Man Utd. make hard work of it against Fulham

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In the recent big match at Old Trafford, the hosts huffed and puffed for the most part without fully exerting the influence over the ever defensive Fulham. United are now leading their rivals, Manchester city by three points in the title race. Rooney was at the right place in right time for firing the winner just three minutes before the break after cut-back at far post from Jonny Evans.

The goal has proved to be enough for three points but United were unable to further cut the 3 goal difference advantage of City despite having many chances in the second half. The cottagers has little to to offer in their 4-5-1 formation, and also had the knowledge that they had won only once at United’s ground since the year 1959.

They got a good chance early in the match but, the keeper David de Gea saved the Goal and denied Clint Dempsey. There was pressure at the other end but when Ashley Young floated over a cross, Rooney ducked underneath it.

Evans, with his presence of mind, nudged the ball back to the striker who beat Mark Schwarzer, finishing simply from close range. Schwarzer then made some smart moves saving attempts from both Rooney and Young and everyone was relieved when the final whistle blew.

The Beckhams sell up to move permanently to LA

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David and Victoria Beckham have recently made the announcement that they are going to be leaving the United Kingdom permanently in favour of Los Angeles. They are also reportedly selling their homes in France in addition to their £18 million UK property.

A source close to the couple has recently commented, “They have been wanting to sell their home for some time now. They were nervous about putting the house up for sale when the property market was in a slump and they just recently made the decision that the time for the sale was right.

It is still the case that they have lost money on the property because they conducted a great deal of renovations but I don’t think money is something they are too concerned about.”

They purchased the home, which is located in Hertfordshire, in 1999 for a reported £2.5 million. However, in this time they’ve spent over £18 million on renovations. The home now includes a petting zoo, gym, studio, swimming pools as well as tennis courts. It has also been reported that Victoria Beckham intends to buy an apartment in London to act as a base for when she is in the city for work.

Riot breaks out at football match in Athens

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A soccer match at the Athens Olympic Stadium was the scene of mass rioting last Sunday. FC Olympiakos and FC Panathinaikos are long-standing rivals and a match between them is known as “The Derby of Eternal Enemies”. Out-of-control fans underscored that enmity in a disgraceful exhibition that left 20 police officers injured and at least 50 fans in custody.

The trouble started before the game even got underway, when Panathinaikos fans scuffled with police as they tried to enter the stadium without tickets. Midway through the game, with the score 1-0 in favour of Olympiakos, an outburst of burning flares and improvised Molotov cocktails rained down on the pitch, iron bars and seats were hurled and the game was called off entirely.

This level of violence over a football rivalry is not entirely unprecedented but the fact that these “fans” showed up with weapons of destruction gives the scene an alarmingly dark side. The Greek Super League has a practice of not allowing a visiting team’s fans to attend a match. This is intended to prevent this sort of over-the-top behaviour, which has been a problem in the past, but not to such a horrific extent.

Panathinaikos faces disciplinary measures that include a stiff fine and the possibility of having to play to an empty stadium for the rest of the season – if they play at all

Health risks to professional sportsmen back in the headlines

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The controversy about health risks for professional athletes has been stirred up again, following the collapse due to a cardiac arrest of soccer player Fabrice Muamba during a match at Tottenham last Saturday.

Doctors from both clubs as well, as a cardiac consultant who was in the stands, were quick to respond with efforts at resuscitation, but it was a close thing. At latest report Muamba is recovering, but he was effectively dead for more than an hour.

In cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping and death results in minutes if the victim gets no medical attention. It always occurs suddenly, without warning, and it happens fairly often in those who have never shown any evidence of heart disease. In the aftermath of Saturday’s events, many are calling for more intensive screening of athletes, in hopes of preventing future episodes.

The cholesterol charity Heart UK is urging football authorities to take the lead in the instigation of such screening. Chief executive Jules Payne said that an inherited condition known as FH (familial hypercholesterolaemia) is one known cause of cardiac arrest that could be detected with proper screening.

Peter Scudamore, CE of the English Premier League, said that while there can never be any guarantees, the organisation will be taking every measure necessary to reduce the risks to players.

Plan for the future from Scottish football Fans

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Plan for the future from Scottish football Fans

Plan for the future from Scottish football Fans

Football supporters have a unique vision for league football in Scotland, and it includes larger attendance at games, better methods of funding, and increased competition.

The Scotland trust Supporters Direct Scotland aims to implement some of these changes by publishing their directive, The Fans’ Plan,’ that is filled with recommendations to help make league football more entertaining for fans in the country. The information contained inside is the result of two years of surveys conducted among fans and supporters.

The Fans’ Plan calls for:

greater competition within Scottish league football structures

equal funding for each team in a league

support for clubs by central league management to increase the average attendance by 20% by 2016, and achieve an average stadium capacity utilisation of 65% within 10 years

two leagues of 16 teams, and a qualifying league of 10 or a feeder league of 16

re-introducing the League Cup, with a mini-league qualifying format structured on a geographical basis with four teams in each group

improved training and professional development for all players including greater use of Modern Apprenticeships and post-career planning

the establishment and implementation of a strong club licensing scheme

SDS spokesperson, Alan Harris commented: “The future of Scottish league football lies in the hands of its supporters and Supporters Direct Scotland has gathered the views of fans for the past two years: the most comprehensive surveys of football supporters in recent times. Fans are clearly telling us, we want more competition, more even distribution of the available funds, investment in the game, especially developing its talent from grassroots, and a greater say for supporters in clubs and national football.”

Alan Harris added: “Our approach is fairly simple. It’s about creating a virtuous circle for the long-term benefit of Scottish football. Too much of the present has been driven by short-term fixes and quick wins. However, that approach is unravelling at every level of the game. The time is right to re-build the foundations of the game in Scotland. We are proposing that a combination of league re-structuring, a re-formatted League Cup and more even distribution of funds, can continue to attract the all-important television sponsorship, create more competition between clubs and widen the game’s attraction to bring supporters back. This is our path to more sustainable development of Scottish league football.”