Next Stop Premier League?

With the World Cup now having been and gone we could have expected an influx of summer performers to the Premier League clubs as has happened following recent World Cups and European Championships. While using a FansEdge Coupon Code I got a great Jersey. This summer though, movement has been slow. The highest profile move to a Premier League club thus far was the recent announcement that Chelsea’s Joe Cole is transferring to Liverpool. Whilst Cole fits the criteria of a World Cup performer this move was likely to have been initiated before the World Cup and based on reputation rather than World Cup matches.

The financial climate of the Premier League has changed considerably with public records of large leveraged debt at Manchester United and Liverpool, Arsenal have never been traditional big spenders under manager Arsene Wenger and the situation at Chelsea is uncertain but it is clear that Roman Abramovich has slowed his spending in the last two seasons. This leaves Manchester city has the obvious candidates to spend big on World Cup stars whilst Spurs may want to consolidate there new standing as a top four side with some new faces.

With many of the fancied players (Kaka, Messi, Drogba, Rooney, Ronaldo) relatively under performing this summer the World Cup the hottest property is Germany’s Mesut Ozil. The speedy 21 year old is contracted to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. With Michael Ballack gone from the Chelsea midfield they may see his replacement at International level this summer as the man to fill the gap at Stamford Bridge, however Chelsea interest in a player is likely to stir attention at Manchester City who have so far spent big money on Spain’s David Silva, Germany’s Jerome Boateng and Ivory Coasts Yaya Toure. However Ozil is likely to attract interest from mainland Europe too. Whilst he may not fit into the Barcelona midfield with their interest firmly on Fabregas he may be a target for fellow giants Real Madrid or closer to home Bayern Munich.

Uruguay surprised many this summer with the stand out performers being strikers Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. Forlan is tried and tested in the Premier League when he found life tough to cope with at Manchester United scoring just 17 goals in near 100 appearances, he may get a second chance with another club if he can be tempted to leave the Spanish league that seems to suit his style of play. Suarez netted a phenomenal 49 goals for Dutch side Ajax and should Ajax manager Martin Jol make the rumoured switch to Fulham then don’t be surprised to see his star striker follow him to Craven Cottage.

World Cup’s gone by have been an opportunity for African players to showcase their talents to the watching football world, however this time around with the exception of Ghana, African performances were subdued so a minority of players are likely to have stirred Premier League interest. Of course, a large majority of Ghana’s squad already feature in European leagues so are likely to carry the inflated price tags that has Premier League chairman running scared of.

So to conclude, a slow start to the transfer window (with the obvious exception of Manchester City) and don’t expect things to change too quickly, it is likely to be a pre-season of consolidation and looking within teams own youth ranks rather than a vast period of recruitment.

One New York Giants team is having a good season. The Downtown Giants, Manhattan’s only public youth football league, are heading to Florida this weekend to play for the American Youth Football League National Championships.

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Introduction

The context of construction for this paper is relatively simple and focuses on a personal need to bring one area of life to a close while opening the door to another. Three years of academic study of Youth & Community work – often related to a Northern Irish context – in England is concluding, while a career in that profession combined with further study beckons. Therefore  a need for the author to fully understand the circumstances in which Northern Ireland resides in 2010. It is also intended that this paper will form the basis of the next period of academic study, further pursuing the issues and history which are touched on briefly in this paper.

To achieve the above, the important historical events which created and shaped the secular communities of Northern Ireland will be analysed and critically discussed. Using arguably the most important document of Anglo-Irish politics, it will be seen how secular has become singular, however is still challenged by the socio-religio-cultural web of influence which has been present. This paper is not placed to answer the questions of what went on previously, perhaps that is a discussion for the future. It will however, analyse key events, people and organisations in respect to the culture, politics and religions of Northern Ireland in order to link it to Community Work’s past failings. Once this has been achieved, recommendations will be drawn out, set out for all interested and engaged parties to see what a viable pathway for development is.

The Northern Ireland Context & Community Power

The history of Northern Ireland since it’s conception in 1921 is laden with key events, both positive but often negative. Such is the complexities of the community framework; these historical events have been instigated on very different but interrelated realms, including the influences of; political parties; religious sects; cultural organisations; community & residents groups; the British & Irish governments; international leaders and paramilitary organisations.

When attempting to analyse where our current facet of community has come from, it’s important to look at more recent key events rather than delving into the deep rooted past of over twenty years ago. This said, context remains important, and will be primarily called into question to understand developments of the society.

