IPL Cricket

Indian Premier League (IPL) is a 20-20 cricket tournament which is being played between eight Indian city franchises. The IPL cricket matches were first started on April 18 at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. The concept of the Indian Premier League is a newfound dynamism in the cricketing world. Many companies are betting on twenty20 cricket to attract a whole new generation as well as the exorbitant money that is associated with it.

It is one of the most ambitious and brilliant ventures that has taken off in the history of Indian cricket, changing the course of the game.

These matches are live. The Teams are attempting their best to emerge the winner and the players are competent and are ensuring team spirit that is positive and co-operative.

Chennai Super Kings started brilliantly but ended up on a bad note. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the captain of the team and they are putting up their best to showcase a good match.

Rajasthan Royals has been performing well as they won five matches at a go. Shane Warne is the captain and is leading his pack really well.

Delhi Daredevils are looking strong and their team of Asif, McGrath, Sehwag and Gambhir is consistently performing.

Kings XI Punjab is doing well with Yuvraj Singh as the captain. The team has all its hopes pinned on such players as Sangakkara, Hopes and Sarwan. Irfan Pathan is doing well behind the stumps.

Kolkata Knight Riders are working their way to the top. After their dismal performances, they are trying their best to put up good performances. Saurav Ganguly is leading the team and one is anxious to look forward to their winning performances.

The Mumbai Indians have bounced back and are going in for some great performances after a slump.

The Deccan Chargers are yet to revive their glory after a series of dismal performances. So one needs to wait and watch if they bring much acclaim to IPL.

Yuvraj Singh of Punjab XI Kings has scored six sixes in an over. This has made him the only player in international cricket to make the fastest fifty in Twenty20.

Sohail Tanvir has taken six wickets against Chennai Super Kings. The Rajasthan Royals, thereby bringing them to the forefront of the IPL T20 matches.

These cricket matches have caused a lot of excitement as enthusiasts await the result of the teams but still is it a money making business or people are really liking this concept?

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Champions League Final

The Champions League tournament started for the first time in the year 1955. French sports journalist and editor, Gabriel Hanot suggested this continental competition for winners of the European national football leagues.

The competition used a two-leg knockout format. The teams played two matches, one at home, and one on the ground of the opponent. The team with the highest overall score qualified for the next round of the competition. Entry was restricted to the teams that won their national league championships. This qualification system continued until 1992.

In the 1992-93 seasons, the tournament became popular with the name UEFA Champions League. In the year 1997-98, the eligibility changed to include not just domestic champions but also the runners-up. The selection criteria for the winners of the European Cup are, however, not standard.

Champions League Final:

The European Cup or the UEFA Champions League Final is set to take place at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on 21st of May 2008.

It is a seasonal club football competition. UEFA has been organizing this competition since 1955. The European Cup includes the most successful football clubs in Europe. The prize and the European Cup, is the most prestigious club trophy in the world of football.

The championship is varies from the less prestigious UEFA Cup and the defunct Winners' Cup. The tournament consists of several stages.

In the present format, it begins in mid July with three preliminary knockout-qualifying rounds. The 16 surviving teams join 16 specified teams in a group stage. Eight winners and eight runners-up enter the final knockout rounds, and the tournament ends with the final match in May.

The current holder of the European Cup is AC Milan. They have beaten Liverpool FC by 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece on 23 May 2007.

How to Get Such Football League News:

Admirers of the European Cup may now easily get the league football news, scores, and events of their favorite sport through online web sites, as the Internet offers them with plenty of updated football news. It is 100% possible to get updated football news within a single mouse click. Hence, search now and know the current and happening affairs in the world of football leagues.

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A Shadow Over the Game of Cricket?

The Lahore 03/03 terror attack had perhaps changed the game of cricket forever. If not in the quality of the game definitely in terms of 'glorious uncertainties' being replaced by 'ominous uncertainties' and in terms of unprecedented security arrangements.

An international cricket team, Sri Lanka, had been specifically targeted for a brutal terror attack for reasons best known to the all encompassing terror in Pakistan. An attack frighteningly similar to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. An attack that had become an immense tragedy for the equally cricket loving people of Pakistan which has been producing cricketers of exceptional talent over the years.

What had been a nightmarish thought for this high profile big money sport has now become a reality. Apart from all cricketing nations tightening security arrangements for all ensuing engagements the immediate impact has fallen squarely on the second version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which was to unfold during April- May 2009.

The IPL dilemma is not entirely for the terror attack. The biggest democracy of the world that is India is also going for the biggest democratic exercise that is the parliamentary general elections during April-May 2009 which ironically also needs the biggest imaginable security arrangements. With terror diversifying into cricket the dilemma is all the more palpable for both the Indian government and the IPL organizers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The debate is raging. How to provide security for the most glamorous tournament having venues spread all over India involving highly priced international cricketers from all cricket playing nations of the world. The Indian government expressed its inability to provide security forces in view of the elections while BCCI vociferously said that it did not require hard core security forces as India was not Pakistan. And the media professionals have been saying that IPL matches are 'juicy' targets for terrorists and that elections are the first priority for security. So how to ensure foolproof security for the tournament?

The IPL thus had to be rescheduled. The BCCI had to announce ten times more spends on security. But the pernicious question remains as to would this ensure foolproof security. Maybe due to this except Tamil Nadu all the states of the Indian Union having venues have again refused to make security arrangements citing elections. All the participating international cricketers are naturally having second thoughts on coming to play in India. IPL-2 remained in jeopardy.

India is definitely not Pakistan, but what has been happening in Pakistan is particularly dangerous for India and of course, the US.

It is vital to save cricket from terror. To ensure this we will also have to tackle terror more effectively and permanently and on a global basis. The global population must be freed from terror so that they enjoy the 'glorious uncertainties' of cricket.

Cricket or no cricket the global citizens need a savior. Most urgently.

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The Indian Premier League - Underbelly of Sleaze Money

The Indian cricket league has fired the imagination of people all over the world. For once cricket which was poor sport in relation to golf and football has become at par with them. This is no doubt because of the Indian cricket league; cricket has become the power house of the game as far as finance is concerned.

But all is not rosy and underneath the underbelly black money and flaunting of foreign exchange regulations is perhaps more the rule than the exception. Some time back Mahesh Bhat that intelligent Mumbai producer had produced 'Jannat' a movie with cricket and its nexus with betting and match fixing as its background. The movie brought out the connection between black money and cricket.

'Jannat' was only a story, but the sad part is that it is turning out to be real. The toll has been heavy to start with. Shashi Tharoor the Junior Minister in the Indian cabinet had to resign last month. Whether he had any significant role to play or was only a front man may not be established. But the result of Tharoor's resignation has wide ramifications. Available evidence certainly suggests that all is not well with the financial dealings of the premier League.

The matters that need to be probed are no longer limited to the last auction where the Kochi team were the winners, but needs to cover the entire league which is under a cloud of suspicion. A clean up of the cricket establishment led by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and its child the IPL has become essential. The BCCI has acted and suspended Lalit Modi as the CEO of the ICL. But this may not be enough to find out the route of black money from the Gulf into this game.

Cricket in India is more of a religion and has a tremendous following. Thus when the idea of the IPL was mooted it was thought that it would give a much needed boost to cricket at the grass roots level. More money was expected to flow in and the lgame of cricket was expected to benefit with better pay packets for cricketeers at the grass roots level. But the organizers were perhaps too naive or careless and allowed slush funds and sleaze money to flow in as a natural corollary.

The Income Tax sleuths and the Intelligence Bureau are on the track. But seeing their past record not much can be expected,as the names involved are so big that the entire political equation will go for a somersault.

However the IB has confirmed that money has come in from the gulf. This is a disturbing thought and one is perturbed that a gentleman's game is reduced to such dire straits. It is a pity that an intelligent man like Shashi Tharoor also became part of this syndicate. But there are many more in the wings whose identity is hidden. The game needs to be nurtured carefully, otherwise the gains of the last 2 years may just be a mirage. The fear that gangsters holed up in the Middle East with their betting rackets may capture the league can not be dismissed out of hand.

Cricket is a gentleman's game and the world over is associated with fair play and good conduct. It will be a disaster if this noble game is allowed to degenerate into a haven for sleaze money and betting syndicates. The present lot of people at the helm has some hard decisions to make. Some steps have been taken like the suspension of Lalit Modi, but a lot more needs to be done. Will they have the courage for it? It will not be easy and the concerned persons may just be hoping that the dust settles down. If this happens there is a real chance that everything will go under the carpet. That will be sad indeed.

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Indian Premier League Teams - Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is an IPL franchise team based in Bangalore, India. Dr. Vijay Mallya, an Indian businessman and billionaire, is the owner of the franchise, which was established in 2008 as an original IPL team. The logo of the Royals is a simple shield with the gold letters RC on a red background in the centre, surrounded by a gold circle. Bangalore's watchword is "strategy". Given their runner-up finish in IPL2, it is likely that their long-term strategy for building a solid T20 team is bearing fruit.

