Topics

61

Football / Check out a bess Christmas Gift.

« on: December 16, 2010, 09:36:32 AM »

For the peyong and enthusiast alike. This is just for resting in yuh glass case cupboard, bar or tv area.

Perfect Collectors Item!

Own every official FIFA World Cup match ball since 1970!

adidas has recreated every official FIFA World Cup ball since 1970 to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This special package contains all 10 of those legendary match balls. (1970-2006)

Each comes with its own ring stand commemorating the year in which it was used. Also included in the package will be a ring for your official 2010 adidas FIFA World Cup Ball.* You can pre-order the 2010 World Cup Match ball for delivery 12/4/09. See item number 42040.

Each regulation size ball is constructed just as the original was made - with the exact materials and manufacturing technique. This means each ball in the collection is identical to the original for that given year.

*2010 ball is not included in set.

Note: All of our balls are shipped deflated. This helps in keeping our shipping costs low, savings that we can pass on to you.

$849.99 List Price. You Save $350
Price: $499.99
(including customization)

Goal Club Members pay $449.99

Soccer.Com

62

General Discussion / Barbados joins the ranks of Developed Nations

« on: November 09, 2010, 05:20:52 PM »

ALyuh doh hate...appreciate. 


The Daily Herald

NEW YORK--Without the riches of the United States, Canada or Britain, Barbados has joined the ranks of the world's "developed" nations, albeit only in terms of providing people with an excellent quality of life.

Often called the "Singapore of the Caribbean", Barbados, according to the United Nations, joins such countries as Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Lichtenstein, Bahrain, oil-rich Qatar, Andorra, San Marino, Brunei Darussalam, Monaco, United Arab Emirates and Estonia on the list of "developed" countries, based purely on the Human Developed Index (HDI).

The HDI, now in its 20th year, measures performances in health, education, income and other quality of life indices.

The classification was contained in the 2010 UN Human Development Index released worldwide a few days ago.

But that wasn't all about Barbados. With the exception of the Bahamas, it outspends all of its Caribbean neighbours when it comes to providing health care for each resident and it has one of the lowest murder rates in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Barbados was the only Caribbean and Latin American state to be labelled "developed". It's among 16 states which don't belong to the rich nations' club in Paris, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), but which were placed in a grouping set aside for "developed non-OECD members".

Mexico, the lone Latin American and Caribbean country which belongs to the OECD, wasn't included in the ranks of the "developed" states but was placed among the 32 "developing" nations in the Western Hemisphere.

Barbados had previously articulated its desire to be classified as a developed country, but it didn't set an exact deadline for achieving that goal. Trinidad and Tobago says it wants to reach that level by 2020.

In the latest report, Barbados was listed among the nations worldwide with a "very high" level of human development. It was third on the list of members of the OAS that had attained that ranking.

The others were the United States, fourth, and Canada, eighth. Barbados was ranked 42nd. Narrowly missing the top classification was the Bahamas, which was 43rd.

All of Barbados' Caricom neighbours, including energy-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Suriname, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname and Grenada were listed as "developing" states.

So too were such emerging economic giants as India, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation and China.

As the UN Development Programme's top administrator Helen Clark saw it, success wasn't simply about money.

"On one crucial point the evidence is compelling and clear: there is much that countries can do to improve the quality of people's lives even under adverse circumstances," she said.

"Many countries have made great gains in health and education despite only modest growth in income, while some countries with strong economic performance have failed to make similarly impressive progress in life expectancy."

In the vital area of health, the UN report puts Barbados' per capita expenditure on health care at US$1,265 in 2007, a figure that was only surpassed in the region by the Bahamas with US$1,987. Trinidad and Tobago had a per capita expenditure of US$1,178.

Barbados' per capita spending on health was at least three times greater than Jamaica's (US$357); about six times higher than Guyana's (US$197) and at least US$400 per person more than Chile, Kuwait, Mexico and Brazil.

Barbados invested more per capita in the provision of care for individuals than such rich countries as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Libya, Kuwait and Algeria. And its outlay was ten times greater than India's and about US$300 more than Poland. Tony Best, Daily Nation

63

General Discussion / Serious Ting Indeed

« on: November 08, 2010, 01:10:55 PM »

Trinidad Guardian

Rum, beer, stout prices go up...but drinkers remain unfazed

Published: 7 Nov 2010 by Shaliza Hassanali

Rum lovers will now have to dig deeper into their pockets. Like the proverbial thief in the night, Angostura Ltd—local distillers of White Oak, Black Label, Forres Park and Royal Oak, core rums—increased prices by approximately 12 per cent last week. AS Bryden and Sons Ltd, agent for El Dorado Rum jacked up its price between 17 and 18 per cent on Wednesday.

Yesterday, Carib Brewery Ltd managing director Derek Waddell confirmed that the popular dry stout, Guinness, increased from $163 to $183 per case a few days ago, due to the “increase of royalties and hops.” The retail cost of a Guinness is now between $14 and $15.

But while Waddell validated the increase of one alcoholic beverage, some drinkers complained yesterday that the retail prices of Carib and Stag had jumped from $9 to $10 at watering holes from Thursday. Mackeson and Royal Extra also moved from $13 to $14 a bottle.
Waddell said he had no idea why pub owners were increasing the prices of the other alcoholic drinks. “There is absolutely no reason that they should be.”

No increases coming from Carib
Waddell said Carib Brewery has no intention of increasing its line of alcoholic beverages as the Christmas season approaches. Meanwhile, Jose Nivet, sector head, distribution and executive chairman of Alstons Marketing Company Limited, also gave the assurance that it would not increase the prices of its Bacardi and Appleton Estate rums. The price adjustments come 14 months after then finance minister, Karen Tesheira announced in the 2010 budget presentation, a 15 per cent increase in the excise duty on locally manufactured beer, rum and alcohol products.

Andrew Chang, manager of Chang Brothers Liquor Store and Supermarket in Marabella, said the retail price of a case of White Oak and Black Label rums jumped from $858 to $965 last week. The suggested price for a 750ml bottle is $89.99. Chang said the highly consumed Forres Park puncheon rum has skyrocketed from $1,125 to $1,286. A bottle now costs $119.99. The popular Royal Oak rum has risen from $1,052 to $1,186 per case. Chang said the suggested price is $109 a bottle.
El Dorado rum, manufactured in Jamaica, will now cost roughly between $65 and $70 a bottle, as opposed to the $55 to $60 rum lovers used to pay, AS Bryden group product manager Jason Charles said.

Laronde-West: Increase in cost of raw materials
On Thursday, Giselle Laronde-West, public relations manager of Angostura, blamed the 12 per cent increase on the significant changes in the cost of raw materials, mainly molasses, the main element of the rum making process. The price of molasses, which is sourced outside of T&T, went up by 35 per cent, Laronde-West explained.
“We no longer get molasses in Trinidad,” she revealed. Asked what has been the response from customers and buyers Laronde-West said: “We have not had any issues.”

Last November, Angostura increased some of its spirits by just over six per cent because of changes in production costs. Charles said AS Bryden has been informing customers for a while of the price increase for El Dorado rum. “We have not increased our prices in two years.”
Charles could not say if the increase will have a negative effect on sales. “We would just have to wait and see.” Charles shied away from saying if the premier Johnny Walker scotch will increase before Christmas. “I can’t answer that for sure,” he added. Charles admitted, however, that when the price of one type of alcoholic beverage goes up the others are likely to follow. “Yes, this happens sometimes. If there is going to be an increase in other spirits it won’t be significant.”

Alcohol prices
• White Oak and Black Label $965 per case/bottle $89.99
• Forres Park Puncheon $1286 per case/ bottle $119
• Royal Oak $1186 case/bottle $109.99
• El Dorado rum $65-$70 bottle
• Guinness $183 case/$14 to $15 a bottle.

Drinkers unfazed... it’s a necessity
Clutching a bottle of Forres Park rum at Ryan’s Bar, Prince Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday, Nehru Rampersad said the new prices will not stop him from consuming his liquor. “I love meh rum. I used to pay $12 for a shot of puncheon, now I paying $13. That is something? “Drinking is now a necessity for some people. You can’t stop people from taking a drink after a hard day’s work to relieve stress.”
Murchison Mendoza said he was taken by surprise with the new prices, arguing that the public was always the last to know. “But all in all, people will cry about the prices but at the end of the day that ain’t stopping them from hitting the bottle.”

64

General Discussion / Ian Alleyne Thread

« on: October 26, 2010, 04:52:59 PM »

Alyuh ever take in this man show on a afternoon on WIN TV.

This is a serious piece of show....Ian Alleyne is a annoying fella, but this show is great, he doing real service to the people of TT and he helping plenty people and exposing all d bobol.

I hope nobody snuff him out.

Check the link below...go to the videogallery

tntcrimewatch.org

65

General Discussion / U tube video of youth getting bullied

« on: October 12, 2010, 05:00:30 PM »

There is a internet video on U tube of a small youth collecting level slap from a older teen.

It was so bad that it made the news and a number of call in radio shows.

Certain callers said they knew the perpetrator and they would deal with him.

The video has since been pulled from You Tube.

Now looking at win tv ....Ian alleyne highlighted the issue, found the bully interviewed him and the mother, found the victim, talked to the victim and mother and went to the police.

The incident was reported to the police by the childs parents and nothing came out of it.

Ian alleyene then went and followed up the report went to the police station, found out who was the officer who did not deal with the problem and talked to his superiors and got action.

Om lalla will represent the abused youth if needed.

The bully and his family subsequently went to the victims house and attempted to bribe them with 200.

What is worse the bullies mother and father defended the abusers actions wrong and strong.

I am glad this young boy will be charged for his actions and justice is served.

Ian Alleyene well done on your efforts and keep them on they toes.

66

Football / Manchester City reveal financial losses of £121m

« on: October 01, 2010, 09:11:37 AM »

Source BBC SPORT


Manchester City reveal financial losses of £121m

City manager Roberto Mancini with four new signings




City show off four of their new signings with boss Mancini in the summer

Manchester City have announced losses of £121m for the 12 months leading up to 31 May this year, having spent more on wages than their entire turnover.

The financial losses, up from £92.5m for the previous year, represent one of the heaviest in Premier League history.

Chief executive Garry Cook says City will now scale back on new signings.

"Player acquisitions on the scale we have seen in recent transfer windows will no longer be required," said Cook. "The squad is in ideal shape."

He added: "In 2009-10, we narrowly fell short of our goals on the pitch, but still achieved nine club records including our best-ever result in the Premier League."
   
Wage costs of £133m exceeded a turnover of £125m last year, which in the vast majority of businesses would be unsustainable. But City are owned by wealthy Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, who wants to see the club competing at the very top.

He has spent more than £300m on players since buying City - who have not won a trophy for 34 years - from the former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2008.

World-renowned stars such as Carlos Tevez, James Milner, David Silva and Yaya Toure have joined the club on big weekly wages as Roberto Mancini's squad bid to break into the top four of the English Premier League, having just missed out in fifth place last season.

"Two years ago I was fortunate enough to become part of the Manchester City story and I remain grateful for the warmth of the welcome that you have given me," Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a letter posted on the club's official website.

"The ownership of a club like Manchester City, with such a rich heritage and diverse community of stakeholders, carries a unique set of obligations to the fans, staff and broader Manchester community.

"This is something I do not take lightly.

"Therefore the challenge I set my board and executive leadership team is to develop City so that it is one of the most successful clubs both on and off the pitch, but to do so without losing any of the characteristics that make it so special."

The highest financial Premier League loss was Chelsea's in 2004-2005, with the London club losing £141m at the end of the first full year following the takeover by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Though City's wage bill rose from £83m to £133m following Sheikh Mansour's first full year of ownership, the club has appointed a further 106 non-playing staff during the period in question.

It also increased earnings from £87m in 2008-2009 to £125m, with all 35,000 season tickets sold for the season and "partnership income" - chiefly sponsorship deals - rising by almost 400% to £32.4m.

As with Chelsea, Manchester City have stressed that they intend for their business to eventually become far more financially sustainable.

European football's governing body Uefa is set to introduce new financial fair play rulings from next year, with sanctions such as exclusion from European competition if they are not met fully.

67

Football / FIFA 11 Review

« on: September 29, 2010, 01:11:24 PM »

Source Click Here

FIFA 11 Review

Posted on September 29 2010 Posted by Adam Cook Categorized Under: Featured, Reviews

Game: FIFA 11

Developer: EA Canada

Publisher: EA

Available On: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC (Reviewed on Xbox 360)

It’s that time again folks, FIFA is 11 (according to the adverts) and with the new year comes new features, new concerns, new hopes and yet another chance for EA to get the online modes just right.  Once upon a time FIFA games were just incremental in their updates, some might even argue that they would have been better suited to annual paid DLC updates, but in recent years EA Canada have really gone to town with their efforts to make it worthwhile for the consumer to lay down cold hard cash on their games.

