HE KANE, HE SCORED, HE CONQUERED

We are hoping that all the hype around Harry Kane does not fizzle out tonight, as England play the cunning Italians in a friendly. I hope not because I have a signed shirt of his, which is gaining in value as I write!

Many would put the Italians as favourites but the pundits think they have had better days. Indeed the development of the Italian game was historically slower than in England.

Italian football relied on a band of English and Swiss businessmen and Italian counterparts, aristocrats, posh students and schoolboys to get established. In 1893, the Genoa Cricket Club was founded by the British Consul and with a mixture of nationalities being allowed membership, a football club was formed which won the first ever national championship in 1898. Three other teams in the competition came from Turin, Ginnastica Torino, Internazionale Torino and FC Torino. 

Organised football in Italy dated back to 1887 and in 1897 the D'Azeglio College created Juventus (the youth) who played their first league game in 1900. Juve adopted Notts County's colours following the club's tour of Italy. In 1899, Milan found football when an Englishman, Alfred Edwards and some wealthy British and Swiss businessmen established the Milan Cricket and Football Club, now AC Milan.

The South or Mezzogiorno gradually developed relying on English trading colonies at Palermo and Naples (1904), whereas in Rome, army officers formed Lazio in 1900, being the region around the capital city. Other clubs in the less developed south did not get started until after the Great War.

To enforce the nationalism in the country and to ensure that foreigners did not run the game, the government insisted on calling football CALCIO, the name of the game!

England's first international against Italy took place in Rome in 1933 resulting in a 1-1 draw. Seven Arsenal players played in the “Battle of Highbury”, in 1934, the next match, when England won a ferocious game 3-2 beating the current World Champions.

TIME FOR A QUICKIE?

When Harry Kane came on to the sacred turf on Friday, we all knew what was going to happen. Within 78 seconds or it may have been 80, so say, he nestled on the back post, allowed the hapless Lithuanian defender time to ball watch and Sterling deliver a sumptuous cross for our old fashioned centre forward to head down and in to the goal. A better goalkeeper might have saved it. Gordon Banks would have done and probably popped it over the bar rather than to the side.

Bill Nicholson, who later became Spurs manager, scored an English international goal in 19 seconds against a Portugal team in 1951 that probably hadn't got itself sorted out.

John Cock, knocked one in, so to speak, for England in 30 seconds in a Victory International against Ireland in 1919. Cock was the first Cornishman to represent England and he played at Huddersfield, Brentford as a guest in the war years, and for Chelsea in his prime, being bought by the Blues for £2500, a record at the time. He ended up at Millwall, playing 115 games for 77 goals. His career wound up with minor teams but he played on, was an actor being described a good looking with a tenor voice, so he performed in films also, such as “The Winning Goal” in 1920.

Cock later ran a pub in New Cross and died in April 1966, before he could see England win the World Cup.

The fastest England sub's goal was from Teddy Sheringham in 15 seconds, coming on against Greece in a 2-2 draw in 2001 in a World Cup qualifier and Bryan Robson only took 38 seconds to score the quickest World Cup goal at Wembley against Yugoslavia in December 1989.

Tommy Lawton, from the kick off brought the Portuguese back to the centre spot after only 17 seconds in 1947, the goal was he first of 10!

Wayne Rooney scored his 47^th international goal on Friday and he was the youngest English player to score in a European Championship qualifier at 17 years and 317 days on 6^th September 2003, putting Macedonia to the sword. He made it a double youngest award when he scored in the European Championship Finals in 17^th June 2004 in a 3-0 win over Switzerland (you can work out how old he was).

WILL LITHUANIA HAVE A SCENT OF SUCCESS?

The Baltic state of Lithuania is the only country in the world to have its own official perfume, called the Scent of Lithuania, it is a blend of local plants, sandalwood, cedar and musk. With a monthly average wage of only £525, I hope this is not too expensive for local purchases, otherwise the work force, mainly engaged in chemicals, textiles and wood and paper processing, will be a bit pongy at the end of the working week.

With a population of 3 million, the capital is Vilnius which lies near the geographic centre of Europe as calculated by Jean-George Affholder in 1989. This probably does not influence the fact that Lithuania has the third highest suicide rate in the world!

Football is not the major sport, basketball is, The country, 94^th in the FIFA ranking, has never qualified for the European Championship, although they have made excellent progress in recent years, the standard of the nation's football is on the way up and they have won two out of their four qualifying games so far; over Estonia and San Marino. A recent goaless draw in a friendly, with the Ukraine, has been an encouragement, with an significant investment in a national academy.

This is Lithuania's first senior international against England and with one of their more successful players, Simonas Stankevicius, having played with non-league Nuneaton Town this season and now is in the Leicester City U21 squad, they are hoping for an upset at Wembley. At 25-1 the bookies think not.

