VIDEO: "I'm back in the real world at Palace" says trialist Jake Nicholson

July 15, 2013, 4:54 am

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JAKE Nicholson says players live in a "bubble" at the top Premier League clubs and that he's "back in the real world" after training with Crystal Palace on trial. The midfielder was released by Tottenham Hotspur recently and hope he can impress the Eagles in hope winning a contract at Selhurst Park. However, in an exclusive video interview with the Croydon Advertiser, Nicholson spoke about his time at White Hart Lane and how injury played a big part in adding to his first team appearance in the Europa League in August 2011. "It was a good stage in my life - I made my debut and I was in and around the first team," he said. "I was traveling with them and experiencing what you get, playing with Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe in training - it was unbelievable. "I played in an U19 tournament against Liverpool at White Hart Lane, did well, got man of the match, and also got a new contract after the game. "Things were going well but a week after I signed my new contract I tore my cartilage in my hip so it was pretty tricky. "They x-rayed my right one and then it just backlogged, the manager changed, Harry Redknapp changed, and then I tried to get back into it. "Some people thought maybe I'd lost it. "At Spurs you've got facilities which are the best - it's state of the art. When you're at Spurs it's like you're in a bubble, in your own little world, and you only see that there, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. "But at Palace you're back in the real world and you have to work hard to get to where you want to get to."SCROLL DOWN FOR THE VIDEO Nicholson joined up with the Palace U21 squad last week at a training camp in Brighton after receiving a phonecall from Academy boss Gary Issott. And he believes it would be a good move, especially living in Surrey as a young father with his child and fiancée. "When you've played in the Europa League, people hear your name and that you've parted ways with Spurs," Nicholson said. "But, ideally, my dad used to coach at Palace, I've been down to Palace, and I've known Gary Issott since I was nine-years-old. "It would be a great club to come to, and hopefully from my performance at East Grinstead, the chairman and the managers can see that I'm back. "It's been really good so far and I know a few of the boys already like Jason Banton, Kwesi Appiah and Ryan Inniss - they've helped me a lot and made me feel welcome. "Last week we've been away on training down in Brighton and away from my fiancée and my little kid, so it's been hard but it's been good to be around the team, meeting new people and how, as a club, they operate. "It's been different coming from Spurs and you've got to adapt, but it's been really good."WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO HERE

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Key pledge of Lillian's Law campaign close to reality

July 15, 2013, 7:00 am

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A ZERO tolerance approach to drug driving – one of the key aims of our Lillian's Law campaign – has moved a step closer to reality.

In March an expert panel recommended adopting certain limits for drugs such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine, as part of a new offence inspired by the campaign.

This week the government decided those limits were too high, amid concern that drivers may not exceed the levels but still pose a significant danger.

Its consultation, announced on Monday, has set out a zero-tolerance approach to eight controlled drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and LSD.

The decision has been welcomed by the family of Lillian Groves, 14, who was killed outside her home in Headley Drive, New Addington, by a speeding driver who had smoked cannabis before getting behind the wheel.

Nearly two years ago they teamed up with the Advertiser to launch a campaign in her name which called for radical changes to the approach to drug-driving.

"When we set out at the start zero-tolerance was one of our main aims," said Michaela Groves, Lillian's auntie.

"We didn't understand how you could set an acceptable limit of an illegal drug.

"We were convinced it should happen but we also knew that we had set the bar quite high. To have it happen is fantastic.

"It might seem like common sense, but we never thought it would be addressed, particularly not this quickly.

"It's great to see how much progress has been made."

More than 20,000 people signed the petition for Lillian's Law, which also called for the introduction of roadside testing devices, due next year.

When Lillian's family and the Advertiser met the Prime Minister in November 2011, he said the campaign made a "strong argument" for zero-tolerance approach.

"We need to get away from impairment. The impairment test is all wrong. It allows you to be a drug take who is driving and that's not on," he added.

In taking a zero-tolerance approach, the government said it had set the limits at a level which will not catch someone who has consumed very small amounts inadvertently.

Drugs are a factor in hundreds of road deaths each year, but drivers often escape prosecution.

It said the new offence would reduce wasted time, expense and effort for the police and courts when prosecutions fail because of how difficult it is to prove a drug impaired the ability to drive.

The law also applies to eight controlled drugs which have "widespread medical uses", including morphine, diazepam and other anxiety or sleeping pills.

The consultation closes on September 17.

GIVE AND TAKE DAY FINDS NEW HOMES FOR UNWANTED GOODS

July 15, 2013, 9:47 am

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Over a quarter of a tonne of unwanted household items were donated at Croydon's recent free 'Give and Take' day in Surrey Street.

Organised by the council and their waste contractors, Veolia Environment Services, the event allowed people to get rid of unwanted clutter that others might find useful.

From children's toys and curtain poles to books and stair balustrades, hundreds of items changed hands from the market stalls that had been especially set up for the event.

