Icy Saturdays are meant to be enjoyed in nice warm houses with pints of lovely beer abd the telly on. Waterloo's home game was cancelled so that left us free to do just that. There are few more beautiful trophies in world sport than the Calcutta Cup, it was great to see a young, inexperienced side lift it although really Scotland were the better side.

By Alan Duffy

Now playing in his homeland for Yokoham F Marinos, midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, formerly of Celtic and Espanyol, has been showing off his famed dead-ball expertise on Japanese telly, by directing a football through the window of a moving bus.

Why? I'm not exactly sure.

Welcome to "The Gents" with Stan Bentley - The Yorkies' regular advice column for our valued readers. Bring your modern day problems and have them answered by the most valued voice - a 1950's journeyman footballer. "Back of the net!"　
Dear Stan,
I am really enjoying FIFA 12, but I find it damn near impossible to adjust from Semi-Pro difficulty to Professional difficulty.

Did you miss our live Robbie Savage video chat? Watch the replay here

Football's Mr Marmite answers your questions on football, juggling, Christmas telly and more

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-14 10:11:13 from: The Mirror

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

I posted earlier this week a rant AVB had about the media coverage of Chelsea and quite rightly so. We had previously see him defend Fernando Torres' form in pre season by claiming that they were "turning him into an obsession".
Last week, we heard him defend David Luiz and his position in the Chelsea side again, because of focus from the media.

Mike Cockerill got his FFA Award this week, and fair play to him. You do the time, 30 years - you get an award.
I'm no fan of Mike's football analysis, he knows that - his tactical and player movements on and around the park leave a lot to be desired for this football fan. I grew up in the UK!

Admission: Tuesday came and went and passed me by entirely. For me, it's a rarety for me not to follow a game in some way. I go to most home games, and watch or listen to most of the others. Those matches I can't go to, see or hear I will follow via Twitter etc, as many of us do. But on Tuesday, as the match kicked off, I was out meeting football-agnostic friends (they do exist, it seems) in a pub with pleasant steak and kidney pies but no telly, and although I briefly toyed with the time-honoured gadget switch-off so I could play the match as live when I got in, I knew my resolve wouldn't last and sure enough, it didn't.

I'm starting to think I'm missing out on something. Is there a big party that everyone goes to? Something exciting on the telly? Or perhaps it's a free goodie bag for the first 10,000 on to the tube?

It's an age old moan but I am going to go on about it again. Just what is people's (I'm refusing to call them fans) excuse for leaving Arsenal games at the Emirates early?

You have to love Saturday mornings. Having a lie in, cooking a fry up, sticking on the telly and getting amongst all the hype and build up of the next round of games in the Premiership and Football League - then off on the train, to the pub for a few with your mates and then scuttling to the ground to watch your beloved local team get a good stuffing by some super rich oil baron owned team that puts your first 11 to shame.

I was watching SkySports' Soccer Saturday and when they talked ahead of the game yesterday, Paul Merson said he "worried for Chelsea" and "they are in a battle to finish in the top four this season". Of course his comments at the time had me ranting at the telly claiming that Merse' didn't know what he was talking about.

This golden retriever puppy was settling in to enjoy a bit of Saturday evening telly, but that pesky Cesc Fabregas chap decided to kick a football behind his TV. Even the dog couldn't understand how the Barcelona midfielder failed to find the net.

Kevin Keen is relishing his role as Liverpool first-team coach, and explained why he felt a tinge of nerves when coming face-to-face with Kenny Dalglish for the very first time.
The Reds boss' illustrious reputation in world football left the former West Ham United man - who has been working at Anfield for four months now - feeling a little apprehensive, but Keen reveals how he was pleasantly surprised after their initial Melwood meeting.

An Interview With a Professional Scouser: Part 1

We all know one, unfortunately. Someone who truly believes that their geographical location – their accent – automatically elevates them to a ‘holier than thou' status in the context of being a Liverpool supporter.

I have oft imagined Arsene Wenger in his shorts, and h... erm, this doesn't seem like the right way to start this article, or any article. I wasn't stressing on his shorts, my mind has not been warped to that extent yet. Allow me to rephrase.

