The Facts About Chelsea FC

I love my club, i just want to put on my TV and see my favourite colour- blue and my favourite team - Chelsea.

o Chelsea has sustained the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football and regularly attract over 40,000 fans to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea FC

o Chelsea holds the record for the highest ever points total for a league season (95), the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the highest number of Premier League victories in a season (29), the highest number of clean sheets overall in a Premier League season (25) (all set during the 2004-05 season), and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6).

o Chelsea hold the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home in the English top-flight, which lasted 86 matches from 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008

o On 19 May 2007, Chelsea became the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium, having also been the last to win it at the old Wembley

o On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up (no British or Irish players) in a Premier League match against Southampton

o Chelsea were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United on 19 April 1957

o Chelsea Football Club is owned Russian billionaire- Roman Abramovich

o Chelsea FC's chairman is Bruce Buck from the United States of America

o Chelsea FC manager is Carlo Ancelotti From Italy

o Chelsea FC home is the 42, 055 capacity Stamford Bridge

o Chelsea FC is also nicknamed "The Blues"

The Facts About Chelsea FC

Swindon Town Football Club - A Brief History

Swindon Town Football Club is generally regarded as being formed in 1879, with the club becoming established as one of the leading clubs outside the Football League by the 1900's. Harold Fleming, good enough to be capped by England, helped the club to win the Southern League twice and also make runs to the FA Cup semi-finals.

When the Football League was expanded, Swindon Town Football Club were admitted a part of the new Third Division in the 1920, winning their first ever league game 9-1 against Luton, which remains a club record.

Chelsea Football Club

Swindon remained in the division for the next 43 years until finally clinching promotion into Division Two in 1963 with an exciting young team that included a future international in Mike Summerbee, plus other players who would go on to play in the top division. Two seasons later though, they were relegated.

The finest moment in Swindon Town Football Club history winning the League Cup at Wembley in 1969 against Arsenal after beating other top division sides on route. Swindon won the final 3-1 with winger Don Rogers, a cult hero at the club scoring twice. In the same season they returned to the Second Division.

The club gradually declined though and in 1983 dropped into the Fourth Division for the first time. The appointment of former Manchester United player Lou Macari engineered a transformation and by 1990, although Macari had moved on, Swindon were promoted to play in the top division of English football. They were relegated though, before the season had started after being found guilty of making payments to players that broke league rules.

Swindon, then managed by Glenn Hoddle, finally made it into the Premier League in 1993, but were relegated straight away.

The club has failed to recapture those heights since then, suffering from some poor managerial appointments and questionable decisions by owners, before coming under the chairmanship if Andrew Fitton. They now play in the third tier.

Swindon Town Football Club - A Brief History

TP Mazembe Advances Into Final

TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo made history on Tuesday as they demolished Internacional Football Club of Brazil 2-0 to become the first African club side to reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.

No club side outside South America and Europe has ever gotten to the final of the competition since inception. The tournament has been dominated mostly by South American club sides; but the feat of Mazembe on Tuesday broke the jinx on African clubs and launched them into international stardom.

Chelsea FootballClub

Mulota Kubangu and Dioko Kaluyituka also made history as their superlative performance and wonderful goals in the 53rd and 85th minutes respectively permanently silenced their opposition.

Internacional started the first half as though they were to carry the day as they displayed their Samba style of play to the delight of the fans, sending a warning signal to their African opponents that they were the South American champions. Mazembe however refused to be intimidated; they held their own, maintained their cool and defended their post heroically. They finally gained confidence and fought back gallantly, playing as a united, compact team.

It was Rafael Sobis who first created an anxious moment as early as the first minute of the first half after destabilizing the defense of TP Mazembe; but the agile Muteba Kidiaba was quickly on hand to deny him the scoring opportunity.

A scintillating performance by Rafael, Alecsandro, Indio and Tinga continued to put the African side on their toes. The speed and accuracy of passes of the Brazilian side was a source of tension for their opponents. Tinga had a great opportunity to put the South Americans ahead, but nodded the ball wide from about seven yards from the post when the goal keeper was already helpless.

The African side had an above average performance in the first half as they did some counter attacks from time to time, putting goal keeper Renan to test. The first half ended on a barren draw. Mazembe went back to the dressing room to try and find a way of overcoming the Internacional onslaught.

They came back stronger and more purposeful; this time they were able to have a better ball control to the delight of their supportive fans. Their determination propelled them on: and in the 53rd minute, Amia Ekanga nodded down the ball for Mulota Kubangu. He intelligently displaced the Internacinal defense line and sent the ball into the back of the net with a terrific shot. The stadium erupted in jubilation; the African fans could not contain their excitement. The South American side watched in silence and utter disbelief.

In the 59th minute, Rafael Sobis unleashed a terrific left footer but Muteba Kidiaba again denied him the opportunity to equalize for his side. He also denied Giuliano another opportunity in the 70th minute.

The African side continued to produce a counter attack, fighting gallantly to ensure they never surrendered their one goal advantage. They worked assiduously, they played as one united team and just five minutes from full time, they had another breakthrough. This time around, it was Dioko Kaluyituka who worked from the left flank and sent a 20 yard shot that caught goal keeper Renan napping.

Coach Celso Roth was arguably devastated by this second goal; the possibility of Internacional scoring 3 goals in 5 minutes to win the match was remote. He had to settle for a third position match either against Internazinal Milano of Italy or Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea.

TP Mazembe was truly great in the encounter; the players gave a good account of themselves and Africa in general. Africa Club side football has now come of age: there is now hope of winning the elusive FIFA Club World Cup trophy for the first time.

TP Mazembe Advances Into Final

Chelsea's Didier Drogba Suspended

Unquestionably the player has been a great invest for the Chelsea FC, being a tremendous striker and the type of player who needs no signal on the field to move along, but he is as well again and again in the headlines for polemic issues.

Drogba is bad tempered and has petulant personality. If you think that Rooney's humor and Cristiano Ronaldo' super-ego personalities can be difficult, imagine then Drogba's situation having both Rooney and Ronaldo's negative qualities.

Chelsea

On the past week, Drogba was charged with violent conduct during a League Cup game against Burnley FC. The problem was that while Burnley fans were throwing objects on the field after Drogba scored, he grabbed one of the objects (a coin) and threw it back at the supporter's stands. If that was not enough, many saw him making obscene gestures at the people in the stands.

Due to his polemic long soccer trajectory, his case was taken seriously by the FA (Football Association) and after studying videos of the incident and talking to witnesses' he received a 3 game suspension; as stated in the rule book players should not interact with fans in an aggressive approach.

