Meet the new addition to All things Jabu: Lil Vale!

Hi to all my readers. It is with great joy that I announce a partnership agreement for All Things Jabu. Lil Vale has agreed to come on board and write blog entries for All Things Jabu as well as for his own site http://dirkvale.worpress.com/. A short note from me, Lil Vale is a goalkeeper for my soccer side the Cannons and a media relation man of note. He is the son of All Things Jabu favourite Clare Vale and has grown up around motor vehicles. He might be wrong in supporting Man City, Sundowns and Alonso, but he has valuable insight and will no doubt add great value to the All Things Jabu site.

So here it is from the man himself, The Lil Vale Profile

I am lucky enough to have two racing driver parents. My father is an ex off road racer, THE Don Vale, infamous for a lot of things but in a car he had no fear and would go flat out through dust storms. No slowing down or checking anything. He is THE Don, it’s the way he is. He’s raced the hardest off road rallies in the world the South African rally – The Roof of Africa 13 - times, not the new one but the old even more hardcore one. He did the Roof in everything from bikes to an Austin Marina car. He raced alongside the likes of Geoff Mortimer and Richard Leeke. He has since retired from racing.

My mother is The First Lady, Mrs Fast, she is Clare Vale. She was the first, and so far only, lady racer to race in Production Cars Class A in a Subaru which unfortunately ended as quickly as it began. It lead to her racing in the WesBank V8 Supercar series in a 600hp Mustang. She was the first lady to race in this series and went on to have a pole position, lead a race and recently at the East London circuit finish on the podium. At East London the V8s reach speeds of 300kmph. She raced alongside the likes of Hennie Groenewald and Willie Hepburn. There is also a drift car being built and she’s currently racing a Porsche 917 in the Zwartkops International. We also work closely with the Anne van Dyk Cheetah Trust and the Road Safety Foundation. No matter who you are, it is important to give back. You only keep what you have by giving it away.

I’ve grown up with cars and in cars. I’m admittedly better behind the wheel than under the bonnet, but I was brought up by racing drivers and not mechanics! I may be racing myself this year but this is TBA. I have raced in 12 hour endurance karting races, where in the last two years my team has managed to beat my Mom’s!

My great uncle was Captain “Jack” Duff; he in his time set multiple speed records and was one of the original Bentley Boys. He raced in the first ever Le Mans finishing 3rd and won the second Le Mans famously in a Bentley. He raced all around world and competed in races such as the Indianapolis 500.

Through racing I have also made some wonderful friends in other sports. I work closely with Brian Baloyi these days, particularly with his Foundation, which is an amazing cause. He has converted me into a Mamelodi Sundowns fan and you’ll find me at most of their home games at the magnificent Super Stadium in Atteridgeville. I am also a massive Manchester City fan and also support Barcelona, but more so I am a fan of football. I am lucky to be able to call guys like Josta Dladla and Robert Marawa friends, which means you will be getting some nice interviews from them at some point.

My interest in sport doesn’t stop there, though. I went to a sporting school, I am a Bishops boy, so luckily I grew up feeling that sports were important and I had guys like JJ Gagiano and Francois Louw in the year below me. Being a Cape Town boy means I support the Stormers, Province and the Cobras, of course. Living in Jozi has led to a soft for the locals teams, though. Hardly any bias from me then!

I am of course opinionated but hopefully this will be more interesting than anything else! Expect some unexpected interviews and from a racing perspective I will try and give you a behind the scenes insights and information. It is not as glamorous as it seems. More oil than suits.

Tomorrow I will post Mr Vale's first assignment that I asked him to write... The preview of the 2011 F1 season!

The PSL Half Time JABU Report Cards

As the PSL passed its half way stage last week, I felt it would be a great time to give feedback on the performances on the teams so far. I have taken into account what was expected of them and of course their own ambitions in coming to my rating for the first half of the season, I have also excluded the weekend fixtures as that is not quite halfway yet. Listed in league order here are "The JABU Report Cards":

1. Sundowns (31 Points) B+

Sundowns looked for all means and purposes to be running away with the league title, but a blip on the radar has brought the mean from Chloorkop back within touching distance of Chiefs and Pirates. Sundowns have picked up just 4pts from the last 12 available, but what would hurt the most was losing to Chiefs. I still think they are favourites to win, but having twice gone this year to watch them and both times they've lost, well that just means I'll have to go to Attrigeville more often!

