What do you want for your 70th Birthday?

THE TOP... WHAT TOP?..... THE VERY TOP!!!
Sir Alex on his throne!

There are some other games on too!

JOIN ME BOYS

UWS

The Opening Act

Can you Adam and Eve it? We have Friday night EPL action as the opening match of the New Years Day weekend is Liverpool vs Newcastle United. The main news is that fee scoring Demba Ba starts for Newcastle while not so free scoring Andy Carroll starts against his former club. We even have action from the lower divisions. The main act is tomorrow and if you don't know what that is then you may not be a true EPL fan. Come join us for some Friday night footie.

Straight Outta Croydon....

Here's my early tip for Music Sensation of 2012. Meet 17 year-old Archy Marshall (aka "Zoo Kid;" aka "King Krule;" aka "djjdsports"). Looks a wee bit like Tintin, broad South London accent, sounds a bit pissed at times, but has apparently been creating this fantastic body of vaguely dubstep work with a heavily reverbed guitar and a sampler out of the bedroom of his mum's flat on some awful council estate that you can see in the backdrop to this debut video. If no one else has claimed it, let me dub this stuff "Strumstep." He's just dropped his first EP as "King Krule;" watch for a major full-length release in 2012. Enjoy!

Footie Moments of 2011

In this space last year, I was hoping for mere survival for my beloved Leeds United. Well, we did survive (and, indeed, just barely missed out on the playoffs) and will likely survive again this season with 15 points to get in the second half of the season. But the bloom is off the rose at this point and our season is over for all intents and purposes; I'd argue the same for all but a handful of sides at top and bottom of the various divisions. So, what keeps us tuning in? Here are my highlights from 2011:

Team of the Season - Barcelona: Sorry, ManYoo fans, but the Catalan club's demolition of your lot in the Champions League Final at Wembley was a master class of tiki taka , especially David Villa's sublime third goal.


Player of the Year - Lionel Messi: He hasn't yet proven himself as one of the greats at international level (still the pinnacle of football IMHO), but there several moments this past season when the unstoppable Barca schemer had me leaping off the couch and applauding his exploits like a crazy person.

Match of the Year - Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 (February 5, 2011): Gooner won't want to relive this one but this 4-4 thriller showed us again why the world loves the English Premier League. Arsenal were famous 0-4 at half time and cruising. By the time Cheik Tiote hit the improbable volleyed equalizer, we were all losing our minds.

Goals of the Season: Germany's three training pitch style goals against a stunned Holland team in a November 15th friendly set down a marker for next year's European Championships in Poland/Ukraine. If you missed them, watch and marvel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPigFubRlm8. Oh - and that recent Robin van Persie volleyed goal was a bit tasty too, wasn't it?

Villains of the Season: Sepp Blatter and the FIFA suits win again, following up their attempts to ruin the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with more rotten ideas borne of corruption. Blatter's recent statement that players suffering racist abuse should just shake hands and get on with it was especially shameful and should have led to his dismissal.

Comedy Moment of the Year: The Gooner has reminded me that I would be remiss if I were to forget the many, many moments of comic relief provided by Citeh's mercurial striker Mario Balotelli during this last year, including this masterpiece during Citeh's summer friendly against the Galaxy. Relive the classic Balo backheel effort here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsN6svBWYg0

Hopes for the New Year: Once again, it's survival for LUFC with the outside hope of a playoff shot; however, promotion to the Premiership would be a mistake. I would shudder to think of the likes of RVP, Aguerro and Rooney running at the likes of Andy O'Brien and Tom Lees. My brain says England stumble through the group stage and go out to either Spain or Italy in the Euros but I hope I'm wrong and that we can compete with the big boys. That's it - very modest hopes.

What about the rest of you lot - what kept you glued to the Beautiful Game in 2011?

India does have talent

You have to see this. Everything's fine until about the 49th second. And then, it's crazy time.

More Festive Footie Action

I've just about lost track of the days at this point. Yesterday felt like a Saturday; goodness knows what day it is today. But one thing I do know is that there is a small slate of Premiership matches on tap today, starting with Arsenal v. Wolves at 10am EST. Join me for the Christmas hangover football.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Jingle bells, Arsenal smell, ManYoo ran away - oh, what fun it is to beat Derby on Boxing Day, eh? Ah yes, that joke never gets old and neither does settling in for a day of the footer after a bellyload of holiday larding the day before. So, get yourself a cuppa and join me this morning.

