Search: ' La Liga'

Mike Woitalla explores where it all went wrong

One must be careful, when sending out emails, not to hit the wrong button. Take a girls’ soccer coach in Wisconsin. This man claims he in­tended to send the pornographic video of himself to his girlfriend. Instead, the video arrived at the family email address of one of his teenage players and was opened by the girl’s mother. He ain’t coaching anymore. In April 2002, an official of the Women’s United Soccer Assoc­iation (WUSA) made an electronic error of far less egregious proportions. It did, however, shed some light on women’s soccer in the US.

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In the dizzy heights of the Premier League when emotions run high things can get out of hand

Millions of neutrals will have watched the recent Manchester United ver­sus Arsenal match and greatly enjoyed its conclusion – even people who dislike the Premiership for what it represents will have been entertained. They may have been surprised, therefore, to learn that civilisation itself was undermined by what followed a late penalty miss. Sky, of course, were shock­ed by the hounding of Ruud van Nistelrooy and made sure we saw why, repeatedly, from every angle. Revulsion swept through the media – phone-ins were jammed, the tabloids brought out extra large point sizes for their head­lines and the letters pages were full of tearful letters from parents about how their poor children were shocked by what they saw (while they were outside, argu­ing over who was going to play Mar­tin Keown in their reconstruction).

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Dear WSC
Your Blackpool “expert” in the pre-season preview (WSC 199) doesn’t have much chance of getting this season correct if he can’t work out what happened last season. Blackpool didn’t lose home and away to Cardiff – we won 1-0 at Bloomfield Road. And my experiences of Cardiff fans’ hospitality were somewhat different from your expert’s. After the home game we passed a load of Car­diff fans who applauded us on our fine display and victory. As for the away game, a Cardiff supporting friend drove me all the way from our midlands office and back and plied me with drinks before and after the match in a friendly atmosphere at the local rugby club. I know hospitality may have been different if I’d been a fan from some other club with more of a reputation for confrontation, but don’t always believe the stereotyping.
Chris Lowry, Solihull

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Dear WSC
Given that Tranmere finished in seventh position last season, one point off the play-offs, I have to say that I am slightly relieved that Stephen Constantine was not given the chance to help us out of a relegation scrap (WSC 198.) Using football fan logic, does it now follow that our very own Ray Matthias could go one step further than Stephen if he were to take charge of the Nepalese national side, and not just reach the final of the South Asian Federation Cup, but win it too?
John Rooney, via email

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Roman Abramovich's takeover of Chelsea has sent shock waves through football not just in England but across the world. Dan Brennan discusses some of the wilder rumours doing the rounds in Moscow and wonders whether we will have to become accustomed to Russian oligarchs following in Roman's footsteps

Roman Abramovich is undeniably good news for tabloid hacks and T-shirt sellers, but will he be good news for Chelsea Football Club? On the face of it, of course, the injection of his thus far limitless millions, which during the last month have allowed the press to link the Blues to just about every A-list star from six continents, are a supporter’s and a manager’s dream (even if Claudio Ranieri would prefer it if he was asked first). And, if Ken Bates is to be believed, Abramovich’s roubles have saved the club from near extinction. So, for the moment at least, all around him are bowing down to the Roman emperor.

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