Fiesta Time at Upton Park!

Blimey! What exactly is in those bubbles that they're blowing down at West Ham these days? The club that has been regularly running out Bobby Zamora this year has now swooped for both Machurano and Tevez. I'm excited. I've been waiting for quite a while to see Carlito in regular action and I'm certainly happier to see him coming to West Ham than to ManYoo.

What say you, Trevor?

Another Spinal Tap Drummer????

Offbeat

Are you brave enough?
Jinxed Team Needs Keeper
Updated: 11:23, Wednesday August 30, 2006

An unlucky football team has lost 15 goalkeepers in just one year.

The Fighting Cocks got through 13 goalkeepers because of injuries and bust-ups last season.

The players put it down to bad luck, but then saw that luck continue before the new season had even started.

The pub team's two remaining keepers were struck down.

During a pre-season friendly match, one ended up with cracked ribs and a torn kidney. The other pulled a muscle in his back and sprained a wrist.

Team treasurer Steve Skelhorn told the Daily Mirror: "It is unbelievable. Last year was our first season of playing and we got through 13 goalkeepers.

"It seems that everyone who puts the gloves on gets injured."

Injuries suffered last season included a broken leg, a dislocated shoulder and a dislocated finger.

The Sunday League team, based in Gosport, Hants, has appealed for a brave keeper to step forward.

Dempsey on WSD

Another excellent interview yesterday on World Soccer Daily with Clint Dempsey. For those of you who don't follow the Beautiful Game here in the U.S., the New England Revolution have underperformed this season after making the MLS Cup Final last season largely due to the unsettled status of their two biggest stars Taylor Twellman and Clint Dempsey. The MLS has held up a move for Dempsey to Charlton for 2 million pounds because they valued him higher. This is becoming a big issue in the league and his comments on WSD were quite interesting. Check it out.

Classic Arsenal vs. L'pool Footage

Can't believe that FSC doesn't show this classic instead of all those Man U scrimmages

Hargreaves: No United Move

The papers are reporting this morning that "Owen Hargreaves has 'no chance' of joining Manchester United before the transfer window closes.United are reportedly ready to pay £17million for the Bayern Munich player but the German club seem determined to retain him."

Read the full story at:

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_1457307,00.html

Footie Trivia Question of the Week

I've been heartened by the number of Americans playing in the Premiership this season, so here's a three part question that addresses that:

1. How many Americans played in the Premiership last weekend?

2. Who were they?

3. What teams did they represent?

Sunday's Games

Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
Blackburn vs Chelsea
and
Sheff Wed. vs Leeds United

Premiership Live!

It's the second Saturday of the Premiership season. Join me for the festivities, lads!

England Squad for Andorra and Macedonia

Alright, I'm all for experimentation on the part of a new manager, but Steve McClaren's having a laugh with the squad that he announced today to meet England's first two opponents - Andorra and Macedonia - next Saturday and Wednesday. Sure, Rooney is suspended, Owen is crocked and Becks has been consigned to the dustbin of footie history, but really! There are just too many players on this list that would give me indigestion if they actually ever came on for England, including Wes "The 'Orrible Orange" Brown, Phil Neville, Jermaine Jenas, and Andy Johnson. What happened to the "Golden Generation?"

Here's the squad:

Robinson (Tottenham), Kirkland (Liverpool), Foster (Man Utd), A Cole (Arsenal), Young (Charlton), P Neville (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Brown (Man Utd), Dawson (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Carrick (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Jenas (Tottenham), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Richardson (Man Utd), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lennon (Tottenham), Defoe (Tottenham), Bent (Charlton), Johnson (Everton), Crouch (Liverpool)

Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Premiership Funnies

These are some quality moments from the last Premiership season. I especially like the Chelsea mascot punking Stevie G. in the tunnel. But Stevie - good man - just gives him a pat on the cheek. Enjoy!

Steve Harris - Hammer and Metal God!

Okay, you lot are hopeless, so here's the answer to the last trivia question. It was of course Steve Harris, lead guitarist for Iron Maiden and former West Ham midfielder. Here he is in all his metal and footie glory. Not sure that that hair is regulation, though.

