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We’ve covered quite a lot of bizarre festivals over the years. However, we’ve never focused specifically on the oddly violent ones. Detailed here are the top 10 unique and puzzling celebrations with pain at their core.
10 Entroido Carnival
Spain
Entroido Carnival takes place in Laza, Spain, and lasts for three days. On the first day, men dress up in terrifying wooden masks and march through the street with whips. They represent the Galician taxmen who policed the townspeople in the 16th century. Get in their way or exist near them and you’re gonna get a whipping.
Monday is the most violent day of the festival. It’s centered around a practice called farrapada (“ragging”). Muddy rags are thrown indiscriminately at anything with a pulse.
However, the most feared participants of the day are those who carry sacks. They’ve spent time in the lead-up to the festival scooping up anthills and dumping them inside the sacks. Vinegar is poured over the bagged
ants, which makes them particularly bitey. Fellow revelers (who now seriously lament bringing muddy rags to a vinegary ant fight) are chased down as the insects are hurled in their direction.
Things wind down on Tuesday with a satirical poem known as the testament of the donkey. Laza residents who have made errors during the year are individually lambasted and handed sections of donkey in the hope that it will somehow help them avoid repeating those errors.
9 Cotswold Olimpick Shin-Kicking
England
The annual Cotswold Olimpick Games are home to a variety of events. Many are just as archaic as the spelling of “ Olympic .” You’re likely familiar with tug-of-war and Morris dancing. Piano smashing, you can figure out. However, the festival’s most popular and violent event is the shin-kicking championship.
Matches are a one-on-one affair. Competitors place their hands on each other’s shoulders. In that position, they must wrestle for leverage to unleash a flurry of kicks to their opponent’s shins. The bout ends when one competitor can take no more. At this point, “sufficient” is all they need state. It’s how the British gentleman says, “Mommy, make it stop.”
The Cotswold Olimpick Games are believed to have started in 1622. Back then, things could get bloody. It’s believed that iron-capped boots were commonly worn and that competitors would condition their shinbones throughout the year by smashing them with objects such as hammers.
Nowadays, it’s a classy affair. Iron-capped boots aren’t allowed, and competitors’ trouser legs are stuffed with straw for cushioning. Also, they wear shepherds’ smocks, which are essentially the same as lab coats. It makes the whole thing seem like a nerd fight over which series of Star Trek was the best.
8 Agni Keli
India
In Mangalore, India, devout Hindus gather to appease the goddess Durga by throwing burning palm leaves at each other. Participants meet at the local river for a communal and spiritually significant cleansing. Then it’s time to play some flaming dodgeball.
Participants divide into two groups. From there, palm-built torches are hurled at the opposing side. The more people are hit, the more Durga is impressed.
Officially, each participant is only allowed five throws, but the fire fight lasts roughly 15 minutes. This means that a lot of torches are being recycled, indicating that Durga’s a chilled-out goddess when it comes to rules. Nevertheless, there are referees present to make sure that people don’t get too badly injured . . . while being pelted with flaming palm leaves.
After the 15 minutes have elapsed, the participants walk toward the Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple where another quick fire fight takes place before injuries are doused with holy water.
7 Rouketopolemos (The Rocket War)
Greece
Easter night in Vrontados, Greece, is not a peaceful time. Two rival churches (Saint Mark and Panagia Erithiani) have been competing with each other for centuries. Every year, both churches attempt to settle the score by launching fireworks in the other’s direction. The loser is the church whose bell gets hit first.
And for the winner—bragging rights, we guess. It’s just fun to find an excuse to shoot fireworks at bells. Also, recording the bell hits isn’t done scientifically, meaning both churches claim victory every year.
Not everyone is a fan of the festivities. The surrounding buildings have to be protected with metal sheets, or they will suffer significant damage. Fires are often started, the worst of which have led to death.
In 2016, the event was canceled due to
safety concerns. One local man is quoted as saying, “Many people have complaints about the damages that rocket war causes every year. But those people are not a lot, only 20, I think. I hope . . . this tradition will be continued.”
6 The Battle of the Oranges
Italy
The origin of the annual Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea, Italy, is unclear. The
legend goes that around the 12th century, the city was ruled by a particularly nasty marquis. Mad on power, he attempted to rape a local miller’s daughter. She ended up decapitating him and inspired a revolt in which the palace was burned to the ground.
The festival is a reenactment of this revolt. Only instead of stones and whatever other projectiles were used against the marquis’s men, now the battle is solely fought with oranges.
