Has there ever been a season quite like it in Scottish football? By November 5^th Celtic trailed Old Firm rivals Rangers by 15 points and Neil Lennon was left considering his future. Fast forward just over 3 months and a quick glance at the SPL table reveals Celtic now leading the way by 17 points in a remarkable 32 point swing.  To their credit Celtic overturned the 15 point deficit on merit; regaining top spot with a 1-0 win against Rangers at Celtic Park on 28^th December. The staggering size of their lead now however is, to a significant degree, a result of Rangers’ 10 point deduction following the clubs slide into administration. 

Rangers’ fans would have understandably assumed that there was no feeling worse than a defeat to bitter rivals Celtic, especially one which results in the succession of top spot in the league. Conversely, much, much worse was lurking ominously on the horizon for the Ibrox club as an unpaid tax bill threatens liquidation of the famous 140 year Glasgow club.

In terms of the future of the clubs existence the consequences of Ranger’s financial infidelities remains uncertain with the situation appearing as clear as muddy highland swamp. An assertion illustrated by news that, in addition to Rangers unpaid tax bill, criminal proceedings may follow as the club fail to locate £24million pounds effectively loaned to the club by its fans. Easily done I’m sure you will agree.

A consequence much easier to identify as a result of Ranger’s punishment is the potential for Celtic to win the league in the bitter rivals own backyard, depending on the results of the two Old Firm clubs in their respective fixtures between now and the 17^th March.

Understandable Concerns

This eventuality has been identified as a significant threat to public order by the Strathclyde Police with a fixture re-arrangement the most drastic nullification attempt being touted. In fairness to the Glasgow authorities this is totally understandable especially when considering the unsavoury scenes that marred Scottish footballs flagship fixture last season. Seditious behaviour from both clubs respective playing and coaching staffs including the two clubs current managers was coupled by numerous supporter arrests in and outside the ground in scenes labelled “embarrassing” by the SFA.  

Concerns over public order are even more comprehensible when taking a glance at less immediate Old Firm history. Chaos ensued when Rangers’ historic opportunity to win the SPL at Parkhead in 1999 was greeted with pitch invasions and missiles from the Celtic crowd, one of which struck the head of referee Hugh Dallas in what was a shameful day for Scottish Football.

Yet,  it is this discreditable recent history which makes the potential for Ibrox to be the scene as Celtics triumph an opportunity to create a much needed positive advert for the Scottish game. Although highly unlikely a re-arrangement of the fixture, or even talk of it, almost makes a mockery of the Old Firm and the SPL as its two most famous clubs can’t be trusted to compete against one another in such circumstances. It’s a depressing acceptance that relations between the two halves of Glasgow can never be improved, sectarianism never tempered.

One may deduce that acceptance of the mutual vitriolic hatred even acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy for both sets of supporters, potentially acting up to the Old Firms troubled history.  For the Old Firm and the SFA this is a could instead be seen as case of nothing ventured nothing gained.

Possible Opportunity

An opportunity for Celtic as a club and it’s well respected manager to reach out to their supporters to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, that for sure involves mockery of their rivals and boasts of a 43^rd League title, rightly so even, but leaves overt sectarian hatred at the turnstile. A gesture which can be matched by Rangers’ and there equally respected manager, encouraging counter chants focusing on their superior league title haul of 54 for example, rather than sectarian divisions.

Rangers’ fans would have a chance to separate themselves from the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of their now infamous owners and unlike the aforesaid be a credit to their club. The majority of fans from both sides of Glasgow already are but it is a chance for the misdemeanours of the significant minority to be addressed.

If the situation arises, there is a prospect for Celtic players and coaching staff to greet clinching the title at Ibrox with professionalism and humility as well as joy, whilst avoiding inflammatory celebrations. Similarly, for Rangers’ players there will be a chance to accept defeat in the title race with grace despite inevitable disappointment, an example which can cool supporter’s tensions.

Admittedly, such talk is academic if the situation never rises and in the event that it does the safety of supporters is rightly of paramount importance to the authorities when planning for the fixture. Likewise, such opinion can be easily and even rightly criticised by the fact I’m not Glaswegian, have never experienced the deep rooted social tensions present in Scotland’s biggest city and thus am unrealistic and fanciful to indulge in such unrealistic expectations.

It is important to stress though that this is not an argument for what will happen but instead an illustration of the watershed moment an incident free (off the field at least) Old Firm Derby, in such circumstances, could provide for Scottish Football. After all the negative issues surrounding Scottish footballs most famous clubs over the past two years, it would be a great foundation for a more positive future.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There’s only one more month left in 2011, and it looks like the year will go out with a real bang from a football standpoint.

December features several must-see matches, with a few that will have title implications on top of deciding bragging rights between fierce rivals.

Watch the best of Premier League action this Christmas with Sky HD. Already have Sky? Upgrade to Sky Sports online and save £5. Get Sky HD or upgrade to Sky Sports now.

La Liga: Real Madrid v Barcelona

Few matches on the calendar from here to May will match the anticipation and importance of the two Clasicos.