On the 30th of January, 1972 (Museum of Free Derry; 2005), thirteen men were shot dead by the British Army in Londonderry while taking part in Civil Rights Movement march which had been banned. While many believe these actions – and others relating to the social mobilisation of Catholics in this period – by the British Army to be the conception of thirty years of violence in Northern Ireland (Probert; 1978), the march itself was part of a wider series of events organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) (Widgery, Lord; 1972) who were organising against the corruption of a majority protestant local government (Minahan, J.B; 2000 & Lydon, J; 1998) lead by Faulkner. Prior to this in 1970, born out of the uprising of ill-feelings from the nationalist community, the Provisional IRA was created, a ruthless band of militants preparing to take the British State to account with the use of force (McCreary; 1975, Probert; 1978). There has indeed been a number of positive examples of community power coming into action within the country such as The Peace People led by 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winners Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan (Nobel Web AB; 2010 & Peacepeople.com; no date). As the example of the NICRA shows, it can often be overshadowed by the violent acts surrounding it. The NICRA movement and that key march in Londonderry, in personal opinion, must be accredited massively with being the catalyst of change against a corrupt Protestant majority oppressing a Catholic minority. Instead, it is memorialised – and rightly so – by many due to the losses and violence it suffered, and accused by some in the loyalist community as being trouble makers who deserved what they got. Wilson (1998) We will never know if NICRA’s peaceful means could have brought down the Northern Ireland government, rather than it being dissolved into direct rule due to the violent crisis in which the British Government had to be seen to be dealing with swiftly and effective. It is the opinion of this paper that it would have achieved this in a peaceful manner, however the timescale would have been much longer and the struggle against the sectarian government at Stormont much greater.

The Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement

Many believe The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was only born out of talks taking place in Stormont from the new year of 1998 up until Easter, however this is a misconception. Many commentators (Craig, J; 2002, Morton, A; 2009) suggest the roots of the GFA where planted at the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1984. Personal feelings sugesst that the Downing Street talks of 1991 and the subsequent risks taken by John Hulme was the catalyst for change. Simply put; there can be little argument against the fact that the events of 1991 sparked a change in paramilitary circles, leading the IRA and Loyalist Ceasefires of 1994. For the first time in almost thirty years, the people of Northern Ireland faced a minimal level of conflict, albeit briefly.

The British Governments acceptance of Sinn Fein lead to a change of psyche within republican circles, and was a long way from the voice bans of the Thatcher years only three years prior (BBC News; 2005). Republicans were accepted into the political talks with British government officials, which not only angered unionists, but hard line republicans in the process as well, in the end, forcing a split which resulted in the Real IRA. It would be foolish to say that this was a cataclysmic event in republican communities, however the choices which the Loyalist and Unionist community of Northern Ireland were about to face would be much more demanding. In personal opinion, the key event which directly led to the development of the GFA was the democratically elected ‘Northern Ireland Forum’ of 1996 (Whyte, N; 2003). This was the first major step towards devolved, cross community government by getting political representatives from all sides of the divide to begin communicating with each other.

The Changing Face: Pre-GFA Community Work

In majority Catholic areas, “Concerned Resident’s Groups” received a large amount of publicity by the press surrounding their objections to Loyal Order parades through their areas. These received a lot of criticism in Loyalist circles, as often there would be a distinct connection to Sinn Fein as well as the ‘chairperson’ of many of these groups being found to be not from these areas. A well known example is that of the Garvaghy Road, were Brendan McKenna was leader of the local residents group in protesting against Portadown Orange Lodge’s demands to walk down that particular road (BBC News; 2007). While being leader of this particular residents group in Portadown, he was a resident of West Belfast, over thirty miles away.

Where community work in republican areas have always been associated closely with Sinn Fein, in loyalist areas, the links have not been with political organisations, but more with the paramilitary groups associated with the ‘policing’ of the local area. Of course there have been aligned Political parties such as The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), and to an extent historically, Ian Paisleys’ Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) were closely aligned to the loyalist workers movements of the 1980′s and was seen as the face of the Ulster Workers Council strike of 1974 due to his opposing of the Sunningdale Agreement (BBC News; no date, Probert; 1978). Indeed, Paisley is regarded as the godfather of Ulster Loyalism and the face of Northern Irish Politics, his famous speech in November 1985 cemented his legacy and outlined the depth of opposition felt towards a more extensive agreement, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which Prime Minister Thatcher supported due to wanting to create better links between Britain and the Republic of Ireland. In this renowned speech to over 100,000 people at Belfast City Hall, Reverend Paisley stated;

“I want to ask a question today. And the question is simple. Where do the terrorists operate from? From the Irish Republic! That’s where they come from! Where do the terrorists return to for Sanctuary? To the Irish Republic! And yet Mrs. Thatcher tells us that that Republic must have some say in our province! We say NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!”

(Youtube.com; 2009).

This is not to say that the paramilitary’s themselves were openly the face of community work, rather it was well known names of the organisations or ex-members being seen in the press as ‘community workers’ (BBC News; 2009). Grass-roots, front line community workers have a great deal of scepticism surrounding them due to this, and it will take a lot before the general public will be won over by the profession.

The Good Friday Agreement and Community Work

Although not totally explicit in its intentions, The Good Friday Agreement does make quite a number of references to Community Work, particularly in respect to reconciliation initiatives (Northern Ireland Office; 1998). In respect to institutions which would be established; The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission would have a “…membership from Northern Ireland reflecting the community balance…” (Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity –  Human Rights -Section 5); Equality Commission to replace four sub-commissions (Section 6) and discussions to further consider a dedicated Department of Equality (Section 7).

