James Morrison: 'No nearer to date for training return'

ROBERTO Di Matteo has conceded that James Morrison is still some way from returning after revealing the extent of his injury nightmare.
The Albion midfielder has been out of action for six months due to dreadful complications to what was initially a heel blister.
Morrison, who is resting in the north east, should have been sidelined for a relatively short time but a series of setbacks, including major infection, forced him to abort his return to training and ruined his hopes of a swift comeback.
The head coach was unable to offer specific details of his medical treatment or the procedures involved.
But I understand the Scotland international was, at one point, taken to hospital for emergency treatment to his foot and forced to have areas of infection removed to allow the skin to start healing properly.
Because of this process, Morrison’s estimated time of recovery has been difficult to judge and even the simplest of tasks, such as wearing boots, has proved impossible.
Di Matteo admitted he was still no nearer knowing when Morrison would be ready to resume training.
“His frame of mind is one of frustration,” Di Matteo told the Birmingham Mail. “He’s been out for so long for that kind of injury.
“With a cruciate injury you understand it’ll be seven or eight months but with James you don’t know whether it’ll be one week, two weeks, three weeks, two months or whatever – you cannot put a timescale on it.
“I’ve never seen it before but it’s a very complicated and difficult part of the body. He went to see specialists and consultants and they told us it’s a difficult injury from that respect.”
Morrison has been relatively inactive due to the nature of the injury.
But Di Matteo is confident the player will be able to return to his appropriate fitness levels once he’s ready to resume training.
“He cannot cycle, he cannot run,” he added. “He can’t even swim. He’s a professional footballer and knows that sooner or later – hopefully sooner – he will have to get back into training and that should drive him to keep in good shape as much as he can.”

James Morrison: James DeGale shows his potential after breezing to early finish

Produced of James DeGale another sensational finish for his personal highlights reel as he dispatched Ally Morrison for his fourth win as a professional last night. The night the Olympic champion was booed on his professional debut seems a long time ago now.
In the 6mins 45sec Morrison lasted with the Olympic middleweight gold medal winner, the Cumbrian proved he was brave, but DeGale showed he has the style to make it to the top of the paid code.
"I told people I had the style to make it as a pro and I showed a bit of it there,” said DeGale, who trained with Floyd Mayweather Jr, the five-weight world champion, in Las Vegas this summer. “I have been sparring with the best in the country already and I know I can go all the way.”
DeGale - who dedicated the win to Darren Sutherland, his Olympic semi-final opponent, who died last month - looked aggressive and mixed his punches well, but his third-round finish at the Echo Arena, Liverpool, was out of the top drawer. He landed four successive left hooks before standing Morrison up on his toes with a right hook and landed another left, which prompted the intervention of Howard Foster, the referee.
There was no one who denied Frankie Gavin’s ability as an amateur. The only British boxer to win a gold medal in the history of the World Amateur Championships had no peers in the unpaid code, but plenty of doubters when he turned professional after failing to make the weight for last year’s Olympic Games.
Well, he is doing just fine, judging by the style of his fourth win in the paid code over Steve Saville last night.
Saville, 33, a stocky, rugged battler is good enough to have won a Midlands Area title, but he could not live with the speed and accuracy of Gavin and was stopped after 2min 32sec of the second round as he rose from a knockdown.
Gavin, 23, still has breathtaking speed and a fine array of punches, but under the training of Anthony Farnell he is starting to add power. Against Saville he seemed faultless, keeping his distance and picking his shot with such accuracy, Saville looked dispirited after barely a minute.
“I felt I boxed well, but I will wait to see what Arnie (Farnell) says,” Gavin, a light-welterweight, said. “He always finds something to be improved on.
“I think I’m adapting to the pro game quite well. In the amateurs there is a lot of pitter patter stuff, but I’ve been working on putting more weight into my shots."

James Generous star gives a song to help Lewis's fund

James Morrison AWARD winning singer songwriter is backing a £300,000 fund raising drive to send a four year old cancer sufferer to America for cutting edge treatment.
The pop star, who was discovered in Derby, has agreed for his music to be used free of charge on a video being made about Lewis Mighty.
The youngster has neuroblastoma a rare form of childhood cancer and been given just a opportunity of 20% surviving the next two years.
Jaime and Perry his mum and dad, of Mackworth, are now trying to raise £300,000 to send him to New York for immunotherapy treatment.
The team behind the appeal have decided to use a song from James' latest album, called Once When I Was Little, on a video being made to raise awareness of Lewis's story.

James said he was only too happy to help out.
He said: "I'm actually glad to support and help publicise the Lewis Mighty Fund in this way.
"Lewis's story is one of immense bravery and determination and actually struck a chord with me, not only because of my links to the Derby area but because I now have a child of my own."
Fund spokesman Stuart Holness said the backing of the Brit Award winning singer was a huge boost to the appeal.
He said: "It is fantastic to get the support of someone as well known as James Morrison.
"He has been very generous in allowing us to use his music without charge and the song we have chosen for the video is very poignant."
Multi million record selling singer James first became known in Derby when he played at open mic nights in the city. He was discovered at Ryan's Bar in St Peter's Street, Derby, in 2004 and has since become a global star, performing duets with singers such as Nelly Furtado.
James now joins other celebrities, including champion boxer Amir Khan and Rams skipper Robbie Savage, in backing the Lewis Mighty appeal.
Mum Jaime said: "James Morrison is a fantastic singer and we love his music, so we were so pleased to hear he has allowed us to use this song.
"He is such a big star and to have the backing of someone like him is a huge boost."