JABU prediction: 3rd

2. Chiefs (29 points) B

Kaizer Chiefs are an exciting team, but infuriating team at the end of the day. I have supported the Amakhosi since I was a lightie that played in the same position as 16-Valve. We have beaten Sundowns, Pirates and Supersport, but suffered losses to Ajax, Vasco, Free State Stars and Santos. I feel coach VV has us best poised to win the league since 2005, but we need to take all the games seriously and not focus all our efforts on the big games. The season so far has also been remarkable for the emergence of Knowledge Musona who leads the goal scoring charts.

JABU Prediction: 1st

3. Pirates (29 points) B+

From 8th in 2008, 2nd in 2009 and 5th in 2010, Pirates have never finished outside the top 8 in the 14 year PSL history. They are always there and thereabouts. They have twice been stung by Kaizer Chiefs (once in the cup final!) but were also very good in beating Sundowns at Sundowns (A game I attended). Their biggest frustration will probably be the loss to Black Aces coupled with the hidings given to them by the Amakhosi, they draw too much. A good team, but never great. They drop from an A to B as a result of that humiliation.

JABU Prediction: 2nd

4. Ajax Cape Town (27 points) - A

Under the guidance of Dutchman Foppe de Haan, Ajax have looked a fine side this season. They finished 7th in each of the last two seasons and were only a very distant outside threat this season. However with victories against Kaizer Chiefs (in the game of the season so far) and getting three points against all the "lesser" teams, Ajax have found themselves right up top of the pile. They are vulnerable in the big games shown in losses to Pirates and Sundowns and a draw to Supersport, but they will push all the way to the end of the season.

JABU Prediction: 6th

5. Santos (25 points) B+

These guys are entertainingly good at times. Twice finishing in the top 4 in the last three seasons I think they are capable of it again. They got a moral boosting away draw in the Cape derby against Ajax and beat Kaizer Chiefs in Joburg as well as beat Supersport. There problem is much the same as Fulham in England (except for being 5th) in that they draw too many games. Draws against Maritzburg, Amazulu and Swallows are games they should have won and would have put them top! The Peoples Team have what it takes to push the bigger teams all the way.

JABU Prediction: 4th

6. Bloem Celtic (25 points) B

Phunya Sele Sele, the team with the greatest supporters in South Africa. I was privileged enough to watch a Confed Cup game there in 2009 and was amazed by the supporters. They are truly great. Bloem Celtic have of course rewarded those supporters by remaining undefeated in their 8 home games so far this season. I like this team and I hate it when Amakhosi have to play them.

JABU Prediction 5th

7. Golden Arrows (22 points) B-

Lamontville Golden Arrows are an interesting team as well. They are currently the highest ranked team from Kwazulu Natal (out of 3, Amazulu and Maritzburg the others!). They have lost 5 games this season, 4 of them to teams above them (Sundowns, Chiefs, Pirates and Santos) nothing shameful in that. They were however thoroughly embarrassed by under performing Wits in a 4-1 annihilation. Apart from that they have got results where they should get results and should be able to get through to finish in the top 8 for only the 4th time in their PSL Stay

JABU Prediction: 8th

8. Platinum Stars (20 points) C

Argh.. Well its an improvement on the past 3 years when they have finished 10th, 13th and 14th respectively. Owen Da Gama is back at a club where he took them to 2nd place and won their first ever major trophy. They definately are a better team now than they have been in ages. They are not greatly entertaining though as 8 of their 15 games have ended in draws 4 of which have been 0-0. Their win against Supersport will be the highlight for them so far.

JABU Prediction: 10th

9. Free State Stars (19 points) C+

They have 7 draws of which 4 have been 0-0. I guess no team with "Stars" in the title really set the stars alight. I do like Steve Khompela but at times feel they are too obsessed with playing to not lose (a la Manchester City) than trying to win. They have shown they are capable this season with victories against Ajax and Kaizer Chiefs. But 4 wins out of 15 is not good enough!

