Manchester City parade Premier League trophy

Posted on May 14, 2012 by adminsports

We rule Manchester! Jubilant City parade Premier League trophy on open-top bus tour

UPDATED:

19:01 GMT, 14 May 2012

Manchester City's stars celebrated snatching the Barclays Premier League title with a tour round the city's streets on Monday night.

Roberto Mancini and his players and staff gathered at Albert Square to be greeted by thousands of fans.

From there, it is a 1.8-mile journey through the city that ends in Corporation Street. The streets are lined with blue-shirted supporters revelling in their first title since 1968.

Turning Manchester Blue: City players were greeted with rapturous applause in Albert Square

Up for the cup: Vincent Kompany led the celebrations on the stage in the city centre

Vincent Kompant, Roberto Mancini and Edin Dzeko all addressed the crowd, as did goalkeeper Joe Hart. Carlos Tevez was in attendance, as were fringe players like Stuart Taylor and Owen Hargreaves, but Mario Balotelli was not after flying back to Milan early on Monday.

The wheels on the bus: The City stars were driven off on a 1.8mile ride through the city

Club chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak believes Sunday's thrill ride have consigned the phrase 'typical City' to the dustbin.

'Everyone will have their own experience of what happened yesterday,' he said. 'I don't think any league will be decided like that for many years to come.

'Maybe some people imagined it was 'typical City'. We are not typical City. We have destroyed that thought. This is not a team that is going to lie down. Now we want to forget about 'typical City'.

'This club wants to win more than anything and will fight for that until the last kick of the game.'

Everyone's invited: Fans packed onto the roofs of nearby buildings just to get a glimpse of the team

Khaldoon revealed the course of the
season changed after a post-match chat with manager Roberto Mancini last
month, immediately after City had suffered a 1-0 defeat that left them
eight points adrift of Manchester United with only six matches of the
campaign remaining.

'We had two choices,' he said. 'We
could either raise the white flag and sulk or pick ourselves up and
fight until the last second of this championship.

'I remember going down to the dressing room thinking we were not giving up. Something inside me said there was more to it.

'I had a conversation with Roberto.
We both looked at each other and decided to take the pressure off
everyone. We felt if we could win all our games and have a bit of luck,
we could still pull it off.

Coming through: Every step of the route was chock full of City fans cheering their heroes

Winning: Sergio Aguero

Ice cool: Joe Hart

Snap happy: Aleksandar Kolarov

'What Roberto did magnificently was to take the pressure off the entire team.'

Of course, none of it would have been
possible without the largesse of owner Sheikh Mansour, who has spent
upwards of 1billion on his City project, which is set to expand even
more once construction begins on a massive new training and academy
project a stone's throw away from the stadium.

Hands on: Some players chose to chill out and lap up the applause while others took their own mementos

As is his preference, Sheikh Mansour
remained at home in Abu Dhabi yesterday, although he watched every
second on TV as City won their first title for 44 years.

'He has not missed a single minute of
football this club has played this season,' said Khaldoon. 'Even if the
match is not on TV, he finds a way to watch it.

'Yesterday was a rollercoaster for
him and the telephone conversation I had with him afterwards was one of
the most ecstatic ever.'

Wonderwall: Kompany poses with Gallagher and Hatton

Gareth Barry with his wife, Louise

What's the story: Kompany poses with Liam Gallagher and Ricky Hatton, while Barry is joined by wife Louise

Night on the town: Captain Vincent Kompany (left) and manager Roberto Mancini (right)

Adam Johnson and girlfriend

Here come the WAGS: Kompany and Johnson hit the town with their respective partners

Smiles better: Joleon Lescott (left) with his winners medal as Gareth Barry (right) arrives

Squad players: Hargreaves and Taylor

Smiles better: Joleon Lescott (left) with his winners medal as Owen Hargeaves and Stuart Taylor arrive

Italian job: Mancini is mobbed by a City fan as he celebrates the Premier League title

Monday's comes after City's players hit the
town on Sunday night after their dramatic last-gasp win over Queens
Park Rangers earned them their first top-flight title in 44 years.