Give and Take days are designed to ensure that unwanted but usable good don't end up just getting thrown away.
Electrical products were collected by the Homeagain charity so that they could be professionally PAT safety tested before being passed on to their new owners.

The Dr Bike team were on hand to provide a free check-up and basic service on old bicycles that were brought along.

Volunteers from Octopus Community Enterprise were also fundraising on the day and they managed to collect nearly £80 to help local people in need.
The Croydon Old Town Old Portas Town Team also helped support the event by supplying gazebos and lunch for the volunteers.

David Floud, sustainability project manager for Veolia, said: "We were excited to deliver a real community collaboration between everyone from Dr Bike and Croydon Old Town Portas Town Team to Octopus, the local community support charity. We are looking forward to putting on more events in the future!"

Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: "Although recycling is important it's even better if unwanted things simply get reused by people who need them – this is the most environmentally sensible solution and is the reason we hope to be running more events like this in the future."

Plans are in place to hold the next 'give and take day' in the Autumn, and another next spring.

No indication Tia Sharp was in danger, says report

July 15, 2013, 11:30 am

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MURDERED schoolgirl Tia Sharp's school attendance was so low that legal action was being started against her mother, while illegal drug taking was constant among her family, a new report says. The report published today by Merton Council says that her family had been referred to social services several times, but there "was no direct evidence of abuse or neglect." It adds that authorities may not have tackled problems strongly enough, but there was nothing to suggest Tia was at risk of physical harm. The 12-year-old was murdered in August last year by her grandmother's partner Stuart Hazell, after she went to stay the night at the couple's home in The Lindens, New Addington. Her body was hidden in the loft by Hazell, and found a week later after a massive missing person's search. Hazell pleaded guilty at day five of his trial at the Old Bailey in May, and was sentenced to a minimum 38 years in jail. Prosecutors said the murder was sexually motivated. Today's Serious Case Review looks at Tia's home life and how any concerns about her and the family were dealt with by authorities. Tia lived with her mother, Natalie Sharp, and stepfather, David Niles, in Pollard's Hill, Mitcham, and often stayed with her grandmother in New Addington. The report says the 12-year-old's school attendance had been poor since junior school but had worsened at Raynes Park High, while her mother "avoided all attempts" to tackle the problem. The council started legal action, but Tia's grandmother Christine Bicknell intervened, telling authorities Tia would stay with her and Hazell - weeks before he killed her. Saying Tia was described as a "bright, happy and warm personality," the report adds it is not clear why she was so absent from school. It adds: "Child A's mother avoided all attempts to explore and tackle this issue. "No professional discussed the possible reasons for poor school attendance directly with her or with Child A. "It may be that staff at the junior school were disarmed by Child A's engaging presentation and reasonable levels of achievement." The report says the use of "illegal drugs" in Tia's family was "known to a number of agencies," and that her mother had routinely used cannabis during pregnancy. It adds there is "substantial evidence" that the use of illegal drugs was an "everyday occurrence" in Tia's living situation. "This is likely to have affected her and the care she received throughout her life," it says. "It was not robustly challenged by health professionals in their contact with her family and there may have been an inappropriate tolerance by some professionals of the use of cannabis." The family was assessed by social services once after coming to police attention, the report says. Tia was not spoken to at the time but relevant agencies were contacted and "no concerns were expressed." It adds: "Overall, Ms D (Tia's mother) was said to present as "loving and caring" and there was no evidence to indicate a need for continuing contact with social workers." The report makes recommendations for lessons to be learned by authorities. Those include reminding schools of the possible links between non-attendance and a child's welfare; highlighting the dangers of cannabis; and ensuring that the "voice of the child" is heard.

