Posts Tagged ‘manchester united’

Who’s The Best Club In UK Football?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The spirit of competition can bring out the best (or sometimes the worst) in the participants, and healthy rivalries exist throughout the sporting world.

Mention great sports rivalries and several could come to mind.There was Muhammad Ali duking it out with Joe Frazier, Greg Norman taking on Nick Faldo on the golf course and Chris Evert battling Martina Navratilova on the tennis court.There’s still a healthy rivalry in cricket between India and Pakistan.  There’s even been a classic rivalry in the world of chess with Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov battling it out in several matches over the years.

But can any of these admittedly classic face-offs hold a candle to the colossal confrontation that occurs whenever the Red Devils of Manchester United clash with the Liverpool Reds?This could be the greatest rivalry in football, but it’s time to take a closer look at things to determine why it exists, and why it continues

1. The Northwest Derby – Matchups between the two clubs are often referred to using this moniker.  Liverpool and Manchester (the cities) have maintained a healthy competition since industrial times, and that sense of one-upmanship has apparently spilled over into the football world.

2. “The Greatest English Football Club” – Manchester United and Liverpool both lay claim to the title of The Greatest English Football Club.  A similar number of trophies have been won by each club, and they are also the two most successful English teams in European competition.

3. Fans and Money – The two clubs are widely-supported throughout the world and boast some of the most devoted fans in any sport.  They also are two of the biggest earning clubs in the world.

4.  Player Haters – As with a lot of football clubs, the fans can be downright hostile to each other sometimes.  With Liverpool and Man U, though, the hostility spills over to the players too occasionally.Wayne Rooney, United striker, has publicly stated how much he hated Liverpool FC when he was growing up.Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, on the other hand, once told a television crew that even though he exchanges shirts regularly with opposing players, he would never have a Man U shirt in his house.

5. Transfers? What Transfers? – No player has been directly transferred between the two clubs since 1964; the few footballers who have played for both clubs always played in a different city in between. As recently as 2007, United left-back Gabriel Heinze expressed a desire to move to Liverpool, and a bid was made, but Man U rejected the bid and stated that Heinze would only join a foreign club if he chose to leave – all due to the age old rivalry.

It’s inspiring, in a way, how these two football clubs can be so passionate about the rivalry between them.Some people out there, though, must think the whole concept of these sporting grudges is a waste of time.So, which side is obviously the best club in football?It’s as clear as day, really.  Everyone knows it’s Spurs.

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Sir Alex Ferguson To Buy Marek Hamsik

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Midfielder Marek Hamsik it appears, has caught the attention of Alex Ferguson for the January transfer window.

The fact that Ryan Giggs is beginning to age, and the fact that veteran midfielder Paul Scholes will only have his name on old soccer memorabilia soon has surely brought to Alex Fergusons attention that some expensive midfielders are required to boost the team.

Signing the talented Hamsik, who is also a target for Chelsea and was reported to be on Liverpool’s radar earlier in the season, would certainly give United an added attacking threat from the midfield. Starting his career with Slovan Bratislava the Slovakian international quickly proved his ability and was bought by Brescia. Managing to score 10 goals at Brescia from the midfield before being lifted from the team for 5.5 m Euros to move to Napoli.

Since 2007, the goal scoring efforts of Hamsik have made him one of the best in Serie A. Managing to score 25 goals in 81 games Hamsik’s form has been some of the best in the league. Recently Hamsik scored twice as Napoli recorded their first win over Juventus in Turin for 21 years and his performances have impressed many experts in Italy, who have been quick to label the Slovakian international as the best midfielder in Serie A.

Hamsik’s efforts for his national team Slovakia have been extremely impressive. His efforts were a major part in Slovakia’s entry into the World Cup in 2010. He may well re-write world cup history.

Despite interest in the player from Manchester United and Chelsea in recent weeks, Napoli have refused to sanction any idea that the player will be sold. This has been reiterated in recent weeks by sporting director Riccardo Bigon who stated:

“Manchester United are after Hamsik? If we rejected the rumours regarding a friend like [Carlo] Ancelotti and his Chelsea, it is obvious we also reject these rumours.”

comments from Napoli chairman seem to support the claim that Hamsik is not on the market.

