Rugby League Merchandise

December 21, 2009

Audi R8 forum- Technological advancements

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: — admin @ 1:30 pm

Audi comprises of certain best quality cars unveiled at the right time to facilitate the involvement of the people to maintain high standards of car driving. The driving skills of the car are quite justified with the technological features provided by the car. The Audi R8 cars are generally adopted by motor sports. The sports car is suited for varied level of motor sports category. The development of Audi cars in grand manner may be utilized to support the growing needs in the field of automobiles. The automotive arena has many technological aspects that demand the human intervention to satisfy the needs specified. The needs are quite justified by the features attributed by the cars. The cars are quite eminently designed to cater the modifications regarding the determination of stress causing factors. These factors may be justified with the improved level of quality displayed by the car. Technological modification brought about from several other designs of Audi cars are quite eminently worked upon at the level of certainty. This leads to the improved performance of the car. Audi R8 cars are available in the global market starting from countries like Japan to several other South Asian countries. The global market bestows certain unique feature to be enjoyed by each and every person in the world.Audi R8 cars generally suit for sports with qualified levels of speed. The cars are provided with good suspension maintained at good level of accuracy. The level of sustenance may be dependant on the performance of the car on global arena. The acceleration obtained by the car may range from 3.5 seconds to 4.4 seconds. This kind of improved acceleration is obtained as a result of greater torque obtained by means of well-designed engines. The external feature of the car is quite astonishing due to the fact that the spoilers that are attached to the car are used to prevail under improved level of precision. The spoilers provide sufficient direction to the air yielding to good aerodynamically modified design. The Audi R8 car tyres are well grouped to carryout its work at different terrains maintaining higher levels of tension and friction at the roads. The gears system in Audi R8 is quite commendable since it provides good transmission of motion between different gear trains enabling sufficient acceleration at short interval of time. The fuel efficiency of the car is quite high yielding good satisfaction to the customers present all over the world.

Audi TT – general attributes

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: — admin @ 1:35 am

Audi Company manufactures the Audi TT coupe class cars since the year 1998. Its parent company is the Volkswagen Group. The car also provides improved fuel efficiency and an improved output with the newly installed FSI (fuel stratified injection) technology. The cars come with a standard 6 speed manual transmission and an option of DSG (direct shift gearbox) is also available that improves the driving experience. Its new features of active suspension and its magnetic ride, which provides automatic adjustment of the suspension system depending upon the road conditions, have got a great response from the people. The engine is transversely mounted with front and its Quattro four-wheel drive provides a stunning performance.The external and internal design is good and also it meets the customer requirements. Considering the external region, the paints used for the cars arte very special compare to other cars. It gives some lucrative effect to the car and also it gives some luxurious effect to the car. The door is designed well the ventilation function properly maintained by the well-trained designer, proper circulation of air inside the car while driving. The property of the car induces the people to but those cars, property means design of the car, performance of the car etc. design means we will consider both outer and inner design of the car. The outer region of the car is nothing but how the doors designed, how many doors, the paint used for the car all are comes under the external design of the car. Lot of modifications is seen in this car, the car bumper is modified now the damping effect of the car is good compared to previous one. The rear side of the car is containing lot of flexible parts like good damped springs and cushion seats. The exterior design of the car is very much improved when you previous version it is not up to the customer satisfaction so now the door is well finished and also the door will get good aesthetic effect. For door design they use recent technology to meet the requirements of the customer. The car was fabricated using the lighter materials in order to reduce the weight of the car, to improve the overall performance and also the efficiency of the car to increase the fuel economy.

December 20, 2009

Recreational and Sports Amenities in Leicester

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , — admin @ 3:21 am

Leicester has a strong tradition of being represented at national level in our three main sports. ie Football, Rugby and Cricket, with the rugby team, Leicester Tigers, being the most consistent in their achievements.

