This is a test of FTP migration

Vettel leads the way into the first Grand Prix, Chelsea on top of the Hammers and England uninspired at Murrayfield

WASN'T going to blog today. I'm in the beautiful Latimer Place Hotel. It's only about five miles from my home, but you forget how beautiful your surroundings are sometimes. It's an historic manor house, used to be owned by Lord Chesham.
In the middle of Latimer village there's a Boer War memorial to the locals killed at places like Paardeburg and Diamond Hill - one Lord Chesham died near Pretoria aged 21. The local church has tributes to him plastered all over the graveyard and the walls. Not much mention of the ordinary folk. Just his Lordship and a few of his nurses.
The place was run by the army during the war. They pretended it was a supply depot, but the beautiful old house was actually an interrogation centre... apparently they used to torture German and Italian officers here, 20 miles from London. This is where they found out about the V2 missile which threatened to turn things Hitler's way in 1944. No sign of any ghosts last night, but it's strange to think what used to happen within these ancient walls.
Now it's a beautiful hotel with rolling grasslands down to the River Chess, filled to the brim with trout. Beautiful. We're pictured above in front of "Neptune Falls", a weir with steps built-in to help the trout climb against the flow.
So why am I blogging? Because Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel sneaked in ahead of the two Ferraris to take the first pole position of the Grand Prix season in Bahrain, leaving the all-British McLaren's of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in his wake? Michael Schumacher starts from seventh, by the way.
Because Didier Drogba scored two more to help Chelsea see off West Ham 4-1?
Nope. Sorry. It's because of England's peformance against Scotland at Murrayfield. Earlier we saw Ireland surge past Wales at Croke Park to keep the Six Nations championship alive with a superb display of running rugby.
But to deny France, who play lowly Italy tomorrow, Martin Johnson's England had to keep winning. And upset the French in their final encounter.
It ain't going to happen. England are dreadful. Their 15-15 draw against an uninspired Scotland was typical of life in the Johnson era. No imagination, no flair, no energy. Just a big bloody boot. Though the disgraceful Scots booed Johnny Wilkinson in mid-penalty and cheered when he went off injured in the second half after scoring all of England's 12 points, nothing can disguise the inept nature of Johnson's leadership.
A World Cup-winning captain he may have been, but he never coached at club level and was fast-tracked into the England job when Brian Ashton was deemed insufficient despite getting England to a World Cup final in 2007.
Poor old Toby Flood ended up having to kick once Wilko had been nobbled. He missed a 58th minute penalty which would have put England 15-12 up. In the end he had to wait for another awfully scrappy surge which fell apart once the backs had messed it up. A far closer penalty saw Flood make give England the three point advantage.
With 12 minutes to go Dan Parks, born in Hornsby (that's in Australia, not Scotland), hit a post with a penalty then got a second chance, closer in, to level the scores and take his tally to 15 out of 15.
Then, with four minutes to play, Flood again. From 48 metres. He fell a yard short. Agony. A late drop goal attempt... and again Flood failed. But a game like this, full of aimless kicking and poor handling, didn't deserve a winner.
There's no question England were the better side. They certainly tried to play a bit when Wilko went off. But as the whistle went for an appalling 15-15 draw without a try in sight, the pens were being sharpened. MARTIN JOHNSON MUST GO will be written in bloody bold tomorrow.

Vettel leads the way into the first Grand Prix, Chelsea on top of the Hammers and England uninspired at Murrayfield

