You could be forgiven for thinking there is only one English-born player currently turning out for Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS.

Given that the player in question is David Beckham, arguably the most famous footballer of his generation, you can understand why.

But there is another, and it charts another remarkable chapter in the football career of Chris Birchall.

Forgive me for being glad the season is over but every game was like pouring salt into a weeping flesh wound. It wasn't getting any better and we are a damn sight fortunate it didn't get any worse. The indications I got a few weeks ago that the summer will be a lively one seem to be correct, and today the Finnish FA have pretty much confirmed that we have all but completed the signing of Charlton full-back Carl Jenkinson.

Apologies for the slight lateness of the post this morning but once again I am vexed by hard drive issues. My main computer won't even start up, which is something of a frustration. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that both hard drives (main and back-up) are manufactured by Samsung, the filthy Chelsea twats.

By Tony Attwood Arsenal have signed 19-year-old Finland Under-21 defender Carl Jenkinson from Charlton. He is 6ft 1in tall, which apparently now matters, is right-footed, and can play for England if he really wants to (he was born in England). He played for Charlton for the first time last December, and played in eight games [.

Manchester United and Liverpool have already made a big start to their summer spending with the signings of Phil Jones £20 million Ashley Young £15M and Liverpool buying Jordan Henderson £20M. This came on the day that we bought our first signing- no not a big name player but a 19 year old from Charlton for £1 million.

As London burns, the FA has listened to the police and rightly decided to cancel Wednesday's friendly at Wembley between England and Holland.

An FA statement read:

"Following the events in Greater London, the FA has this morning held discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the Government and Brent Council.

Football ace Jonjo Shelvey was forced to apologize to shocked fans last night after a picture of a penis was posted on his Twitter page.
The 19-year-old Liverpool star wrote: "Apologies for the picture one of my mates messing around with my phone! Sorry!"
There is no suggestion that Shelvey posted the indecent image.

Wil at the least increased the squad's average height

The business side of things started early for Arsenal this transfer window. Arsenal have announced that we've signed Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Atlectic. The 19 year old plays predominantly as a right back but can also double up as a left back or a centre back.

We all know he secretly still wants to play. That's why he kits up every match instead of donning a suit. That's why all his players talk about how he "gets involved" in training. That's obviously why he started himself in a friendly last November, even managing to score a goal. Well, the 44 year old isn't done yet, as he's set to lead out the Bolton Wanderers 6-a-side team at the Masters.

Whilst there is doubtless a great deal of work going on behind the scenes at the club, we're still waiting for the transfer scene for Arsenal to fulminate in the public domain. The whispers in the corridor suggest the next few days could see that change, but whilst the whispers have yet to echo their way into arsenal.

England's international friendly with Netherlands, due to be played in Wednesday, is in jeopardy of being called off due to rioting currently taking place in London. Very disappointing scenes of violence and looting have led to two games being cancelled, Tuesday's games at Charlton and West Ham were called off on police advice.

Ten of the best football families: Cruyff, Charlton, Allen, Ferdinand, Shankly and more

The families who have produced three or more professional footballers

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-08-16 17:30:00 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

From the Guardian:

The prospects of David Beckham making a return to the Premier League have increased as Harry Redknapp said the player has declared his desire to join Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are now in talks with Beckham's club, Los Angeles Galaxy, about signing the 35-year-old on loan until the Major League Soccer season resumes in March.

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Eusebio and Gordon Banks at Loftus Road: Enlarged Photo Eusebio vs Banks: Enlarged Photo
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We're not there yet, but we certainly are approaching full strength, with the top three leagues in the world all in action this week. The top matches of the week include Wednesday's match between Manchester City and Arsenal and Sunday's matches between Real Madrid/Villarreal and Napoli/Juventus.

As the third round of the FA Cup kicked off yesterday I wondered to myself if it was as special as it used to be. Many people have said over the last 15 years or so that the FA Cup has lost some of the magic it once had and I can't really argue with that. When I was younger, this time of year was as exciting as the final itself, the beginning of what you hope would end with your team at Wembley in the final game of the season lifting the most famous club cup trophy of them all.

As the third round of the FA Cup kicked off yesterday I wondered to myself if it was as special as it used to be. Many people have said over the last 15 years or so that the FA Cup has lost some of the magic it once had and I can't really argue with that. When I was younger, this time of year was as exciting as the final itself, the beginning of what you hope would end with your team at Wembley in the final game of the season lifting the most famous club cup trophy of them all.

- 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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With Paul Scholes retirement we are invited again to confront the nature of footballing greatness. Over on TiFF someone has made the point that Best and Charlton are legends, not Scholes. But surely this is incorrect.

Footballing history as we know it is based on 120 or so years of competitive play.

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester United. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation." Zinedine Zidane
Continue to the full story

So another season has come and gone. I don't know about you, but it seems to have absolutely flown past. It wasn't that long ago that we were all looking forward to the Football League fixture list being released and then getting underwhelmed when we learnt we would be facing Macclesfield at home on the opening day.

The official website announced the arrival of young defender Carl Jenkinson. I would like to join other Gooners who have already expressed a warm welcome to the youngster. Wish you a great career in Red and White Carl.