Unfortunately this is not the first time Drogba is in the eye of the hurricane. During his second season with Chelsea, three years ago, he was accused of cheating to score in an encounter vs. Man City, as he used his hand to run the ball. There is also the issue many rivals have complained about, the "elbowing", which is something apparently he does during matches and thus some alleged he should be punished by FIFA. Back in the 2007/08 season he created chaos in the club after manager José Mourinho was release from duties, telling media he wanted to leave the club as well and complained about the clubs management. If all these problems were not enough on April 2008, he injured Man United's defender Nemanja Vidi

Chelsea's Didier Drogba Suspended

Insurance Advice For Owner Builders

Owner builder insurance products are a must for anyone deciding to build their home. Don't get lost with all the different protection and coverage offered by different providers, find out which products you need. So you want to build your own house and add that personal touch to your home? This is becoming increasingly popular and ensuring that you have the correct insurance coverage is vital. The key to a successful self-built project is to make sure that you are fully insured from the start.

The following insurance products are a MUST for any owner builder

Chelsea

1. Construction & Liability Insurance
Also known as contract works insurance or construction all risk insurance which is insurance protection for people renovating, building or extending their home. Construction insurance protects builders from most main risks that may be encountered during the construction and building process. This includes weather related damages, fire, issues with their workers or workmanship and more. (Consult your insurance broker to ensure what risks are protected).

The liability portion of this insurance is known as Public liability insurance. This protects the builder for their legal liability against injury or damage to third party property. As an owner builder you are responsible for the site safety and overseeing building works - without this cover you would be liable if anyone is injured at or near your building site. Although it is not mandatory to have construction and liability insurance cover it would be risky not to have it. Most local councils will however require you to have this cover prior to commencing any building work.

2. Personal accident or volunteer workers insurance coverage
Building and construction sites are listed as being amongst one of the more dangerous places to work. As an owner builder you can choose to assist your tradesmen and builders with the construction. If you are injured or incapacitated during construction and cannot attend your normal form of employment, having the right personal accident insurance cover will offer you the right protection.

3. Builders Warranty Insurance
Owner Builder Warranty Insurance mandatory insurance required by the Home Building Act 1989. Although it is mandatory, the policy is for benefit of the house purchaser and does not provide any cover to the actual home builder

This policy protects the subsequent owner from any defective work on the property if you as the owner builder have died, disappeared or become insolvent. Builders warranty insurance is mandatory insurance cover. It is essential to take out the insurance before any work is started as otherwise the project will be difficult to insure. Standard policies run for 12 months but, if the construction takes longer, extensions are usually available. This insurance is compulsory for all residential building works in excess of ,000. If you build and sell your property within 6 years of its completion or renovation you will need to provide the with residential owner builder warranty insurance.

It is required by law to be taken out when selling within the statutory period - Statutory period for New South Wales and Victoria is 6years and 7 years in Western Australia. A builder who sells within 6 years of completion without any Insurance, or who fails to attach an insurance certificate to the Contract of Sale can be fined, amounts over ,000. If a Contract of Sale has been entered into without insurance, the contract can be voided by the purchaser at any time before completion of the contract. It is therefore in your best interest to ensure you have the right advice when building you own home.

Insurance Advice For Owner Builders

John Terry Fact File

John George Terry was born on 7th December 1980 and he is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in the centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea football club in the Premier League. Terry was also captain of the England national football team. Terry was voted best defender in the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and 2008, and was included in the World XI team for four consecutive seasons. He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup making him the only English player to make the team. He currently wears the number 26 shirt for Chelsea football club.

Career

Chelsea FootballClub

John Terry began his career with Sunday league team Senrab before moving to Chelsea youth team at the age of 14. He made his Chelsea first team debut in 1998 making a good impression to viewers. In the year 2000 Terry began to establish himself in the Chelsea first team making 23 starts and was voted player of the year. It was in 2001 that Terry captained Chelsea for the first time in his career. Terry performed well throughout the 2000-2001 season which earned him the captain's armband. Terry has captained Chelsea since having received the armband in 2001 and has helped the team win many trophies and titles. Since signing for Chelsea in 1998 Terry has made an impressive 298 appearances and scored 19 goals.

International Career

Terry has also been captain of the England national team on many occasions. Terry made his debut for England in 2003. His main defensive partner is Rio Ferdinand. Terry has captained the England team several times in important matches and has helped the squad win many crucial games.

Family and Personal Life

John Terry lives in Oxshott, Surrey where he lives with his wife Toni and his two twin children. In 2009 John Terry was named dad of the year after he came on top of a poll survey.

Honours

Terry has been awarded many honours such as PFA player of the year, UEFA Best Defender and Chelsea Player of the Year.

John Terry is a key player for Chelsea football club and the England international team as he brings skill and strength to both teams when playing.

John Terry Fact File

YouTube Extend Advertising into Video Clips

When Google bought social, non-commercial YouTube, all the financial analysts were puzzling about how they where going to make money from the £832 million purchase. Well, that conundrum may have been answered - in part at least - with the latest announcement from the internet giant; ads are to be incorporated into some of the videos posted on the site.

YouTube are hoping that their innovative approach will be as unobtrusive as their current online classifieds, placed directly by owner Google. A transparent advertisement overlay will begin 20 seconds into selected video clips, displayed in the bottom fifth of the video. If the advert is ignored it disappears after 15 seconds, however clicking on the image will play the advert. Mindful of the uproar of many YouTube users following the announcement of its acquisition by the search engine giant, Eileen Naughton, YouTube's director for media platforms said: "We are trying to be respectful to the YouTube community, whilst also working with our marketing partners. Our research has shown that less than 10 per cent of users choose to close the image overlay as soon as it appears." Evidence, Naughton claims, that the majority of YouTube's users are not unduly bothered by this latest form of advertising.

Chelsea Football Club

The research also showed that the traditional forms of TV advertising were not popular. Internet viewers do not appreciate a pre-roll commercial, where an advertising clip is played before the content that they have clicked to see, nor did they like an interruption to their viewing once it had started. Shashi Seth, group product manager for YouTube explains their need for a new approach: "Our experiments with pre-roll advertising showed a very high abandonment rate."

Google will be charging advertisers per 1,000 page views for the service that will be rolled-out first in the USA. They are anxious to ensure that big brand names do not appear alongside inappropriate content such as pornographic or violent content and therefore avoid the embarrassment suffered by Facebook recently when brand names pulled their advertising due to it appearing on the British National Party page.