Crates of the fruit are stacked in the street for anyone who wishes to take part in the festivities. From there, you simply wait for the marquis’s men to come through, guided by surprisingly obedient (yet no doubt terrified) horses. Although they do return fire, the most likely injury you’ll endure will come from friendlies as oranges are lobbed from one side to another.
If you’ve ever had an orange thrown at you, you know that they can leave an impressive bruise. At least 70 people were treated for their injuries last year alone.
5 Bolas De Fuego
El Salvador
In 1658, the volcanic eruption of El Playon destroyed the town of Nixapa in El Salvador. Survivors relocated to what is modern-day Nejapa. The Bolas de Fuego event is held every August 31 in commemoration.
The name translates to “Balls of Fire” and is in no way misleading. In the three months leading up to the event, participants construct over 1,500 apple-sized balls of kerosene-soaked cotton. They’re also wrapped in wire. That way, they don’t lose their shape and can really smack into their targets.
Amazed tourists hide behind their camera phones as the fireballs begin to sail through the night sky. Most participants’ faces are also daubed with intimidating face paint—just in case the fireballs weren’t enough to get your heart rate up.
Although the footage of the two-hour
battle looks extreme (and the balls regularly stray into the crowd of spectators), serious injuries are surprisingly low.
4 Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Festival Of Naked Fighting Men)
Japan
Hadaka Matsuri roughly translates to “Naked Festival.” Many have popped up in Japan over the years, but none are more famous than Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri. It takes place every year at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama.
Technically, no one’s really naked. The 9,000 exclusively male participants all wear loincloths—identical to those worn by sumo wrestlers. From a raised window, a priest throws around 100 sacred sticks into the crowd. It’s thought that luck will be bestowed on any man who manages to shove a stick into a rice-filled box called a
masu .
It’s not an easy task, considering that the person who catches the stick then has to wrestle the rest of the mob of almost naked men until the stick is safely posted. Really, winning this game is the luckiest thing you’ll ever do. In fact, participants have occasionally been tremendously unlucky—as they were crushed to
death on the temple’s floor.
3 Festa De Sao Joao Do Porto
Portugal
The festival’s official English name is the Festival of St. John of Porto. It takes place every year on June 23 and attracts thousands of people to the Portuguese city’s center. The date is likely an indication of the festival’s
pagan roots. It’s around the time of the harvest when many people would stock up on leeks and garlic.
Leeks were also a symbol of fertility, owing in part to their somewhat phallic shape. The tradition follows that the leeks would be whacked on the heads of loved ones to aid their sexual performance.
In the 20th century, as they were presumably sick of the annual bruising, locals switched over to using plastic
hammers instead of leeks. The hammers create comical whistling sounds on impact and are relatively painless.
Garlic is still a large part of the festivities. You can thrust cloves in front of people’s faces to communicate how much you like them. Don’t try this anywhere but Porto, though. You’re likely to get a much nastier blow to the head if you do.
2 Takanakuy
Peru
Takanakuy roughly means “when the
blood is boiling.” It takes place in the Chumbivilcas Province of Peru on Christmas Day. During the ceremonial proceedings, five traditional characters are portrayed, including Negro. The character is that of a slave master during the Peruvian colonial period who dances in circles like a rooster.
These rituals build nicely to the main event of the festivities—the fighting. The tiny province of Chumbivilcas, with a population of around 300, sees its greatest influx of tourists during the event. Over 3,000 people flock to see the face-punching.
Feuds that have developed over the year are settled here, and all are welcome to participate. It’s not uncommon to see women and children take part, but it’s mostly men. Fists are wrapped in cloths, and the contest ends when an opponent is knocked out or the referee intervenes. The referees also carry whips to keep the fighters and the crowd from getting too frenzied.
1 The Abare Festival
Japan
Also known as the Fire and Violence Festival, the Abare Festival is held on the first Friday and Saturday of July. The bizarre rituals involved are largely fueled by sake, and it is encouraged to cause chaos as this will please Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Shinto god of sea and storms .
On Friday, a lantern parade takes place through the village of Ushitsu, Japan, and ends at the pier. There, the lantern carriers no no are greeted by large fires that are suspended on top of poles. As they burn, their embers glide down like snowflakes. Men and boys dance underneath and play drums, bells, and flutes. Nothing beats the chaotic flute.
On the second night, the focus is on the destruction of two portable shrines as revelers march to the stationary Yasaka Shrine. The portables are thrown into roads and rivers and endure their fair share of fire, too. Whatever remains is placed in front of Yasaka Shrine and is smashed with flaming torches for hours on end to gain spiritual favourite. Source:listverse.com.

