Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Nottingham Forest

Three New Nottingham Forest Shirts

I got a mail from my friends at Copa today ….

“We recently launched our first official Nottingham Forest retro collection and today we have added three brand new polyester shirts, based on the shirts worn during Forest’s glory days in the late 1970’s and 1980’s.

Led by Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest were the very unexpected European Cup winners in 1979. Having surprised the continent a year earlier, Forest were back in 1980 to surprise a few more people by doing the very same thing again. Nottingham Forest retained their European crown against HSV and remain the only club to have won the European Cup more often than their own national League.

All Forest classic retro shirts take you back to relive the rich history of the club. All shirts are Made in Europe with great care and pride, using the best possible fabrics for the right vintage look & feel. As a finishing touch all items are packed in luxury gift boxes.

The Nottingham Forest retro collection can be found online at copafootball.com, in the Forest Fanshops, and via selected retailers and online resellers.”

Brentford star, Romaine Sawyers, joins Kick It Out for a unique sign language workshop

Romaine Sawyers joined Kick It Out representative Paul Mortimer in highlighting deaf sport at a primary school in Twickenham yesterday, as part of his role as an ambassador for the organisation.

More than 80 pupils from Chase Bridge Primary School took part in an exciting sign language workshop with the country’s only full-time, deaf football coach – Ben Lampert, who works for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust. To help raise awareness of disability in sport, pupils also unlocked their creative potential and designed posters that highlight deaf football. “If a football player or someone of a profession I was interested in came into my school when I was younger; I would have probably listened that little bit more,” Romaine said.
“I need to use the platform I have to try and make a difference.”

Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation, has received widespread recognition for tackling discrimination within football. Although it was originally launched to eliminate racism from the game, Kick It Out expanded its remit in 1997 to challenge all forms of discrimination – whether based on age, disability, faith, gender, gender reassignment, race or sexual orientation. “It was great to work with Romaine, who has been our ambassador for several years now,” said Paul Mortimer, who previously worked as a coach at Brentford and is now Professional Players Engagement Manager at Kick It Out.

“It was fantastic to educate the Chase Bridge Primary School pupils about Kick It Out and our key messages around diversity and inclusion.

“Brentford’s Community Sports Trust does great work so I am pleased that we teamed up with them to raise awareness around deaf sport – I certainly learnt a lot at Ben’s sign language workshop!” “Running these events will help educate the next generation and highlight the importance of disability in football,” said Ben Lampert, who was born profoundly deaf. “For me, becoming involved with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust was the turning point in the development of my coaching career. Through the work of Kick It Out and the Trust, we can raise awareness and provide deaf children with the same opportunities I had.”

Brentford FC CST has had a longstanding commitment to disability projects; the Trust engaged with nearly 500 disabled adults and children last year.

New FC Internazionale Retro Shirts & Jacket

About a month ago, we launched the first items of our new FC Internazionale collection. Today we added two iconic retro shirts and a retro jacket.

The shirts and the jacket, made under official license of the Italian superpower, take you back to relive special moments: the Serie A title returned to Inter in some style in 1989 after a nine-year absence. Coach Giovanni Trapattoni fashioned almost an entirely new team based around the very experienced West German pairing of midfielder Lothar Matthaus and full back Andreas Brehme. Ultimately Inter won the title with considerable ease in this record-breaking season.

All items are Made in Europe with great care and pride, using the best possible fabrics for the right vintage look & feel and are packed in luxury gift boxes.

The collection can be found via copafootball.com, in our flagshipstore in Amsterdam and via selected retailers and online resellers. Or in the official Inter.it webshop and Inter fanstore in Milano.

Penny Power OBE

One of the most exciting parts of the whole Shirt Project, was the opportunity I have had to meet so many exciting, positive and professional people. So may people have supported Bjørn and I that it is invidious to name names but I must give a huge shoutout to Penny Power and her husband Thomas who supported me magnificently in 2010 as I cycled through the UK. They were the owners and leaders of Ecademy and I had the pleasure of meeting up with them a number of times that summer. Moreover they introduced Bjørn and I to many supporters who made our two tours possible. HUGE THANKS, guys.

