In a game that saw Nigel Pearson sent to the stands at half-time, City fought hard to grab a share of the spoils, with Beckford’s 86th minute finish ensuring that the Foxes didn’t suffer defeat on home soil.

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I was left impressed with Leicester City’s performance against Swindon Town in last Saturday’s FA Cup Fourth Round tie at King Power Stadium. For me, it summed-up everything that City need to do this season to achieve what we all hope they will, and it was thoroughly professional.

Heading into the game, as I wrote in my last blog, I felt that Swindon could have provided a banana skin for City, however fears were allayed early on, as Jermaine Beckford gave the home side the lead. It was the same instance in the second half, with Beckford continuing his scoring streak in the FA Cup with his second of the game – but what impressed me more than Beckford’s clinical finishing was the way that the rest of the team pitched in.

Swindon had some good players in their side, with Matt Ritchie in particular impressing me. But the defensive partnership of Matt Mills and Sean St Ledger seems to be working wonders for Leicester City and they kept Swindon quiet for the majority of the afternoon.

Beckford’s scoring record in the FA Cup is phenomenal. 14 goals in 16 FA Cup career appearances shows the quality that he possesses as a player – and I am as pleased as anyone to see him scoring freely for Leicester City, after what I’d imagine was a frustrating spell for him.

The win ensured that Leicester City were in the hat for the Fifth Round draw, which paired us with Norwich City at Carrow Road in the next stage of the competition. I wrote last week that I have a feeling City will do well in the FA Cup and I think that the draw has handed us a ‘winnable’ tie. It will certainly be an entertaining game as Norwich have impressed me in the Premier League this year.

As has been the case all season, City were again unable to seal back-to-back wins in the league on Wednesday evening, as Middlesbrough travelled down to the King Power Stadium. Credit to the team, they came back from being 2-1 down to eventually share the points, but with the number of chances created, City had the opportunities to seal the win. Middlesbrough are a good side, but Jermaine Beckford came close a few times before he scored the goal that grabbed a point for Leicester. That being said, the quality of Beckford’s finish with four minutes remaining in the game was class. It was an acute angle and I am sure that everybody was as relieved as I was to see it spin over the line.

Of course, the talking point of the game came from matters off the pitch, as Nigel Pearson was forced to watch the second half from the stands. Having listened to Nigel’s post-match interviews, I’m not surprised that he was angry. Referees need to give the respect in order to receive it – and I can see Nigel’s point when he says that a lot of what we have seen in the game this season seems to be one way and not the other. It will certainly be interesting to see what comes of it all.

The game against Middlesbrough also gave City fans the chance to see a bit more of Danny Drinkwater and Nathan Delfouneso – and I was impressed with what they offered. Drinkwater looks able to add a bit of steel to the City midfield, whilst Delfouneso seems a real handful going forward. I think that my namesake, Steve Walsh, has done another great job in spotting two very good young players.

I can’t wait to see what Ben Marshall has to offer. I haven’t seen much of him in his games this season for Sheffield Wednesday, but from what I’ve heard, he has the potential to be a big player for Leicester City. Wednesday fans have rated him highly and he could offer us that little bit more width that, at times this season, we have lacked. I’m also looking forward to seeing whether Wes Morgan can force himself into the starting eleven. I’ve always been a fan of Wes, and he has been part of Nottingham Forest sides to push towards promotion on a few occasions, so there is no denying his quality. At present though, the partnership of Mills and St Ledger is performing well, so he may have to wait for his chance.

This weekend, City make their first trip down to Brighton and Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium. I’m taking an away bus down to the south coast, so I am looking forward to this trip. I’ve seen television coverage of the ground and it looks impressive to say the least.

It will be a tough game for City. Brighton have done very well since achieving promotion to the Championship and in Craig Mackail-Smith, they have one of the division’s top strikers. Gus Poyet has put together a very good team there and it’s good to see them doing well, as they have had some tough times over the past few years. City grabbed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton in the last meeting between the two teams, so it would be nice to do a second double over a south coast team this season. Leicester will certainly need to work as hard as they have done in recent games to get something at the Amex, but they are more than capable of doing so.

As I mentioned last week, I am going to be taking part in an evening with Leicester City legend Alan Birchenall – a curry night at Harmony Indian Restaurant on Thursday 16th February. We’ll be joined by a special guest in the Lord Mayor, Rob Wann – and it promises to be a great evening. Tickets cost £30 per-person and include a two-course meal, charity raffle and a memorabilia auction. For more details, or to book, contact steve@legendsuk.com or call me on 0116 259 3062.

