CROSS IT OFF

Real Madrid has agreed a long term strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi's International petroleum Company which will give the Spanish a huge financial advantage and help overhaul their ageing stadium. This investment includes museums, global football schools and the development of the Barnabeu. The amount is regarded to be as high as $630m and the deal is due to run until 2017. Planning permission has yet to be agreed but should it be granted, naming rites to the stadium may be bought by IPIC.

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi has asked Real Madrid to remove the small cross on it club badge so that its does not appear on the Bank's officially licensed credit cards. The logo is a replica of the famous Spanish club's 83 year old trademark, only with the slight adjustment so as not to offend its Muslim clients. The cross is significant of the club's link with the Spanish Royal family and was introduced in the 1920s when the club was given the title Royal (Real) by King Alfonso XIII. The cross had disappeared from the badge when the Spanish Civil war was running, but by 1941 it returned.

Recently, arguably the richest club in the world is valued at $3.5 billion and has entered into a strategic alliance with the banking giant. President of the Spanish club, Florentino Perez, stated that the removal of the cross would conquer the hearts of those followers in the UAE. Previously, in 2012, the club had links with the oil-rich Emirates financing a project involving the building of a sports' resort on Marjan Island in the UAE.

This latest decision does not hold well with those Christians observing the violations of international standards on religious freedom in the UAE.

Last year there was a 5 year shirt deal with the Dubai based Emirates airline worth $30million per season. Recently FC Barcelona broke a 113 year long tradition of having no corporate sponsors names or logos on the shirts, when they agreed terms with Qatar Airlines. Previously the club had the UNICEF charity on their playing kit. Etihad, of course, sponsor Manchester City and PSG and Arsenal have a deal with Fly Emirates.

SAINSBURY'S CHRISTMAS SHARES

If you have seen the John Lewis penguin and its great take off by a little known Welsh company, then Sainsbury's Christmas advert may not be as amusing. I found it charming, especially since it draws on historic football, the  well documented "match" played between enemy lines in no man's land on Christmas Eve.
I had just watched the film "Warhorse" which was moving and saw the Sainsbury's advert prior to the main entertainment. Later  I heard a radio interview with Andy Ansah who set up his film company
www.sportsonscreen.com in 2007. This is a globally recognised company dealing in sports choreography, casting and consultancy. Andy has captured a market and looking at his website, there is much to admire. Have a look at what he has achieved with his team of ex sportsmen and women, people who have continued careers for themselves, having finished with their major employment in sport. This company has an impressive portfolio and Andy, an ex-professional footballer, a clever job spot! Their next job is with Neymar.
The film is set during the informal Christmas truce of 1914 when troops met on neutral ground to clean up.
After days of filming at a purpose built "museum" where the landowner has created his own war zone, the 400 or so soldiers in the cast found the work tough. They are wearing authentic uniforms, there is much attention to 1914 detail and even the dry biscuit, was baked to an original recipe. The film has been met with much approval although there are some who deem it inappropriate; the theme being "sharing at Christmas".  Original interviews with war veterans are used to ensure historic accuracy.

PUTTING IT BACK; ITS GRIMSBY TOMORROW

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is putting it back into lowly Burton Albion, bringing his intensity for the game to training sessions and it appears he is getting success. Two division toppers, Wycombe Wanderers and Luton, have felt his fury and bitten the dust. It is good news that some high profile players are prepared to get their hands dirty in the lower leagues (for starters) and put back into the game their gained knowledge.

Paul Ince started at Macclesfield in 2006 and led them to safety, whilst Paulo Di Canio, ignoring his tantrums, did much for his early reputation and for Swindon Town's as he led them a League 2 title. Edgar Davids had a go at Barnet and rescued them from the basement, only to see all his efforts come to nought, as they dropped out of the league on goal difference.

Abroad, Dennis Bergkamp was sent to the Ajax Under 11s at the Dutch club's De Toekomst complex where the word is spread to young Dutch hopefuls. Learning from the master, can't be bad.

