Friday, October 16, 2009

Blackburn Rovers FC


Full Name: Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Town: Blackburn
Founded: 1875
Stadium: Ewood Park (31,154)
Colors: Blue, White
Nickname: Rovers
Rivals: Burnley
Official Website: rovers.co.uk

Description:

Blackburn Rovers were founded on November 5th, 1875. The club did not have a ground of its own in its first couple of years and played at a number of different locations resulting in the Rovers name. The club were founder members of the Football League, launched in 1888. Blackburn Rovers are still the only club to have won the FA Cup three consecutive times and, as a result, are allowed to display the FA Cup emblem on their corner flags during matches.

Rovers' emblem includes the Lancashire rose (Blackburn is a city in Lancashire county), the year of the club's foundation and the club motto - Arte et Labore (Through Skill and Hard Work). The club's original jerseys were green and white quarters, modeled after that of Malvern College, which several founders attended. Several years later the leadership of the club passed to some former Cambridge University students, who changed the colors to the blue and white of that school. Ewood Park is named for the Ewood area of Blackburn. Previous stadiums - Oozehead (1876-77), Pleasington Cricket Ground (1877-78), Alexandra Meadows (1878-81), Learnington Street (1881-90).

Blackburn Rovers FC History

Blackburn Rovers is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.

Blackburn Rovers was established in 1875, and in 1888 became a founder member of the English Football League. In 1890 Rovers moved to its permanent home at Ewood Park.

Until the formation of the Premier League in 1992, the majority of Blackburn Rovers' success was pre-1930 when they won the league and F.A. Cup on several occasions.

In the early 1990s Jack Walker, a local boy and life-long supporter who made millions in the steel industry, invested heavily in the club. He lured former Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish as manager and a number of shrewd player purchases followed, most notably Alan Shearer. This lifted the club back into the Premier League and after finishing runners-up to Manchester United in 1993/1994, Rovers won the championship the following year. A slump followed in the late 1990s, with relegation to League Division One. The team returned to form in 2000 and secured promotion back into the Premier League and in 2002 won the League Cup, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Blackburn Rovers is still the only team to win the F.A. Cup three years in succession, for which they were awarded a special trophy in 1886, and is one of only a handful of clubs to be a founder member of both the Football League and the Premier League.

Early history

The club Blackburn Rovers was the idea of John Lewis and Arthur Constantine during a seventeen-man meeting at the Leger Hotel, Blackburn in November 1875. The make up of its inital members was predominately wealthy well-connected individuals -- a fact that would help it survive and rise beyond the large number of other local teams around at the time.

The first match played by Blackburn Rovers took place in Church, Lancashire on 18 December 1875 -- and was a 1-1 draw. Although the make-up of the team was not recorded it is generally thought to be: Thomas Greenwood (goal), Jack Baldwin, Fred Birtwhistle, (full-backs), Arthur Thomas, J. T. Sycelmore (half-backs), Walter Duckworth, John Lewis, Thomas Dean, Arthur Constantine, Hary Greenwood, Richard Birtwhistle (forwards), in a 2-2-6 formation.

At this time, the club had no ground of its own, and no gate receipts. Its only income was from members' subscriptions -- £2 8s 0d during the first season.

During the 1876-1877 season, Rovers finally gained a ground of its own -- a piece of farmland at Oozehead. Although in reality it was little more than a meadow with a pool in the middle that had to be covered with planks and turf when playing. It did, however, allow the club to begin to collect gate receipts: 6s 6d during that season. Occasional games were also played at Pleasington cricket ground.

Subsequently Blackburn Rovers rented the home of the East Lancashire Cricket Club for their matches: Alexandra Meadows. The inaugural game was played against Partick Thistle, the most prestigious club Rovers had played until then. The result was a 2-1 win for Blackburn.

