Barcelona Football Club - The New Line Up For 2007-2008

Players in:

Thierry Henry, Arsenal (£16.1m)

Chelsea FootballClub

Yaya Toure, Monaco (£6.1m)

Eric Abidal, Lyon (£10m)

Gabi Milito, Real Zaragoza (£12.1m)

Players Out:

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Feyenoord (Free)

Maxi Lopez, FC Moscow (£1.3m)

Javier Saviola, Real Madrid (Free)

Ludovic Giuly, Roma (£2m)

Belletti, Chelsea (£3.7m)

Motta, Atletico Madrid (undisclosed)

The summer transfer window saw some interesting activity for Barcelona, including the signing of Thierry Henry from Arsenal after months of speculation. This addition to Barcelona's strike force should create a wealth of opportunities up front, although Henry has admitted to finding it difficult to get used to Barça's style of play, but his versatility should eventually work to the Catalan team's advantage.

Yaya Toure and Eric Abidal were also signed in the same week, arriving from Monaco and Lyon respectively and with Gio leaving for Feyenoord it seems that Abidal was brought in as a direct replacement. The club also signed Gabi Milito from Real Zaragoza to replace Motta who departed for Atletico Madrid.

Another player to depart was Maxi Lopez, who had been on loan to Mallorca during the last season. With Henry arriving on the scene the chances of first team appearances for Maxi didn't look good and so he made a move to FC Moscow. Saviola and Giuly were in a similar situation, the former moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer and the latter moving to Roma. Both players found themselves under utilised last season and the arrival of both new players and up and coming homegrown talent up front they seemed unlikely to do much this year.

Back in defence, Belletti finally moved to Chelsea after finding it hard to compete for a first team place with Zambrotta and Motta was put on the transfer list after apparently falling out with coach Frank Rijkaard. Eventually he was signed to Atletico Madrid on a one-year deal.

The summer also saw the emergence of two players from Barcelona's youth team who are beginning to mark on the first team. Giovani dos Santos is considered a wunderkind comparable with Ronaldinho, while Bojan Krkic, aged just 17, is hailed as one of the most exciting up and coming strikers in the game.

Barcelona Football Club - The New Line Up For 2007-2008

The Oldest Football Club In Wales

Wales oldest football team are the Cefn Druids Football Club, originally known as Plasmadoc Football Club they are believed to have been formed in 1869, which makes them the oldest football team in the World outside of England.

A few years after they formed, Plasmadoc were renamed as 'The Druids', as several of the local mining and quarry teams from the North Wales area, were amalgamated into one team. Six players from the Druids were selected to play for the Wales national team in their first ever international match when they played Scotland in 1876.

Chelsea Football Club

The Druids joined the Welsh League in 1890, but at that time they were also allowed to compete in English competitions, including the FA Cup, although they never actually won the trophy, they did beat Bolton Wanderers in the fourth round of the competition in 1882/83, before losing to Blackburn in the quarter finals of the cup, who then went onto win the trophy.

The Druids have been more successful in the Welsh cup, winning the trophy eight times, and have been runners up in the competition a total of eleven times, the Druids also became the first team to win the Welsh Cup for three seasons in succession, from seasons 1880-1882.

In total, thirty players from the Druids have represented the Welsh national team, but the last of these was in 1904. With the development of the English league, the Druids suffered as a result, with many of their more talented players opting to leave and play for English teams in the football league.

By 1920 the club were struggling and they formed a combined team with Rhosymedre to become Rhosymedre Druids, they merged again in 1923 with Acrefair United then being known as Druids United, and by 1930 they had dropped out of the Welsh league and began playing in the Wrexham & District League.

There was a slight resurgence for the Druids during the 1950s, and in 1957 reached the Welsh Amateur Cup final, but lost after a replay. The Druids also moved to a new ground at Cefn Mawr, and played a friendly match against a Manchester United team, to commemorate their first match at the new ground, a United team that contained a young player by the name of George Best.

Druids United didn't really improve, and things became worse when a new local team were formed in 1967 by the name of Cefn Albion, an arch rivalry was immediately formed, but this didn't prevent the newly formed Albion team winning several trophies. All talk of a merger was fiercely resisted, until 1992, when both teams were persuaded to merge and formed Cefn Druids Football Club and it was decided at that time they would wear the original the black and white colours of the 1869 Plasmadoc club.

Following new sponsorship and management, Cefn Druids were promoted to the League of Wales in 1999 and in 2002 reached the semi-final of the Welsh Cup, however after narrowly avoiding relegation for two season, they were finally relegated from the Welsh premier league.

The Druids finally departed their home ground of Cefn Mawr after more than fifty years at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, after the construction of a new stadium called 'The Rock' was completed, the stadium has a 2,000 spectator capacity and will hopefully see a new era for the oldest club in Wales.

The Oldest Football Club In Wales

FC Barcelona Players - Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry, who was born in Les Ulis, France in August of 1977, is a star footballer for FC Barcelona as well as the French national team. All well-known sporting face, he has fronted ad campaigns for some of the biggest sportswear manufacturers on the planet. Not content to be merely a sports superstar he is also an ardent activist, raising awareness about children and poverty and combating racism in football and the world. Some of his most well known appearances have taken place during the Nike "'Stand Up, Speak Up" campaign.

Although he ended his long association with Nike after the 2006 World Cup, he has enjoyed success with Reebok for the "I am what I am" ad series. This megastar also is enjoying a stint as one of Gillette's featured athletes in the "'Champions Program". During the 2002 and the 2006 World Cup, Henry appeared in a number of television advertisements that promoted football as an activity that should be played for the benefit of young people as a member of the UNICEF-FIFA squad, a team made up of socially conscious professional footballers.

Chelsea FC

This six foot two inch striker is known by his nickname, 'Titi', but also by his number, 14. He has had this number since his early days with Arsenal and he was given the number when he made the move to FC Barcelona. He is well known for amazing speed, brilliant moves, and the ability to score decisive goals despite full or one-on-one coverage.

Henry began his football career at a young age in his hometown of Les Ulis. He was already playing for a local club by the age of seven, and went on to play for different youth clubs over the next decade. Among these groups were the US Palaiseau, ES Viry-Châtillon, and Clairefontaine. His father, Antoine Henry, was always his most ardent supporter who has encouraged this phenomenal player from the earliest days.

Henry was first signed by Arnold Catalano, an AS Monaco scout. While Monaco were already aware of this goal-scoring powerhouse, it was Thierry Henry's personality and all around abilities that really sold him. It also did not hurt when Henry scored all 6 goals in the 6-0 game that Catalano was watching. Thierry Henry was signed by AS at the age of 13 and made his first professional debut in 1994 when he was still only 17.

Henry then joined Juventus, before moving to Arsenal, where he gained his fame as striker and in 2007, he joined Spanish giant FC Barcelona Today he is one of football's most celebrated players at 31 years of age: and he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the European Golden Boot, PFA Players' Player of the Year, runner up for FIFA World Player of the Year, and he has been voted French Player of the year four times. Many coaches and players, as well as fans, consider him to be one of the greatest living football players in the world, and even after his departure for FC Barcelona; the Arsenal fans still voted him their best player ever.

FC Barcelona Players - Thierry Henry

Manchester United FC is Every Football Player's Dream Club

Manchester United FC (Football Club) is one of the greatest football clubs in the world. An English Premier League football club, the home ground of MU is at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. Manchester United FC was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath and in 1892 the club joined the Football League. Manchester United has been playing in the top division of English football since 1938. The only years it didn't play was in the 1974-75 season.

Today, Manchester United FC is the reigning champions of the English Premier League since they won the 2008-09 Premier League Championship Trophy. It is considered as one of the most successful football clubs in the history of English football. Since 1986, the team has won 22 major honors under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup after they defeated Benfica 4-1. They won the European Cup for the second time in 1999 followed by another win in 2008. They finished as the runner-up in 2009. Manchester United FC holds the joint record for maximum number of English league titles and FA cup wins with the former being 18 and the latter being 11.

Chelsea Football Club

This football team is also considered as one of the richest clubs in the world since the late 1990s. Currently, it is ranked as the most valuable as well as richest club in any sport across the world and has an overall estimated value worth £1.136 billion (.870 billion/EUR1.319 billion). Known to its fans as the "Red Devils", the current manager of Manchester United FC is Sir Alex Ferguson and captain is Gary Neville.