In terms of municipal sport and recreation facilities the recently opened Braunstone Leisure Centre is undoubtedly the star attraction. Opened in 2004 it is the home of both the Braunstone & City of Leicester Swimming Clubs and, despite only having an eight lane swimming 25m pool in 2005 it hosted the British Synchronised Swimming Championship. The centre also has a four lane community swimming pool and a sports hall capable of having six Badminton courts and an auditorium for up to 400 people. There are also leisure centres at Aylestone and Spence Street. Leicester has two municipal golf courses; Humberstone Heights (off Gypsy Lane) and The Western (off Scudamore Road).

Leicester Tigers are one of the country’s leading senior Rugby Union clubs. Their Welford Road ground has been the scene of some memorable games over the years and regularly hosts matches against the ‘Barbarians’ – a team of ad hoc internationals. Formed in 1880, their name has two legends associated with it. One is that it arises from the striped shirts that they wear and the other that it has an association with a local regiment that had been serving in India. Whilst their most recent successes were at the turn of the 21st century, ie English and European champions in the season 2001-2002, they are always a force to be reckoned with in English and European rugby. The Tigers play in the English Guinness Premiership League and have many international players in the team. Leicester as a city also has many thriving junior Rugby Union clubs playing in local leagues. To select any best known names from a club like the Tigers is difficult, but from recent times 2003 Rugby Union World Cup winner and England captain Martin Johnson has to be mentioned. Rory and Tony Underwood as well as, more recently, Austin Healey, were also well loved players.

Leicester City Football Club is currently in the English Championship League, one step down from the top-flight Premier League, their nick-name is The Foxes. Founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse, they moved to their original ground, Filbert Street, in 1891 – a year after joining the English Football Association. Their glory years were in the 1960s and early 1970s but since then they have at best only been able to yo-yo up and down from the top-flight of English football. Their last appearance in the Premiership League was in 2001, the same year that they moved to their new ground, The Walker Stadium. In 2003 with the club beset by financial problems, the club was bought out of administration by a consortium headed by the former player and club hero, Gary Lineker. Many famous footballers have played for Leicester City, two of whom were international goalkeepers for England, Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton. Gordon will, of course, always be remembered as one of the World Cup winning team of 1966. Gary Lineker, also an England international at Centre Forward, is probably the player held highest in the affections of The Foxes’ fans. Gary is now a regular presenter for BBC Sport.

Very much inside the city boundary is Leicestershire County Cricket Club, who are also known as The Foxes. They are currently in Division 2 of the ‘Liverpool Victoria’ County Championship. They are also in Division 2 of the ‘Natwest Pro40’ leagues where they play one-day limited overs matches. In the ‘Twenty20’ cup matches, which are played late afternoons and early evenings, the Foxes were the winners of the trophy in 2006 after a thrilling final match against Nottinghamshire. Leicester CC play at the Grace Road ground which was formerly known as the County Ground. Grace Road now has a capacity of 12,000 and is not on the English Cricket Board list of grounds that can host Test (international) cricket matches.

Leicester Riders are the senior basketball club in Leicester and play in the Premier League of the British Basketball League. They style themselves as the oldest basketball club in Britain being founded in 1967 and founder members of the National (British) Basketball League. Originating as the Loughborough All Stars, after some years of using Loughborough and Leicester as their home base they settled back into Leicester in 2004 and now play at their sponsor’s venue in De Montfort University.

Leicester has several athletics clubs, most notably Leicester Corinthians. For more information please refer to the link provided here. Leicester athletics like to associate themselves with the international distance runner Paula Radcliffe, who runs for Bedford & County to the south of Leicester.

If you fancy seeing if you’d like to try climbing as a sport or hobby, Leicester has the East Midlands’ largest indoor climbing centres at the Tower Climbing Centre. Here there are several climbing walls with varying degrees of difficulty, the largest of which is 15m. You’ll be welcome here whether you’re an experienced climber wanting to ‘keep your hand in’ or a novice wanting to try it out.