As found on their logo, the Challengers use a red kit with golden yellow trimmings and strips. For the third edition of the IPL, RCB will use the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a capacity to seat approximately 50,000 persons. Established in 1969, the Chinnaswamy Stadium is operated by the Karnataka Cricket Association.

== Brief IPL history ==

RCB had a real challenge in their first IPL season, as an abysmal run of form saw them finish next to last in the group stage. Although they had players of the calibre of Anil Kumble and Jacques Kallis in their squad, the Challengers only managed to win 4 matches out of 14 in 2008. In 2009, change was on the horizon as former South Africa coach, Ray Jennings, took over the mantle from Venkatesh Prasad. RCB showed a marked improvement in IPL 2, although that had little to do with the efforts of the most expensive player in the league, Kevin Pietersen. Under the captaincy of Indian stalwart, Anil Kumble, Bangalore went straight to the finals to challenge Deccan Charges-only to lose a tight match by a mere six runs.

== Star attractions of the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 2010 ==

Anil Kumble (captain), Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli, Jacques Kallis (SA), Ross Taylor (NZ), R van de Merwe (SA), Mark Boucher (SA), Eoin Morgan (ENG) and Cameron White (AUS)

== Coaching staff==

Head Coach: Ray Jennings (SA)

Assistant Coach: Vijay Bharadwaj

== 2010 Kings XI Punjab Squad ==

=> Batsmen

Virat Kohli, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen, Manish Pandey and Eoin Morgan

=> All Rounders

Dillon du Preez, Jacques Kallis, Roelof van der Merwe, Cameron White, Praveen Kumar, Balachandra Akhil, Sridharan Sriram, Steven Smith

=> Wicket Keeper

Mark Boucher and Shreevats Goswami

=> Bowlers

Anil Kumble (Captain), Dale Steyn, Vinay Kumar, Ahimanyu Mithun, Bhuvanesh Kumar

== Outlook ==

The strength of the Royal Challengers team lies in its batting. The bowling attack is good but it lacks the depth and quality that could endure 14 IPL games in two months. Injuries to players like Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis would leave the bowling considerably weaker. Notwithstanding that, the RCB franchise is a serious challenger for a semi-final spot and possibly another Champions League place. They would surely love to get the opportunity to compensate for their abysmal run in the Airtel Champions League after their promising runner-up finish in IPL2.

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The Italian Football League

The Italian Soccer league is a series of matches played between various football clubs in Italy. They are all interconnected league matches among the various football clubs in Italy. The club that is at the top is Lega Calcio or the Lega Nazionale Professionisti. This club is divided into sections Serie A and Serie B

The Second club in the ranking is Lega Pro; it rules first division and second division. The former has two parallel divisions and the latter has three parallel divisions.

The next in the ranking is called Serie D, this is a league which is formed by nine parallel divisions and the clubs are divided according to their geographical location.

The first Italian League came into being because of English emigrants in the year 1891. When the leagues began they were separate for Italians and for foreigners. Gradually they merged.

The final move to give a single league structure to Italian League began in the year 1929.

Since World War II the teams that have dominated Italian Soccer are Juventus, A.C Milan, and Internazionale.

The league system began in the year 1978, when the semi-professionals ceased to exist.

In the same year the Lega Pro became a totally professional league and Italy was the first nation to have two distinct professional leagues.

To understand what is the Italian Football league, one has to know what the league system is, it is a hierarchy of leagues which means a team can be raised to a position or pushed behind depending on what position they finish at and the playoffs. The structure is referred to as the pyramid because most of the regional divisions are at the bottom rung.

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Visiting a Diverse City Like Glasgow

Those travelling through Scotland should not miss out on the culture and excitement offered by the country's largest city.

Glasgow has plenty to offer visitors, no matter what they're looking for. One of the main draws to the city is the emphasis placed on modern and historical architecture. The city has a legacy of Victorian and Edwardian buildings, but has also seen development since then lead to new and innovative buildings.

Fans of architecture should be sure to check out the Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow Cathedral, the University of Glasgow and the House for an Art Lover in order to catch a glimpse of some of Glasgow's finest buildings. In addition, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is often boasted as a favourite of locals, as it features towers, turrets and spires. The Gallery is also popular for holding one of the UK's finest art collections.

Another draw to the city is its vibrant night life and music scene. With famous venues including King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and The Barrowland Ballroom, there are plenty of places to see different music. If you're in for something more traditional, each year the city hosts the Glasgow International Jazz Festival, as well as the cross-ocean spanning Celtic Connections.

For sports fans, Glasgow is known for its strong football culture. With two rival Scottish Premier League teams in the city - Rangers and Celtics - spirits are always high on match days.

But if it's a quieter atmosphere you're after, there are plenty of parks and green spaces in Glasgow. Glasgow Green is a popular and famous parkland which has been turned into a modern public park over time. The space is often home to outdoor festivals and concerts.

The city even boasts a number of galleries and museums that draw in crowds of travellers looking for a glimpse of culture. The Burrell Collection at Pollock County Park draws in visitors with a huge amount of paintings and artwork from Scotland and abroad.

Due to its size and relative importance in the north of the UK, you will notice that once you arrive from your flights to Glasgow that the city has a huge commuter transport network that will take travellers virtually anywhere they'd like to go. There's also a vast array of shopping opportunities to take advantage of!

Glasgow is also conveniently located along the River Clyde, meaning there are opportunities for plenty of strolls along the waterway. But no matter what you're interested in, there's so much to see in and outside the city that makes it a perfect getaway.

The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.

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Chelsea Knocked Out of Europa League

Chelsea FC were Tuesday night knocked out of the competitive Europa league courtesy of Samuel Eto'o goal in the 78th minute which ensured that Inter Milan secured home and away victories over them.

The keenly contested match saw Chelsea wasting most of their opportunities especially in the first half. Worst among the culprits who jeopardized their chance of advancing into the quarter final stage of the competition were Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard. Joe Cole later came in as a substitute but was a shadow of his usual self.

We knew the task at hand and understood we needed to win by at least a lone goal having secured a vital away goal in our first leg match at San Siro. But that was never to be as we lost all opportunities and failed to connect in front of goal. Had we managed to convert one of those begging chances things would change and put the Inter boys under intense pressure and then give us more confidence. We got all things wrong; we mounted series of pressure in the first half but failed to put the ball past the goal keeper who was vulnerable on several occasions.

Inter Milan boys came back strong and more determined in the second half having been able to absorb all our pressures in the first half. The combination of Milito, Wesley Sneijder, Lucio and Samuel Eto'o was very effective; and after series of endless pressure they eventually got the all important goal through Samuel Eto'o in the 78th minute ensuring that they prevailed over Chelsea both home and away. This victory paved way for Inter to advance into the next stage of the competition and that Chelsea was out for the first time at this stage since 2005.

Now that we have lost the opportunity to win the highly coveted trophy this season we have to go back to the drawing board to find out what led to our ouster and what we can do for a better outing next season. All the same we still say 'Up The Blues'. Our remaining hope for the season is to win the FA and the Premiership. We hope to come back stronger next year.

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An Indian Cricket Paradox Resolved

Maybe the reasons for the decision are not exactly right. But a paradox is definitely resolved now.

Rahul Dravid, the former Indian cricket captain who was called the wall for his solid anchoring, last played a one day international (ODI) in October, 2007. His defensive approach was no longer considered to be suitable for ODI cricket and so was axed.

But, the IPL (Indian Premier League) that came into being in February 2008 made Rahul Dravid one of the five highest paid icons. IPL is twenty20 meaning you have only twenty overs to build an innings in a match. Naturally, this is supposed to be tougher than ODIs where you have fifty overs. Now, if you are unfit for fifty over match, how on earth could you be considered not only fit but fit for an icon too for twenty20 cricket. A paradox was thus created.

After India's debacle in the T20 world cup of 2009 there was continuous talk about Rahul's 'experience' and 'solidity'. Rahul is kind of a player whose dogged anchoring in building an innings never gets highlighted in so many wins of Team India. Some dashers who get the momentum from him manage to win the man of the match awards. The Wall always remains abandoned at the end.

On August 16, 2009, Rahul Dravid makes it to the 15 of Team India selected for the ODI Tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in South Africa, both scheduled for September, 2009.

Rahul is past 36. Under his captaincy the Royal Challengers did miserably in IPL-1. Though in IPL-2 the same team worked wonders, Rahul was no longer the captain and his performance showed only sporadic brilliancy. There were two major mistakes in the T20 debacle; selection of unfit Virender Sehwag and somewhat forcing Rohit Sarma into the role of an opener. While Sehwag only contributed to the team's low morale and never played a match, Rohit was a string of abject failures. And that made the selectors look for 'experience' and 'solidity'.

