Tommy Clarke, Legend

After a little bit of referee bashing in the last couple of weeks, this 87 year old ref is a great example of passion for the game. What a legend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVcSH_wiTQo&feature=related

(P.S. Sadly, this footage is from 2007 and Tommy Clarke passed away in 2009 at the tender age of 89.)

viva st pauli 2

For all three of you who are interested, HERE is a quality video courtesy of the Guardian profiling FC St Pauli. Well worth a watch... 

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2011/mar/16/st-pauli-socialist-football-hamburg-video

9 years and counting...

I was at Goodison Park in 2002 to watch David Moyes first game in charge of Everton, and when David Unsworth scored after a mere 30 seconds, there was a real feeling amongst the fans that this was the start of a new era. After years of under-performing, a solitary FA Cup final victory in 1995 serving only as a distraction from perennial relegation dog-fights, maybe David Moyes was the man to finally restore pride at this famous old giant of a club.

Now, after nine years in charge, it is difficult to say whether that has been achieved. Although no longer fighting relegation year after year, and with names like Mikel Arteta, Maroune Fellaini, Tim Chaill, and Leighton Baines replacing the likes of Mark Pembridge, Scot Gemmill, and Jesper Blomqvist, Moyes has yet to add to the extensive trophy cabinet at Goodison Park.

An FA Cup final appearance and a fourth place finish in the Premier League are impressive achievements given the inadequate financial resources Moyes has had at his disposal during his reign. However, for a club like Everton, Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. Birmingham, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, and Tottenham have all enjoyed trophy parades in the years following David Moyes appointment, yet Everton remain the nearly men of the Premier League era, never relegated and never serious contenders for the league title. The squad is undoubtedly stronger than it was nine years ago and, despite the heckling from the London based press, is no longer a candidate for relegation. This small mercy will not satisfy the lust of Everton fans who yearn for the success of yesteryear.

Clearly, there is a problem in the boardroom and without investment, success is unlikely to materialise. Kenwright can claim he is doing the responsible thing, and to be fair, it is wise to be wary of selling out to Billionaires with no idea about football, as Blackburn have done. The sacking of Allardyce epitomised the dangers of novices in the boardroom and could yet cost Blackburn their Premier League status. At the same time, money isn't everything and Everton fans are well within their rights to point to Birmingham's recent League Cup triumph and ask, if Alex Mcleish can do it, why can't David Moyes?

are you sure ref??

Speaking of dodgy officials, here is a video of poor Dorchester Town player/manager Ashley Vickers being sent off for 'violent conduct'. Again, it would be nice to see a bit more common sense from referees, especially since Vickers is doing everyone at the game a massive favour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUtiCXQNJks&feature=player_embedded

breaking news...

FIFA have opened disciplinary action against six match officials charged with match fixing in international friendlies. Full details of these proceedings have not yet been released, however any investigation into match-fixing in football is bound to be very high profile and we can expect to see this story, and very probably further allegations against other officials and even players, unfold over the coming weeks.

cheeky double

North London bookmakers will have taken plenty of money from optimistic Tottenham fans ahead of tonight's second leg game with AC Milan. However, the Italians offer real value at 9/4, and I must confess my money is on the rossoneri.

Elsewhere, Everton face an unpredictable Birmingham team at Goodison Park, and without wanting to curse my boys for a second week in a row, Moyes will be confident his side can make it three wins in a row in the league.   

The double pays a handsome 5/1 and has to be worth a flutter...

 

common sense

Just a quick word about last nights game between Barca and Arsenal; First, and most importantly, Barca were superb. Messi was a constant danger, Xavi was walking through the Arsenal midfield at will all game and you have to say that the Catalans fully deserved their win. However, from a neutral perspective, it was a shame that a bit more common sense wasn't shown by the referee when he was so quick to send Van Perise off. Even though Arsenal hadn't managed a shot on target up to that point, they were ahead in the tie and the game was heading for an exciting conclusion. That one ridiculous decision ruined the game as a spectacle and hopefully UEFA will punish Massimo Busacca accordingly. 

exclusive footage

exclusive footage of ashley cole's now infamous shooting of an intern at chelsea's training ground... or at least what it MIGHT have looked like!

weekend review

What a difference a day, or in this case a week, makes. Last Monday, Arsenal fans were awakening to a miserable grey sky that matched their mood following humiliating defeat in the Carling Cup final. This week however, Gunners fans will be looking at the bright blue sunshine full of optimism as the season's end draws ever closer. Despite a toothless display against Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday, Arsenal are now within touching distance of Man Utd after Sir Alex's boys were sent packing from Anfield with their tails between their legs. Liverpool have been re-energised under the management of Dalglish and their new sense of purpose saw them deservedly beat a United team left short at the back after Vidic's needless red card at Stamford Bridge the week before. United will be desperate to ensure they don't slip up again in the coming weeks before travelling to the Emirates on May 1st for what is shaping up to be a winner takes all showdown.