Article by Susan Ashby of Leicester Singles. To read more articles like this or for dating in Leicester visit http://www.Leicester-singles.co.uk

Audi TTS forum – learns more about the car and gets useful informationâ??s

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: — admin @ 1:41 am

Audi is one of the leaders in the area of the car manufacturing and they are well renowned all over the globe for their capability in producing the worlds leading cars in sports utility vehicle sector and also are very good in the normal sectors. Their technological advancement in the manufacturing of their cars is the main attributes to their success formula. Audi TTS is one of the many great cars, which Audi had produced in their productions. This car boasts about the great interior looks, which it has in its cars. One of the latest releases of the Audi TTS is the 2009 version of the Audi TTS. The technological advancement, which is being found in this car, is very huge and there are many great features in this car such that it can make a dream car for many of the persons.The engine which is being used in the Audi TTS is highly advanced in technology, it is made up of a two liter, consisting of four cylinders and also a direct injection system which will allow the car to generate greater amount of the torque and hence more amount of the power can be generated to make the car travel with a greater speed and also with increased amount of the pick up. The car comes in both the format which is of a roadster style and also comes in the form of a coupe. Both being equally popular and has gained enormous amount of the sales in the current year I the sports utility vehicle sector and has gained great reputation.The other important aspect of this car which makes it one of the best cars in this segment is the ability of the car to provide them with different driving styles in order to suit the driving method of the driver, this feature has become a great hit all over the world since this provides greater flexibility to the member who are driving the car. There is an option to lower the height of the car by about ten millimeters. This lowering of the position of the car can be achieved by using the electro magnetic damping system, which is available in the car. The other technological advancements, which can be seen in the car, are the presence of a more advance connecting rods, more efficient cylinders and more useful engine block. Also the intake and the exhaust valve, which are present in the engine blocks, have been optimized in order to increase the output of the car and also to increase the efficiency of the car.

December 19, 2009

Professional Bowling Around The World

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:13 pm

There are many instances of professional grade bowling performed throughout the world. The game of bowling was invented in India many years ago and the popularity of the sport has spread to all corners of the globe. Bowling is a competitive sport that is very popular with Canadians and with people throughout the United States.
The game of bowling has achieved great notoriety in countries like Canada and Germany, and is also enjoyed by the people in Finland and the sparsely populated areas in South America and all other parts of the world. Bowling can be enjoyed in the cold climates of greater New England or the more frigid climates of the Antarctic.
With a little bit of ingenuity, the game of bowling can occur in any location and some people have been very creative in enjoying this game of skill without having the standard equipment that normally exists in bowling. There is several different ways to play this game but everyone seems to enjoy it no matter what way they decide to play. The people that play it professionally are very serious about their bowling game and will devote many hours of practice to develop their skills.
Bowlers choose to bowl on a professional level because they want to win titles. Expanding the skills used by regular bowlers requires many hours of training and practice. Professional bowlers want to be recognized for their achievements just like any other business professional, and playing competitively against others that are also talented is one of the ways that they earn their rewards.
Developing skills may have gotten their skills honed for professional play but their prowess was recognized early in their training. Some professional bowlers got their start by entering one tournament after another until someone in the crowd stood up and took notice of their exceptional bowling abilities and invited them to join the Professional Bowlers League.
Some bowlers might display their exceptional talents when they win one tournament after the other. On any given week of the year, they might enter tournaments on the local level in the City in which they live, and also participate in championships that will earn them recognition as a national champion. Depending on how good their skills are they could continue to win tournaments year after year.
Some tournaments use a different name for the sport such a candle pin bowling. This is the common reference that Canadian use for the sport that Americans call bowling. The same ten-pen concept applies but in some countries people play professionally with pins that look small and squatty. Fans knows the game on sight so professional bowlers will not have to worry about the shape of a pin. As long as a ball rolls toward them, a professional bowler will always ensure that they go down.