A YOUNG FLOWER OF SCOTLAND

With a name like Jack Harper, it is difficult to believe that there is an issue about whether this young footballer plays for Scotland or Spain at international level. One of the young hopes for Scottish football is presently part of the Real Madrid future and possibly Spain's too if he chooses to claim his nationality in the country where he was born.

Some years ago, Jack's family moved to Fuengirola and Jack was born in 1996. His family still live on the Costa del Sol. Originally from Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, father John agreed a five year contract for his son when Real Madrid came calling when Jack was 14 as he was making waves with local club Los Boliches. Local La Liga clubs such as Almeria and Seville quickly gave him trials, before Madrid stepped in, in 2009. His is firm that he wants to play for Scotland and in April 2010 he made his debut for the national U15s and quickly made his way to U17 level squads as his progress is being monitored by the Scottish international coaches. He could of course be Spanish!

His older brother, Ryan, is playing for Guadalajara in the “Segunda”, while younger brother Mac plays for Fuengirola U14s.

By 2016, Jack will be in his prime and possibly lining up alongside present starlets such as James Morrison, Jordan Rhodes, Islam Feruz from Celtic but poached by Chelsea, WBAs Scott Allan and Celtic's James Forrest. Does the future look bright for Scotland and the European Championships? We hope so, the Scots need a leg up.

FREE KIT IF YOU ARE INCLYNED

Southampton FC is a Premier League club with a number of overseas players filling the ranks. One home grown, English, product is Nathaniel Clyne who learned his trade in south London at the Allen Edwards Primary School Stockwell. He didn't actually have organised games there but with his mates he played local league football with Accra a park side. 

Clyne rates as the second top tackler in the PL and fourth best defender for passing. 

Clyne has been back to his school to be an ambassador for the Premier League Players' Kit Scheme presenting team shirts to the kids. these days his shirts are worth a few bob especially if they are signed by his team mates, but the scheme gives Nike kits to school teams, a good idea. 

If you want to contact www. premierleague.com/playerskitscheme before April 24th.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS A PERFECT PITCH

Over the weekend I saw Hepworth United beat Scholes FC in a Huddersfield and District League game 5-0. The win was remarkable in that the match, played at Scholes, was played on the side of a small mountain, on a pitch that could only be described as tricky. Both teams deserve credit for making a game of it.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Hepworth U11s played Yorkshire Lions on a better, flat pitch at Newsome High School and managed to turn round a 9-2 win from earlier in the season into a 4-9 defeat. One wag said "the Hepworth children looked like they had been out all night and fallen in love". 

In the south, on another even more perfect pitch, the Old Carthusians found themselves in another Arthur Dunn Cup final after beating the Old Etonians 2-0 in the semis on Saturday. They meet the Lancing Old Boys on April 18th. (see recent blog).

In the FA Vase semis first leg, Glossop North End took a step nearer the final winning 1-0 away in Cornwall at St Austell, whilst North Shields, at the opposite end of the country, held hosts Highworth 0-0 to set up two interesting second legs for next weekend. I suspect both pitches were half decent.

The  Scottish Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup semis included Turriff (almost turf-do you get my drift?) losing to Cove 1-2 and Wick beating Nairn 2-1. I hope the crowds for these important games were greater than the 320 officially declared at bottom club Montrose, slumming it at the bottom of the Scottish League Two. Quality of playing surfaces dubious?

Sunday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, played on a top quality surface at Wembley, was watched by a crowd of over 73,000 which saw favourites Bristol City beat Walsall 2-0. This was Walsall's first visit to the home of football and this leaves three Football League teams never to have graced the sacred turf; Accrington Stanley, Hartlepool and Crawley Town. 

And at the top of the pile, El Clasico produced the largest crowd of the weekend with our old favourites Ronaldo and Suarez making their mark. Real Madrid have hit the woodwork more times that any La Liga club, 23. If only they had gone in? Barca won 2-1. Photo NOT Camp Nou!

ARTHUR DUNN CUP SEMIS TODAY

The Arthur Dunn Cup semi-finals are being played today (21.3.15) with the favourites The Old Carthusians (alumni of Charterhouse School, Godalming) played the Old Etonians on Charterhouse Big ground, an historic pitch played on since 1874. The OCs are the holders of the cup and have won it more times than any other old boys' team eligible for this competition.

These two teams played out the last FA Cup final to be contested by two amateur teams. This was in 1881 and the Carthusians won 3-0.

Arthur Tempest Balkiston Dunn was born in 1860 in Whitby, Yorkshire. He went to Eton College, Trinity College, Cambridge where he won a Blue for football and then he founded Ludgrove School, a preparatory school in Berkshire. Dunn played football for the OEs, including two FA Cup finals in 1882 winning 1-0 against Blackburn Rovers and then losing 1-2 in 1883 against Blackburn olympic, both professional clubs. This defeat was the last time an amateur club played in the FA Cup final.

Dunn also played four times for England, for the famous Corinthians, minor county cricket and ice hockey!

He died tragically early in 1902, at the age of 41 and the Cup was set up in his memory, to inlcude the old boys of the “Public Schools” of England.

