Website promotion & other stuff

Have signed up to this thing called The Publicity Wheel which seems a decent way to promote your site (If it takes off). You basically get credit for including stuff like this :




and this :

The Publicity Wheel - Winner in News and Media

and in return they flash your link onto numerous other sites around the world. Mainly doing it as an investigation into Search Engine Optimisation. I'm discovering that internet marketing is a pretty big game and there's lots to it, I am quite surprised how many readers are clicking the Google ads up top there. I didn't think much of it when I signed up to it and I removed it for a time 'cause it kept flashing banners for The Sun (Don't buy it) but it is quite an impressive system (speaking from a technical point of view).

The unstoppable forces takes on the spent force?

Well not quite...most of us trooped out of Goodison pretty miserable on Sunday. We'd twice been ahead only to be pegged back. Instead of 6 points with a much superior goal difference we were a mere 3 points ahead of the Villa with tougher games to play.

That was certainly a glass half empty attitude. Everton had looked dead and buried in recent weeks, the pundits were saying we'd hit the wall. Villa on the other hand were in stunning form having scored 15 goals in their last three games. I reckon any Evertonian would have taken a point before kick-off. I have to admit I didn't think Everton had that in them. It's just a shame that their performance didn't quite carry them over the line. If Villa beat us at the line then so bet it...it's worth bearing in mind that they've played about 15 games less than us this season. Yes that's the price of success but the facts remain. It's also worth bearing in mind that in any other year Everton would be enjoying an end-of-season cruise already guaranteed a UEFA place from an unused cup slot. It was a day of what ifs but at the end of it Everton are now almost certain to be playing European football again next year. Portsmouth haven't applied for the Intertoto so for Everton to come away empty handed Pompey would have to win their next two games then lose the FA Cup final with Villa also slip past Everton. Some blues seem to lament the end of season dip...it's very dissappointing but we shouldn't let it sour what's been a brilliant, brilliant season.

On Saturday we popped along to the last game of the Waterloo season....this was always going to be a toughie against Otley, a team who needed to win to be crowned champions. It proved a fairly easy win for the Yorkshire side but Waterloo played pretty well and pushed them all the way for their win. When you consider that Otley finised hust ahead of Manchester, a team Waterloo did the double over you perhaps get a sense of the topsy-turvy season 'loo have had.

Jewell tight-lipped over Carsley

Jewell tight-lipped over Carsley

Derby County manager Paul Jewell said he will not be commenting on speculation linking him with a move for Everton's Lee Carsley.

The 34-year-old former Rams midfielder has been widely tipped for a return to Pride Park this summer.

However Jewell told BBC Radio Derby: "It would be unwise and unfair to comment on players from other teams."

Carsley is out of contract with the Goodison Park club at the end of the current season.

Not happy about that...Surely Cars is worth another year at least. He's been immense, he just needs someone to take a bit of the pressure off him so he isn't our lynchpin week in, week out. I can't say enough good tihngs about Lee Carsley...he's everything you'd want in a player and since he was given the anchor roll atthe start ofthe 2004 season he's basically been indespensible. Add to that the fact that everyone at the club seems to love him to bits it'd be very sad to see him leave.

My kind of liverpool site

Not saying anything about last night...it was a hell of an own goal but I still fancy them to go through.

http://www.liverpool-kop.com/ - "Rejecting biased media hype and fawning 'blind faith' fandom".

For a long time I've noted how truly embaressing it must be for the decent, calm measured rednose when the stereotypical super-red wannabe is all over the media. At long last a site reflecting that silent element (you notice I held back on saying majority ;) ).

Since you've been gone

So while we were in the far east playing the occidental tourist Everton rapidly look to be running out steam. A ropey win against Derby and a draw against Birmingham show how the season has cuaght up with us. The Chelsea game is slightly irrelavent, they are form team in the league and probably our only chance was to catch them on an off day becasue of the utterly pathetic scheduling of the game. Sky demanding a title challenger play two games in 4 days is utterly ridiculous.

