Welcome to Offbeat Wednesday, where it's all about the Wacky World of Wags (and their
Warriors, of course!) This week, read about Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero's outing, Victoria
Beckham's cupcakes, Neymar's new "martial arts" music video, Irina Shayk's Advise and Barbara
Berlusconi.
In a world of leveraged buyouts, the global recession, credit crunches, and international court
disputes, sometimes an adult needs to turn off the internet and kick a ball. Or throw a ball. Or
hear a child laugh. Or all three.
The internet has created the instant gratification we sought for centuries, yet the
click-refresh-consume of liveblogs rarely fills our souls.
The headline of this article is very much misleading. Real Madrid's £80m bid for Manchester
United star Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly very real. Just as with their recent £56 million
signing of AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka, the Madrid giants are very much prepared to the
huge sum of money for the Portuguese winger.
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner insists the possibility of a ground-share with city neighbours
Everton is a 'dead issue'.
The Reds have long been considering stadium plans and the club's unpopular former owners, Tom Hicks
and George Gillett had pledged to build a replacement for Anfield in Stanley Park.
The enigma of Liverpool's proposed new stadium resurfaced last week in the wake of the club's
newly-promoted managing director, Ian Ayre, repeating his preference to sell the naming rights.
Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have been taking their time over a decision between
a construction of a home in Stanley Park, or the redevelopment and expansion of Anfield.
Liverpool chief executive Christian Purslow has pledged the club will not sell their star players
despite the financial restrictions currently in place at Anfield.
Rafael Benitez had little money to spend in the winter transfer window to bolster a squad which has
had a disappointing first half of the season.
Everton FC face a much bigger battle than Sunday's 212th Merseyside derby, if they are to convince
rivals Liverpool FC to ground-share.
Everton FC's plans for a new £400million 50,000-seater stadium and shopping complex in Kirkby, in
association with Tesco, are in tatters after being rejected by Communities and Local Government
Secretary John Denham on Thursday.
Liverpool's new stadium will not be built until the global recession is over and credit becomes
available to finance the $800 million project.
The 60,000-seat replacement for Liverpool's historic but crumbling Anfield was due to have opened
next year, but the economic downturn forced co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.
One of the great disappointments of African football is that the South African nation have not been
been able to produce a team to match the enormous passion that its people have for the game.
However, the mere fact that the tournament itself is being held there is a victory for the Rainbow
Nation, the continent of Africa and for football.
Apart from Reading's dramatic win at Anfield and Manchester United's emabarrassing defeat to
Leeds, the last round of the FA Cup was pretty dull to be honest.
It also saw one of the most dismally attended FA cup third-rounds in living memory. The
particular event (or non-event) that no doubt most people will remember was the 5,335 crowd
attendance at the DW stadium for Wigan vs Hull, which was particularly depressing for the
reputation of the "magic of the cup.
Last weekend saw one of the most dismally attended FA cup third-rounds in living memory. The
particular event (or non-event) that no doubt most people will remember was the 5,335 crowd
attendance at the DW stadium for Wigan vs Hull, which was particularly depressing for the
reputation of the "magic of the cup.
Several bits of news to report on today. First from IMS partner site The Kartik Report. Kartik
Krishnaiyer is stating this morning that he is being told from "sources close to the situation,
that despite having the USSF, TOA, MLS and USL all meeting together, a solution is not at hand and
may not be achieved this week.
Several bits of news to report on today. First from IMS partner site The Kartik Report. Kartik
Krishnaiyer is stating this morning that he is being told from "sources close to the situation,
that despite having the USSF, TOA, MLS and USL all meeting together, a solution is not at hand and
may not be achieved this week.
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is adamant that he remains committed to building a new
stadium for the club.
The Reds were planning to open a replacement for Anfield in neighbouring Stanley Park, with the
new ground designed to have a significantly increased capacity.
We as Arsenal fans will now need a reality check. It has become clear that with the likes of
Real Madrid and Barcelona keen to wrestle back the global TV
rights of having the best league in the world, serious money is going to be spent this transfer
window.
A ton of tension but not an iota of incident -the dullest final day of the EPL I can remember only
goes to prove the league does not lie.Middlesbrough and Newcastle both ran out of steam long ago
and Man U's B-team's victory at Hull leaves them with no-one to blame but themselves, apart from
Mike Ashley, whom Toon fans also hold responsible for Darfur, the global recession and the weather.
Praise is good but it should be meaningful. Robin Van Persie is having a fantastic season but to
say he is the best striker in the Premiership is jumping the gun. Didier Drogba will have some
words on that. Comparing Van Persie to Dennis Bergkamp is definitely jumping the shark.
West Ham have been taken over by asset management company, CB Holdings, a subsidiary of its main
creditor, the stricken investment bank Straumur-Burdaras, after Björgólfur Gudmundsson failed to
find a buyer willing to meet the asking price required to satisfy his debts. CB Holdings — the CB
standing for 'Claret and Blue' — is a special purpose vehicle, created specifically to take over
the running of the club.
After another weekend of play, the Los Angeles Sol (7-1-3) remain atop the WPS standings.
Camille Abily and PUMA spokeswoman Marta lead the team with six and four goals respectively.
Just prior to the start of the Women's Professional Soccer season, brand PUMA and WPS announced
an exclusive partnership making PUMA an official founding partner of the new league and an official
sponsor of all WPS franchises.
Just prior to the start of the Women's Professional Soccer season, global sport lifestyle brand
PUMA and WPS announced an exclusive partnership making PUMA an official founding partner of the new
league and an official sponsor of all WPS franchises.
The multi-year partnership makes PUMA the official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and
equipment supplier of WPS, including the official WPS Match Ball.
The world's biggest film studios – including Universal, Warner Brothers and Fox – have released
a joint statement today revealing that they will be suing Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam for
defamation of the film industry's character. The studios are seeking compensation totalling $36
million over the Scot's persistent use of the ‘Hollywood ball' long [.
Much has been said about the perceived success (or lack of it), of Wenger's ‘Project Youth',
particularly since the move to the Emirates. Arsenal Football Club are now seen as standard bearers
in the development of young professional footballers. But is this accolade warranted or is it a
misnomer?
You know those political analyses that adorn the Sunday Supplements? The ones that purport to shed
light on the Israel-Palestine conflict or the Global Recession? The ones that start off with
"Farouk is a small boy" or "The Costanzo Family have lived in Palermo for generations"? The ones
that reduce issues of wide geopolitical significance to the level of the individual?
In 2006, John W. Henry—the executive fronting the New England Sports Venture's (NESV's)
attempted takeover of Liverpool—was clocked at a £540m net worth. This was years before the
inevitable subtractions of the global recession.
In 2009, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, affectionately known as Sheikh Mansour and the owner of
Manchester City, was estimated at about a £2.
Every Friday, New England Soccer Today will tackle a pressing issue in the world of soccer.
Each topic will be argued by a different writer each week,  with guest writers periodicallyÂ
appearing to add some flavor to the mix.
This week, our writers debate the following question: "Is the expanded 34-game schedule for
the 2011 MLS season a good idea?
Man Utd utility man contractually obliged to use the word 'cleat' In these crazy days of superstar
footballers, viral marketing and global recession, boot deals have become a thing of the past for
all but the game's most marketable elite. And when OTP thinks of marketable players John O'Shea is
not one of the first that [.
This week it is all about ticket that look set to rocket up by 40% in a global recession.
Why would a club do this? I think it is because they are doing what they are told to by the
FFA.
I believe that a guy with a spreadsheet in Sydney is basically telling the Roar what to do. The
press implied the FFA 51% acquisition of the Roar as bringing new quality management.
