Who will you follow?

With no Home Countries to support at Euro 2008, football fans are looking for reason to back those teams competing in Austria and Switzerland.

We would like to know who you are looking to cheer on at the finals.

Will you be going for a team with a strong contingent from your favourite Premier League or SPL side?

With Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal side, Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas representing Spain and Michael Ballack skippering Germany, is that enough to see you get behind those nations?

Could this be the year of the underdog again? Will you be backing the tournament's surprise package?

What about the host nations? Will you be supporting Austria or Switzerland?

Credit:skysports.com

Scolari urges Ronaldo to join Real

Luiz Felipe Scolari has told Cristiano Ronaldo to make the most of the opportunities that come his way.

The Portugal boss is currently preparing his troops for a Euro 2008 assault, but has taken time out to urge his wing wizard to seriously consider any offer from Real Madrid.

Rumours persist that the Spanish giants are lining up a record-breaking summer move for the Manchester United superstar, despite the Red Devils' insistence that the player is not for sale.

Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to turn out for Los Blancos at some stage of his career, and his international mentor has now warned him not to let the opening pass him by.

"I have told him that in football you cannot live on memories," Scolari said.

"You have to take the opportunities when they come along because they will not come again in your lifetime."

Credit:Chris Burton

Six sit out Germany warm-up

Germany will be without six members of their provisional Euro 2008 squad for Tuesday's friendly against Belarus in Kaiserslautern.

Coach Joachim Low has so far named a 26-man squad and has chosen to rest Kevin Kuranyi and Simon Rolfes for their penultimate warm-up match.

Rene Adler (pelvis), Tim Borowski (cold), Arne Friedrich (stomach) and Mario Gomez (calf) are out through illness or injury and will also remain at Germany's pre-tournament camp in Mallorca for light traning.

Michael Ballack has now joined up with the squad after playing in Chelsea's Champions League final defeat by Manchester United.

Ballack return

The influential midfielder will not only travel with the squad to face Belarus but is set to captain the 1996 winners as he returns to one of his former clubs.

Germany will then return to their training camp before facing Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday in their final friendly.

Credit:skysports.com

Sweden See Off Slovenia Linderoth Scores Winner In Friendly

Sweden began their Euro 2008 preparations with a narrow 1-0 victory over Slovenia.

Tobias Linderoth scored the winning goal as he latched onto a clever pass from Chrsitian Wilhelmsson in the 41st minute and powered past the Slovenian defence.

Henrik Larsson, returning to the side after changing his mind about international retirement, missed two chances to extend Sweden's lead as they improved after a slow start.

Sweden will face Ukraine in another friendly on Sunday before beginning their Group D campaign against defending European champions Greece on 10th June.

Spain and Russia are the two other sides in Sweden's group.

Credit:www.skysports.com

Valon and Frei on target for Euro 2008 co-hosts

Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland defeated Slovakia 2-0 on Saturday as part of their preparation for the forthcoming finals.

Valon Behrami and Alex Frei were on target for the Swiss to end a run of four successive losses.

Behrami broke the deadlock on 56 minutes, pouncing from close range after Slovakian keeper Jan Mucha could only parry.

The Lazio player turned provider seven minutes later as Frei netted to take him within one strike of Kubilay Turkyilmaz's all-time Swiss record of 34 goals.

Patrick Mueller, who walked out on Lyon's French Cup final to try to secure a place in Switzerland's Euro 2008 squad, looked solid in central defence, helping the Swiss to their first clean sheet since March 2007.

Credit: skysports.com

Look Through Euro 2008 The Ten Greatest Teams

HOLLAND 1988

This side was not quite a match for the 1974 World Cup side, but where the team spearheaded by Johan Cruyff fell at the final hurdle, the 1988 model claimed European glory.

Much of that was down to the AC Milan trio of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, but veteran midfielder Arnold Muhren, the classy Ronald Koeman and the hard-working Jan Wouters formed an excellent supporting cast.

SOVIET UNION 1960

The USSR were the winners of the inaugural competition. The star of the team was goalkeeper Lev Yashin, who had also been part of the side which won Olympic gold in Melbourne four years earlier. Many of the team were members of the famous Dynamo Moscow team which won the national championship four times in the 1950s.

FRANCE 1984

Hopes were high that France, who were desperately unlucky to lose their World Cup semi-final to West Germany two years earlier, could win their first major silverware on home soil. They lived up to expectations and won the event in style. Michel Platini was the star and top goalscorer, ably assisted by the likes of Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Dominique Rocheteau. The win over Portugal in the semi-final was breathtaking and Spain were seen off at the Parc des Princes as Platini held aloft the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

DENMARK 1992

Many thought the Danes' best chance of winning a major international title had

passed them by when age caught up with the 'Dynamite' side of the 1980s. The team that arrived in Sweden had not even qualified for the Euro finals in 1992 and the players were all set for their summer holidays when it emerged that Yugoslavia were to be barred from competing as part of ongoing sporting and political sanctions. However, they put down the tanning lotion and claimed a highly unlikely piece of silverware.

ENGLAND 1996

Terry Venables' side may not have ended the 30 years of hurt built up since the 1966 World Cup triumph, but they came mighty close with a number of players hitting their international peak in the tournament. David Seaman's hands were at their safest, Stuart Pearce was the heart and soul of the team, Steve McManaman and Paul Gascoigne were unafraid to take on the opposition and, in Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, England had their best strike pairing since Gary Lineker and Peter Beardsley.

WEST GERMANY 1972

One of the strongest line-ups in European Championships history, they stormed to the European title with a 3-0 win over the USSR in the final and followed up by becoming world champions two years later. The team was encrusted with jewels all over the pitch - goalkeeper Sepp Maier, Berti Vogts and Franz Beckenbauer at the back, the outrageously-gifted Gunther Netzer in midfield and goal-poacher Gerd Muller up front.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1976

The unheralded Czechs caused a major stir by winning the competition as they first prevented a rematch of the 1974 World Cup final by beating Holland 3-1 in the semi-finals and then beat West Germany 5-3 on penalties in the final.

Goalkeeper Ivo Viktor was a star performer but it was Antonin Panenka who will best be remembered for his nonchalant chipped penalty to win the shoot-out.

ITALY 1968

In the summer of 1966 the Azzurri stars were pelted with rotten tomatoes when they returned from that year's World Cup in England with their tails between their legs after a 1-0 defeat to North Korea. Just two years later however they were European champions as Gigi Riva inspired them to a 2-0 win over Yugoslavia in a replayed final. Another man who was part of the success was Dino Zoff, who captained the Italians to World Cup glory in 1982.

SPAIN 1964

So often Spain have arrived at major championships tipped as possible winners but only the 1964 squad have so far lived up to the expectation. Luis Suarez and Amaro Amancio were the stars of the team. Marcelino Martinez scored the decisive goal as the USSR were beaten 2-1 in the final in Madrid.

FRANCE 2000

France were already world champions when they arrived at Euro 2000 and their eventual triumph came after minimal tinkering by Roger Lemerre, who succeeded World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet. Zinedine Zidane was the midfield orchestrator, Marcel Desailly the rock at the back while a star was truly born in the final when David Trezeguet scored the golden goal winner against Italy.

Credit:skysports.com

Romania goalkeeper Danut Coman out of Euro 2008

Romania goalkeeper Danut Coman is out of Euro 2008 after breaking his thumb in training.

Coman suffered a serious fracture to his right thumb after saving a team-mate's shot and is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.

The Rapid Bucharest shot-stopper had been expected to provide the chief back-up to undisputed No.1 Bogdan Lobont at Euro 2008.

The 29-year-old had made one appearance in qualifying against Belarus, but will now miss next month's tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

His place in the Romania squad will be taken by CFR Cluj's Eduard Stanciu, who joins Marius Cornel Popa as cover for Lobont.

Coman is the second player to be forced out of Victor Piturca's squad through injury after Ovidiu Petre suffered a knee injury while playing volleyball at the team's training camp in Turkey.

