Not the NY Cosmos MLS bid here...

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Imagine a world where Sepp Blatter and Jack Warner's shady dealings weren't illuminated...to all?

Or better? That Lionel Messi's brilliance wasn't on display for the world prostrate.

(Our two cents: SOPA was never going to come to be both politically and technically.

Mungo McCrackas has been in some scrapes before but now he's wanted by the US government for accidentally assailing the Commander-in-Chief's pods. It's only a matter of time before they bring their huge resources and intelligence to bear and flush him out into the open. However, as we all know, football is more important than life itself and the FA are trying to get to him first.

An anaemic economy, nostalgic fans and onerous planning laws are all proving tough obstacles for soccer clubs hoping to increase income with new state-of-the-art stadiums. A trio of London-based Premier League clubs formed more than 100 years ago - Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers - are among those with plans for new homes.

While the economy in Italy lurches from one crisis to another, there is an export market which shows no signs of a slump. Across Europe, it seems, there is a prized product of the peninsula which never sees demand dry up. An unerring rule of the football market appears to have been established: if you seek success and tactical acumen go out and hire a Italian coach.

So you guys have already seen the new third kit. Personally, I'm very impressed not only with the design (which we already had an idea of anyways) but with the way they went about making the kit. But more on that a little bit below...

First some pictures! You guys have already seen all the pictures from the official Timbers site and the store I'm sure, but I've gone ahead and took some of my own.

You would think, with the economy sucking as much as it does, that more people, even those who previously retired, might don stripes and referee. High School soccer pays pretty decent (I'd get $40-$45 a center for high-school ages at the club level - high schools pay close to $70), but I've been getting emails, and now texts, from assignors desperate for officials - and just not getting them.

It is quite depressing when it turns out the people in charge aren't cleverer and don't have any secret knowledge you aren't party to. For months it's been massively obvious that the Conservative's austerity policies are a millstone holding the economy back. It now turns out that there will be over 700 thousand public sector workers losing their jobs now and for what?

With the commercial nature of the English Premier League and the inflated prices of, well, everything, in a suffering economy you cannot blame the average football fan for trading in the indulgence of watching his team play for catching the ...
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Many outsiders look at Singapore and consider the place a perfect example of how a city can be run. They point to a progressive public transport network, a popular airline and a thriving tourist industry as supporting their arguments.
Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. But when it comes to running sports Singapore is as cack handed as the rest of the region.

Top speech by Ed Balls (if a little troubled in the delivery possibly because of Ed's stutter). He outlined the problem and gave Labour's answer. Solutions that could get the economy moving again but are getting ignored due to Osborne and Cameron's arrogance.Ed Balls urges VAT cuts for growthJust before that I saw Rory Weal speak at the Labour Party Conference and was so proud to be part of the same party.

What are the odds Harry Redknapp is England boss when Euro 2012 kicks off? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

Tales that FA bigwigs are working overtime to get Harry Redknapp to replace Fabio Capello as England boss BEFORE the Euro 2012 finals make my blood boil. The economy like it is and people are still getting overtime.

Ignore the good and focus on the bad.
So the likes of the BBC and the Guardian are publicising people protesting over the cost of World Youth Day in Madrid, it must a modern day miracle. Two million people descending on a city and not putting a single penny into the local economy. Perhaps the protesters are expecting the Pontiff to perform the feeding of the two million?

My Prem predictions? Fergie's head exploding, PFA sex-clinics and badge-kissing poisoning

Our cities may be burning and our economy more screwed than Wayne Rooney's favourite granny. Your income's probably plummeting, you've just driven back from a rain-sodden caravan because you couldn't afford to go abroad and gas prices are telling you all you're getting this Christmas is hypothermia.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed featured player Nicklas Bendtner was left in London to sort out ongoing talks with other clubs regarding a possible move. The Denmark manager Morten Olsen has also today spoke on the matter and what he thinks will be best for Denmark's number 11. Olsen also talked about the possibility of Nicklas moving to Germany in the Bundesliga.

