FOOTY FAIR

5 Transfers That Changed Everything

2016-07-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the Paul Pogba to Manchester United saga continuing to rumble on and a mooted £110 million fee being discussed, it's little wonder that people are questioning whether or not the French midfielder is worth it.

The following are five previous transfers, and their sizable fees at the time, that shook the football world:

5.) Alf Common - £1,000 - Sunderland to Middlesbrough (1905)

Hoping to avoid relegation from the top flight, Middlesbrough signed England international forward Alf Common from Sunderland in February 1905 for a record breaking £1,000. The first four figure transfer was considered a scandal in Britain, with questions even raised in the House of Commons about the deal. Boro were blasted for trying to buy their safety and one paper even likened a transfer of this type to the slave trade. Common though went about his work and scored the goals to keep Boro in the old First Division. He would stay with the club for five years before moving on to Woolwich Arsenal.

4.) David Jack - £10,890 - Bolton Wanderers to Arsenal (1928)

Legendary manager Herbert Chapman acquired the key piece for his all conquering Arsenal side of the 1930's when he brought in Bolton's high scoring inside forward David Jack for £10,890. Despite what was considered an obscene amount of money at the time, Bolton were actually asking £13,000 for Jack. Chapman though, rather craftily got their representatives drunk before getting them to agree to the lessor fee. Jack would score 113 goals in 181 appearances for the Gunners and help the club to three league titles and an FA Cup win.

3.) Luis Suárez Miramontes - £142,000 - Barcelona to Inter Milan (1961)

Considered to be one of Spanish football's greatest ever players, Luis Suárez Miramontes became the subject of football's first ever six figure transfer deal when he moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan for £142,000 in 1961. Inter would see it as money well spent as Suárez was an integral part of the side that won two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups in the mid-1960's.

2.) Diego Maradona - £5,000,000 - Barcelona to Napoli (1984)

Napoli became the first football club to break the million pound mark when they signed forward Giuseppe Savoldi from Bologna for £1,200,000 in 1975. Although Savoldi did well enough with the club, leading them to a Coppa Italia win in his first season, he didn't help them land their first ever Serie A title. So nine years later, the Naples club shattered the transfer record again when they brought in the Argentine legend Diego Maradona for £5,000,000. Still a hero in the city to this day, Maradona led the club to two league titles, a Coppa Italia, and a UEFA Cup.

1.) Gareth Bale - £83,000,000 - Tottenham to Real Madrid (2013)

Since the summer of 2000, the transfer record has been broken five times by one club: Real Madrid. The Spanish giants latest record breaking move came when they swooped in for Spurs winger Gareth Bale in 2013. In his three seasons at the club, Bale has helped the club to two UEFA Champions League titles.

The Greatest Premier League Last Day Relegation Escapes

2016-04-20T08:18:00.001-04:00

With the Premier League approaching its last month of play, the relegation battle intensifies and we could potentially see yet another season where the last (or even last two) drop zones are only confirmed on the very last day of competition. With Sunderland's win over Norwich on the weekend and with Newcastle's 4 of available 6 points in their last two matches one thing is certain, a nervy but probably very interesting finish is in order.

With that in mind, we take a look at some of the more recent last day escapes in the Premier League, which could very well apply to one of Sunderland, Norwich or Newcastle this season.

West Ham United: 2006/07

Sitting 10 points behind 17th place in March, The Hammers made an unlikely run towards the end of the 2006-07 season with star-man Carlos Tevez pushing his club towards wins over the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers. But despite the late heroics, West Ham still had a tough task ahead of them on the last day of competition, defeat already crowned league champions Manchester United or face the likely reality of relegation.

Needless to say, West Ham is on this list because of their ability to survive that particular match-day with an incredible win at Old Trafford; securing their survival in England's top tier.

Fulham: 2007/08

The following season after West Ham's escape and in what was a record-breaking year, when Derby County were relegated having only achieved a lousy 11 points during the 2007-08 campaign, the last day of play was still needed in order to solidify the other two clubs who were to go down alongside Derby. With Fulham, Birmingham and Reading still all very much in danger for the two spots it was The Cottagers who were able to escape after a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth was enough to send Reading down on goal differential.

Bradford City: 1999/00

With only 1 win in the first 7 matches of their EPL debut season, Bradford City would go on to have a very difficult first season in the top tier. With one last match to go in the season, the club was facing the drop unless they were able to achieve a better result than the other relegation battling club; Wimbledon. With a goal of their own and Wimbledon's loss to Southampton The Bantams would survive for one more year before leaving the Premier League.

Oldham Athletic: 1992/93

In Premier League's first year under the new format, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough were already guaranteed the drop before last day of competitions. But there was still one relegation spot to avoid, that being contested between three sides. Crystal Palace, Southampton and Oldham were in a tense battle, which was only made more interesting with Oldham and Southampton playing one another.

A combination of Palace's 3-0 loss to Arsenal and Oldham's 4-3 victory over the Saints, saw Oldham Athletic survive the drop over the Eagles by edging their rivals on goal difference.

West Bromwich Albion: 2004/05

In what was perhaps one of the most congested relegation battles, West Brom, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Norwich were all still facing relegation to the 2nd tier on the last day of competition, with just one of them having a chance to survive the drop.

In last place on Christmas, West Bromwich Albion completed the "great escape" on the last day with a victory over Portsmouth, with the other three clubs all relegated.

Middlesbrough FC: The Only Club to Represent the North-East in the EPL Next Season?

2016-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

After their 25th victory of the season on Tuesday, a 2-1 home win over Reading FC, Middlesbrough FC sits first in the Football League Championship table with only five matches remaining in their campaign. A successful season through the first 41 matches has already guaranteed Boro at least a shot at the promotion playoffs, but a finish in the top two spots will hand the club an automatic spot in the Premier League for the 2016-17 season; their first in England's top tier since they were last relegated at the end of the 2008-09 EPL campaign.

With Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC dominating NorthEast's footballing scene most years, next season could prove to be one in which Middlesbrough is the one in the spotlight. With the Black Cats and Magpies deep in relegation battle and the Premier League season winding down, Boro could be the only club from the region featured in the top tier next season; a phenomenon that has not occurred many times in the past.

One would have to look all the way back to EPL's first season under the new league format in 1992-93 to find the last time Middlesbrough played in England's highest league while both Newcastle and Sunderland were competing in a lower tier. To be fair, before researching the exact season this was the case last time I was sure I would have to dig even further; on the other hand, if my math doesn't fail me, that was a cool 23 years ago.

Undoubtedly, the tyne-wear derby between the Toon and Sunderland is one of the most exciting and intense clashes in all of England. After all, when the two sides lock horns league standings and general recent success becomes irrelevant, with the two towns nearly coming to a halt on derby day with its citizens either at the stadium or glued to the TV screen. Nonetheless, the Tyne-Tees derby between Middlesbrough and Newcastle and the Tees-Wear tie in which Boro contests Sunderland are also noteworthy rivalries in English football; two derbies that may not be contested next season even if The "Smoggies" achieve the highly sought after promotion.

Middlesbrough's main rivals are Sunderland, with the two club's stadiums just over 30 miles away from one another. The two sides last met in the League Cup in October of 2012, with Middlesbrough winning the match by a final score of 1-0 despite playing one tier lower than their rivals. As for Newcastle United, Boro hasn't been able to defeat the Toon in the last 7 tries, with their last victory over the Magpies coming at the end of 2006.

If league standings in both the Championship and Premier League indeed stay as they currently are, Middlesbrough's fans will not experience a tie with either of their rivals (barring a League Cup or FA Cup draw); an idea that is perhaps both disappointing and intriguing at the same time. After all, as exciting as derby meetings are, avoiding rivalry distraction mid-season could be crucial for a newly promoted side to keeping their focus on staying in the top league.

