Four years ago, we ran an article on the subject of the theme music used by British television companies for World Cup finals series. It seemed to touch a nerve at the time and today it's back. It's a little more complete than it was four years ago, although there are still one or two gaps and we would gratefully appreciate anybody that can help to fill these for us.

Click to continue reading...

This is the Champions League. The best of the best. The best players, the best coaches, the best referees, the best facilities, the best television coverage and, presumably, the best two-ply money can buy in the away locker rooms. At least they're all supposed to be. A day after normal service resumed Real buckling under [. Click to continue reading...

The TV schedule for the 2010 World Cup has been released for viewers in the United States, and the most highly anticipated match of the opening round featuring England against the United States of America will be televised live on ABC on Saturday, June 12 beginning at 2pm ET.

In England's second game of the tournament, the match against Algeria will be shown live on ESPN2 on Friday, June 16 with coverage beginning at 2pm ET.

Click to continue reading...

As promised, we are providing some analysis of MLS SuperDraft coverage from around the country. Before we get into the ESPN broadcast, a couple of quick notes. First, Philly.com, provided a fairly comprehensive running blog of the draft from the convention center in Philadelphia. Each pick was announced and fans permitted the opportunity to comment.

Click to continue reading...

I'm pretty sure this is the first WPS Press Release I've posted on my website, but, well.... this one's at least worth a quickee cuz I'm stinkin' proud!

WPS Surpasses 200,000 Followers on Twitter

League to Provide Behind the Scenes 2010 WPS Draft Coverage on www.twitter.

Click to continue reading...

Our regular contributor, Ted Harwood, gets his chance to muse on the decade past.

When I think back on the last decade of Arsenal football, I couldn't imagine supporting any other team. Two Premier League titles, three times runners-up; three FA cups, once runners-up; one Champions League final, never out of the top four in England.

Click to continue reading...

Yesterday in regards to the revelation that MLS annual merchandise sales were in the $300 million range, I made this comment:

And $15 million a year was the best licensing deal MLS could get? It's too bad they didn't have some kind of escalator clause.

Last night a commenter pointed out that in the $150 million deal over ten years, adidas paid for the following:

For the next 10 years, adidas will have the exclusive rights to sales of all MLS league- and team-branded products, including apparel and equipment, and will also work with the league to feature MLS apparel in major retail stores around the country.

Click to continue reading...

Winter has suddenly and not entirely expectedly descended on England this week and, predictably, it is playing merry havoc with the football schedules on the last Saturday before Christmas. At the time of writing, thirteen matches in the Football League have already been postponed, and it is likely that more will follow.

Click to continue reading...

by Steve Candy
Like mineral water and volcanic rock it seems that all money in football must now be filtered through agents. I don't want to attack agents; it happens often enough and in my opinion they thrive because football needs them to exist. In order to go back to ‘the good old days' we would first have to remove 24/7 television coverage, the internet, mobile phones and players' inability to speak for themselves. Click to continue reading...

World Cup 2010 frenzy is hitting its climax this week with the group stage draw only two days away. The FIFA Organizing Committee has today announced the procedure for this draw along with the pots and seeded teams.

Pot 1 (seeded teams and the hosts): South Africa, Italy, Spain, England, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Holland

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania, and CONCACAF): Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Honduras, Mexico, USA, New Zealand

Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

Pot 4 (remaining European teams): Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland

South Africa will automatically be drawn as the first team in Group A, and the rest of Pot 1 will be allocated to groups B through H.

Click to continue reading...

Colorado Caribous 1978 jersey. Can't wait to see this brought back!

"Party Like It's 1979″, says the usually stone cold sober Kenn Tomasch. "The future of American soccer appears to be the past of American soccer."

Kenn writes this because news broke today that the breakaway second-tier league made-up of nine former USL and new clubs may use the North American Soccer League name for itself, after Miami FC put in two trademark claims.

Click to continue reading...

The loss of Setanta Sports during the summer didn't only have knock on effects for the Premier League, although that was the story which hogged the headlines at the time. The Scottish Premier League had to negotiate a new (and reduced) deal with Sky Sports, the Blue Square Premier started the new seasons without any television coverage at all and the FA were left seeking new partners for the FA Cup.

Click to continue reading...

We have a fairly idyllic life at the Nedved homestead, especially on Sundays. This past Sunday morning was spent dossing around, eating breakfast in front of the telly, and revelling in the extra hour of sleep from daylight savings' introduction. All the while, though, I was keeping one eye on the clock. Click to continue reading...

