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Sports › The History Of Fc Barcelona by abbeyfel(op): 2:50am On Jul 21, 2013

Futbol Club Barcelona (Catalan pronunciation: [fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə] (listen)), also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça,[1] is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, hence the motto "Més que un club" (More than a club). The official Barcelona anthem is the "Cant del Barça" written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs.[2] Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the world's second-richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €398 million. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid; matches between the two teams are referred to as "El Clásico".
They are the current Copa del Rey champions and have won 21 La Liga, 26 Copa del Rey, 10 Supercopa de España, 3 Copa Eva Duarte[3] and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football Barcelona have won four UEFA Champions League, a record four UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, four UEFA Super Cup, a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup[4] and a record two FIFA Club World Cup trophies.[5]
Barcelona is also the only European club to have played continental football every season since 1955, and one of three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. That same year, it also became the first football club ever to win six out of six competitions in a single year, thus completing the sextuple, comprising the aforementioned treble and the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

October 1899, Hans Kamper placed an advertisement in Los Deportes declaring his wish to form a football club; a positive response resulted in a meeting at the Gimnasio Solé on 29 November. Eleven players attended—Walter Wild (the first director of the club), Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terradas, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons, and William Parsons—and Foot-Ball Club Barcelona was born.[7]
FC Barcelona had a successful start in regional and national cups, competing in the Campionat de Catalunya and the Copa del Rey. In 1902, the club won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya, and participated in the first Copa del Rey, losing 1–2 to Bizcaya in the final.[8] Kamper—now known as Joan Gamper—became club president in 1908, finding the club in financial difficulty after not winning a competition since the Campionat de Catalunya in 1905. Club president on five separate occasions between 1908 and 1925, he spent 25 years in total at the helm. One of his main achievements was ensuring Barça acquire its own stadium and thus generate a stable income.[9]
On 14 March 1909, the team moved into the Camp de la Indústria, a larger stadium with a seating capacity of 8,000 people. From 1910 to 1914 Barcelona participated in the Pyrenees Cup, which consisted of the best teams of Languedoc, Midi, Aquitaine (Southern France), the Basque Country, and Catalonia. At that time it was considered the finest competition open for participation.[10][11] During the same period, the club changed its official language from Castilian to Catalan and gradually evolved into an important symbol of Catalan identity. For many fans, supporting the club had less to do with the game itself and more with being a part of the club's collective identity.[12]
Gamper launched a campaign to recruit more club members, and by 1922 the club had over 20,000 members and was able to finance a new stadium. The club to moved to the new Les Corts, inaugurated the same year.[13] Les Corts had an initial capacity of 22,000, which was later expanded to 60,000.[14]Jack Greenwell was recruited as the first full-time manager, and the club's fortunes began to improve on the field. During the Gamper era, FC Barcelona won eleven Campionat de Catalunya, six Copas del Rey, and four Pyrenees Cups.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Sports › The History Of Chelsea Fc-- Since 1905-2013 by abbeyfel(op): 2:33am On Jul 21, 2013*

Chelsea Football Club (pron.: /ˈtʃɛlsiː/) is an English football club based in Fulham, London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Their home is the 41,837-seat[2]Stamford Bridge stadium, where they have played since their establishment.
Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship, and won various cup competitions during the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2000s. Overall, Chelsea have won four league titles, seven FA Cups, four League Cups and four FA Community Shields. The club have also been successful in continental competitions, winning two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and one UEFA Champions League title. In 2009–10, the club won their first "Double"[3] and in 2012 became the first London club to win the UEFA Champions League.[4][5]
Chelsea's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. The club's crest has been changed several times in attempts to re-brand the club and modernise its image. The current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion rampant regardant holding a staff, is a modification of the one introduced in the early 1950s.[6] The club has sustained the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football.[7] Their average home gate for the 2011–12 season was 41,478, the sixth highest in the Premier League.[8] In April 2012 it was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the seventh most valuable football club in the world, at £473 million ($761 million).[9][10] Since 2003, Chelsea have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

