billsportsmaps.com

May 19, 2009

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

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

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).

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}.

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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

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)}.

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May 13, 2009

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

Filed under: 2008-09 English Football,Eng-3rd Level/League One,Engl. Promotion Candidates,Football Stadia — admin @ 6:12 pm

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)}.

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May 10, 2009

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

Filed under: 2008-09 English Football,Eng-2nd Level/Champ'ship,Engl. Promotion Candidates,Football Stadia — admin @ 1:36 pm

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}}.

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May 7, 2009

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

Filed under: 2008-09 English Football,Eng-4th Level/League Two,Engl. Promotion Candidates,Football Stadia — admin @ 8:00 am

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 FC, Exeter 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)}.

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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 FC, Gremio, Cruzeiro, Palmeiras, 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}.

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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

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…

copa-libertadores09_knockout-stage_16teams_continuation-of-initial-map_.gif

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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April 29, 2009

England: 2008-09 Conference (aka Blue Square Premier League): the Promoted Club and the 4 Clubs in the Playoffs.

Filed under: 2008-09 English Football,Eng-5th level,Football Stadia — admin @ 12:53 pm

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The 2008-’09 Conference season went down to the wire. Burton Albion just held on to win the league and gain the sole automatic promotion. Burton’s form had plummeted following ex-manager Nigel Clough’s January exit. It will be the Staffordshire club’s first-ever appearance in the Football League. The town of Burton upon Trent did once have League representation, though, from 1892 to 1910, with Burton Swifts and Burton United. BSFC merged with Burton Wanderers to form BUFC, in 1901, but the club folded in 1910.

Burton Albion were formed in 1950. The club was promoted from the 6th Level Southern League, to the Conference, in 2002. They moved into the all-mod-cons Pirelli Stadium in 2005. This ground has a capacity of 6,500, 2,000 of which is seated. Burton upon Trent is located in Staffordshire, 38 km. (23 miles) north of Birmingham. It sort of sits on the divide between the East Midlands and the West Midlands. The town’s population is 61,000 (2001 estimate), and is best known for it’s brewing heritage. It is currently home to 5 brewers {see this}. So one can see why the club is called the Burton Albion Brewers.

Four clubs will battle for the second promotion spot. The four playoff clubs are a good representation of the rather wide variation of clubs in the 5th Level these days. Two clubs, Torquay United and Cambridge United, boast League history.

Cambridge United have spent 35 seasons in the League, including 9 seasons in the 2nd Level. CUFC were relegated out of the League, to the Conference, in 2005. The club boasts a decent sized fan base, and had the second highest average attendance in the Conference in 08/09, drawing 3,410 per game. The highest average attendance CUFC attained was in 1991-92, when they began their last, 2-season spell in the old Division One (the 2nd Level), and drew 7,084 per game to the Abbey Stadium. This was the Cambridge United that featured in the influential book Fever Pitch, by Nick Hornby.

Torquay United spent 73 consecutive seasons in the League, but were never able to get higher than the 3rd Level. They were relegated in 2007, and made the playoffs last season, losing in the final to Exeter City. The club had a good FA Cup run this season, making it to the Fourth Round. {see this post I made in January, which includes a Torquay United gallery}.

One club, in the ’09 Conference playoffs, Histon, is a little over 100 years old, but has never been higher than this level, and this is just their second season in the Conference. The club is located just a couple miles outside of Cambridge. Their Bridge Road ground is the second-smallest ground in the League (Lewes’ ground was smaller, but they are going back down to the 6th Level in 09/10).

The fourth club in the Conference playoffs, Stevenage Borough, were formed relatively recently (in 1976), but have been trying for 15 years to get into the promised land of the League. [Note: Wikipedia has the wrong 08/09 home jersey design for SBFC; I would try to get it changed if I knew how, but it's pretty late in the season anyway.] Stevenage Borough were denied entrance to the League in 1993-’94), when they won the Conference, because their ground was not up to standards. Now Broadhall Way is one of the best grounds in Non-League football. Stevenage is in Hertfordshire, 43 km. (27 miles) north of London.

As far as average attendance goes, four of the top 8 drawing clubs in the Conference are on this map. Histon is the exception, and as they are near the bottom of the attendance list, the small club from the village of Impington can be seen as a club punching above their weight. But considering how Histon beat Leeds United in the FA Cup earlier this season, no one should be surprised if Histon advance in the playoffs.

Blue Square Premier League average attendance, 2008-2009 season {click here (ITV.stats.football) }. [Note: the top list is by percent capacity; the second list is by average.] For the second straight season, the highest-drawing Conference club was Oxford United. Had it not been for a five-point deduction for roster irregularities, Oxford would be in the playoffs right now, as the chairman groused about Monday {see this (BBC)}. Then he apoligized for calling the Conference “poxy” {see this}. He should realize that no club is too big for any league, something Leeds United fans, and maybe, Newcastle United fans, will need to come to grips with.

The Conference playoffs begin Thursday, 30th April, with Stevenage Borough v. Cambridge United. The other match-up features Torquay United v. Histon, on Friday, 1st May. The second leg of both match-ups is on the following Monday, 4th May. The final will be at Wembley, date TBD.

While on the subject of Non-League football, there is one story that should not go unmentioned…the fourth promotion in seven years for AFC Wimbledon {see this article, by David Conn in the Guardian.co.uk site}.

Thanks to Tony’s English Football site for gate figures and fixtures information {click here}. Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at Conference National page)}. Thanks to BoroGuide.com {click here}, for the information on the 08/09 kit. Thanks to Flick.com {click here}. Thanks to Panoramio.com {click here}. Thanks to the Geobytes site, for their City Distance tool {click here}. Thanks to the footy-mad site, for League history of clubs {click here}. Thanks to Jeremy at Albion Road site {click here}, for finding the first site last Sunday that had the Conference playoffs schedule (at Tony’s English Football site, of course).

Thanks to VirtualGlobetrotting {click here}.

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April 26, 2009

MLB Ball Clubs and their Minor League Affiliates: the Philadelphia Phillies.

Filed under: Baseball Clubs/Farm Teams — admin @ 2:03 pm

Below: Philadelphia Phillies Auxillary Chart, featuring selected uniforms and logos from the history of the Philadelphia Phillies franchise…established in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1888); Philadelphia Phillies (1889-2009).

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Philadelphia Phillies page at Sports E-Cyclopedia {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 Phillies 1945-1953)}. Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page {click here}. Thanks to MLB shop {click here}. Thanks to the Minor League Baseball site {click here}. Thanks to Dugout Memories/ Cooperstown Gifts {click here}. Thanks to Mitchell & Ness {click here}. Thanks to the Phinally Philly site, for the image of the Harry Kalas memorial patch {click here}.

Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (Philadelphia Phillies page)}.

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April 22, 2009

J. League, 2009: the 18 teams in J.1, with 2008 final table chart.

Filed under: Japan — admin @ 12:37 pm

J. League, J.1 Table {click here (ESPN Soccernet)}. The Rising Sun News site (‘A Celebration of Football in Japan’) {click here}.

Official J. League site (translated) {click here}.

Thanks to BigSoccer.com {this thread, here}. Thanks to the contibutors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (J. League page)}. Thanks to Demis.nl {click here}.

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