t20 REPORT: Surrey lose out to Essex big hitters at the Oval

July 15, 2013, 1:22 pm

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Surrey 148-6 Essex 149-2Essex win by eight wickets ESSEX were victorious over Surrey this evening, securing a 149-2 scoreline to win by eight wickets with seven balls to spare. Surrey won the toss and elected to bat first on a beautiful evening in south London, and it was a good start from opening batsman Jason Roy, who hit two consecutive fours in the first over. However, his batting partner Davies was caught out from just his first ball, hitting a high shot into the air which was easily caught by Essex's Graham Napier. In came Ricky Ponting at number three to a huge ovation, but it was Roy who continued to impress, hitting another consecutive fours after three overs. Ponting was looking sharp and was up to speed with his partner, hitting another four as Surrey moved into the fourth over at 30-1. Roy continued to wow the crowd as Surrey upped their score but he was eventually stumped out by Essex wicketkeeper Foster thanks to ten Doeschate's quick reactions in the eighth over. In came fourth batsman Glenn Maxwell to partner Ponting, and the game began to slow down slightly for Surrey as they moved up to 64-2 after 9.3 overs. Ponting lit up the game shortly after with another couple of fours to increase the score to 82-2 after 12 overs, while Maxwell began to get into a rhythm alongside him. And the Australian showed his true class in the 13th over with a superb looping shot which he hit behind him to fool the Essex fielders and past the boundary for yet another four. However, that wasn't the case for Phillips in the Essex fielding, who produced a fantastic one-handed catch deep in the field to dismiss Maxwell for 98-3. Azhar Mahmood replaced him and was soon clicking with Ponting to move Surrey up to 114-3 after 15.2 overs. Ponting continued to show his authority in the game as Surrey moved through the overs but he was finally dismissed following 65 runs thanks to another catch from Phillips. In came Gary Wilson, who sparked further life into Surrey's plays with two fours consecutively to take the hosts up to 143-4 after 18.4 overs. But the batsman was run out by Napier as Surrey went into the interval 148-6 after 20 overs. Essex came back out after a ten-minute break and opening hitter Rutherford was certainly in the mood early on, hitting two fantastic sixes after three overs to give them a score of 23-0. And from the first six, an eagle-eyed spectator in the crowd caught the flying ball to earn himself £1,000. It was a good start from Essex, who moved up to 34-0 after four overs, with Rutherford scoring 27 and partner Smith on seven. However, Rutherford was stopped in his tracks as he chased a third six when he was superbly caught by Ansari on the border for 42-1. But Smith had other ideas as he hit two sixes in quick succession, and just like Rutherford, his effort was well caught by a supporter in the crowd to earn another £1,000 prize from sponsors Kia. At ten overs, Essex required 60 more runs from 66 balls to beat Surrey, and it was proving to be an expensive night for the sponsors as yet another £1,000 was awarded to anotherfan moments later as Essex pushed up into fifth gear. At 100-1 after 11.5 overs, Essex needed 49 runs to win with Surrey needing to come up with an answer to stop them in front of the 14,000 spectators inside the Oval. After 13.4 overs, the requirement became 32 runs from 38 balls as the Oval crowd began a Mexican Wave in front of the Prime Minister David Cameron. It was certainly looking good for Essex as they moved up to 13-1 after 15.3 overs and requiring 18 runs for victory. Ponting and Roy looked like a good partnership at the crease for Surrey but Shah and Smith had built up a fantastic score, hitting 90 runs from 64 balls between them. But Smith was finally dismissed when Maxwell did well to catch his shot from short range to take the score to 140-2. Ravi Bopara came on to replace Smith for Essex, and with just eight runs needed to win, the crowd could sense victory after 17 overs. And indeed it was Bopara who sealed the win with seven balls remaining to secure a 149-2 win for Essex, who were victorious by eight wickets. Surrey: Roy, Davies, Ponting, Maxwell, Wilson, Mahmood, Ansari, de Bruyn, Batty, Lewis, Dernbach. Essex: Smith, Rutherford, Shah, Bopara, ten Doeschate, Foster, Napier, Phillips, Masters, Topley, Tait.

Croydon-born creator of The Professionals reveals movie plans

July 15, 2013, 11:15 pm

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SEVENTIES TV show The Professionals is set for the big screen treatment later this year, according to the Croydon man who created the series.

Famed for its Ford Capri and star Martin Shaw's dodgy perm, The Professionals was the brainwave of Brian Clemens.

Now the former Oval Primary pupil is acting as executive producer on the big budget re-make and told the Advertiser cameras could be rolling by the end of the year.

The news comes as the 81-year-old, who also created The Avengers, returns to his home town for the premiere of his new play.

The man who cast Diana Rigg in The Avengers, said he is now searching for the next Bodie and Doyle.

He said: "It's going to be a big action movie. The script is done and now we are looking at casting. There's some big names being talked about but it's all about making sure they're available at the same time. Getting the right people is very important because the show means a lot to the fans.

"It will be set in the modern day. It's a huge task to shoot a period film and you'll always get someone complaining there's the wrong sort of phonebox used in one scene or something. The show can easily fit into the modern day.

"To any Professionals fans who are worried about the remake, can I just point out I had nothing to do with the Avengers movie in the 1990s. The less said about that the better."

Brian, who now lives Bedfordshire, said his love of words was fostered in Croydon.

He said: "I grew up in the Blitz so I missed a lot of school but maybe because of that I've always been very enthusiastic to learn and always loved reading.

"There was a teacher called Mr Coe who used to encourage me to write. He obviously saw something in my essays and used to push me to write creatively.

"I had a short story published when I was 12 in HSA magazine, which was a bit like Readers' Digest. That was the start of my career as a writer and here I am 60 years later and it's still a huge part of my life."

Literary success runs in the Clemens family. Brian added: "My uncle traced our family history and found we were linked to Mark Twain. It was very exciting but I wouldn't say it had a big influence on my work."

MURDER WEAPON

BRIAN's new play, is premiering in his native Croydon.

"It's a happy coincidence" he said. "I have good memories of Fairfield Halls so I'm glad it will be shown there."

The play, which stars former Brookside actor Marcus Hutton, is an unconventional whodunnit.

Brian explained: "We start with a dead body and a man standing over him with a gun. It's clearly an open and shut case. But then the chief constable starts to investigate and they discover everything is not as it seems."

