Archive for December, 2009

Travelling around South Africa for the 2010 world cup

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

World Cup packages are available through reputable travel agents from all parts of the globe. However the early travel packages which include travel, accommodation and sightseeing options on a budget,  are all but gone. More expensive packages are still on the market, but you need to act quickly, since the tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11th and last until July 11th

 

All nine World Cup host cities have airports nearby, including South African Express which travels to 13 South African domestic destinations, Airlink is a regional carrier that is growing, Kulula is a budget airline and travels to several host cities such as Cape Town and Durban, Mango airlines which flies to Johannesburg,  Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein-all host cities, Venture Air which flies to Johannesburg and Cape Town and 1Time, which is another regional low cost carrier.

 

Most of the World Cup action will take place in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but in addition to air travel, there is rail or bus service between the host cities. Ask your World Cup travel agent to plot out a package that includes local public transportation for you~Ask your World Cup travel agent to plan a package that includes local public transportation for you~Ask your World Cup travel agent to put together a package that includes local public transportation for you~Ask your World Cup travel agent to produce a package that includes local public transportation for you~Get your World Cup travel agent to plot out a package that includes local public transport~Ask your World Cup travel agent to plot out a package that includes use of public transport}~Ask your World Cup travel agent to plan a package that includes local public transportation for you~Ask your World Cup travel agent to put together a package that includes local public transportation for you~Ask your World Cup travel agent to produce a package that includes local public transportation for you~Get your World Cup travel agent to plot out a package that includes local public transport~Ask your World Cup travel agent to plot out a package that includes us of public transport}.Renting a car is also an option, but you must familiarize yourself with local driving regulations and insurance laws. Your travel agent should also include this in your world cup packages because the number of cars available for rent are limited.Licensed taxis, coaches, shuttles and regular buses are all being pressed into service to accommodate the more than 3 million football fans expected to travel to South Africa during the tournament.

 

Don’t despair if you don’t have tickets to a match. You can still soak up the atmosphere in 10 fan parks that are due to be placed near the stadiums. In fact it is expected that more people will watch the games from the fan parks then will be inside. Ask your World Cup travel agent to supply you with the names and locations of the various fan parks. You will be pleased that you did. Enjoy the party, but don’t drink too much as police will deny access to anyone exhibiting bizarre or drunken behavior outside the stadiums or fan parks.

 

 

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The Standard Of Referees In The Premiership?

Monday, December 28th, 2009

What do you think of the current standard of the football referees in the English Premiership? Do you think a system of video replays should be introduced to help these referees and to stop what are some important mistakes being made? These two questions are things which myself and my friends debate on a regular basis, especially after a few beers.

Do not get me wrong; I am fully aware that I have never been involved in professional football in any shape or form; I am actually involved in various projects to do with stuttering treatmentDVD duplication service and about training for foster carers.

There was a match a number of seasons ago which sticks in my memory, a bad memory at that. It was a very important match between my favourite team Birmingham City and one of their local rivals Stoke City. The match was of great importance as Birmingham were in real danger of being relegated. The three points for the win would certainly have helped them in their quest to survive.

With only around ten minutes of the match remaining Birmingham were leading a tense match by one goal to nil. At this stage one of the Stoke City footballers clattered into the B’ham City goalkeeper, who had the football firmly in his grasp, over. The ball slipped from his grasp and one of the other Stoke players kicked it into an unguarded net.

I could not understand as to how the referee had not seen what was a certain foul, maybe he was partially blind. To my and all of the other Birmingham supporters horror, he did not and he let the goal stand. I am normally quite a calm person but became so angry it was untrue. The next thing that happened was one of the Birmingham fans ran onto the pitch and fully punched this referee in the face. The players were taken off the pitch while order was restored.

I remember thinking at the time that this referee had deserved to be hit, but I later changed my mind, once I had had time to calm down. We are all capable of making a mistake of course.

I personally think that the overall standard of referees in the Premiership is very good and that we should start to get off these peoples back. I would however like each referee to be interviewed after each match in the same way as the football managers are. This would help the fans to understand why the referee made various decisions etc.

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Will Michael Owen Make The England Squad For The World Cup?

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Do you think Michael Owen is past his best? Should Michael still be playing for the English national side? Have the many injuries that Michael Owen has suffered throughout his career affected him too much? Has Michael lost some of his passion to the play at the top level of the game? In this article I give my own opinion about these questions, I hope you enjoy the read.

Michael Owen burst onto the international football stage with what can only be described as a wonder goal against Argentina in the World Cup. At this stage he had pace to burn and was lethal in front of goal. The future was very exciting for his club, country and of course for himself.

At this stage I should point out that I am not and have not ever been involved with professional football. In my working life I am involved with how to stop stutteringcomposite doors and also offering advice on business cost cutting.

Going back to Owen, he played for Liverpool for many years and scored lots and lots and goals. A couple of years ago he moved clubs to Real Madrid. At Madrid he did not in my opinion seem to get much a chance, however his goals to games ratio was still very impressive. During this period Michael started to have a few problems with niggly injuries. For whatever reason this player has been unable to stay free from injury for any great length of time~For whatever reason this player has been unable to stay free from injury for any great length of time}. Last season he moved clubs again with a big money move to Newcastle United. This renewed the famous partnership that he had in the English national team with the one and only Alan Shearer. Owen however has played only a handful of games for his new club due to his fitness levels.

