Beer, Footy And Birds Celebrates its 4 Year Anniversary..

Congratulations to Spain - FIFA World Cup 2010 Winners

Spanish skipper Iker Casillas lifts the FIFA World Cup trophy aloft as he celebrates his sides 1-0 extra-time victory over the Netherlands in Johannesburg tonight.

Andres Iniesta (right) struck a dramatic winner four minutes from the end of extra time to give Spain World Cup glory for the first time, and in turn condem the Netherlands to their third defeat in a final, following defeats to the host nations in 1974 and 1978.
European 2008 champions Spain deserved their victory, after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest which saw referee Howard Webb produce 14 yellow cards, including the dismissal of Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga, sent off for a second bookable offence, seven minutes before Iniesta drilled home the only goal of the game.

Teams:

Spain:
01 Casillas Capt.
03 Pique
05 Puyol (booked)
11 Capdevila (booked)
15 Sergio Ramos (booked)
06 Iniesta (booked)
08 Xavi (booked)
14 Alonso (Fabregas, 87)
16 Busquets
07 Villa (Torres, 105)
18 Pedrito (G Jesus Navas, 60)

Netherlands:

01 Stekelenburg
02 Van Der Wiel (booked)
03 Heitinga (sent-off)
04 Mathijsen (booked)
05 Van Bronckhorst Capt. (booked) (Braafheid, 105)

06 Van Bommel (booked)
08 De Jong (booked) (Van der Vaart, 99)

10 Sneijder
07 Kuyt (Elia, 70)
09 Van Persie (booked)
11 Robben (booked)

Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg, Referee: Howard Webb, Attendance: 84,490

A well-grounded football education - Notts County FC

*Ground Name: Meadow Lane (opened 1910)
*Address: Meadow Lane Stadium, Meadow Lane, Nottingham NG2 3HJ
*Main Club Number: 0115 952 9000
*Club Founded: 1862
*Club Nickname: The Magpies
*Ground Capacity: 19,588
*Current League status: Npower League One
*Official Club Website: www.nottscountyfc.co.uk
*Email address: office@nottscountyfc.co.uk

*Record Attendance: 47,310 vs York City, FA Cup 6th Round, 12th March 1955
*Record League Victory: 11-1 vs Newport County, Division 3 South, 15th Jan 1949
*Nearest Train Station: Nottingham station is a 10-15 min walk from the ground
*Pubs for away fans: Vat and Fiddle, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem and the Brewhouse Yard

The Ground:
County moved to Meadow Lane in 1910, but today it is a modern all-seater stadium with a near 20,000 capacity, excellent views and modern facilities. The Main Stand or Derek Pavis Stand is a single-tier stand that runs the length of the pitch, and houses offices and the changing rooms. At the far end behind the goal is the two-tier Kop. Away fans were housed there until the 2008/09 season. Now away fans are housed in a section of the Jimmy Sirrel Stand, named after the club's greatest manager. The stand runs the length of the pitch and has a flag pole on the front of the roof on the half-way line. Behind the other goal is the single-tier Family Stand. The ground sits on one side of the River Trent, located only 300 metres away from rivals Nottingham Forest's City Ground, which lies on the other side of the River Trent.

Meadow Lane - home of Notts County FC

Rivals:
Fiercest - Nottingham Forest. However, during recent stints in the lower levels of the Football League, rivalry has increased with Nottinghamshire neighbours Mansfield Town. Other clubs sharing local rivalries with Notts County are Derby County, Leicester City and Chesterfield United.

Famous/Celebrity fans:
Kenneth Clarke - Politician (former Chancellor)
Harold Shipman - Britain's worst ever serial killer was a Notts County fan.

Legends that have worn the shirt:
Dixie Dean - 1938–1939
Tommy Lawton - 1947–1951
Tony Hateley - 1958–1963
Jeff Astle - 1959–1964
Les Bradd - 1967–1978
Don Masson - 1968–1974
Mark Draper - 1988–1994
Tommy Johnson - 1989–1992
Also Jimmy Sirrel (Manager): 1969-1975 & 1978-1982

County Villans:
Sam Allardyce (Manager): 1997–1999
Tony Hackworth: 2001–2004
Darren Caskey: 2001–2004

Trivia/Facts:
Notts County are the oldest Football League club in the world, and are founder members of the Football League. They are set to celebrate their 150 year anniversary next year, 2012.

Cray Wanderers, based in Bromley, Kent were founded in 1860 and currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football. If they are ever promoted to the fourth flight, they will take the place of Notts County as the oldest professional team in the world.


# Next time I shall be picking another English Football League club at random, in my efforts to give all my readers the opportunity of 'a well-grounded football education.'

The Trots could hamper Ancelotti - Betting News with Betfred

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It has been a long time since Chelsea have won two games on the bounce in the Premier League, and there is no tougher place to travel to than Bolton Wanderers as they seek to end this slump live on Sky on Monday night.

