The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Summers]

Birmingham Mail have video of #AVFC players in fight with bouncers after player-of-year dinner birminghammail.net/news/top-stori… via @Fourth_Official

3 Villa Players disciplined after nightclub brawl

A brawl outside Gatecrasher in Birmingham City. Stay classy, Villa.

Video above by Links.

[IAceI]

I think my love for Van Persie's goal against Everton pretty much stems from the fact that if I had started trying to recreate it the moment after he did it - even now I doubt I'd have done it, I probably wouldn't have connected with the ball either such was the precise technique he used.

Don't be too harsh on yourself. I'm sure you are every bit the player Van Persie is and more.

To be fair on myself I am right footed. And it's an absolute panzer of a right foot at that. :-\

[Lineker]

Capello for Villa!

The Premier League has issued an invitation to tender for the domestic UK broadcast rights for the 2013-14 to 2015-16 football seasons.

It says 154 matches will be shown live on TV each season from 2013-14 - 16 more than currently broadcast and more than 40% of all top-level matches

The extra 16 live games comes as matches are moved away from Saturday 15:00 kick-off times, due to Europa League involvement or police advice.

No 15:00 kick-offs can be shown live.

The 154 games will be split into seven packages comprising five packages of 26 matches and two packages of 12 matches. No one buyer will be allowed to buy more than five packages or 116 matches.

The current rights are held by Sky and ESPN, and a challenge from Al Jazeera is also expected this time round.

"This creates a more attractive and compelling offering for both broadcasters and fans; whilst allowing the continued protection of the Saturday 3pm 'closed window' and minimising further displacement of Premier League fixtures," said the league.

Another sales process will be conducted for two "near live" packages each containing 226 matches, and an internet-based clips package for all 380 matches.

English Premier League club Arsenal will travel to Nigeria for a pre-season match in Abuja on 5 August.

According to the organisers, DanJan Sports, Arsenal's opposition are likely to be a leading African national team.

It will be the first time the Gunners have played in Nigeria.

"We are working on the opposition and once that is finalised we will announce it to the public in conjunction with the London club," David Omigie of DanJan Sports said.

"Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and the club with arguably the biggest fan base in the country is visiting in August."

On their official website Arsenal said: "The club last visited Africa during a tour to South Africa in July 1993, and is returning as a result of the fantastic support which exists for the team, not only in Nigeria, but across the entire continent."

The club traditionally hosts an annual pre-season tournament at the Emirates Stadium, but they opted to postpone the event for a year because of the 2012 London Olympics.

The visit to Nigeria will conclude Arsenal's pre-season tour after playing in both China and Malaysia in July.

In July 2008, DanJan Sports brought two other English clubs, Manchester United and Portsmouth, to the Nigerian capital Abuja for a pre-season friendly.

As well as the match between the two, Portsmouth also played against Nigeria Premier League side Kano Pillars.

But DanJan Sports plan to go a step further this time around.

"We learned a lot from the 2008 tour and this one is going to be bigger," Omigie told BBC Sport.

"Arsene Wenger wanted a detailed plan and information. Facilities and other areas were well covered by the club.

"This is the beginning of big things between the club and the continent of Africa."

According to speculation in the local media Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Egypt are all among the potential opponents for the Gunners.

[Gazz]

My right foot is so cultured, when I die they're going to exhibit it in the Louvre.

[Lineker]

Aston Villa supporters pay for advert urging Alex McLeish to go

[Thrilla]

Arsenal/Norwich on ESPN today?

[EddieG]

lol, no. ESPN have 8am-8pm coverage of the Cup Final.

[Thrilla]

Meh. And its not on Sky Sports either from what I can see.

[Hobo]

You can always find it ... Elsewhere.

[Thrilla]

I don't care about the game that much, I was just wondering whether or not to go to the pub and get a beer and whether there would be anything on TV to watch.

[Thrilla]

Although its 2-1 to Norwich now inside the first half hour.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Well I guess that settles my question of whether the games ESPN shows in the US are also the games ESPN shows in the UK.

Weird that Canadians and Americans are getting this one on TV and Brits aren't.

[Guest mr. potato head]

2-2 thanks to Van Persie. Norwich looking the better team though.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Van Persie again! 3-2!

[Guest mr. potato head]

3-3! This is madness!

[lanky316]

Steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve Still making me stupidly happy after several years since that goal at Wembley

[Guest mr. potato head]

Crazy finish. Incredible defending from Norwich.

[Lineker]

Norwich :w00t: !!! Apparently Sagna broke his leg again though. Fibula. Bad luck.

Now we just need to not fuck up against Villa or Fulham. Martin Jol to do us a favour please!!

[Lineker]

Manchester United's Darren Fletcher is "doing his best" to resume his career after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, says Sir Alex Ferguson.

Midfielder Fletcher began an extended break from football in December because of continuing health problems caused by the chronic bowel condition.

Rumours earlier in the week suggested the Scotland captain, 28, was about to announce his retirement.

But Ferguson said: "We're hoping he will start pre-season training."

Fletcher's last game was in the 2-2 Champions League home draw against Benfica on 22 November, in which he scored.

Ferguson added: "He is on the recovery road at the moment in the sense of some work he is doing.

"But we can't assess it because we don't know enough about it.

"Darren's medical people are dealing with it and our doctor has a good idea of the situation but at the moment the boy is doing his best to come back."

Fletcher signed a four-year extension with United in March 2011.

[Mad Jack]

Hopefully he does come back.