Someone of my distant acquaintance who now heads up an organisation in another county, regularly plays five-a-side football.
He preaches love and peace during the day, but turns into something of an aggressive monster on the pitch.
It's a tough game, football.
A man's game, My Lover says. Click to continue reading...

The threat of a strike looms large over Major League Soccer and if the players strike, the blame must lie at the feet of MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

For soccer in the U.S. to continue to grow, the league must fall in line with FIFA guidelines and regulations. I understand why the league wanted to own all the contracts but that time has passed.

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After a frustrating final few months with United, Cristiano Ronaldo finally left for Real Madrid. RoM had become weary with the Ronnie's antics, with it becoming blatantly obvious that our star man was ready for a move to Spain.

We made our peace when a fee had been agreed and to his credit, he has had nothing but great things to say about our club in the press since leaving.

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The Damned UnitedDirected by Tom HooperColumbia Pictures, 2009, £19.99David Peace's work has been a modern day staple of visual adaptations for the past year or so and the author is one of those writers whose books can often be found on the shelves of those who, as The Daily Telegraph might term it, "don't read books", an explorer of yoof issues to cast alongside Irvine Welsh, Howard Marks and Click to continue reading...

LUANDA, Angola — Um jornalista ganense que está cobrindo a Copa Africana de Nações (CAN) em Angola foi espancado por policiais e agentes de segurança angolanos nesta sexta-feira em Luanda, informaram diversas fontes.
Fiifi Tackie, jornalista da emissora ganense Radio Gold, "foi impedido de entrar no local do hotel da seleção de Gana onde acontecia uma coletiva, antes de ser cercado e espancado por seguranças e policiais", relatou à AFP o jornalista ganês Franck Abdai, que assistiu à cena. Click to continue reading...

If you haven't heard, Christine Bleakley has formally claimed him as hers. Go in peace as we mourn the loss of Frank's brief single-guy-with-sauce-on-my-lap status.

Question: do you think yakking to the press at this stage is wise? We feel it often results in something similar to the HELLO!

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If you haven't heard, Christine Bleakley has formally claimed him as hers. Go in peace as we mourn the loss of Frank's brief single-guy-with-sauce-on-my-lap status.

Question: do you think yakking to the press at this stage is wise? We feel it often results in something similar to the HELLO!

Click to continue reading...

In more than two decades at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson has been accustomed to looking upon Manchester City with varying degrees of bemusement, derision and pity.

Distaste has been a recent addition, since those "noisy neighbours" gained the hauteur of lottery winners. So it must have been through gritted teeth yesterday that he found himself acknowledging the threat that they suddenly pose to Manchester United.

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Isn't it supposed to be "Peace Up, A-town Down?" This looks more like "Peace Up, The Ponytail Groomer is Thataway." Not quite the same G-factor, but no matter.

Liverpool's Andriy Voronin and family are in Florida for their holiday break they've been there for a week. Curious, as we're quite sure Liverpool had a game yesterday.

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Isn't it supposed to be "Peace Up, A-town Down?" This looks more like "Peace Up, The Ponytail Groomer is Thataway." Not quite the same G-factor, but no matter.

Liverpool's Andriy Voronin and family are in Florida for their holiday break they've been there for a week. Curious, as we're quite sure Liverpool had a game yesterday.

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Well here we are then - Day 24 of the SPAOTP Advent Calendar.
As we open the last door, we find a picture showing the three of us - Graham, Terry and myself - following the sign that leads us towards peace, contentment and too much rich food and alcohol this Christmas.
We sincerely hope your yuletide brings you the best of everything that's possible to receive over the next few days and that you find time to be happy, if not downright Merry, with your loved ones. Click to continue reading...

According to MirrorFootball, West Bromwich Albion are not selling midfielder Graham Dorrans. Dorrans has been linked with Aston Villa, Birmingham, Everton, Stoke City, and Sunderland over the past few months.

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If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

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Arsenal dance with Wolves.

An own goal by Ronald Zubar gets things rolling. A fine steal by Song puts Aaron Ramsey through as he and Eduardo race ahead. Ramsey passes to Eduardo as they cut off Josh Craddock and then waits for the return because of his clear look at goal. Instead, Eduardo chips the ball over and it deflects of Craddock and loops over Wayne Henessey for the second goal.

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By AriesEduardo lifted his shirt after scoring Arsenal's second goal to reveal a message written in portuguese: Paz na villa kennedy- RJ meaning "Peace in the Villa Kennedy-RJ' This is a reference to a community in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. The slum has been the subject of fighting between rival criminal factions. Click to continue reading...

(clears throat)

Two-thousand seven!

(clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)

Two-thousand seven!

(clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)

That's all I got to say right now. Deal with it, Simmons and Shaughnessy. You both lied to us by not dying in peace like you said you would.

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After a decade in relative anonymity at the wrong end of the English football league pyramid, you would think Hull City fans would be enjoying their spell in the limelight. But given the worrying nature of the headlines over the past few weeks, you could forgive them for wishing for a return to the peace and quiet of the lower leagues. Click to continue reading...

It was great to see the U.S. qualify for the World Cup and I think that's great for American soccer, but as a Swede, of course I'm upset that we couldn't qualify. Our biggest rival is Denmark and we knocked them out last qualification round and unfortunately they knocked us out this time.
And they are much more relaxed here in Seattle. Click to continue reading...

Sorry, we're literally laughing at that picture. Damn tipo, we know you want to answer to your critics and all that...but your facial expression will not summon a deal from Signor Armani anytime soon!

Anyway, Milan fans can now celebrate and sleep in peace for the next 2 days (at least) over their 2-1 victory over Roma.

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Since PTSD is a malady of a society (not just its warriors), this excellent article explains very well how we can Heal the Warrior and Heal The Country. Click to continue reading...

