Steven Gerrard - The Working Class Hero

Born and brought up in a middle class family in the Whiston area of Merseyside, Steven Gerrard has gone on to become one of England's finest football players. When Gerrard was nine, he lost his cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley in the Hillsborough disaster. This loss of a "family member" spurred Gerrard to tackle football in a very sentimental sense and become the footballer he is today. Gerrard ends his autobiography with the words - "I play for Jon-Paul."

While playing for Whiston Juniors, he caught the eye of the Liverpool scouts. He was drafted into the Liverpool youth setup. He made his Liverpool debut on 29 November 1998 when he came on as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem. He has not looked back since. Over the next decade, he has played 355 games for Liverpool scoring 76 times. He has won two FA Cups, two League Cups, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool. The only medal that has eluded him is the Barclays Premier League Winners' medal.

Gerrard made his international debut against Ukraine on 31 May 2000. After that, he has gone on to represent England on 77 occasions scoring 16 times. He made a solitary substitute appearance at Euro 2000. He scored his first goal in the famous 5-1 rout of Germany in the 2002 World Cup Qualifying rounds. He went on to captain England during Steve Mclaren's reign as manager. But England suffered back to back losses against Croatia and Russia under his leadership and hence did not make it to Euro 2008. Capello also gave Gerrard a run of games as captain of England, but later settled on John Terry.

At 30, the World Cup in South Africa in six months' time will be Gerrard's final chance to win the sport's biggest trophy. And if he is able to do the same, his name will be etched forever in the annals of English football.

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Arsenal Football Team

Arsenal - professional football club, also known as "The Gunners". Based in North London, this successful English football team is known as one of the leading clubs in England. Arsenal was founded in 1886 by the group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory. In 1891 the Club turned professional and changed its name to Woolwich Arsenal; the club joined the Football League in 1893. They won their first major trophies thirty years later, which included five League Championship titles and two FA Cups. Arsenal set a UEFA Champions League record by going ten matches without conceding a goal in the season of 2005-2006.

The team was initially based in Woolwich, but in 1913 moved to Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, and then to their current location, the Emirates stadium, which contains sixty thousand, four hundred and thirty two people. Their club colors are red and white, their symbol depicting a canon, as a symbol of Armament factory. Arsenal's home colors have been the inspiration for at least three other clubs.

Arsenal keeps an on-going rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur and with several other football teams, with whom they compete. Arsenal often appears in the media, in sports news and on the Television. Their games on-line attracts millions of viewers the enjoy watching Arsenal clips presenting the moments of victory. The club includes top players from different countries, such as Spain, Netherlands, France and Switzerland. Fans collect pictures of the group and watch their videos on-line; this leading football club enjoys public's attention all over the world.

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English Soccer and Its Top Clubs

One of the most overlooked but important things in the world is light. Without lights there are many things that are currently taken for granted that would not happen. Whether it is a lamp in the living room of a house that people can read and do other things by or a battery picture light or battery picture lights, it is clear that light is an important visual aid. Lights are especially important in sports. If arenas across the world did not have such strong lighting it would be nearly impossible for games to be staged at night outdoors in sports such as the world's most popular game, soccer. Soccer is without doubt the world's favorite sport overall and was originated in England. As is the case with the founding countries of most sports, to this day some of the strongest teams in the world are found in England.

One of the best soccer, or football as it is known most places, clubs in the world is Arsenal. Arsenal was formed in 1886 in North London and acquired their name from the fact that most of their original players were amateurs, as all were at the time, who worked at the local munitions factory making weapons for the royal arsenal. From the start the club was breaking records and in the late 1800s they became the first team from the south of England to join the recently formed league. Arsenal have also been amazingly successful as a team, winning thirteen league titles, third most of any team in the country, and ten FA Cups, a March Madness style tournament that takes place over the course of a season. Also, Arsenal are the only team to ever go through a Premier League season with no losses and hold the record for the longest unbeaten streak ever, winning or drawing forty nine consecutive matches.

Another important club in English football is Liverpool. Obviously based out of the northern city of Liverpool, they are traditionally the most successful team in the country. With eighteen domestic league titles and seven FA Cups to go along with five European Cups, a tournament between the best teams from the continent, Liverpool can lay claim to being the most trophy laden club in the country. What really sets Liverpool apart though from other teams is their rabid fan base. Liverpool's citizens are often called "scousers" a term defining their regional accent, and Liverpool fans often times create one of the most intense and amazing atmospheres at a sporting event with their constant singing and love for their team.

Lastly, the newest team to join the elite of England is a club called Chelsea. Chelsea are from the west side of London and until very recently were more known for their far right wing hooligans rather than for their play on the field. The most important event in Chelsea's history was the purchase of the club by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, which immediately allowed them to buy some of the best players in the world and win multiple league championships.

Soccer is the most well followed sport in the world and the three clubs mentioned above in particular have done an excellent job of expanding their profiles globally and creating brands out of themselves to broadcast to new markets and expand their fan base.