Initially, they will only be using established media partners, such as Warner Music and In addition only YouTube's 1,000 content "partners", including Chelsea Football Club and the BBC's commercial unit will in advertise by this method, which is due to roll out in the UK within months.

However, whether YouTube's new advertising approach will prove as unobtrusive as the online classifieds featured on the website remains to be seen. Indeed, if it is not visible enough, then some would question the commercial benefit for their marketing partners, including the advertisers themselves. But, on the other hand if it takes off then it will provide the default model for all video advertising, and also add significant revenues to video-sharing websites.

YouTube Extend Advertising into Video Clips

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

Times are looking bleak for Liverpool football club and for Liverpool fans across the globe. While the club's owners seem to show no interest in the club and are only concerned with their own financial gain, Liverpool have won just 3 games in 15 and have already been knocked out of the Champion's League before the knockout stages have even begun. On top of all of this, the club is in tremendous debt and it seems that they may soon have to sell some of their biggest stars (also known as 'assets') if they cannot make their annual interest payment of £20 million (brought about by their £300 million loan that was taken out two years ago).

Many fans fear that Liverpool may soon become the new Leeds United (who finished fourth in the Premier Division less than 10 years ago and are now playing in the third tier of English football) is problems are not sorted out on and off the field, and if the club don't finish in the top 4 league positions this year (thus earning them qualification to the Champion's League).

Chelsea

With news today that Chelsea are preparing to mount a £30 million bid to secure the services of Liverpool's 29 year old captain, should Liverpool sell their influential skipper in January? In my opinion they should either do one of two things; sell Gerrard (but not for £30 - for a figure nearer to £50m) or change their formation so that Gerrard plays as a right wing-back (much like Dani Alves does for Barcelona).

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

4 4 2 Diamond Formation

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will go with his tried and tested diamond formation. It's a peculiar strategy since it offers little width and puts significant demands on certain players. We discuss it here in some depth.

The advanced player behind the front two should expect little room to maneuver as he will be marked closely by the holding midfielder from the opposition. Consequently, any attacking midfielder will not do. Those whose game is based on movement, particularly from deep, would find it difficult to impose themselves from this position.

Chelsea FC

Instead, a more intricate player is required, one who can thread passes after 1 or 2 touches. Pace and ball skills are of added bonus since this would induce free kicks in dangerous positions. In Chelsea's case, it may therefore be more effective to employ a player like Deco as opposed to Lampard in this role.

Note, playing one behind two front men is different from playing 1 behind a single striker. The later situation offers more opportunities for movement than the prior.

Width is important as otherwise approach play becomes narrow and predictable. This is not something to be overlooked as highly skilled teams can suffer from this. Arsenal, for one, have intentionally concentrated their play down the center, which has caused opposition teams to pack the midfield. Liverpool too, over the last 18 months have shown excessive dependency on the Gerrard-Torres link up.

One way to offset this is to send the middle two in the diamond into wide areas when the team has possession. This can be problematic as these players are unlikely to be effective down the flanks and more importantly leave large spaces in the event of a counter attack.

Ideally, you compensate for a lack of width via your full backs. This sounds easier than it is. Your first concern as a manager doing this is whether your full backs are physically up to the task. Can Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa sustain trips up and down the pitch for 50 games in a season? Your second concern is the end product of these players, if their crossing or final ball is poor than what exactly is the point?

Most academies will educate young players to force opposition play down the sides as any resulting cross should be dealt with by the defense. The compelling argument for playing the diamond is that this process happens naturally.

4 4 2 Diamond Formation

English Premier League - Manchester United Beat Chelsea in Weekend's Big Match

Manchester United and Alex Ferguson sent a message to the rest of Premier League yesterday and, I would suspect in particular, to the Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. Man Utd beat Chelsea easily 3 - 0 at Old Trafford on Sunday in the English Premier League's big game of the weekend. Ferguson, if he didn't already, now believes his club can catch Liverpool and retain the title by beating the other teams at the top of the table.

This was Man Utd's and Ferguson's, first win over the other potential title contender this season. Earlier in the week Ferguson had, somehow, unsettled Benitez, the Liverpool manager. So much so in fact, that the Spaniard launched into a pre-meditated diatribe against Ferguson in his Friday press conference about his alleged influence over officials. In reply to what the Liverpool manager's attack, Ferguson said after the game yesterday, "I think you have got to cut through the venom of it and hopefully he will reflect and understand that what he is saying was absolutely ridiculous. He is an angry man and I think he was disturbed for some reason or another -- that is all I've got to say about it."

Chelsea

Ferguson is certainly the master of the mind games and it would appear that he has certainly won one over on Benitez. The Premier League game between the two famous rivals at Old Trafford in March will be interesting to see how the two react with each other, never mind the fact the result of that game could go along way to deciding the final destination of the Championship.

Anyway, so far this season Utd have already drawn 1 - 1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in September, drawn 0-0 at Villa in November, and lost away to both Arsenal and Liverpool. However, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal all still have to visit Old Trafford and it looks like Man Utd are starting to time their push for the top with perfection again.

It was Man Utd's central defender Vidic who headed the opener just before half-time then strikers Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov scored one each as United. The win now means that Utd are only one point behind Chelsea.

United now have 41 points, which is still five behind Liverpool, but the current champions have two games in hand over their rivals. United can therefore move into first place should they beat Wigan and Bolton later this week.

However, back at Old Trafford it was a poor day at the office for Chelsea and their boss Phil Scolari who had previously said this match was absolutely crucial to his team's chances of regaining the championship they last won in 2006. Perhaps he put too much pressure on his players as Chelsea failed to get a single shot on target, even playing with three strikers for the final 10 minutes.

Scolari has seen his future come under increased speculation in the British press in recent weeks with some poor results. His team has stumbled against the backdrop of alleged unrest in the dressing room, as well as financial restrictions in the transfer market during the January window due to the current financial crisis.

Scolari said, "Now is the time for me and my players to think about our future: have we lost everything or are we men and do we improve? It's only this way or the second way is death.

"We know, all the fans know and the press knows if we play like the second half we won't arrive." His English still isn't too good but you can certainly understand what he means.

Chelsea have only won one of it's last five Premier League games, which is hardly championship form. Chelsea's next game is in just three days when they visit Southend in an FA Cup 3rd round reply. Should Chelsea lose that game, the alarm bells will certainly be ringing in south west London!