So, I was really excited to read about an amazing new initiative from Penny and it is the least I can do to share it. I wish her every success…..although I am not sure she will need it.

JOIN MORE THAN 100 INVESTORS in The Business Cafe crowdfund

Imagine if tomorrow you could pop into your local Business Cafe and sit in plush surroundings, served by lovely staff who make an effort to know your name, and maybe ask a Digital Friend to help you with a skill you would like for your business.

You may remember us, Penny Power and Gail Thomas – we are creating community and delivering digital skills and support for sole-traders, SMEs and people in business for FREE.

Our coffee shops will be a great place to network, make business friends and get to grip with business apps.

We want to get the first one going in early 2018, please support our crowdfund.

In addition to food and beverage, our revenue comes from the brands who pay to feature on our Digital Menu and train up our Digital Friends to help businesses in each locality become aware of and benefit from better productivity.

Check our pitch page and make your investment here.

So far we have:

*already gained private investment to develop the business and operational structure

*got huge support and online community from SMEs across the UK and beyond, see testimonials from our youtube channel here

*signed major brands on to our Digital Menu

I hope you’ll join our journey, we’d love to have you on board.

With friendship first

Penny
Penny Power OBE

See our video here to learn about us.

China to Runcorn

Well, it’s not exactly about a shirt but the story needs promoting! Let’s be honest, it’s not every day that a Football Manager fan travels 6,000 miles from China to visit Runcorn FC – after managing them on CM 01/02

Huang Wenbin enjoyed his title-winning game so much that he wanted to pay a visit to the club.Anyone who plays Football Manager will know how easy it is to develop a soft spot for the club you manage.

Huang Wenbin did exactly that, as he became an exiled fan of Runcorn FC Halton following his tenure in charge of them on Championship Manager 01/02.

Wenbin turned his Runcorn side into world beaters, rising from the Conference to the Premier League, signing the likes of Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy along the way.

Fifteen years on from his virtual exploits, Wenbin, 37, underwent the ultimate pilgrimage for any Football Manager fan – as he completed a 12,000-mile round-trip to visit Runcorn.

The club, now under the guise of Runcorn Linnets following the demise of the original club in 2006, play in the ninth tier of English football.

But that was not going to put off Wenbin, who flew to Liverpool with his wife, Lin Xiaoru, and children, Yandao and Geshu, in a bid to find the non-league club.

“The first time I made the decision to find Runcorn FC was in 2015,” Wenbin told Mirror Football.

“I went to Liverpool by train to watch Steven Gerrard’s last match at Anfield.

“When the train was parking, I saw a sign for Runcorn. I told my friend I will be there again to find my club.” After arriving in England last week, Wenbin set up a Twitter account in order to contact the club to try and organise a visit. And on Sunday, he was greeted by club officials.

“We all breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that someone was waiting for us in front of the stadium. We spent over 24 hours to arrive in Liverpool from Xiamen in China.” Wenbin worked out the local bus system and was able to travel from Liverpool to Runcorn – but it was not without complication.
“We missed the bus station and got lost on the road in the countryside near Runcorn Linnets. “We spent three hours trying to find the club. It must be my false for my poor English speaking and listening.” But football is a universal language and there was no problem in telling the story between Wenbin and club chairman Mark Buckley, who showed the family around the Millbank Linnets Stadium.

“Mark is such an easy going person and he introduced the Runcorn Linnets club to us,” Wenbin said.”He brought us a box of club souvenirs, such as a badge which my son wore on his clothes immediately.”My son wanted to kick a ball on the pitch. Mark was so kind to let him do that and my son enjoyed himself to the full.”

Wenbin was unable to watch the Linnets’ away match against Burscough this weekend but made up for it with a visit to Anfield to watch his beloved Liverpool’s game against Manchester United.

