Wednesday 31 July 2013

WELCOME TO FOOTBALL CIRCUS XX. Twenty editions in and still scouring the weirdest, most obscure and shameful football stories for your reading pleasure. This week we report on a footballer with a tattooed head, a man who didn't walk 500 miles but 960 kilometres to honour Bayern Munich and Andrea Pirlo just having laugh. 



Tyson-esque Tattoo for Ranger

He's the ex-Magpie who now looks like an ex-con. Former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger has got a new tattoo. Of his name. On his head. 

The former Toon Army forward uploaded a picture onto his Instagram account this week of his new ink, his surname 'Ranger' spread across his right temple.

We had considered the headline 'Nile Ranger is an Idiot' for his article, however given the Englishman has the following record, we thought better of it for fear he would hunt us down:

2007 - Convicted for a street robbery, sent to a young offenders prison
2011 - Arrested on suspicion of assault, however he was later cleared
2011 - Charged for being drunk and disorderly in public
2012 - Convicted for being drunk and disorderly
2012 - Charged by the F.A. for homophobic comments on Twitter
2013 - Arrested for breach of bail terms
2013 - Arrested and charged for criminal damage, later cleared
2013 - Arrested and charged with rape
2013 - Arrested for assault

Ranger also has a smiley face tattooed on the inside of his lower lip.

Ranger has played for the England under-19'S and was released by Newcastle in March this year. His criminal record surely will not have helped and he has not found a club since. His new tattoo on his temple will surely classify him as a sane, upstanding member of society and he will not be waiting long to be snapped up.

Ranger commented on his Instragram account: "My name RINGS BELLS #POWERFUL #RANGER #INKKING". Indeed.



Bayern Fan Walks 960KM to Honour Champions League Success

A dedicated Bayern Munich fan has walked 960KM from his hometown Bugojno in Bosnia all the way to Bayern's Allianz Arena in Munich. Vahid Cehaja had vowed to take on the phenomenal journey prior to last season's Champions League campaign, were Bayern to lift the trophy. To his delight, or perhaps horror, the Bavarian side went all the way and the 45-year old fan lived up to his word. 
Having arrived at the Allianz Arena, Cehaja commented:

"Over the last couple of years I have cried from sadness when Bayern lost the title in 2010, and 2012. But now, thanks to God, they've finally won it, the first time since 2001. In honour of the fifth Bayern title, I walked from Bugojno to Munich. I wanted to show respect to all those who have so far won titles with Bayern Munich".

The walk took Cehaja 42 days to complete and saw him venture through five different countries along the way.



Pirlo and Bonucci Throw Pigskin while NBA Star Steve Nash Tries Soccer-Ball

Summer is in full swing and aside from pre-season friendlies and transfer rumours nonsense, it is also a time for footballers to let their hair down before the season kicks off. With Juventus Stateside for their pre-season, Andrea Pirlo and Leonardo Bonucci have seized on the opportunity to test themselves at American Football. 

The Italian duo tried out for Stanford College and by the looks of this extremely cheesy video, they won't be seen in the NFL anytime soon. Impressive kicking by Pirlo though and he still somehow manages to look cool.



Inter Milan meanwhile were at New York Red Bull, where NBA superstar and Vancouver Whitecaps owner Steve Nash showed up to train with the Italian Giants. The Canadian basketball player seemed to enjoy the experience despite being a little starstruck.



Reina Open Letter to Liverpool Fans

New Napoli loan signing Pepe Reina has this week expressed his dismay at having been loaned to the Serie A team from Premier League side Liverpool.

The Spanish keeper has been a regular in the Liverpool team since being purchased by then Liverpool boss and current Napoli manager, Rafa Benitez. However a loss of form last season coupled with Liverpool's signing of Simon Mignolet from Sunderland has seen Reina loaned out this summer, possibly never to return.

Reina, clearly hurt by the Merseyside team's decision to let him go, and seemingly fail to consult him on the matter, has this week issued an open letter to Liverpool fans via his website pepereina5.com. The letter reads as follows:

"It is a strange feeling for me to think that next season I will not be a Liverpool player. For the past eight years, that is all I have known. The club, the staff, the city, the people and the supporters have played a massive part in my life.

