The world wide game of football that we all love and watch every Saturday afternoon but nobody knows the history of football and the Grass roots of English football and were it all began.

It was first born in 1863 in London the game was taken over to France the first ever international football match was played between England and Scotland This game was played under the football association rules the match was won by England the football league structure was introduced in 1888 by Aston villa director William McGregor

There was twelve founder members of the first football league Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, Bolton wanders, Accrington, Everton, and Preston north end all from Lancashire then there was six included from the midlands Derby county, Nott’s county, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The football association cup commonly known as the FA cup was first formed in 1871 to run alongside the league. Early domination of the beautiful game came from Manchester Utd and then Liverpool FC took over the mantle for a while winning the league title twice in 1901 and 1906.

Everton enjoyed some success winning the FA cup in 1906 arsenal won two titles in the early fifties and the FA cup in 1953 but slacked off for two decades.

Liverpool suffered the same fate Manchester Utd then took over winning the title in 1952, 1956, and 1957 in 1958 there was the tragic Munich air disaster killing eight players it took another twenty six years before there was more league success.

Liverpool enjoyed massive success in the early seventies and whole off the eighties and until the early nineties. Winning the league title eighteen times, FA cup seven times, European cup five times, league cup seven times. Just about everything you could as a club side and enjoyed massive European success in 1977,1978,1981,1984,And 2005 making them the most successful English club side in Europe.

Manchester Utd has dominated the league title since with Chelsea and arsenal chipping in too Chelsea could be the team to take over the mantle from Manchester Utd and Liverpool close behind.

England last won the Cup in 1966 and there has never been a better opportunity to repeat this achievement than in 2010. A popular destination for holiday makers and ex-pats alike, South Africa provides glorious weather and a favourable exchange rate. As at any tournament there will be great support for the England side, but this tournament could be extra special.

The Barclays Premier League is extremely popular in South Africa and the stands are guaranteed to be full of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal colours when the English side takes the field. Show your support for the national side – visit the Empire Stores Football Fever promotion for everything you’ll need to recreate the magical atmosphere of the first big African football tournament right here in the UK.

Transform your garden into a dedicated ‘Football Fan Zone’ with a wide selection of garden tools and outdoor accessories. Invite the neighbours, friends, family and fellow football fans for a barbecue and make the most of the English summer whilst supporting the team. Be sure to capture all the excitement and the moment of victory using a digital camcorder. Celebrate the victories late into the night after enjoying the games and a delicious barbecue dinner.

The England side offers fans more hope than ever with one of the most talented squads participating in the tournament. With Wayne Rooney spearheading an attack supported by Frank Lampard, Ashley Young, James Milner and Steven Gerrard, England has the ability to dominate any opponent they face. With a midfield that roams freely, a stout defence is imperative. Rio Ferdinand and John Terry provide the solidity required to ensure no gaping holes form in the middle of the park. With two of the best fullbacks in the game today in Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson, the side will also not be lacking in width and quality crosses for the goal-hungry midfielders and strikers to prey on.

Coach Fabio Capello has given England a tactical advantage by selecting the Royal Bafokeng Stadium as the team’s ‘home base’. Its altitude provides the opportunity for players to acclimatise to the lower levels of oxygen in the in-land atmosphere. Following a training camp in Austria to acclimatise to high altitude conditions, the side should be fully prepared. The Royal Bafokeng Stadium was voted the best training facility in the country and England’s decision to make it the side’s ‘home away from home’ speaks volumes of their intentions.

As the football kicks off soon, now is the time to take full advantage of the unbeatable deals on offer at the Empire Stores Football Fever promotion. Give your garden a facelift by creating a dedicated ‘Supporter Zone’ during the tournament and provide your support for the English side. When it’s all said and done and the African dust has settled, your upgraded garden will still be there for you to enjoy with friends and family.

OK the guy is not quite a kid but he seems to have transformed Tottenham from being perennial underachievers to winners once again. In this article, I delve into this pro manager’s past to see where he gets it from.