Joleon Lescott wore his winners medal around his neck and team-mates Owen Hargreaves – formerly of United – and Stuart Taylor could not be stopped celebrating, despite the fact they amassed just one Premier League appearance between them this season.

City captain Vincent Kompany posed with life-long supporters' Liam Gallagher and Ricky Hatton while
Gareth Barry was greeted by a man
wearing a Bo Selecta mask as he sat in a bar.

But he won't have minded
after City triumphed on probably the most dramatic day in Premier League
history.

Vincent Kompany

Roberto Mancini

Feeling worse for wear, Vincent Kompany in Alderley Edge on Monday, while Mancini shakes the hand of a fan

Kompany admitted it had been a late night as he struggled to cope with his hangover.

He said: 'Struggling to remember what happened last night. Woke up with a medal around my neck. Been told the party was deeecent. Memo to myself: Next time you're Champion, drink less, dance more.'

In reply, Gael Clichy wrote: 'I'm feeling FRESH!!!!! What a night.'

The three musketeers: Balotelli was spotted at favourite haunt San Carlo restaurant with his brother and friend

Latin flair: Pablo Zabaleta (left) and David Silva (right)

David Silva

Latin flair: Pablo Zabaleta (left) and David Silva (right)

Bo Selecta: Barry looks on as a man dons a Craig David mask

Bo Selecta: Barry looks on as a man wearing a Craig David mask stand near to him

Mario Balotelli, who came on as a
second-half substitute in Sunday's win, was snapped away from the
City squad, instead dining at his favourite haunt San Carlo restaurant,
where he was said to have been given a standing ovation.

But the greeting wasn't enough to muster a smile from the Italian striker, who appeared somewhat dejected despite the incredible final-day result.

City's win, their sixth in a row,
completed a remarkable turnaround for the club after they had trailed
United by eight points just last month.

Yaya Toure, one of the inspirations behind City’s first title win in 44 years, already has his sights set on winning more silverware next season.

The midfielder told City TV: 'We have been unbelievable. I thank all but I think next year will be more and I hope City will become a great club in the world.

Hat's off: Kolo Toure and Micah Richards join in on the celebrations

Time to celebrate: The Manchester City squad lift the trophy

Time to celebrate: The Manchester City squad lift the trophy in front of the delirious City fans

'I will think about the new season
and I hope it will be more exciting than the last one. I think the fans
may enjoy it more because now we have fantastic players, they are
growing. They have fantastic talent and I think next year we will get
more cups than this year.

'It was unbelievable. When we had 10
minutes left I was thinking we needed a goal to try to help us. With all
this season, always doing well, to have lost the Premier League at home
- it would have been a disaster, I think I can say that.

'I am very happy. I think the team
deserves it, the fans deserve it, the boss deserves it. I think all this
club deserves it this year.

Magic moment: Sergio Aguero scores the winner

'That was the character of the team,
the winning mentality. The team did fantastically well. We proved all
the players on the pitch wanted to fight for this club, to win something
for this club, to be part of history for this club.'

With Manchester United winning at
Sunderland, the title was heading back to Old Trafford as injury time
approached with City still trailing.

Edin Dzeko gave City hope with an
equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time before top scorer Sergio
Aguero snatched it in the last attack of the game.

Aguero, who finished his first season
with City with 30 goals, said: 'The only thing I can say is I am really
happy. The truth is we can hardly believe it ourselves.

'We thought the Premier League had
gone. Thank God it all worked out for us. We got two goals in five
minutes, it was absolutely unbelievable.'

Fan-tastic: The City faithful celebrate their first title in 44 years

Two of the more controversial figures in City’s season were also thrilled by the outcome.

Carlos Tevez, who infamously missed
six months of the campaign over a dispute with the club, said: 'I am
very, very happy. The game was out of this world. When you are putting
an end to such a long run without winning a title, you are always going
to have to do it the hard way.

'It was absolutely incredible. This
club have got the players that can win lots of trophies, this is a real
big step towards that.'