Brian said: "I'm very eager to see what people think of it. I wasn't involved in the casting but I'm very pleased with how it turned out."

Murder Weapon, which runs from July 24 to 27, is part of Fairfield Halls' Murder Mystery Season.

The season opens with Deathtrap by Ira Levin, starting tomorrow (Wednesday) and running until Saturday. The play, starring former The Bill and Coronation Street actor Stephen Beckett, blurs the lines between reality and imagination as the plot of a murder play starts to creep into real life.

Suddenly At Home by Francis Durbridge is the last instalment of the season from Wednesday, July 31 to Saturday, August 3.

Also starring Marcus Hutton, it tells the story of a man's plot to murder his wife and frame her former lover.

Tickets are available from the Fairfield box office on 020 8688 9291 or www.fairfield.co.uk priced £16. Prices are reduced when buying tickets for two or more plays at the same time.

Crystal Palace Transfer Talk: Campaña, Odemwingie, Grandin, Sagbo

July 16, 2013, 2:06 am

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The Croydon Advertiser takes a daily look at who the gossip columns say Palace are in the hunt for and any other rumours from Selhurst Park...July 16 Crystal Palace look set to complete the £1.7m signing of Spain U20 captain Jose Campaña today. The youngster has flown into London after the Eagles and Sevilla agreed a fee, and he will be Ian Holloway's fourth summer signing after Stephen Dobbie, Dwight Gayle and Jerome Thomas. Campana is regarded as a bright prospect in his homeland but has been restricted to a number of games due to injury. Sevilla revealed they had offered the player a new contract but it was his wish to move to England and Crystal Palace in particular. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail say Peter Odemwingie's exit from West Bromwich Albion is edging nearer after being left out of the club's pre-season tour to Austria, while they are also reporting that Palace are after winger Elliot Grandin. The Frenchman was signed by Holloway at Blackpool and is now a free agent after his release from the Tangerines, having spent last season on loan at Nice. And SportsDirect News say Palace and Hull City will battle for the signature of Yannick Sagbo from French club Evian. Reports in France suggest the club are ready to cash in on a player whose contract expires at the end of next season. An Ivory Coast international, Sagbo scored six goals in 35 league appearances last season and can play out wide or up front.

Streetlight complaints spark new row

July 16, 2013, 3:00 am

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SCANT regard is being paid to residents' complaints as the council forges ahead with its street light replacement programme in Upper Norwood, it is claimed.

The attack has come from Labour councillor Wayne Lawlor, who is supporting objections to the replacement of lights in Mowbray Road and Fox Hill Gardens.

Residents are upset that ornate lampposts which they say are in character with Edwardian and Victorian houses in the roads are being replaced by standard modern lights, which are not.

They argue that the new lights should have been designed to fit in with the history of the area.

Fox Hill Gardens is within a conservation area but has not been awarded the separate street light conservation status requested by people living in the road.

One resident, Alexis Bleasdale, said: "I would like to know why we were not considered for having replacement ornate lights."

In an e-mail to Cllr Lawlor, Steve Iles, the council's head of highway and public services, said that ornate lights were not being installed because the existing lights were not considered to be an historic asset to the area.

But in his reply, Cllr Lawlor says: "It would seem that residents and local councillors' views do not count for anything at all.

"Croydon Council needs to get back to the basics and start serving this area and residents, not imposing unwanted change just because a contractor has tied this council up in financial knots.

"Croydon Council is not here to be served by residents but to serve residents. That ethos seems to be missing in this policy."

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Tribunal into shamed GP suspended over 'biased' panel member

July 16, 2013, 3:09 am

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THE tribunal investigating a former out-of-hours doctor in Croydon has been halted after one of the panel deciding the case was accused of being biased. It means the inquiry into Dr Ravi Sondhi is unlikely to conclude by its deadline of July 26 and may have to start all over again at a later date. Mary O'Rourke, defending the former Croydon Doctors on Call (Croydoc) director, applied for Dr Keith Dunnett to be withdrawn over concerns about his questioning of three witnesses and his alleged failure to disclose he was a director of a Lincolnshire out-of-hours service as well as other limited companies. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel decided a 'fair-minded informed observer' could conclude Dr Dunnett was biased and ruled that he should be replaced. A substitute panel member will now have to be found if the hearing is to continue or the case may be re-listed at a later date to be heard from the beginning by a new panel. Panel Chair Dr Elaine Melrose said: "The panel recognises that the fair-minded informed observer could conclude that there is a real possibility that Dr Dunnett was biased. "However, there was some residual doubt in the minds of the members of the panel as to what such an informed fair-minded observer would conclude. "If there is any doubt about the matter that doubt should be resolved in favour of the party making the application, in this case Dr Sondhi. "The panel therefore accepts your application that Dr Dunnett be recused from this panel." Former Purley-based Dr Sondhi, 52, is accused of abusing his position as the financial director of Croydon Doctors on Call (Croydoc) and taking £100,000 from the NHS-funded out-of-hours service. He often ignored phone calls at his home in Fakenham, Norfolk, when he was supposed to be on duty, forcing patients to go to A&E, the tribunal in Manchester has been told. The hearing continues