And so the Grimsby, well actually Cleethorpes, where I shall be sharing an evening with a couple of friends, as the Mariners take on Woking in a Conference duel that pits second v third in the division.

Founded in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham, the club later became known as Town and they still play at Blundell Park, their home ground since 1898.

Bill Shankly managed the club, as did Lawrie McMenemy but it was 2010 when the club was relegated from the league making them the fourth club to play in all five divisions of the Football League-Carlisle Utd, Oxford Utd and Luton Town are the others.
So if you are asked which clubs do not play at their named town or area, do you know which they are?

Why Grimsby? Well, Carl Magnay is a close friend of a friend and we are going to support the 25 year old from Gateshead. Having played a short while at Woking (only in their reserves I might add), I might have divided loyalties.

Folklore has it that when teams visited Grimsby in the old days of the league, they would find a nice box of fish left for them as a welcome gift in their changing room. What a load of codswallop!

CARTHUSIAN MONKS CHOP DOWN FORESTERS

The Arthurian League is a non pyramid football league played for by boys of independent schools (once known as the Public Schools) such as Eton and Harrow. the Old Carthusians from Charterhouse in Godalming, Surrey have dominated the premier division since 2006 winning the league title 9 times in 11 seasons. This season things have not gone all their way and it is only in the last few weeks that they have begun their assault on regaining the league title. Today the OCs played the old boys of Forest School in Snaresbrook, E17, who were leading the title chase. Playing at Charterhouse, the OCs were 2-0 up at half time and comfortable made their mark by winning 3-1.

This evening the three old boys' teams head for the Old Charterhouse, in Smithfield, to attend their annual Ball and to enjoy dining and dancing at the place of the school's founding.No doubt the victory today will have livened the evening. The Old Carthusians, FA Cup winners in 1881 and Amateur Cup winners twice in the 1890s, having played in three finals between 1893-95, have a long and successful history in the glory of Association Football.

Forest School old boys (the Old Foresters) also have given richly to the history of the national game. The Old Foresters, like the Carthusians, is one of the oldest adult clubs in the country and therefore in the world. The club dates back to 1876, as do the OCs, and Forest is the only school to have played in the FA Cup. Donington School, from Lincolnshire, did get drawn in an early cup round but could not play. The land in front of the school, known as the Common, maybe regarded as the "cradle of football".

HOWE DOES HE DO IT?

Eddie Howe is 36 and is just about to experience his 300^th game as Bournemouth manager with his club experiencing the heady heights in the Championship. Bournemouth sat 92nd in the league in 2008 and are second in the division. A place in the quarter finals of the Capital Cup brings Liverpool to their 12,000 capacity ground and they will be surrounded by Howe's ingenious attention to detail. Life size pictures of past and present players in Bournemouth strip and quotes from the great philosophers and players engulf anyone who walks the corridors of the Goldsands Stadium. Howe intends to get at everyone's psychology both positively for his players and in an attempt to unhinge his opponents. He has drawn on the knowledge of all the great coaches he has met. Tony Pulis' pre-season intensity, Redknapp's team building and Brendon Rodgers' style of play help mould his approach to football. At 31 years old, he was given the task of re-building a club that was on its knees. Russian business man Maxim Demin backs the club and Howe, a life long supporter of the club, is steering it towards the Premier League. Howe is one of the longest serving managers in the league now and he has a fascinating few weeks ahead of him.

3G PITCH MAY SWING THE BALANCE TO THE STONES

The original Maidstone United FC was founded in 1897 and survived until 1992. The club played in the Fourth division of the Football League from 1989 until the demise of the club in 1992. The current club was forced to leave the league due to bankruptcy and like so many other clubs, the new one rose from its youth team known as Maidstone Invicta. This band of brothers joined the Kent County league Division Four in 1993 and rapidly progressed through the pyramid.They changed their name back to Maidstone United and now play in the Isthmian Premier, sited at the new Gallagher stadium. This is a 3G pitch built by 2012 and the club is allowed to play FA Cup matches on it. The stadium has a record attendance of 2305 reached in a game against Horsham in April 2013.

