MyFootballClub.co.uk/Ebbsfleet United

I know.

Ebbsfleet Utd FC (formerly known as Gravesend and Northfleet FC) has just won a place in the FA Trophy final at Wembley on Saturday May 10th 2008 and yes I have become the latest member of MYFOOTBALLCLUB to own a share and a vote in the running of this now 'famous football club' who is owned by football fans and for £35 per year is run by football fans.

As of today over 6,000 fans from Stonebridge Road will be travelling to Wembley and I cannot think of a more perfect ending to a season for a club that was 'voted by the fans' and 'taken over by the fans,' to celebrate their first season as a 'fans club' with a trip to Wembley for a major non-league final.

Promotion into the Football League is out of reach of Ebbsfleet Utd this season despite their victory at York City last Saturday, but who knows next season, if the growth of MYFOOTBALLCLUB continues could Ebbsfleet Utd be celebrating promotion into League Two of the Football League??

Congratulations MK Dons

MK Dons, like the phoenix from the Ashes, won their first final at Wembley this afternoon defeating Grimsby Town 2-0 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final in front of a crowd of over 56,000.

MK Dons took 36,000 fans from Milton Keynes, 50 miles up the road from Wembley Stadium.

Four years ago MK Dons were formed when Wimbledon FC, yes the same Wimbledon FC that beat Liverpool in the FA Cup Final, went out of business.

I use to go and see Wimbledon play at their tatty Plough Lane ground when they were in the Southern League and then there was their famous rise culminating playing against the top level clubs in the top division.

Players like Dennis Wise, Vinny Jones, Dave Beasant, Lawrie Sanchez and the like became and are now household names - perhaps Keith Andrews, Gueret, Dean Lewington etc can enjoy their day today and one day they will become as famous as their predecessors.

LIVE Scores from 3pm (GMT) This Afternoon

Follow all of this afternoon's football action here from 3pm (GMT).

As always ALL scores and news will be in the comments section.

Are You McClaren In Disguise?

Yes Fabio. We know. England lost 1-0 to France in Paris at the Stade de France in front of a full house with thousands of England fans travelling to the 'renaissance.' Some renaissance this evening turned out to be.

Beckham wins his 100th cap, Ferdinand loses his first game as England Captain and prior to all of the substitutions - there were FOUR players with England Captain experience on the park during the first half.

Man Utd's Ferdinand

LA Galaxy's Beckham

Chelsea's Terry

Liverpool's Gerrard

The only of goal of the game came from the penalty spot after Anelka was brought down by 'keeper David James and Frank 'don't call me scarface' Ribery scored from the resultant kick.

Super Sunday is Here

Super Sunday is Here

Man Utd v Liverpool K.O. 1.30pm

Chelsea v Arsenal K.O. 4.00pm

I will be at the Chelsea game - come back later to see how it all panned out.

Saturday's Fixtures and LATEST SCORES

Here are today's fixtures and like last week I will endeavour to keep up with all action from 3pm this afternoon.

Last Week I don't think I did a bad job if I say so myself and I had a lot of fun too!!

Barclays Premier League

Aston Villa v Sunderland
Blackburn Rovers v Wigan (Psuedo Latics) Athletic
Bolton Wanderers v Man City
Everton v West Ham Utd (k.o. 5.15pm)
Middlesbrough v Derby County
Newcastle Utd v Fulham
Reading v Birmingham City
Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth (k.o. 12.45pm)

Coca-Cola League Championship

Barnsley v Sheff Utd
Cardiff v Bristol City
Leicester v Hull
Norwich v Colchester
Plymouth v Watford
Preston v Burnley (k.o. 1.00pm)
Scunthorpe v Ipswich
Sheff Wed v Crystal Palace
Southampton v Coventry
Stoke v Blackpool
Wolves v QPR

League One

Brighton v Swindon
Bristol Rovers v Huddersfield
Crewe v Hartlepool
Gillingham v Bournemouth
Leeds v Walsall (k.o. 5.15pm)
Leyton Orient v Carlisle
Luton v Cheltenham
Oldham Athletic (THE REAL LATICS) v Millwall

League Two

Barnet v Lincoln City
Brentford v Wrexham
Chester v Darlington
Chesterfield v Accrington Stanley
Dag & Red v Shrewsbury
Hereford v Bury
Mansfield v Grimsby
Morecambe v Wycombe
Notts Co v Rochdale
Rotherham v Bradford

Clydesdale Bank Premier League

Aberdeen v St Mirren
Dundee v Motherwell (k.o. 12.30pm)
Hearts v Falkirk
Kilmarnock v Inverness CT
Rangers v Hibernian

IRN BRU: First Division

Clyde v Queen of the South
Dunfermline v Dundee
Morton v Livingston
Partick v St Johnstone
Stirling v Hamilton

Second Division

Ayr v Cowdenbeath
Brechin v Berwick
Peterhead v Airdrie Utd
Queens Park v Alloa
Ross County v Raith

Third Division

Albion v Elgin
Arbroath v Forfar
East Fife v Montrose
Stenhousemuir v Dumbarton
Stranraer v East Stirling

All games kick off at 3pm, unless otherwise stated and LIVE scores will appear in the comments section.