The importance of the first showdown, which kicks off at 9:00 pm BST on the 10th, may have been amped up even further with Barcelona’s weekend defeat at Getafe, which, combined with Real’s 4-1 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid, sees Real Madrid with a six-point lead at the top through 13 rounds.

Due to their participation in the Club World Cup, Barcelona have two league matches before their visit to the Bernabeu, while Real have one, with their game in hand being on the 17th, a home tie against Espanyol. Provided results go as expected in those matches, a win over Barca could position Real to have a nine-point lead when La Liga play resumes in January.

And though there will be more than 20 rounds left in the season, it’s very difficult to see Barca being able to overcome such a deficit.

On the other hand, if Barca are able to continue their recent dominance of Real, they will at worst be three points back if the other results go as expected, and that’s a far less daunting deficit.

At this point, however, you’d have to favor Real to triumph if there’s a winner in next month’s clash. Not only are the Galacticos in blistering form at the moment, Barcelona have struggled away from home this season, with two wins in six away league matches to date.

Saturday, 10th December 8:30pm on Sky Sports 4 and Sky Sports HD4.

English Premier League: Chelsea v Manchester City

All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge for a massive Monday night match-up, and a lot will be at stake when these two sides face off on 12/12, with the action getting underway at 8:00 pm BST.

Chelsea are currently 10 points behind Manchester City in the English Premier League table, but a win could kick-start a push to get back in the thick of the title mix. A draw, while it would not help their own cause, could help Manchester United, who are currently five back, and in-form Tottenham, who are seven back with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, a win for City would beef up their title credentials, even if the three points doesn’t see them put more distance between themselves and their closest challengers.

Monday, 12th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Manchester City v Arsenal

This match will be one to watch no matter what happens in the above match, but if Chelsea down the league leaders at home, City’s visit from Arsenal the following Sunday will be made all the more important.

Arsenal missed a chance to make up some ground on City and United this past weekend, as they surprisingly drew at home against Fulham. However, the Gunners had won five Premier League matches in a row prior to that stumble, including a 5-3 win at Chelsea in October, so their chances of getting a result at City can’t dismissed.

If City lose at Chelsea, or even draw, more dropped points against Arsenal could see things tighten quite a bit at the top. However, if City win at Chelsea, following it up with a home win over the Gunners could cement their status as title favorites, especially since they will have United, Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all at home in the second half of the season.

Sunday, 18th December 4:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Tottenham v Chelsea

In a rare Thursday night tie, the Premier League’s pre-Christmas slate will wrap up on the 22nd when London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea square off at White Hart Lane.

This is a vital match for both sides, as they are both trying to stay in the title conversation heading into the new year. Many still may not be taking Spurs too seriously, but continuing their current hot streak to and through this match could start convincing some of the skeptics that they are more contender than pretender.

For Chelsea, wins over City and Spurs could not only help them as far as the title race is concerned, but it will also take some pressure off of manager Andre Villas-Boas, who’s been under some heat in the first few months of his tenure at the club. At the same time, defeats in both of those matches will only turn up the pressure on AVB and leave Chelsea needing to make a big run in the second half of the season to come close to reaching Roman Abramovich’s minimum expectations.

Thursday, 22nd December 7:30pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Scottish Premier League: Celtic v Rangers

As is the case every season, Rangers and Celtic are battling it out for the Scottish Premier League title, and the latest Old Firm derby could see momentum move definitively towards either side heading into the new year.

Only a little over a week ago, Rangers, the three-time defending champions, had a 12-point lead over Celtic. But with Rangers drawing at home against St. Johnstone and losing at Kilmarnock and Celtic scoring wins three wins in that span, at Inverness Caley Thistle and at home against Dunfermline and St. Mirren, the lead has been cut to four in a flash.

Both sides have four matches, two home and two away, before they meet on the 28th, and if the deficit remains the same going into the derby, Celtic could close the gap to one with a win, which could be quite a blow to Rangers’ confidence after having a sizable lead only a short time ago. But if Rangers can win at Hampden, it’d help restore some of the lead that they gave up, and it’d also be huge for their confidence going forward.

Wednesday, 28th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Watch Live Football On Sky HD

Don’t miss out on any live Premier League games over the holidays – with Sky Go, you can watch live football wherever you are over the holiday season, on your iPad, iPhone or laptop. Get Sky Go.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Remembrance Sunday having just occurred a few days ago, we reflect on the men who gave their lives to their countries as well as giving their all on the football pitch. Their bravery on the field of play has been superseded by their courage and character on the field of battle even though some of them had little to no military education.

Here we commemorate and honour football’s top 20 war heroes in this list:

1. Bert Trautmann

The list starts with a goalkeeper as this shot-stopper enjoyed a very interesting career in England, particularly since he was WW II German soldier and he played there immediately after the Second World War. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1941 and he quickly gained promotion, firstly as corporal and then as sergeant of his unit. He earned 5 army badges for his superb work to the Germanic cause. However he was imprisoned by the British for his role against them in the war and he most of his sentence in Cheshire.

On his release, he farmed and played football part-time before eventually turning professional with St. Helens for a season. He then transferred to Manchester City in 1949, where he got a very mixed welcome  due to his role in the war. However 15 years later after leaving the Citizens, he etched his name into their history books as one of their finest ‘keepers ever.