The sheer number of games and the small number of frontline players has caught up with us in a big way whilst the likes of Portsmouth and most notable Aston Villa hit form just at the right time.

This weekend's game will be vital in securing the UEFA place. I do think if we lose the Intertoto is probably the best we can hope for. According to the official Everton webiste site "If Everton finish fourth - we would qualify for the Champions League UNLESS an English side wins the Champions League and finishes outside the top four. We would then play in the Uefa Cup.

If Everton finish fifth - we would qualify for the Uefa Cup regardless of any other scenario.

If Everton finish sixth - we would play in the Intertoto Cup UNLESS the FA decide Cardiff City can't have one of England's Uefa Cup places AND Portsmouth finish fifth. We would then play in the Uefa Cup.

If Cardiff ARE permitted to take one of England's spots, then we would play in the Intertoto Cup.

If Everton finish seventh - we would play in the Intertoto ONLY IF the FA decide Cardiff City can't have one of England's Uefa Cup places AND Portsmouth finish fifth.

IF the FA decide Cardiff CAN have one of England's places, there would be only one Uefa Cup place from the league - awarded to the team finishing fifth. The Intertoto Cup place would then go to the highest-placed applicants who haven't qualified by other means. Everton, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur have applied for the Intertoto Cup. Spurs have qualified already through the Carling Cup. Portsmouth have not applied.

Therefore, if Portsmouth finish sixth and Everton seventh, Everton would qualify for the Intertoto Cup. If Aston Villa, Blackburn or Man City finished sixth and Everton seventh, Everton would NOT qualify for the Intertoto Cup.

There is also a possibility an English side could qualify for the Uefa Cup via Uefa's Fair Play league. England are currently one of several nations who could be awarded an additional Uefa Cup place, with Everton well-placed in the Premier League disciplinary standings. Full details of this situation are yet to be clarified by Uefa."

In other news we've finally signed up Steven Pienaar for a pretty paultry £2m and Dan Gosling is close to making his debut.

Big in Japan

Well it has to be said that was a GREAT holiday. As dear old Mark Tapley would say "There's no credit in being jolly". A 3am start and a 15 hour trip was pretty daunting but ultimately the exhaustion after a journey that long effectively dealt with any potential jet-lag (how's that for looking on the bright side). We arrived in Tokyo at 7:30am the next day and were met by my old university mate Dave...he should us round and basically kept us awake for the first day nosing round Tokyo so that by the time we slipped into a blissful coma our body clocks were totally adjusted (Apparently we slept through a big earthquake on the first night).

Loved Tokyo to bits...neon, beer, ramen, sashimi, cherry blossom, karaoke, Tokyoites picnicing or strutting their stuff in the park. Really can't say a bad word about the place. So grateful to Dave & Elly for looking after us.

From there we went up to Nikko...that was ace, have done a lot of templing over the curse of my travels and that was definitely up there with those real "Oh wow" moments...also me and Anne and a random Japanese girl got our sone-to-be legendary three wise monkeys picture there so it can't be bad.

From there we did a mad transit over to Kyoto....the Shinkansen bullet trains are every bit as impressive as you imagine they are going to be (and thanks to the JR Pass you can basically just jump onboard with impunity). Kyoto's main problem is that there's just so much to fit in there. Think we got a good feel for the place in the time we were there though. Saw the famous Zen garden and the beautiful golden pagoda (in between conveyor belt sushi & beer sessions). After a quick visit to the impressive Himeji Castle we went to Nara for some tramping round in the woods and some sunbathing (and to see the awesome Todai-Ji temple with it's stonkingly big Buddha) and then a rain soaked Ise before heading back to Tokyo for more food, beer and karaoke with Dave & Elly. Brilliant trip all round.

Konichiwa

In Tokyo at the moment...loving it (although the rain is a little Belguim-esque). The place definitely has the "wow factor" as well as a brilliantly benign, friendly "Ah factor".

Chuffed Everton won....goold old Leon.

