I don't really want to go back to the Michael Owen issue, but, since with eerie regularity people mention his "great goalscoring record for England" I might as well chip in. First of all, a "goalscoring record for England" is put together over a long period of time, especially in his case, since he made his debut back in February of 1998. Click to continue reading...

The Football Is Fixed blog is three years old tomorrow.
We intend for this next year to be our final one for the blog.
We originally established a strategy allowing for an exit route after either four or five years (either 11/11/10 or 11/11/11 for the numerologicals among you).
Following recent events, we are plumping for 4. Click to continue reading...

Watching Match of the Day this weekend – something I don't normally do these days – it was great not only to watch Chelsea coast to a four nil away win over Bolton but also to see Alans Shearer and Hansen giving Drogba the praise he deserves for recent good form.
I was therefore pretty surprised when, after being asked by host Gary Lineker who was the best striker in the league, Hansen said Torres and Shearer said Rooney.

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Watching Match of the Day this weekend – something I don't normally do these days – it was great not only to watch Chelsea coast to a four nil away win over Bolton but also to see Alans Shearer and Hansen giving Drogba the praise he deserves for recent good form.
I was therefore pretty surprised when, after being asked by host Gary Lineker who was the best striker in the league, Hansen said Torres and Shearer said Rooney.

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England legend Gary Lineker has proclaimed that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez made a mistake during the summer by signing Glen Johnson, when he should have opted to bring in Gareth Barry instead.
The current Manchester City midfielder was being chased by the Spaniard, as the boss intended to edge out Xabi Alonso to lure the Englishman into being a part of the 'Rafalution'. Click to continue reading...

One of the misfortunes of living outside the United Kingdom and supporting English football is that when a legend dies, there are incredible heartwarming documentaries and news programs shown in the UK profiling that hero but they're unavailable due to rights restrictions where I, and many of you, live.

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We're taking a look at the USA men's soccer jerseys of the last 25 or so years, not only to provide a bit of history, but also as a bit of a refresher before looking toward the future of the USA's kit. My main complaint about the USA kit is that there's no continuity. Unlike most national team kits, the design has changed drastically each time adidas or Nike has unveiled their latest designs.

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Cheer Up Alan Shearer's Top 10 TV Football Moments
6. Broken Nose
The football video industry has been a rich source of income over the years as "celebrities" from Nick Hancock to Gary Lineker host their stocking-filleresque "Football Gaffe" DVDs. These variations on a theme generally feature utterly hilarious moments of people standing on the ball and scoring own goals. Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson gave a moving address yesterday on the influence that Sir Bobby Robson, who he considered an inspiration, had on him as a manager. Sad faces at the Bobby Robson memorial service yesterday Alan Sheqaer, Fabio Capello, Alex Ferguson, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker Ferguson is without doubt the most successful manager in British football [. Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson will lead the tributes to the great Sir Bobby Robson, in what is sure to be an emotional service of thanksgiving at Durham Cathedral today. John Carver with Bobby at Newcastle Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Lineker will pay tribute at Sir Bobby Robson's memorial service. Some of the leading figures from world [. Click to continue reading...

"Football is a simple game you play for 120 minutes and then the Germans win on penalties", as Gary Lineker once observed. Oh, for things to have been that simple in Helsinki this evening. Germany, whose female team dominate European women's football in a way that their male team hasn't done provided formidable opposition to an England team that has surpassed all expectations by getting to the final of this competition in the first place.

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Whilst Paddy Crerand is piling the praise on Darren Fletcher today, Sir Bobby Charlton has spoken of his great admiration for Wayne Rooney.

Sir Bobby reckons both club and country are lucky to have Wayne and looks to our young striker being able to bag 50 goals or more for England.

"Wayne Rooney is a very important person for club and country," said Charlton.

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" Manchester United star Wayne Rooney must not be labelled a diver - I remember him as a player who tried to keep on his feet."

Graham Poll was always a buffoon. The depths of his incompetence was plumbed with the Josip Simunic farce in the Croatia vs Australia match in the 2006 World Cup.

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In an emotional article written on his personal website Persija & Indonesia striker Bambang Pamungkas has given the background to all the rumours that surrounded him before he extended his contract with Persija.
He admits that at one stage he was 80% sure he would sign for Sriwijaya but asked for more time to consider. Click to continue reading...

There are few things that the average British male enjoys more than settling down on the sofa on a Saturday evening to watch the BBC's Match of the Day. How this has become such a fixture of British life I'm not sure, because there are also few things the average British male enjoys more than settling down with a pint at his local pub at about the same time on a Saturday evening. Click to continue reading...

South Africa 2010

Almost twenty years ago England went to Poland knowing that a draw would qualify them for Italia 90. A backs-to-the wall performance and the magnificence of Peter Shilton ensured they had their point and the team then went onto reach the semi-finals of the tournament that arguably saved English football from itself and ultimately elevated it to today's dizzy heights.

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Putting the bux in buxom, say hello to the love of Gary Lineker's life (after Alan Hansen and golf, of course). She looks a bit like Catherine Zeta Jones (a fellow Welsh lass) crossed with Cheryl Cole. That is not...

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Despite being 18 years his junior Welsh Lingerie Model Danielle Bux is set to marry former England star and Television presenter Gary Lineker. Gary isn't Danielle's first footballer boyfriend, she also has a daughter with former Swindon Town defender Adam Willis. Who's next on her to-do list I wonder?

