Männerchor Bad Cannstatt 1893

Taktiktisch im Kneipenterroristen-Hauptquartier...

2012-01-13T10:35:00.002+01:00

Einen guten Rutsch ... Happy New Year ... ed un felice anno nuovo!

2011-12-30T17:01:00.001+01:00

Fratellini biancorossi!
Dato che domani sarà un delirio generale auguro a tutti voi un felice anno nuovo - lasst es krachen!

Etwas verspätet...

2011-12-29T21:08:00.004+01:00

...und auf ein gutes Neues Jahr!!!

Unbelehrbare... (was alkoholfreies Bier aus Menschen machen kann...)

2011-12-29T18:31:00.000+01:00

Alte Schule, Alte Schule

2011-12-29T18:11:00.001+01:00

11 Freunde - Cissé zum VfB?

2011-12-29T16:58:00.002+01:00

+++Donnerstag, 29. Dezember, 15:46 Uhr+++
Gestern spekulierten wir über das Interesse von Zdravko Kuzmanovic nach Italien zurückzukehren, heute werden wir erhört. Nach Informationen der italienischen Zeitung »Corriere dello Sport« plant Lazio Rom eine Verpflichtung des Mittelfeldspielers. Im Gegenzug wollen die Römer den französischen Nationalspieler und Paradiesvogel Djibril Cissé ins Ländle ziehen lassen. VfB-Manager Fredi Bobic will sich noch nicht äußern, jedoch sollen beide Seiten bereits verhandelt haben.

Quelle/Source: http://www.11freunde.de/liveticker/147509/cisse_zum_vfb

"J'ai toujours voulu jouer pour le VfB; j'adore les lentilles et les spaetzle" (oder so ähnlich...)

Audi - Sponsor der schottischen VfB-Anhänger!

2011-12-28T19:02:00.001+01:00

Grüße nach Bournemouth/Glasgow!

Stuttgart Bhoys - Meet for the H*uns Match

2011-12-28T17:07:00.000+01:00

Größere Kartenansicht

PRINZ
http://stuttgart.prinz.de/restaurants/restaurantfinder/alte-schule-pub-bars-gastro,34862,1,LocationFinder.html
TRIPADVISOR
http://www.tripadvisor.de/Restaurant_Review-g187291-d982700-Reviews-Alte_Schule-Stuttgart_Baden_Wurttemberg.html
QYPE
http://www.qype.com/place/28648-Alte-Schule-Stuttgart

The Silence of the H*ns

2011-12-28T17:00:00.000+01:00

Let's do it again. Tonight!

Guardian Online - Celtic can knock Rangers off top spot in pivotal Old Firm clash

2011-12-27T19:12:00.000+01:00

Last month, Rangers held a 15-point lead over Celtic but could fall behind their Old Firm rivals if they lose at Celtic Park

reddit this

Ewan Murray
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 December 2011 18.36 GMT
Article history

Celtic's manager, Neil Lennon, wants his side to continue their winning run against Old Firm rivals Rangers. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA

The phrase "nine in a row" is one of precious few which has special connotations for supporters of both Celtic and Rangers. Each club, after all, has claimed nine successive Scottish championships at a stage in their history.

On Wednesday night at Celtic Park, it is the hosts who will temporarily store extra faith in the figure nine. A win for Neil Lennon's team in the season's second Old Firm game would represent a ninth in a row in the Scottish Premier League and, more pertinently, allow them to leapfrog their oldest foes at the summit of the table.

Albeit the season has several furlongs left to run, a Celtic success would also complete quite a turnaround. As recently as 5 November, Rangers sat 15 points clear of their city rivals. Now, Celtic are the firm favourites to atone for their defeat at Ibrox in September.

"I always believed we would close the gap but I didn't realise it would be so quickly, but that is testament to the players' consistency," said Lennon. "But even though I am a young manager, I've been in football a long time and nothing is won in October and nothing is won in December.

"There is a huge amount of football to be played over the next four or five months. We have been looking at one game at a time and trying to eat away at the lead. We have done that but we are hoping to go from strength to strength. I think momentum is important as long as you don't take complacency into the game and I'm sure the players won't, because they know what's at stake."

For Lennon, there is a fresh kind of pressure. The intensity of life at both halves of the Old Firm is such that supporters demand victories in every game. Yet expectation surrounding Celtic is such that this game looks pivotal for their manager. Lennon is regularly gushing with his praise of his players; now is the time for them to repay that faith.

The Celtic manager would forcibly deny the suggestion he is still to preside over victory in a series of games that count but there is no doubting what value he privately places in success over Rangers. The bigger picture relates to Lennon's bid to wrestle the SPL trophy back from Ibrox, where it has been housed since 2009.
"We have had our rough period and it wasn't nice and it wasn't nice for me but we have found our consistency and it is our job to make sure that it continues. I'm hoping we can maintain our winning run for a bit longer," Lennon said. "It's just another league game that happens to be Rangers at home. It will whet the appetite of the supporters but we will prepare as we have done for every other game of late."

The prelude to this game has therefore been typical. Both sides are playing down its significance and disputing any suggestion of favouritism. "We're second, so we're the underdogs," said the Celtic midfielder Joe Ledley. Plenty of others, including the bookmakers, disagree.

Rangers' part in the recent turnaround cannot be ignored. A key aspect of the Ibrox team's three successive championships has been their ability to win matches when not playing well; Saturday's loss at St Mirren means Rangers have taken 10 points from a possible 18, an indication that their useful trait may be eluding them.
Ally McCoist must hope for the touch enjoyed by Walter Smith, his mentor and immediate predecessor. Smith's formidable record in Old Firm fixtures ensured a Celtic victory was never a formality, regardless of earlier results. "We will approach it in a positive manner, we'll always do that," said McCoist. "We believe we can win the game and we have an opportunity to go four points clear."

Ominously for McCoist, English clubs are circling around his main striker, Nikica Jelavic. The level of Rangers' recruitment over the summer – particularly in attacking positions – does nothing to suggest Jelavic will be adequately replaced if he is coaxed south of the border.

Rangers can at least call on Lee McCulloch for the trip across the city after appealing against the red card the midfielder collected at St Mirren. "We are not pressing any panic buttons because, in our opinion, the sending-off totally changed that game," McCoist said. "But it is really important that we bounce back and there is no better place to do it."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/27/celtic-rangers-old-firm

Die ZEIT Online - "Wild Christmas – wo an Weihnachten Fußball gespielt wird"

2011-12-26T23:34:00.003+01:00

Der Boxing Day ist ein englischer Fußballfeiertag mit Tradition. Der Kick zum Fest fasziniert Stars, Fans und Experten – und ist dennoch eine bedrohte Institution.

© Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Sport

In Englands Fußball ist an Weihnachten viel los.

Um die Mittagszeit ist Schluss mit Weihnachtszauber. Für Graham Agg beginnt dann das wahre Leben. Den Anhänger des FC Liverpool und Sekretär des deutschsprachigen Fanclubverbands "German Reds" hält es nicht mehr zu Hause. Graham zieht es nach Anfield. Die "Reds" empfangen in der Premier League den Abstiegskandidaten Blackburn Rovers.

Es ist kein gewöhnlicher Spieltag. Es ist Boxing Day. Die Fans in England freuen sich auf den 26. Dezember und ein volles Programm. Als Dauerkarteninhaber weiß Graham Agg, dass dann von weihnachtlicher Idylle an der Anfield Road nicht viel zu spüren sein wird. Die Pubs rund um das Stadion sind meist schon früh bestens besucht, und die Stimmung ist von riesiger Vorfreude auf "Wild Christmas" geprägt. "In England ist es ganz normal, dass an Weihnachten Fußball gespielt wird", sagt Agg, "eine Winterpause hat es nie gegeben und wird es hoffentlich nie geben".

"Wenn alle die Weihnachtsfeierlichkeiten ausgiebig genossen haben, wird es Zeit für Spitzenfußball und Top-Unterhaltung", sagt der Blogger Damien Cronley, "während die meisten Leute beim Einkaufen das Weihnachtsgeld ausgeben, zieht es die Fußballfans am Feiertag schon deshalb ins Stadion, um dem ganzen Rummel zu entgehen." Graham Agg ergänzt: "Es gibt am Boxing Day nur ein Ritual, nämlich zum Fußball zu gehen." Der Showdown zum Jahresende hat in England einen ähnlich hohe Bedeutung wie das mythische Pokalfinale im Londoner Wembleystadion.

Bis in die fünfziger Jahre wurde sogar am ersten Weihnachtstag (Christmas Day) gespielt. Das legendärste Weihnachtsspiel stieg jedoch am 25. Dezember 1914 in Frankreich. Während des Ersten Weltkrieges schlossen britische und deutsche Soldaten zu Weihnachten ihren eigenen Waffenstillstand und spielten im Niemandsland Fußball – mit einem Einsatz von zwei Fässern Bier und Pudding. Ein unbeschwertes Spiel, am Ende gewannen die Deutschen.

Fast jeder Fußballanhänger in Großbritannien verbindet mit dem Boxing Day eine persönliche Anekdote. Als legendär gilt der Boxing Day 1963 mit einem Torrekord von 66 Treffern in zehn Spielen der First Division. Ipswich Town und Englands späterer Weltmeistertrainer Sir Alf Ramsey kamen damals mit 1:10 beim FC Fulham mit George Cohen und Bobby Robson unter die Räder. Manchester United ging beim FC Burnley mit 1:6 unter.

Auch in unteren Ligen gab es denkwürdige Partien. Am 26. Dezember 1979 schlug Sheffield Wednesday in der Dritten Liga den Stadtrivalen United mit 4:0. Die Partie ging als "Boxing Day Massacre" in die Geschichte dieses Derbys ein. "Zum Boxing Day gab es immer merkwürdige Resultate", erinnert sich der frühere Fulham-Profi Alan Mullery (70), der im WM-Viertelfinale 1970 gegen Deutschland ein Tor schoss, "man konnte von diesen Spielen nie genug bekommen."

Sportlich markiert der Boxing Day oft einen Scheideweg. Der frühere Arsenal-Spieler Lee Dixon sagt: "Die Weihnachtszeit ist durch die hohe Belastung tückisch für die Stars." Das gilt besonders für die Titelkandidaten. Bis zum 3. Januar müssen Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur und der FC Chelsea jeweils vier Spiele absolvieren. Die "Citizens" reisen an Weihnachten zu West Bromwich Albion. Der FC Chelsea empfängt den FC Fulham. Manchester United hat gegen Wigan Athletic Heimrecht, wobei Arsenal und Per Mertesacker erst am 27. Dezember gegen die Wolverhampton Wanderers ran müssen.
Der Terminstress und die hohe Spielfrequenz rund um den Boxing Day rufen allerdings der Kritiker auf den Plan. Ab dem Boxing Day stehen in vierzehn Tagen vier Partien auf dem Spielplan. Schwerstarbeit für die Spitzenclubs und Sicherheitskräfte. Zu den Befürwortern einer Winterpause (analog zu der auf dem Kontinent) gehören die beiden dienstältesten Trainer der Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson (69) von Manchester United und Arsene Wenger (62) vom FC Arsenal. "Die Weihnachtsspiele symbolisieren den Charme und die Verrücktheit des englischen Fußballs", sagte Arsene Wenger der Zeitung The Independent, "ich mag sie, aber der Rest der Welt macht nun mal Pause."
Eine Winterpause könnte den Boxing Day bedrohen. Doch obwohl der Spieltermin an Weihnachten in der Premier League mit ihren hochbezahlten Stars und den gigantischen Fernsehverträgen wie ein Relikt wirkt, scheint es im traditionsbewussten England unmöglich, ihn aus dem Programm zu nehmen. "Die Fans würden diese Änderung nie akzeptieren", sagt Damien Cronley, "weil es Teil der englischen Fußballkultur ist, an diesem Tag ins Stadion zu gehen oder die Spiele im Fernsehen zu verfolgen."
Der Autor Mark Young, Fan von West Bromwich Albion, wird sich die Partie seiner "Baggies" gegen den übermächtigen Liga-Primus Manchester City anschauen. Young liebt die Magie des Fußballfeiertages. "Am Boxing Day 1967, in der Glanzzeit der Beatles", sagt er, "habe ich das schönste aller Weihnachtsgeschenke bekommen und zum ersten Mal ein Fußballspiel besucht." Stolz verweist Young auf den 3:2-Erfolg von West Bromwich gegen den späteren Meister Manchester City.
"Ein Erfolg von West Brom in diesem Jahr würde sicher wieder für dicke Schlagzeilen sorgen", sagt Young, "aber es braucht ein Weihnachtswunder, denn unsere Abwehr ist noch langsamer als der Korruptions-Untersuchungsausschuss der Fifa."

Quelle/Source:
http://www.zeit.de/sport/2011-12/boxing-day-premier-league

Guardian Online - How Boxing Day sport became a permanent fixture in our hearts

2011-12-26T01:12:00.001+01:00

We have a football game in Sheffield to thank for a tradition that goes back to 1860

- Rob Bagchi
- guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 December 2011 23.00 GMT
- Article history

Arkle, pictured at Newbury, had a memorable victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 1965. Photograph: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images

For all those looking at Monday's football fixture list in gratitude as a respite from excessive poultry consumption and a refuge from the in-laws, we have Sheffield FC and Hallam FC to thank.
On Boxing Day 1860 at Sandygate Road, the world's oldest and second oldest clubs played the first ever inter-club match, a 2-0 victory for Sheffield, the senior side, who prevailed despite fielding fewer men. For three lonely years as the pioneers of club football, the members of Sheffield FC had faced each other in matches between teams made up of players with surnames from the first 13 letters of the alphabet against the N-Zs, married v unmarried and those in professional occupations against the rest.
But in 1860 a tradition had been established that was built upon by the Football League's inaugural 22-game season in 1888-89, when Preston North End's "Invincibles" defeated Derby County 5-0 on the Feast of Stephen and all but sealed the title by stretching their lead to nine points over Aston Villa with five matches left to play. It has flourished ever since.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day double-headers were a routine part of the fixture list until 1957 and, although a handful of clubs ploughed on with hosting matches on 25 December, they had generally fallen out of favour by 1963, when the most remarkable Boxing Day on record produced 157 goals in 39 games.
In the First Division's 10 matches 66 were scored, Fulham's Graham Leggat bagging four in a 10-1 thrashing of Ipswich Town, Liverpool's Roger Hunt matching him in a 6-1 defeat of Stoke at Anfield, Burnley's raw-boned Andy Lochhead also scoring four in a 6-1 rout of Manchester United and twin hat-tricks for Fred Pickering and Andy McEvoy helping the league leaders, Blackburn Rovers, to an 8-2 mauling of West Ham United at Upton Park.