Steven Fletcher Sings "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Theme (Video)

2016-02-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

Scotland international and former Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher has recently switched sides to French club Marseille. Perhpas the move was just a loan, nonetheless, Fletcher was put through a small initiation tradition in which the new footballer sings in front of the lads.

Selecting to belt out the theme song for the TV series Fresh Prince of Bel-air, this could very well be something his OM teammates won't forget even if he leaves once his loan spell is finished at the end of the season.

Why Can't a Player Celebrate in Front of Opposition Fans?

2015-10-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

On Monday afternoon, West Brom's James McClean was given a formal warning by the English FA for celebrating his side's win against Sunderland in front of their fans.

Although part of the reasoning is that his conduct could have provoked violence and/or pitch invasion, I feel that the authorities and the social media keyboard warriors have jumped all over what is just a player letting off some steam, or perhaps tongue having a bit of a laugh with his old supporters.

The celebration police have gotten out of hand in recent years, handing out fines for things like McClean's exuberance like they're passing out candy on Halloween.

It's ridiculous overkill that sucks a bit of the funny banter that can occur between players and crowds, and just panders to the always offended brigade.

Football is a passionate game and sometimes that emotion can spill over. It's increasingly so when a player comes up against his former side. With emotion comes natural reactions like McClean's celebration. That's part and parcel of the game.

I remember years back when players would flick "V" signs at opposition fans or smile and wave at them after scoring. Sure they'd let the offending player have it, but it was part of the game.

The FA handing him a fine effectively tells supporters that they can yell and scream insults at a player as much as they want, but when he gives it back after a goal he could land himself with a meeting with the FA so they best report him.

What a gong show.

One funny thing to come out of this mess was West Brom manager Tony Pulis' terrific take on McClain's celebration that led to the players clashing. After the game, Pulis said: "He's not the sharpest tool in the box, and that's not being disrespectful to him. But he's a smashing lad."

Former Finnish Manager of the Year Sacked for Commentating on Everton

2015-10-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

Typically when a manager is given the sack in football it's on account of their club's poor results.

Occasionally the axe might be dropped on a gaffer though if he's fallen out with the chairman or if he's lost the dressing room and has no idea where to find it.

But once in awhile a manager does something a little off the charts that leads to their demise, like when Manchester United boss Tommy Docherty was relieved of his duties shortly after winning the 1977 FA Cup.

What was Dochery's misdemeanour? He shagged the club physio's wife.

Although the now former Finnish side FC Ilves boss Keith Armstrong wasn't sacked for anything quite as sexy, he was given his get the hell out papers for another curious reason that was unrelated to his team's results.

It turns out that the former Sunderland midfielder, and three time Finnish coach of the year, skipped his side's match last Sunday with SJK to work as a pundit on MTV3’s coverage of the Premier League matches between Everton and Liverpool, and Arsenal versus Manchester United.

Needless to say his bosses weren't impressed, and can you honestly blame them?

The Ilves board reacted to Armstrong's decision to ditch his role on the touch line for the opportunity to wax lyrically about Antonio Valencia by sacking him the next day.

The official statement from the club's CEO Tom Erolainen read:

"[FC Ilves] have terminated the contract of head coach Keith Armstrong.
We want to thank (Armstrong) for the excellent work he’s done as a coach of the Lynxes. Behind us is a magnificent season, which has given the fans and players a lot.
A common path is no longer found in the future. The team is now focusing firmly on the last matches of the Veikkausliiga season, as we seek to finish in sixth place."

Armstrong has since claimed that the situation is not as it seems and that his captain and assistant bosses knew he would be missing the match.

It still comes across as a dopey decision on his part even if that is the case though.

Dick Advocaat, Louis Van Gaal and Two Women in Body Paint

2015-09-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

It's one of the strangest football related pictures I've seen.

Dick Advocaat and Louis Van Gaal awkwardly posed with two scantily clad women, sporting Ajax and PSV body paint.

Dutch football is known for unusual promotional pictures, take the feature we did on the Bizarre Genius of Henk Blansjaar and his trippy squad pictures in the 1960's for example.

But this photoshoot involving two of the Netherland's most decorated coaches is something else entirely.

Prior to Van Gaal overseeing Manchester United's 3-0 win today over Advocaat's struggling Sunderland side, the Black Cats boss shed a little bit of light on the pictures with the girls:

"It was PSV versus Ajax, I believe. We were quite surprised when we came in. I can remember it.

They were already painted unfortunately."

Although Advocaat looks a tad uncomfortable, Van Gaal seems to be rather enjoying himself in the picture below and running dangerously close to becoming a Mister Busy-Hands.

5 Strange Injuries

2015-09-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

While Luke Shaw's horrific leg injury suffered during Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League loss to PSV yesterday is no laughing matter, and we wish him a speedy recovery, the following are five slightly lighter and definitely more bizarre injuries that have stricken footballers over the years:

Julio Arca

During the 2004-2005 pre-season, then Sunderland midfielder Julio Arca decided to go for a frosty dip in the North Sea. As bad an idea as that sounds it wasn't frostbite that befell poor Julio, but rather a sting from a jellyfish. He developed a severe rash and was rushed to emergency. He eventually recovered, but couldn't adequately explain what he was thinking.

Darren Barnard

House training your pets is not only good for the state of your floors and the smell of your house, but good for your safety as Barnsley's Darren Barnard found out when he slipped in a puddle of his dog's piss and found himself out for five months with torn ligaments.

Darius Vassell

Former England striker Darius Vassell once had to be rushed into emergency after attempting to burst a blood blister on his toe with a power drill. Don't try that at home kids.

Milan Rapaic

Hajduk Split’s Milan Rapaic once found out about the inherent dangers of airplane boarding cards when he missed part of a season after jabbing himself in the eyeball with one.

Alex Stepney

Former Manchester United keeper Alex Stepney dislocated his jaw in the middle of a league match in 1975 while screaming at his defenders.

Bloody Big Joke: MLS Mid-Season Friendlies

2015-06-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Another summer day, another useless mid-season friendly. One of the peculiarities of North America's Major League Soccer is the practice of clubs hosting friendlies in the middle of their already demanding league season, typically against European opposition.

Why would they do this, you might ask. Besides the unnecessary physical and mental strain these matches have on players, the MLS sides run the risk of losing key players to injury at a key point in their league season.

On top of all of this is the feeling of supporters towards these matches. When I say 'supporters', I'm referring to season ticket holders and supporters group members who are the lifeblood of a club. For the most part supporters vehemently oppose the inclusion of these matches on the calendar and have genuine concern about their impact.

The answer to why these matches occur, of course, is money. Rich European clubs in their close season need some time on the pitch against reasonable opposition and once they bat their eyelashes at an MLS outfit, the North American side goes weak in the knees and then their clothes are off faster than a prom dress at a scuzzy motel.

The shameless corporate bottom line sleaze of hosting these middle of the season friendlies is what sticks in the back of my throat and in a way de-legitimizes a league that has worked so hard to be taken seriously.

Could you imagine Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, for example, giving his blessing to a midweek friendly during the crucial March period between United and a visiting foreign side and a stipulation that he couldn't start with reserves?

But MLS sides continue to press ahead with this foolishness and it was with no trace of surprise that I read on Friday that my local club Toronto FC will be hosting yet another mid-season friendly in July.

