(Recognise the bus ? It’s the one from The Italian Job)

…Because at one point it looked like the volcanic ash was going to ground flights again and it could have been another road trip to Hamburg for Roy’s boys, but things have cleared now.

Mini Rant: It still bloody annoys me that they renamed this competition. The winner will still be given the UEFA Cup Trophy, they didn’t change the name of that.

We can (hopefully) look forward to watching an entertaining hey-let’s-go-for-it match between Atlético Madrid and Fulham Football Club because both teams deserve to be there.

Both are in the shadows of bigger club in their cities and Atlético have only won one major trophy (the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961/92) before this. Fulham on the other hand haven’t won…anything. Oh the Intertoto Cup in 2002. I stand corrected. So you know that whoever lifts the trophy, this will mean so much to them.

Atlético though are lucky to be in the final after literally stumbling through the earlier rounds:
In the knockout phases it went to extra time against Club Brugge, then it was the away goal rule for the round of 16, quarter and semi-finals.

Meanwhile at Fulham they had the hard slog of driving to Germany (to play Hamburg), but before that had the momentous occasion and highlight of the season when they beat Juventus.

…And because of their previous efforts in my opin I really do this this a match too far for them.
But then again and once again I remind myself that this is football and…

Because of some injury concerns they might have to park that above bus in front of the goal, but they might clear up in time. Hopefully we’ll see Row Zed no more Zamora being rewarded with his efforts by being called up afterwards by Fabio into the 30 man squad (but still no final 23), but more hopeful that this will be an entertaining and memorable match. Because in 30 days time it will be forgotten.

- Some music to send them off then and sadly I have to report that the tunes associated with them are all pretty, pretty bad. The two below could be considered the “best” of the bunch.

[See post to listen to audio] » They Haynes Boys – One F In Fulham [See post to listen to audio] » Fulham Flurries – These Boots Are Made For Walking

But no I’m being unkind. Judge for yourself before making your own mind up.

Quick background:
Les Barrett was a Fulham Football club legend. Played 487 times for them between 1966 – 1977.

Sadly his Wikipedia entry is very short, but there is an excellent 2007 Where Are They Now ? article about the left winger on Fulham’s official website which talks about the time he decided to sing:

Fulham legend Les Barrett is pretty scathing about the record he made in the 60s – a catchy little number entitled “Julie Brown Loves Captain Cook”.

“I think I’d try and burn it if I ever heard it again,” he laughs when reminded of his brief foray into the Swinging London music scene. “I did it with my brother Paul. We’d never sung before we made the record, and we never sang again afterwards. I think it sold about 300!”

I cannot find any info about the song. I know who Captain Cook was but have no idea about this Julie Brown and why she was in love with him.

I’m assuming, by the way, that they are singing about the explorer… Would be nice to find out more about the song. If you can fill in the gaps add a comment below.

As to why it came to releasing a single:

…And with his youthful good looks and “cool” image it’s no wonder that there was an eager agent ready to turn Barrett into the next George Best, hence the record and a concerted, if short lived, effort to make him “showbiz”. Not that it was ever anything he yearned for himself. “I’m a very private person,” he says. “That wasn’t a life that particularly suited me. There was a lot of interest while I was playing First Division football, especially as I was at a London club, but when Fulham got relegated it all fizzled out pretty quickly.”

Again I can find nothing to tell me if the second song posted below was the B Side or if Les was fibbing and he did indeed go back into the studio. I think it was the former.

[See post to listen to audio] » Les Barrett – Julie Brown Loves Captain Cook [See post to listen to audio] » Les & Paul Barrett – Love Me

- More nostalgia about Les Barrett at The Hammy End Chronicle.

Football Mundial profile/interview with Clint Dempsey:

» Also known as Deuce

I mentioned in a previous article that Sir Bobby Robson was on borrowed time. That was August last year. He defied all the odds and continued to fight, but finally as everyone I’m sure now knows…

I loved that man, so easily likable, approachable and friendly. Which I supposed is all the same thing but I don’t care. When you are eulogizing someone you can get away with it.

He is part of history, of all our history.

He is Ipswich, he is Barca, he is PSV, he is Porto, he is Newcastle, he is England. He is football.

As the man himself said he won bugger all as a player, but as a manager he is unsurpassed.

You can pinpoint exactly where everything started to go wrong for Newcastle. It was when they decided to sack him (they were 5th at the time). But it was Fat Freddy and Douglas Hall, who like Mike Ashley, were running the place into the ground.

But this entry isn’t to dwell on that, it is to celebrate his life.

Newcastle made amends for their past mistake by hosting a charity benefit match for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, in which members of the 1990 England team took on a Germany team.

It was only last Sunday (July 26th) and the man himself was there (as I said, fighting to the end).
Before the match there was a ceremony to present Sir Bobby with the UEFA Lifetime Achievement Award:

Singing Nessun Dorma was Tenors Un Limited.

