By Chris Wright
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations was a tournament peppered with great goals at almost every stage,
so you can be guaran-damn-teed that there's some absolute belters in here...
Pies' personal favourite? We're going to have to agree and go with Yaya's free-kick against
Guinea.
By Chris Wright
It's Valentine's Day, love is in the air, the goose is getting fat, yadda yadda yadda. We
thought we'd have a look at some of the greatest, most enduring romances that football has
facilitated over the year because love, in all its forms, is a beautiful thing.
By Chris Wright
Given the furore at Leeds yesterday, we thought it would be fairly timely to
put together Pies' pick of the ten English-based football managers that, for one reason or another,
are almost impossible to foster a begrudging respect for let alone take to your heart.
By Chris Wright
'Twas a bit of a slow one yesterday as anyone who spent 11-and-a-bit hours 'glued' to the live
feed will tell you, with the total spending across the English leagues failing to surpass the £50
million that Chelsea spaffed on Fernando Torres this time last year let alone the ludicrous £225
million that was spent in total in January of 2011.
By Chris Wright
Eng-lish Pre·mi·um/ing'liSH ˈprēmēəm/Noun: An amount to be paid on top of any given
football transfer fee to recognise the paltry significance of said footballer hailing from these
sceptred isles and will hopefully therefore play with 'bags of passion', etc.
By Chris Wright
Does exactly what is says on the tin; The top 100 goals of 2011 all tethered together in a neat
little video package. You may well disagree with the ordering, but it's best to enjoy it for what
it is a thorough retrospective of a great year for great goals.
By Chris Wright
After being genuinely taken aback by some stunning 'Pablo Zabaleta's year of birth'-related
trivia in the pub last night (more on that later), Pies have cobbled together a list of ten
currently active footballers that just look far, far too old for dates on their birth
certificates.
By Chris Wright
Given the current penchant for the two-footed Exocet-style challenge as favoured by Glen Johnson
among others, here is Pies' pick of the XI worst, shin-splintering, sinew-shredding,
ligament-twanging, bone-flaking tackles to ever take place on a Premier League pitch (that we could
find corresponding videos for).
By Chris Wright
In no particular order, Pies' ten-strong run down of the rumoured January deals we'd absolutely
love to see come to fruition for one reason or another...
1. Didier Drogba (Chelsea) to Shanghai Shenhua...
Word is that there are several Chinese clubs queuing up to throw upwards of £400,000-a-week at
The Drog in order to coerce him into semi-retirement.
By Alan Duffy
'Tis been a fine season so far, with a new and rather rich kid on the block in the opulent form
of Manchester City shaking things up at the top, a whole host of freakish results (see United's 8-2
win over Arsenal, City's 6-1 win over United etc), a Tottenham finally looking ready to make a
serious title challenge and some impressive performances from the promoted sides.
By Chris Wright
Time to lighten the mood. Given that Marc Albrighton notched the Premier League's 20,000th goal
last night, it seemed only right to put together a little video compendium of ten of the best most
hideously ugly goals ever to have been scored over the course of these 19-and-a-half glorious
seasons.
By Chris Wright
Definitely not one for the faint of heart/groin, in honour of Scott Dann suffering possibly the
grimmest-sounding injury on record at the weekend a 'ruptured testicle' for those who missed it
we've cobbled together ten of the most tear-inducing crotch assaults in recent memory.
By Chris Wright
I am the God of Hellfire, and I bring you...FLARES! So dramatic, so incendiary, so dangerous, so
Satanic, so Temple Of Doom-y and so utterly beautiful when captured on camera...
Photos: PA
By Chris Wright
Here we go folks. Pies' pick of the top ten Premier League players who are in desperate need of,
or who could simply benefit tremendously from, a loan move come January time...
10. Carlos Tevez, Man City
Let's get the obvious one out of the way up top.
