Arsenal vs FC Porto, UEFA, Live Streaming, February 17, 2010, Rd 16, 1st Leg, Online, Videos, Champions League Live

Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Kick Off: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Estadio do Dragao

FC Porto vs Arsenal, UEFA, Live Streaming, February 17, 2010, Rd 16, 1st Leg, Online, Videos, Champions League Live

Preview:

Arsenal takes on FC Porto in UEFA Champions League match on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at Estadio do Dragao. Arsenal are looking forward to defeat FC Porto in the Champions League match on Wednesday to book a place in the next stage. But Arsenal will going to miss Andrey Arshavin for Wednesday’s match against FC Porto due to hamstring injury as picked the injury in last week’s 1-0 win over Liverpool.

FC Porto are strong enough  to face Arsenal on their home ground in the Champions League match and they are looking forward defeat them. FC Porto will be hoping to avoid a third successive home defeat by English opponents in the UEFA Champions League when they welcome familiar foes Arsenal FC to the Estadio do Dragao in the first knockout round.

Arsenal vs FC Porto, UEFA, Live Streaming, February 17, 2010, Rd 16, 1st Leg, Online, Videos, Champions League Live

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According to Arsene Wenger, the searing pain of Arsenal’s defeat to Hull last weekend caused him to eject copious amounts of rich brown chunder long into Sunday morning. A sorry state of affairs and no mistake, but there is unlikely to be a similar Creosoteian explosion after tonight’s game: Arsenal are on a 22-match unbeaten home run in the Champions League, while Porto’s recent competitive record in England is even worse than England’s.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Van Persie, Adebayor.
Subs: Fabianski, Vela, Ramsey, Silvestre, Djourou, Bendtner, Eboue.

FC Porto, and no I won’t be making any tired Bill Bixby-related references this evening: Helton, Sapunaru, Bruno Alves, Rolando, Benitez, Guarin, Costa, Fernando, Raul Meireles, Rodriguez, Lopez.
Subs: Nuno, Pedro Emanuel, Stepanov, Lucho Gonzalez, Hulk, Lino, Candeias.

Full-time concert pianist who runs his own music school, 2007 Champions League final referee, and general all-round Renaissance man: Herbert Fandel (Germany)

Kick-off: 7.45pm in the local coin.

Zenit St Petersburg 1-2 Real Madrid: That game’s already finished in Russia, a wonderful old-fashioned piece of end-to-end nonsense in the freezing cold. It should have finished 7-4. This is bound to be a terrible anti-climax, isn’t it, though I suppose Arsenal will be semi-desperate for a victory, so you never know. “Arsene should have selected that bunch of Grange Hill fourth formers who demolished Sheffield United,” writes Gary Naylor, possibly unaware that Grange Hill has itself been demolished by faceless BBC bureaucrats. “Those scallywags understood that you need to score goals to beat the opposition, even if they play for an unfashionable club – unlike pouting William Gallas and footballing genius Emmanuel Eboué on Saturday.”

Analysis of the Arsenal team which I couldn’t be bothered to do, so it’s just as well Dave Mooney has emailed in, isn’t it: “From the chunder-related link you posted: ‘There will be changes certainly. I will see how many, but there will be changes.” says Wenger.

“Line-up vs Hull: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Denilson, Walcott, Adebayor, Van Persie.

“Line-up vs Porto: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Fabregas, Denilson, Walcott, Adebayor, Van Persie.

“Changes in full: Eboue -> Nasri, which is a change AW would have made
even if Arsenal had beat Hull 9-0.”

And we’re off! Arsenal, who play the beautiful game AT ALL TIMES if you believe the slightly over-the-top nonsense that is spouted about them, hoof it upfield. HOOF! It goes straight to Helton, who returns the favour by pelting it straight up to Almunia.

2 min: OOYAH! OOF! Van Persie hammers the ball goalwards. It isn’t the only orb he rattles, the football pinging into Fernando’s swingers from close range, causing much clankage. You could feel that.

5 min: Fabregas and Denilson take turns within seconds to lose the ball near their own area. Porto make nothing of either chance, Lisandro being particularly wasteful with his opportunity to rip into the box, but that was sloppy from Arsenal.

7 min: Van Persie to Fabregas to Adebayor… the ball’s shuttled beautifully across the front of the Porto area from left to right. Adebayor nudges it further right into space for Walcott, who shoots into the side netting. Lovely football, the beautiful game some would say.

10 min: Arsenal have started strongly here. Sagna and Walcott are causing a lot of bother down the right wing. The ball is lifted into the area, where Adebayor is lurking, causing Bruno Alves to slice wildly into the air. The ball’s dealt with by Helton, but this is promising from Arsenal.

12 min: Wow, what a passage of play. Van Persie steams down the centre and sends a wonderful curling effort towards the bottom-left corner; Helton is forced to fingertip the effort round the post. From the corner, Porto pelt upfield on the break at top speed, a cross from the right being met by the head of the diving Keith Houche… hold on… Cristian Rodriguez, who crashes his more-than-decent effort down into the ground and up onto the crossbar.

17 min: Wonderful ball from Fabregas, who from the centre of the Porto half spots van Persie spin into space down the inside-right channel. The ball drops perfectly but the angle’s tight; the striker slices his shot into the ground, his effort bouncing off the floor, over Helton and onto the top of the netting. “Media darlings Arsenal don’t seem quite so popular amongst the hoi-polloi if tonight’s ‘crowd”‘is anything to go by,” writes Gary Naylor, who as you will see in a second or two is spoiling for a fight this evening. “With its own tube station, there’s probably 10 million people within an hour’s travel time of whom a mere 9,970,000 or so seem to prefer alternative attractions. Could it be that the price of tickets is a bit too high? For an early CL Group game, I’d say a fair price would be 30 or 40 (pence not pounds).”

19 min: Another fine ball from Fabregas down the inside-right channel, this time for Walcott, whose wild flay is bundled out for a corner.

20 min: PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS IN CORNER WASTE OF TIME SHOCK

22 min: Walcott and Fabregas are on the same wavelength tonight: for the third time in almost as many minutes, Fabregas slips a perfectly weighted ball down the inside-right etc and so on; sadly for Arsenal Walcott is marginally offside this time, so he can’t shank a shot off a defender to win a corner which will be wasted.

25 min: Porto can’t keep hold of the ball at all. This time Sagna pelts down the right and nearly breaks through, only for Bruno Alves to intercept. However he immediately gives it back to Denilson on the edge of the area. Nothing comes of the promising position, but it can surely only be a matter of time before Arsenal take the lead.

26 min: And of course having said that, it’s Porto who twice in the space of 30 seconds look like going ahead. Lisandro takes a punt from 25 yards which Almunia does well to tip round his left-hand post; from the resulting corner, Lisandro and Bruno Alves are found free six yards out in acres. Almunia rushes out, the ball falling slightly behind Lisandro and giving the keeper the chance to put the striker off – just. Lisandro toe-pokes past Almunia but Clichy clears off the line easily enough. If Lisandro had left well alone, Bruno Alves would surely have put Porto one up.

31 min: GOAL!!! Arsenal 1-0 Porto

34 min: Sagna skitters down the right and sends over an up-and-under which the inrushing Denilson, 12 yards out, is this close from crashing into the net. Sapunaru ferries the ball clear. That would have been some goal.

38 min: A couple of corners for Porto, but, y’know.

39 min: Walcott is causing no end of havoc down the right. He gets to the byline and nearly stands the ball up for Adebayor in the centre, but the ball’s blocked out for a corner. Nothing can come of this, surely…

39 min: GOAL!!! Arsenal 2-0 Porto. Oh alright, I already knew what had happened. Van Persie takes the corner from the right and Adebayor heads home. It’s a strange sort of slow-motion goal, the ball being headed downwards, then up past the static Helton, down off the bar and into the net. Liverpool scored a very similar goal against Porto on their way to the 2001 Uefa Cup final. Do they always let in goals like this?

43 min: Porto look utterly shellshocked. Arsenal have been very impressive. Meanwhile it seems I was a wee bit too presumptuous on 38 minutes. “No, we don’t know what happened to those corners that Porto won,” writes Nathan Smith. “Given Arsenal’s record at defending them this year, I assume that at least one of them is nestling in the back of the net. When will Wenger realise that a team of short-arses will always be vulnerable at set-plays (as Fulham and Hull have shown this season).”

Will you look at this! Borisov Automobile and Tractor Electrical Equipment were two up on two-time champions Juventus, though they’ve since been pegged back. I would say it will be worth watching the highlights programme on ITV tonight as a result, if I didn’t know full well that they’ll only show about 20 seconds of it after an interminable series of Manchester United post-match interviews.

Now playing on BBC Radio 3: Some “very morbid stuff”, according to Tim Merrick. “It’s the Birmingham SO playing a bit of Bartok. The Miraculous Mandarin, it says. Which sounds like a great name for a Chinese winger (or a chef’s special).”

This has started again. Although let’s face it, given how poor Porto were in the first half, it’s already all over. There’s a bit of hoofing and bad passing going on by both sides, nothing to write home about, nor indeed on a football website.

47 min: GOAL!!! Arsenal 3-0 Porto. Utterly abject defending by Bruno Alves here. Van Persie takes up the ball on the edge of the area, pokes the ball far too far past the defender, who should easily be able to turn, block the Arsenal striker, and clear. He doesn’t though, opting instead to stand around gormlessly as van Persie swans past and pokes a shot into the bottom corner. Adding insult to injury, Helton should probably have got a stronger hand on that. This. Is. Over.