Credit: skysports.com

Chelsea 3 Manchester United 2 in the war of words: Now let's get physical!

It seems that every player has something to say ahead of Champions League final. But who'll come out tops in Moscow?

'The war of words is sure to continue right up until kick-off'

Rather than have to trawl through all the trash talk which will essentially count for nothing when the game kicks off, read on for all the comments bundled into one easy-to-read article before Wednesday night's super clash between Chelsea and Manchester United.

Saloman Kalou doesn’t get to speak to the press all that often, so should we forgive him for his ridiculous utterance that Nemanja Vidic is the defender that Chelsea should be targeting if they are to beat Manchester United in the Champions League final in Moscow.

"We still believe that there is some weakness in their defence and that we can exploit that and score some goals," said the Ivory Coast international.

"Vidic has not played a lot because he has been injured, so that could be a weak point for them and it is up to us to play well and score a goal."

Perhaps he’s just upset that the Serbian’s thoughts ahead of the match are dominated by Didier Drogba, and not him. The central defender has done a ‘Rafael Benitez’ by claiming that the Ivorian goes down more quickly than Derby County.

"Sometimes he [Drogba] goes in very strong and sometimes he pretends he is weak. He plays with your mind and tries to make the defender think about the next tackle.

"He can pretend he fell down to win a penalty, but referees know that. The Champions League final is a big game and I'm sure the ref will know his job."

Meanwhile, Petr Cech is stoking up the proverbial fires by claiming that United winning the Premier League title might make them complacent. If indeed there was any probability of this happening, surely you don’t want to bleat about it in the Press?

"Maybe they will be more relaxed and this could be the advantage for us because we have to remember the feeling of going so close and ending up so disappointed."

Or maybe the Red Devils will feel that teensy bit more confident than their opponents after retaining their title crown. Hard to imagine they’ll be too phased by a team who were held to a 1-1 draw with Bolton on the final day of the season.

Joe Cole is getting a bit over-excited ahead of the match, claiming it’s nothing less than ‘war’ as far as he’s concerned.

"Michael [Carrick] and Rio [Ferdinand] know I love them but Wednesday night will be war," said Cole.

Yes Joe, it will be war. Apart from the fact that nobody will be killed and it’s just 22 men kicking a football around a park. And what’s this over in the red corner? The cool-as-a-cucumber Wayne Rooney having a go at Drogba’s temperament:

“Sometimes he seems as if his head’s not quite there,” the Manchester United forward said.

‘Wazza’ has just the 13 yellow cards to his name this season after keeping a level head at all times. This surpassed the 2006/7 tally by two and he’s apparently confident of landing 15 cautions and a cheeky red into the bargain next term.

Sadly, England won’t be featuring in Euro 2008 where Rooney was hoping to emulate his 2006 achievement of a dismissal for stamping on an opponent.

The ‘war of words’ is sure to continue right up until kick-off. Expect Rio Ferdinand to criticise Chelsea for being boring to watch, Frank Lampard to slam United for being too over-reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo and Owen Hargreaves to claim that beating their opponents will be ‘a piece of p**s’. Credit: www.sportingo.com

Fnal countdown for Chelsea and Manchester United

The clubs owe a staggering £1.6billion to their creditors with Chelsea hanging by Roman Abramovich's thread. But this financial uncertainty could actually galvanise the Stamford Bridge players and manager into getting a famous Champions League win tonight.

'The vast majority of the dosh owed to creditors at Chelsea is actually owed to Roman Abramovich himself'

When two of the Premier League’s porcine plutocrats Chelsea and Man United face off against each other in tonight’s Champions League bonanza, countless fans in millions of living rooms across the country will be shooting witheringly jealous looks at the TV.

Chelsea and Manchester United are, in many eyes, the richest of the rich, two bloated clubs with vast reserves of moolah, and even vaster reserves of players.

Chelsea are a club that quite happily had Winston Bogarde on their books, raking in tens of thousands of pounds every week and Manchester United had Giuseppe Rossi who managed a sum total of five appearances with them before moving on to Villarreal, where he has more than held his own in La Liga.

The Guardian reports, though, that there may be trouble lurking amongst the mountains of cash for these two clubs and that between them they owe a massive £1.5bn to creditors. A look into each club in a little more detail shows us that, according to the most recent figures, Chelsea owe the princely sum of £736m to all its creditors, whilst their Champions League counterparts, Manchester United, owe £764m.

Interestingly, the vast majority of the dosh owed to creditors at Chelsea is actually owed to Roman Abramovich himself, who gave an interest-free loan of £578m to the Stamford Bridge club.

The fact that Abramovich didn’t give the money to Chelsea but rather lent it means, obviously, that one day the money will have to be paid back. All this means that if Roman Abramovich did ever tire of being Chelsea’s sugar daddy - and he has tired of other admittedly smaller projects before (ice hockey interests in Russia) - then Chelsea would be up to their necks in the proverbial you-know-what.

The Telegraph today claims that this nightmare scenario of Chelsea’s oligarch - the man who defined the modern version of the club - losing interest, could be slowly solidifying into a harsh reality.

Not only has Abramovich gone on a 10-game sabbatical from Chelsea - the excuse given is his increasing business and governmental responsibilities in Russia - but he has recently been splurging lots of money (over £60m) on paintings. Could this be a hint that Abramovich is growing bored of Chelsea?

Peter Kenyon continues to smile away whenever Chelsea’s finances are brought up. But if Abramovich does leave Chelsea they will find it very hard indeed to meet their declared aims of becoming self-sufficient.

Not only are there question marks over Avram Grant’s future, there is also a cloud over Abramovich too, not to mention the players. Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Andriy Shevchenko and Frank Lampard could all be leaving in the summer.

There is an odd strength that Chelsea draw from their elusive billionaire owner, their quiet and phlegmatic manager, and their team of mercenaries – and somehow together they can be ruthlessly efficient.

If this is to be a last hurrah for many of these members of Chelsea FC then I predict a Champions League win for the Londoners. Credit: www.sportingo.com

Manchester United or Chelsea-who lift the trophy

With all the talent on show, tonight's Champions League final could just be an all-time classic, and prove once and for all that English football is something to be proud of.

'Ronaldo has been criticised in the past for not producing on the big stage, but I believe this is the time for the Portuguese superstar to stick it to his critics once and for all'

Manchester United and Chelsea go head to head in pursuit of the most sought-after prize in club football tonight at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at the heart of Russia.

This is the perfect moment for English football to showcase its true worth as the best league in the world in front of a global audience by living up to the hype surrounding this first all-English Champions League final.

The stage is set for the top two teams in England to prove that Euro 2008 will be boring without English involvement. Both teams possess massive English talents in Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, John Terry and Frank Lampard. The tournament will be poorer for not having them in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

Most of the talk among fans and media alike is of who will win the game, but there are two sides to this clash. The first will see both clubs hoping to prove the English game is worthy of the very top level of football. The second is down to the fans. This is the perfect opportunity to shake off the world-renowned hooligan tag that still surrounds the English game.

Hopefully we'll wake up tomorrow to newspapers reports of fluid football and excitement and goals aplenty. This may sound outrageous but, given the wealth of talent in both teams, certainly not impossible. It will be good news especially if the English players shine and provide some sort of consolation to their countrymen for not being at the Euro finals.

A lot has been said of the chances both teams have of lifting the trophy, but for me it will be settled on two things: experience and tactics - and I believe both favour United.

They have reached the final twice - in 1968 and 1999 - and have gone on to win on both occasions. They have some current players who won the tournament in 1999 and that should prove a big help. Sir Alex Ferguson also has masses of European experience with both United and Aberdeen - something Avram Grant lacks.

As for tactics, I believe Chelsea would mount a better challenge with a better coach than the inexperienced Grant. The Blues always posed a threat to United when they squared up in the days of Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho. Both of those managers knew how to expose their opponents' weaknesses and turn them into their own strengths. I'm not so sure about Grant.

