• Silk at the Sayle. Part of the Celtic Kingdom Festival of Silk at the Sayle Gallery. Until September 22.

• Autumn Exhibition, Erin Arts Group, Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin. Gallery open Wednesday-Friday 10.30am-4.30pm. Until September 27

Thursday, September 5

• Gym time active play for pre-school children, Manx Gymnastics Centre, Douglas, 9.30am. Call 625636. Also Friday and Wednesday.

• Happy Tots, main hall, Willaston School, 9.45am, £1 per family including refreshments. Call 621577.

• Storytime for pre-schoolers, Henry Bloom Noble Library, Douglas, 10am. Call 696461.

• Arbory Tots, from birth, parish hall, Ballabeg, 2pm. Cost £1 per family. Call 832394.

• Toddler Tunes, Community Room, Michael School, 2pm. Call 878090.

• St John Ambulance Cadets (10+), 6.30pm-8pm, Douglas headquarters. Badgers (5+), 5.30pm-6.30pm, Age Concern in Peel. Adults meetings, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday, Douglas headquarters. Friday, Ramsey, St Olave’s Church hall. For all other times and venues call 674387.

• Good News Club for primary school children, Living Hope Community Church, Bayview Road, Port St Mary, 6pm. Email weirfamily55@hotmail.co.uk

• The Children’s Centre Parent Support Group, informal chat with family support workers, at Douglas Family Centre, Woodbourne Road, Douglas, 7-9pm.

• The Isle of Man Children’s Centre Parent Support Group, informal chat with family support workers at Woodbourne Road, 7pm-9pm.

• Army Cadets, Scout Hall, Peel, 7pm. Also Tuesday.

Friday, September 6

• Baby and Toddler Group at Glen Maye Chapel, 9.30am-11.30am.

• Tiddlers, parents and tots, Elim Church, Onchan, 10am. Call 434933.

• Parents and tots, Philip Christian Centre, Peel, 10am.

• Theatrix Theatre Company Musical Theatre, Douglas, Saturday 12-2.30pm for ages 8-12. Also Saturday, Babies Irish/mod, 9am. Prep Ballet/Tap, 10am, Babies Ballet/Tap, 11am. Musical Theatre, ages 5-8. Monday, Senior Ballet, 4pm, Senior Tap, 5pm, Senior Jazz, 5.45pm Adult Irish, 6.30pm. Tuesday, Community Ballet/Tap, 4pm. Beginners Irish, 4.45pm. Junior Irish, 5.30pm. Adult Tap, 6.15pm. Wednesday, Grade 2 Ballet/Tap, 4pm. Novice Irish, 5.30pm. Adult Ballet, 6.15pm.

• Mums and Tots, Laxey Working Men’s Institute, 10am-noon. Call 479839.

• Storybox, Family Library, Westmoreland Road, Douglas, 10.30am-11am. Also Saturday, Sticky Fingers craft, 10.30am-noon; Alternate Wednesday, Busy Bee Time for pre-schoolers, 1.45pm-2.45. Tuesday, Sing and Sign with Nickie Gaskell, 11am-noon. Call 673123.

• Parents and Tots, upper room, Sulby Methodist Church, 10.30am. Call 897364. Also 3.45pm Sparks after school club.

• Onchan carers and tots, parish hall, Onchan, 1.15pm. Call 625328.

• Tiny Tunes, music time for 0-3s, Family Library, Westmoreland Road, Douglas, 1.30pm, £2.50. Call 673123.

Monday, September 9

• Parents and tots, Dhoon Church hall, 9.30am. Call 426395.

• Parents and tots, St Olave’s Church, Ramsey, 1pm.

• Tots play at Northern Lights Community Centre, Ramsey, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Also tots craft and play on Wednesday, £1.

• Noah’s Ark Tots Group, Church on the Rock, behind Ramsey Bus Station, 9.30am. Call 223669.

• Breastfeeding Buddies drop in clinic, Village Walk Health Centre, Onchan, 10.30am. Call 656030.

• Daniel’s Den, Methodist Church, Arbory Street, Castletown, 10am. Admission £1. Call 822374.

• Michael Miniatures’ parents and tots, Ebenezer Hall, Kirk Michael, 2pm. £1.50 per family. Call 491592.

• Do Drop Inn Drama Club, children aged 10+, St Paul’s hall, Ramsey, 7pm.

Tuesday, September 10

• Parents and tots, Auldyn Infants School Community Room, Ramsey, 9.15am-11.15am.

• Toddle Inn, mums and tots group, Port St Mary Living Hope Community Church, 9.30am. Call 835091.

• Super Saints, All Saints Church vestry, Douglas, 10am-11.15am. Call 427185.

