FOOTY FAIR

Rio 2016: Who Would Have Been on Team Great Britain?

2016-08-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Great Britain, after a fielding a side in the London games of 2012, have opted not to send a football team to the Olympic Games this summer in Brazil.

A lack of support from the Home Nations is the reason that Great Britain will not be competing in the men's or women's football tournaments.

The English FA was hoping to send a team to Brazil to provide valuable tournament experience for younger players, however the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FA all rejected the proposal of a combined squad. FIFA in turn, stated that a British team could only compete in the games if all four federations were in agreement, so with that Britain is on the outside looking in.

If they had sent a side to Rio though, we here at FootyFair wondered who would have been in it?

In attempting to put together a Team GB for the Olympics, we stuck to the rule that you could only have three players in the side who were older than 23 years of age and also opted to include at least one player from each of the British and Northern Irish associations.

The following is the youthful, attacking and somewhat surprising side that we came up with:

(Age listed in parenthesis.)

GK: David Marshall (31) - Scotland

Having an experienced, and quality, keeper is critical for any successful side so I've opted to use one of Team GB's three overage picks on Cardiff City's David Marshall. Included in many pundits Premier League team of the season, two years ago, Marshall's quality is a bit overlooked because of playing for a less fashionable side, but he is a superb shot stopper who would be a safe pair of hands behind what is a very attacking side.

RB: Calum Chambers (21) - England

With a limited number of quality fullbacks to choose from, I've opted to go for the youthful promise of Calum Chambers at right back. The Arsenal youngster has excelled for England's under-21's and would benefit from playing in a big tournament such as this.

CB: John Stones (22) - England

The most sought after defender in the Premier League, Everton's John Stones might be England's most technically adept centre back since Rio Ferdinand was at his peak.

CB: Jonny Evans (28) - Northern Ireland

Although he had his ups and downs with Manchester United, Jonny Evans has had a resurgence at West Brom and showed the sort of form last season that made some question whether or not he had been sent packing from Old Trafford prematurely. A big part of Northern Ireland's run to the Round of 16 at Euro 2016, Evans would be one of my overage players in the squad.

LB: Ben Davies (23) - Wales

He may be the second string left back for Tottenham at the moment, but at Euro 2016 Ben Davies showed that might only be a temporary thing for the promising left back. In helping his country to the Semi-Finals in France he displayed the impressive form he had shown earlier in his career for Swansea.

MF: Eric Dier (22) - England

One of the few players to emerge from England's disastrous showing at the Euros with any credit, Spurs midfielder Eric Dier would hold down the middle of the park for Team GB.

MF: Dele Alli (20) - England

Although he didn't look his best at the Euros, Dele Alli, is another talented young English player for Spurs who would be a key part of Team GB. A skillful attacker, with a flair for the dramatic, the best is surely yet to come from the former Milton Keynes man.

MF: Ross Barkley (22) - England

Another talented attacker, Everton's Ross Barkley would give Team GB yet more attacking impetus from midfield.

FW: Marcus Rashford (18) - England

Manchester United's young breakout star, Marcus Rashford is as comfortable out wide as he is up top, and would play on the right of the forward line.

FW: Harry Kane (23) - England

Although he stuttered to perform at the Euros, mainly due to looking absolutely exhausted after a long season, a rested and revitalized Harry Kane would be a crucial part of Team GB's attack.

Gareth Bale (27) - Wales

What more can you say about the third overage player I've picked in Gareth Bale? He's been terrific for the last five seasons and this side would provide him with the service to cut opposition teams to ribbons.

Missed Connections: Sides That Surprisingly Haven't Played Each Other More Often

2016-04-06T09:23:00.000-04:00

Some club and international sides just seem to be made to play one another as they dominate competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup or other "inter-nations" title. Nonetheless, as unlikely as it may seem, this list is about sides that you would swear have played one another a lot more often than they actually have.

Liverpool v Manchester United (European Competition)

Until their recent Europa League meeting, Liverpool and Manchester United have never met in Europe before. The two English football rivals have made it to the same UEFA competitions on numerous ocassions, but 2016 would mark their first ever showdown, with Liverpool knocking The Red Devils out of the tournament over a two-leg battle.

Brazil v Germany (World Cup)

With 9 FIFA World Cup titles between them and at least one of them qualifying to the semi-finals of the tournament in each of the World Cup editions since 1934 (2nd World Cup), it's hard to believe that the two have not played each other even once until 2002 when Brazil beat the Germans in that year's World Cup final match. Brazil did play an East German side in 1974, but West Germany is considered as modern Germany when football statistics are tallied.

Benfica v Real Madrid

Despite both clubs being extremely successful in their domestic leagues, Spanish side Real Madrid and Portuguese club Benfica haven't played a competitive match against one another since 1965. A bit hard to believe as it seems we see the two compete in the Champions League every single season. The last time the two met, Benfica knocked Real Madrid out of the 1964-65 European Cup competition with a 6-3 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.

England v Scotland

In 1870, the first international football match in history was one played between Scotland and England. The two rivals have played each other many times since, but in recent years the two have not been able to "lock horns" in any competitive match. Aside from a couple friendlies, England and Sctoland haven't played against each other in a competitive match since 1999; that's 17 years for those that lost track of time. That is all about to change however, as the two were drawn into the same group in the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (Champions League Final)

Real Madrid's first European Cup title came in 1952, FC Bayern's in 1974 and Barcelona's first Champions League trophy in 1992. But despite the incredible 20 titles and 11 runner-up achievements between the three clubs, they have never faced each other in the final. A little hard to believe, considering they seem like the only 3 sides we ever watch in the latter stages of the competition (at least in the last decade or so).

If you have more impressive missed connections you'd like to tell us about, comment below!

Throwback Thursdays: The Death of Jock Stein

2015-09-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Exactly thirty years ago today on 10 September 1985, Scottish football lost one of their greatest ever managers when John "Jock" Stein succumbed to a heart attack at the end of Scotland's 1-1 draw with Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff.

The result guaranteed Scotland a place in the qualification playoff round for the 1986 World Cup, but this result and their subsequent 2-0 aggregate win over two legs against Australia would be largely overshadowed by the tragic loss of their legendary manager.

Hailing from the rugged mining town of Burnbank, South Lanarkshire, Jock Stein was born on 5 October 1922. Hoping to escape the harsh reality of a life spent in the coal pits, Stein like many boys his age dreamt of pursuing a career in football.

In Stein's case his talent as a skillful centre back shone through as he managed to impress scouts of Albion Rovers while playing for his local junior side and signed his first contract with the Cliftonhill club in 1942.

Working part time in the mines, an essential service for the war effort, he was excluded from serving in World War 2 and in the meantime able to continue his career for Rovers.

After eight years with the club, Stein played a single season for Llanelli Town in Wales before a surprise move came to the club he would become synonymous with, Celtic.

In 1953-1954 Stein captained Celtic to the League and Cup double, their first league title since 1938 and first double since 1915. Unfortunately a serious ankle injury put an end to his playing career in January 1957.

Moving into management, he first took on the reigns of Celtic's reserve side before jumping at the chance to become the first team manager of Dunfermline Athletic in 1960.

He would come back to haunt his old club when he led "The Pars" to victory in the Scottish Cup over Celtic in 1961, the first Scottish Cup Final win in the team's history.

After four successful seasons at the club, which featured runs to the latter stages of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and Fairs Cup, Stein had a one season stop at Hibernian before coming back to Parkhead and taking over Celtic's hotseat.

Under his management Celtic would enjoy the most successful period in it's already storied history, winning ten Scottish league titles (including a record nine in a row), eight Scottish Cups, six Scottish League Cups, and most famously of all victory over heavy favourites Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup Final.

Impressing with their attacking football against Internazionale's defensive-style "catenaccio", Stein's Celtic side was made up of nearly all Glasgow born players who would come to be dubbed "The Lisbon Lions" for their stunning 2-1 win at Benfica's Stadium of Light.

In 1978, after a slight dip in fortunes, Stein was unceremoniously forced out at Celtic. A short stint at Leeds United followed, before he took on the post of the Scottish national team manager.

Leading a talented Scottish squad to the 1982 World Cup, Stein's side were just edged out in the first round by the Soviet Union on goal difference.

For their 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign, Scotland found themselves in a tough group with Spain and a talented Welsh side, with Iceland making up the numbers.

While Spain won the group, Scotland went into Cardiff for their final fixture needing at least a draw to qualify for the playoffs at Wales expense.

Stein, who was not in good health and under intense pressure from the Scottish press, saw his side go down to an early goal by Mark Hughes. With only nine minutes to play Davie Cooper slammed in a penalty for the Scots to put them on course for the point they needed.

With two minutes to go in the match, wrongly mistaking the referee whistling for a foul as the final whistle, Stein got up to shake hands with his Welsh counterpart Mike England. He collapsed to his knees, before falling completely to the ground.

As Stein was carried into the dressing room his side held their nerve and closed out the match.

Not knowing the gravity of the situation, the Scottish players celebrated their qualification with 12,000 travelling fans before Stein's devastated assistant Alex Ferguson came over to tell them that Stein had suffered what was believed to have been a heart attack.