But it was the visit to Runcorn that Wenbin was most excited about. On the other hand, his wife, Xiarou, was just thankful for the warm welcome from the club – and Wenbin is appreciative of her for joining him on the journey. Runcorn chairman Mark said: “She possibly didn’t know what to expect, so when he got a warm welcome I think she was probably quite relieved! “I don’t think he realised that he was quite big news. He seemed quite astonished that we were happy to see him. We have a Swedish fans group and a Norwegian fans group, but China is a little bit special.

“It was quite humbling, because he was such an honest and polite man. I really, really enjoyed it personally. It was a fabulous few hours.”He has already emailed me umpteen photos and his thoughts from the day, so I think I’ve found myself a pen pal for life, which is brilliant and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch. He’s a thoroughly decent bloke.”

Runcorn are now endeavouring to source a replica shirt which they can send to over to Chin

Full story here . Photos courtesy of The Mirror Group

FC Internazionale

New FC Internazionale Retro Collection
Internazionale retro collection

Internazionale retro collection
After launching our first official FC Internazionale retro shirts and jackets back in 2016, we are delighted to show you the first items of the new retro collection, made under official license of the Italian superpower.

These two retro shirts and the retro jacket, designed in strong collaboration with the club, are inspired by the rich history of Inter and instantly recognizable styles from the past. They take you back to relive special moments, created by legends like Altobelli, Meazza, Suárez and Mazzola.
Internazionale retro collection

Internazionale retro collection
All items are Made in Europe with great care and pride, using the best possible fabrics for the right vintage look & feel and are packed in luxury gift boxes.

The collection can be found via copafootball.com, in the Copa flagshipstore in Amsterdam and via selected retailers and online resellers. Or in the official Inter.it webshop and Inter fanstore in Milano.

Retro Barcelona

New FC Barcelona retro collection

In January 2017, we had the honour to launch our first FC Barcelona collection. Today we are delighted to show you the second part of the official FC Barcelona Retro Collection, designed in strong collaboration with the club.

This second collection, made under official license of FC Barcelona, consists of four new classic retro shirts, originally from the 1910s, 1950s and 1970s. They take you back to relive the rich history of the club, like the famous 1973-1974 season. It was the season that saw the club finally reclaimed the Spanish title after a lengthy 24 year absence.

All FC Barcelona items are Made in Europe with great care and pride, using the best possible fabrics for the right vintage look & feel and are packed in luxury gift boxes.

The collection can be found via copafootball.com, in our flagshipstore in Amsterdam, in various FC Barcelona fanstores and via selected retailers and online resellers in different countries.

Anders Johansen

With all my Norwegian connections, I was amazed that I had never heard of Anders Johansen a football fan from just south of Oslo. He is a groundhopper par excellence and I was delighted when he allowed me to interview him.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. You are Norwegian but where are you from and which Norwegian team do you follow

I’m 44, and the last few years I’ve been writing travel guides to English football for the Norwegian market. I’m from a town called Drøbak, about 25 miles south of Oslo. I was born in Fredrikstad where my dad’s family is from, but been living most of my life now in Drøbak, where my mum’s family is from. As for my Norwegian team, I’ve always followed Fredrikstad (FFK), but sadly my interest isn’t what it used to be (modern football ruined things a bit here in Norway as well), and I’m now more likely to go down to my local club Drøbak/Frogn to watch them play.

When did you first fall in love with football? Was that Norwegian or English football?

I was football mad from a young age, always carrying a ball around with me, often kicking it against a well etc if there was no one to play with. As for watching football, it was probably the English football as I grew up watching it on Norwegian TV every Saturday (they always showed one of the 3pm games live), and was already hooked on that before I started going regularly.

Do you remember the first Norwegian ground and game you saw? Love at first sight or…?

