FOOTY FAIR

Fine Football Art by Paine Proffitt (Gallery)

2016-08-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

With his stunning art featured in the programmes of club's such as West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland AFC and Aberdeen FC, artist Paine Proffitt's work might be familiar to some of our readers. But if you haven't seen his artwork before, I'm sure you'll enjoy discovering it as much as we did here at FootyFair.

According to his website, Paine is a self confessed 'workaholic' but his impressive output of football and baseball pieces, in particular, show that although he seems to deliver a lot of quantity, his work is certainly not lacking in quality.

Below is just a small sample of his output, but if you'd like to see more and perhaps purchase one of his stunning prints check out his website at www.paineproffitt.com

And of course, give him a follow on Twitter: @PaineProffitt

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.

How Brexit Might Affect the Premier League

2016-06-24T11:25:00.001-04:00

The world woke up today to a very different political landscape in Europe as the citizens of the United Kingdom voted in favour yesterday of leaving the European Union by a 51.9 to 48.1 percent margin.

This in turn led to UK Prime Minister David Cameron announcing that he will resign by October.

While the pound and the markets predictably took a hit, Premier League chiefs were scrambling to assure followers of the English game that either the league wouldn't suffer any ill effects or that it was simply too early to tell.

But what are the possible ramifications of a Premier League outside of the EU?

Last season saw 432 European players registered in the top tier of English football and although those players will not necessarily have to leave their status of being able to live and work in the UK may be in question over the next two years.

Under the EU's free movement of labour laws, players can move between countries that are part of the Union, including the United Kingdom, without a work permit but with "Brexit" these players will now essentially have the same status as players from non-EU countries.

Currently, non-EU players hoping to sign for Premier League clubs have to have played in at least 30 percent of their countries international matches in the two years prior to applying for a work permit. The FIFA rankings of the countries these players are coming from can also determine whether or not their permit will be approved.

The other impact will be felt in the recruitment of young players from abroad. FIFA currently has a restriction in place that forbids players under the age of 18 from being transferred across borders.

The exception to that is that within the EU, where the age is reduced to 16. This has been beneficial to clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal who have stocked up their youth and reserve sides with 16 to 18 year olds from across Europe for often cut-rate fees.

This may very much be at an end.

Three Managers That Jose Mourinho is About to Renew Hostilities With

2016-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

With Sky Sports reporting on Thursday that Jose Mourinho had signed a contract to become the next manager of Manchester United, Reds and fans of their rivals alike were lighting up social media with differing views on the man himself.

Love him or hate him, Mourinho has certainly collected his share of trophies over his career and he has the type of personality that won't be overwhelmed by the size of the job he's taking on at Old Trafford.

While rebuilding United, Mourinho will also renew hostilities with a few of his old sparring partners, including the following:

Arsene Wenger

When Mourinho first came into English football with Chelsea in 2004, Arsenal were the reigning champions and the self-styled 'Special One' didn't waste much time in getting under the skin of their manager Arsene Wenger. With the Frenchman constantly complaining about Mourinho's conduct incessently in the press, Mourinho famously said: "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea. He should be worried about [Arsenal]. He's worried about us, he's always talking about us. It's Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea."

On his return to Chelsea in 2013-2014 he labelled Wenger "a specialist in failure" after gleefully making note of Arsenal going eight years without a trophy. The lead up to first meeting between the Gunners and United in the coming season should be interesting.

Pep Guardiola

After masterminding Inter's unlikely victory over Pep Guardiola's all conquering Barcelona side in the 2010 Champions League Semi-Final, Mourinho made the move to the Catalan club's greatest rivals, Real Madrid, to face off against the former Spanish international on a more regular basis.

During Mourinho's three seasons in Madrid, the rivalry between the two sides was arguably cranked up another notch as Mourinho tried, largely, in vain to get under the skin of the Barca boss.

Despite Barcelona being largely in the ascendance, Mourinho's Madrid did manage to win the 2011-2012 La Liga title, the only league crown Madrid has captured in the past eight years.

Guardiola left Barcelona following that season, and yet despite the two men no longer facing off against one another Mourinho couldn't help but take another dig at him in September 2014 when he cracked:

"When you enjoy what you do, you don't lose your hair, and Guardiola is bald. He doesn't enjoy football."

The two will resume their rivalry in Manchester next season, with Guardiola heading over to City.

Claudio Ranieri

Even kindly current Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri fell afoul of Mourinho, with the two having run-ins during the Portuguese bosses time at Inter.

Ranieri dared to suggest that Mourinho was showing Italian football a lack of respect by not showing up for news conferences early on in his time in Milan. Not being the type of person who enjoys being talked about in other than glowing terms, the new United boss retorted:

"I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to ensure I could communicate with the players, media and fans. Ranieri had been in England for five years and still struggled to say 'Good morning' and 'Good afternoon.' Who is he to tell me what to do?"

As the manager of the current English champions, I think it's safe to assume that Ranieri will be hearing more from Jose in the coming season.

Throwback Thursdays: Pascal Chimbonda's Tricky Transfer Request

2016-05-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago this week, Wigan Athletic concluded their successful 2005-2006 campaign finishing in an unexpected tenth place in the Premier League table, while also making it to the League Cup Final.

While a memorable season in itself, the final day of Wigan's campaign was to end in absurdity thanks to defender Pascal Chimbonda.

On 7 May 2006, Wigan finished up their season with a 4-2 loss to Arsenal in the last ever match at the Gunners historic Highbury Stadium.

