Random footie

[Aidan11]

James Alexander Gordon has died aged 78.

He was best known as the voice of the football results on BBC radio for many years.

[dan08]

First leg of the Spanish Super Cup ends 1-1. James Rodriguez scored his first goal for Real Madrid but Raul Garcia cancelled it out a few minutes later for Atletico.

[Aidan11]

Why do some games kick off so late in Spain?

[SaintPowelly]

Why do some games kick off so late in Spain?

Probably due to the heat, doubt its due to television coverage.

[Gingerfinch]

Gazza, would you believe.

[sussexpob]

Such a tragedy.... the poor bloke cant have long left.

[Aidan11]

He's agreed to start playing for a local league side this weekend as well.

[Gingerfinch]

He's agreed to start playing for a local league side this weekend as well.

Yeah, just been reading about that, in Bournemouth. Some division 4 side. Top think, he's only 47.

[SaintPowelly]

Michael Chopra: 'I want to be Indian football's Tendulkar'

Former Ipswich striker Michael Chopra says he wants to renounce his British citizenship and play for India.

Chopra played for England Under-21s but his father is Indian.

"I'm prepared to give up my British passport," he told BBC Asian Network. "To get international experience is one of my dreams and I want to progress with the Indian national team."

Chopra was drafted into the inaugural Indian Super League (ISL) by the Kerala Blasters on Thursday.

The 30-year-old was one of the top picks in the international players draft, attracting a fee of £35,000 from the franchise, which is part-owned by former India cricket star Sachin Tendulkar.

"I want to be part of the legend of Sachin Tendulkar," said the striker "Everyone knows him because of how well he's done in cricket and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps in football.

"Things are really starting to take off in India now and after the Super League I want to stay over there. I want to play in the I-League [India's main club competition], set up soccer academies and try and bring the kids up that way as well."

India's national team are currently ranked 150th in the world, but Chopra believes the ISL can help transform the country's footballing fortunes.

"I think it will be similar to the Indian Premier League in cricket and may be in a year or two up there with it," he said. "There's 1.3 billion people in India and if we can get football up and running to how the cricket is, it'll be massive."

Former Bolton and France international defender Bernard Mendy was the highest-priced pick in the draft, going to the Chennai franchise for £48,000.

Other prominent players to feature in the draft included former Manchester United midfielder Bojan Djordjic and La Liga veteran Jofre Mateu.

Former Liverpool striker Luis Garcia and ex-Juventus striker David Trezeguet have already committed to ISL franchises.

Stars of Bollywood and Indian sport - including Tendulkar's former international team mate Sourav Ganguly - will lead the franchises based in Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

As with the now well-established IPL in cricket, teams were allowed to contract two international players directly and five each from the draft in their squads of 22.

A separate draft process for Indian players was completed last month.

Each squad must have 14 Indian players, four of whom must be from the city where the team is based.

[budgetmeansbudget]

He's agreed to start playing for a local league side this weekend as well.

Yeah, just been reading about that, in Bournemouth. Some division 4 side. Top think, he's only 47.

Abbey FC, I was going to pop down and have a watch, see what the turnout was going to be like. Alot of the games are played at Branksome Rec which is on my doorstep. Didn't think there was much chance of him ever turning out to play, now there seems no chance. As sussex says the poor chap can't have long left. I don't know about 47, he looks more like 87.

Read his autobiography about ten years ago, and you can certainly see he is a deeply troubled chap in many ways. One particularly tragic event happened to him when he was a teenager I think, and he was left in charge of a neighbours three or four year old. They were in a sweet shop and the little lad ran out of the shop and into the road and was knocked down, and apparently died in his arms. I can understand an incident like that turning anyone to drink in later life let alone someone who has been put on a pedestal and has had money showered on him at this footballing prime.

Will always feel for the guy, no matter his unsavoury indiscretions and what some people say about him.

[The Waugh Twins]

Very sad to see that, but I will always remember that smile of his, the tears. Linekar pointing at his head, the goal against the Czechoslovakia, just to name a few.

Can't believe he's only 3 years younger than me. When I watched him in my 20's I always thought these guys were years older than me just because you put them on such a high pedestal.

[sussexpob]

Well done Harry redknapp.... Extend an invitation to gazza to get him coaching, and hopefully away from the booze

[dan08]

Atletico beat Real Madrid 1-0 to win the Spanish Super Cup 2-1 on aggregate.

[backfootpunch]

blatant match fixing in spain as the bilbao keeper scores a bullet header in the last second to level the game 1-1 only for it to be disallowed

i was expecting there to have been some pushing but the replays show he was not even close to an opposition player

[dan08]

blatant match fixing in spain as the bilbao keeper scores a bullet header in the last second to level the game 1-1 only for it to be disallowed

i was expecting there to have been some pushing but the replays show he was not even close to an opposition player

Referee said it was because an offside player blocked the goalkeepers view. It looks like there might have been an offside player but he definitely didn't interfere with play. That referee is probably the best in Spain as well.