A paradox is resolved indeed. But how paradoxical it turns out to be in the final reckoning remains to be seen.

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All About Goalie Gloves

Goalie gloves are not required for a soccer game, but they are a good thing for a goalie to have. When a goal-keeper throws a ball to her teammate, or when she's going to block a ball from going into her territory, she wants to do anything she can to keep the ball from slipping and heading towards exactly where she doesn't want it to.

Goalie gloves can help prevent this. Goalie gloves provide goalies with a better grip on the ball. They also help cushion the goalie's hands from impact with the ball. Some of those balls are shot at awesome speeds that could really injure a goal-keeper hands if he tried to block it. Goalie gloves cushion and protect the goalie's palms, joints, and fingers, lessening the chance of injury.

Before buying goalie gloves, first make sure that they comply with team and league rules. Beginning goalies may just want to share a pair of gloves with teammates (to avoid high costs), but for anyone who wants to purchase his or her own, he or she should look for gloves with thicker palms for added grip and protection. For younger children (until about 11 or 12), lower-end gloves are just fine.

It may also be a good idea to buy different goalie gloves for different weather. Some gloves perform better in wet weather than others. Just check the tags of the goalie gloves to see which sort of weather they work best in.

A player may also want separate sets of gloves for practice and games. Another reason for buying multiple pairs of gloves during a season is that higher-end players may actually wear out multiple pairs during a single season.

Also, the technology of goalie gloves is still developing. Newer, more recent goalie gloves may be better at preventing hand injuries by allowing the fingers to bend forward but keeping them from bending backward.

For added comfort and to absorb moisture, sprinkle baby powder on your hands before putting on your goalie gloves. When your gloves get dirty, you should wash them by hand - don't stick them in a washing machine. Don't use soap, and don't dry using a machine or radiator.

Besides throw-ins, field players never really get to handle the soccer ball. Goal-keepers, on the other hand, handle the ball at any opportunity they get. That is why goal-keepers should wear goalie gloves.

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Preview of Chelsea's 08-09 Season

Chelsea's last campaign offered a telling commentary on the high stakes of modern top-flight football and the narrowness of the margin between success and perceived failure. For the Blues it was a season dominated by a generally unloved manager's attempt to take the team beyond where his adored predecessor had led them.

Following Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge was always going to be the tallest of orders but anyone other than Avram Grant, with any boss other than Roman Abramovich, would probably have been lauded for taking Chelsea so close to treble glory. Beaten in extra-time of the Carling Cup final; edged out by two points in the Premier League title race despite accumulating 85 points (the first time a team had gathered so many without securing the title); and beaten in a penalty shoot-out after extra-time in the Champions League final - Grant's stab at footballing immortality with the Blues was heroic.

But it was failure nonetheless, and his reward - after being doubted, derided, and damned with faint praise - was the sack, within a couple of days of John Terry's kick hitting the post in the Moscow shoot-out to hand Manchester United the coveted European crown.

Chelsea had lost only two Premier League games out of 32 under Grant - his first, against United at Old Trafford, and then against Arsenal at Ashburton Grove. In the critical later stages of the season the Blues beat both the Gunners and United at Stamford Bridge - and indeed they kept the title race against Sir Alex Ferguson's side alive until the final day of the campaign, which said much for their determination and consistency.

They were relentless in their pursuit of the title, overhauling Arsenal at the end of March to go second and coming within a whisker of overtaking the defending champions. But two dropped points in a home draw against Wigan, for whom Emile Heskey scored a 91st minute equaliser on 14th April, proved costly, although United's significantly better goal difference was always worth an extra point if push had come to shove.

That reflected the Achilles' heel of Grant's side: they played without the attacking flair and panache of United or Arsenal, and in fact scored fewest goals among the top four. Although they kept a remarkable 21 clean sheets at the other end, Abramovich had demanded 'expansive' football after Mourinho, but got more of the same prosaic, pragmatic stuff under Grant. Without being able to lace that with silverware, or to win over a sceptical home crowd, Grant was always on borrowed time. Speculation about his future, which reached fever pitch after the Carling Cup final defeat by London rivals Tottenham and an embarrassing FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Barnsley, was a constant accompaniment to Grant's reign.

His team showed character and resilience, especially defensively, but often struggled for creativity and goals, with Didier Drogba netting only eight in the League, and January import Nicolas Anelka managing only one, though he was mostly played out of position. Dynamic central midfielder Michael Essien also spent too much time filling in at right-back, while the manager failed to get anything like the best out of expensive summer buy Florent Malouda. There was a consequent over-reliance on midfielders Frank Lampard (who had his own injury and personal problems last season) and Michael Ballack (who emerged as the Blues' most influential player in the final third of the campaign). Their goals and dynamism helped take Chelsea so close to the glittering prizes, though it was symptomatic that pundits and many fans felt their contribution was despite rather than because of Grant's leadership. That was the burden the Israeli's perceived lack of charisma saddled him with.

Summer Activity

The managerial soap opera at Stamford Bridge was ended when Grant was unceremoniously sacked, and his successor announced during Euro 2008 as Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Brazilian comes in with everything Grant lacked: gravitas, a hugely impressive CV, charisma, the authority that accompanies a reputation as a disciplinarian, and the respect of the players. Scolari is, after all, a World Cup winner who also won the Copa Libertadores twice.

If there are reservations because he has been out of club football for seven years, the risk seems a small one. The 59-year-old has been there and done it before, and if dealing with the English tabloid press is an aspect of his new job that probably won't appeal, he is unlikely to find it more uncomfortable than dealing with the media in his native Brazil.

Scolari is the fourth Chelsea manager of the Abrasmovich era; the previous three - Claudio Ranieri, Mourinho and Grant - were all sacked despite delivering what at most clubs would pass for relative success. So Scolari knows what to expect, and what is expected: to recapture the Premier League title from United and to win the Champions League for the first time in Chelsea's history. The other imperative is to achieve both through an exhilarating brand of entertaining, attacking football. Simple really. The key question is: can Scolari adjust to the demands of club football quickly and effectively enough to deliver what's required in his first season back at the coal-face?

He has got off to a decent start. Drogba and Lampard, both widely tipped to join Mourinho at Inter Milan, are still at the Bridge and seem likely to stat for at least the next season. Portugal full-back Jose Bosingwa, well-known to Scolari, was recruited and waiting for him, and another familiar face, the creative and motivated Deco, has since arrived. Speculation persists that Robinho could yet join them, and that would certainly strengthen their attacking options and sharpen the goal threat, where the Blues were deficient last season. The fans would probably feel happier to have an additional quality striker on board, unless the form of Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro has undergone a dramatic transformation over the summer.

As for the departures, Claude Makelele's return to France should be adequately covered by the emergence of John Obi Mikel in the holding midfield role, while Steve Sidwell, good player though he is, was never really used so won't be missed. Nor will the transfers of Tal Ben Haim (Manchester City) and Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart) leave gaping holes in Scolari's forces.

Pre-season has been useful if tiring: the goodwill trip to China and Malaysia was excellent PR but possibly of only limited value to Scolari in terms of preparation. But going on to Moscow for the Railways Cup offered a more pertinent test and, losing another shoot-out in the Russian capital aside, Chelsea can reflect on last weekend with satisfaction. The emphatic 5-0 demolition of AC Milan will have caused many to sit up and take notice, as will Anelka's four-goal salvo in the rout.

Scolari has said he is more or less clear now in his head about what his starting XI will be for the Premier League opener against Portsmouth, so at least one of the main objectives of pre-season has been accomplished.

Analysis & Prognosis

There will be huge interest in how well and how quickly Scolari fits into his new job. He will have the benefit of the doubt, something Grant never enjoyed; but there will still be the spectre of Mourinho, who won the Premier League and the League Cup in his first season at the Bridge after arriving from Portugal. The parallels are there for direct comparison. His press conferences promise to be entertaining, but it is on the pitch where the entertainment quotient will be most under scrutiny.

The addition of Bosingwa should add genuine right-sided quality to an already formidable defence, behind which Petr Cech is due a bit of luck after a miserable spell, so Chelsea will again be one of the hardest teams to score against.

And in midfield they have a veritable cornucopia of riches. With Essien restored to the centre where he is at his best, Ballack in the sort of form he showed during the latter stages of last season and at Euro 2008, Deco's vision adding a new creative dimension to Chelsea's game and Lampard fit and focused, Mikel offering running power and muscle, plus the likes of Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Malouda to provide pace and width on the flanks, Scolari's challenge will be to find the right blend and balance while keeping all his stars happy.

Anelka fired a warning in Moscow and Scolari may be prepared to play to his strengths, through the middle, at Drogba's expense in a way Grant hesitated to do. The fact that Drogba is likely to miss the start of the campaign through injury could facilitate that decision. Salomon Kalkou impressed last season but too often chose the wrong option with his final ball, so we can expect an improvement there.