An entertaining match, that had seen Arsenal storm back from 2-1 down thanks to a Thierry Henry hat-trick, should have been the main story of the day as the grand old ground closed it's doors for good. But the Latics were going to add their own bizarre twist to the proceedings.

As Wigan's players made their way off the pitch, manager Paul Jewell stood on the touch line congratulating each of them for a hard fought season.

When he came to Chimbonda though, instead of the Frenchman offering Jewell his hand he reached into his sock and pulled out a printed transfer request.

Talk about being prepared.

The incensed manager and his boss, club owner Dave Whelan, stuck a price tag of £6 million on his head and refused any offers below that.

On the final day of the following season's transfer window though they finally caved and sold him onto Spurs for £4.5 million.

While some players have a few great tricks up their sleeves, be aware that some may have a few dubious ones down their socks.

Throwback Thursdays: David "Rocky" Rocastle

2016-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

In the early hours of March 31, 2001 former Arsenal hero and England international David "Rocky" Rocastle lost his brave battle with cancer, succumbing to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at 33 years of age.

Although there have been more talented and decorated players for Arsenal, there have been few who were as beloved as Rocky.

Born in Lewisham, London to Caribbean parents, Rocastle started his youth career with Arsenal as a 15 year old in 1982. A smooth dribbling but hard working midfielder with an eye for goal, by 1984 he had debuted for the first team squad before eventually becoming a regular during the 1985-1986 season.

In 1987 he forever endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful by scoring a late winner against rivals Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the League Cup semi-final, a competition the Gunners would ultimately win. Believe it or not, Arsenal didn't have the best of records at the Lane during that period, so this was a massive result for the club.

In September of 1988, Rocky made his debut for England which little did he know at the time would kick off a memorable season.

Playing in every match for the Gunners during a memorable 1988-1989 campaign, he would be at the heart of a side involved in one of the greatest title races ever.

Fighting all season long for the league championship with the dominant team of the era, Liverpool, Rocastle and his Arsenal teammates went into a season ending crunch match at Anfield that the Gunners had to win to tie the Merseyside outfit on points at the top of the table.

But a win alone wouldn't be enough, as they had to do it by two clear goals to snatch the title by virtue of more goals scored, as they would also be tied on goals difference if Arsenal won by a two goal margin.

After a scoreless first half, Arsenal took the lead through Alan Smith seven minutes after the break to edge the Gunners close to the title. Liverpool dug in though, and it looked like Arsenal were going to fall agonizingly short before Michael Thomas scored a last gasp goal in injury time to send the title to Highbury for the first time in 18 years.

Rocky and his teammates that he emerged from the youth side with, like Paul Merson and Tony Adams, would lead the Gunners to another title in 1990-1991.

Departing for Leeds in 1992, he spent a lone season at Elland Road before stints with Manchester City and Chelsea. Injury hampered much of his later career, so these clubs never quite saw the best of him.

In total, Rocastle played 14 times for England over a career where he was as popular with fans for his warm personality off the pitch as he was for his skillful play on it.

Retiring at age 31 through injury, within two years he had lost a short but terrible battle with cancer leaving a wife, two young daughters and a son behind.

His passing came just before a North London derby, and despite fears that a moment of silence for Rocky would be interrupted, Spurs fans remained dignified as their tearful rivals paid tribute to one of their departed heroes.

5 Horrible Examples of Football Club Merchandise

2016-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for a gift for that special football loving someone in your life?
Of course you are!

Well, you've come to the right place if you're looking for ideas on what not to buy.

Presenting five horrible examples of football club merchandise:

Bayern Munich - Snuff Box

Hoovering tobacco up your nose seems like a fad from a long ago period like the '80s. The 1880's that is. I can honestly say that I've never met anyone who is into snuff, yet apparently a marketing genius at Bayern Munich figured there are enough fans of the club out there that partake in this activity for the club to create a branded case for them. So for about €2.30 Euros you can have a Bayern box that's up to snuff.

Wolfsburg - Ketchup

Staying with German sides, Wolfsburg released their own brand of Ketchup a few years back which retailed for €2.49. They also sold a curry flavoured version as well, so you could create a poor man's plate of curry wurst at home presumably.

Real Madrid - Dog Tent

If you get in trouble with your significant other and find yourself sleeping in the dog house, for the cost of $32US, at least it'll be a Real Madrid branded one.

Aston Villa - Curtains

If Aston Villa were playing on my front lawn this season I'd want to draw the curtains, so perhaps with that in mind the club sell their own branded curtains for £30. Classy.

Manchester United - Fake Sleeve Tattoo

Ever looked enviously at someone with a sleeve tattoo but knew that due to a lack of cash and/or a low pain tolerance you were never going to get one? Well for only £2.50 you can stand out in the crowd with Manchester United fake sleeve tattoos!

5 Greatest FA Cup Third Round Shocks of All Time

2016-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Does it qualify as a shocking FA Cup upset anymore when a Premier League side fields their reserves in the Third Round against a lower division side that subsequently turns them over?

On Friday, plucky Exeter City held Liverpool to a terrific 2-2 draw which forced a replay at Anfield, but the Supporter's Trust owned club was facing a Merseyside outfit bereft of most of their regular starting eleven.

So while it was a great achievement for the League Two club, you can't help but feel that it's tempered by the fact that they didn't come up against a full strength Liverpool side.

Before the emergence of the Champions League, and the all consuming need of the big clubs to finish in the top four, to go along with the obscene TV deals that make Premier League survival critical for smaller sides, the FA Cup really meant something. Club's would never have considered fielding a weakened side in years gone by.

It is the oldest club competition in world football and a big day at Wembley in May is still the dream of many supporters, so old misty eyed romantics like me wish that club's took it as seriously as they once did.