What did surprise me though was that the opponent was Sunderland, the current side of former TFC saviour Jermain Defoe. The Bloody Big Deal, who turned out to be a Bloody Big Joke, went into a cataclysmic sulk after missing out on the England squad for the 2014 World Cup and then realized that he didn't much care for Toronto before forcing a move away.

The fact that TFC would countenance a meeting with Sunderland given their supporters justifiable outrage with their former striker is both hilarious and revealing as to how far their finger is off the pulse of what people in the stands are feeling. In fact their finger is more likely to be up their ass than on the pulse when it comes to this matter.

Defoe should be in for quite a reception when he returns to Toronto though, so in a backwards way perhaps this is one that'll be worth tuning into. At least for the first five minutes.

Concepts: Washington Football Club

2015-05-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

While Washington FC is a small club from the Tyne and Wear county in England, UK based designer MartinLeRoy decided to give this Northern Football League team an identity redesign. And unlike so many other designers around the web Martin has created the new design with concept in mind, combining elements from the old crest and ideas based on history (or in this case a legend) from the region where the club is based.

Here is the designer's explanation in his own words:

A new crest for my local Northern League Division 2 Side, Washington. The original crest (bottom left) is the crest of the town of Washington. My new version features a red ribbon wrapped around a a crest shape 7 times to represent the 7 times the Lambton Worm wrapped itself around Worm Hill. That design echoes the old crest with red horizontal stripes and the 3 red stars above remain.

EPL Relegation Shakedown: 2 Down, 1 To Go

2015-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

With both Burnley and a dismal QPR side consigned to relegation this weekend, there is one more team that could join them in the second tier next season dependent upon the outcome of the two remaining matches of the English Premier League season.

The following are the five teams that could still get dragged into the Championship and what their remaining fixtures look like:

Hull City - 34 points

Hull City, with their two remaining matches against Tottenham and Manchester United to go along with them needing other sides to drop points appears to make them odds on favourites for relegation. However, Tottenham have nothing much to play for now that they've already missed out on Champions League qualification, while Manchester United's form of late has been patchy, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Hull could get something out of these two fixtures.

Newcastle United - 36 points

Before their crucial 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday the struggling Magpies had not picked up a point since February 28 and looked to be in free fall. Their remaining fixtures are against the already relegated QPR and a mid table West Ham side with nothing to play for, so it should be straightforward for John Carver's side to secure safety, but nothing is ever straightforward with Newcastle.

Sunderland - 36 points

Newcastle's bitter rivals Sunderland have three matches remaining, but the first of which is a pressure packed "six pointer" against fellow relegation battlers Leicester City. A win in that fixture may see Sunderland near enough to safety. Their other two remaining matches are against an Arsenal side battling to secure second place and the already crowned Champions Chelsea, whose minds may be on the beach when this match rolls around.

Leicester City - 37 points

A few months back Leicester looked dead and buried, but their resurgence in recent weeks is a credit to manager Nigel Pearson. He's formed a strongly knit unit without the benefit of a lot of money to spend and has made the Foxes a tough team to beat. The above mentioned clash with Sunderland is massive however and could either virtually assure them of safety or setup a nervous last day against the already doomed QPR.

Aston Villa - 38 points

Going nowhere under former manager Paul Lambert, the surging Aston Villa side led by the outspoken Tim Sherwood have already booked themselves a place in the FA Cup Final and appear to be on safe footing baring a disaster over the course of their last two matches against Southampton and already relegated Burnley.

4 Football Ghost Stories

2015-04-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

If I were to come back as a ghost, besides generally messing with the people who have annoyed me in life, I'd go on a tour of the football world taking in matches on all continents.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this wish, so perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise, at least not if you believe in this sort of thing, that there have been ghostly presences in and around football stadiums over the years.

The following are four hair raising tales of phantoms and hauntings in football:

Spirit in the Stands

In April 2014 an unexplained shadow slid quickly through the stands during a Copa Libertadores match between The Strongest and Defensor Sporting of Uruguay at the Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz, Bolivia, causing supporters to scatter in the stands.

It even appeared to run straight through a barrier. Sadly there were no reports of the ghost howling at the away fans, "Boo are ya?"

OK, I'll file that last pun.

Ghosting Between Defenders

A month after the strange events in Bolivia, another shadowy figure was spotted during Borussia Dortmund's match with Bayern Munich in the German Cup final in May 2014.

Just before halftime, a ghost-like figure seemed to glide onto the pitch out of sight of the players.

Even supernatural forces couldn't stop Pep Guardiola's side from capping a domestic double thanks to a 2-0 victory over their rivals.

The Halls of Highbury

The forward thinking Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman, who revolutionized the previously unsuccessful club with many new innovations during his time in North London in the late 1920's and early 1930's, sadly died of Pneumonia in the middle of the club's most successful decade to date at age 55.

The obsessive Chapman had dragged himself out to see three matches over a couple of days in January 1934, despite battling a bad cold, and this directly led to his passing.

Until Arsenal moved out of Highbury at the end of the 2005/2006 season, it was said that late at night you could hear Chapman's restless ghost pacing the halls of the famous old ground.

Stadium of Fright

Despite only opening in 1997, AFC Sunderland's Stadium of Light already has a ghost story attached to it. In April 2005, two members of the club's background staff were frightened by a dark shape in a corridor and despite a great deal of skepticism, striker Stephen Elliot also later claimed to have seen this apparition.

Rather than the spirit of a Mackem who is trying to scare the club into appointing a decent manager for once, some believe the stadium is haunted by an 18th century criminal named Spottee, who used to guide ships on to the rocks at nearby Whitburn and then rob them of their cargo.

5 Best Own Goals of 2014

2014-12-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

As 2014 comes to a close we could give you a list of the best footballers of this past year, or perhaps a montage of 2014's best goals. Instead, in true FootyFair fashion we will instead entertain our fans with one of the most embarrassing aspect of playing football, the own goal. Here are our top 5 "balls in the back of your own net" moments of this year.

#5 - Kolo Toure's clearance

Earlier in the year (EPL's 2013-14 season) we saw Liverpool center-back try to clear the ball from a rather weak Fulham cross into the box. The result was odd.

#4 - Marcelo opens 2014 World Cup scoring in his own net

Perhaps it's not a horrible own-goal and Brazilian defender Marcelo had very little options but to put the ball into his own net as he saw the Brazuca very late as it hit his leg. However, His own goal marked the first goal of the 2014 FIFA World Cup that was coincidentally hosted in Brazil, with Brazil probably being the favorite to win the entire tournament. If you watched the match live you know exactly how shocking a beggining this was to the tournament.

#3 - Vergini's super finish

As if the eventual 8-0 loss at the hands of Southampton was not enough for Sunderland this past October, on loan Argentinian defender Santiago Vergini produced one very impressive own-goal to add to his side's struggles on the day.

#2 - Sociedad's Copa Del Rey howler

In early 2014 in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-final between Barcelona and Real Sociedad, the visitors from Basque Country would prove that even Barcelona sometimes gets lucky, as the away team would produce a bizzare own goal around the 60th minute mark to give the home side a 2-0 victory. While the goal was officially registered as an own goal by Sociedad's goalkeeper Eñaut Zubikarai, it's pretty clear to see that the shot stopper had very little with the insane incident.

#1 - Kramer's beauty

By far the most epic of all own goals on the year was that of German international and Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Christopher Kramer against Borussia Dortmund. A moment of both brilliance and madness all roled into one goal as Kramer so simply put the ball in the back of his own net from nearly the half-way line.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

With an array of exciting matches on the go this weekend, we will be watching action from Scotland, Italy, England and of course the FIFA Club World Cup finals.

