Football on the TV

Fixtures announced for 2011/12 season

2011-06-17T09:19:00.000+01:00

The fixtures for the Premeir League and football league ar announced today meaning the 2011/12 season is edging closer and we can't wait here at football on the TV. They are still to announce what games will be live on TV but as soon as they do we will be upadting our site and our app.

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/football-on-the-tv/id406955304?mt=8#

The opening weekend fixtures for the Premeir League are below, from the opening day fixtures we are predicting that Liverpool v Sunderland, Man City v Swansea and possibly Newcastle v Arsenal will be live on TV, but watch this space for confirmation....

Premier League Opening weekend - Saturday 13 August

Blackburn v Wolves
Fulham v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Sunderland
Man City v Swansea
Newcastle v Arsenal
QPR v Bolton
Stoke v Chelsea
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Man Utd
Wigan v Norwich

For more fixtures go to the BBC Sport site

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2011-05-28T13:23:00.001+01:00

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All you need to do is place a bet on first scorer or correct score or both and you qualify the money back special. For Stan James you get your money back if Messi scores, which we think is a dead cert here at FOTTV. For Betfred you get your money back if Man United win on penalites, which we are not as sure about here and finally on Paddy Power their customers have chosen the money back special if Barca win in 90 minutes, which seems a good bet but at Football on the TV we are predicting a draw.

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Barcelona v Man United Champions League Preview

2011-05-26T13:17:00.001+01:00

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On Saturday May 28^ththe much lauded and loved Barcelona take on the might of Manchester United in a Champions league final at Wembley.

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I think few would disagree that this is truly a worthy Champions League Final with both Barcelona and Manchester United claiming their domestic titles last week. It promises to be a great game and although Man United will have the unenviable task of trying to stop the majestic Messi, you can rest assured that Sir Alex will not be setting his team up as negative as Mourinho did in the semi-final.

That is not to say Man United will be gung ho, that approach will leave you open to a drubbing from the sublime passing and movement of a Barca team filled with playmakers and match winners. However much of a cliché it is, attack is the best form of defence and to beat Barcelona you need to be bold and go out and attack Barca, as it is at the back when defending that they can look as nervy as any other team.

It is going to be an enthralling match from start to finish and hopefully it will be a game that actually lives up to its billing. With a global TV audience, UEFA will be hoping for goals, entertainment and as little controversy as possible.

The game is live on ITV 1 HD and Sky Sports HD1 and even in 3D check out our app but if watching the game is not enough for you below are our predictions for the games and some top bets.

Top bets and Predictions

It’s a really tough one to call this even though the bookies have made Barcelona clear favourites at evens to win in 90 minutes and Man United are out at 11/4 I fancy this to go into extra time after a thrilling 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.

We are predicting a winner in extra time rather than penalties and hear at FOTTV we feel that although Barca are favourites and probably the better team there is something about the way Man United finished the season that makes us think they will nick a winner in extra time.

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Accumultor tips for tonights footy

2011-04-12T16:44:00.001+01:00

Like a dwarf dipped in sugar I'll keep this short and sweet....

Champions League tips

Man United v Chelsea - Draw at odds of 9/4
Shakhtar v Barcelona - Draw at odds of 13/5

A double on both games being a draw nets you £170 from £10

Tonights accumulator tip

Man United v Chelsea - Draw
Swansea v Hull - Swansea
Watford v Norwich - Norwich
Leicester v Palace - Leicester
Bury v Burton Albion - Bury

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Or for more free online bets and the best bookies ot place them on check out our free bets page here

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Chelsea v Manchester United Preview

2011-04-06T13:22:00.002+01:00

Will Torres torment Vidic for Chelsea?

The eagerly anticipated quarter final clash is here and there is a huge amount of interest in what promises to be an enthralling Champions League Quarter Final tie.

The Champions League is Chelsea’s only realistic chance of silverware this season whereas Man United are still battling on 3 fronts with a repeat of the treble of 99 still on both teams will be highly motivated to win this tie.

The onus on the game is on Chelsea as the home team to take a lead back to Old Trafford and the big question for Chelsea is around selection. Who do they play up front? Many outside pundits believe Torres and Drogba can’t play together so it is an either or, generally I agree with this but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ancelotti decided to play them both tonight. Torres has failed to score yet for the Blues but has given Vidic a torrid time when he played at Liverpool and Drogba looked strong and motivated against Stoke at the weekend so don’t be surprised if they both start.

Man United will be looking to get something from the game, a draw would be a good result for them and with Rooney hitting some goal scoring form and the steely determination to win that is instilled in this United side and the experience gives this game all the ingredients to be a classic.

It’s a tough one to call but we are going for a score draw prediction 1-1 at odds of 5/1

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Fulham fans can beat it!

2011-04-04T10:29:00.001+01:00

This is the message from Fulham Chairman Mohammed Al Fayed, who reacted to criticism from Fulham fans about the rather bizarre decision to erect a rather strange looking statue of pop legend and weirdo Michael Jackson by telling them they can “go to hell” and “go and support Chelsea” if they didn’t like it.

Shaaamoan!!

The shy and retiring Fulham owner was quoted as saying, “if some stupid fans don't understand and appreciate such a gift this guy gave to the world they can go to hell. I don't want them to be fans.”

"If they don't understand and don't believe in things I believe in they can go to Chelsea, they can go to anywhere else," he added.

Fayed’s outburst telling fans to beat it has not gone down well with Fulham fans and is seen to be a bad move by Al Fayed who it has been alleged is a bit of a smooth criminal. To be fair to Al Fayed it is his club and the noises from the manger, players and other Fulham staff recognise that the owner can do what he likes, but fans have voiced their concern at the statue making the club a laughing stock.

It is a controversial move as the pop icon was not without controversy throughout his troubled career, but at least the statue hasn’t been erected in a kids playground. Al Fayed has quoted as saying that the one time Wacko Jacko came to Craven Cottage “he was running around like a child” or maybe that was with a child, who knows but the bigger question is will this trend spread across other clubs with owners and Chairmen erecting statues of their favourite pop icon, actor or historical figure? Once an honour reserved for ex revered players or managers will we see a swell of pop icons appearing at football stadiums across the country???

At Man City are the Sheik owners massive fans of old blue eyes Frank Sinatra?? Elton John outside Watford?? The late 2pac outside Old Tafford as the Glazers remember their homie?? John Lennon outside of Anfield??? Will Mike Ashley erect a statue of Cheryl Cole outside St James’??

As for now Fulham fans if you don’t like the statue, just beat it!!

Post your comments of what pop stars you think should have a statue outside football stadiums.

UEFA to sell England TV rights

2011-03-24T10:58:00.001Z

Platini turns wheeler dealer selling TV rights

Yesterday the FA announced they have agreed a deal to allow UEFA to sell the TV rights for England games as part of a group deal involving all 53 UEFA members.

The deal, which is believed to be worth £100m over four years for the English FA, means that the TV rights for England games for Euro 2016 and the World Cup 2018 will be sold collectively with the rest of the UEFA members.

FA general secretary, Alex Horne, claims it is a creative solution and the deal is worth more than their current valuation and UEFA President Michel Platini said the collective bargaining is essential and will help develop national team football with all 53 UEFA members being guaranteed a fixed revenue.

There is very little information on exactly how this deal would work but it is something that is not uncommon in this country. The Premier League use this model of collective bargaining with the TV rights for live Premier League games being sold as package, ensuring a more even distribution of money throughout the league. Whereas in Italy and Spain teams sell their rights individually which often leads to the bigger and more popular clubs earning significantly more in TV revenue, distorting competition in the leagues.

How this transcends into International football or what the benefits are I’m not too sure, maybe the likes of Luxemburg and San Marino will now have the funds to develop their infrastructure, whether this will happen in practice I’m not convinced.

The biggest question for England fans (if we qualify for the Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018) will be who will UEFA sell the rights too and will this mean the end of the games being protected by the Queen as part of the sporting crown jewels that should be available on free to air channels?

Sky TV have already questioned the validity of this recently and were told that World Cup and European Championship games can and will remain as part of the protected Crown jewels, however with UEFA now selling the rights collectively it is highly likely that Sky or another pay TV channel from abroad will buy the rights and then sell them on domestically.

I feel this is the end of England games in major tournaments being show on free to air TV, but who knows 2016 is a long way away and maybe, just maybe they will still be protected and maybe we will all be travelling to work on jetpacks!!

Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9432491.stm

Cheltenham Final day tips

2011-03-18T09:48:00.000Z

Not a bad day yesterday two winners, final day today so here are todays tips

13:30 - Houblon Des Obeauxat at 25/1
14:05 - Secret Dancer at 16/1
14:40 - Join Together at 8/1
15:20 - Midnight Chase at 14/1
16:00 - Oscar Delta at 20/1
16:40 - Shoegazer at 8/1
17:15 - Leos Lucky Star at 20/1

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Cheltenham Day 3 tips

2011-03-17T09:59:00.000Z

OK so I didn't pick any winners yesterday but I'm feeling lucky today and there is a couple of favourites you just can't look beyond today.

Cheltenham Day 2 tips

13:30 – Wishful Thinking at 3/1

14:05 – Lush Life at 11/1

14:40 – Albertas run at 6/1

15:20 – Big Bucks at evens

16:00 – I am legend at 33/1

16:40 – Fredo at 18/1

17:15 – Silent Jo – starting price

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Cheltenham Day 2 tips

2011-03-16T10:43:00.001Z

Yes OK , I know this is not football related or anything to do with football, but I've been swept up in the office excitement of Cheltenham and after winning the office sweep stake last year (in an office of sports journalists and commentators) and pulling in a profit from yesterdays bets thanks to Captain Chris, I’ve decided to share my daily Cheltenham tips with you.

Cheltenham Day 2 tips

13:10 – Aberdale at 10/1

14:05 – Tornado Bob at 11/1

14:40 – Aiteen thirtythree at 8/1

15:20 – Golden Silver at 12/1

16:00 – Orzare at 33-1

16:40 – Celtus at 11/1

17:15 – Saint Luke at 33/1

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Can the FA Cup keep its magic?

2011-03-11T12:25:00.000Z

It is quarter final time this weekend and we are down to the last eight teams and the excitement and buzz around the FA cup should be in full effect. However there is the lingering view that the FA Cup has lost its magic and with the FA currently exploring options to revamp the competition and Premier League teams more focused on either the title or staying in the division does the FA Cup still have the appeal to both clubs and fans?

In the wake of falling attendances and weakened teams there has been talk of seeding teams and abolishing replays as some ideas of how to revamp the cup and make it more appealing to a younger generation of fans who don’t quite understand the romance of the cup and have been raised on a diet of slick marketing from Sky and the Premier League.

The other challenge the FA face is engaging the clubs again, as the FA cup has lost its importance to the majority of Premier League teams, who see survival or Premier League points as more important than a good cup run. It is clear the financial rewards for clubs staying in the Premier League far outweighs the rewards for a good cup run however for lower league clubs a good cup run and a draw against one of the bigger clubs is a financial windfall that can keep a club running for a whole season. The trick for the FA is to keep the magic of the cup and the appeal to the lower league clubs while engaging the Premier League clubs to view it as a serious competition.

The Man United v Arsenal is the pick of the quarter final ties but both fans and managers would take defeat if they knew they would win the Premier League and at the other end of the scale Stoke v West Ham, both fans and managers would happily lose the game if they could guarantee Premier League survival. Now I realise these are two rather extreme examples but looking back at earlier rounds Premier League teams across the board have one eye on their next league fixture rather than the cup game.

Will seedlings help this? No, the beauty of the FA cup is the random draw, there would be no 3^rd round ties like Liverpool v Man United this season and it would also mean the dream of Championship or Football League teams progressing past the 4^th round would fade fast. Seedings would actually devalue the cup even further and would spell the end of the FA Cup.

Would abolishing replays help? Again, no! Lower league teams who get a home draw against a top club thrive of the chance of a replay and this move would crush this chance.

I think re-structuring the cup with regards when the games are played could have a rejuvenating effect, especially the 3^rd round which currently comes after a busy and expensive Christmas period for fans and clubs. Also maybe playing the games mid-week would help to rejuvenate the cup rather than taking up Saturday afternoons for cup games. However both these suggestions would not increase the importance to Premier League clubs and the only way to do that would be to add more value to winning the famous trophy.

Currently clubs get a place in the Europa League but if they were rewarded with a Champions League place then clubs would take the competition a lot more seriously, and they would at least be champions instead of the 4^th best team in England. This radical suggestion will no doubt get vetoed by the greedy Premier League and how the clubs would view this, I’m not sure but I for one would welcome the added intensity and diversity this would bring to not only the FA cup but the whole of English football and the magic of the cup would certainly return.

The FA Cup games are live on ESPN and ITV this weekend, check out our site or download our funky Iphone app here to make sure you know what teams on what channel and at what time.

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Media Blackout – Fergies toys are out of the pram

2011-03-07T12:04:00.002Z

It appears that Fergies toys are well and truly out of the pram after yesterdays full media blackout by the Manchester United boss. After the defeat to Liverpool yesterday at Anfield, Ferguson refused to speak to Sky Sports, Talk Sport and wouldn’t allow his assistance, Mike Phelan to speak to the BBC either. He is even refusing to speak to MUTV.

Fergie is furious with the media after the furore by the media who wanted “to electrocute Rooney” for his blatant elbow smash into the face of young Wigan midfielder James McCarthy and has now spat his dummy out after the clubs own TV channel MUTV submitted the interview to the FA where Ferguson was heavily critical of referee Martin Atkinson saying he “feared the worst” when he was appointed to the Chelsea game last week.

The media blackout is not entirely new to Ferguson as he has not spoken to the BBC since 2004 after they aired a program accusing his son Jason of dubious activity when he was a football agent, but in this latest stunt he has laid out a full media blackout refusing to speak to any of the press.

The current rules of the Premier League state that interviews must be given to Sky Sports, Talk Sport and BBC as part of the media rights sold to the broadcasting companies and failure to do so can result in fines being imposed on the club.

This latest outburst or blackout by Fergie is another example of Ferguson throwing his toys out of the pram if he doesn’t get what he wants or all his own way. This type of behaviour has been going on for years now and the Premier League have done nothing about it. He has been trying and succeeding in influencing referring decisions and the allocation of refs to Man United games for years with his disdain and open criticism of some refs and decisions and he will continue to do so while he gets away with it.