The Queen's Christmas Message

Merry Christmas to all in the LOB family!

Movies of 2011

Time to take stock of this year’s movies. This was the year that the Netflix bosses’ greed nearly brought down the franchise. Despite this, I stayed loyal – while dropping back to a 1-disc-in-the-mail contract – as the service remains invaluable in bringing off-beat indie, foreign and documentary films to western New York. I kept up my regular correspondence with the managers of the local cinemas in the hope that my solo hectoring might encourage them toward more edgy programming. Finally, let me recommend the “Doug Love Movies” podcast, hosted by comedian Doug Benson and featuring a panel of fellow movie-loving comics discussing the latest releases and playing the legendary Leonard Maltin game.

Here were the ones that I enjoyed most in the dark this year:

1. Win Win – Tom McCarthy’s latest miracle of a movie starred Paul Giamatti as a small town lawyer and Amy Ryan as his wife who take in a young waif who revolutionizes Giamatti’s high school wrestling team. It dealt honestly and with humor with the issues that face most American families today.

2. In a Better World –This Danish drama Oscar winner posed the question that underscores a lot of the problems in this world – how to combat violence both in one’s life and on the larger stage. Two fathers with two very different answers try to steer their sons in the right direction with varying degrees of success. It’s a fascinating two hours.

3. Beginners – In Mike Mills’ autobiographic effort, Ewan McGregor stands in as Mills as he suffers the loss of his mother and then faces up to his father (Christopher Plummer) coming out of the closet after fifty years of seemingly happy marriage. There’s just enough humor – largely centered a subtitled Jack Russell Terrier – to leaven the heavy stuff.

4. The Trip – It’s a deceptively simple premise: two brilliant British comic actors – Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden – tour some of the most beautiful spots in the north of England, all the while eating at some of the best restaurants in Britain and practicing their Michael Caine impressions. Hilarious from beginning. Get the DVD for over an hour of extra footage!

5. The Descendants – It’s been far too long since Alexander Payne’s last movie – Sideways. In this George Clooney vehicle based in Hawaii, he doesn’t disappoint. The setting and soundtrack are beautiful and Clooney has never put in a more nuanced and honest performance.

6. Miral – Julian Schnabel’s new film about the Palestianian/Israeli conflict caused a real ruckus in NYC when it first came out and no wonder! It is an unflinching look at Israel’s human rights record and the struggle of Palestinian women against occupation since 1947.

7. Meek’s Cutoff – Michelle Williams plays the lead in a group of some of the most ill-equipped pioneers on the Oregon Trail in the mid 19th century. The bleak cinematography and ominous score tip the viewer off to their inevitable fates. Stunning.

8. Winter in Wartime – Occupied Holland is the backdrop for this compelling WWII drama featuring a young boy who takes up the role of secreting away a downed British flyer behind enemy lines. The film asks viewers to question whether they would have risked life and limb to do the right thing in extremely fraught circumstances.

9. Incendies – This French drama features two young kids who are challenged by their mother’s will to travel back to their Lebanese ancestral homeland to uncover the secrets of their family. What they find is both tragic and explosive.

10. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold – Morgan Spurlock’s latest documentary rests on a fascinating question – can he get corporations to fund a movie that’s critical of the manipulative practice of product placement.

Notable Others:

• Bobby Fischer Against the World
• Cedar Rapids
• The Conspirator
• Circumstance
• Everything Must Go
• The Future
• The Help
• Hot Coffee
• Jane Eyre
• Life in a Day
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• Moneyball
• Of Gods and Men
• Page Eight
• The Perfect Host
• When We Leave
• Young Adult

Disappointments:

• The Ides of March – A political drama directed and starring George Clooney, alongside bevy of Hollywood talent (Gosling, Hoffman, Giamatti, Tomei). So, why is this such a boring unappealing effort?

• Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen stuffs more clichés about “The City of Lights” into one movie than one would think possible. I won't spoil the main hook to the movie just in case some of you want to suffer through this one.

• Red State – For month’s there was festival buzz about Kevin Smith’s new thriller about a gun-toting cult. It starts promisingly but spins wildly out of control in the final reel.

• Tree of Life – Terence Malick’s new film is quite baffling at first. It’s opening half hour is almost National Geographic in its presentation of cosmic images. In the end, Malick’s exploration of his Christian faith is an artier version of Mel Gibson’s epics.

