The annual fun sporting competition featured a range of sports and the assault course mystery event.

This year’s Intermural took place over a fun-packed weekend with twelve teams taking part in a variety of sports, bar games and more.

Organised by Joe Sutton and Ros Ward, the intermural challenge was won by team ‘I Moustache You A Question’ with 39 points.

‘The Hairy Quibblers’ won the saturday night games in the bar whilst ‘Jesus Christ Fenton’ got the spirit award.

Intermural Rankings

1st place 39pts
I Moustache You A Question

2nd place 35pts
The Hairy Quibblers

3rd place 29pts
Peace Studs

4th place 27pts
The Cock Smashers

5th place 22pts
My Frisbee Brings All
The Players To The Yard

6th place 19pts
Boats and Hoes

7th place 18pts
Bear Necessities

8th place 17pts
Pimps of Joytime

9th place 16pts
The Monks of St. Cervois

10th place 14pts
Team Delius

11th place 9pts
Sonia or Fizz?

12th place 4pts
Jesus Christ Fenton!!!

The annual basketball tournament took place this year over again over the May bank holiday.

Taking place between Woodhall and the Bradford College Sports Centre it was an exciting three days of basketball games, plus fantastic evening events including the FND and a special Urban Soundclash on the Saturday night.

The Men’s Shield was won by Inception, and the Women’s Shield by LSBU.

The West Midlands Old Boys won the 2012 Men’s Plate after a thrilling final with Bolton Acers, and the Twickenham Tigers won the Women’s Plate after beating Mixology with a last second three pointer.

Congratulations to all the teams that took part over the weekend!

We have an opportunity to host some football courses here at Bradford. As we are waiving the facility cost, our staff and students can attend the courses at a reduced rate. The courses we can host are:

FA Level 1 Football coaching course – (27/5/12 and 2/6/12 and 3/6/12 also one evening during WB 28/5) all date must be attended. The course costs £120 and we have limited spaces.

FA Level 1 Goalkeepers coaching course – (21/7/12 and 28/7/12 and 4/8/12) all dates must be attended. The course costs £100 and we have limited spaces.

If you are interested in any of these could you please send me an email to k.moore5@bradford.ac.uk

Congratulations to Laura Moloney and Coach Mark Gunn from the University of Bradford Women’s Basketball 1st team for helping the England Universities team win the 2012 BUCS Home Nations tournament!

England Universities Women’s Basketball 2012 Squad

4 – R.Lonsdale (Northumbria)
6 – L.Buxton (Loughborough)
7 – L.Moloney (Bradford)
8 – J.Maignomo (LSBU)
9 – H.Naylor (Sheffield Hallam)
10 – T.Clark (Northumbria)
11 – V.Da Silva (LSBU)
12 – G.Baird (Loughborough)
13 – N.Campbell (Loughborough)
14 – A.Biong (East London)
15 – S.Carr (Northumbria)

Coach: L.Williams (LSBU)
Asst Coach: M.Gunn (Bradford)

Monday 16th April (Friendly)

England 51
Nottingham Academy 8

Tuesday 17th April (BUCS Home Nations)

England (23, 43, 68) 85
Scotland (14, 20, 31) 44

England Scorers: Lonsdale, Buxton (11 – 0 of 2 FTs), Moloney (2), Maignomo (10 – 2 of 3 FTs), Naylor (17 – 3 of 4 FTs), Clark (20 – 2 of 4 FTs), Da Silva, Baird (6), Campbell (4), Biong (2) & Carr (13).

Wednesday 18th April (BUCS Home Nations)

England (26, 62, 87) 115
Northern Ireland (13, 25, 31) 43

England Scorers: Lonsdale (7 – 2 of 2 FTs), Buxton (18 – 1 of 2 FTs), Moloney (6), Maignomo (14 – 0 of 2 FTs), Naylor (18 – 2 of 4 FTs), Clark (4 – 1 of 2 FTs), Da Silva (4), Baird (8 – 2 of 2 FTs), Campbell (10), Biong (6) & Carr (20 – 4 of 5 FTs).