The Premier League have been too spineless to make an example of Ferguson and have let him ride roughshod over the rules for many years, the question is will they or even the broadcaster, who seem to be afraid of Fergie, have the balls to stand up and make an example of him this time?

The fact he is even shunning the clubs own TV station says a lot for Ferguson maybe hinting at his retirement at the end of this season if he can reach the elusive 19 league titles he set out to win way back in 1986. It will be interesting how long he continues with this stance and hwo the Premier League will deal with it, but do not expect much insight or comment from Ferguson for the rest of this season.

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Football on the TV goes mobile

2010-12-17T16:54:00.001Z

Yes, that is right your favourite football on the TV site has now gone mobile, with an app now available in Itunes store for Ipod touch, Iphone and Ipad.

Now you don't even need to be on your computer to check when all the live football is on TV, you can do it from your Iphone or Ipod when you're out and about. Now that is what I call "an essential must have" Not only is a must have for all footy fans but it is a perfect app for your better half. If she has the app then she can make plans around the football!

The app is based ont he site and uses the same fixture list so covers all live games shown on Sky Sports, ESPN, BBC, ITV, Channel 5, HD and 3D across all English leagues, SPL, Champions League, Europa League, Cup competitions, La liga, Bundesliga and Serie A.

The funky reminder feature means you’ll never miss a live game and you can search easily for your favourite team, by competition or date.

A quick internet connection is needed to update the live fixtures but even if you are out an about without internet connection the app stores the information so you can still browse 15 days of live football. So you will never miss a game again and you can check what is on while you're out and about too.

Download the app from itunes today click on the link below

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/football-on-the-tv/id406955304?mt=8#

Thank you for visiting Manchester!!

2010-12-15T09:48:00.000Z

And so it comes to pass. Another week and another star player at a Manchester club hands in a transfer request. So what to make of the Argentinean striker and undoubtedly Man City's best player who has carried the team recently?

Tevez's unhappiness in England has long been documented and attributed to various factors such as the weather (join the club Carlos) and his daughters being thousands of miles away. Some of his outbursts have bordered on the truly bizarre with him threatening to quit football for good long before his sell by date is up. In an article in the official Manchester City magazine last week he stated that he may retire in four years but remained committed to the club's cause. This was before his touchline spat with Roberto Mancini and the subsequent issung of a public statement which announced that the relationship between player and club had broken down. We have been here before of course in a very bitter spat with Fergie that occurred not so long ago.

The next question must be what is the role that Kia Joorabchian has played in all this. Denials and counter denials are being issued almost by the hour and the Iranian born agent isn't backwards at coming forwards. Who to believe? Certainly Garry Cook, the man with the midas touch but in reverse, seems to alienate everyone he comes into contact with so it comes as no real surprise that he is implicated in the whole affair.

Tevez has stated publicly that he has no beef with Mancini although on the pitch arguments may undermine this slightly. Mancini is renowned for lacking some people skills but generally has the backing of his players (negative tactics aside) so we need to look higher up the food chain at City. At this moment there are more questions than answers but one thing is definite based on previous episodes (Ref: Man United and West Ham) Carlito isn't going to go quietly or without a fight......

Post by Graham Jackson

When Football was a Mans Game

2010-12-06T13:01:00.001Z

I'd like to introduce our first guest blogger here at football on the TV. This is one mans rant about how football is no longer a mans game.

The author, Paul Newton, is also organising a world record attempt at the longest 5-a-side game to ever take place in the aid of charity for a much under funded disease Wegener's granulomatosis. Check out his facebook page Soccer AM... PM....AM for info and if you are feeling generous please donate here

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=Soccerampmam

I'm 33 years of age now and packed in my season ticket about three seasons ago now, ending a 20 year run of supporting Sunderland home and, now and then, away. I decided to give up on football after spending a freezing cold Saturday afternoon watching Sunderland play Chelsea. It was a poor game, the football that we played under Roy Keane was effective in the lower leagues but, my god, it was hard to watch.

I sat and watched John Terry and it made me sad. People tell me that he's the enforcer. The hard man. The rock at the heart of the Chelsea defence, nay the team. The very foundation that Chelsea, and our 2010 world cup chances (?), were built. For 90 minutes he whined, he cried, he complained and he bitched on like a fanny, Kenwyn Jones bullied him all afternoon. It wasn't just him, Ashley Tweedy and Lampard spent the day crying at the ref and playing with one arm permanently in the air claiming for fouls of decisions that were clearly going to be given against them.

I just thought, Football has turned into a pantomime, no, a ballet. Im not interested in this and its only going to get worse. the amount of money you spend is not matched by the effort or passion on the pitch. It used to be a mans game with hard tackles, the occasional skirmish and a blooded head, its just turned soft.

Disagree? Then try to tell me that good old fashioned players like Kevin Ball, Roy Keane, Terry Butcher, Stuart Pearce and Graham Souness would have been seen plying their trade wearing a bloody Snood? I would be amazed if these guys wore a vest under their SHORT SLEEVED shirts. Stunned if they ever wore gloves, even when snowballing. They would rather play in bare feet than wear red, green or, christ help you Bendtner, PINK boots. If you asked them if they would have like to wear a hood/scarf combination to play football in, they would have killed you. Most of them just by staring at yo until you shit yourself to death.

We need to take back football and make it a mans game, its turning into a sanitised stale version of the game I used to love and care for with a passion. No more family enclosures and no more neutral zones for the fans (only at bloody Fulham)...I want cold pies, white hot Bovril, tackling from behind to return and kinds below 10 banned from gong to the games. THEN the atmosphere will return, crowds brought to life by hard but fair tackle, the players proving that they care as much as the fans.

I once saw a Sunderland player, John Kay, beak his leg at Roker park and, as he was being stretchered off the pitch, he was pretending to row off the pitch as if her sitting in a little boat. THATS what football is all about....its a mans game played my men, not girls if scarfs.

Author Paul Newton

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Fifa – “For themselves not football”

2010-12-03T12:21:00.000Z


How much? No no, not enough fro my vote

Well we didn’t win bid to host the World Cup and not only that but we only managed to get two votes in the first round.

Our media have gone berserk with claims of a fix and a scandal and although it is certainly sensational and maybe even patriotic journalism it is fair to say they have a point.

I’ve tried to look at the decision for 2018 and 2022 objectively and from a Fifa perspective you can understand that the legacy the World Cup will leave in both Russia and Qatar will be greater than what would be left in UK and possibly the US with regards infrastructure and the development of the country. They can also justify the decision by the fact the World Cup is a footballing showpiece that aims to bring the game to the far reaches of the globe not just those countries who already have established leagues, stadium and fan base.

Having said that, the decision still smacks of belligerence from Fifa and there is a huge stench of bribery and corruption. Fifa have never been great friends with England and the English FA. They resent the fact that our game is so powerful and influential across the globe, especially with the Premier League being a global success and generating the revenue that it does. It was clear for all to see that we had the strongest bid on a technical and commercial level and it was obvious we could host an amazing World Cup with the passion he have for the game and the multi-cultural society that already exists here in the UK.

It is apparent that the criteria Fifa set out for the bidding nations is clearly ignored when it comes to making the final decision. This is highlighted by the fact the technical report, that cost the England bid team £3m to carry out, was completely ignored. Both Russia and Qatar had the worst technical bids of all the competing nations but they both won the right to host the World Cup. Is it coincidence that both these nations are oil rich nations??? I think not.

Money talks when it comes to Fifa and their executive committee members, something that has been made apparent by the investigation of the British press and BBC outing some, if not all the bribery and corruption that takes place within Fifa. The committee members are clearly not honourable people, they are self-promoting, back stabbing, lying, money grabbing, egomaniacs who clearly value self promotion and profit over the benefit of the game globally and in their own regions. To promise votes face to face and then relinquish them is a true sign of cowardice and essentially shows the committee members who made these promises and then reigned on them as weak men. If they were not going to vote for England then be a man, be honourable and say so, we should ban all those who reigned on their promises from the country.

Total dejection from the bid team, who couldn't have done more

What made these members change their minds??? We will never truly know, late night lobbying from the Russians, and their ability to offer top notch money laundering facilities through their government links with the Mafia, so the BBC can’t trace the bribes? It would be foolish to think that the media coverage did not harm our chances, this has been stated by Andy Anson as some of the reasons given to him by some committee members, and apparently it was the last thing the Blatter said to the committe before voting commenced, but it would also be foolish to think this was the only reason.

I can only hope this decision helps in mobilising and motivating the media even more to root out the corruption and bribery and general blasé attitude of the Fifa committee members to these practices. I also hope that our own FA and Premier League back the media and begin to really exert pressure on Fifa to reform their antiquated, highly irregular and clandestine voting system. The game in our country is very powerful, as are our clubs, with top players and managers from across every corner of the globe and our worldwide TV audience. We should begin to distance ourselves from Fifa, vocally and publically calling for change and reform and outing those who are mixed up in the clear corruption and political d*ck swinging that takes place in Fifa. If this decission was a backlash to our media then our media and FA should insitgate a huge backlash against Fifa.

Russia is a vast country, with poor transport links, a secretive undemocratic state where free speech is still punished, as highlighted by the killings of various journalists in recent times, and mafia gangs have huge influence. Add on top of that an inherent racist culture, where black players in the Russian Premier League are constantly subjected to abuse that goes unpunished by Fifa and UEFA and the massive problem of organised crime and match fixing that takes place in Russia it is difficult to see the logic in the decision.

Qatar is a country of 2 million people with temperatures reaching 50 degrees c in summer, too hot to even sit in never mind run around. It will be interesting to see whether the Qatar Fifa executive committee member stands in the election for the next Fifa president in 2011 as was widely predicted before this decision

As I said at the start of this post the only reasonable explanation is the legacy that Fifa believe the world cup will leave, with Russia being forced to invest in infrastructure and Qatar representing the Arab world not just their country. That and the huge bribes and promises of cheaper oil.

It is a very disappointing decision, especially as we had by far the best bid by far, but now our media and FA should focus on pushing for reform within Fifa rather than pandering to them to host any more tournaments. Football and Fifa will be much weaker without the backing of England and maybe we should look at starting our own regular invite only tournaments outside of Fifa and UEFA.

Fifa committee members are only out for themselves not football.

Englands 2018 World Cup Bid - Backhanders and bribes

2010-11-30T15:27:00.001Z

The FIFA executive committee are due to announce the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday against the back drop of fresh allegations of corruption and dodgy dealings, made by BBC’s Panorma program.

It comes as no surprise that FIFA executive committee members have been engaged in backhanders and bribes, especially recently with the huge sums of money being spent on the actual bids themselves and the estimated £3 billion in revenue brought into the country.

FIFA has always been more of a clandestine intuition similar to The Masons, where nobody really knows what goes on behind closed doors and there is no transparency over voting. FIFA is beast that has never been responsive to change and this is highlighted in their secret voting system. Rooting out bribery and backhanders should be quite an easy process for FIFA with heir being only 23 voters on the committee but the problem comes from the willingness and almost blasé attitude of both the competing host nations in offering bribes and the committee members willingly accepting them.

The voting is highly political within FIFA and all committee members are first and foremost looking to get the best deal for their region in exchange for their votes. It is basically a d*ck swinging contest with the competing nations pandering to the committee members who use this to show how big their d*cks are and how influential within FIFA they are.

Jack Warner is a prime example of someone who has abused his power as recently as 2010 in buying up tickets to sell on the black market for South Africa 2010 but remains a key influential figure in the voting for 2018 and 2022.

Hopefully this furore has given FIFA a wakeup call and they will review the whole bidding and voting process for future tournaments and they will at least understand that with so much money invested in the bid and the financial and prestigious rewards for the winning country are so large that a little transparency will go a long way to giving much more credibility to the FIFA executive committee.

I hope the FIFA committee don’t read this post, (I know Sepp is a huge fan of the site) and decide they are not going to vote for England’s bid and hopefully the Panorama program hasn’t damaged the bid too much. Politicians and the England 2018 bid party have all criticised the timing of the Panorama program, calling it unpatriotic. I tend to agree the timing is poor, especially as they were not fresh allegations. Having said that, if as a country, we are willing to spend millions of pounds on a bid we have the right to know that the voting process is fair and true. Also we have a free press in this country, something we should be proud of and not something we should be trying to curb, unpatriotic or not!

Personally I would love to see the World Cup in England and here’s hoping that Big Willys (sorry) Royal seal of approval helps seal the deal!

http://www.england2018bid.com/

Time for Players to Take Responsibility

2010-11-02T16:43:00.001Z

The major talking point form the weekend was Nani’s goal against Spurs. Harry has been quoted as saying it was farcical and a real mess, which it is true it was but not on the refs part.

From the very first time you start playing football you are taught the basic lesson of playing to the whistle, why then does Harry feel that Gomes and his Spurs team should play to their own imaginary whistle?

True, Nani handled the ball when he was on the floor but Gomes picked the ball up and looked to play on, so Mark Clattenburg was well within his rights to not blow his whistle and let the game flow. Spurs are arguing that there was no advantage but Gomez didn’t even drop the ball close to where the handball happened, he threw the ball about 12 yards forward. Was he expecting the free kick to be taken form there?

The ref got it right, he never blew for a free kick and let the game carry one as Gomes had the ball in his hand, Gomes then threw the ball 12 yards forward and assumed he had a free kick. This is where players and managers need to take responsibility for their actions. Players can’t go deciding they should have a free kick or start making referring decisions otherwise it would be more like a kick about in the play ground with no ref.

It amazes me that professional players think they can blame the ref for their own stupidity, it is a similar situation with the goal Liverpool scored against Sunderland after Michael turner had nonchalantly back heeled the ball towards his keeper from a free kick.

Maybe the players should take a break from training for a session or two and actually get to know the basic rules of football, they can’t just change them mid game to suit themselves or because they think they know better. It is indicative of the way the game is going where players do all they can to cheat and con the referee and then managers moan when the ref gets a decision wrong. Players no longer accept responsibility for their own actions on the pitch and it is time they did.

Note to Harry, moan and criticize the ref all you want but you should know the rules and so should your players. Maybe he should stop talking to the press and actually teach his players the rules of the game.

Rooney Signs 5 year deal!

2010-10-22T14:09:00.000+01:00

Well well, in a dramatic turnaround Wazza has decided to stay at Old Trafford and has signed a new 5 year contract.

Rooney has apologised to fans and players and is now keen to carry on doing what he does best... no not sh*gging prossies, scoring goals.

Apparently after these last few days Rooney has realised what a big club United are, or they have offered him an extra £10k a week, one or the other.

