Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

An interesting story this week …

MACRON UEFA REFEREE SHIRT

Being in the right place at the right time, knowing all the rules, managing conflict, taking difficult decisions and team leadership. These are essential characteristics an any true leader. They are also typical of the people who take charge of all UEFA competitions. In the matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League group stage, the referees will take to the pitch with the message “BE A REFEREE!” on their shirts.

The idea is part of a project to encourage young people to take up refereeing as a career and to become positive role models and leaders on the pitch and in everyday life. Becoming and serving as a referee demands professionalism, technical and athletic skills, problem-solving abilities and leadership. This same journey of personal development is also what it takes to succeed in everyday and professional life.
Macron, the Official UEFA Referee Match Kit Supplier, shares these same values and supports UEFA in this new initiative. The message “BE A REFEREE” will appear on the front and back of the referees’ shirts in all matches of this round of the Champions League. In addition to customised kits, the campaign will be backed up by signage around the stadiums and will also be mentioned by radio and TV commentators before during the games.

“In work and in life, developing the ability to make decisions, handle critical situations and conflict, know the rules and lead a team enables people to achieve ambitious targets,” explains Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron. “These are winning characteristics in a company and on the pitch. And these are exactly the characteristics that the referee training programme develops. We fully support this initiative and the values it conveys. Referees play an essential role and we are happy to help them by supplying them with high performance, comfortable and practical sportswear.”

“Being referee is a very difficult job and courage is the most important value for refereeing. – said UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti – Protecting football, protecting the image of the game is our common goal. UEFA Referees are delighted to have Macron in our family. Same values and great challenges for the future.”

It is always good to hear from our friends at FATJOE. Today they are not talking about football, but rather golf! I thought you would enjoy this too.

The game of golf is beautiful in its simplicity, but it’s not as straightforward as it looks on the TV. It takes lots of patience and plenty of skill in order to master it. It takes a lot of patience and plenty of school just to get the basics right sometimes. Once you get things going, it can be an extremely satisfying sport. Walking around a golf course in the summer with your friends it’s something that most of us should experience at least once in life. It’s great exercise, and you feel wonderful once it’s done. It can be both challenging and relaxing at the same time, weirdly. 

When it comes to the golf challenge, a lot of people give up very quickly because they feel as though they won’t be able to adapt to what’s necessary. There are so many ways we can all elevate our golf game, however. Here are just a few is it can be done:

Always Work On The Perfection Of The Swing 

A lot of people like to run before they even walk when it comes to golf. It’s a brilliant game, so getting out on the course quickly is understandable, however. You should always make sure you improve the quality of your swing, though. There will typically always be something you can do in order to make it better. It’s not just about hitting a ball hard; making sure the technique and accuracy are there matters, too. It’s nothing a few months at a driving range can’t solve. Always remember that tedious times happen to everyone and that your potentially poor swinging isn’t out of the ordinary. 

Precise Short Game

When you think about golf, you typically only worry about being able to whack a ball very hard so that it goes very far. You still have to be precise towards the end of the hole, however. You need to ensure that you’re able to putt, lob, and chip a ball sensibly – sensibly being the operative word here. So many people overhit when they get close due to a lack of discipline. Again, this can be learned at a driving range. You can also buy a cheap hole to put in your living room in order to practice your putting technique. 

Strategic Thinking And Course Management 

It’s not just a case of hitting a ball across a field toward the pin. You have to be smart with what you are doing. Strategies come into play because of the variables that surround each course, hole, and day. You cannot always just strike the ball at the pin because there could be so many problems along the way. Sometimes, you have to take a safer approach and go the long way around. It’ll take more time but you’ll achieve a better score because of these wise moves. 

Optimize Your Game With The Right Gear
Your ability comes into it a lot of the time, but it’s amazing what the right equipment can do. If you have the right golf accessories and the perfect clubs for you, things can change significantly. There are so many instances of people upgrading their gear and having a much better time. It’s an extremely satisfying feeling knowing that your ability was plateauing simply because of the clubs you were using. You are able to hit the ball further and cleaner simply because you have a higher-quality club. Don’t be afraid to invest money in the accessories in order to make the overall experience better.

It was never my intention to do this follow up book to 101 Manchester City match worn shirts which was released in 2021, but as a passionate City match shirt collector it’s a pleasure to be able to share another part of my collection, some stories regarding the shirts and the season’s memories that they may bring.

