Wave Machines - Ill Fit

From the groove-induced bassline to the brooding Prince inspired vocal delivery, Ill Fit is the sign of a band on the path to an incredibly exciting second album. A great start to an album campaign for Wave Machines with forthcoming album - Pollen - released February 21 and a Scala show confirmed for February 6 together with a nationwide tour. In the last couple of weeks the Liverpudlian band have sold out shows in London, Paris and Nantes 

Spotify - Starting 11 (Sept 2012)

Yeasayer - Henrietta

There can’t be many songs these days written from the perspective of a tumour that’s outlived its human host. ‘Henrietta’, the most beautiful moment on Brooklyn trio Yeasayer’s third album, though, is a bubbling electro-rollock that tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a Baltimore woman whose cancer cells were preserved for research purposes after she died in 1951. Halfway through the trapdoor opens, and things swirl in slow-mo as a incredible hypnotic chant of “oh Henrietta, we can live on forever” echoes out. 

August Starting 11 Spotify Playlist

You Wait Ages ...

...for a decent Spanish football magazine to come along, and three come along at once !

 

"Se Vende", "Liquidacion", "Se Aquila" (For Sale, Closing Down, For Let), three signs far too common on any Spanish high street in recent times. Businesses closing, massive job losses, record unemployment figures of 5.6 million and the new government struggling to get to grips with an economy spiralling out of control.

Recession has hit Spain hard. In the newspaper-magazine sector, dailies such as Publico, La Voz de Asturias and ADN have gone to the wall over the past year.

Even in the football magazine market, Don Balon, the only alternative to the daily mass-market sports press closed its doors after 36 years last September.

Hardly the climate for one, let alone three new Spanish publications to launch into the new football magazine market.

The average football fan in Spain has traditionally been spoilt for choice, 4 national daily sports papers, two Madrid based (AS & Marca) and two based in the Catalan capital (El Mundo Deportivo & Sport). This is generally good news if you´re appetite for football news is an average daily 25 pages dedicated to Real Madrid or Barcelona (depending on your choice of publication) and are interested in Cristiano Ronaldos new hairstyle or what brand of boot Messi will be wearing next season. Whilst all these publications are adequate in providing the reader with transfer news, decent results service and big match previews there is very little to the cater to that "other" breed of football fan in Spain.

That Spanish football fan who wants to know about teams outside the big two, the fan who sees the sport he loves spiralling out of control into a international macro business where only the privileged few participate, who wants to read about other teams in other countries, who is interested in reading about football from the past, who wants a cultural perspective of the game, who wants to read the views of journalists who are free to write without any editorial constraints or pressure from certain clubs media officers.

Panenka:

Rewind back to the Summer of 2011 and enter one Panenka magazine. Named after mythical Czech international Antonin Panenka and with a bold 11 point mission plan that included points such as "We want to feature non-mainstream  articles on players who win and lose, with special emphasis on the losers",  "football stories from other countries, from other times.... history, culture & politics with football as the background".

A monthly magazine clearly influenced by the classic football fan European mainstays (When Saturday Comes - UK, So Foot - FR & 11 Freunde - GER), Panenka has been a breath of fresh air. Over the year the magazine has published excellent articles on subjects ranging from the Tibetan national team, 20 years of Russian football post CCCP, the phenomenon on Flamengo in Brazil, long overlooked features of Spanish 2B teams (Spanish cup semi finalists Mirandes and Atletico Baleares), the Jorge Mendes empire as well interviews with figures from the modern game.
The new Issue No. 10 of Panenka has a special focus on the English game with interviews with Gus Poyet, Matt Le Tissier and an article on the rise of Swansea City amongst others.

For more info ; http://www.panenka.org/inicio

 (cover of Panenka #10)

Kubus:

Kubus magazine, emerged earlier this year. Its unique angle is that its written exclusively in Gallego (the language of the Galicia region in North-West Spain, home to Deportivo la Coruña and Celta Vigo). Available in down-loadable PDF format, issue 3 has just been published and contains a diverse range of features including a report on the famous Peru national team of the 70's, the antics of Nacho Novo and an article on UC Ceares, Spains pioneering club run by supporters. 