With the annual FIFA vs PES “debate” (it was a debate once by the way, nowadays it’s just fanboys beating each others bloody corpses) roaring into full swing (and PES has come on leaps and bounds this year), has FIFA done enough to keep it’s place at the very top?  Read on for the full review.





GRAPHICS: Never a let down in the visual department, FIFA 11 is excellent to look at.  Player likenesses are yet again improved on, but there is still work to do in this area.  The biggest improvement to any graphical elements of FIFA 11 are in the menus themselves and how the game presents itself outside of the actual matches.  EA have listened to the complaints about never-ending menus and it’s far easier to navigate and find exactly what you want in them now.  That’s not to say it’s perfect, because there is still a lot depth and some things are hidden away a little, but the things you need most on a regular basis are easy to get to.

SOUND: As per usual with a FIFA game the sound is excellent, plenty of real-life songs (but not the rude ones) sung by the crowd, the usual eclectic soundtrack to accompany the menus.  Hitting the crossbar or post has never sounded so good, it sounds like you are going to break the bar in half when you hit it. Even the advertising boards behind the goals sound weighty and correct.

Small touches like hearing the players shouting to each other during practice matches  just add to the experience, but the main new feature to the sound department is the custom chants and songs.

Basically, within the options menu you will be able to customize chants for all sorts of occasions such as scoring a goal, players doing well, away team doing well and many others.  This feature can also use the media sharing capability of your console (certainly on Xbox 360 anyway) and you can create a playlist on your media server that you can use in game.  This has all sorts of connotations, of course you can just choose to have The Beatles “Let it Be” playing when you concede but you could, if so inclined, decide to record yourself shouting abuse and create it as a playlist for when the opposition scores.  When playing online your opponent won’t hear it, but playing local multiplayer there’s the opportunity for mirth to be had!  It’s not the most incredible feature, but it proves yet again that FIFA is very customisable!




GAMEPLAY: Let’s get the biggest change out of the way straight away, FIFA 11 has had the physicality ramped up significantly.  At first this doesn’t feel like a good thing, but after a few games it actually feels like a really good gameplay change, for the most part.  It’s actually a fairly conflicting change as it is certainly not a minor one, it’s very noticable and it does change the game.  Sometimes you’ll find it frustrating getting knocked off the ball so easily, but conversely you’ll feel incredible satisfaction when you do break through and hold a defender off to slide the ball around an oncoming goalkeeper to take the lead.  Despite any positives it has to be said that it’s an odd design choice as it doesn’t appear anyone was particularly clamouring for the game to be more physical, but within a few hours it will all feel totally natural anyway.

What this change does do though is add a new level of realism into proceedings, if you are a lightening fast player you’ll still be able to beat the defender to the ball and leave them in the dust and if you are a strong player you’ll be able to shrug off all but the most world class defenders.  Whether or not this additional level of realism makes the game any more enjoyable will be totally subjective however.

The other main addition to the FIFA series is the “Be a Goalkeeper” mode which is the very definition of “easy to do, hard to master”. Playing as a keeper and trying to keep up with crosses coming in is intense and guaranteed to get the palms sweaty.  Control wise it is actually fairly simple though, left stick to move (as usual) and right stick to dive, with the face buttons being your “shout” buttons whereby you can command AI players if you wish.  Obviously the learning curve is steep so you’ll be helped out with handy coloured lines that will tell you what position you need to be in and also the flight of the ball.  One thing is for sure, “Be a Goalkeeper” online has the potential to be utter chaos.  Was it worth waiting for though?  Absolutely!  It completes the “Be A Pro Clubs” mode and now brings full 11 vs 11 online play.  The only thing worth baring in mind with “Be a Goalkeeper” is that if you are part of a good side (online or offline) then you may well not have an awful lot to do in a match.  The better the defence, the less the goalkeeper will be called upon!



A big complaint in previous FIFA titles was the “ping pong passing” and whilst it hasn’t disappeared entirely, it has been greatly reduced to the point where it doesn’t feel as big a talking point as before.  If you are the type of player to hammer the pass buttons you may well come unstuck rather quickly as yet more realism has been added to the gameplay in this respect.  If a player would need to “take a touch” then that is what will be required in FIFA 11 and if you don’t do that then the pass with either be short or be a complete failure, letting your opponent hit you on the break.

Holding down the “pressure” button to tackle has also had its effectiveness reduced, you now need to actually attempt to time your tackles properly or you’ll end up just getting shrugged off by any player worth his salt.  This makes the game more skill based and definitely stops the button feeling like an “auto-tackle”.  It is still useful though, if just to get a player to track back and it does still tackle, but it’s not as effective as actually tracking a run and timing your tackle to perfection.  Moreover, the sliding tackle has been massively improved, you won’t always end up prone on the floor after a slide tackle now.  Sometimes a player will go to ground, but only on one knee whereas others will slide through and come out the other side with the ball.  It actually makes sliding tackles extremely satisfying to do and stops you relying on the “pressure” button as much.  In short, the revamping of the pressure and sliding tackles marry together to make defending extremely satisfying.

You can once again import your EA game face, but as per usual you’ll have to start from scratch when it comes to skills. Once again, levelling up your player by completing accomplishments.  Speaking of which, they have been added to on a monumental scale! Totalling 400 now, there are ribbons awarded for completing the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels accordingly.  The progress for unlocking these is incredibly natural and hearing the sound when you unlock an accomplishment gives the same feeling as the achievement unlocked or trophy sounds.  They all have explanations for what is required and none seem out of reach if you are prepared to put the effort in.



Generally speaking there are other improvements too, shooting feels better. Career mode is now split into three modes, manager, be a pro or player manager (both combined) so there is no need for seperate saves over different modes.  As player manager you can also choose before every match whether you wish to play as just your pro or as the entire team.

One of the features talked about pre-release was personality plus but to be honest, whilst it does play some part, it doesn’t feel as though it plays enough of a part.  A good example for fans of the English Premier League is Kenwyn Jones, the bugger is unbeatable in the air. For the first time in a sports game you’ll find yourself picking your first eleven based on the opposition.  When this happens to you and you actually take it in, you’ll realise how cool that is.  However, the personality plus features don’t rear their heads as much as perhaps they should. Perhaps this is simply down the size of the game and the level of content and players within it.

As exhausting as it may be, we’re not done yet!  One thing that may have annoyed FIFA 10 players was the fact that you had to have two seperate campaigns going, one for manager mode and one for be a pro.  In FIFA 11 you can have player manager, whereby you do both which is a very welcome addition indeed.  The manager mode has also been heavily revamped, taking a fairly big influence from Sky Sports (there is even an menu for “Sky Sports.com” which shows all the stats from all competitions) and it looks more like 2010 FIFA World Cup than FIFA 10.  The only complaint is that when you get e-mails, once you’ve finished doing whatever they require, going back to the career menu takes a little longer than it should.

There is also a full replay theatre now, which means you can save replays for local playback or even just to upload later on.  Saving and/or uploading replays still takes quite a while though and doing this in the middle of a match really takes you out of the game at times, so it’s really still a feature saved for only the most outrageously spectacular of events, at least until they manage to find a way for it to save and upload in the background.



Online modes remain largely the same, though the online be a pro clubs mode has been slightly revamped.  As with the rest of the menus, it looks much cleaner and clearer.  It also looks as though there are proper leagues now and hopefully the confusion surrounding this mode might be cleared up in that respect, but due to the game not being out at the time of review, it’s hard to say for certain.  The greatest shame though is that the number of people allowed to play “any” hasn’t been limited and that means you will still come up against opposition full of people playing “any” despite the mode being designed for teams playing individual positions (the clue is in the name for goodness sake, if you want to play “any” then there are normal head-to-head matches for you!) and utterly ruining the experience for others.

So despite all the positives, the game isn’t perfect.  Although fully licensed there still feels no sense of occasional to the big matches.  Playing as a Champions League team, playing a European match really doesn’t feel too different to any other match, and it really should feel more important than just another date on the calender.  There  are also some saving issues.  Going in and out of the career mode e-mail screen the game “saves” for what feels like too long a period of time, this also happens in other areas of the career mode.

LONGEVITY: Everyone knows a FIFA game will last you until the next one comes along, so you can expect to get at least a full year out of the game if you love your football games.  There’s plenty to do and the online clubs are better than ever.  You really aren’t going to get bored any time soon playing FIFA 11.  However, it is worth mentioning that only time will tell how the gameplay changes really play out.

VERDICT: At the risk of getting the fanboy peckers up, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that FIFA 11 is the best football game to date.  It offers unparralleled realism (on the field, some strange things still happen off the field) and depth to gameplay, building upon the excellent FIFA 10 and 2010 FIFA World Cup games that it follows.

It’s taken a long time to get this good and most football fans have had to suffer along the way at some point, but play FIFA 11 and you’ll forgive every dodgy football game you’ve ever endured.  Some of the actual footballing changes are obviously subjective, but on the whole this game is an absolute delight to experience. Give it the time it deserves and you will be rewarded with the gameplay you’ve always deserved.  You need FIFA 11, you deserve FIFA 11.

68

Football / Wayne Rooney’s collectable Mini for sale

« on: September 16, 2010, 09:19:38 AM »

Wayne Rooney’s collectable Mini for sale
 



A rare Mini previously owned by shamed soccer star Wayne Rooney is up for sale on motoring website Auto Trader.

The Manchester United footballer – currently embroiled in a prostitution scandal – bought the limited edition Mini Cooper GP in 2006 as a 21-year-old hot shot.

And like the bullish striker, the Mini is aggressive looking and packs a hefty punch – with a 1.6-litre engine enabling a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 148mph.

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Rooney often chose the Mini over his Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin supercars for the daily jaunt to training from his £4.5 million Cheshire home.

However, he couldn’t take his colleagues along to training as the Mini had its rear seats removed to keep weight down.

Rooney held onto the car for two years before passing it on to its second of four owners.

The Mini is being sold by materials controller Alan Gordon.




Alan, 33, from Aberdeen, said: ”It is a truly fanstastic car to own – it’s quick and sticks to the road like glue.

”When I’m behind the wheel, it always gets admiring glances and is a real head turner.

”I have thoroughly enjoyed this car but a new house purchase forces a very reluctant sale.”

The Mini Cooper GP, launched in 2006 and limited to just 2,000 models, is seen as a future classic with Evo magazine describing it as ”perfectly poised through corners” and awarding it a full five stars.





Rooney’s model was one of the first of 444 to be imported into the UK and has covered 43,000 miles.

The Scouse striker is the second England star in as many weeks to have an old car go up for sale with David Beckham’s TVR appearing on eBay.

However, while Becks’ fans suffered a bout of auction fever with bidding ending on £71,000, Rooney’s old Mini is for sale on Auto Trader for a more modest £13,450.

Other former celebrity-owned cars on the motoring website include a Ferrari F50 previously owned by Rod Stewart with the modern day classic on the market for a staggering £475,000.

Despite his age, 24-year-old Rooney has owned 20 cars totalling £1.5 million, currently driving an Audi RS6 and an Overfinch Range Rover that’s identical to wife Coleen’s. His first motor was a diminutive Ford KA, which he had as a youngster with Everton.

Cars Wayne Rooney has owned

1. Ford KA

2. BMW M3

3. Mini GP

4. Aston Martin Vanquish S

5. Mercedes CLK DTM AMG

6. Mercedes CL63 AMG

7. Bentley Continental GTC Speed

8. Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

9. Mercedes G55 AMG

10. Overfinch Range Rover Sport

11. Range Rover Supercharged

12. Cadillac Escalade

13. BMW X5

14. VW Golf R32

15. Mercedes SLK

16. Chrysler 300C

17. BMW M6

18. Audi RS4 Avant

19. Porsche 911

20. Audi RS6

69

Football / D Touches Match Musings TT vs Chile Under 17 WC.

« on: September 05, 2010, 11:08:13 PM »

Folks,

This evening history was created...as a TT team won its first ever match at a FIFA Finals.
I am still enjoying the moment and it's been a long time since I have felt good watching a TT team.

This bunch of young ladies showed that with determination, training, fitness, sticking to a plan and playing as a team, you can succeed and Even Pellerud has done a wonderful job with this group of girls.

The preparation for this tournament was good and from the warm up victories before, the team was on the right track, all that was needed was to get it right on game day....and they did. Now there are areas to improve upon, but this team has character and they put the senior mens team to shame.

Imagine if the senior men could put even half the effort, determination and fight that these girls have we would be in a better place. Also I was amazed at some of the skills and technical ability on display that were shown by the ladies that their male counterparts cannot do properly...e.g. trap, head, tackle, read the game, take a good corner kick, make a driven pass more than 20m on the ground, make off the ball runs and keep the shape of a team defensively.

Anyway, the afternoon started around 2pm...there was a good sized crowd and after getting stopped by security for trying to bring in some grog in a plastic bottle, with the help of a fellow forumite, we worked a scene and entered the stadium with drinks in tow.