Croydon stars Dasaolu and Rooney picked for IAAF World Championships

July 16, 2013, 5:38 am

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CROYDON athletics stars James Dasaolu and Martyn Rooney have been named as part of a 60-strong team for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, on August 10-19. The news comes on the back Dasaolu's phenomenal 100m performance in Birmingham at the Sainsbury's British Championships last weekend where he record 9.91 seconds – and now he's the fourth fastest in the world ahead of Usain Bolt. In the battle for places in the men's 100m, Dasaolu, coached by Steve Fudge, will be joined by Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Rana Reider) to join Championship winner Dwain Chambers (Reider) on the flight to Moscow, and Adam Gemili (Michael Afilaka) lines up alongside James Ellington (Reider) over 200m. British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: "The team selected for GB & NI are a mix of defending champions, potential medallists, finalists and some really exciting young talents that we see as future medallists. "Last weekend's Sainsbury's British Championships was a brilliant stage for the world trials, and we saw some world class performances. "It gave the selectors a real opportunity to see the athletes in championship mode and we were not disappointed. "A year on from the Games and it is great to look forward to Moscow with the selected team, as we take our first steps in the build up towards Rio 2016 and London 2017."MEN'S SELECTION 100m: Harry Aikines Aryeetey (Rana Reider); Dwain Chambers (Reider); James Dasaolu (Steve Fudge); 200m: James Ellington (Reider); Adam Gemili (Michael Afilaka); Delano Williams (Neil Harrison); 400m: Nigel Levine (Linford Christie); 800m: Andrew Osagie (Craig Winrow) Michael Rimmer (Norman Poole); 1500m: Chris O'Hare (Steve Gulley); 5000m: Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar); 10,000m: Farah (Salazar); 110mH: William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz); 400mH: Dai Greene (Malcolm Arnold), Sebastian Rodger (Stephen King) Rhys Williams (Adrian Thomas); 3000mSC: James Wilkinson (Philip Townsend); Long Jump: TBA; High Jump: Robbie Grabarz (Fayyaz Ahmed); Pole Vault: Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff); Discus Throw: Brett Morse (Andy Brittan); Decathlon: Ashley Bryant (Ian Grant); 4x100m: Aikines Aryeetey (Reider); Chambers (Reider); Dasaolu (Fudge); Ellington (Reider); Gemili (Afilaka); Richard Kilty (Christie) Andrew Robertson (Daniel Cossins); Deji Tobais (Jonas Tawiah Dodoo); 4x400m: Michael Bingham (George Williams); Jamie Bowie (Piotr Haczek) Luke Lennon Ford (Christie); Levine (Christie); Martyn Rooney (Reider); Conrad Williams (Christie); Delano Williams (Harrison).

Crystal Palace weightlifter Jo Calvino wins 18th British title

July 16, 2013, 9:17 am

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A NEW generation of weightlifters were crowned British Champions at the 2013 Championships in Bangor on Saturday, with just three athletes retaining their titles from 12 months earlier. A combination of withdrawals and under-par performances from the pre-event favourites left the door open for other athletes to stake their claim for a British title, and several grasped that chance with both hands. Crystal Palace lifter Jo Calvino won her 18th British title in the 53kg class, lifting 65kg and 86kg for a total of 151kg – a weight which would also have given her victory in the 58kg and 63kg categories too. Other new British Champions from Crystal Palace were Mehmed Fikretov from in the 69kg class and Mercy Brown in the 75kg class. Overall, Crystal Palace won the team prize with 133 points, just one point ahead of Kilmarnock, while Stars for the Future were third with 104. However, there was disappointment for a number of World Class Programme (WCP) funded athletes, including Crystal Palace's Emily Godley who failed to register a total. Other WCP athletes Zoe Smith (Europa), Gareth Evans (Holyhead) and Darius Jokarzadeh (Cardiff) all withdrew from the event because of injury or illness. "A number of lifters have put themselves in a position to be selected for the World Championships, from performances at both the British Championships and earlier in the year," said British Weight Lifting Performance Director Tommy Yule. "It is disappointing that a number of our best lifters had to pull out, but injuries are a part of elite sport and it is one of our objectives to support the lifter with injury risk management." And Ashley Metcalfe, Chief Executive of BWL, added: "These are exciting times for weightlifting. "Participation continues to be on the up and these Championships have shown we have an exciting new wave of talented weightlifters coming through the ranks which is great news for the sport. "It is never a bad thing for the senior lifters to be pushed by the new talent and reminded they cannot rest on their laurels."