On an occasion like this you look to big-game players to prove their true worth and, as much as I hope I'm right about the English players doing their teams proud, I can't help feeling the stage is set for Cristiano Ronaldo to shine.

He has been criticised in the past for not producing on the big stage, but I believe this is the time for the Portuguese superstar to stick it to his critics once and for all. He's the top scorer in the tournament with seven goals, compared to Didier Drogba's six. And, as for not performing on the big stage, Ronaldo has ruined Roma with a stunning header and laid waste to Lyon with his dangerous crosses and passes.

United go into this game on a high after winning the Premier League, and they also disposed of the better teams on their way to the final in the shape of Barcelona, Lyon and Roma. Chelsea, meanwhile, were only really challenged by Liverpool.

In order for the Blues to emerge victorious they will need to unsettle the United defence and keep them on the back foot, cut out Ronaldo, make sure Drogba plays his usual physical game and ensure a free-running Joe Cole supported by Michael Ballack. Their problem is that if they try to push too much, I think the Red Devils will cut them to pieces on the counter-attack.

On the other side, United will need extra support for Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in midfield - something I believe Hargreaves or Anderson could do admirably. As for the wide positions, I'd stick Ronaldo on the right and Nani on the left for the simple reason that they both have great penetration. Rooney and Carlos Tevez up front will provide an awesome striking partnership.

And let's not forget the referee will also have a part to play, especially if things flare up. He will need to cool it down cleverly and not throw around silly yellow cards.

With all that said, the time for talking is just about over. Now it is up to the 22 players on the pitch to answer the question of who will be the champions. I see United being crowned kings of Europe for the third time. Only time will tell if my prediction is true. Credit: www.sportingo.com

Champion League Final-Shot

Didier Drogba has a shot
Manchester United and Chelsea are into extra time after a 1-1 draw in the first ever all-English Champions League final.
Credit: news.bbc.co.uk

Live Football-Manchester United v Chelsea

Manchester United

The Red Devils came through Group F, which included Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kyiv. United met Lyon in the first knock out round winning 2-1 on an aggregate score with the first leg being tied 1-1 in France. United clinched it at Old Trafford with a clinical 1-0 win.

United then trashed Roma 3-0 over two legs with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo smashing two goals in Rome to effectively end the tie in the first leg itself. Manchester United won the second leg 1-0.

A mouth-watering semi-final against Barcelona ended in a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp, but a brilliant goal from Paul Scholes sealed the game at Old Trafford.

Chelsea

Chelsea came through Group B, which also included Schalke, Rosenborg and Valencia. The London club topped the group and met Greek side Olympiakos in the first knock out round where they won 3-0 aggregate. The first leg in Greece ended in a 0-0 draw, but goals from Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou sealed it for the Blues at home.

In the quarterfinal, Chelsea overcame Fenerbahce 3-2 on aggregate despite suffering a 2-1 reverse in Turkey in the first leg. Ballack and Lampard scored again to guide their team to the semi-finals.

Against Liverpool, Chelsea showed a determination not to lose a third time at the same stage. The Stamford Bridge outfit beat the Reds 4-3 on aggregate with the first leg being drawn 1-1. A brace from Didier Drogba and a goal from Lampard helped nullify goals from Torres and Babel in the second leg to give Chelsea a 3-2 win.

Stars to watch out for

As one pundit said, Manchester United have winners all over the pitch. However all eyes will be on Portuguese goal machine Cristiano Ronaldo, who may leave for Spain after this season.

Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs will be others to watch out for. Giggs may break the record of Bobby Charlton should he feature in this game.

For Chelsea Peter Cech will be the key as will Didier Drogba, John Terry, Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard. Watch out for surprises from Michael Essien and Juliano Belleti.

Team News

Wayne Rooney is expected to feature after recovering from a hip injury that kept him out of the last couple of Premiership games. Nemanja Vidic has also recovered from a concussion.

Drogba and Terry have regained fitness with the latter recovering from a dislocated elbow.

Link to this site to see live football :
https://free-football.tv/amember/signup.php

Credit: free-football.tv

Baseball Instruction Tips on Finding the Best Instructor

If you are dead set on becoming the best baseball player possible, there is no substitute for quality baseball instructor. A quality instructor can save you time, remove bad habits, and get you motivated to play your best ball ever.

In searching for a good instructor, I would focus on three things:
(1) baseball experience,
(2) individual coaching experience and
(3) reputation.

Baseball Experience
For baseball experience, you are looking for someone who has been around baseball for a number of years as either a player or a coach. Preferably you want someone with experience at the college level or higher. If you are trying to become a better pitcher, I would focus on someone with pitching experience. If it is hitting; then, focus on someone with this type of experience. The focus should be on whether you feel the person has enough experience to know what they are talking about.

Coaching Experience
For individual coaching experience, you are looking for someone who has experience training people your age. Ultimately, you want someone who is used to conveying his baseball knowledge to an individual audience and has the patience to convey his teachings to you.

Reputation
For reputation, I would ask for references or ask around to other baseball players to see who they really liked getting instruction from. This is important because if you believe that your instructor wants you to succeed and has helped others, it will go along way towards your acceptability of his teachings.

If you are having difficulty finding an appropriate instructor, contact local select baseball teams, adult baseball teams, batting cage businesses, Baseball equipment stores or professional baseball teams. Any of these teams, should have coaches who are knowledgeable in these areas or at least be able to point you in the right direction.

The Azzurri Leading EURO 2008 Group C

As the EURO 2008 approaches all 16 teams which will participate in the international competition get set and ready to play their group rivals. Of the four groups the Italians have been selected along with Romania, the Netherlands and World Cup runner up bitter France.

Les Blues’ will be indeed one of the strongest rivals to defeat as after the 2006 World Cup the French Coach Raymond Domenech began to shift this direction and new talent was added to the team to replace the empty spot left by the ex galactico Zidane. Domenech has called to training a total of 29 players from which he will decide the 23 that will participate at the EURO 2008.

"You can't say there won't be problems, won't be any injuries," Domenech told RTL radio station on Wednesday. "We have to think ahead. Everyone has to stay vigilant and ready. I envisage all the possibilities."

On June 9 France will meet Romania in the opening round game; this will certainly be a very interesting game as Romania Coach Victor Piturca has also began his preparations for the European championship which include 14 players from the local league besides Inter Milan captain Cristian Chivu and VfB Stuttgart striker Ciprian Marica who Piturca hopes would be able to play as he is still recovering from an injury.

On the other hand, we have the current World Champions the Azzurri whose football has been very steady and has delivered many triumphs; but we know the Italians have only captured one EURO Cup title back in 1968. It is true that Italy is the favourite to win this tournament due to reasons such as their strong game and their excellent level of players. But there is still a question left unanswered regarding the current 44 year-old Italian Coach Roberto Donadoni who has been with the Italians for a relatively short period.

Donadoni who previously replaced Marcello Lippi has a contract which expires at the end of the EURO 2008; but he has been offered an extension in order to secure his place with the team. Until now Donadoni has not accepted the agreement and stated "To me the current situation does not represent a problem." "I am going into it (Euro 2008) with great enthusiasm."

Previous to Donadoni’s announcement of his 23 players Italy will participate in the last friendly game versus Belgium at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence next May 25th. It is believed players such as: Pippo Inzaghi, Alex Del Piero and Antonio Cassano will be part of the roster.

Nevertheless; the Italians’ face a very big task ahead of them but the team has one of the best chances to make this dream come true for many around the world; as well as for their countrymen at home land where the sport of football was horrendously hit by a wave of match-fixing scandals and some of the most recognized teams were moved down to the Serie B and their points removed.

Rugby Trips and World-Wide Rugby Game Arrangement

The wide-reaching appeal of rugby has given rise to many international rugby tournaments that happen all over the world. Fans aren't limited to getting their England rugby tickets for England, they can watch the best English (or Irish or Scottish) players compete against the best international teams in the world with six nation tickets.