He won both the FA Cup and FWA for Player of the year in 1956 on his way to making more than 500 appearances for the Manchester club. He also enjoyed spells in charge of Stockport County, Liberia and Pakistan before retiring from all footballing activities in 1983.

2. Alexander “Sandy” Turnbull

This Scottish striker etched his name into the hearts of the fans of both Manchester clubs in the early 20th century with his goalscoring skill. Having netted 143 goals in 230 Football League appearances, he had a sensational goal to game ratio.

Having won the FA Cup with Manchester City, he crossed the metropolis to join arch-rivals Manchester United where he enjoyed a golden period of success winning two First Division titles, but notably scoring the winner in the 1909 FA Cup final. However his career was cut short by the First World War as his last game came against Sheffield Wednesday in 1915.

He was also later found guilty of match-fixing and received a life-long football ban before joining the armed forces. Having risen to the ranks of Lance Sergeant in the Eight Battalion of the East Surrey regiment in the British Amry, he was killed on 3rd May 1917 in a battle in Arras, France. He was 32 but as a result of his heroic effort overseas, his ban was rescinded in 1919 after the war ended.

3. Eddie Latheron

Affectionately nicknamed ”Pinkie” on the terraces due his red hair and pale complexion, Latheron is remembered as a legend to Blackburn Rovers and a martyr for his country. The inside forward scored 94 goals in 258 appearances for his hometown club and it was this, coupled with his unselfish play that made him a firm fan favourite among the Lancashire faithful. The one-club man helped the Rovers conquer England twice during the 1911-12 and 1913-14 seasons as those First Division titles are his only silverware.

However the outbreak of the war in 1914 compelled him to enlist and within a week after his final game for Blackburn, he was a gunner on the front for the Royal Field Artillery. At 29 years of age, he was killed on 14th October 1917 at the Battle of Passenchendaele. Such is his legendary status, a group of Belgian Blackburn Rovers fans commemorated the striker on the 90th anniversary of his death at his grave located nears Ypres.

4. Vivian Woodward

Woodward was the Lionel Messi of his day when organised soccer began to gain prominence in Britain. Spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea proved fruitful as he yielded 93 goals in 238 appearances. Having also appeared for the English nation side, it was his participation with the Great Britain team in the 1908 and 1912 which garnered him great fame. He captained the team to the gold medal on each occasion.

Woodward enlisted in the army and missed a huge portion of Chelsea’s 1914-15 season. However he was given special leave to attend his team’s FA Cup final but unfortunately Sheffield United beat the Pensioners 3-0 on the day. Having returned to the front for a second spell, his leg was badly injured by a stray grenade in 1916 and thus had to return home for the final time, with his footballing careers also in tatters. Despite being maimed, Vivian lived on until he was 74 years of age in 1954 and he will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the beautiful game.

5. Walter Tull

Tull was the inaugural man who broke so much new ground up until his premature death in 1918 at the age of 29. The second ever mixed-heritage football player to ply his trade professionally in the English First Division, after signing with Tottenham Hotspur. However he has a short and unhappy time there as racial abuse seriously affected him and thus he moved to Northampton Town for a ”substantial fee.” In 3 years, he accumulated 110 games with the Cobblers, scoring 9 goals in that time-span.

When war broke out in 1914, he was the first Northampton player to enlist in the armed forces. Despite even more racial problems in the British army, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant, the first mixed-race men to do so. Having heroically fought through the Battle of the Somme, he met his end on 25th March 1918. He was gunned down in the Pas-de-Calais but his body was never recovered from that gruesome scene. Tull was recognised for his outstanding efforts to his country as he was posthumously awarded the military cross for his bravery on the front.

6. Fritz Walter

For anyone who thinks football’s a waste of time, tell them it saved this man’s life. Walter was enjoying a brilliant career with Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga before having been conscripted to join the Nazi forces in 1942, where the forward was to fight for Germany.

However near the end of the war, he ended up being a POW after being captured by Hungarian soldiers. He wowed the guards with his exceptional skill but the time then came for him to be moved to another camp in the Soviet Union, where life expectancy was just 5 years and the guards would be more brutal.

However a football-loving Hungarian guard intervened at the last second and saved his life by aiding him in getting him out of the transfer to the Union and thus being fortuitously released from prison.

On his return to football, he restarted his career with Kaiserslautern and he retired from them in 1959 having scored a mind-boggling 380 goals in 411 appearances. Walter also won the German championship twice with his hometown club.  He also captained West Germany to their first World Cup victory in 1954, ironically over Hungary, the same nation where the guards came from who let him free.

7. Harry Goslin

A folklore legend for Bolton Wanderers, Goslin was also a sensational patriot to his country when he gave his life to the Allies during the Second World War. On turning professional in 1930, he joined the northern club for just £25 and he enjoyed nine years with the club scoring 23 goals in 306 appearances despite playing as a defender all his life. Before war broke out in 1939, he announced Bolton’s entire team would be joining the army.