Whilst Kubus has more of a fanzine feel about it, the range of articles are staggering and the reader can clearly feel the affection for the subject matter by the Kubus team.

Issue 3 of Kubus can be read in PDF format via the link below.

For more info : http://revistakubus.com/

 (cover of Kubus #1)

Libero:
Founded by members of the now defunct daily newspaper Publico, Libero, unlike the above mentioned publications was launched with national distribution and an initial print run of 10,000 copies. "To culturise football or to football-ise culture" is their objective in the opening editorial of the debut which hit the magazine stands a month ago. Issue 1 of this tri-monthly publication again features a wide ranging of football related issues and whilst its impossible to escape certain over-laps with Panenka, Libero features a higher percentage of interviews with media personalities (singers, writers, politicians) who are also passionate about the game along with a fashion piece and even some Euro 2012 economic football related news ! 

         (cover of Libero #1)           

For more info : http://revistalibero.com/

All three magazines are hugely accomplished publications, stylish, excellently presented with good writing and would hold their own comfortably against other established titles in other markets. Lets hope that there is a market for decent football publications and that the Spanish football fan indeed has an appetite for other news and not just the latest Real & Barça tattle or what Sergio Ramos has been wearing in Ibiza during his Summer holidays.   

Van She - Jamaica [Modular Studio Sessions]

New album is imminent. 2nd single is Jamaica . Heres the studio version.

Lo-fi animated match reports - Spain v France, Euro 2012

How illustrator and When Saturday Comes contributor, Tim Bradford saw last Saturdays Spain v France game at Euro 2012.

Euro 2012 - The Battle of the Brands

With Euro 2012 imminent the battle amongst the major sports brands commences.

Here’s a look at what those 16 teams’ Euro 2012 shirts look like. This list of Euro 2012 kits is listed group wise, and covers both home and away Euro 2012 shirts for all 16 participating nations. All sixteen nations’ Euro 2012 shirts are split between Adidas, Nike, Umbro and Puma.

Group A
Poland — Nike
Poland
Greece — Adidas (home blue, away white, goalkeeper black)
Greece
Russia — Adidas
Russia
Czech Republic - Puma
Czech Republic
Group B
Holland — Nike
Netherlands
Denmark — Adidas
Denmark
Germany — Adidas
Germany
Portugal — Nike
Portugal
Group C
Spain — Adidas
Spain
Italy — Puma
Italy
Ireland — Umbro
Ireland
Croatia — Nike
Croatia
Group D
Ukraine — Adidas
Ukraine
Sweden — Umbro
Sweden
England - Umbro
England
France — Nike
France

Panorama Documentary (BBC) - Stadiums of Hate

As depressing as it was, did the BBC´s Panorama documentary really tell us anything we didn't know? The key point being made was...There are extreme right wing minded individuals attending football in matches in Poland and Ukraine. 

Sadly, there are like minded individuals attending football matches all over Europe. 

Some countries and federations have made concerted efforts to tackle this problem but too many times clubs, law enforcement bodies and even federations deny that the problem exists (as both Polish and Ukrainian FA´s have done since the documentary aired on Monday 28th).

In the mid-nineties, Ross Kemp visited Poland as part of his Ross Kemp on Gangs series.

He attended the Krakow derby (between Wisla and KS Cracovia) deemed to be the most hostile of Polish league fixtures. The scenes from Kemps documentary and from the BBC documentary were a disturbing carbon copy.

7 years later and nothing has changed, the same gratuitous violence amongst rival fans, police attacks, anti-Semitic chanting, neo-nazi salutes and paraphernalia clearly displayed and black players being verbally abused.

