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At last, something exciting in Formula One!

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BANG, what was that?

The sound of the wheels falling off Formula One.

And no, it wasn’t the result of a poor pit stop.

Formula One has been thrown into chaos after eight of its major teams said they are now planning to set up a rival championship for the 2010 season.

At last, something exciting in Formula One.

For too long it has been a mind-numbingly dull procession of pit stops and tyre changes.

Fuel strategies and tyre selection have become more important than actual driving skill.

The rise of Jenson Button this season proves it is the car, not the driver, that makes it.

Last season the closest Button got to the podium was when he walked past it on the way back to the pits after a mechanical failure.

Poor Lewis Hamilton is the real hard luck story. The world champion hasn’t had a sniff of a victory yet this season.

But there is no bigger hard luck story than recently relegated Newcastle United.

The Magpies have claimed that their £100 million asking price has attracted a positive response from several parties – mainly the loud ones being held in households across Sunderland.

And unfortunate Dundee United assistant Peter Houston broke both elbows – after swerving to avoid a dog.

The Tannadice No.2 was out cycling when he had to take evasive action to avoid a stray mutt and was thrown over the handlebars.

And no, he was not doing laps of the Armadale Greyhound Course in Lothian, but was cycling around his local street.

As Houston is laid up in traction he can at least take comfort that his mishap is still not the most embarrassing to have a footballer.

Just ask Kirk Broadfoot who had egg all over his face after a recent microwave accident.

The Rangers defender was inspecting two eggs he had just poached when one of them blew up and squirted scalding hot water into his face.

Rangers are now set to move him from defence into attack as he is a natural poacher.

Hopefully Broadfoot will not end up in hospital again with a burnt foot if he decides to cook some boil in the bag rice.

The instructions on the packet do say ‘stand in boiling water for 15 minutes’.

Norwegian Svein Grondalen had to withdraw from an international during the 1970s after colliding with a moose while out jogging.

And that’s not a wee squeaky thing with a long tail from Torry, but a big monster of a beast with massive antlers.

Former Dons keeper Andy Dibble had more than his hands burnt when he made a spectacular save in 1998 while playing for Barry Town against Carmarthen.

The former Wales international was hospitalised after suffering chemical burns as a result of diving on the Richmond Park turf.

At least he was able to play again, unlike Brentford goalie Chic Brodie, who had his career finished by a dog.

During a match against Colchester United in November 1970 a black-and-white terrier invaded the pitch.

The pooch decided to chase the ball and ran after a pass-back to Brodie.

Not expecting to see a hairy ball of fur racing towards him he kept his eyes on the ball and bent down to scoop it up.

The dog jumped up at the keeper and sent him tumbling to the pitch, writhing in agony with a shattered knee-cap.

Similar to Scotland who had their World Cup campaign killed off by Der Terrier, aka Berti Vogts.

Keepers seem have borne the brunt of bad luck with Stalybridge Celtic’s goalie, Mark Statham, missing a game in 1999 after getting his head trapped in a car door.

Millwall legend Bryan King was once felled by a practical joke that went wrong.

Team-mate Billy Neil was meant to pull his punch in a pre-match prank but ended up whacking his goalkeeper in the eye with his sovereign ring.

King required six stitches to a nasty wound.

Team-mates can be particularly dangerous, just ask German legend Oliver Kahn.

In April 2006, Bayern Munich reserve goalkeeper Michael Rensing injured first choice keeper Kahn a warm-up routine.

While firing shots at Kahn before Bayern’s game against Arminia Bielefeld, Rensing accidentally struck one too well, bruising one of Kahn’s eyes in the process.

The injury was so bad that Rensing had to replace the veteran in the starting line-up.


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