HONORS

League Titles:

* English Premier League (1995)
* Football League First Division (1912, 14)
* Football League Second Division (1939)
* Football League Third Division (1975)

Cup Titles:

* Charity Shield (1912)
* FA Cup (1884, 85, 86, 90, 91, 1928)
* Football League Cup (2002)

VILLAREAL FC


Full Name: Villarreal Club de Fútbol
City: Villarreal
Founded: 1923
Stadium: Camp El Madrigal (23,000)
Colors: Blue, Yellow
Nickname: Los Submarinos Amarillos
Rival: Valencia
Official Website: villarrealcf.es

Description:

Villarreal Club de Fútbol was founded on October 3, 1923. Villareal (or Villa-Real in Valencian) is a small town in the province of Castellon, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain between Barcelona and Valencia. Villarreal reached the top tier of Spanish football for the first time in 1998 and were promptly relegated. They returned at the first attempt and have remained ever since, even reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2006 and finishing second in La Liga in 2007-08. The submarino amarillo nickname is a tribute to the club's yellow jerseys and of course the classic by The Beatles "Yellow Submarine". El Madrigal Stadium was built in 1923. it was originally named the Campo Villarreal but changed to El Madrigal two years after construction to honor its area of location, at the time a rural outlier of Villarreal but now very much within the city.

Villarreal CF History


Villarreal Club de Futbol, sometimes abbreviated to Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera Division football club based in Villarreal, a small suburb of Castellón de la Plana. They play at the 26,000 seater El Madrigal stadium. Their famous rivals are Valencia CF and their derbies are one of the most exciting in the Primera Liga. They achieved something of a proud moment as they played the semi-final of the UEFA Cup for 2003/2004, however, losing to their more illustrious neighbor who went on to win the Cup. They have been a regular fixture in the Primera Liga for many years and have recently signed Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán. Their squad has also been bolstered with the presence of South American talents like Juan Pablo Sorin, Juan Roman Riquelme as well as former Spain striker José Mari.

Their home uniform is yellow shirt, blue shorts and blue socks. They are nicknamed the los submarinos amarillos (the yellow submarines) because of their yellow shirts. Their mascot is a figure with a submarine head.

FULHAM FC





Full Name: Fulham Football Club
City: London
Founded: 1879
Stadium: Craven Cottage (22,000)
Colors: Black, White
Previous Name: Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School FC (1879-88)
Nicknames: The Cottagers
Rivals: Chelsea, QPR, Brentford
Official Website: fulhamfc.com

Description:

Fulham St Andrew's Church Sunday School formed a football club in 1879 for the church parishioners. Ten years later as the scope of the club expanded beyond the church the name changed to simply Fulham FC. Fulham is a neighborhood of West London. The Cottagers are the oldest professional football club in London. Fulham began competitive life in the Southern League in 1898 before moving to the Football League in 1907 after winning two consecutive Southern League titles. The stadium is named for a home on the location, built by William Craven, and used by a variety of 18th and 19th century celebrities. The home had virtually collapsed by the time the stadium construction began and the stadium was effectively built around it. Fulham shared the ground of QPR (Loftus Road) for two seasons from 2002-04 while upgrades were done on Craven Cottage. The nickname Cottagers is of course a reference to the Craven Cottage stadium. Previous stadiums - Star Road (1879-83), Eel Brook Common (1883-84), Lillie Road Recreation Ground (1884-85), Putney Lower Common (1885-86), Ranelagh House (1886-88), Barn Elms Playing Fields (1888-89), Parsons Green (1889-91), Half Moon (1891-95), Cpt James Field (1895-96), Craven Cottage (1896-2002), Loftus Road (2002-04).

Fulham FC History


Fulham Football Club is a football team based in Fulham, London. Founded in 1879, they are celebrating their 125th anniversary in 2004, and they will be playing in the top tier of English football, the FA Premiership. Had it not been for the intervention of millionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed, they would still be languishing in the depths of the lower divisions of professional football.

They spent much time in the Old First Division (=Premiership) through the 60s, but are yet to gain any major honours, their only FA Cup Final appearance being in 1975. They are currently playing at Craven Cottage, a beautiful riverside ground in Fulham, having spent two years at Loftus Road, with a still uncertain future. See more on this topic in the Grounds subsection of this article. They are currently looking for no more than a respectable finish in their 20-team league, although relegation is at the back of their mind.