49 min: Walcott screams down the right, making Benitez look slightly less mobile and pacy than his namesake Rafa. A cross is stood up for Adebayor in the centre, but Sapunaru does well to chest the ball out on the left before any more danger can be done. Porto are appalling.

51 min: I have never seen a defence panic like this in major European competition. Meireles hacks clear twice when it would have been easier to leave the ball to Helton. Both times it’s a pathetic waft to an Arsenal player waiting on the wing. They are an utter shambles.

53 min: And I’ve never seen a miss like this in major European competition. Porto are now letting Arsenal have the run of the entire pitch, barely putting in even the most cursory of challenges. Adebayor slaloms in from the left, gets to the byline, draws the keeper and two defenders, and cuts the ball back to Walcott, six yards out in front of a completely empty net. Somehow – how? – he shanks the ball wide left. That was unbelievable.

57 min: I’ve never seen a miss like this in major European competition pt II. Walcott makes Benitez look like he’s got housebricks in his boots, which he possibly has, by tearing past him down the right at the most ludicrous speed. He can’t get a shot in, though he is clear for a millisecond, but dinks a lovely ball over to Nasri in the centre. Nasri slices it wide right from six yards. This is just getting silly now, really very silly indeed.

60 min: Nasri has a dig from 30 yards. It’s swerving, though Helton should be dealing with it easily. He doesn’t, though, attempting instead to swat the ball away with his wrists, as though he was playing volleyball. Porto are a complete shambles here.

64 min: Meireles comes on for Hulk, causing ITV commentary duo Peter Drury and David Pleat to excitedly run through all the Bill Bixby related puns they prepared before the match. SHUT UP. Van Persie and Nasri are replaced by Bendtner and Eboue.

66 min: Fabregas takes a pop from the edge of the Porto area. Helton gives his bump, set, spike a try out again, spewing the ball to Adebayor, who really should do better from six yards than smack it straight back into the keeper’s arms, allowing him to deflect the shot clear. Porto are currently a sick joke.

69 min: PENALTY FOR ARSENAL! WHICH IS SCORED! Arsenal 4-0 Porto. This is just getting ridiculous now. Guarin is standing behind Bendtner, who is static. There is no danger whatsoever, but a quick rush of blood later, and Bendtner’s legs are swept from under him by Guarin. The most pointless challenge of all time? Very possibly. Adebayor strokes the ball into the bottom-right corner, while Helton rides around on his unicycle in the centre of the goal, pulling rabbits from his trousers and asking people to smell his funny flower.

73 min: Vela comes on for Walcott and is almost immediately into the action. Porto aren’t making any effort whatsoever now, but you still have to run past cones, don’t you, and that’s what Vela does. Three of them he passes on a lovely jinking run, before giving the ball to Bendtner, who tries the same but falls over. “I thought it was a little bit harsh David Pleat describing Porto as having ‘no charisma’ anymore, because they look like a good bunch of lads,” is the guardian.co.uk Pun Of The Day, brought to you by Dominic Fletcher.

75 min: Costa cuts inside from the left and takes a shot which flies wide right. Porto have been bloody awful, but it is important to say that Arsenal have been very, very impressive indeed. Beautiful football, all the time, you know I never doubted them.

77 min: Clichy has been booked, by the way. I know not what for.

79 min: Rodriguez is replaced by Candeias.

81 min: Arsenal are just running through some training routines now. A game of head tennis in the Porto area is followed by Denilson taking a whack from 30 yards.

83 min: Costa is booked for refusing to give the ball back to Arsenal, then throwing it away. This is now officially embarrassing.

86 min: Now nobody’s bothering.

87 min: Bendtner suddenly springs to life, cutting inside from the right and drawing four Porto defenders. He dinks the ball past them all to release Adebayor – on a hat-trick – eight yards out. But he won’t get the match ball, after dragging a poor shot wide left when it was easier to score.

89 min: Now Eboue misses a preposterously easy chance from six yards out, Arsenal’s third in the match. Instead of sidefooting into an empty net, the keeper prone, he hammers the ball at Helton and it pinballs away from danger.

FULL TIME: Arsenal 4-0 Porto. He’s not a fan of added time, this referee, though who can blame him after that one-sided show? Herbert Fandel, who probably wants to get back to his hotel room in time for Late Junction on Radio 3, blows up after roughly ten seconds of added time.

Although Porto were a risible joke, that was a very, very impressive performance from Arsenal, who deserve the Beautiful Game plaudits tonight, sure enough. However, there is no pleasing some people. “4-0 from HOW MANY chances?” splutters Toby Belson. “Not much improvement on Saturday in the grand scheme of things. Same old story.” Now, whichever way you look at it, you have got to admire an attitude like that.

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Pre-match waffle

With 10 points each from five games, a draw will see both Arsenal and FC Porto through to the knockout stages at CSKA Moscow’s expense. But if the Russian side beat point-less Hamburg, then d-e-f-e-a-t for Arsenal or Porto would spell e-l-i-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n. So with that in mind, I’ll be keeping one eye on events in Germany, as I’m sure will both teams at the Estádio do Dragão.

It’s difficult to predict how this match will pan out, but I think it’s safe to assume that if the sides are level with 20 minutes to go, there’s probably more chance of me going home to find a couple of Sky Sports newsreaders Di Stewart and Georgie Thompson waiting expectantly in my bed than there is of Arsenal or Porto producing a winner. “This is an unusual game because it’s not normal when both teams can draw and still achieve their objectives,” said Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira, who clearly hasn’t been following the travails of the England cricket team. “We know just how good Arsenal are – but then again, so are we. We will approach the match with the same will to win we show in every game.”

For Porto, Paulo Assunção and Fucile return after sitting out Saturday’s 2-0 win against Boavista FC in the Portuguese league, but must do without Tomislav 5okota, Pedro Emanuel and Anderson, who remain long-term absentees.

Arsenal must do without tantrum-throwing striker Thierry Henry (suspended), midfielder Tomás Rosický (hamstring) and William Gallas (I’ve no idea), not that it’s bothering their manager . “The team is highly united, focused and determined to do well,” droned Arsene Wenger. “This team has character, potential, quality and unity. We have lacked consistency in some games but we have young players who have to learn and who sometimes lose their confidence after just one setback.”

The teams

Porto: 1-Helton; 12-Bosingwa, 3-Pepe, 14-Bruno Alves, 13-Jorge Fucile; 8-Luis Gonzalez (c), 18-Paulo Assuncao, 16-Raul Meireles; 9-Lisandro Lopez, 23-Helder Postiga, 7-Ricardo Quaresma

Arsenal: 1-Jens Lehmann; 27-Emmanuel Eboue, 5-Kolo Toure, 20-Johan Djourou, 22-Gael Clichy; 13-Alexandr Hleb, 8-Fredrik Ljungberg, 19-Gilberto Silva (c), 4-Francesc Fabregas, 16-Matthieu Flamini; 25-Emmanuel Adebayor

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

First email of the night

“I’m sure you’ll be feeling pangs of longing for the bogs of Offaly when I tell you that Eamon Dunphy, while previewing the match you’re not covering, has just called Alex Ferguson a ‘bloody idiot, a liar and a disgrace’ to a stunned silence,” writes Niall Glynn.

Why?

“For having the temerity to accuse the media of conducting a conspiracy against Winkiano Ronaldo.”

Pre-match niceties

The teams emerge and line up, with Arsenal wearing their Sheikh Mohammed racing colours of red with white sleeves (makes you wonder why he’s buying Liverpool, eh?), while Porto are wearing Blackburn Rovers colours.

1 min: Porto kick off and are playing from right to left on my television. Arsenal soon win possession and the ball finds its way back to Jens Lehmann, who gets an early touch.

2 mins: From just inside his own half, Kolo Toure attempts to release Emmanuel Adebayor with a long bass through the middle. Offside.

3 mins: That should have read “long pass”. Fish and rhythm guitars appear to be conspicuous by their absence from the Estádio do Dragão sward.

5 mins: FC Porto win a free-kick wide on the right, which is hoisted across the edge of the six-yard box and headed high over the bar. Jens Lehmann didn’t get near it, but gives the referee a bollocking for not penalising several Porto players who jumped within a three-feet radius of him.

7 mins: Excessive fannying around at the back almost gets Arsenal in trouble. Eboue tries to square a pass but it’s undercooked and Toure is forced to frantically hack clear with Lopez bearing down on the ball and Lehmann looking very small in the goal.

10 mins: Not much of note to report so far – Arsenal have five across the middle when they don’t have the ball and are proving difficult for Porto to break down. Both teams are keeping possession well, probing and pressing without carving out anything in the way of scoring chances. Imagine a pair of dogs who don’t know each other very well sniffing each other’s backsides in the park and you’ll have some idea of what these opening exchanges are like.

12 mins: Arsenal make another rod for their own back, when Alexandr Hleb needlessly gets caught in possession by Ricardo Quaresma. The Uruguayan sends in a cross, which Kolo Toure heads clear at the near post.

13 mins: “it’s one thing feeling pre nerves before a game in England with a pint in hand, but sitting at work with a coffee is just not satisfying the soul. how about a ‘shout’ to the kiwi’s downunder!” asks Tony Spellacey, who seems to have mistaken this football report for some sort of poptastic hospital radio request show. Tell you what, Tony – how about you try putting upper-case letters at the beginning of your sentences and I’ll think about giving all you rugger-buggers a “shout”.