Astonishingly, two days later when the fixtures were reversed, Manchester United put five past Burnley at Old Trafford, Ipswich managed a 4-2 victory over Fulham and West Ham ran out 3-1 winners over Blackburn at Ewood Park.

The newspapers were full of the usual stories of Boxing Day "madcappery", cricket matches played in the snow and photographs of shivering souls swimming in the sea with only a light plastering of goose fat and rudimentary, masochistic nose clamps for protection, but even they could not upstage football's zenith of absurd festive scorelines.

One of the downsides of rugby league's move to a summer season in 1996 is the absence from the competitive fixture list of such Boxing Day derbies resonant in history as Wigan v St Helens, Workington v Whitehaven, Hull v Hull KR, Leeds v Wakefield, Widnes v Warrington, Batley v Dewsbury and Swinton v Oldham. Some survive as winter revenue raisers but too many have been scrapped on the sound but unromantic basis that there is little point preparing players for a hard-fought fixture months before the Super League season begins.

Given its roots in fox hunting, which greeted each 26 December as a red-letter day, national hunt racing's King George VI Chase at Kempton is a Boxing Day staple since 1947 that has provided imperishable memories of courage and drama. Arkle, "himself" to his legion of Irish devotees, won it in 1965 having been tested to the two-mile marker by the doomed Dunkirk. At that point, with his head still held high, he drew on his extraordinary powers of acceleration and sprinted away. A year later he still came second after breaking a pedal bone on the guard rail two miles from home. Cheltenham will always claim him as its own but Kempton, too, has a special place in the legend of the flying, gallant gelding.

Desert Orchid, the first to win the race four times, was cherished as the nation's favourite racehorse for his exploits in the King George VI. By 1991, as he prepared his attempt to win it for a fifth time, he was being namechecked by the chancellor of the exchequer, Norman Lamont, during the budget speech.
"Desert Orchid and I have a lot in common," Lamont said. "We are both greys, vast sums of money are riding on our performance, the opposition hopes we shall fall at the first fence and we are both carrying too much weight." The similarities ended there – Dessie captured the public imagination in a way that is an occupational impossibility for the tenant of 11 Downing Street.

On Monday Kauto Star has the chance to surpass the Grey Horse's record in the "Christmas cracker" and post victory No5. Tears will be shed if he makes it but even if he does not triumph the crowds at Kempton tearing up their betting slips will ultimately recognise how blessed they have been by such a great champion.
As Christmas night in the UK dwindles towards Boxing Day, thoughts turn to Melbourne where the first day of the MCG's Test match gets under way. Last year with the Ashes tied at 1-1 England put Australia into bat and skittled the hosts for 98 in 42.5 compelling overs of menacing seam and swing bowling. In 1986 Gladstone Small and Ian Botham took five wickets apiece to bowl out Australia for 141 and both matches were pivotal victories in winning the Ashes, roared to the rafters more than 10,000 miles away.
In 1981 "the G" witnessed one of the greatest Australia innings in living memory when Kim Hughes came to the wicket with his side eight for three against West Indies and left the oval a tad over four hours later on 100 not out having cut, hooked and driven Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Colin Croft in an astounding knock of bravado and class.

His fightback gave such impetus that by the close of play Australia had reduced West Indies to 10 for four and had even displaced the perennially brutal Sydney to Hobart yacht race from its habitual dominance of the sports coverage.

In the Sydney suburb of Rushcutters Bay in 1908, a few miles from where the sloops leave the harbour heads en route for Tasmania, Jack Johnson became the first black world heavyweight champion in a ferociously one-sided battering of Canada's Tommy Burns and struck a significant blow in the fight against bigotry. Pleasingly for literalists, on that day prizefighting made the most momentous contribution of all to the history of Boxing Day sport.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/25/boxing-day-sport

Merry Xmas, chaps!

2011-12-24T00:03:00.001+01:00

Guardian Online - "Classic YouTube Christmas special"

2011-12-22T17:35:00.001+01:00

This week's round-up features great Christmas TV moments, baby reindeer and a lot of snow

Merry Christmas, folks!

VfB 1893 v Hamburger SV - DFB-Pokal

2011-12-22T15:12:00.000+01:00

VfB 1893 v Hamburger SV - DFB-Pokal - Pyro

2011-12-21T23:57:00.007+01:00

VfB 1893 v Hamburger SV - DFB-Pokal - "Die Unverbesserlichen..."

2011-12-21T23:56:00.000+01:00

Boxing Day Football - Sorry Rob...

2011-12-21T10:28:00.002+01:00

Don't talk to me about a winter break. You earn 80k a week, its not going to hurt if you play 4 games in 9 days.

If you didn't play football I'd be stuck at home listening to a brandy sozzled Gran slurring about the shocking rise in tinned corned beef prices while my obesely overweight butterball of a sister and her mildly cretinous husband continue to let my ill disciplined nephews destroy the living room, leaving the place looking like a horrific scene from downtown Tripoli and sounding like its been soundtracked by a scratched copy of the rare Aphex Twin album released by The Chipmunks played backwards at the wrong speed.

Don't talk to me about needing a break, you don't know the meaning of the word.

Quelle: http://500reasonstolovefootball.blogspot.com/2011/12/409-boxing-day-football.html

Die WELT Online - "Wer erfand eigentlich das Fußballstadion?"

2011-12-19T17:21:00.000+01:00

Das Mutterland des Fußballs ist auch das Mutterland der Stadien. An der 1855 erbauten Bramall Lane in Sheffield wurde zunächst nur Kricket gespielt (hier ein Foto von 1911). Das erste Fußballspiel fand sieben Jahre später statt: Die Partie FC Sheffield gegen FC Hallam war zugleich das Duell der beiden ältesten Fußballklubs der Welt. Das Stadion an der Bramall Lane wurde bis heute nicht abgerissen, jedoch häufig renoviert. Aktuell trägt der englische Drittligist Sheffield United dort seine Heimspiele aus. Als erste ausgebaute Fußballstadien in Deutschland gelten das Waldaustadion in Stuttgart, das Stadion an der Telegrafenkaserne in Karlsruhe und das Stadion Wilschenbruch in Lüneburg. Sie alle entstanden 1905. Auf der Waldau wird noch gespielt. Die Stuttgarter Kickers tragen hier ihre Partien aus.

Quelle/Source: http://www.welt.de/print/wams/sport/article13773052/Wer-erfand-eigentlich-das-Fussballstadion.html

"Beautiful downtown Bramall Lane"

Für alle denen der letztsonntagige TATORT zu experimentell war...

2011-12-09T09:28:00.000+01:00

VfB 1893 v Hamburger SV - DFB-Pokal - Pyro #2

2011-12-02T23:58:00.001+01:00

Weihnachtsgeschenk-Tipp

2011-11-30T10:43:00.002+01:00

Gut drei Wochen noch, dann müssen Geschenke unterm Baum liegen. Dann warten lange Winterabende mit Familie und Freunden, gutes Essen und...kein Fussball. Das muss nicht sein, folgender Geschenke-Tipp verspricht Abhilfe und Lösung für das Problem Fussball und Familie unter einen Hut zu bekommen.

http://www.playultras.com/

Vielleicht sollten wir auch bis nächstes Jahr warten, dann solls eine Version mit deutschen Kuttenfans geben...

SK Rapid | Alte SKR-Hymne, "Rapid bin ich" (Rapideum)

2011-11-27T14:35:00.000+01:00

Piacenza Calcio: Ultrà & players - face-to-face!

2011-11-24T12:39:00.001+01:00

Davide Reboli (Ultras Piacenza) sucht das Gespräch mit den Spielern. Offenbar nicht gänzlich zufrieden mit den Leistungen der Mannschaft meint Davide, dass die Spieler sich schämen sollten und schlecht sind! Er erklärt, dass das Derby für sie (Ultras Piacenza) alles im Leben ist! Dann, als er dem einen Spieler näher kommt meint er: „Wir können auch ein 11 gegen 1 machen“. Er fordert die Spieler auf, sich, wenn sie wollen, zu stellen. 1:1 oder 11:1 ist egal. Er gibt immer Vollgas... „Ihr seid so lächerlich“. Dann geht er :-)

Kurzfilm

2011-11-21T12:58:00.000+01:00

Rugby rules ok!

2011-11-15T18:06:00.000+01:00

Just Can't Get Enough by The Thai Tims

2011-11-13T18:10:00.000+01:00

Gustostückerl

2011-11-08T14:19:00.000+01:00

Mir kennet älles...auch oben bleiben?

2011-11-07T11:18:00.002+01:00

When in London...

2011-10-10T19:41:00.005+02:00

...and you're keen to see some local Football, this is the website you should visit:

The London Football Guide

Wie tief kann man sinken?

2011-09-22T08:17:00.001+02:00

Eisbein-äähhh Bananenrepublik

2011-09-18T14:18:00.004+02:00

So richtig habe ich das ja nie verstanden, warum einzelne Polizisten gerade bei Einsätzen auf Demonstrationen oder beim Fußball nicht "identifizierbar" sein sollen...die Erklärung der Polizei-Gewerkschaft allerdings machts mir jedoch recht anschaulich klar...

Social Media Around The World

2011-09-14T12:54:00.001+02:00

Social media around the world 2011

View more presentations from steven van belleghem

Getafe: Fan-Nachwuchs durch Samenspende

2011-09-06T15:18:00.000+02:00

History of Breakdance

2011-09-06T11:24:00.002+02:00

Remember Hearts FC?

2011-09-05T09:08:00.000+02:00

Klasse "Fussball & Finance" Blog aus der Schweiz!

http://swissramble.blogspot.com

Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish playwright, was not known for his love of sport, but his warning “to expect the unexpected” could certainly apply to the world of football, not least at Heart of Midlothian, where the colourful owner Vladimir Romanov continues to resist the path of predictability. Just two games into the Scottish Premier League (SPL), the volatile Lithuanian decided to sack the club’s manager Jim Jefferies, replacing him with the former Sporting Lisbon manager Paulo Sérgio. The popular Jefferies was in his second spell as Hearts manager after a ten-year absence, retaining much goodwill for delivering the Scottish Cup in 1998, ending 36 years without a trophy.

The timing seemed quite strange, not just because the change in manager came so early in the campaign, but also because Hearts had secured third place behind the Old Firm last season. Moreover, Jefferies had been allowed to bring in four new recruits: the imposing forward John Sutton from Motherwell, Danny Grainger from St. Johnstone and two experienced midfielders from Kilmarnock, the Moroccan Mehdi Taouil and Jamie Hamill. In theory, the addition of these new players to a talented squad, including the exciting wingers Andrew Driver and David Templeton plus the commanding captain Marius Žaliūkas, should have been the catalyst for a successful season.

"The Romanov revolution"

However, if you scrape below the surface, there is some method in Romanov’s apparent madness, as Hearts’ last victory was way back in March last season. As the man himself said, “With only one competitive win in 15 games, only fools and idiots would not raise questions and suspicions.” The club’s third place in 2010/11 was also a little deceptive, as the run-in was disappointing in the extreme, so Jefferies’ dismissal was not completely unjustified.

Of course, Romanov has plenty of previous when it comes to hiring and firing with Sérgio becoming the ninth manager during his seven-year tenure. That’s not counting caretaker or interim managers, though no Hearts manager could confidently describe his position as permanent. As Scotland manager and former Jambos legend Craig Levein said, “I don’t understand what boxes need to be ticked at Hearts to keep you in a job. You would need to be insane to do this job. At times it defies logic.”

"See you, Jimmy"

The owner’s lengthy list of victims includes John Robertson, George Burley, Graham Rix, Valdas Ivanauskas, Anatoly Korobochka, Stephen Frail, Csaba László and, of course, Jefferies. Of those, Burley was perhaps the unluckiest, being given the boot with Hearts top of the SPL after nine unbeaten matches, though Ivanauskas went just a few months after winning the Scottish Cup and qualifying for the Champions League in 2006. However, the most telling image of the problems during Romanov’s reign came when three senior players (club captain Steven “Elvis” Pressley, Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon) held an impromptu press conference at the club’s training ground to inform the world of “significant unrest.”

To put it mildly, Romanov is an interesting character, who polarises opinions in the game, even among Hearts’ own supporters. Some view him as the “great dictator”, while others consider him to be the saviour of the club.

It is true that there is rarely a dull moment with “Mad Vlad”, who also owns the Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas and Belarusian club FC Partizan Minsk. Prone to numerous verbal outbursts, including accusations that Celtic and Rangers were “buying off” match officials, his club has received several fines from the Scottish football authorities. Some have attributed this to language difficulties, but his son Roman, now Hearts’ chairman, once joked, “He has all the words he needs: ‘Yes, ‘No’ and ‘You’re fired’.” Managers have complained of constant interference, including transfer choices and team selection, such as when he ordered Jefferies not to pick Žaliūkas during a contract dispute.

"One careful Driver"

On the other hand, there is little doubt that he has kept the club alive. Before his arrival, Hearts were in dire straits financially. Auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) described the club as being technically insolvent, while the Hearts Supporters’ Trust said, “We were heading for the abyss.” Former chairman, George Foulkes, summed it up, “Most fans have mixed feelings about Romanov. If (former CEO) Chris Robinson was still there, we’d probably be in the First Division and playing in front of 5,000 people at Murrayfield.”

This was a reference to Robinson’s 2004 plans to sell Tynecastle, the club’s famous old ground, which he claimed was “not fit for purpose”, and instead rent Murrayfield from the Scottish Rugby Union. Although this deal would have reduced the club’s burgeoning debt, it was deeply unpopular with supporters, who launched a Save Our Hearts campaign to prevent the move. Despite this opposition, a deal was still signed with a housing developer for £20 million, but this was called off after Romanov purchased the club, so the initial response to the Lithuanian was very favourable.

The previous board’s willingness to go against the supporters’ wishes by selling the stadium highlighted the seriousness of the club’s financial challenges, and it was with some relief that the fans saw Romanov steadily increase his stake in the club throughout 2005 to become by far the largest shareholder. In return, Romanov got hold of a venerable football institution, part of the inaugural Scottish league in 1890, which has won the championship four times, though two of these victories came in the 19th century, while the last victory arrived back in 1960. However, history doesn’t pay the bills, so Foulkes was right to give Romanov credit for “the fact we remain a going concern.”