Liverpool is special in a way that only those who are lucky enough to experience the club close up can understand. It has given me memories that will live with me forever and friendships that will last just as long.

But more than anything else, it has given me an understanding of what it is like to play for the most wonderful English club.

I may not have won as many trophies and medals as I would have liked since joining in 2005 but the experiences I have been a part of are as important as any silverware.

I now understand how supporters can lift a team and inspire them to do special things. I appreciate that there is something unique about Anfield and the atmosphere it creates.

I believe that anything is possible no matter what the situation is because at Liverpool there is no such thing as a lost cause. And I have been humbled by the fight for justice for the 96 which showed me that the Liverpool people will always fight for what they believe in.

I know that I have been blessed to be part of a Club like that and I hope that in return I have always given my best and represented Liverpool in the right way.

There have been good times and bad times but no matter what the situation has been I hope that my passion has been clear.

I have been asked what my favourite Liverpool moment was and if I had to pick one it wouldn’t be a save or winning a trophy.

It would be my celebration against Manchester United when David Ngog scored a late goal. That is probably the quickest I have ever run in my life!

It shows what playing for Liverpool meant to me and also that there was nothing better than winning a big game at Anfield.

I used to look at the Kop when we scored those kind of goals in big games and I would be jealous of the supporters going crazy. If the closest I will get to that is running the length of the pitch and jumping on my team mates backs then that will do for me.

Obviously, I won’t be able to do that next season but I hope that the supporters and my team mates will be able to enjoy many more moments like that.

They deserve the best of times and it would give me so much pleasure to see Liverpool back where they belong, challenging for trophies and getting back into the top four.

That was where the club was when I first arrived and although I am leaving a different club, one with new owners, a new manager, new players and new challenges, I honestly believe that Liverpool can reach those levels again.

I am disappointed that I will not be part of that and although it was not my decision to leave I will accept it just like I have always accepted any decision that Liverpool have taken for me.

They signed me, picked me, gave me some of the best experiences of my life and looked after me. If they feel that the best thing for me and for them is for me to go on loan to Napoli for a season then so be it.

Napoli is a new challenge for me and I know that the fans are just as passionate about their team as the Liverpool fans, so I am really looking forward to playing for them this season and I will give my all.

But if I have one regret, it is the way that I am leaving. It is only natural that I would be disappointed that the Liverpool management agreed to loan me to Napoli without telling me first, I thought that I deserved better than that even though I understand that difficult decisions have to be taken in football.

A lot has been made about me informing the club that if an offer came in from Barcelona that I would have liked them to consider it.

But I had also spoken to the club about the possibility of extending my contract if the offer was not made. I told the manager that I wanted to play for Liverpool and that Barcelona would only become an option for me if the opportunity arrived, like the rumours said it would, as it would be a chance for me to go back home.

When it didn’t come I was happy to fight for my place so I was surprised that Liverpool decided it was in the club´s interests to send me to Napoli instead.

None of this will change my feelings for the club or the people in any way and now I have to look forward to a new challenge with Rafa Benitez, who I consider to be the best manager I have worked with, and I am fortunate to be going from one great club to another.

Napoli remind me in many ways of the Liverpool I found in 2005, in all the affection they have shown me on my arrival, in having an ambitious project, even in coinciding and working with Benitez again…This memory which in part unites me with you, makes me happy and feel very motivated to begin this new project.

This is my chance to say thank you to everyone for everything that you have given to me and to my family. My children consider Liverpool to be their home and hopefully their love for the city and also for the club will only grow while we are away.

I would have liked to have been able to say goodbye in a different way but because of the way the move came about this was not possible.

Maybe in the near future I can do it properly so that I can show my appreciation to you but all I would ask now is that you keep on inspiring the manager and the players just like you always have done and help Liverpool to become the club that you deserve once again.

I would like nothing better than to come back at the end of my year away and for Liverpool to be back where they belong.

Thank you for everything. Good luck. I will see you soon.