These games are dry zones...and it was explained to me that vendors did not get a bar licence in time, fifa rules were in place and also as coke was the main sponsor, no competing drinks or bottles were allowed in the stadium...only coke products, eg sprite, powerade, dasani etc. Further, there were very few food and drink vendors in attendance. The regular pie and nuts men couldnt see their way due to accreditation issues and so the thousands in the stadium had to fight up with the three or four concessions, selling hot dogs, fried chicken, warm soft drinks and water at exorbitant prices.

The carpark area of the stadium was transformed into an activity village and Sony had a booth where their new 3d technology, tv screens as well as a ps3 allowing fans to play Fifa, were on display. Bmobile had a spin the wheel, prize give away and hyundai had a small goal shoot to win booth.

All the gates and turnstiles were open, no long lines and the volunteers, police and firemen were wukkin.

The sound system was loud and clear, the scoreboard wukking and showing replays, the flags were the correct size.In fact everything was going smooth and it seemed TT were doing a great job as hosts....they NEARLY got it right.

The first game started between Nigeria and Korea DPR with me hunting for chaser and ice and I missed the opening goal. A roar from the crowd which swelled to 16,000 by the TT game, indicated that someone scored.

Both teams were technically good, with Nigeria being the more entertaining of the 2 teams. Nigeria were taller, fitter, faster and dribbled a bit more...but their goalie and defence were suspect. After going 1 up...Korea DPR equalized and then went ahead. Only for Nigeria to storm back in the closing stages to take the game 3-2.

Both teams played well for the opening 20 minutes of each half...then fitness took its toll, no more nice passing, no more flick, just hit and hope and scruffled attempted plays.

Nigeria and Korea had dangerous number 10 players up top and we need to stifle these players when we face them.

By now Nigeria had captivated the crowd and most patrons were Pro Nigeria, cheering them on and applauding each play. Nigeria had the largest visible support, with a strong section in both covered and uncovered stands, chanting, waving thundersticks and clapping.

I could not understand why the crowd wanted Nigeria to finish them...when a draw would have been the best result for TT.

Maybe people know more than me, but some claimed we winning this cup and we beating them 2 side easy...I could only smile and listen to the ole talk all around.

Then TT and Chile came out on the pitch to warm up and it was level vibes in the stadium. The place was full, everybody blowing a vuvuzela or horn from bmobile, a riddim section started up in covered stands and d vibes was nice, The Warrior Nation Flag made an appearance and it was action like WC 2006...the TT girls warmed up in sync, totally in time to the music, with intensity, and precision. Everybody knew the drill, what to do and how to do it.

Chile a little bigger and thicker, but we showing zess and vibes.
 
The teams went back in to a loud cheer and the cultural opening went ahead.

It was short and sweet but I enjoyed it and we showcased our mokojumbies, pan, dancers, costumes and some fireworks and smoke. Maximus Dan hyped up the crowd and we were set.
The PM came and said some stuff, applause all around...she gave a big up to Jack Warner, they greeted the teams and then came the anthems.

Chile own...nice and loud.

Then "PLEASE STAND FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO".......

with the world watching and listening...the dj start the damn anthem half way...from "we solemnly declare"    ...it was like the Sweden Game all over again a real What the F^@K moment.

Anyway the girls compose theyself and sang the rest of the anthem...all now stadium quiet as people ent know whether to laugh or cuss or still fumbling the words and eventually...most people join in at..."where every creed and race find an equal place and may God Bless our nation"

Tweet....game on and TT lined up in a 4-4-2 morphing into a 4-5-1 on occassion.

Chile playing a 4-3-3.

I really cant give names or numbers of players accurately....but our Captain Schmidt is a Boss, winning everything in the air, marshaling the back, reading the game and clearing when necessary. A woodcutter at times, a florist the next. Good shift by her.

In fact I was impressed by the entire back 4. The lil white number 2 wingback on the right, a short strong girl...had good kicking technique and was strong in the tackle. Good footskills and coulda play a tru ball. The other 2 girls were not as technical but made up in speed and aggression.

Also it was great to see these girls play for each other, any mistake made was covered by a teammate. Double team was common and there was always perfect covering and movement and support off and on the ball.

I was taken aback at the number of agricultural challenges and how no quarter was given by any of the  teams on display.

TT started brightly running at Chile and trying the shot, using the flanks or playing a tru ball through the center. The attack was varied and it resulted in a number of corners which were delivered expertly from a tall indian looking number 14. Every corner was trouble for Chile and TT were good with all their set pieces.

It was from a corner or throw that a TT fwd got the ball, trapped screened and turned the defender and hit a shot that crept past the goalie.

TT 1-0 after a few minutes and it was pandemonium in the stadium....chants start, horn blow, wave start to go around the stadium and while the girls in they glee and doing celebrations...Chile organize theyself, kick off again and ketch TT napping. From there the jep nest raise...and Chile start to pass the ball around and raid our goal.

Chile have a lil number 9 with skill for days, cyap, rolly poly, fan, wrong address, cutback...she had it all and was playing sensibly with the Chile 10 and 14 finding spaces and playing the tru ball working the TT left wingback with the lil fro/jerri curls.

On many an occasion the tiny mite TT keeper kept us in the game...coming off her line bravely over and over to stop the Chilean fwds. She has a good safe pair of hands. Can kick the ball long very well, reads the game, switches the point of attack well, calms the ball or sends it out for the counter....the girl good. Is jess she short.

TT goes into the half 1-0 up and both teams had chances on goal. TT getting a few crosses to no one and being dangerous on the corners. Chile getting the tru ball in the space between stopper and wingback but keeper wrapping up effectively.

After 60 min, both teams were bun and scrappy play then ensued.

However you saw tactical adjustment from TT by Pellerud.

Anytime Chile started getting back into the game, a fwd/midfielder drops back to double team and hustle. effectively going to a 4-5-1. We would then play hoof out ball long to the wings....to instruction. Letting the fwds chase it long and push the Chileans back into their half.

Then you would see the coach come back to the touchline shout something and after the Chileans drop back...we then start to hit them a short passing game tru the middle.

With 70 mins to go...we then look to keep the lead and hit on the counter with TT subbing the hard working number 3 up top for an energetic number 10.

Folks the sub came on ran after a long ball..."pongs off" perfectly legal shoulder to shoulder challenge with a chile defender, hits the onrushing defender a tock tock beat on the by line and from an acute angle slaps a shot across the face of the goal into the far corner.

A BESS goal...

The whole stadium jump up, we celebrating and then the ref calls the goal back.

Well is level boo and cuss the ref get and from there the ref like she was playing for Chile...is level foul, corner, throw in all going Chile's way and it started to frustrate the TT players. Chile pelting blade...no foul. TT not getting any help from the assistant lines people and Chile started using the off the ball fouls and dirty tactics.

Elbow and stamp start to pass...and guess what our girls dished it right back...in heaping portions too.

Even if TT lost this game...those girls made us proud cause they giving it their all.

The crowd started getting into it and big men cussing and shouting and making comment when mistakes were made...I had to tell the fella next to me to calm down....is a lil girl trying her best not a big hard back man.   

Anyway...with the disallowed goal TT goes for it again and from a corner, the Chile goalie cannot hold it bobbles up, scruffles around and from nowhere a shot is taken...lobbing the keeper and remaining defenders.

2-0 and we looking good to go.

Then the TT jumbie kicks in along with the referee bias...and petty infringements are called against us.

We like to do things the hard way and a free kick is given away from about 30 meters out. A wall is put up but a Chilean girl hits a very good shot and it beats the little tiny mite in the TT goal.

I felt real sorry for the keeper as she didnt put a foot wrong and she tried to reach, but saw it late and could not jump high enough.

with 10 minutes to go Pellerud makes 2 more changes...an injury occuring to TTs winger and a new fwd coming on.

We holding on...is boom kick football and hit and hope and Chile got a free kick in the 90th min.

The goalscorer tried her luck from distance again and my heart jumped and skipped a beat as the tiny mite keeper jumped in the nick of time and pushed the ball...it then crashed against the bar and out for a scramble.

Tweet...full time and is celebration and warm feelings all around.

and it did not stop there....TT went and warm down, the team started to stretch, they went tru their after match routine...then came the hugs, jumps and waves to the crowd.

Forumites there are areas to improve, but confidence, attitude, simple football, positional play and team shape are good. We have to be a bit fitter...we have to be a little more composed on the ball, not switch off and be alert in the final 3rd. More shots to goal would be good as I find these keepers at this level suspect.

This team won many hearts tonight and I encourage you to give them your support and go and watch the remaining games. You will not be disappointed.

Till next time.

70

Football / 'More diverse' crowds at Premier League football

« on: August 26, 2010, 07:47:20 AM »

BBC

'More diverse' crowds at Premier League football



Liverpool fans A total of 13.6 million fans went to Premier League games during the 2008-09 season

Increasing numbers of women and ethnic minorities are attending top-level football in England, research suggests.

The study found 19% of fans going to Premier League games in the 2008-09 season were women, and 8% were black or from ethnic minorities.

The research by Populus also found that more children were going, with young people having 13% of season tickets.
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

    * England 2018 Cup bid 'unbeatable'

The Premier League said the diversity of crowds attending its matches was a "powerful advert for English football".
Safe and enjoyable

The research included a poll of 2.3 million fans who had been attending matches over the past five years, which found 33% were women and 16% black or ethnic minority.

“Football is increasingly attractive to more sectors of society”
 Richard Scudamore Premier League chief executive

A total of 13.6 million fans went to Premier League games during the 2008-09 season.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "This research is hugely encouraging because it confirms the hard work we and the clubs have put into improving the quality of experience both on and off the pitch.

"Football is increasingly attractive to more sectors of society, which is fantastic because it was only a generation ago that people used to look down their nose and see it as a rather narrow preserve."

He added: "Now women, children and black and minority ethnic fans make up a significant proportion of the crowd - and when you have 500 million homes in 211 countries tuning in to see Barclays Premier League matches every week they see that's a powerful advert for English football."
Family day

Children were not surveyed for the study, but the figure for young people's season tickets was up from 10% in 2004-05.

The research found 28% of adults went to matches with their children, and seven out of 10 of those saw it as a family day out.

Almost all fans (97%) fans felt safe both inside the stadium, and outside before and after the match.

BBC Sport's Matt Slater says the timing of the report is significant, as it partly dispels the idea that rising ticket prices are making football less inclusive.

And he says the picture of a more diverse crowd is one England's 2018 World Cup bid will be keen to impress on Fifa's inspection team, currently touring facilities in the country.

71

General Discussion / The Safety In T&T Thread

« on: August 22, 2010, 06:40:09 PM »

Forumites,

We have plenty crime and news etc...let this thread be an educational one. I propose that everyone post a piece of advice on how to keep safe when going about your everyday business. Many of us have been victims of crime and this thread can help people be aware...it is not meant for people to be paranoid but just alert.

I will start.

(*) Each and every day say your prayers and ask for guidance and protection...when yuh reach back home safe...pray again and give thanks for making it tru another day.

1) In POS do not take our your phone and walk about talking...it will get snatched.

2) By extension do not wear any excessive jewelry or flash cash. Use cards instead.everybody have linx.

3) Put yuh bags, laptop etc in the trunk of your car and dont leave anything visible.

4) When a spranger bothers you to "watch" yuh car....in some instances it better yuh pay him the 5$ and tell him Bless instead of coming back and finding your side mirror, headlights etc missing....or just tell him you will pay him when yuh come back. If he is still there and yuh car safe...waz a lil 5$....if is a different spranger tell him yuh pay he partner already.

5) Do not park up around the savannah, chancellor, st clair, macqueripe, foreshore or any other lonely place to bull. Do that home or pay for a room.

6) Doh give no vagrant in town nuttin...if one see that you sharing about 3-5 more will tackle you by the next corner.

7) When a Vagrant asks for "assistance"....tell him "yes certainly...once it doh involve money or a phone call"...yuh will get a hard stare or a cuss but the botheration gorn.

8)Vary the times and routes you take to go home...always remember the streets are watching.

9) When driving in traffic, keep your windows up. Phones, Chains, watches etc get snatched.

10) Late at night...time a traffic light so you dont have to make a dead stop or wait too long.

11) Always have your phone charged or money on your phone.

12)Ladies try not to use "ph" taxi...if unavoidable, use a familiar car or one with identifiable marking e.g a name on a windscreen. Also do not get into a car with 4 man watching you.

13) Try always to not sit in the middle passenger seat of a car, make some kinda excuse and get a door seat.

14) Doh answer no phone in a taxi.

15) Make friends with your neighbours and let them keep a eye out for you.

16) Watch all cable people, those who installing phone, people checking meter, men cutting grass, yard boy etc with a eagle eye. Dont let people in your premises without getting all their info and look at id and make a call to the company from your phone. Dont use their cell or ring any number they give you.

17) When you in the grocery do not keep your purse in your trolley unnattended, from the time you dip to pick up something...dat gone.