This can be seen by the increasing debt, which reached £36 million at the time of the last published accounts in July 2010. That is simply enormous when the turnover is only £8 million and follows a series of what the club itself described as “significant operating losses.” The debt mainly comprises £24.3 million owed to the parent company UAB Ukio Banko Investicine Grupe (UBIG) at 4.5% interest, repayable in December 2011; £8.9 million owed to another group company UAB Hearts Developments (HD) at 3.5%, where the repayment date has been extended to August 2012; and £2.5 million convertible loan stock at LIBOR.

There is a fairly confusing paper trail for this debt, as it was owed to AB Ukio Bankas at the beginning of the year, then transferred to UBIG and another company called ImpExNet. The latter balance was then again transferred to HD during the course of the year. I’m not sure why this has to be so complex, but the important point is that all of these companies are under the effective control of Romanov. As Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas said, “The key fact, that sets Hearts apart from many other clubs, is our debt is in the form of funding from our own parent company.” That’s true, but can occasionally be a double-edged sword if the owner loses patience with his investment.

"Paulo Sérgio wonders what he's let himself in for"

That said, the debt position in 2010 would have been even worse without a £7.9 million forgiveness of debt from the parent company (effectively Romanov), which was not enough to prevent net debt from rising by £1.3 million. Actually, the debt would be horrifically high without several timely interventions from the owner, such as a £12 million debt-for-equity swap in 2007/08. Excluding these adjustments, the debt would stand at £56 million – seven times annual turnover.

After the latest accounts closed, there was yet another debt-for-equity swap to the tune of £10 million. While this “demonstrates that UBIG remain committed to providing ongoing support” and reduces the club’s interest burden, it does also further strengthen Romanov’s hold on the club. Depending on your perspective, there are two ways of looking at this situation: on the one hand, the club would almost certainly go bust without Romanov’s backing; on the other hand, he is largely responsible for the increase in debt from the £20 million or so at the time of his takeover, due to his hefty spending on players.

Either way, according to PwC’s annual review of Scottish Premier League football, Hearts have the highest net debt in the SPL, which has been the case for the last few years. In fairness, only St. Johnstone and Hamilton are operating debt-free, but the magnitude of Hearts’ debt is more worrying, accounting for a third of the SPL’s net debt of £109 million.

This, in turn, means that Hearts have the weakest balance sheet in the SPL with net liabilities of £24 million. With the exception of Dundee United and Hamilton, all other SPL clubs have net assets. Of course, like all football clubs, the value of the players on the balance sheet is under-stated, as this equals acquisition cost less cumulative amortisation. In Hearts’ case, the book value of the players is just £370,000 compared to an estimated value of £18.5 million on the respected Transfermarkt website.

The noises coming out of Tynecastle suggest that Romanov has given new manager Paulo Sérgio no less a target than winning the league this season. Although the Portuguese said that he did not feel under any additional pressure, he did emphasise that the squad needed strengthening, “Everyone knows what a team such as Hearts needs. If we get the money, we can compete with the biggest clubs in Scotland, Rangers and Celtic.”

Fedotovas claimed that the club was working on bringing two to three new players in before the transfer window closed on 31 August, potentially including former captain Michael Stewart, but Sérgio should be aware that criticism of the owner for not spending in the transfer market helped lead to the downfall of Csaba László, the longest serving manager under Romanov’s regime – at all of 19 months.

History suggests that Sérgio is unlikely to see Romanov put his hand in his pocket for new players, as there has been only one season at the club (2005/06) when Hearts have made net purchases – and that was just £2.3 million. Although there have been many arrivals, almost all of these have been on a free transfer with Hearts’ record buy being Bosnian international Mirsad Bešlija in 2006 at just £850,000. Indeed, since 2005 there have been net sales proceeds of £16 million, largely derived from the big money sales of Craig Gordon to Sunderland, Roman Bednar to West Brom, Christophe Berra to Wolves, Lee Wallace to Rangers and Paul Hartley to Celtic.

Given the limited budgets in Scottish football, this lack of spending is not too surprising with only the “Big Two”, Celtic and Rangers, having the resources to spend reasonably large sums. That said, over the last five years, nobody has spent less than Hearts.

Nine of the current 12 SPL clubs have net sales over that period, but Hearts lead this league table with net sales of £18 million. Of course, this could be considered as a sign of good financial management, but it does mean that Sérgio, like many managers before him, is likely to be disappointed if he expects to see any big money purchases.

This tight-fisted approach is not just down to the whims of the owner, but is also symptomatic of the financial pressures under which Hearts are operating. Only this week the club was threatened with a winding-up order by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over an unpaid tax bill for the second time in two years. Although this was swiftly paid in full, as happened on the previous occasion that they faced administration proceedings, this is clearly not good news.

Fans have become all too accustomed to the club sailing close to the wind with many reports of wages and bonuses being paid late, but these frequent cash flow problems are not exactly an indicator of a thriving business. You only need to ask the fans of Dundee, Livingston and Gretna to appreciate that football clubs in Scotland can enter administration.

Indeed, the club itself states that it “does not have formal funding facilities in place that allow it to meet its liabilities as they fall due” and is “dependent on the continued support of UBIG.” That’s fine, so long as the money continues to be pumped in, though the auditors have regularly noted their concerns in the accounts, partly attributed to the lack of available information that might allow them to conclude that UBIG would be “able to meet its commitment.” In plain English, they don’t know whether UBIG can provide the club with enough money to pay its bills on time.

The fundamental problem is that Hearts make colossal losses, at least for a club of this size. The apparent recovery to break-even in 2010 is misleading, as this is almost entirely due to the debt forgiveness of £7.9 million. If this once-off factor were to be excluded, the club made an underlying loss of £8 million last season and completely unsustainable cumulative losses of £38 million in the last five years. The figures would be even worse without the substantial £10 million profit on player sales in 2008, largely Craig Gordon.

Although these losses might not seem that terrible compared to some made in other leagues, they need to be placed into context. A loss of £8 million on turnover of £8 million means that the club spends £2 for every £1 of revenue it generates. A similar business model would have produces losses of £62 million at Celtic and £56 million at Rangers in 2009/10.

Another problem that the club has is the large amount of interest charged. Again, this might only be £1.6 million in 2010, but this represents 20% of Hearts’ revenue of £7.9 million and is clearly too high for a business of this scale.

In fairness, there have been some slight signs of improvement with the operating losses (excluding player sales and interest payable) falling from £11.8 million to £6.9 million in the last three years, despite revenue declining in the same period. This is because the club have cut the wage bill and managed to introduce some operational efficiencies (seen in Other Expenses). They’re still a long way off their stated aim of “reaching operational break-even in the medium term”, but at least they’re heading in the right direction.

Even with the debt forgiveness, Hearts have the second highest losses in the SPL over the last two years with £8.6 million, only surpassed by Rangers. Excluding the debt forgiveness in 2010, Hearts would have comfortably held the unwanted title of least profitable club in the SPL. To be fair, only three clubs were profitable during this period, namely Hamilton, Hibernian and St. Mirren, though five other clubs restricted their losses to below £1 million.

This poor financial performance is all the more depressing when you consider that Hearts have the third highest revenue in Scotland with £7.9 million, just ahead of their local rival Hibernian and Aberdeen, who both have turnover of £7.1 million. This goes some way towards explaining Romanov’s expectations of the team, though they are still miles behind the Old Firm, who enjoy revenue around £60 million.

This revenue is obviously a lot lower than their counterparts in the Premier League, but more worryingly it is also worse than all but two teams in the English Championship. Indeed, clubs like Cardiff City, Leicester City and Ipswich Town generate twice as much revenue as Hearts, even without the benefit of parachute payments from the Premier League. Little wonder that players head south at the first opportunity.

Hearts’ plight has not been helped by the fact that their revenue has actually been declining from a peak of £10.3 million in 2006 and 2007 to last year’s £7.9 million – a fall of only £2.4 million, but that’s almost a quarter of the club’s revenue gone. Three years ago the Heart of Midlothian Shareholders’ Association warned, “The club needs to generate more revenue and that is difficult in the short-term”, and how right they were. In fact, revenue is now lower than 2005 levels.

Two other points are evident from this graph. First, the club’s revenue is to a certain extent linked to success, as the year when the club finished second in the SPL and won the Scottish Cup produced revenue of over £12 million. Second, Hearts earn half of their revenue from match day income, which is different from many other leagues, where TV money rules. As the PwC review stated, “The majority of the income for Scottish clubs is actually coming from fans coming through the turnstiles.”

Hearts’ accounts proudly refer to match day revenue increasing to over £3.9 million, but the reality is that this is 27% lower than the £5.3 million generated in 2006. The fall is partly because of shorter cup runs, but is largely due to a significant reduction in attendances from just under 17,000 (almost full capacity) to 14,484. which further declined to 14,185 in 2010/11.

Nevertheless, crowds have increased since 10 years ago and Hearts are the third best-supported team in Scotland, only behind Rangers 49,000 and Celtic 45,300, for the sixth year in succession. They are also only one of three teams in the SPL to fill more than 80% of their stadium’s capacity, which is pretty good in the current tough economic climate. This might be due to the relatively low cost of watching football at Tynecastle. According to a recent BBC survey, only four teams in the SPL are cheaper. However, the good news end there, as every single team in the Premier League and 18 teams in the English Championship had higher attendances.

One reason why gate receipts are so crucial is the incredibly small amount of television money received for the Scottish Premier League rights, which worked out last year at £1.5 million for Hearts. In the SPL 48% of the TV revenue is divided equally, while 52% is distributed to teams dependent upon their final league position, so the higher up the table that a club finishes, the more money it will receive.

While TV revenue has powered revenue growth in other leagues, this is clearly not the case in Scotland. This disparity can be seen by looking at the TV revenue earned by clubs in the “Big Five” leagues, which absolutely dwarf Hearts’ revenue: Barcelona £146 million, Milan £116 million, Manchester United £105 million, Bayern Munich £68 million and Lyon £64 million. Scottish clubs can be boosted by European revenue, but even Ranger only earned £18 million, while Celtic’s adventures in the Europa League only added £1.5 million to their domestic revenue.

In fact, the entire annual payment to all SPL clubs is only £13 million, which puts them behind TV deals in Greece, Portugal, Poland and Romania. To place that into context, it is less than a third of the £40 million that the team finishing bottom of the English Premier League can expect to receive this season. A still more amazing statistic is that the total SPL payment is worth only 1% of the Premier League rights. Actually, even a club in the English Championship now earns more than a club in the SPL with £3.5 million a season (including the solidarity payment from the Premier League).

The situation was not helped by the collapse of Setanta last year. The upstart Irish channel was replaced by a combination of Sky and ESPN, but there was a harsh price to pay, as the new deal was worth only £65 million over five years, compared to the previous £125 million over four years. Sky had offered more than twice as much the year before, but the SPL clubs got greedy and gambled on the higher Setanta bid. There is some optimism, as there is a break-clause in the current TV deal after three years, and rival broadcasters might be encouraged by an increase in viewing figures, as outlined by SPL chief executive Neal Doncaster, “Early indications this season are that TV viewer numbers for SPL matches are well up on last year, which in turn showed a huge improvement on the year before.”

Commercial income had been on a rising trend, but has been shrinking in the last couple of years, falling 44% from £3.3 million in 2008 to £1.9 million in 2010, even though the 2009 accounts confidently stated, “Hearts expect to improve commercial revenues.” In fairness, PwC’s annual review of Scottish football noted that the global downturn had impacted discretionary spending on corporate sponsorship, hospitality and merchandise.

After six years of their shirts being sponsored by Romanov’s bank Ukio Bankas for a “six-figure deal”, Hearts have a new two-year agreement from this season with short-term loans company Wonga. Financial details have not been divulged, but the club say that it is the biggest deal in Scotland outside of the Old Firm. Their shirt manufacturer Umbro has extended the original three-year deal for a further two years until 2012. According to the club, this “could be worth almost £1 million per year, depending on shirt sales.” The latest accounts also “expect improvement” from the new retail franchise agreement with SRM Hearts Limited.

One of the toughest issues for Hearts is their hefty wage bill. At £9.1 million, it is the third highest in Scotland, but to a certain extent is in “no man’s land”, as it is a lot lower than Celtic (£36.5 million) and Rangers (£28.1 million), but is twice as much as their main opposition: Hibernian £4.8 million, Aberdeen £4.6 million, Kilmarnock £4 million, Dundee United £4 million and Motherwell £3.4 million.

The dilemma is whether to try to hang on to the coat tails of the Big Two in an attempt to meet Romanov’s aspirations, when doing so leads to an unsustainable wages to turnover ratio. It looks like this was their strategy in the first part of Romanov’s reign, when the wage bill exploded from £4.5 million to £12.5 million, but since then the taps have been turned off, as the wage bill has been cut three years in a row, though it is still more than double the amount before his arrival, partly due to Hearts having one of the largest squads in the SPL.

The accounts do specifically mention the “exit of some of the club’s higher earners”, including the likes of José Gonçalves, Michael Stewart, Christian Nadé and Laryea Kingston. This trend is likely to continue in 2010/11 “as a number of players reach the natural end of their contracts”, demonstrated by the hard line taken by the board during contract negotiations with Žaliūkas.

The reduction in wages has lowered the wages to turnover ratio, but only from 126% to 115%, which is still hideously high. To place that into context, it is even more than big spending Manchester City (107%), while the next highest in Scotland is 76% from Motherwell and St. Mirren. Indeed, the average in the SPL is a respectable 61%. If Hearts wanted to lower their ratio to UEFA’s maximum recommended limit of 70%, they would either have to increase revenue by an unrealistic £5.1 million to £13 million or (more likely) cut their wage bill by a further £3.6 million to £5.5 million.

That, of course, would bring its own issues, as Hearts would then struggle to attract and retain good quality players. Recently, two prominent Scottish strikers have moved to England, rejecting offers from Rangers in the process, starkly highlighting the problem: David Goodwillie went to mid-table Premier League side Blackburn Rovers (wage bill £47 million), while veteran Kenny Miller joined Championship team Cardiff City (wage bill £17 million).

More encouragingly, Hearts have managed to cut their operating costs by over 40% from £7.7 million in 2007 to £4.5 million last year. Even though there was a slight increase in 2010, the club say that “these are expected to reduce significantly in the current financial year following a series of improvements.”

Nevertheless, the continued support of Romanov is still paramount, as can be seen from the cash flow statement. Sometimes, poor figures at a football club do not reflect reality, as the P&L is affected by non-cash items such as player amortisation and depreciation, but this is not the case here, as the cash flow from operating activities is negative every year. Even in a year when a relatively large amount of cash is received from player sales, e.g. £9.3 million in 2008, this is not enough to turn cash flow positive. The only way this has been achieved is by Romanov’s company putting in additional loans: around £38 million since the takeover.