Scolari has indicated that Shevchenko will not be in the starting line-up, at least initially, but the Ukrainian has said he is determined to make an impact at Chelsea and if he is fired up rather than diffident when coming off the bench then he'll give his manager a useful option.

Chelsea are certain to challenge hard for the title, and with their squad strength in depth and seemingly impregnable home record they are likely to be in the top few places for most of the campaign. They have the playing resources and now, they hope, the right manager to win major honours again. But much will also depend on United, Arsenal and Liverpool, at least, so how Scolari reacts to the Big Four challenge, and how he plots his tactics in the head-to-heads, could prove decisive.

I expect the Blues to be challenging on all fronts until the latter stages, and possibly collecting a cup; but winning the Premier League title at Scolari's first attempt, after being out of the club game for a long time, might just prove a bridge too far. A top-three finish then, but not first place.

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Stadium: Stamford Bridge (42,055)

2007-08 Position: 2nd

2007-08 Record: P-38 W-25 D-10 L-3 GF-65 GA-26 GD-39 Pts-85

Players In:

Jose Bosingwa (FC Porto, £16.2m), Deco (Barcelona, £8m).

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London - The Capital of Football

For sports fans visiting or living in London, there is one sport which stands head and shoulders above all others in the nation's capital, and that's football.

London has 13 professional football teams at present, with 5 of those teams competing at the top level in the English Premier League. Of these top flight teams, Arsenal and Chelsea hold the most prestige in terms of recent honours, but on their day Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Fulham are all capable of troubling even the best at their respective home grounds.

For visiting fans, getting to most of London's football stadia is relatively straight forward given the city's comprehensive public transport network. In fact, as most of the Premier League grounds are serviced by either a regular bus route or are in close proximity to an underground station, this means the car can be left at home.

Ticket prices vary depending on the stadium of choice, your seat and the opponents on the day. It's not surprising that tickets to watch Arsenal and Chelsea are amongst the more expensive in the Premier League, whilst the general availability of tickets - particularly for the big matches - can often be scarce. But a bit of forward planning will pay dividends, especially if you get to see the top teams battle it out in front of a packed stadium.

Indeed, just being in the stadium and taking in the atmosphere is worth the entry fee alone. London derbies always provide fanatical support, and the same can be said when other big teams such as Manchester United or Liverpool come to town. The average capacity of Premier League grounds in London is around 40,000 supporters, with Arsenal's newly built Emirates Stadium being the exception at over 60,000; however, plans to build a new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur are well under way.

Of course, the ultimate football experience in London is to watch a game at the new 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium. The stadium is famed for its history, as well as the striking tall Arch that spans high above the stadium, which can be seen from across London. Some of the most important matches in the football calendar are played out at Wembley, so if you get the chance be sure to purchase a ticket.

A visit to London has much to offer, but as you can see it is far from complete without taking in the city's favoured sport. But is important to plan your journey in advance if you wish to experience a football game on your visit, as match tickets to the top games - as well as the availability of the London hotels - can book up fast.

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Soccer Down the Ages

Soccer or football as we know it, has been played since ancient times by the Greeks, Romans, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, Persians etc., both as a sport and to sharpen their warrior instincts. English king Edward III and the Scottish king James I passed laws to suppress the game. Queen Elizabeth of England passed a law which imprisoned football players for a week and made them do penance. The first rules of the game were framed by Eton College, London, in 1815 and then were standardized by Cambridge in 1848. Game was now officially divided two camps - the Rugby School, which allowed shin - kicking, tripping and carrying of the ball, while the Cambridge rules forbade hand use.

The game as we know it took shape in England in 1863 with the formation of the first London Football Association, when the rugby and football associations decided to go their separate ways on 8th December, 1863. In 1869, the Football Association forbade the use of hands in the game and that is how the game is played today. The twelve founding clubs of football were Aston Villa, Accrington (Old Reds), Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End,

Stoke City, West Bromwich, Albion, Wolverhampton and the Wanderers. The first legue match was held on 8th September, 1888 Within the nest twenty years the Association had formulated the rules of the game and soon it was being played all over Europe with great enthusiasm.

By 1871, the Association had fifty member clubs and the FA cup began. The league championships followed seventeen years later. In the 1880s, Charles Wreford Brown coined the term 'soccer' for the game. Initially, a sport meant for the elite, the game slowly evolved as the favorite past time of the common people. The first international match between England and Scotland was held in 1872. The growing interest of the people, players and the countries resulted in a change in the character of the game, making it more competitive and brought in an element of professionalism. The popularity of the game grew and it was played at the Olympics in 1900.

The Federation of International de Football Association of FIFA as it is more commonly known was formed in 1904 and the first ever world cup was played in 1930. The first football association in the United States called the U.S. Federation was formed in 1913. The whole of America watched American football until in 1975, a Brazilian by the name of Pele joined the New York Cosmos team. He brought about a revolution in the game and made it even more popular. He was the greatest ever soccer player and after his retirement in 1977, game took a backseat and the North American Soccer league was finally dissolved in 1985.

Major League Soccer, founded in 1993, played its first season in 1996 with ten teams and thirty - two regular games. The women were not far behind and the first ever women's team played in 1991.

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Premier Anti Aging Products - 3 Tips to Find Out If Your Skin Care Product is in the Top League!

Are your so called premier anti aging products in the top league? I sincerely hope they are but just in case, here are a few tips to find out their real position in the league tables.

Here is the first tip you can apply very quickly and easily. Some of the mineral oil components in skin care products are listed as paraffin wax and petrolatum. They actually end up clogging your pores and they tend to put our own sebaceous glands on a short circuit. The result is breakouts, acne and proper exfoliation is compromised. If you see these listed on the product label or listed on its website, you can safely assume that these will never be in the premier anti aging products league!

The second tip is to look out for ingredients which have used nano technology. This is extremely important as most compounds, such as so called pure collagen and HA, are simply too big and dense to even get past the pores on the upper layer of skin, the epidermis, let alone go anywhere else. Did you know that these particles are called nanometers and are one billionth of a meter.! That is pretty small by any standards.

But it does mean that the essential ingredients with all their nutrients can actually get through the major layers of skin. That means they can affect collagen, elastin and also influence skin cell renewal tremendously. Look out for Nano Lipobelle HEQ10 (a type of CoQ10) which you will not find in very many products so that will narrow down the search for you in selecting the premier anti aging products. As CoQ10 is such a powerful antioxidant, you can imagine it making short work of the free radicals.

The third tip is to steer clear of any so called collagen or hyaluronic acid in a skin cream as it is more than 90% likely to contain a synthetic forms of those essential ingredients and that means there is a level of toxicity which you can do well without. After all, about 60% of these chemicals are actually absorbed into our bloodstream so it is sensible to be just a little careful. They are also not compatible with the structure of our skin.

How about solving the hyaluronic acid problem by using a 100% natural ingredient which can actually work on the enzymatic action of hyaluronidase? That would result in our levels of HA returning to the levels they were when we were young with glowing skin!

Space does not permit me to tell you the name of this marvelous ingredient but it is just one in what must be one of the premier anti aging products on the market to-day. This company has put safety and effectiveness at the top of their list of priorities. You can find out more by visiting my website.

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Can Arsenal Realistically Win the EPL This Season?

Arsenal's two main problems in the past has been closing narrow games out (such as when they are winning 1-0 and they concede a last minute equaliser) and beating the more physical teams in away games (such as Bolton, Blackburn and Stoke).

The problem with these highly physical teams is that they tend to bully the Arsenal players (it is no secret that Arsenal's team is compromised mainly of young talent as their average age is only 22). Arsenal and Arsene Wenger's philosophy is all about getting the ball down on the floor and playing exquisite football. Most teams try (and fail) to stop them playing their passing game, but it seems like the teams from the North-West of the country are just a little bit better than most.

So can The Gunners actually lift the Premier League trophy this year? Arsenal's season relies on a lot of big 'ifs'. If they can get Robin Van Persie (arguably their best player and certainly their best striker) back fit and firing on all cylinders, as well as the currently injured Cesc Fabregas, then they certainly have a chance.

It was only around a month ago that it seems like they were out of the title race for good (after they lost so convincingly to Chelsea and opened up an 11 point gap). Now, however, it seems that if they win their game-in-hand tomorrow that they'll only be 1 point behind the league leaders. This is partly due to Arsenal's revitalised form as well as Chelsea and Man Utd's recent dip in form.

