Orlando Pirates celebrate with the ASBA Premiership trophy

Orlando Pirates (Played 30, points 58) are the ASBA Premiership champions for the second consecutive year following their 4-2 win away at Lamontville Golden Arrows last weekend. A brace from Benni McCarthy proved crucial for one of South Africa's most decorated clubs, his two goals coming in the last half an hour of the game to help push his team over the winning post.

Orlando Pirates celebrate with the ASBA Premiership trophy

Orlando Pirates (Played 30, points 58) are the ASBA Premiership champions for the second consecutive year following their 4-2 win away at Lamontville Golden Arrows last weekend. A brace from Benni McCarthy proved crucial for one of South Africa's most decorated clubs, his two goals coming in the last half an hour of the game to help push his team over the winning post.

Herve Renard's cheeky grin, bright white shirts and furious bawls at perenially offside strikers are now a distant memory. Nevertheless, the wheels of African football continue to grind along, domestic leagues are in full swing from Lubumbashi to Nairobi, and the heroes (and villains) of the Cup of Nations are back with their respective European, Asian and African clubs.

Ya está en marcha la Copa Africana de naciones, rompiendo como siempre el calendario ya que realizarla en enero no es el mayor beneficio para los clubes que al fin y al cabo son los dueños de las cartas de los jugadores. Bastantes de ellos en Europa, aunque en esta edición el número es menor por algunos países que clasificaron por sorpresa y tienen menos futbolistas en el viejo continente o ninguno como Sudán, porque sino el número de 184 jugadores que se desempeñan ahí y jugarán ésta edición hubiera aumentado con Nigeria, Sudáfrica, Togo, Camerún o Argelia presentes.

The 2011-12 South African football championship kicked off this weekend with defending champions Orlando Pirates celebrating an away win at Black Leopards while there were also wins for Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows, Bloemfontein Celtic and Platinum Stars. Three matches out of eight were drawn this weekend including the two Sunday fixtures.

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- For Further details: See Bushman's QPR History: QPR in the Southern League, 1911/12
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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general.

Benni McCarthy, Roy Keane, George Best and the Top 10 footballing insults

Former West Ham striker Benni McCarthy is clearly not a fan of the phrase "let bygones be bygones." The lardy former West Ham striker was asked by the South Africa Times: "Karren Brady described you as a ‘big fat mistake'.

Inspired by our rediscovery of Neil Shipperley, and his subsequent inclusion on our Top 10 fattest football managers list, here's a group of personalities who have undergone quite a transformation. 1. Neil Shipperley Where better to start than the man who planted the seed from which this list grew? Don't get us wrong, the ex-Southampton, [.

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you

I raised a toast and drank to auld acquaintance on Tuesday, writes Frank Keating in this morning's Guardian. There was a bitter taste to it, of course, because it would – should – have been Bobby Moore's 70th birthday had cancer not so wretchedly cut him down at 51, in 1993.

According to West Ham United's official website, West Ham have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of striker Benni McCarthy.

Off The Ball never rests in its mission to scratch around the underbelly of professional football to find the most bizarre, humorous and inexplicable stories.

This week, John Carew's new tattoo is a pain in the neck, "Shameless fatty" Ronaldo slams "terrorist" Corinthians fans, Rafa Benitez swaps 'facts' for 'statistics' and Benni McCarthy is fined £200,000 for being overweight.

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- QPR Reaching Wembley! Enlarged Photo
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- Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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Wayne Routledge Makes Championship Team of the Week.

Photo: Donald Montague, courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.

Beginning on Tuesday, the PSP will begin running two article series. One series will examine possible tactical formations for the Union. The other is a series of interviews with some of the groups that, following in the footsteps of the Sons of Ben, have formed to support the Union, including the Tammany Saints, the IllegitimateS, the Corner Creeps and the Bridge Crew.

Chubby striker's junk food fund takes a hit West Ham forward Benni McCarthy has been fined nearly £200,000 by the club for repeatedly failing to meet his weight loss and fitness targets. The tubby South African international had his £38,000-a-week wage docked on five separate occasions for missing his 2.

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- 41 Years Ago Today: FA Cup Fifth Round - QPR 1 Derby 0
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- Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- Reading 0 QPR 1: Compilation of Reports and Managerial Comments
- Next Nottingham Forest: Stats & Previews
- From the Son of the Man Who Built Loftus Road
- Four years Ago: The China Brawl
- Five Years Ago (Yesterday) Ian Holloway Axed (Placed on "Gardening Leave")
- Zesh Rehman on His Move to Thailand
- Ten Years Ago: Carlisle and Langley Injured for the Season
- 44 Years Ago: QPR Reach the League Cup Final beating Birmingham at Loftus Road
- Benni McCarthy Fined 200,000 Pounds by West Ham
- Final Ten: Vote for Mitre Goal of the Year - None QPR, but one of Finalist Goals by Ex-QPR Player
- If QPR Get Promoted, one perspective of which players are good enough for Premiership
- QPR's Park Royal Stadium
- New Job for Ex-QPR Deputy Managing Director, Ali Russell
IMS SCOUTING - Sporting Lisbon eye move for QPR midfield maestro Adel Taarabt
February 07, 2011
- Sporting Lisbon are reportedly eying a summer swoop for QPR midfield maestro Adel Taarabt .

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Enlarged Photo From Messageboard Poster, 'Bushman': "Built by The Great Western Railway Company. Opened in November 1907, Park Royal Stadium held 60,000 including 9,000 under cover 4,000 seated. Whilst there, Ranger's won the Southern League Championship in 1907/08 and 1911/12.The Army commandeered Park Royal in February 1915 and Rangers finished the season back at Kensal Rise before moving to Loftus Rd in 1919 where the original Main Stand came from the Park Royal Stadium.

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- Flashback: Clive Allen Keeps the Ball after his debut hatrick against...Coventry! (Richardson: Clement Howe Roeder Gillard: Shanks Hollins Busby
Allen Goddard Walsh]
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For QPR and Football Latest Updates and perspectives throughout the day, visit the QPR Report Messageboard.

Union

MLSSoccer.com has a piece on five rivalries to look forward to in 2011. Of the I-95 Corridor derby you'll be happy to learn that "so many Union fans are ex-Screaming Eagles," that "the Sons of Ben maintain United's animosity toward everything NY-related" and that "the Union [have] already made major offseason acquisitions.

Union

MLSSoccer.com has a piece on five rivalries to look forward to in 2011. Of the I-95 Corridor derby you'll be happy to learn that "so many Union fans are ex-Screaming Eagles," that "the Sons of Ben maintain United's animosity toward everything NY-related" and that "the Union [have] already made major offseason acquisitions.