There was also a very interested spectator at Old Trafford yesterday. Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, now the coach at Inter Milan was sat in the stands. Inter of course are due to play Man Utd next month in the last 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League. He must have been glad he wasn't still in charge of Chelsea however, Man Utd's performance will certainly have given him something to think about ahead of his return with Inter.

English Premier League - Manchester United Beat Chelsea in Weekend's Big Match

English Premier League - Season 2009/2010 - Chelsea Win Premiership Title on Last Day

Chelsea are Champions of England. In the final day Chelsea had to win their home game against Wigan. They did it style winning it by 8 goals to nil. What a tanking that was. I think Wigan should next time just forfeit the game and take a nap. Perhaps that's what Wigan did in the second half. Chelsea were only two goals up at the break. Then a Dider Drogba second half hatrick sealed Chelsea's first title in 4 years. Carlo Ancelotti has managed to take essentially the same team that didn't perform to its best under the Phil Scolari reign to the top of the premiership.

Carlo Ancelotti basically went back to the 4 4 3 system that was so successful under Jose Mourinho. With Dider Drogba scoring 29 goals this season in the premier league. Frank Lampard contributed is regular 20 plus goals. Between these two players Chelsea have scored 50 goals. These two players managed more that the total number of goals scored by Portsmouth. Under Ancelotti, Chelsea have handed out 7 goal thrashings to Sunderland, Stoke City and Aston Villa. And in their final game of the season 2009/2010 they went one better. Chelsea have managed to score 103 goals in the 38 league games. This is a premier league record.

Chelsea

With this premiership win Chelsea have won their 4th title. They can now look forward to claiming the FA Cup on Saturday against relegated Portsmouth. Whether Portsmouth can even managed to field a decent first 11 will be a challenge. I can safety say I will eat my hat if Portsmouth actually win the final. Three cheers for Chelsea. At least the stopped Manchester United from over hauling Liverpool's 18 title record. Just hope that Torres stays and scores 50 goals next season.

English Premier League - Season 2009/2010 - Chelsea Win Premiership Title on Last Day

Why Ronaldinho's AC Milan Career is Back on Track?

Ronaldinho AC Milan Career has been a disaster to start with. His repeated failures with FC Barcelona resulted in him being dropped off the plans of new coach, Guardiola. Meanwhile AC Milan came as a rescuer for Ronaldinho and saving Ronaldinho Magic from going to English Premier League. For the record Ronaldinho started his career with Grêmio in Brazil. He then moved to Paris Saint-German in 2001. On the back of a great World Cup 2002 Campaign he finally moved to FC Barcelona in 2003.

It was at Barcelona where Ronaldinho Magic reached its height. He quickly became one of the legends of the sport. His performance against the top clubs in Europe earned him two World Player of the Year and a Balon d'Or awards. Ronaldinho perfomance against AC Milan in 2005-06 season was sensational. He may have become first Barcelona player to receive a standing ovation at Bernebeu. His consistent performance cemented Ronaldinho Position in Hall of Fame of Football players. Ronaldinho Position as the one of the best Barcelona player of all time cannot be questioned, but his last two season were nothing special by his standard. So it was inevitable he concede the theatre of Camp Nou to Lionel Messi and part with FC Barcelona.

Chelsea FC

Ronaldinho AC Milan career started in a very bright fashion. He scored teh only goal against Inter in the Derby and some more goals followed. BUt Ronaldinho magic soon dried up and Ronaldinho's position in team also came under question. Ronaldinho positioned behind Pato was considered by some for him drop of form. With Kaka transfer, Ronaldinho position got shift into the left back and soon he had all the freedom to weave his Ronaldinho magic. Now with the magic back Ronaldinho AC Milan career is taking off. His performance against Manchester United was out of this world.

Why Ronaldinho's AC Milan Career is Back on Track?

Hull City Football Club - How to Rile Leeds United Even More!

Have you ever wondered how easy it is to wind up Leeds United and their fans even more? Please allow me to share with you the latest snippet of transfer speculation coming out of Hull City Football Club. Ah yes, the power of the internet and publication. Don't you just love it?

This would be funny if it was in fact deemed to be true. Indeed, at this stage it hasn't been confirmed or denied as such by any party, so we can take the latest rumour being punted around national media circles with some genuine cause for debate. Could the Tigers really be about to rub yet more salt into an already gaping Leeds United wound?

Chelsea FootballClub

Following Hull City Football Club's stellar 2-2 draw with the Lillywhites at Elland Road on Tuesday evening - secured with just 10 men by the way - Leeds United were left far from happy with Hull City skipper Ian Ashbee. Well, that and the fact Bradley Johnson's comedy own goal gifted the Tigers a point for our injury ravaged and numerically depleted side, thus costing the home team two more valuable points. Sweet...

But as stated above, adding more fuel to an already raging fire in the Leeds camp was City legend Ian Ashbee for an alleged elbow planted square in Luciano Becchio's face. Apoplectic at the apparent actions of the Tigers' no.4, Leeds United lodged a formal complaint with Football League, because no action had been taken by the match referee Kevin Friend at the time, leaving Becchio requiring treatment.

That news has angered Leeds United who have retaliated to the official response by posting video footage and a picture of Becchio's black eye on their official website. But surely, this can only be viewed as frustration by the West Yorkshire side, after the referee decided no further retrospective action would need to be taken - thus rendering the Lillywhites without a case.

Yet, the funniest thing of all is; Hull City Football Club are set to provoke the West Yorkshire club further with their own latest actions. In what would be seen as a real poke in the eye, Nigel Pearson is reportedly contemplating a swoop for the Argentine striker during the January transfer window. That move to take Leeds United's star striker away from Elland Road, would severely weaken their rivals striking options - particularly as Jermaine Beckford moved to Everton in the summer. Nice one Pearson!

Hull City Football Club - How to Rile Leeds United Even More!

Champions League Preview: Chelsea Vs Marseille

For Chelsea, the Champions League Group F game against Marseille, on Tuesday, presents an opportunity to regain morale after two losses, last week.

The first was a mid-week defeat by Newcastle in the Carling Cup, the second, a Premier League capitulation to Manchester City. Carlos Tevez struck once for Manchester City, and let the defenders do the rest, to seal Chelsea's first defeat of the season.

Chelsea

The fact that the Champions League encounter is a home match at Stamford Bridge should be cause for comfort among Carlo Ancelotti's men.