The Blues have had a high-profile period of struggle in recent months with only two wins out of their last ten in the Premier League. Carlo Ancelotti's side have shown signs of recovery after thrashing Ipswich in the FA Cup and then beating Blackburn last weekend, and the Premier League betting indicates that they are are still in with a chance of landing the title. Betfred currently make Chelsea fourth favourites at 15/2 to lift English football's biggest domestic prize.

The West London side go searching for their first back-to-back Premier League wins since October, when they travel to the Reebok Stadium to take on a Bolton side riding high in the table. The Trotters have only suffered one defeat at home all season, but Ancelotti's men are a short priced 8/13 to take all the points on Monday evening, to keep them in the title hunt.

Chelsea fans will be anxious to learn of the extent of the injury Frank Lampard sustained in training in midweek, and there is no sign of a return to first team action for either Alex or Zhirkov. However confidence in the Chelsea ranks should still be high, as they look to do 'the double' over a Bolton side they beat 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in December.

Bolton have not had the strongest form in recent weeks, with only one win in their last six, but there is no doubting the dangers Owen Coyle's side posses, especially considering some of the football they have played so far this season, and the football odds make them a generous 5/1 with home advantage, to heap more misery on the visitors.

The Trotters have signed David Wheater this week and he could be in contention to make his first start against Chelsea, where he would come up against a Blues forward line that has not been firing on all cylinders recently.

Chelsea know they cannot afford to lose any more games if they want to remain in the Premier League title hunt and they will need to rise to the challenge that will be posed to them by a strong and resolute Bolton side.

My Tip of the Weekend:

As already mentioned Bolton have only lost once at the Reebok Stadium all season and that record will remain intact as this game will be a draw, which is an 11/4 shot.
If you fancy that the game will end 1-1, that is 6/1 with Betfred.
Kevin Davies is a handful for any defence and at 8/1 to open the scoring, he would be a decent shout.

Monday 24th January: Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Caroline Wozniacki - Danish Tennis Babe

Caroline Wozniacki (born 11th July 1990) is a Danish tennis player. As of 11th January 2011, she is ranked World No. 1 on the WTA Tour. She has won twelve WTA singles titles, six of those in 2010 and was the runner-up at the 2009 US Open, losing to Kim Clijsters in the final.

Wozniacki is currently playing in the 2011 Australian Open in Melbourne, where she is the top seed. She defeated Gisela Dulko in the first round 6-3, 6-4, and will face Vania King in the second round tomorrow.

Wozniacki is the daughter of Polish immigrants, Piotr and Anna Wozniacki. Her mother having played on the Polish women's national volleyball team, and her father played professional football. The couple moved to Denmark when Piotr signed for the Danish football club Boldklubben 1909. Her best friend is her fellow Danish tennis player Malou Ejdesgaard, her doubles partner in some WTA tournaments.

Read more at: Caroline's website

Also see: Caroline Wozniacki/Twitter and Caroline Wozniacki/Facebook

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

All of today's latest transfer gossip, as we approach the middle of January and the half way point in the January transfer window. Clubs now have just two more weeks to finalise any transfer deals, whilst other Clubs will be hoping that they can hang on to their better players - at least for the remainder of the season.

Liverpool, Ajax, Hamburg, Chelsea, Wigan, Bayern Munich, CFR Cluj, Lille, Fiorentina, Malaga, Blackburn, Manchester City, Benfica, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham, West Ham, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Boca Juniors, Hoffenheim, Stoke, Lyon, Newcastle, Real Madrid, Brescia, Inter Milan, Everton, Burnley, Plymouth, Blackpool, Barnsley, Crystal Palace, MK Dons, Borussia Dortmund, Southampton, Manchester United, Valencia, Derby, Leicester, Fulham, Sampdoria, Celtic, Carlisle, Leeds, Brann Bergen and Reading..................are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

King Kenny's Liverpool revolution will see a flurry of new signings heading to Anfield. His list of transfer targets are though to include Uruguayan Luis Suárez from Ajax for £15, Hamburg's Dutch forward Eljero Elias (right), Wigan playmaker Charles N'Zogbia, Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge and CFR Cluj hitman Lacina Traoré. Dalglish also wants a midfield enforcer and has an eye on Bayern Munich's Mark van Bommel - The Guardian

Defender Daniel Agger may be one player on his way out of Liverpool, with Fiorentina and Malaga both interested in a £3m deal - The Sun

The Reds may also try and tempt left-back Urby Emanuelson to follow Suarez to Anfield from Ajax while the Lille pair, striker Gervinho and mildfielder Eden Hazard (right) are also on manager Kenny Dalglish's list of targets - Daily Telegraph

Blackburn have signed former star Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City on loan until the end of the season - Skysports.com

Chelsea are close to a £21m deal for Benfica centre-back David Luiz, with right-back Paulo Ferreira moving in the opposite direction. The Premier League champions are also keen on £18m Ajax right-back Gregory van der Wiel - The Mirror

