Yoan Gouffran captures the heart of the Toon Army

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Yoan Gouffran is still a young footballer but since the 26 year old star signed with Newcastle United, fans have been all over him, and he said that he had never witnessed anything close to what he experienced on that day.

After his initial start in his Toon career, he captured the hearts of fans with some hard working performances at the stadium in order to prove her worth to the team, wearing his black and white shirt and providing a perfect counter to what the Chelsea formation gave him on the terrain.

His display managed to help the team by providing three points and keeping up a 100% winning start for his new career as part of the team. He was part of Alan Pardew and his 4-3-2-1 formation in the match which proved to be quite challenging, but Gouffran took the reigns and came out looking great at the end, to the amazement of fans everywhere.

Gouffran was an unusual arrival to the team, speaking only basic English and being somewhat unknown before taking center stage, but he told the press that he was already loving his new life on Tyneside, after taking part in a lap of honour following the victory over Chelsea. Many reporters already compared his professionalism to Alan Shearer or Gary Speed, and that he was very quick to absorb information.

In some of the statements he made, he said that his most important thought was to keep fighting for the team, and to believe that he has to come out fighting and remember what playing for this team means for the fans. The troops came out strong against Chelsea and even though they only managed to get 1-0 up before the half-time, they then dominated the game, ending with a great victory.

 

Thrown banana judged to be non racist

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The crowd at the 2-2 draw between Port Vale and AFC Wimbledon witnessed awkward moments with a pensioner allegedly throwing a banana at the referee. The 74 year old was released from the police on bail. Historically, bananas were known to be thrown by racist fans on black players, although this incident does not seemingly smell of racism.

Sam Cunningham, football intelligence officer, talked to This Is Staffordshire, and said, “Apparently, a decision by the referee infuriated a fan and he threw the banana at him. We’ve reviewed the footage, and noted that there was no player in the vicinity when the incident happened.”

Played at Kingsmeadow in Kingston-upon-Thames, this League Two game closed at 2-2, with the host club topping the tables for the division. The actions by the pensioner have irked online opinion givers immensely, and Wimbledon fans have expressed their anger on the events online.

“It would serve him right, and set a good example for future offenders if he were to be banned for the lifetime from the Club,” expressed a fan on an online fan community. “We do not want to see you again, ever,” commented and another. Some were all the more vocal in their condemnations, with a fan writing, “It is hard to believe that the man was not held then and there, and given a fitting thrashing for his unbelievably wrong behaviour.”

The event has made people remember the sorry times when racist behavior on the football fields and in the stands was commonplace, particularly in the 1980’s. The famous image of John Barnes, the British legend throwing away a banana from the pitch that was aimed at him while he was playing for Liverpool expresses the same. Thankfully, police and authorities have succeeded in curbing such instances nowadays.

 

 

 

 

 

UK charity send out appeal for unwanted football kits

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The UK charity Kits4Causes, which uses football as an incentive to change, has just launched a public appeal asking for them to donated unwanted football kits and other equipment, The donations will be collected and then distributed to Kits4Causes partner organisations across the globe who recognise the importance of using football as a tool in the fight for social change.

The appeal was made yesterday on the day the UK transfer window closes, a time when many players move teams thus rendering replica shirts with their names on redundant.

Kits4Causes has appealed for any football kit, regardless of age or size, including all types of shirts (replica, amateur team etc.), football shorts and football socks, as well as equipment including shin pads, boots, bibs and training jackets. Kit can be donated by any football club, supporters club, school, university or workplace and donated by post to the address listed at the Kits4Causes website, www.kits4causes.org.

“Deadline day is always an exciting time for football fans, with plenty of comings and goings from nearly every team. There are bound to be many fans left with a player’s name on the back of their replica shirt that has left the club and let them down.

A Demba Ba Newcastle United shirt maybe, or a Daniel Sturridge Chelsea kit. We’re appealing to those fans to not bury it in the bottom of a drawer for years, but to put it to greater good,” said Chris Grindley, Director of Kits4Causes. “Football is a universally loved game, watched and played by billions all over the world.

We believe that it can be the catalyst for developmental change, regardless of cultural barriers or prejudices that some experience around the world. Football can break them down and provide real and sustained development.”

Formed in 2009 by then-University of Sheffield students, Kits4Causes has since collected over 16,000 football shirts that have been distributed to under-privileged communities in 19 countries across 4 continents. Partner organisations have included The Craig Bellamy Foundation, Kick4Life and Sodje Sports Foundation, among many others.

Hazard and ball boy sort out differences

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Chelsea’s Eden Hazard had been held free of any blame by Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager. The player had got a red card playing against Swansea for allegedly kicking a teenaged ball boy Charlie Morgan. Referee Chris Foy sent off Belgium playmaker Hazard in the last stages of the semi final played at Liberty Stadium last Wednesday. The events started with the ball boy refusing to hand the ball to Hazard after a goal kick.

It so happened that once Morgan seemingly lay over the ball, a frustrated Hazard toe kicked it from under the ball boy, appearing to be kicking the boy instead. Redknapp did not mince any words and said, “The ball boy had no business lying over the ball, that’s inexplicable. And Hazard just toe kicked it from under him, whereas I’m sure many players would have been more forceful in the kick.”

Redknapp continued, “Imagine how frustrated Hazard would have been at that moment, being impaired in his team’s desperate attempts to make it to the cup’s final. Yes, the kid behaved like a stupid individual, and this episode has been totally blown up into a ridiculous issue. The lad even tweeted before the match that he was a time waster, and his behaviour was absolutely disgusting. Hazard just touched the ball, and not this kid.”

Last night, Morgan tweeted regarding the incident, “These 24 hours have been crazy. I won’t press the matters further; have already talked to Hazard.” However, complaint calls from public members from West Wales, Kent and Sussex have led the police into continuing investigations. Charges looked like they wouldn’t be inflicted on Hazard once he met Morgan and the two exchanged apologies for the events of the match, which were so easily avoidable.

 

Mark McGhee delighted at becoming Scotland’s number 2

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Mark McGhee is aware he has some rebuilding to do as far as his reputation is concerned, but he’s not particularly worried about it. He’s been named as assistant coach by Scotland’s Gordon Strachan, and both men seem delighted with the situation. Strachan says McGhee will be a great asset to the team; McGhee says he’s very excited by the challenge and what he sees as a real possibility of taking Scotland to the Euro Championships in 2016.

McGhee has had a rather checkered career since he retired from play and started managing. He has had some great seasons, but he’s also had more than a couple of not-great-at-all periods, the last one with the Bristol Rovers, who sacked him in December. However this doesn’t seem to bother him either. He said that he’s honoured to be chosen for this job and expects to do a great deal better than just keeping Scotland off the bottom; he believes they can do far better than that..

For his part, Strachan says that the team needs to start out with a positive frame of mind and the attitude that gaining international respect is a goal worth working for. He said Mark has the same philosophy and that his (Mark’s) enthusiasm will be a big asset. The two have been friends for a long time, and as former Scotland manager Craig Brown maintains, it’s best when colleagues are also friends. Brown commented, “They say football is an old pals act and it is.”

McGhee says he’s confident in the calibre of Scotland players; he said he had done some scouting for Scotland’s former manager Craig Levein (prior to Strachan taking the job just last week) so he knows there is “. . . a very exciting squad of players to work with . . .”. His vision of the future for team Scotland matches up nicely with Strachan’s; they hope to rise in the ranks – all the way to the top.