Critically, it is Section Twelve of The Agreement which made the most impact for community provisions in Northern Ireland by stating:

“…Young people from areas affected by the troubles face particular difficulties and will support the development of special community-based initiatives based on international best practice… will need to be channelled through both statutory and community based voluntary organisations facilitating locally-based self-help and support networks.” (Section 12).

Further comment is made under sub-section “Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity – Human Rights”, where social inclusion is pinpointed as needing to prioritise “Community Development and the advancement of women in public life” (Section 1). A further key mention is given to the Irish language speaking community of Northern Ireland and the need for inclusion and liaising with said community.

The Changing Face: Post-GFA Community Work

Since The Good Friday Agreement, the political structures have been a situation of constant stopping and starting, being under a constant strain of tension. In contrast however, while not without issue, the implementations of The Agreement in terms of Community Work have proceeded in a more steady and progressive manner.  In 21st Century Northern Ireland, community organisations are becoming more and more mainstream and recognised entities. Many ‘Community Workers’ are still often recognisable names to locals as men who have been associated paramilitary’s, and while I feel strongly that to command more respect and rid the scepticism from the general public surrounding the profession we need to have a strong uniformed qualification programme and an understand of what a community worker is and isn’t, we cannot afford to write these hard working people off anymore. It is personally felt that often when local media seek the views of a ‘community worker’, it is a about a singular issue. It is to state that, “the police used heavy handed tactics”, or perhaps, “the local community has been provoked to this reaction”, but always feeling the need to, “appeal for calm.” Of course I am not so ignorant to suggest that a worker in a 95% protestant housing estate is not going to represent those people and their views, but is it really their role to carry this out in such a public way?

We need to gain an understanding of this, we need to draw these protocols up and this needs to be down immediately. It is not enough for the University of Ulster to change it’s Community Youth Work course to bring it in line with the rest of the UK, we need to remember we are a regional area with very unique regional issues. You don’t go around to a friends house stating, “Come and look at my new kitchen, I think it’s as nice as yours”, when your friends’ kitchen is near perfect whereas yours has the door off its’ hinges and tiles are missing from your floor. There is absolutely no point in Northern Ireland trying to act the equal of the rest of the UK in terms of Youth & Community Work when we haven’t got our grassroots challenges sorted out. It’s not going to be easy, as new protocols, policy and procedure will not fix these issues overnight, as it is more than a issue with the profession itself. It would be my argument that we are in a paradox, where to fix the profession we have to use the profession at its best to change the mindset of communities to accept the changes, and this will not be simple in carrying out.

Two Become One: A More United Community

Of course there is one key difference for Northern Irish people to their country compared to that of 20 years ago and that is the simple fact that violence is almost completely vanished, or at least is certainly not comparable to what it was. It is maybe this fact which is most important in defining what changes have been made in terms of other aspects of the culture such as; sports; arts; leisure; economic investment and so on. It has been observed that in recent years, the pluralisation of the term community has become used in decreasing amounts, with politicians in particular showing willingness to promote the steps which I have been taken by them by uniting the sects of Northern Ireland, finally, as one community.

Compared to those of people in other parts of the UK, Northern Irelands’ cultural scene was heavily neglected for the most part of the troubles. Particularly in music, many acts would not announce Northern Irish dates on tours, or often cancelled due to violence. The change since the progress of the peace process began cannot be understated and can be shown with basic examples of concert arenas year of construction and dates of the provinces music festivals:

The Waterfront Hall, opened 1997 (Belfast Waterfront; no date)
Glasgowbury Music Festival, ongoing since 2000 (Glasgowbury Music Group; no date)
The Odyssey Arena and Pavilion, opened 2000 (Odysseyarena.com; 2009)
Tennants ViTAL Music Festival, 2002 – 2007, citing over-saturation in the music festival market (tennantsvital.com; no date).

Case Study: Feile an Phobail

With these examples aside, there is one, community based festival ongoing since 1988; ‘Feile an Phobail’, colloquially referred to in English as ‘The West Belfast Festival’, however directly translated from Irish Gaelic as being ‘The Community Festival’ (Feile and Phobail West Belfast: 2010). This festival has been constantly at the receiving end of criticism (culturenorthernireland.org; no date), particularly by unionist circles as being an ‘un-true’ community festival, due to the connections with Republicanism and Sinn Fein it holds. We must ask ourselves; however, is this fair criticism? After all, the area of West Belfast is predominately a republican stronghold. While it could be argued that unionist criticisms were to score a political point or two, it would be personal opinion that Feile an Phobail is not a totally inclusive community festival, particularly through the use of Gaelic as its main title. Yes, West Belfast is, as stated, a predominately catholic area, however, it also includes the famous protestant stronghold of the Shankill Road. So for the past twenty two years, has Feile an Phobail been a festival for Belfast; a festival for West Belfast; or a festival for the Catholic community? While it may not have been the intentions of the organisers, it has, rightly or wrongly, become simply a festival for the catholic community of the area, with outsiders feeling unwelcome.

