It's Lyon's Juninho doing what he does best...

Posted by: Lex

FA Cup Final special...

That chap Mr. Power loves a good incentive. And Paddy’s come up with a good one for the Cup Final on Saturday. For Paddy Power are offering to refund all losing Win-Draw-Win bets on the game should it go to penalties. Which is nice of them.

As for who we’re tipping, well Cardiff at 4-1 looks a very decent price given that they had little trouble dispatching Premier League Boro in the quarter final. But we still fancy Harry to come away with his first bit of proper silverware. And as for goalscorers, despite looking about as ruthless as Frank Spencer all season, we still think David Nugent might have the last laugh. In other words, it’ll come off his arse in the last minute…

If you fancy a flutter cliquer ici

Posted by: Lex

Harry looking dapper, Jimmy singing Land Of My Fathers, David Nugent actually scoring...

Where: Wembley, Saturday, 15.00
What you hope to see: Dave Jones smiling, Harry looking dapper in his Cup Final suit, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink belting out the Welsh national anthem, and above all, a right rollicking Cup Final.
What you’re likely to get: Peter Ridsdale tryng to hog the limelight, the BBC rolling out C-list celebrity fans of each team, David Nugent and Milan Baros playing like pub players and still nabbing a goal.
Fact! Pompey fan John Westwood famously changed his name to Portsmouth Football Club. But people refer to him by his nickname, Pillock.

Posted by: Lex

Posted by: Lex

Umbro reveal Saturday's match ball...

When Pompey and Cardiff duke it out this weekend in the FA Cup Final at Wembley, they'll be playing with a brand new ball, Umbro's FA Cup DYNAMIS. Apparently, it's the "most technically advanced ball ever produced", with "unrivalled accuracy and power." Which is quite the boast from those boys at Umbro.

They say that it's been in development for the last 2 years and, good news for goalkeepers, its 20-panel configuration makes it faster than the more traditional 32-panel ball. So at least David James has an excuse when he bundles it into his net on Saturday.

Teijin micro fibre material also gives players a super soft touch and increased power through greater elasticity and stretch. The DYNAMIS is also the first football to use new Tri-Ply bladder technology, designed around the premise of increasing the power and accuracy of any strike of the ball. So unlike David James, Dave Nugent has no excuse...

Posted by: Lex

They sure know how to celebrate...

An Aberdeen fan at Parkhead. Imagine explaining this one to the wife...

Posted by: Lex

Capello goes for the new boys...

It might have been a different story had he been in goal rather than on the Manchester City bench today, but Joe Hart is among several new names in the 31-man England squad to face the USA and Trinidad and Tobago. Everton's Phil Jagielka, Spurs' Tom Huddlestone, Blackburn's Stephen Warnock and Boro's David Wheater are other uncapped players to be given the call up.

Full England squad to play USA and Trinidad and Tobago:

David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Man City), Chris Kirkland (Wigan).

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Man Utd), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham).

Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Owen Hargreaves (Man Utd), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Ashley Young (Aston Villa).

Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Michael Owen (Newcastle), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd).

Posted by: Lex

We're sticking our neck out...

OK, so it's not exactly thinking outside the box, but it's the last Lump On! of the Premier League season and we just fancy winning a bit of Uncle Rico's moolah. And as you'll have read in our Weekender for this game, we don't expect much resistance from Steve Bruce's men when Wigan 'attempt' to stop Manchester United from winning the title. So we're going for a Ronaldo first goal and 4-0 win scorecast with Paddypower. The best thing is, if it ends 1-0 to Man Utd, Mr. Power will give you your money back. Hell, even Brucey should get on it...

So if you fancy rolling in the benjamins, click here...

Posted by: Lex

James McFadden's beard, Lineker narrating, the Likely Lads, and Mark Hughes as a boring priest...

Where: St. Andrews, Saturday, 15:00
What you hope to see: James McFadden tripping over his own beard when through on goal. The scruffy swine.
What you’re likely to get: That really lame split coverage thing Match of the Day always do on the last game of the season, narrated by Gary Lineker, as if one of those I Love 1980s shows. As if people don’t already know the outcome. We don't live in an episode of The Likely Lads. And Adrian Chiles having the weekend off. The chubby swine.
Fact! Mark Hughes provided the voice for the boring priest in several episodes of Father Ted.

Posted by: Lex