Who's Staying and Who's Going?

The Premiership transfer window ends this evening at 6 pm GMT (1 pm EST). As is tradition, there should be a flurry of last minute activity as clubs scramble to offload or add to their squads. This one should be particularly interesting as the moneybags clubs adjust to the new Premiership rules in terms of squad size and make-up. Stay tuned for updates throughout the day.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 3

Another week in the Premiership gone by and the Arsenal fans are still up on the top - it's Simon's turn again at the summit. No points for Golden Goal again as their are now four players with four goals under their belts. Here's the current table:

1. Simon Burke – 19 points
2. AZ Kicker – 17 points
3. Gooner71 – 17 points
4. Blue Devil – 14 points
5. Man Utd Rules – 8 points
6. West Ham Rising – 8 points
7. Blubber Boy – 7 points
8. United We Stand – 6 points
9. Matthew – 5 points
10.Someone Said – 5 points
11. Thomas – 5 points

Premiership Quiz

I found this online quiz. You have 18 minutes to fill in the blanks for the top 3 goalscorers for each team that's been in the Premiership. Good luck with Barnsley and Swindon Town.

READY?

The Euros Begin

I want to apologize for this picture but it is just the way I feel about his squad! Fourteen of these were part of the 23 in South Africa! If Lampard and Terry were fit, I am sure it would be up to 16!
Scott Carson! Lescott! SWP!

Your thoughts?

Here is the squad in full

Carson, Foster, Hart, Cahill, A Cole, Dawson, Gibbs, Jagielka, G Johnson, Lescott, Upson, Barry, Carrick, Gerrard, Johnson, Milner, Walcott, Wright-Phillips, Young, Bent, C Cole, Crouch, Defoe, Rooney.

Sunday in the Prem

Ah, the Sunday crossword, a bagel and cup of coffee and some footer on the telly. Does it get any better? If you're loving it too, join me on the LOB this morning:

Bolton v. Brum
Pool v. WBA
Sunderland v. Citeh
Villa v. Everton

Somewhat of a Trivia Question

I heard an interesting fact during Sky Sports this evening. Bloomfield Road became the 51st ground to host a Premier League match. I think there have been 42 teams that have played in the Premier League. That is including Wimbledon. Where are the other grounds. I have most of them but I think I missing a couple

Good luck gentlemen

Anyone Up for Some Early Morning Arsing About?

I'm up early to check out Arsenal's trip to Ewood Park, not their happiest hunting grounds in recent years, to take on Fat Sam's Blackburn. Anyone care to join me?

2010/11 CL Groups

Group A- Inter, Bremen, Spurs, Twente
Group B- Lyon, Benfica, Schalke, Hapoel
Group C- MANCHESTER UNITED, Valencia, Rangers, Bursaspor
Group D- Barcelona, Panathanaikos, Copenhagen, Kazan
Group E- Munich, Roma, Basel, Cluj
Group F- CHELSEA, Marseille, Spartak, Zilina
Group G- Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre
Group H- ARSENAL, Shakhtar, Braga, Partizan

MLS Players' Salaries 2010

Here's a list of players' salaries for 2010. Some pretty crazy numbers both on the high and low side.


Click Here

Carling Cup Second Round Live!

We swing into the second round of the Carling Cup today. I'll have a special eye on Elland Road, where my Leeds boys will be taking on Leicester City. Should be an interesting afternoon - join me if you can.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 2

With Citeh's demolition of Pool this afternoon, we've come to end of a fascinating Week 2 in English footie. Last week, Arsenal fan Simon led the group and this week it's Gooner71 that's top of the heap. Do we see a pattern? Here are the standings after this weekend:

1. Gooner71 – 20 points
2. AZ Kicker – 19 points
3. Simon Burke – 19 points
4. Blue Devil – 17 points
5. Blubber Boy – 10 points
6. Man Utd Rules – 8 points
7. Thomas – 8 points
8. United We Stand – 8 points
9. Matthew – 7 points
10. Someone Said – 4 points
11. West Ham Rising – 4 points

AZ Kicker to Wigan?

I was under the impression that our AZ Kicker was playing under the name of Lee Carsley, but I stand corrected.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/23/wigan-athletic-sign-steven-caldwell

Citeh v. Pool Live!