Shortly after Stein would slip into unconsciousness on the treatment table and never wake up.

After his death, Cardiff City would erect a plaque honouring him at Ninian Park and later move this plaque to their new ground, while Celtic would rename the west end of Celtic Park as the Jock Stein Stand. In 2011 a bronze statue of Stein was erected outside of Celtic Park holding the European Cup, a fitting tribute for the first British manager to capture the famous trophy.

What Graham Leggat Meant to Canadians

2015-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, August 30 former Scottish international Graham Leggat passed away at the age of 81.

The Aberdeen-born Leggat scored 64 goals in 109 games for the Dons between 1953 and 1958, while helping the club temporarily break-up the Old Firm with a Scottish league title in 1954-1955 and a Scottish League Cup in 1955-1956.

As tributes for Leggat came pouring in from around the soccer world, his local club issued the following statement:

"Everyone at Aberdeen is saddened with the news that former star Graham Leggat has passed, arguably one of the best players ever to grace Pittodrie."

"The term 'legend' is overused these days but in Graham's case it was entirely appropriate. He was a wonderful servant for both club and country and our thoughts are with his family at this extremely sad time."

Shortly after appearing for Scotland at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, as was the norm for many of Scotland's brightest stars of the era, Leggat moved down south to England and joined up with Fulham.

After transferring to the London club for £20,000, he went on to score 134 goals in 280 games for the Cottagers - including a record breaking three-minute hat-trick in a game against Ipswich in 1963.

His record for the fastest hat-trick in a top flight match in England would stand for over fifty years until Sadio Mane of Southampton bested his record time in May 2015.

Despite being a player of considerable pace and skill, it was his post playing career that would impact the greatest number of people and it would come in the most unlikely of places.

Moving to Canada in 1971 to manage the Toronto Metros of the old NASL, Leggat would come to call this country his own and after moving into broadcasting during the soccer tournament at the 1976 Olympics he would help grow the interest people have here in the sport.

It seems hard to believe now with the wall to wall coverage of soccer in this country that before a young cable station called TSN grabbed the rights to the World Cup in 1986, soccer coverage in Canada was almost nonexistent.

The national broadcaster CBC would show the FA Cup Final each year on a one week delay and prior to the aforementioned World Cup you would have to go to a cinema or arena showing matches on closed circuit to see the finals once every four years. League matches or highlight packages, even on cable television, simply weren't shown.

After the success of the Italian side at the 1982 World Cup and the resulting parties on St. Clair in Toronto, broadcasters started to think that there might be something to this whole soccer business though and the full coverage of the 1986 tournament in Mexico was the result.

One of the reporters for TSN that had been hired to cover this "foreign" sport was Graham Leggat and the Scotsman with his distinctive accent and charm would quickly become the face of the game here.

Eventually Leggat would begin to host a weekly highlights program on TSN called "Soccer Saturday", which would provide a round up of highlights from around the globe, with a particular focus on European soccer.

The importance of this show for people my age cannot be overstated. It was our window into what was happening in the soccer world and whetted our appetite for seeing even more.

Around this period my grandmother used to mail me a bundle of Match, Shoot and 90 Minutes magazines from England every month or two, but besides that Soccer Saturday was the only way for me to get my fix on what was still seen as a fringe sport in North America.

Although the highlights were a week old, we were able to see our favourite sides and stars in action, listen to Graham's intelligent analysis, and then crowd around the television at the end of the show to hear him read out the live final scores from that day's matches.

If you were into soccer in the 1990's, particularly in the pre-available Internet age, this was how you effectively followed your club sides exploits.

Besides his work on the ground breaking Soccer Saturday show, Leggat also hosted TSN's first forays into the UEFA Champions League when the revamped European Cup began play in the 1992-1993 season and he was also on the desk for the network's World Cup and European Championship coverage.

With his dedication, enthusiasm and knowledge Leggat helped grow soccer on our screens here in Canada and I think you could argue that without him we wouldn't have had the interest necessary for Sportsnet and TSN to begin showing live league matches starting in the late 1990's.

A true broadcast pioneer, a great player, and from all accounts a kind man, Graham Leggat will be missed, but for fans of the beautiful game like myself in Canada his impact will not be soon forgotten.

4 Notorious Handballs

2015-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last week as the worst crisis in FIFA's history continued to unfold, one of the stories that came out was that the beleaguered organization had paid the Football Association of Ireland a reported €5 million to drop their threats of legal action after France's Thierry Henry denied them a place at the 2010 World Cup with a blatant handball.

The notorious incident in Paris is just one of several examples of when players influenced a key moment with their hands.

1978 World Cup Qualifying - Wales vs Scotland

With Scotland needing a win over Wales to qualify for the World Cup in Argentina they met Wales in October of 1977 at Anfield, as the Welsh FA had deemed that none of their own grounds were suitable for the fixture. It turned out to be a massive mistake as the Scots snapped up most of the match tickets and turned what was supposed to be a home match into very much an away fixture. Wales managed to hang on against a good Scottish side though until eleven minutes from time when Scotland forward Joe Jordan jumped for a ball in their box and clearly handled. The referee inexplicably called a penalty for Scotland and after Don Masson converted, with Kenny Daglish adding a late second, Wales were left with a 2-0 defeat and their World Cup qualification hopes extinguished.

1986 World Cup Quarter-Final - England vs Argentina

The granddaddy of controversial handballs and one of the most infamous moments in World Cup history occurred in Mexico during the Quarter-Final between rivals England and Argentina. With the match finely balanced, Argentina's Diego Maradona pounced on a poorly played back pass, leaped in front of England keeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball over him. The inexperienced referee gave the goal and England eventually crashed to a 2-1 defeat. Maradona later cheekily dubbed the incident "The Hand of God".

2010 World Cup Qualifying - Ireland vs France

After losing the first leg of their World Cup Qualifying Playoff 1-0 at home, few gave Ireland much chance of turning things around in Paris and qualifying for the finals in South Africa. However at the Stade de France a goal by Robbie Keane put the Irish ahead on the night and level on aggregate. In extra-time though France's Thierry Henry deliberately controlled the ball with his hand before centring for William Gallas' decisive finish. An enraged Ireland protested to no avail and France were off to the World Cup.

2010 World Cup Quarter-Final - Ghana vs Uruguay

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana came agonizingly close to becoming the first ever African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals until the cruel hand of fate blocked their path. An engrossing match between themselves and Uruguay was knotted at 1-1 in the last minute of extra time when Dominic Adiyiah headed what looked to be a winner towards the South Americans goal only for Luis Suarez to desperately bat it away with both hands. Suarez was sent off for this piece of blatant cheating and then cemented his reputation as a weasel for the ages when he jumped around in celebration in the tunnel when Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty. Ghana would then go on to lose in a penalty shootout.

Throwback Thursdays: The Tartan Army Captures Wembley

2015-06-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

The British Home Championship was an annual international tournament involving England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that ran from 1884 until 1984 and was typically played at the end of the European club football season.

The competition consisted of the four sides from the British Isles playing each other once, with two points being granted for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The side with the most points at the end of this round of matches claimed the Championship. The hosting of matches alternated each season.

The Home Championships was the first international tournament and thus was an important part of football's early history. This competition would provide the rough framework for the various international tournaments that followed.On 4 June 1977, Scotland went into their final match against England at Wembley having not won under the famous twin towers in ten years. However with that year's British Home Championship table being topped by Wales, who had already played all of their matches and were only ahead of the Scots by a solitary point, the Tartan Army descended on London knowing that a win over the "Auld Enemy" would give their nation the title.

Scotland jumped out to a comfortable 2-0 lead with goals through Gordon McQueen and the future Liverpool legend Kenny Daglish.

Mick Channon replied for England from the penalty spot, but Scotland held firm and claimed the Championship with a 2-1 victory.

A joyous Scottish contingent, including Scottish singer Rod Stewart, rushed onto the pitch at the final whistle, broke down the goal posts and pulled up lumps of the hallowed Wembley turf.

Legend has it that many gardens across Scotland ended up with bits of transplanted Wembley grass growing in them in that punk rock summer of 1977.

My Random Queen of the South Kit

2015-05-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

When you're a football fan like I am, chances are there a few kits hanging in your closet.

While I do have quite a few in my own collection, I have friends who have enough to fill several closets and are running out of places to put them.

Most of the kits I have in my collection make sense based on the club and country I support, but there are also the random ones that I probably picked up after a few too many beers prior to visiting a market in Cancun or those I bought because I needed a black kit for a kickabout and forgot that I already had seven at home.

I have kits that family have sent me of the club's they support, like an old Napoli kit I have in my collection and Alianza kit from El Salvador to go along with the ones I've spent my own hard earned cash on.

There are kits which I won in pub draws, like my Ireland kit courtesy of An Sibin Pub, and a couple of cheap knockoff Manchester United kits from a 42% authentic Chinese sporting goods site of questionable quality.

By questionable quality I mean that two of them gave me a rash and at least five of them fell apart on the second time through the wash.

It tells you about the state of the world when you can't trust a good knock off jersey site anymore.