By Alan Duffy
Turning their attention away from silly little issues like racism, the international footballing
authorities have announced their 55-man shortlist for the FIFPRO World XI 2011. (FIFPRO is the
Federation Internationale des Associations de Footballers Professionnels, by the way)
Six players from good old Blighty have made the list, with Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale worthy
of their places in the elite list.
By Chris Wright
With the public sector strikes rattling on today across the country, we at Pies thought it would
be timely to have a little look at a run-down of some of football's industrial action over the
years some worthy, some really not...
◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 10
10.
By Greg Evans
It's been a few days now since Mike Jones screwed up the vast majority of football betting
markets up and down the length and breadth of the internet by awarding Newcastle that
dodgy penalty at Old Trafford a penalty many saw as overdue punishment for a team that 'never
concede penalties'.
By Chris Wright
It's been a few days now since Mike Jones screwed up the vast majority of football betting
markets up and down the length and breadth of the internet by awarding Newcastle that
dodgy penalty at Old Trafford a penalty many saw as overdue punishment for a team that 'never
concede penalties'.
By Chris Wright
It's been a few days now since Mike Jones screwed up the vast majority of football betting
markets up and down the length and breadth of the internet by awarding Newcastle that
dodgy penalty at Old Trafford a penalty many saw as overdue punishment for a team that 'never
concede penalties'.
By Alan Duffy
While Ireland were thrashing Estonia in Talinn on Friday night, six other teams were battling it
out for a place in Poland Ukraine next summer.
Slaven Bilic's Croatian side are the closest to booking their place in the finals, after
securing an impressive 3-0 win away in Turkey, courtesy of goals from Ivica Olic, Mario Mandzukic
and Tottenham's Vedran Corluka.
By Chris Wright
Halloween's a bust, everybody knows it. No one in their right mind would choose to spend there
evening doling out Haribo to teenage scrotes in 99p masks for fear of having their premises covered
in egg and toilet paper but a theme's a theme and we're going to run with it.
By Chris Wright
For no other reason than that it's currently stair-rodding it down outside my window, here's an
18-strong photographic agglomeration of football being played out in the driving rain...
◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 18
Scotland's Phil Bardsley gets a soaking as he heads the ball clear against Denmark at Hampden
Park, 2011
Suggested further viewing for fans of adverse weather.
By Greg Evans
According to the Metro among others, as Man City's leading example of austerity and demure
sophistication, 'Mario Balotelli: Party Liaison' has stepped forward and duly volunteered himself
to organise Man City's Christmas shindig this year.
"Ooh, ooh!
By Chris Wright
Yin/yang, Light side/Dark side, Siegfried/Roy the universe states that for every 'most
impressive so far' list must therefore come a 'most disappointing so far' list to readdress the
cosmic balance.
Or some such tosh...
10.
By Chris Wright
As we usher in another one of these goddamn international breaks, we though it would be as
good-a-time as any to take stock on the first two-and-a-bit months of Premier League action and
single out the ten players that have impressed us most so far for a bit of overdue praise.
By Chris Wright
I assume you're all perfectly aware already, but today is 'World Animal Day' (of course you're
aware, it was hardly worth mentioning) and, as such, we've taken the opportunity to cobble together
a first-choice XI of pun-tastic footballing 'animals'.
By Chris Wright
Pies' pick of the ten (just don't count them, okay?) best photos from Wednesday evening's League
Cup action...
Brighton's Craig Noone puts his hands on his head after seeing his dipping 20-yard drive
clip the top of the Liverpool crossbar
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini rises highest to beat West Brom's Jonas Olsson in the
air
Brighton's Ashley Barnes celebrates after pulling one back against Liverpool from the
penalty spot
"Barcelona!
By Chris Wright
Pies' pick of the ten (just don't count them, okay?) best photos from Wednesday evening's League
Cup action...