16 mins: With the exception of ones that go down the right and the middle, em, many of Porto’s attacks are being launched down the left, where Ricardo Quaresmo and Jorge Fucile are combining to devastating effect. The former looks a bit special and is causing Emmanuel Eboue all sorts of bother. Hats off to Luis Correia in Toronto, then, who sent in an email predicting “Porto vs Arsenal will end in a draw and Ricardo Quaresma will make more than a few Arsenal players look silly.”

21 mins: “No doubt Adebayor carped about the ‘bass’ Toure sent his way in the second minute?” writes Tracy Mohr. If he did he had no right to, Tracy. He was the one standing in the wrong plaice, after all.

23 mins: For Porto, Helder Postiga tries a volley from distance but doesn’t get much power behind it and shoots straight at Jens Lehmann.

24 mins: “Surely with their re-found superstardom, you could have found a more recent photo of Gary Barlow, rather than a circa 1993 archive version,” writes Ben Fitzpatrick, among others. Meanwhile in Germany, CSKA Moscow have gone one goal up against Bah Hamburg, which means that defeat for either team here would result in elimination from the Champions League.

27 mins: Quaresma, who I’m reliably informed is not Uruguayan, but Portuguese, almost beats Jens Lehmann with a beautiful diagonal chip which he sents towards the top corner, prompting – I think – Gary McAllister on Sky to criticise him for showboating. Eh?

29 mins: Hamburg have equalised against CSKA Moscow, while must-draw-or-win Manchester United have gone a goal down against Benfica.

30 mins: Giving Emmanuel Eboue some much-needed respite, Ricardo Quaresma switches wings and torments Gael Clichy with a series of stepovers and pull-backs, before letting the ball run out of play. Frustrated, he then sends the corner flag flying with a vicious boot. Careful now! Somebody’s mother has to clean that up.

33 mins: After half an hour, Arsenal are very much on the back foot here – they’ve barely troubled the Porto defence and haven’t troubled goalkeeper Helton in the slightest. Postiga, Quaresma and Lopez, meanwhile, are running the Arsenal defence ragged and have had as many as 10 shots on goal.

35 mins: Clearly stung by my criticism, Arsenal have their first shot “on goal”. Matthieu Flamini’s scuffed effort is deflected about 10 yards wide for a corner, from which nothing comes.

39 mins: For Porto, Paolo Assuncao tries his luck from distance. Close, but no cigar – his surface to air screamer has Jens Lehmann beaten all ends up, but fizzes just over the bar. Great effort.

42 mins: After combining well with Cesc Fabregas down the right, Alexandr Hleb attempts to drive a low cross into the penalty area. It’s blocked and he wins a corner, from which nothing comes.

44 mins: With Arsenal’s defenders stroking it around the back, the referee brings the half to a close. On Sky, Marcus Buckland and Gary McAllister reckon that Arsene Wenger will be very pleased with what he saw in the first half. On the contrary, I’d say he’ll be more than a little concerned. Meanwhile in Old Trafford, Manchester United have equalised against Benfica.

Half-time

46 mins: Arsenal get what I suspect may well be one of the longest, least exciting 45-minute periods of football off to a start. A draw will send both teams through to the knockout stages whether CSKA Moscow beat Hamburg or not.

47 mins: Brilliant play from Porto, who carve Arsenal’s static defence open down the right, before Lisandro pulls a diagonal ball back to Quaresma. Thundering towards the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, he pulls the trigger and his low drive crashes off the foot of the upright and rebounds into play. Arsenal to clear. It was a great move which deserved a goal. Arsenal have been ridiculously cautious tonight and they’re being punished for it. If they do lose this and exit the competition, they’ll have nobody to blame but themselves. That said, I’m sure Arsene Wenger will find somebody else to blame; he always does.

49 mins: Not for the first time, Arsenal squander possession inside their own half. Porto cross from the right and Lehmann clashes with Lisandro upon coming out to collect it. It was an accidental collision over a 50-50 ball and the goalkeeper’s grimacing with pain, but he’ll live.

53 mins: Fredide Ljungberg gallops down the left wing, where full-back Bonsingua takes the ball off him, side-steps the Swede’s attempt to win it back and clinically dispatches the ball up the field. Great defending – Arsenal are being comprehensively outplayed in pretty much every department tonight.

57 mins: Arsenal gift possession to Porto inside their own half again and Ricardo Quaresma turns – I think – Toure inside out on the edge of the penalty are and smashes another low drive across Jens Lehmann’s bows and off the foot of the Arsenal upright. The ball rebounds into play and Helder Postiga shoots straight at Jens Lehmann.

59 mins: Arsenal remain on the ropes, with Porto pounding them senseless – surely it’s only a matter of time before the knees buckle – if not in the game, then in this ill-advised boxing analogy that it’s too late for me to back out of now. Having weathered another storm, they get the opportunity to ease the pressure by launching a rare sortie into Porto’s half. It’s wasted when Gael Clichy gifts possession back to Porto with a sloppy, misplaced pass.

63 mins: One of the many joys of writing these minute-by-minute reports is that if you give a factual account of a team playing badly, you’re accused of being biased against that team. Exhibit A: this email from Sunasir Dutta: “I’m not sure why the Guardian bothers to put grumpy Arsenal-hating hacks to comment on Arsenal’s most boring game ever – oh wait i get it!” I don’t hate Arsenal – I have bigger fish to fry – and this game is far from boring.

67 mins: Emmanuel Adebayor gets on the end of a Kolo Toure cross and plants his header low and wide. He’s promptly penalised for using Porto defender Bruno Alves as a stepladder. In Germany: Hamburg 1 – 2 CSKA Moscow. If either of Quaresma’s shots against the post had gone in, Arsenal would be looking forward to a winter of Uefa Cup fun.

69 mins: Another joy of writing these minute-by-minute reports is the ccasional deranged monologues we get from readers who may or may not have been at the drinks cabinet. Exhibit B – this email from Christine P: “Does anyone look fluey? Is anyone warming up? What is their main problem? Or is Porto just bringing it to them? How are they losing possession? Bad passes? Porto pressure? You’re my eyes, Barry… what did the dodgy old man say to Kevin Costner? They’ve taken my eyes, Robin, they’ve taken my eyes… oh wait. You lot like Braveheart, not Robin Hood, right?” Is it just me or does anyone else think Christine should be locked in a secure room making things out of wicker.

73 mins: I’m going to go out on a limb here and hazard a guest that Sky co-commentator Gary McAllister, who was an excellent player and who seems like a lovely man, asked somebody to tell him a bit about Porto before this match and that person said: “Keep an eye on Ricardo Quaresma – he’s a showboater.” The Porto No7 has been nothing short of outstanding this evening, but every time he gets the ball, McAllister starts criticising him for excessive fancy-dannery.

77 mins: Both sets of players appear to have decided that a 0-0 scoreline will do. The game’s slowed down to a pedestrian pace and the ball is being gently passed around like a baby at a christening party. I’m sure it’s all a big coincidence and that there’s been no on-field collusion whatsoever …

81 mins: Arsenal win a free-kick just outside the Porto box after Ljungberg is fouled. Fabregas’s effort is low, off-target and fails to beat the first defender. Funny, that.

82 mins: Arsenal are contentedly nudging the ball around at the back – as many as 40 consecutive passes without actually moving forward an inch. Porto are happy to sit back and admire them. Meanwhile in Germany, Hamburg have just equalised against CSKA, rendering the next eight minutes even more redundant than they were already. On the sideline, Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira tells his players to slow things down a bit. I’m not sure why – they’re already stationary. There’s also a load of substitutions I’ve missed, but it doesn’t really matter.

83-89 mins: After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. After you Porto. No, after you Arsenal. No, after you Porto. No, after you Arsenal.

90 mins: Peep! Peep! Peep! The match peters out seconds before my will to live does, while news comes in from Germany that Hamburg have beaten CSKA Moscow 3-2. Right, Arsenal top Group G, Porto finish second and I’m off – thanks for your time and your emails.

Does arsenal football club have a team song?

Cos liverpool has you’ll never walk alone and west ham have forever blowing bubbles and man united have glory glory man united, but does arsenal have a song?

Answer
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope….And this is what he said FUCK OFF! Whos that team we call the ARSENAL Whos that team we all adore, Were the boys in red and white and we’re Fucking Dynamite and Harry Redknapps Mother is a whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore shes a whoooooooooooooooooooooooore … COME ON ARSENAL!!!

As with any sport, soccer or football in the U.K has its elusive accomplishments that make individual players stand out from the average. The hat trick is an especially difficult standout performance and will definitely gain the successful performer a place in the record books.

Specifically the hat trick refers to scoring three goals in one game. The term originated in the game of cricket with the awarding of a hat to a bowler who managed to take three wickets. It has been utilized in soccer with several variations on the theme. While the normal hat trick designation is awarded for any player that makes three goals, it is considered a “flawless” hat trick if all three goals are scored in a single period of play and no other player has scored between them.

The “golden” or “perfect” hat trick takes a little more effort and expertise. To be awarded with the designation of “perfect” the three goals must be accomplished by making one goal with each foot and one from off the head of the player. While hats are not given in soccer it has become traditional for the game ball to be presented to the player that can successfully complete this maneuver. It should be noted that penalty shots are not counted towards the successful completion of a hat trick.

