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May 29, 2009

MLB Ball Clubs and their Minor League Affiliates: the New York Mets.

Filed under: Baseball Clubs/Farm Teams — admin @ 6:04 am

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Below: New York Mets Auxiliary Chart,  featuring selected uniforms and logos from the history of the New York Mets franchise (1962-2009). new-york_mets_auxillary-chart2009_post.gif

Team history with photos…New York Mets page at the Sports E-Cyclopedia site {click here}.

Thanks to the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s “Dressed to the Nines” site,  featuring basball uniforms templates drawn by Marc Okkonen {click here (set at New York Mets 1984-1992)}.   Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page {click here (set at Mets logos)}.   Thanks to MLB shop {click here}.   Thanks to MG’s Helmets,  for the Mets’ alternate batting helmet image {click here}.   Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at New York Mets page).

May 26, 2009

MLB Ball Clubs and their Minor League Affiliates: the New York Yankees.

Filed under: Baseball Clubs/Farm Teams — admin @ 4:36 am

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Below: New York Yankees Auxiliary Chart,  featuring selected uniforms and logos from the history of the New York Yankees franchise (established in 1901 as a charter member of the American League, as the Baltimore Orioles (II) (1901-1902);  the New York Highlanders (1903-1912);  the New York Yankees (1913-2009).

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Team history with photos…New York Yankees page at the Sports E-Cyclopedia site {click here}.

Thanks to the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s “Dressed to the Nines” site,  featuring baseball uniforms templates drawn by Marc Okkonen {click here (set at New York Highlanders, 1903-1911)}.   Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page {click here (set at Yankees logos)}.   Thanks to MLB shop {click here}.   Thanks toMiLB shop {click here}.   Thanks to Logo Shak site {click here (set at a bizarre Uncle Sam logo the Yankees used as an alternate logo circa 1960)}.   Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here}.

May 22, 2009

2009 Copa Libertadores, Quarterfinals (8 teams).

Filed under: Copa Libertadores — admin @ 5:10 pm

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San Luis FC and Chivas Guadalajara withdrew from the Copa L:ibertadores in the wake of the swine flu outbreak.  In fact,  Mexico has broken all ties with CONMEBOL  {see this (MSN.Foxsports.com/soccer)}.

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Uruguay’s Defensor Sporting shocked Boca Juniors, in Buenos Aires on Thursday night,  to clinch the final spot in the quarterfinals.   Here is an article from ESPN Soccernet, ‘Defensor stun Boca to reach quarter-finals’, {click here}.  Here is another article,  ’Copa Libertadores top eight’ (sportsya.com) {click here}.

There are four Brazilian teams in the quarterfinals: Cruzeiro,  Gremio Palmeiras,  and São Paulo FC;   2 Uruguayan teams:  Nacional de Montevideo,  and Defensor Sporting;  just one Argentinian team: Estudiantes de La Plata;  and for the first time in the quarterfinals, one Venezualan team,  Caracas FC.  It is amazing to consider that there is not a single team representing the capital of Argentina,  Buenos Aires.

{For the 2009 Copa Libertadores Quarterfinals Match-ups, click here }.

In the link,  you can also see the leading scorers in the 2009 Copa Libertadores,  so far.   Below is a photo gallery of the top scorers in the 2009 Copa Libertadores, through the Round of 16 .  [Note: for best viewing, click once more  on the image,  after the initial click.]

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Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here,  for the 2009 Copa Libertadores page)}.

May 19, 2009

MLB Ball Clubs and their Minor League Affiliates: the Oakland Athletics.

Filed under: Baseball Clubs/Farm Teams — admin @ 5:20 pm

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Below: Oakland Athletics Auxillary Chart,  featuring selected logos and uniforms from the history of the Oakland Athletics franchise…Philadelphia Athletics, established in 1901 as a charter member of the American League (1901-1954);  Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967);  Oakland Athletics (1968-2009).

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Oakland Athletics page at Sports E-Cyclopedia {click here}.