Elsewhere, Mikel Arteta finally found the sort of form that has made him such a legend on Merseyside as Everton dispensed of Newcastle. The barcodes were devoid of creativity without Joey Barton and in truth never really threatened to retake the lead they surrendered so easily in the first half. West Ham showed they wont be going down without a fight by hammering Stoke, Wolves took full advantage of Tottenham's generosity at the back in a hard earned draw, Birmingham paid a price for their undoubtedly boozy celebrations after last week's cup win and allowed West Brom to take 3 vital points from St Andrews, and Bolton strengthened their case for a Europa League spot with a win against visiting Aston Villa.

Final word goes to Nani for this hilarious attempt to get Carragher sent off after a typically thuggish challenge from the Huyton lad. I love the way he limps over to the ref to show off his injury and then throws himself to the floor... as if this melodramatic act will do anything except make him look like an idiot. Terrible tackle, worse reaction. Good job he didn't gift Liverpool a decisive second goal to complete a miserable afternoon for the lad...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WnHJJRGrtM

the art of motivation

Here is the famous vinnie jones giving a half-time dressing down to his pub team in hollywood. If carslberg did sunday league managers... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC8CIXcUQ8w

Never can tell

So, it turns out I know nothing about football! Having only got one of my five predictions correct yesterday, I have spent the morning wandering where it all went wrong. For Everton, perhaps it was the moment Beckford had to be removed from the starting line-up as he was stuck in traffic on the M62. Quite what he was doing anywhere near the M62 within an hour of kick off is beyond me as surely he should have been with his team mates at the ground around three hours before hand. Fair play to Reading, they were well organised and never really looked in trouble. Saha had one of those games where he confuses himself for a central midfielder and Arteta is still nowhere near the player he was before he snapped his cruciate a couple of years ago. Whether he ever will be again is now a serious cause for concern amongst toffees fans.

Elsewhere, Chelsea breathed life into the title race by disposing of Manchester United. When Luiz equalised early in the second half, my shout of 1-1 always looked fragile as both teams streamed forward looking for the winner. Lampard took advantage of a very generous refereeing decision to slam home the winning penalty and Vidic compounded the misery for Sir Alex by needlessly getting himself sent off for persistent fouling. Chelsea will now look to kick on from here and secure Champions League football in 2011/2012 whilst Tottenham will be hoping that defeat at Blackpool hasn't ended their ambitions to be in next year's competition. Arsenal's inconsistent form will calm United's nerves and you would have to say the boys from Old Trafford are still favourites for the Premier League title. However, as last night demonstrated once again, football is always unpredictable and you can never can tell what's going to happen next.

pre-match predictions

With the title race all but over, the big game of the evening is clearly the FA Cup 5th round tie at Goodison Park between Everton and Reading. Both teams are eager to extend their stay in the competition and with the Toffee's sweating on the fitness of Beckford, Saha and Fellaini, Royal's fans will be hopeful of an upset. Everton should be too strong for their Championship opponents though so I'm going for a 3-1 (9/1) victory for the blues. 

In the Championship, play-off hopefuls Nottingham Forest travel to struggling Middlesbrough hoping to get back to winning ways and I reckon Billy Davies men will take this 2-1 (9/1). Derby and Doncaster play out a good old fashioned  relegation six pointer at Pride Park and home advantage should be enough to see the Rams victorious, I'm backing them to win 2-0 (7/1). The third and final fixture in England's second tier see's Scunthorpe travel to Fratton Park to face a resurgent Portsmouth, and I'm backing pompy to win 3-0 (11/1). 

There is also the small matter of Chelsea Vs Man Utd this evening with the londoners desperate for a result to re-ignite their season. It will be interesting to see who starts out of Torres, Anelka and Drogba or whether Ancelotti decides to lump all three on. My hunch is that Drogba will take a seat on the bench. United can extend their lead over Arsenal to seven points with a win tonight but I fancy Chelsea to nick a 1-1 (11/2) draw with a late equaliser. 

F.Y.I - Accumulator pays 40/1  

cruel mistress...

Every football fan knows that our sport can be a cruel mistress. One minute you're smitten, revelling in the joys of a famous victory over possibly the best team ever to play the game. The next, you're waking up on a cold and wet Monday morning hoping it was all just some bizarre nightmare. Unfortunately, for Arsenal fans, it wasn't and their six year wait for a trophy continues.