Like most managers, Ramos used to play for several top sides but his career was cut short by injury.

He coached a number of teams since 1993, the most famous being Betis and Espanyol, however his achievements with Sevilla are what brought him to the attention of the international football scene.

First of all, Ramos took Sevilla to two consecutive UEFA cup wins and a third place in La Liga, the Spanish domestic league. This propelled him to the top of the second tier of world club managers today.

Despite Sevilla playing in the Champions League in this current season, Ramos was flattered by an incredible 6 million Euros per year offer from Tottenham that he simply could not refuse.

Incredibly, Ramos has transformed a team that have always had talent but underachieved into successful winners as seen by their recent Carling Cup win. Along the way he has claimed scalps such as a 5-1 thumping of their greatest North London rivals, Arsenal.

It seems that Ramos is a great manager and able to extract the best from his players. Just look at this quote from an interview during his time as Sevilla manager: «Sevilla don’t have any stars but we win the games on the basis of humility and a level of physical exertion that is very, very high.»

This typifies Ramos’s style and it is said that his approach to fitness and diet since joining Tottenham have played a very large part in their recent turn of form.

The FA Cup is the oldest association football competition in the world. In 1872, Wanderers Football Club won the first title in the history of FA Cup football. The record for the most wins is held by Manchester United with 11 triumphs, followed by Arsenal with 10 and Tottenham Hotspur with 8. The trophy is held by Wigan Athletic, who defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the 2013 final.

FA Cup Football in the 1960s

The crowd continued to fill Wembley Stadium when FA Cup Finals were played in the 60’s. It was a six-digit number of spectators at almost every final. Only one club won the title more than once during the 1960s. Spurs won the title three times in the decade. Leicester City played three finals but lost all. The big clubs from Merseyside and Manchester won the cup one time each.

Second Division team Preston North End came close to upsetting their First Division opponents in 1964 Final. West Ham trailed with both 0-1 and 1-2 but came back and avoided the upset. Ronnie Boyce scored 3-2 to the Hammers on injury time giving West Ham the club’s first FA Cup title.

Club of the decade: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was founded in 1882. Spurs won the title three times in the 1960s (1961, 1962 and 1967). Thanks to the 2-0 win over Leicester City in the 1961 final, Spurs became the first club to win the double (League + FA Cup) in the twentieth century.

Player of the decade: Spurs striker Bobby Smith scored important goals in both the 1961 and 1962 Final. He scored 1-0 in the 1961 final against Leicester City and he scored important 2-1 in the 1962 final against Burnley. Bobby Smith scored 208 goals with the Spurs jersey in 317 games. Only Jimmy Greaves has scored more goals for Tottenham. Smith gained 15 caps for England and scored 13 goals.

Results and Scorers FA Cup Finals 1960-69

All Finals were played at Wembley Stadium

1960

Wolverhampton Wanderers – Blackburn Rovers 3-0

1-0 McGrath 41′(o.g.), 2-0 Deeley 67′, 3-0 Deeley 88′

1961

Tottenham Hotspur – Leicester City 2-0

1-0 Smith 66′, 2-0 Dyson 75′

1962

Tottenham Hotspur – Burnley 3-1

1-0 Greaves 3′, 1-1 Robson 50, 2-1 Smith 51′, 3-1 Blanchflower 80′(pen.)

1963

Manchester United – Leicester City 3-1

1-0 Law 30′, 2-0 Herd 57′, 2-1 Keyworth 80′, 3-1 Herd 85′

1964

West Ham United – Preston North End 3-2

0-1 Holden 10′, 1-1 Sissons 12′, 1-2 Dawson 40′, 2-2 Hurst 52′, 3-2 Boyce 90′

1965

Liverpool – Leeds United 2-1 aet

1-0 Hunt 93′, 1-1 Bremner 100′, 2-1 St. John 113′

1966

Everton – Sheffield Wednesday 3-2

0-1 McCalliog 4′, 0-2 Ford 57′, 1-2 Trebilcock 59′, 2-2 Trebilcock 64′, 3-2 Temple 74′