When it did, Goslin led his team-mates in the fight against the Germans and their allies.  Within three years, his leadership qualities on the pitch transferred onto the battle field as he became sergeant in 1942. He also played a pivotal role in the withdrawal of troops from Dunkirk in that same year. However while traversing through Italy, he was seriously wounded by a mortar explosion under a tree. He bravely battled to live on four days after suffering the injury but lost his life on 18th December 1943.

8. Fred Griffiths

This Welsh goalkeeper enjoyed a long and varied career having been on the books of 12 clubs as well as earning 2 caps for his country. Having the honour of playing for big London clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, he was renowned for being a reliable man to have between the sticks but unfortunately this never translated into any major trophies.

After his retirement, he spent his time training local teams near his home in Presteigne, Wales. And despite being one year above the conscription age, (41 was the conscription age at the time) he felt compelled to fight for his country’s future when he enlisted with the British army in 1915.

He became sergeant within his rank, the 15th Battalion of Sherwood Foresters, before dying at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 at the age of 44.

9. Lev Yashin

Widely regarded as the best goalkeeper all-time, Yashin made his name Dynamo Moscow and the old Soviet Union during a trophy-laden 20 year career with each team. At just 12 years of age, in 1941, he began helping the Soviet Union in the only way he could in the war effort. Too young to fight on the front, the teenager went to work in the factories manufacturing arms, vehicle parts and more.

Yashin was finally able to begin his professional footballing career as a 21-year-old with Dynamo Msocow in 1950. With them he won the Soviet Top League 5 times and the Soviet Cup 3 times. He also helped him national team to continental glory by winning the 1964 European Championship with them as well capturing gold at the Olympics.

He made 324 appearances at club level, 78 at international level and was known as the ”Black Spider” around the world due to his amazing ability to save virtually goal-bound shots. His death came prematurely in 1990 when during relatively simple surgery on his knee went wrong and he passed away due to complications.

10. Ferenc Puskas

The Real Madrid and Hungary legend was remembered as a goalscoring phenomenon during his footballing career. However due to Hungarian law, he was conscripted to join their army and although never participating in infantry work, he rose through the ranks to become major. It was a combination of his rank and his footballing prowess while playing in the armed forces that earned him his lifelong nickname ”The Galloping Major.”

Puskas is revered around the world for scoring an incredible 157 goals in just 182 appearances for Los Blancos, where he additionally won 4 Pichichi awards during his Spanish stay. And he also netted 84 strikes in 85 games for the Hungarian national team in a truly remarkable playing career.

Having taken various coaching positions ranging from North America, Asia, Europe and even Australia, he briefly coached his nation during a four game spell. Puskas died on 17th November 2006 at the age of 79.

11. Ted Drake

The diminutive English striker’s playing career began with Southampton but blossomed with Arsenal during his 14 years in football. Scoring a handsome sum of 47 goals in 71 games for the Saints, he captured the eye of the Londoners, who signed the forward in 1934. He scored 124 goals in 167 games while at Highbury, with his finest game coming against Aston Villa. Drake netted 7 times in that single match, which is a record that still stands today in England’s top flight.

As well as winning two First Division titles with the north London side, he added a FA Cup medal to his collection. After periods in management at the helm of Hendon and Reading, he took charge of Chelsea Football club and guided them to their first ever championship in 1956. The end of his time at Arsenal was severely disrupted due to his participation with the Royal Air Force which restricted him to a handful of games during the war years. His playing career was prematurely ended in 1945 due to a spinal injury.

12. Stan Mortenson

Although this particular striker managed to only garner one trophy in his 21 year career, he was the man who led his country during a very difficult post-war era as well as being ridiculously lucky to have been able to play the game once you learn his story. Before he became the prolific striker that he is famous for, he began his wartime efforts in 1939 as a wireless operator.

Mortenson was involved in a disastrous air crash that same year when every single passenger onboard was killed except Stan. However even despite the injuries he sustained, he managed to carve himself a career out of professional football in the post-war era. Stints at Southport, Bath City and Lancaster City followed a golden spell that he enjoyed with Blackpool.

He scored 197 goals in 317 games for the side in a 14 year period (the first four of those being slightly disrupted by war commitments.) He also netted a remarkable 23 goals in 25 appearance for England as he helped put a smile back on his nation’s face after a long, depressing war.

13. Willie Thornton

Considered to be one of the greatest Scottish players of all time, Thornton was a prolific striker for Rangers during his 18 year career at the club, which book-ended his involvement in World War II. Debuting for the Glaswegian giants in 1936 at just 16 years of age, the striker enjoyed adulation from fans for his lethal touch in front of goal.  However his fledgling career was brought to a temporary end in 1939 due to outbreak of the war.

He joined the Scottish Horse regiment and as a result of his “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire,” he was awarded a Military Medal for helping to defeat Germany on the battlefield. By the time of his retirement in 1954, he was well-known throughout Britain and he finished his career with 138 goals in a mere 219 appearances. He then became a manager of Dundee United and Partick Thistle for 5 and 9 years respectively where he had modest success.