Below, we discuss some of the leading international rugby tournaments in the world, the finest ones to buy rugby tickets and six nation tickets for, and what makes competitions so successful

The greatest international rugby tournament is, of course, the Rugby World Cup. It's also the most lucrative, with every match watched by millions, both at home and at the stadiums by those who can get rugby tickets. In fact, it's the third most popular international sporting competition globally, with only the summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup drawing a bigger audience.

Another of the greatest Rugby tournaments in the world, the Six Nations tournament, began in 1883, when England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland competed in what was called the Home International Championship. Later, in 1910, France joined the competition, which was rechristened Five Nations. When Italy joined in the year 2000, the tournament became known as the Six Nations Championship, the phrase we know it by today. There are many things that make the Six Nations Championship such a thriving rugby tournament, and Six Nations tickets such desirable items.

One of the things that makes British Lions tickets sell so quickly is the great history of the tour, which began in 1888. The Lions have seen their greatest support in the 1900s, with tourist and fan support really increasing in the 1950s. Their first non-amateur tour in 1997 was a total success,the Lions only lost two games total.

One thing that most of the greatest international rugby tours use to make tournaments more fun to watch is the bonus point system. This system encourages the kind of play that fans love that really sells rugby tickets. Rugby players are encouraged to attack throughout the match in order to obtain bonus points. This gives even losing teams a bonus for trying, they earn points for small losses and number of tries. Like with standard point systems, teams get one point for a draw and two points for a win.

Horse Racing UK

Whether you're a seasoned veteran to horse racing or a complete newbie, this freshly launched website will prove a valuable resouce tool. As an introduction I've published our first newsletter here. If you like what you see then why not pay us a visit? Membership is completely free, along with several free betting systems for you to try. Even if you decide not to join us just yet, you can still sign up for our free systems and newsletters.

What are you waiting for?

To your future profits,

Steve.

May 2008

Welcome to the first issue of the Horse-Racing.U.K.com newsletter that is dedicated to contributing to your investment knowledge and helping you to stay within the 10. Favourite success rate for two year old stakes is around 32. Best races for favourites are weight for age chases 66. Worst races for favourites are Handicap Hurdles. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daily (Monday to Saturday) HRUK Gold Profits Laying Service

We have a lay betting service that delivers selections to your e-mail inbox every day. Places are limited and with 12 points profit last week (ending 17th May) they are getting snapped up. Don't get left out and try the free trial risk free today. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Psychology of Betting

There are different approaches to placing sporting investments but they basically fall into five categories: a) Betting on Fancies (random / gut feelings / stick in a pin etc) b) Betting on Newspaper recommended tips. c) Betting on information that has been paid for from tipsters. d) Studying the form yourself and making selections on your accrued knowledge. e) Using a systematic betting approach that makes selections using systems that have been purchased or developed yourself.

Category (a) is a method that we are all prone to. We have all been skimming through the days races and seen the 'good thing' or 'good value' investment staring out at us and can't understand why nobody else is recommending it. We decide to prove them wrong by putting our investment down without looking into the full picture. Only after we have lost our money do we realise that another horse in the race was dropped in class and our selection was carrying a stone more than last time. I am still personally guilty of being tempted by this approach occasionally and is one of the reasons why I prefer the systematic betting approach but more of that in a later issue. Category (a) is for very small bets indeed and not for people seriously looking to make money.

If people want to have play bets and are prepared to lose their money very quickly then it is their prerogative. Next month we talk about categories (b) and (c).

3) Systematic Betting

I am a big fan of the systematic betting approach. This is where you place investments using systems that you have seen giving a proven return in the past. I prefer this approach as I am otherwise generally very undisciplined and have a tendency to start placing random 'good thing' investments on situations that end up losing me money. Having systems that specialise on different types of race can quickly focus you into good quality prospects.

There are two FREE systems available in the HRUK members area.

Daily Short List

We review every race of the day at WWW.Horse-Racing.UK.com and produce a short list of prospects.

Next months featured course is Aintree and we talk about information available from various tipping sources including the newspapers. There will also be a future bet feature if there are any up and coming situations worthy of our investment.

Good Luck!!!!

Golf Swing-Tips for Perfect Swing

Many people struggle with their golf swing and then, suddenly, they come across one little golf tip that seems to have a positive impact on their swing and their entire golf game. For me, it was a golf swing take away tip. I was rushing my take-a way and cocking my wrists. Slowing down my back swing, keeping my elbows straight and locking my wrists at take-a way eliminated my pesky slice, kept the ball in the fairway and took several strokes off my score.

There are literally thousands of golf tips. Tips about how to drive the golf ball. How to better hit your driver, fairway woods and irons. Of course there are hundreds of golf tips for the short game and for putting. While these tips may not teach you to hit like a PGA tour pro, you can become a better shot maker by just implementing those many free golf tips that are all over the Internet.

However, beware of false golf tips. Just because someone posts a golf tip on their web site, doesn't mean it is a good tip or, even more important, that it fits your golf game. A tip that may help a scratch golfer, can actually hurt a beginning golfer's game. If the tip involves basic simple golf concepts, from a reliable source, it's probably worth trying. If it sounds complicated, or if after a little study it still doesn't quite make sense, stay away.

Want to learn how to improve your putting or straightening out that slice or improving your putting? Here are two quick tips that may help.

Tee up the ball higher. Many golfers have a steep downswing. That means that the club face can't get square with the golf ball at impact. Placing the ball higher off the ground naturally improves the angle at impact and straightens out the shot. While your problems may be more mechanical, this can be an excellent quick fix.

We all want to see the golf ball drop into the cup. Maybe so, but to do that the golfer must lift his or her head and that often changes the putting stroke and changes the direction of the putt. Better yet, listen for the ball to drop in the hole. It's a sweet sound.

Golf Putters

Which Putter is Right for You?

You drive for show and putt for dough. That old axiom simply sums up the game of golf. What kind of game are we playing when a six inch putt becomes more important than your best drive of the day? Therefore, it seems buying the right putter and knowing how use to that pesky little club is probably the most important thing we do on the golf course.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to find the right putter for your golf game. It's simply by trial and error. But first, learn about the different putter styles and club heads. Then narrow your search down to a particular type of putter. Then check out the name brands to find the putter with just the right touch and feel for you. The one that gives you total confidence when lining up that 15 foot putt. The best news is, that unlike a driver, you don't have to spend big bucks on your putter. Sure there are models that cost several hundred dollars, but you can also find terrific putters in the $10.00 to $25.00 range.

Let's explore the different types of putters. The tried and true conventional putter has been around as long as golf itself. It is still the best choice for almost every golfer. One should consider the two other putter types only if you are having big putting problems and need something, anything to get that smooth putting stroke back in the grove.

Bad putting usually means your hands just can't stay steady throughout the putt and you need something to keep them and your other body parts from yipping when you are trying to put the ball in the hole.

Belly putters and long putters can help. The belly putter gives you a third point of contact, your stomach, when lining up your putt and can act as a fulcrum, keeping your body more stationary.

The long putter is like a grandfather clock. The pendulum like swing forces the wrists to stay locked and send the putt in its intended direction.

The putters grip is strictly a personal decision. Some golfers like a thick grip and feel it helps keep the wrists straight. Others like a slimmer grip and feel it gives them more control. Try both and use the one that simply feels the most confortable. You'll know it when you hold it.

Putters have several different heads. Let's begin with the one that is probably not your best choice.

Even though most PGA touring pros use heel weighted blade, it is very hard to control and will probably hurt more than help. Check out a heel toe weighted putter or a face balanced mallet head. Both have larger sweet spots and even a poorly hit putt will end up in the general target area.

Offset or hosel shafts are very helpful to the average recreational golfer. The shaft allows the putter to better line up the putt, by being more on top of the golf ball. They also help keep your hands in front of the ball.