• Laxey mums and tots, Laxey Pavilion, 1pm. Call 438408.

• Foxdale mums and tots, community hall, Foxdale School, 2pm. Call 420234.

• Abbey Acorns, ages 4+ at the Abbey Church, Ballasalla, 3.30pm.

• Peel Footlights Youth Theatre, children aged eight-16, Philip Christian Centre, Peel, 4pm. Also Thursday. Call 843819.

Wednesday, September 11

• Parents and tots, Salvation Army Citadel, Lord Street, Douglas, 9.30am. Call 627742.

• Mini Club for parents or carers and their babies, toddlers and pre-school children at Anagh Coar School, 9.30am or Braddan Church hall, 2pm. Call 675091.

• Ballabeg Busy Bugs for under fives, Arbory parish hall, Ballabeg, 10am. Call 429676.

• Mums and tots, Marown hall, Peel Road, Crosby, 10.15am. £1.50 per family.

• Twins/Multiple Births Club, Philip Christian Centre, Peel, 10am-11.30am. Call 458202.

• Parent and toddler group, Castletown Youth Centre, Arbory Street, 2pm.

• Onchan Ladies meet in Moreton Hall, the Pensioners Club, 2.15pm. Call Shirley Baldwin 620352.

Tributes have been paid to the Manx woman who died from Sporadic CJD.

This week’s Manx Independent has the story.

Inside, the paper looks at how the £8m of taxpayers’ money is being spent on regeneration.

We also report on the row about plans to update Laxey’s MER station and have a response from the government department that’s in charge of it.

Remaining in Laxey, the Independent hears from the chairman of the Glen Mills about his views about government support for the food industry.

After Alfred Cannan criticised the government for ‘winging it’ we report the Chief Minister’s response.

Meanwhile, it has been a bumper year for the Isle of Man College as a record number of students sign up. In part, it’s believed they have been attracted because of the issue of tuition fees.

The paper also reveals why the second furnace at the incinerator (or officially ‘Energy from Waste plant’) has been taken off-line.

Our Island Life section reports on the Isle of Man Film Festival and has two pages of coverage of the Vintage Fair held at Douglas Market.

The main story on the back page is a preview of this weekend’s End to End cycling race.

Football results from Wednesday, September 4:

Canada Life Premier League

Corinthians 4-4 Castletown

DHSOB 4-1 Ramsey

Laxey 2-1 St Mary’s

Peel 2-0 Michael

St George’s 1-1 St John’s

Union Mills 1-4 Rushen

Canada Life Combination One

Castletown 0-11 Corinthians

Michael 0-2 Peel

Ramsey 2-4 DHSOB

Rushen 2-2 Union Mills

St John’s 3-0 St George’s

St Mary’s 3-2 Laxey

Today we launch a new horseracing tipster service for the Isle of Man. Here are our tips for today’s action on the turf.

Today, Thursday

HAYDOCK: 2.0 Tahadee 2.30 Paradise Watch 3.0 Rogue Wave

3.35 Venue 4.05 Set the Trend (NAP) 4.40 Euston Square

SALISBURY: 2.10 Sebastian Beach 2.40 Dime Dancer 3.15 An Chulainn 3.45 Joyeuse 4.20 Ghanaian 4.50 Mysterious Man 5.20 Spiraea 5.50 South Cape

SEDGEFIELD: 2.20 Red Eyes 2.50 Joeluke 3.25 Five Out of Five 3.55 Candelita 4.30 Agent Archie 5.0 Douglas 5.30 Ben Cee Pee

KEMPTON: 5.10 Morally Bankrupt 5.40 Captain Secret 6.10 West Riding 6.40 Ennobled Friend 7.10 Emerald Sea 7.40 Tajheez 8.10 Sudden Wish 8.40 Marmalady

The island’s rate of inflation has dropped.

According to new statistics released by the government today, the annual rate of inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) decreased to 2.6 per cent in

August 2013, down from 3.2 per cent in July.

Excluding housing costs, the annual rate of inflation shown by the RPI also decreased, to 2.6 per cent in August.

The annual rate of inflation shown by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was 1.6 per cent in August 2013.

The Consumer Price Index excludes mortgage interest payments and household expenditure such as buildings insurance.

The two winners of the Singularity University Isle of Man Challenge have been announced.

Owen Cutajar and Andrew Gleave have won places on a week-long executive programme in Silicon Valley, California, in December, along with their travel and accommodation expenses.

Singularity University is where many of technology’s top thinkers work and exchange ideas with the world’s leading scientists, innovators and philanthropists, charged with finding technological solutions to the world’s great challenges.

