text:
Should Premier League clubs get even richer?
Sir Alex Ferguson's first full interview with the BBC since he stopped talking to the corporation in 2004 because of a documentary on his son Jason will inevitably reopen the debate about TV and its influence over football.
The Manchester United manager has spoken frequently to other media outlets in the past about the way broadcasters dictate fixture scheduling leaving his team with less time to prepare for big matches in Champions League weeks.
That's not new - although many may wonder why he seems prepared to bite the hand that has kept his club so well fed down the years.
Look at how TV revenues have grown since he took charge in 1986. Back then the total deal for all 92 Football League clubs was £3.15m. This season United will share a deal worth £1.2bn. United's take for winning the title in May was £60m.
Alex Ferguson has criticised the control television has on his team's schedule. Photo: Getty
Putting that to one side, however, what is interesting is his call for the League to get more money from overseas TV rights. He argues that with the League now screened in 212 countries, the deal needs to be renegotiated.
"Whatever we get paid it's not enough," he says.
The current value of the League's international TV rights deal is a staggering £1.4bn over three years. It doubles in value every time the League sells their overseas rights.
Sir Alex might well be right when he states this area could be exploited further but intriguingly this is the one part of the League's TV deal which is shared absolutely equally between all the clubs. So no matter how many times United appear on TV in Singapore or America and no matter where United finish in the table each of the 20 teams splits the cash equally.
At no point in the interview does he call for United to get a larger chunk of the overseas rights. In fact he goes on to say that "it's fair" to have an equal share.
With the club's owners, the Glazer family, increasingly looking abroad for revenues and planning a share flotation in Singapore, Sir Alex's employers may take issue with his views.
But the League's chief executive Richard Scudamore will be delighted to see Sir Alex's comments as it lends even greater weight to his equitable model, a stark contrast to the situation in Spain where La Liga's lack of collective solidarity has allowed Real Madrid and Barcelona to take the lion's share of TV revenues and thus turn the competition into an annual two horse race.
Sir Alex's timing is also interesting. Next week the European Court of Justice is due to issue its decision on whether Sky's ban on pubs showing live Premier League football via foreign satellite broadcasts is illegal.
If the ECJ says that is in breach of EU laws then the Premier League's overseas TV model could be facing major changes by the time the new deal is negotiated in time for August 2013.
Comments Post your comment
Comment number 1.At 21:43 26th Sep 2011, greavesy wrote:
Should clubs really earn a fair share? I know in blinkered moralistic views they should. But TV revenue is built on viewers and being able to give advertisers as many viewers as possible for their product advertisements. More viewers tune in to TV for ManU than Bolton. Advertisers wont pay the same for air time during a lower league game. I know, I know, it should be equal but it's not the way the world of TV works I'm afraid. If it is to be equal then it should be made equal across Europe to stop Barca and Real negotiating their own deals and leaving the rest of La Liga down the pan.
Comment number 2.At 21:48 26th Sep 2011, CoalitionOfTheWilting wrote:
Sounds like a rant to me.
Comment number 3.At 21:48 26th Sep 2011, Hookers_armpit wrote:
Another business and money based article... these are the sport pages!
Are you actually interested in sport - you know skill, competition, entertainment, fun, sportsmanship. Its just all you ever bang on about is business and as you are in charge of these pages it kind of sets the tone...
Some of us (still) come here for sport any chance of a bit more of that? Sorry to sound harsh but there is already a section for business / money / finance etc...
Comment number 4.At 21:49 26th Sep 2011, John wrote:
a stark contrast to the situation in Spain where La Liga's lack of collective solidarity has allowed Real Madrid and Barcelona to take the lion's share of TV revenues and thus turn the competition into an annual two horse race.
And tell me how many horses have been in the races these last few years in England ?
Ermmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Man U and Chelsea
So whats your argument ?
Comment number 5.At 21:50 26th Sep 2011, aarvark73 wrote:
As Liverpool fan I can see where Fergie is coming from but it is a bit disingenious comment. As he well knows, as does Wenger and KK, that TV finances all the spending on players and stadia since 1992 and you can't bite the hand that feeds. I'm 38 and can rememeber how bad the stadia were in late 80's and was there on 15th April 89. TV has made sure that horror will not happen again so easily. so purist like Mr Ferguson may complain but we need to thank TV money for what they have enabled even if it has been the detriment of some of my own clubs records
Comment number 6.At 22:00 26th Sep 2011, aarvark73 wrote:
it will be 3 horse this year with either manchester club being victorious. but at least the clubs over here are lesslikely to go the wall. Valencia are still in massive trouble I believe and their TV income less than 30% of the big two over there
Comment number 7.At 22:06 26th Sep 2011, edstar wrote:
We need to keep the share equal through out the league , the premier league is representing all clubs and any revenue bought in divided equally so we can keep the league competitive and the major attraction around the globe, we dont want a la liga scenario where two teams are the only quality.The league is bigger than any club and should not be used as a gravy train for man united .
Comment number 8.At 22:07 26th Sep 2011, Dan Striker wrote:
All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
Comment number 9.At 22:20 26th Sep 2011, CJ wrote:
@John, Yes the same teams win the league year after year, but the league as a whole is a lot more competitive than Spain. Real and Barca are absolutely miles ahead of everyone else, whereas in the EPL you have the top 3 now and then 3 other teams who are also very strong battling it out for fourth. The English teams who finish fourth still make a big impact of the Champions League which shows the strength of the league. You also get far more upsets because the league is so strong.
Comment number 10.At 22:35 26th Sep 2011, crash wrote:
If the pricing in the premier league wasn't equality based then I would give up on football. Football is not for those with the most money, it is for all - thus the money should be split equally. To say that the better clubs should be paid more is just self defeating - only making it harder for a smaller team to get into that better bracket.
''And tell me how many horses have been in the races these last few years in England ?
Ermmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Man U and Chelsea
So whats your argument ?'
Gap between 2nd and 3rd in the Premier League in 09/10: 10 points.
Gap between 2nd and 3rd in the Premier League in 09/10: 25 points.
As above premier league 10/11: No points - seperated by goal difference.
As above La Liga 10/11: 21 points.
Yup, totally the same thing.
Comment number 11.At 22:36 26th Sep 2011, Buster wrote:
I dont know why people buy Man Utd season tickets. I could have watched every game Man U have played this season on TV. Every game, no matter what competition has been shown live on Sky, ESPN or ITV. Man Utd will be on Sky Sports 4 this week against Basel.
Comment number 12.At 22:37 26th Sep 2011, ch21ss wrote:
Concentrating all the money in the top couple of teams will kill football in the end - spreading it out to have as many competitive teams in the league is the only way the long term future of the sport can be protected, otherwise you end up with the Scottish/Spanish style system where there are only 2-4 meaningful games in the domestic season, the domestic cups become meaningless, and the entire football league system is just a feeder for a couple of teams to compete in Europe and everything else is for "also rans" that have no way of ever overcoming the financial disadvantages they have.
Comment number 13.At 22:43 26th Sep 2011, Spence wrote:
@John (No.4): Man Utd and Chelsea might be the ones winning it, but you can see Man City winning it quite easily. You can see Liverpool and Arsenal winning it with a few key signings (or a change of boardroom in Arsenal's case), even Tottenham look like contenders these days.
By comparison with La Liga everyone is in no doubt, whatsoever, that Real Madrid or Barcelona will win it. And except for a brief spell of Barcelona being mismanaged at the start of the millennium and the one Atletico Madrid title in 1996, it's been DOMINATED by the two since 1985. It's about another decade or two of neglect from being the SPL Mk. II.
Currently the Spanish neutral's only real hope is that Malaga aren't deterred by the FFP rules. Both Valencia and At. Madrid need time to rebuild their squads after their many departures over recent years.
Comment number 14.At 22:44 26th Sep 2011, desertwalker wrote:
From an economic point of view- the TV revenues that goes to the clubs, should be distributed according to the popularity and viewing figures of all matches played during the season. In other words, Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham will get the largest chunk of that TV revenue. From an economic perspective, its the fairest solution.
However, is it the "best" solution? It clearly is not. Overtime the bigger clubs will have such a stranglehold of the TV revenue streams, the smaller clubs cannot compete. The margin between the top 4/5 clubs and the rest will grow even bigger and the Premier League as a result will suffer in the longer term. The quality of the mid/bottom table clubs will deteriorate, creating a bigger gap and more disillusionment amongst football fans- including fans overseas. Eventually, this will lead to a decline in the demand of the Premier League and fewer will watch the games on TV or even in the stadiums. You will get the smaller mid table teams thumped on a regular basis by the bigger clubs- it will be no fun anymore for the neutral to watch.
The equitable distribution of TV revenues is the best for the Premier League- its one of the reasons why the Premier League is the Premier League. Lets not forget, last season Wolves beat Liverpool twice, Man Utd and Chelsea at home when they were bottom of the league- because they had the finances to obtain players to be able to do that- in another world they would never in a million years have achieved that. I say, leave the economic model as it is because it gives a chance at least for the smaller clubs to punch above their weights and beat the bigger clubs!!!
Comment number 15.At 22:47 26th Sep 2011, RoyaltyinTheChampionship wrote:
The top teams are on tv more so get more tv money and because they are shown more they get more "fans" from people watching the games. Yes the money is split at the start but it's not true to say the clubs all get the same amount of tv money since Man Utd get more because they are shown the maximum number of times they can be.
I do agree though that the Wednesday night away in Europe>Saturday morning premier league matches are unfair and have distorted the league over many years but the UEFA cup teams fair even worse so it's not like it's just the big boys suffering. Maybe it's just nostalgia but as a neutral I would prefer everyone to have Saturday 3pm kick offs with the option to watch any match I want live rather than be presented with Man Utd at home against Bolton which isn't even a contest, but has been chosen because Man Utd have the most fans.
Comment number 16.At 22:51 26th Sep 2011, Monsieur Le Fandango wrote:
In an ideal world, I'd love to see the Premier League run along the financial lines of the NLF, ALL revenues thrown into a pot and shared equally. Obviously that works fine when you have no non-domestic competition in addition to your own league title. But as we have the Champions League that will never happen because the fattest turkeys will never vote for Xmas.
Comment number 17.At 23:23 26th Sep 2011, CoalitionOfTheWilting wrote:
"In an ideal world, I'd love to see the Premier League run along the financial lines of the NLF"
I don't think anyone wants to see the PL ran along the lines of the Vietcong, quite frankly.
Except, perhaps, old Red Nose himself.
Comment number 18.At 23:44 26th Sep 2011, Football_UK wrote:
Sir Alex Ferguson hit the nail on its head by pointing the finger on the TV deals done for a number of years, while in the mean time, more countries watch English football and TV broadcasters increase their profits, keeping the EPL on something like fixed rate that banks love to charge when it's suitable to them. TV deals should be renegotiated annually. Until then, there is one only winner and their name is TV broadcasters.
It is to his credit that, besides it would be convenient for United, he supports the current format of sharing TV cash, surely against the wishes of United directors. Can you attempt to imagine other top Premiership managers attempting that? I can't.
I watched two La Liga matches in consecutive matches. In both matches, I turned the channel in the middle of the match. The spectacle was disappointing and worse than boring. Then again, it didn't involve Barcelona nor Real Madrid, the lion share receivers of TV cash allocation in Spain.
We may be reading time and again many premier league chairmen presenting masterfully positive balance on their clubs' books, by putting the cash in the bank and just hoping their clubs won't get relegated but the opportunity is given to every Stoke City to invest in improving their squad, adding quality to their game and squad, while adding also longevity in the Premiership.
Very good article. Bravo, David Bond.
Comment number 19.At 23:48 26th Sep 2011, reubenae wrote:
@3 - Sport (or football, at least) is now very much intertwined with the economics of the various clubs. Don't want to read about it? Don't click on the link. Theres plenty of 'pure' sport on here, too.
@13 - Valencia were very successful under Rafa, don't forget. The financial problem for them has got more to do with stadium issues...
I believe the money is divvied out in various ways - the equal share, then the prize money depending on your finish. Fergie hasn't asked for an advantage, just more for everyone. Arguably so Man Utd can compete with the top 2 in Spain, but it'd help with clubs in debt, as more income = a chance to clear the debts somewhat.
Also, aren't we all forgetting that actually, maybe, Man Utd are successful because of Fergie? Lots of clubs have got very close to the amount of money Utd have had. Utd come out on top due to be properly run (in terms of a football club - the Glazer's is a bit more debatable). City and Chelsea have probably spent more than Utd recently - money doesn't guarantee success. Being properly run helps a huge amount, too. 3 clubs in the PL with the longest serving managers? Man utd, Arsenal, and Everton. Guess who's overachieved more than anyone else for the money they've spent...?
Comment number 20.At 00:00 27th Sep 2011, Swollennoodle wrote:
Equal share of the Broadcasting rights is exactly right for football. It benefits football as a whole rather than just who is at the top currently. The system operating in Spain is an absolute joke. Hopefully the rest of La Liga goes on strike so that they can earn themselves a fairer deal.
Comment number 21.At 00:30 27th Sep 2011, smokey bacon wrote:
it seems from the article that Fergie is only saying revenue from other countries should be split equally ; i dont think he is suggesting domestic tv money should be divided 20 ways
Comment number 22.At 00:45 27th Sep 2011, Football_UK wrote:
@ 21.At 00:30 27th Sep 2011, smokey bacon,
He doesn't ask for change in the way cash is distributed currently by the EPL either, though. As the Manchester United manager, he could always claim that top English clubs should get a higher share from tv cash from deals abroad, as those countries watch Premier League because they want to watch the top English sides. Still, he doesn't and that's to his credit.
Comment number 23.At 00:51 27th Sep 2011, jaydrawmer wrote:
I think a lot of what fergie says is true. i'm not biased towards him or united at all - i'm a sheffield wednesday fan. I've heard the interview and fair play for saying what he thinks. It's a double edged sword - lots of money involved, but fixtures are dictated to all clubs, to the detriment of certain clubs at different times.
I do think TV money should be shared equally though - the top clubs make the most because of other revenue streams such as gate receipts, sponsorship, merchandising etc. We have the quality and competative league that we have as a result (as mentioned - compared to La Liga for example).
on a different note, and i know a lot don't agree but i think the premier league do wonders for the lower leagues. They have no obligation to filter money down to the lower leagues but they do, and they do it for the right reasons.
Foreign TV money for the premier league is an important point though. I am a sky viewer, but I must admit that it makes me angry to see so many other countries showing live premier league matches when we have to pay such a price to see them ourselves.
Comment number 24.At 00:58 27th Sep 2011, Auqakuh wrote:
An article with laughably little substance, but well, that's what the BBC provides nowadays.
Anyway, I think it would be fairer by far if there was a sliding scale for TV revenue with clubs at the top getting less than clubs at the bottom. This would make the league far, far more competitive.
Comment number 25.At 01:01 27th Sep 2011, jaydrawmer wrote:
@24 - You haven't thought that through have you?
it might make the league more competative, but there would be no competation to finishing higher in the league? If you're a mid-table club, it would make you rather lose than win, to finish as close to the bottom as possible without going down. Stupid
Comment number 26.At 01:14 27th Sep 2011, Mike Fagan wrote:
To all those people moaning and saying Fergie is having a rant, I say this; WATCH THE INTERVIEW. He is basically advocating keeping the league as fair and as competitive as it possibly can be, he can't do anything about the 'oil money' currently flowing through the veins of the upper echelons of the Premier League but by wanting to keep the distribution of the TV revenue money equal he is advocating the fairest system.
The simple fact is if each club were left to negotiate their own TV deals then Manchester United, as the biggest financial concern in modern day football (yes they are) would blow the competition away and given that the money would be legitimately earned (without the aid of a vastly inflated stadium naming deal) they would literally walk the league year upon year.
As much as SAF is a bad loser (self admitted) I strongly believe he has no interest in strolling the league each year. The highest achievers out there, of which SAF is one, thrive on testing themselves against the strongest competition and coming out on top against the best.
The debate over individual TV rights and whether the TV companies have too much power are two different arguments, do not confuse the two.
Comment number 27.At 01:22 27th Sep 2011, Spence wrote:
@reubenae No.19: Aye, I did kind of address that, I didn't really want to flesh out the whole scene of Spanish football from 1999-2005 (namely, Vincent del Bosque and the Galacticos, Rafa's reign at Valencia, Deportivo's 2nd round of glory years, the bumbling presidency of Gaspart at Nou Camp).
Forgot they were building a stadium though, a lot of that going around at the moment! As an Arsenal fan myself I keep forgetting how lucky we kept at a reasonable level for so long despite constructing our own stadium, especially when you see Juve's years without CL and Valencia selling off every star they have.
Comment number 28.At 01:26 27th Sep 2011, WHL_N17 wrote:
As an Englishman living in Australia, I feel entitled to comment about the split of overseas money. EVERY single premier league game is shown live out here, so every club has equal airtime, consequently every club should get the same revenue from overseas rights. Should the premier league receive more money from overseas? I'd have to say no, my subscription already costs a bomb as it is. Ferguson talks about salaries and ticket prices, the same thing can be applied to salaries and the price of subscribing to Foxtel!
@11 - Buster - "I dont know why people buy Man Utd season tickets". because it is INFINITELY better to be able to watch a game live than it is to watch it on TV. I consider the money I just spent on coming back to England and getting tickets for 5 games money well spent (just a shame the Everton game was called off)!
Comment number 29.At 01:38 27th Sep 2011, Gavelaa wrote:
Madchester United have been on the telly even single time they've entered the field this season. Their barmy fans must be loving it!
Comment number 30.At 02:49 27th Sep 2011, boltonthegame wrote:
I believe Fergie knows what he is doing. The only way Man U is gonna get stronger in totality is when all the English clubs improve. When they give games for Man U, Man U will be better equipped to perform in Europe. Fergie knows that this is only possible when the other english clubs are strong enough to survive and perform.
I know it feels good to win 5-0 and 8-2 etc often but it doesn't necessarily prepare the team for more difficult challenges like when Man U face a team who are very tactically disciplined. When English clubs are stronger, they in turn help Man U to be better.
Comment number 31.At 03:22 27th Sep 2011, thefrogstar wrote:
I'm not sure that Ferguson is in any disagreement with the Glazers. They are looking ahead to more TV viewers (subscribers plus advertisers) in Asia. That is where the future big money is coming from. They see Barcelona and Real Madrid with their own TV deals in Spain, and are determined not to be left behind in the gold rush for global audiences.
Premier League revenues? Well, they've been very useful to the club, but the growth prospects look limited until a significant number of European competitor clubs fall way behind, or go to the wall. Globally, the Glazers don't intend to let Sky make too much money from THEIR valuable football franchise on a world-wide scale. Not if they can help it.
Remember: Sky wanted to buy Man Utd a few years ago.
Comment number 32.At 06:36 27th Sep 2011, Cheshire Indian wrote:
Not sure this interview deserves a dedicated editorial piece (I refuse to call a journalist's entry on a news website a blog).
Secondly, I don't see much objectionable in what Sir Alex has said here, it is fairly non-controversial. He has long argued about the fixture schedules - nothing new.
Sky and ESPN get to decide which games a week are played at the non 3PM slots - again common news.
TV has pumped in a lot of money - duh!!!
English clubs don't get paid enough - compared to Real Madrid and Barcelona of course not.
He believes equal shares are good - he's a socialist, so nothing new and surprising there.
So David and BBC, please tell me what new insight this editorial piece is providing us?
Comment number 33.At 07:18 27th Sep 2011, Russeljones wrote:
It is interesting how we always get a few who think they are qualified to pass judgement on the journalists writing these articles. Sady their comments are quickly forgotten, I say sadly because they dilute the only platform for discussion we have left on the BBC web page. You're looking for attention and you just got a little, hope it makes you feel warm.
