Football Memorabilia and Programmes

Go to a sportsman's dinner at your local football club and the evening often ends with an auction of football memorabilia. Up for auction are usually signed pictures of players and signed shirts. These can attract big bids and are often snapped up by the well-heeled.

However, there is a form of collecting such memorabilia which need not be anywhere near as expensive. It is collecting football programmes. Now usually dubbed the matchday magazine the football programme is bought by many of us who attend games. They can be overpriced glossy efforts in the professional game, to more humble but just as informative publications in the lower reaches of the non-league.

To be a collector you need not only keep all your programmes but ensure they remain in tip-top condition. Many supporters also collect programmes from other clubs, while the real aficionados go for rarer programmes from years past. These can be very valuable.

Collecting Can Become A Lifelong Pursuit

Many of us developed our passion for collecting football programmes during childhood. When we were taken to our first game we were bought the match day programme. And ever since then we have continued the ritual of acquiring a programme every time we go to a game.

What makes us programme collectors different from other football fans is that we treasure our collections. They are stored away and kept in as good a condition as when they were first bought.

What became an interest in match day programmes when we were children continued when we grew up into adulthood. It became a lifelong pursuit. And we developed it further.

Where once upon a time we only bought programmes for our favourite team, both home and away, we began looking for ones from other clubs. Then we looked for programmes from big games and from years past, quite prepared to spend a pretty penny on them if we saw fit.

Collectors and the Big Game

Some football programme collectors prefer to collect programmes from big games. These are often for cup finals for competitions such as the FA Cup, League Cup, the Scottish FA and League Cups and the Champions League.

There is also a market for cup final programmes from competitions which no longer exist. These include the likes of the Watneys Cup, the Anglo-Scottish Cup the UEFA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup.

The main problem about collecting big game programmes is getting hold of them. If you can get a ticket for a game you can always buy one there. But what about the game you can't attend, or those programmes from competitions which no longer exist?

Then you have to buy them, either on the internet or at programme fairs. But be aware, rare programmes are often expensive. But if you are lucky enough to acquire one it can be quite an investment.

Visit Vintage Football Programmes for a great selection of pre-1970 football programmes and football memorabilia.

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Examples of Soccer Drills for Young Players

Soccer is a great way to get kids away from their electronics and to get them outdoors and exercising instead. This is an easy game to get started with and it does not cost a lot for the parents to get their children involved. It can be difficult once the kids are all together to get them start learning the fundamentals. Thankfully, there are some great drills that entice children to want to learn the game and it makes the learning fun. The following are some examples of soccer drills for young players:

Pirate Treasure - This game is also a drill that teaches children skills at both dribbling the ball and accuracy at shooting. Half the team is the pirates guarding the treasure and the other half of the team are trying to get to the treasure. This treasure is cones that are placed at one end of the pitch. One player battles two defenders and attempts to dribble past them. When the knock down the cones, they get a point for their "treasure".
Defending the Dribble - Using cones, set up a perimeter in the middle of the pitch by placing four cones equidistant from each other. The team should be divided into two groups with each wearing different colors. One color plays offense and the other plays defense. One player from defense is in the middle of the perimeter to attempt to steal the ball from the offensive player who has to make it past the defender. If he does, the ball goes to the player on the opposite side and so on. If the defender gets the ball, the sides are switched and the offensive player becomes the defender.
Keep Away - Probably one of the most common and easiest of all the soccer drills for young players. Keep away builds up defending and dribbling skills. Start with a circle that is marked off by using cones. The circle should be at least the diameter of half the pitch. Two players will act as defenders and the rest of the team are trying to keep the ball away from them. If a defender gets the ball, the player who lost it becomes a defender.

Getting the kids to have fun and exercise is not hard to do when there are so many fun drills that keeps them on their toes and interested in the game. If none of the above appeals to your team, use the examples to help to create your own game for them instead. Just remember to keep it fun and the kids can follow the lead easily.

About the Author:

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in more than 10 years as a professional writer.

See her website for a free article writing template guide as well as more writing tips and info on the writing services she offers.

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2011 Belongs to Robin Van Persie

Messi and Ronaldo are indisputably the world's finest attacking players but is Robin van Persie that far behind them? The flying Dutchman (warning: bad puns may continue) has scored 34 Premier League goals in 2011 from the same number of matches, and with two games left in the year he has every chance of setting a new league record.

With fixtures against Wolves and QPR still to come he needs three goals to beat Alan Shearer's total of 36 in 1995. What is even more remarkable is that if he is to set a new benchmark he will have to do it from six fewer games than England's balding finest. He is currently level with fellow Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, although the French player took 39 games to reach his final total.

Arsenal fans may well wonder what might have been had van Persie been able to take to the field more regularly during his seven years at the club. His career in North London has been blighted by injuries, limiting his contribution to the quest for silverware. Now, just as he is coming good, he lacks the support from his teammates but he works on regardless.

His goal tally from previous seasons was just four, five, 11, seven, 11 and nine. This then took a serious leap forward last season when he scored 18 times, incredibly all from January onwards after injury had ruled him out of the start of the campaign. Given he has 16 already this season he looks certain to improve on that mark and if he can do so over these next two games then Shearer's 16-year-old record will be broken.

At 28 he is at his at his peak and with his fitness being carefully managed by Wenger and the Emirates staff he should be able to feature to some degree in most of his side's fixtures. He has always had the talent but injuries prevented him from realising it. He looks a sure bet to be the top goalscorer in the Premier League this season and is the bookies' favourite at odds of 7/4. He began the season as 10/1 second favourite behind Wayne Rooney but as the goals have flown in his odds have tumbled.

He is excellent in the air, has a left foot capable of both supreme power and sublime skill, has improved his right foot (previously known as his "chocolate leg" - maybe that works better in Dutch?), good strength for a relatively slight player and typical Dutch football intelligence.

So, how far behind the two greats of La Liga is he? He clearly lacks the searing pace and acceleration of Messi and Ronaldo and cannot quite control a game the same way they can with their dribbling ability. However, his finishing is certainly comparable and it is worth noting that his goal feats have come in a side that, relatively, is struggling. In contrast the Argentine forward and Portguese...err, Pummeler, play surrounded by world class players in sides that regularly score five, six and more goals.

We wish van Persie good luck in his quest. In a side stripped of two of its finest creative players he has stepped up to the plate admirably and done so with humility, always praising his colleagues. Can he smash the record with a hat-trick against Wolves? The odds are 10/1 and we might just have a little bet on that.

About the author David is the Sports Editor at http://www.freebetsfreetips.com/ where there are loads of free bets, sporting previews, sports news stories and the latest bookmaker offers.

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Soccer: The Yuppie Game

Every year when the World Cup is played, the whole world goes crazy with the exception of the United States. People in other countries are willing to riot and risk body and limb just to show their loyalty to their team while we in the U.S. ask, what's the big deal? The big deal is soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Why do we not have that passion for the sport in the U.S.?

The reason we do not have that passion in the U.S. is that most people today cannot afford to pay for their child to play competitive soccer. Sure, every city in America has a recreation league in which everyone can play. The trouble with the city leagues is the fact that everyone can play. Some kids are there because their parents need a baby sitter for a couple of hours and have no interest in the game or even trying. Boys and girls are placed on the same team. Skill levels vary from fair to just standing around. The volunteer coaches have little to no experience with coaching youth soccer.

Soccer clubs seem to be the best way to learn the game of soccer. The boys and girls are separated. All kids have an interest in the game and want to play. Most of the parents have played soccer and are willing to encourage and support their kids in this endeavor. Players are placed at skill levels where they can learn and yet not be hindered by players that are too advanced or under advanced. Coaches know the game of soccer and have the ability to teach players.

The problem with soccer clubs today is the cost. With the economy today, the average family cannot afford to pay the cost for their kid to join a soccer club. Many clubs want their players to use certain equipment and wear certain uniforms. The cost of the necessary equipment to properly equip a player can be more than the average family can afford.

Isn't it a shame when kids in a third world country grow up playing and wanting to be professional soccer players and our kids here in America cannot afford to have that same opportunity? Maybe that is why there is little interest in America when the World Cup is played.

I believe we can change this view in America. Join me this year and find an under-privileged kid and sponsor him or her to join a soccer club and provide them with all the necessary equipment to play. This may sound corny, but such a simple gesture may change a kid's life. Share your wealth.

Ken Hunt

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Using Astrology to Predict the Euro 2012 Winner

Can astrology be used to predict sports? Can it be used to predict who the winner of the Euro 2012 will be? The idea of predicting sports events has drawn astrologers and betting enthusiasts since the days of the Roman chariot races.

Sometimes astrology is used not only to predict sporting events but even to influence the decisions of the coaches when training and choosing their squad. The most famous example that springs to mind is French coach Raymond Domenech, who has admitted that a passion for astrology has impacted his squad selection. The coach, who himself is an Aquarius with Virgo rising, cut some Scorpio and Leo players from his team based on their star signs.

