If the draw for the Fifth Round of this year's FA Cup was notable for anything in particular, what really stood out was the presence of two clubs for whom an appearance at this stage of the competition would been inconceivable just a couple of decades ago. Last weekend, both Crawley Town and Stevenage chalked up notable wins in the Fourth Round of the competition both by a single goal, with Crawley's coming at Hull City and Stevenage's against Notts County - and the reward for each is a home match against Premier League in the next round, in the form of Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Graham Westley is beginning to discover that the grass isn't always greener at Deepdale. The papers reported this morning that GW has got off on the wrong foot with the Preston players with text messages at 2am telling players have been dropped and giving motivational messages.

It's fair to say that it hasn't gone down too well in Lancashire.

January was another interesting month at the Lamex Stadium. After an unbeaten December and with Stevenage now in the shake up for the League 1 play-offs, Graham Westley was a wanted man. GW and his team were snapped up by Preston North End after weeks of uncertainty over his future. A new era has begun at Stevenage with Gary Smith appointed as the new manager.

By Alan Duffy

OMG... Da playrz h8 me... Im a total ****... FFS!!! :(

We've all done it, had a few too many down the pub only to drunkenly text someone, usually an ex or someone we fancy. However, I doubt many of us have sent a late night text informing professional footballers that they had been dropped for the following day's game.

Deepdale players discover they now need to be deep sleepers New Preston boss Graham Westley hasn't exactly endeared himself to some of his charges after sending a 2am text message that informed four players that they were being dropped. Westley sent the group text in the early hours of Saturday morning ahead of his side's [.

One advantage of Peter Ridsdale and Graham Westley being together as chairman and manager respectively of Preston North End is that they may only end up annoying each other and messing around with only one club. I recognise that will not have brightened the day of any Lilywhites fans. And I can only apologise.

One advantage of Peter Ridsdale and Graham Westley being together as chairman and manager respectively of Preston North End is that they may only end up annoying each other and messing around with only one club. I recognise that will not have brightened the day of any Lilywhites fans. And I can only apologise.

One advantage of Peter Ridsdale and Graham Westley being together as chairman and manager respectively of Preston North End is that they may only end up annoying each other and messing around with only one club. I recognise that will not have brightened the day of any Lilywhites fans. And I can only apologise.

One advantage of Peter Ridsdale and Graham Westley being together as chairman and manager respectively of Preston North End is that they may only end up annoying each other and messing around with only one club. I recognise that will not have brightened the day of any Lilywhites fans. And I can only apologise.

It's a story that has dominated the club over the past 10 days or so. Rumours began flying round that Preston were interested in Graham Westley just a couple of days before the 3rd round FA Cup tie against Reading. At first it just seemed to be rumours. But the rumours didn't stop. Instead, they just gathered pace and it became clear at the beginning of the week that Preston were not only interested in Westley, but that Westley was interested in Preston.

FC Boro has returned. After deciding to call it a day back in August, the desire to get this place up and running again has come back after the events of recent weeks. It's not totally back as it was as I've still got a few issues to iron out with the domain name and pictures etc, but the blog is back, just as Stevenage FC enter a new era after the departure of Graham Westley.

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

BRADENTON, Fla. -- As the U.S. Under-23 men's national team played an intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday afternoon, Eddie Johnson sat in the stands at IMG Soccer Academy making observations, smiling and cracking jokes with U.

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Eddie Johnson's long wait to find a new club has come to an end.

The American forward has signed with Mexican club Puebla, where he will team with DaMarcus Beasley and play under former Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio.

In English football history two teams have in the past gone unbeaten throughout a league season. The team in most recent memory is the Arsenal side of 2003/04.

That Arsenal side registered 26 wins and 12 draws for the campaign and played almost double the games the previous invincible side (Preston North End 1888/89) had played.

-
-
QPR: The Old Days author, John "Gramps" Clifford, at Loftus Road yesterday, presenting a cheque to QPR in The Community (All proceeds from book sales are being given to QPR in the Community - Book Order Information)
-
From the QPR Programme
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general.

