World Cup trespasser sentencing delayed

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World Cup trespasser sentencing delayed A football supporter who was accused of trespassing at the World Cup for walking into England’s dressing room must wait until next week to hear his sentence. Pavlos Joseph aged 32 from London appeared at a Cape Town special World Cup Court, but his case was delayed until Wednesday.

Craig Webster, his solicitor, requested that the case be adjourned because he was waiting for CCTV footage from the Green Point stadium that documented the event. At a hearing previous to the latest one, Joseph was banned from attending any future World Cup matches, was released on a £44 bail, and had his passport taken until sentencing is complete.

Webster asked the case to be postponed until Wednesday, which magistrate Azix Hamied granted.  The footage is expected to be in the solicitor’s hands by then. Joseph claimed that he was searching for a toilet after the match was over when a security guard appeared and directed him towards the players’ tunnel.

After he turned the wrong way he said that he ran into David Beckham and asked him what he was going to do to turn England around. The incident caused the Football Association to issue a complaint to Fifa, the World Cup organizer.

A spokeswoman for the UK police forces in South Africa stated that a football banning order would not be issued due to the fact the incident was not violent in nature. Joseph stated that he then told Beckham he was searching for a toilet.

The Adidas F50 adiZero – the world’s lightest football boot

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The Adidas F50 adiZero - the world's lightest football boot Today it is the turn of the football boot to be revolutionised.  At only 165grams the brand new adidas F50 adiZero is the lightest boot ever made and it is set to transform the beautiful game. The boots combine ultra light materials with core stability that will allow players to travel at light speed. Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, will wear this new innovation at the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup as he aims to set the world alight.

The need for innovation and speed in football has never been greater. Millimetres and split seconds are what players are judged on and the adidas F50 adiZero has been designed to redefine the rules of fast. The boot is made from the industry’s lightest fabrics and leading technologies to reach 165 grams per boot – the same weight as a Frisbee. This seemingly impossible achievement is made possible by a number of key design developments:

* A SprintSkin single layer upper to the boot means its light and ultra comfortable
* A Sprint Frame outsole takes inspiration from running sprint spikes using bridges to creates support throughout the foot
* Thermo Polyurethane bands are weaved throughout the top of the boot to aid stability when travelling at speed
* A revolutionary triangular stud configuration provides maximum acceleration and optimum support for lateral and medial movements

Lionel Messi will be the first player to wear the distinctive chameleon purple, white and electricity colourway during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Player of the Year said “I am amazed at how light the new F50 is; I can barely feel them on my feet. Speed on the pitch is a really important part of my game and wearing the world’s lightest boot will hopefully make me faster and enhance my performance during the most important games of the year!”

The F50 adiZero will be worn by players during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The chameleon purple, white and electricity boot will be worn exclusively by Lionel Messi with Steven Pienaar (South Africa), Jozy Altidore (U.S.A), Shunsake Nakamura (Japan), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Arjen Robben (Holland) and Lukas Podolski (Germany) wearing the sun, black and collegiate gold colourway and David Villa (Spain), Samir Nasri (France), Jermain Defoe (England) and Johan Vonlanthen (Switzerland) wearing the black and sun version.

The black/sun yellow colourway and the sun yellow/black/gold colourway will hit retail on May 24th 2010 in all adidas Sport Performance stores, as well as at leading e-retailers and selected sports retailers around the world. The Chameleon boot will go on sale on July 12th 2010.

RRP £125

Follow adidas’ 50 Days of Fast on www.facebook.com/adidasfootball featuring Messi, Kaka, De Rossi, Simao, Ballack and Gourcuff giving insights on how they think football has developed over the years to become a faster game. Facebook fans also have the chance to take part in a “fast” knowledge competition to win a pair of new F50’s exclusively signed by Messi.



Limited Edition Coo Clocks for World Cup 2010

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Limited Edition Coo Clocks for World Cup 2010 The football edition of a cuckoo clock has arrived.

With less than 100 days to go until the kick off of the World Cup 2010, football fans everywhere are counting down to a long summer of sport. This year football fans can enjoy the run up with a Limited Edition Football Coo Clock™ from HeadsUp Design.

These special edition Footballer Coo Clocks™ take inspiration from the classic Swiss cuckoo clocks, but incorporate contemporary style and modern functionality. Designed in the England team’s colours of red, white and blue, the clock is decorated with the St. George’s Cross and features a swinging pendulum in the shape of a football.

On the hour, the clock will sound with a football whistle followed by the roar of the ecstatic crowd as the character emerges from inside the clock and kicks a match winning goal.  Watch the video to see more:

In addition to the hourly show, goals can also be scored on demand by pressing a button on the side of the clock – regrettably, something confined to the Coo Clocks™ and not applicable in an England penalty shoot out!

The clock comes equipped with a light sensor which automatically shuts off the character when the room becomes dark, ensuring that football fans get a good night’s sleep before each fixture.

The Limited Edition Football Coo Clocks™ retail at £45.00 and are available from www.headsupco.com

Abbey Clancy still unsure about South Africa

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Abbey Clancy still unsure about South Africa Although Abbey Clancy is not sure if she will head to the World Cup in South Africa this summer, it’s a sure bet that she still will not turn away at the chance for a photoshoot.

Peter Crouch however has not yet picked out the England squad, but his former model and now television presenter and WAG is in demand as much as she ever was.

Umbro choose Clancy to be the Three Lions representative in a new promotion of shirts that show the favourites for the World Cup.

Regardless of if Fabio Capello the England coach chooses to use her finance who has performed less than standard last season is an entirely different matter.

The promotional effort by Umbro resembles an old 60s promotion with period kits, in the hopes that the new casual line of shirts will sell fabulously ahead of the England team shirts.

Each kit has a new take on the national badge that is a mixture of tattoo designers, graffiti artists, record label owners’, and cartoonists according to the company.  Prices for each of the shirts start at £40 and feature the country of the buyers’ choice.

Also appearing on the shirts are Alberto Gilardino’s girlfriend, Gael Clichy’s wife Charlene Suric, Alice Bregoli, and Diego Forlan’s wife Zaira Nara.

Going to the World Cup Finals? Keep an eye on the exchange rate.

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If you are going to the World Cup Finals in South Africa, it might be a good idea to keep a close eye on the exchange rate.  Figures from M&S Travel Money show that the rand rate has fluctuated against sterling by as much as 3.3 rand per pound during the past year. In October travellers could get 11.39 rand per pounds, compared to 14.69 rand last December.

M&S Money are advising fans to keep track of currency rates rather than wait until next summer to purchase their spending money, especially since supporters will be paying thousands of pounds on flights, hotels and match tickets, and will want to get the most for their money.

Of course there is no way of predicting what the rate will be next summer, however English fans should keep track of the rand rate over the coming months.