Bad Sports? The Decline of Sporting Behaviour

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:13 am

Is it the sports that have turned bad or are we becoming bad sports? Most of our sportsmen and women are the exemplary role models we would hope for our children to look up to. However, increasingly there are scenes on our televisions and stories in the press of behaviour that is less than ideal. Football players fighting and arguing on the pitch and swearing if a decision isn’t one they like. Cricketers claiming catches that they didn’t actually make and then being shown up later in the game. Cycling and horseracing are continually under scrutiny. Drugs cheats being allowed to compete again at any level and then fighting to go to the Olympics again. Even being given captaincy honours for their country after being suspended for drugs.
It is becoming something that we all expect and accept and I’m not sure that I’m happy with that. In an ideal world all players will be honest and sporting and own up when they have bent the rules and all officials will be unbiased and unable to be influenced. All athletes would only use hard work to achieve their goal without resorting to drugs. Sadly we don’t live in an ideal world and it’s making competitive sport a bit of a non-event.
As a result the other thing that is taking over is the “extra official” this new need for a play back of incidents on the field to decide if the umpire or referee is right in their decision. More and more sports are introducing electronic umpires and using TV to clear up tricky decisions but is this policy best? Does it just invite players to question the officials? In slower moving games such as cricket and tennis it seems to work well where the pause naturally occurs in the game and the footage can be checked immediately and an outcome given. It could also be argued that it might be useful for settling all the dubious offside calls or missed calls that seem to happen in every football match of the season. It does become intrusive though and affects the flow of the game. Critics will argue what is the point of having officials on the pitch or court if a TV screen then gives the decision? I would agree, the officials are there to oversee the game and the players must agree to trust their judgement on all points throughout the match. Some will go your way and others won’t.
The problems arise when human integrity breaks down and greed plays a part. Big money bonuses for players who score, teams that win and the sack for those who under perform don’t add up to a neutral playing field of “May the best man/woman/team win”. It invites dishonesty; it encourages being a bit cheeky to see what you can get away with. At the very top of the scale it lends it’s hand to match/race fixing and outright cheating and where is the fun in that?
In this world where so much rides on winning should we allow it to be at any cost? High profile sportspeople and officials should have the utmost integrity and most of them do, but the others are ruining things for everyone. The fact that the wrong decision can then be proven a few minutes later with a TV re-play just adds fuel to the fire. We need things to be uniform so we know what the rules are. If in doubt watch a re-run, every time so that it can’t be disputed later or the officials’ decision is final, in all cases at all times, accept it and move on – including the pundits.
As a mother of two small children we are continually trying to teach our youngsters that the fun is in the taking part and that winning isn’t everything. But with the money stakes so high these days and talks of even more “Super Leagues” in sports like cricket where the winners take all, how can we promote fair play and gentlemanly behaviour? The sports themselves seem to be encouraging the bad behaviour, because losing just isn’t an option. Losing means no money and possibly not getting another chance to earn any more. What will happen to all the fun?
What I want is to see players owning up, accepting decisions and referees and umpires asking for another opinion when they really aren’t sure and an important result is riding on the outcome. Test for drugs regularly as a matter of course especially leading up to and during a major event and anyone who isn’t happy with that shouldn’t be participating – end of discussion. Play fair or don’t play at all.
Sometimes people get it wrong and they make mistakes and sometimes people cheat. Either we govern all aspects of sport in a similar fashion to make sure that the cheats never prosper. Or we take a long hard look at the way sport is going take away or even out some of the money aspect and therefore the temptation and bring back the fun.
Sportsmen and women are role models for our children and I don’t want mine to see highly paid men fighting and swearing and then getting their way. I don’t want them to think that it’s OK to take drugs to be better because all the others do. I want a clear message, that this is unacceptable, behave appropriately. If you cheat you lose and if you take drugs you never take part again.
Enough is enough I say! Don’t be a “Bad Sport” sometimes the other man/woman/team is better, so stop whinging. Have some respect for the game, the other participants, the officials, yourselves and more importantly the spectators.