Croydon Harriers secure victory at Sutton Arena

July 16, 2013, 9:50 am

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CROYDON'S young athletes completed their UK Youth Development league campaign in the best possible fashion with a victory at Sutton Arena on Saturday. In the under 13s and under 15's Premier Two clash, the league's second highest tier, Croydon just edged home in front by four and a half points from nearest challengers Southampton. It is their first victory in the league this season, after two third places and a fourth this campaign. Croydon picked up eleven A event wins, and a further fourteen B victories, with seven event maximums. Marcia Sey bagged two wins over the sprints in the under 13 girl's 70m hurdles (12.3secs) and 150m (20.7secs), while Rhianna Gayle (150m, 21.4secs) and Kayla Bowley (70m hurdles, 12.8secs) made it maximum points. There were more successes in the sprints thanks to debutant Amanfi Aggrey (Under 13 boy's 100m, 12.9secs), Emmanuel Lloyd (Under 13 boy's 200m, 26.4secs) and Chanice Gordon (Under 15 girls 200m, 27.1secs). Aggrey also enjoyed success on the field in the high jump clearing 1.41m. In the throws, two event maximums came in the shot putt with Nathaniel Marshall (9.22m) and Reuban Vaughn (7.35m) winning the under 13 boy's category, while Renae Jenoure-Jackson (8.33m) and Ines Zepa D'Aboui (8.04m) topped the standings in the girl's equivalent. In the middle-distance events, Harry Mullane (under 13 boy's 800m, 2:26.3) and Kieron Connor (Under 15 boy's 800m, 2:09.3) picking up wins over the two lap event. Croydon ended the day in the best possible fashion with a clean sweep of the sprint relays. In the overall end of season standings, it means Croydon just miss out on promotion to the league's top tier, but do elevate themselves to third in the table. At the World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Shirin Irving reached the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles while representing team GB. The 16 year-old finished fifth in her semi-final in Donetsk in a new lifetime best of 13.71secs which ranks her fourth on the all-time list UK list over the distance. The previous day she had come through her heat as a fastest loser in 14.17secs. While James Dasaolu lit up Birmingham at the UK Trials, Croydon's other competitor at the Trials, Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi finished eighth in the triple jump. The Princeton University student leapt to 15.18m in the twelve-man field. Lisa Harris won the women's race at the Elmore 7 and with it took a big step towards winning the Surrey Road League which she is currently leading. The Croydon 10K winner, clocked 45:51 on a scorching day in Chipstead and was over three minutes clear of her nearest challenger. Neil Aikman was the club's first man home and was just eleven seconds ahead of Lisa in 21st position. He was 8th M40. David Brown continued his triathlon preparations with a 48:21 clocking to finish 37th. Norman Hemming (58:02) and Keith Brown (58:04) completed the Croydon contingent in 112th and 113th respectively. There were 272 finishers. In ParkRun action, Brendan Murphy notched his eighth win at Riddlesdown in 16 minutes and ten seconds.

Struggle to save van driver's life appears on TV

July 16, 2013, 11:15 pm

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DRAMATIC scenes showing how doctors saved the life of a New Addington van driver after an horrific head-on crash will be shown on TV tonight.

Tony Arch, of Brockham Crescent, will appear on Channel 4 documentary 24 Hours in A&E, which was filmed in March after the 59-year-old was airlifted to King's College Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

On March 14, the father-of-two was delivering pharmaceuticals in Hildenborough, Kent, when his Renault van was involved in a head-on collision.

He was trapped in the van by the dashboard and steering wheel, and had to be cut free by firefighters.

After being given emergency treatment at the roadside he was airlifted to the London hospital by Kent Air Ambulance.

The documentary, which involves 90 cameras filming around the clock in one of the country's busiest A&E departments, shows him arriving at King's. Doctors battle to treat a dislocated hip, smashed knee, numbness in his right leg, three broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Mr Arch told the Advertiser: "The next day they operated on my hip, but that led to a blood clot which was heading towards my lungs. That's when the doctor told my daughter and wife it could be fatal."

Mr Arch, whose brother Dean died at the same hospital following a brain haemorrhage aged 17, was put on life support for nine days.

Doctors put a splint on his leg, and he needed 54 clips to hold his hip together.

Four months on, he still cannot put weight on his right leg, and Mr Arch joked that his neighbours have started calling him Skippy.

He said: "I don't remember hardly anything from after the accident until I woke up nine days later.

"I'm not sure I'll walk properly again, but I'm happy to be alive."

Speaking about Wednesday's programme, Mr Arch said: "I have seen the footage. There's a bit where the doctor puts my hip in a lock to put it back into place – I couldn't watch that.

"But the rest is nice to watch in a way, it's emotional.

"I can see how much weight I've lost as well. They say the camera adds ten pounds, but it looks like ten stone.

"I look like Jabba the Hutt."