Dundee United vs. Celtic (Scotland - Sunday)

A good one on display in the Scottish Premier League this coming Sunday as third place Dundee United hosts league leader Celtic. With The Terrors sitting just 7 points behind the Glasgow club, a home match with the leaders is just what the club needs if they are planning to catch up to the number one spot. Celtic on the other hand have the previous meeting to look at for motivation as The Bhoys ran riot over their opponents on the 16th of August with a 6-1 final win.

Roma vs. AC Milan (Italy - Saturday)

Perhaps Milan is not the same successful club it used to be in years past, but meetings between capital city club AS Roma and AC Milan are almost always entertaining. Milan is having a mediocre season by their standards so far, picking up 6 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses in their first 15 matches; occupying the 7th spot in the Serie A table. AS Roma on the other hand is experiencing a resurgence in the past few years, sitting in the second spot in the table 4 points behind league leaders Juventus (with a game in hand). Roma has yet to lose on home ground this year and tend to look like a much better outfit at the Stadio Olimpico.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal (England - Sunday)

Wenger in, Wenger out, what's the story with The Gunners' supporters this year? Whatever the case, Wenger seems to now be safe from the boo-birds as a couple of good recent results have now turned around the opinions of those who were asking for the sacking of the manager that has been at the club for 18 years. At Liverpool the story is quite a bit different. After finishing in second place last season Brendan Rodgers' side has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League competition in the group stages, and the club is currently sitting 11th in the EPL table. Last weekend's 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester United pretty much summed up Liverpool's season to date, and it doesn't get much easier when they host Arsenal. Liverpool can be hopeful however as The Gunners are nursing a few injuries and the fact that Arsenal suffered all but one of their four losses this year on the road. Liverpool on the other hand lost 7 times already this year, but only two of those defeats were on home soil at Anfield.

Newcastle United vs. Sunderland (England - Sunday)

The big derby of North-East London will be on display this Sunday and regardless of their record in the league when these two meet in the Tyne-Wear derby the competitive nature of this fixture almost always creates for entertaining football and atmosphere.This weekend's match is hosted in Newcastle's St. James' Park ground and the home team will surely look to bounce back after two heavy defeats in North London to Arsenal and Chelsea, where The Magpies conceded 8 goals between the two matches, scoring just once. Sunderland on the other hand are just two points clear of the relegation zone and will feel that a win against their arch rivals who sit fairly comfortable in the 8th spot would be a perfect way to turn their season around.

Real Madrid vs. San Lorenzo (FIFA Club World Cup - Saturday)

The debate is on whether the FIFA Club World Cup matters at all and whether fans around the world even care about this very oddly formatted competition. Nonetheless, as a football fan if they are going to crown the world's best club of the year, we will be watching. It seems like this year it's a no-brainer with Real Madrid very much looking unbeatable and with Argentinian side San Lorenzo's not so convincing semi-final extra-time win over New Zeland's Auckland City FC the competition seems to be quite a bit predictable. However, South American sides in this competition have surprised Europe's power-house clubs such as Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea on a number of occasions. On the other hand, those South American clubs were all from Brazil, while the two Argentinian sides that managed to reach the finals both lost.

Football’s Mavericks – Paolo Di Canio

2014-10-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

Italian forward Paolo Di Canio was never a huge super-star on the football pitch during his football career. He was very good, in fact he was good enough to play both in the top tiers of Italian and English football, but perhaps he would be a lot less noticed as a player if it was not his antics that usually had little to do with football itself.

Born and raised in the ‘blue collar’ part of Italian capital Rome, Di Canio was very likely to grow up an AS Roma supporter as the majority of football fans from the area of his residence were. But Di Canio chose his own path from an early age, turning his fascination with bitter rivals S.S Lazio into a lifelong passion.

Di Canio in fact started his professional career with the club he loved as he signed for Lazio in 1985. Four years later Di Canio became the hero of the club’s supporters as he scored a game-winning goal against arch rivals AS Roma in a Derby della Capitale.

But as much as he was a hero to the Lazio faithful, Di Canio was also a villain on many occasions. The Italian was well known for his ‘short fuse’ the led to angry outbursts.

Di Canio left his second professional club Juventus after an altercation with then manager Giovanni Trapattoni and then again with Fabio Capello, which essentially ended Di Canio’s two year stint at AC Milan.

But Di Canio’s actions around the football pitch were not the only to raise eyebrows. Paolo Di Canio has for many years proclaimed to be a fascist. Aligning himself with such views was not welcomed by many in the modern game and labeled the Italian an outsider. Paolo does not hide his beliefs however and sports numerous tattoos of fascist imagery on his body.

On his return to Lazio in the mid 2000s after an 8 year stint in British football, Di Canio grew even closer with the right-winged ultras of S.S. Lazio and celebrated numerous goals by emulating the fascist salute towards his fans. The salute was an unwelcome act and Di Canio was banned for one match and fined seven thousand Euros. When asked about his behaviour Di Canio was quoted saying "I will always salute as I did because it gives me a sense of belonging to my people ... I saluted my people with what for me is a sign of belonging to a group that holds true values, values of civility against the standardisation that this society imposes upon us."

In 2010 Di Canio attended the funeral of Paolo Signorelli, a senior fascists who was convicted for his involvement in the Bologna Massacre, a neo-fascist terrorist bombing that killed 85 people at the central station in Bologna, Italy.

His days in the United Kingdom were not uneventful either however. With his first club Celtic in Scotland, Di Canio was named Scottish Premier League player of the year, but the Italian had run-ins on the pitch with Ranger players and could not agree over wages with his own employers, so after refusing to join his team at pre-season, Di Canio left for England where he joined Sheffield Wednesday.

While with Wednesday, Di Canio managed to push referee Paul Alcock in a match with Arsenal and was banned for 11 matches. In his next club West Ham United, Di Canio seemed to appreciate the opportunity as the striker refrained from his usual ways and stayed mostly out of the public eye aside from his impressive form on the pitch. After four years at West Ham Di Canio signed for Charlton Athletic, but after his form started to diminish the Italian went back home and re-joined Lazio in 2004.

After the end of his playing days Di Canio went into management, and although his rebellious ways seemed to be behind him, the Italian’s reputation preceded him. When Di Canio was hired by Swindon Town for his first managerial role, trade union GNB terminated their sponsorship deal with the club. Then again, when Paolo Di Canio was appointed bench manager at Sunderland the Black Cats’ vice-chairman David Miliband left his position at the club. In both cases Di Canio’s political views were cited as the issue.

Fair Play

Ironically, Di Canio received a FIFA Fair Play award during his time with West Ham United in 2000. In a match against Everton, Toffee goalkeeper Paul Gerrard twisted his ankle trying to clear the ball at the edge of his penalty box. Di Canio’s teammate took the opportunity to cross the ball to the Italian who was standing inside the penalty area, but instead of putting the ball into the empty net Di Canio caught the ball with his hands and stopped the play, pointing to the injured keeper.

Everton’s supporters showed their appreciation with a standing ovation for the Italian at Goodison Park, but it was FIFA who showed even more support to an act football’s governing body called “a special act of good sportsmanship” and awarded the controversial striker with the Fair Play award.

Weekend Recap - Top 5 Surprise Results (Highlights)

2014-10-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Not too many shocking results this past weekend, nonetheless, there were a few matches that turned some heads around. We have the most surprising results from Greece, Belgium, Italy, Spain and one shocking final score from the English Premier League.

Panathinaikos 1 - 2 OFI Crete

The Greek giants stared off a bit slow with (for them that is) and were sitting with 10 points from their first 5 league matches of the season. Hosting OFI Crete should not have been an issue, but instead Panathinaikos found themselves down 1-0 in the first half. It seemed they were saved in the second 45 thanks to an own goal from the visitors but OFI had other plans as they grabbed the winner with very little time left in the match.

