Our latest guest post comes from Adam Orton, one half of Debra Orton Illustration - bloggers and sellers of limited edition football print artwork and proud Highbury residents. It may surprise watchers of Match of the Day that Norwich City's current successes are far from a novelty in the history of the club and here, Adam takes an entertaining look back to a previous occasion when the Norfolk club ascended out of Hades.

By Alan Duffy

Gary Lineker may himself exude a certain charm-free smugness but next to the high king of smug gobshitery that is Piers Morgan, the Match Of The Day host is a crisp-promoting little sweetie bum.

Morgan took on Lineker on Twitter today, as he continues to cultivate his contrived "Mr Nasty" image.

Bloated Premier League squads need ballast and amid the burnt ends of Match of the Day episodes, the fleeting few minutes of highlights from the KC, Molineux or DW Stadiums have been notable for their late cameos from players unfamiliar – your Henrik Pedersens, Okelsandr Yevtushoks and Itzhak Zohars – the men you feel yourself reaching for the Rothman's successor volume to run the rule over, or, laptop on knees, Wikipedia.

Domestic cup competitions in Europe typically feature David vs. Goliath stories, but Wednesday, it's all about the big boys.

Liverpool carries its 1-0 edge over Manchester City in the Carling Cup semifinals into the second leg at Anfield, where the Reds will try and hold on and advance to next month's title game against surprise finalist Cardiff City.

Note: This post comes with a Geek Alert!
Television has had a profound influence on football: the players, agents, business models of clubs, the relationship between league play and international football - you name it. And few television programs are more loved by fans than highlight shows like the BBC's Match of the Day, which has been on the air with interruptions) since 1964.

Note: This post comes with a Geek Alert!
Television has had a profound influence on football: the players, agents, business models of clubs, the relationship between league play and international football - you name it. And few television programs are more loved by fans than highlight shows like the BBC's Match of the Day, which has been on the air with interruptions) since 1964.

Thierry Henry has already made a dramatic return to Arsenal, but today he will have his chance to try and top his game-winning FA Cup goal against Leeds by scoring in his first English Premier League match of his comeback.

The Gunners take on Swansea City in what should be an entertaining encounter, and could bring us Henry's first start since coming back to Arsenal.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Landon Donovan's return to Everton is the story of the day in American soccer, and he'll look to make an immediate impact when the Toffees host Bolton at Goodison Park. Donovan has secured a place in the starting lineup, as has goalkeeping stalwart Tim Howard, who is making his 250th Premier League appearance.

Following the un-timely death of former Liverpool title winning defender Gary Ablett (46), we've decided to track down the where abouts of the Merseyside clubs last title winning squad in 1989-90.

Bruce Grobbelaar (54): Liverpool's most famous keeper currently resides in Canada and sometimes appears as a pundit on Norwegian TV channel TV-2.

The 25 best goals of the year you won't see on Match of the Day video special!

This year has been a cracking one for special goals from Wayne Rooney's spectacular overhead kick against Manchester City in February, to Robin van Persie's stunner against Everton just a few weeks ago.

By Alan Duffy

On Boxing Day, Martin O'Neill's Sunderland were a goal ahead and looking to pick up all three points against Everton when, early in the second-half, the Toffees' diminutive schemer Leon Osman ran into the Black Cats box with the intention of shooting on goal.

After another Christmas of not doing especially a fat lot, I decided to take my usual place on the sofa and tune into a Boxing Day feast of football which comprised of the usual dose of Soccer Saturday followed by Match of the Day.
Whilst this for me is pretty much a perfect Saturday and nothing can quite beat the sound of Chris Kamara shouting "Unbelievable Jeff" or Paul Merson screeching "He's hit the Beans on Toast!

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish declared that football required specific guidelines about what language was considered racist, at the end of a week in which his striker Luis Suarez has been dealt an eight-game ban and his former team-mate Alan Hansen has been engulfed in controversy over his use of the word "coloured.