Grand Challenge winner Owen Cutajar, head of digital strategy for local firm Intelligence, said: ‘I’m delighted to be selected as one of the winners of the Grand Challenge and would like to thank all those who have made this opportunity possible. The Isle of Man needs to find new, innovative means to ensure its economy can achieve its full potential and I believe success is inexorably linked with the aggregate success of each and every one of us. I took on the challenge to explore the new ideas I have and to create new contacts to help make this possible.

Andrew Gleave, co-founder of Red Robot Studios in the Isle of Man said: ‘This is an amazing opportunity to gain deep insights into the technologies that will shape our lives in the near future and which could benefit the Island and its economy. I’m looking forward to sharing what we learn to help encourage technical innovation on the island.’

‘I’m fascinated to find out more about the future of artificial intelligence and a number of related technologies to explore how they can be used to develop simple tools to make understanding and actioning on data simpler.’

The competition was sponsored by PokerStars and supported by the government’s Department of Economic Development.

Sue Hammett, head of corporate giving for sponsors PokerStars said: ‘On behalf of PokerStars I would like to congratulate Andrew and Owen on their achievement. They had to face tough competition to win a place and I am confident that they are the right people to take up this challenge.’

Bosses at the Energy from Waste plant have applied for a temporary licence to burn clinical waste in the main incinerator.

Operations manager John Garrad insisted the Richmond Hill plant’s second incinerator - which is currently used for burning clinical waste - is working and helping to generate electricity.

But plant operators SITA Isle of Man says it needs to be shut down for maintenance and they’ve applied to use the main incinerator instead for burning hospital waste.

The secondary incinerator was designed to process up to 5,000 tonnes of clinical, animal and oil waste.

But with the opening of the next door animal waste reprocessing plant in 2009, it does not need to operate all the time. It handles some 300 tonnes of clinical waste a year.

Mr Garrad explained: ‘The secondary incinerator is working.

‘It runs every 20 to 22 days as it’s only the hospital that supplies it. It ran for two days last week.

‘We need to rebrick the flue in the secondary chamber and that’s the reason we had made an application to burn clinical waste in the main incinerator.

‘It’s actually gone out for tender.

‘If we are able to rebrick the chamber in a shorter period of time we might not have to burn clinical waste in the primary incinerator at all.’

Zero Waste Mann’s Murial Garland said a graph on the SITA website suggested the secondary incinerator was not producing electricity.

But Mr Garrad insisted: ‘It is producing electricity. We don’t differentiate between the primary and secondary incinerators. The secondary feeds into the one common duct that feeds steam to the generator.’

He said when the secondary incinerator was in use, there was a small increase in power produced.

The Energy from Waste plant produces about 10 per cent of the island’s electricity. Opened in 2004, the facility processes some 60,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste.

Costs of disposing of waste at the Incinerator are being transferred in phases onto local authority ratepayers.

Cancelling this year’s Senior Manx Grand Prix race was a hard decision to take but an easy one to reach, according to clerk of the course Phil Taubman.

But a combination of failing light, availability of marshals and medics around the course and worsening weather conditions made the race impossible to run.

Mr Taubman said: ‘At the time the decision was made the conditions had closed in again it was unfit for racing. The forecast was that it was not going to improve. The rain we had was not forecast but the main problem was low mist.’

The decision was made around 3.30pm on the last day of racing after unpredictable weather conditions had already seen the morning’s Lightweight race red-flagged in thick fog then restarted in still less-than-perfect conditions over just two laps.

For the first time this year roads had to be opened between 5pm and 6pm to allow people to return home from work and this too had a significant effect on the practicality of running a delayed race.

‘Had we been able to keep the roads closed between 5pm and 6pm there is a chance we could have run the race between 4pm and 6pm. By 6.30pm it was raining again. As time goes on there are marshals and medics booked on to the boat to leave the island.’

The earliest the race could have started following the roads closing again at 6pm would have been 6.30pm but this would have meant the last riders finshing around 8pm even on a reduced three lap race. Failing light, dull weather conditions coupled with the gloom under overhanging trees in some sections of the course would have made racing dangerous, he said.

To run the races something in excess of 500 marshals are needed around the 37.73-mile course not to mention paramedics, doctors and other personnel. The chances of sufficient people being available diminish as visitors start to leave the island to return home.

‘It would be unfair to drag people out to marshal just to discover we had to cancel because there were simply not enough people around the course. We were informed that a large number of competitors as well as medics and marshals were booked on the boat for Friday night and Saturday morning so it seemed unreasonable to close the roads, call all the other marshals, medics and officials to duty only to discover we could not operate in safety.