Standard Liege 1 - 2 Zulte-Waregem

Like Panathinaikos in our first surprise result on this list, Standard Liege were expected to start the season off in much better form. Instead, Liege managed to grab just 12 points from their 10 first matches. Hosting last place Zulte-Waregem was a welcomed fixture and one that may have been seen as one that could turn Standard's fortunes around. Unfortunately that was not the case and the home fans showed their disspleasure throwing seats onto the pitch as their beloved club lost 2-1 to the team sitting at the very bottom of the table.

Sassuolo 1 - 1 Juventus

Holding a perfect record after 6 matches, Juventus headed to Sassuolo to take on the city's club who sat dead last in Serie A standings. After Simone Zaza surprised the home fans by opening the score in favor of the local club, Paul Pogba equalized a few minutes later. The defending champions would not be able to score again however, handing the hosts a much needed point and ending Juve's perfect run.

Deportivo La Coruna 3 - 0 Valencia

Sitting in second place before the weekend's action began, Valencia traveled to A Coruña to play local side Deportivo who were in last place. Deportivo provided the home fans with big value for the money they spent on the ticket, defeating Valencia by a 3-0 final. La Coruna moved up to 15th place, while Valencia dropped to 4th after wins by both Real Madrid and Sevilla.

Southampton 8 - 0 Sunderland

Whether or not they were favorites to win makes no difference in this match, because any way you look at it this is a shock result. A result Newcastle fans may very well consider one of the best of the year, but one that neither of the fan bases involved in this particular match expected. It all started with what could only be called a disastrous blunder by The Black Cats as Santiago Vergini shot the ball into his own net in a fashion that some star strikers rarely get to score in the correct direction. Graziano Pelle was a star again with two goals of his own and Sunderland added another ball into their own net to make it a total of 8 at the end.

The Monday Meltdown - Should Sunderland Pay Their Away Fans Back?

2014-10-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

As more than 2,500 Sunderland fans prepared to make the 653-mile round trip between Tyne and Wear, and the south coast they certainly had no idea what they were in for.

After a host of summer departures which included Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton were expected to struggle this season. But under new manager Ronald Koeman however they have absolutely flourished.

Sitting in third place in the table in this young Premier League season, the Saints have been a revelation so far. Key to their play so far has been Koeman's commitment to attacking football and the inspired form of new signing Graziano Pellè. The Italian striker, who received his first cap for the Azzurri this month, has been one of the players of the season so far, with a blistering 6 goals in 8 matches.

With that said, Sunderland have played better than their league standing of 17th place suggests and would have gone into St. Mary's expecting a tight battle.

After an encouraging start though, the game descended into a nightmare befitting the Halloween season for The Black Cats.

A ridiculous own goal by Santiago Vergini, that was later described by stunned Sunderland manager Gus Poyet as "a goal from another planet", got Southampton on the board and it was followed up by goals from Pellè and Jack Cork before halftime.

The wheels positively came off for Sunderland in the second half as Southampton continued to relentlessly attack and found the net another five times. With one of the goals coming by virtue of another laughable own goal, this time by Liam Bridcutt, the away sides fans were left with red faces for their long journey home.

It was a weak surrender by the club and one that will have left Poyet wondering which of his men truly has the fight within them to get Sunderland away from the relegation zone.

Goalkeeper Vito Mannone admits that the performance was unacceptable. “It was a difficult afternoon but we need to react,” said the Italian. “We have to do it for ourselves, for the club and for our great fans as well that came all that way. I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay their tickets and their trip. It is difficult for us but it’s very difficult for them as well.”

Mannone himself did not cover himself in glory, and could have done better with a few of the Saints goals, continued.

“I take all the responsibility I can take for each goal,” said Mannone. “I will try to work on it and try to improve. Each one of us should do the same. To try to defend and be in a game properly as a unit. Each one of us knows there were mistakes on the field.

“I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. I will do everything possible. We should do it because we didn’t work hard. We started the game well but after we conceded we threw in the towel – and I include myself.”

After the goalkeeper comments the question has to be posed will Sunderland pay their fans back for such a wretched performance and should they?

As someone who has traveled hundreds of miles following a team, which has included overnight hotel stays, only to see the side play like garbage on the day, I can understand the fans fury.

When paid professionals take the day off, allowing themselves and the fans to be completely humiliated I think compensation of some sort should be in order.

Fans pay thousands of dollars, or pounds in this case, to follow their clubs on the road and the least the side can do is put up a good effort. As fans the minimum requirement we have is that our players fight for the badge and that's something that Sunderland's beleaguered side certainly didn't do on Saturday.

Hopefully the club will compensate those that traveled down to the south coast this past weekend and in the meantime Poyet has promised that "it's going to be an interesting week in training, that's for sure."

Roy Keane: The Best Bits of The Second Half

2014-10-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

This week saw a flood of incredible excerpts from Roy Keane's second autobiography, The Second Half, appear across the internet and in some of the major media outlets. Whether you admire or hate the combustible Irishman, you can't deny that he has a certain flair for speaking his mind.

The following are a few of our favourite bits that have come out of his book so far.

Keane on Robbie Savage:

“I rang Mark Hughes. Robbie [Savage] wasn’t in the Blackburn team and I asked Mark if we could try to arrange a deal. Sparky said: ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s lost his way here but he could still do a job for you.’ Robbie’s legs were going a bit but I thought he might come up to us [at Sunderland], with his long hair, and give us a lift – the way Yorkie [Dwight Yorke] had, a big personality in the dressing room. Sparky gave me permission to give him a call. So I got Robbie’s mobile number and rang him. It went to his voicemail: ‘Hi, it’s Robbie – whazzup!’ like the Budweiser ad. I never called him back. I thought: ‘I can’t be fucking signing that.’”

Keane on Celtic:

“My first game [for Celtic] was Clyde, away, in the third round of the Scottish Cup. We were beaten 2-1. It was a nightmare. I wasn’t happy with my own game. I did OK, but OK wasn’t good enough. After the game – the disappointment. As I was taking my jersey off, I noticed the Nike tag was still on it. When I got on the bus John Hartson, a really good guy, was already sitting there and he was eating a packet of crisps – with a fizzy drink. I said to myself: ‘Welcome to Hell.’”

Keane on Leaving Manchester United:

“I said to Ferguson, ‘Can I play for somebody else?’ And he said, ‘Yeah you can, cos we’re tearing up your contract’. So I thought, All right – I’ll get fixed up.

“I knew there’d been clubs in for me when the news got out.

“I said, ‘Yeah – I think we have come to the end.’ I just thought, ‘Fucking prick – and I stood up and went ‘Yeah. I’m off.”

Keane on ABBA:

“It might seem strange but you find out about characters when you look to see who’s in charge of the music. A young lad might want to put on the latest sound; an older player might say: ‘I’m the senior player’ and put himself in charge. But I noticed none of the players [at Sunderland] were in charge of the music and this was a concern for me. A member of staff was in charge. I was looking at him thinking: ‘I hope someone nails him here.’ The last song before the players went on to the pitch was ‘Dancing Queen’ by Abba. What really worried me was that none of the players – not one – said: ‘Get that shit off.’ They were going out to play a match, men versus men, testosterone levels were high. You’ve got to hit people at pace. Fuckin’ ‘Dancing Queen.’ It worried me. I didn’t have as many leaders as I thought.”

Keane on Cristiano Ronaldo:

“We were playing Sporting Lisbon to celebrate the opening of their stadium. I saw how good Ronaldo was that day. He was up against John O’Shea. Sheasy ended up seeing the doctor at half time because he was actually having dizzy spells.

