Well folks if you're like me you always spend the majority of the summer after the season has finished counting down the days until the fixture list is released. Some people are desperate to decipher how difficult a start we will get, others are dying to see when we face Everton or Manchester United, some saddos even check the clash closest to their birthday.
Newcastle start the next league campaign with a very tough fixture at Manchester City, and will face a City with their new manager Manuel Pellegrini in charge. The full fixture list has been released today, and we are at City on 17th August, and our first home game is against West Ham United the following [.
The 2012/13 season review has probably been done a million times now but here's one more.
The reason I'm still doing this, despite being so very late to the party is because of my own sense of closure. Without doing this, I cannot let go of the season that just ended.
Well it's all over, the season has finished and that "what the hell do I do with my weekends?!" feeling has began to really settle in for many so why not spend a moment of your time having a read through The Liver Bird's pocket sized season review taking a look back at the Reds journey after finishing 7th in the Premier League.
Farewell Wigan Athletic, a flawed yet loveable Premier League team is a post from: Just Football
by Matt MacKenzie
Despite their frankly astonishing FA Cup triumph, the axe has finally fallen on one of the Premier League's most appreciated sides. A neutral's favourite throughout this season in particular, Wigan Athletic have become the latest victims of relegation to the Championship.
We had decent revenues for the last financial year of £93.3M, but it's likely to take a drop in the financial year that finishes at the end of June. Derek LLambias could see revenues decline this season Here's how Newcastle revenues have looked over the last five years, with the big drop coming when [.
For the second time in two years and three seasons, a Premier League club has won a cup and been relegated Birmingham won the League Cup for the first time two years ago and were relegated, and now Wigan have won the FA Cup for the first time, and have been relegated finally. [...]
Spurs manager Andre Villas Boas is hoping his side will be rewarded for their late winner against Stoke with a slip-up from north London rivals Arsenal. After seeing his side beat the Potters, Villas Boas was hoping that the Gunners will drop points against either Wigan or Newcastle in their final two games of the [.
1. Old Trafford gave a great goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson. Prawn sandwiches were pushed aside to create some serious atmosphere. 2. Quitting works. Both Manchester United and Everton got good home wins to say goodbye to departing managers. 3. It was a bittersweet weekend for Wigan. They upset the odds to win the FA [.
Everton have confirmed that Roberto Martinez is their new manager. The FA Cup-winning (and relegated) Wigan boss will be officially unveiled as a press conference this afternoon. A statement on the Toffees' website reads: "Everton Football Club is today delighted to confirm the appointment of Roberto Martinez as its next manager.
We love these 'ere time-lapse things, and this one's no exception. Using a single camera mounted high behind one of the goals, the FA have produced a Benny Hill-style video memento of FA Cup Final day in its entirety, with every moment from the first fan through the turnstiles right up to Ben Watson's 90th-minute winner and beyond squeezed into the space of a single minute.
Manchester City 0-1 Wigan Athletic FA Cup Final 11th May 2013
As Chris already said, Wigan's 1-0 Cup final victory was no fluke, with the Latics thoroughly deserving of the win against a strangely lacklustre City side.
Anyway, enough of my yackin' have a gander at the highlights and photos.
Rejoice, for Wigan Athletic are the 2012/13 FA Cup winners!!!
No shock or "upturn for the books" about; The Latics were the best team on the day and deservedly pipped Man City 1-0 thanks to a 88th-minute header from substitute Ben Watson who finished a grim, injury-hit season as the bloke who scored the winning goal in an FA Cup Final.
The FA Cup is the best and most famous domestic knockout tournament in the world. It is where part-timers and lower league teams get the chance to go up against some of the biggest stars in the world, and sometimes prevail in victories that are talked about for generations.
Quotes, reports, and reaction from Union's win in Chicago. City Islanders top Antigua 4-0 while Reading thumps Westchester 8-0 in season opener. Eastern Conference roundup as Union move to 5th. More news.
