Abbeyfel's Posts

Nairaland Forum › Abbeyfel's Profile › Abbeyfel's Posts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 33 34 35 36 37 (of 37 pages)

Health › How Your Urine Can Save Your Life by abbeyfel(op): 12:16pm On Jul 23, 2013

THE BENEFITS OF URINE THERAPY

You’d never think there was anything good in a pot of pee, right? Here’s news for you.

The use of urine for medicinal purposes can be traced to societies in ancient Egypt, China, Hindu and Aztec histories. Advocates also cite a prominent verse in the Bible: “Drink water from thine own cistern and the streams of thine own well.”

Urine therapy is also known as amaroli and it is an integral part of the Ayurvedic tradition of Yoga. Yogis who follow Ayurveda are advised to drink the urine they excrete between 4 and 6 in the morning because the hormones released are propitious in inducing the meditative state of mind.

The rationale behind urine therapy is quite simple and persuasive. Urine is believed to be a byproduct of blood filtration. It is NOT excess water that is released by the body. When blood filled with nutrients pass through the liver, the toxins are filtered out and are excreted as solid waste. The purified blood then travels to the kidney where excess nutrients are eliminated from the body. The medical name of urine is Plasma Ultrafiltrate. 95% of this liquid is water and the rest is a mixture of nutrients, urea, minerals, enzymes, antibodies and hormones.

Urine consists of urea, which is an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agent. Urea is produced when the body tries to balance the ratio of sodium chloride with water. Because of its ability to kill bacteria and limit inflammation, urea is often used in ointments and lotions.

Urine can be used internally or applied externally. For internal use, it is necessary to collect the morning’s first sample. A sterile container is used, and with a dropper the patient places anywhere between 5-10 drops under his tongue. The usual system is to use 1-5 drops on the first day, followed by 5-10 drops on the second day, 5-10 drops on the morning of the third day and 5-10 drops on the evening of the third day.

“Drinking urine is a good alternative wherever water is scarce. It not only satisfies the need for liquid, but also actually keeps the body healthy. Some time ago there was an earthquake in Egypt. A survivor was pulled out of the rubble in Cairo after being trapped for three days. The man had kept himself alive by, among other things, drinking his own urine and he was in excellent condition. I heard another story about a man who kept himself alive with his own urine for a week in a collapsed mine. At the time of his rescue, he looked fine and was in extraordinary health.”

Homeopathic urine therapy dilutes the urine with distilled water and this diluted solution is placed under the tongue till there is a reduction in symptoms.

Precautions are taken to ensure the purity and quality of the urine. The first urine of the day and the mid-stream urine is the best sample. Before collecting the sample, it is necessary to wash the genital area thoroughly. After taking the urine into the body, individuals should refrain from eating anything for at least half an hour.

For external application, new or old urine can be used. Since older urine has a higher concentration of ammonia, it is more effective against skin diseases and rashes. To make the urine old, it should be stored in a dark bottle and closed tightly and kept away from the sun for 3-4 days. A small amount of the solution is applied directly on the skin. It can also be sprayed on the skin or added to skin lotions, cream or moisturizers. Doctors advise against the use of soap immediately after applying urine on the skin.

Urine should never be injected into the body. Since urine therapy depends on the gradual introduction of urine into the body, a sudden introduction of urine into the bloodstream can cause damage.

Urine therapy is supposed to cure a variety of ailments ranging from Arthritis, Cancer, Hepatitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Eczema, Psoriasis, Diabetes, Herpes and adrenal failure. It is commonly used to combat venom from snakebites, jellyfish and beestings. Urine is the main ingredient in infertility drugs.

So, now you know there’s more to pee than what meets the eye!

“The medical community has already been aware of [urine's] astounding efficacy for decades, and yet none of us has ever been told about it. Why? Maybe they think it’s too controversial. Or maybe, more accurately, there wasn’t any monetary reward for telling people what scientists know about one of the most extraordinary natural healing elements in the world.”