I’m not really sure if the old Fredrikstad ground or Drøbak/Frogn’s ground was my first, but I think it was the latter as we lived in Drøbak at the time (unless I was taken to FFK as an infant before I can remember). My first memory from a football ground is from Drøbak/Frogn’s ground Seiersten Stadion anyway…and the only thing I remember from it is that I lost my dad and probably started crying 😊 Also remember being at that ground and the announcer congratulating the home team on promotion after the game…might’ve even been the same game, but then again it might not have been. Probably wasn’t love at first sight as I didn’t start going regularly until we moved back to Fredrikstad. My dad was away a lot in his work back then (up to 2-3 months at the time) so he never took me to football much. I started going with friends when moving to Fredrikstad, and that’s when I really fell in love with the club, who had also just won the Norwegian cup (with a Fredrikstad player and Norway international scoring what is probably the most famous cup final goal ever in Norway).

How many Norwegian ground have you visited?

Visited my Norwegian ground # 78 tonight. Might do another one tomorrow. Was always just happy following Fredrikstad, or watching Drøbak/Frogn now and again when living in Drøbak. The groundhopping I now do here is pretty much just killing time whilst waiting for the next UK trip.

When did you start to take an interest in English football? Do you remember your first game here?

Like I said, the interest in English football was probably there before my interest in Norwegian football, having grown up always looking forward to Saturday and the weekly TV game from England….also collecting English football cards, Panini sticker albums from English football etc. Maybe a bit strangely, I can’t really say I was a big fan of a certain team as much as I just loved following English football in general. My first actual game in England was actually as late as 1995, when I watched Reading at their fantastic old Elm Park. Unfortunately the game that day was abandoned after some absolutely torrential rain…which was probably a good thing for Reading as they were 0-2 down to Bury after when it was abandoned in I think the 27th minute. It was enough to get me hooked again anyway, and I’d be back for more.

Was there a single moment when you said, “Mmm, I want to visit x hundred ground in the next ten years”?

Not really a single moment like that, I guess. It’s just a ball that started rolling and my trips have been getting bigger and bigger. But the whole thing started when I used to fly over to watch Reading and then sit in the Reading pubs waiting for the next Reading game. I eventually thought I might as well go watch someone else play when they’re not playing, and that’s really how the groundhopping thing started. By then, my first priority was still Reading, and it wasn’t until I started falling out of love with the modern game that I decided I’d rather just do groundhopping – after going to a couple of non-league games and falling in love with the game again.

So, how do you plan a trip? How do you squeeze as many games as possible into each trip? Juggling fixture lists and transport timetables must be a challenge?

It is indeed quite a lot of work, picking games, booking hotels, checking public transport timetables etc. I start by making a list of all the fixtures for every day I’ll be over, then choose which games I fancy before looking to see how they fit into my plans…like if they’re still doable with the game I wanna do the day after etc. Where there’s a will, there’s very often a way, and several times I’ve been dragging my luggage along to games and travelled on for hours after the game to install myself elsewhere with the next day in mind. Let me give you an example: A couple of seasons ago, I was doing Merthyr Town on a Saturday and had booked a (thankfully refundable) hotel there, but then Bishop Auckland had an FA Vase game moved to the Sunday, and I saw there was no way I’d get up from Merthyr Tydfil to Bishop Auckland in time on the Sunday. So I cancelled the hotel and looked to see where I could book accommodation somewhere along the way that would allow me to get to Bishop Auckland in time…and ended up booking accommodation in Birmingham. So I went to the Merthyr game and then got the trains up to Birmingham to sleep over there before making my way up from there to Bishop Auckland in the morning. Might also be worth mentioning that I get a BritRail pass that allows me to jump on any train and gives me unlimited travel for x amount of days. Very handy if there’s a change of plan, cancellations or rearrangements etc.

I remember doing three games on an Easter Friday once. How many have you done on one day?

I’ve done four games in a day a couple of times, but that’s been on organised Groundhops. The most I’ve done in one day outside the organised Hops are 3 games, which I’ve done several times.

How many English grounds have you visited? Which is your favorite…and why? Is there a ground that you particularly don’t like? Why?