The Manchester United club was known as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878 and went almost bankrupt in 1902. It was saved from bankruptcy by J. H. Davies who was the managing director of Manchester Breweries. The club came to be officially named as Manchester United on 26 April 1902. Davies then changed the club's colors from white and navy to red, white and black, which is symbolic in modern football.

Since 1904, The Red Devils have been winning and losing in different seasons till Matt Busby was appointed in 1945 as the manager. Busby had innovative ideas and they paid rich dividends in the form of the club's performance. Manchester United finished second in the English league in 1947, 1948 and 1949 and won the FA Cup in 1948. The Red Devils went on to win the league again in 1956 and at that time the average age of the players was 22. The players scored as many as 103 goals through the championship. Known as the Busby Babes and led by Duncan Edwards, they went on to win the league again in 1956-57. The team also became the first team to compete in the European Cup. Manchester United on their way to the semi-final defeated Belgian Champions Anderlecht 10-0 and till this day, it stands as their biggest ever win in any competition.

The team was nearly wiped out by the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958 but what didn't get wiped out was the spirit of the Red Devils. Even today, the clock at Old Trafford shows the time of the crash but since then the team was created from scratch and they went on to win the FA cup in 1963 and the UEFA Champions League in 1968.

Manchester United FC is Every Football Player's Dream Club

Benefits Of Using An Armless Office Chair

Sitting in an office chair with arms, arguably, is the norm and preferred form of seating in most workplaces across the world. Ask any of your coworkers or friends if they would prefer a chair with armrests and the great majority of them would probably answer yes. While you may find many people prefer to sit in a chair with armrests, there is also a great number of people who would choose sitting in an armless chair instead. Armless office chairs possess quite a few benefits that office chairs with arms do not offer which makes them a great alternative for your office seating.

Perhaps the greatest advantage to purchasing an armless office chair over a chair with arms is the price discount you will receive. Armless chairs will always be less in price over a chair with arms because the cost for adding a set of arms to a chair always results in an increase in price. Equipping your office with armless chairs over chairs with arms is a viable choice for those on a budget as it will end up saving you hundreds of dollars in the long run. Chair arms are one of the first parts to break on an office chair because of the repeated pressure that is applied to them throughout the chair's lifetime. If your chair is even still under warranty when the part breaks, it can be quite time-consuming to request replacement parts; sometimes the process of receiving a new part can take up to a few weeks from the time the request is placed with the manufacturer. If your chair is not under warranty, then a new chair will need to be purchased adding to the cost which could have been saved had you purchased an armless office chair.

Chelsea

Armless chairs also have a smaller footprint making them great space-savers. Often when office chairs have arms there is the possibility that the chair may not fit properly under your desk which can lead to the hassle of having to return the chair if it does not work for your workplace. Having to measure your desk height along with finding the exact measurements of the chair's seat, arm, and overall height can be tedious and difficult. Buying an armless office chair eliminates this hassle with their ability to fit underneath just about any work station or desk without having to worry about taking precise measurements.

Often times while you are working you may find your chair's armrests get in the way. Whether you are sitting down in your chair or standing up to take a break, arm rests always tend to get in the way. If your workstation is ergonomically set up to have a keyboard tray installed underneath your desk, having a chair with armrests can be even more troublesome in trying to find a way to fit them beneath both your desk and your keyboard tray. Having armrests on a chair will also defeat the ergonomic benefits of using a keyboard tray because it will make you type in an unnatural position leading to strain on your wrists. Sliding into an armless chair is effortless, and getting in and out of your chair will no longer seem like a chore. Reaching for things near or on your desk will also be much simpler without arms being in the way.

If you are hesitant to purchase a chair without arms for the first time rest assured that most chairs allow for the flexibility to remove the armrests at your convenience at a later point in time. Most office chairs purchased through internet dealers are shipped unassembled allowing you to decide if you need the armrests during the process of assembly. If you do choose to install your armrests and find at a later date that you would prefer to sit in an armless office chair, the arms can easily be taken off giving you ultimate flexibility. The only time it is impossible to remove the arms on an office chair is if the arms are part of the chair's structure and overall design, which is a rare feature.

Sitting in an armless office chair does take some getting used to and may take a few weeks to get completely comfortable. If you are considering making the switch but are still unsure if you will be happy with a new armless office chair, contemplate taking your arms off your current chair to test out the feeling. This will provide you with a free determinant for your decision to purchase a new armless chair by eliminating the possibility of having to return a chair because you are uncomfortable with the absence of arms.

Whether you are considering purchasing an armless office chair because of price, convenience, space-saving, flexibility, or for ergonomic purposes there is very little risk associated with the purchase and many benefits to gain.

Benefits Of Using An Armless Office Chair

Soccer Field Measurements

Following soccer field measurements apply to adult matches. However all this rules may even apply to all ages. Learning soccer field measurements is not necessary to become a good soccer player, but it can be fun to know for example the maximum allowed width for a soccer field or. Let's start...

The soccer field measurements for international adult games are in the range of 110-120 yard and the width is in the range 70-80 yard. Fields for non-international matches may be 100-130 yard length and 50-101 yard in width, provided that the field does not become square. The longer boundary lines are called touchlines or sidelines, while the shorter boundaries on which the goals are placed are called goal lines.

Chelsea

A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 8 yard apart and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must 8 ft above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required necessarily.

In the front of each goal is the penalty area or 18 yard box as some prefer to call it. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 18 yard from the goalposts and extending18 yard into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line and a line joining them. The 18 yard are has a number of important functions and the most important one is to mark where the goalie have permission to handle the ball with his/her hands.

Other important function is to mark where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kickoffs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.

Soccer Field Measurements

Hull City Football Club - City Independent Fanzine Review

City Independent is a website and fanzine solely devoted to Hull City Football Club. Established back in the 1990s as an original printed format style of fanzine, CI continues to grow and develop in the modern era and boasts the largest independent internet community for City fans from all around the world, while maintaining its traditional roots with a periodic magazine during the football season. Unsurprisingly, it is little wonder that when Hull City fans want an up to date and irreverent read about their football club, they continually turn to City Independent first.

So, how did it all begin?

Chelsea FootballClub

City Independent began life as a collective of three Hull City fans keen to provide an independent voice for supporters in the mid 90s. Today, only one of the original editors remains in place, but the editorial team now consists of two ardent City supporters. The very first issue of the magazine was published over a decade ago, but even to this day, the fanzine version of CI continues to be sold to fans before, during and after home games.

What happened next?

Despite a clutch of competition - as was the current trend at the time in the 90s - all other printed variations of Hull City fanzines fell by the wayside. Now, City Independent is the ONLY fanzine that can still be found in magazine format - and continues to thrive with almost 100 issues put into circulation since inception, exclusively dedicated to the Tigers.

And now?

With the expansion of the internet and modern technology as it is today, City Independent has kept pace with the ever changing times. From primitive begins as an independent website, as City forums go, CI has now established itself as the number one place for news, views and opinions with a wide range of interesting articles, video interviews and audio clips to keep readers bang up to date with news on Hull City Football Club in a modern, fluent website environment.

Hull City Football Club - City Independent Fanzine Review

Premier League Match Time: Chelsea Vs Fulham

It's Premier League match time at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as Chelsea host Fulham in this season's 12th round of matches.

Chelsea are back from an away loss to Liverpool, only their second this season, where Torres celebrated a glorious return to form with two precision strikes that brought the Merseysiders back into the reckoning.

Chelsea

After the game, Ancelotti would have mulled over his team selection at Anfield where he opted to bench Didier Drogba. In the circumstances, the Blues found themselves with a two goal deficit at the break, and the Ivorian eventually replaced Salomon Kalou in the second half.

Drogba got an opportunity in the form of a free kick that he shot wide. Liverpool's early strike dictated the rhythm of the game,and it gave the Merseysiders the confidence to call the shots in the first half. But the Reds appeared to lose nerve with about 25 minutes left in the game, and a strike by Chelsea at the time could have turned the game.

Anelka's shot got under Raina and bounced up and rebounded off the underside of the crossbar in what was the closest Ancelotti's charges came to scoring. Ramires, Zhirkov and Malouda also had chances go abegging, with Reina having a great day between the posts for Liverpool.