To date, the fastest hat trick was performed in 1964 at Victoria Park in Dingwall. In a fast paced game against Nairn County, Tommy Ross of the Ross County Football Conference succeeded in making three goals in a ninety second time period. Each league and conference maintains its own records of the hat trick as it is such an outstanding play accomplishment. In Premiership play, for instance, Robbie Fowler of Liverpool took only four and a half minutes to make their hat trick record against Arsenal in a 1994 game.

The World Cup competitions have twice seen players accomplish two hat tricks in the same game. In 1958 Just Fontaine succeeded in a double hat trick and Gerd Muller followed in the 1970 World Cup with his successful completion of this tricky maneuver. The Argentinean Gabriel Batistuta is renown for having scored the hat trick in two separate World Cup championships in both 1994 and 1998.

Besides showing top competitive skills by managing to complete the hat trick, the maneuver is also quite often the deciding factor in a team’s victory. The hat trick maneuver is present in all levels of the sport from elementary school soccer games to the professional play in all leagues and conferences world-wide.

The hat trick is such an outstanding performance that individual hat trick successes have been filmed and released in video compilations of Great Moments in Sports. There is no better way to demonstrate the quality and skill of a player than through performing this feat. That soccer is a team effort at all times shows that not only the individual player but the entire team is performing at a high level of expertise.

The hat trick is so popular with enthusiasts that it has lent its name to soccer video games and online team management games. It has found its way into the names of game pitches like Oklahoma City’s Hat Trick Indoor Soccer Arena. While the hat trick may not have originated in soccer, soccer has taken it over and made it their own.

How many many premiership titles have arsenal football club won?

Answer
3 and its more than my Loverpool FC love.
18 years without a premier league title is a hell of a long time.

The winner of the final match as well as earning a place in the UEFA cup in the next season will also earn the £2,000,000 prize money and the losing team will get £1,000,000. The current holders of the FA cup are Portsmouth who beat Cardiff City 1-0 in the 2007/2008 final match. The favorites of this year will be between the top four clubs in the United Kingdom, these being Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal but as always there will be teams from outside the top flight looking to challenge these teams dominance. This whole scenario places Wolver Hampton and Birmingham in the picture.

Sponsorship of the Event – Unlike other sporting events the FA Cup was not sponsored until the year 1994 and it still retains its title to protect its nation al identity and is therefore called as “The FA Cup sponsored by….” The current sponsors of the event are Germany Energy Company E-ON, who will retain the sponsorship until the year 2010. The main sponsor has many partners that have done this over the years such as McDonalds, Pepsi and the Nationwide Building Society.

Format of FA Cup – This competition involves all the clubs currently in the English Football League and in its early stages teams like Ireland, Scotland and Wales have been included.  The winner of the FA Cup qualifies to the first round of UEFA Cup. If the winners also qualify for the Champions League, the runner up team up in the FA Cup qualify for the UEFA cup in their place. If both the finalists have already qualified for the Champions League, an extra Cup place is given on the basis of the league position.

All Premier League, Championship and Football League are eligible to enter and the non league teams may enter if they have competed in the previous Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase. Qualifying Rounds – The competition starts with the Qualifying rounds which are regionalized to help with the traveling costs of the smaller non league sides. Clubs that are higher up the league are exempt from certain rounds.

The Finals – The draw for the semi finals are held in the mid of march normally from the headquarters of the FA these four teams then have their matches played on the first weekend in April. Traditionally, the climax of FA Cup competition always takes place in May and will be held at Wembley Stadium, the home of English football on May 30th 2009. This time it seems that the tournament brings with it a lot of talent at exposure as the teams are focused to play with the best of their potential and zeal with a positive frame of mind.

You can find all English Soccer Livescore and Football results at ScoresPro.com

arsenal football programmes needed for cash

Football is definitely a sport that requires a combination of skills and athletic ability. This is why it’s so important to develop a football conditioning program that would help you improve in every aspect of the game. These aspects include: strength, cardiovascular, and cardiorespiratory training. All of these areas need to be improved upon and directed towards skill improvement that mimics what takes place on the football field. Football players often require endurance, strength, flexibility, coordination, and explosive speed and acceleration.

The purpose of this article is not to give you a blueprint of an exact conditioning program but instead to give you what you need to know to design one for yourself. This is because one program will not necessarily work for everyone. Schedules sometimes need to be adjusted and programs need to be flexible when necessary.

A good preseason football conditioning program should begin 8-10 weeks before the season and should take place six days a week. The seven day should be used for resting and recovery. If you train too hard and do not rest your muscles you will almost certainly receive an injury. During the course of your work out stretching is one of the most important things you can do to avoid injury. This will also help you promote muscle growth and flexibility if done over a period of time.

Day 1: Run 3-5 miles

On day one you should run three to 5 miles in order to promote endurance and your cardiovascular systems. Each week of training start off with a three-mile run. If this is not enough then do an extra mile or two but don’t become too excessive because you’ll certainly run more later in the week.

Day 2, 4, and 6: Work on Speed Training

On these days your focus should be on speed and acceleration. The best way to work on speed and acceleration is doing some form of sprinting. Remember to stretch between sprints and at the end of your work out.

Day 3 and 5: Work on skills that are specific to your position and strength training

You can develop position specific skills by doing a variety of practice drills. Obviously because each position has different skills we cannot go over them all here. If for example you are a running back, you want a practice run blocking, ball handling, receiving, pass blocking, and agility drills.

After position specific training, focus on strength training. Focus on those areas which are specifically needed for your position. Finish off with a three-mile run.

Your football conditioning program should be approached with caution. If you overwork your body you may end up injured and not able to play at all during the season.

Therefore is important to take it slow careful and do plenty of stretching. Finally it is always important to your diet high in protein and carbohydrates to keep yourself energized. This will also help your body perform at its best. By following a strict football conditioning program you should have a great season.

Robert Michael is a writer for Football Cube which is an excellent place to find football links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.footballcube.com

what time is Arsenal (the football team) playin today?

my boss is goin to watch the game n i want to know what time will he def be outa the office!!!!
please say there is a game on before that! i was hopein he was goin to go about 3 or something!!!! arrrrrrrrrrrr ! some 1 tell Wankar or wengar to play abit earliyer

Answer
I’ll be leaving the office at about 4:15

And i advise you not to bring that girl back to the office when i leave.

PS: look out for the CCTV in the corner of the room next to the water cooler!!!

The advance in technology has made it possible for one to be able to watch football on pc. It’s now possible for a football fan to get uninterrupted access to watch Champion League, Premiership, FA cup, Carling Cup, World Cup, Nations cup, Friendly match, football news, live matches, replay matches and highlights. This is possible through a software which is called Pc Satellite Tv. It has over 20 sport channels, some of them are ESPN, Eurosports, Fox Sports, ABC Sports, Arsenal Tv, Chelsea Tv, ART Sports channel and others. These sports channels are located in UK, USA, France and Spain, to name but a few out of its 100 countries. You can check a review at Pc Satellite Tv

In addition, you do not only get access to watch soccer which is popularly known as football in Europe, but you also get access to watch other sports shows such as NFL, NBA, baseball, boxing, golf, US Open etc on pc. This is made possible through 2 hardwares and 1 software. These hardwares are a pc and an internet connection while the software you already know the name, meanwhile, its called pc satellite tv. Once these 3 conditions are met, you will be able to watch the football show of your choice.

Furthermore, you also get access to watch other tv shows such as movies, music, shopping, fashion, cartoon and documentary. They are over 20 movies channels, 20 music channels you can select from to watch on pc. To gain access to this pc satellite tv requires only a onetime fee of $49.95 after which you will download the software. Before you subscribe I recommend you visit my reviews at http://modospot.com/satv.html

Does any 1 no any good tactics 4 arsenal on football manager 2009 ?

if so please can you help me …. and if possible with screenshots thanks josh

Answer
if im a team in italy or spain arsenal always seem to win the league haha, they seem to play the formation that you would start off with and always buy a striker such as Trezeguet

Below are five items a football coach should not be with out.  These are popular football items that can help a coach send their team to victory.

1.) M14970 Sport Write Coaching Board- the Sport Write Coaching Board is the king of all coaching boards. It measures 23-1/4” x18-5/8” and has a full color diagram of the football field on one side and a white dry erase board on the other side.  It’s large enough to clearly demonstrate plays on the sideline.  Any football coach with winning in mind should add this board to their football arsenal.  “It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” -Bear Bryant

2.) M17016 Tuckers Grid Stat- Tuckers Grid Stats have been around for years and is one of the most popular statistical scorebooks.  It comes with 10 recap sheets and a participation record pad as well.  As every good coach knows making use of every little advantage can be the difference between a win or a loss.  Knowing each players strengths and weaknesses is a vital responsibility of the coach and the Tuckers Grid Stats makes the job a little easier.  After all as Vince Lombardi put it “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?”

3.) M10057 Classic Fox 40 Whistle- What would a coach be with out a whistle.  The Classis Fox 40 Whistle is a pealess design which means there is no pea inside to get stuck.  This gives you a perfectly reliable whistle.  So when your getting tough with the players you don’t have to worry about your whistle malfunctioning.  “Confidence is contagious.  So is lack of confidence.”-Vince Lombardi

4.) M12325 Accusplit A705 AX Pro Timer- This timer is simple to use, has a 5 year lithium battery, magnum XL display, and gets the job done.  It also has a 5 year limited warranty.  There is no need messing around with any other timer.  When it comes to speed one second can make all the difference.  “In a successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention.” Lou Holtz

5.) M20735 1000 Yard Deluxe Megaphone- Are your players hard of hearing?  Well they won’t be with this Megaphone.  It has a 1000 yard range, power from 16 to 30 watts.  It comes with a hand held microphone for ease of use.  It has adjustable volume control, a powerful siren, and a shoulder strap.  This deluxe megaphone is perfect for getting your players motivated. “Motivation is simple.  You eliminate those who are not motivated.”- Lou Holtz

“Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”  Vince Lombardi

For more popular products check out football coaching equipment.

