Amanda Palmer is one half of The Dresden Dolls. "Leeds United" is off her solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?. The track isn't directly about Leeds but the pounding on the keys, the blaring horns, the voice hoarse from shouting/screaming/singing taps into the riot of football crowds. She explains that the whole idea of turning out to support your team & getting into brawls with each other struck her as "Roman" and a good subject for her. Click to continue reading...

Jarvis Cocker, the former front man of huge 90s band Pulp, is heading to Chalkwell on Thursday (24th) to officially re-open Chalkwell Hall.
The run-down building, right in the middle of Chalkwell Park, was taken over by Metal - an international arts organisation - and has been transformed into a low carbon space which aims to be a powerhouse for arts not just in Southend but the whole of the East of England. Click to continue reading...

"Las Fútbolistas" Ángel Zárraga (Mexico, 1886-1946)
A friend recommended this painting to me - amazing, given the year it was painted and the commonly held view that women's football is a recent phenomenon spearheaded by post Title IX generations of American women. By chance, I happen to be just finishing Barbara Jacobs's incredible portrait of perhaps the most successful and famous side in English women's football, The Dick, Kerr's Ladies (see also this recent Guardian story). Click to continue reading...

A brilliant, innovative and genuinely exciting arts project has hit Southend.
The former water works building on North Road has been completely transformed into a huge space for emerging artists to work and display their talents.
CoExist Arts run by Emma Emmerton and Amy McKenny is a fairly new project, founded in 2008. Click to continue reading...

We here at Soccer Statistics HQ are considering changing our site picture from that of Cristiano Ronaldo to one of a new player. We do not as yet know the identity of the player who will bless your screens when accessing the world of football stats, but here is where you can have some fun.
We invite you to write your recommendations in the comments section for the player you think should be represented on this site. Click to continue reading...

Jon Conway after Landon Donovans game tying goal.

Thanks to our pro, Andrew Zarate, for this gem. (zaratepics@gmail.com)

Click to continue reading...

First off, I had a great day at Coolidge Corner celebrating my friend PB's birthday, seeing a nice-but-ultimately-unremarkable movie (Radio Cape Cod), doing some shopping, and having dinner at Zaftig's. Over dinner, we wondered about what had become of Craig Benson - the Dubya-esque ex-Gov of NH. Turns out he's a Seacoast supporter [. Click to continue reading...

It´s no secret that FC BARCELONA is combing the World Football Market for top class players to make up their 2008/2009 squad. But is the answer closer to home than what Barça can actually see? Here... Read all the news, results, details & comments in English on Spanish Football & Sports Click to continue reading...

Don't be. Why you ask? Well, our owner isn't too caught up in the fiasco.

Instead of interviewing candidates, Roman's been busy tossing benjis around Switzerland. No, not in anticipation for Euro 2008. Instead, he's been unloading wads of cash purchasing fine art at Hall 2 of the Basel Messe.

Click to continue reading...

Love, gender and football. Jennifer Doyle wonders why men can't talk to women about football, and why it's perhaps only a woman who can draw footballers as human beings. Click to continue reading...