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Premier League Preview - Manchester United and Liverpool

There have been a number of transfers which have affected the top four - either to there advantage or disadvantage. The player who will be misssed most from the Premier League is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo who joined the Spanish club Real Madrid for a record fee. Manchester United will feel the loss of the great player but if Hargreaves, who missed the last season, makes himself fit the loss will be minimised to a certain extent. Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping that his new signing Antonio Valencia can fill Ronaldo's boots but those are really big boots to fill. Manchester United also lost Carlos Tevez but have signed Michael Owen so it wont affect them much. With the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carrick, Rooney, Owen, Hargreaves and the rest, Manchester United will once more be in the hunt for the title once more and will be looking for a hatrick.

The Premier League's runners up Liverpool will be hoping they can do it this time with Ronaldo and Tevez absent from Manchester United but Liverpool themselves have lost one of their key playes. The Spanish giants Real Madrid recently signed Xabi Alanso from the Reds and that would have weakened Rafael Benitez's squad. But Liverpool has a very strong squad and if they gel well, the title could be theirs this season. Gerrard is absolutely brilliant and can turn any game on its heels and play makers like Torres, Riera, Macherano, Kuyt, Carragher and the rest will only make the opponents fears rise even more.

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Soccer Fitness Training - Tips For Peak Performance on the Soccer Field

Great soccer fitness training can elevate your game helping you accomplish the next level of play or the next level of your career. The right program from a good trainer or coach can be the difference between going pro and leaving it all behind after college or high school. When considering soccer fitness training, it's important to understand the basics to make sure your training is as well rounded as possible. It's important to make sure you are hitting on all the most important areas of training, including the proper nutrition, adequate warm-up, and specific drills for endurance, strength, agility and speed.

The Soccer Training Diet

While, it's obvious a certain level of fitness is involved to be an excellent soccer player, it should also be noted that the food you eat is vital to how you play and the player you become. To achieve a healthy diet you need to consider what are you eating. Get rid of the bad and increase the good. Take a notebook and record everything you eat for a week. For inspiration, rent and watch the movie Supersize Me. If that does not change your outlook on fast food, nothing will.

Once you cut out fast food and all the junk it's important to increase the good foods in your diet to a recommended calorie intake that can be established with your coach based for your height, muscle development and activity level. Fresh fruit, whole grains and lean meats are all amazing sources of fiber, protein and iron all of which you need to build muscle and speed. Even more important than your daily diet is the food you eat directly before a game. Avoid fried or fatty foods, whole milk, cheese, marbled meat and anything super sweet. It's also a good idea to avoid foods that digest harshly, like beans, pickled cucumbers and spices.

The Soccer Training Warm-Up

A good warm-up is essential for an effective daily workout routine and, especially, on game days. A good warm-up will raise your heart rate slowly and stretch your muscles well for the strenuous activity ahead. This warm-up should include flexibility exercises, a light jog and a good game of keep away in which you and the other players circle up and go through a variety of juggling challenges, one on one drills and games of possession. This gets your body and mind prepared for the action.

The Soccer Training Workout

For training your body to handle the stress of intense soccer action, it's important to have the right kind of workout to build the muscle you need and develop the skills necessary to perform your position at a high level. Your workout should include a routine geared around a variety of exercises including aerobic, anaerobic, plyometirc, balance exercises and some creative techniques to keep your muscles guessing and from getting stagnant in their development. For aerobic, jogging on a daily basis is a great way to keep your muscles toned and work your heart to stay in great cardio shape. Anaerobic, which is generally in the form of interval training, is the best way for soccer players to increase speed and endurance. The other forms of soccer training can be developed with the help of your coach, trainer and doctor to find the best mix of all the different exercises for your specific body and goals.

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A to Z Journey to Victory in Your Football (Soccer) Business For 2010

2010 has arrived. This is the time when the football season in the English Premier League and many major elite leagues is halfway through.

This is the time when the league standings start to form a picture. This is the time when the team managers are allowed to rectify the short-comings of their squads through the January transfer market. So this is the time when many things are discussed at lengths and should start to change.

This should also be the time for all soccer punters to take stock of their soccer business...

Now, what does your report card show? Do you brighten up with glee or wallow in misery?

For those punters who have made a betting fortune in 2009, congratulations! For those who are struggling to make an impact in your soccer investment, I wish to share with you this A To Z Journey To Victory In Your Football (Soccer) Business For 2010.

A - Achieve your dream to have a profitable 2010 in your betting business

All of us have dreams, but to transform them into reality, it takes much determination, dedication, efforts and self-discipline.

Here is how to achieve our dream to have a profitable 2010 in our betting business. Just stroll down B through Z.

Do take the first step. You do not have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.

B - Bet on what you know

Even in a league which you are very knowledgeable in, such as the English Premier League, there are times when it has been difficult to obtain reliable information on key players, a factor which may influence your betting decision.

Do not be tempted to bet on a match of a league you know little about, and just because the match is televised live on TV or highly recommended by some sports experts.

C - Cut loss when necessary

This is especially crucial in live-betting. The typical mindset of most punters is to hang on till the last minute, hoping that your bets will materialize.

Be decisive and cut your loss as soon as you realize the match is not going as per your expectation. Such decisiveness can save you bigger losses in the end.

D - Discipline

In betting, discipline is the will to religiously follow preset rules and criteria regardless of our emotion at that moment, even when we are on a winning streak or on a losing run.

Why is discipline so important?

Because without discipline:

* even a successful punter can lose all his winnings

* a losing punter can lose even more

* the punter cannot win in the long run

It is impossible to make everyday a winning day but it is possible to make everyday a losing day if the punter is not disciplined.

E - Enjoy our betting business

Enjoy punting on each betting day. Enjoy your business. The mind works wonders. However, on those days when you do not find your punting enjoyable due to some reasons, then it is time to take break. Step back from betting for a while. Return when you are refreshed.

F - Focus

Do keep a cool mind and remain focused especially in live-betting. Watching a match, or tracking the odds movements, is an emotional roller coaster.

When the chips are down, guard against being swayed by emotion. Stay calm and assess the situation objectively.

G - Greed

It is human nature to want to make a fast buck. But be mindful of the wise saying "There is no free lunch in this world".

When the bookmakers make you an offer that is "too good to be true", it probably is. They are in the business to make your money, not to dish out charity. They do not make mistakes. Such offer is a trap to entice the greedy ones to part with their money.

Another greedy temptation to avoid is to resist the big payout for a combo bet (accumulator) as the risks are also multiplied many folds. Unless you are an extremely lucky punter, you are unlikely to win often.

H - Have a betting game plan

All winners, whether they are entrepreneurs, leaders or football coaches etc, always have at least one thing in common, and that is a strong game plan. The plan can be for a year, or five years etc, and they work steadfastly towards their plan.

The punters should also have their own betting game plan. They should set up their betting targets in the nine-months football season.

One thing is certain. We are not going to find our betting fortune in a cookie.

I - Ignore distraction

Be very clear with the punting goals you have set. Be diligent in following them through. Do not allow distractions along the way.

J - Just do it if there is value

If your analysis reveals the value lies in the underdog (for example, Fulham having a +1 goal advantage playing against the reigning Champion Manchester United), be courageous and follow your conviction. Just do it. Of course, it is a nervy decision as the whole world is putting their money on Manchester United.

K - Know your bets

Be sure you understand everything about the bets you are placing, for example, fixed odds betting, asian handicap betting, special bets like total goals, number of corners, etc.

L - Losing runs

A losing streak is inevitable even for the pros in their betting business. During a bad run, do not be tempted to chase losses. This is a surefire way to disaster.

Be disciplined and patient. Take a break from punting when necessary.

M - Money Management

Money management is essentially on how to manage your betting fund and staking plan wisely. The longer you are solvent, the more punting chances for you to be profitable.

Your betting fund must consist of money set aside for your betting business, the money you do not need for anything else.

Next you should decide on an efficient staking plan taking into consideration your risk profile. The higher the risk, the bigger the stake. Conversely, the smaller the stake, the lower the risk. There is a delicate line between the desire to achieve higher profit and the discipline to manage your risk.

The bottom-line is, whatever betting fund and staking plan you choose, they should be within your comfort zone.

N - No 'sure win' tips

'Sure win' and 'Insider' tips are often disseminated over the Internet. Guard against such tips as they may be leaked out by interested parties to influence the market to move in a certain way. Any information gathered from the Internet must be thoroughly vetted.

Do your own analysis and research. It is your hard earned money on the line. Following blindly is the most foolish mistake any punter can make.

O - Optimism

Dealing with several losses in a row is a real test of our optimism in our betting game plan. Punters must understand that one essential element of turning the negative tide is to remain optimistic and manage our emotions. The inability to do so can lead to serious problems such as ill discipline and poor money management.

Our priority is to make sure our betting fund is not depleted.

P - Patience

It can be really frustrating that after spending a hard day analyzing the weekend fixture list of around 50 games, you have found that only one selection meets your betting criteria. So much time spent and only one value bet to make.

Yes, it is indeed frustrating, but do exercise patience. Do not bet for the sake of it. You are investing, not gambling.