Chelsea need a fully fit Drogba in their line-up if they don't want to burn out before the season is through. Also, Ancelotti must be looking forward to Lampard's return to match fitness. In Lampard's absence the lack of creatuvity in midfield is palpable. The likes of Ramires and Zhirkov are not good enough against quality opposition.

But Lampard is likely to be rested against Fulham as the Blues' manager would want the midfielder fully fit for the Sunderland game.

Fulham have not won much after Mark Hughes became their manager. But they haven't lost many either. The squad have become draw specialists, and they lived up to this reputation against Aston Villa when a late goal from Hangeland helped staved off what would have been the Cottagers' second defeat of the season and salvage a point. Fulham have won just two matches this season and that places a question mark about their capacity to handle the better teams.

There was not much positive energy on display from Fulham in the Aston Villa game. Against Chelsea, they are likely to miss the absence of Zamora. While Chelsea have lost to their biggest rivals of the season thus far, in Manchester City and Liverpool, they have been clinical against lesser sides. The game against Fulham is likely to be no different.

Chelsea's starting eleven in the Liverpool game comprised: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Zhirkov, Kalou, Anelka and Malouda; Sturridge, Bosingwa and Drogba played as substitutes.

The following players were in Fulham's starting eleven against Aston Villa: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Davies, Greening, Murphy, Gera, Dembele and Dempsey; Johnson, Kelly and Duff featured as substitutes.

Premier League Match Time: Chelsea Vs Fulham

Soccer Equipment

There are numerous reasons why Soccer became such a popular sport all across the world, but the most obvious reasons could be the simple fact that this fun-filled sport does not require any costly equipment to play. Soccer is simply a lot of fun for a very low cost. Below is a list of the items needed to start playing soccer:

o Ball - This should ideally be the standard Soccer ball.

Chelsea FootballClub

o Open flat space - An open area that can accommodate approximately 20 people should be adequate.

o Companions - You can surely kick your ball all by yourself and even learn a few tactics without anyone being there to guide you; however, its lot more fun if your friends join your game.

o Lots of energy - Playing soccer is about continuous movements of your body. It's a fast paced game in which you'll certainly consume lots of energy while playing it.

In addition to these basics things, you may also want to add a few more accessories if you can afford them. However these are surely not necessary!

1) Spiked shoes: Cleats will help you with your balance so you do not slip while playing. Make sure that your shoes fit you properly and also make sure that they best suit the weather conditions and physical terrain in which you'll be playing.

2) Shin Guards: Shin guards help protect your legs from getting injured. However these are not required for a regular out of the house play. You may buy lightweight or tougher shin guards depending upon whether you are an attacker or a defensive player.

3) Gloves (for goalkeepers)
If you are a goalkeeper of your team, you might want to add this to your list. Specialized playing gloves are designed to give goalkeepers better grip on the ball and prevents injuries to palms and fingers.

4) Goalposts
It could be just about anything like trees, cars, playground equipment, even people, unless of-course you are playing any official league game.

5) Uniform
Shorts are preferable for playing soccer, especially the knee-length shorts. This can be teamed with a cotton jersey and thick high socks that can protect your legs from injury.

Evidently, even if you plan to buy all of the above equipments, your bill is not going to cross the limit of a few hundred dollars. If you still can't afford all of it, just grab a soccer ball, gather all your friends, and hunt for an open space in your neighborhood and just have fun!

Soccer Equipment

Premier League Review - Chelsea Stun Manchester United

Chelsea blew the Premier League title race wide open again when they came from a goal behind to beat Manchester United, with ten games of the season remaining. Chelsea still have a mathematical chance of retaining the league title themselves, although they would have to win the majority of their remaining games while relying on other results to go in their favour.

United who started the game on the back of an impressive run of form, had amazingly not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 2002. Chelsea however who have their worst run of form for many seasons were a huge fifteen points adrift of United before the start of the game.

Chelsea

The Blues, who left Didier Drogba on the bench in favour of a Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka strike partnership, started the game brightly, but the visitors soon found their stride, with crisp passing and fluent football.

Wayne Rooney, who controversially escaped a ban following his clash with Wigan's James McCarthy at the weekend, was jeered by the home fans every time he touched the ball. It was Rooney, however, that silenced the Chelsea fans after 29 minutes when he sent a long range shot into the Chelsea goal before celebrating in front of the Chelsea fans.

The Reds, who started with their first unchanged team for 165 games, continued to dominate play during the first half and prevented any real threat from the hosts, although a fine save from Edwin Van der Sar from a Frank Lampard free kick, six minutes before half time, should have set alarm bells ringing and reminded United of the nemesis that Chelsea have been over the last few years.

Chelsea's hero on the night proved to be David Luiz, who's arrival from Benfica in the January transfer window was somewhat overshadowed by the £50million signing of Fernando Torres. Luiz was impressive throughout the game and it was his unstoppable shot in the 54th minute that levelled the scores and threw the game wide open.

Both managers made positive, attacking substitutions, with Drogba replacing Anelka for the Blues and Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs coming on for United, which was a record 606th appearance for Giggs at the club where he began his professional career twenty years ago.

Neither side seemed happy with a draw and both teams went in search of a winning goal, the play and tackles were furious at times as both teams seemed to be playing for pride as much as the three points. After Chris Smalling made a clumsy challenge on Zhirkov in the 80th minute, Frank Lampard, whose impressive penalty record has wavered of late, made no mistake this time as he smashed home the spot kick to give Chelsea a 2-1 lead. Zhirkov nearly added a third goal for the Blues moments late but his shot was deflected onto the post.

To compound United's misery Vidic was sent off during injury time for a second book able offence, which means he will miss the important trip to Liverpool and the dismissal could leave United defensively weak.

The main beneficiaries of this game would appear to be Arsenal who are now just four points behind the leaders and have a game in hand, while Chelsea have consolidated their quest for a top four Premier League finish and entry into next years Champions League.

Premier League Review - Chelsea Stun Manchester United

Blooming Brilliant Chelsea Flower Show Packages

Every year, for five days during May, the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea are transformed into a plant paradise with thousands of glorious blooms, a selection of spectacular show gardens and the finest examples of horticultural excellence in the world at the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show (23rd - 27th May 2006). Following the huge success of last year's inaugural Saturday opening, the show will open again on Saturday 27th May. Superbreak http://www.superbreak.com has put together a selection of very special overnight packages for budding gardeners, which include a full day's entry to the show.

Green fingered enthusiasts will be inspired by the show gardens, created by some of the world's leading garden designers, while the smaller courtyard, chic and city gardens will provide ideas that can fit into any sized plot. Saturday entrance also offers the chance to take some of the plants on display home with you as exhibitors sell off a selection of items from 4pm through to the final closing of the show at 5.30 pm!

Chelsea

Three star hotel + Chelsea Flower Show £95.50pp - Stay at the three-star President Hotel, a large property conveniently located on Russell Square, adjacent to the underground station. The hotel offers a popular cocktail bar and restaurant, as well as garage parking (fee payable locally). The price of £95.50 per person includes accommodation on Friday 26th May on a bed and full English breakfast basis and all day entrance to the Chelsea Flower Show on Saturday 27th May. Two share.

Four star hotel + Chelsea Flower Show £110.50 pp - Set in the heart of Mayfair, the Flemings Mayfair Hotel is located on historic Half Moon Street, a quiet street close to Green Park and Shepherds Market. The hotel has recently been refurbished but retains the charm of its original Georgian features. The price of £110.50 per person includes accommodation on Friday 26th May on a bed and full English breakfast basis and all day entrance to the Chelsea Flower Show. Two share.

Superbreak can also arrange return rail travel from any UK mainline station as part of the package.
Superbreak.com, incorporating Theatrebreak.com, is the internet division of Superbreak Mini Holidays Limited, the market leader for short breaks throughout the UK. Superbreak is part of Holidaybreak plc, a publicly quoted leisure company whose share price can be found in most major UK newspapers.

Blooming Brilliant Chelsea Flower Show Packages

What Next for Liverpool FC?