The vast majority of objects and subjects prior to 1998 would often have been found to be ‘owned’ by one section of the community or the other. For example, even particular musical acts came into the debate of the politico-religious divide, an obvious case being punk band ‘Stiff Little Fingers’, particularly for their hit rebellious song, ‘Alternative Ulster’ which included the following lyrics referring to the Royal Ulster Constabulary;

“Get an Alternative Ulster,

Be an anti-security force,

Alter your native Ulster,

Alter your native land…

… Take a look where you’re livin’,

You got the Army on your street,

And the RUC dog of repression,

Is barking at your feet,

Is this the kind of place you wanna live?,

Is this where you wanna be?,

Is this the only life we’re gonna have?”

(Stiff Little Fingers; 1978)

Another example which is less obvious would be ‘The Undertones’, famous for their hit, ‘Teenage Kicks’, who were associated with a more catholic fan base due to being from the republican majority city of Londonderry (theundertones.com; no date)

It is important, however, to outline and celebrate the existence of certain enigma’s, in which, in times of trouble where a source of healing and unity for a country so deeply divided. The most famous example is of course the footballer, George Best. Even though he played for the Northern Ireland International team, a team with a vastly protestant support, his fame and reputation for being one of the worlds greatest, automatically made the him the country’s most famous son. In turn, his achievements gripped publics imagination and support, regardless of religious or political background. A less widely known example, but equally important to the country, was Joey Dunlop, World Road Racing champion. His soft spoken personality, extraordinary efforts for charities at home and abroad and his disregard for political and religious discussion in public made him very much a people’s man. Both these men have now deceased, and while I accept that their achievements as successful sportsmen take prominence, it can only argue that the large gatherings of people and tributes at their funerals can be also attributed to the regard in which they were held by the people of all communities in Northern Ireland.

Help or Hindrance: The Current Political Climate

A number of sceptics (Walker, B; 2010) have stated that they believe that the parties have semi-manufactured or at least used these scandals to their advantage, particularly to buy time or bargaining power in the run up to the talks on the devolution of Policing & Justice at Hillsborough. It would be personal opinion that at the very least, these scandals have been used in some way to buy more time however have engaged both the media and public with Politics in this country like never before.

There have been some much publicised developments in Northern Irish politics within the past 6 months, particularly the scandals surrounding Gerry Adams, Peter Robinson and Irish Robinson. As well as this, we have had the recent developments of the ‘Hillsborough Agreement’ on policing and justice, which has received mixed public and political opinion (Traditional Unionist Voice; 2010, The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland; 2010[a], The Ulster Unionist Party; 2010). The Hillsborough Agreement consists of eight main points, with the highest profile of those being the Parades issue (BBC News[a]; 2010).

Immediately following analysing the Hillsborough Agreement and relevant additional information, it came to personal opinion that certain aspects of the plans may have implications for modern community work in the country. Primarily, it could be said that the resolving of the parades issue, and the hope for local people being organised to work these local issues out, must be seen as a possible new task for Community Workers. This task can not fall into the hands of politicians. It is not a party political task to seek the views and organisation of people to solve delicate issues such as parades, particularly when partisan in a climate like Northern Ireland will almost ultimately lead to an alignment of one side of the relgio-cultural divide or the other.

The transfer of Policing and Justice powers did not go without problem on Monday 12th April 2010, as a Real IRA car bomb was detonated to coincide with the time of transfer just after midnight (BBC News; 2010[b]). An important step however, must be the selection of David Ford, Leader of The Alliance Party as Justice Manager, due to the parties stance on ridding Northern Ireland of tribal politics (The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland; 2010[b]).

Recommendations for Change

During the course of this paper, a number of suggestions and recommendations for change have been made so it’s natural that before concluding that we compile these recommendations.

Community WorkChallenge the scepticism of Community Work by the general public by; i.      Uniforming the qualification that makes one a “Community Worker” and not allowing the abuse of the term
ii.      Writing new policy & procedure which states what is within a the remit of a Community Worker and what is the responsibility of a local political representative
iii.      Challenging local communities to actively seek out cross-community organisation and engage more with local political representatives.

Ensuring that the more recent political agreements of St. Andrews and Hillsborough do not get in the way of progressing the will of The Good Friday Agreement, the only document of the three which was backed democratically by all the people of the Island of Ireland.
PoliticsPoliticians need to remain out of the business and actions of the Community Sector. All should wish to encourage community work to become non-partisan and understanding of the increasingly diverse and mixed culture of the province.
Members of the Legislative Assembly should work in close partnership with the Community Sector in order to progress the aims of the Hillsborough Agreement. This is particularly necessary in respect to resolving the parades issue, as Community Workers are often perfectly placed to mediate the discussions and conflicts which can arise.

Conclusion

In summing up, it is important for us to understand that Northern Ireland has always been an extremely complex society and will remain this way for the foreseeable future. The socio-religio-cultural web which has intertwined all aspects of Northern Irish society is slowly being shielded by a more modern, cosmopolitan region, however the inherent conservative values of the nations older generations, and their remembrance of the vicious violent assault will remain.