11 Years full time experience in the team sporting goods business. I grew up in the business though so it feels like i have 30 years experience. I am 4th generation at www.morleyathletic.com. I write many articles about all athletic sports that pertain to team specific products and ideals. These are articles for players and coaches.

how much do u reckon i culd get an official arsenal signed football for on ebay?

its signed by the whole team and has a certificate saying its authentic.

Answer
If it’s the current team, and the certificate is from Arsenal, or a recognised certifying body and can be checked, you should get about £300 for it. However, you can take a gamble – wait and see if they win anything this season, and then post it for auction then – it will fetch perhaps £500 to £1000 depending on what they’ve won. Or you could wait, they win nothing, and next season you might only get £200 for it.

The classic football shirt is usually short sleeved in the spring and summer months, and in the fall and winter players prefer a long sleeve football shirt.

These shirts were originally made from cotton and quite heavy, but today football shirts are made from polyester and nylon as both fabrics are lighter in weight.

Previously the shirts even had buttoned collars, but nowadays the shirts are button-less and sometimes even collarless.

In Europe football shirts are worn for soccer matches and a soccer shirt is known as a football shirt!

A Number on the Back

On August 28th 1938 numbers on the back of football shirts also known to some as “football kits” became fashionable. Arsenal and Chelsea both used numbered shirts in their league games. In 1939 the Football League Management Committee introduced numbering on player’s shirts. Since it is difficult to associate a number with a position in the game, only the goalkeeper wears number 1. In 1965 substitutes for the outfield started to wear the numbers 12 and 14, and the reserve goalkeeper always wears the number 13.

Replica Kits

In 1954 the FIFA World Cup required teams to wear a squad numbering system, so the players on a nation’s squad all used the same shirt numbers for all the tournaments. Sales of these replica kits grew although now that there was squad numbering on the back of the player’s shirts, the numbers were not as meaningful as before.

Players Names on the Shirts

On April18th 1993, The League Cup saw the names of each player now being printed on the back of their shirts, and from 1993-1994 Premiership squad numbers and names were also printed on the shirts. The names of the players and the numbers of the players on the football shirts were first introduced at the U.S.A. World Cup Final Tournament in 1994.

Uniform Numbering

In the NFL the numbering on the uniforms are usually as follows:

The numbers 1-9 are for quarterbacks, kickers and punters The numbers 10-19 are for quarterbacks, kickers, punters and wide receivers The numbers 20-49 are for running backs and defensive backs The numbers 50-59 are centers and linebackers The numbers 60-79 are offensive and defensive linemen The numbers 80-89 are wide receivers and tight ends The numbers 90-99 are defensive linemen and linebackers

The NCAA and high school rules for football shirt numbering states that only the position of “offensive linemen” must use the numbers in the range from 50-79. However the NCAA recommends that running backs and quarterbacks have numbers that are below 50 and that wide receivers have numbers that are above 79.

If you want to find out more about Football Kits , please visit Football Shirts Website for more information

How many many premiership titles have arsenal football club won?

Answer
3 and its more than my Loverpool FC love.
18 years without a premier league title is a hell of a long time.

Arsenal

Odds: 7/1

Last Five Seasons
2005/06 – 4 (Premiership), 2004/05 – 2 (Premiership), 2003/04 – 1 (Premiership), 2002/03 – 2 (Premiership), 2001/02 – 1 (Premiership).

2005/06 Cup Progress
FA Community Shield vs Chelsea (n) – lost 2-1.
Champions League Final vs Barcelona (n) – lost 2-1.
FA Cup Fourth Round vs Bolton Wanderers (a) – lost 1-0.
Carling Cup Semi Final vs Wigan Athletic – lost on away goals with the score 2-2 on aggregate after extra time.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Thierry Henry (striker) – 33 goals.

Players In
Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund – £8,000,000)

Players Out
Robert Pires (Villarreal – Free), Sol Campbell (Portsmouth – Free), Mark Howard (Cardiff City – Free), Michael Jordan (Chesterfield – Free), Graham Stack (Reading – Loan), Kerrea Gilbert (Cardiff City – Loan), Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City – Loan), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City – Loan), Nicklas Bendtner (Birmingham City – Loan), Dennis Bergkamp (Released).

Arsenal were within a whisker of becoming the second English side in succession to win the Champions League but came unstuck in the final against eventual winners Barcelona. By their own standards, Arsenal slipped up somewhat in the Premiership, finishing the campaign in fourth place, but Europe’s biggest prize would have more than made up for it.

Manager Arsene Wenger has allowed a host of fringe and more senior players to leave before a ball is kicked in the brand new Emirates Stadium, but has pulled off a coup by signing Tomas Rosicky from Borussia Dortmund. The Czech Republic international joined the Gunners for an undisclosed fee believed to be £8 million, after five seasons in Germany. He has racked up 15 goals in 53 international appearances and set a Bundesliga record when he joined Dortmund from Sparta Prague for £18 million in 2001.

Long serving centre back Sol Campbell joined Portsmouth on a free transfer after his contract expired in North London. Campbell infamously stormed out of Highbury after being substituted at half time in a defeat by West Ham United in February and considered walking away from the game for good. However, he came back strongly and netted in the Champions League final in May. Since arriving on a free transfer from bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2001 Campbell made 197 appearances for the club and won 68 England caps.

Wenger also lost winger Robert Pires to Villarreal but has been unsuccessful in trying to lure Franck Ribery to the club as a replacement. Joe Antionio Reyes has also been linked heavily with a return to Spain with Real Madrid.

Verdict
Despite numerous departures Arsenal are still in very good shape and will look to improve on last season’s fourth placed finish. Rosicky adds experience to a young midfield and Thierry Henry will again be prolific. A third placed finish is the least they can expect to achieve.

where is the arsenal football club address?

Answer
N5 1BU

The Premier League, also affectionately known as The Premiership, is the pride of football in the United Kingdom. The league is relatively young and was formed in response to the decline of the sport in UK during the 1980s. Football stadiums were being neglected and English football clubs were banned from competition in Europe as a result of the disaster that occurred during the 1985 European Cup Tournament at Heysel Stadium in Brussels. The Football League First Division, which had been the major English football league since 1888, lagged well behind its Italian and Spanish rivals and numerous top English players chose to play abroad.

Around the early 1990s, things begin to turn around as England successfully reached the semi-finals in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. And Europe’s governing body of football, UEFA, lifted the five year ban on European competitions in that same year. The league has seen an explosion in growth and is currently the most watched sporting league in the world.

In February of 1992, The FA Premier League was formed and the first games were played in August of the same year. Originally, there were 22 clubs in league. However, currently there are 22 teams in the league. The FA Premier League’s name was officially changed to the The Premier League in 2007. The league is also known as Barclays Premier League since its official sponsor is Barclays Bank. Currently the league is at the top of the English football league system and at the end of the 2007-2008 season had completed 16 seasons of football.

The Premier League’s football seasons run from August to May and each team plays a total of 38 games. Over the years, a total of 40 football clubs have participated in The Premier League. However, of the 40 teams that have competed in The Premier League, only 4 have won the UK Premiership title – those teams include Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, and Chelsea. The current football champion is Manchester United who holds the record of winning the most Premiership titles – Manchester United boasts a total of 10 UK Premiership titles.

The Premier League is structured as a corporation with the 20 participating football clubs holding interest in the league. Each participating club in The Premiership is treated as a shareholder and is entitled to one vote on the issues such as contracts and rule changes. The chairman, chief executive, and board of directors oversee daily operations of The Premier League are elected by the shareholders. Though the Football Association is not involved directly in the daily operations, it is treated a special shareholder and holds the power of veto during the election of the chief executive and chairman whenever new rules are put in place by the league.

The UK Premiership is wildly popular throughout the world and owes much of its success to media coverage of football sporting events. The decision in 1992 to assign broadcasting rights to BSkyB has paid off enormously. Over a half a billion people follow the league and it is particularly popular in Asia, where it is the most widely promoted sports program.

With growth and statistics like these, it seems The Premier League has stumbled upon a golden formula. As long as they continue to refine and improve it, The Premiership should continue to bask in success for years to come.

Visit us to get more info on Uk Live Football Results, Live Football and premiership match reports.

what time is Arsenal (the football team) playin today?

my boss is goin to watch the game n i want to know what time will he def be outa the office!!!!
please say there is a game on before that! i was hopein he was goin to go about 3 or something!!!! arrrrrrrrrrrr ! some 1 tell Wankar or wengar to play abit earliyer

Answer
I’ll be leaving the office at about 4:15

And i advise you not to bring that girl back to the office when i leave.

PS: look out for the CCTV in the corner of the room next to the water cooler!!!

When you first think about presenting an exceptional gift to someone special in your life, some of the unique gift ideas that will strike your mind straightway may also include football gifts. As the most popular game of this planet, the beautiful game of football has taken everybody under its captivating grip irrespective of age, gender, language, religion and region barriers. Kids, youths and even adults from various parts of the world enjoy playing this game as well as watching and collecting latest information on the game, thanks to booming age of electronic media and the Internet. As a result, you can do a world of good for football lovers by presenting them fascinating football souvenirs and gifts.