JABU Prediction: 11th

10. Supersport United (17 points) E

The three times defending champions have been woeful this season. They were the team being spoken about to win for an unprecedented 4th time. Unfortunately they have become victims of their own success as their players became under demand and looking for new challenges. They havent replaced Dane Klate yet and dont look like the same force during set pieces. The loss of Bongani Khumalo was huge, but at last Supersport are starting to look better defensively. The brilliant Morgan Gould seems to be a lot happier with experienced former Arminia Bielefield goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez behind him. They might not be expected to win the league, but you can bet they will have a say in where the league title goes.

JABU Prediction: 7th

11. Vasco da Gama (17 points) B

Are they the fairytale side? Simply answered, Yes. They have been a breath of fresh air who play exciting attacking football. They looked for certain to be pushing for top 8 in early December but since then a run of 3 draws and two losses has set them back. I predicted that they would be the whipping boys of the PSL this season, but have been pleasantly surprised by them. Their highlight will definately be the 3-2 victory over Kaizer Chiefs on the 27th Nov.

JABU Prediction: 9th

12. Bidvest Wits (16 points) E

They beat Sundowns, Arrows, Free State Stars and Supersport showing just how good they can be. But the Clever Boys have also lost to Swallows, Maritzburg and Vasco. Roger da Sa recently admitted that morale was at an all time low in the camp. Something needs to come right at Wits and Im not sure what it is. They are really poor right now and could easily be pulled towards the lure of the relegation zone.

JABU Prediction: 13th

13. Maritzburg United (16 points) D

They were my other picks for relegation this season and I think they still are. The men who ply their trade at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg have flattered to deceive this season. And rather than their own brilliance I think it is down to their oppositions inability to punish. They have the second worst defensive record in the league. However they also hold the shock of season so far with their 3-0 dismantling of Ajax.

JABU Prediction: 15th

14. Amazulu (15 points) D

If you want entertainment, go to an Amazulu game. There 15 games so far have produced 49 goals so far, at an average of more than 3 goals a game. I was at their stunning last minute victory against Sundowns, and it almost seems with them that there is a goal in the game at any point. They got rid of Neil Tovey but on their day they can back 4 past anyone. The problem they have is they will probably concede four too!

JABU Prediction 12th

15. Moroka Swallows (11 points) F-

The biggest dissappointment in the league is cleverly disguised by two wins in a row. Legendary Gordon Igesund has brought a sense of normality back to preceedings for the 3rd biggest club in Soweto. They should come back from this but will they ever live down the fact that their first win was their 14th game. Its a real pity because its always good having an extra Soweto derby in the calendar.

JABU Prediction 14th

16. Black Aces (5 points) - F

They are one of the worst the premier league has ever seen. On Robert Marawa live on Thursday night the assistant coach said they are putting up to 17 players on transfer. This just 6 months after 15 players were purchased. Its ridiculous and I can only see one way for them. Thats Down. Sorry Black Aces fans. If there are any.

JABU Prediction: 16th only because they cant go lower.

There you have it. The All things Jabu report card. Now as promised I have 4 tickets to Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates at soccer city up for grabs. The first person to correctly tell me on my twitter account who is the top league scorer will win the tickets. Of course all other costs are yours and the judges decision is final and any other legal babble that goes with competitions.

Click here for my twitter account

Until next time

JABU

2011: What to Expect

So first off, I would like to wish all of you a very happy new year. I hope that 2011 fills all your sports wishes (unless they are against Arsenal, Cheetahs, Chiefs, Mclaren, Clare Vale, Ernie Els, Andy Roddick, The Titans, Bafana, Proteas or Ryan Sandes!) come true this year.

So as we look towards 2011, it seems only right that we do the All Things Jabu Thing and identify some sport highlights for the year ahead!

Rugby Word Cup 2011

9 September - 23 October (New Zealand)

The Springboks are defending champions and after a very very mediocre 2010 will definately not be favourites for the World Cup. Nobody has ever defended the title and further no one has won the World Cup three times. New Zealand are a different force when they are playing at home and coach Graham Henry has surely learnt that they do not want to play France again! Its going to be brilliant!

