Something For The Weekend: 06/08/2011

It's squeaky-bum time for...

...contenders in the title race

It's the football season again, and with that comes hyperbole and outlandish statements.

So how about this one: tomorrow's big game will have an influence on the outcome of the title race. Granted, there is a friendly down the road at Wembley tomorrow, but the other big one features Cardiff at West Ham in the Championship. That's the perennial promotion nearly-men with a new manager in Malky Mackay visiting the title favourites – who also have a new man in charge in Sam Allardyce. Big Sam is typically bullish ahead of the gruelling nine-month scrap. But Cardiff and Mackay are experienced Championship heavyweights, well capable of landing an early knockout punch.

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Full steam ahead for Derby

"This club is not aligned to any political party but we support the campaign to make the Government think again," said Derby County this week. Leaving aside that it's difficult to imagine any of the Clough family as dyed-in-the-wool Tories or even Lib Dems, Nigel is joining the fight to save jobs at Bombardier, the local train-maker which lost out to Germany's Siemens in the bid for a £1.4bn Thameslink contract. Nigel's dad had no small amount of success against mainland Europe, of course, so little wonder Junior is getting involved. The Derby players will wear "Save Our Rail Industry" T-shirts before today's home match against Birmingham – another manufacturing city with an axe to grind in Whitehall. Out of small acorns, Nigel...

Have you been paying attention?

1. Which world record did Warwickshire's Rikki Clarke equal this week?

2. Which landmark did Jenson Button celebrate by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix?

3. How many Community Shields have Manchester United won on penalties in the last decade?

4. Who took India's final wicket during England's second Test victory at Trent Bridge?

5. Which two Rangers players were dismissed during their Champions League exit in Malmo?

Click here for the answers