Is this the most turbulent time in the history of Liverpool Football Club? Underperforming on the pitch and uncertainty off it. It is said that the problems of nay business should be traced back to the highest level and no one would question this of Liverpool's fate. The problems stem back to the owners, American's George Gillet and Tom Hicks. The paid clearly have a successful business past building up their millions and running sports teams in the States. However they seem to have taken major gambles in the purchase of Liverpool FC that have not paid off. They gambled that funding one big investment in Fernando Torres would guarantee success...it hasn't. They gambled that the economics market would continue to rise...but then game the world banking crisis. They gambled on being able to obtain external funding for the new stadium....they couldn't because their credit rate was falling. Finally but most significantly, they gambled that leveraging the club with purchase debt would be manageable by increased revenues off the pitch.....it hasn't.

Hicks and Gillett do not sit on the board of Liverpool FC, that is mainly comprised of Chairman Martin Broughton, Managing Director Christian Purslow and Commerical Director Ian Ayre. All three publicly want a sale and to see the club in the hands of new owners who will not saddle the club with leveraged debt. The Americans want a reported £600million for the club which will net them a healthy profit for their time on Mersyside. If RBS complete their option of calling the club into their ownership because of non repayment of loans worth £237million then they may sell for around this mark as they will only look to recall their loans, not make a large profit from the club (aside from the vast interest profits already made that is).

Chelsea FootballClub

Given the above figures, who has got a spare £600million to buy a football club? Especially as the board will block an attempt at a leveraged purchase. And then they would be required to fund investment on the pitch and possibly the new stadium too, as hard as the current board look there are not too many people with that sort of spare change. With that in mind it is likely that a sale will not materialise before the RBS deadline. Prospective buyers with £600million to spend may also sit tight and wait to buy the club at a knocked down price of £240million from RBS and then they would have surplus cash to invest in the first team and a new stadium, in that sense £600million would go a long, long way and would purchase the three World Class players required to accompany Gerrard and Torres in the Liverpool team.

So, Liverpool fans clearly don't want Hicks and Gillett and longer than they have to have them, but do they really want RBS running their club and making the financial decisions? Baring in mind that RBS are technically state owned, is that a better solution? Who can afford to buy the club is also un-known as there is not an un-limited supply of Arab state oil merchants shopping for football clubs. Liverpool fans may have to be patient in their wait for a resolution and pray that it does not cause too much damage in the process.

What Next for Liverpool FC?

Do Football - Soccer Players Get Paid Too Much Money?

I saw the other day a club chief executive moaning about the wages the club pays to the players at the club, I can't remember who he was but it just annoyed me. There he was smoking a big cigar, driving a brand new Bentley, doing nothing for the club, bar taking a big fat pay packet of his own while not actually getting out on the pitch and making a difference for the club.

Now don't get me wrong I think he had a point. There are players at every club that just because they are being paid at all means they are receiving too much. But it's the fact that the people that are telling us players get too much are the ones that are taking money away from the game that makes me think that maybe players are not getting paid too much.

Chelsea FC

Though having said that a lot do get riches beyond the amount their ability deserves. A few examples spring to mind immediately: Robbie Savage, Ok a good player but is he really that good, that he is able to afford to drive a Ferrari? Not in my eyes he's not. He is far too busy play acting for my liking. Then there is Tim Sherwood, Ok he may of won a League Championship medal while at Blackburn but was he really anything other than a good player?

Again I would say no, he was just lucky to be playing in the EPL before the big star influx raised the level of ability needed to make it. but at a time when the big money had entered the game. But in my view the biggest example of an overpaid footballer is Ian Walker, surely the worst 'keeper the EPL has seen, even when he dropped down a flight with Leicester he was no better than average.

However, when you see the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Pavel Nedved. These are players that make a match worth watching just to see them, it doesn't matter what team they play for it's all about them and their ability to produce magical skills that make your jaw drop in admiration.

Maybe a better answer to the question would be yes some are, but no others are not. Though of course that doesn't make for good headlines when a player signs a new contract.

Lets be honest how many Manchester United fans begrudge Roy Keane a single penny he made from the club? But that didn't stop the newspapers whining about the massive sums he was making, well so what? It is nothing compared to the sums that the likes of Martin Edwards made from Manchester United yet Edwards was not the one out on the pitch knowing that his career could be over tomorrow if he receives a bad challenge.

Sometimes I think its just jealousy that creates these headlines about overpaid players, or maybe its just a complete lack of anything interesting to write that leads to it? Either way I would rather they gave both sides of the story before whinging about it. I mean how about a list of the directors and shareholders of a club and how much they took in wages, bonuses and dividends? So that we can have a reference point to compare player's wages to. I would especially like to know how much the likes of Peter Ridsdale made from Leeds.

To my mind the only way forward is to take clubs back into the hands of the fans, like Wimbledon AFC and FC United. Let's have all their finances completely transparent, and get rid of agent's involvement in transfers. Surely the PFA could offer that as one of their services to their union members, after all they certainly have the money. Surely all clubs need to do transfers between themselves is a solicitor, a representative and an FA, UEFA or FIFA or whoever representative to make sure it is all legal and above board.

I know this will never happen as too many people are busy creaming off money from the game to line their own pockets. But at the end of the day it should be about the fans - the players should all be on performance based contracts so they can earn massive amounts but only if the club does well and the ticket prices should be as low as possible so that as many fans as possible can afford to go.

Still this will never happen because too many people would lose out and at the end of the day football is no longer a sport it is a business and that will unfortunately never change.

Do Football - Soccer Players Get Paid Too Much Money?

Job Market Recession During Economic Uncertainty Means Difficult Times For British Workers

It appears as if forecasts made towards the end of 2007 have been correct, the current state of the British economy has many people feeling the financial strain. 'The consequences of not managing your money properly can be devastating' according to Chris Pond of the Financial Services Authority although this is not news for most of us, what has changed is the forgiving nature of the loan companies and banks who would always lend a hand to those in this awkward position of being behind with the bills.

The combination of increased utility bills, food and fuel prices have left the average employee less disposable income than last year despite any increases in pay rates, so what is there to do? The prospect of alternative and potentially higher paid employment becomes more essential to the average employee, although the job market itself is also on the decline. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development had estimated the number of people to lose their jobs as 150,000. John Philpott, the chief economist, stated that 2008 would be 'easily the worst since the Labour Government came to power in 1997'.

Chelsea

This downturn in employment combining with the increased need for higher wages will be putting a strain on the recruitment market and people will need to have a modern approach to finding their perfect job or candidate. The way people seek out their prospective employees and employers has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. Internet savvy employers accustomed to using recruitment agencies and potential employees for that matter are increasingly using online recruitment sites as part of their strategy. This transition is attributed to the speed, far-reaching, and cost effective appeal of this method.

The use of an agency can be quite an expensive one, with most recruitment agencies charging up to 20% of the candidate's annual salary upon successful placing of a candidate. Again for temporary positions agencies can charge significantly more, sometimes as much as double the wage, with the temp receiving only half of what the agency does. There are positive benefits to using a recruitment agency though; the time to fill a vacant position is shorter which means there is less staff shortage and chance of customer dissatisfaction. And perhaps most notably a fee is only levied when a suitable candidate is found.

Due to rising inflation, smaller businesses will feel the pressure with the strain of ever increasing utility bills. The loss of staff can cause unrest and thus leaving the company with a process of interviews and applications, but with limited funds to either advertise positions or pay agent fees. The business can suffer.

A recommendation is to search carefully for a recruitment agency that might specialise within your businesses field of expertise. Check carefully for the fees they would be expecting for a successful placement of a candidate. Make sure your fee is protected if the candidate should change their mind, after all they might get a better offer! The same is true for the employer though, with numerous recruitment agencies available, finding one that offers the lowest rate (percentage of salary or even a fixed price) for finding your ideal candidate would be the best option.

Job Market Recession During Economic Uncertainty Means Difficult Times For British Workers

World Cup 2010 - The Major Sporting Event of the Year

This is going to take place in South Africa in the summer of 2010. The participating teams are determined by the qualifying matches that has been held on each continent between the time periods of august 2007 to November 2009. As the time left for the world cup is decreasing day by day so the preparations for the world cup are in the final stages. We will mention here some of the news related to this event.

South Africa grabbed the luck to be the seat for World Cup 2010. The ceremony will be launched on June/July 2010. These sports and events takes place all around ten stadiums and cities comprising the Cape Town. The stadiums have been sketched and the building has been started. In fact, the tickets are for sale on the various venues put up on the website.

