Posts Tagged ‘manchester united’

Liverpool and Manchester United-The Art Of Holding A Grudge

Tuesday, February 2nd, 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?This could be the greatest rivalry in football, but it’s time to take a closer look at things 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.There’s been quite a rivalry between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester ever since industrial times, and that sense of competition is certainly not lacking in 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 are also ranked as two of the richest 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.Wayne Rooney, United striker, has publicly stated how much he hated Liverpool FC when he was growing up.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.

The way these clubs are so passionate about their long-standing rivalry is inspiring, in a way.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?  That’s easy.  Everyone knows it’s Spurs.

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Manchester United To Buy Slovakian 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.

Signing the talented Hamsik, who is also a target for Chelsea and was reported to be on Liverpool’s radar earlier in the season, would certainly give United an added attacking threat from the midfield. Snapped up by Brescia after proving his skill with Slovan Bratislava. Transferring to Napoli for 5.5m Euros after dominating the midfield at Brescia scoring 10 goals from the midfield.

Since joining Napoli in 2007, Hamsik’s efforts in Serie A have established him as one of the best midfielders in the world. 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. The Slovakian midfielder has quickly been named the best midfielder in Serie A by experts throughout Italy after his two goals against Juventus.

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”

Whether in Summer, Napoli maintain the same comments is yet to be seen. Napoli are not a particularly wealthy club and despite the chairman’s insistence that Hamsik is not for sale, it remains to be seen that if a firm offer was on the table that matched their valuation, whether they would be tempted into selling.

Chelsea’s desperation to buy players may push any deals between the two clubs away. 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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The Most Secure Way To Purchase Manchester United Football Tickets Online

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Purchasing Manchester United football tickets online is actually a pretty safe way to get them, but there are scammers out there and it is important to be aware of how they operate. If you buy tickets from an online vendor who has a good reputation, you can protect yourself when you plan to buy manchester united football tickets. It is best to read customer reviews prior to making a purchase. Not only do you have to worry about an illegitimate site taking your money, you also do not want to purchase from a vendor who has a reputation for being slow on delivery. If your are reading a review on line you need to be able to tell the difference between someone’s genuine report and a virtual plug put there by the company of person. Look for a hyperlink towards the end of the review is the best way to discern if a review is genuine or advertising. 

When you read a review of a product, if it has a link to the product, then you are probably reading a review which has been paid for. Since email spam blockers have come out, advertisers are thinking of new ways to get their product exposure and biased reviews is a fairly popular method. There is a bigger chance for a review to be legit if a review is link free. Some people prefer to buy tickets on eBay because you can often find cheaper prices, but it is definitely a better idea to do business with a website specializing in tickets. 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.

You can also protect yourself by never putting down any information about yourself in a page that is not encrypted. This is something that is extremely important, even though few people consider it during their checkout. 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. If you are interested in a ticket vendor, they have good reviews, and their check out page is encrypted, then you can be pretty certain that the vendor is safe to purchase from.

It is also important to go with your gut and these guidelines are important to follow in order to avoid being scammed. Should a vendor’s pitch not seem plausible to you, avoid buying anything from that vendor. If something doesn’t sit right with you, then there is most likely something wrong with it. When it comes to avoiding a scam artist, a little scrutiny goes a long way. Now it just comes down to a matter of finding the best price! Keep the information contained within this article in mind and you will be able to make your next purchase with confidence.

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 Old Trafford

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Buying home game Manchester United tickets does not just provide an opportunity to see the Red Devils play live, it also provides the chance to soak in the atmosphere at Old Trafford, sometimes known as the Field of Dreams, and the home of the Red Army.

Manchester United tickets have been sold for home games at Old Trafford since 1910, apart from the 8 years it took to rebuild after it was bombed in WWII.

The stadium was named Field of Dreams by one of its most renown players Bobby Charlton.   

Best known for his midfield attacks Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton also had a deadly long-range shot which helped him win the World Cup and get names the 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 a fair number of FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue along with a couple of  “English national football team” England international fixtures.

It has also played host during the  “1966 FIFA World Cup”  and  “UEFA Euro 1996″ and the  “2003 UEFA Champions League Final”.

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 West Stand at Old Trafford is the most famous, and is 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 where Manchester United’s most die-hard supporters, known as The Red Army are located.

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.

There is practically no chance for anyone new to get a set 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 Red Army followed Manchester United to an away game, the town would fall into chaos: large numbers of fhe Red Army would travel en-mass by train, coach, car or even by foot if necessary, doing whatever it took to get to the game.  

During the mid-seventies when Manchester United had been relegated from the top flight of English football and played in the  “Football League Second Division” Second Division for one season, the Red Army caused such chaos at games around the country when visiting stadiums where they would often outnumber the home fans, that it led to the introduction of segregation and fencing between of home and away fans at football grounds throughout England.

The Red Army is now nothing like 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 huge number of Manchester United supporters, all of whom would like to visit Old Trafford, both to see a live game and to experience the atmosphere there, result in it almost always being difficult to buy Manchester United Tickets.

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When Do Manchester United Tickets Become Available?

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Tickets for Manchester United games area among the most popular for fans of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League matches.

One United fan club members have priority for home games because they can win tickets through a lottery system. Fans who enter the lottery must enter 4-6 weeks before game day and will receive their tickets in the mail (fans in some countries might have to pick up their tickets at the box office on game day). For games such as Champions League matches, the application period might be closer to game day. To keep up with application deadlines, the easiest way is to subscribe to the One United newsletter which gives all members up-to-date information about upcoming games. Becoming a member of One United and entering the lottery is your best bet to get tickets for a particular game because home game tickets very rarely go on sale to the general public.

Season ticket holders get priority for Manchester United away games. The host team usually allocates several thousand tickets to Manchester United and demand is usually much greater so One United members and the general public rarely have an ability to buy these tickets. Another option is to purchase tickets directly from the host team, but the downside to this is that you will be sitting with the home team fans. Tickets for the most popular games at Liverpool. Chelsea, Arsenal or for the local derby at Manchester City are hardest to come by, but your chances of success are much greater when Manchester United plays at some of the less popular Premier League teams. You might have the best chance to see Manchester United play an away game during the Group Stage of the Champions League. Because ticket sales dates vary from team to team, in order to get correct information you’ll need to check on the respective team’s website.

Manchester United is one of the most popular teams playing today so getting tickets for most games will be a challenge. Although careful planning is essential, it is still no guarantee that you will be able to get tickets. If all other methods are unsuccessful, there are many brokers who sell Manchester United tickets, but usually at prices that are significantly higher than their face value.

Get your sporting events tickets at your concierge for global sporting events, www.premiumtickethub.com.

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