1967

Tottenham Hotspur – Chelsea 2-1

1-0 Robertson 40′, 2-0 Saul 67′, Tambling 85′

1968

West Bromwich Albion – Everton 1-0 aet

1-0 Astle 93′

1969

Manchester City – Leicester City 1-0

1-0 Young 24′

The balls have been pumped, the shirts are all ironed, the pitches have been trimmed, the nets are pulled tight and the seats are all clean. The World Cup in South Africa is ready and raring to go, and so are the fans. If you are lucky enough to have a ticket or at least have access to a television set next month you can get in the mood now and look the part when it all kicks off, by using the following World Cup accessory ideas.

Football Shirt

You just have to drape yourself in your nation’s colors to show you are behind the team and to feel like you’re part of the squad. What’s more, most football shirts are extremely light and airy with super advanced material technologies, perfect for a hot summer spent jumping up and down.

Binoculars

As the competition is in Africa, there is a good chance you will consider going on safari while you’re there, and even if you don’t they will come in extra handy if you are sat in row Z. You can spot the WAGs in the crowd, the substitutes picking their nose and you can spot the foul the referee gave that was really a dive.

Aftershave or Perfumes

You’re going to be standing jumping up and down, cheering your head off, biting your nails, possibly drinking, having a quick kick-about at half time, dancing, tearing your hair out and possibly crying and hugging people. Smelling nice with aftershave or ghost perfume would be an advantage for you and your friends.

Travel Accessories

If you are going to be in South Africa then here are some handy items which can make your trip that little bit more comfortable and secure.

Neck Wallet – to thwart those pesky pick pockets.

Pocket Fan – No not a tiny cheering companion, a fan to cool you down when it’s hot.

Travel Padlock and luggage tags – to keep your stuff safe.

Adapter Plug – for plugging in your phone charger, or your travel blender, for Mojitos on the go!

Mask and Ear Plugs – to help you sleep when you are trying to catch 40 winks at half time.

With these suggestions your World Cup will be a truly exciting event and even if you don’t make it to Africa, you can sure have fun pretending. To whoever it is you support – fingers crossed!

Goalkeepers:

Sepp Maier & Oliver Kahn are the 2 candidates for the job. I would pick Maier because he was a part of the all-conquering German & Bayern Munich team of the 1970s. Kahn would make it to the bench though.

Defenders:

Germany boasts of the greatest defender ever, Franz Beckenbauer, as their greatest player. Berti Vogts would play alongside him, complementing him perfectly. Vogts was one of the greatest man-markers in the history of the game. Andy Brehme would play as the right-back & Paul Breitner would play as the left-back. Both have been world cup winners & were great set-piece experts. Juergen Kohler would make the bench.

Midfielders:

The versatile & influential would cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus would play in the centre of the midfield leaving 2 flanks open for Gunter Netzer & Wolfgang Overath, both very creative players.

Forwards:

Fritz Walter, the 1954 World cup winning German captain would start as the forward playing behind the 2 strikers who would be Gerd Muller & Uwe Seeler. Walter playing in the hole would create opportunities for those two lethal marksmen both of whom had a wonderful goal-scoring record. Muller’s 68 goals for his national team in 62 matches was simply amazing.

So, the team stands:

———————————–Maier———————————————

Brehme————–Vogts————Beckenbauer—————-Breitner

Netzer————————-Matthaus—————————Overath

———————————–Walter————————————

———————–Muller————Seeler—————————–

The thing that stands out in this team is the versatility of the players. Beckenbauer could play in midfield, Matthaus could play as a central midfielder, holding midfielder, centre-back. Brehme could play in either flanks, Breitner played as a defensive midfielder & Vogts could play as a right-back. This flexibility would ensure fluidity in the game, as players could act as cover for their teammates. Beckenbauer & Matthaus could swap positions, Vogts could give cover to the overlapping Brehme, Seeler could play from behind to support Walter to provide Muller. Even Muller was known for his assists!

