Hi guys(I'm asuming theres still somebody reading this blog) I know I haven't blogged in a while but seeing as how the World Cup is kicking off tomorrow I figured it would be a good time to start again. I also got some great news. I managed to get what will most likely be the freelancing job of my dreams. Working as a field reporter for Goal.com at the 2010 Fifa World Cup! I picked up my Media Pass today and im so excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity.
I will be trying to get interviews with fans inside the stadium, well known members of the press and also the football stars of this World Cup. I'll try my best to keep this blog updated as the tournament progresses. The scenes in Town today were already mindblowing as fans from all around the world gathered for a concert at the Cape Town Grand Parade Fan park.
Tomorrow my journey starts....Feel it. It is HERE!
I just thought I'd share the news with you guys as it's pretty much official now. I've managed to get my first real writing jobs.
I have actually already started writing for the one website, called Go Football. It's basically an online shop selling Football DVD's, Replica Shirts and other memerobilia.
My first couple of posts are already on the blog so feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. I will also be helping Go Football out with the Social Media side of things rom Facebook to Twitter and just about anything in between so I'm really looking forward to this.
The other job is not yet official so I can't reveal too many details, what I can tell you though is that I will be writing for a very big International brand(the other one, not the one with the stripes) and it will be all about football in South Africa, and to be honest I'm super stoked about this one!
That's it for now, will update you guys with more info as things start taking shape...Have a goood one!
The footy season is just about to kick off and that means that all wannabe football managers will be trying their hand at another season of Fantasy Football.
Many football fans are not familiar with the game so I figured I'd do a post to explain just how it works and why it's so much fun!
Fantasy Football gives the regular footy fan the opportunity to show off his superior knowledge of the beautiful game by allowing you to become the next Sir Alex Ferguson or (more likely) the next Luiz Felipe Scolari.
How it Works
Once you have signed up to play the game you will be allocated a transfer budget(100 points) to bring in a squad of 15 players which consists of 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders and 3 strikers. You are only allowed to choose three players from the same team so choose wisely!
After you have ‘bought’ your 15 players you can select your starting 11, captain and formation. The game is based on the actual matches taking place on the weekend and you receive points based on how your player's performed. For example if you select Didier Drogba as one of your strikers and the Ivorian bangs in three goals against Hull in Chelsea's opening game, you will receive points for every gal he scored. At the other end of the pitch clean sheets from your goalkeeper and defenders will also bag you lots of points. I think you get the basic idea but here is a breakdown of the point scoring system
The more points you score, the higher your rank will be and if you manage to end up ontop of the standings at the end of the month or the end of the season you can win some awesome prizes. With the number of player's currently sitting at 967, 810 the chances of you actually winning this thing are slim but it's fun and a great way to keep kill some time at work (I hope my boss doesn't read this)
You are also able to create private league's in which you can take on your friends or colleagues to see who really knows their footy. I've done this for this blog by setting up our own private league which you can join by using this code: 119924-196924
I've just about finalised my team ahead of next weekend's opening fixtures and with this being my third season playing the game I’m feeling confident of doing well this time round. This game requires dedication though, and some tactical awareness or you'll find yourself bottom of the log after the first Gameweek!
Tip: Read the FAQ/HELP section as it pretty much explains everything.
It's been a while since my last post -a month to be exact-so first off I have to apologise to my loyal readers(all 8 of you) for sticking around. I hate making excuses, and it seems like I'm constantly making them these days but the past couple of months have been beyond hectic in my personal life, but I won't bore you with the details.
What I will say though is that it feels great to be back behind the keyboard and hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently with the new season around the corner....
Locally the season is just about in full swing after this week's MTN8 quarter-finals in which Soweto Giants Orlando Pirates and Premier Soccer League Champions SuperSport United were knocked out by Ajax Cape Town and AmaZulu in the first round of Wafa Wafa action. The PSL season will also kick off tonight as defending Champions SuperSport United takes on Gordon Igesund's Maritzburg United, who will once again be likely candidates for relegation.
The PSL season will be very congested as a result of next year's Fifa World Cup which means that teams could find themselves playing up o three times a week!
On the International side of things the English Premier League kicks off in two weeks time but fans will be treated to a certain raiser this weekend as League Champions take on FA Cup winners in the FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.
Fans of Italian football will also be getting their first dose of 'competitive' footy as Serie-A Champions Inter Milan takes on Copa Italia winners Lazio on Saturday at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.
If that's not enough to get you excited there’s also the 'little' matter of the Champions League Qualifiers which will take place on the 18th and 19th of August after the draw for the group stages were held this afternoon. There are some interesting match-ups in store for the fans with Arsenal vs Celtic being the pick of the draw.
