Today's Headlines

Football: Man U clinches title
The Red Devils clinched their third consecutive Premier League title with a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford. The title is Man U’s 18th in club history, equaling Liverpool’s record setting keep. "It's been a special time at the club since the manager took over and we've managed to win so much," Giggs said. "Hopefully we can carry on."

Tennis: Murray bows out of Madrid Tennis Masters
The 22-year old Scot fell to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, 6-7, 6-3. The loss is a staggering blow for Murray who hoped to use Madrid as a solid warm-up for the French Open.


Flintoff Questionable for Twenty20
Andrew Flintoff’s World Twenty20 chances look slim, after admitting to Sky Sports that he will most likely not be fit in time. Flintoff is currently recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee, and fears that he will not be rehabilitated in time. “The rehabilitation will have to go extremely well, and I will have to be a little lucky as well,” Flintoff said.

True Football

Sometimes the best kind of football isn’t found at places like Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford. Sometimes you need to go beyond flashy passing, and blistering speed to find the true soul of English football. It might take a little effort, and open-mindedness, but, it’s worth it for the experience. I saw into the soul of English football last night, at a little stadium called Underhill, in a little neighbourhood called Barnet, where a little team called the Bees showed me what true football really is. Barnet F.C. is currently in League Two, of the Coca Cola Football League. That’s the fourth division. A full 82 places behind Chelsea in the standings. They won’t be winning FA Cup Finals or making the trip to Europe anytime soon. But, based on what I saw, Barnet and its fans only need to go as far as Underhill Stadium for passionate soccer.

After a confusing walk around the stadium and a quick stop in the club shop, which was more of a trailer than a megastore, I took my seat in the main stand. I expected to feel suffering. The Bees were in the bottom half of the lowest division of league football. What more could fans do than slowly suffer with their team? But after sitting among the supporters for a few minutes, I realized that you don’t come to a Barnet game unless you really love Barnet. And the fact that the Bees were in the spot that they were gave fans the rare ability to make light of the situation.

I sat amongst a group of older gentlemen took full advantage of this luxury. I could easily tell that they were Barnet “lifers”, men who had the spirit of the Bees running through their blood. I could also tell this because they were some of the loudest hecklers in the stadium that night. Jeering at the referee and calling opposing players “Fatty”, the men sarcastically and wittily cheered on Barnet all night. With comments that had better timing than a perfect run, I was quietly chuckling to myself all night, amused at their jokes and impressed with their attitude.

The football wasn’t perfect. No, it was far from perfect. There were countless errant passes, poor touches and miscommunications. But it was genuine. And when Barnet put two goals in the back of the net, my compatriot’s cheering was just as genuine.

Chelsea Holds Open Practice for Fans

Chelsea never holds open practices. The last time they did, earlier in the season, when Scolari was the new kid on the block, the practice drew over 6,000 people. When I read that Chelsea were opening their doors again, I jumped at the chance to see my beloved Blues.

The session was not scheduled to start until 11:30 but doors opened at 10, and there was already a modest line forming at 9:30. The empty stadium was crawling with young Chelsea faithful, off for half term, and their parents. I arrived early enough so that I sat in the fourth row, just to the left of the 18 yard box. As 11:30 drew closer, Neil Barnett, of CTV warmed up the crowd, leading them in chants and cheers, and also introduced assistant coach Ray Wilkins, who gave a brief run-down of what would be going on at practice. Lots of small possession games, and at the end a full-field scrimmage.



The excitement grew with each passing minute, and soon enough the players, and new coach Guus Hiddink took the field. The practice itself was very lighthearted and fun, but still maintained a level of seriousness. The players acknowledged the crowd at points, waving to fans, and showing off their world-class skills. But in the end, it was a serious training session. Seeing so many world-class players up close was amazing. Their skill was superb, and I felt so lucky to be seeing it so close. But what impressed me the most was the fact that they are just normal people. It was refreshing to see them having fun, smiling and joking with each other as they performed. After the session, several of the players came over and signed autographs for the waiting and appreciative crowd. I managed to get John Terry, Florent Malouda and Paolo Ferreria’s autographs. Overall, the practice was great success. It successfully connected fans with their beloved Blues and gave them an inside look at what makes Chelsea great.