Things did not really go Domenech's way during the 2010 World cup in South Africa, but he isn't the only public figure to rely on readings of the stars, But does it work? How would you go about doing it?

Obviously all sports differ and the astrological consideration will be different for individual sports and team sports as well the skills and conditions necessary for victory in different team sports; soccer and baseball are markedly different games and therefore the astrological signs to look for should be different.

The most simplified approach usually taken is the modified exercise in horary astrology. Horary astrology is an ancient branch of horoscopic astrology by which an astrologer attempts to answer a question by constructing a horoscope for the exact time at which the question was received. Different aspects of the chart are chosen to represent the two sides, whether home team vs. away team, favorite vs. underdog, or whatever is appropriate to that particular contest. The planetary rulers of the signs on those teams are evaluated and the side with the strongest astrological indications is generally declared the winner.

Another approach astrologers use to predict sports focuses on the birth charts of the competing parties. This will include the date of birth of the players and manager, the time of the game, the position of the moon during the game, etc... Using these variables they will attempt to determine who is best supported or worst affected by the astrological conditions during the match.

We cannot go into detail as to all the different signs and astrological figures used by some astrologers, but we can take a standard astrological approach for soccer/football and in particular, who will win the Euro 2012 Championship which will be held in Poland and the Ukraine from June 11 until July 1st.. One such simplified approach would be to use colors as being astrological significant.

Lists of colors to indicate clothing and objects signified in horary charts are given by most medieval astrologers. Some lists vary and there are some overlaps but generally the choice depends on shade and texture. For example: rich shades of purple are associated with Jupiter and the Sun, pale ones with Venus and the Moon.

Using these lists we can see which team colors will be the "strongest" during the time when the matches are played. The group stages will be played from June 8, 2012 until June 19,2012, with the knockout stages being held on June 21-june 28. The final will be played on July 1st, 2012.

During the group stages from June 8 to June 11 Jupiter will be in Taurus. The strong colors for this time are: green, yellow, white and light blue. Teams wearing these shirt colors are: England, Germany, Greece, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Ukraine. On June 11 Jupiter will enter Gemini. The strong colors are: yellow, green and orange. Teams wearing these shirt colors are: Holland, Ireland, Sweden and Ukraine. From June 25 until the final on July 1st Jupiter will be in the sign of Cancer. The strongest colors at this time are green and white.

Using these simplified color charts and the dates the matches are played we can see that Ireland, which play in both green (home jersey) and white (away jersey) will have the strongest astrological benefits in regards to their jersey colors for this championship, but will they win the Euro 2012??? That remains to be seen...

To find the latest Euro 2012 shirts come visit us at Jersey99.com to buy the latest soccer shirts online.

Jersey99.com is a leading online retailer of football shirts with worldwide delivery and secure online payment. Customization options are available for name, numbers and patches. Come get all the latest club and national team jerseys at unbeatable prices.

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Re-Programme Your Soccer Self Image

Using conscious logical thinking, you know the required response you want to a game situation. But its not you're logical mind that manages the response, its you're subconscious which controls heart rate, breathing, perspiration as well as the emotions of pride, resentment, fear or desire.

To alter any poor memories or attitudes you may have about you're game, first weaken them, then create better alternatives by using the methods outlined in this book. You will be able to go into activities and situations with an abundance of enthusiasm. Just give yourself time.

Clasp your hands in your usual way, fingers entwined and notice which thumb is on top. Let go, then clasp your hands again in such a way as the opposite thumb is on top. How does it feel? Awkward? Uncomfortable? It doesn't feel natural! This shows as you go into unfamiliar territory, the greater the psychological discomfort. Your performance may suffer temporarily as you make needed adjustments to your game, but change does that. If you were to place your hands and thumb the 'awkward' way every time, it would eventually feel natural, as your skill adjustments will.

You have talent. Can you adjust to a new squad or league? This method will show how you can perform with confidence:

Take a deep breath, sit back and relax as you exhale.

Tighten, then relax all your muscle groups.

Recall the sights, sounds, feelings of you playing at your very best.

In your minds eye imagine another you standing in front of you. This is the best that you have ever been, or ever will be, at the top of your game, every decision you make is the right one.

If you can't see it or imagine it, just know that it is there.

When you feel happy with the image in front of you, notice the way you stand, move, kick, pass, trap, head.

Notice a confident champion before you, spreading out accurate passes every time, an unstoppable outfielder or unbeatable goalkeeper.

Now step into your image and see through those eyes, hear through those ears and feel how good it feels to be that living image.

Keep that important feeling and make everything bigger, brighter, more powerful. Let it glow.

Step into another more intense image of yourself. Keep doing it several times more, getting bigger and brighter and stronger each time.

Take a few minutes if you wish to imagine yourself in any situation from the past where you want a bad memory changed to a more positive outcome, or see yourself in a future situation dominating play, being rewarded, excelling. You can, you know, forget about ever having had that problem.

Daydream and know it can come true.

Think of a future situation or event when having a positive feeling is desired. Taking a direct free kick for example. You have read the routine above, give it a go, or try this one next:

Using the Circle of Excellence exercise builds a positive mood and creates a state of mind which will be useful in the future.

In front of you, create the Circle of Excellence. This represents that state you require. Imagine it has a colour, maybe there is also a sound there, or a special word. This circle brings for you all the skills and positive assurance you want.

Now, return to a time when you had that positive resource, or imagine you had the right attitude, dedication and grit.

Take a deep breath, exhale...

Step inside the circle.

As you enter, imagine the bright colour shinning down and all around you, going into every cell of your body, from the top of your head, all the way down to the tip of your toes. Double the brightness. Hear the special sound or word. Imagine that feeling you have getting stronger, being absorbed by your body. Feel the strength and enthusiasm that glows from you.

Tell yourself you are more confident, talented, fitter.

Every breath you take, you take in more of the resource, your demoralising the opposition, everything you do is a bonus to the team. If you can see it in your minds eye, you can achieve it.

You can do the Circle of Excellence just about everywhere. Rehearse it first, then going onto the pitch imagine the circle before you as you cross the touch line. Do it as you take position for a set piece. How about stepping out of the shower, getting out of a car.

This article is taken from the book, Soccer Mind - Raise Your game with Mental Training by Paul M Maher PhD. An ebook can be downloaded from http://www.mindtrainingarena.com/ or a physical hardcopy can be purchased from Antony Rowe Publishing, Amazon or ordered from bookshops.

Paul M. Maher invites you to learn more about sports psychology and to maximise your sports potential by visiting http://www.mindtrainingarena.com/. You will gain access to invaluable eBooks, regardless of which sport you play. The latest are focused on cricket, soccer tennis and bodybuilding psychology.

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FIFPro Nominations

There was a recent announcement in the football world, which may or may not have raised much of an eyebrow. The FIFPro, which is the association of professional footballers, announced a list of, wait for it, 55 players from which eleven will be voted into the best team of 2011. This certainly is not up there with the prestige of the Ballon d'Or which has also just had its final shortlist announced. You just wonder where all of this is heading. Award after award after award. With so many token awards for footballers around, does it all devalue the actual winners of these things? Why so many awards. Why so much ego stroking? Alright, there is nothing wrong with crowning a player as the best footballer in the world, but why all the pretence and confusion surrounding such big nomination lists to start with?

The list which has produced for example has come from the votes from over 50,000 professional footballers who were polled. All well and good you would think, but looking down the list of players here up for the award, you simply have to scratch your head and wonder just what games some of these players were watching to even contemplate voting for some of the names on that list. This really is taking awards to the pointless extreme.

Players know how good they are, what they have achieved. While there is only ever one winner of a yearly award, such big nomination lists simply offer a slap in the face to those who don't win. Nope, come back next year as you're not good enough now, and let's parade that fact in front of the world and its baying media.

The most obvious confusion around all this voting for the FIFPro World XI 2011 is the inclusion of Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Really? Ferdinand managed just 19 Premier League appearances last season for his club and just four international appearances, with no goals and no assists. Alright, that's not his job, but was he really so brilliant in so few games to warrant a nomination?

Those lowly figures were the sum of his 2010/11 season and this season he has been slacking off with just 15 matches in total for his club, and not on the England radar. So how does someone like this even register in someone's mind to put in a vote for him? It is somewhat baffling, as you think of some of the best defenders in the world; you think Maicon, Pique, Nesta, Alves and Abidal. You don't immediately think of penciling Rio Ferdinand into the back line of a world's best eleven.

With award nominations such as Ferdinand's here, they are more likely than not just based on, "Oh he's had a great career, a bit past it now, but let's give him a pat on the back." There is no truth or value in his nomination, there is no-one, fellow professional or not, who can say Ferdinand deserves to be in such a highly regarded crowd vying for a spot in the World's Best XI.

