The New Wembley Stadium – Home to English Football
For any soccer fan, a visit to the new Wembley Stadium is a must. Not only is it one of the world’s most outstanding modern stadiums, but is host to the best of English football and features a veritable ‘footie-fest’ of the nation’s leading cup finals and Football League play-offs every season.
The Football Association – the sport’s governing body – is planning a £12million move of its administrative headquarters from Soho Square to the new Stadium during July 2009. As Wembley is also the home venue for all of England’s international fixtures – including the qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup Finals – the move will firmly establish the stadium as the ‘home of English football’.
As the English football season progresses towards its climax in May, Wembley hosts a number of prestigious finals including the traditional finale to the football season – the FA Cup Final. But, before that the cup final season begins in either late February or early March with the staging of the Carling Cup Final. This show piece cup competition of the Football League will celebrate its 50th anniversary at Wembley in 2010.
Next up is the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final played at Wembley in early April. This competition is exclusively for clubs that compete in League One and League Two of the Football League. The 2009 final was an absolute thriller with Luton beating Scunthorpe 3-2 after extra time in front of a substantial lower league football crowd of 53,378.
In May the games come thick and fast at the Stadium, starting with the FA Trophy Final and FA Vase Final, played on successive days on the second weekend of the month.
Next, and still in May, the Football League hosts the Play-off finals when the last promotion spots for The Championship, League One and League Two are decided. Indeed, The Football League Championship play-off final – normally played on late May Bank Holiday Monday – is billed as football’s most lucrative ‘one-off’ game. The winners will be promoted to the Barclays Premier League and with that comes access to lucrative TV money.
Finally, the last weekend in May sees the traditional season finale; the FA Cup final. This is one of the few ‘protected’ games to be televised live on terrestrial channels and is the daddy of all football competition finals. As you can see, May is also the month when the owners of London hotels – particularly those situated around Wembley – rub their hands in glee at the glut of ‘no vacancies’ signs, as they accommodate the thousands of football fans travelling to the capital to watch their teams in action.
But, fans of football that can’t get a ticket to a game at Wembley needn’t despair. They can still access the stadium and sample its marvellous features at first-hand by buying a Stadium tour ticket.
Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
Recommend : Hair Loss Remedy Resume Cover Letter Samples Twitter – Springersp2 Electric Motor Folding Bikes
The Beautifull Game Called Football
The football equivalent of the Oscars swept into London on Tuesday as the first ever FIFpro awards were announced in front of renowned stars from the worlds of sport, music, screen and even our very own Marc Duffy (but the legality of how the ticket was gain is still under suspicion!)
Over 38,000 players from 40 countries representing FIFpro were involved in voting, with 55 players short listed in the end. After a night of great entertainment, including awards for Ronaldinho (world player of year), Wayne Rooney (young player of the year) and Cristiano Ronaldo (young player of the year as voted by fans) the World XI was announced as:
GK: NELSON DIDA (Brazil/AC Milan
DF: CAFU (Brazil/AC Milan
DF: ALESSANDRO NESTA (Italy/AC Milan
DF: JOHN TERRY (England/chelsea)
DF: PAOLO MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan
MF: RONALDINHO (Brazil/Barcelona
MF: FRANK LAMPARD (England/chelsea)
MF: CLAUDE MAKELELE (France/chelsea)
MF: ZINEDINE ZIDANE (France/chelsea
FC: SAMUEL ETO’O (Cameroon/Barcelona)
FC: ANDREI SHEVCHENKO (Ukraine/AC Milan
But really do we care about the ‘official’ team? A team that has that has 5 players over 30, with a combined age of 168? A team with a certain Zinedine Zidane, who in truth, had an ordinary season for Real Madrid? Of course we don’t because there’s only one ‘official’ team that matters and that’s the Bootroom XI, voted by you, the SI public. So without further ado in association with Sports Interactive The Bootroom proudly presents YOUR World XI.
Note: The players in each position have been listed in ascending order i.e. Terry was the most voted for defender
GK- PETR CECH (Czech Republic/Chelsea): The best goalie in the Premiership, if not the world. In his first season in England not only did he pick up his first championship medal, Cech also set a run of 1024 minutes without conceding a goal, a new English top flight record. Fewest goals conceded and most clean sheets last season not only won him the Barclays Golden Gloves for ‘04/’05 but also the number one shirt in you World XI.
DF- JOHN TERRY (England/Chelsea): José Mourinho has dubbed him ‘the best centre-back in the world’ and who could argue? After lifting both the League Cup and Premiership title, world class display at the back saw Terry also Voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals. England’s defeat to Northern Ireland just proved how much the England defense missed Terry’s leadership and organization, adding more claim that he is the best centre-back in the world.