BUCS Home Nations Women’s Basketball MVP 2012 as voted for by coaches = H.Naylor (England Universities)

This season, Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson have been tangled in a title race with a completely new entity as we all welcomed arch rivals Manchester City into England’s top table. This was thanks in part to Mancini’s man-management, something which ex-United boss Mark Hughes couldn’t achieve under his tenure at Eastlands, and thanks in part to the new wealth and flood of talent drafted into the blue half of Manchester.

Mancini’s club probably boasts the best side that United have had to face in a title race since the Arsenal sides manufactured by Wenger in 1998 and 2004. However, Mancini’s psychological games need a little work. The Italian provides repetitive playing down of title hopes despite the title decider on Monday night and with three points in it. In part, you could say that Mancini’s tactics have calmed City nerves down which has led to their good form as of late.

You can’t say that it has unnerved Sir Alex, not that he often is unnerved by a fellow Premier League manager. The recent dropped points by the Red Devils have been down to poor performances at the DW against a battling Wigan side and failing to hold a lead at home to Everton in an eight-goal thriller.

Even though Mancini is vastly experienced and they are pushing United right down to the wire, the Italian doesn’t compare to the likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. The competitive streak held by the aforementioned Frenchman has taken the most titles from Ferguson in the past twenty years shortly dipped into a pure hatred at the turn of the century.

Between the pizza incident, the battle of Old Trafford in 2003 and David Beckham’s cut forehead in the FA Cup fifth round, there has been almost pitched battles between Wenger and Ferguson since his appointment in 1996. There has been many tempestuous encounters between the two no more than that battle of Old Trafford.

Wenger’s mind games got to Ferguson to an extent as it made United raise their game, a match in particular in February 2005 where United beat Arsenal at Highbury 4-2 in a tense affair. A sending off and plenty of bookings along with a good old battle with Keane and Vieira in the tunnel was boiled down to months and months of media wars between the two managers.

Whilst Wenger has taken three titles off Fergie, Mourinho proved a stern test when he became Chelsea manager in 2004. The Portuguese manager had annoyed United fans before he stepped foot into Stamford Bridge when he ran the entire length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Porto fans at Old Trafford in a Champions League tie the previous season before his first Premier League title at Chelsea.

Mourinho was famed for his antics, such as shushing Liverpool fans in the Carling Cup final of 2005 along with constantly reminding us that he is known as ‘The Special One’. Until he crumbled in the 2007/08 season he had severely threatened the United empire for the first time in decades – possibly since a certain Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed to cure to Liverpool domination.

Ferguson has had plenty of rival managers in his 26 years and Mourinho was only one of 17 Chelsea managers he has faced in his long tenure at the Theatre of Dreams.

Managers from that Anfield place never really threatened Ferguson’s Premier League domination and try as they might, the only time Kenny Dalglish ever won the Premier League was when he traded Ewood Park for Liverpool. However, since he has returned to Anfield, an angrier and less potent Dalglish has taken the place of the domineering club he used to play for.

A manager that Ferguson had definitely wound up was Rafael Benitez. In January 2009, Liverpool were top of the league heading into the business end of the season and if ever there was a self-destruct button played so well to hand over the league title to United, Benitez played it with swift effect in a press conference.

The “facts” are that United overturned the deficit which led to an enormous lead generated by the destruction Benitez caused for his own team. Although Benitez was quick to state that he wasn’t playing mind games but “stating the facts”, it was clear that Benitez was bowing to the pressure of a title race, a race that Liverpool have not since entered.

Ferguson has had the contrast of managers come close to removing him from the perch of the Premier League champions. Avram Grant, for instance, had Ferguson battling on two fronts and with the players seemingly leading the team, Grant’s mind games were never going to be impressive.