‘It’s hard to lose the Senior race. It’s the first time in my five years as clerk of the course that it’s happened and, I believe, only the second time in the event’s 90-year history.’

Four men are gearing up to take part in a challenge billed as ‘probably the toughest event on the planet’.

Steven McIntosh, Mike Crosbie, Chris Drinkwater and Jay Pollard are taking part in the Tough Mudder event at Broughton Hall estate, in Yorkshire, on Saturday.

The Manx Mudders are raising money for Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation by completing the 12-mile obstacle course.

Steve said: ‘It’s billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet” and will certainly be the toughest challenge we’ve ever done.

‘It’s not every day you volunteer to get burnt, electrified, dunked in ice and constantly bashed and bruised over 12 gruesome miles, but we’ve trained exceptionally hard and we will be helping each other all the way.’

Organisers warn participants that ‘mud will be abundant’ and the course design team are going to use the terrain – rolling grazed fields and classic Yorkshire moorland ‘to create the most challenging and muddy course Yorkshire has ever seen’.

In preparation, they have been training five or six times a week for the past six months.

Training has included kuta (an outdoor fitness class), weight training, mountain biking and a lot of long distance runs through plantations, glens and dirt tracks.

Steve said: ‘One of the obstacles is to swim through a pool of ice, so we’ve been preparing for this with ice cold showers in the morning, although were not quite sure how to prepare for the electric shocks!’

They thanked their families for putting up with their demanding training routines all summer, saying they have played an important role in helping them to prepare.

It will be the first time they have taken part in such a gruelling physical challenge.

Steve, Mike and Chris took part in the ToughMann adventure challenge in Ballaugh last month.

They described it as a ‘fantastic warm-up’ but expect the Tough Mudder to be twice as challenging.

The Manx Mudders believe it is important to support their local community and decided Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation do just that.

Steve said: ‘We are all involved in sport on the island, and we also know a few of the people behind the charity who are working tirelessly to make sport on the island a safer place.

‘Also, we have all taken advantage of the free heart screening provided by the charity and we’d like to give something back.’

So far, they have already raised more than £1,000, and they hope to raise as much as possible.

To make a donation go to www.justgiving.com/teams/manxmudders

Backbench MHK Alfred Cannan has launched a stinging attack on Allan Bell’s administration, accusing the government of lacking coherent policies.

Michael MHK Mr Cannan, chairman on the Civil Service Commission, says the government is heading for the fiscal cliff and needs to change course.

In an article posted on his website, he writes: ‘This government has no coherent policies and no central themes that are meaningful and understandable. It would appear spending has not been prioritised, a central vision for the future appears not to have been agreed and Ministers are desperately running round trying to implement savings and yet at the same time protect their “empires”.

‘It is my assertion that this government is “winging it” – desperately searching for answers and policies in isolation and, sooner or later it will come crashing down.

‘If it survives, it will be a limp, ineffectual shell of a government, living purely hand-to-mouth as MHKs seek to protect their electoral base in the second half of their term in office.

‘We are currently set fair for the fiscal cliff but it is not too late to change tack.

‘My message to CoMin is this: stop, take a deep breath and go back to the drawing board. Be clear on your vision and identify your essential spending priorities centrally.

‘Focus on what government will look like in 2016, get central agreement in CoMin for the unavoidable outsourcing and privatisation process. Be strong in the VAT negotiations – it is vital that we do not lose further revenues; review Economic Development and ensure it is fit for purpose and deal with the public sector pensions liability.

‘Above all, communicate effectively with the public and you may, just, turn it around.’

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK said Mr Cannan has used the same line of argument since his election – but that he shared the Michael MHK’s concerns that some departments and their ministers were not as engaged in the scope of government process as they should be.

l What do you think?Email opinions@newsiom.co.im

As many as 1,700 riders could line-up for the start of the Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge on Sunday morning.

The ever-popular event has this year attracted competitors from the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Israel and Australia alongside a strong Manx contingent.

Defending champion, local firefighter Elliot Baxter, will be hoping to add to the five End2End victories he has already achieved.

Nick Craig, the Englishman who has won the event four times and is one of Britain’s best ever off-road riders, will be returning after finishing second last year.

A puncture wrecked the Scott UK rider’s plans in 2012, but despite giving away a few years to Baxter he is as strong as ever.

Last September, new resident Ed Perry caused quite a shock when he finished third on corrected timing, despite starting at the head of the main field some 30 seconds behind the seeded riders.

The former GB junior mountain biker will be up for it again and will no doubt push Baxter and Craig hard from the off.