WASN'T going to blog today. I'm in the beautiful Latimer Place Hotel. It's only about five miles from my home, but you forget how beautiful your surroundings are sometimes. It's an historic manor house, used to be owned by Lord Chesham.
In the middle of Latimer village there's a Boer War memorial to the locals killed at places like Paardeburg and Diamond Hill - one Lord Chesham died near Pretoria aged 21. The local church has tributes to him plastered all over the graveyard and the walls. Not much mention of the ordinary folk. Just his Lordship and a few of his nurses.
The place was run by the army during the war. They pretended it was a supply depot, but the beautiful old house was actually an interrogation centre... apparently they used to torture German and Italian officers here, 20 miles from London. This is where they found out about the V2 missile which threatened to turn things Hitler's way in 1944. No sign of any ghosts last night, but it's strange to think what used to happen within these ancient walls.
Now it's a beautiful hotel with rolling grasslands down to the River Chess, filled to the brim with trout. Beautiful. We're pictured above in front of "Neptune Falls", a weir with steps built-in to help the trout climb against the flow.
So why am I blogging? Because Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel sneaked in ahead of the two Ferraris to take the first pole position of the Grand Prix season in Bahrain, leaving the all-British McLaren's of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in his wake? Michael Schumacher starts from seventh, by the way.
Because Didier Drogba scored two more to help Chelsea see off West Ham 4-1?
Nope. Sorry. It's because of England's peformance against Scotland at Murrayfield. Earlier we saw Ireland surge past Wales at Croke Park to keep the Six Nations championship alive with a superb display of running rugby.
But to deny France, who play lowly Italy tomorrow, Martin Johnson's England had to keep winning. And upset the French in their final encounter.
It ain't going to happen. England are dreadful. Their 15-15 draw against an uninspired Scotland was typical of life in the Johnson era. No imagination, no flair, no energy. Just a big bloody boot. Though the disgraceful Scots booed Johnny Wilkinson in mid-penalty and cheered when he went off injured in the second half after scoring all of England's 12 points, nothing can disguise the inept nature of Johnson's leadership.
A World Cup-winning captain he may have been, but he never coached at club level and was fast-tracked into the England job when Brian Ashton was deemed insufficient despite getting England to a World Cup final in 2007.
Poor old Toby Flood ended up having to kick once Wilko had been nobbled. He missed a 58th minute penalty which would have put England 15-12 up. In the end he had to wait for another awfully scrappy surge which fell apart once the backs had messed it up. A far closer penalty saw Flood make give England the three point advantage.
With 12 minutes to go Dan Parks, born in Hornsby (that's in Australia, not Scotland), hit a post with a penalty then got a second chance, closer in, to level the scores and take his tally to 15 out of 15.
Then, with four minutes to play, Flood again. From 48 metres. He fell a yard short. Agony. A late drop goal attempt... and again Flood failed. But a game like this, full of aimless kicking and poor handling, didn't deserve a winner.
There's no question England were the better side. They certainly tried to play a bit when Wilko went off. But as the whistle went for an appalling 15-15 draw without a try in sight, the pens were being sharpened. MARTIN JOHNSON MUST GO will be written in bloody bold tomorrow.

Wayne's World: bald patches, nappies and high hopes of knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo

IN 1998, when Michael Owen was tearing Argentina apart before David Beckham got sent off in that notorious World Cup quarter-final, Wayne Rooney was watching on the sofa at his nan’s on Merseyside.
Twelve years later, Owen and Beckham are fading fast and it’s Wayne’s World – with only 90 days of normality left before the big kick off in South Africa on June 11.
As he toured the nation with the trophy England haven’t won since 1966, Rooney opened up a bit after his four-goal blitz put Milan out of the Champions League (below) – and placed him firmly above the rest as the world’s best striker.
Speaking at Earl’s Court in London after a gig for World Cup fans by The Enemy, Rooney said: "I remember watching Michael score that goal. I was watching with my family round at my nan's, only a young boy at the time. It's a dream to play for your country in anything - to do so in the World Cup is unbelievable.
“You try not to think too much about the World Cup but it’s always in the back of your mind. It’s a bit weird it’s so close now.
“We will be going to South Africa well prepared. Hopefully we'll have a great tournament and have this (he said, patting the World Cup) back here come the end of July.”
As for the debate over the world’s best player, Rooney said: “It’s nice to hear these things, but you don’t read too much into it. I’d go for Cristiano Ronaldo. He's a great player - but it would be nice to knock them out."
As for his recent run of headed goals – seven of his last eight have come from the forehead – Rooney said: "I've worked a lot on my heading. It's going well - perhaps it's coming off my bald patch!"
But more important things have happened off the pitch for the former Everton striker. Like the birth of his son Kai. Still just 24, he grinned: "I've enjoyed being a dad. You could say it’s changed me. It's different and hard work but a great feeling.
"I've changed a lot in the last couple of years anyway, and becoming a father means you have to be a role model for your son and be someone he can look up to.
"Changing nappies is probably the hardest thing so far - and I hear it gets harder as well.
"He's been to a few matches, even though he probably doesn't know what's happening yet."

The two 35-year-olds pushing for a last hurrah in South Africa - and I don't mean Beckham, he's only 34

FABIO CAPELLO could be forced to consider two 35-year-olds when he names his initial 30-strong World Cup squad on May 11. And no, I don't mean David Beckham. He's not 35 until May 2.

Take a deep breath. These two are by no means the most popular men in football. But they may be the best we have in a defence hit by injury and off-field scandal.

If Arsenal and Manchester United continue to vie for the Premier League and Champions League crowns, the claims of Sol Cambell (18 September, 1974) and Gary Neville (18 February, 1975) have to be considered. Gasp!

Yes, I know Spurs fans hate Sol. And those at Portsmouth and Notts County have mixed views. Arsenal fans were hardly leaping about when unattached Sol became Arsene Wenger's only signing in the January transfer window.

The feeling was he would play occasionally and look for another club. But then came the disaster everyone feared - injury and unhappiness from want-away William Gallas, who looks like he's off to Roma.