What has been shown in this document is that there is a methodology set out, ready and waiting to push community work forward in a sensitive and respectful manner. While Community Development Work will become a more modern, respected, and efficient profession, in turn our communities and our political sphere of influence will benefit from this. While the recommendations within this paper may never be taken on board at a higher level of governance engaged by policy-makers of the Community Sector, it is hoped that those who come in to contact with it will be motivated to understand and accept the changes which need to be made.

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At the beginning of the season, many people expected Virginia Tech to be positioned to take home the ACC’s Coastal Division title yet again. Likely nobody predicted the Hokies would lose the first two games of the season to get here.

But here they are, with a chance to take home another title (they third in four years) when they head down to Miami Saturday. It’s now how you start in college football, it’s how you finish that counts.

After the humiliating loss to James Madison that set the Hokies out on the wrong foot to start the season at 0-2, they have peeled off eight straight wins. Only Georgia Tech was able to keep the game within 10 points. The Hokies have dominated yet there are still questions about their strength, having overpowered a weak conference.

The Hokies still face constant reminders of the loss to James Madison, and until they put away a ranked opponent on the road (all due respect to the Wolfpack of NC State), people will question if this Frank Beemer team has what it takes to be elite and worthy of a BCS Bowl berth.

“I think we’re playing at a high level right now, and as long as we continue to play it, I think people will eventually respect us,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “Some people don’t and some people won’t, but all we’ve got to do is go out there and win games every week.”

Taylor has quietly put together a season that would be getting some recognition from more national writers had it not been for those early season losses. The senior has thrown 18 touchdowns to balance what is usually a run-heavy Hokies attack.

“Tyrod gives you a lot of confidence that he’s going to do the right thing with the ball,” coach Frank Beamer said. “It makes play-calling a lot easier when you’ve got a quarterback like that, that trust factor, who has the ability to do things with the ball. He’s the guy that makes us and beyond that, we’ve got a football team that just battles, we’ve got some good players that just battle like heck.”

The Hokies will undoubtedly look to run the ball against the ‘Canes, who were proven mildly susceptible against the run when facing Florida State. But Miami is big up front, anchored on the line by Marcus Forston. Taylor will have to make quick and solid decisions and prove to be a bit more decisive in the pocket.

If Taylor get rushed and gets sloppy with the ball, his tendency to overthrow his targets could lead to some pick-sixes from a dangerously fast Miami defensive backfield.

Taylor’s quarterback counterpart looks to be freshman Stephen Morris, who is stepping in for the injured Jacory Harris. And, in what has to be considered an odd development, that might be a good thing for the Hurricanes.

Harris has never been able to live up to the hype surrounding his ability and athleticism. Last year against Virginia Tech, he looked downright miserable, completing less than 40 percent of his passes and throwing a pick. His bad decision making also led to three sacks, which devastated the Hurricanes ability to catch the blitzing Hokies off guard.

A concussion in late October has kept Harris out of action, but Morris has looked great in place, winning back-to-back games while completing almost 60 percent of his passes. Morris has the good fortune of having receiver Leonard Hankerson split out wide. Hankerson went for 132 yards last week the blowout of Georgia Tech and is constantly a threat.

Hankerson’s presence should take a little of the Hokies attention away from the backfield, where the Hurricanes may do their most damage yet. Damien Berry and Lamar Miller will split carries and should be able to put a dent in the Hokies defensive line, which is weaker than in years past.

If the Hokies are able to stuff the run, they will make Morris have to have the biggest game of his career. That’s a lot to ask of a freshman. The Hokies will need to crowd the box at times with their linebackers and discourage Miami from trying to grind them down. If Tech can force Miami to pass the ball, Morris’s youth is bound to catch up with him.

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Mark Twain once said that golf is a good walk spoiled; it is if a driver has been wrapped around your kneecaps.

The always controversial Craig Bellamy allegedly thrust his wood in the direction of John Arne Riise after a heavy night on the ale. Personally, i blame Jermaine Pennant; he started all this drinking and driving.

What most surprised me about the incident was the silence of the new American owners. As Bellamy swung the club, I’d have expected a shout of ‘You da man’ or ‘Get in the hole’.

Incredibly, the blaze of publicity has improved team morale. Bellamy and Riise both found the net in midweek; I’m definitely putting my wedge on Liverpool sinking Sheffield United at 4/11.

The row over a karaoke machine was so ridiculous; it reminded me of when the wife attacked me over something minor. In my defence, she told me she was 21. I’m piling into the 21/10 about Reading beating up Middlesbrough.

I found it outrageous that Gary Neville was struck by a missile in Manchester United’s win over Lille. I remember Robbie Fowler was involved in a similar incident a few years ago, but the Scouser’s throw ended up well short of the target. I’m throwing my dough on United to beat Fulham at 1/2.

Defeat for either side in the Charlton v West Ham match spells almost certain relegation and an estimated £50m loss. The stakes are so high; Pete Doherty is taking an interest.

On recent form and with home advantage, you have to fancy Charlton at 13/10. The Egg man will have to sell a shed-load of biscuits to recoup that amount of cash; he’s looking at two hours of trading after a Babyshambles gig.