Thanks to the National Baseball Hall Of Fame’s Dressed to the Nines site,  which features uniforms templates drawn by Marc Okkonen {click here (set to Oakland A’s uniforms, 1968-1976)}.   Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page {click here}.   Thanks to MLB shop {click here}.   Thanks to Football Fanatics.com/Oakland A’s {click here}.   Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here,  for the page on the Oakland Athletics}.

May 16, 2009

England: the Conference (aka the Blue Square Premier League), the 4 clubs promoted for the 2009-2010 season.

Filed under: Eng-5th level — admin @ 2:00 pm

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The map shows the four clubs that have gained promotion from the Conference North and the Conference South (the 6th Level of English football).  They will play in the 2009-2010 season of the Conference,  also known as the Blue Square Premier League,  which is the 5th Level of English football,  and the highest level of Non-League football.  Two of these clubs,  AFC Wimbledon and Gateshead,  have now gained back-to-back promotions. 

The English Football Conference Playoffs Final is Sunday, 17th May,  at Wembley Stadium in London .  Here is an article from the Guardian.co.uk, by Mikey Stafford:  ’Cambridge and Torquay face off in final that’s too close to call’ {click here}.   [The winner of this match gains promotion from the Conference to the Football League’s League Two (the 4th Level).

Thanks to Tony’s English Football Site {click here}.   Thanks to TheLinnets.co.uk,  for the Non-League turnstile count list {click here ,  for the list of top drawing clubs in Non-League Football  (263 clubs)}.

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at Football Conference 2009-10)}. 

May 13, 2009

England: League One, 2008-’09 season. The 2 Promoted Clubs, and the 4 Playoff Clubs.

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The top 6 clubs in the 2008-2009 English Football League One season are shown on the map.  On the right are the two automatically promoted clubs,  Leicester City FC and Peterborough United FC.   On the left are the four playoff clubs competing for the third promotion spot.  At the top right are the average attendances of the clubs on the map,  listed numerically in context of the league averages…2008-’09 League One average attendances {click here (Tony’s English Football site)}.

Here are the match-ups for the playoff semi-finals…

Scunthorpe United v. MK Dons, Friday 8 May;  MK Dons v. Scunthorpe United, Friday 15 May.  Result, 1st Leg:  Scunthorpe 1-1 MK Dons.

Millwall v. Leeds United, Saturday 9 May;  Leeds United v. Millwall, Thursday, 14 May.  Result, 1st Leg:  Millwall 1-1 Leeds.

Thanks to  Colours of Football site,  for the kits {click here (set and England)}. 

Thanks to Tony’s English Football Site,  for gate figures {click here}.

Thanks to WebbAviation.co.uk {click here (set at Aerial photographs of Leicester)}.   Thanks to the Stadium Guide.com {click here}.   Thanks to remarkablepeople.co.uk {click here (set at “…all the place we have been [sic]“)}.   Thanks to soccervoice.com {click here}.  

Thanks to Extreme Groundhopping Blogspot {click here}.   Thanks to http://www.theposh.com .   Thanks to Miss Gas at the FootballStadiumGuide.co.uk {click here}. 

Thanks to http://www.worldstadia.com .   Thanks to blueandwhite1867 @ Flickr.com {click here}.   Thanks to MKDons.com {click here}.  

Thanks to the Tim’s92 site  {Although I couldn’t fit this photo in to the map (it’s the second photo, the one with the bobbies next to the New Den’s club shop.  Note the barbed wire.  To keep out skint Millwall fans,  I guess.)}.   Thanks to daejin @ Flickr.com {click here}.   Thanks to http://www.geocities.com/londonfootball/Clubs/millwall.htm .   Thanks to Les Bailey @ Flickr.com {click here}.  

Thanks to LeedsUnited.com {click here (set at Club history)}.   Thanks to Rivals.net {click here}.   Thanks to Ray Nimmo’s North Lincolnshire page {click here}.   Thanks to Brad- @ Flickr.com {click here}.   Thanks to JJ Willow @ Flickr.com {click here}.

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at League One page)}.

May 10, 2009

England: League Championship, 2008-’09 season. The 2 Promoted Clubs, and the 4 Playoff Clubs.