The Carthusians and the old boys of Shrewsbury School (the Salopians) shared the first final in 1903, after a replay and extra time could not divide them. They had to kick off late to avoid a clash with the Boat Race and in the end they agreed to share the Cup, because if they played any more extra time the teams would miss their post match dinner at the Cafe Royal. Class!

So today the OCs and OEs contest the semi-final, one team hoping to meet either the Lacing Old Boys or the Old Reptonians in the final on April 18th.

X + Y = ?

So for the second time in three seasons, England has no clubs in the last 8 of the Champions' League. Yet the UEFA Coefficient (a clever piece of x + y), that decides how many clubs from each country play in the CL and Europa League, still ranks England second behind Spain, which means we are entitled to 5 teams out of a max of 7 in the draw next time. Germany and Italy sit just below us.

Let's be fair, our Premier League doesn't have English clubs anymore does it? Football is global, many other European clubs are also multi-national, but if you look at the comparative squads, they have more home grown players in their ranks than our top English clubs. Barcelona has 10 Spaniards, Borussia Dortmund 15 Germans , Juventus 14 Italians, PSG 9 Frenchmen etc, whereas Chelsea has 5 English , Arsenal 8 and Manchester City 4. If you looked at the squads, some of our local lads are just there for show.

There were 5 English born footballers playing in the 2^nd legs of the Champions League this week. Cahill, Terry, Welbeck, Hart and Milner. Gibbs and Walcott came off the bench.

Give our teams more Englishmen-would that make our representatives better?

In the Bundesliga, money is invested into the home academies to improve German born footballers. In England, Greg Dyke says “We are not a charity”, so money from the big TV deals probably won't find its way into grass roots. There is also FFP, which doesn't seem to stop our multi-national clubs from spending silly money on foreign imports who don't work very well but keep our youngsters out of the top flight.

The German's have a winter break. Bayern Munich had 41 days off from the 19^th of December, whilst Manchester City played 8 games. It's an old “chestnut” over the winter period that has its critics. If Harry Kane is torn between playing for Spurs in a friendly tour of Australia towards the end of this season rather than play for England, what will happen to him over Christmas when Spurs in their rest decide to have a money making tour of a warm place just to keep the sqaud fit?

Or perhaps we just got a bum draw in the Champions League-did Mr Blatter have anything to do with this? It's a conspiracy, must be.

Perhaps our top teams are past their sell by date and need restructuring. Even our foreign imports are fading; what's happened to Ya Ya? Is he burnt out or just resting?

It's all a mess, and apart from the short Halcyon days of our dominance in Europe, it's never been any different. Thank goodness for the FA Cup, the League Cup, Johnstone's Paint, Trophy, Vase....

Graphic from BBC website-English teams in Europe.

CROWD SWELLS WITH THE SMELL OF PAINT

There is much excitement this weekend amongst the Robins and the Saddlers who compete in the final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley in front of an estimated crowd of 70,000 at least. Originally known as the Associate Members Cup when first played for in 1983-4, this trophy is for League 1 and 2 teams. This involves 48 “other League teams” who may not venture far in the FA Cup and are given something to occupy their winter midweek evenings. better than decorating then?

At some point Conference teams were invited to join in, as the matches were regionalised up to the final. In this year's area semis Walsall (the Saddlers, named after the local manufacturing industry) who have never been to major cup final in 127 years beat Preston 2-0 over two legs and Bristol City (the Robins) in the south, conquered Gillingham 5-3. The Saddlers hope to bring 30,000 to the final and The Robins 40,000!

When it has not been played at Wembley, once when the pitch had been damaged by the Horse of the Year show in the 1980s, the final was played at Hull and then when Wembley was being rebuilt, they all migrated to the Millennium. The largest attendance has been 80,841 when Wolves played Burnley. Maybe this year that will be beaten?

In 1992 the competition was called the Football League trophy and it has had other sponsors such as Freight Rover, Sherpa Vans, Leyland DAF, Autoglass, Auto Windscreens and LDV Vans. It became JPs baby in 2006.

If you think this little affair is just for the minnows, be reminded that Stoke in 1999-00, Swansea in 2005-6 and Southampton 2009-10 have been recent winners.

Walsall's badge includes a swift which is in memory of Walsall Town Swift FC one of the original teams to form the club in 1888. Walsall became a founder member of the original Division Two in 1892. The capacity at the Bescot Stadium is 11,300! although for sponsorship purposes it is known as the Banks' Stadium, which was opened by Sir Stanley Matthews.

Bristol City originally formed from Bristol South End club in 1894 and joined the Southern League as they went professional in 1897, the club then became FLeague members in 1901. Ground capacity at Ashton Gate at the moment is under 14,000 but they are upgrading to 27,000 by 2016. Maybe the Wembley money will help! Both will need a lick of paint.

