Spot-Kick UK

Cruijff-Exit: The Supporters and their Call. #AFCA

After discussing the background story and Cruijff’s own words, let’s look at the reaction of those who matter the most; Ajax supporters. Oh, and they’re furious and call for a boycott. What happens when you mess with club legends? The supporters get annoyed. What happens if you continue to do that for years? They get furious. President of Ajax’s supporters club, Daniël Dekker, wrote a statement…

Cruijff-Exit: His words. #AFCA

The background story posted yesterday, was just the first of four posts. In this one, I’ve summarised and translated Cruijff’s column. The media reaction, and fan reaction, will follow shortly. “I quit”, both the headline and the first sentence of Cruijff’s column published on Monday. Though not a complete surprise after his Thursday column (in which he was furious over the Jonk situation), it…

Cruijff-Exit: Background Information. #AFCA

Almost everyone knows, football-legend Johan Cruijff has walked away from his first love, Ajax. In this post we’ll briefly discuss the background, then we’ll show a summarised and translated version of Johan’s farewell column, before going into the reactions of the Dutch media. Last but not least we’ll give you the reaction from the supporters. Overview of roles at Ajax: Frank de Boer – Manager…

Competition time! We have a brand new Chelsea shirt to give away (2015/16 season), as well as a Chelsea scarf for the runner-up. What do you have to do? It’s fairly simple: 1. Take a selfie that is in some way related to Chelsea FC. 2. Make sure that we can verify it is really you in the picture, e.g. include your username. 3. Tweet your Chelsea related selfie to Spot-Kick. 4. Include in your…

Focus in Sports - by @EvaMcL3 -

The post on confidence in sports got a lot of attention, over 8500 views as I’m writing this, for which I’m very grateful. It also led to a lot of questions, half the questions were mainly people questioning what “a chick for crying out loud” –actual words used by Sean R.- knows about professional sports, the other half on focus and motivation in sports. Unfortunately, I can’t answer those…

Confidence in Sports - by @EvaMcL3 -

Arsenal and France NT striker Olivier Giroud was booed off the pitch, not by Arsenal fans (which has happened in the past too) but by French football supporters; his fellow countrymen. Unfortunately, many of those fans, French and Arsenal, took that opportunity to shout abuse at Giroud via social media. Giroud isn’t the first, and unfortunately won’t be the last player who had to deal with this,…

Loan Watch: #arsenal - August 2015 (by @EvaMcL3)

Premier League Serge Gnabry – West Brom Born: July 14, 1995 Joined Arsenal: Contract signed in 2010, joined in 2011, signed a 5 year extension in 2014. Joined West Brom: August 7th, 2015 August 10: West Brom 0-3 Man City Not involved August 15: Watford 0-0 West Brom Not involved August 23: West Brom 2-3 Chelsea Subbed on (77’) August 25: West Brom 0-0 Port Vale Starting line-up (played 57’)…

*NEW BLOG* ITKs - A Love/Hate Phenonemon (by @LePhantomMenace)

So the transfer window is still open and as usual the ITKs (“In The Knows”) flood twitter with their nonsense and fans, as usual, lose their minds when their fantasy information turns out to be false. This has become scene we see every transfer window and it makes me wonder what it says about us as human beings when we continue to fall for the same thing every single time. It is an accepted fact…

#BPL - Round-Up: West Ham vs Bournemouth #WHUFC #AFCB

West Ham 3-4 Bournemouth Boleyn Ground – 34,977 attendance – Referee: Jonathan Moss Goal: Callum Wilson (11’) 0-1 assist: Simon Francis, Callum Wilson (28′) 0-2, Mark Noble (48′) 1-2 pen, Cheikhou Kouyate (53′) 2-2, Marc Pugh (66′) 2-3 assist: Max Gradel, Callum Wilson (79′) 2-4 pen, Modibo Maiga (82′) 3-4 assist: Aaron Cresswell Line-ups WHU – Randolph, Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell,…

PL - Round-Up: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa #CPFC #AVFC #BPL

Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa Selhurst Park – N/A attendance – Referee: Keith Stroud Goal: Dann (71’ – assist: ) 1-0, Souaré (77’ – own goal) 1-1, Sako (87’ – assist: ) 2-1. Line-ups CRY – McCarthy, Ward, Delaney, Souaré, Dann, McArthur, Zaha, Cabaye, Puncheon, Sako, Murray AVL – Guzan, Clark, Bacuna, Amavi, Richards, Westwood, Gueye, Sánchez, Grealish, Agbonlahor, Gestede Shots (on goal) CRY –…

PL - Round-Up: Sunderland vs Swansea City #SAFC #Swans #BPL

Sunderland 1-1 Swansea City Stadium of Light – 39,198 attendance – Referee: Neil Swarbick Goal: Gomis (45+3’ – assist: Naughton) 0-1, Defoe (62’ – assist: Lens) 1-1 Line-ups SUN – Costel Pantilimon, John O’Shea, Sebastián Coates, Patrick van Aanholt, Billy Jones, Jack Rodwell, Lee Cattermole, Jermain Defoe, Jeremain Lens, Yann M’Vila, Danny Graham SWA – Lukasz Fabianski, Neil Taylor, Federico…

PL - Round-Up: Manchester United vs Newcastle United #MUFC #NUFC #BPL

Manchester United 0-0 Newcastle United Old Trafford –75,354 attendance – Referee: Craig Pawson Goal: None. Shots (on target): MUN – 11 (8)                                                                     NEW – 4 (0) Line-ups MUN – Sergie Romero, Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Adnan Januzaj, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Juan Mata, Memphis Depay, Wayne…

PL – Round-Up: Liverpool vs Bournemouth

Liverpool 1-0 AFC Bournemouth Anfield – 44,102 attendance – Referee: Craig Pawson Goal: Christian Benteke (26’) *assist: Jordan Henderson Line-ups LFC – Mignolet; Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez; Milner, Henderson; Ibe, Coutinho, Lallana; Benteke Subs: Toure, Firmino, Moreno, Can, Origi, Ings, Bogdan. BOU – Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, O’Kane, Surman, Gradel; King; Wilson. Subs:…

PL – Round-Up: Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal Selhurst Park – 24,732 attendance – Referee: Lee Mason Goal: Olivier Giroud (16) assist: Mesut Özil (0-1), Joel Ward (28) assist: James McArthur (1-1), Damien Delaney (55) Own Goal (1-2) Line-ups Crystal Palace– Alex McCarthy, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Zaha, Cabaye, McArthur, Puncheon, Bolasie, Wickham. Subs: Mariappa, Bamford, Hennessey, Jedinak, Murray, Mutch, Lee…

PL – Round-Up: Manchester City vs Chelsea

Man City 3-0 Chelsea Etihad Stadium– 54,331 attendance – Referee: Martin Atkinson Goal: Agüero (31’’) 1-0 assist: Yaya Touré, Vincent Kompany (79′) 2-0 assist: David Silva, Fernandinho (85′) 3-0 assist: David Silva Line-ups MCI– Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov, Toure, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Silva, Sterling, Aguero  Subs: Zabaleta, Nasri, Caballero, Bony, Clichy, Demichelis, Iheanacho…

PL - Round-Up: Swansea City vs Newcastle United #NUFC #Swans

Swansea City 2-0 Newcastle United Liberty Stadium – 20,678 attendance – Referee: Mike Jones Goal: Gomis (9’ – assist: Shelvey), Ayew (52’ – assist: Montero) Shots (On Target) SWA – 12 (6)                      NEW – 4 (2) Line-ups SWA – Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Cork, Shelvey, Ayew, Sigurdsson, Montero, Gomis NEW – Krul, Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita, Colback,…

PL - Round-Up: Watford vs West Bromwich Albion #watfordfc #wba

Watford 0-0 West Bromwich Albion Vicarage Road – 20,011 attendance – Referee: Paul Tierney Goalless. Shots (On Target) WAT – 13 (5)                                      WBA – 5 (0) Line-ups WAT – Gomes, Nyom, Prödi, Cathcart, Anya, Capoué, Behrami, Layun, Ighalo, Jurado, Deeney WBA – Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Brunt, Morrison, Fletcher, Yacob, Gardner, Lambert, Berahino Substitutions WAT –…