My collection has grown considerably over the past few years, as has the hobby in general. You only have to scroll through the many social media channels to see the number of accounts now dedicated to collecting not only match worn shirts but football shirts in general. I can’t speak for other collectors but I can safely say they may well agree with me when I do say the feeling never get’s old of adding a new shirt or unearthing a real holy grail of a shirt into collection. This was the case for me during the first lockdown when after many years of trying to trace the unusual yellow away shirt that was only ever worn once by City at Arsenal on 14^th October 1989, with just one set of shirts produced it has become a real holy grail of City shirts for any collection. The kit was hastily given away by then City director Freddie Pye, following our 4-0 defeat, and the instructions of Chairman Peter Swales who demanded that the kit was never to been seen again, well it was actually seen numerous times across Manchester’s Saturday and Sunday leagues when it was used by local team MMS who were managed at the time by Liam Hall. The kit was used well into the 1990’s before the side broke up, a lot of players got to keep the shirts but the majority have long been since sold on. A few have surfaced more recently but were quickly snapped up by a dealer who then sold them for huge profits. After many online requests for the shirt, convinced that there will be one still out there I was put onto a fellow blue called Billy Bell, who had found one just stored in a bag of old City shirts, just waiting to be discovered. A deal was quickly arranged with Billy, who in fairness could have sold the shirt on for much high profits but as a man of his word, he kept to our deal which I’ll be forever grateful. A courier was quickly arranged to be sent to collect the shirt which I’m thrilled to have in the collection as there certainly aren’t to many, if anymore out there. 

Manchester City have played, and still do to this day, a huge part of my life, as many football fans will tell you, our clubs were our first real love, the ones we can forgive no matter what they throw our way. City have certainly tested that unconditional love over the 40 years I have supported the club, although the past 15 years or so have been pretty incredible to say the least. In February 2023 I was kindly invited by the club to take part in the 2023/24 season kit launch where I spent the day in and around the first team while featuring in the official home fans and players photo shoot along with the likes of Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and former City goalkeeper Alex Williams. I also spent time with our current kit manufactures Puma talking about kit designs and ideas while showing them a collection of match shirts we have worn over the years, the day was topped off when I was introduced to legendary Oasis singer Noal Gallagher who was filming a piece using my shirts, another honour for me and I was delighted to be able to present him with a copy of my first book, for the record Noel’s favourite City shirt is the 86-88 black & red chess board chequered style. A big thank you to Paul Mulholland and City for making a brilliant day of memories to be treasured.

With just over 600 shirts now in the collection I hope the book will spark some memories of days gone by, some you may want to forget and some you will never forget.

You can order a copy direct from Mark which can include a signed dedicated message of choice which will make a perfect birthday or Christmas gift for any blue.

AS ROMA AND RIYADH SEASON ANNOUNCE NEW FRONT OF SHIRT PARTNERSHIP

AS Roma is delighted to announce a new partnership with Riyadh Season, which will see one of the world’s leading entertainment events become the club’s new front-of-shirt sponsor.

With its fourth edition set to commence at the end of this month, Riyadh Season attracts visitors from around the world to Saudi Arabia’s capital during the winter months every year to experience thousands of concerts, exhibitions, dining experiences and other unique entertainment events featuring some of the biggest brands and individuals.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said, “The yellow and red jersey is unique, it is synonymous with AS Roma around the world, and we are proud that Riyadh Season will now be associated with such an iconic shirt.

“Like football, Riyadh Season is aimed at bringing people together with its extensive range of international entertainment events and this collaboration will offer even greater visibility through one of the world’s most supported clubs.

“Roma’s recent success in Europe makes this an exciting time to be a part of this famous club and we look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the coming years together.”

Sporting events play a fundamental role in the Riyadh Season calendar, and as a result of this agreement, fans will have the opportunity to watch AS Roma play a friendly match in Riyadh. The Giallorossi will return to Saudi Arabia more than 40 years after their last visit, where they will be met by the country’s great passion for football, as demonstrated by the numerous high-profile players currently competing in the Saudi Pro League.

“We are excited to welcome Riyadh Season as the new main partner of AS Roma,” said Lina Souloukou, AS Roma’s Chief Executive Officer & General Manager.

“Riyadh Season is one of the biggest winter entertainment events in the world, with sport at its heart. Our partnership is recognition of AS Roma as a global brand with strategic importance for the future of football in Saudi Arabia. This market is becoming increasingly significant for the world of football and we believe our collaboration will generate many interesting and unique opportunities. First of all, we look forward to playing our friendly matches there and experiencing first hand the passion this country has for football”.