As far as the article is concerned, Sir Alex is God and there can't be any doubt about that. He says it like he sees it, he's an extraordinary human but he's got his feet firmly on the ground. I wish more people in his position (real power) would stay true to their character and not change.
Equal money is an abstract proposition as some will always earn more through their exploits in Europe, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect more overseas TV revenue. Like Sir Alex said, that's 212 countries and this is what you pay the Premier League teams? (You being the broadcasters not BBC of course). It will be interesting to see what the ruling of the European Court of Justice will be and I hope we get another blog about that when the time for the decision comes. I hope when the TV deal is renegotiated that more money trickles down. Even if the Premiership is the leading brand in world football the Championship and all the clubs downstream should feel the benefit of a better TV deal.
Comment number 34.At 08:01 27th Sep 2011, GrandFalconRailroad wrote:
Surely it's a piece of great psychology? I (meaning SAF) think that TV has too much of a say as too much money is coming in...however I know if the deal fell through then my employer has the facilities to make the most cash from its performance...however if the collective agreement breaks down/clubs say you'll get less cash for more control e.g. deciding kick-off times after European fixtures then my direct rivals e.g. Arsenal, Spurs etc. will suffer from a fall in revenue that my employer can absorb - could Arsenal survive with a large % drop in TV income knowing they'd not make up that % with a sole-TV deal?
Comment number 35.At 08:02 27th Sep 2011, Alinem wrote:
I haven't watched the interview which was conducted by BBC with Ferguson, but I must admit that what Ferguson says, he is always right. Love his comments, he is always used to be a justice and he is now.
It is very nice to see, them teams like Wigan, Stoke, and other non-top clubs gets the same amount of wages as the top teams, if I am not mistaken.
IMHO the Premier League is with well equpied abd good sporting behaviours clubs, not that La Liga with diving and non-sporting behaviours and Serie A with those scandals. If there's the best League than that is English Premier League.
Comment number 36.At 08:31 27th Sep 2011, Freddie Roach Ate My Hamster wrote:
Before the Sky Sports deal & subsequent cash injection, Man Utd hadn't won the league title in a generation. Admittedly Fergie had strengthened them to the point that they were ready to win it but how much of Man Utd's dominance in the monied era due to Sky would they have enjoyed under the spendthrift Edwards ownership?
The Champions League is NOT as important as domestic or international football for 80% of football fans (those whose clubs aren't in it). I don't like the staggered matchdays etc but too much credence is given to the CL & the handful of football barons who allow 4 'Champions' per rich country, a league format for maximum revenues & who talk as if it means more than the World Cup! If there's a money grabbing contest blighting football it is the CL, not the PL.
Comment number 37.At 08:34 27th Sep 2011, ahis wrote:
Indeed the league is screened in 212 countries, but so are the leagues of Spain, Germany Italy...
Via my cable provider I get a sport channel where I can see probably every football match in the world live.
If UK is renegotiating so will the others, with consequence that the subscripions will rise - there is a watershed when customers will walk away, and then contracts will not be renewed the next time. It is very easy to price yourself out of the market.
Football on TV is entertainement and is competing with other forms of entertainment.
If the current system fails, then MU has the image and power to work alone on pay per view basis and can earn much more than currently under the status quo.
It is in his interest that the current sytem fails
Comment number 38.At 08:38 27th Sep 2011, Some Bloke wrote:
The argument that the money should not be split equally as its not good economics, and that the big teams should get more money due to larger audiences, is in essence to me the reason for current economic crisis. Money and not morals are dictating policy. WE should as a nation be backing the right idea even if it does mean a loss of money as money isn't what is important in life.
Comment number 39.At 08:42 27th Sep 2011, exiles_in_spain wrote:
To John comment #4 the difference is that the premier league two horse race is not separated by about 20 points from 2nd &3rd placeas has happened in la Liga
Comment number 40.At 08:46 27th Sep 2011, rjaggar wrote:
The question you have to ask as a fan of football, rather than a tribal fan of whatever club you suppot, is what the effect of TV money is on the competition.
If you give it all to Man Utd, what chance is there of any other team actually winning the League?
Once that becomes too small, the competition becomes like a fawning Royal Court and anyone with competitive fire rather than subservient sycophancy loses interest.
The whole point of a league competition should be to pit the skills of players and managers against each other.
If it's already effectively decided by the TV money before you start, what's the bloody point??
Comment number 41.At 09:20 27th Sep 2011, Adebayo Ogungbesan wrote:
David Bond suggests that in La Liga the league is a 2 team race, but what about the premiership? Man Utd were awful last season and what happened? The Premiership is always Man Utd and? It used to be Arsenal but its now Chelsea, and as for people saying but it goes to the wire, the question is how many times has it gone the distance and what happened at the end?
Comment number 42.At 09:22 27th Sep 2011, colmkav wrote:
The money should be distributed via prize money only. Thats fair. Man U maybe the biggest draw now but if they werent winning the league other teams would gain bigger draw value. Same in Spain. Other clubs shouldnt tollerate because they can never catch up if Barca and Real always make more money no matter how much they improve.
Comment number 43.At 09:24 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
#41 so awful they made their 3rd CL final in 4 years. Not united's fault Chelsea fell away last season, it's not like they didn't have the cash to go out and buy new players, maybe they shouldn't sack their manager all the time?
Comment number 44.At 09:27 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
And as for not sharing tv revenues equally, we would end up with a 2 or 3 team league, literally!
Comment number 45.At 09:28 27th Sep 2011, 1878onwards wrote:
Freddie Roach Ate My Hamster.
Utd were leading the table in 1992,the last season before Sky poked it's nose in. Because of their success in winning the LC and due to a backlog of games..Utd were forced to play 4 games in 8 days,and this was before the days of 25 man squads. They only won 1 of the 4 and Leeds won the title.
The following season we battled it out with Villa and Norwich,so maybe the Sky money was not an issue that season.
Also,in 1992,Utd won the Yth Cup and again Sky money was not an issue in them making the grade. And...due to the all seater situation,Old Trafford was in rebuild and gates were pegged at 35,000..increasing to a full house 44,000 at the season's end.
I would suggest Utd's success was due to SAF learning what it took to win the league in the preceeding years and when the lesson was learned,we had lift off.
Agree with the basic argument on TV money.We're in the same league..we all get the same amount.
Comment number 46.At 09:30 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
The distribution of TV money in football runs contrary to the idea of competition. It really is that simple.
It really doesn't matter what money a club like Man U make through the turnstiles and through merchandising, that is there business as 'Man U' is their name. But, if the people who run the competition, the Premier League, do not give people an equal share of broadcasting rights, then the competition is flawed from the off. (As flawed as the UEFA Fair Play Rules as it happens, but that's another, though perhaps parallel, argument.)
Comment number 47.At 09:31 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
13. At 22:43 26th Sep 2011, Spence wrote:
@John (No.4): Man Utd and Chelsea might be the ones winning it, but you can see Man City winning it quite easily. You can see Liverpool and Arsenal winning it with a few key signings (or a change of boardroom in Arsenal's case), even Tottenham look like contenders these days.
And the only reason Manchester City are challengers is because of external financing which greatly exceeds any TV income which Real and Barca benefit from.
People seem to be conveniently ignoring the fact that Chelsea and Manchester City are the only other two bidders for the PL, because of vastly wealthy owners who have pumped hundreds of millions into the club, thereby neutralising the ''fairness' of the TV deals in England.
Your comments about Liverpool and Arsenal being a couple of signings short of challenging for the title? That's too funny. By ''a couple'', I presume you mean 10.
And as for Tottenham ''looking like contenders these days''. Would that be the same Tottenham that have shipped 8 goals already this season to two of the three actual contenders? Comments like yours about Tottenham made me think I'd accidentally stumbled across the BBC jokes page!
Comment number 48.At 09:38 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
#47, these money bags teams still cant compete with Ferguson, who has won 4 out of the last 5 leagues. When will people like you wake up and realise United's dominance is down to Sir alex, not money?
Comment number 49.At 09:39 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
9. At 22:20 26th Sep 2011, CJandthesoup wrote:
You also get far more upsets because the league is so strong.
That's not true. Over the last 5 years, the top 2 in Spain have won less matches, drawn and lost more, scored fewer goals and conceded more against the bottom 6 in La Liga, then the top 2 have done in England against their bottom 6.
The top 2 in Spain are also the top 2 in Europe, so it's little wonder they dominate their league so much.
It always makes me chuckle when people talk about how ''competitive'' the Premier League is, when you look at a glorified pub team like Blackpool almost avoiding relegation last season. The reason people think it's competitive is because so many teams in it range from mediocre to utter dross.
Comment number 50.At 09:41 27th Sep 2011, tsojy wrote:
Bit rich accusing la liga of being a two horse race , perhaps we should be grateful we have a four horse race here !
Im afraid clubs are way ahead of the legislators here , what with clubs only being able to spend what comes in through the gates then the status quo will remain .
Football here through the TV money is not fair and will only mean the bigger clubs will get bigger
Comment number 51.At 09:42 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#49 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
The top 2 in Spain are also the top 2 in Europe, so it's little wonder they dominate their league so much.
On what evidence are Real Madrid in the top 2 in Europe?
Comment number 52.At 09:46 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
48. At 09:38 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
#47, these money bags teams still cant compete with Ferguson, who has won 4 out of the last 5 leagues. When will people like you wake up and realise United's dominance is down to Sir alex, not money?
I didn't say that United's success was entirely down to money ( although dominating the league from its inception, and all the financial clout that ensued from that dominance certainly accounts for a lot of their success over the last two decades ).
The point I'm making is that Manchester City and Chelsea aren't the only two serious challengers to the title because of the English TV deal. They are the only serious contenders because they have mega-rich owners who can pump so much money into the club, that, in all intents and purposes, makes the disparity of ''income'' between them and an average PL team exactly the same as the financial disparity between the big 2 in Spain and the rest of La Liga.
Comment number 53.At 09:49 27th Sep 2011, Freddie Roach Ate My Hamster wrote:
1878onwards - I'm not saying that Man Utd aren't a great club or even that Man Utd wouldn't have won the league without the Sky cash. For me the Leeds league title was more down to Cantona than MU's run of games etc, when Fergie got Cantona he completed his jigsaw & had the best domestic team.
As for the point about MU's dominance in the Sky era, we'll never know how other teams would have done, MU would likely still have won more titles than most but I'm not sure they'd have dominated the 90s so completely under Edwards' 1980s style spending as they did when money had more of a say in football. Having said that, MU have produced some great players & SAF is for me the best football manager of the Sky era & I don't support a PL team (long suffering Forest fan) so am relatively neutral.
Comment number 54.At 09:50 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
51. At 09:42 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
On what evidence are Real Madrid in the top 2 in Europe?
Most people would agree that Barcelona are the best team in Europe at the moment. Despite the 5-0 drubbing that Real received early on last season, they consistently pushed Barca the closest ( only finishing 4 points behind them in the league, winning the Copa del Rey, and also giving them a tough battle in the CL semi-finals ).
You would imagine that one of the top EPL clubs would be a contender fro second best team in Europe, but we've seen how the top English side has been completely outplayed ( some would say embarrassed ) by Barca twice over the last three seasons.
Comment number 55.At 09:54 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
#52 - You just said it then, what always makes me laugh when people look back to the start of the premiership, they conveniently forget that United were comfortably being outspent by nearly half the premiership. Everyone had money in those days, but they were terrible with it.
As for today's game, Chelsea and City have taken half of Arsenal's side away from them, and plucked out the best players from the rest of the league over short periods of time. All they have done is unsettle existing sides, whilst throwing their signings onto the waste pile to replace them a year or two later. It has been Chelsea and City driving prices up, Torres never worth £50m which led to the scandalous £35m for Carroll.
Comment number 56.At 09:56 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#48 Kapnag
these money bags teams still cant compete with Ferguson, who has won 4 out of the last 5 leagues. When will people like you wake up and realise United's dominance is down to Sir alex, not money?
I think it's a combination of Ferguson AND money.
Chelsea have really been the only team to challenge Man U and that is fuelled by money. Chelsea, the football team, have not been as well run as Man U the football team.
Everton and Arsenal have in Moyes and Wenger the consistency and continuity of Man U but have not had the money to back up that continuity with quality. (Let's not bring Wenger's transfer policy into this - he may have mismanaged his resources but his resources have been lower that Ferguson's due to the stadium move.)
Man U have, to an extent, been in the right place at the right time and they, through Ferguson, have made the most of that. I have no real complaints with that, I think it is the reality of the situation.
Comment number 57.At 09:57 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
18. At 23:44 26th Sep 2011, Football_UK wrote:
I watched two La Liga matches in consecutive matches. In both matches, I turned the channel in the middle of the match. The spectacle was disappointing and worse than boring. Then again, it didn't involve Barcelona nor Real Madrid, the lion share receivers of TV cash allocation in Spain.
You may have just been unlucky in the choice of matches you viewed. After all, you could have turned over and watched West Brom v Fulham or Villa v Stoke, and come to the same conclusion about the Premier League.
La Liga is no different to the PL in the fact that some teams are better to watch than others.
Comment number 58.At 09:59 27th Sep 2011, Cotona wrote:
I don't understand how anybody can say TV cash should be biased towards the big names from an 'economic' point of view,
Football should always be a sport, first and foremost, and the economics of football should always be conducted as necessary management of the sport.
Sport requires as fair a playing field as possible, and The big names simply don't matter if there is no-one for them to play, wether United destroy Arsenal 8-2 or Stoke earn a draw against them, some people would argue Arsenal deserve more TV money because they're a bigger name.
The reality is the sooner football leagues realise they are co dependent on each other as a business model the better.
When La liga finally sorts itself out it'll be 10 times more entertaining. Imagine this great Barca side actually having to stretch its legs every week instead of playing at a walking pace.
Comment number 59.At 09:59 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#54 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
In summary then, it is simply your opinion that Real Madrid are the second best team in Europe and there is no more evidence to support that opinion than me saying that Man U or Chelsea could be the second best team in Europe. (Probably Man U as it goes.)
Comment number 60.At 10:00 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
#56, which would explain why people used to debate who was the better manager, Wenger or Ferguson before it became apparent Wenger doesn't know a defender from a decorator. As soon as ferguson retires, things will change. Unless people are expecting United to dominate for the next 20 years
Man Utd's money became an issue when other clubs knew they had it and wanted as much as they could get - if they didn't get greedy they wouldn't have driven up prices across the market and they might have been able to get some quality players themselves. Premiership transfer fees are astronomical compared to the rest of Europe
Comment number 61.At 10:01 27th Sep 2011, DeadRevel - SaveOur606 wrote:
What a bunch of idiotic posters we have on here. One in particular who referred to a 'moralistic' view as being 'blinkered'. And another who referred to equality as being like the 'Vietcong'.
All teams deserve an equal financial footing, and this is from a United fan. And everyone in society deserves the same thing. You have been brainwashed by the elite. What makes me laugh is that most of the people on here scoffing at the idea of financial equality are working class and therefore subjugated by the very system you claim to favour. Wake up.
@ 45. Spot on mate.
Comment number 62.At 10:04 27th Sep 2011, Rich_Owl wrote:
As much as anything SAF is correct. TV have too much power and can effectively pick and choose any clubs fixture list for them (his example of potentialy playing in easten Europe Wednesday night and then in London the following Saturday lunch time is a good one, as is making Sunderland fans have to get to London for lunchtime kickoffs, for example). As he says, when you sign contracts for so much money then that's the price you pay.
Earlier this season my club, Sheffield Wednesday played a Carling Cup game on a Thursday night at Hillsborough which went to extra time and penalties. We had a league game in Bournemouth on the Saturday. We could have turned down the offer of the televised match, but we couldn't afford to pass the money by. Bournemouth refused to switch the Saturday fixture (and why shouldn't they - I'd expect Wednesday to do the same) and we duly lost. That begged the question, why can't something be written into the contract that if a side is playing in Europe on a Wednesday night and Sky want to televise their game the following weekend it has to be on a Sunday. Likewise Sky can't switch a match to Sunday at 4pm if that side is playing in Europe on the Tuesday?
in reply to @54. who wrote "You would imagine that one of the top EPL clubs would be a contender fro [sic] second best team in Europe, but we've seen how the top English side has been completely outplayed ( some would say embarrassed ) by Barca twice over the last three seasons."
Surely that fact that this was in the final of the ECL means that ManU ARE the second best team in Europe?
Comment number 63.At 10:06 27th Sep 2011, DeadRevel - SaveOur606 wrote:
Soul Patch
What difference does it make if Barca and Madrid were the best two teams in Europe? They are the best teams because of the absurd bias towards them. Madrid financed from a bottomless non-specific pit, Barca allowed to claim the best youngsters from the entire country of Spain. The two teams are then allowed to square off against each other while other teams take a backseat.
Comment number 64.At 10:08 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
59. At 09:59 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
In summary then, it is simply your opinion that Real Madrid are the second best team in Europe and there is no more evidence to support that opinion than me saying that Man U or Chelsea could be the second best team in Europe. (Probably Man U as it goes.)
Yes, it's my opinion which is formed through factual evidence. Real Madrid push Barca the closest, and the best that England has to offer were made to look rather foolish in 2009 and 2011.
Of course, this can all change over a season, and Manchester United may well challenge Barca and Real this season, but until that happens, I'll just stick to the facts which we have at this point.
Comment number 65.At 10:09 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
and also giving them a tough battle in the CL semi-finals
Did you watch the same games as me? What I saw was Barcelona playing like they always do and Real Marid chasing shadows, eventually resorting to fouling, clogging and hoofing long balls. It was embarassingly one-sided.
Comment number 66.At 10:09 27th Sep 2011, Russeljones wrote:
50.At 09:41 27th септ. 2011, monisspecial wrote:
Bit rich accusing la liga of being a two horse race , perhaps we should be grateful we have a four horse race here !
Im afraid clubs are way ahead of the legislators here , what with clubs only being able to spend what comes in through the gates then the status quo will remain .
Football here through the TV money is not fair and will only mean the bigger clubs will get bigger
I don't understand this view. If a club is endowed with the (enter generic commodity i.e. oil/gas/alumnium etc.) funds to spend to get nearer to the top clubs they will undoubtedly do so. The FFP rules don't say anywhere clubs aren't allowed to spend. If a club has the long term strategy, as Manchester City obviously have, they will balance spending with future ambitions.
As far as the La Liga vs Premier League 2 horse debate, it has been done to death. Even so you still get the odd few who refuse to accept the truth. There is intrigue in the Premier League, where the clubs squads are closer in ability to one another. The table shows it each year and Real Madrid is far from 2nd in Europe because if they were they'd be playing in CL finals (and losing them) year in year out.
Comment number 67.At 10:09 27th Sep 2011, thoughtfulphil wrote:
Surprisingly I find myself agreeing with Sir Alex. Firstly, I agree with some comments that football should not forget what television (read SKY) has done for the game over the last 20 years; but I don't think the article suggests that television has been bad for the game. The issues in question I think are firstly the control over match scheduling that television (read SKY) appears to have (my side Derby have had a 3pm Saturday game at Crystal Palace changed to 7.45pm Friday this week and there are many, many similar examples). This I think is a genuine problem that fans and clubs would like to see rectified. I think it is accepted that we need televised matches (for the domestic wider audience demand and for the money it creates), but a little more sensibility should be afforded to the scheduling of these matches. I have no problem with a Friday night match but can the decision makers consider the fans and think about distance and travelling times?