SSSSHHH!!! Kevin Phillips SSSSHH!!

At The Valley this afternoon WBA's Kevin Phillips equalised a Greg Halford goal for Charlton and as part of his goal-scoring celebrations, Phillips turned towards the Home end and did the famous SSSSHHHHHH!! (If you don't know what that is, just place your first finger towards your lips and blow out - you should get a SSSHHH!!)

After being congratulated by his team mates, Phillips then turned back towards the home end pointed to someone did the SSSSHHHH again and mouthed 'Wanker' to the unfortunate Addick soul or souls.

Obviously retribution for taking some sort of stick - but Mr Phillips, your 'abuse' was fully captured on TV cameras and you could be the next victim of trial by TV.

If you are looking for LIVE scores during the course of Saturday, look no further then here - starting with the early kick off at White Hart Lane when Tottenham take on Portsmouth at 12.45pm.

Steele is a Flat Cap and Whippet Man

Finally the situation regarding FA Cup hero Luke Steele is resolved. Remember at the beginning of the week I wrote he could be watching the FA Cup Semi-Finals at home on TV, well now he will be playing at Wembley.

Luke is still a Barnsley player albeit on loan from WBA but in the Summer he will join 'The Tykes' permanently in the Summer.

Common sense and 'sorting out the money' has finally prevailed.

Luke Steele - Barnsley, WBA or Limbo?!?!?!

Spare a thought for Barnsley's Luke Steele or is he now WBA's?. One of many heroes in Barnsley's defeats of Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at Oakwell in the FA Cup, Luke looks destined to miss one of the biggest days of his footballing career

The reason!! His loan spell at Oakwell has ended and he has to return to his parent club, WBA.

By returning to WBA he cannot play in their FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth because he is cup-tied by playing for Barnsley and if he DOES have to return to WBA he CANNOT play for Barnsley either!!!!

Come on WBA let the boy have his day or are you frightened that he is that good he will stop you from winning the FA CUP? Better get past Portsmouth first!!!

My Football Club's Ebbsfleet Utd Reach FA Trophy Final

My Football Club's Ebbsfleet Utd reached the final of the FA Trophy sponsored by Carlsberg, after beating Aldershot Town on agg 4-2 after a 1-1 draw at The Recreation Ground.

Aldershot took the lead on 61 minutes through Junior Mendes to make the aggregate score 3-2 but deep into injury time Michael Bostwick scored the equaliser which secured Ebbsfleet's first visit to Wembley in their history.

Ebbsfleet Utd changed their name from Gravesend and Northfleet at the start of the season and became the first football club ever to be 'bought out' by any fan through the website, Myfootballclub.co.uk,

For £35 you can buy a share and have a say in everything about the running of the club. For 30,000 owners, £35 doesn't seem to be a bad investment with a trip to Wembley beckoning.

In the other semi-final, York City beat Helen Chamberlain's (from Soccer AM) Torquay Utd 1-0 but Torquay go to Wembley on with an aggregate score of 2-1. York's goal was an own goal by Todd in the 64th minute.

The final is at Wembley on Saturday 10th May 2008.

FA CUP (Sponsored by E.ON) Semi-Final Dates Confirmed

The FA Cup (sponsored by E.ON) semi-final dates have been set and firstly let me offer my congratulations to the semi-final teams: Barnsley, Cardiff City, Portsmouth and WBA.

The schedule is as follows:

WBA v Portsmouth Saturday April 5th, K.O. 12.15pm

Barnsley v Cardiff City Sunday April 6th, K.O. 4pm

Both games to be played at Wembley

It is a major surprise that not one team from the elite's top four have made it to the semi's and with no disrepect to the four teams that HAVE made it because they made it with grit, determination, desire and a little bit of luck, my question is will Wembley's 'Corporate City,' bother to turn up not just for the semi-finals, but to the final itself?!

The capacity of Wembley Stadium is 90,000 and Wembley is really a fantastic stadium, I should know I have been there three times in the last year. Of the 90,000 seats available for both semi-final games, 33,000 tickets have been allocated to each club, which leaves a total of 24,000 seats to be accounted for.