When the sun is setting tonight go out and stand on your balcony or on your doorstep or wherever and remember when…

[See post to listen to audio] » Luciano Pavarotti – Nessun Dorma

(If you were going to ask. Yes I do have one song done about Sir Bobby, but it’s so bad that it should remain unknown.)

Further YouTubery:
- BBC Sports Personality Of The Year: Lifetime Achievement Award
- Eircom Soccer: Eircom International Personality of the Year Interview
- BBC Inside Out: Sir Bobby Robson’s 75th birthday
- ChronicleLive: Sir Bobby Robson’s Night of Knights

Lastly…
Donate to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation via the Justgiving page.

Update: The F.A has opened an online Book of Condolence.

Reflecting on yesterday and cashing in on the sudden attention given to the beating of the Spanish at the hands of the Americans… (no I’m not going to do Gitmo jibe here)… in the soccer kickball tourney currently being played in South Africa. »   Full analysis by Twohundredpercent here.

Although it’s not going to advance their domestic game any further – only two of the starting XI play in the MLS – it is at least going to get 30 seconds of time of the short attention spanned* American sports fans.   *The late Steven Wells summed that up perfectly here.

As The Fiver mentions it is a bit of another false dawn… (sorry for all the Grauniad links, I openly admit, I am a regular reader)… knowing the yankeedoodies as well as I do… this site is run by a Brit Expat married to an American and now living in the USA… I know that once America finally discovers a new sport that they are actually half good at, they will want to dominate and then win everything to do with it. Mark my words, eventually the USA will lift the World Cup.   If they don’t I’ll take up ballet lessons with Shane Evans.

This is yet another repost of previously featured tunes, again as mentioned in an attempt to harvest some extra visits to F+M.
- Featuring songs done by two players from last night, the first one from who scored the 2nd one:

A few years back Clint Dempsey made a music video in conjunction with nikesoccer.com which was featured on their site. He recorded this under the name of “Deuce” and collaborated with others on this project. More info and background here. Decent outfield player and not bad with the rapping too: [See post to listen to audio] » Deuce featuring Big Hawk & XO – Don’t Tread

This next one from the defense (spelling appropriate) who got a shut out and didn’t give any PK’s…

(Seriously I am worried about that Mickey Mouse operation who now have some EPL rights for next season will thrust the likes of JP Delacamera and that gobshite Tommy Smyth upon you)

Back to the game in hand though:

Jay DeMerit didn’t get drafted into the MLS from college, but eventually ended up at Watford. On his way to the Hornets he played for non-league Northwood and after an assistant coach’s father died of cancer he went about raising money for Cancer Research UK, which included the recording of the following song. » Full story here. Bit of a corny tune, but it was for charidee… [See post to listen to audio] » Jay DeMerit – Soccer Rocks

Before this last game and after their thrashings at the hands of Italy and Brazil, the USA were half expecting to go home. But then Egypt beat Italy and… well as they say, that’s football for you.

I can understand footballers wanting to starve off retirement, because as we’ve seen when you finally stop there is a danger of going on a downward spiral. Some are fortunate, some are forward thinking and plan ahead and either go into coaching or sit there on the couch looking at Gary’s permanent tan.

“Don’t call me Andy !” was one of those who wanted to keep turning out. Wanted to keep on knocking them in.

Other strikers who used to be in the headlines have also tried to stay on the pitch and eventually end up turning out for some 3rd Division team in the Leyland DAF Trophy. It is a sad sight and it was beginning to look like it was going that way for Cole, so it is good thing that the realisation has set it. Maybe it should have triggered before his last move because it has now left a bit of an unwanted postscript on what was a dazzling career.

But it doesn’t matter either way. Despite people’s memories of him, sadly he’s not talked about or seen in the same light as other legendary Newcastle or Man Utd strikers. The records will still show that Mr A. Cole was indeed outstanding on the field – as discussed here by the Guardian’s Rob Smyth back in February 2007.

As it seemed to happen with other strikers, when they had their face plastered all over the magazines and on the television, Andy – as he was known back then – also took to the recording studio to try out a pop career.

And as it always seemed to happen with other strikers too – it didn’t.

But mad props to you Mr Andrew for doing a rap song that had some.. interesting lyrics, but also some positive ones:

I’m sharp like a razor / Speed to amaze ya / Beat ya like Ali did Joe Frazier

“United forever / Whatever the weather / Less than a hundred per cent? Never!

“Seven-point-five mill record-maker / Rapping on the mic I’m a record-breaker / Got my kicks from hitting the net / Never from drugs: You bet!”

Also has a line in the song about saying no to racism. This was something that Andy was at the forefront. Can’t find the full lyrics but you can listen for yourself:

[See post to listen to audio] » Andy Cole – Outstanding

-> There’s obviously a video too.