Others to look out for include Isle of Man team riders from the recent NatWest Island Games in Bermuda, Leon Mazzone and his former Ramsey Grammar School teacher Rob Sorby, together with southside joiner Paul Kneen.

Last year, Mazzone was runner-up in the under-16s’ race to St John’s. The rider who beat him then, Nick Craig’s son Tom, will again be competing in the u16s and aiming to repeat his 2012 success over a course that covers roughly 40km of the full 75km from Point of Ayre to St John’s.

Top TT rider Conor Cummins, a keen mountain biker, will be riding in the colours of Team Manx Telecom and has produced a YouTube video with some tips on how to ride the End2End.

Signing on for the event takes place at Noble’s Park pavilion community room in Douglas on Friday between 5pm and 8pm, and on Saturday from 2pm to 8pm. The Saturday session includes a pasta party – those riders who attend the Friday signing on session will be given a voucher for Saturday’s pasta party.

Riders must sign on personally at one of these sessions, there will be no signing on at the start and no-one can register on a rider’s behalf. Under-18s must bring a parent/guardian to sign the disclaimer. Those unable to attend either session due to work or other commitments may be able to sign on earlier by prior arrangement if they email manxe2e@hotmail.com

Steve Honeybone, End2End committee chairman, thanked event sponsors Manx Telecom for their support and said it promised to be a fantastic day.

‘We have around 1,000 local riders, with the rest from off-island.

‘The course has been improved this year with a new all-weather section through Aarasey Plantation. It’s about one mile long and work has been going on since March.

‘The committee is very grateful to all of the volunteers who have given up some of their free time to work on the project. Thanks also go to J. Qualtrough and Co, Wilson and Collins, OMS and AV Craine who all helped with the project.’

The new section is fast and quite steep towards the end, so organisers are advising riders tackling the End2End to get in some practice on it before race day if at all possible.

The Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge starts at 10am from Point of Ayre, with the leaders likely to reach the finish at Cregneash in under three hours.

Live video streaming of the start and finish, plus some locations along the course, can be viewed at www.eyespywebcams.com and Manx Timing Solutions will have an online leaderboard during the event for the top 100 riders.

Residents living on the course are requested to make sure that their vehicles are not parked along the route on race day.

Certain roads will be closed or one-way for a short while. For more information go to www.manxe2e.org

There will be a full report in next week’s edition of the Manx Independent.

The final of the Standard Bank League Cup will pitch champions Cronkbourne against second-placed Peel and St John’s.

The match, the closing game of the season, goes ahead on Sunday at Mullen-e-Cloie.

Neil Jacobs hit a fighting 63 to help the Saints to victory in last weekend’s semi-final against Castletown. He came to the rescue after his side had slumped to a perilous 49 for 5.

Ewan Quayle and Town captain Garreth Roome had removed both openers for just a few runs and then Quayle quickly dismissed the next two batsmen. Dan Hawke started to fight back, but disaster struck when he was bowled by Richard Jackson for 14.

Jacobs joined Mark Walker and, despite some scares, they restored the Saints’ fortunes. Walker fell to Seb Aycock for a spirited 32, but Jacobs carried on before being run out for a priceless 63.

Alex Williamson crashed 23 before becoming Andrew Ronan’s 48th victim of the season. The side ended on 181 to set Castletown an awkward victory target.

Their top order was soon in deep trouble. The first three batsmen were quickly back in the pavilion and the prolific Wicus Wessels had to come in at six because of injury.

It was left to Mark Williams and skipper Roome to keep southern hopes alive. The pair had taken the total past the 100-mark when Dan Hawke settled the match.

First he bowled Williams for 24 and later had Roome caught by Walker for an excellent 55. The injured Wessels was severely restricted in movement and was stumped.

Meanwhile Akkie Van Den Berg had a recurrence of an ankle problem and ended up bowling off just a couple of paces. Greg Hawke then mopped up the tail and Town were beaten by 51 runs.

This Sunday’s final should be a classic as it features the top two sides in the island. Peel and St John’s have won the Standard Bank Cain League and the Tinker Cup, while Cronkbourne are the Premiership champions and also triumphed in the T20s finals on President’s Day.

In winning the Premiership, Cronkbourne lost two games – one was to the Saints. The western side also beat them in the Cain and knocked them out in the semi-finals of the Tinker Cup. Are they the Tromode club’s bogey team?

CRICKET RESULTS

Standard Bank League Cup Semi-final

Peel and St John’s 181 (Neil Jacobs 63, Mark Walker 32 : Ewan Quayle 3-44, Garreth Roome 2-25); Castletown 130 (Garreth Roome 55, Mark Williams 24 : Akkie Van Den Berg 2-19, Dan Hawke 2 -24, Greg Hawke 2 -24). Peel and St John’s won by 51 runs.