Ones That Haven't Made it to Fredonia Yet:

• The Artist
• The Iron Lady
• Melancholia
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Holiday Update

It's the holiday period - the traditional half way point of the English domestic footie season. While Citeh are sitting pretty on top the Premiership, they must be shaking their heads and looking over their shoulders at United, who are a mere two points behind despite somewhat spotty form this fall. At the bottom, Blackburn (with 10 points) must be all but relegated at this point - only once in Premiership history has the bottom club at Christmas survived the drop. Bolton also look in perilous territory. That leaves the pick of Wigan, Wolves and possibly QPR and Sunderland. Here are the current standings:

1. West Ham Rising – 21 points
2. Gooner71 – 18 pts
3. Someone Said – 16 pts
4. Thomas – 13 pts
5. AZ Kicker – 12 pts
- Blue Devil – 12 pts
- Matthew – 12 pts
- United We Stand – 12 pts
9. Yellows – 11 pts
10. Simon Burke – 10 pts
11. Man Utd Rules – 9 pts

I Get to Chat on Jacquelyn's Birthday

There are seven EPL matches today, three that kick off at 2:45 and four that kick off at 3:00. My eye will be at Craven Cottage as Fulham host Manchester United. The match is on FSC as United play in West London for the second time in four days. I will be available after I had stated doubt about that yesterday. Join us as the midweek holiday period fixtures continue as it is my daughter's eleventh birthday.

The Sack Race Heats Up!

It's crunch time at the bottom of the Premiership as Steve Keane's Blackburn host Owen Coyle's in the mother of all relegation dogfights. Join me from 3pm EST to see who will will the tea-time sack race.

Music of 2011

After a promising record of going out in 2010, I "only" got out to see Iron & Wine, John Doe & Jill Sobule, Ron Sexsmith, Marshall Crenshaw, The Bottle Rockets, Bethany & The Guitar, and Olivia Mancini this year. The evening at the 9:30 club for the Iron & Wine show was magic, equaled only by finally getting to see Ron Sexsmith at Jammin' Java. I'm glad I waited because he toured with full band to support his recent "Long Player..." record and a better band you would be hard pressed to see. Ditto for Marshall Crenshaw who was backed up by the Bottle Rockets for his 30th anniversary of making records. I'm also very lucky that I live right down the street from Fire Flies restaurant in Alexandria who have made their space available for shows by promising newcomers like Bethany & The Guitar, and longtime DC musician Olivia Mancini. Olivia it should be noted is a jukebox of music. Her mastery of so many songs is amazing. Still I want to see more shows next year if I can.



I still buy records, and 2011 was a good year for them including Beirut's "Rip Tide," St.Vincent's "Strange Mercy," Paul Simon's "So Beautiful or So What," Kate Bush's "50 Words for Snow," Ron Sexsmith's "Long Player, Late Bloomer," Vinicius Cantuaria & Bill Frisell's "Lagrimas Mexicanas" and the Black Key's "El Camino." I also found out about "Kickstarter" this year and had fun contributing to funding music projects like records by Casseopia and Josh Hayden and movie projects like Joel Stone's upcoming Brasilian 70'-fuzz bio.



2011 was a pretty rich year in songs too. As usual, it helps having a brother who is totally plugged in to new sounds, and to my friends involved in the International Mixtape Project (IMP). Also a big change was to finally have the opportunity to try Spotify after hearing about the streaming service for so long. Cheers to Sven for that.



Beirut put out a great record, The Rip TIde, and my favorite song amongst many is Santa Fe because of the propulsive beat and the horns.



Ron Sexsmith also put out a tremendous record this year, "Long Player, Slow Learner" and the song, "Get In Line" shows of his clever lyrics and gift for melody.



"Drover" by Bill Callahan is just the kind of intense and slow building emotional burner that I look for. It stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it and still has that effect.



Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter's "Come To Mary" has a similar intensity that I loved too.



St. Vincent put out a great record the year, "Strange Mercy" and "Year of the Tiger" was my favorite track of many.



One of the reasons that I enjoyed the movie "Win-Win" so much this year was the National's collaboration with Sharon Van Etten on "Think You Can Wait" that played through the final credits of the film.



"Animal" by The Kopecky Family Band has a warm and seductive female vocal that I found myself queuing up on my iPod pretty often this year.



Fitz and the Tantrums unashamedly cop Darryl Hall's blue eyed soul shtick but I just kept returning to their recent record and this "Moneygrabber" track.



