54 years ago in Munich, 8 of Manchester United's brightest stars were killed when the aircraft that was bringing them back home crashed. Along with them, 3 of the backroom staff, 8 journalists and 2 other passengers also perished bringing the total casualty count to 21. Nothing could have prepared the city of Manchester and indeed the whole footballing world for a tragedy of that scale.

Sad weekend for British football as Nottingham Forest Owner Nigel Doughty was found dead in his home yesterday. He was 54. According to a statement released by the club, Doughty was found dead in his gym.

"It is with enormous sadness that Nottingham Forest announce the death of the club's owner Nigel Doughty, Mr Doughty, who was 54, was found dead earlier today in his gym at his home in Skillington, Lincolnshire.

Former Liverpool and Everton player Gary Ablett has dies at the young age of 46 following his battle against non-hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 18 months.

Ablett played 109 games for Liverpool between 1985-1992, while also notching up over 100 appearances for Everton and Birmingham City.

Kenny Dalglish led the tributes today, here is what he said to LiverpoolFC.

Former Liverpool and Everton player Gary Ablett has dies at the young age of 46 following his battle against non-hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 18 months.

Ablett played 109 games for Liverpool between 1985-1992, while also notching up over 100 appearances for Everton and Birmingham City.

Kenny Dalglish led the tributes today, here is what he said to LiverpoolFC.

Twitter tributes to Ablett

Former Liverpool stars Xabi Alonso and Glenn Hysen have led the tributes on Twitter to Gary Ablett who sadly passed away on Sunday night after a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-02 13:03:07 from: Liverpool FC

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

Former Liverpool and Everton player Gary Ablett has dies at the young age of 46 following his battle against non-hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 18 months.

Ablett played 109 games for Liverpool between 1985-1992, while also notching up over 100 appearances for Everton and Birmingham City.

Kenny Dalglish led the tributes today, here is what he said to LiverpoolFC.

Dalglish leads Ablett tributes

Kenny Dalglish has today led the tributes to Gary Ablett who sadly passed away on Sunday night after a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-02 12:17:05 from: Liverpool FC

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

Rush leads Ablett tributes

Ex-Liverpool striker Ian Rush has led the tributes to his former team-mate Gary Ablett, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 46.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2012-01-02 11:49:39 from: Sky Sports

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

A WINNER IN BRAZILIAN HEARTS SOCRATES

We were stuck in transit at an airport when the news broke that Brazilian football legend Socrates passed away on Dec 4 and couldn't write a tribute to him in time. Many football-loving fathers, brothers and grandads out there speak highly of this man whose legacy is well-documented by the passion of the Brazilians.

Lots of chat today over whether Arsenal chose the right people for the 125 year statues.
In issues like these, you're basically asking people to decide who their favourite Arsenal players were - a ridiculously subjective exercise.
So, at least for the initial statues, you have to go with the obvious candidates.

The munitions workers in the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team in late 1886. They named it Dial Square FC. Fast forward 125 years. Arsenal is now a household name and one of the world's storied franchises.

At the match against Everton tomorrow, the club will commemorate this special occasion with many tributes.

• Kop That: Euro 2012 draw: England boss Fabio Capello in long-haul quest for glory http://t.co/Sjj24w4H 23:38:13, 2011-12-02
• Kop That: Dalglish rules out Aquilani return to Anfield after Lucas injury http://t.co/CMiX42YX 23:22:42, 2011-12-02
• Kop That: Speed widow to attend tributes at all his former clubs http://t.

In the next two home games there will two tributes paid to former Newcastle star Gary Speed. Great recent shot of manager Alan Pardew he has a right to be smiling! In today's game against Chelsea Newcastle will hold a one minute's applause for the former Newcastle player, who played 284 times at Newcastle with 40 goals from February 1998.

Speed widow to attend tributes at all his former clubs

Louise will be at Leeds' match against Millwall on Saturday

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-02 23:00:14 from: The Mirror

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

The OTP Podcast team pay tribute As you will hear in this week's show, the OTP Podcast team is first to admit that the fundamentally irreverent tone of our show is not an appropriate platform to discuss at length the shocking death of Gary Speed. Despite our limited coverage and acknowledgment that a discussion of [.

Almost two years to the day since Robert Enke took his life by jumping from a bridge in front of an onrushing train, Gary Speed similarly took his own life.
Whatever the reason(s) behind Speed's decision, it will probably never become public.
Tributes have rightly come from across the footballing and political worlds including tweets from Michael Owen and Robbie Savage.

Family 'overwhelmed' by tributes to Gary Speed

"We have been overwhelmed by the support and it really has helped."

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-28 16:24:21 from: The Mirror

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

Morning all,

another week, another two games on the horizon and the football world is in a strange place after yesterday's news about Gary Speed. I really don't have much to say about it other than to hope his family and loved ones manage to cope with such an awful situation. Speculation about why it happened isn't helpful at all and the public's ghoulish fascination with celebrity death is something which distrurbs me greatly.

Gary Speed found dead at home by his wife

Tributes poured in for the Wales manager as his death shocked football

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-27 23:59:32 from: The Mirror

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

We are all shocked at the sudden death of Gary Speed. Gary Speed while at Newcastle United As a sign of respect to the former great Newcastle United midfielder, here are some of the tributes that have come in for gary that are Newcastle related. Alan Shearer was a former Newcastle team-mate and a best friend: "Gary [.