Warlingham secure England full-back for their summer training camp

July 17, 2013, 1:37 am

≫ Next: Palace winger Banton joins MK Dons

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WARLINGHAM Rugby Club have secured the assistance of current Saracens and England full-back Alex Goode at their Summer training Camp on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28 at their Hamsey Green home. Goode missed the recent England tour of Argentina with a shoulder injury but will be fit for the new season with Saracens, who are Premiership contenders. Also assisting on the training weekend will be Mel Deane, the former Harlequins and Ireland international centre, who is now a fitness trainer and nutrition adviser. Warlingham Head Coach, Ben Stobart, said, "Our Annual Summer Training Camp is a good opportunity to see what new talent is around and to have Alex Goode run the rule over the players and our game plans is an added bonus this year. "As a regular player in the England XV he will obviously bring top level experience to the Training Camp. Mel Deane also brings a great deal of knowledge and experience on fitness issues. "We have a full two day agenda and welcome any new players to the Club." Warlingham Chairman, Peter Wrightson, added: "We now have in place a great coaching team with Ben Stobart and our own fitness guru Peter Mattison. "Our pre-season training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings is really going well with lots of players putting 100 per cent effort into the sessions. "We've also rejuvenated our U21 Academy squad, who are also training in numbers for the new season." Any new players should contact Warlingham on 01883 622825 or visit the website www.mightywarl.com for details.

Palace winger Banton joins MK Dons

July 17, 2013, 1:45 am

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CRYSTAL Palace winger Jason Banton has joined League One side Milton Keynes Dons on loan until January next year. The 20-year-old announced on his Twitter account this morning he was moving to Buckinghamshire. Banton tweeted: "Delighted to have signed for @MKDonsFC!! Exciting times ahead!!" Having enjoyed a successful loan spell at League Two club Plymouth Argyle last season, where he scored six goals in 14 appearances alongside a number of assists, it seems Banton will have the chance to make the next step in his career. He starred in Palace's U21 squad beforehand and was also given a chance to show the Selhurst Park faithful what he could do against Stoke City in the FA Cup in January. Meanwhile, MK Dons boss Karl Robinson was delighted with the capture and believes the winger will be a success at stadium:mk. "Jason is someone I have known for a while from my time at Liverpool and Blackburn," Robinson said. "He is a very gifted footballer who is yet to reach his full potential but showed glimpses of what he can do while he was on loan with Plymouth last season. "I would like to thank Ian Holloway for helping this deal happen and I believe with someone like Ian watching over Jason he could be a great success in the game." Furthermore, Banton has been given permission by Palace to play in both the Capital One Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy but not the FA Cup.

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EXCLUSIVE: Palace monitoring Croatia U21 star

July 17, 2013, 2:29 am

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CRYSTAL Palace are one of a number of clubs monitoring Croatia U21 attacking midfielder Mislav Oršić, Advertiser Sport can exclusively reveal. The 20-year-old, who has also played for his country at U18 level, currently plays in his homeland for Inter Zapresic. And it's been confirmed the Eagles are one of the options being considered alongside other clubs around Europe by the player's representative Branko Hucika. "Between other Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace is one of the possible options where Mislav can continue his career," Hucika told the Croydon Advertiser. "Except England, Oršić is in negotiation with other top European clubs, but the Premier League is the perfect option for his playing style." Oršić has scored 22 goals in nearly 90 games for Inter Zapresic in four seasons.WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF MISLAV ORSIC IN ACTION

EXCLUSIVE: Palace supremo confirms Kevin Phillips deal

July 17, 2013, 12:08 pm

≫ Next: Confirmed! Lingfield will play in Sussex

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CRYSTAL Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has tonight confirmed striker Kevin Phillips has agreed a one-year deal to stay at Selhurst Park. The 39-year-old play-off hero has been mulling over his options recently, revealing to the Croydon Advertiser three weeks ago he had a "very, very tempting offer" elsewhere on the table. But Parish confirmed the news when questioned, stating: "It's done - it's a one-year deal," he said. "He's been training with us, I believe the paperwork has all been done so it's going through." Phillips looks set to become boss Ian Holloway's next summer signing following Stephen Dobbie, Dwight Gayle and Jerome Thomas, plus the imminent announcement on Spanish U20 star Jose Campana.

Confirmed! Lingfield will play in Sussex

July 17, 2013, 11:30 pm

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AFTER nearly four months of uncertainty Lingfield can begin preparing for the new season in the Sussex County League Division One.

Linggers had the threat of relegation hanging over their head since they failed their ground-grading inspection in March due to a minor path issue, but after Sidley United withdrew from Division One due to financial reasons, the Godstone Road club were handed a reprieve last Thursday.

The Surrey club are still yet to pass ground-grading but they have an inspection scheduled for the day before their first game, which is not until Lingfield Cricket Club have handed back the ground in September.

"They will be coming to look at the ground the second week in September, which gives us time to put the path back in after the cricket club move out," manager Dixie Dean said. "If we don't pass we will have to play our home games somewhere else, but we will pass."

Dean admits he has already lost the signature of two players because of the uncertainty over relegation, but is pleased he can start preparing.

