The Ugly Truth

Stop it now. Last night I could not concentrate on the Sporting Lisbon v Everton Europa tie because of the intruders on the pitch. It took me a while to realise that they were the goalline referees . My opinion is divided on thir usefulness. On one hand they are waste of space and on the other hand they are annoying. There is an aesthetic truth about a pitch with two teams and a referee. Stop the experiment now.

After the Wire No.5 - Aiden Gillen

As Tommy Carcetti, the highly ambitious city councilman,  Aiden Gillen  played a flawed but driven character whose idealistic vision for change often clashed with the lure of personal gain. Since appearing as Carcetti, he has acted in the BBC recession drama, Freefall, and will hopefully play the lead in my new film, ' José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho's Quiet Years'.

Other 'After the Wire' posts include:-

No.1 - Idris Elba

No.2 - Amy Ryan

No.3 - Dominic West

No.4 - Sonja Sohn

Week 22 Flutter Predictions

This week my choices for my Super 5 accumulator :-

Bolton
Burnley
Middlesborough
Newcastle
Southampton

My score predictions for the Small 3 are:-

Stoke 0  v 2 Arsenal
Liverpool 2 v 0 Blackburn
Sunderland  1 v 0 Fulham

Profit and Loss for Week 21

Accumulated Total Outlay      Accumulated Winnings         Profit/(Loss)

              £62.00                              £30.02                           -£31.98

Soccer Sequence No.19

Who would have guessed that Liza Minnelli would be the beautiful game's oracle. Liza, like Martin Peters, was twenty years ahead of her time. Can you guess the link between these 2008 numbers:-

365.8, 324.8, 308.8, 295.3, 268.9 , 264.0,  210.9,  209.5, 175.4, 172.9, 167.5, 155.7, 148.4, 145.0, 127.9  126.8,  125.6, 111.5, 111.3, 104.0.

Sad to note that Portsmouth were only 24.2 short of these figures.

For some more number puzzles, click on Soccer Sequences. Or find our what ex-Wire stars have to been upto in the rest of the blog. 

Reed All About It

Nice fact in yesterday's Guardian. Les Reed who wrote some great hits for Tom Jones, including It's Not Unusual, also wrote the official Leeds anthem Marching On Together. You learn something every day. Hands up if you already knew this fact.

Week 21 Flutter Predictions

It's time for my predictions again. Good week last week as there were not enogh games for me to make a prediction. My choices for my Super 5 accumulator :-

• Arsenal
• Newcastle
• Charlton
• Leeds
• Bournemouth

My score predictions for the Small 3 are:-

•  Portsmouth 2 v 0 Stoke
•  Wigan 1 v 0 Spurs
•  Man City 2 v 0 Liverpool

After the Wire No.4 - Sonja Sohn

Sonja played Kima, the feisty, bright and very effective cop. Her performance in season one was one of the reasons I became hooked.  "Don't die Kima, don't die."After the Wire, Sonja Sohn founded reWIRED for Change – a Baltimore rehabilitation programme that works to empower young people living in the poorest communities  through education  and street-based intervention. Well done, Sonja. She has also appeared in the hit American series 'Brothers &  Sisters'.

Other 'After the Wire' posts include:-

No.1 - Idris Elba

No.2 - Amy Ryan

No.3 - Dominic West

Profit and Loss for Week 20

Accumulated Total Outlay	Accumulated Winnings	Profit/(Loss)
£58.90	£30.02	-£28.88

After the Wire No.3 - Dominic West

The actor from Yorkshire played Jimmy McNulty, a man born to police the mean streets of Baltimore. McNulty was to the Police force, what Georgie Best was to football;  a reckless genius.   Since the Wire,   West has filmed, Centurion , about a  splinter group of Roman soldiers who fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack. Noel Clarke co-stars. According to IMDB, he is about to film 'John Carter of Mars'. In the film, a Civil War veteran is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a planet where the main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians. Peter Crouch is  outstanding as the tallest barbarian in the village.

Other 'After the Wire' posts include:-

No.1 - Idris Elba
No.2 - Amy Ryan

Matt to the Finish

Further to my post about Amy Ryan last week and her  appearance in Paul Greengrass’s new film, Green Zone, it was lovely to see her co-star watching the Chelsea v Arsenal game at the weekend. Matt Dillon seemed to genuinely enjoy Drogba's attempt to achieve his own Trilogy. Arsenal could do with a hitman as good as Bourne. 

Soccer Sequence No.18

With today's Merseyside derby in mind, but not necessarily the focus of the sequence, can you find the link between the following years. 

1906, 1933, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2006

For some more number puzzles, click on Soccer Sequences.

Week 20 Flutter Predictions

It's time for my predictions again. Doesn't time fly when you are having fun. My choices for my Super 5 accumulator :-

• Bolton
• Sheffield United
• Huddersfield
• Rochdale
• Bournemouth

Now originally I chose Manchester City, Manchester United,Sunderland, Leeds and Nottingham Forest. But I changed my mind!

My score predictions for the Small 3 are:-

•  Bolton 1 v 0 Fulham
•  Burnley 1 v 0 West Ham
•  Birmingham 1 v 0 Wolves

There appears to be a connection in my score predictions.

After the Wire No.2 - Amy Ryan

Amy Ryan played Beadie Russell, the Port Authority officer in season two. Her calm and understated performance was perfectly played. This was no surprise to anyone who watched her Oscar nominated performance in the under-rated  'Gone Baby Gone.' As Beadie in the series, she discovered the container filled with dead bodies that unleashed a full-scale investigation into the practices of the Baltimore dockers.  After the Wire, her appearances have included a run in the USA version of the Office. She will soon appear in Paul Greengrass’s Iraq war film, Green Zone, co-starring with Matt Dillon.

Other 'After the Wire' posts include:-

No.1 - Idris Elba

Profit and Loss for Week for Week 19

Accumulated Total Outlay	Accumulated Winnings	Profit/(Loss)
£55.80	£30.02	-£25.78

Now,  I did tell you that I had a feeling about my accumulator. And I correctly predicted the Villa score against Fulham. A good week but as they say, "there is still a great deal of work to do".

Dive-ine Inspiration

Some things just make you laugh.