Another note of concern regarding cash flow is the huge increase in the average creditors payment period from 36 days in 2004 to 94 days in 2010. This might just be astute commercial practice of obtaining improved payment terms, but it could also be a warning sign that the club is having difficulty in paying its bills on time.

Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of Romanov’s involvement is the fundamental question of why he would invest in Hearts at all, as Scottish football is not exactly booming. Attendance levels keep falling (most of the stadiums are half-empty), they have one of the worst TV deals in Europe and commercial opportunities are suffering from the economic downturn. Although SPL profits improved in 2009/10, the PwC survey noted that if they excluded exceptional factors such as debt forgiveness and Rangers reaching the Champions League group stages, there were still large underlying losses and warned of “more pain to come as the league strives to find a sustainable financial footing.”

"Stevenson's rocket"

This has resulted in countless proposals to reform the game in Scotland, usually revolving around the number of teams in the league. The current momentum seems to be behind a reduction to a 10-team league, though the majority of fans would prefer a return to a larger division with 14, 16 or even 18 teams. The problem is finding a formula that somehow manages to eliminate the tedium of teams playing each other four times a season without reducing the number of games (with its consequent impact on revenue) and/or imposing an artificial structure, such as the mid-season split. Other possibilities include a winter break, a move to summer football and an earlier start to the season.

Some insight into Romanov’s strategy was provided by the 2007 annual report, “Future revenues will be generated through increased participation in European competitions, larger attendance in a redeveloped Tynecastle stadium and an associated greater sponsorship and retail income.”

However, the European dream seems further away then ever after the drop in the UEFA coefficient, which means that Scotland now only has one place available for the Champions League (and that is only for the qualifying rounds, no direct entry). Furthermore, it will be a long time before Scotland gets back up to two places, as the calculation takes into consideration the last five years, so next year will drop the very successful 2007/08 season, which featured Celtic reaching the last 16 of the Champions League and Rangers being UEFA Cup finalists.

"John Sutton heads for the heights"

Paradoxically, this might actually work in Hearts favour, as the Old Firm’s revenue has been badly impacted by reduced involvement in the Champions League, which means that they can no longer attract the calibre of player that they could in the past, theoretically making the title race more competitive.

If Hearts were to reach the Champions League group stages, it would make a massive difference to their revenue. In the last two seasons, Rangers received an average of £15 million from UEFA, excluding additional gate receipts. The Europa League is nowhere near so lucrative with Celtic only receiving £1.5 million from their 2009/10 participation. That said, the speed with which Hearts sold out their glamour tie in the Europa League against Tottenham Hotspur demonstrates that the appetite in Scotland for watching top players remains undiminished, as did the astonishing 58,000 crowd that watched Hearts play Barcelona in a pre-season friendly at Murrayfield in 2007.

Romanov has wanted to redevelop Tynecastle for some time with a planning application submitted in 2008 for a £51 million development that would include a new 10,000-seat main stand and other facilities such as a hotel, restaurant, offices and corporate hospitality. At the time, the deputy chief executive said, “The project will enable the club to be self-sufficient in the future and naturally to reduce the debt to zero.”

"Home is where I want to be"

However, the club’s statements in this area have often appeared overly ambitious, as the plans have been scaled back pretty much every year. The 2006 accounts spoke of turning Tynecastle into “a truly top class European football venue” by increasing the capacity to 26,000, which had been lowered to 23,000 in the 2007 accounts and 20,000+ the following year – which also said that the new main stand would be fully operational for the 2011/12 season…

Although the 2010 accounts continued to focus on “revenue generating opportunities through a redeveloped Tynecastle”, they did also note that the planning application had been unable to progress because of restrictions placed on the stadium zone, so it was perhaps no surprise when the club announced in May that it was going to formally revisit the possibility of selling Tynecastle and moving to a new, purpose-built stadium in Edinburgh, though the reviled Murrayfield is apparently no longer an option.

Frankly, the financial projections around this project have never been entirely convincing. Even though the club would be able to reduce its debt by selling their stadium, it would have to raise much more to build a new stadium, which might prove difficult in the current credit crunch. The club would hope that a significant chunk of the funding would come from other companies who would want to avail themselves of some of the commercial opportunities, but the only realistic source of financing might prove to be a certain Lithuanian bank.

"David Templeton - example of Project Youth"

The club would also have to write-off £1.4 million of costs so far incurred in the plans to redevelop Tynecastle, which are currently sitting on the balance sheet, booked as “assets in the course of construction.”

It looks increasingly likely that Hearts will have to rely on profitable player trading to balance their books, so they have invested in their academy, as any money received for players developed in-house is a pure gain in the books. The success of this strategy can be seen through the emergence of Lee Wallace, Andrew Driver, Eggert Jonsson, Calum Elliot, David Templeton and Scott Robinson.

Some have put forward more scurrilous suggestions to explain Romanov’s investment, such as Hearts being used as a vehicle to launder money, especially after Ukio Bankas was involved in such an investigation in Belgium last year. If this is the case, then it is a particularly ingenious scheme, as little money appears to be going back to Romanov or his companies. Interest charged on his loans is not paid, rather it is accumulated as additional debt. In fact, much of it has been written-off, including £2 million in 2010 alone. Admittedly, there is a raft of related party transactions, but the money involved is small beer.

"A message to you, Rudi"

There has also been conjecture that Romanov’s involvement in Hearts is an elaborate way to curry favour with the natives, so that they would look favourably upon his application to open at branch of Ukio Bankas in the UK, but no licence has been granted to date with Romanov complaining, “This is another example where the contribution to the economy is not wanted.”

Maybe he considers Hearts as a good place to showcase the talents of Lithuanian footballers, as many have been transferred or loaned from FBK Kaunas to the Scottish capital. Or is it just a plaything, where he can give his family and friends good jobs in the world of football?

Whatever his motives, Romanov’s actions resemble more those of a traditional benefactor, rather than a hard-headed businessman. That’s fine, while he is around and his other companies provide enough funds to support the football club, but the concern is that the club would collapse (in the same way that Gretna did) if he left for any reason.

"Eggert Jonsson - value for money at Iceland"

There seems little chance of Romanov ever getting his money back, as it is difficult to imagine that he would find someone to take the club off his hands, unless he substantially reduced the price. Even then it would hardly be a fait accompli, as the club’s business model in its current form is unworkable. As a pertinent comparison, it took Rangers an eternity to find a buyer.

In fairness to the owner, he has been at the club for nearly seven years now, so he cannot be accused of being “here today, gone tomorrow.” Under new manager Paulo Sérgio, the club has had a couple of encouraging results, but the most important man at the club remains Vladimir Romanov, a man maybe best summed up by Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/08/romanovs-battle-for-hearts-and-minds.html

Grimsby Town fan's furious online rant to players

2011-09-03T08:54:00.000+02:00

Bei uns läuft's ja auch noch nicht ganz rund... ;-)

An online rant by a Grimsby fan incensed by his side’s FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Bath City.

The cutting open letter to the players originally posted on independent Grimsby site The Fishy by member Poojah, includes such choice lines as: “You are a total disgrace. I have passed kidney stones which have brought me a greater level of pleasure.”

Dear Players of Grimsby Town FC,
I am writing with regard to my absolute astonishment and disbelief as to the sheer magnitude of your complete lack of talent and failure to carry out the job for which you are paid to do. I am not aware of any swear word or other derogatory phrase in my current vocabulary which comes close to a description of your ‘performance’ (and I use that term loosely) this afternoon, but let me just say that you have collectively reached a level of inadequacy and ineptitude that neither I nor modern science had previously considered possible.
In fact I recall a time, in my youth, when I decided to call in sick at work and instead spent the entire day in my one bedroom flat wearing nothing but my underpants, eating toast and ------- furiously over second-rate Scandinavian porn. Yet somehow, I still managed to contribute more to my employer in that one Andrex-filled day than you complete bunch of toss-baskets have contributed to this club in your entire time here.
I would genuinely like to know how you pathetic little pishflaps sleep at night, knowing full well that you have taken my money and that of several thousand others and delivered precisely ---- all in return. I run a business myself, and I believe I could take any 4,000 of my customers at random; burn down their houses, impregnate their wives and then dismember their children before systematically sending them back in the post, limb-by-limb, and still ensure a level of customer satisfaction which exceeds that which I have experienced at Blundell Park at any time so far this season.
You are a total disgrace, not only to your profession, not only to the human race, but to nature itself. This may sound like an exaggeration, but believe me when I say that I have passed kidney stones which have brought me a greater level of pleasure and entertainment than watching each of you worthless excuses for professional footballers attempt to play a game you are clearly incapable of playing, week-in, week-out.
I considered, for a second, that I was perhaps being a little too harsh. But then I recalled that I have blindly given you all the benefit of the doubt for too long now. Yes, for too long you have failed to earn the air you’ve been breathing by offering any kind of tangible quality either as footballers or as people in general. As such, I feel it’s only fair that your supply runs out forthwith.
I trust, at this precise moment in time, that Mr Fenty is in his office tapping away on the easyJet web site booking you all one-way flights to Zurich, complete with an overnight stay with our cheese eating friends at Dignitas. Don’t bother packing your toothbrush – you won’t need it.

In the event that our beloved chairman can’t afford the expense (understandable given that he’s soon going to have to assemble a new squad from scratch), then I am prepared to sell my family (including my unborn child) to a dubious consortium of Middle Eastern businessmen in order to pay for the flights. Christ, I’ll drive you there myself, one-by one, without sleep, if I have to.
Failing that, understanding that most dubious Middle Eastern businessmen are tied-up purchasing Premier League football clubs, I ask you to please take matters into your hands. Use your imagination, guys – strangle yourselves or cover yourself in tinfoil and take a fork to a nearby plug socket, or something. Just put yourselves and us fans out of our collective misery.
So, in summary, you pack of repugnant, sputum-filled, invertebrate --------; leave this club now and don’t you ------- dare look back. You’ve consistently demonstrated less passion and desire than can commonly be found within the contents of a sloth’s scrotum, so frankly you can just all ---- off – don’t pass go, don’t collect your wages, don’t ever come back to this town again.
I look forward to you serving me at my local McDonald’s drive-through in the near future.

Yours sincerely
A very disillusioned Mariner

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/15/poojah-s-grimsby-town-rant-his-open-letter-in-full-115875-21826192/

Tano Pasman - Aguante, River!

2011-09-03T08:43:00.001+02:00

La puta!!

Schwäbische Stewardess

2011-09-02T16:07:00.001+02:00

Hoffentlich erwischen wir diese Dame auch mal auf einem der nächsten europäischen Ausflüge...also nächstes Jahr dann wieder...vielleicht...

The Growth of Social Media

2011-08-31T12:14:00.000+02:00

Source: The Growth of Social Media: An Infographic

BILD: Es kracht beim VfB...

2011-08-28T23:21:00.000+02:00

... leider nicht im gegnerischen Tor

Aufgestauter Frust: Bei der 0:1-Pleite gegen Berlin brüllen sich Sven Ulreich und Serdar Tasci auf dem Platz an

Foto: dapd

28.08.2011 — 23:15 Uhr

Von JENS NAGLER und URSULA VIELBERG

Zum zweiten Mal in Folge verlor der VfB Stuttgart mit 0:1. Der Vorwochen-Pleite gegen Leverkusen folgte Freitag die Niederlage in Berlin. In beiden Spielen war der VfB über weite Strecken das bessere Team, vergab beste Chancen und hat damit den guten Saisonstart verballert.

Statt im gegnerischen Tor kracht es derzeit nur in der Mannschaft.

Beispiel 1: In Berlin brüllten sich nach dem Abpfiff Torwart Sven Ulreich und Verteidiger Serdar Tasci auf dem Platz an. Cacau ging schlichtend dazwischen. „Ich habe ihnen gesagt, dass sie das in der Kabine klären sollen“, so der Kapitän.

Nach BILD-Informationen hatte Tasci die Spieleröffnung von Ulreich bemängelt, der wiederum ließ die Kritik nicht auf sich sitzen. Tasci spielte den Disput hinterher herunter: „Fußball ist doch kein Frauensport, oder?“ Trainer Bruno Labbadia, der die Szene nicht gesehen hatte, begründet den Vorfall mit dem Ergebnis: „Es wäre schlimm, wenn sich alle nach so einem Spiel in den Armen liegen würden.“

Beispiel 2: Am Samstag geraten Khalid Boulahrouz und Mamadou Bah im Training aneinander – Labbadia bricht das Trainingsspiel daraufhin ab. Ihre Streit-Energie musste die ganze Mannschaft dann in quälende Sprints umsetzten. Und so sah die Straf-Arbeit aus: In maximal 15 Sekunden von der Grundlinie zur 16-Meter-Linie hin, zurück, hin und zurück. Das ganze in zehn Wiederholungen mit 30 Sekunden Pause. Labbadia begründet die Maßnahme: „Im Trainingsspiel war mir zu viel Gift. Deshalb habe ich die Einheit ins Läuferische verlegt.“

Beim VfB kracht‘s – leider nicht im gegnerischen Tor.
Labbadia zur Tor-Krise: „Wir treffen schlechte Entscheidungen, sind sehr fahrlässig mit den Chancen und nicht konsequent genug.“ Cacau: „Mal fehlt der letzte Pass, dann sind wir nicht konzentriert genug.“ Martin Harnik: „Wir stehen uns selbst im Weg, müssen kaltschnäuziger sein.“

Serdar Tasci meinte: „Wir hatten sechs hochkarätige Chancen. Wenn man die nicht reinmacht, muss man sich über eine Niederlage nicht wundern.“ Nochmal Cacau: „Wir haben zuletzt immer gut gespielt. Also lieber mal katastrophal spielen und drei Punkte holen.“

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/vfb-stuttgart/es-kracht-beim-vfb-19636502.bild.html

Tagesspiegel: Markus Babbel Stuttgart – eine Liebe, die auf die Haut geht

2011-08-28T09:26:00.000+02:00

Markus Babbel hatte "fünf Super-Jahre" in Stuttgart. Am Freitag trifft er als Trainer von Hertha BSC auf seinen früheren Verein.