The oddest kit in my collection though is a 2001/2002 Queen of the South FC kit. It's odd in the fact that I don't follow Queen of the South, or even Scottish football really for that matter, yet this is a genuine Second Division Champions emblazoned kit that is signed by the entire squad.

In the pre-Internet days when you couldn't easily verify facts, and this site wouldn't exist for that matter, I could spin an elaborate web of lies about how I was a reserve striker for the club that season and was called in during an injury crisis to provide some much needed firepower up front. But for any of my friends reading this that have seen me play, they'll know that the Scottish second division isn't that abysmal.

Alas the story is not as exciting, but is a little strange at least. The Queen of the South kit came into my possession courtesy of a woman I used to work with.

Out of the blue this lady came over to me one day and said "Judging by all of the soccer pictures on your desk, I thought you'd like this jersey. One of the players on this side dated my daughter and gave me this. It's just been sitting in a closet, so you may as well have it."

I asked her the name of the player, but she couldn't remember sadly. Ah well, it was a nice gesture and yet another weird one for my collection.

5 of the Worst Misses in Football History

2015-04-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

Football is about glory. It's about great goals, brilliant saves and seeing your side lift trophies.
But let's face it, like a good film there's also a bit of comedy thrown in on occasion and among the funnier things that happen in football are the glaring misses some players experience when it looks far easier to score. Well, that is if the player doesn't play for your side of course.

The following are five of the most hilarious misses of all time:

Ronnie Rosenthal (Liverpool)

In the inaugural season of the English Premier League, Liverpool's Ronnie Rosenthal contrived to miss a chance so spectacularly it's still talked about to this day. After rounding Aston Villa's keeper, Rosenthal just had to pass the ball into the open net but instead blasted it off the cross bar.

Ilija Sivonjic (Dinamo Zagreb)

Needing only to tap in a ball virtually on the goal line, Dinamo Zagreb's Ilija Sivonjic somehow backheels the ball out. That takes skill.

Fahad Khalfan (Qatar)

The one man example of why you should learn to kick with both feet, Fahad Khalfan missed this epic chance against Uzbekistan, when he beat the keeper, cut across goal and instead of tapping in with his right he tried to pop it in with the outside of his left boot and badly miscued.

Diana Ross (Motown)

When the United States of America was granted the right to host the 1994 World Cup you knew that at least the opening ceremony was going to be big, bold and loud. The Americans didn't disappoint as they rolled out the stars for the opening gala event, including Ms. Diana Ross who was supposed to put the ball into the net and then run through as it exploded. It didn't go to plan at all though as Ross smashed it way wide.

Chris Iwelumo (Scotland)

Capped only four times for Scotland, poor Chris Iwelumo is mostly remembered for a ludicrous miss against Norway in a Qualifier for World Cup 2010. Faced with an open goal, he completely scuffed his chance when the ball hit a slight bobble and came off his planted foot. Iwelumo is said to still be tortured by the memories of this epic miss.

10 Hilarious Random Football Jokes

2015-04-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

Let's get the weekend off to a good start. 10 Random football jokes should do it.

Arsenal houswives

Why do so many housewives love Arsenal?
Because, they stay on top for ages and then come second.

Scotland job

I was playing Football Manager on my PC when I was offered the Scotland job.
I knew it was a shit squad with no future, so I declined the offer.
I then put the phone down and got back to Football Manager.

England Team in an orphanage

The England team visited an orphanage in Brazil today. 'It's heartbreaking to see their sad little faces with no hope,"' said Jose, age 6

If Valencia played for Valencia

Wouldn't it be funny if Antonio Valencia played for Valencia, David Villa played for Aston Villa and Danny Shittu played for Spurs?

Live forever

I met a fairy today who granted me one wish. "I want to live forever," I said.
"Sorry," said the fairy, "I'm not allowed to grant wishes like that."
"Fine," I said, "I want to die when West Brom win the premier league."
"You crafty c**t!" said the fairy.

The QPR dog

A QPR fan walks into a pub with his dog just as the football scores come on the TV. The announcer says that QPR have lost 3-0 and the dog immediately rolls over on its back, sticks its paws in the air and plays dead. "That's amazing," says the barman, "what does he do when they win?" The QPR fan scratches his head for a couple of minutes and finally replies, "I dunno... I've only had the dog for eight months."

Messi vs. Scotland

Argentina are due to play Scotland away, in a friendly. Messi walks into the changing room and sees everyone looking pretty unhappy.

Messi: "Hey guys what's up?"
Mascherano: "Scotland is so depressing, we just can't find the motivation to play"
Messi: "You know what guys, I reckon I can beat Scotland by myself, you guys head down to the pub and i'll see you after the match".

The players are reluctant to let Messi play by himself but end up going to the pub. The match kicks off just as they've got the first round in, one of the players gets the barman to turn onto the scores. They see Scotland - 0 Argentina 1 (Messi, 11 minutes).

They go mad, "he's beating a whole team by himself!" They proceed to get the drinks in quickly and soon forget about the match.

Later on they remember and get the barman to turn on the scores again to see: Scotland - 1 (Brown, 89 minutes) Argentina - 1 (Messi, 11 minutes.)

Once again they go mad and rush back to the stadium, there they see Messi with his head in his hands looking sad. "Hey Lionel, why are you so sad, you got a draw against a whole team!"

Messi: "Sorry lads, I let you down"
Mascherano: "How this is incredible!"
Messi: "I got sent off after 12 minutes"

Alex Ferguson Road

Alex Ferguson has been honored by having a road named after him outside Old Trafford.
Away fans are advised when driving down Alex Ferguson Road, not to forget to add 9 minutes to their journey.

Rangers Coin

A pound coin was thrown onto the pitch at Ibrox. Police are trying to determine whether it was a missile or a takeover bid.

Liverpool in "Europe"

Liverpool's European fixtures for next season have just been released:
Swansea away.

Concepts: Rebranding the Scottish FA

2015-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Dave Watson is a Creative Director at popular firm Taxi in Toronto, Canada. Dave decided that it was time to update the look of the Scottish Football Association and here is how he came about the idea:

A few months ago a designer friend of mine and I were having lunch and he asked me a great question. “What would your dream design job be?”. Without missing a beat, I responded by saying that I would love to rebrand The Scottish Football Association (SFA). He then suggested that I do it. Not for awards or for personal glory, but for the love of design and for the love of football.

I have supported the Scottish national team my entire life. Through good times and (many) bad. Over the years I have seen many versions of their logo and uniforms. Some great, others horrific. My goal for this unofficial assignment was to create a new logo and visual language that celebrates the past while adding new elements to create a more modern and contemporary brand. I also wanted to ensure that I find a nice balance between the SFA’s corporate branding needs and their merchandising needs.

The following are the results of my efforts. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did creating them.

Come on Scotland!

The Research

Mood Board

The Logo

The Strip

Rollout

Celtic Offer Tickets to Unemployed Supporters

2014-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

The holidays can be a difficult time of year for those less fortunate.

While many of us are scrambling around busy malls trying to get the perfect gifts for our families and friends, there are those that are worried about how to put food on the table.

Unfortunately for those less fortunate one of the many things they likely have to go without, is the release from their day to day concerns that's offered by attending an event such as a football match.

If only for 90 minutes, being in a stadium and cheering on their team can bring a bit of joy and a short escape from the troubles someone may be facing.

Hoping to help spread a bit of seasonal cheer, Glasgow Celtic announced on their website this week that they will be giving tickets out to unemployed people to come to a match over the Christmas holidays.

The club's statement read:

“[We] are pleased to announce that we are giving away a free ticket to supporters who are unemployed this Christmas for our next home match against Ross County on Saturday December 27.

“The initiative reflects our commitment to stay true to the founding principles of the club by helping those less fortunate and remain a Club open to all.”

“We hope that by giving unemployed supporters the chance to attend Celtic Park for the match against Ross County will bring some Christmas cheer to fans who may not otherwise have been able to do so.”

Unemployed fans will be offered tickets on a first come, first serve basis and will need to provide suitable documentation that shows they are out of work.

Well done to Celtic for a kind move, especially at this time of the year.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-11-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

As Europe's clubs take a break from their usual competition, the select European footballers join their national team for a 2016 Euro qualifying campaign that has so far produced some intriguing results. For the upcoming weekend we suggest 5 matches, all within the Euro qualifying competition.

Scotland vs. Ireland (Friday, Nov 14)

Things are looking up for Scotland after their first three matches. A narrow loss in Germany, a home win against Georgia and a draw in Poland are not what you would call bad results for a team of Scotland's level, nonetheless, they sit in fourth in group D. Their weekend opponents and lifetime rivals Republic of Ireland on the other hand are in second place, sitting three points clear of both the Germans and Scotland. Whatever the implications are, watching these two face each other is always entertaining.

Belgium vs. Wales (Sunday, Nov 16)

Welsh football supporters are beyond excited at the position their beloved national team finds themselves in after three matches. But let's face it, Wales' first place spot is not exactly what it seems. For one, they played one more match than the two countries sitting behind them in second and third place, Israel and Belgium respectively. Also, there's the fact that the Welsh have yet to play either of those two squads. So this weekend will be the real test; a match-up with the talent packed Belgian side in Brussels. If Gareth Bale's side want to gain real respect both from fans in and outside of their own country, a result this weekend would do just that.

