To say that the Chicago Fire has undergone a roster turnover heading into the 2011 MLS season would be to make a strong understatement. Gone from Toyota park is Fire mainstay C.J. Brown, local hero Brian McBride, ticket sellers Nery Castillo and Freddie Ljungberg, the dynamic Wilman Conde, the versatile-but-injured John Thorrington and the untapped potential of Collins John.

I mentioned the other week that I'd been invited to the SFA Grassroots Awards dinner at Hampden. Strange as it may seem the point of the evening was not actually to give me a free feed.
In fact a number of our game's unsung heroes were honoured. So I'm indebted to Steven at event sponsor's McDonald's for providing some info on each of the winners.

A lot has happened at AFC Bournemouth since we last featured their unlikely assault on the summit of League 1. Eddie Howe's departure for the less genteel surroundings of Burnley's Turf Moor was not without controversy and Cherries' fans can be forgiven for hoping that the local hero would at least bring the season to its conclusion.

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Time to tame the Toons..

Arsenal travel to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon five points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United after beating Everton 2-1 on Tuesday night. Although the spot light for once won't be on the Gunners when the two teams kick off in Tyneside.

St James' Park hosts its first match since the controversial sale of local hero Andy Carroll, with Alan Pardew's Newcastle in desperate need of a result to lift the gloom on Tyneside.

We have to ask. The vast majority of Doop-tastic SoB's and other Union fans who travelled to Baltimore this week carried with them a certain expectation- that Reading and Penn State's Corey Hertzog would fulfill his destiny as the local hero, taking his place at the highest echelon of soccerdom in the Philadelphia area.

Just a day or so go new local hero Irfan Bachdim was called by for national team trials ahead of Olympic Qualifiers and SEA Games in 2011.
Now the Persema striker who hit the headlines during the AFF Cup last month is being told to forget about his invite because his club side don't play in a league that is recognised by FIFA.