Zu Herthas nächstem Gegner hat Trainer Markus Babbel eine ganz besondere Beziehung. Natürlich hat der bekennende Tattoo-Fan Babbel daher auch das Emblem seines ehemaligen Arbeitgebers VfB Stuttgart auf seinem rechten Oberarm verewigt. „Fünf Super-Jahre“ in Stuttgart, sagt Babbel, hätten dieses bleibende Souvenir ermöglicht. 2004 war Babbel aus England kommend zum Ende seiner Spielerkarriere zu den Schwaben gewechselt, mit denen der Verteidiger 2007 zum Abschluss seiner Laufbahn als Fußball-Profi noch einmal Deutscher Meister wurde.

Gleich in der Saison danach durfte er die Mannschaft als Kotrainer betreuen, am 23. November 2008 wurde Babbel nach der Entlassung von Armin Veh zum Teamchef des VfB befördert.

Babbels Karriere an der Seitenlinie begann erfolgreich: Am Saisonende belegten die Stuttgarter den dritten Tabellenplatz und spielten in der Champions League. Ein Jahr später lief es weniger gut. Der Klub hielt zwar lange an Babbel fest, doch nach Fanprotesten wurde Babbel am 6. Dezember 2009 nach 15 Spieltagen und nur zwei Siegen in Stuttgart entlassen. In seiner Abschiedsrede sagte er: „Jetzt war ein Punkt erreicht, an dem es nicht mehr weiter ging.“

Sein Fußballlehrer-Diplom erwarb der 39 Jahre alte Bayer erst nach seiner Zeit bei den Schwaben. „Ich bin dem Klub bis heute dankbar, dass ich dort mein Debüt als Trainer hatte. Stuttgart hat mir die Chance gegeben, mich in der Bundesliga zu präsentieren“, sagt Markus Babbel. Er habe „unglaublich viel gelernt“, nicht nur auf dem Platz, sondern auch hinter den Kulissen. Noch heute kennt Babbel den Großteil der Mannschaft. Einen Vorteil für Herthas zweites Bundesliga-Heimspiel am Freitag (20.30 Uhr, Olympiastadion) sieht der Berliner Trainer dadurch aber nicht. Der VfB sei „gespickt mit Nationalspielern. Wir wissen, dass es schwer wird. Uns erwartet ein Team von sehr hoher Qualität.“

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/hertha-bsc/stuttgart-eine-liebe-die-auf-die-haut-geht/4536306.html

DA-History: Die KRONE Anfang der 80er

2011-08-17T16:37:00.002+02:00

Eine wahre Schatztruhe dieses vimeo...

Krone Darmstadt 1981 im TV from Tommy Igiel on Vimeo.

This is for you, Glaswegians!

2011-08-17T15:47:00.002+02:00

Glasgow - 1982 - Blight - Episode 1 from antsplan on Vimeo.

Glasgow - Work - Episode 2 from antsplan on Vimeo.

Glasgow - The Scheme - Episode 3 from antsplan on Vimeo.

Untitled from antsplan on Vimeo.

VfB-History on Film

2011-08-17T15:36:00.003+02:00

The Legend from Bad Cannstatt - Part1 from AS VP on Vimeo.

The Legend from Bad Cannstatt - Part 2 from AS VP on Vimeo.

Die Bierbrauer von Quilmes!

2011-08-16T21:48:00.000+02:00

Los Cerveceros de Quilmes - Die Bierbrauer aus Quilmes from FirleFranz on Vimeo.

Alte Schule deluxe oder DA vs. Ostwestfalenidioten

2011-08-16T20:42:00.009+02:00

Heimspiel gegen Bielefeld. Als wir vor ein par Jahren insolvent gingen, kickten die noch erstklassig. Verrückte Fußballwelt. Vor dem Spiel noch in die neue Lilienschänke - lässig!

Hauptgesprächsthema war die Verpflichtung von Kevin Wölk, der sich noch in Diensten von Hessen Kassel einige Entgleisungen gegen uns leistete. (http://sc913.de/blog/) Kontroverser Typ, dessen Verpflichtung aber durchaus Sinn macht, wie er im Laufe des Spiels beweisen sollte. Die "Ultras Darmstadt" sehen das allerdings etwas anders...Deren Weltsicht zeigt das Vorwort in ihrem aktuellen Fanzine, das ich als pdf leider nicht einstellen kann. Ich verschicks aber gerne per Mail. Einfach in den Comments melden.

Zum Spiel. Die dunklen Wolken über dem Mannschaftsbus deuteten das ostwestfälische Debakel schon an.

Nach 40 Minuten nur noch mit neun Mann und zur Halbzeit mit 3:0 noch gut bedient. Nach 90 Minuten hieß es dann 5:1 für die Lilien und auch abseits des Spielfelds gabs für "Onkel Heinis Truppen" gegen einen gut gefüllten A-Block nichts zu reissen.

Und auch daran muss ich mich erst gewöhnen: Die Lilien als Opener in der Sportschau:

Und sie machen weiter und besiegen gerade eben Wehen-Wiesbaden in ihrer Wellblech-Hütte mit 1:0. Derzeit Platz 8.

Alles les Bleus - Darmstadt & der VfB!

Ost-Tour

2011-08-09T17:15:00.002+02:00

Sangesbrüder, am Freitag, den 26/8 gastiert der VfB in Berlin, tags drauf spielen die Lilien in Erfurt. Hat jemand Lust und Zeit...und ist nicht gerade zufällig in Singapur, Mumbai oder Saigon?
Vielleicht treffen wir ja auch "Erfurt-Leipzig-Halle"...

Muhahaha

2011-08-07T19:45:00.000+02:00

Lautern beim BFC

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000+02:00

Tutorial G+

2011-07-29T20:04:00.000+02:00

The good old days

2011-07-29T18:12:00.003+02:00

Just for the record, here is the great man when he was but a wee nipper. Nice shirt.

Alex gets the job

2011-07-29T17:55:00.003+02:00

Former Blades' hero, Alejandro Sabella (looking a little bit older these days), has been appointed Argentina coach following the removal of Sergio Batista.

Sabella, 56, won the Copa Libertadores as coach of Estudiantes two years ago after a playing career that included a stint at Bramall Lane where he made 76 appearances between 1978 and 1980.

Sabella had been set to take charge of Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates before Sergio Batista's exit from the post last week.

The general secretary of the Argentine Football Association, Jose Luis Meiszner, told official news agency Telam: "The decision has been taken. Sabella is the choice."

Good to see one our 'old boys' is still doing the business.

Dschörmans in Mexico

2011-07-27T21:55:00.000+02:00

Neues von Noel

2011-07-27T12:32:00.000+02:00

High Flying Birds

Wandern mit den Lilien

2011-07-26T20:56:00.002+02:00

Unbedachtes Wetten kann schlimme Folgen haben. In diesem Fall eine Wanderung vom Odenwald auf die Alb: Wenn Lilien wandern

Und so sieht das ganze in bewegten Bildern aus:

Tag 1 - Von DA nach Brensbach

Tag 2 - Von Brensbach nach Bad König

Nur der Sportverein!

Worth a read

2011-07-26T20:10:00.003+02:00

Despite all the trouble with our Teams, it's nothing compared to the fate of this swiss Team. Read here about: Russenfussball in Neuchâtel

3. Liga - Niederlage gegen Osna

2011-07-24T21:29:00.002+02:00

8.000 Zuschauer, 0:1-Niederlage aber 'ne nette Choreo:

Und anbei ein paar DA-Eindrücke der "Osnasen":

Das gestrige Auswärtsspiel war auch eine Zeitreise in die 80er Jahre. Das uralte Darmstädter Stadion erinnerte daran, dass früher Fußball vor allem vor unüberdachten Stehplatzrängen gespielt wurde. Auch der Krawall der Darmstädter Fans - der versuchte Angriff auf den VfL-Block - wirkte wie ein Wiedergänger der Fußballrandale von vor 25 Jahren.

Das ehrwürdige „Böllenfalltor“ eignet sich als eine Pilgerstätte für Fußballromantiker: Es ist besonders, weil es als ein Überbleibsel aus einer fußballkulturellen Umbruchphase anzuschauen ist. Das faszinierende Stadion der "Lilien" steht für eine Zeit, in der sich der Fußballsport und das Drumherum schon auf den Steigerungspfaden der Kommerzialisierung und Eventisierung bewegten, aber noch weit entfernt waren von den Extremen der Gegenwart - wozu auch ein VIP-Turm an der „Bremer Brücke“ gehörte. Das „Böllenfalltor“ muss zum Kulturerbe erklärt werden und als Stadiondenkmal vor den Übergriffen der Modernisierung geschützt werden. Von mir aus darf das Land Hessen den „Lilien“ auch Subventionsgelder zahlen, damit der Verein auch weiterhin Investitionen in eine Renovierung der Tribünen unterlässt.

Zu den Chaoten. Also Chaoten habe ich nur unter den Darmstädtern gesehen. Es gab seitens der Osnabrücker keine Provokationen, nur Freude nach dem Tor.

Die Darmstäfter Hools (richtige Kanten) kamen mit 50-60 Mann angestürmt und wollten über den Zaun. Süß der Stadionsprecher: Wenn die Osnabrücker nicht aufhören, wird Gebrauch vom Hund gemacht.

Insgesamt, ich hatte vorher nicht gewusst, dass die Szene in Darmstadt so aggressiv ist, das haben mir hinterher noch ein paar Szenekenner erklärt.

Von daher galt diese unglaubliche Wanderung durch den Darmstädter Kletterwald bis zum Stadion vielleicht eher unserer Sicherheit. Man wir haben vom Auto über die ganzen Sicherheitskontrollen noch eine halbe Stunde bis zum Gästeeingang gebraucht.

Offenbar waren auch Osnabrücker Hooligans mit eine Bus unterwegs, die die Darmstädter Szene wohl auch kannten. Der Bus wurde von den Darmstädter Hools gekapert und die Osnabrücker kamen wohl nicht mehr rein.

Auch vor dem Spiel gab es an der Araltankstelle, vor der man uns glücklicherweise schon vorher gewarnt hatte, zu Auseinandersetzungen, kleinere Schlägerein.

Die darmstädter mit denen ich gesprochen hatt, waren okay. Sie haben uns sogar aufgefordert Fotos mit ihnen zu machen. Die Ordner freuen sich auf unser Stadion und sagtten, man sei sehr nervös gewesen, weil man nicht weiß, wie das so funktioniert in der Dritten Liaga und man suche nach Sicherheitssystemen. Vielleicht im Vorfeld nicht schleht, bevor Chemnitz anreist.

Ganz komische Wurst gabs da, Zigeunerwurst genannt, fürchterlich...

Nach dem Tor kamen Haufenweise Darmstädter die Stress suchten an die Gästekurve. Allerdings sind dort nicht so viele aufgetaucht, wie aus deren Kurve verschwunden sind. Man konnte also mit Ausschreitungen nach dem Spiel rechnen. Wir waren mit dem Auto da und hatten im Wohnviertel geparkt. Aussage der Polizei: "Wenn ihr jetzt geht, nehmen die euch auseinander. Am besten ihr wartet hier ne Stunde bis die weg sind." Am Ende hat uns ein Zivilpolizist mit seinem Auto zu unserem gefahren.

Next Stop AALEN: Di, 02.08.11, 19:00 Uhr

Blades cross the border in search of new blood

2011-07-15T16:29:00.002+02:00

The Blades have signed midfielder Ryan Flynn from Scottish Division One club Falkirk.

The right-footed 22-year-old, who can also play on the left, moves to Bramall Lane on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

Manager Danny Wilson said: "There are a few clubs who have been after him. He has pace and will offer us a wide position and the ability to get into spaces and score goals."

Flynn started his career at Falkirk before moving to Liverpool as a teenager in 2005 for a fee of £50,000.

He was a member of the Liverpool youth team that won successive FA Youth club titles in 2006 and 2007 before returning north of the border to rejoin the Bairns in 2009.

Titten und Tattoos!

2011-07-13T23:37:00.000+02:00

STAR STORY

[+]

13.07.11, 13:03

Marko Arnautovic steht auf Frauen mit ...

Tattoos und Silikon!

Andi Herzog bezeichnete ihn einst als größtes Fußballtalent Österreichs. Doch von den großen Erwartungen ist wenig übrig geblieben. Denn der Werder-Bremen-Stürmer Marko Arnautovic, der davor bei FC Twente und Inter Mailand kickte, ist bis dato eher wegen seines schlechten Benehmens und seines exzentrischen Lebensstils aufgefallen. Doch wie tickt er wirklich? Als wir den 22-Jährigen am Telefon erreichen, ist er gerade auf Trainingslager auf der ostfriesischen Insel Norderney.

Seitenblicke: Herr Arnautovic, sie hören sich ziemlich fertig an.

Arnautovic: Ja, ich bin gerade in der Anfangsphase, das ist schon hart. Ich hab schweren Muskelkater, aber Gott sei Dank haben wir ja Masseure. Lieber wäre mir aber eine Massage von einem Mädchen. (Lacht.)

Apropos: Sind Sie eigentlich derzeit in einer Beziehung?

Ich bin zwar nicht schwer verliebt, aber das kann man trotzdem so sagen. Sie ist Zahnarzthelferin und wohnt wie ich in Bremen.

Waren Sie nicht mit Anna-Maria Lagerblom, der Schwester von Popstar Sarah Connor, zusammen?

Nein, da war nie etwas. Wir kennen uns nur von früher.

Spielt Eifersucht in Ihrer Beziehung eine große Rolle?

Kommt drauf an. Wenn etwas mit einem anderen Typen passieren würde, dann muss man schon eingreifen, aber sonst ist das kein Problem.

Wie sieht ihre Traumfrau aus?

Sie muss tätowiert sein, das steht bei mir an erster Stelle. Und schwarze Haare und Silikonbrüste haben. Außerdem muss sie mich selbstverständlich so nehmen, wie ich bin.

Blondinen haben keine Chance bei Ihnen?

Doch - meine Freundin ist blond.

Aha. Und wie groß sollten die von Ihnen favorisierten Silikonbrüste denn sein?

Puh, da kenne ich mich nicht aus. Aber meine Freundin hat auf jeden Fall welche.

Im Seitenblicke Magazin 28/11 lesen Sie das gesamte Interview mit Marco Arnautovic, in dem über seinen extravaganten Lebensstil ("schnelle Autos, coole Kleidung und 80 Paar Schuhe"), seine Neider und vieles mehr spricht.

(vici mosburger/foto: a. tischler)

http://www.seitenblicke.at/top-news/starstories/tag/07132011/tattoos-und-silikon/

Worksop Town 0 Sheffield United 1

2011-07-13T12:43:00.003+02:00

I decided to go along to the second game of the Blades' pre-season programme last night and came away wondering just how they hope to shape a team out of the strange assortment of players that they put out on Worksop's new pitch.