Marseille manager Deschamps is no stranger to Stamford Bridge as he once had a brief stint at the helm of the London squad. The Frenchman also had a previous visit with Monaco, for a Champions League game, and Chelsea's loss in that match saw the Premier League champions crash out of the European tournament.

The last French team to visit Stamford Bridge was Bordeaux, on Laurent Blanc's watch. Chelsea was the winner on that occasion slamming in four goals while not conceding any. Marseille will not want to meet the same fate.

Marseille lost their opening match in Group F, a game in which they hosted Spartak Moscow. So the pressure will be on the French team to stave off defeat in the away game to Ancelotti's men.

Chelsea are certain to use the match as a redemption opportunity following their loss at the City of Manchester Stadium, on Saturday. But their cause is not likely to be helped by the absence of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Lampard has been advised rest after a hernia operation; Drogba is serving a suspension. Lampard's absence in midfield was a key factor in Chelsea's first defeat of the Premiership season.

Apart from Lampard and Drogba, Benayoun and Salomon Kalou will also not be available in the Marseille game, owing to injury.

Chelsea have already recorded a win in Group F, seeing off MSK Zilina in an away match, earlier this month. That was a convincing 4-1 victory, and Ancelotti will be hoping for a similar showing by his squad against the French visitors.

Daniel Sturridge is likely to partner Anelka in place of Drogba, and this could be a great opportunity for Sturridge to showcase his skills. The teenager already has a Premier League goal this season.

The pressure will be on Marseille as a loss could see them crash out of the Champions League, while Chelsea are more or less certain of qualifying for the next stage.

Despite their overweaning European ambitions, Chelsea will have an eye on their Premier league fortunes, even as they use the Marseille game to hone their act, ahead of the Arsenal match on Sunday.

Champions League Preview: Chelsea Vs Marseille

Grassroots Football Development in Sapele From 1950-1980

Sapele is a city in southwestern Nigeria, located in Delta State. Sapele is situated at the headwaters of the Benin River, which flows out to the Niger Delta.

Football development in Sapele started in the 1950's, when football was just at its infancy in Nigeria, and Sapele a town noted for excellence was at the fore front in football then. The then Sapele township stadium was among the first constructed stadium in Nigeria The desire to fully develop football at the grassroots level gave birth to the Sapele Amateur Football Association in 1987.

Chelsea FootballClub

This was quickly followed by the staging of the inaugural Sapele Cup of Nations Competition in 1988. It was a competition that featured 16 teams from Sapele and environs. Some of the teams that participated at the inaugural Cup of Nations competition include: K.B Stars, Athletico De Marin, Ghana Black Stars and Loaders F.C.

The competition was put together by Mr. Gabriel Igarri and Mr. Dan Evumena. It is interesting to note that the inaugural Sapele Cup of Nations trophy was donated by Chief P.D.O Akpeki the Ugo of Okpe Kingdom. Going back to football development in Sapele, it is worthy of note to recall that in 1968, Nova Luna Football Club was formed. It was the first Youth club in Sapele. It was founded by Late Mr. Tony Okonedo who was then a Graded football referee. He also founded Ladies Football club that same year. After the formation of Nova Luna, came Niger Pools Football club in 1969. It was formed by the Niger Pools company.

It later metamorphosed into Strangers Football Club in 1969 which was formed by former players of Niger Pools F.C. Strangers Football club was then captained by Olayinka John( Ayogi) who died on the 7th of January 2010 after a protracted illness. The club existed for two and a half years.

In 1971, Ethiope F.C Sapele was formed and it gained prominence due to the caliber of players in its fold then. When it was rumored that the club will be leaving Sapele for a new base, the then Governor of Bendel State- Osaigbovo Ogbemudia took over the affairs of the club and re-named it New Nigeria Bank F.C, with its base in Sapele.

There were four State club in the then Bendel State

Ethiope Football Club (Later re-named New Nigeria Bank F.C Sapele)
Viper F.C Benin (Later re-named Bendel Insurance of Benin)
Ika Rangers F.C Agbor (Later re-named Midwest Line F.C)
Warri Wolves F.C Warri (Later re-named Midwest Line F.C\z)

These four clubs were later handed over to various companies by the then Bendel State Government.
In 1971/72, there was the eleven brothers F.C and Eleven Strikers F.C both based in Sapele.
Late Olayinka John (Ayogi) was the then coach of eleven brothers. The club produced the likes of German Odjegbe who was the then captain of Bendel U-17 football team that won Gold medal at the 1973 National Sports Festival. The club also produced Prince Afejukwu, Oshoff Shogbene, goalkeeper Nasiru Momoh, Samuel Afejukwu and Ighoraye Ogayone. Eleven Strikers F.C were then captained by Monday Daibo and the team had the likes of Andrew Boyo.

In 1973, Ethiope F.C later re-named New Nigeria Bank F.C left Sapele and in 1974, the team was then known as Custom and Exercise F.C. A bulk of players from Strangers F.C Sapele formed the Custom F.C which was then under the Custom and Exercise Department.

The team was then captained by inspirational defender Gabriel Igarri from 1975 to 1983. Within this period under review, there were other teams that sprang up in the Sapele metropolis. These include: Government Coastal Agency F.C - Founded in 1976, Seaboard F.C (Comprising Delta Packaging company, Life Flour Mills and Top feeds)- founded in 1977 and Palm Line Agency F.C- Founded in 1977. From these three teams, a joint team to represent Sapele was formed. It was then called Urhiapele F.C. Urhiapele F.C was founded in the 1985/1986 season. The club did not however last long due to administrative problems. They only played one friendly match against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Football Club Warri.

There was also the Rainbow Football club which came into existence in 1980. The club which was then playing in the State League/ State Challenge Cup was sponsored by Chief Michael Ibru. One notable player that came out of the ranks of Rainbow F.C was Goalkeeper Andrew Aikhomogbe who later rose to prominence and represented the U-17 National team the Golden Eaglets at the FIFA U-17 Championship tagged Scotland 89.

Grassroots Football Development in Sapele From 1950-1980

Ticketing at Manchester United

Old Trafford Ticketing Problems

It is well known that it is difficult to get tickets to watch Manchester United, a problem which just seems to be increasing season on season. Demand outstrips supply on every major game with the possibility of buying tickets, for some fans, left to minor unfancied games in competition such as the League Cup when United are likely to field a weakened team.