Subs:

1. Kahn

2. Kohler

3. Littbarski

4. Rumenigge

5. Klinsmann

Born in 1961 Clive Allen had an automatic association with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, as his father, Les Allen, was a member of the famous League and FA Cup winning Tottenham side of the same year.

Clive Allen began his football career at Queens Park Rangers, making his debut in 1978, and although playing in a struggling Rangers side, he managed to score 28 goals the following season, form that attracted the attention of the top clubs.

Allen then signed for Arsenal in 1980, and in a bizarre sequence of events, in which he never played a competitive match for Arsenal, he was then sold to Crystal Palace for whom he scored eight goals in 25 games during the 1980-81 season that saw Crystal Palace finish in last place in Division One and they were relegated.

The following season Clive Allen was back at Queens Park Rangers where his prolific goal scoring over the next few seasons helped Rangers win promotion back to the first division and also reach the 1982 FA Cup Final where ironically they played Tottenham, but Rangers lost 1-0 after a replay.

In 1984 Allen signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a £700,000 transfer, and after a fairly inauspicious start to his Spurs career, he finally settled into the first team. During his first two seasons, Allen suffered injuries that restricted him to only 15 appearances during his first season

It was to be the 1986-87 season at Tottenham that Clive Allen will always be remembered, now fully fit and backed by an impressive midfield that included Chris Waddle, Glen Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles, Tottenham challenged for an unprecedented treble. Allen scored an amazing 33 league goals as Tottenham challenged for the league title, but they were ultimately disappointed to finished third in the league.

Allen went onto score another 12 goals in the League Cup, when Tottenham narrowly lost out to rivals Arsenal in the semi-final and 4 goals in the FA Cup when Tottenham reached the final to play Coventry, a game in which Allen scored, although Spurs lost the final 3-2.

A total of 49 goals in all competitions capped a great season for Allen, if not for Tottenham who ended the season without a trophy, but Allen was credited with the Football Player of the Year award. His record breaking goal tally of 49 scored in a single season for Tottenham still stands to this day.

The following season Tottenham finished a disappointing 13th in the League and Allen scored 11 goals, and at the end of the 1988 season he signed for Bordeaux after scoring 112 goals in 173 games for Tottenham, he will always be remembered for his record breaking season.

Unquestionably the player has been a great invest for the Chelsea FC, being a tremendous striker and the type of player who needs no signal on the field to move along, but he is as well again and again in the headlines for polemic issues.

Drogba is bad tempered and has petulant personality. If you think that Rooney’s humor and Cristiano Ronaldo’ super-ego personalities can be difficult, imagine then Drogba’s situation having both Rooney and Ronaldo’s negative qualities.

On the past week, Drogba was charged with violent conduct during a League Cup game against Burnley FC. The problem was that while Burnley fans were throwing objects on the field after Drogba scored, he grabbed one of the objects (a coin) and threw it back at the supporter’s stands. If that was not enough, many saw him making obscene gestures at the people in the stands.

Due to his polemic long soccer trajectory, his case was taken seriously by the FA (Football Association) and after studying videos of the incident and talking to witnesses’ he received a 3 game suspension; as stated in the rule book players should not interact with fans in an aggressive approach.

Unfortunately this is not the first time Drogba is in the eye of the hurricane. During his second season with Chelsea, three years ago, he was accused of cheating to score in an encounter vs. Man City, as he used his hand to run the ball. There is also the issue many rivals have complained about, the «elbowing», which is something apparently he does during matches and thus some alleged he should be punished by FIFA. Back in the 2007/08 season he created chaos in the club after manager José Mourinho was release from duties, telling media he wanted to leave the club as well and complained about the clubs management. If all these problems were not enough on April 2008, he injured Man United’s defender Nemanja Vidi

As crazy as Americans are about sports, nothing stacks up to the British obsession with football. Of course, I’m referring to real football, aka soccer, not the lite version practiced in North America. Being an expat myself, I was born with the football gene tightly stitched in my genetic makeup. Call demented if you will, but for me football is as natural as breathing and organic granola.