It seems that Owen is now on his way back and think that Michael is way past his best, I think that due to the fact that he is not getting any younger and all of the injuries he has sustained, that he has without doubt lost some of his electric pace. He is however and should remain for a number of years to come a potent and top striker but whether he is still world class remains to be seen.

Michael Owen has never in my opinion let England down. Michael just seems to have that nack of being in the right place at the right time; that is of course what has made him into the World class striker that he once was and what some people still think he is – just ask Sir Alex Ferguson for example. I would prefer to see Michael come off the bench for say the last thirty-five minutes of matches instead of starting the games. I think England should have lanky Peter Crouch with another pacy striker such as Theo Walcott to really rough up and bruise the opposition. Michael could then come on when they are starting to become a bit weary.

I do not think Michael Owen has lost any of his passion or desire to play for club or country. In fact I think the opposite is true. He will be itching to get back to somewhere near his best and will be very determined to help his country to win the World Cup.

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Understanding Soccer Field Dimensions

Monday, December 28th, 2009

related article: dimensions of a football field

 

Soccer field is a rectangular area split in half by a center line. A circle drawn in the middle of this line with diameter of 10 yards. Soccer field has several different dimensions according by player ages. This was regulated by the first soccer organisation which is The Football Association, and then followed by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). They also standardized the soccer field dimensions that appropriate to all modern pitches.

The following are the soccer field dimensions categorized by ages
read more: Different Dimensions of Soccer Fields

6-7 years old: The field is 20 yards in width by 30 yards in length. The touch line is 18 feet in length, this is the distance between goal area boundary line and the half way line. The distance between the goal line and the goal area boundary line is 27 feet. The center circle and the corner arc have a radius 9 feet and 3 feet respectively.

8 years old: The field is 25 yards in width by 35 yards in length. The touch line dimension is 21 feet. The distance between the goal line and the goal area boundary line is 31 feet and 6 inches. The center circle is 10 feet in radius and corner arc is 3 feet.

9 years old: The field is 30 yards in width by 45 yards in length. The touch line dimension is 24 feet. The distance between the goal line and the goal area boundary line is fourty eight feet and six inches. The radius of the center circle is 12 feet. The corner arc is 3 feet in radius.

10 years old: The field is 40 yards in width by 60 yards in length. The penalty arc and the circle radius is 24 feet. 3 feet would be the radius of corner arc. Penalty arc is 72 x 36 feet. Goal area is 36 by 12 feet and the penalty spot from mid-goal is 24 feet.

11 years old: The field is 50 yards in width by 80 yards in length. Penalty arc and the circle radius is 30 ft. Corner arc is 3 ft in radius. Penalty arc is eighty by 50 feet. Goal area dimensions is 52 x 18 feet, and the penalty spot is 30 feet apart from the mid-goal.

12 years old and above: The field is 70 yards in width by 100 yards in length. Penalty arc and the circle radius is 30 ft. Corner arc is 3 feet in radius. Penalty arc dimensions is seventy two by thirty six feet. Goal area dimensions is 60 x 18 feet, and the penalty spot from mid-goal is 36 feet.

The playing field is marked with lines which is called field markings. These lines are not less than 4 inches (10.16 cm) in width nor exceed in 5 inches wide.

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How To Jump Higher – Exercises To Get Started

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Do you want to know which exercises to begin with that will improve your vertical jump? There are many to pick from. Here are some basic ones that are an excellent point to begin your training. You must ensure that you follow them closely. Many people perform the right exercises, but they don’t do them correctly. Start with the exercises we outline below and you will have a good groundwork for improving you vertical jump.

You may believe the only muscles you need to work on throughout your vertical jumping workouts are your leg muscles, but that’s not the case. The muscles in the back and waist are also especially important. The erector muscles are the strongest muscles in the back and take on the most work. Your plan should consist of exercises for the back and waist areas as well. Which brings us to our opening exercise.

Dead Lifts

A first-rate exercise to start with is the dead lift. To begin the exercise, take hold of the barbell, bend your knees, and arch your back. Bring the barbell up until you are standing upright with the barbell hanging across your thighs. Gradually lower the weight back down. Execute three sets of 6-8 repetitions. To steer clear of injury, do not jerk the bar, but carry out the exercise quickly and steadily. Take a brief rest after these first 3 sets. Do one last set in a much slower way this time.

Leg Presses

A second exercise that can help improve your vertical jump is leg presses. Set the weight on the machine to a weight suitable for you. Put your feet about shoulder width apart. Drop the weight until your thighs nearly touch your chest. Then shove the weight back up in an explosive manner. You don’t jump in slow motion, so you don’t want to exercise in slow motion. You need to practice the explosive move to get the most out of the muscles you will use when jumping. Do 5 sets of 6 reps. Take a short pause between each set.

Medicine Ball

For our very last exercise we will utilize a medicine ball instead of a basketball. Pretending that you are doing a dunk, grip the medicine ball and leap up as high as you can. Embellish the movements and reach for the rim. Practicing this exercise helps all the muscles necessary for this movement to become strong. As with the leg presses, make certain to be explosive when you do this exercise.

While these are just three exercises, they can be a good start to increasing your vertical jump. Mix these with additional jumping exercises. Don’t fail to remember to use the proper form while performing these exercises. It can help you evade injury.

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