Q - Quitter never win

Yes, quitters never win, and winners never quit. So, if your half-season report card is less than satisfactory, which camp would you be? The quitters or the winners? It is your call.

R - Record keeping

Do you know how many of those teams that you betted on actually won? Which league is your weakest performer? Which period of the football season (beginning, mid or end of season) is your most glorious?

You will have answers to the above if you document all your bets. Such record keeping will show you why you win, and why you lose.

Do learn from your mistakes to avoid making them again.

S - Specialize in your chosen leagues

The more you know a league, the better will be your grasp and 'feel' in whether a certain match in the league is of value for betting. Try not to be Mr jack of all leagues. Specialize in your chosen leagues. Know them inside-out. Knowledge is king.

T - Taking profitable chances in live-betting

The Internet and live telecasting of matches have made live-betting immensely popular.

The greatest advantage in live-betting is the punters have exactly the same information as the bookmakers as the matches are being played.

In live-betting,the odds tell a story. The movement in the odds is an indication of the performance of the teams playing at the time. If the punters have the ability to de-code the odds and read the game, there are countless money making opportunities on every betting day.

U - Unrealistic expectation

Most punters do not seem to realize that any betting system or guide is to be used for the long term. We must be realistic in our expectation. You cannot judge the profitability of the system or guide on a daily or weekly basis. Judge it at the end of the football season. This means you must have cash in your betting armory.

Apart from selecting winning bets from your system/guide, you need to have the most efficient betting fund and staking plan in place. You must always remain solvent. The liquidity means you always have money to bet with.

A good system/guide can let you pick winners but you need the discipline to complement it with good money management to win consistently.

An ill disciplined punter who fiddles with his money management will usually end up with busting his betting fund, and he will then blame the system, even though the same system is producing tons of profits for the disciplined punters.

V - Value

Value hunting is universal. It is applicable to both life and business, and to football betting as well.

In sports, the true value of the outcome of a match is expressed by the probability of that outcome happening. If the punter can get a price which is higher than the one indicated by the probability, then he has found value.

The prices (or odds) offered by the bookmakers are related to the probability of that outcome happening according to the bookmakers. If you can 'fish out' those selections where your own estimations of the probability chance of winning are higher than that of the bookmakers', then you have found your value bets.

W - Wisdom in learning from your past mistakes

There is a football betting wisdom that one key to achieving long term profit is in the bets that you leave out rather than the ones you punted on. This simply means that if you miss out a good bet, you do not lose any money. However, if you back a losing selection, you are already some $$$ down.

So, be wise to learn from your past punting mistakes and do less of what is wrong, and more of what is right.

X - Extra efforts

Some punters believe in luck. They believe they have the gift of an acute sixth sense, that they can always 'feel and smell' the winners. Simply, they are basing on hunches. Yes, hunches do win games, once in a while, but be realistic, how long can hunches win?

There are dedicated punters who make the extra efforts to study, analyze and acquire knowledge, and then have good 'feel' for a certain game. This 'feel' is not 'luck'. It comes from the confidence they have from the extra efforts they put in.

There is a saying that knowledge, diligence, discipline, patience and luck are the five jewels of success. When you have perfected the first four, the fifth, which is luck, will show itself. Some people consider luck the output of hard work.

Y - Yield

Many punters feel that any yield from their soccer investment at the end of the year which is better than putting the money in the bank is already an achievement. If you are looking for instant fortune, try the lottery.

Z - Zero in on your dreams

If you have followed the above A till Y, I am confident you have joined the elite group of punting winners.

So what makes a punter profitable and successful?

Simply, he aims to make money in his betting business in the long run. He does not want to win only from one match, or from one betting day, or from one betting weekend. His desire is to win at the end of the soccer season. He will always be mindful that he must remain solvent. Cash is his King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Period. Without cash, he is out of business, and without a chance to make a comeback.

Conclusion

I hope the above A To Z Journey To Victory is helpful enough to be added to your betting game plan. So let us clean out our 2009 betting closet. Let us address all that is not working in 2009, and move on to a profitable 2010 in our betting business.

You can also create your own A to Z betting finishing line, but do stick to it with optimism all the way in 2010.

Now, let us all find our niche in our football betting in 2010.

Have a profitable betting year ahead.

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The English Premiership, The Best Football League In The World

The English Premiership football league has just commenced a new season and already football fans from all over the world have been treated to a feast of exciting games. There really is no comparison in the quality of this division compared to other leagues from around the world, the premiership truly is the best.

Just looking at the Italian premier is a good example, this country boasts some of the top footballers from around the world but the games are just so boring to watch. Channel four from the UK used to air a match every week on a Sunday from this league but it has now been taken off our screens due to a lack of viewers, that says it all.

Just last season, on the final game of the Italian league, one particular team were having to win their last home game to avoid being relegated. The problem they had was the fact that they were playing the champions, Inter Milan. This would normally be a virtually guaranteed away win but for some reason the bookmakers were offering nine to one on a Milan victory. These odds looked very generous but very few people put money on Milan to win. It was no surprise to hear that Milan had lost the game by two goals to nil, that is the Italian league for you!

Boring is something you could not describe the majority of games from the English premier league, a better description would be fast and furious. Even the most ardent of Liverpool supporters would agree that you can not beat watching Manchester United when they are in full flight, players like Giggs, Ronaldo and Rooney are just exceptional talents.

I actually support Birmingham City, this is a team that will be happy to avoid relegation this season as they have just been promoted from the championship.

I would advise any football supporter from around the world to regularly watch the matches from the English premiership as you will not be disappointed.

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Manchester United Football Club Facts

History:

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club which plays at Old Trafford located in Greater Manchester. They currently play in the top division in football being the Premier League. The club was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath. They joined the Football League in 1892 and they have played in the top division of English football since 1938. The average attendance at the club has been higher than any other team in English football. The club is one of the most successful in the history of English football and has won over 20 major honours since Sir Alex Ferguson became manager. Since the 1990's United have been one of the richest clubs in the world with the highest revenue of any football club.

Club Crest:

The United club crest has been changed on a few occasions, but the main form remains similar. The badge has been designed around the crest of the city of Manchester. The red devil on the clubs badge is part of the design due to the club's nickname The Red Devils, which was taken on in the early 1960's.

Stadium:

United's magnificent stadium 'The Theatre of Dreams' was bought in 1909 for around £60,000 with a total construction cost of £90,000. The capacity of this stadium in total is 76,212 fans all seated.

Sponsorship:

The sponsors who are currently with Manchester United are AIG who are the main sponsors of Man United, and as part of the sponsorship deal their logo is displayed on the front of the club's shirts and is also on other merchandise. The AIG deal was announced by Manchester United in 2006 and is worth a British record £56.5 million.

Owner and Chairmen:

The owner of this amazing football club is Malcolm Glazer who is there to make sure the club runs smoothly and doesn't go bankrupt. Also along with Malcolm Glazer are the co-chairmen being Joel and Avram Glazer. Together they run a successful business in keeping Manchester United in the top financial condition so the team is able to win important matches and please fans.

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Watch Live Premiership Football On Your PC For Free

If you have a basic pc or laptop you can watch premiership live football on your pc. There are several ways to do this. Most of the methods for watching satellite digital TV on your pc requires that you subscribe to a satellite TV provider such as Sky sports or other similar services. There is one method that only requires that you download software which you can use to access hundreds of satellite channels on your pc.

If you install this type of software on your pc, you'll be able to watch sports channels for soccer that are available locally and also soccer and football channels from other countries. Some of the types of football leagues and tournaments that you will be able to watch include:

- Premier League Football

- Barclaycard Premiership games played in various football stadiums

- Conference Football

- EPL, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB,

- Football League Championship

- Scottish Premier League

- French Ligue 1

- Spanish La Liga

- German Bundesliga

- Italian Serie A

- Carling Cup

- Football Association (FA Cup)

- UEFA Champions League (UEFA Cup)

- More...

The good thing about using software to watch live premiership football is that you don't need a subscription and you don't need an aerial, satellite dish receiver or additional computer hardware such as TV tuner cards. The other advantage is that you can start watching TV on your pc instantly. After you've downloaded the software, just install it on your pc and you'll get access to hundreds of satellite and normal TV channels. You'll be able to see live scores, listen and watch football commentaries as the premiership games are being played across the UK.

The best thing I like about being able to watch live premiership football on your pc or laptop is that you don't have to miss a game. If you have a laptop, just take it with you and if you have one of these mobile internet sim cards, you can watch football anywhere. Just connect to the internet using dial up or whatever type of internet connection you have and you'll be able to watch live premiership football. Watch the latest football news, results, fixtures, transfers and statistics.