Riyadh’s inaugural season began in October 2019 to a resounding success, with visitor numbers topping 10 million. Following events have broken multiple Guinness World Records, establishing the company’s excellent reputation for engaging their audience.

#DAJEROMADAJE … I added that!

Hot on the heels of “The Art of the Con”, Arton sent me a press release for his latest book. I think many will like it!

 “I first wrote part of this story as a script in 2019. It gnawed away at my mind since, so I had to finish it. Honestly, I knew from the start I’d have to.

It’s inspired by characters I met long, long ago when I spent some time around the personal development industry. It’s a hypnotic psychological thriller about the investigation of a man who claims to be able to cure cancer through nothing more than talking.

If you’re fascinated by Derren Brown (I met him briefly when I was 18, a story I may tell you at some point), or have enjoyed films like Magnolia, Trance, Nightmare Alley, Red Lights, and The Manchurian Candidate, I really think it’s for you.

I don’t know how many hundreds or thousands of hours went into it, but I’m proud of it (it takes a lot for me to say that), and its had great feedback from its advanced readers.

As an independent author, it’s really important it gets a strong start out of the blocks. If Amazon sees a book is selling well at its launch, it will use its considerable powers to actively promote it and will also give little authors like me cheaper advertising options.

That said, if you like the look of it for yourself or as a gift (Christmas isn’t too far away) for people you know who’d like this sort of story, pick up a copy or three.

It’s currently only £2.99 for the eBook (that may go up in the next few days), the paperback is £11.99, and it’s also available on Kindle Unlimited.

If you’re intrigued by the topics I mentioned above, I truly believe you’ll enjoy it.

Any support you can show, whether it’s buying, reading, or telling others about it in person or on social media, would be greatly appreciated.”

Get your copy here

To see his previous books, click here and here

Many of you will remember Arton James’ last novel, Weaver Pitch TV that I was delighted to feature here. I was pleased to hear from him today and he asked whether I liked his new banner.

“I’ll be writing all non-football stuff under ‘Arton Baleci’, so it needed updating. Plus, I have a new book out today.

It’s actually a prequel novella for the novel I’ve told you about recently. It’s about a con artist. Think along the lines of Catch Me If You Can, The Talented Mr Ripley and Nightmare Alley. I don’t want to say much more than that.

You can go buy it at Amazon if you want – hell, feel free to download the free version and buy the paid one just because you like me! – but I’m making it free for everybody on my list. Thank you for your continued interest in my work.

Just click the cover below and you’ll be able to download it in a format of your liking.

And if you do like it, tell your friends. It’s 99p or free if they sign up for the list too.

I’ve put every bit of thought and effort into writing every page of this as I do with all my work, and the advanced feedback on it has been superb, so I think there’s a great chance you’ll really enjoy it.

More stuff coming your way over the next few days.

Click here and let me know how you find the read,

Arton”

Whilst most everyone knows I am a football fan, and many will know that I am a shirt collector, I am sure few will know that I have been fascinated by philately/ stamp collecting since the early 1960s.

My friends at Liverpool Stamps did a blog recently about football ON stamps. It would be rude not to share it! In 1966 England hosted the World Cup and not only hosted a great competition but even won it! the final between West Germany (who?) and England ended in an amazing 4-2 victory after extra time. A few days later, the Post Office (who?) announced they were overprinting the World Cup 4d stamps with the two words, “England Winners.” There was talk of it being hugely valuable, rationed and all kinds of other stories. On the day it was launched I remember running up the road to our local post office with a few pence in my hands and hoping I could get this historic stamp. I got to the post office to see a queue from here to eternity. My heart dropped but I quickly realised that they were pensioners collecting their weekly pension (all pre-internet!) I got to the counter and asked whether I could please, possibly, if it is in any way feasible get five stamps. The postmaster looked at me and passed me five. I carefully put them into an envelope I had brought with me …….. my life was complete!

“On July 13th, 1930, a historic event took place as the inaugural FIFA World Cup kicked off in Uruguay. This marked the beginning of a legendary tournament that would captivate football fans around the globe and become a symbol of international sporting excellence.

The first-ever FIFA World Cup brought together teams from various nations to compete for the ultimate prize in football. Uruguay, as the host nation, provided a stage for the world’s best players to showcase their skills and passion for the beautiful game.