Before I moved to Portland, Oregon, I attended college in sunny Seattle, where I spent much of my time playing the «beautiful game» on soggy fields as part of an all-girl team. We were known as the Pinkberries, and were a force to be reckoned with. Feminine wiles aside, when we put on those pink uniforms, we were the scourge of Seattle, feared by humans of all genders.

I love my life in wonderful Portland, but I do spend the entire year looking forward to the Pinkberries reunion held every April during the annual Seattle Soccer Challenge. It’s a chance to get together with old friends and do battle with old enemies for the championship title and bragging rights.

It was a glorious gray morning as I pulled out of my driveway in my brand-new Pontiac Solstice, ever hopeful that I might find an opportunity to take the top down. A girl can dream, can’t she? After a few tunes courtesy of my newest friend, XM radio, I exited Oregon and was cruising with purpose through magnificent Washington State.

A couple of hours later, I was flushed with excitement running myself ragged in the rain as the Pinkberries put me through my paces on the practice field. I was delighted to discover that I was still fit enough to keep up with the ladies. When practice was done, everyone was clamoring to hear the ongoing saga of my life in Portland, so naturally I insisted that we walk over to Pagliachi and play catch up over the finest pizza and Caesar salad in the known universe. One thing’s for sure, I’ll never get that place out of my system.

After a few slices too many, my friend Pauline and I hopped in the Solstice, and drove to the ferry for the ride over to Vashon Island, where we would spend the night at her beautiful home. Nothing quite compares to the sight of the Seattle skyline with the impressive Space Needle receding on Puget Sound as you inch away from the dock on the ferry.

The next morning, we were back in the Pontiac Solstice when the impossible occurred. Yes folks, the sun came out and before you could say April showers, the top was down and we were barreling along, singing raucously with our elbows extended at dangerous angles, to that old Liverpool anthem, «You’ll Never Walk Alone.» We arrived in Seattle full of the joys of spring and ready to do battle. We were a little early, so we paid homage to the coffee gods at Vivace. Seeing that leaf etched out in the foam of my cappuccino seemed to me a sign that by the end of the weekend the Pinkberries would reign supreme and wave the victory leaf over the fallen hopes of our vanquished competitors.

Not so much! The Pinkberries were not quite up to snuff on that fateful weekend, and all we could manage was a fifth place finish. At the post championship «celebration,» I took solace the only way I knew how – a couple of pints of ale and a never ending barrage of «Am I bovered?» in my finest East London accent. And indeed, I was far from bothered. I’d just spent a weekend with fabulous team mates playing the greatest game ever conceived in one of the most spectacular cities on the planet. And of course, there’s always next year!

As the lucky few at the top of the Premier League table ponder title glory and European qualification, so the majority of the league has relegation as a more realistic, if unwanted, possibility. In this feature we look at the likely candidates and tell you now the teams that will be relegated from the Premier League come May 2011.

At the start of the season there was one man in the world, just one out of six billion or so, who thought that Blackpool would survive the rigour of a Premier League examination and last to a second (or maybe a third) season. That the man in question was crazy Ian Holloway made his belief seem all the more misplaced. Ian «rent-a-quote» Holloway, good for a laugh, did a decent job and got lucky last season… but Premier League survival? No way.

However, in the most unpredictable and downright insane Premier League season for years we have Blackpool flying high in 10th place with games in hand that could move them 6th. Even more amazing is the fact that they have played just eight of their 21 games at home due to the cold winter and their antiquated ground facilities. Is this the most astonishing thing about the season? Probably. But what about Newcastle sitting in 9th, Chelsea in 4th, Bolton passing their way towards a Europa League place, Everton and Liverpool both in the bottom half and last but not least, Aston Villa lying 17th, clear of the relegation zone only by virtue of goal difference?

Oh yes, this has been a funny old year for the funny old game. The relegation battle has been the same, tight, unpredictable and impossible to call. As it stands the relegation places are occupied by Wigan in 18th, then Wolves and West Ham propping up the league. However, with just 10 points separating the Hammers in last, and Bolton, who are 7th, anything could yet happen.