For more opinion and discussion on Leicester City, visit the FoxesTalk and Bentleys Roof fans forums.*

* Please note: the views expressed on these websites are not those of Soar Magazine.

Steve Walsh Blog in association with Legends UK

That is the surprising conclusion of Leicestershire Council’s ‘How Low Can You Go’ campaign, as the winners are announced.

Bosworth Community College was recently named the winner in the ‘Secondary School with Swimming Pool’ category of the campaign which, ran during ‘The Big Switch-Off’ fortnight at the end of last year.

The Desford school encouraged staff to switch-off lights, interactive whiteboards and IT equipment when leaving a room, whilst also rationalising lighting and closely managed the heating system. During peak times the college saved 40 kWh – a saving of £4,000 in a year.

In a slight twist in the tale, Bosworth Community College was the only school to enter this category – a factor that does not dampen the school’s pleasure in receiving the award.

“I am delighted we won, but surprised other schools did not value taking up the challenge,” said Chris Parkinson, principal of the college.

“Perhaps they did not realise the huge impact small changes in behaviour can make. If all 44 Leicestershire secondary (including high) schools did the same, we could save around £160,000 each year, that’s enough to pay five teachers or purchase a library worth of text books. We want to throw down the gauntlet and dare other schools to follow our lead. Of course, we are only too happy to share our experience and the lessons we have learnt.”

The ‘The Big Switch-Off Campaign’ was not just about saving money, according to Chris.

“It’s also about reducing our carbon footprint – in our school alone these simple measures can save nearly 50,000kg of CO2 each year. Ofsted said our students and staff make an outstanding contribution to the wider community, and this is another way in which we can help.”

The school now plans to extend the scheme, excited about the potential savings from further initiatives involving pupils as well as staff. They will be helped by the prize for ‘going so low’ which is a renewable energy kit.

For more information on Bosworth Community College, visit www.boscol.leics.sch.uk

The special showcase of Extended Play provided the chance for an intimate audience of around 125 people to sample one of the most original musical and visual experiences that Leicester has to offer.

Saturday’s performance featured live performances of all seven tracks from the EP, including anthems like The Balloon, haunting musical gems with lyrical depth such as Strawman and the captivating YTYKS (You Think You Know Someone), as the band were joined on stage by the subtle yet stunning talents of a live string trio.

Extended Play is now available to download from iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and other online retailers.

Full Track Listing

1. Strawman

2. The Balloon

3. YTYKS

4. Witness

5. Start Again

6. Backroads

7. Start Again (Arm Your Ears Edit)

To listen to samples of each track visit www.sallyhossack.com/freecontrol

Free Control, who have been together since 2008, comprise of bass guitarist Oliver Bloor, drummer Paul Cole, guitarist and vocalist Greg Shute, flautist and vocalist Sally Hossack and Mike Sole on keyboards.

In 2009, the band adorned the main stage at Summer Sundae and made an instant connection with the crowd. Regular gigs in Leicester and London followed and now, after a year dedicated to writing, recording and refining existing songs, as well as crafting new ones, the band have returned with a bang.

Guitarist, Greg Shute, gave his views on Extended Play.

“We wanted a good mix of songs. Two tracks have been recorded in demo form before but we wanted to record them properly as our sound has developed. The other tracks are regulars in our live set and have been honed. The newest track, ‘Strawman’ reflects the direction we’re going in, but I wouldn’t say it’s a new sound, just an evolved one.”

For more information on Free Control, visit their official website – www.freecontrol.co.uk

Former Leicester City skipper Steve Walsh, club ambassador Alan Birchenall, mascot Filbert Fox and Councillor Rob Wann, Lord Mayor of Leicester will be joining Marks Electrical at their King Richards Road showroom from 2:00pm on Friday 3rd February, whilst customers can enjoy £25 off all orders of £250 or more in store.

It’s been an incredible journey thus far for Marks Electrical.

Established by owner and managing director Mark Smithson, the company started out as a white goods repair centre back in 1987 and has since grown into one of the most renowned names in Leicestershire, becoming synonymous with some of Leicester’s professional sports organisations through continued sponsorship of Leicester City Football Club and Kirby Muxloe Cricket Club.

For years, people in Leicester have been heading to Marks Electrical’s showroom on King Richards Road, where up until recent months, the store specialised in providing high-end white goods to the Leicestershire public.