Chelsea FootballClub

The Premier League 2010/11 season kicks off on Saturday 14th August with Manchester United commencing on Monday 16th August at home to Newcastle United. It promises to be a competitive season with United facing tough competition from reigning champions Chelsea, a resurgent Manchester City as well as Arsenal and perhaps Liverpool, this all contrives to ensuring that the Newcastle game, as well as most if not all over Premier League games will be over subscribed for ticket requests and many fans will again miss out.

It is difficult to foresee events that may change this problem in a hurry. This time last year United lost two major assets in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, yet again last season proved to be one of United's most popular with the fans with their average attendance well in excess of 70,000 fans through the season. When this is considered in context with the anti Glazer (Manchester United's owners) "Green and Gold until we are sold" campaign where many fans allegedly refused to watch their team and gave up the rights to their season tickets and there quickly appears to be no end to the ticketing issues.

A main reason for the problem is their success, obviously a nice reason to create a problem, but with every passing season bringing more trophies to Old Trafford, so their fan base increases, not just around Old Trafford but worldwide as witnessed by their pre season tours of Asia.

Old Trafford has a capacity of 76,212 which is the largest club ground in Britain (only the national stadium, Wembley has a larger capacity). This large stadium is as a result of much reconstruction work. In the early 1990's the Old Trafford capacity was at a low of 44,000 following the removal of all terracing, including the Stretford End. In readiness for Euro 1996, with The Manchester ground lined up to host five matches, the North End was demolished and replaced with an three tier stand that took the attendance up to 55,000. This exact style of stand was built on the East Stand and opened in January 2000 and on the West Stand shortly after which took the ground to it's current standing. There are no current plans to develop the ground further so it looks unlikely that a new breed of fans will have access to tickets. It is believed that the cost of constructions work at the ground as well as the clubs large leveraged debts means that no plans are in place for the foreseeable future.

Manchester United have a large number of season ticket holders which guarantees those fans see every game but as a result decreases the number of tickets available to other fans, add to this the increased number of high value corporate seats in the ground and it is clear to see just why there are such ticketing problems. These problems are unlikely to go away while Champions League and Premiership titles are regularly brought to Old Trafford.

Ticketing at Manchester United

Chelsea Troubles Continue

Snowfall, cold weather, poor playing conditions forced postponement of Man United match with newly promoted Blackpool. It gave Chelsea a chance to reclaim the top spot. With John Terry back and playing in front of home crowd against Everton it looked as if Champions will grab the top position.

Match started and first half was just an OK type of performance by the home team. They were lucky to get a penalty in the final minutes of first half. Drogba converted the penalty and at the end of the half it was a goal advantage.

Chelsea

Second half started and Everton started playing as if they are the home team. Number of chances were created by them and their efforts were rewarded with a goal. The equalizer produced more spirit in the visitors and Chelsea were no where near to their traditional fighting spirit.

Chelsea were lucky that they did not lose the match. They did not play the way their fans expected them to perform. It was a strange performance by Chelsea and a mystery for team management that why such a good bunch of players are not performing.

Absence of John Terry had exposed the Champions defenders. His return from the injury was considered good both for the defenders and team, as his leadership qualities were greatly missed in his absence. Terry was back but still Chelsea is in trouble. It will take some time for them to regain the form but the points they are losing on their way may cost them the title.

Chelsea Troubles Continue

Alan Kennedy - Liverpool FC Legend

Alan Kennedy spent seven great years at Liverpool Football Club, and will always be remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 1981 European Cup final against Real Madrid. He made 359 appearances for the Reds, winning six League titles, two European cups, and four League Cups.

Born in Sunderland in 1954, Kennedy began his football career playing for rivals Newcastle United, ironically he played for Newcastle against Liverpool in the 1973 FA Cup final as the Reds were 3-0 winners.

Chelsea FC

A no nonsense, tough tackling full back, Kennedy was always a fans favourite at Newcastle and he soon endeared himself to the Liverpool fans when he signed just before the start of the 1978-79 season for a fee of £330,000 under then manager Bob Paisley.

He quickly adapted to Liverpool's way of playing and made 37 league appearances in each of his first two seasons at the club, as he helped them win and then retain the league title.

Although he missed much of the 1980-81 through injury he returned to score two vital goals that would see Liverpool win two trophies, the first goal was against West Ham in the League Cup final, which took Liverpool to a replay, which they then won, and the second was the winning goal against Real Madrid in the European Cup final, for Liverpool to win the European Cup for the third time in five seasons.

Although he only scored twenty goals during his time at Anfield, but Alan Kennedy had already gained the reputation of scoring crucial goals in important matches, he scored again as Liverpool beat Manchester United in the League Cup final of 1983 and a year later was on hand to convert the winning penalty to beat Roma, during a shoot-out to decide the winners of 1984 European Cup final, after the game finished in a 1-1 draw, this was the fourth time Liverpool had won the trophy.

Kennedy played many games for Liverpool the following season, but after the signing of full back Jim Beglin, his place in the first team was no longer guaranteed and he was sold to his native Sunderland. For all those big goals on big nights for Liverpool Alan Kennedy will always remain a Liverpool legend.

Alan Kennedy - Liverpool FC Legend

A Profile of Carles Puyol

As a defender Carles Puyol remains somewhat in the shadow of players such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o or Lionel Messi, but with his energy, stamina and focus, he remains a favourite in the Nou Camp and is an essential member of the current line-up. Considered to be one of the best defenders in the world, Carles Puyol is also the first Catalan captain to have held the Champions League Cup aloft after the team defeated Arsenal in May 2006, the competition in which he was awarded Defender of the Year.

As team captain since the 2003-2004 season after Phillip Cocu left Barcelona for PSV Eindhoven, Puyol's stocky build with legs built like tree trunks and a trademark head of curly locks all belie his speed and agility on the pitch and once he removes his shirt he reveals a ripped torso that is the product of many hours of hard training, impressively fee of any sign of body fat.

Chelsea FC

In fact Puyol's dedication is such that he objects to being left out of a single match selection, even if it is for a rest period when the team is playing a number of matches is a short space of time and he has been noted to attend training sessions where he was specifically given a rest day.

Born in La Pobla de Segur, which is located in the interior of Catalonia, on April 13 1978, as a boy Carles Puyol played for the local side. He was signed for the FC Barcelona B team in 1996 at the age of 17 and made is first team debut in 1999 under Louis Van Gaal, when visiting Barcelona beat Valladolid 2-0.

Currently playing in the centre-back position, Puyol first played for Barcelona in the right back position when he was promoted from the B team. His original position as a boy was in goal, but when shoulder injuries prevented him from continuing he began to play as a striker, perhaps contributing to his attacking mentality today - you can only imagine what he would have been like as a goalkeeper given his absolute determination to stop the ball as a defender, but what is sure is that he would have played hard, perhaps contributing to his injuries.

