2010 ... Same Old Story So Far !

So, in this brief post, I’ll quickly address my thoughts, hopes and fears for what the forthcoming year has to offer. Already, we are over a month into the New Year, and some familiar patterns and stories have emerged in news, sport and music with which we can cross reference to similar events from the last decade.

The people of Haiti have experienced a devastating earthquake; loss of life, livelihoods and all of the associated problems with disasters of this nature have been rife. U.N. aid workers attending the scenes described it as the “worst natural disaster” in living memory. We’ve also had warnings from government security agencies that the U.K. is on the highest level of terror alert – no respite from the threat of “Al-Qaeda” et al still, as Allied Troops overseas continue to clash in Afghanistan; the death toll rises almost daily. We’ve also witnessed our inability to deal with winter weather once again, as snowfall has brought transport links, schools and services to a standstill. And of course, the British obsession with the celebrity lives on – the repulsive Katy Price (a.k.a. “Jordan”) has married once again, only eight months after her divorce to Peter Andre. This time she has tied the knot with the newly crowned “Celebrity Big Brother” winner, cage fighter Alex Reid.

In music, will the “X-Factor” continue to dominate ? It’s safe to say it will certainly have a major bearing on the charts for years to come not only from the up and coming newcomers, but also established acts. Although “Rage Against The Machine” took the Christmas top spot in 2009, they quickly disappeared out of the charts only two weeks later, while “X-Factor” winner Joe McElderry remains in the top forty to date. The “comedy” act of last years competition “Jedward” also look likely to have success on the back of the show, in this weeks midweek download chart they are sitting second on sales. The reality pop bubble certainly has not burst yet. So for this year, expect more of the same, plus charity singles (the all star collaboration involved in the cover of “R.E.M.’s” hit “Everybody Hurts” is a nailed-on certainty for several weeks at number one), and no doubt there will be another boy or girl band reunion this year too – “East 17” ? “A1” ? “Vanilla” ? No Way, No Way … MaNamaNa ! Don’t get fresh with me ! Hopefully not, is all I can say.

The world of football has already seen triumph, tragedy and scandal. Egypt won the African Cup of Nations, which was overshadowed by the ambush of the Togo team bus just days before the start of the tournament, in which two senior members of backroom staff were murdered. Domestically, on the pitch we’ve seen dominant Premier League performances from Manchester United, who have found top gear, while Arsenal and Chelsea have stuttered in recent weeks; and Liverpool have endured a torrid season to date, although no doubt they will be poised to regain a top four place should Aston Villa find the dizzy heights of fourth place too much for them. In the F.A. Cup, there have been the usual giant killing stories to report – Leeds United putting out Manchester United the pick of the bunch. The World Cup is around the corner, but will England have a new face leading the team out ? Tabloid revelations regarding captain John Terry and his intimate relationship with the former partner of his ex-team mate Wayne Bridge have seen various high profile names urge the centre half to quit his role. Whatever happens, the World Cup is sure to be as enthralling as ever, and let’s hope that in the forthcoming major international tournaments that some more of the home nations will be able to qualify and join in the fun !

Andy Murray narrowly missed out in a gripping final to Roger Federer in the Australian Open, looks like another winning year for him, but certainly Britain looks closer than ever to having a major tennis winner. Formula One testing has begun in earnest, in a season with three new teams hitting the grid, plus the comeback of 41 year old Michael Schumacher. This weekend also will see the start of a new Six Nations rugby tournament, will Ireland be the team to beat once again ? Whatever happens, 2010 looks set to be another enthralling year in sport.

Thanks for reading,

Mountain Man