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I was going to write about this yesterday but...... (well, you don't have time for my saga of yesterday.) Let's just say it involved lots of lost work and headaches...and some rain. I'm down here in Atlanta and it's raining ALL the time.

Anyways, so when I saw that Salt Lake had won its match from Wednesday I was very, very happy.

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Leave it to the Dalai Lama to deliver just the message we need to navigate these troubled times. Click to continue reading...

In our piece on Joey Barton yesterday, we made the statement that if and when Alan Shearer comes back as the permanent Newcastle manager, it's 99% certain Joey Barton will leave Newcastle. Alan Shearer - made peace with Joey Barton? Well, with statements made by Joey yesterday afternoon, that may not be the case any longer. Click to continue reading...

Apparently Zidane and Marco Materazzi have become the new Israel and Palestine since the Headbutt Heard Round The World at the 2006 World Cup final. The two have never kissed and made up, despite numerous attempts to bring peace between the two by surprisingly important people who must not have anything better to do with their lives.

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Some good food for thought as we start the week.
Tom Englelhart asks an important question this week in his excellent article "Is America Hooked On War?"
And lest you think this is a jab at either major party, you'll find that Engelhart finds this addiction started long before Bush and seems to have broad approval by both parties. Click to continue reading...

Aaron Laing will pay dearly for his stunt. How much does stupidity cost? £500 and 3 years away from football for Aaron Laing. The 21 year old Celtic supporter was caught on CCTV and cited with breaching the peace....and he was at Ibrox no less. Now we know he's a moron. With a death wish apparently. Click to continue reading...

Baby Bo might be feeling sad, but we can't help but feel kind of relieved about this: he won't be joining up with the Spanish squad for the U-20 World Cup in Egypt, set to take place from September 24 until October 14.
It's because of the injury he picked up against Gijon, which at the time was set for one to two weeks, but now appears to be more serious. Click to continue reading...

The Atlético Madrid owner's call for 'peace and tolerance' has backfired spectacularly as fans revolt at the Vicente Calderón.
Atlético Madrid turn drama into crisis as Gil jnr keeps on digging. Click to continue reading...

A few months ago, I wrapped up my list of the players in my inaugural MLS Hall of Fame class. Making the list got me thinking. What if, in addition to an MLS Hall of Fame, there was an MLS Hall of Shame for players who have committed foul deeds or crushed their fans' spirit time and again.

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Jack Bell - what a card.

From its inception, M.L.S. has taken the Open Cup seriously and been a willing participant.

Can't wait to meet up with you to try some of what you've got.
Peace,
FS
Edit: Meanwhile, PI has a more sober take. Click to continue reading...

Aw, hell. Can't a man recover from his wrist injury and liposuction in peace? Is that how we're treating legends these days? Flicking their ears as they sit peacefully? I bet Pele's teammates never flicked his ears when he least expected it. Shameful.

And on a side note, this picture reminds me of those birds that perch on big, slow elephants and how the elephants try and knock them away with lurching swing of their trunk.

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Adrian Mutu has a £14.6m debt to Chelsea hanging over his head, but this weekend Fiorentina reaped the benefits.
Mutu finds peace only on the pitch as Serie A kicks off. Click to continue reading...

No he hasn't. Of course he hasn't. My apologies for leading you to think that he had.

However, it does help me draw attention to this accurate depiction (comic below) of what 'football blogging' can be like when you get people chasing the almightly dollar / pound with scant regard for quality, principles or even long-term sustainability and success.

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Denmark entertain Chile in a international friendly in Denmark on Wednesday, Nicklas Bendtner has been name in the squad just 3 days before Arsenal's Premier League opener at Goodison Park against Everton. Bendtner is likely to play the first half only due to having another game just 3 days later.

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... then realises working in ads is what suits him best. Worth watching just for Bruce's opening line. "Put Whisk down, Grobbelaar comes in peace"

Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager!

• Link Loving August 5th:Hot Naked Russian WAG; Stunning Naked Swedish WAG; Incredibly Hot Naked English WAG; Why Transfer Rumours Will Keep You Awake at Night; Sir Alex Pissed Off With Nani (Video); Former Liverpool Man on a Hospital Bed; Top Five Teenagers in English Football; Horrendous Sunday League Tackle (Video); Goal of the Month Competition (Video); Are Man City In Danger of Losing Their Soul; Unlikely 'tache Alikes!

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The most unlikeliest event where you'd ever see violence, the Asian Women's Under-19 Championship witnessed shocking scenes in China last night, where the Australia team were pelted with bottles by a highly charged crowd following a mass brawl at the end of China's match against the Young Matildas. Click to continue reading...

That prestigious pre-season trophy, The Peace Cup is in full flow and the latest offering to come out of this meaningless pre-season tournament was Real Madrid verses those giants of football, Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, which in turn served up Cristiano Ronaldo's first goal for Real. Click to continue reading...

Finally, a little commentary by the coaches of AC Milan and LA Galaxy. Leonardo (former fan favorite AC Milan midfielder) primarily spoke on camera about Ronaldinho and fitness, while off camera he spoke about wanting David Beckham back at AC Milan as well as trying a 4-3-3 and other formations for the coming season. Click to continue reading...

UPDATE: According to ESPN Soccernet, Fulham made a second bid worth £3.25million for West Bromwich midfielder Jonathan Greening. However that bid was rejected as well.

July 15th, 2009 According to ESPN Soccernet, West Bromwich footballer Jonathan Greening handed in a transfer request.

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UPDATE: According to ESPN Soccernet, West Bromwich footballer Jonathan Greening handed in a transfer request.

July 14th, 2009 According to Chris Lepkowski at the Birmingham Mail, West Bromwich have rejected Fulham's bid for Jonathan Greening.

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