History of Chelsea F.C.
In 1904 Gus Mears acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium with the aim of turning it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to nearby Fulham was turned down, so Mears opted to found his own club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea was chosen for the new club, having also considered names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC.[12] Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook),[1] opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards.
The club won promotion to the First Division in their second season, and yo-yoed between the First and Second Divisions in their early years. They reached the 1915 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Sheffield United at Old Trafford, and finished 3rd in the First Division in 1920, the club's best league campaign to that point.[13] Chelsea attracted large crowds[14] and had a reputation for signing big-name players,[15] but success continued to elude the club in the inter-war years. Former Arsenal and England centre-forward Ted Drake became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side with shrewd signings from the lower divisions and amateur leagues, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions' Cup, but after objections from The Football League and the FA Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started.[16] Chelsea failed to build on this success, and spent the remainder of the 1950s in mid-table. Drake was dismissed in 1961 and replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty.
Docherty built a new team around the group of talented young players emerging from the club's youth set-up and Chelsea challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, enduring several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup going into the final stages of the 1964–65 season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two.[17] In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Under Docherty's successor, Dave Sexton, Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid in Athens.
The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club,[18] star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade.[19] In 1982, Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home.[20] On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.

After a long-running legal battle, Bates reunited the stadium freehold with the club in 1992 by doing a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had been bankrupted by a market crash.[21] Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. It was not until the appointment of Ruud Gullit as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. He added several top international players to the side, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England's top sides again. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli, who led the team to victory in the League Cup Final and the Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League. Vialli was sacked in favour of Claudio Ranieri, who guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup Final and Champions League qualification in 2002–03.
In June 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million.[11] Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies,[22] and was replaced by José Mourinho.[23] Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06),[24] in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007). In September 2007, Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant,[25] who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United.

In 2009, caretaker manager Guus Hiddink guided Chelsea to another FA Cup success,[26] and in 2009–10, his successor Carlo Ancelotti led them to their first league and FA Cup "Double", becoming the first English top-flight club to score 100 league goals in a season since 1963.[27] In June 2011, Ancelotti was sacked and replaced by André Villas-Boas,[28] who was in turn dismissed in March 2012. Under caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea won their seventh FA Cup,[29] and their first UEFA Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich 4–3 on penalties,[30] the first London club to win the trophy.[30] Di Matteo was made permanent manager but was sacked in November 2012 and replaced with Rafael Benítez.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Stadiums
Chelsea have only ever had one home ground, Stamford Bridge, where they have played since foundation. It was officially opened on 28 April 1877 and for the first 28 years of its existence it was used almost exclusively by the London Athletics Club as an arena for athletics meetings and not at all for football. In 1904 the ground was acquired by businessman Gus Mears and his brother Joseph, who had also purchased nearby land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site.[32] Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch, who had also designed Ibrox, Celtic Park and Hampden Park.[33] Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge.
Starting with an open bowl-like design and one covered terrace, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000.[32] The early 1930s saw the construction of a terrace on the southern part of the ground with a roof that covered around one fifth of the stand. It eventually became known as the "Shed End", the home of Chelsea's most loyal and vocal supporters, particularly during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The exact origins of the name are unclear, but the fact that the roof looked like a corrugated iron shed roof played a part.[32]
In the early 1970s the club's owners announced a modernisation of Stamford Bridge with plans for a state-of-the-art 50,000 all-seater stadium.[32] Work began on the East Stand in 1972 but the project was beset with problems and was never completed; the cost brought the club close to bankruptcy, culminating in the freehold being sold to property developers. Following a long legal battle, it was not until the mid-1990s that Chelsea's future at the stadium was secured and renovation work resumed.[32] The north, west and southern parts of the ground were converted into all-seater stands and moved closer to the pitch, a process completed by 2001.
When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates era many additional features were added to the complex including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".

The Stamford Bridge freehold, the pitch, the turnstiles and Chelsea's naming rights are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. As a condition for using the Chelsea FC name, the club has to play its first team matches at Stamford Bridge, which means that if the club moves to a new stadium, they may have to change their name.[34] Chelsea's training ground is located in Cobham, Surrey. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their previous training ground in Harlington was taken over by QPR in 2005.[35] The new training facilities in Cobham were completed in 2007.[36]
Stamford Bridge has been used for a variety of other sporting events since 1905. It hosted the FA Cup Final from 1920 to 1922,[37] has held ten FA Cup semi-finals (most recently in 1978), ten FA Charity Shield matches (the last in 1970), and three England international matches, the last in 1932; it was also the venue for an unofficial Victory International in 1946.