With the big club's entering the competition at the Third Round stage this weekend, and hopefully more than a few of them fielding full strength sides, I thought we'd have a look at five of the greatest all time shocks at that stage of the competition:

5.) Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Everton, Third Round, 2003

David Moyes went on to have a great reign in the hotseat at Goodison Park, as he transformed Everton into a tough to beat outfit that was often threatening the top five of the Premier League. Moyes didn't get off to the best of starts though as his first season at the club saw his side dumped out of the FA Cup by League One Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow thanks to two goals from journeyman striker Nigel Jemson.

4.) Bournemouth 2 Manchester United 0, Third Round, 1984

The 1980's were an up and down decade for Manchester United. Sandwiched between their FA Cup winning triumphs of 1983 and 1985 was this shocking defeat to Third Division Bournemouth. Not only did Harry Redknapp's side knock Ron Atkinson's cup holders out of the competition at the first hurdle, but they thoroughly outplayed them and deserved to go through.

3.) Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1, Third Round, 1992

Going into this tie, George Graham's Arsenal side were the reigning First Division champions, with their famous backline anchored by Tony Adams at its pomp and Wrexham were a struggling club in the Fourth Division. After taking the lead through Alan Smith, The Gunners seemed to be comfortably heading into Round Four but then 37 year old Micky Thomas thundered in a brilliant freekick to level the score with only eight minutes to go and then Steve Watkin grabbed the winner two minutes later.

2.) Walsall 2 Arsenal 0, Third Round, 1933

Arsenal, under legendary manager Herbert Chapman, were the best team in England during the 1930's. So their humiliating defeat by Walsall, then plying their trade in the Third Division North, was by some distance the greatest pre-war FA Cup upset. That day at Fellows Park 24,032 witnessed a near miracle as second-half goals from Gilbert Alsop in the 60th minute and Bill Sheppard ten minutes later sent the eventual league champions crashing out. Chapman was so enraged by the defeat that he immediately sold Tom Black, the defender responsible for the goals.

1.) Hereford 2 Newcastle 1, Third Round, 1972

Newcastle were a solid top flight side in the early 1970's, with goalscoring superstar Malcolm "Supermac" Macdonald terrorizing defences around the country. Hereford were a non-league club with a ramshackle ground and seemingly no hope against their illustrious opposition. Unbowed, Hereford took 5,000 away fans to St. James Park to witness their side snatch a terrific 2-2 draw in the Third Round, but the best was yet to come in the replay back at Edgar Street. On a bog of a pitch, 14,000 supporters witnessed Newcastle grab an 82nd goal through Macdonald before Hereford's Ronnie Radford scored one of the most famous goals in the competition's history with a stunning 30 yard blast into the top corner to level the score on 85 minutes. In extra time, second half substitute Ricky George lashed home the winner in the 103rd minute to send Hereford's fans into dreamland.

5 Random Transfer Rumours Doing the Rounds

2015-12-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

After my weekly kickabout last Friday, talk at the pub afterwards turned to the possibility of Lionel Messi possibly leaving Barcelona for Manchester City.

That's just one of the transfer rumours doing the rounds this week.

1.) Lionel Messi to Manchester City

As unlikely as the sight of the Argentinian wizard Lionel Messi playing for anyone other than the Catalan giants seems, the fact is that City are an extremely wealthy club that could offer him a contract well in excess of anything Barcelona could.

So it'll come down to whether or not he wants one last gigantic paycheck, and to put some distance between himself and Spanish tax collectors (allegedly!), before riding off into the sunset of the MLS or if he prefers to stay loyal to the club he's been with since aged 12.

Verdict: It's not going to happen. City has the money, but I don't think Messi would be suited to the Premier League and I think he knows it. If he leaves Barca it'll be for PSG.

2.) Thomas Muller to Chelsea

Everyone who has paid the slightest bit of attention to the Premier League this season knows how disastrous the form of Diego Costa has been and the Spanish international is in anything but Jose Mourinho's good books right now.

Mourinho is rumoured to be shopping for a replacement, which is unsurprising really, and one of the men who have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge is German international Thomas Muller.

Muller seems well suited for the Premier League and doesn't seem the sort to chuck bibs around.

Verdict: There's a very good chance this will happen, but not until next summer.

3.) Isco to Juventus

After spending the summer chasing Isco, it seems that Juventus may just be able to strike a deal with Real Madrid in January.

Arsenal have also been keen on landing the 23-year old who has apparently fallen out with manager Rafa Benitez, but the Turin club seem to be willing to match Real's evaluation price that's rumoured to be around £30 million.

Verdict: The talented playmaker definitely looks unsettled in the Spanish capitol and did himself no favours by getting sent off against Barcelona in his side's thumping 4-0 loss last week. If Juventus show Real the money, he'll be off to Serie A.

4.) Lars Bender to Arsenal

Speaking of Arsenal, it's rumoured that the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender could be coming to the Emirates.

With Arsenal beset by an injury crisis, again, manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he may need to spend in January.

The 26-year old defensive midfielder might be a great addition for the Gunners.

Verdict: Considering his age, and the fact that doing business in January is never cheap, I can't see Wenger going through with this one.

5.) Breel Embolo to Barcelona

Just when Manchester United looked to be the favourites to capture one of the most sought after young players in Europe, Barcelona stepped up their interest in the exciting 18-year old Basel attacker Breel Embolo.

The Cameroonian born Swiss international has only played a season and a half of top flight football but he already has scouts across Europe drooling at his skills and eye for goal.

Verdict: Don't Barcelona have a transfer ban in place in something? Well... not that rules ever stopped them.