Stevenage FC is in League Two the fourth tier. Known as Stevenage Borough FC until 2010, the club plays Maidstone tonight in the FA Cup 1st round replay. Founded in 1976 the club joined the United Counties league in 1980 and finally won the Conference having improved ground facilities in 2009-10. With back to back promotions after beating Torquay in the 2010-11 play off final, the club also enjoyed success in the FA Trophy in 2007, the first competitive final at the new Wembley. The club won that trophy again in 2009.

So both clubs have had worse times and arguably better, tonight will help up cheer one set of supporters.

ARMY v NAVY IN CUP WAR

Tonight there is a mouth watering FA Cup replay between Aldershot Town and Portsmouth, two Hampshire rivals who have seen better days. After a recent 2-2 draw at Fratton Park, Aldershot must fancy their chances as Pompey have a poor away record. The town, the "Home to the British army" will be rocking tonight as a capacity crowd of 7,000 invade the Recreation ground, Aldershot's home ground, reputedly one of the biggest playing surfaces in the country. Aldershot Town FC was founded in 1992 and plays in the Conference Premier, the fifth tier. The last stay in the Football League was between 2008-13 and prior to that the club was in the league up until 1992, when the club had to leave the big time, the first time this has happened since Accrington Stanley were ousted in 1962. In 1992, the club entered the Isthmian League division three and having sported out its money issues won promotion back to the main league as well as doing well in the FA Vase, Trophy and Hampshire County Cups.
Portsmouth FC was founded in 1898 and became a founder member of the Third Division in 1920. we all know the achievements of this great club with league titles and cup finals, most recently at Wembley in 2008 beating Cardiff City and then going into the UEFA Cup where Pompey met the likes of AC Milan. But with three relegations in four seasons, Pompey found itself in the fourth tier and with financial problems by 2013-14, the supporters bought the club and so the Pompey Supporters Trust became the largest club owner in England. Since then there have been ups and downs but Fratton Park hosts league football and they hope continued success. I saw my first professional games here in the late 1950s with the likes of West Ham and Birmingham City visiting the naval town. The Royal Marines brought the pre-match entertainment with the and leader throwing his baton higher and higher the louder the crowd roared.My aunt knitted mybrother and I royal blue  pom-pom hats for Christmas and we had rattles to cheer on Jimmy Dickinson's Pompey

OLDEST INTERNATIONAL MAY CAUSE A RIOT

Today is huge day for both English and Scottish footballers. To fill in the international “break” week, the FAs of both countries have decided to re-establish the contest between the two nations which was first played in March 1870 at the Kennington Oval and watched by a few hundred people. This was the first of five “unofficial” internationals that got the ball rolling, so to speak. The original game was set for February but a severe frost, that froze the Thames, caused the match to be postponed. Players who were “duly qualified and desirous of assisting either party” were encouraged to contact representatives from each side, such was the selection process. The score was 1-1 and in the team, players who happened to be in the vicinity and friends of friends, were thrown into kit and there began the tale. In November, a second unofficial match was held again at the Oval and England won by a solitary goal. Two more unofficial games were set in February and November 1871, both won by England. There was a fifth unofficial match won again by England on 30^th November 1872, Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow hosted the first official international which resulted in no score. In total the teams have played 111 times, England has won 46, Scotland 41. The last time the two played each other was in 2013 in a friendly at Wembley which England won 3-2. Prior to that the two nations met as long ago as November 1999 in a two legged UEFA qualifying tie, which clearly had to be played. The irregularity of the fixture may be the result of unpleasant crowd scenes in both countries, which both FAs decided were too highly charged to allow the touch paper to be lit-UNTIL TODAY.

WHISTLE BLOWER PULLS THE PUNCHES

It should be a pleasure but refereeing is now regarded as a hazard and by many to be avoided. Local Sheffield FA Cup games used to have three neutral officials for every tie but these days a club representative has to carry the flag and often that is all he does. The ref likes to make offside decisions, allowing the second and third official a wave when the ball appears to leave the pitch.