14. Wilf Mannion

”The Golden Boy” as he was known as in his native Middlesbrough due to his streak of blond hair, endured a mixed time on Teeside but nothing negative can be said about his commitment to the British cause during the Second World War.  The inside forward played more than 350 times for Boro, scoring 99 times in his long career there but went on strike and retired in a bid to finally leave the club.

Although the reasons for his discontent are unknown, his dedication while playing was second to none, as he was with England, netting 11 times in his 26 appearances for his nation. He joined the war effort in 1940 and he was a key solider in the Siege of Sicily that occurred in 1943. Shortly after that he was allowed to return home and continue his footballing career. After the war, he joined Hull City and Cambridge United and perhaps his finest moment was being a member of the English squad for the 1950 World Cup in a career particularly special due to it’s amazing 24 year longevity.

15. Frank Buckley

Buckley took a more unusual route as he created a unique career in the game. Having joined the army as a teenager, he left by the time he was 20 in order to forge a football life for himself. He played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa before the outbreak of World War I. He was commander of the Football Battalion for a large of the war and thanks to his previous stint in the armed forces, he rose through the ranks rapidly and eventually became a major.

However he was badly injured in the Battle of the Somme and returned to restart his football career. With the war finished, he managed many football clubs including Leeds United where he introduced the legendary Jack Charlton to his first taste of professional action. Overall, he spent nearly 50 years in his long and distinguished life in football.

16. William Angus

The word hero was conjured up exactly for this incredible man. With his footballing career cut short due to the declaration of war in Europe in 1914, Angus wasted no time in signing up and he was immediately mobilised out to the action. Before his war efforts, he played once for Celtic but left them for lack of first team opportunities. He was the captain Wilshaw Thistle when war was announced and within weeks, he had joined the 8th Royal Scots regiment.

His finest hour came a year after joining when he saw a comrade lying in a trench within the range of their enemies. Angus fearlessly went to save his fellow soldier and received 40 wounds for his courageous act, losing his left eye and part of his foot being his most serious injuries. Two months later as he was recovering, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award possible for a British solider.

17. Bernard Vann

Another man who was equally brave in the face of danger, Vann was also a recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross for his valiant accomplishments while defending his nation. His football career was all over by 1907 at the tender age of 20 but he made appearances for Burton United and Derby County in his brief time on the football field. He then ordained to become a minister from the famous-named Jesus College but his chaplaincy was cut short due to be called upon for the war effort.

Having become a Lieutenant General, he earned his Victoria Cross by leading his subordinate troops into the face of death as his leadership qualities shone through impeccably. Rushing up to the line of fire, he surprised several German soldiers and disarmed three of them as he led his regiment on a crucial advance on enemy territory. However Vann missed the end of the war by a mere 4 weeks as he was shot by a sniper rifle in France on 3rd October 1918.

18. Billy Gerrish

William ”Billy” Gerrish was yet another tragic story which began on the football field and ended when he was fighting the front. An extremely promising young striker for Aston Villa, he scored on his debut against Arsenal and added to that with an even more impressive achievement by claiming a hat-trick against Chelsea. In his first season with the club, he helped them to win the First Division.

However he failed to live up to his full potential when World War I broke out and he was to join the British army. Having enlisted in the Footballers Battaltion Middlesex regiment, he lasted less than two years abroad. He was killed on 8th August 1916. In all, there were 40 other Aston Villa players who died as a result of their participation in that war, one of the highest of all the clubs in Britain.

19. Charlie Buchan

This beanpole striker was another goalscoring phenomenon who had his magnificent career due to his country’s involvement in keeping the peace abroad. Despite missing a fair chunk of his 14 years on the books at Sunderland, he racked up an impressive 209 goals in 370 appearances with the Black Cats.

He enlisted in the war effort as soon as it began in 1914 and by the time of Britain’s victory in 1918, he had been promoted to second lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters regiment. He was also a recipient of the Military Medal. On his return to football, he rejoined Sunderland until 1925 when he transferred to Arsenal.

With them, he was equally prolific, scoring 49 times during the 102 games that he donned the famous red shirt. He wrote one of the first football manual’s, was a distinguished journalist and commentated on matches for the BBC for the remainder of his life up until his peaceful death in 1960.

20. Nikita Simonyan

This legendary Russian football man was too young to actively take part in World War II. However when the soldiers rolled into his town, he helped ease the pressure and stress of war life by organising football matches. The military personnel thoroughly enjoyed these breaks from the endless killings and Simonyan then realised football would become a focal point for the remainder of his life.

He has become one of the most successful Russian footballers of all-time by winning the golden boot in the Soviet Top League on three occasions.  He won the Soviet Top League seven times in total as a player and manager of clubs as well as on the victorious side of the Soviet Cup six times. His career reached its pinnacle when he was part of the Soviet Union team which won the 1956 Olympic gold medal in football. And just earlier this year, his efforts of nullifying tension between Russians and Armenians were rewarded by the President of Armenia during a ceremony.

You can contribute to this list in the comments below or by emailing us. If you like this list, you will find more football lists here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Football has always thrown up rivalries, mostly between two or more side’s that inhabit a city. Liverpool and Everton, Manchester United and City, Glasgow Rangers and Celtic all are at loggerheads with each other and are constantly looking for bragging rights in their individual battles. However there are also rivalries between cities, with the north and south of England seemingly having a divide and pride at stake.