To this day, even Benitez is trumped by Kevin Keegan in terms of outbursts. Benitez’s factual press conference might have been controlled and calculated but Keegan’s interview with Sky presenters, Andy Gray and Richard Keys in the title race of 1996, the Newcastle boss’ famous outburst is still being quoted today.

I’m sure Sir Alex loves that.

The El Clasico was hardly a classic as Real Madrid ran out 2-1 winners to effectively end Barcelona’s title dreams for one season, ending a 54-match unbeaten run at the Camp Nou. A scrappy goal from Sami Khedira put the visitors into the lead before Alexis Sanchez poked home an equaliser twenty minutes before time. Unfortunately for Guardiola, the league leaders soon ran out into the lead again just minutes later thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo winner.

Both Barca and Real headed into the El Clasico coming off the back of similar defeats in Europe – something which has been uncharacteristic of the Spanish clubs this season. Madrid will be out to thwart Bayern after their 2-1 loss whilst Barcelona will be seeking revenge in the Camp Nou after a 1-0 loss in London against Chelsea.

With five matches to play, Barcelona simply needed to beat Real Madrid at the Camp Nou or they could wave their La Liga chances goodbye. With four points being the difference, a win for the home side would’ve put the deficit down to just one – making it a straight four-match shootout for the league title.

Another race hotting up is for the La Liga golden boot as both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have netted 41 times this season with Messi still four short of equalling Gerd Muller’s record of 67 goals in a football season.

Prior to the this contest, Real Madrid has taken just the one point from the past seven league matches against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, losing 20 out of a possible 21 points to play for.

Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique were left on the bench for the home side with Alexis Sanchez dropped to the bench through injury which gives Thiago and Cristian Tello the chance to start whilst Mourinho left his side unchanged from the 2-1 defeat in Munich. Madrid have had a 10-point deficit slashed to just four point in the space of a month thanks to Barca’s 11-match league winning streak but retained a 7-point deficit going into the final four matches thanks to a win in Barcelona.

The two clubs had been tied at 86 wins apiece prior to the match on the head-to-head record, and prior to the contest at the Camp Nou, Madrid have led the bragging rights by wins for 80 years. Guardiola lost only his second El Clasico contest out of 15 matches, ending a 54-match unbeaten home run.

It was Real Madrid who made the early running, just like in the reverse league fixture and, typically, Cristiano Ronaldo makes Victor Valdes produce a fine save from a header in the opening four minutes. Just when it seemed like Barca hadn’t got into their stride, Dani Alves bulleted through, intercepting a poor pass only to be thwarted by an onrushing Iker Casillas in a high energy opening for the top two Spanish teams.

Barcelona were struggling to find any sort of possession like they had found in midweek against Chelsea due to the high level of pressing that Mourinho had evidently instructed and ingrained his Madrid side with.

Real Madrid then took the lead due to yet another Victor Valdes mistake, just like in the reverse fixture at the Bernabeu. Valdes thwarted Pepe’s header and dropped the ball when it mattered and Carles Puyol couldn’t keep Khedira out who poked the opener from a few yards out to take the lead in the Clasico.

Now Madrid had got the advantage they needed to just sit back, allow full concentration on defensive play and soak up as much pressure as Barcelona could heap upon them. Real were still hitting Barca on the counter attack, Ronaldo’s sighter across the six yard box served as a warning for the home side who looked to dominate the rest of the half, with chances through Tello and Iniesta shortly after the opener.

The cause for concern for the home side was the choice in plumping for Busquets and Mascherano – two holding midfielders – as the defensive pairing with Puyol out on the right back berth with Alves in front of him and Pique on the bench. They were looking unusually frail on the backline with the visitors contrasting this, almost resembling a lorry through which there was no access for the likes of Messi and co.

Lionel Messi waved, with just a slight flicker, his magic wand to play Xavi in one-on-one with Casillas and the Spanish midfielder put the ball past his Spanish compatriot in Casillas but the ball whistled past the post with just inches in the matter.