4 Strange Stories of the Week That Was

2015-11-28T17:29:00.000-05:00

Another fine week in the world of football, that featured the chills and thrills of the Champions League, also witnessed a few things of the stranger variety.

Besides the on-pitch action here are a few other stories that occurred in the football world this week:

Don't be a Dick

According to Marca a player has been suspended for 12 months for attempting to slap a female assistant referee with his wedding tackle. The dick swinging incident occurred during the final stages of the Andalusian Senior Second Division match between CD Abes and Gabia CF in mid-November. The unnamed player, who was on the bench, stormed pitch side in the 80th minute with his penis hanging out of his shorts and tried to slap the official with it. She apparently dodged his meat and two veg, and yesterday the authorities handed him a stiff ban.

Crooked Watches

On Wednesday FIFA’s Ethics Committee announced that the FIFA representatives who were given £16,000 Parmigiani watches as a sweetener before the 2014 World Cup by Brazilian officials had to return them. The days of dodgy dealings could be over at FIFA. right? Well, probably not.

Plane Stupid

Arsenal drew the ire of a group of environmental campaigners today when they opted to take a 14-minute flight from London Luton airport to Norwich ahead of Sunday's match at Carrow Road, as opposed to taking a two hour coach or train ride. A representative from Plane Stupid (no, really) criticized the decision of the Gunners taking to the air as a needless short haul flight that just contributes to climate change. Back in the George Graham days Arsenal were only really dirty on the pitch or in the pub, now under Arsene Wenger it's only really their mode of travel that's dirty. How times change, eh folks?

Justin Bieber? Nobody Fucking Needs Ya!

When Southend midfielder Ryan Leonard hit a rich vein of form recently, scoring three goals in four outings he credited it to listening to Justin Bieber's latest song. The Pop Scrotum himself then retweeted Leonard's comment about his song helping him find the net to his millions of followers and suddenly kids around the world who couldn't find either Southend or possibly England on a map knew all about Leonard. Pop music... You just can't avoid it. Now only if Rooney can start scoring and get a retweet from Taylor Swift.

Throwback Thursdays: Jimmy Dunne's Scoring Streak

2015-11-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Three seasons ago James Vardy was plying his trade in non-league football for Fleetwood Town. This weekend the Leicester striker, who has found the net in nine straight matches, has a chance to go one step closer to the all time record for scoring in consecutive matches.

Although the record for scoring in Premier League matches is ten, a record set by Manchester United's former ace Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2003, which Vardy would of course match if he can get on the score-sheet this weekend, the all-time record for scoring in consecutive matches in the top division is 12, which was set decades ago by an Irishman named Jimmy Dunne.

Dunne, a high scoring forward for Sheffield United, was born in Dublin in 1905 and like many of his countrymen started off playing Gaelic football before switching over to the Association game with Shamrock Rovers.

Before his career had started in earnest he spent time in prison in 1923, as he was accused of Republican sympathies by the Irish Free State authorities during the Irish Civil War. The principled Dunne went through a hunger strike while locked up to protest his incarceration.

Returning to Rovers upon his release, he spent two seasons playing for the Hoops before being snapped up by the then English Third Division side New Brighton, where his start of six goals in eight matches quickly caught the attention of bigger fish.

Signing for Sheffield United in 1926, Dunne took a few seasons to settle before hitting stride in the 1929-1930 season as he topped the Division One scoring charts with 36 goals. He followed that up a season later with 41 goals in the league and a staggering 50 goals in all competitions. This mark still stands as the record number of goals a player from Ireland has scored in a season.

In 1931-1932 he set the record that Vardy is now chasing when he scored in twelve straight matches between 24 October 1931 and 1 January 1932.

In all he scored an astounding 18 goals over those 12 matches on his way to ending the season with 33 goals in the league.

His record of scoring 30 or more goals in three straight seasons stood until it was matched by Alan Shearer with Blackburn Rovers from 1993-1994 to 1995-1996.

At international level, Dunne represented both the Northern Ireland based IFA side and the Irish Free State FAI side over his career. As prolific internationally as he was at club level, Dunne scored four goals in seven matches for the IFA and 13 goals in 15 appearances for the FAI.

A committed socialist, Dunne marked his last appearance for Ireland in 1939 with a bit of controversy when he refused the FAI's request to salute opponent Germany's leader Adolf Hitler. Dunne kept his arms crossed in defiance as his teammates followed the associations request with the notorious salute.

Back at club level, Dunne was transferred to Arsenal in September 1933, the last major signing of the legendary Herbert Chapman, but despite helping the Gunners to a league title in his first season he never really got going in North London.

After a season with Southampton, Dunne finished up his career with a return to Shamrock Rovers before sadly passing away suddenly at age 44 in 1949.

So this coming weekend, if Vardy scores and is lauded for equaling Van Nistelrooy's consecutive matches scoring mark, remember that he still has two matches to go before he gets to the real record.

The Revealing Story of Everton Fan Speedomick

2015-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

While Arsenal continued their winning ways on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at home over Everton, the narrative after the match wasn't about the Gunners grabbing a one point lead at the top of the table or Laurent Koscielny's eventual winner.

An Everton fan in a rather interesting outfit was the talk of the fans around him and the media, on account of him rolling up to the Emirates wearing a swimming cap and speedos.

Those of us bashful North Americans who gasp in horror at Europeans strutting around at resorts in the Caribbean with their meat and two veg flopping about for all to see would have at least expected football stadiums to be a sanctuary from budgie smugglers across the Atlantic, but this Everton fan proved that not to be the case.