Pepe Reina".


Italian Football Story of the Week

 - Atalanta Up the Ante in Rivalries by introducing a Tank

Italian football fans have always been a bit different to others. Call them fiery, call them passionate, call them crazy, whatever. But when it comes to rivalries, nobody does it better. We recently reported on Lazio fans staging a mock funeral for city rivals Roma in honour of Roma's cup final defeat. Impressive stuff.

Atalanta however, have now been referred to the Disciplinary Commission after new signing Giulio Migliaccio helped drive a tank over cars painted in the colours of rivals Brescia and Roma. The incident took place at the Atalanta fans' pre-season street festival to welcome new signings. 

Both the team and Migliaccio himself could be in hot water as they may be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

Migliaccio, who is a loan signing from Fiorentina for Atalanta, stated via the club's website:

"I was inadvertently the protagonist. In a party atmosphere, in among a huge crowd of fans, including lots of women and children, I was invited on board a tank which has been going around for years at the Festa della Dea, parading players and staff to salute the people.

I certainly could not have imagined that, at a certain stage, we would have crushed two cars taken from the scrap yard. I only realised when we were already going over them and, since I could not see since I was high up and at the back, I did not know that they had the symbols of two football clubs on them.

I’m very sorry about the incident. You just have to think that, in my not-so-brief career as a footballer, I have always been instilled with the values of the sport and with maximum correctness on the field, so much so that I’ve only received one red card, for two yellows, in almost 500 games as a professional footballer".



Magic 8 Ball Transfer Oracle

It's been a relatively low-key summer for Italian sides in the transfer window, bar some impressive deals by Juventus and Napoli. AC Milan fans will be please if this one has legs though...
Keisuke Honda to AC Milan


Magic 8 Ball Says...

'FORGET ABOUT IT'


Football Recommendation

A number of weeks ago we recommended Second Captains and their new podcast. Now they've only gone and dedicated two podcasts a week solely to football. Check out the latest below.



Non-Football Recommendation

 - Flight




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Thursday 25 July 2013

Like a prodigal son or a scorned dog with its tail between its legs having been sent outside, Football Circus has returned! Whether you've been itching for weird football stories, dying to know what's going on in Italian football or pondering what the Magic 8 Ball will predict next, you can rest easy, we're back!


Footballer in Lying for his own Benefit Shocker

Monaco's summer signing Radamel Falcao was at the centre of an age-related controversy this week when a document from his primary school was leaked to the media, showing that he is in fact 29 years old and not 27, as per the records that are held by FIFA for the player.

Spanish station Noticias Uno reported the news that Falcao's date of birth is February 10th 1984 and not February 10th 1986.

A record from Falcao's primary school Colegio San Pedro Claver de Bucaramanga that was obtained by Noticias Uno would appear to verify this.

Falcao's father however has since gone on record to deny the allegations, claiming that the date on the school record is incorrect and his is 27 and not 29.

If the claims by the station prove to be true, Monaco will not be too pleased given they have just splashed out£50 million for the player. Falcao may have a few questions to answer when he returns for pre-season training.



Pre-Season of Goodwill as Teams give back to the Fans

Quite a number of stories have been doing the rounds this summer that have warmed even the cold, cold hearts of us at football circus. For it would appear that the oft portrayed money-grabbing, adultery-loving, debauchery-partaking image of footballers may not be 100% accurate.

We begin at Feyenoord in Holland, where a terminally ill fan Marck Rooie, affectionately known as 'Red Marck', was brought onto the pitch for the team's first training session of pre-season last month. Marck had been a regular at Feyenoord matches since the 1970's and given his situation, some friends reached out to the club in the hope he could be given a fitting send off. Feyenoord duly obliged and Marck watched on as fans unravelled a huge banner depicting the man himself, set off fireworks and sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Marck was then greeted by the players and presented with a jersey. Sadly, Marck lost his fight for life three days later. His family and friends will have at least taken solace in the fact that he was given such a huge send off by the team he loved.