“The club concluded negotiations after the game and we always joked with Sheasy he had actually sealed the deal by playing like a fucking clown."

Keane on Peter Schmeichel

"I had a bust-up with Peter when we were on a pre-season tour of Asia. I think we were in Hong Kong. There was drink involved. The manager had a go at us as we were getting on the bus, and people were going on about a fight in the hotel the night before. It started coming back to me – the fight between me and Peter. Peter had grabbed me, I'd headbutted him – we'd been fighting for ages.”

Keane on Asking Carlos Queiroz to Mix Up Training a Bit:

"I asked Carlos Queiroz if made love to his wife in the same position every night. I said, you change the position, don't you? Sometimes you have to mix up training a little bit. That's all I'm saying. That's coming from all the players. It's not a personal thing'."

Keane on THAT Tackle on Alf-Inge Håland

"There are things I regret in my life and he's not one of them."

When this particular quote hit the press, Håland tweeted:

Mid-Week Rants: Not Taking Cup Competitions Seriously

2014-08-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

As Manchester United fielded a weakened starting eleven last night against MK Dons and crashed to a disastrous 4-0 defeat, I found myself reflecting again on how the big clubs don't take the cup competitions seriously anymore.

When I was growing up here in Canada, one of the few live domestic matches we would get to see each season was the FA Cup Final. I used to look forward to it for months, and would always get behind the underdog if my club wasn't involved.

Unfortunately the FA Cup, and it's neglected step-child the Capital One Cup, are now viewed as secondary prizes for the top clubs in England. In the early rounds clubs will field youngsters and reserves while giving their top stars a break.

The argument is that the players have too many competitive matches on the calendar and they need a rest. Ignoring for a moment the ludicrous of multi-million pound footballers not being fit enough to play football twice a week, the clubs that aren't in European competition really can't make that excuse.

But sadly even sides who finished out of the European slots in the previous season field undermanned sides in the domestic cups. It seems that qualifying for Europe for the following season or finishing clear of the relegation dog fight is more important than a cup run.

Although those things are important, I tend to agree with the late Spurs legend Danny Blanchflower in that "football is about glory". Why do teams pass up on the opportunity for a little bit of silverware?

Fans of larger clubs, in terms of support, like Sunderland, Newcastle or Aston Villa have gone years without winning anything of note, and how would their fans feel about a good cup run, followed by a day at Wembley with a chance to win a cup?

Ask the Swansea fans who saw their club win the Capital One Cup back in 2013 what it meant to them to see their club win a major trophy.

It's about pride as well. Some teams very much give off the appearance of not caring about these competitions and it seemingly translates down to pitch level at times. Regardless of what competition you're playing in, when you put on your clubs kit and step on the pitch you should have something to prove. You should be showing your fans that you're willing to do whatever it takes to win for the club, that you're proud of the city you represent and at the very least you are worth your generous paycheck.

Giant killings in football don't seem as seismic when the big clubs field a second string and/or the players they have on the pitch don't give a shit. That not only cheats the bigger clubs fans, but it cheats the smaller club as well.

England Clubs Leaked & Released Kits 2014-15 Season (Gallery)

2014-08-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here are more club kits from England EPL and Championship teams.

Barnsley Away Jersey

Barnsley Home Jersey

Norwich City Away Jersey

Huddersfield Town Home Jersey

Huddersfield Town Away Jersey

Tottenham Home Jersey

Tottenham Away Jersey

Arsenal Away Jersey

Arsenal Goalkeeper Jersey

Arsenal Home Jersey

Arsenal 3rd Jersey

Blackburn Rovers Home Jersey

Southampton Home Jersey

Burnley Away Kit

Crystal Palace Kits

Manchester City Home Jersey

Manchester United Away Jersey

Manchester United Home Jersey

Coventry City Away Jersey

Sunderland Home Jersey

QPR Away Kit

QPR Home Kit

QPR Kits

Sheffield Wednesday Home Jersey

Southampton Away Jersey

Stoke City Away Jersey

Stoke City Goalkeeper Jersey

Syoke City Home Jersey

Sunderland Away Jersey

Sunderland Home Jersey

Swansea Away Jersey

Swansea Home Jersey

West Ham Away Jersey

West Ham Goalkeeper Jersey

West Brom Goalkeeper Jersey

West Brom Home Jersey

West Ham Goalkeeper Jersey

West Ham Home Jersey

Wigan Athletic Home Kit

Wimbledon Kits

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.

EPL Report Card 2013-14

2014-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

We gave you our picks for EPL team of the year, best players and top managers (if you missed it, you can read it HERE). Now it's time for us to grade each team and see how the squads did this year. We took into account initial expectations, mid-season changes and overall performances. So here's the EPL report card for the 2013-14 season.

1. Manchester City - GRADE: A+

Despite Sergio Aguero suffering an injury plagued season, and Manuel Pelligrini having to adjust to a new league, City secured their second title in three seasons. With under a month to go in the season, and the title seemingly heading to Anfield, City took full advantage of Liverpool's slip up (pun intended) and closed out the season in style. Yaya Toure was immense again for the Champions this season and along with great contributions from David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Edin Dzeko, they were worthy title winners.

2. Liverpool - GRADE: B

Liverpool displayed some very entertaining football this season, and with only 2 losses all year at Anfield they made their home ground a fortress. With Gerrard controlling the midfield and Suarez having the best year of his career Liverpool looked all set to win their first league title in 24 years. Brendan Rodgers really looked like a genius most year, and Daniel Sturridge proved that he is talented enough to not always be in Suarez's shadow even when the Uruguayan is having a career year. One thing to consider however, is whether or not Liverpool would be able to repeat a season like this with a full EPL and Champions League schedule.

3. Chelsea - GRADE: C

Chelsea finished in the top 4, with a Champions League spot secure for next season and just 4 points behind league champions City. A year without silverware however, does not spell a successful season in Roman Abramovich’s world. Jose Mourinho looked his old self, with Chelsea playing solid (although sometimes not so interesting) brand of football most of the year, but when push came to shove it seemed that Mourinho’s squad put more emphasis on a successful Champions League run than the title race, and we all know how that worked out. They did have the best record playing against the other top 6 outfits in the EPL, but losses to Sunderland, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Stoke City meant that Chelsea would again watch one of their other rivals lift the trophy at the end of the year.

4. Arsenal - GRADE: B-

It was a case of more of the same for the North London side this season as they came flying out of the blocks in first half of the season, but faded badly after January. Injuries to Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey certainly helped derail their title push, but the inability or unwillingness of Arsene Wenger to strengthen a thin squad, again, didn't help their cause. Big summer signing Mesut Ozil sparkled in his first few appearances for the club, but like his teammates "Avatar Eyes" faded badly in the new year. You have to feel that Arsenal is at a cross roads now. Is finishing fourth place every season, but not seriously contending for the title, good enough or does a change in managers have to be made now?

5. Everton - GRADE: A

Losing long-time manager David Moyes to Manchester United must have been hard to take for both the club’s front office and its supporters. Roberto Martinez managed to improve on the position that 11 year manager Moyes set last year (6th place), with a 5th place finish after fighting for a top 4 spot almost all year long. Martinez showed the Goodison Park faithful that he too can spend little and achieve high success with this club. With Gareth Berry, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Ross Barkley and on-loan Romelu Lukaku performing admirably week to week, Everton was one of the better teams to watch this year.