The way to look at it is this, if you were picking a World's best eleven to and play a match, would Ferdinand be anywhere near the squad? No. Bottom line. Would he even be the water boy? No, because he would probably injure himself running from the dug out to the touchline. His presence alone in this field of 55 almost cheapens the award by itself. Clearly he is not going to make the shortlist, let alone the team for this one. But what really makes a mockery of Ferdinand's inclusion in the World's best eleven, is that he was not even on the initial shortlist of 23 for the Ballon d'Or this season, which is recognition for the world's best player. Eric Abidal was there. Dani Alves was there. Gerard Pique was there. Ferdinand? Again, no. So it will probably always remain a mystery as two who nominated him. Bet any money it was someone wearing a Manchester United shirt though.

Barcelona have eleven players in the running to make the team, six of which made last year's best eleven; Pique, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Villa. But we won't find out until next January as to who makes the final eleven at the FIFA Golden Ball gala. Bet any money that Lionel Messi will be in the team. In a world of handing out awards just for tying up your own boot laces correctly, this is one man who deserves all the praise which can be heaped upon him. He will win the Ballon d'Or over Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo again, giving the little Argentinean his third consecutive title to put him up there with the greats Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten who all earned three of these awards.

That is the kind of company which Messi's name deserves to be kept with, not Ferdinand's. If you were going to name your best team, you would pretty much just pick Lionel Messi anyway. You really wouldn't need Ferdinand or anyone else.

For more fantastic articles & great content please visit http://www.utterlyfrank.com/
The candid Lifestyle Magazine.

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Liverpool FC Player Profile - Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is probably one of Liverpool's greatest ever players, after signing his professional contract with the club in 1997 and making his first team debut a year later he has never looked back. Viewed by many as the most complete footballer of the modern game, his speed, skill, goal scoring attributes and his commitment to the cause have been rewarded with nearly every football medal available, apart from an elusive Premier league winners medal.

By the beginning of the 1999-00 season Gerrard has established himself in Liverpool's first team and his form was so impressive he won his first full England cap in May 2000. Gerrard played an instrumental part in the Reds treble winning success of 2001, wining the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup and he was also voted as the Young Player of the Year, a prestigious award.

During the 2003-04 season Steve Gerrard had become the Liverpool captain when he took over the role from Sami Hyypia, a role which he still assumes today. The pinnacle of Gerrard's career would have to be lifting the European Cup in May, 2005 which was the club's fifth European Cup success, the captain inspiring his team to the greatest of all comebacks, trailing 3-0 to Milan at half time to draw the match 3-3 and win the trophy on a penalty shoot out.

Following the epic final, speculation of a move to rivals Chelsea was rife, but Gerrard finally ended the speculation by signing a new four year contract with the Reds. The following season Gerrard went onto score 23 goals from 53 appearances, the season ended with a dramatic FA Cup final victory against West Ham, with the Reds captain scoring two of the goals in a 3-3 draw, the final goal with literally the last kick of the game to send the match into extra time and then a penalty shoot out which Liverpool won, the goal was voted as the best of the season and Steve Gerrard was also awarded the prestigious professional footballers player of the year award for his outstanding performances during the season. In 2006 Gerrard was awarded the MBE for his services to sport, which was presented by the Queen at Buckingham Palace in December of that year.

The beautiful game hasn't always been glorious for the Reds captain, Liverpool reached the Champions League Final again in 2007 only to be defeated 2-1 by AC Milan and later that year Gerrard captained his country as they lost 3-2 against Croatia and failed to qualify for the European Championships and despite scoring 21 goals during the season the Reds finished without a trophy.

The 2008-09 saw Gerrard score 24 goals during the season and pass his 100 goal mark for the club, but the elusive Premier League title was a step too far as Manchester United piped them to the title. Captain marvel made his 500th appearance during 2009 but the team finished a disappointing 7th place in the league.

Injuries have beset the Reds captain during the last twelve months which have limited his appearances but he is now well on his way to recovery and is back to inspire his team once more as they search for more silverware and the success to which the club have become accustomed.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of Liverpool merchandise available from the Liverpool Shop all products from the Liverpool Store are available to ship worldwide.

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Liverpool FC Player Profile - Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson began his football career with the West Ham United youth academy before signing a professional contract in 2001 before he joined Chelsea in 2003 for a fee of £6 million, when he became the first signing of the Chelsea revolution under the new owner Roman Abramovich.

Johnson actually made his Chelsea debut at Anfield and went on to enjoy a Premier League title and collect a League Cup winners medal during his time with the Blues. As his first team opportunities became more limited he was loaned to Portsmouth in 2006 before making his transfer complete the following season.

A regular player at Portsmouth, Glen was part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2008 and he also has the accolade for scoring the goal of the season during 2008-2009 for his goal against Hull.

An already established member of Fabio Capello's England squad, Johnson signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2009 for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of £17.5 million. The defender quickly established himself in the Liverpool first team, making his debut against Tottenham Hotspur in August of 2009 and scoring his first goal for the club a few days later against Stoke City, and he scored a further two goals for the Reds during the 2009-2010 season, which culminated with Johnson representing England at the World Cup Finals in South Africa, where England were eliminated in their final 16 match against Germany. Glen Johnson has now made 34 appearances for England.

During the 2010-11 season the defender suffered several injuries which limited his playing opportunities, but he has established himself in the resurgent Liverpool side under returning manager and Reds legend Kenny Dalglish. A willingness to play at left back as well as his favoured right side has demonstrated a versatility that has proved many sceptics wrong. Johnson signed a contract extension at Liverpool during the summer of 2011.

While showing versatility in defence, Johnson is also a threat going forward, showing great speed, skill and determination, he demonstrated his attacking prowess when he scored a brilliant solo goal in the closing minutes against his former club Chelsea during the 2011 season in the game at Stamford Bridge, the goal secured a 2-1 victory for the Reds in the closing minutes.

Johnson established The Glen Johnson Soccer School in 2007 along with former West Ham player Sam Taylor, the aim of the school is to develop football skills for children aged 4-16 and this is based in Dartford, Kent, England.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of Liverpool merchandise available from the Liverpool Shop all products from the Liverpool Store are available to ship worldwide.

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Football Betting Tips: Using The Revenge Factor To Give Yourself An Edge

When it comes to football betting tips, there are very few you'll find that will really be of true value to you. There are many websites you can go to that will offer you football betting tips. A lot of times you will get this information for free, but exactly how valuable is that information if it is being given away for free?

Well, I'm going to give you a few football betting tips, well more like one. However, this one tip is going to be very powerful and if used correctly can make you a consistent profit. Now how often have you been watching a football match where one team was so much more superior to their opponent that you felt a win was virtually guaranteed? Did you have money on this game?

If you did you might have been very disappointed when that team lost. You shouldn't be, because you can use what just happened to you as a means to create a very powerful betting strategy. The superior team that just lost most likely will have to play the inferior team again. They may have been caught off guard the first time around, but the second time around they are going to prepare extra hard. Note that if they meet again in the same season, they may be playing in a different venue. However this can be to your advantage, as the prices on offer might be better than you expect.

The next matchup is going to be seen as a revenge game. This is the type of game where one team is going to go out and play with a lot of intensity and a lot of emotion. If they are clearly the superior team than their talent should win out in the end. It doesn't work the other way around when one team is inferior. Even if they were humiliated in the last game, simply coming out with a chip on their shoulder doesn't mean they are going to win.

What it might do is cause a more competitive match and not a crushing blow out. Looking for a revenge match or a grudge match is one of the best football betting tips I can offer you. These are the types of games where players come ready to leave it all on the field in order to send a message.

When you find these types of betting opportunities you must pounce on them. It may take a while for one to come up, but when it does it can prove very profitable.

You can find the best football betting tips at football betting champion. They are very through in their research. All this helps you build a career in football, and succeed in a business that can be very risky.

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Old Trafford

The massive stadium of Old Trafford has a seating capacity of 76,000 and is located in the area of Great Manchester. The construction work of Manchester City started in 1909 and the estimated cost of the project was 60,000 pounds. As the project continued, the cost of construction increased and 30,000 pounds had to be injected into the project to fully fund it.

The construction plan for Old Trafford was an ambitious one as it was planned that the huge stadium will be built with a seating capacity of 100,000 people. However, thanks to the respectable suggestion of J.J. Bentley, the final capacity of the stadium was revised to a more practical target of 80,000. The stadium was completed and officially opened on 19th February, 1910.

The stadium went through a tough ordeal in the World War II when bombing by the Germans caused significant damage to the stadium. As a result of this, the stadium had to go through major repairs and consequently, had a major uplift. The club was granted an amount of 4,800 pounds for the repair by the War Damage Commission and this served as a somewhat alleviating factor for the club. The total cost of repair for the stadium was 23,000 pounds and it took considerable time for the stadium to be bought in a working condition. The stadium was able to host its first game after the World War II in August, 1949.

Many improvements were made to the stadium after the Second World War. However, every improvement that was made to the ground meant that the overall seating capacity of the stadium steadily declined as a result of it. The original capacity of 80,000 had declined to around 60,000 by 1980 and continued to drop as more improvements were made to the ground.