HONORS

League Titles:

* Football League First Division (2001)
* Football League Second Division (1949, 99)
* Football League Third Division - South (1932)
* 1907 - Southern League Champions
* 1907 - Admission to The Football League as Southern League Champions
* 1908 - FA Cup Semi-Finalists
* 1936 - FA Cup Semi-Finalists
* 1958 - FA Cup Semi-Finalists
* 1959 - Promotion From Division Two
* 1962 - FA Cup Semi-Finalists
* 1970 - Promotion From Divison Three
* 1975 - FA Cup Finalists
* 1975 - Anglo-Scottish Cup Finalists
* 1982 - Promotion From Division Three
* 1997 - Promotion From Division Three
* 2002 - FA Cup Semi-Finalists
* 2002 - Intertoto Cup Winners

Portsmouth FC



Full Name: Portsmouth Football Club
City: Portsmouth
Founded: 1898
Stadium: Fratton Park (20,328)
Colors: Blue, White
Nickname: Pompey
Rivals: Southampton
Official Website: portsmouthfc.co.uk

Description:

Portsmouth were formed in April 1898 as a successor to popular local club Royal Artillery who had recently been suspended by the FA. Joined the Football League in 1920 after over twenty years in the Southern League. Portsmouth won two Southern League titles, 1902 and 1920. Pompey is the nickname of the city of Portsmouth. This is likely a reference to the time Portsmouth-based sailors scaled Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria, Egpyt although there are a variety of other explanations floating around. The star and crescent of the club's emblem are also the symbols of the city of Portsmouth. Fratton Park stadium is named for the neighborhood in which it is located.

Portsmouth FC History


Founded in 1898, Portsmouth Football Club are an English association football club, based in the south coast city port of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey, and is currently playing in the Premier League. The club is owned by Serbian-American businessman Milan Mandaric. The best known chant from the Pompey supporters is the "Pompey Chimes" ("Play up Pompey, Pompey play up" sung to the tune of a striking clock).

Former Olympique de Marseille coach Alain Perrin was appointed team manager on April 7, 2005 with a two-year contract.

Portsmouth enjoy a fierce rivalry with Southampton F.C.; despite Southampton being in a superior division for much of the 1980s and 90s, this derby was recently reignited by Portsmouth's promotion to the Premiership in 2003.

The club's biggest recent achievement came on 27 April 2003 when Pompey beat Rotherham 3-2 to clinch the First Division championship with a game in hand, giving the club promotion to the Premier League for the first time in its history.

The 2004/05 season sees Portsmouth playing in the Premier League for the second successive season.

The club was founded in 1898, with John Brickwood as chairman. Frank Brettell was appointed as the club's first manager.

The club's first league match was played at Chatham Town F.C. on 2nd September 1899 (a 1-0 victory), followed three days later by the first match at Fratton Park against local rivals Southampton. That first season was hugely successful, with the club winning 20 out of 28 league matches, earning them runners-up spot in the Southern League. The league was won for the first time in the 1901/1902 season, by which time Brettell had been replaced by club captain Bob Blyth as manager.

The 1906/07 season was highlighted by the visit of giants Manchester United F.C. to Fratton Park in the English Cup, which generated a record attendance of 24,329. A 2-2 draw meant a replay in Manchester, and Portsmouth recorded a famous 2-1 win. However, this record attendance was surpassed two seasons later when Sheffield Wednesday F.C. visited Fratton for the second round of the new FA Cup.

1910/11 saw Portsmouth relegated, but with the recruitment of Bob Brown as manager the team were promted the next season.

Football was suspended during World War I, but following the resumption of matches Portsmouth won the Southern League for the second time. Continuing success saw them in the Third Division for the 1920/21 season. They finished 12th that year, but won the league in the 1923/24 season. The club continued to perform well in the Second Division, winning promotion by finishing 2nd in the 1926/27 season, gaining a record 9-1 win over Notts County F.C. along the way.

Portsmouth's debut season in the First Division was a struggle. The next season they continued to falter, losing 10-0 to Leicester City F.C., still a club record defeat. However, despite their failings in the league that season also saw Portsmouth reach the FA Cup final for the first time, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers F.C..