Sports › Re: The History Of Fc Barcelona by abbeyfel(op): 11:51am On Jul 23, 2013

mens dept: Okay so what

Meaning

Sports › The History Of Manchester United FC by abbeyfel(op): 1:52pm On Jul 21, 2013

Manchester United is one of the wealthiest and most widely supported football teams in the world.[6][7][8][9] In January 2013, Manchester United became the first sports team in the world to be valued at $3 billion. Forbes Magazine valued the club at $3.3 billion – $1.2 billion higher than the next most valuable sports team.[10] After being floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991, the club was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost £800 million.[11] In August 2012, Manchester United made an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

History of Manchester United F.C. (1878–1945)
Manchester United Football Club was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath.[1] The team initially played games against other departments and rail companies at their home ground at North Road, but by 1888 the club had become a founding member of The Combination, a regional football league. However, following the league's dissolution before the end of its first season, Newton Heath joined the newly formed Football Alliance, which ran for three seasons before being merged with The Football League. This resulted in the club starting the 1892–93 season in the First Division, by which time it had become independent of the rail company, dropped the "LYR" from its name and moved to a new ground at Bank Street.[1] After just two seasons, the club was relegated to the Second Division.[1]
In January 1902, with debts of £2,670 – equivalent to £210,000 as of 2013[2] – the club was served with a winding-up order.[3] Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen – including John Henry Davies, who became club president – each willing to invest £500 in return for a direct interest in running the club.[4] As a mark of this fresh start, on 24 April 1902, the club's name was changed to "Manchester United".[5][6] Under Ernest Mangnall, who became club secretary in 1903, the team finished as Second Division runners-up in 1906 and secured promotion to the First Division, which it won in 1908 – the club's first league title. The following season began with victory in the first ever Charity Shield[7] and ended with the club's first FA Cup title. Manchester United moved to a new stadium at Old Trafford in 1910, and won the First Division for the second time in 1911, but at the end of the following season, secretary Mangnall left to join Manchester City.[8]
In 1922, three years after the resumption of football following the First World War, the club was relegated to the Second Division, where it remained until regaining promotion in 1925. Relegated again in 1931, Manchester United became a yo-yo club, achieving its all-time lowest position of 20th-place in the Second Division in 1934. Following the death of John Henry Davies in October 1927, the club's finances deteriorated to the extent that Manchester United would likely have gone bankrupt had it not been for an investment of £2,000 in December 1931 by James W. Gibson, who assumed control of the club.[9] In the 1938–39 season – the last year of football before the Second World War – the club finished 14th in the First Division.[9] During the war, the club participated in the Wartime League and the Football League War Cup, but in 1941, Old Trafford was damaged by German bombs and would not be fully repaired until 1949.[10]

History of Manchester United F.C. (1945–1969)

Sir Matt Busby
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902.
United had been league champions in 1908 and 1911, as well as winning the FA Cup in 1909, but the interwar years were less successful as financial problems blighted the club, who spent the 1920s and 1930s bouncing between the First and Second Divisions.
In October 1945, the impending resumption of football led to the managerial appointment of Matt Busby, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers and training sessions.[1] Busby led the team to second-place league finishes in 1947, 1948 and 1949, and to FA Cup victory in 1948 - the club's first major trophy for 37 years. In 1952, the club won the First Division, its first league title for 41 years.[2]
With an average age of 22, the media labelled the back-to-back title winning side of 1956 and 1957 "the Busby Babes", a testament to Busby's faith in his youth players who had gradually replaced the older players of the team which had enjoyed success in the late 1940s and early 1950s.[3] In 1956-57, Manchester United became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, despite objections from the Football League, who had denied Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season.[4] En route to the semi-final, which they lost to Real Madrid, the team recorded a 10–0 victory over Belgian champions Anderlecht, which remains the club's biggest victory on record.[5]
The following season, on the way home from a European Cup quarter-final victory against Red Star Belgrade, the aircraft carrying the Manchester United players, officials and journalists crashed while attempting to take off after refuelling in Munich, Germany. The Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 claimed 23 lives, including those of eight players – Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan – and injured several more. Two players were so seriously injured that they never played again.[6][7]
Reserve team manager Jimmy Murphy took over as manager while Busby recovered from his injuries and the club's makeshift side reached the FA Cup Final, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers. In recognition of the team's tragedy, UEFA invited the club to compete in the 1958–59 European Cup alongside eventual League champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite approval from the FA, the Football League determined that the club should not enter the competition, since it had not qualified.[8][9] Busby rebuilt the team through the 1960s by signing players such as Denis Law and Pat Crerand, who combined with the next generation of youth players – including George Best – to win the FA Cup in 1963. The following season, they finished second in the league, then won the title in 1965 and 1967. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1 in the final,[10] with a team that contained three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.[11] Matt Busby resigned as manager in 1969 and was replaced by the reserve team coach, former Manchester United player Wilf McGuinness.