In the year 1990, the club was forced to convert a portion of the stadium to all-seaters because of the recommendations of Taylor Report and demands of the local government. This meant that the club had to drastically alter their plan, costing three to five million pounds, of replacing a stand and to install cantilever roof. These forced development increased the cost of the overall plan to an estimated ten million pounds. Furthermore, it resulted in the seating capacity to drop to an all time low of 44,000.

The success of the club and the resulting popularity in the 1990s meant that the club was losing out on a lot of revenue in terms of the Manchester United Tickets because of the reduced capacity of the stadium. Furthermore, the stadium was to host games of the Euro 96 and this led the club to quickly work on increasing the capacity of the stadium.

The club continued to increase the seating capacity of the stadium until it reached 68,217 to become the biggest club stadium of not only England but UK, at that time. The club intends to further increase the capacity of the club to an estimated ninety five thousand in the future. This would enable the club to significantly increase their revenue from the Manchester United Tickets sale.

Lisa Dorgan is an English Football reporter, writing about the English and European football leagues, the Premier league football clubs, teams and players as well as specific teams such as Manchester United club and where to obtain online the Manchester United Tickets at excellent prices.

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History And Structure Of English Premier League

Even though the English Premier League has only been around since 1992, it has a rich and storied tradition that goes back much further. Featuring world famous football teams, such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and the Blackburn Rovers, the League symbolizes the very best in the world of professional football and all it has to offer. Ruling the roost is Manchester United, which has won 12 championships since the league was formed. Part of the reason they've been able to do so well is they have uniformity and consistency in coaching. Sir Alex Ferguson has been the manager of Manchester United since the league was formed, the only current manager to boast this unique accomplishment of longevity. In addition to coaching, Manchester United has one of the most rabid fan bases in all the world.

They are chased for excellence by Arsenal and Chelsea, two clubs that have managed to win an impressive three titles apiece. Blackburn has won the only remaining title (in the 1994-1995 season). To say that the best teams in history have been owned by only a handful of organizations is beyond understatement. But while not every team has attained the greatness of these in terms of accomplishments, many have just as much to be proud of in terms of tradition. For instance, the Aston Villa have been playing football since 1888, along with clubs Stoke City, West Bromwich, and Wolverhampton. Liverpool goes back not quite as far to 1894.

The seasonal structure of the English Premier League is as follows: begins in August and runs to May. Twenty teams in all slug it out for supremacy. Each club twice does combat with the others during a "regular season competition." There are 38 games total. Three points are provided to a team for each win, while a draw will only draw one, and a loss leaves the loser with nil. Total points, goal difference, and the actual amount of goals scored, all weigh in to determining the final champion. If there is an outright tie, then a play-off will be used to determine the final champion. At the lower level, the bottom three teams will enter into a Football League Championship. The two highest ranking teams from this structure will be paired with the winner of a play-off between the ranked teams from three to six to determine final promotions.

While American audiences may find this system a bit confusing from their normal play-off system, many feel the league's format does a better job of determining who the best teams really are and bestowing the final rewards. You won't get a Super Bowl or a cut-and-dry system here, but what has been done has worked for fans of the EPL.

For Arsenal Gifts & Merchandise or Manchester United FC Gifts, Merchandise, turn to only one source. Visit our site today for more details!

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Shin Guards Facts - Five Things About Shin Pads You Didn't Know

Shin guards are worn in a variety of sports including football and hockey, and are designed to protect the sensitive tibia bone from injury. Some sports have mandatory rules governing the wearing of shin pads to reduce the number of injuries. If you are a regular or even occasional player, make sure you invest in a pair of good-quality shin pads to prevent long periods of absence from the pitch due to injury.

Although we often think of shin guards as a modern invention, perhaps due to the cutting-edge technologies often used in their construction, they are actually descended from ancient armour worn by infantry troops. Read on to find out more, along with four other tips about shin guards that you probably didn't know!

Shin pads are descended from the greave - like many modern objects, shin guards are descended from objects used in battle. The greave was a piece of armour that protects the leg, made from materials including padded cloth and steel. They were most commonly used by heavy infantry, and were developed in ancient times, although they continued to be used during the middle ages.

Unions would like to see teachers wearing shin pads - in August 2011 in the UK, unions urged the Government to provide teachers with shin guards to protect them from violence from school pupils, citing the number of students expelled each year for unruly behaviour. The GMB union said that teachers and teaching assistants should be issued with protective gear, including shin pads, to prevent injury.

Shin pads for sport were first used in cricket - shin guards were originally used in cricket to give the batsman a strategic advantage; by placing his legs in front of the stumps he could use his legs to block the path of the ball and prevent his wicket being taken. The overuse of this led to 'leg before wicket' rules being introduced in 1809. Leg guards continue to be used in cricket, mostly as protection, and are worn by the wicket-keeper, the batsman, and by fielders close to the batsman.

The most expensive shin pads cost £150 ($233) - shin pads range in price, all the way from a couple of pounds for a non-branded pair of guards to £150 for a top-of-the-line pair of Diadora Totti Mondiali Shin Pads. Personally cast from Francesco Totti's leg and featuring F1 Technology, these carbon-fibre shin pads are made from a layer of Titanium fibre on the inside, and a layer of Kevlar fibre on the outside. If you've got money to spare, these are the bee's knees.

People initially laughed at the use of shin guards - the first person to use shin guards in Association Football, or soccer, was Sam Weller Widdowson in 1874. At the time soccer was unregulated and brutal, and Widdowson was looking for ways to cut down on the injuries sustained during the course of a match. As a regular cricket player, Widdowson decided to cut down a pair of cricket shin guards and attach them to his legs using straps of leather. And he was met with ridicule from the other players! However, they soon saw the advantages and so the practice began to spread.

We hope you found these facts interesting - please remember to wear shin guards when practising or playing in a match to keep your legs protected and comfortable.

This article was written by James Smith from Shinnerz, who provide shin guard socks to wear beneath shin guards when playing football and hockey. Shinnerz socks prevent rubbing and chaffing, provide an additional level of protection and wick away moisture formed between the leg and the shin pad.

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How Much of Soccer Is Mental?

Growing up coaches always told me, "90% of the game is mental." I'm willing to bet you've heard that from a coach or two also. But do you know what it means and how it can help you? I know the coaches that told me the game is 90% mental were well meaning. In fact, they probably even thought they were doing me a favor telling me that. But NEVER did any of the coaches I have support their quote with an explanation that made a difference in my results.

So I thought it would be helpful if I shed some light on how your player can use the mental game to get better results in practice and in their very next game.

Personally, I don't believe you can measure whether the game is 90, 95, or even 99% mental. Maybe I should invent some sort of "mental meter" that measures the percent of the mental game and retire to an island.

But anyway... what I do know is that visualization is a part of the mental game. In fact, it's the most underused portion of the game I see today. Yet, the players that do use some form of visualization (consciously or unconsciously) always tend to be the exceptional players that get the best results on the field.

What I want you to gather from today's newsletter is this... adding 30 seconds of visualization to your practice can help you double your skills.

Let me give you a recent example:

At my last training session, I asked my student what his juggling record was. He told me and I helped him set a goal that was 40% higher than his record. He looked at me and said, "I don't think I can do that many." I reminded him to take a deep breath and then to visualize himself achieving his new juggling goal.

About 30 seconds later he tossed the ball in the air and began. I watched as the ball stayed close to his body and bounced straight up and down time after time. He remained calm and kept his eye focused on the ball.

After about 30 seconds he approached his previous record and easily passed it.

He was counting out loud and I could hear the excitement in his voice as he surpassed his previous record. He lost his focus and the ball fell to the ground.

A huge smile crossed his face. Immediately I suggested he set a new goal. I reminded him to breathe deeply and visualize himself surpassing his old record and achieving the new mark.

30 seconds later he launched the ball in the air and began bouncing the ball off his knee, foot, head, chest, and thigh.

Two minutes later he was again all smiles as he easily set a new personal best.

With the power of visualization and deep breathing I helped my student double his juggling record in about 7 minutes.

Now let's take a look at YOUR soccer player. I'm betting they want to improve. I'm betting there is at least one area of their game that visualization could double their results in.

I'm betting they would be ecstatic to become a better goal scorer because they learned how to visualize themselves as a goal scoring machine.

There is so much growth available to young soccer player who learns how to use visualization and mental pictures.

The results players get are truly amazing.

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Reasons Why Soccer Fans Are the Craziest in the World

Soccer fans are known for being obsessive and even fanatical about their sport. If you're a genuine soccer fan and supporter of your club or your national team - you are attached to them for your entire life and everything that they go through. The moments of elation in victory are matched only by those of utter despair in defeat. Soccer is a magnification of all the intense emotions related to winning and losing. It is an extremely tribal sport, arguably the most out of all of the team sports around.

This tribal aspect also means that you have rival "tribes". In soccer this rivalry can go from a heated debate about your club to a passionate argument, and in extreme cases hooliganism and actual physical confrontation.