Okay, let’s look at the teams in trouble…

Everpool – I’ll group these two average Mersey sides together and file them under «safe». Everton have the edge in terms of personnel and a more stable set-up off the pitch but even Liverpool have too much to be in trouble. Don’t waste your money betting on either of these to be relegated from the Premier League in 2011.

Blackpool – May occupy a place in the top half, may have games in hand, may have HOME games in hand, but not safe just yet. As injuries and fixtures stack up the Tangerines could get sucked into relegation danger. They still have to play Manchester United and Spurs twice – no points from those four would put a different complexion on matters.

Blackburn – Another struggling North West club that has points on the board but may struggle. The manager doesn’t convince but they will probably spend a few quid in the window to secure safety.

West Brom – The Baggies started the season in scintillating form. Six games in September and October saw them go unbeaten, drawing with Spurs and Manchester United and beating Arsenal. They were scoring goals for fun and passing the ball like a footballing lovechild of Arsenal and Brazil. Since November, however, they have lost nine out of 13 league matches. Their next three home games are against Wigan, West Ham and Wolves and if they get the same result they had against Blackpool – a win – in their last home game, they will be fine. Their home form is strong so we say the Baggies WON’T be relegated this season.

Fulham – Hughes is too good a manager and too determined for Fulham to go down. With Andy Johnson back to fitness and scoring they will have enough quality, with Dempsey, Hangeland and the returning Bobby Zamora, to turn their spate of draws into enough relegation-avoiding wins.

Birmingham City – One of the surprise teams of last season when they ground out 1-0 victories like the Arsenal of old, Birmingham have struggled this season. They have drawn too many games like Fulham but, also like Fulham, their goal difference gives them an extra point over their relegation rivals and this, as well as their solid defence, will see them safe.

Aston Villa – Signing Darren Bent for £18m shows their intentions. Will probably pick up another player or two in the window and with the experienced Houllier at the realm they’ll be fine.

Wigan – Sorry pie-eaters, Wigan ARE going to be relegated from the Premier League. They have the least effective attack in the league, for all Martinez’ passing ideals, and are leaky at the back. The squad has lost key players in recent seasons and not replaced them and they do not have the spine, grit or heart for the fight. Moreover, they have all the big teams left to play as well as tough away fixtures at Sunderland, West Brom and Stoke. The fixtures say bye bye Wigan.

Wolves – The only one of the three Ws at the foot of the table with any hope of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. They have a great team ethic and spirit and have been very unlucky in many games thus far. With a bit of luck and key players, such as striker Doyle, coming back to fitness they have got a decent chance.

West Ham – Doomed, doomed, doomed. We’ve said it for a while and whilst it’s hardly the call of the century we’ve stuck to our guns despite their mini-revival. They’re led by a man with the charisma of an ironing board and have just one player who seems up for the battle, in Scott Parker. Piquionne recently missing a game to recover in France from tooth ache just about sums up the fight in the squad. Like Wigan they have lost important players over the last two seasons, for example Dean Ashton, James Collins and Lee Bowyer and not replaced them and also like Wigan, the fixtures do not look kind. West Ham, meet The Championship, TC, meet West Ham.

So who will be relegated from the Premier League?

Ok, yes, that’s just two teams, West Ham and Wigan, that we’ve said will definitely be relegated. The last place will boil right down to the wire and I wouldn’t be surprised to see three or even four teams all in the mix come the last weekend of the season. Wolves, Blackpool, Blackburn and West Brom look the most vulnerable but in this mad year perhaps Liverpool or one of the other «big» clubs may give us a shock. We’re going to be cheeky and leave the third team till later in the season so for now, the teams that will be relegated from the Premier League are West Ham and Wigan.

In the run-in to the end of the Premier League season you can check out loads of match previews, sporting news, free betting tips and details about plenty of free bets and bonuses from our partner bookmakers at http://www.freebetsfreetips.com/.