ITS SMILES NOT NGULTRUM IN BHUTAN

Bhutan is a land locked Kingdom, a small mountainous country trapped between China and India. It was until this week, ranked as the worst footballing nation in the World coming in at 209^th. Following this week's first round of World Cup Preliminary Qualifiers, Bhutan is able to raise its rank and Happiness Index!

Bhutan judges its development through Happiness (GNH) not Gross Nation Product. Road signs on precarious mountain roads tell you “Life is a journey-complete it!” rather than “Beware sharp bends”. With its borders only opened to outsiders 44 years ago, this country relies on tourism to boost its coffers, since its 800,000 population relies on agriculture mainly and enjoys archery as the national sport. Its currency is the ngultrum, one of which is worth 0.001 of a British Pound.

There is one airline allowed into the country, so travellers have to rely on Druk to get to Thimphu, the capital. Michael Palin devotes a good chapter to Bhutan in a recent BBC documentary.

So while the rest of the world is being challenged by budgets and inflation, the Bhutanese have poverty but with life expectancy higher than most countries, 100% primary children in education and a revamped infrastructure, the nation is carbon neutral, with the land in 60% forest cover guaranteed.

GNH requires spiritual, physical, social and environmetal health, all contributing to the GNH. With residents given a day off to enjoy the World Cup tie in which Bhutan beat Sri Lanka 3-1 over two legs, hearts were lifted. Chencho Gyeltshen, the nation's Ronaldo, scored both goals in the home 2-1 win yesterday.

So the statement from the Government about this victory is that “the win helps the people come together and share the moment of happiness”. More points for the GNH!

On the other hand Bhutan is threatened with its people living on only $1.25 a day, 70% of the population has no electricity, there is a gang culture developing, a rapidly growing population and economic strangulation by global food prices, so all is not Shangri-la.

However, the King does insist on one day each month being “pedestrian only”. So keep smiling Bhutan!

Other winners were:- Chinese Taipei, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, India and Pakistan and Yemen was postponed for security reasons.

THERE ONCE WAS A FOOTBALLER FROM LIMERICK.....

IT'S St Patrick's Day and I wonder how many pints of Guiness will be consumed throughout the day today in the various Gaelic Football clubs of Ireland?

The Irish have their own game of football- Gaelic Football-which like soccer, has its roots in the Middle Ages. The earliest reference appears to be in 1308 when a game was played at the Football Field in Newcastle, County Dublin and later the Statute of Galway in 1527 allowed football to be played (it was previously often banned by the law regarding it as a distraction from other skills like archery! and the small matter of people dying midst the brawl!) By the 17^th Century the gentry took over the game and made it popular, which is parallel to the influence of the Public Schools, Universities and the Military on “football” in England. Once the posh had hold of it, you knew it was going to be a success.

In the early 19^th Century there were various forms of game referred to as “caid” which were popular in Kerry and on the Dingle Peninsular. This mass contest or field game was won by putting the ball through arch-like goals formed by bent boughs of two trees, with a pitch running cross country. This was often played after Mass on a Sunday, between two neighbouring villages. There were few rules!

As rugby and soccer grew in importance in the 1860s, the “field game” lost its popularity and gradually had to be codified to help its popularity.

Limerick proved to be the bastion of the native game and the Commercials Club funded by the workers of Cannock's Drapery Store adopted a first set of rules.

Eventually the various forms of the game were unified in 1887 as the Gaelic Athletic Association tried to reject foreign sports,especially English ones. Cricket for example was banned!

Ladies football was played in the 1970s and a contest between Gaelic Teams and Aussie Rules teams is played, with agreed adjustments to the rules, although they are very much the same in principle.
It really is a "full on" game and hurling is worth watching also.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEAbWrdB9XU
It really is a stunning game, full of energy and non stop entertainment. Hurling isn't a bad watch either!

BUTTER WOULDN'T MELT

Danny Murphy's 8^th best footballer, chosen on Talksport last Thursday, is Paul Scholes. Having a November birthday, Paul had all the advantages of being “ahead” of the year group when at school and as he neared 40, he was regarded as a model professional, whose only weakness was his strength; at a mere 5'6” he was known as battling midfielder, who despite his lack of height was fearsome tackler and competitor.

Scholes was booked 99 times and sent off 4 times in the Premier League (making him the 3^rd most booked in PL history) and was the most booked player in the Champions League (32 times).

He said “ if somebody got me early in a game, it was always in the back of my mind to get them back”. Arsene Wegner regarded Scholes as having a “dark side”.

He was born with Irish descent, but he played 66 times for England and 718 times for one club, Manchester United, coming out of a short retirement in January 2012 to help the club one more time when Ryan Giggs made a call. He was not actually a member of the “Class of 92”, but joined with the youthful Reds the following season and soon made his debut for the Red Devils in 1994-5. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 and scored over a 150 Premier league and cup goals in what was Man Us most successful period.

Many of the great players and pundits rated Scholes as one of the best ever in the PL and it was unfortunate that his ability and influnce was not always recognised by England managers in a period when the England team was apparently stacked full of fabulous midfielders! Not that the results justified that.