Whether this is a good decision by Rooney or not time will tell and keep an eye out on this blog for a more comprehensive look into this saga.
Will this deciosn give United a boost before there tough trip to Stoke on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and will he play. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rooney started and scored against Stoke and he is now evens with the bookies to score at any time

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Rooney to go go go!

2010-10-19T17:00:00.000+01:00

It is the story that just won’t go away and now Alex Ferguson has came out in his press conference ahead of their home game against Bursaspor to suggest that Rooney is looking to leave Old Trafford.

Fergie suggests that Rooney and his agent have indicated that he will not be signing a new contract and will be looking for a fresh challenge and for Fergie to come out and say that about one of the clubs best players and most marketable players suggests that Rooney will definitely be on his way. The big question now seems to be is will Rooney be on his way in January or the summer?

The bookies have instantly opened a market on where Rooney will end up with Man City the current favourites to land the striker, which I’m sure would go down well with the Old Trafford faithful. They certainly have the money available and they could match his reported £200,000 per week wage demands but will Rooney really want to make the switch across to the blue side of the city.

It’s unclear of Rooneys intentions right now but you can bet that he won’t be short of offers whether he will go abroad or remain in the Premier League remains to be seen.

Where will Rooney end up?

Inter Milan at odds of 20/1

Or to stay at Man United 7/2

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2010-09-29T17:47:00.003+01:00

Get in, you beauty. I knew I was due a winner and last night my accumulator tip came in netting me a cool £260 from £10. Now I’m not an overly superstitious man, but I’m sure every fan has strange superstitions, like I won’t wear my slippers when watching my team play. So after a baron spell of 0 in 6 I changed bookies to Will Hill and got my first win... plus a free £10 bet. Now I’m 1 in 7 and in profit, and I can sense a winning streak coming on.

I’m putting my bad start down to the start of the season being quite unpredictable but enough of me revelling in my first win if the season, here are my tips for tonight, can I make it 2 in a row?

A £10 bet on this 4 game accumulator will net you £378 – Get a Free £25 bet with Will Hill use code F25

Tottenham v FC Twente – Spurs to win at odds of 4/5

Expect goals in this game. Spurs have already shown they can score in the Champions League and expect them to attack tonight, however they will be susceptible at the back with injuries to their key centre backs. Score prediction 4-2

Schalke 04 v Benfica – Schalke to win at odds of 6/4

Shalke have had a poor start to their Bundesliga campaign and Benfica already have 3 points from their opening CL match. However I expect home advantage to count in this tie. Score prediction 2-1

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Lyon – Draw at odds of 11/5

Lyon are clear favourites but do not often travel well in Europe. Tel Aviv will be keen to impress, especially at home and I expect them to earn a credible draw. Score prediction 1-1

Valencia v Manchester United – Valencia to win at odds of 13/8

Probably the most controversial choice but Valencia are on fire and are top of La Liga playing some great football. Man United are struggling to get results and a trip to Valencia is a tough place to start. I expect Valencia to win this one. Score prediction 2-1

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Tuesdays Champions League betting tips

2010-09-28T17:03:00.000+01:00

After another close call with my accumulator on Saturday, I’m feeling even more confident of a winner coming real soon. 3 out of 4 results came in on Saturday with Birmingham only drawing 0-0 with Wigan the result that let me down.

So below is my pick for Tuesdays Champions League games. A £10 bet on these beautys will net you £261

Chelsea v Marseille – Chelsea to win at 4/11

Chelsea have been very strong this season and the Champions League is a priority so i can’t see anything but a Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge

Basle v Bayern Munich – Chelsea to win at 4/11

Last season’s finalists have had a strong start to their domestic campaign and even away from home I fancy Bayern to nick a slender win

Ajax v AC Milan – Draw at odds of 11/5

Milan have started the season in fine form but I expect Ajax to provide a tough test from them at home and I’m expecting a tight game finishing in a draw

Braga v Shakhtar Donetsk – Shakhtar to win at odds of 2/1

Braga could become the group whipping boys after a hammering by Arsenal in their opening game. Although they are at home tonight I expect the experience of Shakhtar to see them win in Portugal

£10 on these four games will net you a cool £261! get a free bet from £5 to £50 on Betfred Click Here

Or see more free bets www.footballonthetv.co.uk/free-bets.php

So close yet so far....

2010-09-24T14:49:00.001+01:00

Tuesdays Carling Cup games provided some shocks like I predicted and I was 7 minutes away from a massive £1,500 win. Chilvers of Notts County, is the maniac, and that is the only word to describe him, that cost me my windfall. He decided it was worth while pulling back Wolves centre half Berra as he shot, giving away a penalty and getting sent off allowing Wolves to equalise.

I was left feeling empty and deflated but buoyed by my close call I can feel I am due a winner. Last season a lot of my success came from accumulators that included a couple of Premier League games then some lower league games so this week, that is what I am going for.

This weeks accumulator will net you £450 from a £10 bet.

Birmingham v Wigan – > Birmingham win at odds of 5/6

Birmingham are strong at home and I expect them to beat a struggling Wigan team quite comfortably at St Andrews.

Fulham v Everton – > Draw at odds of 12/5

Both teams had disappointing results mid week, Everton more so than Fulham. Everton have a lot to prove in this game and I expect them to come away with a point from Craven Cottage.

Scunthorpe v Ipswich - > Draw at odds of 12/5

Scunthorpe will either be exhausted or excited after their mid week Carling Cup exploits and Ipswich are the draw specialists so I’m going for a draw here.

Rotherham v Chesterfield > Rotherham win at odds of 11/10

Both teams have had a good start to the season and are pushing for promotion so I am going for home advantage edging this one.

Or to get the best free bet options on the t’interweb visit our Free bets page

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Caring for the Carling Cup

2010-09-21T15:09:00.000+01:00

It is the third round of the Carling Cup this week and all the big guns are now involved in the competition, but does anybody really care about the Carling Cup?

Sure once it gets to the semi finals and final then teams start taking the competition more seriously as they have a chance of getting some silverware but the rounds before that teams tend to see this as an opportunity to rest their star players and play their second string. This is not just the big clubs either it tends to span the whole Premier League and even to some extent the lower league teams.

Clubs see the competition at this stage as a distraction from their main focus of competing for top four or promotion places or just staying in the league. So does this devalue the competition?

The answer to this is clearly yes. The Carling Cup is now seen as an opportunity to give playing time to those on the fringes of the squad, especially for Premier League teams and although this may give the lower league clubs more of a chance to progress, it devalues the competition and the experience for the lower league players pitting their wits against the best players in the country.

A classic example of how the top clubs view the Carling Cup will be tonight’s televised game between Arsenal and Spurs. Now this North London derby would usually see both clubs putting out their strongest sides in a no holds barred contest, but with both teams competing in the Champions League this season expect it to be more like a reserve fixture. Even with the fierce rivalry I don’t think either set of fans will be too bothered about the result.

It seems to me that nobody really cares about the Carling Cup, even mid table Premiership teams don’t take it too seriously at the start, and there is a Europa League spot up for grabs for the winners. It has become a second string competition and maybe a competition too much in an already overcrowded fixture schedule.

I can’t decide whether to put any bets on for tonight games as the Carling Cup is very unpredictable especially at this stage, but below are my top bets anyway, I’ve tried to throw in a couple of shocks as there are bound to be some.

Sunderland v West Ham – West Ham at odds of 7/2
Although West Ham have struggled this season and are away from home Sunderlands Carling Cup record is terrible and I don’t expect them to play a strong team. I’m going for a West Ham win.

Wolves v Notts County – Notts County at 5/1
Wolves are likely to play a weakened team with a view of maintaining their Premiership status. Notts County have started well this season and I am going for an away win.

Stoke City v Fulham – Stoke at 5/4
It is hard to look past Stoke at home and I think they will play a relatively strong team against Fulham. So Stoke win on this game

Peterborough v Swansea – Swansea at odds of 8/5
A tough one to call this both teams are 8/5 to win so I’ve gone with Swansea who have had a good start to their league campaign and should have enough to beat Peterborough

If you fancy an accumulator then £10 on these four games tonight nets you a massive £1,500, with them odds I’m putting a bet on for sure.

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Or to get the best free bet options on the t’interweb visit our Free bets page

Do you know more about football than a cat?

2010-09-07T14:03:00.002+01:00

OK, anybody who reads this blog and seen the tips will have noticed I have had no winners yet this season... I stress yet as I am due one.

So as it is international fixtures I have decided to put my faith in Tinker, our residnet cat. If an Octupus can do it then I'm sure a cat can too. Check out the video below, where Tinker predicts the outcome for England, Scotland and Republic of Ireland.

If you think you can do better and fancy winning a £10 itunes voucher then send us your tips to comp@footballonthetv.co.uk everyone who beats Tinker will be enetred into a prize draw to win a £10 itunes voucher.

As for my tip for this round of Euro 2012 qualifying games well they are below

A £10 bet wins you £217

Russia v Slovakia - Home
Bosnia v France - Home
Turkey v Belguim - Home
Portugal v Norway - Draw

A £10 bet wins you £217

Russia v Slovakia - Home
Bosnia v France - Home
Turkey v Belguim - Home
P'tugal v Norway - Draw

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Euro 2012 qualifiers tips

2010-09-03T15:04:00.002+01:00

Sorry there were no tips last week but I was enjoying the reunion of The Libertines at Leeds Festival so was too drunk to think about betting.

Also for the video lovers out there, no video this week I'm afraid but I will get one made and uploaded for Tuesdays games. I know you all love it.

Anyway I've put on my 4 game accumualtor for tonights games, if you fancy it you can get a free bet up to £50 at Betfred Click Here to get your free £50 bet

A £10 bet on these 4 games nets you £136

Armenia v Ireland - Ireland at odds of 4/6

Montenegro v Wales - Wales at odds of 3/1

Belguim v Germany - Germany at odds of 4/7

England v Bulgaria - England at odds of 3/10

Agree or not you would be dumb to miss out on a free £50 with Betfred Click Here to get your free £50 bet

This weeks Premier League tips

2010-08-20T22:03:00.000+01:00

Actions speak louder than words so enjoy the video.

I can't take any sort of artistic credit for this, I'm having trouble speaking so thought a Bob Dylan inspired video was in order, it's better than listening to me drone on

Premier League opening weekend betting tips

2010-08-13T15:15:00.000+01:00

The Premier League kicks off tomorrow with Spurs v Man City and I can not wait!!

Each week I will be putting a cheeky 4 game accumulator on and after the success of last season I thought I would share my tips with you, for free!

So each week I will be filming my weekly tips for your veiweing pleasure

You can have a risk free bet on my tips with one of the two free bet offers below, beat the bookies and take advantage of their free bet offers

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Fantasy Football competition winners video

2010-08-12T22:02:00.002+01:00

Thanks to everyone who enetered our football on the tv fantasy football league. As promised two of the lucky entrants have won a Gold Pass for Fantasy League and thier chance to win £75,000 of prizes.

Join Fantasy League

I've got a team myself in Fantasy League as it is a game for the purists, for those that know thier football and with weekly and monthly prizes as well as £10k for the overall winner I fancied a bit of that.

Anyway, check out the video below to see the winner, or if you don't like the thought of watching me harp on, the winners are below.

www.footballonthetv.co.uk fantasy league competition winning team names

Beady Eye
do-the-hibee-bounce

Congratulations, and well done on some strange names, I'd like to cast my beady eye over someone doing the hibee bounce!

Let the season begin!!!

2010-08-06T14:12:00.000+01:00

The season kick off is almost here and the excitement is building. Can Man City buy the title? Will Liverpool be resurgent under Roy? Will Rooney smoke the opposition? Can the Chelsea pensioners retain the title? Will Arsenal become boys 2 men? Will Blackpool win a game? Will the Toon Army think they are still a big club and better than they are?

So many questions but only time will tell, 9 months time to be exact.

The new season brings fresh hope and optimism for fans across the country, some with realistic ambitions some with delusions of grandeur, namely Newcastle Untied fans.

The race for the title is going to be tighter than ever this year and the race for the Champions League sports being even tighter. There are 7 teams battling for 4 spots this season, with Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Villa and Everton all with a realistic chance of finishing in the top 4.

Many people are tipping Man City to buy their way to the title this year but I think it will be a season too soon and I think it could be Mancini who will be the first manger to get the sack.

Liverpool looked good against weak opposition last night and the signing of Joe Cole looks to be a great piece of business and I think this signing will take them back into the top four this season.

As for the title can the Chelsea old guard with the addition of the Yossi “tactically better than Joe Cole” Benayoun hold onto the Premier League or will Rooney be able to stay off the tabs long enough to fire Manchester United to their 19th title. Arsenal will need to man up if they want to mount a serious title challenge otherwise it could be the end of the road for Wenger.

At the other end of the table, I’m predicting certain relegation for Blackpool, in fact I have even put a fiver on them getting less points than Derby did. I also think West Brom, West Ham, Wigan, Wolves and Newcastle will struggle (I just noticed there are 4 teams beginning with the letter W there, amazing!!) I think Blackpool, West Brom and Wigan will be the teams to go down this season.

Anywho if you agree or don’t agree there is money to be made at the start of the season by predicting the 4 winners of the league see the video below

Premier League – Chelsea 5/2 - Bet Now with 888 Sport

Championship – Nottingham Forest 15/2 - Bet Now with 888 Sport

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Premier League 25 man squad ruling

2010-07-28T14:29:00.002+01:00

This season the Premier League has introduced two new rulings for the 2010/2011 season. The first being the 25 man squad rule and the second one regarding the 25 man squad consisting of a minimum of 8 “home grown” players.

I have used quotations marks round the term “home grown” not because I’m one of those tw*ts who think it is somehow cool or ironic but because it needs an explanation. A “home grown player is defined as ....

“one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Welsh Football Association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).”

This means the likes of Cesc Fabreags would be classed as “home grown” as they have spent 3 years in England on Arsenals books when he was under 21. You will notice that the rule includes Welsh players but not Scottish or Irish, these will be classed as “foreign”.

The 25 man squad has to be submitted to the Premier League by 5pm on 1st September and this pool of 25 players registered are the only ones that will be eligible to play in the Premier League. This ruling does not apply to European competitions or the FA and League Cup. Therefore expect a lot of changes from the top teams for their Carling Cup campaign this season. There is an overview of the rules at the bottom of this post and you can access more info at the official Premier League site

If you do visit this site be sure to set yourself up a fantasy football team and join our football on the TV League for, league code is 360221-91944. It is totally free and we will be announcing some great prizes shortly.

