Más noticias curiosas de la web de la UEFA. Que cundan, ;)
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Friday, 23 February 2007
Royal Arsenal
Arsenal FC were known in their early years as Royal Arsenal, formed by workers from the south London arms factory of the same name. And they were revisiting their roots last week.
Four-Gunner salute
The club, of course, have moved on since 1886, crossing the Thames to Highbury and now settled at their new stadium nearby to their previous ground. Maybe in deference to their formerly regal moniker, Queen Elizabeth II was due to officially open the modern arena in October, but the then 80-year-old monarch was ruled out with a niggling back strain. Instead she invited Arsenal players to Buckingham Palace, last week and Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and token Englishman Theo Walcott were even given a tour. "You have a very international side," the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as Paramount Chief of Fiji told Henry. Perhaps Wenger was still on a high with excitement when he explained his management philosophy the next day. "If you're dealing with someone who's only wearing his underpants, if you take them off he's naked. You're better off giving him some trousers," he was quoted as saying by the News of the World. Hope he did not use that sort of language at the Palace.
Taking an age
Being a head of state into one's 80s is of course not unprecedented. But it seems Japan's football authorities may be pressuring ex-international Kazuyoshi Miura to keep playing until a similar age. Miura turns 40 later this month, and the striker who scored 56 goals for his country is currently turning out in the Japanese second division for Yokohama FC. And Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi has called on ex-Genoa 1893 and NK Dinamo Zagreb man Miura to pass the mark set by England legend Sir Stanley Matthews and play beyond the age of 50. "I'd really like Kazu to pass Matthews," Kawabuchi said, adding that he wants to see him back in the Japan team. "I'd like him to aim for that." Is that a request or an order?
Ancelotti banks on Scotland
AC Milan were one of very few sides to avoid defeat at Celtic FC this season when they drew there on Tuesday, but then Carlo Ancelotti has Scottish links - some relatives from Penicuik, near Edinburgh, who turned up to add local accents to the Rossoneri's support. "I speak to my wife's relatives here quite a lot and I am happy they will be here in the stadium to support me," he said, before adding that they had not been doing much spying for him. "I haven’t spoken to them about the game because they don't know much about football." However, they have taught him one stereotype about Scottish parsimony. "The country is actually close to me...I also have a strong feeling about saving my money," said McAncelotti, munching porridge and tossing a caber.
An early Gravesend
Even older than Miura is the old joke aimed at any team with low support: "You call up to ask what time the kick-off is and they say: 'What time can you get here'!" We have regularly had to have our sides restitched after dragging out that one again. But from now on it will be based on a true story. Gravesend and Northfleet FC of England's fifth-level Football Conference had a problem; their floodlights were not functioning properly so they had to start their match against Morcambe FC 30 minutes early. But how to put the word out? Simple, ring each one individually. Director Bob Gunton said: "I had the idea to phone all our season-ticket holders. I didn't actually realise we had quite so many (210) ... I had to be very brief and just tell them it was Gravesend and Northfleet here and that the game was kicking off early. If I'd had any long chit-chat I would still be here now." But before anyone suggests we are mocking this fine club from just south of London, we would argue strongly that their 1980s single Here Comes The 'Fleet has the best rhyme in the history of recorded music: "Here comes the 'Fleet/The team you'll never defeat." Who knew Shakespeare was alive and living in Kent?
©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.
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Friday, 23 February 2007
Royal Arsenal
Arsenal FC were known in their early years as Royal Arsenal, formed by workers from the south London arms factory of the same name. And they were revisiting their roots last week.
Four-Gunner salute
The club, of course, have moved on since 1886, crossing the Thames to Highbury and now settled at their new stadium nearby to their previous ground. Maybe in deference to their formerly regal moniker, Queen Elizabeth II was due to officially open the modern arena in October, but the then 80-year-old monarch was ruled out with a niggling back strain. Instead she invited Arsenal players to Buckingham Palace, last week and Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Fredrik Ljungberg and token Englishman Theo Walcott were even given a tour. "You have a very international side," the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis as well as Paramount Chief of Fiji told Henry. Perhaps Wenger was still on a high with excitement when he explained his management philosophy the next day. "If you're dealing with someone who's only wearing his underpants, if you take them off he's naked. You're better off giving him some trousers," he was quoted as saying by the News of the World. Hope he did not use that sort of language at the Palace.
Taking an age
Being a head of state into one's 80s is of course not unprecedented. But it seems Japan's football authorities may be pressuring ex-international Kazuyoshi Miura to keep playing until a similar age. Miura turns 40 later this month, and the striker who scored 56 goals for his country is currently turning out in the Japanese second division for Yokohama FC. And Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi has called on ex-Genoa 1893 and NK Dinamo Zagreb man Miura to pass the mark set by England legend Sir Stanley Matthews and play beyond the age of 50. "I'd really like Kazu to pass Matthews," Kawabuchi said, adding that he wants to see him back in the Japan team. "I'd like him to aim for that." Is that a request or an order?
Ancelotti banks on Scotland
AC Milan were one of very few sides to avoid defeat at Celtic FC this season when they drew there on Tuesday, but then Carlo Ancelotti has Scottish links - some relatives from Penicuik, near Edinburgh, who turned up to add local accents to the Rossoneri's support. "I speak to my wife's relatives here quite a lot and I am happy they will be here in the stadium to support me," he said, before adding that they had not been doing much spying for him. "I haven’t spoken to them about the game because they don't know much about football." However, they have taught him one stereotype about Scottish parsimony. "The country is actually close to me...I also have a strong feeling about saving my money," said McAncelotti, munching porridge and tossing a caber.
An early Gravesend
Even older than Miura is the old joke aimed at any team with low support: "You call up to ask what time the kick-off is and they say: 'What time can you get here'!" We have regularly had to have our sides restitched after dragging out that one again. But from now on it will be based on a true story. Gravesend and Northfleet FC of England's fifth-level Football Conference had a problem; their floodlights were not functioning properly so they had to start their match against Morcambe FC 30 minutes early. But how to put the word out? Simple, ring each one individually. Director Bob Gunton said: "I had the idea to phone all our season-ticket holders. I didn't actually realise we had quite so many (210) ... I had to be very brief and just tell them it was Gravesend and Northfleet here and that the game was kicking off early. If I'd had any long chit-chat I would still be here now." But before anyone suggests we are mocking this fine club from just south of London, we would argue strongly that their 1980s single Here Comes The 'Fleet has the best rhyme in the history of recorded music: "Here comes the 'Fleet/The team you'll never defeat." Who knew Shakespeare was alive and living in Kent?
©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.
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