There may be more changes in Chelsea's defence with right-back Jose Bosingwa put up for sale and Atletico Madrid's £15m-rated centre-half Diego Godin in the West London side's sights - Daily Telegraph

AC Milan Sports Director Ariedo Braida has declared: "We always admire the good players, and Bosingwa is one of them, but now we are in stand-by. For the moment there is not a real interest, in June who knows" - Footballpress.net

Birmingham have had a bid accepted by Tottenham for unsettled striker Robbie Keane. The 30-year-old had been heavily linked with a loan move to West Ham, but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp moved to silence that speculation, stressing that any deal must be to buy the striker. The Blues have now emerged as frontrunners to secure Keane's signature after agreeing a £4million fee with Tottenham, which could rise to £6m via various add-ons and clauses in the deal - Skysports.com

West Ham are also now at the head of the queue for £12.5m-rated 'Argentinian wonderkid' Pablo Mouche (right) from Boca Juniors - The Guardian

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has played down reports claiming he is interested in signing Karim Benzema from Real Madrid. Houllier said: "I don't think Benzema will come to Villa. Jose (Mourinho) said he is missing strikers so how can he get rid of one of the only ones he has available at the moment?" - Skysports.com

However Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam does remains a target for Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier. Villa have already seen two bids for the Scot knocked back, but are considering a third approach - Skysports.com

Birmingham, meanwhile, want Brescia striker Andrea Caracciolo - The Guardian

Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba has undergone a medical this morning ahead of a proposed move to Stoke City. Stoke tabled a £5.9m offer for the France born Senegal international, and the German club have granted The Potters permission to discuss terms with the 25-year-old, ahead of his move to the Britannia Stadium - adifferentleague.co.uk

Steven Pienaar's talks over a move to Chelsea have broken down and sources understand the Everton midfielder will sign a pre-contract agreement with a major European club, possibly Atletico Madrid or Inter Milan - Skysports.com

Aston Villa are close to completing a £6.5m deal for midfielder Jean Makoun (right) from Lyon - The Times

Arsenal look set to beat Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United to the signature of Southampton's highly rated teenage midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for £5m - Daily Mail

Arsène Wenger will also tie up a cut-price deal for West Ham central defender Matthew Upson. The Arsenal boss is willing to pay £500,000 for the England centre-back - The Guardian

Everton are set to sign Burnley winger Chris Eagles in a £1.5m deal - The Sun

Blackpool are back in for Plymouth's Bradley Wright-Phillips and Barnsley's Adam Hammill - The Guardian

The agent of Borussia Dortmund's Neven Subotic has told Arsenal they would be wasting their time pursuing the Serbia international defender - Talksport.co.uk

Newcastle are ready to offer Joey Barton a new deal to keep him at St James' Park. Barton, is thought to have attracted the interest of a number of clubs, including Aston Villa and West Ham. The midfielder has 18 months to run on his current contract and Newcastle are planning to give Barton a new deal to ward off interest from his list of suitors - Skysports.com

Crystal Palace today signed Jermaine Easter (right) from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee. The Welsh international has penned a two-and-a-half year contract with South London club - cpfc.co.uk

Valencia have moved to tie down highly-rated winger Juan Mata by extending his contract to 2014 - Skysports.com

Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara has emerged as a target for Italian side Sampdoria - Inside Futbol

Derby County want Leicester striker Martyn Waghorn - The Guardian

Real Madrid have identified Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose as possible cover for the injured Gonzalo Higuain. With their leading marksman set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future after undergoing back surgery, Real are in the market for a proven striker - Skysports.com

Goalkeeper Adam Federici has penned a new two-and-a-half-year contract with Reading - Skysports.com

Celtic have pulled out of a £2m deal for Brann Bergen striker Erik Huseklepp after the Norwegian club asked for more money for the 26-year-old - Daily Record

Carlisle United have signed Lubomir Michalik on an 18-month contract after leaving Leeds United - Skysports.com

The Resurrection of the Home Internationals!

The Football Association will confirm today (11th January) that Vauxhall has signed a four-year deal to be the new sponsor of the England football team, which could in turn lead to the revival of what was the oldest international competition before its demise over a quarter of a century ago - the 'Home International Championships.'

Vauxhall has also signed sponsorship agreements with the three other home nations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Discussions between the home nation associations are ongoing and could lead to a tournament played over three international windows and some seven months, from November 2012 to June 2013, to coincide with the FA's 150th anniversary celebrations. There are aspirations to make it a regular event thereafter, although today FA general secretary Alex Horne poured cold water on the idea it could become a permanent arrangement. "We're talking to the home nations about a possible one-off round of matches with them in 2013, to mark our 150th anniversary," said Horne

The annual competition, last contested in 1984, was a regular fixture on the football calendar for about 100 years.

The interruption of the 1980-81 competition by the troubles in Northern Ireland did not help the championship's cause, nor did repeated bouts of hooliganism.
When England and Scotland fielded weakened teams in 1983-84, the British Home Championship was effectively finished.
Although the England versus Scotland fixture continued for another five years, the extended season and the importance of other tournaments had finally taken its toll.