18) Go party in groups, park under a light or pay for safe parking.

19) Doh ketch it in said party and be shifting...once you look like a easy target they coming....by extension ladies...a group of you looking good and clueless is ting for people to follow you home.

20) Be familiar with the police stations in your area...if you are followed drive up to the nearest one.

21) when going to the beach...leave a member on the sand to keep an eye or watch your bags good when yuh in the water. Granted the bandits have a headstart on you if they snatch and grab. Watch out for las cuevas on the end with the sand track...bandits lurk there. and doh play yuh going tyrico bay or damiens bay or any other lil cove in the night or during the week during funny hours by yourself.

22) If a bandit decide is your time...just give him the wallet, watch, keys etc....and run. Material things can be replaced.

72

Football / The rags to riches story of Man Utd's Bebe

« on: August 15, 2010, 07:49:25 PM »

Sometimes, yuh need a lil story like this to inspire someone....work hard and with some luck, look what can happen.

The rags to riches story of Man Utd's Bebe

Post categories: Football

Source Paul Fletcher | 19:01 UK time, Thursday, 12 August 2010

Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, better known as Bebe, was taking part in the 2009 European Street Football Festival in Bosnia when he joked with his team-mates that he would one day be greater than Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 20-year-old still has a long way to go before he achieves that ambition but his transfer from Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes to Manchester United for a reported £7.4m, subject to a medical, nonetheless marks a stunning rise to prominence.

The midfielder's story has taken him from a shelter for homeless young people on the outskirts of Lisbon to one of the world's biggest football clubs in little more than a year.

It is a remarkable story.

Bebe was signed by Portuguese third division side Estrela Amadora in the summer of 2009 after previously playing for amateur side Loures. The move came months after Bebe had been one of eight residents at the Casa do Gaiato shelter invited to play for the Cais team in Bosnia.



bebeteam595.jpg Bebe is second from the right in the back row with the Cais team in Bosnia

Cais is an organisation in Portugal that is perhaps best known for publishing a magazine inspired by the Big Issue. But it also tries to use football to get homeless kids off the street.

It certainly succeeded with Bebe. Cais director Henrique Pinto, who travelled with the mixed squad of four men and women to the Bosnian town of Foca, remembers Bebe as a humble and kind man, who wore boots that were old and worn.

"He was a very simple sort of guy who did not have much," Pinto told me. "But he made a huge impression at the tournament. In terms of ability, he was the team. But he did not try to keep the ball. He involved the others. That is the image I have of him."

Asked about Bebe's move to Manchester, Pinto added: "I think he is supposed to travel to England on Friday but I doubt whether he has much luggage to take with him."

Bebe did not stay long at Estrela Amadora. His chance with them had come because the Lisbon club needed to regroup after suffering a severe downturn in circumstances. They had finished 11th in the Portuguese top flight in 2008-09 but were relegated to the third tier following a string of financial difficulties.

However, after one full season, Bebe was signed by Vitoria, one of Portugal's leading clubs, on 24 June, penning a five-year deal. The midfielder expressed the hope that he could break into the first team but little did he know what was about to happen.

After impressing during pre-season for Vitoria, scoring a superb solo goal in Sunday's win over Braganca, he suddenly discovered he was a wanted man, with both Manchester United and Real Madrid reportedly showing interest.

It was United who got in first, Sir Alex Ferguson acting on an apparent recommendation from former assistant Carlos Queiroz. Ferguson met Bebe for the first time on Tuesday and United made an offer that triggered a release clause in the player's contract.

"I am very happy," said Bebe, displaying a nice line in understatement. "I had the dream of playing for a major club and that dream has come true."

Standing at 6ft 3in tall, Bebe is thought to be athletic and strong in the air but, in all honesty, not that much is known about him, even in Portugal.

"I don't think Bebe believed something like this would happen to him," added Pinto. "From having virtually nothing, he has turned himself into something radically different."

Bebe has clearly come a long way from his humble beginnings. Pinto does not know why the midfielder initially entered the Casa Do Gaiato shelter but he told me that he had been there for a long time.

"The institution is based on human values - being simple and honest, of working as a team - and that is something that is passed on to people who live there," said Pinto. "In his attitude towards life and other people around him, I do not believe that Bebe will become a person like Ronaldo, who I do not like."

Nonetheless, the sensational chain of events that have taken Bebe to the Theatre of Dreams mean he will be subject to immense changes in his life. They will take him to a new country and see him subjected to an intense pressure and scrutiny that he has not previously experienced.

Pinto, an intelligent and thoughtful man who clearly cares deeply about the plight of homeless people, is delighted by Bebe's success and telephoned him on Thursday to offer his congratulations. But he does harbour concerns about the 20-year-old's new life.

"It is easy to forget where you come from and become distracted by the things that shine, only to later discover that they are not gold," said Pinto.

If Bebe is to continue his meteoric rise and become a better footballer than Ronaldo, then he would be well served to heed Pinto's words.

73

Football / D Touches Match Report TT vs JA

« on: August 11, 2010, 09:37:39 PM »

I would first like to start this report by congratulating our opponents Jamaica.

They were truly deserving winners and were good opponents tonight.

They were disciplined, kept their shape, stuck to their task and no they did not play a level of wild man football. They did not use any dirty tactics or pelt any blade and they showed TT how to play football.

In fact they even looked better when they had 10 men on the field and started to flick the ball and knock it around and make some nice passes.

They were understrength, they pappy show on us by changing nearly their entire team with subs and were more enterprising and imaginative on the few free kicks and corners in the game.


Folks Latapy and this TT team let me and the nation down BADLY tonight and I was so vex and upset by what I saw.

I arrived at 4:30 met up with Andre Samuel and we only got seats because Patriot was fortunate to hold them for us.

The powers that be did not allow the vendors to sell beverages and so there was no liquid refreshment of any kind to be purchased easily. The only bar was the COE concession stand that had two fellas working on go- slow trying to stretch the few hot beers and soft drinks they had.

So I could not even drown my vexation with a beer, water nuttin....and I dare not leave my seat lest I lose it entirely.

The under 17 girls were playing the senior team and both women's teams were playing well. I was really enjoying the match seeing the ladies play simple and to instructions and trying little things here and there. This game only lasted 75 minutes so I didnt get to see much action.... but the some of the under 17s look big and were nearly the same size as their senior women counterparts (NB the foreign chirren have size)

The crowd was one of the largest I have seen in a while in COE and at 5 the stadium was RAM OUT.

So much so, that people used the roof of the concession stand as a viewing point. The announcer did come and say please move as this is a hazard...but most people shuffled around like some disturbed cockroach for a 2 minutes and then remained right where they were. It was a serious hazard.

Also there were no police or fire men present and as such people sat down on the railings, in the space behind the rows of chairs and in the aisles. A group of Jamaicans next to me totally blocked the staircase and people were tripping trying to move up and down the stairs....No public announcement to move, neither a presence by any authorities to enforce any kinda order.

All the stands were full and people parked up in the car park and watched the game from the back of their pick ups or they looked through the fence...which was at times 2-3 people deep and completely surrounding the field.

But for all the people there...not a peep could be heard...no whistle, no horn, no riddim section...it was just people confused at who on the field and people cussing to themselves.... and a entire stadium was drowned out by about 20 yardies in full cry.

The most intensity that happened from TT was during the warm-up....and even on that they chinks and some players pull a farse one. They played some small sided touch games and lunged and did shuttles etc, but then the trainer rest down some cones of various sizes on the pitch....the object of the exercise is to raise your foot, over the cone at speed and move thru the spaces....some players, do a smart man thing and mimick the motion behind the cone, rather than moving their foot over the cone, then some of them went skipping tru fast...some of them mashing the cone hard hard.....all I do is smile to mehself....I ent go call out the delinquents.

Anthems sung and then the announcer calles out the team....calls out phillip first...then comes back...no sorry Williams in Goal. So the whole stadium confused.

Also too the PA system was of poor quality and before they cranked up the music you coulda swear it was a pair of headphone on max they were using. Also the placement of the speakers, facing the field and under the shed by the concession stand did not help the audio and as such all team line ups and subs were hard to hear.

So with no drink, no food, and place ram out I say lemme see how these fellas go fare.

We start with a opening attack and a burst down the line....ad dat was it...JA counter and it was possession by them and nuttin by us.

We struggled to get out the half...we could not string together 3 passes...we have no midfield and was playing a long hoof from the back up the wings and I just saw the writing on the wall that it would be a long evening.

Folks...I love Latapy as a player....but as a coach he clueless. Is a Maradonna he doing we...and I will go so far as to say that right now he making Maturana look like Mourinho.

I cyar believe the "Afro" had this side looking so much better, with nearly the same personnel and Latapy was outcoached tonight in a big way.

Again he used a 4-2-4 formation....with a flat back 4 on top and flat back.

JA used a 3-4-3 and simply dominated the midfield as it was 2 players----hector and noel vs the Jamaicans.

Both midfielders played very well and were the only two performers on the night. But both suffered from no support and they were double and triple teamed right tru.

Our back 4 were christened bobolees from a girl sitting near to us and they were advantaged over and over.

The first goal a "nothing ball" was played over the top...the right back who I think was hislop has time and space, no pressure and could trap it, head it for a throw as he was near the line or head it out far.

Instead the backside nods the ball down across the goal straight to a JA fwd foot and the man leggo a demon straight up in Williams Jep nest.

Well talk bout cuss he collect.

Yuh know what I ent have much more to say as we chase shadows whole game..with no intensity. We give away corners unnecessarily, we nearly score a own goal on ourselves a few times, we didnt jump in the air, we ent tackle and on many an occasion the number 9 JA fwd tun up our whole defence and skin them out like a george street jamette.

It was embarrassing how our defenders getting pongs off the ball, tackling wind and getting rip.

The second goal was a stupid penalty when some one of the clueless 4 took down the man in the box after gettin rip for the umpteenth time.

TT scored on one of their only good flowing passing moves for the night...a quick combo play...a good tru ball by daniel and somebody ran into the space collided with the keeper and slipped the ball into the net.

It was sad to see TT players not running off the ball, not supporting the play, moving slow and not even forming a triangle and giving a man a option. So when Carter or Daniel went up the wing they had NOBODY to square the ball back to for a sho...so it was a wasted cross ball to 3 men in a line and the cross was either poor or taken by the keeper or one of the JA defenders.

The loudest applause came when Keon Daniel got substituted...same ole...no tackle, slow, lazy, nuttin going fwd...but will hit a man a spanner and cut inside and pass to nobody.

A defender got injured and his replacement was a marked improvement...I think it was Cyrus.

In fact the writing was on the wall and Latapy realise is water more than flour...so he start to put on subs in the last 15 minutes to give man a sweat.

Funny thing is the subs...notably a number 12 I think it was marcano and Jagdeosingh and tinto changed the pace of the game and we looked a small threat ...jaggy even gettin off an attempted volley and free kicks were starting to be won on the top of the JA box.

We did not create any real scoring opportunites and we lost the ball too much making plenty mistakes.

Counter attack in our tail by JA and our players trotting back...there were times it was 4 JA against 2 TT defenders and when the wingbacks did try to get into the play and overlap it was a mispass or jam that just messed things up and had them scampering back for cover.

I not saying any more asthe third goal was a headed one by JA....their fwd beating both the keeper and the last stopper to the ball and powering it in. Funny enough when any of our players were off the field recieving treatment nobody bothered to drop back into their position so we played with 3 defenders sometimes.


The lack of midfielders and the winger/fwd not showing resulted in the wingbacks having nobody to throw the ball to when it came back in play so every throw in was a turnover as hector or noel would be marked out.

Also the ball boy on my side of the field was a lil bepsy. slow to collect the ball, throwing 2 ball on the field, ent know who to give the ball to. I ent know but yuh should get some teenagers or more alert youngsters for this wuk.

No lay up...no shots to goal of note...no cross that connecting...and no beat and no skill.

I shame to say this but the only beat was a small spannerand feint from Daniel who after he got tru passed across the goal to noone. It was the Jakans who were sharing beat.

ALso you would think home crowd, play for pride, play with urgency...I mean even hit a man a blade and get a yellow...something!!!....boy TT playing like they waltzing in their bedroom, no urgency, no fight, no spirit, no hustle.

Also Latapy again doh make no kinda tactical shift...no positional changes...NUTTIN.

He changes players and expects something different...but whenthe structure or formation is the failure, it ent have nuttin yuh could do.

Folks the locals ent good enough and we ent looking at all likely to beat JA in the office.

Also unless serious work and improvement is done we might not reach a gold cup either.

Is either yuh give the under 23 boys who still coachable a shot...like Adams, Primus, Cyrus and work with them or you bring back the foreign based players and get the side in order.

We running with 25-29yr old men who bad habit already formed and they ent getting better.

Everybody get found out a long while ago and all the pretenders hadda finally pack it in or get they act in order.