After returning to the side in the
past two months, Tevez recently said he would like to stay at the club
despite his attempts in January to engineer a move.

The striker said: 'Let’s hope we can win more and more trophies. I feel very happy at winning this league title.'
Pandemonium: Fans invade the pitch at the final whistle

Mario Balotelli made his first
appearance in six games as he came off the bench with 14 minutes
remaining and had a hand in the winner.

The Italian said: 'It was better to
win like that than 6-0, when you are sure to win. United have suffered a
little bit, it is better for us. When I was on the bench, warming up
with Micah (Richards) and they scored their second goal, Micah was upset
but I said, “Don’t worry, we will win”. That’s what we did. I thought
it was really possible. I believed in it and I was right.'

Playmaker David Silva is also hoping the team can move on to greater things next season.

The Spaniard said: 'We made the game very hard for ourselves but we kept battling until the end.
We managed to pull it off and I am really happy. This team is just
getting better and better and let’s hope next season we’ll be even
better.'

Champions: Mancini's squad revel in the glory

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QPR 1 Stoke 0: Djibril Cisse late winner

Posted on May 6, 2012 by adminsports

QPR 1 Stoke 0: Djibrilliant! Last gasp Cisse strike keeps survival hopes alive for Hughes

UPDATED:

14:51 GMT, 6 May 2012

Queens Park Rangers' Barclays Premier League survival hopes have been boosted by Djibril Cisse's late goal against Stoke.

Mark Hughes' side had plenty of shots but could not breach Stoke's defence until Cisse stepped up to the plate at the death.

It leaves their destiny in their own hands as they prepare to face Manchester City away from home on the final day.

More to follow.

Frustration: Joey Barton battles against Stoke

No way through: Taye Taiwo challenges Cameron Jerome

Bundle: Ryan Shawcross piles in on typical fashion

Advice: Mark Hughes could take some survival tips from Tony Pulis

MATCH FACTS

QPR: Kenny; Hill, Ferdinand, Onuoha, Derry (Wright-Phillips 81); Taarabt, Buzaky (Cisse 50), Barton, Mackie; Zamora (Bothroyd 81)

Goal: Cisse 89

Stoke: Sorensen; Huth, Shawcross, Upson, Whelan; Wilson, Delap, Walters, Fuller; Crouch, Jerome

More to follow…

Guan Tian-Lang, 13, is the youngest swinger on tour

Posted on April 19, 2012 by adminsports

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the youngest swinger on tour: Guan, 13, leads red revolution

UPDATED:

21:07 GMT, 18 April 2012

Oliver Fisher was just 16 when he became the youngest player to compete in the Walker Cup.

Seven years on, the Londoner could be forgiven for wondering what held him back when he steps on to the first tee at the Volvo China Open.

Walking the fairways alongside him will be a fellow competitor who stands 5ft 6in and is barely a teenager, at 13 years and 173 days old.

Driving ambition: 13-year-old Guan Tian-Lang wants to be the youngest player to make the cut on the European Tour

Naturally, the better players in the field, like Paul Casey, were openly suspicious about the presence of Guan Tian-Lang, wondering if it wasn't just some spurious publicity stunt.

But Guan is playing on merit, having made it through a qualifying competition to become the youngest golfer ever to compete in a European Tour event.

What were you doing at 13 Looking forward to a lie-in until noon Planning your first kiss Guan is certainly looking forward to his big date.

'I can't tell you how excited I am to be playing in my national Open,' he said.

Guan could be found at Binhai Lake in Tianjin on Wednesday, working on his swing with his father in close attendance. In some respects he could almost pass for a typical teenager, being as skinny as a whippet and not overly interested in talking about his studies.

He looks about eight, pitches the ball about 230 yards through the air with his driver and will have to rely on his short game, his strongest suit, on a course that measures more than 7,600 yards.

Red revolution: China have a production line set-up for producing the next generation of golfers

It is usually in the women's game where players make their mark at a very early age. American Lexi Thompson was just 12 when she qualified for the US Women's Open.

Earlier this year, New Zealander Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a pro event when she claimed the New South Wales Open at the age of 14.