Its been three months Fox unveiled Gus Johnson as its voice of soccer and it has come with mixed reviews. Some say he is ok, while other say he is terrible. I think that I sit somewhere in the middle between disaster and good start.
Here is my question, is the issue with Gus Johnson tied to the fact that most American soccer fans are Euro Snobs and I include my self in that.
Wigan pulled off one of the biggest shocks in recent FA Cup final history to record a surprise 1-0 win over favourites Manchester City. Ben Watson's late goal was enough to secure win for Roberto Martinez's side, whose attention will immediately turn to trying to secure Premier League survival. You can see extended highlights of [.
We've had a gut feeling about Wigan right from the point that they progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals (call it a sneaking suspicion, if you will) and after their FA Cup victory last night, you could attribute it to the Deathly Domino's Effect phenomenon.
It's a strange scenario that plays out often in football a red card, innumerable fouls, pathetic shots-at-goal and finally, the inexplicable send-off.
I usually find myself in cool places around the world to watch the FA Cup finals, but this year I found myself in an airplane, and was thus unable to watch a surprising final where Wigan Athletics won a surprising 1-0 victory over Manchester City. Wigan are fighting relegation from the Premier League and this victory is their first FA title ever!
Ben Watson and Roberto Martinez of Wigan Athletic (Image via Wigan Athletic official facebook page)
This afternoon of May 11, 2013, Manchester City looked set to take a hard fighting Wigan Athletic side into extra time as full time in the English Football Association(FA) Cup was nearly complete.
Many people thought that Roberto Martinez was mad last summer when he reportedly passed up the opportunity to manage Liverpool or Aston Villa, but decided to stay with Wigan Athletic instead. But the sacrifice by him certainly paid off today.
Here's the last video of the day from Wigan Athletic's triumphant FA Cup Final victory against Manchester City.
Congratulations to Wigan Athletic, the club, players and supporters on a historic FA Cup Final victory against Manchester City.
Here are several post match interviews with Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, goal-scorer Ben Watson, Callum McManaman and others.
Post-match interview with Roberto Martinez:
Interview with goal-scorer Ben Watson:
Next up is Callum McManaman, who was my man of the match:
Shaun Maloney interview after Wigan's FA Cup Final win vs Manchester City:
Paul Scharner interview after Wigan's FA Cup Final win vs Manchester City
Post-Match Interviews With FA Cup Final Winners Martinez, Watson, McManaman & Others is a post from EPL Talk - Independent voice of EPL soccer fans since 2005.
While trying to avoid relegation yet again in the Premier League, Wigan completed a massive upset against Manchester City to win their first FA Cup. With the score still 0-0, City defender Pablo Zabaleta was sent off in the 84th minute for a bad challenge on Callum McManaman. With the man advantage, Wigan's only substitute, Ben Watson, scored the match's only goal in the first minute of injury time to give his side the unexpected silverware.
Man City vs Wigan FA Cup Highlights Final 2013 0-1 Ben Watson Goal Zabaleta Red Card Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter
Man City vs Wigan FA Cup Highlights Final 2013 0-1 Ben Watson Goal Zabaleta Red Card Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Man City vs Wigan 2013 ( Manchester City Wigan Athletic VIDEO BELOW) Final score and result:- Manchester City v Wigan 0-1 ( Ben Watson) Wembley, London- FA [.
In one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup Final history, Wigan Athletic's Ben Watson will go down in the history books as the goalscorer who headed the ball into the back of the net to beat Manchester City one-nil at London's Wembley Stadium on May 11, 2013.
Here's a video highlight of Ben Watson's brilliant header:
WIG 1-0 CIT by lennahcadri
Wigan 1-0 Manchester City; Ben Watson Scores Gamewinner: Highlights [VIDEO] is a post from EPL Talk - Independent voice of EPL soccer fans since 2005.
Wigan have amazingly won their first FA Cup ever by defeating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley, with the winning goal being scored by substitute Ben Watson with a great header from a corner in the first minute of added time. Ben Watson - after scoring winning goal in added time And just before that City's [.