I am coming across a few young officials on my junior league travels in West Yorkshire, and Hepworth have a young lady who does a very impressive job for our juniors, so all credit to our up and coming middle people.

However, be aware of an incident that happened in an East Sussex league Premier match on Saturday between St Leonards Social and local rivals Hollington United. The 61 year old referee was allegedly head butted by a Hollington player in front a crowd of 40 including young children and wives. The player has been bailed. At Banbury three weeks ago, the game against Slough in the Southern League was abandoned when the ref was attacked by a teenage spectator as he came off the pitch at half time. In Birmingham recently an U18 Cup tie between Stourbridge and Black Country Rangers ended in violence as punches were thrown between players and a metal stake brandished.

BUT CONGRATULATE BRIAN STEVENS who took charge of his 3000^th game in the Stroud League on Sunday at the age of 75. He will have seen it all before, having reffed since 1963 and on the Football League list from 1970, when his first game was Preston NE v Halifax Town. Brian came off the League list at 52 but continues to have his way at weekends in his local area.

A WARM WELCOME AT GREETLANDS

This morning, we took drive out of the Pennine fog into the towns of Brighouse and Halifax to play our latest Under 11 league match against Greetlands Stars. They were languishing where Hepworth used to be, that is in the lower third of Huddersfield District Junior U11 Division 6. Our recent run of wins has made Hepworth a top half team and after this morning's 7-0 win the boys and girls are now 4^th in the division. Such has been our run of success. Three goals from right footed James, all with his left foot was impressive. Imogen hit a thunderous left foot to open our scoring, Roland hit two and Louis two also, but it was a fearless and energetic midfield performance by Jack and some great team work by the rest of the squad especially Patrick and Tom, that brought about our victory.

Well done to Hepworth for maintaining the revival, but also well done to Greetlands who played as well as they could, they didn't grumble or sulk, nor did their coaches get fed up, always being positive to their squad in a game played in the correct spirit.

Howden Clough C next-a game we should win and I think the teams above us are probably there on merit, so we would be chuffed with a fourth place-a Europa U11 competition next??

Ps the big bloke in the middle didn't get on the pitch

JAMIE IS DYED IN THE WOOL

As Wayne Rooney heads for his 100^th international cap, an ex-England Youth international, with 3 caps under his belt, plays his 767th game, assuming he is fit and picked! Jamie Cureton has played professional football all his working life and he was 39 in August. He had totalled 258 goals scored in all four divisions, by the time he reached his 40^th year. Playing now for Dagenham and Redbridge, he has recently set his family down in Essex, but his life has been on the move ever since he began his remarkable career.

He has been a classic journeyman footballer, appearing 766 times and scoring 265 goals to date.

Born in Bristol, his first club was Norwich (for a derby with Ipswich he dyed his hair yellow and green), he has been to Bournemouth, Bristol Rovers (with whom he played most times out of his many clubs), Reading in 2000 (where the supporters trust had a star in the Perseus constellation named after him), Busan IPark in South Korea, Queen's Park Rangers, Swindon, Colchester, Norwich again, Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Exeter twice, Leyton Orient, Cheltenham and lastly to Dagenham where he has scored 6 goals in 18 games this season.

Jamie Cureton is a footballer who enjoys playing-surprisingly not all do- and he is maintaining his fitness and has not planned for retirement. At 5' 8” he is small in stature, but big in enthusiasm.

BULLARD'S RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

What ever you think about “I'm a celebrity...Get me out of here!”, the latest series must be worth a look. It's not the attraction of Carl Fogarty, Michael Buerk or Nadia Forde (another lingerie model to distract a famous sportsman) but Jimmy Bullard who must be regarded as one of the funniest footballers to grace our pitches and screens since Steve Claridge.