Although he plays in the Spanish selection, which he has also captained on occasion, Carles Puyol is a Barcelona diehard through and through and it is difficult to imagine him playing for any other club when his contract expires in 2010, whatever offer was on the table. While Messi has been brought up at Barcelona - and there is no doubt about his current dedication to the club - it remains to be seen whether he could be lured away, but players such as Ronaldinho and Eto'o, whatever their brilliance, can only ever be considered hired hands.

A Profile of Carles Puyol

Soccer Practice Games - Discover Game Progression

Soccer practice games are immensely important especially in comparison to drills and it's not hard for someone like me to understand this. It's important that the kids first pay attention to acquiring the skills and polishing them so as to improve the movement along with the ball. However, as they progress with their soccer training, there are a few things that you must observe.

What works best is that kids are randomly grouped so that they get to develop their individual styles along with having fun just like we talked about before. First and foremost, the kids must get the freedom to decide on various issues concerning them and this is possible only when the size of the group is small.

Chelsea FootballClub

Such an arrangement also ensures that the kids have more space to move about in the field, get more touches on the ball and become more accountable for their choices since there are very few players in the group.

On the other hand, make sure you initiate changes as soon as the players get comfortable playing in small groups and are improving. In soccer practice games, it's the time to initiate progressions. What this means is you tend to make the rules of the game a little more stringent, play games in larger fields, and increase the size of the group. It's time when team's overall objectives should also be catered to together with player's individual development by bringing in a more elaborate strategy.

There is something here that needs special mention. Almost all coaches take the wrong path of teaching everything in a very short time span in the hope of having trained players ahead of time. Understand that there are no shortcuts. Similar to soccer drills, there is no scope of mechanizing the process here. It must be a natural growth with time.

The designs may not work well if you expose students to competition, teach them new things early in their training, and lay a lot of emphasis on rules. This obstructs their process of learning and growth.

As the players make a move from small batches to large ones, they should understand the purpose behind devising the games. It is important to understand how to put the team's interests first than yours and using your skills to make the team win.

In this phase along with games, it is also crucial to hold important meetings and discussions. Keep in mind that the players now understand the game and its techniques. So it would be a capital mistake to undermine their assessment skills in soccer exercises. When you give them an opportunity to take decisions and respect them, they feel happy and more responsible. The games should now challenge their thoughts about how to win matches. When the players think themselves as a team and not as individual players, you have succeeded in your job as a coach.

Now make good use of this learning in your plan. Soccer practice games are the best tools to make the kids learn soccer and so you must choose them creatively. Become a part of our youth soccer coaching community to learn more about various games and strategies that go with it.

Soccer Practice Games - Discover Game Progression

EPL Team Profile - Chelsea

The formal name of the club is Chelsea Football Club. The squad are popularly referred to as the Blues, or the Pensioners.

Founded in 1905, Chelsea host their home matches at Stamford Bridge, in London, which can seat over 41,000 spectators.

Chelsea Football Club

The owner of the club is Roman Abramovich, the chairman, Bruce Buck, and the manager, Carlo Ancelotti.

The squad won the Premiership last season, and they are favourites to retain their title.

After enjoying eminent success in top tier English football in the sixties and seventies, Chelsea went into decline in the eighties and nineties, only winning their next major championship, the FA Cup, in 1997.

They have won the Premiership three times in all, first winning it in 2004-05, and retaining it in the following season.

In two matches played in the ongoing season, the Blues have recorded identical wins of 6-0, over West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic.

Pre-season review:

Before Carlo Ancelotti took the rein at Stamford Bridge, Avram Grant and Phil Scolari were handed it, in turn, only to have it taken away.

If Ancelotti has survived where redoubtable managers like Grant and Scolari failed, the reason lies in Chelsea's winning of the Premiership, on Ancelotti's watch, in his very first season.

Can Ancelotti, in only his second season, do it a second time running? In his first, Ancelotti kept Manchester United at bay, demonstrating, in the process, why he had been rated so highly at AC Milan.

That said, the Chelsea squad aren't getting any younger; Didier Drogba, for instance is in his thirty third year.

Michael Essien is emerging from two years clouded by injury, and his presence in midfield could give Chelsea a winning edge, this season.

Ashley Cole has stayed with Chelsea, despite rumours of migration to Real Madrid, and is arguably the world's best left back.

But his publicized comments about the English haven't gone down well with local football fans and Cole could come under heavy strafing, especially in away games. Much depends on whether or not he keeps his head.

The following players make up the Stamford Bridge squad:

Cech, Terry, Paulo Ferreira, Cole, Alex, Essien, Mikel, Malouda, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Ivanovic, Hilario, Zhirkov, Benayoun, Sturridge, Kalou, and Van Aanholt.

Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun is a major summer signing while Joe Cole's departure is an offset.

Deco and Michael Ballack, their best footballing years behind them, have gone home.

There's no doubting Chelsea's quality. But as the season wears on, the ages of their star players is likely to come increasingly into focus.

Whether it is Scholes, or John Terry, or Lampard or Drogba, their fitness is bound to be called into question, sooner or later. Can Ancelotti then turn to his younger lot to bail the squad out?

EPL Team Profile - Chelsea

Getting Used to Monovision

Monovision is the contact lens technique for presbyopia that involves fitting a corrective lens for distance on a patient's dominant eye* and a near-vision one on the other. As with bifocal or multifocal lenses, it is an option that allows the same pair of contacts to be used whether one is driving or reading a book.

On the surface, this method may seem odd and one questions how clear vision can be achieved with the eyes working at different powers.

Chelsea

So, how does monovision work?

As we look into the distance, our dominant eye commands the brain's attention as vision information is transferred. The non-dominant eye still works, of course, but the dominant eye is in the 'driver's seat'. Even though the non-dominant eye is corrected for near vision, it does not interfere with the 'communication' going on between the brain and the distance eye. In successful applications, the brain learns to adapt to the two extremes, minimizing any overwhelming dizzying sensation following an adjustment period. Monovision also works if the dominant eye sees distance clearly with no aid, leaving the non-dominant one to be corrected for close sight. The technique is more successful with contacts than with eyeglasses since glasses sit away from the eyes. By their design, contacts are more attuned to natural eye function.