Portsmouth managed to survive relegation, and their fortunes began to change. In the 1930/31 season the club finished 4th. The 1933/34 season saw Portsmouth again reach the FA Cup final, beating Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester and Birmingham City F.C. on the way. Unfortunatly the club was again defeated in the final, this time to Manchester City F.C.

Having established themselves in the top flight, the 1938/39 season saw Portsmouth reach their third FA Cup final. This time the club managed to defeat the favourites, Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., convincingly.

Football was again suspended due to World War II, meaning Pompey hold the dubious distinction of holding the FA Cup for the longest period as the trophy wasn't contested again until the 1945/46 season!

League football resumed for the 1946/47 campaign. In Pompey's Golden Jubilee season of 1948/49, the club were tipped to be the first team of the 20th Century to win the League and Cup double. However, Pompey crashed out of the FA Cup in the semi final against Leicester, but made up for it by claiming the league title in spectacular fashion. That season also saw a record attendance of 51,385, a record which still stands to this day.

The club retained the title the following year, beating Aston Villa F.C. 5-1 on the last day of the season.

Pompey enjoyed a fourth-place finish in 1951/52, but in the summer of 1952 championship-winning manager Bob Jackson left for Hull City F.C. The players who had featured in the club's recent successes were now ageing and the young players coming into the side were not of comparable quality. Although the team finished third in 1954/55, subsequent seasons saw Pompey struggle and they were relegated to the Second Division in 1959. 1961 saw the now cash-strapped club relegated to the Third Division, but Pompey bounced straight back as champions the following year.

A decade of mediocre performances in the Second Division followed, and despite the cash injection that accompanied the arrival of John Deacon as chairman in 1972 Pompey's fortunes failed to improve. With Deacon unable to continue bankrolling the club on the same scale, Pompey were relegated to the Third Division in 1976.

In November 1976 the club found itself needing to raise GBP 25,000 to pay off debts and so avoid bankruptcy. The money was raised from supporter contributions after a campaign led by the local newspaper The News.

With players having to be sold to ease the club's financial situation, and no money available for replacements, Pompey were forced to rely on inexperienced young players and were relegated to the Fourth Division in 1978.

Pompey were promoted two years later, and in the 1982/83 season they won the Third Division championship, gaining promotion back to the Second Division.

Under Alan Ball's management, Pompey narrowly missed winning promotion to the First Division twice before finally succeeding in 1986/87. Unfortunately, by the middle of the 1987/88 season the club was again in grave financial trouble, and Pompey were relegated straight back to the Second Division. The summer of 1988 saw Deacon sell the club to London based businessman Jim Gregory.

Jim Smith's arrival as manager at the start of the 1991/92 season, combined with the emergence of some good young players, sparked a revival in the team's fortunes and that year Pompey reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing on penalties to Liverpool F.C. after a replay. The following season, Pompey missed out on promotion to the FA Premier League only by virtue of having scored one less goal than West Ham United F.C.

Chairman Gregory now called in the money he had lent the club over preceding seasons, and so players were sold with little funds available to buy replacements. The team's form declined, and Smith was controversially sacked in 1995 and replaced by Terry Fenwick. Relegation to the Second Division was avoided on the last day of the 1995/96 season when Pompey won away to Huddersfield Town F.C. while other results went the club's way.

In the summer of 1996 Terry Venables arrived at Pompey as a consultant, later taking over as chairman after buying the club for GBP 1. The team enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1996/97, beating FA Premier League side Leeds United F.C. en route, but finished just short of the qualifying places for the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League. The 1997/98 season saw Venables lose his popularity with the club's supporters, as he signed several Australian players, most of whom failed to perform with much distinction, while his role as coach of the Australian national team meant he was frequently absent from Portsmouth; meanwhile, the team's results were poor. Two-thirds of the way through the season he and unpopular manager Fenwick left the club, Venables selling his shareholding back to Martin Gregory, son of former chairman Jim, while Alan Ball returned as manager. Relegation was again avoided on the last day of the season.