身らﾃに地も背水と戸に幹巣地味氏らも野印と羅身地町製三井問いのいんこらちすし!
(Random japanese keypressing just for the hell of it)

Oh, not again

Waterloo Rugby Club look at moving ground

Can my sports clubs just stop leaving their beautiful traditional old homes please....is it too much too ask. First Everton ditch our wonderful old stadium for some souless-modern logistical nightmare out in the sticks....Now Waterloo are looking to move. In Waterloo's case it's a bit more understandable. Blundellsands is prime, prime real-estate and the club isn't exactly awash with cash. I just hope they move somewhere easy to get to.

Google bomb with a purpose

For no apparent reason I thought it'd be worthwhile put up this link to a site that explains exactly who is a Jew. ;)

Loved this story over at my favourite SEO company : Lycos and Excite to make bid to buy Yahoo. Google and Microsoft merge

Everton respond to Benitez's self-righteous jibes

EVERTON'S RESPONSE TO BENITEZ CRITICISM

Absolutely spot on response from Everton :

Everton have responded to comments made by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez concerning the Toffees' travelling fans.

Benitez criticised Everton's away support in the wake of Sunday's 207th Merseyside derby, claiming they showed 'a lack of respect' with chants aimed at Steven Gerrard at Anfield.

Ian Ross, Everton's Head of PR, issued a statement in response.

He said: "Whilst we would never condone the singling out of individual players for vitriolic insults, it is a shame that Mr Benitez chose to ignore the actions of his own club's supporters.

"Not only was Joleon Lescott subjected to an afternoon-long barrage of quite disgusting and quite audible abuse, Phil Neville was seemingly spat at several times and was also punched in the back by a supporter as he took a throw-in.

"We have asked Merseyside Police and our Safety Officer to look into the matter.

"In calling for Everton supporters to respect his players, Mr Benitez should, perhaps, remember his comments of 12 months ago when he sought to belittle one of world sport's oldest and most respected institutions by describing us as a 'small club'. Respect is a two-way street."

Everton take a battering, Phil Neville takes a punch, Benitez takes the oportunity for another anti-Everton jibe

First and foremost Everton got battered by liverpool, top to bottom, start to finish. 4th looks a long way off when you look at the last three performances. The crazyness of this year’s cups means that UEFA cup qualification is looking difficult too. So many players have gone of the boil at the crucial time, it’s just worrying that such a great season is in danger of ending in disappointment.

In the backdrop of this comes that arrogant Spanish prick Benitez’s usual sly jibes at Everton. This time our fans are giving Gerrard too much abuse. Boo fucking hoo…I remember him running along the Lower Bullens giving it ears and I’m sure Super Kev, Gary Naysmith and now Lee Carsley remember getting stamped on. It’s not particularly savoury but ultimately you reap what you sow. It is a bit rich publicly criticising one set of fans whilst his own have been spitting at and hitting Phil Neville our captain…of course he doesn’t care about that, he knows how it will be reported and how much the Liverpool fans lap up his little digs…was it lost in translation again Pendejo?

David France article in The Telegraph

Outstanding article in The Telegraph about David France and his collection with a good mention to the Everton Former Players Foundation. :


As the granddaughter of William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean, Melanie Prentice grew up surrounded by football treasures accumulated by the Everton legend during a playing career that brought him two League championships and an FA Cup triumph. But nothing had prepared her for the array of artefacts awaiting her arrival at Dr David France's home in Victoria, British Columbia.

"We were bewildered by the original artwork of Picasso, Magritte, Dali, Chagall, Warhol, Miro and others," she recalls. "It was an overwhelming sight but a mere distraction because before our eyes lay a priceless exhibition of the masterpieces of football's history. I can only draw comparison with Howard Carter as he opened the door to Tutankhamun's tomb. While there were no gilded mummies or papyrus scrolls, there were simply too many sacred football items to comprehend…"

Programmes dating back to 1886, ancient medals and photographs, books and international caps, documents and letters, cigarette cards and trading cards… Dr France's collection of football memorabilia attracted two bids of £1.25 million from the Middle and Far East in 2006, instead of which it will go on display when the new Museum of Liverpool opens in 2010, having been purchased by the Everton Collection Charitable Trust for a fraction of what the 10,000 or so items would have commanded at auction.