Over recent years, there have been calls for its return, with only the English FA remaining opposed. However it looks like things are about to change. One of the main reasons for the the English FA's U-turn is seemingly financial.

The FA's finances have been hit hard in recent years by the expense of rebuilding Wembley and the implosion of its broadcast partner Setanta. This has come at a time when the governing body has spent heavily on the likes of Fabio Capello and making an unsuccessful bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Back in 1884 England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were all playing international football. So the idea that they should all play each other in an annual league was a logical step.

Of the 89 tournaments, Wales won the tournament outright seven times and Northern Ireland three, while England and Scotland were far ahead with 34 and 24 wins respectively. Until 1979 titles were decided only on points, and not goal difference. 20 titles were shared as a result, and on one occasion, in 1955-56, the four nations split the title after they all finished on three points apiece.

In 1980-81 there was no winner because England and Wales refused to travel to Belfast owing to civil unrest.

In 1949-50 and 1953-54 the championships were used to decide World Cup qualifiers, with the top two teams going to the finals. However in 1950 Scotland, despite finishing second, opted to stay at home and withdrew from what would have been their first-ever World Cup appearance, a tournament held in Brazil that year.

The 1976-77 Championship came down to the final game between England and Scotland at Wembley. Scotland won the game 2-1, making them champions. A huge pitch invasion by the overjoyed Scottish fans ensued, causing extensive damage ensued as the pitch was ripped up and taken back to Scotland in small pieces, along with one of the broken crossbars!

Nonetheless, the games between these two fiercest of nations provided some of the happiest stories in Scottish football, including the 5-1 victory in 1928 in London and the 3-2 victory on the same ground in 1967, just nine months after England had been crowned World Cup winners.Scotland also suffered some shocking hidings down the years, including a 7-2 defeat in 1955 and a 9-3 hammering in 1961.

Sven has a point to prove to City - FA Cup Betting News with Betfred

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Sven Göran-Eriksson welcomes his former club Manchester City to the Walkers Stadium for an FA Cup third round tie this weekend, looking to get one over on the team that sacked him.

The Swede was the last manager to lead City to the top of the Premier League during his one season in charge at Eastlands. The club cruelly axed him and that was followed by ill-fated stints at Mexico and Notts County before he arrived at Championship side Leicester City earlier this season.

The Premier League club will undoubtedly go into this FA Cup clash as favourites, and are 4/6 in the football betting to get the victory, but Eriksson has yet to taste defeat at the Walkers Stadium during his time in charge.

He has worked to bring in some experienced Premier League performers to Leicester, with striker Darius Vassell (8/1 to score the first goal) also set to line-up against his former employers on Saturday.

City's millionaires are riding high in the Premier League but there are certainly tensions bubbling under the surface at Eastlands and Roberto Mancini has to work very hard to keep tensions under wraps and the training ground a happy place.

Silverware would be welcomed with open arms at Eastlands this season and the club's hierarchy may see the FA Cup as a great chance for the club to get some glory. But it will be interesting to see what side Mancini puts out at Leicester, with the Championship side priced as 9/2 outsiders with Betfred.

The football predictions suggest the home side don't stand a chance, but City have already suffered something of an upset at the hands of West Brom in the Carling Cup this season.

That said even a City reserve side would be expected to steamroller over their Championship opposition. However Leicester are a transformed side under Eriksson, and the Swede will certainly be looking to prove a point to his former employers, who dismissed him in June 2008.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Leicester are a dangerous force at Walkers Stadium and 11/4 for the Championship side to shock their Premier League opponents and get a draw looks a real prospect.
The 6/1 on offer with Betfred that the game ends 1-1 looks appealing.
Also Foxes' top scorer Andy King is a tasty 11/1 to open the scoring on Sunday, and add to the nine goals he has already netted this season.

Sunday 9th January: Leicester City v Manchester City, kick-off 4pm, live on ESPN.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Babe Of The Month - Happy New Year/Prosit Neujahr/Bonne Année/Feliz Año Nuevo/Felice Anno Nuovo/Feliz Ano Novo/Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku/S Novim Godom.

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

All of today's latest transfer gossip, with the transfer window opening this Saturday.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bordeaux, Lazio, Lille, Sevilla, Marseille, Internacional, Gremio, AC Milan, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Aston Villa, CSKA Moscow, Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham, Stoke, Celtic, West Ham, Besiktas, Galatasaray, Blackburn, Everton, Hull, QPR, Reading, Southampton, Leicester, Peterborough and Swindon.............are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

Manchester City are reportedly interested in the services of Real Madrid defender Pepe (right) - AS Newspaper Madrid

Manchester City are ready to make a £7m bid for Bordeaux's former Liverpool midfielder Alou Diarra, once the transfer window opens - talkSPORT radio