Champions League Draw

Group A
BARCELONA
Chelsea
Werder Bremen
Levski Sofia

Group B
INTER MILAN
Bayern Munich
Sporting Lisbon
Spartak Moscow

Group C
LIVERPOOL
PSV Eindhoven
Bordeaux
Galatasaray

Group D
VALENCIA
Roma
Olympiakos
Shakhtar Donetsk

Group E
REAL MADRID
Lyon
Steaua Bucharest
Dynamo Kiev

Group F
MANCHESTER UNITED
Celtic
Benfica
FC Copenhagen

Group G
ARSENAL
Porto
CSKA Moscow
Hamburg

Group H
AC MILAN
Lille
AEK Athens
Anderlecht

Your thoughts?
Good for United, Liverpool and Arsenal? Not for Chelsea?

Wednesday Night's Games

So, what does everyone think about tonight's games?

Another Trivial Fact

What did the winners of the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year awards for 1964, 1965 and 1966 have in common?

A) They all played for Man United
B) They all played for Leeds
C) They were all Scottish
D) They were all called Bobby

Carling Cup First Round!

Yes! It's the big one! The start of the long and winding road that is the Carling Cup. It's a majestic competition and Leeds start with mighty Chester in the First Round today.

Oh, and the Champion's League and Premiership are on too this afternoon, for those of you interested in that tosh. Join me?

The Curse (cont.)

Oh Dear... Bobby Pires out for 6 months with a medial strain.

Green Street Hooligans

A friend of mine saw this movie. This is what he said about it.

It is about an American kid who gets expelled from Harvard, so he decides to visit his sister who married and lives in England. His sister's brother-in-law runs the hooligan organization that follows West Ham. He becomes one of them and we see various riots between themselves and the other club hooligans. In one scene, they outsmart the MU hooligans and beat the fuck out of them at the Manchester train station.

Have any of you seen it? If you have, what did you think?

Dave

Footie Trivia Question of the Week

In an homage to last night's highly entertaining Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner, I'm working some "blue material" into the trivia this week. Thus:

"Which Premiership manager has two brothers who are nicknamed Dick and Cock?"

Get on it, lads!

ARE YOU GUYS NERVOUS

19 MINUTES OF THE SEASON GONE!!!!

70s Telly Catchphrases

This is good fun. I recently came across a long list of catchphrases from classic British telly shows. Who said the following?:

1. Nice to see you - to see you nice!

2. Ooh, please yourselves!

3. I'm free!

4. You stupid boy.

5. Lovely Jubbly.

6. Boom Boom!

7. Well, I never....

8. Power to the people!

9. ...And it's goodnight from him.

10. He's from Barcelona.

11. How tickled I am.

12. I've started so I'll finish.

13. Oh, Miss Jones!

14. The play what I wrote.

15. Ying Tong Iddle I po.

16. It's make your mind up time.

17. Creamy, muck muck.

18. Exterminate! Exterminate!

Have a go lads!

Premiership Live!!

Here we go!! The first day of the Prem. I am listening to Sheffield United vs Liverpool on Five Live. I have no idea why it isn't blacked out. Let's hope it is like this all season!!!

Predictions, Predictions, Predictions

We're all set to kick off the new Premiership season tomorrow and it's time for predictions. I'll kick this off and let you make what you want with it. If anyone has time to calculate points for predictions and keep track of it, fair enough. I know I won't be able to during the academic year. Here's what I'm predicting:


Premiership Champions - Liverpool

Runners Up - Arsenal

Champions League Qualifiers - Chelsea and Spurs

Relegated Teams: Watford, Sheffield United and Fulham

Top Scorer - Jermaine Defoe (Spurs)

Promoted from Coke - Southhampton, West Brom, and Leeds (!)

Champion's League Winners - Barcelona

Carling Cup Winners - Spurs

F.A. Cup Winners - ManYoo

On the Eve of the Premiership

After this weekend's fixtures, there will have been a total of 40 teams that have played in the Premiership. Can you name them?
A better way to answer the question... name the 20 missing teams from this year.

England vs Greece Post Match Comments

What are your thoughts of the beginning of the McClaren Era?

Andy Van Der Meyde

OK. Now I'm paying attention. Last weekend, this bloke ends up in the hospital because his drink is spiked while in a bar. Today, it's reported that his home has been burgled and that the burglars have taken his dog!!

