Posts Tagged ‘manchester united’

Player Haters – The Rivalry Of Liverpool and Man U

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

There’s been a healthy rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool FC for over 100 years…but is that a good thing or a bad thing.

Everyone has heard of at least one famous sporting rivalry in history.  There was Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier in boxing, Chris Evert versus Martina Navratilova in tennis and Greg Norman versus Nick Faldo in golf.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?  In what has to be the greatest rivalry in football, if not all sports, there is a way to look at things analytically 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.United striker Wayne Rooney has publicly mentioned that when he was growing up he hated Liverpool FC.On another occasion, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard told a TV crew that, although he often exchanges shirts with opposing players, he would never have a Manchester United shirt in his house.

5. Transfers? Are You Kidding Me? – There have been no direct transfers of players between the two clubs since 1964; the few who have played for both sides have always played for a different city’s club 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.I’m sure some people don’t understand how others can get so worked up about a game, and think the whole rigamarole is just silly.  So, who’s the best team in football?It’s as clear as day, really.  Everyone knows it’s Spurs.

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United To Target Serie A Star Midfielder

Monday, December 28th, 2009

According to reports, Manchester United have lined up a £25m summer transfer bid for Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik.

Many critics believe Manchester United’s biggest weakness is the midfield and the fact that Paul Scholes form hasn’t been great and Ryan Giggs is not getting any younger may convince Alex Ferguson to make some new player transfers come January.

With interest from Liverpool and Chelsea as well, the signing of Hamsik would add attacking ability to Manchester United’s midfield. Snapped up by Brescia after proving his skill with Slovan Bratislava. He shone in Italy with Brescia scoring a hugely impressive ten goals from midfield and it wasn’t too long before Napoli paid over 5.5m Euros to take the player to the Sao Paolo.

Since 2007, Hamsik has established himself as one of the finest box to box, goalscoring midfielders in Serie A. His impressive record of 25 goals in just 81 games bears comparison with some of the finest midfielders in Serie A and there are many strikers who would be proud to boast a similar strike rate. After giving Napoli their first win over Juventus in Turin in 21 years with an excellent two goals Hamsik has quickly became known as the best midfielder in Serie A.

Hamsik’s form for Slovakia has been equally impressive. He has been the driving force behind the countries qualification for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa and he is being touted as being one of the major stars to emerge from the tournament in the summer.

Interest and a big offer from major teams may not be enough however with sporting director Riccardo Bigon stating:

“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. Napoli’s short budget will defiantly play a factor in their decision to keep Hamsik or to sell him if a good offer is made.

One factor which could scupper any deal however is Chelsea. With Carlo Ancelotti given the go ahead to spend £25m on a player by Roman Abramovich in January they might beat Manchester United to the punch

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How to Safely Buy 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. Should you want genuine Manchester United Football tickets, then you need to find a business selling them online that is tried and trusted. It is best to read customer reviews prior to making a purchase. 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. The best way to discern if a review is genuine or advertising is to look for a hyperlink towards the end of the review.

A legitimate customer reviewing a product doesn’t usually have a reason to post a link to the very product they are reviewing. 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. Reviews which do not contain links are more likely to be genuine. Though buying tickets on eBay can often get you cheaper prices, it is probably a good idea to buy tickets from established websites that specialize in tickets alone. Often times tickets purchased on eBay don’t arrive on time and sometimes the seller doesn’t even mail them so you never receive them. But if you decide to purchase this way make sure you read their feedback to get a better idea of how professional they are and most people you do business with on eBay are honest.

Another way to avoid being scammed is to make sure the checkout page is encrypted before you type in ANY purchasing information. The importance of it can not be understated, but this is a feature not many people look for when checking out. What are the signs that will tell you if a web page is encrypted? You will see HTTP at the start of a website address HTTP will change to “HTTPS”, if a web page is encrypted. Encryption is at all times the best way to go, and while lack of it doesn’t necessarily imply that you’re dealing with a criminal company, it also doesn’t say much about how  they regard the privacy of your information. You can be pretty certain that the vendor is safe to purchase from if their check out page is encrypted, and if they have good reviews.

It is also important to go with your gut and these guidelines are important to follow in order to avoid being scammed. You shouldn’t buy anything if you get a funny feeling about the vendor. If it seems fishy it probably is. A little scrutiny goes a long way when it comes to avoiding a scam artist. Your job now is to find a price that is the best! You will be able to make your next purchase with confidence after reading all the information on this article.

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

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The Red Army and The Field of Dreams

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Home games Manchester United tickets allows one the chance to see one of the most popular and dynamic football clubs in Europe play live, but also enables to ticket buyer to experience the unique atmosphere that permeates Old Trafford, also named the Field of Dreams, and to witness the excitement that is 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.   

Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton was famous for his attacking instincts from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot, and won the FIFA World Cup” World Cup and was named the  “Ballon d’Or” European Footballer of the Year in 1966.

Seating 76,212 Manchester United ticket buying fans Old Trafford is one of the largest of any English football stadiums, and it is one of only 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.

Three out of the four stands have at least two tiers, except the South stand which has just a single tier.

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 most well-known stand at Old Trafford is the West Stand, more famously, 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 sheer number of Manchester United fans, all of whom would like to get to Old Trafford, both to see the 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

Saturday, October 24th, 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.

For many fans being able to purchase a ticket to even a single game at Old Trafford is so difficult that the thought of ever scoring a season ticket to see Manchester United play seems unbelievable.

However, if one looks more closely, the obvious advantages season ticket holders have of being guaranteed a seat for all home games and priority for away games, might be outweighed by the disadvantages.

Some examples:
A season ticket holder is not guaranteed a seat in his choice of stand, and if allocated one in an area he does not like the only way to get it changed is to prove exceptional medial hardship.

Because of this, there are those who choose not to renew their tickets at the end of the season, preferring to take their chances in the search for single tickets that may be in a more choice area of Old Trafford.

There is a Manchester United Club policy called the Automatic Ticket Scheme which ensures that every season ticket holder is guaranteed 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 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons, there were 10 of these extra games – and with a single game ticket starting at almost 50 pounds, this is a huge extra cost on top of the already very significant price paid for the season ticket.

Manchester United fans who spring for a season ticket thinking they can sell their unwanted tickets to games they can’t go to might find that that is not as easy to do these days as it was once.

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

There is no guarantee that the tickets put up for sale get sold, and the prospective seller not only loses the ticket he is unable to use, he is out the substantial listing and handling fee it cost him to post the seat for sale. 

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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