17,000 seats out of those 24,000 have been brought by Corporate City over a lease period of 3, 5, 10 years and these are the seats that you see empty at the start of each game played at Wembley so far, mainly at the start of the second half.

At the Carling Cup final, Wembley, The Fooball League and the sponsors set a challenge called the 'bums on seats at the start of the second-half,' challenge where money would be donated to charity for every seat occupied before the start of the second half.

I have no doubt that each club will sell out their allocations, despite none of the four clubs capacities at their respective home grounds being 33,000, but we all know the 'pothunters' surface once there is a grand day out to be grabbed and a day out at Wembley to see 'your' team is not a day out to pass up.

I bet the FA and E.ON are are quietly mumbling in their respective oak-panelled boardrooms that the decision to play the semi's at Wembley may well backfire and they may well hope that 'Corporate City,' turn up and put 'those bums on seats well before the first half whistle and second half whistles blow.

I for one will be watching with interest.

BTW to the supporters of all four teams, make sure you bring loads of money on your special day out...... Wembley is so expensive..... or you could boycott every food and drink outlet, like Chelsea and Man Utd fans have done in the past.

Are Goalkeepers Really THICK?

It is said that to be a goalkeeper you have to be mad to want to play in such a position - but as well as being mad are goalkeepers really really thick as well?

Why do I ask?

Goalkeepers and penalties. Ok we know that goalkeepers are not expected to save a penalty. If a goalkeeper does save one, automatically he is a hero and if he doesn't then nothing more is said and the conceding of a goal from the penalty spot is quickly forgotten about.

I am in no doubt that every goalkeeper in the World researches his opponent in the event of a penalty being awarded, but is pre-match research enough? What about the studying of the penalty taker's starting position prior to the penalty being taken.

This is what I mean.

If the penalty taker starts on the GKs right, chances are he will try to score to the GKs left and if the penalty taker starts on the GKs left, chances are he will try to score to the GKs right. So why is it when a penalty taker starts in either of these positions, the goalkeeper always seems to dive in the opposite direction?!?!?!

If however a penalty takers starting position is central and in line with the ball, then it is a battle of the placing percentages - 33% to the left, 33% to the right and 33% straight down the middle.

Next time you see a penalty being taken remember the above and see if I am right.

The REAL Latics Beaten!!!

Oldham Athletic - The REAL Latics - to whom this blog is named after, suffered a comprehensvie defeat at Luton Town yesterday, 3-0.

All Luton's goals came in the first half and to add to Oldham's misery, they had defender Reuben Hazell sent off in the first-half.

Saturday Football - LIVE SCORES

I am gonna have a bit of fun this afternoon and try to keep up with all the football scores which will be available in the comments section.

Should be fun, hope I keep up and I hope you keep up with me.

Kick off from 3pm

Champions League Draw Q/F draw

Roma v Man Utd - 1st Leg 1 April, 2nd Leg 9 April

Schalke v Barcelona - 1st Leg 1 April, 2nd Leg 9 April

Arsenal v Liverpool - 1st Leg 2 April, 2nd Leg 8 April

Fenerbache v Chelsea - 1st Leg 2 April, 2 Leg 8 April

UEFA also drew the matches for the semi-final:

Arsenal or Liverpool v Fenerbache or Chelsea

Roma or Man Utd v Schalke or Barcelona

TUESDAY NITE FOOTIE!!!!

Lots of games, lots of live score updates even including the SCUM v Inter in the San Siro.

Bookmark me and come back during the course of Tuesday night. First games kick off at 7.30pm.

All latest scores are in the comment section.

If You Want Oldham Athletic Goals!

All the Oldham Athletic goals you could want.

Today's Scores - FA Cup and Premiership and Scottish Cup

Half-time in the Scottish Cup

Aberdeen 0-0 Celtic

FA Cup 1/4 Final

Middlesbrough 0-2 Cardiff City

I Think This Bloke is Quality!!

Others will say that he is a complete nutcase and eccentric and weird, but I think he is BRILLIANT.

Meet Mr John Portsmouth FC Westwood, yes that is his real name!!! John Portsmouth FC changed his name officially by deed poll in 1994.

Grant MUST GO

Bye bye Avram, bye bye Avram, bye bye Avram, bye bye (Shame he didn't show the same passion at Barnsley this evening)

What time is your flight back to Israel Avram?

Boundary Park - Home of The Real Latics

Update Update Update - Messi Out of SIX weeks

During Barcelona's 1-0 over Celtic in the Champions League (which Barcelona won 4-2 on aggregate), Lionel Messi CRIED himself off the pitch after he pulled a hamstring with ten minutes of the first half remaining.

As he left the Nou Camp pitch he was consoled by sympathetic team-mates as he bawled his eyes out. No doubt as the night draws on you can find pictures for yourself of the Argentinian 'cry-baby.'