Chelsea FootballClub

The qualifications are now over and the teams which will compete on the finals are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and United States of America.

There are many reasons why this football championship will tend to be success this time in the country. South African seashores put forward dirt free waters, fair shores and security nets. SA is reputed for its marvelous wines. A trip to South Africa is not whole devoid of chipping in the grandiose mountain collections.

Of course the unspoiled nature of South Africa is also of huge interest for those who will visit the World Football Championship in 2010 and will be able to combine the sporting entertainment with some great trips across this unique continent.

You will never have to worry about food in in the host country; the tastes are appealing to any people from whichever part of the world. Surprising games and expedition screening with trips are obtainable on ease. There are lots more that you can enjoy even after the matches days. Make it now or never!!!

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE EVENT: The inspection tour that consists of about 50 operational experts from FIFA and members of the local organizing committee visited South Africa in the month of October to inspect the progress of the stadiums made for the world cup. This committee visited all the five stadiums that are being built for the world cup. This team is very satisfied with the progress. The stadiums are now complete. In most of the stadiums the work left includes laying of grass, getting the seats in and stadium precincts.

BUYING TICKETS FOR WORLD CUP 2010: it has been discovered that there are about 100 false websites that are selling tickets of world cup. These websites have duped thousands of football lovers as they are thinking that they have got the tickets when actually they have not. There are only a dozen of genuine websites that are selling tickets for the world cup, starting with FIFA.com and there are only a few companies that are authorized to sell packages to South Africa. So be careful before purchasing the tickets. We can recommend you the site below specialized and created exclusively for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

World Cup 2010 - The Major Sporting Event of the Year

Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

At the tender age of 9 young Steven Gerrard joined the Liverpool FC youth academy after being spotted by Liverpool scouts playing for his hometown team, Whiston Juniors. He had trials for a few different clubs including Manchester Utd but eventually signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in 1997.

In his first season he made 13 appearances, often looking out of his depth and nervous. It wasn't until the 2000 - 01 season that Gerrard made a real impact, he scored 10 goals and contributed to the team winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. After a trophyless season during 2003 - 04, Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea. He finally turned down the £20 million move and decided to stay at Anfield under new coach Rafa Benitez.

Chelsea FC

Benitez built the strong new Liverpool squad that reached the finals of the Champions League in 2005 against AC Milan. Liverpool had a shocking first half and were 3-0 down, only to turn the scoreline around during six minutes of the second half. Gerrard scored one of the goals and was a huge influence throughout the match. Liverpool eventually won the game on penalties and Gerrard won Man Of The Match. Gerrard turned down another move to Chelsea that summer, even though he was offered £100,000 a week.

In 2006 Gerrard became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes to win the PFA Player Of The Year and scored twice in the FA Cup final against West Ham Utd. He made his 300th Premier League appearance for the club in 2008 and scored the opening goal against Blackburn Rovers. in 2009, Gerrrard was named as The Football Writers Association Player Of The Year.

He continues to play for Liverpool and is currently captain of England. Steven Gerrard is a true Liverpool FC legend.

Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

Coaching Kids Soccer - How to Build a Winning Team

Coaching kids soccer is a different animal than coaching an adult soccer team. There are a variety of different concerns to look out for. With kids soccer, the intent isn't just to build a winning team, but to also build a great team spirit, make sure your players are having fun as well as bonding with other team members. Key skills of a good coach include team building skills, progressive training drills and positive reinforcement.

Help Kids Build Social Skills

Chelsea Football Club

Kids can be an unruly and uncoordinated when left alone. Your job as a coach is to build up the spirit of a team. That these kids really are in it together; and that they should look out for one another. Friendship and teamwork are a huge part of a successful team. Individual kids with soccer skills won't play nearly as well as a group of kids who are playing with their friends, all working towards a common goal.

Give the Kids a Sense of Accomplishment

One great way to teach kids soccer is to use progressive drills. Instead of choosing very difficult drills to start, you can start with easy drills to instill a sense of accomplishment and capability within your players.Once you start building their self-esteem and they start to believe they are capable soccer players, you can gradually amp up the heat on the soccer training drills. This allows you to start off by building a solid base of self-esteem and sense of value to the team. From there, you can add on harder drills and your players will be more inspired to try harder.

Make Sure Your Kids Know You Appreciate Them

It's very important that your players know that you value them. It's important that your players feel like they are a valuable addition to the team. Some coaching prefer a harsher, louder training style. Those training styles can work very well, provided that the kids know their coach is coming from a caring and loving place. For example, if a coach shouted at a player, saying "Cody! You're too slow, concentrate! You call that a run?!"

If the player knows he's a valued member, the coach's words will be taken as forceful encouragement to play harder. If the player doesn't feel valued, the coach's words will feel like an attack on his worth in the team.

How to Build a Winning Team

If you as a coach can master these three skills, you'll be far ahead of most other kids soccer coaches. Once you master the art of cultivating social skills, master progressive drills to instill a sense of value and accomplishment and finally learn to show appreciation for your kids, you'll find that your kids soccer team will quickly skyrocket in performance.

Coaching Kids Soccer - How to Build a Winning Team

Bratt Decor Chelsea Crib - Are Lifetime Cribs All They're Cracked Up To Be?

Have you seen cribs like the Bratt Decor Chelsea Lifetime Crib? This baby bed is fairly amazing.

It is astonishingly beautiful to look at and that's only the beginning. As a "lifetime" crib, it is designed to do just that - grow into a full-sized bed as your child grows - meaning that you won't ever need to buy another bed for your child.

Chelsea

Ever.

Interesting idea, to be sure. But lifetime beds do come with a substantial cost attached and that's the real key to this idea. Are they worth their price tag?

Let's look at the concept of lifetime cribs from the eye of a parent. I've raised four children and have seen plenty of beds come and go through our home. Here are some things you'll want to consider - both pro and con - before jumping on Bratt cribs' - or any other manufacturer's - lifetime baby bed bandwagon.

The good news first.

- Yes, lifetime cribs make good sense. They're high on the value scale. First a baby bed and then, with a full-size mattress and box springs addition, a complete adult bed.

- If you concentrate on quality when shopping, you'll be happier down the road. Trust me, this is a bed that will need to take abuse for many years.

Chances are high your child (and her friends) will jump on, kick, dance and dramatically throw themselves on this bed. So it goes without saying that it needs to be sturdy. Check for quality and look for other parents' comments on the durability of the bed you choose. Bratt Decor, for example, has a reputation of building quality baby cribs; this is something you can check out easily enough by visiting some parenting forums and asking questions.

- Are you planning on having more than one baby? Then a drop-dead beautiful and sturdy lifetime crib can make a lot of sense because you'll be needing a crib over and over.

- As I mentioned before, this particular brand of baby crib is gorgeous and frankly, I'm sure that's a huge selling point for this company. Some lifetime cribs come in plainer versions which may appeal more to you and may bring the price point down, as well.

Remember that a bed usually is the largest piece of furniture in a bedroom, which means you will want one you enjoy looking at for years. Such a consideration is a smart choice for both your eyes and your pocketbook.

And the bad news?

- Cost. Lifetime cribs often cost more than their counterparts and that's no surprise. After all, you're getting more bed. But be careful because the quality of baby cribs varies widely.

Go to a store where you can actually put your hands on these cribs and give them a shake (do make sure the demo cribs are completely assembled first for an accurate test). Sometimes the lower cost versions are quite wiggly; you can tell they are not going to stand up to much usage.

On the other hand, you can pay the equivalent of a cheap used car for some lifetime cribs. If you actually use that crib for the next eighteen plus years and never have to refinish or replace it, you may have just got yourself a deal.

- Let's be clear here; the crib is lifetime. The mattress is not. You will have to buy the mattress and box springs to convert these cribs into full-sized beds. But you'd have to purchase mattresses no matter what bed route you choose, so that cost is a wash in this discussion. Still, you need to keep it in mind.

- Some folks love heirloom furniture. Some like to redecorate on a shoestring every few years. A lifetime baby bed like the Bratt Decor Chelsea crib is for the former folks. If you are in the latter camp, then having a gorgeous bed that you are sick and tired of is definitely a point against this type of purchase.

