Arsenal versus Man United shown in 3D!

This Sunday, the huge Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United will be shown live in 3D! The game will be shown on Sky Sports (BSkyB) in a selection on unnamed locations, with the broadcasting giants stating they hope to make this a permanent feature of their subscription service for both pubs and home viewing.There are only 9 locations that will be showing the game, 6 in England, 1 in Wales, 1 in Scotland and 1 in Ireland. I have heard rumors that the QBar will be the Dublin bar that shows the game. The QBar is located at the top of O'Connell street, in the city center, and is sure to be packed to the brim for the game. In fact, the Manchester United superstore that used to be located in Dublin, was located right beside the QBar!

I am pretty excited to hear about the experience of watching the game in 3D. It is sure to be something completely different, BSkyB claim it will be the first ever sports event shown to a public audience in 3D! "People will get a sense that they are looking through a window right into the game, a portal into the Emirates (Arsenal stadium) with the best seats in the house. It is going to become a must-have, a must-want," Brian Lenz, the director of product design at BSkyB, stated. Just as a heads up, don't get too excited about being able to watch a game in 3D at home, you will need to buy a 3D TV, which have not been released to the market yet. When they are released, they are set to cost over $2500....ouch!

If you are lucky enough to be one of the fans that gets to experience the event please let us know how it is!
(image from Skysports.com)

Puma PowerCat 1.10

News is coming through that the Puma PowerCat 1.10 will be released in the next 2 weeks. The newest release will be an alternative to Puma's current V1.10 range. Some features of the new cleat include an off center lacing system, a new type of 'power' design. Also, unlike the V1.08 and V1.10 that are made of synthetic materials, the PowerCat will be created using a supersoft K-leather. That is all we know about the release right now, but we are excited to find out what else this cleat will have to offer and how Puma will market it.  When they are released to the market, we will be sure to bring you a full review!

*Update: Images and information available at SoccrCleats101

Landon Donovan opens his Premier League account

I have to be honest, I was not sure whether Landon Donovan was going to make an impression on the Premier League or not. Well, after 3 games, I really think he has a right to be playing among the best in the business. In Everton's midweek game with Sunderland, the American striker scored his first Premier League goal. And it was a pretty nice goal too! He took a ball out of the air at the top of the box, before sliding it under Gordan in the Sunderland net. There is no doubt that Donovan has had an immediate impact on the Everton team. I am sure that having Tim Howard in the team has helped Donovan adapt quicker. If he continues to play at the current level, I have a feeling that Everton will be looking to extend his loan deal. And lets be honest, if that happens it will be a huge step forward for US soccer, and a huge reminder to teams in the best leagues across Europe (and in particulare England) that 'Yes', US players are capable of making the transition!

Big Freeze Affects Premier League Fixtures

The worst winter in Britain for over 100 years! The debate over a winter break has gone to-an-fro for the past few years, and there is no doubt that this past weekend will increase the arguement that taking a two week break is the way to go. Normally, this set of fixtures is one of the most highly anticipated of the season, as it sees teams taking the field for the first time in the New Year. Out of the 10 games that should have been played this past weekend, only 3 went ahead because of the freezing temperatures; Arsenal v Everton, Birmingham v Man Utd, Man City v Blackburn. Most of the fixtures were actually postponed because local authorities feared for the safety of fans travelling to the games. In some parts of the UK, over 2 feet of snow fell, and temperatures were well below freezing. In the games that went ahead, you could tell that the cold temperatures got to the players, with many looking like they would break into pieces if they had to tackle!

I personally love Christmas fixtures, and think it is one of the best set of fixtures all season long, but I have to admit that there is a strong arguement for having a two week break. It will be interesting to see where this one goes!

Castle Villa FC Celebrate 40 Years

In a small village, called Castledermot, in Ireland you will find a soccer team that is built around tradition and Success; Castle Villa FC. Founded in 1969 by Walter Brooks, the team celebrated its 40th year in existence last October. In that time, the club has won many Dublin leagues, and in recent times has been one of the more dominant teams in the Kildare and district league. There was also a very famous Leinster Cup win in the early 90's. I can also say from experience that the under age system at Vila is extremely strong, and continues to feed great players through to senior level.

Mullarney Park, the name of the home field, has evolved over the past few seasons, with the addition of 2 astro-turf pitches and an extension to the locker rooms. In 2002, the club installed a drainage system underneath the pitch that has been very benificial in accordance with Irish weather patterns! There are not many teams that have seen stability like Castle Villa, due to the fact that there is a very dedicated board of directors, who have kept the team afloat in difficult times. This is, of course, unseen to the outside world! Year over year they have continued to be one of the more competitive teams in Leinster.Currently, the team is managed by Liam Murphy, with Anthony Lawler acting as club captain. Last season, the league transitioned to Summer soccer, with Villa winning in style, going unbeaten throughout.

I was lucky enough to grow up supporting Castle Villa, and got to go to games weekly to watch my Dad (Speedy Byrne) play right back for over a decade. I then went on to play school boys, and represent the team at senior level. During that time, putting on a Villa jersey was an honor, and it should still be considered a privilege to wear the team colors. While I was home for Christmas, I took a few snapshots of the facilities from the outside.

 

Owen Coyle to take over at Bolton?

Is it true that Owen Coyle is going to move from Burnley to Bolton? To be honest, it probably will happen, but in my opinion it is not a good move for a gifted manager like Coyle. This past summer, I played with Ventura County Fusion versus Coyle’s Burnley team, and boy was I impressed. At that stage, Burnley were people’s favorites to drop straight back to the Championship. But after that game, I was left with no doubt that Burnley would be one of the better battling teams in the relegation fight, led by manager with a desire to prove his hame at the highest level. Today, they stand in 14^th place with 20 points from 20 games and in prime position to avoid the drop. That is if they can continue to maintain an extremely impressive home record (19 points at home). Coyle has indeed done a terrific job with an underrated team.

But now, relegation zone Bolton Wanderers have come knocking…and it looks like Coyle is ready to bite! My problem with this move is simple; why leave a hard working battling team who are poised to finish in mid table, for a move to a team that is completely underachieving with overpaid players? El Hadji Diouf being the prime example of this. Since Big Sam left Bolton a few seasons back, the team has failed to grow in any capacity. And with the club’s current problems, I would not fancy being the man to step into the helm. One thing that will entice Coyle is the fact that Bolton is only 2 points off safety, and he would have the advantage of stepping in just before the transfer window opens. If Coyle does move on, it will probably result in a drop in confidence for the Burnley boys, but I still wouldn’t expect them to roll over and die. And if Bolton do get their man, be ready for some big changes within the club over the next month (let's hope Coyle has some sort of a transfer kitty).