To be quite honest I struggled to identify 80% of the players, a situation not helped by the numbering and the lack of names on shirts. Obviously they have so little idea of who will take the field against Oldham Athletic in August that they are afraid to commit to printing names.

The mix of youth and trialists that did play did their best, but it was far from any sort of cohesive display and left me feeling that they have a lot to do to get a team together that can even compete in League One never mind hope to get out of it at the right end. Personally I don't see it.

Some established names did make an appearance. Strikers Bogdanovic and Creswell, plus goalkeeper Simonsen but the majority were youngsters such as Norwegian winger Erik Tonne and trialists Alexander Kruk and Oliver Stang who usually play for Osnabruck. The rest of last season's squad have either left or are in negotiations to leave...hence their absence from the teamsheet.

Youngster Corey Gregory (above) scored the goal that won it for the Blades but overall there was nothing positive to take from the game. Indeed the only pleasing aspect of it in my opinion was the fact that this was Worksop Town's first game back at Sandy Lane for a few years, having being kicked off the land by their landlord back in 2008. Certainly I think they will be more pleased with their evening than the few Blades' fans who turned out, most of whom had very little to cheer about despite winning the game.

Next up the Blades' are off to Malta for a pre-season tour. Hopefully when they return they will look more like a team otherwise the season ahead looks like one of real struggle.

23/7 - DA vs. Osnabrück - Endlich wieda Fuasboi schaun

2011-07-12T21:11:00.001+02:00

Football Hotbed

2011-07-10T13:53:00.000+02:00

Es geht kein Weg daran vorbei: Südostasien ist fussballinteressiert! Und: Deutschland ist zumindest genauso populär wie England. Ja, unglaublich! Man sieht MINDESTENS so viele Deutschland-Trikots wie die Leibchen von Lampard & Co.!

Remember Unirea Urziceni?

2011-07-09T23:59:00.000+02:00

Planet Sport: Club that ended Rangers' European dream closes down

David Hills and James Callow
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 9 July 2011 23.00 BST
Article history

Dan Petrescu, coach of the Romanian team Unirea Urziceni, kisses the Liga 1 cup after the club won the country's championship in 2009. Photograph: Vadim Ghirda/AP

Romania: Rangers' tormenters go from Europe to oblivion

Unirea Urziceni, the club that beat Rangers 4-1 at Ibrox in the Champions League two years ago, have been closed down after their owner lost interest. It is an unlikely move, even by Liga 1 standards. Unirea, a previously low-profile, low-achieving side from a town of 20,000 people, rose to prominence in 2002 after being bought by the businessman Dumitru Bucsaru. After five big-spending years, they were in the top flight being managed by the ex-Chelsea player Dan Petrescu, who rebranded them "The Wolves". The year 2009 was special. Unirea, famous in Romania for having only one regular away fan, known as "the Lonely Wolf", beat the established sides and won the title. Petrescu moved on, but his side powered ahead, setting a Champions League points record for a Romanian club, earning Bucsaru an estimated €20m (£18m) in the process. Then came the twist. As Radu Baicu of scoutingromania.com writes: "Bucsaru realised the only way for Unirea now was downwards, so quitting while he was ahead made perfect sense." Last season, Bucsaru launched his exit strategy: selling off the best of the squad and, after defeat to Liverpool in the Europa League, watching the remnants slide to relegation. Last week, authorities confirmed Bucsaru had walked away, leaving behind a shell of a club with a tax debt of €1.5m. Fixtures and fittings are being sold off to help cover that – including the turnstiles, listed at €85k. Gazeta Sporturilor described Bucsaru's brief reign as "like an enormous prank", while Urziceni's mayor said he was powerless to salvage their 57-year-old club. "We just can't afford to save it. It would take three times our annual budget." As for the fan response: the Lonely Wolf – real name Leonard Constantin – says he will find a way to move on. "It's sad, but I will find a new club. I'm already making new banners. I love this game. For me, football is everything."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/09/planet-sport-unirea-urziceni

Egypt, football and revolution: Al Ahly vs Zamalek

2011-07-07T14:02:00.003+02:00

Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, politics has entered every aspect of Egyptian life - even football. This is most evident in the Cairo derby, a game between arch rivals Al Ahly and Zamalek

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/jul/07/egypt-football-revolution-video

Všechno nejlepší k narozeninám, Antonín Panenka

2011-06-23T15:18:00.000+02:00

Bambule in LatAm: Penarol v Santos

2011-06-23T15:15:00.002+02:00

Neue Spielzeit... Neues Trikot. Neue Spieler.

2011-06-23T15:08:00.000+02:00

http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.saisonstart-vfb-stuttgart:-neue-spieler-neue-trikots.c395db9e-85ed-4d4a-ad0a-cb8e941a5962.html

Spanish Play-off Draw

2011-06-21T21:38:00.002+02:00

Achtung! Bei der folgenden Szene, die aus einer vor einigen Tagen stattgefundenen Auslosung stammt, in der die Begegnungen für die Entscheidungsspiele in die dritte spanische Liga gezogen wurden, herrscht akute Kotzgefahr.

Es fängt ja alles noch ziemlich auslosungstypisch an, zwei Männer und eine Frau stehen/sitzen auf einer Bühne vor ein paar Lostöpfen und warten auf eine Losfee, die per Durchsage angekündigt wird und sich dann mit hörbaren Schritten Richtung Bühne bewegt.

Der Angekündigte ist seltsamerweise der Präsident von Alcobendas, welches eine der Mannschaften ist, die sich in den Lostöpfen befinden und somit um den Aufstieg spielen werden. Dass der gute Mann namens Pablo Cordoba aussieht wie die Kreuzung zwischen Fidel Castro und einem Schuldirektor, soll nur am Rand erwähnt werden.

Jedenfalls darf Cordoba dann die zwei Kontrahenten einer Partie ziehen, und kurz bevor er das tut, zeigt ihm der neben ihm stehende Verbandsmann überaus offensichtlich, welche Kugel er zu ziehen hat. Und als sei das allein noch nicht verarschend genug, wirbelt Cordoba auch noch mit seiner Hand etwas in der Trommel herum, als würde er nicht von Anfang an genau die Kugel festhalten, die ihm gezeigt wurde.

Das alles ist schon seltsam genug, doch es wird noch sehr viel seltsamer. Der Verbandsmann, der inzwischen ein besseres schleimig-unechtes Grinsen aufgesetzt hat als jeder Hollywood-Bösewicht, öffnet die Kugel, in der sich eine Mannschaft namens Arandina befindet. Arandina also, nicht das von Pablo Cordoba regierte Alcobendas.

Hier folgt dann der nächste Wtf-Moment: als der das nämlich sieht, bricht er in einen überschwänglichen Jubel per Siegerfaust aus. Die Gründe bleiben unklar. Auch wenn er weiß, dass er als nächstes seine eigene Mannschaft ziehen wird, und auch wenn ihm Arandinas möglicherweise als der leichteste Gegner erschien, wie kann er sich so sichtbar über eine dieser Tatsachen freuen, wenn sie denn zumindest äußerlich noch garnicht feststehen? Wo sind wir hier gelandet?

Als zweites wird ihm vom schleimigen Offiziellen neben ihm dann eine weitere Kugel angedeutet, in der sich dann sein eigener Verein, also Alcobendas befindet. Cordoba freut sich nochmal kurz über sein Werk und verschwindet dann von der Bühne.

Schiebung deluxe also, vor laufender Kamera. Was am meisten überrascht und eigentlich keinen Sinn macht, ist die Offensichtlich- und Schamlosigkeit der Szene und der Akteure. Wir rekapitulieren kurz:

1. Ein mit seinem Verein in die Relegation involvierter Vereinspräsident darf eine Partie ziehen.
2. Ihm wird mit einer klar sichtbaren Geste gezeigt, was er zu ziehen hat.
3. Er jubelt ausgelassen, und zwar mutmaßlich entweder über die Tatsache, dass seine Mannschaft zunächst auswärts antreten darf, oder dass sie überhaupt so eine Luschenmannschaft zugelost bekommen hat, und zwar BEVOR diese Tatsachen feststehen, zumindest für das neutrale, korruptionsfreie Auge.

Alles wie im schlechten Film.

Nicht unerwähnt sollte der sitzende Herr ganz rechts bleiben, der die gesamte Zeit über an der ganzen Farce scheinbar desinteressiert wirkt und auf einen mit Papierkram beschäftigten Finanzbeamten macht. Wahrscheinlich war er aber nur der Einzige, der die anwesende Kamera bemerkt hat.

Quelle: http://www.el-futbol.de/?p=2766

As you may or possibly may not be aware, the draw for the Spanish Tercera Division play-offs (for the right to play in the Spanish third tier, Segunda Division B) were made earlier this week.

Strangely, the president of one of the clubs involved, Pablo Cordoba of Alcobendas Sport, was entrusted to draw the balls for his side’s half of the draw – arriving at the plinth with a huge, sh*t-eating grin on his face only to be *apparently* told which ball to pull out of the goldfish bowl by the honcho in charge.

After drawing Arandina out, ol’ Pablo then celebrated like his Dickhead Smear Test results had just come back ‘negative’ – despite the fact that he shouldn’t really have been privvy as to who his side were going to be playing – before then, sure enough, drawing Alcobendas’ name out.
Incredibly, Cordoba isn’t now due to be flogged in public by the Spanish Football Federation after Arandina president, Jesus Campillo, wrote the overtly fiddled draw off as nothing more than a ‘strange’ sequence of events, claiming that ‘everything was just a coincidence’.

Quelle: http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/videos/75111/club-president-makes-complete-hash-of-fixing-spanish-third-division-play-off-draw-video.html

Nice boys don't play rock and roll

2011-06-21T12:30:00.002+02:00

Looks like the fashion police will be out in force during the course of the close season. Not sure what the Blades have in store for us yet but with money pretty tight I suspect they'll probably just wash a few of last season's old shirts and claim they are new and improved. Anyway, here's a couple of likely lads sporting what could be a design classic! Yours for £10 in selected stores and I don't mean these two dodgy characters. They are probably slightly more expensive than that...just.

Trikot-Wahnsinn

2011-06-20T20:25:00.003+02:00

Keine Ahnung ob die Lilien jemals schon gestreift aufgelaufen sind, kommende Saison ist es jedenfalls soweit. Das Teil ist Ergebnis eines Fanentwurfs und jetzt laufen wir wie als Hertha-Abklatsch auf...

Was meint Ihr?

Die Neuen sind von links nach rechts: Preston Zimmerman (FSV Mainz 05 II), Matthias Heckenberger (1.FC Nürnberg II), Rudi Hübner Wormatia Worms, ex-Lilie), Andreas Gaebler (SV Wilhelmshaven), Marcus Steegmann (TuS Koblenz) und Julian Ratei (TSV 1860 München II).

Wie schaut eigentlich das VfB-Trikot oder das der Blades für die kommende Saison aus?

Wilson makes his first signing for the Blades

2011-06-20T16:17:00.003+02:00

The Blades have made their first signing as new manager Danny Wilson begins assembling his squad for the coming campaign.

Hatian defender Jean-Francois Lescinel, a former Paris St Germain protégée has put pen to paper on a contract which ties him to South Yorkshire until the of the 2012/13 campaign.

“Jean has got the character to play here,” said Wilson. “Coming to a bigger stage will, in my opinion, inspire him to do even better.

Having progressed through the ranks at the Parc de Princes, Lescinel enjoyed spells with Sedan, Falkirk and Guingamp before moving to Wilson's former club, Swindon Town in 2009.

Wilson offered him a deal after being impressed with his performances during a reserve fixture and he went on to make 65 appearances in Wiltshire.

Lescinel, who was actually born in South America, is scheduled to link up with his new team-mates when they report back for duty at the end of the month.

“Jean can play left-back or centre-half,” Wilson added. “He’s versatile and can cover both of those positions.

“Jean has got a great left foot, he’s a very good athlete and is nice and aggressive on the pitch. He’s also a good character to have around and that’s important.

“Perhaps the only thing he’s lacked in the past is a little bit of consistency, but that will come.”

Here's hoping he is right!

He's a Blade!

2011-06-20T11:27:00.003+02:00

SHEFFIELD actor and Blade's fan Sean Bean was stabbed with a broken glass outside a bar when he challenged a passer-by who insulted his glamour model friend.

The Hollywood star, who grew up in Handsworth, Sheffield, was smoking with topless model April Summer, 22, when another punter in the pub made a remark about her.

The multi-millionaire actor, who has starred in Lord of the Rings films and is appearing in The Game of Thrones TV series, is believed to have been stabbed with a broken bottle and punched.

Bar staff treated a wound on his arm, but the actor – famed for his hard man roles – did not seek medical attention.

His friend April – an Italian Playboy model whose real name is Nadia Foster – was unharmed.

A member of staff at the bar in Camden, London, where the attack took place, near to Sean’s home, said: “It seemed to have been a scuffle over a girl after another guy made some unpleasant comments.

“Sean’s been in here many times and always seems really friendly and polite, a really nice bloke.

“But he was obviously pretty angry about whatever the other drinker had said about his friend.

“She was a really good looking girl, very pretty so it might have been a bit of a sexist remark.

“It was all over quickly and Sean came back into the bar for a while with his friend.

“He looked like he had a gash on his arm, which one of the girls who works here had a look at for him, but he wanted to finish his drink.”

Now that's the sort of spirit we expect from true Blades!

BBC Online: Blades and Owls face up to League One life

2011-06-19T08:45:00.000+02:00

Page last updated at 09:36 GMT, Friday, 17 June 2011 10:36 UK

By Jonathan Rawcliffe

BBC Sport

Danny Wilson (left) and Gary Megson are under pressure to succeed this season

When Sheffield United turned to former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Wilson as their new boss in May, the news was not well received at Bramall Lane.

As Wilson was outlining his vision for the club, a group of Blades supporters held a rally outside the ground, unfurling a banner expressing their disapproval at the appointment of a a former Owl player and manager.
If the protest was a reminder of one of the most intense city rivalries in English football, it also marked the final chapter in a season to forget for the Sheffield clubs.

United suffered relegation, Wednesday flirted with liquidation. Even Sheffield FC, the world's oldest club, were forced to sell the family silver just to stay afloat.

With the release of next season's fixture list, the Steel City derby has returned to the calendar, with the first match taking place at Bramall Lane on October 15. But a game that was a highlight of the newly-formed Premier League almost 20 years ago, will now be played at League One level for the first time in more than 30 seasons.