Bullard is known for his hilarious photo-shoot set up by Sky for their annual pre-match team presentations. Players in kit were asked to step towards the camera and then raise their head and shoulders to look into the lens with a neutral face. Bullard could not control his mirth and it was several takes before the production team could get him to behave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_2wTLtHlRE
He has also won fame after scoring a goal at the Etihad in 2009, by re-enacting Hull's Phil Brown's managerial ticking off of his players on the pitch at half time, after a woeful first half performance. Bullard has written a book called “Bend it like Bullard” detailing his scrapes and japes as a professional footballer and he has recently set up a management company (Extra Time Management) to look after retiring sports' people who need a focus during their twilight years.

Bullard has been also known for trashing hotel rooms and paying for the damage, rock band style and for setting off so many fire extinguishers at Fulham, that the costs were taken directly out of his monthly salary. Having lost a pile of money recently in a “bad investment”, the £100,000 fee for humiliating himself in Australia's rain forest, will go a small way to settling the balance. Crocodile steaks, kangaroo testicles, cockroaches and witchity grubs await his cheery self. I wonder if the Ozzie's know what they are in for?  

CORINTHIAN SPIRITS RETURN TO SAO PAULO

The Corinthian Casuals, the famous amateur football club, based at Tolworth, Surrey, dominated football in its early days. The historic club is due to visit the great Corinthians Paulista from São Paulo, in Brazil next year. The Casuals play in the Rymans Isthmians league, eighth tier in the pyramid, and will play the Brazilian super stars on January 25th. Money raised from the gate will go towards the tour costs and to help the Casuals make a documentary about the club's history.

The Brazilians respect the the historic link between the two clubs and the match will be played in the 48,000 brand new Arena, originally built for the World Cup. 

The amateurs visited Brazil in 1910 and inspired local workers to form a football club. The Casuals meet the World Club Cup champions as part of a tour designed to remember a second tour made by the Corinthian Casuals as the First World War broke out in 1914. That tour was abandoned without a ball being kicked, on hearing that the war had started. On their return to Europe, some of the greatest names of football at that time died in battle. They include Thomas Rowlandson, a Charterhouse old boy and Sunderland goalkeeper who played for England. Max Woosnam, captained Manchester City scored a century at Lord's won a Wimbledon doubles title and was known to have scored a maximum 147 in snooker, also died. He was one of the great all-rounders ever.

The Centenary tour would have taken place last year, but the World Cup got in the way.

Chris Watney from the club, interviewed on Talksport today, appreciates the gap between the two teams, but he revealed that a vote by the Brazilian supporters gave the English amateurs a 61% majority over Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea, so it is going to be a popular event. The Casuals have just lost 4-1 to Folkestone in their latest league game; the gulf between the two teams will be immense.

Commemorative kit from the Corinthian Casuals tour is being sold in the Paulista club shop and if you want to, you can buy a shirt from the Casuals shop or its website. www.casuals39.com

The game takes place on the anniversary of the foundation of São Paulo City and the tour begins on January 19th.

MATTHEWS WIN IS NATION'S LOSS

As I was skimming through the daily papers this morning, considering who deserved to be considered the greatest footballers of their generation, I took delivery this morning of  David Goldblatt's superb volume on football history, "The Ball is Round". Pele and Bobby Moore adorn the front cover exchanging shirts after their World Cup game in 1970. Then I read the stuff about Rooney being near his 100th cap and almost top scorer for England, really?? Does he deserves to be lobbed into the same pot as these histroic figures?
In a corner of the Telegraph's sport section was the headline "Matthews medal sold for £200k." Shame. My first memories of the great man were in the 1950s when I supported Blackpool purely because of the legendry right winger. My parents bought for me in July 1960, his first autobiography and over the years I have acquired his 1952 life story "Feet First Again" and then gathered more books telling of his progress towards being a 53 year old professional back with his home town club Stoke City. I then met him three times in a short space of time when he visited Charterhouse with family friends who knew the school and Matthews "managed" a school XI at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in one of annual matches. I then met him when Alf Galustian ran one of his impressive skills sessions on the lawn by the House of Commons in London. Various global stars were helping Galustian promote his coaching programme in central London and Matthews was one of them. I then met Sir Stanley for a third time at Pontins, Heysham when he made an appearance at the English Schools Football Festival, hosted at Morecambe. Luxurious stuff!
Nick Hancock, an Old Salopian and Stoke City supporter, bought the famed 1953 FA Cup Final medal for £20K in 2001. He loaned the medal to the club for five years but decided to sell it recently. At the same auction Jimmy Greaves' 1966 World Cup winners medal went for £44k. Greaves never received a medal as he was not picked for the final but a campaign by his fan club managed to persuade the powers that be to award him a medal in 2009. Where have these medals gone? Lost to the nation.