There are many excellent putters on the market. You can learn more about the manufacturers like Callaway, Cameron, Ping, Nike, Scotty, Odyssey, Taylor Made, Tommy Armour, Wilson and many more by reading the articles and reviews on this web site. The more knowledge you obtain, the better chance you have of getting that perfect putter.

Putting is mental. Putting is confidence. Putting is practice. Putting is technique. If you can train yourself to do the same thing every time you line up a putt, you'll get the dough. Even though your playing partners may drive for show.

NFL Systems - #18: Early season Match-ups and Pythagorean Win%

Similar to the Playoffs, early season games need to be handicapped much differently than those played after around Week 3 of the regular season--when it comes to using situational methods.

One of the biggest challenges at this stage of the season comes from the lack of useful data from recently played contests.

Unfortunately, pre-season games have never been a good indicator of what lies in store for a team in the first few weeks of the regular season. The large number of players that see playing time in the pre-season who are eventually cut or relegated to 2nd or 3rd team status does not help, nor does the fact that marquee QB's and other important players often only take the field for a handful of plays in the earlier games, if at all.

All is not lost; however, as there are key stats from the previous season that can lend real insight into games played in the early part of the following year, and there is also the previous history between the 2 teams involved that one can consider (more on this later).

One key stat from the past season that works very well as a handicapping tool in the early part of the following one is Pythagorean Win Percentage.

Pythagorean Win Percentage (PWP) was first developed by sabermetrics-pioneer Bill James as a method of removing the effects of 'luck' from a baseball team's won/lost record by focusing solely on runs for and runs against. The formula actually works equally well for the National Football League after a few minor 'tweaks', the most significant of which entails using Points For and Against in its calculation as opposed to 'runs'.

By comparing a team's PWP with their actual winning percentage, it becomes easy to ascertain which teams have had an over-abundance of either good, or bad misfortune--knowledge which has obvious implications for those of us trying to handicap current games based on past performance.

PWP, as it applies to Major League Baseball, has seen a number of improvements since James first came up with the idea and more advanced formula's now consider not just runs themselves, but also the ratio of singles, doubles, homeruns etc. that went into producing these runs, along with alternate multipliers depending on the different ball-parks where the scoring occurred.

Some of these improvements do not apply so much to the game of North American football, where the field of play is obviously identical from stadium to stadium, and the original formula that James developed for MLB remains a simple, yet accurate method of calculating a team's winning percentage that is often more reliable than won/lost records alone.

The formula for calculating PWP for NFL teams is as follows:

Points For ^ 2.37 / (Points For ^ 2.37 + Points Against ^ 2.37)

An exponent of 2.37 has been found to provide the most accurate results for the NFL while 1.83 is the most commonly used exponent for MLB teams. This formula even works when applied to NBA teams, where an exponent of between 14 and 16 is prevalent.

In order to best explain exactly how this formula works, it's probably best to look at a couple of examples from the past season.

The New England Patriots are an example of a team who actually 'overachieved' in 2007, when their won/lost record of 16-0 is compared against their PWP. Anyone who watched the Pats-Ravens game in Week 15 and to a lesser extent, their regular season finale against the NY Giants, would probably agree that New England could have easily ended the season at 15-1 or 14-2 and their PWP shows that either of these records would actually have been more indicative of their level of play in '07.

Based on their Points For of 589 and Points Against of 274, New England's PWP works out to 0.860 (589 ^ 2.37 / (589 ^ 2.37 + 274 ^ 2.37)).

Given their WP to PWP differential of +0.140 (1.000 - 0.860) it appears that New England was in fact, luckier than most teams in the league last year-an opinion that Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens would certainly not argue.

An example of a team that underachieved in 2007 would be the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished the year at 8-8, yet, had a PWP of 0.567 (336 ^ 2.37 / (336 ^ 2.37 + 300 ^ 2.37)), leading us to believe that they were perhaps more deserved of a 9-7 record.

So, how does a team's PWP from the previous season figure into the process of handicapping games early in the next one?

One interesting use for this stat involves teams that had a PWP <> (as long as this meeting occurred within the past 4 years). Teams in this situation are a dismal 33-60 ATS (35.5%) since 1994 in the first 2 weeks of the regular season immediately following.

As I mentioned near the top of this article, past history between the 2 teams in question is important early on in the season and in this case, teams with a weak PWP from the previous season that are also facing an opponent that may be seeking revenge for a relatively recent defeat, creates a potent combination that has spelt trouble versus the line over the past 14 years.

While a situation with a record of 33-60 ATS is profitable enough, there is one other Secondary condition concerning the past meeting between these 2 teams that when added, greatly reduces the number of games involved while maintaining a similar level of profit.

This condition concerns teams that not only won in the last meeting, but, did so in convincing fashion (at least offensively anyway).

When we only include teams that scored at least 30 points in this game, the record for this situation drops to a crushing 5-28 ATS (15.2%) for a tidy profit of $2,250.00 when wagering $110.00 to win back $100.00 against the team in question.

The final Secondary condition that I like to add for this trend involves something I touched on earlier, and that is, the comparison of a team's actual winning percentage with their Pythagorean winning percentage.

Teams that meet the criteria discussed so far that also had a SU winning percentage at least 0.100 points higher than their PWP last season have been a perfect 3-0 ATS, so, by eliminating teams that outperformed their PWP in the previous season, we are left with a trend that has been 2-28 ATS since 1994.

Here are all the details.

(Notes: ASMR stands for Average Spread Margin Rating. A positive rating indicates a trend that is stronger than average versus the line, negative--weaker than average. TDIS% is the percentage of teams in the league that have been involved in this situation at one time or another. WT% is the percentage of teams that are .500 or better and SPR is the average spread for teams in this situation. For more details, please consult Page 13 of my 2008 NFL Game Sheets Guide.)

System #18 Summary

Primary Conditions (Building Blocks)
1) Game is being played in Week 1 or 2 of the regular season.
2) Last Seasons Pythagorean Win% < .450. 3) Straight-up win versus this Opponent in their Last Meeting (LM4).

Secondary Conditions (Tighteners)
1) Exclude Teams with a SU WP at least 0.100 points higher than their PWP LS.
2) Points For >= 30 in their Last Meeting (LM4).

System Stats
ASMR: +1.7
Home%: 62.5
Dog%: 56.3
TDIS%: 56.3
WT%: 68.8
SPR: +1.1
Top Teams: CIN(4); NO(4); ATL(2); BUF(2)

System Record
Overall (Since '94): 2-28 ATS
2007 Season: 0-1 ATS
2006 Season: 0-1 ATS
2005 Season: 0-4 ATS
2004 Season: 0-2 ATS

Last 3 Results. Pick in Brackets.
2007 WK2--DET 20 MIN 17 (MIN +3) P
2007 WK1--MIN 24 ATL 3 (ATL +3) L
2006 WK2--NO 34 GB 27 (GB +2) L

Saturday Game Schedule Week 6

Saturday Games Week 6:
8 on 8
GAMES PLAYED AT: West Jordan Middle School (7550 South Redwood Road)
Sat, May 17
8:00 AM- Mormonz vs. I Can't Turn Left
8:00 AM- Happy Hour vs. HGH
9:05 AM- Crabshack vs. New Pilgrim Warriors [2 Games]
9:05 AM- Renegades vs. Who's Your Daddy
10:10 AM- Alterred State [2 Games] vs. New Pilgrim Warriors
10:10 AM- Wolfpack vs. Red Hot [2 Games]
11:15 AM- Alterred State vs. Offalot
11:15 AM- SUU ReUnited [2 Games] vs. Red Hot
12:20 PM- SUU ReUnited vs. Quick 6
12:20 PM- Ice Cold vs. Trouble
1:25 PM- Primetime vs. Cobras
2:30 PM- UBDU vs. Couches
3:35 PM- Unknowns vs. Black Fire
3:35 PM- Demolition vs. 3 & Out