Mainly because the FA Cup is one of the oldest cup competitions in the world, and also because it is open to all clubs, whether they are in one of the professional leagues or are non-league.
Watching a non-league team beat a professional side is one of the best feelings as a fan; it really tells us how unexpected a game of football is. As someone else’s answer said, it gives clubs the opportunity to rotate their squad and play their young players, which makes the game less important, which is why it is a big thing if you win the FA Cup because you are expected to be at your best at all times.
And then there’s also the financial side of the game. Winning the League Cup will fetch you about £100,000 while the FA Cup will bring home about £2 million. Not to mention, the Wembley is a fantastic stadium and you really feel proud when you enter the stadium. While the Premier League heavyweights might not think so, the lower league sides have to work much harder getting to Wembley and if they do, they will have done so without world famous football superstars.
After all, football is more about pride and winning, rather than the money. And winning the FA Cup brings you both.
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Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid have agreed terms for the transfer of Alvaro Morata to Stamford Bridge. The move is now subject to him agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. Morata, 24, is a Spanish international forward, and helped Real to lift a second successive Champions League last season. Chelsea fc official website.

TOP STORY: Morata heading for Chelsea? Chelsea are close to signing Alvaro Morata, Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reports, and the striker's sale could allow Real Madrid to up their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe. Having got Antonio Conte tied to a new contract, the Premier League champions have apparently wasted no time in resolving their search for a new lead striker to replace Diego Costa, ending speculation that they could move for Andrea Belotti, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexis Sanchez or even Sergio Aguero. It remains to be seen how much Madrid stand to receive for Morata with Manchester United reportedly put off by his €70 million price tag, but the sum is supposedly already spoken for with Los Blancos known admirers of Monaco's teenage striker Mbappe. LIVE BLOG: 17.57 BST: Arsenal have accepted a £10m bid from Leicester City for midfielder Mohamed Elneny , reports the Sun, but the Egypt international has rejected his chance to join the Foxes as he's settled into life in London -- despite finding first-team opportunities limited with the Gunners. 17.41 BST: We have an update on Alvaro Morata's proposed move to Chelsea, with the Telegraph reporting that sources in Spain say that the deal is "done". The West London club are expected to stump up £70m for the 24-year- old Real Madrid forward, who they will now begin negotiations over personal terms with. 17.26 BST: West Ham are confident of signing Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier Hernandez , sources close to the Premier League club have told ESPN FC. Hernandez is entering the final year of his contract at Leverkusen and has a £13 million release clause which West Ham are ready to activate. Full story . 17.15 BST: DONE DEAL Aston Villa have signed Ahmed Elmohamady from Hull City... 16.58 BST: Pep Gurdiola has confirmed Manchester City's interest in Real Madrid right- back Danilo at a news conference... 16.44 BST: Sources in France have told ESPN FC that Toulouse have made an offer to take Bournemouth winger Max Gradel on loan. 16.31 BST: Sky Sports now reporting that the fee Manchester City will pay Real Madrid for right-back Danilo is in excess of £30 million... 16.16 BST: Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart believes Paris Saint-Germain are trying to unsettle Neymar as revenge for the Catalan club's continued interest in Marco Verratti . "Neymar won't leave Barca," he said. "What's happening is that PSG are retaliating because they're annoyed by a move to sign their player [Verratti]." Full story. 15.55 BST: Talking of Wojciech Szczesny , the goalkeeper has had this to say to Arsenal fans following his move from Juventus... 15.40 BST: Have Arsenal made the right choice letting Wojciech Szczesny leave? Opta says he kept the most clean sheets among the goalkeepers in the Serie A 2016/17 -- that's more than Gianluigi Buffon and Gianluigi Donnarumma. 15.23 BST: Former Arsenal player Paul Merson doesn't think Jack Wilshere will play for the club again. "It's a definite that he [Wilshere] will leave," he told talkSPORT. "I don't think he was in Wenger's plans. If you send someone on loan, you send them on loan for three months. "He [Wenger] is saying he's world class because he wants another £5m or so for him. But Arsenal haven't got anybody like Jack Wilshere in their team, not one player." 