I still real pissing vex with this side....imagine stadium full, we come to see Latapy and support him and the side and is total shit they put down. That performance run anybody who had any thoughts of coming and watch this side again. It was a spineless unpatriotic kicks sweat.

Both players and coach should apologies to the nation for the performance....not good enough.

Till next time.

74

Football / D Touches Match Report TT vs Antigua

« on: July 21, 2010, 08:59:08 PM »

Folks,

It's good to see the Red, Black and White Live again and I went to this game with little or no expectations. I decided to give Latapy and the fellas a clean slate and see what they had to offer.

I arrived early...a little after 5 and I bounced up Shotta and Patriot at the gate. The crowd was sparse at the time, but by kickoff the entire covered stands were full, a few in the uncovered stands and I would put the crowd at about 300 - 400 people.

The TTFF set up a booth near the concession area with womens under 17 paraphernalia and they provided a sign up sheet for pre ordering of tickets. Bags, T shirts and other things were on sale and the Under 17 Mascot, made a guest appearance at half time during the game.

Back to the match....armed with a pie which was quite large for the $7 paid. I took my seat and was joined by fellow forumites G and Big Magician.

Both teams were warming up and the Antiguan players were bigger and more muscular than their TT counterparts...it looked like Dasheen vs KFC but while the Antiguans were bigger they were clumsy and slow. TT had some pep in their step and looked quite lively during the warm up, skipping tru cones etc.

I saw a new piece of equipment being used by the TT trainer in the warm-up process. A few of the players were using what looked like a big plastic tube, it was black in colour and akin to a rolled up exercise mat about 3-4 feet in length. All the players sat on this kinda log thing and were rolling on it, rocking back and forth and using it to massage their muscles. Sometimes it was used as a prop, other times like a rolling pin, It looked quite silly, but I am sure it is some new warm up method that the TT staff are using.

After the anthems were sung and the customary shake hand by both teams...Antigua were on the attack and almost embarrassingly took the lead in the first 10 seconds. A long ball was played from the back and the last stopper Hislop allowed it to bounce over his head. He expected the keeper to claim, but the keeper stayed on his line...so with the ball bouncing and Hislop shielding the Antiguan fwd hustles him and gets to the ball and manages an attempt on goal.

TT started with a 4-4-2 with Jan Michael Williams in goal, Makan Hislop and Keston Williams as stoppers, Kern Cupid right back and Aklie Edwards on the left, Trent Noel and  Densill Theobald in the middle with Guerra and Kevon Carter on the wings with Devon Jorsling  and Kerry Baptiste up top.

Antigua also had a 4-4-2 and truth be told were the livelier of the two teams in the opening minutes.

TT took a while to settle and the back 4 were shakey whole night. The communication was off, the tackling and reading of the game was off, the challenges were soft, no aggression on the ground or in the air and they were being turned easily by the Antiguan fwds.

Aklie was the best of the back 4, Cupid couldnt handle the big tall man he was forced to mark and was caught for speed and "pongs" on occasion. Hislop was sloppy and Williams was not assertive.

There were 4 beats/skills of note for the entire game...2 were done by Antiguans and 2 by Trinis.

After 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the first half, an Antiguan midfielder runs across the field ripping 3 TT players, the last being Denzil Theobold who collected the ball neatly tru his legs. The second sex for the evening was done on the line in the first half in the 30th min and good ole Denzil rushed in...legs open and the Antiguan obliged.

But apart from the 2 sex he collect, Denzil was a solid performer and played his role very well tonight, supporting the play, screening the ball, spreading passes and moving well into space.

I must say that the scoreline did not tell the true tale of this contest, which was very open and had Antigua some better fwds, they could have scored a few on TT.

That said, TT finally settled in and Antigua gave us room to move the ball around. The first goal was well done and after a wonderful take down and skill by guerra, beating 2 men and passing to theobold...who turned skillfully and floated a "bess" tru ball over the top for the overlapping Carter, who then composed himself and at the top of the box, put it past the Antiguan goalie.

This deflated the Antiguans and they stepped up their game, making short passes, trying the long ball and trying to run at TT but farting down theyself in the final 3rd.

TT then went into a 4-2-4 formation....yes 4-2-4.

The back 4 as is....Noel and Bleeder as the mid and Carter and Guerra moved up the field as outright wingers, both of them not dropping back to tackle, they just waited on the wings for the long ball from the back.
Many a time there was a line of 4 players up top and TT was in attack mode.

It was here TT started to get it right and play the ball around and kept possession. You could see the Latapy experiment working and from min 15 - min 35. It was TT possession and the second goal came from playing possum, stroking it around in the back and then sending carter on a long ball up the wing....after getting past his marker he rolled it to the top of the box and Kerry Baptiste finished it ever so professionally with a well taken goal... side foot into the V. (exactly like the training video shown previously).

At 2-0 up Antigua then started playing aggressive and TT started to wilt. Antigua started running at us and the defence was on the back foot. They then scored from a corner and headed the ball uncontested twice into the back of the net.

The goal was coming, you could have seen it a mile off and TT defence and midfield could not get the defensive aspect of their game right.

It was a case of being swamped in the midfield 2 TT players vs 4-5 Antiguans and having no ball winner on the field. The closest ting to a bruiser we had was Noel but he did not impose himself tonight and was roughed up. The midfield provided no cover for the defence and the Antiguans started to work Hislop and Williams.


With the score 2-1...the most remarkable goal I have seen in a long time was executed from Carter.

The ball is touched and Carter gets it and runs...full pelt at the Antiguan winger, blows past him, rips past the wingback, cuts inside the midfielder, and shoots past the defender and Keeper for a BIG GOAl.

In 2 seconds...is run, cut, cut, shot... Goal....a MILO Play of the Month for sure.

The Antiguans got deflated again but from here TT couldn't see their way.

Guerra got locked down, Jorsling or Baptiste nearly got his foot broken when 3 Antiguans hit him a jam simultaneously and Baptiste was marked out of the game. They started to rest blade on Noel and TT just couldn't respond.

3-1 at the half but TT nowhere in control and no authority being stamped on the match. Antigua getting chances and making mistakes in the final 3rd.

TT made a sub taking off Guerra who for all his skill, lacked hustle and conviction....with somebody I ent sure who coming on at the half.

TT not tackling and relying on Antigua to make the errant pass to win the ball.

In the second half Antigua switched to a 4-5-1 and it seemed that their coach won the battle.

TT started to run out of ideas and the silky passes and small knock from the back became a desperate long boom kick down the wings. All the good intentions and work from the 1st half were gone.

Noel and Theobold were outmanned, out hustled and just holding on.

But the funny thing is that the 4-2-4 continued.

TT then got a free kick near the top of the box and after the Antiguan wall was set, a TT player looked to fake the shot. Jorsling then ran up and curled the ball beautifully into the opposite corner. An exquisite goal, well executed and it showed that we are working on our set pieces.

After that, players started to get tired and Latapy decided to change personnel rather than formation.

In quick succession Carter came off, Jorsling, Theobold and Hislop...for Tinto, Winchester, Hector and a defender.

I was totally surprised Carter came off as he was TT's best player on the night...In form, good hustle, speed, touch and shot. A constant threat and as he going for his hattrick he coulda leave him on.

Baptiste was quiet but took his goal well, Jorsling has skill but the lil umph lackin...with some training or the right team he will improve.

Winchester nearly scored as he came on... trapped and skipped past a man and hit the post with his shot. Hector tried but was a bit off in his touches losing the ball and forcing the play. Tinto was the impact sub hitting a man a wrong address cutting back and fanning the ball and twisting up the poor Antiguan left back spine...to much roars of approval from the crowd.

Tinto however looks to have lost a step or two...he seems slower and his touch is a bit off.  But he is still exciting to watch and was taking it to them on every occasion.

The keeper did well, saving some shots both long range and point blank, a little hesitant on the crosses and corners but had a good game....needs to concentrate a bit more and be more vocal and sure on backpasses.

The game then ran its course with TT 4-1 winners.

I think this game is what was needed at this point in time. Latapy chose this game carefully to keep his record intact, to try out a system and look at some players....we will look at this as positive.

However, this Antigua side will be easily beaten by a PFL side. They are not that good and they gave TT problems when they decided to play ball.

I think their coach outcoached Latapy towards the end of the 1st half and for the second half and no tactical/shape/formation changes were made by Latapy only personnel changes.

We have work to do and I dont think the performance by TT today could beat a Grenada, St Vincent or a Haiti and most certainly not a Jamaica....but you seeing the plays, the set plays, the attempted knock....is just the personnel not doing the role properly.

Also too we need a ball winner BAD, we need a genuine playmaker in the middle and we need a competent defence.

Attacking on the wings or the fwds...we good...we go give people problems.

Too much skill on this team and NO steel. No leadership and no bad mind.

But its a start, we did not play bad atall, it was a good showing but we will be exposed badly with a stronger opponent.

Till next game.

 


 

75

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / When You Ride the White Horse - Ajala

« on: June 18, 2010, 11:25:52 AM »

Alyuh I find this big tune from the 80's

If only I could get the TTT video with the man in the chains drying out and the sexy ting in the silver body suit gyrating.

If the link ent wuk go you tube and search fire flight ajala

www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Diz9uVauexjk

76

Football / The Chance...Get Noticed, Get Scouted, Get Signed

« on: June 10, 2010, 05:11:40 PM »

Youth Men and aspiring ballers alyuh register and sign up.

The Chance

Nike Biz

Nike Gives Players “The Chance” to Compete, Get Noticed and Scouted at the Highest Level of the Game
10 June, 2010

SOWETO, South Africa (June 10, 2010) – NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) and Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal FC, today launch “The Chance,” a global search for talented footballers to join the Nike Academy, a high performance training program, supported by the Premier League in England.

The Nike Academy offers non-contract players unattached to professional clubs a chance to enter the professional game through world-class coaching and games against elite academies and professional reserve teams. Since the academy’s start in 2009, eight players in the UK have received professional contracts.

“The Chance” marks the next stage of Nike’s “Write the Future” campaign, where some of the world’s best players including Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney feature in a short film about iconic game moments where headlines are written from a single pass, or one strike can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their knees.

Players can register for “The Chance” at nikefootball.com, where they can use digital assets to create custom campaign materials that build on the inspiration behind “Write the Future.” To support their bid, prospects can insert their image into a video that shows what their future might look like if they won “The Chance” complete with celebrity style pop culture moments. Entrants will also create a Facebook fan page to generate awareness and campaign support to get noticed.

The best 100 players from around the world are selected by Nike through Nike Elite Training events, the Nike City Cup, happening in 32 cities, as well as exposure through the digital platform. They will then be invited to a final trial in England, where they will compete for one of eight international places in the Nike Academy. These eight will have all their expenses paid to live in the UK for a year starting in July 2011 and be a full-time member of the Nike Academy.

“Providing young players from around the world with the opportunity of elite coaching and state-of-the-art facilities to reach their full potential is a very powerful proposition,” said Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal FC, in launching “The Chance” from the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto, which provides high performance training facilities and HIV / AIDS Life Skills for the local community. “I look forward to actively participating in the scouting and review of exciting young players as they compete in 'The Chance.'"

As members of the Nike Academy, players become full-time participants at a residential training centre in England with access to elite coaches, nutritionists, psychologists and fitness conditioners, along with world class facilities to perform at the highest level.

“Nike is passionate about giving footballers insider access to the best coaching and training in the world to improve their game and fulfill their potential,” said Trevor Edwards, VP of Global Brand & Category Management. "'The Chance' is a unique opportunity for players to prove themselves on the global stage, take their game to the next level and even get a shot at a professional contract.”

“The Nike Academy has a number of success stories with players that have entered the professional game, helped by the superb environment that has been created,” said Ged Roddy, Director of Youth at the Premier League. “'The Chance' is a great opportunity to identify talented young players to show their skills, get noticed and win a place at the academy.”

For more information or to register for “The Chance,” visit nikefootball.com. Players can register from 6pm GMT today.

About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

No purchase necessary. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. For “The Chance” terms and conditions, please go to nikefootball.com for more information.

For more information, including multi-media materials, please visit: www.nikemedia.com.
Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger
Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger joins local youth players at the Football Training Centre in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo: Business Wire)

For additional information, including multimedia, please visit www.nikemedia.com.

77

Football / History of World Cup Mascots

« on: June 08, 2010, 02:14:03 PM »

Fellas,

In case a lil trivia come up look all of them from in the day here...


FIFA World Cup mascot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to:navigation, search

Each FIFA World Cup since 1966 has its own mascot. World Cup Willie, the mascot for the 1966 competition, was the first World Cup mascot, and one of the first mascots to be associated with a major sporting competition. The mascot designs show some representing a characteristic feature (costume, flora, fauna, etc) of the host country.

The World Cup mascot is mostly targeted at children with cartoon shows and other merchandise released to coincide with the competition.
World Cup    Mascot(s)    Description
England
1966    1966



World Cup Willie
A lion, a typical symbol of the United Kingdom, wearing a Union Flag jersey with the words "WORLD CUP".