“Many clubs have requested Hamsik, it’s true, but he will stay with us for the long-term”

Manchester United hope to make their move in Summer and if Napoli’s stance will remain the same is still unknow. Whether Napoli really plans to keep Hamsik into the future only time will tell, with not a lot of cash in the club it can be hard to see them not be at least tempted to sell the player if the offer is right.

Chelsea’s current situation however might put a stop to any dealings between Napoli and Manchester United. Roman Abramovich has purportedly given manager Carlo Ancelotti the green light to make a £25m move for the player so they might beat Manchester United to the punch

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The Most Secure Way To Purchase Manchester United Football Tickets Online

Monday, December 28th, 2009

When Purchasing for Manchester United football tickets online you should aware of how they operate because there will be some who are just scamming innocent Man United fans. The first thing that you can do to protect yourself if you plan to buy Manchester United football tickets is to only do business with an online ticket vendor with a good reputation. One of the best ways to ascertain whether or not you should make a purchase from somewhere is to go through customer reviews. In addition to worries about getting ripped off by some dishonest site, you also want to avoid vendors that don’t deliver their goods on time. When reading a customer review on a ticket vendor, it is important to make sure it is a legitimate review and not just clever advertising. If you see a hyperlink at the bottom of the review, that can help determine whether it is true or paid for.

Customers don’t usually have a reason to post a link to the very product they are reviewing and a  legitimate customer reviewing a product is of that kind. With today’s email spam blockers becoming more powerful, advertisers rethink their ways of getting their product out there and they have turned to reviews which are favorable to get their product in the public eye. There is a bigger chance for a review to be legit if a review is link free. Although tickets available on eBay are cheaper, buying from a website which specializes only in tickets is always a better idea. Sometimes ticket sellers on eBay ship the ticket too late, and sometimes not even at all. While you can assume that the majority of people who sell on eBay are above board, it’s still in your best interest to read feedback about them so get a sense of how they operate.

Before you type in ANY purchasing information is the another way to avoid being scammed is to make sure the checkout page is encrypted. This is a feature not many people look for when checking out, but the importance of it can not be understated. How do you know if a website utilizes ecryption? You will normally se HTTP at the beginning of all web addresses. Web pages which are encrypted contain “HTTPS” in their address, not the usual “HTTP”. It is always a good idea to make sure the page is encrypted because even if a company is completely honest but does not use encryption, it does not show a lot of respect for the customers’ personal information. If you find an online ticket vendor that uses encryption and has good reviews, then this must be a site worth buying from.

These guidelines are important to follow in order to avoid being scammed, but it is also important to go with your gut. Should a vendor’s pitch not seem plausible to you, avoid buying anything from that vendor. If it seems fishy it probably is. When it comes to avoiding a scam artist, a little scrutiny goes a long way. Your job now is to find a price that is the best! Keep the information contained within this article in mind and you will be able to make your next purchase with confidence.

The next time you buy sport tickets, buy from your online concierge for global sporting events.. PremiumTicketHub.com.

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The Red Army and Old Trafford

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Buying home game Manchester United tickets does not just provide an opportunity to see the Red Devils play live, it also provides the chance to soak in the atmosphere at Old Trafford, sometimes known as the Field of Dreams, and the home of the Red Army.

Fans have been buying Manchester United tickets to their home games at Old Trafford, since 1910 (except for 8 years after it was bombed during World War II).

One of the Club’s most beloved and famous players, Bobby Charlton nicknamed the stadium the Field of Dreams.   

In 1966, Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton, won the World Cup and was also named European Footballer of the year, in part because of his famous midfield attacks and his ferocious long-range shots.

Able to seat 76,212 Manchester United ticket buying supporters, Old Trafford is the second-largest of any English football stadiums, and it is one of two stadia in  England to have been given a  “UEFA elite stadium” five-star rating by UEFA.

Old Trafford has hosted many FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue and a few “English national football team” England international fixtures.