But the summer of fan-loving didn't stop there. No sireebob. Last week media outlets worldwide reported a tale of a young Arsenal fan in Vietnam (where the side were touring), who ran after the team bus for an astonishing five miles to catch a glimpse of his heroes. The fan ran into a lamp post and trees on his journey but recovered and kept on running. The players on board the coach were so impressed with his feat that they broke into a chant of 'Sign him up!' and urged staff to let him onboard the coach. Once the fan was inside, surprisingly still standing after his valiant efforts, the team posed for photos with him and signed his jersey.



Last and not least, Glasgow Celtic showed their caring side when they let nine year old Jay Beatty join them on the team bus last week, a day prior to their Champion's League qualifier with Cliftonville last week. Jay sat with favourite player Georgios Samaras, sang along with the team and was presented with his own pair of boots. He was trained with the team the following day and led them onto the pitch in front of the Belfast crowd.



Manchester United Players in (not their first) Embarrassing Advert

In October 2012, Manchester United announced 'Kagome' as their soft drink partner in Japan. This summer saw United appear in Japan for the first time since the deal was agreed. If the United players thought they would escape their tour of Japan without promoting Kagome, they had another thing coming. 

Robin Van Persie, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs were rounded up to join Japanese native Shinji Kagawa in a television advert for the soft drink company. The players, donning the new United kit, are shown slurping down some Kagome tomato juice. Van Perise, Carrick and Giggs meakly attempt some Japanese before a far more comfortable Kagawa rounds up the ad.


It's not the first time United stars done onscreen advertising for one of their commercial partners. The video below shows supreme acting skills from Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra in an advert for Casillero del Diablo.



Italian Football Story of the Week

- Sassuolo Defender to Return from Tumour Scare

Francesco Acerbi, defender for newly promoted Serie A side Sassuolo has had a quite turbulent year. To coincide with the joy of his side winning promotion from Serie B, the 25 year old now had to undergo emergency surgery for a testicular tumour following a routine medical.

Sassuolo is awaiting results of further tests but is confident of a swift return to action.

Said the defender in an interview with Mediaset: “I am here to be with the team. It was a bolt from the blue, but it is behind me now and I am happy that I’ll be on the field in a few weeks.

“I go forward with a smile. When certain things happen you go back over everything in your mind. You go through the past and the present, thinking what you really want in life.

“I want to be a protagonist again in my career, the way I was two years ago. I will give 100 per cent on the pitch to prove my worth.”



Magic 8 Ball Transfer Oracle

This one will be a controversial move if it materialises. Let's see what the 8 Ball has to say.

Luis Suarez to Arsenal


Magic 8 Ball Says...

'YES'.



Football Recommendation

Another season is nigh upon us and football lovers, nerds and gambling addicts alike will be twitching with excitement that Fantasy Football teams can again be created.


Non Football Recommendation

 - Charlie's Beach, Berlin

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Thursday 11 July 2013

Here at Football Circus we don't like cricket...oh no...So if you're already sick to death of hearing about the Ashes and weird football stories are more your bag, join the Circus and have a read. Make the most of it because this is the last edition for two weeks!


Tragedy Strikes in Brazil as Ref Murders Player, Fans Murder Ref

We've had some weird and oftentimes shocking stories on Football Circus before, but this surely takes the biscuit... 

Brazil and the football community across the world has been left shocked following the carnage that unfolded during an amateur match in the northeastern state of Maranhao. 

The mayhem began when referee Octavio da Silva Catanhede Jordan, just 20 years of age, had sent off 30 year old player Josenir dos Santos Abreu. The player stayed on the pitch however and aimed insults at the young ref. 

A fistfight subsequently ensued between the two parties, after which the referee brandished a knife and stabbed Josenir to death. 

Exactly what da Silva was doing with a knife in the first place beggars belief. But the horror did not stop there... 

Fans in attendance, enraged at what they had just witnessed, mobbed da Silva. He was first stabbed in the neck. Da Silva was then decapitated with a sickle and had his limbs removed by a member of the furious crowd.  His head was then placed on a stake in the middle of the pitch. 