In Scotland there is a friendly competition between Edinburgh and Glasgow, not only in sport but in life – but which is Britain’s most successful football city?

Below are the combined trophy hauls of the clubs from each of the major footballing cities in England and Scotland.

England

London

Number of teams: 14 in football league – five currently in Premier League – QPR, Fulham, Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea
Domestic – League Titles – 19, FA Cups – 29, League Cups – 11, Total – 59
European – Champions League – 0, Europa League – 2 , Cup Winners Cup – 4, Total – 6
Combined – 67 trophies

Manchester

Number of teams: 2 in football league – two currently in Premier League – Manchester United and City
League Titles – 21, FA Cups – 16, League Cups – 6, Total – 43
European – Champions League / European Cup – 3, Europa League / UEFA Cup – 1 , Cup Winners Cup – 2, Total – 6
Combined – 49 trophies

Liverpool

Number of teams: 3 in football league, two currently in Premier League – Liverpool and Everton
League Titles: 27, FA Cups – 12, League Cups – 9, Total -48
European – Champions League / European Cup – 5, Europa League / UEFA Cup – 3 , Cup Winners Cup – 1, Total – 9
Combined – 57 trophies

The tallies show that London is England’s most successful city by number of trophies, with the additional number of teams ensuring dominance over Liverpool and Manchester, who only have two major teams each. The Merseyside city will be keen to exert superiority over it’s Mancunian neighbours, as the teams involved view each other as a local derby and travel insurance is need for away games. Liverpool also can claim to have been the dwelling place of the most top flight league wins, and the most European successes with travel money being splurged by the fans, but is ousted from the top of the list by their lower cup triumphs.

Scotland

Glasgow

Number of teams: 4 in football league, two currently in SPL – Rangers and Celtic
League Titles – 96, Scottish Cups – 68, League Cups – 41, Total – 205
European – Champions League / European Cup – 1, Europa League / UEFA Cup – 0  , Cup Winners Cup – 1, Total – 2
Combined trophies – 207

Edinburgh

Number of teams: 2 in football league, two currently in SPL – Hearts and Hibs
League Titles – 8, Scottish Cups – 9, League Cups – 7, Total – 24
European – Champions League – 0, Europa League – 0 , Cup Winners Cup – 0, Total – 0
Combined trophies – 24

Rangers and Celtic have dominated Scottish football since their inception, and their combined trophy cabinets are bulging at the seams. Their 208 combined victories totally outstrip Hearts and Hibs’ 24, and will be a source of pride for the west coast city.

The duo’s dominance also make Glasgow football most successful city, and with the stranglehold the sides have on the game north of the border, this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

SPL’s defending champions Rangers have revealed their 2011/2012 kits.

The Umbro manufactured home shirt is blue with a white collar and a white band with red borders around the shoulders.

Rangers will wear white shorts and red and black socks.

The away shirt is red with blue and white stripes going across the chest. The stripes also contain the Umbro logo and the club emblem in red.

The sponsor logo is placed under the stripes.

Image 1 of 4
Rangers 2011/12 Home Kit

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Player transfer fees and their larger than life wage bills are a common topic of discussion for a football fan of today. From Wayne Rooney threatening to quit to oil-rich owners going on shopping sprees, the footballers have now become spoilt and they now know that their high demands will be met at their current club or the next.

It is especially easy to get a huge wage offer for those who possess skill and/or experience. Yaya Toure moved from Spain to England with a wage demand that even England’s best Rooney was not getting at the time.

For the smaller clubs, it has become far more difficult to move into the top-flight and pose a threat to the top teams in their own country, let alone go on a Euro trip.

We have taken the liberty to skim out the football clubs out of the ESPN’s 200 best-paying teams in the world and present a list to you of 66 best-paying football teams in the world.

If you’re gifted with football, this is who will show you the money:

The Leagues and Countries: Bundesliga (Germany), EPL (English Premier League, England), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy) & SPL (Scottish Premier League, Scotland).

Also see: Best Paid Footballers By Country

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Last night’s Champions League tie between Rangers and Manchester United wasn’t one that’s going to live long in the memory, thanks largely to Walter Smith‘s propensity for forming an 10-man meat barrier in front of his side’s goal whenever they venture to play outside of the comforting confines of the SPL.

Not to say that Rangers didn’t play well. They merely adopted an undoubtedly effective, though otherwise utterly sterile, manner in which to go about their drab business and the sheer mental discipline they displayed in sustaining focus on such mind-numbing anti-tactics was admirable. Hats off.

As a disillusioned neutral, the game will loom large in my recollection for one reason, and one reason alone.

Mid-way through the first-half, for the first time in living memory, United’s short-sighted, asthmatic midfield schemer Paul Scholes entered into a full-blooded sliding tackle and not only took the ball cleanly, but also managed to escape any kind of disciplinary action – after 16 long years of fruitless endeavour, ‘Scholesy’ finally got one right!

Other than the aforementioned momentous milestone, there’s not really an awful lot left to report other than an inordinate amount of defensive stifling and a peppering of anti-climatic, meandering counter-attacks.