Striker Roque Santa Cruz is expected to leave Manchester City for a six-month loan spell at Italian side Lazio as soon as the January transfer window opens, with a view to making the switch permanent - Daily Mail

Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano has confirmed he will be remaining with the side, after being been linked with Marseille and Inter Milan, as well as Copa Libertadores champions Internacional - AS Newspaper Madrid

Liverpool have submitted an offer of £10.7m for Lille's Ivory Coast striker Gervinho (right) - IMScouting.com

AC Milan insist no deal has been agreed to sell Ronaldinho, but an exit appears to be inevitable. However, Brazilian outfit Gremio claim they are closing in on a deal to take Ronaldinho, whose current contract expires at the end of the season, back to the club where his illustrious career began - caughtoffside.com

Mario Balotelli's increasing struggles at Manchester City are being underpinned by chronic homesickness and a dislike of life in England - so much so that the striker wants to return to Italy (after only 5 months in the UK), with AC Milan his preferred destination - Daily Mail/The Guardian/The Sun

Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing a £15 move for CSKA Moscow keeper Igor Akinfeev (right), as the Manchester United boss prepares for life after Edwin Van der Sar, who is expected to hang up his gloves at the end of this season - caughtoffside.com

Michael Owen is set to be shown the door at Old Trafford. The former England International could have his Manchester United career brought to an end as early as next month. United will listen to offers in the January transfer window, with Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier likely to be at the head of the queue for the player he had at Liverpool - Manchester Evening News

Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has told manager Alan Pardew that he is not tempted by a move from St James' Park. Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all harbour an interest in the 21-year-old - The Guardian

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is ready to battle with old club Fulham for Crystal Palace's 18-year-old striker Wilfried Zaha (right), who is valued at about £2m - Daily Mirror

Chelsea are the favourites to sign highly rated Southampton youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Stoke are also interested in the 17-year old - Daily Mail

Harry Redknapp has dismissed reports linking Spurs star Luka Modric with Chelsea - sportinglife.com

Stoke defender Robert Huth plans to reject the chance of a £5m move to Liverpool to stay at the Britannia Stadium - Daily Mirror

Avram Grant insists there's no way he'll allow Scott Parker to leave West Ham in January - sportinglife.com

Swindon striker Charlie Austin (right) says he could leave the club next week, with Celtic, Hull, QPR and Reading all interested in signing the 21-year-old - The Sun

Blackburn Rovers right-back Pascal Chimbonda is being tracked by Turkey's top two clubs, Besiktas and Galatasaray - footballpress.net

Hull City want to follow up moves for Leicester's Matty Fryatt and Peterborough's Aaron McLean with a £2m bid for Everton striker James Vaughan - Daily Mail

Gerard Houllier has confirmed Aston Villa's Steve Sidwell is close to joining West Ham - sportinglife.com

Pardew out to inflict a 'Blue Christmas' on Mancini - Betting News with Betfred

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Alan Pardew could take another massive step in getting the Toon faithful on his side if his Newcastle team can beat Premier League high flyers Manchester City on Boxing Day.

The former West Ham and Southampton boss was not the favoured choice to take over the reigns at St James' Park following the dismissal of Chris Hughton, but in his first game in charge he engineered a 3-1 win over Liverpool. Their game against Birmingham was postponed last weekend due to the snow, so he will have benefited more an extended period in training with his new troops and Newcastle United are 12/5 in the football betting to get the victory.

Roberto Mancini must have hoped City's game had also fallen foul of the weather as he watched his team go down 2-1 to Everton on Monday night. With none of City's rivals for the Premier League title playing, they missed an opportunity to go top of the pile and crank up the pressure on Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

For Pardew it was Newcastle's big players in the shape of Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and new England striker Andy Carroll (11/2 to be first goalscorer against City) - that inspired them to the victory over Anfield, and the boss has been busy refuting suggestions the Newcastle number nine could be out of St James' Park in the New Year.

Despite all the turmoil within in the City camp, there is no doubting the quality and potential there is among the squad - and the Premier League betting makes them 5/4 to win the game.

The outcome of this match is going to hinge on how Newcastle's big players step up on Boxing Day. Nolan, Barton and Carroll, along with their central defensive pairing of Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson will all need to be on tip-top form if Newcastle are to bag all three points.

But Mancini will have instilled in his team the importance of bouncing back from their loss to Everton, and games such as this are ones City should win if they truly consider themselves as contenders to win the Premier League title.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Newcastle should provide a stern test for City and the 23/10 with Betfred for the match to be drawn looks a good option.
Also Carlos Tevez is 4/1 to get the first goal, and he will be a real danger for a Toon defence that on average has conceded more than a goal a game at home this season.
Manchester City are the Premier League's top scorers away from home, so City's goal threat combined with Newcastle's leaky defence makes the 10/11 on offer that there will be a total of 2-3 goals in the game appealing.

Sunday 26th December: Newcastle v Manchester City, kick-off 3pm.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Like the 'Seven Deadly Sins,' here are the 'Seven Worst Gifts' a man can give a woman at Christmas.