It's the end of Week 2 in the Premiership and we've got another tantalizing match-up this afternoon. Moneybags City vs. Roy Hodgson's Liverpool side at the City of Manchester Stadium. If you're around and taking a peek at the match today, let's be hearing from you!

Footie Trivia Question of the Week

We haven't done a trivia question in quite a while but I caught this one on one of the broadcasts over the weekend and thought it might make a good one:

"Which four players have notched consecutive hat-tricks in Premiership games?"

Good luck, lads!

A United Sunday

Manchester United take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. United need a victory to keep pace with Chelski. Join us at 11 AM as the match is televised on FSC.

The Saturday Early Show!

I'll be waking up with the chickens tomorrow to follow my beloved Leeds boys taking on the villainous Millwall at Elland Road. Then we have one of the most fascinating ties of the day - plucky Blackpool at the Emirates to meet Arsenal. Then at 12:30 we get a chance to see if Chelski can better their total from last week as they go to Wigan. Join me for all the usual LOB coverage!

Europa League...You're Having a Laugh!

The Europa League kicks off in earnest tonight with several play-off matches featuring English sides. If you're around, drop in for a cuppa and a natter on the LOB. Cheers!

The 15 Most Overrated American Writers

You'll that I like a list more than most and I found this one of the most overrated novelists in the U.S. fascinating. I have to admit that I've only read four of them, so I'll be interested in your opinions. I completely agree with Shivani about William Vollmann's obsession with the Southeast Asian sex trade and Junot Diaz's lame attempt at street cred, but I've enjoyed both of Jonathan Safran Foer's novels and Jhumpa Lahiri's first book of short stories and particularly "The Namesake." Your thoughts on the following?

1. William Vollmann
2. Amy Tan
3. John Ashbery
4. Mary Oliver
5. Helen Vendler
6. Antonya Nelson
7. Sharon Olds
8. Jorie Graham
9. Jonathan Safran Foer
10. Jhumpa Lahiri
11. Junot Diaz
12. Louise Gluck
13. Michael Cunningham
14. Billy Collins
15. Michiko Kakutani

Read the piece by cutting the pasting the following:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/the-15-most-overrated-con_b_672974.html

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 1

It was a fabulous and fascinating first full weekend of English footer. Would among us could have predicted that Blackpool would be second to Chelski after hitting Wigan for four? Or that recently promoted Millwall would be top of the Championship? Or that Didier Drogba would lead the Golden Boot stakes? Okay - that one's fairly predictable. Anyway - here's the table so far:

1. Simon Burke – 18 points
2. AZ Kicker – 16 points
3. Blue Devil – 14 points
4. Gooner71 – 14 points
5. West Ham Rising – 10 points
6. Man Utd Rules – 6 points
7. Blubber Boy – 5 points
8. United We Stand – 5 points
9. Matthew – 4 points
10. Thomas – 4 points
11. Someone Said – 2 points

The Season REALLY Begins Today!

My season really starts today
The cream of the division starts at home against newly promoted Newcastle
Join me as we follow on ESPN2

UWS

Happy Birthday, Bivalve!

Many happy returns on your birthday, Betsy. Hope you and yours had a special day. It was great seeing you last weekend.

Super Sunday!

We're barely started into the season and already we've got some titanic match-ups. Join me this morning for my Leeds boys at the City Ground Nottingham to meet Forest and then the big one - Liverpool v. Arsenal at Anfield. It doesn't get any better.

THE BATTLE BEGINS!

HERE WE GO EVERYONE... HERE WE GO!
Blue Devil will be here. UWS will be here. MUR will be there. Gooner will be here


Best of luck all of you for the upcoming season


UWS

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Last Chance!

Last chance to to join our Premiership Predictions game for the 2010/11 season, lads. All you need to do is to post the following choices:

* Champions (8 pts)
* Champions League Qualifiers (i.e., #s 2-4 in EPL) (3 points each plus a bonus point for correct order)
* Potential Europa League Qualifiers (i.e., #s 5-7 in EPL) (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Relegated sides (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Promoted sides from Championship (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Carling Cup winner (6 points)
* FA Cup winner (8 points)
* CL Winner (10 points)
* Premiership top scorer (6 points)

Best of luck!