The 2011 NBA Draft will be remembered as a sluggish event with unrecognizable athletes being celebrated and then ushered into a league headed towards a lockout. This draft was filled with fanfare, but not anybody worthy of it.
Was this the beginning of something bigger and scarier for the NBA?

The football economy had an article today on what relegation means to West Ham financially. It does not paint a rosy picture if you are a West Ham fan.

More than half of West Ham's 2009-10 turnover of £71.7m came from Premier League revenue distributions. The minimum £40m of television and central sponsorship income for the bottom club (up from £31.

The football economy had an article today on what relegation means to West Ham financially. It does not paint a rosy picture if you are a West Ham fan.

More than half of West Ham's 2009-10 turnover of £71.7m came from Premier League revenue distributions. The minimum £40m of television and central sponsorship income for the bottom club (up from £31.

Liverpool are raising season ticket and matchday prices for next season but fans fear demand could increase if the team does not qualify for Europe.
The club's average season ticket price rise is 6.5%, Arsenal's prices went up by the same margin a fortnight ago.
No Europa League fixtures would mean fewer games at Anfield, ensuring that home tickets will be even more rare.

Law firm Bermans acted on one of the most eagerly-anticipated football deals of the season – for new Liverpool FC manager Kenny Dalglish.
Corporate Partner Kieran Donovan and Employment Associate Ansar Ali were retained by Mr. Dalglish to handle his new contract with Liverpool Football Club.
Bermans has offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow and has acted on behalf of other prominent sports stars in recent years.

Law firm Bermans acted on one of the most eagerly-anticipated football deals of the season – for new Liverpool FC manager Kenny Dalglish.
Corporate Partner Kieran Donovan and Employment Associate Ansar Ali were retained by Mr. Dalglish to handle his new contract with Liverpool Football Club.
Bermans has offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow and has acted on behalf of other prominent sports stars in recent years.

Joel Glazer made the mistake of attributing lower ticket prices at Tampa Bay Bucs to listening to the fans complaints a couple of weeks ago.

"We have spent a lot of time listening to fans at a time when our team is thriving and our economy is not," said Joel Glazer. "As a result, we are now offering several pricing changes in response to our community's needs.

The Glazers have revealed that they will lower ticket prices for Tampa Bay Bucs by as much as 30% after complaints from the fans.

"We have spent a lot of time listening to fans at a time when our team is thriving and our economy is not," said Joel Glazer. "As a result, we are now offering several pricing changes in response to our community's needs.

From Twitter

"FulhamFC A huge thank you to our loyal supporters – records from our first day on sale for 2011/12 Season Tickets show a 200% increase from last year"

Wow. How about that? I haven't done mine yet. It's gone up quite a bit though. Hmmmm.

A bit of a lull at the moment.

...when Everton win and Waterloo too
and England as well.
Can't complain about that. Top sporting weekend for once. Waterloo out of the relegation and Everton back in the top half.
Plus England beating our Belle Enemmi meant I won £10 off a Welshman (thus shrinking their economy by a quarter of the percent).

Right, let me get this much straight... Orient were not up to much, they hardly peppered our goalmouth with a plethora of moves and shots at goal.. did they? so all this rubbish I keep reading about how fantastically well they did... is just that.. rubbish.

I absolutely do not begrudge them a replay, it's actually wonderful news for the wider economy in general.

Couple of interesting links about Today's TUC meetings about co-ordinating Union action in response to government cuts.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE70R22U20110128
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/28/coordinated-strike-action-cuts-tuc
This very week here in Liverpool we have the announcement that 1,500 council jobs will go.

Got a few things we're working on for this week, so a backseat today for a true feature:

Dankeschön

• Buddle Bavarian bound

Edson Buddle has signed and been officially unveiled by FC Ingolstadt 04.

Now that the euphoria of the successful World Cup bid is over, sharper analyses of its costs and benefits are emerging