December 18, 2009

Europe’s Most Significant Sporting Events in 2009

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:11 pm

Sports are forever and a day the obsession of mankind and Europe is always ahead in conducting sports events. Of course, the 2009 formula one season is the 60th FIA Formula 1. With a total of seven teams, the event is to be great enough for the audience to have a wonderful time. The winter classic, the hockey event, is yet again another highlight in the European countries. Yes, it is getting launched in Windy City.

Each year, each season, there is no spirit without rugby. UEFA U-21 Championship 2009 is set in motion on 31 May 2007. This is supposed to be the seventeenth UEFA European Football Title fight. Once more, it is the number one competition subsequent to the clash relapsed to a dual-year layout.

This time, The Masters Series, tennis tournament, possibly will be hacked as of nine on the way to eight play-offs in 2009. This will give a stop to the Masters Cup stirring from Asia on the road to Europe. Ashes is of course a wonderful competition in the times past of cricket. The heart throbbing fight between England and Australia is the most superb and brilliant event in this. The 2009 sequence happens in several sites in the region of England in July.

For Soccer lovers, the beach Soccer is ahead to fulfill your dreams. The teams participating in this are quite competitive and it is beyond doubt going to be another unforgettable event. For the tickets for each of the sport items, there are special venues.

If you cannot bear the rush in the queue, then opt to buy the ticket through online, where you can acquire cheap tickets. At times, you might find it really difficult to procure a ticket on the sport event you wished to perceive. Today, there are legitimate event tickets brokers who can get you a ticket without visiting the venue as suggested. All you have to do is make call to their office.

Sports packages endow with a grand line of attack to take pleasure in a life time occasion devoid of dealing the enjoyable fraction of a holiday. The majority of the sports packages are an adjunct to hotel lodgings, tickets as well as a trip surrounded by the neighborhood.

There is never an end to European sports event. The mature call of humans for festivity extends beyond into the next-door bubble of sport. Almost all the small states in each of the European country possess their own sports and interested item. The country is even far-headed when coming to the finance of many of the sport events. As you would expect motor sports like Formula 1 and noteworthy motorcycle happenings are methodically enclosed, as the leading city long-drawn-outs, bicycle contests and the two long-established boat races in London.

Yes, sports are in always a passion to the whole mankind. There is no end or hindrance to these games, with the encouragement of many companies and immense sponsorship. Today sports have become a business.

Was Sherlock Holmes an Aston Villa fan ?

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , , — admin @ 3:13 am

This is an abridged version of the article.”Was the Worlds Most Famous Detective, Aston Villas First Celebrity Football Fan ?” As the original article was a bit long for people to include on their websites or ezines.

People who have read my other article “Do Aston Villa have the most celebrity fans?” will know Aston Villa have the most celebrity fans in the Premiership.But did Aston Villa have another even more famous fan. the very first fictional detective character. No not Hercule. Poiret, or Tin Tin, but Sherlock Holmes. His creator Sir Arthur. Conan. Doyle. was a fascinating man, who lived a long and eventful life.One of ten children born into poverty, and with an alcoholic father. he did not have the best of starts in life. He trained to be a doctor,was a novelist and lifelong traveller, all round sportsman, popularising ski-ing in Switzerland. And once bowling out W.G. Grace at cricket. he stood for Parliament twice, made a fortune and squandered most of it promoting spiritualism.

So how might he have been a Villa supporter. Here is the evidence.In 1879 Arthur.Conan. Doyle. was a poor medical student. And as part of his training he moved to Aston in Birmingham working as an assistant to Dr Reginald Ratcliffe. Hoare. at Clifton House on the Aston road in Birmingham. He was paid a salary of two pounds a month, and was responsible for making house calls and dispensing medicines. In fact he and Dr Hoare ,got on so well he returned to help out in the surgery many times, after finishing his training. And no doubt supporting his beloved Aston villa at the weekends. (Incidentally Villa first entered the F.A. cup in the 1879/80 season)

In 1879 Aston Villa were still an amateur side, playing at the Wellington road ground in Perry Barr. Birmingham. It is possible that Conan. Doyle, a keen sportsman, could have known Villas early founder members and fellow scotsmen, such as William Mc Gregor, Archie Hunter; and George Ramsay.and perhaps agreed to watch a game, or even play for Villa.

