For today's introduction we are going back into the mists of time, when men were men and not floppy overcooked strings of spaghetti like Busquets, Nani and Pepe.

England were World Champions and Man Utd had recently won the European Cup. For the younger reader who has grown up in the Sky era, there can be no understanding of the excitement and national pride that both events stirred.

11.05.2012 - Patrocinador de la selección inglesa y de la Euro 2012, (cerveza) Carlsberg lanzó su nuevo comercial al respecto, con dosis de humor inglés (?): La Academia de Fans Carlsberg.
Allí se prepara a los aficionados a manera de entrenamiento para el evento, cuando debieran estar a punto para cumplir con su objetivo de alentar al máximo.

Moneyball! Coins of Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks and the offside rule picture gallery

Giving a new meaning to the term 'moneyball' the Royal Mint has launched a special 50 pence piece which explains the offside law. The new coin is part of a range of new sporting currency designed to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic Games.

El Balón de Oro (en francés, Ballon d'Or) era un premio individual que desde 1956 otorgaba anualmente la revista France Football al mejor jugador europeo y que jugaban en Europa. A partir de 1995 se amplió a todos los futbolistas que actuaban en torneos europeos y desde 2007 el Balón de Oro pasó a premiar al mejor jugador del planeta.

I was lucky when I first used to go to Manchester United matches, over fifty years ago. Although the team was in the painful early stages of recovery from the Munich Air Crash they still often managed to play wonderfully expressive football in keeping with the finest traditions of the club.

The Flowers of Manchester - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Daniele (from Red Rants) has a written a moving piece on the Munich disaster here's an extract:

Sam couldn't have been more focused if he had been watching a movie, so I moved on: "Harry Gregg, United's keeper, had been thrown out the cabin after the impact along with Bobby Charlton.

Laurent Koscielny is old enough to be married. This is his wife, Claire. Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.

The Laureaus World Sport Awards took place at the Central Hall in Westminster last night. As is usual with these events, a smattering of footballers turned up to watch Bobby Charlton pick up a Lifetime Achievement Award and surely what must be the most shocking event of the year so far; Leo Messi not winning an award he has been nominated for.

"Jossys Giants" visit Bobby Charlton and Willie McFaul at St James' Park 1985. Aye Bobby Charlton, not Jackie Charlton who had left the club as manager in the huff over player sales and such before McFaul stepped in and faced the same old problem. After introducing the Jossy's lads to McFaul the ex Northern [.

Mick Tait has a new job scouting young players for Newcastle United. Peter Beardsley now Football Development Manager at Newcastle And we reported earlier this morning his job is to look for any late developers in the region, so that we ensure we don't lose players like Bobby Charlton and Alan Shearer to other [.

21.02.2012 - Que el fútbol sea representación de fantasías en el carnaval de Río puede no sorprender. Pero que en una de las alas de União da Ilha (Río de Janeiro), en un sombódromo poblado de verdeamarelhas y admiradas estrellas como Ronaldo, Romario, Zico y Pelé aparezca Wayne Rooney (?

By Chris Wright

The news has just reached Pies that Jack Charlton O.B.E. is to undergo hip-replacement surgery today after falling down the stairs at his home and shattering his pelvis last night.

According to his son, John, 76-year-old Charlton had to crawl across the hall on his hands and knees to the phone to ring him, and by the time he arrived his old man was "sitting in his chair watching telly.

Whenever people talk about great Manchester United players they will mostly come up with the name of a player who has taken up a very special position for the club. The winger. Despite having possessed great players in every position like Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, and Wayne Rooney, there is no secret that [.

In October 1978 the Zambian national side undertook a tour of England. They played five matches in a fifteen day period against Shrewsbury Town (9/10/78), Wigan Athletic (11/10/78), Workington (16/10/1978), Marine (17/10/78) and Bristol Rovers (24/10/78). It's likely that the tour was arranged by Englishman, and then Zambian manager, Brian Tiler (a former Wigan Athletic player).

In October 1978 the Zambian national side undertook a tour of England. They played five matches in a fifteen day period against Shrewsbury Town (9/10/78), Wigan Athletic (11/10/78), Workington (16/10/1978), Marine (17/10/78) and Bristol Rovers (24/10/78). It's likely that the tour was arranged by Englishman, and then Zambian manager, Brian Tiler (a former Wigan Athletic player).

Watching The Reds Skipper scoring a sensational hat-trick to demolish Everton in Tuesday's Merseyside derby, Carragher says his Anfield team-mate has already proven he is the best ever to play for his club and deserves more national recognition for his achievements.

Carragher said: "We all know he's in the upper echelons when it comes to Liverpool players, with most having him either first or second behind Kenny Dalglish, but when you look at a list of the greats to play in English football I'd say he is second only to Bobby Charlton in terms of the best midfielders there have ever been.

"En el noreste de Inglaterra, de donde vengo, las minas eran uno de los pocos medios de empleo. Si tenías mucha suerte, pero mucha suerte, podías ser futbolista."
"Mi padre era minero. Y en las minas hay que trabajar muy duro, especialmente en aquellos días.

If you are in the group of fans that cannot stand that important matches can come down to a penalty shootout, you are not alone. The president of FIFA has your back.

Sepp Blatter called for an alternative solution to penalty shootouts at the FIFA Congress in Budapest, saying that, ''Football should not go to one to one, because when football goes to penalty kicks, it loses its essence as a team sport.

When United, a drama based on the true story of the Busby Babes and the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, premiered on BBC Two in Spring 2011, it was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction. It's out on DVD and now on demand; and we review it below, with the help of director James Strong .