Uefa and Fifa need to act and respond adequately, for too long they too have put their heads in the sand and looked the other way.
What the BBC documentary has succeeded in doing is putting the subject matter on the table again and the reaction globally from the programme means that Uefa cannot continue to ignore scenes as we witnessed in the Metallist Stadium in Kharkiv.  

Documentary in full here (link working as of 30.05.12)
*** New Link, working as of 11.06 ***

Andy Burrows - Keep On Moving On

Keep On Moving On is a superb piece of classic songwriting which, along with "If I had a Heart", offers a tantalising taster of Andy Burrows' solo album. Since leaving Razorlight in 2009, Andy has been writing prolifically; he became a part, and then full time member of We Are Scientists, released an album under the moniker I Am Arrows, received further critical acclaim with an album co-fronted by Editors frontman Tom Smith as Smith & Burrows, and all of this whilst working on his own album (due later this year).

UC Ceares - Searching for the Soul of Football

I park the car by a block of flats in front of "La Cruz".  As I make my way up to the main road, I  can just make out the sound of pre-match music, late 70´s UK punk, (The Buzzcocks I think), wafting through the air via possibly the  tinniest speakers in Spain.

This is Ceares, a suburb of Gijon (Asturias), its 1130 in the morning and I´ve left my travelling companions behind in their respective beds in Oviedo, each one a casualty of the excesses of the local cider and tacky disco bars. 
We´re in Asturias for a football weekend principally to see our beloved Rayo Vallecano take on Sporting Gijon in the Spanish Primera division.

However, in the past few months since UC Ceares came onto my footballing radar, there's another fixture this same weekend that  has been highlighted in the diary.

I cant remember of how I stumbled across Ceares , their media profile this season has certainly been impressive. Possibly via the new and highly recommended Spanish football magazine Panenka or one of the many articles that appear on the web about football teams across Europe being taken over by the fans and being run in a more "human" capacity.

The club motto "Primeros en Corazón, Últimos en Dinero" / which roughly translates as "Emotional Winners, Financial Losers", the painted club wall with the "Against Modern Football" proudly daubed, the club flags and scarves with the  Northern Soul clenched fist and slogan in English "Keeping the Faith Since 1948", were sufficient to hook me in and make me want to see what exactly was happening at the club.

Today Ceares are at home to league leaders, Caudal de Mieres and nobody expects to get anything  from the game. In the forthcoming weeks the team will play 3 "finals" against direct rivals for survival in the Asturian zone of the Spanish 3rd division.
Ceares start the game brightly and are duly rewarded after 25 minutes with a goal from an excellent diving header.  The fans with a degree of incredulity of being one up against the league leaders become more vociferous with their support and start up relentless chanting that doesn't subside during the remainder of the match.

During the game I talk with Miguel Lozano, the clubs publicist and one of the board members. He tells me how Ceares were in danger of disappearing the previous year and with home gates averaging just 50 fans, they were in danger of having to join with another local team or even worse go out of business. Miguel details how, with some friends they came to take over the club and relates the story of the clubs ambitions with a balanced measure of realism and romanticism.

At half time I pop into the "Cantina" where the bar is decorated with scarves of many other local Asturian teams for the same division. Pride of place though is a Stockport County scarf ! Apparently the bounty of a failed attempt by some Ceares fans to attend a FC United of Manchester match abandoned due snow in November. FCUM are certainly an influence and inspiration to Ceares with more than one spectator sporting a scarf and FC United patch on his parka.

Leaving the Cantina I meet three English Ceares fans, residents of Gijon for some time they talk about their connection with the club and how they were drawn to the club and its philosophy.

On the pitch, things have taken a turn for the worse. A Caudal goal just before the break has given the visitors the initiative and sure enough with 15 minutes remaining, they score again to secure the three points. Despite the adverse result there is no let-up from the Ceares fans as they persist with their repeated chant of "Vamos Ceares, somos el orgullo de Xixon" (Come on Ceares, We´re the pride of Gijon), trust me it works better in Spanish.