Anywho, I digress. The ruling is aimed at encouraging the Premier League clubs to help in the development of young “home grown” talent with a view of helping the national side. The squad size is also aimed at preventing the larger clubs of having stock piles of players in 40-50 man squads available, levelling the playing field somewhat. All the clubs agreed with the new rulings and generally there has been wide spread support for the new rulings and personally I believe it will be good for the Premier League and the young players.

The clubs now have little over a month to finalise their squads (they can choose from any registered player up to 1st September 2010). This means there is a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done before the transfer deadline as many of the top clubs in the Premier League are currently not in a position to name 25 players that include 8 “home grown” players with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and City all currently unable to register a full 25 man squad. There will also be a lot of unwanted players at clubs, especially Man City who currently have a huge squad of foreign players and are still very active in the market.

Expect a lot of late loan signings in the Premier League and a flurry of activity right up until the last minute, which is going to make Sky Sports froth at the mouth with excitement and hyperbole.

Don’t forget to join our football on the TV free fantasy football league at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ league code is 360221-91944. We have been playing this one for years and is by far the best free game around.

25 Man squad rules

The 25-man squads must be submitted to the Premier League by 5pm on the day following the close of each transfer window. For the 2010/11 season the first window will close at 6pm on 31st August and final squads must be registered by 5pm on 1st September. Before then Clubs will not be required to name their squads and may select their teams from any registered players.

While the transfer windows are open, clubs may change their squads as many times as they want. However they will only be able to make alterations outside the windows if there are exceptional circumstances and the changes are approved by the Premier League board.

For example, if a club has two out of three goalkeepers injured they may be permitted to bring in a replacement under the guidelines drawn up by a specially formed working party.

Players in the 25-man squads who go out on loan to Football League clubs may not be replaced. However they may reclaim their place on their return.

Clubs do not have to name a full squad of 25 if they do not have that many contracted players and in this instance they may add free agents outside the transfer window. However if they have 25 eligible contracted players, they must be named.

Similarly, clubs do not have to name eight home grown players if they do not have that many but that would mean operating with a reduced squad.

The system will be simple enough to administer. Clubs will register their players via an online form which automatically flags up if they have named too many players who do not qualify as Home-Grown.

Root and Branch reform at the FA is what England need

2010-07-01T19:37:00.000+01:00

Well it has been almost 5 days now since England’s dismal display against the Germans and I have had time to reflect, calm down and digest some of the stories that have surfaced since the game last Sunday.

The biggest disappointment for me was not just the Germany game but the whole tournament, we were, what are the words, absolutely shit, throughout the tournament. I know we have a tendency to over hype our players and chances but we were tipped as one of the favourites and a team to fear by many of the top nations before the tournament kicked off, now Wales, Montenegro, Switzerland and Bulgaria will be looking forward to taking 3 points off England in the Euro2012 qualifiers.

Stories surfaced today about a rift between Gerrard and John Terry. This does not surprise me as it was clear that there was no harmony in the camp and the players were not playing for each other. Lots of interviews from the players after games mentioning the word “individual” surprised me and none of the media seemed to pick up on it. Football is a team game first and foremost, yes individuals make the difference but only if the team is behind them.

There are some vicious rumours going around that the split is to do with an extra marital shenanigans that Gerrard got up to pre World Cup. The England players allegedly know about it but the press currently have a gagging order on them imposed by the courts. Terry apparently felt it unjust that he was stripped of the captaincy for something similar (although he did rattle a team mates missus, Gerrard isn’t alleged to have done that, but it would be funny if he had shagged John Terrys bird) Whatever it was there was clear disharmony in the group and where smaller nations and even the South Americans seem to play with pride and play for their country the England players seem to be more concerned about their club and winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Adding to the speculation I have also heard, off an unreliable source I might add, is that one of England’s main strikers and stars was struggling due to him having a go on a lady of the night. Again unsubstantiated rumours but still no excuse for being shit!

As a result of our piss poor performance and the expectation we have as a country I have decided now to expect nothing from any major tournament England are involved in and think as a country we should celebrate every goal like it is our last!!! If we beat mighty Switzerland in qualifying for Euro 2012 we should have street parties to celebrate.

There have been many theories put forward about why we were so bad and how we can rectify this consistent underperformance but for me the buck stops with the FA. The FA needs root and branch reform and since 1990 they have failed us. The problem with the FA has always been the fact the majority are not football people, they are just men in suits. I wonder what qualifies somebody for a role within the FA? Yes it is a large complex body and needs leadership and a commercial nous but there needs to be a balance. The FA should be ran by football people, people who have played the game and studied it not some slick twat in a suit with money and a position of power.

Trevor Brooking, a much loved figure in the game, is the man essentially responsible for the development of the English game from grass roots to professional coaching an area where we have failed miserably to develop any coherent direction. The building of the FA’s centre for excellence is currently under construction but only after it had been shelved years earlier. This is one example, Wembley being another, of a lack of a proper direction within the FA and the inability to create an ethos or environment for developing players and coaches. This is what has cost England and led us to have to seek the best management from abroad, who couldn’t get a bunch of talented players to beat Algeria. Rifts aside I would have thought my girlfriend could have put out team to play better than they did.

A framework needs to be put in place and it needs to keep kids playing pass and move football until around the age of 12 or 13. Even then they should be encouraged to play football and try to keep the ball. When young players are 12 or 13 they can make mistakes and learn from them. A philosophy needs to be instilled at school level and amateur club level and the clubs have a responsibility in their academies to ensure young English players are given a chance and allowed to develop and play.

There is an issue of average foreign players in the game, where clubs seem to feel more secure in buying in cheap, in football terms, foreign players who have experience and games under their belts in their native countries or elsewhere. Having seen a dvd or two of them play they feel more secure in investing in them rather than young players from the academy or players from the lower leagues. Don’t get me wrong, the foreign influence on our game has made it better, more professional and we have had some great players grace the Premier League but very few English players grace the European leagues.

It is maybe a cultural thing and to do with our lazy attitude to languages but it would be nice to see some young British players moving to clubs on the continent, in Spain, Holland, Germany and even Italy and France. Maybe they could unearth the nest Fabregas?

That is the beauty of the World Cup, it is truly a World Wide competition, and a chance to take a step back from the hype of our own league and the marketing of the players and have a look at what the other successful European nations are doing or have done years ago.

Time to right some wrongs

2010-06-25T16:58:00.000+01:00

Well England managed to qualify but only in second place thanks to a 92nd minute goal from Landon Donovan for the US of A. The late goal has given England the toughest route to the final any team will have ever faced.

If and that is IF, England beat Germany they are likely to face Argentina in the quarter finals followed by a potential semi final clash with Spain followed by a final against Brazil. If we do manage to win it and beat all four teams on the way then it will be the toughest win ever in a World Cup. But as they say lest take it one game at a time and focus on our nemesis the Germans.

We all know about the history in the World Cups of 1966, 1970 and 1990 but we also remember Euro 96 to where we went out on penalties and it is the two shootouts in the 90’s that are still raw for us English. Italia 90 was my first proper World Cup at the tender age of 10 and the pain of losing on penalties is still with me today. Let’s hope it doesn’t go to penalties this time.

The Germans started brilliantly against a poor Australia but struggled, albeit with 10 men, against Serbia losing 1-0 and only just beat Ghana 1-0. England may have struggled but now it is do or die and if our players can’t step up in the knockout stages against Germany then they are not worthy of the shirt. It is going to be a fascinating, if not nervy game but we should not fear Germany if anything they should be more concerned about us. True Ozil has shined for Germany and our talisman, Rooney, has struggled but now is his time to “explode” as Germnay captain Lahm has warned he is due to.

Hopefully we will see a strong England performance and I think if we perform to our maximum we will beat Germany quite comfortably but if we play with fear as we did against Algeria and USA we will not only struggle but will get beat. Let’s just hope the real England turn up and it we are not rueing a John Terry missed penalty in a shoot out.

I’ve had a look at the odds and have picked out my top bets for the game all at 9/1 including England or Germany winning on penalties

England 2-0 Germany odds of 9/1

England 2-1 Germany odds of 9/1

England to win from behind odds of 9/1

England to win on penalties odds of 9/1

Germany to win on penalties odds of 9/1

For more free bet offers check out www.footballonthetv.co.uk/free-bets.php

The Case for Heskey

2010-06-18T14:19:00.000+01:00

I know this may not be the most popular opinion in England but after watching the likes of Spain and Brazil struggle to break down well organised teams there is a case to play a traditional “big man” up front.

Beckenbaur criticised England’s style of play against the USA as back to the old ways of “kick and rush” football and I happened to agree with the Kaiser as I thought we are far too quick to hit the ball up to Heskey and hope he gets a good touch or knock down somewhere near Rooney and to play from there. However having watch teams struggle to break down well organised and tight defensive units there is strong case suggesting that the long ball could prove a useful weapon in breaking down teams as it adds an uncertainty to the play.

I know the football purists would say it is a backward step but I am not saying we should employ it as our only tactic but having that dimension to our play will give us and edge when looking to break down well organised teams. Clearly pinging a ball to Heskey with no support will be no good but if we can get players up and around him quickly then we have a good base to attack from in the final third. Clearly as well this tactic will depend on Heskey being able to make the ball stick or direct knock downs into the path of the likes of Rooney and Gerrard.

Mexico showed last night, albeit against a terrible French team, that committing men to attack will reap the rewards. What England need to do is find that balance of trying to play through and round teams out wide and looking long for the out ball to Heskey but having Heskey upfront instead of Defoe at least gives us that option, with Defoe we don’t have that. So on that basis I would be playing Heseky upfront against Algeria and Slovenia as at the end of the day everybody would love to play passing football but I think England would rather win the World Cup playing the odd long ball than get knocked out attempting to pass teams to death. Look what happened to Spain.

As for the England game tonight here are my predictions and top bets

Correct Score - I'm going for a patriotic 3-0 win

England 3-0 Algeria - odds of 7/1

England 2-0 Algeria - odds of 5/1

England 1-0 Algeria odds of 11/2

First Scorer - The usual suspect but I fancy Ashley Cole at odds of 54/1

Rooney - odds of 16/5

Lampard - odds of 7/1

Heskey - odds of 10/1

Terry - odds of 23/1

Ashley Cole - odds of 54/1

To see the full markets and get a free £25 bet on Betfair Click Here

Fan v Fan betting on Betfair means you will get better odds than at any other bookies

2010-06-15T11:45:00.000+01:00

Cameroon let me down yesterday and I’m holding Paul le Guen personally responsible for playing Eto wide right but I’m still up so below is todays 3 game treble tip. A £10 bet wins you £55

New Zealand v Slovakia - Slovakia

Ivory Coast v Portugal - Ivory Coast

Brazil v North Korea - Brazil

Click here for Free £25 bet

World Cup games to bet: on today

Slovakia should be too strong for New Zealand but expect a dull 1-0 win for Slovakia at odds of 5/1.

The game of the day is Ivory Coast v Portugal, this will be a close game but I am tipping Ivory Coast to win 2-1 at odds of 11/1

As for Brazil v North Korea if you fancy a long shot then North Korea are 28/1 for the win or 8/1 for the draw but I just can’t see it happening.

Click here for Free Bets

Todays World Cup picks

2010-06-14T11:46:00.000+01:00

After a successful first accumulator/multiple, call it what you will, I’m feeling confident about this World Cup. I came close yesterday predicting a win for Germany and Ghana but the dodgy Algerian keeper let me down as I'd predicted a draw for Algeria v Slovenia.

Not to be deterred I am carrying on today below are my predictions for today’s games and a picture of the lovely Dutch fans.

Holland v Denmark - Holland win

Japan v Cameroon - Cameroon win

Italy v Paraguay - Draw

A £10 bet nets you £97

Click here for Free £25 bet
Previous multiples

Sunday mutliple bet
Slovenia v Algeria - Draw (Slovenia win 1-0)
Ghana v Serbia - Ghana (Ghana win 1-0)
Germany v Australia - Germany (Germany win 4-0)

Bet - lost

Friday/Saturday predictions

South Africa v Mexico - Draw (game drawn 1-1)
France v Uruguay - Draw (game drawn 0-0)
South Korea v Greece - South Korea (South Korea win 2-0)
Argentina v Nigeria - Argentina (Argentina win 1-0)

Bet - won £330 from an £8 bet

A draw is not bad news for England

2010-06-13T12:13:00.000+01:00

OK so the result wasn’t what our over expecting fans and press wanted but a draw is not bad in your opening game and it if Green had kept an eye on the ball it would all be different.

I was predicting a 1-1 draw but I got swept up in the patriotic fever and went for a 2-1, luckily though my accumulator of South Africa, draw, France, Draw, South Korea and Argentina to win came in. A much better start to my World Cup than poor Rob Green.

England started well yesterday but were knocked out their stride by Dempsey’s goal. It was a lot more of a positive performance than in 2006. Two things concern me about England. Firstly their tactic and reliance on the long diagonal ball to Heskey and his ability to knock it down somewhere near Rooney or Gerrard. But my biggest concern for England will be Ledley King coming off. A certain back pairing of Terry and Carragher might be grit and determination personified but they are both lacking in pace and as shown yesterday Carragher is always likely to get booked at a World Cup and runs a real risk of getting sent off. Capello has a lot to think about in key positions, in goal and centre half.

So Fabio if you are reading this, I’ve got me boots out!

I was excited about this World Cup and Englands chances and I still am. South Africa is proving one of the best atmospheres ever in a World Cup and love them or hate them, the vevezulas are giving a truly African feel to the tournament and a lively atmosphere even in the undersold South Korea v Greece. The football has been lively and quick and there have been goals. Bring on todays games!!!!!!

Seen as my first accumulator came in and I like to share the wealth, here, just for you is what I’m betting on today

Slovenia v Algeria – Draw

Serbia v Ghana – Ghana

Germany v Australia – Germany

£10 bet on this treble nets you £184

Click Here to get a free £10 bet with Paddy Power

World Cup is finally here!

2010-06-11T15:37:00.000+01:00

Kick off in the first game is just minutes away and I for one can’t wait. The biggest spectacle in the World (forget the Olympics it is just not as exciting) is being held in Africa for the first ever time, which really does give the competition a World feel.

The time for talk is almost over but there is still time for me to make my bold predictions

Group Qualifiers

Group A – Mexico and South Africa

I expect the French to go struggle to hit form and the home crowd will help South Africa to qualify from this group.

