Category Archives: Football ⚽️

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Manchester City move to second, two points behind United

12 Monday Nov 2012

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TEMPLATE REPORT

So, it is a rerun of last year’s thriller, when City beat their bitter rivals on goal difference, This time though Alex Ferguson’s men are two points clear and have a greater goal difference.

Roberto Mancini is a man under pressure, his side has not played well in the Premier league, or the Champions League either and yet they still have a chance of winning both – in the Premiership they remain undefeated, whilst in Europe, they’ll need the rub of the green to get into the next round.

United haven’t looked great either – however, they have managed to carve out the results as they have done so season after season. This time, a very young Aston Villa side found out what its like to lose to United, despite taking a two goal lead and out playing them for three-quarters of the game.

Outside the rivalry between United and City, the most interesting developments are occurring at Anfield where the newly installed Brendan Rodgers is attempting to mould Liverpool into a football force to be reckoned.

It’s not going to be easy, but Luiz Suarez has stepped up to meet the challenge, something his colleagues failed to do so.

This time, he grabbed a late goal to deny third-placed Chelsea a much deserved win.

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Manchester United are top of the Premier League

03 Saturday Nov 2012

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TEMPLATE REPORT

With ten games gone, the Premier League looks very much like it did last year, with the two Manchester clubs battling it out for the top position .

And if City beat West Ham by four goals then it will be a replay of the thrilling season that made Roberto Mancini’s men champions.

After breaking Chelsea’s run last week, Manchester United completely outclassed Arsenal to win 2-1 to seize the top position, and after Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea were still there are as City met the newly promoted West Ham United.

City have not played well this season, and in Europe despite a very good but unlucky performance against Real Madrid, look set for an early exit out of the Champions League.

Yet, they are still hanging in there – very much like their great rivals have done season after season.

As for the battle for the fourth place – once again, Everton are making the running on equal points with Spurs and just two points ahead of Arsenal, Fulham and West Ham, who are currently holding Manchester City 0-0 at half time.

And judging by City’s dismal performance so far, United will remain top of the Premier League.

Final Result – West Ham 0 Manchester City 0. That result means United are top, Chelsea second and City third.

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⚽️ Editor who claimed Liverpool Fans pick-pocketed and urinated on the dead at Hillsborough demands apology 🥅 🏟

26 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Analysis 🙌, Comment, Football ⚽️, Media 📷, Social Affairs

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Kelvin Mackenzie  says he has been “deeply affected by the affair.

He says he is not a victim but has “suffered collateral damage”

Were he to visit Liverpool he would “literally be in mortal danger”, he writes in tomorrow’s Spectator.

MacKenzie printed a front page story about Liverpool fans, shortly after the
1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 96 people were killed headlined “The Truth”.

The Hillsborough Independent Inquiry report, which was published two weeks ago, said there was no evidence to support the allegations in the paper.

It stated: “The documents disclosed to the panel show that the origin of these serious allegations was a local Sheffield press agency informed by several South Yorkshre Police (SYP) officers, an SYP Police Federation spokesperson and a local MP.

“They also demonstrate how the SYP Police Federation, supported informally by the SYP chief constable, sought to develop and publicise a version of events that focused on several police officers’ allegations of drunkenness, ticketlessness and violence among a large number of Liverpool fans.”

Describing the circumstances that led him to publish the false claims, he said a “trap was sprung” when he was handed copy from a reputable news agency.

The story was sourced from four senior South Yorkshire police officers, he says, and “copper-bottomed” by a Conservative MP.

“I thought nothing of running the story with the headline ‘The Truth’,” he writes.

“There was not a doubt in my mind – and I was by no means the only man in Fleet St who believed the police’s story.”

His piece concludes: “This week my lawyer, Ian Rosenblatt, sent a letter to South Yorkshire Police explaining that the lies their officers told to the news agency had led to my personal vilification for decades and that on that basis I was seeking an apology in terms to be agreed between us. I hope that after 23 years we can all agree on the truth.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force “awaits Mr MacKenzie’s letter with interest”.

“It is well-known that many media outlets ran similar stories at the time based on the same sources but chose to treat them differently,” he said.

“Mr MacKenzie was responsible for the particular headline he chose to run with.”

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When calling someone a Black C**t is not Racist Abuse 🥅 🏟

13 Friday Jul 2012

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ANALYSIS

For a short while, it appeared that the world of football was cleaning-up its act.

Gone were the days when players who were not white could expect a barracking from fans and players alike.

You know it wasn’t that long ago when bananas were thrown on the field when a player who was not white was present.

Today’s Magistrates Court ruling has turned back the clock.

John Terry swears that he is not a racist, and there was no evidence presented in the case to show that he was lying about that.

However, the words he used during that volatile exchange were, and for some reason Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle concluded that it was ‘highly unlikely’  that the Chelsea and England defender had abused Anton Ferdinand in the way he was accused of.