Manchester United striker, Angelo Henriquez, today lifted the FA Cup after the club he is on loan to, Wigan Athletic, beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra are amongst the United players who have yet to win an FA Cup winners medal.
In one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup Final history, Wigan Athletic defeated Manchester City 1-0 today at London's Wembley Stadium.
With minutes to go before the full-time whistle blew, Wigan substitute Ben Watson came up for a corner kick and brilliantly headed the ball into the back of the net over the arms of City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The 2012-13 FA Cup Final, one of the most prestigious days on the English football calendar, kicks off today live from Wembley Stadium in London.
The match features David versus Goliath. Wigan Athletic are in their first major final against a Manchester City side aiming to win a piece of silverware at the end of the season.
In today's FA Cup Final between Manchester City vs Wigan Athletic (Noon ET on FOX network), it's a clash between two clubs desperate to win the trophy for completely different reasons.
Building up to the suspense of this year's final, here are two videos to watch. The first is a preview of Manchester City's chances in the final as well as the road to the cup final.
Wigan Athletic face probably the most important four days in the history of the club starting today when they face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the final of the FA Cup.
Next Tuesday they have a crucial away game at Arsenal at the Emirates where they really need a win or at least a draw to give themselves a fighting chance of retaining their Premier league status with a home game at the DW Stadium against Aston Villa.
A mere four days after winning the first FA Cup in Wigan's history, the club also became the first to ever get relegated the same season as winning the world's oldest football competition.
Tuesday night's match against Arsenal was a must win if they were to have any hope of staying up. Lukas Podolski gave Arsenal a lead in the 11th minute on Tuesday night, but Shaun Maloney (pictured above) kept the Latics' hopeful with an exquisite free kick just before halftime.
It may be a crucial game for Arsenal tomorrow in terms of reaching the Champions League, but for Wigan it is even more important as they are fighting for their Premiership lives. Roberto Martinez has performed miracles to keep them in the top flight over the last few years, and he is fully expecting to do the same thing this time around.
Watching very happy Wigan fans enjoying their team cavorting with the FA Cup was a delightful sight, but as the actors always say "it should have been me"
Why wasn't it us? We should have beaten Blackburn and then enjoyed a relatively smooth run to Wembley, and we would have beaten a surprisingly poor Man City .
Watching very happy Wigan fans enjoying their team cavorting with the FA Cup was a delightful sight, but as the actors always say "it should have been me"
Why wasn't it us? We should have beaten Blackburn and then enjoyed a relatively smooth run to Wembley, and we would have beaten a surprisingly poor Man City .
Watch some of the best FA Cup Final goals from over the years—everything from Charlie George's goal for Arsenal in 1971, Denis Law for Manchester United in 1963, Stuart Pearce for Nottingham Forest in 1991, Ricky Villa for Tottenham in 1981 and many many more.
Arsenal Ladies, who are the reigning champions of the Super League, won their 12th FA Cup on Sunday May 26 when they shutout Bristol Academy 3-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. The Arsenal women got off to a flying start when skipper Steph Houghton headed in a cross from the left wing by Rachel Yankey before two minutes had elapsed.
Obviously photography was still in its infancy back in 1996
John Barnes could be a handy £15,000 better off today had he not thrown away Eric Cantona's shirt after the 1996 FA Cup Final in what he described as a fit of "immense frustration."
Cantona and Barnes swapped shirts shortly after the Frenchman won the trophy for Manchester United with an 85th-minute goal, but the Liverpool midfielder threw the shirt on the floor as soon as he reached the Wembley dressing rooms.
Famous BBC commentator John Motson walks through his memories of his favorite FA Cup Finals at Wembley Stadium.
During the four minute video, Motson discusses the 1981 FA Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, and that goal by Ricardo Villa. Next, Motson tackles the 1987 FA Cup Final between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur, which featured a shock result on the day but interestingly, Motson pointed something out about the game that I never knew before.