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Why Players Prefer Football in Italy and Spain - Not in England

The exodus of so many great players from the English Premier League does force one to believe that perhaps it is not as appealing to world football stars as the football leagues of Spain and Italy. Despite the fact that it offers so much financial benefits and world-wide viewing as compared to other leagues, we have observed that more foreign stars have been found leaving the Premier League than joining. And whats more interesting is the fact that most of these players either opt for the football leagues in Italy, or Spain.

Here I look at some of the reasons why Premier League has been hit by the exodus of players like Ronaldo, Henry, van Nistelrooy and many others to the football clubs of Spain and Italy!

First of all, the style of football played in these two countries differs from that of the English. They provide players with much more time on the ball and matches and therefore feature more skillful moments.

Another reason for the preference given to Italy and Spain would be the fact that the foreign players are more comfortable in a Mediterranean climate than an English one.

Perhaps the players who are recognized worldwide do not like the media attention they get from playing in English League. Most of the foreign players, especially the ones from Argentina and Brazil, are from humble backgrounds and the media attention really bothers them. Such media attention is not a problem in other leagues as they don't have much viewership but provide even a tougher atmosphere to hone your skills.

If you make a mistake in English Premier League, you will have to bear the media bombardment for at least a whole week. And that can really get to your nerves. People will always be babbling about the style of your game, or the lack of it.

The only thing perhaps that may bring in more foreign stars to the English Premier League is money. And believe me there is no dearth of it In the English Premier League. However, not everyone plays for money. And there are things even money cannot buy!

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Michael Owen Out of 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa!

Imagine that you are a talented football player but struggling to retain your place in the national football team. You find out there is a football match coming up where you will be playing and the coach of the national football team will be watching you from the stands! What better opportunity can you ask for?

Well, you cannot ask for a better chance to impress the coach than that. The Manchester United striker Michael Owen had a similar chance the other night against Wolfsburg in Manchester United's champions league fixture. And though it was the best chance to impress the coach,Michael Owen had a disastrous time in the field. He was seen limping off the ground in front of Fabio Capello, the English National team's coach. This happened when Owen had been on the field for only 20 minutes.

Manchester United's coach Alex Fergusan blamed the wet surface for Owen's injury. He also revealed that that Michael Owen had suffered a slight groin injury after training for the UEFA champions league fixture on Sunday. He pointed out that even though these things happen to footballers and he was not really worried about it, the injury would still keep Owen out for two to three weeks. He will therefore miss Manchester United's English Premier League fixtures against Bolton and Sunderland.

The most worrying part of the whole Owen episode is that Owen will be unable to take part in England's World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Belarus. Many fear this will mean that Owen might not become a part of Capello's plans for the World Cup in South Africa next summer.

This is not only frustrating for Michael Owen, but also for his fans who thought the striker would find his old flair after arriving at Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium. The future doesn't look good for Michael Owen. The most frustrating part of this all is that Michael can only wait and see how his fate is decided.

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Football Facts - 5 Interesting Facts About Football

The First Football League

It is generally accepted that the first officially organised league competition in the world was the (English) Football League formed in 1888. Then, it consisted of 12 clubs all of whom were based in the North and the Midlands of England. The very first winners of the Football League Championship were Preston North End.

In 1992 with the influx of megabucks from BSkyB (now called Sky TV), the top teams broke away to form their own league called the FA Premier League.

Today, the original Football League has 3 divisions called; the Championship, Division 1 and Division 2.

So that England today has a total of 4 professional football leagues, with teams moving up (promotion) or down (relegation) through the leagues depending on their points tally at the end of each season.

The First Football Association Cup (FA Cup)

The first FA Cup final was played in England in 1872 between Royal Engineers and Wanderers in front of 2,000 spectators. Wanderers ran out 1-0 winners partly because Royal Engineers -- who were the favourites -- lost a player through injury, early in the match, and had to play on with only 10 men since substitutes were not allowed then. The "Challenge Cup", as it was known originally, was the brainchild of Mr. C. W. Alcock of Sunderland who proposed only the year before that "A challenge cup should be established in connection with the Association"; the "Association" being the Football Association, hence the FA Cup.

The Oldest Football Club in the World

There have always been many arguments over the oldest football club in the world. Here are some facts to consider though...

The oldest, continuously documented, "football" club in the world is Dublin University Football Club, in the Republic of Ireland, which was founded in 1854. However, the club now plays Rugby Union, not Association Football. For this reason it is not officially recognized as the oldest football club in the world.

Sheffield Football Club -- Sheffield FC -- founded in England in 1857, is recognised by both the English FA and FIFA as being the oldest, continuously documented football club in the world still playing Association Football. They play in the Northern Premier League Division 1 South in England. So they are generally now recognised as being the oldest football club in the world.

But, there is documentation of a "football club" in Edinburgh, Scotland between 1824 and 1841. Several documents still exist today which refer to the "Foot Ball Club" and it's rules. It worked rather like a golf club where members selected teams from their membership to play one another. The club has been now been reconstituted and plays under the name of "The Foot Ball Club of Edinburgh" in an amateur capacity.

The First International Football Match

The first international football match was played between Scotland and England in Glasgow, Scotland on 30th November 1872, in front of 4,000 spectators. The result was a hard-fought 0-0 draw. And of the 110 games played between 1872 and 1999 when the fixture was disbanded, Scotland had won 41, England 45, and 24 games had ended in a draw.

The First Trainer's Dugout

The first ever recorded use of a sunken covered enclosure at the side of the pitch (the dugout) was in the early 1920s at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland. The trainer at the time, Donald Coleman, had it built to protect himself while he took detailed notes of his players during matches, as was his practice, and, was partly sunken into the ground so as not to block spectators' views of the game. Visiting teams were so impressed that the idea soon spread throughout the UK and then the rest of the world.

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Traditional Wedding Print Albums - The End is Nigh!

With the arrival of the video on a dslr, the fusion between stills & video and getting closer and closer. New software & workflow techniques will need to be looked at to adapt to this changing and very dynamic media. So will this have a big effect on the end products i.e albums, prints, traditional wall frames etc. Well I think so and the change is happening at a fairly frantic pace.

A good example is the advertising billboards on buildings, near flyovers, etc. Traditionally we'll see 2-3 persons plastering the prints and putting the advertising message up on the board. Not any more, I haven't seen this for quite a while now, specially in London. These billboards are now being replaced with digital billboards. Initially they may cost a bit, however, cheaper to maintain in the long run as the adverts are changed electronically and the long-winded print process is taken out completely. Another great example are the advertising boards at major Premier League Football grounds. Most are now electronic. So why change. Two simple reasons, they are more eye-catching with transitions and movie-like effects and secondly advertisers get the best bang for their bucks.

So why am I talking about these billboards. I see the same going to happen in the social traditional albums market. Specially the portrait & wedding sector is going to see a huge & probably dramatic change very soon. How soon? Your guess is as good as mine. I'll take one and I think within 2 years, 3 years at the max, the market place will have completely changed. With the launch of the iPad (which I want one BTW), we'll be seeing more gadgets like this being released, the quality of them improving and the prices going down.

Lets take a closer look as to why I would consider something like an iPad (or something similar) as a replacement for a traditional album. You've heard this many times before, you've got to keep re-inventing yourself and your business. If you are static and don't change, your business won't survive for long. I want to offer my clients something different than others are offering. I want to be able to use my both the stills & video capabilities of my 'hybrid camera', add music to it and create an unforgettable multi-media experience for my clients. I think I can do this and give something which is a far more interesting product viewable on a plasma TV, laptop, iPhone, iPad, iwhatever...

But what about the cost factor? It's not too bad actually if you look at it. Currently a wedding album may cost anything between £300-£600 depending on the specifications of it from the lab. So replacing the album with a digital album is not going to be that drastic. The clients will love it, they can use it for uploading their own images / movies as well. Plus (this is a big one), as they'll use it regularly and not put away like a traditional one after the first few weeks of using them, you can brand the digital device with your branding. Keep your name in front of them at all times.

A lot of the photographers have just got to grips with firstly, transition from film to digital, then learning the new workflow techniques and now we need to learn more video editing stuff. The simple answer is, you've got to. Initially I wasn't keen on video on a dslr when they were first introduced in late 2008. However, I'm getting more and more into it and learning new things. I love switching between stills & video and not having to carry two different pieces of equipment.

For environmental portrait photographers like me, this is exactly what I need to re-invent my portrait business and I'm really looking forward to a couple of really exciting next few years.

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Coaching a New Team Whilst Maintaining Performance From Your Team

Many popular sports put a lot of pressure on not only the players to perform but also the coach or manager to get the best out of them. In Premier League football alone just one seasons of lacklustre performance can be all that the clubs need to justify the manager being sacked. Sometimes this may be because a new or inexperienced manager has not been able to judge the games well and may not be up to the standard being played, in other cases the manager may suit a different playing style and their players find it tough to play to their strengths.