I´ve been to many lower league grounds in the UK & Ireland but never have I felt such a buzz at football at this level. The fans here are not only cheering on the local team but at the same celebrating the clubs stance against modern football. A sport that sadly in its transition into a macro world business has lost some of it´s core values along the way.

Before I go I take some snaps for the collection and  leave Ceares with an incredible sensation of having taken part in something special, something almost intimate and since then the "spell" from that Sunday morning has certainly converted me into an "adopted Cearista".

For more on UC Ceares, visit the website (in Spanish) www.ucceares.com or follow them on twitter twitter.com/#!/UCCeares

Season Ticket Poster for the current season

Goal scored by Jimmy in the Ceares 3-0 home win against Real Ovideo "B" (06.05.12)

Let the Muisc Play ...talks To Danny Last (European Football Weekends)

For all football fans, watching a game abroad is a great occasion ... the colour and noise of the Ultras, different tactics and styles of play, the often exotic half time local delicacies and of course, post match local refreshments and analysis.

Enter one Danny Last and European Football Weekends  www.europeanfootballweekends.co.uk a site he created to share the experiences from watching major and not so major leagues from Amsterdam to Zurich, from teams such as Alcorcon to  VVV Venlo. 

With his unique, personal, friendly style of writing about his adventures, Last and his team of collaborators created a unique portal for football fans over the world to gauge an insight to European football at all levels. 


6 am flights, language barrier obstacles, local tipple, crazed taxi drivers, bizarre items in club shops, dodgy right wing ultras, all this and more feature in the various travels and all invariably accompanied with a some fantasticly well taken photos. Top this off with the odd Morrissey inspired musical references and you soon begin that you too have shared the experience at first hand. 


Over the years the site has received almost 700,000 visitors and has interviewed the likes of former Beautiful South and Housemartin, Paul Heaton, football pundits such as James Richardson, Clive Tyldesely and comedian Kevin Day. It picked up the "bronze medal" in the 2009 When Saturday Comes Worth Websites and has been called "a perennial source of pleasure" by The Guardian newspaper.

EFW is currently taking a well earned break and Danny is busy following the fortunes of Brighton and Hove Albion's and Lewes FC. He took some time out to talk to us about his travels and some of the musical highlights from travelling Europe's footballing hotbeds and backwaters.

1 - What was the first record that you bought, and can you remember the motivation behind it. 

"People Are People" 7" single from Depeche Mode in 1984 from a record shop - no longer there, obviously - in Lancing, West Sussex. I'd been to see them in concert at the Brighton Centre the previous evening. That was my first ever gig, one I only attended because my mum (I know) was ill and couldn't go so she gave me her ticket. My overriding memory of the gig was a huge punch up in the crowd as a direct result of David Gahan throwing his sweaty shirt into the heaving masses. 

2 - What was the last album, CD, download you purchased and why.

The début album from Welsh outfit Y Niwi. I read an article recently about Spillers Records in Cardiff - the world's oldest record shop - and they were waxing lyrical about the band. You can't beat a bit of "Snowdonian instrumentalist surf-guitar" can you? Also, can you wax lyrical about an instrumental band? Probably not, shall we move on .... 

3 - As a man who has travelled Europe in the quest of fine football, which city / club has the dodgiest pre match music, name a few of the musical offenders too.

I did once go and see HSV Hamburg which involved a bizarre pre-match ritual which I'm not sure they still do. A chap dressed in double denim - a bit of a no-no, no? - was hoist aloft on a cherry picker in front of the home fans (that's pretty much guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, let me tell you). Anyway, Ol' Denim Den belted out a few dodgy songs which, with this being Germany, the fans lapped up in their thousands and sang along to as if their lives depended on it. It was so bad that I didn't even tap a foot to the rhythm of the beat (I did).

I'm also led to believe that Crystal Palace play Friggin' In The Riggin' which is fairly apt because their team *sounds cheap and immature pop at hated rivals klaxon* are not fit to shovel shit from one place to another.