Born in a two-up, two-down in Widnes with one cold tap, one electric light, one outside toilet and one nail holding up a zinc bath, Dr France was dismissed as a 'slow learner' as a schoolboy and was unable to read until the age of 14. Having begun his working life as an apprentice gas-fitter riding the streets on a bike with coils of copper pipe over his shoulders, he resumed his education and gained several university degrees, including a PhD in chemical engineering. He subsequently won the Institute of Physics' Joule Medal for his research into hydrogen combustion, served as a consultant to NASA in rocket science (his Green Card having been sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy) and ended his working life at the age of 42 in 1990 to concentrate on 'good deeds'.

As well as combing the world for Everton jewels for the past 25 years, he has flown more than two million miles from his homes in Canada and Washington state to attend games, published 16 books (the latest, The Golden Vision, about 1960s centre-forward Alex Young) to raise money for Alder Hey Children's Hospital, established the club's Hall of Fame and founded the Everton Former Players' Foundation, a charity to assist old Evertonians who have fallen on hard times and which Uefa use as their template for all such associations.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

France 1-0 England

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Lescott didn't get injured tonight. That's about the only news. Nice to see Beckham get his 100th cap but ultimately that was a poor, poor, poor, poor, poor game. Not many people out there desperate to show the new boss what they can do. It seemed like the players had taken Nicolas Sarkozy's warm & comradely words to heart. Now I'm a Europhile myself by jeez...Get into them lads.

Crossing the park

Cool article about players who've played for both Everton and liverpool

That makes a total of no less than 29 players to make the direct move between Liverpool and Everton, with 20 of those being from Goodison to Anfield and 9 in the opposite direction. The most surprising part of this figure is that it turns out to be the greatest number of transfers between Liverpool and any other club, and 10 more than the next most common. Since Everton are our closest neighbours and most common trading partner, it would be natural then to expect Tranmere Rovers to be the next most common club for transfers, which turns out to be correct. What is perhaps most surprising is that there have only been 19 players transferred between Liverpool and Tranmere, with 4 from and 15 to the Wirral club. The next most common is Sunderland with 17, followed by a group of four clubs with 16.

The number of transfers between the two rival clubs is surprising to begin with, but even more so when we realise that there are also a fair number of players who played for both sides without making the move directly. David Burrows, Steve McMahon, and Don Hutchison have all represented both clubs, while a few others such as Dave Watson, Alan Harper, and Mike Newell played for Liverpool as youths and later played for Everton at the senior level. Beyond that, there are a fair number of Liverpool players who grew up as Evertonians. These include Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Ian Rush, and Jamie Carragher. Steven Gerrard was even photographed in an Everton strip as a young lad, much to the delight of the Blues supporters who found a copy of it.

With all of that activity between the two Merseyside clubs, they might look more co-operative than competitive. Perhaps that's not so surprising when we think not only of how physically close the two clubs are to each other, but also of how the two clubs are historically related. In fact, the analogy could be that the two clubs are like brothers and perhaps should respect each other as such. Then again, is there anything more satisfying than beating your brother?

Beneathus whinging

It has to be said it's great to see Benitez again making such an undignified public spectacle of himself and his club. I remember a time when Everton were the running joke and you had to work long & hard to come up with anything to criticise liverpool about.

The latest bleat-fest centre's on Mascherano's self-destruct routine at Old Trafford. Now I studied the footage on Match of the Day and I am pretty sure I've worked who was to blame for the whole incident. Not so The Rafatollah

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7312958.stm

The more deluded rednoses might still be lapping it up (just look at the excuse for journalism they get spoon fed by the local rags :

FAN VIEW: United have a new hero - Steve Bennett

The facts are the Utd are a street ahead of everyone this year...it's just that certain teams have spent £150,000,000 attempting to close the gap only to see it widen.

Running on empty?