Bon Iver released a great record this year and "Calgary" caught my attention. But when DJ Cillo took it and remixed it as a dance single with beats, it became sublime and one of my picks for song of the year.



I liked the snaky leaned-into bass line on Fujiya & Miyagi's "Sixteen Shades of Black And Blue."



"Sister" is from the Black Key's outstanding record "El Camino." There's not a misstep on the record, but I heard that AC/DC boogie in "Sister" and was hooked.



The drums on Grouplove's "Colours" create an irresistible stomp that made me fall in love with this song.



Phantogram have sneaked up on me again this year with a very cool record of dark and emotional electronica. The single "Don't Move" is my favorite.



I loved Thunderball's chilly "Enter The Brahmin" for the same reasons.



Crystal Stilts put out this compelling "Shake The Shackles" song that sounds like they're playing underwater and luring you to their depth.



British Sea Power has been on my radar ever since their debut record, but this track "Living Is Easy" from "Valhalla Dancehall" is one of their best.



Clangy rain of guitar noise, Check! Stomping drum track, Check! Sinuous female vocal sung in harmony with the guitar lead, Check! Maritime's "Parahernalia" is a lovely little pop song.



Detroyer's "Chinatown" is another chill pop song that's a pleasure have playing while you're driving in the dark.



I wondered where ex Orange Juice front-man Edwyn Collins had gone off to, and was disturbed to hear of his stroke and relieved to hear that after a two year recovery he's back with a really good new record and this song "Do It Again" is my favorite.



And finally, I got pointed towards the Feelies direction years ago when R.E.M. cited them as a bad they listened to and respected. They reformed this past year to put out their first record in 10 years and "Should Be Gone" is a delight and it's my hope they've got plenty more in the tank.



Any of you heard anything this year that took hold of your lapels and gave you a sound shake? I'd love to hear about it.

Subbuteopia

Good news of the imminent release of a documentary about Subbuteo. A new film is pretty much ready for launch and you can read more about it at www.subbuteopia.com

London vs Manchester... twice

So, we start the day with a belated birthday gift for MUR... a United win at Loftus Road. That is followed by the second London side taking on a Mancs squad.
Join me.... it's too dam early!!

UWS

Happy Birthday, MUR!

Belated birthday wishes to Man Utd Rules, our most hirsute member of the LOB collective. I hope you had a marvelous birthday!

A Festive Round of the Footer

It's another crucial round of matches this weekend in Blighty, with most of the action on Sunday. But we start with several fascinating morsels this morning. I'm putting in my customary end of semester all-nighter with the grading and I'll join you with a stiff cuppa around about 9am. No early matches today, so get a bit of extra kip, won't you?

The Draw for The Knockout Rounds

The draw for the knockout rounds of the Champions League and Europa League is bright and early tomorrow morning so come join us as the draw for the rounds of sixteen and the quarters for the CL is at 6 AM Eastern and the draw for the rounds of 32 and sixteen for the Europa League is at 7 AM Eastern. Arsenal and Chelsea will be seeded as they won their groups , so they will be hoping for a kind draw against a group runner up. All eyes will be on the Europa League as the two Manc clubs enter the competition due to their third place group finishes. The twelve group winners plus the four best third place teams in the CL are seeded. Since the two Manc clubs were the two best third place teams , they will be seeded.They will be drawn against a group runner up or one of the four worst third place CL teams . Stoke City will be in the draw too, but cannot be paired against one of the Manc teams since they are from the some confederation. I am hoping that Man Yoo gets Plzen, but they should beat anybody in this competition unless they find a way to screw it up. Come join us with a strong cup or two of coffee.

Paul Shaffer Does Cher

One of my favorite holiday rituals is Paul Shaffer's impersonation of Cher doing "O Holy Night" from the Sonny & Cher Christmas Special. Enjoy!

Rolling Stone's Top Tens

As we're all considering our musical picks for 2011, the bodkins over at Rolling Stone have beaten us all to the punch with their "2011 in Review" ish, which goes all potty for Brit soul belter Adele, whose sophomore effort "21" lit up the pop charts this season. Here are their picks:

Top 10 Albums:

1. Adele - 21
2. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne
3. Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What
4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
5. Radiohead - King of Limbs
6. Lady Gaga - Born this Way
7. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
8. Wilco - The Whole Love
9. Wild Flag - Wild Flag
10. Robbie Robertson - How to Become Clairvoyant

Top 10 Singles:

1. Adele - "Rolling in Deep"
2. Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Ni**as in Paris"
3. Britney Spears - "Till the World Ends"
4. Foo Fighters - "These Days"
5. Paul Simon - "Rewrite"
6. Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"
7. Lady Gaga - "Edge of Glory"
8. Beyonce - "Countdown"
9. Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz - "Six Foot Seven Foot"
10. The Decemberists - "Don't Carry It All"

Your thoughts, gents?