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Celebrities Have Asthma Too

Asthma need not be a life limiting condition, neither in terms of longevity nor in terms of involvement. In the past, it was often the case that asthmatic children were labeled 'sickly' and did not participate in exercise. Now, however, exercise is thought to be one of the best ways of controlling asthma long-term. Many celebrities have been very open about their asthma, and others are coming forward all the time to help de-mystify it and to help others.

The fact that Theodore Roosevelt had asthma did not stop him becoming president of the USA. It is said that he recovered from asthma through exercise. John F Kennedy was also an asthma sufferer, with his worst trigger being animals.

There have been a number of famous writers, musicians and dancers who have had asthma. Leonard Bernstein was a sufferer and his asthma was so bad that sometimes people could hear him wheezing as he was conducting. Joseph Pulitzer was another sufferer, as was the dancer Robert Joffrey who kept his asthma at bay with a combination of medications, acupuncture and herbs.

There is no lack of famous sports people who have coped with asthma and even improved their condition through their sport. The swimmer Amy Van Dyken was the first American female to win 4 gold medals in a single Olympic games. She took up the sport on the advice of doctors who suggested she try swimming as a way to control her asthma attacks. Tom Dolan, another American swimmer, also suffers from asthma and had problems competing due to restrictions on medications he could use whilst swimming competitively. He went on to win gold medals in two Olympic games.

Whilst swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for asthmatics, other athletes have also reached the top of their sport despite having to cope with asthma. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who was a top heptathlete and long-jumper, and Paula Radcliffe, a British marathon runner, both have asthma.

Team sports are good for asthmatics because the exercise is not always constant. The NFL player Jerome Bettis, Rugby player Austin Healey and a number of soccer players also have asthma. Paul Scholes from Manchester United and Frank Lampard from Chelsea Football Club are two of the most prominent asthmatics in the sport but many people were surprised recently to see pictures of David Beckham using an inhaler. He has since said that he was happy to know that the knowledge he had asthma was helping to inspire other people with the condition to take up a sport.

The success of these people shows that asthma does not have to limit your achievements if you have the condition.

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France, Winning the 2010 World Cup?

June 11, 2010, will mark a very illustrious day in the history of soccer. 32 countries from all over the world will come together in South Africa for the 19th installment of the biggest stage in soccer, The FIFA World Cup. Similar to the Olympics, The World Cup is held every four years, making this event even more prominent. All 32 teams have traveled to "The Rainbow Nation" with hopes and dreams of victory but only one team will arise to grip "The Jules Rimet Trophy" and endure the glory of becoming the soccer champions of the world.

Of these 32 countries competing in South Africa, there are a few countries that have emerged as favorites to become eventual World Cup Champions. The number one favorite to take "The Cup" home are the notorious Brazil, who already have five World Cup titles under their belt and Spain, who had a tremendous showing in the Euro 2008. Other teams in the mix are Argentina, who has an outstanding offensive weapon in Lionel Messi and Italy, who were the champions of the 2006 World Cup.

Looking over The FIFA World Rankings, I was surprised by how low the finalists of the 06' World Cup were. France, led by Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery are the number 10 ranked team, according to FIFA. To me, Les Bleus shouldn't just have a higher ranking; they should also be seen as genuine title contenders. The Blues have a very strong squad going into this year's World Cup, despite suffering disheartening losses to Spain and China in their International Friendly Matches. With all that being said, it is still difficult to overlook this star studded French team. With emerging young talents like Gael Clichy and Mathieu Valbuena, along with a whole flock of experienced veterans like accomplished midfielder, Florent Malouda, rejuvenated striker, Nicolas Anelka, and the quick magician, Franck Ribery, France is a force to be reckoned with.

One thing The Blues can look forward to after their lackluster performance in their International Friendlies is a clean injury list. Many countries have suffered a devastating injury to at least one of their players. Some of the most heartbreaking injuries have come to Ivory Coast's striker Didier Drogba and Germany's Michael Ballack, both captains of their international squads. The injury to Drogba has probably been the most agonizing injury due to his significance to the Ivory Coast team. Drogba is considered one of the best strikers in the world, playing for the British club team, Chelsea, and scoring 29 goals to lead Chelsea to a Premier League title. No offense to the proficient Michael Ballack, but Drogba is much more critical to his team. It has been well-documented that the Germans have a much deeper roster than the Ivory Coast. Germany can still make a run at The World Cup with talented strikers like Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, and can still control the middle of the pitch with Bastian Shweinsteiger but The Ivory Coast, without their best player, find themselves struggling to find a leader. The Ivory Coast losing Drogba would be like if the Indianapolis Colts American Football team lost their star and leader, Peyton Manning. When an impact player of that caliber suddenly gets injured at the blink of an eye, it could leave a team in shatters. Hopefully, the players can pick up the pieces and come together to play their hearts out, regardless of the massive hit they took.