Under-11s League

Crosby (265) beat Finch Hill (247) by 18 runs.

U9s Matches

Finch Hill (258) beat Cronkbourne (246)

Cronkbourne (233) lost to Finch Hill (254).

CRICKET FIXTURES DIARY

Sunday, September 8

Standard Bank League Cup Final (11am)

At Mullen-e-Cloie

Peel and St John’s v Baler Tilly IoM Cronkbourne

The Isle of Man will play host to the fifth Inter-Island Hockey tournament this weekend.

This biennial event was first hosted by Guernsey back in 2005 and contested by Bermuda, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey.

In 2009, Orkney entered the women’s tournament for the first time and have attended every tournament since.

The island men’s squad go into the tournament in confident mood, having recently enjoyed an excellent run to the finals of this year’s England Hockey Men’s County Championships. 

Men’s team manager Russ Miller and coach Karl Moore have been careful to select a squad with a good blend of youth and experience for this year’s event, wary of facing tough opposition in the form of Jersey and holders Guernsey.

The squad includes a trio of promising youngsters in Ste Lowe, Alex Bell, Matty Grice, all making their Inter-Island hockey debuts after enjoying impressive seasons, along with equally imposing Bacchas’ stopper Greg Turner.

A full island debut has also been handed to Valkyrs’ tireless midfielder Sam Quinn. Captain Greg Miller will be looking to his squad for a strong performance on home soil and a return of the Men’s Inter-Island trophy which the team last won in 2007.

In the women’s tournament there is no doubt the Isle of Man are the team to beat after claiming the Inter-Island crown two years ago in Guernsey, beating Jersey 2-1 in the final thanks to goals from Andrea Kneen and Kim Carney.

Returning team manager Lesley Shimmin and coach Jon Whiting will be without a couple of experienced players from the victorious 2011 squad in England U21 player Lou Corkill and Zoë Shimmin through injury and work commitments respectively, but captain Carney welcomes a number of new faces into her 2013 squad including full Isle of Man debuts for Bacchas’ Sosie Cox, Castletown’s Hannah Leece and Ramsey goalkeeper Voirrey Baker.

Youthful exuberance is also offered by Laura Atkinson, Christina Kermeen and Imogen Manning, making their Inter-Island debuts having represented the island in recent matches.

The tournament gets underway on Friday evening at the NSC with the IoM men’s team playing Bermuda at 6.45pm and the Manx woman playing their Bermudan counterparts at 8.05pm. The action continues on Saturday with hockey on both pitches at the NSC and QEII. The third-fourth play-off matches and finals take place at the NSC on Sunday with the women’s final scheduled for 2.30pm and the men’s for 4pm.

Isle of Man squads

Men’s Will Margot, Greg Turner, Jamie Brown, Steven Crowe, Matty Grice, Conor Byrne, Gareth Morris, Greg Miller (Capt), Karl Moore, Phil Goddard, Rob Mylchreest, Neil Crowe, Andy Vernon-Browne, Gareth Craig, Steven Lowe, Andy Bridson, Alex Bell and Andy Whiting.

Women’s Voirrey Baker, Samantha Jordan, Laura Atkinson, Kirsty Bowley, Sarah Blackman, Katie Errock, Christina Kermeen, Sosie Cox, Hannah Leece, Kim Carney (Capt), Zoe Carney, Imogen Manning, Louise Slater, Nicola Cain, Jen Turner, Sarah Breen, Karmina Kovanda and Kirsty Cooper.

FIXTURES

Friday, September 6

Isle of Man men v Bermuda 6.45pm @ NSC

Isle of Man women v Bermuda 8.05pm @ NSC

Saturday, September 7

Men at the NSC

Isle of Man v Jersey (9.30am)

Bermuda v Guernsey (11.10am)

Isle of Man v Guernsey (12.50pm)

Bermuda v Jersey (2.30pm)

Jersey v Guernsey (4.10pm)

Women at QEII

Orkney v Jersey (9am)

Isle of Man v Guernsey (10.15am)

Bermuda v Orkney (11.30am)

Isle of Man v Jersey (12.45pm)

Guernsey v Bermuda (2pm)

Isle of Man v Orkney (3.15pm)

Jersey vs Guernsey (4.30pm)

Sunday, September 8

at the NSC

Guernsey Women v Orkney Women 9am

Jersey Women v Bermuda Women 10.15am

Women’s final 2.30pm

Men’s final 4pm

Our new tipster correctly predicted eight winners and three places yesterday

Here are today’s selections.