HAVANT A CHANCE, PRESTON THINK

Havant and Waterlooville, The Hawks, founded in 1998 when two clubs merged, play Preston NE tonight in the First Round of the FACup at West Leigh Park. In 2007-8 the Hampshire side led Liverpool twice at Anfield in the FACup, when the Reds needs a Yossi Benayoun hat trick to ensure a 5-2 victory to save their embarrassment. Preston have Kevin Davies in their side, who played with Chesterfield in an FACup semi-final 18 seasons ago. Preston North End hope not to trip up in a cup competition that they have made significant contributions to. Preston have two players unavailable for selection because of international duties.

The draw for the next round happens at 7pm on the BBC and both teams will be finding out their future just before their kick off. 

CANTILEVER PARK-A BRIDGE TOO FAR FOR EXETER CITY?

Peter Reid, now managing in India's new Premier league, would not let his most famous recruit, Nicholas Anelka, out on loan to his brother's club, Warrington Town, as they face their FA Cup 1^st Round proper opponents, Exeter City tonight. Exeter holds some important footballing records, including having the second longest serving manager in the league after Arsene Wenger. With a record crowd of 2500 expected at their homely ground, brother, Shaun Reid hopes that tonight will be the greatest night of his career, which has included playing for Rochdale, York, Bury and Chester. he is probably right to assume that!!!

In today's BBCTV interview with club chairman, Tony Macormac, it was obvious that he had just quickly pulled on his overcoat over his shirt and club and tie. The chairman had come from cleaning windows and completing other jobs, getting ready for the biggest night in the club's history. It is all hands to the deck in the FA Cup, which gives so much hope to the lower clubs in the pyramid.

Playing in front of crowds of 75 is the norm for Shaun, so although older brother, Peter, may have played against Maradona in that fated World Cup tie, when he was left in the Argentinian's wake, this evening's tie will mean even more to the Reid family.

Founded in 1949, Stockton Heath Albion, was soon renamed Warrington Town and in his history boasts World Cup winner, Roger Hunt, as one of the club's notable players. Cantilever Park will be humming tonight, as a full ground will be boosted by supporters watching from the road bridge that spans the Manchester Ship Canal, hence the name of the ground. FA Vase finalists in 1986-7, they lost to local rival St Helens in what seems more like a rugby league fixture.

Exeter City, of course, is known for playing at the other St James' Park and ten years after its founding in 1904, the club made an historic tour of Argentina and Brazil. In 2004 to celebrate the 90^th year of that tour, a Brazilian Veterans XI, including Dunga, came to play Exeter City. Having joined the Football League in 1920, the Grecians now hold their own in the lower divisions of the FL.

WE DON'T BUY SUCCESS, WE BREED IT

To ensure that a club has every opportunity to compete with best in the Premier League, money has to be spent. Southampton FC has just invested £33 million in a brand new training ground, opened by owner Katharina Liebherr and Chairman Ralph Kreuger. The new timber clad building is named after Marcus Liebherr, a Swiss business man, who bought the club in July 2009, after Southampton's relegation to League One and a 10 point deduction for entering administration. Since then it has been an upward journey for the Saints. Portakabins at their training ground have been replaced by a precision designed swimming pool, there is a room dedicated to analytics and recruitment, a pitch designed to be the replica of St Mary's ground, a “black box” room giving the backroom staff direct IT contact with any footballing footage in the world, enabling the club to view opposition, individual players and potential signings. No stone is left unturned. There is a massage room with mood lighting and a huge laundry with machines fed by pure oxygen.