Michelle Wie was the same age when she missed the halfway cut in a men's US Tour event by a stroke in her native Hawaii. What Guan's emergence underlines is the ever increasing presence of players from the Far East in today's game.

We've seen it in the women's events and it seems only a matter of time before the pattern is repeated in the men's.

All over China, there are golf programmes in place where kids are taught the game from as young as five or six then 'hot-housed' if they show potential.

European senior tour professional David J Russell was playing in a pro-am at Mission Hills in 2010.

'There were 36 pros playing alongside 36 juniors and it was such an eye-opener,' he recalls. 'I played with an 11-year-old off a two handicap and he was far from alone in being of that standard. It is amazing to see how good they are at such a young age.'

Guan was introduced to the game by his father at the age of four. He has already travelled the world playing golf, winning numerous age-related titles.

Young gun: Fisher exploded onto the scene when he was just 16

Last year, he went to San Diego and won the World Junior Championship by 11 shots after carding a 63 in the opening round.

On the practice ground yesterday Guan, who speaks fractured English, downplayed any thoughts of being considered the new Tiger Woods. For a start he was born in the Year of the Rabbit – how inappropriate is that

'I'm not thinking about turning pro or anything like that yet,' he said. 'I just want to get better and try to do well here.'

One of the things he is looking forward to is meeting Ian Poulter, the leading attraction this week. Having achieved one record in getting into the event, Guan's ambition now is to set another by becoming the youngest player ever to make the halfway cut.

One man who gives him a shot is Alistair Polson, the tournament's operations director.

'Anyone who has seen Guan play wouldn't rule out the possibility,' he said. 'He really is a talented player. He displays a maturity well beyond his 13 years and doesn't seem fazed by all the attention.'

Welcome to the start of golf's red revolution.

Mike Williamson says Newcastle can still make the Champions League

Posted on April 1, 2012 by adminsports

The Champions League is still on Newcastle's radar, insists Williamson

UPDATED:

15:54 GMT, 1 April 2012

Newcastle defender Mike Williamson insists his team can still dream of a place in next season's Champions League after the 2-0 victory over Liverpool.

Papiss Cisse's brace left the Magpies level on points with Chelsea in sixth place in the Barclays Premier League five points behind Arsenal in third.

Manager Alan Pardew played down their top-four hopes earlier this week but Williamson said of today's result: 'It's massive, it keeps the momentum going and the dream alive of as high a finish as possible.

All smiles: Papiss Cisse celebrates scoring his second goal with Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote

'If we keep playing like that and working hard then anything's possible.'

Keeper Tim Krul paid tribute to Williamson and his stop-gap fellow centre-half James Perch, who admirably filled the void left by Fabricio Coloccini's absence.

He said: '(Williamson) and Perchy were outstanding, they blocked everything – I didn't have to make a proper save today.'

And the Dutchman also saluted the prolific Cisse, adding: 'He's a fantastic striker, a proper goalscorer. He's a typical number nine for Newcastle and I'm happy we signed a top-class player like him.'

His predecessor in that illustrious shirt, Andy Carroll, endured another forgettable day for Liverpool, which included a booking for simulation after tumbling over when Krul challenged him in the penalty area.

No way through: Mike Williamson and Danny Guthrie take the ball off Andy Carroll

'He just went over, he dived, I never touched him,' Krul said.

'He was looking for a penalty, all strikers try to do that, but he didn't get it, the ref was at a good angle to see it.'

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was convinced his side should have had a penalty when Danny Simpson appeared to handle on the goal line but had few other complaints about the result in a game where his goalkeeper Jose Reina was sent off for headbutting Magpies defender James Perch.

'We had chances and we were unfortunate not to get a penalty, and that would have left us playing against 10 men,' he said.

Not a happy return: Former Newcastle forward Carroll had a torrid afternoon on his return to St James' Park, he was booed throughout, booked for diving and substituted

'Then they got the goal, which from our point of view was disappointing, and the boys showed frustration and maybe started feeling sorry for themselves.

'Pepe got frustrated and got himself a red card and Andy marched up the tunnel (after being substituted), he was frustrated and disappointed for himself and at the result.