Everton 1-1 West Ham

In a way this sort of performance was inevitable. Earlier in the season Everton were just calmly dismissing sides like West Ham...in the end we have to be glad of the point.

They'd hit the bar early on but I'd say we'd started brightly with the Yak scoring a great goal and having another wrongly disallowed.



As the game went on it became more and more apparent that the referee, Halsey, was allowing a lot of slack...How Ashton made it to half time without getting booked is a mystery. All Everton got for their dominance was a few mystifying advantages played when we barely had the ball under control and the foul had occured in a dangerous place. That said Howard had already pulled off a miracle save with his legs from a deflected free-kick.

Everton just had an air of tiredness and feeling sorry for themselves which seemed to become more entrenched as the game went on. We really missed Johnson, Cahill and Pienaar. Ultimately it was West Ham who took the game by the scruff of the neck and probably should have won it. Everton can feel pleased with the point expecially with all the teams around us dropping points. It was not the ideal preparation for next week's derby though. That is a make or break game. As it stands we are 2 points behind our lovable neighbours and 7 points clear of the chasing pack. A good position to be in but the last two games have been really disappointing...I think possibly 3 months of playing absolutely flat-out might finally be catching up with us.

Slams

Had a nice day on Saturday watching three matches of rugby. The fact that I've given up beer for lent dampened things somewhat but not really that muxh. Was in Bangor, North Wales for my brother-in-law's stags do and the Welsh grand-slam was top of the menu.

Italy v Scotland intrigued, it's great to see Italy doing well. They are slowly maturing and are becoming a real asset to the tournament. In the coming years you can see them challenging for the championship.



England came next, a few muted cheers from the locals greeted the Irish probing but England were impressive, there is no way to get round it. Everything clicked. Ireland were woeful, a revitalised England got quick ball from backs to forwards, it all flowed. Virtuouso performances from Cipriani and awesome tackling by Noon in particular shone. Where did performances like that and the one in Paris come from when you look at the abject capitulation against Wales and Scotland? Would the real England please stand up!





And so onto Wales, I never really thought it was in doubt...France effectively started the game 25 points down. The Welsh started so well and the French didn't really react. The Welsh's none-commiting rucking meant there was never any space for the French to get going. The locals all lauded the grand slam and well done to them...you just wonder what would have happened if England hadn't have had a mad 40 minutes in the opening game. Still what-ifs don't cut it. Hats off to the champions.

Gutted

Fulham 1 - 0 Everton. It did have a bit of an inevitablity about it.

It really was a sickener though. Why do we always blow it at Craven Cottage? Fulham are a poor, poor side but you can't argue with the result. I know some sort of dip is understandable after the 120 minutes & the heartbreak of Wednesday but surely that was the perefect game to put it right in. We've been notable for our "bouncebackabilty" (thank you Ian Dowie) this season. A win there would have got everything back on track, instead the pressure is on now.

At least Villa lost I suppose. Worried about the striker situation. Having one fit forward can't be good, even poor Lukas Jutkiewicz is injured whilst on loan.



Waterloo chipped in with a good win at the weekend. Very good to see. There were a few vague relegation concerns after their losing streak. Now we are alomst certain to stay in National Division Two for another season. Chris O'Callaghan seems to think we are going in the right direction and I'd tend to agree. *Edit* More concerning is the reports coming from the AGM, from the report I read in the Daily Post the financial situation isn't the best. Attendances are pretty pitiful really, and it seems they aren't enough to meet the expenditures. My view...everyone needs to mobilise the troops. Bring everyone they know to the match, it's a great place to watch sport...more scousers need to get down there.

European reflections

Everton really have lit-up what's a pretty tawdry competition. UEFA Cup for all it's faults could be the place where David Moyes' Everton came of age....that could be wishful thinking but everything considered last night really does cap a superb European sojurn. There might be fantastic things to come for Everton in the future but that Arteta goal last night was just an awesome, awesome moment....I think it's one that will always stay with me. The place went bonkers, ballistic, bananas it was royal blue bedlam. It's making me smile every time I think about it.