DF- CARLES PUYOL SAFORCADA (Spain/Barcelona): On the 2nd October 1999 Puyol made his first team debut, and ever since then has made the right side of defense his own. A player that always gives his all, this season has seen Puyol linked to a move to the Premiership with both manchester united and arsenal the leading candidates. Only 27, Puyol is entering his prime which could see him, one day lead both club and country.
DF- ALESSANDRO NESTA (Italy/AC Milan): One of the five players that appears in both the FIFpro and The Bootroom World XI. Capped over 60 times for his country Nesta is a typical Italian defender, hard to get pass and comfortable on the ball. In his first season with AC Milan he won the Coppa Italia, Champions League and European Super Cup and was very unlucky to collect a runners up medal in the defeat to liverpool
DF- GABRIEL HEINZE (Argentina/manchester united): A £6.9 million signing from PSG, Heinze won over both fans and pundits with his tough tackling and 100% commitment to the task. Picking up the Fans player of the year for United a nasty injury against Villarreal, sees the left-back out for the rest of the season, a massive blow for Alex Ferguson’s team.
MF- RONALDINHO (Brazil/Barcelona): The third player to be voted in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. What can you say about Ronaldo de Assis Moreira that hasn’t been said? A 27 million Euro signing from PSG, the little Brazilian has tricked his way through the best defenses in La Liga and on the International stage. Ronaldinho can sit his FIFpro world player of the year award next to his FIFA world player of the year award and his La Liga Championship medal, both won last year.
MF- STEVEN GERRARD (England/liverpool): Gerrard help lift liverpool’s fifth European Cup with an inspirational performance in Istanbul last season and that’s why he’s been picked in your World XI. With nearly 300 games under his belt for liverpool Gerrard has lifted the League cup (twice), FA Cup and UEFA Cup in his seven years in the first team. A driving force for Liverpool, when Gerrard is on top of his game he is quite unstoppable.
MF- FRANK LAMPARD (England/Chelsea): The fourth player that appears in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. Winning Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association, Barclay’s player of the year and Player of the Year by fans on the PFA website just shows what kind of season Frank Lampard Jnr had. A £11 million signing from West Ham, a lot of fans and pundits were bemused as why Chelsea were fork out so much for an over-weight and over-rated player. But four years on Lampard has become an established part of the team scoring important goals from midfield.
MF- KAKA (Brazil/Ac Milan): The 23 year old really shined this season with a brilliant first half performance against Liverpool in the Champion’s League Final. Signing from São Paulo FC in 2003, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite scored 10 goals in 30 appearances winning the Italian Serie A Championship and the European Super Cup in his first season. Kaka’s best position is just behind the striker where his killer passing and arriving late in the box has quickly become his trademark.
FC- ADRIANO (Brazil/Inter Milan): A must signing for all players of Football Manager, Adriano Leite Ribeiro showed what a class striker he is with an impressive 15 goals in 16 appearances last season. A powerful and very skillful striker who seems to have been around for ages, Adriano is still only 23 and has an incredible future in front of him
FC- ANDREI SHEVCHENKO: (Ukraine/AC Milan): The last player to be picked in both the FIFpro and Bootroom World XI. Signing for $26 million from Dynamo Kyiv, Shevchenko will go down as one of the best strikers to grace Serie A. In December 2004, Shevchenko was named European Footballer of the Year after scoring the winning penalty against Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003. Shevchenko can score goals with both feet, is graced with great close control and pace that often leaves defenders for dead.
Music video codes [http://www.musicvideocode.org]
Tags : Business Intelligence BI Software Applications Twitter – Springersp2 Electric Motor Folding Bikes
Arsenal FC – A Club and Its Trophies
arsenal football club founded in 1886 is one of the most successful football club in the entire united kingdom. Starting from 1930-31 football season when the club won its first trophy, the team have won all the domestic titles in English football.
FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE
It recorded a total of 10 trophies in the formal English first division league (1930-31, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1937-38, 1947-48 1952-53, 1970-71, 1988-89, 1990-91).
arsenal was also runners-up on 3 football seasons during the period of first division league (1925-26, 1931-32, 1972-73).
PREMIER LEAGUE
Since 1992 when the present money spinning Barclays premier league started as F.A premier league arsenal has won the competition for 3 seasons (1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04).Which placed them second to Man United who has won the competition on 10 occasion with chelsea 2 times and Blackburn Rovers once. The club has been runners -up for a record 5 times (1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2004-05}
THE F.A CUP.
arsenal success story also extends to the prestigious F.A CUP where it has won the title on 10 occasions (1929-30, 1935-36, 1949-50, 1970-71, 1978-79, 1992-93, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05). Runners-up 7times (1926-27, 1931-32, 1951-52, 1971-72, 1977-78, 1979-80, 2000-01).
LEAGUE CUP.
The league is now called the Carling cup based on sponsorship is not left out on the silver ware stable of Arsenal were there 2 of the trophy.(1986-87, 1992-93). Runners-up 4 times (1967-68, 1968-69, 1987-88, 2006-07).