Naturally, club matches spark impassioned rivalries but it's the international (National club Teams) across the world which really gets the blood boiling. International football tournaments are amazing events and are by themselves sporting rituals. There is this cliché about soccer that the national team represent elements of the country's character in the way the team plays. For example: the English team plays with a kind of doggedness, they do not necessarily play with a lot of flare, but with a lot of determination. The German team plays with order and precision, while Spain plays with panache and a Latin grace.

The sense of national identity that is coupled with this international sport is important and cannot be ignored. It is for this reason that soccer fans sometimes seem to go overboard with their zealous support of their team. One group of soccer supporters are known as "Ultras". They are distinguished by their elaborate displays of support which includes the use of flares, chanting and carrying large banners. They do this not to only encourage their own team but also to intimidate the apposing team and fans.

While" ultras" can become violent, the vast majority of matches they attend are concluded with no violent incidents. Unlike these fervent supporters soccer hooligans are also a part of the scene in some games. Unlike the "Ultras" they don't usually wear their team colors, in order to avoid being detected by the authorities. Hooligans exhibit destructive behavior and are knows for their street fighting, vandalism and intimidation. Fights between supporters of rival teams can take place before or after football matches, or they can explode suddenly at the stadium.

It is unfortunate that it these hooligans receive most of the attention from the media and have therefore characterized in some way the view that a lot of the people have of soccer fans. The truth however is that this group only represents a very small percentage of the "real soccer fans"

The" real fans" may seem to a lot of people as slightly "crazy" but they are peaceful and just simply love their team and the beautiful game of football/soccer. The most common way to show your support for your team would be wearing your team's "colors". Soccer jerseys are a multibillion dollar industry, which shows you just how much soccer fans relate to this sport and their teams.

To find the latest Euro 2012 shirts come visit us at Jersey99.com to buy the latest soccer shirts online.

Jersey99.com is a leading online retailer of football shirts with worldwide delivery and secure online payment. Customization options are available for name, numbers and patches. Come get all the latest club and national team jerseys at unbeatable prices.

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The First Week of the Champions' Round of 16

The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is on and some have already got roughly beaten.
By Camilla Mancini

The first eight clubs from the Knockout Phase of this prestigious tournament met between Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th for the 1st leg fixtures. On each of the four matches there was a triumphant club that now has a foot in the quarterfinals, either with a narrow advantage like Lyon, or with an almost-unbeatable one, like Milan. This first fraction of the last 16 will now have to wait until March 6th and 7th to continue with the challenge and look up for the chance move over to the next phase; but first the remaining 8 will meet between tomorrow and this Wednesday. All the same, here is a short review of the first matches:

February 14th - Lyon 1-0 APOEL: these two had their encounter at the Stade de Gerland, where the Cypriots seemed to be in disadvantage against Olympique Lyonnais, which dominated during the whole game. Although Les Gones still have a higher UEFA coefficient than APOEL, the Cypriots have been improving a lot during this season and in fact it has become the first Cypriot club to reach the round of 16. APOEL's performance has been very good during the competition but on Tuesday it wasn't enough and Alexandre Lacazette saw a chance in this to place the goal that gave his team the current lead.

Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Barcelona FC: at the BayArena were playing the Werkself and the recently most intimidating club in the Champions, Barça, which now is half-way into quarterfinals. During the first half the Germans stood up strong blocking the Spaniard squad, but at 41' Alexis Sanchez scored his first Champions League goal, giving the lead to defending champions few minutes before the break. In second half Leverkusen welcomed the visitors with a goal from Michal Kadlec, however this just revolved the zeal of the visitors to fight back and 3 minutes later Sanchez was scoring again, to then be followed by Messi at 88'.

February 15th - Zenit St. Petersburg 3-2 Benfica: A last minute goal from Shirokov broke the tie favoring the Russians. In spite of the harsh low temperature (-10 C) both teams did a great job and kept things quite even. The first to score was Maxi Pereira at the 20', but 7 minutes later was followed by Roman Shirokov's first goal of the day. By the 71st minute a chance to score arrived for Sergei Semak, but there was also one for the Portuguese Oscar Cardozo at 87' to reach a draw; however a minute after a second goal from Shirokov gave Zenit the lead.

Milan 4-0 Arsenal: the harshest of the results from this week has been the 4-0 that Milan nailed on Arsenal. The Italians had less possession of the ball than the Gunners, but that didn't make any difference, in the end the 53% of ball possession that Arsenal had didn't meant anything. Kevin-Prince Boateng got in the score sheet at 15', followed by Robinho scoring once on each half (38', 49') and to close the heavy defeat a penalty was placed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic after his compatriot, Djourou, knocked him over.

Camilla Mancini is one of the most qualified copy writers on Sports Betting and currently writes for Instant Action Sports. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

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How Arsenal Copes Up With 2012

There's no doubt that spring is approaching, because you can see the Gunners already going out. Every year, the Gunners' routine shows us that you don't have to worry about the title, as it won't be theirs.

With Arsenal knocked out of the FA cup and 17 points behind Manchester City in the League, there's nothing less than sheer disappointment in the club. Indeed, some critics say that things turned over for the team as soon as they were crushed 8-2 by the Red Devils and the desperately wanted title was far gone by the time they were beaten by Fulham, Swansea and then Fergie.

An overview of the season would definitely be shameful for the club and the last game lost 4-0 to AC Milan is shameful as it is. The knockout from the FA Cup owing to the 2-0 beat by

Sunderland is just another eye-opener for Arsenal.

So what exactly is the cause of such a performance? Is it Boss Wenger to blame? Or is it the squad? Or maybe both.

Wenger is holding on to his sixteenth year with the club and is going through his seventh consecutive season without any silverware. Facing the truth, anyone can guess what would have happened to Mr. Wenger in any other club; yes, he might have lost his job for good.

Seven years is a remarkable time and it is certainly time for him to turn things around. Seven years ago, things would have been quite different; the Champions League final in 2006, it might have gotten unlucky for the team but that was six years ago. 2008, OK, maybe Galla's protest came in the way but a whole 2 months before the finals? That is no excuse. 2012, and the team is still no where close to the title.

If this pressure isn't enough, it's really hard to get over the news that unless something serious is done, legendary players (like Robin van Persie) would be waving the club goodbye and that isn't just any rumor that van Persie is already set to hit the deck.

Turning to the crucial stuff, fans say that Wenger is the person to blame. Although his policies have been admired for a while now, like his youth talent policy, but some things definitely need to be changed now.

Some of his poor policies resulted in the exit of Fabregas, Nasri and some other talented players from the club. Overall, it can be said that the success chart of Arsenal surely seems to be going down and Wenger must be doing something about it, fast and efficiently.

To get all the information you need about football clubs, you can always follow us. You can read more about latest Arsenal, matches Previews, Match Highlights and Free Football Live Stream learn all about football latest news, transfers news and more

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The Most Popular Liverpool FC Merchandise

There is no doubt that Liverpool FC is one of the truly great soccer clubs of the world. Admittedly in recent years they may not have dominated the game in the way they did in the 1970s but the truth is that they have always made their impact felt at the highest level of European soccer.

And so it is hardly surprising that Liverpool has thousands of ardent fans scattered all over the world. Many of these fans never lose a single opportunity to feel closer to their club. One way of doing this is by getting hold player's shirts and other playing kits and memorabilia that can easily be found in stores selling Liverpool merchandise.

Actually there is a very wide range of different stuff that you can buy. Even with the team shirts you will have to choose between the shirts the boys usually wear for their home games and what they would ordinary don for away matches. Or if you are a really serious fan you can make sure that you get both the strips.

As is the case with other soccer clubs, Liverpool FC player's shirts are amongst the most popular merchandise that fans look to own so as to identify themselves with this great soccer club. There are even fans who purchase the complete team set right up to the goalkeeper.

Liverpool merchandise can also be a great idea if you need to get a gift for somebody whom you already know is a fan of the club. However it may be a good idea to start by finding out what memorabilia they already have so that you do not end up getting them something that they got a long time ago.

Another Liverpool item that is wildly popular are the hats if you have watched Liverpool games on TV you may have noticed what most fans like wearing. The most popular hats are called the beanies and will usually be decorated with the Liverpool colours and may sometimes even have the names of players and shirt numbers they usually wear.

Fans usually prefer to have the names of Liverpool legends on these hats. One such Liverpool soccer player who is a true legend is Steve Gerard. Although at a tender age he even had a trial with Manchester United, Gerard ended up signing his first professional soccer contract with Liverpool. The amazing thing is that in his first season he always looked pretty nervous and not the kind of player who would make any impact at Anfield. But in the 2000-2001 season Gerard exploded. Not only did he score 10 goals but he was clearly a very key member of the team that ended up winning both the FA cup and were also UEFA champions.

Who can forget Gerard's enormous contribution to that sensational Champions league victory where Liverpool came from behind having conceded 3 goals by half time and ended up winning. This determined player won man of the match then.