"We had Jamie Lawrence at training this week, and I'm expecting Nicky Forster to be about for training after his marathon," Dean said. "We will have mostly the same squad as last year, although Louis Gallagher has a scholarship in America and Scott Elgar has gone to Chipstead.

"Scott wanted to play in midfield rather than as a full-back and to be frank he isn't good enough for a spot in my midfield, but we wish him well and he's welcome back anytime."

And with Division One safety, Dean is confident for the future of Lingfield's youth system.

"We have one of the best youth set-ups around, including all the bigger clubs in the area," he said. "That would have been in danger if we had been relegated, but kids come to Lingfield because they know they will get a chance in the first team.

"Bobby Bryce and Bobby Clements, my U18 coaches, do a brilliant job. They are producing some brilliant young players."

Lingfield had their first friendly on Saturday, beating Epsom & Ewell 5-1, and are due to play Guildford City and Deal Town in the coming weeks.

"We are looking for a friendly on August 3 – I couldn't organise one earlier because I didn't know what league I'd be in," Dean explained.

Call-up is a long shot for Surrey's Australian batsman

July 17, 2013, 11:30 pm

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GLENN Maxwell believes only something out of the blue will see him called up for Australia against England in the Ashes this winter.

The Surrey star signed off after Monday night's eight-wicket defeat to Essex at the Oval but he is now looking forward to watching the national side try to reclaim the urn in England.

And reflecting on England's victory in the first Test match last week, Maxwell isn't holding too much hope of receiving a call just yet and spoke about training with teenage star Ashton Agar.

"I think I need the side to get some disease [for me] to get some sort of call-up," he said.

"I'm only a spectator at the moment and it's nice to watch. From everyone's perspective it was a good Test last week.

"Obviously, the result went England's way but Australia probably deserved to win.

"I used to train with Ashton in the academy in Victoria but then he moved states because he wasn't getting any games in our second XI.

"He went to play for Western Australia and a few months later he's playing for Australia."

Monday's game was Maxwell's last for Surrey before he heads off to Zimbabwe on tour with Australia A and he truly savoured the last time he'll ever share the batting stage with the legendary Ricky Ponting.

"Unfortunately, the last time we batted, we lasted around three balls together," he said.

"It was nice to spend a bit more time with him this time and we put on 40 through the middle.

"That was the last time I'm ever going to get to play with him so to go out and have a hit with him was pretty awesome.

"I'm heading off to Zimbabwe now with Australia A. We've got a game starting Thursday for three-day cricket, so I'm looking forward to playing some red-ball.

"I haven't played red-ball since the Test series in India, which was a pretty upsetting time, so I'm looking forward to pushing my name towards a Test series for Australia for the Ashes – there's a lot of cricket coming up.

"I wish all the boys (at Surrey) the best in the last four games.

"They've got an extremely talented squad for sure. It's amazing they haven't even reached their potential and to still be four and two after six games is a great effort."

And the 24-year-old felt Surrey needed another 15-20 runs against Essex, while he admitted it took him some time to get going at in the bat.

"The last few games we've defended 150 here and we had done it pretty well, but fortunately we weren't able to contain Essex's bowling at the start," said Maxwell.

"Looking back on it, we were probably 15-20 runs short as well. It's a funny game because if you get a few wickets early you can say we'd probably have enough but they batted well, Essex.

"They just took us on and I think when Jason Roy went out that sort of stalled our momentum because it meant I had to take my time to get in with Ricky.

"We've now got Hampshire this Friday. They're extremely skilled in this competition and they've been very successful over the last few years.

"They will be a tough opponent but hopefully we can get something and give them payback for the last game."

Winless week for Surrey but Ponting swansong just superb

July 17, 2013, 11:30 pm

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SURREY'S four-match winning streak in the T20 was brought to a halt on Monday night as Essex romped home by eight wickets with seven balls to spare.

Chasing 149 to win at the Oval, the Eagles displayed some big hitting, with Greg Smith and Owais Shah in particularly good form.

Smith smashed 62 runs in 42 balls, while Shah played a steady innings to score an unbeaten 46 from 45 balls, following on from some early fireworks from Hamish Rutherford (30).

In total, Essex blasted six sixes and eight fours as they made light work of Surrey's total of 148-6, which was lit up by a stellar show from Ricky Ponting, who scored 65 from 54 balls.

Jason Roy also struck four boundaries on his way to 30 from 26 balls, but Surrey's total always looked below par.

And unlike in recent matches, their bowlers were unable to defend the modest total, with the Eagles moving above Surrey in the South group table in the process.

It completed a winless week for Surrey, who salvaged their eighth draw of the County Championship season thanks to a superb innings from Ponting in his final first-class match.

The former Australian captain batted for the entire final day of the match against Nottinghamshire to end on 169 not out in his first-class swansong, with every visiting player shaking his hand as he left the field at the Oval last Thursday.

It was his second century during his short Surrey stint and helped the county avoid defeat in a match Nottinghamshire had dominated thanks to centuries from Steven Mullaney and Samit Patel in their first innings.