Police are said to have detained fan Luis Moraes Souza in relation to da Silva's murder, while two other men are still being sought. Incidentally, the killings took place the same day that Brazil lifted the Confederations Cup. The Brazilian Football Federation would have hoped that the hosting of the Confederations Cup would advertise all that is good about Brazilian football. The shocking murders may sadly counteract any of their good work. 



Birmingham travel to Dublin for Friendly...Keeper plays Up Front 

Birmingham City traveled to Dublin this week for a friendly match against Shamrock Rovers in the Tallaght Stadium. 

The Blues ran out 4-0 winners in what transpired to be a comfortable win. 

There were some tense moments in the second half however, as striker Matt Green (scorer of the fourth Birmingham goal), collapsed in the Rovers box following a seemingly innocuous collision with one of the opposition. 

Play was stopped for around ten minutes as medics were seen to rush onto the pitch to come to his aid. Worryingly, there was little movement from Green as he was given oxygen and stretchered off the pitch. He managed to gesture with his hand to the crowd as he was taken down the tunnel though, much to the relief of the anxious fans. 

Birmingham were then faced with the problem of having used all of their substitutes...except Irish goalkeeper Colin Doyle. 

After a very brief warmup, the unlikely figure of Doyle took his place up front. Following some woeful touches, Doyle took it upon himself to take a free kick just outside the Rovers box, much to the delight of both sets of fans. His shot curled round the wall and went straight into the arms of Rovers keeper Richard Brush, who himself was a replacement for the injured Barry Murphy. 

Despite the stoppages that taken place, the referee played just two minutes of added time, perhaps to put Doyle out of his misery. 

Doyle will certainly hope that his next run out for the Blues will see him back between the sticks where he belongs. 

Match Fixing Scandal in Nigeria 

Nigerian football has been shaken by a potential match-fixing scandal in the country's sixth division. We use the term 'potential' lightly as the two matches in question produced scorelines that are quite simply ridiculous. 

Going into the final round of matches of the season, Police Machine were level on points with Plateua United Feeders. A mere two goals goal difference separated the teams. 

Police Machine's last game was against Babayaro FC. Police Machine, won the match by a whopping 67-0 scoreline. Clearly not satisfied with having possibly the coolest name for a football team in football, they surely must have believed the league was wrapped up. 

Not to be outdone however, Plateau United Feeders duly responded by thumping Akurba F.C. 79-0, thus meaning 146 goals had been scored between the two matches. 

The results did not go unnoticed and have since been voided by the Nigerian Football Federation, who have not only branded the matches "a disgrace" but also suspended the match officials involved and may look to expel the guilty teams from the league. 


Italian Football Story of the Week

 - Tevez Escapes Community Service

Last week we reported on the possibility of newly signed Juventus striker Carlos Tevez facing possible jail time should he not complete his community service in Manchester, which he was sentenced to complete back in April.

The Argentine was this week relieved to find that he will not be spending any time behind bars, nor will he have to return to Manchester to fulfill the community service. 

Instead, he will pay a paltry £3,000 fine, in accordance with this week's decision by Macclesfield Magistrates' Court.

Tevez had employed the services of solicitor Gwyn Lewis, who is nicknamed 'Merlin the Magician' for his ability to make punishments for footballer clients 'disappear'. Lewis has certainly earned his fee from Tevez, which will almost certainly have been a substantially higher figure than the £3,000 the striker was fined.

A statement from Tevez read:

"I would like to thank the court for its understanding. I appreciate their help and assistance in this case.

"I would also like to thank my legal team, especially Gwyn Lewis at Burton Copeland and all my advisors who have helped me throughout this case.

"All I want to do is continue my career in Italy with Juventus and I am looking forward to a new chapter."



Magic 8 Ball Transfer Oracle

With this man seemingly surplus to requirements at Manchester United, a string of clubs have been linked to him in recent weeks. This is the latest rumour doing the rounds...

Nani to Roma


Magic 8 Ball Says...

'Yes'


Football Recommendation

QPR - The Four Year Plan. Interesting documentary giving a behind the scenes look into Queens Park Rangers.




Non-football Recommendation

The Joy of Cha, Templebar, Dublin


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