And so you will understand when Liverpool fans seem to be crazy about Gerard wearing all kinds of team memorabilia and Liverpool merchandise that has his name or shirt number on it.

Eddie Stone owns and runs 4FootyFans a PREMIER UK online, Officially Licensed, Football/Soccer Gifts, Memorabilia and Merchandise Store.

It has around 2500 items in stock at any time, including a full range of top Liverpool and other Top Clubs products

The store ships worldwide.

There are many aspects that set us apart from our competitors:

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Why Free Soccer Predictions Might Not Be Successful In The Long Run

It might seem like a good idea in the beginning to use free soccer predictions to try and make a profit with soccer. You must ask yourself one important question though. If the soccer prediction has any sort of value then why would any reputable person be willing to give it away for free? Just think about how much time it has to take to come up with a prediction.

It can take hours to analyze various statistical data, trends, patterns and other information that changes by the hour. Why would someone be willing to give away that information for free? There is no such thing as a free lunch, so you should be asking yourself - why are these tips free? Even if the goal was to ultimately draw you in as a paying customer, giving away such valuable information just wouldn't make sense.

Here is the problem; sometimes you may get free soccer predictions that are successful. You will make a return on your investment and this will get you excited. In most cases you are going to be required to subscribe, even if you are only receiving free soccer predictions. In some cases you might receive free soccer predictions consistently, without having to ever pay for anything.

Here is the problem with that, if the predictions are actually successful and you start making money what do you believe is going to happen? You might begin with very small stakes, just to see if the free soccer predations are actually good. If they started to win and your betting bank began to grow, you will most likely increase your stake.

What is happening is the person giving you the free soccer predictions is most likely on a good run at the moment. You just so happen to get in during this good run. Once this person hits a bad run, you are going to be betting higher stakes because of your previous success. Whatever money you have won will be wiped out, along with any confidence you gained along the way.

You have to understand that although free soccer predictions can be fun, the only way to make a consistent profit is to go for a paid option. True professionals focus on long-term profits. Professionals who do strenuous research would never part with their findings for free, at least not long-term. At some point they would require you to sign up if you want to continue receiving their picks.

If, like me, you find that having a bet makes a football match even more interesting, try these soccer predictions. I have had a lot of fun with them over the recent months and you will not find better soccer picks anywhere.

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The Man in Black

I have a dilemma, I am both a football fan and I am a qualified Referee. Ok, I'm not at the same level as Howard Webb, in fact I don't even Ref at league level, but I would argue that I know more about the laws of the game than the average fan.

So what does it take to be a Referee in today's game at any level? Well the game may be played at different levels, but the problems are very similar.

I know that I have made wrong decisions in a game, you have to react how you see it at the time, we all make mistakes, even at the highest level, and whilst Mr Webb gets all his actions scrutinised by pundits and commentators, I have to suffer verbal abuse that I can hear, and that I am not expected to react to, Howard Webb probably does not hear any of the abuse from the fans, because it's drowned out by other noise.

That is the crux of the problem, whilst Howard Webb has to suffer the analysis of an ex-player who's probably never officiated a game in his life, and has the benefit of replays, computer simulation and an audience that will be biased into believing what he says is the truth, I do not.

One of the biggest complaints fans have is that the Referee is not consistent from game to game, we have seen this season several two footed tackles, in the case of Kompany he was sent off for one and not for the other, yet Chris Foy gets the criticism for sending him off, whilst the other Ref gets lauded for not making him walk. So who is inconsistent? Well at the start of the season all Referees including myself were told that a two footed tackle is an automatic red card, whether the tackle makes contact or not. So in the Kompany case, Foy is NOT the inconsistent Ref, the one who DIDN'T send him off is. This is where knowledge of the game and of Referee's instructions are important, if commentators and pundits spent as much time researching the laws and its variations during the season as they do on which player is shagging who's wife, we would all be better off for it.

Referees don't demand respect, they deserve it, without them there would be no games. So next time you go to a match, if it's amateur remember the only one being paid is the Ref; if it's a Semi-pro or Pro game, remember you paid to and watch it.

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Karim Benzema Brilliant Performances

The 23 year old striker has achieved a lot is his career. This can be attributed to his humble nature and the fact that he is an extremely mature person who works diligently to excel. He is extremely loyal and this can be judged from his career. He started playing football with Olympique Lyonnais, when he was 9 years old, in 1996 and stayed with the club for 13 years. He was transferred from Lyon to Real Madrid in 2009 and even with his new club he signed a long term contract of 6 years.

Karim Benzema started his football career with a domestic club and later joined Olympique Lyonnais - the biggest club of the city. He started playing with the club when he was 9 years old and progressed through the ranks of the club fairly quickly. He was able to make his professional debut in the 2004 - 2005 season and played on and off during the season.

Benzema made his mark in the season of 2007 - 2008 when he scored 30 goals over the season to guide his team to winning their 7th successive league title. It was a magnificent year for Benzema indeed as he was the center of attention all around and the highlight of the season was him being named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

His services acquired by Real Madrid in 2009 for a six year contract. The start of the 2010 - 2011 season was disappointing for Benzema as he failed to make any regular appearances for the team and was only used as an occasional striker. However, the injury of his team mate Higuain meant that Benzema was to take the responsibility of Higuain's shoes. Benzema grasped the opportunity with both hands and performed remarkably in the role of the first choice striker of the team. The sale of the Real Madrid Tickets increased majorly because of his spectacular performances.

Benzema played a key role in the Real Madrid's Copa Del Rey. It was a match for which the Real Madrid Tickets were extremely difficult to procure for the fans. His overall superb run of performances throughout the year of 2011 led him to winning the award of French Player of the Year.

This led to everyone having high expectations from the young French striker for the next season of 2011-2012. Benzema certainly didn't disappointed his fans with his brilliant pre season performance in which he scored a total of 8 goals in 7 matches. Benzema went to score the fastest goal in the history of El Clasico. He scored the remarkable goal in just 22 seconds to distinguish himself prominently in the history of El Clasico. He performed remarkably throughout the match and his goal gave his team an early edge in the game. However, Real Madrid failed to capitalize and lost the match 2-1.

Benzema has also represented his national side of France at the youth and international level. His brilliant performances have made him the center of much speculation - Will he take his team to the ultimate glory in the next FIFA World Cup?

Lisa Dorgan is an English Football reporter, writing about the English and European football leagues, the Premier league, Champions league, La Liga, football clubs, teams and players as well as specific teams such as Barcelona and Real Madrid and where to obtain online the FC Barcelona tickets as well as the Real Madrid tickets at excellent prices.

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Arsene Wenger: Best Bargain Signings

What can Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger do with under £10 million? He does love a bargain signing, in fact you could argue that he's made a career out of them. Here are some of his best.

Kolo Toure - £150k - To say Kolo Toure was plucked from obscurity would be an understatement. When the Arsenal scouts found him he was playing for the Ivorian club ASEC Mimosa (no, we haven't heard of them either), he impressed on a trial and cost just £150,000 when signed permanently. He played 225 games for the club, so that transfer fee works out at less than £700 a match. Pretty good business, hey?

Cesc Fabregas - £500k - Cesc cost a rumoured half million when he signed for the club in 2003, and before he had turned 18 was an Arsenal regular. You don't need me to tell you that he hasn't looked back. He went on to captain the club before his big money return to Spain, and at 24 is still in the early stages of a glorious career.

Thierry Henry - £11 million - Okay, so if he does have £10 million to spend, Arsene can only buy 10/11ths of a Thierry. £11 million pounds isn't cheap. All I will say is this; Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea - £30 million. Arsene also made a tidy profit when he sold Thierry on, good business all round.

Robin Van Persie - £2.75 million - RVP was a snip at under 3 mill from Feyenoord. He's approaching 100 goals for the Gunners now, and if he is sold will surely make a huge profit.

Nicolas Anelka - £500,000 - Anelka may have played less games for Arsenal than any of the others, but was an uncovering of talent that epitomises Wenger's transfer policy. Sold on for 44 times the amount he was purchased for.

Indeed, I'm sure it is the 'selling on' that worries the Arsenal faithful, who will be fearing RVP will follow the rest of the list out of the arsenal door in the summer. Arsenal can curse the outgoings of the last 10 years all they like, but at least they've got the best in the business when it comes to nabbing young talent. £10 million can buy Wenger a whole crop of 16 year olds who will be primed for a title challenge in...5-10 years. Just a joke Gooners, please don't send me abusive emails.

For more Football articles, news, previews and player profiles and even interviews, head to my blog http://www.thenorthstand.com/ - The ultimate football blog.

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How to Put Yourself in the Zone

Tonight I watched a young man (15 year old, Sophomore), get his first crack at "playing" varsity football. We'll call him Aaron, well because Aaron is his name.

Aaron's a superb soccer player the doubles in the fall as a field goal and place kicker. Some have said he's a natural.