Don't look in the pot that's simmering on the stove Andy!

ENGLAND'S STARTING ELEVEN

Great captain that John Terry is!!! Hacks down Ashton and he is out of the match with Greece.
What do you think of the line up?

England team to face Greece in a friendly at Old Trafford tomorrow:

Robinson, G Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Lampard, Downing, Defoe, Crouch.

Looks like Hargreaves and Lampard in the middle, Downing on the left(Boro ties), and Gerrard on the right.
Can you get any more little and large up front?

Dave

Footie Trivia Question of the Week

With a spate of internationals coming up on Wednesday, here's a tricky one related to international matches:

"Which former Premiership player once came in as a substitute in an international match in order to replace his father?"

Go to it, lads.

Bobby Convey on WSD!

Hey podcast lovers out there, I wanted to alert you to an excellent interview with Reading and U.S. international Bobby Convey on Friday's World Soccer Daily podcast. It starts at about the forty minute mark and lasts about half an hour. Steven Cohen puts the hard questions to him and he answers with admirable candor. Good lad!

The Community Shield Live!

It's the traditional curtain raiser of the season. Liverpool vs. Chelski. A tantalizing prospect. I know you'll join me from 10 a.m. on. It's live on FSC.

Leeds vs. Palace Live!

Selhurst Park has been a happy hunting ground for the Leeds boys in recent years. Here's to another successful London trip. Any of you early birds join me for this crack of dawn kickoff? C'mon - wakey wakey!

It's the Real Thing!

Yes, it's Matchday Three for the Coke and - while the tricky away fixture for Leeds against top of the table Palace has been mysteriously postponed for a day - there is still plenty of interest in this list of fixtures that FSC deigns not to broadcast:

Cardiff v Coventry

Colchester v Barnsley

Hull v Derby

Leicester v Ipswich

Norwich v Luton

QPR v Southend

Sheff Wed v Burnley

Southampton v West Brom

Sunderland v Plymouth

It all kicks off in just a few minutes and Five Live will be broadcasting it.

BECKHAM GONE BYE BYE

So Beckham has been dropped by McClaren for his first squad. Do you all agree?
Also out is Campbell and James!!
There is some new blood and some old.

Here is the full squad.

Robinson (Tottenham), Kirkland (Liverpool), Foster (Man Utd); Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), A Cole (Arsenal), Dawson (Tottenham), Ferdinand (Man Utd), G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Everton), Terry (capt, Chelsea), Young (Charlton); Downing (Middlesbrough), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Richardson (Man Utd), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea); Ashton (West Ham), Bent (Charlton), Crouch (Liverpool), Defoe (Tottenham).

Cashley on Record

Ah, it could have been so different, but ultimately, I'm sick of him and want him gone at any price now. Now he's got a book out that purports to trash the club as well. Bugger, bugger, bugger-off!!!

Terry is England's New Captain

John Terry has been announced as England's new captain. I'm a little anxious about his lax performances during the World Cup, but I still back the move. What about the rest of you?

Fox Football Fone-in!~

Fox Football Friday is dead - long live Fox Football Fone-in! Yes, FSC finally announced their plans for the fall season. They've scrapped the Friday night show, but have retained Nick Geber and Steven Cohen from FFF for a new two-hour call-in show on Tuesday nights. It'll air from 8-10 p.m. and apparently will be filmed in a radio studio - perhaps the one used for World Soccer Daily? - instead of the fake pub set they had for the past season.

In more FSC news: the full implications of the Setanta deal are seen in the first weekend of programming. Setanta have first choice in every time slot apart from the Sunday 11 a.m. slot. That means for the first weekend that Setanta will be showing the Liverpool game at 7:30 a.m., the ManYoo game at 10 a.m. and the Arsenal game on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. These games won't be available on PPV or anywhere else but Setanta. The Chelsea game will be on live at 11 a.m. Sunday. That's likely to be the pattern for the season. So, those of you who support the big boys have two options - get the dish or start supporting Bolton!

Footie Trivia Question of the Week

With the Community Shield coming up on Sunday, here's a topical one for you.

"The highest scoring game in Shield history was a twelve goal thriller in 1911. Who won and by what score?"