The gelatinous stalemate was finally dissolved with the awarding of an 87th minute penalty, when Rangers’ midfielder Steven Naismith, attempting to volley a cross clear, inadvertently belted marauding United left-back Fabio‘s tousled head clean off his shoulders. Under stringent FIFA/UEFA laws, Naismith then received the obligatory yellow card that ‘attempted decapitation of an opponent’ seems to carry with it these days.

Rooney dispatches his 'courageous' penalty

From amidst a hail of Scotch boos, United’s wayward wünderkind Wayne Rooney, making his first start for nearly two calendar months, emerged to sweep home from the spot – booking his side’s passage into the Champions League knockout stages in the process.

In truth, Rooney endured a fairly quiet night, coming close on a few, sparse occasions but never really troubling the numerous members of Rangers’ choked defensive line – bar a fine first-half header that clipped the bar on it’s way over the top.

Still, as is his predilection for the slightly over-protective accolade, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was beaming with praise for the testicular fortitude shown by his insubordinate protege:

“It took a lot of courage to take the penalty kick. It was not an easy night, he missed a couple of chances but that’s what you expect with the rustiness in his game.

Every time he scores a goal he wants to celebrate with the fans and players. We are pleased for him, although he’s got a bit to go fitness-wise.

He’s not had an easy night, he’s missed a couple of chances but that’s what we expected. He’s rusty, he needs games; that’s obvious, but it’s a start for him. We need him to keep playing 90 minutes and that will continue now.”

After the last three months of endless, inane negativity, Rooney himself is just glad to be commenting on his football again – telling a post-match reporter:

“I had to wait quite a long time to take the penalty, but I knew what I was doing and where I was going with it. It didn’t bother me too much.

There weren’t any nerves but it was a relief for me to score and hopefully now I can build on this. I felt good through the game. I felt fit and I want to go on a goalscoring run now.”

Upon scoring the penalty, a United fan vaulted the advertising hoardings to celebrate with Rooney on the pitch. Whilst many took to admonishing the security staff for their lapse, the man himself saw it as a positive gesture of solidarity:

“I wanted to celebrate with our fans so I went over to them and a fan jumped on me. It was a nice feeling to be back to that.

It was quite a frustrating night until then and we were thankful to get the win in the end. It was a job well done. [Rangers] got a lot of men behind the ball and made it difficult for us and it was hard to break them down.”

Now, call me a cynic but I’m not sure that a single, brief bout of vein-straining howls are going to be quite enough to restore Rooney to the level of esteem in which he was once held by the United faithful.

It’s just this horribly messy business of the £50-odd million he’s successfully managed to extort from the club’s debt-strewn coffers of late that leads me to think otherwise.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The fans are getting excited and there is a growing sense of optimism that a last 16 place could be secured.

Those inside Ibrox, meanwhile, are rightly remaining grounded and are not proclaiming any outrageous or ambitious plans.

The narrow victory against the Turkish champions Bursaspor is an excellent result for Rangers, and they now sit proudly at the top of the group with Manchester United on four points.

Valencia are poised just one point behind after losing a late goal against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but more importantly, Bursaspor are pointless, goalless and four points adrift of the Ibrox side.

Before the competition kicked off a little over two weeks ago, many Scottish media outlets had written off Rangers hopes of achieving anything from Europe this year. Despite being known for unnecessary negativity, they were correct in their opinions this year.

Scottish football has struggled for any sort of respectability over the last couple of years, and the group Rangers were pitched in looked like a tough one. Last year’s dismal performances and results against arguably a weaker section led many to believe Rangers were just here to make up the numbers, collect their healthy looking cheque and stagger off home to the SPL.

However, Walter Smith’s ultra negative approach is paying dividends once again.

Ok, it would be foolish to claim that Rangers have all but secured third spot in the group, with second easily attainable. You only need to look back to their campaigns in 2000 and 2007. Here, Rangers started well – winning both their opening games but still failing to qualify for the last 16.

And the same could happen again. Back in 2007 they lost their last three games after picking up seven from the opening ones.  Looking at the four games left, there is a chance that they could lose them all.

However, Bursaspor did not look like the team they were built to be last night. They looked bereft of attacking talent and never once looked likely of even testing Allan McGregor’s goal. With a double header against Manchester United coming up, followed by a trip to the Mestalla to face Valencia, it is difficult to see where they will collect the points required to topple over the Scottish champions

So going from this, Rangers should be odds on favourites to finish in a Europa League spot. This would be a good achievement, especially after the disastrous run from last year.

But they shouldn’t just stop at that. While many will scoff at the idea of having dreams for better, they are just jealous of the unexpected initial success from the Ibrox side. What is wrong with aiming for the dizzy heights? If you come up just short, you still land with a prize more than acceptable for most.

The next two matches against Valencia, obviously, are crucial, and they will present Smith’s troops with the opportunity to create a bit of history inside Ibrox. Two draws would, in actual fact, be another fantastic feat. It would keep them ahead of their Spanish rivals going into the last two games, and the home clash against Manchester United would have an extra dimension attached to it.