The second issue, and the one that stands out for me, is the distribution of income generated through the Premier League television deal. The method in which foreign television income is currently distributed equally is the only fair method and it frustrates me that people claim this to be unfair on clubs such as Manchester Utd and City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool for instance. Television could very easily destroy our game and create such inequality across the league and disenfranchisement of supporters and in my view, any unequal distribution of income could be the catalyst for this.
The Premier League is sold as a product. There are 20 teams that make up that product. If people want to just see Manchester Utd, or another 'leading' club, play one of four or five teams every week then that is the first step away from the competition as it is known. That is a step down the line of the thought process that spawned the Champions League and is the sort of thinking, in my view, that has not taken the game forward, but has taken the game away from many supporters.
Just a note to some people; although there are 20 teams in the Premier League, there are a further 72 clubs in the English Football League which the Premier League needs to support the product it is offering. Far too many people think that football began in 1992 and don't consider the implications of protectionism around the more successful clubs and the long-term affects on the domestic and national game.
Comment number 68.At 10:15 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#64 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
I don't even think you're comparing like with like! Barcelona beat Real Madrid over a two-legged semi final and beat them in the league last season. Barcelona only beat Man U in a one-off game.
At best, for your argument, Real Madrid and Man U are equal second but, based on the actual football that took place as described above, I would put Man U above Real Madrid and I don't think there is ANY evidence to the contrary.
It might not suit your anti-Premier League agenda (why is it you have that? Are you 'nibs' in disguise) but I don't see any of your 'factual evidence'.
Perhaps you would substantiate your 'factual evidence' so that we can all follow your argument.
Comment number 69.At 10:17 27th Sep 2011, jimmyroyce wrote:
People should listen to the full interview and at least try and understand what Ferguson is saying. He is not bemoaning the premier league tv money or Man United's share or lack of it, quite the opposite in fact.
What he is intimating is his perceived lack of co-operation from Sky and the premier league when it comes to fixture congestion in particular the champions league scheduling.
When it comes to the CL knock out stages, Spain like Italy and other leagues allow their clubs to switch fixture dates to say a friday night before the midweek CL games which gives their countries teams an unfair advantage and ergo a greater share of the CL tv pot.
I agree with him.
Comment number 70.At 10:19 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
63. At 10:06 27th Sep 2011, DeadRevel - SaveOur606 wrote:
What difference does it make if Barca and Madrid were the best two teams in Europe? They are the best teams because of the absurd bias towards them. Madrid financed from a bottomless non-specific pit, Barca allowed to claim the best youngsters from the entire country of Spain. The two teams are then allowed to square off against each other while other teams take a backseat.
A bottomless pit? Like Sheikh Mansour's pockets? If they had a more egalitarian approach to their TV deals in Spain, then they could just gain the extra revenue by putting themselves up for sale and operating like Man City or Chelsea.
Your comment about Barca is a joke; Xavi, Messi (by residence), Valdes and Pique - all from Barcelona. Puyol and Busquets - Catalans who would also qualify for Barcelona's youth system under the 90-minute rule in England. Pedro - signed when he was 18, which any other club could have done. Iniesta - not from the local area but signed in 1999, before English football introduced the 90-minute rule.
So, if you imagine that all of those players had an English doppelganger, then there is no reason why an English side couldn't have formed exactly the same team.
''Haters gonna hate'' as they say.
Also, why aren't you complaining about advantages that English teams receive over some in other countries, like being able to sign 16 and 17-year-old Italians, who can't sign a professional deal in their own country until they are 18. Federico Macheda being a perfect example of this. Let's not even delve too closely into the deal which took Pogba from Le Havre...
Comment number 71.At 10:23 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
then they could just gain the extra revenue by putting themselves up for sale and operating like Man City or Chelsea.
Or Malaga.
Comment number 72.At 10:25 27th Sep 2011, colmkav wrote:
#41, yes Man U were awful. The reason they won the league was refereeing decisions so biasedly in their favour all season. Fergie has far too much power. The FA and refs are scared of him. Video replays need to be brought in to dilute this added effect of power clubs/managers gaining extra pts unfairly.
Comment number 73.At 10:26 27th Sep 2011, Bellion-Wonderland wrote:
Fergie makes a fair point. Foreign fans get to watch every single premier league game where as we have to make do with 2-4 a week. Surely overseas countries should pay significantly more for the extra games they can watch. I also don't understand why the overseas rights aren't sold in a territory by territory basis. Surely you could get massive deals out of the Arab States and possibly China/Japan/Korea individually?
Comment number 74.At 10:28 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
Video replays need to be brought in to dilute this added effect of power clubs/managers gaining extra pts unfairly.
Yeah, those pesky extra points we get. I remember we were awarded 4 points for a win a few times last season, and two for some draws.
Comment number 75.At 10:33 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
68. At 10:15 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
I've already stated the factual evidence. Real had an extra-time win over Barca in the Copa de Rey, they drew the second league game, and lost 3-1 on aggregate in the CL semi-final (Real being unlucky when Mascherano conned the ref into thinking that Ronaldo fouled him, which led to Higuain scoring a disallowed goal).
The aggregate score of the last two games between Manchester United and Barca has been 5-1 (the one courtesy of some poor officiating in this year's final).
I admit that Real's thrashing of Tottenham last year has been pretty much replicated by the top sides in England this season, but the second-leg win came about when Real had half their first team rested, and Spurs had to resort to throwing themselves around as an act of desperation in an attempt to get on the scoresheet.
There's not many United players who get into Real's side, and players like Cleverly and Welbeck would be playing in the third-division in Spain for Real Madrid Castilla!
Comment number 76.At 10:42 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#73 Bellion-Wonderland
I'm probably going to struggle to explain how, but, I don't think it is possible to get massive deals as you describe.
Because there is not quite the connection between the clubs and it's fans (in the way that you or I might have a connection between ourselves and our clubs), if you start charging too much, you might price yourself out of the market, and people in those territories may just watch a different league instead, I think.
If the Premier League IS the most watched in the world, then I think all you can hope for is that it costs the most to watch in those countries. Charge too much and I think you might turn them off.
I hope that makes sense (though I'm not convinced that it does!)
I don't know if it's a good example, but I would imagine that even something as globally popular as The Simpsons makes higher broadcasting revenue in the US than overseas.
Comment number 77.At 10:47 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
71. At 10:23 27th Sep 2011, We all follow United wrote:
Or Malaga.
There's no comparison between Malaga's spending and Man City's or Chelsea's. Look at the players they've got in - a collection of over-the-hill players and others who they didn't have to fight too hard with other teams to gain their signatures.
Comment number 78.At 10:48 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
and Spurs had to resort to throwing themselves around as an act of desperation in an attempt to get on the scoresheet.
Really? You're criticising English sides for 'throwing themselves around'? Barcelona play some of the best football ever seen yet the likes of Busquets, Pedro, Mascherano, Thiago, Alves etc have taken diving to a new level. Remember the Inter Milan game? Almost the entire Barca team surrounding the referee to get Van Persie sent off for the heinous crime of 'having a shot'? And lets not even get started on Ronaldo, Pepe, Marcelo and the like!
Comment number 79.At 10:50 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
76. At 10:42 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
Because there is not quite the connection between the clubs and it's fans (in the way that you or I might have a connection between ourselves and our clubs), if you start charging too much, you might price yourself out of the market, and people in those territories may just watch a different league instead, I think.
I think that's the case. Take somewhere like India, where the Premier League is quite popular. Is it that popular that TV companies would fork out over-the-odds money for TV rights? Or would they just think, ''that's too pricey, we'll show something else''.
It's a question of how much of a demand there is to see the PL from within the country in question, and in a lot these countries the PL is popular because it's the only foreign league which is shown.
Comment number 80.At 10:53 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#79 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
I'm just stunned that we agree on something! :-)
Comment number 81.At 10:53 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
78. At 10:48 27th Sep 2011, We all follow United wrote:
I don't have a problem with players throwing themselves around. As far as I can see, diving is no worse than claiming a corner or throw-in which you know came off you last, or committing a foul or deliberate hand-ball.
It's just that the English like to pride themselves on not diving - with a few notable exceptions ;) - so for an English side to so conspicuously and systematically attempt to win penalties from throwing themselves around, was just a measure of the desperation which Spurs were showing in that second-leg.
Comment number 82.At 10:57 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
80. At 10:53 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
I'm just stunned that we agree on something! :-)
Give it a few more months, and you'll be echoing my comments regarding Real Madrid's place in the overall European pecking order. ;)
By the way, guess who are the bookies' second-favourites to win the Champions League this year?
Comment number 83.At 10:57 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
so for an English side to so conspicuously and systematically attempt to win penalties from throwing themselves around, was just a measure of the desperation which Spurs were showing in that second-leg.
So based on that, do Spanish sides show a measure of desperation for the entire 90 minutes?
Comment number 84.At 10:58 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#81 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
I do have a problem with gamesmanship it is the almost stratospheric level that Barcelona and Spain seem to have taken it to that, in my opinion, takes the shine off of their recent achievements.
And I would be equally critical if it was my team as well as any others.
Comment number 85.At 11:02 27th Sep 2011, Wakey wrote:
Sure other leagues sell their rights abroad BUT the EPL is sold to the most countries of any league and they get the greatest viewing figures. Also in most countries more EPL games are shown each weekend than they show for other leagues.
And i'm not sure subs would rise, the EPL is the most marketable so theywoud rise their ad rates
Comment number 86.At 11:03 27th Sep 2011, MU_Andy_58 wrote:
#81 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
How you can compare diving to fouls etc is beyond me!
If a player fouls or handballs he is punished for it and rightly so. Diving often gets rewarded especially for Barcelona whose players have developed it into a fine art! Often the other team gets punished, seldom is it that the diving player gets a yellow card in the CL especially. It does happen in the EPL sometimes but not often enough IMHO.
I agree with Mr Blue Burns if it was my team doing it I would still condemn it.
Comment number 87.At 11:07 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
soulpatchofdavidvilla, you're so one eyed and blinkered it's boring. "Oh spanish football is so wonderful, so far ahead of the premiership." Madrid clearly number 2 in europe despite their last final appearance being nearly a decade ago.
Your diving comments are silly, especially hot on the heels of the disgraceful scenes in the cl semi last season between Barca and Madrid - one of the worst adverts for football I have ever seen.
Comment number 88.At 11:08 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
69. At 10:17 27th Sep 2011, jimmyroyce wrote:
When it comes to the CL knock out stages, Spain like Italy and other leagues allow their clubs to switch fixture dates to say a friday night before the midweek CL games which gives their countries teams an unfair advantage and ergo a greater share of the CL tv pot.
You see, it's comments like these which make it necessary for people like me to post on these blogs and redress some of the blinkered, Anglo-centric nonsense which is all too prevalent.
How is it an ''unfair'' advantage for domestic leagues to make accommodations for their representatives in European competitions? It's an advantage, but certainly not unfair. The inference from your statement is that it's some dubious trick by ''johnny foreigner'' to swindle the good, honest English teams out of some money.
The fact of the matter is that the blame is entirely down to the English clubs for not demanding more fixture flexibility from Sky when it comes to rescheduling matches for teams who are involved in Europe.
Comment number 89.At 11:09 27th Sep 2011, Weallfollowunited wrote:
Nobody will ever forget the disgrace of Busquets peeping through his fingers to get that Inter Milan player sent off. They realised they weren't as good as Inter so had to resort to cheating to gain an advantage yet still couldn't win. Barca's reaction to Inter celebrating was also a disgrace. Whilst their football is sublime, their overall conduct is awful.
Comment number 90.At 11:18 27th Sep 2011, magicroundaboutcentral wrote:
As much as I love Barca's football I can not agree...they are marvelous winners but truly terrible losers. Real shame
Comment number 91.At 11:18 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
84. At 10:58 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
I do have a problem with gamesmanship it is the almost stratospheric level that Barcelona and Spain seem to have taken it to that, in my opinion, takes the shine off of their recent achievements.
And I would be equally critical if it was my team as well as any others.
It only ''takes the shine off their achievements'' if you are someone who wants to fins any reason to detract from the fact that Spain and Barcelona currently own world football.
First of all, there are two kinds of diving. Exaggerating contact from a foul (like Alves with Pepe last year) and making up a foul which never occurred (Eduardo against Celtic, for example).
The former is fully justified, as far as I'm concerned, because referees just do not penalise fouls if the player stays on his feet. Look how many times Messi gets fouled on one of his mazy runs, but doesn't get the referee's decision because he stays on his feet.
It's going down upon contact which make up the majority of ''dives'' which makes the holier-than-thou, English footballing public tut-tut.
Making up contact, on the other hand, is cheating, but is no worse than intentionally fouling someone (or being ''professional'', as the euphemism which is used by English pundits), deliberately hand-balling or claiming a throw-in which you know came off you last.
It's just that the English footballing public have such a warped and, ironically, dishonest view of fair-play where diving is seen as some kind of cardinal sin, whereas falsely claiming a corner is just though of as ''part and parcel of the game''.
Comment number 92.At 11:19 27th Sep 2011, niro_d_wolf wrote:
So once again this turns into a argument about which is better la liga vs. epl.
The fact is the top flight of spain has had only 8 winners in its entirety while english top flight has had about 25 winners. Barca and Real have always had a monopoly over their league.
And which other team has had banks fund them and wipe their debt? Real Madrid have had more liberties than other team in the world. Anyway that is beside the point.
Real and Barcelona appear most on TV, which is natural, and they get most of the money generated from TV, and when these financial fair play rules kick in, who do you think will benefit most from it?
I'm not surprised most people actually chose to ignore that Sir Alex wants there to be fair distribution of tv income between all clubs despite the fact Man United appear most on tv. If it was like it is in spain, most of the clubs in the league would not have anywhere near the amount of income they are getting currently
Comment number 93.At 11:19 27th Sep 2011, wirral18 wrote:
I believe it would be a lot easier if the Premier League were a lot more transparent. As in i would like to know something along the lines of:
Revenue from Sky
Revenue from overseas
Other Revenue etc
Then a breakdown of where the money goes
Prem teams
Football League
Prem staff & directors
Something simple like that would hopefully make us all a lot less suspiscious as to where the billions of pounds (especially from overseas revenues) is going.
Comment number 94.At 11:21 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
89. At 11:09 27th Sep 2011, We all follow United wrote:
Nobody will ever forget the disgrace of Busquets peeping through his fingers to get that Inter Milan player sent off. They realised they weren't as good as Inter so had to resort to cheating to gain an advantage yet still couldn't win. Barca's reaction to Inter celebrating was also a disgrace. Whilst their football is sublime, their overall conduct is awful.
Again, Busquets was fully justified in going down. How else was Motta going to be punished for his raised hand unless Busquets exaggerated contact?
I agree, Barcelona are bad losers, but just about every successful sportsman/sporting team is.
Comment number 95.At 11:24 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#91 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
There is certainly hypocrisy among the fans, players and media about the issue of diving in the English game. Afterall, you could cite examples such as Franny Lee in the 70's who had problems staying vertical!
(I think this is an amusing copy and paste - 'He holds the English record for the greatest number of penalties scored in a season, a feat which earned him the nickname Lee One Pen, and sometimes led to accusations of diving. One such accusation, from Leeds United's Norman Hunter, led to an on-pitch fight, which The Observer later named as sport's most spectacular dismissal.')
But, and it is a big but, your acceptance of it and the attitude that goes with it seems to allow it to become more and more acceptable and is as bad as Shearer on MOTD when he uses a phrase like 'the attacker is entitled to go down'.
No one is 'entitled' to go down. If you're fouled you go down but not of your own accord! Let's draw a line and state that all such behaviour is unacceptable and eats away at any integrity in the game.
Comment number 96.At 11:25 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
92. At 11:19 27th Sep 2011, niro_d_wolf wrote:
So once again this turns into a argument about which is better la liga vs. epl.
The fact is the top flight of spain has had only 8 winners in its entirety while english top flight has had about 25 winners. Barca and Real have always had a monopoly over their league.
Spain has actually had 9-seasons, and their league started 40 years later than England's.
In reality, though, it doesn't matter, because Preston winning in 1889, or Real Betis winning in 1934, is completely irrelevant to modern-day landscape of both leagues.
You only need to compare them from 1992-onwards. It doesn't paint a pretty picture of the PL - 4 champions, and the top 4 being populated by the same clubs, time and time again.
Comment number 97.At 11:32 27th Sep 2011, Kapnag wrote:
You only need to compare them from 1992-onwards. It doesn't paint a pretty picture of the PL - 4 champions, and the top 4 being populated by the same clubs, time and time again.
Yeah, cos one of those clubs are being managed by Sir Alex Ferguson. Clubs that have run him close/finished above him in that time:
Aston Villa
Man City this season
The fact is, whatever criticism you lay at the premiership's door, you can easily apply that to Spanish football.
Comment number 98.At 11:36 27th Sep 2011, The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa wrote:
95. At 11:24 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
Yes, people like to ignore the English players who dive. There are a couple of current England internationals, one from the red half of Merseyside, the other from the blue, who would give Tom Daley a run for his money.
I disagree about the ''integrity'' argument, as no-one has ever explained why diving is any worse than shouting ''our ball'' every-time the ball goes out for a throw-in or corner. In fact, Ashley Cole seems to have an automatic response of raising his arm in the air, every time the ball goes out of play off him.
Presumably you'll be just as critical of him as you will be of players like Busquets taking a tumble?
Comment number 99.At 11:39 27th Sep 2011, The Trawler wrote:
This has to be one of the most disingenuous blogs I've ever seen; it's absolutely littered with hackneyed spin - on Fergie, on the Glazers, and on the whole issue of TV rights.
Comment number 100.At 11:41 27th Sep 2011, MrBlueBurns wrote:
#98 The_soul_patch_of_David_Villa
Yes, I would be equally critical of appealing for a ball that is not yours. I would also mention the example of the almost assault like contact that goes on when defenders are shielding the ball from an attacker so that it runs out of play for a goal kick.
However, I would add the pretty strong caveat that neither of those examples are as serious or potentially game changing (in themselves) as cheating to get a penalty or trying to get a player sent off. I have never seen a goal scored from a throw in. (Though there was that one Rory Delap example....... :-) )
And in any event, clamping down on some of what goes on would be a start even if it would be harder to clamp down on it all.