Brighton's Craig Noone puts his hands on his head after seeing his dipping 20-yard drive
clip the top of the Liverpool crossbar
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini rises highest to beat West Brom's Jonas Olsson in the
air
Brighton's Ashley Barnes celebrates after pulling one back against Liverpool from the
penalty spot
"Barcelona!
By Alan Duffy
In a move which will no doubt have taunted the Elland Road faithful, Sir Alex Ferguson moved
striker Dimitar Berabtov back into a central defensive role (alongside Michael Carrick, no less)
for the final stages of United's comfortable victory over Leeds United on Tuesday evening.
By Alan Duffy
Despite spending a fair amount of money on his Sunderland team, Steve Bruce has endured a rather
rubbish start to the season. However, at home to Stoke on Sunday, the Black Cats finally marked
their territory by weeing all over the Potters.
Not famed for his goalscoring ability, Titus Bramble opened the scoring while summer signings
Craig Gardner and Seb Larsson also helped to give the Black Cats their first win of the new
season.
By Alan Duffy
While the red half of Manchester were gunning down Chelsea at Old Trafford, City weren't having
it quite so easy against another west London side.
Despite going two up, courtesy of Sergio Aguero, second half goals from Bobby Zamora and Danny
Murphy spoiled the visitors trip to the capital.
By Alan Duffy
Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Liverool Premier League 18 September 2011
On the evidence of this game, it is 'Arry Redknapp's Spurs side which are looking more like top
four contenders than Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish's side were totally outplayed on Sunday by a
Tottenham side inspired by impish schemer Luka Modric.
By Alan Duffy
The ubiquitous Joey Barton netted his first goal for QPR before getting involved in a fracas as
only the former Newcastle man can.
Additional goals from Alejandro Faurlin and DJ Campbell secured the comfortable victory against
a dismal Wolves side.
By Alan Duffy
Brendan Rogers' Swansea City side play attractive football, but before yesterday, they had
failed to make that positivie play count in the top tier.
However, against the Baggies, the Swans cantered to a 3-0 victory, courtesy of their first three
goals of the new campaign.
By Alan Duffy
Free from (in his opinion) the negative influence of former boss Gerard Houllier, England's
forgotten man Gabriel Agbonlahor netted his third goal of the season for Villa in their 1-1 draw
with Newcastle United.
Leon Best bagged the equaliser for the Magpies, with the midfield duo of Cabaye and Tioté
impressing again.
By Alan Duffy
Owen Coyle's Bolton lost again, this time at home to new-boys Norwich City, and suddenly the
pressure is starting to mount on the former Republic of Ireland international.
The Canaries were already two up, courtesy of goals from Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson,
when striker Ivan Klasnic was sent off for a rather weak attempt at a head-butt.
By Alan Duffy
A trademark shambolic defensive performance from Arsene Wenger's sorry side handed Blackburn
Rovers a much-needed victory.
Two own-goals, and two other badly-defended Rovers' attacks gifted the home side the victory in
a game the Gunners dominated.
By Alan Duffy
David Moyes' Everton side produced a valuable 3-1 win against Wigan despite putting out a first
11 with no natural strikers.
Tim Cahill lead the line for the Toffees but it was debut goals from Apostolos Vellios and
Royston Drenthe (after a strike from Phil "Jags" Jagielka) which won the game for the home
side.
By Chris Wright
Pies pick of the ten best photos from yesterday evening's round of Europa League
tomfoolery...
Birmingham mascots Belle and Beau brave the darkness to salute the St Andrews crowd before
their 3-1 defeat to Portuguese side Braga
Shamrock Rovers' Craig Sives launches into an unorthodox tackle on Rubin Kazan's Salvatore
Bocchetti at the Tallaght Stadium, Dublin.
By Alan Duffy
We have been blessed with a multitude of truly hideous, often quirky and occasionally mediocre
music videos made by those usually more comfortable with a ball at their feet than a microphone in
their hand.
So here, in order of chart performance, is a hand-picked, sun-ripened assortment of five of the
best/worst of the footballer/pop genre.