For more pics from the practice, go here

SNOW!!

7 inches of snow blanketed London yesterday, bringing all FA Cup games to a halt. This is in stark contrast to the United States, where soccer is played regularly in the snow and frigid temperatures. It would be interesting to see Premier League players endure a winter in the Northeast.  

Well Done, Club

Although it doesn’t relate directly to football, the sport of rugby still falls close to the center of the heart of any Brit. I experienced this for myself on Saturday when I attended a league Two? Rugby game at Blackheath. The contest saw the home team facing off against third-ranked Tynesdale. Blackheath won the game convincingly by a score of 28-3. However, the game itself wasn’t the real story. It was the atmosphere. It was messy, muddy, violent at times, but most of all, it was fun. Fans shouted words of encouragement and the onslaught of boos that are so often found in American sports were curiously absent. The game and the setting had a very grassroots feel to it. From the modest stands to the comfortable clubhouse, Blackheath, the oldest rugby club in the country proved to be very inviting. Here's a video of one of the scrums from the game. From the colorful fans to the vicious hits, you can see why the British love it so much.

Blue is the Colour

Now that I’ve settled into London, I’m starting to see what all the fuss is about. Although my first impressions of London soccer didn’t exactly sweep me off my feet, I’m beginning to see that there’s something very special about it. I arrived in London last Tuesday, so my first football Saturday came this past Saturday. It wasn’t well-planned and ended with me in an ordinary pub watching Arsenal defeat Hull City. It was an engaging game, and the pub was rather full, however, it wasn’t the euphoric religious-like atmosphere that I was expecting to find in a London pub on a Saturday. But the mood was warm and the atmosphere was light which made it an enjoyable experience overall.


Today I decided to take a field trip to Stamford Bridge. I’ve always been fond of Chelsea, and have argued that it’s the team that Americans can most identify with in the English Premier League. Many people make the New York Yankees-Manchester United comparison, but the New York Yankees are hated by a majority of Americans, and aren’t symbolic of true American ideals. Chelsea has had a hard-luck history with few successes until just recently when it burst onto the scene as a powerhouse. They’re an appealing sexy choice, with international superstars and larger-than-life characters. Using this as my logic, I made my way out to Stamford Bridge for a stadium tour. I started off in the museum where I became more familiar with Chelsea’s history. Chelsea hasn’t always been the powerhouse that it is today, and has found itself in severe debt several times. Despite this they’re produced several world class players including Zola, Peter Osgood, and current England skipper John Terry, and have won several pieces of hardware, including the FA Cup four times and the Premiership title 3 times. The museum had everything from Jose Mourinho’s famous coat to Petr Cech’s head gear and a life size replica of Fatty Foulkes, an overweight goalkeep who played for the Blues in 1905.



My tour was led by Helena a funny and charming woman that gave us real insight into the stadium and the team. Before the tour began she had everyone that wasn’t from England state their Nationality. There were people from France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia. I was the only American. So much for my logic. The tour took us from the visitors section seats into the visiting and home locker rooms, through the tunnel where the players run out onto the field, and up to the highest part of the stands, where you can get some great pictures. There was a certain simplicity to the stadium as a whole. Unlike an American sports franchise, this was truly the definition of a club, even though it was a multimillion dollar one at that. There was true character and a genuine appreciation for tradition, which is not easily found in American sports leagues. After absorbing the history of Chelsea, and seeing their home, the Blues have won me over. I purchased my long sleeve jersey and cap, and I’ve locked into Chelsea for life. To check out the pictures from my field trip, go here.

1 Week to Go

So, there's about one week left before I begin my journey into British football. I'm kind of hoping it goes a little like this.