Football, of late, has taken the shape of a battle with intense competition going on at different club as well as country levels. Hard-fought professional football leagues such as English Premier League (EPL), Bundes Liga of Germany, Serie A of Italy and La Liga of Spain have attracted skilled and gifted players from several continents and brought them under one roof. There are massive sponsorship deals, equally huge inter-club transfers of players and above all, unbelievably gigantic fan support. Fans of clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Ajax and Juventus and countries like England, Italy and Brazil are quite passionate about their team performances and follow them madly wherever they go. The ecstasy and agony of favorite teams are reflected on their lives as well.

Popular clubs and football teams of different countries are leaving no stone unturned in recognizing the priceless support of their followers and releasing official team shirts, gears and lots of other items like leather wallet, bottle opener, key ring etc. with official team logo to the public. Die-hard followers derive a sense of pride in boasting these precious items and egg their teams on with double enthusiasm and vigor.

With huge popularity by its side, football gifts and souvenirs are fast catching up with masses around the world. People can resort to a number of online retail stores like Football Souvenir Store that display wide collection of football souvenirs and gifts from some of the greatest teams. You can select your desired gifts from items such as team mugs, rugs, clocks and eye-catching toys and games depicting the team logo and theme. The advantage of buying football gifts online is their affordability. These fabulous gifts come within your means. So there is no obstacle before you in possessing them.

Football gifts and souvenirs are wonderful medium to bind teams and their fans together. You can’t present any better item to a football lover. He or she will be the happiest human being of the world by receiving gifts that include framed photographs of favorite players, official bootbags, backpacks and stationary sets. Age is not a barrier as you can present them to anyone ranging from kids to grown-up persons.

If you’re on the look-out for delightful football gifts and souvenirs, you can purchase them online at http://www.footballsouvenirstore.com/, the No. 1 online retailer for these marvelous gifts. Go through variety of items related to so many popular clubs and countries around the world and buy them at reasonable prices.

Biswajeet Shroff is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree
holder from ICFAI University, Hyderabad, India. He is currently working
as Senior Content Developer in an Indian SEO company. He also does
freelancing during pastime and writes on wide array of topics ranging
from blogging, finance and fashion to dating and other human
relationship aspects.

how much do u reckon i culd get an official arsenal signed football for on ebay?

its signed by the whole team and has a certificate saying its authentic.

Answer
If it’s the current team, and the certificate is from Arsenal, or a recognised certifying body and can be checked, you should get about £300 for it. However, you can take a gamble – wait and see if they win anything this season, and then post it for auction then – it will fetch perhaps £500 to £1000 depending on what they’ve won. Or you could wait, they win nothing, and next season you might only get £200 for it.

There are many ways in which men can get away with playing with their balls, much to the chagrin of wives and girlfriends, and one of them is when they’re playing football. Football, more commonly known as soccer in the United States, has taken most of the world by storm – from being one of Europe’s, South America’s, and Africa’s favorite pastime to being the latest craze in far east Asia and the United States.

Win Big, Lose Small

Like every popular sport, football comes with its own gambling opportunities. It’s a way for fans to show their support, while adding to the already big thrill of the game.

Unlike the risk of high stakes gambling in casinos, however, football betting is relatively harmless enough – if done right. Indeed, if you are aiming for a big payout if your team wins or a painless defeat, you should get the best football betting tips.

Leave No Rock Unturned

Football betting tips are easy enough to find. If you regularly a football league, you must already have an idea about the season’s odds, such as which team is doing well or performing poorly, which players are promising enough and have the potential to lead their team to victory, etc.

It also helps to read up on all the footballs write-ups you can get a hold of. By reading between the lines, you’ll inadvertently uncover some very important football betting tips.

Discuss the sport with enthusiasts like you. Because you all share the same passion for football, there are many things you can learn from each other. Before you know it, you’ll be picking up football betting tips by the buckets.

Lastly, go online. The Internet is a minefield of information, and football betting tips are just some of the many things you can find. You can search for websites dedicated to football and find the season’s statistics, which will help you determine the odds and probabilities of which team will emerge victorious from the field. You can read weblogs, or blogs, of individuals so well-versed in football speak that they’re giving out football betting tips. Also, don’t forget to visit forums where you can swap information and football betting tips with other football fans.

Indeed, there’s always a place to find football betting tips. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

Bet Right

It’s one thing to don your favorite Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal colors. It’s another to put your money on them when you have no idea if it will pay off or not.

Remember – don’t make any rash decisions about your money. Before you bet on a team, study the odds and learn from the football betting tips you’ve picked up. Betting right is always in your best interests, and once you’ve picked up that big, fat payout, you’ll know it was worth the effort in finding football betting tips. Just remember that the best tip you can always give yourself is to enjoy the game – win or lose.

Arsenal= Boring Football…….How many of you slept while watching this game….?

) How much did Arsenal pay the ref?
) Is Almunia the ugliest Goal Keeper in the world?
) Nasri to Liverpool? Who Agrees?

Keane has changed the mentality of the Spurs’ side…….!

Answer
Isn’t it past your bedtime already?

Supporting one’s favourite team by wearing the team’s football shirt is in vogue. The fans show their enthusiasm and also encourage the football players. Football nuts always crave to own authentic football shirts of the various players and teams. If you have the same desire then get it fulfilled by considering signed football shirts.

Signed football shirts are rare and available in limited edition. You can find shirts of many legendary players from different clubs of England. The shirts are unique as they carry the signatures of the celebrated players. Players personally mark their signature with pen because of their tenderness towards their fans. All these football signed shirts are presented beautifully in frames and comes with certificate of authenticity. The shirts are classy, exceptional and ideal gift for a football fanatic.

Many signed football shirts are best sellers. You can find shirts of renowned player who have a large fanbase. For example: Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Shirt Number 7 is an unbeatable gift item. This shirt is individually signed by the great football hero Ronaldo. This product comes with a black plate frame and a certificate of authenticity. This football shirts signed are categorised as memorabilia and available at a high price.

As the shirts are genuine, so they are not easily available in any sports store. The virtual way of finding them is using the internet. The signed football shirts come with the provision to mount or exhibit on desktop. You can also make your friends envy by owning of this item. The football signed shirts are dignified and relives the glorious moments of the leagues or matches. You can personalise the gift item to make it more attractive.

To find more information and purchase your favourite football hero’s shirt consider the Signed Football Shirts. The shirts carry genuine signatures and the product is beautifully framed.

ARSENAL football team, coaching staff, backroom staff all donating a days wages to childrens cancer foundation?

since robbie keane gets his money by false pretences, should he not donate all of his wages until he actually does something to earn them ?

Answer
Looks like Liverpool has been very charitable with Robbie Keane. He gets wages for playing crap!

We all have a favorite sports game that we love to watch and play. If you want motivation then buy posters of your favorite sports game, as nowadays football posters, hockey posters, cricket posters, swimming posters etc all are available. You can get posters of your favorite games and stick them on the walls around you. Every game is perfect within itself and every one has a liking for different kind of a game. Say for instance those who like the game of football and enjoy playing it can go for football posters and stick them on the walls.

It is very easy to find football posters, as these are available in some of the galleries and today since people have started excepting online posters then one can even find these posters at any poster website. Look for the quality of posters, as this will add years to the life of your posters. One can simply go to any poster website and buy football posters by simply selecting the posters online. One can find posters at reasonable rates and some websites even provide them for free of cost. After having a thorough research a user is free to choose any poster of his/her choice.

One can find football posters of different styles like some posters depicting the best players of the football game, motion pictures of the players playing the game of football, poster of entire football team etc. Look for the posters that depict the game of football in the best possible way.

The idea of gifting football posters is also not bad to a person who is a big fan of a game like football. If you find discounted posters then you can even gift them to the special people in your life after signing them. So, be unique by gifting sports posters, as this will surely be a memorable gift.

Patrick Arden is a professional writer, presently he is writing articles on nature posters, anti-drugs posters, art posters, playboy posters, funny posters, architecture posters children posters and many more.

Does anybody know where can I find the organisation chart of Arsenal football club?

It doesn’t seem to be on the official website
Ah le fou rire…. Même dans un pays étranger mais qui je retrouve donc. Excellent.

Answer
Ben mon tomy !!!
Ca recommence ? lol

Je savais que ca te ferais plaisir……lol

Football team shirts are the shirts worn today in all football matches of the Football association; typically they are short sleeved although during winter most of the players choose to wear a winter version, because this can help them maintain the right body temperature during a match.

Materials Football shirts and kits used to be really heavy, as they were, originally, made of cotton and had collars that were usually buttoned. Nowadays sports kit’s technology has advanced as well; shirts are made of nylon and polyester and they are very light and comfortable to wear. They tend to behave well in high temperatures allowing the skin and body to breathe. Most shirts today are collarless and without buttons. History and Facts The first recorded use of football team shirts lays back in 1928. The occasion was a classic match between Chelsea and Arsenal in England. Official football team shirts were used by both teams during the league games. IT was in 1939 that the Football Management Committee introduced the player numbering, as we know it today; despite the fact that the numbering changed throughout the years, due to the change in formation and in game systems, number 1 has always been the goalkeeper’s number. It is in general hard to associate numbers with positions, although typically number 10 usually refers to the playmaker and middle field players.