To buck the trend of having 10 players sent off in the last 10 Clasicos, only two players were booked in the first half and another trend to be bucked was the form of Barcelona who had just the one player above six foot in height, were looking second best for the first time in a long time.

The youngster Tello, who had largely underperformed in his third league appearance found himself almost like a rabbit at headlights, hammering a one-on-one chance about five goal’s worth over the bar. The second half almost resembled a game of attack against defence – taking into account that this is one of the world’s greatest sides being pinned to their own half by the greatest.

However, the cute, intricate football from the hosts was being beaten by the strong and domineering visitors and Casillas hadn’t been tested for large chunks of the match which proves how little the hosts deserved to win the contest, for the first hour or so of play at least.

It seems that the young master, Guardiola’s supposed shrewd line-up was a wrong one. Guardiola’s side were being restricted to long range efforts and it was Xavi who once again went close for the hosts, with a shot whistling past the upright.

Alexis Sanchez was thrown into the mix with just twenty minutes remaining and the substitution reaped immediate rewards. Messi’s bright run at the Real defence allowed him to feed Tello through on goal but his and the subsequent effort was thwarted from Casillas before Sanchez forced the Spaniard into a third save but Sanchez’s rebound found the net.

If you label the two previous goals as scrappy then the Real frontman, Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal just two minutes and nineteen seconds after Sanchez’s leveller was anything but. The counter attack was swift and Mesut Ozil threaded the Portuguese forward through on goal and his calm finish threw Real back into the lead with his 54th goal of the campaign and his fourth in the past five El Clasicos.

If Ronaldo was vacant in previous Clasicos it was the turn of the Argentine, Lionel Messi who looked lifeless and without threat at the Camp Nou. Ronaldo’s turned out to be the winning goal, it killed the game off, and what looks like the host’s title dreams simultaneously.

Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Adriano (Pedro 77), Busquets, Xavi (Sanchez 69), Thiago, Tello (Fabregas 81), Iniesta, Messi
Subs Not Used: Pinto, Pique, Montoya, Keita
Booked: Busquets, Mascherano
Scored: Sanchez 70’

Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Di Maria (Granero 74), Ozil (Callejon 89), Ronaldo, Benzema (Higuain 90)
Subs Not Used: Adan, Albiol, Marcelo, Kaka
Booked: Pepe, Xabi Alonso, Ozil, Granero
Scored: Khedira 17’, Ronaldo 73’

After Monday night’s crucial derby defeat to Manchester City, Sir Alex Ferguson was left in bad Kompany as his title winning side of 2011 has hit the worst possible form at the wrong time, going into a two-game shootout with Roberto Mancini’s City side who now lead the Premier League on goal difference.

The time frame for an eight-point lead to dissolve was just the three weeks for Ferguson after a defeat at Wigan and dropping points at home to Everton in an eight-goal thriller. City have found solace from the 1-0 loss at the Emirates in early April in a somewhat rejuvenated turn of form, their relaxed atmosphere found them thumping wins over West Brom, Wolves and Norwich as Tevez returned to the fold.

Despite a glorious night for the Blue Moon in Manchester, Mancini still doubts his own side’s title credentials. It now boils down to a two-match shootout which features trips to the north east for both sides and with Tevez and co. travelling to St. James’ Park to face an in-form but wounded Newcastle and a very much prolific striker in the form of Senegalese talisman, Papiss Cisse.

I believe that the real title decider lies in the Geordie Adventures for the quarter of Aguero, Silva, Nasri and Tevez. If they are able to snatch a win from the inspiring form of fifth-placed Newcastle led by a highly charged Alan Pardew who is in the hunt for Champions League football then the title will be heading for Eastlands for the first time in forty-four years.

The Etihad Stadium club’s dry run in terms of top flight league titles mirrors that of the national team’s misery and thanks to a league double over their rivals for the first time in four seasons it seems that the noisy neighbours won’t be evacuating the title race anytime soon.

