Friday Backpasses: Return of the Bowlcut

Noel Gallagher (remember him?) slams Thaksin Shinawatra. I wonder what Badly Drawn Boy thinks [BBC]
England pick up an extra place in UEFA Cup through Fair Play award [Soccernet]
That place likely to go to Manchester City [Guardian]
unless Fulhamerica can pip them at the post [Premier League.com]

Liverpool transfer madness on the other side of the jump

Liverpool turn down $50 million bid for Gerrard. Morons [The Sun]
Liverpool think they will get $30 million for Crouchdinho. Super fucking morons [The Sun]
Porto tried to bribe referees when Mourinho was in charge [International Herald Tribune]
England lets Russians into country for UEFA Cup final in an in-kind trade. Blah blah blah. What it boils down to is that drunken, better-off Russians will be rumbling in Manchester with drunken Scots next week. Watch this space [UEFA]

Finally, a This Is Extra Time two-fer.
Someone wants to employ Vickie Beckham as an actress.
Flamini flips off Arsenal fans, as apparently is becoming the style for Arsenal players. At least, that's how we're reading into it.

Written by Darkvader on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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Friday Backpasses:

Noel Gallagher (remember him?) slams Thaksin Shinawatra. I wonder what Badly Drawn Boy thinks [BBC]
England pick up an extra place in UEFA Cup through Fair Play award [Soccernet]
That place likely to go to Manchester City [Guardian]
unless Fulhamerica can pip them at the post [Premier League.com]

Liverpool transfer madness on the other side of the jump

Liverpool turn down $50 million bid for Gerrard. Morons [The Sun]
Liverpool think they will get $30 million for Crouchdinho. Super fucking morons [The Sun]
Porto tried to bribe referees when Mourinho was in charge [International Herald Tribune]
England lets Russians into country for UEFA Cup final in an in-kind trade. Blah blah blah. What it boils down to is that drunken, better-off Russians will be rumbling in Manchester with drunken Scots next week. Watch this space [UEFA]

Finally, a This Is Extra Time two-fer.
Someone wants to employ Vickie Beckham as an actress.
Flamini flips off Arsenal fans, as apparently is becoming the style for Arsenal players. At least, that’s how we’re reading into it.

Written by Darkvader on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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Schuster hails lethal Real

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster hailed his "exemplary" players after they trashed rivals Barcelona 4-1 on Wednesday evening.
Newly-crowned champions Real were given a guard of honour before the clash in honour of securing their second consecutive La Liga title at the weekend.

"After winning the title on Sunday, we wanted to round off our efforts," admitted Schuster, whose side won courtesy of goals from Raul, Arjen Robben, Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"The team's attitude was exemplary, because sometimes if you win the title you can grow relaxed and games against Barca can be dangerous.

"But when you have the chance to score, like today, you need to take it.

"We went on to control them with comfort and they couldn't find a way to get back into the match.

"The team's attitude was phenomenal throughout the 90 minutes.

"They took on the match as if it was a final and I want to congratulate them for a job well done."

Written by eugeniu on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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Rijkaard silent on future

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard refused to answer questions on his future following Wednesday evening's 4-1 mauling at the hands of Real Madrid.
The Dutchman is expected to leave the Camp Nou in the summer after presiding over a second season with no silverware.

Meanwhile, several reports continue to suggest the club's former captain and current coach of the 'B' side, Pep Guardiola, will be Rijkaard's replacement.

"Madrid played better and deserved to win," admitted Rijkaard.

"In games like these we need to play together, attacking and defending. We just didn't do it.

"The team suffered a lot and this is one of the worst moments of the season. Everyone in the dressing room is very sad.

"The easiest thing would be for me not to continue. But I am part of the group. I'm the coach and thus do not decide these matters.

"Guardiola? I just want to talk about the game right now."

Written by eugeniu on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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HLEB IS JUST AS BAD AS CASHLEY COLE, WENGER GROW SOME NUTS SON!

If Alex Hleb leaves us then in my eyes he is just as bad as that money grabbing Chav little shite called cAshley Cole.

By meeting another club, behind our backs, on the eve of our biggest game of the season, engineering a move and all the time giving it

"I want to stay at Arsenal"

It makes him just as bad as cAshley.

Maybe even worse.

We all hate Cole now, Hleb is in the same position as him. He has betrayed us, and I'm gutted because I rated him and thought that he was finally showing how good he can be.

If I was Wenger I would dump him in the reserves for a year and let him rot. Report Inter to FIFA and show the World of football not to mess with Arsenal.

Every season is the same. We seem to be the only club in the top four that have players linked with moving away from us and I'm getting sick of it.

It never happens to Chelsea, Manchester United or Liverpool. Why us all the time?

Somethings not right. We are meant to be one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Why do us Gooners get put through this every year?

Wenger needs to get tough and let the players know who's boss.

He is ruthless, we've seen it in the past when he has let players go when he thinks the time is right. That's when players should be leaving Arsenal, when Le Boss thinks the time is right. Not the other way round.

When Arsene was asked about Hleb leaving at first he said

"I hope not"

What sort of a signal is that?!!

Would Fergie do that? No chance. The player wouldn't have the balls to try it.

Wenger needs to grow some nuts and let the Arsenal squad know who is the guvnor.

I love Wenger to death and couldn't imagine Arsenal without him, but why do we have to have this shit every year?

Keep it Goonerish.......