But before we're too hard on the man who calls himself 'Speedomick', it should be mentioned that he's wearing this Michael Phelp's inspired number for a very worthy cause.

The scantily clan Toffees fan is sporting speedos in an attempt to raise money for cancer treatment and more specially the Woodlands Hospice.

Speedomic, whose real name is Michael Cullen, completing the daunting task of swimming the English Channel to raise money for the Hospice a year ago and continues in his efforts to generate funds for those suffering with cancer.

So all jokes aside, a tip of the swim cap to Michael from all of us here at FootyFair.

The Harsh Realities of 2015-16 Champions League - Week 2

2015-10-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

This time on The Harsh Realities of the Champions League we take a look at four clubs which did not impress us in this week's action. Two of the sides hail from the Premier League, while the other two are from Turkey and Italy.

Galatasaray

Having to compete in a group which includes Portuguese champions SL Benfica and Spanish side Atlético Madrid, Turkish club Galatasaray were expected to pick up all 6 points from their two meetings with Kazakh minnows FC Astana if they were to have any chance of challenging for the first two spots in group C. This was not the case however when "Cim-Bom" traveled to Astana this week. Going ahead twice in a country that has never seen a domestic club secure a single point in a Champions League competition, Galatasaray conceded via the own-goal each time and settled for a split of the points. For Astana it's a club record as they became the first club from Kazakhstan to not lose a match in the UEFA Champions League, but for the Turks this means just 1 point from their first two matches of the group stages after 2-0 home loss to Atlético in week one of action.

To pile on the misery, things don't seem to get much easier for Galatasaray as their next UCL match is against group leaders SL Benfica. If they don't start collecting points soon, the club from Turkey are looking at a very early exit from the competition.

AS Roma

Any time you can secure a draw against Spanish giants Barcelona it's a pretty good day. Roma managed that feat in the first week of play with a 1-1 tie at the Stadio Olimpico and the club felt confident going into Belarus to face the local side BATE Borisov in week 2. Things got ugly early for the Italians however, and thanks in part to sloppy defense, skillful passing from the hosts and a little to the terrible positioning of AS Roma keeper Wojciech Szczesny BATE was 3-0 up after just 30 minutes of play. The shocked visitors found ways to respond in the second half but Gervinho's 66th minute and Torosidis' 82nd minute goals would not be enough as the home side came out 3-2 victorious.

Now, AS Roma is in last place in group E and will face Barcelona and tough German opponents Bayer Leverkusen twice in their next three matches.

Arsenal

Being drawn in a group with German powerhouse Bayern Munich, it was pretty well understood that Arsenal's chances of finishing first were pretty slim. The bright side of the draw was the fact that the other two opponents came in the form of Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb and Greek club Olympiacos.

Now, after two matches played the Gunners have 0 points, and they haven't faced Bayern yet!

After a shock loss in Zagreb in week 1, it was time for Arsene Wenger's side to bounce back on home soil against Olympiacos. But the Greeks had other ideas and lead the match on three separate occasions for the eventual 3-2 away win. Arsenal will now face group leaders and one of the tournament's favorites FC Bayern in a stretch that could potentially see the Gunners sitting with no points at the bottom of the group after four matches played.

Chelsea

Travelling to Estádio do Dragão where he once was a popular figure, Jose Mourinho was hoping his side could show in the European competition a bit better than their recent domestic performances. But his former club Porto was not going to give in to their former manager and have jumped out in front twice to win the match 2-1.

Perhaps Chelsea's struggle on the road in Porto would not even make this list if it wasn't for the side's dreadful start to the EPL season. Nonetheless, the club looks out of sync and will have to put their best foot forward against Ukrainian opponents Dynamo Kyiv which had managed to split the points against the Portuguese side in week 1.

The Harsh Realities of 2015-16 Champions League - Week 1

2015-09-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

The UEFA Champions League group stages are back and so is our Harsh Realities plug where instead of concentrating on the positives from each week of play, we talk about the struggles of those clubs that can't seem to succeed in the competition.

This week we take a look at three clubs that showcased sub-par performances in the first week of action, and guess what...they are all English!

Manchester United

After a much anticipated return to the competition, United opened their campaign on the road in Eindhoven against Dutch champions PSV. The match started well for the visitors as they were gaining momentum and enjoyed a few good attacking spells, but in the 24th minute the game would take a bitter turn for United as young full-back Luke Shaw suffered a broken leg as a result of a tackle in the opposition 18 yard box. The match resumed 8 minutes after Shaw was brought down and United seemed to be in the drivers seat, especially after going 1-0 up thanks to former PSV member and new acquisition Memphis Depay.

But it didn't take long for the visitors to answer as they leveled the score in first-half stoppage time, albeit against the run of play. In the second half the home side would punish United as Luciano Narsingh put his head on a ear perfect cross to put the ball in the back of the net and secure a 2-1 victory.

Surely it was not the start LVG had envisioned for his side and despite playing away from home United is almost always seen as favorites to beat a side of PSV's calibre. In a group where the club from Manchester will be facing the likes of Wolfsburg and CSKA Moscow there is no reason to push the panic button just yet, but the competition may still prove to be harder for The Red Devils than expected.

Manchester City

United's neighbors Manchester City were in action on the same day as The Red Devils and they too struggled in week 1. Juventus of course is a much more serious competitor than PSV, but it seems to be the same story every year for City. Despite domestic success, Manchester City does not seem to have the mindset to be successful in Champions League action and they showed it once more in their first match of the competition, on home soil.

On Tuesday, against last season's finalists, City looked decent, even pretty strong at times. But after taking a 1-0 lead in the second half The Sky Blues once more succumb to their Champions League misfortunes by conceding twice and losing their first match by a 2-1 final score.

With Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach the other two opponents in the group, City's tournament may once more prove to be frustrating.

Arsenal

Despite what some football fans from Croatia may say, the country's champions Dinamo Zagreb are almost never a worthy competitor for a club like Arsenal. But despite being the heavy favorties going into Zagreb, Arsene Wenger's men managed yet again to underwhelm with their Champions LEague performance against Dinamo. When Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud got his second yellow card and ejected from the match in the 40th minute, Dinamo was already 1-0 up and would score once more before substitute Theo Walcott could get anything for his visiting side in the 2-1 loss.

But a loss to the Croats may not be the worst news for The Gunners. Perhaps the two meetings with German champions Bayern Munich still to come would put the loss in Croatia into perspective. With the German club performing the way they have over the past few years, Wenger's boys are pretty much sure to be playing for the second spot in the group, so a loss to any of the other clubs is not only a bad result, but could be very well devastating for the English club's hopes of qualification to the next round.

Mourinho + Wenger Love Relationship - The Best Video You'll Watch Today

2015-09-16T18:36:00.001-04:00

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Arsenal bench-boss Arsene Wenger have had their differences on the sidelines, but the new video edited by the people at Sun Dream Team brings a new perspective to the heated relationship in this hilarious edited video of the two managers "talking about their explicit relationship".

The Curse of Tight Fitting Shirts

2015-06-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Remember the 1990's when everything was baggy?

Not just jeans and jackets, but even football kits were blessed with a pile of extra material and for the most part everyone was happy.

You and your generously proportioned friends could hide their "Tonnes of Fun" under a big baggy Tottenham shirt and no one was wiser for it.

But then came the 21st century scourge of the tight fitting aerodynamic kits. The kits that scream to the world "This fat fucker drank 12 pints at The Rhino last night, had a juicy burger and then topped it off with a Shawarma on the way home."

Sure, players with rippling abs and chiseled pecs can get away with them, but what of the common man who wants to wear his Werder Bremen shirt to work on Dress Down Friday?

We can now see how much he's let himself go since he hit thirty. Does no one consider the average football fan anymore?

Arsenal's new away kit, which was leaked yesterday, shows a serious looking Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain posing in a Puma kit that looks painted on.

Even the Ox seems to be showing a slight bit of a tummy in this picture and he's a young footballer who basically works out for a living and probably has a nutritionist telling him what to eat.

Any of you Arsenal fans out there looking to rock this number in August better be on a major diet right now, and even that might not be enough.

Damn modern football...

My Favourite FA Cup Final

2015-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Arsenal finally ended their nine year trophy drought last season with their 3-2 extra time win over a valiant Hull City side in the FA Cup Final and will hope to retain the famous old trophy as they take on Aston Villa at Wembley today.

Although the FA Cup Final is a near sacred date on the English football calendar and a match that's looked forward to by fans across the globe now, it hasn't always produced the best spectacle.

It could be the weight of expectation, heavy legs on a big Wembley pitch at the end of a long season, or just two sides that are so afraid of losing on the big day that they opt for a safety first approach, but whatever the reason the Cup Final has produced a few damp squibs over the years.

But every so often the match does live up to expectations and produces something worthy of the occasion.

On this FA Cup Final Saturday, here's a look back at my favourite Final:

1990 - Manchester United 3 - Crystal Palace 3

When I was growing up in Canada there was very little live football on television and virtually no club football other than the FA Cup Final at the end of the English domestic season. So the Final was something I looked forward to all year and in 1990 my side, Manchester United, were in it so I had even more reason to be up for the match.

On 17 minutes, United fell behind when Palace's Gary O'Reilly forced one over the line from a free-kick that keeper Jim Leighton may have done better with. United would hit back through their "Captain Fantastic " Bryan Robson in the 35th minute though and then took the lead on 62 minutes through Mark Hughes. Palace had an ace up their sleeve in the form of substitute Ian Wright who entered the fray in the 69th minute.

The future England man and Arsenal record breaking scorer had the ball in the net within three minutes of coming on after weaving his way through the United defense. There was no further scoring until extra-time but within less than two minutes past the 90, John Salako floated over a cross that Leighton badly misjudged and Wright came in behind him at the back post to volley home.

Despite going behind, United as they would do so many times under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson conjured up a late equalizer through Mark Hughes to force a replay.

It had been a pulsating end to end match with a bit of everything. There have been several great matches since this one, like Liverpool's 3-3 draw with West Ham and subsequent win on penalties in 2006, Wigan's stunning upset 1-0 of Manchester City in 2013, and of course last year's final between Arsenal and Hull City, but the final of 1990 is still my favourite.

What Happened Next

For the replay, Ferguson famously dropped keeper Jim Leighton and replaced him with Les Sealey. Leighton would never play for United again.

A tough tackling and tight match was won on a superb goal by defender Lee Martin and give United their first of many trophies under Ferguson.

The manager himself had reportedly been close to the sack earlier in the 1989/1990 season and this victory was just what he needed to push the club on to great success in the next two decades.

5 Incredible Last Day Dramas in the Premier League

2015-05-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

This Sunday the English Premier League will enter its last day of competition for the 2014-15 season, but while the title has already been captured by Chelsea with three matches to spare there are still a few scenarios that need to be played out and as is the case on many a last day, they may unravel in incredible, odd or unlikely fashion.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Southampton are all competing for the various stages of Europa League and one of the three will miss European action altogether. And at the bottom end of the table there is still the matter of relegation being battled out between Hull City and Newcastle United. Hull for instance would need to defeat Manchester United and have Newcastle lose to West Ham if they were to remain in the top tier, but as you will see in the list of historic events below, in football nothing is impossible.