But I believe he is not a natural. I've seen his work ethic, focus, confidence, and mental toughness. Those are the secret pieces of the puzzle that got him pulled up to Varsity as a back up kicker as a sophomore.

Tonight he stepped up mentally and was prepared to step into the game when the head coach called on him.

After tonight's game his stats look like this:

Touchback
Missed P.A.T.
False start kickoff
Kick off returned 15 yards

I could see and feel, in his mind this was a superb performance.

When the game ended I rushed to catch up with Aaron to find out his mental state after his performance.

The first words out of his mouth were, "Did you see my P.A.T.? I wish I could take that back!"

I decided this was a good opportunity to help him leapfrog his current mental position. So I encouraged him to "Let it go mentally" and then asked him two questions:

1. Where was your mistake? He said, "I was thinking about it!"

2. What do you do when you play soccer? With a smile on his face He said, "I JUST PLAY!"

He got it... There's no reason to think about it in a game situation. All you do is "JUST PLAY!"

One of the secrets to success is remembering that thinking, contemplating, analyzing mistakes are important to achieving success. But they should be done at home, in the car, while showering, before bed, at practice - but NEVER in the game.

Mental rehearsal and evaluating mistakes are to be done pre-game and post game.

Game time is only about Doing. Acting. Execution. Allowing the work you put in at practice to flow through you.

Game time is your opportunity to breathe deeply, remember the goals you've already set, focus on the end result. Then Let it Go! Breathe Deeply! Then Go Do IT.

This my friend is the fastest and most effective way to achieve success.

Add in the Zen breathing exercises I teach and you will find yourself centered, relaxed and focused on your goals. You'll be in the zone!

If you want the greatest opportunity to achieve your goals and perform at your highest potential then I strongly urge you to follow the system I laid out in this report.

That way you can put yourself in the ZONE on command.

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Free Soccer Drills - Available Online

Soccer Drills

If you are looking for some great free soccer drills that will help to improve your team's performance on the field, then you should do an online search. There are dozens of great websites out there that offer soccer drills of all types and they do not require you to buy anything. You get the advanced or novice you have been searching for, for Free! It is incredibly easy to find websites that have quality free soccer drills. Take a moment to browse through these helpful websites so that you may gain more knowledge about this contact sport.

There are a number of websites that offers you information on soccer drills and they offer all this helpful knowledge to you absolutely free, no gimmicks and no hidden charges. Just by searching on the internet for "Free Soccer Drills" on the website returns a large number of websites and you start reading about everything from Soccer drills to Soccer Fitness as well as helpful nutrition tips and other resources that will encourage and help your team to do its absolute best. You will find a wide variety of soccer drills to choose from such as drills for children under the ages of 6, 8, 10, 14, 16, and 18 years.

Some of the drills that I have found include:

The Numbers Game and Pirates of the Pugg for the under 6 to 8 age group.Split the Defenders Passing Game, 1 vs. 1 competition and Dribbling Warm up for the under 10 to 12 age group.Finding the Target Player, 4 vs. 3 Attack vs. Defense, Four Corners Passing Game and a 2 vs. 2 challenge for the under 13 to 16 age group.Passing Combinations, 4 vs. 4 Wide out of the Back, 1 vs. 1 Defending the Dribble, Goal Keeper Arc Drills and Soccer Pass and Move Drills for the 17 and up age groups

Most of the websites that offer free soccer drills will teach you useful soccer drills that help develop the skills of your players. They often have loads of helpful coaching advice with updates every week, and you get it all for free. These websites offers you expert training that will show you how to gain more player participation, more touching of the ball, more 1 vs. 1 attempts from your team, how to get more goalkeeper participation, how to get your team to attempt more passes and much more helpful content. You can receive all of this information by signing up for their weekly emails when you visit their website. You'll receive amazing coaching tips that will help you succeed as a youth soccer coach and be able to get the most out of your players during every game. You'll find out ways to improve your player positioning as well as improve the confidence of your young team players so that they can get out on the field, have a lot of fun, and be successful during the big game.

There are more helpful websites out there that offer great free soccer drills as well as coaching advice. Visit these websites today to help improve your team's skill level and game play.

Nigel Reed has been involved in soccer during the 60's, 70's and 80's as a player and has been coaching youth soccer in Australia since 2000.

Learn more on How to play soccer and take advantage of the Soccer Drills on Nigels website

Good luck with your coaching, unless you play my team of course and remember Practice Makes Permanent

© 2009 Coaching-Youth-Soccer-For-Success

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Milan, Benfica, Barca and APOEL in Quarterfinals

The men from APOEL continue making history in the Knockout Stage and are already qualified for Quarterfinals; along with the Cypriots are Benfica, Milan and Barcelona.

The eight clubs advancing from the Round of 16 to quarterfinals are almost complete with four clubs in and four empty spots set to be filled between next Tuesday and Wednesday. Milan and Barcelona are already qualified as it was expected; however the way they did it wasn't exactly as we picture it. The Italians for example allowed Arsenal to scare a bit the Rossoneri fans with three goals against, from Koscielny, Rosicky and the Gunners top goal scorer, Robin Van Persie. But in the end, the 4-0 victory at San Siro three weeks ago gave Milan the point needed in the aggregate to continue in the Champions League.

In Barcelona's case, it went the opposite way, and when crushing Bayer Leverkusen would've been enough, they instead made a bloodbath of the German club. The 7-1 result at Camp Nou that settled which one of these groups would join the last 8 phase, has been the highest defeat of the knockout stage so far. Actually the ones who settled it were Lionel Messi and Cristian Tello, for they scored 5 and 2 goals respectively. The lonely goal from Leverkusen was placed by Karim Bellarabi when Barça was more than safe, at the 90'.

After their fought first leg fixture against Zenit, Benfica recovered the necessary points on Tuesday with a 2-0, which has placed the Eagles in quarterfinals for the first time since 2006. Two goals were exactly what the Portuguese needed to run over the Russians and though they converted the second goal a little late, patience paid back well. Once again Maxi Pereira opened the scoring against Zenit, this time during the first minute of the first half's injury time. After the break you could cut the tension with a knife in the Estadio da Luz as both clubs were looking for the advantage that would keep them in the tournament; still only one could win and it would be Nelson Oliveira the one to obtain the triumph for Benfica by intercepting a pass from Bruno Cesar in the 90'.

Nicosia, homeland of APOEL, must be still cover in confetti after the celebration for the victory, because this club not only is the first Cypriot club to reach the knockout stage, but it keeps also advancing in the competition. Although the first match was a triumph for Lyon, the 1-0 didn't look like the biggest threat for APOEL, since it was a low advantage for the French. So, on Wednesday the Cypriots stood up firmly to Lyon and early in the encounter settle the tied on the aggregate score with a goal from Gustavo Manduca.

But the first 90 minutes passed by with no changes on the score as well as the extra 30 minutes, so the draw had to be unsettled with penalties. Lyon started the shootout with Kim Kallstrom, followed by Lisandro and Gomis; while the hosts' first three men were Aílton, Nuno Morais and Alexandrou. Until then every player had converted their penalties, keeping it even in 3s. However Dionissis Chiotis sharpen up and when the next two men from OL, Alexandre Lacazette and Michael Bastos stood in front of him, Chiotis put a stop to their hits and saved his team. To help Chiotis, Ivan Trickovski scored the last for the Cypriots and together placed the 4-3 in the penalties shootout.

By Camilla Mancini

Camilla Mancini is one of the most qualified copy writers on Sports Betting and currently writes for Instant Action Sports. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

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FA Cup Preview - Liverpool Play Oldham Athletic

Liverpool will face Oldham Athletic at their Anfield Stadium on Friday in the FA Cup 3rd Round. The Reds who have previously won the Cup on seven previous occasions will be firm favourites to beat Oldham, who are currently playing in League One, the Latics have never reached the Cup Final, although they have reached the semi-finals three times, their last semi final appearance was in 1994.

Having not beaten Liverpool at Anfield since 1914, the odds will certainly be stacked against the visitors, who have only beaten the Reds in six of their last twenty nine meetings and this will be the first match between the two teams since 1994, when Liverpool emerged as 3-0 winners.

Oldham are currently in 14th place in League One, two leagues below and in total they stand 51 league places behind the Reds, who are comfortably positioned 6th in the Premier League, but the Latics who are currently managed by former Manchester City player Paul Dickov, will be boosted by the Reds 3-0 defeat at Manchester City earlier in the week and also the prospect that Reds manager Kenny Dalglish may be tempted to rest some of his regular first team players for the game.

Liverpool may be tempted to give first team opportunities to some of their younger players such as England youth international Jonjo Shelvey and Uruguayan Sebastian Coates, more well known players such as Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez have had limited first team opportunities this season, but they may be given the chance to start the game. The Reds captain Steven Gerrard may start the game as he continues to build his fitness following an ankle injury, having made several substitute appearances in recent weeks. Brazilian goalkeeper Doni, who signed from Roma last summer, could replace Pepe Reina to make his first Liverpool appearance, while Martin Kelly and veteran Jamie Carragher may also feature.