An asthmatic with Osgood Schlatter's knee issues, Scholes worked his way through adversity, preferring the shadows of success rather than the limelight. He is truly a modest, family man, who did not indulge in wasteful behaviour but who did have a very dry sense of humour and was popular with his peers.

He, recently, was a part owner of Salford City FC with some of his Class of 92 United pals, though that venture was sold on. Like many of his era, he is indulging in media appearances with contracts linked to BT Sport and ITV and he has a column in the Independent, not bad for somebody who may be regarded as “shy”.

NO REST ON THE SABBATH

This weekend should be devoted to “Mothers” and I am sure some dutiful children have gone about their business and bought flowers from the local garage at the last minute. But for some children and indeed Dads, this Sunday carries a more important event; the FA Sunday Cup semi-finals. Founded in 1964, Sunday teams were eventually “allowed” to play competitive football on the Sabbath, thereby sparking a whole new range of worn out knee joints and hangovers, as new careers were revitalised in local Sunday Leagues.
To make the whole thing official, the FA formed the Sunday Cup and Campfield from Liverpool are playing Chapeltown Fforde Grene (some curious spelling there?) from Leeds at Marine FC's Arriva Stadium. In the other tie, OJM from Warley in the Black Country play New Salamis, a Cypriot based club, from Cheshunt at The Keys Park Stadium, Hednesford FC. 2pm ko. Exciting innit?

Remember that the FA Vase has reached its semi-final stage with Glossop NE from the Peak District making the final four, having put out Shaw Lane Aquaforce from the Barnsley Coalfield 3-1 after extra time.
They face AFC St Austell in the penultimate round and Highworth beat Tadcaster 1-0 in the other quarter-final to earn a tie with North Shields FC. (I played at North Shields in a County Youth Cup tie for Sussex FA against the Northumberland FA in 1969!)
These matches take place next weekend and after, over two legs.

The FA Trophy Final between North Ferriby Utd (surely an outsider) and ex FLeague team,Wrexham, (how many Football League teams past and present have an X in their name?) is on the last Sunday in March (29th) at Wembley.

Finally, the FA Ladies Cup reaches its last 16 with the pick of the ties being Doncaster Belles at Manchester City Ladies and Millwall Lionesses home to Arsenal.

By the way, we now have over 4000 hits! Not bad for over a year's blogging.

CEREBRAL PALSY WORLD CUP- JUNE-ST GEORGE'S PARK

The 2015 Cerebral Palsy seven a side World Cup will be held at St Georges's Park, Burton beginning June 13^th. 15 nations will join the England team for two weeks, with games being played every other day. Eight Paralympic places will be up for grabs, in Rio in 2016, for the top teams. Jeff Davies, the FA National Manager for Disability Football, was pleased with the draw which pitted England against the Ukraine, Iran and Japan, which despite the “able bodied” national teams' form, this is regarded as a tough draw.

Other groups are:-

Russia, R of Ireland, Australia, Portugal

Brazil, Scotland, USA, Venezuela

Netherlands, Argentina, Canada, N Ireland

England play Holland in a friendly, then Scotland next month in preparation for the European Championships in Portugal this summer.

"This is the biggest ever disability football event in this country and we can’t wait. I promise we will give this tournament absolutely the prestige and the profile it deserves...."

Read more at http://www.thefa.com/news/england/development/2014/mar/cps-world-cup-at-sgp-200314#m2GHXxbOjcAk45Ep.99

GET BETTER BUT DON'T OVER CELEBRATE

Waiting for my better half to complete the shopping task yesterday, I had a look at 442 Magazine, which is full of good stuff, but costs nearly £5 now.

There is an excellent section towards the back of the glossy, which aims at spreading the word about how to raise your game.

Firstly, Manchester City at their Academy have bedrooms to accommodate players with sleep aiding decorations! They have sleep inducing wallpapers, light greens with ever decreasing circles, guaranteed to help the tired footballer relax. Hmmm, I would think I had been on something, looking at that, but the experts know best.

Beetroot juice features in the restaurants of our modern football clubs which aids stamina, increasing blood flow to “fast twitch” muscles (yes, you know what they are). The juice is high in nitrate oxide strengthening the heart. Curcumin in tumeric prevents muscle soreness and helps post match muscle aches and speeds recovery therefore. So a good curry must feature in the menu. Scrummy!

Don't let your youngsters wear new boots for too long, at the beginning of the season without preparing their feet, softening the leather and avoiding blisters. There are cases of toxic shock syndrome related to infections caused through not taken care of blisters.

Remember that one side of your body is stronger than the other, so plyometric exercises, especially side to side leaps will help strengthen the weaker side. Pay attention to your “other half”.

With all this you will win and score goals, BUT do not over celebrate. In a Turkish FA study in goal celebrations, too many injuries were caused by knee sliding, diving, piling on top of everyone and jumping into the crowd. Rib and clavicle injuries are classic; there was a famous FA Cup Final celebration once wasn't there?