1996 - Dropping the Ball

Final day of the 1995-96 season saw 5 clubs hoping they would not be the one to fall into the last relegation spot. With Bolton and QPR having already secured their drop to the second tier, Manchester City, Southampton, Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City were all in danger of relegation if their rivals were to get results. City went 2-0 down in their match against Liverpool and their fans were already preparing for the drop. After an impressive comeback however, and with the score tied at 2-2, manager Alan Ball advised his squad to hold on to the draw at any cause as Southampton were losing in their respective match. But as City achieved the desired tie result it was discovered that Ball was misinformed as Southampton were actually drawing their match 1-1 and Manchester City got relegated as a result.

1999 - Supporting the bitter rival

Sitting 1 point behind Manchester United on the last day of competition Arsenal's title faith was in the hands of a very unlikely ally. As the Gunners prepared to take on Aston Villa it was their bitter London rivals Tottenham that would play United. Scenes never seen before were unveiling in front of football fans' eyes as Arsenal supporters around Highbury stadium were watching their club play and at the same time listening in on the results of the other match, desperately hoping for their derby rivals to get a result against The Red Devils. Tottenham would take a 1-0 lead against United and Arsenal would go on to win their own match 1-0. But it wasn't to be for the Gunners as the Spurs gave up two goals with United securing the title.

2005 - West Brom's great escape

Sitting dead last, West Bromwich Albion were having a nightmare of a season and what seemed as an extremely unlikely bid for survival heading into the last day of competition. With 31 points, West Brom needed favorable results from three clubs directly above them. Southampton and Crystal Palace were both a point ahead of the Baggies and were facing Manchester United and Charlton Athletic respectively, while Norwich were away at Craven Cottage facing Fulham. Fulham provided West Brom with a one sided 6-0 thrashing of the Canaries while Manchester United won 2-1 against The Saints. Palace however, were looking to remain in the top division and after going 1-0 down in their match against Charlton, they managed to equalize and then take a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute. Although West Brom enjoyed a 2-0 lead of their own in their match against Portsmouth it would not have been enough if it wasn't for the 82nd minute goal of Charlton defender Jonathan Fortune against Crystal Palace. The 2-2 draw at The Valley propelled WBA from 20th to 17th, jumping over three clubs to safety and avoiding relegation at the expense of Southampton, Norwich and unlucky Crystal Palace.

2006 - Spurs' lasagna

Enjoying a 1 point table lead ahead of bitter rivals Arsenal, fourth place Tottenham were not only looking to claim the last UEFA Champions League spot away from the Gunners, but were also looking forward to finishing ahead of their hated rivals for the first time in 11 years. A meeting with middle of the table West Ham United seemed as a fairly easy task to overcome for the Spurs, but the night before the big match against West Ham 10 star players for Tottenham got violently ill after eating a Lasagna at the Marriott Hotel at Canary Wharf. Unable to postpone the last day match Tottenham fell 2-1 to West Ham, while Arsenal's win against Wigan put them into 4th place and secured the last UEFA Champions League spot for The Gunners.

2012 - A stoppage time miracle

Even the youngest football fans will remember this miraculous last day in the Premier League at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season. Having won their last league title in 1968 Manchester City headed into last day even on points with rivals Manchester United at the top of the table. An 8 goal superior goal differential however, meant that City would basically need to duplicate or better the result of United and they would lift the English top tier trophy for the first time in 44 years. With United playing away at Sunderland, City were at home, facing relegation battle side QPR who had only managed 11 points on the road all year.

With the two matches going almost at identical times it started well for both Manchester sides. United took the lead in the North East thanks to a Rooney goal in the 20th minute, while City went ahead thanks to defender Pablo Zabaleta. At Sunderland the match went on fairly uneventfully, with United controlling the pace and Sunderland not threatening enough to take The Red Devils out of contention. But at the Etihad last day drama would be at its finest on the day. Visitors QPR first leveled the score early in the second half via Djibril Cissé and then astonishingly took a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal by Jamie Mackie despite the earlier sending off of midfielder Joey Barton for an elbow on City's Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.

As the match went on, City were looking to be running out of ideas and surely running out of time as they were unable to even the score as the stadium clock showed 90 minutes. Due mostly to time wasted during the episode with Joey Barton, 5 minutes were added to the injury time; five minutes that would change Manchester City's history for ever. In the second minute of added-time Edin Dzeko tied the game up and just two minutes later the faith of Manchester was sealed as Sergio Aguero put the ball in the back of the net for the 3-2 win and City's first title in nearly half a century.

As if this was not incredible enough, Queens Park Rangers footballers would also celebrate after having found out that Stoke City managed a late equalizer which would send Bolton down instead.

Ink: The Gunners

2015-05-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

This week on Ink we go back to England with a tattoo collection from the Arsenal faithful.

The North London Derby as Illustrated by Michael Wolinski (Gallery)

2015-05-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

As with every football rivalry, there's something special about derby day when North London sides Arsenal and Tottenham take on each other. Illustrator Michael Wolinski from Belfast saw a few moments from recent Gunners and Spurs matches as an opportunity to create unique works of art depicting the passion, anger and happiness experienced during the popular meetings between these two clubs.

Throwback Thursdays: The FA Cup Makes It's Television Debut

2015-04-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

The English FA Cup, the world's oldest football cup competition, has captured the imagination since it's first round of matches in 1871/1872.