5 on 5
GAMES PLAYED AT: West Jordan Middle School (7550 South Redwood Road)
Sat, May 17
8:00 AM- Empyre vs. Gallagher n Friends
8:00 AM- Ocho vs. Deep Attack [2 Games]
9:05 AM- Burnt Toast vs. Deep Attack
9:05 AM- Outlawz vs. Nighthawks [2 Games]
10:10 AM- Old Fat & Lazy vs. Nighthawks
10:10 AM- Sweet As vs. Tuna Fish
11:15 AM- Ravens vs. Never Has Beens
11:15 AM- Machacha Sucia vs. Guns n Roses
12:20 PM- Untouchables vs. Mind Power
1:25 PM- J Amaechi Loves Duke vs. Caldwell Bankers Comm
1:25 PM- Unfinished Business vs. Avengers [2 Games]
2:30 PM- Blue Ballers vs. Avengers
2:30 PM- Scrubs vs. Hitmen

Weeknight Games, Week 6:
GAMES PLAYED AT: West Jordan Middle School (7550 South Redwood Road)
Tues. May 20
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Muddogs vs. El Diablos
6:00 PM- Red Devils [2 Games] vs. Vernaliens
7:00 PM- Red Devils vs. Wolves
7:00 PM- Dey Know vs. Half Breeds

Wed, May 21
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Highlanders [2 Games] vs. Liquid Force
7:00 PM- Highlanders vs. Tuff

Thurs, May. 22
8 on 8
6:00 PM- Hornets vs. Dragons
7:00 PM- Wombats vs. S&S
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Sensory Sweep [2 Games] vs. Punishers
6:00 PM- 2nd II None vs. Black Widows
7:00 PM- Sensory Sweep vs. Whiskey Wideout
7:00 PM- Spartans vs. Volunteers

----------------------------------------------------------------

Foot Ball Schedule Week 5

Weeknight Games, Week 5:
GAMES PLAYED AT: West Jordan Middle School (7550 South Redwood Road)
Tues. May 13
8 on 8
6:00 PM- Couches [2 Games] vs. Dragons
7:00 PM- Couches vs. Renegades
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Machacha Sucia vs. Dey Know
7:00 PM- Red Devils vs. Caldwell Bank Comm

Wed, May 14
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Tuff vs. Unfinished Business
7:00 PM- 2nd II None vs. Spartans

Thurs, May 15
8 on 8
6:00 PM- Unknowns vs. Crabshack
7:00 PM- S&S vs. HGH
5 on 5
6:00 PM- Liquid Force vs. Scrubs
6:00 PM- Mind Power vs. Empyre
7:00 PM- Panthers vs. Vernaliens
7:00 PM- Outlawz vs. Sensory Sweep

How We Know About Football

This section will provide a quick overview of how football got started to give general overview about how the sport became so popular today.
In the Beginning
The story of football began sometime during the 19th century in England when a soccer player, frustrated at using only his feet to manipulate the ball, decided to simply pick it up and run with it. Although it was clearly against the rules of soccer, other players soon found the new way of playing soccer appealing and thus, the sport of rugby was born. The new sport soon became a world-wide success that found its way into America by the mid-1800s. Played by many northeastern colleges, it was not long before Harvard University and Yale University met in Massachussetts in 1876 to formalize the rules to rugby that were similar to those in England. There were differences however: instead of playing with a round ball, the schools opted for an egg-shaped ball and the game's name was changed from rugby to football. To finalize the meeting, an organization called the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) was created to preside over the Americanized sport. Football was still basically American rugby -- much different from the popular sport known today. Over the course of three years starting in 1880, Yale player Walter Camp eventually convinced the IFA to change a series of rules in football to create a game that is very similar to the one we know today. For his efforts, Camp is considered by historians as the father of modern football.Nationalizing the Game
College football matured through the 1800's in a league of its own until the beginning of the twentieth century when professional football teams began appearing. By that time, college sports fell under the newly-established National College Atheletic Association(NCAA) so the rules of professional football were derived from the collegiate organization's guidelines. When 1920 arrived, there were more than 10 professional teams across the United States. Organizers from the teams decided to meet in Canton, Ohio to form the American Professional Football Association(APFA) which later became the National Football League(NFL). The NFL continued to change the rules of the game and the game of football began to establish itself as an all-American past time. Becoming a Popular Sport in America From the time of the NFL's establishment, football's popularity caught on with the general public. The games played by the Chicago Bears against teams like the Los Angeles Tigers and the New York Giants featured Harold (Red) Grange, the fresh-out-of-college rookie star who helped draw record numbers of fans into the stands. After the NFL divided into two divisions, the culmination of the best teams from those sections played the first NFL championship game in 1933. As football became a favorite sport with Americans, many leagues followed the NFL in trying to establish their own franchises. The NFL's dominance was so pervasive that many leagues did not even last beyond four years. Under millionaire Lamar Hunt, however, the American Football League (AFL) was the only lasting follow-up league that was able to keep up with the NFL. Soon thereafter, both leagues fought to draft star college players, television contracts, and other perks generated from football's popularity. The NFL bested the AFL most of the time. In another historic moment in football history, representatives from both the NFL and the AFL met in 1966 to agree on merging both leagues, but keeping the NFL name. Within the new league which actually began in 1970, two conferences were created that reflected the NFL's origins: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference(NFC). From then on, the two best teams from each NFL conference were set to play a championship game (later named the Super Bowl. This practice started with the two champions from the NFL and the AFL. Football Today
One of the top sports in America, football has come a long way from the rebelling college students who wanted to play a different type of game. With the introduction of the television (which greatly increased football's accessibility to more parts of the United States) and the merger of the NFL and the AFL, football games became the most-watched television program. The ratings were as big as the profits. The titanic flood of fan interest generated billions of dollars by the 1990s. These enormous profits eventually trickled down to the players' salaries. If change was how football began, it is change that has kept the sport's popularity high. The rules governing football have continued to evolve throughout the years to generate fan interest. For example, rules enacted in the 1970s promoted the passing game while placing less focus on the running game. Passing became less risky, and the rule change altered the complexion of the sport. In 1994, a greater emphasis was drawn from field goals to the two-point conversion. The game of football will continue to evolve with the times and provide Americans and people all across the world with a fun and enjoyable athletic experience. Credit to : football.com

Chelsea Beat Man United In The Chase Of Porto Defender Bosingwa

According to reports in Portugal, Chelsea have won the race to sign Porto right-back Jose Bosingwa, who reportedly also interested Manchester United.
It is claimed that the 25-year-old Portugal international will sign a five-year deal with the West-Londoners in a deal said to be worth £15.8million and that the deal could be announced on Monday.
The Times says ‘Porto have been holding out for money because 20 per cent of the transfer fee needs to be paid to Rui Neno, an agent who owns a share of the player’s economic rights. Chelsea will need to take full control of the player to adhere to new Premier League rules against third-party ownership.’ Credit to: premiershiplatest.com

Arsenal Boss Wenger Hopeful On Gibbs, Wiltshire & Lansbury

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that there is a core of young English players on the verge of getting their opportunity on the big stage.
The Gunners boss has often been criticised over the years for not giving enough chances to the home-grown players in favour of young foreign imports.
However, the Frenchman has dismissed the suggestion and claimed that the north London club have produced many good English players.
Wenger is looking forward to the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wiltshire and Henri Lansbury, proving worth of first-team opportunities in the next season.
"Gibbs, Jack Wiltshire, Henri Lansbury, all might be included in the group next year. There is a core coming up, but I cannot tell you now whether all of them will make it,” said Wenger.
"I feel we have produced many good players, English players and many of them play in other clubs. We have produced plenty, more than anybody else in England, but not enough for us." Credit to: premiershiplatest.com