Books of 2011

It's that time again, kids - time to put the footer aside for a bit and put on our cultural criticism hats. Last year I was musing about my book consumption and wondering if I should get a Kindle - haven't done it yet. How about the rest of you? I'm still leaning heavily on the SUNY interlibrary loan system for my new reads. Here are my favorites from 2011:

1. David Sirota – Back to Our Future: I chose this gem to start off our summer LOB reading this year. Sirota makes a compelling case that 80s cultural artifacts played no small role in advancing Reaganite policies that still afflict us today. Here’s how good it is – it’s the model for my second book.
2. Karen Russell– Swamplandia : Although superficially about a strange but wondrous family who run the kind of small gator parks that dot the peninsula, this is more about the loss of old Florida and perhaps about the loss of traditional America as well. A book for the ages.
3. Simon Reynolds – Retromania: Reynolds - one of the most thoughtful music culture writer in Britain these days - tackles the recent penchant for nostalgia in musical culture.
4. Ann Patchett – State of Wonder: Patchett’s new novel is set deep in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil in Manaus, but it’s really an exposition on the state of academic work.
5. Sarah Vowell – Unfamiliar Fishes: Vowell points out in this lively and readable quirky history of the annexation of Hawaii that the late 1890s represented the United States’ first major foray into imperialism, a policy that now dogs us in the early 21st century.
6. Declan Hill – The Fix: Hill’s superbly researched book made me wonder about players such as Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres who have alleged gambling habits and have had disastrous drop-offs in form. Every time something strange happens in a match, I think of Hill's book.
7. Albert Brooks – 2030: Brooks can usually be relied upon for some chuckles, but his novel about the near future portrays an America in the throes of crisis – earthquakes, health care morass, unemployment – and worse, with few ideas as to how to solve it.
8. Ellen Schrecker – Shrecker expands on some recent articles about the “New McCarthyism” in higher education to discuss the threats posed by attacks on academic freedom from within and without the academy.
9. Erik Larson – In the Garden of Beasts: Larson specializes in small narratives within larger historical events. In his latest, he traces the complicated path that the American ambassador to Berlin in the early 30s took in relation to the rise of Nazism.
10. Gary Younge – Who are We? Guardian columnist Gary Younge’s new book delves into the thorny issues of identity politics, including vignettes from the Sonia Sotomayor nomination, the Tiger Woods scandal and the Barack Obama “birther” nonsense.

Notable Others:
• Jonathan Kay – Among the Truthers
• Kevin Kumashiro – Troubling Education
• John Sayles - A Moment in the Sun
• Kathryn Stockett - The Help

Disappointments:
• Jonathan Franzen – Freedom: Franzen is so insistent on trying to write “The Great American Novel” here that he forgets the need to craft a compelling narrative with likeable characters.
• Tom Perotta – The Leftovers: Perrotta’s latest dystopian novel about suburbia misses the mark by focusing on the tired “Rapture” meme.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 15

As we creep into the holiday period, things are starting to shake out in our PPP match-up. WHR is still clinging on to top spot, despite Citeh's fall from grace today. But spare a thought for poor old MUR, who must surely be favorite for the sack race now. You know what they say about being bottom at Christmas, mate, eh? Here are the current standings:

West Ham Rising – 22 points
Gooner71 – 18 pts
Someone Said – 17 pts
Blue Devil – 14 pts
Thomas – 14 pts
Matthew – 13 pts
AZ Kicker – 12 pts
Yellows – 12 pts
Simon Burke – 11 pts
United We Stand – 11 pts
Man Utd Rules – 8 pts

Chelski v. Citeh Live!

Somehow I've carved out a quiet moment or two in the office this afternoon to follow what I hope will be a Premiership holiday cracker between two of the top sides in the country - Chelski and Citeh. It's all live from 2:45pm EST, so jump on board the LOB trolley and have a cuppa this afternoon with me.