And by the way, if you are a supporter, watch out for Fanorexia. US studies show soccer fans loses 10% calories and 16% more salt and fat in getting excited about your team.

IMPS NEED CO-OP FROM THE BANK

Lincoln City FC, founded in 1884, has shown its support for the National Citizen Service and has become a Local delivery Partner through the Sport and Education Trust. NCS is a government backed initiative that provides 16-17 year olds the opportunity to begin new challenges and activities that will help their life skills, enhance job possibilities and help with c.v. and applications to college.

The NCS is delighted to have a”prestigious” club back their ideas. The summer programme begins at the end of June and costs £35 which helps finance an adventure week, with team building activities, a residential course at a local college or university and working with local businesses. Food, transport and accommodation are provided for the youngsters to have a worthwhile experience.

In the meantime, the Imps (LCFC) have been given ten weeks to pay off their debit of £380,000. The ex Football League club, now in the Vanarama Conference, have an overdraft of £300,000 and a mortgage of £80,000 to clear now that the Co-op bank has called in its debts. Fund raising has begun including a share bond application, with a mid May deadline to pay the money back .

Don't let the youngsters of the NCS know about the money issues! They will never trust you! Come on the IMPS.

SOCIAL INCLUSION-EVERYBODY'S IN

After the recent rant on women's football and on the theme of social inclusion, Hepworth Football Club in Kirklees-that's in Last of the Summer Wine Country, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire-will soon become a “hub” of football, serving the local community and providing football for everyone! If the club is granted Charter Standard Community Status, then that's what the club is expected to do. So this morning on the national news, I saw a 95 year old run 200 metres and break a World Record. If he can manage this,
http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/10/95-year-old-charles-eugster-obliterates-200m-sprint-world-record-video/
I reckon there are a few veterans (men and women) in the area who wouldn't mind a game of football from time to time- not every week, you know, give them time to recover. Let us make it available to our seniors! We don't have indoor facilities, so why not make this a summer event? We could join the West Riding County FA Vets League? They cater for 40+ with two youngsters of 38 or more allowed to help out. Matches are on 3G and every other week-not too demanding on the joints. This happens all over the country. This image shows a well known gentleman referred to by me in an earlier Blog!

Then there are the disabled. These footballers need special coaching and organising, but there are FA initiatives and plenty of clubs providing opportunities for all kinds of disabilities, to play competitively or just in friendlies. Those who are deaf, blind, partial-sighted, in power chairs or with cerebral palsy are all able to play. The local FA has plenty of venues and believe me, any club would benefit from watching or taking part in a coaching session which is eye-opening. Have a look at your county FA website-there will be a contact and find out more. There is no reason why Hepworth Utd cannot provide a “hub” for this too. JUST PLAY.

HOTEL FOOTBALL 99 SIR MATT BUSBY WAY M16 0SZ

Some footballers complain that they have too much time on their hands during a normal training day or when they are given time off to rest. Some clubs help young footballers get into the correct habits, teaching youngsters how to make the most of their spare time, to look after their money and most importantly to put something back. Manchester United FC definitely gets things right. Certainly, the Class of 1992 have not squandered their twenty years on money making. Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are both highly regarded and are filling their “retirement” with positive activities. One such venture has been designing a “Hotel Football” overlooking The Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford and racking up £24 million worth of investment. Giggs and Neville have hatched this scheme, having already opened, in 2013, “Cafe Football” in the Stratford Westfield next to the Olympic Park. Neville brother, Phil, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt are also investors. Obviously they have hired in help but a lot of the touches come from the lads, including tastefully placing memorabilia. The rooms at around £108-120 with breakfast, have views of the famous pitch, the pillows in the bedrooms are embroidered with motivational team talk messages (encouraging Dream of Victory-on the pitch or in bedroom?), Salford University students add art and the mini-bar has free soft drinks. On match days prices are much higher, doubling at least.
There is a “Cafe Football” downstairs with TVs showing footy, which on match days can house 800 supporters who pay £1 a head to get in and this goes to charity. If you want to drink Carlsberg then its £3.50 a pint. and food is respectably well priced.
On floor 9 is “Heaven”, an astro pitch with a retractable ceiling and fantastic views all round, including over Salford's Media City. Hire prices start at £20. The hotel has free parking, is close to the Metro and the waiters and waitresss wear football kit! Must be worth a visit with the National Football Museum within a tram ride in the city centre.
Visit hotelfootball.com

WE MADE IT THEREFORE WE WIN IT!

Bradford City might be regarding this weekend's FA Cup tie against Reading as a bit of an anti-climax, so manager Phil Parkinson will need to be on his best stimulating form to raise the level of his players to take on “relatively lowly Reading FC”. The win in this 6^th round tie at home venue, Valley Parade, is worth £360,000 from the FA Prize Fund and TV rites will pay £247,500 per club. BT and BBC are sharing the fixtures.