Group B – Argentina and South Korea

Argentina should qualify easily and I expect the expectation on Nigeria to prove too much for them and the Greeks to be too dull to go through, giving South Korea the second qualifying spot

Group C – England and USA

It is unthinkable that England won’t qualify and I think the USA will be too strong for Slovenia and Algeria

Group D – Germany and Ghana

You can never rule out the Germans even if they are playing their team down. I think Ghana will prove too strong for the Aussies and a good Serbian team

Group E – Holland and Denmark

The Dutch should qualify easily form this group and I can’t see Cameroon or Japan qualifying ahead of the Danes

Group F – Italy and Paraguay

Italy should qualify for the group then it is likely to be out of Paraguay and Slovakia as New Zealand just doesn’t have the quality. I’m going for Paraguay to go through with Italy

Group G – Brazil and Ivory Coast

The group of death should see Brazil go through then it is between Portugal and Ivory Coast. All three teams should beat North Korea but I expect the African connection to help Ivory Coast through.

Group H – Spain and Chile

Spain should cruise through this group including Chile, Switzerland and Honduras. It will be tight between the other 3 but I expect Chile to just nick it

Quarter Finals predictions

Mexico v England

Argentina v Germany

Holland v Brazil

Italy v Spain

Semi Final Predictions

England v Holland

Spain v Argentina

Final

England v Argentina

Winner

It pains me as my heart says England but my head says Argentina

Who will replace Rafa at Anfield?

2010-06-04T16:03:00.002+01:00

With the World Cup a week away it seems strange to be writing about Liverpool and their sacking of Rafa Benitez after 6 years in charge.

There is mixed emotions form Liverpool fans, although the general consensus seems to be that a change was needed. The seemingly amicable split with Rafa accepting a £6m pay off instead of the reported £16m he was due suggests that both parties felt it time to move on.

A bad season this time round signalled the end of Rafa’s reign. The fact Liverpool didn’t even qualify for the Champions League was the straw that broke the camels back after lasts season efforts pushing Man Utd so close.

Rafa will always be revered by the red half of Merseyside after the amazing Champions League success in 2005 as well as an FA Cup win in 2006. The big question now is who will replace Rafa?

The contenders

Kenny Dalglish

Currently an ambassador for Liverpools Youth Academy King Kenny has been given the role of helping find the next Anfield boss, but many observers feel his close connection to Liverpool could see him end up with the role on a full time basis.

Kenny would be a big hit with the fans but is only 3rd favourite on Betfair at odds of 9/2

Fancy a bet on Kenny and a free £25 bet – Click Here

Roy Hodgson

The current Fulham manager has seen his stock rise this season after guiding Fulham to the Europa League final. A worldly manager with experience at international level and abroad he could be ready to leave Fulham to take charge of a bigger club.

Roy Hodgson is currently the favourite on Betfair at odds of 7/2

Fancy a bet on Roy and a free £25 bet Click Here

Martin O’Neil

The Irish man may have recently committed himself to Villa but he remains one of the favourites to take over at Anfield. Although he has made great strides with Villa the question is whether he has the capacity to manage a club with the expectations of Liverpool.

Even though he has committed to Villa recently he is still the second favourite on Betfair at odds of 4/1

Fancy a bet on O’Neil and a free £25 bet Click Here

Mark Hughes

The former Man City manager and Man Utd player may not be a popular choice with fans due to his previous connections however he did a great job at Blackburn and a reasonable job at City and the fact he is a free agent could appeal to the Liverpool board.

He may not be popular with the fans but his availability makes him a good bet on Betfair at odds of 14/1

Fancy a bet on Hughes and a free £25 bet Click Here

Guus Hiddink

The Dutch man who was so popular at Chelsea may have recently committed himself to the Turkish national team but that hasn’t stopped him being linked with the vacant position. Hard to imagine him breaking his contract with the Turkish FA.

Would be a top choice for the fans and board and worth a bet on Betfair at odds of 17/1

Fancy a bet on Hiddenk and a free £25 bet Click Here

Jurgen Kilnsmann

The German had allegedly been approached by Hicks previously, however his lack of managerial experience and involvement in the game would make him an unlikely choice and an unpopular one.

He may not be a popular choice but Hicks likes him if you fancy a bet on Betfair at odds of 12/1

Fancy a bet on Klinsmann and a free £25 bet Click Here

England sqaud of 30 announced

2010-05-11T13:56:00.000+01:00

Fabio Capello has announced his 30 man training squad that he will take to Austria and pick from for the friendlys with Mexico and Japan.

It’s a bit of a surprise that there are only 5 strikers in the provisional 30 man squad, as some people thought he might have taken 5 forwards but it appears not, it seems it is the midfield where there are still some places up for grabs and with Adam Johnson, Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker all making the squad.

Goalkeepers

Hart
James
Green
Defenders
Baines
Carragher
Ashley Cole
Dawson
Rio Ferdinand
Glen Johnson
King
Terry
Upson
Warnock

Midfielders

Barry
Carrick
Cole
Gerrard
Huddlestone
Adam Johnson
Lampard
Lennon
Milner
Parker
Walcott
Wright Phillips

Forwards

Bent
Crouch
Defoe
Heskey
Rooney

Competition Winner

2010-05-09T15:18:00.006+01:00

www.footballonthetv.co.uk have been running a competition during April for our newsletter members. The winner will receive a Premier League or International football shirt of their choice. Check out the video to see the draw and the winning numbers to see if you have won.

Champions League for 'Arry and Spurs

2010-05-05T22:31:00.001+01:00

It is Spurs that have manged to secure the final Champions League place with a 1-0 win away at Man City. The season for Spurs and Man City came down to this one £30-£40m game and it was Spurs that held their bottle and managed to beat a slightly lacklustre City at Eastlands.

The game was a little nervy but entertaining and as they entered the last 10 minutes Spurs started to play on the nerves of the City players and the anxiety of the crowd and Crouch struck the killer blow that only a 6ft 7in pole could. The inevitable expectancy of disappointment spread through the City crowd after the goal.

It might celebration time in North London but what about Manchester City now? They sacked Mark Hughes because they didn't think he would get 4th and Mancini hasn't even managed to take it to the last game. No Champions League means no Torres for City and they will again find it hard to compete with Chelsea, Man United, and the likes for the top players. So tonight it won;t be just Spurs fans celebrating Liverpool fans, Villa and Everton will also be celebrating. If Man City had qualified for the Champions League I doubt we would have seen anybody break that monopoly again for a while.

Spurs have a lot of work to do, they still need to qualify and with team like Celtic, Lyon, Sampdoria among a host of other strong European teams they could draw in an unseeded draw. I doubt whether Spurs will build as quick and with as much quality as City could of giving hope to the teams who have aspirations to mount a challenge to the top 4.

European Preview

2010-04-27T14:27:00.000+01:00

It is the business end of European competition now and it is do or die. With the first leg over it is now all or nothing and all teams need to set themselves out to win the tie not the match.

Champions League Preview

Inter Milan travel to the Nou Camp with a 3-1 lead to defend from the first leg. Barcelona need to win 2-0 to go through but there is no doubt Inter will be set up to frustrate Barca and hit on the counter the question is can they keep out an irresistible Barca attack?

Lyon host a Bayern Munich team that hold a slender 1-0 lead, Bayern have been regular scores away in the Champions League this season including two at Old Trafford. Will the German team take care of Lyon efficiently?

Lyon to reach the Final – 5/2

Bayern to reach the Final – 1/4

Inter Milan to reach the Final – 4/7

Barcelona to reach the Final – 5/4

Paddy Power is currently running a selection of enhanced odd bets for 4 more days. This week you can get a massive 4/1 on both Robben scoring for Bayern and Messi scoring for Barcelona

Click here to open an account and get a free £10 bet.

Europa League Preview

There may be no English teams in the Champions League but an all English final is a possibility in the Europa League. Can both Liverpool and Fulham keep the flag flying in Europe?

Liverpool find themselves 1-0 down from the game in Madrid but remain confident that home advantage will see them through. However Atletico have a lot of pace on the counter with the much sought after Aguero available after missing the first game due to suspension.

Fulham face an out of sorts Hamburg who have just sacked their coach after a 5-1 defeat to Wolfsburg. The game is poised at 0-0 giving Fulham the advantage but with a big injury doubt over leading scorer Zamora and a new coach and the final in their home ground Hamburg have a lot to play for.

Liverpool to reach the Final – 11/10

Atletico to reach the Final – 4/6

Fulham to reach the Final – 5/6

Hamburg to reach the Final – 5/6

£10 on Bayern, Barcelona, Liverpool and Fulham to all reach the final will net you £108 plus a free £10 bet with Paddy Power

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Planes, trains and automobiles

2010-04-23T16:52:00.000+01:00

It was all about the travel this week. UEFA decided to press ahead with the Champions League and Europa League games even though the planes were still grounded due to the volcanic eruption. This meant the away teams had to travel via whatever means necessary. Left Rafa checks his watch as the train from Runcorn is 10 minutes late

Liverpool and Fulham had the longest trips having to cross to mainland Europe via the channel tunnel. A lot was made of these 12-13 hour journeys but how hard is it sitting on a luxury bus? Sure there is boredom and the potential for muscles to seize up but it’s not exactly the worst thing that could happen. The problem for the clubs was that players are pampered these days and used to their routine so this slight inconvenience of using a bus to travel through Europe was major news. They should try travelling on an overnight bus from Bangkok to Ko Samui!!

Neither team seemed badly affected although both Europa league games were pretty poor, Barca got an unexpected beating off Inter but I don’t think the travel had any real impact on the result, and if it did then Mourinho was taking credit for setting of the volcanic eruption.

All the semi finals in both the Champions League and Europa league are perfectly poised which should make for a great week of European football on TV this week.

Back to domestic matters and it is all about the top of the table on TV this weekend. Spurs travel to Old Trafford to face a United team looking to put pressure on Chelsea with a win taking them 2 points clear, while Spurs will be looking to open a gap of 5 points on Man City in the race for 4th. Spurs however have never won at Old Trafford since the start of the Premier League drawing only 3 times. Therefore this game is either a home banker or it is time for Spurs to break that record, but rest assured it won’t be a draw.

Spurs are 11/2 to win and United are 4/9.

The Saturday evening game see’s Arsenal entertain Man City at the Emirates. Arsenal maybe out of the title race after their shock 3-2 defeat at Wigan but they will still have pride to play for. The Gunners fans might secretly be hoping for a City win as I’m sure they don’t want to see their arch rivals Spurs finish in the top 4.

Man City are 11/4 to win with Arsenal favourites at 10/11, the draw is 12/5.

Sunday see’s Villa, another team with top 4 aspirations take on local rivals Birmingham. Villa are a point behind Man City but have played a game more so really need to win every game to be in with any sort of a chance, however a local derby is never easy and I’m predicting a draw for this one.

The draw is 11/4 with a Villa win being priced at 4/7 and a Birmingham City win at 9/2 .

The final Premier League game of the weekend is Chelsea v Stoke. This may seem like a home banker but with Chelsea seeming to struggle in their last two games a resilient Stoke side could well stifle Chelsea and leave them frustrated. The longer that goes on more the fickle Stamford bridge crowd will get anxious and Chelsea’s’ back. Expect a closely fought game and I am predicting a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea are 1/7 on to win with Stoke a massive 14/1 in a two horse race, the draw is 6/1 .

The Week Ahead

2010-04-18T20:38:00.000+01:00

The weekend has seen another twist in the title race with Manchester United closing the gap to 1 point of Chelsea with 3 games to go. Monday nights game see’s Liverpool take on West Ham that will have more of a bearing on the bottom than the top four.

Title Odds

Chelsea 4/7
Man United 11/8
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Europa League Preview

With no British clubs left in the Champions League the focus switches from a Wednesday night to Thursday with both Liverpool and Fulham in action.

Liverpool travel to Torres’ old club Atletico Madrid without Torres as he is due to undergo surgery on his troublsome knee ligament which could rule him out of the World Cup. This will be no easy game for an out of sorts Reds, especially without Torres. Atletico, with the much sought after Aguero upfront with Diego Forlan will no doubt put pressure on the Liverpool back line and Liverpool would be happy to come away with a draw but I predict a 2-1 win for Atletico.

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Fulham travel to Hamburg, where the final will be played, giving the home team that added impetuous to qualify. Hamburg are currently sitting 7th in the Bundesliga so this should be a close tie. The home support will be key in this one and if Fulham can settle the crowd down they could be in with a shout for a draw. Expect a tough game but a resolute Fulham to come out with a 1-1.

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Yankey Doodle Dandy

2010-04-16T15:14:00.000+01:00

Well it is official, George “the worst a club can get" Gillette, and Tom “rhymes with dicks” Hicks are actively seeking to sell Liverpool FC. They have employed Barclays Capital and brought on board Martin Broughton the British Airways chairmen to lead the hunt for new owners.

Broughton, a Chelsea fan, joins the Liverpool board as Chairmen and will work alongside current executives and Chief Executive Christian Purlsow in finding a suitable buyer for the club.

I’m not sure why they need to employ somebody specific to close a deal but I hope it comes off. Gillette and Hicks, just like the Glazers, have saddled two of our most established and famous clubs with millions of pounds worth of debt. A trend I am hoping does not continue.

The problem is the Yanks see a cash rich Premier League, with a worldwide fan base and think they can make a quick buck. They do not understand football or soccer as they call it and they come over here thinking they can operate football clubs like their American Sports franchises. Well that clearly does not work over here and the sooner the cowboys are ran out of town the better.

May I just add a caveat to this, both Sunderland and Aston Villa have American owners who have come in and quietly gone about their business investing in the team but seeking no limelight so I wouldn’t like to tar all the Yanks with the same brush. Let’s just hope that Broughton and Barclays don’t just sell to the highest bidder, which is what the Yanks will want valuing the club at £500million. I hope they do take into consideration the fans and the future of the club when looking for a buyer.

Webb of Incompetence

2010-04-12T15:55:00.002+01:00

Well the FA cup Semi Final weekend was a tale of bad refereeing, a bad pitch and a badly run club making it to the showpiece final.

First up Villa v Chelsea and the mystery crime loving Martin O’ Neil was raging against what can only be described as a mysterious decision or lack of decision from Howard Webb when Abonglahor was bundled over by Obi Mikel early on in the game. O’Neil was also fuming about the John Terry tackle which, from and England fans perspective was criminal and only got Terry a yellow card. Not content on shagging his best mates missus, the lunge on Milner could have ended the in form Villa players season and his chances of a World Cup place, which would have been a travesty as he has been England’s inform player this season.