Mexico
1970    



Juanito
   A boy wearing Mexico's kit and a sombrero (with the words "MEXICO 70"). His name is the diminutive of "Juan", a common name in Spanish.

West Germany
1974    1974



Tip and Tap
Two boys wearing Germany kits, with the letters WM (Weltmeisterschaft, World Cup) and number 74.


Argentina
1978    1978



Gauchito
A boy wearing Argentina's kit. His hat (with the words ARGENTINA '78), neckerchief and whip are typical of gauchos.


Spain
1982    1982



Naranjito
An orange, a typical fruit in Spain, wearing the kit of the host's national team. Its name comes from naranja, Spanish for orange, and the diminutive suffix "-ito".


Mexico
1986    1986



Pique
A jalapeño pepper, characteristic of Mexican cuisine, with a moustache and wearing a sombrero. Its name comes from picante, Spanish for spicy peppers and sauces.


Italy
1990    Italia



Ciao
A stick figure player with a football head and an Italian tricolore body. Its name is an Italian greeting.
United States


1994    Usa94



Striker,
the World Cup Pup
A dog, a common US pet animal, wearing a red, white and blue football uniform with the words "USA 94".


France
1998    France98



Footix
A rooster, one of the national symbols of France, with the words "FRANCE 98" on the chest. Its body is mostly blue, like the host's national team shirt and its name is a portmanteau of "football" and the ending "-ix" from the popular Astérix comic strip. Other proposed names were "Raffy", "Houpi" and "Gallik".


Korea/Japan
2002    Koreajapan2002



Ato, Kaz and Nik (The Spheriks)
Orange, purple and blue (respectively) futuristic, computer-generated creatures. Collectively members of a team of "Atmoball" (a fictional football-like sport), Ato is the coach while Kaz and Nik are players. The three individual names were selected from shortlists by users on the Internet and at McDonald's outlets in the host countries.


Germany
2006    


Goleo VI
Sidekick: Pille
A lion wearing a Germany shirt with the number 06 and a talking football named Pille. Goleo is a portmanteau of the words "goal" and "leo", the Latin word for lion. In Germany, "Pille" is a colloquial term for a football.


South Africa 2010    



Zakumi
   Zakumi is a leopard, a common animal found in South Africa, with green hair wearing a shirt saying South Africa 2010. Zakumi's green and gold colors represents South African national sports' teams colors. His name comes from "ZA", the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for South Africa, and "kumi", a word that means "ten" in various African languages.

78

Football / What makes a good world cup advertisement?

« on: May 28, 2010, 08:58:57 AM »

BBC NEWS




Grizzly Ad-man - Wayne Rooney in the new Nike commercial

By Tom Geoghegan
BBC News Magazine

Football-related adverts are filling the commercial breaks. As the World Cup in South Africa nears, many brands are hoping to capitalise on the national fervour surrounding England's hopes. How are they doing it?

Like the sound of the first cuckoo to herald the start of spring, the first glimpse of the Three Lions emblem during a commercial break means the World Cup must be only weeks away.

Drink, television and sportswear manufacturers are among those that can't resist drawing on the huge interest in England's fortunes.

They pour millions of pounds into devising commercials that resemble short films in their ambition, scale and technical wizardry, hopeful that if England do well, there could be the rare television event of 25 million people watching the box at one time.

But footballers aren't exactly renowned for their acting skills - at least, not off the pitch - so what tricks do brands employ to make these adverts work?

BE INSPIRATIONAL

Connecting with viewers on an emotional level is a favoured strategy, and Carlsberg has spent £750,000 on its World Cup advert, which puts the viewer inside the England dressing room, wearing the shirt and striding out to play.

Building on James Corden's popular turn as England manager for a Comic Relief sketch last year, Carlsberg's "best team talk in the world" features true knights of the English sporting realm exhorting the players to greatness.


Paul Gascoigne at Italia 90
World Cups are an emotional business

Sirs Steve (Redgrave), Clive (Woodward), Ian (Botham), Trevor (Brooking) and Ranulph (there's only one), are joined by Dames Kelly and Ellen, plus other former world champions in assorted sports.

"The biggest and most difficult part of the brief was that we wanted the hairs to stand up on the back of people's necks," says Paul Davies, director of brands and insights at Carlsberg.

There is emotional symbolism in the use of Sir Bobby Robson and 1966 World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore, he says. And it took agency Saatchi & Saatchi months to write the script and find the right voice to read it.

That happened by chance when, having rejected some undisclosed big names, they "found" a voiceover artist hanging around the agency's lobby, who won them over at his first reading.

But there are risks involved in pushing emotional buttons. Although many fans have said it gave them goose bumps, some columnists and bloggers have found the patriotism to be over-the-top.

Advertisement



A Banksy-style mural of Sir Bobby Robson features in the Carlsberg advert

BE BIG

Whether it's the wide open spaces of the Veldt (Pepsi, Adidas), the technical wizardry of recreating convincing football action (Nike) or simply forking out enough to entice sporting or comedy legends to take part (Carlsberg, Nationwide), it's all about being big, high and long. Big budgets, high ambitions and long running time.
Pepsi advert


Helicopter required

If you are a global brand, you want a big production, helicopters and African drums as a soundtrack, says Mark Fiddes, creative director at ad agency Draft FCB.

Nike even enlisted Alejandro Inarritu, the director of films 21 Grams and Babel, to mastermind a spectacular three-minute film which has already been viewed eight million times on YouTube.

It shows how key moments on the pitch in South Africa could have a huge impact across the globe. But it could be a victim of its own lofty ambitions, says Mr Fiddes.

"It looks to me like six different adverts thrown together. Do you have time to assimilate the sight of Wayne Rooney in a caravan and a statue of Cristiano Ronaldo?

"It's a lot to take in. As a project, it needed a bit more pacing but it was great to see Rooney with a beard. And hyperbole is one of Nike's hallmarks."

Advertisement

Rooney ponders future in advert

BE FUNNY

Rooney beating Roger Federer at table tennis (Nike). Terry Venables and Graham Taylor in a nursing home (Sony Bravia). Lionel Messi lost in the long grass (Pepsi).
Nationwide advert


Are the old jokes the best?

Many of the ads employ humour in some way, but the Nationwide one is slightly different because it employs well-known comedy characters, says Mr Fiddes.

Andy and Lou from BBC TV sketch show Little Britain reprise their usual routine, with Andy - the "wheelchair bound invalid" with a habit of performing acrobatics behind his carer's back - jumping out of his wheelchair to run rings around the England players as they train. It all happens while Lou is trying to get autograph from England manager Fabio Capello.

"They've used stock characters to underline the very Britishness of Nationwide," says Mr Fiddes. "The England players are just props. There is one simple message coming through - we support England."

Carlsberg bucks the trend by eschewing its stock-in-trade humour for passion. It explains this by saying it was responding to consumer research which suggested the country needed, above all, a sense of hope to escape the economic gloom.

GET STAR NAMES

Pepsi has enlisted a stellar cast of footballers, including Kaka, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry.
   
SOME OF THE LINE-UPS
Sony Bravia: Former England managers (Venables, Taylor), one Scottish legend (Dalglish)
Nationwide: Comedians (Little Britain), the England team
Pepsi: Top footballers (Kaka, Messi, Henry, Lampard, Arshavin)
Nike: Footballers (Rooney, Ribery, Drogba, Cannavaro), guests (Federer, Homer, Bryant)
Carlsberg: English sporting champions (inc Carl Fogarty, Nigel Benn and Phil Taylor), cult football folk (Jeff Stelling),

Nike has Rooney, Franck Ribery and a player who is not even going to South Africa, Ronaldinho. But its "guest" stars are equally eye-catching - basketball player Kobe Bryant, tennis ace Federer and Homer Simpson.

Speaking parts are wisely kept to a minimum, although former managers Venables and Taylor do a decent turn in the Sony Bravia television campaign.

UNITE PLAYERS & FANS

In an era when the gulf between millionaire players and their fans has never been wider, brands seem to be doing their utmost to try to bridge that gap.

"There's a nice role reversal going on in the Pepsi commercial," says Mr Fiddes. "The Africans beat the professionals by moving the pitch."

The subtext there, he adds, is that the tournament belongs to the host nation and the fans, as much as the stars.

Kaka in Pepsi advert

One nation of Africans, millionaires and meerkats

This theme of unity is an important one, says branding expert Jonathan Gabay. The message in the Coca Cola advert, for example, is very much "one nation", with the fans and players united in the ecstasy of goal celebrations.

Central character Roger Milla - the Cameroonian striker who became a star of the 1990 World Cup - is in the stands with the fans. And Coke uses actors to perform the players' celebrations on the pitch.

In the same vein, Nike knowingly parodies the way riches are instantly showered on footballing heroes.

"The Nike ad is saying it only takes one second to be a hero or zero, so they are saying 'we are just like you'," says Mr Gabay.

Both Nike and Carlsberg encourage fans to upload their own films of themselves playing or giving a team talk, he adds, to further this sense of fan empowerment.

DON'T FORGET THE REST OF THE UK

Sony is conscious that the rest of the UK may not be supporting England, indeed some Britons could be actively cheering on the opposition.

So the advert's punchline features the entry of Scottish footballing legend Kenny Dalglish who is cheering on England's opponents, USA, much to the annoyance of former England bosses Venables and Taylor.

DON'T OVERTLY SELL

Advertising is about sell versus tell, says Mr Gabay, with much greater emphasis these days on telling rather than selling. So in many of these ads, the branding only appears in the final shot.

"Telling the viewers it's about the game and the excitement and 'We can do it, lads' gives an advertiser a sense of authenticity.

"If they simply say 'Buy it here', people will feel like they are being hit over the head and switch off."

BE A VIRAL HIT

By the time the Nike ad made its television debut in the Champions League Final on Saturday on ITV and Sky, it had already been viewed five million times on YouTube, says Dan Clays of digital media agency Arena Quantum.

Television ads are still critical to these campaigns, especially when viewed during matches, he says, but online strategy is increasingly important.
   
Their investment in such blockbuster TV ads are a commercial success
Dan Clays
Digital media expert

"YouTube usage has grown since the last World Cup and it has emerged as a platform for higher quality content where brands are not out of place.

"With Facebook increasing the viral nature of the web, the likes of Nike have been able to use YouTube as a way of driving incremental coverage at absolutely minimal cost. This ultimately ensures their investment in such blockbuster TV ads are a commercial success."

The online campaign began more than a week ago when Nike gave its ad to bloggers and influencers, says Mr Clays. It also has one million fans on Facebook and its own YouTube channel with extra content.

Other brands had the same strategy, he adds, but the key ingredient to Nike's viral success is the scale of the investment in the ad and the calibre of stars that cash was spent on.

79

Football / Penalty retaken as player farts

« on: May 21, 2010, 08:19:14 AM »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7984554.stm



Footballer puts wind up referee

A referee ordered a penalty to be retaken in a Sunday league football game when an opposition player broke wind as the ball was kicked.

The Chorlton Villa player got a yellow card for the noise which was classed as "unsporting behaviour".

The team, who conceded a goal on the second take, went on to win the match 6-4 against International Manchester FC at Turn Moss in Stretford, Manchester.

Villa manager Ian Treadwell said their conduct was "normally exemplary".

   
We are not a dirty team and we like to play football
Chorlton Villa manager Ian Treadwell

"One of our players 'broke wind' and only the referee heard it and he booked the player," he said.

"The other player had the penalty saved because it was a bad penalty; it was nothing to do with any noise. They were as shocked as we were as to why."

Mr Treadwell said he was waiting for the Football Association to contact them after it had received a report.

The Manchester Publicity league club faces total fines of £97 for three dismissals and two yellow card bookings from the game.

'Just hilarious'

Mr Treadwell said: "We are not a dirty team and we like to play football.

"While I won't condone the actions of the players, it is an emotive game and some of the players were sent off for entering into conversation with the referee.

"This has come at a bad time in the season as we don't have sponsor and we are looking for a new sponsor for next season."

Pauline Riley, secretary and treasurer of International Manchester FC, said both teams were "very friendly".

"There's no animosity. It was just hilarious," she said.

80

General Discussion / A little history

« on: April 30, 2010, 07:53:14 AM »

There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble Arch, London which used to have gallows adjacent. Prisoners were taken to the gallows (after a fair trial of course) to be hung. The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ''ONE LAST DRINK''.
If he said YES it was referred to as "ONE FOR THE ROAD"
If he declined, that prisoner was "ON THE WAGON"

So there you go. More bleeding history.
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor". But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot they "Didn't have a pot to Piss in" & were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.   Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold. (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: ''Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old''.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "Bring home the Bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around talking and ''Chew the fat''.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning & death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ''The Upper Crust''.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ''Holding a Wake''.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, ''Saved by the Bell'' or was considered a ''Dead Ringer''
And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

81

General Discussion / Check Your Voter Registration Online

« on: April 15, 2010, 08:35:26 AM »

Dear All,

Please make sure you are registered to vote in the upcoming elections.