Today, FRIDAY

HAYDOCK: 2.0 Triple Dream 2.30 Coral Mist 3.0 Lionheart

3.3o Light From Mars 4.0 Gworn 4.30 Big Johnny D 5.0 Handsome Ransom

5.30 Refectory (NB)

NEWCASTLE 2.10 Elsie Partridge 2.40 Noble Asset 3.10 Hi Filwah 3.40 Lady Gargoyle 4.10 Red Warrior 4.40 Valantino Oyster 5.10 Black Douglas 5.45 Bunce

CHEPSTOW: 2.20 Our Duchess 2.50 Sword of the Lord 3.20 Emirates Dotcom 3.50 Peak Storm 4.20 Verus Delicia 4.50 Volcanic Dust 5.20 Flash Crash

KEMPTON: 6.20 Ocean Tempest 6.50 Adventure Seeker 7.20 Gilmer 7.50 Inspiriter 8.20 Sound Reflection 8.50 Cat O’Mountain (NAP) 9.20 Honourable Knight

A squad from Everton FC’s disability football programme will take on the Isle of Man’s Special Olympics team in a five-a-side match at the Bowl this evening, Friday.

Manx coach Mick Curran said ahead of the 5.30pm kick-off: ‘It is an honour and pleasure for the Isle of Man and Special Olympics to be able to welcome such highly respected opposition as Everton FC to play at the Bowl.’

‘We are expecting a very tough match, but our squad have been training hard and is looking forward to the match. It is thanks to the Isle of Man FA that this contact has been established and we hope to attract other disability football teams associated with other Premier League clubs over in the future.’

Paddy Power Masters League match between Peel and Colby B kicks off this weekend’s Manx football programme this evening at the Bowl.

Friday, September 6

Paddy Power Masters League

Peel v Colby B KO 8.40pm @ the Bowl

----------

Saturday, September 7

(2.30pm kick-offs)

Canada Life Premier League

Ramsey v St George’s

Michael United v DHSOB

RYCOB v Peel

Rushen United v Corinthians

St Mary’s v Union Mills

St John’s United v Laxey

JCK Division Two

Malew v Gymns

Ayre United v Ronaldsway

Colby v Foxdale

Pulrose United v Onchan

Braddan v Marown

Douglas Royal v Douglas and District

Canada Life Combination One

St George’s v Ramsey

DHSOB v Michael United

Peel v RYCOB

Corinthians v Rushen United

Union Mills v St Mary’s

Laxey v St John’s United

JCK Combination Two

Gymns v Malew

Ronaldsway v Ayre United

Foxdale v Colby

Onchan v Pulrose United

Marown v Braddan

Douglas and District v Douglas Royal

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Sunday, September 8

Paddy Power Masters League

Laxey v Douglas and District KO 2pm

Union Mills v Michael KO 2.10pm at the Bowl

Marown v Ronaldsway KO 3.40pm at the Bowl

After a seemingly endless summer, local rugby fans will be able to slake their thirst once again this weekend when the rugby union season bursts back into life.

The action in both the English clubs’ championships and the Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield gets underway on Saturday with some intriguing games in both.

Local interest in the north west leagues comes through newly-promoted Douglas in South Lancashire/Cheshire Division One and Ramsey and Vagabonds in Division Two.

Douglas will be up against some of the biggest and most famous names in northern rugby including former giants New Brighton and Manchester.

They have also added to their squad over the summer with Shaun and Lance Wyllie joining them from Ramsey.

There is no transfer news from Vagabonds, but Ramsey have additionally lost Andy Wilson and Peter Verrall to UK clubs and former player of the year Fintan Cummins who is looking to play football.

They have, however, added Ben Barlow to the squad who will be a useful back row/second row option.

Ramsey face a testing start away at Bowdon who were relegated last season and put in a 40-0 demolition of Dukinfield in the Cheshire Bowl just two weeks ago.

New skipper John F. Watling will lead the team on Saturday and will run out in his 98th league appearance for the club in this challenging first fixture.

Saturday’s Fixtures

South Lancs/Cheshire Division One

Douglas v Ruskin Park @ Port-e-Chee ko 2.45pm

South Lancs/Cheshire Division Two

Bowdon v Ramsey @ Bowdon

Port Sunlight v Vagabonds @ Port Sunlight

Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield

Vagabonds B v Southern Nomads

@ Ballafletcher ko 2.15pm

Ramsey B v Castletown

@ Mooragh Park ko 2.15pm

Emerging Nomads v Douglas B

@ King William’s College ko 1.45pm

l Reports in Monday’s Examiner.