Mancini still favours United for the title, like he has done ever since that 1-0 loss for his outfit at the Emirates. The Italian manager sees the home match at Swansea as a gimme for the nineteen-time champions but as we all saw last weekend against Everton, three points aren’t simple for United and Ferguson at the moment.

However, United face two sides playing for nothing but pride as their mid-table status allows the champions to inflict easy defeats upon them, or you would expect. A trip to the Stadium of Light is always tough, especially with a rejuvenated side under Martin O’Neill but they have four wins out of their last six league trips, not losing since 1997 at the Stadium of Light in the league.

It will be a tricky final day of the season and after Mancini has hurdled a Newcastle challenge they host relegation battlers QPR on the final day of the season. Barring a minor miracle, the title race will go to the last day and conversely, QPR will still be tangled in a relegation dog fight, come May 13th.

City have only dropped points at home this season to Sunderland with one of the league’s worst teams in terms of form in QPR, it should be three points easily won. Ex-City manager Mark Hughes will be inspired by winning at his former club and in turn helping another former club in United and a former boss in Sir Alex Ferguson.

As Ferguson stated after Darron Gibson’s winner against City for Everton, could it all be planned?

The FA have chosen to appoint the former Liverpool and Fulham manager in Roy Hodgson to lead England to the European Championships. For most of the public and in the media, his appointment is largely seen as a disappointment when compared to Harry Redknapp, but I disagree.

Yes, Harry Redknapp had solidified Portsmouth as a permanent fixture in the top flight and turned them into FA Cup winners, he has given Tottenham Champions League football a boost and is probably the most popular English manager around at the minute.

But does he have international experience?

Well apart from opening an off-shore bank account (allegedly, may I add) he doesn’t. This is where the Tottenham gaffer and Roy Hodgson differ. Hodgson has been all around Europe and mainly in England with club football but internationally he has been flung as far as the United Arab Emirates.

He is more known for qualifying Switzerland in the 1994 World Cup and his good record was carried over to Finland who he transformed into an almost Euro 2008 qualifier. He has received good recommendations from the likes of Jerome Thomas at his current club of West Brom, who he has cured the yo-yo fashion of their club and was on his way to establishing a top half finish.

Thomas has experienced both Redknapp and Hodgson as managers and has said that both have the man management skills to succeed in the highest of football. Let’s not forget Hodgson has led both Inter Milan and Fulham to UEFA Cup finals, with the latter being the impressive accomplishment.

I believe that Hodgson’s vast and varied experience across the board of European and international football management has swung the FA’s decision and with Redknapp locked in a tough battle for Champions League football, the decision was made ever the easier.

Although Hodgson isn’t the fan’s favourite he is probably best suited for the job. It used to be Sam Allardyce who was waiting for the England job but his reputation was tarnished thanks to a poor tenure at St. James’ Park. Redknapp has coached the likes of Southampton and Portsmouth in recent years and the same fate could have been waiting in the wings when he joined Tottenham.

No such luck for Redknapp though as he was able to establish Spurs as one of the best English clubs and renowned around Europe for their excursions in the 2010-11 season in the Champions League where they were eliminated in the final eight thanks to Real Madrid.

Clubs such as Malmo and FC Copenhagen and profuse glory in these Scandinavian states are another dimension to Hodgson’s apparent experience. Yes, he’s reputation took a knock in his troubled tenure at Liverpool where he made the mistake of not being Kenny Dalglish.

He couldn’t emulate ‘King Kenny’ and has in fact, possibly had a better record than the Scot. Several league titles with Malmo and a double with Copenhagen in the past along with terrific achievements with Fulham possibly played on the FA’s mind.

With these factors they had no choice but to appoint Hodgson. His experience, knowledge and records speak for themselves and with the man management that vacated Capello in South Africa could be regained in the most unlikely of places in eastern Ukraine when England’s European Championship campaign kicks off in earnest against France in Donetsk in six weeks.