text: Chachi is a little chihuahua puppy with a big imagination. He has passionate and adventurous daydreams of sword-fighting and car racing. His heart belongs to his love Esperanza, who he met on a chili-pepper farm. He is a master of the Mexican Hat Dance and his favorite foods are horchata and churros, but his most favorite thing in the world is a bellyrub.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DEGERenergie has been producing intelligent single and dual-axis tracking systems as standard for more than 15 years. To date, more than 75,000 DEGER have been connected to the grid – and this number is still rising. After all, wherever the systems are installed, they improve efficiency and thus cost-effectiveness and profits.
Here you will find a selection of our references:


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The doTERRA Deep Blue oil blend is very soothing to your muscles and joints and has a beautiful aroma that is sweet and minty.
Did You Know?
This blend is a toxic free substitute for topical creams and naturally relieves tight muscles and joints. Talk about going all natural!
The Main Problem That We All Face
Do you know someone that has tired muscles and joints? Would you like a natural solution for all the stress and tension you have in your neck, shoulders, or calves? Well Deep Blue oil is right up your alley!
Top 3 Uses Of The doTERRA Deep Blue Oil Blend
1.) Add 1-2 drops directly to tired muscles and joints with pea sized amount of Deep Blue Rub for extra support. I love doing this after a workout!
2.) Place 1-2 drops on temples to reduce head tension. This really helps put your mind at ease. Just make sure to go to a nice and quiet place after doing this and relax for a bit sitting down.
3.) Add 1-2 drops Deep Blue oil with fractionated coconut oil for a nice massage. You can event suggest this to your massage therapist! Tell them you're trying to go all natural!
The doTERRA Deep Blue Oil Blends Best With
1.) Deep Blue Rub: This is a great companion product for the Deep Blue oil. The rub is easier to apply and amplifies the effects of the straight oil.
2.) Frankincense essential oil: Frankie is great for relieving tight muscles and joints and layers well with either the Deep Blue oil or in combination with the Deep Blue rub.
3.) AromaTouch oil blend: This is Deep Blue's cousin and is another blend that helps with circulation and is awesome for massages!
In Summary
The doTERRA Deep Blue oil is minty, athletic, and cooling to your muscles and joints. The Deep Blue blend contains wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, German chamomile,
What Are My Next Steps?
The first thing to do is sign up for my FREE 4 part essential oil class online so you can learn more about natural solutions TODAY!
P.S. Email me at [email protected] if you have trouble viewing this page or have any questions.
Your Essential Oils Guide,