Wonder if he left the stadium with a dummy in his mouth?!?!?!

The Champions League Quarter-Final draw is a week on Friday (14th March)

Tuesday Night Round-Up

I admit I was going to take the proverbial out of a Gooner who travelled to Milan yesterday to watch Arsenal take on the European Champions AC in the San Siro tonight.

After Arsenal's result seriously, how can I take the piss out of someone who took their Mum.

Fenerbache won in Seville on a penalty shoot-out 3-2 after losing 3-2 on the night (5-5 on agg)and are in the Quarter-Finals along with Arsenal, Barcelona and Man Utd.

Barcelona 1-0 Celtic (Barcelona won 4-2 on agg).
Man Utd 1-0 Lyon (Man Utd won 2-1 on agg).

Lionel Messi the Barcelona cry-baby we all know he is, cried his way off the pitch after injuring his hamstring. Oh dear oh dear what a 'messi' you are in!!!

This blog named after a certain Football club lost at Boundary Park 1-0 to Hartlepool, but their next two games are at home - so there is a chance of a (shawshank) redemption and a serious challenge for the League One play-offs.

I am sorry to announce there will no no action tomorrow nite as I am off to a game myself, so please bear with me and come back Thursday evening UK time for more.

Hope you enjoyed tonight's offering and I look forward to being able to 'live' score for you again.

We Got Champions League, Championship, League One, League Two

Whatever you want we have got it. Just follow the comments for as many score updates as is possible in a really short space of time - or 90 minutes!!!

All to kick off soon!!!!

But before all that, Frank Lampard won his appeal for his sending off at West Ham at the weekend and Andy Griffin of Stoke City won his appeal as well. Neither player will serve bans for their sending-off's.

The 'Real' Latics are in action at home to Hartlepool - My man 'up norf' is there, and the shirt in my profile pic is making its debut down south at Dartford goals.... a hang out of Portsmouth's Glenn Johnson.

So COME ON THE LATICS!!!

FOLLOW ALL THE SCORES IN THE COMMENTS SECTION - BOOKMARK IT FOR YOUR FAVOURITE TEAM!!

Football Icon and a Chinese Takeaway

Remember Sam Hurrell and Carl Magnay winners of the successful Football Icon show?

Chelsea Football Club today announced a deal, to complement their global attack on World Football Domination, with the Asian Football Confederation Vision China to be the sole partner to discover young talent in Southern China.

In conjunction with Guangdong TV Sports Channel which attracts a 50 million TV audience within Guangdong province there will be a 13 part football icon-esque series to find the most talented young Chinese footballer.

The best four 14-16 year old will visit Chelsea and train at the Academy during the Summer 2008.

Three Red Cards and a West Ham Funeral

Only a week after the unfortunate (and I can only describe it as unfortunate) injury to Arsenal's Eduardo, this weekend AGAIN saw the inconsistencies of match referees.

First up: We have Chelsea's Makelele's ankle high challenge on West Ham's Julian Faubert. No Card - Should have been at least a yellow

Next up: Andy Griffin of Stoke City, his tackle which TV cameras showed he won the ball fair and square get the straight red card by ref Andy D'Urso - a Premiership referee - relegated to the Championship for one weekend - NEWSFLASH. Stoke City has appealed.

Then we have: Real Madrid's Arjen Robben, almost getting one of his 'glass' ankles broken in a clumsy challenge by Recreativo's Quique Alvarez - Red Card. No arguments, Alvarez has since apologised. Robben will be out for how long he wants to be!!

And here comes the funeral part: Frank 'Super Frank' or 'Fat Frank' (depending where your loyalties lie) Lampard getting the red card on the advice of the assistant ref, for pushing down West Ham's Boa 'constrictor' Morte after a rough and tumble on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area - At worst a yellow card. NEWSFLASH. Chelsea has appealed.

Dangerous ground Chelsea, look at what happened to Middlesbrough and Aliadiere last week - appeal and get an added one match ban.

First Post and Welcome

Despite the title of this blog and the fact that there is an Oldham Club Crest in my profile pic, this blog isn't about Oldham Athletic FC.

Nor is this blog about any other particular club.

Let me explain the reason for the title. I am very good friends with a loyal, die-hard Oldham Athletic supporter, who lives in the town and follows the club up and down and all over the country. We have known each other for a good few years and over the time I have developed a bit of a soft spot for The Latics of Boundary Park.

Anybody that tells you different that the 'Latics' of Wigan are the real ones - take no notice - Wigan is a rugby town.

Have to mention Oldham's fine win at Port Vale on Saturday, 3-0 and I know 'me man' was there.