Finally, the inaugural Europa League(formerly known as the Uefa Cup) will also be kicking off this month as teams go head to head in a knock-out round to determine who will make it to the Group stages. The first leg of the knock-out round takes place on the 20th of August.
Well there you have it folks, no more pesky pre-season friendly’s. The footy season is back and all is well in the world again.
I was watching Lost as I usually do on a Monday evening, when during an ad break I decided to quickly check out goal.com. I was quite surprised to see a Live Feed for Ronaldo's unveiling as a Real Madrid player but what really took me by surprise was the big fuss that was being made about this event.
According to reports 75 000 Madrid fans made their way into the Santiago Bernabeu, the scene of Real's embarrassing 6-2 defeat against Barca, which some believe sparked Perez' quest to rebuild the Galactico Era.
The Portuguese winger was given a huge welcome which has only previously been seen at Diego Maradona's unveiling at Napoli. Which begs the question. What exactly has Ronaldo done to deserve this type of ceremony? That's a question for another day though as I'm sure I'll only come across as a bitter 'pool supporter for questioning Ronaldo's status as a football 'God'.
Ronaldo's first words as a Real Madrid player were somewhat low key, the player looking intent on just enjoying his special moment. You know, the one he's dreamed about since he was a wee toddler. "Good evening. I just want to say, I told my friends that I was going to be very natural. Well, I'm just so happy to be here. For me, I have made my childhood dream a reality, which was nothing less than playing for Real Madrid."
"I didn't expect a jam-packed stadium. This is truly impressive!
"Thank you very much, and I'm going to ask you all to say with me - I'm going to count to three - to say Hala Madrid. Ready? One, two, three - HALA MADRID!"
So touching....
He has been handed the number 9 shirt(Raul wears number 7) and said that he was not too concerned about keeping his number 7, which has earned him the moniker CR7. It turned out to be quite an occasion tonight but I still don't see what all the fuss was about, after all Manchester United now posses arguably one of the most feared goalscorers in Europe in the form of Michael Owen.
Good luck to Ronaldo on his new adventures in the Spanish La Liga, the Premier League will miss you....well so I've been told. PICTURE SPECIAL
I don't usually post links but I couldn't stop laughing after reading through the official 32 page Michael Owen 'brochure' that his agents drew up. It's no secret that I'm a Liverpool fan and I'll even admit to worshiping Owen back in the day(I've got the OWEN 10 shirt to prove it!)
I was a bit too young to witness Fowler in his prime thus making Owen was my first Liverpool 'Hero' and it will hurt to see him wearing the Red of Manchester, but that's life I guess and at least we can make fun of him!
I came across this 32 page brochure and It really had me in stitches! Legend has it that Fergie decided to sign Owen after reading this brochure. It introduces Owen as "The Athlete, The Icon, The Ambassador" then goes on to add(in English, Italian and Spanish) that he is "One of the most feared goalscorers in the world". They also claim that Owen is now "fully fit" after playing in77% of Newcastle United's games last season...try telling that to the Toon supporters!
On Page 5 they go on to state that Mickey should be regarded as highly as the likes of Fernando Torres and Cristiano Ronaldo! "Michael Owen is a global Football star. After David Beckham he is the second best known English player in the world" they claim. Guess they've never heard of Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard then? Straws. clutching. at.
The rest of the brochure consist of more ludicrous claims and lots of slides showcasing his 'impeccable' goal scoring record(he scored a whopping 8 League goals last season) and some quotes from Doctors claiming that he is now truly cured from all injuries.
No wonder Fergie couldn't resist signing Michael! Check out the complete 32 page Brochure HERE.
I've just realised that I haven't updated the blog in a while. I'm not going to make excuses but I will say that blogging aynt easy. Many people have the misconception that if you have a blog you can earn thousands of dollars a month in your spare time. They couldn't be more wrong!
Blogging is hard work for very little reward in my opinion but I do this because I love it, well most of the time at least. I haven't been writing the past week because of pressure at work, and it looks like being another hectic month at my new job. I have however been doing a lot of reading over the past couple of days and I've really enjoyed the content on blogs like soccerlens, epltalk and arseblog (to name but a few).
Great blogs with excellent content. Anyways it got me thinking that I need to step up my game and publish more articles. Let's see how that goes.....
I also got some great news. I managed to get what will most likely be the freelancing job of my dreams. Working as a field reporter for Goal.com at the 2010 Fifa World Cup! I picked up my Media Pass today and im so excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity.