History of Manchester United F.C. (1969–1986)
Following an eighth-place finish in the 1969–70 season and a poor start to the 1970–71 season, Busby was persuaded to temporarily resume managerial duties, and McGuinness returned to his position as reserve team coach. In June 1971, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as manager, but lasted just 18 months before being replaced by Tommy Docherty in December 1972.[1] Docherty saved Manchester United from relegation that season, only to see them relegated in 1974; by that time the trio of Best, Law, and Charlton had left the club.[2] The team won promotion at the first attempt and reached the FA Cup final in 1976, but were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977, beating Liverpool 2–1. Docherty was dismissed shortly afterwards, following the revelation of his affair with the club physiotherapist's wife.[3][4]
Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977. Despite major signings, including Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey, and Ray Wilkins, the team failed to achieve any significant results; they finished in the top two in 1979–80 and lost to Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final. Sexton was dismissed in 1981, even though the team won the last seven games under his direction.[5] He was replaced by Ron Atkinson, who immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign Bryan Robson from West Bromwich Albion. Under Atkinson, Manchester United won the FA Cup twice in three years – in 1983 and 1985. In 1985–86, after 13 wins and two draws in its first 15 matches, the club was favourite to win the league, but finished in fourth place. The following season, with the club in danger of relegation by November, Atkinson was dismissed.

The History of Manchester United F.C. (1986–present) covers the period following the appointment of Alex Ferguson in November 1986, to the present day. Ferguson joined the club from Aberdeen on the same day that Ron Atkinson was dismissed,[1] and guided the club to a 12th-place finish in the league.[2] Despite a second-place finish in 1987–88, the club was back in 11th place the following season.[3] Reportedly on the verge of being dismissed, victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup Final replay (after a 3–3 draw) saved Ferguson's career.[4][5] The following season, Manchester United claimed its first Cup Winners' Cup title and competed in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup, beating European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 in the final at Old Trafford. A second consecutive League Cup final appearance followed in 1992, in which the team beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at Wembley.[6] In 1993, the club won its first league title since 1967, and a year later, for the first time since 1957, it won a second consecutive title – alongside the FA Cup – to complete the first "Double" in the club's history.[6]
Manchester United's 1998–99 season was the most successful in English club football history as they became the first team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League – "The Treble" – in the same season.[7] Losing 1–0 going into injury time in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored late goals to claim a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks of all time.[8] The club also won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo.[9] Ferguson was subsequently knighted for his services to football.[10]
In 2000, Manchester United competed in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil,[11] and won the league again in the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons. The team finished as runners-up in 2001–02, before regaining the title in 2002–03. They won the 2003–04 FA Cup, beating Millwall 3–0 in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.[12] In the 2005–06 season Manchester United failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade, but recovered to secure a second-place league finish and victory over Wigan Athletic in the 2006 Football League Cup Final. The club regained the Premier League in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, and completed the European double by beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Ryan Giggs made a record 759th appearance for the club in this game, overtaking previous record holder Bobby Charlton.[13] In December 2008, the club won the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup and followed this with the 2008–09 Football League Cup, and its third successive Premier League title.[14][15] That summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million.[16] In 2010, Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 at Wembley to retain the League Cup, its first successful defence of a knockout cup competition.

The club has won a total of 60 major trophies, including the League Championship a record 19 times (a record 12 times in the Premier League era), the FA Cup a record 11 times, the League Cup four times, the Charity Shield a record 19 times (including four shared titles), the European Cup three times, the European Cup Winners Cup once, the European Super Cup once, the FIFA Club World Cup once and the Intercontinental Cup once.[1] Manchester United is the only English club to have been crowned world champions, in 1999 and 2008. The club has never finished outside of the top three in the Premier League and has never been out of the top two divisions of English football since entering the Football League. As of the end of the 2011–12 season, they have played a total of 5,281 competitive matches.[2]
This list details the club's achievements in major competitions, and the top scorers for each season. Top scorers in bold were also the top scorers in the English league that season. Records of competitions such as the Lancashire Cup and the Manchester and District Challenge Cup are not included due to them being considered of less importance than the FA Cup and the League Cup.

They were the first English club to enter European competition, entering the European Cup in 1956. Since then, the club has competed in every UEFA-organised competition, with the exception of the now-defunct Intertoto Cup.
The competition in which the club has had the most success is the European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League); they have won three European Cups, the first of which came in 1968; this win made them the first English club to win the European Cup. The other two victories came in 1999 and 2008. The club has also won the Cup Winners' Cup, which they won in 1991; the Super Cup, also won in 1991; and the Intercontinental Cup, which they won in 1999.
After their Champions League wins in 1999 and 2008, Manchester United also competed as UEFA's representatives at the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. They were knocked out of the 2000 tournament at the group stage, but went on to win the 2008 competition, becoming the first English side to do so.

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.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 33 34 35 36 37 (of 37 pages)