I’ve now done 445 grounds in the English pyramid. My favorite ground visited overall has to be Glentoran (The Oval), and as for English grounds…hmmm, hard to pick just one or two, but of current grounds I’d say maybe Workington or Harwich & Parkeston. Both wonderful classic grounds. Even now Workington is a fantastic ground, and I can only imagine how great it was before they knocked most of the main stand down. Ebbsfleet United was another favorite, and it’s sad to see it now being sterilised. Aldershot Town is also up there, and my favorite in the current top 5 divisions…apart from the little prefabricated stand they’ve put up behind one of the goals, it’s like time’s stood still there since the 1950s. Fantastic 😊
As for grounds I don’t really like, I should probably stick to England, as most of the lower division grounds in the Oslo area here in Norway would dominate that list completely (mostly dull, open, council owned plastic pitch complexes with no character). In the UK, apart from the obvious fields, I have to say I found Consett’s new ground pretty horrible. Shame, as I tried to get to their ground 2 times the last season, only for the games to be called off due to snow both times. The only thing I liked about their new ground was the good sized bar. I found the ground devoid of any character whatsoever, a typical example of a dull new build…nice and functional, but so incredibly boring, with the prefabricated stands and of course the god awful plastic pitch (I really can’t stand them!). I remember thinking that “when all the grounds looks like this, I’ll find a new hobby”, and I was glad it was only 90 minutes as I could’ve gradually lost the will to live if I’d stayed any longer. Later, I’ve been to a few more like that. Team Northumbria is another one I really didn’t like, and on my last trip I had a similar experience at St. Helens Town; although hopefully the latter is still a work in progress. On my visit to Royton Town last year I also confirmed my suspicion that I hate caged grounds as well. If you’re after grounds higher up, take a pick from most of the PL/FL grounds the last couple of decades. I think the Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena was an absolutely dreadful experience, but I guess I could’ve just as well been at Doncaster Rovers, Southampton, Cardiff City etc etc. There’s a theme here, I guess…and yes, the only new builds I’ve liked (not just as “not bad for a new build) is probably Weymouth and Dorchester Town.

I have a bit of a soft spot for smaller grounds such as Bærum’s Sandvika stadium in Norway and Stalybridge Celtic’s gorgeous Bower Fold. You?

Agree about Bower Fold, and I do indeed often prefer the smaller grounds, mostly because most of the good bigger grounds have now already been sterilised or knocked down and replaced by a dull plastic bowl. So many ground I have a soft spot for. Could’ve mentioned lots more than the once mentions above…like Crockenhill, Mossley, Prescot Cables, Crook Town, Falmouth Town, Swanage & Herston etc etc.

I love reading your blog in Norwegian. It is clear that you have taken to learning much about English history and culture. Were you always interested or has this been a side benefit of your groundhopping?

Always felt at home in England and UK, and also always been interested in history etc, but guess I’ve no doubt become “worse” over the years.

When are you back next? What are your plans for that trip?

Already booked a flight over on Boxing Day, which I booked back in July. No clue how long I’ll stay yet or what the plans are. Most of the leagues haven’t even announced fixtures for Dec/Jan yet, so a bit early to start planning quite yet. Will probably be a few rearranged games as well. But (and hopefully I won’t jinx this now) if they don’t change the kick off times, I can see myself starting that trip with a Boxing Day double…Oakwood v Lingfield at 11am and the derby game that is Tooting & Mitcham United v Dulwich Hamlet at 3pm. Not a bad one that, and after all, when flying into Gatwick I’ll be stuck in London area that day anyway.

How do the locals take to a Norwegian rolling up at their excuse for a ground on a wet Monday at a level 9 club? Are you welcomed, seen as a bit “odd” or treated as an “away fan” (with all the negative connotations that has!)

There’s pretty a warm welcome almost everywhere below step 2-3. Although I’m often mistaken for an away fan at first, people are very friendly. When they find out through conversation that I’m from Norway, there can be a bit of a commotion at times – guess it’s not an everyday thing for some of these clubs!