Some of my critics might suggest that it was Conan Doyle who lived in Aston not Sherlock Holmes. But Conan. Doyle; received many letters from members of the public asking him to solve criminal cases. Some addressed to him, but many simply addressed to Sherlock. Holmes at his Baker street address. And as most fiction writers base their characters on aspects of their own personality. I think it is highly probable that Sherlock Holmes was Aston Villas first celebrity football fan.

Below is the evidence you can make your own judgement.

1 Lived within a hansom cab ride from Villas ground at the time.

2 He was a keen sportsman excelling at football, rugby and cricket at school.

3 Aston Villa at that time had a strong Scottish contingent.

4 Sherlock holmes was a Villa fan would make a great chant, ringing around Villa Park.

5.And finally, I am sure at the final game of the season. I am certain I saw a man in a deerstalker hat. sitting in the seat in front of me, puffing away contentedly on his meerschaum pipe,engrossed in the game.Was he or wasnt he, I had to find out, so I tapped him on the shoulder, and nervously blurted out “are you Sherlock Holmes and are you a Villa fan.” But just then the final whistle blew, he jumped up and disappeared into the departing crowd. So I will never know. But I am one hundred percent convinced that Sherlock Holmes was indeed Aston Villas first celebrity football fan.

 

 

 

Audi TT RS – layout

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: — admin @ 1:37 am

Audi TT RS is a sport car. Audi automobile groups produce this Audi TT RS, a sport car. This is located at Hungary. The parent company of this car is Volkswagen Group Company. Every car manufactured has some typical layout. This Audi TT RS car has layout as front engine, Quattro four-wheel drive and front wheel drive. The assembly process of this car is done at Hungary.The layout for a car is more important. The layout attracts the people all over the world while marketing. People will usually refer about the layout of the car while about to purchase newly released cars. People regard the layout of the newly released car as their primary taught and will act according to it. The Audi TT RS car is well qualified in the layout aspect. It has well attracted layout. It has Quattro four-wheel drives, front engine, and front wheel drive as layout. The various car parts are bought in various places all over the world. These parts are then assembled in the Hungary. This model is both coupe and roadster type. This Audi TT RS car has sport-attracting people all over the world. All the car parts are completely assembled in the Hungary. This car can also be operated through batteries. If the people have great concern to reduce fuel energy consumption they can prefer this vehicle. The Audi cars can reduce the people up to fifteen percentages. These cars have both two modes of power sources. People can get ultimate benefit from it. Everyday people are reviewing more about the cars that are about to bang the market in a short while. This new-modeled Audi TT RS has a very good power output of about 365 bhp. This feature has attracted many people all over the world. This Audi TT RS car has earned worldwide reputation before banging into the market through many websites published in the Internet.

December 17, 2009

Was the Worlds Most Famous Detective, Aston Villas First Celebrity Football Fan ?

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:20 pm

Aston Villa has undoubtedly the most celebrity fans in Premier league football. In quantity and quality. Their A list celebs include Prince Edward future King of the U.K; and Hollywood superstar Tom. Hanks. But to prove my point I must first define what I mean by an Aston Villa fan. You do not have to have visited the stadium to qualify. You just have to have stated in public. On T.V.,radio,or newspaper. That you support Aston Villa football club. With this in mind we can provide quite an impressive list. Unless you have the Pope or Barack Obama supporting your team you just cannot compete.

Here is my list of famous Vllla fans.Enough to form a first and a reserve team.