During the  “1966 FIFA World Cup”   and  “UEFA Euro 1996″  and the  “2003 UEFA Champions League Final”  matches were also played at Old Trafford.

Stands, officially known as the North, East, South and West Stand surround the pitch at Old Trafford.

Each of the stands has a minimum of two tiers, except the South Stand, which, because of construction restrictions has just one.

The lower tier of each stand is split into Lower and Upper sections, the Lower sections having been converted from standing room only terraces in the early 1990s.

The West Stand at Old Trafford is the most famous, and is known as the  Stretford End.

Originally designed to hold 20,000 fans, the Stretford End was the last stand to be covered and also the last remaining all-terraced stand at the ground before the forced upgrade to seating in the early 1990s.

Stretford End is home to Manchester United’s most die-hard supporters, known as The Red Army.

Most of the noise and atmosphere at Old Trafford emanates from Stretford End, and once the roar from the Red Army there was measured as louder than that of a jumbo jet lifting off.

It is practically impossible to get a seat in the Stretford End as the fans that fill this stand resubscribe to their Manchester United season tickets every year.

Manchester United’s fan’s, better known as the Red Army was once the biggest and most notorious group of followers British football has ever seen.

When the army of Manchester United fans followed their team to an away game, the town would get turned upside down:  Huge numbers of the Red Army would travel en-mass by train, coach, car or even by foot if necessary to get to the game.   

In  “1974–75 in English football” the mid-seventies when Manchester United had been relegated from the top flight of English football and played one season in the “Football League Second Division” Second Division, the Red Army caused such mayhem at grounds up and down the country visiting stadiums where they would at times outnumber the home support, it led to the introduction of home and away fan segregation and fencing at football grounds throughout England.

These days, the Red Army is quite different to what it was in the 1970’s & 80’s.

This Manchester United supporters club, now has a fan base of over 300 million fans across the world.

The huge number of Manchester United supporters, all of whom would like to visit Old Trafford, both to see a live game and to experience the atmosphere there, result in it almost always being difficult to buy Manchester United Tickets.

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The Real Cost of Buying Season Manchester United Tickets

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Demand almost always outstrips supply for those looking to buy Manchester United football tickets because the team has a huge following, and tickets are limited in number.

Because the chance of getting a ticket to a single Manchester United game is small, obtaining a season ticket to Old Trafford might be seen as only an impossible dream.

However, on closer examination, despite the obvious advantages season ticket holders have of being guaranteed a seat for games at Old Trafford, and priority for the Red Devil’s away games, some aspects of owning a season ticket to Manchester United games might be less than ideal.

Including:
If the seat the season ticket holder scores in not in his area of choice, there is no way of getting it changed except by proving extreme medical hardship.

For this reason, there are those who choose not to renew their tickets at the end of the season, choosing instead to take their chances in the search for single tickets that may be in a more preferred stand.

The Manchester United Club policy known as the Automatic Ticket Scheme guarantees that every season ticket holder has a ticket for all Champions League and FA cup home games.

Although this might appear to be a good thing, further examination shows that the season ticket holder is charged for each of these tickets even if he has no intention of attending one or any of those  games.

In  the last two seasons, there were 10 of these extra games played at Old Trafford – and with a single game ticket starting at almost 50 pounds, this extra cost on top of the already season ticket makes a significant difference.

Those Manchester United fans who buy a season ticket thinking they can sell the games they don’t intend to  see to might find that that is not as easy to do these days as it was once.

Manchester United does have an official ticket exchange where season ticket holders can list their unwanted tickets for sale at face-value, but tickets cannot be posted there until the club announces that the game in question has been sold out.

However  tickets put up for sale may not get sold, and the prospective seller then not only loses the ticket he is unable to use, he is out the substantial listing and handling fee it cost him to attempt to sell the unwanted seat.

No-one would argue that the price of a season’s 16 single tickets is more expensive than a season ticket, when the other costs – approximately 500 extra pounds for the Cup games; the possibility of being allocated a seat in an undesirable part of Old Trafford; and no guarantee of being able to sell any unwanted game tickets are added up, investing in season Manchester United tickets might not be worth it to even the most ardent fans.

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