Austria vs. Russia (Saturday, Nov 15)

A surprising Austria side that is currently sitting in first place in group G will play second place Russia this weekend for a match-up that is scheduled to take place at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna. The Russians will have their hands full as results for unpaid Fabio Capello's side have not been great of late with a 1-1 home draw against minnows Moldova in their last Euro qualifying outing. Austria on the other hand started off with a draw against Sweden, followed by wins against Moldova and Montenegro.

Italy vs. Croatia (Sunday, Nov 16)

First of two perfect record meetings on this list, both Italy and Croatia have yet to drop any points in group H action. Set to take place at AC Milan's home ground the San Siro, none of the Croats playing in Italy will feel at home as the only one that plays in Milan is Mateo Kovačić of Inter. Surprisingly however, Croatia holds a better head-to-head record against the Azzurri, having won 3 and drawn 3 matches of their 7 competitive matches, while the Italians have won just once against the Croats.

Czech Republic vs. Iceland (Sunday, Nov 16)

Who would have thought that after three matches Iceland and the Czech Republic would be tied for first place, both boasting a perfect record and both 6 points clear of shock third place occupants, the Netherlands. This weekend the two go head-to-head in a match that guarantees just one thing, at least one of them will no longer have a perfect record after the 90 minutes of the match. In the past the two have met 8 times, with the Czechs winning on 6 occasions. But the past is not quite relevant to the match-up this weekend, as it seems Iceland has built a very nice football program in the past few years. After 3 matches, the little Island country is sitting on 9 points, 8 goals scored, none conceded two 3-0 wins against Latvia and Turkey and a surprise 2-0 victory over the Dutch.

A Brief History of Scottish Football

2014-09-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks an important moment in the history of Scotland as the country goes to the polls to choose whether or not they wish to separate from the United Kingdom.

Besides the vast contributions the Scottish people have made over the years to science, technology, the arts and sports, they have also played a key role in the history of Association Football.

On this historic day we look back at some of the more memorable moments, matches, clubs and personalities that have contributed to Scotland’s footballing history.

Queen’s Park F.C.

Founded in July of 1867, Queen’s Park F.C. the first Association Football club in Scotland, came together that summer and issued the following proclamation: "Tonight at half past eight o'clock a number of gentlemen met at No. 3 Eglinton Terrace for the purpose of forming a football club."

Taking the club name from the area in Glasgow in which the clubs founders played their first matches, the club continues to exist as the only amateur club in Scotland’s professional football leagues. Their club motto, "Ludere Causa Ludendi" – to play for the sake of playing, reflects the spirit of this great club.

Besides being the first club formed in Scotland, Queen’s Park also was the first Scottish side to be featured on television when they played a friendly against London side Walthamstow Avenue F.C. in 1951.

The First International

On November 30, 1872 at Hamilton Crescent a cricket field in Glasgow, Scotland took on England in the world’s first official international football match. In front of 4000 curious spectators on a rain soaked pitch, England lined up in a 1-1-8 formation while Scotland countered with a slightly more conservative 2-2-6.

Despite some positive play from a Scottish side made up of eleven players from Queens Park, the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

This match was not only the beginning of great rivalry with their neighbours down south, but would eventually lead to the formation of a competitive international tournament involving the two beginning play in 1883, that also included Wales and Ireland, called the British Home Championships.

This early era in the history of international football saw a period of Scottish dominance as they would only lose two of their first 43 international matches.

The Old Firm

After the founding of Glasgow Rangers in 1872, they quickly started a cross city rivalry with the existing Queen's Park club mentioned previously. However, with the founding of Celtic in 1887 the beginning of the far more fierce Old Firm rivalry, took root.

Right from the start the split between Rangers and Celtic mirrored the religious and political divide in Scotland. Rangers were typically supported by often Loyalist Protestants, while Celtic as their name suggests had Irish Catholic roots.

Trouble has often surrounded matches between the two sides, with the most notorious of which being a violent on-pitch battle between supporters at Hampden Park following Celtics 1-0 win in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final. This led to alcohol being banned from then on at Scottish grounds.

On the football side, Celtic and Rangers have been, for much of their history, the best sides in Scottish football with an incredible 99 League Championship titles shared between them.

The Wembley Wizards

With many of their big stars playing for the top clubs in England and with the benefit of Scottish coaches around the national setup being receptive to new ideas and tactics, the national side tore the Three Lions to pieces in a famous win in 1928. Despite the press writing off their chances, particularly due to their diminutive forward line that had no player over 5’7, the Tartan Army packed 11 trainloads of supporters for the trip down to Wembley Stadium for the final match in the British Home Championship that year.

With the English backline obsessed with covering the Scottish wingers, and in some cases doubling up on the wings, the forward trio of Hib’s James Dunn, Preston and later Arsenal star Alex James and the legendary Newcastle striker Hughie Gallacher ran absolute riot down the middle.

Meanwhile England’s record goalscorer from Everton, Dixie Dean, was largely anonymous as Scotland romped to a 5-1 win.

Cheered off the pitch for their brilliant play by both sets of supporters, the team would later be dubbed The Wembley Wizards.

The Lisbon Lions

With all but one of Celtic's 1966/1967 side born within ten miles of Celtic Park, the accomplishment of Jock Stein's side in winning the first European Cup for not only a Scottish, but a British side can't be undersold.

Taking on a powerful Inter Milan side, who had already won two European Cups earlier in the decade, no one gave Celtic much of a chance in the Portuguese capital. But against all the odds after going down 1-0 to the Italians, the Glasgow side stormed back to win 2-1 with goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers.

Unlike most giant killings that are done through virtue of a "smash and grab", Celtic, in manager Jock Stein's words: "Did it by playing football. Pure, beautiful, inventive football."

Not only were Celtic successful in Europe, but they also won the three domestic trophies on offer on their way to a brilliant Quintuple.

Legendary Scottish Managers

Besides the domestic success of legends like Celtics’ Jock Stein, Rangers’ Jock Wallace, and Dundee’s Jim McLean, Scottish managers have had some outstanding success in England.

Liverpool likely wouldn't be the club they are today without Bill Shankly, who took a Second Division side in the doldrums and led them on the way to being one of the greatest sides in Europe. If nothing else, Shankly outlined the template for future success at Liverpool and brought an ethos to Anfield that still persists.

Likewise their great rivals Manchester United owe so much of their success to Scottish manager’s Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. Busby took over a club after World War 2 with a ground in bombed out ruins, he then started a famous youth policy, overcame the tragedy of Munich and eventually triumphed in Europe, while Ferguson revived United after twenty years of underachievement. Before his retirement last summer, Fergie took the Red Devils to two decades of record breaking success.

Besides these obvious greats, there have been others like Arsenal’s George Graham, Tommy Docherty who spent time at both Chelsea and United, and Liverpool’s Kenny Daglish that have contributed a lot to their respective clubs over the years.

Great Players

Although Scotland is going through a tough period right now with their national side and aren't producing as many top draw players as they once did, for a country with a small population they have had a wealth of greats that have graced the world stage.

Players like Ally Mccoist, Billy Bremner, Dave Mackay, Kenny Daglish, Graeme Souness, Jimmy Johnstone, Dennis Law and Alan Hansen have starred for both club and country as they made their mark on the game.

Celtic Player Threatened on Twitter Could Result in Jail Time for Accused

2014-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Social media has opened the door for fans to be able to get their messages across to the players in a way that was never allowed before. This could be a positive in some cases but it can also be a negative in many others.

This is the case with Celtic player Anthony Stokes. The 27 year old Alan Baillie, took to Twitter to insult and threaten the Celtic player in an act that is becoming more usual with irate fans. The main difference here is that Stokes didn’t brush it off as just another nut job trying to get under his skin, and he pressed charges against Alan Baillie.

If he is convicted, Alan Baillie could be given jail time for his behavior, which he admitted to the police department of Falkirk. The threats were made on August 7th 2013, but only now the case is being presented in court. Alan Baillie is being charged with intention to cause fear and alarm, with no regard for the victim.

His defense lawyer suggested that this was a football discussion that went too far. No kidding, it went too far. I am not sure I would even consider it a discussion, more so someone just going on a rant and losing his mind in 140 characters or less. I still believe that 140 characters are too many for some people, and Twitter as well as other social media outlets have given voice to people that otherwise would have no real outlet to express their idiotic views.

As a 27 year old, Alan, should have known better than to take to Twitter and make threats to a someone, but I guess if convicted he will have plenty of time in jail to reflect on his un-reflected actions.

Stadiums Every Football Fan Should Visit (Gallery)

2014-09-14T21:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I plan to spend half of my retirement years on a white sandy beach sipping booze from a glass with a tiny umbrella in it and the other half of my golden years visiting the greatest football grounds in the world.

I have already been to a few, but there a several on my bucket list that I simply have to get out to before I head off to the big ground up in the sky.