At Liverpool Stamps, we celebrate the spirit of the FIFA World Cup through our collection of stamps. Visit our website, www.liverpoolstamps.co.uk, to explore our range of stamps that capture the excitement and glory of football’s greatest tournament.

Let us relish the historic beginnings of the FIFA World Cup and the legacy it has created in the world of football. Follow us on social media to stay updated with our latest stamp releases and connect with fellow philatelists who share a love for the global phenomenon of the World Cup.”

First shared on Facebook.

Hopefully, Liverpool Stamps will showcase some other great football stamps. Anybody remember the colourful España 82 stamps? Some of my favourite of all time. Sadly Naranjito, the official mascot was not as successful as England’s 1966 World Cup Willie,. Spain crashed and a magnificent Italian team complete with the unplayable Paolo Rossi took the title.

It was a pleasure to chat to our friends at Stanchion Publishing at a recent programme fair in Loughton, Essex. I have been a follower for several years so it’s always nice to shake hands with old faces, as they say!

One of the books that caught my eye was Liverpool Classic Kits by Rob Mason and even if you are not a Liverpool fan it’s a very interesting book with lots of great illustrations evoking some great games …especially the European nights that no football fan will forget.

From the publisher:

Liverpool Classic Kits is 112 pages full of everything a football fan could ever want to know about the most iconic kits to have been showcased by their club. From design to branding, this publication about Liverpool Classic Kits is an essential read for all football fans who love the beautiful game and the iconic home, away and third kits of their club. Packed with features including a detailed account of the kits of a variety of seasons at the club, including historical accounts of the seasons and iconic moments of the shirt.

Also included are in-depth statistics, facts, trivia, most memorable games, and an unmatched historical account of the famous red shirt.

—

Aspen Books

25 x 17 cm

Hardback

112 pages

July 2022

English

9781914536274

If Liverpool are not your team, Mason has also written a Manchester United Classic Kits book

I saw a great offer on the SX Sports Facebook this week and promised to share it.

” Welcome to SX Sports, UK specialists in football kits, teamwear, benchwear, trainingwear and more, all at discount prices. We are stockists of leading brands such as Joma, Umbro, Nike, Errea, Stanno, Prostar and Mitre. We offer printing and embroidery services so your kits can be personalised with names, numbers, team and sponsor logos.

During the month of September, here at SX Sports we are fundraising for a charity very close to our hearts. Scott, one of our directors, and his partner Sadie’s son, Archie was diagnosed with Epilepsy in September 2022. Archie has been on a long treatment journey for the last year and all of our lives are affected by Epilepsy every day.

During the month of September we are offering a massive 30% off of the RRP of every new order if you have the Epilepsy Society logo printed on any shirt, either as a sleeve sponsor or main shirt sponsor, whether it be a single shirt order or a whole team kit.

We would be immensely grateful for any contribution to this cause, and having the logo printed will hopefully raise awareness for everyone suffering with Epilepsy.

Contact us to order now.”

Alternatively, you can make a donation to Archie’s fundraiser here:

Those of you who know me, know that I am a football fan and a travel fanatic! I also play chess for hours a day but I have a “hidden” interest and that is art. Sadly, it is watching only as I can’t draw a line and my attempts at Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc leave a lot to be desired. That said, I think I recognise talent. I have previously highlighted Papilios Creative, Gillingham Legends and Football Art Online. Obviously, I have been a huge fan of Simon Ellinas for 15 years …. about as long as he has supported the Shirt Project.

It was therefore a pleasure to meet Dave this week from Football Cartoons who I think has a real skill. He was happy for me to share some of his work and contact details. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Please feel free to check his Big Heads out on his social media sites. He reminded me that if there is anyone you would like him to draw – professional or amateur or even friends and family he will be happy to work of a photo. Enjoy!


“My names Dave 

I’m an Artist and have been so for over 30 years 

I started drawing and painting mostly fantasy art 

And in 1998 I decided to learn to draw portraits of famous people mostly football 

In 2016 I decided to have a go at drawing big heads and have mostly done this style ever since 

I also have learnt how to get my work onto merchandise ie mugs, t shirts, coasters and all sorts and I sell my merch to customers 

I currently draw football players past and present and also do person cartoons of families as required 

If your interested in buying any of my work you can contact me on Facebook @footbalcartoons or Instagram @bigheadsbydave”