Football Blog

Mark Bright

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:28:32 GMT

Put your sunglasses on, it's getting Bright...

His middle name is Abraham, he once played for Leek Town, and he was the first person to be voted off the award-winning celebrity show Cirque de Celebrite. It's none other than former Palace, Wednesday and Charlton striker MARK BRIGHT...

The Hours

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:40:24 GMT

Made In Sheffield. And proud...

Random Wiki-fact about Sheffield band The Hours, "Their single Ali in the Jungle is featured in the EA Sports FIFA 08 football game. People Say has twice been used in the opening scenes of British soap opera Hollyoaks." And they've got a new album out soon, so singer Antony Genn gave us a bell to talk touring, DVD documentaries and Bryan Robson....

Press Release Of The Week

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:44:12 GMT

Meadow Lane: Healthy...

Notts County take the title this week with a healty Meadow Lane..."

"NOTTS COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB PRESS RELEASE

Meadow Lane was today given a clean bill of health by Nottingham City Council, the ground safety authority.

Safety issues were raised during a Council inspection in January and outlined in a report to the club on February 3.

But as chairman John Armstrong-Holmes explained: “The vast majority have now been dealt with and in many instances, that was done prior to us receiving the report.”

A letter received today by the chairman from Catrin Styles, Environmental Health Officer for the Council’s Health & Safety Enforcement Team, confirmed that concerns have now been removed.

She wrote: “I would like to confirm that I have received satisfactory documentation from the stadium manager Greg Smith, confirming the completion of inspections and remedial works to the installation electrics, lifts and immediate structural works identified within the structural survey report.”

Armstrong-Holmes today slammed the Nottingham Evening Post for their coverage of the issue, describing it as: “Extremely irresponsible reporting.”

He added: “Supporters need to know that the Post went ahead and printed the story in sensational fashion, working with a leaked copy of the report, when they knew full well that things had moved on."

No Way Jose

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:16:37 GMT

Jose realised too late that the bonbons were off...

The Champions League is back, and we can't ruddy wait...

It might have a misleading name - after all, it's not just champions that play in it is it - but the ties for the first knockout stage of the Champions League are corkers. Obviously the pick is at the San Siro, where two uber-egos collide in a clash that could well result in the Earth being knocked off it axis. True story. Betting guru Patrick Power is offering everyone their money back on first goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets if the Greasy One scores the last goal. We should probably clarify that we mean Cristiano Ronaldo, not Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

There's also FA Cup replays going on and a couple of ties in the Football League so have a look at our evening's £1 accie, as well as a first goalscorer bet and a contradictory flutter on a goalless draw for the game in Milan. If Paddy had a book on "Ibrahimovic to flatter to devieve in the big games once again", we'd stick a ton on it.

Tuesday's Best Bets

In Game Fan Advertising?

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:24:20 GMT

Whatever next?

We've just heard from our pals at Carling that they are offering Spurs and Man Utd fans a unique chance to design their own on pitch advertising banners during the Carling Cup final on Sunday. They think of everything don't they?

#60 Debora Salvalaggio

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:00:56 GMT

Partner of: (Ex) Christian Vieri and Fillipo Inzaghi. Apparently she's now with Vitor Hugo Gomes Pacos, also known as Pele, Pompey's on loan midfielder...
Age: 24
Fact! She's hosted a football show in Italy. A WAG that knows something about football? Whatever next...

Click here to see our International WAGs gallery...

Five Things We Learned This Weekend

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:29:49 GMT

Sheva didn't have the heart to tell Lee he'd hit it in the drink. Again...

Lee Dixon needs glasses, Ronaldo's goal wasn't that good, and Roy Keane opens up...

1. Lee Dixon is blind. If we're not wrong, he said this on MOTD2 last night, "Bellamy's scored a good goal, he's hit it well and it might've taken a little deflection." A little deflection!?

2. Ronaldo's free-kick wasn't that good. More to the point, Paul Robinson's goalkeeping for it wasn't too great either...

3. We can't wait for the Champions League. With the Premier League title race all but over, and having spent all of Sunday reading whopping great previews of the European Cup, this week promises to be a corker.

4. Keano's back with a bang. As if he was going to stay quiet any longer. The Irish Times got the exclusive on Thursday, with a well-balanced and interesting article. Then the News of the World rehashed some of the quotes on Sunday and, well, you know the rest...