More Football on ESPN

More good news for American footer fans. ESPN has just contracted with FSC to broadcast 74 matches over the course of the next three seasons. As we all know, this starts on Saturday morning bright and early at 7:30 am with the intriguing match-up between Spurs and Citeh. See you then!

Read more here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-08-11-61200188_x.htm

England v. Hungary Live!

No one seems to want this friendly match versus Turkey, but it's here nonetheless. We'll see if the Three Lions do any better than the US side last night. Join me to find out from 3pm EST.

The U.S. Meet the Boys from Brazil

In there first match since South Africa 2010, the U.S. men invite Brazil into their lion's den. I'm a bit late getting to this one from work, but join me if you're around this evening.

Carling Cup First Round Live!

Whew! We're barely into the beginning of the Football League season and suddenly we've already been flung into the hurly burly of the Carling Cup. Pompey pulled off a smash and grab at Stevenage yesterday to get us started. Of course my eyes are all on Elland Road where I'm hoping that we can get our season back on track with a nice, easy win against Lincoln City this afternoon. Join me from 2:45 pm EST for all the action.

LOB Rock the LHS Reunion!

The Lakenheath High School Reunion took over the Sheraton Colonial Hotel in Wakefield, MA this weekend and a great time was had by all! We talked into the wee hours about 80s pop, favorite Python sketches, and the glories of the 1982 UK soccer champs. It was great to see you MUR and Bivalve - let's do it again soon!

Johnny Hates Jazz are back!!

I hope you don't mind me wandering off from the footer for just a while. A fellow Lakenheath Alumni is getting back into the news! My brother Mike is back working with Johnny Hates Jazz! I know he is going to hate me posting this but I want LOB to be fully behind the reincarnation of the band! My sister sent me this interesting interview with the lead singer Clark Datcheler. If you have the time, take a listen. Just go to the following website and click the arrow underneath "Clarke interview for Heart FM Spain" It starts off with the "Turn Back the Clock" but then goes into the interview
Enjoy


http://johnnyhatesjazzfansite.com/#/interviews/4539309732

Premiership Plus Predictions Game!

After the roaring success of our LOB World Cup Predictions Game, I've decided to initiate another similar game for the upcoming English domestic season. What I need from all of you to get started is your choices in the following categories:

* Champions (8 pts)
* Champions League Qualifiers (i.e., #s 2-4 in EPL) (3 points each plus a bonus point for correct order)
* Potential Europa League Qualifiers (i.e., #s 5-7 in EPL) (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Relegated sides (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Promoted sides from Championship (2 points each plus bonus point for correct order)
* Carling Cup winner (6 points)
* FA Cup winner (8 points)
* CL Winner (10 points)
* Premiership top scorer (6 points)

If you've got any suggestions for additional categories or think the points are not quite right, let me know.

LHS Reunion Boston Preview

The 2010 Reunion kicks off in Wakefield, MA tomorrow evening, so I thought you might like to see the list of attendees from the early 80s:

1982 Dahlgren Bob
1982 Felkay Margaret (nee Geaney)
1982 Hogan Elizabeth
1982 Penfield Greg
1982 Saunders Betsy (nee Allain)
1983 Bird Ginger (nee Gardner)
1983 Geaney David
1983 Goldstein David
1983 Hill Catherine
1983 Lovegren Stacey
1983 Lovegren Tracey
1983 Mays Deirdre
1983 Perkins Lenny (nee Sutherland)
1983 Toole Yvonne (nee Johnson)
1983 Goddard Darrell
1983 Noone Ursula
Faculty Albert Gordon
Faculty Albert Sharon

So, the LOB contingent will number three this weekend. 1980 - where are ya? I'll be driving out Saturday to meet up with fellow LOBers - looking forward to it!

Running with Chicken!

I came across this piss-take of the movie "Precious" on the "Doug Love Movies" podcast recently. It features the comedy/music duo "Garfunkel and Oates" (Kate Miccuci and Riki Lindhome), well, running with chicken. (Warning: Not safe for work or kids!) Enjoy!