Terry and his cockatoo hair cut aside, Howard Webb got both decision wrong and not for the first time this season. He is lauded as our best referee and has been chosen, by FIFA, to officiate at this years Wold Cup but personally I am embarrassed that he is classed as our best ref. Webb now believes his own hype and his performances this season have been far from good.

It is easy to slate the ref and often I hate the fact that Sky show a reply over and over and then lambast the ref but these two decisions he had a great view of and in my eyes were no-brainers. His decisions played a pivotal role in the outcome of the match and therefore the team going through to the final, yet he never has to justify his decisions and often (if it is anything like Sunday league) don’t even justify them or explain them to the players.

Why should someone who plays such a pivotal role not have to explain himself to the paying public and players? If a referee came out and explained why he made the call and gave his reasons, it would still be hard to swallow but at least you would understand their thought process. Maybe they don’t do this as they don’t have a thought process when making decisions or The FA are worried they might admit to a mistake or confess to letting JT off cos he has had a rough time of late. I know that in Sunday football that if you get on the right side of the ref you are less likely to get booked.

One day, maybe the media will be allowed access to refs and this then might help them to think about their decisions if they need to explain them after.

Pompey, a club so badly ran that I’ve heard they are enlisting an ex Enron board member to smooth things out, upset the odds by beating Spurs on Sunday. The game was not a classic and on the whole Spurs probably deserved it but that is the magic of the cup. ‘Arry blamed the pitch and it was evident that this Wembley pitch is worse than some Sunday League pitches. Every team that has played on it has said it is not up to scratch and as ‘Arry said, “they wouldn’t let horses race on a surface like that”. Well done to The FA for a great stadium with a shit pitch, only the most important part. Time to sort it out!

Four gone conclusion

2010-04-08T15:28:00.001+01:00

A play on words there as all four of the English clubs are now out of the Champions League. This is the first time since 2003 that there has been no English representation in the Champions League semi final stage and this has lead to the inevitable inquest.

“Man Utd exit highlights Premier League decline” one BBC sport blogger prematurely ejaculates on his blog “Declining Standards” a Sky Sports discussion post has as its title. Needless to say the red top tabloids had the same sensationalist type of headlines and even the BBC Sports editor claims that Barcelona’s Champions League victory last year is the moment the power shifted back to the continent.

I for one am not subscribing to them scriptures and find it indicative of the lazy, sensationalistic journalism that our so called press tend to churn out, not just in sport but across the whole news spectrum. These days if one of the top teams loses 2 games in a row it’s a “crisis” even if a bottom half Premier League team loses 3 or 4 games the press will raise questions over the managers suitability and call for him to get the sack. Personally I hate the fucking press in this country, The Sun and the other shit tabloids epitomise the “dumbing down” of reporting and the fact they over sensationalise every little thing and often contradict themselves week by week sometimes day by day suggest to me my missus could write a better article on football then these twats.

Anyway rant over, I suppose they have to write somet to try and sell papers. One summer doesn’t make a swallow, so they say and one season without a Champions League semi finalist does not mean the Premier League is in decline or our teams are getting weaker.

True Liverpool were very poor but are sat in 6th place in the Premier League this season so there is no reflection on the league there. Arsenal got knocked out by the best football team Europe has probably ever seen, well the best I’ve ever seen anyway, Chelsea limped out against Inter but it was more mind games with Mourinho than ability that cost them. Man United were not outclassed by Bayern it was a poor game in Munich but until Rafael got sent off United were cruising even after that they created the better chances.

This is just a bad season for the Premier League teams and hopefully a wakeup call as we have become complacent about our top teams and the Premier League believing they hype spurted from Sky about the Premier League being the best in the world. Top class football exists in other countries too!

True our top clubs have spent less this year and the spending on the continent has increased compared to previous years and that will have had an impact and as this suggest it is not the Premier League teams in decline but the other teams that are catching up and also learning how to play against Premier League teams, our teams are not getting worse.

Hopefully now there will be less of arrogance about English clubs involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League and more of an acceptance of the ability of very good foreign teams with very astute coaches. Lessons the Champions League pretenders of Spurs, Man City and Villa should be very aware of as there is an assumption from media and fans alike that if one of these teams finish 4th, they will qualify for the Champions League group stages. I for one am not convinced and would not be surprised if we only have 3 teams in this seasons Champions League, unless of course Liverpool can nick 4th spot.

There will be on man who will be pleased at the exit of all 4 of the English clubs and that is UEFA president Michele Platini. A great player but in my opinion a total twat and just like Bayern were “typical Germans” according to Fergie, Platini is typically French.

On a lighter note though ITV commentator Gabriel Clark came out with a classic at the end of the Man United v Bayern game “Ferdinand and Vidic have been penetrated twice tonight” Really Gabriel was that before the match? (above Rio penetrating Vidic)

Midweek European Action

2010-04-06T17:09:00.000+01:00

It might be Tuesday but it feels like a Monday to me. But it is nearly time to knock off and not only am I looking forward to a feast cooked up by my other half but I'm already looking forward to a feast of football.

Before we get on to the mouth-watering main course tonight of Barcelona v Arsenal there is a starter dish of CSKA Moscow v Inter Milan. The game kicks off at 5:30pm on Sky Sports 2 this evening and this is probably going to be a dish best served cold. Now I'm not sure if it is my imagination and I can't be bothered to check the facts but as far as I'm aware pretty much every game held in Russia ends in a draw and expect nothing different this time round. Inter will be wary of the Russian side who can be dangerous when they start playing so expect a tight cagey game with Inter only having a slender 1-0 home leg advantage. A draw for me all the way this one.

Now onto the mouth watering feast that is Barca v Arsenal. The game last week did not disappoint, except it was on ITV, and I expect this one to be even better. No Fabregas for Arsenal is going to make it tough but no Puyol or Pique at the heart of the defence for Barca and no Imbrihimavic up front gives Arsenal a good chance. Expect a right ding dong of a game with a few chances being created. Arsenal are 7-1 to beat Barca tonight, but remember the mighty Liverpool team with Craig Bellamy in it that beat Barca in Camp Nou?? It is hard but not impossible to beat Barca, they are an outstanding team but often over hyped as invincible here in the UK. Personally I'm looking forward to a 2-2 draw and extra time.

I will post again tomorrow previewing Man United v Bayern but if you are looking for a mid week European accumulator then my tip this week for a £700 win off a £10 is below

Barcelona v Arsenal - draw
Manchester United v Bayern Munich - home
Wolfsburg v Fulham - away
Atletico Madrid v Valencia - home

Take a look at the free bets on offer here

Party Time in the Toon To'neet

2010-04-05T18:03:00.005+01:00

As I'm typing this live on BBC2 Nottingham Forest are playing Cardiff and if Forest fails to win then Newcastle will be promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Even if Forest do win, Newcastle only need 1 point at home tonight to Sheffiled United.

Whatever the results tonight it is looking like the Toon Army will be back in the big time next season and having lived in Newcastle I can guarantee it will have been party time in the Toon all day. However one man who might be celebrating but certainly won't be out in his Newcastle shirt, will be Mike Ashley. (Y'aye pet, Ashley gets to know the locals back in 2007, left) The Toon may be going up but after the party tonight all eyes will be on Ashley and what he is going to do with the club.

After pulling the club form the market at the start of this season Newcastle United is now a much more attractive proposition with Premiership status guaranteed and a bumper TV package in place for all Premiership clubs. It remains to be seen what Ashley plans to do, the feeling among the fans is that they would be better off with new owners, but the market has changed and they need to be wary of the cowboy types, like the Americans and Sheiks who I'm sure would see a loyal, passionate, some might say crackers fan base with a 50,000 plus seater stadium a safe place to saddle £ millions of debt.

It will be good to see the Toon Army back in the top flight, for all the over sentimental bullshit that gets wrote about them, they do love their football and the league is all the more colourful for having them in it, I'm sure even Sunderland fans will be looking forward to the derby games again next season.

Saturday Football Accumulator

2010-04-03T09:27:00.000+01:00

Having been predicting the Premier League scores all season on my Fantasy Pemier League game, I decided that I should start putting some real money on the outcomes. Scores are hard to predict but getting 4 out of 10 results right is not as hard.

So I've been putting on a few accumulators, or multiples as they are sometimes known recently and have had a decent run of results. Like any good gambler, I study the form and I have a strategy. Now I know what you're thinking but this is not one of those "guarenteed to win" strategys and I'm not going to ask for $9.99 for my fool proof guide.

It's all about winning big for me, if my potential return is less that £200 or even £300 I'm not interested, as I figure if I stick to £10 bets and accumulators that are going to bag me £300 or more I only need to get 1 in every 30 right to break even. So far I have 3 in 12, you do the math!

Anyway I thought would share the wealth so this is what I'm betting on this Saturday, this cheeky little multiple will get me a cool £729 from a £10 and you can even have a choice of results for one game on Tote Sport. There are loads of online bokkies that offer a free bet based on your intial bet or that will refund your bet if you lose, so if you're interested check out the best offers around

Man Utd v Chelsea - Home Win
Will be a close game with neither team wanting to lose but I expect United to just edge it 2-1

Bolton v Aston Villa - Draw
Bolton have been steadily improving and Villa will be reeling from the thrashing at Stamford Bridge last weekend. I'm going for a 1-1 draw

Sunderland v Spurs - Home Win or Draw
Probably the most controversial choice I'm going Sunderland win but you can go for a draw and get the same odds. Spurs maybe in form but Sunderland is a tough place to go and Darren Bent will have a point to prove.

Bristol City v Nottingham Forest - Away Win
Forest's away form is not the best but Billy Davies knows thta if they are to keep pushing West Brom and Newcastle they need to keep winning and with a play off position pretty secure I'm expecting them to go for it.

3D Football this weekend

2010-04-02T23:20:00.000+01:00

The game of the weekend has to be at Old Trafford, not only is it a top of the table clash but it is also been shown in 3D in selected pubs across the country. Like a few other million people I've seen Avatar in 3D at the pictures and I enjoyed it. I dodged a canister coming straight at me and couldn't resist reaching out to touch the bushes a couple of times.

It was pretty weird though, looking round at everybody in the glasses and I'm pretty sure it will look even weirder in a pub on a Saturday lunch time.
This is the second game Sky have shown in 3D and I didn't watch the Arsenal v Man U game so I'm going to try to catch the game tomorrow with a couple of mates to see what it's like. I will let you know on Sunday, if I'm not too hung-over.
http://3d.sky.com/pubfinder/

This time the guide dogs had to be left outside.
________________________________________

ESPN's Saturday tea time offering is Burnley v Man Citeh, a North West derby but I can't see anything but a Citeh win, they will leave it late though with a couple of goals in the last quarter of the match, and if you are still looking to watch some more football, you can't go wrong with Barca v Athletico Bilbao on Sky Sports 4 at 7pm. Messi has been in mesmerising form lately and deserves they hype expect a footballing master class with a confident Ibrahimovic leading the line after his two goals against Arsenal.

There is a feast of Scottish football on Easter Sunday with Hibs v Celtic and Aberdeen in action against Kilmarnock. On Sunday an in form Everton welcome West Ham to Goodison Park. Zola maybe smiling again and Goldie looking Dave is chipper West Ham seem to be a team with little confidence and Everton at home are a match for anybody on their day. Expect a comfortable win for Everton 2-0.

Football on the TV is back!

2010-04-01T13:42:00.005+01:00

I know what you’re thinking back??? It’s nearly the end of the season? But I am talking about football on the TV is the site www.footballonthetv.co.uk

Started in 2008 we thought it was time for a makeover. We have given the site a new look and feel with improved functionality so all the fixtures will be constantly updated so you will never miss a game. As well as the new functions we have some fantastic new features and team pages, with more to come.

To celebrate the launch of our new site we are running an exclusive competition during April for our newsletter subscribers. The lucky winner will get any Premier League or International football shirt of their choice. All you need to do is sign up to the football on thet tv newsletter and you will be entered into the prize draw. You will also receive an email with information on how to boost the number of your entries.

There are some great new features on the site such as the page for the style conscious among you Terrace Fashion and a free football betting page , giving you the best free bet offers from online bookies and a potentially massive multiple bet tip.

Check out the site and make sure you join the mailing list for your chance to win a football shirt of your choice.

A Game for the Purists

2010-03-31T17:17:00.000+01:00

Tonight’s Champions League game between Arsenal and Barcelona has the whole football world purring with delight. Both Barcelona and Arsenal are lauded as the best footballing teams on the planet which makes this Champions League Quarter Final a mouth watering prospect.

Arsenal have often been criticised for being too weak and easy to bully in games, but there is no doubt that when they start to play, their crisp incise passing and movement is impossible to live with. The same goes for Barcelona, who may not have the biggest team but they are devastating once they start to play.

Having watched quite a bit of Spanish football this season as well as the Premier League I can’t wait for this game. Messi has been in blistering from this season and has scored some wonder goals and is virtually unplayable, Arsenal may not have a Messi but they are at home and if Fabregas is fit then Arsenal have a chance.

No doubt though this is going to be a great game of football and one for the purists.

Time to bring in goal line technology

2009-08-22T15:17:00.005+01:00

Its two weeks into the new football season and already there has been wide spread support for the introduction of video technology to assist the officials in making crucial decisions. This has been brought on by another unbelievable decision to not allow the goal scored by Freddie Sears for Crystal Palace against Bristol City last weekend.

I’m sure you have all seen it by now and it is clearly a goal and managers up down the country have called for the introduction of goal line technology. The case is strong as there is always numerous incidents of “was it wasn’t it over the line debates during the course of the season and inevitable the officials will get the majority wrong. It is hard to sympathise with the officials at times when it seems clear cut such as the Palace goal or the phantom goal given last season by Stuart Atwell in the Watford Reading game, but some are a lot harder to see.

There is no doubt the game is quicker and players are quicker and more powerful and this has been aided by technology. Sports nutrition players a key part in the players being stronger and faster but a larger part is the ever changing technology that is introduced to the key part of the game the ball itself. The technological advances in materials and understanding of the movement of the ball is welcomed by FIFA, the FA and The Premier League to make the game more exciting, quicker and ultimately so we see more “wordlie” goals. In fact there is always debate over the official ball of the Premier League, World Cup or Champions League with regards how it moves through the air.

