The DAILY MAIL documented the funeral of two British children killed in a car crash earlier this month, allegedly by a drunken goalkeeper for a Championship (the second-highest league in England) team. The player, Luke McCormick, has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol.
The boys killed in the crash, Arron and Ben Peak (ages 10 and 8), were huge fans of Manchester United. In their honor, the family gave them a funeral with a Manchester United theme. The pall bearers wore United kits, most attendees wore red, and their dual coffin was emblazoned with Manchester United’s colors and logo.
Read more…
Here in America, we fire coaches, sometimes for legitimate resasons (see: Cam Cameron) and sometimes for reasons that seem totally unfounded (see: Ty Willingham).
That doesn’t happen across the pond. There, they call it getting ’sacked,’ but their logic for doing so can be just as ludicrous as ours. Read more…
From what we haven’t seen coming out of Moscow after Chelsea’s choke yesterday, it appears that Russian media embargo police plan really worked (we’re guessing it was the bed chains).
The LONDON DAILY MAIL reports:
Thousands of Chelsea fans were bussed under police escort to their airports soon after their team lost on penalties.
“This has been a successful operation. We are pleased at the lack of trouble. Most fans have seen a great game and are going back to Britain safe, if wet,” said a police commander at the stadium.
But of course, we can’t say the same for London police’s plan (fan out everyone!) to keep Chelsea fans from rioting in the streets of London’s posh (it really is, actually) west end.
The Daily Mail reports that blood was spilled (see above Chelsea flag) during clashes between the bobbies and yobbies last night. Read more…
John Terry had a chance to claim the UEFA Champions League crown. After 90 minutes of play resulted in a 1-1 tie, Chelsea & Manchester United had to settle their score through penalty kicks.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored Man U’s regulation-time goal, missed his penalty shot, leaving the door open for Terry to clinch it in Chelsea’s final kick. But rain kept falling on Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, and field conditions became more slick. Read more…
The CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final between Chelsea and Manchester United is set for May 21 in Moscow. We don’t know who we feel more sorry for: the fine, upstanding citizens of Moscow or the British fans set to invade one of the world’s most corrupt, crime-ridden burgs.
(Did they commission Beijing for the logo?)
Our favorite development thus far on the game comes from the NEW YORK TIMES, which reports that “Russian officials announced Monday that British soccer fans will be allowed to travel to Moscow for the Champions League final without an entry visa.”
45,000 such Visas are due to be issued. Of course, that is if Russians can muster enough bureaucratic infrastructure for the job (that’s the one area they’ve got covered). And we’re absolutely positive that *welcoming* all those unscreened British *soccer fans* will have no consequences.
So why is Moscow so enthusiastic about welcoming the Brits and making nice-nice? Read more…
• The AOL FAN HAUS has a novel idea: let’s have coverage of the 8 a.m. patron stampede at Augusta.
• DEADSPIN has your Manchester vs. Arsenal live blog love.
• Timberwolves fans are not happy that their team keeps winning. TNABACG explains. Read more…
If you’re one of those people that doesn’t get hung up on sports that don’t feature a lot of offense, you can appreciate the athleticism of an athlete like Ronaldo of Man U.
And even if you are, you’ll appreciate this goal that he scored last night.
(Video after the jump.) Read more…
Manchester United must feel particularly paranoid this week. Yes, they lost to Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarters after missing on numerous point-blank chances and then seeing their backup keeper sent off, placing defender Rio Ferdinand in the box to flail at the winning penalty kick.
(Watch out for that… what?)
However, that pain must seem rather tame to Darren Fletcher, the Man U midfielder, after the Old Trafford home locker room attacked him last week after a Champions League match and knocked him unconscious. To wit, the bathroom stall door fell on his head.
