Millennium stadium pulling out all the stops for Wales v England

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Millennium stadium pulling out all the stops for Wales v England After a heavy schedule of rugby matches having hosted Six Nations rugby, the ground staff at Millennium stadium is feverishly working to get the pitch ready for the Euro 2012 Wales sellout against rival England. Stadium manager Gerry Toms says the pitch will be ready for the first football match to be played in 18 months at the stadium.

In the past, when qualifying games for major tournaments had been staged at the Millennium some high profile stars such as Craig Bellamy and James Collins had been very outspoken and critical of the status of the pitch. Saying things like the pitch is not good to play football on or than it was horrendous.

There have been complaints that rugby players and their games get preference over those of football saying that it is not a great pitch because it is a rugby pitch and that they are not looked after here at this stadium.

The stadium manager Toms is confident the pitch will be ready and in excellent shape for the Football Association of Wales mentioning that because the stadium is multi-event stadium the criticism in the past has been quite fair but that they work hard to get the best surface possible for every event that is staged.

The last match was Wales against Ireland at the Six Nations on March 12, so the pitch will have had a very important two weeks without any competitions. The improved weather conditions in the past couple of weeks are a relief after one of the worst winters in years and a busy schedule and this will give additional help to getting the pitch in shape for European qualifying.

New Era at sports exhibition

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The lifestyle brand, New Era Cap Co, have announced their presence at this Monday’s Exhibition of Sprot Merchandise. It is to be held at Wembley Arena and record crowds are expected.

Since it was started 90 years ago as a small family business, New Era has become a  lifestyle brandacross the globe. They were the original pioneers of such classic styles as the Newsboy, Gatsby and flapper. Their designs epitomised the 1920’s in America. The new EK collection features the classic men’s headwear of the time tailored to suit the consumer today..

The brand is rightly proud of it’s football heritage; a bond with supporters forged by their creation of authentic sporting merchandise. Their stand will emphasise these bonds by having a ‘football in the 1920’s’ theme.There will be a large image of football fans in 1923 entering a football ground ans they  are all sporting classic caps from the time.

Today, New Era is now the official on-field headwear provider for Major League Baseball and also holds major licenses with the NHL, NFL and the NBA. New Era continues to specialise in creating quality headwear which transcend time, culture, sport and fashion; those classic styles which defined an era still stand as some of the most popular silhouettes today.

It was a natural progression for New Era to become the brand of choice in customising accessories for some of the best football teams across Europe, proudly collaborating with over 70 of Europe’s top Premiership clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham. At this year’s exhibition, New Era will be showcasing a mix of EK by New Era, Authentic MLB 59FIFTY and football licensed product.

To honor this flourishing relationship, New Era is proud to present an authentic EK by New Era Newsboy cap with unique heritage inspired lining, available exclusively to VIPs and executives during the event.

For more info detailing the brand’s 90 years in the headwear and sports merchandise business, log onto: www.neweracap.co.uk.

Stewart Downing fights it out with his agent in court

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Stewart Downing fights it out with his agent in court Stewart Downing, the winger who has played for both Middlesbrough and Aston Villa was in court recently to settle a long running dispute with his agent, Ian Elliott. The court heard how Downing, 26, had trusted Elliott so implicitly to the point where he signed papers without even checking them.

It was in January 2007 that the cracks first started to appear in their seemingly solid relationship. In a radio interview, Elliott stated that Tottenham Hotspur had shown an interest in Downing, a fact the player didn’t want broadcasting as he was settled at Middlesbrough.

Soon after that Downing discovered that one of his companies had only £11,000 in its account, not the £600,000 + he thought should be there. The court was told that Elliott was siphoning off the money to support his own business ventures, which were failing and had mounting debts.

Downing admitted he never checked over contracts and the like before signing as he trusted Elliott, and believed him to always have his best interests at heart. He also admitted that he left a lot of the running of the businesses solely to Elliott so he could concentrate on his football.

A further allegation against Elliott is that he created a conflict of interest by acting as agent for both Middlesbrough FC and Downing during crucial contract negotiations, an act that is against the rules of the F.A.

The prosecutor, Christopher Attwooll, told the court that Elliott had dishonestly managed Downing’s affairs to meet his own financial need and abused the complete trust that Downing had placed in him. Elliot vehemently denies the charges that have been brought against him and the case continues.

‘Old Firm’ warned about possible arrests

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'Old Firm' warned about possible arrests Following problems at the last ‘Old Firm’ football game between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic, culminating in an altercation between Rangers Assistant Manager Ally McCoist and Celtic Manager Neil Lennon, both clubs have been warned that they could be arrested in future, if conduct does not improve.

Strathckyde Police Chief Constable Stephen House said that, in future, police officers would visit the grounds and speak to both players and managers to warn them of possible offences, together with any action that might be taken. There was also a recent high-profile incident featuring AC Milan player Gennaro Gattuso and Tottenham Hotspur Assistant Manager Joe Jordan. Mr House said that an arrest on the pitch would only be made in extreme circumstances, such as those involving potential assaults of use of obscenities, however, action would be considered after the game.

A four hour summit, convened by Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond, was held after the game, leading to an eight point action plan, including the prospects of holding games mid-week, banning the sale of alcohol near the grounds, the banning of fans convicted of domestic violence, and a new Football Intelligence Unit. There was also an increase in reported violent crime after the game, although the Chairmen of both clubs felt that there was a general over-reaction to the game.

Mr Salmond considered that the meeting had been a success, that the priority had to be to reduce violence connected to such games and that players, managers and officials should be left in no doubt as to the possible consequences.

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER WITH MANCHESTER UNITED SOCCER SCHOOLS

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A SUMMER TO REMEMBER WITH MANCHESTER UNITED SOCCER SCHOOLS In addition to helping your child build foundational football skills, Manchester United Schools offers the opportunity for building communication, discipline, fair play, attitude, the development of behaviour, and enthusiasm. You will be giving your child a life long gift, while they are learning also that a fit and healthy lifestyle builds a good future.

Emma Savage, head of Manchester United Soccer Schools said, “Our courses here at Manchester United Soccer Schools are gaining momentum in popularity yearly, simply because we address more issues than just football training. Of course we improve chiefly football skills, but we also instil confidence, and refine social strategies.”

“Kids return to us each year because we impart to them the love of the game, the deep respect for football. Since we were formed in 1999 we have doing exactly this.”

For only £69.95 you can sign up for the Player Development Course, which is a two-day training. All of our coaches must be qualified by the UEFA and they take advantage of the latest equipment and a player’s journal in order to achieve excellence in the player. The coach monitors the process closely and adjusts the program.

The Residential Course can be had for £499.95 or £599.95. This is a time your child will cherish his whole lifetime. These courses also have coaches qualified with the UEFA, modern equipment for training, and the player’s journal. However, they also add the Nike Training Kit and access to the backstage of the Old Trafford closing ceremonies.

For the more information on all courses available in 2011 please visit: www.manutdsoccerschools.com