Roeder happy with talks

Saturday May 10 2008 15:59

Norwich City manager Glenn Roeder hopes to agree new deals with out-of-contract duo Mark Fotheringham and Gary Doherty as soon as possible.
In addition youngster Robert Eagle is on the verge of putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Roeder told the Canaries' official website: "We're in talks with both Mark and Gary and I'm confident that they'll sign new contracts.
"They're certainly telling me they want to, which is always an important factor, and they're two players that I see as being part of a successful squad next season.
"Robert Eagle's deal has been agreed and I hope it will be signed within the next few days." Credit to : football.co.uk

O'Driscoll keeps feet on ground

Saturday May 10 2008 16:30

Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll is refusing to get carried away even though his side is possibly only 90 minutes away from taking their place in the League One play-off final.
Rovers returned from Roots Hall with a hard-earned 0-0 draw after the first leg of their play-off semi-final, but O'Driscoll insists the tie is not yet over.
He said after the stalemate: "They're a good side and it will be a difficult game at home. I can't say that we're favourites just because we've drawn the first leg.
"It's only half-time and the job is only half-done."
On Paul Heffernan's red card, the former Bournemouth boss added: "I didn't see the sending off but the referee said Paul used his head and he'll receive an automatic suspension and that's a shame because he came on and played very well." Credit to:football.co.uk

Tilson upbeat after stalemate

Saturday May 10 2008 18:45

Southend United manager Steve Tilson has not given up hope of reaching the League One play-off final despite being held to a goalless draw by Doncaster Rovers at Roots Hall on Friday.
The Shrimpers have enjoyed a good away record this season and Tilson believes his side can cause a shock at the Keepmoat Stadium.
"We wanted to get an advantage to take into the second leg, but there's still all to play for," Tilson told United's official website.
"I said before the game that as long as we were still in the tie after this match I'd be pleased. That's certainly still the case and we remain confident.
"We wanted to take a one or two-goal lead into the second leg, but Doncaster might be thinking that they've already won the game.
"We have a good away record of late and I'm still positive that we can go there and get a result." Credit to : football.co.uk

The New York Times > Business > Image >

The New York Times > Business > Image >: "Telegent Systems"

Cole refuses to give up

Joe Cole is determined to take the title race to the final day of the season with victory over Newcastle. Chelsea travel to St James' Park on Monday afternoon knowing that defeat will effectively hand the Premier League trophy to Manchester United.
"I have played a lot of football and my last few games I haven't been at my best - but I want to come back to my best in this game and get the points," the England international said. The Blues have enjoyed more success on their travels this season than either Man Utd or third-placed Arsenal. Cole is confident Chelsea can come away with a win.

Big Shot Of Portsmouth & Blackburn

Portsmouth 0-1 Blackburn: Brett Emerton challenges Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari during a mediocre opening at Fratton Park

Liverpool 1-0 Man City

Torres has 23 goals in the Premier League this season

Fernando Torres took his tally to 32 goals for the season as Liverpool eased to a win over Manchester City.

Torres left Richard Dunne trailing and angled in a shot to put the Reds ahead just after Martin Petrov's free-kick hit the post at the other end.

The Reds had chances to wrap up the game but Dirk Kuyt's header struck the crossbar and Ryan Babel skied a shot.

City rarely threatened but almost punished the home side only for Pepe Reina to save Benjani's late free-kick.

606: DEBATE
Give us your thoughts on the action

The visitors had gone into the match with boss Sven-Goran Eriksson expecting to be sacked after the end of the season but he was given firm backing by the club's fans at Anfield.

The away contingent regularly and passionately sung out his name and had Eriksson masks as they showed their support for the Swede in a game that struggled to get going.

Benitez believes Torres can keep improving
There was a distinct end-of-season feel to proceedings early on and only a near post Ryan Babel header, which went over, threatened to break the deadlock.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard saw a long range effort power just wide as he was invariably the man trying to cajole his side into a degree of urgency.

The Reds skipper again went close when he forced keeper Joe Hart into a full-length save to tip away his curling shot before Liverpool upped the pace the other side of the interval.

A sublime pass with the outside of the right foot by Gerrard released Torres on goal but he failed to get the bend needed on his shot as he opened up his body and aimed for the far corner.

City then almost caught Liverpool out with a sucker-punch after barely having had an attack worthy of the name.

Eriksson praised his side for their focus
Elano stepped up to take a 25-yard free-kick only to see his effort hit the outside of the post.

The Reds heeded the warning and Torres scored for the eighth league game on the trot at Anfield by bursting past Dunne and shooting through Hart's legs.

Hart was quickly forced into action again as he blocked a Kuyt volley and kept out the follow-up overhead kick from Lucas.

The chances were now flowing for the home side and Kuyt guided a header on to the crossbar before finding Hart with another header when left unmarked eight yards out.

A battling Torres set up Babel for a clear strike at goal from six yards only for the Dutchman to sky his effort as the Reds failed to put the game to bed.
Many City fans showed their support for Eriksson

At the other end, Reina blocked a powerful Benjani free-kick as City sensed an opportunity to steal a point against their dominant opponents.

But Liverpool completed the win as they finished their home league campaign with a record of 12 wins, six draws and one loss at home ahead of their final game of the season at Tottenham.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez refused be elaborate on the futures of John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch after both players were left out of the squad.

"They have one more year left on their contracts so they are still our players."

He added: "Clearly we have some names and we are working to try to improve the squad."


Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson on his future:
"I've not been told anything regarding the (job) situation but at my age I don't need to be told what to do.

"I have my own conclusions and ideas. It's not good to talk before the season is finished.

"The support (from the fans) is very nice. They appreciate what they have seen this season and believe the team have a future. I think it's very, very nice."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas (Alonso 74), Kuyt, Gerrard (Voronin 78), Babel (Benayoun 68), Torres.
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Skrtel.

Man City: Hart, Corluka, Dunne, Ball, Jihai, Vassell (Garrido 81), Ireland, Johnson, Petrov (Castillo 67), Elano (Hamann 67), Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Gelson.
Credit to By Mandeep Sanghera (news.bbc.co.uk)

Liverpool vs Man City

Liverpool v Man City

Venue: Anfield Date: Sunday, 4 May Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live and full commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM

There are fitness doubts over Fernando Torres and defender Martin Skrtel ahead of Liverpool's final home game of the season against Manchester City.Peter Crouch could come into the side but Fabio Aurelio, Daniel Agger and Harry Kewell are long-term absentees. Richard Dunne is expected to return to the Manchester City defence for the trip following a hamstring injury. Valeri Bojinov (knee) and Javi Garrido may also be considered, but Micah Richards is unlikely to be risked.

Make your Premier League predictions

Liverpool (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Riise, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Torres, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin, Itandje, Lucas, Pennant, Insua, Plessis

Man City (from): Hart, Elano, Corluka, Ball, Dunne, Jihai, Garrido, Vassell, Caicedo, Gelson, Johnson, Petrov, Ireland, Geovani, Mwaruwari, Bojinov, Castillo, Logan, Isaksson.

BIG-MATCH FACTS
Liverpool take to the field four days after the disappointment of missing out on all-English Champions League final. They are already assured of finishing fourth in the Premier League and have booked their place in the qualifying round for next season's Champions League, so little hinges on this end-of-season fixture. Victory would give Manchester City more points in a Premier League season than ever before. Their current best is 57 in 1992-93, when 42 games were played, as opposed to 38 nowadays.
City have two games remaining to climb the two places they require to finish a Premier League best seventh. The double over Manchester United is the Citizens' only wins this season against the 'Big Four' clubs. Manchester City have not scored in five Premier League matches against Liverpool, but gained a point from each of the last two meetings - both being goalless draws. Credit to : news.bbc.co.uk

Arsenal vs Everton

Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Sunday, 4 May Kick-off: 1330 BST
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie will miss Sunday's clash with Everton as a precaution after sustaining a slight thigh injury in the win over Derby.