5. Rushden and Diamonds are ruthless gets. With Weymouth's first team players on strike following non-payment of their wages, manager Alan Lewer was forced to field a side comprising of under-18's. The Diamonds thumped them 9-0. Ouch.

Art Deco

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:03:58 GMT

The ref had no interest in Deco's flea circus...

We've got money on Hiddink to get his little Portuguese man to do the business...

All eyes will be on Guus Hiddink this weekend as he takes charge of Futbol Clube de Chelsea against Aston Villa. We reckon the master tactician and full time miserable bastard will have an immediate impact on the Blues, and he'll burst Aston Villa's extra-large bubble in the process. So we've plumped for Deco to score first, probably via an audacious free kick. It's either that or a deflected Frank Lampard effort. We're also backing Cloughy again with Derby, and there's a tidy sum of over 300 nicker for our £1 accie...

Weekend's Best Bets

£1 Accie
Luton
MK Dons
Leicester
Reading
Charlton
Portsmouth
Arsenal
Returns: £346.39

£1 First Goalscorer
Deco to score first against Villa @16/1

£1 Correct Score
Derby to beat Forest 2-0 @13/1

Planet Football!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:25:07 GMT

Bored with the football here at home? Want some new pub ammo to spout confidently to your mates? Then fear not, as like Phileas Fogg on Red Bull, we scour the globe to bring you the best craic from Planet Football...

Click to read Planet Football...

#22 Jeff Helps Phil And Tony...

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:16:43 GMT

See You Are The Jeff every week in Catflap Magazine.

Catflap Issue 72 Out Now!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:07:58 GMT

In this week’s Catflap Magazine…

Ahead of Guus Hiddink's first game in charge of Chelsea this weekend we give you the only real facts you need to know about the Dutchman. Forget about his impressive managerial CV, did you know that he has a museum devoted to him in Holland? Or that he knows how to milk a cow? Also, following shocking allegations from Roman Pavlyuchenko that England's food and women aren't a patch on Russia's, we pit both countries head to head to find out who really rules. And if that's not enough, we've got Peter Crouch's dire new mobile phone ad. Trust us, it's as bad as it sounds...

Goldie Lookin Chain

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:05:03 GMT

GLC are back. You knows it...

They're probably the 17th greatest thing to ever come from Wales, and it seems they don't think the world has heard enough novelty rap yet as they're back with a new album and tour. It's Goldie Lookin Chain, and we speak to Rhys from the band aka Dwain Xain Zedong aka P Xain aka Ganja Bizniz aka Zardoz as he takes a tour of Cardiff's coffee shop...

The Legend Of Craig Bellamy

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:25:15 GMT

Bellers in mouthing-off shocker...

Footage of Craig's shouting match following Wales' match with Poland has appeared on Youtube. Isn't he just lovely...

It's A Knockout

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:05:56 GMT

> > >

Serie A ref gets a piledriver to the temple...

That's got to hurt. Though nowhere near as painful as a strike to the back of the thighs on a winter's day...

Glasvegas. Again!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:26:50 GMT

We catch up with our favourite Scots...

Way back in September, we spoke to Glasvegas just before the canny Scots duked it out in the album charts with giants Metallica. They lost that battle, but since then it's fair to say to say they've done alright. They're currently headlining the NME Awards tour, and we caught up with Rangers fan Paul from the band to see how they were getting on...

Prodigy!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:29:05 GMT

Could he really be the next Zidane?

Or the next Sonny Pike?

Away Man!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:37:57 GMT

Luton v Brighton in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. What dreams are made of...

We're going away from home for Tuesday's Accie...

Plenty of football action this evening, and we're showing our true cojones by plumping for four away wins in our accie, taking in some French Ligue 1 action along the way. The pick of our continental fixtures has to be the burly sides of Nancy and Nice, who play each other in one of the more masculine-sounding fixtures around in world football.

Then there's the crunch 6th versus 7th tie in the Blue Square Premier, Kidderminster v Cambridge, and the all-important Johnstone's Paint Trophy semi-final. Then there's the ever-entertaining Lee Trundle for first scorer, who'll take the reigns at Leeds in the absence of Jermaine Beckford. Sod the return of the Champions League next week, midweek football doesn't get better than this...

The Catflap Videode To...

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:37:34 GMT

Rory's shock pregnancy was rumbled for the benefits scam that it was...

Throw-ins...

The throw-in. Not exactly rock and roll is it? In a list of all things great about football, goals, sendings off, great saves, cracking tackles, throw-ins must feature near the bottom of the list. Well, along with Rory Delap, we're here to change all that. Behold then, some of the most entertaining throw-ins ever witnessed on a football pitch.