This scientific approach to training and conditioning, practised in the club over recent years, has minimised injuries and made players fitter. So successful has this approach been that other clubs are following it's model, which has even been copied by FC Barcelona.

Les Reed, once a coach working for the FA, but for some time now a member of the club's staff, is executive director of football. He says that when potential youngsters are signed on, even at only 9 years old, they buy into the Southampton FC scheme.

Ron Koeman was targetted once Southampton lost their last manager to Spurs and he has brought in two players already identified by Southampton's scouting team, so there is no loss of continuity and no major changes at the top. Mo Gimpel, the club's sports and medicine manager, has been at the club for 16 years and never before has he had such equipment to enable him and his staff to monitor every individual, using GPS, urine sampling and blood tests, measuring immunity, as well as physical and psychological stress. Southampton can field strong teams in both league and cup competitions, maintaining their continuity on the field without losing key players to injury. The club has the lowest soft tissue injuries in the league, the first team has been top of the ProZone stats for the past two seasons and this all contributes to the success and position of the Saints in the Premier League.

After losing a host of great players this summer and of course Walcott, Oxlade and Bale before, it is a wonder that the Saints are flying high. Recent pundits have made excuses for the downfall of Liverpool or Manchester United, some reckon that the whole affair is largely based on luck; the run of the ball, ref's decisions, freak injuries; is it luck or an attention to detail, that ensures success in our Premier league?

The Dream Factory will inspire those youngsters who are lucky enough to set foot onto the shop floor ?

CITY INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

I am off to Manchester tomorrow to watch an independent school football team from St Bede's College, play a local opposition Audenshaw School. St Bede's is a Catholic school in south Manchester at Alexandra Park and their sports fileds are nearby. The school plays host to young footballers from Manchester City in a unique educational programme designed to give a group of 14-16 year olds a suitable education whilst they continue their dream of becoming professional footballers with one of the richest clubs in the world.

Roy Keane, growing up in the bleak northern suburbs of Cork, found himself on course for a life without school qualifications where the prize was a rare semi-skilled job in a tanking Irish economy. Keane now regards his schooldays as one of his deepest regrets. "Today, kids are smarter – or they should be," he wrote in his autobiography. "An education and a career in football are not mutually exclusive options." Keane has close links with St Bede's, behind whose red-brick walls lies what could be the best school football team in the world if it were ever allowed to play as one.

He has hosted charity events at St Bede's College, where Manchester City educate their academy players and to boys like Charlie entering it for the first time must have been intimidating. The entrance hall has a mosaic floor on which is entwined a Latin greeting. Victorian paintings gaze down from the walls and at the heart of the school is an ornate Catholic chapel, where Roberto Mancini prayed before City won the title with the final kick of the season. It is a place where education and history matter. The boys joined the school as a group and are now into the swing of the daily routine.

"We were told straight away that we might not make it as footballers and that the education we would get here might be our lifeline," says Charlie. "I was eight when I first came to City. I have been at the club half my life.

"When you are eight you are told that you are only coming to play football; you don't think about the implications. It's fine; they don't talk to you about education, they just want you to play. It was when I was old enough to go to secondary school that the club talked to me about education."

Dr Andrew Dando, St Bede's director of studies, was the man City approached when they decided that all their academy players would be educated in one place. "Because we are an independent school we are just that little bit more flexible," he says. "We start relatively late and we finish relatively late and we are perhaps a bit more used to dealing with the unusual.

"But, educationally, we live and die by our statistics, so it is crucial that these lads get good results because they will affect our league table. But we know what course work they miss and we can plan around it. When the boys had to go to a tournament in Qatar, the club paid for a teacher to go with them."

At a time when City are being castigated for "buying the league" and are under investigation by Uefa for breaking Financial Fair Play rules, this is the other side of a club that are investing heavily in education both here at St Bede's and in a purpose-built Sixth Form College close to the Etihad Stadium as part of the regeneration of the area.