Both clubs have got very good fanbases and should be doing better, but you're only as good as the team that is on the pitch.

Pete Whitney Sheffield United Supporters' Club

For fans of both teams, the decline of their city as a footballing power is hard to take.
"It's a diabolical state of affairs," Pete Whitney, chairman of Sheffield United's Official Supporters' Club, told BBC Sport.

"Both clubs have got very good fanbases should be doing better, but you're only as good as the team that is on the pitch."

Marc Duffy, vice chairman of Owls' supporters' group Wednesdayite, agrees. "It's not good for Sheffield as a city," he said.
"You get more exposure if you've got two clubs in the Premier League doing well, but we need to get it into our heads that we are in League One, we're on equal terms with League One clubs, and we have to build from there."

Wednesday's woes have been well-documented. Since dropping out of the Premier League in 2000, there has been little to cheer on the pitch at Hillsborough.
After topping the table in the early stages of last season, a slump in form cost manager Alan Irvine his job. A pre-Christmas takeover from former Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric saved the Owls from administration, but the team could only finish 15th in League One under new boss Gary Megson.

Danny Wilson's arrival as manager has angered many Sheffield United fans. With Wednesday having overcome their financial problems, Duffy is upbeat about the future.
"When people talk about the decline of Sheffield football, they are 10 years late with Wednesday - I think our decline is over now. This is the rebuilding process," he told BBC Sport.
"Mandaric is a fantastic chairman who gets results, but clearly he found so much wrong with the club when he took it over, that he couldn't achieve promotion in one season.
"Mandaric is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. He doesn't want to be at Sheffield Wednesday for ever, and he's said that himself. He's a businessman, he's not a fan - he wants to sell the club at a profit as quickly as possible.
"Everything's changing at the club. We are currently in a bad position, but we're not staying there."
Five years after relegation from the Premier League, Sheffield United have joined their neighbours in League One thanks to a season which began and ended in managerial turmoil.
Kevin Blackwell was sacked in August 2010, and replaced by the inexperienced Gary Speed. By December, Speed had left Bramall Lane to become Wales coach, and United turned to Port Vale boss Micky Adams in a bid to stabilise. The boyhood Blades fan managed just four wins in 24 games, the club was relegated, and Adams was fired.
Sheffield clubs' divisional standings since formation of Premier League "Personally, I thought Adams should have been given time to put things right," said Whitney.
"By the time he came in in January, we'd had four managers in one season, if you count John Carver as caretaker. They all inherited somebody else's squad, with players they might never have signed."
As United's fortunes have suffered, owner Kevin McCabe has faced criticism for his attempts to expand the club's fanbase abroad, rather than focusing on matters at Bramall Lane.
Chinese team Chengdu Wuniu was bought by United in 2006, and renamed Chengdu Blades in a bid by the South Yorkshire club gain a commercial foothold in Asia.
Links were also established with Ferencváros in Hungary, Central Coast Mariners of Australia and White Star Woluwe of Belgium, with the aim of sharing and jointly developing young players.

Sheffield United

Founded: 1889
Top-flight title wins: 1897/98
FA Cup wins: 1899, 1902, 1915, 1925
Ground: Bramall Lane
Capacity: 32,702
Average attendance 2010/11: 20,632

"People say it's a contributory factor to the decline, but it was part of McCabe's dream of making United a worldwide name, and we can't fault him for that," added Whitney.
"We've also got a partnership with Sao Paulo in Brazil, but until the first player from Sao Paulo runs down the tunnel at Bramall Lane, that strategy will always be held to question."
United may have a global ambitions, but local pride has always been of the utmost importance to both sets of supporters.
Wednesday fans still sing about the time the two sides met at Hillsborough in the old Division Three on 26 December 1979. The Owls won 4-0 in a game that became known as the Boxing Day Massacre. The crowd of 49,309 is still a record attendance for the English third tier.
But United and Wednesday's return to the lower divisions has led some to ask whether the city of Sheffield can ever again sustain two successful football clubs. There has been debate on message boards and radio phone-ins about the benefits of pooling resources or even sharing a ground.

Wednesday and United would each get crowds of 25,000 on a good day, but a fair percentage of that comes from the rivalry with the other team. We need each other.

Marc Duffy Wednesdayite

Mention the word 'merger' though, and the response is unequivocal.
"It will never happen," said Whitney. "The rivalry is too tribal, people are too set in their ways.
"I know fanatical Blades fans who never miss a game, even friendlies. If you gave them £100 and a free executive box, they wouldn't set foot in Hillsborough. That's the way they are - they will never change."
According to Duffy there is also an element of mutual dependency between the clubs.
"Wednesday and United would each get crowds of 25,000 on a good day, but a good percentage of that comes from the rivalry with the other team," he said. "We need each other. A merger wouldn't happen. It can't happen. I can't see a feasible way for it to work at all."
Dr Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport Business Strategy at Coventry University, says the Sheffield clubs could at least consider some method of joining forces as a way of reducing costs and boosting revenue streams.
"In terms of strategic integration, the extreme case would be that Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday become the same club. Culturally, that would be completely unacceptable and unpalatable to most fans of both teams," Chadwick told BBC Sport.

Sheffield Wednesday

Founded: 1867
Top-flight title wins: 1902/03, 1903/04, 1928/29, 1929/30
FA Cup wins: 1896, 1907, 1935
League cup wins: 1991
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,812
Average attendance 2010/11: 17,817

"Ground sharing would also be difficult. Obviously it happens across the world with the likes of AC Milan and Inter, but in this country it is unheard of.
"The most realistic option would be to pool resources in other ways. For example, I'm sure Sheffield Wednesday have a marketing team, and so do Sheffield United. It may be that you could have one team representing both clubs so they co-market each other.
"Ultimately the acid test is whether there is an appetite inside the clubs for something like this, and a recognition that it could benefit them economically."
There are reasons for the Sheffield clubs to be optimistic about the new campaign.
United will hope that the success of their academy team, which made it to the final of the FA Youth Cup, will soon begin to filter through into the senior side.
Thanks to Mandaric, Wednesday are now on a sound financial footing, with an ability to compete in the transfer market that they have not had since the 1990s.
If the bookmakers are to be believed, both teams should be involved in the race for promotion come next May.
Owls and Blades everywhere will be praying that turns out to be the case.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13412951.stm

Is anyone really ready for the new season at Bramall Lane?

2011-06-17T16:00:00.003+02:00

Well, the fixtures have been published and there is now no doubt that we really are back where we started in 1989. Division Three, or as they like to call it these days, League One. Whichever way you look at it, it does not look good.

For some younger supporters who may not have endured the Third Division first time around back in 1979 this may seem like a great adventure. For 'old hands' like myself (yes, I am that old) it is certainly no adventure. Just a sad trawl around various far flung outposts of football such as Carlisle, Exeter and Hartlepool. Certainly nothing to write home about.

So, what are the prospects, if any? The jury is certainly out on this one. The club has recently appointed a new manager in Danny Wilson and he is yet to find out which players will be staying and which will be moving on as attempts are made to trim the wage bill.

Of course the new man at the helm does have a successful youth team at his disposal but these players are already attracting the attention of Premier League clubs and some may move during the summer for what most people consider to be bargain prices.

It is hardly inspiring that is for sure. Certainly it is a tall order for Wilson to get the team straight back up. He does have the experience at this level, but he only resigned from a post at Swindon Town in March and his charges there went down too. Also it is not easy for a manager to join a newly relegated club, restructure a squad with very little funds and make them ready for a promotion challenge. Personally I do not see it happening. Indeed many fans think the same way and a large percentage of them are not even sure he is the right man for the job anyway.

Well, only time will tell if it can be done and whatever happens it will surely fall into one of three possible outcomes. Scenario one is that Wilson does a cracking job, assembles a winning squad and achieves promotion at the first time of asking (like Dave Bassett did). Scenario two is that he struggles to build a squad, they start badly, he gets sacked and the team sits in mid table doing nothing and losing so much money that the squad has to be trimmed even further. Scenario three? Well, let's not even go there.

So, after considering all the options I have to ask, is anyone really ready to endure all that?

Mallorca-Party - Ganz Willich feiert!

2011-06-12T05:38:00.000+02:00

Berliner FC Dynamo | Live aus dem Clubhaus, DFB-Pokalauslosung 1. Runde 2011/2012

2011-06-12T05:26:00.000+02:00

Copa Libertadores 2011 | Peñarol vs Velez - 1 : 0

2011-06-10T15:24:00.000+02:00

La entrada aurinegra

Tom - Walking down the Aisle

2011-06-05T19:35:00.000+02:00

Just married!

2011-06-05T15:53:00.004+02:00

Auf ein feuriges Eheleben!

"Alte Schule"-Linktipp

2011-05-31T22:19:00.003+02:00

Quelle: www.fanclubaufnaeher.de

Back in Business

2011-05-31T21:33:00.008+02:00

OFC, Bielefeld, Osnabrück, Preußen Münster, Saarbrücken, Erfurt, Chemnitz, Jena, das sind Namen, liebe Freunde, Namen mit denen es der SV DARMSTADT 98 in der kommenden Saison zu tun bekommen wird.

Eine geile Saison ist zu Ende, Kassel abgefangen, die blauen Kickers nicht mehr vorbeigelassen, Aufstieg im letzten Saisonspiel vor 17.000 gegen Memmingen.

Naja, Zampach euphorisiert, aber zum Glück nicht so wie damals als er bei der Eintracht "naggisch" über den Platz gerannt ist.

Aber was sollte am Samstag schon schief gehen, nachdem so viele Glückwünsche von Ehemaligen über die Videowall liefen (Rischdisch schee, de' Annitschitsch...)

Und die "AH-Truppe" freut sich schon jetzt auf den Ausflug auf den Bieberer Berg...

Frankfurter Rundschau: SV Darmstadt 98 - Blütenträume bei den Lilien

2011-05-28T06:55:00.001+02:00

Jetzt haben sie ihr Glück selbst in der Hand: Der SV Darmstadt 98 kann am Samstag den Aufstieg in die dritte Liga schaffen.

Grund zum Jubeln: Trainer Kosta Runjaic. Foto: Michael Schick

Der Jubel kannte keine Grenzen im Lager des SV Darmstadt 98 nach dem Last-Minute-Erfolg am vergangenen Wochenende bei Wormatia Worms. „Wir haben jetzt alle Trümpfe in der Hand“, sagte Siegtorschütze Yannick Stark nach der Partie. In der Tat können die Lilien mit einem Sieg gegen den FC Memmingen am Samstag vor eigenem Publikum am letzten Spieltag der Fußball-Regionalliga Süd den Aufstieg in die dritte Liga perfekt machen.

Einzig verbliebener Konkurrent im Meisterschaftsrennen sind die Stuttgarter Kickers, die zeitgleich gegen Worms antreten müssen. Der Tabellenführer aus Südhessen darf sich keinen Ausrutscher erlauben, da die Stuttgarter nur zwei Punkte zurückliegen und zudem die bessere Tordifferenz der beiden Teams aufweisen können.

Nach den sowohl spielerisch als auch kämpferisch tollen Leistungen der vergangenen Wochen und Monate wird die Mannschaft sich laut Kapitän Boris Kolb auf das Aufstiegsendspiel genauso vorbereiten wie auf jede andere Partie auch: „Wir werden im Vorfeld nichts ändern. Es wäre gefährlich, etwas Anormales zu tun. Die Mannschaft hat gezeigt, dass sie bereit ist für das Endspiel.“ In der Tat gibt es keinen erkennbaren Anlass, das momentan vor Selbstbewusstsein nur so strotzende Team aus der Routine zu reißen.

Das Mannschaftsgefüge wirkt intakt, die Lilien haben zuletzt bewiesen, dass sie auch dem immer größer werdenden Druck im Aufstiegsrennen nervlich standhalten können. Kosta Runjaic versucht jedenfalls, „den ganz großen Druck von uns zu nehmen“, lobt Kolb seinen Trainer. Nun gilt es, die Konzentration bis zum Samstag hoch zu halten, um den letzten fehlenden Schritt gehen zu können.

Stadt will Schulden erlassen

An Unterstützung der Fans wird es den Darmstädtern auf jeden Fall nicht fehlen. Bisher wurden schon mehr als 10000 Tickets im Vorverkauf abgesetzt, die Verantwortlichen träumen sogar insgeheim von einem mit 19.600 Zuschauern ausverkauften Stadion am Böllenfalltor. Dies wäre gleichzeitig ein neuer Zuschauerrekord in der Regionalliga. Die Begeisterung bei den Anhängern ist also gewaltig.

Auch die Stadt Darmstadt will dem sportlichen Aushängeschild im Aufstiegsfall kräftig unter die Arme greifen. Der Magistrat beschloss in seiner jüngsten Sitzung, für den SV 98 ein Hilfspaket in Höhe von rund 800.000 Euro zu schnüren, sollte den finanziell nicht gerade auf Rosen gebetteten Lilien die Rückkehr in die dritthöchste deutsche Spielklasse tatsächlich gelingen. Die Stadt will dem Verein dabei Altschulden von 538.000 Euro erlassen. „Im Zuge eines gesunden Wirtschaftens soll darauf verzichtet werden, um im Falle eines Aufstiegs mit einem gesunden Kapital in die dritte Liga gehen zu können“, sieht Lilien-Präsident Hans Kessler das Entgegenkommen der Stadt als unerlässlich an, um eine solide finanzielle Basis für die nächste Saison zu legen.

Des Weiteren will die Stadt im Zuge des Hilfspakets die Sanierung der veralteten Flutlichtanlage und die Erneuerung der Kunstrasenplätze übernehmen. Sollte die Stadtverwaltung in ihrer nächsten Sitzung am 21. Juni dem Magistrat folgen, wäre neben dem sportlichen also auch der finanzielle Baustein für eine erfolgreiche Rückkehr der Lilien im Profifußball gelegt.

http://www.fr-online.de/sport/region/bluetentraeume-bei-den-lilien/-/1473444/8497156/-/view/asFirstTeaser/-/

Knockin' on Profifußballs Door...

2011-05-21T21:18:00.005+02:00

Bewegte Spielberichte gibts hier:
HR:
http://www.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/sport/index.jsp?rubrik=18294&key=standard_document_41579933&mediakey=fs/heimspiel/20110521_heimspiel_darmstadt_vs_worms&type=v

SWR:
http://www.swr.de/tv/rp/-/id=3170/did=8081716/pv=video/nid=3170/mk0pfk/index.html

STIMMUNG IM BLOCK:

EMPFANG AM BÖLLE:

C'm'on, Celtic!