Mathieu Flamini could return on the bench after recovering from his ankle problem but Alexander Hleb is banned.

Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta will not play again this season after finally admitting defeat in his battle with stomach and groin injuries.

And Andrew Johnson (calf) and Steven Pienaar (knee) are slight doubts.

Make your Premier League predictions
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"Van Persie is out as a precaution. We don't want to gamble at this stage on a muscular problem," he told Arsenal TV. "We had a little alert with Robin but it's not big at all."

Everton manager David Moyes:
"I want us to be strong and continue to progress but we need to have an even stronger squad.

"At the start of this season we strengthened the squad and I think it showed by our performances but since January it has been a bit of a drain.

"Quality will always be first but I think quantity as well is required."

Arsenal (from): Fabianski, Toure, Gallas, Song, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, Denilson, Adebayor, Lehmann, Almunia, Bendtner, Senderos, Eboue, Traore, Djourou.

Everton (from): Howard, Hibbert, Neville, Yobo, Lescott, Jagielka, Valente, Baines, Carsley, Osman, Pienaar, Fernandes, Arteta, Yakubu, Anichebe, Johnson, Gravesen, Wessels, Rodwell, Gosling.Credit to : news.bbc.co.uk

Blackburn 3-1 Derby

Derby will finish the season with the lowest number of points in Premier League history after Blackburn came from behind to earn a comfortable win.

Kenny Miller gave Derby the lead when he controlled a Roy Carroll goal-kick to finish beyond Brad Friedel.

But Roque Santa Cruz levelled after Carroll failed to deal with Morten Gamst Pedersen's long-range effort.

Bad defending led to Jason Roberts's second-half goal while Santa Cruz's header secured the win for Rovers.

Victory over Derby and Wigan's 2-0 win over Aston Villa ensures Rovers keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for Europe via the Intertoto Cup.

But the Rams' defeat rubber-stamped their season as the worst since the league's formation.

With one game remaining they are still four points adrift of Sunderland's tally of 15in the 2005/06 season, and they need to score against Reading next week to avoid becoming the Premier League's lowest scorers.

Hughes hopes a big investor will help his side improve
Despite their team's sometimes woeful performances this season the visiting fans were intent on enjoying the penultimate game of the season.

Right from the kick-off Derby's supporters, many in fancy dress, sang "we're going down but we're having a laugh" and there was a certain joie de vivre in the way their team played in the first half.

And they deservedly took the lead in the 19th minute when the lively Miller coolly shot low past Friedel's right.

Blackburn were not without their chances. Roberts was guilty of dawdling inside the box when he should have opted for power, while David Bentley was inches from beating the back-peddling Carroll with a delightful chip.

Derby have only managed to keep three clean sheets all season so it was no surprise when Cruz side-footed in from close range for his 22nd goal of the season, even though the visitors deserved to go into the break ahead.

Derby manager Paul Jewell had accused his defence of "comic book" defending after Monday's 6-2 defeat to Arsenal, but the back-four antics which led to Rovers' second goal a minute into the second half was more slapstick.

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Andy Todd and James McEveley failed to deal with a long ball and a grateful Roberts found the left corner of goal.

It was all Rovers from then and Roberts had a host of chances to extend his side's lead.

Jewell praised his team's 'Premier League' fans
Carroll's fingertips prevented the striker's acrobatic overhead kick from sneaking into the top corner and a few minutes later the Northern Ireland goalkeeper had to be alert to tip another effort away for an innocuous corner.

The former Wigan striker's worse miss came on the hour when, with just Carroll to beat, he lingered for too long and allowed the goalkeeper to save with his feet.

But Roberts's profligacy mattered little in the end as, with 13 minutes remaining, Cruz headed a menacing David Bentley cross for his second of the match.
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes:
"We've never been out of the top 10 all season and for a club of our size that is a huge achievement.

"Derby pegged us back in the first half and worked extremely hard to get themselves in front.

"We came out for the second half with a lot more drive and purpose and were comfortable winners."

Derby manager Paul Jewell:
"It would have been nice to have got six points from our last two games but it wasn't going to happen.

"The important thing now is trying to build for next season. There has to be a whole culture change.

"We've to be mentally stronger and physically stronger. We played well for 44 minutes but didn't concentrate."
Credit to : Aimee Lewis-news.bbc.co.uk

Middlesbrough 2-0 Portsmouth

Chris Riggott and Tuncay headed home corners to preserve Middlesbrough's top-flight status for another season.

Riggott, recalled from a loan spell at Championship promotion chasers Stoke City, headed home Fabio Rochemback's corner on 40 minutes to settle nerves.

And three minutes into the second half, Tuncay repeated the feat, flicking home Stuart Downing's inswinging delivery.

Portsmouth offered little, though Milan Baros was wasteful with two glorious chances inside the first 20 minutes.

But that will be of little concern to Boro, who bounced back from a run of just one win in 10 league matches to secure the three points they needed.

Gareth Southgate's side knew that, regardless of other results, they could secure their Premier League status by beating a Portsmouth side which had picked up just one point from three games and perhaps had half an eye on the FA Cup final with Cardiff City.

Gareth Southgate was relieved after seeing his side achieve safety
But given their dismal recent run and increasingly precarious league status, the home side started understandably nervously.
Portsmouth could have taken immediate advantage, Arnold Mvuemba pulling down Sylvain Distin's crossfield pass superbly and playing in a low cross, but Baros' shot was easily blocked, Glen Johnson firing the rebound well wide.

The fans in a half-empty Riverside Stadium might have hoped the early chance would be indicative of an exciting half. If so they were to be disappointed.

With chances and quality at a premium, it was unfortunate for Portsmouth that their best openings fell to Baros, a striker extending his run without a goal since signing on loan from Lyon to 14 matches.

And he was guilty of a glaring miss on 20 minutes, firing hopelessly over the bar from 12 yards after Mvuemba picked him out with another rolled cross.

Boro, the second lowest scorers in front of their own fans in the league, fed on scraps in the opening half hour, long range efforts from Downing and Afonso Alves as close as they came to troubling Jamie Ashdown.

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BoroBecky

But as Portsmouth became increasingly wasteful with possession, Boro grew in confidence and after 10 minutes of domination took the lead in the 40th minute.

The goal was simplicity itself, Rochemback floating in a corner and Riggott powering past Sylvain Distin to head home past a rooted Ashdown.

Despite not having won by two clear goals since September, Boro doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half and again the goal was straight off the training ground.

Downing took over corner duties and from his inswinging near-post delivery, Tuncay ran across his marker to flick a header past Ashdown's right hand and into the opposite corner.

Harry Redknapp was unhappy with Pompey's defending
Portsmouth, in truth, were shocking. After their early opening for Baros they created nothing of note until Niko Kranjcar ran at David Wheater, turned him, but shot wide from 14 yards.

That was enough for Harry Redknapp, who hauled off the anonymous Pape Bouba Diop and misfiring Baros to be replaced by Sean Davis and David Nugent.

Not that it made any difference and Downing should have added a third on 76 minutes, but he shot straight at Ashdown from six yards having been played in by a delightful Rochemback pass.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate:
"We can look forward to next season now. The players will be delighted and I'm sure this experience will make them all the stronger for next season.

"It's a tough division. We have maintained our status in it for almost 10 years which is an achievement.

"Chris (Riggott) has had a good spell on loan. It's to his credit that he came in and did so well. Tuncay worked really hard for us. He was a bit over-eager in the first half, but his work rate has been outstanding."

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp:
"We started the game well and had two or three opportunities, but couldn't stick them away.

"They've scored from a set piece and we've come in at half time and said what's the point of having markers if they don't mark? Then they've done the exact same thing in the second half.

"The players have got to play well if they want to play in the Cup final. It was disappointing today, very disappointing.

"We need to try to win against Fulham next week. We'll pick a strong team, we owe that to everybody."
Credit to : Jon Barbuti-news.bbc.co.uk