Apparently, the prosecution evidence had not been strong enough.

Of course, the Football Association is to make its own ruling, where it is said the burden of proof is lower, as their’s will be a civil ruling, it will be down to the balance of probabilities.

So, that’s alright then.

This is not the first time, English courts have made decisions that are at best wholly unsatisfactory.

Remember, the case involving Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate, who were cleared by an all-white jury of an attack on an Asian teenager.

In that case, the possible racial element to this attack was not even a factor.

Intent, it is said, is difficult to prove.

When a player is caught on camera calling his colleague a Black C**t, is that really the case?

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Euro 2012, Mario Balotelli propels Italy into the Finals

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Analysis 🙌, Breaking News 📺 🎙🗞, Comment, Europe 🇪🇺, Football ⚽️, Germany 🇩🇪, Sport 🏏 🎾 ⚽️

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BREAKING NEWS

Germany 1  Italy 2

This Italian team did not look like they would have a chance against Germany.

Then Mario Balotelli decided to tell the world, that he had arrived.

A header and a brilliant conversion from this young maverick and Germany were on the back foot.

The longer the game went on the less convincing Germany looked.

Germany had their moments towards the end, but never looked like they were going to score, as Italy applied the squeeze.

Then, one minute into extra time, an excellent Ozul penalty pulled one back and the game was on, but they had left it too late.

The truth was when the pressure was on, Germany simply folded, but that would never have happened had a 21-year-old Italian not seized the moment.

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⚽️ Are Spain squeezing the life out of Football? 🇪🇸

28 Thursday Jun 2012

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Commentary

Apparently, that was the feeling amongst the crowd at the Donbass Arena last night, as Spain reached their third straight major final in a row.

Now, why would the Portuguese fans being saying and thinking like this – can’t imagine…

Spain’s emergence, which resembles all the excitement and artistry of the 1982 Brazilians has exposed a number of truths and hard realities.

Apart from Germany – and with Russia and Holland waiting in the wings – the other sides in this competition have been at best average.

Those of us who still wonder what would have been had those fouling bunch of players called Italy not beaten Socrates, Zico, Eder, Falcao…remember them… feel we have been thrown a new life line by this Spanish team that lives up to the hype.

And the team that will able to take them on in the final is of course Germany, who should be there, unless they are very unlucky.

So have Spain squeezed the life out of the game – of course not.

And what’s the best way to beat them – play better than them, Mr Ronaldo et al.

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Euro 2012, Spain are through on penalties

27 Wednesday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Portugal 0 Spain 0 (2-4 on penalties)

Portugal played lockdown and it was a tactic that worked.

Except for the occasional flashes, Spain found it difficult to penetrate the Portuguese game plan that intended to disrupt Spain’s rhythm in the hope of finding Cristiano Ronaldo at the front.

And as the game went on longer, it was clear Portugal were just playing for penalties.

This was not pretty, but when have Portugal played any other way.

And despite a better Spanish showing in extra time, the game went into penalties.

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ENGLAND’S EURO EXIT 2012

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Hodgson says Germany were poor once

ANALYSIS

Roy Hodgson was appointed for a number of reasons, one of which may have been to lower expectations.

On that at least, he did not disappoint.

No one expected England to do well, and even if they had managed to beat Italy – which would have been a great injustice to football – they would have been taken apart by Germany.

England’s football management seem unable to have grasped what other countries understood long ago, namely that the emergence of Spain as World Champions heralded a new, more exciting way of playing the beautiful game.

Even the Germans with all their successes behind them understood that.

So also Holland and Russia, who despite failing to progress in this tournament can build on their performances.

For in spite of their flaws, those teams are still a work in progress.

Sadly, that can not be said of England.

And the reaction of FA Chairman David Bernstein to this unsatisfactory England exit from another major tournament does not bode well for the future either.

He believes that England can build on their performances.

In fact, the best that can be said of this bunch of overpaid, overrated and uninspiring team of players is that they resemble Dad’s Army.

And with the rivalry between Spain and Germany dominating football in the way that was once reserved for Brazil and Argentina, that will not be good enough.

Sadly for the home of football, that will mean riding your luck before the inevitable – namely the pathetic sight of Dad’s Army Coming Home.

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Euro 2012, Spain are through to Semi-Finals

23 Saturday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Spain 2 France 0

A nineteen minute goal and a penalty in the closing stages, both from Xabi Alonso ensured that the right team will meet Portugal in the semi final.

To their credit, France were not outplayed by this Spanish side, however, they did not test their opponents either.

Instead, this France side simply allowed the game to drift in the hope of getting an equaliser and then forcing penalties.

It was a tactic that did not work and was not worthy of a team that had been tipped by many as pre-tournament favourites.

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