And Rangers are capable of doing it.

Any side that goes to Old Trafford and wins a point must not be taken lightly. The way Rangers are set-up this year, similar to the UEFA Cup run two and a half years ago, means they can go anywhere and get a result.

And if this Rangers side can achieve the improbable, then it will give Scottish football a great lift. One it desperately needs.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

‘Parking the bus’ has become a familiar phrase when talking about Rangers in Europe and Walter Smith’s men secured a superb 0-0 at Old Trafford with a resilient display.

Davie Weir and Rangers frustrated Man United in Matchday One

The Champions League makes an eagerly-anticipated return to Ibrox with Turkish champions Bursaspor the visitors on Wednesday night. The SPL champions endured a horrific campaign at Ibrox last season with two 4-1 defeats and a 2-0 loss to VFB Stuttgart. However, the Gers have made an impressive start to the SPL season with 6 wins from 6 games including wins at Hibernian and Aberdeen.

Wednesday night could be one of the major deciding factors in whether Rangers progress to the next stage or to the Europa League. Rangers will be aware this is potentially a ‘must-win’ game against Pot 4 Bursaspor. Last year, Walter Smith decided to ‘park the bus’ against Romanian minnows Unirea Urziceni and it was a decision that would come back to bite his bottom. Obviously, Bursaspor are a better side than Unirea after their amazing achievement to win the Turkish SuperLig but Rangers will still need to treat it like a game they have to win.

Midfielder Steven Davis is a major doubt for Wednesday’s clash after picking up a hamstring injury during Rangers’ 3-2 win at Pittodrie. The Northern Irish international is an integral part of the Rangers side and his second-half performance was key to Rangers’ impressive comeback against Aberdeen. Striker James Beattie and youngster John Fleck will not be involved in Wednesday’s squad and Walter Smith will also be without £4m striker Nikica Jelavic who is ineligible.

Weiss and Miller will be crucial for Rangers against Bursaspor

Whether Davis plays or not might decide how Rangers get on against Bursaspor but the starting tactics from Smith will be the major factor in the scoreline. To his advantage, Smith has a natural attacking midfielder in Vladimir Weiss who is the type of player that could set Ibrox alight in the Champions League. Weiss was benched against Manchester United, but with the onus on Rangers to get a home result they will have to field their talented Slovakian against the Turkish side. Filling the hole that Davis would normally occupy is another decision that will need to be made by Smith. Steven Naismith has shown his versatility in being able to slot into any midfield position and his energy could mean he will slot in to central midfield alongside Lee McCulloch and Maurice Edu. Replacing Naismith on the right of midfield could be Steven Whittaker or Kyle Lafferty but an outsider could be Kyle Hutton who put in an excellent performance against Dunfermline last week and he’d be a straight swap for Davis in the middle.

The Turkish side will be relatively unknown to Rangers and they will be hoping that Bursaspor don’t have the same fortunes as Unirea, Sevilla and Stuttgart last season. Rangers coach Iain Durrant has been to Turkey to watch the in-form side and he has pin-pointed the wider areas where Rangers could hurt Bursa as they have two attacking full-backs in Gokcek Vederson and Ali Tandogan. On the flank is arguably Bursa’s star man in Volkan Sen who will need to be watched carefully by Rangers on Wednesday. In attack is talisman Sercan Yildirim who is one of Turkey’s highly-rated youngsters.

The feel-good factor has arrived back at Ibrox with some good displays this season and a sack of goals. Without Jelavic, Rangers will need to step up and adapt to their new system and SPL top-goalscorer Kenny Miller will be relied on to score the important goals to add to Rangers’ good start in the Champions League.

Watch Champions League Live Online

You can watch Champions League matches live online as well as hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our live Champions League football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Alot has been made about Fergie’s dramatic change in personnel from the League draw at Goodison Park on Saturday to the Champions League game against Rangers three days later. For those of you who missed it, here are the two line-ups:

Everton

(11th September)

Van der saar

Neville

Evans

Vidic

Evra

O’Shea

Scholes

Fletcher*

Giggs

Nani

Berbatov

Rangers

(14th September)

Kuszczak

Brown

Ferdinand

Smalling

Fabio

Valencia

Gibson

Fletcher*

Park

Hernandez

Rooney

*(Fletcher being the only player to keep his place)

So did Ferguson make a mistake this summer? Especially in failing to bring in the likes of Ozil and Sneijder? Or will the wise old man of football – one footballs greatest ever managers with an unparalleled knowledge of the transfer market – prove us all wrong and turn each one of those understated signings into legends. Of course, only time will tell.

Early days for sure. But one thing is certain about our current state of mind on the field: we’re nervous and seriously lacking fluidity. Unable to kill games off and worryingly unable – on the evidence of Tuesday night – to find an alternative, innovative attacking route once our initial approach has failed.

Something needs to be done, and I don’t necessarily think it’s got anything to do with the players. The player’s as we know are class. But the flow, confidence and overall quality is not quite.

Poor team selection? Poor tactics? Lack of decent summer signings? A mixture of all three?

What does everyone else think??

Also see: Read the latest Manchester vs Liverpool Match Preview.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News