When you add it all up, lifetime cribs make a lot of practical sense. Whether or not you decide to go with an upscale model like the Bratt Decor Chelsea Lifetime crib or a simpler baby bed really depends upon how much quality you want to pay for and if it will make you happy to be passing this crib onto your grandchildren some day.

Bratt Decor Chelsea Crib - Are Lifetime Cribs All They're Cracked Up To Be?

Innovative Bar Design Venues

Bar design techniques and styles have changed dramatically over the years. The demand for modern bar design has increased as venues realise that this is key to the success of their business. Gone are the dark and dingy functional spaces of old, and in come the stylish design statements that customers have come to expect from top-notch venues.

Hitting the right note is essential as getting it wrong can be a costly mistake and many bars will go through several re-fits and transformations during their funtional life-cycle. Good Bar design is the difference between success and failure.

ChelseaFC

Some venues may wish to create a serene and relaxing experience in which to while away the hours, whilst others may wish to produce a full on assault on the senses. In any case, the bar design should address the following issues. -

Is the Bar space a nice place to be?

Does it make you want to spend time there and return?

Is the design sympathetic to the venue as a whole?

Is the lighting effective without blinding the customers?

Does the design reflect the branding culture of the client?

Is the design practical for the customers and staff?

Are the materials hard wearing?

Does the design allow for expansion

These days, it isn't just about designing stand-alone bars and pubs in the high-street. Many other types of venues and public spaces and now have bar areas such as football clubs, hotels, universities and racetracks all have bars. These tend to raise other design criteria which need to be addressed in the design and manufacture. For example -

Chelsea FC

If you've ever been to the Chelsea Blues Bar you will have noticed the metallic painted glass front panels and stylish illuminated light boxes. All are designed to meet crowd loading standards.

Wolverhampton Race Course

The Bars and Interior at Wolverhampton Racecourse have black granite finishes both on the bars and dining tables. These would have been designed and built from scratch.

Leicester Tigers

The Leicester Tigers new ground has Concourse Bars, Executive Bars and a Reception Counter. All of these have a common design theme. From the huge illuminated stainless steel columns in the entrance to the illuminated white painted glass front panels and black granite tops on the Executive Bars, this is an attractive and inviting space.

So next you go out for a drink or meal, take the time to have look around you and try to appreciate the skill, design and vision that went into producing the atmosphere and space.

Innovative Bar Design Venues

Peter Beardsley - Liverpool FC Legend

Peter Beardsley was born in Newcastle, England in 1961 and was signed by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish at the beginning of the 1987-88 season, for a then British record transfer fee of £1.9million, from Beardsley's hometown club Newcastle United.

Ironically Beardsley had been released by Newcastle in his early career, before being re-signed for £150,00. During a turbulent early career Beardsley had also signed for Manchester United for £250,000 before being released on a free contract after playing just one game for them, he also had short spells at Carlisle United and Vancouver in Canada.

Chelsea FC

Beardsley signed for Liverpool at the same time as John Barnes, and along with John Aldridge, would develop a fearsome striking force at Liverpool. The new strike force at Liverpool had taken over from Ian Rush, who had left for Juventus and Kenny Dalglish, who had become player manager, by this stage however Dalglish's appearances on the pitch were very infrequent.

Although the Dalglish and Rush era would be a big act to follow, the new attacking trio didn't take long to gel and Beardsley soon signalled his intent during a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, and his first goals soon followed.

During his first season at Liverpool, Peter Beardsley scored 18 goals and played in 48 games as Liverpool won the First Division title in style. During the 1989 season, which was marred by the Hillsborough tragedy, Liverpool beat local rivals Everton in the FA Cup Final.

Liverpool went onto to win another League title with the help Peter Beardsley, in 1990. With the return of Ian Rush, Beardsley formed the main striking partnership and scored 10 goals in 29 games that season.

When Graeme Souness was appointed as Liverpool manager and the signing of Dean Saunders in the summer of 1991, saw Beardsley first team appearances diminish and in a nearly unprecedented move, he signed for Everton for one million pounds.

In total Peter Beardsley made 175 appearances and scored 59 goals for Liverpool, and many believe his greatest Liverpool game was a hat-trick he scored against arch rivals Manchester United, and his outstanding performance against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi final when he scored one and created another two goals for Liverpool, will never be forgotten.

Peter Beardsley - Liverpool FC Legend

5 Christmas Gifts For A Football Fan

Gift Number 1 - Football Shirt

One of the best gifts you can get a football supporter is the latest strip of the club that they support so for example if the support Arsenal then you would want to either buy the an Arsenal shirt or go all the way and buy them the full Arsenal kit. This is probably the number one gift you could get them and the fact is there are many good deals online for official football strips.

Chelsea Football Club

Gift Number 2 - Football Match Ticket or Season Tickets

Depending on your budget you could either get someone a football match ticket for the team that they support or you could also look at getting them a season ticket for the team they support. This would be very expensive so you would have to have quite a high gift budget to be able to get them a season ticket. So if they support Arsenal then you would buy them an Arsenal match ticket or an Arsenal season ticket.

Gift Number 3 - Football Merchandise

There are great little gifts that you can buy which are ideal for stocking fillers such as branded cups, mugs, scarf's, hats and stationary which again you would want to buy them for the football team they support.

Gift Number 4 - Car Accessories

For many people in the UK the two biggest passions they might have are cars and football and so combining them together is always a good Christmas gift idea. There are many car accessories for football fans such as car mats, window covers, seat covers and many more. A lot of fans like to deck their cars out in their football teams colours on the day of an important match to show their support.

Gift Number 5 - Football Documentaries and DVD's

This is a nice gift for a stocking filler as DVD's and documentaries are normally very well priced especially if you can find some good deals online. There are many good DVD's released each year on many of the big teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United etc so these are always a good buy if they support them. Alternatively you can get them a more generic gift such as the best goals DVD for 2009 or any football related DVD.

As you can see there are many good options to buy football fans gifts related to football. The one thing you need to make sure is that you buy them the gift for the right football team as they will not be happy if you get them a football shirt for the wrong team.

5 Christmas Gifts For A Football Fan

Profile of FC Barcelona's Gabriel Alejandro Milito

Gabriel Alejandro Milito is the twentieth Argentinean to wear the FC Barcelona shirt and considered to be perfect in his role of centre back. Previously playing for Independiente in Argentina followed by a four year stint at Zaragoza, Milito signed to Barça in August 2007 on a four year contract.

Born in Bernal, Argentina in 1980, Milito is known as 'El Mariscal' and 'Gaby' by his fans. His footballing career was almost cut short by a serious knee injury in 2001 and he originally moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid.

Chelsea FC

The official verdict is that club doctors were not convinced that his knee was fully recovered, but there is one report that the move was to sideline the then director of football at Madrid, while another claims that he was not a big enough star to join the galacticos. Failing to make the grade for Madrid, Milito was instead signed by Real Zaragoza where he joined his brother, Diego, for 2 seasons.

Honours have included the Trofeo Apertura (2002-3) at Independiente, while at Zaragoza he was part of the team that won the Spanish Super Cup (2004-5) and the Spanish Cup (2003-4).

He has also made more than 25 appearances for the Argentinean national selection for which he played in the 1999 South American Under 20 Championship, the Confederations Cup (2005) and the World Cup (2006).

Key strengths include his excellent positioning and vision and the ability to take control and lead by example. Although it is early days for Milito at Barcelona he has the talent to make his mark, providing he can remain relatively injury free.

Profile of FC Barcelona's Gabriel Alejandro Milito

Chelsea Football Shirts - Show Your Support For the Blues

The new English Premier League Season has begun and many of you are glued to it every weekend. Some of you are lucky enough to witness these matches live in the stadium. But it's as much fun if you are watching them at home with your family or at the local pub with your mates. There is nothing more uplifting than a thrilling game of football. You don't even have to be an active participant, just being a spectator gives you such an adrenaline rush and drives your blues away.

Speaking of blues, you can only think of Chelsea Football Club, England's top team that dominated the season last year and has successfully challenged the might of Manchester United in the last few years. Things are looking bright this season as well and if you are a supporter, are you ready with your Chelsea Shirt to cheer on your team?

Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea has an illustrious history of over a century to boast of; the club has won dozens of trophies and produced some sensational players of their times. This year is no different. The names wearing Chelsea Football Shirts include the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry. As loyal fans, you will be wearing your Chelsea Shirt with pride every time the team goes on the field and showing your allegiance to your favorite team.

Chelsea's fan base is not restricted to the UK but goes far beyond into remote pockets of Africa and Asia. In fact, people all over the world are watching the team with keen interest. So why should access to the prestigious Blue jersey be restricted to lucky ones living in the UK?

When it comes to football shirts cheap imitations that you can find in any town centre all over the world just don't cut it. If your passion is real the shirt should be authentic as well to go with it. That's why you need to look at online options to buy your Chelsea Football Shirts.

Benefits of buying football shirts online are:

You don't have to settle for cheap imitations but get original shirts and wear them with aplomb.

You might be based in a rainforest in Africa or on top of some mountain in Asia, it is still possible to get your favorite team's football shirt. What's more it will be delivered to your doorstep because online retailers are known to have excellent distribution system.

You can have shirts with your favorite player's name and jersey number printed on it. When it comes to your love for Chelsea, it's no less than Lampard's or Terry's.

You can buy half sleeve shirts, full sleeve winter shirts, home and away shirts, and the special Champions League jerseys all at the same time.

You can make bulk buys for your friends and family and avail of handsome discounts.

You don't have to restrict yourself to shirts but can buy other club merchandise as well.

If you are a true blue Chelsea supporter prove it in style.

Chelsea Football Shirts - Show Your Support For the Blues

Freezing Orders - A Judge Made Rule

Since the late 1970s the jurisdiction of the High Court to grant freezing injunctions has been significantly expanded and refined by case law, practice directions and legislation. The creation of this form of injunction was a judicial innovation, in the case of Mareva Compania Naviera SA v International Bulk Carriers SA (The Mareva). Lord Hoffman, in his foreword to Commercial Injunctions (4th Edition) by Steven Gee Q.C. described the case of Mareva as "...the most remarkable example of judicial creativity in the last century..."

The freezing order was a Judge-made response in the case of Mareva to the modern means of disposing with assets, and attempts to defeat claims through increasingly sophisticated and complicated schemes, thereby making the tracing of assets more difficult to achieve. These attempts might include transferring large amounts of cash by electronic transfer from one country to another, switching assets between offshore companies, and hiding assets in offshore trusts, thereby leaving creditors to obtain judgment first and then later to discover and try to unravel what had happened to assets, perhaps through a series of different jurisdictions and entities. The Mareva line of cases has attempted to put a stop to that practice.

Chelsea Football Club

FOURIE-v-LE ROUX

In the case of Lourie-v-Le Roux [http://hefinrees.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/freezing-injunctions-weapon-for-commercial-litigator/#FOURIE_v_LEROUX] the House of Lords considered the nature of the power and the scope of the jurisdiction to grant freezing orders. Lord Bingham said:

"...In recognition of the severe effect which such an injunction may have on a defendant, the procedure for seeking and making Mareva injunctions has over the last three decades become closely regulated. I regard that regulation as beneficial and would not wish to weaken it in any way. The procedure incorporates important safeguards for the defendant...."

THE ENGLISH COURT AS "INTERNATIONAL POLICEMAN"

Originally, a freezing order was only obtainable in support of litigation brought within England & Wales. These days, a freezing order is often obtained in support of foreign litigation, even in cases where the primary court where the litigation is proceeding would not have a similar power to grant a freezing order (e.g. Switzerland, USA etc.). In 2002 Moor Bick J referred to the jurisdiction as enabling the English Court to act as an "international policeman". There has, however, been some recent change in the jurisprudence with the English Court showing greater signs of reluctance to interfere.

Freezing Orders - A Judge Made Rule

West Ham United - The Hammers, The Irons, Upton Park Or The Boleyn Ground

West Ham United Football Club can boast a richer history than most of their London rivals, including their nouveau-riche South London rivals, Chelsea.

While the club have in recent years appeared in the press regularly for all the wrong reasons West Ham's faithful fans still bask in the halcyon days of the past, even claiming to have won the World Cup.

Chelsea FC

Certainly, providing Martin Peters, captain Bobby Moore and hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst to England's World Cup winning team does actually give their claim some merit.

Most football fans know that the club are referred to as 'The Hammers', but most either do not know the origins of this name or believe it to refer to the 'Ham' from West Ham.

In 1895 a factory football team was set up by staff at the Thames Ironworks factory, it is this Thames Ironworks FC team that evolved into the West Ham United Football Club that is still going strong today.

It is from these roots that the 'Irons' nickname is derived which is more widely known by the club's own fans than by others outside of East London.

The more popular 'Hammers' nickname actually comes from the pair of iron-workers hammers that still appear on the club's badge, referring back to the club's origins of more than a century ago.

Another popular misnomer amongst other football fans is that West Ham play their football at their Upton Park stadium, when in fact their home is actually known as The Boleyn Ground which happens to be in the Upton Park area of East London.

The Boleyn Ground gets its name from an imposing home that used to stand on Green Street in Upton Park and was rented by the young football club a the start of the 20th Century, with football being played in its grounds.

This house claimed some historic link to Anne Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's six wives and was referred to locally as the Boleyn Castle.

It is the Boleyn Castle that has at times been included with the crossed hammers in West Ham's official club badge.

Another reference to this famous old building's part of the West Ham heritage is the incorporation of two large turrets into the West Stand which face out on to Green Street.

The name Green Street may sound familiar, it is this street that gave its name to the inedependent film, released in 2005, which told the story of a 'firm' of West Ham football hooligans.

Whatever the future holds for this great London football club, there is no denying the great history and tradition that any Hammers fan can be proud of. You can be sure that, whatever happens, they will continue to attend games at The Boleyn Ground in great numbers and will all be Forever Blowing Bubbles.

West Ham United - The Hammers, The Irons, Upton Park Or The Boleyn Ground

How to Buy An Office Chair Online

The time has come to purchase a new office chair for your home or business, and like most people you are not sure where to start looking. There is always the option to visit your local Staples or Office Depot for a quick fix, however being the informed consumer that you are, you already know that their chairs break after a short period of time which allows for their products to be priced cheaper. Another option would be to visit an office furniture dealership or showroom in your area, but that requires effort to drive out to view the chairs and also requires scheduling your time to visit during their hours of operation. The best and easiest solution for most individuals is to sit in the comfort of their own home and office and search for a new chair online in their free time. While trying to find the perfect office chair online may appear to be an overwhelming experience, it is actually a much simpler process than going out of your way to find one at a store.

The first step to purchasing an office chair online is to do some research on the company that you may possibly be purchasing your chair from to ensure they are in fact a real company and not a scam. A toll-free telephone number should be displayed prominently on the home page and every other page of the website; companies that want to provide good customer service want their customers to call them and encourage them to call to ease any hesitations. A physical address for the company placed on the homepage is another good indication that the company is legitimate and not just an operation running out of a home. Another great way to tell if a website is worth purchasing from is looking for evidence that customers have bought from the website in the past. The easiest way to find out this information is to search for product reviews left by past customers. Keep in mind not every product will have a review, so you may need to venture further into the site by clicking on a category page that allows you to see a list of chairs. From there, the reviews should have an eye-catching design easy for anyone to see.

Chelsea

Once you have determined the website is genuine, the next step is to take a look at the company's return policy to ensure you will want to agree to the terms. It would be a waste of your time to have to wait until after you have selected your chair to learn that the return policy is not something you would not be comfortable agreeing to. An office chair is an investment and can take a bit of time to get properly adjusted to meet your needs, so make sure that the company's return policy allows you at least thirty days to try out the chair. Some companies allow for even longer periods of time to try their chairs out, ranging from 60-90 days which is beneficial for a customer who may need a little extra time determining if the chair is a good fit for them. Almost always there will be some sort of restocking fee in place to return the chair to cover the money spent returning the chair back to the company as well as restocking chairs imposed by office chair manufacturers that will now have to sell the chair as used. This is completely normal and should be expected as long as the amount isn't a ridiculous figure such as half of your purchase. Be careful to read the entire return policy as some companies will charge additional fees such as paying for return shipment back to the company on top of the restocking fee.

