On day three of cleaning out my garage, I found a pleasant surprise in a 1962 collection of 25 cards entitled "Football Clubs and Badges" from a company named Lamberts Of Norwich. The cards were included in packets of tea ...
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Twice to Montreal? That's handy.
Taking time from their busy schedule of designing dodgy new kits with blasphemous monochromatic badges, only being rumoured to actually sign players and wetting themselves over the possibility of David Beckham's extended stay with LA Galaxy, TFC today released the official 2012 schedule via Major League Soccer.

Happy New Year to all... A guest post today chronicling the last month in the Premier League by Griggers. Former high school and college soccer star in the United States, he's currently completing his coaching badges and managing on the ... Continue reading →

This world is riddled with boring cliches pertaining to the human spirit. Phrases such as don't give up and never back down. Ridiculous drivel seemingly custom-made for the cinemas.

The path of Sam Hutchinson is ready for the big screen as well only thing is it's a true story.

Warrior

Hutchinson, amazingly, signed a new one and a half year contract with Chelsea on Thursday.

By Alan Duffy

After just four first team appearances for Chelsea, with three of those coming from the bench, Sam Hutchinson decided to retire from football in 2010 after suffering a serious knee injury. This was a tragic tale of a youngster, highy-rated by his former manager Jose Mourinho, who had to give up his dream.

Simon Bird's Premier League previews and predictions (Week 13)

Chelsea v Wolves, Saturday, 15:00 Poor Andre Villas Boas. He must have thought this football management lark was a doddle. Write a few letters to Sir Bobby Robson as a kid. Take your coaching badges, become manager of Porto.

Nicky Butt has today revealed that he has started taking his coaching badges to fulfil his ambition of becoming a manager.

"I've started my badges now and am getting the hours in," Butt said. "I'll get assessed in the next five or six months. I go to Carrington a lot and just watch, I don't really take any of the sessions.

By Chris Wright

Heineken Star Player is a real-time game that allows players to predict the outcome of various incidents during live Champions League games and by playing along with Pies next week, you could stand to win a really rather fantabulous prize.

For all you football fans on Facebook, there is finally a game on the social media website that will not only give you a realistic feel, but also allow you to connect with friends doing the same.

Unruly Media are set to launch this exciting new game, called Star Player, and in the interactive video sponsored by Heineken below, you can watch AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf plying his trade in a grandiose theater surrounded by angels.

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore is disappointed with the way Liverpool and Manchester United have handled the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra situation, and questions whether either club really wants to get to the bottom of the issue.
Collymore argues Liverpool and United have too easily accepted their players' versions of events, and that there may be an ulterior motive behind this:
"With Evra and Suarez, the thing that is most disappointing of all is that Liverpool and Manchester United have just accepted their players' version of events without question or investigation.

Jamie Carragher has all the hallmarks required to be a future Liverpool manager, according to Tommy Smith.
The Reds vice-captain has made no secret of his desire to enter coaching once he hangs up his boots and has already begun a program to earn his UEFA B licence.
And while Carragher still has many more games to play before his playing career draws to close, Smith believes the 33-year-old has what it takes to be a success in the dugout.

Why our football needs its own version of NFL 'Rooney rule' to really eradicate racism

Paul Davis gets a reaction when he tells black players they should study for their coaching badges and try to become managers. "The guys laugh in my face," he says. It's not because they're rich or lazy or complacent or arrogant.

One of my favorite homegrown Chelsea players in recent years was Sam Hutchinson, the young defender who, in his extremely brief senior Blues career, was responsible for providing the perfect assist for this memorable Lampard goal. He retired last year, but has been consistently making appearances for the reserve team this season, prompting me to wonder whether he's back en route in his football career.

Two seasons ago Fulham had to wait until the knockout stages before facing any Champions League rejects, slaying the likes of Juventus and Wolfsburg before ultimately faltering to Atlético Madrid in the final.

This season, our group is chock-full of them.

GROUP K
Fulham
FC Twente (NED)
Odense (DEN)
Wisła Kraków (POL)

Boy, lots of red, white, and blue in these badges.

By Chris Wright

What you're looking at here at the brand new Arsenal-flavoured NikeiD 'Zoom Victory' spikes that spindly British long-distance runner and unabashed Gooner Mo Farah will be sporting at the London Grand Prix athletics meet at Crystal Palace this weekend y'know, because having shoes plastered with Arsenal badges can only be a good omen for winning things.

I have been a soccer fan for many years. Since half of my family is English and lives in England, I have always been an England supporter and a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur (somewhat local team) and Reading (local team). A couple of years ago a friend suggested I should give MLS a chance.

What are the odds JT succeeds AVB as Chelsea manager? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

John Terry this week revealed his desire to go into management. The management he had in mind was Cheri Lunghi. JT is serious about becoming Chelsea boss even though his only ­experience of ­management to date was a 20-minute press conference at the last World Cup when he mistakenly believed he was in charge of England.