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Wolves clinched a spot for the 2008-’09 Premier League on 18th April.  The club from the West Midlands returns to the top flight for the first time since their one-season stint in 2003-’04.

On Sunday, 3rd May, yo-yo club Birmingham City snapped out of their poor late-season form and won the second automatic promotion spot on the last day of the season,  with a 2-1 win over Reading,  with their eventual winning goal coming from veteran striker Kevin Phillips.

Meanwhile,  Preston North End,  the club that had put BCFC in that must-win situation with a late winning goal the week before,  continued their late-season surge and wrested the final playoff spot,  via a 2-1 win over QPR,  and courtesy of the late-season collapse of Cardiff City,  who finished with 3 straight defeats.  Defender Sean St. Ledger headed in the winner for Preston,  with 15 minutes to go.

With that goal,  Preston North End edged Cardiff City on total goals,  the second tie-breaker after their equal goal difference (of plus-12).  Preston had 54 goals,  Cardiff had 53 goals. 

This set up playoff match-ups of… 

Preston v. Sheffield United, Friday 8 May;  Shefield United v. Preston, Monday 11 May.  First leg: Preston 1-1 Sheffield United.

Burnley v. Reading, Saturday, 9 May;  Reading v. Burnley, Tuesday, 12 May.   First leg: Burnley 1-0 Reading.

Thanks to  Colours of football site {click here}.

Thanks to Tony’s English Football site,  for the gate figures {click here}.

Thanks to Wolverhampton City Council Home Page {click here}.   Thanks to MolineuxMix.co.uk {click here}.  

Thanks to pparry @ Photobucket.com {click here};  and chocotiger66 @ Photobucket.com {click here}.   Thanks to http://www.sufc.com .  Thanks to isriya @ Flickr.com {click here}.

Thanks to The Sun.co.uk {click here}.   Thanks to PremierFootballBooks.co.uk {click here (set at St. Andrews- Birmingham City Football Club)}.

Thanks to Chris J. Wood / http://www.geograph.org .   Thanks to football-league.co.uk {click here (set at page/Championship)}.   Thanks to btinternet.com/ 1871-the Ultimate Reading FC website; Madejski Stadium Gallery {click here}.   Thanks to webbaviation.co.uk {click here (set at Reading)}.

Thanks to the Daily Mail site {click here}.   Thanks to www.LateMeetings.co.uk.   Thanks to TheStadiumGuide.co.uk {click here (set at Turf Moor)}.   Thanks to StewieD @ Flickr.com {click here}.   Thanks to clarette_and_blue @ Flickr.com {click here}.

Thanks to Skyscrapercity.com, Preston/ deepdale redevelopment thread {click here}.     

Thanks to SiMar1 @Flickr.com {click here}.   Thanks to extremegroundhopping.blogspot.com {click here (set at Preston national football museum; Morecambe; Deepdale [Feb. '05]).  {click here /extremegroundhopping.blogspot.com / home}}.

May 7, 2009

England: League Two, 2008-’09 season. The 3 Promoted Clubs, and the 4 Playoff Clubs.

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Football League play-off predictions, from the Guardian.co.uk {click here}.

The top 7 clubs in the 2008-2009 English Football League Two season are shown on the map.  The three promoted clubs,  Brentford FCExeter City FC,  and Wycombe Wanderers FC,  are shown on the right.  The four playoff clubs competing for the fourth promotion spot are shown on the left.  

On the upper right,  there is a list of the 7 clubs’ average attendance this season.

League Two champions Brentford had the third highest average attendance in the league,  at 5,707 [for the full list of League Two attendances, {click here}].   This club,  from the London Borough of Hounslow,  had it’s heyday in the 1930′s,  when the Bees reached the First Division (in 1933) and two years later finished in 5th place (in 1935-’36).  Brentford ended up having a 5-season run in the English top flight,  and had a peak average attendance of 25,768 in 1946-’47  (this was the first English Football League season following World War II,  and there were dramatic attendance increases throughout the country).  But by 1962,  Brentford had dropped to the old Fourth Division.  Since then,  the club has largely stayed in the 3rd and 4th Levels.  In the last 20 seasons,  the Bees have spent 3 seasons in the 4th Level,  16 seasons in the 3rd Level,  and 1 season in the 2nd Level.  That was in 1992-’93,  when Brentford drew 8,456 per game.  Griffin Park is Brentford’s home.  It is a compact ground with a pub on each corner.