If your seach comes up negative play around with the address...put in only the street name, no number...that worked for me.


Voter Registration Online

82

General Discussion / Naturalized Herbs...Dr. Trevor Sayers

« on: April 07, 2010, 09:09:23 AM »

The Minister of healing and herbs.


Now I en know what to think about this soldier...first he used to be on tv with his infomercials.

Meet Dr Trevor Sayers

Then he blitz the public with posters, a number of outlets in every part of T&T and a radio show.

Then the man grow a Ras..transform heself ...with God bless you and I love you.

Then he turn into stamina man with video and remixes on U tube.

Stamina Man

Then he hit yuh the worm grass dance.

Now he selling Maths Text book.

I think he more popular down here than Halder Cart and Matrick Panning.

He new found marketing schemes good, he certainly have exposure to the public and his outlets and signage in prominent locations. However, I have noticed that he has not gone after the "high end clientel" but he have his target market i suppose.

Wha alyuh think bout this fella...I find he is a smartman, but he good at what he doing.

83

Jokes / Flour Shortage

« on: March 29, 2010, 08:00:31 AM »

Mootilal went to a shop to buy some flour. He approached Mr. Chin the shopkeeper:

Mootilal: Aye Chin, leh mih geh 2 pong ah flour dey.
Chin: Solly Mooti, me eh have no flour.

Mootilal: Buh Chin, gih mih  at lease ah pong nah boy.
Chin: Ah tell yuh, me ha no flour!

Mootilal:  Chin yuh cyah even spare meh at lease half pound boy?

At this point Chin was getting aggravated with Mootilal

Chin: Ah have a riddle fuh yuh. If  yuh take out de knife from de word breadknife, what yuh get?
Mootilal: knife in breadknife, take that away, yuh get BREAD!

Chin: Collect! Now if yuh take out de spoon from tablespoon, what yuh get?
Mootilal: Take away spoon in tablespoon, yuh get TABLE!

Chin: Now if yuh take out de fork from flour, what yuh get?
Mootilal: (after thinking while) Buh Chin, it eh have no fork in  flour

Chin: Well that is what ah trying to tell you... it eh have no forkin flour!!

84

General Discussion / Martin Joseph: I kept my promise

« on: January 01, 2010, 04:40:10 PM »

Joseph: I kept my promise

-Ria Taitt

Friday, January 1st 2010

   

National Security Minister Martin Joseph kept his promise to the nation- when he said the absolute number of murders would go down this year. Forty-two more people are alive this year than last year.

In January of this year, speaking at a post Cabinet news conference, Joseph gave an assurance that the record number of murders which occurred in 2008, would not be repeated this year.

’What I can assure you is (this): no way are we going to find ourselves in 2009 in the same situation we found ourselves in 2008,’ he had said.

Yesterday the Ministry of National Security released a statement pointing out that the Minister ’took time out today to thank members of law enforcement agencies for their efforts in reducing the murder rate from 548 in 2008 to 506 in 2009, representing a 7.6 reduction.

Additionally the release noted, Joseph pointed to an increase in the rate of solved murders from 18.1 per cent in 2008 to 26.3 per cent this year. Of out 506, 133 murders were solved in 2009 as compared to 99 solved murders out of 548 last year. In 2007, there were 393 murders of which 73 were solved, representing an 18.6 solved rate.

The Minister who has always taken the position that the transformation of the Police Service was key to reducing crime, pledged that Government would continue to provide the law enforcement agencies with the required resources as it continues to fight crime.

He added that the Government commits to the following objectives for 2010 and reaffirms its commitment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago:-

*Priority Number one: ensuring public safety

*Priority number two: bringing more criminals to justice

*Priority number three: providing the tools required to fight crime

*Priority number four: reviewing legislation to change the way we approach crime fighting.

Joseph stated: ’I am dedicated to building on the good work that has begun in 2009. Our top priority for 2010 is to do everything to drive down the murder rate and restore confidence in our law enforcement agencies by the quality of our service delivery’.

Law enforcement in this year has put focus on gang related murders. But the biggest security challenge this year was the management of two international conferences- the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference, both of which were deemed security successes. The Government also received a report from Canadian General Cameron Ross on reform of the security infrastructure. Some of those recommendations were implemented this year.

85

General Discussion / WOMEN POLICE RESCUE GIRL, 2

« on: December 22, 2009, 02:15:04 PM »

I am so happy that this little girl was found...but read the slackness in this story. The 4 female officers should be commended for their actions.

Taken from the Newsday

WOMEN POLICE RESCUE GIRL, 2

By RHONDOR DOWLAT Tuesday, December 22 2009



RELIEVED MOM: Mary Pierre is overjoyed to be reunited with her two-year-old daughter Teja Pierre who was rescued by police after being kidnapped from ...

TEJA PIERRE screamed “mummy, mummy!” in terror as she was snatched by a gunman while her mother Mary watched in horror in the yard of their Maraval home on Sunday afternoon. However, two hours later, little Teja was back in the arms of her relieved mother after four police women, a gardener and a resident of the area searched the hills near the victim’s home and found the child unharmed in an old shack.

Pierre, 39, thanked God for protecting her daughter during the ordeal and heaped praise on the police women, the gardener and the other man for helping in rescuing her child. Up to late yesterday, the kidnapper remained at large.

Recalling the incident, Mary said at about midday on Sunday, she was hanging clothes to dry on a clothes line at the back of her Saddle Road, Maraval home when a man ran out from some bushes nearby and announced a hold-up.

“Teja was standing right next to me as I was hanging out the clothes to dry. I just heard a man in the back of me and in a split second he announced a hold-up. By the time I turned around he had a gun pointed at my face. I was only thinking of my daughter and I told him that I had money in the house and that I can go get it for him. But, as I said that, he said ‘no!’ and grabbed Teja before running off into the Jigger Hills,” Pierre said.

“I was shocked, I was crying, I was screaming as I heard my child screaming while the man was running off with her. I called E999 immediately and told them what had happened,” Mary said.

Four police women from Central Division who were on police business in Port-of-Spain heard an All Points Bulletin (APB) over the radio wireless system advising that a two-year-old child was snatched and sprang into action. Disregarding the fact that they were out of their jurisdiction the policewomen immediately headed to Maraval.

The officers split up and went into four tracks along the hill in search of little Teja. During the search which lasted for about two hours, one of the policewomen who was with a gardener came across a shack in the hills where they found little Teja asleep on a mattress inside the locked shack. They broke a padlock which secured a chain on the front door of the shack and rescued the child.

Little Teja was quickly taken to the St James District Health Facility where a thorough medical examination was conducted and doctors gave her a clean bill of health.

“I can never stop praising them (the policewomen) for their quick actions which I am sure was behind my girl being rescued unharmed,” Mary said. Pierre claimed that officers of the Maraval Police Station only got to her home a full half hour after the initial report was made to E999. She also claimed that Maraval police officers refused to head into the hills to join the four policewomen in the search for Teja.

Head of Catch Security Company, Bede Rovedas, who was a part of the search party, confirmed Pierre’s claims saying he was there and saw the officers fail to treat with the kidnapping of little Teja as an “urgent matter”.

“A child was kidnapped and the officers did nothing. They carried out no search and who knows, if it was not for the swift action of the Chaguanas policewomen, the little girl may have never been found.

“When we got back the child, thanks to the response of the women police who are based in Central, we went to the police station (Maraval) twice and got no kind of response from them. Up to now (yesterday) the police said they were coming to visit the scene and take statements but up to now we are still waiting on them,” Rovedas said during an interview at about 1 pm. A manhunt has since been launched for the man who was described as being dark-brown in complexion, tall and of slim build. It is believed that the man lives in the hills. Senior officers from Police Western Division are said to be investigating the veracity of Mary’s claims against officers of the Maraval Police Station.

86

General Discussion / Poor Joseph...God was a hard act to follow

« on: December 22, 2009, 06:47:00 AM »

Source BBC

Unholy row over New Zealand Mary and Joseph billboard




Mary and Joseph billboard from St Matthew-in-the-City church in Auckland

The billboard is intended to challenge the stereotypes of the Christmas conception story, but it has been described as offensive to Christians

An unholy row has broken out in New Zealand over a church billboard aimed at "challenging stereotypes" about the birth of Jesus Christ.

A dejected-looking Joseph lies in bed next to Mary under the caption, "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow".

St Matthew-in-the-City Church in Auckland, which erected the billboard, said it had intended to provoke debate.

But the Catholic Church, among others, has condemned it as "inappropriate" and "disrespectful".

Within hours of its unveiling, the billboard had been defaced with brown paint.

The church's vicar, Archdeacon Glynn Cardy, said the aim of the billboard had been to lampoon the literal interpretation of the Christmas conception story.

"What we're trying to do is to get people to think more about what Christmas is all about," he told the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).

"Is it about a spiritual male God sending down sperm so a child would be born, or is it about the power of love in our midst as seen in Jesus?"

Mary and Joseph billboard from St Matthew-in-the-City church in Auckland
The billboard was defaced within hours of its unveiling

He told NZPA that the church had received e-mails and phone calls about the controversial image.

"About 50% said they loved it, and about 50% said it was terribly offensive," he said. "But that's out of about 20 responses - this is New Zealand."

But Lyndsay Freer, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, said the poster was offensive to Christians.

"Our Christian tradition of 2,000 years is that Mary remains a virgin and that Jesus is the son of God, not Joseph," she told the New Zealand Herald. "Such a poster is inappropriate and disrespectful."

The family values group Family First said any debate about the Virgin birth should be held inside the church.

"To confront children and families with the concept as a street billboard is completely irresponsible and unnecessary," Family First director Bob McCroskrie told the news website stuff.co.nz.

87

Football / THE GAME TODAY - changes through the decade

« on: December 16, 2009, 06:16:02 AM »

THE GAME TODAY
All change through the decade

Source ESPN Soccernet
By Dale Johnson
(Archive)

December 16, 2009

The past decade has seen a number of innovations, both quirky and otherwise. ESPN Soccernet takes a look at some of the best, and most interesting.

Cameroon one-piece

Cameroon's all-in-one special


ShaunBotterill/GettyImages

Cameroon's all-in-one special

Ahead of the 2004 African Nations Cup final in Tunisia, Cameroon, and kit makers Puma, came up with a novel new kit design. Rather than opt for the traditional shorts and shirt combination, the Indomitable Lions sported an all-in-one number. Only two years earlier, Cameroon had angered FIFA by playing in sleeveless shirts, which were immediately banned from use at the World Cup.

It did not take long for FIFA to clamp down yet again, but not before Cameroon had actually worn the kit at the African Nations Cup. They were warned not to wear it beyond the group stage, but insisted it would be impossible to produce new kits in a matter of days.

FIFA finally stopped them from playing in the one-piece - claiming the laws of the game stated that shorts and shirts must be separate. It cost the Cameroon FA a fine of £86,000 and they were docked six points from their qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup - though those points were reinstated.

It's official

As the decade has progressed we've seen a gradual increase in the number of officials at games. The fourth official on the touchline, on hand to hold up an electronic board a few times in a match, is now as much a part of a match day as pies and Wagon Wheels ever were.

After a number of trials, UEFA opted to take the number up to six by adding another ref at each end of the pitch. We were left wondering exactly what the point was. Why have a couple of extra people stood around contemplating whether it would be the Chablis or the Cabernet Sauvignon once they were back in the stadium bar?

These officials were there to spot infringements in the box and help with goal-line decisions, and graced the Europa League from this season. It'll never catch on, you know. But then Thierry Henry had to go and do that handball - maybe, just maybe, one of these redundant drones could actually be of use. FIFA decided not, and rejected the chance to introduce them for the World Cup finals.

Web sight

England fans were left in horror in 2009 when their meaningless qualifier against Ukraine was shown exclusively on the internet for the very first time. Some may claim that this was a watershed moment for live football, when in truth it was purely because no broadcaster in the UK was prepared to pay the fee being demanded to show the game.

While some heralded this as a sign of things to come, it is very likely that an internet broadcast will only ever be a last resort once other cash streams have been exhausted. Honestly, who on earth wants to watch a match huddled around a laptop with a small screen, praying that there's no ill-timed buffering or picture break-up? I best try refreshing that browser.

Although paying for football is now second nature - though that is through a monthly subscription - the pay-per-view model never took hold in the United Kingdom. It will be a long time before people will do so on the internet, in large numbers at least.

Window of opportunity

Gary Megson could do with a transfer or two right now

HamishBlair/GettyImages

Gary Megson could do with a transfer or two right now

The transfer system has seen many overhauls in the last couple of decades, largely brought on by Jean-Marc Bosman. If Bosman brought about the first huge shift in how players move between clubs, then the introduction of the transfer window was another.