Just over ten years after their formation, Enfield Town return to a ground of their own at The QE2 Stadium on Wednesday. The first match is a Middlesex Senior Cup tie against Harefield United on Wednesday 9th November followed by a Ryman League Cup tie against AFC Sudbury on Monday 14th November.

(In)Famous Facial Hair in Football: Then and Now - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

It's something that's perhaps said almost as much in jest as it is in seriousness, but for some, the mark of a true manly man is all in the facial hair.

If you subscribe to that notion, then you may also be among the population that feels that football isn't what it used to be, with finesse, flair, and frailty pushing physicality in the past, or at best compressed into several three-to-five minute Youtube compilations.

Twit-twoo beat me up? Football mascots are supposed to wind-up opposition fans, but Oldham mascot Chaddy the Owl was this week punched by one of his own team's supporters. Chaddy was assaulted as he posed for a photo with a young fan ahead of the midweek match at Preston North End. The man inside the [.

Liverpool's teenage starlet Stephen Sama is ready to leave Liverpool on a temporary loan deal, with Preston North End manager Phil Brown reportedly keen on acquiring his services.
According to The Mirror, Sama has put in a series of impressive performances for the Liverpool reserve side that have been enough to put him on the radar of Brown.

Football fashion - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Fashion matters more to football than the average supporter might care to acknowledge. Most spectators aren't overly concerned about their personal aesthetic at 3pm on a Saturday. In fact, for that matter, many neglect to engage in even the most rudimentary of personal grooming practices full stop.

After yet another disappointing campaign under Nigel Worthington, and a continuation of the unenviable streak that will now see Northern Ireland fail to make a major tournament for at least 32 years, the IFA will seek out a new manager to try and reverse the fortunes of the small nation who have struggled in recent years for both talent and results on the international playing field.

It took an intense penalty shoot-out for Chelsea to overcome West London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge and advance to the next round of Carling Cup.

After a goalless stalemate, which involved another injury for Petr Cech, a knock for Daniel Sturridge, and a red card for Alex, the Blues needed an inconclusive spot-kick from the Cottagers's summer signing Bryan Ruiz to emerge triumphant.

Liverpool Football Club were saddened to learn of the death of former defender Laurie Hughes at the age of 87.
Hughes was a member of the title-winning team of 1946-47 and also represented England at the 1950 World Cup finals, becoming the first ever Reds player to play at the tournament.
In total, he made 326 appearances for Liverpool, scoring one goal against Preston North End at Anfield in December 1951.

Liverpool Football Club were saddened to learn of the death of former defender Laurie Hughes at the age of 87.
Hughes was a member of the title-winning team of 1946-47 and also represented England at the 1950 World Cup finals, becoming the first ever Reds player to play at the tournament.
In total, he made 326 appearances for Liverpool, scoring one goal against Preston North End at Anfield in December 1951.

Guest writer Ryan McCarthy launches an impassioned defence of under-fire Liverpool striker Andy Carroll, charting his career from his start at Newcastle, through his loan period at Preston North End and then onto the heady heights of Anfield.
The day was almost over when the silver Mercedes pulled past the throng of fans paying homage at the entrance to Melwood, many of them long past bedtime on a January school night, transporting their newest hero, a purchase that had - even in the final hours of the final transfer day - caused surprise among the nation's football journalists, Geordies and hardened Kopites.

It's Bill Shankly's birthday today and Kopites are congregating in establishments, social gatherings and the internet to discuss the impact of the man who is wholly acknowledged to have had the greatest influence on Liverpool Football Club, inspiring the team to become the footballing giant that it is today.

By Chris Wright

This very day in 1913, one William Shankly was born in the Ayrshire mining village of Glenbuck making today his 98th birthday.

Happy Birthday Shanks...

Shankly at Preston North End, 1937

Shankly playing for Preston North End, 1946

Shankly, "the man who is taking Liverpool FC along the road to the First Division Title for the first time since 1947″, aged 50, 1964

Shankly stands in front of the empty terraces at Anfield during a Liverpool training session, 1965

Shankly poses with his 1965/66 trophy haul including the League Championship trophy and the FA Charity Shield, 1966

Shankly feels the stress of a new season set in as the Liverpool players and coaches gather for a team group picture, 1967

Shankly is unimpressed with the cutlery at the breakfast table, 1968

Shankly reacts to an erroneous news report in his office at Anfield, 1969

Shankly poses with a football during Liverpool's pre-season photocall, 1969

Shankly shows his new signing Kevin Keegan (nice tank top Keggy!

