Next summer I'm travelling around Europe by rail during Euro 2012, aiming to see as many matches
in as many different countries as possible. The tournament itself is being held in Poland and the
Ukraine (as the image above handily illustrates) and I'll go to a couple of actual matches there
but I want to watch the Croats play whilst in Croatia (with their fans), the Bulgarians whilst in
Bulgaria, the Latvians whilst in Latvia, etc.
Paolo Di Canio has today been confirmed as the new Swindon Town manager. Here's a tribute to
him, taken directly from the Sabotage Times.
On the day Paolo Di Canio returns to English football as manager of Swindon Town, we look at the
goals, glory and insanity of one of football's cast-iron nutters.
The golden age is over! The likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham are all in their 30's and
seemingly starting to feel the pace of the modern game. With such dependence on these key figure
heads in recent years who will come through and replace them? Has England learnt from previous
criticism over the lack of English players in the game and poor academy setups?
Being as I barely update this site anymore, here are some more active/useful ones for you to
visit. You all know the newspaper sites, Football365, ESPN, etc for news and match reports and
stuff, but these you may not have heard of.
Goals/Highlights and Games
101GreatGoals - Updated incessantly with goals from all around the world.
Is it this?
Certainly up there. Assault on the ref has to be admired, Di Canio, take a bow. But is that
better than assault on a paramedic? Andre Bikey everyone:
I'd argue both pale into comparison with assault on a fan. Look how collected Cantona seems
before he launches himself into Matthew Simmonds.
To be a footballer would be to live the dream but you do have to make sacrifices. Here are some
who have really taken the freedom of retirement to heart heart disease, that is...
This was prompted by a picture of Neil Shipperly I stumbled across remember him? Battling
striker who played for Chelsea, amongst others?
1. Chris Baird (Stoke v Fulham, December 28, 2010)
2. Gareth Bale (Tottenham v Newcastle, December 28, 2010)
3. Dani Luengo (Extremadura U16 vs Asturias U16, December 28, 2010)
4. Khaleem Hyland (Zulte Waregem v Gent, December 30, 2010) (0.
Originally from Goal.com I just like the photos, which I've only just found...
Former Brazil, Barcelona and Milan star Rivaldo will make a return to Brazilian football in the
2011 Paulista for tiny club Mogi Mirim, of whom the player is also president.
The 38 year-old has not played competitive football since leaving Uzbekistani outfit Bunyodkor
in August, and it has been seven years since he has played for a Brazilian club.
Original article here
1. Karim Benzema (Mesut Ozil assist) (Ajax v Real Madrid, November 23,
2010)
2. Matheus (Braga v Arsenal, November 23, 2010)
3. Mehmet Guven (Eskisehirspor v Manisaspor, November 26, 2010) (First goal on
the video)
4.
It's the Ashes at the moment, already far better (patriotic) viewing than the World Cup proved
to be. The England cricket team are an endearing bunch too, well spoken, seem like good lads,
interview well, etc etc (apart from Jonathan 'I'm a slightly mental yet really boring cunt'
Trott).
Relativise to football and the contrast is stark.
FIFA have announced their shortlist for the 2010 Puskas award, which is essentially goal of the
year (scored between Jan 1st and October 15th).
I can't be bothered to relink all them all from here, so click through to watch high quality
videos of high quality goals.
I think my pick is Altintop (despite it being a worse version of Gareth Bale's the other week)
the Japanese one is just stupid, such abhorrent defending and Tshiblalalalalalala is only in there
for racial equality.
Chelsea and Man City are both stuttering and that's far from where the parallels end. Both sets
of fans are unhappy after the weekend. Both clubs have billionaire foreign investors who have
poured millions into the club. Both are nouveau-riche neither has previously been a the forefront
of the English game.
Last week I had the pleasure of watching the second leg of the New York Red Bulls against the
San Jose Earthquakes. Some brief observations on soccer v football...
Firstly, the entire experience is far more pleasant. No tattooed thugs shouting and ranting, no
fighting, no racist/obscene chanting, and so on.
Smoking is cool. Here are some footballers rocking nicotine chic. With a couple of notable
exceptions...
Being a bad-ass, of course Man City's new signing Mario Balotelli smokes. Indoors. With fit
women.
Slaven Bilic rocking a Marlboro. Not strictly a player anymore, but still cool.