4 - Which are the most musical and raucous of the European Ultra groups you came across.

Definitely, Rayo Vallecano in Spain. There's a slightly anarchic feel to that club which is a million miles away from their near neighbours, Real Madrid. The fans take hold of the PA before the games and rather brilliantly you get treated to classic stuff from The Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols and all sorts at full volume before the game. Actually, staying in Madrid, the ultras in the 'Fondo Sur' behind the goal at Atletico Madrid are quite partial to a burst of Mike Oldfield's 'Moonlight Shadow'. Make of that what you will.

5 - What's the most bizarre item you´ve come across in the numerous club shops you´ve visited.  

FC Union Berlin do a neat set of spanners for a couple of quid, but my very favourite item is a wooden Dukla Prague yo-yo. Who needs their away kit when you can impress your mates with a couple of barrel rolls on that little beauty down the pub? Germany, of course Germany, was the first place I saw club toasters that print the club logo on the bread too. Tasty.

6 - If you were enlisted by Lewes FC board to programme the pre match music at the Dripping Pan, what 3 tracks do you play to get the Rooks fans rocking. 

Rooking all over the world, anything off The Great Rook 'n' Roll Swindle or AC/DC's Let There Be Rooks.


Follow Danny on Twitter -@DannyLast 
and check out EFW at - http://www.europeanfootballweekends.co.uk/

Van She - Idea of Happiness (Video)

... and hot of the press, the boys from Oz, Van She with their wonderfully bizarre video for the new single "Idea of Happiness"

Ronika - Automatic (video)

Here´s the just completed video for the new Ronika single.

Van She - Idea Of Happiness

The return of Australia's finest. Van She, one of the best musical secrets from "down under" return with their new single "Idea of Happiness".

New album due out in July on the Modular label.

click here to listen

Van She - Idea Of Happiness

Vice - Rivals - Rangers & Celtic - Full Length

At times funny and at times depressing. A well put and objective documentary from Vice on the Glasgow "Old Firm".  

Is this the most intense and charged derby in the world?

click this link to view
http://www.vice.com/rivals/rangers-celtic-full-length#ooid=B5aTQ4NDphZaI5g0uciG8eJL9ZJqRSAG

Plan B - ill Manors (with lyrics)

Plan B returns with a track that is being hailed as the most important British protest song in decades. Heres the video and lyrics. 

lyrics
http://www.metrolyrics.com/ill-manors-lyrics-plan-b.html

Ronika - Automatic

She´s gone and done it again. 

One of Let the Music Play on the Wing´s favourites, Ronika releases her new single "Automatic" on April 9th.

Another fine slice of 80´s inspired pop with a distinctive Summer groove.

Think Teena Marie, think Nile Rogers on guitar, think Jellybean production, think Rick James, think sunshine.... 

 

Click  to listen to "Automatic" here via Soundcloud

1st record selective amnseia

It occurred to me following on from this blogs recent interview with Sid Lowe and subsequent coverage on the Guardians Football Weekly podcast, that we all do it...
When asked to recall our first ever record, we lightly bend the truth, lie blatantly or suddenly develop a bout of selective amnesia about the first record we ever bought.

I´m the first to admit it, I´ve done it too....on countless occasions, especially in my teens and early twenties when keeping face and having music cred was ever so important.
Over time I´ve grown up to the fact, that I need to be forthright admit the fact that the first ever record I ever bought (in Woolworths, Strabane, Co.Tyrone should you ask) with my hard earned pocket money was, Boney Ms, "Ma Baker".

I admit there are plenty of candidates for worse 1st records depending on the decade but what makes the error of my ways so galling was the choice for my 2nd single purchase which was far more credible, and even to this day great sounding "Something Better Change" by The Stranglers.

However in my case its that first record not the second that makes its mark on our musical DNA and has to stand the test of time and becomes every bit as important in our cultural evolution as, say our first love, first kiss .....