Oldham are likely to field their strongest possible tam as they look to stage a major upset with striker Shefki Kuqi, who is Oldham's top scorer this season and Dean Furman will probably captain the side for the Anfield fixture. The Oldham team includes several Liverpool fans including defender Zander Diamond who has visited Anfield once before, having paid for a tour of the famous Stadium.

Having previously won the FA Cup on seven occasions, Liverpool appeared in the first Cup Final in 1914, but lost to Burnley 1-0. The Reds didn't win their first FA Cup final until 1965 and the guidance of manager Bill Shankly. Current manager Kenny Dalglish won the Cup with the Reds in 1986 and 1989, although it is now six years since the Reds have secured any silverware so they will be hoping to win a trophy this season.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of Liverpool merchandise available from the Liverpool Shop all products from the Liverpool Store are available to ship worldwide.

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What If 'The Magpies' Play Champions League?

It's been not less than a miracle season for the Newcastle fans who were left fuming when Newcastle were relegated from the premier league in 2008/09.

A run of brilliant form is now getting them to the next level. The dream of playing European football is almost sure watching their current form. But whether it will be Champions League or Europa League remains a question! It's just a matter of 4 big games.

A winning streak of 6 games has kept them just above 5th placed Tottenham, and with Tottenham's poor run of form continuing with the defeat to Norwich City at home and QPR away, anything is possible. However, they can still catch up the third place if it goes like this. Arsenal was not called to be a contender for the fourth place when the season started. But they have come from outside to displace Tottenham at third and are three points clear from Newcastle and six from Tottenham with an extra game played.

This Newcastle team seems to be of entirely different mentality than that of 2 years back. They struggled through the sole effort of Kevin Nolan for the last few years, who is now not even in the team. The controversial sacking of manager Chris Hughton and the sell of players like Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique, made everyone sure of Newcastle finishing in the lower half of the table. But with manager Alan Pardrew's hard work, some young signings and strong defense, they have put a stamp on mouth of those who were predicting the worst sitting on their chair.

The factors of this great run can be:
1. Strong defense with much stronger Tim Krul, which has notched 14 clean sheets till now.
2.. Signing of Papiss Demba Cisse, team-mate of Senegalese striker Demba Ba, who has reached double figures in goals with his Senegalese team-mate.
3. Return of Ben Arfa, who was out for most of the season and now forming a great partnership with Cisse.

However, the end of their dream run may come to an end when they meet the two richest team of the league, Chelsea and Manchester City, in a week's time. With an easy run of fixtures for Tottenham and probably Chelsea, it is unlikely for Newcastle to finish fourth. Meanwhile, Chelsea can ruin this all if they win the Champions League on May 19 at the Allianz Arena, Munich.

But this is why soccer excites us; we never know what happens next?

To read more about Champions League, English Premier League football, Euro and many more interesting facts about soccer, check http://normalfootball.blogspot.com/

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El Clasico European Final - Is It Still Possible?

Everyone expected something big from the two Spanish giants in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. But it turned out to be different from what was expected.

Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Munich whereas Chelsea defeated Barcelona with a single goal from Drogba.

Madrid's last clash with Bayern in the Champions league saw them defeated by away goals, 4-4 on aggregate.

They last met in the last 16 of Champions League in 2006-07, where a late away goal from Mark van Bommel in the first leg proved to be crucial for Bayern to progress.

But the situation is different this time. Jose Mourinho will be the man to watch in the second leg as his tactics always makes the difference in these types of situations. He is in the run for his third Champions League title with a third team and will be the first manager to do so if he succeeds.

However, all eyes will be on that man, Cristiano Ronaldo. He has been criticized a lot for failing to spark in big situations and this might be the right time for him to show what he is capable of. A goal with a clean sheet will be enough for Real to progress but with Bayern out of the title race In their domestic league and Real still holding the lead in La Liga, predictions seem to be worthless.

A similar situation is with Barcelona-Chelsea clash. A controversial 1-1 draw at the Stamford Bridge and 0-0 at the Nou Camp saw Barcelona progress to the final of the competition when they last met in the Champions League semifinals in 2009.

There is a turn around this time with Chelsea winning the home clash with 1-0 win. But Barcelona are still supposed to defeat them at home as they have been doing in the past few seasons to their opponents.

It all depends on one man, the little magician Lionel Messi. He is the reason why Barcelona are playing their fifth semifinal in five successive seasons. His sparks on the game is not the question to be raised but will Chelsea be able to stop him from scoring remains to be seen.

While this might be the turning point for the temporary manager Roberto de Matteo, Chelsea's defensive fragilities need to be analysed as well.

Fans expectations might differ from the team's this time as we expect an El Classico European final but the Spanish giants would pray for easier opponent in the final or a third possibility is always there, Bayern playing the final at home against Abramovich's Chelsea. Anything can happen and this is the beauty of the Champions League.

To read more about Champions League, English Premier League football, Euro and many more interesting facts about soccer, check http://normalfootball.blogspot.com/

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Soccer Picks: Using Your Picks Combined With The Draw Bet To Increase Wins

Are you good at making soccer picks? You might very well be, but it is not going to matter much if you are not good at making money from those selections. What you need is a form of bet you can use to make those picks mean something. And one form of bet is betting to draw. Below I have explained some of the reasons for this.

Why betting on the draw is the most powerful bet

If you are looking to make good soccer picks, then you are going to find yourself in the same boat with a lot of punters who just do not know what it takes to beat this game long term. Now you have some people who will try to focus on draws, but this can prove to be difficult as well. So as a result the draw bet has gotten a bad name.

The draw bet is considered to be the same as a loss to some people and it is not seen as being a popular bet. A lot of punters have more fun betting on a team to win anyway. But is there ever a good time to bet on a draw, and can it be done successfully over the long run? Yes there is and there are specific reasons why you should do this.

Reasons to bet draws as your soccer picks

The reality is that when it comes to soccer picks, draw bets pay pretty well. However, they do not have to be the only type of bet you make. But you can find times where betting to draw is going to be a good bet. What you want to do with your soccer picks in this case is find a match where both teams are going to have a tough time breaking each other down.

What you want to do is look for matches between an in form mid table side that is playing at home against a top table away side. In this case the visiting team is going to have a strong chance of getting out of there without losing, but surely they are going to have a hard time scoring against an in form home side. This is where you make your soccer picks.

Why does this situation result in a draw more often?

In these types of situations making soccer picks on a draw are more likely to win because both teams are happy to settle for a draw. And in most cases this is going to be the result. You can also look for Asian Handicap odds to help you. All you have to do is look for games where the handicap is set to 0 or level ball.

If you really wanted to win more often you could decide to only make soccer picks when a chance for a draw was likely. This would mean having to always wait for the right spot, but when it came you would have a much better chance of winning then those who bet to draw without being selective. This methods works and can turn a long term profit.

As you can see making soccer picks can be time consuming and even then if you make just one error all your work might be in vain. If you are looking for accurate soccer picks, why not let football betting champion to al the heavy lifting. They have been around since 2006 and keep providing good picks year after year.

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Football Betting - Tips to Make It Work Every Time

Football betting has proved to be an affair that can help make lives better since it provides many with the chance to make some real cash as they continue enjoying the sport. The betting is not however as cheap and easy as it seems since it can cost one a lot especially when wrong decision or decision that are not well thought out are made.

This is a process that needs good calculations especially for the football fans that are looking to make money besides enjoying the matches. Wrong betting can be very disappointing and can actually leave one in financial woes especially when he or she had placed huge amounts of money in a bet that went contrary to the expectations.

This makes it very important to consider all essential facts about the match that you are about to place a bet on every single time. It is actually very beneficial to start looking at the likely outcomes of the matches that you are looking forward to placing the best on since this will ensure that you are aware of every single aspect. Early analyzation is also helpful since it ensures that no detail about the matches is left out and the fan is of course in a better position to make sound decisions.

Always ensure that you find a reliable betting site and one that has a good reputation to it. This is because fraudsters take part in almost everything and when you settle for any site you might end up losing your money in a bet that never was. A good site should be reasonable enough and should make available safe and convenient ways of making any deposits of withdrawals. Always remember that online transactions can be very risky.

When making the football bets, always make bets that are reasonable in relation with the football odds. This will ensure that you make bets that won't hurt much even when the expected results are not achieved. It is not very advisable to place large amounts of money especially in cases where the odds don't seem to be giving a very clear line on which line to follow in the betting.

Also, take the time to know the strong team players and what their absence in the matches could mean to the team and the results in general. Past matches can also be considered and how prepared the teams are in relation to the time they have had to relax since their last matches.

If you are a keen football fan and are looking for the very best free Football Odds and free Football betting then you are on the right site! Only Football Odds offer free betting tips for the champions league and also for the best odds available for all your favourite clubs and their competitions.

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