The transformation during that time has been incredible, with the modest showroom now possessing one of the sleekest business premises in Leicester; expanding dramatically. In addition to white goods, cookers and hobs, Marks Electrical now also provide one of the region’s best selections of top-of-the-range televisions and audio-visual entertainment showrooms.

As the company has grown, so too has Marks Electrical’s support of local sports teams and organisations. The company sponsor the entire north stand at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, which has been renamed the Marks Electrical Family Stand, in addition to the club’s Goal of the Month competition which gives one supporter the chance to win a television. Away from football, Marks Electrical are also the main club sponsors of Kirby Muxloe Cricket Club; however the jewel in the company’s sporting crowd is undoubtedly their very own race team.

Marks Electrical drive a Radical SR3 in competitive races across the UK, Europe and USA, with cars successfully completing the 24 hours of Le Mans, whilst Mark Smithson himself drives as part of the team which includes pro-driver Graham Moseley.

In addition to the dramatic developments at the King Richards Road showroom, Marks Electrical’s nationwide operation has become a powerhouse, with the company becoming one of the country’s prominent suppliers of electrical appliances. The company’s two websites – markselectrical.co.uk and 365electrical.com – offer fantastic prices and free nationwide delivery, with Marks Electrical’s impressive multi-million pound warehouse in Bardon the operation’s hub, ably assisted by a fleet of Marks Electrical delivery vehicles.

A lot has certainly happened over 25 years for Marks Electrical, with the success story of one of Leicester’s – and the nation’s – thriving businesses unlikely to stop for many years to come.

The football development is the last of eleven sites to be developed across the city as part of the £11.2m Football Investment Strategy.

The new sites’ approval comes after initial plans to develop the site as part of Aylestone Meadows was previously refused planning permission.

The development at Riverside will include a clubhouse and a floodlit artificial turf pitch. In addition, a changing room block will be built on Aylestone Playing Field, with showers, toilets and a small kitchen.

This will be located close to the site of the former pavilion, which burned down in 2000.

The existing car park at Aylestone Playing Fields will also be resurfaced with access from Braunstone Lane East.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “I’m very pleased that the planning decision brings a satisfactory conclusion for the residents, the Aylestone Meadows’ campaigners, and of course the football clubs.

“I would like to pay tribute to the campaigners who fought hard to save the meadow. This is a great victory for community action.”

Work is due to commence on site in early spring this year.

I made a full recovery just in time for the semis against fellow English side Slough and even managed to get on the scoresheet before the game went to penalty shuttles. We were victorious, but unfortunately we were outplayed in the final and came home with a silver medal; something of which I am very proud of, albeit not the medal we all strived for.

I’d missed a lot of hockey and as a result was not selected in the England squad in the summer. This was very difficult; as I had worked so hard to get back into form but looking back I feel it has made me a stronger person.

As we entered 2012, the hype and excitement surrounding the Olympics heightened and there is a real interest in our sport, which is absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately I was not selected for recent competitions with Great Britain which was a massive blow. However I believe every cloud has a silver lining and for me that has come in the form of indoor hockey this winter.

I relished the opportunity to be involved with the England Indoor Programme and attended a training camp in the New Year which I loved, well until the final day when I could barely move my legs, as were so stiff! It’s so different to the outdoor game. It’s much quicker, more skilful and very much end-to-end, so you really have to be switched on. Fortunately for me, I was selected to represent the England indoor side, which was a great achievement given the fact that I am more of an outdoor player and love the old ‘chuck and run’ (which you can’t do in indoor).

Following my excitement of representing my country again, I pulled on my orange and black kit of Leicester for the domestic indoor league just days after the selection, where we finished third to make the semis. This set up a clash with Sutton Coldfield, the club I played for as a youngster and whom hockey legend Jane Sixsmith still plays!

The semis were showcased at Loughborough University in front of a 400-strong crowd and we managed to seal a 7-3 victory to take us into the final at Wembley. Personally it was a great occasion for me, as I managed to score four of our seven goals. It was one of those games that happen once in a lifetime, where everything you aim at goal finds its way in!