Retro Grandstand April Fools

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:43:14 GMT

> > >

Why we all loved Des back in the day...

See? Statto's do have a sense of humour. The cards. Great dress sense too...

#59 Elena Barolo

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:54:04 GMT

Partner of: (Ex) Fillipo Inzaghi and Torino's Roberto Stellone.
Age: 26
Fact! She was a regular on Italian television show Striscia La Notizia. Which apparently means "Strip the News". And to think we get Ian Hislop...

Click here to see our International WAGs gallery...

Been Watching The Six Nations?

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:39:12 GMT

Then you might agree with this sentiment...

We'll be the first to admit we found it funny...

Five Things We Learned This Weekend

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:26:11 GMT

Gerrin! We've got Arsenal! Or Cardiff! Or, er, Burnley. If we beat Sheffield United. Bah...

The FA Cup draw is crazy, we've found the world's best full back, and our season bets are going to pot...

1. The FA Cup draw is a bit silly isn't it? Given the amount of replays needed following the numerous draws on Saturday, the draw has become so convoluted Dan Brown could probably write an unfeasibly popular novel about it. Take this one for example...Cardiff City/Arsenal or Burnley v Sheffield United or Hull City. What?

2. That Maicon is half decent isn't he? Well done to the Beeb for showing the cracking Milan derby yesterday, even if we had to put up with Jake "this is nice isn't it?" Humphries, the corker of a match more than made up for it. Becks was average, but Seedorf, Maldini, Cambiasso and Zanetti were as sublime as a vintage red wine. Then there was Maicon, the Brazilian full back and winger rolled into one bundle of attacking power. Like a right-footed Robert Carlos in his pomp. Do us all a favour Aunty Beeb, and buy the Serie A rights permanently...

3. The Catflap betting curse continues. Having lumped on Wolves, Leicester and Wycombe to win their respective leagues when they were looking very comfortable, the wheels fell off again this weekend.

4. For once the media weren't OTT in their praise of a lower division side's footballing prowess, as Swansea taught Fulham a thing or two about good old fashioned expansive, passing football. Though we couldn't help but laugh at how disappointed the commentators were that they didn't win.

5.If Phil Scolari still thinks not landing Robinho at Chelsea is the main reason why he failed at the Bridge, he clearly hasn't seen City play away from home. The little Brazilian might as well not get on the coach...

Tic Tacs Do Gosling

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:44:58 GMT

> > >

Did you miss Dan Gosling's last minute winner because of ITV's blunder?

Then let the Tic Tacs - the advert you saw instead of the goal - recreate the moment for you. As they put it "Dan wasn’t available, and Goodison Park was being mown. However, six ‘Tic Tacs’ and a boggy pitch at Hackney Marsh were deemed suitable substitutes and a classic encounter of Orange vs Lime brought the goal to life. 118 seconds in, lucky Limes scored the blinder and the crowd of almost 40,000 went wild." Well, it made us chuckle...

New England Kit?

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:25:08 GMT

Due for release on April 1st, the new England home kit has apparently been leaked...

Having spotted this reported kit leak over at footballshirtculture.com, we got in touch with Umbro to find out if it was infact the actual kit being released on April Fool's Day. Their official line was something like "Umbro can neither confirm nor deny" that it will be the official kit. Which pretty much says everything we need to know doesn't it?

Laura Esposto

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:07:37 GMT

First lady of Italian football speaks to us from Milan...

Say what you like about Mark Chapman (the Radio 1 bloke, not the guy who killed John Lennon), but there's no arguing the best thing about him on Five's Football Italia coverage last season was co-presenter Laura Esposto. Now presenting AC Milan TV, we got in touch/fell in love with the delightful former model to give us an update on how our Dave is doing in the famous Rossoneri shirt ahead of this weekend’s big Milan derby at the San Siro. Click on the buttons on her picture to find out what she had to say about GoldenBollocks…

"When he came to the San Siro for the first time there were some people who booed him and whistles, not everyone liked him. When Ronaldinho arrived it was different, 40,000 people were in the stadium to see him. But with Beckham at the beginning it wasn't like that."

Click here to read the full interview in this week's Catflap Magazine here...

Bonnie Scotland!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:32:35 GMT

On pitch break-dancing. It's the future...

We're backing Tevez, Scotland (that's Jason, not the country) and Chelsea this weekend...