15.07 BST: DONE DEAL Newcastle have signed Jacob Murphy from Norwich for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old winger told the club's official website: "It was a childhood dream of mine to represent Newcastle and the opportunity is now here. I can't wait to get started." 14.55 BST: Moussa Sissoko is one of four notable omissions from Tottenham Hotspur's squad for the International Champions Cup matches in the United States, amid speculation he could leave the club. Danny Rose (knee), Erik Lamela (hip) and Son Heung-Min (arm) also remain at home while they continue rehabilitation from surgery. Full story. 14.37 BST: Leicester City have shown Nampalys Mendy "a great lack of respect" by trying to sell him, according to the midfielder's advisor. "It's a great lack of respect towards the player and the man," Yacine Ayad said. "Leicester want a transfer, but right now, that's not going to happen." Full story. 14.24 BST: DONE DEAL Juventus have announced that they have completed the signing of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from Arsenal following his successful medical on Tuesday... Full story. 14.05 BST: Italian World Cup winner Cristian Zaccardo says he has received over a thousand offers after he sought a new job on LinkedIn. "They came from Greece, Portugal, the Spanish second division, from Brazil, Argentina and all the way to Australia," he said. Full story. 13.45 BST: Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham's Eric Dier this summer, but former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy believes Victor Wanyama could be a better signing for the Red Devils. "If Man United are after anyone, why don't they go for Wanyama?" he said. "He is a Jose Mourinho-type player." Full story. 13.26 BST: Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans- Joachim Watzke has accused AC Milan of lacking "respect" toward the Bundesliga club in their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang . "It can't be that sporting directors of other clubs say in public that they would also like to sign him, like it happened with AC Milan," he said. "That's no sign of respect." Full story. 13.06 BST: Sky Sport Italia is reporting that Manchester City have sealed the transfer of Danilo from Real Madrid... 12.55 BST: Liverpool are closing in on a deal to sign Andrew Robertson from Hull City, a source has told ESPN FC. Robertson is set to become Liverpool's third signing of the summer in a transfer that could reportedly be worth up to £10 million. Full story. 12.37 BST: Leicester have been accused of showing "a great lack of respect" by Nampalys Mendy 's agent over trying to sell his client rather than loan him out. St Etienne, Nice and Bordeaux have all been linked with a move for the Foxes midfielder. 12.22 BST: Carl Jenkinson is in demand. Sources have told ESPN FC that the Arsenal defender is a target for Newcastle, Brighton, Burnley and Swansea. Arsenal are now waiting to see which club makes the best offer for Jenkinson before agreeing to let him leave after six years in North London. Full story. 12.07 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have yet to agree a deal to sign Barcelona star Neymar but have been made aware that a deal is possible and are ready to step up talks, a source close to the French side has told ESPN FC. Another source close to PSG, meanwhile, said Henrique, who leads the club's transfer talks, is no longer with the squad in the United States after being called back to Paris on urgent business. Full story. 11.55 BST: Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says Diego Costa remains a Chelsea player "at the moment," amid uncertainty about the future of the Spain international just weeks ahead of the new season. While both Chelsea and Atletico are hard at work in preseason, Costa is currently on holiday at home in Lagarto, Brazil, from where he published an Instagram video last weekend showing him partying while wearing a Rojiblanco shirt. Full story. 11.40 BST: Middlesbrough have bid 3.5m for West Ham keeper Darren Randolph , sources close to the London club have told ESPN FC. 11.24 BST: Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone is set to join Championship rivals Reading for £2m. Sunderland manager Simon Grayson said: "We've agreed a fee with Reading," Grayson said. "The player is going into the last year of his contract and when a suitable offers comes in you have to consider it. "We've made it clear to Vito it was up to him what he wanted to do, he felt for his long-term security it was probably best to go. I know he's discussing personal terms and potentially having a medical." 11.10 BST: Leeds have signed defender Matthew Pennington on a season-long loan deal from Everton, Press Association Sport reports. Centre-half Pennington, 22, has joined up with Leeds' squad in Austria and is expected to be confirmed as head coach Thomas Christiansen's ninth summer signing later on Wednesday. 