Liverpool shirts supporting Luis Suárez 'shameful', says Paul McGrath

• Former Manchester United defender attacks decision • Liverpool players and manager wore shirts to support Suárez Liverpool's decision to don T-shirts in support of Luis Suárez 24 hours after he was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra was described as "shameful" by Paul McGrath, while Alan Hansen, the club's former captain turned television pundit, issued an unreserved apology for describing black players as "coloured" on Match of the Day.

Alan Hansen under-fire after 'coloured' race gaffe on Match of the Day

Alan Hansen has landed himself in hot water after making a racial gaffe TWICE during last night's Match of the Day. The BBC pundit described black players as 'coloured'.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-12-22 09:03:33 from: The Mail

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Hot on the heels of Luis Suarez's 8-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has sparked fresh controversy with some ill-advised, racially sensitive comments on Match of the Day. When it rains, it pours... Following yesterday's news that John Terry would be charged by the Police for his alleged racial slur against Anton Ferdinand, Gary Lineker asked Hansen if he

Back in February 2011, the Guardian's 'The Gallery' humorously predicted Gary Neville's next career direction in response to the news of his imminent retirement. Unfortunately, he became neither a Tellytubby or an Egyptian rebel instead, replacing Andy Gray as the man tasked with analysing games for Sky Sports; and, boy, has he done it well.

Back in February 2011, the Guardian's 'The Gallery' humorously predicted Gary Neville's next career direction in response to the news of his imminent retirement. Unfortunately, he became neither a Tellytubby or an Egyptian rebel instead, replacing Andy Gray as the man tasked with analysing games for Sky Sports; and, boy, has he done it well.

"[Rio Ferdinand's] performance was nothing short of magnificent," announced Alan Hansen on Match of the Day 2 yesterday, before wheeling out selected clips for his analysis on what appeared to be Ferdinand's return to form (at one point, he put down a random pass to Wayne Rooney as good "anticipation" ).

"[Rio Ferdinand's] performance was nothing short of magnificent," announced Alan Hansen on Match of the Day 2 yesterday, before wheeling out selected clips for his analysis on what appeared to be Ferdinand's return to form (at one point, he put down a random pass to Wayne Rooney as good "anticipation" ).

Testing, testing Everton star Royston Drenthe brought his young son out to face the Match of the Day cameras after his side's match against Everton. As fascinated as dad's thoughts on the match were, they couldn't quite match up to the microphone. Drenthe Jnr just couldn't get enough of it. That's his Christmas present sorted.

That Locomotive called Arsenal was back on track today charging once again towards the top of the table. After frustratingly slowing down at Fulham last weekend it was full steam ahead up north to Wigan to pick up what turned out to be an easy three points.

The players exuded superiority from the moment they stepped onto the pitch.

That Locomotive called Arsenal was back on track today charging once again towards the top of the table. After frustratingly slowing down at Fulham last weekend it was full steam ahead up north to Wigan to pick up what turned out to be an easy three points.

The players exuded superiority from the moment they stepped onto the pitch.

The U.S. U-17 men's national team scored a beautiful opening goal and another in second-half stoppage time to tie France, 2-2, in the team's Nike International Friendlies opener on Wednesday.

Wesley Wade earned the Americans a result at Premier Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch, Fla when he scored a goal in the 93rd minute following a long throw-in.

Mark Lawrenson blog: It's the man Gary Speed was that makes this so hard to accept

Gary Speed was in typical mood laughing, joking, full of enthusiasm about life, his career and family. That was on Saturday afternoon at the BBC studios. Myself and Alan Shearer sat watching the lunchtime kick-off, preparing for Match of the Day.

By Chris Wright

I don't mind admitting it absolutely galled me that the sycophantic tools on the Match of the Day sofa just flat-out refused to acknowledge and/or call-out Wayne Rooney's petulant slash at a prone Fabricio Coloccini last night, despite watching replay after replay of the United meathead poorly masking his errant boot as an attempt to prise the ball out from underneath the Newcastle centre-half.