Cricket World Cup 2011

19 February - 2 April (India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh)

South Africa are Chokers at World Cricket tournaments, but never before has a World Cup been so up for grabs. Australia are in serious decline, England are World T20 champions but struggle in the sub continent. South Africa have an inability to play spin and lack a talented all rounder which leaves a rather long tail. I'm thinking its all pointing at the Indians. Although do not discredit the Sri Lankans or even dare I say it, the Pakistanis.

Formula One

11 March - 27 November (all over the world)

Last year was the best Formula 1 season in years. There were four drivers in the title race until the last race. Will we see another Brawn / Red Bull emergence this year. Will Ferrari and Mclaren finally deliver a faultless season. Will Massa finally realise he races for a big team? Will Hamilton and Button clash over who is the best brit? It bodes to be an exciting series. Where hopefully Mclaren will win the constructors title!

The Presidents Cup

14 November - 20 November (Melbourne)
The one and only outright win for the International team came in 1998 at Melbourne. 2011 will again take place down under. Greg Norman is the captain of the International side and for South Africans we currently have 5 golfers who would qualify. Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen, Tim Clark and Charl Schwartzel. Trevor Immelman will return to the golf course this year as well and he will definately be someone pushing for a captains pick. As a non European this is as big as it gets in terms of team golf. I really think the Internationals can do us proud this time around!

World Athletics Championships

27 August - 4 September (South Korea)

We all know what happened at the 2009 World Athletics Championships. Insane Bolt blitzed all before him. So much so that he slowed down before the finish and still smashed the world record. Rumours have always amounted that he holds back in the smaller events because he wants to do it when the world is watching. Come August of this year, the most exciting 9.50 seconds of Athletics could very well be seen. You will also remember that the last time the World Athletics Champs were held, was the start of the Caster Semenya saga. Will she run this year? Will she be allowed to?

Super VX Rugby

18 February - 9 July
A brand new format. A brand new Australian team. A confusing conference system. Some sort of Qualifier. Then Semi finals. More home derby games (which makes no sense, super rugby is about testing yourself against the Oceanic sides, Currie cup is for the derby games). Not playing one of the foreign sides. Stopping two months before the World Cup. Can anyone spell Burnout? And this when there have still been rumblings of a champions league for rugby. That all being said, there is no tougher provincial tournament and features players from the best 3 rugby unions in the world.

PSL - 2nd half of the season

January - May

Many people asked what would change in our local football post World Cup. I can answer honestly, the quality. What a first half of the season its been (my next post will be a half way report card). As it stands the top 4 are separated by 3 points. Sundowns started exceptionally well but back to back losses has closed the gap. Kaizer Chiefs are an infuriating team, good enough to beat Sundowns and Pirates (two 3 goal hidings!), they then lose to Vasco da Gama and Free State Stars. Orlando Pirates are plugging away and have a top coach in Ruud Krol and Ajax Cape Town have taken it upon themselves to make sure its not a Gauteng only party. Further to this Vasco da Gama have been a breath of fresh air (much like Blackpool) who I wrote off at the start of the season (much like Blackpool) but continue performing far above expectations (much like Blackpool). Tickets are only R40 to most games and we have some world class stadiums out there. All things jabu will be giving a pair of tickets to a PSL game away with the next blog post so make sure you tune in!

Barcelona vs Arsenal

16 February & 8 March

98% of you will say this is a foregone conclusion. I agree, on paper and current form Arsenal don't have a chance. 3 world players of the year finalists. 7 World Cup winners. Lionel Messi. But there is something about Arsenal that on their day they are one of the few teams in the world who can match Barcelona in the passing game. They will have learnt from last year. And Cesc Fabregas will be itching to go to Barca and show the world why he can be better than Xavi (7 years his senior). It could be the beautiful beautiful game!

All Things Jabu

Yes your favourite sporting blog is also an exciting event this year. We have interviews lined up with Clare Vale, the first lady of racing, Ryan Sandes, the ultra marathon runner and Brian Baloyi the legendary former Bafana keeper. More will surely follow. Stay tuned for the exciting changes including guest posts.