PAOLO NUTINI, SET LIST

And, by the end of this energetic set, the Paisley 22 year old showed just why he’s already got more gold and platinum discs than candles on his cake.
His new bunch of songs were well received, but sound problems mid set eclipse Candy, making it less sweet than it could have been.
Accompanied by a excellent, ramshackle band of brothers, Nutini showed he’s as comfortable taking on James Morrison’s blue eyed soul of Smokey Joe’s Cafe as he is with country tinged honky tonk numbers like New Shoes.

Waves of mourners farewell Morrison

Te Papaiouru marae will resonate with tributes to Sir Howard Morrison today as local entertainers pay their respects before his funeral tomorrow.
Morrison whanau spokesman Monty Morrison said entertainers including Frankie Stevens, Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross and Russell Harrison would sing at 2pm today.
He said a karakia would be held at 7pm followed by a late evening performance on a floodlit stage on the marae by Te Arawa kapa haka pairs.
Crowds began gathering at the marae at the weekend to mourn the passing of Sir Howard last Thursday. Wave upon wave of people, numbering well over 1000 yesterday, continued to arrive at Te Arawa's premier marae on Lake Rotorua's waterfront.
Among them was Wi Wharekura, the only surviving member of the original Howard Morrison Quartet.
Mr Wharekura, who had travelled from his home on the Australian Gold Coast, had a friendly dig at his longtime mate.
He said story had it that Sir Howard kept one eye on the road and the other on himself in his rear sight mirror as he was driving. Or he'd take over from the car radio.
"You'd be listening to the radio and Louis Armstrong would come on and he'd turn it off and do it himself," said Mr Wharekura.
"If it was Sammy Davis Jnr he would switch him off too ... he was the best of the best and the thing is that he told himself that he was.
"People would ask me what kind of a fella was he when he was young and I'd say he was a bloody pain in the arse! He was brimming with self confidence. He once said he had a fan club and it only had one member, 'me"'.
Mr Wharekura said he was approached by Sir Howard to join his troupe in 1957.
The would-be schoolteacher was in two minds until he heard he would be paid £350 ($700) a week and have all his expenses paid for the year. "I just said, 'Okay, mate where do I sign?"'
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said the entertainer had characteristics most politicians would love to have.
"He was popular," said Mr English to great laughter.
About 5000 people are expected at tomorrow's service for Sir Howard.
Mr Morrison said large television screens would be placed near the marae for those without access.
After a public ecumenical service in front of Tamatekapua, his casket will be taken to St Faith's Church in front of the marae for a brief period of prayer by whanau and invited guests.
Sir Howard will buried on the slopes of Mt Ngongotaha.

chasing wife's son with a machete Fort Pierce man accused

FORT PIERCE — A 59 year old man accused of grabbing a machete and chasing his wife’s son, who picked up a pair of pruning shears in defense, faces a felony charge, according to an catch affidavit released Thursday.
Lynford James Morrison, of the 400 block of North 21st Street, was catched on an provoked assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill charge following the 11:12 p.m. Wednesday incident.
Morrison’s wife told police she invited her son to the home for dinner. She said when Morrison learned her son was in the house, Morrison retrieved a machete and chased him out. The wife accused Morrison of threatening to cut her son.
The son told police he was “afraid for his life” and grabbed some pruning shears to defend himself.
No physical contact occurred. The machete wasn’t recovered.
Morrison was catched and taken to the St. Lucie County jail

SUNNY SINGER JAMES MORRISON

'Nothing Ever Hurt Like You' hitmaker James Morrison loves performing during the summer because the warm weather means his fans enjoy themselves more.
James Morrison sings better when the sun is shining.
The 'Nothing Ever Hurt Like You' hitmaker says the atmosphere at his performances is better on a warm summer's day because his fans are more relaxed.
He said: "I think because it affects everyone if the sun shines out everyone gets relaxed and then so everyone's more interesting in having a good time. Rather than if it's a actual bad atmosphere because it's raining and the people have directed all their present at the music in an analytical way, rather than just enjoying it for what it is, you know. So yeah, it helps me a lot."
The 25 year old singer and guitarist also revealed he is working on new material with the aim of releasing a new track later this year but inclued he would rather not bring out anything if it isn't up to his standards.
He explained to Absolute Radio DJ Ben Jones: "At the moment, I'm writing to get new songs. So if anything comes that I like then there'll be another single at the end of the year. If not, then it'll just be the wait for the next album.
"I'd like to be able to do it rapidly because that's sometimes the best way clobber comes but I don't wanna rush. I'd rather cease than come back out with a c**p album."

West Brom star James Morrison to run of injuries frustrates

JAMES Morrison is augmenting increasingly baffle as his injury problems continue.
Roberto Di Matteo announce that Albion’s midfielder was still no nearer to recovering from a foot injury.
The Scotland international needed surgery after a blister became infected, causing complications.
Di Matteo expressed his disappointment.
“James Morrison is hushed out and I can’t give a date on him,” he said. “I don’t think somebody thought it would take this long.
“It’s difficult to explain the problem and I’m not a doctor. It started off as a blister and it got infected and from there it’s a long story. It’s not good news for the player or for us because he is an important player for us.”
There is greater news on Neil Clement, with Di Matteo reporting no further injury problems a head of tomorrow’s game at Nottingham Forest.
“Fortunately everybody is fine there are no fresh injuries,” he added.
“Neil Clement is doing some brief stuff now and we hope that he might be training with us next week and joining in with the squad if everything goes to plan.”