Before I could get too excited about the Wembley final, there was a small matter of a European Indoor Championship to compete in! Leicester goalkeeper Maddie Hinch and all-round superstar Hannah Smith were also included in the squad. And this is where the highs and lows of sport are really experienced…

Smithy (as we call her) had been selected for the indoor side for the first time ever and was due to earn her first senior international caps. You couldn’t wipe the smile from her face after hearing she had been selected and I was genuinely so pleased for her. The day before the tournament, Smithy took a blow to the hand in training and the inevitable happened – she had broken it. I could not believe this was happening, of all the people. Tears came flooding. Her dreams of singing the national anthem and wearing her shirt with pride were so cruelly taken away from her just hours before the tournament. I knew exactly what she was going through but the pain of not representing her country outweighed the physical pain of her broken hand.

We started the tournament well and topped our pool with two wins and a draw, which cost us the chance of taking gold, but we beat the Swiss, securing a silver medal and promotion to the top tier of European hockey. I scored six goals in five games for my country and Leicester’s number one goalkeeper Maddie Hinch won Goalkeeper of the Tournament, which was absolutely amazing!

The girls were ecstatic and delighted with the promotion, but we all felt for Smithy who should have been there with us celebrating!

Only a week later, I was back in my club colours for the final of the Super Sixes at Wembley Arena, with the game being televised live on Sky Sports. The girls were really excited about being in another final and we were determined to come out winners on this occasion having missed out in previous finals and a win would also secure European Indoor hockey for next season.

It was a close game, with both teams squandering chances, but as the game went on we created far more and had Lauren Turner to thank for bagging the only goal of the game with five minutes to go.

We were all absolutely thrilled with the win and playing in front of several thousand spectators both at Wembley and viewers on Sky Sports was amazing.

A great start to the year - the first of many trophies!

Leicester lost their opening pool game back in October, responding with a 40-14 victory over Gloucester just days later.

Tigers went on to win their third pool game against Harlequins at the Stoop last weekend and welcome Newcastle Falcons to Welford Road for their final pool encounter on Saturday (3:00pm) with a win for Leicester placing Richard Cockerill’s side in the competition’s semi-finals.

Youngs, who made his Leicester Tigers debut alongside brother Tom in the LV= Cup, has since gone on to become a regular for club and country, holding the competition that launched his career in high regard.

“It has a special place in my heart,” Youngs told Soar Magazine.

“I think that, over the years, the LV= Cup has been a great springboard for youngsters to play, whilst giving the more experienced players the chance to have a break from competitive rugby. You don’t necessarily see a side with the ‘main’ players included, but you end up discovering some talented youngsters that are coming through the system.”

Tigers’ recent 19-9 win over ‘Quins highlighted the up and coming talent at Welford Road, with George Ford and Sam Harrison both shortlisted for the LV= Breakthrough Player Award. Youngs believes it is that kind of quality coming through the ranks that stands Tigers in good stead this year.

“At Leicester Tigers, the target is always to win something,” admits Ben, who has represented England on 17 occasions.

“Whether that is the LV= Cup, the Heineken Cup or the Aviva Premiership, the target in every competition is to go out and win.

“In many ways, the LV= Cup is harder to win, because some teams will put out a stronger side than others – and Cockers (Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill) prefers to use it as a springboard for players as I mentioned before.

“There’s no doubt that we feel we have talented youngsters at the club to compete and perhaps make winning the competition achievable.”

For more information on Leicester Tigers, visit www.leicestertigers.co.uk or visit www.premiershiprugby.com/anglowelsh to find out more about the LV= Cup.

What a result City’s 2-0 victory over Southampton on Monday night was?! I think what made it more special was the fashion with which Leicester City went about their business at St. Mary’s. It was a fantastic performance and a massive improvement when you compare it to the home clash against Barnsley earlier in the month.

That win and the performance has undoubtedly inspired both the supporters and, as a result, the players. I spoke to Nigel Pearson at the Leicester Mercury Sports Awards prior to the game against Southampton, and speaking to him even then he was confident that City would get a result at Southampton. That’s the key thing about Nigel Pearson; he oozes confidence and that will rub off on everybody around the club.

Southampton were outclassed – and when you consider their record on home soil, it’s an impressive feat from Leicester City. I know that Southampton had a few players out injured, but that highlights the advantage of the strength that City possess in their squad. Sean St.Ledger and Matt Mills are starting to form a decent partnership and it certainly makes the next few games interesting in prospect and, as I have said in previous blogs, with a good run of results in the second-half of the season, Leicester City can be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. We’re still in touching distance and that is very important.