One final thought bringing the concept up to modern day. Sadly the concept of 1st record ever bough nowadays has become a little redundant (we can discuss the merits and shortfalls of the digital impact on music another day) , how will the late teens of the future try and asses each others musical tastes and "cool" factor in 10 years.... "what's the first track you ever streamed on spotify?" .... it just doesn't have the same impact.


All together now "Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker, she taught her four sons........Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker" ......

Let the Music Play... talks to Sid Lowe (The Guardian)

Sid Lowe is probably best known as The Guardian´s expert on all things "Spanish Football".  He is also a regular commentator on their award winning Football Weekly podcast.
As well as his weekly Guardian column, Sid writes for Four Four Two, World Soccer & Sports Illustrated.
 
Madrid-based since the turn of the century, Lowe has become the No. 1 authoritative British journalist for all things happening on and off the field in La Liga.

In recent times he has featured as co-commentator on national Spanish TV networks, Marca TV & La Sexta and co-hosts a video podcast "Los Corresponsales / Foreign Desk" with fellow journalists Martin Ainstein & Filippo Ricci which can be downloaded from the I-Tunes store.

We all know that the average footballer has, lets say a "dubious" taste in music, but what about the football writer.
We caught up with Sid earlier on in the week to find out.

What was the first record (single or album) bought by the young Sid Lowe and the motivation behind it.

I think it was Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth. Well, that was the reason I bought the album which I think was called Youth of Today.

But, sadly, the answer might actually be Rat Rapping by Roland Rat.

The first record I had, I think, was the single Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, which a friend of the family gave me... Brilliant.

Later on, in so much as I was really into music (I wasn't compared to my brother for example), I listened to Led Zepp and had a lot of their albums. Some Pink Floyd too.

 

 

Over the past years Pep Guardiola has used the likes of "Viva la Vida" (Coldplay) and "Human" (The Killers) to motivate the Barça team prior to each home match, if you were a primera liga manager what song would you use as a pre-match motivational tool in the dressing room?

God Knows ...

Most footballers like shite music (although, let's be honest, it's always subjective).

There was a comment from Xabi Alonso on Twitter recently going on about how 2012 had ushered in change - no more Flamenco "shit" (blame Ramos) on the team bus.

And, well, I hardly need to mention the words "Phil", "Collins" and "Gerrard" do I?

I suppose you could go for the stereotypical stuff like Eye of the Tiger.

It probably has to be something lively that gets you wound up, moving, excitable.

Just about anything from Celtas Cortos (Rock Band from Valladolid) perhaps. Saw them in a pub in Madrid once; great fun.

What's the latest album you´ve "procured" (bought, downloaded etc).

I tend to throw loads of stuff in an Amazon order once every six months or so - books and cd`s etc.

Probably Johnny Cash, maybe Nick Cave, and just for the lyrics I recently bought a Hefner album.

Yes, someone had alerted me to their Thatcher song. Some Springsteen probably in there too.

In the UK its commonplace for the home team to run out to a piece of music .... Newcastle Utd. run out to "Theme from Local Hero", Cambridge Utd. run out to Fatboy Slims "Right Here Right Now", being a Real Oviedo fan (currently in 2ªB division), what inspirational music would you chose for them to adopt as they run out at the Carlos Tartiere.

Melendi (Famous Spanish musician from the city) has done an anthem for Oviedo about returning to the top, so that could work. The actual hymn gets sung too (as many Spanish ones do), although it's a bit rubbish.

Maybe Glory Days by Springsteen - we keep talking about them but sadly they are days gone by now. Or some Asturian bagpipes music, maybe??

Some football related questions -

Given that the 1st and 2nd places are foregone conclusions in the Spanish Primera Division, who do you see securing 3rd and 4th place this season.

Valencia and .... erm, I´m not ruling out Atletico Madrid. Maybe Athletic Bilbao. 

In recent times the battle to avoid the drop from 1a has been more exciting than the title race, who do you see occupying the bottom 3 positions this season.

Zaragoza (and they might be proper screwed as well, sadly). Granada and perhaps Racing Santander.