10.57 BST: Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz has confirmed RB Leipzig recently rejected a €75 million bid for Liverpool target Naby Keita. "We won't sell players who are still under contract just to earn a lot of money," Mateschitz said. "Let me give you an example: Only recently, we received a €75 million bid for Naby Keita. No way!" Full story. 10.40 BST: Staying with Bayern, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said they are not interested in selling Thomas Muller , amid speculation that a Juventus as well as Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool want to sign the Germany international. "Both the club and Thomas agree on the assessment of last season -- it wasn't a good one," Bayern CEO Rummenigge said. "[But] Thomas is still not for sale because he's a perfect fit for Bayern. This is not a matter of discussion." Full story. 10.22 BST: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has had his say on reports that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will remain at Borussia Dortmund. "It's great that he is staying. The Bundesliga needs good players," former Dortmund man Lewandowski said at a news conference in Shanghai. "If there are good players in other teams that can make the Bundesliga more interesting over the whole season. And when you are fighting for the Bundesliga title until the end then you know that our form will also be really high in the DFB Pokal and Champions League too." Aubameyang beat Lewandowski to finish as the Bundesliga's top scorer last season. 10.08 BST: In Italy, Gazzetta dello Sport leads with news of Juventus pulling out of a move to sign Patrik Schick from Sampdoria, and shock links between Inter Milan and Fiorentina midfielder Matias Vecino. 09.51 BST: L'Equipe reports that Valencia are keen to bring Grzegorz Krychowiak back to La Liga from Paris Saint-Germain. The former Sevilla midfielder has been left out of PSG's squad for their preseason tour, making it clear he is welcome to leave the club. It is also claimed that if he doesn't return to Spain, the Poland international could move to the Premier League. 09.29 BST: AC Milan defender Mattia De Sciglio has arrived at Juventus for a medical before a reported €12m transfer. The 24-year-old will replace Dani Alves as Juve's right full-back, reuniting himself with Massimiliano Allegri, who handed him his Milan debut in 2012. 09.12 BST: DONE DEAL Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic has joined Leicester on a three-year contract. "I'm very happy and excited that the deal is finally done. I'm very excited to be a part of something special here and I can't wait for the first game," Jakupovic told the club's official website. "I knew from the beginning that it will be difficult for myself because Kasper [Schmeichel] is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. "I'm going to fight and I'm here to push. A healthy competition is always good and that's only a positive thing. For sure, I'll wait for my chance but I am here and I'm very excited." Full story. 08.57 BST: Unsurprisingly Neymar is making the front pages in Spain and Mundo Deportivo leads with a story that he is happy in Barcelona. Marca has a story suggesting "five arguments PSG can use to seduce Neymar,"while Sport leads with an exclusive story that Neymar met his father and agent on a yacht in Formentera -- we wonder what they are talking about? 08.43 BST: More on the developing situation with Neymar next. Barcelona vice president Jordi Mestre has said he is "200 percent" convinced that the forward will not move on amid reports that he is unhappy enough to seek a move to Paris Saint-Germain. "I'm 200 percent sure that he is going to stay," Mestre said. "I've read information in the French press that PSG themselves have categorically denied it, a club with whom we are maintaining absolutely normal relations. Nothing has changed in that aspect." Full story. 08.18 BST: Kevin Stewart has left Liverpool's squad in Hong Kong as he closes in on a move to Hull City, sources have told ESPN FC. Stewart, who signed a long-term contract with Liverpool in November, will now travel to Hull to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical at the Championship side in a deal that could be worth up to £8 million. Full story. 08.01 BST: Let's kick off Wednesday's Transfer Talk with a story exclusive to ESPN FC. Sergio Romero has told us he wants David De Gea to stay at Manchester United this summer, even if that means his path to the first team is blocked. "Since I came to this team, I said I need to compete with David because in that way we can keep the competition level high," Romero told ESPN FC. "I don't want him to leave. We are friends. And if he stays here, it will help me to be better." Full story.

