Actually Japan is leading the charge against vuvuzelas leading into the World Cup.
Won't amount to much I'm sure.
But maybe it would if more join the charge!
To the links:Liverpool Daily Post]
Fergie says City is top four material. [ESPN]FIFA warns Iraq to separate gov't/soccer. Click to continue reading...

A first galf goal by Dimitris Salpingidis of Panathinaikos ensures Euro 2004 winners Greece qualify for South Africa last appearance was in 1994, you may remember (or chose not to)Â the face Sr. Maradona pulled when he scored his last goal in the World Cup finals against them.

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1. Not technically in Seattle, but you don't have to cast a wide net to get this one:
2. Check out these crowds below. Here's a team made mostly famous from Jim Bouton's stories of drugs and debauchery in Ball Four:
3. This courtesy of James Cooke:
4. Click to continue reading...

Adriano has been doing really well since returning to Brazil and getting his head back together. So well, in fact, that people are even using his image on their products. Unfortunately, those products are drugs.

From the Corriere dello Sport:

Now that Adriano is back in Rio de Janeiro and is the top scorer in the Brazilian championship with Flamengo, he's so popular that his picture is even selling packets of drugs.

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I'm not overly keen on criticising our own players but sometimes it's hard to avoid it. I got a lot of stick for criticising Cristiano Ronaldo last season but it's rare that I would really lay in to one of our own players.

I'm afraid I have to get something off my chest today though.

Rio fucked up massively a few years ago and I was more than happy to voice my dislike of him.

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Hello hello hello. Did you miss me? I promise that I had every intention of blogging at least once while in Amsterdam, an intention which can be confirmed by knowing that the first thing I asked the hotel reception was 'how much is your broadband?' It was her answer that prevented any further progress with the matter. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa youngster Isaiah Osbourne has been arrested during training on suspicion of conspiracy to rob, it emerged on Tuesday afternoon.
Everton striker Jose Baxter has been released on bail following his arrest on a drugs charge, it was confirmed on Tuesday morning. Baxter, 17, was one of three men arrested in Kirkby on Monday on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply and on suspicion of possessing counterfeit money. Click to continue reading...

Look at Andy Murray, showing up the talent at Everton practice.
The way the Toffees have been playing of late, they might want to sign him up.
I hear he's got an excellent volley.
To the links:

• Chelsea chief exec. Peter Kenyon leaving. [Daily Mail]
  
• Quotes o' the week.

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The only thing left to finish off the national team.

Maradona back on drugs?

His doctor denies that Maradona is in Italy getting treatment for drug addiction.

Fox Sports

Niegan que Maradona haya recaído en drogas

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. El médico personal de Diego Maradona negó que el ex jugador y actual técnico de la selección argentina haya recaído en las drogas y aseguró que su estadía en un spa de Italia estaba planeada desde hace tiempo.

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It's so simple. Except for the breaking the law part.
A Nigerian soccer player was busted by customs officials for carrying 500 grams of heroin into India. He said he was promised a place on a local team if he could get the drugs to New Delhi.
So bizarre. Great find by Unprofessional Foul. Click to continue reading...

After 9 million years, El Pato is finally took advantage of his AC Milan celeb status and went to a Formula 1 race as Red Bull's guest yesterday! Esposa Sthefany went along but choose to hide behind the mechanical engineers (as you can in the second photo).

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How do you help a teammate get over a totally ridiculous ban? By making him even more of a laughing stock of course!

PADDY KENNY has been tagged 'Benylin Bill' by his Sheffield United team-mates in a bid to buck him up after his drugs ban.
Keeper Kenny, 31 who bought cough medicine at a chemist to ease a chest infection has been suspended for nine months after ephedrine was found in his system.

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Sheffield United's Irish 'keeper Paddy Kenny has been hit with a 9 month global ban for failing a drugs test. You'd have thought they'd have learned by now, wouldn't you? Kenny tested positive for the banned substance Ephedrine following last season's play off semi-final against Preston. A statement from United said that the substance wasn't used [. Click to continue reading...

Michael Essien is blogging for Chelsea's official site, writing one post per month throughout the season (combining the brevity of a blog with the untimely circulation of a magazine!). Even though his new post is just his second effort, he's already tapped into an ability that few bloggers can achieve.

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The Gentleman's Game
The 10 Principles Of FIFA's Fair Play Programme
1. Play fair
2. Play to win but accept defeat with dignity
3. Observe the laws of the game
4. Respect opponents, team-mates, referees, officials and spectators
5. Promote the interests of football
6. Click to continue reading...

To cheer us all up a Thursday look-a-like featuring Frank McAvennie and Betty from Emmerdale. Thanks to my brother for the shout on this one!By the way occasionally a Google search for Frank comes up with a sponsored link: Talk to Frank: Your Drugs Questions Answered.You couldn't make that up! Click to continue reading...