2011-05-21T15:18:00.001+02:00

Singapore 'Toon Army'

2011-05-21T12:52:00.000+02:00

Echo-Online: Letztes Auswärtsspiel: Lilien reisen mit 3000 Fans zur Wormatia nach Worms

2011-05-21T11:18:00.000+02:00

| |

Vorfreude auf das Spiel am Samstag in Worms. Foto: Alexander Schneider

Begleitet von rund 3000 Fans tritt der SV Darmstadt 98 heute zum traditionsreichen Duell bei Wormatia Worms an. Anpfiff der Partie im Wormatia-Stadion war um14 Uhr.

Bereits am letzten Wochenende wurden die 98er von einer tollen Kulisse unterstützt. 7500 sahen den souveränen 2:0-Erfolg gegen den FSV Frankfurt II. Dieser Sieg stellt den siebten in Folge dar, insgesamt sind die Lilien jetzt seit zehn Spielen ungeschlagen.

„Mit dem Sieg gegen Frankfurt haben wir Platz 1 bestätigt. Jetzt steht wieder ein schweres Spiel an. Wir werden uns konzentriert vorbereiten auf Worms, um auch dort den wichtigen Sieg zu holen. Das wird nötig sein, um die Spitze zu verteidigen und den Zweikampf mit Stuttgart spannend zu halten. Ich hoffe auf eine überwiegend blau-weiße Kulisse im Wormser Stadion, mit Hilfe der Fans wird uns dort hoffentlich der Dreier gelingen“, so Trainer Kosta Runjaic.

Wir twittern live vom Lilienspiel unter dem Hashtag #lilien. Wer uns folgen möchte, kann dies über die Twitter-Box auf „Echo-Online“ oder direkt über Twitter unter Echo_Redaktion tun.
Ein Video und Fotos vom Spiel gibt es noch am Samstag auf „Echo Online“.

http://www.echo-online.de/sport/svdarmstadt98/Letztes-Auswaertsspiel-Lilien-reisen-mit-3000-Fans-zur-Wormatia-nach-Worms;art1168,1865985

Morrissey | Irish Blood, English Heart

2011-05-16T18:59:00.000+02:00

MORRISSEY: The Very Existence of the Queen Is Against Any Notion of Democracy

2011-05-16T18:58:00.001+02:00

16 May 2011

This is just one of a number of compelling charges set down by Morrissey in an article written for Hot Press, to coincide with the Queen's visit to Ireland

The Queen's visit to Ireland is part of a new Palace PR campaign to re-invent the Windsors. The message from the Queen will be the same as ever: who we are born to is more important than what we achieve in life.

It should be remembered by the Irish people that as recently as the turn of the 1980s the Queen supported Margaret Thatcher by not dismissing Thatcher as she allowed hunger strikers to die at the Maze Prison, most famously Bobby Sands, who was 27 years old. As Sands starved to death in protest at being tagged a 'criminal' and not a 'political prisoner' by the Thatcher government, the Queen sat in her Palace and said nothing. If the Queen had any human feelings for the Sands family or other hunger strikers then she did not express them.

The full meaning of the Monarchy is, like the Queen herself, a complete mystery to most people. It is protected from any investigations by ridiculous stories of trivia and wedding dresses and on-again-off-again soap-drama romances. The most revealing statement came from Commander Christine Jones of the Metropolitan Police last month, when she warned that any British people carrying anti-royal placards who are "seen in the vicinity of the royal wedding would be removed under the Public Order Act." This means that any political dissent in England is silenced in order to protect the royals, which in itself goes against every principle of democracy.

The very existence of the Queen and her now enormous family – all supported by the British taxpayer whether the British taxpayer likes it or not – is entirely against any notion of democracy, and is against freedom of speech. For a broad historical view of what the Queen is and how she "rules", examine Gaddafi or Mubarak, and see if you can spot any difference.

You won't be able to.

The Queen also has the power to give back the six counties to the Irish people, allowing Ireland to be a nation once again. The fact that she has not done so is Fascism in full flow. What else could it be? Name one other European country that is controlled by its neighbour?

MORRISSEY

May 2011

http://www.hotpress.com/politics/frontlines/7901992.html

Fhans' Huddle v Motherwell

2011-05-16T11:06:00.001+02:00

A view of yesterday's huddle from the Director's Box, I don't know what was more surprising, the fatcats joining in or the guy waving the walking stick about. Just hope they don't stop his disability money! Oh, and you might spot a famous face in amongst the melee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3O3EHSEK3c&feature=player_embedded

[ cannot be embedded into weblog |-: ]

West Ham FC relegated | Avram Grant, Millwall Legend - Plane over Wigan's Ground

2011-05-15T23:21:00.003+02:00

Cheeky Millwall fans ;-)

Süddeutsche Zeitung: VfB II trennt sich von Trainer Jürgen Seeberger

2011-05-15T16:34:00.006+02:00

Stuttgart (dpa) - Fußball-Drittligist VfB Stuttgart II hat sich nach eineinhalb Jahren von seinem Trainer Jürgen Seeberger getrennt, teilte der Verein auf seiner Internetseite mit.
Trotz des zehnten Tabellenplatzes in der am Samstag zu Ende gegangenen Saison und eines bis 30. Juni 2012 laufenden Vertrags wird der 46-Jährige den Bundesliga-Nachwuchs der Schwaben damit nicht weiter betreuen. Laut Medienberichten soll künftig der bisherige A-Junioren-Trainer Jürgen Kramny die zweite Mannschaft übernehmen.

«Jürgen Seeberger hat hier gute Arbeit geleistet. Nach seinem Antritt im Januar 2010 hat er den VfB II vor dem Abstieg bewahrt und mit seinem Team in dieser Saison eine gute Runde gespielt», sagte Sportdirektor Jochen Schneider. «Trotzdem haben wir uns nach eingehender Analyse dazu entschlossen, die Zusammenarbeit über die Saison hinaus nicht fortzusetzen.» Das letzte Saisonspiel in der dritten Liga gewannen die Stuttgarter mit 3:2 gegen Carl Zeiss Jena.

http://newsticker.sueddeutsche.de/list/id/1153980

VfB Stuttgart 1893 | 'Angst' // Klassenerhalt 10-11 by ASVP

2011-05-13T23:18:00.000+02:00

Lilien aufsteigen sehen...

2011-05-13T21:30:00.004+02:00

...am Samstag, 21. Mai, 14 Uhr - Anyone for Worms away?

News from Joe & The Bhoys - In Support of Neil Lennon

2011-05-13T21:11:00.001+02:00

Bhoys let’s hope that we have a bit of luck on Sunday but to be honest I can’t see it happening. I think we (and Celtic) will seriously need to think of what action will have to be taken next season as this cannot be allowed to continue. It’s all Neil Lennons fault as the media are portraying.

I’m all for standing up and not letting them beat us but I really think we should bhoycott away games and also pull out of games if we cannot get change in this bigot of a country. UEFA must come in as the overall governing body and sort out the bigot SFA who cannot stand up to Rangers and the rest of them.

And to be honest here as well bhoys, a lot of you know my political views, but is Celtic games the place to be singing about the IRA anymore? I say this not because it is used against us (never any mention of the Huns singing about UVF/UDA/UFF etc) we are a club with an Irish background open to everyone (within reason) we are not a republican club. Yes it was the only place to be vocal against the British presence in Ireland at one time but not anymore.

Anyway hope we do get some luck, here are some snippets, be safe.

The official statement posted earlier, this is what Celtic should have been doing years ago, they have finally realised that this cannot go on, we can no longer be treated as second class citizens and we will no longer accepted it. Keep it going!
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=1066

Peter Lawwell speaks out on hate campaign
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=1068

Good News - Celtic fan jailed for racist jibe at El Hadji Diouf
Let’s just see if they start taking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13361478

Seven arrests over gun alert at Celtic’s training camp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13345655

Disciplinary Committee News - Tuesday, 10 May 2011
At today’s meeting at Hampden Park, the Scottish FA Disciplinary Committee found Craig Brown, the Aberdeen manager, guilty of misconduct by behaving in a disorderly manner towards the Motherwell chairman, John Boyle, during their match at Fir Park on April 2. The committee decided to impose a censure and warning as to Mr Brown’s future conduct.
The committee also found Mr Boyle guilty of misconduct by behaving in an inappropriate and inflammatory manner towards the opposing team’s club official. The committee decided that a fine of £2500 be imposed on Mr Boyle and that he be severely censured and warned as to his future conduct. Both cases were referred to the Disciplinary Committee in accordance with Article 82(3) as the incident was not witnessed (and therefore not reported) by any of the match officials.
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=721&newsCategoryID=1&newsID=7753
Simplified:
Boyle who started it all is fined and Brown is warned. Now take the same situation with McCoist and Neil Lennon.
McCoist who started it all is let off and Lennon is banned. You just could not make it up.

Sectarian problem is worse in Scotland than Northern Ireland now, says Shiels
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/celtic/sectarian-problem-is-worse-in-scotland-than-northern-ireland-now-says-shiels-1.1101165

Excellent post it's about half way down this page. Poster is called Rossi well worth reading
http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/8499779/58/

All the best and be safe!

AJ
Celtic, Celtic that's the team for me!

Austro-HipHop - Einmal Linz, einmal Wien!

2011-05-11T19:28:00.002+02:00

Spitzenreiter!

2011-05-10T20:46:00.002+02:00

Doch jetzt wirds erst so richtig spannend!
Saisonfinale!
1. SV Darmstadt 98, 27 Spiele, 53 Punkte, +17 Tore
2. Stuttgarter Kickers, 27 Spiele, 51 Punkte, +23 Tore
3. Hessen Kassel, 28 Spiele, 51 Punkte, + 18 Tore

Unser größter Konkurrent um den Drittligaufstieg sind also die Blauen von den Golan-Höhen, eventuell aber auch noch Kassel.
Hier das Restprogramm:

Lilien:

FSV2 - home
Worms - away
Memmingen - home

Kickers:

Eintracht2 - home
FSV2 - away
Worms - home

Kassel:

60 MUC2 - away
Wehen2 - home
Ulm - away & bedeutungslos da pleite!

Hätte jemand von Euch Bock, zusammen mit mir, die Lilien zum letzten Auswärtskick der Saison nach Worms zu begleiten?
Samstag, 21. Mai, 14 Uhr
Könnte geschichtsträchtig werden!

Darmstadt & der VfB!

Tagesspiegel: VfB - HSV96 2-1 / Hannover schafft nur die kleine Sensation

2011-05-07T23:56:00.000+02:00

Bild vergrößern

Hier nicht zu erkennen, aber am Ende machten die Stuttgarter um Arthur Boka (r.) die bessere Figur. - Foto: dapd

Der 2:1-Sieg bringt dem VfB Stuttgart den Klassenerhalt – und Hannover 96 die Gewissheit, dass es nur für die Europa League reicht, den größten Vereinserfolg seit 19 Jahren.

Es dürfte eine sehr unterschiedliche Woche werden für die Bundesligaspieler des VfB Stuttgart und Hannover 96. Während die einen feiern, steht den anderen eine ernste Woche bevor, wie es Hannovers Trainer Mirko Slomka ausdrückte. Nach dem 1:2 (0:0) vor 39 000 Zuschauer in der Stuttgarter Arena müssen die Niedersachsen nicht nur ihre Champions-League-Hoffnungen aufgeben, sondern nach der zweiten Niederlage in Folge sogar noch um die bessere Position in der Qualifikation zur Europa League bangen. Mit zwei Punkten Vorsprung geht der Vierte Hannover in den letzten Spieltag gegen Nürnberg, der Fünfte aus Mainz trifft auf den bereits abgestiegenen FC St.

Pauli. Der Vierte muss nur ein Qualifikationsspiel bestreiten, während der Fünfte in eine weitere Quali-Runde muss. „Das würden wir uns gerne ersparen“, sagte Hannovers Sportdirektor Jörg Schmadtke. „Wir müssen aufpassen, dass wir die Saison nicht mit einer Enttäuschung beenden.“
Das kann den Stuttgartern definitiv nicht mehr passieren. Neben dem Klassenerhalt steht nach den Toren durch Tamas Hajnal und Shinji Okazaki auch fest, dass sich die Verträge von Hajnal und Coach Labbadia nun automatisch um zwei Jahre verlängern. „Wir haben es geschafft, trotz der prekären Situation in der Winterpause, eine Einheit zu werden“, sagte Stuttgarts Manager Fredi Bobic. Nach der Vorrunde hatten die Schwaben zwölf Punkte auf dem Konto. Labbadia holte seitdem 30 Zähler. Der VfB-Coach gab seinen Spielern zwei Tage frei, „um die Sau raus zu lassen“. Sich selber wollte er nur ein Glas Rotwein gönnen.
Gegen Hannover profitierten die Stuttgarter von einer Leistungssteigerung nach der Pause. Martin Harniks Pass erreichte Tamas Hajnal, der sich nicht nur in dieser Situation als wertvollster Einkauf herausstellte. Dem erst in der Winterpause verpflichteten Ungarn gelang der Führungstreffer. Der zweiten Zugang, der Japaner Okazaki, machte mit seinem ersten Treffer nach einer Vorlage Cacaus das 2:0. Die Stuttgarter investierten mehr als Hannover, bei denen sich im Saison-Schlussspurt ein Kräfteverschleiß bemerkbar machte. Trotzdem gelang Lars Stindl in der 68. Minute noch der Anschlusstreffer. Mehr war am Ende für Hannover nicht mehr drin. „Wir werden nun alles tun, um den vierten Platz zu sichern“, sagte Hannovers Coach Slomka, „jetzt haben wir die Chance eines Heimspiels vor uns.“
Die Stuttgarter feierten den gelungenen Klassenerhalt mit Freudentänzen minutenlang am Mittelkreis und ließen sich anschließend bei einer Ehrenrunde von ihren Fans beklatschen. Christian Träsch übergoss zum Abschluss der Jubelfeiern seinen Trainer Labbadia mit einem großen Glas – Wasser.

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/hannover-schafft-nur-die-kleine-sensation/4147288.html

Apropos Liebes-Karawane...

2011-05-06T08:43:00.003+02:00

Die setzt sich morgen auch von Darmstadt nach Frankfurt in Bewegung.
Das viertletzte Spiel in Sachen Drittligaaufstieg steht an: gegen Eintracht Frankfurt II, ab 14 Uhr im Stadion des FSV.

Alles für den Sportverein!

The Housemartins - Caravan of Love (Live)

2011-05-02T17:21:00.000+02:00