Guys, Christmas is approaching fast! We know that many of you like to wait until ten minutes before the shops close on Christmas Eve before attempting to buy those supposedly fantastic gifts for the 'love of your life.'

Remember women are happy to receive gifts! It shows thoughtfulness, time, and effort on your part, and gives women a sense of feeling loved and appreciated. Of course tastes vary, but there are a few offerings that tend to fall short of a women's expectations.

For Christmas you must be very careful when choosing your wife/girlfriend/partner the right gift. Buying the wrong gift can easily send out the wrong message.

Men, please read this list of no-no's carefully, if you value your relationship - don't even consider buying any of the following items for your partner.
This list may well save you a trip to the A & E Department and/or divorce court.
The life you save may be your own!

1/ A Stripper Pole.

It does happen! The wife of a friend of mine took a stripper class to get into shape and her husband shoved a pole under the tree the next year. I know you’re just dying to see what goes on in those classes and you want to see your lady’s new-found talents, but installing one of these in your house will only ensure your disappointment, plus she will have all the ammo she needs to start accusing you of going to strip clubs all the time and not being happy with the 'real' woman in your life.

2/ Fake Designer Anything.

Not quite as bad as a stripper pole, but still lacking in thought.
Buying your wife/girlfriend a fake Ralph Lauren or a fake Gucci handbag is wrong in so many ways!
Do not buy anything off the back of a lorry, or from from a guy named Burt or a woman called Snow Bunny. They will tell you what you want to hear - "this plastic bag is an authentic designer handbag worth £400, yours for £19.99."
Do not believe them, don't fall for it, don't buy it!

3/ Small Appliances.

Or large ones for that matter! Never Give a woman, for Christmas any household appliance that you think will make her life easier. If a woman needs (or even just wants) a new blender, vacuum cleaner, toaster or microwave, they'll go out and buy it for themselves. Appliances just send the wrong message.
For me, it congers up images of the 1950's housewife who wishes to please her man by keeping the house clean and has dinner waiting on the table when he walks through the door.

4/ Stuffed Animals.

I know a percentage of women will disagree with me on this one, but come on ladies! We're not in junior high school anymore. There's a time in a young woman's life where a stuffed animal is an appropriate gift, and it happens to not be when you are a grown up.

5/ Exercise Equipment or Gym Membership.

I don’t care if your chunky wife keeps mentioning how bad she wants to get in shape and she needs a treadmill – she will hate you forever if you stick that baby under the tree. It’s one thing to encourage her big booty to get to the gym and work off her 'baby weight,' but it’s another to stick something under the tree that screams, "You need to slim that lard ass of yours down!"

6/ Car Related Items.

Buying her anything for her car isn’t for her........it’s for you. She doesn’t care that she has no sense of direction, that her car is messy. She doesn’t use that sunshield thingy and she certainly won’t use one of those scraper devices to remove ice, because she will lose it in the mess of her car. She will end up scraping her windows with a credit card like she’s done since the day she was first able to drive.


7/ A Cookbook.

The last thing your woman wants to open up on Christmas morning is a reminder of the huge meal she has to prepare all by herself (mainly because your lazy ass is already drunk from over indulgence the night before)
Unless your significant other is an aspiring chef or just loves to cook and create new dishes frequently, a cookbook is a gift that could be taken the wrong way. They're fun to browse through at first, but quickly loose their appeal, only to be stuck on a shelf to collect dust.


So now that you know what not to buy, I can hear you screaming from the rooftops,"so what the hell do I get her then?"

The trick is to not ask her. Asking her will only ruin the surprise and display to her that you have no idea what to get her. What you need to do is a little research and harness your skills of observation. How do I do that? I hear you ask........

The next time you're watching TV together, take note of any comments she makes during the Ads of any products or items she likes. When you are shopping together, see which shops she veers towards and tries to drag you into. Figure out what her hobbies are and see if you can buy anything to compliment them or anything she needs.

The more creative you are with your gift this Christmas, the more impressed your partner will be. It's not hard, it just takes a little time and effort.

If you've taken the time to ask her friends what she secretly wants, and got it - she will be eternally grateful.......or grateful at least until next Christmas!

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

With the January transfer window less than two weeks away, rumours are rife both at home and abroad as Clubs look to reinforce their squads in an attempt to secure the services of new players for various reasons.
Some managers jobs may be on the line as a result of their teams failure to meet pre-season expectations, whether they were trophy or survival driven. There are unhappy players, owners and fans across Europe, and of course we are in the middle of an global economic recession.

Do clubs have the money to sign new players in an attempt to achieve their goals? Are clubs willing to risk putting themselves into debt in order to fund transfers and players salaries?

Whatever the situation, which varies hugely from club to club the transfer rumour mill is really hotting up!

It is interesting to note that there are some players that look certain to be on the move in January, but their destinations seem to vary according to the source of the rumour!