We had a bad night at the office in Florence and then went out on put it right in proper style. We took them to the cleaners last night, they were hanging on by there fingernails. Aside from that dodgy night in Florence that whole European party was ace (but for one silly mistake against Metalist at Goodison we'd have set a record for the longest ever winning streak by an English team in Europe)...the UEFA cup is still shite ( ;) ) but Everton are fucking ace.

It's great to think back over it. Metalist's porky physio getting dogs abuse from the Gwladys, McFadden's goal in the Ukraine, Victor suckering the defender to make it safe. The way he calmed the nerves against Larissa then just looked at the Gwladys as if to say "What was all the fuss about", dealing with Nurnberg's pressure then showing our class, The professional performance Zenit, winning at fortress Alkmaar, taking Brann to the cleaners then picking ourselves up off the floor and battering Fiorentina. 3, possibly 4, Champions League teams know all about Everton now...Let's do it again next season. Amongst the wins there is a sense of how far Everton have come. Ropey & living on their nerves against Metalist & Larissa moving onto calm mature performances against Zenit, Nurmberg and AZ Alkmaar...but there was also proper old style British blood & thunder efforts like Brann & Fiorentina.

You can't really be disappointed in going out on pens to the 4th place Serie A team...Just hope for many more European adventures like that. As I said to a mate of mine "I am bouncing. That's our Everton, the team that used to f*ck up all the time, wallow around lurching from disaster to disaster with the odd false dawn thrown in....our Everton playing like true heroes when it looked like it was beyond them. Everything you want your footy team to be."

ah well

Everton 2 - 2 Fiorentina (Agg 2-2) Fiorentina win 4-2 on penalties

I spent most of the night praying and ultimately my prayers were answered...but you knew that once it went to penalties Everton were going out. But bollocks to it...Everton did themselves proud, after the first leg we all consoled ourselves with how good a side Fiorentina were, last night we took them to the cleaners. The game ebbed and flowed but really there was never a time when we were on the back foot (I am one of the most pessimistic blues around but the way we took the game to them from the first whistle was so impressive).



We scored at crucial times, both goals came when the game could have been swinging away from us. Whatever happened at the end nothing will ever take that Mikel Arteta moment away from us. The place went bananas, we'd done it. We'd done it in style too, it was a brilliant goal it really was. There were so many other chances too, credit really does need to go to Fiorentina's defenders, they made numerous world class tackles and blocks and still Everton leveled the tie. Forget about the lottery at the end...That was a fantastic night at Goodison Park.



My only regret about the whole night was Andy Johnson not trying his luck during the second half of extra-time...perhaps a player who doesn't spend every single game running himself into the ground chasing down everything and doing everything he can for the team, perhaps a more selfish player would have gone for glory instead of trying to set-up an easier chance for someone else....perhaps if he had done then we might have got that precious aggregate lead. But who knows.

The only thing we know is that Everton did us proud...last week in Florence perhaps showed our naivete in not being calmer on the ball and retaining possesion when we did have it and not dealing with a fussy referee. That's not the greatest of crimes is it? Fiorentina were like a rabbit in the headlights last night. Everton had a job to do and did it. No complaints from me, even if you'd have told me how it was all going to end I'd have still enjoyed every second of this European run. Everything from McFadden's goal away against Metalist right upto the final whistle and everything in between has been great experience for this team. Fingers crossed we get to do it again next season 'cause it was great fun.



At the back of my mind, however, there is a tinge of worry shackled to Everton's European adventure...I just don't know if I'll be able to get to these games if Everton relocate out into the sticks. I hope and pray there is some sort of transport solution bundled into the who Kirkby project (There has been absolutely nothing mentioned about it so far). I only live across town and it's a pretty frantic turnaround in the evenings to get to these games...God knows how it'll work if there is another 5 mile long leg to the commute added to it.

Anyway that's for another day...I assume the Yes voters have worked all that out when they made the most important decision in the club's history. Not the time for post mortems and grumbling....Today is all about COYB! It really is a grand old team!