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This past week we had the opportunity to meet KYGO at a private elegant dinner at Komodo in Miami, Florida. He was surrounded by his family and friends. In this celebration, Avion Reserva 44 was a key sponsor celebrating Kygo's Haute Living cover.
|Kygo was in great spirits as he and Avion Reserva 44 celebrated his Haute Living cover (http://tinyurl.com/zyqee4x) w
|Avion Reserva 44 presented Kygo with a custom engraved bottle at his Haute Living cover celebration (http://tinyurl.com/zyqee4x)
|Avion Reserva 44 celebrated Kygo's Haute Living cover (http://tinyurl.com/zyqee4x) w
|KYGO +Ultra Music
|KYGO and DEIVHOOK(Norway meets Spain)
Nuestro Magazine was able that night to introduce +Deivhook from Spain to +KygoOfficialVEVO from Norway here in Miami, Florida. Miami has become the hottest spot to meet great Artists from around the world.
KYGO (née Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll), 24-year-old electronic dance music sensation from Norway, is one of only two acts who achieved international commercial success. Kygo has become the artist with the most streams in SoundCloud history. Kygo has experienced a meteoric rise, remixing everything from Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing, to Ed Sheeran's I See Fire, to Rihanna's Stay in a new genre he has popularized called "Tropical House."
Thank you to EMC|BOWERY Public Relations, Haute Living, KYGO, Deivhook, and OLE Communications.
About Avión Reserva 44:
Avión Reserva 44 is the world's finest extra Añejo tequila from Tequila Avión. Reserva 44 is hand bottled in extremely limited batches and carefully filled into a fire-polished, luxurious crystal bottle after aging for 44 months in the highlands town of Jesus Maria, Mexico. Avión Reserva 44 has the distinctive character of Avión Agave with hints of warm vanilla, ripe luscious fruits and a touch of spice—the hallmark of Avión fine tequila. It is 80 proof and is available in 750ml bottles (SRP - $150.00). It is best enjoyed neat at room temperature or with a single cube of ice.