These are a few of the stadiums that football fans like me should aspire to visit:

Old Trafford, England

La Bombonera, Argentina

Estádio do Maracanã, Brazil

Amsterdam ArenA, Netherlands

Türk Telekom Arena, Turkey

Estádio Municipal de Braga, Portugal

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Spain

Wembley Stadium, England

El Centenario, Uruguay

Celtic Park, Scotland

Signal Iduna Park, Germany

Youngest Player Debuts in European Football

2014-08-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

With 15 year old Martin Ødegaard already the youngest player to play in the Tippeliga, and currently on the verge of making his record breaking debut for the Norwegian National Side, we looked at a few of the bigger leagues in Europe, for other young prodigies who made similar early breakthroughs.

While most of us were too busy chasing after the opposite sex, trying to figure out ways to cheat on exams and working horrible part-time jobs which involved cleaning out grease traps in our teens, these players were suiting up for clubs in the top divisions of their respective nations.

England

The youngest player to play in a Football League match is Reuben Noble-Lazarus, a winger for Barnsley who made his debut at 15 years and 45 days old during a 3-0 loss in the Championship to Ipswich in the 2008/2009 season. Noble-Lazarus is still on Barnsley's books but has struggled to cement a place in the side in the years since and has only made 45 appearances.

In the Premiership, the youngest player to ever make a first team debut is Fulham's Matthew Briggs. The defender played his first match for the Craven Cottage side at 16 years and 65 days old against Middlesborough, in a 3-1 loss at the tail end of the 2006/2007 season. Since then, Briggs has played for a host of clubs on loan, before finally leaving Fulham for Millwall this summer after only 13 appearances for the Cottagers in total.

Spain

Francisco Baos Rodríguez, better known as Sansón, made his La Liga debut for Celta de Vigo aged only 15 years and 255 days against Sevilla in a 4-1 win in 1939. Although Sansón left Celta two seasons later, after only a handful of appearances, the defender later returned to the top division with Real Oviedo, with whom he carved out an impressive career with 115 top flight appearances for the club from Asturias.

France

Laurent Paganelli, the youngest player to debut in France's Ligue 1, debuted at 15 years, 10 months for Saint-Étienne in 1978. He went on to play five seasons for Les Verts and was part of the side that captured the 1980/1981 League Championship. After a fourteen year career, with stints at clubs like Toulon and Grenoble, Paganelli hung up his boots and became a journalist for Canal +.

Italy

The youngest player to step onto the pitch for a Serie A side is Roma's Amedeo Amadei who debuted at 15 years and 9 months in 1936. Amadei would go on to score 116 goals over two stints with the Roman side and also found the net 7 times in 13 appearances for the Azzurri.

Netherlands

Aged only 15 years and 290 days when making his debut in 1959, Wim Kras is still the youngest player to play in the Dutch top division. Kras played his entire career for Volendam, making over 400 appearances for the club.

Scotland

Scotland's Scott Robinson made his record breaking debut for Hearts at only 16 years and 1 month old against Inverness Caledonian Thistle during a 1-0 win in 2007/2008. Robinson has since become a regular for the Edinburgh side, making over 80 appearances in midfield for them to date.

4 Worst Jerseys of 2014-15 Football Season

2014-07-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

Most teams are in pre-season and in the process of unveiling their new kits for the upcoming 2014-15 season. So I thought I would look at what is currently available and put forward a list of the 4 worst kits/jerseys for the 2014-15 season.

Scotland Away Jersey

It is not the worst that has been released for the upcoming competitive year, but it is one of the worst for sure. This is a far departure from their more regular colors of blue or white. The yellow stripes and the fuchsia stripes are so bright and out of place that this would be the perfect jersey to wear if you are an early morning or late night jogger. For sure any moving vehicle would be able to spot you and you would be safe from being hit by a careless driver.

Panathinaikos Away Jersey

The purple jersey with the green leaf is just plain horrible. If you are an overweight guy and you decide to wear this jersey, for sure children will think you are Barney the Dinosaur. Who in their marketing department came up with this idea should be fired; it is just a horrible mixture of colors.

CyD Leonesa 3rd Jersey

When I saw this I thought it was a joke, but I am afraid that it isn’t. Spanish teams always had flair for the incredible silly and off the cuff jerseys and this one gets added to that illustrious list. They play in the 2nd Div. B and if this is a marketing ploy, well it worked, if they will actually send players on the field in it, I think it would be the most ridiculous idea ever. They are there to play football not to be waiters.

CD Lugo Home & Away Jerseys

CD Lugo plays in the Spanish 2nd Division, and this year they will be playing with a jersey that has an octopus on it and the other a beer. The beer is non-alcoholic because they probably are fans of the Wu Tang Clan and are thinking of the children, but this will have to go down in history as the worst 1-2 punch in terms of home and away jerseys in the history of sports not just football.

10 Fat Footballers

2014-07-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

So, as if Newcastle United didn't have enough issues to deal with on and off the pitch, the club has now fined French winger Hatem Ben-Arfa for showing up after holidays looking a bit overweight. But being fat, while not at all the norm in football has been around for many years as the list below will prove.

Sol Campbell

A great footballer earlier in his career, Sol Campbell was never a small guy. But by the time he hit the pitch with Newcastle United in 2010 in what was his last year as a professional footballer, Campbell had gained a few pounds and had lost quite a bit of speed. He played for the Magpies just seven times that season before retiring from football.

Ailton

Aílton Gonçalves da Silva, a big boy with a big name. Ailton as he is known to most was pretty much always on the chubby side. But the Brazilian striker does not let his weight get the better of him, and at 40 years of age still plays professional for BFV Hassia Bingen, a club in the German 5th tier.

Andy Reid

Currently with Nottingham Forrest, this Irish midfielder unlike most others on this list startd gaining weight early in his career. Pictured below in a Sunderland shirt, Reid spent time with the Black Cats when he was just 26-29 years old.

Collin Samuel

This Trinidad & Tobago striker for whatever reason has spent most of his career in Scotland. He did spend a little time in Canada with Toronto FC at which time I personally heard the home crowd sing "who ate all the pies?" at the big man. After two seasons at TFC Samuel went back to Scotland.

Mido

The Egyptian trouble maker was more than just a coach's headache because of his poor attitude. Mido started gaining weight in a very early "footballing age". Whether because he was fat, or maybe just because his magnificent football skills had just seemed to turn-off one day, he retired from football in 2013 at just 30 years old.

Miguel Herrera

Herrera was the face of the 2014 World Cup for a little while after the Mexican coach's celebrations, face expressions and yelling videos went viral over the internet. Sure he is pretty fat right now, but he wasn't very skinny when he played in the Mexican league and internationally for his country as well.

Neville Southall

The Welsh goalkeeper wasn't always as big as the photo below would suggest. He was a big guy in his 17 years with Everton, but not fat. In his later footballing years however Southalll gained the pounds quick.

Ronaldo

Probably the most famous fat footballer is Brazilian legend Ronaldo. After surpassing the all time scoring record in the World Cup, Ronaldo gained what seemed to be a pound per minute. Maybe now that Miroslav Klose had passed Ronaldo's scoring tally, the Brazilian can go on a diet and come out of international retirement.

Salvador Cabanas

The Paraguayan footballer had his days on and off the weight throughout his career. Some years he looked quite skinny while on other occasions he seemed more likely to be a boxer than a striker in the Mexican league.

Winston Bogarde

Dutch international defender Bogarde was pretty much always on the bigger side. But at one point while playing for Ajax in his native Netherlands he really gained the pounds. He did seem to manage to shed the weight with his later clubs AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea.

International - Football Rivalries - England vs Scotland

2014-06-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

Every Monday we bring you Football Rivalries. We talk about some of the biggest, oldest and in many cases the most violent rivalries in club football history. But since the World Cup is now in full swing, we decided to cover some of the best international rivalries for the next few weeks.

England and Scotland have a long rivaled history on and off the pitch, so what better international rivalry to start with than that of the two countries that played the first ever international match.

Notable Matches

England and Scotland played the first ever football match contested between two countries on November 30, 1872 at Hamilton Crescent a cricket field in Glasgow, a match that ended at a 0-0 draw. They have since met on 111 other occasions. From 1872 up until 1989 (not including the two world wars) the two sides have played each other every spring, in a yearly match called The Annual Series. England enjoyed most of the success in the early years, but in the 1928 edition of the series Scotland was on the winning side with a final score of 5-1, that year’s Scottish team is to this day referred to as the Wembley Wizards. In 1961 the two teams played a match that still holds the record as the heaviest defeat in this series, with England coming out with a 9-3 victory. In 1967, Scotland managed to win their annual match against the Three Lions less than one year after England won their first (and still only) World Cup title.

Then, in the 1996 European Championships (hosted in England) the two were drawn into the same group, a match that the rival squads and sets of fans looked forward to eagerly. England came away with a 2-0 victory at Wembley Stadium in front of over 75,000 spectators. The two were again drawn against each other, this time in the qualifying playoffs for the 2000 European Championship. England progressed to the tournament after a 2-0 victory in Glasgow and a 1-0 loss to Scotland at Wembley four days later.