In October 1905 it hosted a rugby union match between the All Blacks and Middlesex,[39] and in 1914 hosted a baseball match between the touring New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox.[40] It was the venue for a boxing match between world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde and Joe Conn in 1918.[41] The running track was used for dirt track racing between 1928 and 1932,[42]greyhound racing from 1933 to 1968, and Midget car racing in 1948.[43] In 1980, Stamford Bridge hosted the first international floodlit cricket match in the UK, between Essex and the West Indies.[44] It was also the home stadium of the London Monarchs American Football team for the 1997 season.[45]
The current club ownership have stated that a larger stadium is necessary in order for Chelsea to stay competitive with rival clubs who have significantly larger stadia, such as Arsenal and Manchester United.[46] Owing to its location next to a main road and two railway lines, fans can only enter the ground via the Fulham Road exits, which places constraints on expansion due to health and safety regulations.[47] The club have consistently affirmed their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home,[48][49][50] but Chelsea have nonetheless been linked with a move to various nearby sites, including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Battersea Power Station and the Chelsea Barracks.[51] On 3 October 2011, Chelsea made a proposal to CPO shareholders to buy back the freehold to the land on which Stamford Bridge sits, stating that "buying back the freehold removes a potential hurdle should a suitable site become available in the future".[52] The proposal was voted down by CPO shareholders.[53] In May 2012, the club made a formal bid to purchase Battersea Power Station, with a view to developing the site into a 60,000 seater stadium,[54] but lost out to a Malaysian consortium.

TO BE CONTINUED

1 Like

Literature › Re: Say No To Child Marriage by abbeyfel: 2:09am On Jul 21, 2013

[/color][color=#990000]This is the time to do something great for our future generations. We all must make our voices heard now OR our grandchildren and beyond may curse us for being such idiots who allowed a law that supports a girl child being giving out in marriage to an old fool. Speak against #CHILD MARRIAGE in NIGERIA TODAY....

Sports › Follow The History Of Chelsea FC Since 1905! by abbeyfel(op): 5:04am On Jul 14, 2013

[/color][color=#000099]Chelsea Football Club (pron.: /ˈtʃɛlsiː/) is an English football club based in Fulham, London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Their home is the 41,837-seat Stamford Bridge stadium, where they have played since their establishment.
Chelsea had their first major success in 1955, when they won the league championship, and won various cup competitions during the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2000s. Overall, Chelsea have won four league titles, seven FA Cups, four League Cups and four FA Community Shields. The club have also been successful in continental competitions, winning two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and one UEFA Champions League title. In 2009–10, the club won their first "Double"[3] and in 2012 became the first London club to win the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. The club's crest has been changed several times in attempts to re-brand the club and modernise its image. The current crest, featuring a ceremonial lion rampant regardant holding a staff, is a modification of the one introduced in the early 1950s. The club has sustained the fifth highest average all-time attendance in English football. Their average home gate for the 2011–12 season was 41,478, the sixth highest in the Premier League. In April 2012 it was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the seventh most valuable football club in the world, at £473 million ($761 million). Since 2003, Chelsea have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

History of Chelsea F.C.
In 1904 Gus Mears acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium with the aim of turning it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to nearby Fulham was turned down, so Mears opted to found his own club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea was chosen for the new club, having also considered names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC. Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook),[1] opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards.
The club won promotion to the First Division in their second season, and yo-yoed between the First and Second Divisions in their early years. They reached the 1915 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Sheffield United at Old Trafford, and finished 3rd in the First Division in 1920, the club's best league campaign to that point. Chelsea attracted large crowds and had a reputation for signing big-name players, but success continued to elude the club in the inter-war years. Former Arsenal and England centre-forward Ted Drake became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side with shrewd signings from the lower divisions and amateur leagues, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions' Cup, but after objections from The Football League and the FA Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started. Chelsea failed to build on this success, and spent the remainder of the 1950s in mid-table. Drake was dismissed in 1961 and replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty.
Docherty built a new team around the group of talented young players emerging from the club's youth set-up and Chelsea challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, enduring several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup going into the final stages of the 1964–65 season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two. In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Under Docherty's successor, Dave Sexton, Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid in Athens.
The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club, star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade. In 1982, Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home. On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.