New technology is in every walk of life and it has changed the way we live our lives, other sports such as Tennis, Cricket and Rugby have embraced it and used it to ensure that a point or a wicket is genuine before awarding it. Now points or wickets are easier to come by than a goal in a game of football, the beauty of the game is that one goal is worth an awful lot and one the hardest parts of the game, so why don’t FIFA and football embrace it.

Well FIFA’s argument is football is a global game and the rules are the same across the world, the game should be played with the same laws and rules at all levels from Under 11’s to amateur to professional, therefore if goal line technology was introduced in one league it would need to be across all levels and unless FIFA or The FA want to pay to put little goal line cameras in all the posts in every registered pitch across the country or world in FIFAs case they say they cannot introduce new rules that cannot be implemented at all levels.

However noble or stubborn FIFA are being it makes no sense. Football is the global dominant sport with the game played in pretty much every country across the world, only the Olympics come close to the World up in terms of global reach and appeal and that is a fundamental part of FIFAs argument, athletics or rather the Olympics remains such a global event because what everything thing is standard across all ages and all levels. The big difference between the sports particularly in Europe is the money and footballers at the top level these days are so far removed from the amateur on the park on a Sunday morning and to a lesser extent the professional plying his trade in the lower leagues in England and Scotland.

I struggle to understand FIFA’s resistance to allow the introduction of goal line technology, scoring goals is what the game is all about and if the technology, which I believe has been tested and is available and easily affordable for The Premier League, for FIFA or UEFA to put in for World Cups and the Champions League then it should be introduced at the top level and for leagues or Football Associations that can afford to introduce this technology across their competitions should be allowed to do so.

The game is far too big and far too popular to be effected by such a move at the very top level of the game. It will make no difference to how players are trained or taught to play or the rules at the lower levels, the game won’t change because of this technology or stop it from being enjoyed in parks and open spaces as it is now across the world. It won’t alienate fans either as they will be more at ease with the decisions made by the often hapless officials but it will ease the pressure on the officials and make sure that it is certainly a goal or not. Some of the players hit the ball at 80mph from 30 yards away, if that bounces off the bar and down then unless it nestles in the net you would need to have super human sight or hawk eyes how often does that happen on a Sunday morning?

The TV cameras are everywhere at football matches these days and TV pundits and commentators are quick to pick up on referee or linesman’s mistakes and the introduction for the goal line technology is only going to account for maybe 10 or 20 contentious decisions a season but it is a start and I am sure it would have been welcomed by official Stuart Atwell and Rob Shoebridge who disallowed the goal scored by Crystal Palace.

I’m not sure what it is going to take for Sepp Blatter and his cronies to wake up to technology, maybe if the World Cup Final was settled by a dubious was it was it not over the line goal or a champions league Final, it’s already happened in the World Cup final in 1966 and in a Champions League 2005 Semi Final between Liverpool and Chelsea, although even if that wasn’t a goal it was a penalty and a red card but it was over the line for me.

And their lies the strongest argument, occasionally, even with TV video replay and computer generated it is not clear so come on Sepp take the leap of faith and lets introduce the hakweye technology at the top level.

Do you agree with the introduction of goal line technology?

Welcome back to my TV

2009-08-18T21:27:00.001+01:00

Well it is back and it feels like I have been reunited with my TV and my couch as I spent the weekend watching football.

For me the football season means reclaiming the TV and convincing the missus that I really do need to watch football all day. It started with Soccer am, followed by Soccer Saturday, flicking over to football focus occasionally, before watching the scores come in from 3pm then the Saturday evening game on Setanta, sorry ESPN, then football first on Sky Sports before finishing the evening with Match of the Day.

On Sunday I carry on where I left off, on the couch with the TV tuned to Sky Sports 1. Generally I don’t like watching Man United win but I made an exception as it was the opening game of the season followed by watching a woeful performance by Liverpool meaning I finished the weekend on a low, but hey I figure that is the one defeat of the season out of the way on the first week.

The Premier League is billed as the best league in the world and whether you agree or not it is certainly one of the most hyped. The Premier League no doubt offers great drama and entertainment that just can’t be scripted as well as some flowing football, and I for one am pleased it is back on the TV.

In all likelihood it will be the same top 4 with Man City pushing to break into the elusive Champions League spots but it will be a big ask of Mark Hughes' team to break the monopoly with his first real crack at it and experience counts for a lot in a title run in. The outcome maybe slightly predictable but it is the challenge for the title that is the big attraction worldwide and the battle for survival is always intriguing and there is no doubt that the season will keep me on the edge of my couch.

Anywho for a man that watches a lot of football I'm looking forward to another season of drama, dodgy decisions and pundits talking bollocks. At this stage of the season it's all about predictions so predictable here are mine

Top Four

Liverpool
Chelsea
Man United
Arsenal

Sorry boring I know but I can't see City doing it this time round, it’s a marathon not a sprint

Relegated

Portsmouth
Birmingham
Hull

FA Cup - Spurs
League Cup - Man City
Champions League - Real Madrid
Europa League - Everton

Do you agree? Post your comments below

A world cup year

2009-08-12T20:24:00.005+01:00

I'm watching England and I'm thinking that despite the moaning of league managers and club owners as a fan I think it's a nice taster to start the World Cup year. Get used to that phase as it will be banded about a lot as we prepare to breeze through the qualifiers and slowly build up the players and our chances and prey Gerrard and Rooney stay fit.

The World Cup maybe not the focus right now but you can guarantee any player with the chance to play there will have it at the back of their minds. Right now for England I think Capello knows his starting back four, with Johnson and Cole at full back and Terry and Ferdinand at centre halve. At the moment Barry, Lampard and Gerrard are first choice in midfield and Rooney up front.

There is still a dilemma over the keeper with James currently first choice and should be kept pretty busy at Portsmouth this season, he will be 40 though and it maybe harsh but would a younger more sprightly Seamen or Shilton saved the goals against Brazil and the Germans in 2002 and 1990? It would be good to see someone challenge Jamo. That leaves a midfield place, on the right and a partner for Rooney and Gerrard in the rotating system employed by Capello. But who will fill them?

Beckham started against Holland but this is a big year for Walcott who does offer pace and quality but I think Joe Cole could be the player for the job, if he can get fit and playing regularly for Chelsea, and thats the what players from around the world in this World Cup year need, regular club football and I think if Owen can get that with Rooney this season my money would be on Capello going with a Rooney and Owen partnership.

Bit right now it's the new Premiership season that I'm looking forward to with only 3 days to go, my fantasy football teams are done and I've looked into my crystal ball and will post my predictions tomorrow.

Bobby Robson RIP - A true legend

2009-07-31T12:58:00.004+01:00

Bobby Robson has passed away this morning after losing his battle with cancer. For me Sir Bobby Robson was a true legend of the game. These days the word legend is banded around a lot but very few actually deserve the accolade, Bobby Robson is one of those that truly deserve it.

I'm far too young to remember Robson as a player and I wasn't born when he famously guided Ipswich to European success but he was in charge of England the year I first fell in love with football. It was the 1986 world cup in Mexico and although England were knocked out by a Maradonna inspired Argentina (with a little help from the "hand of God") the performances of the England team instilled some pride back in our football. My lasting memory of Sir Booby will be the World Cup Italia 90. I was 10 at the time and by then an avid football fan. Often regarded as one of the best World Cups, Sir Bobby’s England team inspired a generation of football fans with the attacking flair of fellow Geordies Waddle and Gazza and the goals of Lineker. Few will forget the emotional semi final against the Germans and the passion and spirit the England team played with only to get knocked out on penalties.

Sir Bobby Robson is arguably our greatest ever football export, managing the great Barcelona, where he harnessed the young, original Ronaldo's amazing talent as well as being responsible for giving us Jose Murinho. He also managed Sporting Lisbon, Porto and PSV, how many English coaches or players have had that much influence on football across Europe?

His homecoming to Newcastle in 1999 was an emotional one and he did a fantastic job guiding them to Champions League spots in 2002 and 2003 and it is no surprise that since Freddy "fat idiot" Shepherd decided not to renew his contract Bobby’s beloved home town club have struggled and now find themselves in The Championship.

I am not usually moved by the passing away of famous people but Sir Bobby was a one off and a true legend. A gentleman and a scholar of the beautiful game he will be sadly missed.

Sir Bobby Robson's roll of honour

As a player:

1950-1956 Fulham
1956-1962 West Brom
1962-1967 Fulham
1958-1962 England (20 caps)
1967-1968 Vancouver Royals (player-manager)

As a manager:

1965-1966 Oxford University
1968 Fulham
1969-1982 Ipswich
1982-1990 England
1990-1992 PSV Eindhoven
1992-1993 Sporting Lisbon
1994-1996 FC Porto
1996-1998 Barcelona
1998-1999 PSV Eindhoven
1999-2004 Newcastle

Trophies won:
1973 Texaco Cup (Ipswich)
1978 FA Cup (Ipswich)
1981 Uefa Cup (Ipswich)
1991 & 1992 Dutch league (PSV)
1994 Portuguese Cup (Porto)
1995 & 1996 Portuguese league (Porto)
1997 European Cup Winners' Cup (Barcelona)
1997 Spanish Cup (Barcelona)

Classic post match analysis

2009-07-27T20:36:00.002+01:00

One contender I missed off the list for ESPN pundit is Ian Holloway, metaphorically speaking one of the best..... check out his after match analysis of his QPR teams ugly win

ESPN new sports channel due to launch

2009-07-26T15:05:00.013+01:00

As an avid arm chair football fan I have been waiting for news on how and where ESPN will be showing the 46 live Premiership games it won the rights to after Setanta's collapse.

ESPN have announced their new sports channel will go to air on 3rd August and is currently available to Sky Sports subscribers for £9 a month, 3 quid cheaper than it was for Setanta. I was a Setanta subscriber and although it is pretty expensive I would spend that and more down the pub watching football and on a cold Monday night I'd rather be at home.

There was more than just the live English Premiership games on Setanta, there was the Scottish Premiership, also available on the new ESPN sports channel, as well as a couple of football panel shows. As a dedicated arm chair pundit i enjoy these programmes and Football Matters on a Monday night was pretty entertaining especially with Graham Poll, seen on the left letting people know how much the decision was wrong by, as a panelist.

Live football on the TV is showbiz these days, and your choice of ex players to comment and commentate on the games is crucial to the success of these shows. Sky have got their regulars with the legendary Andy Gray upfront, with the young Rednkapp supporting and rotating line up of Gullit, Hoddle and Sourness, sorry Souness. The BBC have the steady line up of Hansan and Lawrenson who is turning more and more into a bitter old man as each season goes on, with granny's favourite Lineker as the anchor, but what to expect from ESPN?

Well so far ESPN have swooped to sign BBC stalwart Ray Stubbs with a lucrative new contract and promises of the captain of the commentary team, whether Ray will be allowed to bring in his own right hand man is yet to be seen. ESPN already have an established team who present to 100's of millions of people each week across football mad Asia. Steve McMahon is one of the ex player panelists for their Asia programme but will the name Steve and the scouse link make them wary of people confusing him with Steve McMannaman?

Who would you like to see on the ESPN sports team?

Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne

What a legend! Surely he will keep the people interested and the producers on their toes although an ill fated appearance on ITV during the World Cup in 2002 could put EPSN big wigs off

Stan Collymore

Moral citizen Stan is already in the game on BBC Radio 5 Live and has an on screen presence, allegations of woman beating and dogging have not put off the BBC making Collymore a front runner

Alan Shearer

With the Toon still in turmoil and no contract on the table for Big Al' he might well think he should have stayed on the telly. An undoubted great player, and Premier League legend with goals galore could there be an opening for an ESPN Andy Gray. Step up big Al?

Sven Goran Erikson

The charismatic Sven could be the ideal panelist the new Des Lynam maybe? He could say he is using the time to scout potential players for Notts County while get paid for being on the panel the ideal job and he can even pay his assistant Tord Grip to do all the work.

Big Ron Atkinson

Big Ron was a much loved commentator on ITV Champions League games bring words like lollipop and other pearls of wisdom until he was fired in disgrace from ITV after off air racist comments. He would definitely bring personality to the live football but can ESPN take a risk with Ron?

Leave a comment, who would you like to see on the ESPN team? Which so called pundit annoys you the most?

Surprise signing of Sven

2009-07-26T13:19:00.005+01:00

Yes, Sven is back in England, the suave Swede has returned to our shores after failing to guide the "golden generation" of England footballers past a quarter final and a mediocre spell at mega rich Man City.

The well travelled ladies man, seen on the left pondering whether to play two upfront, was given the boot from Mecxico and is now at Notts County. For me this ranks as the surprise signing of the season so far.

I wasn't really surprised at Owen joining Man United, disappointed but not surprised, Fergie is a shrewd operator and Owen will get goals but what can Sven bring to the oldest football club in the world?

Languishing in the bottom tier of English football, Notts County were recently bought by the strangely named Munto Finance, which sounds like the Spanish word for an ugly woman to me. Their plan; to get Notts County to the Championship in 5 years and then kick on into the promised land of the Premier League. It's an ambitious plan but quite a romantic one, guiding the oldest football club in the world back to the top flight would be a great achievement and quite a story. The question is can it be done and can it be done the right way?

Sven is more used to dealing with top class players, who like him, are on a lot of money, how he will deal with the players, some scraping around the lower leagues to earn a living and how the players and management react to him will be a key factor in the success of this project. Sven is Director of Football, so I expect him to use his name and contacts globally to bring in players who will be playing a league or two below their level but the lower leagues are tough places and team spirit and togetherness, something that seemed to be lacking for England under Sven is the only way any team can get promoted and I doubt Sven can influence that.

Can Sven get Notts County to the Premiership or is he just there for they money?

Football is back on the TV

2009-07-22T20:30:00.005+01:00

Well sort of. It's pre season and if like me you have been missing your weekly fix of football then the pre season games are just the thing to ease you back into next season. And as part of the start to my new season I've started this blog dedicated to all things football but particularly football on the TV.

So whats on?

Sky start their pre season football with the Wembley Cup this week, making the monthly subscription worth while. Friday see 'Arry's Spurs take on the European Champions Barcelona I wouldn't expect any new signings on show but it promises to be an attacking affair and although a friendly I would expect pretty strong lines up so it promises to be an entertaining game and one worth catching at home or at the pub, kick off is 7:45pm.