Who would partner Dutch discovery Thomas Vermaelen with Philipe Senderos gone to Everton? Mikael Silvestre, the Manchester United reject? Johan Djourou, the limited stand-in? Alex Song pulled out of his midfield holding role? No. Sol got one of the toughest jobs in football, at the heart of a defence struggling behind a talented but lightweight midfield.

And the man who came so close to immortality in the 1998 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina and the Euro 2004 quarter-final against Portugal - he had storming headers unfairly disallowed in both tight games - has done a stirring job.

Then look at the problems surrounding our current centre-back options. John Terry's well-documented problems at Chelsea have seen him stripped of the England captaincy while West Ham's Matthew Upson is hardly rock-solid and Rio Ferdinand has had a torrid time with injury, distractions and suspensions at Manchester United this season. With Wes Brown crocked, England could turn to Manchester City's over-priced Joleon Lescott or Everton's Phil Jagielka, coming back strongly after a broken leg.

But just this morning, after Tuesday's stirring 5-0 Champions League win over Porto which put Arsenal into the last eight in Europe, Sol said: "I'm going to give everything I've got every time I play. The World Cup? You never know. I might get a sniff if I keep on playing. Why not?"

And with Jeremiah Sulzeer Campbell - the only man ever to represent England in six consecutive major finals (Euro 1996, 2000 and 2004 and the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups) - hoping to add to his 73 caps at centre-back, how about the older of the Neville brothers, Gary Alexander, taking his tally to 86 at right back?

Neville made his England debut under Terry Venables back in 1996 and has played under five international coaches. Injury has pushed him out of Capello's plans - but fresh injuries may force the Generalissimo to think again.

Manchester United's Wes Brown - awful at right back against Egypt, but considered a utility defender who could also play centrally - has broken a bone in his foot while Liverpool's Glenn Johnson is on his way back after medial knee ligament damage. Manchester City's Micah Richards may be considered a possible but he captained the Under 21s in their defeat against Greece last week.

In that same quarter-final against Portugal in 2004 (see picture above, with Sol and Gary in turbo-whinge mode), England seemed to lose their way when Neville, always the leader when his old pal David Beckham wore the armband, went off with Wayne Rooney.

And last night, as Manchester United crushed Milan in Europe, there was Neville providing the cross for Rooney's opening header - a devastating partnership that could be neatly replicated in South Africa this summer.

Why was Neville playing? Because Ronaldinho tored Argentine diddyman Rafael apart in the first leg. Using his nouse, his mouth and his never-diminishing energy, Gary kept Ron very quiet last night, just as Sir Alex Ferguson had planned.

Look, I'm not saying either of these veterans will survive the cut when Capello trims his squad from 30 to 23 on June 1. But our best goalkeeper David James (born 1 August, 1970) will be 40 three weeks after the World Cup final at Soccer City on July 11 - so let's not rule them out on age alone.

On popularity, Campbell would struggle and the ever-moaning Neville - reviled on most terraces from Merseyside to London - wouldn't have a sniff.

But the other 31 countries at the World Cup (apart from Spain) would certainly find a place for two 35-year-olds plying their trade at the top of the Premier League and the last eight of the Champions League.

And who knows, Sol could get the chance to score that glory goal he was unfairly denied in two huge quarter-finals. Or Gary Neville could finally score his first goal for England. We can dream can't we?

A bad night for two Manchester United legends - and Becks goes off in a rebels' scarf