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It's the special touches that make anything special. Give your holiday table setting that special touch with the Poinsettia Napkin ring.
It's very easy to make, just 3 simple shapes cut from felt.
To put the napkin ring together simply begin by folding the bone shaped piece in half.
Place the petal piece on top of the leaf, matching slit openings.
Scrunch the petal tips on the bone shaped piece together.
Push the scrunched petal tips through the leaf and petal pieces.
Arrange the petals and you will have a lovely napkin ring!
Make one for each guest, set your table and everyone will enjoy just how special the table looks.
The napkin rings can be used in other ways to decorate for the holidays. Wrap them around a fabric wreath to welcome your guests at the door. They can also be wrapped around the base of candle stick holders. Once the candle is burning, be sure to never leave your candles unattended.
Get the free pattern HERE and let your imagination go wild. This is also a wonderful project for children.
Happy Holidays!
Rhonda Buss


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Haha! Four alarms is no small feat. You tried, lol. Procrastination is a dream killer. Just think of it as something you absolutely detest and don't want in your life. Sometimes it works...until the weekend comes and you're relaxed. Hehe :)ReplyDelete
I will. Maybe I'll start by just jumping up after the first alarm tomorrow. So help me God. Thanks for stopping darling.ReplyDelete
Oh shalla shalla boombaye. Sikum wakum bokum nakagada.
You will be fine. Just add one more alarm for 4:55am.
Passing by
lol thanks for passing by. I def can't do 4.55. Jus allow me start small abeg. Much loveReplyDelete
very true about praying lying down. biko I have tried everything, I MEAN everything when praying that early. its one word then I sleep off, one bible verse then I sleep off. I am quite sure the angels are shaking their heads. LOL at 4 alarms thoughReplyDelete
@ Eniola, if only God weren't so merciful. *sigh* some mornings I wake up again and beg for forgiveness. I know if I were God I'd probably just look and say 'Sleep oh you will wake up here on the other side'. lol. You should try doing it standing. No leaning. Let me know how it goes.Delete
First of all I'm happy you are feeling better hun :). And i get you girl, I can be a bit of a procrastinator too but its normal, as long as you don't let it take over your life. I love how you have the whole alarm clock thing planned out lol.ReplyDelete