Reading have a history of giant killing also, but Bradford have surpassed their previous form in recent games, putting to shame Chelsea and Sunderland in previous cup ties. Parkinson is the first manager to take a fourth tier club to a major Wembley final when Bradford finished runners-up in the Football League Cup in 2013. Parkinson formerly with Southampton as a youth, signed for Bury in 1988 and joined Reading in July 1992, where played over 300 games; so he has left a bit of his heart in Berkshire.

He captained the Royals to a Second Division championship win in 2001-2, so found himself in his final playing season in the First Division, but he rarely played in the first team. In 2003 he bit the bullit and took up managing Colchester United, which resulted in 2005-6, with promotion to the Championship. He then had a go at Hull City, Charlton Athletic and finally came to rest at Bradford City where he has won promotion with a League Two Play Off win and the famed Wembley League Cup appearance. He has managed over 500 games with a win rate of about 38%.

In 1911 when Bradford City won the FA Cup at Old Trafford, after a draw with Newcastle United at the Crystal Palace, they were presented with the new FA Cup that had been made in Bradford by Messrs Fattorini and Sons, which served as the cup until 1991. Unbelieveable!! HERE IS THE TEAM WAITING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THEIR SILVER!

Ps see previous blog!

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/FA_Cup.aspx SEE WEBSITE!

ITS A RUSH FOR THE RHINO

Ian Rush MBE, now 52 years old, was named today on Talksport as Danny Murphy's ninth choice best footballer he has ever known.

Rush was born in St Asaph, Wales. St Asaph has a cathedral and therefore qualifies as a city for about 3,500 population.

As a youngster he became an Everton fan. He played for Chester City and was soon signed by Bob Paisley, at Liverpool, where he played from 1980-87 and again from 1988-96, scoring 346 goals in these two spells at Anfield, proving to be a legendry striker.

Between these two spells, Rush had an unhappy period at Juventus, an experience he described as “Like living in a foreign country”.

He also had short spells at Leeds United, Newcastle United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. He played centre forward for Wales 73 times and is his country's record goal scorer with 28 goals scored between 1980-1996.

Overall he played 675 games with 284 goals.

He was manager at Chester for a year 2004-5 and works as a TV pundit. In his career he became PFA Player of the Year, BBC Wales Sports' personality of the Year inn 1984 and also

Football Writers' Footballer of the Year. He came 3^rd in the “100 players who shook the Kop” vote, an official Liverpool Fan Poll. He retired from playing in 2000.

In 2010, as part of an outdoor installation in Chester, he had a life sized fibreglass rhino named after him. It was painted with a "Rush" moustache and Chester City football kit. When it was sold off, the Chester FC bought it and had it displayed by the entrance of the stadium.

With Carol Anthony, his 30 year old girlfriend, he obviously has his hands full in “retirement”. After her, he rates Ronnie Whelan as his best mate, Bob Latchford as his hero and Franco Baresi and Paul McGrath as the hardest men he played against.

WOMEN IN CYPRUS, WARMING UP FOR CANADA

The Women's World Cup is a hundred days away and the English team is warming up at the Cyprus Cup. This is a final chance for our ladies to book a seat on the plane to Canada for this Summer's tournament.

Mark Sampson's squad arrived in Larnaca last week and played their first match against Finland today at midday winning 3-1. They then face Australia and Holland in their group.

They will then have one more match against a team from the other group; Scotland, Italy, South Korea or Canada.

Captain Gemma Bonner, from Liverpool, scored her first international goal against the Fins at U19 level and repeated the feat in last year's Cyprus Cup. Gemma relishes the prospect of playing in her first World Cup, which begins on June 9th, when her team takes on France in Moncton. They then have Mexico on the 13th at the same venue, rounding things off in the group on the 17th against Colombia in Montreal.

Best of luck to the team, who must be one of the favourites.

A COLOSSUS AT 5' 7"

Dave MacKay, a Scottish international and integral part of the Tottenham Hotspur Double winning team in 1960-61 has died after a long illness, at the age of 80 in Nottingham. He was suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Described by many as a colossus, but standing only 5'7”, he was a power packed midfielder and defender who did not score a lot of goals, but whose passing and tactical awareness allowed him to appear over 600 times in his career, beginning in 1953-9 with Heart of Midlothian (135), then to Spurs (318) from 1959-68, Derby (122) for three years until 1971, under the Clough regime and finally at Swindon Town (26) for a season.

He played for Scotland 22 times including a World Cup appearance.

Under Bill Nicholson at Spurs, he was an important cog in the very successful team than won the first 20^th Century Double and two more Cup Finals and he contributed to a European Cup Winners Cup victory, although he was injured for the final. As the eventual captain of the team, he led by example.

He went on the have success at Derby with the Clough-Taylor duo, who only paid £5000 for him in 1968. They clearly, saw a bargin and appreciated his no nonsense football and his discipline, putting him in as a sweeper, as Derby won promotion to Division One and he was joint named Footballer of the Year.