Striker Daniel Nardiello says there is no reason why Exeter City can't recreate one of the greatest moments of his career against Liverpool tomorrow.
The former Manchester United trainee was in the Barnsley side which completed a huge FA Cup shock when they beat the Reds 2-1 at Anfield in 2008, thanks to Brian Howard's dramatic injury-time winner in front of the Kop.

Eddie Johnson and MLS caused a ruckus this week with the announcement of his signing. That announcement was followed by a second in which Major League Soccer states Johnson backed out of a his verbal agreement.
The apparent hang up was that Johnson wanted more money. Steven Goff of the Washington Post reported that the two sides agreed to a salary in which he would make $175,00 (prorated) this year, $225,000 in 2012 and then $275,000 in 2013.

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Eddie Johnson is the latest U.S. national team player to return to MLS.

On a conference call with reporters, MLS executive vice president of competition Todd Durbin announced that the 27-year-old former FC Dallas and Kansas City striker has signed with the league and will go through the allocation order to be assigned to a team.

Tye with his spiffy new shirt

Bolton's third or fourth signing this offseason (depending on which member of Meagles put pen to paper first) is Tyrone Mears. It's now officially official that Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears have signed for Bolton Wanderers in a deal worth around £2.75 million for the pair.

With plenty of attention being focused on the newest additions to Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool squad, one player also looking to make a name for himself at Anfield next season is promising academy product Adam Morgan.
The young striker, dubbed the 'next Robbie Fowler' has been making waves in the youth set-up, scoring 21 goals for the Reds' Under 18s before heading off to play for England in the Under 17 World Cup in Mexico.

Newcastle United are reported to have made an inquiry about Preston North End's left winger Keith Treacy. Keith Treacy - Newcastle have registered their interest Preston North End were relegated from the Championship last season, and new manager Phil Brown admitted yesterday on Sky Sports, that the club would need to sell some of their [.

Ritchie de Laet played on loan for three different clubs last season and it was confirmed this week he would be spending next season on loan at newly promoted Norwich.

He played just a total of ten games at Sheffield United and Preston North End but was a regular for Portsmouth after joining them in the January just gone.

Wednesday a list of EPL players with terminated contracts, or who filled their full terms without an extension was released. The Guardian has the list arranged by team. There are names that we all expected (Marcus Hahnemann), and some may have already reached tentative agreements with new teams.

There are the occasional US National Team players like Eddie Johnson.

USA & Canada Football League XI 2010/2011

In goal I have chosen Brad Guzan (USA) who had a spell on loan at Hull City. Across the back are the quartet Eric Lichaj (Leeds & USA), Zak Whitbread (Norwich City & USA), Frank Simek (Carlisle United & USA) and David Edgar (Burnley & Canada).

A fixture in the English Football League Championship in the 2000s, Preston North End will compete in the third tier of soccer in England, League One, following its relegation at the end of the 2010/11 season. As the club prepares for next season, Preson North End has launched its PUMA 2011/12 home and away kits.

Portsmouth striker David Nugent is out-of-contract this summer and the one-time England international is keen to resolve his playing situation one way or another in the coming weeks.

The former Bury trainee enjoyed a good footballing education at Gigg Lane in League Two, earning a move to Preston North End, who, at the time were challenging for Championship promotion.

As Preston North End's Northern Irish born Daniel Devine has opted to play for the Republic of Ireland instead of the football association who developed him at under-age level, it seems I have an excuse to write a bit relating to Irish football for this blog.Devine is just the latest player of Northern Irish nationality to declare for the Republic after Darron Gibson, Shane Duffy, Marc Wilson,

In 1888 twelve clubs from the Midlands and the North West of England took part in the first ever Football League season. Preston North End, Aston Villa, Wolves, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, West Brom, Accrington, Everton, Burnley, Derby County, Notts County and Stoke City will forever be remembered as founding members of the Football League.