Uh huh, you know what it is. The Trotters are back in black for the first time since the Anelka days. A photo of our away shirt leaked ages ago but this morning, we have got a photo of Gretar Steinsson wearing the full kit and in my opinion... It's fantastic.
As you can see, the kit is all black save for yellow badges, yellow Reebok logos, a white 188Bet sponsor logo, and some yellow accents.

Due to a brief summer break, this week's quick round-up football charities is a little later than usual, but this evening we have another couple of causes related to the game which prove that, for all of the bad news that seems to be out there and it can seem, from time to time, to be perpetual there is still some good that can come from the heart of the game.

Some of us might be able to spend the day watching Raheem Sterling's wonder strike over and over again, but that doesn't mean there aren't other things out there to worry about from a Liverpool point of view. Besides, a quick break to catch up on the Monday news and notes could do you good...

* First off, God wants a job.

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has admitted he's dreaming of a coaching return to Anfield in the future.
The former England international, who recently returned to the country as a forward coach with Milton Keynes Dons and Bury, is currently taking his UEFA badges in an effort to extend his career within the game.

To work at FIFA as a Brand Manager your duties will include: Manage marketing or brand management related projects Manage the development and drive the marketing of key event-related brands for FIFA competitions (e.g. logos, mascots, posters, slogans, badges) Manage or assist with brand-related events such as launch campaigns, handover ceremonies etc.

Javier Hernandez has revealed that when Manchester United chief scout Jim Lawlor approached him to sign for us, he assumed that he was being had on by a phony scout.

But when his father started crying, he realised that United really did want to sign him.

"The first time I spoke to Jim Lawlor, I didn't believe it that he was from United," Hernández said.

Captain Fantastic John Terry has once again spoken of his desire to remain with the club after his contract expires. He has made no secret that he wants to move into coaching or management and said in an interview published in the Telegraph:

"I'd love to manage Chelsea, whether that comes two years after I finish playing, straight away or five years away, I'd love to manage Chelsea Football Club.

Today, a return of Dotmund's usually-terrible Illustrated Friday Essay. Today, he's picked on a really controversial and topical subject: teams with elephants on their badges. Because, and I quote, "I like elephants". If you are viewing this from a mobile phone, you may want to click here, to get to the desktop version of the site to view this.

The possibilities we see Mad Jens make his illustriously insane return to a proper pitch, bench or stand seems so remote it isn't worth teasingly titillating ourselves with the mere possibility.

But dream we must.

As a consultant/coach, Jens has been working with Arsenal's keepers this year.

For this week's top 10 we have for you10 of the worst badges you are likely to see on a football shirt. Some rude, some crude, and some that are just, well, shit!

10. Wycombe Wanderers

A swan that's into bondage? Come on now Wanderers, we don't wanna see some saucy bird who loves her whips and chains.

Here's an interesting (and perhaps useless) factoid of the day. Don't know how and why I missed this last summer, but I was astonished to read just today about the huge discrepancy in the numbers of highly qualified coaches across European soccer nations, and in particular England's relative and absolute backwardness.

Gary Neville, who retired from football on Thursday, is to stay on at Manchester United until the summer in an informal role.

Neville, 35 has been linked with a full-time position at United and a pundit job at Sky Sports. However, he said that he intends to work with the Old Trafford club in order to obtain his coaching badges before he decides what to do long-term.

After Gary Neville's retirement, Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Manchester United will be working out a way to keep Neville on United's books after his contract expires this summer.

"Gary will remain with the team," said Ferguson. "He will train whenever he wants. The next step forward for our club is to retain Gary in a capacity in which he will be satisfied.

By Ollie Irish

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Kevin Nolan is the poor man's... Frank 'Lampsy' Lampard.

Spotter's badges: Alex Netherton, Meji Alabi, David Livick, Chris Clarke, Simon Wallis, Ioan McAvoy, The Equaliser

By Ollie Irish

Spence minces and loves a bit of tackle.

Higginbotham doesn't mince his tackles.

Spotter's badges: Joe Sampson and a bloke called Shane.

Email your Shit Lookalikes to ollie@anorak.

A trip to the Boleyn on a cold January day what delights the football calendar brings us. It is many years since I last visited that part of East London but I started my working career just down the road and still have many friends who support the Hammers. More fool them.

There are not many positives with this West Ham team; Scott Parker, the running of Piquenne, Noble can be effective occasionally, Robert Green, but the current Hammers deserve their current League position.

Source:The Guardian
Frank Lampard is featured in The Sun today speaking of taking time while he was injured to look at the game differently, at the tactical side of things and has said that although at times before he has said he doesn't want to stay in the game when he finishes playing, he has changed his mind.

Rumour is the Matildas will have just two friendlies at this stage, in May prior to the World Cup.
Surely they'll have more?
And the new Matildas Assistant Coach - Spencer Prior, former Norwich City, recent Fox Sports and Australian arrival and recent completion of all his Coaching Badges.