Monovision provides effective correction for presbyopes in nearly 75% of cases; but because the method is a compromise, there are some issues that have to be dealt with. Diminished depth perception is a result of the technique, as well as possible mild headaches until one becomes used to the differing lens powers. There is also the possibility of having less distinct sharpness when viewing distance. In successful instances, the period of adaptation is approximately one to three weeks.

Contact lens [http://www.contactlensking.com/index.aspx] applied monovision does not permanently alter eyesight, unlike refractive surgery that incorporates the technique. Contacts can be removed if a trial is not successful and vision will return to what it was before the therapy.

If you are presbyopic and want to depend less on reading glasses, then ask your eye care provider about monovision to determine if you would be a good candidate.

*Much like being right or left-handed, eyes are similarly coordinated. The dominant eye focuses for distance while the non-dominant eye handles near vision. A simple test to determine which eye is dominant involves keeping both eyes open as you raise your right arm to point at an object in the distance (approximately 20 feet away or more). Focus on the object as you continue to point and cover first your left eye and then the right. In one of these instances, your pointing finger will seem to shift to one side. Your dominant eye is the one that does not cause the shift. Your eye doctor can confirm which eye is dominant.

Getting Used to Monovision

Heroes of FC Barcelona - Johan Cruyff

Fans of FC Barcelona remember Johan Cruyff fondly for both his time as a player for the club in the 1970s and then as the longest serving and most successful manager in the club's history.

Cruyff's footballing career began with Dutch club Ajax, who he had joined on his tenth birthday, debuting for the first team aged 17 in 1964 and the following season his 25 goals helped Ajax to win the league.

Chelsea FC

The 1966-67 season was even better for Johan Cruyff; not only did Ajax win the league again, but Cruyff ending the season as the leading goal scorer in the Dutch league. With a total of 33 goals to his credit he was named Dutch footballer of the year, an award he received for the two following seasons.

Cruyff's move to Barcelona came in 1973 and he quickly won favour with the Catalan supporters by saying that Real Madrid had never been an due to its association with Franco. His second season at FC Barcelona saw them win the league for first time since 1960 and humiliating Real Madrid in a 5-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu. While at Barcelona he was awarded the prestigious European Player of the Year twice in a row.

In 1979, aged 32, Johan Cruyff moved to America, where he first played for the Los Angeles Aztecs for just one season followed by Washington Diplomats. At the beginning of the 1981 season he returned to Spain, where he played for Levante, quickly followed by a move back to Ajax. However in 1983 Ajax failed to renew his contract and signing for Feyenoord, Ajax's arch-rival, he helped win the Dutch league.

Johan Cruyff also had a successful international career, appearing for Holland 48 times and scoring 33 goals, refusing to participate in the 1986 World Cup in Argentina because of the alleged used of torture and murder practised by the Junta then in power.

Retiring as a player, he Cruyff's career as a manager started with Ajax, but it was at Barcelona, which he rejoined in 1988, that was the highlight of his management career.

With 11 titles won between1988 and 1997, his time as manager is considered to be one of the golden eras for the club and the side he assembled, commonly referred to as "The Dream Team", won the Spanish league title for four successive years between 1991 and 1994.

Heroes of FC Barcelona - Johan Cruyff

The Rise of Professional Soccer Player Salaries

Soccer has come a long way in the last twenty years. There was a time when players reminded us of the fact that professional soccer was a short career lasting only around 10 to 15 years and less than that for some players. Clubs would sometimes help out their old players by granting a testimonial match with attendance revenue being given to the player in question.

In those days, it was hard not to feel some sympathy for players who had fallen on hard times for a variety of reasons. But today professional soccer player salaries are astronomical and continue to rise. Many players are now earning more in a week than the fans who pay to watch them earn in a year. This sometimes leads to an uneasy relationship between the players and the fans that are ultimately funding these salaries. If the fans think a particular player is not trying hard enough, they will voice their opinions vociferously.
 
The top earners have now broken the six figure barrier pocketing over £100,000 per week which is an extraordinary amount of money for anyone to earn in a 7 day period. This has led to calls for the introduction of a salary cap to try slowing down the spiralling cost of player wages which critics claim is out of control.
 
The argument against introducing a salary cap is that it may prove to be illegal under the current European law. Another way to curb spending would be limiting the number of foreign players each club is able to field at any one time although there is a case both for and against this kind of measure.
 
The problem with a constant increase in salaries is that a climate of competition is created with players on the lower end of the scale wanting their contract to be brought more into line with their team mates. Money talks and this can also dictate transfer activity with players often choosing one club over another for financial reasons rather than football ones.
 
For more football related articles please visit English Football Blog for the latest news and comment on the premiership soccer scene.

Chelsea

The Rise of Professional Soccer Player Salaries

France Has the 2016 Euro Cup, Beating Italy and Turkey

The 2016 Euro Cup will be held in France. They beat out Italy and Turkey after voting among UEFA members. Italy was knocked out of the running after the first round of voting. France then beat Turkey by one vote to host this event.

The French bid sited 12 stadiums and 11 new cities that would participate. Four of the stadiums will be brand new. France will be renovating seven stadiums for the football games. For those that may be confused, in Europe, football is what is known as soccer in the US.

Chelsea FC

These games are highly competitive and emotional for fans and players alike. Just going to the Euro Cup is quite an honor. Getting to host one is a top honor. For European sports fans these football games mean as much to them as the Super Bowl means to United States sports fans.

In order for a team to qualify for the Euro Cup, they have to win a play-off game or qualifying spot. Which precedes them to the finals in the hosting country. The hosting country automatically plays in the Cup competition. This phase begins after the FIFA World Cup games.

The qualifying phase consists of groups. The groups are determined through a draw of teams from pre-seeded bowl games. Pre-seeded teams consist of reigning champions and other teams that performed well in the FIFA World Cup qualifying along with the previous European Football Championship qualifiers.

These groups then play according to the league format of playing each other both at home and away. From this format teams will either proceed to the final tournament games, or other playoff games, depending where they are in the group. In the event of a tie, then the UEFA uses criteria like, number of goals scored per team and fair play to determine which team is on which side.

These teams put all their strength and heart into each game they play. Watching the games can be heartbreaking and exhilarating. They are filled with non-stop action, much like American football. Watching these teams fight for position, a viewer can almost feel what the teams are going through.

In the past, 16 teams proceeded to the finals. In 2016 for the first time ever, there will be 24 teams. If a person loves to watch European football, the 2016 Euro Cup games should be quite exciting.

France Has the 2016 Euro Cup, Beating Italy and Turkey