Heading: Tennis | Posted: Monday, August 9, 2011
History of Wembley
Wembley Stadium is known the world over as one of the most famous grounds in global football and for many footballers, playing in a match at this historic venue is seen as the pinnacle of their career. Many classic encounters have taken place here including the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany and the 1968 European Cup Final when Matt Busby`s Manchester United defeated Benfica.
While the current Wembley Stadium is an impressive modern structure, the features of the original ground are probably the most iconic. The stadium first opened its doors for the 1923 FA Cup final between West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers and the popularity of the sport at the time was highlighted by the huge crowd that engulfed the pitch before the game.
The mounted policeman and the famous White Horse that helped to clear the crowd before that game have become an important part of Wembley folklore in their own right.
The original stadium had cost £750,000 to build which was an astronomical figure in those times and the first piece of turf was cut by the reigning monarch, King George V. The popularity of soccer which was highlighted so forcefully by that first cup final crowd, helped to ensure that the stadium was worth every penny spent.
The FA Cup final came to be held at Wembley every year and even during the Second World War, matches were held in the stadium. By now, the legendary twin towers were the most distinctive part of the stadium and also came to be used as a nickname in some quarters for the ground itself.
In 1953, one of the most famous games in the history of the old stadium took place when Blackpool came from behind to beat Bolton Wanderers in a dramatic game which came to be known as the Matthews final after the winger had mesmerised the Bolton defence with his sublime skills.
Thirteen years later, Wembley played host to England in the opening rounds of the 1966 World Cup and of course, it was to stage the incredible final between the host nation and West Germany. After the scores were level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, England went on to triumph by four goals to two in extra time with Geoff Hurst scoring the first and so far only hat trick in a World Cup final.
By this time, some of the features of the original stadium were already slightly outdated and over the course of the next three decades, early plans to renovate the stadium began to take place. Eventually, it was decided that Wembley had to close completely and the last game at the old venue saw a German side defeat Kevin Keegan`s England team by one goal to nil.
After very extensive work, the new Wembley opened officially on Saturday the 19th May 2007 with the hosting of the FA Cup final. With the twin towers gone, the most iconic features of the new ground are the Bobby Moore statue and the incredible arch with spans the width of the ground and can be seen for miles.
To get a good overview of this famous ground, it`s a good idea to take the Wembley Stadium tour and immerse yourself in the history of this incredible venue.
For more information refer to Sporthoundz/Tennis
Heading: Soccer | Posted: Monday, August 8, 2011
Latest Premiership News
While premiership players across the country and beyond have been enjoying a well earned break this summer, the focus as far as news is concerned has been on transfers and two of the biggest stories have been over moves that have yet to happen.
Both Luka Modric and Cesc Fabregas have been the subject of major speculation linking them to new clubs this summer and while nobody really knows whether either deal will go through, we can all be certain that the speculation won`t go away until the transfer window has been firmly closed.
Discussions over the future of Fabregas are nothing new and it has become an annual event for the player to be linked to his boyhood club Barcelona. It`s widely accepted that the transfer will happen one day and the only question is when.
This is the point where it`s really hard to sift mere gossip away from the real news and judge just how likely it is that the transfer will go ahead. As always, there is very little word from the player on this subject and the suggestions are that it may take until the very end of August for the move to take place.
Meanwhile, this is the first time that Luka Modric has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur and while the player reacted to Chelsea`s early bids by stating that he would welcome such a move, Spurs were quick in stating that the player was not for sale at any price.
It is unlikely however, that we`ve heard the last of this story and it is widely expected that Chelsea will make one final offer for the player before the window closes. Modric was Spurs` supporters player of the season in 2011-12 and Tottenham fans all over the world will be hoping that he stays for at least one more campaign.
Of the transfers that have already gone through, the most high profile deals have taken place at Manchester United and Manchester City and it will be particularly fascinating to see how David de Gea fares as he attempts to fill the considerable goalkeeping boots of veteran Dutchman Edwin van der Sar. De Gea certainly has the ability to succeed in the Premier League but at the age of 20, will he have the calm temperament needed at this level?
As for Manchester City, they have been involved in the most expensive transfer this summer with the arrival of Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. The prolific centre forward has enjoyed a successful spell in Spain with Athletico Madrid and it will be interesting to see if he can repeat those heroics and become an adequate replacement for Carlos Tevez, should his compatriot decide to move away from City this summer.
Liverpool have been extremely busy too and they followed up their heavy spending in January by bringing in Jordan Henderson, Doni, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam into the ranks. Many experts are predicting a successful season for Kenny Dalglish`s men and one that should end with a top four finish at least.
With the season due to start, the transfer activity will really begin to hot up now and supporters across the world will be waiting anxiously to watch live football to see how the new arrivals fare.
This article was written by the researchers at: Livefootball.net
For more information refer to Sporthoundz/Soccer