The following season saw the club again dogged by financial trouble, and in December 1998 Pompey went into administration. The club was saved by Mandaric buying it in May 1999, and the new chairman immediately started investing. However, it wasn't until the appointment of Harry Redknapp as manager, with former Pompey manager Jim Smith as his assistant, in early 2002 that the club's fortunes really turned around. In Redknapp's first full season in charge, (2002/03), he brought in experienced Premiership players such as Steve Stone and Paul Merson. Pompey stormed the league, and the club tipped for relegation surprised many by comfortably winning the title.

The following season Pompey were favourites for relegation from the top-flight, but following some inspired signings such as veteran Teddy Sheringham, the club embarked on an impressive run, finally finishing in 13th place in their debut Premiership season. Throughout the season Portsmouth's home form, at Fortress Fratton, was on a par with the top 3 teams, but their poor away form, winning only twice all season, was responsible for their mid-table finish.

This theme continued into the 2004/05 season, with Portsmouth's home form not being matched on their travels. That season also saw the start of construction both on the new stadium, and on the club's first ever youth academy.

However, Mandaric and Redknapp clashed several times during their time together. At the start of the 2004/05 season, it was rumoured that Mandaric was considering replacing some of the club's coaching staff, including Redknapp's assistant Jim Smith. Although no changes took place, the two clashed again more seriously when Mandaric proposed appointing another director in November, with responsibility for the youth set-up at the club. Redknapp made comments to the media showing his disapproval of the proposal, but Mandaric pressed ahead and appointed Velimir Zajec. Redknapp, along with his assistant Jim Smith, subsequently resigned with immediate effect on 23rd November. Zajec took over as manager, initially as caretaker, then on 20th December the club announced that he would manage the team for the remainder of the season. However, after a poor run of results Alain Perrin was appointed team manager on 7 April 2005, with Zajec reverting to his director's role.

HONORS

League Titles:

* Football League First Division (1949, 50, 2003)
* Football League Third Division (1962, 83)
* Football League Third Division - South (1924)

Cup Titles:

* Charity Shield (1939, 49*)
* FA Cup (1939, 2008)

VALENCIA FC



Full Name: Valencia Club de Fútbol
City: Valencia
Founded: 1919
Stadium: Estadio Luis Casanova - Mestalla (55,000)
Colors: Black, White
Previous: Valencia Football Club (1919-40)
Nickname: Los Ches
Rivals: Levante, Villarreal
Official Website: valenciacf.es

Description:

Valencia Football Club was founded in 1919 at the Torino Bar and played their first match later that year against Gimnástico of Valencia. The club changed its name in 1940 as part of an official directive by the Franco regime to remove non-Spanish names from official institutions. Since being promoted in 1931 Valencia have spent only one season outside the top tier of Spanish football, that being the 1986-87 season. Los Ches reached consecutive Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001. The club's logo includes the name, team colors, old-style football and a bat atop it all. The bat also appears in the emblem of the city of Valencia. According to legend when King James of Aragon reconquered Valencia from the Moors in the 13th century a bat landed atop his flag as entered the city. This was interpreted as a good open and incorporated into the emblem of the city. "Che" is a word generally used to describe someone from the Valencia region. The same word "che" is used in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The stadium is officially named for a former club president. It was originally named for a canal (the Mestalla) located next to the stadium and its still popularly known by that name. The club will moved into a new and much larger stadium (the Nou Mestalla) for the 2009-10 season. Previous Stadiums: Algirós (1919-23).

Valencia CF History


Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia, CF or just Valencia or Los Ches) is a team in the first division of the Spanish Football League.
Founded in 1919, Valencia CF is based in the city of Valencia, Spain. The team's home stadium is the 53, 000 seater Mestalla, which was opened in 1923.
Valencia CF won the Spanish title for the sixth time in May 2004, their second in three years.

Valencia CF won the UEFA Cup for the third time in 2004, tying four other teams for the most UEFA Cups won. After suffering recent tough losses in Europe in the finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2000 and 2001, the team was finally able to triumph in the finals of European play.