Finally .... 80´s indie band Half Man Half Biscuit immortalised Czech side Dukla Prague with their track "All I Want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit", without the assistance of Google or Wikipedia, a guess as to what colour the Dukla Prague away kit is ?

Wasn't it red and yellow? ( Correct !!!)

Follow Sid on Twitter - @sidlowe

Read his weekly La Liga column in The Guardian at - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/laligafootball

Lana del Rey - Believe the Hype !

 

"Its all marketing". "Its pure media hype". "She´s been bank-rolled by her wealthy father" .... all accusations that have been thrown at Lana del Rey who releases her long awaited début "Born to Die" this week.

Much of the fuss about her however has simply been a result of timing. At the end of the year when music magazines and media outlets have complied their top 100 / 50 best of the year polls they then desperately need to focus on new talent for the forthcoming year, cue one Lana del Rey.

 

Lana del Rey is really the persona created by New Yorker, Lizzy Grant, a husky diva and femme fatal  with a trip hop backbeat, or as The Independent on Sundays´  Simon Price put it, "a delicious  hybrid of Nancy Sinatra meets Portishead".

So after the covers of NME, Q Magazine, overload on message boards, features in the Sunday supplements....the million dollar question is ... after all the fuss, what about the music?

The albums proceeding singles "Video Games" and title track "Born to Die" set the tone for a truly compelling début release. The album is a dark affair and sometimes bleak principally due to the trip hop beats omnipresent on the bulk of the album however, this is compensated with beautiful production and lush orchestration and great songs. 

Melodrama, love gone wrong and doomed affairs mark the theme of many of the albums tracks.

The overall result is ample proof that despite all the hype Lana del Rey has made a unique and distinctive album and a record to silence the cynics.

video for the single "Born to Die"

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 10 - Its still a tournament relatively uncontaminated by megabucks.

As with all major sporting events the hand of multi-international marketing is inevitably close at hand. The CAN is no different, sure Orange sponsor the tournament and major brands such as Guinness, MTN etc are present but at a more lower key level.
Tickets don't need to be reserved a year in advance and apart from the games involving host nations Gabon & Equatorial Guinea (which are sell outs) group stage tickets can still be bought for €7.65 (compare this to €30 for the lowest match ticket at Euro 2012).

So 10 reasons to follow a fantastic tournament that kicks off today with the inaugural match being co-hosts Eq. Guinea v the "new" Libya. Eurosport is your TV destination for live coverage and highlights.

Obvious favourites are Ivory Coast but Senegal at 13/2 may not be a bad bet.

Enjoy!

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 9 - Great goals

The African Nations is no exception when it comes to spectacular goals. Long range drives, amazing free kicks or mazy skill induced individual goals have been in abundance at former tournaments. 

Here´s our pick from the 2010 tournament held in Angola. A beautifully placed unstoppable top corner "screamer" from Ivory Coast´s Abdel Kader Keita v Algeria.  

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 8 - The Fans

The late, great Jock Stein one said "Football without fans is nothing". 

For logistical and economic reasons (apart from when the host nation play) the average attendance at a typical CAN game can be minimal. Those supporters who do attend though are some of the nosiest, colourful and passionate one can find on the planet. 

These are the fans that make the African Nations a truly spectacular event with their nations flag dress codes, outrages wigs, body painting and constant noise and singing.
Dig out any old You Tube clip from past African Nations and there is a constant soundtrack of drumming, whistling that hold no let up during the 90 minutes.

Expect the same in this years tournament, especially when both host nations play.

Guinea, Togo and Angola supporters at Can 2008 & 2010

 

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 7 - Inevitable Penalty shoot-outs

Since the introduction of penalty kicks to decide tied matches in the 1980 tournament, dramatic shoot outs have been an integral part of the excitement of the tournament for the past 30 years.