One key change has been the use of 4-4-2 employed by Pearson. With Sven, it was very much a case of 4-3-3 and whist you understood what he was trying to do – it just didn’t work. With a solid nucleus of players, Nigel has used a system that has been reliable for him in recent years. When the team go forward, there is plenty of pace and width, whilst the system will allow the team to adjust to other teams. That adjustment will be crucial for the rest of the season. Injuries, to the likes of Andy King and Jeff Schlupp, are starting to take players out of the squad, but City have shown that they have the strength to deal with that.

Spearheading the 4-4-2 formation is the strike partnership of David Nugent and Jermaine Beckford and this partnership is now showing what it is capable of. I think that David Nugent is fantastic and scored a stunning goal against Southampton to open the scoring. Beckford is looking much sharper off the back of his hat-trick against Nottingham Forest– but it’s the work-rate that impresses me the most. The way the strikers close down the opposition’s defenders is making it hard for teams and has been an important part of City’s recent success.

City have also made two astute signings in the window, bringing in Danny Drinkwater from Manchester United and Nathan Delfouneso from Aston Villa. The pedigree of both players is superb – and we saw what Drinkwater is capable of when he was playing for Barnsley against the Foxes in recent weeks. These signings show the class that City have now, with both players starting on the bench against Southampton! I think that both players will emphasise the importance of my namesake, Steve Walsh, in the set-up – as he really has got an eye for a talented player.

This weekend’s fixture against Swindon in the FA Cup really brings back some memories of the 1993 play-off final and I have already been tweeted by Swindon fans throwing some banter around. I really fancy us in the FA Cup. I don’t know why, but from day one I have felt that we could do really well in the competition. However, we shouldn’t underestimate Swindon Town. They could prove to be a banana skin for us; they play good football and are doing well in League 2. In the FA Cup, anything can happen. Swindon Town have a charismatic manager in Paolo Di Canio and his passion is something that he has instilled in his players. He can be something of a livewire, but you can’t take away what he has achieved thus far. It will be an interesting game for sure.

Following the FA Cup clash against Swindon, City take on Middlesbrough at King Power Stadium in the Championship – and this could be a really good time to play Boro. They’ve had a poor start to 2012 – and I couldn’t believe that Coventry City beat them 3-1 last weekend! Initially, I thought that Middlesbrough were the surprise package in the league, but the stage is set for City to go out and get those elusive back-to-back league wins. City will need to be focused, that’s for sure.

We’ve enjoyed a good week as Leicester City supporters – here’s hoping we can enjoy other winning week.

There are still limited tickets available for our away trip for the upcoming game at Brighton and Hove Albion – which promises to be a great weekend! The full package costs just £68 and includes coach travel and match ticket – as well as a breakfast cob and drink first thing and fish and chips prior to the game; City’s first ever trip to Brighton’s new ground! What could be better than that? And of course, I’ll be on the coach too and am always open to talking about the past years at Leicester City. For more information, click here or call us on 07970 055 555.

Also coming up, I am going to be taking part in an evening with Leicester City legend Alan Birchenall – a curry night at Harmony Indian Restaurant on Thursday 16^th February. We’ll be joined by a special guest in the Lord Mayor, Rob Wann – and it promises to be a great evening. Tickets cost £30 per-person and include a two-course meal, charity raffle and a memorabilia auction. For more details, or to book, contact steve@legendsuk.com or call me on 0116 259 3062.

For more opinion and discussion on Leicester City, visit the FoxesTalk and Bentleys Roof fans forums.*

* Please note: the views expressed on these websites are not those of Soar Magazine.

Steve Walsh Blog in association with Legends UK

At the time, the Hammers were struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table, despite boasting a strong line-up of international stars, which included Freddie Kanoute, David James, Steve Lomas, Tomas Repka and Edouard Cisse, as well highly-talented youngsters and future England players, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson.

Following the SAQ training sessions, West Ham United went on a run of impressive results, winning six, drawing four and losing just one of their next 11 games.

Club legend, Sir Trevor Brooking, was in temporary charge of first team affairs but the team eventually suffered relegation from the top flight despite clocking up 42 points, which remains a record high for a team demoted from the Premier League.

Watch the video below to see Alan putting the first team squad through their paces with a succession of SAQ drills. 

A truly worldwide and established brand, SAQ® International’s previous clients have included Barcelona FC, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, the England Rugby Team, Castrol and Nike. The company has also worked with many top-class sports stars, including Michael Jordan and Cristiano Ronaldo.

For more information on SAQ® International visit their official website – www.saqinternational.com

Thanks to SAQ® International and Stuart Sharp for this video footage.