'He showed me what British football was about' Footballers' Twitter tributes to Gary Speed

From Xabi Alonso to Phil Neville, football stars pay tribute to Wales boss

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-27 16:12:55 from: The Mirror

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

Tributes as Liverpool keeper's son loses leukaemia fight

Little Luca died on Friday aged five

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-20 11:49:27 from: The Mirror

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

Dalglish leads Fergie tributes

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has branded arch-rival Sir Alex Ferguson's 25-year reign at Manchester United as 'unbelievable'.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2011-11-03 16:21:41 from: Sky Sports

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

• Rebuilt Dynamo bearing fruit for Kinnear [Houston Chronicle]
• SKC and Houston poised to advance [ESPN]
• Dynamo determined to keep all guns blazing [MLS Soccer]
• Dynamo know they must remain aggressive in home match against Union [Houston Chronicle]
• MLS Conference Semifinals: A Look Ahead [Soccer by Ives]
• 'D' capital for Dynamo during unbeaten streak [Houston Chronicle]
• Ching enjoys being part of deep forward corps [MLS Soccer]
• Dynamo assistant Ralston a candidate for Revolution job [Houston Chronicle]
• Academy Roundup - October 30 [Houston Dynamo]

In Other News:

• Sounders FC faces daunting task of winning by four goals [Seattle Times]
• Sigi Schmid Wants To Give Seattle An Epic Tale [Sounder at Heart]
• Donovan says Galaxy 'assuming' Beckham will stay [Sports Illustrated]
• MLS gauging interest in club playing in Baltimore [Washington Post]
• Tributes paid to Doncaster's Billy Sharp after baby tragedy [BBC]

Maddy's Note: Baby step number 2 towards making this a regular feature on BigFourZa. Spot Kick is back taking a look back at the weekend's events. What the heck is it with NLDs and long range screamers? Danny Rose, Tom Huddlestone and now Kyle Walker. Being a gooner is hard work.

By Chris Wright

We're not sure if corn maze tributes are a 'thing' in MLS fan circles these days, but this is the second crop-based tribute we've seen in the past couple of months with Seattle Sounder's veteran 'keeper Kasey Keller getting the treatment this time, courtesy of the Schilter Family Farm in his hometown of Olympia, Washington.

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- Four Years Ago Today: Ray Jones RIP....Tributes...Further Tributes
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- 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.

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- Four Years Ago Today: Ray Jones RIP....Tributes...Further Tributes
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- 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.

And still they keep coming! The next in our Those We Have Lost series comes from David Mayor, who had misgivings about Manchester City leaving Maine Road, but is happy that the spirit of his club remains intact, at least in its support. We are still very much looking out for submissions on this subject, by the way.

The next in our series on the lost homes of British football comes from Reading, where Reading FC left Elm Park for The Madejski Stadium in 1998. Our thanks go to Rob Langham from the excellent The Two Unfortunates, for this story of the history and memories from Elm Park. We are still very much looking out for submissions on this subject, by the way.

I've eschewed writing this post for some time mostly because it it could come across in a misrepresented way but with the absolutely terrific Steve Zakuani tribute on Saturday and positing the question to the audience, well, I'd say it's about time.

And let me comment, that I hope "on-the-minute" soccer tributes live-on, regardless of nation or team or any qualifier.

When a football legend parts from the game either through retirement or death, ink splatters as tributes are furiously written to consider the man's style of play, his memorable moments on the pitch, his connections with his fans, and his contributions to club and country. Even for an almost legend, debates commence over whether the player had been underrated, if he should indeed be a member in the pantheon of the greats instead of simply a distinguished guest, or what flaws he might have had as a player or person that prevented him from achieving truly legendary status.

Wenger needs to address a problem that is very close to home by Richard Hall When it was thought that Pat Rice would retire at the end of this season there were a lot of tributes that started to emerge. One in particular stated that his departure would change the dynamics of the club. For [...]

Paul Scholes: a tribute to a player born in the wrong country - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything.

Maddy's Note: Ladies and Gents, BigFourZa is proud to present its latest contributor Suhrith. He describes himself as a lawyer by qualification, interested mostly in sport and marginally in other world affairs while we think he's just a bloody good writer. Ironic that his time with BFZ starts with a piece on the end of an era.

We knew this day was coming. We knew it was going to happen sooner rather than later. The ending of a storied and illustrious chapter in United's history.

Perhaps the fact that Scholes hasn't featured as prominently in the past couple of months has made the announcement easier to stomach. Yes, we're losing a legend.

"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do." - Paul Scholes

24 major honours later, it comes to an end.

Paul Scholes is a "great role model for any young English midfield player," mused Jack Wilshere on Twitter this morning and indeed that is an accurate reflection of the man who must go down as England's finest midfield player of this generation.

BigFourZa is proud to present its latest addition to the team Wonder Gunner Gurleen. As the smarter ones amongst you might have already figured, she is a HUGE Arsenal fan (how huge you ask? Well, whisper it, but she will even defend Denilson against the Mancs!!). However, if there is one thing she is better at, it is clearly graphic designing.

For 19 years, Danny Fiszman breathed and lived Arsenal as one of its longest serving board members, but more importantly, throughout his life, Danny was a fan of our great club.

There are not too many people who confronted with the knowledge that they have just days to live work tirelessly to secure the future of something or someone they truly love.

For 19 years, Danny Fiszman breathed and lived Arsenal as one of its longest serving board members, but more importantly, throughout his life, Danny was a fan of our great club.

There are not too many people who confronted with the knowledge that they have just days to live work tirelessly to secure the future of something or someone they truly love.