Exeter City has won promotion two straight seasons now.  The club,  from the League football-deficient West Country,  have never risen higher than the 3rd Level,  so the Grecians return to this level next season makes for some heady times in this corner of Devon.  I can’t be certain,  due to the lack of lower league attendance figures prior to 1990,  but the club seems to have had their best season ever at the turnstiles,  with a 4,939 average gate.  Exeter’s best gate figures from 1989-’90 to 2007-’08 was when they won the Fourth Division in 1989-’90,  drawing 4,859 per game. 

Wycombe‘s form dipped in the last third of the season,  and the Wanderers backed into their promotion,  but that didn’t stop 9,625 from attending their final home match last Saturday (a 1-2 loss to basement-dwelling Notts County).

Gillingham‘s drop in gate figures (to 5,307 per game) can be attributed to their relegation from League One in 07/08,  but it must be noted that the club drew 9,600 last Saturday.  Shrewsbury Town had only a small increase at the turnstiles (to 5,664 per game) despite their good season,  because their gate figures from 07/08 had shot up,  as the club had just moved in to New Meadow.

Bury and Rochdale are two clubs from neighboring towns in the northern part of Greater Manchester  {see this map of Greater Manchester, here}.  Rochdale has spent 35 straight seasons in the 4th Level.  The Dale made it to the League two playoff final last season,  losing to Stockport County.  Bury,  known as the Shakers,  were in the 2nd Level as recently as 1999 (when it was called the Nationwide League Division One).  The club drew 6,179 in 1997-’98.  But for years,  both these clubs’ fan bases have dwindled,  overshadowed as they are by the hugely successful and well-supported Manchester United,  and the hapless yet still decently supported Manchester City.  Two interesting things about Bury are that their Gigg Lane ground is also home to the 6th Level Non-League club FC United of Manchester;  and the fact that Phil and Gary Neville’s father Neville Neville was a fomer chairman of Bury FC,  and still works for the club as a non-paid jack-of-all trades,  at Gigg Lane.

Here are the match-ups for the playoff semi-finals…

Rochdale v. Gillingham, Thursday 7 May;  Gillingham v. Rochdale, Sunday 10th May.   Both these matches are on Setanta. (!).

Shrewsbury Town v. Bury, Thursday 7 May;  Bury v. Shrewsbury Town, Sunday 10 May.

Thanks to  Colours of Football site {click here}.

Thanks to Tony’s English Football Site for the gate figures{click here}.   Thanks to EFS site, for older gate figues {click here}.   Thanks to the Footy-Mad sites,  for their invaluable league history sections on each club {click here (set at Bury FC League history)}.

Thanks to the Colours of Football site,  for the kits {click here}.

Thanks to the Brentford FC site {click here}.   Thanks to Sky Sports {click here}.   Thanks to www.TeamTalk.com .   Thanks to www.Stadiums.Football.co.uk .   Thanks to www.VisitBuckinghamshire.org .   Thanks to www.ExeterCity.co.uk .   Thanks to MattyGTFC @ Panoramio.com {click here}. .   Thanks to www.BuryFCyouth.co.uk .  

Thanks to Mike Serieys @ Flickr.com {click here}. .   Thanks to shanandphil @ Flickr {click here}.   Thanks to http://www.football-league.co.uk/ .   Thanks to Rutger Kuipers @ Panoramio.com {click here}.   Thanks to http://www.thegroundhog.wordpress.com .    Thanks to Chris Brookes @ Flicker.com {click here}. 

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at Brentford FC page)}.

May 4, 2009

Brazil, 2009 Campeonato Serie A: the 20 Clubs.