Clashes

Fan clashes inside the stadium and post-match in the streets is quite common when these two meet. In 1977 after an Annual Series match that ended in a 2-1 victory for Scotland, the Scottish supporters invaded the pitch at Wembley Stadium, tearing down everything in their way, including the goal-posts. In 1999, after Scotland’s playoff victory at Wembley, English supporters attacked the Scottish ones at Trafalgar Square, where the Scottish have been celebrating their 1-0 victory, although it did not provide them with the aggregate win in the playoff series after a 2-0 loss at home. The newspapers reported that about 50 Englishmen tried to charge at approximately 300 Scots that evening, but the police handled the situation well, with no serious damage done at the end. In 2013, the two sides played a friendly match, which coincidentally was their first meeting since the one at Wembley some 14 years earlier. England won at Wembley by a score of 3-2, but the Scottish fans left their mark yet again, and again it was the “taking over” of Trafalgar Square that made the tension rise once more.

The England vs. Scotland rivalry runs deep in the veins of the two sets of supporters. Be it the history of the two nations, the geographical proximity or just the fact that these two played the first ever international match. While organizing committees have tried to separate the two nations during draw procedures on previous occasions, England and Scotland is a tradition that will go on for ever. The question is: when will they play each other next?

2014 World Cup Under Interpol Investigation

2014-06-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Football and corruption seem to go hand in hand these days.

FIFA is in hot water over the winning bid from Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, and with scandals of match fixing popping up all around the world it should be no surprise that this year’s World Cup in Brazil is being looked at as a possible risk for corruption.

Interpol secretary-general has confirmed that one of their investigative teams has been sent to Brazil, due to the high risk of matches being fixed during the World Cup.

Ron Noble has told reporters that organized groups have been involved with illegal gambling and anytime you have illegal gambling on games you also have a higher probability of matches being fixed.

Ralf Mutschke former Interpol and currently responsible for security at FIFA admitted to BBC last May that no game, no tournament is safe from being used for illegal betting and match fixing, even the World Cup. Mutschke also confirmed that some teams have already been identified by these groups as targets, some of the players have also been approached and even the friendlies leading into the tournament had been at risk.

One of the friendly matches leading to the World Cup that was draped in controversy was the Nigeria vs. Scotland game. Nigerian goalkeeper, Austin Ejide came out to clear a ball and looked like he threw the ball into his own net. This has to be one of the most bizarre own goals in the history of international football. Plays like this, cast a shadow of suspicion over the game and the players and does very little to clean the image that football currently holds of being a game where the results can be bought.

For the last 2 years, Mutschke and his team have been preparing for this and they believe that not only players are at risk but also match officials. This is done behind the scenes and it is not in the open, which makes his job of investigating it that much harder. Nobody is going to walk up to the hotel door with a bag of money; this process is done in the shadows and very rarely involves face to face contact. Mutschke would not reveal the teams or players that are under the eye of Interpol, since this is a police matter and he doesn't want to put at risk the investigation.

This is the ugly side of the beautiful game, but it shouldn't surprise anyone that even at this level the risk of corruption and match fixing is real. FIFA is not a very transparent organization to begin with, not that they condone match fixing, but they need to be able to clean their own house if they are to address the real issues of match fixing and minimize it. I think stopping this issue is nearly impossible, but it can be contained and the parties caught in it need to be brought to justice.

The game of football has become a very dirty and lucrative business, it is no longer just about what 22 players do on the field and that is something that everyone that loves the game should be worried about.

2014 Homeless World Cup - Chile

2014-06-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

The Homeless World Cup is a tournament organized every year and hosted around the world. This year the tournament will take place in the South American country of Chile.

This year it will be the twelfth edition of the tournament, being hosted by Poland last year this time around Chile will have the privilege to host this event. The tournament will take place between the 19th to the 26th of October, with 70 nations and 250,000 players taking part in the festivities.

The Homeless World Cup organization was founded by Mel Young & Harald Schmied in 2001 to help find a solution to homelessness around the world, since then the tournament has been hosted in some of the world's largest cities like Paris, Milan, Mexico City among others.

Rules

The rules of this tournament are different from what football fans have grown used to. This is not your typical football match or even futsal game.

For a player to be eligible to play he or she has to be 16 or older and not have played at a previous tournament. The player will also have to fit into one of these four categories: be homeless, be in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center, be an asylum seeker or make his/her living by selling street papers.

On the field you will only see 4 players, a keeper and 3 field players. Each team can have 4 subs and substitutions are unlimited.

In case of victory the winning team gets 3 points, the losing team gets 0 points. If the game ends in a draw there will be a penalty sudden death shootout. The winner of the penalty shootout will get 1 point.

The games have 7 minute halves and the fields measure 22m long by 16m wide.

Countries

The list of participating countries is vast. From Canada, to Portugal, USA, Italy and Ivory Coast. Most countries are or have been represented at the tournament.

The most successful countries in the tournament have been Brazil, Italy and Scotland. These three countries all have 2 titles. Brazil is also the current champion having won the tournament in Poland in 2013.

Chile will be hosting this year and it is a great opportunity for all these players to travel to South America and experience it in a country with a rich footballing tradition.

Famous Player

One of the most famous players to have been associated with the Homeless World Cup is Bebe, the former Manchester United striker. It has been reported that Bebe represented Portugal at the Homeless World Cup, and this is not true.
Bebe was living in a shelter for troubled youth in Lisbon when he was selected with two other boys to play for CAIS, a partner organization that supports the Portuguese teams entering the Homeless World Cup.

While playing for CAIS he was scouted and in in 2009 he signed with Estrela da Amadora, his stay there was brief and after a transfer to Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2010 he was sold to Manchester United for a reported $7.4 million pounds, without ever playing a professional game.

He is currently on loan at Pacos de Ferreira of the Portuguese 1st division.

Media Coverage

There is no TV coverage of the tournament, but you can catch some matches on Youtube. Over the last couple of years there has been some documentaries done about the tournament. The best of these documentaries is called "Kicking It". It covers the 2006 Homeless World Cup in South Africa and it is narrated by Colin Farrell.

It is amazing documentary, giving you an inside look at several of the teams and players at the tournament, showing you how they got there, how they played, and most important what was life for them after the tournament was over. It is an amazing documentary that i highly recommend.

Support

You can support these efforts by donating at their site www.homelessworldcup.org, they can use the help and you would be supporting a worthy cause.

We at footyfair will be covering this years tournament with analysis and highlights of some of the matches, anytime footage is made available to us.

The Roman Empire

2014-06-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

Roman Abramovich, the enigmatic Chelsea owner, is extending his empire in the footballing world and nobody is even batting an eyelash at it.

Reports have surfaced, that the Chelsea FC owner is in the process of acquiring majority shares of Real Mallorca from the Spanish 2nd Division.

He would be acquiring 55% of the club shares from the current vice president Lorenzo Ferrer and president Gabriel Alemany. This would see him extend his footballing empire to another major country in Europe.

Roman Abramovich

He is a Russian businessman and main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC. He is obviously better known for being the owner of Chelsea FC of the English premiership. His wealth is estimated at $14.6 billion dollars, which makes him the 5th richest person in Russia and the 50th richest person in the world, according to a 2012 article in Forbes magazine.

He is a very close friend of Vladimir Putin, as he was to the late Boris Yeltsin. Abramovich is actually the one that recommend Putin as the successor to Yeltsin in power and interviewed every cabinet member of Putin's government before they were accepted. His power and influence within Russian government branches is obvious and well know.

Footballing Empire

In 2003, Roman Abramovich became a household name and all it took was for him to purchase Chelsea FC from former owner Ken Bates. The purchase of Chelsea allowed him to get his feet into a market that he long desired and with his billions behind him it was easy for him to put a competitive product on the field. After all, he is a winner in life and in business, and this venture was not going to be any different.

He changed the EPL and how teams do business, specially when it comes to transfer market time. He is not afraid to spend money and over spend to get what he wants and what he wants is to win everything and be the owner of the biggest and best club in the world.

He wasn't happy to just own Chelsea FC. His desire to expand his football empire has pushed him to other countries and to look at other clubs. In 2004 he turned his attentions towards his home country and more specifically CSKA Moscow. Sibneft, now known as Gazprom Neft, agreed to a three year sponsorship valued at $58 million dollars. UEFA prevents the same person from owning two different clubs that could compete in the same competitions, so the deal between CSKA and Sibneft was managed and conducted by Alexandre Garese, to ensure Abramovich was not implicated in what could be seen as him owning two major clubs in two of the biggest markets.

Behind the scenes it is Abramovich money that is boosting CSKA Moscow, but he is hiding in the shadows, while, lawyer and business partner Garese acts as the head figure.

He has made a move to another big market in Europe, Holland. Truphone, a company partly owned by Roman Abramovich, signed a three year deal with Vitesse of the Dutch Eridivisie. His purchase of a stake in Truphone cost him $70 million pounds, which was his second biggest investment since his purchase of Chelsea FC. By using companies as sponsors of a team, he gains access to the club and control over the direction of the team without being the actual owner on paper. This allows him to avoid UEFA and bypass their laws and regulations. Chelsea has loaned players to Vitesse several times, which has helped them give their players time on the field while helping Vitesse's performances in their domestic league.

Expanding The Roman Empire

As I mentioned earlier he is now directly attempting to own Real Mallorca from the Spanish second division. This deal would be allowed by UEFA because Real Mallorca is not in La Liga, so there are no chances of both his teams playing each other. It is believed that Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate would retire from football and would be the "owner" and Abramovich's partner in this deal.