6. Tottenham - GRADE: C

After reinvesting all of the near £100 million received in the Gareth Bale deal and with Andre Villas Boas a year wiser, big things were expected of Tottenham this season. However it was a case of too many changes at once, with many of the new signings failing to properly settle. Roberto Soldado, despite his reputation as a prolific scorer in Spain, couldn't score in a brothel. He was woeful. Fellow new signing Erik Lamela was even worse and failed to find a place in the team. Tottenham's season of woe, featuring several shocking hammerings, led to Villas Boas being shown the door. Despite the chaos that followed under the stewardship of crazed mad man Tim Sherwood, Tottenham still finished in a Europa League spot, which is as good as could be expected.

7. Manchester United - GRADE: D

Who would have thought that one year ago, with Manchester United celebrating their 20th League Championship that the club would suffer through a season like this? David Moyes, sporting a haunted look for most of his time in charge, never seemed to believe he himself was the right man for the job. A squad featuring too many aging players and several players that simply aren't good enough for a club like United made things even harder for Moyes. The former Everton boss didn't last the season and it's hard to see his disastrous first signing Marouane Fellaini sticking around for long either. Fellaini has been about as good as a Wayan Brothers film this season and like the aforementioned "creative duo" needs to go away. Besides out going players, United will need to spend heavily this summer.

8. Southampton - GRADE: A

Last year Nigel Adkins’s sacking may have been seen as odd, after all, the man managed the Saints to two promotions in back-to-back years and had a very solid win percentage while in charge of Southampton. It all seems like a great idea now, after Mauricio Pochettino’s first full year managing the club. Southampton finished the year in 8th place, their best top tier finish since the 1984-85 season when they finished the year in 5th place. Luke Shaw (who now has one foot at Old Trafford), Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Gastón Ramírez all had an outstanding season and fully deserve the “A” grade, and should enjoy it now, as it seems that the big clubs are going to be coming hard for Southampton’s talented youngsters in the summer.

9. Stoke City - GRADE: B

After reaching a ceiling under former boss Tony Pulis and demands for more attractive football, Mark Hughes lifted Stoke to 9th in the table. Playing a more attractive brand of football than they've been used to seeing at the Britannia, Stoke finished as the top team in the Midlands for the first time in their history. The play of Peter Odemwingie and Ryan Shawcross were key to their successful season. With wins against Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, Hughes has gone someway to repairing his damaged reputation after a torrid time at QPR. As during Pulis reign though, Stoke will need to strengthen up front this summer if they want to push higher up the table.

10. Newcastle United - GRADE: C-

Many would grade Newcastle in the D to F scale, but what were really the expectations of the Club from the North-East? Do the Toon supporters really think that the 5th place team from two years ago are the real Newcastle United we should see? Let’s put things in perspective for a second, shall we? Newcastle’s top scorer was Loic Remy, a player who is on loan from another club. Their 2nd highest scorer (with 7 goals) and their best player on the year is Yohan Cabay, and he was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in the January window. They hired Joe Kinnear as Director of Football, he got nothing done and lasted all of 8 months. Alan Pardew is not a “big club” manager, and has never won anything significant in his managerial career, and his assistant is John Carver, a manager who was axed from (arguably) the worst Major League Soccer outfit, Toronto FC. Furthermore, Papiss Cissé is one of the biggest flops in EPL history and the only really talented “bright-spot” on the pitch in Hatem Ben-Arfa has all of a sudden become lazy and doesn’t seem to want to play for the club altogether. Come to think of it, finishing in the 10th spot probably deserves a grade of “A” for Newcastle United. (I’ll stick with the C- though)

11. Crystal Palace - GRADE: B-

When Tony Pulis took over in December, Crystal Palace looked doomed to relegation. Considering he was an unpopular choice for many of the Palace faithful, Pulis performed a minor miracle in not only keeping them in the top flight but taking them up to 11th place. The signings of Scott Dann, Joe Ledley and Jason Puncheon were key to the Selhurst Parks sides improvement. Besides a terrific win over Chelsea, Palace were involved in one of the most bizarre and yet entertaining matches of the season when they clawed back a 3-0 deficit against Liverpool to draw 3-3.

12. Swansea City - GRADE: C+

Considering the difficulty level a team of Swansea’s size has when they are put into a schedule that involves Premier League action and major European tournament games, the 12th place finish doesn’t seem all that bad for a club that was just promoted to top tier football 3 seasons ago. Surely, the front office and the coaching staff will feel that this was not the goal they had set-out before the season started as this would be the lowest league position Swansea will have gotten since being promoted, but the truth is that this club did exactly what they are capable of doing and that’s winning against the less talented teams in the league. The signing of Wilfred Bony and Jonjo Shelvey proved to be very successful and they had a decent run in the Europa League, which eventually came to an end in the round of 32 at the hands of a very talented Napoli team.

13. West Ham United - GRADE: C-

The only surprising thing about West Ham's season is how they managed to finish 13th and not closer to the drop zone. In hindsight the decision to blow most of their transfer budget on Andy Carroll was not Sam Allardyce's finest hour. He has also drawn the ire of Hammers fans with his style of football. In reaction Jose Mourinho's accusation that West Ham play "19th century football" after a 0-0 draw with Chelsea, the big man angrily replied, "I couldn't give a fuck! He can't take it! He just can't take it!" Neither can the Upton Park crowd for much longer though, Sam.

14. Sunderland - GRADE: D

Sunderland reminds us of that kid that always skips school, but studies really hard for the exam that’s worth more than any other and just passes the course at the end. Everyone talks about Sunderland’s “great escape” and the football they played at the end of the year, but what about the rest of the season? The Black Cats were at the bottom of the league almost the entire year, and a few decent performances kept them in the Premier League because the other bottom-feeders couldn’t scratch out a point to save their own lives. Sure they got 13 points of a possible 16 in their last 6 games of the year, it’s impressive but we grade based on the full year and overall their year was pretty crap.

15. Aston Villa - GRADE: F

For the last few seasons Aston Villa seem to have been involved in a relegation battle, and for the biggest side in the "Second City" it simply isn't good enough. With support for manager Paul Lambert dwindling and chairman Randy Lerner putting the club up for sale, change could be in the air at Villa Park. With Fabian Delph providing the few highlights for Villa, the majority of the squad don't look to be Premiership standard. The club needs to spend significant funds this summer or next season may see them finally go down.

16. Hull City - GRADE: B-

Many expected Hull to get relegated this year, and the fact they didn’t alone puts their grade higher than a “fail”. That combined with an appearance in the FA Cup final and ultimately Europe next season, makes this season a success for the soon to be Hull Tigers. Hull showed some sparks of brilliance as well with a 3-1 win over Liverpool, 4-0 at Cardiff and a 6-0 total annihilation of Fulham.

17. West Bromwich Albion - GRADE: F

West Bromwich Albion suffered through a disastrous season, with Nicolas Anelka bringing scandal to the club with his 'quenelle' gesture, Steve Clarke being dismissed and problems in the dressing room. Signings Stephane Sessegnon and Victor Anichebe did not pan out and new manager Pepe Mel barely did enough to keep the Baggies in the Premiership. With Mel's departure it'll be an interesting summer at the Hawthorns.

18. Norwich City - GRADE: F

An awful season for Norwich that saw manager Chris Hughton shown the door, the signing of Ricky van Wolfswingel proved to be a disastrous mistake. The £8.5 million Dutch signing never worked out as he only signed one goal in the whole campaign. Norwich looked badly out of their depth this season and will be looking to quickly bounce back next term.