Filed under: Brazil,Zoom Maps — admin @ 4:50 pm

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Defending champions are Sao Paulo,  who have won the last three Brazilian titles.   On the map,  on the far right,  I have listed the final table for 2008,  including the four relegated clubs,  the four clubs promoted from Série B,  and the 5 clubs which qualified for the 2009 Copa Libertadores.  All 5 of these clubs,  incidently,  have advanced to the Knockout Round (of 16) in the Copa… Sao Paulo FCGremioCruzeiroPalmeiras,  and 2008 Copa do Brazil winner (and 11th place league finisher) Sport Recife.

Of the 4 promoted clubs,  by far the most popular are SC Corinthians.  This massively supported Sao Paulo club will feature former Cruzeiro,  PSV Eindhoven,  FC Barcelona,  Internazionale,  Real Madrid and AC Milan striker Ronaldo.  And on a personal note,  one of my favorite players,  Andres D’Alessandro {Wikipedia profile, here},  returns for another spell at Internacional.  D’Alessandro,  a crafty midfielder,  was very instrumental in helping Portsmouth FC avoid relegation in the spring of 2005,  and I have kept an eye on him since.  And speaking of the oft-overlooked Porto Alegre club SC Internacional,  here is a nice blog on the club that I just discovered,  run by a Welsh futbol fan… http://Internacionaluk.blogspot.com/ .    

The 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A season begins on Saturday,  May 9th.  Here are the fixtures {click here (Data.7m.cn site);  (ESPN Soccernet, click here)}

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia. {Click here for the page on Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2009}.

May 2, 2009

2009 Copa Libertadores, Knockout Stage, map of the 16 teams and their home stadiums; and the third installment of the tournament map.

Filed under: Copa Libertadores,Football Stadia — admin @ 6:59 am

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The Knockout Stage begins with the round of 16.  Teams are matched up according to results in the group stage.  The two-legged match-ups will be played on May 6 and May 13.  Here are the remaining 16 teams’ seeds, the match-ups,  and the bracket {click here}.   All 5 Brazilian teams have advanced.  There are no Colombian or Bolivian teams left in the competition.

Click on the title below for the other map…

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The two Mexican teams have a problem on their hands.  {See this, “Swine Flu Hits Copa Libertadores”, from The Offside.com}.

Thanks to Switch Image Project site for some of the jerseys (Boca Juniors, Palmeiras,  and Chivas Guadalajara jerseys)  {click here (set at Jan. 22, 2009 Club Deportivo Guadalajara Chivas 2008-09 kits}.   Thanks to the Sport Recife fans’ site called Meusport {click here (translated)}.   Thanks to the Cruzeiro fans’ site http://crufotos.wordpress.com/ .   Thanks to the Sao Paulo FC site Tricolormania {click here (translated)}.   Thanks to MuyBoca.com,  a Boca Juniors blog (translated) {click here}.   Thanks to Caracas FC site [I was unable to get a translation] {click here}.   Thanks to Sportfactory.Mediotempo.com,  and this thread {click here (Estadios Copa Libertadores 2009)}.   Thanks to GolazTropical.com.py , a Paraguayan sports site (translated) {click here}.   Thanks to http://deportivocuenca.blogspot.com/ .   Thanks to http://www.Cuencanos.com ,  for the elusive Deportivo Cuenca 2009 jersey photo {gallery at Flickr.com,  here}.

Thanks to the nice French site Chasseuer De Stades [which Babel Fish translated as 'hunter of stages',  but it's a site about football stadiums across the globe],  {click here}.

Thanks to GaloDigital {click here}.   Thanks to Flickr.com {click here .   Thanks to Panoramio.com {click here}.  

Thanks to World Stadiums.com {click here}.   Thanks to FussballTempel.net (German site on football stadiums) {click here}.   Thanks to the Onionbag.com {click here}.   Thanks to Futebol & Negócio {click here}.   Thanks to Minube.com (travel site) {click here}.   Thanks to Skyscrapercity site,  and this thread {click here (Estadios Peruanos III)}.

Finally,  thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at Copa Libertadores 2009 page)}.

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