Looking back over the matches Chelsea have played so far this season, one of the ways increasing television coverage has changed football over the last ten years is startlingly apparent.
Chelsea have played 12 games so far this season, including the Community Shield, and only four haven't been shown live on television.

Click to continue reading...

Looking back over the matches Chelsea have played so far this season, one of the ways increasing television coverage has changed football over the last ten years is startlingly apparent.
Chelsea have played 12 games so far this season, including the Community Shield, and only four haven't been shown live on television.

Click to continue reading...

The US Soccer Federation announced on Monday that the United States will play Denmark on Wednesday, November 18th, at Aarhus's NRGI Park in Denmark. NRGI Park is the home field of Americans Benny Feilhaber and Jeremiah White. The game kicks off at 2:30pm, with television coverage to be determined. "Having qualified for the World Cup, our focus is now on continuing to improve as a team as we build toward next summer," US National Team. Click to continue reading...

Mareval-ous strike French outfit Nantes took a very early lead in their clash with Nimes at the weekend. Remi Mareval struck after just nine seconds as an awkward bounce at the end of his punt caught both the goalkeeper and the cameraman napping. When the goal is scored, the television coverage hasn't even bothered to zoom [. Click to continue reading...

According to press reports this evening, the Blue Square Premier has been unable to reach agreement with the new boy in the British pay television market, ESPN. This comes as no great surprise. For one thing, lower division football doesn't exactly fit in with the profile that the nascent channel has built up over the last couple of months, a profile based upon top European football, Premier League football and American sports.

Click to continue reading...

On episode 18 of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by Pitch Invasion's Tom Dunmore and Jason Davis from MatchFitUSA to discuss US soccer consumption.

The show will be looking specifically at how soccer fans in the States receive their domestic and European/Worldwide soccer fix and there's also a discussion on whether David Beckham really is on a different galaxy with his desire to play in Europe.

Click to continue reading...

Chelsea's squad returns to London today after an incredibly successful 10-day tour of the United States. While they were in the States, the club won the World Football Challenge, played in front of an average attendance of 68,687, demonstrated a renewed sense of enthusiasm and playing ability under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, and managed to wade off Manchester City's advances toward captain John Terry.

Click to continue reading...

The Italian season opener, the Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup), between Serie A champions Internazionale and Italian Cup winners Lazio, is taking place abroad again at Beijing's Olympic Stadium the Bird's Nest. It's a showy step in Italian football's attempts to keep pace with the Premier League's branded behemoths and one that also includes a breakaway league reminiscent of England's league transformation in the 1990s.

Click to continue reading...

Get out to the Maryland SoccerPlex tonight to watch United take on the Rochester Rhinos in the semifinal round of the U.S. Open Cup. D.C. won it last year and is looking to become the first team to repeat since MLS joined the tournament in 1996.

Tonight's game wil kick off at 7:30 p.m. There is not television coverage and, due to technological limitations at the SoccerPlex, the game will not be streamed online.

Click to continue reading...

CITY have had seven fixtures re-arranged in line with television coverage for the new season.
The first time the Blues are on the box is against Portsmouth away on Sunday August 30, kick off 1.30pm, while the derby against United will also be shown on Sunday September 20, kick off 1.

Click to continue reading...

A never seen before greeting to a Football player that surpassesthe welcome that Diego Armando Maradona received when hejoined Napoles. More than 80.000 people filled the "SantiagoBernabeu" Stadium - estimated 10.000 left outside - to welcomethe new REAL MADRID player CRISTIANO RONALDO. Along withthe crowd there was more than 500 accredited media from aroundthe World, plus LIVE TO AIR television Click to continue reading...

It's yet another four-all draw...
Both Rupert Murdoch and Leonard Blavatnik are worth $4.0 billion.
The match that will determine the future of world football is on the verge of becoming a Reality.
Can Setanta be saved by Blavatnik?
Is the Murdochracy on the wain? Click to continue reading...

17' Okay, cut to camera three, Torres goal reaction. Ready camera two. Go camera two. Okay, zoom up on that Spanish granddad, the one who won't likely live to see another Real Madrid European Cup win. Can you get the glistening tears on his face? Good, ready camera four.
28' Go camera three, ready camera four, Gerrard celebration. Click to continue reading...

It was 29 years ago this Sunday that Al Michaels shouted that famous question: "Do you believer in miracles?" Â A group of American college students, in a village in upstate New York, was on the verge of beating the Soviet Union's hockey team, arguably the best national hockey team in the world, 4-3. Click to continue reading...