19. Fulham FC - GRADE: F

Probably the biggest disappointment of the EPL season, Fulham enjoyed the last 13 years in top flight football only to see the streak end with a season full of questionable management appointments and terrible play. Fulham has a lineup that at least on paper looks like a solid mid-table squad, but if EPL followers have learned anything from QPR last year, having a bunch of decent football names doesn't always mean successful survival in Britain's top tier. The appointment of Felix Magath and his promises of survival were absurd as well, with the new manager bringing Craven Cottage faithfuls' hopes up, but not providing the results to accomplish what he promised.

20. Cardiff City - GRADE: D

Sure they finished dead last, sure they got relegated, sure their owner is a nut-job who like to micro-manage the club including on-pitch affairs. Let’s be serious though, there are very few people that did not believe before the year started that Cardiff City would be right back in the second tier next season. The change to the Red kits along with the £36,000,000 spent on mediocre (or not yet at their prime) players obviously did not make the club any better on the pitch.

The Worst Football Fan Tattoos

2014-05-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

Here at FootyFair we love football, and we love tattoos. What we don't love are bad football tattoos. So here's a whole gallery of stuff we don't love.

The artwork and the precision on the outline of this Sheffield Wednesday owl is not all that bad, only one issue genius, the club was established in 1867.

The detail in this one is amazing. Also, I'm not sure if this guy didn't have enough money to get the whole thing done in one sitting, because it looks like all 3 elements in this masterpiece were done by three different drunk tattoo artists.

L - written in this wonderful font + the price tag scanner from Wal Mart. Arsenal sure seem to have some creative supporters.

The most die-hard Eeverton supporter in the world this lad. He must be! He must also really hate Liveeerpool.

I'm sure most of you remember this dude's story. In 2009 he got so wrapped up in the hype of high spending City manager Roberto Mancini, that he was sure his beloved "Sky Blues" would win the Champions League in the 2010-11 season. This fella was no modern day Nostradamus however, with City finishing the 2009-10 season in 5th place and not even qualifying to the Champions League to begin with. City ended up qualifying to the Europa League instead, where they crashed out in the round of 16 after an aggregate loss to Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv.

What is with the angry sippy cup? oh never mind, it's one of the 3 towers of the Green Street House, and apparently he put his shoes on and is...maybe running away from the other three? I'm sorry West Ham fans, but this tattoo is just ridiculous.

Unless this guy had an 8 year old daughter who's name was FC Bayern when he got this tattoo, this is just awful.

Ahh yes, the New York/New Jersey Metrostars of Major League Soccer. Aside from the fact that it's just an odd size and placement, this crest lasted only 4 years before the club re-branded, then bought-out by energy drink giants Red Bull and renamed altogether.

Another West Ham masterpiece, and this one may just be the worst football fan tattoo in the history of tattoos. I get the "blowing bubbles" thing but did everything have to be so big and so pink? I mean, seriously, this guy couldn't wait until the tattoo shop got more of the claret and sky blue ink? And then there's the tiger head that's stuck in a vine; what the hell does the tiger have anything to do with this at all? (at least it's not a Millwall Lion, because that would just be awkward).

Paolo Di Canio, the crazy Italian. This tattoo is dedicated to the sliding celebration of the (then) Sunderland manager during a 3-0 victory over Tyne-Wear derby rivals Newcastle United. Di Canio was fired just 5 months later for a grand total of 6 months in charge of the "Black Cats". Also, did that particular win make Di Canio so happy he actually got a hard-on? or is that something the tattoo artist decide to add on his own?

Throwback Thursdays - Charlton Athletic vs. Sunderland AFC (1998)

2014-05-08T14:28:00.001-04:00

With Brighton & Hove Albion and Derby County playing their first promotion playoff match later tonight, we decided to take a look at one of (if not) the most entertaining promotion playoff finals for our Throwback Thursdays.

We go back to the 1997-98 season, where Sunderland finished their season in the (then) First Division in 3rd place, just 1 point behind an automatic promotion spot that was claimed by Middlesbrough. Leading up to the final playoff match, in the semis Sunderland defeated Sheffield United 3-2 on aggregate, while Charlton who finished 4th in the league had to go through Ipswitch Town to get to the final, defeating them by a score of 1-0 both at home and at Portman Road for a 2-0 final on aggregate.

(Full video highlights at the bottom of the page) The playoffs final was played at Wembley Stadium in front of approximately 77,000 fans and would prove to be one to remember. The star on the day was none other than Clive Mendonca, a player who ironically enough was born in Sunderland, and would be the biggest reason why Sunderland would have to wait another year for promotion. In the 24th minute, Mendonca received a ball in the box and after a masterful flick to himself he buried the first goal of the match to give Charlton the lead. It remianed 1-0 for Charlton at the half, as the rest of the first 45 proved to be fairly uneventful. Shortly after the restart however, floodgates would open and goals would start to pour in. In the 51st Sunderland would tie the game up at 1 goal a piece, after a brilliant finish by Sunderland favorite Niall Quinn from a corner and just 8 minutes later it looked like the tide had shifted after Kevin Phillips would chip the ball into the net and give "The Black Cats" a 2-1 advantage. Charlton would not give up though, and did shift the possession and upped their playing tempo after Sunderland's second goal. In the 71st minute, a long ball would find Mendonca again and he made no mistake, with yet another beautiful first touch the Charlton striker side-footed it to put the ball in front of him on a perfect angle, and he claimed his second of the match and the 2-2 scoreline. Sunderland hero Quinn would have his own 2nd goal of the match just 2 minutes later, after chesting-down a perfect long ball into the box, Quinn volleyed his club to a 3-2 lead with less than 20 minutes remaining in the match.

If this is how the match would have ended however, this particular game would probably not be considered for our Throwback Thursdays post. Lucky for us and the many viewers who tuned in to watch this epic battle in 1998, this affair would still provide everyone with a few more twists, and so our story continues...

With Sunderland ahead by a score of 3-2 with less than 20 minutes left to play, Charlton were looking for an equalizer and a hope of at least an extra time redemption for the 3 goals they conceded. With just 5 minutes separating Sunderland from promotion, Charlton put themselves level, while the opposition supporters held their heads in disbelief. It was center-back Richard Rufus who managed to head the ball provided by a Charlton corner over Sunderland keeper, Frenchman Lionel Pérez. The match was now tied with a score of 3-3 and headed into extra time.

The 30 extra minutes of football that so often provide little to no surprises in other matches, brought on more happiness and eventual misery to the Sunderland faithful. In minute 99, Niall Quinn who had already scored 2, turned provider as he slotted a good square ball to team-mate Nicky Summerbee who, after a good first touch forward put the ball in the back of the net, a goal that many on the day thought would be the ticket for Sunderland's promotion. Only 5 minutes later however, it was the Sunderland born, Sunderland raised, Sunderland AFC fan Clive Mendonca who would bring his own beloved clubs' supporters to eventual tears with a hat-trick and a goal that would take this match into penalty shootouts.

In the penalty-kicks portion of this already incredible match, both squads unwilling to give up put 6 straight balls in the back of the opposing goalkeepers' net (Both star-men Mendonca and Quinn scored from the spot for their teams). The 7th attempt for both teams would prove to be the last PKs taken at Wembley that day. With Charlton going first, midfielder Shaun Newton stepped up and put the ball just over the goalkeepers raised arm and in the back of the net. All eyes were now on left-footed (and also local Sunderland kid) Michael Gray. Gray's shot to the left of Australian born, Serbian national Charlton keeper Saša Ilić was possibly the most anti-climactic way to end an amazing football display as his weak shot was oh so easily stopped by Ilić, and Charlton Athletic just like that was celebrating a promotion victory.

Fun Fact: Charlton Athletic would get relegated back to the 2nd tier the following year, as Sunderland got their promotion and would play another 4 seasons in the top tier until their relegation in the 2002-03 season.