I have oft imagined a huge watering hole, and a hesitant Arsene Wenger standing next to it, incidentally clad in shorts (the attire is merely for convenience, it could just as easily be a parka, three-piece suit or tiger outfit) and looking at the watering hole wistfully.

Really can't say that this was not coming. However, there is a good chance the rest of the fixtures will start on time.

Here is football's role in quelling the orgy of violence and looting. I think the stars on each football team and their managers should come out with public service announcements appealing for calm.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has warned cross-town rivals Manchester City ahead of this Sunday's Community Shield clash at Wembley. After a successful preseason tour of the United States, Rooney has cautioned United's closest rivals that the Red Devils are looking for a great start to the season beginning with a win at Wembley.

Spencer Prior tweeted on the weekend that there is no football, only League and AFL on the telly in Australia.
Me mate even had to watch Rangers v St Johnstone to get a football fiz - geeez poor bugger!
And all my mates are wondering if the A-League will ever start again.
Get on with it - this break is killing us.

Video highlights and reaction

So we lost the Emirates Cup. On a scale of tragic events to have befallen this great club of ours, it's right up there with the worst of them. Losing cup finals to lower league opposition, blowing league titles, the lot. Oh, wait. No, it's not.

You would have thought it yesterday though when the final whistle went.

New signings Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson believe there is much more to come after their Liverpool debut ended in disappointing defeat.
The Anfield outfit's pre-season preparations suffered a setback when they were soundly beaten 3-0 at npower Championship side Hull City on Saturday.
Downing and Henderson, along with goalkeeper Alexander Doni, were all making their first appearances for the club following their arrivals during the transfer window.

OK, so I thought that soccer was over with for a few weeks.....how wrong could I have been.

I am now suddenly interested in the Gold Cup, the Euro 2011 Under 21s tournament in Denmark and Major League Soccer....throw in there as well classic matches being shown on Fox Soccer....I am beside myself trying to decide what to watch this weekend!

Rooney was charged with using "offensive, insulting and/or abusive language" in our 4-2 victory over West Ham. The referee didn't see it or hear it, but was forced by the FA to include it in his match report, claiming that if he had heard Rooney swearing, he would have sent him off.

Surely Martin Atkinson heard Pepe Reina swearing on the very same day in their defeat to West Brom?

Harry Redknapp has criticised criticised Wayne Rooney for swearing after scoring a hattrick against West Ham.

"I don't know why he did that," said Redknapp. "I don't remember Bobby Charlton doing that when he used to smack goals into the top corner from 35 yards. Why do these young players have to be so angry with the world?

Football in England is all about tribalism. It's about supporting your village against the other, and it dates back to, well, forever. So I am informed by two gentlemen from London on this blog who have, apart from livening up proceedings around these parts, given us a peek into a few chants that we simply can't hear over the airwaves, HD or no HD.

Hmmmm where to start with this one? Do I focus on the first half; do I focus on the embarrassing Phil Dowd or do I focus on the much maligned Diaby?

Well, the title works anyway, the first forty five minutes were not just good they were great and certainly the best we have seen since Blackpool at the beginning of the season.

Most days I settle in front of the telly for a match only around 2-3 minutes after kickoff. Mostly this is to avoid the pre-match 'analysis' that is vomited week in and week out. Seriously, while I'm infinitely pained with Sony Pix (and I will come back to this later) for not telecasting our FA Cup game against Southampton, I also appreciate their minimalist broadcast policy when they actually show a match.

I really feel for our professional footballers these days. Playing 5 games over 2 weeks in what are clearly freezing temperatures surely deserves some commendation. Irrespective of how much we complain about all these guys being overpaid, spoilt brats (aka CR7) it takes commendable strength, both mental and physical, to go through such an arduous schedule.

After joining the likes of Serie A and La Liga, putting our feet up in front of the telly and enjoying the mid-winter break, Footy Factor is back and looking forward to another scintillating year of footy. Up next, who will be the first Premiership manager in the New Year to get the chop?