The Road Begins Here

No Thierry! No Freddie! No Jens! No Cashley!
Will Arsenal advanced?
Are you confident Steve?
Today it begins.

Rooney Sees Red....Again!

Did any of you see this? Wayne Rooney, in his first match since being sent off against Portugal in the WC, saw red again on Friday in the Amsterdam Tournament. Again it was a Portuguese involved. I think it's harsh - he clearly leads with his elbow as he goes up for the ball and clocks the Porto player, but I reckon it's unintentional.

Take a look at the clip and judge it for yourself.

The Most AWESOMIST Music Video EVER...(to date)

Found this when it reached 400% humidity the other day.

Davey-boy, lucky that JHJ didn't have to compete with this!

MLS All-Star Game!

If the Coke kickoff hasn't slated your thirst for footie today, keep in mind that there is the MLS All-Star game on this evening. Ordinarily this naff exhibition game wouldn't be of much interest, unless you're a huge Chris Albright fan. However, this will be the first chance to see the new look Chelski side as they take on a group of "MLS All-Stars." Jose Mourinho's boys will be without the services of Michael Ballack, who's not fully fit, and William Gallas, who's thrown a wobbly for no apparent reason this summer, but otherwise they should be at full strength with Sheva, Lamps, Cole, Robben and Terry on show. Could be fun. I won't be watching live, but I'll no doubt have some comments after I view the tape later tonight.

You can see it at 6:30 on ESPN.

The Coke Season Preview

The Coca Cola Championship kicks off tomorrow. Since none of you Premiership lot gives a toss about the Coke, I'm going to initiate the discussion of the Championship on the blog and hopefully Blubber will chip in about his beloved Tractor Boys. Here's how I'm predicting the Coke will break down this season:



The Contenders:

*Birmingham - Newly relegated but has shed a lot of dead weight.
*Coventry - Micky Adams will lead his side at least to the playoffs.
*Derby - New manager Billy Davies took PNE to the playoffs last season.
*Leeds - Rob Hulse is gone, but several new canny signings have come in.
*WBA - Most likely to yoyo; haven't sold many players; John Hartson in.

Bubbling Under:

Crystal Palace - New boss Peter Taylor needs a year to organize the side.
Ipswich - New manager Jim Magilton; no new players in.
Leicester City - Statis; another season in the Coke.
Preston - Lots of changes over the summer after a playoff campaign.
Sunderland - Bottom relegated side last season; new boss Niall Quinn.

Also Rans:

Barnsley - Newly promoted; managed by Andy Ritchie.
Burnley - Good at home; not so good away from Turf Moor.
Cardiff - Lots of new signings this summer, but little quality.
Hull City - Lost Peter Taylor to Palace over the summer.
Luton - Will feel the loss of Kevin Nicholls to Leeds.
Norwich - Much hope pinned on new striker Robbie Earnshaw.
Stoke City - Very little happening on the market.
Wolves - Chaos over summer with sacking of Hoddle; Mick McCarthy in.

Relegation Battlers:

Colchester - Newly promoted; sold off most of the side.
Plymouth - Will need to be organized in order to stay up.
QPR - Struggled to stay up last season.
Sheffield Wednesday - Struggled in Blades shadow last season.
Southend - Two successive promotions! Too much, too soon.

Come on you Leeds boys!

Bates to Nobble Chelski!

Good old Ken Bates may have redeemed himself in my eyes with news this morning that he's planning to bite the hand that once fed him by giving testimony against Chelski in a "tapping up" investigation. Let's hope it leads to a Juve-style punishment. Wouldn't we all love to see Jose and co. in the Coke next season?

MTV is 25!

Holy Simon Le Bon! I've just noticed that VH1 is celebrating the 25th anniversary of their parent channel MTV by broadcasting the entire first day of MTV.


I've just seen a video block of Pat Benatar, Split Enz and Nazareth back to back. So strap on that skinny tie and feast your eyes.

By the by, here's another trivia question for the trivia master: What was the first vid played by MTV way back on August 1, 1981?

Meet the New Boss!

Steve McLaren began his new odyssey as England manager today, bringing with him a reputation as more a coach than manager, a somewhat sketchy record at Boro and the promise that he'll be "different from Sven." But what exactly does that mean? No more Owen Hargreaves?