Somewhat embarrassingly, I used to be an altar boy in my youth. I initially decided that a lifetime of celibacy was not for me; but after sleeping with the wife for six years, I’m reconsidering my position. Everton can leave the Vicarage with three points at 11/8.

Sam Allardyce has spoken of his fears for the future of English football, as the youth of today are ‘fat and lazy’. Frank Lampard is in consultation with his brief. Spurs must be backed at a chunky 11/10 to devour Bolton.

Emre has allegedly pleaded with Galatasaray to rescue him from his Newcastle nightmare. The sight of those shivering, shirtless Frank Lampard look-alikes in the crowd has finally broken the poor man’s spirit. I’m putting my shirt on a Wigan win over Newcastle at 8/5.

Let’s hope that Benjani is not relying on a goal scoring bonus to pay off his mortgage, or he’ll soon be knocking on the door of Robbie Savage’s caravan. I’m travelling to the bookies to get on Blackburn at 13/10 to see off Pompey.

The Arsenal team were delighted to receive the honour of an audience with the Queen. Jens Lehmann was particularly excited, but that’s understandable as he’s a compatriot.

The Queen looked more than happy to meet up with Freddie Ljungberg. For some strange reason, I can’t imagine Liz as a normal passionate woman. My reticence may be born out of respect for her position as the head of state, or it could be the fact that she’s a double-bagger.

Nothing would please me more than seeing the young Gunners lift the Carling Cup (except for the wife leaving), but from a punting perspective, the value lies with Chelsea at 6/5 to win the match in 90 minutes.

For the more conservative bettors, Chelsea should be backed at 8/13 to get their hands on the first silverware of the season; if we choose to disregard Craig Bellamy’s handcuffs.

The accer this week is so conciliatory, Liverpool FC have announced a long overdue golf club amnesty. Wigan, Blackburn, Tottenham and Chelsea are the selections, the payout is an amicable 25/1.

Snoop Bowl 2010 – From the American Youth Football Future Bowl Powered by Under Armour. Live From Florida.
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Hooliganism refers to unruly and destructive behavior.

Such behavior is commonly associated with sports fans, particularly supporters of professional football and university sports. In some countries, the hooligan elements of a group of supporters are known as Category C. The term can also apply to general rowdy behavior and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The term has been used since at least the 1890s, to describe the behavior of street gangs. The first use of the term is unknown, but it appeared in an 1898 London police report. One theory is that the word came from the name of an Irish hoodlum from Southwark, London named Patrick Hooligan. There has also been reference made to a 19th century family by that name who resided in rural Ireland famed for their wild lifestyle, resulting in anyone who lived similarly as being referred to as a Hooligan. Another theory is that it came from a street gang in Islington named Hooley. A fourth theory is that it’s based on an Irish word, Hooley, which means a wild, spirited party.

In the Soviet Union, hooliganism (???????????) was made a criminal offense under the penal codes of the Soviet republics. Article 213 of the penal code defined hooliganism as “any deliberate behavior which violates public order and expresses explicit disrespect towards the society.” a wide range of behaviors, such as vagrancy, stalking and foul language. This law was often used by Soviet authorities against political dissidents. Hooliganism is still covered under the criminal and administrative codes of Russia, and is applicable to persons at least 16 years old. Hooliganism is graded into Malicious hooliganism(???????? ???????????), hooliganism(???????????), and Petty hooliganism(?????? ???????????). Petty hooliganism is “subject to administrative proceedings” (roughly equivalent to application of the civil law) and classified as roughly equivalent to an infraction. It is mostly applied to minor street disorders and fighting by urban youth. Malicious hooliganism is defined as being committed “with extraordinary cynicism, with resistance to law enforcement, with usage of arms or attempt thereof, or committed by a recidivist.”

In Russia hooliganism appears to be associated with anti-semitism, although this connection may be due to local authorities using the term hooligan to describe something else, perhaps in order to downplay the seriousness of the offenses committed

Every soccer (football) team – no matter how good – will at some stage go through a losing streak and, as the coach, it’s your job to keep players motivated, prevent demoralisation setting in and help the team cope with defeat constructively.

Losing a series of games can have a far-reaching impact on youngsters’ attitudes and performance in both training and subsequent matches. In youth games, losing often means heads drop, more goals are let in and your young players’ self-belief and confidence flies out the window.

What happens then is that players are less likely to turn up for your soccer training sessions or turn up with a less than positive attitude towards training.

Coaching tips to help players cope with defeat

As a soccer (football) coach there are various ways you can turn attitudes around when your team has been losing. You need to work hard to boost morale and help the players through periods when they lose and give them a reason to keep working at their skills and drills. It’s a question of attitude for you and your players.

When the team loses, think carefully about your praise/criticism ratio and concentrate on:

PRAISING individuals who have played well, despite the team losing.

PRAISING particular occasions in games when a player has done something good.

PRAISING players who have tried to continue playing well despite being a lot of goals behind.

PRAISING the individuals who try and encourage the rest of the team to step up a gear even though they are losing.

Constructive coaching

The other discussion to have with your young players is about how they have the ability to put everything right the next week. Get them thinking constructively about how they played in the latest match and what they need to do to put any mistakes right in the next match. Give them a long-term aim to go for and put their ‘few defeats’ in the context of the bigger picture.