To be Continued...

Sports › Follow The History Of Chelsea FC Since 1905! by abbeyfel(op): 4:52am On Jul 14, 2013

Dating And Meet-up Zone › I Need A Woman Of Substance 4 A Life Partner: by abbeyfel(op): 6:04am On Nov 17, 2011

No mata wat a lot say,i stil bliv in 2ru love. I nid a GOD fearing nd loving woman 4 a solid relatnship. If u are reading dis,nd u are also searching 4 2ru luv,check me out on facebook @ unclepen m dynamyte.

Music Business › Hi. I Need An Affordable Music Video Producer/director. by abbeyfel(op): 10:35pm On Oct 04, 2011

Sup guys. Im a rapper.just drop ma 1st singles.nd i tel u,its a bomb(not kiddin u knw)nd i bliv dis a smashing hit. I need a good nd creative video director/producer,who is ready 2 treat me like a broda. I want some dat can fit into ma budget. Pls if u d one email me @unclepen2000@yahoo.com or call 07085534794. We are gonna cash.bliv me,

Nairaland General › Re: What Would You Miss If You Were To Leave Nigeria? by abbeyfel: 7:57am On Oct 03, 2011

I'll miss d freedom,

Music Business › This Guy Flows Better Than M.i by abbeyfel(op): 9:51pm On Aug 16, 2011

I heard this song 4rm a friend of his. He flow just right into ur soul.u cn av a feel of him by downloading his song 4 free at www.4shared.com/audio/LpSEoZ5O/stubborn_gal.html .u sure wil luv him.

Celebrities › M.d Is Better Than M.i by abbeyfel(op): 9:39pm On Aug 16, 2011

M.dynamite flows better than M.I who only rap wit flows he as lifted 4rm other peoples rhymes. M.D raps with his style nd flows. Check his latest singles and comfirm.download free here. www.4shared.com/audio/LpSEoZ5O/stubborn_gal.html . U sure wil luv dis guy,

Rap Battles › M.dynamite Is D Underground Rap Lord In 9ja: by abbeyfel(op): 9:29pm On Aug 16, 2011

U got a here is flows. I cnt shout.u cn download his hot nw singles here www.musicaldynamite.4shared.com . U wil luv dis guy 4 sure,

Music/Radio › M Dynamite Is D Undaground Rap Lord In 9ja. by abbeyfel(op): 9:22pm On Aug 16, 2011

I heard dis guy's joint.he knocked me off wit is lyrics nd tricky punchlines.his nw singles is just off d hook. U cn download it 4 free here www.4shared.com/audio/LpSEoZ5O/stubborn_girl.html . "Stubborn girl" wil blow ur mind. Bliv me,

Nairaland General › Is Smoking Marijuana A Sin Before God? by abbeyfel(op): 2:26pm On Mar 07, 2010

I don't want to sound ungodly or satanic here, but i really want to be natural. Let's put all the fantacies away and face reality. WHAT EXACTLY DID GOD CREATED MARIJUANA FOR. If you wish to know, marijuana (indian hemp) is a green herb just like other vegetables. Why is it a crime to be in possesion of a free gift of nature. Why are users of marijuana discriminated against. But God said every thing He as created had been wonderfully made. what has the government of the world against the handy work of God? IS IT A SIN TO USE SOMETHING CREATED BY THE CREATOR? angry

Education › Linkoping University Is Tuition Free! by abbeyfel(op): 8:44pm On Nov 29, 2009

hello, i said before that there are tuition free universities in europe and america and some people thought it impossible just because its not possible in our own country. Well this is an example of one. Check it out yourselves. www.liu.se/en/education/freemovers/finance?|=en wink

[sub][/sub] This is just one of severals. justwise please chect this too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Romance › Can A Man Marry A Lady Older Than He? by abbeyfel(op): 2:56pm On Nov 15, 2009

please i want to know if a man can marry a lady older than he. Thanks.
well i once dated a lady 8 yrs older than i am. it was true love until her family invaded. now we are seperated, but the bond has not been broken.

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