AS predicted here yesterday, there are not one but two very unhappy former Manchester United legends wandering around Europe with the vacant knocked-out stare this morning.The world's most famous footballer, David Beckham, and the world's most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo, both saw their sides plunge out of the Champions League last night.
For Beckham - clad in the rebel green and gold - it was an embarrassment. A late substitute, he came on when AC Milan were 3-0 down for his first competitive game at Old Trafford since he left for £23million after a decade of brilliance in 2003. He had one chance, messed up one pass... and saw Sir Alex Ferrguson's side score another after a standing rendition of "There's Only One David Beckham" from the United faithful.
For Ronaldo, the £80million man, there was the embarrassment of a 1-1 home draw against gallant Frenchmen Lyon at the Bernebeu. And this after his early goal had given the Galacticos a great chance of turning the tie around after their 1-0 first leg defeat.
United then go through 7-2 after their 4-0 win. Wayne Rooney took his tally to four in the tie with an early header followed by a neat finish. The leader in Europe's League-based chase for the Golden Boot, he is unstoppable in Europe too.
His first was his seventh successive headed goal, he now has 9 headers in his last 10 games after scoring just four in his first 354 games. And his total in all competitions? Thirty in 34 games. Incredible.
Ji-Sung Park and Darren Fletcher added the a miserable night for Becks and crew who had not lost in four previous attempts against United. Like Arsenal the night before, winning after a first leg deficit for the first time in 31 years, United have rewritten a little bit of history.
And all this in front of two of the Glazers, Joel and Avi, with thousands protesting about the American owners' debt in the green and yellow of Newton Heath, the founding club. The slogan: "Green and gold until the club is sold". The Red Knights will no doubt be encouraged by Beckham's decision to don a green and gold scarf as he wandered off, though he later claimed he "didn't realise the significance" of his act.
Clearly emotional, the former England captain said: "You know, it was a disappointing night because we lost the game but returning here is always special. The reception was really unbelievable. It was really incredible. A tear in the eye? I don't know. It was nice to be back.
"I had a volley, I caught it too well but by then it was too late. They're a good team. They deserve to go all the way. When you don't start in games, it's one of those things where you want to play but you know, we're a team. We have to win together and we lose together.
"This is possibly my last game here. I will take a lot of memories away from here.
"Wayne Rooney is such an exceptional talent. He's always scared defenders. Without a doubt he's one of the best, if not the best, player at the moment with Messi and Ronaldo."
Sir Alex agreed: "Wayne has been absolutely sensational this season and I'm delighted he's got to 30 goals. Can he surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's 42? That's the challenge isn't it."
For Real and their £250m-worth of talent, it was even worse. Ronaldo fluffed a late chance, the 90,000 fans were leaking out of the stadium and Lyon failed with two one-on-one efforts to make it a seriously awkward result for boss Marco Pellegrini.
Real have now failed at the first knock-out stage for the last six seasons - and the final is scheduled for the Bernebeu this year.
So United and Lyon go through to join Bayern Munich - who benefited from former Real and Chelsea star Arjen Robben's late wondergoal - and an impressive Arsenal, 6-2 victors over Porto.
As a Gooner, I've got to go against Arsene Wenger's comments last night and say... anyone but United.
Chelsea, 2-1 down against Inter Milan, must wait until next week at Stamford Bridge to earn their place in the last eight. Given what we've seen from the two Premier League sides so far, I wouldn't be against them.

Like so many other football fans, watching Manchester United makes David Beckham sick. Tonight, he returns to add nauseum

LIKE so many other football fans, David Beckham admits watching Manchester United makes him sick.

And not sick in the way the youth of today use the word. The former England captain, who left Old Trafford in 2003 after 394 games, 85 goals and 10 years, explains: “It made me feel physically sick to even, you know, just turn the Manchester United game on the television.

“Not because I hated the club or hated the fact I’d left. I just missed it that much. I’m sure it will feel like coming home tonight. United is where I grew up and it’s the club I’ve always supported and will continue to support.

“It will be amazing because the relationship I have with the United fans is still important to me.

“I went through some difficult times, but they never stopped supporting me and I wouldn’t have got through everything without them.

“Over the years, it hasn’t felt right coming back. There was something about going back to Old Trafford as an opposition player that just didn’t sit well with me. But now, seven years on, it feels right.”

Beckham, 34, returns to his old stamping ground - as a substitute - attempting to extricate Leonardo’s Italians from a 3-2 first leg deficit suffered at the San Siro a fortnight ago.

Then, two headed goals from Wayne Rooney gave United the edge. This time Rooney is recovering from a knee injury and Beckham, who came on as a substitute for Milan over the weekend when Mathieu Flamini was injured, is hoping for something better.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who hates questions about Becks in his press conferences, said: “We’ll try and do it in our normal way, I don’t think we should be confused by the score of 3-2. It’s a very difficult game and one we need to win.

“That’s the way we will approach it. We hope to kill the tie with our own attacking ability. AC Milan have to score, which should make it a really open match.

“We don’t know for certain if David is going to start. He hasn’t started a match for a while. It would be good to score an early goal.”

That was the sum total of Fergie Beckhamisms. And not much was said about United’s record against Italian teams – and Milan in particular.

Four times the sides have met, four times United have crashed out. Last season Becks played 20 times for Milan, scoring two goals. This season? Just 11 games and no goals yet. Boss Leonardo said: “For Beckham it is something very, very special. When he saw the draw, it was unbelievable. Beckham is someone very, very timeless, he is very professional.

“The most important thing is how he will react in this match. It’s not important what happened before.”

Given last night’s incredible Champions League action – Arsenal saw off Porto 5-0 with a Maradona from Samir Nasri while Bayern Munich edged past Fiorentina with a stunning last-gasp effort from Arjen Robben – it would be impolite to expect anything less tonight.

And it’s not just United - 11-time winners Real Madrid are 1-0 down after the first leg of their clash with Lyon. Another former Old Trafford idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, is expected to play at the Bernebeu.

I've got a feeling both Becks and Ron will suffer tonight.