After reviewing the return policy and having a full understanding of how to return the chair if needed, the next step would be selecting the chair of your choice. Most people have already predetermined what they need in a chair after sitting in a few over the years and know what adjustments are necessary to keep them sitting comfortably throughout the day. For example, if someone experiences lower back pain, they will already know they need a chair that offers excellent lumbar support as well as some level of adjustability in the back rest such as back height adjustment and/or back angle adjustment to properly position the amount of lumbar support needed.

If you are on the opposite end of the spectrum and are unsure of exactly what you want and need in an office chair the best place to start is by consulting a chair expert. Most online office chair companies have friendly customer service representatives on hand ready to answer questions of this nature and are well versed in the product they are trying to sell. It is best to consult an expert on the matter than to go in blindly guessing at what you need, which leads to a greater probability of having to return the product and lose some of your money in the process. Before calling simply figure out how long you spend sitting in a chair on a daily basis, if you experience any pain from sitting in your current office chair, and what you will be using the chair for(in a conference room, as a work chair, as a reception chair, etc.) because your representative is more than likely to ask these questions.

Purchasing an office chair online is an easy and quick process that may require a little extra research just as most products that you spend a great majority of time using usually do. You can shop at your leisure and on your time schedule, making it much more convenient than visiting a furniture showroom or local office supply store. Most chairs that are not custom-made to order can also ship out relatively quickly and arrived delivered to your doorstep within a week or two of placing your order, depending on your location. You will also receive unsurpassed customer service and an account representative that will be there to attend to any issues or concerns even after the purchase is made. Online purchases also allow for quicker and faster communication with features such as live chat now available on many websites, getting in touch with a customer service representative is easier than ever and does not even require having to pick up the phone.

How to Buy An Office Chair Online

A Short Biography of Famous Soccer Player - Frank Lampard

His complete name is Frank James Lampard. He was born in Romford, London, England on 20 June 1978. He is an English soccer player who now plays for Chelsea. His playing in the field is as Midfielder. For his club and national side, Lampard holds the role as vice-captain.

He is regarded as one of the best soccer players in the world. He has got the Chelsea Player of the Year award three times. In Premier League history, he is also is the highest goal scoring midfielder with 129 league goals. With seniors clubs, Lampard experienced playing soccer for West Ham United (1995-2001), Swansea City (1995-1996 as a loan), Chelsea (2001-).

Chelsea FC

Frank Lampard spent the majority of his early years playing soccer in his local park with the rest of his family. He has constantly been observed as a very determined individual, and that quality was linked with him from an early age.

He was first marked by England U-21 manager Peter Taylor, and his under-21 first appearance came on 13 November 1997 in a competition against Greece. In international career, since making his first appearance in October 1999Lampard has been played 82 times by England, and has made 20 goals. For two successive years in 2004 and 2005, he was selected as England player of the year.

As a professional soccer player, Lampard has won many honors with his clubs. With West Ham United, he won UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. and with Chelsea, he got UEFA Champions League (Runner-up: 2008), Premier League (Champion: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, and Runner-up: 2003-04, 2006-07, 2007-08), FA Cup (Winner: 2007, 2009, 2010, and Runner-up: 2002), Football League Cup (Winner: 2005, 2007, and Runner-up: 2008), FA Community Shield (Winner: 2005, 2009, and Runner-up: 2006, 2007).

In addition, Lampard also won many individual honors. Some of them are 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year (Silver Award), 2005 Ballon d'Or (Silver Award), FWA Footballer of the Year (2005), UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year (2008), World XI (2005), PFA Fans' Player of the Year (2005), England Player of the Year (2004, 2005), Euro 2004 (Team of the Tournament), Premier League Player of the Month (2003, 2005, 2008), Barclays Player Of The Season (2005, 2006), Chelsea Player of the Year (2004, 2005, 2009), PFA Premier League Team of the Year (2004, 2005, 2006), Premier League's Player of the Decade, (2000-2009), ESM Team of the Year (2005, 2006), and FWA Tribute Award (2010).

A Short Biography of Famous Soccer Player - Frank Lampard

Champions League History

The UEFA Champions League began life as the European Champion Clubs' Cup referred to as simply the European Cup and was originally conceived as a knockout competition between the champion club of each country. It's format has been considerably expanded since then and it now regarded as the premier club football competition in the world.

The tournament began in 1955 as a reaction to claims in the British press that Wolverhamptom Wanders were the 'Champions of the World' after a successful run of wins in friendlies against European competition in the early fifties. A formal competition began in the season 1955 -56 with teams playing two matches, home and away to progress to the the next knockout stage.

ChelseaFC

Real Madrid soon dispelled Wolves' claim, winning the trophy for the first five years on the trot and Real have since won it nine times in total, the current record. But English clubs did come to dominate the competition in the 1970s and early 1980s when Liverpool won it four times and Nottingham Forest twice.

A controversial five year ban for English clubs following the Heysel disaster in 1985 ended that dominance and it was not until Manchester United won the competition in 1999 for the second time that English clubs would again come out on top.

Overall, Italian clubs have the best record with 12 wins and 14 runners-up, Spain are next with 12 wins and 9 runners-up, whilst English clubs have 11 winners. Germany and Holland share six winners each.

Nowadays, the format of the tournament has greatly expanded such that the strongest European Leagues provide as many as four entrants.

There are several preliminary rounds prior to the round robin group stages with the top teams in each group progressing to a two leg knockout stage progressing to the showcase final. Italy's Internazional are the current UEFA Champions League holders having beaten Germany's Bayern Munich 2 - 0 in the 2010 final.

Champions League History

Chelsea Boots Tips

There are few footwear styles that can say that they're suitable in the office and on the dance floor. Chelsea boots are one such footwear type that's happy pretty much anywhere. The key to wearing them is to pay attention to a few subtle nuances to make sure that you don't become a style disaster with this most beloved of boots.

Brown vs. Black
The main two shades that the leather of these boots can come in are both fantastic. The light or dark brown shades are just as exquisite as their black leather counterparts. However, they all have their place. Brown leather is generally not acceptable shade of leather in business circles, whereas black is always fine. Black is the truly versatile leather shade out of the two, but if you want to distinguish between your wardrobe choices, then have a brown pair for smart casual use.

Chelsea

Avoid other shades and ones with detail worked into the leather like the plague. They are the biggest fashion mistake you can make with this type of footwear.

Size
This is more to do with the sides rather than the foot size. Regardless of whether you are wearing these for a business or smart casual outfit, the suit trousers, jeans or corduroys that you wear need to be wide enough in the leg that they go past the sides of the boots. Having your trousers gather around the tops of your Chelsea boots will never look cool.

Outfit
As discussed already, black ones will work well with any business suit. Another area of more formal wear they work well with is outfits for formal events such as weddings or funerals. Yet getting them to work as part of a smart casual outfit demands a little more effort. A sleek casual smart look would see you wearing your boots with a dark pair of straight legged jeans a casual shirt and a suit jacket. A slightly less smart and more casual look would see you replace the shirt with a plain tee. Or, you could wear a casual shirt or tee with a jumper and the jeans or a pair of corduroys.

Chelsea Boots Tips

Real Madrid - One of the Best Football Clubs of the Century

Real Madrid is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European Cups and two UEFA Cups.

Real Madrid was founded in 1902 and has spent all of its history in the top flight of Spanish football. In the 1940s, the club, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and the Ciudad Deportiva were rebuilt following the Spanish Civil War. During the 1950s, the club was reckoned as a major force in both Spanish and European football.

Chelsea Football Club

In the 1980s, the club had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe, winning two UEFA Cups, five Spanish championships in a row, one Spanish cup and three Spanish Super Cups. The team plays on home ground in an all-white equipment. The team also has two more equipments: blue and black. Real's stadium is the 80,354-person-capacity Santiago Bernabeu in downtown Madrid, where it has played since 1947.

The club holds long-standing rivalries with some other clubs; the most notable of these is with FC Barcelona, the two teams regularly contesting the match called "El Clasico". Unlike most European football clubs, Real Madrid's members have owned and operated the club since its beginning. The club is the world's richest football club (EUR351million) in terms of revenue and the second most valuable (worth over EUR950million as of 2008 study).

Real Madrid - One of the Best Football Clubs of the Century