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and Receive Complimentary E-Books of Previous Editions
To distinguish between the Gaussian and Non-Gaussian traffic we have taken two parameters one is Skewness & Kurtosis. Skewness represented in Equation 1 measures the orientation or the asymmetry the bell-shaped distribution about its mean, if it's value is positive, then most the distribution are longer and flatter on the right of the mean as compared to its left, otherwise for the negative value the distribution is are longer and flatter on the left of the mean as compared to its left. Kurtosis is another parameter similar to Skewness which measures the peakedness of the distribution represented in Equation 2:
The value of these two parameters decides the nature of traffic if the value of Skewness is equal to 0 and of Kurtosis is 3 then the distribution of the traffic is Gaussian otherwise it is Non-Gaussian. As from the Table 2 we have taken four traces of each for Gaussian and Non-Gaussian traffic, the Skewness values of all four traces for Gaussian traffic is almost 0 and its Kurtosis is almost 3 i.e. the traces are not purely Gaussian but very near to be called Gaussian, whereas, for the Non-Gaussian traces the values Skewness is not near to 0 and same with the values of Kurtosis is not near to 3.


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The Nationwide Group of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) obtained the recent employees instructions from Social Safety. An individuals earnings in or after the month they reach full retirement age won't scale back their Social Safety advantages nevertheless their benefits will be reduced if their earnings exceed certain limits for the months before they reach full retirement age.
Former Deputy Commissioner (Packages), redesignated Deputy Commissioner, Office of Packages and Policy, was made responsible for the Office of Family Assistance, Office of Retirement and Survivors Insurance (previously the Workplace of Insurance Applications), Office of Supplemental Security Income (previously Workplace of Help Programs), and the Workplace of Incapacity (previously Office of Incapacity Applications).
Social Security has issued workers instructions in its Program Operations Handbook Sequence (POMS) on the new system by which attorneys and others representing claimants must register with Social Safety and should submit a brand new kind 1695 for each claimant they characterize.
These work incentives have not induced any vital variety of DIB recipients to return to work. With the additional money, Social Safety would have the ability to keep away from furloughing workers. For SSDI to qualify for Social Safety Incapacity benefits a person should have labored lengthy sufficient and just lately sufficient.
Most Attorneys who handle Social Safety Incapacity circumstances will settle for them on a contingent charge foundation of 25{ef25bdfc1558e42aff5d9c1e78b6309454c5f5955c0578d606dd340e4431dccc} of past-due profit or $5,300 whichever is much less. My guess is that the reason being that Social Security is getting questions on this from the information media.


text:
DO NOT let beauty fool you. I am an alpha. Confident with a natural desire to dominate and control. An experienced Mistress with over 8 years as a practiced ProDomme. Royal Holloway educated. An intellectual exploring and engaging in BDSM, Psychology, Fetishes and Fantasies.
Being twisted, mean, wicked and plain evil is a pleasure. I expect and demand faultless obedience, submission and dedication.
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The qualities in a good Mistress are many and varied. These qualities are attributed to the person. There are many in the scene who do not understand the difference between being dominant and being domineering. A domineering person is overbearing, aggressive, loud and tyrannical. They control through oppression and enforce their will without consequence. This is not who I am.
Through a shared mental, spiritual, emotional and physical experience there is pleasure.
You are a source of enjoyment, amusement, sensual gratification and indulgence for Me. Having that measure of power over another human being is breathtaking.
I accommodate and welcome anyone from novices to the more experienced extreme players among you, regardless of gender or sexuality. I welcome slaves that enjoy forced bi or forced feminisation sessions as well as those wishing to cross-dress and explore their feminine or masculine side.
If you are new to the scene, you can be sure that you are in safe hands and that your limits will be very well respected. However, on subsequent sessions, I do encourage pushing these limits. Without question you will have the use of an agreed safe word. Also, if you wish to attend BDSM clubs or events, I am happy to accompany you.
My 'likes' are not limited to the list below. There is much I enjoy about BDSM - too much to simply list, so please do approach Me to discuss fetishes or interests. There are areas which I will not partake in and these are listed under My 'HATES'.
Arm and Leg Sleeves
Ball busting
BDSM Clubs (attending)
Beating Hard / Soft
Bondage Hard / Soft
Breast Bondage
Breath Play Hard / Soft
Chosen Clothing
Chosen Food
Clothes Pegs
Collars / Corsets
C/P - Mild to Severe
Electric Play
Examination Physical
Face Slapping
Fetish Events
Following Orders
Foot Worship
Forced Dressing
Forced Masturbation
Forced Nudity
Forced Servitude
Full Head Hood
Heel Worship
Hot Waxing
Public Humiliation
Verbal humiliation
Latex/Rubber/Leather Fetish
Medical Scenes
Mouth Bits
Nipple Clamps
Nipple Weights
Oral Fixation
Orgasm Control/Denial
Outdoor Play
Over the Knee Spanking
Piercing (play)
Pony Play
Religious Scene
Riding Crop
Role playing
Sensory Deprivation
Serving as Furniture
Sexual Deprivation
Sissy and slut training
Spreader bars
Stocking Worship
Strait Jackets
Strap-On Dildos
Supplying Victims
Video Taping Scenes
Blood Sports
Drugs & Alcohol
Hard Sports
Illegal Activities (under age/animals/bugs etc)
Intimate Body Worship
Permanent Marking ( Unless piercing )
Personal/Switch Services
Experienced Pro Domme
London ~ Berkshire
Spanking naughty boys since 2006


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Neighborhood: Waikiki, HI
With some of the most stunning, panoramic views on Oahu's south shore, Unit 38A of Canterbury Place is sure to enchant you with one glance. The completely furnished two bedroom, two bath unit has an open floor plan that allows residents to entertain and enjoy the bright, spacious layout. Gorgeous views of the ocean, Waikiki skyline, and nearby valley can be seen from almost every vantage point in the unit.
Renovated in 2017, the owners have modified the original floorplan to open walls and create a visually stunning space when you first walk in the door. New floors have been installed in the living room, bedrooms and hallways to enhance the elegant tropical feel of your vacation home. Furnished and decorated in 2014, this place offers comfort with a modern flare. Floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that open to a wrap-around lanai allow residents to enjoy the soft trade wind breezes and smell the fresh, sea air. Lounge in the sun on the lanai or gaze at the sunset from the cozy couch, your true vacation destination awaits.
The prestigious Canterbury Place offers premium security features including: locked lobby doors, 24-hour private security services, and an intercom device, so that safety and comfort are never an issue. Concrete walls allow residents to enjoy a noise level of their own preference without disturbing or being disturbed by other residents. For continued relaxation, Canterbury Place offers amenities such as: a heated pool, Jacuzzi, dry sauna, gas powered barbecue station, recreation room, lawn chairs for sun bathing, and a small tennis court. Located adjacently from Hilton Hawaiian Village and Fort DeRussy, this property offers a variety of destinations for all desires. Beaches, restaurants, shops, and parks are just a short walk down the street.
WiFi and parking is included in the rent as well as HDTV programming with a TV in each bedroom and the living room. 30-day minimum stay required. Rates will adjust seasonally, non-peak months will be $6,000 + 14.97% taxes per month and peak season rates will be $8,000 + 14.97% taxes per month in 2019. Peak season rates will increase to $8,400 + 14.97% taxes starting 2020.
Rent price quoted subject to change without notice and vary depending on season, length and type of occupancy.
30-day minimum booking required by law. The license number is: TA-060-826-8288-01