Manchester City, AC Milan, Barcelona, Wolfsburg, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Celtic, Zenit St Petersburg, Tottenham, Lazio, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle, Blackburn, Everton, West Ham, Blackpool, West Brom, Sunderland, Fulham, Norwich, Sheffield United, Millwall, Southampton and Swindon.............are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

Manchester City are reportedly planning a January move for AC Milan star Ronaldinho. The 30-year-old is thought to be surplus to requirements at the San Siro caughtoffside.com

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has renewed his interest for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko (right) and could offer over 20 million Euros for the Bosnian international. However, the German club officials want more than 30 million Euros - footballpress.net

Manchester City are set to battle Chelsea for the signing of Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko - imscouting.com

Manchester United are also interested in Dzeko and are planning a club-record £35m offer for the 24-year old - caughtoffside.com

West Ham are lining up a January swoop for Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor - The Sun

Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier is ready to resume his pursuit of Joey Barton. He tried to sign Barton for Liverpool when the midfielder was at Manchester City and has joined West Ham in a bid to prise the 28-year-old away from Newcastle in January - Daily Mail

Fulham and Liverpool are interested in 24-year-old Irish midfielder Stephen Ireland, who wants to leave Aston Villa after a recent bust-up with coach Gerard Houllier - footballpress.net

Bayern Munich are lining up a £9m offer for Everton defender Leighton Baines - Daily Mail

Bayern Munich are planning to sign 26-year-old right-back Glen Johnson from Liverpool in January. The England international is valued at 15 million Euros - footballpress.net

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly interested in securing the signing of Zenit St Petersburg's attacking midfielder Danny (right) as well as young Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus and Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Götz - sport360.com

According to Russian media reports, Zenit St Petersburg are tracking Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, and hope to sign him in January - footballpress.net

Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder Denilson is attracting the interest of Spanish giants Barcelona - imscouting.com

The Gunners will use the money from Denilson's sale to Barcelona to fund a move for Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott - Metro

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is planning a double swoop for Tottenham striker Peter Crouch and Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips - caughtoffside.com

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to offer Newcastle £20m for striker Andy Carroll and could use forward Peter Crouch as part of the deal - Daily Express

Birmingham will bid £6m to pinch Tottenham forward Robbie Keane from under the noses of neighbours Aston Villa - The Sun

Blackburn want to start their rebuilding process by signing Blackpool's Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam (right) - Daily Mirror

Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito wants to sign an additional striker in January and one option is Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose 33, who is for sale in January before his contract expires at the end of the season - footballpress.net

West Brom are set to make a January offer for Celtic striker Georgios Samaras - Daily Mail

Celtic's bid to sign Anton Ferdinand next month is set to be scuppered by a defensive crisis at Sunderland - Daily Record

A host of clubs are chasing Norwich midfielder Owain Tudur Jones, including Sheffield United, Millwall, Southampton and Swindon - Skysports.com

Lindsey Vonn - American Alpine Ski Babe

Lindsey Vonn (née Kildow, born 18th October, 1984 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) is a US alpine ski racer.

In 1999, Vonn became the first American female to win at Italy's Trofeo Topolino (for skiers of ages 11–14) where she was victorious in slalom. After climbing through the ranks of the U.S. Ski Team, she made her World Cup debut aged 16 on the 18th November, 2000 in Park City, Utah.

Lindsey Vonn made her Olympic debut at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where she raced in both the slalom and combined in Salt Lake City, coming sixth in the combined.

At her second Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy in 2006, Vonn crashed while training for the downhill race and was evacuated by helicopter and hospitalized overnight. Despite a bruised hip, she returned the following day to compete and finished eighth. The gritty performance earned her the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award, as voted by American fans, fellow Team USA athletes, former U.S. Olympians, and members of the media for 'best representing the Olympic Spirit.'

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn won the gold medal in downhill, the first American woman to do so. She also won bronze in the Super-G (Super Giant Slalom).

She also won three consecutive overall World Cup championships ( in 2008, 2009, 2010), the first American woman and only the second woman ever to accomplish this.

With her Olympic gold and bronze medals, 34 World Cup wins in four disciplines (Downhill, Super G, Slalom and Super-Combined), her two World Championship gold medals and two World Championship silver medals, Lindsey Vonn has become the most successful American woman skier in history.

Read more at: http://www.lindseyvonn.com

Also see: Lindsey Vonn/Facebook and Lindsey Vonn/Twitter

Spurs have a chance to show their credentials - Betting News with Betfred

versus

Tottenham Hotspur can hammer another nail in Chelsea's Premier League title ambitions at White Hart Lane on Sunday, and given Spurs' recent matches there should be no shortage of entertainment in this London derby.

Harry Redknapp's side have impressed in both the Premier League and Champions League so far this season, with their European heroics overshadowing their domestic form on many occasions.

On Sunday they welcome a struggling Chelsea side, that have been knocked off the top of the Premier League table after failing to win any of their last four league games, and seen them collect just five points out of a possible 18, as well as losing in midweek to Marseille in a Champions League tie.