So it isn't clear if Abramovich will actually take ownership of the club, or he will do it through one of his businesses, putting Dudu in place as the president and owner, just to meet all UEFA regulatory demands.

He has told some of his closest friends that this move for Real Mallorca will not be his last. He is very close of having some stake, control or full ownership of three other clubs. Hapoel in Israel, Corinthians in Brazil and Hibernian in Scotland. It will be a matter of time before we either see him buying out the owners, or in some cases putting together a partnership with the club by providing them with a sponsorship deal that will see him becoming a integral part of the business side of those teams.

I find these deals very disturbing. UEFA should have a much harder set of rules and regulations to ensure one person does not have stake in more than one club playing in the same continent. This creates not only a conflict of interests but it also provides some of these teams with an unfair advantage competing in their domestic leagues. He can use Chelsea FC as a loaner club, providing some of these smaller clubs ways of having better players at no cost. This is what i would consider insider trading, when comparing big businesses to the world of football.

Roman Abramovich is without a doubt spreading his footballing empire, not only inside of Europe but also in South America. We are in the dawn of a new "Roman" empire.

50 Famous Internationals In MLS History (Part 3, K-M)

2014-06-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

We continue our list of the 50 most famous names to come over to play in Major League Soccer. In Part 3 of this series we take a look at 12 more guys from K through M.

GO TO Part 1 - (A to D) > | GO TO Part 2 - (E to J) > | GO TO Part 4 - (N to Z) >

Robbie Keane (Rep. of Ireland)

MLS Club(s): Los Angeles Galaxy

National Team: Rep. of Ireland - 131 caps (and counting)

The Irish striker joined the LA GAlaxy in 2012 after spending the largest portion of his career with Tottenham in England. This "pure" striker has not been a disappointment with 40 goals so far in his 64 MLS caps. Keane still plays with the Galaxy and has yet to retire from international football with the Republic of Ireland, he is 33 years old.

Kléberson (Brazil)

MLS Club(s): Philadelphia Union

National Team: Brazil - 32 caps

Although he did have an unsuccesful stint at Manchester United earlier in his career, the Brazilian 2002 World Cup winning midfielder was seen as a promising loan signing by the Philadelphia Union, coming over in 2013 from Brazilian club Bahia, at 33 years of age. He played just 11 times in his loan spell, scoring 1 goal.

Danny Koevermans (Netherlands)

MLS Club(s): Toronto FC

National Team: Netherlands - 4 caps

Koevermans came over to Toronto at the age of 33 from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Although the Dutch international only played 4 matches for his national side, his career in Canada began quite well. The big striker scored a total of 17 goals in his 30 appearances, although his speed and skill were visibly deteriorating pretty fast. After some lingering injuries, Koevermans left back to the Netherlands and joined FC Utrecht, the club he retired with after 3 matches played.

Lee Young-pyo (Korea Rep.)

MLS Club(s): Vancouver Whitecaps

National Team: Korea Rep. - 127 caps

The South Korean defender signed for Vancouver at the end of 2011 after an 11 year professional career that included playing time with PSV Eindhoven, Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham. Although Lee was already at the later stages of his playing days, Lee proved to be very important for Vancouver, playing at the right-back position. He was named Vancouver's best player in 2012, a season in which the international helped his team become the first Canadian side to make the MLS playoffs. Lee retired from professional football in 2013.

Anders Limpar (Sweden)

MLS Club(s): Colorado Rapids

National Team: Sweden - 58 caps

Limpar joined MLS at the age of 34 from Swedish side AIK. Previously with Everton and Arsenal the Swedish midfielder was somewhat of a popular signing. Limpar left the MLS after 36 matches in a year and a half with Colorado, back to his homeland.

Fredrik Ljungberg (Sweden)

MLS Club(s): Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire

National Team: Sweden - 75 caps

Another Swede that also played for Arsenal, only Freddie was a much "bigger name" signing than Anders Limpar. Ljunberg spent 9 years with the Gunners, in which he participated in over 200 matches with the London club, scoring 46 goals from the wing. He started his MLS career at 32, playing in 37 matches for the Sounders. He was later traded to the Chicago Fire but left the club after 15 matches. Ljunberg retired from professional football at the age of 35 as a member of Shimizu S-Pulse in the Japanese J-League.

Claudio López (Argentina)

MLS Club(s): Kansas City Wizards, Colorado Rapids

National Team: Argentina - 55 caps

The Argentine striker who took part in 2 World Cups with his national side, signed for the Kansas City Wizards in 2008 at the age of 34. Despite his age, López got off to a great start with a goal in his first ever match in the MLS. After 13 goals in two seasons with the Wizards, López was signed by the Colorado Rapids where he played 11 matches. The ex Lazio and Valencia player retired at the age of 35.

Rafael Márquez (Mexico)

MLS Club(s): New York Red Bulls

National Team: Mexico - 119 caps

Signing with the Red Bulls straight from Spanish giants Barcelona where he spent the previous seven years, Márquez was another huge footballing name to play in the MLS. Linking up with former Barca teammate Thierry Henry, the Mexican center-back appeared in 44 matches with the New York side before being released by the club 2 and a half years later. Currently Márquez plays for Club León in his native Mexico.

Obafemi Martins (Nigeria)

MLS Club(s): Seattle Sounders

National Team: Nigeria - 39 caps (and possibly counting)

The former Newcastle United and Inter Milan star striker signed for the Seattle club in 2013 at the prime age of 28. Although his goal scoring abilities have seemed to diminish a bit since his days in the Premier League, Martins was still a very welcome addition to the club based in Washington State. So far the Nigerian has scored 14 goals in 34 matches with the Sounders, and was hopeful to be called-up by Nigeria to this summer's World Cup; his prayers went unanswered however, with Nigeria's coach Stephen Keshi electing not to call Martins to the squad travelling to Brazil.

Lothar Matthäus (Germany)

MLS Club(s): New York / New Jersey MetroStars

National Team: Germany - 150 caps

Possibly one of the greatest names to ever dress in an MLS club kit, the 1990 World Cup winner, seven time Bundesliga champion and Serie A winner Matthäus signed for the MetroStars in 2000 at the age of 39. Unfortunately, Matthäus would only record 16 matches with the MLS Club before retiring from professional football.

Kenny Miller (Scotland)

MLS Club(s): Vancouver Whitecaps

National Team: Scotland - 69 caps

There have only been 3 players since World War II to have played for both bitter rivals Celtic and Rangers, and Miller was the second of the three to sign with an MLS club. The Scotland striker came over to Canadian side Vancouver in 2012, where he would spend two seasons recording 13 goals in 43 matches. This year Miller returned to his beloved club Glasgow Rangers for the 3rd (and at 34 most likely the last) time.

Faryd Mondragon (Colombia)

MLS Club(s): Philadelphia Union

National Team: Colombia - 54 caps

After a successful 21 year career with clubs in 7 countries (S. America and Europe), Mondragon signed with the Union in 2011. The oldest player in this year's World Cup (see 19 oldest player in the WC Part 1 & Part 2), Mondragon spent just one season in Philadelphia, returning to finish his career with his first professional side, Deportivo Cali in Colombia (he will officially retire after the 2014 World Cup). Aside from being the oldest player in this year's World Cup in Brazil, if Mondragon manages to record a single cap for his Colombian side in Brazil, Faryd Mondragon will become the oldest player to ever play in World Cup history.

GO TO Part 1 - (A to D) > | GO TO Part 2 - (E to J) > | GO TO Part 4 - (N to Z) >

50 Famous Internationals In MLS History (Part 2, E-J)

2014-06-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

This is part 2 of the 50 Famous Internationals in MLS History. This time we look at 11 players, in alphabetical order from E through J.

GO TO Part 1 - (A to D) > | GO TO Part 3 - (K to M) > | GO TO Part 4 - (N to Z) >

Robert Earnshaw (Wales)

MLS Club(s): Toronto FC

National Team: Wales - 58 caps

At 32 years of age in 2013, Earnshaw was a good signing for Toronto FC, a club that was lacking finishing power up-front before his arrival. Arriving from Cardiff City, he scored his first two goals for the club in his second appearance and became a fan favorite right from the start. His stint in Toronto and the MLS would only last one year however, as the Welsh striker was no longer needed with the imminent arrival of English striker Jermaine Defoe the following season.

Marco Etcheverry (Bolivia)

MLS Club(s): DC United

National Team: Bolivia - 71 caps

Nicknamed El Diablo (The Devil) probably for his devilishly good looks, Etcheverry was key to both DC United's and Major League Soccer's success. Joining the Washington club in MLS's inaugural season in 1996 at the prime age of 26, El Diablo spent 8 years with the club helping them to 3 MLS Cup titles and a CONCACAF Champions League win in his 190 fixtures with the MLS outfit. Before joining United, Etcheverry spent time playing in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Spain and his native Bolivia.