Finally explain, in a diplomatic way, what went wrong in the game and how with hard work in soccer training and teamwork they can put it right.

Key soccer coaching tip

Remember this is a sport where you can often learn more when you lose than when you win…

I don’t know if you know this but communication is the most important element to succeed in coaching high school soccer. The term coaching signifies the art of communication. This has the effect of expressing yourself to people with a view to perform them things in precisely the same manner.

Speaking of soccer coaching, almost all the coaches are the former players who decide to take on as coaches. Yet, there are a number of issues that they are forced to handle. The reason why many of these issues show up is the coach’s inability to communicate. Your role as a coach would become far easier if you just pay attention to some most important communication issues.

Let me explain them to you one at a time.

Coaches generally allow their emotions to become involved while watching their kids play. They tend to become spectators rather than analytical observers. They fail to notice the important points that could better their team’s performance. The coaches fail to have an effective conversation that could help the players get to the winning post.

Although coaches have a complete knowledge of the game, but they have a little training in communication. For example; use of flip charts and videos in soccer coaching is not applied by many coaches as they aren’t aware of them. The daily practice gets monotonous when there are communication gaps even though the coach may be technically very sound.

It is even more important in case of coaching high school soccer because the players are not new to the game. They have been performing soccer drills on the same lines for quite some time, although at different levels. And one of the ways to avoid the boredom of repeating important messages is to keep varying the format.

You’ll be amazed to know that coaches tend to forget sometimes that it is people who carry out the trainings. The objective of training is lost because the coaches get so much occupied in just conducting the sessions well. An example of ineffective communication by a coach is when he fails to use a player’s name while giving instructions which produces uncertainty.

Some guidelines meant for coaches in football coaching include the following:

All messages that come from the coach are very important. They should therefore be taken and read correctly.

Your language should be positive enough to push the players to try hard to perform well. Help them to improve rather than reprimanding them for not playing well.

Make sure you spend quality time with all your players. Research in this filed shows that coaches tend to spend comparatively more time with the best players (up to seven times more!).

Communicate the potential issues that could arise and have a solution ready.

Accentuate your player’s self worth by balancing praise with criticism. When it comes to coaching high school soccer, tilt the balance slightly more towards praise.

Believe me. Once you start to apply this in your training programs, the benefits will far exceed your expectations.

There’s lot more to know and understand about this aspect of soccer only if you wish to. You can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community which has tons to videos, and articles to improve your team’s overall performance.

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As usual, the actual Penn State football schedule with regard to 2010 has been dissected in every way possible by college football analysts and press members, and you’ll discover lots of opinions on how the Nittany Lions are going to do this season. Generally, Joe Paterno has a lot of key players to replace and positions to fill, but he will need to have a good squad once again in 2010. Beside the breathtaking game with Alabama on September 11, the out of conference schedule is a breeze with home games against Youngstown State, Kent State, and Temple (although Temple was a bowl team this past year and could give the Lions a game).

Of much more curiosity and argument is how this version of the Penn State team is going to do in the Big 10. Most have Ohio State as the favorite within the conference, however this is no runaway contest because Penn State, Michigan St, and Wisconsin just about all have good clubs within 2010. Teams like Iowa and Michigan will also likely possess some thing to say about the competition too. And all of those clubs (save Wisconsin, that are not on the schedule), will be difficult match-ups for Penn State.

However which game is the most dangerous on the docket for the Nittany Lions? There’s not any wrong or right answer to this particular questions, and you can help to make a disagreement for several games. Definitely, going back to Iowa on Oct 2 for a evening game will not be easy. Remember, this is where PSU’s undefeated season had been de-railed 24 months ago inside a comparable night time atmosphere. The actual Hawkeyes play Penn State tough and this will be the first Big Ten game for a youthful Penn State group.

Definitely, the season finally against Michigan State, even though it is really a home game, is a difficult game. Michigan State is a nightmare with regard to Penn State for several years, and is really a group that just has Jo Pa’s number. If the Lions head into this particular final game with a lot on the line, it will likely be nice to be playing at home, however Lions enthusiasts I’m sure might gladly be playing any other Big Ten enemy.

Penn State might very easily lose a number of their other Big 10 games, such as games with Illinois, at Minnesota, at Michigan, or even at home against Northwestern. Presently there really aren’t any ‘gimmes’ on the schedule, though I’d place the game against Indiana at FedEx field outside Washington DC almost in that class. Indiana is going to be a Big 10 cellar dweller and that is going to be a virtual home game for Penn State.

For me the toughest game with regard to Penn State in 2010 may indeed be the one from the favorites, Ohio State on November 13 in Columbus. This will most likely be the actual premier game of the Big 10 season and Penn State vs Ohio State tickets will be extremely sought. Penn State usually plays OSU well, but this will be the greatest team they play, and actively playing them on the road will not be easy.

Regardless, football season is getting close and 2010 ought to be a great year within the Big 10 for Penn State.

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As per a worldwide survey the most famous and heart winning sports of various nationalities that are celebrating consistently are listed and described below.