Introduced in the 2002-03 season, it has caused much consternation among managers who feel they should be able to freely trade throughout the season. Many European leagues had operated with a transfer window for some time, so in effect the Premier League was doing no more than falling into line with the rest when FIFA imposed the new ruling.

Managers may moan and groan all they want, but the system is here to stay. It's normally the less savvy coach who seems to find it so hard to handle. "The transfer window is rubbish," says Bolton manager Megson. "It is unfair and I would like to see it challenged in court." You'll probably have plenty of time to do the challenging yourself soon, Gary.

iPods for penalties

Practicing penalties and generally doing your homework is hardly anything new, teams have done it for many, many years. We thought we'd seen it all when everyone's loveable rogue, Jens Lehmann, kept notes on penalty takers on little scraps of paper, placed in his sock for easy reference. That was at the 2006 World Cup when the game between Germany and Argentina went to penalties. Lehmann went the right way for every spot-kick, saving from Roberto Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso as Germany went through.

But technology took a new turn in 2009 when Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster enlisted the help of an iPod in the Carling Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur.

After the game went to penalties, Foster spent some time viewing Spurs players taking them on an iPod to be better prepared for the ensuing shootout. Jamie O'Hara stepped up to take the first penalty and Foster went the right way to make the save, and United went on to lift the trophy.

Video nasty

Technology seems to have taken a prominent role in this feature, and it probably will do so in the next decade as well. This time, we return to the 2006 World Cup finals, the final to be precise.

With the game seemingly headed towards a penalty shootout, there was suddenly some sort of handbags going on off the ball. No one was quite sure what had gone on, but after a short gap - probably about the amount of time needed to view a video replay - Zinedine Zidane was shown the red card. It turned out that the France skipper, in his last ever game, had headbutted Marco Materazzi in the chest. The powers that be denied it ever happened, but few believe that the fourth official did not have a role in Zidane's deserved red card.

Since then we have seen televisions installed in dugouts at Premier League grounds... and swiftly removed after managers began to go a little bit mental when viewing refereeing mistakes just moments after they had happened. The role of the fourth official and information they pass on to the man in the middle, however, continues to be controversial.

The offside law

Sam Allardyce had the last laugh


RossKinnaird/GettyImages

Sam Allardyce had the last laugh

Active, inactive, second phase, interfering, not interfering... the offside law has become something of a minefield in recent years. Some commentators even became obsessed with a false notion that daylight was being used to determine offside decisions. It put linesmen, sorry referee's assistants, in a right pickle at night matches.

FIFA updated the offside law in 2003 to hand a greater advantage to the attacking side. It meant players could run back from an offside position and not be interfering. Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy made an art of standing offside, and nipping back on at the very last moment.

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce proved to be the king of stretching the new offside rule as far as possible. He deliberately placed players in an offside position, ready to rush out when the kick was taken. They would not be interfering, and it left opposition defenders in a state of panic as to where they should stand. It annoyed players and managers alike but it gave us a great chuckle. Against Leicester in 2004, it worked a treat and left the Foxes flummoxed.

The 4-6-0 formation

It seems the days of a standard formation are long gone. A bog-standard 4-4-2 is now far too low-brow for a modern day manager. While the old days of the sweeper may now be gone, we're seeing formations such as 3-1-2-1-2-1 (or so we're told). And the role of the defensive midfielder has now been rebranded as the "Makelele role". No, it's just a defensive midfielder.

And while it has long been a preoccupation of some managers to play strikers as wingers - Emile Heskey and Wayne Rooney have both found themselves out wide - there seems to be a growing trend to play without any strikers at all.

Some of this may purely be down to injuries, or because a club's strikers are rubbish, but there is a growing trend to go into games with six midfielders and no forwards. Maybe it's supposed to add greater solidity in the centre of the park, but to us it seems to be either negative or for managers who are desperately trying to invent a new formation. Let's be honest, Liverpool have played seven at the back on a few occasions under Rafael Benitez.

Thrown in for good measure

We're respectable folk here in England; we limit missiles to cigarette lighters, coins and mobile phones. But over on the continent, the past decade has seen the fan move on to a whole new level of projectile.

In Spain, few will forget Luis Figo's move from Barcelona to Real Madrid. And on his return to Camp Nou he got a somewhat hostile reception. A bottle of Jim Beam whiskey and a whole pig's head were just two of the items thrown at the Portuguese star.

But they've been doing things even better in Italy. Forget the flare throwing from the Milan derby in the Champions League, Serie A is where it's at. When Inter played Atalanta late in the 2004-05 season, Inter fans decided to take a moped into the stadium and throw it from the top tier of the ground. Why? We're not sure. That's a step up from the fridge which was thrown at another game. How do they smuggle these through the gates?

Super soaraway

It's definitely a modern phenomenon that both FIFA and UEFA appear to be locked in some sort of war to design the lightest football ever. Each time a major tournament comes around we are treated to a new, unique and innovative design.

Goalkeepers, of course, are the first to complain once the statutory new ball has been revealed. Earlier this month, when FIFA's JABULANI (it means "to celebrate") ball was presented on stage in South Africa, ex-England goalkeeper David Seaman was the first to declare that goalkeepers would have trouble with it. They always do, David. This latest ball has "a unique appearance in African spirit. Like the outer facade of Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium, individual design elements capture the colorfulness of South Africa". It's a football.

In 2006 we had the Adidias "Teamgeist" - German for "Team Spirit". And it 2002 it was an Adidas "Fevernova". At Euro 2004 each match had a specially designed Adidas "Roteiro". And at Euro 2008? It was an Adidas "Europass" which particularly enraged Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech.

88

Football / Colour barrier finally broken at Athletic Bilbao

« on: December 16, 2009, 05:56:08 AM »

I find this kinda sad...I mean is 2009...but it is a start.

Colour barrier finally broken at Athletic Bilbao

Source BBC Sport

Phil Minshull | 06:30 UK time, Wednesday, 16 December 2009

The name Jonas Ramalho probably doesn't mean very much to most football fans, even Spanish ones, but on Wednesday night the Athletic Bilbao defender is expected to make history on several counts.

He's in the Basque team's squad to face Werder Bremen in the Europa League and set to make his European debut filing in for the injured and flu-ridden Spanish international right-back Andoni Iraola.

Each season about 100 players start their first-team careers with Spanish top-flight clubs but what has brought the spotlight specifically on Ramalho is not only that he will be the youngest player to appear for Athletic Bilbao in an official match but that he's black.



Ramalho is hoping to establish himself in Athletic's first team

The son of an Angolan father and a Basque mother, when Ramalho runs on to the field to face the Germans it will be a genuinely iconic moment.

Some commentators will argue that I should be concentrating on Ramalho's prodigious talent rather than his skin colour, after all he's a Spanish Under-17 international and played for Athletic in a friendly when he was just 14.

However, for many other people, including myself, Ramalho's debut - and if it is not against Werder Bremen then it will be sometime very soon - is a watershed moment as Athletic are the last remaining team in the current Spanish first division to incorporate a black player into their team.

His appearance might have barely merited a mention if he had appeared for many other clubs but Athletic are one of the historic giants of La Liga, one of only three teams to be ever-present in the Spanish first division - along with Barcelona and Real Madrid - since the league's formation in 1928.

They have won the league title eight times and are the fourth-most successful club in La Liga history, even if their last triumph was back in 1984.

After several years when it looked as though they might finally be relegated, they are arguably having their best season in more than a decade - having been runners up in 1998 - and are currently seventh.

However, the club's unique philosophy of only incorporating players native to the Basque region - that's born in or with Basque parents - has effectively meant that it has been an all-white bastion until now, despite the huge numbers of immigrants of all corners of the world that have arrived in Spain during the last 15 years.

Athletic coach Joaquin Caparros has rightly done his best to keep the youngster out of the glare of the media in recent weeks, after it became obvious that a first team appearance was imminent.

He was even only prepared to confirm that he was in their 18-man squad at the obligatory pre-match press conference on Tuesday. "We'll have to decide whether it's the right moment for him to make his debut or whether he plays from the start or not," he said.

Regardless of his footballing talent, Ramalho has brought the whole issue of racism in Spanish football once again back into focus.

What sort of reception he will get when he plays away from home, or even from some his club's own fans who have been guilty of racially abusing black players in the past, is a burning issue.

Black players have been playing in La Liga since the 1950s. Most originally came from South America but more recently there have been increasing numbers from African nations or elsewhere in Europe but, unlike most other western European countries, black Spanish players are still few and far between even within the 'cantera' (youth teams) of the top clubs.

There have only been four black Spanish internationals and three of those, including Villarreal's Marcos Senna, have been naturalised Brazilians.

Only this weekend there was again a brutal reminder that Spanish football is still far, far behind many other leagues in western Europe in terms of its attitude towards racial abuse.


Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona had to be persuaded not to leave the pitch following his treatment from fans at Real Zaragoza

Barcelona fans were shown on national television repeatedly abusing Espanyol's Cameroon international goalkeeper Carlos Kameni but the club's own stewards did nothing to deal with the situation.

Many black players, notably former Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, have commented that they face almost weekly abuse whenever they are playing away from home.

Eto'o threatened to walk off the pitch after suffering continual racist abuse at Zaragoza in 2006, incidents which prompted the Spanish football authorities to fine the home side paltry €9,000 despite evidence that the club had continually allowed such behaviour from its so-called fans.

This incident followed in the wake of the well-documented attacks on England's black players at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the venue for this season's Uefa Champions League final, when they played Spain in November 2004.

At least, attitudes towards black players appear to have improved within Spanish clubs themselves compared a decade ago.

Ivory Coast winger Felix Ettien, along with his fellow Ivory Coast junior international Idrissa Keita), joined Levante after appearing at the 1997 Fifa Under-20 World Cup.
"The then Levante coach thought we were a disaster. Because we didn't speak Spanish, everybody ignored us. Whenever I fell ill, people said it was AIDS or malaria or some other serious disease and nobody would come near us," revealed Ettien in a 2004 interview.

"We were obliged to use the same plates and cutlery in the club cafeteria, and use the same shirts, socks, shorts and towels in the dressing room," he added grimly.

Hopefully, Ramalho will soon attest to the fact that he didn't suffer that sort of fate growing up in the Athletic youth system.

89

General Discussion / Modern Warefare 2

« on: December 14, 2009, 08:00:01 AM »

Who playing this online

I looking to get a squad to deal with people, as right now is level death I experiencing.

If yuh have a Xbox 360....meh gamer tag is Picong.



p.s....I now level up a gun and get a holographic sight, I killing people now.

90

General Discussion / Smoke at home

« on: November 17, 2009, 10:47:07 AM »

I find this big stick heavy handed ting real dread...I am not a smoker...but if I were one I woulda dig a real horrors. Also lower down you will see a section about sale, advertising of tobacco products...dat effectively wiping out a sector of hemp men, and parlour vendors who hustle for a living.


Smoke at home
Narace's update on Tobacco Bill...
Aabida Allaham aabida.allaham@trinidadexpress.com

Tuesday, November 17th 2009


   
LOOSE CIGARETTE: A smoker pulls a single retail cigarette from a vendor's receptacle in Port of Spain yesterday. If Government gets its way and passes the Tobacco Bill it will be illegal for vendors to sell single cigarettes. -Photos: CURTIS CHASE

SMOKERS will only able to enjoy their cigarettes in the comfort of their own home.

This according to Minister of Health Jerry Narace during a press briefing to update the public about the amendment to the 2009 Tobacco Bill at the Ministry’s Park Street head office in Port of Spain yesterday.

’People can smoke in their private residences if they wish to, except when the house is used for the purposes of manufacturing, distribution, or trade,’ he said.

It will, however, still be an offence for any person to smoke or hold a lighted tobacco product in any enclosed public place such as public transportation terminals, workplaces, bars, restaurants, shopping malls, clubs, cinemas, and sports facilities or any enclosed workplace.

When asked why bars were also included as no smoking zones, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society, George Laquis said ’second hand smoke kills’ and since a lot of people who don’t smoke go to bars, it was simply a matter of protecting them.

Narace said there was no provision to protect children from smoking parents in the home since that clause had to be removed in order to get support for the legislation.

As for prohibiting the sale of individual cigarettes, tobacco products through any self-service means, including the mail, the Internet or automatic vending machines, Narace insisted that it was all ’for the children’.

’Evidence tells us that 90 per cent of persons begin smoking before 20 years of age, thus the probability of initiation after the adolescence age is very low. In essence, if the tobacco companies can’t target them when they are young, you allow them to reach 20, 21 years and not be smokers,’ he said.

The amended bill, which will be debated in the Senate today, also prohibits persons from importing, manufacturing, selling, displaying for sale, distributing or supplying, any sweets, snacks, toys or other non-tobacco items or objects in the form of tobacco products.

But even with this large scale of proposed bans, Narace insisted that all the clauses in the Bill were constitutionally sound.

’The Attorney General has assured us that there is no issue with the constitutionality of the Bill and he will speak to that tomorrow (today),’ he said.