If you were a Setanta subscriber then you can still get Liverpool FC TV and Arsenal TV for free on the same channels they were on before Setanta went bust. Both these channels are showing pre-season friendlies as are Chelsea TV and MUTV but why you would want to pay extra for those channels I'm not sure??

For now though it's just a case of looking forward to the feast of live football on the TV next season, Sky have already announced their fixtures to be shown live up until November but it remains to be seen what games will be shown by ESPN. What we do know is the channel will be available on Sky and ESPN are talking to Virgin, BT and Freesat on how much they can sell and likely charge for the games. More on that this weekend.

Keep an eye on the live games to be shown on TV as and when they get announced at my main site http://www.footballonthetv.co.uk/ but be sure to check back here for thoughts, info and commentary on the commentary throughout the upcoming 2009/2010 season.

ITV Seal Deal For England Highlights

2008-09-25T22:19:00.000+01:00

ITV have reached an agreement with Setanta Sports to show highlights of Englands remaining away 2010 World Cup Qualifiers!

Highlights of England’s away games against Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine will be shown shortly after the games finish. This has been a long awaited decision as many fans have not been able to catch up on the game due to Setantas hold on the games.

2008-09-21T14:18:00.000+01:00

It certainly is a Super Sunday today for Premiership football with a lunch time Midlands derby between West Brom and Aston Villa quickly followed by Chelsea V Man U at 2pm and with another 3 Premiership games this Sunday I will be certainly watching MOTD 2 tonight at 10pm.

West Brom Villa was a good to game to start the day with, with Villa scoring twice in the first half through Carew and Abonglohor before James Morrison pulled one back for West Brom just as I was finishing off my full English.

Villa hit the post twice in the 2nd half and West Brom probed with some good football but there were no more goals.

Chelsea against Man United is one of the BIG games in the Premiership and could go someway to shaping the title race as a Chelsea victory would see them open up a 9 point gap on United, although it is early days yet. The big question from Chelsea is if Drogba would start and from United would Ronaldo start after coming on in mid week?

The answer is both players begin on the bench and Deco picks up an injury in the warm up and is replaced by Ballack. The game doesn't disappoint and after a lively opening Park gives United a 1-0 lead after 18 minutes and classic high octane Premiership battle continued with United going in 1-0 up at half time.

Chelsea haven't been beat at home since February 2004 and they were not going to relinquish that record to United. Drogba replaced Maloude at half time but it was another substitute, Kalou who headed in the equaliser ten minutes from time. There was a bizarre end to the game where both Andy Gray and Martyn Tyler were left bemused as to whether the ref had blown for full time or not but a decent Sunday spectacle and I'm looking forward to MOTD2 with Man City putting 6 past Portsmouth and 4 goals shared at the KC stadium in a 2-2 draw between Hull and Everton there will be some good games on there tonight.

Englands 4-1 Victory!

2008-09-11T09:55:00.000+01:00

Theo Walcott was England’s hat-trick hero last night as England beat Croatia 4-1 in their World Cup qualifying tie in Zagreb. The 19-year-old opened the scoring, and despite damaging one of his boots in the first half returned to find the net again in the second half of the match.

Wayne Rooney scored England’s other goal, with Mario Mandzukic scoring the consolation goal for Croatia. "Tonight was a bit of revenge. It was a great performance and a great result," Rooney said. "You always enjoy a 4-1 victory, especially after what Croatia did to us in the last qualifying campaign."

England had lost twice against Croatia in qualifying for June's European championship, including a 3-2 defeat at Wembley in November.

Englands next game will be Belarus v England on 15th October, 8.00pm Setanta Sports 1.

Englands 2-0 win over Andorra

2008-09-07T15:58:00.000+01:00

This was not a performance to strike fear into Croatian hearts, but as England know very well it could have been an awful lot worse. The first half saw them at their worst, many of the fans starting to boo when passes went astray, but at least they switched things around and brightened up in the second half. England finally overcame a very-well organised but highly defensive Andorra team, winning 2-0 thanks to goals by Joe Cole both in the second half. England will be in trouble if they perform as cluelessly in Croatia, though the two games will be nothing like each other. England travel to Croatia on Wednesday which promises to be a much tougher and probably far more exciting game of football.

England will play Croatia at 8.00pm on Setanta Sports 1, find more information at www.footballonthetv.co.uk

Keegan Quits! The whole of Newcastle is gutted, man!

2008-09-04T19:39:00.000+01:00

The soap opera that is Newcastle United continues as it has just been announced that King Kev has quit the Toon citing differences with Owner Mike Ashley and Dennis Wise over the way they have handle the transfers policy leaving him with "no choice but to resign" after only 8 months back in charge.

Next Newcastle Manager Odds

Gus Poyet - 5/2
Dennis Wise - 9/2
Alan Shearer - 11/2
Didier Deschamps - 8/1
David Moyes - 8/1
Glenn Hoddle - 25/1

More odds click here

It has been on the cards for a while, I actually had a bet with a Toon fan that he would be gone by the end of last season, it seems I wasn't far off.

Reaction has been flooding in and the initial reaction of Newcastle fans has been one of disgust, with threats of boycotting games and ripping up season tickets, not for the first time Newcastle United is a club in crisis. Even the Newcastle City Council felt moved to release a statement supporting Keegan

King Kev is an absolute hero in Newcastle and is worshiped by pretty much every Toon fan, the support shown by the fans for KK over the last few days has been phenomenal with around 1000 turning up to protest when most people are at work. The club is yet to issue an official statement and it is yet to be seen if Ashely and Wise can remain at a club when 50,000 fans want them out. I am pretty sure you won't be seeing Ashley mixing with the Toon Army away from home downing pints wearing his Keegan 7 shirt.

Keegans resignation concludes a crazy few days in football with the take over of Manchester City by a Sheik with more money than the British Government rocking the football world and turning Man City into a potential Super Club over night and Alan Curbishley quiting West Ham two days ago citing similar reasons to Keegan.

The events at Man City, West Ham and Newcastle though do show an increasing trend in Premiership football with club owners and Directors of Football dictating the squad the manager has at his disposal. Big European clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona have had this type of policy before is this the end of the traditional manager role at English Premiership clubs as the global Premier League brand goes continental.

It's clear the Toon Army don't like it Harry Redknapp and Alan Curbishley have hit out at the structure but it remains to be seen if the new breed of rich foreign owners feel the same.

7 WAYS TO WATCH LIVE FOOTBALL FOR FREE!

2008-09-01T22:01:00.000+01:00

It can be quiet a struggle to watch all the live football games on tv if you don't have a digital tv sports package and we are all aware of the credit crunch and the need to save that extra £10 a month, so here are 7 ways to get by without:

Go to the pub, most pubs nowadays know the added value of showing live games, you can get a pint for £2 and nurse it for the duration of the football.
Drop by your friends house just in time to catch the football, you'll probably get a free cup of tea and a biscuit too!
If you live in a street where you can see into your neighbours window then perfect! Pull up a seat open a can and just hope they don't shut the curtains.
It's not exactly watching it but you can listen to live games on the radio, just sit back close your eyes and visualise!
If you can be bothered to search for pages and pages of "free" online live games sites, then i'm sure you would find one that actually is free.
Blag a season ticket for a game from your dad/uncle john/best buddy, tell them its your birthday or something, you never know do you!
Start supporting a local amatuer team instead of a bigwig team, you can see them live whenever you like at a local football pitch near you.

ENGLAND WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SQUAD

2008-09-01T11:08:00.000+01:00

Englands World Cup Qualifying Campaign kicks off against Minnous Andorra on Saturday 6th September on Setanta Sports 1. There should be a host of goals for England, my prediction will be a 6-0 victory for the three lions, hopefully seeing goals from Rooney, Defoe and a first cap for Jimmy Bullard.

Here's the team........

In Goal:
Robinson (Blackburn), James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham);

Defence:
Lescott (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham);

Midfield:
Barry (Aston Villa), J Cole (Chelsea), Lampard (Chelsea), Bullard (Fulham), Beckham (LA Galaxy), Downing (Middlesbrough), Bentley (Tottenham), Jenas (Tottenham);

Attack:
Walcott (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth), Heskey (Wigan).

The week ahead

2008-08-26T19:49:00.000+01:00

It's Carling Cup time and tonight sees Coventry take on Newcastle live on Sky Sports 2 with local rivals Sunderland against Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports 2 and Sky Sports 2 HD. It may not be the most glamourus competiton but it is usually exciting and the games usually provide alot of goals.

There are 14 live games on this week starting with the Carling Cup tonight and finishing with the return of La Liga and Champions Real Madrid V Deportivo.

The question is what to watch and when, to help here is the first part of my armchair guide to this weeks footie on TV

Tuesday 26th August

Coventry V Newcastle - Sky Sports 2 & HD2 - 7:30pm - Carling Cup

Worth a watch Coventry knocked out Manchester United last season so this could be a lively game

watch rating - ***

Wednesday 27th August

Liverpool V Standard Leige - ITV - 8pm - UEFA Champions League Qualifier

Arsenal V FC Twente - BBC 3 - 8pm - UEFA Champions League Qualifier

Nottingham Forest V Sunderland - Sky Sports 2 & HD2 - 7:45pm - Carling Cup

Three games to choose from tomorrow but for the arm chair pundit it has to be the Liverpool game, it's finally poised at 0-0 and after being outperformed in Leige Liverpool have to win to secure a lucrative £10m pay day by qualifying the the Champions League proper.

Watch rating ***

Thursday 28th August

Midtjylland v Manchester City - Channel 5 - 3:25pm - UEFA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round

Aston Villa v FH Hafnarfjordu - Channel 5 - 8pm - UEFA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round

Villa are pretty much through but City are trailing 1-0 to the Danish side so need a win, I doubt the boss will let me watch it at work though

Watch rating **

This weeks football on tv

2008-08-24T16:35:00.000+01:00

The second week of the Premiership Season is almost over. This weeks Premiership football on TV has seen Fulham beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Saturday evening game and another 1-0 from the Sunday lunch time offering on Setanta with a Deco free kick enough to give Chelsea victory over Wigan. That is all 3 games on Setanta so far ending 1-0, is there something about football on Setanta that makes it not quite as good as Sky?

If it is goals and action you want then the live game of the week was Charlton against Reading, the Saturday lunch time TV game on Sky Sports 1 finished 4-2 to Charlton and was a cracking game with 3 penalties, 6 goals and a red card late on for Readings Sonko, proving good football on TV is not is just about the Premiership.

The weekends live football on TV finished with Manchester City beating West Ham 3-0 on Sky Sports 1, with The Hammers Mark Noble seeing the first red card of the Premeirship Season 2008/2009. A goal from youngster Dean Sturridge and two goals from Elano gave City a comfortable 3-0 win.

But it's not just about the live games, on Sky Sports 1 Football First game of the day, Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough saw a dramatic Gerrard strike to seal the 3 points for Liverpool and a bodacious, Bergkamp esq turn by Boro's Tuncay, which would have been an early contender for goal of the season if his shot hadn't been straight at Pepe Reina.

Football fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to watching football on TV, with Sky Sports

It is very nice being able to watch your teams' 90 minutes but unless you are a top flight manager or scout you are not going to be interested in watching Newcastle beat Bolton 1-0 which makes MOTD on BBC1 the place to see all the days action and if you're out you can and have Sky Plus you can record MOTD and Football First at the same time.

With the weekend action at a close now below are my picks of this weeks action

showing a game of the day at 8:25pm on a Saturday night, followed by all the rest of the days Premiership games at 10:30pm allowing you to choose your game through the interactive button. If you have Sky plus this is great as you if your out on the town on a Saturday night you can record your team's game and watch it back on the Sunday morning.Goal of the Week - Ricardo Fuller - Stoke V's Aston Villa
A majestic flick by Fuller sees him leave Laursen standing and the Jamaican sprinted away and calm slot the ball past Friedal

Result of the Week - Tottenham 1 - 2 Sunderland
A great result for Sunderland, who struggled badly away from home last season, a debut goal from Djibril Cisse secured the points and a happy journey home for The Mackems

Skill of the Week - Tuncay - Liverpool V Middlesbrough
A stylish Bergkamp esque turn left Carragher standing but the Turks shot was straight at Reina

Mug of the Week - Mark Noble first red card of the Premiership
Sent off for two bookbale offences in the first half aginast Manchester City, a stupid handball and a wreckless challenge

There is still one Live game left from this weeks fixture list and that is Sky's Monday night evening and it could be a good one, with Portsmouth entertaining the Champions Manchester United. It will be a nice way to end the long August Bank Holiday weekend.

Football is back!!!

2008-08-22T14:32:00.000+01:00

Football is back!! The Premier League kick off is only 2 days away and the Champions League, Championship, Carling Cup and football league are already underway. There has already been a smattering of football on TV with pre season friendlies on Sky, Setanta and Channel 5, the Football League and Championship games have started on Sky Uefa Cup qualifiers and Champions League qualifiers on Channel 5 and ITV. Sky maybe the home of the Premeire League but football is on a whole range of channels this season, every day of the week.

The big story from the European Qualifiers is the ongoing Gareth Barry transfer Saga. Liverpool played Alonso in their game, where they were lucky to get a draw against Belgian champions Standard Leige and Barry played and scored again Aston Villas 4-1 victory over Icelands FH Hafnarfjordur. This pretty much puts an end to the saga with Barry now cup tied in European Competition until February.

The question is will Villa fans accept him back and will he skipper the side again?

I think once Barry starts scoring for Villa agian the fans will forgive him, he is a quality player who wanted to play champions league football and I'm sure he would have been an excellent acqusition for Liverpool. Now can Barry and Aston Villa break into the top four maybe ousting out the Merseysiders?

And it is the Premier League which kicks off on Saturday. Regarded as the best and most famous leauge in world football their is no doubt that Premier League football is exciting and fast paced, however some say it is also predicatble, but is it?

The start of a new season is the only time when all teams are level and football fans are full of optimisim but will it be the usual suspects Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in the top four, or can Spurs, Villa, Portsmouth or Everton crash the party this season?

There are no answers at this stage of the season only questions, the two that matter the most though are who will win the league? and Who will go do down?I think the top 6 will be tight this year with, Liverpool, pushing Manchsetr United and Chelsea all the way to the final day, but not too far behind I think Arsenal, Spurs and Portsmouth will be challenging for 4th spot. In the relegation battle it is difficult to see Stoke or Hull staying up, however I think West Brom might just nick it with Bolton being relegated.

Premier League Winners odds CLICK HERE!

Premier League Relegation odds CLICK HERE!