Torsten Frings (Germany)

MLS Club(s): Toronto FC

National Team: Germany - 79 caps

The Werder Bremen star midfielder signed for Toronto FC in 2011. His precense on the pitch was something the Toronto fans had not seen previously at their club. The German international quickly became captain and was seen as the true leader Toronto needed. With a mediocre team around him and the requirement to fill in the center-back position on some occasions however, Frings was unable to produce a first playoffs appearance for his Canadian club and retired from professional football after two season with "The Reds".

Giuseppe Galderisi (Italy)

MLS Club(s): Tampa Bay Mutiny, New England Revolution

National Team: Italy - 10 caps

The former AC Milan and Juventus striker joined Major League Soccer at the age of 32 and continued to play in the North American league for 2 years. While in the MLS the Italian striker managed to score 12 goals in 48 matches and retired from football as a part of the New England Revolution squad in 1997. Galderisi went into managing after retiring from play, although none of the 12 clubs he managed were in North America.

Marcelo Gallardo (Argentina)

MLS Club(s): DC United

National Team: Argentina - 44 caps

Signing from Paris Saint-German in 2008, there was a lot of pressure on the 32 year old Argentine to perform well as DC United's first ever "Designated Player". Things didn't quite turn out as planned with Gallardo playing in just 15 matches for United before returning to his Argentine club River Plate for the third time.

Richard Gough (Scotland)

MLS Club(s): Kansas City Wizards, San Jose Clash

National Team: Scotland - 61 Caps

The Scottish international defender joined the Wizards at the age of 35 from Glasgow Rangers, with whom he was just 6 matches short of his 300th cap. After 17 matches with the American outfit however, the Rangers were short in players due to many injuries and Gough rejoined his Scottish club to run-up his cap tally to an impressive 428 fixtures. He came back to the MLS a year later and joined the San Jose Clash, playing in 19 matches with the California club. Gough retired from professional football at 39, as a member of Everton.

Thierry Henry (France)

MLS Club(s): New York Red Bulls

National Team: France - 123 caps

Winner of World Cup 1998 with national side France, twice La Liga champion with Barcelona and Arsenal Legend with two EPL titles to his name Thierry Henry made his way across the ocean to Join the New York based MLS club in 2010 at the age of 33. Henry who still plays with the same club is a prolific goal-scorer with 44 balls in the back of the net to his name in his 104 matches with the Red Bulls so far.

Andreas Herzog (Austria)

MLS Club(s): Los Angeles Galaxy

National Team: Austria - 103 caps

The former Rapid Wien and Werder Bremen star midfielder came over to the LA Galaxy at the age of 36 where he planned to play out the last years of his professional football career. When Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid left the club half way through the year, Herzog's playing time suffered and after playing just 27 matches with the MLS club, Herzog ended his professional career. Currently, Herzog is an assistant to Jürgen Klinsmann with the US men's national team.

Shaka Hislop (Trinidad & Tobago)

MLS Club(s): FC Dallas

National Team: Trinidad and Tobago - 26 caps

The England-born Trinidad and Tobago international goalkeeper came over to Texas after a successful career with Newcastle united, Reading, Portsmouth and West Ham (two separate stints). With national side T&T, Hislop started in net in the countries first ever World Cup appearance in the 2006 edition of the tournament in Germany. Ironically, Hislop's national team were drawn against England in the group stages (Hislop was once called-up to the England U21 team). But let's get back to Shaka's MLS career (if we can call it that); Hislop's time in Major League Soccer was extremely disapointing as the goalkeeper was injured almost all the time. His only 8 appearances for the club came when Argentine goalkeeper and teammate Dario Sala was unable to play because of his own traumas. Hislop retired from professional football in 2007.

Steve Howey (England)

MLS Club(s): New England Revolution

National Team: England - 4 caps

With only 4 caps for the English national team, and probably no more than 10 people who even remember that Howey once was a part of the MLS, you may ask why Steve Howey even makes this list. Well, there are two very simple explanations for this: 1) I am a Newcastle United supporter and that's where Howey had his most succesful run as a professional footballer, and 2) A list with 49 names instead of 50 is just odd! With that said I present to you Steve Howey who joined the New England Revolution in 2004 at the age of 33. He played 3 matches for the MLS club before going back to England and retiring from professional football after one match with Hartlepool United Football Club...yep...that's all.

Mo Johnston (Scotland)

MLS Club(s): Kansas City Wizards

National Team: Scotland - 38 caps

Don't be surprised to find Johnston in a "Top 10 Traitors" (or similar) list on a Sunday afternoon when you flip your telly to The History Channel. As one of the high-profile Catholics to first play for Glasgow-based Celtic in his native Scotland, to then switching sides to Glasgow Rangers, Johnston most likely found the creation of Major League Soccer as a perfect way to escape the hatred that followed him around the UK after his stupid ignorance of playing on both ends of a bitter rivalry. In the MLS, Johnston enjoyed a successful spell with the Wizards, playing 5 years for the club from Kansas City while winning the MLS Cup once. Johnston retired from professional football in 2001. In 2005 Johnston took over the New York/New Jersey MetroStars as club manager and later coached Toronto FC for two seasons. His coaching career has been less than spectacular, and for his failure as club coach Johnston was promoted to the Director of Football role (makes sense of course). "Trader Mo", as he was called by the TFC faithful due to his love-affair with trading many players in a short period of time was let go of his duties in 2010.

GO TO Part 1 - (A to D) > | GO TO Part 3 - (K to M) > | GO TO Part 4 - (N to Z) >

UEFA U17 European Championships - Future Stars, or Names We'll Never Hear Again?

2014-05-21T15:02:00.003-04:00

As I sit here watching the final match of the U17 Euros, that is being contested between the English and the Dutch, I start to wonder whether or not I am seeing kids that will eventually become stars in the footballing world. It is the 37th minute, and England is enjoying a 1-0 lead with a wonderful goal from Chelsea youngster Dominic Solanke in the 25th minute.

This year’s tournament in Malta has been a little less exciting than the ones in previous years, nonetheless, there have been some moments of sheer-brilliance from some of the 16 and 17 year old youths. The u17 tournament is a simple two-group affair that sees the two group-leaders advance into the semi-finals.

Update: Netherlands tie the game up just before the half with an outstanding combination, and a beautiful half-volley by Feyenoord’s Jari Schuurman.

Group A was won by the Dutch who completed their 3 matches with a perfect record, defeating eventual group runner-ups and tournament finalists England, along with Turkey and Malta by a combined score of 10-4. England finished second in the group with 2 wins and the aforementioned loss to the Dutch. There were a few standout youngsters in this group: Turkey’s captain and Bursaspor footballer Enes Ünal looked sharp up front scoring 2 goals in the group stage. At 16, Ünal had already played for the Turkish u21 squad, but given his young age he was eligible for this tournament. Newcastle United’s Adam Armstrong was also a standout striker for England.

In Group B Portugal and Germany were the favorites to advance over the Scots and the Swiss, but Scotland’s u17 squad had other ideas. With a 1-0 win over the Germans and a 3-1 victory against the Swiss, Scotland advanced to the semi-finals well ahead of Germany who only managed to collect 1 point from a draw against Switzerland. Portugal won the group with a perfect record, without conceding a goal and a combined score of 4-0 in the group stage. Aberdeen FC’s forward Scott Wright was the inspiration for Scotland’s win against the Germans, and I general enjoyed a decent tournament in the group stages. Portugal fielded a few highly rated players with Porto’s 16 year old Luis Mata, Benfica’s Ruben Dias and Sporting’s goalkeeper Pedro Silva all showing very well.

Update: Dutch goalkeeper handles a pass back in the box, but England cannot convert the indirect free-kick from about 7 feet out.

In the semi-finals the winners of group A proved to be too strong for both the Portuguese and the Scots. With England winning their affair against Portugal by a score of 2-0, and the Dutch giving Scotland no reason to celebrate with a clinical display in a 5-0 victory.

Now back to my original thought; most footy enthusiasts don’t watch these tournaments mainly because they don’t recognize the names, so how many of the young talents I’m watching today will appear on the TV sets of millions in a few years?

While obviously many of the youngsters don’t develop into huge names in the world of professional football, I give you the names of some participants from the U17 tournaments between 2002 and 2005, see if you can recognize some of these names:

Wayne Rooney, Phillipe Senderos, Roberto Soldado, David Silva, Lukas Podoslki, Mario Gomez, Łukasz Fabiański, Miguel Veloso, Joao Moutinho, Aaron Lennon ,James Milner, Giuseppe Rossi, Hatem Ben Arfa, Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Theo Walcott, Nuri Sahin, Dejan Lovren, Tim Krul and Vurnon Anita

Update: After a well deserved 1-1 draw in the 80 minutes that is the regulation time in this tournament, and with no extra-time to be played in a U17 level. This match is going to the penalty shoo-outs with England to shoot first:

England - Goal! - Clinical finish to the bottom right corner.
Netherlands - Save! - Newcastle's young keeper does well.
England - Goal! Another good finish, this time from Moore.
Netherlands - Goal! And the youngster tells the England supporters to be quiet.
England - Goal! Cooke with a strong shot, again to the bottom corner.
Netherlands - Miss! Left, wide of the net.
A Goal can win this for England...
England - Goal!

4-1 final on PKs

And there you have it. The Three Lions win this tournament for the 2nd time in 4 years. But which of these youngster we will be watching in the years to come?