COMMUNITY SHIELD.
This is another competition in which Arsenal has made tremendous impact by winning the trophy on 12 occasions (1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004). Runners-up 7 times (1935, 1936, 1979, 1989, 1993,2003, 2005)
In Europe arsenal has not fare so well, appearing once in the Uefa champion league final in 2005-06 and finishing as runners-up to Barcelona f.c of spain who won by 2-1 in Monaco. Arsenal was the winner of Uefa cup winners cup champions (1993-94) and 2 times runner-up (1979-80, 1994-95) football seasons. Uefa cup runners-up in 1999-2000, runners-up Uefa super cup 1994.
Arsenal hold some significant records which includes
The club was the second club to win double in the twentieth century(1970-71) which they have repeated on two different seasons (2003-04, 2005-06).Arsenal is also the first london based club to reach the Uefa champions league final.
Arsenal football club has so many glorious moments made possible by many great footballers both at present and in the past, to read more on the history of this great football club visit arsenal historical facts blog.
Tags : Best Healthy Blogs Canon EOS 1D Mark IV Digital SLR Camera Electric Motor Folding Bikes Twitter – Springersp2
ESPN ScoreCenter XL iPad App Review
The ESPN ScoreCenter XL iPad app first appeared as an iPhone app but ESPN made the conversion to fully utilize the iPads unique capabilities. If you are a sports fan of any sort, this will be one of the first apps you will install. It’s just $4.99 and is ridiculously inexpensive considering you barely get a combo meal at your favorite fast food restaurant for that price. You’ll likely make a lot new friends as everyone will be asking you for the last score.
The Sports Center app offers live play-by-play, game highlights, in-game statistics, stat summaries, box scores, league standings and more. There’s play-by-play commentary of previous games as well as video highlights.
Installation is simple as all you have to do is select the app and wait a minute. When first using the ESPN ScoreCenter XL iPad app you will see it has two sections – myTeams and Top Events – and you can customize content display as well as choose which section to start first. What’s great about this app is the video. I prefer watching it to ESPN SportsCenter on TV as I can quickly go to the highlights of my favorite team and player. What’s also fun is you can watch the full game preview as well as post game interviews. The App can stream live video, new and highlights on both 3G and WIFI.
A sample list of sports covered by this ESPN SportsCenter App:
- Major League Baseball (MLB)
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- National Football League (NFL)
- National Hockey League (NHL)
- NCAA Basketball, Football, Ice Hockey, Baseball, and more
- Over 100 global and regional soccer leagues and tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Liga BBVA and much more
- Auto Racing including NASCAR, Formula 1, Indy car
- Golf
- Tennis
- Cricket
- Rugby Union
- Top Events featuring big events like boxing, MMA and cycling
John Noel has been a Apple user and technology expert for over a decade. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley holding a Masters in Computer Science. Come visit his website at http://www.myappworld.com/ which helps people find the best iPad apps like the ESPN ScoreCenter as well as the latest Apple products and iPad accessories.
See Also : SOA Nursing Online Degree Best Healthy Blogs Twitter – Springersp2 Electric Motor Folding Bikes
How to Enjoy World Cup 2010 Within the Comforts of Your Own Home
Waka, Waka…World Cup 2010 is finally here. And the excitement is building up to a feverish pitch. Don’t fret if you can’t make it to South Africa. You can enjoy the World Cup 2010 from within the comforts of your own home. Here are a few tips on how to make the World Cup 2010, a truly unforgettable experience for you.
1. Invest in a giant-screen LCD Television: If you’re TV is still 21″, then you have got to make the change. Bigger is better for live football action. Whether you’re rooting for Maradonna’s men or the Italian defending champions or the Brazilian crowd-pullers, you can enjoy the game a whole lot better on a giant-screen TV.
2. Grab some football merchandise: Be it Brazilian flags, Argentina t-shirts, Italy bracelets or Jamaica caps, grab some cool soccer merchandise. If you are an England football team fan, buy some England track jackets to match. There are even Brazil team watches available online for the die-hard football fan. Buy some more t-shirts and shorts for your friends.
3. Host World Cup 2010 parties: Invite some friends over to watch a game. Keep the chips and the dip ready. Grab some beers. And sport your favorite team’s attire. Wave the flag. Cheer for your favorite football team and boo the opponent. Rejoice the victory or console each other in defeat. Make the party electrifying with some Waka, Waka tunes and groovy Shakira tunes. It’s almost as good as watching the game alive. Only you get to do it within your home.
So, what if you cannot fly to South Africa. Bring the World Cup to your home. Cheer on! This time for Africa!
Find quality soccer merchandise online. Cheer for your favorite football team with a wide range of World Cup 2010 football merchandise like Argentina t-shirts and Brazil team watches.
See Also : Job Resume Samples Distance Education Online Twitter – Springersp2 Electric Motor Folding Bikes