Either way it can mean a lot of pressure is placed on any new managers and coaches to get quick results, this pressure may have you wondering how you can do this whilst also exacting your own carefully laid plans to bring the team forward. The best way to go about this delicate transition period is to see what is working and what isn't. Observing practice games or events can give you a good idea of where each athlete's strengths and weaknesses are and what you can do to make them more rounded and skilled.

Assigning individual coaching sessions or drills can help to bring certain skills up to standard but sometimes you will simply need to get them more game time experience, many players who perform well on the training ground can fall apart during competitive matches or games. Building player confidence is important as it can be the x factor that spurs them to perform to the best of their abilities without worrying they could fail.

Once you have gotten used to your athletes and know their strengths then you can start to build your tactic and strategies up around this knowledge. You are now in the best position to make changes to your team, knowing each player's strengths you can play to these by altering the formation or even change positions that players are assigned such as defenders becoming midfielders in football or perimeter shooters becoming ball handlers in Basketball.

As a knock on effect these changes could help to catch your opponents off guard, they may have scouted previous ties and think they know how your team are going to play, with fresh tactics and changes your team will now be unpredictable and dangerous to the opposition. As long as you are constantly improving and keeping a watch for ways you could fine tune the team then you should start to see positive results very quickly.

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Why Birmingham City is Doing So Well This Season

Birmingham City is one of the best supported and most historic clubs in the whole of England (they were bound to have a huge support since they are based in England's 'second capital'). Despite all of this, they have never been a dominant force in the top flight of football (at least in the last 20 years, and since the Premier League was designed in the 1990's).

However, it seems that times may be changing and that Birmingham City is once again on the rise under the experienced management of Alex McLeish. Under McLeish, Birmingham hasrisen to 8th place in the Premier League table at around the half-way point in the season. This is some achievement for a newly promoted club, and the good times show no signs of stopping. Since the takeover in the summer the club have seen some new ultra-rich investors come in. These new owners have promised McLeish a large transfer kitty to help try and consolidate Birmingham's place in the top flight of English football once more.

But it is not just these owners that have once again brought good times to the club; McLeish has made some shrewd signings, and none more-so than the loaning of 22 year old English goalkeeper Joe Hart from Manchester City. Hart is one of England's brightest goalkeeping prospects, and this season he has really flourished after being given a strong run in the first team. Joe Hart has been the backbone of Birmingham's solid defence (which is the second best in the whole league), and now that this is coupled with the pace and power of Christian Benitez up front, it seems that fans in the midlands have a lot to be happy about.

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English Premier League - Is it Losing Its Midas Touch?

For several years, the English Premier League was widely acknowledged to be the richest football competition in the world. Not only did they have the greatest television deals in place for greater revenue, but they also have clubs with far reaching brands. These included Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and many more.

The Premier League clubs would enjoy high attendances and consistently did well in European competitions. This in turn brought in more revenue from gate receipts and merchandising. The combined financial rewards with broadcast rights led to the clubs attracting better quality players both home and abroad, thus giving them further opportunities to improve both on and off the field.

This would appear to go on and on in a neverending cycle of wealth. However, the latest money rankings of European clubs have indicated otherwise. There are now no Premier League teams in the top two richest football clubs in Europe. Instead, previous leaders like Manchester United and Chelsea have fallen short and slid down the rankings. The only improvement was seen from Arsenal and Manchester City, both clubs having benefited in different ways. Now, the top two Spanish football teams of Real Madrid and Barcelona have outstripped their English rivals which have prompted more opinions that English football is again on the decline.

Is it true then that being overtaken on the money list truly points to the demise of wealth and success in English football? Such an accusation would require proper analysis and discussion of the true state of the various Premier League club involved. Are they suffering from a drop in revenue and thus faring worse in other areas as a result of that?

One would first have to determine the change in ownership of several of these clubs. Teams like Manchester United and Chelsea have gone from being largely British owned in the past to foreign owners or being run like commercial entities. Some of these new owners took over the clubs and used them as debt equity wagons thus causing them to be saddled with debts on the books. It does not reflect a true drop in the revenue streams for the clubs.

However, with these debts, many of which require large interest payments for many years, the bottomline of these clubs have thus taken a serious hit. Their revenues might have increased with success, but they are disproportionately less than the large amounts of debt that were transferred to their accounts. This is something that is not necessarily clear on first look with recent money rankings.

Not all the English club are also facing the same debt problems. For instance, Arsenal are perhaps the club with the healthiest bottomline of all the major Premier League clubs. They have a steady positive turnover, the club enjoys good success on the pitch and they embark on sound commercial ventures that do not take on too much risk. Manchester United might have reported a high level of debt, but the club's business has probably the highest revenue generated of all English football clubs.

With these few reasons alone, it is enough to disprove the media's accusations that the English Premier League is facing financial disaster and losing out to their rivals from other European leagues. While it is definitely true that they face ever higher levels of risk due to debt undertaking and spending on famous players, the clubs still report good profits from various businesses related to them and football in general. And as long as they perform above average in competitions, there will be opportunities for further expansion worldwide which only helps to improve bottomlines across the board.

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Disentangling Emerging Markets

I get quite cross when I hear people talking about 'emerging markets' or even 'BRICs' as a single great lump of investment. To me, investing in Russia is completely different from investing, in, say, Brazil or China.

How do we distinguish one emerging market from another? Let's look at what's available in the market right now.

There's one kind of emerging market, which I call the post-colonial market. Russia is a good example. What's good about Russia? Well, it's big, and it's got loads of natural resources - aluminium, oil, gas, precious metals, you name it, it's got it. In fact it's got so much gas that it can hold its neighbour Ukraine to ransom just by turning off the taps.

Unfortunately most of those natural resources are in unfriendly environments, like Siberia - a frozen waste most of the year which turns into a mosquito-ridden waste for the remaining few months of it. The cost of extraction is high, and when I took a look at Russian aluminium a few years ago the cost of production was actually higher than the market price. Commodities prices has rocketed since then, but it's probable that Russian plants still have a higher cost of production than more efficient producers - since most of the profits of high prices seem to have gone to buying Premier League football clubs, rather than investing in more up-to-date facilities.

'Post-colonial' emerging markets don't do well in the long run. Much of Africa runs this sort of economy, exporting oil or coffee - and failing to create new industries with the returns. These markets are tied to commodity prices, and if commodity prices fall, they'll do spectacularly badly.

Then there's, say, China. Far from being a natural resources producer, China is now a net importer of many commodities. For instance Chinese demand (or lack of it) is the usual quoted reason behind moves in the copper price. Instead, China has become a major exporting economy competing in labour intensive sectors such as textiles, electrical equipment, and industrial machinery.

I like to think of this as a 'truly emerging' market. It's not just 'emerging' in terms of being a long way away and having an increasing GDP - it's also emerging in the sense of structurally changing its economy. It's emerging from an agricultural and commodity-driven economy into a capitalist manufacturing and services economy - something which, if you read your Christopher Hill, England did back in the 17th century.

India is another market that's emerging in this way. True, it still has a huge hinterland of rural poverty relying on the agrarian economy, but it has managed to build companies like Wipro that are competitive on a global scale. Visit the call-centres and IT companies of Bangalore, even, and you'll see a tin shack with two cows lying in the dust next to a gleaming Norwich Union office building - but despite fits and starts, despite incredible bureaucracy and uneven development, the economy is changing.

Of course you could take the view that finding the term 'emerging markets' deceptive is a piece of pedantry on my part - it's a convenient term for the non-developed world. In my view, though, that's a bit like Columbus found 'India' a useful description for that little set of islands he found - a basic navigational mistake covered up later by calling them the West Indies.

More seriously, though, an increasing number of collective investments including ETFs and OEICs market themselves to investors using the 'emerging markets' label. Investors obviously think they're getting one clearly defined thing - and my worry is that if they don't do their research in depth on the funds, they're going to get another.

An investor who thinks they're getting into 'the next Taiwan' or 'the next Korea', looking for an economy based on mass production of industrial goods, is going to be pretty disappointed if they end up with a fund whose main holdings are oil, copper and palm oil producers.

Fortunately investors can pick and choose which emerging markets they want - at least to some extent. For instance Lyxor offers ETFs that focus on specific markets - there's an MSCI India ETF, a China Enterprise ETF, and an MSCI AC Asia-Pacific (ex-Japan). First State offers a set of investment funds including Indian Subcontinent, Greater China Growth, and Latin America. (It also offers interesting funds playing particular aspects of world markets, such as the First State Global Listed Infrastructure fund and Global Property, though these are not focused on emerging markets per se.)

Saying 'I want an emerging markets percentage in my portfolio' is not enough. It's like saying 'I want to buy some stocks' without any idea of whether you're a value investor, a growth investor, an income investor, or what sectors might be attractive. Investors need to decide on what kind of emerging markets they want to buy - and why.

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