Say hello and welcome to the FA Cup again, as it returns for the fifth round. The juicy tie at midday sees Pompey-batterers Swansea take on Woy "The Owl" Hodgson's Fulham side, and we fancy an on-form striker named after a country to bag us some cash. We'll be wrong, of course...

Weekend's Best Bets

£1 Accie
Man City
Leicester
Hull
Blackburn
Sheff Wed
Birmingham
West Ham
Returns: £160.84

£1 First Goalscorer
Jason Scotland to score first against Fulham @6/1

£1 Correct Score
Chelsea to win 3-0 @7/1

£1 Scorecast
Carlos Tevez to score first and Man. Utd to beat Derby 2-1 @125/1

See You JImmy!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:39:17 GMT

Hull new boy and all round top chap Jimmy Bullard speaks to us...

Like trying to eat a whole packet of Jacob's crackers, trying to find someone who doesn't like Jimmy Bullard is both unnecessary and impossible. He's the type of footballer we'd like to think we would be if our first touch wasn't akin to that of a blindfolded circus elephant. He tells us about pulling pranks, playing golf and going fishing. Oh, and a bit about football...

"I think the Hull boys were expecting a lot of their gear going missing when I arrived!"

Click here to read the full interview in this week's Catflap Magazine here...

Maradona On Candid Camera

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:41:15 GMT

> > >

And not a Beadle in sight...

And yes, as you can tell from the fact he looks like he's hiding a turtle up his top, this was from a few years ago...

Catflap Issue 71 Out Now!

Lex | CatflapFootball.com | Football-Blog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:50:17 GMT

In this week's Catflap Magazine...

Just weeks after getting their respective votes of confidence, Phil Scolari and Tony Adams became the latest managerial victims this week. And do you know who we were speaking to when it all happened? Fans' favourite Jimmy Bullard, who gave us his unique take on it all, as well as his top fishing tip. We've also got the lovely Laura Esposto of Milan Channel to tell us all about Beckham's Milan move, and the best football bust-ups ever recorded on camera...

A LOAD OF BULLARD!
Football's most popular character talks about architecture. Honest...

MOLTO BELLA!
Milan Channel's Laura Esposto talks to us about Becks in Milan...

A WINTER'S TALE!
It's the return of Jeff Winter's You Are The Jeff...

BRAWL OVER!
The best football bust-ups you will ever see...

Football Blog

Mark Bright

Put your sunglasses on, it's getting Bright...

The Hours

Made In Sheffield. And proud...

Press Release Of The Week

Notts County take the title this week with a healty Meadow Lane..."

No Way Jose

The Champions League is back, and we can't ruddy wait...

In Game Fan Advertising?

Whatever next?

#60 Debora Salvalaggio

Five Things We Learned This Weekend

Lee Dixon needs glasses, Ronaldo's goal wasn't that good, and Roy Keane opens up...

Art Deco

We've got money on Hiddink to get his little Portuguese man to do the business...

Planet Football!

#22 Jeff Helps Phil And Tony...

Catflap Issue 72 Out Now!

In this week’s Catflap Magazine…

Goldie Lookin Chain

GLC are back. You knows it...

The Legend Of Craig Bellamy

Bellers in mouthing-off shocker...

It's A Knockout

Serie A ref gets a piledriver to the temple...

Glasvegas. Again!

We catch up with our favourite Scots...

Prodigy!

Could he really be the next Zidane?

Away Man!

We're going away from home for Tuesday's Accie...

The Catflap Videode To...

Throw-ins...

Retro Grandstand April Fools

Why we all loved Des back in the day...

#59 Elena Barolo

Been Watching The Six Nations?

Then you might agree with this sentiment...

Five Things We Learned This Weekend

The FA Cup draw is crazy, we've found the world's best full back, and our season bets are going to pot...

Tic Tacs Do Gosling

Did you miss Dan Gosling's last minute winner because of ITV's blunder?

New England Kit?

Due for release on April 1st, the new England home kit has apparently been leaked...

Laura Esposto

First lady of Italian football speaks to us from Milan...

Bonnie Scotland!

We're backing Tevez, Scotland (that's Jason, not the country) and Chelsea this weekend...

See You JImmy!

Hull new boy and all round top chap Jimmy Bullard speaks to us...

Maradona On Candid Camera

And not a Beadle in sight...

Catflap Issue 71 Out Now!

In this week's Catflap Magazine...

Click here to read issue 71...