Mark Cavendish is to make a return to track cycling this week in a bid to keep alive his hopes of competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

The Manxman will compete in the International Belgian Open in Ghent today (Friday) and Saturday, a competition which carries qualifying points for the UCI World Cup which begins in Manchester at the beginning of November.

The move came about after the International Cycling Union (UCI) changed a rule which meant riders are now responsible for earning qualifying points for World Cup events as well as the UCI World Championship – the next of which will take place in Florence, Italy between September 22-29 - and Olympic events.

By competing in Belgium, Cav will then be eligible for the three rounds of the World Cup which would subsequently earn qualification for the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships taking place in February 22-March 2 in the Cali Velodrome in Columbia.

Joining the Manx Missile in the track team is Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Steven Burke, Ross Edgar and Joanna Rowsell.

Cav will compete in the scratch race and then team up with Doull in the Madison.

After the Belgian Open, the Manxman is expected to return to road action a week later when he takes to the startline for this year’s edition of the Tour of Britain.

The Omega-Pharma Quick-Step rider has, to date, recorded no fewer than seven stage victories in the Tour, including three in last year’s edition when he also wore the yellow leader’s jersey for a day.

The eight-stage event kicks off on Sunday, September 15 with a 201-kilometre ride from Peebles in the Scottish borders to Drumlanrig Castle. The race then heads south before finishing in London on September 22.

l Fellow Manxie Peter Kennaugh and several of his Team Sky colleagues failed to finish the 248km GP Ouest-France one-day race on Sunday.

The Canada Life Premier League’s goalkeepers were in top form at the weekend, with several of the division’s number ones producing man-of-the-match performances on Saturday afternoon.

As a result the latest TotW had a number of stoppers to choose from, Laxey’s Andy Perry eventually getting the nod ahead of the impressive quintet of Grant Dawson (St George’s), Tom Strivens (Rushen), Max Thomas (St Mary’s), Will Mitchell (Michael) and Jake Sansbury (Castletown).

Perry was the Miners’ star turn as they narrowly lost their 100 per cent start to the season at Rushen. Grabbing the decisive goal in that match at Croit Lowey was Spaniards’ winger Jack Saxon who struck in the second half to give Neil Curphey’s side all three points on offer.

Joining Saxon in a fluid and attack-minded five-man midfield are Danny Gerrard (St Mary’s), Ant Moore (St John’s), Frank Jones (St George’s) and Nick Sloan (Michael).

Gerrard’s rich vein of form since his summer switch to the Bowl from Corinthians continued against Geordies at the weekend. The former junior island international was busy throughout the early season encounter between the top-flight title rivals and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

Jones was an equally busy figure in that match, producing a typically industrious showing as the reigning champions ground out a 2-1 win over his former club. The island regular had a hand in both Geordies’ goals and did well to support attacker Ciaran McNulty in the absence of the injured Calum Morrissey.

Johnners’ midfielder Moore impressed on his return from the States, finding the back of the net as the Mullen-e-Cloie outfit beat DHSOB 3-1 to maintain the western club’s 100 per cent start to the current campaign.

One of Moore’s former team-mates at United, Nick Sloan, fills the line-up’s last midfield berth after he impressed for new club Michael in their 2-0 win over fellow promoted side RYCOB.

Another of the Balleira Road outfit’s summer signings lands a place in the hypothetical XI’s back-four in the shape of Matthew Venables. The ex-Foxdale man joins St John’s centre-back Nick Leung and Peel duo Kerron Christian and full-back Danny Lace in the TotW line-up.

The latter was the westerners’ star turn as Ramsey were beaten 4-0 at Ballacloan, while Christian shone on his switch from his usual attacking berth as Rick Holden’s side kept a clean sheet.

Up front Union Mills’ prodigy Joey Morling leads the line after grabbing a goal during the Millers’ first win of the season at Castletown.

Refereeing honours go to Tommy Crowe for the first time in the fledgling season, the island’s referee development officer enjoying a good game in the middle as Geordie’s beat St Mary’s 2-1.

Team of the Week 31/08/13

Goalkeeper Andy Perry (Laxey)

TotW apps this season: 1

Defence

Matty Venables (Michael) TotW apps: 1

Nick Leung (St John’s) TotW apps: 1

Kerron Christian (Peel) TotW apps: 1

Danny Lace (Peel) TotW apps: 1

Midfield

Nick Sloan (Michael) TotW apps: 1

Ant Moore (St John’s) TotW apps: 1

Danny Gerrard (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 2

Frank Jones (St George’s) TotW apps: 1

Jack Saxon (Rushen) TotW apps: 1

Attack Joey Morling (Union Mills) TotW apps: 1

Referee Tommy Crowe (St Mary’s v St George’s) RotW apps: 1