Over that period of time on six occasions the final has been decided on penalty kicks. The most dramatic of these shoot outs being in 1992 when Ivory Coast won their only CAN to date beating Ghana 11- 10 on penaltys.

One of the most controversial shoot outs was in 2000 in Nigeria when, as co-hosts Nigeria faced Cameroon in a packed National Stadium in Lagos. After a 2-2 draw in normal and extra time, the game went to penalty's with Cameroon eventually winning. The Nigerian 4th penalty, taken by Victor Ikpeba clearly crossed the line after rebounding from the crossbar, but the goal want given by the referee or linesman (standing on the 6 yard area).

Highlights of this game and subsequent shoot out in attached youtube clip.

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 6 - Discovering New Talent

All international football tournaments are a fantastic showcase for young or relatively unknown players to showcase their skills in front of a global audience.
The CAN is no exception and here we propose 5 names that we feel will shine at this years tournament.

               

1 - Jordan Ayew - Marseille (Fra.) & Ghana - Age 20 - Caps 4 
2 - Pierre Emerick Aubameyang - St Etienne (Fra.) & Gabon - Age 22 - Caps 20
3 - Mohamed Diame - Wigan Athletic (Eng.) & Senegal - Age 24 - Caps 5
4 - "Lass" Bangoura - Rayo Vallecano (Esp.) & Guinea - Age 19 - Caps 2
5 - Randy - Las Palmas (Esp.) & Equatorial Guinea - Age 24 - Caps 6

* Jordan Ayew in action in La Ligue

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 5 - Creative Nicknames -

All the great African nations football teams have to have great nicknames. The formula in creating these nicknames is relatively simple. Take an impressive, grand sounding adjective and add it to a geographical feature or even better a type of animal typical from the country in question....ie: Cameroon (absent from this years tournament) are, The Indomitable Lions.

Here's a selection of 5 of our favourite nicknames from this years participating nations.

Morocco

Lions of the Atlas

Burkina Faso

Les Etalons

-The Stallions

Tunisia

Les Aigles de Carthage -

Eagles of Carthage

 

Angola

Palancas Negras -

Black Antelopes

 

Zambia

Chipolopolo

- The Copper Bullets

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 4 - Great Goal Celebrations.

The African Nations Cup has had some memorable goal celebrations over the years. The famous multiple back flips by Nigeria's Julius Agahowa in the 2002 tournament, but we like Ghana's, Asamoah Gyans dance v Nigeria from 2010.

This move started a dance craze in West Africa and Gyan featured it in the video for his single "African Girls"  which he recorded with Castro.

For some reason doing the "Asamoah" is not a popular move in the nightclubs in Sunderland.

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 3 - Great Team Kit

As in previous African Cup of Nations tournaments, German sports giant Puma is the kit supplier to the bulk of many of the top African nations and many of the top teams (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana) will sport the kit featuring the "big cat" at the tournament.

What makes the African teams kits great is the replication of the nations flag (which in many cases is red, yellow & green). A colour combination that simply shouldn't work together in a shirt, shorts, socks combo but actually does. Our pick of the crop for this years CAN is the Mali away shirt made by the French company Airness.

A particular mention goes to Libya, who play in a major event after the downfall of the Gaddafi dictatorship. Their new Adidas made kit rejects the old national team and old regime colour of green and now features the countries new national flag in the federation logo.

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 2 - Political Intrigue & Débutantes

Egypt, current holders and seven time winners are the surprise omissions of this years tournament. After last years "Arab Spring Revolutions" which saw regime changes in Tunisia, Libya and in Egypt, the former two nations, despite the domestic upheaval just managed to qualify for the CAN as runners up. 

Domestic leagues in both Tunisia & Libya were suspended duing the upheaval and it will be interesting to see how both nations fare in their first major tournament since both countries experienced political change.

This years CAN also feature 3 nations making their first appearance at an African Nations; Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea (who qualify as joint hosts) although its improbable that any of the three teams will make it out of the group stages, with the possible exception of Eq. Guinea being in the weaker of their respective groups.