Written by Wrighty7 on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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South Africa has problems beyond what you know already

A top South African female footballer was attacked, stabbed, gang-raped and killed two weeks ago in her hometown of Kwatema. While there is a good possibility that this was a random attack, many locals and activists are convinced that she was targeted. Why? Because she was a known lesbian.

Details (I cannot promise they will not be stomach-churning) after the jump.

Eudy Simelane was 31 years old, and a couple of years removed from her time on the national squad of South Africa. She was returning from a night out with friends when set upon by at least 5 teenagers. After the rape and murder, her body was left out in the open air. Five men have been arrested and charged with the crime.

On the surface, this may appear to be a random attack. It is difficult to hear about South Africa in the news without being told of its crushing poverty, the tensions that brings and high crime rate. So why are so many people convinced this was a focused attack on a lesbian? Well, it seems that one of the arrested was Miss Simelane's neighbor. Couple this with the information that lesbians in the area where Miss Simelane lived may have to endure "corrective rape", and the probability that her rape, at least, was not random goes up immeasurably.

"Corrective rape", as you may have guessed, is when a man rapes a lesbian believing that the experience will cause her to "be cured". In a country that has an HIV prevalence rate of 21.5%, such beliefs are deadly. Scarily, the rate of this disgusting and deadly crime is on the increase.

A quick search on the deceased turns up a host of sites that are following the news of her death closely. Many of these sites point to a movement, Campaign 07/07/07, dedicated to bringing notice to the world of the natures of the crimes against lesbians in South Africa. If this is something you can support, I urge you to look here. It's not the prettiest website, but it will give you the information you need.

Written by Darkvader on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on South Africa and crime and ü75.

Final EPL Weekend Preview

Usually the final weekend in the English Premier League (suck it Barclay’s) is fairly noneventful as most things have already been wrapped up. In fact the title hasn't been decided on the final day in something like 7 years. This year is different. There really are very meaningful matches this weekend.

It is quite spectacular, really, how many things remain to be decided. All of the Champions League slots are filled–Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool (breathes sigh of relief for Liverpool)–and only one relegation spot has been determined, the honor of which is woeful Derby County–worst Premier League total ever, even if it claims victory over Reading this weekend (crosses fingers for Fulhamerica’s sake). But everything else remains, including the title.

After the jump, a quick rundown of the important matches, all of which are on Sunday....


Wigan v. Manchester United – The mangy Mancs can wrap up the title with a victory here no matter what Chelsea does, unless the Blues are able to make up the 16 goal goal-differential in its match plus whatever Man U’s is, provided the club wins.


Chelsea v. Bolton – The Abramovich’s need to win this match and get help from Wigan to pip the title at the post. Either that or beat Bolton 18-0 and have Man U win only 1-0. Now Bolton is woeful, but it isn’t Derby County.


Everton v. Newcastle & West Ham v. Aston Villa – The EPL UEFA Cup slot is still up for grabs. Everton is in the drivers seat as it is 3 points ahead of Villa. However, Everton has been in poor form having gathered only 6 points in its last 8 matches and Newcastle has seen a rebirth as of late with only Chelsea beating the club in the past 7 matches. Aston Villa needs to find its form again and soon if it hopes to catch Everton and probably say its prayers.


The Relegation Battle -- Portsmouth v. Fulham; Derby County v. Derby County Reading; Birmingham v. Blackburn

There is quite the fight for the final spot ahead of the relegation slots. Derby County already has its ticket to the Colaship, but Birmingham, Reading and Fulham all have a shot to stay up. I am pulling for Fulhamerica because there are 5 Americans on the squad.

Fulham controls its destiny and will remain up if it beats Portsmouth away. Reading faces Derby County so the odds are that Reading will get its three points, but it has been woeful as of late so there is a chance for Derby to pick up its second league victory. Birmingham is home to Blackburn and I fully expect Blackburn to win. Birmingham can survive only if it wins and the other two lose.

Written by Darkvader on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on EPL Weekend Preview and Relegation and The Fan's Attic.

Mitch Hewer

Actual Hotness!

Thoughts????
Our Flickr

Written by Darkvader on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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FC BARCELONA 2008: NEXT COACH = EXIT PLAYERS

Written by STRIKER on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on FC Barcelona and Transfer rumours.

Ballack back to his best..?

Signed on a free transfer two years ago from Bayern Munich with a huge reputation as one of the games greatest names, on a huge wage packet of £130,000 a week, Micheal Ballack has so far found life at the bridge hard along with Andrei Shevchenko. Last year was a season to forget for him. Branded by Jose Mourinho as one of his ‘Untouchables’ he went on to be unnamed from the squad of 25 for the Champions League. Last years season ended with a miserable ankle injury at Newcastle when Titus Bramble tackled him. He immediately left to Germany to have a surgery, but everybody thought that he has faked a injury and was no longer interested in playing for Chelsea FC. He had to prove his injury by actually provide the Chelsea physicians with a piece of the broken bone from his ankle. Then went nearly eight months on the sidelines. Jose Mourinho then departed from Chelsea and from then on there has been no turning back for him.

One of Ballack’s most prized assets is that he is a very good header of the ball, using his huge physical presence to score nearly 50% of his goals through headers. And being a German, he can take penalties too with unmatched accuracy. Since coming back from injury he has been one of our consistent players. His goals recently against Manchester United and Newcastle has put us back in the title race. Recently it has been said that he is going to be given a new contract for his performances this season.

Life has certainly turned the corner for Ballack.

Written by Chelsea FC True Blue on May 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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