1 Prince. Edward. Future King of U.K. and Commonwealth.

2 Tom. Hanks. Oscar winning actor.

3 David. Cameron. Could be a future Prime Minister.

4 Mervin. King. Governor of the Bank of England.

5 Ozzie. Osborne. Local lad and heavy metal rock star.

6 Lee. Child. Best selling author. Always uses ex Villa players names, as characters in his books.

7 David. Bradley, Plays grumpy hogwarts caretaker. Argus. Filch.

8 Simon. Le Bon. Duran Duran rock star.

9 Ian. Lavender. Private. Pike in Dads army.

10 Nigel. Kennedy. Celebrity violinist.

11 Floella. Benjamin. Ex B.B.C. Play school T.V. presenter.

12 Ian. Bell. England and Warwickshire cricketer.

13 Ian. Duncan. Smith. Former Tory leader. 14 Jane. Sixsmith. Former England and Great Britain hockey player.

15 Pauline. Mc Lynne. Plays Father Teds housekeeper Mrs Doyle.

16 Emma. Willis. MTV presenter.

17 Martin. Shaw. Actor starring in Judge. John. Deed. 18 Emma. B. Radio 1 D.J.

19 Richie. Neville. Boy band FIVE.

20 Mark. Williams. Fast show comedy actor.

21 Oliver. Phelps. Plays George. Weasley. in all 6 Harry. Potter. films.

22 Geezer. Butler. Original Black Sabbath member.

Although you will not find them at Villa park for every home game, clutching a pie and a programme. they all have stated publicly that they are Villa fans, so we will just have to take their word for it.

But did Aston Villa have another even more famous fan. the very first fictional detective character. No not Hercule. Poiret, or Tin Tin, but Sherlock Holmes. His creator Sir Arthur. Conan. Doyle. was a fascinating man, who lived a long and eventful life.One of ten children born into poverty, and with an alcoholic father. he did not have the best of starts in life. He trained to be a doctor,was a novelist and lifelong traveller, all round sportsman, popularising ski-ing in Switzerland. And once bowling out W.G. Grace at cricket. he stood for Parliament twice, made a fortune and squandered most of it promoting spiritualism.

So how might he have been a Villa supporter. Here is the evidence.In 1879 Arthur.Conan. Doyle. was a poor medical student. And as part of his training he moved to Aston in Birmingham working as an assistant to Dr Reginald Ratcliffe. Hoare. at Clifton House on the Aston road in Birmingham. He was paid a salary of two pounds a month, and was responsible for making house calls and dispensing medicines. In fact he and Dr Hoare ,got on so well he returned to help out in the surgery many times, after finishing his training. And no doubt supporting his beloved Aston villa at the weekends. (Incidentally Villa first entered the F.A. cup in the 1879/80 season)

In 1879 Aston Villa were still an amateur side, playing at the Wellington road ground in Perry Barr. Birmingham. It is possible that Conan. Doyle, a keen sportsman, could have known Villas early founder members and fellow scotsmen, such as William Mc Gregor, Archie Hunter; and George Ramsay.and perhaps agreed to watch a game, or even play for Villa.

Some of my critics might suggest that it was Conan Doyle who lived in Aston not Sherlock Holmes. But Conan. Doyle; received many letters from members of the public asking him to solve criminal cases. Some addressed to him, but many simply addressed to Sherlock. Holmes at his Baker street address. And as most fiction writers base their characters on aspects of their own personality. I think it is highly probable that Sherlock Holmes was Aston Villas first celebrity football fan.

Below is the evidence you can make your own judgement.

1 Lived within a hansom cab ride from Villas ground at the time.

2 He was a keen sportsman excelling at football, rugby and cricket at school.

3 Aston Villa at that time had a strong Scottish contingent.

4 Sherlock holmes was a Villa fan would make a great chant, ringing around Villa Park.

5.And finally, I am sure at the final game of the season. I am certain I saw a man in a deerstalker hat. sitting in the seat in front of me, puffing away contentedly on his meerschaum pipe,engrossed in the game.Was he or wasnt he, I had to find out, so I tapped him on the shoulder, and nervously blurted out “are you Sherlock Holmes and are you a Villa fan.” But just then the final whistle blew, he jumped up and disappeared into the departing crowd. So I will never know. But I am one hundred percent convinced that Sherlock Holmes was indeed Aston Villas first celebrity football fan.

 

 

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress

Powered by Yahoo! Answers