After dominating Birmingham for large parts of yesterday's League Cup final, Arsenal conspired to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Gunners fans must be cursing the all too familiar problems; over-reliant on Robin Van Persie in attack and fragile as a Lib Dem manifesto promise in defence. If Birmingham hearts were lifted by the sight of Van Persie leaving the Wembley turf to be replaced by Nicklas Bendtner (an average player even on his best days), they were sent into raptures when Obafemi Martins was gifted a late winner, ending the club's near 50 year wait for silverware.  History wont remember the possession stats and Monsieur Wenger must now concentrate his players minds on the greater prize of European glory, hoping that his team don't have to wait quite as long as Birmingham did before once again opening up the trophy cabinet. 

who said cheats never prosper?

This is probably the best dive in world football history... I've heard of shooting yourself in the foot, but slapping yourself in the face? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEbf-o83fc&feature=youtu.be

midweek round-up

So, in a week that has witnessed devastation in New Zealand, and the all together more avoidable loss of life in Libya, the relatively unimportant business of football continued.

Man Utd played out a bore draw in France with Chris Smalling displaying the sort of form that convinced Sir Alex to shell out nearly £10 million for the unproven Englishman last summer. Chelsea won at a canter in Denmark and Nicolas Anelka's goalscoring form will leave his manager with a real selection headache ahead of Man Utd's visit to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. 

QPR continued their seemingly unstoppable march to the Championship title with a home victory against Ipswich, Cardiff secured a much needed win against ever improving Leicester and Nottingham Forest's fine form stuttered somewhat with a surprising home draw against bottom of the league Preston. Watford's hopes of automatic promotion took a heavy blow with a home defeat to Bristol City and Hornet's fans will now look to the play-off's as their only real hope of a return to the big league. 

Finally, it would be rude not to mention Blackpool's stunning 3-1 victory over a jaded Tottenham. A combination of poor finishing and even worse defending left Spurs ruing a missed opportunity to climb to 3rd in the Premiership and Redknapp will need to ensure such mistakes aren't repeated in their next game, another tricky away trip to relegation battlers Wolves. Oh, and Arsenal beat Stoke...

viva st pauli

For any scouser, Hamburg is a special place. The German city is where Liverpool's most famous sons, the Beatles, took their first steps on the road to international stardom. In more recent years though, Hamburg has become a pilgrimage of sorts for thousands of football fans, some of whom may not even like the white album... Blasphemy, I hear you cry, how can anybody not like the white album!? Whilst I always struggle to understand how a person can fail to be impressed by the greatest LP of all time, I can see why thousands of people travel from all over the world to watch a football team that has spent only two out of the previous ten seasons in the top flight of German football.

Currently sitting in a relatively lofty 11th place in the Bundesliga, FC St Pauli have become something of a cult in world football. A club that used to attract a meagre 1,600 fans per game in 1981 were regularly pulling crowds of 20,000 by the late 1990's. The reasons for this exponential increase in popularity? Simple; In the birthplace of national socialism, FC St Pauli were the first club to officially ban all fascist symbols from their stadium. The club has even go so far as to incorporate anti-racist provisions into its constitution. The famous skull and crossbones is now closely associated with the club and its fans. In order to compete, St Pauli have to be like pirate raiders, battling against more established and wealthier clubs like Bayern Munich. 

In 2006, the club arranged a mini world cup for unrecognised nations, such as Tibet and Greenland. In 2010, FC St Pauli hosted a tournament for refugees who had recently arrived in Germany. Fan pressure has also resulted in the board of directors committing to never sell naming rights for the stadium, a move which is seen as vital in preserving the anti-commercial ethos of the club. Whilst re-enforcing the left wing credentials of FC St Pauli, these measures have taken their toll on the clubs ability to compete in the transfer market. The current strategy to solve this problem is to develop young local talent, and as a result, the current squad has only one foreigner in its ranks. The teams league position suggests the club could be onto a winner and many anti-fascist football fans from across the world will be watching, hoping that FC St Pauli can extend their stay in the Bundesliga. 

cool throwball 'jerseys'

I like to wind up some of my American friends by insisting on calling NFL throwball instead of football, mainly because they do a lot more throwing than kicking. Anyway, I stumbled across this earlier...

The Dallas Cowboys one is my personal favourite, probably because it looks most like a conventional football shirt (use of the word soccer is banned on this blog). You can take a look at the others here

skills to pay the bills

As any English football fan knows, the Germans can play a bit. Check out this video, bundesliga goal of the season  from 1971 to 1995... worth a watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv7InVefo74

money, money, money...