To cheer us all up a Thursday look-a-like featuring Frank McAvennie and Betty from Emmerdale. Thanks to my brother for the shout on this one!By the way occasionally a Google search for Frank comes up with a sponsored link: Talk to Frank: Your Drugs Questions Answered.You couldn't make that up! Click to continue reading...

[101 Great Goals] The Argentinian season is going down like a mob boss. Whether it's the news, TV or make pretend video games, we've all heard it before: ruthless head of a criminal organization famed for murder, drugs, theft, etc. is brought down not by any of his heinous crimes, but rather by a white-collar crime [. Click to continue reading...

Don't do drugs.
Especially when Roman Abramovich is negatively affected.
After getting busted and dumped by the Blues for cocaine use, the Romanian forward has been ordered to pay the club back 17.2 million euros due to breach of contract.
Word is Mutu doesn't have that kind of cash available and he'll appeal the decision. Click to continue reading...

Fijian footie players are smoking that sh*t. Like really, they are all on drugs... according to 8 of 10 league presidents. This could be a good thing as it may help them get a shirt sponsorship from Rizzla or maybe even White Castle. Do they have White Castle in the South Pacific? Click to continue reading...

News leaking this afternoon, and it has been alledged that the West Brom striker, Roman Bednar, bought cocaine and cannabis hours after a Premier League game.

Reports from the News-of-the-World newspaper, suggest Bednar bought drugs from a car outside his home in Sutton Coldfield, hours after West Brom beat Wigan in the Premier League, where Bednar was an unused sub.

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Not the best way to prepare for a must win encounter! West Bromwich Albion have suspended Roman Bednar following allegations that the striker bought cocaine and cannabis hours after a Premier League match. According to the News of the World, the 26-year-old purchased drugs from a car outside his house in Sutton . Click to continue reading...

Spot the moment multi-millionaire wishes he'd stayed retired Former Arsenal and Barcelona Marc Overmars was a shining example of what footballers ought to do when they hang up his boots. No sorry tales of drink, drugs and depression here, the Flying Dutchman did well out of football and invested his money wisely. Click to continue reading...

Some new anti-doping rules are about to take effect for world soccer players. FIFA helped soccer players argue against stricter rules set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to create a soccer specific set of regulations.

The newer regulations are still strict but at least now they are manageable.

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More often than not, I want nothing more than for ex-legends to shut the fuck up and fade off into bolivian. Pele and Maradona are two prime examples. Diego, it seems, will be bombarding us with his self-promoting idiocy for some time. Pele#8217;s sort of pulled the reigns back a bit, but he unleashed a [. Click to continue reading...

I've got a few idle thoughts pinging around the old noggin, so if you'll forgive this interruption of the MLS preview-fest . . . When Advertising Turns Ironically Psychic? Imagine the chuckles that ensued when a Google Ad for Soccer Charge...div class="feedflare" a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~ff/fullbackfiles? Click to continue reading...

It has been a long time now since Hull City boss Phil Brown ordered his team to sit in a circle on the pitch at half-time to berate the players for a lackluster performance. It would be an understatement to say his players responded poorly to this public shaming session. I do not want to say that the public shaming session was the cause of Hull's awful run of form, as EPL teams may simply have figured out Hull, but it is obvious that the session did not help. Click to continue reading...

A Snapshot of America de Cali's New Licensed Collection
This article is something I found on www.arteysportweb.com and thought it was worth translating. Only in South America.
This article should have been about the presentation of the new apparel range by a football club. Click to continue reading...

Remember when Rio Fedinand "forgot" to go to his drug test? That won't be happening again. And not just because Rio seems to be a new man these days. As of next season there's going to be a new Premier League anti-doping system in place. Here's how it will work: Thirty Premier League players will be [. Click to continue reading...

This comes to us courtesy of the Newark Star-Ledger:
Conway and Parke last week became the first players in Major League Soccer history to be suspended for violating the league's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Policy. Both players received 10-game suspensions and were fined 10 percent of their annual salary. Click to continue reading...

We couldn't make this up. Guess Red Bull's wings just weren't enough..
Courtesy of the associated press:

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Soccer has suspended New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke — the first players in the league's history to be penalized for using performance-enhancing drugs.

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Brian Lewis at the NY Post Blog reports Jon Conway and Jeff Parke have both been suspended 10 games as per MLS Drug Policy. They ingested some over the counter drugs that contain both androstatriendione (ATD) and boldenone metabolites. I may not be a pharmacist, but anything that ends with an "o-n-e" should be a sign for any pro player to RUN.

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Some news to read as you get shot by your stove: I know we covered the Spanish beer thing yesterday, but these guys' photo is better. Or...worse. Yes! Worse! Much, much worse! That's what I meant! (With Leather) Best possible reason to run a futbol club? To launder drug [...] Click to continue reading...