Thanks to good coaching, one of the best defences in world soccer, including the charismatic Italian Carboni and the fiery Argentinian Roberto Ayala, and an imaginative playmaker, young Pablo Aimar (also from Argentina), Valencia has grown into one of the world's great teams.

On June 1, 2004, Rafa Benitez stepped down as coach of Valencia amid rumors that he was headed to Liverpool F.C.; those rumors proved true, as he was hired by Liverpool two weeks later.

On June 8, 2004, Claudio Ranieri was named the new head coach, but following Valencia's failure to advance past the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup he was dismissed on 25 February 2005 and replaced by Antonio López.

Trophy Room:

* La Liga (1942, 44, 47, 71, 2002, 04)
* Copa del Rey (1941, 49, 54, 67, 79, 99, 2008)
* Supercopa de España (1999)
* European Cup Winner's Cup (1980)
* Fairs Cup (1962, 63)
* UEFA Cup (2004)

SEVILLA FC



Full Name: Sevilla Fútbol Club
City: Seville
Founded: 1905
Stadium: Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán (45,500)
Colors: Red, White
Nickname: Rojiblancos, Sevillistas, Palanganas, Nerviónenses
Rival: Real Betis
Official Website: sevillafc.es

Description:

Sevilla Fútbol Club was founded on October 14, 1905 and its first competitive match was played in 1908. The nickname Rojiblancos means The Red and White, Sevillistas means The Sevillians, Nerviónenses refers to the neighborhood of Nervión where the stadium is located. Palanganas also references the club's colors but in a unique way - a palangana is a washbasin in Spanish and in earlier times were always white with red trim, similar to the colors of Sevilla. The stadium is named for a former club president who led the Rojiblancos for over twenty years and was instrumental in the project to create the stadium. It was built in 1958, adjacent to the previous Estadio de Nervión. Nervión is a neighborhood in the east of Seville. The club's logo has been in use since 1922 and includes the club colors of red and white, a old-style football in the center, the original logo (with the letters SFC) and the three patron saints of Seville - San Isidro, San Leandro and San Fernando. The early years of the 21st century have been some of the club's best - 2 UEFA Cups, 1 Copa del Rey, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 1 European Super Cup - quite a haul for a club that hadn't won a major trophy in almost sixty years. Previous Stadiums: Prado de San Sebastián (1905-13), Campo del Mercantil (1913-18), Reina Victoria (1918-28), Estadio de Nervión (1928-58).

Sevilla FC History


Sevilla Football Club is, historically, the best football team in Seville. It was established in 1905. It has won one Liga and three Copa del Generalísimos.

The team wears white for home games and red for away games. Fans of the team are nicknamed sevillistas.

HONORS
League Titles:

* Primera División (1946)

Cup Titles:

* Copa del Rey (1935, 39, 48, 2007)
* Supercopa de España (2007)

International Titles:

* UEFA Cup (2006, 07)
* UEFA Super Cup (2006)

SPORTING LISBON


Full Name: Sporting Clube de Portugal
City: Lisbon
Founded: 1906
Stadium: Estádio José Alvalade XXI (50,466)
Colors: Black, Green, White
Previous: Sport Club de Belas (1902-04), Campo Grande Sporting Club (1904-06)
Nicknames: Os Leões (The Lions), Verde e Brancos (Green-Whites), Lagartos (Lizards)
Rivals: Benfica, FC Porto
Official Website: sporting.pt

Description:

Like many Portuguese clubs, Sporting are a multi-sport club, though football is clearly the most important. Within Portugal, the club are known only as Sporting. Fans are called Sportinguistas. One of the Portuguese Big Three. Hosted the first-ever European match, a 1955 European Cup encounter with Partizan Belgrade.

HONORS

League Titles:

* Portuguese Championship (1923, 34, 36, 38)
* Portuguese League (1941, 44, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 80, 82, 2000, 02)

Cup Titles:

* Portuguese Cup (1941, 45, 46, 48, 54, 63, 71, 73, 74, 78, 82, 95, 2002, 07, 08)
* Portuguese Super Cup (1982, 87, 95, 2000, 02, 07, 08)

International Titles:

* European Cup Winner's Cup (1964)