During the World Cup Championship in 1954, teams were obliged to use the squad numbering system; new shirts were used and players should keep the same shirt number for the entire tournament. The squad numbering system somewhat reduced the importance of numbers, but the sales of the replica football team shirts of the World Cup Teams increased dramatically that year. In 1965 substitutions were introduced. The substitutes were obliged to have the numbers 12 and 14, while the substitute goalkeeper should use number 13.

It was in 1977 that football team shirts started to become really famous. They replaced the little trinkets and scarves that were once the only sport memorabilia and team representation items that were used. Brits were the first who started selling football team shirts massively and they soon realised that this was a real goldmine.

At the beginning football shirts had only the player’s number; in 1993, during the Premier League Cup Final, teams presented, for the first time, players’ names on the back of the shirt. In season 1993-’94 shirts had both names and numbers of players in Europe, while the Americans adopted the same system in 1994, during the World Cup Final tournament that took place in the States.

Since then the sales of football team shirts skyrocketed. Today all teams have sponsors and heavy contracts, so their shirts have the brand name or logo of their sponsor. There are some rules though, since some companies cannot be advertised on shirts, even if they are big sponsors; that applies mostly to tobacco companies, since football fans consider them to be irrelevant and unsuitable for the sport.

If you want to find out more about Football Team Shirt , please visit Football Shirts Website for more information

was there an Arsenal football player by the name of lovegrove?

Answer
no he was a portsmouth player

thats all i know about the name

Ahh football! A noble sporting institution centred on several prominent British values: healthy competition, camaraderie and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Young and old, rich and poor, and male and female alike, there’s nothing the British love more than watching 22 handsome young men kicking a ball around a field wearing shorts. Equally, who can resist the thrill of seeing their idol score the winning goal? Technically, all Brits (like Brazilians) are football fans; it’s actually a matter of national pride.

However, there are always a few guys who have to take their fandom further, you know the type? They don’t just love watching football on the telly, they have a football bedspread, football posters, they eat, sleep and breathe footy. So, what’s a gift giver to do when that football fan’s birthday or Christmas rolls round?

In this exciting article we’ll take a look at that majestic creature ‘the footy fan’ and see what Gifts for Him we can come up with which you may not have considered before. They will need to be affordable, creative and they’ll also need to put a smile on his face.

The Football Fan
There are many truths about the football fan, I would call him an elusive creature or enigmatic but neither are true. Typically, he sees everything in simple terms. You win or lose a football match, after all, (or draw, but that is rare and leads to penalty shoot outs…) Anyway, he’s uncomplicated, direct, friendly and chatty. Gifts for Him need to be bold, simple and make a statement.

He loves pizza, beer (if he’s old enough to drink it) and he can tell you more about football than you would ever want or need to know. That means that there’s a lot of room for you to get something wrong, like buy him a porcelain figurine of a team member from that club he hates. There are two major things wrong with that, firstly, you bought a man a porcelain figurine and secondly, never mind. He will have enjoyed smashing it.

Getting Gifts For him
Research is key. You need to know who his favourite players are, what his favourite club is and what size shirt he is. Does he play football at the weekends? What shoe size is he if he does? Become interested in football, ask questions and make lists. Soon you’ll have the football fan’s details down on paper and that makes getting gifts for him that much easier.

With his shirt size you could get him his favourite player’s shirt and with his shoe size you could get him some new top-of-the-range football boots for those weekend games. These are obvious gifts though? The only thing ever stopping you from getting these sorts of things is that you will neglect to look at tags; you needn’t ask him and make him suspicious. Just look inside a shoe or shirt when he’s not around.

After research, the key to getting great Gifts for Him is getting things which will make him laugh. You don’t have to get him something tacky though, you can put a smile on his face and still give him something he will use, rather than leave on a shelf to gather dust. One good example of something he can use and laugh about is a pair of Football cufflinks, there are loads of designs out there from tasteful silver football and boot designs, to more quirky colourful ones. He can wear his football cufflinks with any traditional button down shirt making them great for nights out, formal meetings and weddings. So, whenever he’s all dressed up and ready to go out he’ll think of you and football; the two things he probably loves more than anything else in the world!

Another present you might not have considered before could be some stocks and shares. What would he do with those you ask? Well, I don’t know but he’d certainly put the certificate on the wall or frame it if he owned a share in his favourite football team? He can’t manage them but he can own a small portion of Manchester United, Arsenal or any team that he supports and what’s better than saying your team, really and truly is your team?

Men who love football really appreciate it when you take some time to learn more about their interests and get them something which is both useful and meaningful. A football mug is fine, but what about engraved footy champagne glasses instead? Thinking outside the box and making the gifts for him funny, luxurious or a romantic experience, depending on who the footy fan in your life is, can make his special day that little bit more special!

Written by John Smith co-founder of GettingPersonal.co.uk

GettingPersonal.co.uk are one of the UK’s leading on-line retailers of Gifts, Personalised gifts, Birthday Gifts, Unusual Gifts, Gifts for Him and her, Mother’s Day Gifts, Father’s Day Gifts and Gifts for all other occasions. Their website is packed with over 1,500 gifts for any special occasion.

For more go to www.gettingpersonal.co.uk

Does arsenal football club have a team song?

Cos liverpool has you’ll never walk alone and west ham have forever blowing bubbles and man united have glory glory man united, but does arsenal have a song?

Answer
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope
The Famous Tottenham Hotspur Went to Rome to See the Pope….And this is what he said FUCK OFF! Whos that team we call the ARSENAL Whos that team we all adore, Were the boys in red and white and we’re Fucking Dynamite and Harry Redknapps Mother is a whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore shes a whoooooooooooooooooooooooore … COME ON ARSENAL!!!

Luck is an alien concept. At a recent fancy dress party to celebrate my father in law’s exit from the closet, the wife turned all ‘Paul Gascoigne’ on me. One minute, I was politely chatting to Britney Spears, the next thing I knew, the wife was repeatedly pommeling me with an oversized clown’s shoe. There’s nothing amusing about domestic violence.

Physical altercations have no place in the home and equally no place on the touchline. Only an Arsenal victory over Liverpool can save Rafa Benitez from an Arsene attack; the Gunners are a superb bet at 11/10 to knock out the Reds.

Peter Crouch is an optimist, he believes that Liverpool can still win the title. He probably also believes in the tooth fairy, or to use her Latin name, ‘Jermainus Defoe’. It’s over five years since the Scousers last won away at Arsenal, sink your teeth into a 2-0 win for the Gunners at 9/1.

Thierry Henry has asked the Arsenal fans not to leave before the final whistle. I’m not sure how it works in France, but most Englishmen struggle to last 90 minutes. Henry has scored five goals in his last two home appearances against the Pool, he can keep the fans satisfied by banging in the opener at 9/2.

If West Ham beat Middlesbrough, Alan Pardew has promised a more subdued celebration; possibly two jigs and a conga. The Hammers looks a fair investment at 5/2 to waltz away from the Riverside with three points.

Newcastle are in crisis and the Toon army are revolting. Nobody wants to kick a man when he’s down (although I can’t speak for Arsene Wenger) but the appointment of Roeder was flawed from the very beginning. Man City can stick the boot in at 11/10.

It was always going to be an uphill task for Watford to avoid defeat at Stamford Bridge, but without Marlon King, it’s like climbing Mount Everest with Frank Lampard in your rucksack. Chelsea will win, but there’s no value to be found at a top priced 1/6.

Ashley ‘I ain’t working for no £55,000 a week’ Cole believes that referees are ‘robbing’ Chelsea. His autobiography retails at £18.99; he definitely knows his subject matter. You can nick a few quid off the bookies by covering a 2-0/3-0/4-0 win for the champions at a much friendlier 6/4.

Aston Villa have only taken one point out of a possible fifteen at Goodison Park in recent seasons, but that was under David O’Leary, when they rolled over more than Andy Johnson. It’s a different ball game under Martin O’Neill; the draw looks a great shout at 9/4.

I’m certainly not an economist, but I believe that the divide between the north and the south has dramatically diminished. A West Ham fan could only spare 2p to throw at Robin Van Persie last week, yet an Everton supporter was more than happy to clobber Claus Jensen with an inflation busting 50p piece. Backing ‘no goalscorer’ at Goodison Park can increase the wealth at 8/1.

Kanu believes that praying to a higher power has been a contributory factor towards Portsmouth’s superb start to the season. Unfortunately, my own attempt at prayer proved much less successful; she came home. Fulham have never won at Fratton Park in the Premiership; back Pompey at a tambourine shaking 5/6.

Sheffield United v Bolton looks a tough match to call. The Blades destroyed Newcastle at St James’ last week, but Bolton are a far tougher cookie. I’m edging towards Bolton at 6/4, but only because Diouf is in excellent striking form.

Henri Camara must have a bad back, he’s been carrying Emile Heskey for three months. Camara netted a hat-trick as Wigan destroyed Charlton 3-0 at the JJB last season, he’ll lead a vastly improved Wigan to another three points at 10/11.

Tottenham completed a double over Reading the last time they were in the same league, although the more cynical amongst you may question the relevance of form from the 1930′s. Spurs can land a royal knockout at 13/10.

A defeat at the hands of Southend was not the anniversary present Sir Alex was hoping for; he had his fingers crossed for nose make-up. United will get back on track at Blackburn; they’re a confident call at 8/13.

Rio Ferdinand was sent off in this fixture last season, or as he would put it, he got ‘murked’. Like Rio, I know all the cool slang. Saha’s ‘the blaze’, Scholes is ‘sick’ and Rooney is ‘well phat’. I’m backing Ronaldo at 15/2 to net the opener, it’s totally emu.