Initially, there was some resistance from parents of existing pupils at St Bede's who wondered what benefits 18 young footballers might bring to a highly-academic college. "We had some baseline tests done on pupils when they first came in and the first cohort City sent to us was above average intelligence," Dr Dando adds. Footballers may well have better intelligence than most.

"If you think about it, it's not surprising. Their spatial awareness had better be pretty good, they have to make rapid decisions and analyse huge amounts of data. You may have some who don't show a great deal of sense off the pitch but, essentially, they are pretty sharp."

"We are much more aware of keeping young footballers' minds active than we were then," says Mark Adams, City's head of education. "If their minds are active, they are more likely to make the right decisions when under pressure. The average age for a Premier League debut is now 21. So they might have a career in the game but they might need to be more patient.

Of the intake of 18 who came to St Bede's three years ago, 12 have been offered scholarships by City. Charlie's scholarship will involve two years of playing for City's Under-18s combined with A-levels or, more probably, B-Techs. "When I first came here I was going home shattered," he adds. "Now I've got into the rhythm of it. I have thought about what happens if I don't make it as a professional and I'd like to be a physio. Sport is what I've known all my life and doing that would keep me in it."

They are not, incidentally, allowed to play for the St Bede's football team. "It would be lovely to have them," says Dr Dando. "But I think, having invested so much in these boys, City wouldn't want us to muck it up – and I'm sure other schools might object." Watch the video

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citytv/features/2011/november/city-and-st-bedes-college-partnership

IT'S ALL FORWARD LOOKING

Gary Neville tells us that defending is an art form being ignored at the higher levels of the English football league, compared to his day! he makes the point that the average goals per game in 2005 in the Premiership was 2.57 and now 2.77 with the total number of goals being scored per year rising from 975 to over 1060. Is this down to better attacking players being brought in to clubs or better strategy? Whatever, it makes the game more exciting.
Neville tells of the practice sessions he was used to under Eric Harrison and Nobby Stiles at United and under Don Howe and Terry Venables, when with England. More time was spent on preventing goals from team shape, to the position of your hips when confronting a opponent. Players started with a high defensive base but now it is the concentration defensive techniques that leads training sessions. Taking a thousand touches in the first part of the session acts as a valuable warm up and of course improves technique. Defenders need to learn specific defending techniques too but it is hard to re-create match situations on the training pitch as tackling is not easily practised, without the danger of injury.
In his piece in Saturday's Telegraph he mentions practice games that he played at United that taught him to take responsibility when his team lost the ball. These days, much more time is spent playing football in Zone 14, the area once known as the D on the edge of the penalty box. Hence the development of "tiki taka". The Bryan Robson of his era is now the Jack Wilshere of the present day, full backs are wingers, goalkeepers sweepers. It is all forward looking.
Rule changes have altered defending techniques; notably the tackle from behind being outlawed, the offside law also helps forwards if they are clever enough to understand second phase! It must be for the good, but who are England's great defenders now and will they help our national team in the future defend our goal against highly skilled foreign players?

A BALL CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

The vision of the Homeless World Cup is using the power of football to transform the lives of homeless people all over the world. This is becoming a reality in 70 countries worldwide, involving hundreds of thousands of footballers since 2003. In Santiago in October, 54 teams competed for the world title in 350 small sided games playing for seven trophies; 

see www.homelessworld cup.org or tweet to #HWCSUPPORTER.

Hosts Chile won the major men’s trophy beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2.  Chile’s golden boy Ismael Mariqueo, who scored in tonight’s final, surprised the jubilant crowd and his girlfriend with an impromptu marriage proposal that sparked even more cheers from an already ecstatic crowd. Chile ladies won their final 4-3, captain, Denise Silva, scoring a crucial goal to secure victory.

All our home countries were represented with Northern Ireland winning their qualifying league. Eventually getting into the Accion Total Cup against Denmark, the Irish boys won 10-6 with a hat trick from Padraig McKissock . All countries had plenty of four a side games to play, with rolling subs over 7 minutes each way.