'There's no problem with the red card for Pepe but there is a problem that we never had a penalty kick.'

On Carroll's booking, he added: 'I don't think it was a penalty but neither did I think Andy was trying to get a penalty.

On the rise: Alan Pardew has guided Newcastle into the top six this season

'The decision not to give a penalty was correct but it was harsh to show him a yellow card, he was always struggling to keep his balance.'

Opposite number Alan Pardew had a contrasting view on the Simpson incident and also defended the decision to award his side's second goal, when Cisse was clearly offside when Demba Ba passed the ball but a possible touch off Hatem Ben Arfa or his marker meant the flag stayed down.

'That little touch, by that time the Liverpool player is level and he's onside,' Pardew claimed. 'It's a rule none of us managers like but that's how it is.'

On the penalty appeal, he added: 'It hit (Simpson) high on the shoulder, I'd be very surprised if the referee gives that – it's not a hand sticking out, I thought it was fine.'

Luis Suarez is coping fine, says Charlie Adam

Posted on December 23, 2011 by adminsports

Adam insists Suarez is dealing with Evra race storm well despite his suspension and fine

Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam believes team-mate Luis Suarez is coping well with the scrutiny he now finds himself under.

Ever since Patrice Evra made allegations that he was racially abused by the Uruguayan back in mid-October the striker has rarely been out of the spotlight.

He has been targeted by opposition players and fans alike, who feel he goes to ground too easily, and when Suarez responded with an alleged offensive gesture after the defeat to Fulham earlier this month he found himself facing a misconduct charge.

Typical performance: Luis Suarez performed well in his first game since the FA ruled against him in a race row with Patrice Evra

Any punishment for that offence, with the Football Association still awaiting a response from the individual and also the club on a charge of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, would most likely pale into insignificance against the eight-match ban already handed to Suarez.

Since the 24-year-old was found guilty of using insulting words to Evra – which included a reference to the Manchester United defender”s colour – on Tuesday the focus on him has gone to a new level.

Chants of “racist” and “cheat” were commonplace during the Reds” goalless draw at Wigan but Liverpool and their players – who issued a joint statement and wore T-shirts backing their team-mate last night – are standing by Suarez, with an appeal almost certain to be lodged.

Seeing Red: Liverpool

Seeing Red: Liverpool”s Charlie Adam

And Adam praised the way the striker is dealing with the situation.

“You saw how he coped with it. That is the way it is,” said the Scotland midfielder. “He is a top player and you don”t get voted for the Ballon D”or if you are a bad player.

“He is very exciting player and is a good character to have in the dressing room and we are glad he is at Liverpool and nowhere else.

“We want to just talk about the game because that is the important thing and everything else is something you deal with.

“As a group of players we are fully in support of Luis, have made the statement and everyone knows how we feel. That is what we discussed and that is the way we will go from now on.”

Defender Daniel Agger insists football remains the most important matter for the players despite their very public show of solidarity for Suarez.

“That is not on our mind. We are playing football and that is most important, we don”t think about that stuff,” said the Denmark international. “The squad is together, that is the way it is. It (support for Suarez) has never been in doubt.

“Of course it is second nature to back our friend but the most important thing is to win football games – it just wasn”t a big success at Wigan.”

Appeal: Suarez

Appeal: Suarez”s lawyer in Uruguay has said there will be an appeal

Suarez”s lawyer back home in Uruguay has already said the player will lodge an appeal but he has not been involved in the process at any stage and Liverpool”s legal team will make the final decision.

But they will not do that until they have combed through the written verdict of the independent regulatory commission and they are not expected to receive the full paperwork for at least another couple of days.

Once the document is in their hands the 14-day period which the club then have to launch an appeal begins.

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Tag Archives: typical

Manchester City parade Premier League trophy

QPR 1 Stoke 0: Djibril Cisse late winner

Guan Tian-Lang, 13, is the youngest swinger on tour

Mike Williamson says Newcastle can still make the Champions League

Luis Suarez is coping fine, says Charlie Adam