According to the Charlton Chief Executive, the lad comes from an Arsenal supporting family.

By a nose, Scunthorpe United take this year's Best Fans Award. Last season, the gong went to Pride Park for Derby's 29,207 average gate, "a freak of nature" according to my co-editor Lanterne Rouge. The Iron may not have enjoyed the same kind of footfall, but their Keep Scunthorpe Standing Campaign, championed by the Football Supporters' Federation, attracted interest and support from across the

Darren Bent firing over so disastrously at Wembley a fortnight ago will have provided Charlton Athletic fans with only minor consolation. But an alarmingly awful season on the pitch still does little to detract from the match day experience at the Valley. At a community club, those long years of crumbling terraces as the ground lay dormant in the Eighties are now banished to memory, and the new

Darren Bent firing over so disastrously at Wembley a fortnight ago will have provided Charlton Athletic fans with only minor consolation. But an alarmingly awful season on the pitch still does little to detract from the match day experience at the Valley. At a community club, those long years of crumbling terraces as the ground lay dormant in the Eighties are now banished to memory, and the new

We really have the greatest manager of all time. He's witty, he's adorable, even his signature is wholly lovable. In fact, I thought I couldn't love him anymore, but I was wrong. Today he lead out Bolton Wanderers as captain in the Merseyside Masters. I think I actually got quite a bit more excited about it than the occasion warranted, but I am really missing my Wanderers.

The phrase `yo-yo club' is well established in the football lexicon, but is there also such a thing as a yo-yo player? While Michael Chopra himself might not reply in the affirmative, fans of Sunderland probably would. It was, though, the subject of another recent transfer further down the Football League, Paul Hayes, that brought the notion to mind.

Unlike John Bostock who we discussed yesterday, Andros Townsend doesn't seem to have too many issues with loan deals and that looks to be another likely scenario for next season.

Since 2009, Andros has played for 6 different loan clubs and made a decent impression wherever he has been.

By Chris Wright

It's just become abundantly clear why Arsene Wenger moved quickly to snap up Carl Jenkinson from Charlton this summer he fits the mould down to a 'T': great technique, a cool head, supreme vision and absolutely no idea which way he's supposed to be shooting.

Leroy Lita could be making a move back to the Premier League after top flight newcomers Swansea reportedly agreed to a £1.7m fee with Middlesbrough.

The Congolese-born striker has spent time in the Premier League before, where he started strong in Reading's first season in the Premier League back in 2006 but soon found himself out of favor.

Today, whilst at the Arboretum in Stafford, a fellow soldier asked me why I was a Forest fan. A fair question, given that my father is from Sussex and supports Chelsea and my mother is from Ashington, the birth place of the Charlton brothers and staunch ‘Toon' territory [...]

Our opening game in League 1 is against a familiar friend in the shape of Exeter City. Whilst many are looking forward to going up against the big boys of Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton, Preston and Sheffield United this season, our first test in the 3rd tier of English football is against the Grecians, who we battled in the Conference just a few years ago.

Last season, Brighton cantered to the title, with Southampton and Huddersfield fighting neck-and-neck for most of the campaign before the Saints eventually prevailed and were joined in the Championship by play-off winners Peterborough. But who will be up there or thereabouts this year?

Who's Looking Good?

Last season, Brighton cantered to the title, with Southampton and Huddersfield fighting neck-and-neck for most of the campaign before the Saints eventually prevailed and were joined in the Championship by play-off winners Peterborough. But who will be up there or thereabouts this year?

Who's Looking Good?

It's quite a while now since Charlton were in the Premiership and we're now writing a third division diary in the hope of a return to the Championship: Diary

West Ham v Aldershot Town & Charlton vs Reading Carling Cup games postponed is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

West Ham v Aldershot Town & Charlton vs Reading Carling Cup games postponed is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter The West Ham v Aldershot Town & Charlton v Reading Carling Cup 2011 games have been postponed on the advice of the local police due to the ongoing riots in London.

As London burns, the FA has listened to the police and rightly decided to cancel Wednesday's friendly at Wembley between England and Holland.

An FA statement read:

"Following the events in Greater London, the FA has this morning held discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the Government and Brent Council.

There are strange reports doing the rounds that 6'3″ Charlton goalkeeper Rob Elliot is about to join Newcastle United. Rob Elliot 25 year-old Charlton goalkeeper Newcastle just sent Fraser Forster out on loan to Celtic again, and now have Tim Krul and Steve Harper to take care of first team duties at Newcastle for [.

With the exciting news of Rob Elliot's arrival at Newcastle United from Charlton, I've been asking myself several questions about current predicaments at St James' Park. Firstly, this is not Elliot's fault and I welcome him to Newcastle and wish him all the best. Right, I could now relay my thoughts on to you dear [.

After the failure to bring in Rob Elliot from Charlton Athletic last week, and also getting reported to the Premier League for their approach for Elliot, it could be that Newcastle have turned their attention elsewhere. Scott Loach Watford's 23 year old England U21 International We heard this morning that Chief Scout Graham Carr [.