optional1:
please who are the new players he bought..

. Antonio Rudiger from Roma and Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco. Willy Caballero join for free.

Antonio Conte has today signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea Football Club. The deal is announced as he prepares to take the Premier League champions to China and Singapore on our pre-season tour of Asia, where we will face Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Conte said: 'I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top. 'The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together.' Club director Marina Granovskaia added: 'Antonio achieved incredible success last season, adapting to English football very quickly and leading us to the Premier League title. 'This new contract reflects our belief that he can continue to deliver results both domestically and as we return to European competition in the Champions League.' Last season Conte lifted the Premier League title at the first attempt, guiding us to a record 30 wins in a single season, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories. We also reached the FA Cup final. Since arriving in west London, the 47-year-old Italian's passion, tactical acumen and winning mentality have endeared him to Chelsea supporters all over the world and we look forward to further triumphs with Antonio at the helm. New to the coaching staff this season are two of Conte’s compatriots. Paolo Vanoli joins as assistant to the first team head coach and Davide Mazzotta will work as assistant/player analysis.

Wikipedia says he now play for Abia warriors. He is just 24years old.

Can someone please explain clearly if a footballer age has any impact on his or her performance? Why are Nigeria footballers most especially the Super Eagles players been sold to lower league teams in Europe? Where is Nigeria's Little Messi (Stanley Okoro).

Early morning dew,a real eye opener

U guys have tried,it is those ur foolish oga's at the top dat are selling u 2 bh

west ham 0 mancity 5..Man utd vs Reading 1:30pm today,Madrid vs Granada 1pm. Chelsea vs Peterborough 5pm 2moro...Drop your predictions abeg i. Bet9ja dey wait.

lilkhaleefa1:
eyya.......

D furniture look like d ones i bought for my granny

willian10:
Watch out for Xpensive

He won jahbless 69 missed calls concert,an Eksu student,next rated @ESUCA AWARDS.U can listen to his cover of Eyan Mayweather which he tittle"EYAN ORUBEBE"

DancingSkeleton:
Chaiii.. And people drink COKE d day wey dem born this girl

Daughter of a thousands father