For the first 63 years of the competitions existence if your team had successfully won their way into the showpiece final, which was hosted at Wembley Stadium in London since 1923, you would have to travel to the capital and be fortunate enough to get a hold of a ticket.

This began to change though in the 1937/1938 season with the emergence of television and football as a whole would never be the same.

On 16 September 1937, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) recorded a specially arranged friendly between Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves at Highbury and it later became the first match to ever be televised on British screens.

Although the match was recorded and shown on a delay the potential for airing football on television was immediately evident to the BBC and the following spring the biggest event in English football would appear on TV for the first time.

On 30 April 1938, the FA Cup Final between Preston North End and Huddersfield Town was broadcast in it's entirety by the BBC cameras.

As this tightly contested Cup Final progressed through extra time without a goal, BBC Commentator Thomas Woodrooffe may have originated the dreaded 'Commentator's Curse' when he said, "If there's a goal scored now, I'll eat my hat".

With only a minute to play, Preston won a penalty that George Mutch rifled in off of the crossbar winning the famous old trophy for his side.

Woodrooffe proved to be a man of his word and later ate a hat. Although, it was made of sugar-coated cake.

As television was still in it's infancy and the BBC's broadcast signal did not extend far outside of London, it's estimated that the audience was around only 10,000 for the Final. This is a far cry from the predicted global audience in excess of 500 million that will take in the FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa on 30 May 2015.

Throwback Thursdays: Supermac Hits Five

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

One of the most prolific scorers of the 1970's for Newcastle United and then Arsenal, Malcolm "Supermac" Macdonald didn't have a lot of success at international level, with the notable exception of a scoring rampage he went on forty years ago today.

The man who had been discovered by Bobby Robson at Fulham, but went on to his greatest success in the North East, bagging 95 goals in 187 appearances for Newcastle, was first capped for England in 1972.

It was a difficult period for the national side though, as Sir Alf Ramsay's time in charge of England was coming to an end and the Three Lions would shockingly fail to qualify for the 1974 World Cup in Germany.

After his debut, caps were hard to come by for Macdonald despite his scintillating form for his club, but under new England boss Don Revie he was given his chance in the 1976 UEFA European Championship Qualifiers.

On 16 April 1975, England faced Cyprus at Wembley in front of 68,245 fans and Supermac wasted little time in getting off the mark. Macdonald had his and England's first goal in the 2nd minute, before going on to notch further goals in the 35', 48', 53' and 86' minutes.

His five goal outburst, that staked England to a comfortable 5-0 win, is still the only time an England player has scored that many goals in a competitive fixture.

Later that year, Supermac would score another goal for England in an impressive 2-0 friendly win over West Germany.

It was to prove a false dawn for England and Macdonald though, as defeat away to Czechoslovakia and a draw away to Portugal saw off their qualification for Euro 76 hopes and Supermac never scored for England again.

Macdonald left Newcastle for Arsenal in 1976 and was The Gunners top scorer for two seasons before a serious knee injury at the start of the 1978/1979 season effectively ended his career at only age 29.

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.

Legends of Arsenal Posters by Marija Markovic (Gallery)

2015-04-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

This is an incredible graphic design project by Marija Marlkovic, outlining the biggest Arsenal players of all time. I am glad to say that I have had the pleasure to watch most of them play.

Enjoy her work.

Is the English Premier League in Decline?

2015-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

In 2009 three of the four Semi-Finalists in the UEFA Champions League were teams from the English Premier League.

Although Barcelona went on to win the 'Cup with the big ears' that season, English football seemed to be on a firm ascendency. However things appeared to have dramatically changed in the six years following this, as not a single English side has progressed beyond the last sixteen this season.

With a Liverpool side rocked by the departure of Luis Suarez bowing out in the group stage, and then Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea all meeting their end in the last sixteen, the Quarter Finals are an English free zone for the second time in three seasons.

So what's happened to the EPL exactly?

With Manchester City coming into large piles of cash in the last five years, another title front runner has been added to the mix in England, but the blue half of Manchester haven't looked anywhere convincing in their forays into Europe. They seem very much what they are: an unbalanced side made up of talented individuals, but not a consistently good team.

Chelsea, unlikely Champions League winners in 2012, have aged in key positions and haven't quite hit the heights under Jose Mourinho that they did under his previous reign as manager. That said, they looked to be the strongest contender from England this season and their last sixteen exit will be seen as a massive disappointment.

Arsenal on the other hand have now crashed out at the last sixteen stage in five straight seasons. The club, domestically and in Europe, have stagnated under manager Arsene Wenger and don't look anywhere near capable of winning this competition in the near future.

The side that didn't even make it as far as the knockout rounds, Liverpool, enjoyed a terrific season in 2013/2014 and it was only a late slip up, no pun intended, that cost them the Premier League title. However, despite the aforementioned departure of Suarez and an injury to Daniel Sturridge, the Merseysiders would have certainly hoped to escape a group that contained Real Madrid, Ludogorets, and FC Basel. But the clubs dire early season form in England followed them into Europe and they weren't able to progress. This season they face a tall order to qualify for the Champions League again.

One big club not in Europe this season at all, was Manchester United, who have suffered a dramatic dip in stature since the retirement of manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Despite a massive transfer outlay last summer, would appear that it'll still take some time before the Old Trafford outfit can return to the summit.

By and large the problem in England appears to be teams want immediate success, but yet aren't able to match the pull of Real Madrid for example, and aren't willing to bring a side made up of key players from their youth side and supplemented by smart transfer acquisitions like Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Unless we see a philosophy change in this regard in England in the next few seasons, it's hard to see the EPL asserting themselves like they did at the tail end of the last decade.