Snowed in with the Footer

We'd had our first proper snowstorm of the season in western New York, so what better than to stay in by the space heater and watch the good stuff. There's no early Premiership match but I'll be following the big Championship match between table toppers Soton against Blackpool. That's followed by the usual slate of Premiership and Championship 3pm GMT kickoffs including United trying to get back on track against woeful Wolves. Join me for all the usual LOB fun and games.

All Song Considered Round up 2011

The nattering nabobs of All Songs Considered have an hour-plus wrap-up of the best music of 2011. In my estimation, it's the strongest year in about ten years, with strong efforts from Bon Iver, The Roots, PJ Harvey and Iron & Wine. As we're starting to compile our own Best of lists, have a listen to Bob and the gang this week. You can download the pod from iTunes and the usual sources.

Champions League Group Stage Wrap-Up

Okay, it's been a day, so maybe we can comb through the ashes of the Champions League group stage now. We all know the big news - the Londoners into the knock-out stage; the Mancs dumped into the Europa but here's the full picture:

Group A - Bayern and Napoli into the knock-out stage; Citeh into the Europa; Villareal out.

Group B - Inter and CSKA into the knock-out stage; Trabs into the Europa; Lille out.

Group C - Benfica and Basel into the knock-out stage; United into Europa; Galati out.

Group D - Real and Lyon into the knock-out stage; Ajax into the Europa; Zagreb out.

Group E - Chelsea and Leverkusen into knockout; Valencia into Europa; Genk out.

Group F - Arsenal and Marseille into knockout; Olympiacos into Europa; Dortmund out.

Group G - Apoel and Zenit into the knockout; Porto into Europa; Shakhtar out.

Group H - Barca and Milan into knockout; Plzen into the Europa; Bate out.

What does it all mean for European footie? Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 14

Another wild and wooly Premiership weekend has passed us and it's time to quickly check in on the PPP standings before we hit today's momentous Champions League fixtures. Citeh and WHR are still sitting pretty on top, followed by RVP fan Gooner71. Here's where we stand right now:

1. West Ham Rising – 25 points
2. Gooner71 – 17 pts
3. Thomas – 14 pts
- AZ Kicker – 13 pts
- Matthew – 13 pts
6. United We Stand – 12 pts
7. Blue Devil – 11 pts
- Someone Said – 11 pts
- Yellows – 11 pts
10. Man Utd Rules – 9 pts
11. Simon Burke – 6 pts

Socrates, RIP

Socrates, the imperious '82 Brasilian midfielder has passed away from complications arising from alcoholism. He was 57. Here's how I prefer to remember him, pre-hemlock.

The Gooner Reaches His Half Century!

The Gooner doffs his cap today on the event of his half century. It's quite a milestone, with plenty of fours and sixes in the collection and many off drives to the boundary and slogs into the stands to come. Love you, brother. Have a great day!

THE FA CUP 3rd ROUND DRAW

The draw for the 3rd Round is this morning. I always loved listening to this on Radio 2 Sports. Join me boys to see the games to look forward to for January. Two Prem games to follow too

It Starts With United and Ends With United

The weekend starts bright and early as Leeds hosts Millwall in a match known for problems between the fans .Let's hoe their football does the talking . A tasty EPL match between Newcastle United and Chelsea kicks off fifteen mi utes later. The day ends with the late match at Villa Park as Villa hosts Man United. Come join us early as you brew a pot of your favorite brand of strong coffee!

Euro 2012 Draw

So, today is the day we find out who plays who in the summer.
Ready for some draw info? Good. The 16 teams will been drawn into four groups of four teams each (Groups A to D). Poland have already been placed in Group A as A1, with co-hosts Ukraine in Group D as D1.The two remaining teams in Pot One - defending champions Spain and Netherlands - will then be drawn as either B1 or C1. With me so far?
Then the teams in Pot Three are picked out, which are Croatia, Greece, Portugal and Sweden. That leaves England to find out their fate last of all as Pot Two is decided. Fabio Capello's men are in amongst Germany, Italy and Russia in the last pot.
Hopefully, I will be able to follow between classes

UWS

Brucey Wins the Sack Race!

Whoever had Steve Bruce as the first Premiership manager to be sacked in the their pools has won a packet this week. Yes - after a rotten run of form that has the Black Cats sliding toward the dropzone, the former ManYoo supremo has been shown the door at the Stadium of Light. Well - Sven's available?