PS I must ask you one last question. What do you think of the new Valerenga ground.

It’s good for the club, but I didn’t think it was anything special. Not bad for Norway I guess, although that doesn’t say too much. I think maybe they should’ve filled in the corners(?), and again I’m having big problems with the plastic pitch. At least it’s got a stand with terracing (well, “safe standing” anyway).

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Anders, my friend, of that there is no doubt! To see the up to date list of all the grounds that Anders has visited please visit Groundhopping

Mexico

West Ham: Shirt auction to aid Mexican earthquake relief

West Ham United will auction shirts worn in this weekend’s London derby to raise money in aid of the Mexican earthquake.

Mexican striker Javier Hernandez, 29, is leading the #YoXMexico initiative alongside international team-mate Miguel Layun.

The Hammers will double the proceeds, which will help deliver food and supplies to victims of the disaster.

“Seeing the suffering of our compatriots has been very painful,” said Hernandez.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico on Tuesday, leaving thousands of families homeless and killing 273 people.

“We know that many see us as a source of inspiration, but in this case, what has inspired us is to see millions of Mexicans take to the streets and to lend a hand without asking for anything in return,” Hernandez said.

“We hope, with this initiative, to help those who need it and motivate more people to do it with us.

“Miguel and I are very grateful to have the backing of everyone at West Ham United and all of its supporters at this difficult time for our country.

“It is a fantastic gesture and we hope it can help us raise funds that will make a difference in Mexico.”

Full article from the BBC site here

Terry Butcher, English football legend.

Prostate Cancer Fundraising

Join the biggest ride in football – Football to Amsterdam 2018

In 2013, 30 hardy fans joined the fight against prostate cancer and took their respective club into Europe, cycling 150 miles to Amsterdam.

Between 2014 and 2017, the number of riders rose from 150 to 350, and the event now involves three different start locations and over 400 fans fans from over 60 clubs.

If a challenge, a great laugh and camaraderie of riding in unison with football fans from across the country appeals to you, let us know you are interested.

Terry Butcher’s guide to the biggest and best ride in football

I’ve taken part in this ride twice and the camaraderie and team spirit is simply fantastic. If you’re going to do one charity event a year, then this is the one to do. Here’s my guide to Football to Amsterdam 2018:

1: Get signed up early

As well as getting your fundraising started early, signing up gives lots of benefits. Plus, if you’re thinking of doing the Yorkshire route, the early birds can choose what time their return flight will be, so you can get that well-deserved lie in. Be warned though, the fun doesn’t stop at the finishing line in Amsterdam – the journey back to the UK is another adventure!

2: Choose the right bike

If you don’t have a bike, don’t worry. While you can spend silly money these days, you can get a decent road bike for £250. The right bike is the key. If you are part of a team, try approaching your local bike shop to see if they will do you a deal or sponsor you with a bike. Three years ago I used an old bike and painfully regretted it. The following year, I really benefited from having the correct equipment and enjoyed the event far more than the first time.

3: Representing your club

Last year we had riders from over 60 football clubs across the Premier League, EFL and Non League. Let us know if you want to ride for your club, whether that’s Arsenal or Accrington Stanley. Prostate Cancer doesn’t choose its victims: that’s why we are all Men United.

4: Hitting your target

We have a great time on this ride, but it’s a much better experience going into the event having hit your fundraising target. Once registered, set up an online fundraising page (linked to your team and event) and keep an eye out for lots of ideas about how to smash your target. It’s not difficult to raise money with a bit of planning and realistic expectations. Just sending an email to your family and friends might help but you need to do a little bit more than that these days. The more you raise the more help that money can buy.

5: Getting fit

Signing up early also means you have to start training early. You don’t need to be Bradley Wiggins for this event but doing a regular 20-30 miles in the build up to the ride will help. You will never cycle more than 25 miles between rest stops and that’s good to remember when fatigue begins to set in. If you’re part of a team it’s great fun getting out for training rides (and easier too), especially when finishing with a pint or two at the end.