Considering how well Chelsea started the season they have seen a real contrast in fortunes and Spurs could heap more misery on them at White Hart Lane - with the home side priced at 9/5 in the football betting to take all three points.

Spurs boast a wealth of attacking prowess, which has been proven with their average of three goals a game in the Champions League group stages, and they are likely to pose great problems for a Chelsea defence that has looked more fragile in recent weeks, than they have done in a very long time.

Although Spurs have scored goals for fun at times this season, finding the net has been Carlo Ancelotti's problem throughout this poor run. They have not scored more than once in a Premier League game since the end of October and are 6/4 in the Premier League betting to win on Sunday, meaning they will need likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka to step up.

Redknapp told 'Talksport' that Spurs are now at the same level as Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea - and if they are victorious this weekend then not many people can argue with this.

The veteran manager claimed Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon can "cause anybody problems" and the strikers at his disposal mean he sets out to attack teams. Chelsea would need a real turnaround in fortunes to reverse their recent run, and Spurs can close to within one point of their opponents with victory over their fellow Londoners.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Spurs'attacking prowess will prove too strong for Chelsea, and Tottenham to be winning at both half-time and full-time at 4/1 looks great value with Betfred.
Also with Jermaine Defoe fit again the 6/4 on offer with Betfred that he will score at anytime in the match looks a steal.

Sunday 12th December: Tottenham v Chelsea, kick-off 4pm, Live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Part Two of The World's Wackiest Sports - Ferret Legging

What do coal miners do for fun in Yorkshire, England? They partake in a sport that involves these three things: trousers, a ferret, and the ability to endure a fully fanged ferret shoved inside one's trousers.

The sport is surprisingly simple:

Contestants tie their trousers at the ankles, then drop two ferrets inside and fasten their belts to prevent the animals from escaping. The man that lasts the longest wins.

Lest they have sneaky contestants, judges make sure that the ferrets aren't sedated and the contestants aren't drunk. The ferrets must have a mouth's full of teeth - unfiled or otherwise blunted. Their nails mustn't have been clipped. Oh, and in case anyone asks: no underwear, please. The trousers must be loose so the ferret can move from ankle to ankle.

The sport involves little innate talent, except for the ability of ignoring a nasty bite to one's ....... well, you get the picture!

Indeed, before entering a competition, males "whose families are not yet complete" are required to have written permissions from their partners.

The ferrets are occasionally put inside the contestants' shirts in addition to their trousers. An attempt to introduce a female version of the sport—ferret busting, in which female contestants introduced ferrets down their blouses—proved unsuccessful.

So how long do you think people last with ferrets rummaging around in their trousers? A couple of seconds? A few minutes? Half an hour?

On 5 July 1981, retired miner Reg Mellor, from Barnsley, set a new world record time of five hours and twenty-six minutes at the 'Annual Pennine Show' at Holmfirth, Yorkshire. He had practised the sport since his youth, but had received no recognition until he set the new world record.

Mellor, who had hunted with ferrets in the dales outside of Barnsley for many years, had grown accustomed to keeping them in his trousers to keep them warm and dry when out working in the rain. Mellor's "trick" was to ensure that the ferrets were well-fed before they were inserted into his trousers.

Frank Bartlett, a retired headmaster, and Christine Farnsworth, broke Mellor's record in 2010. The pair managed five hours and thirty minutes, raising £1,000 for the Whittington Community First Responders.

Ferret legging has existed for centuries. Following a brief resurgence in popularity during the 1970's, ferret legging has been described as a "dying sport", that according to a 2005 report published in the 'English Northern Echo' newspaper, is being replaced by ferret racing, in which the animals race through a plastic pipe.

Although the sport is now uncommon, you don't have to trek to the coal country of Yorkshire, England to find the sport of ferret legging - a national 'ferret legging' competition has been held at the Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival in Richmond, Virginia, USA, since 2003,

In 2007, the 'Manitoba Ferret Association' held a ferret legging competition in St. Vital Park, Winnipeg, Canada to raise money in support of the organization's shelter for homeless ferrets.

According to Kelly Yager of the 'Manitoba Ferret Association,' the animals actually like small, confined spaces.

Marlene Blackburn, who works with the 'Ferret Rescue League' to ensure that no ferrets are harmed in the sport, claims that during the years the competitions have been held in Richmond no contestant has ever been bitten, although some may get a few scratches.

Jay Lugar, spokesman for the Richmond Highland Games & Celtic Festival, said ferrets are "generally very harmless, fun-loving creatures."

Louis Mahoney of the 'Richmond Times-Dispatch' newspaper said it is "sure to bring a laugh."

The magazine 'Cracked' listed it as the fifth "most baffling" sport in the world.

Rick Reilly, American sportswriter for ESPN, a worldwide leader in sports coverage, tried ferret legging as part of his quest to find "the world's dumbest sport" for a book he published on the 4th May 2010 called "Sports from Hell."