The bulldozers moved in at College Grove in Wakefield last week. This, of itself, should probably not have come as too much of a surprise to those that have been watching the recent difficulties of Wakefield Football Club of the Northern Premier League for most of this year, but as a visual analogy it was depressingly appropriate that a club which has had a disastrous year should have seen its home almost completely razed to the ground in favour of a multi-sport complex by its owners at the same time that those running the club confirmed that it was on the brink of closure.

Sunday's Match of the Day – Premier League clash between Chelsea v Liverpool at...

FALL RIVER, Mass. The Revolution Youth Academy remained perfect (4-0-0) on the weekend after their squads claimed 3-2 and 2-0 wins over the New York Cosmos Sunday at BMC Durfee High School during the first weekend of the 2011-12 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season.

The U-18s opened Sunday's action with an aggressive attack against the Cosmos that featured goals from Dominik Machado (4′) and Chandler Burnham (9′) to give the Revs an immediate two goal cushion inside of 10 minutes.

After refusing to sign a new contract with Arsenal and casting doubt about his future with the club, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reiterated his commitment to the club saying that he will only think about stepping down when he felt like it.

Arsenal were 2-1 winners over Norwich yesterday with their captain Robin Van Persie scoring both goals to ensure the Gunners kept pressure on the exclusive top 4 club.

Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight. The same scientific practice can be applied to Match of the Day as James Shaw will vividly discuss. Entertainment is, and can certainly be construed, as simplistic. As one theoretical term alludes to; entertainment is a form of escapism.

While the U.S. senior national team was busy getting a result in Slovenia, the U.S. Under-23 side training in Germany played to a draw and lost in a pair of friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen reserve and youth sides.

A few days after topping VfL Bochum's reserve team and drawing against Azerbaijan's U-21 side, the U-23s jumped out to a lead on a team comprised of Leverkusen's reserves and U-23s but settled for a 1-1 draw.

In the only match of the day that really counted, Luis Suarez absolutely shredded Chile, hitting them for four and having a fair shout at at least a couple more. Other things happened today too, but this is a little sexier than international friendlies played at half-speed, even if those other ones did involve a certain Christian P*****n.

Spain focus on winning, England stay distracted

ANOTHER international break – another weekend to find something else to do. No live Premier League games, no Match of the Day, no Sunday papers full of match reports and laughable opinions about your club. It's like summer, with less daylight and even less rain.

Ahead of tomorrow's friendly, OTP looks at some of the most memorable events in previous England v Spain meetings. 1. Stuart Pearce's penalty (Euro 96) Spain found themselves on the receiving end as Pyscho buried the ghost of his Italia 90 penalty miss. In the process he performed one of the most iconic sporting celebrations [.

When we look back to try and trace the history of football on the television in Britain, there are several dates that stand out as being of significance. The twenty-second of August 1964, for example, saw the first episode of Match Of The Day, whilst the sixteenth of August 1992 saw Nottingham Forest beat Liverpool in the first live Premier League match on Sky Sports.

Alan Hansen paid £40,000 a show on Match of the Day

The BBC's wage bill has come under renewed scrutiny after it was revealed that Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen nets a staggering £1.5million a year – that's £40,000 for each appearance.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-10-31 11:54:02 from: The Mail

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Why the Premier League is going goal crazy?

Goalkeepers must be fuming, managers tearing their hair out and as for Alan Hansen... well, he's probably hiding behind the Match Of The Day sofa.

View the full story here: The Mail

A news article on 2011-10-30 22:45:27 from: The Mail

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

The insanity of Arsenal going to Stamford Bridge and beating Chelsea 5-2 may have taken up a solid plurality of Match of the Day yesterday, leaving the runtime a little light when it came to Liverpool versus West Brom and so robbing us of the chance to watch highlights of Charlie Adam trying out his special edition Adidas FlubberZero boots, but for the time being it's the best we've got.

The Major League Soccer playoffs will be in full swing today, taking center stage on a busy day in the soccer world.

The headlining match of the day takes place at Red Bull Arena, where the New York Red Bulls take on the Los Angeles Galaxy in the most star-studded playoff match in MLS history.