Baseball
It is mainly depend on two things, one bat and the second ball. It is played between two teams each team have nine players. The goal of the game is to get runs by hitting the thrown ball with the bat and touching a series of four bases set at the corners of a ninety foot square. It is expecting that the first match of the baseball was official played in 1985.

Basketball
In this game two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or shooting a ball to the basketball hoop with some specific rules of Basketball. A Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith had invented this game in 1891. Basketball has 400 million practitioners and 211 associated national federations.

Cricket
Cricket is a bat and ball team sport. The cricket ground is oval formed also known as cricket field. At the center of the cricket field there is a rectangular 22 yards (20.12 m) long pitch that is the focal point of the game. A match is held between two teams containing eleven players each teams. One team bats at the pitch and try to scores the runs by hitting the ball while the other team balls and fields. Cricket was invented in England but the England cricket team has not achieved any big victory yet.

Extreme Sports
This game is a combination of various sports games that involves danger activities. These games include Snowboarding, Mountain boarding, Motorcycle rally, Free-diving, BASE jumping and etc. Most of the extreme sports produce thrill and serve as a spectacle for many sport enthusiasts. Extreme sports generally famous in youth of current era and they also enjoy in taking part in Extreme sports.

Football
Football is the combination of two words one foot and the second ball means kicking a ball with foots in an attempt to score a goal. Football has 2 million followers and 97 affiliated national federations. Football has been derived from the English game of rugby. American football was started in 1879.

Golf
Golf is a stick (club) and ball sport. In golf golfers (golf players) uses various types of clubs to attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course. Golf does not need any regular playing area. Golf contest is usually played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual.

These are the few sports that I have defined with some short reviews. I think this will help people to find more about the sports.

Ireland is recognized as the home of the world’s best golf courses and Dublin has a lot of these magnificent golf courses. Golf is an individual sport and can be called as gentleman or gentle lady’s’ game. It is a quiet and sophisticated sport. We see that there is a set of social rules that all golfers have to follow so; we can say that playing golf is just like having and practicing good table manners. The golf courses in Dublin can surely be marked as magnificent places for golf lovers to spend their holidays with fun and etiquettes. Dublin offers a broad variety of world famous golf courses to play. Almost all of these courses are appropriate for beginners and experts both. The ideal time for Golfing in Ireland is during the summer season. The most important Irish tournament of international level is the Murphy’s Irish Open Golf Tournament, which attracts thousands of sports lovers to watch.

Horse racing on a top class horse in the lush green wide lands is every adventurous man’s dream. Dublin is fairly known for its high breed horses and thrilling race-courses. These world class race-courses provide entertainment and exercise to the riders and the spectators. Horse racing is a popular historical game of Dublin, now it has become a great business as well.

Greyhound racing is an electrifying spectator sport and a multi-million money industry. It was introduced in Ireland in 1927 and since the day it was started, it is growing. Today, this sport has become an essential part of the lives of millions of people. Dublin holds its own identity in the world of Greyhound Racing.

Hurling is the national game of Ireland. This out door sport is considered to be the fastest game on grass. It is also described as the “field Hockey in the air”. It is a unique blend of hockey, soccer, rugby, football, and lacrosse. This rough and tough game is very much famous in Ireland. Equipment to play hurling is a ball and a stick almost similar to hockey. The stick to play hurling is called hurly and it is made of hard wood while the ball is made of hard leather. This game needs physical energy and active attitude. This sport requires 15 players at a time. The objective is to make score like any other sport.

Gaelic Football is the traditional game in Ireland. Gaelic football is the sister game of Hurling. This field sport is a mixture of Australian Rules football, soccer and rugby. It is a fast game and requires a lot of energy. But it is an easy game to learn; men and women of any age can play and enjoy it. The field for this game is rectangular; usually 13 players are enough to participate. It only involves a ball almost similar to soccer ball but heavier in weight.

Soccer is another prominent sport in Ireland after the native games. Winter is considered to be the best season to play this game. Foot ball or soccer has a huge circle of fans in Ireland especially after the remarkable performance of Irish team in the Football world cup of 2002. Ireland has three levels of soccer teams which are; Youth League, Junior Football and Irish league.

Rugby is an exciting game. Irish people eagerly prop up the mature and international rugby. Dublin is the hub of Rugby in Ireland. A very special attention is given to this sport, as it is an energetic sport and flourishing day by day. Dublin has produced the world’s finest players of Rugby in last few years.

The list does not ends here… there are a lot of other games like water sports, cycling, angling and hiking. Dublin is a unique place; this city was voted Europe’s fourth most popular city break destination. The shoreline of Dublin Bay always welcomes the visitors and locals for windsurfing, sailing and fishing. The lush green magnificent mountains around the city receive the hikers whole heartedly to enjoy their walks in tranquil atmosphere. This place also invites the bicyclers. The attitude of this city is warm and friendly for those who are interested in work outs. This is why we see that Dublin’s calendar is full of sporting events whole year round.

One game left to decide the teams that make the Bowl. coach Jaeger’s Wolves still on top!