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by CARL ELDRIDGE Many years ago I went to Everton to see the glorious Gunners and we were hit for six with a rampant Gary Lineker smashing a hat-trick. Since that day we have tonked the Toffees on numerous occasions and regularly score four against them on Merseyside. But not until yesterday's marvellous triumph over sour puss David Moyes' men have I ever got that shattering defeat out of my system. Click to continue reading...

So, it's once more unto the breach, for the new season is upon us. The friendlies are done, fantasy league teams picked – all that's left is for AANP Towers to rustle up a list of top ten aims for season 2009-10, and then we can get cracking...

1. European Qualification

Top six, or a trophy.

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Bassong, eh? Well first up, if you're looking for an in-depth Strengths-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats analysis of the chap, then look elsewhere. We at AANP Towers spent most of last season watching Spurs, rather than Newcastle, which I would suggest is a fairly pardonable offence.

Word on the street is that he is quite handy.

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An excellent tribute to Sir Booby Robson is now available on the media player at http://www.csrnusa.com produced by Lee Basannarvar (Gadsby) featuring great audio from Sir Bobby Robson, Gary Lineker and so many more including an exclusive interview with BBC Chief Football Corespondent Mike Ingham.

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Three spaces left, but still a number of contenders for the list of 20 Spurs Cult Heroes. Still looking for the players who achieved legendary status amongst us fans for what they did at the club – so put forward your argument for (or indeed against) the inclusion of any of these:

Pat Jennings, John White, Alfie Conn, Bill Brown, Sandy Brown, Cyril Knowles, Ralph Coates, Gary Lineker, Steffen Freund, Teddy Sheringham.

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The BBC Radio was filled with tears for 24 hours, yesterday. Seldom so many grown up men cried so much. Ex players, internationals, Newcastle supporters... they couldn't keep it dry. And who didn't love the guy? Sir Bobby Robson... BBC anchor and ex England player Gary Lineker said Robson was by Click to continue reading...

The clue is in the title - the first all-action book on Spurs is imminent, and all lilywhite fans are most warmly invited to pitch in.

A list of 20 fans' favourites is being compiled, and frankly, for a team as steeped in history as ours, there just ain't enough room for everyone. Some names effortlessly pick themselves – true Lane legends such as Blanchflower, Perryman, Mabbutt, Greaves and Bill Nick.

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But it's at MOTD Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker expects pundit-turned-manager-turned-man-in-limbo Alan Shearer to be snuggling up to him on the sofa this season. The ex-England striker says he believes the, erm, ex-England striker will be joining him on the BBC's football coverage. He said: "Shearer will be in the studio with us unless something [. Click to continue reading...

One of the amazing things about the Premier League today is thanks to advancements in technology and its rapid growth in worldwide popularity a match can be enjoyed not just by the 40,000+ people in the stadium, but millions across the world in pubs, clubs and front rooms.

Whether it is in the middle of the night, early in the morning, tea-time or lunchtime, It doesn't seem to matter, devoted fans of EPL clubs will make sure they catch all the action, be it via dodgy internet feed, cable TV, their local pub, or the ground itself.

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LOAD "football"...
17 Computer Games Endorsed By Famous Players
1. Brian Clough's Football Fortunes (ZX Spectrum/C64, 1987)
2. Diego (Amiga, 1992)
3. Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (ZX Spectrum/C64, 1989)
4. Franco Baresi's World Cup Kick Off (Amiga, 1992)
5. Gary Lineker's Hot Shot (C64, 1989)
6. Click to continue reading...

Missing in action
14 Penalties Missed By England Players In The Last Fifty Years
(not including penalty shoot-outs)
1. Bobby Charlton (v Scotland, 1960)
2. Alan Ball (v Finland, 1966)
3. Francis Lee (v Wales, 1969)
4. Allan Clarke (v Malta, 1971)
5. Kevin Keegan (v Switzerland, 1975)
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So we can pretty much book our tickets now then can't we? Grab your passports and swimming shorts because after Wednesday nights 6-0 thrashing of the might Andorra, England have all but confirmed there place at the World Cup Finals in South Africa next year. All we need to do is get four points from our remaining fixture to absolutely guarantee qualifying, but a win over Croatia in September should be enough, with no need for last minute Gary Lineker goals in Poland or goalless draws in Rome too!

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The week's Ultimate 11's is top blogger and author Martin Tibbets' Leicester City. You can usually find him moaning about the big four, Arsenal fans and how the game has changed.

Do you really know your clubs proud history or are you just a teenage glory hunter? (not mentioning any names from the Kings Road).

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The easiest and quickest way to choose this team would be to go with the boys of '66. After all they are the only players to have represented England and won a major trophy. They had a strong spine running through the team - Banks, Moore, Bobby Charlton and Hunt - and the right blend of flair and grit (the creativity and style of Peters and Ball ably backed up by the bark and bite of Jackie Charlton and Stiles).

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Extreme football innuendo Prepare to laugh loudly at this remix of some colourfully camp commentary moments, including Gary Lineker confessing to a secret crush on Boris Becker! Spotted on Pies

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This must be a first. A story comes out of Newcastle United that ISN'T a shock. Joey Barton suspended by the club "until further notice", in addition to his three game FA ban, and unlikely to play for the club again regardless of whether Alan Shearer runs back into the arms of Gary Lineker at the end of the current season.

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So one nil to the Tottenham, again. In the same way that a generation of kids will grow up knowing Gary Lineker only as the irritating orange bloke of MoTD, a generation may also grow up wondering why a Spurs blog is entitled "All Action, No Plot".

I jest. Four consecutive home one-nils may not exactly be all-action-no-plot stuff, but I am certainly not complaining.

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