His managerial career was not so productive and he took charge in 1971 of Swindon, then went on to Nottingham Forest, Derby, Walsall, Doncaster Rovers and Birmingham as well as coaching in the Middle East.

I saw him play at White Hart Lane in the Double year, which was memorable because of his uncompromising tackling. He also did national service, he once tried to play on after breaking his leg, he wouldn't have posed in underwear or wearing bling and above all he was fair, no diving, no excuses.

He did fancy a point in the local bell and Hare pub after training-a people's man.

Even Ronnie Barker as Fletcher in “Porridge” gave him a mention with a headline in a red top paper stating; “MacKay gets the Boot”!

He didn't need to break down walls, walls avoided him!

MacKay was an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame and George Best described him as “the hardest man I ever played against and the bravest”.

Dave MacKay, a Scottish international and integral part of the Tottenham Hotspur Double winning team in 1960-61 has died after a long illness, at the age of 80 in Nottingham. He was suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Described by many as a colossus, but standing only 5'7”, he was a power packed midfielder and defender who did not score a lot of goals, but whose passing and tactical awareness allowed him to appear over 600 times in his career, beginning in 1953-9 with Heart of Midlothian (135), then to Spurs (318) from 1959-68, Derby (122) for three years until 1971, under the Clough regime and finally at Swindon Town (26) for a season.

He played for Scotland 22 times including a World Cup appearance.

Under Bill Nicholson at Spurs, he was an important cog in the very successful team than won the first 20^th Century Double and two more Cup Finals and he contributed to a European Cup Winners Cup victory, although he was injured for the final. As the eventual captain of the team, he led by example.

He went on the have success at Derby with the Clough-Taylor duo, who only paid £5000 for him in 1968. They clearly, saw a bargin and appreciated his no nonsense football and his discipline, putting him in as a sweeper, as Derby won promotion to Division One and he was joint named Footballer of the Year.

His managerial career was not so productive and he took charge in 1971 of Swindon, then went on to Nottingham Forest, Derby, Walsall, Doncaster Rovers and Birmingham as well as coaching in the Middle East.

I saw him play at White Hart Lane in the Double year, which was memorable because of his uncompromising tackling. He also did national service, he once tried to play on after breaking his leg, he wouldn't have posed in underwear or wearing bling and above all he was fair, no diving, no excuses.

He did fancy a point in the local bell and Hare pub after training-a people's man.

Even Ronnie Barker as Fletcher in “Porridge” gave him a mention with a headline in a red top paper stating; “MacKay gets the Boot”!

He didn't need to break down walls, walls avoided him!

MacKay was an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame and George Best described him as “the hardest man I ever played against and the bravest”. Below, Billy Bremner gets a warning.

THE BLOATERS STILL FIND THE NET

If one of your mates says he is having fish and chips for lunch in Great Yarmouth, then I have to do some quick research and announce that the " Bloaters" founded in 1897 play at the Wellesley Recreation Ground, which claims to have the oldest grandstand in the world, opened on 11th June in 1892. 

As an amalgamation of Yarmouth Fearnoughts and Yarmouth Royal Artillery, the club dominated local leagues in those early years. In 1947-8 they lost to Shrewsbury Town in the 1st Round of the FA Cup, in 1952-3 they got to the second round losing to Wrexham and then in 1953-4 they beat Crystal Palace before losing to Barrow Town in the second round. More recently the Bloaters reached the semi-final of the FA Vase. It is not all plain sailing for the Yarmouth "bouys", as money problems and changes in staff have led to one or two off and on field issues. They play in the Eastern Counties League Division One and have an away kit in shocking pink.

BARNSLEY'S AQUAFORCE STILL AFLOAT IN VASE

Congratulations to those lower tier clubs who have won their way through to the FA Vase semi-finals, with the prospect of a Wembley appearance as a reward for winning the next game. This great competition which attracts teams like West Allotment Celtic, Tadley Caleva and military village, Wootton Bassett Town involves hundreds of ties from the beginning of the season.

AFC St Austell from Cornwall, who started their campaign with a 8-0 thumping of Porthleven and a second round walkover against Infracombe Town, beat Ascot United 3-2 , in a sixth round thriller, watched by over 1400 crowd.

At the other end of the country, North Shields are adding to their long history after beating Erith and Belverdere 2-0.

At Worksop Parramore FC on Sunday 1^st March, Shawlane Aquaforce from Barnsley, only founded in 2012, met Glossop North End, who put Dunston UTS out 2-1 in the previous round. These two could only draw 2-2 aet and have to replay on the 7^th March.

Highworth Town and Tadcaster Albion played out a 1-1 draw and need to replay, also on 7^th March, in Yorkshire. Prize money for the semis is £6000.

Semi-finals are on the 21^st and 28^th March and we still need two more teams to qualify.

The final is on May 9^th with a prize of £25,000 waiting for the winners, but it means more than that to play at the home of football.