With France having the luxury of an untarnished injury list, Coach Raymond Domenech and the players can focus on their first match against Uruguay with no distractions. France is in Group A with Mexico, Uruguay, and the host nation, South Africa. While on paper, it looks like France will move on through the group stage effortlessly, but let's not forget about France's early departure from the group stage in the 2002 World Cup. With a talented Uruguay team, motivated Mexican squad, and a galvanized South African team playing on home soil, France cannot play as mediocre as they did in their Friendly matches or else they can expect to be watching the knockout stages of the World Cup back at home.

With the motivation to prove critics wrong, France should move through the group stage suffering at most, one loss to either Uruguay or Mexico. With that being said, France's opening match is against Uruguay and that could set the stage for what will happen throughout Group A. Everyone has learned from the 2006 World Cup that once France gets on a roll, they are almost unbeatable but if France endures an early loss, it could mean disaster, as was seen in the 2002 World Cup when they lost their opening round match to Senegal and didn't even qualify for the knockout rounds.

The Blues are able to match up well with any team and while they faced much frustration in Euro 2008 and the Pre-Cup Friendlies, I believe that they have come to South Africa with something to prove. While France lacks big-name stars like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi, France is successful because of their discipline and teamwork.

There is no doubt that France has the talent and soccer IQ to bring home their second World Cup, they just have to become more efficient because once the World Cup has started, everyone is striving for the same goal and the teams that get flustered is very unlikely to receive a second chance. Do not overlook The Blues, this is a very solid squad that is filled with vengeance. To come so close to a World Cup and lose to rival Italy in penalty kicks will leave an extremely sour taste in your mouth. France has been pondering their heartbreaking loss for four years and the moment they have been waiting for has finally arrived!

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Dalymount Park: Home of Irish Soccer

Dalymount Park, situated in Phisboro just west of Dublin City Center, is home to Bohemians FC today with a capacity of just over 12,000 people. The stadium was built in 1901 and the first game ever held there took place in September 1901 between Bohemians and Shelbourne. Known affectionately by the Irish soccer fans as simply Dalyer, the days are now numbered for this
historic stadium.

Today the stadium is still being used on a regular basis as the home of Bohemians. Historically Dalymount Park was the home of Irish Soccer with major home international matches being played there until the 1984 when Ireland played Italy. An amazing 40,000 people turned up to see the game. Only 20,000 people were allowed in that night to see the game. The last time Dalymount was used for a senior international match of any description was in 1990 when Ireland played Morocco.

Unfortunately from the 1940s until recent times, no development had taken place at the stadium and the stadium with its old wooden stands fell into dilapidation. In more recent times, the main stand has been replaced with a modern stand, but the rest of the stadium is a throw back to history.

In recent times it has become inevitable that Bohemians were going to leave Dalymount as the price or land in Dublin shot up. A recent development has been the sale of the old stadium for e50m which will also include the building of a 10,000 all seated stadium in the Castleknock area of Dublin. 105 years of sporting history comes to an end.

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Will France Win the 2010 World Cup?

France are another country that have a strong chance of winning the World Cup. They have won it previously, in 1998, when they hosted the competition.

Here's why they might win it again.

1. There are a whole host of French players in the Premier League, who also have European club competition experience.

2. Defenders Patrice Evra, of Manchester United, and Arsenal's Bacary Sagna will have a lot to do defensively as they need to ensure that they get out of their group that also contains, Mexico, Uruguay and the hosts, South Africa.

3. The veteran midfielder, Patrick Viera, who is currently at Manchester City, is in with a chance of representing his country in South Africa this year. Another likely player is Chelsea's Florent Malouda who is a competent left winger who can also score goals as well as set them up.

4. Nicolas Anelka, or Le Sulk, as he's known by some people, is a striker with a lot of experience at the highest level. Currently at Chelsea, he's playing well, and will want to score at this tournament.

5. Louis Saha is another forward who is having a resurgence. After leaving Manchester United for Everton, he's in a rich vein of form, and can be relied on to score goals when it matters.

6. Barcelona's Thierry Henry is still held in the highest regard not just by Arsenal fans, but by fans of all teams. His sublime skills, speed and accuracy in front of goal makes him a pleasure to watch, and gives France a real chance of doing well at the 2010 World Cup.

7. Franck Ribery is a player who has been linked with many clubs this season. Whether he stays at Bayern Munich, or moves to a different club, might depend on his performance in South Africa. With his pace, and accuracy on the left wing, it's not surprising he's such a valuable player for France.

8. Other important French players include defenders Rod Fanni and Julien Escude, midfielders Lassana Diara, Moussa Sissoko, and forwards, Sidney Govou and Karim Benzema. If these players are all on form, then France really do have a fantastic chance of adding another World Cup to their collection.

9. Manager Raymond Domenech isn't well liked by all, and has left out some key players in his time, but hopefully, he and the team, will get everything right when it matters.

10. France are a really exciting team to watch, and their pace and precision means that they are capable of scoring goals, and also defending well. With many players of turning a game, they must be one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

Now you know more about their team, and their chances, do you think France will win the 2010 World Cup?

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