-> Only a few weeks ago there were some Notts Forest fans who were campaigning to get his single into the charts. (When it was first released it failed to make the top 40.)

-> More photographs including the one above can be found in the Gallowgate Gallery

-> Show Racism The Red Card

ADDITIONAL:

The posts in the last few days were songs about footie players and this one is by a footie player.

There was a song done in Andy’s barcodes days in which his 40th goal for Newcastle was celebrated. I’m including it here because it continues the songs about… theme but because of the badness(?) (is that a word ?) of the song it means that Cole, if he does make the F&M team, it would be on the bench.

[See post to listen to audio]
» Harry Palmer – The Andy Cole Song

Sir Bobby admits defeat in battle against cancer

Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson has admitted he will lose his battle with lung cancer ‘sooner rather than later’.

Robson has been battling a fifth bout of the illness and has accepted doctors’ prognosis that he is unlikely to beat it.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: ‘I have accepted what they have told me and I am determined to make the most of what time I have left.

‘I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go some time, and I have enjoyed every minute.

‘I have been fortunate to survive this long. It is thanks to the doctors and their dedication.’

Sir Bobby, who took England to the brink of a World Cup final in Italy in 1990, has enjoyed a football career spanning six decades – from playing days with Fulham and England, to managerial triumphs first with Ipswich and then as national coach at two World Cups, to continental coaching appointments.

He later returned to his native north-east to take over at Newcastle and most recently spent a short time as consultant for the Republic of Ireland.

» Full article

- Here is the legend accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year last December:

Update: Video removed from YouTube. Can still be watched via the BBC

- TWTD : An independent website for news and views about Ipswich Town has set up a poll and somebody has started a campaign to get the North Stand named after Sir Bobby.

- You can vote in the poll and sign the petition but what would be a more fitting act right now is to donate to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation via the Justgiving page

But there are some leagues that are still playing and in the middle of their season.

- Such as the Faroe Islands, who’s current leading team EB/Streymur play Man City next Thursday in a UEFA Cup qualifying match.

– Plus there’s a Sunday League over in America known as the MLS…

Over the next few posts I’ll be featuring some American born soccer kickball players who have, as you may have guessed, combined music and football. Some songs by them and about them.

- – -

I want to begin by giving a shout out to South Bronx FC, who despite their name are actually based in Atlanta, Georgia.

South Bronx are somebody who really do combine footie and music. As they say in their About Me:
“…Just a bunch of mc’s, dj’s and various other folks from the Atlanta hiphop scene…trying to put a round ball into a net repeatedly. ….without having a heart attack first. ”

As well as playing the beautiful game they try to stage monthly musical events. I would love to see that.

I like the approach – I think this combination works. If the American soccer associations want to get people to take up playing football then I would suggest to them to follow South Bronx FC’s way of doing it. The way footie is in the UK …despite all the expensive imports… it is still grassroots.

Pub teams play, social clubs play, youth clubs, work teams and all local villages and towns play football. In the USA if there were more setups like South Bronx, which I see as the modern American equivalent of English grassroots football [they may disagree with this observation, this is the impression I get from their site] then more would take it up.

Grassroots is exactly where today’s featured player started. Clint Dempsey wasn’t a child of privilege, he and his family went through so much before he made it in the MLS and eventually to the Premier League with Fulham (or MLS London as I call them – they’ve had the most Americans at their club than any other).

Last season Clint (a midfielder) was Fulham’s highest goal scorer – with 6 goals. Which is one of the reasons why they skirted with relegation. His fellow American Brian McBride had an injury plagued season and has now left the club and might sign for MLS team Chicago Fire.

Clint was in the U.S National team playing in the finals of the 2006 World Cup and he appeared in a Nikesoccer.com promotional video in which Dempsey rapped…

Hey where are you going ?! Don’t worry this isn’t an Anfield or Arsenal-type debacle. He’s actually quite good.

From his Wikipedia page:

One of Dempsey’s passions outside of soccer is hip hop music. Using the alias “Deuce”, he, along with fellow Texas rappers XO and the late Houston rapper Big Hawk from the Screwed Up Click, are featured rapping the song “Don’t Tread” in a Nike football advertising campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup intended to showcase both the sport’s working-class roots and the United States team ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The song’s video is dedicated to his sister Jennifer and at Dempsey’s request, it ends with a shot of him placing a flower at her grave.

Video:

Audio:
[See post to listen to audio]
» Deuce featuring Big Hawk & XO – Don’t Tread

- Before I forget I want to give another shout out to the newly formed Atlanta FC playing in the NPSL.
It was where whoever runs their MySpace page posted a link to F&M on South Bronx FC's Myspace page, where I found the Clint Dempsey video. So thanks to the both of you. I wish you every success in your future footballing (and musical) endeavours.