This week’s accer is so solid; Paul Gascoigne, Arsene Wenger and El Hadji Diouf have all embraced pacifism as a direct result. Arsenal, Wigan, Portsmouth and an Everton draw are the four beefcakes; the payout is a burly 21/1.

Did you watch Liverpool Arsenal game or American football?

just wondering . i watched real futbol

Answer
There was only one game to watch

Arsenal v Liverpool

Arsenal, or The Arsenal are a football club in England playing in the “Top Flight” Premier League. Fondly known by their nickname, The Gunners”, their home ground is the Emirates Stadium in North London. Currently managed by Arsene Wenger, The Gunners are one of the most successful teams in England.

Arsenal were originally named Dial Square and had their home ground in Woolwich, South East London. In 1891 the team turned professional and changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal. In 1913 they moved north to Highbury before moving to the brand-new Emirates Stadium in 2006. Valued at well over 600 million pounds, Arsenal are not only one of the biggest, but also one of the richest clubs in England.

The selection of the colour red as the principal colour of the Arsenal shirt has an interesting history. Once Dial Square had been formed, they needed a kit to play in however one could not be found or afforded. Among the founding players were two men recently relocated south for work who were formally Nottingham Forest players. These players sent a letter home to Forest requesting assistance with respect to sourcing a new kit, in answer of which their old club donated a full kit and a ball. Naturally, coming from Nottingham Forest, the kit was dark red. The kit was completed with white shorts and blue socks. The fire-engine red colour scheme with white sleeves in use today was introduced in 1933. The precise reason for the white sleeves is not known. However one story claims that a fan spotted in the stands wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt was the inspiration. Apart from two season, this kit has remained the same. The first in 1966-67 was when Arsenal wore all red shirts. The second instance of deviation was in 2006 when, in commemoration of the last season to be played at the old Highbury Stadium, the team used the blackcurrant colours as worn by the first team to play there in 1913.

Yellow and Blue are the colours most often used for the away Arsenal shirt. However there have been deviations from this. A green and navy blue shirt was used in the 1982-1984 seasons. The lucrative replica shirt market that sprang up in the early 1990s has led to Arsenal changing the away shirt on a regular basis. Blue designs have been used in addition to the substitution of the traditional yellow, with gold. Currently the away shirt in use at the end of each season is rotated to the Third Shirt.

The crest sewn onto the Arsenal shirt has been modified over the years as well. The first crest dating to 1888 was made up of three cannon viewed from above, pointing north. This design resembled the Borough Of Woolwich’s coat of arms. Each cannon was decorated with the head of a lion and a cascabel. This design was changed following the move north to Highbury. The crest featuring a single cannon was debuted in 1925. The crest was modified again in 1949. The cannon was unchanged but the name “Arsenal” was added above the gun. The Islington coat of arms was placed beneath the gun and a scroll with the club’s new motto beneath that. In 2002, in order to create a simpler crest that was copy-writable, a new crest was introduced with the cannon once again facing east with the green colour being replaced by dark blue.

This article has hopefully provided an interesting insight into the history of the Arsenal Shirt from the Dial Square amateur days to the professional, huge money team now plying their trade at the Emirates Stadium.

how much does it cost to go to the football match arsenal v villareal?

i wanted to go see the the champions league and i nd my family want to go

Answer
3 dollars

Football (or soccer if you’re American) is the most popular team sport in the United Kingdom.

Saturday afternoons are dominated by the hundreds of games being played up and down the country, each team with their own personal army of supporters who are often willing to follow their team all over the country and occasionally to Europe for competitions such as the Champion’s League.

It’s no surprise that the business of football revolves around merchandising to fund al those expensive new players. Merchandising can range from the obvious such as football shirts to the

extra-ordinary such as credit cards.

Yes, there are specific credit cards available for which ever team you support, most major clubs are represented such as Liverpool, Manchester United (and City) and London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea. Obviously for the diehard fan these cards make sure when you pay for goods at the till that they know exactly who you support!

What are the benefits of these cards, aside from gloating to other “lesser” fans? Well in some cases these credit cards utilise the cashback scheme which we’re all used to by now where we earn a small amount of money each time the credit card is used. However, the twist with these cards is that you don’t earn that amount for yourself, it goes to your club (you can see why they’re meant for the super-fans out there).

Don’t worry; your money isn’t going to be spent on the next overrated player who’ll fail to perform this season, in cases such as Arsenal and Liverpool the card’s revenue is donated to youth development schemes helping nurture young home-grown talent for the future.

There are more general 0% credit cards available such as the official Barclaycard FA (football Association) credit card, where Barclaycard a sponsor of the UK football association offers attractive rates but also enter

customers into a prize draw for tickets to a big match each month, for this month they are offering tickets to the Manchester Derby (United versus City) in February. They also offer no interest on purchases of Season Tickets too.

So these kinds of credit cards may well be catered towards a specific crowd but they still offer attractive deals to entice fans to take advantage and in some cases like the ones mentioned can help give back to the club directly. As with all credit cards make sure you review all the details before committing and be absolutely sure you can pay them off in good time.

Andy Adams is an experienced UK based writer working with credit cards and mortgages.

what sport should arsenal football club take up?

its becoming clear maybe footballs not there thing, is there another sport out there where passing or possession win you the game, or having a low averaged age

Answer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKcWYrqztfc

The inaugural Emirates Cup took place from the 28th to the 29th of July of 2007 and the featured hosts were: Arsenal, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Valencia. Each team played two matches, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and a point for every goal scored.

Subsequent to two incredible days of football, and four matches, Arsenal was able to wrap up the final match with a victory when they defeated Inter Milan 2-1 and gave the Arsenal fans a good reason to celebrate.

Gary Chapman, Emirates Airline President, Group Services, who presented the trophy said; “Emirates is delighted to have been involved in creating the inaugural Emirates Cup. The event has acted as a vital fixture in the pre season training of four of Europe’s top football teams, whilst at the same time giving fans the opportunity to watch matches they may not normally have access to.”

The cup was made by Thomas Fattorini who created a design that would be significantly different from other international football trophies and something that a club would be proud to place in their cabinet.

Such design resembles the Emirates Stadium in its iconic and asymmetrical flowing lines across the rooftop, which motivated identical lines in the original brand identity for the stadium. The base, lip and handles of the trophy mirror these, with the Emirates logo placed firmly on the face of the cup.

About the Author
Cindy Ferguson is a high-ranking sports writer in the Football Betting industry. To view more of her exceptional work; visit the sports betting archives.

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site; make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Is Arsenal the new football equivalent of a refugee camp for French Black African football players?

Answer
Those players can play. Go Gunners.

Arsenal are one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in the history of English football. Their home ground is in north London at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal were originally named Dial Square and had their home ground in Woolwich, South East London. In 1891 the team turned professional and changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal. In 1913 they moved north to Highbury before moving to the brand-new Emirates Stadium in 2006. Valued at well over 600 million pounds, Arsenal are not only one of the biggest, but also one of the richest clubs in England.

The selection of the colour red as the principal colour of the Arsenal shirt has an interesting history. Once Dial Square had been formed, they needed a kit to play in however one could not be found or afforded. Among the founding players were two men recently relocated south for work who were formally Nottingham Forest players. These two men wrote back to Nottingham Forest asking for help and received a set of kit and a ball. Naturally, coming from Nottingham Forest, the kit was dark red. The kit was completed with white shorts and blue socks. The kit was update in 1933 to the now familiar pillar box red with white sleeves. The precise reason for the white sleeves is not known. However one story claims that a fan spotted in the stands wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt was the inspiration. This strip has remained unchanged apart from two seasons. The first in 1966-67 was when Arsenal wore all red shirts. The second occasion was in the 2006 season, the last to be played at Highbury when the team reverted to the darker, blackcurrant colours worn in the first Highbury season of 1913.

Yellow and Blue are the colours most often used for the away Arsenal shirt. However there have been deviations from this. In 1982-1984 they wore a green and navy shirt. Since 1990 the away strip has changed more frequently to take advantage of the replica shirt market. Blue designs have been used in addition to the substitution of the traditional yellow, with gold. Currently the away shirt in use at the end of each season is rotated to the Third Shirt.

The crest sewn onto the Arsenal shirt has been modified over the years as well. The first crest dating to 1888 was made up of three cannon viewed from above, pointing north. The coat of arms of Woolwich borough was the inspiration behind this design. Each cannon was decorated with the head of a lion and a cascabel. This design did not survive the move to Highbury. The now-familiar single cannon crest was introduced in 1925. In 1949, the crest was changed again. The cannon was unchanged but the name “Arsenal” was added above the gun. The Islington coat of arms was placed beneath the gun and a scroll with the club’s new motto beneath that. In 2002, in order to create a simpler crest that was copy-writable, a new crest was introduced with the cannon once again facing east with the green colour being replaced by dark blue.

This article has hopefully provided an interesting insight into the history of the Arsenal Shirt from the Dial Square amateur days to the professional, huge money team now plying their trade at the Emirates Stadium.

Patrick Attlee is a free-lance writer who writes extensively on the big clubs of England. You can discover more about the Arsenal Shirt at => http://www.arsenal-shirt.com

What do you think of this blog about Arsenal Football Club?

www.flairfootball.blogspot.com

Read it and tell me what you think

Answer
i think all blogs should say how overatted arsenal are as a team.