as Piennar and Louw have been able to develop their games by plying their trade for top Northern Hemisphere club teams.

This broadening of horizons has certainly helped the games of the aforementioned Toulon players and would benefit an England team trying to break free of the traditional, restrictive shackles best displayed at last year’s World Cup.

Clauses can easily be written into contracts, so let’s see if Lancaster is brave enough to re-write his.

Is Sebastian Vettel truly that great?

Reigning and now three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel sits atop the F1 tree as we enter 2013 but having clearly had the fastest machinery for over three and half seasons, many believe (myself included) that if everyone had comparable machinery, the story would be very different.

Amongst the sports so called ‘Big Three’ of Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton – all world champions – it should be noted that Alonso is almost universally considered the best (despite Vettel’s three recent titles) for pushing the German closely in two of those years with a car only fourth or fifth fastest in the field. And but for a tactical error in the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Spaniard would have at least one more word title. In a sport where the ruthless Ferrari team have few allies, even Jenson Button admitted he was astounded by how Alonso had kept his substandard Ferrari breathing down Vettel’s neck in 2012.

If the roles were reversed, would Vettel be able to do the same?

Similarly, the run of team errors and luck that have seen Hamilton jump ship from McLaren to Mercedes for 2013 prevented Vettel from being raced by the only car/driver combination that was beating him when it could be kept on the track.

Against Alonso’s all-round skills and Hamilton’s racing and overtaking prowess, Vettel’s speed and talent is not in question. But as Michael Schumacher’s later titles were devalued by having no genuine competitors to challenge him (until a certain young Alonso came along), Vettel’s true measure of greatness will come by how many titles he accumulates when truly pushed. Until then, he will for me remain a very talented driver in the fastest car – but not the best driver in F1.

Ricky Burns’ light currently shines brightest amongst UK boxers

The SPOTY awards were rightfully dominated by the Team GB Olympains who lit up the summer (though scandalously no place for Mo Farah in the top 3?) but in a less competitive year, a humble boxer from Coatbridge, Scotland – who used to moonlight in a sportswear store to make ends meet between fights – would have been a very real contender.

Carl Froch has his claims, but after two successive defeats highlighted Amir Khan’s defensive frailties, Scotland’s two-weight world champion Ricky Burns is for me currently the UK’s top boxer.

Not yet showered with the exposure and praise given to Froch, Khan and David Haye, or to previous British ring stars Joe Calzaghe or the Sky Sports subscription horse Ricky Hatton, Burns is unbeaten in 20 fights spanning seven years; has fought and beaten the best domestically; has beaten incumbent champions to win world titles at two weights; and has the frame and desire to move up further to ensnare more honours.

His impressive summer destruction of Kevin Mitchell showcased his power, strength and size. And I hope the recent cancellations he’s endured after opponents withdrew are only blips on the road to greater sporting recognition and the accolades his talent and success deserve.

Will David Moyes finally be the bride?

After providing over ten years stability and under-rated success at Goodison – including six consecutive top seven finishes – Everton’s latest incarnation, which sees them as a very real contenders for a Champions League spot, may finally see manger David Moyes get the job I feel (a blood red Liverpool fan) his managerial talents deserve.

Whilst Messers O’Neill, Hughes, Redknapp and to a lesser extent Mourinho, are mentioned every time there is a top Premier League vacancy, David Moyes’ continual achievements with restricted resources certainly stand-up in comparison to the first three.

A steely motivator who gets the maximum from his players, with an eye for and the capacity to nurture the lower league’s best talents (read Lescott, Cahill and Jagielka), Moyes has overseen the present power shift across Stanley Park and has finally assembled a team with the attacking weapons to complement the organisation, work rate and desire his teams always play with – and help silence detractors who think his sides can only be combative.

Everton’s current success is founded on the stability and control Moyes has been afforded but no true comparison can be made with Alan Curbishley at Charlton, when you consider Moyes was a kind draw from taking Everton into the Champions League in 2005.

The irony is that Everton’s shallow pockets could mean that the loftier their final league position come May, the more likely Moyes could be lined up for bigger vacancies, as we all know Alex Ferguson is a fan… Either way, it’s surely time his achievements get the recognition they deserve.