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Thing 1:
- 12 X 12 Pages are HUGE! I'd forgotten just how big! When I first started scrapbooking, I couldn't even begin to imagine how one would scrapbook on anything SMALLER than 12 X 12. I mean...I had SO many pictures! How would I EVER get them ALL scrapbooked if I used anything smaller than 12 X 12?
- These days, when I scrapbook (which isn't very often), I think 8 X 8 is LARGER THAN LIFE!
Thing 2:
- Taking pictures of a 12 X 12 layout is hard!!! Getting it all into focus with NO shadows is next to impossible.
Thing 3:
- 12 X 12 scrapbooking leaves LOTS of room for journalling. This is foreign to me now. When I taught scrapbooking classes (before SU!), I would almost literally pound into my students' heads the need for handwritten journalling.
- These days (thanks to my discovery of 6 X 6) most of my journalling is reduced to a date or a quick caption...sometimes I even let the photos speak for themselves - the horror!!!
Here's my 12 X 12 for the day:
The journalling reads:
- Happy National Scrapbook Day! What does that have to do with these photos? Nothing really...except that I'm scrapbooking them on Naitonal Scrapbook Day. The photos themselves were taken on July 1st, 2004 when Jonathan had barely learned to walk, Colin still had "baby fat" and Lauren wasn't anywhere near "13 going on 30". We spent the day enjoying a country concert at Sunnyside Beach.
Products Used:
- 12 X 12 Whisper White Textured Cardstock
- Celebrations Designer Series Paper
- Celebrations Quick Accents
- 8 1/2 X 11 Real Red Cardstock, trimmed
- Pacific Point Marker, for journalling
And now, my preferred 6 X 6 size:
To note:
- I don't have a garden - LOL! But when I do (we live in a high rise condo at the moment) I know I'll enjoy scrapbooking it since I much prefer taking pictures of "nature" than people. (Does that make be a bad momma?) The flowers can at least "stand still"...unlike my children. *sigh*
- When using a set of Sizzlet Die Cuts, use lower case if the size of the combined letters will be larger than your page - OOPS!!! Thanks goodness creative license allows for overlapping!
- This layout uses the colours from the Stamping 411 challenge, which can be found here.
A closeup:
Design notes:
- I stamped the flower three times and then cut it out to make the different layers.
- The bottom layer is attached using glue dots and the next two were attached using Stampin' Dimensionals.
- I stamped the stem directly onto the Whisper White Cardstock using Pear Pizzazz ink.
I hope you're enjoying National Scrapbook Day and that you have managed to get some scrapbooking time in!
Happy Scrappin'!


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Bolney Estate, Bolney Bubbly NV
It is widely known that southern England benefits from very similar soils to those of Champagne, and this is a cheeky English spin on the French style. Blending Müller-Thurgau and Reichensteiner with Chardonnay gives a waxy, lino nose, with stone fruit, citrus and pear coming to the fore on the palate. This is well balanced; crisp without being too acidic, with a full body and creamy mousse.
Taster: James Button
Alc 12.5%
Buy now:
£19.50-£25.92 Widely available including
The Champagne Co, Noble Green, North & South, Bolney Estate


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What the sky looked like on March 04, 1947
Get the star map showing the sky over this special date
US date format: 3/4/1947, UK date format: 4/3/1947
It was Tuesday, under the sign of Pisces (see birth chart on March 4, 1947). The US president was Harry S. Truman (Democrat).
Famous people born on this day include Nicole Calfan and Greg Guma.
The Egg and I, directed by Chester Erskine, was one of the most viewed movies released in 1947
On TV people were watching Muffin the Mule.
But much more happened that day: find out below..
You can also have a look at the whole 1947 or at March 04 across the years.
Which were the most popular Movies released in those months?
Watch popular movies, TV series and live events, start your 30-day free trial
See other popular movies of the week
Which were the important events of March 04, 1947?
Famous Birthday
Which were the top hits in that special week of March 04, 1947?
Unlimited, ad-free streaming of over a million songs, 30 day Free Trial
Top #5 songs in the USA
Which were the most popular TV Series released in those months?
Watch popular movies, TV series and live events, start your 30-day free trial
What news were making the headlines those days in March 1947?


text:
- Description
DetailsThe Nautica Long Sleeve Deck Polo Shirt in Windsor Wine and an X-Large size
Nautica's long-sleeve version of its best-selling performance Polo Shirt is stylish and a man's wardrobe standard. Its classic styling is combined with a soft cotton fabric, so it is fashionable and comfortable. This long sleeve polo shirt adds needed warmth and charm.
Nautica Long Sleeve Deck Polo Shirt Details:
- 100% Cotton;
- Classic fit Polo Shirt with collar;
- Long sleeves;
- Polo Shirt collar with a two button placket closure;
- Machine wash;
- Shirt splits at the sides in the hem;
- Easy care fabric; and
- Machine washable.
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Size XL Style Classic Color Windsor Wine Fit Classic Fit Gender Men Sleeve Length Long Sleeve Pattern Solid Color Material Cotton
- Reviews


text:
Write an incident report
This page is for reference only. Use the incident report template on Google Drive when drafting the report.
Incident report checklist:
- Ensure you make a copy of this document and edit the copy.
- Read the guidance for what to do if you are comms lead.
- Share this report with the GOV.UK Incident Google mailing list as soon as possible.
- Make it clear that it's a draft version.
- Include as much information as possible and a draft root cause ahead of the review.
- Ensure this document is viewable to anyone with a GDS email account.
Incident report
|Start Date
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|HH:MM (local time)
|End Time
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|Application / process
|Was it a P1, P2, or P3 incident?
|Incident lead
|2nd line primary engineer or a senior developer
|Comms lead
|2nd line secondary engineer
[Provide a summary here]
User impact
[Detail of the specific front-end user impact]
Departmental impact
[Detail of the specific departmental/publisher impact]
Timeline All times in local time, unless otherwise stated.
|Total duration of incident (time from when problem started to incident marked as resolved)
|Time to fix (time from when incident declared to marked as resolved)
Incident Review
Root cause
Use this section to summarise the root cause of the incident. A draft root cause should be included, and discussed and agreed upon during the incident review. This root cause should be written for a non-technical audience. Please also include the root cause category:
- Unexpected effect of code change
- Infrastructure failure (disk space, logging etc)
- Provider failure (hardware, network failure etc
- Security
Use this section to assign actions to individuals (not teams). These are actions to be taken to fix the root cause of the issue or for preventative measures.
Standing actions
Does it need a blogpost? (P1 or P2; P3 if interesting).
Present a summary of the incident at GOV.UK technologists fortnightly to share learning. Recommendations


text:
Whether you're the avid walker or just need a pair of dependable everyday shoe, the women's ASICS® GEL-Frequency 3 is perfect for neutral walkers looking to stay actively fit!
This brand is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.
Mesh upper with synthetic overlays for support.
Padded collar and tongue.
Lace-up closure for a secure fit.
Soft, textile lining and removable sockliner easily accommodate orthotics.
Low cut design allows movement in multiple planes as the foot transitions through the gait cycle.
Updated Rearfoot GEL® Cushioning System
Attenuates shock during impact phase and allows for a smooth transition to midstance.
AHAR®+ (ASICS High Abrasion Rubber) placed in critical areas for superior traction.
Measurements: Weight: 7 oz
Featured Products


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Please Help!
Together We Can Make A Difference
Donate Today!
Press Article
2014 - Bar Rescue on Spike TV - Season 3
Chef Ron Duprat is a real do-it-yourself culinary expert. He has come a long way from his 27-day journey on a boat from his Haitian homeland (Mare Rouge) to the pinnacle of culinary prowess here in South Florida. Using his grandmother's recipes, he pulled himself up from poverty to serving his specialties to top professionals, dignitaries and heads of state. Utilizing fresh seafood and local produce, he has worked with well-known personalities like Emeril Lagasse, Tyler Florence, Giada De Larentis, Randall H Cox, Adam Savage, Guy Fierri, Masaharu Morimoto and Alex Askew.
Many restaurants have opened under his leadership. His constantly expanding palette of flavors has included his trademark French Fusion spiced with Caribbean Flair. Today, he works as an Executive Chef at Latitudes Beach Café in Hollywood, Florida.
He has been seen at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, The Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, the James Beard foundation Dinner, the Taste of the Nation; NBC6, the 16th Annual Cultural Awareness Salute Dinner black-tie gala in New York City and in national publications like Vogue and Travel + Leisure. His recipe was featured on Oprah.com. He has been awarded (along with his team) "Best of the Best" for three years while serving as the Executive Chef of the Montauk Yacht Club. While in Naples, he also worked at La Playa Beach Resort, Pelican Bay, Little Italy, Frascatti's and Cloyde Steak and Lobster House.
He is part of the Cordon Blue board of advisors, a board member of Flipany, a culinary chair for the Black Culinary Alliance (BCA) and a member of the International Youth Foundation. He was recently the manager at Real Men Cook in Miami and has helped the March of Dimes.
He began his passion for culinary creation as a teenager. At the young age, this allowed him to attend Ecole de cuisine La Varenne.
In addition to being a chef, Duprat has used his personality and expertise to become a spokesperson and national speaker. This go-getter is even an author of the cook book "My journey of cooking."Back to Articles