Must be funny in a rich man's world. I cant remember which of the famous enlightenment philosophers wrote those famous words but in the modern world of Premier League football, they ring true. Part of me despises the monotony of Man Utd and Chelsea battling it out for the title year in year out, especially since Chelsea are, and always have been, a relatively small club (one league title before the moscow mafia moved in). However, it is hard to argue against the quality of football played in our top flight. The players are quicker, stronger, and probably better than ever before. So, grudgingly, I have to accept that the sport as a product is improving, even if meaningful competition between clubs is diminishing... or is it??

Proposition a) Tottenham - As a proud scouse lad, going to school with a bunch of shandy drinking southern softies was never easy. Most of the lads in my school were Tottenham fans, which instantly meant I hated them. However, over the last couple of seasons it has become impossible to deny the rise of the boys from the lane. For me, Modric is one of the best players in the league, and then there is Van Der Vaart, Lennon, Bale, all of whom would be banging on the managers door for a start at any team in the league, possibly the world. This has all been achieved through sound financial management from Tottenham's owners ENIC. Daniel Levy has proven to be a fantastic chairman and has secured the resources necessary for good old 'arry to succeed. This is the organic model of club development, in stark contrast to the cash rich Man City model of buy everyone now. But does this one example alone prove that clubs can still compete with the best if they manage their money properly, or is it simply that Harry Redknapp is (allegedly) a bung paying, tax-dodging cheat who has got half the agents in Europe on his books? Either way, I contest that the rise of Spurs is 'good for football' and as such should be applauded. Money is important, always has been, always will be. But there is an x factor, the combination of managerial skill, player acquisition, and confidence/ability of the team. These are the really important factors that ultimately determine success and this can not be bought. The rise of Spurs shows that if clubs get their books in order, and the right personnel in place, then the sky is the limit.

Proposition b) Harry Redknapp is (allegedly) a bung paying, tax-dodging cheat with half the agents in Europe on his books, and Spurs are simply over-performing at present. They wont qualify for next years Champions League, Van der Vaart will be off in the summer, Redknap will either finally be prosecuted for his crimes or he will take the England managers job. The wheels will come off and Man City will be the new kids on the Champions League block, reaping the enormous financial benefits that come with qualification for the tournament. The 'sky 4' as we used to know them are all benefiting from unfair financial advantages over their Premier League counterparts that allow them to invest in players that other teams could only dream of. Football is no different to any other business these days and comparing Man Utd and Chelsea to Blackpool is like comparing Tesco and Sainsbury's to your local corner shop.

The truth most likely lies somewhere between the two arguments above. But as an Everton fan, a club with plenty of history but next to no money, who came within touching distance of the Champions League dream, it is hard not to look on enviously as those with bigger pockets battle it out for the top honours.

All together now

After brushing aside Chelsea this weekend, Everton must be considered strong favourites to win the FA Cup this year and finally end David Moyes wait for a trophy. I jest. In all seriousness though, write Everton off at your peril. Its not against the strong teams that the blues have struggled this season. Rather, and somewhat infuriatingly, it has been the 'smaller' sides that have proved problematic for Everton this season. 

The glamour tie of the next round will be Man Utd vs Arsenal. One potential threat to Evertonian ambitions will be eliminated and the road to Wembley that bit less congested. And after dispensing of Reading at home, Everton will likely face a trip to Eastlands to face Man City, a ground where Moyes' men have a good record (the mutual hatred of scousers and mancs coupled with the professional pride of a team shunned by Lescott the mercenary ensures Everton always turn up on top form). 

This should mean Everton in the semi-finals against either a team with one eye on the Champions League or average premiership opposition. After 2009, you would be foolish to bet against us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N49xwGJjpWE

Boring Boring Arsenal

Its been a long time since opposition fans used to taunt the gunners with chants of boring arsenal, and rightly so. Wenger has instilled a culture of beautiful football far removed from the days of George Graham and the infamous offside trap. However, to ensure that their mightily impressive first leg victory over Barca is not in vain, Wenger and co may want to get some of the old tapes out and see what keeping a clean sheet is all about.

Handbags

Much was made of the spat between Joe Jordan and Gattuso during and after the champs league encounter last week. I only have two things to say about this;

1) No-one stated the seemingly obvious, Jordan probably deserved a little back chat after his foul mouthed tirades and although i'm sure he could chuck it with the best of them in his day, as someone of pensionable age I doubt he would stand much of a chance anymore (even if good old 'arry backs him up) 

2) Duncan Ferguson would batter the pair of them, at the same time, with his hands tied behind his back... fact

Russia and Qatar

So FIFA has decided that Russia and Qatar should host the next two world cups. As an Englishman, I am naturally very bitter about the whole thing and have decided that FIFA is full of bribe-taking, unaccountable, anti-English bar stewards! 

Still, if all Russian police look like this...